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HISTORY 


©F 


ALLEN  AND  WOODSON 
COUNTIES 

KANSAS 


ILLUSTRATED 


Embei«l,ished  with  Pokteaits  op  Well,  Known  People  op  These  Counties. 

WITH  Biographies  of  Our  Representative  Citizens,  Cuts  of 

Public  Buildings  and  a  Map  of  Each  County. 


EDITED  AND  COMPILED  BV 

L.  WALLACE  DUNCAN 
CHAS.  F.  SCOft 


lOLA,  KANSAS: 
lOLA  REGISTER,  PRINTERS  AND  BINDERS 

igoi 


(;  0  fvWt  I.  U 


/)7^/C6'^' 


preface 

There  is  no  romance  more  thrilling  and  fascinating  than  the  story  of 
the  early  settlement  of  Kansas,  and  her  later  history  holds  a  charm  and 
interest  that  is  not  possessed  by  that  of  any  other  State  in  the  Union.  Organ- 
ized as  a  Territory  when  the  contest  for  the  extension  of  slavery  was  at 
white  heat,  it  became  at  once  the  battle  ground  of  the  contending  forces, 
the  South  determined  that  it  should  be  held  as  slave  territory,  the  North 
equally  determined  that  it  should  be  dedicated  to  freedom.  The  struggle 
drew  the  gaze  of  the  Nation  upon  Kansas,  and  the  interest  then  awakened 
has  continued,  through  peace  and  war,  to  this  day.  Something  is  always 
"going  on"  in  Kansas,  and  whatever  it  may  be,  the  people  in  all  the  other 
States  want  to  know  about  it. 

Allen  and  Woodson  were  among  the  first  counties  to  be  organized  in 
the  new  Territory,  and  some  of  the  earliest  white  settlements  in  Kansas  were 
made  within  their  borders.  Many  of  their  pioneers  were  identified  in  an 
honorable  way  with  the  contest  for  freedom,  and  they  have  witnessed  many 
stirring  events.  It  is  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  permanent  record  of 
these  events,  to  engrave  where  they  will  not  be  lost  or  forgotten  the  names 
of  those  whose  courage  and  sacrifices  laid  the  foundation  for  the  prosperity 
and  peace  we  now  enjoy,  as  well  as  to  note  the  steps  by  which  the  present 
high  material  development  of  the  two  counties  has  been  reached,  that  the 
present  volume  has  been  compiled  and  published. 

The  highest  ambition  of  the  publishers  has  been  to  make  this  History 
accurate  and  reliable,  and  they  have  spared  no  pains  to  verify  every  substan- 
tial fact  recorded.  To  do  this  they  have  gone,  whenever  that  was  possible 
to  the  original  sources,  to  documents  when  such  were  available,  to  early 
newspaper  files,  and  to  men  and  women  who  have  been  here  from  the  or- 
ganization of  the  counties  and  who  can  say:  "All  of  this  I  saw  and  part  of 
it  I  was. ' '  And  in  conducting  this  research  the  publishers  have  been  often 
reminded  that  their  work  was  not  begun  too  soon,  for  of  the  large  number  of 
those  who 

"Crossed  the  prairies  as  of  old 
Our  fathers  crossed  the  sea", 

and  whose  courage  and  endurance  laid  broad  and  deep  the  foundations  of 
the  commonwealth,  but  few  now  remain,  and  when  they  shall  have  gone 
"to  join  the  great  majority"  it  will  no  longer  be  possible  to  gather  at  first 


hands  the  facts  that  constitute  the  most  interesting,  if  not  the  most  import- 
ant, part  of  the  history  of  the  two  counties.  In  collecting  and  putting  in 
form  for  permanent  preservation  the  recollections  of  those  who  were  original 
observers  and  actors  through  the  long  period  that  now  stretches  between  the 
organization  of  the  counties  and  the  present  day,  the  publishers  feel  that 
they  have  done  a  real  service  for  future  generations. 

"Biography  is  history  teaching  by  example,"  and  no  history  of  any 
American  community  would  be  complete  that  did  not  contain  the  life  record 
of  many  of  the  men  and  women  who  constitute  its  citizenship.  A  large  por- 
tion of  this  volume  is  therefore  devoted  to  sketches  of  those  who  have  in  one 
way  or  another  been  identified  with  the  political,  social,  religious,  business 
or  professional  life  of  the  community.  The  limits  of  the  volume  have  made 
it  impossible  to  include  all  who  are  worthy  of  a  place  in  it;  but  so  far  as  it 
was  possible  to  secure  the  facts  no  one  has  been  omitted  whose  record  is  an 
essential  part  of  the  history  of  the  two  counties. 

The  publishers  wish  to  make  special  acknowledgment  of  their  indebt- 
edness to  those  who  have  contributed  the  chapters  which  appear  over  their 
names,  and  which  add  greatly  to  the  interest  and  value  of  the  book.  They 
are  very  grateful  also  for  the  generous  encouragement  which  their  under- 
taking has  received  and  for  the  advance  subscriptions  which  have  made  its 
publication  possible. 

In  a  recent  article  Hon.  E.  F.  Ware  says:  "Next  to  having  heroes  i.s 
having  historians.  A  hero  who  does  not  get  into  history  is  practically 
wasted.  Heroism  without  history  is  like  a  banquet  without  a  guest.  The 
great  charm  of  Kansas  is  the  fact  that  it  has  had  both  heroes  and  historians. 
A  good  printed  history  is  like  a  bank.  In  it  the  valuables  and  the  jewels  of 
the  State  are  kept.  Into  this  bank  goes  the  surplus  greatness  of  the  people 
and  of  the  state. ' ' 

If  the  present  work  shall  in  any  degree  merit  this  accurate  and  witty 
definition  of  a  "good  printed  history,"  the  publishers  will  feel  that  their 
hopes  have  been  justified. 


HISTORY 


OF 

ALLEN  COUNTY 

KANSAS 

location  anb  IRatural  features 

Allen  county  is  located  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State,  in  the  sec- 
ond tier  of  counties  from  the  east  line  and  in  the  third  tier  from  the  south 
line,  109  miles  south  of  Kansas  City.  It  is  twenty-one  miles  north  and 
south  and  twenty-four  miles  east  and  west,  containing  504  square  miles,  or 
about  322,560  acres.  It  is  divided  into  twelve  townships,  as  follows: 
Geneva,  Carlyle,  Deer  Creek,  Osage,  Marmaton,  Elm,  lola,  Elsmore,  Salem 
Cottage  Grove,  Humboldt  and  Logan. 

The  Neosho,  the  third  largest  river  in  the  State,  enters  it  at  the  north- 
west corner  and  follows  a  generally  southeasterly  course,  affording  a  large 
and  steady  supply  of  water  and  furnishing  abundant  water  power  at  lola 
and  Humboldt,  where  dams  have  been  constructed,  the  greater  part  of  the 
year.  The  river  has  numerous  tributaries,  the  largest  being  Indian  creek, 
Martin  creek.  Deer  creek.  Elm  creek.  Coal  creek  and  Owl  creek.  The 
Neosho  and  all  its  tributaries  were  heavily  wooded  when  the  country  was 
first  settled,  and  large  bodies  of  native  timber  still  remain  on  all  of  them. 
The  Marmaton  river  rises  east  of  the  center  of  the  county  and  flows  south- 
east through  Marmaton  and  Elsmore  townships.  The  Little  Osage  river 
rises  north  of  the  center  of  the  county  and  flows  southeast.  Each  of  these 
rivers  has  small  tributaries.  Good  well  water  is  obtained  nearly  everywhere 
in  the  county  at  a  depth  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet,  and  at  numerous 
points  deep  wells,  drilled  to  a  depth  of  about  two  hundred  feet,  have  supplied 
never  failing  water. 

The  river  and  creek  bottoms  are  wide  and  level,  comprising  about  one- 
tenth  the  area  of  the  county.  The  uplands  are  gently  rolling  prairie.  There 
is  comparatively  little  surface  rock,  although  in  nearly  every  township  some 


6  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AND 

good   quarries   have   been   opened,  the  stone  being  usually  blue  and  white 
limestone  and  red  sandstone. 

When  the  county  was  first  settled  considerable  surface  coal  was  found 
in  Osage  and  Cottage  Grove  townships,  and  it  was  thought  that  a  consider- 
able portion  of  the  county  might  be  under  laid  with  coal  at  a  greater  depth. 
Subsequent  prospecting,  however,  has  not  developed  any  veins  of  sufficient 
thickness  to  warrant  working. 


IRatural  IResources 

AGRICULTURAL:  Like  most  of  the  counties  of  Kansas,  Allen  is  mostly 
an  agricultural  county.  The  bottom  lands,  comprising  as  already  stated 
one-tenth  of  the  entire  area  of  the  county,  are  apparently  inexhaustible,  in 
their  fertility  and  produce  enormous  crops  year  after  year.  The  uplands 
are  not  so  rich,  of  course,  but  they  yet  possess  a  deep  alluvial  soil,  rich  in 
decomposed  limestone,  and  with  proper  cultivation  producing  extremely 
well.  Up  to  the  time  of  this  writing  but  little  manufactured  fertilizer  has 
been  used,  because  not  found  necessary.  Some  of  the  more  progressive 
farmers,  however,  are  now  experimenting  with  the  various  fertilizers  that 
are  on  the  markets,  and  the  results  have  proven  so  satisfactory  that  the  cus- 
tom will  no  doubt  soon  become  general.  Wheat  is  grown  successfully 
along  the  river  bottoms,  and  some  of  the  uplands  have  produced  good  results 
when  fertilizer  was  used.  But  corn  is  the  principal  crop  of  the  county,  the 
average  annual  product  being  in  the  neighborhood  of  two  million  bushels. 
Kaffir  corn  is  gaining  in  favor  with  the  farmers,  as  it  never  fails  to  produce 
a  good  crop.  A  great  deal  of  sorghum  and  millet  is  raised  as  a  forage  crop, 
while  flax,  oats  and  broom  corn  are  grown  successfully.  Nearly  all  the 
varieties  of  fruits  common  to  this  latitude  do  well  here,  apples  especially 
being  abundant  in  quantity  and  excellent  in  quality.  Of  the  tame  grasses, 
clover  and  timothy  do  the  best  and  are  now  very  generally  grown. 

STOCK  RAISING:  Nearly  all  the  farmers  are  also  stock  raisers  or 
feeders  and  nearly  all  the  grain  and  forage  grown  in  the  county  is  fed  with- 
in its  borders.  Attention  is  given  mostly  to  hogs  and  cattle,  although  there 
are  some  sheep  in  the  county,  and  a  great  many  car  loads  of  horses  and 
mules  are  turned  off  annually.  The  cheapness  with  which  g^ain  and  forage 
can  be  grown,  the  abundance  of  good  water,  the  mildness  of  the  climate  and 
the  proximity  to  great  markets  make  the  live  stock  industry  one  of  the  most 
profitable  in  which  our  people  engage. 

TIMBER:  When  the  country  was  first  settled  the  heavy  growth  of 
forest  along  the  rivers  and  creeks  constituted  a  very  important  resource  and 
brought  many  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  fortunate  owners.  Saw  mills 
were  the  first  factories  of  any  kind  to  be  established,  and  practically  all  the 
houses  built  prior  to  the  advent  of  the  railroad  in  1872  were  constructed 
wholly  or  in  large  part  of  native  lumber.  The  forests  have  been  very  largely 
cut  down,  but  enough  of  the  original  growth  yet  remains  to  enable  three  or 
four  small  saw  mills  to  do  a  flourishing  business. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  7 

MINERAL:  By  far  the  most  important  mineral  resource  of  the  county, 
so  far  as  now  known,  is  the  Natural  Gas,  the  discovery  and  development  of 
which  is  made  the  subject  of  another  chapter.  Next  in  value  to  the  gas 
are  the  shales,  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  brick  and  tiling,  and  the 
stone  designated  in  the  geology  of  the  State  as  "the  lola  lyimestone".  The 
shales  are  deposited  very  generously  over  the  county,  but  are  utilized  at 
present  only  at  lola  and  Humboldt,  at  each  of  which  places,  by  the  use  of 
natural  gas  as  fuel,  they  are  manufactured  into  a  fine  quality  of  building 
and  paving  brick.  The  stone  also  underlies  a  large  portion  of  the  county, 
but  is  used  only  at  lola  where,  in  combination  with  the  shale,  it  is  used  in 
the  manufacture,  on  a  very  large  scale,  of  Portland  Cement.  It  has  also 
been  used  quite  extensively  for  sidewalks  and  curbing.  Considerable  oil 
has  been  developed  in  the  vicinity  of  Humboldt  and  at  some  other  points  in 
the  county,  but  not  in  sufficient  quantities  as  yet  to  admit  of  its  being  placed 
upon  the  market.  The  presence  of  so  large  a  gas  field  as  Allen  county 
possesses  lends  reason  to  the  hope  that  at  some  time  a  correspondingly 
large  pool  of  oil  will  be  found. 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


^be  territorial  periob' 

Allen  county  no  doubt  has  a  history,  if  we  could  only  find  it,  dating 
far  beyond  the  brief  period  of  its  occupation  by  the  present  population. 
Away  in  the  dim  recesses  of  prehistoric  times  there  is  good  reason  to  believe 
the  country  we  now  ciU  Kansas,  and  perhaps  this  very  valley,  was  inhab- 
ited by  a  numerous  people,  different  from  and  far  more  advanced  in  civiliz- 
ation than  any  of  the  aborigines  found  here  upon  the  advent  of  the  Euro- 
peans. The  numerous  and  massive  ruins  of  long  forgotten  cities  in  Arizona, 
in  the  canons  of  the  Colorado,  and  the  traces  of  vast  systems  of  irrigation 
yet  discernible  in  portions  of  our  own  State,  prove  that  this  portion  of  the 
continent  had  a  history  in  connection  with  the  human  race  long  before  it 
became  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  Indian  or  the  home  of  the  Caucassian ; 
but  who  they  were,  whence  they  came,  how  long  they  remained,  whither 
they  went,  and  what  were  the  agencies  of  war,  pestilence  or  famine  which 
so  completely  blotted  them  out,  are  questions  for  the  archaeologist  and  anti- 
quary, and  not  for  the  practical  historian  of  to-day. 

The  first  written  account  we  have  of  the  territory  included  within  this 
State  dates  from  about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  when  a  Spanish 
expedition,  under  the  leadership  of  Coronado,  coming  from  Mexico  by  way 
of  the  Gulf  of  California,  penetrated  as  far  as  the  north  central  part  of  Kan- 
sas. The  expedition  came  in  search  of  gold  and  silver  and  fabulously  rich 
cities,  but  it  found  neither  gold  nor  silver  nor  cities,  and  so  the  disorganized, 
discouraged  and  demoralized  remnant  of  it  returned  to  Mexico  as  best  it 
could,  having  left  no  permanent  mark  upon  the  State. 

Another  Spaniard,  DeSoto,  after  discovering  the  Mississippi,  crossed 
it  in  his  search  for  the  fountain  of  perpetual  youth  and  penetrated  almost  to 
the  borders  of  Kansas,  but  failing  to  find  the  fabled  fountain  returned  and 
was  buried  in  the  stream  he  had  discovered,  and  the  only  reminder  of  him 
in  Kansas  is  his  name,  given  to  a  small  station  on  the  Atchison,  Topeka 
and  Santa  Fe  railroad  near  Lawrence. 

French  explorers  were  more  successful  than  the  Spanish  had  been. 
Coming  down  from  the  north  and  east,  they  ascended  the  Missouri  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Kansas  river  which  they  entered  and  followed  some  distance. 
They  have  left  the  most  glowing  accounts  of  the  beauty  and  fertility  of  the 
country  and  especially  of  the  incredible  numbers  of  buffalo,  deer,  bear  and 
other  wild  animals  with  which  it  abounded. 

In  1682  the  French  took  possession  of  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  in 
the  name  of  the  King  of  France  and  named  the  country  on  its  banks  Louis- 

*  Note— The  Publisliers  wish  to  acknowledge  their  indebtedness  tor  many  of  the  facts  recited 
in  this  chapter  to  two  addresses  on  "The  History  of  Allen  County,"  one  delivered  at  lola,  July  4, 
1876,  by  Dr.  John  W.  Seott,  and  the  other  delivered  the  same  day  at  Humboldt,  by  Major  Watson 
Stewart. 


WOODSON    COUN'flES,    KANSAS.  9 

jana,  in  honor  of  Louis  XIV.  The  name  was  applied  to  a  vast  but  some- 
what indefinite  extent  of  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi  river  including 
what  is  now  divided  into  eighteen  States  and  Territories  of  our  Union, 
Kansas  being  one  of  them.  It  remained  nominally  in  the  possession  of 
France  until  November,  1762,  when  it  was  ceded  to  Spain,  being  retroceded 
to  France,  October  i,  1800,  by  the  secret  treaty  of  St.  Idilfonso. 

In  1803,  through  the  crowning  act  of  the  administration  of  Thomas 
Jefferson,  the  entire  Territory  of  Ivouisiana  was  purchased  from  France  and 
ceded  to  the  United  States.  In  1804  Congress  divided  the  new  purchase 
into  two  distinct  territories  divided  by  the  33d  parallel  of  north  latitude. 
The  southern  portion  was  called  the  Territory  of  New  Orleans,  and  the 
northern  the  District  of  Louisiana,  this  District  being  placed  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Indiana.  In  1805  a  Terri- 
torial government  was  granted  to  the  District  of  Louisiana,  under  the  name 
of  the  Territory  of  Louisiana,  and  in  181 2  the  Territorial  Government  was 
recognized  and  the  name  changed  to  that  of  Missouri  Territory.  In  1820 
the  State  of  Missouri  was  admitted  into  the  Union  with  its  present  boun* 
daries  and  there  remained  of  the  old  Louisiana  Purchase  the  Territory  of 
Nebraska. 

It  was  not  until  1854  that  the  name  Kansas  appeared  upon  the  map. 
In  that  year  the  Territory  of  Nebraska  was  divided  and  what  had  been  the 
southern  portion  of  it  was  organized  into  the  Territory  of  Kansas,  with  A. 
H.  Reeder  as  Governor.  The  first  legislature  of  the  new  Territory  was 
elected  March  30,  1855, — the  election  being  marked  by  such  gross  and 
palpable  fraud  on  the  part  of  the  "Border  Ruffians"  that  the  legislature 
then  chosen  has  come  down  in  history  as  "the  bogus  legislature".  It  was 
in  the  acts  of  this  legislature,  known  as  "the  bogus  statutes",  that  Allen 
county  first  appears  as  a  recognized  municipality,  having  a  "local  habita- 
tion   and   a  name",  the  section  being  in  the  following  words: 

"The  county  of  Allen  shall  be  bounded  as  follows:  Beginning  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Anderson  county,  thence  south  thirty  miles,  thence 
west  twenty-four  miles,  thence  north  thirty  miles,  thence  east  tventy-four 
miles  to  place  of  beginning  " 

The  first  white  settlements  in  the  county  were  made  in  the  spring  and 
summer  of  1855,  shortly  before  the  county  was  named  and  its  limits  defined 
as  above  set  forth.  There  is  some  dispute  as  to  who  made  the  first  perma- 
nent settlement,  but  the  weight  of  the  testimony  seems  to  award  that 
honorable  distinction  to  Mr.  D.  H.  Parsons,  who  with  a  companion,  B.  W. 
Cowden,  arrived  on  the  Neosho  river  near  the  mouth  of  Elm  creek  in  the 
month  of  March,  1855.  They  found  about  four  hundred  lodges  of  Osage 
Indians  encamped  in  the  timber  and  still  claiming  some  sort  of  ownership 
ip  the  country.  But  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  father  of  Mr.  Parsons  had 
been  a  trader  among  the  Osages,  the  newcomers  were  received  in  the  most 
friendly  manner  and  made  welcome  in  the  lodges  of  the  camp  until  their 
cabins  were  built. 

A  little  later  the  good  will  of  the  Indians  again  stood  Parsons  in  good 
stead.     Returning  to  his  claim  after  a  short  absence  later   in   the   summer, 


lO  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

he  found  his  cabin  in  possession  of  a  party  of  Missourians  who,  drifting 
down  that  way  and  finding  it  unoccupied  had  proceeded  at  once  to  take 
possession  and  make  themselves  at  home.  There  was  no  law,  no  right  but 
might,  and  the  Missourians  were  the  stronger.  Finding  that  argument  was 
of  no  avail,  Mr.  Parsons  appealed  to  his  friend,  Little  Bear,  chief  of  the 
Osages.  The  result  of  this  appeal  was  that  a  party  of  warriors  presented 
themselves  suddenly  before  the  astonished  interlopers,  and  with  angry 
gestures  and  loud  threatening  talk  gave  them  to  understand  that  they  must 
get  out.  The  Missourians  were  now  the  suppliants,  and  begging  Parsons 
to  restrain  the  fury  of  the  savages  until  they  could  get  out  of  their  reach 
they  departed  immediately,  rapidly  and  permanently.  The  claim  over 
which  this  dispute  arose  was  just  across  the  river  southwest  of  lola,  known 
to  all  the  later  settlers  as  the  Ninirod  Hankins  place. 

During  the  summer  of  1855  ^  number  of  settlers  arrived  in  the  county, 
the  following  being  as  nearly  a  complete  roll  as  can  now  be  obtained: 
Major  James  Parsons,  with  his  sons,  Jesse  and  James,  H.  H.  Hayward, 
Dr.  Burgess,  Isem  Brown,  A.  W.  J.  Brown,  J.  S.  Barbee,  Thos.  Day,  Giles 
Sater,  Thos.  Norris,  Jessie  E.  Morris,  Anderson  Wray,  George  Hall,  Dr. 
Stockton,  A.  C.  Smith,  Augustus  Todd,  Michael  Kiser,  Hiram  Smith, 
Richard  J.  Fuqua,  W  C.  Keith,  Henry  Bennett,  Elias  Copelin,  James 
Barber,  Barnett  Owen,  James  Johnson,  Charles  Passmore,  James  Gillraith, 
David  Dotson,  E.  H.  Young,  a  Mr.  Duncan  and  a  Mr.  Martin,  for  whom 
Martin  creek  was  named.  Of  these  sturdy  and  honored  pioneers  not  one 
now  remains  in  the  county,  and  probably  fewer  than  half  a  score  are  yet 
living. 

The  Legislature  of  1855  adopted  a  system  of  county  organization  the 
officers  of  which  were  a  Probate  Judge,  with  power  and  jurisdiction  almost 
equal  to  that  of  our  present  district  court;  two  County  Commissioners,  con- 
stituting with  the  Probate  Judge,  the  tribunal  for  transacting  county  busi- 
ness; and  a  sheriff.  These  fouT  officers  were  to  be  appointed  by  the 
Legislature  and  to  hold  their  offices  until  the  general  election  in  1857,  and 
they  in  turn  to  appoint  the  County  Clerk  and  Treasurer.  The  officers 
appointed  for  Allen  county  were  Charles  Passmore,  Probate  Judge,  Barnett 
Owen  and  B.  W.  Cowden,  Commissioners,  and  Wm.  J.  Godfrey,  Sheriff. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  a  party  of  proslavery  men  from  Fort  Scott  formed 
a  town  company,  and  coming  to  Allen  county  laid  out  a  town  on  the  high 
ground  south  of  the  mouth  of  Elm  creek  and  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Neosho 
river,  about  one  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  where  lola  now  stands. 
The  town  was  named  Cofachique,  in  honor  of  an  Indian  chief,  and  James 
Barbee  was  elected  the  first  president  of  the  company.  The  Company  was 
incorporated  by  the  bogus  legislature  under  the  name  of  the  Cofachique 
Town  Association,  with  Daniel  Woodson,  Charles  Passmore,  James  S- 
Barbee,  William  Barber,  Samuel  A.  Williams  and  Joseph  C.  Anderson  as 
the  incorporators.  The  Association  was  authorized  by  the  act  creating  it  to 
hold  any  quantity  of  land  not  exceeding  900  acres,  "where  the  city  of 
Cofachique  is  now  located,"  and  was  made  the  permanent  county  seat  of 
Allen  county.     The  first  store  in  the  town  and  in  the  county  was  started  by 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,'   KANSAS.  II 

James  Galbreath.  H.  D.  Parsons  and  a  Mr.  Lynn  soon  started  another  and 
a  third  was  opened  by  John  &  Owens.  The  first  post-office  in  the  county 
was  e-tablished  at  Cofachique  in  the  spring  of  1855  with  Aaron  Case  as 
post-master,  but  it  was  not  until  July  I,  1857,  that  a  regular  mail  route 
was  opened,  the  mail  prior  to  that  time  having  been  brought  in  from  Fort 
Scott  by  a  carrier  employed  by  the  citizens. 

For  nearly  two  years  Cofachique  was  the  only  town  in  the  county  and 
was  a  place  ot  much  importance.  The  first  term  of  court  in  the  county  was 
held  there  in  1865  by  Judge  Cato,  a  United  States  District  Judge,  with  J. 
S.  Barbee,  clerk  and  James  Johnson  sheriff.  There  is  no  record  of  pro- 
ceedings at  this  term  and  it  is  possible  that  but  little  was  done.  In  October 
1858  Judge  Williams  held  another  term,  with  J.  B.  Lamkin  clerk,  and  J. 
E.  Morris  sheriff.  A  grand  jury  was  in  attendance  composed  of  the  follow- 
ing: L.  E.  Rhoades,  Thos.  H.  Bashaw,  Thos.  Dean,  J.  B.  Young,  Jacob 
Buzzard,  Moses  Neal,  Mike  Kiser,  Robert  Culbertson,  Simon  Camerer,  A. 
G.  Carpenter,  J.  C.  Redfield,  Wm.  Pace,  Chas.  Burton,  Dene  Reese  and 
Rufus  Wood.  A  number  of  civil  cases  were  tried,  and  the  grand  jury 
made  presentment  against  Leonard  Fuqua  ior  assault  with  intent  to  kill 
one  Josiah  C.  Redfield;  also  for  assault  on  P.  P.  Phillips;  and  against 
Leonard  Fuqua,  Homer  C.  Leonard,  A.  C.  Smith,  Avery  C.  Spencer,  Ed. 
Cushion  and  William  Fuqua  for  assault  and  battery  on  George  Esse. 
These  troubles  grew  out  of  claim  disputes,  a  fruitful  cause  of  strife  in  all 
new  countries. 

With  the  record  of  this  term  of  court  the  history  of  Cofachique  prac- 
tically closes.  In  1858  a  Free  State  legislature,  looking  upon  Cofachique 
as  a  pro-slavery  nest,  removed  the  county  seat  to  Humboldt,  a  new  town 
that  had  been  laid  out  the  year  before,  some  seven  miles  south  of  Cofachi- 
que. In  1859  lola,  another  new  town,  was  started  a  little  distance  to  the 
north.  The  result  was  the  death  of  Cofachique.  The  site  of  the  town  had 
not  been  wisely  chosen,  being  difficult  of  access  from  any  of  the  beaten 
roads  and  having  no  available  water  supply.  The  natural  disadvantages 
together  with  the  disrepute  into  which  it  fell  on  account  of  its  pro-slavery 
proclivities,  are  responsible  for  its  ultimate  failure.  In  1859  and  '60  all 
the  buildings  that  had  been  erected  there  were  removed  to  lola,  and  there 
is  now  not  a  stick  nor  a  stone  to  remind  even  the  most  careful  observer 
that  a  town  once  existed  there.  The  land  on  which  it  was  built  is  now  the 
property  of  the  Portland  Cement  Company. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1856  immigration  continued,  though 
not  in  very  large  numbers.  Prominent  among  the  settlers  of  ■  that  year 
were  Nimrod  Hankins,  William  M.  Brown,  Carlyle  Faulkner,  Carroll 
Prewett,  Henry  Doren,  G.  A.  Gideon,  William  Mayberry,  Thomas  Bashaw, 
M.  W.  Post  and  Joseph  Ludley.  The  two  last  named  came  in  February 
1855,  being  engaged  in  the  survey  of  the  standard  parallels.  They  finished 
this  survey  with  the  fifth  parallel  through  Allen  county,  and  concluded  to 
locate  in  or  near  Allen  county.  Sometime  during  the  following  summer 
Ludley  brought  a  small  saw  mill  from  Westport,  Mo. ,  set  it  up  in  the 
timber  near  Cofachique  and  began  operations  at  once.     The  mill  was  run 


12  HISTORY   OF   ALLEX    AND 

by  horse  power,  and  was  the  first  mill  or  other  machinery  to  be  put  in 
operation  in  Allen  county.  After  running  it  for  some  time  Ludley  sold  it 
to  Drury  S.  Tye. 

This  year,  1856,  witnessed  the  first  marriage  that  took  place  in  the 
county,  that  of  James  Johnson  to  Marinda  Barber,  August  14.  The  cere- 
mony was  performed  by  A.  W.  J.  Brown,  the  probate  judge  of  the  county. 
The  first  death  in  the  county  also  took  place  this  year,  that  of  James  Barbee 
which  occurred  at  Cofachique. 

Although  the  county  officers  were  appointed  by  the  legislature  as  has 
already  been  noted,  in  1855,  it  appears  that  they  did  not  meet  until  May  7, 
1856.  In  the  meantime  the  probate  judge  by  appointment,  Charles  Pass- 
more,  had  died,  and  on  the  day  above  named  Barnett  Owen  and  B.  W. 
Cowden,  county  commissioners,  met  in  Cofachique  at  the  house  of  J.  S. 
Barbee,  and  organized  by  the  appointment  of  Barbee  as  clerk.  On  June  2, 
1856,  the  Board  again  met  and  completed  the  organization  of  the  county  by 
the  appointment  of  A.  W.  J.  Brown,  probate. judge,  James  Johnson  sheriff, 
C  B.  Houston  surveyor,  H.  D.  Parsons  coroner,  H.  H.  Hayward  treasurer 
and  J.  S.  Barbee  permanent  clerk.  They  also  divided  the  county  into 
three  precincts.  The  first  embraced  all  north  of  a  line  drawn  easi  and 
west  through  the  mouth  of  Deer  creek,  and  was  called  Deer  creek  precinct 
or  township;  R.  Fuqua  and  Hiram  Cable  were  appointed  justices  of  the 
peace  and  William  Sater  coustablt.  The  second  division  included  all 
between  Deer  creek  township  and  the  5th  standard  parallel,  and  was  called 
Cofachique;  John  Dunwoody  and  William  Avery  justices  and  Ozias  Owen 
constable.  The  third  division  comprised  the  remainder  of  the  county  and 
was  called  Coal  creek  township;  Thos.  H.  Bashaw  and  Elias  Copelin  jus- 
tices, and  James  Brady  constable. 

On  the  19th  of  August,  1856,  the  Board  met  and  appointed  judges  of 
election  for  the  first  Monday  in  October  for  members  of  the  Territorial 
legislature.  The  appointments  were  as  follows:  Deer  Creek,  Giles  Sater, 
James  Parsons,  Wm.  C.  Keith, — the  election  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Isem 
Brown.  Cofachique,  Wm.  Avery,  G.  A.  Gideon  and  Wm.  Mayberry, — 
the  election  to  be  held  at  Cofachique.  Coal  Creek,  Henry  Bennett,  E. 
Copelin  and  James  H.  Bashaw,— the  election  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  W. 
G.  Wimburn.  The  Board  also  levied  a  tax  of  "twenty-three  and  one-half 
per  cent  on  each  one  hundred  dollars"  (so  stated  in  the  records,  though  it 
is  probable  that  twenty-three  and  one-half  cents  on  each  one  hundred  dol- 
lars is  meant),  of  personal  property  and  fifty  cents  poll  tax,  and  soon  after 
ordered  the  erection  of  a  court  house  at  Cofachique  to  be  eighteen  feet  wide 
and  twenty  feet  long,  one  room  below  and  two  above,  the  lower  room  to 
have  one  batton  door,  and  one  twelve  light  window,  8x10,  and  each  of  the 
upper  rooms  a  window  of  similar  dimensions.  This  order,  however,  seems 
to  have  been  unpopular,  for  at  a  subsequent  meeting,  January  7,  1857,  the 
Board  recinded  both  the  tax  and  the  order  for  a  court  house. 

There  is  no  record  that  the  election  ordered  for  the  first  Monday  in 
October  of  1856  was  held  in  Allen  county.  This  election  was  for  members 
of  the  Territorial  legislature   and   delegates   in    Congress  under  the  bogus 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  ,  13 

laws.  The  Free  State  men,  who  were  a  majority  amongst  the  settlers  of 
Allen  county,  did  not  recognize  the  authority  of  those  laws,  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  most  of  the  judges  appointed  refused  to  act  and  the  election  went 
b}'  default.  The  county  records  contain  no  mention  of  even  an  attempt 
being  made  to  hold  any  election  prior  to  this,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  an 
election  was  held  October  5,  1855,  at  the  house  of  J  R.  Fuqua,  at  which 
Wm.  R.  Griffith,  John  Hamihon,  A.  W  J.  Brown  and  Wm.  Saunders 
were  elected  as  delegates  to  the  Topeka  Constitutional  convention,  each 
receiving  twelve  votes.  At  the  same  election  A.  H.  Reeder  received  tAelve 
votes  for  delegate  in  Congress.  There  is  no  record  that  a  vote  was  ever 
taken  in  the  county  upon  the  adoption  ot  the  Topeka  constitution  or  an\- 
officers  under  it.  While  Allen  county  took  no  part  in  the  elections  it  was 
vet  included  in  a  large  and  rather  indefinite  district  which  was  represented 
in  the  Territorial  council  of  1855  by  Wm.  Barbee,  of  Fort  Scott,  a  brother 
of  J.  S.  Barbee  who  figured  h\  this  county,  and  in  the  lower  house  of  the 
same  legislature  by  S.  A.  Williams.  In  the  second  Territorial  legislature, 
elected  in  October,  1856,  this  county  was  represented  in  the  same  vague 
way  in  the  council  by  Blake  Little,  a  notorious  Border  Ruffian,  and  in  the 
house  by  B.  Brantley  and  W.  W.  Spratt. 

The  years  1855  and  1856  are  noted  in  the  history  of  Kansas  for  the 
Border  Ruffian  war  which  raged  throughout  the  more  thickly  settled  por- 
tions of  the  Territory,  the  first  active  outbreak  of  the  irrepressible  conflict 
between  slavery  and  freedom  which  ended  some  years  later  in  the  slave- 
holders' rebellion  and  the  final  extinction  of  their  peculiar  institution  on 
the  continent.  Invasion  of  savage  hordes,  armed  with  ballots  and  bullets, 
with  which  to  subdue  the  country  and  make  Kansas  a  slave  State,  bogias 
elections,  pitched  battles,  marauding  raids  and  midnight  assassinations, 
kept  the  northern  and  border  counties  in  continual  excitement  and  alarm. 
But  only  the  distant  reverberations  of  the  conflict  reached  the  peaceful  val- 
ley of  the  Neosho.  Isolated  by  situation  and  separated' from  the  eastern 
and  northern  portions  of  the  Territory  by  wide  and  naked  prairies,  our 
early  settlers  escaped  the  perils  and  anxieties  of  these  troubled  years. 
Amongst  the  pioneers  of  Allen  county  from  the  very  first  the  Free  State 
sentiment  predominated,  but  they  were  mostly  western  men  and  as  such 
rather  moderate  in  their  views  on  the  slavery  question.  They  allowed  their 
pro-slavery  neighbors  to  entertain  their  peculiar  sentiments  without  moles- 
tation, and  during  the  entire  continuance  of  the  troubles  no  instance  of 
violence  or  outrage  from  this  cause  occurred  within  the  limits  of  the  county , 
or  involving  any  of  its  citizens.  And  of  the  immense  sums  of  money  raised 
in  the  eastern  States  for  the  relief  of  Kansas  settlers  in  1856,  amounting 
according  to  Wilder's  Annals,  to  $241,000,  it  is  not  known  that  one  dollar 
ever  found  its  way  into  Allen  county. 

But  while  the  county  fortunately  escaped  the  horrors  of  border  warfare, 
its  early  history  is  not  without  pathetic,  and  almost  tragic  incidetits.  One 
of  the  most  pitiful  of  these  resulted  from  the  attempt  to  establish  what  was 
known  as  the  "Vegetarian  Colony",  in  1855  and  '6.  The  colony  was 
organized  in  some  of  the  Northern  States  in  1855,  its  purpose  being  to  form 


14  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

a  settlement  somewhere  in  Kansas  Territory,  the  members  of  which  should 
abstain  from  the  use  of  meat,  tea,  coffee,  tobacco,  or  other  stimulants,  and 
who  while  owning  some  land  individually  should  yet  hold  large  tracts  in 
common  and  should  co-operate  in  many  other  ways  to  help  one  ouother 
and  to  build  up  an  ideal  community.  C.  H.  DeWolf,  of  Philadelphia,  was 
president,  Dr.  Mclyauren,  treasurer,  and  H.  S.  Clubb,  of  New  York,  secre- 
tary. In  the  fall  of  1855  Dr.  McLauren  was  sent  out  to  select  a  location. 
The  place  chosen  was  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Neosho  river,  about  six  miles 
south  of  Humboldt,  designated  in  the  literature  of  the  promoters  of  the 
scheme  as  Meosho  City.  In  the  spring  of  1856  the  secretary  arrived  with  a 
number  of  the  colonists,  and  others  came  later,  through  the  months  of 
April,  May  and  June,  until  somewhat  more  than  a  hundred  people  reached 
the  place.  There  appears  to  have  been  gross  mismanagement,  if  not  out- 
right peculation,  on  the  part  of  the  managers  of  the  colony.  ,  At  least  the 
promises  they  had  made,  among  other  things  to  have  a  saw  and  grist  mill 
constructed,  and  to  have  a  large  house  built  in  which  all  the  colonists  could 
be  sheltered  until  they  should  have  time  to  erect  their  individual  dwellings, 
were  not  kept.  The  result  was  bitter  disappointment  and  much  suffering. 
For  the  most  part  the  settlers  were  ea.stern  people,  not  versed  in  the  exped- 
ients by  which  those  accustomed  to  frontier  life  learned  to  make  themselves 
comfortable  with  few  of  the  accessories  of  civilization.  The  food  supply 
was  scant,  and  even  the  little  they  had  could  not  be  properly  prepared  for 
want  of  stoves  and  utensils.  There  was  but  one  plow  in  the  entire  settle- 
ment. When  the  summer  came  on  clouds  of  mosquitos  swarmed  from  the 
adjacent  low  lands,  making  the  night  time  almost  unendurable.  The 
shallow  springs  which  had  been  noted  as  "inexhaustible"  in  the  glowing 
prospectus  of  the  company,  failed  and  only  the  stagnant  pools  in  the  little 
creek  which  ran  by  the  settlement  were  available  for  drinking  water,  so 
that  nearly  all  the  people  were  stricken  with  chills  and  fever.  The  little 
fields  of  melons,  squashes,  pumpkins  and  corn  which  had  been  planted 
with  infinite  toil  in  the  tough  sod,  and  which  had  grown  luxuriantly,  were 
raided  by  neighboring  bands  of  Indians  and  the  products  carried  off  or 
destroyed.  It  is  little  wonder,  therefore,  that  the  colony  did  not  survive 
its  first  year.  As  the  winter  approached,  those  who  could  get  away 
returned  to  their  old  homes  or  sought  other  locations  where  the  conditions 
of  life  were  not  so  strenuous,  many  died,  especially  of  the  children  and  the 
old  people,  while  those  who  remained  in  the  county  located  claims  and 
fought  their  own  way  through  to  victory  or  defeat,  without  the  "assistance" 
of  a  paternal  company.  So  that  before  the  following  spring  not  a  trace  of 
the  settlement  survived,  and  the  ill-starred  venture  has  left  no  mark  on  the 
county  except  its  name  "Vegetarian"  given  to  the  small  creek  that  flowed 
by  the  settlement.  The  story  of  the  colony  has  been  most  graphically  told 
by  Mrs.  Wm.  H.  Colt,  who  with  her  husband  and  two  children  and  her 
husband's  father,  mother  and  sister,  were  among  the  colonists,  in  a  book 
which  bears  the  quaint  and  curious  title  "Went  to  Kansas",  and  it  is  one 
of  the  most  touching  and  pathetic  stories  in  all  the  annals  of  the  State. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1857  large  additions  were  made  to  the 


"WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  15 

population  of  the  county,  so  many  new  settlers  arriving  that  it  is  impossible 
to  give  the  names  of  individuals-  Up  to  this  time  the  settlements  had  been 
■exclusively  confined  to  the  timber>-d  valleys  of  the  large  streams.  But 
they  now  began  to  encroach  upon  the  prairies  and  the  population  became 
more  generally  distributed  over  the  county,  especially  the  western  half  of 
it,  to  which  indeed  it  was  mainly  confined  for  many  years.  As  a  result  of 
this  large  immigration  Allen  county  during  this  summer  experienced  its 
first  "boom".  Times  were  flush.  Money  was  abundant.  Every  new 
settler  came  with  his  pockets  full  of  gold,  and  most  of  them  seemed  to  come 
with  the  idea  that  the  thing  to  do  was  to  build  a  city.  Towns  were  staked 
■out  everywhere,  the  most  impossible  locations  were  selected,  high  sounding 
names  were  adopted,  lithographs  were  printed  by  the  thousand  and  sent  all 
over  the  country.  Indeed  so  universal  was  the  mania  that  the  facetious  S. 
N.  Wood  once  proposed  in  the  legislature  to  reserve  by  law  a  certain  por- 
tion of  the  Territory  for  farming  purposes.  The  Kansas  "boomer"  of  later 
days  comes  by  his  propensity  honestly;  it  was  bred  in  him.  Allen  county 
did  not  entirely  escape  this  town  building  infection,  though  she  suffered  from 
it  in  a  less  degree  perhaps  than  some  other  localities.  Only  two  towns 
were  started  here  during  that  year,  Geneva  and  Humboldt,  and  although 
they  have  not  realized  the  extravagant  expectations  of  their  founders,  they 
have  yet  prospered  in  a  reasonable  degree,  and  their  history  is  reserved  for 
a  subsequent  chapter. 

Until  the  general  election  October  5th  of  this  year,  the  affairs  of  the 
county  were  conducted  by  the  original  county  board,  Brown,  Cowden  and 
Owen,  although  it  seems  that  Owen  now  seldom  met  with  them.  At  their 
first  meeting  in  1857  January  5th,  they  again  undertook  to  levy  a  tax.  This 
time  it  was  forty-three  and  one-third  per  cent  on  the  $100.  They  ap- 
pointed Jacob  B.  Sherlock  assessor,  offered  a  bounty  of  twenty-five  cents  for 
wolf  scalps,  and  allowed  Barbee  fifty  cents  house  rent.  On  the  19th  of 
January  they  had  another  meeting  and  appointed  Nimrod  Hankins  assessor, 
Sherlock  having  refused  to  qualify.  On  March  30  the  assessment  roll,  the 
first  taken  in  the  county,  was  returned  and  showed  a  total  taxable  propert}' 
in  the  county  $34,515.50.  The  board  allowed  the  assessor  twenty-four 
dollars  for  his  services.  Having  apparently  discovered  that  forty-three  and 
one-third  per  cent  was  rather  a  heavy  tax,  the  board  at  this  meeting  rescinded 
their  former  action  and  levied  a  tax  of  one-sixth  of  one  per  cent,  a  very  con- 
siderable reduction.  Having  thus  satisfactorily  arranged  the  financial  af- 
fairs of  the  county,  the  board  adjourned,  as  the  record  quaintly  says,  "until 
there  is  other  business  before  the  court."  It  seems  that  other  business  did 
not  appear  during  the  year,  as  there  is  no  record  of  a  subsequent  meeting  of 
the  board,  and  it  was  succeeded  by  a  new  board  chosen  at  the  general  elec- 
tion in  October. 

The  first  census  of  Kansas  was  taken  in  April,  1857,  under  an  act  of 
the  Territorial  legislature  preparatory  to  a  new  legislative  apportionment 
and  for  the  apportioninent  of  delegates  to  the  I,econipton  constitution.  By 
this  census  the  population  of  Bourbon,  McGee,  Dorn  and  Allen  counties 
was  2622,  of  whom  645  were  legal   voters.     This   gave  the   district  which 


l6  HISTORY   OF    ALI.KN    AND 

these  counties  comprise  four  delegates  in  the  convention,  and  at  the  election 
held  in  June,  1857,  H.  T.  Wilson,  Blake  I/ittle,  Miles  Greenwood  and 
G.  P.  Hamilton  were  elected,  J.  S.  Barbee,  of  Allen  being  defeated.  The 
candidates  were  all  pro-slavery,  the  Free  State  men  refusing  to  recognize 
the  proceeding  in  any  way.  In  the  legislative  apportionment,  the  counties 
of  Shawnee,  Richardson,  Davis,  Wise,  Breckenridge,  Bourbon,  Godfrey, 
Wilson,  Dorn,  McGee,  Butler,  Hunter,  Greenwood,  Madison,  Wilson, Coffey, 
Woodson  and  Allen,  (how  many  familiar  names  do  you  note?)  were  allowed 
two  members  of  the  council,  and  in  the  House  nineteen  counties  including 
Allen,  were  allowed  three  representatives.  The  election  was  called  for  Octo- 
ber 5,  1857,  and  under  the  assurance  of  Gov.  Robert  J.  Walker  that  it  should 
be  fair  and  free,  the  Free  State  party  now  for  the  first  time  determined  to 
muster  their  strength  at  the  ballot  box.  The  result,  after  throwing  out 
.some  illegal  votes  in  Johnson  and  McGee  counties,  was  a  complete  victory, 
nine  Free  State  Councilmen  being  elected  to  four  pro-slavery,  and  twenty-four 
Free  State  representatives  to  fifteen  Pro-slavery.  The  political  complexion 
of  Allen  county  at  this  time  is  shown  by  the  vote  for  delegate  in  congress 
as  follows:  Deer  Creek,  M.  J.  Parrott,  Free  State  33,  E.  Ransom,  Pro- 
slavery  i;  Cofachique,  parrott  20,  Ransom  16;  Coal  creek,  Parrott  12, 
Ransom  3;  total  vote  85,  Free  State  majority  45.  At  this  election  O.  E. 
Learnard,  then  of  Coffey  county,  now  owner  of  the  L,awrence  Journal,  and 
C.  K.  HoUiday,  of  Shawnee,  lately  deceased,  were  elected  to  represent  in 
the  council  the  district  of  which  Allen  county  was  a  part,  and  in  the  House 
the  representatives  were  Christopher  Columbia,  John  Curtiss  and  Samuel 
J.  Stewart.  Mr.  Stewart  was  the  first  citizen  of  Allen  county  who  occupied 
a  legislative  position  in  the  Territory,  and  his  continued  vigor,  as  well  as 
his  continued  popularity,  is  shown  by  the  interesting  fact  that  at  this  writ- 
ing (1901)  he  is  again  representing  his  county  in  a  similar  position,  having 
been  elected  to  the  State  senate  in  1900, — forty-three  years  after  his  first 
experience  in  that  capacity. 

At  this  election,  in  1857,  new  county  officers  were  also  chosen  as 
follows:  J.  D.  Passmore,  probate  judge;  Elias  Copelin  and  T.  J.  Day, 
county  commissioners ;  Jesse  E.  Morris  sheriff.  The  new  board  met  January 
5,  1858,  and  appointed  James  H.  Signor  clerk,  Z.  J.  Wisner  assessor,  George 
A.  Miller  coroner,  and  Cyrus  Dennis,  Cornelius  O'Brien  and  Dan  Brown 
constables.  The  only  other  meeting  of  this  board  which  is  any  where 
recorded  was  March,  1858,  at  Layton  Jay's  blacksmith  shop  in  Cofachique. 
At  this  meeting  they  reorganized  the  precincts,  for  the  first  time  designating 
them  officially  astownships,of  which  they  made  four.  Deer  Creek,  Cofachique, 
Humboldt  and  Cottage  Grove.  The  board  then  adjourned  to  meet  at 
Thurston's  office  in  Humboldt,  the  legislature  having  removed  the  county 
seat  to  that  place.  There  is  here  a  hiatus  of  nearly  a  year  in  the  record, 
the  next  entry  being  dated  February  8,  1859,  when  the  board  again 
returned  to  Cofachique.  The  probability  is  that  that  portion  of  the  record 
made  at  Humboldt  was  destroyed  in  some  of  the  raids  that  took  place  during 
the  war. 

During  the  year  1858  the  population  of  the  county  increased  very  rap- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  '        1 7 

idly  and  indeed  at  the  close  of  the  year  was  very  little  short  of  what  it  was 
at  any  time  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  thereafter.  And  the  increase 
was  by  healthy  and  natural  immigration.  The  era  of  colonization  and  town 
building  was  about  over,  only  one  or  two  enterprises  of  the  kind  being 
inaugurated  that  year,  and  those  of  modest  and  unpretending  character.  A 
small  colony  from  Johnson  and  Park  counties  Indiana  had  selected  the  pre- 
ceding fall  the  townsite  of  Carlyle,  and  left  two  young  men  P.  M.  Carnine 
and  R.  V.  Ditmars,  to  prepare  some  cabins  during  the  winter.  In  the 
spring  and  summer  of  this  year  several  families  aiTived.  T.  P.  Killen,  J.  M. 
Evans,  S.  C.  Richards,  David  Bergen,  J.  W.  Scott  and  Harmon  Scott  being 
among  the  first.  The  Carlyle  colony  had  selected  two  quarter  sections  of 
land  as  a  town  site  whereon  they  proposed  to  build  a  village,  with  church, 
school  house,  etc.  They  very  soon  discovered,  however,  that  a  town  was 
not  what  they  wanted,  and  the  townsite  was  very  wisely  made  over  into 
farms.  The  church  and  school  house  were  built,  however,  and  the  settle- 
ment, with  its  later  additions,  the  Coverts,  Cozines,  Christians,  Adamses, 
Smiths  and  many  more,  became  one  of  the  most  thrifty  and  substantial  in 
the  county.  In  the  course  of  time  a  post-office  was  established,  and  that  in 
due  course  brought  a  store,  and  Carlyle  is  now  a  modest  but  thriving  vil- 
lage, the  center  of  a  splendid  country  community. 

About  the  same  time  that  the  Carlyle  colony  arrived  another  town  was 
projected,  called  Florence,  which  was  .to  be  located  north  of  Deer  creek  and 
east  of  Carlyle.  J.  B.  Chapman,  Harvey  Allen,  J.  B.  Justus,  D.  C. 
VanBrunt,  D.  Rogers,  M.  M.  Haun,  W.  S.  Eastwood,  P.  M.  Power,  R.  B. 
Jordan  and  others  were  interested  in  it,  and  it  was  their  expectation  that 
the  I/.  I/.  &  G.  railroad  would  pass  through  it.  This  expectation  was  not 
realized  however,  and  the  attempt  to  build  another  "city"  was  soon  aban- 
doned. The  site  which  it  was  to  occupy  is  now  known  as  the  Strickler 
and  Whitaker  farms. 

The  second  mail  route  was  established  during  the  summer  of  1858. 
It  was  to  run  from  I,awrence  to  Humboldt,  via  Garnett,  Hyatt,  Carlyle  and 
Cofachique.  The  service  was  to  begin  July  i  and  a  few  days  before  that 
date  J.  W.  Scott,  J.  M.  Evans  and  Harmon  Scott  took  a  wagon  load  of 
poles  and  laid  out  and  marked  a  trail  from  Hyatt  to  Carlyle.  This  trail  is 
now  the  main  wagon  road  leading  from  the  county  north  and  very  near  the 
route  followed  by  the  I^eavenworth,  I/awrence  and  Galveston  (now  the 
Southern  Kansas  division  of  the  Atchison  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe)  railroad. 
Zach  Squires  was  the  first  mail  carrier,  and  for  some  time  his  weekly  trips 
were  made  on  the  back  of  a  small  mule.  Afterwards  the  service  was  made 
tri- weekly,  and  the  little  mule  gave  way  to  a  two  horse  hack,  then  a  jerky, 
or  two  horse  stage,  and  finally  an  imposing  Overland  coach  which,  in  its 
turn  was  succeeded  by  the  passenger  train.  The  post-office  for  Carlyle  was 
for  some  time  kept  at  the  house  of  J.  W.  Scott.  Afterwards  and  for  a 
number  of  years  at  the  home  of  John  Covert,  in  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Mrs.  D.  Adams.  Since  the  advent  of  the  railroad  it  has  been  kept  at  the 
store  in  the  village. 

This   was   the   era  of  elections  in  Kansas,  when  the  people  voted  early 


1 8  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AND 

and  often,  and  the  year  1858  witnessed  a  large  number  of  town  meetings, 
political  conventions  and  elections.  On  March  9,  occurred  the  election  for 
members  of  the  I/eavenworth  constitutional  convention.  A.  G.  Carpenter 
was  chosen  as  the  delegate  from  Allen  countj'.  This  was  the  third 
convention  that  had  been  elected  to  frame  a  constitution  for  the  State,  and 
like  both  of  the  others  it  proved  an  abortion.  In  this  year  also  was 
submitted  to  the  people  for  ratification  or  rejection  the  Ivccompton  constitu- 
tion under  the  English  bill.  The  vote  in  Allen  county  stood,"  for  23,  against 
268,  showing  a  very  decided  predominance  of  the  Free  State  sentiment. 
The  regular  election  of  members  of  the  Territorial  legislature  and  counts- 
officers  occurred  October  4.  The  same  19  disfranchised  counties  sent  three 
representatives  as  before.  This  time  Allen  county  failed  to  secu.re  a 
member,  Wm.  Spriggs,  of  Anderson,  being  the  nearest. 

The  Free  State  legislature  had  abolished  the  old  Missouri  system  of 
county  court  or  commissioners,  and  provided  for  the  election  of  township 
supervisors,  three  from  each  township,  the  chairmen  of  these  together  con- 
stituting the  county  board.  Those  elected  at  this  time  and  serving  at 
different  times  during  the  year  were  B.  1,.  G.  Stone,  J.  F.  Colborn,  D.  B. 
Stewart,  W.  W.  Miles,  John  Hamilton,  Elias  Copelin  and  J.  S.  Barbee. 
The  other  county  officers  held  over  from  the  previous  year. 

As  ,  before  stated,  the  legislature  of  1858  had,  without  consulting  the 
people  and  without  the  previous  knowledge  of  any  except  of  a  few  particu- 
larly interested,  removed  the  county  seat  to  Humboldt.  The  first  meeting 
of  the  new  county  board  of  which  there  is  any  record  was  held  at  that  place 
February  8,  1859.  The  only  business  transacted  was  the  election  of  B.  I.. 
G.  Stone,  chairman.  The  board  then  adjourned  to  meet  at  Cofachique, 
but  why,  or  by  what  authority,  does  not  appear.  They  met  at  Cofachique, 
as  per  adjournment,  February  14,  organized  the  new  township  of  Geneva 
and  appointed  judges  of  the  election  to  be  held  on  the  fourth  Monday  of 
March  to  ratify  the  I^eavenworth  constitution.  The  judges  appointed  were 
as  follows:  Geneva,  at  the  house  of  I^evi  Ross,  L.  L.  Northrup,  William 
Noble,  J.  H.  Spicer;  Deer  Creek  at  the  house  of  Thos.  Day,  Thos.  Day, 
Henry  Doren  and  J.  W.  Scott;  Cofachique,  James  Faulkner,  Z.  J.  Wisner 
and  J.  N.  Bear;  Humboldt,  Thos.  H.  Bashaw,  P.  Cox  and  Elias  Copelin; 
Cottage  Grove,  Thos.  Jackson,  J.  M.  Beck  and  Dr.  Phillips.  This  is  the  first 
election  held  in  the  county  of  which  any  report  appears  on  the  county  records 
or  of  which  there  appears  to  have  been  a  regular  canvas.  Apparently  little 
interest  was  taken  in  this  event,  as  the  entire  vote  cast  was  only  138,  of 
which  134  were  for  the  constitution  and  4  against. 

During  the  year  1859  political  matters  continued  to  engage  a  large 
share  of  the  attention  of  the  people.  On  the  7th  of  June  an  election  was 
held  for  members  of  another  constitutional  convention,  the  fourth  and  last. 
At  this  election  J.  H.  Signor  was  chosen  by  a  majoritv  of  six,  having 
received  175  votes  to  169  for  Chas.  S.  Clark.  The  convention  met  in 
Wyandotte  July  5,  and  framed  the  constitution  under  which  the  State  was 
finally  admitted.    This  constitution  was  submitted  October  4th,  and  the  vote 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  1 9 

in  Allen  county  stood  244  for,  159  against,  and  on  the  homestead  clause 
which  was  submitted  separately  201  for  and  152  against. 

The  time  for  the  general  election  this  year  had  been  changed  to  Nov- 
ember 4,  and  a  new  apportionment  had  been  made  for  the  legislature. 
Bourbon,  Allen,  McGee,  Dorn,  Woodson  and  Wilson  counties  formed  the 
1 2th  council  district.  Watson  Stewart  was  elected  to  the  council  and  J.  W. 
Scott  representative,  with  the  following  county  officers:  Simon  Camerer, 
probate  judge;  H.  H.  Hayward,  sheriff;  J.  W.  Perkins,  register  of  deeds; 
J.  H.  Signor,  county  clerk;  Wm.  Doren,  treasurer;  Merritt  Moore,  super- 
intendent of  schools;  A.  G.  Carpenter,  surveyor;  Chas.  Fussman,  coroner. 
About  a  month  later,  December  6,  the  first  election  for  State  and  county 
officers  under  the  Wyandotte  constitution  was  held,  resulting  as  follows: 
District  Judge  S.  O.  Thacher;  Senators,  loth  district,  P.  P.  Elder,  Wm. 
vSpriggs;  Representatives,  B.  L.  G.  Stone,  N.  B.  Blandon  (,Stone  afterwards 
resigned  and  a  special  election  was  held  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  first  State 
legislature;)  probate  judge,  Geo.  A.  Miller;  Clerk  of  the  District  court, 
J.  H.  Signor;  Superintendent  of  schools,  Merritt  Moore. 

The  last  year  of  the  Territorial  period  is  the  darkest  year  in  the  history 
of  the  county  and  the  State.  The  story  of  i860  may  be  written  in  the  one 
word,  Drouth.  Up  to  this  time  the  county  had  steadily  improved.  Times 
were  not  so  good  nor  money  so  abundant  as  before  the  panic  of  '57,  but 
immigration  still  continued,  the  seasons  had  been  favorable,  the  crops  good 
and  the  people  had  enjoyed  a  reasonable  degree  of  prosperity.  But  all  this 
was  sadly  changed.  There  was  a  copious  shower  in  September  1859,  but 
after  that  it  may  be  said  with  almost  literal  truth  that  there  was  no  rain  for 
eighteen  months.  There  was  neither  rain  nor  snow  during  the  winter  and 
the  ground  was  exceedingly  dry  in  the  spring,  but  anticipating'  nothing 
unusual  the  people  plowed  and  planted  and  pursued  their  ordinary  avoca- 
tions. The  Territorial  legislature  at  its  last  session  had  adopted  a  new  plan 
of  county  organization,  providing  for  three  county  commissioners  instead  of 
the  board  of  supervisors,  and  a  probate  judge  with  greatly  restricted  powers. 
On  March  twenty-sixth  a  special  election  was  held  for  the  new  officers.  J. 
G.  Rickard  was  elected  probate  judge,  George  Zimmerman,  N.  T.  Winans 
and  D.  B.  Stewart  county  commissioners.  But  a  more  absorbing  interest 
than  offices  and  politics  soon  began  to  claim  the  attention  of  the  people.  As 
spring  passed  on  and  ripened  into  summer  there  was  still  no  rain,  the  dust 
in  which  the  seed  had  been  planted  remained  dust.  The  burning  sun 
glared  fiercely  all  day,  and  no  dew  decended  at  night.  "The  sky  above 
our  heads  seemed  brass,"  says  J.  W.  Scott  in  the  address  from  which  many 
of  the  foregoing  facts  have  been  gleaned,  "and  the  earth  was  iron  beneath 
our  feet.  The  air  around  us  seemed  the  very  breath  of  hell,  and  the  whole 
atmosphere  ready  to  burst  into  devouring  flame.  Day  after  day  and  month 
after  month  the  scanty  vegetation  looked  up  helplessly  to  the  unpitying 
heavens,  and  finally  drooped  and  died.  How  many  nights  we  sat  hour 
after  hour  watching  the  hurrying  clouds  and  hoping  against  hope  that  they 
would  bring  the  needed  moisture;  but  they  were  as  dry  as  ashes  and  the 
hearts  of  the   bolde.st  died   within   them.     No  people  ever  struggled  more 


20  HISTORY    OF   AtLEN    AND 

manfully  against  overwhelming  disaster.  When  one  crop  failed  another 
was  tried,  each  to  meet  with  no  better  success  than  the  first."  It  was  a 
heart-breaking  experience,  and  those  who  passed  through  it  cannot  speak 
of  it  even  now  without  a  shudder.  It  is  no  wonder  that  many  of  the  settlers 
perhaps  a  majority  of  them,  went  back  to  their  former  homes,  and  that  few 
of  those  who  went  ever  returned.  Those  who  remained  suffered  the 
extremest  privation,  and  many  of  them  were  rescued  from  actual  starvation 
only  by  the  timely  arrival  of  supplies  sent  out  by  the  numerous  "Kansas 
Aid"  societies  which  were  organized  throughout  the  East.  There  have 
been  hard  times  in  Kansas  since  then;  but  compared  with  i860  there  has 
never  been  a  year  that  was  not  one  of  abundance  and  good  cheer. 

This  year  the  county  was  divided  for  the  first  time  into  commissioner 
districts.  The  board  elected  at  the  special  election  in  March  were  only  to 
hold  until  the  general  election  in  November,  at  which  time  the  following 
persons  were  elected  commissioners:  Henry  Doren,  H.  D.  Parsons  and  D. 
B.  Stewart,  with  Yancy  Martin  assessor, — the  other  county  officers  holding 
over.  J.  W.  Scott  was  re-elected  representative,  Watson  Stewart  holding 
over  in  the  Council.  An  attempt  was  made  during  this  year  to  build  a  jail 
at  Humboldt.  Specifications  were  adopted  by  the  county  board  and  pro- 
posals received;  but  the  times  were  unpropitious  and  nothing  farther  was 
done.  The  first  regular  census  was  taken  this  year  and  gave  Allen  county 
a  population  of  3120.  The  number  of  cattle  reported  was  5043,  swine  2060, 
horses  951,  mules  50  and  sheep  710.  This  census  was  taken  in  June  and 
shows  a  much  larger  population  than  remained  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

The  following  winter  was  very  severe,  and  notwithstanding  the  "aid" 
received,  much  suffering  was  experienced,  especially  by  those  who  were 
compelled  to  make  long  trips  after  relief  goods.  These  were  mostly  dis- 
tributed from  Atchison  through  S.  C.  Pomeroy,  afterwards  United  States 
Senator,  and  the  journey,  often  made  with  ox  teams,  requiring  a  week  or 
ten  days,  sometimes  through  the  fiercest  storms,  was  only  rendered  endura- 
ble b}'  the  absolute  necessity  oi  the  case. 

It  was  during  this  darkest  period  of  her  history,  when  the  hearts  of  the 
bravest  of  her  pioneers  were  heavy  within  them  and  the  "Ad  Astra"  of  the 
motto  emblazoned  on  her  shield  seemed  a  bitter  mockery,  that  Kansas  was 
ushered  into  the  sisterhood  of  States.  The  bill  for  her  admission  was 
signed  by  President  Buchanan  on  the  twenty-ninth  day  oi  January,  1861, 
and  the  Territorial  Period  was  brought  to  a  close. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  21 


^be  Mar  periob 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  reached 
Allen  County  nearly  all  the  able-bodied  men  hastened  to  enlist  in  defense  of 
the  Union.  In  1861  the  lola  Battalion  was  formed,  and  from  the  county 
were  three  companies,  commanded  by  Captains  Coleman,  Flesher,  and 
Killen,  which  served  in  the  Ninth  Kansas.  In  the  Tenth  Kansas  Regi- 
ment were  two  companies,  one  commanded  by  Capt.  W.  C.  Jones,  and  the 
other  by  Capt.   N.  B.  Blanton. 

The  county  being  on  the  southern  border  of  the  State,  it  was  consid- 
ered in  danger  of  invasion  from  the  Missouri  guerrillas  and  the  hostile 
Indians  of  the  Territory.  The  scene  of  most  of  the  military  operations  in 
the  county  were  in  and  about  Humboldt.  In  the  summer  of  1861  a 
company  was  organized  there  with  N.  B.  Blanton,  Captain;  S.  J.  Stewart, 
First  Lieutenant.  J.  H.  Signor  was  afterward  Second  Lieutenant.  Capt. 
Isaac  Tibbets  organized  a  company  of  infantry,  and  Capt.  I.  N.  Phillips  a 
company  of  Cavalry.  During  the  same  summer  a  regiment  was  organized 
in  Allen  and  Woodson  counties.  Orlin  Thurston  was  Colonel;  James 
Kennar,  Lieutenant  Colonel;  and  N.  S.  Goss,  Major.  This  was  the  Sev- 
enth Kansas  Regiment,  for  the  defense  of  Kansas,  and  was  under  the  com- 
mand of  Gen.  J.  H  Lane.  While  this  regiment  was  with  Lane  in  Missouri 
there  were  but  very  few  men  left  at  home  to  protect  the  settlements,  and 
the  most  of  the  farming  and  other  work  for  the  maintenance  of  the  families 
of  the  soldiers  was  done  by  the  women  and  children. 

Sacking  of  Humboi,dt. — While  the  Allen  County  soldiers  were  away 
with  Lane,  a  raid  was  made  on  the  unprotected  settlement  of  Humboldt  on 
September  eight,  1861  by  a  band  of  Missouri  guerrillas,  Cherokee  Indians, 
and  Osage  half-breed  Indians,  under  command  of  Captains  Matthews  and 
Livingstone.  Matthews  had  been  a  trader  among  the  Indians,  had  married 
an  Osage  squaw,  and  lived  where  Oswego  now  is.  He  had  great  influence 
among  the  Osages  and  incited  them  to  take  sides  with  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy. At  Humboldt  they  sacked  the  stores  and  dwellings,  carrying  off 
all  the  money  and  valuables  they  could  find  without  resistance,  all  the  men 
being  absent. 

Burning  of  Humboldt. — At  the  time  of  the  raid  in  September,  Dr. 
George  A.  Miller  was  absent  trying  to  obtain  authority  to  organize  a 
company  of  Home  Guards.  He  succeeded  in  this,  and  on  his  return  or- 
ganized a  company  of  infantrymen  in  the  town,  which  was  composed  of  old 
men,  boys,  and  a  few  of  the  militiamen  who  had  returned  to  Humboldt  as 
soon  as  they  learned  of  the  raid,  to  help  protect  their  defenseless  families. 
A  company  of  cavalry  was  also   organized  in  the   neighborhood,  composed 


22  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

of  farmers,  and  commanded  by  Capt.  Henr\'  Dudle}-.  These  companies 
accompanied  by  Col.  J.  G.  Blunt,  went  in  pursuit  of  the  guerrillas,  and 
succeeded  in  overtaking  them,  when  a  skirmish  took  place,  during  which 
the  outlaw,  Capt.  Matthews  was  killed.  The  Home  Guards  returned,  and 
for  several  days  the  cavalry  was  sent  out  regularly  as  a  scouting  party,  it 
being  feared  that  another  attack  would  be  made  on  the  town.'  The  infantry 
remained  at  home  and  were  always  upon  guard.  Soon,  however,  there 
appearing  to  be  no  danger,  the  cavalry  were  allowed  to  return  to  their 
homes.  Late  in  the  afiernoou  of  the  Fourteenth  of  October,  1861,  a  body 
of  Rebel  Cavalry  under  command  of  Col.  Talbott,  dashed  into  Humboldt. 
The  Home  Guards,  comprising  less  than  100  men,  were  taken  completely 
by  surprise,  and  it  was  impossible  for  Capt.  Miller  to  get  them  together. 
The  town  was  soon  filled  with  armed  men,  who  kept  up  a  continual  firing 
of  guns  and  pistols.  A  few  of  the  men  by  running  succeeded  in  making 
their  escape,  but  the  others  were  soon  captured  and  placed  under  guard. 
It  was  supposed  they  would  all  be  shot  by  the  outlaws  and  the  Indians 
who  accompanied  them.  The  only  resistance  offered  was  by  Capt.  Miller 
and  Charles  Baland.  The  Captain  finally  gave  up  his  arms,  pleading 
that  the  women  and  children  might  be  saved,  even  though  he  expected  to 
be  murdered.  The  town  was  then  set  on  fire,  but  before  this  was  done, 
the  Rebel  officer  ordered  his  men  to  allow  the  women  and  children  to 
remove  their  valuables  and  household  goods  from  their  dwellings,  and 
even  ordered  them  to  assist.  The  rebel  officers  claimed  that  Humboldt 
was  burned  in  retaliation  for  the  burning  of  Osceola,  by  Gen.  Lane,  and 
the  killing  of  Matthews.  Nearly  all  the  buildings  were  then  set  on  fire. 
The  churches  were  saved,  also  the  Masonic  Hall.  Of  the  other  buildings 
not  set  on  fire  was  the  house  of  Dr.  Wm.  Wakefield,  who,  when  he  saw 
that  he  was  in  the  power  of  the  enemy,  invited  the  officers  to  take  supper 
with  him.  Among  them  was  Capt.  Livingstone.  A  few  other  houses 
were  saved  where  there  were  women  too  sick  to  be  moved.  Among  these 
was  the  residence  of  Col.  Thurston,  whose  wife  was  unwell,  and  Mrs. 
Goodin,  the  wife  of  Hon.  J.  R.  Goodin,  who  sent  her  to  bed  and  told  the 
Rebels  she  was  too  sick  to  be  moved.  The  land  office  and  court  house 
building  was  set  on  fire,  but  after  the  departure  of  the  Rebels  the  fire  was 
extinguished,  but  not  until  many  valuable  papers  among  the  records 
were  destroyed.  Coffey's  store  was  set  on  fire,  but  the  Rebels  had  in  their 
excitement  poured  out  a  barrel  of  black  molasses,  thinking  it  to  be  tar,  and 
this  did  not  burn  very  well,  besides  which  Mrs.  Cofiey  had  just  been  wash- 
ing, and  the  wet  clothes  were  thrown  over  the  burning  portion,  extinguish- 
ing the  fire.  The  raiders  did  not  stay  long,  departing  early  in  the  evening. 
The  men  they  had  captured  were  taken  a  short  distance  and  then  released. 
They  returned  in  time  to  help  save  some  of  the  burning  buildings.  During 
the  entire  time  the  women  behaved  nobly.  By  their  coolness  they  suc- 
ceeded in  making  the  invaders  believe  an  armed  force  was  on  the  way  from 
Tola,  therefore  they  hastened  their  departure.  The  land  office  had  just 
been  opened,  with  J.  C.  Burnett,  Register.  He  managed  to  speak  to  his 
sister.  Miss    Kate    Burnett,    now    Mrs.  S.  N.    Simpson,    telling  her  to  save 


WOODSON    COUN'flES,    KANSAS.  23 

$25,000.00  in  land  warrants  that  were  in  the  office.  Obtaining  permission 
to  go  to  the  office  for  a  candle,  she  secured  the  warrants  and  dropped  them 
on  the  prairie  in  the  high  grass  Judge  J.  R.  Goodiii  and  his  wife  had 
been  absent  all  day,  gathering  wild  grapes,  and  were  just  approaching  the 
town  from  the  west.  The  Judge  jumped  out  of  the  vehicle  and  told  his 
wife  to  drive  away,  but  instead  of  this  she  went  to  Mrs.  Thurston's  resi- 
dence and  aided  in  saving  it.  Numerous  other  heroic  acts  were  performed 
by  the  women.  The  better  portion  of  the  town  was  entirely  destroyed. 
There  were  only  a  few  buildings  left,  and  some  of  these  were  badly  dam- 
aged by  the  fire.  The'  only  man  killed  was  a  farmer,  Seachrist,  who 
was  running  away  trying  to  save  his  mules.  He  was  ordered  to  stop,  but 
not  doing  so,  he  was  shot  and  fatally  wounded.  All  the  horses  that  could 
be  found  were  taken  by  the  Rebels.  Besides  this  but  little  property  was 
stolen,  and  outside  the  town  no  damage  whatever  was  done.  The  Rebel 
force  numbered  331  men  who  were  all  well  mounted  and  thoroughly 
armed. 

After  the  burning  of  Humboldt  it  was  considered  to  be  in  danger,  and 
a  military  post  was  established  there.  There  were  no  e\ents  of  note  until 
the  Price  raid  in  1864,  The  militia  of  the  county  was  organized  into  a 
battalion,  known  as  the  Allen  County  Battalion,  and  was  composed  of  six 
companies,!  three  from  lola  and  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  two  from 
Humboldt,  and  one  from  the  extreme  southern  part  of  the  county.  The 
officers  were:  C.  P.  Twiss,  Colonel;  Watson  Stewart,  Major.  Among  the 
Captains  were  J.  M.  Moore  and  G.  DeWitt  of  Humboldt,  and  D.  C.  New- 
man, of  the  southern  part  of  the  county.  This  regiment  comprised  all  of 
the  able  bodied  men  in  the  county,  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  sixty 
years.  The  militia  force  of  the  entire  Neosho  Valley  were  commanded  by 
Major  General  J.  B.  Scott,  of  L,eRoy,  and  under  him  the  Allen  County 
Battalion  was  ordered  to  Fort  Scott.  At  the  military  post  of  Humboldt  a 
block  house  was  built,  and  a  small  force  of  the  eleventh  Kansas  stationed 
there  under  command  of  Ma]or  Haas.  Be^des  this  force.  Captains  Moore, 
DeWitt  and  Newman,  under  command  of  Major  Watson  Stewart,  were  left 
to  protect  the  town  against  invasion.  All  remained  at  Humboldt  except 
Captain  Newman's  company,  which  acted  as  scouts  and  was  stationed  at 
Big  Creek.  Major  Haas  ordered  this  company  to  come  to  Humboldt, 
which  Captain  Newman  refused  to  do.  This  gave  rise  to  considerable 
difficulty  between  the  two  officers.  Major  Haas  had  charge  of  the  govern- 
ment supplies  of  rations,  etc. ,  which  he  refused  to  issue  to  the  Big  Creek 
company  until  it  should  remove  to  Humboldt.  The  stores  were  kept  at 
the  German  Church,  in  charge  o  a  Sergeant.  Newman's  company  being 
out  of  rations  Major  Stewart  made  a  requisition  on  the  post  commander  for 
five  day's  rations  for  the  company  which  was  refused.  Major  Stewart  then 
ordered  the  Captain  to  help  himself  to  the  rations  and  receipt  to  the  Ser- 
geant. This  was  done,  upon  which  Major  Haas  ordered  Major  Stewart 
and  Captain  Newman  under  arrest.  It  was  impossible,  however,  to  carry 
out  this  order,  as  the  militia  all  took  sides  with  their  own  officers.  After 
the   militia  disbanded  Captain  Newman  was  arrested  but  was  released  the 


24  HISTORY   OF  ALLEN  ANT> 

next  day.  After  the  companies  under  Major  Stewart  had  remained  in 
camp  three  weeks  they  were  ordered  to  Ft.  Scott,  leaving  Captain  Newman 
and  his  company,  and  a  few  colored  men  under  Captain  E.  Gilbert  at  the 
Humboldt  post.  During  the  entire  period  of  the  war  there  were  a  great 
many  loyal  Indians  scattered  over  the  county,  they  having  been  driven 
from  the  Indian  Territory  by  the  Indians  who  were  in  sympathy  with  the 
rebels. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  25 


Zbnt^^'tivc  l^ears  of  peace 

Nearly  all  the  early  settlers  of  Allen  county  were  young  men  and 
women,  full  of  energy  and  ambition  and  hope,  and  with  the  return  of  peace 
they  came  back  to  the  long  deserted  towns,  to  the  weed  grown  farms,  and 
bravely  set  themselves  to  build  up  the  waste  places,  to  repair  the  ravages  of 
war  and  enforced  neglect.  With  them  came  hundreds  of  other,  many  of 
them  ex-Union  soldiers,  attracted  by  the  heroic  record  the  State  had  made 
duing  the  war  and  in  the  long  period  of  border  warfare  that  preceded  it,  and 
by  the  opportunity  to  secure  free  homes  under  the  homestead  and  pre- 
emption laws.  With  ceaseless  industry  and  indomitable  pluck  the  old 
settlers  and  the  new  comers  applied  themselves  to  the  herculean  task  of 
subduing  the  fertile  but  rebellious  soil  and  building  up  schools  and 
churches  and  all  the  institutions  of  a  free,  self-governing  community.  The 
statistics  presented  elsewhere  show  the  rapidity  with  which  this  work  was 
accomplished. 

As  in  most  of  the  other  counties  of  Kansas,  one  of  the  first  things  to 
engage  the  attention  and  excite  the  feeling  of  the  people  was  a  fight  over 
the  county  seat.  As  has  been  already  stated,  Cofachique  was  designated 
as  the  first  county  seat  by  the  legislature  which  organized  the  county.  The 
first  Free  State  legislature  removed  the  county  seat  to  Humboldt,  and  it 
remained  there  until  after  the  war.  It  had  to  fight  for  the  honor,  however, 
almost  from  the  beginning.  The  first  battle  occurred  March  25,  i860,  when 
the  matter  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people,  lola  being  the  principal 
competitor.  Humboldt  people  proved  to  be  the  best  voters,  however, 
casting  (so  the  envious  lolaiis  declared  at  the  time)  twice  as  many  votes  as 
they  had  legal  electors.  The  returns  showed  562  votes  for  Humboldt,  331 
for  lola,  72  for  Vernon,  4  for  Center,  and  2  for  Cofachique,  so  Humboldt 
retained  the  prize.  For  the  next  four  or  five  years,  the  people  had  other 
things  to  think  of.  But  as  soon  as  the  war  was  over  the  agitation  was 
resumed  and  on  May  10  of  that  year  another  election  was  held  resulting  as 
follows:  lola  243,  Geneva  35,  Humboldt  2  and  Vernon  2.  The  county 
seat  was  accordingly  removed  to  lola,  where  it  has  since  remained.  Prior 
to  this  last  election  the  legislature  had  moved  the  south  line  of  the  county 
some  four  miles  north  of  the  original  location,  thus  throwing  into  Neosho 
county  a  considerable  territory  whose  settlers  would  otherwise  have  voted 
for  Humboldt.  This  fact,  together  with  the  fact  that  the  southern  part  of 
the  county  was  not  so  thickly  settled  as  the  northern  portion  and  that  a 
considerable  number  of  the  citizen  of  Humboldt  and  vicinity  had  not  yet 
returned  from  the  army,  doubtless  accounted  for  the  large  preponderance 
of  the  votes  in  favor  of  lola.     The  contest  engendered  a  great  deal  of  bitter- 


26  HISTORY   OF   Al^tEN    AND 

iiess  at  the  time  aud  the  feeling  continued  for  many  years  afterwards.  It 
gradually  abated,  however,  and  now,  happily,  little  if  any  of  the  old 
antagonism  remains. 

When  the  county  seat  was  removed  to  lola  loo  lots  were  donated  by 
the  town  company  to  the  county  to  aid  in  the  erection  of   public  buildings. 

In  July,  1866,  bonds  were  voted  to  raise  funds  to  procure  a  court 
house,  and  a  frame  building,  located  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Washing- 
ton aud  Jackson  avenues,  where  Shannon's  hardware  store  now  stands,  was 
purchased  from  George  J.  Eldridge  and  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the  county 
officers.  This  building  was  used  until  1877  when  the  present  court  house 
was  bought  for  $i8jo  and  the  old  one  sold  for  $500  to  the  school  district. 

In  1868  $10,000  in  bonds  were  voted  to  build  a  jail,  and  the  stone 
structure  still  in  use  was  erected  the  following  year  at  a  cost  of  $8400. 

In  November,  1871,  a  tax  was  voted  of  $5000  to  purchase  and  fit  up  a 
poor  farm.  On  February  12,  1872,  a  tract  of  land  consisting  of  160  acres 
in  Carlyle  township  was  bought  from  David  Funkhouser  for  twenty-five 
dollars  an  acre,  and  Dr.  J.  W.  DriscoU  was  installed  as  the  first  keeper. 

The  most  notable  event  of  the  years  immediately  following  the  war  was 
the  coming  of  the  railroads.  The  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  was  the  first  to 
arrive,  building  down  the  right  bank  of  the  Neosho  and  reaching  Humboldt 
April  2,  1870.  To  secure  this  road  the  city  of  Humboldt  voted  $75,000  in 
bonds  and  a  few  of  its  citizens  bought  for  $13,000,,  160  acres  of  land  (a  fairly 
good  price  considering  the  fact  that  there  were  then  thousands  of  acres  of  land 
in  the  county  to  be  had  from  the  Government  for  the  taking !)in  order  to  pro- 
vide the  road  with  depot  facilities  and  right  of  way.  The  price  was  not 
thought  to  be  too  great,  however,  for  the  luxury  of  a  railroad,  and  the  com- 
pletion of  the  track  was  celebrated  with  elaborate  rejoicings.  A  few 
months  later  the  Leavenworth,  Lawrence  and  Galveston, (now  the  Southern 
Kansas  division  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe)  railroad  entered 
the  county  from  the  north,  and  its  arrival  also  was  celebrated  at  lola  and  at 
Humboldt  with  much  "pomp  and  circumstance",  and  there  was  no  sugges- 
tion that  the  $125,000 in  bonds  which  the  county  had  voted  to  secure  it  was 
too  high  a  price  to  pay. 

Those  were  "the  good  old  days"  in  Allen  county.  New  settlers  were 
coming  in  every  day,  money  was  plenty,  crops  for  the  most  part  were  good 
and  prices  high.  Various  manufacturing  enterprises  were  undertaken,  the 
most  notable  of  which  perhaps  was  the  King's  Iron  Bridge  Company,  to  secure 
which  the  city  of  lola  voted  $100,000  in  bonds.  Nobody  seemed  to  think 
it  incongruous  or  impossible  that  an  industry  which  must  import  from  long 
distances  at  high  rates  of  freight  both  its  fuel  and  its  raw  material  and 
which  was  to  manufacture  a  product  for  which  there  was  no  market,  should 
be  located  here.  And  so  the  Company  went  to  work  in  the  summer  of  1871 
built  enormous  shops  (now  constituting  the  first  floor  of  the  main  building 
of  Works  No.  i  of  the  Lanyon  Zinc  Company)  brought  in  and  set  up 
expensive  machinery  and  actually  built  a  bridge  or  two.  It  failed,  of 
course,  and  after  a  year  or  two  moved  its  machinery  to  Topeka  where 
another  bonus  was  secured.     But  it  made  things  hum  at  lola  while  it  lasted . 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  27 

For  awhile  town  lots  were  held  at  enormous  prices,  and  land  adjoining  the 
town  was  sold  at  figures  which  were  not  reached  again  for  nearly  thirty 
years.  Of  course  the  bottom  fell  out  when  the  shops  were  removed,  and 
the  only  pleasant  thing  to  remember  now  in  connection  with  the  King's 
Iron  Bridge  Company  is  that  the  courts  declared  the  $100,000  bonds  voted 
to  secure  it  forfeited,  and  that  the  building  which  it  erected  was  of  material 
assistance  a  quarter  of  a  century  later  in  securing  the  location  of  an  industry 
which  is  a  benefit  and  a  pride  to  the  entire  county. 

The  coUap.se  of  the  local  boom  resulting  from  the  withdrawal  of  the 
Bridge  Company  was  followed  by  the  general  panic  of  1873,  and  that  was 
followed  by  the  drouth  and  the  grasshoppers, — one  disaster  following  hard 
upon  the  heels  of  another.  The  people  would  have  soon  recovered  from  the 
collapse  of  the  boom,  if  the  panic  had  not  struck  them;  the  panic  would 
not  have  hurt  them  much,  if  the  drouth  had  not  come;  the  drouth  would 
soon  have  been  forgotten  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  grasshoppers.  But  col- 
lapse and  panic  and  drouth  and  grasshoppers  all  together  hit  us  hard, 
bringing, a  long  period  of  business  prostration  and  actual  destitution  that 
will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  passed  through  it.  Only  one  other 
period  in  the  history  of  the  county  can  be  compared  with  it,  and  that  was 
the  year  of  the  terrible  drouth,  i860,  and  that  was  worse  only  because  there 
were  fewer  people  and  they  felt  more    keenly    their    isolation  and  distress. 

As  has  been  already  stated,  the  collapse  of  the  boom,  the  panic  and 
the  drouth,  although  bad  enough,  could  have  been  endured.  It  was  the 
grasshoppers  that  brought  the  people  to  their  knees,  helpless  and  well 
nigh  hopeless.  These  pests  appeared  first  in  August,  1874.  Coming  in 
countless  miriads,  their  gossamer  wings  tairly  veiling  the  sun  in  their 
flight,  they  settled  down  upon  the  fields  and  within  a  month  the  scanty 
crop  that  remained  after  the  unusual  drouth  of  the  summer  was  devoured. 
Not  the  green  things  only,  such  as  the  melons,  pumpkins  and  all  the  veg- 
etables of  the  garden,  but  the  dry  blades  of  the  standing  corn  and  all  the 
other  field  crops  were  destroyed.  One  who  has  not  seen  it  cannot  conceive 
how  completely  this  avalanche  of  locusts  swept  the  country  of  everything 
in  the  nature  of  vegetation.  The  result  was  that  hundreds  of  families  found 
themselves  facing  the  winter  with  nothing  to  support  the  lives  of  themselves 
or  of  their  animals.  And  so  many  of  them  sold  their  property  for  the  little 
it  would  bring  under  such  circumstances  and  left  the  county,  while  many 
others  were  forced  to  the  humiliating  necessity  of  accepting  the  "Aid"  that 
came  in  response  to  the  call  that  went  out  from  Kansas  for  help.  Societies 
were  organized  for  the  relief  of  the  needy,  and  the  county  commissioners 
appointed  Robert  Cook  and  I.  C.  Cuppy  to  goto  Ohio  and  Indiana  and  solicit 
food  and  clothing.  Some  of  the  later  settlers  in  Allen  county  think  they 
have  occasionally  seen  hard  times  here;  but  they  dont  know  anything  about 
it!  In  lola  the  small  frame  building  (then  one  of  the  largest  in  town,) 
owned  by  J.  W.  Scott  on  the  corner  now  occupied  by  DeClute's  clothing 
store,  was  rented  by  the  commissioners  for  use  as  an  "aid  depot,"  and  the 
writer  of  this  remember  well  how  the  dejected  farmers,  driving  scrawny 
horses,  hitched  often  with   rope   harness   to   dilapidated   wagons,    used   to 


28  HISTORY    OF   AI.I.EN    AND 

drive  up  to  that  store  through  the  dreary  fall  and  winter  of  1874  to  have  the 
little  jag  of  "aid,"  as  it  was  called,  doled  out  to  them,  shamefacedly  carry- 
ing home  the  few  pounds  of  beans  and  corn  meal  and  bacon  that  was  to 
keep  their  families  from  starvation.  That  is  what  the  old  settlers  mean 
when  they  talk  about  hard  times!  There  was  only  one  alleviation,  and 
that  was  the  prairie  chickens!  Whether  they  came  because  of  the  food 
supply  furnished  by  the  grasshoppers,  or  whether  the^-  were  sent  as  the 
quail  were  sent  to  the  famishing  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  it  is  not  the 
province  of  sober  history  to  speculate  upon;  but  that  they  did  come,  and  in 
unprecedented  numbers,  is  indisputable.  And  they  were  extefminatcd! 
The  people  having  nothing  else  to  do,  and  in  desperate  need  of  the  food 
they  supplied  and  of  the  money  they  commanded  on  the  market,  trapped 
and  shot  them  ceaselessly  and  without  mercy.  That  was  the  beginning 
of  the  end  of  the  prairie  chickens  in  Allen  county. 

In  the  spring  of  1875,  the  people,  those  that  were  left,  plowed  and 
planted  as  usual,  but  the  grasshoppers  reaped.  The  eggs  that  had  been 
deposited  in  the  ground  in  the  fall  hatched  out  in  relays  through  the  spring 
and  early  summer,  so  that  whenever  a  fresh  crop  appeared,  there  was  a 
fresh  army  of  grasshoppers  ready  for  it.  Having  no  ¥;ings  the  young  'hop- 
pers swept  on  foot  over  the  country,  leaving  behind  them — dust!  The  wheat, 
the  corn,  even  the  prairie  grass,  every  green  blade  of  any  kind,  went  into 
the  insatiable  maw  of  this  remorseless  army .  All  through  the  spring  and 
into  the  summer  this  continued,  and  the  people  were  in  despair.  And  then, 
one  day,  early  in  June,  there  was  a  shimmer  of  gossamer  wings  in  the  sun- 
light, as  there  had  been  the  August  before.  The  army  was  departing. 
Whither  it  went  is  as  little  known  as  whence  it  came.  By  the  middle  of 
the  month  the  last  of  the  innumerable  host  had  disappeared.  The  people 
plowed  and  planted  again,  and  providence  smiled  on  their  courage  and  per- 
severance. The  early  and  the  later  rains  came  in  their  season,  and  the 
crops  raised  were  so  phenomenal  that  in  the  plenty  of  1875,  the  want  of 
1874  was  well-nigh  forgotten. 

In  a  self-governing  community,  economic  conditions  always  influence 
strongly  the  political  action  of  the  people.  Sometimes  with,  but  oftener 
without  reason,  the  party  in  power  is  held  responsible  for  good  times  or  for 
bad.  It  is  secure  if  times  are  good;  and  it  is  very  insecure  if  times  are 
bad.  And  so  it  happened  in  Allen  County.  From  its  organization,  the 
county  had  been  strongly  Republican,  and  that  party  retained  power  al- 
most without  an  efiort,  until  the  panic  and  the  drouth  and  the  grasshop- 
pers came.  And  then,  not  perhaps  because  it  caused  these  calamities  to 
come,  but  because  it  was  in  power  when  they  came — it  had  much  trouble. 
Those  who  had  been  its  strongest  leaders,  and  many  who  had  been  its 
staunchest  supporters  in  the  prosperous  days,  deserted  it.  There  was  a 
time,  in  1874,  when  some,  even  of  those  who  remained  true  to  it,  were  so  dis- 
mayed by  the  opposition  agaiust  it,  that  they  advised  against  putting  a  Re- 
publican ticket  in  the  field.  This  timid  counsel  was  rejected,  and  the  bat- 
tle was  fought,  but  after  it  was  over,  all  the  Republican  party  had  left  was 
honor  and  two  minor  county  officers,  the  nearest  to  total  defeat  ever  suf- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  29 

iered  by  that  party  in  the  history  of  the  county.  In  that  year  Hon.  John 
R.  Goodin,  of  Humboldt,  was  elected  to  Congress  on  the  "Reform  ticket," 
the  first  man  not  a  Republican  to  be  elected  to  Congress  from  the  Second 
District- 

For  a  number  of  years  following  the  visitation  of  the  grasshoppers,  no 
events  transpired  of  special  importance  or  interest,  A  succession  of  aver- 
age crops  soon  restored  nomal  conditions  and  the  people  pursued  the  even 
tenor  of  their  way,  illustrating  in  the  main  the  saying  "happy  is  the  people 
which  has  no  history."  There  was  a  steady,  although  not  a  large  stream 
of  immigration,  and  the  country  gradually  filled  up  with  a  splendid  class  of 
intelligent,  self-respecting,  law-abiding  and  industrious  citizens.  The  his- 
tory that  was  made  was  chiefly  that  of  the  individual  citizen,  much  ot 
which  will  be  found  in  the  biographical  part  of  this  work. 

In  1880,  after  a  lively  contest  between  Humboldt  and  lola  as  to  which 
should  gain  the  prize,  a  branch  of  the  Missouri  Pacific,  at  first  known  as 
the  Fort  Scott,  Wichita  &. Western,  was  built  through  the  county  from  east 
to  west,  passing  through  lola,  and  giving  birth  to  the  towns  of  L,aHarpe 
and  Moran.  In  1888,  the  Kansas  City  &  Pacific  Railroa.d,  (now  a  branch 
of  the  M.  K.  &  T.)  was  built  through  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  cross- 
ing the  Missouri  Pacific  at  Moran  and  giving  birth  to  the  villages  of  Bay- 
ard, Elsmore  and  Savonburg. 

The  years  from  1882  to  i888,  were  marked  by  a  great  many  deeds  of 
violence,  extending  to  even  loss  of  life,  and  much  litigation  growing  out  of 
a  dispute  over  the  title  to  a  large  body  of  land  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county,  mostly  in  the  townships  of  Marmaton,  Salem  and  Elsmore.  These 
lands,  many  thousand  acres  in  all,  had  been  granted  to  and  were  claimed 
by  the  M.  K.  &  T. ,  and  the  L,.  I,.  &  G.  Railroad  companies,  and  nearly  all 
of  them  had  been  sold  to  individual  purchasers,  although  comparatively 
few  tracts  were  occupied  by  those  holding  the  railroad  title.  The  claim 
was  made  that  the  railroad  companies  had  not  complied  with  the  conditions 
of  the  grant,  and  had,  therefore,  forfeited  their  rights  to  the  lands.  Acting 
on  this  opinion  some  three  hundred  men  had  entered  upon  the  land,  each 
one  claiming  a  quarter-section  as  a  homestead.  These  men  formed  an  or- 
ganization known  officially  as  "The  Settlers  Protective  Association,"  but 
designated  commonly  as  the  "Land  League,"  and  began  a  strenuous  con- 
test to  make  good  their  claim.  Eminent  attorneys  were  employed  and  in 
many  cases  physical  force  was  resorted  to  in  the  maintenance  of  what  the 
settlers  believed  to  be  their  rights.  Fences  built  by  those  claiming  under 
the  railroad  title,  were  destroyed,  a  number  of  houses  were  burned,  two 
men  lost  their  lives,  and  the  growth  of  the  entire  county  was  materially  re- 
tarded. Of  course  the  matter  got  into  the  courts  immediately,  and  for  many 
years  the  "League  cases"  made  up  a  considerable  portion  of  the  docket  of 
the  district  court  of  Allen  County.  Case  after  case  was  carried  to  the  higher 
courts,  and  it  is  only  within  the  past  year  that  final  decision  has  been  ren- 
dered in  the  last  of  them.  To  present  all  the  details  of  the  controversy  would 
occupy  a  great  deal  oi  space,  and  would  serve  no  good  purpose.  Let  it  suf- 
fice to  say  in  a  general  way,  that  the  railroad  title  has  been  confirmed  by 


30  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   AND 

the  courts,  aud  the  recollection  of  the  unfortunate  contest  and  the  distress- 
ing events  that  grew  out  of  it,  is  rapidly  fading  away. 

Allen  County  had  a  very  light  attack  of  the  "boom"  fever  that  was  so 
virulent  in  many  parts  of  the  State  during  the  80s.  A  few  spasmodic  ef- 
forts were  made  to  inoculate  it  with  the  virus,  but  it  did  not  "take." 
Nevertheless,  the  county  suffered  with  the  rest  of  the  State  when  the  bub- 
ble burst  and  the  reaction  came.  From  1890  to  1895  things  were  very 
quiet,  indeed.  The  towns  made  no  growth  to  speak  of,  and  the  population 
of  the  county  showed  little  if  any  increase,  although  those  who  were  here 
added  steadily,  if  slowly,  to  their  acquisitions,  and  were  every  year  in  some- 
what better  circumstances  than  the  year  before.  In  1895,  however,  owing 
to  the  discovery  and  development  of  the  the  natural  gas  field ,  an  account  of 
which  is  made  the  subject  of  a  separate  chapter  of  this  book,  and  to  the  result- 
ing location  of  large  manufacturing  enterprises,  the  county  began  to  gain 
rapidly  in  both  population  and  wealth.  From  that  time  to  the  present  the 
advancement  has  been  most  gratifying,  and,  there  is  is  perhaps  not  a  county 
in  the  State  that  is  now  enjoying  a  greater  degree  of  universal  prosperity. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  3 1 


^be  ifirst  Tlanb  titles 

Settlement  commenced  in  Allen  county  before  an  acre  of  land  had  been 
surveyed,  and  while  the  Indian  title  was  yet  unextinguished,  although 
treaties  for  its  extinguishment  were  pending.  About  two  thirds  of  the 
county  on  the  north  belonged  to  the  New  York  Indians,  and  the  remaining 
one-third  to  the  Osages.  In  1855  Joseph  L,udley,  with  a  party  of  surveyors 
began  the  survey  of  the  standard  parallels  of  the  Territory,  finishing  it 
February,  1856,  with  the  Fifth  standard  parallel,  crossing  Allen  county  a 
little  north  of  Humboldt.  The  township  and  range  lines  were  run  during 
this  and  the  following  summer,  but  the  subdivison  was  not  completed  until 
the  summer  of  1859.  In  the  absence  of  definite  "corners"  there  was  naturally 
much  uncertainty  ■as  to  the  boundary  and  extent  of  territory  that  could  be 
rightfully  claimed  by  individual  settlers.  The  first  settlers  located  in  or 
adjoining  the  timber,  and  while  professing  to  hold  but  a  quarter  section 
often  claimed  a  mile  square.  The  Territorial  legislature  enacted  that  each 
settler  might  hold  two  quarter  section,  one 'of  timber  and  one  of  prairie. 
This  was  directly  contrary  to  the  laws  of  congress  and  gave  rise  to  much 
trouble.  To  remedy  these  evils  so  far  as  possible  the  settlers  in  this  county, 
as  eleswhere,  organized  among  themselves  associations  iwhose  business  it 
was  to  settle  disputed  claims  and  protect  each  others  rights.  The  decision 
of  these  tribunals  was  always  prompt,  nearly  always  just  and  equitable,  and 
very  generally  acquiesced  in  so  that  actual  violence  was  seldom  resorted  to 
in  these  cases. 

In  the  summer  of  i860  the  public  lands  in  the  county  that  had  been 
surveyed  were  opened  up  for  settlement  and  offered  at  public  sale  in  Nov- 
ember of  that  year,  the  homestead  law  having  not  yet  been  passed.  Owing 
to  the  great  destitution  that  year  amoung  the  settlers,  resulting  from  the 
failure  of  the  crops,  but  few  were  able  to  purchase  their  claims,  and  to  pre- 
vent speculators  from  bidding  them  off  at  the  sale  large  numbers  of  settlers 
were  in  attendance  and  in  most  cases  succeeded  in  preventing  the  sale  of 
lands  on  which  settlement  had  been  made. 

They  were  not  always  able  to  prevent  such  sales,  however,  and  the  two 
or  three  tragedies  which  darken  the  early  pages  of  our  county's  history 
resulted  from  this  failure.  One  of  these  cases  was  that  of  a  young  man 
named  Winn  who  in  i860  settled  on  a  claim  a  few  miles  west  of  Humboldt, 
and  without  filing  on  it  went  to  Missouri  to  work.  During  his  absence  a 
man  named  Harris  went  to  the  land  ofiice  at  Fort  Scott  and  bought  the 
land  at  private  entry.  When  Winn  returned  and  ascertained  the  facts  he 
immediately  procured  a  revolver  and  proceeded  direct  to  Harris'  house,  on 
Deer  creek  and  demanded   a   conveyance   of  the   land.     Some   altercation 


32  HISTORY   OF  ALLEN   AND 

ensued  and  the  two  men  started  off  together.  Harris  was  found  next  day 
with  a  bullet  hole  through  his  head.  Winn  was  arrested,  charged  with 
the  crime.  In  the  preliminary  hearing  before  'Squire  Mattoon,  of  Geneva, 
he  admitted  the  killing  but  pleaded  self-defense.  He  was  held  to  bail,  but 
popular  sympathy  was  with  him,  and  the  war  soon  after  breaking  out,  he 
enlisted  in  the  army  and  no  trial  ever  took  place. 

A  similar  tragedy  came  near  being  enacted  between  Anderson  C.  Smith 
and  Anderson  Wray,  and  for  a  similar  reason.  Wray  bid  off  Smith's  claim 
at  the  land  sales  at  Fort  Scott.  Smith,  who  was  at  his  place  on  Martin 
creek,  heard  of  it  late  in  the  evening,  and  immediately  mounted  a  pony  and 
started  for  Fort  Scott,  swearing  vengeance.  He  met  Wray  and  his  party 
in  camp  on  Turkey  creek  about  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
without  a  word  of  warning  or  a  moment's  notice  began  firing  at  Wray,  one 
or  two  shots  taking  effect  before  friends  could  interfere.  Fortunately  the 
wounds  were  not  mortal.  Wray  recovered  and  the  affair  was  afterwards 
amicably  settled. 

A  number  of  settlers  had  located  on  Osage  Indian  lands  in  the  south 
part  of  the  county  before  the  Indian  title  was  extinguished,  and  the  Gov- 
ernment had  ordered  them  to  move  off.  The  order  was  not  obeyed  to  any 
great  extent,  and  in  several  instances  serious  trouble  with  the  Indians  was 
narrowly  averted.  On  September  29,  1865,  however,  a  treaty  with  the 
Osages  was  finally  concluded  by  the  terms  of  which  the  white  settlers  then 
on  the  lands  were  permitted  to  enter  160  acres  each  at  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  an  acre.  These  lands  were  surveyed  in  1866- '7  and  the  settlers 
were  enable  under  the  treaty  to  secure  a  title  to  their  homes  in  January, 
1868,  after  a  residence  on  the  part  of  some  of  eleven  years. 


V 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  33 

Some  of  tbe  **3first"  ZEbinas. 

The  first  school  was  opened  in  Humboldt  in  1858,  and  was  taught  by 
S.  W.  Clark. 

The  fi.rst  wedding  was  that  of  George  W.  Young  to  Sarah  Bennett, 
June  28,  1856. 

The  first  court  in  the  county  was  held  by  Judge  Cato,  in  November, 
1855,  in  Cofachique.     He  held  another  term  in  1856. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  an  Englishman  named  Broadbent,  one  of 
the  Vegetarian  colony,  which  occurred  in  June,  1856. 

The  first  postoffice  was  located  at  Cofachique  in  1856,  but  a  regular 
carrying  route  was  not  put  on  until  the  year  following. 

Nimrod  Hankins  made  the  first  assessment  of  the  county  in  March, 
1857,  finding  taxable  property  to  the  amount  of  $3+, 515.50. 

The  first  election  was  held  at  Cofachique,  in  the  fall  of  1856,  seven 
votes  being  cast.  Each  voter  paid  a  poll  tax  of  one  dollar  before  being  per- 
mitted to  vote. 

The  first  practicing  physician  who  located  permanently  in  the  county 
was  Dr.  Burgess,  who  came  in  the  summer  of  1856,  and  took  a  claim  two 
rniles  north  of  Humboldt. 

The  legislature  of  1855,  known  as  the  "bogus  legislature,"  established 
slavery  in  Kansas  by  law,  and  it  existed  in  Allen  County  in  the  first  years 
of  its  history  in  fact,  slaves  being  owned  and  held  here  by  Henry  Sater, 
Giles  Sater,  James  Galbraith,  a  Mr.  Hurlston  and  a  Mr.  Dunbar.  Giles 
Sater  was  a  free  state  man  and  soon  set  his  slaves  free.  The  other  slave 
owners,  finding  the  atmosphere  unwholesome,  returned  after  a  short  time 
to  Missouri. 


2$  HISTORY   OF  ALLEN   AND 

Judge  D.  M.  Valentine,  who  was  promoted  from  the  district  to  the  Supreme 
Bench  upon  which  he  served  with  great  distinction  for  a  full  quarter  of  a 
century.  Since  his  retirement  from  the  bench,  be  has  been  in  the  active 
practice  of  his  profession  as  the  head  of  one  of  the  strongest  law  firms  in 
Topeka.  Although  far  advanced  in  years  his  memory  is  unimpaired,  and 
the  publishers  of  this  history  are  glad  to  be  able  to  include  in  this  chapter 
the  following  contribution  from  his  still  facile  pen; 


3itOge  IDalentltte's  IRecoUectioiis. 

The  first  term  of  the  District  Court  which  I  held  in  Allen  County  was 
held  in  Humboldt,  which  was  then  the  county  seat,  in  an  old  church,  which 
had  previously  and  during  the  latter  part  of  the  war  been  occupied  by  Union, 
soldiers  as  barracks.  At  this  term  J.  H.  Campbell  was  the  county  attor- 
ney; J.  C.  Redfield,  sheriff;  George  A.  Miller,  clerk,  and  John  Francis, 
deputy  sheriff  and  bailiff  for  the  court.  All  the  officers  performed  their  du- 
ties faithfully,  and  I  have  never  seen  a  more  faithful  officer  than  John  Fran- 
cis. He  was  afterwards  clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  Allen  County,  and 
has  since  held  several  important  offices,  among  which  were  the  offices  of 
county  treasurer  and  state  treasurer.  There  were  present  at  that  court  the 
following  attorneys:  J.  H.  Campbell,  Eli  Gilbert,  Chas.  P.  Twiss,  John  R. 
Goodin,  Orlin  Thurston,  Nelson  F.  Acers,  W.  S.  Newberry  and  Joseph 
Bond,  all  residents  of  Allen  County,  the  last  three  being  admitted  to  prac- 
tice during  the  term.  Judge  I^owe,  of  Fort  Scott,  G.  W.  Smith,  of  Law- 
rence, and  John  G.  I^indsay  of  Garnett  also  attended  that  term.  All  the 
aforementioned  attorneys  generally  attended  the  courts  afterwards  held  in 
Allen  County,  and  also  the  following  attorneys  generally  attended  the  sub- 
sequent terms:  H.  W.  Talcott  and  Mr.  Sechrist,  residents  of  Allen  County. 
Judge  R.  M.  Ruggles,  of  Emporia,  and  Joel  K.  Goodin,  of  Ottawa,  also  at- 
tended at  least  one  term  of  the  court  in  Allen  County.  Other  attorneys  may 
also  have  attended  whom  I  do  not  now  remember. 

Col.  Thurston  had  previously  been  a  state  senator  from  Allen  County , 
and  Col.  Twiss  was  then  a  state  senator  from  that  county.  John  R.  Goodin 
was  afterwards  judge  of  the  Seventh  Judicial  District,  including  Allen 
County,  and  was  afterwards  a  member  of  congress.  H.  W.  Talcott  was 
also  later  the  judge  of  that  district  and  county.  Judge  I,owe  was  after- 
wards judge  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  District,  and  afterwards  a  member  of 
congress.  Nelson  F.  Acers  was  afterwards  a  United  States  collector  of  in- 
ternal revenue  for  Kansas.  Joseph  Bond  was  also  at  that  time  editor  of  the 
"Weekly  Herald,"  a  paper  published  at  Humboldt.  As  above  stated,  the 
first  term  of  court  which  I  held  in  Allen  County,  was  held  at  Humboldt; 
but  the  next  three  terms  were  held  at  lola,  the  county  seat  having  been 
removed  from  Humboldt  to  lola  in  the  meantime.  A  grand  jury  was  con- 
vened and  had  a  session  during  the  first  term,  which  grand  jury  found 
and  returned  several  indictments. 

During  the  terms  of  the  District  Court  which  I  held  in  Allen  County, 
many  humorous  incidents  occurred.     Among  them  a  prosecution  for  illegal- 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  39 

ly  selling  intoxicating  liquor,  was  tried  before  a  jury.  The  liquor  sold  was 
beer,  and  the  .defense  was  that  the  beer  sold  was  not  an  intoxicating  liquor. 
Evidence  was  introduced  tending  to  show  both  that  the  beer  was  intoxicat- 
ing and  that  it  was  not  intoxicating.  Judge  Gilbert  was  a  witness  in  the 
case  and  testified  that  he  had  purchased  several  bottles  of  the  beer,  under  a 
prescription  from  a  physician,  and  had  drunk  the  beer  and  that  it  did  not  in- 
toxicate him.  The  lawyers  had  considerable  sport  over  this  testimony,  and 
one  of  them  suggested  that  it  was  like  the  Dutchman,  who  said  he  could 
drink  fifty  or  sixty  glasses  of  beer  without  becoming  intoxicated,  but  he  did 
not  know  what  effect  it  would  have  on  a  man  if  he  should  make  a  hog  of 
himself.  Judge  Gilbert  was  a  very  good  speaker  before  a  jury.  In  one 
case  he  and  Judge  Ruggles  each  made  an  argument  before  the  jury  and 
while  Judge  Ruggles  was  an  ex-judge  of  the  Fifth  Judicial  District  and  an 
eminent  lawyer,  yet  some  of  the  lawyers  who  heard  the  argument  expressed 
the  opinion  that  Judge  Gilbert  made  fully  as  good  an  argument  as  Judge 
Ruggles,  if  not  a  better  one.  The  lawyers  also  had  considerable  sport  over 
the  manner  in  which  Judge  Gilbert  talked  to  litigants  who  wished  to  em- 
ploy him  to  make  an  argument  before  a  jury.  The  lawyers  stated  that 
Judge  Gilbert  informed  the  litigants  that  he  would  make  just  a  common 
speech  to  the  jury  for  $25.00;  that  he  would  make  a  good  speech  for  $50.00, 
but  if  they  wanted  him  to  make  one  of  his  "  hell-roarin"  speeches,  they 
must  pay  him  $100.00.  Judge  Gilbert  had  a  few  favorite  phrases  which  he 
liked  to  repeat  to  juries.  One  was,  in  illustrating  the  purity  or  honesty  of 
a  person,  or  the  reverse,  he  would  say  that  he  or  she  was  or  was  not  "As 
pure  as  the  icicle  from  the  purest  snow  on  Diana's  temple,"  or  would  some- 
times vary  this  by  saying  that  he  or  she  was  or  was  not  "As  pure  as  the 
purest  snow  on  Alpine  Heights."  Col.  Thurston  also  showed  ability  in 
trying  cases.  In  one  of  his  cases,  which  was  for  a  breach  of  promise  of 
marriage,  in  which  he  was  for  the  plaintiff,  and  showed  a  great  deal  of  feel- 
ing, he  tried  it  extraordinarily  well,  and  made  an  excellent  speech  to  the 
jury.  The  jury  found  a  verdict  in  favor  of  the  plaintiff  for  $3,500  which, 
under  the  circumstances,  the  defendant  not  being  a  wealfhy  man,  was  con- 
sidered a  liberal  verdict.  At  one  time  while  the  District  Court  was  in  ses- 
sion, a  preliminary  examination  was  had  out  of  court  before  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  in  which  the  defendants  were  charged  with  murder  in  the  first  de- 
gree. It  was  claimed  that  two  or  three  persons  had  been  guilty  of  stealing 
horses  in  that  community,  and  that  some  of  the  people  of  the  community 
had  hanged  them  until  they  were  dead.  The  persons  charged 'with  doing 
the  hanging  were  then  charged  with  murder.  Judge  G.  W.  Smith  de- 
fended them.  Among  his  suggestions  was  that  the  persons  killed  had,  af- 
ter stealing  the  horses,  been  stricken  with  remorse  and  that  they  had 
hanged  themselves,  but  in  reply  to  this,  it  was  suggested  that  that  was  im- 
possible for  all  the  persons  hanged  had  their  hands  tied  behind  them  when 
they  were  hanged.  But  Judge  Smith  replied,  as  he  said  a  Dutch  justice  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  came  from  once  replied,  when  it  was  suggested 
that  a  person  assaulted  who  had  lost  his  nose  in  the  encounter,  had  bitten 
it  off  himself;  and  the  other  side  suggested  that  that  was   impossible.     But 


36  HISTORY   OF    ALtEN    AND 

was  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Robert  Purdom.  I  have  forgotten  the 
man's  name  now  that  preached,  but  he  belonged  to  the  colony  that  first 
started  Geneva. 

Some  years  after  my  wife  and  I  went  to  Neosho  Falls  to  camp  meeting 
with  an  ox  team  and  farm  wagon,  took  a  man  along  to  take  the  oxen  home, 
and  we  camped  in  the  wagon  until  the  meeting  was  over.  We  had  plenty 
with  us  to  eat  and  sometimes  entertained  the  preachers.  I  don't  know  but 
what  we  enjoyed  the  meetings  about  as  well  as  though  we  had  gone  in  the 
finest  style.  I  attended  quarterly  meeting  at  Leroy,  and  was  there  for  the 
9  o'clock  love  feast,  traveling  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles  to  get  there.  I 
have  farmed  it  through  drought,  flood  and  grasshoppers  and  hail-storms, 
peace  and  war,  arid  bountiful  crops  and  failures;  it  would  take  many  pages 
to  tell  it  all,  and  I  have  been  in  many  different  states  in  the  Union,  and 
have  even  lived  in  Missouri,  where  the  pure  air  of  Heaven  is  contaminated 
with  the  fumes  of  whiskey;  so  that  when  I  come  over  into  Kansas,  and  the 
cars  glide  along  over  the  beautiful  prairies,  it  always  seems  to  me  as  soon  as 
I  cross  the  State  line,  that  I  can  smell  the  difference  in  the  air  we  breathe. 
And,  when  it  comes  to  genuine  comfort,  there  is  no  place  I  have  ever  been 
where  I  would  rather  spend  my  remaining  days  or  years  than  lola,  Kansas. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  37 


^be  IBcncb  ant)  Bar 

When  Kansas  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State  on  January  29, 
1861,  Allen  county  became  a  part  of  the  fourth  judicial  district  and  Solon 
O.  Thacher  of  Lawrence,  became  the  judge  of  such  district,  and  held  the 
courts  therein  until  October  1864,  when  he  resigned  and  D.  P.  L,owe  of 
Ft.  Scott  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy,  but  Judge  Lowe  never  held  a 
term  of  court  in  Allen  County.  At  the  November  election  in  1864,  D.  M. 
Valentine  of  Ottawa  was  elected  to  succeed  Judge  Lowe  and  took  the  office 
as  judge  of  the  fourth  judicial  district  on  January  8,  1865.  Judge  Valentine 
held  all  the  terms  of  the  district  court  in  Allen  County  during  the  years 
1865  and  1866 — the  several  terms  commencing  as  follows:  May  i,  1865, 
October  30,  1865,  April  30,  1866  and  October  29,  1866.  By  an  act  of  the 
legislature  which  took  effect  March  4,  1867,  Allen  County  was  taken  from 
the  fourth  judicial  district  and  placed  in  a  new  district  then  created  and 
numbered  seven,  and  it  still  remains  in  the  seventh  judicial  district. 

The  7th  judicial  district,  as  first  formed  comprised  the  counties  of 
Anderson,  Allen,  Neosho,  Labette,  Woodson  and  Wilson.  Hon.  Wm. 
Spriggs,  of  Garnett,  Anderson  county,  was  the  first  Judge  of  the  new  district. 
He  was  appointed  by  Governor  Crawford  March  4,  1867,  and  held  the  office 
until  January  13,  1868.  At  the  general  election  in  November,  1867,  Hon. 
John  R.  Goodin,  of  Humboldt,  Allen  county,  was  elected  for  a  regular  term 
of  four  years,  and  succeeded  Judge  Spriggs.  Judge  Goodin  was  re-elected 
in  1871,  but  in  1874  was  elected  to  Congress  and  resigned  the  judgeship 
February  i,  1875.  Shortly  thereafter  Hon.  W.  H.  Talcott,  of  lola,  Allen 
county,  was  appointed  by  Governor  Osborn,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  resignation  of  Judge  Goodin.  At  the  general  election  in  November, 
1875,  Judge  Talcott  was  elected  for  the  term  of  four  years  beginning  on  the 
second  Monday  of  January.  1875,  and  Honorable  Peter  Bell,  of  Woodson 
county,  was  elected  for  the  "short  term",  that  is  to  say,  the  period  inter- 
vening between  the  election  of  1875  and  the  official  canvass  of  the  vote,  and 
the  beginning  of  the  regular  term  on  the  second  Monday  of  the  following 
January.  JudgeTalcott  was  re-elected  in  1879.  At  the  general  election  in 
1883,  Leander  Stillwell  who  then  resided  at  Osage  Mission  (now  St.  Paul)  in 
Neosho  Co.,  was  elected  Judge,  and  was  re-elected  in  1887,  1891,  1895  and 
1899.  Upon  the  completion  of  his  present  term  Judge  Stillwell  will  have 
served  twenty  years  on  the  bench  of  this  district,  a  longer  period  of  con- 
secutive service  in  that  capacity  than  stands  to  the  credit  of  any  other  man 
in  the  history  of  Kansas. 

With  scarcely  an  exception  the  judges  of  this  district  have  been 
men  of  character  and  ability.     Among  them  all  none  has  stood  higher  than 


34  HISTORY   OF   ALLElsr    AND 


^be  IReminiscence  of  an  ®lb  Settler, 

BY    I.    B.    I.AWYER. 

On  the  ist  day  ot  April,  1857,  W.  F.  Brooks,  William  Bo3'd  and  I 
started  from  Solon  Iowa  to  go  to  Kansas  with  our  own  conveyance,  two 
horses  and  a  wagon.  When  we  got  to  Leavenworth  we  met  a  man  who 
had  surveyed  a  townsite  down  on  the  Neosho,  they  named  Leroy,  so  we 
struck  out  for  the  Neosho  River.  From  Leroy  we  came  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river  to  Neosho  Falls,  thence  down  to  what  was  afterwards  called  Law- 
yer's Ford,  (three  miles  north-west  of  now  lola).  There  we  camped  on 
Saturday  evening,  and  on  Monday  morning  we  bought  a  claim  of  Mr.  Au- 
gustus Todd.  The  land  had  not  as  yet  been  surveyed  into  sections,  and 
when  the  government  survey  was  made,  it  was  close  to  the  line  where  Mr. 
Todd  had  figured. 

The  next  news  that  came  was  that  the  land  belonged  to  the  New  York 
Indians,  and  that  we  would  all  have  to  leave.  This  was  not  cheerful  news 
to  me  as  I  had  bought  out  my  partner's  (Mr.  Brooks),  interest  for  some 
eight  hundred  dollars,  and  as  time  passed  on  the  land  was  offered  for  sale 
at  the  Fort  Scott  land  office  and  hardly  any  of  us  had  sufficient  money  to 
bid  in  our  land  which  was  sold  at  the  mercy  ot  the  speculators.  There 
were  but  few  speculators  present  at  the  sale,  and  our  land  was  not  sold. 

We  now  had  an  opportunity  to  file  on  our  land,  with  the  privilege  of 
twelve  months  in  which  to  pay  for  our  homestead,  and  by  the  time  I  bought 
a  land  warrant  from  L.  L.  Northrup,  (then  running  a  store  at  Geneva),  and 
at  that  time  land  warrants  being  under  par, I  procured  my  land  from  the 
government  for  a  little  less  than  one  dollar  per  acre. 

When  J.  R.  Young  and  I  went  to  the  land  office  at  Mapleton  to  prove 
up,  darkness  came  on  before  we  got  home,  and  coming  in  on  the  east  side 
of  lola,  we  were  stopped  by  the  pickets,  (lola  being  under  guard  to  keep 
the  rebels  out),  and  passing  through  the  line  into  town,  we  had  to  get  the 
password  to  get  out  of  town  again,  and  when  we  got  to  my  house  we  ran 
amuck  another  outpost;  so  you  see  we  had  .some  thrilling  times  even  in 
free  Kansas. 

I  well  remember  the  first  four  acres  of  corn  I  raised  in  Kansas,  and 
that  was  in  1857.  I  reiadily  disposed  of  it  the  following  spring  for  seed 
corn  at  I1.50  per  bushel — ^Joe  Colburn  buying  the  last  of  it  at  $2.00  per 
bushel.  The  money  those  days  in  circulation  was  gold  and  silver,  with  a 
five-cent  piece  for  the  smallest  change. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  some  people  to  know  what  kind  of  game  we 
had,  and,  while  I  think  of  it  I  must  tell  you  a  joke  on  myself:     One  Sun- 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  35 

day  morning  iny  wife  and  I  were  getting  ready  to  go  to  J.  R.  Young's  to 
eat  some  apples  that  he  had  brought  from  Missouri,  and  looking  out  the 
west  window  of  the  log  cabin,  I  saw  two  deer  in  the  brush.  Not  having 
any  meat  in  the  house,  nor  money  to  buy  any,  I,  of  course,  thought  of  m3' 
rifle  first  thing,  and  picking  same  up  dropped  one  of  the  deer,  and  the  other 
deer  .stood  there  until  I  loaded  my  muzzle-loading  rifle,  and  I  dropped  it 
too;  but  lo,  when  I  reached  the  side  of  my  game  I  found  they  both  had 
strings  around  their  necks.  They  were  pets  and  had  strayed  away  from 
their  owner.  Miss  Fannie,  daughter  of  Joe  Parsons,  (Jesse  Parsons,  now  a 
resident  of  Chanute,  was  at  the  time  a  young  man).  They  took  it  as  a  joke 
and  said  the  deer  had  no  business  wandering  so  far  from  home,  and  for  me 
to  divide  with  my  neighbors.  I  went  home  and,  as  luck  would  have  it, 
Nimrod  Hankins  and  I,awrence  Arnold  came  to  call  on  us  and  helped  me 
dress  them.     They  were  the  only  deer  I  ever  killed. 

Wild  tarkey  were  abundant.  I  once  saw  twenty-six  go  to  roost  at  the 
mouth  of  Deer  Creek,  and  got  one  the  following  morning  before  breakfast. 

The  log  cabin  we  lived  in  was  built  by  an  Arkansas  man  and,  of  course, 
had  an  Arkansas  chimney  to  it,  built  with  sticks  above  the  fireplace,  and 
daubed  with  mud;  and,  of  course,  it  had  to  be  repaired  every  fall.  While 
inside  that  chimney  repairing  it  one  day,  I  saw  some  wild  turkeys  in  a  corn 
patch  across  the  road.  I  went  out  and  picking  out  one  with  a  large  head  1 
dropped  him.  I  told  my  wife  to  go  and  get  it,  and  we  found  that  the  ball 
had  gone  through  the  one  I  aimed  for  and  crippled  one  more,  so  we  had 
two  turkeys  that  weighed  twenty  pounds  apiece,  and  only  two  of  us  to  eat 
them  and,  of  course,  we  divided  among  the  neighbors.  I  killed  nine  the 
first  fall  I  was  here,  and  some  of  them  were  plenty  fat  to  fry  themselves. 

Prairie  chicken  were  plentiful.  They  would  come  off  the  prairie  to  the 
timber  to  sun  themselves  on  the  dead  trees,  and  I  could  shoot  two  or  three 
of  them  before  they  would  fly  away. 

In  the  summer  of  1857  I  heard  of  a  colony  that  had  settled  up  on  In- 
dian Creek,  and  heard  they  had  started  a  town  and  named  it  Eureka,  (I  sup- 
pose they  thought  they  had  found  it) ,  so  I  concluded  one  Sunday  morning 
I  would  ride  up  and  see  the  town,  and  get  acquainted  with  some  of  the  peo- 
ple. I  found  the  place  and  found  that  the  town  consisted  of  a  hole  in  the 
ground,  (where  they  had  been  digging  for  water),  and  the  people  were 
camped  along  the  creek.  I  rode  across  the  creek  to  where  there  was  a  log 
cabin  that  a  Mr.  Fuqua  had  vacated,  and  I  saw  the  people  gathering 
toward  the  cabin,  so  I  rode  up  to  it  and  a  Mr.  Spicer,  (now  of  Geneva), 
and  Dr.  Stone  were  sitting  on  a  log  talking,  and  I  asked  them  if  there 
would  be  preaching  there?  They  said  no,  it  was  to  be  Sabbath  school. 
I  was  wearing  one  of  those  two-story  hats  I  had  brought  from  the  states, 
and  they  mistook  me  to  be  a  preacher  and  asked  me  whether  I  was  one.  I 
told  them  no,  but  that  I  was  a  lawyer,  but  only  by  name,  so  there  I  was  at 
my  first  Sabbath  school  in  Kansas.  Before  I  forget  I  must  tell  you  that 
they  afterwards  changed  the  name  of  their  town  to  Geneva. 

The  first  sermon  I  heard  preached  in  Kansas  was  at  the  residence  of 
Martin  Brown,  father  of  Samuel  and  Miss  Ruth  Brown,  now  of  lola.     It 


40  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   AND 

the  Dutch  justice  replied  that  nothing  was  impossible  "mit  Got."  During 
one  of  the  terras  of  court  which  I  held  in  Allen  County,  a  person  who  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  furnished  to  the  bench  and  bar  an  oyster  supper  with 
the  etceteras,  and  the  bench  and  bar  generally  attended  and  seemed  to  en- 
joy it  and  to  have  a  good  and  jovial  time.  Many  stories  were  told  by  mem- 
bers of  the  bar,  and  Judge  John  R.  Goodin,  who  was  a  good  singer,  sang 
some  good  songs;  but,  to  the  credit  of  the  Allen  County  Bar,  I  will  state 
that  no  one  of  them  appeared  to  become  intoxicated.  At  the  term  ol  court 
held  at  Humboldt,  an  indictment  was  found  against  George  W.  Stamps  for 
murder  in  the  first  degree.  He  was  tried  at  that  term  and  at  the  next 
term  for  this  offense,  and  the  jury  at  each  trial  disagreed.  The  evidence 
tended  to  show  that  he  was  a  Union  .soldier,  and  during  the  war  he  had 
killed  a  man  in  that  county  who  claimed  to  be  and  was  a  rebel  sympathizer, 
and  in  those  days  it  was  difficult  to  obtain  a  verdict  of  guilty  from  any  jury 
under  such  circumstances.  At  the  third  term  he  pleaded  guilty  of  man- 
slaughter in  the  first  degree  and  was  sentenced  to  ten  years  imprisonment 
in  the  penitentiary.  He  was  then  permitted  to  trayel  over  the  county  to 
obtain  signers  to  a  petition  for  his  pardon.  He  obtained  a  very  large  num- 
ber of  signatures  to  his  petition  and  carried  it  himself  to  the  governor  at 
Topeka  and  obtained  a  pardon.  He  was  never  taken  to  the  penitentiary. 
During  the  terms  of  the  District  Court  which  I  held  in  Allen  County  many 
other  humorous  incidents  occurred,  which  have  now  passed  from  my  mem- 
ory. 

During  those  early  times  we  had  but  few  law  books  in  Allen  County. 
We  had  the  Kansas  Statutes,  including  the  session  laws  and  the  compiled 
laws  of  1862.  We  also  had  Swan's  Pleadings  and  Precedents,  Nash's 
Pleadings  and  Practice,  Chitty's  Pleadings,  Blackstone's  Commentaries, 
Kent's  Commentaries,  Parsons  on  Contracts,  Greenleaf's  Evidence,  Whar- 
ton's Criminal  Law,  Wharton's  Precedents  of  Indictments  and  Pleas,  and 
a  few  others.  We  had  very  few  of  the  reports  of  adjudicated  cases.  The 
first  volume  of  the  Kansas  Reports  was' not  published  until  about  the  close 
of  the  year  1864,  and  the  succeeding  volumes  came  later.  The  lawyers, 
however,  in  those  days  discussed  the  questions  which  they  presented  to 
the  courts  and  juries,  more  upon  general  principles  and  the  law  as  stated 
in  the  text  books,  and  less  with  regard  to  decisions  as  found  in  the  reports 
of  adjudicated  cases  than  they  do  now. 

At  that  time,  which  was  just  at  the  close  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion, 
there  was  a  greater  percentage  of  criminal  cases,  as  compared  with  civil 
cases  than  there  is  now;  and  the  percentage  of  prosecutions  for  assaults 
and  batteries,  assaults  with  intent  to  kill  or  injure,  and  for  murder  and 
manslaughter,  was  also  much  greater  then  than  now.  With  these  ex- 
ceptions the  business  of  the  Courts  of  Allen  County  in  those  days  was 
very  similar  to  the  business  of  the  courts  in  that  county  at  present. 

D.  M.  Valentine. 


WOODSON   COtTNTlES,    KANSAS,  4^ 

IbumbolOt  1-avvsers  ipcior  to  1880. 

BY  HON.   L.   W.   KEPLINGER 

In  all  that  engaged  public  interest,  or  went  to  make  up  her  early  his- 
tory, whether  it  were  an  incipent  county  seat  contest,  an  election  to  vote 
bonds  to  aid  railroads  or  build  machine  shops,  or  a  scheme  to  evade  such 
bonds  already  voted,  the  lawyers  of  Allen  County  were  conspicuously  at 
the  front.  To  preserve  their  names  in  history,  and  more  especially  to  trans- 
mit to  future  generations  of  Allen  County  lawyers  the  memory  of  their  pre- 
decessors who,  during  and  prior  to  the  seventies,  drove  angling  across  the 
unfenced  quarter  sections,  of  which  it  was  composed,  to  talk  politics  in 
school  houses,  or  try  lawsuits  before  justices  on  the  open  prairie,  is  the  ob- 
ject of  this  article. 

Strongly  marked  characters,  full  of  ambition,  for  the  most  part  of  ex- 
ceptional ability,  schooled  and  moulded  by  the  conditions  which  prevailed 
during  the  civil  war,  if  not  actual  participants  in  that  great  strife,  the  law- 
yers of  Allen  County,  during  the  period  referred  to,  were  a  most  interesting 
body  of  men.  No  one  who  knew  them  will  doubt  that  men  like  J.  R. 
Goodin,  Orlin  Thurston,  J.  Q.  A.  Porter,  H.  C.  Whitney,  G.  P.  Smith,  J. 
C.  Murray,  J.  B.  F.  Cates  and  H.  M.  Burleigh,  fall  easily  in  the  class  of 
those  who,  as  congressmen  and  senators,  or  in  other  fields  of  effort,  have  at- 
tained distinction. 

The  presence  of  the  United  States  land  office  at  Humboldt  made  that 
point  the  chief  center  of  attraction  for  lawyers  who  came  to  Allen  County. 
I  was  better  acquainted  with  those  who  came  there,  and  it  is  of  the  Hum- 
boldt lawyers  I  shall  now  speak. 

Origin  Orlin  Thurston,  who  came  from  Ohio  about  the  year   1857, 

Thurston,  was  the  most  forceful  character  of  the  group,  and  the  one 
most  capable  of  influencing  the  community  in  which  he  lived, 
had  his  disposition  been  somewhat  different.  He  was  at  one  time  during 
the  war  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  State  militia,  which  rendered  efficient  ser- 
vice on  the  border  during  the  summer  and  fall  of  1861.  He  was  of  medium 
height,  strong  physique  and  most  resolute  purpose,  thoroughly  practical  and 
little  swayed  by  sentiment.  He  was  a  most  excellent  judge  of  men  and  af- 
fairs, and  never  failed  to  impress  others  with  confidence  in  his  judgment 
and  sagacity.  As  a  speaker,  though  not  an  orator,  he  was  earnest,  forcible 
and  impressive.  He  gave  his  attention  largely  to  business  affairs,  outside 
of  law,  and  seldom  appeared  in  court.  He  once  represented  his  district  in 
the  State  senate,  but  his  peculiarities  of  temperament  and  disposition  debar- 
red him  from  the  high  career  for  which  his  strong  qualities  so  eminently 
fitted  him. 

His  general  deportment  was  that  of  a  person  of  distinction.  All  old 
timers  will  remember  the  Colonel's  stately  going  with  driver  and  coach  to 
and  from  his  river-bank  home,  atmosphered  as  it  was  with  unsavory  legend, 
aristocratic  and  repellent. 

Few  men  ever  so  little  cared  for,  sought  after,  or  received  the  general 
good   will   of  the   public,  especially  in  his  later  years.     At  the  same  time, 


42  HISTORY    OF   ALLEX    AND 

among  those  lie  considered  his  friends,  he  was  the  most  courteous,  genial 
and  obliging  of  men.  I  am  full\  persuaded  some  people  thought  ill  of  him 
because  they  disliked  him  vastly  more  than  they  disliked  him  because  of 
any  evil  there  was  in  him.  To  a  very  great  extent,  at  least,  the  trouble 
was  he  was  too  much  of  the  Corialanus  type.  If  ever  he  broke  a  pledge, 
or  spoke  the  word  that  was  not  true,  the  writer  who  was  closely  connected 
with  him  for  years,  is  ignorant  of  the  fact  and  he  now  lifts  his  hat  to  the 
memory  of  his  friend  and  former  law  partner.  Colonel  Orlin  Thurston. 

John  R.  Here  was  a  remarkable  man,  equally  at  ease  in  the  presence 
GooDiN.  of  president  or  bootblack;  good  company  for  both  and  well  inter- 
ested in  either.  He  was  certainly  the  most  companionable  of 
men.  Few  men,  and  no  Kansan,  ever  had  more  of  the  elements  of  per- 
sonal popularity.  Referring  to  his  engaging  manner,  a  client  who  had  just 
come  from  paying  him  a  fee,  remarked  in  my  hearing:  "  It  just  does  me 
good  to  paj'  that  man  money. ' '  He  was  neither  a  money-maker  nor  a 
money-saver.  Utterly  incapable  of  close  application;  never  a  student;  he 
possessed  to  a  remarkable  degree  the  faculty  of  assimilating  the  researches 
of  others.  He  never  read  a  book  so  long  as  he  could  find  any  one  to  talk 
to,  and  this  was  always  easy  for  so  brilliant  a  conversationalist  to  do.  At 
the  same  time  and  without  the  slightest  effort,  with  both  tongue  and  pen  he 
framed  most  exquisitely  worded  sentences.  The  chance  remark  of  a  juror 
on  one  occasion  called  forth  a  half-dozen  impromptu  verses,  which  speedily 
found  their  way  through  the  eastern  press.  I  noticed  them  in  the  editor's 
drawer  of  Harper's  Magazine  some  years  later. 

He  was  a  man  of  consummate  tact,  clear  head,  sound  judgment  and 
commanding  presence.  He  specially  excelled  as  a  speaker.  He  did  not 
orate,  he  just  talked.  But  such  talk!  Imagine  a  Wendell  Phillips,  and  the 
writer  has  heard  Phillips,  less  learned,  less  cultured,  more  florid,  in  short 
more  western,  more  given  to  anecdote,  abounding  in  familiar  illustrations 
and  local  reference,  engaged  in  animated  conversation  with  his  audience, 
with  an  occasional  and  sometimes  a  prolonged  rise  to  the  impassioned,  and 
you  have  Goodin,  the  orator. 

Although  a  Democrat  living  in  a  district  which  was  unanimously  Re- 
publican, he  was  kept  on  the  bench  term  after  term  until  elected  to  con- 
gress in  1874,  in  a  district  in  which  his  party  was  largely  in  the  minority. 
Failing  of  re-election  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law  at  Humboldt.  In  the 
later  seventies  he  was  a  candidate*for  governor  on  the  opposition  ticket  but 
was  unsuccessful.  Judge  Goodin  was  born  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  December 
14,  1836.  He  received  his  education  at  Kenton,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Hum- 
boldt in  the  spring  of  1859.  He  remained  at  Humboldt  until  1883  when  he 
removed  to  Wyandotte,  now  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  in 
the  practice  of  law  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  December,  1885. 

Ei<i  Though  not  quite  so  early  an   arrival   in   Allen   County,  Eli 

Gii<BERT.     Gilbert  came  west  so  early  his  eastern  origin  didn't  count  at  all. 
He  originated   in    Morgan   County,  Ohio,  in    182 1,   and   after- 
wards came   to   the   then   frontier   in    Iowa,  where  he  remained  until  1859 


WOODSON  COtTNTlBS,   KANSAS.  43 

when  he  came  to  Allen  County.  He,  also  was  an  orator,  though  not  of  the 
Wendell  Phillips  type,  and  for  several  years,  over  a  wide  extent  of  territory, 
his  peculiar  frontier  oratory  was  largely  a  substitute  for  law  libraries. 

To  a  new-comer  and  prospective  client  who  wished  his  services,  not  to 
;assist  in  the  trial,  but  because  of  his  reputed  influence  over  juries,  he  thus 
gravely  gave  rates.  "  For  a  few  sensible  remarks  I  charge  $10.00;  for  a 
speech  $15.00;  but  one  of  my  regular  '  hell-roarers'  will  cost  you  $25.00." 
It  may  be  added,  however,  that  whichever  variety  was  contracted  for,  it 
was  the  last  mentioned  which  was  always  forthcoming. 

To  the  eternal  envy  of  all  future  Allen  County  lawyers,  let  one  inci- 
dent in  Judge  Gilbert's  career  be  reserved  from  oblivion.  The  necessities  of  a 
case  required  that  the  jury  should  be  convinced  the  prosecuting  witness 
had  bitten  ofi  his  own  ear.  The  Judge's  eloquence  rose  to  the  occasion. 
Verdict,  "not  guilty."  He  was  kindly  disposed  toward  all  men,  convivial, 
full  of  jokes,  stories  and  reminiscences,  especially  of  a  pergonal  nature. 
Shakespeare's  most  pleasing  character,  who  was  in  some  respects  a  feeble 
imitator  of  the  Judge,  will  never  know  how  lonesome  he  has  been  all  these 
years  until  Eli  Gilbert  comes  to  swap  auto-biographies  with  him  in  the  land 
of  shade. 

Judge  Gilbert  was  at  one  time  Probate  Judge  of  Allen  County.  He 
also  represented  his  district  one  term  in  the  legislature,  where  he  voted  ior 
the  right  man  for  United  States  Senator  and,  as  a  consequence,  received  an 
appointment  as  Receiver  of  the  United  States  L,and  Office,  in  the  western 
part  of  the  state.  He  is  now  nearing  his  end  at  I,awrence,  Kansas,  and  all 
who  ever  knew  him  will  wish  him  well. 

John  John   Porter,  who  came  from   Ohio  in    1867,   had  left 

Q.  A.  Porter.  Kansas  about  one  year  before  I  came.  He  was  elected  to 
the  legislature  in  1868  and,  at  the  close  of  his  term,  for 
some  mysterious  reason,  he  never  returned  to  Allen  County.  To  this  day, 
however,  tradition  assigns  him  a  foremost  place  among  the  young  men  of 
promise  and  ambition  who  came  to  this  country  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  returned  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  still  continued  to  practice  at  one  bar 
too  many,  which  resulted  in  the  usual  wreck.  In  1883  Porter  came  to 
Kansas  City  proposing  to  locate  there.  Instead  he  went  to  Albuquerque, 
New  Mexico,  where  he  was  soon  after  found  dead  in  the  office  of  one  of  his 
old  time  Humboldt  friends,  then  residing  in  that  city. 

J.  B.  F.  Here  was  an  innovation.  All  others  named  came  from  north  of 
Cates.  the  Mason  and  Dixon  I,ine,  but  J.  B.  F.  Cates  came  from  the  moun- 
tains of  East  Tennessee.  Having  neglected  to  change  politics 
when  he  crossed  the  political  equinox,  he  let  politics  alone  when  he  came 
to  Kansas  and  gave  his  attention  exclusively  to  law.  He  settled  at  Hum- 
boldt in  1867  and  remained  there  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until  1878, 
when  he  removed  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  where  he  speedily  took  rank 
among  the  foremost  lawyers  of  that  city.  He  continued  in  the  practice 
there  until  1884,  when  for  some  reason,  for  which  he  has  never  been  able 
to  give  a  satisfactory  excuse,  either  to   himself   or  his   friends,  he   gypsied 


44 


HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 


awaj'  to  Florida  where  he  abandoned  Greenleaf  and  Blackstone  and  be- 
came the  man  with  the  hoe.  After  exchanging  several  thousand  dollars 
for  a  good  stock  of  orange  grove  experience,  he  gravitated  back  to  his  first 
love,  Kansas,  and  the  Seventh  Judicial  District.  Settling  temporarily  in 
Fredonia,  he  divided  his  time  between  Kansas  and  Oklahoma,  after  which 
he  came  to  Chanute,  where  he  now  resides  within  gunshot  of  old  Allen,  in 
which  he  will  eventually  be  found.  Being  neither  dead  or  otherwise  ab- 
sent, but  still  on  the  ground,  delicacy  forbids  that  freedom  of  treatment, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  would  otherwise  receive  from  his  former  associate, 
law  partner  and  admiring  friend.  However,  this  much  shall  be  said, 
though  possibly  not  equal  to  some  others  in  s  >me  respects,  yet  as  an  all- 
round  lawyer,  both  in  intellectual  acumen  and  legal  learning  and  skill  as 
a  practitioner,  he  easily  stands  the  peer  of  any  who  came  either  before  or 
after.  The  writer  freely  accords  him  the  honor  of  being  the  best  lawyer  and 
worst  penman  in  the  whole  group. 

H.  C.  H.  C.  Whitney  came  to  Humboldt  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

Whitney.     Of  all  the  lawyers   who   came    to   Allen  County  Whitney  was 

the  most  ambitious  and  the  writer,  who  was  on  close    terms  of 

intimacy  with  him,  is  still  of  the  opinion  that  in  many  respects    his    ability 

justified  his  ambition. 

Prior  to  the  war  a  young  attorney  of  one  of  the  outlying  counties  in 
Efistern  Illinois,  he  was  what  might  be  termed  a  local  partner  of  Lincoln. 
He  evidently  had  the  confidence  of  Lincoln,  and  almost  every  biography  of 
Lincoln  contains  correspondence  between  them. 

He  was  paymaster  in  the  army  during  the  civil  war.  At  its  close 
he  came  to  Kansas  for  the  purpose  of  becoming  Congressman,  Uni- 
ted States  Senator  and  afterwards  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
a  man  of  phenomenal  memory.  The  world  is  indebted  to  Mr.  Whitney  for 
one  of  Lincoln's  famous  speeches,  the  one  delivered  at  Bloomington,  Illi- 
nois, in  1856,  which  was  reproduced  by  Whitney  from  longhand  notes  taken 
by  himself. 

More  than  any  man  I  ever  knew,  he  was  familiar  with  public  affairs 
and  public  men.  There  was  scarcely  a  man  of  prominence  in  the  North 
during  the  Civil  War  whom  he  had  not  met  and  with  whom  he  was  not 
actually  acquainted.  Once  after  Thurston  had  returned  from  a  trip  East, 
he  made  this  criticism :  "When  Thurston  goes  East  he  never  meets  anybody 
but  hotel  clerks  and  porters."  It  was  never  that  way  with  Whitney. 
Whitney's  appearance  and  manner  were  far  from  being  pleasing,  especially 
to  strangers.  In  this  respect  there  was  the  strongest  contrast  between  him 
apd  Goodin.  He  was  at  one  time  in  the  State  Senate  but  being  unsuccess- 
ful in  politics  he  removed  to  Chicago  about  '75  or  '76  and  entered  the  practice 
of  law  in  that  city  with  W.  B.  Scates  former  Chief  Justice  of  Illinois.  He 
seemed  to  succeed  exceptionally  well  for  some  years,  but  in  the  midst  of  a 
divorce  trial  in  which  his  client  was  one  of  the  leading  bankers  of  the  city, 
he  was  all  but  fatally  wounded  in  the  head  bj^  a  pistol  shot  fired  by  the 
opposing  wife.     It  was  years  before  he  recovered  and  he  never  resumed  his 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    ICANSAS.  45 

practice.  Though  by  no  means  an  orator,  he  was  an  exceptionally  fluent 
and  forcible  speaker  and  writer.  Since  quitting  the  law  practice  he  has 
written  a  work  on  marriage  and  divorce.  Also  a  most  interesting  life  of 
Lincoln  of  several  hundred  pages.  He  is  now  living  somewhere  in  Massa- 
chusetts, 

Thomas  L-  B}Tne  was  another  of  those  striking  characters  whom  to 
Byrne.  have  known  briefly  was  to  remember  for  ever.  Light  com- 
plected, flaxen  haired,  pale  blue  eyes,  lithe  as  a  cat,  of  most 
nimble  wit,  one  of  the  kitid  that  could  keep  the  table  in  a  roar,  and  with 
temper  nimbler  still.  He  came  to  Humboldt  in  1868.  I  recall  one  incident 
which  characterizes  the  man.  Driving  up  to  lola  in  a  hack  Goodin  and 
Gilbert  were  regaling  later  arrivals  such  as  Byrne,  Barber  and  myself  with 
stories  of  more  primitive  times.  Finally  Byrne  broke  in  "Pshaw,  that's 
nothing.  Do  you  see  that  hill  over  there?"  pointing  to  the  Dave  Parsons 
Hill  south  of  Elm  Creek  whose  demolition  for  cement  purposes  now 
furnishes  employment  for  hundreds  of  men,  "When  I  first  came  to  Allen 
County  that  hill  was  nothing  but  a  hole  in  ground." 

Bjrrne  was  always  prominent  and  quite  active  in  all  public  affairs. 
His  family  consisted  of  a  wife,  a  most  estimable  lady  of  culture  and  refine- 
ment, and  several  children  to  all  of  whom  he  was  devotedly  attached.  In 
the  spring  of  '71  without  warning  he  dropped  from  sight  and  for  no  con- 
ceivable reason,  and  from  that  day  to  this  "What  became  of  Byrne?  "  has 
been  a  mystery  which  remains  to  be  solved  in  generations  to  come  by  some 
literary  genius  of  Allen  County  who  chooses  to  interweave  in  thrilling 
romance  the  stirring  scenes  and  picturesque  characters  of  Allen  County's 
early  days. 

H.  M.  Here  too  was  romance.     The  son  of  Matthew  Hale  Smith, 

Burleigh,  a  writer  of  national  distinction,  he  disliked  the  name  for  some 
reason  and  changed  Smith  for  Burleigh,  Though  rather 
young  for  the  position  he  served  during  the  war  on  the  staff  of  some  corps 
commander,  Burnside,  I  think,  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac  with  the  rank 
of  Major.  His  appearance  was  striking,  of  medium  height,  spare  and 
straight,  dark  visaged,  wicked  twinkling  black  eyes,  brisk,  alert,  with  air 
and  bearing  suggestive  of  dash,  rattle  of  sword  and  scabbard  and  jingle  of 
spur,  always  neatly  attired,  in  cold  weather  with  a  military  cloak  with  the 
tape  jauntily  thrown  back  to  exhibit  a  trifle  of  its  red  flannel  lining,  such 
was  the  appearance  of  the  man. 

One  picture  of  Burleigh  I  shall  never  forget.  An  editor  by  an  injudic- 
ious application  of  an  epithet  to  a  newly  arrived  lawyer  converted  the  writer 
hereof  into  a  prosecuting  witness,  and  himself  into  a  defendant,  in  a  crim- 
inal libel  suit.  Upon  the  trial  Burleigh,  who  in  addition  to  being  County 
Attorney,  was  an  excellent  reader,  for  one  solid  hour  read  in  evidence  from 
Dickens  to  a  jury  of  Allen  county  farmers,  and  from  that  day  to  this  no 
Allen  county  editor  has  ever  called  an  Allen  county  lawyer  "Uriah  Heap". 

Burleigh  was  an  accomplished  gentleman,  somewhat  literary,  much 
above  the  average  as  a  talker  and  ver3-  fair   as   a   lawyer.     Soon   aJEter   the 


4.6  irrsTORY  of  allen  and 

incident  referred  to  he  went  to  Athol,  Massachusetts,  where  he  practiced  law 
for  some  years.  Then  came  an  interregnum  of  mysterious  disappearance 
coupled  with  piratical  and  sentimental  romance.  Afterwards  he  reappeared 
and  practiced  law  in  Athol  until  a  few  years  since  when  he  was  found  dead 
in  his  office. 

G.  P.  Strongly   touched   with   genius,    versatile  and  visionary,  active 

Smith  and  energetic,  fearless  and  tireless,  audaciously  aspiring  and  thirsty 
for  prominence  and  notoriety,  of  very  exceptional  ability  as  speaker 
and  writer,  such  was  Colonel  G.  P.  Smith.  Probably  no  man  was  ever 
more  on  the  alert  for  an  opportunity  to  rise  and  address  his  fellow  citizens, 
and  few  could  do  so  on  short  notice  with  more  credit.  lyack  of  continuity, 
both  as  to  occupation  and  locality,  was  his  most  notable  characteristic. 
Ohio,  Virginia,  Eastern  Illinois,  Middle  Illinois,  Humboldt,  Fredonia  and 
back  to  Ohio.  Doctor,  soldier,  editor,  lawyer  and  farmer,  doctor  and 
farmer,  editor,  lawyer  and  always  a  politician,  such  was  his  history.  His 
career  was  strenuous,  stormy  and  eventful.  In  '56  he  was  a  leading  spirit 
in  organizing  a  Fremont  Club  in  Wheeling  and  during  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  made  an  aggressive  campaign  in  West  Virginia.  On  one  occasion  an 
attempt  was  made  to  lynch  him  but  he  was  rescued  by  friends  though  not 
until  he  had  disabled  several  of  his  assailants  with  his  knife. 

In  '61  Lincoln  apprinted  him  collector  of  customs  at  Puget  Sound,  but 
the  outbreak  of  the  war  offered  employment  more  to  his  liking  and  he 
declined  the  appointment.  Aide-de-camp  on  the  staff  of  General  Rosecrans 
with  rank  of  Captain,  Major  of  the  69th  and  Colonel  of  the  129th  Illinois, 
such  was  his  army  career  and  in  each  of  these  positions  his  energy,  force  of 
character  and  courage  won  for  him  distinction. 

After  the  war  he  edited  the  Journal  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  for  several 
years.  In  i86g  he  settled  in  Humboldt,  Kansas,  as  lawyer  and  farmer. 
Through  the  seventies  he  alternated  in  rapid  succession  between  law,  med- 
icine, farming,  editorial  work  and  politics  and  in  fact  at  times  combined  all 
five.  Though  fond  of  mingling  with  people  he  was  at  the  same  time  an 
indefatigable  student  of  general  literature,  political  economy  and  kindred 
subjects  as  well  as  philosophy.  No  hard  day's  work  on  the  farm  or  in  the 
office  was  ever  tiresome  enough  to  send  him  to  bed  before  midnight  when 
he  had  a  good  book  to  read,  and  he  never  read  an  inferior  book.  He  held 
it  to  be  the  most  inexcusable  waste  of  time  to  read  a  good  book  when  one 
better  could  be  had.  One  of  his  poems  entitled  "The  Gods  and  I  are  at 
Strife",  written  in  moments  of  depression  after  the  death  of  an  idolized  and 
only  daughter  and  his  phenomenally  gifted  son  Byron,  and  after  the 
utter  failure  of  all  his  plans,  may  still  be  seen  occasionally  in  the  newspapers. 

His  special  excellence  was  as  a  campaign  orator  and  as  such  he  was 
always  in  demand.  In  '64  together  with  Ingersoll  then  unknown  to  fame, 
he  campaigned  over  Northern  Indiana.  In  '71  he  represented  his  district 
in  the  State  Legislature.  As  candidate  for  State  Auditor  he  canvassed  the 
State  some  years  later  but  was  on  the  wrong  ticket.  In  about  '85  he 
returned  to  his  starting  point  in  Eastern  Ohio  where  he  soon  after  died. 


"WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  47 

L.  W.  Born    in    Morgan  county,   Illinois,  in  August,  1841,  raised 

Keplinger  on  a  farm,  entered  the  army  in  Aui^ust  1-861,  .present  with 
Company  A  of  32nd  Illinois  (of  which  John  Berry  of  Erie 
Kansas,  was  afterward  Captain)  at  the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson  and 
wherever  else  the  army  of  the  Tennessee  won  glory,  including  the  march  to 
the  sea  and  the  grand  review  at  Washington;  mustered  out  in  September 
1865.  He  was  a  private  until  three  days  after  the  battle  of  Hatchie  River, 
then  first  Sergeant  until  January  1865,  then  Second  Lieutenant  until 
mustered  out.  From  the  time  ot  receiving  his  commission  until  mustered 
out  he  was  on  staff  duty  as  acting  adjutant,  or  as  aide-de-camp  on  the  staff 
of  General  W.  W  Belknap  of  the  Iowa  Brigade.  He  graduated  at  Wes- 
leyan  University  at  Bloomington,  Illinois  in  1868;  then  with  Major  J.  W. 
Powell's  "exploring  expedition"  in  Colorado;  with  Powell  and  W.  N. 
Byers,  then  editor  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  News,  and  some  others  made 
the  first  ascent  of  Long's  Peak  in  August  1868,  read  law  at  Bloomington, 
Illinois,  admitted  to  bar  in  December  1869,  had  trunk  packed  for  Kansas  in 
time  to  have  been  there  before  the  close  of  '69  but  was  detained  until  a  few 
weeks  later  by  sickness  of  a  relative,  was  therefore  constructively  present 
and  one  ot  the  sixties,  opened  office  in  Humboldt  early  in  70,  first  in 
partnership  with  G.  P.  Smith;  then  with  Orlin  Thurston;  then  with  J.  B. 
F.  Cates;  from  '83  in  partnership  with  J.  R.  Goodin  at  Wyandotte,  now 
Kansas  City,  Kansas,  until  Goodin's  death  in  '85,  since  that  time  and  now 
in  practice  with  Hon.  C.  F.  Hutchings  at  Kansas  City,  Kansas.  He  was  in 
the  Legislature  in  1877.  Such  is  the  history  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
Keplinger  was  as  difierent  from  each  one  of  those  heretofore  mentioned 
as  they  were  from  each  other.  He  was  not  convivial.  He  liked  to  be  with 
books  rather  than  with  people.  He  shunned  rather  than  sought  after 
prominence.  He  had  a  horror  of  being  called  on  to  make  a  speech.  He 
^  regarded  sentiment  as  of  paramount  consideration  and  he  sought  to  make 
up  in  earnestness  and  industry  what  was  lacking  in  grace  or  eloquence. 
He  brought  with  him  to  Kansas  an  uncertain  quantity  of  political  aspira- 
tion which  however  was  hampered  with  the  notion  (which  he  still  enter- 
tains) that  the  office  should  seek  the  man.  After  years  of  waiting,  a  little 
measly  office  that  no  one  else  in  the  party  wanted,  sought  him.  He  was 
permitted  to  write  his  own  platform.  He  put  in  this  plank  "When  bad 
men  secure  nominations  the  mistakes  of  conventions  should  be  corrected  at 
the  polls."  The  rest  of  the  ticket  was  elected  and  Keplinger  was  defeated. 
But  he  had  his  revenge  a  few  months-  later  when  the  candidate  on  the  State 
ticket  at  whom  that  plank  in  the  platform  was  especially  hurled,  became  a 
sudden  inhabitant  of  South  America  But  all  the  same  the  State  never 
recovered  the  bonds  he  ran  off  with. 

For  all  that,  however,  and  though  now  a  resident  of  Wyandotte 
county,  he  accords  Allen  the  foremost  place  in  his  affections  and  to  her  he 
will  assuredly  return  when  he  dies. 


48  HISTORY   OF  ALLEN  AND 

E.  A,  Mr.  Barber  was  born  August,  1848,  in  Morgan  County,  Illinois. 

Barber  He"  remained  on  the  farm  upon  which  he  was  born  until  1863 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Jacksonville  where  he  graduated  at 
Illinois  College  in  1868,  standing  second  in  his  class;  he  was  acknitted  to  the 
bar  in  1870  and  in  October  of  that  year  came  to  Humboldt  where  he  at  once 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  with  exceptional  prospects  of  success,  but 
in  1875  he  added  banking  to  law,  by  going  in  business  with  B.  H.  Dayton 
under  the  firm  name  of  Dayton,  Barber  &  Company,  and  soon  thereafter  he 
organized  a  National  Bank  which  wholly  engrossed  his  attention.  The  general 
financial  disaster  of  1893  numbered  this  bank  among  its  victims,  although 
he  continued  the  struggle  until  some  years  later.  In  1898  he  removed  to 
Springfield,  Missouri,  where  he  now  resides. 

Gkokge  a.         Mr.    Amos   came   to    Humboldt   in  1868  or  1869  and  went 
Amos  into  the  lumber  business.     The  extermination  of  private  en- 

terprise by  consolidated  capital  which  has  since  driven  out 
pretty  much  all  lumber  yards  conducted  by  private  individuals,  influenced 
Amos  to  enter  the  law.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1875  and  continued 
in  the  practice  there  until  1 889  when  business  connected  with  the  settle- 
ment of  his  father's  estate  caused  him  to  remove  to  Springfield,  Illinois, 
where  he  remained  until  1894.  He  then  returned  to  Humboldt  where  he 
still  remains  engaged  in  the  practice.  His  ability  and  energy  as  a  lawyer 
soon  gave  him  prominence  at  the  bar  and  he  was  elected  county  attorney. 
That  was  a  time  when  it  was  thought  to  be  the  proper  thing  for  county 
attorneys  to  see  to  it  that  laws  were  enforced  and  Amos  did  see  to  it  in  such 
fashion  that  Mrs.  Nation  would  have  had  no  occasion  to  visit  Allen  county. 
Amos  was  chiefly  responsible  for  one  memorable  event  in  Allen 
county's  history.  Humboldt's  zeal  in  behalf  of  the  famous  "East  and 
West  road"  outran  her  discretion.  She  not  only  voted  but  she  also  issued 
the  necessary  bonds  but  she  never  got  the  road.  When  payment  of  the 
bonds  was  demanded,  to  borrow  the  slang  expression  then  current,  which  I 
trust  the  severe  taste  of  the  future  Allen  county  bar  will  excuse,  she 
"kicked".  A  city  could  be  sued  only  by  getting  service  on  certain  named 
officers.  By  a  judicious  selection  of  persons  who  were  about  to  leave  the 
State  or  the  world,  the  municipal  machinery  was  disintegrates  beyond  the 
power  of  a  Federal  Court  mandamus  to  ever  put  it  together  again.  In  this 
way  the  city  was  placed  and  kept  under  cover  for  nearly  twenty  years  and 
until  a  favorable  compromise  was  effected.  Mr.  Amos  was  chief  conspira- 
tor in  the  scheme. 

W.  J.  Though  hardly  justified  by  his  prominence  at  the  bar,  the 

Larimer      romantic  incident  which  made  him  an  Allen  County  lawer  throw- 
ing light  as  it  does  upon  the  vicissitues  of  life  on  the  frontier 
may   excuse   the  insertion  of  Larimer's  biography  in  a  history  of  the  Allen 
County  bar. 

The  Larimer  and  Kelly  families  were  among  the  early  settlers  in  Allen 
County.  Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war  they  in  company  with  several 
other  families  started  in  wagons  for  some  point  on  the  Pacific  slope.    While 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  49 

in  Wyoming  Territory  the  train  was  attacked  by  the  Sioux  Indians. 
Larimer  was  badly  wounded  but  escaped  by  hiding  in  the  brush.  Kelly 
was  killed.  Mrs.  Larimer  together  with  her  young  children  also  Mrs. 
Kelly  were  captured. 

Mrs.  Larimer  after  being  a  prisoner  about  two  days  escaped.  Mrs. 
Kelly  remained  a  captive  until  ransomed  about  five  months  later.  After 
her  release  she  regained  her  friends  the  Larimers.  Some  time  later  Mrs. 
Larimer  published  a  book  as  her  own  production  and  on  her  own  account, 
giving  a  full  story  of  the  occurrence  which  was  largely  made  up  of  an  ac- 
count of  Mrs  Kelly's  experiences  while  a  captive.  Thereupon  Mrs.  Kelly 
came  to  Allen  County,  attached  land  belonging  to  the  Larimers  and 
brought  suit  for  damages,  claiming  that  the  manuscript  was  the  joint  pro- 
duction and  property  of  both  herself  and  Mrs.  Larimer  and  was  to  have 
been  published  on  joint  account.  This  woman's  quarrel  became  a  matter 
of  general  public  interest  and  was  prolonged  in  the  courts  for  several  years 
with  varying  results  until  the  costs  equaled  the  value  of  the  land  attached, 
when  it  was  adjusted. 

Larimer  having  nothing  else  to  do  during  its  progress  read  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  soon  after  wandered  off  to  the  Black  Hills 
where  he  afterwards  served  a  "term  or  two  as  Probate  Judge  in  one  of  the 
leading  counties,  after  which  he  resumed  practice  until  his  death  which 
occurred  several  years  since. 

William  Henry         Mr.    Slavens    was   born  in  Putnam  county,  Indiana, 
Slavens  August,  1849,  came  to  Kansas  in  1869,  began  the  prac- 

tice of  law  at  Neosho  Falls,  Woodson  county,  in  1870, 
removed  to  Humboldt  in  1876  where  he  remained  until  elected  county 
attorney  in  1878  when  he  removed  to  lola.  After  the  expiration  of  his 
term,  he  returned  to  Yates  Center.  He  removed  to  Kansas  City,  Kansas, 
where  he  died  in  1897. 

Mr.  Slavens  possessed  in  a  high  degree  many  of  the  qualities  necessary 
for  a  successful  lawyer.  He  was  bright,  genial  and  likeable,  and  excep- 
tionally influential  with  the  jury.  He  represented  Woodson  county  in  the 
Legislature  in  1884  and  1886. 

J.  O.  Mr.  Fife  was  born  near  Plymouth,  Ind.,  September  lo,  1854,  was 

Fife  raised  on  the  farm,  was  educated  at  the  Indiana  State  University, 
came  to  Kansas  in  1878  and  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Humboldt 
in  September  of  that  year.  Mr.  Fife's  qualifications  entitle  him  to  a  place 
in  the  foremost  rank  of  those  who  have  been  Allen  county  lawyers.  He 
speedily  became  prominent.  In  1880  he  was  appointed  county  attorney  to 
fill  a  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Slavens.  In  the  fall  of 
that  year  he  was  elected  to  the  same  position.  In  1883  he  removed  to 
Kansas  City  Kansas,  where  he  at  once  established  an  extensive  practice. 
Though  by  no  means  wanting  as  a  counsellor,  his  special  excellence  is  as 
a  trial  lawyer.  Mr.  Fife  takes  an  active  interest  in  politics  and  appears  as 
a  prominent  and  influential  factor  in  every  congressional- and.  State  conven- 
tion  of  his   party.      Since  his  removal  to  Wyandotte  he  has  been  County 


50 


HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 


Attorney  for  one  or  two  terms.  Of  late  years  he  has  been  extensively  in- 
terested'in  mining  operations  in  Colorado,  and  contrary  to  the  general  rule 
his  adventures  in  that  line  have  been  quite  successful. 

MiLFORD  H.  Mr.    Donoho  was  born  in  Macon  County,  Tennessee,  in 

DoNOHO  1844,  came  with  his  parents  to  McDonough  County,  Illi- 
nois, in  1846,  served  three  years  in  the  47lh  Illinois  Infantry  during  the 
Civil  War.  came  to  Allen  County  in  1868,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1876.  From  1881  to  1889  he  practiced  law  and  edited  the  Pilot  at  Bron- 
son,  Kansas.  In  1889  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas. 
Sterling  integrity,  sound  judgment,  strong  common  sense  and  an  innate 
love  of  justice  coupled  with  a  familiarity  with  the  fundamental  principles 
of  law  are  his  striking  characteristics.  He  is  now  filling  his  second  term 
as  Judge  of  one  of  the  city  courts  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  and  has  just 
been  re-nominated  without  opposition  for  a  third  term  with  certainty  ot 
election. 

®tber  Bllen  Countg  Zlttorness. 
The  publishers  of  this  History  regret  that  they  have  not  been  able  to 
command  the  services  of  so  able  a  chronicler  as  Mr.  Keplinger  on  behalf 
of  the  attorneys  who  came  here  since  Mr.  Keplinger  removed  from  the 
county  or  who  lived  at  lola  during  his  residence  at  Humboldt  and  with 
whom  he  did  not  feel  sufficiently  acquainted  to  include  in  his  article.  In 
the  absence  of  such  an  expert  little  more  can  be  done  than  to  set  down  here 
tlie  names  of  those  who  made  for  themselves  a  permanent  place  in  the 
records  of  the  Allen  County  bar. 

James  C.         Mr.   Murray   held   a   prominent   place    among   lola   lawyers 
Murray      for  several  years.      He  went  from  here  to  Missouri  and  is  now 
at  Harrisonville,  Arkansas. 

C.  M.  Mr.  Simpson  practiced  at  the  bar  a  comparatively  short  time, 

Simpson  but  he  holds  a  large  place  in  the  earlier  history  of  lola  for  the 
reason  that  he  was  for  several  years  clerk  of  the  district  court 
and  afterwards  for  a  number  of  years  post-master,  resigning  the  latter  posi- 
tion, chiefly  on  account  of  his  health,  to  go  to  Pasadena,  California,  where 
he  now  lives  and  where  he  has  taken  a  prominent  place  at  the  bar  and  in 
politics,  having  been  twice  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  State. 

J.  H.  Mr.  Richards  came  to  lola  soon  after  the   war   as   a   young 

Richards  lawyer  and  would  probably  be  willing  to  admit  that  he  had  a 
hard  fight  of  it  for  several  years.  When  the  Fort  Scott  Wich- 
ita and  Western  railroad,  (now  a  division  of  the  Missouri  Pacific),  was 
built  through  Allen  County  Mr.  Richards,  who  had  been  active  in  securing 
right  of  way  and  other  concessions,  was  appointed  its  local  attorney.  His 
work  was  so  well  done  that  he  was  soon  advanced  to  the  general  attorney- 
ship of  the  road,  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Scott  where  he  has  ever  since 
made  his  home.  While  never  holding  or  seeking  political  ofiice,  Mr. 
Richards  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  politics  and  is  now  recognized  as  a 
strong  factor  in  the' Republican  councils  of  the  State. 


WOODSON    COCNTIES,    KANSAS.  5 1 

W.  G.  Mr.  McDonald   was  perhaps   one   of   the   most   ambitious 

McDoNAi,D  men  who  ever  tried  to  practice  law  in  lola.  He  was  a -man 
of  considerable  natural  ability,  but  his  professional  success 
was  hampered  by  lack  of  earlj^  training.  He  soon  gave  up  the  law  and 
after  holding  a  subordinate  office  at  the  San  Carlos  Indian  Agency  in  Ari- 
zona for  a  time,  returned  and  started  a  newspaper  at  Kiowa.  When  Okla- 
homa was  opened  to  settlement  he  "made  the  run"  and  located  a  claim  in 
"D"  one  of  the  far  western  counties.  In  Oklahoma  he  engaged  actively 
in  politics  and  soon  achieved  a  wide  reputation  for  his  radical  and  fearless 
utterances  and  for  the  unusual  and  picturesque  oratory  which  he  de- 
veloped. He  was  shot  and  killed  one  day  on  the  road  between  his  claim 
and  the  neighboring  town,  by  a  man  with  whom  he  had  quarreled.  The 
man  gave  himself  up,  admitted  the  shooting  and  claimed  self-defense.  As 
there  was  no  testimony  to  disprove  this  claim  he  was  never  punished.  The 
very  general  opinion  was,  however,  that  "McDonald  of  D,"  as  he  was 
known  all  over  Oklahoma,  was  waylaid  and  shot  in  the  back. 

J.  K.  Mr.  Boyd  will  be  remembered  by  the  old   citizens    of    lola   as    a 

Boyd  little  gray  cheerful  talkative  man  who  seemed  to  have  out  lived  his 
ambitions  and  his  energy  and  was  simply  waiting  around  "killing 
time"  with  infinite  good  hunior  and  patience.  He  rarely  had  a  case  in  the 
district  court  but  he  was  for  many  years  police  judge  or  justice  of  the  peace 
and  was  much  missed  when  he  died. 

R.  H.  .  Mr.  Knight  came  here  from  Iowa  in  the  early  eighties  and  en- 
Knight  gaged  at  once  in  the  practice  as  a  partner  of  Oscar  Foust.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  force  and  was  considered  es- 
pecially strong  as  a  criminal  lawyer.  He  removed  to  I,os  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia, some  years  ago,  where  he  still  resides,  and  where  he  has  built  up  a 
lucrative  practice. 

B.  O.  Mr.    Davidson   was   first  admitted  to  the  bar  here,  but  soon 

Davidson    removed  to  Hutchinson  where  he  rapidly  advanced   well   to- 
ward  the   front  rank.      He   afterwards   located  in  St.   L,ouis 
where  he  now  lives  and  is  reported  to  be  doing  well. 

A.  C.  Mr.  Bogle  came  to  lola  first  as  stenographer  for  the  district 
Bogle  court.  He  soon  resigned  that  position,  however,  and  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  law.  He  was  a  shrewd,  well  schooled  lawyer,  a 
most  likeable  man  to  his  intimate  friends,  but  with  oddities  of  manner  and 
dress  that  did  not  promote  his  success  in  gaining  clients.  Mr.  Bogle  was 
a  southerner  by  birth  and  he  never  felt  really  at  home  in  the  North.  After 
a  few  years,  therefore,  he  went  to  Macon,  Mississippi,  where  he  was  when 
last  heard  from  by  any  of  his  lola  friends. 

J.  H.  ^         Mr.  Fisher  came  to  Kansas  from  Pennsylvania  and  began  his  first 

Fisher      practice  at  lola.     He  was  a  man  of  tremendous  energy  and  great 

determination,  and  speedily  took  rank   among  the   first   of  the 

many  bright  young  lawyers  who  were  then  practicing  law  in  Allen  County. 


52 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


Becoming  dissatisfied  with  the  narrow  field  that  lola  offered  at  that  time 
he  went  to  Chanute  and  later  to  Conneaut,  Ohio,  where  he  is  now  engaged 
in  the  successful  practice  of  his  profession. 

C.  E.  Mr.  Benton  also  tried  in  lola  his  first   lawsuit,    coming   here 

Benton  from  Illinois.  He  was  thoroughly  devoted  to  his  profession  and 
had  perhaps  the  most  distinctly  legal  mind  of  any  of  his  associates 
at  the  bar.  He  applied  himself  diligently  and  rose  rapidly  in  his  profession. 
He  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H.  Richards  and  when  the  latter  was  ap- 
pointed solicitor  for  the  Fort  Scott  Wichita  and  Western  railroad  Mr. 
Benton  was  appointed  as  his  assistant  and  went  with  him  to  Fort  Scott 
where  he  has  sitice  made  his  home 

A.    C.  Mr.  Scott  grew  up  in  lola  and  after  graduating   from    the   Uni- 

ScoTT  versity  of  Kansas  and  from  the  Columbia  Law  School,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  he  returned  here  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in 
partnership  first  with  J.  H.  Richards  and  C.  E.  Benton,  and  afterwards  with 
Mr.  Benton  alone.  He  went  to  Oklahoma  City  when  that  Territory  was 
opened  for  settlement  in  1889  and  continued  there  the  successful  practice 
of  law.  In  1898,  failing  health  compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  law  and 
he  accepted  an  appointment  as  Profes.sor  of  English  Language  and  Literature 
in  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  of  the  Territory  of  Oklahoma. 
After  one  year  in  that  position  he  was  appointed  President  of  the  institu- 
tion which  place  he  has  since  filled. 

John  C.  Mr.  Gordon  grew  up  in  Osage  township,  Allen  County,  and 
Gordon  worked  his  way  up  to  the  practice  of  the  law.  He  was  a  man 
of  splendid  physique  and  considerable  natural  ability  and  he 
soon  acquired  a  good  standing  as  a  young  lawyer  of  promise.  He  lacked 
continuity,  however,  and  after  a  few  years  at  the  law  drifted  into  the  news- 
paper business  for  which  he  was  not  adapted.  About  1890  he  left  lola  and 
when  last  heard  of  by  Allen  County  friends  was  teaching  school  in  Illinois. 

Nelson  F.  Mr.  Acers  was  one  of  a  number  of  unusually  clever  young 
AcERS  lawyers  who  came  to  lola  in  the  later  sixties.  Handsome, 
delightfully  companionable,  a  speaker  of  much  more  than 
average  ability ,  he  easily  took  a  place  well  toward  the  front  rank  which  he 
held  as  long  as  he  chose  to  devote  himself  to  his  profession.  He  suc- 
cumbed to  the  allurements  of  politics,  however,  and  after  making  an  un- 
successful race  for  Congress  as  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party,  he 
was  appointed  internal  revenue  collector.  For  a  few  years  after  retiring 
from  that  office  he  devoted  himself  to  mining  enterprises.  These  failing  to 
return  the  rewards  promised  he  returned  to  lola  and  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  business  which  now  occupies  his  time. 

Henry  W.         Mr.  Talcott  came  to  lola  from  the  army,  slight  of  figure  but 

Talcott       with  rare  dignity  and  courtesy  and  with  a  knowledge  of   law 

that   speedily   sent   him   to  the -District  bench  and  kept  him" 

there  for  twelve  years.     Upon  his  retirement  from  the  bench    he   followed 


"WOODSON   COUNTIEvS,    KANSAS.  53 

Ills   old   friends,   C.    M.   Simpson  and  R.  H.  Knight  to  southern  California 
and  is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  San  Diego. 

A  close  scrutiny  of  the  court  records  of  the  past  thirty  years  would 
■doubtless  bring  to  light  some  names  not  mentioned  in  this  rapid  review, 
but  it  is  believed  that  the  names  of  all  who  really  made  a  place  for  them- 
selves have  found  mention  here. 

To  comment  on  those  who  are  now  actively  engaged  in  th«  practice  of 
law  in  Allen  County  would  seem  to  be  hardly  the  province  of  history,  and 
hence  the  editors  content  themselves  with  placing  on  record  the  following 
list  of  present  day  attorneys  taken  from  the  current  docket  of  the  District 
•court: 

Amos,  G.  A,  Gard,  G.  R. 

Atchison  &  Mon-ill.  Oard  &  Gard. 

Bennett  &  Morse.  Goshorn,  J.  B. 

Beatty,  I,.  C.  Hankins,  W.  C. 

Baker,  J.  E.  Jacoby,  M.  P. 

Choguill,  W.  A,  McClain,  Baxter  D. 

Campbell  &  Goshorn.  Ritter,  Chris.  S. 

CuUison,  R.  E.  Stover,  T.  S. 

Conley,  A.  B.  Thompson,  J.  F. 

Clifford,  B.  E.  Thompson,  Harry. 

Ewing  &  Savage.  Tudor,  H.  M.  M. 

Foust,  Oscar  &  Son.  Thrasher,  Geo.  C. 


(^4  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   ANI? 


(Ibe  Swebisb  Settlement 

BY  CARL  A.   REYNOLDS. 

In  1869  some  Swedes  in  Illinois,  following  the  tide  of  immigration 
westward  in  search  of  cheap  homes,  were  attracted  toward  Kansas  by  the 
opening  to  settlement  of  the  Osage  Indian  reservation  which  had  been 
ceded  to  the  Government  and  subjected  by  it  to  pre-emption  at  $1.25  per 
acre. 

The  original  settlers  were  Peter  Hawkinson  and  Swan  Olson  from 
Farmersville,  Illinois,  who  reached  Allen  County  in  October,  1869.  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1870,  Olof  JTelson  and  son  Charles,  John  B.  and  John  H.  John- 
son emigrated  from  Knoxville,  Illinois,  and  on  March  12,  1870,  they  were 
joined  by  W.  S.  Holmes  and  Nels  Olson  and  families  from  Farmersville. 
They  brought  with  them  little  of  this  world's  goods,  but  possessed  un- 
daunted courage,  industry  and  frugality,  and  set  themselves  bravely  to  the 
difficult  task  of  building  their  homes  in  a  new  and  undeveloped  country. 

But  sorrow  was  in  store,  not  only  for  these,  but  all  other  people  who 
had  settled  here,  for  the  railroads  had  also  seen  that  these  lands  were 
beautiful  and  productive,  and  laid  claim.  Finally,  in  1876,  after  a  lawsuit 
of  national  renown,  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  vested  the  title  in 
the  Government.  This  decision  was  joyfully  accepted  by  the  settlers  who 
at  once  redoubled  efforts  for  the  improvement  and  beautiiication  of  their 
homes. 

In  May,  1870,  the  first  school  house  was  built  in  what  is  now  Dis- 
trict 38. 

Death  invaded  the  settlement  in  October,  1870.  This  caused  the  loca- 
tion of  the  Swedish  cemetery,  now  one  of  the  best  kept  and  most  beautiful 
cemeteries  in  the  country. 

The  settlers  having  all  been  reared  in  the  Lutheran  church,  soon  felt 
the  need  of  religious  services  and  so  a  Sunday  school  was  organized  which 
for  social  reasons,  was  held  in  rotation  in  the  homes  of  the  various  families. 
Early  in  the  fall  of  1870  the  settlement  was  visited  by  Rev.  Andreen  of 
the  Augustana  Synod,  and  later  a  catechrist  or  colporteur  came  regularly 
and  held  religious  services  until  February,  1872,  when,  by  the  arrival  of 
other  settlers,  the  number  had  increased  sufficiently  to  organize  a  congre- 
gation. This  was  done  by  Rev.  S.  J.  Osterberg,  now  deceased.  A  few 
years  after  the  organization  a  great  number  was  added  by  those  who  came 
from  Moline  and  WoodhuU,  Illinois.  They  built  their  first  church  in 
1878,  now  used  by  the  Free  Mission  Society,  of  which  Rev.  Alfred  John- 
son is  the  local  pastor. 

In  1898  the  lyutheran  congregation  had  so  increased  as  to  number  250 


\VOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS. 


55 


communicants  and,  including  the  baptized  chiKiren,  more  tlian  450.  So 
it  was  very  apparent  that  they  should  build  a  new  and  more  commodious 
•church  to  accommodate  this  large  and  fast  growing  congregation. 

The  accompanying  half-tone  engraving  is  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
church.  This  handsome  edifice  was  erected  in  1898  and  dedicated  May 
14,  1899.  Its  dimensions  are  36x54  feet  with  an  addition  of  24x26  feet, 
and  a  steeple  65  feet  high.  The  total  cost  of  the  church  and  all  appurte- 
nances will  agj;regate  $3,300.00    to   say    nothing    of   the    gratuitous   labor 


which  would  have  arrfounted  to  several  hundred  dollars.  The  furnishings 
are  fine.  The  bell,  one  of  the  largest  and  best  in  Kansas,  was  made  in 
St.  Louis  by  the  Henry  Stuckstade  Foundry.  The  architect  was  Olof  Z. 
Cervin,  of  Rock  Island,  Illinois.  The  builders  were  Huff  Brothers  of 
Savonburg. 

This  church  is  three  miles  west  of  Savonburg,  in  the  midst  of  the 
Swedish  settlement  of  East  Cottage  Grove  and  Elsmore  townships.  Rev. 
O.  Moren,  the  estimable  pastor,  is  a  highly  educated  gentleman  and  con- 
tributes largely  to  the  social,  intellectual  and  moral  life  of  this  community^ 
The  Swedish  people  composing  the  congregation  are  of  the  best  type  of 
citizenship,  honest,  thrifty  and  provident. 


56  HISTORY  OF  ALLEN  AND 


^be  Discover^?  anb  Development  of  IRatural  Gas 

Natural  gas  has  been  known  to  exist  in  Kansas  almost  from  the  earli- 
est white  settlement  of  the  State,  small  quantities  of  it  having  been  found 
in  wells  drilled  before  the  war  in  Wyandotte  county  in  search  of  oil.  As 
soon  as  the  war  was  over  prospecting  for  oil  was  continued  in  several  of  the 
counties  of  the  eastern  border,  and  in  many  of  the  wells  thus  drilled  small 
quantities  of  gas  were  found. 

Probably  the  most  notable  of  these  early  gas  wells  was  the  one  de- 
veloped at  lola  in  1873  by  the  lola  Mining  Company,  of  which  Nelson  F. 
Acers  was  president.  This  company  had  been  organized  to  prospect  for 
coal,  and  so  certain  were  they  of  finding  it  that  they  began  at  once  sinking  a 
large  shaft.  The  work  on  this  shaft  attracted  the  attention  of  some  of  the 
officers  of  the  L,eavenworth,  T^awrence  and  Galveston  railroad,  (now  the 
Southern  Kansas  division  of  the  Santa  Fe),  and  they  offered  to  bring  to 
lola  a  diamond  drill  outfit  with  which  the  railroad  company  had  been  pros- 
pecting at  difierent  points  along  its  line,  and  pay  I500  of  the  expense  of  a 
deep  well.  The  offer  was  gladly  accepted,  and  the  work  was  begun  in  the 
fall  of  1872.  At  the  depth  of  190  feet  a  small  flow  of  gas  was  struck.  At 
the  depth  of  622  feet  the  drill  suddenly  dropped  eighteen  inches,  and 
almost  immediately  the  water  which  filled  the  space  about  the  drill  was 
thrown  high  into  the  air  and  a  volume  of  gas  followed  which  became 
lighted  and  did  considerable  damage  before  it  could  be  subdued.  The 
drilling  was  continued  until  a  depth  of  736  feet  was  reached.  This  was 
the  limit  of  the  apparatus  in  use,  and  the  work  was  reluctantly  abandoned. 
If  this  chapter  were  a  speculation  on  what  might  have  been  and  not  a 
history  of  what  has  been,  it  would  be  interesting  to  try  to  conjecture  what 
the  past  twenty-five  years  would  have  witnessed  if-that  drill  had  gone  a 
hundred  feet  deeper.  But  the  work  ceased  and  the  drill  was  withdrawn. 
And  then  a  singular  spectacle  was  witnessed.  Following  the  drill  there  came 
a  great  geyser  of  water,  thrown  many  feet  above  the  ground  with  a  great 
gurgling  and  hissing  noise.  Presently  the  flow  ceased  and  all  was  quiet 
for  the  space  of  a  few  seconds,  and  then  the  same  phenomenon  was  re- 
peated. And  so  for  more  than  fourteen  years  at  intervals  of  from  fifteen  to 
forty-five  seconds  it  continued  to  be  repeated,  and  it  was  a  remarkable  and 
very  beautiful  sight,  particularly  when  the  gas  was  set  on  fire  and  the 
spraying  water  looked  like  a  fountain  of  liquid  flame.  The  fame  of  it 
spread  abroad,  and  as  the  waters  were  shown  to  have  considerable  medi- 
cinal virtue  "The  Acers  Mineral  Well,"  as  it  soon  came  to  be  known, 
attracted  many  visitors  and  became  quite  a  resort.  In  1885,  however,  the 
Neosho  river   overflowed  its  banks  and  the  Acers  well  was  filled  with  sur- 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  57 

face  water,  the  weight  of  which  was  too  much  for  the  gas  to  lift  and  so  the 
flow  ceased. 

In    1886  the  discovery  of  the  great  natural  gas  fields  of  Ohio  and  Indi- 
ana and  the  remarkable  growth  of  the  towns  of  that  region  resulting  there- 
from   attracted    general  attention  all  over  the  West,  and  the  people  of  lola 
recalled  the  Acers  Mineral  Well,  and  the  long  years   that  the    gas    which 
issued  from  it  had  signalled  to  them  of  the  riches  below.     And  so  a  local 
company,  known  as  the  lola  Gas  and    Coal    Company,    of   which   J.    W.  ■ 
Coutant   was   president,    and   H.    L,.    Henderson  secretary,  was  organized 
with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  for  the  purpose  of  prospecting  for  gas.       A    fran- 
chise  for  supplying  the  city  with  gas  for  domestic  and  manufacturing  pur- 
poses was  secured,  and  with  $2,500  raised  by  an  assessment  of  two  per  cent 
on  the  capital  stock,  the  work  of  drilling  was  begun.     At  the  end  of  a  year 
the  money  had  been  spent  with  nothing  to  show  for  it  but  one  or  two  wells 
with   a  small  flow  of  gas.       Hope  was  still  strong,  however,  and  the  local 
feeling  that  gas  might  be  found  was  such  that  $3,000  of  city  bonds  were  easily 
voted  to  continue  the  prospecting.     With  this  sum  two  or  three  more  wells 
were  drilled,  each  of  which  developed  a  small  quantity  of  gas,    but    in    all 
the  wells  together  there  was  hardly  a  supply  for  fifty  cook  stoves.     At  this 
juncture  Mr.  Joseph  PauUin,  then  as  now   a   conductor   on    the    Southern 
Kansas  division  of  the  Santa  Fe  railroad,  and  who  had  noted  the  prospect- 
ing with  much  interest,  associating  with  himself  Mr.  W.   S.   Pryor,    an  ex- 
perienced  deep   well    driller,   appeared  before  the  lola  Coal  and  Gas  Com- 
pany and  proposed  to  buy  its  plant  and  franchise  and  continue   the   work. 
The   sale   was  made   under  the  condition  that  the  new  firm  should  drill  at 
least  six  wells  unless  a  sufficient  quantity  of  gas  to  supply  the  town  with  fuel 
and  light  was  sooner  found.       The  work  continued,  but  very  slowly,  and  it 
was  nearly  five  years  before  the  six  wells  called   for   by   the   contract   had 
been   sunk.       And    the   gross  product  of  all  these  wells  barely  sufficed  to 
supply  one  hundred  cook  stoves.     It  looked  discouraging.      Messrs.    Pryor 
and  Paullin  were  so  firm  in  their  faith  that  there  was  a  big  supply  of  gas 
somewhere  in  the  vicinity,  however,  that  they  determined  to  sink  one  more 
well  and  sink  it  deep.     In  all  the  wells  up  to  this   date  the  gas    had   been 
found  at  a  depth  ot  from  250  to  350  feet,  and  in  no  case  had  the  drill  gone 
deeper  than  450  feet.      It  was  determined  that   the   next   well   should   go 
down   a   thousand   feet   if   necessary   before   the   long   search  was   finally 
abandoned.       And  this  determination  had  its  reward.     On  Christmas  day, 
1893,    at  a  depth  of  850  feet  the  drill  entered  the   long  sought  for    "sand" 
and   the   first    natural   gas   well  in  Kansas  of  any  real  value  was  opened. 
And  so  although  the  existence  of  natural  gas  in  the  State  had  been  known 
for   nearly   forty   j^ears,    Christmas  day,    1893,  ™a-y  be  remembered  as  the 
date  of  the  discovery  of  the  Kansas  natural  gas  field. 

The  fame  of  the  new  discovery  spread  rapidly,  and  in  June,  1894,  the 
Palmer  Oil  and  Gas  Company,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  sent  representatives  to 
lola,  leased  several  thousand  acres  of  land  and  proceeded  at  once  to  sink 
a  number  of  wells.  In  nearly  all  of  these  wells  gas  was  found,  the  rock 
pressure  in  each  varying  but  slightly  from  320  pounds,  the  volume  ranging 


58  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

from  3,000,000  to  14,000,000  cubic  feet  daily,  and  the  depth  at  which  the 
"sand"  was  found  varying  from  810  to  996  feet.  The  success  of  the  Pal- 
mer Company  attracted  other  investors,  and  within  four  years  from  the 
date  of  the  original  discovery  the  field  had  been  practically  outlined  in  the 
form  of  a  parallelogram  extending  from  lola  eastward  a  distance  of  about 
eight  miles,  with  a  width  of  about  four  miles.  Within  these  limits  gas  is 
regarded  as  a  certainty,  and  the  wells  now  drilled  are  supplying  fuel  for  six 
large  zinc  smelters,  three  brick  plants,  one  Portland  Cement  plant,  and  num- 
erous smaller  industries,  be  sides  furnishing  heat  and  light  for  perhaps  three 
thousand  private  dwellings.  Even  with  this  enormous  drain  but  an  insignifi- 
cant proportion  of  the  gas  which  the  field  is  capable  of  supplying  is  required. 
It  is  perhaps  not  the  province  of  this  chapter  to  speculate  upon  the  life  of  the 
field ;  but  it  may  not  be  without  interest  to  state  that  a  single  well  near  lola 
has  supplied  all  the  fuel  that  has  been  required  for  a  large  smelter  for  more 
than  three  years,  and  as  yet  shows  no  signs  of  exhaustion.  At  the  rate  at 
which  it  is  now  being  used  it  is  the  opinion  of  experts  that  the  field  will 
not  be  exhausted  during  the  life  of  this  generation,  and  perhaps  not  for 
sixty  or  seventy  years. 

A.  number  of  wells  have  been  drilled  in  the  vicinity  of  Humboldt  and 
gas  enough  has  been  found  to  supply  the  town  with  fuel  and  light  for 
domestic  purposes  and  for  manufacturing  to  a  limited  extent.  Nearly  all  the 
Humboldt  wells  have  shown  considerable  oil  and  there  seems  good  ground 
for  the  opinion  that  a  profitable  oil  field  may  some  day  be  developed  there. 

As  this  chapter  is  going  through  the  press  Mr.  J  C.  Noble  is  sinking 
the  first  prospect  well  in  Salem  township,  where  he  has  leased  several 
hundred  acres  of  land,  and  where  he  hopes  to  develop  another  paying  gas 
field. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  59 


Cburcbes  an&  Scbools 

Among  the  pioneers  of  Allen  County  perhaps  an  unusual  percentage 
were  educated,  Christian  people,  and  among  the  very  first  of  the  things  to 
which  they  turned  their  attention  after  providing  for  the  immediate  neces- 
sities of  life  was  the  organization  of  churches  and  schools.  In  nearly 
every  neighborhood  there  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel  who  had  followed 
his  parishoners  from  their  old  home,  and  "colporteurs"  or  missionaries  of 
the  various  churches  were  frequent  visitors.  And  so  it  happened  that  al- 
most from  the  beginning  religious  services  of  some  kind  were  held  at  some 
point  in  the  county,  at  the  home  of  one  of  the  settlers  or  in  the  open  air. 

The  first  church  regularly  organized  in  the  county  was  the  Congre- 
gational church  at  Geneva,  which  dates  its  existence  from  the  summer  of 
1858.  It  has  been  in  continuous  and  prosperous  existence  ever  since  that 
date. 

Probably  the  second  organization  was  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
June  25,  1859.  It  also  has  had  a  long,  useful  and  prosperous  life,  and  is 
now,  as  it  has  been  for  more  than  forty  years,  the  center  of  the  social  as 
well  as  the  spiritual  life  of  the  community. 

Other  churches  were  organized  as  rapidly  as  the  increase  of  the  popu- 
lation warranted.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  has  probably  the 
largest  membership,  followed  closely  by  the  Presbyterian  and  Baptist, 
although  most  of  the  other  prominent  Protestant  denominations  are  well 
represented.  The  Roman  Catholic  church  has  but  two  organizations  in 
the  county,  one  at  Humboldt  and  one  at  lola,  although  a  considerable 
number  of  the  communicants  of  the  Piqua  (Woodson  county)  church  live 
in  this  county. 

As  in  all  new  countries,  the  ''Camp  "Meeting"  was  one  of  the  most 
important  features  of  church  work  for  the  first  twenty  years  of  the  County's 
history.  These  meetings  'were  usually  held'  in  the  summer  or  early 
autumn.  A  large  and  well  shaded  grove  on  the  banks  of  some  stream  ,• 
where  wood  and  water  and  the  other  necessities  for  comfortable  camping 
could  be  found,  was  selected,  and  there  the  people  would  come  in  covered 
wagons  or  with  tents,  and  spend  two  or  three  and  sometimes  four  weeks. 
Three  religious  services  were  held  each  day  and  the  degree  of  religious 
fervor  excited  was  often  very  great.  These  annual  meetings  were  but  the 
earlier  and  cruder  forerunner  of  the  Chautauqua  Assemblys  which  are  now 
held  annually  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  combining  religious  worship 
and  spiritual  culture  with  rest,  recreation  and  social  enjoyment.  Oc- 
casional meetings  are  still  held  in  the  various  groves  of  the  County,  but 
the  old-fashioned  camp  meeting,  where  a  whole  neighborhood,  abandoning 


6o  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

everything  else  except  work  of  the  most  necessary  character,  came  together 
and  remained  for  weeks  at  a  time,  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 

Wherever  tlie  Christian  religion  has  gained  a  foothold  there  it  may  be 
counted  as  certain  that  the  cause  of  education  is  firmly  entrenched.  The 
pioneers  of  Allen  County  lost  no  time  in  organizing  school  districts,  build- 
ing school  houses  and  employing  teachers  for  the  instruction  of  their 
children.  In  the  beginning,  as  must  necessarily  be  the  case  where  the 
people  are  few  in  number  and  poor  in  purse,  the  school  house  was  poor, 
(altliough  it  was  usually  the  best  house  in  the  neighborhood),  and  rudely 
furnished,  and  the  school  term  lasted  but  three  or  four  months  in  the  year. 
But  as  fast  as  the  ability  of  the  people  increased  they  improved  their  school 
facilities  and  extended  the  length  of  the  term.  It  may  not  be  amiss  here 
to  record  that  without  doubt  the  best  of  the  district  schools  maintained  in  the 
County  from  the  years  1867  to  1872  was  that  at  Carlyle,  taught  by  David 
Smith.  Professor  Smith  was  an  ex-college  professor  who  had  been  driven 
out  of  Tennessee  during  the  war  on  account  of  his  strong  Union  senti- 
ments, and  after  a  few  years  in  Illinois  had  come  to  Kansas.  He  taught 
first  at  the  Academy  at  Geneva,  and  was  then  employed  by  the  people  of 
Carlyle  on  a  contract  requiring  him  to  teach  ten  months  each  year  for  a 
term  of  ten  years  at  a  salary  of  fifty  dollars  a  month.  It  required  a  heavy 
tax  to  meet  this  expense,  for  so  high  a  salary  and  so  long  a  school  term 
were  unheard  of  in  the  County  at  that  time.  But  the  result  was  a  remark- 
able school,  a  school  the  curriculum  of  which  ranged  from  the  primer  to 
the  higher  mathematics,  Latin  and  Greek,  and  in  which  a  morality  as 
stern  as  that  ever  taught  by  the  most  rigid  of  the  Puritans  was  daily  incul- 
cated. Having  no  patience  with  stupidity,  stern  to  the  verge  of  cruelty 
sometimes  in  discipline,  David  Smith  reverenced  learning  almost  as  he 
reverenced  his  God,  and  there  was  nothing  too  much  for  him  to  do  when 
the  result  was  to  push  a  bright  boy  forward.  Declining  health  and  unfor- 
tunate dissensions  in  the  neighborhood  compelled  the  cancellation  of  the 
contract  before  the  ten  years  for  which  it  provided  had  expired.  But  those 
who  were  pupils  in  that  school  during  the  few  years  while  David  Smith 
ruled  it  with  the  authority  of  an  absolute  monarch,  count  the  experience 
now  as  a  rare  privilege. 

While  the  common  schools  of  the  County  gradually  improved,  there 
was  no  attempt  at  grading  them  or  bringing  them  up  to  a  uniform  standard 
until  the  administration  of  Mr.  Ed.  T.  Barber  as  County  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction.  Mr.  Barber  had  received  at  the  State  Normal  a 
thorough  training  in  the  most  modern  methods  of  teaching  and  school 
organization.  He  was  a  young  man  of  fine  executive  ability,  of  untiring 
energy,  of  attractive  personality,  and  with  an  allconquering  enthusiasm, 
and  upon  his  election  in  1888  he  entered  at  once  upon  the  work  of  organiz- 
ing the  common  schools,  and  grading  them  to  a  uniform  course  of  study. 
He  introduced  also  the  "grade  privilege"  which  means  so  much  to  the 
teachers.  During  the  four  years  that  he  held  the  office  of  superintendent 
Mr.   Barber   labored   incessantly  and  with  rare  intelligence,  and  the  result 


WOODSON   COITNTIES,    KANSAS.  61 

was  a  stimulus  to  the  common  schools  of  the  County  that  is  felt  to  this  day. 
Prior  to  Mr.  Barber's  administration,  as  the  schools  had  not  been 
.'graded  there  had  been  no  classes  graduated.  The  pupils  simply  went  until 
they  thought  they  had  learned  all  the  teacher  could  teach  them  or  until 
they  got  tired,  and  then  quit.  The  first  graduation  from  the  common 
schools  of  the  County  therefore  took  place  in  1889.  Since  that  time  nine 
hundred  and  fifty  boys  and  girls  have  been  graduated  from  these  schools. 
The  course  of  study  now  includes  a  thorough  training  in  orthography, 
reading,  writing,  grammar,  history,  arithmetic,  geography,  physiology  and 
composition,  so  that  the  student  who  has  successfully  passed  through  the 
common  school  is  prepared  to  enter  the  high  school,  which  in  its  turn 
leads  up  to  the  freshman  class  of  the  University.  Allen  County  as  yet  has 
no  county  high  school,  but  the  place  is  to  a  large  degree  filled  by  the  ex- 
cellent schools  of  Tola  and  Humboldt,  the  students  from  which  are  fully 
prepared  for  the  University. 

The  impetus  given  to  the  schools  of  the  County  by  Superintendent 
Barber  has  been  re-inforced  by  the  excellent  administration  of  the  present 
incumbent,  Mr.  Grant  Billbe.  Mr.  Billbe  will  be  chiefly  remembered  as 
the  originator  of  the  Annual  School  Exhibit  and  Contest,  which  he  in- 
augurated in  1900  and  which  was  repeated  in  1901  and  will  doubtless  be- 
come a  permanent  feature  of  the  school  work. 


62  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   AN0 


Zbc  Criminal  TRecorb. 

The  early  as  well  as  the  later  settlers  of  Allen  County  were  for  the 
most  part  orderly  and  law  abiding  citizens,  and  in  the  forty -six  years  of  its 
history  its  records  have  been  darkened  by  comparatively  few  crimes  of  so 
shocking  and  unusual  a  nature  as  to  attract  general  attention  and  interest. 

The  first  tragedy  to  arouse  public  sentiment  after  the  two  or  three 
homicides  growing  out  of  early  land  troubles  and  already  recorded,  was 
the  lynching  of  E.  G.  Dalson  which  occurred  on  the  night  of  June  27, 
1870.  Dalson  lived  in  the  south  part  of  the  County  and  was  accused  of  the 
murder  of  his  adopted  son.  He  was  brought  to  lola  and  placed  in  jail. 
l,ate  in  the  night  of  the  above  named  date  three  men  appeared  at  the  jail 
and  demanded  admittance  telling  the  sheriff  that  they  had  brought  a 
prisoner  from  Neosho  county  for  safe  keeping.  Sheriff  John  Harris  (still 
living  in  Ida) ,  opened  the  door  when  a  number  of  men  crowded  in  and 
demanded  the  key  to  Dalson's  cell.  This  was  refused  The  mob  quickly 
overpowered  the  sheriff,  however,  and  the  deputy  who  had  come  to  his 
assistance,  and  placing  a  rope  around  the  prisoner's  neck  they  led  him 
away.  The  next  morning  his  body  was  found  hanging  in  a  deserted  house 
on  the  old  townsite  of  Cofachique.  It  was  reported  that  before  being 
hanged  the  old  man  had  confessed  the  crime  with  which  he  was  charged, 
but  said  that  it  was  not  intentional.  He  said  that  he  had  occasion  to 
punish  the  boy  and  finding  him  hard  to  conquer  had  thrown  him  down 
and  placed  his  foot  on  his  neck,  with  no  thought  of  doing  him  serious  in- 
jury. On  raising  his  foot  he  found  the  boy  lifeless  and  fearing  the 
consequences  of  his  act  he  had  concealed  the  body  where  it  was  found. 
Dalson  had  some  friends  and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  indignation  over 
his  summary  execution.  Efforts  to  ferret  out  the  perpetrators  of  the  lynch- 
ing resulted  in  the  arrest  of  R.  T.  Stephens,  but  he  was  released  on  bail 
and  it  appears  that  he  never  came  to  trial. 

As  is  stated  elsewhere  the  dispute  over  land  titles  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  County,  out  of  which  grew  the  organization  known  as  "The 
Eeague"  resulted  in  a  number  of  crimes  of  a  more  or  less  serious  nature. 
And  the  singular  part  of  it  is  that  the  most  serious  of  these  crimes  resulted 
from  disputes  among  the  I,eaguers  themselves.  Perhaps  the  most  noted 
of  these  cases  was  the  killing  of  James  Harclerode  and  Robert  'McFarland 
by  Hugh,  Isaac,  Joseph  and  William  Guilliland  which  occurred  in 
1884.  All  the  parties  concerned  were  members  of  the  I^eague.  Har- 
clerode and  McFarland  were  building  a  house  on  land  which  the 
Guillilands,  father  and  sons,  claimed.  The  latter  went  to  where  the  two 
former  were  at  work  to  drive  them  away   and   the   quarrel   which    ensued 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.   ,  63 

resulted  as  above  noted.  The  Guillilands  were  brought  to  trial  and  were 
all  convicted.  Hugh  Guilliland  and  two  of  his  sons  were  sent  to  the  peni- 
tentiary for  life,  and  the  third  'son  was  sentenced  for  three  years.  After 
serving  a  few  years  of  their  sentence  all  were  pardoned  and  when  last 
heard  from  were  living  in  one  of  the  central  counties  of  the  State. 

Shortly  after  the  above  occurrence  one  Columbus  Carter,  living  in  the 
same  neighborhood,  quarreled  with  an  old  man  by  the  name  of  Grisham 
and  in  the  fight  which  followed  gouged  out  one  of  his  eyes.  A  few  days 
afterwards  Carter  was  waylaid  and  shot.  It  was  very  naturally  suspected 
that  a  son  of  Grisham  had  done  the  deed,  but  no  arrests  were  ever  made. 

On  December  8,  1884,  A.  W.  Aslicraft,  a  constable,  attempted  to 
arrest  one  Voght,  at  Humboldt,  on  a  warrant  charging  him  with  violation 
of  the  liquor  law.  Voght  resisted  arrest  and  was  killed.  Ashcraft  was 
exonerated. 

On  November  23,  1885,  J.  W.  Browning  shot  and  killed  A.  A.  Earle 
in  front  of  what  is  now  the  Hotel  Thomson  in  lola.  Earle  lived  at 
Bronson  where  Browning  had  been  selling  organs.  Earle  charged  Brown- 
ing with  the  ruin  of  his  daughter  and  forced  him  to  come  with  him  to  Ida 
to  be  delivered  over  to  the  ofiScers  to  stand  trial  for  the  crime.  From  the 
lola  depot  they  drove  to  the  hotel  in  an  omnibus.  Earle  got  out  first,  and 
as  he  did  so  Browning  shot  him  twice,  killing  him  instantly.  Browning 
was  tried  and  acquitted,  claiming  self-defense.  He  immediately  left  the 
State  and  has  not  since  been  heard  of  by  any  of  his  old  associates. 

On  July  9,  1896,  the  body  of  Delia  Hutchison,  a  young  girl,  was 
found  in  a  pond  some  miles  east  of  Humboldt,  nude  and  shockingly 
mutilated.  Jacob  S.  Rogers,  a  farmer  living  near,  was  convicted  of  the 
murder,  the  testimony  showing  that  he  was  the  father  of  the  girl's 
unborn  child,  the  concealment  of  the  lesser  crime  being  the  motive  for  the 
perpetration  of  the  greater  one.  Rogers  was  sentenced  to  a  term  of  twenty- 
one  years  in  the  penitentiary. 

On  July  4,  1898,  BjTTon  Cushman  was  shot  and  killed  by  J.  W.  Bell 
at  Humboldt.  Both  of  the  men  were  said  to  have  been  intoxicated.  Bell 
was  convicted  of  manslaughter  and  sentenced  to  the  penitentiary  for  ten 
years. 


64  HIST0R:Y   op  ALLEN  AND 


Election  IReturns  anb  ®tber  Statistics 

As  has  been  already  indicated  in  previous  chapters  of  this  work,  the 
early  settlers  of  Allen  county  were  very  largely  Free  State  men  and  there- 
fore Republicans.  The  immigration  of  the  years  immediately  following  the 
war,  made  up  as  it  was  to  a  very  great  extent  of  ex-Union  soldiers,  strength- 
ened this  sentiment,  and  it  has  persisted  so  strongly  that  Allen  county  has 
been  regarded  as  practically  a  safe  Republican  county  through  all  its  his- 
tory. The  Grange  movement  in  1874  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  a  few 
Republican  candidates  for  county  office,  but  the  "Reform"  wave  soon  sub- 
sided and  the  Republican  party  quickly  regained  its  normal  majority. 
Even  the  Farmers'  Alliance  storm,  which  swept  Kansas  as  a  State  into  the 
People's  Party  column  in  1892  and  kept  it  there  for  eight  years,  did  not 
shake  Allen  county  from  its  Republican  moorings,  and  it  was  one  of  the 
very  few  Kansas  counties  that  never  returned  a  Populist  majority.  An 
occasional  opposition  candidate  has  of  course  been  elected  from  time  to  time, 
even  from  the  beginning,  but  such  an  event  has  always  resulted  from  a 
personal  and  not  a  party  vote. 

The  politics  of  Allen  county  has  been  maintained,  happily,  on  a  high 
plane  of  honesty  and  decency.  There  has  rarely  been  a  campaign  of  bitter 
personal  vituperation,  and  there  has  never  been  a  serious  charge  of  flagrant 
corruption  of  the  ballot.  The  administration  of  the  public  affairs  of  the 
county  has  also  been  free  from  scandal,  no  officer  in  the  history  of  the  county 
having  been  called  to  account  for  the  dishonest  use  of  public  funds  com- 
mitted to  his  care. 

The  publishers  of  this  history  are  indebted  to  Mr.  H.  M.  Miller,  ex- 
clerk  of  the  District  Court,  for  the  election  returns  which  follow,  and  to  Mr. 
Melvin  Fronk,  deputy  county  clerk  for  the  other  statistics.  It  is  believed 
that  the  election  returns,  showing  as  they  do  the  name,  date  of  election  and 
politics  of  every  county  officer  since  the  adoption  of  the  Wyandotte  constitu- 
tion, will  be  found  of  special  interest  and  value.  In  the  following  table 
names  of  Democrats  are  marked  by  an  *,  names  of  Populists  by  a  t-  Names 
not  thus  marked  are  of  Republicans. 


auen  aountB  Election  IRcturng 

WYANDOTTE  CONSTITUTION 

Vote  for-. -^ 244    I    Against ._ 159 

HOMESTEAD  CLAUSE 

Vote  for 201    |    Against 1.52 

Repbesentative  2.5th  District— Jno.  W.  Scott,  November,  1859. 
FIRST  ELECTION  IN  ALLEN  COUNTY  UNDER  THE  CONSTITDTION  DECEMBER 

6,  1859 

GOVBBNOR 

Charles  Robinson . 174    |    Samuel  Meflary 136 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  65 

LIEUTENANT  GOVERNOB 

J.  P.Root 175    I    *JohnP.  Slough --134 

SECBBTARy  OE  STATE 

J.  W.Robinson --175    I    *A.  P.  Walker 135 

TBEASUBEB 

Wm.  Tholen ,- 176    |    *Koliert  L.  Pease 135 

AUDITOE 

G.  S.  HlUyer 175    |    *JoelK.  Gooditii 135 

SUPEBINTENDBNT  OE  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTIONS 

Wm.  R.  Grlfftth 175    I    *J.  S.  Maglll 135 

CHIEE   JUSTICE 

Thos.  Ewlng 172    |    *Jos.  Williams 132 

ASSOCIATE  JUSTICE 

S.A.Kingman  (tour  years) 174    |    *8.  A.  Stinson —135 

L.  D.BaUey  (two  years)-- 164    I    *R.  B.  Mitcliell 13o 

ATTORNEY  GENERAL 

B.  P.  Simpson 165    I    *Orlin  Thurston 141 

CONGBESSMAN 

M.  P.  Conway 1"5    |    *J.  A.  Haldeman 135 

DISTRICT   JUDGE,  ffOUBTH  DISTBICT 

S.  O.  Thacher 172    |    *Jas.  Christian 136 

SENATOE,  TENTH  DISTRICT 

P.P.Elder 169    I    *Wm.  Penaooh-- 76 

W.  gpriggs 169    I    *Jno.  B.  Goodin 139 

BEPBESENTATIVE  TENTH  DISTRICT 

*Jno.  M.  Beck 130 

*J.L.  Arnold- 131 

»A.  R.  Morton 120 

*J.  M.  Wilson 121 

*Samuel  Anderson 120 


W.  W.  Lawrence- 172 

Jacob  Morrall '71 

W.  P.  M.  Amy 173 

S.  J.  Crawford 172 

B.  L.  G.  Stone 168 

N.  B.Blanton  --179 


*P.  Bowen 121 

REPRESENTATIVE  ELECTION,  NOVEMBER,  1860 

REPRESENTATIVE  TWENTT-EIETH  DISTBICT 

John  W.  Scott 224    I    *N.  B.  Blanton H 

I.  W.Tibhits 108   I   *John  Mesel— .  1 

REPRESENTATIVE  ELECTION,  NOVEMBER,  1862 

REPRESENTATIVE  PIETY-FOURTH  DISTRICT 

A.  W.  J.  Brown 162    |    *Jas.  Faulkner 86 

REPRESENTATIVE  FIETY-EIETH  DISTRICT 

*J.  H.  Campbell-- _ 48    |    J.  A.  Christy 43 


General  Election,  December  6, 1859— Votes  cast,  310 

County  Attorney S.  A   Ellis    I    Supt.  of  Instructions Merritt  Moore 

Register  of  Deeds J.M.Perkins       Surveyor A.  Q.  Carpenter 

County  Clerk ' J.  H.  Signor    |    *Coroner Ohas.  Fussman 

Special  Election,  March  26, 1860— Votes  cast  for  ticket,  607; 
Votes  cast  locating  county  seat,  971 

Probate  Judge J.  G.  Rickard    |    Treasurer H.  W.  Signor 

Sheriff J.  C.  EedHeld    |    Assessor H.  Doran 

Gbnebal  Election,  November  1861— Votes  cast,  209 


County  Attorney *S.  A.  Biggs 

Probate  Judge J.  E.  Childs 

Sheriff J.  O.  Bedfleld 

Surveyor A.  G.  Carpenter 

Assessor.— A.  Stewart 

Register  of  Deeds E.  A.  House 

November,  1862— Votes  cast,  389 

Probate  Judge A.  L.  Dornburg 

Cterk  District  Court Wm.  C.  O'Brien 

Treasurer John  Harris 

Supt.  of  Instructions Z.  J.  Wisner 

November,  1863— Votes  cast,  314 
Sheriff J.  C,  Redfleld    |    Assessor ,--F.  M,  Power 


Supt.  of  Instructions Z.  J.  Wisner 

County  Clerk __-iVI.  A.  Simpson 

District  Clerk B.  P.  Pancoast 

Treasurer N.  Hankins 

Coroner J.  A.  Hart 


Surveyor W.  W.  Murray 

Coroner S.  K.  J.  Collins 

Assessor.- Enoch  Bray 


66 


HISTORY   OF  ALLEN    AND 


County  Clerk       John  Francis 

Treasurer John  Harris 

Register  of  Deeds ulias.  Boland 

(Jiimmisioner  1st  Dist Wm  Jones 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist H.  D.  Parsons 

November,  1864- 

County  Attorney Jas.  H.  Campbell    | 

Probate  Judge A.  L.  Dornburg    | 

November,  1865- 

Sheriff C.  F.  Coleman 

Clerk  District  Court .John  Francis 

County  Clerk John  Francis 

Treasurer John  Harris 

Register  of  Deeds Chas.  Boland 

Assessor F.  M.  Power 

November,  1865— Votes  cast  586  ' 

Sheriff Wm  Y.  Crow    I    Supt.  of  Instruction M.  A.  Simpson 

Clerk  District  Court John  Francis    |    Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

Probate  Judge A.  L  Dornburg    i    County  Attorney N.  F.  Acers 

November,  1867— Votes  cast  661 


Supt.  of  Instructions I.  B.  Hitchcocti 

Sui  veyor W.  W.  Murray 

Coruner Chus.  Fussraan 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist D.  B.  Stewart 

-Votes  cast,  332 

Clerk  District  Court Geo.  A.  Miller 

Supt.  of  Instruction E.  K.  Lynn 

-Votes  cast,  3ii8 

Coroner J.  T.  Cornell 

Surveyor J.  M  Cowan 

Commissioner  1st  Dist .1.  M.  Mattoon 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist H.  D.  Parsons 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist Peter  Long 


Ctroner D.  Horville 

Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

Commissioner  1st  Dist Z.  J,  Wisner 

Commissioner  2ad  Dist J.  L.  Arnold 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist Peter  Long 


Sheriff - John  Harris 

Treasurer .Tohn  Francis 

County  Clerk W.  F.  Waggoner 

Register  of  Deeds G.  M.  Brown 

Assessor.-- .Tohn  Paxson 

November,  1868— Votes  cast  896 

Probate  Judge John  Paxson    I    Assessor J.  H.  Vannu.ys 

Supt.  of  Instruction M.  Simpson        County  Attorney \.  F.  Acers 

Clerk  Distj^ict  Court John  Francis    | 

November,  1869— Votes  cast  735 
Treasurer John  Francis 


Sheriff John  Harris 

County  Clerk ...W.  F.  Waggoner 

Register  of  Deeds G.  M   Bro*n 

Clerk  District  Court John  Paxson 

NOVEMBBB,  1870- 

Probate  Judge John  Paxson 

Supt.  Of  Instruction M.  A.  Simpson 

November,  1871- 

Sheriff E  C.  Amsden 

Treasurer W.  C.  Thrasher 

County, Clerk H.  A    Needham 

Register  of  Deeds R.  B.  Stevenson 


Coroner i C.  Gillihan 

Surveyor G   DeWitt 

Commissioner  1st  Dist Z.J   Wisner 

(Commissioner  2nd  Dist D.  Horville 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist Peter  Long 

-Votes  cast  1273 

Clerk  District  Court .Tohn  Paxson 

County  Attorney H  M.  Burleigh 

-Votes  cast  1460 

Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

Commiiisioner  1st  Dist Paul  Fisher 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist Dan  Horville 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist A.  W.  Howland 


Coroner C.  Gillihan 

November,  1872— Votes  cast  l',26 

Probate  Judge John  Paxson    |    County  Attorney *J.  C.  Murray 

Clerk  District  Court C.M.Simpson    |    Supt.  of  Instruction G    DeWitt 

November,  1873— Votes  cast  1359 


Treasurer W.  C.  Thrasher 

County  Clerk H.  A  Needham 

Sheriff J.  L.  Woodin 

Register  of  Deeds G.  M.  Brown 

Surveyor L.  J.  Rhoades 

November,  1874- 

Clerk  District  Court 0.  M.  Simpson 

*Supt.  of  Instruction J.  E.  Bryan 

*Oounty  Attorney J.  H.  Richards 

November,  1875- 

Treasurer J.  B.  Young 

Sheriff J.  L,.  Woodin 

County  Clerk T.  S.  Stover 

Register  of  Deeds G.  M.  Brown 

Coroner C.  GiUihau 

Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

November,  1876- 

Clerk  District  Court C.  M.  Simpson 

Supt.  of  Instruction Frank  Boot 

County  Attorney Peter  Bell 


Coroner '. F.  Root 

Commissioner  1st  Dist I.  Bonebrake 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist D.  Horville 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist A    W.  Howland 

-Votes  cast  1325 

Probate  Judge *N.  F.  Acers 

Rept.  47th  Dist E.  H   Funston 

Bept.  48th  Dist R.  V.  Blair 

-Votes  cast  1205 

Commissioner  1st  Dist M.  Hawley 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist L    H.  Gorrell 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist J.  W.  Christian 

Rept.  47th  Dist- J.  L.  Arnold 

Rept.  48th  Dist S.  H.  Stevens 

-Votes  cast  l.i63 

Probate  Judge W.  G.  Allison 

Rep.  52nd  Dist J.  L.  Arnold 

Rep.  63rd  Dist L.  W.  Keplinger 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,   KANSAS. 


67 


November.  1877— Votes  cast  1258 


Coroner O.  GiUlhan 

Oommissloner  1st  Dist Peter  Lons 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist J.  D.  Sims 

Commissioner  3ra  Dist J.  W.  Christian 


Treasurer ,7.  B.  Young 

<)ounty  Clerk T.  S.  Stover 

Register  of  Deeds J'esse  Fast 

Sheriff A  Hodgson 

Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

NOVEMBEB,   1878 

Clerk  District  Court Wm  Davis 

■County  Attorney W.  H.  Slavens 

Supt.  of  Instruction Frank  Root 

November,  187! 

County  Clerk 1  T.  S.  Stover 

Treasurer W.  H.  McClure 

Register  of  Deeds ^ Jesse  Fast 

Sheriff 1 J.  D.  Sims 

November.  1880— Votes  cast  242? 

Eep.  52nd  Dist . E.  B.  Stevenson 

Eep.  53rd  Dist . J.  W,  Cox 

Probate  Judge W.  G.  Allison 

Clerk  District  Court Wm  Davis 

November,  1881 

Treasurer W.  H.  McClure 

County  Clerk- T,  S.  Stover 

Register  of  Deeds J.  T.  Fast 

Sheriff D.  Worst 

November.  I88i— Votes  cast  22115 

Clerk  District  Court A.  C.  Scott    I   Probate  Judge , W.  G,  Allison 

County  Attorney G.  A.  Amos       Commissioner  aid  Dist A,  J.  McOarley 

Supt.  of  Instruction J    E.  Henderson    1 

NoVEMBBK,  1883— Votes  cast  2302 

Treasurer *H.  H.  Hayward 

County  Clerk R.  W.  Duffy 

Sheriff *  S.  Riggs 

Register  of  Deeds J.  P.  Duncan 

November.  lt<84— Votes  cast  3193 

Probate  Judge W.  G.  Allison 

Cl-erk  District  Court M-.  P.  Jacoby 

Supt.  of  InstructiOH J.  E.  Henderson 

Votes  cast  2.i45 


Votes  oast  1770 

Probate  Judge W.  G.  Allison 

Commissioner  1st  Dist Peter  Long 

-Votes  cast  1575 

Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

Coroner -A.  J.  Fulton 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist A.  J.  McCarley 


County  Attorney- J.  O.  Fife 

Supt.  of  Instruction Frank  Root 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist ...  H.  Lieurance 

-Votes  cast  1679 

Surveyor , G.  DeWitt 

(.Joroner--'- A.  J  Fulton 

Commissoner  !st  Dist G.  W.  Mood 


Surveyor F.  Kelsey 

Coroner A.  J.  Fulton 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist W.  A.  Ross 


Count.y  Attorney G,  A.  Amos 

Commissioner  1st  Dist *J.  W.  Pine 


Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

Coroner A.  J.  Fulton 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist H.  L.  Henderson 


November,  iS8 

Treasurer . ^*  H.  H.  Hay  ward 

County  Clerk B.  W    Duffy 

Sheriff i J  L.  Brown 

Register  of  Deeds J.  P.  Duncin 

November,  1886- Votes  cast  2i)81 

County  Attorney *  C.  E.  Benton    I    Supt.  of  Instruction *M.  E.  Chamberlain 

Probate  J.udgfi J.  L.  Arnold       Commissioner  3rd  Dist W.  A.  Ross 

Clerk  District  Court M.  P.  Jacoby    | 

November,  1887— Votes  cast  2698 

County  Clerk K.  W.  Duffy    i    Coroner A.  J.  Pulton- 

Treasurer Wm.  Cunningham    |    Surveyor A.  O.  Christian 

Eegister  of  Deeds J.  P.  Duncan       Commissioner  1st  Dist C.  G.  Kelsey 

Sheriff -D.  D.  Britton    j 

.  November.  ■  1888 

Probate  Judge '.-.~^J.  L.  Arnold 

County  Attorney H.  A.  Ewing 

Clerk  District  Court—- ---M.  P.  Jacoby 

November,  1889— Votes  cast  2447 

Treasurer Wm  Cunningham    i    Coroner- , W.  H  McDowell 

County  Clerk B.  M.  Bokley    I    Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

Register  of  Deeds J.  F.  Nigh    I    Commissioner  3rd  Dist D.  R.  Inge 

Sheriff L.,  Hobart'  | 

November,  1890— Votes  oast  2909 

Rep.  21st  Dist L'.  b!  Pearson    |    Clerk  District  Court M.  P.  Jacoby 

Probate  Judge J.  L.  Arnold    |    Supt.  of  Instruction E.  T.  Barber 

County  Attorney H.  A.  Ewing    |    Commissioner  1st  Dist tWm  Braucher 

November,  1891— Votes  cast  2725 

Treasurer G.M.Nelson    I    Surveyor G,  DeWitt 

Coimty  Clerk E.  M.  Eckley   |    Coroner » H.  A.Brown 


-Votes  cast  3332 

Supt.  of  Instruction 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist- 


E.  T.  Barber 

-H.  L.  Henderson 


68 


HISTORY    OF   ALLEN   AND 


Sheriff L.  Hobart 

Register  of  Deefls .1.  F.  Nigh 

November,  1892- 

Rep.l9thDist L.  B.  Pearson 

Probate  Judge J-  L.  Arnold 

Clerk  District  Court F.  L.  Travis 

November,  i«93- 

Treasurer. G.  M.Nelson 

County  Clerk Jas.  Wakefleld 

Sheriff 0.  C.  Ausherman 

Register  of  Deeds J.  C.  Coffleld 

November,  1894- 

Rep.  19th  Dist G.  DeWitt 

Probate  Judge J.  B.  Smith 

County  Attorney R.  H.  Bennett 

November  1!j95- 

Treasurer M.  L.  Decker 

County  Clerk Jas.  Wakefleld 

Snerift C.  C.  Ausherman 

Register  of  Deeds J.  C.  Cotfleld 

November,  1896- 

Probate  Judge .--J.  B  Smith    | 

County  Attorney tC.  S.  Ritter 

Clerk  District  Court H.  M.Miller    | 

November.  1897- 

Treasurer M.  L.  Decker    | 

County  Clerk C.  A.  Pronk    | 

Sheriff H.  Hobart 

Register  of  Deeds _-..H.  P.  Fowler    | 

NOVE.MBER,  1898- 

Clerk  District  Court H.  M.  Miller    | 

Supt.  of  Instruction G.  Billbe    I 

County  Attorney G.  R.  Gard    | 

NOVEMBER,  1899- 

Treasurer Frances  Wilson    | 

County  Clerk C.  A.  Fronk    | 

Register  of  Deeds H.  P.  Fowler    | 

Sheriff H.  Hobart    | 

November.  1900- 

County  Attorney *  ,1.  F.  Qoshorn    | 

Clerk  District  Court S.  C.  Brewster    | 


Commissioner  2nd  Dist- E,  I.  Crowel! 

-Votes  cast  3065 

Supt  of  Instruction H.  H.  Jones 

County  Attorney *A.  H.  Campbell 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist E.  D.  Lacey 

-Votes  cast  2.593 

Coroner H.  A    Brown 

Surveyor G  DeWitt 

Commissioner  1st  Dist N.  L.  Ard 

-Votes  cast  29.^3 

Clerk  District  Court F.  L   Travis 

Supt.  of  Instruction H.  H.  Jones 

Commissioner  2nd  Dist J.  M.  McDonald 

Votes  cast  2682 

Coroner J.  E.  .leweil 

Surveyor L.  P.  Stover 

Commissioner  3rd  Dist E.  D,  Lacey 

-Votes  cast  3535 

Supt.  of  Instruction G.  BilllM? 

Commissioner  1st  Dist tJas,  Lockhart 

-Votes  cast  3123 

Surveyor L.  P.  Stover 

Coroner J.  E.  Jewell 

Commissioner  3nd  Dist J.  M.  McDonald 

-Votes  cast  3192 

Probate  Judge 1.  B.  Smith 

Commissioner  1st  Dist J.  D.  Christian 

-Votes  cast  3.393 

Surveyor G.  DeWitt 

Coroner F.  D.  Teas 

Commissioner  1st  Dist tJas.  Lockhart 

-Votes  cast  482-5 

Supt   of  Instruction tHattie  Olmstead 

Commissioner  1st  Dist E.  H.  Tobey 


JUDGES  WHO  have    SERVED    ALLEN    COUNTY    SINCE    THE     ADOPTION    OF    THE    WYANDOTTE 

CONSTITUTION! 


Solon  O.  Thacher--Deeember  6, 1869  to  1864 
D.  P.  Lowe 

One  Term  of  Court,  October  ,1864 

D.  M.  Valentine Noverraber,1864  to  1867 


Wm.  Spriggs March  to  November,  1867 

*John  R.  Goodin November,  1867  to  1874 

H.  W.  Talcott November,  1874  to  1884 

L.  Stillwell November,  1884  to 


"WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  69 


Geneva 

BY  C.  L.  KNOWI^TON 

Geneva  is  situated  in  the  north-west  part  of  the  courity,  between  Mar- 
tin and  Indian  creeks.  The  location  is  one  of  much  natural  beauty,  and 
from  its  first  settlement,  the  community  has  been  one  of  the  most  intelligent 
■and  thrifty  in  the  county. 

The  idea  of  establishing  a  colony  in  Kansas  territory,  which  resulted 
in  the  founding  of  Geneva,  originated  in  St,  Johns,  Michigan.  Dr.  Stone 
and  Merritt  Moore  were  among  the  first  to  agitate  the  question  there,  and 
Mr.  Moore  went  to  Java,  New  York,  his  former  home,  where  he  aroused 
iquite  an  interest  in  the  proposition. 

In  the  spring  of  1857,  a  committee  composed  of  Dr.  Stone  and  Merritt 
Moore  of  St.  Johns,  Michigan,  and  Deacon  E.  Fisk  of  Java,  New  York, 
were  sent  to  Kansas  to  select  a  location  for  the  colony.  After  traveling  over 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  then  famous  Neosho  Valley,  they  selected  the 
site  that  is  still  the  City  of  Geneva.  Upon  their  return  home  and  making 
their  report,  J.  H.  Spicer,  Geo.  F.  Wait,  E.  J.  Brinkerhoff,  J.  M.  Mattoon, 
Frank  Freidenberg  and  others  from  St.  Johns,  Michigan,  left  for  Kansas. 
This  advance  guard  of  the  colony,  traveling  of  course  by  wagons,  stopped 
on  the  bank  of  Indian  creek  and  decided  to  call  their  town  Eureka.  After 
further  consideration,  however,  the  present  name  was  chosen. 

During  the  following  summer  and  fall,  S.  T,  Jones,  Dr.  B.  I.  G.  Stone, 
A.  P.  Sain,  J.  C.  Redfield,  J.  M.  Mattoon,  W.  E.  Holbrook,  Geo.  Esse,  H. 
R.  Sommers,  J.  R.  Stillwagon,  P.  P.  Phillips,  E.  Fisk,  Rev  G.  S.  North- 
rup,  P.  A,  Holman,  P.  R.  McClure,  Chas.  Vanwert,  Geo,  Stevens,  W.  P. 
Samms,  Mr.  Demings,  "Eawyer"  Adams  and  the  Stigenwalts  arrived. 
Among  those  who  settled  near  Geneva  but  were  not  connected  with  the  col- 
ony were  the  Fuquas  on  the  river  south-west  of  the  village,  on  the  land  now 
owned  by  D.  R.  Inge  and  J.  F.  Fry,  both  now  of  Neosho  Falls,  Kansas. 

Anderson  Wray,  located  on  Martin  creek  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
D.  L.  Hutton.  He  came  in  the  spring  of  1855.  His  daughter,  Mrs.  Geo. 
Hall,  is  still  living  in  the  township. 

J.  K.  McQuigg  and  his  brother  "Bob"  located  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  river,  on  land  now  owned  by  Jacob  Heath  and  part  of  Mr.  Jones  farm. 
They  came  from  Tennessee  in  the  summer  of  1855.  J.  K.  McQuigg  is  still 
a  resident  of  Allen  County,  living  now  in  lola, 

A.  C.  Smith  located  on  Martin  creek.  His  sympathies  were  against 
the  Abolition  Colonists,  and  as  he  had  the  reputation  of  backing  his  opinion 
with  his  revolver,  he  was,  a  terror  to  the  "Yankee  Colonists."      After  the 


70  HISTORY  OF  ALLEN  AND 

war  he  moved  to  Montana,  where  he  studied  law,  and  is  still  practicing  his 
profession,  making  a  living  by  shooting  ofi  his  mouth  instead  of  his  revolvers- 
Jeremiah  R.  Sencenicb  settled  on  the  iarm  east  of  Martin  creek,  now 
owned  by  Mrs.  L,ura  Leake.  He  served  as  second  lieutenant  in  Company 
D,  9th  Kansas  Volunteers,  during  the  war.  , 

C.  ly.  Colman  located  a  claim  joining  Geneva  on  the  north-east.  He 
was  captain  of  Company  D,  9th  Kansas,  and  made  quite  a  reputation  during 
the  war  as  leader  of  scouting  parties. 

Dennis  Mortimer  and  his  brotherr-in-law,  Anthony  Fitzpatrick,  settled 
on  farms  south  of  the  village,  still,  occupied  by  their  families. 

During  the  winter  of  185^  and  1.859,  Austin  Carpenter  and  his  brothers, 
James  and  J.  C.  ,came  to  the  neigh bcMrhood.  Austin  moved  to  Johnson 
County,  Kansas,  after  the  war,  and  has  held  quite  a  prominent  place  in  the 
politics  of  that  county.  J.  C.  Went  back  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  joined 
the  army,  serving  during  the  war,  holding  every  office  from  a  private  to 
colonel  in  his  regiment.  He  is  now  state  senator  for  the  district  south  of 
this.     James'  family  still  lives  on  the  farm  settled  by  him. 

William  Denney,  who  has  owned  and  improved  more  farms  than  any 
other  man  in  Kansas,  came  about  the  same  time. 

A.  W.  Howland,  who  has  retired  from  active  business  life,  having  by 
hard  knocks  dug  out  a  fortune  from  the  soil  he  came  near  starving  on,  dur- 
ing the  first  years  of  his  residence  here,  was  among  the  early  settlers.  His 
brother,  J,  H.  Howland,  came  with  him.  He  still  owns  and  lives  on  the 
farm  he  first  settled  and  is  now  extensively  engaged  in  the  poultry  business. 

Others  of  the  early  settlers  whose  names  are  readily  recalled  are  G.  M. 
Brown,  who  was  several  terms  Register  of  Deeds  for  the  county  and  whose 
death  at  an  advanced  age  resulted  from  a  railroad  accident  within  a  few 
yards  of  his  home  in  lola;  his  brother  "Dick"  Brown;  Wm.  A.,  Henry  and 
Robert  Hyde;  Henry  Grimm  and  his  uncle,  Daniel  Grimm,  who  came  from 
Nassau,  Germany,  and  Wm,  Noble,  whose  daughters,  Mrs.  James  Hersh- 
berger  and  Mrs.  Oscar  Myers,  are  now  living  ;n|,I,ola.  ,  Of  the  original  set- 
tlers J.  H.  Spicer,  J.  M,  Mattoon,  J.  P.,  Dickey  ai;id  George.  Esse  arc  still 
living  in  the  village  they  helped  to  found.  ;  .        .      ,       , 

Rev.  S.  G.  Northrup  wrote  to  his  brother,'  L.  L.  Northrup,  then  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods  at  Thorntown,  Indiana,  trying 
to  get  him  interested  in  the  colony,  and  with  such  effect  that  in  the  |all  or 
winter  of  1857  L-  L-  Northrup  and  J.  T.  Dickey  decided  to  visit  the  pro- 
posed site  of  the  colony  and  judge  for  themsel^fes.  Upon  their  arriyal  at 
Kansas  City  they  could  not  procure  any  kind  of  transportation  so  they 
decided  to  walk,  which  they  did,  making  the  trip  in  abotut  four  days.  While 
here  Mr.  Northrup  contracted  to  erect  and  operate  a  steam  saw  mill  on  con- 
dition that  the  colonists  should  give  him  160  acres  of  timlper  land  and 
should  furnish  him  all  the  sawing  he  could  do  at  $15  per  thousand,  the 
first  manufacturing  enterprise  in  the  county  to  be  given  a  bpnus.  The  mill 
was  erected  according  to  contract  on  the  banks  of  Indian  creek,  on  the  land 
now  owned  by  C.  N.  Spencer.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  Northrup  brought  in 
a  stock  of  general  merchandise,  the  largest  stock  then  in  southern  Kansas. 


"WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS,  71 

He  continued  to  operate  both  mill  and  store  until  1862,  when  he  sold  his 
iniir  to  Goss  &  Clarke  of  Neosho  Falls,  He  then  nioyed  to  lola  and  started 
another  store,  his  brother  Gilbert  taking  charg«  of  the  store'  here.  After- 
wards L.  L.  Northrup  formed  a  partnership  with  J,  M,  Evans,  (father  of 
the  Kvans  Brothers,  of  lola,)  who  managed  the  store  until  Mr.  Evans' 
•death,  which  occurred  in  1870. 

It  had  heen  the  intention  of  the  founders  of  the  colony  to  establish  a 
large  non-sectarian  college  and  academy.  Elaborate  plans  had  been  drawn 
and  part  of  their  Professors  were  among  the  early  colonists-  Not  one-fourth 
of  the  three  hundred  families  that  were  expected  came,  however.  The 
college  was  never  built,  yet  notwithstanding,  drouth  and  famine  in  i860, 
and  the  ravages  of  war  from  1861  to  1S65,  the  original  idea  was  so  far 
adhered  to  that  the  colonists  never  lost  an  opportunity  of  securing  subscrip- 
tion to  build  some  kind  of  an  educational  institution.  They  worked  until 
they  procured  notes  and  cash  to  the  amount  of  $2000,00  and  the  town  com- 
pany donated  160  acres  of  Geneva  town  lots.  In  1866  the  Academy  Board 
purchased  a  building  then  used  for  hotel  purposes,  and  emplo5'ed  David 
Smith  to  run  the  institution.  He  proved  to  be  one  of  the  ablest  instructors 
ever  in  Allen  county,  but  on  account  of  differences  about  the  management 
of  the  institution  he  resigned  and  moved  to  Carlyle,  where'  he  taught  until 
his  death.  In  1867  J.  M.  Evans  contracted  with  the  Academy  Board  to 
erect  the  building  according  to  their  plans,  taking  for  his  compensation 
what  cash  and  notes  they  had,  the  building  bought  by  them  for  temporary 
school  purposes  and  about  eighty  acres  of  their  town  lots.  Just  prior  to 
making  this  confract  the  Academy  Board  deeded  the  ground  upon  which 
the  Academy  is  erected  to  the  Presbyterian  church,  from  the  erection  fund 
of  which  they  borrowed  $500,  with  the  understanding  that  the  building 
was  to  be  leased  to  the  Academy  Board  for  ninty-nine  years  for  educational 
purposes.  The  building  was  completed  during  the  summer  of  1-867,  ^^^d  it 
was  generally  understood  that  Mr.  Evans  had  to  go  deep  down  into  his  own 
pocket  to  finish  his  part  of  the  contract.  The  Board  employed  Rev.  S.  M. 
Irwin  to  take  charge  of  the  school  commencing  September  1867.  His  man- 
agement was  very  successful  for  a  number  of  years,  H,  L-  Henderson  with 
Miss  Jennie  Pickell  (now  Mrs.  Dr.  Fulton,  of  lola)  as  assistant,  then  taught 
for  one  year,  and  were  followed  by  a  Mr.  Rhoades  and  Professors  Thomp- 
son and  Robertson  who  each  taught  one  year.  Then  as  an  Academy  it  was 
heard  of  no  more.  The  building  is  still  owned  by  the  Presbyterian  church 
and  used  by  them  for  church  purposes.  Rev.  S,  M.  Irwin  is  still  their  pas- 
tor, he  having  preached  for  them  for  more  than  thirty-four  years. 

The  original  colonists  were  mostly  Congregationalists,  The  first  year 
after  making  their  settlement,  they  erected  a  frame  church  building  on  the 
land  just  west  of  the  townsite.  Rev.  Gilbert  Northrup  was  their  first  pas- 
tor. Mr,  Northrup  was  one  of  the  most  energetic  workers  of  the  colony 
and  it  was  principally  by  his  work  that  funds  for  the  erection  of  the  Acad- 
emy building  were  procured,  he  having  donated  $500  towards  that  object. 
He  also  took  the  lead  in  raising  funds  to  build  the  Congregational  church. 
Mr.  Northrup  was  succeeded  as  pastor  bj'  Rev.  Henry  Jones,  who  preached 


72  HISTORY  OP  ALLEN  ASTO 

until  1867.  In  1866  the  church  erected  a  substantial  stone  edifice,  J.  P, 
Dickey  was  "boss"  carpenter  and  Mr.  Upton  laid  the  stone,  tended  by  his 
son  Joe  Upton,  the  same  J.  B.  Upton  who  was  a  prominent  candidate  for 
the  nomination  of  Governor  of  Missouri  four  years  ago. 

After  Rev.  Jones "^  pastorate,  Rey.  Calvin  Gray  preached  for  several 
years,  then  Revs.  Reid,  Norris,- Tenney,  Morse,  McGinnis  and  Francis  re- 
spectively, labored  for  the  success  of  the  church.  Rev.  Fred  Gray  is  the 
present  pastor, 

A  postoflSce  was  established  in  1&57  with  Dr.  Stone  as  postmaster  and 
J.  M.  Mattoon  as  assistant.  Dr.  Stone  held  the  commission  for  two  years 
after  which  Mr.  Mattoon  was  appointed,  which  appointment  he  held  for 
nearly  forty  years.  During  most  of  the  time  he  served  also  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  was  for  many  years  County  Com-missioner,  During  Harrison's 
administration  Postmaster  General  Wanamaker  wrote  to  Mr.  Mattoon  stat- 
ing that  he  was  one  of  four  of  the  oldest  postmasters  in  continuous  service 
in  the  United  States  and  requesting  him  to  send  his  photograph  and  saying 
he  would  be  pleased  to  have  him  make  any  suggestion,  that  would  be  for 
the  good  of  the  Postal  service.  In  reply  the  postmaster  stated  that  he  did 
not  know  of  anything  to  suggest  unless  there  could  be  some  way  to  raise  the 
salaries  of  the  fourth  class  postmasters.  After  serving  his  country  for  forty 
years,  at  an  average  salary  of  about  $100  a  year,  it  was  not  strange  that  he 
thought  some  plan  ought  to  be  found  to  increase  their  pay. 

There  was  at  first  considerable  controversy  over  claims  and  some  vio- 
lence almost  approaching  rioting  occurred.  One  of  these  took  place  when 
the  Fuqua  crowd  met  the  eolony  to  settle  rival  claims  of  George  Esse  and 
Len  Fuqua  to  the  land  now  owned  by  Geo.  L,ynn.  Fuqua  used  his  rifle  as 
a  club  and  Mr.  Fsse's  head  still  aches  when  he  thinks  of  the  blow  he  got 
that  day.  J.  E.  Redfield  also  came  in  contact  with  this  same  gun  barrel 
and  for  awhile  it  was  thought  he  had  received  his  death  blow.  Another 
affray  that  came  near  ending  fatally  was  when  A.  C.  Smith  got  it  into  his 
head  that  Anderson  Wray  had  wronged  him.  Smith  owned  the  claims 
now  owned  by  J.  D.  Sims,  Wray  owned  the  claims  south  of  him  and  had 
gone  to  Ft,  Scott  for  the  purpose  of  entering  his  claim.  Smith  heard  that 
he  had  also  entered  his.  Just  at  sundown  Smith  saddled  his  mule,  took 
his  revolver  and  started  to  Ft.  Scott.  Next  morning  just  at  sun  up.  Smith 
rode  into  a  camp  near  Turkey  creek  in  Bourbon  county  and  finding  that 
Wray  was  with  them  he  went  into  the  tent  where  Wray  was  and  shot  him 
through  the  thigh  before  any  of  the  bystanders  could  interfere. 

Dr.  Stone  was  the  first  physician  to  locate  here.  He  practiced  until 
about  the  beginning  of  the  war.  After  him  Dr.  Southard  practiced  for 
some  years  and  then  returned  to  L,eRoy,  Kansas.  In  1866  Dr.  J.  F. 
Knowlton  came  and  practiced  until  his  death  in  18S2.  Since  then  Doctors 
Ganze,  Campbell  and  Wilkins  practiced  here  until  they  were  called  to  take 
a  higher  seat  in  their  profession. 

After  J.  M.  Evans'  death,  T.  L.  Elliot  traded  for  the  stock  of  goods 
owned  by  L,  L.  Northrup  and  the  Evans  estate  and  did  a  good  business 
until  1882  when  he  moved  to  Colony.     Since  Elliot's  removal,  C.  L.  Knowl- 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  73 

ton  has  been  in  the  general  merchandise  business  at  the  same  old  stand. 
D.  D.  Spicer  has  a  good  stock  of  hardware,  and  has  succeeded  to  the  post- 
mastership  which  his  friends  wish  he  may  continue  to  hold  as  long  as  did 
Mr.  Mattoon. 

J.  D.  Leavitt  has  a  grocery  and  feed  store  and  is  apparenth'  doing  well. 

R.  B.  Warner  is  ringing  the  old  blacksmith  shop  that  was  built  in  i860 
b)'  P.  R.  McClure. 

Geo.  Esse  runs  the  hotel  which  he  built  with  the  expectation  of  mak- 
ing his  fortune  boarding  college  students. 

While  the  extravagant  expectations  indulged  by  the  founders  of  Ge- 
neva have  not  been  realized,  yet  the  village  has  been  what  they  intended 
first  of  all  it  should  be,  and  that  is  a  moral,  law-abiding,  God-fearing  town, 
"a  good  place  to  live  in." 


Hola 

(AekBOWledgement  is  gratefully  made  to  Mr.  W.  A.  Cowan  tor  all  that  part  ol  the  following 
sketch  reUtlnt<  to  the  early  history  of  It)la.— Editors) 

In  the  fall  of  1858  the  settlers  on  the  Neosho  River  finding  that  on 
account  of  inability  to  get  good  well  water,  the  town  of  Cofachique  would 
prove  a  failure  and  believing  that  the  county  seat  of  Allen  County  should 
be  as  near  as  practicable  in  the  center  of  the  county  decided  to  locate  a  new 
town  which  should  have  as  many  advantages  and  as  few  disadvantages  as 
possible.  Accordingly  in  January  1859  a  meeting  of  all  those  in  favor  of 
the  new  enterprise  was  called,  the  meeting  being  held  at  the  residence  of 
J.  C.  Clark  near  the  mouth  of  Deer  Creek.  John  W.  Scott  was  elected 
president  of  the  new  town  company,  John  Hamilton  vice-  president,  J.  M. 
Perkins  Secretary,  James  McDonald  treasurer,  A  G.  Carpenter,  B.  I.  .G. 
Stone  and  H.  D.  Parsons,  directors. 

Among  those  present  at  this  meeting  besides  those  above  named  were 
Wm.  C.  Keith,  W.  H.  Cochran,  J.  C.  Redfield,  Daniel  Horville,  J.  C. 
Clark,  Simon  Camerer,  J.  F.  Colborn,  L.  E.  Rhodes,  James  Faulkner,  Eli 
lyorance,  W.  M.  Brown,  Nimrod  Hawkins,  W.  F.  Brocks,  John  A.  Hart, 
J.  T.  Cornell,  Carlyle  Faulkner,  J.  M.  Faulkner,  J.  B.  Lampkin,  M.  A. 
Simpson,  J.  C.  Parsons,  Rufus  Perkins,  H.  D.  Parsons,  Wm.  L,ewis  and 
Adron  Case. 

Two  quarter  sections  north  of  Elm  creek  and  east  of  the  Neosho  river 
owned  by  J.  F.  Colborn  and  W.  H.  Cochran  were  selected  and  A.  G.  Carpen- 


74 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


ter,  a  brother  of  Honorable  J.  C.  Carpenter,  now  of  Chaniite,  was  appointed 
surveyor. 

"lola"  the  Christian  name  of  Mrs.  J.  F.  Colborn  was  chosen  as  the 
name  of  the  future  town,  The  land  was  surveyed  and  the  new  townsite  like 
many  Kansas  enterprises  was  on  a  broad  giuge.  Four  blocks  were  set 
aside  as  a  public  park  on  which  the  future  Court  House  was  to  be  erected, 
avenues  loo  feet  wide  surround  it.  The  stock  in  the  company  wa.s 
divided  into  fifty  shares  and  each  shareholder  was  to  get  twenty  lots  but  he 
was  not  to  get  a  deed  to  any  until  he  had  put  up  $300  worth  of  impr  )ve- 
nients.  This  was  to  prevent  men  from  securing  control  of  a  great  number 
of  lots  and  holding  them  for  speculative  purposes  without  contributing  to 
the  support  of  the  town.  A  block  was  set  aside  for  school  purposes,  two 
lots  at  the  south-west  corner  of  the  park  were  reserved  for  a  hotel,  others 
for  churches,  a  college,  and  to  secure  the  location  of  the  United  States  land 
office.  One  hundred  lots  were  donated  to  the  county  to  '  'permanently  locate 
the  county  seat  at  lola,"  other  lots  were  offered  to  any  one  who  would 
build  on  them. 

The  first  house  to  be  erected  in  town  was  built  by  Bolivar  Buckner 
Bayne,  a  relative  of  Gens  Bolivar  and  Buckner  of  Kentucky.  This  was  a 
log  house  which  disappeared  several  years  ago  but  the  frame  addition  to 
which  yet  stands  on  South  Washington  avenue  and  is  now  occupied  by 
Mr.  Chase  as  a  restaurant.  It  was  bought  by  J.  M.  Cowan  in  July, 
i860,  and  still  remains  in  the  family. 

The  first  frame  house  was  built  by  J.  F.  Colborn  and  became  the  birth- 
place of  the  first  lola  baby.  Miss  Luella  Colborn,  now  Mrs.  W.  P.  North- 
rup,  of  Wallace,  Idaho. 

In  i860  James  Faulkner  and  Aaron  Case  moved  their  stoies  from 
Cofachique  to  lola.  Both  were  small  general  stores.  B.  B.  Bayne  opened 
a  dry  goods  and  notion  store  and  J.  M.  Cowan  a  grocery  store.  In  the 
winter  of  i860  and  '61  Messrs  Howell  &  Brewster  opened  a  general  store. 
Soon  afterwards  L,.  h-  Northrup  moved  to  lola  from  Geneva.  E.  A.  Howes 
also  opened  a  small  stock  of  notions  and  in  the  fall  of  i860  Dan  Horville 
opened  a  stock  of  clothing.  I^ater  Drs.  Gillihan  and  Packard  emptied 
their  medicine  cases  together  and  the  result  was  the  first  drug  store. 
This  passed  to  Gillihan  &  Cowan  (S.  J.  Cowan)  then  to  J.  M.  Cowan  & 
Son,  then  to  S.  Ridenour  &  Co.  then  to  John  Francis,  then  to  John  W.  Scott, 
then  to  Campbell  &  Burrell. 

Of  all  the  first  business  enterprises  but  one,  Northrup  Bros,  survives, 
the  others  having  wound  up  business  and  quit. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  for  over  thirty  years  there  was  not  a  busi- 
ness failure  in  lola,  and  it  well  illustrates  the  kind  of  men  that  have  made 
the  city  what  it  is  now. 

The  first  bank  was  started  by  the  leading  men  of  the  King  Bridge 
Company  but  retired  when  the  Bridge  Company  died. 

The  second  bank  was  started  in  1869  byl^.  1,.  Northrup,  first  by  simply 
receiving  and  taking  care  of  the  money  of  his  friends  and  selling  his  perso- 
nal checks  against  his  deposits  in  New  York.     The  business  however  soon 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  75 

became  large  enough  to  justify  a  separate  establishment  and  "The  Banking 
House  of  I/.  I/.  Northrup"  was  opened  in  the  small  brick  building  on  the 
west  side  of  the  public  square  where  it  remained  until  destroyed  recently 
to  make  room  for  the  Masonic  Temple  when  the  name  was  changed  to  the 
"Northrup  National  Bank"  and  the  business  moved  to  the  new  National 
Bank  building. 

L.  L,.  Northrup,  now  deceased,  was  a  man  of  large  means  when  he 
located  in  lola  and  to  this  he  added  very  largely  during  the  civil  war  by 
the  great  advance  in  price  of  goods  so  that  at  the  time  he  entered  the  bank- 
ing business  he  was  perhaps  the  wealthiest  man  in  this  part  ui  Kansas.  A 
hard  worker,  he  gave  personal  attention  to  every  detail  of  his  business  with 
such  faithfulness  that  he  generally  wrung  success  from  e\erything  he 
undertook,  and  so  it  was  that  he  had  the  perfect  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
he  did  business  and  when  the  financial  crash  of  1873  came  he  kep  this  bank 
open  and  met  all  demands.  It  is  believed  that  but  two  other  banks  in  the 
State  braved  this  storm  and  both  of  them  have  since  failed. 

The  first  real  estate  office  was  opened  by  Geo.  A.  Bowluh  in  1868.  To 
this  he  added  fire  insurance  and  finally  in  1885  he  established  The  Bank 
of  Allen  County  of  which  he  is  stiil  president  and  manager. 

The  first  blacksmith  shop  was  started  by  J.  F.  Colborn.  The  first 
wagon  shop  by  Geo.  J.  Eldridge.  The  first  hotel  by  Mrs.  Ross.  The  first 
grist  mill  D.  R.  Harvey,  saw  mill  Wood  &  Means  and  a  Mr.  Jay,  Furnit- 
ure and  undertaking  Joe  Culbertson,  bakery  W.  H.  Richards,  tin  shop 
J.  J.  Casniire  who  later  added  a  stock  of  Hardware. 

In  i860  Miss  E.  G.  Hancock  opened  a  private  school  in  her  own  build- 
ing near  where  the  Star  Livery  barn  now  stands. 

The  first  public  school  was  taught  by  Miss  Hester  Walters  a  sister  of 
John  Walters,  in  the  building  at  the  corner  of  West  and  State  streets.  In 
this  building  was  also  held  the  first  term  of  the  District  Court  after  the 
removal  of  the  county  seat  to  lola.  It  was  also  used  for  some  time  as  a 
meeting  place  for  che  Presbyterian  church. 

Soon  after  the  building  of  the  T. ,  L.  &  G.  railroad  through  Ida  a 
company  was  organized  to  prospect  for  coal  and  a  diamond  drill  was  hired 
and  the  "Acers  Well"  drilled,  the  L,. ,  ly.  &  G.  railroad  paying  half  the  ex- 
pense. 

Next  the  King  Bridge  Company  located  a  branch  of  their  works  in  the 
building  now  used  by  the  L,anyon  Zinc  Company.  The  town  voted  bonds 
to  the  amount  of  $50,000  to  secure  the  location  of  the  works.  A  few  bridges 
were  built  in  the  time  the  shops  were  in  operation,  the  largest  being  the  one 
across  the  Kansas  river  at  Kansas  City,  Kansas.  The  company  soon  found 
the  business  a  failure  and  moved  to  Topeka.  lola  then  refu.sed  to  psy  the 
$50,000  bonds  and  suit  was  brought  to  collect  them,  the  case  going  to  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  where  the  town  was  successful.  The 
bonds  however  are  still  outstanding  and  there  are  occasional  inquiries  about 
them. 

The  next  enterprise  was  a  large  grist  mill  which  was  begun  in  what  is 
now  Gear's  addition.     The  contract  was  let  and  the  building  finished  to 


y6  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

the  second  story.  Then  the  promoter  started  to  his  old  home  for  his  money 
and  never  returned,  it  being  supposed  that  he  was  murdered  by  the  Bend- 
ers. The  stone  work  was  afterward  torn  down  and  the  window  sills  were 
used  in  the  NorLhrup  and  Cowan  buildings  on  Washington  avenue. 

In  1887  the  Ida  Carriage  and  Omnibus  Company  secured  the  old  King 
Bridge  shops,  raised  it  to  two  stories  an  1  began  the  manufacture  of  carriages 
on  a  large  scale,  but  the  business  proving  a  failure  was  wound  up  and  in 
1896  the  buildings  were  leased  to  Robert  and  William  Lanyon  for  smelting 
works. 

The  effort  to  build  up  a  town  cost  its  promoters  many  thousand  dollar.^. 
Allen  County  accepted  the  one  hundred  lots  which  were  sold  and  the  money 
was  used  to  pay  for  a  building  for  use  as  a  court  house. 

The  public  square  was  originally  intended  for  the  court  house  but  the 
county  being  slow  about  itsing  it  for  that  purpose  a  plan  was  started  to  cut 
it  up  into  lots  and  sell  them  to  pay  the  King  Bridge  Company  bonds.  In 
1872  an  act  was  passed  by  the  legislature  authorizing  the  sale.  The  board 
of  county  commissioners  met  and  relinquished  all  the  county's  rights;  the 
city  council  did  the  same  in  behalf  of  the  city.  The  owners  of  property 
facing  the  square  agreed  to  quit  claim  any  interest  they  might  have,  and 
finally  the  lola  Town  Company  authorized  its  president  to  deed  the  prop- 
erty to  John  Francis,  Daniel  Horville  and  Geo.  A.  Bowlus,  trustees,  to  sell 
the  same  and  pay  off  the  bonds.  By  this  time,  however,  the  Bridge  Com- 
pany began  to  move  and  it  was  decided  to  contest  the  validity  of  the  bonds 
in  the  courts  rather  than  pay  them,  and  so  the  whole  plan  was  abandoned 
and  the  property  returned  to  where  it  was  before. 

"The  Schemes  That  Failed"  would  be  an  appropriate  title  for  a  chap- 
ter which  should  attempt  to  give  in  detail  the  industrial  history  of  lola  from 
1887, — or  indeed  from  the  beginning  for  the  matter  of  that, — to  1896. 
.Ambitious  and  energetic,  the  business  men  of  the  town,  from  the  very  day 
of  its  founding  were  always  casting  about  for  the  establishment  of  some 
enterprise  that  might  furnish  employment  to  labor  and  thereby  bring  lola 
a  greater  support  than  that  afforded  by  the  country  trade.  Some  of  the 
more  notable  of  these, — the  prospecting  for  coal,  the  location  of  the  Bridge 
Company,  the  establishment  of  a  Carriage  Factory, — have  already  been 
noted.  Innumerable  smaller  enterprises  were  undertaken  from  time  to 
time,  pushed  with  all  possible  zeal  as  long  as  there  was  any  thing  to  push, 
only  to  be  abandoned  at  last.  To  set  out  in  detail  all  these  undertakings, 
if  not  an  impossible  task,  would  still  be  a  tedious  and  profitless  one  Let 
it  suffice  to  say  that  at  the  end  of  thirty-five  years  of  almost  incessant  effort 
lola  remained  what  it  had  been  from  the  beginning,  a  country  village, 
a  fairly  good  trading  point  but  nothing  more.  The  census  of  1895  showed 
a  population  of  1565,  and  the  most  sanguine  among  all  her  citizens  would 
not  have  dared  to  predict  that  he  would  live  to  see  that  number  doubled. 

But  with  the  discovery  of  natural  gas, — the  story  of  which  is  told  in 
detail  in  another  chapter, — all  that  was  changed.  Almost  immediately  the 
attention  of  men  with  large  capital  was  attracted  by  the  splendid  opportunity 
which  this  discovery  opened  for    investment  in  manufacturing  enterprises. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  77 

and  trom  that  day  to  this  the  growth  of  Ida  has  been  rapid  and  continuous, 
until  it  now  stands  well  up  toward  the  head  of  the  list  of  Kansas  cities  in 
wealth  and  population. 

The  first  of  the  great  industries  to  enter  the  field  was  the  Robert 
Lanyon's  Sons'  Spelter  Company.  Robert  and  William  I^anyon,  brothers, 
constituted  this  firm,  and  in  1896  they  completed  the  first  zinc  smelter  ever 
erected  in  Allen  County.  They  were  followed  a  year  later  by  W.  &  J. 
L,anyon,  who  also  built  a  zinc  smelter.  (Both  these  firms  afterwards  sold 
all  their  interests  to  the  Lanyon  Zinc  Company  which  has  since  operated 
and  largely  extended  their  properties.)  Following  them,  in  rapid  succes- 
sion, came  the  lola  Brick  Company,  the  Ida  manufacturing  Company  (now 
The  lola  Works  of  the  Pittsburg  Foundry  and  Machine  Company,  and  the 
lola  Planing  Mill  Company),  the  Geo.  E.  Nicholson  smelter,  the  Star 
Brick  Company  and  the  lola  Portland  Cement  Company.  As  this  chapter 
is  written  The  Standard  Acid  Company  ( William  Lanyon)  is  erecting  a 
large  Sulphuric  Acid  plant,  and  the  Lanyon  Zinc  Company  is  preparing  to 
build  a  Sulphuric  Acid  plant  and  Zinc  Rolling  Mills.  What  the  establish- 
ment of  these  industries  has  meant  to  Ida  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the 
statistics  of  wealth  and  population  appended  to  this  chapter.  It  has  meant 
in  brief  that  Ida  is  no  longer  a  country  village  but  a  flourishing  city,  des- 
tined to  be,  if  not  already,  the  manufacturing  metropolis  of  Kansas. 

Responding  to  the  needs  of  the  increased  population,  in  1900  the  city 
voted  $80,000  in  bonds  for  the  erection  of  water-works  and  an  electric  light 
plant.  These  were  completed  April  i,  1901,  and  are  now  in  successful 
operation. 

The  educational  interests  of  lola  have  been  from  the  beginning  gener- 
ously advanced  and  good  schools  have  always  been  maintained.  The 
present  High  School  has  for  years  carried  a  course  of  studj'  that  prepares 
its  students  for  the  Freshman  class  at  the  State  University.  It  is  well 
supported  by  three  splendid  ward  schools,  the  four  buildings  having  been 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $80,000.  Thirty-one  teachers  are  employed  and  the 
enrollment  for  the  current  year  reached  the  total  of  1705  pupils.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  public  schools,  the  lola  Business  College,  established  in  1899  by 
the  Fesler  Brothers,  is  in  successful  operation. 

ist  Baptist  The  first  church  to  be  regularly  organized  in  lola  was  the 
Church  First  Baptist  church  which  was  organized  in  the  summer  of 
i860  at  the  residence  of  Joseph  Culbertson  by  Rev.  Harris 
and  Rev.  Sands.  Rev.  H.  K.  Stimson,  State  Missionary  supplied  the  pulpit 
at  intervals  for  'Some  time  but  the  members  finally  disbanded  and  the  rec- 
ords were  lost.  In  November  1869  Rev.  A.  Hitchcock  of  Humboldt  and  Rev. 
L.  D.  Walker  of  Fort  Scott  reorganized  the  church  with  a  membership  of 
thirteen.  Rev.  A.  Hitchcock  was  called  to  the  pastorate  and,  filled  the  place 
for  three  months  after  which  the  church  was  without  a  pastor  until  July 
1871  when  Rev.  M.  D.  Gage  of  Junction  city  came  here  and  reorganized 
the  church  under  a  state  charter  with  twenty  members.  He  remained  with 
the  church  as  pastor  until  April  1873.     During  the  year  1872  the  church  built 


78  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

and  dedicated  the  edifice  now  occupied  by  the  church,  at  a  cost  of  $7,000. 
Since  that  time  the  pulpit  has  been  occupied  by  the  following  pastors,  Rev. 
I.  N.  Clark  from  April  1873  to  October  1873,  Rev.  T.  C.  Floyd,  from  Jan- 
uary 1874  to  April  1876,  Rev.  David  Fielding  of  Ottawa  filled  the  pulpit 
during  the  summer  of  1876  as  often  as  his  health  would  permit.  Rev.  J.  W. 
Alton,  from  July  1877  to  May  1878,  Rev.  J.  N.  Wiman,  from  January  1879 
to  August  1879,  Rev.  T.  C.  Coffey,  from  December  1880  to  April  1883, 
Rev  W.  S.  Webb  from  July  1S83  to  May  1886,  Rev.  C.  N.  H.  Moore  from 
November  1886  to  March  1891,  Rev  J.  F  Huckleberry  from  February  1892 
to  September  1892,  Rev.  M.  F.  King  from  October  1892  to  April  1897,  Rev. 
H.  G.  Fraserfrom  August  1897  to  February  1899,  Rev  H.  A.  Doughty  from 
September  1899  to  September  1900.  Rev.  G.  W.  Shad  wick  the  present  pas- 
tor was  called  in  No^•ember  1900.  The  membership  of  the  church  at  present 
is  about  two  hundred, 

Pkesbytekian         The  First  Presbyterian  church    in    lola    was   organized 
Church  June  24th  1864  in  a  grove  on  Deer  creek,  three  and  one-half 

miles  north  of  lola,  by  Rev.  E.  K.  Lynn,  Rev.  Austin 
Warner  and  Elder  J.  M.  Evans,  of  the  Carlyle  church.  About  twenty  persons 
were  enrolled  as  members,  of  whom  Mrs.  Susan  Post  is  the  only  one  who  yet 
survives  and  who  has  maintained  continuous  membership.  The  first  ser- 
vices of  the  church  were  held  in  the  small  house  on  the  corner  of  West  and 
State  streets  and  later  in  the  court  house  then  on  the  north-west  corner  of 
the  square.  The  first  church  building,  a  brick  structure,  was  completed  in  the 
spring  of  1868  and  was  rebuilt  on  the  same  site  in  1891.  In  1899  the  church 
bought  a  new  site  on  east  Madison  avenue  where  it  is  expected  that  a  large  and 
handsome  edifice  will  soon  be  erected.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  E.  K. 
Eynn,  who  served  the  church  from  its  organization  until  1869.  Others 
succeeded  him  as  follows:  Rev  H.  M.  Stratton  from  October  1870  to  January 
1873.  Rev.  J.  W.  Pinkerton  from  March  1873  until  his  death  in  February, 
1875.  Rev.  S.  G.  Clark  from  July  1875  to  April  1878.  Rev  E.  S.  Miller 
from  February  1879  to  May  1886.  Rev.  W.  H.  Hyatt  from  May  1887  to 
October  1891.  Rev.  Johnston  McGaughney  for  most  of  the  year  following. 
Rev.  Squier  from  February  1893  to  May  1898.  Rev.  J.  M.  Leonard  from 
June  1898  to  the  present.    The  church  now  has  over  two  hundred  members. 

United  Brethren         The  United  Brethren  Church  was  organized  in  the 
Church  spring   of    1892.     The    present   church  building  was 

dedicated  in  1898.  The  church  has  been  served  by 
the  following  pastors:  Revs.  J.  I.  Robinson,  L-  W.  Stone,  L.  D.  Wimmer, 
E.  A.  and  C.  V.  King  (husband  and  wife),  N.  L-  Vezie  and  F.  M.  Gillett, 
the  present   incumbent. 

Methodist  Episcopal        The  records  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
Church  are   not   complete   and   the  exact  date  of  the  first 

organization  is  not  known.  It  is  remembered,  however,  that  Methodist 
services  were  held  in  the  home  of  Mr  J.  F.  Colborn  in  September  1859  and 
it  seems  probable  the  church  was  organized,  at  least  as  a  mission,    then    or 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  79 

soon  afterwards.  Of  the  original  membership,  only  Mr.  I.  B.  Lawyer  yet 
survives.  Services  were  held  for  a  time  in  the  building  on  the  corner  of 
We.st  and  State 'Streets,  the  first  public  building  erected  in  lola  and  used  as 
a  school  house  as  well  as  a  place  for  religions  meetings.  Afterwards  class 
meetings  were  held  in  a  stone  building  which  formerly  occupied  the  present 
site  of  H.  Klaumann's  business  house.  The  first  quarterly  meeting  in  lola 
of  which  any  record  remains  was  held  in  this  building  May  i,  i860.  The 
present  building  was  erected  in  1870.  As  this  chapter  is  written  a  new  and 
handsome  structure  is  under  erection.  It  will  cost  $10,000  and  will  be  the 
first  large  and  modern  church  edifice  to  be  erected  in  lola.  The  present 
membership  of  the  church  is  375.  The  pastors  have  been  as  follows: 
Revs.  N.  P.  Bukey,  1860;  Thos.  Willett,  i86r;  W.  T.  Travis,  1862; 
W.  Kimberlan,  1863;  C.  Meadows,  1864;  A.  B.  Walker,  1865-66;  C.  K. 
Tobias,  1867;  G.  L.  Williams,  1868:  E.  A.  Graham,  1869-70;  W.  W.  Welsh, 
1871;  L.  M.  Hancock,  1872;  Thos.  B.  Palmer,  1873;  PI.  K.  Muth,  1874-76 
J.  S.  Kline,  1877-80;  D.  T.  Summerville,  1880-81,  S.  S.  Weatherby,  1882- 
83;  R.  M.  Scott,  18S4-86;  N.  B.  JohiLson,  1887-88;  J.  B.  Ford,  1889,  A.  S. 
Freed,  1890-  92;  Isaac  Hill,  1893;  James  Hunter,  1894-95;  I-  B-  Pulliam, 
1896-97;  A.  B.  Bruner,  1898-99;  John  Maclean,  190  j,  the  present  incumbent. 

Christ  Rkformed         Was  organized  by  Rev.  D.  B.  Shuey,  superintendent 
Church  of  Missions,  on  July  29th  1883.     The  following  named 

pastors  have  served  this  congregation.  Rev.  S.  A. 
Alt  June  15  1884  to  October  i,  1889.  Rev.  J.  R.  Skinner  October  i,  i88g 
to  April  I,  1890.  Rev.  W.  E.  Shaley  August  27,  1890  to  December  i,  1892. 
Rev.  L.  S.  Faust  July  I,  1893  to  September  I,  1S98.  Rev.  D.  B.  Shuey 
September  i,  1898  and  is  the  present  pastor. 

The  present  church  and  parsonage  lot  was  purchased  on  May  17,  1884. 
Present  church  building  30x50  erected  in  1888 

St.  Timothy's  This  parish  has  held  services  with  greater  or 
Episcopal.  less  regularity  since  about  1878,  at  which  time  it 
was  organized  under  the  direction  of  Bishop  Vail. 
Rev.  Holden  was  the  first  mini.ster,  and  held  services  monthly  for 
several  years.  The  member.ship  of  the  church  was  verj'  small, 
and  there  were  considerable  periods  during  which  no  regular  ser- 
vices were  held.  With  the  growth  of  lola,  however,  the  church 
was  materially  Strengthened,  and  in  1901  a  small,  but  handsome 
church  was  erected,  in  which  regular  services  were  held  by  Rev.  George 
Davidson,  the  pastor  in  charge. 

Catholic  The  first  Catholic  services  ever  held  in  lola  where  held 
Church  March  10,  1897,  by  Father  Weikman,  in  charge  of  the  Hum- 
boldt church.  He  conducted  services  regularly  each  month 
thereafter  until  October,  1900,  when  he  went  to  Europe  and  was  succeeded 
by  Father  Donohue,  who  is  now  in  charge  and  who  holds  religious  services 
every  two  weeks.  The  church  has  bought  the  old  Methodist  church  and 
parsonage  and  will  be  given  possession  as  soon  at  the  new  M.  E.  church  is 


8o  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

ready  for  occupancy.      Some  seventy-five  or  eighty  families  in  lola    acknow- 
ledge allegiance  to  the  Catholic  church. 

Second  Baptist         The  Second  Baptist  Church  (colored)  was  organized 
Church  November  i8,   1876,  with  Rev.  Samuel  Clark  as  pastor. 

Considering  its  small  membership  it  has  done  much 
good  work,  having  early  secured  a  church  building  which  served  it  until 
1899  when  a  new  and  more  commodious  one  was  erected.  The  member- 
ship at  present  is  38. 

.\frican  Methodist         This  church  has  been  organized  for  several  years 
Church.  and  has  done  much  good  among  the  colored  people. 

It  owns  a  church  building   of   sufficient  size  to   ac- 
commodate its  congregations,  and  holds  regular  services. 

The  first  news  paper  established  in  Tola  was  the  Neosho  Valley  Regis- 
ter, which  was  founded  in  1866  by  W.  H.  Johnson,  now  publisher  of  the 
Salina,  Kansas,  Sun.  After  running  it  for  about  two  years,  Mr.  Johnson 
sold  the  paper  to  H.  W.  Talcott  and  Nelson  F.  Acers.  Mr.  Acers  soon 
sold  his  interest  to  his  partner  and  Mr.  Talcott  conducted  the  paper  for 
some  months,  selling  it  then  t(}  M.  M.  Lewis  and  H.  E  Mitchell,  who 
changed  the  name  to  the  State  Register.  Lewis  &  Mitchell  had  evidently 
bought  the  paper  "on  time"  and  were  unable  to  meet  the  deferred  payments, 
for  after  about  six  months  under  their  management  it  returned  to  the  owner- 
ship of  Judge  Talcott,  who  restored  the  old  name,  Neosho  Valley  Register. 
In  1871  Judge  Talcott  again  sold  the  paper,  this  time  for  good,  to  G.  M. 
Overstreet  and  W.  G  Allison.  They  conducted  it  for  about  a  year  and 
sold  it  to  Lewis  Walker.  The  next  owners  wers  G.  D.  Ingersoll  and  H.  A. 
Perkins  who  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to  the  lola  Register.  They 
were  succeeded  by  AUi;  on  &  Perkins,  and  they  by  Perkins  &  Rohrer.  In 
1882  Mr.  Perkins  bought  the  interest  of  his  partner,  Mr.  S.  Rohrer,  and  a 
few  weeks  later  sold  the  entire  plant  to  A.  C.  and  Chas.  F.  Scott 
and  Edward  Rohrer,  the  name  of  the  new  firm  being  Scott  Bros.,  &  Rohrer. 
In  September,  1884,  Chas.  F.  Scott  bought  the  interest  of  his  brother,  and 
about  a  yeir  later  he  purchased  that  of  Mr.  Rohrer,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  the  sole  proprietor.  The  Register  remained  a  weekly  until  October  25, 
1897,  when  the  growth  of  lola  warranted  the  establishment  of  a  daily  edi- 
tion which  has  since  been  continued.  The  Register  has  been  Republican 
in  politics  since  its  foundation  and  for  the  greater  part  of  that  time  has  been 
the  official  paper  of  Allen  county  and  of  lola  City. 

The  second  paper  of  permanent  importance  to  be  started  in  lola  was 
the  Allen  County  Courant,  which  was  founded  in  1883  by  H.  A.  Perkins. 
After  running  it  for  about  a  year  Mr.  Perkins  sold  it  to  W.  G.  Allison  and 
G.  D.  Ingersoll.  Mr.  Allison  later  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  John  Gordon. 
The  paper  was  then  sold  to  Hamm  Brothers,  who  consolidated  it  with  the 
Allen  County  Democrat,  a  paper  which  had  been  started  in  1886  by  Mr.  J. 
J.  Rambo.  In  1889  the  consolidated  Courant  and  Democrat  were  sold  to 
Chas.    F.    Scott   and   consolidated   with   the    Register.     The  Courant  was 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  8 1 

Started  as  a  Republican  paper  but  became  Democratic  upon  its  purchase  by 
Hamm  Bros.     The  Democrat  was  Democratic  from  the  beginning. 

The  organization  of  the  Farmer's  Alliance  resulted  in  the  establish- 
ment in  i8go  of  the  Ida  Farmer's  Friend.  The  paper  was  owned  by  a 
stock  company  and  A.  H.  Harris  was  the  editor  and  publisher  of  the  paper. 
During  the  next  three  years  there  were  numerous  changes  in  the  name  at 
the  head  of  the  paper,  A.  H.  Harris  being  succeeded  by  Harris  &  Wixson, 
they  by  Wixson  Brothers,  they  by  Bartlett  &  Weber,  they  by  Welker  & 
Weber.  In  1893  the  paper  passed  into  the  hands  of  C.  S.  Ritter  who  has 
since  remained  editor  and  proprietor.  It  has  always  adhered  to  the 
Populist  party. 

The  Allen  County  Herald  was  established  in  1890  by  S.  A.  D  Cox. 
This  paper  was  but  a  side  issue  of  the  Humboldt  Herald  and  the  proprietor 
gave  it  but  little  personal  attention,  leasing  it  to  first  one  and  then  another. 
It  therefore  led  a  precarious  existence  and  in  1893  was  consolidated  with 
the  Farmer's  Friend.  During  its  life  time  the  Herald  was  of  the  Demo- 
cratic faith. 

The  Western  Sentinel  was  established  as  a  Democratic  paper  in  1 896 
by  J.  B.  Goshorn.  In  1899  the  paper  was  sold  to  Mr.  L,-  I.  Purcell,  who 
changed  its  name  to  the  Allen  County  Democrat.  Later  Mr.  M.  Miller 
was  associated  with  Mr.  Purcell  in  the  publication  of  the  paper.  In  1900 
Mr.  Miller  retired  and  Mr.  Purcell  associated  with  him  Mr.  W.  W.  French 
and  Mr.  H.  D.  McConnaughey  and  began  the  publication  of  the  Daily 
Democrat.  This  venture  not  proving  successful,  was  abandoned  after  three 
months  and  the  firm  was  dissolved,  Mr.  P'rench  retaining  the  Weekly 
Democrat  which  he  still  publishes. 

The  Tola  Daily  News  was  started  in  1896  by  Mr.  Ed.  S.  Davis.  After 
being  published  about  a  year  it  was  bought  by  and  consolidated  with  the 
Daily  Register. 

The  lola  Daily  Record  was  established  in  1898  by  Mrs.  Jennie  Burns. 
After  having  been  published  for  a  little  more  than  a  year  the  paper  got  into 
financial  straights  and  Mrs.  Burns  retired  from  its  management,  being 
Succeeded  by  A.  P.  Harris,  as  editor,  W.  C.  Teats  as  business  manager,  and 
R.  W.  McDowell  as  circulator,  who  are  at  present  in  charge  of  the  paper. 


5tati9tical  ^able 


Sbowing  ©rowtb  in  iPopulation  anO  TOealtb  ot  Hllen  Countg  anO  Ifola  CitB 

(Both  the  County  and  the  Cil'.y  records  are  incomplete,  the  foUowmt;  hgures  being  all  that  are 
now  to  be  obtained.— EuiTOits  ) 

ALLEN   IJOUNTY 

YEA  K               POPULATION  VALUATION 

1887 14648  ..$8751450 

1«88 13818  2964348 

1889 13347  3120745 

1890 12713  3541764 

1891 12960  3466570 

1892 12679  327542.5 

1893 ...12372  33.50110 

1S94..^. 12770 3377390 

1895 13726  3376600 


YEAR 
1872 

POPULATION 

VALUATION 
3  2312829 

1873 

1312829 

1874. 

1315975 

1875 

2010391 

1876 

21110621 

1877 

1934266 

1878 

8934 

1916446 

1879 

10116 

1895314 

18S0 

10417    

1990.566 

82 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


YEAH 


POPULATION 


VALUATION 


POPULATION 


VALUATION 


1881  .10436  2(1115285  1893.. 

1882 11098  23il.=.78  1897.. 

1883 12382  2377465  1898 

1884  ..14173  2550160  1899. 

1885  .14540  2646085  1900.. 

1886 15708  2699020 


1K79  . 

1880-. 

1881., 

1882  . 

18S3.. 

18S4 

1835.. 

1888.. 

1887- 

1888.. 


lOLA  CITY 


.* 


1890.. 

-1001  1891.. 

.  814  ---- -  1892.. 

.1070 185480  1^93-. 

.14»ri  19)320  1894.. 

.1660  220083  1895.. 

.1616  844Sft2  1898. 

.1451  241579  1897.. 

.1712  246648  1898. 

.1783  249120  1899-. 

.1687  226767  1900.. 


flDoran. 


.14153  337f160 

.14441  1 3362315 

.16905  3818710 

.17483  4069337 

.19923  5636323 


.1508  256125 

.1513  26U445 

1621  249945 

.1433  245IIN5 

1565  256970 

1567  249355 

.1800  248570 

2145       .  259210 

.3531  607360 

4112      549930 

.6153  980430 


BY  MRS.  H.  L.  BASSETT 

In  the  summer  of  1881,  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  Company  built 
the  long  desired  railroad  through  Allen  Count.v.  The  citizens  of  Marma- 
ton  township,  eager  tor  improved  facilities,  at  a  mass-meeting  in  the  Wal- 
nut Grove  school-house,  had  voted  the  necessary  bonds.  This  company 
agreed  to  locate  a  depot  within  a  mile  of  the  middle  of  the  township,  but  it 
was  uncertain  for  a  time  what  site  they  would  choose.  At  first  all  trains 
stopped  on  the  corner  of  N.  G.  Brown's  section.  Those  living  two  miles 
west  at  Fair  Lawn,  were  eager  to  have  the  station  there,  but  largely 
through  the  influence  of  the  late  Dr.  Henry  M.  Strong,  the  company  decid- 
ed on  the  present  location,  midway  between  the  two  places.  Where 
Moran  now  stands  corn  and  oats  were  growing  luxuriantly.  James  Meade 
and  Wm.  Finley  owned  most  of  the  land  north  of  the  track.  These  gen- 
tlemen, aided  by  Dr.  Strong,  P.  J.  McGlashan,  C.  P.  Keith  and  others, 
advocated  that  site,  but  John  A.  Epling,  Ezra  Rhodes,  James  Armstrong 
and  George  McLaughlin,  hoped  to  see  the  business  part  of  the  town  south 
of  the  half  section  line  followed  by  the  railroad.  The  latter  secured  the 
services  of  G.  DeWitt,  and  had  their  location  surveyed  and  recorded  as 
Moran,  while  the  railroad  company  had  their  men  do  the  surveying  north 
of  the  track,  and  it  was  recorded  Moran  City.  The  blocks  on  the  north 
side   are  smaller  than  those  on  the  south,  so  the  streets  fail  to  connect.     In 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  83 

two  or  three  years  thp  business  houses  were  all  on  the  north  side.  When 
application  for  a  postoffice  was  made  it  was  named  Morantown,  and  not 
until  1900  was  that  changed  to  Moran.  L,.  M.  West  was  the  first  post- 
master. Notwithstanding  its  variety  of  names,  the  new  town  had  a  healthy 
growth.  David  Mitchell  opened  a  lumber  yard,  which  in  1882  he  sold  to 
S.  C.  Varner,  who  still  carries  on  that  business.  The  Fanners'  Restaurant, 
erected  by  West  &  Davis,  was  the  first  business  building.  Robert  Dawson 
was  the  first  merchant.  His  store  was  on  part  of  what  is  now  known  as 
"the  burnt  district."  E.  F.  DeHart  &  Son  had  a  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise on  the  south  side,  and  later  enlarged  their  building  and  kept  a  ho- 
tel, known  as  the  "Commercial  House."  The  first  hotel  and  livery  on  the 
north  side  belonged  to  Riley  Daniels.  They,  too,  were  on  the  burnt  dis- 
trict. N.  S.  Smith  built  a  livery  barn,  where  that  busine,ss  is  still  contin- 
ued. It  has  changed  hands  several  times,  but  is  now  owned  by  George 
Moore.  L.  H.  Gorrell  &  H.  B.  Smith  were  the  first  blacksmiths.  The 
site  of  their  shop  is  still  occupied  by  Mr.  Smith,  who  now  deals  in  wagons 
and  farm  implements.  L,.  B.  Kinne,  in  the  fall  of  188 1,  opened  a  grocery 
and  drug  store.  He  has  been  and  still  is,  one  of  the  niDit  public-spirited 
and  successful  business  men  in  the  place.  J.  E.  Hobby  opened  a  grocery 
about  the  same  time,  and  is  one  of  Moran's  substantial  business  men.  Old 
Mr.  Southard  built  a  store  where  the  Moran  Bank  now  stands,  and  dealt  in 
general  merchandise.  In  the  low  attic  of  that  building  his  daughter,  Miss 
Abbie  Southard,  taught  the  first  private  school  in  Moran.  W  J.  Steele 
was  the  first  hardware  merchant  to  locate  here.  H.  B.  Adams  and  Chas. 
Mendell  purchased  his  stock  and  building  in  1889.  In  1895  Mr.  Men- 
dell  bought  out  Mr.  Adams,  and  the  business  is  still  continued  at  the  old 
stand,  but  in  far  more  commodious  quarters,  for  Mr.  Mendell  in  r.;oo  put 
up  a  new  building  on  the  old  site,  which  is  well  adapted  to  his  needs. 
The  second  floor  is  a  public  hall,  and  supplies  a  much-needed  convenience. 

Mitchell  and  Housted  were  the  south  side  hardware  merchants.  Af- 
ter changing  hands  two  or  three  times,  this  stock  of  goods  was  purchased 
by  S.  C.  Varner,  who  had  already  opened  up  a  store  of  that  kind,  and  who 
still  continues  that  business.  He  also  for  years  has  engaged  in  other 
branches  of  mercantile  business,  and  has  done  considerable  building  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  town.  The  first  meat  market  was  located  in  a  small  build- 
ing on  the  south  side  of  the  square.  Its  owner,  Mr.  Devons,  soon  became 
discouraged  and  quit.  A  little  later,  W.  C.  Carter  and  Wm.  Finley  opened  a 
meat  market,  which  after  changing  hands  once  or  twice,  was  bought,  in 
1885,  by  Joshua  Rumbel.  He  or  one  of  his  sons  continued  in  the  business 
until  1900,  when  W.  J.  Rumbel  sold  out  to  E.  D.  Rapp.  The  elevator  was 
built  by  Mr.  Rosch,  who  soon  sold  it  to  A.  W.  Beck.  It  has  had  several 
proprietors,  and  is  now  under  the  management  of  Bailey  Palmer.  Jas. 
Fulwider  was  the  first  barber.  His  shop  was  in  his  re.sidence,  which  still 
stands.  The  Misses  Fairman  were  the -first  milliners,  but  they  were  not 
long  left  without  rivals,  as  Miss  Minnie  Ross  and  Mrs.  Seldomridge,  each 
soon  claimed  her  share  of  patronage. 

Union  religious  services  were  first  held  in  the   depot.     After  the   erec- 


84  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

tion  of  the  school  house  it  Was  used   till  the  Presbyterian   church  was  com- 
pleted, when  it  was  no  longer  needed  for  such  purposes. 

December  lo,  1892,  the  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  with  nine- 
teen members,  who  were  cared  for  bj'  Rev.  E.  S.  Miller,  of  lola.  In  i88f, 
they  built  a  church  which  was  dedicated  July  20,  1884  The  union  S.  S. 
had  its  home  there  until  each  of  the  denominations  represented  withdrew 
and  established  its  own  service.-  In  1895  a  parsonage  was  built  north  of 
the  church.  The  ministers  who  have  served  this  church  are  Revs.  Ruther- 
ford, King,  Wilson,  Millard,  Hawkins,  Evans,  Cantrall  and  Barr.  Rev. 
F.  W.  Mitchell,  a  graduate  of  Princeton  seminary  is  now  the  pastor.  His 
people  are  united  in  him,  and  the  church  is  prospering.  It  has  eighty- 
five  members. 

In  1884  the  Methodist  Protestant  church  was  organized,  with  about 
twenty  members.  Their  first  pastor  was  Mr.  Wayland,  and  largely  through 
his  persistent  efforts,  their  church  was  the  second  one  erected  in  Moran. 
Their  parsonage,  the  second  one  in  town,  was  built  just  south  of  the 
church.  They  have  ^ince  sold  it,  and  built  one  more  commodious,  on  the 
east  side.  There, are  fifty  names  on  their  church  roll.  They  have  had  as 
pastor  Revs.  Wayland,  Young,  Brown,  McAdams,  Daley,  Lane,  Buck- 
ner,  Cliamlin,  Slater,  Hinshaw  and  Mellors.  Rev.  R.  H.  N.  McAdams 
who  now  has  charge  of  the  church  has  been  here  two  years.  'He  is  earnest 
and  faithful,  and  his  work  has  been  blessed. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  was  oi'ganized  in  1882,  and  with 
thirty-five  members.  In  the  fall  of  1884  they  built  a  church  which  was 
dedicated  free  of  debt,  in  1889.  They  provided  a  parsonage  in  1883  which 
has  made  a  good  home  for  some  excellent  ministers.  Those  who  have  been 
shepherds  of  this  flock  are  Revs.  Anderson,  Stradforth,  York,  Swartz 
Means,  Bruner,  Emerson,  Siess,  Holtz,  Howard,  Riess,  Moore  and 
McNabb.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  G.  B.  Mehl,  who  has  proved  a  zeal- 
ous, untiring  worker.  His  labors  have  been  blessed.  The  church  now 
has  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  members. 

In  the  summer  of  1883  the  Christian  church  was  organized  by  J. 
Shively  at  the  school  house,  with  a  membership  of  fifteen,  and  reorganized 
in  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the  winter  of  1885,  by  Henry  Martin,  the 
first  pastor.  In  1887  they  built  a  house  of  worship.  They  now  have  sev- 
enty-five members.  They  have  had  as  ministers  Elders  Dunkleberger, 
Tamb,  Porter,  Moore,  Cash  and  Klinker. 

The  Baptists  met  and  organized  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  1892 
they  organized  in  the  Christian  church,  with  about  twenty  members. 
That  same  year  they  built,  and  built  well.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this 
church  has  been  exceptionally  unfortunate  in  losses,  by  death  and  removal. 
It  is  three  years  since  they  have  had  a  settled  pastor,  and  for  a  year  they 
have  not  kept  up  regular  services.  They  have  enjoyed  the  ministrations  of 
Elders  Trout,  Woods,  Day  and  Collins. 

In  the  early  days  of  Moran  a  German  Reformed  church  was  organized, 
but  they  never  built  here,  and  finally  disbanded,  most  of  their  members 
identifying  themselves  with  theii  church  at   Allen  Center.     Rev.  S.  A.  Alt 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  85 

was  the  faithful  pastor  o[  this  flock  till  18S9,  when  Rev.  Mr.  Skinner  was 
his  successor.  Rev.  X,.  S.  Faust,  ol  Tola,  was  in  charge  when  the  church 
■disbanded. 

All  our  churches  have  sustained  heavy  losses  by  death  and  removal. 
Most  of  them  have  active  Sabbath  schools,  and  live  young  people's  organi- 
zations that  are  doing  good  work. 

In  1877  Dr.  Henry  M.  Strong  removed  from  lola  to  his  farm,  which 
is  now  owned  by  A.  J.  Eflin,  and  from  that  time  to  the  fall  of  1882  was 
truly  a  good  Samaritan  to  any  sick  neighbor,  refusing  to  accept  any  re- 
muneration for  medical  services.  How  many  he  helped  and  how  deep  was 
their  gratitude  eternity  alone  can  reveal.  In  the  fall  of  1882,  J.  E.  Jewell, 
M.  D.,  located  in  Moran.  In  the  spring  of  1884,  Dr.  G.  B.  Eambeth  loca- 
ted here.  Again  and  again  some  third  physician  has  tried  to  gain  a  foot- 
hold, but  after  a  short  time  has  sought  some  other  place  in  which  to  prac- 
tice his  profession. 

In  the  fall  of  1882  a  school  house  was  built  east  of  the  square,  and  the 
first  teacher  was  Mr.  Ed.  Muth.  School  opened  with  a  larger  number  on 
the  roll  than  was  shown  by  the  census  taken  in  August.  As  the  town 
grew  the  school  building  was  found  inadequate,  so  in  1884  the  original 
building  was  removed  to  make  a  place  for  a  main  building  of  two  rooms, 
and  the  original  has  since  been  known  as  the  north  wing.  The  school  did 
good  work,  and  its  increasing  efficiency,  as  well  as  the  growth  of  the  town, 
made  it  necessary  in  1892  to  enlarge  its  quarters,  so  the  main  building  was 
raised.  This  gave  five  rooms,  but  as  only  four  were  then  needed,  the 
north  wing  was  unused  for  a  year.  In  1893  the  need  of  a  high  school  was 
so  pressing  that  the  proper  steps  were  takers,  and  three  years  added  to  the 
course  of  study.  That  the  school  has  done  good  work  has  been  repeatedly 
demonstrated  here,  by  the  scholars  who  have  left  it  to  take  their  places 
among  the  respected  workers  and  citizens  of  Moran.  Not  a  few  of  its 
scholars  have  gone  out  to  teach  others  what  thej^  learned  here.  Many  a 
home  is  blessed  by  the  influence  that  can  be  directly  traced  to  the  Moran 
school.  Those  who  have  gone  to  higher  institutions  of  learning  have 
proved  without  exception,  that  their  Alma  Mater  was  one  of  which  to  be 
proud,  and  she  has  had  good  reason  to  be  proud  of  them.  Prof.  C.  W. 
Kline  is  now  its  principal,  and  his  efficient  corps  of  assistants  is  made  up  of 
Mrs.  Barton,  Mrs.  Collins,  Miss  Keith  and  Mrs.  Thomas.  The  school  is  a 
credit  to  the  place.  Those  who  have  taught  in  it  ar£  Messrs.  Muth, 
Johnson,  Carter,  Courtney,  Coulter,  Fogleman  and  Kline.  Messrs.  Ad- 
ams, Russ,  Smith,  Mayhu,  and  their  wives;  Mesdames  Anderson,  Millard, 
Barton,  Collins  and  Thomas;  the  Misses  Newman,  Gay,  Culbertson,  Spen- 
cer, Brown,  Pember,  Ireland,  Bryden,  Corn,  Donica,  Esse,  Rennells,  Fuss- 
man  and  Keith. 

An  enterprising  town  like  Moran  early  felt  the  need  of  a  newspaper  of 
its  own,  so  a  company  was  formed,  in  which  prominent  and  public-spirited 
citizens  took  stock,  and  the  Moran  Herald  came  into  existence.  Henry 
Armstrong  was  its  editor,  and  its  first  issue  was  in  1883.  Two  or  three 
years    later   G.    D.    IngersoU  bought  the  paper,  and  later  it  changed  hands 


86  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

several  times,  being  successively  owned  by  Leo.  Fesler;  W.  G.  Allison, 
Smith  &  Matthews,  and  Jay  Matthews.  In  1897  it  was  purchased  by  C.  C. 
Thomas,  who  still  owns  it.  His  faithful  efforts  and  careful  attention  to 
business,  have  secured  for  it  a  place  in  the  front  ranks  of  papers  of  its  kind. 

In  1887  the  M.  K.  &  T.  built  a  road  that  gave  direct  communication 
with  Kansas  City  and  Parsons.  This  was  a  distinct  advantage  to  the  town 
in  many  ways,  and  greatly  increased  the  shipping  facilities  for  stock 
raisers. 

In  the  matter  of  banks,  Moran  has  been  quite  unfortunate.  Winans  & 
Post,  from  Erie,  opened  and  closed  their  bank  in  1888..  They  paid  up  all 
their  liabilities.  S.  C.  Varner  established  the  People's  Bank  in  1888, 
which  suspended  in  1896  I^ater  all  depositors  were  paid.  The  Moran 
bank  after  five  or  six  years  existence  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver  in 
1898.  It  has  paid  up  all  claims  with  interest.  In  1899  the  Moran  State 
Bank  was  incorporated,  and  a  long  and  prosperous  life  is  anticipated  for  it. 

The  year  1897  was  a  disastrous  year  for  Moran.  Several  fires  did 
much  harm,  but  the  one  most  sweeping  did  its  w  )rk  on  Sabbath  evening  in 
August,  when  nearly  all  the  buildings  on  the  west  side  of  Sprnce  street 
east  of  Randolph,  were  destroyed.  Manley's  hall,  Ro-ss  &  Augustine's  of- 
fice and  store  room,  Stoddard  &  Young's  millinery,  Twineham's  harness 
shop,  the  Virginia  hotel,  Stephenson's  racket,  Willoughby's  furniture  store, 
Young's  real  estate  office  and  Strickler's  restaurant,  were  left  but  smoking 
ruins.  The  burnt  district  still  remains  a  sad  reminder  of  that  terrible  con- 
flagration. 

There  is  no  dearth  of  societies  here.  The  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  Degree  of 
Honor,  the  M.  W.  A.,  Free  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  Rebeccas,  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Security  and  Fraternal  Aid,  are  all  represented.  The  Home 
Coterie, "a  literary  organization,  has  lived  through  eight  happy  and  pros- 
perous years. 

A  history  of  Moran  which  said  nothing  about  its  music  would  indeed 
be  incomplete.  Few  towns  of  its  size  have  possessed  so  many  musical  and 
music-loving-  people.  In  1882  or  1S83  the  Moran  orchestra  was  organized 
by  P.  J.  McGlashan,  who  was  at  all  times  its  leader.  The  charter  mem- 
bers were  P.  J.  McGlashan,  first  violin;  Wm.  Wheeler,  second  violin;  S.  N. 
-Steele,  cornet;  H.  B.  Smith,  bass  viol;  Miss  Abbie  Southard,  piano.  After 
the  marriage  and  removal  of  Miss  Southard,  Miss  Floy  McGlashan  filled 
the  position  of  pianist.  In  the  early  days  of  the  town  W.  H.  DeHart  or- 
ganized a  brass  band,  and  a  little  later  S.  N  Steele  organized  another.  In 
about  a  year  they  consolidated.  The  orchestra  and  brass  band  gave  their 
first  concert  in  the  Presbyterian  church  before  it  was  plastered,  and  from 
that  time  it  only  needed  to  be  known  that  the  Moran  Orchestra  was  purposing 
to  give  a  concert  to  insure  an  interest  far  and  wide.  A  full  house  on  the 
appointed  evening  could  always  be  assured,  and  in  the  audience  could  al- 
ways be  found  people  from  lola,  Savonburg,  and  other  places  more  or  less 
remote.  Those  annual  concerts  were  the  musical  events  of  the  year,  and  it 
is  a  cause  of  sincere  regret,  that  removals  and  death  so  l&ssened  their  num- 
bers that  in  1900  the  Moran  orchestra  disbanded.     There  have  been  several 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  87 

music  teachers  here,  but  for  two  years  Miss  Floy  McGlashan  has  held  her 
place  as  first.  These  who  receive  invitatioijs  to  her  recitals  are  counted 
fortunate,  and  on  the  rare  occasions  when  her  scholars  give  a  concert,  a 
large  attendance  is  certain.  The  present  Moran  brass  band,  made  up  of 
young  men,  is  a  comparatively  recent  organization.  Kvery  member  has 
joined  the  M.  W.   A. 

The  contrast  between  Moran  eighteen  years  ago  and  now  is  marked. 
It  looked  then,  like  many  another  new  town,  as  though  a  few  dozen  large 
boxes  had  been, scattered  about  carelessly,  in  which  the  people  were  stay- 
ing a  few  days.  Now  the  town  shows  that  it  is  regularly  laid  out;  two  rail- 
roads pass  through  it,  giving  easy  and  swift  communication  to  it  from  all 
points;  its  school  house  is  comfortable  and  convenient;  there  are  five 
churches;  two  telephone  companies  have  ofiices  here,  and  one  of  them  a 
•central  station.  George  Moore  owns  the  livery,  and  is  proprietor 
of  the  Pennsylvania  House,  a  substantial  brick  building.  The 
Moran  State  bank  owns  its  commodious  brick  home.  Oral  Spencer  and 
George  Shopshire  have  each  a  restaurant.  E.  D.  Rapp  owns  the  meat 
market  on  Cedar  street,  and  Smith  &  Knight  are  proprietors  of  the  market 
on  Randolph  street.  C.  B.  Keith  handles  coal  and  grain.  L,.  B.  Kinne 
deals  in  drugs  and  groceries.  P.  J.  McGlashan  and  J.  E.  Hobby  each 
handle  groceries,  boots  and  shoes.  Frank  Messenger  carries  a  good  stock 
of  general  merchandise.  S.  C.  Varner  keeps  dry  goods,  groceries,  hard- 
ware, queensware  and  implements,  besides  dealing  in  grain. and  lumber. 
F.  E.  Twineham  keeps  harness.  Walter  I/acey  is  the  jeweler  and  watch- 
maker. H.  B.  Smith  deals  in  wagons  and  implements.  Charles  Mendell 
has  a  fine  hardware  and  tinware  stock.  The  Farmers'  and  Mechanics' 
Lumber  Company  are  doing  a  good  business.  J.  F.  Willoughby  deals  in 
furniture.  John  Hurly  is  the  blacksmith.  George  Shopshire  and  W.  R. 
Dougherty  have  each  a  barber  shop.  L,atham  has  an  egg-packing  estab- 
lishment. Mrs  Cobb  and  Mrs.  Homer  Varner  have  each  a  millinery,  and 
Mrs.  Young  and  Mrs.  Minnie  Kinne  are  kept  busy  in  their  dress-making 
establishment. 

Moran  has  now  a  number  of  beautiful  residences  that  improve  its  ap- 
pearance much;  but  best  of  all,  it  has  many  homes — homes  in  the  truest 
sense  of  the  word,  from  which  goes  forth  an  influence  for  good  at  all  times, 
and  in  all  directions. 


88  HrsTORY   OP   ALLEN    AND 


Savonburg. 

BY    C.   A.   REYNOLDS. 

SavoHburg  is  located  in  the  extreme  southeast  corner  of  Allen  county, 
One  mile  north  of  the  Neosho  county  line,  and  four  miles  west  of  the  divis- 
ion line   between  Bourbon  and  Allen  counties. 

The  town  was  founded  in  1879,  at  which  time  the  post-office  was 
established  with  John  Keen  as  postmaster.  Mr.  ~  Keen  was  the  first  mer- 
chant, and  kept  store  until  1881,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  A.  Linville. 
In  1883  Mr.  Ivinville  sold  out  to  L,  B.  Murray,  who  continued  the  bus- 
iness till  1888.  In  the  early  spring  of  1888,  Chas.  Nelson,  who  was  destined 
to  play  an  important  part  in  the  building  of  the  town,  rented  the  business  room 
of  L.  B.  Murray,  and  in  the  early  part  of  May  removed  from  Warnersburg,  a 
school  district  three  miles  west,  about  one-half  of  his  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise. Mr.  Nelson  enjoyed  a  good  business  from  the  start,  which  was 
greatly  increased  by  the  patronage  of  the  various  gangs  of  laborers  engaged 
iu  the  building  of  the  Kansas  City,  Parsons  &  Pacific,  now  known  as  the 
M.  K.  &  T.  railway,  which  was  completed  to  this  point  August  ist  of  this 
year. 

About  this  time  there  came  a  corps  of  engineers,  surveying  a  route  for 
the  Kansas,  "Nebraska  &  Western  railroad,  which  was  at  that  time  the  con- 
struction company  of  the  Santa  Fe  railway  the  line  of  definite  location  be- 
ing some  600  feet  south  of  Main  street.  The  engineers  were  soon  followed 
by  an  agent,  who  came  to  secure  right  of  way  and  land  for  a  town  site,  and 
options  were  obtained  upon  340  acres.  Shortly  after  the  Santa  Fe  encoun- 
tered the  financial  shoals  which  terminated  in  a  receivership  for  the  com- 
pany, and  the  project  came  to  naught.  In  March,  1889,  the  options  which 
had  been  secured  by  the  company  expired.  It  was  then  determined  by  the 
people  of  the  vicinity  that  it  would  be  advisable  to  organize  a  town  com- 
pany, and  proceed  to  the  building  of  a  town.  Accordingly  a  charter  was 
procured,  and  March  24,  1889,  the  Savonburg  Town  and  Improvement 
Company  formally  opened  for  business,  with  an  authorized  capital  of  $25,- 
000,  and  under  the  direction  of  the  following  officers:  Chas  Nelson,  presi- 
dent; R.  G.  Cravens,  vice  president;  L.  B.  Murray,  secretary;  J.  T.  Butter- 
field,  treasurer.  Board  of  Directors:  Chas.  Nelson,  R.  G.  Cravens,  W.  T. 
Huff,  S.  Huff,  Wallace  Young,  T.  B.  McGuire,  D.  Freed,  D.  W.  Craddock 
and  J.  T.  Butterfield. 

Twenty-five  acres  of  ground  were  at  once  purchased  and  platted  and 
money  raised  to  erect  three  business  rooms.  Charles  Nelson  then  sold  his 
stock  of  merchandise  to  D.  W    Craddock   and,  upon   request  of  the   Town 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  89 

Company,  consented  to  give  his  time  and  energy  to  push  the  newly  platted 
village,  which  he  did  zealously,  and  with  creditable  results. 

As  is  characteristic  of  most  new  towns,  Savonburg  experienced  many 
set-backs  and  met  with  no  little  discouragement,  not  only  to  the  people  al- 
ready here,  but  to  prospective  residents  as  well.  The  principal  difficulty 
experienced  at  the  beginning  was  the  lack  of  a  depot  and  other  railroad  fa- 
cilities, without  which  business  was  paralyzed  and  progression  greatly 
handicapped.  Nothing  but  a  small  platform  8x20  feet  alongside  the  main 
track,  and  a  spur  switch  400  feet  long  had  yet  been  provided,  and  rival 
towns  were  therefore  privileged  to  make  the  assertion  that  no  better  facili- 
ties ever  would  be  provided  for  "the  burg"  by  the  railway  company. 

Notwithstanding  these  difficult  problems  and  numerous  other  hard- 
ships, a  little  flame  of  righteou;,  indignation  kindled  within  the  hearts  of 
the  few  brave  residents — a  flame  which  was  never  extinguished  by  its  own 
reaction. 

In  March,  1890,  complaint  having  been  made  by  Charles  Nelson  in 
behalf  of  the  people  to  the  State  Board  of  Railroad  Commissioners  against 
the  M.  K.  &  T.  Railway,  the  representatives  of  the  railway  were  cited  to 
appear  and  show  cause  why  they  should  not  be  compelled  to  provide  the 
needed  facilities.  It  had  been  shown  before  the  hearing  that  for  eight 
months  previous,  the  company's  receipts  at  this  place  were  $1,000  and  over 
per  month.  The  company  very  wisely  decided  to  at  once  erect  a  depot, 
stock  yards,  switch,  etc.,  and  never  has  it  had  cause  to  regret  the  money 
here  invested,  as  Savonburg  for  the  past  ten  years  has  borne  the  well- mer- 
ited reputation  of  being  the  best  shipping  point  on  the  division. 

When  these  necessities  had  been  granted  by  the  M.  K.  &  T.  people, 
the  town  was,  for  the  first  time,  squarely  upon  its  feet,  and  upon  equal 
terms  with  competing  points.  Rivalry  was  then  laid  aside,  and  all  joined 
hands  and  worked  together  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  town  and  community. 
Thus  step  by  step,  Savonburg  has  advanced  from  an  insignificant  hamlet 
to  a  substantial  country  town  of  about  300  inhabitants,  remarkable  for  her 
business  interests,  and  particularly  as  a  shipping  point  for  live  stock,  grain 
and  broom  corn.  The  town  enjoys  an  immense  trade  from  the  west,  from 
the  prosperous  Swedish  farmers  of  East  Cottage  Grove  arid  Elsmore  town- 
ships, and  receives  a  large  volume  of  business  from  the  country  tributary  to 
the  town  in  all  directions. 

Many  merchants  and  residents  have  come  and  gone  within  the  past 
decade  which  has  marked  the  town's  career.  Some  have  crossed  the  Dark 
River  into  eternity.  Where  others  have  gone,  we  do  not  know;  and  still, 
a  goodly  number  of  the  pioneer  merchants  and  citizens  are  with  us  today, 
most  of  them,  happily  enough,  blessed  with  the  comforts  of  life. 

The  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  officials  manifest  their  interest 
in  Savonburg  by  keeping  pace  with  the  rapid  progress  of  the  town,  and 
making  such  improvements  as  are  demanded  from  the  business  public  from 
time  to  time.  The  recent  remodeling  and  doubling  in  size  of  the  depot  at 
this  point  is  evidence  of  this  fact.     The  stock  yards  are  also  well  equipped. 


go  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

R.  B.  Oliver  is  the  present  local  freight  and  ticket  agent;  C.  E.  Aldrich  night 
operator. 

The  Savonburg  Record  was  established  April  i,  1898,  by  C.  A.  Reyn- 
olds. The  paper  is  widely  circulated,  and  prosperous.  Previous  to  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  Record,  the  Trio-News,  by  E.  A.  Jordan,  the  Sentinel, 
by  T.  V.  Campbell,  and  other  newspapers  suspended  publication,  after  a 
limited  existence. 

The  school  house  was  built  in  1889,  and  a  few  years  later  enlarged  to  its 
present  size.  The  district  has  always  employed  the  best  teachers  obtain- 
able, and  as  a  consequence,  is  reputed  to  be  one  of  the  best  graded  schools 
in  the  county.  U.  R.  Courtney  principal,  and  Mrs.  A.  V.  Lodge  assistant, 
are  the  proficient  instructors  now  in  charge.  There  are  two  churches  in 
Savonburg,  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  H.  I.  Dodson  pastor,  and  the 
Friends'  house  of  worship,  L.  W.  McFarland,  pastor.  The  members  of 
the  Christian  church  hold  services  at  the  school  house.  The  Mt.  Moriah 
Methodist  Protestant  church  is  one  mile  south  of  town;  James  M.  Frame  is 
the  local  pastor. 

There  are,  perhaps,  as  many  lodges  in  Savonburg  as  any  town  of  com- 
parative size  in  the  state — Masonic.  Eastern  Star,  Odd  Fellows,  Rebekah, 
Workmen,  Degree  of  Honor,  Woodmen,  Royal  Neighbors,  Knights  and 
Ladies  of  Security,  and  A.  H.  T.  A.,  all  of  which  are  on  a  sound  basis,  and 
have  large  memberships. 

Savonburg  is  graced  by  the  presence  of  many  silvery-haired  veterans 
of  the  civil  war,  than  whom  there  are  no  better  citizens. 

Savonburg  Post  No.  421  G.  A.  R.,  O.  P.  Matson  commander,  is  a 
worthy  and  substantial  organization. 

Since  the  building  of  the  town  her  residents  have  all  been,  and  are 
today,  self-sustaining.  It  has  never  been  the  misfortune  of  any  at  this 
place  to  seek  the  county's  aid  for  maintenance.  Idleness  is  unknown,  and 
loafers  are  conspicuous  only  by  their  absence. 

The  question  of  incorporating  the  town  has  been  but  little  agitated, 
and  steps  have  never  been  taken  in  that  direction,  probably  for  the  reasons 
that  the  best  of  order  is  maintained,  and  the  streets  and  the  walks  are  well 
looked  after  by  the  citizens  who  possess  that  sense  of  public  pride  which 
needs  no  prompting  by  a  ma5for  or  city  council. 


y 

Xdl 


TOLA  HtGH  SCHOOL 


ALLKN  COUNTY  COURT  HOUSE 


fi^f'^X'^''^'^' 


ilLMlJJLDT  HIGH  SCHOOL 


STONY  LONJJSOMJJ' 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  9 1 


Ibumbolbt. 

This  is  a  thriving  business  town,  situated  in  the  southwest  part  of  the 
county.  The  location  is  a  desirable  one,  on  the  level  valley  land,  on  both 
the  east  and  west  banks  of  the  Neosho  river.  The  business  portion  of  the 
town  is  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  and  about  one-half  mile  from  its  bank. 
Coal  Creek  forms  part  of  the  southern  limits.  The  two  railroads  are  the 
Southern  Kansas  Division  of  the  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  on  the  east  side,  and  the 
Missouri  Kansas  &  Texas  on  the  west  side  of  the  river. 

The  population  of  Humboldt  is  about  1400,  and  the  town  at  present  is 
about  at  a  standstill,  though  there  are  prospects  of  increased  progress  in 
the  near  future.  There  are  here  some  of  the  best  business  houses  in  the 
county,  and  the  town  enjoys  a  large  and  prosperous  trade.  The  Neosho 
river  furnishes  an  abundant  water  power,  which  has  long  been  utilized 
for  manufacturing  purposes.  The  citizens  are  of  a  substantial  class  and 
progressive. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  B.  M.  Blanton,  a  Methodist  missionary,  in  making  a 
trip  through  southern  Kansas,  became  impressed  with  the  idea  that  this 
was  an  excellent  point  for  the  foundation  of  a  town.  He  returned  to  I,aw- 
rence  and  told  his  brother,  N.  B.  Blanton,  and  J.  A.  Coffey  of  this  selec- 
tion, advising  them  to  locate  a  townsite.  In  March  1857,  J.  A.  Coffey  se- 
lected the  site  and  with  the  aid  of  a  pocket  compass  made  a  temporary  sur- 
vey. He  found  an  abandoned  log  cabin  there;  it  had  been  built  the  spring 
before  by  some  claimant  who  abandoned  the  country.  In  the  fall  of  1856 
Charles  Baland,  who  was  sick,  abandoned  the  claim  near  there,  and  moved 
into  the  cabin,  where  he  spent  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring,  intending  to 
leave  the  country,  he  presented  the  cabin  and  his  claim  to  the  land  to  Mrs. 
E.  H.  Young,  but  finally  decided  to  remain,  and  located  another  clairn 
where  his  farm  now  is.  Coffey  finding  a  claim  on  the  land  paid  $20  for  it, 
to  secure  peaceable  possession.  He  then  returned  to  L,awrence,  where  he 
and  Blanton  met  a  German  colony,  which  was  induced  to  help  them  form 
the  town. 

The  German  colony  was  organized  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  during 
the  winter  of  1856-7,  and  consisted  of  E.  M.  Serenbets,  Jacob  Schleicher, 
William  l,assnian,  John  Frixel,  Franz  Trontz-Landerwas.ser,  A.  Senner,  H. 
Zwanziger  and  N.  Kemmerer.  All  of  these  with  the  exception  of  the  last 
named,  who  did  not  come  until  a  year  later,  arrived  at  Eawrence  in  March 
1857.  There  they  were  met  by  Blanton  and  Coffey,  who  induced  them  to 
locate  on  their  townsite.  The  Humboldt  town  company  was  organized,  and 
the  town  so  named  in  honor  of  Baron  Von  Humboldt.  Among  the  members 
were  J.    A.    Coffey,    N.    B.    Blanton,    F.   M.  Serenbets,  J.  H.  and  W.  H. 


g2  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Sio-nor,    Dr.    Harlraaii    and  A.   D.  Searle.     The  German  portion  of  the  col- 
ony arrived  Mav  loth  1857,  and  were  soon  followed  by  Coffey,  Blanton  and 

other.s. 

The  first  house  built  was  of  logs,  built  for  J.  A.  Coffey,  at  a  cost  of 
$25.  It  was  located  on  Bridge  street,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  The 
next  house  was  built  southwest  of  Coffey's  in  the  summer  of  1857,  and  was 
known  as  "Bachelor's  Hall."  It  was  occupied  during  the  summer  by  Dr. 
G.  A.  Miller,  R.  M.  Works,  J.  W.  Sperring,  J.  H.  and  H.  W.  Signor,  B. 
H.  Whitlow  and  W.  W.  Pollock.  During  the  same  summer,  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Clark,  built  a  two-story  log  hotel.  In  June  J.  A.  Coffey 
opened  a  store  in  a  cabin  in  the  timber  near  the  river.  This  store  was 
soon  after  sold  to  W.  C.  O'Brien. 

During  the  summer  of  1857,  Orlin  Thurston,  a  young  attorney,  was 
persuaded  to  locate  at  Humboldt,  and  put  up  a  steam  saw-mill.  He  soon 
began  sawing  lumber,  and  then  building  began  on  the  prairie  portion  of  the 
towusite,  where  the  business  center  now  is. 

Before  this  most  of  the  building  was  in  the  timber  along  the  river.  In 
the  spring  of  1858,  Charles  Fussman  opened  a  tinshop,  in  a  log  cabin  in 
the  timber. 

The  first  frame  building  erected  was  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  and 
Bridge  streets,  which  was  a  residence  and  store  of  J.  A.  Coffey.  It  was  af- 
terward part  of  a  cigar  manufactory  of  W.  H.  Holtschneider,  destroyed  du- 
ring the  fire  of  1883. 

In  the  spring  of  1858,  a  steam  saw  and  grist  mill  was  opened  by  W.  C. 
O'Brien.  The  mill  was  hauled  from  Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  and  required  the 
use  of  nine  yoke  of  oxen  and  one  span  of  horses.  It  took  fifty-four  days  to 
make  the  trip  both  ways.  The  mill  was  in  operation  by  May  ist,  and  had 
one  run  of  burrs.     It  was  the  first  grist  mill  in  the  county. 

During  1858  the  town  grew  quite  rapidly.  Prominent  among  the  set- 
tlers of  that  year  was  John  R.  Goodin,  who  afterwards  distinguished  himself 
as  a  district  judge,  and  as  a  member  of  Congress. 

The  first  physician  to  locate  in  Humboldt,  was  George  A.  Miller,  in 
1857.  His  office  was  first  in  a  tent,  and  his  sign  "physician  and  surgeon," 
was  nailed  to  a  jack  oak  tree. 

The  postoffice  was  established  in  1858,  and  A.  Irwil  appointed  post- 
master. A  postal  route  had  been  established  from  L,awrence  the  same 
year.  Before  that  time  the  mail  was  brought  from  Fort  Scott  by  private 
carriers.  Among  them,  were  S.  J.  Stewart  and  a  young  man  named  Dot- 
son.  The  mail  was  weekly  until  1865,  when  it  was  changed  to  tri-weekly, 
and  not  long  after  to  daily. 

The  first  brick  was  made  at  Humbolt  in  1859,  on  the  place  later  owned 
by  Capt.  O.  S.  Coffin,  adjoining  the  town  on  the  south. 

Prior  to  the  year  i860,  meetings  of  the  town  company  were  held  at 
Lawrence,  and  some  of  the  members  never  moved  to  Humboldt.  On  June 
2oth,  however,  the  company  reorganized  and  was  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  the  Humboldt  Town  Association,  which  was  composed  of  N.  B. 
Blanton,  J.  A.  Coffey,  J.  H.  Signor,  George  A.  Miller  and  W.  C.   O'Brien. 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  93 

The  townsite  was  entered  ou  Nov.  i6,  i860,  by  J.  G.  Rickard,  in  trust  for 
the  Town  Association. 

In  1 86 1  the  United  States  land  office  was  removed  to  Humboldt  from 
Fort  Scott.  N.  B.  Blanton  had  been  elected  a  member  of  the  first  state 
legislature,  and  all  his  work  had  been  in  the  interest  of  Humboldt.  He 
voted  for  both  I^ane  and  Pomeroy  for  U.  S.  senators,  securing  from  them 
the  promise  that  the  land  office  should  be  removed  to  his  town.  J.  C.  Bur- 
nett was  register  of  the  land  office,  and  Charles  Adams,  son-in-law  of  lyane, 
was  receiver.  Senator  lyane  gave  them  orders  to  select  a  new  location. 
Humboldt  finally  secured  it,  but  the  Town  Association  had  to  give  200  lots 
in  order  to  obtain  it.  The  removal  wag  effected  and  the  office  opened  for 
business  September  23,  1861,  in  a  building  on  Bridge  street,  the  old  red 
frame  structure  -fthich  was  then  used  as  a  court  house  as  well. 

Prom  the  foundation  of  the  town  to  the  summer  of  1860  its  growth  was 
quite  rapid.  There  was  then  a  population  of  perhaps  300,  and  there  were 
about  fifty  buildings.  The  drouth  of  that  year  had  such  an  effect  upon  the 
country  that  for  the  remainder  of  the  year  and  early  in  1861,  the  town 
progressed  very  slowly.  During  all  its  earlier  history,  Humboldt  was 
more  prosperous  than  most  of  the  Kansas  towns,  having  such  a  large  trade 
with  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  south  and  west. 

In  1861 ,  the  war  broke  out,  and  most  of  the  able  bodied  men  having  en- 
listed in  the  army,  but  little  building  was  done.  Then  in  September  of 
that  year,  the  town  was  robbed,  and  about  one  month  later  was  burned  by 
rebel  raiders.  Only  a  few  buildings  were  left,  and  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  but  few  new  buildings  were  erected. 

The  first  building  of  any  consequence  that  was  erected  after  the  raid, 
was  the  "red  store,"  on  the  corner  of  Bridge  and  Eighth  streets,  now  occupied 
by  E.  W.  Trego  with  a  hardware  stock.  The  lower  storey  was  built  by 
Col.  W.  Doudna,  and  the  upper  one  by  the  Masonic  fraternity.  This  was 
followed  by  a  few  more  buildings. 

In  1866,  the  town  began  to  progress  quite  rapidly,  and  a  number  of 
fine  structures  were  erected.  Among  them  were  the  school  house.  Catho- 
lic church,  the  brick  block  on  Eighth  street,  and  a  number  of  other  good 
buildings.  During  the  next  three  years,  the  growth  of  the  town  was  quite 
rapid. 

In  1865,  a  treaty  was  effected  with  the  Osage  Indians  which  permitted 
actual  settlers  to  enter  i6o  acres  each,  at  $1.25  per  acre.  This  land  was 
sold  in  1868,  and  the  landoffice  being  at  Humboldt,  brought  an  immense 
trade  to  the  town,  which  made  it  for  some  time  one  of  the  most  thriving 
business  places  in  the  state. 

On  April  2nd,  1870,  the  M.  K.  &  T.  R.  R.  was  completed  to  the 
townsite.  To  secure  this  road,  the  citizens  voted  $75,000  in  bonds.  The 
citizens  also  bought,  for  $13,000  160  acres  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  of  which  they  gave  to  the  railroad  company  ten  acres  for  depot 
grounds  and  right  of  way,  and  the  remainder  was  divided  into  lots,  of 
which  the  railroad  company  received  one-half. 

In  October  1870,  the  I^.  L.  &  G.  R.  R.  (now  the  Southern  Kansas  divi- 


94  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

siouofthe  A.  T.  &  S.  F.)\vas  finished  to  Humboldt,  and  the  event  was  cele- 
brated the  following  month.  The  years  1870  and  1871,  were  marked  by  the 
rapid  growth  of  the  town.  Large  numbers  of  buildings  were  erected,  some  of 
them  being  constructed  of  brick  and  stone.  Property  greatly  increased  in 
value  until  it  was  almost  impossible  to  buy  lots.  An  iron  bridge  was  built 
across  the  Neosho  river  by  the  Humboldt  Bridge  Company,  which  was 
composed  of  some  of  the  leading  men  ol  the  town,  and  various  other  im- 
provements were  made 

In  1872  the  improvements  of  the  town  were  not  so  rapid,  and  the  in- 
flated prices  of  property  began  to  decrease.  In  1873  the  great  financial 
crash  seriou.sly  effected  the  business  of  Humboldt,  and  this  was  followed  by 
the  general  devastation  of  crops  by  grass  hoppers  the  following  year,  which 
resulted  very  disastrously  to  the  town,  some  of  the  merchants  failing  in  bus- 
iness, while  many  of  the  citizens  moved  away.  Then  followed  a  dull  pe- 
riod, but  before  it  commenced  the  town  had  an'ived  at  nearly  its  present 
proportions.  For  the  last  twenty  years,  while  it  is  true  that  at  no  time  has 
there  been  any  great  progress,  Humboldt  has  always  held  its  ground  as  a 
prosperous    business  town. 

Since  the  burning  of  Humboldt  by  the  rebels  in  1861,  noted  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  county,  there  have  been  very  few  fires.  The  last  serious  one 
occurred  on  the  night  of  January  1 1 ,  1883.  About  8  o'clock  a  fire  was  discov- 
ered in  the  brick  building  owned  by  Dayton,  Barber  &  Co. .  on  Bridge  Street. 
The  lower  floor  was  occupied  by  the  grocery  store  of  Charles  Lehman,  and 
the  upper  story  by  law  offices,  and  the  Independent  Press  printing  office.  On 
the  same  floor  H.  D.  Smith  and  family  and  Mrs.  Lydia  Sniff  resided.  All 
had  gone  to  church  and  left  the  lamp  burning  in  the  printing  office,  and  it 
is  supposed  it  exploded.  The  building  was  soon  in  flames,  and  to  prevent 
the  fire  from  spreading  further,  the  cigar  factory  on  the  east  side  was  torn 
down.  On  the  west  was  Curdy's  double  store,  over  which  were  law,  in-' 
surance,  and  real  estate  offices,  as  well  as  dental  rooms.  This  building 
was  soon  covered  with  men  who,  by  hard  work  saved  the  building.  The 
greater  part  of  the  goods,  furniture  and  fixtures,  were  carried  from  all  these 
rooms,  except  Smith's  private  rooms  and  printing  office,  the  contents  of 
which  were  all  destroyed.  The  damage  to  the  goods,  as  well  as  to  Cur- 
dy's building,  was  great,  but  most  of  the  property,  except  Smith's,  was  in- 
sured for  nearly  enough  to  cover  the  losses. 

The  ravages  of  the  fire  were  soon  repaired,  and  the  town  did  not  suffer 
any  permanent  setback  on  account  of  it.  The  years  that  followed  have 
been  for  the  most  part,  quiet  and  uneventful,  marked  by  but  slight  changes 
either  in  the  business  or  the  population  of  the  city.  The  discovery  of  gas 
has  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  a  flourishing  industry,  the  Humboldt 
Brick  Company,  and  the  discovery  of  oil,  although  as  yet  not  in  market- 
able quantities,  leads  to  the  hope  that  further  prospecting  may  yet  develop 
a  large  supply  which  will  be  of  great  commercial  advantage  to  the  town. 
For  the  present  Humboldt  remains,  as  it  has  always  been,  a  good  country 
town,  enjoying  a  much  better  than  usual  trade  on  account  of  the  excellent 
country  around  it,  and  affording  a  delightful  place  of  residence. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  95 


(Bas  Cit? 

In  the  summer  of  i8g8  Mr.  E.  K.  Taylor,  who  owned  a  tract  of  land 
on  the  line  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad,  sunk  a  well  and  developed  a 
large  flow  of  gas.  He  sold  forty  acres  of  the  land  to  the  Cherokee-Lanyon 
Spelter  Company  and  twenty  acres  to  the  Prime  Western  Spelter  Company. 
These  companies  at  once  began  the  erection  of  zinc  smelters.  Mr.  Taylor 
then  had  the  remainder  of  the  tract  laid  out  into  town  lots,  naming  the 
place  Gas  City  and  filing  the  official  plat  October  27,  1898. 

The  town  has  grown  rapidly  and  several  hundred  people  now  make  it 
their  home.  It  has  a  post-office,  and  is  connected  with  lola  by  telephone. 
The  Missouri  Pacific  suburban  train  service  also  puts  it  in  close  touch  with 
lola,  and  it  is  on  the  line  of  the  electric  street  railway  which  is  projected  as 
this  chapter  is  written  and  will  doubtless  be  in  operation  when  this  volume 
appears. 

Xalbarpe 

BY  J.  Q.   ROBERTS 

The  building  of  the  Fort  Scott  Wichita  and  Western  (now  the  Missouri 
Pacific)  railway  was  responsible  tor  the  birth  of  the  town  of  LaHarpe,  the 
plat  of  which  was  filed  in  1881.  J.  C.  Reeder  was  the  first  station  agent, 
and  he  was  succeeded  by  C.  H.  Hackney. 

The  first  businesss  house  in  the  village  was  built  by  Hackney  &  Sons, 
who  engaged  in  the  business  of  buying  grain. 

For  many  years  the  growth  of  the  town  was  very  slow,  and  until  1898 
it  remained  a  mere  hamlet,  with  a  post-office  and  a  few  small  stores. 

The  discovery  of  gas,  however,  gave  a  splendid  impetus  to  the  town, 
and  since  then  it  has  grown  rapidly  under  the  stimulus  of  the  great  zinc 
smelters  of  the  Lanyon  Zinc  Company.  By  the  spring  of  1899  the  in- 
crease in  population  was  such  as  to  warrant  incorporation  as  a  city  of  the 
third  class,  and  the  first  officers  elected  were  the  following:  S.  S.  Forney, 
mayor;  C.  H.  Hackney,  G.  G.  Fox,  J.  E.  Stansbury,  F.  M.  Davis,  L.  H. 
Daggett,  councilmen;  S.  Malcom,  treasurer ;  E.  L,.  Runyan,  clerk;  J.  Q. 
Roberts,  attorney;  E.  C.   Moore,  police  judge;  Lee  Chew,  Marshal. 

In  1898  a  new  school  building  was  built,  a  commodious  structure  re- 
placing the  small  district  building,  and  excellent  schools  are  maintained. 

The  first  church  building  was  erected  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  de- 
nomination in  1885.  In  1890  the  Presb5''terian  church  was  erected,  and  in 
1 90 1  the  Protestant  Methodist  church  building  was  completed.  All  three 
societies  are  reasonably  strong. 

lyaHarpe  is  situated  near  the  geographical  center  of  Allen  county,  is 
apparently  right  over  the  strongest  gas  pressure  in  the  state,  is  surrounded 
by  a  rich  agricultural  country ,  and  her  citizens  feel  that  there  is  a  bright 
future  in  store  for  their  town.     Why  not? 


gS  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 


leismore 

BY  JESSE.   P.    DICCKER. 

In  the  spring  of  1887,  the  present  bus)'  little  town  of  Elsmore  was  not 
in  existence.  At  that  time  its  site  was  an  open  prairie,  and  people  who 
wanted  more  than  a  sack  of  flour  or  a  package  of  coffee,  must  necessarily  go 
to  Humboldt,  lola,  or  Fort  Scott  for  their  needs,  or  go  without.  The  coun- 
try surrounding  at  that  time  was  sparsely  settled,  most  of  the  land  being 
owned  by  non-residents,  and  lying  open  and  uncultivated,  except  now  and 
then  a  leaguer  had  broken  out  a  small  patch,  built  a  cheap  box  house  and 
settled  down  to  fight  the  railroad  company  through  the  courts  for  the  land, 
believing,  true  or  not,  that  the  land  had  never  baen  honestly  earned  by  those 
claiming  ownership,  and  that  some  day  it  would  be  opened  by  the  govern- 
ment for  settlement. 

At  this  time  Old  Elsmore  was  the  center  of  attraction  for  people  in 
Elsmore  township  They  went  there  for  their  mail,  to  vote,  to  buy  grocer- 
ies from  the  little  country  store  that  was  run  by  different  men  at  different 
times  among  whom  were  W.  D.  Cox  and  J.  G.  Kenyon,  both  of  this  place 
at  the  present  writing.  Along  in  the  fall  of  1886,  the  talk  was  heard  that 
a  railroad  might  be  built  from  Kansas  City  to  Parsons  and  that  it  would 
pass  through  Allen  county,  and  forthwith  the  repre-entative  men  of  Els- 
more township  began  to  figure  on  getting  it  through  this  township.  After 
the  usual  preliminary  survey,  resurveys  and  talk  of  better  routes,  the  pro- 
moters of  the  Parsons  and  Pacific  Railway  Company  decided  that  if  Osage, 
Marmaton  and  Elsmore  townships  would  each  vote  to  take  twenty  thous- 
and dollars  of  common  .stock  in  the  company,  at  par  and  pay  for  it  in 
twenty  year  6  per  cent  bonds,  they  might  be  able  to  build  the  road  this 
way;  any  way,  they  would  like  for  the  people  to  vote  on  the  proposition, 
and  they  did.  The  result  was  favorable  to  the  bonds.  Among  the  consider- 
ations, however,  the  Parsons  and  Pacific  Railway  Company  was  to  build  a 
depot  and  maintain  a  station,  telegraph  office  and  stock  yards  within  one- 
half  mile  of  the  center  of  Elsmore  township,  and  when  this  agreement  is 
considered,  it  is  easy  to  account  for  the  present  location  and  town  of  Els- 
more. 

About  Aug.  25,  1888,  Messrs.  W.  D.  Cox,  H.  W.  Cox,  N.  L.  Ard,  O. 
P.  Mattson,  J.  L,.  Roberts  and  J.  A.  Nicholson,  purchased  of  the  owners  of 
the  S.  E.  quarter  of  section  7,  26,  21,  twenty  acres  in  the  southwest  corner 
of  said  land,  and  proceeded  to  lay  off  and  plat  the  town  of  Elsmore.  The 
first  business  to  be  established  was  that  of  W.  D.  Cox,  who  moved  his 
country  store  from  Old  Elsmore  to  the  right  of  way  near  the  southwest  cor- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  97 

ner  of  town  and  sold  goods  of  every  drscription  to  citizens  of  the  commu- 
nit}',  as  well  as  furnishing  the  contractors  who  were  building  the  road  many 
of  their  supplies.  As  soon  as  the  town  site  was  platted,  W.  D.  Cox  moved 
his  store  to  the  place  where  he  now  carries  on  business.  E.  Peters  followed 
with  a  little  store  on  the  south  side  and  later  built  where  the  M.  L,  Decker 
residence  now  stands,  and  carried  a  very  good  general  stock.  The  business 
changes  of  the  town  have  been  many,  but  in  almost  every  instance  the  change 
has  been  to  the  advantage  of  the  town.  L.  T.  Donoho  was  the. first  post- 
master, J.  L.  Roberts  t"he  first  hotel  proprietor.  The  Fishe;  Lumber  Co. 
were  first  to  open  a  lumber  yard,  securing  free  lots  from  the  town  company, 
but  losing  them  through  failtire  to  fulfil  their  part  of  the  agreement.  On 
their  withdrawal  came  J.  H.  Osborn  &  Co.,  of  Humboldt,  who  opened  and 
maintained  a  yard  that  has  been  one  of  the  strong  firms  of  the  town  and  at 
the  present  time  one  of  our  best  firms.  Winfield  Sainuel  was  our  first  drug- 
gist. Following  him  were  vSpringer,  Butler,  Barton,  Braden  &  Rees,  and 
then  S.  H.  Braden,  who  at  present  owns  the  fine  brick  building  occupied 
with  his  large  stock,  equal  to  that  of  almost  any  store  in  the  county.  In 
the  fall  of  iSgoThos  Bettesbuilta  block  of  four  large  business  rooms,  which 
were  occupied  by  Lardner,  Love  Bros.,  general  merchandise,  E).  Butler, 
drugs,  and  Martin  &  Adams,  general  merchandise.  In  1892  J.  P.  Decker 
&  Co.  purchased  of  Martin  &  Adams  their  stock  of  merchandise  and  con- 
tinued in  the  Bettes  block  until  1895,  when  the  Decker  block  on  the  south 
side  of  the  street  was  built  and  occupied  by  them. 

By  this  time  the  town  was  making  a  strong  growth  and  despite  the  hard 
times  of  '95,  '96  and  '97,  new  buildings  were  built  and  new  firms  con- 
tinued to  locate  until  at  the  present  time  we  have  four  general  stores  as  fol- 
lows :  Smith  &  Sons,  McCaslin  &Kincaid,  the  Elsmore  Cash  store,  (J.  P. 
Decker)  and  A.  M.  Tippie.  W.  D.  Cox  &  Son  now  handle  hardware  and 
implements,  grain,  coal,  furniture  and  undertaking  goods.  Krokstrom 
&  Nelson  have  a  large  stock  of  hardware,  implements,  wagons,  buggies, 
harness,  etc.  H.  S.  Richards  is  our  harness  maker  and  carries  a  good 
stock  of  goods.  Mrs.  H.  S.  Richards  and  Miss  Carrie  Rice  each  have  a 
choice  line  of  millinery.  J.  H.  Ward  does  the  barber  and  laundry  work 
of  the  town;  W.  S.  Samuels  provides  the  soft  drinks,  candies  and  cigars 
to  the  trade  and  also  feeds  the  hungry  short  order  lunches.  Mrs.  Sparks 
conducts  our  hotel  and  enjoys  a  splendid  trade;  G.  H.  and  H.  E.  Blakely 
recently  purchased  J.  G.  Kenyon's  livery  business  and  combining  it  with 
that  of  the  Star  livery  barn,  built  a  large  new  barn  and  do  a  thriving 
business.  Besides  W.  D.  Cox  &  Son,  W.  W.  Mofiitt  and  W.  L.  Higin- 
botham  each  do  a  grain  business  and  find  plenty  to  keep  them  busy.  C. 
W.  Nelson,  J.  T.  Barron  and  C.  W.  Mosier  are  our  blacksmiths;  C.  H. 
Woodard  and  A.  C.  Snyder  our  carpenters;  Milton  Watson  our  painter; 
Palmer  and  Rogers,  our  masons. 

The  fraternal  societies  of  the  town  are  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  M.  W.  A., 
K.  and  L.  of  S.,  and  the  F.  A.  A.,  all  flourishing  insurance  societies  with 
a  membership  of  about  250  persons.  The  Elsmore  Creamery  Company, 
composed  of  about  twenty  of  our  farmers  and  two  or  three  town  men,  was 


98 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    ANn 


oiganizedin  1896.  B.  F.  Ludlum  was  its  first  p:esiclent  and  J.  P.  Decker 
its  first  secretary.  At  the  present  time  J.  M.  Hill  is  president  and  J.  P. 
Decker  still  continues  as  secretaTv.  The  company  has  its  main  plant 
here  and  has  stations  at  Ba3'ard,  Kansas,  and  Stark,  Kansas,  and  does 
a  large  amount  of  business  in  a  year.  The  State  Bank  of  Elsmcre  was 
organized  in  1899  and  opened  for  business  in  August  of  that  year.  A.  F. 
McCarty,  of  Humboldt,  was  its  first  president  and  still  retains  that 
po.sition.  vS.  H.  Braden  was  the  first  cashier,  but  resigned  his  position 
January  i,  1900,  to  better  look  after  his  drug  business,  Frank  Goyette 
purchasing  the  larger  part  of  his  stock  and  becoming  cashier,  still  retaining 
the  position.  B.  F.  Uudlum  is  vice  president  and  Mrs.  Nannie  Goyette, 
a.ssistant  cashier  of  the  institution,  which  is  doing  a  conservative,  safe 
business,  its  deposits  at  the  present  time  exceeding  $20,000,  its  loans  about 
$15,000  and  its  surplus  and  undivided  profits  reaching  about  $600.  The 
capital  stock  of  the  bank  is  $6,000. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  town  the  Elsmore  Eagle  made  its  appearance 
and  while  a  creditable  country  paper,  did  not  pay  its  way  and  was  finally 
allowed  to  die,  the  lola  Register  getting  its  subscription  list.  Mr.  L.  E. 
DeHaven  was  editor  and  publisher  and  made  the  money  to  keep  it  going 
during  its  life  teaching  the  local  school.  In  1896  A.  F.  McCarty  came 
from  Mapleton  and  started  the  Elsmore  Enterprise  and  it  soon  became 
popular  with  the  people  of  the  community  and  was  doing  a  fair  business, 
when  in  1897  Mr.  McCarty  secured  control  of  the  Humboldt  Herald, 
abandoned  the  Enterprise  and  moved  to  Humboldt.  In  February  1899 
A.  F.  McCarty  and  J.  P.  Decker  concluded  to  revive  the  Enterprise  and 
formed  the  Enterprise  Publishing  Company,  Mr.  McCarty  furnishing  the 
plant  and  Mr.  Decker  managing  and  conducting  the  paper.  In  February, 
1900,  Mr.  Decker  became  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  plant  and  paper  and 
is  conducting  it  at  the  present  time,  busin-ss  being  very  good  with  him. 

The  Elsmore  mill,  J.  T.  Ralston  proprietor,  is  another  enterprise  that 
is  doing  a  successful  business,  dealing  in  grain  and  feed  as  well  as  doing 
grinding  and  a  custom  business.  The  trade  of  the  town  extends  west  half 
way  to  Humboldt,  east  into  Bourbon  county  and  north  and  south  easily 
nie-ts  Morari  and  Savonburg  half  way,  doing  an  especially  large  grain, 
broom  corn,  produce  and  life  stock  business.  A  list  of  the  leading 
business  firms  would  include  J.  A.  Nicholson  who  knows  more  about 
broom  corn  and  hauls  more  of  it  than  any  other  Allen  county  firm  and 
Elsmore  easily  ships  more  of  this  commodity  than  all  other  towns  in  the 
county  and  more  than  any  two  other  towns  in  Southeastern  Kansas,  the 
shipments  from  here  the  past  season  being  more  than  400  tons. 

In  1883  Wood  Hull  school  district  was  organized,  the  school  house 
being  built  at  a  location  one-half  mile  south  of  the  present  town  site  and 
H.  W.  Cox  taught  the  youthful  mind  such  branches  as  are  common  to 
our  country  schools,  and  in  1889  the  district  voted  for  removal  to  Elsmore 
and  favorable  to  another  room,  which  was  built  and  IL,.  E.  DeHaven  and 
Miss  Etta  Alford  were  the  first  teachers.  (They  afterward  married  ) 
Again,  in  1895,  the  room  for  our  young  became  too  crowded  and  a  third 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  99 

room  and  teacher  were  added,  new  studies  taken  up  and  our  school  made 
rapid  growth.  In  1899  the  patrons  of  the  district  realized  that  the  schools 
might  be  improved  and  Prof.  Ramsey,  of  Redfield,  was  employed.  He  at 
once  took  up  the  matter  of  a  course  of  study  that  could  be  carried  on 
systematically,  and  prepared  one  which  was  accepted  by  the  board  of 
education  and  which,  when  completed,  fits  the  graduates  of  the  Elsmore 
.schools,  for  entering  the  State  University. 

About  the  first  of  January,  1889,  the  U.  B.  society  with  Bro.  Ayling 
as  pastor  met  and  organized  and  elected  a  board  of  trustees  and  circulated 
a  subscription  paper  for  a  church,  but  failed  to  get  enough  subscribed  and 
the  matter  was  dropped.  The  same  spring  they  organized  a  Sunday 
school.  Rev.  Ayling  was  followed  by  Revs.  Finch  and  Cleaver,  when  in 
1 89 1  another  effort  was  made  to  build  a  church  and  failed  till  in  the 
summer  of  1895  the  corner  stone  was  laid,  and  under  the  Rev.  Kirk- 
patrick  the  following  May  the  U.  B.  church  of  this  place  was  dedicated. 
The  following  year  they. built  a  parsonage  under  Rev.  Christlieb  who  was 
followed  by  Rev.  Stone.  The  first  Methodist  minister  who  preached  at 
this  place  was  R.  S.  Barber  whom  the  Moran  charge  under  W.  Emmerson 
sent  here  as  a  supply  in  the  spring  of  1890.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year 
Bio.  Barber  resigned  to  go  to  school  at  Baker  University  at  Baldwin, 
Kansas.  By  special  request  Rev.  C.  H.  Ganntz,  of  the  Erie  circuit,  came 
in  November  of  the  same  year  and  preached  the  remainder  of  the  con- 
ference year,  holding  services  on  Saturday  evenings.  On  the  9th  of 
January,  1901,  the  Methodist  church  was  organized  with  thirteen  charter 
members,  namely:  C.  D.  Willoughby  and  wife,  W.  B.  Tramell  and  wife, 
Timothy  Hurlbert  and  wife,  H.  W.  Cox  and  wife  and  daughter,  Lizzie, 
G.  W.  Smith  and  wife  and  Marry  Bettes.  The  following  members  were 
elected  as  trustees:  CD  Willoughby,  W.  B.  Tramell,  H.  W.  Cox,  W. 
D.  Cox  and  Timothy  Hurlbert.  It  was  decided  at  once  to  erect  a  church 
and,  accordingly,  Rev.  Gramly  and  H.  W.  Cox  were  directed  to  solicit 
subscriptions  which  met  with  hearty  response  and  in  the  following 
February  the  corner  stone  was  laid.  Rev.  Brant,  of  Parsons,  officiating. 
About  the  same  time  L.  W.  Keplinger,  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  donated 
four  acres  of  ground  one- half  mile  east  of  town  to  the  M.  E.  board  of 
trustees  for  a  cemetery.  Early  in  the  same  spring  the  cemetery  was  platted 
and  ready  for  use  and  on  July  10,  1891,  Thomas  Davis  was  carried  there 
the  first  to  his  last  resting  place.  September  27,  1891,  the  M.  E.  church, 
size  28x48,  costing  $1,300,  was  dedicated,  President  Quay le  of  Baker,  offi- 
ciating. The  following  Sabbath  an  M.  E.  Sunday  School  was  organ- 
ized and  has  been  an  evergreen  Sunday  School.  The  following  year 
under  Rev.  B.  F.  Cargy  a  parsonage,  24x24,  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $200. 
By  some  delay  and  the  sale  of  the  parsonage,  owing  to  a  change 
in  the  circuit  and  the  pastor  residing  at  a  more  central  point,  the  church 
was  released  from  all  debt  in  the  spring  of  1900  and  papered  and  repainted. 
The  church  has  had  the  services  of  the  following  pastors:  C.  H.  Gramly, 
B  F.  Cargy,  Wm.  Leaser,  J.  K.  White,  J.  S.  Budd,  J.  H.  Carter.  The 
present  pastor  is  H.  I.  Dolson. 


HISTORY    OF    ALtEN    .VXD 


Bioorapbies 


LEONARD  B.  PEARSON.— It  is  a  well  attested  maxim  that  the 
greatness  of  a  state  lies  not  in  its  machinery  of  g-overnment,  nor  even 
in  its  institutions,  but  in  the  sterling  qualities  of  its  individual  citizens,  in 
their  capacity  for  high  and  unselfish  effcrt  and  their  devotion  to  the  public 
good.  The  goal  toward  which  he  has  hastened  during  his  many  years  of 
toil  and  endeavor  is  that  which  is  attained  only  by  such  as  have  by  patriot- 
ism and  wise  counsel  given  the  world  an  impetus  toward  the  good ;  such  have 
gained  the  right  and  title  to  have  their  names  enduringly  inscribed  on  the 
bright  pages  of  history. 

Iveonard  B.  Pearson,  who  is  interested  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Allen 
County,  his  home  being  in  Salem  township,  was  born  July  2,  1832,  in 
Jefferson  countv.  New  York,  and  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  one  of  the  old 
Quaker  families  of  Connecticut.  In  1637  John  Pearson  was  driven  from 
England  on  account  of  his  religious  belief.  He  landed  at  Lynn,  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  shortly  afterward  went  to  Rowley,  Massachusetts,  where 
he  established  the  first  fulling  mills  in  America.  Several  families  of  the 
Pearsons  also  came  from  England  to  escape  the  Quaker  persecution  at 
about  the  same  time  and  settled  in  the  Peiin  colony.  The  early  Peaisons 
inter-married  with  the  families  of  Cowdrys,  Fosters,  Dexters,  Morrows 
and  Kendalls.  Edward,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  farmer. 
Two  of  his  maternal  uncles,  Harmon,  were  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  One  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Cowpens.  Edward  Pearson  had 
four  sons  and  four  daughters:  Austin  was  born  in  181 1  and  died  a  few 
years  ago  in  New  York,  leaving  a  family;  Leonard,  who  made  his  home 
in  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  also  passed  away  a  few  years  ago,  survived 
by  his  family:  Ira,  the  father  of  our  subject;  Edward,  the  youngest  brother, 
died  in  Tiffin,  Ohio,  leaving  two  children.  Of  the  sisters,  Hattie  was  born 
in  1793,  Sally  was  born  in  1794,  Almira  was  born  in  1797  and  Anna  was 
born  in  1806.      All  have  now  passed  away. 

Ira  Pearson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Otsego  county, 
New  York.  His  birth  occurred  October  11,  1799.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Eliza  Ann  Harmon  who  became  the 
mother  of  five  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  father  was  a  Democrat  in 
early  life,  but  on  account  of  his  opposition  to  slavery  he  became  a  staunch 
Abolitionist.     He  and  Cortez  Overton  and  Chas.  Dickey  wrote  their  ballots 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  lOI 

and  marched  in  line  to  vote  for  Birney  for  president,  when  to  be  an  A.boli- 
tionist  was  to  incur  ridicule.  When  sixty-four  years  of  age  Ira  Pearson 
offered  his  services  in  the  defense  of  Washington,  but  on  account  of  his 
advanced  years  he  was  not  received  as  a  member  of  the  army.  Charles 
Edwin  Pearson,  his  eldest  son,  was  born  September  2,  1826.  During  the 
Civil  war  he  joined  the  Union  army  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg while  faithfully  serving  his  country.  Adelia,  the  second  child,  was 
born  March  8,  1828,  and  died  unmarried;  lyeonard  B.;  L,ydia  E.  was  born 
November  15^  1834,  and  resides  with  hei  brother  Leonard.  Horatio  C. 
was  born  November  28,  1837,  and  fell  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run 
August  30,  1862.  Albert  and  Alfred,  twins,  were  born  March  22,  1841, 
The  former  was  wounded  and  captured  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  but 
was  again  with  his  regiment  at  Gettysburg.  Soon  afterward  he  returned 
home  broken  down  in  health  by  his  experiences  in  a  Confederate  prison. 
Alfred  died  in  1874  at  his  home  in  Downer's  Grove,  Illinois. 

Leonard  Bloomfleld  Pearson,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  spent 
his  early  life  assisting  his  father  in  his  blacksmith  shop.  In  winter  he 
attended  the  district  school.  His  early  privileges  were  supplemented  by 
studying  in  the  Belleville  Academy  in  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  which 
he  entered  when  twenty  years  of  age,  working  his  way  through  four  3'ears 
of  school  by  his  own  efforts.  In  1862  he  removed  to  Illinois  and  for  ten 
years,  at  intervals,  sailed  on  the  great  lakes.  The  family  was  noted  for 
loyalty  and  during  the  progress  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  Mr.  Pearson 
of  this  review  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-second  Illinois  Infantry  under  Captain  Baker,  Colonel  T.  J. 
Pickett.  It  was  supposed  when  he  enlisted  that  his  soldier  brothers  were 
all  dead  and  now  he  placed  himself  at  the  front  willing  to  give  his  life,  if 
need  be,  as  a  ransom  to  his  country.  He  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  sergeant  and  was  on  duty  in  Kentucky  and  Missouri,  being  kept  on 
scouting  and  oiltpost  duty  until  the  time  of  his  discharge  in  1864.  Soon 
after  he  was  discharged  he  was  offered  one  thousand  dollars  to  re-enlist, 
but  he  had  entered  the  army  from  patriotic  impulses  and  would  not  re-enlist 
for  money.  Returning  to  Illinois  he  was  for  some  time  a  resident  of 
Du  Page  county  and  on  the  i8th  of  November,  1870,  he  started  from  there 
to  Kansas.  He  reached  Allen  county  November  22  and  located  on  the 
O.  J.  Johnson  farm  in  Humboldt  township.  There  he  remained  one  year 
when  he  traded  his  team  and  wagon  for  an  eighty-acre  farm  in  Section 
thirty  Salem  township.  When  he  took  up  his  abode  there  the  total  of  his 
improvements  was  a  ten  by  twelve  box  house.  He  now  owns  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  valuable  land,  a  greater  part  of  which  is  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  yielding  to  him  an  excellent  income.  Many 
modern  improvements  and  accessories  have  been  added  to  the  place  which 
indicates  his  careful  supervision. 

In  1867  Mr.  Pearson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Jane  C.  Dixon,  a 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Wilson)  Dixon.  She  was  born  in  Fer- 
manaugh  county,  Ireland,  in  1839.  Her  father  died  of  cholera  at  Downer's 
Grove,  Illinois,  in  1863.      The  children   of    Mr.    and    Mrs.    Pearson   are: 


I02  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Alice  K.,  wife  of  Frank  Pettit,  by  whom  she  has  two  children,  Charles 
P.  and  Ralph,  their  home  being  in  Salem  township;  Mary  E. ,  wife  of 
Willis  Pettit,  brother  of  Frank,  and  a  resident  of  Elm  township;  Grace  E. 
and  J.  Stella  who  are  still  with  their  parents.  Two  children,  George 
I.  and  Rarrie  M.,  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Pearson  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1864  and  has  supported  each  presidential  nominee  of  the  Republican  party 
since  that  time.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  its  leaders  in  Allen  county, 
and  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  political  affairs  since  long  before  he 
attained  his  majority.  In  1890  his  party  honored  him  with  a  seat  in  the 
House  of  Representatives.  The  Republicans  were  greatly  in  the  minority 
and  could  carry  through  no  measure  alone.  He  was  placed  on  the  railroad 
committee  and  introduced  the  alien  land  bill  which  passed  both  houses  of 
the  assembly  and  became  a  law.  In  1892  he  was  re-elected  and  became 
a  member  of  the  "Douglas"  house  which  House  the  "Populist  House" 
locked  and  barred  from  the  Capitol  as  their  solution  of  the  dual  house 
question.  Mr.  Pearson  carried  the  sledge  with  which  the  "Douglas 
House"  battered  down  the  House  door  and  took  forcible  passession  of  the 
chamber,  February  15,  1893.  He  was  again  placed  on  the  railroad  com- 
mittee and  was  chairman  of  the  fee  and  salary  committee,  and  also  the 
committee  of  cities  of  the  first  and  second  class.  During  this  session  of 
the  legislature  he  introduced  an  amendment  to  the  constitution  that  all 
taxes  paid  by  the  railroads  for  school  and  county  purposes  should  be  paid 
in  money  instead  of  work,  and  providing  where  municipalities,  towns  or 
counties  had  voted  bonds  in  aid  of  railroads  the  taxes  paid  for  school  and  road 
purposes  should  be  divided  among  the  districts,  cities  or  counties,  the  money 
to  be  paid  per  capita  in  such  manner  as  the  legislature  might  direct.  Mr. 
Pearson  is  still  an  earnest,  honest  conscientious  worker  for  the  good  of  his 
party  and  the  upbuilding  of  the  commonwealth.  He  has  ever  placed 
the  party's  welfare  before  self-aggrandizement  and  he  is  widely  known  as 
a  patriotic  citizen  whose  devotion  to  the  general  good  is  unquestioned. 
Over  his  public  career  and  his  private  record  there  falls  no  shadow  of 
wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil  and  he  is  justly  entitled  to  the  high  regard  of 
his  many  friends. 


T^  EYSER. — This  Allen  county  family  is  of  recent  date  as  to  settlement 
-^  ^  in  Kansas,  having  entered  the  state  for  the  purpose  of  a  residence  in 
March  1881.  In  May  following  Benjamin  Keyser,  the  head  of  the  family, 
brought  his  household  to  Allen  county  and  established  his  home  in 
lola.  Benjamin  Keyser  had  been  reared  a  farmer  in  the  east  and  to  this 
pursuit  did  he  devote  himself  the  few  years  he  lived  in  Kansas.  He 
became  the  owner  of  a  tract  of  land  on  Deer  Creek,  at  Wise  post  office,  and 
the  last  acts  of  his  life  were  devoted  to  its  culture.  Once  strong  and  of 
powerful  physique  Mr.  Keyser  was  in  the   state   of   decline    when   he   left 


WOODSON  COUNTIE,S,   KANSAS.  I03 

his  native  Maryland  for  the  west.  Kansa.^  was  too  new  for  him  at  that 
date  and  his  hopes  and  expectations  were  not  as  rapidly  realized  as  he  felt 
they  would  be  and  this  condition  induced  a  further  and  gradual  decline  in 
health.  January  9,  1889,  he  was  stricken  with  apoplexy  while  reading  his 
paper  and  passed  away  without  regaining  consciousness. 

Benjamin  Keyser  was  born  in  Frederick  county,  Maryland,  October 
24,  1821.  He  was  one  of  thirteen  children  and  a  son  of  Philip  and 
Elizabeth  (Cannon)  Keyser.  The  latter's  children  and  grandchildren  are 
as  follows:  Sophia,  who  married  Samuel  Heffner  and  died  in  Frederick 
county,  Maryland,  leaving  Lewis,  John  and  Sophia  A.  (Link);  Margaret, 
who  died  single;  Elizabeth,  who  married  Joseph  Crist  and  died  in 
Frederick  county,  with  issue  as  follows:  Margaret,  wife  of  Thos.  Chilcote; 
Philip;  Joseph;  Charles;  Henry;  Celia,  wife  of  Hens.  T.  C.  Green,  of 
Washington,  D.  C;  Luther  and  Melsino,  who  married  Clayton  S.  Smith; 
John  Keyser,  who  died  in  Frederick  county,  and  left  the  following 
children:  Ephraim;  William;  Mary;  Charles;  Eugene;  John;  Dallas; 
Lewis  and  Nettie;  Lewis  Keyser,  who  died  near  Harpers  Ferry,  Va. ,  and 
left  Fannie;  James;  Elizabeth;  Naomi;  Joseph;  Charles;  Martha;  Erma; 
John;  George  and  Alice;  Samuel  Keyser,  who  died  in  Frederick  county 
was  the  father  of  Walter;  John;  Margaret;  Mary;  Annie;  George;  Katie; 
Richard;  Virgie  and  Cliffie;  Jacob  Keyser,  who  died  in  Lincoln,  Neb., 
leaving  Philip,  Mary,  Annie,  Jennie,  Fannie  and  Lewis;  Ann  Catherine 
who  married  Daniel  Wachtei  and  died  in  Frederick  county,  with  issue  as 
follows:  Margaret,  Sophia,  Elijah  and  Mary;  Joseph  Keyser,  who  died 
in  southern  Pennsylvania  and  had  two  sons,  names  not  known;  Benjamin 
Keyser;  Cornelius,  who  died  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  with  no  children; 
Sarah,  who  married  Henry  Wachter  and  died  in  Frederick  with  the 
following  children;  Nathan,  Howard,  Sidney,  Isaac,  David,  Emina, 
Charles,  Newton,  Annie  and  Mary;  Savilla  Keyser,  who  married  Jacob 
Snook  and  died  at  Boonsboro,  Maryland,  left  children  as  follows:  A. 
Clayton,  Scott,  Marshall,  Wallace  and  Harlin. 

Philip  Keyser,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Washington 
county,  Maryland,  in  1783,  was  married  there  and  removed  to  Frederick 
county  where  all  his  children  were  born.  He  was  a  blacksmith,  but  was 
engaged  chiefly  in  farming  and  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  his  communitj'. 
His  success  in  business  was  of  local  note  and  his  sons  represented  various 
lines  of  industry  in  their  choice  of  livelihoods.      He  was  a  Democrat. 

Benjamin  Keyser  passed  his  first  fifty-nine  years  in  Frederick  county, 
Maryland.  He  was  married  there  March  24,  1846,  to  Fredrica  Elizabeth 
Zeigler,  a  daughter  of  Michael  and  Johanna  (Schaffner)  Zeigler.  Michael 
Zeigler  was  born  in  Germa,ny  in  1783  and  his  wife  was  born  in  the  same  coun- 
try in  1795.  They  were  married  in  1818  and  the  next  year  they  came  to  the 
United  States.  They  were  accompanied  by  a  sister  of  Mr.  Zeigler  and  a 
brother  of  Mrs.  Zeigler  (wife  and  husband)  who  settled  near  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  Michael  Zeigler  settled  in  Frederick  county,  Maryland,  and  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  life  upon  a  farm.  He  died  in  March  1S52  and  his 
widow   died  in  November  1863.     Their  children  were:      Hanna,  who  is  a 


I04  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

maid  and  resides  in  Frederick  county;  Henry,  who  died  in  Frederick  City, 
Maryland,  with  issue  as  follows:  Edward,  Mary,  Charles,  Eugene,  Clara, 
Kate,  Annie,  William,  George,  Clarence  and  Fannie;  Fredrica,  widow  of 
Benjamin  Keyser,  born  November  i6,  1824;  Susan,  who  married  Isaac 
Wachter  and  died  in  Delaware,  Ohio,  left  the  following  children:  Annie, 
Alice,  Frank,  L,ue  and  Daisy;  Christian  Zeigler  who  was  killed  in  a 
railroad  accident  in  the  mountains  of  Pennsylvania  in  1856,  and  died 
without  heirs;  Rebecca,  who  married  John  Hobbs  and  died  at  Nauvoo, 
Illinois,  with  a  deceased  daughter,  Alice,  as  issue;  Mary  C,  who  married 
Ezra  Staley  and  died  near  Frederick  City,  Maryland,  with  issue  as  follows: 
Minnie,  Annie  and  Charles;  and  Louisa  M.,  who  died  in  Frederick  City 
unmarried. 

The  childred  of  Benjamin  and  Fredrica  Keyser  are  Chag.  H.,  born 
March  25,  1847,  resides  in  Pitkin  county,  Colorado;  Milton  W.,  born 
April  29,  1849,  married  Mary  C.  Mitchell  and  is  one  of  the  large  farmers 
of  Edwards  county,  Kansas;  Alice  J.,  born  January  2,  1852,  resides  in 
lola;  Franklin  A.,  born  June  29,  1854,  resides  in  Mineral  county,  Colo- 
rado, and  Anna  M.,  wife  of  L.  W.  Duncan,  born  March  9,  1862. 


REASON  M.  CUNNINGHAM  is  a  representative  of  many  important 
business  interests  of  Allen  county.  Since  1885  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Humboldt,  where  he  has  been  the  promoter  of  many  enterprises 
which  contribute  not  alone  to  his  individual  prosperity  but  also  advance 
the  general  welfare  by  promoting  commercial  activity.  A  native  of 
Indiana,  he  was  born  in  Daviess  county  on  the  22nd  of  March,  1856,  his 
parents  being  Reason  and  Susan  E.  (Prewitt)  Cunningham,  the  former 
l3orn  in  Indiana  in  1818,  the  latter  in  Kentucky  in  1821.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation.  In  1870  he  removed  to  Kansas,  arriving  in 
Humboldt  on  the  19th  of  April,  after  which  he  purchased  a  farm  near 
Leanna  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  still 
living,  their  home  being  in  Humboldt.  The  father  has  attained  the  age 
of  eighty-two,  while  the  mother  is  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  They  were 
parents  of  eight  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  two  sons  and  one  daughter 
have  passed  away.  Elbethel  B.  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war.  He  served 
for  three  years  with  Company  I,  Sixtieth  Indiana  Infantry,  and  then 
veteranized,  remaining  at  the  front  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  He 
participated  in  many  battles  but  escaped  the  enemies'  bullet,  although  he 
came  nearly  losing  his  life  from  the  explosion  of  his  ammunition  box. 
The  other  children  of  the  family  are  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Dickerson,  who 
resides  on  a  farm  near  Leanna;  Robert  H.,  an  agriculturist;  I.  IST. ,  of 
Moline,  Kansas;  G.  D.  and  W.  S. ,  who  are  residents  of  Humboldt,  and 
Ollie,  who  is  with  her  parents. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Reason  M.   Cunningham,  Jr.,  we 
present   to   our  readers  the  life  record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  I05 

known.  He  was  fourteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  parents  removal 
to  Kansas.  After  completing  a  coiumon  school  education  he  continued  his 
studies  in  the  Fort  Scott  Normal  and  in  the  State  Normal  of  Emporia, 
Kansas,  providing  the  means  for  his  tuition  and  other  expenses  by  teaching 
at  intervals  and  by  farm  work  in  the  summer.  For  fifteen  years  he 
followed  the  profession  of  teaching,  and  was  regarded  as  an  excellent 
educator,  having  the  ability  to  impart  clearly  and  impressively  to  others 
the  knowledge  he  had  acquired.  In  1885  he  came  to  Humboldt,  where  he 
engaged  in  teaching  through  the  winter,  while  in  the  summer  months  he 
followed  the  insurance  bu-;ines3.  Ultimately  he  dropped  his  educational 
work  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  the  insurance  and  real  e.state 
business,  in  which  he  has  met  with  very  desirable  success.  He  has  con- 
ducted many  important  realty  transactions  and  is  the  owner  of  considerable 
valuable  property,  having  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near 
Humboldt,  together  with  his  residence,  and  other  business  property  in  the 
city.  He  also  owns  the  grounds  and  ice  plant  building  on  the  banks  of 
the  Neosho  river  and  is  a  stock  holder  and  the  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  Humboldt  Telephone  Company.  These  various  interests  bring  to  him 
an  excellent  income,  which  classes  him  among  the  well-to-do  citizens  of 
the  county. 

Mr.  Cunningham  was  married  on  the  27tli  of  May,  1883,  to  Miss 
Nancy  H.  Booe,  of  Neosho  county,  a  daughter  of  William  Booe,  who  was 
a  native  of  Indiana,  whence  he  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas  in  1879. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cunningham  have  been  born  five  children,  four  of  whom 
are  yet  living:  Gertrude  L. ,  Vei-a  M. ,  Clay  D.  and  Helen  E.  The  third 
child,  Glen,  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  months.  At  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Cunningharm  removed  to  Erie  and  purchased  lumber  of 
A.  I/.  Taylor  to  build  his  house.  That  was  before  the  day  of  railroads 
in  this  locality,  and  he  had  to  haul  his  lumber  by  teams  from  Osage 
Mission. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Cunningham  has  ever  been  a  stalwart 
Republican,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  promoting  the  party's  welfare. 
He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  county  central  committee,  and  for  three 
terms  filled  the  office  of  township  clerk,  while  at  the  present  time  he  is 
notary  public.  As  a  citizen  he  is  progressive,  lending  his  aid  to  any 
movement  calculated  to  prove  of  benefit  along  material,  social,  intellectual 
and  moral  lines.  He  has  made  marked  advancement  in  his  business  career 
through  the  possession  of  those  unyielding  elements  which  ever  conquer 
success. 


JOHN  H.  GARDNER,  of  Humboldt,  whose  connection  with  the 
interests  of  that  city  date  back  to  1870  when  he  came  to  it  from  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. ,  was  born  in  Ann  Arundel  county,  Maryland,  July  4,  1840. 
His  parents,  John  and  Anna  Hall  (Watson)  Gardner,  were  natives   of  the 


I06  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

same  state,  his  father  being  born  in  Ann  Aruude!  county.  His  grand- 
parents were  also  native  Maryland  people.  John  and  Anna  H.  Gardner 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  viz:  Win.  L,. ,  who  died  in  Maryland 
in  1897;  Elizabeth  C,  wife  of  James  Crogen,  of  Washington,  D.  C; 
Charles  T. ,  of  Allen  county,  Kansas;  Anna  E. ,  wife  of  Thos.  J.  Webster, 
died  in  Iv"s  Angeles,  California;  J.  H.;  Richard  and  Abner,  of  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania.  John  Gardner's  fir.st  wife  died  in  1849  and  by  a 
second  wife  he  reared  seven  children  all  of  whom  reside  in  Maryland. 

J.  H.  Gardner  left  the  old  Maryland  home  during  the  war  and  went 
to  Washington,  D. .  C,  where  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Adams  Express 
Company  during  a  period  of  the  Civil  war.  Succeeding  this  he  engaged 
in  the  fruit  and  provision  business  in  that  city  and  was  so  connected  in  a 
business  way  till  1870  when  he  decided  to  come  west.  On  the  6th  of  May 
of  the  last  named  year  he  came  to  Humboldt,  Kansas.  It  was  his  intention 
to  return  to  the  Capital  City  but,  seeing  a  good  opening  for  carpenters — 
and  having  learned  that  trade  in  his  youth  and  early  manhood — he 
decided  to  remain  and  found  work  at  once.  He  formed  a  partnership  with 
his  brother-in-law,  Webster,  to  engage  in  contrhcting  and  the  firm  had  in 
their  employ  the  first  two  years  a  half  score  of  men.  In  1872  he  engaged 
in  the  meat  business  and  for  twenty-five  years  was  the  leading  butcher 
and  meat  man  in  the  city.  He  not  only  killed  and  cut  up  meat  on  the 
block  but  killed  and  cured  and  did  a  considerable  business  as  a  packer,  as 
well.  He  was  amply  rewarded  for  every  effort  put  forth  in  the  line  of  his 
business  but  as  soon  as  he  stepped  aside  to  aid  his  friends,  by  endorse- 
ments or  by  a  lift  on  some  enterprise  with  a  doubtful  future,  he  got  into 
the  mire.  The  harder  he  tried  to  extricate  himself  from  these  burdens  the 
deeper  their  own  weight  carried  him  into  the  bog.  In  time  he  was  forced 
to  yield  up  his  business  and  much  of  his  accumulations  to  satisfy  his 
creditors. 

Harry  Gardner  has  not  alone  been  prominent  as  a  business  man.  He 
brought  strong  Republican  proclivities  with  him  from  Maryland  and  as 
Allen  was  a  strong  Republican  county  he  found  use  for  his  politics  and 
real  sympathy  for  his  faith.  He  has  been  a  formidable  candidate  ior  a 
county  office  on  more  than  one  occasion  before  Republican  conventions 
and  was  nominated  for  county  treasurer  in  1887  but  was  defeated  by  a 
combination  of  circumstances  for  which  his  reputation  was  in  no  wise  to 
blame. 

Mr.  Gardner  was  married  in  Humboldt  in  1878  to  Alice  J.  Smith,  a 
daughter  of  Thos.  D.  and  Julia  A.  (Maxwell)  Smith  who  came  into  Allen 
county  with  her  family  from  Illinois  in  1869.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gardner's 
children  are:     Charles  R.,  J.  Thomas,  Hazel,  Mildred  and  Morris. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  I07 

GEORGE  W.  MOON  is  one  of  the  the  most  substantial  farmers  of 
Allen  county  and  represents  a  line  of  business  that  contributes  in  a 
greater  degree  to  the  substantial  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  country  than 
anv  other  calling  to  which  man  devotes  his  energies.  He  was  born  in 
Hamilton  county,  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  on  the  22nd  of  December,  1838. 
His  father,  Milton  Moon  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  by  occupation 
was  a  farmer.  His  mother,  Julia  Mullen  Moon,  was  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  and  a  representative  of  a  Quaker  family.  When  twelve  years  of 
age  Milton  Moon  accompanied  his  parents  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared 
and  continued  to  make  his  home  until  his  death  which  occurred  in  1886, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  His  wife  died  in  1866  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five  years. 

George  Moon  remained  at  home  until  about  twenty  years  of  age,  when 
he  began  learning  the  milling  business,  serving  as  an  apprentice  under 
a  Mr.  Miller,  of  Union  county,  Indiana.  He  was  employed  in  that 
capacity  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  He  was  then  young,  of 
courageous  spirit  and  unfaltering  loyalty,  and  in  defense  of  the  old  flag  he 
enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Sixty-ninth  Ohio  Infantry.  He  was 
made  first  sergeant.  He  little  imagined  the  hardships  and  privations  that 
were  in  store  for  him,  but  wherever  he  was  found  he  was  always  loyal  to 
duty  and  to  the  Union  cause.  The  regiment  with  which  he  was  connected 
was  sent  directly  to  the  front  and  was  engaged  in  several  skirmishes.  He 
participated  in  only  two  pitched  battles, — the  engagements  of  Stone  River 
and  Chickamauga.  At  the  latter  he  was  captured  and  he  experienced  all 
the  horrors  of  the  southern  prisons.  It  was  on  the  19th  of  September,  1863, 
at  the  burning  of  Reed's  bridge  that  he  was  captured  and  taken  to  Bell 
Isle,  just  opposite  Richmond,  Virginia.  After  remaining  at  that  place  for 
about  two  months  he  was  transferred  to  Richmond,  being  incarcerated  in 
lyibby  prison,  a  large  tobacco  house  which  the  rebels  had  transformed  into 
a  place  in  which  they  might  confine  those  who  through  the  fortunes  of  war 
had  fallen  into  their  hands.  The  prison  was  very  crowded  and  dirty  and 
the  soldiers  only  had  about  half  rations,  and  though  he  considered  the 
hardships  very  great,  the  conditions  in  Richmond  were  far  better  than 
those  at  Danville,  Virginia,  whither  he  was  sent  after  three  months  spent 
in  Libby  prison.  At  Danville  he  remained  for  two  months  and  was  then 
transferred  to  Anderson ville,  where  he  remained  for  seven  months.  The 
conditions  at  that  place  were  too  horrible  for  description,  for  many  of  the 
prisoners  were  crowded  into  an  open  space  with  a  high  stockade  all  around 
with  nothing  to  shelter  them  from  the  hot  summer  sun  of  the  south.  This 
prison  was  so  crowded  that  they  had  hardly  room  to  lie  down.  They  had 
scarcely  anything  to  eat  and  the  sanitary  conditions  were  the  worst 
possible.  The  poor  food  and  impure  air  brought  death  to  many  of  the  boys 
in  blue.  Sickness  visited  them  and  the  sufferings  were  horrible.  Mr.  Moon 
entered  that  prison  a  strong  man,  but  was  almost  a  skeleton  when  he  came 
out.  He  could  hardly  stand  alone,  but  the  bayonets  and  bullets  of  the 
guard  forced  him  to  move  when  the  command  was  given.     The  sufferings 


Io8  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

and  horrors  of  that  prison  are  beyond  description  and  only  those  who 
experienced  incarceration  there  can  fully  understand  the  situation.  When 
the  men  were  taken  prisoners  they  were  robbed  by  the  guards  of  all  the> 
possessed,  including  tents,  blankets  and  much  of  their  clothing.  A 
promise  was  given  that  these  would  be  returned,  but  they  never  were. 

Mr.  Moon  was  taken  from  Andersonville  to  Savannah  where  he 
remained  for  a  few  days  and  was  then  sent  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
where,  after  a  month  spent  upon  the  race  track,  he  was  transfeiTed  to 
Florence.  He  experienced  there  a  repetition  of  the  horrors  of  Anderson- 
ville. After  remaining  at  that  point  for  three  months  Mr.  Moon  was  taken 
to  Wilmington.  North  Carolina.  The  Union  forces  were  so  near,  however, 
that  the  prisoners  were  rushed  on  to  Goldsboro  where  relief  came  to  them. 
After  suffering  everything  that  human  nature  could  endure,  the  subject  of 
this  review  was  at  length  paroled,  sent  to  Wilmington  and  passed  through 
the  Union  lines.  He  was  then  taken  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  given  a 
thirty  days'  furlough  that  he  might  return  home,  as  he  was  greatly  in  need 
of  rest  and  of  those  necessities  of  life  which  contribute  to  health  and 
strength.  On  the  expiration  of  his  furlough  he  reported  at  Columbus  and 
was  there  when  the  news  of  General  Lee's  surrender  was  received  in  May, 
1865,  and  returned  to  his  home  with  a  record  paralleled  by  comparatively 
few  of  the  thousands  of  brave  men  who  defended  the  nation  in  her  hour 
of  peril. 

Returning  to  his  home  Mr.  Moon  resumed  work  in. the  employ  of  the 
man  with  whom  he  had  learned  his  trade  several  years  before.  For  three 
years  he  remained  in  this  man's  service  as  a  most  trusted  and  competent 
workman,  and  then  started  for  the  west,  arriving  in  Humboldt  on  the  ist 
of  April,  1868.  He  purchased  a  farm  two  and  one-half  miles  west  of  the 
city  and  has  since  resided  here,  giving  his  time  and  attention  to  the  devel- 
opment of  his  farm  in  Allen  county,  and  has  acquired  a  comfortable 
competence  for  the  evening  of  his  life.  He  keeps  the  soil  in  good  condi- 
tion by  the  rotation  of  crops  and  he  is  most  progressive  in  all  of  his 
methods,  while  the  neat  and- thrifty  appearance  of  the  place  indicates  his 
careful  supervision. 

Mr.  Moon  was  united  in  marriage  in  March,  1867,  to  Miss  Rachel 
Danzenbaker,  a  native  of  Indiana.  Unto  them  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren, but  their  eldest,  Emma,  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months.  The 
others  are:  William,  who  is  now  married  and  living  on  a  farm;  Charles 
L,-,  who  studied  telegraphy,  but  is  now  farming;  Frank,  who  is  pursuing 
a  course  of  study  in  the  Wichita  College,  and  also  devotes  a  part  of  his 
time  to  teaching,  and  George,  who  is  with  his  parents.  Mr.  Moon  has 
always  been  a  stalwart  Republican  and  has  been  elected  as  county  com- 
missioner, in  which  capacity  he  served  for  three  years.  He  was  township 
treasurer  for  two  terms,  and  has  also  been  township  clerk.  He  received 
the  nomination  of  his  party  for  representative,  but  in  that  year  the  Fusion 
ticket  won,  he  being  defeated  by  a  very  small  majority.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  in  this  way  maintains  associations 
with  his  old  army  comrades.     His  has  been  a  well  spent  life  of  activity, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  I09 

energy  and  honesty  in  all  of  its  relations.  As  a  citizen  he  is  as  true  to  his 
country  as  when  he  followed  the  stars  and  stripes  on  the  southern  battle- 
fields. His  business  methods  have  ever  commended  him  to  the  public 
confidence  and  support,  and  he  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  valued 
representatives  of  the  agricultural  interests  of  Allen  county. 


T^^ 


■"RED.  J.  HORTON,  Allen  county's  famous  gas  driller,  has  been  the 
-•-  direct  cause  of  more  supreme  happiness  on  the  part  of  Tola's  "original 
set"  than  any  other  person,  living  or  dead.  A  few  references,  only,  will 
establish  this  claim  beyond  the  pale  of  successful  contradiction.  He  is  all 
but  the  discoverer  of  gas  at  lola.  It  was  he  who  opened  the  first  great 
well  at  the  "Northrup  ford"  and,  for  a  few  years,  it  was  his  drill,  only, 
whose  regular  "thump"  announced  to  the  populace  of  Elm  Creek  valley 
the  continued  development  of  their  gas  field.  At  an  hundred  different 
points,  in  Allen  and  adjoining  counties,  has  he  penetrated  the  "sand"  and 
more  than  sixty  times  has  he  brought  to  the  surface  that  precious  article, 
the  greatest  of  Allen  county's  resources.  In  the  discovery  of  the  Ohlfest 
well  the  citizens  of  LaHarpe  were  wont  to  believe  their  locality  the  center 
of  the  gas  deposit  in  the  valley  and  when  the  Remsberg  "invincible," 
south  of  the  city  of  Gas,  burst  forth  both  LaHarpe  and  lola  felt  a  jealous 
pang  and  vied  with  each  other  in  their  claims  to  its  jurisdiction. 

Fred  Horton  is  a  new-comer  among  the  citizens  of  Allen  county.  He 
came  to  our  state  in  the  interest  of  the  Palmer  Oil  and  Gas  Company  and, 
for  a  time,  was  regarded  among  our  temporary  sojourners,  only.  His 
continued  success  in  the  determination  of  the  extent  of  Allen  county's  gas 
territory  led  to  his  decision  to  take  up  his  residence  in  lola,  where  he  is 
regarded  among  the  permanent  and  substantial  citizens. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Tioga  county,  Pennsylvania,  October  31, 
1864.  His  father,  Hector  Horton,  was  a  successful  farmer.  He  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Hector,  New  York,  in  1819  and  died  in  Tioga,  county, 
Pa.,  in  Jul}',  1807.  In  early  life  he  moved  down  into  Tioga  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  there  married.  He  was  one  of  the  prominent  men 
of  his  community,  lived  an  honorable  life  and  left  an  estate  at  his  death. 
He  was  married  to  Permelia  Emmick,  a  daughter  of  William  Emmick, 
whose  early  home  was  near  the  site  of  Morris,  Pennsylvania.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  this  union,  viz:  Charles  A.,  of  Butler  county, 
Pennsylvania;  Frank,  of  Freeport,  Ohio;  Anna  M.,  wife  of  A.  C.  English, 
of  lola,  Kansas;  George  E. ,  of  Freeport,  Ohio;  Fred  J.,  our  subject;  Mary 
J.,  deceased,  and  Bert  L.  Horton,  who  maintains  the  old  home  in 
Pennsylvania. 

The  Hortons  offer  no  apology  for  their  Americanism.  They  were  of 
the  first  families  who  left  England  for  the  Colonies  and  their  descendants 
have   filled    our   states    and   territories   with   some  o-f  the"  best  blood  of  the 


no  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

ages.  Thos.  Horton,  grandfather  of  Fred  J.  Horton,  spent  his  life  around 
Seneca  l^ake,  in  New  York.  He  was  first  a  boatman  on  that  lake  and 
afterward  a  distiller,  with  his  factory  at  the  head  of  the  lake.  He  married 
Miss  Anna  Cully  and  died  in  Tioga  county,  Pennsylvania,  leaving  sons 
and  daughters,  viz:  Elizabeth,  of  Jackson  county,  Mich.,  is  the  wife  of 
John  Kimball;  Hiram,  who  died  in  Tioga  county.  Pa.;  Susanna,  of  the 
same  county,  is  Mrs.  Jerre  Houghton;  Thomas,  of  same  county;  Hector; 
Sallie  A.,  who  married  P.  G.  Walker  and  resides  in  Tioga  county,  Pa.; 
Semantha,  wife  of  E.  H.  Hastings,  of  Wellsboro,  Pa.,  and  Ezra  Horton, 
who  died  in  Clearfield  county,  Pennsylvania. 

Fred  J.  Horton  was  reared  chiefly  on  the  farm.  Before  he  reached 
his  majority  he  had  some  experience  in  the  lumber  woods  of  his  native 
state.  The  schools  of  the  country  district  and  those  of  the  little  clean 
county  seat  of  Wellsboro  gave  him  his  educational  equipment.  He  went 
into  the  Ohio  oil  field  about  1885  and  remained  there  eight  years,  as 
employe  two  years  and  as  prospector  and  driller  and  in  the  business  of 
development  six  years.  At  times  he  was  associated  with  a  brother  or 
brothers  and  his  efforts  were  productive  of  varying  degrees  of  success.  His 
operations  were  in  Wood  county  and  around  Lima,  Ohio,  and  it  was  in 
that  country  that  he  came  into  contact  with  the  Palmer  Oil  and  Gas 
Company.  The  latter  firm  arranged  with  him  to  come  into  Kansas  and 
develop  their  field  and  he  reached  Allen  county  in  the  fall  of  1894.  On 
October  ist  of  that  year  he  began  erecting  the  first  rig  at  the  "Northrup 
ford"  and  at  the  end  of  a  fortnight  he  had  uncovered  a  flow  of  gas  that 
fairly  startled  our  people. 

Mr.  Horton  is  not  only  a  developer  of  our  gas  resources  but  an  aid  in 
the  promotion  of  other  enterprises  as  well.  He  owns  an  interest  in  the 
Brooklyn  Park  addition  to  lola  and  put  in,  and  is  the  owner  of,  the  gas 
plant,  or  system,  in  both  Highland  Place  and  Brooklyn  Park.  He  is  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Kansas  Brick  Company,  with  plant  at  Chanute, 
Kansas.  In  1898  he  erected  a  commodious  residence  in  lola  and  the 
same  year  made  substantial  improvements  upon  his  farm  in  Elm  township, 
Allen  county. 

March  16,  1889,  Mr.  Horton  was  married  in  Monroe,  Michigan,  to 
Minnie  E. ,  daughter  of  James  Carroll,  of  Waterville,  Ohio.  Their  chil- 
dren are  Ethel  F.  and  Ruth  Horton. 

The  Hortons  are  Republicans  in  politics.  Hector  Horton,  father  of 
our  subject,  became  a  Republican  early  in  the  history  of  that  party  and  his 
sons  found  it  to  their  financial  well-being  to  support  the  principles  of  the 
same  party.  The  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Elks  and  the  Masons  have  each 
a  claim  upon  the  social  tendencies  of  our  subject. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  Ill 

ELMER  C.  REMSBERG. — Among  the  enterprising  merchants  and 
progressive  and  reliable  citizens  of  lola  is  Elmer  C.  Remsberg,  who 
is  now  conducting  an  implement  store.  He  was  born  near  Middletown, 
Maryland,  June  7,  i86  ?.  and  his  father,  J.  P.  Remsberg,  a  native  of  the 
same  locality,  was  born  April  lo,  1836.  John  Remsberg,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1796,  the  family  homestead  being 
situated  about  five  miles  from  the  battle-field  of  South  Mountain,  where 
occurred  one  of  the  sanguinary  engagements  of  the  Civil  war.  J.  P. 
Remsberg  was  reared  upon  that  place  and  there  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1876,  when  he  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas,  locating  in 
Elm  township  Allen  county,  where  he  made  his  home  until  the  spring  of 
1900.  He  then  removed  to  lola,  where  he  now  resides.  On  the  14th  of 
February,  i86r,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eouisa  A.  C.  Coblentz, 
who  was  born  in  Maryland  June  7,  1838.  She  was  a  daughter  of  David 
Coblentz,  also  of  Maryland,  who  was  a  first  cousin  of  George  A.  Bowlus  of 
the  Bank  of  Allen  County,  at  lola.  Mrs.  Remsberg  died  in  Allen  county 
July  19,  1890,  leaving  five  children.  Elmer  C,  Mary  C. ,  John  D.,  Aaron 
T.  and  Simon,  all  of  whom  are  living  in  this  county. 

Elmer  C.  Remsberg  spent  the  first  fourteen  years'  of  his  life  in  Mary- 
land and  was  then  brought  by  his  parents  to  Kansas,  where  he  was 
reared.  After  completing  his  education  he  began  teaching  in  the  LaHarpe 
district  in  1882,  and  followed  that  profession  continuously  until  1892,  when 
he  secured  a  position  with  C.  H.  DeClute,  for  whom  he  acted  as  clerk, 
remaining  in  that  establishment  until  April,  1899.  In  February  of  the 
following  year  he  purchased  of  A.  W.  Beck  the  implement  store  and  stock 
and  has  since  carried  on  business  along  that  line,  meeting  with  good 
success.  His  business  methods  are  commendable  and  therefore  increase 
his  patronage,  and  he  is  now  enjoying  a  large  and  constantly  growing 
trade. 

On  the  i6th  of  May,  1894,  Mr.  Remsberg  wedded  Miss  Efiie  Eemasters 
who  was  born  July  10,  1871.  in  Johnson  county,  Indiana,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  I.'H.  Lemastefs,  a  native  of  Indiana.  To  them  have  been  born  two 
children:  Mary  L-  and  Everett  L.  Mr.  Remsberg  is  a  member  of  the 
Reformed  Church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  takes  a  very  active 
interest  in  the  growth  and  success  of  his  party,  and  has  several  times 
served  as  a  member  of  the  central  committee.  For  one  term  he  was  a 
member  of  the  city  council,  and  is  now  clerk  of  the  board  of  education , 
which  position  he  has  held  for  three  years.  He  has  been  called  to  ofiice 
by  those  who  recognize  his  ability  and  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  he  has 
shown  that  the  trust  reposed  in  him  is  well  merited. 


T^LIAS  BRUNER. — Actively  identified  with  the  industrial  interests  of 
■'—'  lola,  Mr.  Bruner  has  been  until  recently  engaged  in  the  flourino- 
business    in    connection    with    W.    E.    and    G.    S.    Davis,    and    in   the 


ri2  HISTORY    OK    AI.I.EN    AND 

manufacture  and  sale  of  lumber.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster  county, 
Pennsylvania,  June  15,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Bruner,  who 
was  born  in  the  same  county,  about  the  year  1814.  The  father  was  a 
wagon  maker,  following  that  trade  in  Reynoldsville,  Pennsylvania.  He 
married  Louisa  White,  of  L,anca;iter  county,  and  died  in  1849,  leaving 
several  children.  He  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodi.st  Church 
and  took  an  active  part  in  the  work.  About  1851  or  1852  his  widow 
married  Jacob  Bender.  By  her  first  marriage  her  children  were  Mary, 
who  resides  in  Annville,  Pennsylvania;  Elias;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Henry 
Dissler,  of  Ephrata,  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania.  There  were  also 
three  children  by  the  second  marriage:  Jacob,  who  was  probably  killed  in 
the  great  strike  in  Chicago  in  1886;  Anna,  who  died  in  Annville,  Penn- 
sylvania, at  the  age  of  twenty;  and  John,  a  blacksmith  of  Annville, 
Pennsylvania.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  March  i,  1897,  at  the  ripe 
old  age  of  seventy-three  years. 

Elias  Bruner  began  learning  the  machinist's  trade  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  years,  serving  an  apprenticeship  to  his  uncle,  Peter  Bruner,  of 
Brunersville,  Pennsylvania.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to  Canton, 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  for  one  year  in  the  employ  of  the  Malleable  Iron 
Works.  After  visitiirg  Louisville  and  Indianapolis,  he  returned  home  and 
was  again  employed  by  his  uncle,  but  after  a  short  time  there  passed,  he 
removed  to  Kokomo,  Indiana,  and  soon  afterward  came  to  Kansas,  arriving 
in  this  state  in  December,  1865,  having  traveled  the  entire  distance  in  a 
wagon.  He  settled  near  Erie,  Neosho  county,  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  in  working  in  a  saw  mill.  When  a  year  had  passed  he  came  to 
Allen  county  and  entered  the  employ  of  D.  R.  Hovey,  who  at  that  time 
operated  a  saw-mill  and  planing  mill  near  lola.  After  Mr.  Hovey  sold  out 
to  G.  S.  Davis  &  Company,  Mr.  Bruner  continued  as  engineer  in  the 
mill.  In  187 1  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  plant,  thus  entering  into 
partnership  with  W.  E.  and  G.  S.  Davis,  continuing  at  the  old  place  until 
1880,  when  they  removed  theii  machinery  to  the  more  convenient  site  and 
building  which  they  occupied  until  1900  when  they  sold  it,  with  all  the 
water  privileges  attached,  to  the  city  of  lola,  and  retired  temporarily  'from 
active  business. 

On  the  13th  of  January,  1872,  Mr.  Bruner  wedded  Miss  Drucie  Davis, 
daughter  of  E.  S.  and  Drucie  (Allcock)  Davis,  the  former  born  in 
Augusta,  Maine,  in  1806,  the  latter  in  Marietta,  Ohio,  in  181 1.  Mrs. 
Bruner  is  also  a  native  of  Marietta,  born  May  19,  1848.  They  now  have  four 
children:  Lettie,  who  was  born  October  8,  1874,  and  is  the  wife  of  L.  h. 
Northrup,  of  lola:  Clara,  born  September  13,  1879;  Freddie,  who  was  born 
November  28,  1882,  and  died  at  the  age  of  one  month,  and  George,  born 
September  20,  1890.  The  family  is  one  well  known  in  lola  and  the 
members  of  the  household  enjoy  the  high  regard  of  many  friends.  Mr. 
Bruner  has  been  a  life-long  Republican,  and  as  every  true  American  citizen 
should  be,  is  well  informed  upon  the  issues  of  the  day  and  does  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  the  party  which  he 
advocates. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  113 

TT'LIAS  W.  ARNOIyD,  one  of  the  well  known  and  permanent  mechanics 
'  *  of  lola,  has  passed  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  Allen  county,  having 
come  into  it  in  1875.  He  was  an  Ohio  emigrant,  from  Wayne  county, 
where  he  was  born  on  the  gth  of  April,  185 1.  His  father,  George  Arnold, 
was  a  farmer  and  carpenter,  who  was  brought  to  Ohio  when  a  child  from 
the  state  of  Maryland.  The  early  re.'-idents  of  Wayne  and  Stark  counties, 
Ohio,  well  remember  George  Arnold  as  a  mechanic  for  he  handled  the 
saw  and  the  hammer  in  the  two  municipalities  nearly  half  a  century. 

Daniel  Arnold,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  Ohio  for  it  was  he  who  crossed  the  Alleghenies  from  Maryland 
just  after  the  war  of  1812  and  began  the  initial  work  of  opening  up  a  farm 
in  Wayne  county.  He  died  and  is  buried  in  the  Buckeye  state. 
George  Arnold  was  an  only  child.  He  was  born  in  181 2  and  died  in 
1898.  He  married  Mary  Spake,  whose  father,  John  Spake,  was  from  the 
state  of  Pennsylvania,  and  served  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mary  (Spake) 
Arnold  died  in  1900  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  She  was  twice 
married,  her  first  husband  being  Jacob  Plum.  George  Arnold  was  also 
twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Mary  Bowman.  The  family  of  Plum 
children  were:  John,  deceased,  who  served  in  the  120th  Ohio  Infantry; 
Elizabeth,  who  married  William  Cordray,  died  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio. 
The  first  family  of  Arnold  children  is  composed  of  John  Arnold,  who 
resides  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio;  Levi,  of  Blackwell,  Oklahoma;  Hiram  and 
David,  deceased.  Eli  and  Hiram  served  in  the  4th  Ohio  regiment,  the 
latter  dying  in  the  service.  The  younger  generation,  which  includes  our 
subject,  are:  Elias  W. ;  Jennie,  wife  of  Calvin  Taggart";  Mary;  Amanda, 
wife  of  Jerre  Houk,  of  Wayne  county;  Daniel  and  Charles,  of  Wayne; 
Jacob,  whose  whereabouts  are  unknown;  and  Elberta,  who  married  John 
Trout,  of  Wayne  county,  Ohio. 

E.  W.  Arnold  practically  grew  up  in  a  carpenter  shop.  He  had 
completed  his  trade  by  the  time  he  had  acquired  a  fair  common  school 
education  and  at  the  age  of  about  twenty  years  he  undertook  the  serious 
side  of  life.  He  made  no  pretentions  to  any  other  calling  before  he  came 
west  and  the  first  few  years  he  was  in  Allen  county  he  picked  up  a  few 
dollars  here  and  there  as  the  opportunity  occurred,  in  this  way.  Twenty 
years  ago  mechanics  were  more  numerous  in  Allen  county  than  jobs  and 
Mr.  Arnold  found  it  necessary  to  employ  other  means,  at  times,  to  supply 
the  wants  of  his  family.  Gardening  and  a  little  truck  patch  business  here 
and  there  and  doing  odd  jobs  at  anything  and  for  anybody  is  not  an  exag- 
gerated statement  of  his  experiences  for  a  few  years  in  Kansas.  When  he 
became  able  to  buy  a  lot  and  improve  it,  and  then  sell,  he  struck  his  first 
money-making  project.  The  town  property  he  acquired  in  this  way  he 
finally  traded  for  a  farm  which  he  moved  onto  and  cultivated  with  some 
degree  of  profit,  a  few  years.  In  the  spring  of  1900  he  erected  a  couple  of 
residences  in  Jones'  addition  to  lola,  returned  to  the  city  and  resumed  his 
trade.     Toward  the   development  of  lola  he  has  built,  on  his  own  account, 


114  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

seven  houses  not  to  say  aught  of  the  many  he  has  been  connected  with 
merely  as  a  mechanic. 

January  22,  1874,  Mr.  Arnold  was  married  to  Louisa  A.,  a  daughter 
of  Aaron  Altland.  The  latter  married  Margaret  Jones  and  died  in  Stark 
countv,  Ohio,  in  December,  1895,  at  the  age  ot  sixty-seven  years.  His 
wife  died  in  1866  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years.  The  Altlands  were  from 
Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  to  Ohio  where  they  settled  early.  John 
Altland,  Mrs.  Arnold's  grandfather,  was  born  in  1790  and  died  in  1S71. 
He  was  a  faruiei  and  was  married  to  Susan  Eckroate,  who  died  in  1875  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one.  Aaron  Altland's  children  are:  Louisa  A.,  born  July 
20,  1853;  and  Andrew  and  Josiah  A.  Altland,  of  Stark  county,  Ohio. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold's  children  are:  Clark  Warren,  born  August 
II,  1875;  Edna,  born  May  18,  1884;  Odella,  born  April  25,  1888;  Almeda, 
born  April  14,  1891.  Three  children,  Aaron,  Ethel  S.  and  George  S. 
Arnold,  are  deceased. 

Eli  Arnold  has  been  one  of  the  industrious  citizens  of  his  community. 
His  sympathies  have  always  been  with  the  struggling,  honest  toiler  for  he 
felt  that  he  was  one  of  them.  His  life  has  been  in  every  way  honorably 
spent  and  he  has  done  his  best  with  the  resources  at  his  command. 


JASPER  S.  TURNER — In  the  early  spring  of  1885  a  new  man  succeeded 
Mr.  AUaway-  in  charge  of  the  Santa  Fe  station  at  Tola.  He  was  an  eastern 
man  but  had  absorbed  western  ways  and  western  customs  in  his  association 
with  the  builders  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  from  Junction  City  to 
Denver  and  in  his  subsequent  association  with  men  of  the  craft  on  other 
lines  and  in  other  departments  of  the  work.  The  year  1885  marks  his  ad- 
vent to  the  service  of  the  Southern  Kansas  Railroad  Company,  now  the 
Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company,  and  he  was,  consequently,  in  the  probationary 
stage  of  service  when  he  came  to  lola.  We  refer,  in  these  preliminaries, 
to  the  person  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  Jasper  S    Turner. 

Mr.  Turner  was  born  in  Medina  County,  Ohio,  February  17,  1842,  and 
passed  his  boyhood  there.  The  country  was  all  he  had  an  opportunity  to 
familiarize  himself  with  as  a  boy  and  youth  and  his  education  was  obtained 
amid  such  surroundings  for  the  time  being.  In  the  fall  of  1861  he  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  42nd  Ohio  Volunteers  for  three  months  and  upon  the  ex- 
piration of  his  time  reenlisted  and  was  assigned  to  Company  I,  103rd  Ohio 
volunteers.  His  regiment  served  in  the  army  of  the  the  Tennessee  and 
when  his  second  period  of  enlistment  expired  he  was  in  Ten- 
nessee, and  there  veteranized.  He  did  not  furlough  home  as  was  the  prac- 
tice under  such  circumstances,  and  as  the  remainder  of  his  company  did, 
but  continued  on  duty  and  remained  in  the  field  until  the  last  gun  had 
been  fired  arid  the  last  vestige  of  the  Confederacy  had  been  wiped  out. 

The  first  year  after  the  war  Mr.  Turner  spent  in  attendance  upon  the 
Mennonite  College  at  Wads  worth,  Ohio.     His  experiences  up  to  this    time 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  II5 

had  been  ample  to  enah)le  him  to  cope  successfully  with  his  perrs  in  the 
warfare  of  life  and  in  1867  he  started  west  "to  look  for  something."  The 
development  of  the  west  was  at  that  time  in  its  incipient  stages.  The  first 
great  artery  of  domestic  commerce  to  unite  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  was 
then  building  and  our  subject  drifted  toward  Kansas,  the  initial  point  in  its 
construction.  He  secured  the  clerkship  with  the  Superintendent  of  con- 
struction and  followed  the  road  out  to  Denver  and  observed  its  completion 
to  that  point.  He  returned  to  Manhattan,  Kansas,  next  and  entered  the 
station  service  of  the  same  road,  the  "Kansas  Pacific,"  and  while  here  was 
injured  and  forced  to  retire  from  the  service,  going  to  Wyandotte,  Kansas. 
He  secured  a  clerkship  in  one  of  the  hotels  of  the  place  and  there  passed 
a  period  of  six  months.  Returning  again  to  railroad  work  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Ft.  Scott  and  Gulf  road  as  clerk  for  the  assistant  Superin-  . 
tendent  of  construction.  Leaving  this  position  he  went  into  the  station  de- 
partment of  the  North  Missouri,  now  the  Wabash  Railroad,  and  remained 
with  that  system  from  the  fall  of  .1869  to  April,  188. (.,  when  he  left  their 
employ  at  Plattsburg,  Missouri.  He  joined  the  Southern  Kansas  company 
the  same  year  and  on  the  13th  of  March  following  took  charge  of  the  .station 
at  lola. 

Mr.  Turner's  is  one  of  the  old  American  families.  His  great-great- 
grandfather and  his  great-grandfather  were  born  in  the  Fatherland  and,  on 
arrival  in  Ameiici,  settled  somewhere  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  great- 
grandfather served  in  the  Colonial  army  during  the  war  for  Independence. 
He  was  probably  a  recruit  from  the  colony  of  New  Jersey,  for  some  of  his 
posterity  went  from  that  State  into  Pennsylvania  in  the  early  part  of  the 
19th  century.  John  Turner,  our  subject's  grandfather,  emigrated  from 
"Jersey"  and  settled  on  the  Muskingum  river  in  western  Pennsylvania 
when  his  son,  Alexander,  was  a  youth.  Some  years  afterward  he  moved 
over  into  Ohio  and  passed  the  remaining  years  of  his  life  in  Medina  County. 
Among  his  children  was  Alexander,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
The  latter  spent  many  years  teaming  between  Pittsburg  and  Wadsworth, 
Ohio,  served  with  the  Ohio  troops  in  the  Mexican  war  and  finally  settled 
down  to  the  farm  near  Wadsworth,  where  both  he  and  his  wife  died.  He 
married  Betsey  French,  who  died  in  November,  1870,  just  eight  years  be- 
fore her  husband.  Their  children  were  Alonzo,  of  Halley,  Idaho;  James, 
deceased;  Maria,  deceased,  who  married  Clias.  Curtis;  Chas.  Wesley,  de- 
ceased; Quincy  A.,  the  ist,  and  Quincy  A.,  the  2nd;  and  Jasper  S.,  ist 
and  2nd,  the  latter  being,  of  course,  the  subject  of  this  article. 

Jasper  S.  was  married  while  he  was  in  Plattsburg,  Missouri,  October 
23,  1872,  to  M.  Fannie  Butler,  a  Kentucky  lady.  For  many  years  Mrs. 
Turner  has  conducted  the  leading  millinery  and  ladies  tailoring  establish- 
ment in  lola  and  the  Turner  block  on  West  Madison,  is  in  a  great  measure, 
a  monument  to  her  skill  and  industry.  In  their  relations  to  the  social  side 
of  lola  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  have  been  most  fortunate  and  happy.'  They 
are  a  popular  host  and  hostess  and  they  hold  the  confidence  of  their  towns- 
men in  a  high  and  permanent  degree. 


Il6  HISTORY    OF    Al^l.EN    AND 

IRA  E.  PATTERSON,  oi  lola,  in  the  business  of  plumbing,  cornice 
work  and  general  builders  supplies,  began  his  life  in  lola  in  1882,  as  a 
clerk  in  the  grocery  of  Richards  &  l,akin.  The  next  year  he  joined  Nimrod 
Hankins  in  the  same  business,  which  partnership  and  business  existed  one 
year.  Being  a  mechanic,  he  engaged  in  building  work  and  followed  his 
trade  some  ten  years,  and  left  it  to  engage  in  the  lumber  business  with  H. 
E.  Thomas.  Upon  the  dissolution  of  this  firm  their  tinning  and  plumbing 
business  was  retained  and  Mr.  Patterson  succeeded  to  it.  While  at  first  it 
was  a  matter  of  small  dimensions  the  growth  of  the  city  has  justified  its 
owner  in  extending  and  enlarging  his  business  till  its  importance  is  second 
to  none  in  Allen  County. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  born  in  Henry  County,  111.,  March  30,  1865.  He 
received  a  good  common  school  education  in  the  school  at  Annawan,  111. 
At  the  age  of  seventetrn  years  he  became  responsible  for  his  maintenance 
and  support.  He  went  into  a  carpenter  shop  with  W.  K.  Brown,  of  Anna- 
wan,  and  became  an  efficient  mechanic  in  due  time.  He  came  to  Kansas 
a  youth  of  eighteen  with  no  capital  except  his  industry  and  his  character. 
How  well  he  has  exercised  the  former  and  maintained  the  latter  old  resi- 
dents of  lola  will  amply  testify. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  married  in  lola  October,  1889,  to  Susie  B.,  a 
daughter  of  Henry  Waters.  Mrs.  Patterson  was  born  in  Douglas  County, 
Kansas,  in  1868.  Their  children  are:  Arthur  E. ,  Lyford  M.  and  Helen  R. 
Patterson. 

Mr.  Patterson  is  known  as  an  active  Republican  and  as  a  leading 
member  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  has  served  the  city  as  a  member  of 
her  common  Council  and  has  served  his  church  in  its  various  departments 
of  church  work. 


T  RA  D.  KELIyEY  is  the  proprietor  of  the  only  hack  and  baggage  line  in 
-•-the  cily  of  lola,  and  is  doing  an  extensive  and  profitable  business.  His 
salient  characteristics  are  energy  and  persistency  of  purpose,  aad  as  these 
form  the  ioundation  of  all  success  his  friends  feel  safe  in  predicting  that  he 
will  become  one  of  the  prosperous  residents  of  Allen  County.  He  is  yet 
a  young  man  for  his  birth  occurred  June  3,  1875,  the  place  of  his  nativity 
being  Newton  County,  Arkansas,  and  he  is  a  son  of  William  D.  Kelley,  of 
lola. 

Ira  D.  Kelley  has  spent  twenty-five  years  in  Allen  County.  At  a  very 
early  age  he  commenced  driving  for  his  father  in  the  transfer  business  and 
after  a  few  years  he  purchased  the  business,  which  he  has  since  carried  on 
with  ever-increasing  success.  He  began  with  only  one  bus,  and  since  that 
time  has  added  a  new  wagon  or  carriage  each  year  and  has  the  only  hack 
and  baggage  line  of  the  city. 

On  the  1 6th  of  May,  1896,  Mr.  Kelley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Grace   N.  Smith,  of  Humboldt,  Kansas,  and  their  pleasant  home  in  lola  is 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  117 

justly  celebrated  for  its  charming  hospitalit}'.  Mr.  Kelley  is  connected  w  ith 
a  number  of  fraternal  and  social  organization;  ,  including  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Benevolent  Order  of  Elks.  His  genial  man- 
ner and  unfailing  courtesy  render  him  popular,  and  in  business  cir  cles  he 
sustains  a  high  reputation. 


ELISHA  JAY — For  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  Elisha  Jay  has  been 
a  resident  of  Allen  County  and  during  this  period  has  carried  on  farm- 
ing, which  Washington  said  is  the  most  honorable  as  well  as  the  most  use- 
ful'calling  which  man  follows.  He  was  born  in  Miami  County,  Ohio, 
October  23,  1837,  his  parents  being  Jonathan  and  Ann  (Jones)  Jay,  also 
natives  of  the  Buckeye  State.  In  1850  the  father  removed  with  his  family 
to  Indiana,  where  he  made  his  home  upon  a  farm  until  his  life's  labors  were 
ended  in  death  in  1867,  when  he  was  sixty-two  years  of  age. 

Elisha  Jay  was  the  third  of  six  children  in  his  father's  family  and  was 
seventeen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  removal  to  Indiana.  The  common 
schools  had  afforded  him  his  educational  privileges  and  in  his  early  life  he 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  some  time,  but  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  his  business  career  he  has  carried  on  farming  and 
has  found  it  a  profitable  source  of  income.  He  was  married  in  186 1  to 
Miss  Hannah  Palmer,  a  native  of  Montgomery  County,  Indiana,  and  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mahala  Palmer,  who  were  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren. The  father  died  in  Fountain  County,  Indiana,  on  the  14th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1867,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs, 
Jay  has  been  blessed  with  four  children,  of  whom  three  aie  now  living, 
namely:  Albert,  a  resident  of  Galena,  Kansas;  Jonathan,  who  is  living  in 
Salem  township  and  William  B.  • 

Five    years   after   his   marriage    Mr.  Jav  came  to  Kansas.     Much  of  the 
land    was   still    unclaimed    and   the   government   offered   homesteads    at  a 
nominal  price  to  those  who  would  cultivate  and  improve    the   wild   prairie. 
Our  subject  thus  secured  a  farm  five  miles  east  of  Humboldt,  where  h  e  still 
resides    and    by    his    industry,  as  time  has  passed,  he  has  developed  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  Salem  township,   adding   thereto    all   modern    acce  ssories 
and   improvements.      He    is    well   known   in   the  county  and  has  a  host  of 
warm  friends.     His  political  support  is  given  the  Republican  party   and   in 
religious  work  he  has  been  quite  active.     He  was  made  one  of  the   trustees 
of   the    Maple    Grove    Methodist    Episcopal  church  when  that  society  was 
organized  and  still  holds  the  position.      In  the  interim  this  has  grown  to  be 
a  prosperous  church,  strong  numerically  and  in  its   far-reaching   influence. 
Throughout  his  life  Mr.  Jay  has  been  found  true  to  the  principles  in  which 
he  believes,  and  honesty  and  integrity  are  synonymous  with  his  name. 


Il8  HISTORY    OF'  ALLEK    ANO 

^^TILLIAMB  KEIyLEY,  Ida's  leading  drayman  and  a  gentleman 
*  '  who  has  established  an  enviable  reputation  for  honesty,  sobriety 
and  public  spirit,  is  a  native  of  one  of  the  southern  states,  having  been  borni 
in  Jackson  County,  Alabama,  August  23,  1847.  His  ancestors  were  radi- 
cally southern,  having  resided  in  that  section  for  generations  and  having 
been  introduced  therein  at  so  early  a  date  that  it  is  not  positively  known. 
Eli.  M.  Kelley,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  Walker  County,  Georgia, 
in  1823,  and  is  a  son  of  Marvel  Kelley  who  died  in  that  county  in  1830. 
Eli  M.  Kelley  has  made  the  calling  ot  his  forefathers  his  life  work.  He 
resides  in  Butler  County,  Kansas,  where  he  located  in  1872  and  is  well 
known  as  a  farmer  and  substantial  citizen.  He  resided  in  Arkansas  during 
the  Civil  war  and,  although  in  one  of  the  hottest  secession  states  he  sided 
with  the  Union  and  entered  the  2nd  Arkansas  cavalry  and  served  nearly 
two  years  in  the- western  army.  Circumstances  made  him  a  Republican 
many  years  ago  and  he  has  not  had  occasion  to  depart  from  the  faith.  He 
married  Elizabeth  J.  Reynolds  in  the  State  of  Alabama.  She  died  in  But- 
ler County,  Kansas,  October  16,  1893,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Calvin  Reynolds,  a  southern  planter  whose  family  home 
was  in  Tennes.see.  Eli  Kelley 's  children  are:  William  B. ;  Marvel  C,  of 
Butler  County,  Kansas;  John  M.,  of  lola;  Pleasant  S.,  of  Western  Kansas; 
Palestine,  deceased,  married  John  Hall  and  left  a  husband  and  one  babe, 
George  M.,  in  Cowley  County,  Kansas.  She  died  September  15,  1882.  at 
the  age  of  2 1 . 

William  B.  Kelley  came  to  manhood's  estate  chiefly  in  Arkansas.  His 
father  resided  for  a  time  in  Green  County,  Missouri,  and  there  our  subject 
got  his  education  in  the  district  schools.  When  he  reached  his  majority  he 
began  the  battle  of  life  as  a  farmer.  He  maintained  himself  at  this  for  some 
years,  even  doing  a  little  of  it  after  his  advent  to  lola.  He  came  to  this 
point  in  1875  and,  although  he  claimed  to  be  a  farmer  for  fifteen  years,  he 
was  n,c>t  at  all  well  known  as  such.  In  1890  he  saw  an  opportunity  to  en- 
gage in  the  dray  business,  with  some  promise  of  return,  and  he  did  so. 
But  the  dray  business  at  that  date  in  lola's  history  was  very  light.  In  fact 
it  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  reached  the  dignity  of  a  business.  But  some- 
how Kelley  found  enough  to  do  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door  of  a  fair- 
sized  family.  He  hauled  everything,  from  junk  to  baggage  andkept  in  the 
field  so  that  when  his  town  finally  started  in  her  career  toward  the  skies  he 
went  with  her.  In  a  short  time  his  single  team  was  inadequate  and  he 
added  another,  and  another,  and  finally  two  more  until  his  yard  and  stables 
have  something  of  the  appearance  of  a  metropolitan  one.  His  original 
homestead  has  kept  pace  in  the  march  of  progress.  At  the  beginning  it 
contained  one  house  and  he  has  added  more  than  one  house  for  each  team, 
on  the  same  block. 

In  June,  1869,  Mr.  Kelley  was  married  in  Newton  County,  Arkansas, 
to  Susan  A.,  a  daughter  of  John  T.  Spears,  of  South  Carolina,  a  farmer 
and  trader.  The  children  of  this  union  are:  John  M. ,  Levi  S. ,  Ira  D.,  and 
Agnes  J. ,  wife  of  James  Dunfee. 


WOODSOX    COUXTIES,    KANSAS.  II9 

LEONARD  C.  THOMAS,  one  of  the  well-to-do  farmers  of  Allen 
county,  was  born  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  March  7,  1859,  of  German 
parentage.  His  father,  Philip  Thomas,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
came  to  America  at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  He  represented  a  family 
widely  known  for  excellent  business  ability,  its  members  attaining  a  high 
degree  of  prosperity.  Two  of  his  brothers  yet  survive.  Casper  Thomas, 
who  came  to  America  in  1849,  located  in  California.  He  is  now  living  in 
luxury  in  Germany.  Tobias,  also  went  to  California  and  is  now  living  in 
Portland,  Oregon. 

In  early  life  Philip  Thomas  began  working  at  the  cooper's  trade  which 
he  followed  in  this  country  with  excellent  success,  thereby  acquiring  a 
very  desirable  competence.  He  married  Elizabeth  Herleman,  who  was 
born  in  Denmark,  and  came  to  America  when  nine  years  of  age.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  Jacob  Herleman,  a  fariuer,  who  died  near  Quincy,  Adams 
county,  Illinois,  when  in  the  prime  of  life.  Her  brother,  Nick  Herleman, 
made  his  fortune  on  a  farm,  and  is  now  living  retired  in  Quincy.  Her 
sister,  wtio  married  a  Mr.  Smith,  and  was  widel5'- known  as  "Aunt  Smith," 
died  wealthy.  The  money  making  propensity  of  the  family  was  manifest 
in  Philip  Thomas,  whose  business  grew  in  volume  and  importance,  so  that 
he  furnished  employment  to  between  one  and  two  hundred  men.  By  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Herleman  the  following  children  were  born:  Mary, 
widow  of  Mr.  Messerschmidt,  who  was  a  well-to-do  saddler;  I^ysetta,  who 
died  in  May,  1898,  was  the  wife  of  Mr.  Winter,  who  died  in  May,  1900. 
He  served  for  four  years  and  seven  months  in  the  Civil  war,  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  was  seven  times  wounded.  At  the  battle 
of  Wilson  Creek,  General  L,yons  fell  and  he  aided  in  carrying  him  from 
the  field.  In  other  engagements,  Mr.  Winter  also  sustained  wounds.  As 
soon  as  it  became  known  that  he  was  a  boatman,  he  was  detached  from  land 
service  and  placed  on  a  transport  boat,  where  he  served  until  after  the  close 
of  hostilities.  Albert  Thomas,  the  eldest  son  of  the  family,  was  a  sergeant 
in  the  Regular  army  and  now  is  in  the  Philippine  war.  Philip  C. ,  who 
was  born  in  June,  1853,  has  followed  the  coopering  business  all  his  life  in 
partnership  with  his  father.  He  has  a  son,  a  machinist,  now  in  Denver, 
Colorado.  Tobias,  the  youngest  son  of  the  family,  is  an  engineer  with  the 
Electric  Weaving  Company,  of  Quincy,  Illinois. 

Leonard  C.  Thomas  acquired  a  common  school  education  and  received 
a  thorough  training  at  the  cooper's  trade,  which  he  learned  under  the 
direction  of  his  father,  of  whom  he  afterward  became  a  partner.  They 
took  the  trees  as  they  were  cut  down  in  the  forest  and  did  all  the  work  of 
manufacturing  the  lumber  and  making  the  barrels.  Mr.  Thomas,  of  this 
review,  followed  the  business  until  November,  188.3,  when  he  came  to 
Kansas.  He  has  since  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  here.  In  Novem- 
ber previous  he  had  wedded  Miss  Carrie  Smith,  a  sister  of  Judge  J.  B. 
Smith,  of  the  probate  court  of  Allen  county.  Her  father,  John  Smith,  was 
for  four  years  sheriff  of  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  and  was  at  one  time 
mayor  of  Springfield,   Illinois.     He  was  elected  and  served  for  one  term  in 


I20  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

the  State  legislature,  and  was  afterward  appointed  warden  of  the  state 
penitentiary.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  in  Springfield  and  there  he 
formed  a  company  and  was  appointed  captain.  He  represented  an  old 
Kentucky  family  but  possessed  strong  abolition  principles.  John  Smith, 
however,  was  the  only  Republican  in  his  family,  and  had  brothers  in  the 
southern  army.  He  was  killed  in  a  railroad  accident  between  Chicago 
and  Springfield,  Illinois,  while  warden  of  the  penitentiary.  Two  sons  and 
one  daughter  still  survive  him.  The  third  being  Will  Smith,  a  real  estate 
dealer  in  Oklahoma. 

As  before  stated  Mr.  Thomas  came  to  Kansas  in  1883.  His  wife  had 
inherited  two  hundred  and  fifty-six  acres  of  land  on  section  32,  Salem 
township,  and  this  induced  him  to  take  up  the  life  of  farming.  Mr. 
Thomas  broke  all  of  this  tract  and  all  of  the  improvements  on  the  place 
stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise.  Here  they  have  reared 
their  three  children:  John,  who  was  born  June  26,  188-';  Charles,  born  in 
November,  1889,  and  Elmer  B.,  born  March  31,  1896.  They  are  being 
provided  with  good  educational  privileges  and  well  fitted  for  life's  practical 
duties.  Mr.  Thomas  has  been  a  man  of  marked  enterprise  and  excellent 
executive  ability  whose  sagacity  and  energy  in  business  affairs  have  con- 
tributed in  a  large  measure  to  his  prosperity. 


JOHN  H.  VANNUYS,  cashier  of  the  Northrup  National  Bank  at  lola, 
an  early  settler  in  Allen  county  and  a  gentleman  widely  known  and 
universally  esteemed,  was  born  in  Johnson  county,  Indiana,  September 
20,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  Vannuys  and  passed  his  boyhood  and 
youth  upon  the  farm.  He  acquired  a  good  elementary  education  in  the 
country  schools  and  in  Hopewell  Academy.  Before  he  had  undertaken  to 
battle  with  the  problems  of  life  the  Civil  war  burst  upon  the  country  and  he 
attained  his  majority  in  the  ranks  of  Co.  F,  Seventh  Indiana  Infantry.  He 
enlisted  for  three  years  in  August  and  his  regiment  went  at  once  into  West 
Virginia  and  became  a  part  of  the  Federal  forces  fighting  the  battles  for 
liberty  and  union  in  that  state.  Two  weeks  aftei  leaving  Indianapolis 
Mr.  Vannuys  was  in  the  battle  of  Green  Briar.  Toward  the  latter  part  of 
the  year  his  service  in  the  field  was  interrupted  by  sickness  and  he  spent  a 
part  of  tlis  first  winter  in  the  hospital  at  Cumberland,  Maryland,  before 
furloughing  home.  He  returned  to  his  command  in  time  for  the  engage- 
ment at  Port  Republic  and  was  in  the  field  with  it  till  after  the  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run.  His  lying  out  in  all  kinds  of  weather  brought  on  an 
attack  of  acute  rheumatism  and  he  was  so  crippled  by  it  that  he  lay  in  the 
hospital  nearly  all  the  second  winter.  When  the  Confederates  started 
north  on  their  second  raid  and  all  the  men  were  being  pushed  to  the 
defense  of  Washington  the  hospitals  were  drawn  upon  for  their  convales- 
cents and  our  subject  was  given  a  gun  with  the  rest.  He  was  sent  north 
with   them    to   Columbia,    near   Harrisburg,    on   the   Susquehanna   river, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  12 1 

guarding  the  long  bridge,  and  he  reached  his  regiment  again  after  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg  had  been  w6n.  He  was  able  for  duty  the  remainder 
of  his  terra  of  enlistment  and  was  in  all  the  engagements  of  the  regiment 
up  to  and  including  the  fight  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Virginia.  He  received 
a  bullet  through  the  right  thigh  in  that  fierce  engagement-  and  was  ren- 
dered incapably  of  further  service  to  the  regiment.  He  was  discharged 
September  20,  [864,  and,  upon  returning  home,  he  took  a  business  college 
■course  at  Indianapolis  the  following  winter.  In  the  fall  of  1865  he  was  in  the 
national  bank  at  Goshen,  Indiana,  for  a  few  months  but  severe  illness 
forced  his  retirement  and  the  following  spring  and  summer  he  spent  in  the 
Second  National  Bank  ot  Franklin,  Indiana.  In  the  spring  of  1867  he 
came  to  Kansas  and  spent  his  first  two  years  here  upon  an  Allen  county 
farm.  He  was  associated  with  James  Christian  in  the  cattle  business,  more  . 
or  less,  in  which  enterprise  Mr.  Christian  was  also  a  partner.  In  the 
spring  of  1869  he  came  to  lola  and  associated  himself  with  William  Davis 
in  the  clothing  business.  Before  this  firm  ceased  to  exist  he  went  into  the 
bank  of  L.  L-  Northrup,  where  he  had  had  occasional  employment,  almost 
from  the  inception  of  the  bank  and  was  soon  a  fixture  there.  He  dates 
his  permanency  with  the  bank  from  April  1873.  He  has  had  such  an 
extended  connection  with  the  institution  that  it  seems  this  connection 
never  had  a  beginning  and  never  .should  have  an  ending.  His  relations 
have  been  so  close  to  the  guiding  spirits  of  the  institution  and  his  attentions 
so  unremitting  to  the  institution  itself  that  it  can  be  said  with  propriety  that 
he  is  a  part  of  both.  He  has  thought  moie  about  his  duty  to  his  fellows 
and  to  his  Maker  than  to  himself  and  has  not  profited  by  his  opportunities 
as  he  might.  Every  charity,  every  benevolence  crosses  his  path  and  every 
progressive  movement  for  the  substantial  or  intellectual  improvement  of 
his  community  is  a  beneficiary  of  his  purse. 

Mr.  Vannuys'  connection  with  the  Presbyterian  church  of  lola  has 
been  long  and  constant.  As  Treasurer  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  his  tenure 
of  office  runneth  not,  neither  to  his  predecessor  or  his  successor.  His 
moral  code  is  strict  and  unbending  and  his  aesthetic  nature  is  well 
cultivated. 

Isaac  Vannuys,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1813. 
His  father  and  our  subject's  grandfather  was  probably  born  in  Jersey  City, 
New  Jersey,  went  to  Kentucky  many  years  ago  and,  about  1835,  settled  in 
Johnson  county,  Indiana,  where  he  died  in  1846  at  about  seventy  years  of 
age.  He  married  a  Miss  Demaree  and  reared  a  large  family.  His  son, 
Isaac,  who  died  in  1844,  married  Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of  John  Johnson. 
Elizaljeth  (Johnson)  Vannuys  \Vas  born  in  Henry  county,  Kentucky,  in 
1815.  Her  children  are:  Archibald  C,  who  died  in  1861;  Charity  E., 
wife  of  H.  C.  Winchester,  of  Carlyle,  Kansas;  Julia  E. ,  widow  of  Isaac 
C.  LaGrange,  of  Franklin,  Ind.;  John  Harvey,  our  subject;  and  Mary  C, 
widow  of  Richard  T.  Overstreet,  of  Johnson  county,  Ind.  Our  subject's 
grand  ancestors  on  both  the  paternal  and  marernal  sides  were  native  born 
English,  Scotch,  Irish  and  German  respectively. 

The  political  history  of  Mr.  Vannuys  can  be  sumed  up  in  a  few  words. 


122  HISTORY    OF    ALLKX    AND 

He  joined    the    Republican   party    as    soon   as  he  became  a  voter  and  that 
public  safeguard  has  since  been  his  political  refuge. 

Mr.  Vannuys'  first  wife  was  Anna  M.  Overstreet,  who  died  in  lola 
Xovember  20,  187 1,  without  leaving  issue.  In  May.  1874,  he  married 
Emily  A.,  daughter  of  the  late  L.  L.  Northrup.  Mrs.  Vannuys  died  in 
April,  1885,   without  issue. 


AM.  BEEMAN — Among  the  sons  of  the  Empire  State  who  have  cast  in 
their  lot  with  the  citizens  of  Kansas  and  are  numbered  among  the 
representatives  of  Allen  County  is  A.  M.  Beeman,  who  was  born  in  New 
York,  March  8,  1833.  His -parents  were  John  S.  and  Ursula  (Crooker) 
Beeman,  the  former  born  in  Vermont  in  18  r  2,  and  the  latter  in  Connecticut 
in  1813.  Our  subject  now  has  in  his  possesBsion  several  mementoes  of  his 
wife's  grandmother,  among  other  things  a  ribbon  belt  which  was  worn 
more  than  a  century  ago.  In  1836  Mr.  Beeman 's  parents  removed  to 
Michigan,  but  after  nine  years  returned  to  the  Empire  State,  where  the 
father  died  in  1888, — the  mother  having  passed  away  in  1839, — leaving 
three  children:  Julia,  wife  of  William  Cobb;  A.  M. ,  of  this  review;  and 
Emily,  wife  of  Ira  Allen. 

A.  M.  Beeman  was  reared  in  New  York  with  the  exception  of 
the  nine  years  spent  by  the  family  in  Michigan,  and  in  the  common  schools 
he  acquired  his  education.  In  1867  he  came  to  Kansas, — a*young  man  of 
34  years, — full  of  energy,  determination  and  resolution.  He  secured  a 
homestead  claim  of  eighty  acres,  six  miles  east  of  Humboldt,  and  still  re- 
sides upon  that  property ,  having  made  it  a  highly  cultivated  and  productive 
tract.  In  his  early  life  he  learned  the  gunsmith's  trade  and  during  the 
Civil  war  worked  in  the  gunshops,  making  Enfield  rifles  for  use  by  the  Union 
army,  thus  rendering  effective  service  for  his  country.  He  was  employed 
in  this  way  in  Canandaigua,  New  York,  where  he  manufactured  many  guns 
used  by  sharpshooters. 

In  1867,  the  year  of  his  removal  to  the  west,  Mr.  Beeman  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Lydia  A.  Pomeroy,  a  native  of  New  York.  Her  father, 
Chauncey  Pomeroy,  was  born  in  that  State,  A  ugust  26,  1813,  and  married 
Fannie  Eliza  Alger,  a  native  of  Ontario.  Mr.  Pomeroy's  death  occurred 
in  July,  1848,  but  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  1817,  is  still  living.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  as  follows:  Jane  D.,  William  I.,  Lydia  A., 
Catharine  A. ,  George  W.  and  Henry  T.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Beeman  was  blessed  with  seven  children:  Emma  Ursula,  Edwin  A.,  Chas. 
Wesley,  Mary  Etta,  John'S.,  Martin  O.  and  Benight  M.  The  la.st  named 
is  now  deceased. 

^Mr.  Beeman  is  a  popular  resident  of  his  community.  He  has  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace  of  his  township,  is  now  its  treasurer,  and  in  1900  re- 
ceived the  nomination  of  the  People's  Party  for  the  office  of  township 
trustee.      He  deserves  great  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  in  life,  for 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  X23 

he  started  out  to  earn  his  living  when  only  twelve  years  of  age,  and  since 
that  time  has  depended  entirely  on  his  own  resources.  Diligence  has  been 
the  ke>note  to  his  success,  and  his  example  is  one  that  might  be  profitably 
followed  by  all  who  have  to  depend  upon  their  own  exertions.  His  worth 
is  widely  recognized  -md  he  enjoys  the  friendship  of  mtiny  of  the  best  peo- 
ple of  Allen  County. 

TTHAMER  F.  RANDOLPH  has  won  the  right  to  be  termed  a  self-made 
-*- man  and  is  now  classed  ainong  the  enterprising  citizens  of  Salem  town- 
ship, Allen  County.  He  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  Indiana,  January  9, 
'1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Reuben  K.  Randolph,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  removed  to 
the  Hoosier  State  when  a  young  man  and  was  there  married  to  Miss  Amanda 
Runyon,  who  was  born  in  Indiana  of  southern  parentage.  During  the 
early  boyhood  of  their  son  Ithamer  they  removed  to  Iowa,  where  both  died 
in  November,  i860,  there  being  only  about  two  weeks'  difference  in  the 
time  of  their  demise.  Their  children  were:  Owen  F. ,  Reuben  F. ,  William 
F. ,  Ithamar  F. ,  Melinda  F. ,  wife  of  Lafayette  Shadley,  who  was  killed  at 
Coffeyville  by  the  Daltons;  Amanda  F. ,  wife  of  Alexander  Breeding  and 
Margaret  A.  F. ,  wife  of  Charles  Hodgkiss. 

Ithamar  F.  Randolph  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in  Iowa,  and 
to  its  public  school  system  is  indebted  for  the  educational  privileges  which 
he  enjoyed.  He  worked  on  the  home  farm  until  after  the  country  became 
involved  in  Civil  war,  when  on  the  15th  of  Julv,  1863,  at  the  age  of  19 
years,  he  offered  his  services  to  the  government,  enlisting  in  Company  C, 
Ninth  Iowa  Cavalry,  with  which  he  remained  until  the  20th  of  March, 
1866.  During  that  time  he  was  in  Arkansas,  Missouri  and  Texas  with  the 
Western  Division,  engaged  in  fighting  bushwhackers  and  Texas  Rangers. 
He  was  never  wounded  nor  taken  prisoner,  although  he  saw  some  very 
hard  service  while  associated  with  the  boys  in  blue  in  establishing  the 
supremacy  of  the  Union. 

After  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  Mr.  Randolph  returned  to 
Davis  County,  Iowa,  and  two  years  later  married  Miss  Miriam  V.  Cade,  a 
native  of  that  county.  The  marriage  was  celebrated  March  12,  1868,  and 
has  been  blessed  with  seven  children;  Louie  F. ,  now  the  wife  of  W.  J. 
Royer;  Mattie  F. ,  wife  of  W.  J.  Kelso;  Mary  F. ,  wife  of  Lewis  Anderson, 
of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Effie  F.,  Myrtle  F. ,  Bessie  F. ,  and  Jessie  F. ,  all 
at  home. 

Mr.  Randolph  continued  to  reside  in  Iowa  until  187.7,  when  he  came 
with  his  family  to  "Kansas  and  for  five  years  was  a  resident  of  Wilson 
County.,  The  spring  of  1882  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Allen  County,  and 
he  purchased  a  farm  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Salem  township,  where  he 
still  resides,  having  a  "very  comfortable  home  that  stands  as  a  monument  to 
his  thrift  and  enterprise,  His  life  has  been  one  of  industry  and  honesty, 
and  his  career  has  been  a  useful  and  commendable  one,  showing  what  can 
be  accomplished  by  determined  purpose  and  serving  as  an  example  that  is 
well  worthy  of  emulation. 


124  HISTORY    OF'  ALLEK   AXIT 

FRANK  JACKSON,  of  Carlyle  township,  is  one  of  Allen  County's- 
pioneers.  He  was  born  in  lola  March  31,  i86t,  an  A,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  four  years  spent  in  Cowley  County,  Kansas,  has  resided  continu- 
ously in  Allen  County.  His  life  has  been  devoted  to  the  farm  and  the  re- 
wards of  his  industry  have  been  never-failing  and  constant.  Beginning 
life  as  a  mere  boy  and  in  a  moiest  and  unpretentious  way  he  has  come  to 
be  recognized  as  one  of  our  most  thrifty  and  succes.sful  small  farmers. 

The  Jacksons  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Allen  County.  Joel 
Jackson,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  review,  started  west  from  some  point 
in  the  State  of  Wisconsin  with  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  linchpin  wagon.  His 
objective  point  was  Kansas  and  he  arrived  in  lola  about  1859.  On  the 
journey  out  one  ox  died  and  a  cow  was  substituted  for  the  remainder  of  the 
trip.  Farming  was  Mr.  Jackson's  occupation  and  he  had  that  vocation  in 
mind  when  he  came  to  this  new  State.  He  entered  the  army  the  first  year 
of  the  Rebellion,  enlisting  in  Company  E,  9th  Kansas,  and  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Stone  Lane,  Mi.ssouri. 

Joel  Jackson  was  an  Englishman.  He  was  married  to  Mary  Fleek, 
who  died  March  25,  1897.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Jackson  his  widow  was 
left  with  a  family  of  small  children.  They  were:  Niton  Jackson,  of  Okla- 
homa; William,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Joseph,  deceased,  and  Frank, 
The  family  remained  in  lola  till  1870  when  the  mother  took  a  homestead 
northeast  of  town  and  moved  her  family  and  effects  onto  it.  With  the  aid 
of  her  sons  she  opened  up  a  farm  there  and  slowly  acquired  the  means  to 
make  them  comfortable.  All  the  sons  left  home,  in  time,  but  Frank.  He 
.stuck  to  the  farm,  through  hard  times,  poor  seasons  and  poor  markets  and 
encouraged  and  took  care  of  his  mother,  never  losing  faith  in  Kansas. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Cowley  County,  Kansas,  in  November, 
1879.  His  wife  was  Miss  Lizzie  Sutliff,  a  daughter  of  Abe  Sutliff.  She 
was  born  March  31,  1862,  and,  as  a  companion,  has  borne  her  portion  of 
the  family  responsibilities.  She  is  really  a  "better  half"  and  a  genuine 
woman  and  a  genuine  man  are  at  the  head  of  their  family.  Their  children 
are:  Niley,  Mile>  ,  John,  Effie,  Frankie  and  Altie. 

As  a  farmer  Frank  Jackson  has  been  a  success.  He  has  proceeded 
upon  the  theory  that  if  he  provided  the  labor  and  managed  his  affairs  with 
wisdom  Providence  would  do  the  rest.  He  never  complains  or  fault-finds 
over  a  crop  shortage,  but  takes  a  hopeful  view  of  all  things.  He  has  a 
surplus  when  anybody  has  and  often  when  others  have  not.  From  a  team 
and  a  few  cattle  he  has  expanded  to  a  one  hundred  and  twenty  acre  farm, 
well  stocked.  Although  he  takes  a  fervent  interest  in  politics  he  does  .so 
for  the  benefit  of  his  party  and  not  for  himself.  He  has  always  been  a  Re- 
publican, has  always  practiced  honesty  and  has  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  his  fellow  countrymen. 


T 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  I  25 

ONATHAN  M.  MATTOON.— The  historic  village  of  Geneva  in  Allen 
*-*  countN  is  yet  rich  in  the  personal  presence  of  pioneers;  men  whose 
years  had  scarcely  reached  the  quarter  century  mark  when  they  established 
ihemselves  in  that  community;  men  whose  forms  are  now  bent  with  years 
and  awaiting  the  passing  of  the  spirit  to  be  laid  away  with  the  honored 
dead.  When  the  names  of  Spicer,  Dickey,  Esse,  Howland  and  Mattoon 
have  passed  into  the  Great  Bej^ond  then  will  Geneva  cease  to  turn  to  her 
first  settlers  for  her  "first  things"  but  place  her  reliance  in  recoids  instead. 

J.  M.  Mattoon  has  been  one  of  the  characters  of  Allen  countj'  for 
nearly  forty-five  years.  He  came  to  the  county  in  1857  when  the  settle- 
ment at  Geneva  was  being  founded  and  cast  his  lot  with  the  brethren  of 
the  east.  He  had  started  west  eight  years  before  he  reached  Kansas  but 
spent  the  intervening  years  in  Michigan  where  he  was  employed  as  a 
machinist.  His  place  of  birth  was  in  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  and 
the  date  was  December  17,  1813.  Gershom  Mattoon  was  his  father  and 
Nancy  Sayer  was  his  mother,  natives  of  Connecticut  and  New  Jersey, 
respectively.  Of  the  nine  children  of  these  parents  only  two  survive,  viz; 
Our  subject  and  a  sister,  Harriet  Williams,  of  Warsaw,   Michigan. 

Mr.  Mattoon  was  married  to  Tracy  Hancock  and  in  1849  went  into 
Michigan.  Eight  years  later  he  found  himself  on  the  frontier  of  civiliza- 
tion and  at  the  gateway  to  the  great  American  Desert.  Choosing  mer- 
chandising as  his  vocation  he  engaged  in  it  with  little  delay  and  many 
years  passed  ere  he  laid  aside  the  liquid  measure,  the  yard  stick  and  the 
scissors.  In  1858  he  was  appointed  assistant  post-master  at  Geneva  and 
two  years  later  he  was  appointed  chief  of  the  office.  He  held  this  latter 
position  through  several  administtations — from  L,incoln  to  McKinley — until 
he  had  held  the  office  more  than  forty  years  and  was  one  of  the  oldest 
post-masters  in  the  United  States. 

In  i860  Mr.  Mattoon  suffered  the  loss  of  his  wife.  She  was  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  two  sons,  both  of  whom  served  in  the  Civil  War, 
and  both  of  whom  have  since  died.  The  surviving  daughters  are:  Lucy 
J.;  Matilda,  wife  of  Henry  Gray;  Josena,  wife  of  lyouis  David.son;  Cecil 
Carry;  Mav,  wife  of  Frank  Campbell,  and  Adda,  who  married  William 
Hyde. 

J.  M.  Mattoon  has  filled  a  place  in  the  affairs  of  men.  He  brought 
with  him  to  his  new  western  home  character  and  honor  and  has  maintained 
them  both  untarnished  and  unassailed.  Honesty  and  integrity  "blazed" 
his  pathway  and  whether  transacting  his  private  business  or  representing 
his  constituents  in  a  public  office  his  watchword  was  the  same. 


TDOBERT  F.  WHITE.— One  of  the  early  settlers  in  Geneva  towns'hip, 
-L  *-  Allen  county,  and  a  gentleman   whose  prominence  as  a  farmer  and 
whose    influence    in  public  affairs  is  universally  recognized,  is  Robert  F 
White,  of  lola.     He  settled  on  the  H.   L,.   Spencer  farm,   on    the    Neosho 


126  HISTORY   OF'   ALLEX    AXD 

river,  in  1866  and  from  that  date  till  his  recent  removal  to  Ida  he  was  one 
of  the  central  figures  of  his  township.  He  was  born  in  Washington 
county,  Indiana,  November  20,  1834,  but  his  parents  removed  to  Hend- 
ricks county  and  there  Mr.  White  was  married  and  from  that  point  he 
came  into  Kansas.  He  is  a  son  of  Maximillian  White  who  was  born  in 
North  Carolina  in  March  1801  and  whose  parents  settled  in  Washington 
county,  Indiana,  in  1814.  Caleb  White,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was 
a  shoemaker.  He  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  belonged  to  the  Quaker 
sect  and  passed  his  later  life  as  a  farmer.  He  married  Parthena  White 
and  both  are  buried  in  Washington  county,  Indiana.  The  children  of 
this  pioneer  couple  were:  Josiah,  Ann,  Sallie,  Penelope,  Margaret,  Jean- 
ette,  Caleb  and  Maximillian  White. 

Maximillian  White  was  one  of  the  prominent  local  Whigs  in  Indiana 
and  was  married  in  Washington  county  to  Ruth,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  and 
Jane  (Thompson)  Woody.  Jane  (Woody)  White  died  in  1841.  Their 
children  were:  Anna,  deceased,  wife  of  Simeon  Clayton;  Asenas,  de- 
ceased, who  married  Samuel  Nixon;  Eliza,  deceased,  was  married  to  Edwin 
Pead;  Lewis  W.,  deceased;  Robert  P.,  our  subject;  Walter,  deceased,  and 
Martha  White. 

Robert  F.  White  is  a  typical  countryman.  His  youth  and  vigorou.s 
manhood  were  passed  amidst  rural  environments  and  his  student  days, 
proper,  were  confined  to  the  district  schools,  finishing  them  with  a  term  or 
so  in  an  academy.  He  began  life  on  a  farm,  when  of  age,  and  every  other 
busine.ss  is  a  stranger  to  him.  He  left  Indiana  in  1859  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Lyon  county.  He  was  in  the  state  militia  during  the  war  and  was 
called  out  to  chase  Quantrell,  Bill  Anderson,  and  to  repel  Indian  invasion 
and  to  defend  Kansas  against  thePrice  raid. 

Mr.  White  was  first  married  in  1854  to  Esther  Hadley.  She  died  in 
i86g  and  in  1872  he  married  Elizabeth  Odell.  Mrs.  White  was  a  daughter 
of  Isaac  and  Mary  Odell,  both  from  Tennessee.  Mrs.  White  was  born  in 
Coles  county,  Illinois,  in  1834.  The  other  Odell  children  are:  George 
W. ,  of  Reno  county,  Kansas;  James  H.,  of  Neo.sho  Falls,  Kansas;  Mollie, 
wife  of  John  W.  Parker,  of  Coles  county,  Illinois,  and  Mattie  D.,  wife  of 
D.  M.  Smith,  of  Mattoon,   Illinois. 

Robert  F.  White's  children  are:  Jennie,  deceased,  wife  of  A.  C. 
Settle;  J.  R.  White,  who  died  at  twenty-one;  Frank  D.  White,  of  Geneva, 
who  married  Hester  Saferight,  and  Enos  White,  who  died  at  twenty-one. 

If  R.  F.  White  is  well  known  for  any  one  thing  it  is  as  a  Republican. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  voters  with  the  party  but  he  did  his  first  hallowing 
in  a  political  campaign  for  Gen.  Harrison  in  1840.  He  has  voted  at  every 
presidential  election  except  the  one  in  i860,  when  he  was  not  a  voter.  He 
has  not  aspired  to  serve  the  people  in  a  public  capacity  but  did  so  as 
Ti*ustee  of  his  township,  by  appointment. 


WOODSON    COUNTIBS,    KANSAS-  1 27 

CHARIvES  W.  HALIy  lias  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  Mississippi  Valley 
and  the  progressive  spirit  which  dominates  this  section  of  the  countr)-, 
and  has  led  to  its  wonderful  advancement  is  manifest  in  his  business  career. 
He  was  born  in  Belvidere,  Illinois,  on  the  26th  of  October,  1852,  and  is  a 
son  of  Edward  and  Helen  (Wickes)  Hall,  the  former  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  the  latter  of  Michigan.  From  the  Wolverine  state  they  removed 
to  Illinois,  where  the  mother  died  in  r86i,  at  the  age  of  twent>-seven 
years.     She  had  two  children,  but  Charles  W.  is  the  only  one  now  living. 

When  nine  years  of  age  Charles  W.  Hall  went  to  the  Empire  state 
w^here  he  resided  for  a  time,  afterward  living  in  Illinois  and  Michigan. 
He  pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools  supplemented  by  one 
term's  attendance  at  Wheaton  College  in  Wheaton,  Illinois.  From  early 
yonth  he  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world,  dependent  entirely  upon 
his  own  resources  for  a  livelihood.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began 
steamboating  on  the  river,  learned  the  work  of  a  marine  engineer  and  suc- 
cessfully passed  the  engineer's  examination,  given  by  Mr.  Cole  of  Port 
Huron.  He  then  spent  three  years  as  an  engineer  on  the  Saginaw  river, 
and  on  leaving  the  water  returned  to  Michigan,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm. 

Mr.  Hall  then  completed  his  arrangements  for  a  home  by  his  marriage 
to  Miss  Florence  Larnbie,  in  1875.  Their  children  are:  Lottie,  wife  of 
Joseph  Reynolds;  Nettie,  Mary,  George  and  Grace,  who  are  still  with 
their  parents.  For  eleven  years  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hall 
resided  in  Michigan,  but  in  1884  became  residents  of  Denver,  Colorado, 
where  he  carried  on  business  as  a  contractor  and  builder  until  1893,  the 
year  of  his  arrival  in  Allen  county,   Kansas. 

In  Allen  county  Mr.  Hall  purchased  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Cottage 
Grove  township,  five  miles  south-east  of  Humboldt,  and  has  erected  upon 
it  a  nice  residence,  a  good  barn  and  many  other  improvements  found  upon 
a  farm  of  the  twentieth  century.  Depending  entirely  upon  his  own  re- 
sources he  has  worked  his  way  upward,  brooking  no  obstacles  that  could 
be  overcome  by  determined  purpose  and  honorable  labor.  This  has  been 
the  strongest  factor  in  his  success.  While  residing  in  Denver  he  was 
appointed  city  inspector  and  held  that  position  for  four  years.  For  seven 
years  he  was  chairman  of  the  county  central  committee,  and 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  political  work,  doing  everything  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  the  party  in  which 
he  firmly  believes. 


DUNCAN — Among  the  settlers  of  Allen  County  who  located  along  the 
Neosho  River  in  the  early  seventies  and  who  has  maintained  his  home 
here  since  is  James  P.  Duncan,  ex- Register  of  Deeds  of  his  adopted  county. 
In  November,  1870,  he  drove  his  teams  and  a  small   bunch    of   cattle   onto 


[28  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

the  premises  ol  Win.  L.  Zink,  three  miles  iiorthwe-it  of  Humholdt,  where 
he  made  his  first  but  temporary  home.  He  resided  in  this  portion  of  old 
Humboldt  township  till  1881,  serving- one-half  of  this  time  as  Trustee  of 
the  township,  when  he  removed  to  Humboldt  and  it  was  from  this  latter 
point  that  he  was  appointed,  by  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners,  Reg- 
ister of  Deeds  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Jesse  Fast.  In  this 
position  he  served  nearly  seven  years,  or  until  January,  1890. 

The  subject  of  this  review  left  the  wooded  country  of  Indiana  in  1865 
and  made  his  residence  respectively  in  Cooper  County,  Missouri,  Douglas 
County,  Kansas,  and  in  Grundy  County,  Missouri,  before  his  arrival  in 
Allen  County,  as  above  slated.  He  was  born  in  Putnam  County,  Indiana, 
March  22,  1840,  was  reared  "in  the  clearing,"  ■  and  "niggering  off  logs" 
and  burning  brush  formed  a  goodly  share  of  his  youthful  occupation.  He 
was  three  times  enlisted  in  the  Civil  war,  first  in  the  78th  Indiana  Volun- 
teers; second,  in  the  115th  Indiana  Volunteers,  Colonel  Hahn,  and  third, 
in  the  i  ith  Indiana  Volunteers,  Colonel  Lew  Wallace.  He  served  in  an 
humble  capacity  "with  the  boys"  and  when  his  services  were  no  longer 
needed  he  was  discharged  and  returned  home. 

October  24,  1858,  occurred  the  marriage  of  the  subject  of  this  review.  His 
wife  was  nee  Mary  Ellen  Bailey,  a  notice  of  whose  ancestry  will  appear  farther 
on  in  this  article.  Eight  children  resulted  from  this  union,  viz:  Annie,  who 
died  at  one  year  old;  Lew  Wallace;  Nora  C.  and  Dora  C  ,  twins,  born 
November  3,  1863.  The  former  married  Orlando  P.  Rose  at  Humboldt, 
Kansas,  June  19,  1883,  died  October  29,  1884,  leaving  a  son,  Ora  D.  Rose, 
of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Dora  C.  married  the  husband  of  her  sister,  Or- 
lando P.  Rose,  and  resides  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Horace  Otho,  who 
died  October  30,  1886,  at  nineteen  years  of  age;  J.  Edgar,  who  died  in 
April,  1873  at  four  years  of  age;  Harry  Evert,  born  December  24,  1871,  is 
practicing  dentistryin  Humboldt,  Kansas,  and  M.  Agnes,  born  February  28, 
1874,  married  Ernest  L.  Brown  and  died  July  22,  1898,  leaving  two  daugh- 
ters, Nita  and  Lois. 

In  an  effort  to  trace  up  the  Duncan  genealogj',  as  in  every  other  like 
effort,  it  will  be  necessary  to  bring  in  the  names  of  heads  ot  families  remote 
from  the  subject  hereof,  but  as  this  volume  is  devoted  in  a  measure  to  the 
preserving  of  records  along  these  lines,  for  the  satisfaction  and  enlighten- 
ment of  their  posterity,  none  of  the  family  names  will  be  omitted  from  this 
record  whose  strain  can  be  shown  to  have  effected  the  subject  hereof  or  his 
posterity. 

The  earliest  record  of  the  Duncans  of  this  strain,  finds  them  located  in 
the  counties  of  Culpepper  an  J  Fauquier,  Virginia.  Oui  subject's  great 
grandfather  was  one  of  two  men,  Charles  or  William  Duncan,  whose  father, 
it  is  believed,  was  the  Scotch  ancestor  who  was  responsible  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  one  branch  of  this  American  family.  Three  children  of  this 
doubtful  ancestor  referred  to  above  are  known  to  have  survived,  as  follews: 
Henry,  the  grandfather  of  James  P.  Duncan,  Charles,  who  reared  a  family 
in  Missouri,  and  a  daughter  who  married  a  Covington,  after  whom  the  city 
of  Covington,  Kentucky,    was    named.      Henry    Duncan    was   born   about 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  1 29 

K 780,  and  during  the  last  decade  of  the  i8th  century  migrated  to  Bath 
County,  Kentucky,  where,  about  1803  he  mamed  Polly  Combs.  Their 
children  were:  Matilda,  who  married  Coleman  Covington,  her  cousin,  and 
a  woolen  manufacturer;  James,  father  of  our  subject,  born  in  i.'^o6; 
Margar;st;  Miranda,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Barnett;  Hiram,  Jep- 
tha,  Granvil  and  George.  Henry  Duncan  died  in  Cooper  County,  Missouri, 
where  some  of  his  sons  reared  families. 

James  Duncan,  father  of'  our  subject,  was  married  in  Kentucky  to 
Annie  Proctor,  a  daughter  of  James  B.  and  Elizabeth  Proctor.  The  last 
named  married  a  daughter  of  an  old  well-to-do  planter,  Valentine  and 
Elizabeth  (Hicks)  Tudor,  of  Madison  County,  Kentucky,  and  went  up  into 
Indiana  about  1830,  and  settled  in  Boone  County.  His  sons-in-law  James 
Duncan,  David  Hedge  and  John  Blackburn  all  passed  their  lives  between 
North  Salem  and  L,ebanon  and  in  that  section  the. venerable  couple  lived 
honorable  Christian  lives  and  died.  The  children  of  James  and  Annie 
(Proctor)  Duncan  were:  Mary,  who  married  William  Woodard,  left  two 
•children  at  death,  Leonidas  E.  A,,  and  Froncy:  Coleman  C,  who  resides 
in  Clay  City,  Indiana,  married  Lizzie  Glenn  and  reared  Dr.  Walter  C; 
William,  May  and  Franka;  Dr.  William,  who  died  without  heirs  just  after 
the  war;  Annie,  wife  of  Champ  C.  Yeager,  of  Allen  County,  Kansas,  is  the 
mother  of  three  surviving  children,  James  L.,  of  Oregon,  Mary  E.,  wife 
of  E.  W.  Trego,  of  Allen  County,  Kansas,  and  Faucis  M. ,  of  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri;  James  P.  Duncan,  our  subject;  Miranda,  wife  of  Andrew  J. 
Stephens,  of  Rich  Hill,  Missouri,  with  issue  as  follows:  James,  Dillon, 
Annie  L,-  and  William;  George  W.  Duncan,  who  married  Nan  Davis,  has 
two  children,  Elmer,  of  Colorado,  and  Mrs.  L,ulu  Davis,  of  North  Salem, 
Indiana;  John  W.,  who  married  Betty  Owen  and  died  near  Humboldt, 
Kansas,  February,  1898,  leaving  Pheres,  Mrs.  Frelia  Stewart,  Emmert, 
of  the  Indian  Territory,  Mrs.  Thella  Booe,  of  Indiana,  Bertha,  Buhlon  and 
Olin;  Almanda  (Duncan)  Ray,  deceased,  left  five  children  in  Indiana; 
Nancy  Duncan,  who  married  John  Gosnold,  of  Kansas  City,  has  four  chil- 
dren: Laura,  Bessie,  Edna,  and  Nina;  Kittie  Duncan,  deceased,  wife  of 
William  Long,  left  four  children  near  Holden,  Missouri.  James  Duncan's 
first  wife  died  in  1855  and  a  few  years  later  he  married  Mrs.  Amanda  Dean, 
who  bore  him  Ruth,  Belle,  Elmer  and  Delia,  twins,  Charles  and  Minerva. 
James  Dulican  and  his  sons  were  in  the  main,  fanners.  He  was  one  of  the 
old  line  Whigs  of  Putnam  County,  Indiana,  and  became  a  Republican 
upon  the  organization  of  that  party.  His  sons  were  all  patriots  during  the 
Rebellion  and  three  of  them  rendered  active,  service  in  the  army.  He 
passed  away  in  1885  in  North  Salem  and  is  buried  at  Maysville,    Indiana. 

Lew  Wallace  Duncan,  second  child  of  our  subject,  was  born  near 
North  Salem,  Indiana,  June  22,  1861.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
Zachariah  Bailey,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1812  and  was  married  to 
Eliza  Frame.  The  father  was  a  son  of  William  Bailey,  who  was  born 
March  6,  1784,  and  who  married  Margaret  Green,  born  in  1790.  Their 
children  were;  Lucretia,  born  in  18 10,  married  Hiram  Mitchell,  and  spent 
her  life  in  Indiana;  Zachariah,  born  January  5,  1812,  and  died  in   Topeka, 


130  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Kansas,  July  7,  1889;  John  T.,  born  Dec.  14,  1813,  and  died  at  Augusta, 
Kan.sas,  and  Chas.  W. ,  born  January  24,  1816.  William  Bailey  died  about 
1S16,  and  his  widow  married  Moses  Vice,  four  years  his  wife's  junior.  The 
children  of  the  latter  union  were:  Mahala,  Winey,  Sallie  Ann,.  Moses, 
Alafair  and  Nancy  G.  Matilda  J.  Zachariah  Bailey  reared  his  family  in 
Indiana  and  in  Johnson  and  Butler  counties,  Kansas.  His  twelve  children 
were:  John  W. ;  killed  at  Winchester,  Virginia;  Mary  E.  who  married  our 
subject  and  died  in  lola,  Kansas,  January  25,  1893,  was  born  April  14, 
1841;  Sallie  Ann  (Bailey)  Welch,  born  August  2,  1843,  died  at  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  September  II,  1870;  William  F. ,  born  August  24,  1845,  served 
three  years  in  the  i  ith  Indiana  Volunteers  during  the  Rebellion,  resides  in 
Topeka;  Asbury  H.,  born  August  27,  1847,  resides  in  Topeka;  James  M., 
born  March  25,  1850,  lives  in  Topeka,  was  married  to  Emma  Clark  and 
has  a  son  Arthur;  Lucretia  M.,  deceased,  married  Chris  Pickerell  and  left 
children:  Hattie  Fellows  of  Griswold,  Iowa,  and  George.  Lorenzo  A.  Bai- 
ley, of  Colorado  Springs,  married  Mary  McCartney.  He  was  born  June  21, 
1854.  Matilda  J.  (Bailey)  Nordiue,  born  November  3,  1856,  has  two  sons 
and  resides  in  Topeka;  Zachariah  C.  Bailey,  deceased,  born  May  17,  1859, 
was  married  to  Florence  Hart  and  left  six  children  in  Oklahoma;  Eliza 
Charlotte  (Bailey)  Simcock,  born  January  20,  1862,  resides  in  Topeka  and 
has  four  children,  and  Phebe  Alice,  who  died  single.  L.  W.  Duncan  of 
this  sketch,  was  reared  in  Allen  County,  educated  at  the  Kansas  Statfe 
Normal  school,  taught  school  for  a  time,  made  abstracts  of  title  two  years 
in  Allen  County,  was  with  a  surveying  party  on  the  resurvey  of  the  Utah 
Central  Railway  in  the  spring  of  1890,  spent  the  fall  of  the  same  year  on 
the  flax  inspection  force  of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade  and  in  August  1891, 
joined  the  Lewis  Publishing  Company,  of  Chicago,  and  was  in  their  em- 
ploy in  various  parts  of  the  United  States  for  nine  years.  In  1900  he 
engaged  in  the  business  of  publishing  histories.  June  22,  1887,  he  wa.s 
married  to  Annie  M.,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Fredrica  (Zeigler) 
Keyser,  Maryland  settlers  who  came  into  Allen  County  in  1881.  Mr.  and 
'  Mrs.  Duncan's  children  are:  Edna  L. ,  born  May  25,  1888;  Alfa  I.,  born 
May  29,  1889:  Lue  W. ,  born  July  14,  1890,  and  Clifford  Morrill,  born  Nov. 
8,  1894. 

September  20,  1893,  James  P.  Duncan  married  Mrs.  Margaret  Swear- 
ingen,  widow  of  the  late  well  known  old  soldier,  Joseph  Swearingen,  of 
lola.  The  latter  left  two  children.  Fuller  Swearingen,  who  served  in  the 
20th  Kansas  in  the  Philippine  Insurrection,  and  Miss  Josie  Swearingen. 


JOHN  W.  EDWARDS,  the  well  known  farmer  and  speculator  of  La- 
"  Harpe,  Allen  County,  came  into  Allen  County,  permanently  April  23, 
1879.  His  native  place  is  Kendall  County,  Illinois,  where  his  birth  oc- 
curred March  2,  1845.  Thomas  Edward,  his  father,  was  a  Welch  man. 
born  near  Liverpool  in  1812,    and   received  what  was  then  termed  a  liberal 


6  /C^C^^::^^^ 


C^ 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  IJI 

education.  He  spent  several  years  in  the  mercantile  business  in  lyiver- 
pool  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1842  in  search  of  a  patch  of  ground 
that  he  could  call  his  own.  Passing  through  Chicago  when  it  was  scarcelv  a 
village  and  not  being  satisfied  with  the  wet  low  land  where  that  city  now 
stands,  he  wandered  forty  miles  farther  west  and  selected  160  acres  of  land 
near  Oswego,  Kendall  County,  Illinois,  paying  $1.  25  per  acre.  He  was 
married  to  Susan  Miller  in  1842  and  they  lived  on  the  Oswego  farm  forty- 
four  years,  until  the  death  of  Mrs.  Edwards  in  1886,  when  he  moved  to 
Allen  County,  Kansas.  Here  he  resided  with  his  son,  J.  W.  Edwards, 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  August  12,  1891.  Their  children  are: 
Sarah,  wife  of  Er  Park,  of  Allen  County,  Kansas;  John  W. ,  Mary  J.,  who 
married  James  Andrews,  of  Plainfield,  Illinois;  Evan  T. ,  deceased;  Melissa, 
wife  of  R.  ly.  Manley,  of  lola,  and  Melinda,  wife  of  Riley  Beach,  of  Big 
Springs,  Colorado. 

Our  subject  grew  up  on  the  Illinois  homestead  and  was  schooled  in  a 
country  school  located  on  his  father's  farm.  Afterward  at  Clark  Seminary, 
Aurora,  Illinois,  and  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College,  Chicago. 

He  started  in  business  as  a  bookkeeper  in  a  plumbing  establishment  in 
Chicago,  and  later  became  a  clerk  in  Smith  Bros,  wholesale  house  in  that 
city.  He  returned  to  his  father's  farm  some  time  later  and  remained  a 
farmer  in  the  vicinity  some  five  years.  He  went  into  the  butcher  business 
in  Oswego,  Illinois  and  followed  it  with  reasonable  success  six  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1879  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Allen  County,  Kansas  and 
settled  on  and  improved  his  present  farm  east  of  L,aHarpe.  His  success  as 
a  farmer  and  stock  dealer  in  Allen  County  has  netted  him  a  neat  profit. 
His  farm  acreage  has  materially  increased  and  his  investments  in  other 
lines  have  shown  him  to  be. a  man  of  good  business  judgment.  In  1898  he 
became  interested  in  lola  real  estate  and  has  owned  and  platted  three  ad- 
ditions and  is  interested'  in  the  fourth,  east  of  town  on  the  Jeffries 
tract. 

Mr.  Edwards  was  married  at  Sandwich,  Illinois,  June  29,  1870,  to  Alice, 
a  daughter  of  John  Pearce,  an  Ohio  settler.  The  children  of  this  marriage 
are:  Arthur  W. ,  who  married  Sarah  L,awler;  Luther  P.,' who  married  Nel- 
lie Walton;  Clarence  O,,  who  married  Jennie  Walton,  now  deceased,  and 
Roy  C. ,  who  is  single  and  still  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards  are  raising 
their  grandson  Vernon  Edwards.  Mr.  Edwards  has  beentrusteeand  record- 
ing steward  since  the  organization  of  the  M.  E.  church  at  LaHarpe. 


TSAAC  S.  COE — The  subject  of  this  review  is  one  of  the  characters  in  the 
-'-  settlement  and  development  of  Allen  County,  where  he  has  maintained 
his  residence  for  a  third  of  a  century,  and  is  the  Republican  postmaster  of 
LaHarpe.  He  arrived  in  the  county  June  28,  1868,  and  has  led  a  varied 
life   of   farming,    trading,    breeding,    and    the  like,  and  his  home  has  been 


132  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

maintained  either  in  Marmaton  or  Elm  townships  during   all   these   years. 

The  record  of  Isaac  S.  Coe  is  not  a  brief  one.  His  life  spans  a  mighty 
space  of  time — a  record  breaking  era — and  to  undertake  to  present  in  detail 
his  successes  and  reverses  and  the  innumerable  incidents  which  have  oc- 
curred to  influence  his  life  is  a  task  not  the  province  of  this  article  to  accom- 
plish. To  note  such  events  as  serve  as  milestones  in  his  career  and  to  present 
such  facts  of  family  history  as  are  necessaiy  to  identify  the  American  race  of 
Goes  is  all  that  is  contemplated  and  attempted  herein. 

Isaac  S.  Coe  was  born  August  i6,  1822,  in  the  township  of  Hemp- 
stead, Rockland  County,  New  York.  He  was  a  son  of  Samuel  I.  and  Mary 
(Conklin)  Coe,  both  natives  of  that  County,  who  were  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  viz.:  Ann,  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Martha,  George  S.,  Mary,  Samuel 
S.,  John  S.,  Charlotte,  Harriet,  Isaac  S.,  and  Jesse  S.,  all  of  whom  mar- 
ried and  reared  families  except  Charlotte.  In  January  1827,  the  mother 
died  and  fifteen  years  later  the  father  was  removed  unto  the  beyond. 

Our  subject  resided  with  his  married  sisters  during  his  boyhood  and,  at 
times,  worked  with  their  husbands  at  their  business  as  "roust- about"  inastore 
or  what  not,  and  was  deprived  in  a  large  measure  of  the  youthful  privilege  of 
obtaining  a  good  school  training.  At  fifteen  years  of  age,  having  tried 
various  occupations  and  with  no  special  liking  for  any  of  them,  his  father 
put  him  to  trade  with  the  firm  of  Gale,  Wood  &  Hughes,  New  York 
City,  and  he  was  later  bound  to  John  C.  Moore,  a  carpenter  and  builder, 
with  whom  he  became  a  skilled  workman.  His  promise  of  the  pittance  of 
twenty-five  dollars  per  year  for  five  years,  the  term  forwhich  he  was  bound, 
not  being  forthcoming,  and  suffering  the  further  neglect  of  poor  clothing 
and  insufficient  food,  he  terminated  the  agreement  by  summarily  quitting 
his  master.  His  father  then  gave  him  the  remainder  of  his  time  and  he 
engaged  with  the  great  cab  and  coach  maker  of  Newark,  New  Jersey, 
Gilbert  and  Van  Derwurken.  Wood  &  Hughes  were  his  next  employers 
and  with  this  important  firm  he  remained  many  months.  Work  growing 
scarce  he  went  back  to  his  old  home  near  Haverstraw,  New  York,  and  set 
up  his  first  independent  business — at  wagon-making — on  the  Nyack  turn- 
pike. This  shop  he  opened  in  1840  and  an  era  of  prosperity  opened  up  for 
the  young  mechanic.  In  the  spring  of  1841  he  married  Sarah  E.  Felter,  of 
Bergen  County,  New  Jersey,  a  daughter  of  an  Englishman,  Alexander 
Felter.  Selling  his  shop  and  business  Mr.  Coe  engaged  in  improving  a 
new  home  nearby  and  following  market  gardening  and  poultry  raising  for 
the  New  York  market.  In  ten  years  he  had  accumulated  a  few  hundred 
dollars;  and,  with  his  family,  emigrated  to  DuPage  County,  Illinois.  In 
the  town  of  FuUersburg  he  associated  himself  with  his  brother,  John  S. 
Coe,  a  fine  blacksmith,  and  the  two  built  up  an  immense  business.  It  was 
soon  necessary  to  enlarge  their  shop  and  many  men  were  required  to  do 
their  work  instead  of  two.  In  August,  1854,  his  wife  died  and  our  subject 
sold  his  business  and;  after  exploring  Minnesota  somewhat  he  settled  at 
Faribault  and  set  up  business.  Again  he  found  things  to  his  hand  and 
prospered  for  the  two  years  he  occupied  the  shop.  Selling  out  he  took  a 
claim  near  town  and  undertook  to  farm.     This   venture  was  disastrous  and 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  133 

lie  spent  much  of  his  accumulations  before  he  could  stop  the  drift.  In  1859 
he  left  Minnesota  with  the  remnant  of  his  family  and  in  June,  1859,  stopped 
.■at  Syracuse,  Missouri.  He  bought  the  Overland  Stage  Company's  shops 
and  immediately  stepped  into  a  large  business.  He  prospered  there  and 
remained  at  the  helm  of  a  growing  business  till  the  war  cloud  of  the  Re- 
bellion lowered  upon  him  and  forced  his  retirement. 

The  period  of  the  Civil  war  now  being  on  Mr.  Coe's  first  service 
rendered  was  for  the  telegraph  company,  repairing  their  line  from  Syra- 
cuse to  Springfield,  Missouri.  This  was  a  trying  and  dangerous  job  and 
was  accomplished  by  himself  and  an  assistant.  This  completed  he  was 
ordered  to  take  down  and  coil  the  wire  from  Jefferson  City  to  Boonville 
which  he  did  without  injury  from  the  enemy  and  on  October  4th,  186 r,  he 
enlisted  in  the  Sigel  Scouts  under  Captain  William  Smallwood  and  was 
appointed  2nd  sergeant.  He  was  detached  on  the  15th  and  made  Gen. 
Sigel's  chief  scout.  In  this  capacity  he  rendered  much  valuable  service  to 
the  Federal  commanders,  I^ane  and  I^yons,  in  Missouri,  and  experienced 
many  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  this  peculiar  branch  of  service. 
Being  under  the  orders  of  General  Osterhaus  and  once  chafing  under  a 
stretch  of  idleness  he  asked  for  some  duty  and  was  ordered  to  rep  ort  to 
Captain  Phil  Sheridan.  Sheridan  appointed  him  to  be  inspector  of  mills 
for  a  radius  of  twenty  miles:  to  learn  their  condition,  their  capacity,  needed 
repairs  and  the  amount  of  grain  in  store.  Coe's  last  service  as  a  scout  was 
about  Clinton,  Missouri,  in  the  interest  of  the  ist  Iowa  cavalry  and  as  an 
independent  scout.  Augu.st  13,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  33rd  Missouri  in- 
fantry, commanded  by  Clinton  B.  Fiske.  He  was  appointed  drill-master  of 
the  awkward  squad  and  later  made  head  quartermaster-sergeant  for  Adjutant 
Halloway  and  was  still  later  promoted  to  sergeant  major  of  the  regiment. 
He  was  promoted  in  the  spring  of  1863  to  2nd  Lieutenant  of  Company  C 
and  after  the  battle  of  Helena  was  raised  to  ist  lieutenant  for  gallant  and 
conspicuous  service  as  gunner.  He  was  ordered  to  the  command  of  Com- 
pany I  of  the  33rd  regiment  and  remained  in  that  position  till  near  the  end 
of  the  war.  In  the  regular  service  Mr.  Coe  was  in  the  following  battles 
and  expeditions:  Yazoo  Pass,  Helena,  Ark.;  White  River  Expedition,  Mis- 
sissippi Expedition,  storming  of  Ft.  De  Russy,  La.;  destruction  of  Ft. 
Rollins,  battle  of  Pleasant  Hill,  Cane  River,  Old  River  Lake,  West  Ten- 
nessee Expedition,  battle  of  Tupelo,  Nashville,  and  march  to  East  Port, 
Mississippi,  where  he  was  detached  by  General  McArthur  to  organize  the 
ambulance  corps  of  the  western  division.  With  all  his  equipment  and 
paraphernalia  in  readiness,  in  three  days  he  was  ordered  to  Vicksburg  to 
reorganize  the  corps  there,  but  finding  no  purveyor  there  he  was  ordered  to 
take  his  command  to  New  Orleans,  where  it  was  fully  organized  and  taken 
on  to  Dauphin  Island  in  Mobile  Bay.  In  pursuance  of  orders  he  finally 
found  his  command  in  front  of  Ft.  Spanish  in  time  to  take  care  of  the  first 
wounded  man  from  the  field.  At  the  close  of  the  incidents  around  Ft. 
Blakely  the  hospital  corps  was  ordered  to  Selma,  Alabama,  and  there  our 
subject  established  his  headquarters.  His  final  orders  were  to  turn  ove  r 
certain   property   to   the   proper  officer  at  Selma  and  still  other  property  at 


r34  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AND 

Vicksburg  to  the  purvej'or  of  the  department  and  report  at  Benton  Barracks 
to  be  mustered  out. 

Returning  home  to  Syracuse,  Missouri,  sick,  he  recuperated  some 
time  before  engaging  again  in  civil  pursuits.  He  repaired  his  property , 
run  down  by  destructive  usage  by  the  military  forces,  and  undertook  to  re- 
build and  re-establish  himself  in  his  old  home.  In  1868  he  disposed  of  his 
Missouri  interests  and  became  a  settler  on  the  prairies  of  Allen  County, 
Kansas. 

Mr,  Coe  has  been  four  times  married  and  is  now  a  widower.  His  first 
marriage  occurred  before  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  as  has  been  stated, 
and  the  children  of  this  union  were:  Sarah  P,,  Mary  A.,  Arlena  B.,  Ann, 
Jesse  and  Harriet  E..  In  September,  1855,  Mr.  Coe  married  Mrs.  Mary 
(Knapp)  Bell,  from  whom  he  separated  in  Minnesota.  In  the  year  1866 
he  married  Nannie  B.  Tease,  of  Syracuse,  Missouri,  who  died  in  1868.  In 
1872  he  married  Mary  Miller.  She  lived  something  more  than  ten  years 
and  again  left  him  a  widower.  As  a  result  of  this  sad  incident  Mr.  Coe 
sold  all  his  effects  and  spent  some  time  on  the  road  selling  electric  belts, 
medicines,  notions  and  was  engaged  in  this  vocation  when  the  election  of 
1896  occurred.  With  the  assurance  of  there  being  a  change  in  the  post- 
mastership  at  LaHarpe,  Allen  County,  he  became  a  petitioner  for  the  office 
and  brought  such  influence  to  bear  upon  the  department  as  to  secure  his 
appointment  in  April,  1897.     He  took  the  office  the  ist  of    May    following. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Coe  has  ever  been  a  Republican.  Since 
1856  when  that  organization  placed  its  first  candidate  in  the  field  for  presi- 
dent he  has  espoased  the  party  principles  and  has  modestly  given  its  candi- 
date his  support. 


A  SEPH  E.  WRIGHT,  Assessor  of  the  City  of  lola,  and  for  many 
-^~^  years  buyer  and  shipper  of  stock,  was  born  in  Ashtabula  county, 
Ohio,  December  15,  1840.  His  father,  Ralph  K.  Wright,  was  a  Conneaut 
township  farmer,  who  was  reared,  lived  and  died  in  Ashtabula  county,  was 
born  in  Massachusetts  September  5,  1803,  and  at  the  age  of  three  years  was 
brought  to  the  Western  Reserve.  He  was  a  son  of  Ralph  Wright  who 
opened  out  a  farm  in  Conneaut  township  and  died  upon  it  about  1856  at 
the  age  of  seventy- eight  years.  He  was  prosperous,  thoroughly  repre- 
sentative, a  Free  Soiler  and  then  an  Abolitionist.  He  married  a  Miss 
King  and  six  of  their  eleven  children  lived  to  rear  families:  Ralph  K., 
Abel  K.,  Frank  K. ,  Sophia,  wife  of  Seymour  Stephens;  Mary,  wife  of 
Conover  Conover  and  Caroline  who  married  Charles  Simons,  of  Fairfield, 
Ohio. 

Ralph  King  Wright  was  a  thorough-going  farmer  who  was  born  in 
Connecticut  in  1808  and  died  in  1870.  He  married  Ann  Griswold  and 
their  children  were:  Harriet  A.,  whose  second  husband  was  Edward 
Brooks.     She  resides  in  Conneaut,  Ohio;  Aseph  Eugene;  Josephine,  wife  of 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  135 

IvUfher  Riplev^,  of  Detroit,  Michigan-;  Armena,  of  Detroit,  is  the  wife  of 
John  Randall;  Florence,  of  Conneaut,  Ohio,  is  the  wife  of  Lester  Griswpld; 
Vina,  of  Conneaut,  Ohio,  married  Forest  Wellman;  Electa,  of  Ashtabula, 
Ohio,  wife  of  Alonzo  Randall. 

A.  E.  Wright  secured  a  country  school  education  and  remained  with 
the  old  home  till  twenty-three'  years  of  age.  He  earned  his  first  money,  as 
a  youth,  driving  an  ox  team  at  thirty  cents  a  day.  He  began  life  inde- 
pendently as  a  farmer,  but  was  soon  attracted  to  the  Pennsylvania  oil 
■fields  and  spent  a  few  years  there  with  profit.  In  1S62  he  went  to  Huron 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  the  farm  and  stock  till  his 
removal  to  Kansas.  In  1871  he  came  to  Allen  county  and  made  per' 
nianent  settlement  on  a  farm  in  Elm  township.  Some  years  later  he  located 
in  lola  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  on  the  "Simpson  corner," 
where  the  New  York  Store  now  stands.  He  was  an  lola  merchant  nine 
years  and  was  succeeded,  in  1887,  by  Port  brothers. 

Mr.  Wright  engaged  in  the  Ijuying  and  shipping  of  stock  some  ten 
years  ago.  He  has  billed  out  many  thousand  head  of  both  cattle  and  hogs 
and  his  face  is  a  familiar  one  to  the  buyers  and  packers  of  Kansas  City. 

Notwithstanding  Mr.  Wright  has  been  busy  he  has  taken  time  to  help 
in  the  political  battles  of  Allen  county.  He  was  elected  Trustee  of  Elm 
township  and  served  three  years  and  served  in  the  same  capacity  in  lola 
township  four  years.  He  was  elected  Assessor  of  lola  in  1889  for  a  term 
of  two  years.  His  frequent  re-elections  are  a  sufficient  guaranty  of 
the  efiiciency  of  his  public  service  and  only  once  has  he  suffered  defeat  at 
the  polls.  He  is  one  of  the  staunch  Republicans  of  the  county  and, 
whether  in  success  or  defeat,  he  is  always  a  Republican. 

December  26,  1866,  Mr.  Wright  was  married  in  Ripley  township, 
Huron  county,  Ohio,  to  Tacy  P.  Green,  a  daughter  of  William  A.  and 
Adah  (Kebby)  Green,  who  came  into  Ohio  from  Rhode  Island.  The 
Green  children  are;  Eliza  Green,  Susan,  George,  Mary,  Harrison,  Tacy, 
Whitford  and  Rilla.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright's  surviving  children  aie: 
Adah  A.  and  Blanche  Wright.     Two  sons,  Herbert  and   Ralph,    are  dead. 


"\  A  WILLIAM  MERCHANT,  of  Wise,  Allen  county,  whose  residence 
*  "  in  Allen  county  for  the  past  thirty  years  has  been  mutually  bene- 
ficial to  the  county  and  to  himself  and  whose  citizenship  and  patriotism  is 
of  a  high  and  commendable  order,  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio, 
October  9,  1825.  His  father  was  William  Merchant  who  accompanied  his 
widowed  mother  into  Highland  county,  that  state  in  1813.  Berkley 
county,,  Virginia,  was  their  native  heath  and  there  our  subject's  father  was 
born  in  1800.  He  was  married  in  Fayette  county  in  1822  to  Elizabeth 
Smith,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Smith  who  also  went  to  Highland  county  from 
Berkley  county,  Virginia.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Ohio  William  Mer- 
chant the  first  was  bound  to  a  blacksmith  in  Greenfield  and  only  became  a 


136  HISTORY   OF   ALLETN"  AND 

farmer  after  many,  years  spent  at  his  trade.  He  became  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial men  of  his  community,  was  public  spirited  and  influential  and  was 
an -"old  side  Methodist."  His  father,  Abraham  Merchant,  belonged  to 
one  of  the  old  families  of  the  "Dominion"  State.  His  origin  and  that  of 
his  paternal  ancestors  is  not  a  matter  of  tangible  record. 

Our  subject's  maternal  ancestors  were  the  Bulls  of  Virginia.  Their 
history  dates  back  to  Colonial  days  and  theirs  were  some  of  the  Patriots 
who  crossed  blades  with  the  British  in  the  days  of  "sevent5'-six." 

Elizabeth  Merchant  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 
Her  children  were:  Isaac,  William,  John,  of  Chicago,  111.;  Jonah,  of 
Leesburg,  Ohio;  Abraham,  who  died  in  California  in  the  service  of  his 
country;  Naham,  deceased,  was  a  soldier  in  California;  Sarah,  deceased, 
who  married  Jacob  Kay  lor,  Rebecca,  who  became  the  wife  of  Hugh 
Snyder,  and  Nag.cy,  who  resides  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  is  the  widow  of 
Charles  Fishback. 

William  Merchant,  our  subject,  was  schooled  in  the  log  cabin  school 
houses  of  Ohio  and  grew  up  on  the  farm.  July  19,  1849,  he  married 
Sarah,  a  daughter  of  John  Breakfield,  whose  family  was  also  from  Berkley 
county,  Virginia.  Mrs.  Merchant  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio, 
February  28,  1828.  In  1850  Mr.  Merchant  left  his  father's  place  and  took 
possession  of  a  tract  of  his  own  purchase.  This  he  cnltivated  till  1870 
when  he  was  induced  to  dispose  of  it  and  become  a  resident  of  Kansas. 
For  twenty  years  he  devoted  himself  to  intelligent  cultivation  and  manage- 
ment of  his  Ohio  farm  and  his  experience  and  his  accumulations  placed 
him  in  an  advantage  when  located  upon  his  Allen  county  farm.  He  pur- 
chased on  Deer  Creek  the  John  Martin  tract  of  160  acres  and  out  of  his 
earnings  both  before  and  since  1870  he  has  added  five  other  quarters  mak- 
ing a  total  of  960  acres.  His  is  at  once  a  farm  and  a  ranch  for  Deer  Creek 
bottom  excels  in  the  production  of  grain  while  the  prairies  and  hill  land 
furnish  fine  range  accessible  to  the  waters  of  the  creek. 

The  patriotism  of  the  Merchants  is  no.teworthy  and  unbounded. 
Wherever  their  country  calls  there  they  respond,  even  with  their  lives. 
During  the  Civil  war  William  Merchant  volunteered  for  the  defense  of 
Ohio  and  was  one  of  the  Morgan  pursuers.  Two  of  his  brothers  enlisted 
in  the  volunteer  service  and  thus  the  cause  of  the  Union  was  upheld  and 
the  loyalty  of  the  Merchants  demonstrated.  In  politics,  as  in  war,  our 
subject  has  been  on  the  right  side.  His  ancestors  were  Whigs  and  he  cast 
his  maiden  vote  for  Gen.  Taylor,  and  for  Gen.  Scott,  the  last  two  Whig 
candidates  for  the  presidency.  He  was  a  Fremont  man  in  1856,  a  Lincoln 
man  in  1860-4  ^'^^  a  supporter  of  Grant,  Hayes,  Blaine,  Harrison  and 
McKinley.  As  for  actively  engaging  in  local  political  frays  Mr.  Merchant 
never  does.  His  moral  attitude  leads  him  to  the  support  of  municipal 
candidates  who  stand  for  principle  instead  of  spoils.  His  whole  life  is  one 
long  Christian  example  and  moral  lesson.  He  became  a  Christian  in  early 
life  and  has  done  much  religious  work  in  the  home  and  in  the  pulpit.  He 
is  a  licensed  preacher  of  the  Methodist  church  and  his  talks  are  filled  with 
earnestness   and   Christian   zeal.      Mr.   and  Mrs.  Mecrhant's  children  are: 


JTr,^  i^E.amU^s SBr^.r-^rrr- 


"WOODSON   COTTNTIES,    KANSAS.  137 

Eliza  E.,  who  married  Bela  Latham;  Josephine,  widow  of  Arthur  Latham; 
Mary  E.  Merchant,  and  Nancy  J.,  wife  of  William  Moffit,  of  Folsom,  New- 
Mexico. 

William  Merchant  is  one  of  the  strong  characters  of  Allen  county. 
His  distinguishing  marks  are  his  pronounced  sinceiity,  his  unstinted 
honesty  and  his  intense  Christian  simplicity.  He  is  a  man  among  men 
and  a  gentleman  without  taint  or  suspicion. 


LEVI  LEE  NORTHRUP. — The  history  of  a  community  is  largely 
made  up  of  the  biography  of  a  few  individuals,  and  the  history  of 
lola  and  Allen  county  can  never  be  written  without  including  also  the 
record  of  L.  L.  Northrup,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county,  and  from  the 
■date  of  his  arrival  until  the  day  of  his  death  one  of  the  largest  factors  in  its 
business. 

L.  L.  Northrup  was  a  son  of  Lewis  Northrup,  a  brick  mason,  and  of  Eliz- 
abeth Lathrop,  and  was  born  in  Geneseo  county,  New  York,  April  12,  1818. 
There  were  three  other  sons,  Rev.  G.  S.,  who  died  at  Geneva,  Kansas; 
Ezra  L-,  who  died-  at  Rippon,  Wisconsin,  and  Charles  Northrup  whose 
whereabouts  have  been  unknown  since  the  period  of  the  Civil  War. 

When  but  two  years  of  age,  by  the  death  of  his  mother,  the  family 
home  was  broken  up  and  Levi  L.  Northrup  was  taken  into  the  household 
of  an  uncle  at  Elmira,  New  York,  by  whom  he  was  brought  up.  His 
schooling  was  only  such  as  the  very  indifferent  common  schools  of  that 
day  afforded  and  his  education  was,  therefore,  limited. 

As  he  approached  manhood  he  was  put  to  learn  the  woolen  manu- 
facturing tiade,  and  in  1840  he  had  saved  enough  out  of  his  wages  to  be 
able  to  engage  in  the  business  on  his  own  account,  which  he  did  at 
Albion,  New  York.  His  business  prospered  and  the  young  factor  seemed 
fairly  started  on  the  road  to  wealth  when,  in  1846,  his  factory  was  burned 
and  there  was  little  left  of  the  accumulation  of  six  years  of  work  and 
care. 

Nothing  daunted,  however,  the  young  man  set  to  work  again  and  it 
was  not  long  till  he  was  again  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen 
goods  this  time  at  LaFayette,  Indiana.  But  the  same  misfortune  overtook 
him  here  as  at  Albion  for  he  had  not  long  been  in  operation  when  fire 
swept  away  his  plant,  and  his  resources,  for  the  second  time,  were  ser- 
iously crippled.  A  third  time  he  set  up  in  the  same  business,  the  last  time 
at  Thorntown,  Indiana,  where  an  uncle  became  his  partner  and  where,  for 
some  years  a  thriving  business  was  done  and  the  foundation  of  a  modest 
fortune  started. 

In  1858,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  Union  Settlement  Company, 
which  had  bought  a  large  body  of  land  in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  and  had 
laid    out    the    town     of    Geneva,     he    disposed    of    his    intereist    in  the 


138  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

woolen  mill  and  removed  to  this  state,  bringing,  as  his  entire  capital,  a 
smill  stock  oi  general  merchandise  and  a  saw-mill;  the  whole  representing 
an  investment  of,  perhaps,  three  thousand  dollars.  He  located  first  at 
Geneva,  but  when  the  town  of  lola  was  laid  out,  a  year  later,  he  estab- 
lished a  branch  store  there.  Three  years  later,  the  expectation  of  its 
founders,  that  Geneva  would  grow  into  a  city,  not  having  been  realized, 
Mr.  Northrup  removed  with  his  family  to  lola,  and  in  1869  he  concentrated 
all  his  business  interests  in  the  latter  town  which  ever  afterward  remained 
his  home. 

Up  to  this  time  he  had  been  engaged  only  in  general  merchandising, 
but  he  now  established  a  bank,  the  first  in  lola,  which  soon  became  one  of 
the  most  important  factors  in  the  business  life  of  the  town.  One  of  the 
few  Kansas  banks  that  lived  through  the  panic  of  '73,  it  became  steadily 
more  strongly  entrenched  in  popular  favor,  until  its  large  business  war- 
ra  ited  its  re-organization  in  1900  as  a  National  Bank.  As  the  "Northrup 
Nxtional  Bank"  it  has  become  known  and  is  generally  recognized  as  one  of 
tiie  leiding  financial  institutions  of  southeastern  Kansas.  It  may  be  of  in- 
terest to  note  in  this  connection,  that  the  small  two-story  building  originally 
erected  for  the  use  of  the  bank,  and  which  was  fanied  at  the  time  as  the  fin- 
est building  south  of  Ottawa,  has  now  given  way  to  the  Masonic  Temple, 
the  new  bank  having  transferred  its  business  to  the  splendid  structure  that 
bears  its  name. 

In  1877  Mr.  Northrup  practically  turned  the  business  of  his  store  over 
to  his  oldest  sou,  O.  P.  Northrup,  who  managed  it  with  marked  ability 
and  success  until  failing  health,  which  resulted  in  his  death,  in  1892,  com- 
pelled him  to  give  up  his  place  to  his  younger  brothers,  in  whose  name  the 
store  has  ever  since  been  conducted. 

After  relinquishing  the  management  of  the  store,  Mr.  Northrup  gave 
his  entire  attention  to  the  bank,  to  the  lumber  business  which  he  had 
established  about  the  same  time,  and  to  large  lauded  and  other  outside 
interests,  continuing,  until  overtaken  by  his  last  illness,  with  marvelous 
industry  and  activity,  to  look  after  the  least  details  of  a  great  and  always 
.  growing  business. 

Mr.  Northrup  was  married  at  Thorntown,  Indiana,  February  27, 
1849,  to  Mary  E.  Pearce,  a  daughter  of  John  S.  and  Jane  (Code)Pearce  who 
came  to  the  United  States  from  England  and  of  whose  seven  children  four 
survive:  Thos.  E.  and  John  A.  Pearce,  farmers  near  Edgerton,  Kansas, 
and  Mrs.  C.  E.  DeVore,  of  Bushnell,  Illinois,  and  Mrs,  Northrup.  Of 
the  eight  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Northrup  but  three  survive: 
Frank  Altes,  Lewis  Lee  and  Delmer  Pearce  Northrup,  for  many  years 
actively  and  successfully  engaged  in  business  in  lola. 

Although  all  his  life  an  unremitting  and  indefatigable  worker,  Mr. 
Northrup  enjoyed  robust  health  until  about  three  years  before  his  death 
when  he  suffered  an  attack  of  lagrippe.  He  was  present  at  his  desk,  not- 
withstanding his  enfeebled  condition,  until  a  few  months  before  his  taking- 
away,  March  3,  1896.     Two  days  later,  when   the   funeral   services   were 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  139 

held,  business  in  lola  wa'-  suspended  while  the  friends  of  a  lifetime  joined 
in  paying  tribute  to  his  memory. 

The  foregoing  is  a  brief  sketch  of  a  busy,  eventful  and  successful 
life.  It  is  the  story  of  a  boy  born  in  poverty  and  obscurity,  orphaned  in  infan- 
cy, thrown  upon  the  world  with  meager  education  and  with  no  capital  but 
his  own  brains  and  skill  and  industry  and  character,  fighting  his  way  step 
by  step  until  he  had  amassed  a  large  if  not  a  great  fortune.  And  this 
fortune  was  not  made  by  any  sudden  or  unworked  for  stroke  of  "luck,"  or 
by  some  fortunate  speculation  It  was  accumulated  slowly  and  as  the  result 
of  economy,  good  judgment  and  tireless  industry. 

Mr.  Northrup  was  intensely  loyal  to  his  town  and  was  always  counted 
upon  as  one  of  the  large  contributors  to  any  enterprise  that  was  to  be 
undertaken  for  the  advancement  of  public  interests.  In  the  early  days 
when  it  was  a  question  whether  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad  should  come 
to  lola  or  go  to  a  rival  town,  it  was  Mr.  Northrup's  open  purse  and  active 
effort  that  did  more  than  anything  else  to  secure  the  prize  for  lola.  He 
was  especially  earnest  and  effective  in  his  efforts  to  have  lola's  natural  gas 
field  developed  and  utilized.  In  short  he  gave  freely  in  time,  labor  and 
money,  to  any  and  every  undertaking  that  promised  to  advance  the  interest 
of  lola. 

Next  to  the  town  in  general,  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he 
was  a  life-long  member,  was  the  most  especial  object  of  Mr.  Northrup's 
interest  and  care.  In  the  beginning,  when  the  struggling  church  was 
occupying  a  little  building  on  the  corner  of  State  and  West  streets,  Mr. 
Northrup  personally  did  the  janitor  work  and  attended  to  all  the  little 
"chores"  that  had  to  be  done  to  keep  the  house  in  order  and  have  it 
ready  for  the  various  meetings.  And  for  a  great  many  years,  indeed  from 
the  time  of  its  organization  until  his  death,  he  bore  one-fourth  of  the  entire 
expense  of  maintaining  the  church.  He  was  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday 
School  for  nearly  a  full  quarter  of  a  century,  and  as  long  as  his  health 
permitted  he  was  a  regular  attendant  upon  all  of  the  services  of  the  church. 
The  faith  in  the  Christian  religion,  which  prompted  all  these  good  works, 
was  the  faith  of  a  little  child,  unquestioning  and  undoubting,  and  it  abided 
with  him  to  the  very  end,  so  that  he  leaned  upon  it  as  upon  a  staff  when 
he  walked  down,  without  fear  and  without  repining,  into  the  valley  of  the 
shadow. 

I^ike  most  men  who  devote  themselves  successfully  to  business  pur- 
suits, Mr.  Northrup  cared  little  for  society.  In  his  own  home,  however, 
he  was  most  hospitable  to  his  guests  and  loving  and  indulgent  to  his  wife 
and  children.  Always  and  in  all  things  a  modest  man,  there  was  never 
any  display,  any  vain  show  of  wealth;  but  the  family  home  was  always  the 
home  of  comfort  and  contentment  and  true  happiness. 

The  large  busines.ses  which  Mr.  Northrup  so  firmly  established, — 
merchandizing,  banking  and  lumber, — have  been  most  successfully  con- 
tinued by  his  sous,  who  have  shown  in  the  management  of  their  large 
estate  many  of  the  qualities  of  sagacity,  industry,  public  spirit  and  un- 
swerving honesty  that  were  shown  by  their  father  in  its  accumulation.      So 


I40  HISTORY   OF  ALLEN   AND 

that  in  the  considerable  city  which  lola  has  now  become,  "the  Northrups" 
occupy  the  same  relative  position  as  their  father  occupied  before  them  in 
the  then  modest  village,  and  the  family  name  stands  now,  as  it  has  stood 
in  lola  and  in  Allen  county  for  more  than  forty  years,  as  the  synonym  for 
business  enterprise,  success  and  integrity. 


TI^REDERICK  KETTIvE — Among  the  practical,  progressive  farmers  of 
^  Carlyle  township,  Allen  County,  is  numbered  Mr.  Kettle,  who  was 
born  in  England,  April  22,  1859,  a  son  of  Robert  and  Jane  (Roland) 
Kettle.  The  mother  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  but  the  father 
came  to  America  in  1873,  and  is  now  living  near  lola,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-six years. 

Mr.  Kettle,  of  this  review,  was  reared  in  the  land  of  his  birth  and  at 
the  early  age  of  twelve  years  entered  the  employ  of  the  Britania  Rolling 
Mills,  with  which  he  was  connected  until  the  time  of  his  emigration  to 
America.  These  were  the  largest  rolling  mills  in  England,  utilizing  one 
thousand  tons  of  metal  each  week.  As  his  educational  privileges  were 
limited  he  attended  night  schools.  In  the  year  1881  he  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Allen  County,  Kansas.  When  he  ar- 
rived here  he  knew  nothing  of  farming,  having  never  seen  an  ear  of  corn 
growing,  or  had  hold  of  a  cultivator  handle  up  to  that  time;  but  he  possessed 
a  resolute  .spirit  and  readily  adapted  himself  to  his  new  surroundings. 

In  1882  Mr.  Kettle  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  l/ouisa  Menzer,  a 
native  of  Germany  and  a  daughter  of  Conrad  Menzer,  a  resident  of  lola, 
who  came  to  Kansas  when  Mrs.  Kettle  was  only  twelve  years  of  age.  After 
his  marriage  Mr.  Kettle  began  farming  on  his  own  account,  renting  land. 
He  lived  upon  two  rented  farms,  making  his  home  on  each  for  about  nine 
years.  He  then  purchased  about  eighty  acres  of  land  on  Deer  Creek  and 
the  rich,  productive  soil  enables  him  to  raise  from  fifty  to  seventy-five 
bushels  of  corn  per  acre.  One  of  the  first  things  he  learned  in  connection 
with  his  life  in  the  new  world  was  always  to  have  the  best  of  everything, 
and  this  he  has  followed  in  equipping  his  farm  with  buildings  and  machinery. 
His  has  been  an  industrious  and  active  life  and  through  his  well  directed 
efforts  he  has  acquired  a  competence.  He  raises  cattle  and  hogs,  to 
which  he  feeds  his  corn,  and  in  the  sale  of  his  stock  he  has  acquired  a  good 
income. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kettle  have  been  born  seven  children,  namely: 
lyibbie  and  Lillie,  twins;  Agnes  J. ,  Hattie  H. ,  Florence  M. ,  George  F. , 
and  Robert  R.  They  have  been  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  are  now 
very  helpful  to  their  parents.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Kettle  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  while  he  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  issues  of  the  day 
he  has  never  sought  nor  desired  ofiice,  preferring  to  give  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  his  business  affairs. 


"WOODSON  COTJN'TIES,  KANSAS.  14  ^ 

SHERMAN  G.  ROGERS— Sherman  G.  Rogers  is  actively  and  prom- 
inently connected  with  educational  interests  in  Allen  County,  his  ability 
in  the  line  of  his  chosen  calling  having  won  him  prestige  as  an  instructor. 
His  life  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest,  showing  as  it  does  the  opportunities 
that  lie  before  men  of  determined  purpose,  for  at  the  early  age  of  eleven 
years  he  started  out  to  earn  his  own  living  and  has  since  been  depending 
■entirely  upon  his  own  resources.  Such  a  history  is  an  exemplification  Of 
*he  lines  of  the  poet  who  wrote: 

"There  is  no  chance,  no  destiny,  no  fate 
Can  circumvent  or  hinder  or  control 
The  firm  resolve  of  a  determined  soul. 
Oifts  count  for  little;  will  alone  is  great; 
AH  things  give  way  before  it,  soon  or  late." 
Professor  Rogers  was  born  in  Adams  County,    Indiana,    on  the  23rd  of 
January,  1868,  his  parents  being  James  and  Margaret    (Pitts)  Rogers,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,     The  mother  died  in  1875,  leaving 
four  children,  of  whom  Mr.  Rogers  of  this  review  is  the  youngest.     He  was 
then  eleven  years  of  age.     In  1879  his  father  removed  to  Kansas,    purchas- 
ing a  farm  in  Osage  township,  Allen  County,  but  was  not  long  permitted  to 
enjoy  his  new  home^  his  death  occurring  about  three    months  later.     Sher- 
man G.  Rogers  was  then  left  an  orphan,  and,  receiving    no    patrimony,    he 
was  forced  to  provide  for  his   own    livelihood.     Having   acquired    his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  common  schools  he  desired  to  further   perfect  his 
knowledge    and  to  this   end   he    pursued   a  two   years'  course  in  the  Fort 
Scott  Normal,  meeting  the  expenses  of  his  normal  study  with  money  which 
he  had  himself  earned.     Subsequently  he  learned  telegraphy  at  Moran  and 
secured  a  position  on  the  Fort  Scott  &  Gulf  Railroad,  but  after   a   j^ear   he 
resigned  in  order  to  enter  upon  educational  labor.     He  successfully   passed 
the  teachers'  examination,  received  his  certificate  and  secured   a    school  in 
the  district  where  he  had  acquired  his  education  when   a   boy.     For   seven 
years  he  has  been  a  representative    of   the    profession,    being   employed  in 
various    parts   of   Allen    County,    and  is    now  for  the  fourth  term  acting  as 
teacher  in  the  East  Liberty  school  district.     As  a  student  he  was  thorough, 
iully  mastering  the  branches  to  which  he  gave  his   consideration,    and  now 
he  has  the  faculty  of  imparting  clearly  and  concisely  the  knowledge  he  has 
acquired.     At  the   present  time    he   is    devoting  his  leisure  to  the  study  of 
medicine,  under  the  direction  of   Dr.    O'Flyng,  of   Elsmore,  perasing   the 
medical  text  books  after  his  day's  work  in  the  school  room   is   ended.     His 
strong  force  of  character,  laudable  ambition  and   resolute   purpose    will   en- 
able him  to  achieve  success  in  whatever  line  of  life  he  decides    to   cast   his 
lot.     He  is  also  engaged  in   teaching   several  classes   in    vocal  music,  pos- 
sessing considerable  talent  in  that  direction.     He  is  now  serving  as   choris- 
ter and  Sunday  School  superintendent  in  the  Methodist   Episcopal   church 
in  Elsmore.     It  would  be  almost  tautological  in  this  connection  to  say  that 
he   is   a   man   of  broad   mind   and   progressive  spirit,  for  these  have  been 
shadowed  forth  between  the  lines  of  this  review.     Although  he  is  a   young 


142  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

man,  his  career  is  one  worthy  of  emulation,  being  characterized  by  marked 
fidelity  to  duty,  by  earnest  purpose,  by  manly  principles  and  sincere 
actions. 


LYMAN  F.  PAL,MER,  lola's  reliable  marble  and  granite  cutter,  came 
into  Kansas  in  1893  and  located  for  business  in  Burlington.  He  re- 
mained at  that  point  until  October,  1895,  when  he  saw  the  future  of  the 
gas  belt  and  established  himself  in  lola.  He  was  formerly  from  Chicago, 
Illinois. 


TZp  G.  GILBERT — Northeast  Allen  County,  or  what  is  now  Osage  town- 
-^— '  ship,  is  fortunate  in  the  possession  of  many  of  our  splendid  citizens. 
In  the  year  i860  when  the  first  settlers  stole  across  the  border  and  laid  the 
foundation  for  homes  and  thereby  established  civilization  within  its  borders 
Edward  G.  Gilbert  was  of  the  few.  He  entered  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  twenty,  township  twenty-three,  range  twenty-one,  built  a  cabin  and 
returned  to  his  home  in  Ohio.  He  reached  there  on  election  day  and 
helped  elect  Lincoln  the  first  time.  The  events  leading  up  to  the  Civil 
war  transpired  rapidly  and  its  outbreak  caused  him  to  delay  his  return  to 
Kansas.  He  remained  in  Ohio,  participated  in  some  of  the  events  which 
ended  the  war  and  then  turned  his  face  toward  his  new  home.  He  took 
possession  of  his  cabin  near  the  river,  furnished  it  with  a  peg  bedstead, 
box  cupboard  and  antiquated  chairs  and  began  a  bachelor's  existence.  The 
work  of  reducing  nature  with  art  which  he  began  then  he  has  continued 
with  such  success  and  such  profit  as  to  place  him  among  the  large  land- 
owners of  the  county. 

All  that  is  left  of  the  .settlers  of  1865  is  Mr.  Gilbert,  the  Tucker  broth- 
ers and  Charlie  Ross.  The  Brays  and  the  Manns, pioneers,  are  all  gone,  and 
the  prairie  which  Mr.  Gilbert  predicted  would  all  be  settled  in  his  time  and 
which  many  thought  could  not  happen,  is  all  settled,  improved  and  turned 
into  one  vast  field  and  meadow. 

Mr.  Gilbert  came  to  Kansas  from  Champaign  County,  Ohio,  He  was 
born  in  Harrison  County,  West  Virginia,  December  9,  1832,  and  is  a  farm- 
er's son.  Amos  Gilbert,  his  father,  was  born  in  Buck's  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, of  Quaker  parents.  In  about  1850  the  latter  came  into  Ohio  where 
he  died  in  1854,  at  fifty  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  was  Phebe  Wilson, 
died  in  1852.  Of  their  seven  children  six  survive,  viz.:  Edward  G. ,  Mary, 
wife  of  George  Millice,  of  Mechanicsburg,  Ohio;  Ann  E. ,  widow  of  N.  B. 
Johnson,  of  Champaign,  County,  Ohio;  Benjamin  B.,  of  Champaign, 
County,  Ohio;  George  and  Amos  G. ,  also  of  that  county;  Nellie,  deceased, 
wife  of  G.  M.  Nelson. 

Edward  G.  Gilbert  acquired  only  a  limited  education.     He   began  life 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  I43 

without  Other  than  his  physical  resources  and  earned  his  first  money  as  a 
wage  worker  on  a  farm.  He  was  induced  to  come  to  Kansas  by  an  old  ac- 
quaintance, Mr.  Black,  who  settled  in  Anderson  County  in  1858,  and  he 
made  the  trip  by  rail  to  St.  I,ouis,  by  boat  to  Kansas  City,  and  by  stage 
(for  $11)  to  Mound  City,  Kansas. 

August  19,  1866  Mary  E.  Tucker  became  Mrs.  Gilbert  and  took  pos- 
session of  his  residence  (a  log  cabin  14x16)  and  all  its  furnishings.  Mrs. 
Gilbert  was  a  daughter  of  Robert  Tucker  who  came  to  Kansas  from  Missouri 
but  was  a  Virginian  by  birth. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gilbert's  children  are:  Mary,  wife  of  Rev.  Geo.  W.  Trout, 
of  Rochester,  New  York;  Millie  J.,  wife  of  Hiram  Huffman,  Robert  E. ,  who 
married  L.  Harvey;  Conney,  deceased  and  Cora  Gilbert. 

Mr.  Gilbert  went  into  the  armv  toward  the  close  of  the  war.  He  enlist- 
ed in  Company  F. ,  134th  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  one  hundred  day  service, 
under  General  Butler's  command.  He  contracted  lung  fever  and  was 
warned  that  he  would  die  if  he  entered  the  army  but  it   did    not  deter  him. 

Mr.  Gilbert  has  been  one  of  the  most  influential  men  in  the  politics  of 
Allen  County.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  General  Scott  and  his  next  for 
Fremont  and  on  down  the  Republican  ticket  to  November  6,  1900.  Thir- 
teen times  has  he  presented  himself  at  the  ballot  box  to  make  his  choice 
for  President  and  only  four  times  has  he  failed  of  his  man.  Mr.  Gilbert 
possesses,  in  a  high  degree,  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  countrymen  which 
fact,  alone,  is  worth  a  life  time  of  active  industry  and  personal  sacrifice. 


TAMES  WHALIyON  ROLL,  successful  farmer  and  highly  respected  citi- 
^  zen  of  Carlyle  township,  Allen  County,  was  born  in  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  near  Glendale,  December  28,  1836.  His  father,  Samuel  V.  Roll, 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Hamilton  County,  going  there  in  1805  from 
Mendham,  Morris  County,  New  Jersey.  The  latter  was  born  at  Mendham 
in  1788  and  died  in  September,  1885.  In  early  life  he  was  a  saddle  and 
harndss  maker.  His  father,  Abram  Roll,  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  near 
Cincinnati(the  2sth  ward  of  that  city)and  opened  a  farm  there.  Samuel  V. 
Roll  lode  over  across  the  mountains  into  Ohio  on  horseback  and  was  offered 
the  square  in  Cincinnati  where  the  Gait  house  stands,  for  his  horse. 
Samuel  V.  Roll  was  a  gentleman  well  known  as  a  pioneer,  took  a  conspicu- 
ous part  in  the  affairs  of  his  locality  and  the  second  Abolition  ballot  cast  in 
Springfield  township,  Hamilton  County,  was  cast  by  him.  He  married 
Nancy  A.  Whallon,  daughter  of  James  Whallon,  a  large  farmer  and  a 
Jerseyman.  Their  marriage  resulted  in  the  following  issue;  Samuel,  de- 
ceased; James  W.;  Lavina,  deceased;  Nancy,  deceased;  John,  deceased  and 
Benjamin,  of  Mt.  Healthy,  Ohio. 

James  W.  Roll  grew  up  at  Glendale  and  was  educated  in  College  Hill, 
Ohio-.  He  taught  in  the  public  schools  five  years  and  then  entered  the 
Cincinnati  Business  College  as  one  of  the  professors.     Following  this   con- 


t44  HISTORY   OF   ALLEJT  AND 

nection  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  business  college  in  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  and  remained  with  it  eight  years.  Returning  to  his  first  love,  the 
farm,  he  remained  four  years  on  the  old  home  and  then  disposed  of  his  per^ 
sonal  effects  and  came  west.  Kansas,  and  especially  Allen  County,  was 
absolutely  strange  to  him  when  he  entered  it.  He  purchased  a  farm  on  the 
north  line  of  the  county  and  began  its  successful  cultivation  and  manage- 
ment. Another  farm,  adjoining,  in  Anderson  County,  he  owns,  and  alto- 
gether his  time  and  energies  are  in  full  demand. 

Mr.  Roll  was  first  married  in  Ohio,  January  i6,  i86i,  to  Anna  McCor- 
mick.  She  died  in  March  two  years  later.  In  October,  1865,  he  was 
married  to  Sarah  J.,  a  sister  of  Hon.  James  Neal,  of  Hamilton,  Ohio.  She 
died  before  their  first  anniversary  and  July  7,  1867,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Susan  M.  Weatherhead,  of  Ogdensburg,  New  York,  a  daughter 
of  Robert  Weatherhead,  a  government  officer.  Robert  H.  Weatherhead,  a 
leading  druggist  of  Cincinnati,  and  Judson  Weatherhead,  of  Chicago, 
are  brothers  of  Mrs.  Roll  and  Mrs.  Fannie  Church,  of  Chicago,  is  her 
sister. 

Mr.  Roll's  children  are  Samuel  A.  Roll,  with  the  Electric  Appliance 
Company  of  Chicago;  Bessie,  wife  of  Arthur  Paine,  of  Chicago;  Lillie  M., 
head  book-keeper  for  the  E.  A.  Armtrong  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Chica- 
go, and  Robert  Roll,  of  Allen  County. 

The  politics  of  the  Rolls  has  been  permanent  and  unchangeable. 
Our  subject  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  John  C.  Fremont  and  fol- 
lowed the  Republican  party  on  down  to  and  including  its  late  candidate, 
William  McKinlev. 


GEORGE  HARRIS,  one  of  the  practical  and  prosperous  farmers  of 
Deer  Creek  township,  came  to  Allen  County,  Kansas,  in  company  with 
his  fellow  countrymen,  Busley  and  Robertshaw,  in  1880,  and  purchased  a 
tract  of  eighty  acres  on  the  broad  and  untamed  prairie  in  section  seventeen, 
township  twenty-four,  range  twenty.  He  was  a  young  Englishman  with 
scant  means  and  he  came  to  the  State  to  provide  himself,  with  his  labor 
and  his  native  tenacity,  a  home  for  his  growing  family.  He  had  worked 
as  a  farm  hand  in  Livingston  County,  New  York,  and,  at  $25  a  month,  he 
had  laid  by  sufiicient  means  to  pay  for  his  land  and  to  begin  the  initial 
work  of  its  cultivation  and  improvement.  His  first  cottage,  16x12,  fur- 
nished him  with  a  home  for  eight  years  and  in  that  time  his  prosperity 
enabled  him  to  erect  a  comfortable  and  more  commodious  residence,  a  mod- 
est barn,  and  to  add  forty  acres  to  his  original  farm. 

Before  coming  to  Kansas  Mr.  Harris  resided  in  New  York  seven  years, 
coming  there  from  lyincolnshire,  England,  where  he  was  born  July  31,  1849. 
His  father,  Thos.  Harris,  was  a  farmer  and  William  and  our  subject  were 
his  only  heirs.  William  Harris  resides  in  England  still.  Thos.  Harris 
married    Susanna    Hilton,    who,    after   the   death    of  her  husband  married 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  145 

James  Hill  and  reared  a  second  family  of  four  children.  George  Harris 
attended  school  at  Keeby,  Lincolnshire.  In  his  youth  he  learned  farming 
by  actual  experience  and  worked,  also,  in  the  iron  mines. 

November  13,  1874,  Mr.  Harris  was  married  at  Rochester,  New  York, 
to  Elizabeth  lyyttle,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Lyttle,  a  settler  from  the  north  of 
Irelarid.  Mr.  and  Mrs  .Harris'  children  are:  Alice,  wife  of  Geo.  M.  I,ove, 
of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Mary,  Clara,  Hilton  and  Nellie. 

Mr.  Harris  became  a  voter  in  1880.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot 
for  the  Republican  candidate  of  that  year,  but  four  years  later  he  supported 
Mr.  Cleveland.  For  ten  years  he  has  been  identified  with  the  Republicans 
and  his  support  of  their  candidate  in  1896  and  in  1900  was  both  earnest  and 
enthusiastic. 


WIIvLIAM  T.  STOUT,  who  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial 
of  the  moderate  farmers  of  Deer  Creek  township,  has  been  a 
citizen  of  Allen  county  twenty  years.  He  came  to  the  county  in  1880  and 
first  settled  upon  section  5,  township  24,  range  20.  For  seventeen  years 
prior  his  home  was  in  L,inn  county,  Missouri,  to  which  county  he  went 
from  Bond  county,  Illinois,  the  year  following  the  close  of  the  Civil  war. 

Mr.  Stout  was  born  in  Bond  county,  Illinois,  November  29,  1844.  His 
father,  Harvey  E.  Stout,  was  born  in  the  state  of  Illinois  and  was  a  son  of 
Thomas  Stout,  whose  life  was  passed  as  a  miller  and  later  as  a  hotel  man 
in  Greenville,  that  state.  He  was  of  German  stock  and  went  into  Illinois 
as  a  pioneer.  His  son  Harvey  was  born  in  1820.  The  latter  was  reared 
in  Illinois,  learned  the  ■  carpenter  trade,  married  Minerva  Young,  a 
daughter  of  William  Young,  and  went  into  Wappelo  county,  Iowa,  some 
years  before  the  Rebellion.  He  died  in  1865  and  is  buried  at  Agency 
City,  Wappelo  county.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  died  in  1846. 
William  Stout  is  her  sole  surviving  heir.  Another  son,  Richard  U.  Stout, 
died  in  Denver,  Colorado,  in  1894,  leaving  a  son,   William. 

Our  subject  spent  his  youth  upon  the  farm.  The  war  came  on  before 
he  reached  his  majority  and  he  enlisten  in  1861  in  Company  E,  22nd 
Illinois,  Capt.  McAdams  and  Cols.  Dougherty  aud  Hart,  in  their  order, 
and  finally  Col.  Swanrick.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Cairo,  Illinois,  and  left 
the  command  for  a  scout  after  Jeff.  Thompson  whose  men  he  met  at  Bert- 
rand,  Missouri.  In  the  spring  of  1862  his  regiment  was  sent  across 
Missouri  to  New  Madrid  to  aid  in  cutting  off  the  rebels.  It  went  down  to 
Fort  Pillow  and  was  ordered  back  to  Shiloh  to  re-enforce  Grant.  The 
siege  of  Corinth  followed  and  the  22nd  was  in  it.  Company  E  was  camped 
near  a  railroad  bridge,  guarding  this  thoroughfare  during  a  portion  of  its 
stay  around  Corinth.  Following  Corinth  came  Stone  River,  Chicka- 
mauga,  Missionary  Ridge  and  Chattanooga.  Mr.  Stout  was  in  east  Ten- 
nessee when  his  term  of  enlistment  expired  and  he  re-enlisted  in  the  42nd 
Illinois  and  furloughed  home  for  thirty  days.     He  joined  his  regiment — a 


146 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AN]) 


part  of  the  4th  corps — just  before  the  Atlanta  campaign  and,  following 
close  upon  the  heels  of  that,  his  regiment  was  a  part  of  the  army  at  Scho- 
field  that  whipped  Hood  at  Nashville.  The  42nd  was  ordered  from  east 
Tennessee  and  had  something  to  do  with  the  demoralization  of  the  Con- 
federate troops  in  that  region.  Later  it  was  ordered  into  Texas  and  was 
stationed  at  Port  Lavaca,  that  state,  when  Mr.  Stout  was  discharged  in  the 
winter  of  1865. 

Notwithstanding  the  long,  continuous  and  dangerous  service  Mr. 
Stout  was  exposed  to  he  escaped  serious  injury,  He  was  only  one  of  many 
thousand  who  accomplished  this  feat  but  this  fact  does  not  detract  from  the 
value  of  his  service  nor  from  the  spirit  of  patriotism  which  prompted  it. 
At   all  times  he  fulfilled  the  requirements  of  a  soldier — he  obeyed  orders. 

On  September  19,  '1867,  Mr.  Stout  was  married  to  Sarah  E.  Warren,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  C.  Warren,  from  Kentucky.  Their  children  are: 
Mary,  wife  of  Thomas  Wollard;  James  W.  Stout,  who  married  Lily 
Wagner;  Ola  J.,  widow  of  Carl  Stickney;  Ida,  who  married  Thomas  L. 
Dickerson;  Thomas  Stout,  who  married  Mattie  Trout;  Nora  E.,  wife  of 
Ralph  Sprague;  Lucy  Elva,  wife  of  Thomas  Jackson;  George  A.,  Albert, 
Leonard,  Raymond  and  Quincey,  all  residing  in  Allen  county. 

William  T.  Stout  came  to  Kansas  with  a  large  family  and  little  means. 
Fifty  dollars  covered  his  cash  possessions,  and  with  body  filled  with 
industry  he  rented  land  and  went  to  work.  He  bought  a  forty  acre  tract 
in  Osage  township  the  second  year,  or  arranged  to  buy  it,  and  later  on 
another  forty  (railroad  land)  and  his  start  uphill  dated  irom  that  time.  He 
sold  his  Osage  possessions  and  located  in  his  present  place  in  1883.  As  a 
citizen  he  is  regarded  with  confidence  by  his  neighbors  and  fellow  towns- 
men and  in  politics,  in  his  somewhat  limited  sphere,  he  stands  for  the 
principles  of  Republicanism  as  expounded  in  'the  Philadelphia  platform 
of  1900. 


TOHN  D.  CHRISTIAN  is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Carlyle  town- 
'-'  ship,  and  one  of  the  reliable  citizens  of  Allen  county,  on  whom  have 
been  conferred  positions  of  public  trust  and  responsibility.  He  was  born  in 
Parke  county,  Indiana,  October  15,  1847,  his  parents  being  Robert  and 
Mary  M.  (Gilkerson)  Christian,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Augusta 
county,  Virginia.  In  1835  they  removed  to  Indiana,  locating  on  the  old 
homestead  farm  which  is  now  in  possession  of  their  sons,  John  D.  and 
Gilbert  M. ;  who  are  the  only  survivors  in  their  family  of  five  children. 
The  latter  resides  in  Rockville,  Indiana,  The  father  died  in  1855,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three  years,  and  the  mother's  death  occurred  in  1898,  when 
she  had  attained  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years. 

John  D.  Christian  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the  home  farm  and  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he 
had  attained  his    majority,    when  with    the  re-stless   spirit   of   energy    he 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  1 47 

resolved  to  seek  a  business  opening  in  the  west ,  and  made  his  way  to 
Kansas  in  1869.  He  found  employment  on  a  farm  in  Carlyle  township, 
Allen  county,  and  later  was  employed  to  herd  cattle,  following  that  pursuit 
until  he  had  saved  some  money,  when  he  entered  into  a  partnership  for  the 
purpose  of  buying  and  selling  cattk-  on  his  own  account.  He  was  thus 
engaged  for  eight  years,  during  which  time  he  had  acquired  through  his 
own  exertions  a  sum  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  purchase  a  tract  of  prairie 
land.  This  he  at  once  began  to  improve  and  from  time  to  time  he  has 
added  to  his  first  purchase,  until  now  within  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  is 
comprised  a  tract  ot  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  situated  in  Carlyle  town- 
ship, eight  miles  north  of  lola.  His  place  is  well  improved  with  modern 
accessories  and  conveniences,  although  not  an  improvement  had  been  made 
upon  the  farm  when  it  came  into  his  possession.  The  entire  place  is  a 
monument  to  his  enterprise  and  the  buildings  stand  in  material  evidence  of 
his  energy  and  diligence. 

Mr.  Christian  was  married  in  1874  to  Miss  Rachel  Dennis,  but  after 
three  years  of  married  life  she  was  called  to  her  final  rest.  In  1887  Mr. 
Christian  wedded  Miss  Rosa  McGurk,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Sophia  McGurk,  who  came  to  Kansas  in  1880. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Christian  have  six  children:  Maggie,  Robert,  John,  Cary, 
Edwin  and  Bernice. 

In  connection  with  his  only  brother  Mr.  Christian  now  owns  the  old 
home  farm  in  Parke  county,  Indiana,  comprising  one  hundred  acres  of 
valuable  land  adjoining  Rockville,  which  is  one  of  the  wealthiest  towns  of 
its  size  in  the  Hoosier  state.  For  eighteen  years  he  filled  the  office  of 
treasurer  of  Carlyle  township,  and  in  1898  he  was  nominated  and  elected 
by  a  large  majority  on  the  Republican  ticket  for  the  office  of  county  com- 
missioner, which  he  has  filled  with  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  Over 
his  official  record  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil,  and 
his  has  been  an  honorable  and  upright  career,  in  which  he  has  gained  and 
retained  the  warm  friendship  of  many  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact. 


DR.  CICERO  S.  MARTIN,  of  Allen  county,  whose  father,  the  late 
John  Martin,  of  Deer  Creek  township,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  on 
the  creek,  was  born  in  Dawrence  county,  Arkansas,  February  20,  1857. 
The  following  June  his  father  landed  in  Allen  county  and  made  his  final 
stop  in  the  "Martin  and  Wise"  neighborhood  on  the  14th  of  the  month. 
The  homestead  which  the  head  of  the  family  entered  is  now  the  property 
of  "Uncle  Billy"  Merchant,  but  the  place  upon  which  he  spent  the  last 
years  of  his  active  life  and  where  he  died  is  the  property  of  his  son,  Rufus 
S.  Martin,  at  the  forks  of  north  and  south  Deer  Creek. 

John  Martin  was  born  in  North  Carolina  June  14,   1815.     His  father, 
John  Martin,  was  a  state  senator  of  the  old  "Tar  Heel  State"  and  a  wealthy 


148  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

planter.  The  latter  married  p  Miss  Jones  and  eight  of  their  sixteen  child- 
ren were  sons.  Among  them  were  Benjamin,  Hanry,  William,  Bartlett, 
Yancy,  Alexander  and  John.  The  last  named  married  Sarah  Sale  who 
died  in  Allen  county  in  1893,  while  her  husband  died  October  5 ,  1882. 
This  pioneer  couple  left  North  Carolina  about  1855  for  the  west  and 
stopped  a  year  or  more  in  Lawrence  county,  Arkansas.  He  drove  into 
Allen  county  with  his  thirteen  in  family,  with  an  ox  team  and,  along 
with  the  Days  and  Wises,  was  the  first  permanent  settler  in  his  locality. 
He  engaged  at  once  in  the  stock  business  and  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil 
and  was  one  of  the  succes.sful  and  comfortably  well-off  men  of  his  time. 
He  took  a  rather  conspicuous  part  in  public  affairs,  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Kansas  militia,  as  were  some  of  his  sons,  and  was  called  out  when  the 
Rebels  were  threatening  our  frontier.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat,  as  a 
citizen  he  was  among  the  best  and  as  a  man  he  was  loyal  to  his  family  and 
to  his  friends. 

The  children  of  this  pioneer,  our  subject's  father,  were  William 
Yancy,  of  Wheatland,  Oregon;  Jane,  wife  of  Nelson  Hall,  of  Blackburn, 
Indian  Territory;  John  J.,  a  soldier  in  the  9th  Kansas,  who  died  in  1870; 
Hiram  S.,  who  died  in  1876;  Adeline,  deceased,  wife  of  Patrick  Moynihan; 
Susan,  wife  of  James  Goodnight,  of  Dale  county,  Missouri;  James  H., 
deceased;  Martha  A.,  wife  of  R.  E.  Strickler;  Rufus  and  Dr.  Cicero  S. 

Dr.  M  artin  spent  his  childhood  and  youth  in  the  country  on  Deer 
creek.  He  attended  school  under  Prof.  David  Smith  at  Carlyle  and  chose 
medicine  as  his  calling  at  about  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  was  a  student 
in  the  office  of  Dr.  J.  Morgan  at  Neosho  Falls,  following  which  he  attended 
the  Missouri  Medical  College  at  St.  L,ouis  two  years,  graduating  March 
4,  1882.  His  practice  began  at  once  in  his  home  neighborhood  and  has 
continued  there  with  success. 

January  13,  1887,  he  was  married  to  Emma  L.  Benjamin,  a  daughter 
of  John  B.  Benjamin,  of  Hamilton,  Missouri.  The  only  child  of  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Martin,  Cicero  Ray,  died  August  8th,  1899,  at  nearly  nine  years 
of  age. 


T  TIRAM  IvIEURANCE. — A  well  known  and  prominent  representative 
•^  -'-  of  agricultural  interests  in  Allen  county,  Hiram  Lieurance,  well 
deserves  mention  in  this  volume  devoted  to  recording  the  history  of  the 
leading  men  of  Allen  county.  He  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  on 
the  8th  of  March,  1829,  a  son  of  Elijah  and  Cynthia  (Wright)  Lieurance. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  when  about  twenty  years 
of  age  removed  to  the  Buckeye  state,  where  he  met  and  married  Miss 
Wright,  an  Ohio  lady.  In  1836  they  started  westward  and  became  identi- 
fied with  the  farming  interests  of  Illinois,  the  father  continuing  the  work 
of  the  fields  throughout  his  active  business  career.  His  wife  died  in  1844 
at  the  age  of  forty-two  years,   and   surviving   her   twenty-four   years    Mr. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  .  149 

lyieurance  departed  this  life  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  They 
were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  but  three  of  whom  are  living,  the 
sisters  being  Cynthia,  a  resident  of  Nebraska,  and  Mary  ly.  Jane  Reynolds, 
living  in  Anderson  county,  Kansas. 

Hiram  Lieurance,  the  only  surviving  son  of  the  family,  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Illinois  when  he  was  but  seven  years  of 
age.  There  he  was  reared  and  in  the  common  school;  he  acquired  his 
education,  pursuing  his  studies  through  the  winter  season,  while  in  the 
summer  months  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  remaining  with 
his  father  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age.  He  then  went  to  Wisconsin 
where  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month  for  two  years,  returning  to 
Illinois  on  the  expiration  of  that  period.  In  a  short  time,  however,  he 
again  left  home,  his  destination  being  the  Pacific  coast.  It  was  in  1850 
that  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  reaching  the  Golden  state  after  a 
trip  of  four  months.  There  he  began  mining,  following  that  pursuit  for 
three  years  with  good  success,  and  with  the  large  sum  of  money  which  he 
had  acquired  he  returned  to  the  east,  making  the  journey  by  the  water 
route.  He  sailed  to  San  Juan,  crossed  the  Isthmus  to  Graytown,  and  by 
way  of  the  Nicaragua  river  reached  the  Atlantic  ocean  where  he  took 
passage  on  a  vessel  bound  for  New  York.  From  that  point  he  continued 
on  his  way  as  a  passenger  on  the  Hudson  river  boats,  and  on  the  great 
lakes  proceeded  to  Chicago,  reaching  his  home  after  fofty  days  of  travel. 

Soon  afterward  Mr.  Lieurance  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
A.  Vandiveer,  a  native  of  Illinois,  in  which  state  they  resided  until  1868, 
when  they  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Allen  counter  upon  the  farm  where 
they  have  since  resided.  Mr.  Lieurance  first  secured  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres,  but  he-  has  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  place  until  it  now  com- 
prises three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  For  some  time  he  engaged  in 
buying  and  shipping  stock,  but  after  a  number  of  years  he  withdrew  from 
that  enterprise  and  now  devotes  his  attention  solely  to  the  cultivation  of 
his  land. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lieurance  has  been  blessed  with  four 
children,  namely:  Fliza,  the  wife  of  J.  N.  Fallis,  who  is  living  with  her 
parents;  Elvin  T. ;  Herbert  Grant  and  Perry.  All  are  married  and  reside 
near  the  homestead,  either  in  Allen  or  Anderson  counties.  That  Mr. 
Lieurance  is  a  popular  citizen  in  the  community  is  indicated  by  the  fact 
that  in  1883  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  county  commissioner  in  his 
district,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  although  the  district  was  largely  Repub- 
lican and  his  opponent  was  a  strong  candidate.  He  served  in  that  capacity 
for  three  years  and  his  course  was  one  which  showed  that  the  confidence 
and  trust  reposed  in  him  was  well  merited.  Faithful  to  the  duties  of  citi- 
zenship, he  has  given  his  support  to  measures  and  movements  calculated 
to  prove  of  public  good  and  is  justly  numbered  among  the  valued  and 
influential  residents  of  the  community. 


150  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

PERRY  STOTLER,  a  leading  and  influential  farmer  of  lola  township, 
Allen  County,  owns  the  old  Battels  homestead  in  section  eighteen, 
township  twenty-five,  range  eighteen,  upon  which  he  has  resided  since 
1880.  He  came  to  Kansas  from  Allegheny  County,  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  was  born  in  August,  1853,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Allen 
County. 

Mr.  Stotler  is  a  son  of  Emanuel  Stotler,  born  in  the  same  locality  with 
his  son,  and  a  descendant  of  Pennsylvania  German  ancestry  who  came  to 
that  locality  from  over  the  mountains  from  the  ea.st.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Penn  township,  Allegheny  County,  and  was  a  soldier  in  our 
second  war  with  Great  Britain.  He  was  several  times  married  and  reared  a 
large  family.  Emanuel  Stotler  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  the 
country  about  Allegheny  and  Pittsburg  and  cleared  up  a  farm  in  Penn  town- 
ship. Wagon  making  was  also  a  part  of  his  business.  He  was  married  to 
Barbara  Stoner  who  occupies  the  old  family  hoine. 

Emanuel  Stotler's  children  are:  Sylvester  Stotler,  a  prominent   educat- 
or in  his  native   county;    Nancy    Stotler;  Elizabeth,  deceased  wife  of  David 
Shepherd;  Fannie  and  Lillie,  twins.     The  former    married    E.    Gillooly,  of 
Humboldt,  Kansas,  and  the  latter  resides  in  the  Pennsylvania  home;    F.  P 
Stotler,  Rudolph,  deceased,  and  John  Stotler,  of  California. 

F.  P.  Stotler  has  passed  his  forty-seven  years  of  life  upon  the  farm. 
His  first  trip  to  Kansas  was  in  the  year  1879  and  that  year  he  passed  with 
the  family  of  E.  Snively,  one  of  his  near  neighbors.  His  busy  life  in  this 
State  has  been  passed  as  a  farmer  and  raiser  of  stock.  Of  late  years  he  has 
been  engaged  in  blooded  stock  breeding  and  his  Jersey  cattle  and  his 
Durock  hogs  are  the  pride  of  the  Onion  Creek  valley.  In  tliis  venture  he 
had  demon.strated  that  the  breeding  of  graded  stock,  when  intelligently  fol- 
lowed, is  a  profitable  business,  even  in  Kansas. 

Mr.  Stotler  was  married  March  23,  1887,  to  Lena  Van  Sickle,  a  daugh- 
ter of  B.  D.  Van  Sickle,  a  former  New  Yorker  but  now  of  Hudson,  Indian 
Territory.  Mrs.  Van  Sickle  was  formerly  Miss  Merinda  Latier.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stotler's  children  are;  Frank  E. ,  Benjamin  H.,  William  Van  and 
Lillie  Verl. 

In  politics  the  early  Stotlers  were  Whigs  but  when  the  Republican 
party  was  formed  they  entered  its  ranks  and  those  after  them  have  yielded 
allegiance  to  the  same  political  faith.  Perry  Stotler  has  been  one  of  the 
active  Republicans  of  lola  township.  Although  his  township  has  a  majori- 
ty adverse  to  his  party  he  has  been  twice  elected  treasurer  of  it  and  is  an 
efiicient  public  official.  (Since  this  sketch  was  written  the  subject  of  it  has 
passed  away,  his  death  occurring  March  2,  1901.) 


JOHN    B.    HAYS,    of  Carlyle   township,    came    into    Allen  County  as  a 
youth  in  the  spring  of  1861  from  Madison  County,  Illinois.     Be  was  born 
in  St.  Clair  County,  Illinois,  April  4,  1849,  and  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Jeff- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  151 

erson  Hays,  a  native  Kentuckian,  born  about  1814.  The  latter  died  in  1854. 
Zachariah  Hays,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was  bom  in  Scotland  and  upon 
migrating  to  the  United  States,  settled  in  Kentucky.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  there  and  also  to  Illinois,  in  which  State  he  died.  He  was  a  sol- 
dier of  the  war  of  the  American  Revolution,  was  a  farmer  in  civil  life  and 
reared  a  family  of  seven  sons,  Norris,  Zachariah,  Elias,  John,  Thos.  J., 
"Jack"  and  Andrew  all  of  whom  reared  families  in  Kentucky  and  Illinois. 

Thos.  J.  Hays  married  Susan  Ann  Cox,  our  subject's  mother.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  John  B.  Cox,  a  Scotchman,  who  was  the  father  of  six 
children  and  died  in  Madison  County,  Illinois.  The  children  were:  Eman- 
uel, Wesley,  Susan,  Ann,  Phena,  Nancy  and  Mary,  all  of  whom  had  fami- 
lies. Susan  Ann  Hays  was  the  mother  of  three  children,  viz:  William  A., 
of  Miami  County,  Kansas;  John  B.  and  James,  deceased.  Thos.  Hays,  a 
half  brother  of  our  subject,  resides  in  Jasper  County,  Missouri, 

John  B.  Hays  really  began  life  when  he  enlisted  in  the  army.  In  the 
spring  of  1862  he  enlisted  at  lola  in  Company  E,  9th  cavalry,  and  mustered 
in  at  Leavenworth.  He  was  with  the  supply-train  escort  from  Ft.  Scott 
south  into  Arkansas  and  the  regiment  was  placed  along  the  Missouri  and 
Kansas  and  Territory  lines  to  watch  the  frontier.  They  had  some  experi- 
ence with  the  guerrilla,  Quantrel,  in  this  service.  They  got  him  into  a 
house,  burned  the  house  down  over  him  and  yet  he  and  a  companion,  got 
away,  wounding  a  Federal  major  as  they  went.  The  third  and  last  \  ear 
of  his  service  Mr.  Hays  spent  in  Arkansas  and  the  Territory  and  was 
mustered  out  at  Duvalls  Bluff  the  '.'baby  of  the  company."  When  mus- 
tered out  he  weighed,  with  all  accoutrements,  two  pistols  and  one 
hundred  cartridges,  just  one  hundred  pounds.  He  saw  much  hard  and 
exhausting  service  and  suffered  from  sickness  and  general  physical  de- 
bility, -j-et  he  forced  himself  on  and  came  out  of  it  all  and  was  discharged 
with  his  regiment  more  of  a  wreck  than  a  man. 

Since  the  war  our  subject  has  devoted  himself  to  the  farm.  He  has 
resided  in  Missouri,  and  in  Miami  and  Allen  counties,  Kansas;  has  worked 
by  the  month  and  has  farmed  on  his  own  account  but  not  until  1889  did  he 
settle  down  near  Carlyle  upon  his  own  farm.  He  was  never  married  and, 
until  his  sight  failed  him,  he  took  a  warm  personal  interest  in  local  public 
affairs.  He  is  one  of  the  well  known  Republicans  of  Carlyle  and  is  de- 
scended from  a  long  line  of  Whigs,  Free  Soilers  and  Republicans.  His 
first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Grant  in  1868  and  his  last  one  for 
McKinley. 


T  EWIS  h.  NORTHRUP  is  a  native  of  lola,  having  been  born  June 
— '  23,  1864,  in  the  old  Northrup  home  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Dr.  A.  J.  Fulton.  His  family  history  has  been  already  given  in  the  sketch 
of  his  father,  Levi  L.  Northrup.  After  concluding  the  course  of  study  in 
the  lola  city  schools  he   spent   two   years   in  the    Poughkeepsie    Business 


152  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

College,  where  he  received  a  thorough  technical  business  education. 
Returning  home  he  joined  with  his  brothers,  F.  A.  and  D.  P.,  in  the 
proprietorship  of  the  dry -goods  house  which  is  still  conducted  under  the 
firm  name  of  Northrup  Brothers.  From  the  first,  however,  he  gave  but 
little  attention  to  the  dry-goods  business  his  assistance  being  needed  by  his 
father  in  his  bank  and  in  looking  after  his  numerous  other  outside  inter- 
ests. It  thus  naturally  came  about  that  upon  the  death  of  his  father  Lewis 
L,. ,  assumed  the  active  management  of  the  bank  and  of  the  general  affairs 
of  the  estate,  although  the  responsibility  of  these  affairs  is  shared  by  his 
mother  and  his  brothers. 

Mr.  Northrup  not  only  succeeded  to  the  work  his  father  had  done  in 
the  management  of  the  large  estate  of  the  family,  but  he  inherited  also  his 
father's  aptitude  and  liking  for  business,  his  public  spirit  and  his  pride  in 
lola.  The  Northrup  business  is  as  large  and  dominating  a  factor  in  the 
city  of  lola  as  it  was  in  the  village  of  lola.  The  Northrup  support  of  any 
public  enterprise  is  as  much  relied  upon,  and  is  as  generous  and  ready  as 
it  ever  was.  It  has  given  to  lola  the  finest  business  building  yet  erected 
here,  and  it  has  contributed  with  a  lavish  hand  to  every  enterprise  planned 
and  carried  out  for  the  good  of  the  public. 

It  nearly  always  happens  that  the  possessor  of  large  wealth,  particu- 
larly in  a  small  town,  is  personally  unpopular,  but  that  rule  does  not  hold 
good  with  "lyUte"  Northrup.  His  public  spirit,  his  generosity,  his  un- 
selfish williugness  to  serve  his  friends  and  the  public,  his  absolute  honesty, 
are  so  well  established  that  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  he  holds  not  only 
the  good  will  but  the  regard  of  the  entire  community.  This -is  sufficiently 
attested  by  the  fact  that  he  has  repeatedly  been  elected — often  over  his 
protest  and  never  at  his  own  suggestion— to  various  city  offices,  being  at 
the  present  time  the  representative  of  his  ward  in  the  city  council. 

Mr.  Northrup  was  married  October  25,  1894,  to  Miss  L,ettie  Bruner. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  them,  of  whom  Roswell  Bruner  Northrup 
and  Laverne  I^ee  Northrup  are  now  living. 


"^  A7"II.IyIAM  T.  DAUGHTERS— One  of  the  most  important  families 
"  "  in  eastern  Allen  County  and  admittedly  useful  and  favorably  known 
is  that  headed  by  the  subject  of  this  mention.  Its  founder  came  into  the 
county  in  1877  and  located  upon  section  34,  town  25,  range  21,  and,  reared 
trained  and  educated  his  large  family  from  there.  He  is  an  Indiana  emi- 
grant, having  come  from  Dearborn  County,  that  State,  where  he  was  born 
August  8,  1834.  He  is  a  son  of  James  Daughters  who  settled  in  Dearborn 
County  in  1824,  at  a  time  when  the  woods  were  so  thick  and  heavy  that  he 
was  compelled  to  blaze  his  way  from  his  home  to  the  settlements  sixteen 
miles  away.  James  Daughters  died  in  Dearborn  County  in  1843  at  the  age 
of  fifty-four  years.  He  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1789  and  was  a  sea  cap- 
tain  on   the   Chesapeake   and   Atlantic  in  his  early  life.     He  was  a  son  of 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  153 

Hudson  Daughters,  born  and  reared  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Mar\land. 
The  latter  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  was  of  English  stock.  His  sons 
were:  Gilbert  Daughters,  who  reared  a  family  in  Ripley  Count)-,  Indiana; 
Samuel  Daughters,  who  spent  his  life  in  Maryland;  Hiram  Daughters,  who 
reared  a  family  in  Mopport,  La. ,  Randolph  Daughters,  who  left  a  family  in 
Ripley,  County,  Indiana,  and  James,  father  of  our  subject. 

James  Daughters  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  an  Englishman,  James 
Philips.  Their  children  were':  Kitturah,  deceased,  who  married  Joseph 
Collins  and  reared  a  family  in  l/ouisville,  Kentucky;  James  Daughters, 
died  in  California  in  1879;  Franklin  Daughters,  who  died  in  Dearborn 
County,  Indiana;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  N.  H.  Tuck,  of  Dearborn  County, 
Indiana;  Andrew  P.  Daughters,  physician  at  Moores  Hill,  Indiana;  William 
T.  and  Sarah  R. ,  wife  of  John  Welch,  of  California. 

William  T.  Daughters  came  to  manhood  in  the  log  cabin  country  of 
Indiana  and  his  schooling  was  limited  to  about  two  months  in  the  year. 
He  became  one  of  the  sustainers  of  the  family  at  an  early  age  and  there  was 
no  opportunity  for  mental  drill  after  that.  He  went  to  work  on  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  railroad  in  the  shops  at  Cochran  and  later  at  Vincennes, 
Indiana,  and  learned  the  machinists  trade.  He  became  an  engineer  and 
pulled  a  train  over  all  parts  of  the  system  for  twenty  years.  He  left  the 
road  in  1877  to  come  to  Kansas. 

March  i,  1858,  Mr.  Daughters  was  married  to  Elmira  Heaton,  daugh- 
ter of  Eben  Heaton,  who  went  from  Green  County,  New  York,  into  Dear' 
born  County,  Indiana  in  18 19.  The  latter  was  born  August  20,  1797, 
and  was  a  son  of  a  farmer  and  married  to  Sarah  Streeter,  of  New  Jersey. 
She  was  born  in  May,  1801,  and  died,  with  her  husband,  in  Dearborn 
County,  Indiana.  Their  children  were:  Mary,  deceased,  married  Reason 
Hines,  William,  deceased,  married  Eliza  Dickinson;  Thos. ,  deceased,  mar- 
ried Jane  Stage;  Julia  A.,  widow  of  Henry  Gaston;  Philip,  deceased, 
married  Elizabeth  Graves  of  Ripley  County,  Indiana,  Eben,  deceased, 
whose  wife  was  Jane  lyamberson;  Richard,  deceased,  married  Mary  Cole; 
Freeman  Heaton,  of  Seymour,  Indiana,  is  married  to  Altha  Hines;  and 
Mrs.  William  T.  Daughters. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daughters'  children  are:  Rosalin,  wife  of  1,.  A.  Stafford, 
of  Bourbon  County,  Kansas;  Eben  J.,  an  attorney  of  Cripple  Cieek,  Colo- 
rado; Nelson,  of  Minnesota;  Trena,  wife  of  of  h.  A.  Biebinger,  of  Des 
Moines,  Iowa;  Grant,  a  student  in  the  Kansas  City  Medical  College; 
Turpen  A.,  rector  at  Colfax,  Washington;  Freeman  R.,  rector  in  Wallace, 
Idaho;  Elmira,  wife  of  Grant  Lowe,  of  Bourbon  County,  Kansas;  Britania, 
R.,  student  in  Nebraska  University;  Pearl,  deceased;  and  Milo,  a  student 
in  the  University  of  Nebraska. 

One  especially  good  feature  in  the  lives  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daughters  is 
the  spirit  with  which  they  have  left  nothing  unturned  to  educate  their  chil- 
dren. Neither  of  them  had  the  advantage  of  modern  educational  times  and 
they  have  moved  in  the  matter  on  the  theory  that  an  education  is  a  resource 
that  one  can  not  be  deprived  of  and  that  it  would  bje  worth  more  to  their 
children  than  all  things  else.     As  fast  as  the  children  were  competent  they 


154  •  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

engaged  in  teaching,  and  their  parents  look  with  pardonable  pride,  upon  the 
fact  that  nine  of  them  engaged  in  that  useful  and  laudable  calling.  What  is 
better  still,  they  were  not  ordinary  teachers  but  were  among  the  most  suc- 
cessful and  intelligent  of  their  county.  The  sons  who  are  ministers  are 
graduates  of  the  Divinity  School  in  Philadelphia  and  represent  the  Episco- 
pal denomination. 

Politics  is  something  that  has  not  disturbed  Mr.  Daughters  greatly. 
His  interest  in  elections  is  all  that  a  citizen's  should  be  but  he  has  never 
seen  any  advantage  to  himself  in  spending  his  substance  in  the  interest  of 
local  politicians.     He  is  a  Republican. 


JOHN  N.  SAPP — One  of  the  leading  farmers  as  well  as  early  settlers,  of 
the  township  of  Marmaton  is  John  N.  Sapp.  He  entered  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  5,  town  25,  range  21,  in  the  "three  mile  strip,"  in  1874, 
and  has  created  out  of  it  one  of  the  productive  and  desirable  farms  in  the 
township.  Mr.  Sapp  came  to  Allen  County  from  Knox  County,  Illinois. 
He  had  gone  there  only  three  years  before  from  Circleville,  Ohio,  in  which 
county,  Pickaway,  he  was  born  August  16,  1840.  His  father,  James  Sapp, 
a  cooper  by  trade,  carried  on  his  business  in  Circleville  and  was  succeeded  to 
it  by  his  son,  George.  He  went  into  Ohio  in  1862,  when  twenty  years  of  age. 
He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  was  a  son  of  John  Sapp. 

James  Sapp  married  Margaret  McAlister,  and  both  died  at  Circleville. 
Their  children  were:  George  Sapp;  John  Sapp;  Caroline,  wife  of  Joseph 
Redmond,  of  lyouisville,  Kentucky;  William  Sapp,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio; 
Edson  Sapp,  of  Circleville,  and  Mollie  Sapp,  of  L,ouisville,  Kentucky. 

John  N.  Sapp  began  his  life  at  the  tinner's  bench.  He  was  sixteen 
years  old  when  he  went  to  the  trade  in  Circleville.  He  completed  it  and 
was  working  at  it  when  the  war  came  on.  In  August  1862  he  enlisted  in 
Company  B,  114th  Ohio  Infantry,  Col.  John  Cradlebaugh,  and  later  on 
Col.  Kelley.  The  first  active  service  of  the  regiment  was  at  Chickasaw 
Bluffs  from  which  point  it  continued  south  with  Sherman's  army  to  Young's 
Point  and  Vicksburg.  Mr.  Sapp  participated  in  the  battles  of  Raymond 
Big  Black  and  the  final  capture  of  Vicksburg.  He  went  with  his  regiment, 
then  to  New  Orleans,  at  which  place,  and  at  Algiers,  it  was  in  camp  some 
time,  eventually  embarking  on  a  gulf  steamer  for  Texas.  The  winter  of 
1863  was  passed  in  entrenchments  at  Indianola,  Texas,  and  in  the  spring 
the  command  returned  to  New  Orleans  and  was  shipped  up  Red  River  to 
help  Banks'  army  out  of  its  difficulty.  The  latter  was  relieved  at  Alexan- 
dria and  while  this  operation  was  in  progress  the  river  lowered  and  the 
fleet  could  not  be  gotten  down.  The  obstacle  was  removed. by  the  con- 
struction of  a  dam  which  gathered  sufficient  water  to  float  the  boats  over 
the  riffles  and  thereby  get  out  of  the  enemy's  stronghold.  The  trip  back 
to  Morganza  Bend  bn  the  Mississippi  River  was  under  fire  of"  Rebel 
batteries.     The  command  rendezvoused  at  Morganza   till   the   fall   of    1864 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  1 55 

when  it  was  ordered  to  L,ake  Poiitchartraiw  where  it  took  boat  for  Ft. 
Pickens,  Florida,  and  marched  on  to  Pensacola  where  the  work  of  con- 
structing a  pier  was  done.  The  1 14th  marched  back  to  Ft.  Blakely  and 
aided  in  its  reduction.  This  last  act  cleared  up  the  Alabama  River  and  the 
Federal  wounded  were  taken  down  from  Selma.  The  regiment  then  re- 
turned to  New  Orleans  and  again  went  to  Texas  and  was  mustered  out  at 
Galveston  in  August  1865.  Mr.  Sapp  was  discharged  in  Columbus, 
Ohio. 

The  war  over  Mr.  Sapp  located  at  Oneida,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  tin  and  stove  business.  He  prospered  there  fairly  well  but  the  de- 
sire to  go  west  became  too  strong  to  resist  and  became  to  Allen  County, 
Kansas,  the  year  before  stated. 

In  Allen  County  Mr.  Sapp's  progress  has  been  steadily  upward.  His 
accumulations  show  themselves  in  the  increased  acreage  of  his  farm  and  in 
the  substantial  improvements  to  be  found  thereon.  He  owns  a  tract  of 
400  acres  well  watered  and  "Wiell  stocked.  It  lies  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Marmaton  River  and  a  large  part  of  it  was  clearly  visible  from  his  home 
site  when  it  was  first  located. 

Mr.  Sapp  was  married  in  1867  to  Rebecca,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Cul- 
bertson,  who  came  to  the  United  States  from  County  Tyrone,  Ireland  in 
1848  and  stopped  first  in  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey.  He  resided  for  a  time 
at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  and  came  to  Allen  County,  Kansas,  in  [869.  He 
was  the  father  of  thirteen  children,  seven  of  whom  survive:  Elizabeth,  Jane 
and  William  Culbertson,  Mrs.  Margaret  McGuire,  Samuel  Culbertson  and 
Mrs.  Sapp,  all  residents  of  Allen  County. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sapp's  children  are:  Laura,  wife  of  Ray  Smock;  May 
and  Ethel. 

Mr.  Sapp's  ancestors  were  Democrats.  The  issues  of  the  Civil  War 
made  his  father  a  Republican  and  he,  himself,  became  a  E.epublican  and 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Mr.  Grant.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Bronson  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  a  person  of  high  standing 
in  the  confidence  of  his  countymen. 


A  LEXANDER  M.  WRIGHT,  President  of  the  Board  of  Education  of 
-^^^^Moran  and  a  self-made  and  prosperous  farmer,  of  Marmaton  township, 
first  located  in  Allen  County  in  1876.  He  came  from  Pike  County, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  born  September  10,  1852.  He  was  a  son  of  Abiah 
Wright,  a  Pennsylvanian,  who  went  into  Illinois  early  and  settled  a  Pike 
County  farm  He  became  one  of  the  well  known  and  highly  respected 
citizens  of  his  county  and  died  in  1884  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  He 
married  a  Pennsylvania  lady,  Catharine  Fisher,  who  died  in  1896,  ao-ed 
eighty-three  years.  Their  children  were:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  David  Hester 
of  Barton  County,  Missouri;  Barbara,  wife  of  Ed  Bowers,  of  Pike  County, 
Illinois;  John  Wright,  of  Pittsburg,  Kansas;  Bela  Wright,  of  Barry,  Illinois,' 


156  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

John  Wright,  a  prominent  and  prosperous  fanner,  of  Carlyle  township. 
Allen  County,  and  Alexander  M.,  our  subject 

A.  M.  Wright  was  educated  sparingly  in  the  old  log  school  house  of 
Illinois  during  and  after  the  war  and  at  about  eighteen  years  of  age  he 
abandoned  the  "academy"  to  begin  life's  real  battles.  Farming  is  what 
he  undertook  then  and  farming  is  what  he  has  continued.  He  was  married 
in  Pike  County,  Illinois,  October  i,  1876,  to*  Anna  Blake.  Jerre  Blake, 
Mrs.  Wright's  father  was  an  early  resident  of  Pike  County  and  went  there 
from  Maine.  He  married  Almira  West  and  was  the  husband  of  seven  chil- 
dren. 

The  first  two  years  Mr.  Wright  passed  in  Allen  County  were  spent 
north  of  lola  on  the  Wizner  place.  His  circumstances  were  most  ordinary 
and  it  can  be  truthfully  said  that  he  was  not  far  from  poverty  at  times.  To 
begin  farming  he  bought  a  horse  and  borrowed  another  of  his  brother  and 
his  implements  he  borrowed  from  his  neighbors.  He  paid  $2.50  for  a  chain 
harness.  His  first  crop  the  grasshoppers  took  and  his  second  oae  drowned 
out.  The  third  year  was  a  good  season  and  he  started  upgrade  again.  In 
the  fall  of  '77  he  bought  a  farm  of  sixty  acres  in  the  vicinity  of  Moran  and 
January  14,  1878,  he  moved  onto  it.  This  he  succeeded  in  paying  for, 
and  in  1881  sold,  and  purchased  in  1883  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
24,  town  24,  range  20,  his  present  home.  It  was  a  piece  of  land  that  had 
been  entered  under  a  soldier's  Indian  war  land  warrant  by  King.  There 
was  nothing  but  the  soil  there  when  Alex  Wright  took  possession.  How 
well  he  has  accounted  for  his  time  in  the  past  seventeen  years  his  farm  will 
testify.  Cattle  and  horses  have  supplemented  the  earnings  of  his  plow  and 
sickle  and  he  has  reached  that  point  at  which  it  is  a  pleasure  to  live. 

Mr.  Wright's  children  are:  Bela  F. ,  a  student  in  Emporia  College, 
Edwin,  a  junior  in  the  Moran  high  school;  Mina,  who  is  in  the  same  class, 
and  Eva,  a  student  in  the  same  schools. 

It  is  noticeable  that  Mr.  Wright  is  interested  in  advanced  education. 
He  feels  the  need  of  it  in  his  own  case  and  since  circumstances  have  so 
conspired  to  arrange  matters  favorably  he  is  losing  no  opportunity  to  give 
his  children  these  advantages.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Moran 
school  board  three  years  and  his  elevation  to  the  chairmanship  of  the  body 
is  a  compliment  to  his  warm  personal  interest  in  education. 


JOHN  M.  EVANS  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Allen  county.  He 
<J  was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  among  a  few  pioneers  who  chose  the 
broad  and  undulating  prairies  in  the  valley  of  the  Neosho  for  their  abiding 
place.  In  1857  Thomas  P.  Killen,  Dr.  John  W.  Scott,  Peter  M.  Carnine, 
Richard  V.  Ditmars  and  others  from  Johnson  county,  Indiana,  formed  a 
colony  for  the  purpose  of  emigrating  to  Kansas  and  asked  Mr.  Evans  to 
join  them.  He  did  so  and  in  October,  of  that  year,  they  came  to  the  terri- 
tory in  search  of  new  homes.     At  the  time  of  the  removal  Mr.    Evans   was 


WOODSON    COTINTIES,    KANSAS.  ^57 

living  in  Montgomery  county,  Indiana.  They  came  without  any  purpose 
«other  than  to  search  out  a  location  where  houest  tillers  of  the  soil  and 
■earnest  Christian  people  could  establish  themselves,  build  homes  and  plant 
the  seed  of  a  moral,  intellectual  and  religious  community.  After  traveling 
■over  the  countiy  for  some  time  they  decided  to  locate  on  the  high  prairie 
north  of  Deer  creek,  which  is  now  the  neighborhood  of  Carlyle.  Each 
member  of  the  colony  selected  a  quarter  section  and  held  it  as  a  claim  until 
the  land  came  into  market. 

Mr.  Evans  chose  the  quarter  section  which  is  now  the  Allen  county 
Poor  Farm.  With  the  assistance  of  the  company  he  built  a  round  log 
cabin  on  his  claim.  Carnine  and  Ditmars  remained  in  the  territory  that 
winter  and  occupied  this  cabin,  which  was  the  first  one  built  in  the  colony. 
The  other  members  of  the  party  returned  to  Indiana.  On  the  igth  of 
April,  1858,  however,  with  his  wife  and  three  children,  Mr.  Evans  started 
from  Waveland,  Indiana,  for  their  new  home  on  the  Kansas  plains. 
Thomas  P.  Killen,  with  his  wife  and  two  childien,  started  at  the  same  time 
and  traveled  in  company  with  them.  The  journey  from  Waveland  to 
Terre  Haute  was  made  in  wagons,  by  rail  from  Terre  Haute  to  St.  I,ouis, 
from  the  latter  place  to  Kansas  City  by  steamer,  and  from  Kansas  City  to 
Allen  county  by  wagon  again,  over  rough  prairie  roads  and  across  deep 
unbridged  streams.  They  reached  their  new  location  on  the  loth  of  May, 
at  10  o'clock  in  the  evening.  They  all  camped  in  Caruine's  cabin  that 
night  and  the  next  afternoon  Mr.  Evans  removed  into  his  own  cabin  and 
began  housekeeping  in  true  pioneer  style.  After  supper  was  over  and  their 
beds  made  ready  on  the  floor  Mr.  Evans  read  a  chapter  in  the  Bible  and 
they  knelt  together  in  prayer  the  first  time  since  leaving  their  home  in 
Indiana.  It  was  a  happy,  restful  hour  and  never  had  they  so  fully  realized 
the  true  meaning  of  the  poet's  lines,  "Be  it  ever  so  humble,  there's  no  place 
like  home,"  as  they  did  that  night.  Samuel  C.  Richards,  a  nephew  of 
Mr.  Evans,  and  Miss  Sarah  P.  Newell,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Evans,  came  with 
them  and  made  their  home  with  them  for  some  time.  The  colony  at  this 
time  numbered  thirteen,  eight  adults  and  five  children.  The  adults  were 
all  merdbers  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  all  Republicans.  Other  mem- 
bers of  the  colony  arrived  latei .  These  settlers  proceeded  to  the  business 
for  which  they  came  west  at  once.  The  work  of  supplementing  nature 
with  art  was  carried  on  as  rapidly  as  their  individual  capabilities  permitted 
and  in  a  few  years  a  house  of  worship  and  a  primitive  school  house  were 
a  part  of  their  achievements. 

In  those  days  Lawrence  was  the  headquarters  of  the  mail  service  for 
that  section.  Cofachique,  an  Indian  trading  post,  eight  miles  south  of  the 
new  colony,  was  the  nearest  post-office.  "Little  Billy,"  the  mail  carrier, 
on  his  Indian  pony,  made  the  trip  once  a  week  from  Lawrence,  by  way  of 
Hyatt,  Fort  Scott  and  Humboldt  to  Cofachique,  returning  by  the  same 
route.  It  was  the  only  road  into  the  Deer  Creek  settlement  from  the  north 
and  was  a  long  circuitous  route.  The  new  colonists  decided  to  shorten  it 
and  about  the  middle  of  July,  Mr.  Evans,  Harmon  Scott,  T.  P.  Killen  and 
P.    M.   Carnine  surveyed  and  staked  off  the  route  from  their  new  location 


158  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   AND 

north  to  Hyatt,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles,  and  thus  shortened  the  way 
many  miles.  The  next  week  Mr.  Carnine  mounted  on  Mr.  Evans'  little 
Kentucky  mare,  Becky,  rode  to  Hyatt,  met  the  mail  carrier  and  piloted 
him  over  the  new  route  to  Cofachique.  In  passing  though  the  new  loca- 
tion they  stopped  at  Mr.  Evans'  cabin  for  water  and  "I^ittle  Billy"  said  to- 
Mrs.  Evans,  "I'm  mighty  glad  you  folks  moved  out  here  and  made  this- 
new  road,  for  it  will  save  me  so  much  hard  riding." 

Mr.  Evans  was  reared  a  Whig.  He  was  a  strong  opponent  of  slavery 
and  came  to  Kansas  to  help  make  this  a  free  state.  When  the  war  began 
he  was  anxious  to  join  the  regiment  with  his  neighbors,  but  his  wife  being 
a  cripple  at  that  time  it  was  impossible  foi  him  to  leave  home.  It  was 
necessary,  especially  on  the  frontier,  that  some  measure  of  protection  be 
accorded  to  the  settlements  from  inroads  of  the  Confederates  and  the  in- 
cursions of  thieves  and  marauders,  and  this  protection  was  extended 
through  the  Home  Guard.  It  was  made  up  largely  of  men  who  were  near 
the  age  of  exemption  from  military  duty  and  without  the  physical  require- 
ments for  the  arduous  campaigning  of  the  regular  service,  but  with  the 
same  courageous  and  patriotic  spirit  which  actuated  men  of  all  arms.  Mr. 
Evans  belonged  to  the  state  militia  and  endured  some  hard  service.  Dur- 
ing the  Price  raid  he  and  a  comrade  were  detailed  as  scouts  on  the  western 
border  of  Missouri  and  were  in  the  saddle  from  three  o'clock  in  the  morning 
until  six  in  the  afternoon  without  a  mouthful  of  food.  In  politics  Mr. 
Evans  was  a  pronounced  Republican  with  no  political  aspirations  what- 
ever, but  in  the  fall  of  1863,  at  the  urgent  request  of  his  friends  he  accepted 
the  nomination  and  was  elected  state  representative.  During  the  session 
he  became  one  of  the  substantial  and  useful  members  of  the  house.  The 
Carney  fraud  was  perpetrated  during  that  session  and  Mr.  Evans  was  a 
bitter  opponent  to  the  movement  to  elect  Carney  to  the  United  State  senate 
a  year  before  the  prof-er  time,  which  was  done  because  Carney  was  sure  of 
his  election  by  that  body. 

Mr.  Evans  was  not  less  prominent  in  spiritual  than  in  temporal  mat- 
ters. He  was  an  elder  in  the  Carlyle  and  Geneva  churches,  was  one  of  the 
committee  who  organized  the  Presbyterian  churches  of  lola,  Neosho  Falls 
and  Geneva,  and  his  mind  was  not  only  a  directing  force  in  their  organiza- 
tion, but  his  substantial  aid  was  fully  as  potent  a  factor  in  their  mainten- 
ance during  their  early  years. 

In  1865  Mr.  Evans'  health  failed  and  he  had  to  give  up  farm  work. 
He  had  been  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  before  coming  to  Kansas 
and  when  L,.  h-  Northrup  offered  him  a  partnership  in  his  store  in  Geneva 
he  accepted  it  and  moved  there  in  1866.  Geneva  had  been  located  and 
settled  by  an  eastern  colony  who  came  there  with  the  intention  of  founding 
an  institution  of  learning  at  that  place.  The  citizens  of  the  surrounding 
country  united  with  them  and  subscribed  liberally  for  the  erection  of  a 
building  for  that  purpose.  In  1867  Mr.  Evans,  acting  on  the  advice  of  the 
Rev.  G.  S.  Northrup,  Rev.  Austin  Warner  and  Rev.  E.  K.  I^ynn,  took  the 
contract  and  erected  the  Geneva  Academy  building  with  his  own  money, 
and  thus  established  an  institution  which  they  all  thought  would   be   per- 


•WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  159 

matient,  but  they  were  disappointed.  Rev.  Nortlirup  died  just  as  the  work 
was  begun.  In  less  than  three  years  Mr.  Evans  died,  and  through  mis- 
management after  his  death  the  enterprise  proved  a  failure  and  the  building 
now  -Stands  as  a  monument  to  the  earnest  efforts  of  those  noble.  Christian 
pioneers. 

Mr.  Evans  was  born  in  Owen  county,  Indiana,  May  9,  1825.  His 
iather,  Jesse  Evans,  was  born  in  East  Tennes.see  in  1787.  He  emigrated 
to  Pulaski  county,  Kentucky,  and  in  1812  married  Esther  M.  Newell.  In 
1818  he  removed  to  Owen  county,  Indiana,  living  in  Owen  and  Mont- 
gomery counties  until  1868  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  dying  in  lola  in 
1875.  His  wife  died  in  Waveland,  Indiana,  in  1854.  His  father,  Andrew 
Evans,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  re- 
moved to  Tennessee  and  there  married  Elizabeth  Fain,  of  French  descent. 
The  early  settlers  of  that  state  were  frequently  attacked  by  the  Indians  and 
at  such  times  would  take  refuge  in  the  block-houses.  During  one  of  these 
attacks  Mr.  Evans'  supply  of  lead  gave  out  and  his  wife  melted  their 
pewter  plates  and  moulded  bullets  which  he  shot  through  the  portholes, 
thus  keeping  the  Indians  from  setting  fire  to  the  block-house.  In  so  doing 
he  saved  their  lives  with  their  dinner  plates.  Mr.  Evans  afterward  moved- 
to  Kentucky  and  later  to  Owen  county,  Indiana,  where  he  died  in  1842. 
His  wife  died  in  the  same  state  in  1846.  His  ancestors  were  Welsh  people 
who  settled  in  the  south  at  an  early  date.  Since  then,  by  intermarriage, 
the  blood  of  the  Scotch,  Irish  and  French  have  been  introduced  into  its 
own  strain.  Esther  M.,  the  wife  of  Jesse  Evans,  was  Scotch-Irish.  She 
was  born  in  Pulaski  county,  Kentucky,  in  1783.  Their  children  were: 
Elizabeth  F. ,  wife  of  Rezin  Richards;  Samuel  N. ;  Jane  M.,  wife  of  Milam 
Knox;  Andrew  H.;  Margaret  E. .  wife  of  Andrew  Couchman;  Harriet  N. , 
wife  of  Samuel  Steele,  and  John  M.,  the  subject  of  this  review. 

John  M.  Evans  was  married  in  Owen  county,  Indiana,  May  i,  1851, 
to  Jane  Newell,  the  eldest  daughter  of  William  Tell  Newell,  who  was  born 
in  Pulaski  county,  Kentucky,  in  1803,  and  in  1830  went  to  Owen  county, 
Indiana.  He  married  Paulina  Fain,  a  daughter  of  David  Fain,  of  French 
descent  and  whose  wife  was  of  English  lineage,  David  Fain  was  a  colonel 
in  the  second  war  with  England.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  taste,  high  aspira- 
tions and  a  devoted  Christian.  He  died  in  Owen  county,  Indiana,  in 
1857,  and  his  wife  died  in  Monroe  county,  Iowa,  in   1874. 

The  children  of  William  and  Paulina  Newell  were  Jane  N.,  wife  of 
John  M.  Evans;  Harriette  A.,  who  died  in  girlhood;  Mary  E. ,  wife  of 
Martin  Giltner;  Samuel  A.;  Sarah  P.,  wife  of  William  Crawford;  Martha 
E.,  wife  of  Whitfield  Woods;  Clarinda  A.,  wife  of  Marcus  Hennion;  Hester 
L-,  who  died  in  infancy;  William  M.;  David  F. ;  Alice  J.,  wife  of  William 
Hay.  Mr.  Newell  died  in  1851  in  Monroe  county,  Iowa,  and  his  wife  died 
in  Albia,  Iowa,  in  1891.  His  father,  Samuel  Newell,  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent,  was  born  in  West  Virginia  in  [754  and  in  1780  he  married  Jean 
Montgomery,  1  descendant  of  the  poet  Montgomery.  She  was  born  in 
West  Virginia  in  1764  and  was  of  Scotch  descent,  Samuel  Newell  was  a 
colonel  of  the  Tennessee  cavalry  in  the  Revolutionary   war  and  saw  much 


l6a  IflSTORV  OF  ALLEN  AlsrD- 

of  the  arduous  service  incident  to  the  war.  He  was  in  the  battle  of  King's 
Mountain,  aided  in  winning  the  victories  of  Cowpens  and  Ybrktown,  being; 
present  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis.  At  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain 
he  was  wounded  in  the  hip  and  rode  all  day  without  stopping  to  dress  his 
wound  or  take  any  food.  Before  starting  out  in  the  morning  he  had 
roasted  a  large  sweet  potato,,  which  he  carried  in  his  knapsack  for  lunch, 
but  when  he  stopped  to  eat  his  potato  he  found  it  saturated  with  his  own 
blood  which  had  dripped  into  his  knapsack  from  his  wound,  but  he  was- 
so  hungry  he  ate  it  as  it  was.  After  the  war  Colonel  Newell  located  in 
Kentucky  and  served  two  terms  in  the  state  legislature.  He  was  a  talented 
man,  a  devoted  Christian  and  a  gentleman  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  He 
was  bitterly  opposed  to  slavery  and  for  this  reason  left  Kentucky  and 
removed  to  Indiana  in  1837,  there  remaining  until  his  death  in  1841.  His- 
wife  died  in  the  Hoosier  state  in  1843. 

John  M.  Evans  married  Jane  Newell  in  Owen  county,  Indiana,  May 
I,  1851.  She  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Indiana,  October  14,  1832. 
Their  children  were:  Edwin  Prescott;  Mary  Irene,  wife  of  John  D. 
Knowlton;  William  Jesse;  Samuel  Henry;  Harvey  Tell;  Annetta  Estella, 
wife  of  David  R.  Beatty;  and  I,ouemma.  Edwin  Prescott  Evans  died 
August  3,  1858,  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  family  in  Kansas  and  his 
funeral  sermon  was  the  first  sermon  preached  in  Carlyle  colony  and  his 
grave  the  first  one  made  in  Carlyle  cemetery,  the  Rev.  G.  S.  Northrup,  of 
Geneva,  Kansas,  officiating  at  the  funeral.  In  July,  1870,  the  children  of 
Mr.  Evans  had  the  smallpox  in  the  worst  form,  yet  with  careful  nursing 
they  all  recovered,  but  the  over-exertion  and  mental  anxiety  of  the  father 
for  the  children  was  too  much  for  the  weakened  condition  of  Mr.  Evans. 
As  soon  as  he  felt  they  were  safe,  he  sank  down,  weary  and  exhausted,  and 
death  came  to  him  in  Geneva,  Kansas,  August  22,  1870,  in  the  forty-sixth 
year  of  his  age.   He  passed  away  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 


TD  OBISON  LENT,  a  well  known  farmer  within  the  vicinity  ot  Bronson, 
-*-  *-  and  who  resides  upon  the  north-east  quarter  of  section  28,  township 
24,  range  21,  Allen  county,  is  a  settler  from  Vernon  county,  Missouri. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Madison  county,  Indiana,  March  5,  1854.  His 
father,  Chester  L,ent,  was  a  farmer  and  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1815. 
He  left  the  east  in  early  life  and  made  his  way  westward  through  the  states 
of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  into  Vernon  county,  Missouri,  where  he 
died  in  1858.  He  married  Susanna  Frasier  who  died  in  Allen  county, 
Kansas,  in  1883  at  the  age  of  sixty -seven  years.  Their  children  were: 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Richard  Parmenter,  of  Fort  Scott,  Kansas;  Nancy 
J  ,  wife  of  Alexander  Mayfield,  of  Bourbon  county,  Kansas;  Maria,  de- 
ceased, wife  of  W.  W.  Findlay,  of  Bourbon  county  Kansas;  Robison 
Lent,  and  Lewis  Lent,  who  died  in  Bates  county,  Missouri,  leaving  a 
family. 

Robison  Lent  grew  up,  from  seven  years   of   age,    in    Kansas.     The 


•WOODSON   COtrNTIES,  KANSAS. 


j'6i 


family  came  into  Bourbon  county  in  1861  and  remained  there  twenty  years. 
He  received  a  country  school  education  and  was  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources  at  about  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  was  a  wage  earner  by  the 
month  for  some  time  but  farmed  rented  la'nd  as  his  irst  iiidependeut 
venture.  G-rain  raising,  with  some  stock  as  supplementary,  is  his  forte 
aud  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  reliable,  trustworthy  and  liberal  citizens 
of  Marmaton  township. 

Mr.  Lent  was  married  in  Bourbon  county,  Kansas,  November  i,  1877, 
to  Miss  Belle  West,  a  daughter  of  James  R.  West,  a  well-to-do  and  well 
known  farmer  of  that  county.  The  latter  was  a  pioneer  to  Bourbon  county 
-and  located  there  from  the  state  of  Arkansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lenfs  chil- 
■dren  are  James  Chester,  Charles  Walter,  Beft  Robison,  Estella  Jane, 
Thomas  Homer,  Orlie  Belle,  John  Franklin  and  Clyde  Leroy  Lent. 

The  Lent  political  history  is  somewhat  mixed.  Out  subject's  fathet 
was  a  Democrat  but  his  posterity  ace  republican.  A  son,  John  W..  Lent, 
served  in  the  5th  Kansas,  Company  K,  and  died  after  two  years  of  service 
•during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  Robison  Lent  has  no  interest  in  politics 
beyond  that  of  a  citizen.  A  membership  on  the  East  Maple  Grove  school 
board  comprises  his  record  of  office-holding. 


GORWIN  B.  KEITH,  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Marmaton  township  and 
a  citizen  who  has  performed  an  honorable  part  in  the  development  of 
Moran  and  vicinity,  came  into  Allen  county  in  1869  and  located  in  Ida. 
He  associated  himself  with  Cyrus  M.  Simpson  and  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits.  For  ten  years  he  was  a  citizen  of  the  county  seat  and  when  he 
removed  it  was  to  locate  in  Gilfillan,  Bourbon  county,  where  his  chief 
interests  were  for  another  ten  years.  His  interests  in  Gilfillan  were  with 
the  famous  stone  quarries  there  and  while  that  notable  place  Was  the  scene 
of  his  business  activities  his  residence  was,  in  the  main,  in  Fort  Scott. 

In  November  1892  Mr.  Keith  came  to  Moran.  He  opened  a  grain, 
coal  and  feed  store  and  has  since  conducted  that  business.  The  ownership 
■of  a  good  farm  in  addition  to  the  possession  of  an  established  business  in 
Moran  identifies  him  with  the  affairs  of  Allen  county,  permanently.  Before 
coming  to  Kansas  Mr.  Keith  resided  in  Ogle  county,  Illinois.  He  went 
into  that  county  with  his  parents  in  1853  from  his  birthplace,  Huron 
county,  Ohio.  He  grew  up  in  Ogle  county  and  obtained  his  education 
in  the  country  schools  and  in  Rock  River  Seminary  at  Mount  Morris, 
Illinois.  His  father  was  Carlos  Keith  and  his  grandfather  was  Caleb 
Keith,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  state  of  Vermont  and  went  into 
Ohio  as  pioneers.  The  Keith  ancestry  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  New 
England.  One  of  them,  Rev.  Jas.  Keith,  was  the  first  minister  of  the 
town  of  Bridgewater,  Massachusetts.     He  married  Susanna  D.  Edson. 

Carlos  Keith,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  review,  died  in  lola  in  1872 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.     His  marriage  with  Elvira  Pond   was  pro- 


1 62  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

duclive  of  five  children  of  whom  Corwin  B.  is  the  fifth.  The  latter  was 
born  July  24,  1841.  The  other  survivors  are  Carl  P.  Keith,  of  Moran,  and 
Elvira,  wife  of  J.  T.  Rhoades,  of  Vermont. 

August  2,  1862,  Corwin  B.  Keith  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Second 
Illinois  Cavalry  and  was  detailed  as  Gen.  Ord's  escort  and  latter  as  Gen. 
Logan's  escort.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Tallehachie,  Willow  Springs  and 
the  regiment  took  part  in  the  campaign  about  Vicksburg  and  was  after- 
ward sent  across  into  Louisiana  and  up  Red  River.  Mr.  Keith  was  dis- 
charged from  the  service  in  March  1863.  He  took  up  farming  upon  his 
return  to  Ogle  county,  Illinois,  and  remained  in  that  vocation  till  his 
departure  for  Kansas. 

Mr.  Keith  was  married  first  at  Mound'  City,  Kansas,  in  1870  to  MLss 
Ella  Morse,  who  died  in  1874.  December  19,  1899,  he  was  again  married 
to  Mary  Businger,  of  Bowlusville,  Ohio.  No  children  resulted  from  either 
marriage. 

The  Keiths  of  the  olden  time  were  'S^higs.  Those  of  the  present  are 
Republicans.  For  his  political  conviction  Corwin  B.  is  especially  known 
and  while  he  is  not  in  the  active  work  of  the  party  he  is  at  all  times 
interested  in  its  success. 


J 


OHN  C.  WOODIN. — Connected  with  the  industrial  interests  of.  Allen 
^  county,  Mr.  Woodin  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brooms  in  lola, 
having  followed  this  enterprii  e  during  the  greater  part  of  an  active  business 
career.  He  was  born  in  Painesville,  Ohio,  December  29,  1844,  his  parents 
being  J.  H.  and  Rachel  (Hitchcock)  Woodin.  The  father  was  born  in 
New  Haven,  Connecticut,  in  i8ii,.and  in  that  city  spent  his  boyhood 
days,  the  grandfather  there  following  the  blacksmith's  trade.  The  latter 
died  when  his  son  was  only  thirteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  J.  H. 
Woodin  was  practically  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  In  1828,  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  he  removed  to  Ohio,  in  company  with  his  brother-in-law, 
George  Mygatt,  an  architect,  under  whose  direction  he  learned  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter.  In  the  spring  of  1847,  Mr.  Woodin  went  to  Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  journeyman,  and  also  worked  in 
the  machine  shops  of  that  city  until  1853,  when  he  removed  to  Peoria 
county,  Illinois,  making  his  home  upon  a  farm  there  until  1866,  when  he 
came  to  Allen  county,  Kansas.  He  took  up  his  abode  in  the  western  part 
of  lola  township,  and  there  died  in  1892.  He  was  married  in  1834,  in 
Painesville,  Ohio,  to  Rachel  Hitchcock,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  in 
181 1,  a  daughter  of  James  Hitchcock,  a  Methodist  minister,  who  removed 
from  the  Empire  State  to  Ohio,  Mrs.  Woodin  died  in  Kansas- in  1891. 
By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters: 
James  L-,  who  died  in  lola  in  1895,  and  was  an  ex-sheriff  of  Allen  county; 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hurt,  of  Farmington,    Illinois;  J.   C,   of  this  review;  Eliza- 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  •      1 63 

beth,  deceased,  wife  of  William  Best,  of  Neosho  Falls,  Kansas;  and 
Frances  J.,  deceased,  wife  of  Robert  Works,  of  Humboldt,  Kansas. 

J.  C.  Woodin  was  reared  on  the  home  farm.  Through  the  winter 
months  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  and  in  the  summer 
months  he  followed  the  plow  and  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  harvest  fields. 
After  he  had  attained  his  majority  he  began  farming  and  stock  raising  on 
his  own  account,  but  later  turned  his  attention  to  the  manufacture  of 
brooms,  which  business  he  is  still  following.  As  the  output  of  his  factory 
is  of  a  superior  grade  he  receives  a  liberal  patronage  and  is  therefore  enjoy- 
ing a  good  income. 

On  the  23rd  of  December,  1874,  Mr.  Woodin  married  Miss  Kate 
McCullough,  who  was  born  in  Waterproof,  lyouisiana,  March  18,  1856. 
Her  father,  William  McCullough,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  emigrated 
to  the  United  Stated  in  1846.  In  1848  he  was  married  in  ^ondout,  New 
York,  to  Jane  Duncan,  also  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  With  his  family 
he  removed  from  New  York  to  Indiana,  where  he  followed  the  brick 
mason's  trade.  For  a  time  he  resided  in  Louisiana,  engaging  in  the  same 
business,  but  on  account  of  his  union  sentiments  he  was  compelled  to  leave 
there  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  making  his  way  to  Texas,  and  thence  to 
Mexico,  where  he  took  passage  on  a  sailing  ve.ssel  for  New  York.  From 
the  last  named  place  he  went  with  his  family  to  Illinois  and  subsequently 
to  Kansas  City,  where  he  resided  for  about  twenty  years,  when,  hoping  to 
benefit  his  health  by  a  change  of  climate  he  came  to  Allen  county.  Here 
his  death  occurred  in  1891.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodin  have  become  the 
parents  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters:  William  J.,  Fied,  Anna,  James 
and  Dettie,  who  are  still  undei  the  parental  roof. 


TAMES.  COLDINS  STRONG,  son  of  the  late  Dr.  Henry  Strong,  of 
"  Moran,  came  to  Allen  County  in  1874,  and  located  upon  section  25,  al- 
most adjoining  the  town  of  Moran.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Strong,  who 
brought  his  family  to  Kansas  in  order  that  he  might  the  better  locate  them 
and  establish  them  more  advantageously  about  him.  The  latter  made  the 
selection  of  their-  future  home  and  upon  this  he  resided  until  the  family 
home  was  broken  up  by  the  death  of  his  wife. 

Dr.  Strong  was  one  of  the  characters  of  Allen  County.  He  was  a 
gentleman  of  learning  and  of  much  force  and  foresight.  He  was  one  of  the 
old-time  practitioners  and  his  life,  from  first  to  last  was  an  open  book  for  the 
inspection  of  all.  He  was  northern  by  birth  but  somewhat  southern  by 
environment  and  training.  Many  years  of  his  life  as  a  young  physician 
were  passed  in  the  heart  of  what  afterward  became  the  Southern  Confeder- 
acy and  it  was  but  natural  that  he  should  absorb  many  of  the  habits  and 
customs  of  the  oouthern  people.  He  left  the  South,  though,  before  the 
questions  which  almost  severed  the  Union  came  to  be  agitated  with  fatal 
seriousness  and  returned  to  live  with  the  people  and  institutions  of  the 
North. 

Dr.  Henry  Strong  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York,  October  9,  181 1, 


164  HISTORY   OF  ALLEN"  Am? 

and  was  prepared  for  his  profession  in  the  lyouisville,  Kentucky,  .Medical 
College.  He  was  a  son  of  Rev.  Henry  Pierce  Strong  and  a  grandson  of 
Adonijah  Strong.  Rev.  Henry  Strong  was  born  February  2,  1785,  and 
married  November  16,  18 10,  to  L-aura  Clark,  who  was  born  at  Danbury, 
Connecticut.  Rev.  Strong  was  a  graduate  from  Yale  College,  and  of 
Andover  Theological  Seminary. 

Dr.  Henry  Strong  was  one  of  a  family  of  eight  children.  He  began 
life  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  and  about  1833  went  to  Cold  Springs,  Miss.,  ta 
locate.  He  remained  there  about  twenty  years  (from  1833  to  1853)  and 
returned  north  to  Rockford,  Illinois.  He  felt  that  the  South  was  a  poor  place 
in  which  to  rear  a  family  and  this  impelled  him  to  desert  it.  He  spent  the 
years  from  1853  to  1874  in  Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  and  arrived  in 
Allen  County,  Kansas,  December  4,  1874.  He  brought  with  him  three 
sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  survive. 

Dr.  Strong  was  first  married  June,  1835,  to  Phebe  Pomeroy,  of  lyyons. 
New  York.  She  died  at  Cold  Springs.  Miss.,  in  June,  1845,  and  May  12, 
1847,  he  married  Eloiza  Collins,  of  Adams  County,  that  State.  March  29, 
1862,  Eloiza  Strong  died  at  Rockford,  Illinois,  and  he  was  married  the 
third  time  at  Rockford,  1867,  to  Silina  Davis  an  English  lady.  The  doctor's 
children  are:  Henry  (the  child  of  his  first  wife),  Mary  C,  wife  of  Peter  J. 
McGlashan,  of  Moran;  James  C,  born  December  24,  1849;  William  T.; 
Sarah  O. ,  wife  of  J.  E-  Montgomery,  of  lola;  Joshua  Newton,  of  Des 
Moines,  la.;  Eloiza  C,  wife  of  G.  M.  Nelson,  of  lola;  Martha  E:,  wife  of 
C.  M.  Richards,  of  lola,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Caroline  C.  Millard,  residing  in 
lola. 

During  the  Rebellion  the  people. of  Rockford,  Illinois,  sent  Dr.  Strong 
to  the  front  to  care  for  the  Illinois,  and  more  especially  the  Rockford 
troops  sick  and  wounded  on  the  field.  He  went  to  the  Bull  Run  battle 
ground  and  there  plunged  into  the  work  of  dressing  wounds,  working  over 
the  operating  table,  until  all  the  wounded  were  cared  for.  He  was  made 
surgeon  of  the  74th  Illinois,  but  w.^s  superseded  by  a  young  doctor  who 
was  seeking  an  opportunity  to  gain  experience  at  the  expense  of  the  men. 
He  was  appointed  surgeon  of  the  90th  Illinois,  an  Irish  regiment,  and  re- 
mained with  it  till  the  war  closed.  He  was  in  twenty-two  engagements,  or 
under  fire  twenty -two  times  while  in  the  performance  of  his  duties.  He 
let  nothing  interfere  with  the  full  and  complete  perfortnance  of  that  duty 
which  contributed  to  the  comfort  of  the  sick  and  wounded.  At  the  battle 
of  Missionary  Ridge  he  worked  seventy-two  hours  dressing  wounds,  wear- 
ing out  every  other  surgeon. 

In  politics  the  Doctor  was  originally  a  Democrat.  During  the  war  he 
was  a  firm  friend  of  Lincoln,  and  after  that  trouble  had  passed  away  he 
.  became  a  potent  factor  in  the  moulding  of  local  Democratic  sentiment.  In 
belief  he  was  a  Christian  gentleman  and  was  identified  with  the  Presby- 
terian church,  being  one  of  the  elders  of  the  Moran  congregation.  He* 
died  at  the  home  of  his  son,  William  T.  Strong,  July  5,  1898. 

James  C.  Strong  passed  his  youth  and  early  manhood  in  Winnebago 
county,   Illinois.     His  has  been  a  life  of  devotion  to  the  farm  and  he  owns 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  1 65 

one  of  the  attractive  and  productive  places  in  Marmaton  township.  His 
career  in  Allen  county  has  been  an  honorable,  though  uneventful  one  and 
the  demands  of  the  farm  and  field  have  occupied  his  time. 

Mr.  Strong  was  manied  at  New  Milford,  Illinois,  November  ii,  1875, 
to  Elizabeth  L,..  a  daughter  of  John  S:  Watson,  an  early  settler  there  and 
an  Englishman.  The  children  of  this  marriage  are:  Edith  Eloiza,  born 
June  6,  1878;  Walter  James,  born  January  18,  1883;  and  Curtis  Henry, 
born  October  30,  18,0,  Mrs.  Strong  was  born  February  21,  1850,  and  is 
the  .second  of  four  children:  Eva,  wife  of  George  Skinner,  of  Winnebago 
county,  Illinois;  Robert  S.  Watson,  of  Chicago,  and  George  A.  Watson,  of 
New  Milford,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Strong  is  a  rock-ribbed  Democrat,  has  served  a  term  as  township 
clerk,  treasurer  of  the  township  four  terms  and  treasurer  of  the  school 
district  eleven  years. 


OBED  KERR,  of  Marmaton  township,  Allen  county,  who  has  passed 
his  score  of  years  in  the  county,  located  upon  a  piece  of  raw  prairie 
in  the  fall  of  1878,  his  location  being  the  south-west  quarter  of  section  9, 
township  25,  range  20.  It  was  included  in  the  "Peck"  land  and  conse- 
quently, his  title  was  never  disputed  by  the  League.  It  was  well  on 
toward  winter  when  Mr.  Kerr  drove  his  mule  team,  a  cow  and  two  calves 
onto  the  spot  which  is  now  his  home  and  started  a  camp.  The  ten  dollars 
which  he  brought  with  him  was  unequal  to  the  task  of  providing  shelter 
for  the  family  and  he  mortgaged  his  team  in  Humboldt  to  buy  the  lumber 
for  his  14x16  shanty,  ten  feet  high.  A  hard  winter  came  on  and  the  little 
mansion  proved  little  more  than  a  good  wind-break,  for  it  filled  with  snow 
as  regularly  as  it  fell. 

He  started  farming  with  sowing  eight  acres  of  wheat  which  harvested 
only  fifty-one  bushels  and  it  came  at  a  time  when  the  family  was  needing 
something  to  eat.  These  hardships  all  passed  over,  the  difficulties  were 
all  overcome  with  the  lapse  of  time  and  prosperity  showered  its  blessings 
upon  him  as  had  adversity  in  the  beginning.  He  has  more  than  doubled 
the  area  of  his  original  farm,  having  real  estate  in  Elm  township  as  well  as 
in  Marmaton. 

Mr.  Kerr  came  to  Kansas  in  1877  and  spent  the  first  year  in  Marshall 
county.  He  came  from  Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  Snyder  county 
of  which  state  he  was  born  January  11,  1835.  The  Kerrs  were  among  the 
well  known  people  of  that  locality  and  one  of  the  old  German  families  of 
the  state.  Our  subject's  father  was  Jacob  Kerr,  a  farmer,  a  son  of  Chris- 
tian Kerr. 

Jacob  Kerr  married  Sarah  Hummell,  was  reasonably  successful  in  life 
and  died  in  1845  at  the  age  of  forty -four.  His  widow  survived  him  more 
than  forty-five  years,  dying  in  1891,  aged  ninety  years.  Their  children 
were:  L,eah,    wife  of  Joseph  Miller,    of  Northumberland   county,  Penhsyl- 


1 66  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

vania;  Rachel,  who  married  John  Bere,  of  Union  county,  Pennsylvania; 
Kanez,  of  Allen  county,  Kansas;  Obed  Kerr;  Jacob  Kerr,  who  died  just 
after  coming  out  of  the  army;  Sarah,  who  is  Mrs.  Joseph  Miller,  residing 
in  Pennsyvania;  Elizabeth,  deceased;  Susan,  widow  of  Isaac  Keyser,  of 
Northlumberland  county,  Pennsylvania;  Catherine,  wife  of  Theodore 
Fegley,  of  Harvey  county,  Kansas,  and  Christian  Kerr,  of  Benton  county, 
Arkansas. 

Being  orphaned  by  the  death  of  his  father  Obed  Kerr  was  forced  to 
"workout"  very  early  in  lite  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  went  to  live 
with  an  uncle.  He  learned  the  carpenter  trade  with  him  and  worked  at  it 
about  five  years.  In  addition  to  his  country  school  advantages  he  put  in  a 
full  year  in  a  graded  school.  He  was  granted  license  to  teach  and  did 
engage  in  that  work  several  winters  and  clerked  in  a  store  at  Mount  Carmel 
in  summer.  He  finally  became  a  partner  in  the  business  and  remained  so 
for  twenty  years.  When  the  crash  came  after  the  war  the  firm  failed  and 
Mr.  Kerr  suffered  severe  financial  reverses.  The  two  years  succeeding  his 
forced  retirement  from  the  counter,  and  prior  to  his  advent  to  Kansas,  he 
spent  on  a  farm  and  he  reached  Marshall  county,  Kan.sas-,  with  funds 
enough    to  provide   for   the   wants  of  his  family  till  a  crop  could  be  raised. 

December  20,  i860,  Mr.  Kerr  -was  married  to  Mary  Heiser,  a  daughter 
of  David  Heiser.  The  children  of  this  union  are:  Walter  A.  Kerr;  Arie, 
Claire  and  Willis  Kerr.  The  Kerrs  are  Republicans  in  politics  and  our 
subject  has  been  one  of  the  active  and  enthusiastic  party  men  in  Allen 
county. 


O  AMUEly  MIIvES  KNOX  was  born  in  Juniata  county,  Pennsylvania, 
*^-^  November  11,  1826.  The  son  of  a  farmer,  his  boyhood  was  spent 
after  the  usual  fashion  of  American  farm  boys, — working  hard  during  the 
long  summer  and  going  to  school  in  the  short  winter.  His  first  money 
was  earned  at  the  age  of  ten,  when  for  three  months  he  built  the  school 
house  fires  every  morning  for  one  dollar.  He  has  earned  a  good  many 
dollars  since  then,  but  never  one  that  gave  him  more  satisfaction.  The 
progress  made  in  his  studies  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  at  the  age  of  seven 
teen  he  was  employed  by  the  school  directors  as  assistant  teacher, — at  the 
munificent  salary  of  four  dollars  a  month  !  The  spring  following  he 
entered  the  Tuscarora  Academy,  and  the  next  fall  he  secured  a  position  as 
teacher  at  a  salary  of  $18.00  a  month, — boarding  himself.  Determined  to 
secure  an  education  if  possible,  he  continued  for  two  years  to  attend  the 
Academy  in  summers,  paying  his  way  there  by  the  money  saved  from  the 
meager  salary  paid  him  as  a  teacher  during  the  winter.  From  the 
Academy  he  went  into  the  oSice  of  a  physician  and  for  two  years  gave  all 
the  time  he  could  spare  from  the  school  teaching  by  which  he  earned  his 
living  to  the  study  of  medicine.     After  two  j^ears  of  this  study  he  gave  up 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  16? 

the  idea  of  becoming  a  physician  and  for  three  years  thereafter  he  was 
engaged  in  the  business  of  selling  books,  especially  German  and  English 
History  of  the  United  States,  selling  more  of  the  German  than  of  the 
English  edition.  Through  the  accident  of  being  obliged  to  accept  grain  in 
payment  of  some  debts  owed  to  him  by  the  farmers  of  the  neighborhood,  he 
was  drawn  into  the  lumber  and  grain  business,  which  he  followed  success- 
fully for  two  years  at  Wyant  a  small  station  in  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  of 
which  village  he  was  the  first  postmaster.  Abandoning  his  mercantile 
business  he  went  to  Princeton,  Illinois,  and  began  the  study  of  law  in  the 
office  of  Milton  T.  Peters,  a  leading  attorney  of  that  section,  and  after  the 
proper  preparation  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  i860  he  was  made  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  Representative  in  the  Legislature,  but  went  down 
with  his  party  in  the  election  that  followed.  In  spite  of  an  adverse 
party  majority  he  was  elected  county  Judge  of  his  county  the  following 
year  and  served  in  that  capacity  four  years.  Soon  after  his  retirement  from 
this  ofiice  he  made  an  extended  tour  of  Europe.  Returning  from  this  trip 
his  attention  was  attracted  to  the  cheap  lands  then  being  placed  upon  the 
market  by  the  western  railroads,  and  he  bought  several  of  the  tracts  that 
he  still  owns  in  Allen  county,  Kansas.  Becoming  acquainted  through 
these  purchases  with  the  managers  of  some  of  the  land  grant  railroads  he 
was  engaged  for  the  next  several  years  as  their  agent  for  the  sale  of  their 
lands,  serving  with  marked  success  in  this  capacity  the  I/.  L.  &G.,  the 
M.  K.  &  T.,  the  C.  B.  &  Q.,  and  the  Union  Pacific.  His  longest  service 
in  this  line  was  with  the  Union  Pacific  with  which  he  remained  as  Land 
and  Passenger  Agent  until  1897.  Retiring  from  this  employment  he  took 
up  his  permanent  residence  in  Allen  county  and  is  now  engaged  on  a  large 
scale  in  the  farming  and  stock  business  in  Salem  township. 

This  is  the  simple  story,  as  briefly  as  it  can  be  told,  of  a  successful 
career,  won  without  any  outside  help,  through  the  sheer  force  of  pluck, 
industry  and  character.  To  begin  as  a  mere  boy,  to  educate  one's  self,  to 
win  an  honored  place  in  a  learned  profession;  to  make  one's  force  felt  in 
great  corporations,  to  amass  a  modest  but  sufficient  fortune,  and  then  to 
have  sense  enough,  while  yet  hale  and  hearty  to  settle  down  to  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  his  labor, — that  is  it  record  any  man  may  be  pardoued  for  being 
proud  of. 

Like  most  Americans,  Judge  Knox  knows  but  little  of  his  ancestry. 
His  grandfather,  Hugh  Knox,  was  born  in  Scotland  in  1758,  emigrated  to 
America,  settled  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  moved  to  Danville, 
New  York,  then  to  Ashtabula  county,  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1851.  His 
father,  John  Knox,  was  born  January  6,  1789,  in  Lancaster  count/, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  served  as  a  cavalry- 
man in  the  war  of  1812,  and  died  November  25,  1858,  in  Princeton,  Illi- 
nois. His  mother,  Eunice  Pauling,  was  born  November  12,  1794,  in 
Philadelphia  and  died  July  12,  1858,  in  Princeton,  Illinois.  She  was 
descended  from  one  of  the  Quaker  families  who  came  to  America  with  the 
Penn  colony.  Several  of  Judge  Knox'  maternal  ancestors  were  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  one  of  them,  Samuel  Pauling,  being  with  Wash- 


l6S  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN   AND 

ington  during  the  memorable  winter  of  \iii-?>  at  Valley  Forge,  and  later 
at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1854,  Mr.  Knox  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Hannan  H.  Weaver,  of  Allentown,  Pennsylvania.  Unto  them  have 
been  born  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  four  yet  living:  Anson  H.,  who 
married  Annie  Dewey  Whipple  and  who  is  now  engaged  in  farming  near 
SheflGield,  Illinois;  Mary  K. ,  wife  of  Justus  Massillon  Stevens,  of  Prince- 
ton, Illinois;  Ada  L  ,  who  resides  with  her  parents;  Samuel  F. ,  a  practic- 
ing attorney  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  who  married  Edith  Brown,  of  London, 
England.  The  children  have  been  provided  with  very  superior 
educational  privileges,  the  two  daughters  completing  their  education  in  the 
languages  in  Dresden  and  Paris. 

In  his  political  views  Judge  Knox  has  been  a  life-long  Democrat,  is 
strongly  in  favor  of  the  double  standard  of  currency  and  had  the  honor  of 
being  a  delegate  to  the  national  silver  convention  in  1896,  which  nominated 
Williafti  J.  Bryan  for  president  of  the  United  States.  He  is  a  gentleman 
of  broad  general  information,  liberal  in  his  views,  and  acts  upon  his  con- 
victions. He  is  one  of  the  most  public  spirited  and  enterprising  citizens  of 
Allen  county.  In  1856  he  became  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and 
has  taken  all  the  degrees  in  blue  lodge,  chapter,  council,  commandery  and 
Scottish  rite  branches  of  Free  Masonry  and  held  office  in  all  the  bodies.  In 
his  life,  however,  he  exemplifies  the  spirit  of  mutual  helpfulness  and 
forbearance  which  forms  the  basic  element  of  the  craft.  His  has  been  an 
honorable  career.  He  has  never  made  engagements  that  he  has  not  ful- 
filled nor  incurred  obligations  he  has  not  met.  He  is  at  all  times  straight- 
forward and  reliable  and  stands  as  a  representative  of  our  highest  type  of 
American  manhood. 


T~\R.  A.  L.  DORNBERGH.— Time  has  all  but  annihilated  the  pioneers 
-' —  of  Kansas.  The  passing  of  years  has  thinned  their  ranks  until  there 
is  only  here  and  there  one.  In  Allen  county  they  are  so  rare  as  to  become 
an  object,  almost,  of  curiosity.  To  have  spent  more  than  forty  years  in 
Kansas  seems,  at  first  thought,  an  improbability.  Two  score  of  years  takes 
us  so  far  out  onto  the  frontier  that  it  seems  scarcely  the  abode  of  the  white 
man.  Yet  it  was  and  A.  L.  Dornbergh  was  among  the  number.  He  came 
here  from  L,ockport,  New  York,  as  a  young  miller  in  1859,  remained  in 
Humboldt  a  short  time  and  having  secured  a  claim  near  Humboldt  proceded 
to  build  a  house  and  moved  thereon.  His  family  consisted  of  self,  wife 
and  two  sons  and  stepson  H.  D.  Smith.  It  was  with  every  expectation  of 
turning  the  claim  into  a  farm  that  he  took  possession  of  it,  but  in  this  he 
was  disappointed,  for  in  i860  came  the  drouth,  then  1861  ushered  in  the 
war  which  stopped  all  improvements.  He  entered  the  service  as  First 
Lieutenant  of  the  Allen  County  Guards.  This  company  with  those  of 
Woodson  and  Wilson  counties  was  organized  in  the  southern  division  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  l6g 

was  called  the  yth  Regiment.  Dr.  Dornbergh  was  made  Captain  of  his 
•company  September  3d,  1861.  February  2nd,  1864,  he  received  a  commis- 
sion with  the  rank  of  Major  and  Aidde-camp  on  Major-General  John  B. 
Scott's  staff.  He  was  out  almost  from  the  beginning  of  hostilities  till  the 
end  of  the  contest.  He  served  on  the  border  between  Missouri  and  Kansas 
and  saw  and  participated  in  much  of  the  hard  field  work  of  the  west.  After 
the  war  Dr.  Dornbergh  was  elected  Probate  Judge  of  Allen  county  where 
he  served  three  terms  consecutively  of  two  years  each,  John  Francis  being 
his  deputy.  Retiring  he  devoted  himself  to  the  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment of  his  claim.  He  proceeded  to  plant  forty  acres  of  it  to  fruit  and  had 
about  the  first  bearing  orchard  on  the  prairie.  His  fruit  was  the  best  qual- 
ity and  was  appreciated  by  his  neighbors  and  friends  toward  whom  he 
showed  a  spirit  of  liberality. 

Dr.  Dornbergh  was  a  homeopathist,  practicing  in  his  own  family  before 
coming  to  Kansas,  and  when  he  took  up  the  practice  in  this  State,  soon 
gained  by  his  success  and  faithfulness  such  a  large  business  that  everything 
else  was  given  up  to  that  field  of  usefulness.  Having  spent  nearly  thirty- 
five  years  in  medicine  he  retired  from  its  general  practice. 

When  Dr.  Dornbergh  settled  in  Allen  county  Indians  were  roaming 
over  the  county ,  settlers  were  scattered  here  and  there  along  the  streams, 
Humboldt  was  the  county  seat,  and  lola,  the  successor  to  Cofachique,  was 
only  a  place  in  name.  In  those  days  the  Doctor's  well  was  on  a  sled  in  the 
yard  and  as  the  Indians  came  by  they  helped  themselves  to  the  contents  of 
the  barrel  so  long  as  there  was  any,  without  the    permission   of   its  owner. 

Dr.  Dornbergh  was  born  in  Caledonia,  Livingston  county.  New  York, 
December  7,  1826.  His  father,  John  Dornbergh,  was  born  near  Albany, 
New  York,  in  1799  and  died  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.  in  1844.  His  wife,  Sabra 
S.  Oldfield,  was  born  in  1806  and  died  in  1876.  She  was  the  mother  of  five 
children. 

Dr.  Dornbergh  was  married  in  1854  at  Clifton,  Monroe  county.  New 
York,  to  Sarah  A.  Smith,  widow  of  W.  H.  Smith.  Two  children  have 
been  born  to  them,  viz:  Harmon  Lewis,  born  in  1855,  died  in  1878;  John 
Cheever,  born  i860,  and  who  is  a  prominent  farmer  of  Humboldt  township, 
Allen  county,  Kansas.  The  latter  is  married  to  Nettie  M.,  daughter  of 
E.  N.  Wert,  of  Humboldt,  and  has  five  children. 

Dr.  Dornbergh  was  reared  a  Democrat.  His  father  was  an  uncom- 
promising one  and  taught  the  faith  to  his  children,  but  our  subject  departed 
from  it  when  he  grew  up  and  was  well  known  for  his  political  convictions 
during  the  early  days  of  Allen  county.  In  fraternal  matters  he  is  a  Mason 
and  an  Odd  Fellow. 


^  A  7'ILLIAM  J.  EVANS  was  reared  and  educated  in  Carlyle  and  Geneva, 

"   "     Kansas.  He  was  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  lola  and  he 

worked  at  odds  and  ends,  hauling  coal  among  the  rest,  till  he    entered   the 


I  JO  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

drug  house  of  R.  B.  Stevenson  as  a  clerk.  When  the  Missouri  Pacific 
railroad  was  building  through  lola  he  had  a  place  on  the  engineering  force 
for  a  time.  After  this  he  was  in  Topeka,  Kansas,  occupying  a  position  as 
a  drug  clerk  for  some  months  and  upon  his  return  to  lola  in  1882  bought 
the  drug  business  of  Richards,  L,akin  and  Ireland,  a  prominent  firm  twentj- 
years  ago.  In  1883  in  company  with  William  Goodhue  he  purchased  the 
drug  stock  of  R.  B.  Stevenson  and  has  since  made  drugs,  books,  stationary 
and  paints  his  business.  Upon  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Goodhue  the  firm 
became  W.  J.  Evans  and  remained  so  till  the  partnership  of  William  J.  and 
Tell  Evans  was  entered  into  in  1892.  This  stand  has  always  enjoyed  a 
prosperous  business.  It  has  been  the  popular  corner  since  the  day  Steven- 
son opened  his  paper  stand,  and  later  his  little  drug  store,  and  its  magni- 
tude and  importance  has  increased  with  the  demands  of  a  metropolitan 
city.  The  firm  of  Evans  Brothers  is  nothing  if  not  progressive  and  public 
spirited.  They  get  all  that  their  legitimate  business  will  earn  but  they  do 
not  keep  all  they  get.  Their  liberality  toward  worthy  charities  and  meritor- 
ious enterprises  is  well  known  and  the  money  that  they  thus  dispose  of 
annually  is  in  liberal  proportion  to  their  net  incomes. 

Mr.  Evans  has  been  a  member  of  the  State  Pharmaceutical  Association 
for  near  a  dozen  years,  has  been  active  on  some  of  the  committee  work 
and  in  1896  was  elected  president  of  the  Association,  .serving  the  usual 
term  of  one  year. 

In  politics  there  never  was  a  time  when  the  Evans'  were  not  on  the 
side  of  patriotism  and  the  flag.  Whigs  predominated  in  the  household  in 
the  days  of  Webster  and  Clay  and  Scott  but  with  Fremont  they  became 
Republicans  and  have  remained  so  through  all  the    history    of   that    party. 

William  J.  Evans  was  married  in  lola  January  26,  1888,  to  Jessie,  a 
daughter  of  William  Buchanan. 

Mr.  Evans  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  a  Workman. 

The  foregoing  brief  record  and  the  more  extended  sketch  of  J.  M. 
Evans,  previously  given,  is  the  story  of  lives  well  and  honorably  spent 
It  covers  the  period  of  Allen  county's  development  and  testifies  to  the  part 
which  one  of  its  pioneer  families  took  in  that  development.  It  is  fortunate 
that  the  facts  of  genealogy  herein  contained  have  been  so  well  preserved 
to  us  and  that  the  brief  reference  to  the  first  settlement  of  our  county  is 
thus  vividly  portrayed.  The  student  of  om  times  in  the  future,  will  gain 
information  and  find  much  to  satisfy  in  the  perusal  of  the  lives  of  our 
worthy  pioneers. 


TA7"II.LIAM  M.  MATTOCK.— Standing  out  conspicuously  as  a 
"  "  pioneer  upon  our  eastern  border  and  as  a  trusted  and  tried  citizen 
of  Allen  county  is  William  M.  Mattock,  of  Marmaton  township.  The  day 
when  he  was  not  among  us  takes  us  back  to  the  Civil  war  era  upon  the 
close  of  which  the  soldiers  of  the  Union  scattered  to  homes  throughout  the 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  IJl 

length  and  breadth  of  the  United  States.  Many  of  Ihem  sought  the  fertile 
and  unsettled  portions  of  our  frontier,  chief  of  which  latter  was  the  domain 
of  eastern  Kansas,  and  our  subject  was  among  the  number.  He  drove, 
with  his  family,  across  the  border  into  Allen  county  in  1866,  and  was  the 
third  settler  to  build  a  cabin  in  what  is  now  Marmaton  township.  He 
entered  the  south-west  quarter  of  section  24,  township  25,  range  20,  and 
the  settlers  who  were  his  neighbors  then  and  are  here  still  are  the  Culbert- 
sons,  the  Harclerodes,  John  Sapp  and  Henry  C.  Rogers.  The  Porters 
lived  farther  south  than  Rogers  but  have  long  since  gone.  All  of  eastern 
Allen  county  was  included  in  Humboldt  township  till  after  the  war.  Els- 
more  was  the  first  to  be  cut  off,  in  1868,  and  Marmaton  the  second,  about 
187 1.  Mr.  Mattock  was  in  Humboldt  school  district  at  first  but  the  next 
year  little  '"Stony  Lonesome,"  midway  between  Humboldt  and  lola,  was 
erected  and  he  was  attached  to  that  district.  His  first  two  votes  were  cast 
in  Humboldt,  the  distance  to  the  polling  place  not  sapping  the  voter  of  his 
enthusiasm  any  more  than  now. 

The  original  home  of  Mr.  Mattock  was  Mcl,ean  county,  Illinois.  He 
was  reared  there  but  born  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  September  r,  1840. 
His  father,  Jacob  Mattock,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1815,  left  the  state 
with  his  father,  Daniel  Mattock,  at  eight  years  of  age  and  settled  in  Rich- 
land county,  Ohio.  The  Mattocks  are  descended  from  the  French  and 
German  races  who  came  to  America  in  colonial  times.  An  only  brother  of 
Jacob  Mattock  was  killed,  with  his  family,  in  the  Spirit  L,ake  Indian 
massacre,  in  Minnesota,  many  years  ago.  Jacob  Mattock  was  married  in 
Ohio  to  Eliza  McConkie,  a  daughter  of  William  McConkie,  who  emigrated 
from  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania.  Two  children  were  the  result 
of  their  marriage,  viz;  William  M.,  our  subject,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Swine- 
heart,  who  died  in  Mclycan  county,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Jacob  Mattock  died  in 
the  same  county  in  1866. 

In  the  spring  of  i860  Jacob  Mattock  took  his  family  into  Cooper 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  died  the  same  season.  The  following  year  his 
son  enlisted  in  the  9th  Missouri  Cavalry,  Company  I,  and  served  the  first 
year  as  a  scout  with  different  commands.  His  company  ofiicer  was  Capt. 
Eaton  and  his  regimental  commander.  Col.  Williams.  Mr.  Mattock  was 
promoted  from  sergeant  of  his  company  after  the  first  year  to  Acting  Ser- 
geant Major  of  the  regiment.  He  served  in  the  south-western  department 
and  was  dealing  with  bushwhackers  quite  all  the  time.  The  Price  Raid 
furnished  a  few  engagements,  like  the  Big  Blue,  which  the  9th  Missouri 
Cavalry  got  into,  but  beyond  these  the  only  excitement  of  the  regiment 
was  raised  when  a  band  of  guerrillas  or  detachments  of  rebels  was  en- 
countered and  brought  into  a  fight. 

Mr.  Mattock's  service  covered  Missouri,  Arkansas  and  eastern  Kansas, 
and  his  exposure  during  these  years  brought  on  him  attacks  of  rheumatism 
from  which  he  has  suffered  much  torture  all  the  years  since  the  war. 

William  Mattock  was  reared  chiefly  in  a  small  town  in  Ohio  He  was 
schooled  at  Newville  and  acquired  sufficient  learning  to  render  him  com- 
petent  to  transact  the  ordinary  business  of  life.     He  was  married  in  July, 


iy2  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

1865,  to  Maria  J.,  a  daughter  of  C.  S.  Starkey,  who  came  to  Kansas  with 
our  subject  in  1866.  His  two  children  are  Dr.  J.  A.  Starkey,  of  Waynes- 
ville,  Illinois,  and  Mrs.  Mattock.  Mr.  Mattock's  children  are:  Emma 
A.,  wife  of  J.  W.  McFarland.  of  Stillwater,  Oklahoma;  L.  D.  and  J.  A. 
Mattock,  of  Marmaton  township,  and  Katie,  wife  of  J.  W.  Sigler,  of  Lone 
Elm,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Mattock  was  elected  Trustee  of  his  township  first  early  in  the  '70's 
and  has  filled  the  ofiice  sixteen  years,  and  only  retires  when  his  health  will 
not  permit  him  to  serve  longer.  He  is  one  of  the  staunch  Republicans  of 
Allen  county  and,  for  years,  it  was  an  unusual  thing  when  he  was  not  on 
the  Marmaton  delegation  to  any  county  convention. 


CHARLES  NELSON,  who  follows  farming  in  Ekmore  township,  Allen 
County,  was  born  in  Knoxville,  Knox  County,  Illinois,  on  the  19th  of 
August,  1854.  His  father,  Olaf  Nelson,  was  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  ere 
leaving  that  land  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Inga  Parison,  who  was 
also  born  there.  They  came  to  the  United  States  about  1850,  locating  in 
Illinois,  and  in  1876  took  up  their  abode  in  Kansas,  the  father  purchasing 
a  farm  five  miles  west  of  Savonburg,  near  the  south  line  of  the  county.  He 
is  still  living  there  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  but  in  1897  ^^  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  13th  of  March, 
of  that  year,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living,  namely:  Charles,  Frank  J., 
Hannah  M. ,  Madison  and  Sarah. 

Mr.  Nelson,  of  this  review,  was  reared  in  Illinois  until  sixteen  years 
of  age,  and  enjoyed  the  educational  advantages  afforded  by  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  county.  He  resided  with  his  parents  until  twenty 
years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  left  home  and  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline 
Home,  of  Knoxville,  and  that  year  they  came  to  Kansas  with  her  parents 
and  Mr.  Nelson  preempted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  five  miles 
west  of  Savonburg.  Immediately  he  began  the  improvement  of  his  farm 
and  in  1880  he  extended  the  field  of  his  labors  by  embarking  in  general 
merchandising  at  Warrensburg,  conducting  the  new  enterprise  in  connec- 
tion with  the  operation  of  his  farm,'  until  1888.  He  then  removed  his  stock 
of  goods  to  Savonburg.  About  that  time  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
railroad  was  surveyed  through  the  place.  Mr.  Nelson  organized  a  town 
company  and  was  made  its  president.  He  has  lived  to  see  the  little  village 
grow  and  prosper  and  it  now  has  a  population  of  eighf  hundred.  In  its 
improvement  and  upbuilding  he  has  been  an  important  factor,  his  active 
co-operation  in  all  measures  for  the  general  good  being  of  immense  benefit. 
On  the  ist  of  March,  1896  he  sold  his  stock  of  goods  and  returned  to  the 
farm,  to  the  operation  of  which  he  is  now  devoting  all  of  his  time  and  at- 
tention. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.    Nelson   has  been  blessed  with  eleven  chil- 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  175 

dren,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely:  Estella  M.,  who  is  a  graduate 
of  the  grammar  schools  and  is  now  teaching  in  lola,^  Victor  C,  John  F., 
Gertrude  V. ,  Carl  Inez,  Gladys  and  Virl.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  the  community,  the  members  of  the  household  occupying  leading  posi- 
tions in  social  circles.  Mr.  Nelson  gives  his  political  support  to  the 
Democracy  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  Socially  he 
is  connected  with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  in  Savonburg. 
His  life  has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one  and  while  he  has  added  to  his  own 
prosperity  he  has  at  the  same  tima  been  numbered  among  the  substantial 
citizens  and  also  contributed  to  the  general  good. 


NEWTON  THOMPSON,  of  Marmaton  township,  of  Allen  County, 
who  owns  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  22,  town  24,  range  20,  came 
to  Kansas  from  Carroll  County,  Missouri,  but  he  was  born  in  Carroll  Coun- 
ty,  Indiana.  His  birth  occurred  near  Delphi  October  15,  1856,  and  he  is 
a  son  of  George  R.  Thompson,  a  resident  of  Moran,  Kansas.  The  latter 
spent  many  years  of  his  life  as  a  blacksmith  in  Delphi,  to  which  point  he 
went  from  Washington  County,  Indiana.  In  1866  he  emigrated  westward 
to  Saline  County,  Missouri,  and  resided  there  and  in  Carroll  County,  that 
State,  till  1879,  when  he  came  to  Kansas  He  was  engaged  in  burning 
lime  in  the  two  Mi.ssouri  counties  and  in  the  latter  one  he  purchased  and 
operated  a  farm.  The  first  years  of  his  residence  in  Allen  County  were 
passed  in  the  country  and  he  improved  a  farm  in  section  23,  town  24, 
range  20. 

Mr.  Thompson  is  directly  traceable  to  the  Irish.  He  is  a  great  grand- 
son of  Thos.  Thompson,  born  and  reared  in  Ireland.  The  latter  came  to 
America  prior  to  the  Revolution  and  settled  in  Kentucky  as  a  pioneer. 
There  he  reared  his  family  and,  at  Frankfort  our  subject's  grandfather  was 
born  in  1775.  Thos.  Thompson  died  in  Franklin  township,  Indiana,  in 
1828,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  son,  Robert  Thompson,  our 
subject's  grandfather,  died  in  Washington  County,  Indiana,  in  1864.  He 
was  a  pioneer  to  Indiana  and  among  the  first  settlers  of  Washington  Coun- 
ty. Thos.  Thompson  was  a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution,  as  were 
three  of  his  sons.  Robert  Thompson  was  a  captain  in  the  War  of  18 12  and 
was  engaged  in  the  battle  at  New  Orleans.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Robinson  and  George  R.  Thompson  is  the  ninth  of  ten  children  in  his 
family. 

George  R.  Thompson  was  born  in  Washington  County,  April  10,  1824, 
and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  enlisted  in  the  2nd  Indiana  cavalry! 
a  rather  independent  organization,  under  the  command  of  General  Ed.  Mc- 
Cook.  He  participated  in  every  engagement  of  cavalry  from  Atlanta,  in 
the  fall  of  1863,  to  the  close  of  the  war.  His  division  went  in  advance  of 
Sherman  to  and  away  from  Savanah  and  saw  the  war  ended   at  Jonesboro, 


1 74  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN   AND 

North    Carolina.     He   was  mustered   out   at    Nashville,    Tennessee,  July 
26,  1865. 

Oar  subject's  mother  was  Emily  Perdue.  She  bore  eight  children  and 
our  subject  is  the  sole  survivor. 

J.  Newton  Thompson  was  schooled  in  the  country  and  has  practiced 
nought  but  farming.  He  was  married  in  Allen  County  in  February,  1880, 
to  lysota  Banta,  a  daughter  of  William  Banta.  Mrs.  Thompson  was  one  of 
the  early  and  successful  teachers  of  the  county  and  was  a  boarder  in  the 
home  of  Hon.  E.  H.  Funston,  whose  oldest  son,  the  General,  was  one  of 
her  pupils. 

The  Bantas  came  to  Kansas  from  Brown  County,  Indiana.  William 
Banta  was  born  in  the  state  of  Kentucky  in  1817  and  died  in  Allen  County 
in  1897.  He  married  Eleanor  Coffland  and  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  Thomp- 
son, Byron  Banta,  of  Oklahoma;  Rhoda,  wife  of  Geo.  W.  Smith,  one  of  the 
leading  teachers  of  Allen  County;  Albin  Banta,  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas; 
Mrs.  Alice  Joues,  wife  of  Rev.  E.  S.  Jones,  of  Westphalia,  Kansas;  Elijah 
Banta,  of  Allen   County,  and  Mrs.  Pearl  Cox. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson's  children  are:  Addie  Thompson,  born  1880, 
is  a  graduate  of  the  common  schools  and  a  teacher;  Minnie  Thompson,  a 
graduate  of  the  common  schools;  Rothwell,  Clair,  Arthur  and  Glenn 
Thompson. 

"Newt"  Thompson  is  one  of  the  enthusiastic  Republicans  of  Allen 
County  and  holds  a  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Moran. 


GEORGE  McLAUGHEIN. — Our  attention  is  directed  in  the  following 
brief  sketch  to  a  family  who  have  done  no  little  toward  the  moral, 
educational  and  material  advancement  of  Allen  county.  Its  establishment 
here  dates  from  the  year  1871  and  its  worthy  and  industrious  head  is  the 
subject  hereof. 

When  George  McEaughlin  located  upon  the  north-west  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 8,  township  25,  range  2 1 ,  there  were  few  persons  who  could  now  be 
termed  neighbors.  The  Sapps,  Culbertsons,  Moores  and  the  Armstrongs 
were  among  the  nearby  settlers  and  the  neighborhood  was  considered  to 
extend  as  far  away  as  Nortons,  west  of  Moran.  The  post-ofEce  was  old 
Elsmore  and  there  was  naught  to  prevent  one  from  taking  the  shortest  cut 
to  any  desired  point.  Mr.  McLaughlin  erected,  or  moved  into,  an  old 
stone  house  layed  up  with  mud,  built  by  an  old  bachelor  settler,  Lindsey. 
This  the  family  used  as  a  residence  till  1879  when  the  present  family  cot- 
tage was  erected  in  the  center  of  the  section  he  now  owns. 

The  first  years  in  a  new  country  are  not  infrequently  years  of  occa- 
sional trials  and  hardships.  This  is  particularly  true  of  settlers  who  are 
without  means,  save  as  they  gather  them  from  their  fields  in  the  harvest 
times.  The  McLaughlins  were  poor.  They  had  settled  in  a  new  country 
because   of   that   fact   and   when  it   is  stated  that  a  failure  in  their  crops 


^'^^^.^W^VVVV^.^^JJLdV:^  VVIXI   XcxJU^oi^Xvyvu 


WOODSON    COUISTTIBS,    KANSAS.  175 

brought  suffering,  both  mental  and  physical,  it  is  no  exaggeration.  There 
was  one  barrier  between  the  family  and  actual  distress,  at  times,  and  that 
was  education.  Mrs.  McL,aughlin  had  superior  educational  facilities.  _  At 
the  age  of  sixteen  she  was  a  classical  graduate  of  the  Macedonian  Institute 
at  Alexandria,  Kentucky,  and  was  immediately  tendered  the  chair  of 
English  Literature  in  the  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  Female  Seminary,  which  she 
declined.  Her  first  teacher's  certificate  was  granted  by  Colonel  Jacob 
Ammon,  a  close  friend  and  old  teacher  of  Gen.  Grant.  When  Mrs.  Mc- 
Laughlin was  acquiring  an  education  it  did  not  occur  to  her  that  said 
education  would  ^some  time  save  a  little  settlement  on  the  frontier  and  pre- 
serve it  for  good  in  the  development  of  a  great  state.  But  it  so  happened. 
When  the  hard  years  came  and  the  family  larder  ran  low  the  wife  of  our 
subject  taught  school.  Rocklow  and  Union  and  Stony  Point  have  all  been 
garrisoned  "by  her  and  a  small  band  of  America's  youth  and  those  times 
are  now  regarded  as  among  the  events  of  her  life. 

As  the  years  wore  on  and  crop  conditions  became  more  favorable  and 
the  growing  of  cattle  profitable  the  material  prosperity  of  the  family  be- 
came apparent.  This  condition  of  financial  ease  exemplified  itself  in  a 
regular  and  steady  increase  in  area  of  the  family  homestead.  Eventually 
its  boundaries  extended  to  and  included  all  the  eighties  in  section  eight, 
save  one,  and  its  shortage  is  made  up  in  another  section.  To  dig  a  section 
of  land  out  of  itself  is  not  done  without  great  industry  and  perseverance  and 
the  McLaughlins  are  to  be  congratulated,  in  view  of  their  earl/  difiiculties, 
in  accomplishing  the  task  in  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Mr.  McLaughlin  came  from  Brown  county,  Ohio.  He  was  born  there 
May  12,  1835,  a'^cl  his  wife  April  25,  1844.  The  latter  was  A bbie  J.,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Pickerell,  who  cut  off  with  his  own  ax  three  hundred 
acres  of  Ohio  timber  land.  Mr.  Pickerell  was  born  in  Mason  county, 
Kentucky,  March  12,  1800,  and  died  in  Brown  county,  Ohio,  April  16, 
1871.  His  father,  Samuel  Pickerell,  enlisted  at  twelve  years  of  age  in  the 
Colonial  army  for  service  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  a  drum- 
mer and  served  through  the  war.  He  was  with  General  Washington  at 
the  crossing  of  the  Delaware  and  in  the  service  his  feet  and  hands  were  so 
frosted  that  parts  of  them  were  necessarily  removed.  He  was  a  farmer  and 
bought  the  old  Pickerell  place  on  Eagle  Creek,  Bird  township.  Brown 
county,  Ohio,  upon  which  the  first  church  of  the  Campbellite  faith  was 
erected,  in  1817.  The  Shakers  had  once  occupied  the  site  but  had 
abandoned  it  and  the  early  Campbellite  leaders  gathered  and  perfected 
their  organization  there.  Samuel  Pickerell  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-eight 
years.  He  was  married  and  reared  the  following  children:  Dennis,  who 
reared  a  family  in  Brown  county,  Ohio;  Richard,  Samuel,  Lovell,  Thomas, 
William,  Betsy,  who  married  Samuel  Dunham,  Jennie,  who  married  James 
Beatty;  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Harbaugh;  Sallie,  wife  of  Mr. 
Gillespie;  Mrs.  Thomas  Reese;  and  Lucy,  who  became  Mrs.  Samuel 
Bartholomew.  Thomas  Pickerell  married  Alice  Mann,  a  grand-daughter 
of  David  DeVore,  born  in  Alsace,  France,  now  Germany.  She  was  Mr. 
Pickerell's  second  wife.     He  reared  two  families;  in  the  first  eight  children 


176  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   AND 

and  in  the  second  five.  Those  surviving  are:  Thomas  Pickerell,  of  Rice 
county,  Kansas;  Addison  Pickerell,  of  Carthage,  Illinois;  Alexander  O. 
Pickerell,  of  Arkansas;  John  F.  Pickerell,  of  Ripley,  Ohio;  Mrs.  Mc- 
lyaughlin;  Sarah,  widow  of  Samuel  Peck,  Dover,  Kentucky,  and  Ella,  wife 
of  John  McKee,  of  Ripley,  Ohio.  William  C.  Pickerell,  deceased,  was 
the  first  settler  on  the  townsite  of  Topeka.  He  was  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Mc- 
Laughlin who  went  out  the  Kaw  river  above  Kansas  City  in  1853  and 
took  the  claim  that  much  of  the  State  Capital  stands  on.  He  enlisted  in 
Jameson's  command  and  served  through  the  war.  His  twelve-year-old 
son,  Thomas,  rode  ninetj-  miles  without  saddle  or  bridle  and  without 
eating  to  a  military  post  to  carry  out  his  determination  to  get  into  the 
service.  He  went  through  the  war  as  buglar  and  resides  in  Ness  county, 
Kansas,  at  present. 

Mr.  McLaughlin's  father  was  David  McLaughlin,  a  pioneer  settler  in 
Brown  county,  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  but  was  reared  in 
Mason  county,  Kentucky.  He  was  a  son  of  John  McLaughlin  and  the 
farm  where  he  first  settled  is  still  in  the  family,  owned  by  our  subject's 
youngest  brother.  David  McLaughlin  was  a  soldier  in  our  second  war 
with  England  and  was  in  the  garrison  at  Detroit  when  Hull  surrendered  it 
to  the  British.  He  died  in  1880  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  He 
married  Reebcca  Ramey  who  died  in  1873.  Their  children  were:  John 
R. ,  of  Brown  county,  Ohio;  Lydia,  deceased,  married  R.  P.  Fisher;  George 
McLaughlin;  Josiah  C. ,  who  died  in  1863;  Frances,  deceased,  and  Law- 
rence McLaughlin. 

George  McLaughlin  served  in  the  hundred  day  guards  called  out  dur- 
ing the  war  to  protect  the  border  from  Rebel  invasion.  He  left  Ohio  in  1866 
and  came  west  to  Jackson  county,  Missouri.  He  resided  there  three  years 
and  took  another  step  westward  into  Brown  county,  Kansas.  In  1871  he 
left  there  and  came  down  into  Allen  county.  He  was  married  May  2, 
i860,  to  one  of  the  successful  teachers  of  Brown  county,  Ohio.  Their 
children  were:  Herschel,  deceased;  T.  Hamer;  Josiah  C. ,  of  Kansas  City, 
Kansas,  married  Cora  Holman;  Anna,  widow  of  J.  L.  Edspn,  resides  in 
Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Alice,  wife  of  Will  Shank  of  Bronson,  Kansas; 
Chilton  W. ,  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  assistant  surgeon  St.  Margaret's 
Hospital;  Rose,  wife  of  W.  L-  Stahl,  with  Kansas  City  Journal,  and  Leona 
and  Myrtle  McLaughlin,  successful  teachers  of  Allen  county,  and  Horace 
McLaughlin,  at  home. 

Mr.  McLaughlin  is  a  Democrat.  He  was  reared  one  and  there  has 
been  no  time  when  he  felt  warranted  in  changing  his  faith. 


JEROME.  W.  DELAPLAIN,  who  for  almost  a  third  of  a  century  has 
'-'  made  his  home  in  Allen  County,  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  France  and 
finds  that  many  representatives  of  the  family  are  living  in  various  sections 
of   this    country.     The   orthography   of   the    name   has   undergone  many 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  177 

changes,  some  spelling  it  as  dwellers  of  the  plains,  De  I^a  Plain.  Samuel 
Delaplain,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  about  the  7th  of 
November,  1 781,  and  served  in  the  War  of  18  r  2.  He  married  Jane  Mc- 
Fadden,  a  descendant  of  a  patriot  of  Irish  birth  who  served  for  seven  years 
in  the  war  of  the  American  Revolution.  Some  time  in  1808  Samuel  Dela- 
plajn,  accompanied  by  one  of  his  brothers,  made  the  journey  on  horseback 
from  Ohio  to  Illinois,  also  accompanied  by  their  aged  mother,  a  Scotch 
woman,  who  died  ac  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  four  years.  The  grand- 
father was  a  pioneer  Methodist  preacher  and  crossed  the  Mississippi  River 
to  a  French  village  where  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  now  stands.  He 
was  also  a  carpenter  and  took  a  contract  to  build  the  first  market  house 
there,  going  to  the  forest  and  cutting  and  hewing  the  timber  and  making 
the  boards  from  which  to  construct  the  building.  The  old  French  market 
house  long  stood  as  a  landmark  of  that  locality. 

While  Samuel  Delaplain  and  his  wife  Jane  were  occupying  the  French 
claim  in  1812,  Joshua  P.  Delaplain  was  born  unto  them,  being  the  fifth  of 
their  eleven  children.  Shortly  afterward  the  family  again  crossed  the 
Mississippi  River,  settling  on  a  farm  four  miles  north  of  Alton,  Illinois, 
where  the  son  Joshua  grew  to  manhood.  We  find  him  early  taking  an 
active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Methodist  church,  of  which  he  remained  an 
active  and  consistent  member  until  his  death  in  1875.  Holding  a  commis- 
sion from  Governor  Reynolds  of  Illinois  in  a  company  of  State  militia  when 
the  Black  Hawk  war  broke  out,  he  resigned  his  military  office  and  enlisted 
as  a  private  in  a  company  of  Independent  Mounted  Rifles,  serving  until  the 
old  chief  and  his  followers  were  subdued. 

On  the  9th  of  October,  1836,  Joshua  Delaplain  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Mary  O.  Copley,  who  was  born  October  7,  1818,  at  Oneida,  New  York. 
Her  parents  were  of  English  ancestry.  Of  this  marriage  were  born  the 
following  named:  Jerome  W. ,  Eugene  W.,  now  of  lyOgan  township;  John 
B.,  of  Kansas  City;  Charles  L,-,  deceased;  Emma  J.,  who  in  1871  married 
George  D.  IngersoU,  then  a  merchant  of  lola,  and  died  in  Moran,  Kansas, 
in  1886,  leaving  three  children;  and  Ellis  P.,  of  Elm  township,  who  come 
pletes  the  family. 

In  1868  Joshua  P.  Delaplain  and  his  eldest  son,  Jerome  W. ,  made  a 
prospecting  tour  to  Missouri  and  northern  Kansas  without  finding  just  the 
location  they  wanted,  and  after  considering  the  future  of  Galveston,  Texas, 
as  an  outlet  for  the  produce  of  Kansas  b}'^  the  Leavenworth,  Lawrence  & 
Galveston  railroad,  then  talked  of,  the  father  in  the  early  summer  of  1868, 
came  to  Allen  County,  Kansas,  spending  the  first  night  after  his  arrival  at 
the  Rodgers  farm,  southeast  of  Moran.  The  next  day  he  met  William 
Buchanan  of  lola,  who  showed  him  the  Snodgrass  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  one  inile  south  of  Gas  City.  The  farm  was  purchased  and  Mr. 
Delaplain  went  east  for  his  family  who  came  overland  in  the  last  of  Sep- 
tember, 1868. 

Previous  to  this  time,  Jerome  W.  Delaplain,  on  the  i6th  of  May,  1866, 
had  married  Sue  F.  Gifford,  who  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
and  whose  parents  were  of  English   and   German   descent.     Jerome   Dela- 


178  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

plain  and  his  wife  came  with  the  family  to  Allen  County  and  purchased  of 
Oliver  Redfern  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  five,  township  twenty-five, 
range  nineteen,  then  a  part  of  lola  township,  of  which  James  McDonald 
was  trustee.  Houses  were  few  and  far  between  and  were  scattered  along 
the  streams.  Prairie  fires  were  frequent  and  often  destructive,  much  time 
being  consumed  in  guarding  against  and  fighting  them.  The  blanketed 
Indian  still  hunted  over  the  prairies  and  sometimes  would  get  the  deer  the 
Delaplain  boys  were  after.  Soon,  however,  the  country  became  more 
thickly  settled  with  the  white  people,  who  purchased  farm  lands  of  specu- 
lators, railroad  companies  or  of  other  settlers.  The  Pickells,  Ohlfests, 
Monforts,  Frinks,  Johnsons,  Crowells,  Ports,  Remsbergs  and  others 
came. 

During  the  period  of  these  arrivals  petitions,  at  fir;t  unavailing,  began 
to  find  their  way  to  the  county  commissioners  asking  for  the  establishment 
of  anew  township.  Fiually,  as  the  result  of  the  earnest  effort  of  Mr. 
Pickell,  the  petitions  were  granted.  At  the  Jacob  Sikes  school  house  on 
Elm  Creek,  a  half  mile  north  of  the  present  site  of  the  Allen  Center  school 
house,  a  general  gathering  of  the  voters  was  held.  John  Woolems,  a  Dem- 
ocrat, was  nominated  for  trustee  and  J.  W.  Delaplain,  a  Republican,  for 
township  treasurer,  but  the  latter  did  not  like  the  idea  of  a  fusion  ticket, 
and  at  a  consultation  which  was  held  it  was  decided  to  cut  loose  from  the 
fusion  movement  and  put  a  straight  Republican  ticket  in  the  field.  Ac- 
cordingly notices  were  posted  for  a  primary  of  Republican  voters  at  the  old 
log  schoolhouse  on  the  Riley  farm  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  east  of  the 
I.  N.  Port  corner.  At  that  primary  J.  W.  Delaplain,  refusing  any  place  on 
the  ticket,  his  father,  J.  P.  Delaplain,  was  nominated  for  trustee,  J.  L. 
Arnold  for  treasurer  and  Alvin  Harris  for  clerk.  They  were  all  elected 
and  Mr.  Delaplain  served  for  two  terms  in  that  oflBce  and  one  term  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  In  1874  Jerome  Delaplain  was  appointed  township 
treasurer  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  of  George  Hopkins  and  by  re-elec- 
tion held  the  ofiice  for  eight  years,  when  he  refused  to  again  become  a 
candidate. 

The  subject  of  this  review  passed  through  the  usual  experiences  of 
pioneer  life.  The  house  which  stood  on  his  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre 
farm  was  a  log  structure,  sixteen  by  sixteen  feet,  with  rough  board  doors 
and  one  small  window,  while  a  spiit  board  roof  was  held  in  place  with  the 
weight  of  rocks  and  poles.  Between  the  rough  boards  of  the  floor  rattle- 
snakes sometimes  made  their  way  into  the  cabin,  and  the  first  winter  a 
small,  striped  perfumed  cat  got  in.  The  large  rock  fireplace  in  one  end  of 
the  room,  together  with  a  cook  stove  in  the  center  of  the  room,  did  not 
prevent  the  young  wife's  feet  from  getting  badly  frosted.  Such  were  the 
hardships  of  pioneer  life  in  Kansas!  Times  were  very  hard.  On  one  oc- 
casion they  were  eating  their  last  loaf  of  bread,  not  knowing  how  or  where 
to  get  more,  yet  it  came  without  calling  for  "aid." 

Mr.  Delaplain's  mother,  now  eighty-three  years  of  age,  yet  resides 
with  him.  Unto  him  and  his  wife,  while  they  were  living  in  the  old  cabin, 
a  son  was  born.  May  15,  1869,  to  whom  they  gave  the  name  of  Charles  W. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  I7'9 

He  lived  to  young  manhood  and  then  died.  Another  son,  Alfred  G.  Dela- 
plain,  was  born  December  5,  1874.  In  March  1891,  Jerorne  W.  Delaplain 
purchased  thirty-oue  and  a  fourth  acres  of  land  near  Ida,  now  in  Brooklyn 
Park,  and  moved  from  Elm  to  lola  township  that  the  children,  Alfred  and 
the  adopted  daughter,  Nellie,  now  Mrs.  C.  D.  Eakin,  of  Gas  City,  might 
have  the  advantages  of  the  lola  schools.  There  he  resided  for  six  years, 
and  about  the  time  of  the  beginning  of  lola's  prosperity  he  sold  his  prop- 
erty at  an  advance  and,  crossing  East  street,  purchased  the  Chatfield  prop- 
erty, little  dreaming  that  .it  would  ever  be  a  part  of  the  new  city  of 
lola. 

During  the  last  three  years  of  the  great  rebellion,  J.  W. ,  E.  W.  and 
J.  B.  Delaplain  served  their  country  as  enlisted  members  of  Company  D, 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-Second  Illinois  Infantry,  which  formed  a  part 
of  the  Sixteenth  Army  Corps,  which  marched,  starved,  feasted  and  fought 
according  to  the  fortunes  of  war  and  all  the  time  loyally  promoted  the  cause 
of  the  Union.  While  a  resident  of  Elm  townphip  J.  W.  Delaplain  was  a 
worker  for  the  Republican  party,  often  serving  on  central  committees  or  fs 
a  delegate  to  the  different  conventions  of  county  or  district.  He  was  prom- 
inent in  the  school  work  of  his  district  and  altogether  has  held  rather  more 
than  man's  share  of  the  minor  offices  of  district  or  township — a  fact  which 
indicates  his  high  standing  among  his  fellowmen. 


TDARTHOIvOMEW  A.  IvONGSTRETH,  one  of  the  substantial  and 
■* — 'representative  farmers  and  early  settlers  of  Deer  Creek  township,  came 
into  Allen  County,  Kansas,  October  2,  1869,  and  became  a  permanent 
settler.  He  purchased  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  2 1 ,  township  23 , 
range  19,  one  of  the  "settled"  places,  with  log  cabin  (fit  only  for  firewood) 
in  which  he  was  glad  to  make  his  home.  L,ookiug  about  for  the  settlers 
who  were  here  then,  Adam  Maier.  David  Funkhouser,  Al  Weatherman, 
Thos.  Day  and  William  Wise  are  all  gone.  Liztown,  then  a  trading  point 
near  thr  county  line,  has  long  since  passed  out  of  existence  and  the  new 
towns  of  Colony  and  Lone  Elm  have  profited  by  its  demise. 

Settling  the  frontier  was  no  new  business  to  Mr.  Longstreth  for  he  had 
passed  some  years  in  the  wilds  of  Kansas  before  the  Civil  war  and  was 
familiar  with  the  hardships  and  trials  incident  thereto.  Upon  coming  of 
age  he  journeyed  into  Wisconsin  and  from  that  State  across  into  Leaven- 
worth County,  Kansas,  on  an  exploring  "voyage."  It  was  1857  when  he 
went  to  Leavenworth  and  an  opportunity  to  join  a  party  of  surveyors  pre- 
sented itself  and  he  accepted  it.  Kansas  was  then  being  sectionized  by  the 
governnient  and  the  party  to  whom  he  belonged  did  the  work  of  running 
off  the  lines  and  setting  the  corners  up  the  Smoky  Hill  River  almost  to  its 
head,  and  to  the  Nebraska  State  line.  D.  L-  Lakin,  of  Alabama,  had 
charge  of  this  party  and  our  subject  acted  as  chainman.  The  latter  was 
out   among   the   buffaloes   and  coyotes  from  July  to  December,  in  the  per- 


l8o  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN   AND 

formeraiice  of  his  duties,  and  communing  with  nature  in  her  homely  garb. 
In  1858-9  and  i860  Mr.  I^ougstrethwas  engaged  as  a  farm  hand  or  in  get- 
ting out  logs  and  lumber  around  Leavenworth.  Following  this  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio  and  was  married  and  engaged  in  farming.  Upon  his  return 
to  Kansas  with  his  family  he  came  by  train  to  Ottawa  where  he  provided 
himself  with  implements,  furniture  and  other  effects  necessary  to  supply  a 
cabin  and  to  cultivate  a  small  farm  and  paid  $20  to  have  it  all  freighted 
down  to  David  Funkhouser's  near  Carlyle.  He  took  possession  of  his  farm 
and  began  his  third  of  a  century  of  successful  cultivation  of  Allen  County 
soil. 

B.  A.  Longstreth  was  born  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  August  10, 
1834.  He  is  a  son  of  Philip  Longstreth,  born  in  Pennsyivania,  settled 
in  Ohio  as  a  boy  and  died  in  Muskingum  County  in  1886  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years.  His  father.  Philip  Longstreth,  went  into  Ohio  in 
the  first  years  of  the  19th  century  and  opened  a  farm  in  the  Muskingum 
valley. 

Our  subject's  mother  was  Anna  Giger,  still  living  at  eighty-seven 
years  of  age.  Her  children  are:  Bartholomew  A.;  Catharine,  wife  of  Philip 
Vance,  of  Morgan  County,  Ohio;  Daniel  Longstreth,  of  Muskingum, 
County;  Mary  Ann,  who  resides  in  Zanesville,  Ohio;  Julia,  wife  of  Mr. 
Shreir,  and  Priscilla,  wife  of  Mr.  Clager,  both  of  Muskingum  County, 
and  James  Longstreth. 

Mr.  Longstreth  acquired  little  education.  He  was  the  oldest  child 
and  he  was  looked  to  to  help  clear  the  farm.  He  applied  himself  faithfully 
in  the  aid  of  his  parents  till  his  twenty-first  year  when  he  started  on  the 
western  trip  which  brought  him  his  frontier  experience.  In  August,  1863, 
he  was  married  to  Lorena  Stoneburner,  a  daughter  of  Israel  Stoneburner 
and  Miss  Busch,  the  lattei  of  whom  crossed  the  Atlantic  from  Germany. 
Mrs.  Longstreth  was  born  in  Ohio  and  is  the  mother  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Anna,  wife  of  C.  H.  Wilson,  County  Surveyor  of  Noble  County, 
Ohio;  Laura,  wife  of  C.  E.  Walters,  of  Colony,  Kansas;  Frank;  Fred,  of 
Anderson  County,  Kansas,  who  married  Clara  Delp,  and  Delia  and  Floy 
Longstreth,  in  the  family  home. 

The  interested  searcher  for  the  political  history  of  the  Longstreths  will 
find  the  early  ones  Democrats.  B.  A.  Longstreth  espoused  that  faith  until 
his  advent  to  Kansas.  His  observation  of  matters  political,  then,  caused 
him  to  change  front  on  the  two  great  parties  and  he  has  since  voted  and 
worked  with  the  Republicans.  Mr.  Longstreth's  applied  industry  for 
nearly  a  third  of  a  century  in  Allen  County  has  brought  its  reward.  The 
raising  of  grain  and  stock  and  the  investment  of  his  surplus  in  real  estate 
has  expanded  his  acres  and  makes  him  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable stock  farms  and  feeding-grounds  on  the  creek.  His  record  as  a 
citizen  has  kept  pace  with  that  as  a  farmer.  He  enjoys  the  confidence  of  a 
wide  circle  of  friends  by  whom  he  is  regarded  as  an  honorable,  public- 
spirited  and  successful  citizen. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  l8l 

^  7i  T  11,1,1  AM.  ] .  RUMBLE,  one  of  the  well  known  farmers  and  stock 
^  "  men  of  Marmaton  township,  came  to  Allen  county  January  13, 
1882.  His  location  was  upon  section  35,  township  24,  range  20,  one  of  the 
first  class  tracts  of  land  in  Allen  county  and  of  which  he  owns  the  north- 
west quarter.  As  a  resident  of  Kansas  he  has  been  engaged  extensively  in 
the  beef  cattle  business  and  is  widely  known  as  a  feeder  and  furnisher  of 
butchers  stuff.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  proprietor  of  a  meat  market  in 
Moran,  a  business  which  he  conducted  as  an  adjunct  to  his  other  and  reg' 
ular  business  of  supplying  beef  cattle  to  butchers.  Since  his  retirement 
from  the  "block"  the  management  and  cultivation  of  this  farm  and  of  the 
north  half  of  section  10,  same  township,  have  required  much  ot  his  per- 
sonal supervision.  During  the  /ear  of  igoo  he  handled  about  500  head  of 
fat  cattle  and  as  a  feeder  his  herd  numbers  into  the  hundreds  of  head. 

Mr.  Runibel  was  born  in  Schuykill  county,  Pennsylvania,  December 
ID,  1864.  He  was  educated  in  the  country  schools,  and  learned  the 
butchers  trade  in  his  youth.  He  is  a  son  of  Joshua  Rumbel,  of  Moran, 
who  was  also  born  in  Schuylkill  county,  Pennsylvania,  April  28,  1832. 
He  is  a  grandson  of  Henry  Rumbel,  a  farmer,  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Pennsylvania.  The  latter  followed  lumbering,  farming  and  kind- 
red businesses,  and  was  successful.  He  moved  into  Schuylkill  county  at 
eleven  years  of  age  with  his  father,  Jake  or  John  Rumbel.  Henry  Rumbel 
died  in  the  county  of  Schuylkill  in  1875  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years. 
He  married  Salane  Andress  and  their  children  were:  Henry,  Rebecca, 
Daniel,  Joshua,  John  P.,  Jacob  and  Mary,  wife  of  G.  T.  Reber,  of  Berks 
county,  Pennsylvania. 

Joshua  Rumbel  grew  up  on  his  father's  Schuylkill  county  farm  and 
was  educated  in  German  in  the  countr}'  schools,  but  picked  up  an  English 
education.  He  began  life  as  a  farmer  and  lumber  manufacturer  and  con- 
ducted a  large  business  and  acquired  some  wealth.  He  disposed  of  his 
interests  in  the  east  and  came  to  Kansas  and  invested  in  lands  and  stock. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Moran  Bank  and  was  connected  with 
its  affairs  till  its  failure  in  1898. 

Joshua  Rumbel  was  married  first  in  1853  to  Louisa  Singley  who  died 
from  the  effects  of  an  injury  at  the  hands  of  the  Kansas  and  Pacific  Rail- 
road Company.  Their  children  are  Albert  H.,  of  Schuylkill  county, 
Pennsylvania;  Josiah,  of  Parsons,  Kansas;  Lawrence,  of  Schuylkill  county, 
Pennsylvania;  William  J.,  our  subject;  Mary  A.,  deceased;  Richard,  de- 
ceased, and  Emma  N. ,  wife  of  C.  R.  Richard,  of  Greensboro,  Maryland. 

William  J.  Rumbel  was  married  in  Allen  county.  Kansas,  November 
9,  1886,  to  Dessie  M.  Keith,  a  daughter  of  C.  P.  Keith.  Their  children 
are  Neta,  Vernie  and  Oliver. 

From  the  earliest  time  the  Rumbels  have  been  Democrats.  The  rare 
departure  was  when  Joshua  Rumbel  supported  Abraham  Lincoln  for 
President.  Our  subject  was  schooled  in  the  principles  of  Democracy  and 
has  kept  the  faith.  He  is  one  of  the  active  party  leaders  and  conventions 
of  the  "opposition"  without  his  presence,  are  rare  indeed. 


lS2  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

GEORGE  MANVILIyE  BROWN  was  born  in  Otsego,  New  York,  on 
the  gtli  day  of  January,  1813.  He  lived  on  a  farm  until  he  was 
thirteen  years  old.  At  that  time  his  parents  moved  out  to  the  western  part 
of  the  state  and  he  went  to  live  with  a  brother,  supporting  himself  and  at- 
tending school.  His  school  work  was  prosecuted  with  such  vigor  and 
success  that  at  the  early  age  of  seventeen  he  became  a  teacher,  an  avoca- 
tion which  he  followed  for  upwards  of  thirty  years.  In  1857  he  left  New 
York  and  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Geneva  township,  Allen  county, 
where  for  ten  years  he  farmed  the  land  now  occupied  by  Mr.  B.  O.  Miller. 
In  1 87 1  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  and  removed  to  Ida  which  has 
ever  since  been  his  home.  He  held  the  office  four  years,  and  then  after  a 
vacation  of  two  years,  he  was  again  elected  and  served  four  years  more. 
Since  retiring  form  office  the  last  time  he  has  not  been  actively  engaged  in 
business  but  has  devoted  his  time  to  managing  the  property  he  had  ac- 
quired. Mr.  Brown  was  married  at  the  age  af  twenty-two  to  Miss  Caroline 
Griswold,  deceased,  of  Bath,  New  York.  Five  children  have  sprung  from 
this  union,  of  whom  but  two,  Mrs.  D.  D.  Spicer,  of  Geneva,  and  Miss  P^lora 
Brown,  are  still  living. 

During  the  long  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  lola  and  Allen  county 
Mr.  Brown  has  had  the  unqualified  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  And 
during  the  later  years  of  his  life,  this  confidence  deepened  into  affection. 
He  was  an  hone-st  man,  who  feared  God  and  loved  his  neighbor  and  did 
his  duty;  and  he  had  his  reward  in  a  serene  and  cheerful  old  age  and  in 
the  love  of  troops  of  friends.  No  man  was  ever  more  ready  for  the  great 
change,  and  few  men  have  left  behind  them  a  more  fragrant  memory. 


T  A  7"IIyL,IAM  BUCHANAN,  among  the  representative  citizens  of  lola, 
"  ^  is  a  son  of  Irish  parents,  Robert  and  Mary  A.  (Craig)  Buchanan. 
The  latter  came  to  the  United  States  in  181 1  and  chose  Kentucky  as  their 
place  of  residence.  Bourbon  county  became  their  permanent  home  and  in 
that  municipality  he  plied  his  trade  of  coverlet  weaver.  He  went  into 
Rush  county,  Indiana,  and  took  a  "claim"  in  the  Rushville  swamps.  He 
died  at  Riddles  Mills,  Kentucky,  in  1827  at  about  forty  years  of  age.  His 
wife  died  in  Rush  county,  Indiana.  Seven  of  their  children  grew  to  be 
men  and  women,  viz:  Mary,  who  died  in  learned  Kansas,  was  the  wife  of 
Joseph  David;  John,  who  died  in  California  in  1849;  James,  who  died  at 
Garnett,  Kansas,  in  1890;  William;  Robert,  who  died,  also,  at  Garnett, 
Kansas;  Samuel,  who  died  at  Welda,  Kansas;  Jennie,  wife  of  William 
W.  Innis,  of  Rushville,  Indiana. 

William  Buchanan  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Kentucky,  in  1820. 
He  spent  the  first  seventeen  years  of  his  life  in  Kentucky  doing  farm  labor 
in  the  fields  with  the  blacks  at  twelve  and  a  half  cents  a  day.  He  got  as 
little  education,  in  a  school  house,  as  it  was  possible  for  a  boy  to  get  and 
he  was  convinced  early  in  life  that  his  hands  would  be  his  capital.     When 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  1 83 

he  went  into  the  beech  woods  of  Indiana  and  grubbed  and  chopped  in  the 
clearing  he  got  ten  dollars  a  month  for  his  labor.  By  this  means  he  man- 
aged to  get  together  an  ox  team  with  which,  in  1842,  he  crossed  the 
prairies  to  the  new  state  of  Iowa.  He  decided  to  settle  with  the  Sac  and 
Fox  Indians  at  Princeton,  in  Kishkekosh  county,  afterwards  Albia, 
Monroe  county.  This  he  did  finally  and  remained  in  that  state 
thirty  years.  Mr.  Buchanan  quit  farming  ultimately  and  engaged  in 
the  dry  goods  and  grocery  business  in  tne  same  town.  He  purchased  the 
only  flouring  mill  in  the  city  of  Albia  and  operated  it  twelve  years.  This 
period  covered  the  Civil  war  era  and  many  were  the  soldiers'  widows  and 
soldiers'  wives  who  were  the  recipients  of  his  benefactions.  He  disposed 
of  his  Iowa  interests  in  1866  and  came  to  Allen  county  the  next  year.  He 
located  in  lola  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture.  His  factory 
was  located  on  the  lot  just  north  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  he  oper- 
ated it  two  years.  He  erected  the  first  fine  house  in  the  city  of  lola  and 
was  just  prepared  to  enjoy  life  when  financial  reverses  overtook  him  and  he 
was  left  nearly  penniless.  He  started  again,  with  his  raw  steers,  renting  a 
piece  of  grub  land  on  the  river.  He  raised  his  first  crop  on  supplies  pur- 
chased on  time, — corn  one  dollar  a  bushel.  After  his  second  marriage  he 
located  on  the  tract  north  of  lola,  where  he  lived  so  long,  and  continued  to 
repair  his  financial  losses. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  married  first,  in  1842,  to  Mary  A.  Stephenson. 
She  died  in  1869  and  in  1872  he  married  Harriet  M.,  a  daughter  of  Stark 
Edwards.  The  Edwards  were  originally  from  Connecticut,  but  more  re- 
cently from  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Buchanan  was  one  of  the  early 
teachers  of  lola  and  she  died  here  in  February  1897.  Her  only  heir  is 
Don  C.  Buchanan,  one  of  lola's  young  business  men.  He  is  married  to 
Mary  E.   Dugan. 

William  Buchanaa's  first  children  are:  George,  a  soldier,  who  died  in 
1867;  Melissa,  relict  of  W.  Morgan  Hartman,  of  lola;  Jessie,  wife  of  W.  J. 
Evans,  of  lola;  Maggie,  who  married  H.  H.  Funk  and  resides  in  lola;  John 
Buchanan,  who  married  Cynthia  Zinc  and  left  a  family,  at  death,  in 
Bourbon  county,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Willian  H.  Har- 
rison. He  remained  with  the  Whigs  until  it  merged  into  the  Republican 
party  and  he  has  since  been  a  loyal  and  constant  supporter  of  it. 


"C^LIyERSIvIE  W.  TREGO— Men  who  change  business  in  middle  life  are, 
-'—'as  a  rule,  in  the  same  predicament  as  the  men  who  swapped  horses  while 
crossing  a  stream.  Rarely  do  men,  after  their  business  habits  are  formed 
and  their  success  ina  given  line  demonstrated,  change  the  course  of  their 
training  without  handicapping  themselves  or  meeting  with  serious  and 
and  positive  reverses.  Especielly  is  this  true  where  the  successful  farmer 
deserts  his  post  and  embarks   in   the   mercantile   business.     EUerslie  W. 


1 84  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Trego  was  a  successful  farmer  in  Ailen  County  for  many  years.  When 
anything  was  accomplished  on  the  farm  in  his  county  he  deserved  credit 
fur  a  part  of  it.  His  industry  and  tenacity  overcame  difiSculties  that  would 
have  defeated  a  less  determined  soul  and  as  the  years  went  by  he  found 
himself  climbing  steadily  up  the  ladder  of  success.  But  he  was  not  doing 
as  well  as  he  wished.  He  was  ambitious  to  accomplish  more  and  in  a 
different  line.  In  his  case  "old  man  well  enough"  was  not  good  enough 
and  his  old  quality  of  determination  prompted  him  to  change  his  business. 
There  seemed  an  opening  in  Humboldt  for  a  hardware  business,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  two  already  established  there.  Merchandising  is  directly  oppo- 
site in  business  principles  to  that  of  farming  and  this  few  farmers  readily 
realize.  Mr.  Trego  must  have  discovered  this  for  his  entrance  upon  it  was 
signaled  with  success  from  the  start.  He  purchased  the  small  stock  of  C 
h-  Rice  who  was  doing  a  fair  business  with  a  new  stock,  and  engaged  in 
business  in  December,  1898.  To  the  surprise  of  his  farmer  friends  Mr. 
Trego  attracted  business.  Each  quarter  showed  an  increase  over  the  pre- 
ceding one  and  each  year  a  greater  volume  of  business  than  the  one  before. 
It  was  soon  discovered  that  E.  W.  Trego  was  not  only  a  successful  farmer 
but  that  he  was  a  successful  merchant  as  well.  He  even  surpassed,  in 
substantial  earnings,  his  achievements  upon  the  farm,  maintaining  the 
same  good  credit  and  the  same  business  integrity  that  characterized  him  as 
a  farmer. 

E.  W.  Trego  was  born  in  Bucks  County.  Pennsylvania,  July  4,  1861. 
He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  Albert  Trego  who  came  to  Allen  County  in  1878 
and  settled  upon  a  farm  in  Salem  township.  The  family  started  to  Kansas 
from  Mercer  County,  Illinois,  but  set  out  for  the  west  from  Bucks  County, 
Pennsylvania.  For  many  years  the  Tregos  were  identified  with  the 
Keystone  State,  lycwis  Trego,  our  subjecs's  grandfather,  being  born 
therein. 

Dr.  Albert  Trego  was  born  in  1826.  He  was  liberally  educated,  prac- 
ticed medicine  from  his  farm  in  Allen  County  and  died  June  6,  1893.  He 
was  a  man  of  good  address,  with  an  intellect  well  balanced  and  well  in- 
farmed  and  was  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Allen  County.  He  was  an 
active  Republican  for  many  years  and  his  name  was  mentioned  in 
connection  with  the  nomination  for  the  State  L,egislature  He  married 
Mary  Etta  Linton,  who  survives  him.  Their  six  children  were:  Ellerslie  W. , 
Albert,  of  Leadville,  Colorado;  Anna,  wife  of  Mahlon  Trego,  of  Harvey 
County,  Kansas,  and  Mrs.  Minnie  Kirk,  of  Bucks  County,  Pennsylyania, 
surviving.     Two  are  deceased. 

E.  W.  Trego  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  His  life,  until  his 
entry  into  the  mercantile  business,  was  entirely  rural,  where  he  learned 
and  practiced  the  principles  of  industry.  He  conducted  the  farm  operations 
in  Salem  township  twenty  years  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Humboldt  to 
be  near  his  business.  He  was  married  July  19,  1885,  to  Mary  E-  Yeager, 
daughter  of  Champ  C.  Yeager,  of  Allen  County,  whose  ancestors  were  iden- 
tified with  Shelby  County,  Kentucky,  but  were  originally  from  Madison 
County,  Virginia.     Mrs.  Trego  was  a  successful  teacher   in   Allen    County 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  1 85 

many  years  and  was  one  of  a  family  of  three  surviving  children.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Trego's  children  are:  Willis  A.,  Edward  C,  Homer,  Linton  L.  and 
Elma. 

As  a  citizen  of  Allen  County  Ellerslie  Trego  is  one  of  the  best.  He 
inherited  a  desire  to  be  in  politics  and  he  has  permitted  no  opportunity  to 
pass  for  its  gratification.  Until  the  reform  wave  swept  over  Kansas  he  was 
a  Republican,  as  staunch  as  the  most  unyielding,  but  his  opinions  on  pub- 
lic questions  changed  in  1891  and  he  joined  forces  with  the  Peoples  party. 
He  was  elected  trustee  of  his  township  four  times  and  was  the  nominee  for 
County  Clerk  on  the  Populist  ticket  in  1893  and  made  the  race  against 
James  Wakefield.  He  has  been  one  of  the  chief  advisors  of  his  party,  in 
county  matters,  during  many  campaigns. 


JOHN  MANBECK — Pennsylvania  has  furnished  Allen  and  other  coun- 
ties of  Kansas  with  many  sturdy  and  industrious  citizens  whose  efforts 
have  added  much  toward  the  development  of  the  State  and  in  few  instances, 
in  Allen  County,  has  such  citizenship  been  more  conspicuously  apparent 
than  in  that  of  John  Manbeck,  of  Marmaton  township.  It  is  scarce  twenty 
years  since  he  settled  his  f«<mily  upon  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  9, 
town  25,  range  20,  then  a  piece  of  unbroken  prairie,  and  now  his  is  one  of 
the  attractive,  homelike  and  productive  farms  in  the  county.  Mr.  Man- 
beck  was  not  enjoying  a  great  degree  of  financial  independence  when  he 
came  to  Kansas  and  he  paid  the  railroad  for  his  land  in  installments.  At  a 
time  when  he  was  nearing  the  plane  of  independence  and  was  well  ahead 
of  his  pursuers  in  the  race  of  life,  fire  destroyed  his  bam  and  contents  and 
struck  him  a  paralizing  blow.  His  horses,  mules  and  his  swine  have 
thrived  to  aid  him  in  retrieving  these  losses  and  he  has  replaced  the  build- 
ings with  larger  ones  than  before. 

Mr.  Manbeck  was  born  in  Schuylkill  County,  Pennsylvania,  March 
13.  1855.  His  father,  Enoch  Manbeck,  was  a  thrifty  and  successful  farm- 
er, born  in  the  same  county  in  1820  and  died  there  in  1896.  The  latter 
was  a  .soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  in  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  while  his  son, 
Lucien,  saw  much  hard  service  in  the  campaign  around  Richmond,  was  at 
the  blowing-up  of  the  Petersburg  mine  and,  being  captured,  was  impris- 
oned at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina.  Enoch  Manbeck  was  the  great-grand- 
son of  an  Irishman  who  settled  in  Pennsylvania  among  the  Germans  and 
lost  thereby  the  identity  of  his  nationality. 

Enoch  Manbeck  married  Harriet  Straus,  who  still  survives.  Their 
children  were:  Lucien  Manbeck,  of  Pennsylvania;  Emma,  wife  of  Franz 
Seltzer,  of  Pennsylvania;  William  Manbeck,  of  the  home  county;  Charles, 
deceased;  John  Manbeck;  Barbara,  wife  of  Samuel  Miller;  James,  deceased; 
Mary,  wife  of  George  Horn  and  Ida,  who  married  George  Seidle,  of 
Schuylkill  County. 

John    Manbeck   worked    with  ihis   father   till   his  majority.     He  was 


1 86  HISTORY  OF   ALLEN  ANIT 

placed  on  a  monthly  salary  then  for  a  year  at  ten  and  fifteen  dollars  a 
month  and  the  second  year  he  rented  land  and  did  his  own  managing.  He 
farmed  on  "the  halves"  three  years  and  was  then  induced  to  visit  the  west. 
He  was  so  impressed  with  the  situation  in  Allen  County,  Kansas,  that  he 
bought  his  land  and  moved  his  family  hither  soon  thereafter. 

Mr.  Manbeck  was  niaried  in  1876  to  Mary  Dreibeldeis,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  Dreibeldeis.  The  Dreibeldeis  chiMren  are:  Charles,  Frank  and 
Irwin  Dreibeldeis,  of  Marion  County,  Iowa,  Tessie,  wife  of  William  Irvin, 
of  Moran,  and  Aaron  Dreibeldeis,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Manbeck's  children  are:  Gertie,  wife  of  Charles  Collins,, 
of  Kimball,  Kansas;  and  Neda,  Annie,  Ida,  Clara,  Dora,  Edward,  William, 
Charles  and  John  Manbeck  Jr. 

For  many  years  have  the  Manbecks  been  identified  with  the  Evangeli- 
cal church.  Our  subject  is  a  steward  and  is  treasurer  of  the  Golden  Yalley 
congregation.  He  is  a  Republican  and  a  pronounced  enemy  of  the  doc- 
trines of  modern  Democracy. 


JOHIST  H.  ARMEL — 'It  is  surprising  what  an  active  part  young  men  play  in 
the  business  affairs  of  a  community,  and  among  the  leading  representa- 
tives of  commercial  interests  in  Humboldt  is  John  H.  Armel,  who 
was  born  in  Aurora,  Indiana,  on  the  third  of  January,  1864  His  father, 
Daniel  Armel,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  when  a  young  man  re- 
moved to  the  Hoosier  State  where  he  became  acquainted  with  and  married 
Miss  Keturah  Hare.  In  1864  they  i-emoved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where 
the  father  became  connected  with  the  porkpacking  industry,  continuing  in 
that  business  until  1872,  when  he  came  to  Kansas  and  purchased  a  large 
tract  of  land  southwest  of  Humboldt.  In  1877  he  removed  his  family  to 
this  State,  located  on  his  farm  and  engaged  in  the  stock  business,  raising 
and  shipping  cattle  and  other  stock.  That  enterprise  continued  to  claim 
his  time  and  attention  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death.  He 
passed  away  on  the  9th  of  January,  1893,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years, 
but  his  widow  is  still  living  in  Humboldt  at  the  age  of  sixty-six. 

John  H  Armel  spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  in  the  State  of 
his  nativity  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Kansas. 
He  assisted  his  father  in  business  and  after  the  latter's  death  assumed  the 
management  of  the  business.  In  1895  he  removed  to  Humboldt,  where  he 
began  dealing  in  real  estate  in  connection  with  the  stock  business  and  to 
the  dual  pursuit  he  now  devotes  his  energy,  managing  both  with  ability. 
In  1894  ^r.  Armel  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Georgia  Amos,  a 
daughter  of  G.  A.  Amos,  of  Humboldt.  Their  marriage  has  been  blessed 
with  three  children:  Robert,  Nat  and  Dorothy.  Throughout  the  years  of 
his  manhood  Mr.  Armel  has  been  connected  with  business  affairs  in  Allen 
County  and  his  capable  management  and  keen  discernment  have  placed 
him  in  an  enviable  position  in  commercial  circles. 


"WOODSON   COUNTIBS,  KANSAS.  187 

JOEL  MOORE  O'BRIEN— The  spirit  of  self-help  is  the  source  of  all 
genuine  worth  in  the  iiidvidual  and  is  the  means  of  bringing  to  man 
success  when  he  has  no  advantages  of  wealth  or  influenee  to  aid  him.  It 
illustrates  what  is  possible  to  accomplish  when  perseverance  and  determina- 
tion form  the  keynote  to  a  man's  life.  Depending  upon  his  own  resources, 
looking  for  no  outside  aid  or  support,  J.  M.  O'Brien  has  risen  from  a  posi' 
tion  of  comparative  obscurity  to  a  place  of  prominence  in  the  commercial 
•world,  and  as  proprietor  of  a  leading  mercantile  establishment  in  Hum- 
boldt he  is  widely  and  favorably  known. 

He  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Allen  County,  his  birth 
having  occurred  on  a  farm  two  miles  north  of  Humboldt,  on  the  loth  of 
November,  1872.  There  he  spent  his  boyhood  days,  working  in  the  fields, 
the  meadows  or  the  garden.  His  education  was  acquired  in  tne  common 
schools  and  in  the  high  school  at  Chanute,  and  from  the  latter  institution 
he  was  graduated.  He  also  attended  Baker  University,  a  two  years 
course  in  commercial  business,  after  which  he  gained  a  certificate  with  the 
signature  of  President  Quayle  attached.  Going  to  Chanute  he  obtained  a 
clerkship  in  a  grocery  store  and  there  put  to  the  practical  test  the  knowledge 
which  he  had  gained.  He  afterward  accepted  a  position  as  a  traveling 
salesman  and  when  he  'had  saved  up  five  hundred  dollars  he  began  business 
on  his  own  account,  purchasing  a  small  stock  of  groceries.  From  the 
beginning  his  trade  steadily  and  constantly  increased.  His  kind  and  oblig- 
ing manner  and  his  honorable  dealing  won  him  a  liberal  support  and  his 
increasing  trade  forced  him  to  secure  larger  quarters  and  increase  his  facili- 
ties. He  began  business  in  Humboldt  in  1897  ^^^  is  now  housed  in  a  large 
store  building,  with  a  stock  valued  at' three  thousand  dollars.  In  1899  his 
sales  amounted  to  five  times  his  stock  and  in  1900  to  seven  times  that  amount. 
His  success  is  due  to  the  fact  that  he  has  ever  been  most  diligent  and  enter- 
prising; that  he  has  always  secured  the  benefit  of  the  discount  on  bills, 
never  allowing  them  to  mature;  and  that  a  most  straightforward  business 
policy  has  been  followed  by  him. 

He  has  served  as  superintendent  of  the  M.  E.  Sabbath  school  five 
years  and  is  connected  with  the  church  as  treasurer  and  trustee.  He  was 
president  of  the  Fraternal  Aid  Association  two  years. 


/CHARLES  C,  THOMPSON  has  passed  his  thirty-two  years  in  Allen 
^^  County.  He  settled  in  Marmaton  township,  before  it  was  estalished 
and  he  has  grown  old  in  the  citizen  .service  in  a  State  that  has  been  both  a 
surprise  and  a  disappointment.  He  came  to  the  county  March  3,  1869,  and 
found  three  dead  claims  which  he  proceeded  to  contest  the  title  for.  '  He 
re-entered  them  and  some  years  after  it  was  thought  his  title  was  surely 
coming  to  him  he  was  notified  that  the  Government  had  cancelled  his 
claim,    with   other   lands,  in  favor  of  the  Gulf  Railway  Company.     It  was 


tSS  HISTORY   OF"  ALLEN   AND 

some  years  before  he  got  this  matter  reversed  and  the  land  again  subject  to 
homestead  entry  and  it  was  done  through  an  act  of  Congress.  The  Kansas 
delegation  in  Congress  at  that  time  was  of  so  little  importance  that  it  could 
not  even  get  the  attention  of  that  body  long  enough  to  present  a  grievance 
of  this  character  and  matters  looked  desperate  for  a  time.  Finally  Con- 
gressman Dick  Yates,  of  Illinois,  introduced  a  bill  explaining  the  situation 
and  asking  for  the  reinstatement  of  the  claims  of  actual  settlers  and  it  was 
done  without  delay.  This  action  confirmed  the  belief  that  Mr.  Thomp- 
son would  receive  patents  for  his  land  and  he  did  without  much  further 
delay. 

Mr.  Thompson  left  Marion  County.  Ohio,  December  8,  1868,  for  Kan- 
sas. He  ran  into  Pleasant  Hill,  Missouri,  by  rail  and  remained  there  till 
spring.  He  purchased  an  ox  team  for  $150.00  and  started  out  in  Febru- 
ary, through  the  mud,  for  Allen  County,  and  reached  here  as  above  stated 
after  many  trying  and  vivid  circumstances.  He  had  a  supply  of  funds  to 
sustain  him  through  the  first  season  and,  as  it  happened,  he  got  a  crop. 
His  faith  in  Kansas  became  more  and  more  firmly  established  as  each  suc- 
ceeding year  yielded  its  abundance  and  there  was  little  to  mar  the  family 
happiness  and  comfort  till  the  "bug  year"  of  1874.  With  this  exception 
there  has  been  a  constant  era  of  material  improvement  in  onr  subject's  con- 
dition since  his  advent  to  the  State.  He  owns  one  of  the  good  farms  in 
Marmaton  township,  containing  160  acres  and  situated  in  section  10,  town 
25,  range  21,  and  an  80  acres  in  section  4. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  November  2,  1840. 
His  father,  Edward  Thompson,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1802  and,  in  1812, 
went  into  Kentucky  with  his  parents.  The  family  came  north  into  Ohio 
some  years  afterward  and  six  miles  east  of  Springfield,  that  State,  Thos. 
Thompson,  our  subject's  grandfather,  is  buried.  The  latter's  children 
were;  John,  Edward,  Madison,  who  died  near  I^odi,  Illinois;  Thomas; 
Nancy,  who  married  James  Nephews;  and  Sarah,  wife  of  Josiah  Olcott. 

Edward  Thompson  married  Ellen  Foose  and  both  are  buried  in  Ohio. 
Seven  of  their  nine  children  grew  up,  viz. :  Jane,  wife  of  S.  H.  King,  re- 
sides in  Marion  County,  Ohio;  Isabel,  who  died  in  1899,  was  the  wife  of 
Benjamin  Sharpless;  Thomas,  died  in  1899;  Sarah  E. ,  married  Paul  Sharp- 
less,  of  Huron  County,  Ohio;  Edward,  in  Arappahoe  County,  Colorado; 
Ann,  wife  of  John  Duffy,  of  Kenton,  Ohio,  and  Charles  C.  of  this 
sketch. 

Charles  C.  Thompson  was  reared  amid  rural  surroundings  and  ac- 
quired very  little  school  training.  He  was  married  in  Marion  County, 
Ohio,  March  14,  1865,  to  Matilda  Messenger,  a  daughter  of  Orrin  Messen- 
ger. The  children  of  this  union  are:  Minnie,  who  died  in  1880,  Edith, 
wife  of  Dan  Hoadley,  has  a  son,  Harry  Hoadley;  Homer;  Evaline,  Edwin  and 
Orrin  all  died  of  diphtheria  in  1880;  Charles,  Wayne,  Edna  and  Sarah. 
Homer  Thompson  lives  in  Marmaton  township,  Allen  County,  and  has  two 
children.  Bertha  and  Percy  Thompson. 

In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Thompson  enlisted  in  Company  H,  4th  Ohio  in- 
fantry,   three   months   service.     He    was  discharged  for  disability  but  was 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  1 89 

again    under   arras   as   a  member  of  the  State  militia  and  was  called  out  in 
the  defense  of  Cincinnati  from  Confederate  invasion. 

In  politics  the  old  line  of  Thompsons  were  Clay  Whigs.  Chas.  C. 
Thompson  was  a  Republican  till  the  Peoples  Party  movement  came  along. 
He  had  discovered  a  line  of  proceedure  in  the  practices  of  the  old  party 
which  did  not  seem  to  him  just  and  proper  toward  the  masses  of  the  people 
and  he  cast  his  political  fortunes  with  the  new  party. 


NELSON  J.  SHIVELY,  of  Marmaton  township,  is  one  of  Allen  Coun- 
ty's progressive  and  prosperous  farmers.  He  settled  here  in  1882 
and  was  an  emigrant  from  Marshall  County,  Indiana.  He  was  born  in 
Elkhart  County,  Indiana,  January  16,  1853.  His  father,  Isaac  Shively,  of 
Osage  township,  Allen  County,  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1830  and  went 
into  Elkhart  County,  Indiana,  in  early  life.  He  married  Catharine 
Leer,  who  died  in  Allen  County,  Kansas,  in  1886  at  the  age  of  fifty-one 
years.  Their  children  are:  Nelson  J.;  Fernandes,  deceased;  Amos,  of 
Osage  township;  Edward;  Charles  and  Alice  Shively  of  Elreno,  Ok- 
lahoma. 

Our  subject  began  life  at  about  eighteen  years  of  age  as  a  farmer  and 
has  continued  it  since  with  varying  degrees  of  success.  He  was  induced 
to  come  west  by  the  heralding  cry  of  "cheap  lands"  and  in  1882  he  brought 
his  small  amount  of  resources  into  Allen  County  and  made  a  payment  on 
his  first  eighty  acres  of  land,  in  Osage  township.  He  exchanged  this  for 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  20,  town  24,  range  21  and  took  on  a  debt 
of  sixteen  hundred  dollars.  This  he  has  succeeded  in  liquidating  and 
has  purchased  an  additional  eighty  acres  and  has  the  whole  clear  of  in- 
cumbrance. 

Mr.  Shively  was  married  in  Marshall  County,  Indiana,  February  6, 
1879,  to  Ella  Caldwell,  a  daughter  of  Archibald  Caldwell,  who  went  into 
the  Hoosler  State  from  Virginia.  Mrs.  Shively  died  February  13,  1899, 
leaving  five  children:  Grace  A,,  Opal,  Alice,  Carl  and  Harry. 

Mr.  Shively  is  one  of  the  leading  and  active  Republicans  of  Allen 
County.  He  frequents  county  conventions  of  his  party  and  can  be  de- 
pended upon  not  only  to  support  the  whole  ticket  but  to  work  for  its 
success  at  the  polls.  He  is  identified  with  the  Osage  Valley  Baptist 
church.  ^ 


T^R.  GEORGE  B.  LAMBETH,  of  Moran,  Allen  county,  can  justly  and 
-' — '  rightfully  be  regarded  as  a  pioneer  Kansan.  All  but  seven  years  of 
his  life  have  been  spent  in  and  all  he  is  and  all  he  possesses  are  of  Kansas. 
He  was  born  in  Bolivar,  Tennessee,  July  22,  1855,  and  the  next  year  his 


1 90 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


father  migrated  to  Bentonville,  Arkansas,  from  which  point,  owing  to  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  he  fled  north  ward  and  settled  in  Bourbon 
county,  Kansas.  Allison  G.  Lambeth,  our  subject's  father,  volunteered 
his  services  to  General  Blunt,  as  a  scout,  and  aided  in  piloting  that  officer 
into  northern  territory.  The  General's  army  was  raised  and  made  up  of 
loyal  men  of  that  region,  largely,  and  Mr.  Lambeth's  family  accompanied 
it  out  of  the  Confederacy. 

The  late  A.  G.  I^ambeth  was  born  in  Randolph  county.  North  Caro- 
lina, in  1828.  His  ancestors  have  resided  in  the  United  States  since  early 
in  the  nineteenth  century  and  are  of  English  origin.  Mr.  Lambeth  was  a 
highly  educated  and  cultured  gentleman  and  was,  in  early  life,  a  professor 
of  languages  in  Emery  and  Henry  College  in  Virginia.  The  last  years  of 
his  active  life  were  spent  on  the  farm  in  Bourbon  county  and  he  died  in 
Moran  August  4,  1899. 

Dr.  Lambeth's  mother,  nee  Sarah  J.  Williams,  still  survives.  She 
was  born  at  LaGrange,  Tennessee,  in  1830,  and  is  of  English  stock.  Her 
children  are:  Mrs.  Jennie  Mulley,  of  Fort  Scctt,  Kansas;  Dr.  G.  B. 
Lambeth;  Henry  W.  Lambeth,  a  prominent  farmer  and  Trustee  of  Marma- 
ton  township,  Allen  county;  Hugh  N.  Lambeth,  near  Blackwell,  Okla- 
homa, and  J.  Braxton  Lambeth,  of  Allen  county. 

Dr.  Lambeth  was  a  student  in  the  district  schools  of  Bourbon  county 
in  his  youth.  He  was  a  farmer  till  he  passed  his  majority,  when  he 
selected  medicine  as  a  profession.  He  read  with  Dr.  A.  L-  Fulton,  now  a 
prominent  surgeon  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  did  some  practice  even 
before  he  finished  his  three  years'  reading.  He  entered  the  St.  Louis 
Medical  College  in  1876  and  spent  four  years  there.  The  year  1888-9  he 
attended  the  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  Medical  College  and  finished  its  course 
to  graduation. 

Dr.  Lambeth  located  in  Moran  and  opened  an  office  in  1 884.  He 
took  rank  early  as  a  successful  practitioner  and,  with  the  lapse  of  time,  his 
practice  has  extended  to  all  the  country,  for  miles  around  Moran,  and  with 
it  his  reputation  as  a  genial  and  pleasant  gentleman. 

Dr.  Lambeth  was  married  in  Bourbon  county,  Kansas,  Jnly  2,  1884,  to 
Mary  G.  Tennyson,  a  daughter  of  the  pioneer  Rev.  Rutherford  Tennyson. 
The  latter  was  born  January  10,  1804,  and  died  in  1872.  He  came  into 
Kansas  from  Tennessee  and  was  married  to  Mary  T.  Robinson.  Their 
children  are:  Wesley  Tennyson,  a  prominent  and  successful  farmer  near 
Uniontown,  Kansas;  Levi  Tennyson,  of  Prairie  Lee,  Texas;  Mrs.  S.  B. 
Holt,  of  Bourbon  county,  Kans<is;  Mrs.  I.  I.  Brown,  of  Ozark,  Missouri, 
and  Mrs.  Lambeth.  Mr.  Tennyson  came  to  Kansas  in  1855  and  his  family 
was  one  of  the  most  widely  known  and  honorable  in  Bourbon  county. 

The  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lambeth's  children  are:  George  S.,  Alfred  T., 
Phyllis  J.,  Hugh  W.  and  Esther. 

Allison  G.  Lambeth,  politically,  allied  himself  first  with  the  Whigs 
and  then  the  Republicans  but  his  last  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  the 
candidate  of  the  Chicago  platform  of  1896.  Dr.  Lambeth  first  trained  with 
the  Republicans.     In  1884,  when  modern  Democracy  first  triumphed,    he 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  19 ^ 

voted  the  Democratic  ticket  and  has  espoused  that  cause  since.  He 
was  appointed  a  pension  examiner  for  Allen  county  and  served  through 
Cleveland's  second  administration,  and,  for  twelve  years,  he  has  been  local 
surgeon  for  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company. 


DOUGLAS  ARNETT,  of  lola,  father  of  the  lola  Telephone  Company 
and  one  of  Allen  county's  pioneers,  came  to  lola  in  the  fall  of  i860. 
He  was  then  a  child  of  two  years  and  was,  then,  the  youngest  member  of 
his  father's  family.  James  B.  Arnett,  his  father,  began  his  westward 
migration  from  Pike  county,  Illinois,  a  few  years  before  the  Civil  war,  and 
went  to  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas,  In  this  city  our  subject  was  born  Novem- 
ber 21,  1858.  Being  a  man  of  the  North  the  near  approach  of  hostilities 
between  the  two  opposing  sections  of  our  country  caused  him  to  return  to 
the  object  of  his  sympathies  hence,  his  advent  to  Kansas.  J.  B.  Arnett 
was  born  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  November  8,  1834,  and  was  essentially  a 
farmer  until  his  removal  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  country  where  the  stock 
business  has  engaged  his  attention. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  "Doug"  Arnett  was  John  B.  Arnett,  who 
died  in  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas.  His  native  state  was  probably  Virginia. 
He  emigrated  westward  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  early  in  the  history  of 
that  state  and  in  1858  took  up  his  residence  at  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas.  Of 
his  ten  children  James  B.  Arnett  was  the  tenth.  The  latter  married,  in 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  Mary  A.,  a  daughter  of  William  Mitchell.  Mrs. 
Arnett  died  in  lola  in  September  1863,  leaving  an  only  child,  J.  Douglass 
Arnett.  J.  B.  Arnett  married  for  his  second  wife  Hattie  Barton.  Their 
children  are:  Carrie,  wife  of  William  Mason,  of  Walla  Walla,  Washing- 
ton; Ella,  who  married  Jesse  Brown  and  resides  in  Arizona,  and  Adda,  wife 
of  John  Whitlow,  of  Arizona. 

Doug.  Arnett  has  carved  out  his  own  destiny.  He  has  taken  care  of 
himself  since  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  was  small  of  his  age,  and 
fond  of  horses,  and  for  a  livelihood  he  rode  races  at  the  fairs  and  old  settlers  ■ 
will  remember  the  two  familiar  faces  who  jockied  the  steeds  at  Allen 
county's  first  fairs,  viz:  Doug.  Arnett  and  Rice  Todd.  Whatever  came  in 
Doug's  way  to  do  whereby  he  could  turn  a  dollar  legitimately  he  took  ad- 
vantage of.  While  he  worked  he  schemed  and  between  the  two  he  found 
it  not  a  difiicult  matter,  this  bread-winning  contest.  At  twenty-one  years 
of  age  he  married — made  the  only  mistake  of  his  life — and  moved  onto  a 
farm  in  Linn  county,  Kansas.  This  vocation  was  too  slow  and  plodding 
for  his  makeup  and  he  returned  to  his  old  home  and  engaged  in  the  dray 
business.  Arnett's  dray  was  about  the  first  regular  one  on  the  streets  of 
lola.  It  was  only  an  ordinary  affair,  for  the  business  didn't  justify  any 
other,  and  he  did  the  driving,  loading  and  collecting  all  himself  and  was 
not  at  all  busy.  He  engaged  in  the  livery  and  bus  business,  later,  and 
followed  the  two  with  some  profit  about  fifteen  months.     He  then  took  the 


192  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

agency  for  the  Standard  Oil  Compan/  at  lola  and  expanded  their  business 
in  Alien  and  adjoining  counties  for  nine  years.  Before  severing  his  rela- 
tions with  the  Standard  people  he  had  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  a 
telephone  system  in  lola  and  had  actuallv  installed  the  plant  in  1898.  He 
secured  the  franchise  for  the  company  in  1897  and  started  his  exchange  in 
his  residence,  on  West  Madison  avenue,  with  forth-three  'phones.  The 
grocery  of  C.  M.  Richards  was  the  only  patron  in  that  line  of  business  when 
he  first  started  but  the  rapidity  with  which  all  the  merchants  got  into  line 
was  remarkable.  The  business  of  the  companay  grew  so  rapidly  that  the 
domestic  quarters  were  soon  found  to  be  too  cramped  and  the  exchange 
was  moved  into  the  Apple  building  on  South  Washington.  It  has  now 
two  bundled  and  fifty  working  'phones  and  is  keeping  pace  with  the 
growth  and  extension  of  the  city.  In  1900  Harmon  Hobart  purchased  a 
half  interest  in  the  system  and  the  two  partners  constitute  a  worthy  and 
popular  company. 

Mr.  Arnett  married  his  second  wife,  Lillie  McKinley,  in  October  1897. 
Her  father,  J.  B.  McKinley,  came  from  Pennsylvania  to  Kansas  before  the 
war  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  Ninth  Kansas. 

Our  subject  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  Pythian  Knight  and  a  Rebekah.  His 
belief  in  woodcraft  has  led  him  to  join  that  order,  also. 

Doug  Arnett  has  been  one  of  lola's  tenacious  citizens.  His  efforts 
have  always  been  rewarded  here  and  aside  from  this  fact  he  has  always  felt 
an  interest  in  the  city  and  her  people.  While  he  is  in  business  for  profit 
his  earnings  are  not  all  devoted  to  his  own  use.  He  regards  money  only 
for  the  good  that  it  will  do,  and,  while  he  is  not  prodigal  in  his  expendi- 
tures, any  enterprise  promising  good  for  lola  receives  his  substantial 
support. 

SAMUEL,  H.  EVANS,  a  traveling  salesman  residing  in  Pleasanton,  is 
numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Kansas.  He  was  born  April  12, 
1861,  the  second  son  of  the  late  honored  pioneei,  John  M.  Evans,  of  Allen 
county.  Reared  in  Geneva  and  lola,  he  secured  a  common  school  educa- 
tion and  then  began  work  at  herding  cattle  on  the  prairies  near  Geneva. 
After  the  family  removed  from  that  place  to  lola  he  secured  a  clerkship, 
which  was  his  first  experience  as  a  salesman  and  gave  him  the  foundation 
knowledge  and  training  which  now  fits  him  for  his  present  business  duties. 
When  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad  was  being  builded  through  Allen 
county  he  worked  with  its  surveyor  on  construction  work,  and  later  he  Was 
for  a  time  with  the  firm  of  O.  P.  Northrup  &  Company,  of  lola.  Subse- 
quently he  secured  a  situation  as  manager  of  a  store  in  Bronson,  Kansas, 
and  afterward  filled  similar  positions  in  Blue  Mound,  Kansas.  Eventually 
in  1888  he  accepted  his  present  position  as  traveling  salesman  with  the 
Ridenour  Baker  Grocery  Company,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  is  now 
upon  the  road,  being  one  of  the  trusted  and  capable  representatives  of  that 
house. 

In  March,  1884,  Mr.  Evans  was  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice   being 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  193 

Miss  Carrie  Ellis,  of  lola,  a  daughter  of  Seaman  T.  Ellis,  who  now  resides 
in  Oklahoma.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  the  following 
children:  Brett  M. ,  Bruce  E.,  Harry  D.,  Margaret  and  Melvin,  twins, 
and  Robley  D.  They  also  lost  twin  daughters,  Ruth  and  Rena,  who  died 
in  infancy.  Mr.  Evans,  whom  everyone  knows  as  "Harry,"  has  become 
popular  with  many  of  the  patrons  of  the  house  which  he  represents  and  also 
has  many  friends  in  the  city  of  his  residence.  His  manner  is  genial, 
courteous  and  kindly, — qualities  which  always  win  regard. 


"^^  T'lI.LIAM  F.  YOUNG,  of  Moian,  Allen  County,  was  born  in  Darke 
^^  County,  Ohio,  on  the  yth  of  January,  1856.  His  father,  Elias 
Young,  was  born  in  Maryland,  April  9,  1811,  andmarried  Sophia  Edwards, 
a  native  of  Ohio.  When  a  young  man  he  learned  the  plasterer's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  several  years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  milling 
business  but  followed  farming  many  years  previous  to  his  removal  to  Kan- 
sas, in  1870.  He  located  on  a  farm  in  Osage  township,  Allen  County, 
three  miles  north  of  Moran,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  February,  1900,  when  he  was  eighty-nine  years  of  age.  His 
wife  still  sirrvives  him  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  and  is  living  on 
the  old  homestead.  They  had  five  children,  namely:  Martha,  wife  of 
Theodore  Wright;  L,eanida,  wife  of  W.  C.  Carter;  Rebecca,  wife  of  W.  D. 
Young;  and  Martin  A. ,  who  is  living  with  his  mother  on  the  old  hom;- 
.stead,  while  W.  F.  is  the  youngest  of  the  family. 

Mr.  Young,  of  this  sketch,  spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  in 
the  State  of  his  nativity  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  to  Kansas.  He 
remained  with  his  father  until  eighteen  years  of  age  and  then  went  to  Fort 
Scott  to  complete  his  education  in  the  high  school.  He  also  attended  the 
high  school  at  lola  and  the  academy  at  Geneva,  Kansas,  working  on  the 
farm  by  the  month  in  the  summer  and,  after  completing  his  own  mental 
training,  teaching  school  in  the  winter.  He  followed  that  profession  about 
three  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to  lyas  Animas,  Colo- 
rado, where  he  was  engaged  with  a  hardware,  lumber  and  furniture  firm 
for  two  years.  Returning  to  Kansas  he  began  business  for  himself  in 
Moran  as  a  dealer  in  groceries,  feed  and  coal,  carrying  on  that  enterprise 
for  nine  or  ten  years.  Since  that  time  he  has  engaged  in  the  real  estate, 
insurance  and  loan  business,  and  now  handles  much  valuable  property  and 
writes  a  large  amount  of  insurance  annually. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1886,  Mr.  Young  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Mary  Rucker,  a  native  of  Indiana,  who  came  to  Kansas  with  her 
parents.  They  have  two  children,  I,ouis,  a  bright  little  daughter  born 
Janua).-y  9.  1887,  and  Russell,  born  February  i,  1890.  In  his  political 
affiliations  Mr.  Young  is  a  Republican  and  socially  he  is  connected  with 
Moran  Lodge,  No.  459,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  and  with  the  Knights  and  Ivadies  of 
Security.     He   and   his   wife    have   worked  hard  to  secure  a  good  home  of 


194 


HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 


their  own  and  are  now  comfortably  situated,  being  able  to  enjoy  many  of 
the  luxuries  of  life.  Without  the  aid  of  capital  or  influential  friends  he 
started  out  upon  his  business  career  and  has  steadily  worked  his  way  up- 
ward through  determined  and  earnest  purpose  until  now  he  occupies  a 
creditable  position  among  the  honorable  business  men  of  his  adopted  county. 


JOHN  R.  ANDERSON,  one  of  the  large  cattle  dealers  of  Allen  and 
Bourbon  counties  and  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Love  &  Ensminger,  is 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Kansas.  In  April  1856  his  father  brought  the 
family  to  Bourbon  county  and  took  up  land  in  Franklin  township.  He 
was  from  Green  county,  Missouri,  but  was  originally  from  L,ee  count v, 
Virginia.  In  the  latter  place  our  subject  was  born  October  4,  1839.  His 
father,  Charles  Anderson  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1807  and  died  in 
Bourbon  county,  Kansas,  in  1863.  The  family  left  Virginia  in  1853  and 
made  the  trip  to  Missouri  with  a  yoke  of  oxen,  being  two  months  on  the 
road. 

The  original  Anderson,  and  the  one  who  established  the  family  in 
America,  was  John  Anderson,  an  Irishman  and  a  blacksmith.  His  burial 
place  is  unknown  but  his  wife  is  buried  at  Xenia,   Kansas. 

Charles  Anderson  married  Anna  Hester  who  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one  years.  Her  children  are:  Mary,  widow  of  T.  L.  Charles,  of 
learned,  Kansas;  William  C,  of  Xenia,  Kansas;  Catherine,  deceased,  mar- 
ried Mr.  Adkinson;  John  R.;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  A.  Williams,  of  Xenia, 
Kansas,  and  Letitia,  deceased,  who  married  J.  F.  Davis. 

Our  subject  was  seventeen  3»ears  old  when  he  came  to  Kansas.  He 
aided  his  father  in  opening  a  new  farm  and  herded  and  drove  cattle  for 
several  years.  He  took  a  claim  himself  when  he  reached  the  required  age 
and  was  interested  in  its  initial  development  and  improvement  when  the 
war  broke  out.  He  enlisted  first  October  10.  1861,  in  Company  I,  Third 
Kansas  Cavalry  and  was  transferred  to  the  Sixth  Kansas.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  of  the  latter  regiment  in  September  1862,  and,  a  year  later,  re- 
enlisted  in  the  Fourteenth  Kansas.  During  his  first  enlistment  Mr.  Ander- 
son fought  bushwhackers  in  Missouri  and  the  Indian  Territory.  While 
with  the  Fourteenth  he  was  in  the  battle  at  Prairie  DuChene,  Arkansas, 
the  chief  one  in  which  he  participated.  He  was  mustered  out  of  service 
in  June  1865  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Kansas.  His  history  for  thirty- 
five  years  can  be  told  in  a  few  words.  His  early  training  led  him  into  the 
stock  business  soon  after  the  war  and  for  many  years  nothing  else  has 
claimed  his  attention.  When  the  firm  of  which  he  is  a  member  was  formed 
he  was  chosen  for  the  active  management  of  its  affairs.  So  extensive  has 
been  its  operations  and  so  closel}!^  has  Mr.  Anderson  been  confined  to  duty 
that  the  strain  is  telling  upon  him  and  the  year  1901  will  close  his  connec- 
tion with  the  business  and  he  will  rest. 

In  politics  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Democrat.     He  became  a  follower  of  the 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  -  195 

faith  when  it  required  courage  to  be  a  Democrat,  but  he  outrode  the  storm 
and  has  seen  his  party  in  full  control  of  National  affairs  since  the  war. 
His  first  presidential  vote  he.cast  for  Douglas  and  he  cast  his  second  vote 
for  Mr.  Lincoln  because  he  did  not  think  it  a  good  plan  "to  swap  horses  in 
the  middle  of  a  stream."  He  has  been  County  Commissioner,  a  position 
he  filled  with  ability  and  credit. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  first  married  in  Bourbon  county  in  1866.  His  wife 
was  Louisa  Williams.  She  died  in  1889  with  twelve  children  surviving: 
Marsh  D.;  Elsie,  widow  of  George  Johnson;  Allen  T.,  of  Nebraska;  Robert 
and  Cannon  D.,  of  Bourbon  county;  Warren,  of  Nebraska;  Ralph  and 
Ronald  B.,  of  Bronson,  and  Alma  Lean  and  Grover  C.  Anderson.  In  1890 
Mr.  Anderson  was  married  to  Lizzie  Campbell,  his  present  wife. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Workman,  a  Mason,  an  Eastern  Star,  a  member  of 
the  order  of  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security  and  of  the  G.  A.  R.  post  at 
Bronson. 


MICHAEL  F.  KERN,  of  Humboldt  township,  Allen  county,  was  born 
in  the  province  of  Wurtetnberg,  Germany,  July  2,  1833.  He  was  a 
son  of  John  Adam  Kern,  who  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1859  and 
settled  in  the  state  of  Michigan.  In  Washtenaw  county  his 
parents  died,  the  mother  in  1869  and  the  father  ten  years  later.  Eight 
children  were  born  to  tbis  worthy  couple,  four  of  whom  survive,  viz:  Lena, 
who  married  Carl  Haddock  and  resides  in  Lawrence,  Kansas;  Catherine, 
wife  of  Andrew  Reule,  of  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan;  John  M.  and  Michael 
F.  Kern. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  resided  five  years  in  Michigan  and  then  set 
out  for  the  frontier.  He  came  down  into  Allen  county  during  the  war  and 
preempted  the  land  upon  which  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  acquainted 
with  the  methods  of  successful  farming  and  began  at  once  to  devote  him- 
self thereto.  The  improvement  of  his  premises  also  received  his  attention 
and  in  his  thirty-five  years  of  citizenship  he  has  expanded  and  developed 
materially  to  the  extent  of  a  substantially  improved,  high-cultivate  J  and 
exceedingly  productive  two  hundred  and  forty  acre  farm. 

As  a  feeder  and  grower  of  cattle  and  other  marketable  stock  Mr.  Kern 
is  well  known  in  southern  Allen  county.  For  many  years  his  farm  has 
furnished  a  market  for  much  surplus  grain  of  the  community  and  his  ex- 
tensive interests  demand  the  employment  of  labor  throughout  the  year. 
His  home  presents  the  appearance  of  neatness  and  cleanliness.  Everything 
has  its  proper  place  and,  when  not  in  use,  is  found  in  its  place.  He 
planned  his  improvements  for  convenience  and  the  arrangement  of  his 
barns,  sheds  and  fences  indicate  the  perfection  he  attained. 

Michael  F.  Kern  was  married  in  October  1865  to  Sarah  W.  Schmidt, 
whose  father,  Henry  Schmidt,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany.  Mrs. 
Kern  was  born  in  Lafayette  county,  Missouri. 

During  the  war  Mr.  Kern  belonged  to  the  state  militia,  doing  guard 


ig6  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN   AND 

duty  along  the  border,  and  upon  several  occasions  was  called  into  the  field 
to  drive  out  the.  invading  rebels  and  bushwhackers.  In  politics  he  has 
been  without  aspirations.  While  he  has  been  interested  in  all  political 
controversies  it  has  been  the  interest  of  a  citizen  and  not  of  a  candidate. 
He  affiliates  with  the  Republicans  and  is  regarded  in  some  measure  as  a 
controlling'  influence  in  local  elections. 


CARLOS  P.  KEITH,  of  Moran,  whose  advent  to  Allen  county  num- 
bers him  with  the  pioneers  of  Marmaton  township,  made  settlement 
upon  the  broad  prairie  on  section  30,  township  24,  range  21,  then  within 
the  municipal  boundaries  of  Osage  township.  October  24,  1868,  was  the 
day  he  drew  up  to  his  future  abiding  place  and  the  dwelling  he  moved  into 
was  one  of  his  own  construction  and  measured  16x24  feet,  one  story,  a  com- 
modious and  inviting  structure  at  that  time. 

Mr.  Keith  came  to  Kansas  from  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  Huron 
county,  Ohio,  December  2,  1837,  and  in  the  spring  of  1854  went  into  Ogle 
county  Illinois,  from  whence  he  came  to  Kansas.  He  is  a  son  of  Carlos 
Keith  who  was  born  November  13,  1797,  at  Barnard,  Vermont.  The  latter 
accompanied  his  parents  into  Ohio  at  a  very  early  date  and  was  there  mar- 
ried April  22,  1824,  to  Elvira,  a  daughter  of  Munson  Pond,  born  in  Bridge- 
port, Vermont,  October  5,  1806.  The  Keiths  are  among  the  original 
Americans.  They  are  descended  from  Scotch  ancestors  who  settled  in 
New  England  and  whose  posterity  aided  in  the  establishment  of  inde- 
pendence in  our  country.  The  Ponds  also  possess  this  military  distinction 
for  Munson  Pond  was  of  that  band  of  patriots  who  marched  from  Lexington 
to  Yorktown  in  the  days  of  "seventy-six. "  Carlos  Keith  was  a  soldier  of 
the  war  of  18 12.  In  civil  life  he  devoted  his  energies  to  the  farm.  He 
followed  his  son  to  Kansas  and  died  in  lola  December  21,  1872.  April  4, 
1870,  his  wife  died.     Of  their  children  Carlos  P.  is  the  fourth  child. 

Our  subject  had  fair  opportunities  as  a  boy.  His  father  operated  a 
grist-mill  on  the  head  waters  of  Huron  River,  in  addition  to  his  farm,  and 
in  this  Carlos  Keith  spent  some  of  his  early  life.  He  was  educated,  liber- 
ally tor  his  day,  in  the  country  schools  and  did  not  separate  from  the 
parental  home  till  he  was  married*.  Until  his  semi-retirement  from  the 
farm  his  was  a  life  of  persistent  and  continued  activity.  The  farm  and  its 
auxiliary  enterprises  have  received  his  greatest  care  and  most  strenuous 
efforts. 

December  24,  i860,  Mr.  Keith  was  married  to  Lucena  Shoemaker,  a 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Shoemaker,  from  Perry,  New  York,  a  blacksmith 
and  farmer.  The  surviving  children  of  this  union  are:  Dessie,  wife  of 
William  J.  Rumbel  of  Moran;  Harold  E.,  one  of  the  young  farmers  of 
Marmaton  township,  and  Miss  Mabel  C.  Keith,  a  teacher  in  the  Moran 
schools. 

The  year  1868  would  seem  not  to  have  been   an   opportune   time   for 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  197 

settlers  without  means  to  enter  a  new  country.  The  necessities  of  life  were 
almost  beyond  the  reach  of  the  poor  and  life  in  those  families  could  be 
sustained  by  the  most  ceaseless  and  interminable  labors.  Corn  was  worth 
two  dollars  a  bushel,  kerosene  seventy-five  cents  a  gallon,  flour  six  dollars 
a  hundred,  poor  hay  nine  dollars  a  ton  and  such  a  luxury  as  calico  was 
almost  too  high  to  indulge  in.  Mr.  Keith  was  one  of  the  poor  settlers. 
His  inventory,  upon  his  arrival  in  Allen  county,  included  a  team  and 
wagon,  a  few  dollars  and  a  wife  and  three  children.  While  engaged  in  the 
initial  steps  in  the  improvement  of  his  own  farm  he  earned  the  wherewith 
to  buy  supplies  for  his  family  by  aiding  other  old  settlers  in  doing  theirs. 
He  was  not  particular  as  to  the  kind  of  work,  nor  as  to  the  price,  but  both 
were  generally  to  his  liking.  As  time  went  on  his  claim  took  on  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  home  and  when,  in  late  years,  he  erected  his  substantial  and 
permanent  buildings  the  whole  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- six  acres 
presented  an  appearance  unexcelled  on  the  Fort  Scott  road.*  In  1892,  after 
a  residence  of  twenty-four  years,  Mr.  Keith  left  the  farm  to  the  care  of  his 
son,  Harold  E. ,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Moran.  Here,  on  November 
22,  1900,  Mrs.  Keith  died,  suddenly.  She  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  and  was  a  loyal  companion  of  a  worthy  husband  for 
nearly  forty  years. 

In  politics  C.  P.  Keith  is  a  Republican.  His  first  presidential  vote 
was  for  Lincoln  and  he  has  continued  in  the  faith  of  the  fathers  till  the 
present.  He  afiiliates  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  is  regarded  wher- 
ever known,  as  a  gentleman  of  truth,  character  and  patriotism. 


T  AMES  WILSON — To  say  that  a  man  is  self  made  indicates  in  a  few 
*-'  words  a  career  of  usefulness  and  activity,  and  it  suggests  a  youth  in 
which  few  privileges  have  been  enjoyed  and  a  manhood  of  active  effort  in 
which  the  trials  and  obstacles  of  life  have  been  overcome  by  determined 
purpose.  Such  indeed  has  been  the  career  of  James  Wilson,  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  of  the  county,  his  home  being  in  Logan  township. 

He  was  born  at  Deerfield,  Portage  County,  Ohio,  February  3,  1841. 
His  father,  James  Wilson,  was  a  native  of  Dover  County,  Pennsylvania, 
and  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Donahue,  a  native  of  Ireland  ,who  came  to 
America  during  her  early  girlhood  The  father  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  as  a  life  work,  and  died  September  21,  1880,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight  years.  His  wife  passed  away  in  1863  at  the  age  of  forty-four.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely: 
Mary  Ann,  the  wife  of  Robert  McClure,  of  Ohio;  Jesse,  who  is  living  in 
Allen  County;  James;  Mrs.  Margaret  Turner,  of  New  Falls,  Ohio;  Andrew, 
who  is  living  in  Minnesota,  and  Leanna  Wilson,  of  Ravenna,  Ohio.  Those 
who  have  passed  away  are  Ellen  J.  and  William.  The  latter  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  regular  army  and  was  killed  by  the  Indians  in  Dakota,  in  1866, 
Mr.  Wilson  of  this  review  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of   his   life    in 


igS  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    ANT> 

the  State  of  Illinois  where  he  secured  work  as  a  farm  hand,  having  gained 
practical  experience  in  the  fields  by  assisting  his  father  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  old  home  place.  He  was  thus  employed  until  the  Civil  war  broke 
out  when  in  June,  1861,  he  enlisted  for  three  yoars'  service  as  a  member 
of  Company  D,  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  infantry,  being  honorably  discharged 
in  September,  1864.  He  participated  in  many  of  the  most  sanguinary  en- 
gagements of  that  struggle,  including  the  battles  of  Missionary  Ridge, 
Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Kennesaw  mountain  and  Peach  Tree  creek. 
He  went  to  Knoxville  with  Sherman  to  relieve  Burnsides,  and  again 
joined  the  main  army  at  Resaca  preparatory  to  entering  upon  the  Atlanta 
campaign.  When  the  troops  reached  Atlanta  the  term  of  service  of  his 
regiment  had  expired  and  with  his  comrades  he  was  sent  home  to  be  dis- 
charged. He  was  exceptionally  fortunate  in  his  military  experiences,  being 
never  wounded  ,or  captured  throughout  the  three  years  of  his  association 
with  the  boys  in  blue  upon  the  battlefields  of  the  South. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Wilson  went  to  Ohio  and  visited  his  parents,  and 
then  returned  to  Illinois.  The  year  of  1869  witnessed  his  arrival  in  this 
State  where  he  secured  a  homestead  claim  of  eighty  acres  upon  which  he 
has  since  resided,  although  its  boundaries  have  been  many  times  extended 
by  additional  purchases  until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  seven  hundred  and 
forty-nine  acres  of  land.  He  grazes  his  cattle  on  the  fine  pastures  of  his 
own  domain  and  he  has  ample  sheds  which  shelter  grain  and  stock.  He 
has  one  of  the  finest  farms  of  the  county  and  is  pleasantly  1  jcated  five  miles 
west  of  Humboldt.  He  carries  on  his  farming  pursuits  on  an  extensive 
scale  and  is  feeding  about  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  hogs  each  year. 
He  has  been  very  successful  in  the  raising  of  cattle,  and  his  large  opera- 
tions along  this  line  have  enabled  him  to  not  only  utilize  as  feed  all  of  the 
crops  which  he  raises  but  also  to  furnish  a  good  market  to  his  neighbors, 
buying  from  them  much  of  their  corn. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  married  on  the  4th  of  January,  1880,  to  Miss  Sarah  A. 
Berger,  a  daughter  of  Darius  and  Elizabeth  (White)  Berger,  natives  of 
Virginia  and  Indiana  respectively,  the  former  born  March  21,  181 2,  and  the 
latter  on  the  ist  of  January,  1816.  The  mother  died  in  Iowa  on  the  i6th 
of  August,  1872,  and  soon  after  the  father  removed  to  Butler  County,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  died  on  the  12th  of  March,  1878.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children:  Mrs.  Mary  I^ytle,  who  is  living  in  Toronto;  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Richey,  of  Augusta,  Kansas;  Rebecca,  wife  of  Robert  Musgrave,  of  Hum- 
boldt. The  deceased  are:  Charlotte,  wife  of  W.  J.  King;  Dr.  J.  Berger; 
Martha,  wife  of  John  King,  and  Daniel  Berger  who  died  in  the  army. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  have  been  born  three  children:  Willie  J.,  born 
May  28.  1 88 1,  died  in  March,  1901;  Florence  L.,  born  July  1,  1884  and 
Mary,  born  October  7,  1888. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Republican  and  has  served  as  treasurer  of  his  town- 
ship, but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  the  honors  and  emoluments  of 
public  ofiice.  He  is  a  member  of  Vicksburg  Post,  No.  72,  G.  A.  R. ,  and 
thus  maintains  a  pleasant  relationship  with  his  old  comrades  who  wore  the 
blue  when  the  perpetuity  of   the   Union   was   endangered.     He  is  surely  a 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  199 

self  made  man  and  as  the  architect  of  his  prosperity  he  has  builded  wisely 
and  well.  His  business  ability  is  widely  recognized  and  has  insured  him  a 
very  creditable  position  in  financial  circles,  while  his  honorable  course  has 
commanded  the  respect,  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men. 


STARLING  D.  BRANDENBURG— For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  has  Starling  D.  Brandenburg  tilled  the  soil  and  reaped  the 
meadows  of  Allen  County.  He  moved  into  a  board  shanty  on  practically 
a  raw  piece  of  land  in  section  i6,  township  25,  range  21.  on  the  i8th  of 
October,  1872,  and  began  the  initial  iwork  of  developing  a  farm.  How 
well  he  has  succeeded  will  be  seen  when  it  is  stated  that  his  farm  is  bound- 
ed by  half  section  lines  and  its  improvements  exceed  those  of  many  of  the 
largest  farms  in  Allen  County. 

Mr.  Brandenburg  came  to  Kansas  from  Tipton  County,  Indiana.  He 
was  born  in  Union  County,  Indiana,  Nov.  5,  1840,  and  passed  some  of  his 
early  years  in  Wayne  County.  His  father  was  John  Brandenburg,  born 
near  Baltimore,  Maryland,  March  22,  1809.  In  1830  he  came  west  and 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  Philomath,  Union  County,  Indiana.  He 
removed,  some  years  later,  to  Wayne  County  and  died  near  Centerville, 
November  6.   1861. 

The  Brandenburgs  of  this  branch  were  introduced  into  the  United 
States  by  William  H.  Brandenburg  who  was  born  near  Berlin,  Germany, 
emigrated  to  the  new  world  and  settled  near  Baltimore  about  1780.  In 
1801  he  moved  westward  to  Warren  County,  Ohio,  and  died  near  Lebanon 
in  1805. 

The  mother  of  S.  DeWain  Bradenburg  was  Elizabeth  Kidwell.  Her 
father,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Kidwell,  was  a  Welchman  and  the  original 
Universalist  preacher  of  his  district  in  Indiana.  He  issued  three  publica- 
tions devoted  to  the  propagation  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Universalist  church , 
one  at  Philomath,  one  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  one  at  Terre  Hatite,  Indi- 
ana. The  children  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Brandenburg  were:  Ann,  wife  of 
James  Chapman,  of  Winchester,  Indiana;  Sarah  J.,  of  Chanute,  Kansas; 
Emily,  wife  of  Aaron  Jones,  of  Chanute,  Kansas;  Starling  D.,and  Rebecca, 
who  married  James  Jones,  and  resides  in  Neosho  County,  Kansas. 

Our  subject  received  only  a  country  school  training  in  the  woods  of 
Indiana.  When  the  family  home  was  broken  up  by  the  death  of  the  father 
the  son  married  and  started  life  for  himself.  A  pony  and  a  sleigh,  the 
resources  of  his  days  of  frolic  and  courtship,  were  the  sum  total  of  his 
property  with  which  to  begin  business.  In  the  ten  years  which  elapsed 
from  his  marriage  to  his  advent  to  Kansas  he  had  accumulated  eight  hun- 
dred dollars.  With  this  and  with  his  abundant  energy  he  has  maintained 
a  steady  increase  from  year  to  year.  His  large,  room/^  and  handsome  resi- 
dence, which  he  erected  in  1898,  his  barns  and  his  orchard  and  his  pens  of 


200  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN   AND 

Stock  testify  to  the  manner  in  which  he  has  disposed  of  his  time  the  past 
twenty-eight  years. 

January  i,  i852,  Mr.  Brandenburg  was  married  in  Wayne  County, 
Indiana,  to  Nancy  Helms,  a  daughter  of  James  Helms,  who,  with  a  son, 
served  through  the  Civil  war.  James  Helms  married  a  Clevenger,  for  his 
first  wife  and  five  of  their  children  survive.  By  a  second  marriage  three 
resulted.  Isaiah  Helms,  of  Bronson;  I,acina  Recknor,  of  Allen  County; 
Samuel  Helms,  of  Allen  County,  and  Susan  Laws,  of  Calaway  County, 
Missouri,  are  some  of  these  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brandenburg's  children  are:  Melvin  F.,  of  Allen  Coun- 
ty; William  L. ;  Emma  L,. ,  wife  of  John  Tillery,  of  Allen  County; 
Myrtle  I.  and  Ivy  May  Brandenburg. 

The  Brandenburgs  were  Democrats  in  politics,  at  all  times,  till  the 
Peoples  party  was  organized  in  1892  at  which  time  our  subject  espoused 
their  cause  and  has  since  acted  with  it. 


TV  /TRS.  NANCY  E  FISHER  is  one  of  the  wealthy  residents  of  Allen 
-'-^-'-  county  and  is  numbered  among  its  pioneer  citizens,  having  come  to 
this  portion  of  the  state  at  an  early  period  in  its  upbuilding.  She  was  born 
in  Franklin  county,  Illinois,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1840,  a  daughter  of 
Aaron  Ne^l,  a  native  of  Virginia.  Her  father  was  born  April  28,  181 1, 
and  in  an  early  day  he  removed  to  Illinois  in  company  with  his  parents, 
finding  the  Prairie  state  almost  one  vast  undeveloped  tract  of  land.  The 
city  of  Chicago,  whose  growth  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  miracles  of  the  age, 
was  then  undreamed  of.  Fort  Dearborn  standing  on  its  site  as  a  protection 
against  the  Indians  for  the  few  white  settlers  who  resided  in  that  section  of 
the  country.  Mr.  Neal  was  reared  upon  the  frontier  amid  the  wild  scenes 
of  pioneer  life,  and  after  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  married  Elizabeth 
Clamppett,  who  was  of  Irish  lineage.  He  was  the  owner  of  a  horse  and  a 
sled  and  with  them  he  hauled  his  few  household  effects  to  his  little  cabin 
on  the  frontier.  He  and  his  bride  began  their  domestic  life  in  true  pioneer 
style.  He  was  a  very  industrious  and  energetic  man,  and  before  his  death 
had  accumulated  ten  thousand  dollars,  which  was  considered  a  handsome 
competence  in  those  days,  and  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  rich  men  of 
his  neighborhood.  He  died  in  the  prime  of  life,  passing  away  in  1855,  at 
the  age  of  forty-four  years.  His  wife  lived  to  the  age  of  sixty  and  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  in  1875. 

This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  of  whom  two  died 
in  early  life.  The  others  were  Moses,  who  is  well  known  throughout  Kan- 
sas and  is  a  leading  politician  of  the  west,  his  home  being  now  in  Okla- 
homa; Mrs.  Fannie  Whiteside;  Thomas  J.,  who  died  in  1862;  John  A.,  who 
resides  in  Missouri;  Mrs.  Fisher;  William,  also  a  resident  of  Oklahoma; 
Mrs.  Sarah  Todd,  deceased,  and  Robert,  of  Washington. 

Nancy  E.  Neal,   the  fifth  of  the  family,  spent  the  days  of  her  girlhood 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  20I 

in  the  state  of  her  nativity,  and  pursued,  her  education  in  one  of  the  old- 
time,  log  school  houses,  conning -her  lessons  while  sitting  upon  a  rude 
bench  without  a  back  or  a  desk.  When  a  young  lady  of  twenty  years  she 
came  to  Kansas  to  visit  her  brother  Moses,  who  was  then  living  in  I^eaven- 
worth,  and  while  there  she  became  acquainted  with  Paul  Fisher,  a  young 
man  who  had  removed  from  Texas  to  Allen  county,  Kansas.  They  were 
married  in  1862.  A  married  life  of  thirty-five  years  was  vouchsafed  to 
them,  Mr.  Fisher  taking  his  bride  to  his  farm,  three  miles  west  of 
Humboldt. 

Mr.  Fisher  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  removed  from  that  state  to  Texas, 
whence  he  came  to  Kansas.  For  seven  years  he  and  his  wife  resided  upon 
one  farm,  after  which  they  spent  three  years  in  Humboldt.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  Mr.  Fisher  purchased  a  farm  a  mile  from  the  town, 
on  the  river  bottom,  and  for  twelve  years  it  was  their  place  of  abode,  after 
which  they  again  became  residents  of  Humboldt,  occupying  one  of  the 
finest  dwellings  in  the  place.  Mr.  Fisher  was  a  man  of  marked  diligence 
and  executive  ability  and  his  indefatigable  labor,  guided  by  sound  judg- 
ment, enabled  him  to  acquire  very  extensive  realty  holdings,  so  that  he  left 
to  his  family  a  handsome  estate.  He  died  on  the  30th  of  December,  1897, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  and  thus  the  community  lost  one  of  its 
reliable  and  valued  citizens,  and  his  neighbors  a  faithful  friend. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  were  born  six  children,  but  three  died  in 
early  childhood.  The  others  are  Katie,  the  wife  of  O.  H.  Stewart,  presi- 
dent of  the  State  Bank  of  Parsons,  Kansas;  Maggie,  wife  of  li.  P.  Stover, 
County  Surveyoi  of  Allen  county;  and  Nannie,  the  wife  of  A.  F.  McCarty, 
of  Humboldt. 

Mrs.  Fisher  has  always  been  a  very  energetic  woman,  and  since  her 
husband's  death  has  given  evidence  of  the  possession  of  superior  business 
and  executive  qualifications.  She  has  very  important  business  affairs, 
superintended  by  Mr.  A.  F.  McCarty,  and  her  efforts  are  attended  with 
prosperity.  After  the  estate-was  divided  each  of  the  daughters  had  one 
thousand  acres  of  land  while  there  remained  to  Mrs.  Fisher,  in  addition  to 
her  large  farming  interests,  considerable  business  property  in  Humboldt 
and  Tola  and  her  beautiful  residence  in  Humboldt.  She  is  one  of  the  old- 
est residents  of  Allen  county  in  years  of  continuous  connection  with  this 
portion  of  the  state,  for  she  has  lived  here  through  thirty-nine  years.  She 
has  therefore  witnessed  almost  the  entire  development  and  upbuilding  of 
southeastern  Kansas  for  at  the  time  of  her  arrival  the  homes  were  widely 
scattered  and  Indians  were  frequently  seen  in  the  neighborhood.  Great 
changes  have  since  been  wrought,  and  as  the  population  has  increased  the 
circle  of  Mrs.  Fisher's  acquaintances  and  friends  has  been  continually  en- 
larged. She  enjoys  the  warm  regard  of  many  with  whom  she  has  come  in 
contact,  and  .well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume  among  Allen 
county's  leading  citizens. 


202  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

LUCIUS  B.  KINNE,  Moran's  efficient  post  master  and  for  many  years 
a  leading  merchant  of  that  city,  is  among  the  substantial  and  sterling 
citizens  of  Allen  county.  It  is  almost  a  score  of  years  since  he  came 
amongst  the  people  of  Moran  and  since  that  September  day  in  1881  when 
he  became  an  inhabitant  of  the  town  his  life  has  been  one  even  and 
straightforward  career,  devoted  not  only  to  his  private  needs  but  to  the 
public  interests,  as  well.  He  established  a  drug  and  grocery  store  in 
Moran  when  that  village  was  in  its  infancy  and  became  at  once  one  of  the 
central  figures  in  the  development  and  growth  of  one  of  the  business  centers 
'of  Allen  county. 

By  training  Mr.  Kinne  is  a  western  man,  but  a  native  of  the  east.  He 
was  born  in  Livingston  county,  New  York,  August  5,  1850.  He  was 
trained  a  merchant,  for  his  father,  Elias  G.  Kinne,  passed  a  lifetime  mer- 
chandising. In  1851  the  latter  moved  his  family  to  Van  Buren  county, 
Michigan,  and  resided  in  Paw  Paw  many  years.  In  1882  he  died  in  Kala- 
mazoo county.  He  was  born  in  the  same  county  in  New  York  as  our 
subject,  in  1815,  and  was  a  public  spirited  man  and  much  interested  in 
public  affairs.  He  was  a  useful  and  honorable  citizen  and  while  his  maiden 
vote  was  cast  with  the  Democrats  the  issues  of  the  war  changed  his  opinions 
and  he  was  ever  afterward  a  Republican. 

The  Kinne  name  was  imported  into  New  York  from  Ireland  by  Lyman 
Kinne,  our  subject's  grandiather.  He  accompanied  his  children  from  New 
York  to  Michigan  and  died  at  Albion  in  1864  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 
He  was  the  father  of  two  sons,  Allison  and  Elias  Kinne,  and  of  the  follow- 
ing daughters:  Clarissa,  who  married  Jonathan  Rogers;  Hannah,  who 
married  Elisha  Goodrich;  Phebe,  wife  of  E.  J.  House,  and  Mary,  who  be- 
came Mrs.  Jedediah  Holmes. 

Elias  G.  Kinne  married  Amanda  Alvord,  a  daughter  of  Phinneas  and 
Rachel  (Lemon)  Alvord.  Their  two  children  were  sons:  Lucius  B.  and 
Frank  E.  Kinne,  deceased.  Lucius  B.  Kinne  grew  up  at  Paw  Paw,  Mich- 
igan, and  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  Among  his  first 
efforts  were  those  of  a  farmer,  first  as  hired  man  and  .second  as  a  tenant. 
He  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  druggist  in  Texas,  Michigan,  for  a  time 
and  upon  coming  to  Allen  county  he  put  in  the  first  stock  of  drugs  in 
Moran. 

Mr.  Kinne  was  early  recognized  as  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  of 
correct  business  principles.  In  spite  of  the  opposition  and  of  jealousy  en- 
gendered because  of  success,  he  prospered  and  maintained  his  commercial 
standing  unimpaired.  This  record,  together  with  his  known  integrity  had 
much  to  do  with  securing  his  appointment  as  receiver  of  the  Moran  Bank 
in  1898.  His  political  activity  and  his  intense  loyalty  to  Republicanism 
and  to  McKinley,  especially,  placed  him  in  line  for  the  appointment  as 
post  master  and  in  June  1897  he  succeeded  Charles  Mendell  as  chief  of  the 
Moran   post   office.     For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Republican 


/3 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  203 

County  Central  Committee  and  the  direction  of  matters  political  for  Marma- 
ton  township  has  been  left  to  the  care  of  him  and  his  advisors. 

February  15,  1876,  Mr.  Kinne  was  married  in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan, 
to  Esther,  a  daughter  of  John  S.  Harrison,  of  the  line  of  the  first  Benjamin 
Harrison,  of  Virginia.  Mr.  and  Mis.  Kinue's  children  are:  Clare  B.,  born 
October  7,  1877,  is  a  registered  pharmacist  and  looks  after  the  drug  depart- 
ment of  the  store;  L,ulu,  born  April  23,  1881;  Bessie,  born  June  22,  1885, 
and  Verle,  born  June  17,  1890. 

In  reviewinsi  the  life  of  a  citizen  for  this  work  it  is  only  possible  to 
touch  upon  the  chief  events  therein  and  to  impress  posterity  with  the  domi- 
nant elements  of  his  mental  makeup.  It  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Kinne  was 
a  son  of  respected  and  honorable  parents  and  that  industry  was  his  capital 
from  early  manhood.  His  accumulations  have  come  by  dint  of  toil  and 
prudent  management  and  his  reputation  established  by  right  living  and 
right  conduct  toward  his  fellow  man. 


HIRAM  M.  BURTIS — In  New  York  the  Burtis  family  has  taken  root 
and  in  the  years  which  have  followed  since  the  original  one  landed 
in  this  country  the  family  name  has  spread  over  the  west.  Piatt  V.  Burtis, 
one  of  this  numerous  family,  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Freeman.  Two 
children  were  the  result  of  this  union,  Hiram  M.  Burtis,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  born  in  Saratoga  County,  New  York,  August  8,  1848,  and  Margaret 
A.  Cowles,  now  living  in  Harper  County,  Kansas.  Piatt  Burtis  was  one  of 
the  largest  business  men  of  his  section  of  the  State.  His  grandfather  had 
been  a  large  slave  owner,  but  becoming  convinced  that  slavery  was  wrong 
manumitted  his  slaves  and  allowed  those  who  wished  to  to  remain  on  his 
land  until  they  accumulated  enough  to  get  a  start  in  life.  Piatt  Burtis 
embarked  in  the  carrying  trade  of  the  canals  and  soon  owned  a  large  num- 
ber of  vessels  which  did  a  part  of  the  carrying  trade  of  the  Erie  canal.  The 
panic  coming  on  he  was  crippled  seriously  and,  after  paying  all  his  obliga- 
tions, suspended  business  and  with  the  remnants  of  his  once  ample  fortune 
turned  his  face  toward  the  west,  settling  in  Illinois  on  a  farm.  The  busi- 
ness reverses  through  which  he  had  gone  undermined  his  health  and  he 
was  forced  to  turn  over  his  property  to  his  son.  The  wreck  of  his  health 
found  him  also  completely  wrecked  in  fortune  and  the  only  heritage  he  was 
able  to  give  his  son  was  a  good  constitution  and  a  debt.  Young  Hiram. 
Burtis  was  not  daunted  by  the  prospects  before  him.  He  went  to  work 
with  manly  vigor  to  pay  his  father's  debts  and  redeem  the  name.  He 
went  to  woik  in  Kankakee  County,  at  once  farming  and  stock  raising  and 
after  some  years  disposed  of  his  effects  and  moved  to  Ottawa,  Illinois, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business.  Three  years  afterward,  in 
1880,  he  sold  out  the  business  and  moved  to  Hastings,  Nebraska.  Here 
he  lived  but  a  short  time  and  then  came  to  Kansas,  purchasing  farms  four 
miles   southeast   of   lola.     He   lived  here  but  two  years  when  he  moved  to 


204 


HISTORY   OF   ALLEN    AND 


Humboldt  and  again  engaged  in  the  implement  and  real  estate  business. 
In  this  business  he  was  fairly  prosperous  and  built  up  a  good  trade.  In 
1 892  he  disposed  of  his  implement  stock  and  entered  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness and  in  this  he  is  still  engaged.  Mr.  Burtis  has  been  a  successful 
business  man  and  although  starting  in  life  with  the  burden  of  debt  he  has 
succeeded  in  accumulating  enough  of  the  world's  goods  to  place  him  in  easy 
circumstances. 

January  26,  1869,  Mr.  Burtis  was  married  to  Miss  Helen  E.  Snyder,  a 
native  of  Illinois.  Mrs.  Snyder's  father  lives  with  them  and  is  hale  and 
hearty  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-three.  To  them  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren: Maggie  A.,  wife  of  A.  F.  Fish;  Chauncey  H.,  married  Irene  Moore; 
Edith  Maud,  wife  of  S.  S,  Jackson,  and  Walter. 

Mr.  Burtis  is  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Aid  Society.  Politically  he 
is  a  Republican. 


FREDERICK  W.  FREVERT — One  of  the  successful  business  men  of 
Humboldt  is  Frederick  W.  Frevert,  whose  father  is  Frederick  Fre- 
vert,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Woodson  County,  Kansas,  whose  history  ap- 
pears herein. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  child  and  was  born  in  lyce  County,  Illinois, 
March  20,  1857.  A  year  after  his  birth  his  parents  removed  to  Kansas, 
settling  in  Wooason  County.  Mr.  Frevert  grew  up  on  the  farm  and  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age.  At  this  date 
he  went  to  Humboldt  and  secured  a  position  with  the  well  known  merch- 
ant, Moses  Neal,  in  his  dry  goods  store,  working  two  months  for  his  board, 
when  he  was  given  a  small  salarj-.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Neal  six 
months  when  he  secured  a  position  as  deputy  postmaster  under  Mrs.  Ella 
Kimball,  and  remained  in  the  office  during  her  term  of  office.  Afterward 
he  secured  a  clerkship  of  B.  S.  Smith  with  whom  he  remained  for  two  years. 
He  then  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  Wedin  in  the  grocery  business  and 
the  firm  existed  about  two  and  a  half  years,  being  dissolved  by  the  retire- 
ment  of  Mr.  Wedin.     Mr.  Frevert  has  since  conducted  the  business  alone. 

Mr.  Frevert  was  married  in  the  fall  of  1888  to  Mrs.  Ella  Kimball, 
under  whom  he  had  served  for  six  years  as  deputy  postmaster.  Mrs. 
Kimball  is  a  daughter  of  E.  C.  Amsden,  of  one  the  early  sheriffs  of  Allen 
County.     Two  children  have  been  born  to   them,    Frederick   and    Robert. 

Politically  Mr.  Frevert  is  a  Dsmocrat,  but  further  than  casting  his 
ballot  he  has  never  taken  any  part  in  politics, 


TTONORABI.E  EDWARD  D.  LACEY,  of  Marmaton  township,  ex- 
-*-  -*-  Representative  to  the  State  Legislature  and  ex-County  Commission- 
er has   been   a   citizen   of  Allen  County  more  than  twenty-one  years.     He 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  205 

came  amongst  us  in  the  fall  of  1879  and.  purchased  the  northwest  quarter  o! 
section  23,  town  24,  range  20,  a  piece  of  wild  prairie  belonging  to  the 
■"Peck  land."  He  was  from  Illinois  and  Illinois  emigrants  possess  the 
energy  and  the  industry  to  successfully  combat  the  trials  and  obstacles 
always  encountered  in  the  settlement  of  a  new  country.  Then  it  is  not 
a  matter  of  wondermsnt  that  his  one-time  pasture  should  rapidly  take  on 
the  appearance  of  a  well -managed  and  well-improved  farm. 

Mr.  Lacey  migrated  to  Kansas  from  Champaign  County,  Illinois,  to 
which  State  he  moved  some  time  after  the  war.  He  was  born  in  Jackson 
County,  Michigan,  June  23,  1843,  and  was  reared  in  L,icking  County, 
Ohio.  He  was  a  son  of  Sandford  I,acey  who  went  into  Michigan  from  Hew 
York  and  died  in  1855.  He  married  I<ouisa  Parmelee  and  our  subject  is 
their  first  child.  The  latter  grew  up  in  the  country  and  was  educated  in 
the  district  school.  The  elementary  principles  of  an  education  were  about 
all  that  could  be  acquired  from  that  source,  in  the  days  before  the  war,  and 
these  Mr.  I,acey  secured  and  supplemented  with  practical  experience  in  the 
warfare  of  life.  His  first  efiorts  in  the  direction  of  individual  independence 
were  put  forth  the  first  year  of  the  Civil  war.  He  enlisted  August  12,  of 
that  year  in  Company  A,  17th  Ohio  infantry.  Col.  J.  M.  Connell.  His 
regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Zanesville  and  was  ordered  into  Kentucky. 
Its  second  important  engagement  was  the  one  at  P-rryville,  Kentucky,  in 
October,  1862.  Mr.  L,acey  was  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh  and  in  the  Murfrees- 
boro  fight,  where  he  received  a  wound  through  the  right  thigh  in  the 
second  day's  engagement.  He  lay  in  the  field  hospital  three  months  and 
was  then  sent  to  hospital  No,  7,  at  Nashville.  Upon  his  recovery  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  by  orders  of  the  War  department. 
His  command  was  the  15th  regiment,  Company  F,  and  he  was  Clerk  in 
the  Provost  Marshal's  ofiice  for  nearly  one  year.  He  was  then  transferred 
to  Washington,  D.  C,  and,  soon  after,  was  ordered  to  Chicago  where  he 
acted  as  drill-master  till  his  muster  out  of  the  service  September  25,  1864.  . 
The  following  lettei  explains  itself: 
"To  All  Whom  It  May  Concern: 

"I  cheerfully  recommend  Corporal  Edward  D.  Lacev  as  an  honest 
and  upright  young  man,  smart,  intelligent,  devoid  of  all  bad  habits,  and 
in  every  respect  a  soldier  and  a  gentleman.  He  has  served  in  my  Company 
for  ten  months,  the  most  of  which  time  he  has  acted  as  sergeant.  He  has 
always  performed  his  duty  with  credit  to  himself  and  the  Company,  He 
has  been  highly  spoken  of  by  all  the  officers  he  has  served  under,  is  well 
posted  in  tactics,  is  a  good  drill  master  and  would  do  honor  to  the  service 
as  a  line  ofiicer.  His  descriptive  list  from  his  former  Company,  Company 
A,  17th  Ohio  infantry,  shows  that  he  was  wounded  in  the  right  leg  at  the 
battle  of  Stone  River,  January  i,   1863.  Samuei<  McDonald, 

Second  Lieutenant,  Commanding  Co.  F,  15th  Reg.  V.  R.  C. 
Dated  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago,  111.,  October  26,   1864." 

Having  served  his  country  in  time  of  war  more  than  three  years,  Mr. 
Lacey  was  content  to  return  to  civil  life.  He  re-engaged  in  farming  in  Iro- 
quois county,  111.,  to  which  point  his  mother's  family  had    removed  during 


2o6  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

his  absence.  He  was  married  there  January  31,  1867,  to  Mary  E.  Culbert- 
son,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Culbertson,  now  a  resident  of  lola.  Mr.  Cul- 
bertson  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1821,  and  was  married  to  Pernetta  Matthews. 
Mrs.  Lacey  is  the  fifth  of  eight  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Licey's  children  are:  Joseph  I^acey,  postini-ster  of 
Savonburg,  Kansas,  is  married  to  Claudia  Southard;  Emma  Lacey,  who  is 
the  wife  of  Harry  Keith,  of  Marmaton  township;  Reuben  C.  Lacey,  of 
Marniaton  township,  is  married  to  Rose  Evans;  Quincy  E.,  near  Moran, 
is  married  to  Daisy  Eflin;  Melvill,  Pearl  G.,  and  Bulah  are  with  their 
parents. 

Edward  D.  Lacey  became  a  Republican  long  before  he  could  vote. 
His  first  vote  was  cast  while  in  the  army.  One  of  the  first  things  he  did 
upon  reaching  Allen  County  was  to  identify  himself  with  the  Republican 
organization  of  the  county.  His  frank  and  earnest  manner  and  his  in- 
telligent bearing  made  him  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  party  and  he  soon 
took  rank  as  one  of  its  leaders.  He  was  urged  forward  as  soon  as  he  could 
be  prevailed  upon  to  accept  a  nomination  and  was  elected  township  trustee 
three  terms.  So  conspicuously  efficient  were  his  services  in  this  capacity 
that  he  was  earnestly  supported  in  his  candidacy  for  the  Legislature  in 
1887.  He  was  elected  by  a  good  majority  and  re-elected  in  1889,  serving 
four  years  in  all.  He  served  on  some  of  the  important  committees  of  the 
House  and  introduced  House  Bill  No.  91,  providing  for  the  care  of  old 
soldiers,  in  indigency,  outside  of  the  Alms  house.  He  was  the  author  of 
some  measures  of  local  importance,  only,  and  was  always  on  the  alert  in 
the  interest  of  wise  and  wholesome  laws  for  the  State.  He  was  on  the 
Joint  Committee  with  Murray  in  preparing  the  Prohibition  law,  now  in 
operation,  and  was  one  of  its  earnest  supporters. 

The  same  year  he  retired  from  the  office  of  Representative  Mr.  Lacey 
was  nominated  by  his  district  for  County  Commissioner  and  was  elected. 
He  was  again  elected  in  1895  ^^'^  was  the  Board's  Chairman  the  last  four 
years  of  his  service.  One  thing  was  especially  characteristic  of  Mr.  Lacey's 
public  service.  He  was  always  well  enough  informed  to  have  a  decided 
opinion  on  matters  of  public  policy  and  whenever  called  upon  for  it  it  was 
always  forthcoming.  He  wa;  a  guiding  spirit  of  the  County  Board  while 
an  incumbent  of  the  office  of  Commissioner  and  if  he  was  unpopular  with  a 
few  it  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  they  were  not  his   invited   advisors. 

As  a  business  man  Mr.  Lacey  is  successful  and  conservative.  He  has 
extended  his  domain  materially  by  the  addition  of  another  eighty  to  his 
original  tract  and  his  individual  prosperity  is  noted  in  other  lines  of  indus- 
try. He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  congregation  of  Moran  of  which 
body  he  is  one  of  the  Trustees,  being  Chairman  of  the  Board. 


TAMES  McKINNEY  WILLIAMSON,  who  was  for  years  engaged  in 
"  the  harness  and  saddlery  business  in  lola,  and  but  recently  retired, 
located  in  Allen  county  in  1883.     His  first  years  in  the  county  he  passed 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  207 

on  the  farm,  but,  having  served  his  apprenticeship,  witliout  being 
bound,  at  the  saddlery  and  harness  trade  and  having  an  opportunity  to  ac- 
quire the  business  exclusive,  in  lola,  he  purchased  the  Hart  stock  and 
conducted  an  honorable  and  profitable  business  till  igoo  when  "William- 
son &  Son,"  the  successor  of  J.  M.  Williamson,  sold  its  business  to  Mr. 
Hartung. 

Mr.  Williamson  came  to  Kansas  in  187 1  and  took  a  claim  in  Butler 
county.  From  this  claim  he  moved  to  the  city  of  Eldorado  and  was  a  resi- 
dent there  at  the  time  he  removed  to  Allen  county.  His  native  place  is 
Mercer  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  born  August  i,  1840.  His 
father,  John  L,.  Williamson,  was  a  farmer  and,  to  some  extent  an  iron  ore 
dealer.  He  was  born  in  Northumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  but 
reared  in  Mercer  county.  He  died  in  Butler  county,  Kansas,  in  1882  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  In  early  life  he  was  in  line  with  Democracy 
but  in  [848  became  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican.  George  Williamson, 
a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  a  son  of  Thomas  Williamson, 
passed  his  active  life  at  farming  in  Northumberland  county ,  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  buried  at  Salem  church  in  Mercer  county.  His  forefathers  were  of 
Scotch  and  Irish  extraction. 

John  L,.  Williamson  married  Rebecca  McKinney,  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  McKinney,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Center  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  was  a  farmer,  a  wool-carder  and  an  ex-soldier  of  the  war  of 
181 2.  He  was  awarded  a  medal  by  the  state  of  Penn.sylvania  for  gallantr,? 
in  the  battle  of  Lake  Erie.  Rebecca  McKinney  Williamson  died  in  1840. 
Her  children  are:  Mary  J.,  wife  o£  Fohnestock  Lightner,  of  Knox  county, 
Iowa;  Rachel  E-,  wife  of  John  Naix.  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  James 
M.  Williamson. 

Until  he  became  old  enough  to  care  for  himself  Mr.  Williamson  made 
his  home  with  his  grandfather  McKinney.  He  hired  out  as  a  day  work- 
man and  by  the  month,  as  the  opportunity  offered,  until  beginning  his 
trade.  He  left  the  bench  to  enter  the  Union  army  in  August  1861,  joining 
Company  A,  Seventy-Sixth  Keystone  Zouaves.  For  some  months  prior  to 
the  close  of  the  war  he  was  enrolling  officer,  being  employed  as  such  after 
his  discharge  from  service  in  the  field, 

The  Seventy-sixth  Pennsylvania  Zouaves  rendezvoused  at  Camp  Came- 
ron, Harrisburg,  and  was  ordered  to  the  front  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Virginia, 
and  on  to  Hilton  Head,  South  Carolina.  It  participated  in  the  capture  of 
Fort  Pulaski,  was  in  the  fight  at  Pocataligo,  and,  in  the  spring  of  1863, 
Mr.  Williamson  was  discharged  from  it  and  soon  thereafter  was  commis- 
sioned as  enrolling  officer,  as  above  mentioned. 

Mr.  Williamson  engaged  in  merchandising  in  a  country  store  in 
Mercer  county,  Pennsylvania,  upon  resuming  civil  pursuits  and  followed  it 
and  farming  three  years  each.  He  then  came  to  Kansas  in  search  of  cheap 
lands  and  the  claim  he  took  in  Butler  county  proved  to  be  the  dearest 
piece  of  real  estate  he  ever  owned. 

June  I,  1864.  Mr.  Williamson  married  Lizzie  L. ,  a  daughter  of  James 
Brandon.     Mrs.   Williamson  died  in  1873.     Her  children  are:     Mary  J., 


2oS  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN   AND 

who  married  J.  F.  Shidely,  of  Fairhaveii,  Washington;  Austa,  wife  of 
Charles  Cadwell,  of  Harvey  county,  Kansas;  and  John  H.  Williamson,  of 
lola.  In  1875  Mr.  Williamson  married  Mary  M.,  a  daughter  of  Hansford 
Jones,  whose  original  home  was  in  West  Virginia.  The  children  of  the 
marriage  are:  Horace  Carl  Williamson,  who  is  married  to  Emma  Butler 
and  is  one  of  the  substantial  young  business  men  of  lola;  Arthur  I^eroy, 
Earnest  Wiley,  James  and  Ruth  Esther  Williamson. 

Mr.  Williamson's  first  national  ballot  was  cast  for  Lincoln  for  presi- 
dent. In  1872  he  got  into  the  Greeley  movement  but  supported  Hays  in 
1876  and  has  since  been  one  of  the  stauuchest  advocates  of  Republican 
policies  and  Republican  candidates  at  the  polls.  He  was  elected  coroner  of 
Butler  county,  Kansas,  held  many  minor  ofiices  there  and  in  Allen  county, 
including  councilman  for  the  city  of  lola.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  and  Past  Commander  of  the  Post,  a  director  of  the  lola  Building  and 
L,oan  Association  and,  above  all,  a  citizen  above  reproach. 


HENRY  C.  ROGERS— The  late  Henry  C.  Rogers,  of  Bronson,  was 
one  of  the  characters  of  eastern  Allen  County,  not  alone  because  he 
was  an  honorable  citizen  but  because  he  represented  the  age  of  pioneering 
in  the  county  and  because  his  death  closed  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  liv- 
ing pioneers.  He  came  to  the  county  at  a  time  when  white  men  were  a 
curiosity  on  our  eastern  border  and  when  any  piece  of  prairie  from  Rock 
Creek  to  the  east  line  of  Allen  County  might  have  been  preempted  or  home- 
steaded.  The  settlements  adjacent  and  tributary  to  where  Mr.  Rogers  and 
his  uncle  settled  were  around  the  Turkey  Creek  post  ofiice  and  at  Ira 
Hobson's  mill  on  the  Osage  River,  in  Bourbon  County.  Prior  to  the  Civil 
war  the  land  between  Moran  and  Bronson  belonged  to  the  Indians  but 
they  did  not  occupy  it.  They  had,  no  doubt,  abandoned  it  to  whoever 
might  settle  it  as  per  an  act  of  Congress  providing  for  the  disposition  of  the 
public  domain.  To  the  few  settlements  made  prior  to  the  war,  to  the 
events  afiecting  this  locality  during  that  struggle  and  to  the  period  of  settle- 
ment succeeding  the  war,  including  the  fencing  of  the  last  tract  of  prairie 
"lying  out,"  Mr.  Rogers  was  an  eye  witness.  He  not  only  saw  it  all  but 
he  was  a  distinct  part  of  it  all  and  could  his  reminiscences  have  been 
gathered  while  in  his  physical  and  mental  vigor  they  would  have  added 
much  to  the  completeness  of  the  story  of  the  settlement  and  development  of 
Allen  County. 

It  was  November  10,  1858,  when  Henry  C.  Rogers  and  D.  V.  Rogers, 
his  uncle,  stopped  on  the  creek  southeast  of  Moran.  They  were  seeking  a 
location  and  the  uncle  claimed  the  "Dick  Gilliam"  place  and  died  on  it  in 
1875.  Young  Henry  remained  with  his  uncle  till  old  enough  to  enter 
land  when  he  took  up  the  south  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  10, 
township  25,  range  21,  Marmaton  township,  and   there   resided  till   about 


/^,  ni  cr^Q^^eAA 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  209 

1880  when  he  sold  and  located  on  the  county  line  south  of  Bronson 
two  miles. 

The  settlements  on  the  prairies  of  Kansas  in  an  early  day  were  chiefly 
disturbed  by  the  devouring  flames  of  a  prairie  fire.  This  scourge  visited 
every  settler  who  made  his  abiding  place  in  Allen  County  from  the  earliest 
time  to  1880,  and  many  of  them  more  than  once.  It  was  no  unusual  thing 
to  see  everything  swept  away  and  a  family  left  penniless  after  a  hard 
summer's  work.  Thieves  and  marauders  made  occasional  sallies  into  the 
settlements  and  plied  their  trade  effectively  but  the  vigilantes  took  frequent 
charge  of  them  and  left  them  alone  in  their  solitude.  The  drouth  of  i86o 
was  a  calamity  visited  upon  the  frontiersmen  and,  had  not  the  winter  fol- 
lowing been  as  mild  and  as  gentle  as  that  of  Florida,  great  suffering  among 
man  and  beast  would  have  ensued.'  During  the  war  the  Bushwhackers  and 
Butternuts  did  not  disturb  the  peace  and  repose  of  eastern  Allen  County. 
Its  able-bodied  men  all  belonged  to  some  military  regiment  and  were  called 
out  only  when  the  State  was  threatene.d  with  invasion.  Mr.  Rogers  was  a 
member  of  Col.  Orlin  Thurston's  regiment  of  State  guards  which  rendez- 
voused at  Ft.  Scott  during  the  last  Price  raid. 

H.  C.  Rogers  was  born  in  Vermillion  County,  Indiana.  He  started 
to  Kansas  from  Vermillion  County,  Illinois,  but  his  parents  settled  in  Ver- 
million County,  Indiana,  and  it  is  probable  that  there  was  where  his  birth 
occurred  February  23,  1842.  His  father,  Daniel  Rogers,  who  left  Vermont 
when  young,  was  a  pioneer  to  the  above  Indiana  county.  His  parents  no 
doubt  accompanied  him  to  the  west  for  his  father,  Allen  Rogers,  resided  in 
Indiana,  Illinois,  and  lastly  Iowa,  where  he  died  and  is  buried.  His  sons 
were:  Elisha,  Minor,  John,  Daniel  and  Jobe  Rogers,  all  of  whom  reared 
families.  Daniel  Rogers  married  Mary  Baldwin  who  died  in  Perryville, 
Indiana,  in  1853.  Daniel  also  died  early  in  life.  Their  children  were: 
Henry  C.;  Hannah,  wife  of  Richard  Davis,  of  Altamont,  Kansas;  Nettie, 
deceased,  wife  of  Mr.  Blair,  of  Neosho  County,  Kansas. 

Henry  C.  Rogers  was  not  an  educated  man.  The  circumstances  of  his 
time  were  such  as  to  preclude  the  acquirement  of  more  than  the  primary 
elements  of  an  education.  He  was  only  sixteen  years  old  when  he  assumed 
the  responsibilities  of  a  citizen  in  Allen  County,  where  schools  were  the 
scarcest  of  necessities.  Whatever  of  success  has  attended  him  has  been  the 
result  of  his  efforts  with  stock  and  the  farm.  He  was  married  June  10, 
1865,  to  Miss  Ruth  Main,  a  daughter  of  John  Main,  a  pioneer  to  the 
we.st  from  Virginia.  Mrs.  Rogers  was  born  in  Mongoha,  Virginia, 
June  23  1846.  The  children  of  their  marriage  are:  Charles,  married  to 
Cora  Thompson,  resides  nearby;  Henry  C.  Jr.,  married  to  Mary  Goodno, 
resides  on  the  homestead;  Dora  E. ,  wife  of  Elijah  Hodge,  of  Bronson, 
Kansas;  Oscar  V.,  married  to  Maggie  Thomas,  of  Bronson,  Kansas;  Bertha 
May  Rogers,  a  teacher;  William  and  Roj'. 

Mr.  Rogers'  political  affiliations  were  with  the  Republicans.  In  1872 
he  espoused  the  Greeley  movement  but,  using  his  own  words,  "never  got 
into   the   Democratic   party."     He   never  took  a  very  active  part  in  local 


2IO  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

politics  and  the  only  office  in  which  he  consented  to  sei've  was  that  of  school 
director  which  he  held  for  twenty  j^ears. 

When  the  day  shall  come  when  the  contemporaries  of  the  pioneers 
shall  all  have  passed  away  and  their  lives  and  deeds  are  known  only  in 
history,  then  will  their  posterity  come  to  a  full  realization  and  a  just  appre- 
ciation of  them  and  their  efforts.  A  word  from  those  "who  saw  and  did" 
is  more  to  be  desired  than  a  volume  from  those  who  were  not  there  and 
only  heard. 

Mr.  Rogers'  last  illness  was  of  long  duration.  He  died  November  30, 
1900,  and  was  laid  away  in  the  59th  year  of  his  age. 


GEORGE  G.  MAPES. — Few  men  are  more  widely  and  favorably 
-  known  to  the  citizens  of  eastern  Allen  county  than  George  G.  Mapes 
the  commercial  traveler,  farmer  and  stock  man  of  Marmaton  township. 
His  home,  "Shady  Slope,"  just  southeast  of  Moran,  is  one  of  the  attractive 
farmsteads  of  the  county  and  is  the  handiwork  of  its  progressive  and  pros- 
perous proprietor. 

G.  G.  Mapes  was  born  in  Princeton,  Illinois,  April  20;  1854.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city  and  graduated  from  the  high 
school.  His  father,  George  W.  Mapes,  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York 
in  1828  and  died  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  February  2,  1898.  In  an  early  day 
the  latter  went  into  Ohio  and  later  came  westward  to  Laporte,  Indiana,  and 
was  there  married  to  Martha  E.  Dennison,  a  New  York  lady.  Not  long 
after  their  marriage  the  couple  emigrated  to  Bureau  county,  Illinois. 

George  W.  Mapes  was  educated  and  equipped  for  the  ministry.  He 
filled  the  pulpit  of  the  Christian  church  in  Princeton  many  years,  following 
this  service  up  with  a  like  one  for  a  period  of  years  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
He  was  a  gentleman  of  much  force  of  character  and  a  preacher  with  great 
power  and  conviction.  He  was  highly  educated,  abreast  of  the  progressive 
age  in  all  literary  and  scholastic  matters  and  was  the  iustrument  in  the 
hands  of  Providence  which  built  up  a  large  congregation,  numbering 
nearly  fifteen  hundred  members,  in  the  city  of  Des  Moines.  His  widow 
survived  him  till  July  27,  1900,  dying  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  Their 
wedded  life  covered  a  period  of  nearly  fifty  years.  A  half  century  of  con- 
tinuous usefulness,  of  wedded  bliss,  walking  hand  in  hand  and  doing  all 
things  to  the  glory  of  God.  Of  their  six  children,  five  survive:  Wheeler 
M.  Mapes,  of  Redfield,  Iowa,  the  first  conductor  to  run  a  vestibuled  car 
out  of  Omaha,  and  for  twenty-three  years  in  the  service  of  the  Rock  Island 
Railwa>  Company  as  conductor;  Rosella  F. ,  wife  of  M.  A.  Hitchcock,  of 
Des  Moines,  Iowa;  George  G.  Mapes;  Charles  Mapes,  of  Hutchinson, 
Kansas,  traveling  for  Selz,  Schwab  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  and  Frank  H. 
Mapes,  a  druggist  of  McComb,  Illinois. 

When  George  G.  Mapes  began  his  career  as  a  business  man  it  was  in 
the  notion  business.     He  covered  the  state  of  Kansas  for  five  years  selling 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  211 

notions  to  the  merchants  out  of  a  wagon.  His  success  was  so  marked  that 
at  the  end  of  this  period  he  established  a  wholesale  notion  business  in 
Topeka,  Kansas.  In  1878  after  four  years  of  unremitting  watchfulness  and 
attention  in  the  upbuilding  of  his  business,  he  disposed  of  it  and  took  a 
position  with  Florence,  Jansen  &  Company,  of  Atchison.  He  represented 
them  as  a  traveling  salesman  and  remained  with  the  house  till  i88i  when, 
on  the  first  of  July,  he  accepted  a  place  with  the  Grimes  Dry  Goods  Com- 
pany, in  the  same  city,  and  was  with  them  nine  years  as  salesman  on  the 
road.  Resigning  this  position  he  entered  into  an  arrangement  with  the 
Hood-Brownbright  Wholesale  Company,  of  Philadelphia,  to  travel  for 
them,  which  position  he  resigned  after  three  years  of  service,  to  take  charge 
of  the  Pennsylvania  hotel  at  Moran,  Kansas.  Soon  after  this  date  he  was 
offered  the  position  of  cashier  of  Varner's  Bank  in  Moran  and  accepted, 
remaining  with  the  institution  five  years  and  conducting  the  hotel  at  the 
same  time.  In  1894  he  exchanged  the  hotel  for  "Shady  Slope,"  a  quarter 
section  of  land  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Moran,  to  which  he  moved 
his  family  and 'where  he  spends  his  time  when  off  duty  as  a  drummer.  In 
1895  he  engaged  with  the  Smith,  McCord  Dry  Goods  Company,  of  Kansas 
City,  and  five  days  in  the  week  his  time  and  energy  is  expended  in  their 
behalf. 

The  well  known  farm,  "Shady  Slope,"  is  not  one  of  those  common- 
place resorts  where  the  production  of  corn  and  hay  are  the  chief  source  of 
revenue  and  the  center  of  interest  season  after  season.  It  is  a  place  where 
there  is  intense  activity  the  year  round.  First  of  all  it  has  expanded  from 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  to  four  hundred  acres  in  area  and  has  taken 
on 'improvements  commensurate  with  the  growth  and  resources  of  the  farm. 
His  herd  of  sixty  registered  Herefords,  his  string  of  trotters  and  the  mis- 
cellaneous animals  necessary  to  a  well  regulated  stock  farm  furnish 
splendid  evidence  of  the  profitableness  of  intelligent  farming  and  at  the 
same  time  show  Mr.  Mapes  to  be  a  leader  and  not  a  follower  in  his  under- 
taking. His  horse  flesh  is  among  the  best  bred  anywhere.  One  of  them, 
"Betsy  King"  at  twenty-two  years,  is  the  mother  of  nineteen  colts,  four  of 
which  have  brought  the  sum  of  $6,000  and  two  others  give  promise  of  de- 
veloping into  horses  of  much  merit. 

"Shady  Slope"  and  its  attendant  and  accompanying  interests  are  the 
fruits  of  the  individual  efforts  of  G.  G.  Mapes.  In  the  beginning,  and 
when  he  loaded  up  his  first  notion  wagon,  his  capital  was  too  small  for 
any  other  business.  It  was  his  all  and  upou  his  merits  as  a  salesman  and 
his  integrity  as  a  man  did  he  stake  his  future.  Shady  Slope  answers  how 
well  he  has  done.  Years  of  push  and  good  management  have  counted  for 
much  and  when  the  inventory  is  taken  it  will  be  found  that  he  has  been 
the  maker  and  his  wife  the  saver.  Both  are  admirable  traits  and  both  go 
hand  in  hand  to  financial  independence.  July  6,  1881,  G.  G.  Mapes  was 
married  to  Laura  E.  Kindig,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (McCord) 
Kindig.  The  father  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1816  and  died  in  Washing- 
ton, Illinois,  in  1892.  His  wife,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  Mrs.  Mapes' 
mother,  died  at  Washington  many  years  ago.     Mr.   and  Mrs.  Mapes'   chil- 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


dren,    surviving,    are:     Pluma,  born  April    i,    1884;  Opal,  born  February 
19,  [886,  died  at  fourteen  months;  Ruby,  born  August  14,  1888. 

Mr.  Mapes  has  made  no  record  in  politics  except  for  voting  the  Repub- 
lican ticket.  He  w^fs  elected  to  the  City  Council  in  Moran  almost  unani- 
mously and,  as  a  lodge  man,  affiliates  with  the  Masons  and  Workmen. 


HENRY  B.  SMITH,  of  Moran,  leading  implement  dealer  and  worthy 
citizen,  came  to  Kansas  in  1878  and  stopped  first  in  Atchison.  Re- 
maining there  a  short  time  he  went  into  Norton  county,  Kansas,  took  up  a 
claim  and  tried  farming  in  the  short  grass  country  eighteen  months.  Leav- 
ing the  west  he  went  to  Parsons,  Kansas,  and  spent  one  year  there.  Allen 
county  was  his  next  objective  point  and  to  this  locality  he  came  in  1881. 
He  was  in  the  county  about  three  months  before  he  entered  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Moran.  His  first  entrance  into  the  town  was  in'  company  with 
L.  H.  Gorrell  with  whom  he  soon  after  engaged  in  the  implement  business. 
The  firm  was  Gorrell  &  Smith  and  it  continued  in  business  till  1887  when 
Mr.  Smith  purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner  and  has  since  conducted 
the  firm's  affairs. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Clayton  county,  Iowa,  September  8,  1855. 
His  father's  name  was  John  Smith  and  the  latter  went  into  that  state  from 
Pennsylvania  in  1850.  In  1857  he  returned  to  his  oiiginal  home  in 
Latiobe,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  reared  his  family.  He  was  a  carriage 
maker  and  was  born  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1824.  He 
was  a  son  of  Jacob  Smith,  a  wagon  maker. 

John  Smith  married  Adeline  Cook  who  died  in  Pennsylvania  in  1893. 
Their  five  children  are:  Henry  B. ;  George  C,  of  Jamestown,  North  Da- 
kota; Emeline,  wife  of  Peter  Albaugh,  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania;  Blanche, 
wife  of  Clark  Thomas,  of  Moran,  and  Grant  Smith,  of  Chicago,  Illinois. 
The  father  of  the  family  resides  in  Jamestown,  North  Dakota. 

H.  B.  Smith  left  Pennsylvania  before  he  came  of  age  and  returned  to 
the  state  of  his  birth.  He  had  learned  his  father's  trade  and  this  he  made 
his  means  of  support  for  some  years.  He  worked  in  Clayton  and  in  Mc- 
Gregor, Iowa,  before  his  return  to  the  Keystone  state.  He  remained  a  year 
in  Latiobe,  Pennsylvania,  and  then  made  his  final  trip  west.  He  spent  a 
few  months  at  his  trade  in  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  was  induced  to  desert  it 
for  a  time,  by  visions  of  a  free  home  in  the  west. 

May  2,  1883,  Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  Moran,  Kansas,  to  Miss 
OrphaE.  DeHart,  a  daughter  of  Elisha  DeHart,  who  came  to  Kansas  from 
Morgan  county,  Indiana,  and  who  is  a  well  known,  industrious  and  re- 
spected citizen  of  Moran.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith's  children  are:  Leroy, 
Pearl  B.  and  Ralph. 

As  a  citizen  Mr.  Smith  is  modest  and  unassuming,  yet  alive  to  his  own 
interests  and  to  those  of  his  town.  He  is  a  member  of  the  township  board 
and  has  spent  nine  years  on  the  school  board. 


WOODSON    COtTNTIES,  KANSAS.  213 

JOSEPH  CLARENCE  NORTON,  Allen  County's practical.aiid  theoretical 
Agriculturist,  and  a  farmer  whose  fame  extends  beyond  the  confines  of 
his  own  State,  came  into  the  county  in  1872.  His  father,  Joseph  G. 
JNorton,  came  out  to  Kansas  in  1871,  as  a  representative  of  a  colony  of  Ohio 
emigrants  and  purchased  for  them  a  tract  of  land  in  Anderson  County,  of 
John  W.  Scott,  agent  of  the  L.  h-  and  G.  Railway  Company.  The  colony 
came  out  and  settled  their  new  purchase  and  called  their  station  on  the  line 
of  the  Santa  Fe  road  "Colony."  The  town  which  this  name  was  given  to 
was  called  by  the  old  trailers,  to  and  from  I,awrence  "Divide."  Colony 
was  applied  to  this  high  point  about  1872  when  these  Ohio  soldiers  took 
possession  of  their  lands.  Mr.  Norton  was  not  pleased  with  this  location 
and  the  same  year  went  into  Marmaton  township,  Allen  County,  and  pur- 
chased a  tract.  In  company  with  Mr.  Norton  were  other  Ohio  settlers, 
Mr.  Schlimmer,  Mr.  Whitney  and  Fred  Wagoner  who  also  located  in  Allen 
County.  The  first  postoffice  was  Johnstown  which  in  a  few  years  gave  wa}- 
to  the  Fairlawn  postoffice,  established  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Fehlison,  who 
looked  after  its  affairs  and  the  mail  matter  of  the  neighborhood  till  Moran 
was  founded,  when  it  was  discontinued.  Mail  was  delivered  by  pony 
carrier  twice  a  week  and  the  settlers  felt  themselves  fortunate  in  receiving 
such  favors  at  the  hands  of  the  government. 

J.  Clarence  Norton  was  born  at  Montville,  Waldo  County,  Maine, 
December  28,  1857.  His  father  was  born  at  Castine,  Maine,  April  21,  1824, 
and  his  environments  in  5'outh  were  entirely  rural.-  His  father,  David 
Norton,  had  charge  of  the  County  Poor  Farm  for  many  years  and  was  a 
local  official  for  a  long  period.  He  was  born  in  Maine  and  died  in  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  and  was  a  son  of  Joseph  Norton,  an  old  whaling-ship  master. 
The  latter  had  made  several  trips  around  the  world  before  the  Revolutionary 
war  and  sailed  into  the  harborof  San  Francisco  and  shot  buffalo  where  the 
Presideo  now  is  located  and  used  water  from  the  spring  at  the  Golden 
Gate.  The  original  Nortons  were  aboard  the  Mayflower  and  are  buried  at 
Pljmiouth,  the  site  of  their  settlement. 

Joseph  G.  Norton  married  Jane  Cram,  who   died   in   Allen    County  in 
1886.     Their  children  were:  Ida;  deceased   wTife    of  John    Carter   of    lola;. 
Ada,  wife  of  George  S.  Davis,  of  lola;  Joseph  Clarence;  Etta,  wife  of  George 
Mausy,  of  Rushville;  Indiana. 

Joseph  G.  Norton  passed  his  early  life  as  a  boot  and  shoemaker.  He 
left  Maine  in  1862  and  located  in  Covington,  Kentucky,  but  worked  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio.  Before  reaching  Cincinnati  he  lived  in  Quincy  and  Brain- 
tree,  Massachusetts,  and  spent  some  time  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  upon  his  ar- 
rival in  the  State. 

Clarence  was  a  lad  of  fourteen  years  when  he  came  to  Allen  County. 
He  had  had  ample  opportunities  for  education  and  graduated  from  the 
Covington  high  school,  the  youngest  in  his  class.  He  early  developed  a 
talent  for  newspaper  work  and  got  his  first  experience  on  the  lola  Register. 
Its  editor,  Mr.  Perkins,  retained  him  as  a  paid  correspondent,  the  first  of 
the  kind  in  the  county.     The  subject  of  farming  attracted  him   and  he    h^s 


2r4  HISTORY    OF    A.LLEN   AND 

done  much  of  it  in  an  experimental  way.  His  discoveries  he  has  made 
known  from  time  to  time  in  his  letters  to  the  Kansas  Farmer  and  The 
Rural  New  Yorker  to  which  publications  he  contributes  as  a  pay  corre- 
spondent and  at  good  pay.  He  was  the  first  to  bale  corn  fodder  and  to  in- 
vent a  machine  for  baling,  a  description  of  which  operation  was  published 
in  Coburn's  "Forage  and  Fodder"  and  he  was  the  fiist  to  discover  a  meth- 
od of  preserving  and  keeping  Irish  potatoes  two  years.  His  articles  have 
attracted  a  wide  interest  among  professional  and  experimental  fanners  and 
he  has  addressed  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  of  Kansas,  as  the  invited 
guest  of  the  Secretary  on  different  occasions  when  officers  of  Agricultural 
societies  of  other  states  were  in  his  audience.  Mr.  Norton  is  also  a 
student   of  farm  stock  and  all  his  property  of  this  description  is   registered. 

Mr.  Norton  has  kept  weather  records  for  thirty  years  and  for  the  last 
six  years  has  kept  the  United  States  official  records  for  this  county,  being  a 
regular  weather  bureau  observer  and  supplied  with  government  instru- 
ments. There  are  instances  where  his  records  have  been  called  to  settle 
damage  suits  with  railways.  He  wrote  a  book  on  Weather  Talk,s  that  was 
published  in  the  Register  in  the  winter  of  1895-6.  Also  another  book  pub- 
lished in  the  Kansas  Farmer  on  Potato  Growing,  and  he  has  for  two  years 
been  at  work  on  the  Kansas  Farmer's  Handy  Guide  which  is  now  running 
in  the  Kansas  Farmer  and  will  be  out  in  book  form  early  in  1902.  It  is  a 
reprint  of  a  collection  of  thirty  years  from  all  the  leading  farm  papers  in 
the  world.     • 

Mr.  Norton  has  been  quite  a  sportsman  and  has  hunted  all  over 
the  northwest.  In  1883  he  brought  from  the  Cascade  Mountains  a  cap- 
tured bear  cub  and  that  a  year  later  he  gave  to  the  St.  Louis  Zoo,  the  largest 
beiir  they  ever  had.  He  also  gave  to  the  Smithsonian  Institute  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  the  only  specimen  the  world  ever  heard  of  in  its  life — a 
Maltese  skunk — a  hybred  cross  between  a  white  skunk  and  a  mink  and  its 
value  is  beyond  estimate.  This  animal  was  captured  on  his  farm  in  Allen 
County,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Norton  has  for  several  years  been  an  introducer  of  worthy  farm 
machinery  through  the  Kansas  Farmer  and  he  has  a  valuable  collection. 
He  introduced  the  Early  Kaflsas  potato  that  was  originated  by  William 
Hankins  of  lola,  and  it  is  favorably  known  all  over  the  United  States, 
being  one  of  the  best  yielders  at  the  Rural  New  Yorker's  testing  trials, 
among  one  hundred  other  varieties.  Also  the  Kansas  Snowball,  a  new 
seedling  from  the  Common  No.  i  potato. 

Mr.  Norton  was  married  to  Frances  Coe,  of  Ashtabula,  Ohio.  She 
died  in  1892  leaving  a  son,  Louis  Norton.  Mr.  Norton  then  married  (in 
1893)  Elba  Ashcraft.     Their  children  are:  Everettand  Annie  P. 

In  politics  the  Nortons  have  all  along  been  Republicans.  The  St. 
Louis  platform  did  not  conform  to  the  ideas  of  our  subject  on  the  finance 
question,  in  1896,  and  he  supported  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party. 
The  question  of  expansion  being  of  morfe  personal  concern  and  of  greater 
national  importance  he  supported  Mr.  McKinley  in  1900  on  that  issue. 
Outside  of  questions  of  citizenship  he  takes  no  special  interest  in  local  affairs. 


WOODSON    COONTIES,    KANSAS.  215 

DOCTOR  JAMES  E.  JEWEL,L,  of  Moran,  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Pension  Examiners  for  Allen  County  and  for  two  terms  Health 
Officer  of  the  county,  is  a  gentleman  most  honorable,  and  highly  esteemed. 
His  attitude  and  bearing  are  in  themselves  a  moral  lesson  and  his  pro- 
fessional integrity  and  professional  competency  are  matters  of  general 
recognition. 

Dr.  Jewell  came  into  Allen  County  permanently  Oct.  9,  1892,  and 
located  in  the  new  village  of  Moran.  He  came  from  McMinn  County, 
Tennessee,  where  he  had  located  in  1871.  In  1868  he  went  into  the  South 
with  his  father-in-law  and  engaged  in  the  saw-mill  and  lumber  business 
in  Talledego,  County,  Alabama.  After  he  had  remained  there  three  years 
he  went  into  East  Tennessee  and  was  located  near  Athens  eleven  years. 

Dr.  Jewell  was  born  in  Chenango,  County,  New  York,  not  far  from 
Norwich,  December  26,  1846.  His  father,  Dr.  James  Jewell,  was  born  at 
Durham,  Green  County,  New  York,  December  6,  1818,  and  died  in 
Catskill,  N.  J.,  May  15,  1884.  The  latter  was  schooled  and  trained  for  an 
educator  and  graduated  in  the  Vermont  Medical  College.  He  was  engaged 
in  regular  practice,  in  New  York,  from  graduation  to  his  death.  He  pos- 
sessed a  fine  intellect  and  an  inordinate,  love  for  his  profession  and  his 
entire  makeup  rendered  him  one  of  the  marked  men  of  his  county.  He 
was  descended  from  Massachusetts  stock  and  from  Revolutionary  ancestors. 
His  father  was  a  Congregational  minister. 

Among  the  Revolutionary  patriots  who  aided  in  the  capture  of  the  first 
British  soldiers  who  ever  surrendered  to  Americans  was  Seth  Clark,  our 
subject's  great-grandfather.  He  was  one  of  General  Warren's  men  at 
Boston  and,  while  awaiting  the  turn  in  events  which  forced  the  English  to 
hand  the  city  over  to  the  Americans,  he  made,  and  decorated  with  Boston 
scenes,  a  powder-horn  which  our  subject  possesses  and  which  is  to  descend 
to  successive  generations  of  the  family. 

Dr.  James  Jewell  married  AlmyraDay,  a  lady  of  New  England  stock, 
but  born  in  Schoharrie  County,  New  York.  Her  birth  occurred  in  18 18 
and  her  death  the  year  of  her  husband's.  Both  lie  in  Moran  cemetery. 
Their  children  are:  Dr.  J.  E.  Jewell;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  Henry  L.  Bassett, 
of  Moran;  Rev.  Stanley  D.  Jewell,  of  Butler,  Missouri,  and  the  late  Anson 
Jewell. 

Dr.  Jewell's  youth  was  passed  chiefly  in  school.  From  fifteen  to 
twenty  years  of  age  he  was  a  photographer  in  Catskill  and  Prattsville, 
New  York.  February  11,  1868,  he  married  May  R.  Coe,  whose  father, 
Daniel  Coe,  founded  and  endowed  Coe  College  at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  He 
was  a  successful  farmer  in  the  Catskills  of  New  York  and  died  in  Talledego, 
County,  Alabama.  He  was  twice  married,  his  second  wife  being  Mrs. 
Mercy  (Wattles)  Cowles,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Jewell. 

It  seems  but  natural  that  our  subject  should  become  a  physician.  His 
father's  prominence  and  success  in  the  craft  and  his  own  associations  with 
the  latter  during  his  bringing  up  led  him  to  a  determination  to  pre- 
pare for  a  life   of   medicine.     It   was   rather   late   in  life  that  he  began  the 


2i6  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    ANTT 

actual  work  of  preparation  but  it  was  better,  thus,  ou  the  whole,  forliis. 
faculties  were  then  fully  developed  and  matured.  He  entered  the  College 
of  Phj'sicians  and  Surgeons  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  took  the  highest 
honors  in  a  class  of  one  hundred  and  forty-three  at  graduation.  In  appre- 
ciation of  this  mark  of  excellence  the  faculty  presented  him  with  a^old 
medal,  properly  inscribed,  which  is  his  constant  companion,  as  it  were. 
The  Doctor  completed  his  course  in  1881  and  opened  an  office  first  at 
Athens,  Tennessee,  where  he  remained  until  his  location  in  Moran. 

Dr.  Jewell's  only  surviving  child  is  a  son,  James  Ralph  Jewell,  a 
studeiat  in  Coe  College,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  A  son,  Walter  Jewell,  died 
in  Moran  in  1892  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years. 

The  Presbyterians  of  Moran  have  had  an  active  aid  in  Dr.  Jewell.  He 
has  been  connected  with  that  church  officially  many  years  and  much  of  its 
substantial  progress  has  been  due  to  his  efforts.  The  Republican  party  of 
Allen  County  has  felt  the  beneficent  effect  of  his  influence  and  cooperation 
and  has  honored  him  twice  with  election  to  the  office  of  Coroner.  His 
own  little  city  has  called  him  to  the  Mayoralty  and  all  his  official  acts 
have  been  inspired  by  a  desire  to  do  absolute  and  accurate  justice  at  all 
times  and  to  all  men. 


SAMUEL,  C.  VARNER  is  one  whose  name  is  inseparably  interwoven 
with  the  history  of  Moran.  He  belongs  to  that  class  whose  ability  and 
character  are  making  a  deep  impression  upon  the  life  of  this  rapidly  de- 
veloping town.  In  this  broad  state  with  its  abundant  room  for  individual 
enterprise  with  its  hearty  appreciation  of  personal  worth  and  its  splendid 
opportunities  for  individual  achievement,  the  man  of  ability  finds  the  very 
largest  sphere  for  usefulness  and  the  gratification  of  personal  ambition.  His 
abilities  will  be  discovered,  his  integrity  will  find  appreciation,  his  public 
spirit  will  meet  with  recognition,  and  he  cannot  but  become  prominent. 
Mr.  Varner  is  an  illustration  of  this  fact.  He  has  done  much  to  advance 
the  material  interests  and  substantial  upbuilding  of  Moran. 

A  representative  of  sturdy  Pennsylvania  ancestry  he  was  born  in 
Monongahela,  Washington  county,  that  state,  December  10,  1845.  His 
parents,  John  M.  and  lyucinda  (Collins)  Varner,  were  also  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  During  his  boyhood  he  accompanied  them  to  Canton,  Illi- 
nois, and  from  1856  until  1867  his  home  was  in  the  "Prairie  State."  Dur- 
ing a  part  of  that  time  he.  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools. 
When  the  war  broke  out  he  entered  the  army  and  served  with  distinction 
in  the  Sixty-seventh  and  One  Hundred  and  Forty-eighth  Regiments  of 
Illinois  Infantry,  receiving  well  merited  promotion  He  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate of  Company  B,  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-eighth,  was  promoted 
to  first  lieutenant  and  held  other  responsible  positions  by  appointment. 
When  the  stars  and  stripes  had  been  planted  in  the  capital  of  the  southern 
confederacy  and  hostilities  had  ceased  he  returned  to  his  home. 

In  1867  Mr.  Varner  removed  to  Iowa  and  in    1880   came    to   Kansas, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  217 

locating  in  Colony.  Being  of  an  earnest,  self-reliant  nature,  he  was  fully 
prepared  for  business  and  at  once  took  a  leading  position  in  commercial 
circles.  He  made  his  lumber  yard  at  that  place  one  of  the  leading  enter- 
prises of  the  time  in  Anderson  county.  Quick  to  note  an  opportunity 
offered  and  with  a  mind  trained  to  take  advantage  of  favorable  business 
possibilities,  his  lumber  business  was  a  success  in  every  particular.  Be- 
lieving in  the  future  of  Moran  he  determined  to  locate  at  that  place  and 
extend  the,  field  of  his  operations.  Accordingly  in  1883  he  opened  his 
lumber  yard  there  and  also  embarked  in  the  grain  business.  Two  year- 
later,  in  1885,  he  extended  the  field  of  his  labors  by  adding  a  hardware 
store,  placing  his  stock  on  sale  in  a  small  frame  building  on  the  east  side 
of  Cedar  street.  That  was  the  modest  commencement  of  his  present  mam- 
moth commercial  enterprise.  Soon  those  quarters  became  too  smill  and  in 
1888  on  the  west  side  of  Cedar  street  he  erected  the  first  brick  building  in 
the  city*.  His  hardware  store  soon  took  first  rank  in  the  county  and  would 
be  a  credit  to  any  city  in  the  state.  Again  he  extended  the  field  of  his 
labors  by  organizing  the  firm  of  J.  J.  Varner  &  Company  and  opening  an 
extensive  store  with  a  complete  stock  of  merchandise. 

In  1888  Mr.  Varner  established  what  was  known  as  the  S.  C.  Varner 
Bank,  which  in  1892  was  re-organized  under  the  name  of  the  Peoples  Bank 
with  Mr.  Varner  as  president.  In  1S90  he  completed  the  magnificent 
brick  block  which  stands  as  a  monument  to  his  activity,  energy  and  suc- 
cess. Giving  personal  supervision  to  his  varied  business  enterprises  he  has 
at  all  times  been  master  of  the  minutest  details  of  eich,  so  that  he  is  ever 
able  to  thqmughly  meet  every  call  of  an  immetise  business  that  would  ordi- 
narily require  the  combined  skill  of  the  individual  members  of  a  strong 
company.  Although  the  year  1893  was  a  period  of  financial  depression  in 
many  departments  of  trade,  Mr.  Varner,  owing  to  his  careful  management, 
found  that  his  business  not  only  held  its  own  but  was  increasing,  making 
necessary  additional  room.  He  therefore  erected  the  opera  house  block  on 
the  east  side  of  Cedar  street,  utilizing  the  first  floor  a;  a  ware-room.  This 
is  a  handsome  brick  structure  which  is  certainly  a  credit  to  the  city.  Mr. 
Varner's  public  spirit,  his  pride  in  his  adopted  city  and  his  faith  in  its 
future  led  him  to  believe  that  his  investments  in  improvements  would  be 
appreciated.  Having  early  established  his  commercial  standing,  which 
was  recognized  by  all  the  leading  houses  of  the  country,  Mr.  Varner  con- 
tinually' added  to  his  business,  carefully  rnanaged  its  interests,  and 
maintained  unassailed  his  reputation  for  commercial  integrity,  so  that 
when  the  period  of  financial  depression  came  upon  the  country,  he  still 
enjoyed  the  public  confidence  that  had  been  earned  by  honest  effort.  The 
words  of  commendation  which  he  now  receives  from  the  leading  wholesale 
houses  of  the  country  are  well-deserved  tributes  to  his  ability  and  his  high 
standing. 

On  the  27th  day  of  September,  1863,  Mr.  Varner  was  married  to  Miss 
Annie  McCord,  a  highly  accomplished  lady  of  Canton,  Illinois.  They 
have  never  had  any  children  of  their  own  but  adopted  a  daughter  whom 
they  reared  to  adult  age.     Mr.  Varner  exercises  his  right   of   franchise   in 


2l8  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office.  He  was  elected  mayor  of  Moran  in  1896  and  his 
administration  was  one  of  worth  to  the  city.  Socially  he  is  a  Knight 
Templar,  Mason  and  also  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  the  Ancient  Order  of  the  United  Workmen  and  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic.  Men  with  minds  that  are  as  alert  and  broad  as  his  are  never 
narrow;  and  men  who,  like  him,  view  public  questions,  the  social  organi- 
zation, politics  and  all  the  relations  of  life  comprehensively  and  philo- 
sophically are  magnificent  supporters  of  the  best  interests  of  humanity. 


JESSE  H.  COFFMAN — One  of  the  successful  and  representative  .farmers 
of  Allen  County  is  Jesse  H.  Coffman,  of  Moran.  He  came  to  the 
county  in  1884  and  purchased  the  old  "Fair  Lawn"  farm,  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  34,  town  24,  range  20.  He  was  a  pioneer  to  Neosho 
County ,  from  which  point  he  located  in  Allen  County.  In  1868  he  pre- 
empted a  claim  on  the  O.sage  Ceded  lands  and  was  a  party  to  the  famous 
law-suit  which  arose  over  the  title  to  that  land,  much  of  which  lay  in  Neosho 
County. 

Mr.  Coffman  came  west  from  Adams  County,  Indiana,  where  he  was 
reared  from  boyhood.  He  was  bom  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  December 
i7i  "839.  His  father,  David  Coffman,  was  born  in  thesamecounty  in  1809 
and  was  there  married  to  Rebecca  Hughes,  a  daughter  of  JessJI>Hughes,  a 
soldier  of  the  War  of  1812.  Mr.  Hughes  cama  from  Pennsylvania  into 
Ohio  as  a  pioneer  and  David  Coffman  came  through  that  State  from  Vir- 
ginia on  his  way  to  Ohio.  The  Coffmans  are  one  of  the  old  American 
families  and  some  of  them  were  patriots  of  our  Revolution.  Our  subject's 
great-grandfather  was  one  of  them  and  he  was  killed  while  in   the   service. 

David  Coffman  died  in  1872  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  His  wife 
died  the  same  year.  Their  children  were;  Mary  E. ,  who  resides  in  Adams 
County,  Indiana,  is  the  widow  of  the  late  Basil  Hendricks,  her  second 
husband;  Sarah  A.,  wife  of  Henry  Steele,  of  Pleasant  Mills,  Indiana, 
Harriet  O. ,  widow  of  Alexander  Eichar,  who  resides  with  our  subject; 
Jesse  H.;  Isabel,  wife  of  David  Springer,  of  VanWert  County,  Ohio,  and 
George  M.  Coffman,  of  Erie,  Kansas. 

In  1 86 1  President  Lincoln  appointed  J.  H.  Coffman  postmaster  of 
Pleasant  Mills,  Indiana,  which  office  he  resigned  in  1862  to  enlist  in  Com- 
pany E,  loth  Ohio  cavalry,  Ciptain  Fehlison  and  Colonels  Smith  and 
Sanders.  The  regiment  was  under  Kilpatrick  and  took  part  in  the  cavalry 
work  around  Atlanta  and  Savannah.  It  returned  north  through  the  enemy's 
country  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  where  it  was  embarked  on  a  transport  for 
Baltimore  and  from  that  point  was  shipped  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  it 
was  mustered  out  of  service  in  August,  1865.  Mr.  Coffman  took  part  in 
all  the  serious  engagements  with  which  his  division  was  concerned  and 
notwithstanding  the  frequency  with  which  he    was  under   fire   during  his 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  219 

three  years'  service  he  received  no  wounds.     He  was  mustered  out  as   first 
duty  sergeant  of  Company  E. 

The  three  years  intervening  between  his  discharge  from  the  army  and 
his  advent  to  Kansas  Mr.  Coffman  spent  at  farming  in  Adams  County,  In- 
diana. He  made  the  trip  to  Kansas  in  a  wagon  coniaining,  besides  his 
family,  his  personal  effects.  He  disposed  of  his  Neosho  County  farm  at  a 
fancy  price  and  invested  the  proceeds  in  land  near  Moran.  His  farm 
comprises  330  acres  conveniently  situated  and  well  stocked  and  well    tilled. 

Mr.  Coffman  was  first  married  in  1867  to  Anna  R.  McL,eod  who  died 
in  1879,  with  issue  as  follows:  May,  wife  of  Marion  L,ee,  of  L,03  Angeles 
County,  California;  Edith  I.,  wife  of  Chas.  Weast,  of  Neosho  County.  In 
1884  Mr.  Coffman  married  Laura  E.  Coe,  a  daughter  of  Orville  I,.  Coe,  of 
Geanga  County,  Ohio.     Their  child  is  Harold  C.  Coffman. 

Mr.  Coffman  is  a  well  known  Democrat  and  is  one  of  the  party  leaders 
in  Allen  County.  He  frequents  county  conventions  and  enthuses  his  coun- 
trymen in  the  faith  in  every  political  campaign. 


"^  A  /"ESLEY  N.  JONES,  of  Marmaton  township  and  a  pioneer  Kansan, 
^  "  has  resided  upon  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  22,  town  24, 
range  20,  for  the  past  ten  years,  having  come  into  Allen  County  from  the 
adjoining  county  of  Anderson  in  the  spring  of  1890.  In  1865  his  father, 
John  M.  Jones,  settled  in  the  valley  of  Deer  Creek,  near  Colony,  Kansas, 
and  became  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  Anderson  County.  He  emi- 
grated from  Montgomery  County,  Illinois,  where  he  was  reared  and  married. 
He  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1826,  was  a  son  of  Hugh  Jones,  and  died  near 
Colony  in  1894.  Hugh  Jones  left  Tennessee' about  1836  and  improved  a 
farm  in  Montgomery  County,  Illinois,  where  he  settled  permanently 
and  died. 

John  M.  Jones  married  Frances  Grisham,  a  daughter  of  Spartan  Gris- 
ham,  who  survives  her  husband  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  Her  chil- 
dren are:  Mary,  wife  of  W.  H.  Quiet,  of  Anderson,  County,  Kansas;  Wes- 
ley N.;  Emma,  wife  of  Jesse  Day,  of  Cha.se  County,  Kansas;  Hugh  Jones, 
of  Boston,  Massachusetts:  a  lawyer  and  a  telephone  promoter. 

Wesley  N.  Jones  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Illinois,  in  May, 
1854.  He  consequently  grew  up  in  Kansas  from  his  eleventh  year.  His 
education  was  obtained  in  the  early  schools  of  Anderson  County  and  he  be- 
gan life  as  a  farmer.  In  1877  he  was  married  in  Allen  County  to  Ella,  a 
daughter  of  George  H.  Bacon,  of  Elsmore  township.  The  children  of  this 
union  are:  Jesse  M.,  Laura,  Charles,  George,  May,  Roy  and  Junia. 

Mr.  Jones  made  farming  a  success  in  Anderson  County  for  several 
years  and  when  he  came  into  Allen  County  he  purchased  one  of  the  good 
farms  of  his  township.  It  is  two  and  one-half  miles  northwest  of  Moran 
and  was  the  "Snyder  League  claim."  His  surroundings  present  the  ap- 
pearance of  thrift  and  a  degree  of   prosperity    not   uncommon   with  men  of 


220  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

industry  and  ambition.  He  is  growing  into  the  stock  business  and  is 
reaching  a  plane  of  financial  independence  most  desirable  in  the  evening 
of  life. 

The  Jones'  have  a  reputation  for  staunch  Republicanism.  Our  subject 
cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Mr.  Hayes  and  his  last  one  for  William 
McKinley  and  the  Republicans  of  Marmaton  selected  him  for  the  candidate 
for  Trustee  in  1900. 


GEORGE  L.  MERRILL,  of  the  lumber  firm  of  Adams  &  Merrill,  of 
Moran,  came  to  Allen  County  in  1883.  At  that  time  he  located  in  the 
new  and  growing  town  of  Moran,  engaged  in  the  business  of  contracting 
and  building  and  for  seventeen  years  has  been  regarded  as  an  active  mov- 
ing spirit  in  the  affairs  of  his  town. 

Mr.  Merrill  was  born  in  Concord,  Morgan  County,  Illinois,  May  10, 
i860.  His  father,  Spafford  Merrill,  was  a  mechanic.  He  crossed  the 
plains  in  '49  and  remained  on  the  Pacific  coast  several  years,  residing 
amang  the  Indians  and  resting  here  and  there  alone,  and  without  the  sight 
of  a  white  man  for  years.  He  made  his  way  up  into  Washington  and  was 
one  of  the  parties  to  name  the  city  Whatcomb.  He  returned  to  Illinois 
with  the  proceeds  of  his  trip,  before  the  Rebellion,  and  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile pursuits  in  Concord.  He  joined  the  loist  Illinois  infantry  as  a  private 
soldier  and  served  over  two  years. 

Spafford  Merrill  was  born  in  New  York  February  5,  1825.  His  father 
was  Aaron  Merrill,  born  in  Geneseo,  New  York,  in  1798.  The  latter  left 
New  York  with  his  family  in  1829  and  settled  in  Mahoning  County,  Ohio. 
He  continued  his  westward-  trip  in  1871  and  died  in  Morgan  County, 
Illinois,  in  1874.  He  married  Electa  Wright  and  his  children  were:  Mar- 
garet, Charles,  Spafford,  Benson,  George,  John  and  Emily,  wife  of  W.  H. 
McCartney,  of  Hopkins,  Missouri.  Benson  resides  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois; 
the  others  are  dead. 

Spafford  Merrill  married  Athalia  Rush,  of  New  York.  She  died 
February  28,  1878,  in  Morgan  County,  Illinois.  Their  children  were: 
Oscar  R.,  of  Moran,  Kansas;  George  L.  and  Eva,  wife  of  Charles  Orwig, 
of  McDonough  County,  Illinois,  Robert  Merrill,  of  Warren,  Ohio,  is  a 
half  brother  of  our  subject. 

George  L.  Merrill  put  himself  to  the  carpenter  trade  in  Concord, 
Illinois,  at  an  early  age.  By  the  death  of  his  parents  he  was  without  a 
home  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years.  He  remained  about  Concord  till  1883 
when  he  started  west  and  soon  brought  up  in  lola,  Kansas.  He  was  in 
company  with  W.  H.  Berkihiser,  known  in  Moran.  and  found  work  in  that 
town  at  once.  He  followed  his  trade  till  1890  when  he  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  with  Honstead  &  Berkihiser.  The  firm  changed  to 
Merrill  &  Honstead  some  months  later  and  finally,  in  1896,  to  its  present 
name. 

On  questions  of  public  policy,  in  Nation  and  State,  the  early    Merrills 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  221 

were  Republicans.  The  faith  of  his  fathers  our  subject  has  espoused  and 
his  politics  is  well  known  in  Moran,  where  he  has  served  as  Clerk  of 
the  city. 

November  30,  1884,  Mr.  Merrill  was  married  in  Moran  to  Ida  M.  Cox, 
a  daughter  of  Peter  Cox,  of  Vigo  County,  Indiana.  The  latter  died  in 
Moran  and  left  two  children,  viz.:  Amy,  wife  of  A.  I^isenbee,  and  Mrs. 
Merrill.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merrill's  children  are:  Oscar  L.,  Alma  M. 
and  Amy  E- 

Mr.  Merrill  is  a  Workman,  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  Rebekah  and  a  member 
of  the  ladies  auxiliary  to  the  Workman — the  Degree  of  Honor. 


"T^ZRA  N.  WIIyLETT,  of  Moran,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  to  eastern  Allen 
-'— -^  county.  He  came  to  the  county  with  his  parents  in  1868  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  it  since.  His  father,  John  Willett,  located  three  and  a 
half  miles  ea,st  of  lola,  on  the  farm  adjoining  Gas  on  the  east,  and  was  a 
resident  of  the  county  till  1880  when  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Parsons, 
Kansas.  He,  however,  died  in  lola  in  1882  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years. 

John  Willett  was  born  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  reared  there  and 
came  west  by  degrees  to  Ohio,  Illinois,  Missouri  and  finally  to  Kansas. 
He  was  married  to  Nancy  Landis  in  the  state  of  Ohio  in  the  year  1835  and 
his  widow  resides  with  the  subject  of  this  review.  The  latter  was  born  in 
1818  and  is  the  mother  of:  Wesley  Willett,  of  Seattle,  Washington;  Sam 
E.  Willett,  of  Malone,  New  York;  Ezra  N.,  our  subject,  born  January  20, 
1856;  Ira  Willett,  of  Miami,  Florida;  Lew  E.,  wife  of  C.  A.  Sensor,  of 
Denver,  Colorado;  Mary,  wife  of  Jacob  Fitzpatrick,  of  Wichita,  Kansas, 
and  Cynthia  E. ,  of  Denver,  Colorado. 

Ezra  N.  Willett  has  passed  all  but  twelve  years  of  his  life  in  Kansas. 
He  was  born  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  Pike  county,  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Kansas  and  is  responsible  for  his  own  financial  and 
social  standing.  He  remained  with  the  family  neai  lola  till  nearing  his 
twenty-first  birthday  when  he  identified  himself  with  the  eastern  portion  of 
the  county  by  entering  a  piece  of  the  indemnity  strip,  his  claim,  now  his 
farm,  being  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  19,  township  24,  range  21. 
His  early  efforts  at  farming  and  farm-improvement  were  very  crude  and  the 
first  two  years  he  spent  on  the  claim  were  years  of  not  the  greatest  possible 
prosperity.  He  hauled  coal  from  Fort  Scott  to  lola  to  earn  some  of  the 
means  to  sustain  him  and  in  other  menial  ways  he  maintained  an  honor- 
able existence  till  his  farming  venture  was  made  to  pay.  His  first  house 
was  a  ten  by  twelve  box  and  his  second  one  twelve  by  sixteen  which  gave 
way,  in  1889,  to  his  present  farm  cottage. 

In  1878,  February  28,  Mr.  Willett  was  married  to  Amy  McNaught,  a 
daughter  of  the  late  James  R.  McNaught,  of  Moran.  Their  children  are: 
Zella  and  Ethel,  aged  sixteen  and  eleven  years,  respectively. 


222  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

MELVIN  I/.  LACEY. — The  Lacey  family  is  one  of  the  conspicuously 
prominent  ones  of  Allen  county.  It  was  established  here  more  than 
a  score  of  years  ago  and  the  heads  of  its  numerous  households  are  men  of 
integrity,  of  great  respect,  ability  and  undoubted  personal  honor.  One  of 
their  number  is  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  Melvin  L.  L,acey.  He  was 
born  in  Jackson  county,  Michigan,  March  7,  1853,  and  is  a  brother  of 
Edward  D.  Lacey,  of  Allen  county.-  He  is  the  youngest  of  six  children, 
the  others  being:  Anna,  deceased,  wife  of  James  Wright;  Mary  J.,  wife  of 
William  Harper,  of  Champaign  county,  Illinois;  Edward  D.,  William  H., 
of  Allen  county,  and  George  W. ,  of  Moran,  Kansas. 

M.  L,-  Lacey  began  life,  really,  in  boyhood.  He  learned  farming  and 
engaged  in  it  for  some  years,  as  a  hired  man.  He  was  married  in  Iroquois 
county,  Illinois,  in  1874  to  Ivy  Robinett,  a  daughter  of  Eleaser  Robinett, 
an  Ohio  farmer,  who  went  into  Illinois  from  Pickaway  county,  Ohio. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lacey's  children  are;  Arthur,  married  to  Mattie  B. 
Green,  resides  in  Blue  Mound,  Kansas;  Archie  F.  and  Harry  E.  Lacey, 
young  farmers  of  Marmaton  township. 

Mr.  Lacey  came  to  Allen  county  in  1887  and  spent  twelve  years  in 
Moran  where  he  controlled  the  transfer  and  express  bu-iiness  of  the  town. 
In  1899  he  moved  to  his  farm,  the  south  half  of  the  south-east  quarter  of 
section  ig,  township  24,  range  20,  one  of  the  desirable  and  fertile  tracts  of 
Allen  county. 

In  politics  our  subject  is  in  line  with  the  conduct  of  his  elder  brethren. 
He  is  well  known  as  a  Republican  and  served  in  the  city  of  Moran  three 
years  in  the  council  and  as  its  city  marshal.  He  is  a  member  of  the  dis- 
trict school  board  and  holds  a  membership  in  the  Methodist  church. 


ALLEN  B  ISAAC,  well  known  as  a  citizen  and  farmer  of  Marmaton 
township,  Allen  county,  came  to  Kansas  in  1877  and  located  in  this 
county.  He  spent  the  first  year  in  Humboldt  and,  having  cast  about  over 
the  county  foi  a  satisfactory  location  he  chose  Marmaton  township  and  took 
up  his  residence  therein.  He  settled  section  fifteen,  on  the  south  line  of 
the  township,  improved  a  good  farm  and  has  resided  in  that  vicinity,  almost 
continuously,  since. 

Mr.  Isaac  came  to  Kansas  from  Illinois.  His  father,  Elias  Isaac  set- 
tled in  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  in  1833,  going  there  from  Washington, 
Indiana.  At  this  latter  place  our  subject  was  born  May  30,  1826.  Elias 
Isaac  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1804.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Isaac, 
who  left  the  "old  Tar  Heel"  state  in  1808  and  went  into  Daviess  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  died.  He  had  five  sons,  Samuel,  John,  Elijah,  Allen 
and  Elias.  Allen  spent  his  life  about  Beardstown,  Illinois.  John  died  in 
Edgar  County,  Illinois,  and  Elias  died  in  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  in  1890. 
The  last  named  learned  tanning  in  his  early  life,  followed  it  to  some  ex- 
tent  but   drifted   into   farming   and  made  that  his  life  work.     He  was  dis- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  2  23 

charged  from  the  ranks  as  a  soldier  of  the  Black  Hawk  war  for  disability. 
He  married  Mary  Black  whose  parents  were  trom  Kentucky.  She  died  in 
1892  at  the  age  of  eighty -seven  years. 

Elias  and  Mary  Isaac  were  the  parents  of  Allen  B. ;  Ardilla,  married 
Aaron  Stephenson  and  died;  John  M.  Isaac,  of  Maiden,  Illinois;  Mahala, 
wife  of  John  Winans,  of  Carson,  Iowa;  William  Isaac,  of  Maiden,  Illinois, 
the  oldest  white  child  born  in  Bureau  count>  ;  Mary  E.,  widow  of  John 
Cass,  of  Bureau  county;  James  W. ,  of  Hastings,  Nebraska,  is  deceased, 
and  Nancy,  deceased,  who  married  Marion  Hite,  of  Bureau  county, 
Illinois. 

Allen  B.  Isaac  spent  his  youth  on  the  farm  and  acquired  his  education 
in  the  country  districts.  He  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  on  reaching 
his  majority  and  his  interests  were  in  a  general  store  in  Maiden,  Illinois. 
Twelve  years  in  the  store  sufficed  and  he  left  the  counter  for  the  plow.  He 
was  on  the  farm,  still,  when  his  attention  was  drawn  to  the  advantages  of 
the  west.  This  he  heard  through  Ross  and  Knox,  who  were  then  engaged 
in  the  emigration  business,  and  he  came  out,  saw,  was  pleased  and 
located. 

May  3.  1853,  Mr.  Isaac  was  married  to  Paulina  Seger,  a  daughter  of 
Andrew  Seger,  who  came  into  Illinois  from  Ohio  but  who  was  formerly 
from  near  Syracuse,  New  York.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isaac  are: 
Charles  L. ,  of  Allen  county;  Lincona,  wife  of  Al  Moore,  of  McLoud,  Okla- 
homa, whose  first  husband  was  A.  B.  Bainum.  The  Bainum  children 
are:  Neal,  Genie,  Claude  and  Eva;  Clayton  Isaac,  of  Allen  county;  Dres- 
den Isaac,  of  Allen  county;  Ada,  wife  of  Thomas  Thore,  of  Choctaw, 
Oklahoma;  George  Isaac,  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  Clifford  Humboldt 
Isaac,  born  at  Humboldt,  Kansas,  resides  with  his  parents. 

Mr.  Isaac  became  a  Republican  with  the  earliest  of  the  party  voters. 
His  first  presidential  ballot  was  cast  for  Hale,  the  Free  Soil  candidate  and 
with  the  Republican  party  he  has  acted  since  1856.  His  adherance  to  the 
party  tenets  has  been  steadfast  and  his  belief  in  them  constant  and  un- 
faltering, He  took  a  prominent  part  in  county  politics  from  the  first  in 
Kansas  and  his  name  has  been  associated  with  others,  in  time  past,  as  a 
suitable  candidate  for  public  trust. 


TAMES  L.  HOSLEY— The  beautiful  home  of  James  L.  Hosley  is  located 
^  in  Anderson  County,  but  much  of  his  land  lies  in  Allen  County.  His 
possessions  are  a  monument  to  his  enterprise,  unflagging  industry  and 
capable  business  management.  He  owns  twelve  hundred  and  thirty-five 
acres  of  fine  land  in  the  two  counties,  but  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  did 
not  possess  a  dollar.  His  life  history  so  clearly  illustrates  the  possibilities 
that  lie  before  men  of  determined  purpose  who  are  not  afraid  to  work  that 
it  should  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  and  aid  to  all  who  are  forced  to 
start  upon  a  business  career  empty-handed. 

James  L,-  Hosley  was  born  in  Barry  County,   Michigan,  on  the  13th  of 


224  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

November,  1843.  His  father,  Jonathan  Hosley,  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  at  an  early  period  in  the  development  of  the  Wolverine  State 
emigrated  westward,  taking  up  his  residence  there.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Lima  F.  Fisher,  and  upon  a  farm  in  Michigan  they  re- 
sided until  1859,  when  they  came  to  Kansas  and  settled  in  Osage  town- 
ship, Allen  County.  The  father  died  here  in  1878  and  the  mother,  surviv- 
ing him  for  many  years,  passed  away  in  1894.  Of  their  six  children,  four 
are  yet  living  and  are  residents  of  Kansas. 

James  ly.  Hosley,  the  third  in  order  of  birth,  pursued  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Michigan.  When  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  the  Sunflower  State  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  home  farm  until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war.  Hi.s 
patriotic  spirit  was  aroused  by  the  attempt  of  the  South  to  overthrow  the 
Union,  and  donning  the  blue  he  joined  Company  E,  of  the  Sixth  Kansas 
Cavalry  on  the  5th  of  December,  r86i.  He  served  throughout  the  remain- 
der of  the  war,  participating  in  many  battles  and  skirmishes.  Among  them 
were  those  of  Clear  Creek,  Coon  Creek,  Ft.  Gibson,  Lindsay's  Prairie, 
Prairie  Grove,  Cane  Hill,  Maysville,  Newtonia,  Waldon  and  Mazard 
Prairie.  All  those  battles  occurred  in  Arkansas  and  were  most  hotly  con- 
tested. Mr.  Hosley  was  captured  at  the  last  named  on  the  27th  of  July  1864 
and  was  exchanged  on  the  22nd  of  May,  1865,  after  being  held  as  prisoner 
of  war  for  ten  months.  He  will  never  forget  the  first  day,  which  was  one 
of  the  saddest  of  his  life,  nor  the  day  of  his  release,  which  brought  great 
happiness,  for  his  experience  as  a  Rebel  captive  was  anything  but  pleasant. 
He  was  senc  to  Tyler,  Texas,  and  there  remained  until  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties. During  the  entire  period  he  had  to  sleep  upon  the  ground  and  his 
rations  were  limited.  He  would  much  have  preferred  to  take  his  chances 
with  his  comrades  upon  the  field,  facing  the  enemy  in  battle,  rather  than 
remain  in  inactivity  in  the  far  South,  enduring  treatment  that  was,  to  say 
the  least,  not  enviable.  For  days  he  had  nothing  but  a  pint  of  meal  in 
which  the  cob  of  the  corn  was  also  ground.  Upon  being  exchanged  he  was 
sent  to  Duvall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  where  he  received  an  honorable  discharge 
on  the  2 1  St  of  June,  1865.  Although  in  a  number  of  important  engage- 
ments he  was  never  wounded.  With  a  most  creditable  military  record  he 
returned  to  his  home,  conscious  of  having  faithfully  performed  his  duty  as 
a  defender  of  the  old  flag. 

On  again  reaching  Kansas  Mr.  Hosley  began  farming  and  dealing  in 
stock  on  a  small  scale.  He  completed  his  preparations  for  a  home  by  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Emeline  West,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  came  with  her 
parents  to  this  State  in  1858.  The  wedding  was  celebrated  in  1868,  and 
the  lady  has  ever  proved  to  her  husband  a  faithful  companion  and  help- 
mate. At  the  time  of  their  marriage  Mr,  and  Mrs  Hosley  had  only  money 
enough  to  buy  a  package  of  soda,  which  cost  fifteen  cents,  but  they  began 
work  with  a  will  and  the  fruits  of  their  labor  ate  seen  in  the  extensive 
landed  possessions  which  now  constitute  the  Hosley  estate.  As  his 
financial  resources  have  increased  Mr.  Hosley  has  continually  added  to  his 
property  until    now   he   has  twelve   hundred   and  thirty-five  acres  of  rich. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  225 

productive  land  in  Allen  and  Anderson  counties.  He  has  this  well  stocked 
with  horses  and  cattle,  keeping  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle 
and  a  large  number  of  horses.  He  has  only  good  grades  of  stock  and 
therefore  has  no  trouble  in  securing  a  ready  sale  on  the  market.  His  resi- 
dence is  just  across  the  line  in  Anderson  County.  It  is  a  beautiful  struc- 
ture, and  its  tasteful  furnishings  and  attractive  exterior  make  it  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  homes  in  all  the  county.  He  certainly  has  every  reason  to 
be  proud  of  his  busine;ss  record.  He  does  not  owe  a  dollar  to  an}'  man 
and  his  possessions  have  been  acquired  entirely  through  his  own  efforts 
and  through  the  assistance  of  his  capable  wife.  Honesty  has  characterized 
all  his  dealings,  and  added  to  this  has  been  indefatigable  energy  that  has 
overcome  all  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path,  enabling  him  to  gain  a 
plane  of  affluence. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Hosley  is  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  joined 
the  party  when  he  became  a  voter  and  has  never  wavered  in  his  allegiance 
to  its  principles.  He  maintains  a  pleasant  relationship  with  his  old  army 
comrades  through  his  membership  in  Major  Rankin  Post,  G.  A.  R. ,  at 
Kiucaid,  and  delights  in  recounting  and  recalling  the  scenes  of  life  on  the 
tented  field  or  upon  the  field  of  battle.  He  possesses  the  true  western 
spirit  of  enterprise  and  progress  that  has  been  such  an  important  factor  in 
the  substantial  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  middle  west. 


TTARVEY  OI.MSTEAD.— There  are  no  rules  for  building  character; 

-*-  -*■  there  is  no  rule  for  achieving  success.  The  man  who  can  rise  to  an 
enviable  position  in  a  community  and  in  the  business  world  is  he  who  can 
see  and  utilize  the  opportunities  that  surround  his  path.  The  conditions 
of  human  life  are  ever  the  same,  the  surroundings  of  individuals  differ  but 
slightly,  and  when  one  man  passes  another  on  the  highway  and  reaches  the 
goal  of  prosperity  before  others  who  perhaps  started  out  before  him,  it  is 
because  he  has  the  power  to  use  advantages  which  probably  encompass  the 
whole  human  race.  There  have  been  no  exciting  chapters  in  the  career 
of  Mr.  Olmstead,  but  an  untiring  industry  and  a  steadfastness  of  purpose 
have  enabled  him  to  work  his  way  steadily  upward  and  gain  a  position  of 
affluence  among  the  substantial  agriculturists  of  Allen  county. 

He  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  white  child  born  in  Fairfield 
township.  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  the  ist  of 
May.  1842.  His  father,  Elijah  Olmstead,  was  a  native  of  Canada  and 
married  Electa  Hall,  a  native  of  Ohio.  In  1842  they  removed  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Fairfield  township,  Bureau  county,  among  the  first  settlers 
there.  The  father  was  not  permitted  long  to  enjoy  his  new  home,  for 
death  claimed  him  in  1846,  when  he  was  forty-eight  years  of  age,  and  his 
wife  survived  only  until  1848.  They  had  two  children,  Harvey  and  J.  E. 
Olmstead. 

The  subject  of  this  review  remained  in  Illinois  until   eleven   vears   of 


2  26  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

age.  His  parents  having  died,  he  went  to  live  with  his  grandparents  and 
they  removed  to  Hamilton  county,  Iowa,  where  he  acquired  his  education 
in  the  common  schools.  In  the  fall  of  1856  he  became  a  resident  of  In- 
diana, where  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  until  1861.  In  that  year  the 
troubles  between  the  north  and  the  .south  culminated  in  civil  war  and  his 
sympathy  with  the  Union  cause  prompted  his  enlistment  as  a  member  of 
Company  A.,  Twenty-first  Indiana  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until 
the  fall  of  1862,  when  he  received  an  honorable  discharge.  The  following 
year  he  re-enlistea  and  became  first  sergeant  in  Coriipany  C,  of  the  Twelfth 
Indiana  Cavalry.  He  was  then  at  the  front  until  after  the  star-spangled 
banner  had  been  planted  in  the  capital  of  the  southern  confederacy.  Re- 
turning to  his  Indiana  home  he  there  remained  until  the  month  of  Decem- 
ber, when  he  went  to  Illinois  arid  secured  work  as  a  farm  hand,  being 
employed  in  that  capacity  for  two  years.  He  was  then  married  and  began 
farming  on  his  own  account,  upon  rented  land,  remaining  in  Illinois  until 
1882,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Osage  township. 
He  first  purchased  eighty  acres  and  subsequently  added  to  it  another  tract 
ot  eighty  acres,  so  that  to-day  he  owns  a  valuable  quarter  section. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1867,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Olmstead 
and  Miss  Mary  Oviatte,  a  native  of  Summit  county,  Ohio.  Unto  them 
were  born  four  children:  Frank  H.,  a  book-keeper  in  Hot  Springs,  Arkan- 
sas; Hattie  A.,  Fred  E.  and  Vera.  The  elder  daughter  was  born  in  Sum- 
mit county,  Ohio,  and  accompanied  her  parents  to  Iowa,  there  residing 
until  twelve  years  of  age  when  she  came  to  Kansas.  She  acquired  the 
greater  part  of  her  education  here  and  spent  one  year  as  a  student  in  Stan- 
berry  College,  Stanberry,  Missouri.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  she  began 
teaching  school  and  for  twelve  years  she  followed  that  profession  in  Kansas 
while  for  two  years  she  was  principal  of  the  Withington  schools  at  Hot 
Springs,  Arkansas.  She  is  also  numbered  among  the  popular  teachers  of 
Allen  county.  In  June,  1900,  she  received  the  nomination  on  the  fusion 
ticket  for  the  office  of  county  superintendent  of  schools  and  was  elected  by 
a  majority  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  votes.  The  election  was  cer- 
tainly a  triumph  for  she  overcame  the  usual  Republican  majority  of  six 
hundred  and  fifty.  The  Olmstead  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  Allen 
county,  its  members  enjoying  the  high  regard  of  many  friends.  The  career 
of  our  subject  has  been  both  commendable  and  gratifying,  for  along  legiti- 
mate lines  of  business  he  has  won  success  and  at  the  same  time  has  retained 
the  confidence  and  good  will  of  his  fellow  men  by  reason  of  his  honorable 
methods. 


JOSEPH  C.  BEATTY,  one  of  the  large  feeders  and  farmers  of  Allen 
"  county,  came  to  Kansas  in  1877  and  settled  in  Osage  township.  At 
that  date  Humboldt  was  the  county  metropolis  and  many  of  our  leading 
settlers  were  located  from  that  point,   being   located   by   the    well-remem- 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  227 

bered  real  estate  man,  G.  W.  Hutchinson.  Mr.  Beatty  was  one  of  these 
settlers.  He  chose  the  valley  of  the  Osage  river,  bought  a  farm  therein 
and  has  since  called  it  his  home.  For  some  years  beginning  with  1880 
Mr.  Beatty  was  not  an  active  farmer.  He  engaged  in  the  butcher  business 
in  lola,  being  interested  with  "Beatty  Brothers,"  and  later  their  interests 
were  transferred  to  the  furniture  business  there.  In  iS86  he  became  a  part- 
ner in  the  Fort  Scott  Wholesale  Grocery  Company  and  remained  with  the 
concern  till  1888,  at  which  date  he  returned  to  the  Osage  River  farm. 

In  the  conduct  of  the  farm  Mr.  Beatty  has  given  the  stock  business  the 
chief  place  in  his  affections.  This  branch  of  industry  calls  for  a  genius  not 
common  to  the  average  farmer  and  its  successful  conduct,  upon  a  large 
scale,  is  consequent  upon  the  especial  adaptability  of  its  promoter.  The 
growth  made  in  this  industry  by  our  subject  within  the  past  dozen  years 
marks  him  as  one  of  the  successful  feeders  and  the  extent  of  his  operations 
gives  him  a  wide  acquaintance  through  Allen,  Anderson  and  Bourbon 
counties. 

By  nativity  Mr.  Beatty  is  an  Irishman.  He  was  born  near  Belfast 
Jul5''  8,  1854,  and  was  a  son  of  David  Beatty  who  left  Ireland  in  1855  and 
took  up  his  residence  near  Kincarden,  Canada.  In  1869  the  family  took 
another  jump  westward,  this  time  locating  in  Sonoma  county,  California. 
David  Beatty,  father  of  our  subject,  was  married  to  Mary  Crawford,  whose 
death  occurred  in  Allen  county  in  1880.  Their  children  were:  William, 
who  died  in  California;  John  C.,  of  I,os  Angeles,  California;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  William  Caldwell,  of  Cloverdale,  California;  Mary  J.,  widow  of  R.  A. 
Kerr,  of  L,os  Angeles,  California;  Joseph  C. ;  James  T. ,  of  the  Fort  Scott 
Wholesale  Grocery   Company,  and  David  R.  Beatty,  of  Beaumont,  Texas. 

Joseph  C.  Beatty  was  equipped  for  a  career  of  business  in  Healds 
Business  College  in  San  Francisco,  California.  He  began  life  in  the  sheep 
business  in  Sonoma  county  and  drifted  from  that  into  the  cattle  business, 
on  a  moderate  scale.  The  conditions  for  handling  cattle  extensively  were 
not  so  favorable  in  California  and  he  was  induced  to  return  east,  to  Kansas, 
where  there  was  a  prospect  of  acquiring  cheap  land  and  greater  range  for 
stock.  In  Allen  county  the  area  of  his  farm  and  ranch  has  kept  pace  with 
the  extent  of  his  herds  and  his  six  hundred  and  twenty  acres  comprises  one 
of  the  desirable  pieces  of  property  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Beatty  excels  not  only  as  a  man  of  affairs  but  as  a  citizen.  His 
conduct  has  been,  toward  his  neighbors,  of  such  a  character  as  to  win  and 
maintain  their  confidence,  commercially,  socially  and  politically.  He  has 
been  identified  with  county  politics,  as  a  Republican,  for  many  years  and, 
as  an  intimation  of  the  weight  of  his. opinion  it  is  only  necessary  to  say  that 
candidates  for  office  are  always  anxious  to  know  "how  Beatty  stands"  with 
reference  to  them. 

July  29,  1880,  Mr.  Beatty  was  married  to  Mrs.  Mattie  Fielding,  a 
daughter  of  W.  W.  Neville,  of  Garnett,  Kansas.  The  Nevilles  were  from 
Hart  county,  Kentucky,  to  Illinois  and  from  Illinois  to  Kansas  in  1870. 
Mr.  Neville  married  Catherine  Conover  who  bore  him  four  children:  John, 
of  Lawrence,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Melissa  Hunley,  of  Garnett,  Kansas,  and  Mrs. 


228  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Beatty.      All   are   surviving.     Mr.    Neville    died   in    1895    ^^   the   age   of 
seventy-five  years  while  his  widow  makes  her  home  with  Mrs.  Beatty. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beatty's  children  are:  Luretta  May,  Sophomore  in 
University  at  Ottawa,  Kansas;  Clarence  N.,  a  student  in  the  Moran  high 
school,  and  Joseph  Harold.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church. 


CHRISTOPHER  K.  MILLS,  of  Deer  Creek  township,  the  well  known 
Irish- American  farmer  and  stock  man,  has  passed  a  generation,  a 
score  of  years  in  Allen  County.  He  came  here  in  1880  with  plenty  of 
means  and  bought  land  in  section  17,  township  24,  range  19,  one-half  of 
the  section,  and  improved  and  brought  the  large  farm  under  cultivation. 
The  stock  business  he  was  made  familiar  with  in  his  youth  and  it  was  but 
natural,  under  favorable  circumstances,  that  he  should  turn  his  attention  to 
it  when  settling  upon  the  broad  prairies  of  Kansas. 

As  the  name  would  indicate,  Mr.  Mills  is  an  Irishman.  He  was  born 
in  County  Roscommon,  Ireland,  December  25,  1829.  His  father,  Thos. 
Mills,  died  in  the  Emerald  Isle,  leaving  a  family  of  five  sons  and  six 
daughters,  of  whom  Christopher  K.,  was  the  oldest  son.  The  latter's  ad- 
vantages as  a  boy  were  those  only  of  the  country  lad  with  poor  but  respect- 
able parents  whose  chief  aim  from  day  to  day  was  to  do  a  bigger  day's 
work  tomorrow  than  they  did  today.  The  practice  of  this  plan  taught  all  the 
children  to  work,  especially  the  eldest  son,  and  so  when  he  le(t  Ireland  to 
join  the  vast  throng  of  his  countrymen  in  the  United  States  he  did  so,  well 
equipped  with  the  elements  that  win  success.  He  boarded  a  sailer  at 
Liverpool  and  after  eleven  weeks  put  into  New  York  harbor.  He  cast 
about  for  a  hold  and  took  any  honorable  employment  yielding  a  revenue 
for  his  support.  He  went  into  the  country  about  Kingston,  New  York, 
and  hired  for  seven  dollars  a  month  with  a  promise  of  more  as  he 
earned  it.  Upon  leaving  New  York  State  he  went  into  western  Pennsyl- 
vania and  made  his  home  about  Pittsburg  for  twenty  years.  He  invested 
his  wages  in  a  team  as  soon  as  he  could  purchase  one  and  engaged  in 
teaming  and  freighting.  To  this  he  added  farming,  also,  and  ere  many 
years  found  himself  in  possession  of  the  implements  and  the  experience  to 
win  a  fortune. 

With  the  proceeds  of  his  years  of  toil  in  cash  Mr.  Mills  brought  his 
large  family  to  Kansas  where  he  could  the  better  utilize  the  labor  of  his 
sons  and  where  a  promise  of  greater  reward  awaited  his  coming.  The  sons 
remained  with  the  homestead  in  Allen  County  till  things  \yere  well  started 
when  they  scattered  here  and  there  as  each  reached  the  period  of  his 
majority. 

Seven  of  the  eleven  children  of  Thos.  Mills  came  to  the  United  States. 
Those  surviving  in  addition  to  our  subject  are:  James,  of  Clark  County, 
Missouri;  Patrick,  of  Allegheny  County,  Pennsylvania;  Michael  of  south- 
east Missouri,  and  Bridget,  wiie  of  Thos.  Convoy,  of  Denver,  Colorado. 

C.  K.  Mills  was  married  to  Mary  Convoy  who  died    in   Allen  County, 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  229 

Kansas,  March  17.  1898.  She  was  born  in  County  Roscommon,  Ireland, 
and  was  the  mother  of:  Thomas  Mills,  who  died  near  Edmund,  Oklahoma, 
and  left  two  sons;  John  Mills,  of  Oregon;  James  Mills,  of  lola;  Mary,  wife 
of  George  Silvers,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Lizzie,  who  married  A.  T. 
Kennedy;  Agnes,  widow  of  Frank  Cain;  Cristopher  K.  Jr. ,  of  Oregon; 
Samuel  Mills;  Julia,  wife  of  Edward  Marsoth,  of  loia;  Kate,  wife  of  Alfred 
Nelson,  of  Allen  County;  William  Mills;  Rosa,  wile  of  James  McKaughan, 
of  Allen  County,  and  Isabel,  wife  of  William  LaVell, 


MRS.  MARY  M.  BROWNING,  of  Savonburg,  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Illinois,  April  3,  1853.  Her  father,  Colonel  James  J. 
Dowlins,  was  also  a  native  of  that  State,  and  there  married  Susan  Ann 
Hartley,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  went  with  her  parents  to  Illinois 
when  a  maiden  of  twelve  summers.  The  Colonel  was  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizen  of  his  community,  and  for  a  number  of  years  officially 
served  as  county  clerk  of  Franklin  County.  When  the  Civil  war  broke 
out  he  resolved  to  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  and  in  August, 
1 86 1,  enlisted  in  the  Eighty-first  Illinois  Infantry,  of  which  he  was  com- 
missioned colonel.  After  serving  one  year  and  nine  months,  during  which 
time  he  had  participated  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Douelson,  and  had  sustained 
a  severe  wound  in  the  head  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  he  proceeded  to  Vicks- 
burg,  where  on  the  22nd  of  May,  1863,  he  laid  down  his  life  on  the  altar  of 
his  country,  a  minie  ball  causing  his  death  while  his  regiment  was  making 
a  charge  on  the  enemy's  works.  Thus  fell  one  of  the  most  gallant,  brave 
and  noble  commanders  in  the  Federal  army.  He  was  then  but  thirty-one 
years  of  age.  He  had  the  confidence  and  friendship  of  his  superiors,  and 
the  love  and  respect  of  those  who  served  under  him.  From  the  pen  of  R. 
M.  Wheatley,  of  DuQuoin,  Illinois,  familiarly  known  as  "Hardshell," 
came  the  following  poem,  "written  in  honor  of  James  J.  Dowlins  of  the 
Eighty-first  Illinois  Infantry,  who  fell  on  the  22nd  of  May,  1863,  while 
leading  his  band  in  that  memorable  charge  on  the  rebel  works  at  Vicksburg:" 

"Onward  to  victory,"  nobly  he  cried, 
"Onward  to  victory,"  onward  till  he  died. 
In  arms  the  rebel  phalanx  stood 
Behind  their  works  of  earth  and  wood. 

"Give  us  vict,ry  or  give  us  death," 
Brave  Dowlins  cried  with  his  last  breath; 
And  "Onward"  was  the  last  command 
That  Dowlins  gave. his  gallant  band. 

Through  whizzing  shot  and  bursting  shell, 
Onward  he  charged  until  he  fell; 
A  fatal  ball  had  pierced  his  head 
And  made  the  gallant  colonel  dead. 


230  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

May  holy  reverence  mark  the  grave 
Where  ]ies  DoUins,  the  leader  brave; 
May  holy  angels  guard  his  tomb 
And  heavenly  spirits  waft  him  home. 

Five  children  were  left  to  mourn  the  loss  of  the  gallant  colonel  and 
three  of  the  number  are  now  living,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Browning,  Mrs.  Delilah 
A.  Swafford,  and  Joseph  L.   Dolling. 

The  first  named  spent  her  girlhood  days  in  her  parents'  home  and  in 
1872  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Joseph  B.  Martin,  a  native  of 
Illinois,  who  like  her  father  had  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war.  He 
was  a  member  of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-sixth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and  died  in  1879,  from  wounds  received  in  the  army.  They  had 
two  children:  John  W.,  now  a  resident  of  McCune,  Kan.sas;  and  Mrs.  Ida 
May  Smith,  of  Chanute,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Martin  was  married  to  Joseph 
Browning,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  by  her  second  marriage  had  five  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  are  now  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Maud  P.  DeHart;  IdaG. , 
wife  of  Homer  McCallen;  and  Fred  and  Fay  who   are   with    their   mother. 

In  rSSo  Mrs.  Browning  came  to  Kansas,  p.nd  for  some  time  resided  on 
a  farm  at  McCune.  Later  she  purchased  a  farm  near  Chanute,  where  she 
remained  for  twelve  years,  and  then  sold  that  property.  Coming  to  Savon- 
burg,  she  bought  the  City  Hotel,  greatly  improved  the  building  by  erecting 
an  addition,  and  gave  her  attention  to  the  conduct  of  the  hotel  till  about 
the  first  of  the  year   1901. 


NATHANIEL.  T.  HOLMES,  who  is  numbered  among  the  enterpris- 
ing young  businessmen  of  Savonburg,  has  lived  for  little  moie  than 
three  decades,  yet  has  attained  a  creditable  degree  of  prosperity  in  com- 
mercial circles  as  the  reward  of  well  directed  labors.  Hs  was  born  in  Pax- 
ton,  Ford  County,  Illinois,  on  the  24th  of  October,  1868,  and  is  the  fourth 
in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  — children.  He  is  of  Swedish  parentage,  his 
father,  W.  S.  Holmes,  being  born  in  Sweden  and  came  to  America  in 
1852,  taking  up  his  residence  in  Illinois.  There  he  married  Miss  Cora 
Matson.  The  mother  died  after  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Kansas,  and 
the  father  and  one  son  are  now  in  the  State  of  Washington.  One  son,  L- 
L.  Holmes,  is  a  resident  of  Iowa,  but  the  other  members  of  the  family  are 
living  in  Allen  County.  They  arrived  there  on  the  12th  of  March,  1870. 
when  the  subject  of  this  review  was  only  one  and  one-half  years  of  age,  and 
located  upon  a  farm  where  the  town  of  Savonburg  now  stands,  and  amid 
the  scenes  of  frontier  life  Nathaniel  T.  Holmes  was  reared.  He  pursued 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  the  county  until  he  had  completed 
the  curriculum  and  then  spent  two  terms  as  a  student  in  th  e  Fort  Scott 
College,  On  laying  aside  his  text  books  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  Charles 
Nelson's  grocery  store   at   Savonburg,  remaining   in  the   employ   of  that 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  23  I 

gentleman  for  five  years.  During  that  time  he  saved  his  earnings,  and 
adding  this  to  some  borrowed  money  he  purchased  a  stock  of  goods  and 
embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account,  The  new  venture  proved  suc- 
cessful from  the  beginning  and  in  ninety  days  he  was  enabled  to  discharge 
his  indebtedness.  The  secret  of  his  success  lies  in  his  strict  attention  to 
business,  his  obliging  manner  and  his  honorable  dealing. 

Mr.  Holmes  votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  at  all  times  stands  ready 
to  advance  its  welfare  along  legitimate  lines  or  contribute  to  the  support  of 
his  friends  who  are  seeking  ofiSce.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen  of  Savonburg.  He  speaks  and  reads  his  father's  native 
tongue,  is  a  well  informed  man  and  a  reliable  and  progressive  citizen. 


TEETER  M.  IJNQUIST,  a  farmer  of  Elsmore  township,  was  born  in 
•*-  Sweden  on  the  3rd  of  June,  1834,  a  son  of  James  P.  and  Mary  (Pet- 
erson) L,inquist.  both  of  whom  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Sweden.  The 
subject  of  this  review  remained  in  that  country  until  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  when  hoping  to  find  better  opportunities  than  were  afforded  in  the 
old  countries  of  Europe,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  arriving  in 
Henry  county,  Illinois,  in  1857.  There  he  began  working  by  the  month 
for  he  had  no  capital,  and  it  was  necessary  to  depend  upon  the  labors  of 
his  hands  for  his  support.  It  was  after  his  arrival  in  Illinois  that  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Edna  Carlson,  a  Swedish  lady,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents  in  1852,  locating  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Linquist  re- 
moved to  Warren  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  employed  for  three  years 
and  then  returned  to  Henry  county,  there  purchasing  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  making  it  his  place  of  residence  for  seven  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  removed  to  Moline,  Illinois,  and  through 
the  seven  succeeding  years  was  in  the  employ  of  the  John  Deere  Plow  Com- 
pany. The  year  1879  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Kansas.  He  took  up 
his  abode  in  Elsmore  township,  Allen  county,  where  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  began  the  improvement  of  what  is 
now  one  of  the  finest  farms  around  Savonburg,  supplied  with  modern 
accessories  and  conveniences.  His  fields  are  highly  cultivated,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  the  raising  of  grain  he  handles  all  kinds  of  stock. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Linquist  have  been  born  eight  children,  as  follows: 
Rosa,  wife  of  Olaf  Swanson,  now  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Emma  H.,  wife 
of  John  Johnson;  Nellie  and  Caroline,  at  home;  Esther,  who  is  engaged, in 
teaching  school  in  Savonburg;  Peter  S.,  George  and  David,  who  are  still 
with  their  parents.  The  three  last  named  possess  considerable  musical 
talent,  a  love  of  the  art  of  music  being  a  characteristic  of  the  family.  By 
his  ballot  Mr.  Linquist  supports  the  Republican  party.  He  has  filled  the 
office  of  township  treasurer  for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  November,  1900, 
was  elected  township  trustee.  His  marked  fidelity  to  the  duties  of  citizen- 
ship is  a  guarantee  of  faithful  service.     Mr.    Linquist's  hope  of   benefitting 


232  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

his  financial  condition  in  America  has  been  more  than  realized.  Improv- 
ing his  opportunities  he  has  placed  his  reliance  upon  the  substantial  quali- 
ties of  diligence  and  perseverance  and  has  therefore  acquired  creditable 
success. 


"K  A  7"ILLIAM  F.  ENOS,  who  is  engaged  in  blacksinithing  in  Savon- 
"  "  burg,  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Wisconsin  who  have 
sought  homes  in  the  Sunflower  state.  He  was  born  in  Evansville,  on  the 
14th  of  November,  1847.  His  father,  John  Enos,  removed  from  Indiana 
to  Wisconsin  and  was  married  in  that  state  to  Miss  Hulda  Griffith.  They 
spent  their  remaining  days  in  the  Badger  state,  being  people  of  the  highest 
respectability  and  held  in  warm  regard  by  their  many  friends.  Under 
the  parental  roof  the  subject  of  this  review  was  reared,  and  in  the  common 
schools  near  his  home  he  conned  the  lessons  that  gave  him  a  knowledge  of 
the  branches  of  English  learning.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  enlisted  in  the 
naval  service  of  the  United  States,  taking  passage  on  a  vessel  at  Chicago 
on  the  2nd  of  April,  1864.  He  served  for  nine  months  on  the  United 
States  man-of-war  Benton,  in  the  Sixth  Division  of  the  Mississippi  Squad- 
ron, and  was  then  transferred  to  the  warship  Brilliant  where  he  remained 
until  honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  very  young 
~  when  he  entered  the  service  and  as  hostilities  ceased  not  long  afterward  he 
did  not  engage  in  many  important  naval  battles,  but  his  bravery  and  valor 
were  tested  and  found  to  be  equal  to  that  of  many  a  time-tried  veteran. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Enos  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  began 
learning  the  blacksmith  trade  which  he  followed  until  twenty  years  of  age. 
He  then  left  the  Badger  state  for  the  district  west  of  the  Mississippi  river, 
removing  to  Iowa  where  he  was  employed  for  three  years.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  once  more  became  a  resident  of  Wisconsin  where  he 
followed  blacksmithing  until  1893,  the  year  of  his  removal  to  South  Da- 
kota. After  a  year  devoted  to  farming  in  that  section  of  the  country  he 
went  to  Crowley,  Louisiana,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
rice  until  1896,  when  he  came  to  Kansas  and  made  his  home  at  Stark 
till  189S.  He  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Savoriburg  and  has  con- 
ducted a  blacksmithing  and  wagon-making  establishment.  He  has  a  good 
location  and  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage.  He  also  conducts  a  farm  and  both 
branches  of  his  business  are  proving  to  him  a  profitable  source  of  income. 
On  the  26th  of  September,  1868,  Mr.  Enos  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Lucy  W.  Haywood.  Unto  them  have  been  born  eight  children,  as 
follows:  William  H. ,  a  resident  of  Joplin ,  Missouri;  Cora  M.,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Benson,  of  South  Dakota;  Archie,  who  is  employed  in  the  shop  of 
his  father;  Carrie  B. ,  the  wife  of  John  Benson,  of  South  Dakota;  Pearl,  the 
wife  of  Perry  Huff,  of  Savonburg;  Edith,  the  wife  of  John  Ridgeway;  Katy 
P.,  who  is  in  Louisiana,  and  Clarence  and  Raymond,  who  are  still  under 
the  parental  roof.     A  consideration  of  the   political  questions   of  the  day 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  233 

have  led  Mr.  Enos  to  give  his  support  to  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  is  now  a  member  of  Savonburg  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
this  relationship  indicates  the  time  when  among  the  boys  in  blue  he 
loyally  served  his  country  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  Union.  At  all  times 
his  duties  of  citizenship  are  faithfully  performed  and  he  withholds  his  sup- 
port from  no  measure  which  he  believes  will  contribute  to  the  general 
good. 


STEPHEN  H.  WEITH. — Numbered  among  the  most  energetic  and 
progressive  farmers  of  Elm  township  is  S.  H.  Weith,  whose  farm  is 
supplied  with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences  while  the  well-tilled 
fields  give  evidence  of  the  careful  supervision  of  their  owner.  As  he  is 
well  known  his  life  record  can  not  fail  to  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  the 
readers  of  this  volume. 

Stephen  H.  Weith  was  born  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  January  13, 
1850.  His  father,  George  Weith,  emigrated  from  Germany  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four  years,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois.  It 
was  in  1838  that  he  settled  in  that  western  country,  then  being  filled  up 
with  some  of  the  best  blood  of  all  nations  whose  posterity  have  made  rich 
the  pages  of  history  in  the  professions,  statesmanship,  science  and  the 
mechanical  arts.  Our  subject's  father  was  offered  a  block  of  land,  now 
almost  in  the  center  of  the  city  of  Peoria,  for  two  months'  work  but  de- 
clined, to  give  his  labors  to  some  enterprise  then  more  promising  of  im- 
mediate reward.  He  located  in  Hollis  township  that  county  and  engaged 
in  farming  and  teaming. 

George  Weith  married  Elizabeth  Walters  who  was  born  in  Switzer- 
land. During  her  childhood  the  latter  came  with  her  parents  to  the  United 
States  and  became  settlers  of  Peoria  county,  Illinois.  The  union  of  this 
couple  was  productive  of  three  children,  John,  Stephen  and  Rose.  John 
Weith  died  in  lola,  Kansas.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  1870,  was  a  black- 
smith—a fine  mechanic — and  was  one  of  the  worthy  men  of  his  adopted 
city. 

George  Weith  was  one  of  a  family  of  five  sons.  Two  of  his  brothers 
survive  and  are  in  the  Fatherland.  George  died  in  1853  and  his  widow  be- 
came the  wife  of  a  Mexican  soldier,  Kobler,  residing  in  Peoria  county, 
Illinois. 

Stephen  Weith,  the  subject  of  this  review,  was  thirteen  years  of  age 
when  his  mother  died.  He  was  thus  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  a 
tender  age.  All  that  he  has  achieved  has  come  as  a  reward  for  his  indi- 
vidual labors.  In  January  1877  he  visited  Allen  county,  Kansas,  and  the 
next  month  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Elm  township  and  soon 
thereafter  began  the  work  of  developing  a  farm  from  the  treeless  waste  of 
prairie.  In  the  little  more  than  a  score  of  years  which  have  elapsed  since 
his  advent  to  the  county   Mr.  Weith  has  brought  into  existence  fields  and 


2;,4  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

orchards  and  barns  and  a  commodious  residence  and  his  is  one  'of  the 
attractive  homesteads  of  the  township. 

As  a  companion  Mr.  Weith  chose  Ella  Shanklin.  The  wedding  oc- 
curred just  before  their  removal  to  Kansas  -and  their  marriage  has  been 
blessed  with  the  following  surviving  children:  George,  Archibald  and 
Josie. 

In  politics  Mr.  Weith  is  well  known  as  a  Populist.  He  espoused  the 
"cause  of  the  people"  in  1890  and  has  lent  his  influence  in  support  of  the 
principles  enunciated  by  his  party.  He  is  one  of  the  leaders  of  Elm 
township  in  that  organization  and  has  filled  the  office  of  Township  Trus- 
tee and  director  of  the  school  board. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weith  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  lola 
and  all  who  know  them  hold  them  in  high  regard. 


"TDICHARDR.  CLAIBORNE,  proprietor  of  the  lola  Cider,  Sorghum 
-*-  *-  and  Corn  Mill  and  Vinegar  Works,  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
old  and  famous  families  of  the  United  States,  being  lineally  descended  from 
William  Claiborne,  who  was  sent  out  by  Charles  I.,  King  of  England,  as 
Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia,  and  who  at  one  time  ruled 
both  Virginia  and  Maryland.  This  William  Claiborne  is  st>led  by  Chief 
Justice  John  Marshall,  in  his  life  of  Washington,  as  "the  evil  genius  of  Mary- 
land," he  having  besieged  .\nnapolis  and  driven  Lord  Proprietor  Calvert  out 
of  the  Province.  His  career  in  America  was  long  and  turbulent  but  he  tri- 
umphed to  the  last,  being  sustained  against  all  his  enemies  by  Charles  I., 
Cromwell  and  Charles  II.,  under  all  of  whom  he  held  high  office  in  the 
new  world.  He  fell  in  battle  with  the  Indians  and  his  tomb  may  yet  be 
seen  at  Wancock  Hill,  Virginia. 

The  descendants  of  William  Claiborne  became  numerous  in  Virginia 
as  they  remained'  there  for  many  generations  without  emigrating,  filling 
many  of  the  highest  offices  in  the  Commonwealth  and  intermarrying  with 
its  most  distinguished  families. 

Richard  Claiborne,  our  subject's  paternal  grandfather,  was  a  Revo- 
lutionary soldier.  He  entered  the  Virginia  line  as  a  lieutenant,  was  aide- 
de-camp  to  General  Greene  during  the  whole  of  his  southern  campaign, 
and  left  the  service  at  the  close  of  the  war,  a  major.  He  took  up  the  prac- 
tice of  law  in  Virginia,  and  when  his  cousin,  Wm.  C.  C.  Claiborne,  was 
appointed  by  President  Jefferson  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Lousiana, 
then  just  made  a  part  of  the  United  States  by  purchase,  he  accompanied 
him  to  New  Orleans  as  his  private  secretary.  After  the  admission  of  the 
State  of  Lousiana  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United 
States  and  continued  to  hold  this  position  until  the  time  of  his  death  which 
occurred  in  18 19. 

Richard  Claiborne  married  Catherine  Ross,  a  daughter  of  Brigadier 
General  James  Ross,  of  the  Revolutionary  army,  and  a  grand-daughter  of 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  235 

George  Ross,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Their 
children  were  Guilford  Green  Claiborne,  our  subject's  father,  and  Hen- 
rietta Virginia  Claiborne,  who  married  Preston  Billings  Elder,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Richard  R.  Claiborne,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Colum- 
bia, Pennsylvania,  September  7,  1838,  and  is  the  .son  of  Guilford  Greene 
Claiborne  who  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  official  of  the  Pennsylvania 
railroad.  When  but  eighteen  years  of  age  Richard  R.  Claiborne  entered 
upon  the  active  duties  of  life  as  Statistical  Clerk  in  the  Philadelphia  custom 
house,  an  appointment  made  by  direction  of  President  Buchanan.  He  con- 
tinued in  office  during  a  part  of  the  administration  of  President  I^incoln  and 
resigned  to  take  the  superintendency  of  the  lyinscott  Petroleum  and  Coal 
Company  at  Athens,  Ohio.  This  position  he  resigned  to  assume  the  manage- 
ment of  the  James  River  Granite  Company,  at  Richmond,  Va. ,  resigning  this 
latter  position  t.)  engage  in  the  coal  business  in  Philadelphia.  In  1870  he 
came  to  Kansas  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  in  the  cattle  business.  He 
located  first  in  Neosho  county,  near  the  town  of  Osage  Mission  (now  St. 
Paul)  establishing  an  extensive  ranch  on  Walnut  creek.  In  1882  he  came 
to  Allen  county,  purchased  the  J.  W.  Scott  homestead  in  Carlyle  township, 
and  made  his  home  there  until  1890  when  he  came  to  lola,  purchasing  the 
Cider  and  Vinegar  industry  then  carried  on  by  the  firm  of  Potter  &  Mc- 
Clure,  in  the  building  now  used  by  the  lola  Creamery.  He  soon  removed 
the  machinery  to  block  115,  where  he  erected  new  buildings,  put  in  a 
larger  plant  and  greatly  extended  the  business.  Under  careful  and  intelli- 
gent management  the  industry  grew  rapidly  and  had  already  become  one  of 
much  importance  when,  in  1898,  the  buildings  and  plant  were  totally  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  Not  daufited  by  this  disaster  Mr.  Claiborne  secured  a  tract 
of  land  just  east  of  the  city,  erected  there  a  new  and  larger  plant,  and  is 
rapidly  regaining  the  ground  lost  by  this  unhappy  misfortune. 

Mr.  Claiborne  was  married  in  February,  1872,  at  Bridge  Water,  Mas- 
sachusetts, to  Elnora  Bartlett,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  E.  Bartlett. 
The  two  children  of  this  union  are  Clarence  Elder  Claiborne,  born  in  1873, 
and  George  Ros.s  Claiborne,  born  in  1876  and  married  in  1899  to  Edith 
Emerson  of  lola. 

During  the  nearly  twenty  years  Mr.  Claiborne  has  lived  in  Allen 
county  he  has  so  conducted  himself  as  to  win  the  respect  and  the  cordial 
esteem  of  all  who  have  had  either  business  or  social  relations  with  him. 
Of  polished  manners  and  excellent  education,  with  a  fine  sense  of  personal 
honor,  he  has  maintained  the  reputation  of  the  distinguished  name  he 
bears  and  has  made  a  record  that  well  entitles  him  to  a  place  among  the 
representative  men  of  Allen  county. 


T  TENRY  A.  BROWN,  M.  D.— Men  of  marked  ability,  forceful  charac- 
-'-  -*-  ter  and  culture  leave  their  impress  upon  the  world  written  in  such 
indelible  characters  that  time   is   powerless   to   obliterate   their  memory  or 


236  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

sweep  it  from  the  minds  of  men.  Their  commendable  acts  live  long  after 
they  have  passed  from  the  scene  of  their  earthly  careers.  Dr.  Brown  is  one 
of  the  strong  characters  who  have  become  an  integral  part  in  the  business 
life  of  Humboldt  and  has  gained  marked  prestige  as  a  representative  of  the 
humane  calling  to  which  he  devotes  his  energies. 

He  was  born  May  15,  1851,  near  Burlington,  Iowa.  His  father, 
Sydney  Brown,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  married  Miss  Jane  Hawkins, 
also  of  that  State.  A  farmer  by  occupation  he  removed  to  Iowa  in  1850 
and  operated  a  tract  of  land  near  Burlington  for  a  few  vears.  He  then 
went  tq  Cincinnati,  Iowa,  where  he  and  his  wife  spent  their  remaining 
days,  the  father  passing  away  in  1894,  at  the  age  of  ninety-four  years, 
while  the  mother  was  called  to  her  final  resting  place  in  1889,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-nine.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children:  Mrs.  Mariara  Pritchard 
and  Mrs.  Rebecca  Corder,  who  reside  at  Cincinnati,  Iowa;  Mrs.  Isabella 
Atherton,  of  Hannibal,  Missouri,  and  Henry  A. 

The  doctor  pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools  until  twelve 
years  of  age,  when  he  entered  a  drug  store,  where  he  was  employed  for 
some  time.  Resuming  his  studies  he  was  graduated  in  the  high  school  in 
Cincinnati,  and  with  considerable  knowledge  of  the  drug  business  he  de- 
termined to  enter  upon  the  study  of  medicine  and  make  its  practice  his  life 
work.  He  became  a  student  in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  J. 
M.  Sturdevant,  and   later  entered  the  medical  college   at  Keokuk,    Iowa. 

On  completing  his  course  in  that  institution  he  returned  to  his  old  home 
in  Cincinnati,  where  he  opened  an  office  and  began  practicing  in  1876,  re- 
maining there  until  the  spring  of  1879,  when  he  sought  a  new  field  of  labor 
in  Earlton,  Kansas.  He  represented  the  medical  fraternity  of  that  city  for 
ten  years  and  in  1889  came  to  Humboldt  where  he  has  since  resided,  building 
up  a  large  and  constantly  increasing  practice.  He  exercises  great  fraternal 
delicacy  in  his  work  and  has  strict  regard  for  the  ethics  of  the  professional 
code.  His  knowledge  of  the  medical  science  is  comprehensive  and  exact, 
and  thus  he  has  attained  a  prominent  position  in  his  chosen  calling.  His 
broad  humanitarian  spirit  prompts  his  response  to  every  call,  no  matter 
what  hardships  are  entailed  in  making  the  visit.  He  never  refuses  to  visit 
a  patient  even  when  he  knows  that  no  pecuniary  reward  may  be  expected, 
but  he  also  has  a  large  patronage  from  among  the  more  substantial  class  of 
citizens  in  Humboldt  and  the  surrounding  country. 

Dr.  Brown  has  been  twice  married  and  by  the  first  union  had  one 
daughter,  Mrs.  Ella  Bordenkircher,  of  Chanute,  Kansas.  For  his  second 
wife  the  doctor  chose  Mi=s  Minnie,  daughter  of  Eli  and  Mary  Neff,  who 
are  residents  of  Humboldt,  Mr.  Nefi  being  one  of  the  largest  stock  traders 
in  both  Allen  and  Wilson  counties.  The  doctor  is  a  member  of  various  in- 
surance orders,  and  fraternal  and  medical  societies.  In  politics  he  has  al- 
ways been  a  stalwart  Republican  and  has  twice  been  elected  and  served  as 
coroner  of  Allen  County.  He  has,  however,  never  been  a  politician  in  the 
sense  of  office  seeking,  preferring  to  give  his  attention  to  his  business 
affairs. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  237 

"^  X  7ILLIAM  DAVIS — Among  the  conspicu'ous characters  and  success- 
'  V  fui  farmers  of  Allen  County  is  William  Davis,  of  Marmaton 
township.  He  has  been  in  the  county  more  than  a  generation,  for  he  came 
to  it  in  April  1878,  and,  as  is  well  known,  settled  upon  a  piece  of  the  dis- 
puted land.  He  aided  for  twenty  years  in  carrying  on  an  honest  and  ag- 
gressive legal  fight  for  land  which  he  believed  the  settlers  were  entitled  to 
and  only  ceased  when  the  court  of  last  resort  said  he  was  in  the  wrong. 
His  home  place,  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  19,  township  25,  range 
2 1 ,  presents  such  an  appearance  of  unusual  development  as  to  warrant  a 
pa.sserby  in  believing  it  an  old-settled,  pioneer  place.  While  it  is  a  new 
farm  practically,  yet  it  is  an  old  one  for  there  hadn't  been  a  plow  stuck  into 
it  nor  a  post  driven  on  it  before  Mr.  Davis  took  possession  of  it. 

Mr.  Davis  came  into  Allen  County  from  Appanoose  County,  Iowa,  to 
which  point  he  went  two  years  after  the  close  of  the  Rebellion.  He  was 
born  in  Noble  County,  Ohio,  May  21,  1844.  His  father,  Elijah  Davis, 
was  also  reared  in  Noble  County,  Ohio,  but  was  born  in  Virginia.  He 
was  married  to  Mary  Buckley  in  Noble  County  and  died  there  in  1887  at 
the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  He  was  a  successful  and  prosperous  farmer, 
was  identified  with  the  Republican  party  and  maintained  himself,  as  a  citi- 
zen, honorable  before  the  world. 

Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather  was  Thomas  Davis.  He  was  a 
schoolteacher  and  farmer  and  was  a  native  of  the  "Old  Dominion',  .state. 
He  died  about  1854,  aged  seventy  years  and  was  descended  from  Scotch 
ancestry. 

Mr.  Buckley,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  died  in  the  military  service 
of  the  United  States  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  went  into  the  service  from 
the  state  of  Pennsj-lvania.  Mrs.  Elijah  Davis  died  in  1897,  leaving  the 
following  children:  Catharine,  who  married  William  Fowler,  resides  in  Noble 
county,  Ohio;  IvCvi  Davis,  of  Taylor  County,  Iowa;  William,  our  subject; 
Eli  Davis,  of  Noble  County,  Ohio;  Thomas  Davis,  of  the  old  home  county, 
and  Mary,  wife  of  Lowry  Smith,  of  the  same  point.  Those  who  passed 
away  in  early  life  are:  Joseph,  died  in  Appanoose  County,  Iowa;  Abraham, 
died  in  the  army,  and    Eeroy,  died  in  Ohio. 

William  Davis  acquired  no  more  than  a  country  school  education.  In 
August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  92nd  Ohio  Infantry,  Captain  E. 
G.  Dudley  and  Colonel  B.  F.  Ferring.  He  was  mustered  into  the  regiment 
at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  it  was  ordered  up  the  Kanawa  valley.  Among  the 
important  things  done,  unofficially,  on  that  trip  was  the  raiding  of  apple 
orchards  and  chicken  roosts.  The  regiment  was  ordered  by  boat  from 
Charleston,  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  where  it  went  into  camp  for  a  time.  From 
this  point  it  proceeded  to  Carthage,  Tenn. ,  where  it  guarded  the  river  a  few 
months.  Actual  hostilities  with  the  regiment  began  at  Chicamaugua. 
Then  followed  Missionary  Ridge  where  Mr.  Davis  lay  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  and  watched  Hooker  drive  the  Rebels  off  of  Lookout  Mountain.  His 
own  command  helped  drive  them  ofi  the  other  side  of  the  mountain.  About 
this  time  Mr.  Davis  was  called  in  for  a  detail  and  he  was  informed  that  he  was 


23S  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

the  only  'man  who  had  not  been  off  duty  in  his  company  or  on  detail.  The 
special  service  detail  which  he  got  took  him  away  from  his  regiment  perma- 
nently.    He  did    not  again  see  it  till  all  were  mustered  out,  in  June,    1865. 

Mr.  Davis  took  up  the  serious  responsibilities  of  life  when  he  left  the 
army.  He  went  back  to  the  farm  and  was  married  November  i,  of  the 
same  year  to  Eliza  J.  Nicholson.  They  remained  in  Ohio  till  1867  when 
they  moved  out  to  Iowa  as  previously  stated. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis'  children  are;  Abraham  1,.,  of  Stroud,  Oklahoma; 
Mary  C. ,  wife  of  A.  Morris,  of  Pawnee,  Oklahoma:  Margaret,  wife  of  Chas. 
H.  Ford,  of  Allen  County;  Joseph  M.  Davis,  whose  wife  was  Rachael  Cul- 
bertson;  Thomas  E.  Davis,  whose  wife  was  Ethel  Wood;  Minnie,  now  wife 
of  Frank  Miller. 


ALBERT  L.  DANIELS,  a  resident  of  Carlyle  township,  Allen  County, 
since  1881,  and  one  of  the  substantial  and  progessive  farmers  of  the 
county,  came  to  the  State  of  Kansas  from  Ford  County,  Illinois.  In  1864 
he  went  into  Woodford  County,  that  State,  and  resided  in  that  county, 
Champaign,  and  Ford  for  seventeen  years,  or  until  his  emigration  to  Kan- 
sas. Mr.  Daniels  was  born  at  Woodbury,  Vermont,  January  26,  1844.  His 
father,  Luke  Daniels,  was  born  at  Danville,  Vermont,  in  1802  and  died  in 
Woodbury  in  1871.  His  father,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  one  of 
the  early  men  and  settlers  of  Danville,  as  was  Luke  Daniels.  Their  occu- 
pation was  farming  and  these  early  ancestors  wereof  the  strong,  rugged  and 
honorable  people  of  the  community. 

Luke  Daniels  married  Maria  Keniston,  a  neice  of  two  Revolutionary 
soldiers,  and  a  daughter  of  a  soldier  in  our  war  for  independence. 
Mrs.  Daniels  died  in  1874  and  was  the  mother  of:  Noah,  who  left  Vermont 
a  young  man  and  was  never  heard  from  more;  Alanson,  of  Vermont; 
Lovisa,  wife  of  William  Cook,  of  Hopkinton,  New  Hampshire;  Samuel, 
who  died  in  Vermont  in  1898;  George,  of  Vermont;  Lovina,  of  Paxton, 
Illinois  is  the  wife  of  H.  H.  Atwood,  and  Albert  L- ,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 

At  twelve  years  of  age  A.  L-  Daniels  was  bound  to  a  brother  for  eight 
years.  He  was  liberally  schooled  and  became  competent  to  teach  before 
his  apprenticeship  was  ended.  He  paid  liberally  for  the  time  he  taught 
until  his  majority  and  made  teaching  a  business  till  he  was  thirty-three 
years  of  age.  He  cariied  on  farming  on  a  modest  scale  the  latter  years  of 
this  period  and  between  the  two  vocations  he  laid  the  foundation  for  a  good 
degree  of  financial  independence.  As  a  teacher  he  was  most  proficient  and 
successful  and  the  five  year  season  in  the  Swede  settlement  in  Ford  County, 
Illinois,  marked  an  era  in  his  career  in  the  profession. 

Mr.  Daniels  brought  with  him  to  Kansas  a  limited  amount  of  capital. 
He  purchased  an  eighty  acre  tract  in  section  17,  township  24,  range  19, 
and  began  its  improvement  and  cultivation.     His  record   as    a  farmer  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  239 

Stock  grower  has  come  to  be  known,  for  his  efforts  at  both  have  been 
reasonably  and  properly  rewarded.  The  breeding  and  growing  of  fine 
hogs  has  claimed  a  share  of  his  attention  and  the  business  has  long  passed 
the  experimental  point  with  him.  The  area  of  his  farm  is  three  times  the 
original  one  and  there  are  -greater  opportunities  for  him  in  the  future. 

Mr  Daniels  was  married  in  Woodford  County,  Illinois  in  1868  to 
Clara  Robinson,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Sumner  Robinson,  a  resident  of 
Benton,  Kansas.  Mr.  Robinson  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Daniels'  children  are:  L,ula,  wife  of  Hervey  Bowlby;  Erta,  wife  of 
Newton  Reno,  of  Yates  Center;  Fred,  who  married  Jane  Busley;  Cordie, 
Walter  and  Floy. 

In  their  political  affiliations  our  subject's  forefathers  were  Whigs. 
His  father  espoused  Democracy  but  the  sons  all  became  followers  of  Fre- 
mont and  Lincoln  and  later  Republican  lights.  In  religious  matters  Mr. 
Daniels  is  an  earnest  advocate  of  Christianity  and  holds  a  membership  in 
the  Baptist  church  of  lola. 


JOHN  EDUSON  POWELL,  of  the  firm  of  Henderson  &  Powell,  of 
'-'  lola,  is  a  son  of  John  Powell,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Carlyle  town- 
ship, Allen  county.  The  latter  came  to  the  county  in  i860  and  located 
upon  a  claim  in  section  34  where  he  opened  a  farm,  improved  it  and  has 
since  resided  upon  it.  He  came  to  Kansas,  directly,  from  Macon  county, 
Illinois,  previously  from  Madison  county,  Indiana,  and  starting  his  migra- 
tion to  the  westward  from  Sciota  county,  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  that 
county  January  31,  1826,  and  his  father  was  John  Powell,  a  farmer,  who 
died  at  an  early  age.  The  latter's  mother  was  the  first  white  child  born  in 
Lawrence  county,  Ohio. 

John  Powell,  our  subject's  father,  married  Rachel  Quick,  a  daughter 
of  James  Quick,  who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Carlyle  township  and 
emigrated  from  Northumberland  county,  Pennsylvania.  The  Powell  chil- 
dren of  this  union  are:  Dora,  wife  of  Orrin  Lake,  of  Round  Valley,  Cali- 
fornia; P.  Jasper  Powell,  of  Anderson  county,  Kansas;  Celena  Powell,  who 
married  M.  E.  Hutchinson,  of  lola;  J.  Ellison  Powell;  Mary  Powell;  Ada, 
wife  of  James  Carter,  of  lola;  Emma  and  Cora  Powell,  teachers  of  Allen 
county. 

J.  E.  Powell  was  born  in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  June  4,  i860.  He 
was  schooled  at  Maple  Grove  and  finished  his  education  at  the  Fort  Scott 
Business  College.  When  he  left  the  parental  roof  at  the  age  of  twenty-five 
years  it  was  to  engage  in  the  real  estate  business  at  Buffalo,  Kansas.  Later 
he  became  associated  with  H.  L.  Henderson  in  the  same  business  in 
lola.  The  press  for  business  in  that  line  became  so  great  in  lola  that 
farming  seemed  more  profitable  and  Mr.  Powell  retired  to  his  farm  in 
Geneva.     Three   years    later  when  prosperity  dawned  upon  our  city  and 


240  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

activity  centered  in  real  estate  Mr.  Powell  again  joined  Mr.  Henderson  and 
the  firm  has  been  one  of  the  prominent  ones  of  Tola. 

June  8,  1891,  Mr.  Powell  married  Dora,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Full- 
wider.  Mrs.  Powell  was  born  in  Anderson  county,  Kansas,  June  15,  1868. 
Their  children  are:     Narcissus,  Jasper  M.,  Fay  M.  and  Ival  Powell. 


GEORGE  MEREDITH. — Among  the  loyal  and  patriotic  Anglo-Ameri- 
can citizens  of  Elm  township,  Allen  county,  whose  enviable  reputa- 
tion abounds  throughout  his  township  and  county  and  whose  substantiality 
has  been  acquired  there  is  George  Meredith,  retired  farmer,  of  LaHarpe. 
He  came  to  Allen  county  in  March  1870  and  permitted  George'  A.  Bowlus 
to  sell  him  a  piece  of  grass  land  on  the  east  side  of  Elm  township.  He  was 
a  young  man  then  and  possessed  the  courage  and  determination  equal  to 
overcoming  the  task  of  changing  this  grassy  waste  into  a  productive  farm 
and  an  attactive  home.  He  began  the  work  of  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment at  once  and,  during  the  twenty-eight  years  which  he  occupied  it, 
reached  a  point  of  financial  indeprndence  worthy  to  be  sought  by  our 
American  youth.  The  loss  of  his  wife  in  1896  left  him  without  companion- 
able surroundings  and  two  years  later  he  took  up  his  residence  in  lyaHarpe 
to  be  near  friends  and  associates. 

George  Meredith  was  born  in  Herefordshire,  England.  April  3,  1830. 
He  was  a  son  of  a  small  farmer,  James  Meredith,  whose  ancestors  had 
resided  in  the  same  shire  for  many  generations.  His  mother  was  Maria 
Porter,  and  George  was  the  seventh  and  last  son  of  their  family.  He  and 
his  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Prosser,  of  Wilmington,  Loraine  county,  Ohio,  are 
the  only  members  of  the  family  on  the  west  side  of  the  Atlantic.  He  grew 
up  on  the  little  home  farm  in  England  and  educated  himself  in  Ohio,  after 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  maturity.  He  left  Liverpool  March  25,  1849, 
aboard  the  "Caleb  Grimshaw,"  a  sailing  vessel,  and  reached  New  York 
after  five  weeks  of  tossing  and  wallowing  in  the  sea.  He  was  destined  for 
Oberlin,  Ohio,  where  he  had  some  acquaintance,  and  where  he  remained 
for  five  years.  He  worked  about  from  place  to  place  at  the  wages  of  ten 
dollars  per  month  and,  in  1854,  came  west  to  Davenport,  Iowa.  There  he 
was  employed  as  teamster  lor  a  miller  and  was  engaged  in  milling  either 
as  employe  or  as  an  interested  partner,  in  that  city  for  many  years.  When 
the  Civil  war  was  in  progress  and  the  nation  seemed  so  mtich  in  need  of 
troops  he  determined  to  drop  his  business  and  enlist.  He  had  notified  his 
employer  of  this  fact  and  the  latter,  desiring  to  retain  his  valuable  helper, 
reported  to  the  examining  surgeon  that  Meredith  was  not  an  able-bodied 
man  and  that  he  was  not  competent  for  military  duty  and  that,  if  he  re- 
ported himself  for  enlistment,  to  so  inform  him.  The  scheme  worked  well 
and  our  subject  was  thus  deprived  of  serving  his  adopted  country  in  time 
of  war. 

When    George    Meredith   came  to  Kansas  he  brought  less  than  three 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  24 1 

hundred  dollars  with  him.  The  land  he  purchased,  on  contract,  was 
found  to  be  in  the  "disputed  beh"  and  he  joined  the  I^eague  to  aid  in  re- 
claiming the  government  title  through  the  courts.  He  entered  the  quarter 
as  a  claim  and  supported  the  contest  till  it  was  seen  that  the  railroad  would 
win  when  he  again  bought  the  tract — this  time  at  a  higher  price — and  the 
controversy  was  then  and  there  ended. 

Mr.  Meredith  was  married  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1854  to  Esther 
Ravenhill  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1851  from  England.  She  was 
born  in  1826  and  died  without  issue. 

The  first  presidential  vote  of  our  subject  was  cast  for  General  Scott, 
and  when  the  Republicans  put  up  their  first  candidate  he  supported  him. 
The  great  Lincoln  he  also  pinned  his  faith  to,  and  the  administration  from 
1897  to  igoi  has  no  parallel,  in  his  judgment,  in  important  national 
achievements  and  in  assuaging  the  anguish  and  discontent  of  our  citizens 
as  a  result  of  a  preceding  administration. 


CARL  OHLFEST. — For  thirty  years  Carl  Ohlfest  has  been  a  resident 
of  Allen  county,  and  during  that  period  has  been  actively  identified 
with  its  agricultural  and  industrial  interests.  He  belongs  to  that  class  of  en- 
terprising American  citizens  that  the  Fatherland  has  furnished  to  the 
New  World.  His  birth  occurred  in  Holsteiu,  Germany,  on  the  27th  day  of 
November,  1833,  and  his  father,  Carl  Ohlfest,  Sr. ,  was  also  a  native  of  the 
same  locality.  Our  subject  now  has  one  brother  living,  John  N.,  who  is  a 
valued  resident  of  Allen  county. 

In  the  land  of  his  nativity  Carl  Ohlfest  acquired  his  education  and 
learned  the  brick-mason's  trade.  Hoping  to  better  his  financial  condition 
in  America,  he  made  preparations  to  leave  Germany  in  1856,  and  joined  a 
company  of  six  hundred  emigrants  who  took  passage  on  the  westward 
bound  vessel,  Napoleon.  He  first  located  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  where 
he  followed  his  chosen  trade  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1870  he  came  to 
Kansas,  locating  in  Allen  county,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  business  as 
a  brick-mason  and  farmer.  He  settled  on  a  tract  of  prairie  land  a  half  mile 
south  of  the  present  town  of  LaHarpe,  and  with  characteristic  energy 
began  its  development,  transforming  the  wild  tract  into  richly  cultivated 
fields  constituting  one  of  the  finest  farms  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Ohlfest  has  been  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  Katrina  Roeder, 
of  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  and  Delia  Mounsir  became  his  second  wife.  The 
latter's  great-grandfather,  Adam  Hahn,  located  in  Maryland  at  an  early 
period  in  the  history  of  that  state.  Her  father,  Reyben  Hahn,  is  still 
living,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  She  has  three  brothers  and  one 
sister  living:  D.  H.  Hahn,  a  physician  at  Wauneta,  Kansas;  R.  H.  Hahn, 
a  cattle  inspector  in  Oklahoma,  and  C.  C.  Hahn,  an  author  of  consider- 
able repute.  His  work,  "In  Cloisters  Dim,"  has  created  much  favorable 
comment  among  critics.     Josephine,  the  only  living  sister  of  Mrs.  Ohlfest, 


242  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

is  the  wife  of  Mr.  Olney,  a  boot  and  shoe  merchant  of  Fresno,  California. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Ohlfest  has  always  been  a  Republican,  un- 
swerving in  support  of  the  principles  of  the  party.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  while  his  wife  belongs  to  the 
Presbyterian  church.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  He  is  faithful  to  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  to  every  rela- 
tion in  life.  He  owes  his  prosperity  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  His  labors 
have  never  been  performed  in  a  desultory  or  intermittent  manner  but  have 
been  vigorously  prosecuted,  and  his  sound  judgment  has  so  enabled  him  to 
direct  his  efforts  that  he  has  gained  therefrom  a  handsome  competence. 


LUTE  P.  STOVER,  County  Surveyor  of  Allen  County,  and  a  gentle- 
man with  large  farming  and  live  stock  interests  therein,  was  born  Feb- 
ruary ID,  1873,  in  Humboldt,  Kansas.  He  is  the  oldest  son  of  Tindall  S. 
Stover,  of  lola,  and  was  reared  in  his  native  county.  In  the  Ida  schools 
where  he  graduated,  he  was  noted  for  his  original  and  inquisitorial  nature 
and  was  noted  as  a  specially  bright  and  well-informed  boy.  His  fund  of 
information  extended  to  subjects  where  small  boys  are  not  wont  to  tread 
and  his  powers  of  expressing  his  ideas  were  remarkably  well  developed. 
His  teachers  learned  not  to  be  surprised  at  any  demonstration  of  learning, 
any  technical  inquiry  or  any  impersonation  of  character  from  his  lips  and 
such  a  fund  of  humor  ran  through  it  all  as  easily  to  mark  him  an  extra- 
ordinary and  promising  pupil.  After  leaving  the  lola  schools  he  went  to 
the  old  Stover  home  in  Maine  and  spent  two  years  in  the  Blue  Hill  Acade- 
my. He  finished  his  education  with  two  years  in  the  University  of  Kansas 
where  betook  an  irregular  course,  chief  among  his  studies  being  civil  engin- 
eering and  surveying. 

Mr.  Stover's  business  life  began  in  the  Indian  Territory  where  he  spent 
two  years  surveying  and  doing  newspaper  work.  He  was  on  papers  in 
Blackwell,  Oklahoma,  and  in  Tallequah,  Cherokee  Nation,  and  came 
back  to  lola  to  take  charge  of  the  business  of  the  Stover  Abstract  Company. 
During  this  period  of  employment  the  Republicans  nominated  him  for 
County  Surveyor  (in  1895)  and  he  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  over  1300 
votes.  In  1897  li^  was  again  a  candidate  and  this  time  the  Fusion  candi- 
date succeeded  in  getting  his  name  on  both  the  Populist  and  Democratic 
tickets  and  the-  Republican  majority  for  this  oflBce  was  something  over 
300  votes. 

During  his  incumbency  of  the  surveyor's  office  Mr.  Stover  married  a 
lady  whose  Allen  County  interests  were  extensive  and  he  succeeded  to  the 
active  management  of  her  affairs.  For  three  years  from  the  first  of  1897, 
he  was  chiefly  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  and  in  farming. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  occurred  February  i,  1897,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Madge,  a  daughter  of  the  late  pioneer,  Paul  Fisher. 

January  ist,  1900,  Mr.  Stover  joined  Herman  Tholen  and  Ben  Achter, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  243 

of  Humboldt,  in  the  formation  of  the  Ida  Wholesale  Grocery  Company  and 
was  chosen  its  Treasurer. 

The  political  tendencies  of  Lute  Stover  are  matters  of  general  informa- 
tion. He  was  a  Republican  when  a  boy  in  knee  pants  and  lie  took  as 
much  interest  in  elections  as  the  average  politician  of  today.  He  knew  the 
leaders  of  the  parties  in  the  big  states  and  was  conversant  with  the  current 
political  events  then  as  now.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  lola  militia  com- 
pany he  was  chosen  its  captain  and  gave  the  boys  their  first  serious  lesson  in 
military  tactics. 


tZj^DMUND  H.  TOBEY— One  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock  men  of 
-•— -*  Allen  County  is  Edmund  H.  Tobey,  County  Commissioneir.  He 
has  resided  within  the  confines  of  the  State  more  than  thirty  years  and  in 
that  time  has  established  a  reputation  for  industry,  thrift  and  personal  in- 
tegrity. He  was  born  in  Duchess  County,  New  York,  August  30,  1837, 
and  is  a  son  of  Albert  Tobey,  who  was  born  in  the  year  1800  in  the  State 
of  Connecticut  and  his  mother,  nee  Emily  Howes,  was  born  in  Sullivan 
County,  New  York.  Of  their  family  of  four  children  Edmund  H.  was  the 
youngest.  The  latter  was  married  in  1859  to  Miss  M.  L.  Card,  whose  peo- 
ple came  originally  from  Columbia  County,  New  York. 

Mr.  Tobey  came  to  the  Sunflower  State  without  means  and  went  to 
work.  His  remarkable  energy  and  tenacity  coupled  with  the  qualities  al- 
ready enumerated  have  won  him  a  high  place  ^mong  the  substantial  men 
of  the  county.  He  has  accumulated  laud  by  the  section  and  his  herds  of 
fat  and  stock  cattle  feed  over  his  domains  year  in  and  year  out.  As  a  ship- 
pei  he  is  known  extensively  and  his  place  is  a  market  for  acres  of  his  neigh- 
bors' surplus  corn. 

Mr.  Tobey  has  comported  himself  in  a  manner  to  win  the  confidence, 
social  and  political,  of  his  fellow  citizens.  Although  he  has  been  a  pro- 
nounced Republican  in  politics  his  friends  of  the  opposition  have  not  failed 
to  endorse  his  candidacy  or  aid  his  aspirations  for  public  oSice.  In  1900 
he  was  nominated  by  the  Republican  County  Convention  for  Commissioner 
of  the  Second  district  and  he  was  elected  by  a  majority  complimentary  to 
him  as  a  citizen  and  satisfactory  to  his  party. 

"Maple  Avenue,"  his  home,  is  a  product  of  Mr.  Tobey 's  own  ingenui- 
ty and  taste.  It  lies  one  and  a  half  miles  south  of  LaHarpe  and  comprises 
his  residence,  barns  and  grounds  adjacent.  It  is  one  of  the  most  conspicu- 
ous" places  on  the  drive  crossing  Elm  Creek  and  is  of  a  character  highly 
creditable  to  the  substantial  development  of  Allen  County. 


A  }\  7ILIyIAM  TURNER— It  is  in  this  article  that  are  presented  the  facts 

"   "       which  led  to  the  early  development  of  the  lola  gas  field.     It  is  the 

subject  of  this  brief  biography  who  was  responsible  for  this   early    develop- 


244 


HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 


nieiit  and  who  has  had  no  little  connection  with  it.  William  Turner, 
superintendent  of  the  LaHarpe  works,  of  the  Lanyon  Zinc  Company,  is  the 
person  referred  to  in  the  introduction  hereto.  While  on  a  visit  to  a  sister 
in  Elsmore  township,  Allen  County,  in  1896  he  heard  of  lola's  gas  find  and 
decided  to  investigate  its  strength  and  merits,  as  fuel,  etc  ,  in  the  hope 
that  he  would  find  a  desirable  point  for  his  employers,  the  Lanyons,  to  re- 
engage in  the  smelting  business.  After  convincing  himself  that  the  volume 
of  fuel  necessary  to  operate  any  factory  enterprise  indefinitely,  was  under 
the  city  he  consulted  L,.  h-  Northrup  to  determine  whether  any  induce- 
ments would  be  offered  to  manufacturers  to  locate  in  lola.  Finding  a 
readiness  on  the  part  of  the  latter  gentleman  to  go  to  great  lengths  and 
sacrifices  to  inject  a  breath  of  real  life  into  his  town  Mr.  Turner  reported  the 
result  of  his  find,  with  recommendations,  to  Robert  H.  Lanyon  who  visited 
lola  and  verified  the  report.  Negotiations  weie  soon  set  in  motion  which 
resulted  in  the  erection  of  the  L,anyon  Zinc  Company's  works  No.  i ,  the 
pioneer  smelter  in  the  gas  belt. 

William  Turner's  part  in  the  development  of  the  gas  field  was  in  the 
capacity  of  supervising  constructor  of  the  Robert  L,anyon's  Sons  two  large 
smelters  at  lola  and  I^aHarpe.  Having  done  this  and  completed  the  work 
of  building  for  that  company  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  LaHarpe 
plant  and  was  undisturbed  in  his  position  when  the  Lanyon  interests  went 
into  the  great  consolidated  company.  Mr.  Turner's  career  as  a  smelter 
man  extends  over  a  period  of  ten  years.  He  became  connected  with  the 
Lanyon's  at  Nevada,  Missouri,  in  1890,  in  the  capacity  of  mill-wright  and 
was  with  them  two  years  there.  In  1892  he  was  sent  by  them  to  Wauke- 
gan,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  repairing  and  constructing  four  years. 
Upon  leaving  this  point  it  was  to  take  a  vacation  and  visit  his  sister  in 
Kansas,  resulting  in  the  discovery  of  the  gas  field  and  the  construction  of 
the  first  lola  .■-melter. 

Mr.  Turner  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  Indiana,  April  17,  1852. 
His  father  was  Jonas  Turner  who  entered  land  in  that  county.  The  latter 
settled  eight  miles  south  of  Muncie  and  resided  there  until  his  death 
in  1866.  He  was  born  in  Green  County,  Ohio  in  1812  and  was  a  son  of  a 
wheel-wright,  George  Turner,  who  settled  near  Xenia,  Ohio,  very  early  and 
afterward  went  into  Delaware  County,  Indiana.  Walter  Turner,  father  of 
George  Turner,  came  to  America  during  the  French  and  Indian  war  as  a 
soldier  with  the  King's  army.  He  felt  his  duty  to  his  king  greater  than 
those  to  his  adopted  country  and  he  did  not  serve  with  the '  patriots  during 
the  Revolution.  He  died  near  Xenia,  Ohio,  leaving  as  many  as  six  sons: 
Joseph,  Jonathan,  Robert,  Ambrose,  Isaac  and  George.  The  latter  married 
Fanny  Oaks  and  died  in  Delaware  County,  Indiana.  Their  children  were: 
Joshua,  Jonathan,  Jonas,  George,  Riley,  Robert  and  John,  all  of  whom 
reared  families. 

Jonas  Turner  married  Patsy  Gibson,  whose  father,  William  Gibson; 
was  a  southern  man  and  a  preacher,  Mrs.  Turner  died  in  1889  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  Their  children  ware:  John,  who  died  in  1863;  Sarah, 
deceased,  was  the  wife  of  William  Felton;   Jonathan   Turner,    of  Delaware 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  245 

County,  Indiana,  a  farmer;  Phebe,  deceased,  left  children  by  two  husbands 
(James  Lacey  and  Lasley  L.  Herold);  Jane,  wife  of  Joel  Canady,  of  Els- 
more,  Kansas;  Philip  Turner,  of  Delaware  County,  Indiana,  and  William, 
our  subject. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  William  Turner  began  learning  the  machinist 
trade  in  Muncie,  Indiana,  in  the  old  Phelps  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop. 
Before  he  had  completed  his  term  of  service  the  shop  closed  and  our  sub- 
ject took  up  the  carpenter  trade.  He  worked  in  and  around  Muncie  and 
practically  completed  the  trade.  He  followed  it  many  years,  together  with 
raill-wrighting,  in  Indiana  and  Wisconsin.  He  was  located  at  Richland 
Center  in  the  latter  State  and  was  in  a  saw-mill  and  furniture  factory  there 
for  a  time.  From  this  point  he  went  to  Irving,  Illinois,  and  resided  five 
years.  All  the  time  he  was  on  the  road  putting  up  mills  of  all  kinds  and 
because  of  this  fact  he  was  first  induced  .to  come  to  Kansas.  He  went  to 
Humboldt  in  1884  to  put  in  the  machinery  of  the  Lindsay  flouring  mills. 
He  put  in  a  paint  mill  at  Deep  Water,  Missouri  and  from  this  point  went 
to  Nevada  where,  after  an  elapse  of  time  he  became  associated  with  the 
Lanyons. 

August  15,  1875,  Mr.  Turner  was  married  at  Irving,  Illinois,  to  Marj^ 
J.  Carriker,  a  daughter  of  John  Carriker,  an  early  settler  of  Montgomery 
County,  Illinois,  and  from  North  Carolina.  Their  only  son  is  John  Turner, 
who  is  married  to  Lue  Ricketts  and  is  a  foreman  for  the  Lanyon  Zinc  Com- 
pany.   Josie  Turner  is  the  onlj^  daughter  of  our  subject. 

Mr.  Turner  is  a  Ma"son,  Odd  Fellow,  Elk,  Woodman  and  a  Republican. 


/"^LAUS  BARNHOLT,  of  LaHarpe,  a  successful  farmer  and  one  of  the 
^^  early  settlers  of  Elm  township,  is  a  character  among  the  substantial 
men  of  his  community.  He  was  born  in  Holstein,  now  a  part  of  the  Ger- 
man Empire,  March  21,  1836.  His  parents  were  in  humble  circumstances 
and  his  father  supported  his  family  at  day  labor  as  a  timberman  or  woods- 
man. The  latter  was  Henry  Barnholt,  who  died  in  Germany  in  1884.  He 
was  born  with  the  century  and  was  first  married  to  Annie  Timm,  who  died 
in  1838.  Their  other  two  children  were  Annie,  wife  of  Hermann  Hatz, 
and  Hans  Barnholt,  both  in  the  Fatherland.  Henry  Barnholt's  second 
wife  was  Lina  Ohlfest,  a  sister  of  John  and  Carl  Ohliest,  prominent  and  in- 
fluential farmers  of  Allen  county.  The  children  of  this  marriage  were 
Catherine,  widow  of  Carl  Heeley,  who  resides  in  EaHarpe;  Henry  Barn- 
holt, of  Holstein,  Germany,  and  Carl  Barnholt,  of  LaHarpe,  Kansas. 

Claus  Barnholt  came  to  the  United  States  in  1868.  He  sailed  from 
Hamburg  on  the  "Itonia"  for  New  York  and  located  first  at  Valparaiso, 
Indiana.  He  had  been  accustomed  towage  working  in  his  native  land  and 
this  was  what  he  took  up  in  America.  He  remained  about  Valparaiso  two 
years  and,  in  1870,  came  to  Kansas  with  the  Ohlfests.  The  first  five  years 
in   Allen  county   he  passed  as  a  farm  laborer,  working  for  the  old  and  sub- 


246  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN    AND 

stantial  citizens  of  Elm  township,  including  Tobey,  Pickell,  etc.  In  the 
spring  of  1875  he  bought  an  eighty  in  section  2,  township  25,  range  19,  and 
put  into  it  the  wages  he  had  saved  since  his  arrival  in  the  United  States. 
His  success  in  farming  and,  to  a  limited  extent,  stock  raising,  has  brought 
him  to  a  position  of  financial  ease  not  always  achieved  by  the  average 
farmer.  He  has  added  eighty  acres  to  his  first  purchase  giving  him  a 
quarter  section  of  land. 

Claus  Barnholt  has  known  nothing  but  work.  It  is  one  of  the  char- 
acteristics of  his  race.  Reaching  maturity  with  no  special  opportunities 
and  no  talent  resources  his  capital  was  his  industry.  The  world  was  be- 
fore him  and  it  is  always  kind  to  the  honorable  son  of  toil.  In  the  vigor  of 
manhood  did  he  put  forth  his  greatest  efforts  and  what  he  achieved  will 
supply  his  wants  in  old  age.     He  is  a  Republican. 


HENRY  BUSl^EY,  of  Elm  township,  Allen  county,  successful  farmer, 
and  thrifty  and  progressive  citizen,  has  passed  a  full  score  of  years 
within  the  confines  of  his  county  and  is  a  gentleman  worthy  to  be  known 
and  trusted.  He  came  amongst  us  almost  a  raw  English  emigrant  and 
purchased  a  small  farm  in  .section  23,  township  24,  range  19.  He  reached 
lola  on  the  4th  of  March,  1880,  and  the  next  day  was  driven  into  the 
country  by  George  A.  Bowlus,  lola's  genial  banker,  then  an  ordinary  land 
agent.  He  sold  Mr.  Busley  the  tract  above  mentioned  and  the  latter 
brought  his  family  to  his  new  home  at  once. 

Mr.  Busley  was  born  in  L,incolushire,  England,  May  29,  1845,  and  was 
left  an  orphan  by  the  accidental  death  of  his  father,  Samuel  Busley,  two 
years  later.  There  were  six  children  in  the  family  and  Henry  is  the  only 
one  who  ventured  across  the  Atlantic.  Jane  Scotney  was  our  subject's 
mother.  Her  other  children  were:  John,  William,  Samuel,  Ann,  Sarah, 
and  George,  Joseph  and  Jane  Reed,  the  last  three  by  her  second  husband. 

Henry  Busley  was  strictly  a  farmer  boy  and  at  eleven  years  of  age 
began  the  task  of  finding  his  own  keep.  He  worked  .seven  years  for  one 
man  at  four  pounds  the  first  year  and  at  ten  pounds  a  year  the  last  two 
)ears.  The  following  four  years  he  spent  with  another  farmer  at  sixteen 
pounds  per  year.  The  last  tour  years  in  England  were  spent  as  foreman 
over  a  farm.  In  this  position  he  acquired  a  valuable  and  accurate  know- 
ledge of  caring  for  all  kinds  of  stock  belonging  to  the  farm. 

On  reaching  the  United  States  Mr.  Busley  located  in  Livingston 
county.  New  York,  and  spent  seven  years  there.  He  became  foreman  of  a 
large  farm  belonging  to  Mr.  William  Hamilton,  a  leading  man  of  that 
county.  He  was  induced  by  Arnold  and  Kemp,  emigration  agents,  to 
make  a  trip  to  the  west  with  the  result  as  above  mentioned. 

Farming  in  the  west  Mr.  Busley  has  found  to  be  different  to  farming  in 
England  or  New  York.  He  has  been  able  in  the  years  he  has  cultivated 
Kansas  soil  to  not  only  improve  his  original  home  but  to  add  to  it  a  half 


% 


<*'n^^e^-Z.''2-^^  ^C^^-C^ud 


WOODSON    COTJNTIES,    KANSAS.  247 

section  of  land  and  to  proper!}'  improve  and  till  the  same.  In  his  case 
agriculture  includes  the  growing  and  handling  of  stock.  Much  of  his  ac- 
cretions have  come  from  this  source  and  when  conducted  with  wisdom  it 
produces  the  easiest  money  a  farmer   makes. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Busley  has  given  much  of  his  time  to  the  interests 
of  the  Lanyons  and  their  succesisors.  The  leasing  of  territory  for  prospect- 
ing for  gas  and  the  renewal  of  leases  in  the  territory  of  lyaHarpe  are  mat- 
ter which  the  company  has  entrusted  to  him  and  the  fidelity  with  which  he 
performs  his  duties  is  a  matter  of  common  recognition.  He  has  a  personal 
interest  in  the  development  of  the  gas  fields  of  Allen  county  for  his  land  is 
all  within  the  territory  and  the  "Busley  well"  is  the  farthest  north,  yet 
discovered, 

Mr.  Busley  was  married  in  1868  to  Sarah  A.  Green  and  their  children 
are:  Sarah  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  Higgins;  Mary  Jane,  wife  of  Fred 
E.  Daniels;  and  Annie  G.,  John  W. ,  Emily,  Thurza  E. ,  George  H. ,  Nellie, 
Harry  and  Albert  J.  Busley,  all  in  the  family  home. 

In  matters  of  public  policy  Mr.  Busley  is  a  Republican.  His  first 
presidential  vote  was  cast  for  the  lamented  Garfield  and  his  voice  and  vote 
have  gone  to  each  Republican  nominee  since  the  campaign  of  1880. 

As  a  citizen  Mr.  Busley  is  honest,  energetic  and  industrious.  As  a 
business  man  he  possesses  the  utmost  integrity  and  practices  only  the  recog- 
nized principles  of  business.  As  a  neighbor  he  is  accommodating  and 
helpful,  encouraging  the  timid  and  lending  substantial  aid  to  the  weak. 


TipELIS  P.  DELAPLAIN  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Elm  township, 
-' — 'Allen  County.  He  dates  his  advent  to  the  county  from  the  year  1868 
when  his  father,  Joshua  P.  Delaplain,  emigrated  from  Macoupin  County, 
Illinois,  and  became  a  permanent  resident  of  this  new  country.  Ellis 
Delaplain  was  born  in  Madison  County,  Illinois,  January  3,  1850,  and  fin- 
ished his  education  in  the  Brighton,  Illinois,  high  school.  Tilling  the 
soil  has  engaged  his  attention  here  for  nearly  thirty-two  years,  continuous- 
ly, and  when,  at  two  different  times,  he  tried  to  settle  to  be  content  else- 
where, he  found  it  impossible  and  each  time  returned  to  the  fertile  plains 
of  Kansas. 

Mr.  Delaplain  was  married  in  lola  May  14,  1871,  to  Jennie  Penn, 
whose  father,  John  Penn,  settled  in  Macoupin  County,  Illinois,  in  an  earh' 
day.  He  was  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County,  that  State,  and  was  married  to 
Catherine  Bates.  The  other  Penn  heirs  are:  Charles,  Joseph,  Benjamin 
and  Samuel  Penn. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Delaplain's  children  are:  Hairy  J.;  Herbert  W.;  and 
Earl  L,.  Delaplain,  all  of  whom  inhabit  the  family  home. 

Mr.  Delaplain  has  been,  for  some  years,  one  of  the  well  known  stock 
handlers  of  his  township.     He  is  one  of  the  extensive  farmers  of  the  county 


248  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AXD 

and  with  the  aid  of  his  sons  is  operating    the   large  tract  of  George  G.  Fox 
near  LaHarpe. 

The  political  aflBliations  of  the  Delaplains  are  well  known.  Their  Re- 
publicanism is  not  a  subject  of  doubt  or  question  and  their  interest  in 
honest  and  wholesome  municipal  government  is  constant  and  unflaggin"-. 
Our  subject  has  served  his  township  efHciently  as  trustee  as  well  as  its  con- 
stable and  his  conduct  of  both  offices  marks  him  as  eminentl}'  fair  and 
scrupulous  in  his  execution  of  the  law. 


JOHN  WESLEY  LAURY,  Marmaton  township's  successful  farmer  and 
popular  citizen,  was  born  in  Carbon  County,  Pennsylvania,  February 
2,  1853.  Godfrey  Laury,  his  father,  was  born  in  lychigh  County,  in  1823, 
and  was  a  Pennsylvania  Dutchman.  His  early  life  was  passed  as  a  merch- 
ant at  Mahanoy  in  Schuylkill  County,  but  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life 
were  spent  with  our  subject  on  the  farm.  John  L,aury,  our  subject's  grand- 
father, was  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Lehigh  and  Northampton 
Counties.  Pennsylvania,  in  the  former  of  which  he  died  in  1832.  His  son, 
Godfrey,  served  under  General  Albright  in  the  defense  of  Washington 
when  the  Rebels  were  marching  on  the  capital  in  the  summer  of  1863. 

Godfrey  Laury  married  Anna  Maria  Dreisbach,  a  daughter  of  Daniel 
Dreisbach,  a  Carbon  County  Pennsylvania  farmer.  Mrs.  Laury  died  in 
Allen  County,  Kansas,  in  1866,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years;  while  her 
husband  died  March  29,  1897.  Their  children  are:  John  W.,  our  subject; 
Emma,  wife  of  Theodore  Maxson,  of  Elm  township,  and  Ella,  who  married 
J.  O.  Eagle,  of  Allen  County. 

The  Laurys  came  to  Kansas  in  1878  and  settled  upon  section  9,  town 
26,  range  20,  which  our  subject  has  succeeded  in  reducing  to  a  productive 
farm  and  a  comfortable  home.  A  few  years  after  his  advent  to  the  county 
he  discovered  an  opening  in  his  community  for  a  country  butcher  and  he 
fitted  out  a  store-on-wheels  and  engaged  in  the  business.  Fourteen  years 
is  almost  a  generation  but  it  is  that  long  since  this  venture  was  under- 
taken and  its  success  has  been  ample  and  more  than  its  projector 
anticipated. 

May  18,  1882,  John  W.  Laury  was  married  to  Alice  McCray,  of  Wil- 
son County,  Kansas,  a  daughter  of  William  McCray  who  came  to  Kansas 
from  Hancock  County,  Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Laury's  children  are: 
William  G.,  Charles  McCray,  Clara  Olivia,  John  W.  Jr.,  Emma  Alice, 
George  x\ldridge,  Raymond  H.,  Everett  M.,  and  Ruth  Jane. 

With  nothing  has  John  Laury  been  more  familiar  and  taken  a  deeper  in- 
terest in  Allen  County,  than  its  politics.  The  time  was  not  when  he  was  not  a 
Republican.  He  inherited  the  spirit  from  his  ancestors,  breathed  it  from  the 
air  in  which  he  was  reared  and  practiced  it  from  the  time  he  reached  his 
majority.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Rutherford  B.  Hays  and 
he  has  felt  it  a  great   privilege   to   be    permitted   to  aid  in  choosing  for  the 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  249 

Presidenc}'  such  men  as  Garfield,  Harrison,  and  McKinley.  Mr.  I,aury's 
convention  record,  as  a  delegate,  is  a  long  and  almost  unbroken  one.  His 
influence  is  of  far-reaching  and  weighty  character  and  the  candidate  whose 
cause  he  espouses  finds  him  enlisted  for  the  war.  He  has  been  urged  for 
the  County  Treasurership,  which  office  he  is  admirably  adapted  to  preside 
over,  but  the  opportunity  has  not  yet  arrived.  Were  all  the  elements  of  our 
composite  citizenship  as  industrious,  as  energetic,  as  honest  and  as 
patriotic  as  John  W.  I,auiy  there  would  be  no  need  of  court  or  juries  or 
lawyers. 


JOHN  GWIIylylM — In  March,  1871,  John  Gwillim  took  up  his  residence 
"  in  Allen  County.  He  owns  the  north  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  6,  town  25,  range  20,  but  settled  upon  section  29,  town  24,  range 
20.  He  came  from  Herefordshire,  England,  where  he  was  born  March  3, 
1846.  His  father  died  in  Herefordshire  in  1897  at  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years.  The  latter  was  married  to  Harriet  L,loyd  and  their  children  were: 
John,  Mary,  William,  Robert,  of  England;  Thomas,  of  Wallowa  County, 
Oregon;  Martha  and  Elizabeth,  both  in  Oregon,  and  Ebenezer  Gwillim, 
who  still  clings  to  his  English  home. 

John  Gwillim  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  left  old  England  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four  years.  He  had  sufficient  capital  to  begin  business  on  in  Kan- 
sas and,  after  spending  a  year  in  Jo  Daviess  County,  Illinois,  he  came 
hither  and  added  his  name  to  the  list  of  prairie  farmers    of   Elm   township. 

He  was  married  before  he  emigrated  from  England  to  Ann  Watkins, 
who  died  in  1877,  leaving  a  daughter,  Annie,  who  is  her  father's  companion. 

Mr.  Gwillim's  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Garfield  and  his  fealty 
to  the  Republican  party  has  remained  constant.  He  is  in  no  sense  a  work- 
er, in  party  parlance,  but  his  knowledge  of  policies  and  men  enables  him  to 
ca.st  an  intelligent  and  patriotic  ballot. 


"\  A  /ALTER  A.  KERR,  of  Elm  township,  one  of  the  energetic  and 
"  ^  substantial  young  farmers  of  his  community  and  a  son  of  our 
worthy  countryman,  Obed  Kerr,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  October  9,  1869. 
He  came  into  Allen  county  at  the  age  of  nine  years  and  has  been  reared 
and  fairly  educated  here.  His  life  has  been  that  of  a  farmer  and  stockman 
and  he  remained  under  the  parental  roof  till  near  his  twenty-ninth  year. 
He  was  married  May  13,  1898,  to  Miss  Alice  Brookins,  a  daughter  of  Prof. 
W.  E.  Brookins,  one  of  the  effective  educators  of  Kansas,  now  located  at 
Blue  Mound.  The  latter  was  born  in  New  York,  is  married  to  Libbie 
Gay,  and  Fred  Brookins  and  Mrs.  Kerr  are  his  two  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kerr's  only  child  is  Bessie  V.   Kerr  born  May   i,    1899. 

Mr.    Kerr  manages  the  east  half  of  section  13,  township  25,  range  19 


250 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


one  half  of  which  he  owns,  and  he  is  gradually  and  surely-  coming  to  be 
one  of  the  successful  cattle  growers  and  dealers  of  Elm  township.  He 
takes  a  citizen's  interest  in  the  management  of  public  affairs,  and  while  he 
has  nu  inclination  toward  politics  he  keeps  abreatt  of  current  events  and 
manifests  a  keen  concern  foi  the  success  of  Republican  principles  at  the 
poles. 


CHARLES  W.  SMITH,  one  of  the  foremost  young  farmers  of  Elm  town- 
ship, whose  unquestioned  reputation  has  been  established  in  Allen 
county  in  the  past  twenty  years,  was  born  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  Octo- 
ber i8,  1^53-  He  was  reared  on  the  farm  of  his  father,  Samuel  W.  Smith, 
who  died  in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  in  1886,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years. 
The  latter  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  came  to  Illinois  early  in  life  and  was 
married  there  to  Sarah  H.  Bodine.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in 
183 1  and  is  a  resident  of  L,aHarpe,  Allen  county,  Kansas.  Her  children 
are:  Josephine,  wife  of  Charles  Cole,  of  lola,  Charles  W. ,  our  subject; 
Addie,  wife  of  W.  H.  Baker,  of  Cherryvale,  Kansas;  Henry  B.  Smith,  of 
Moran,  Kansas;  George  C,  of  LaHarpe,  and  Luella  May,  wife  of  Andrew 
Smith,  of  Wichita,  Kansas. 

Charles  W  Smith  was  married  at  twenty-one  years  and  started  in  life 
as  a  farmer.  He  came  to  Kansas  about  that  date  and,  with  a  small  amount 
of  capital,  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  north-east  of  LaHarpe  and  began 
its  improvement  and  cultivation  by  degrees.  He  worked  by  the  day  near 
Moran  for  Peter  McGlashan  who  paid  him  twenty-five  cents  more  for  a 
day's  work  than  any  one  else  was  getting,  and  he  earned  good  wages  with 
Vandegrift  and  Paske  who  paid  hands  in  proportion  to  what  they  were 
worth.  By  this  method  he  acquired  the  means  with  which  he  sustained 
himself  and  family  while  the  initial  strokes  of  farm  improvement  were  being 
made.  When  he  got  some  land  broken  and  a  shanty  erected  our  subject 
was  well  on  his  way  toward  independence,  and  when  he  had  accumulated 
a  small  bunch  of  cattle  and  gotten  his  income  to  exceed  his  expenses  by 
some  fold  prosperity  had  really  set  in.  Since  he  made  his  first  crop  of 
twenty  acres  of  broom  corn  his  farm  could  be  relied  upon  to  produce  suf- 
ficient for  the  family  needs. 

Mr.  Smith's  energy  is  not  the  kind  that  would  permit  him  to  go  back- 
ward instead  of  forward.  Whatever  he  planted  he  reaped  a  crop  from,  if 
weather  conditions  did  not  interfere,  and  if  his  crop  was  small  one  year  he 
retrenched  just  as  much  in  proportion  to  bring  the  yearly  balance  on  the 
right  side.     He  is  the  owner  of  a  fertile  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 

Beyond  his  father,  little  is  at  hand  as  to  the  Smith  ancestry.  Samuel 
W.  Smith  was  an  only  son  and  his  widowed  mother  married  an  Aby,  and 
two  of  their  their  children  survive:  G.  H.  Aby,  of  Harper  county,  Kan- 
sas,  and   Rebecca,  wife  of  Nelson  Milles,  of  McDonough  county,  Illinois. 

March  23,  1879,  Charles  W.  Smith  was  married  to  Louisa,  a  daughter 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  25 1 

of  Jonas  Johnson,  deceased,  of  Knox  county,  Illinois.  The  latter  reared 
eight  children,  six  of  the  surviving  ones  being  in  Illinois.  Our  subject's 
children  are:     Herschel  W. ,  Claire  H.,  Helen  Marie  and  Nola  Belle. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican  without  compromise  or  apology.  He  has 
given  his  services  in  a  modest  way  to  party  affairs  in  Allen  county  and  is  a 
delegate  to  nearly  every  County  convention  held.  He  looks  back  over  his 
modest  political  history  and  feels  gratified  in  the  belief  that  he  has  never 
been  on  the  wrong  side  in  a  national  campaign. 


ALFRED  C.  KOHIvER. — Elm  township,  Allen  county,  contains  few 
farmers  who  are  more  enterprising  and  progressive  than  Alfred  C. 
Kohler.  His  industry  and  thrift  are  subjects  of  common  report  and  his 
pride  in  farm-improvement,  and  thus  in  county-development,  is  very  ap- 
parent to  the  passerby.  It  is  only  sixteen  years  that  he  has  dealt  with  con- 
ditions in  Kansas,  for  he  came  here  in  1884,  and  in  that  space  of  time 
Pennsylvania  energy  and  perseverance  have  done  effective  work. 

November  i,  1845,  A.  C.  Kohler  was  born  in  Lehigh  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. A  son  of  Dr.  W.  S.  Kohler  and  a  grandson  of ,  Peter  Kohler  he 
was  reared  in  Lehigh  and  Northampton  counties.  His  ancestors  were  of 
the  first  settled  families  in  that  region  and  Peter  Kohler  was  one  of  the 
large  land  owners  in  his  county.  He  was  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican 
while  his  ancestors  were  Federalists.  He  married  Catherine  Steckel  and 
died  in  1872  at  the  age  of  ninety-three  years.  Of  his  eight  children  five 
were  sons  of  whom  Dr.  W.  S.  Kohler  was  the  eldest.  The  latter  spent 
forty  years  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  died  at  the  place  of  his  birth, 
now  Egypt,  Lehigh  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1870  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years.  His  first  wife  was  Mi.ss  Kern  who  bore  him  three  children  only  one 
of  whom  died  with  issue,  Dr.  John  P.  Kohler,  who  left  two  children.  His 
second  wife,  and  our  subject's  mother,  was  Catherine  Laury,  a  daughter  of 
a  Lehigh  and  Northampton  county  farmer,  John  Laury.  Of  the  issue  of 
this  last  marriage  Alfred  C.  Kohler  is  the  eldest.  The  other  children  are 
Sarah,  Martha,  wife  of  Dr.  Erdman,  of  Allentown,  Pennsylvania,  and  Silas 
Kohler  who  resides  in  Lehigh  county. 

A.  C.  Kohler  secured  little  more  than  a  common  school  education. 
He  was  a  country  youth  till  his  seventeenth  year  when  he  went  to  Phila- 
delphia to  clerk  for  S.  H.  Bibighaus,  a  prominent  hardware  merchant,  and 
he  remained  in  the  city  two  years.  In  1864  he  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-second  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Colonel  W  B. 
Thomas.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  Fort  McHenry  and  later  to  John- 
son's Island  where  it  served  for  a  time  as  prison  guard.  From  this  point  it 
was  stationed  at  Galipolis,  Ohio;  Parkersburg,  West  Virginia,  and  finally 
returned  to  Philadelphia  where  it  was  mustered  out  of  service. 

For  three  years  succeeding  the  close  of  his  army  service  Mr.  Kohler 
was  in  a  mill  at  Copley,  Pennsylvania.     In  1868  he  was   married  and   en- 


252  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

^aged  in  farming  in  Northampton  county.  His  wife  was  Sarah  Laubach,  a 
daughter  of  John  L,aubach,  a  Pennsylvania  German  and  a  larmer.  Mrs. 
Kohler  was  born  in  1850.  Their  seven  children  are:  John  P.,  who 
married  Nannie  Mitchell  and  has  two  children,  Helen  and  Bulah;  Esther 
Kohler,  who  married  Charles  Rebnian  and  is  the  mother  of  three  children, 
Clara,  Esther  and  Sarah;  Irene,  Richard,  Bulah,  Charles  and  Sadie  Kohler 
are  all  on  the  homestead. 

When  Mr.  Kohler  came  to  Allen  county  he  located  upon  the  north-east 
quarter  of  section  17,  township  25,  range  20,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  three 
quarters  of  the  section,  less  eighty  acres.  His  farm  is  well  stocked  and  he  is 
otherwise  admirably  situated  for  reaping  a  profit  from  his  labors  year  after 
year.  In  matters  of  religion  the  family  are  members  of  the  Reformed 
church. 


^  A  7"  E.  SLOAN,  a  well  known  and  prosperous  farmer  of  West  Hum- 
y  ^  '  boldt.  was  born  in  Butler  county,  Pennsylvania,  September  29, 
1855.  His  father  was  James  F.  Sloan  and  his  mother  was  Martha  Oli- 
phant,  both  natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  W.  E.  Sloan  was  their  third 
child.  He  was  one  of  thirteen  children  and  was  reared  in  the  state  of  his 
birth.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  1880  and  took  a  claim  in  Harvey  county. 
He  disposed  of  this  in  1884,  came  to  Allen  county  and  purchased  a  farm 
four  miles  north-east  of  Humboldt,  which  he  yet  owns.  He  resides  on  and 
cultivates,  as  a  tenant,  the  old  Thurston  farm  just  west  of  Humboldt  and  is 
regarded  as  a  liberal,  progressive  and  thrifty  citizen. 

In  August  1880,  Mr.  Sloan  was  married  to  Miss  Ella  Scott,  a  daughter 
of  M.  E.  Scott,  of  Marion  county,  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Sloan's  mother  was 
Miss  E.  J.  Scott,  and  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  was  the  home  of  the 
Scotts.  Mrs.  Sloan  was  born  February  11,  1865,  and  is  the  mother  of  five 
children,  viz:     Wilbur,  Austin,  Edward  Henry  and  Frank. 

In  his  early  manhood  and  to  gain  a  sum  with  which  to  engage  in  farm- 
ing Mr.  Sloan  was  a  wage  earner.  He  was  inured  to  the  duties  of  the 
farm  and  upon  this  did  he  become  a  hand  when  he  became  accountable  for 
his  future.  Whatever  he  is  and  has  has  resulted  from  the  effort  of  his  own 
hands.  His  political  history  is  told  when  it  is  said  that  he  votes  the  Re- 
publican ticket.  He  came  from  a  patriotic  state  and  was  conceived  by 
loyal  antecedents  and  that  he  is  both  patriotic  and  loyal  is  not  a  subject  of 
wonder. 


^  A  /"IIvLIAM   GWIIvIvIM,    of   Elm   township,    who   settled    in  Allen 
"   "        County,  in  the  spring  of  1871,  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  English 
colony  to  locate  in  his  township  and  he  came  to  it  from  Jo  Daviess  County 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  253 

Illinois.  His  sojourn  in  that  State  was  only  temporary  and  while  there  he 
was  a  visitor  of  a  friend  of  his  father's,  hoping  to  get  some  information  with 
reference  to  Kansas,  in  which  State  it  was  his  intention  of  making  a  home. 

Mr.  Gwillim  was  born  in  Herefordshire,  England,  October  24,  1848. 
His  father  was  John  Gwillim,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of 
Monmouthshire  in  which  shire  they  were  farmers  as  far  back  as  memory 
serves.  In  olden  times  the  custom  was  to  give  the  oldest  son  the  Christian 
name  and  property  of  the  father  and  in  this  family  the  practice  prevailed 
yet  in  modern  days.  Our  subject's  grandfather  was  John  Gwillim  and  his 
great  grandfather  bore  the  name  of  John. 

William  Gwillim  is  the  third  child  of  his  parents  and  left  Liverpool, 
England,  on  the  steamer  City  of  Paris  in  the  month  of  May  bound  for  New 
York.  He  was  twelve  days  at  sea  and  was  accompanied  by  his  brother's 
family.  Upon  coming  into  Allen  County  he  purchased,  on  contract,  a 
quarter  section  of  railroad  land,  but  when  the  L,eague  seemed  in  a  fair  way 
to  win  their  contest  for  land  in  the  odd  sections  he  joined  his  fortunes  with 
that  organization  and  let  his  contract  forfeit.  When  the  railroad  title  was 
declared  good  he  again  purchased  the  land  and  owns  now  the  west 
half  of  section  29,  town  24,  range  20.  Cattle  raising  became  one  of  Mr. 
Gwillim's  industries  and  he  has  become  known  as  a  "feeder"  in  a  small 
way.  His  premises  present  the  appearance  of  thrift  and  financial  in- 
dependence and  add  greatly  to  the  settled  and"  matured  condition  of  his 
township. 

Mr.  Gwillim  was  married  April  5.  1870,  to  Sarah  Farr,  a  daughter  of 
James  Farr,  of  Herefordshire,  England.  Their  children  are:  Albert  J., 
Sarah  J.  and  William  Frederick. 

In  National  and  State  politics  Mr.  Gwillim  is  a  Republican.  He  has 
been  a  niember  of  the  school  board  of  Pleasant  Prairie  many  3'ears  and  is 
clerk  of  the  board.      In  religious  matters  he  is  a  Methodist. 


HACKNEY  &  SON — The  firm  whose  name  appears  above  is  one  of 
prominence  in  I^aHarpe,  actively  identified  with  its  commercial  in- 
terests. Its  members  are  men  of  marked  business  enterprise,  excellent  ex- 
ecutive ability,  keen  sagacity  and  determined  purpose.  Every  well  con- 
ducted business  concern  is  of  value  to  the  community  in  which  it  is  located, 
for  the  welfaie,  progress  and  upbuilding  of  every  town  or  city  depends  upon 
its  commercial  activity.  Those  who  control  a  paying  business  enterprise 
are  therefore  representative  citizens,  and  among  the  number  in  La- 
Harpe  are  the  two  gentlemen,  W.  J.  and  Canby  H.  Hackney,  who  consti- 
tute the  well  known  firm  of  Hackney  &  Son. 

The  senior  member,  W.  J.  Hackney,  is  a  native  of  Frederick  County, 
Virginia,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Winchester,  in  1821.  When  three 
years  of  age  he  became  a  resident  of  Ohio,  and  in  1854  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  Iowa,  where  he  became  interested  in  manufacturing,    successfully  carry- 


254  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AND 

ing  on  business  there  until  the  financial  panic  of  1876,  when  he  lost  all  that 
he  had  made.  In  i8Sr  he  came  to  Allen  County  and  here  entered  into 
business  with  his  sons,  E.  L,.  and  Canby  H.  In  LaHarpe  they  established 
the  enterprise  which  has  since  been  conducted  by  the  firm  whose  name  in- 
troduces this  review.  The  association  was  maintained  as  first  organized 
until  1890,  when  E.  L.  Hackney  withdrew.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  K.  Blodgett,  whose  mother  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  oi 
Allen  County,  and  they  are  now  prospering  upon  a  ranch  in  the  White 
river  valley  of  Colorado.  The  business  was  continued  by  W.  J.  and  Canby 
H.  Hackney  and  has  grown  to  be   an   important   enterprise   in    LaHarpe. 

In  the  year  1843  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  W.  J.  Hackney  and 
Miss  Susan  D.  Canby,  a  native  of  Ellicot's  Mills,  Maryland.  Unto  them 
were  born  four  children  and  they  had  been  married  for  half  a  century  be- 
fore a  death  occurred  in  the  family.  Although  fifty-eight  years  have 
passed  since  they  started  upon  life's  journey  together,  they  are  still  enjoy- 
ing good  health  and  are  quite  vigorous.  Of  their  children,  one  daughter, 
Mrs.  Russell,  is  now  deceased.  The  other  daughter,  Mrs.  Happersett, 
formerly  a  resident  of  lola,  is  now  living  in  Illinois.  The  elder  son,  as 
stated  above,  is  a  resident  of  Colorado.  In  his  political  views  the  father 
has  long  been  a  stalwart  Republican,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of 
office  have  had  no  attraction  for  him,  his  support  to  the  party  being  freely 
given  because  of  his  belief  in  its  principles. 

Canby  H.  Hackney,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm,  was  born  in 
Davenport,  Iowa,  in  1856,  and  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  his  parents' home. 
He  was  a  hard  working  lad,  in  early  life,  showing  forth  the  elemental 
strength  of  his  character  by  his  energy  and  close  application.  He  pursued 
his  preliminary  education  in  the  common  schools  and  in  Howe's  Academy 
of  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa.  He  then  entered  upon  his  business  career,  re- 
maining in  Iowa  until  1881.  With  his  father  he  then  came  to  Allen 
County  without  a  dollar,  but  with  a  clear  conscience,  knowing  that  they 
owed  no  man  anything.  In  Kansas  Canby  H.  Hackney  entered  upon  a 
career  which  has  made  him  widely  known  and  has  gained  for  him  the  un- 
qualified respect  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  associated. 
The  firm  of  Hackney  &  Son  are  now  engaged  in  dealing  in  hay,  grain  and 
farming  implements  at  LaHarpe.  They  began  operations  on  a  small  scale 
and  gradually  from  year  to  year  their  business  has  increased  until  it  has 
assumed  extensive  proportions.  In  the  employ  of  the  firm  is  a  young  man, 
Orin  Hartley,  who  was  left  an  orphan  and  came  to  them  when  a  small  boy. 
He  has  always  been  honest  and  diligent  and  has  aided  materially  in  win- 
ning the  splendid  reputation  of  the  firm.  In  addition  to  his  interest  in  the 
store  Canby  H.  Hackney  now  owns  considerable  property,  having  made  ju- 
dicious investments  in  real  estate. 

In  the  year  1892  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Donnan, 
a  native  of  I/ivingston  County,  New  York,  and  a  sister  of  W.  J.  Donnan, 
one  of  the  substantial  settlers  of  Allen  County.  The  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  of  LaHarpe  is  extended  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hackney  and  many  friends 
enjoy  the  good  cheer  of  their  plea,sant  home.     Since  attaining  his   majority 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  255 

Cinby  H.  Hackney  has  exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for 
office.  His  attention  has  been  closely  given  to  business  and  his  reliability, 
keen  discrimination,  and  unflagging  purpose  have  enabled  him  to  advance 
steadily  on  the  highroad  to  success.  He  comes  of  a  family  of  the  Quaker 
faith  and  the  honesty  and  uprightness  so  proverbial  of  that  people  are  mani- 
fest in  his  career. 


ROYAL  S.  COPELIN,  a  representative  of  the  farming  interests  of 
Allen  County,  was  born  in  Oneida  County,  New  York,  on  the 
14th  of  February,  1856,  and  is  of  English  lineage.  His  father,  John  Cope- 
lin,  was  a  native  of  England,  and  during  his  boyhood  came  to  America 
with  his  parents.  He  was  born  in  182 1,  and  in  1854  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Sarah  Ann  Perry,  a  native  of  New  York.  By  trade  he  was  a  miller  and 
followed  that  pursuit  for  some  time,  but  subsequently  turned  his  attention 
to  farming.  In  i860  he  removed  to  Illinois,  making  his  home  in  Kanka- 
kee, County,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  July  22,  1883.  His  widow 
still  siirvivas  him  and  is  living  in  Kankakee  County,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
three.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children:  Eliza,  wife  of  John 
Coasch,  of  Wilmington,  Illinois;  Royal  S.,  of  this  review,  and  Julia,  wife  of 
Patterson  Patchett,  of  Kankakee  County,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Copelin,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Illinois  when  he  was  four  years  of  age,  and 
acquired  a  common  school  education  in  that  State.  He  was  reared  upon 
the  home  farm  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  cultivation  and  development 
of  the  fields  until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he  was  married  and  be- 
gan farming  on  his  own  account.  On  the  14th  of  February,  1880, — his 
twenty-fourth  birthday, — he  wedded  Miss  Alice  Amelia  Armitage,  who  was 
born  in  Kankakee,  Illinois.  Her  father,  James  A.  Armitage,  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  born  April  22,  1826,  and  is  still  living.  He  wedded  Miss 
Margaret  E.  Gruer,  a  native  of  the  Empire  State  and  they  became  the- 
parents  of  nine  children,  namslv;  Agnes  A.,  Albert  A.,  Anthon  A.,  Alice 
A.,  Winfield  S.,  Charles  W. ,  Mary  A.,  Jessie  J.  and  James  H.  The  fami- 
ly circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by  the  hand  of  death.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Copelin  have  been  born  two  children:  Stella  Maud,  a  young  lady  of  nine- 
teen years,  and  Perry  A.,  a  lad  of  seven  summers. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Copelin  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  Illinois, 
and  there  remained  until  1887,  when  they  removed  to  Colorado,  locating 
on  a  ranch  of  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Kiowa  County.  There  our 
subject  engaged  in  the  cattle  business,  buying,  raising  and  -shipping  cattle 
on  an  extensive  scale,  meeting  with  very  creditable  success  in  this  venture. 
After  he  had  lived  in  Colorado  three  years,  hs  sold  his  Illinois  farm  and 
invested  the  money  in  his  business  in  Colorado.  He  was  there  elected 
county   commissioner   of   Kiowa   County   for  a  term  of  three   years.     The 


256  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN    AND 

county  was  thirty-seven  by  eighty-eight  miles  in  extent,  and  the  office  of 
commissioner  is  one  of  importance,  paying  a  salary  of  five  hundred  dollars 
and  mileage  per  year,  but  Mr.  Copelin's  family  were  not  satisfied  in  Colora- 
do, and,  consequently,  he  sold  his  ranch  and  came  to  Allen  County,  Kan- 
sas. Here  he  purchased  the  excellent  farm  which  he  now  owns,  buying 
the  property  of  C.  H.  Pratt.  It  is  located  a  mile  and. a  half  northeast  of 
Humboldt  and  Mr.  Copelin  has  placed  it  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. To  the  north  of  his  pleasant  residence  is  a  beautiful  grove  and  drive 
way  leads  from  the  main  road  to  his  home,  standing  on  an  eminence,  com- 
manding an  excellent  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  He  trades,  buys 
and  ships  both  cattle  and  hogs,  and  thus  annually  augments  his  income.  He 
votes  with  the  Republican  party,  but  takes  little  part  in  public  affairs,  his 
attention  being  directed  to  his  business  interests. 


CHARLES  BALAND,  one  of  the  few  old  settlers  that  remains  in  Allen 
county,  was  born  in  Sweden  December  5,  18 16.  He  came  to  Kansas 
in  1859  and  took  a  claim  on  Coal  Creek,  three  miles  east  of  Humboldt,  and 
has  gone  through  all  the  hardships  that  go  to  make  up  a  man's  life  in  a  new 
country. 

Mr.  Baland  served  in  U.  S.  Grant's  company  in  the  Mexican  war,  a 
distinction  of  which  he  is  justly  proud.  He  was  also  in  the  army  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion,  which  makes  him  a  veteran  of  two  wars.  He  has 
been  one  of  the  leading  men  in  this  county,  serving  as  Register  of  Deeds 
for  three  terms.  He  has  served  almost  continuously  for  thirty-five  years  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Humboldt  township  and  was  post-master  of  Hum- 
boldt for  many  years. 


SIMEON  B.  WILLHITE  is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  Allen 
county,  his  home  being  in  Humboldt  township,  where  he  owns  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  fine  land.  He  is  a  western  man  by  birth,  and 
possesses  the  true  western  spirit  of  enterprise  and  progress.  A  native  of 
Missouri,  he  was  born  in  Clay  county,  on  the  15th  of  January,  1832,  and 
was  the  eldest  in  a  famil>-  of  nine  children.  His  father,  Henry  Willhite, 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  married  Sarah  Flora,  a  native  of  that  state. 
Soon  afterward  they  removed  to  Missouri  and  became  early  settlers  of  Clay 
county.  The  father  died  in  1871,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  Seven  of 
his  nine  children  are  still  living,  namely:  Simeon  B. ;  Albert  and  James, 
of  Oklahoma;  Henry  W. ,  whose  home  is  in  Barton  county,  Missouri;  Mrs. 
Margaret  Aiken,  of  Olathe,  Kansas.  Those  deceased  are  James  M.  and 
Donelson  Willhite,  M.  D. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared   in    Missouri,    and   the   public 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  257 

schools  afforded  him  his  limited  educational  privileges.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  he  did  not  enter  the  service  as  a  volunteer,  but  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Lexington.  When  he  heard  that  the  Confederates  were  ad- 
vancing on  that  town,  he  went  down  to  help  defend  it,  was  given  a  gun 
and  with  the  others  participated  in  the  engagement. 

January  3rd,  1851,  Mr.  Willhite  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Missouri, 
to  Miss  Martha  Elliott,  who  was  a  native  of  that  state.  She  long  proved  to 
him  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  but  was  called  to 
her  final  rest  December  13,  1899.  Sixteen  children  were  born  unto  them 
as  follows:  A.  Robert,  who  is  living  in  Allen  county,  James  M. ,  of  Okla- 
homa; Henry,  of  lola,  Jesse  H.,  who  resides  in  California;  S.  Walter  and 
John  P.,  at  home;  Octavia;  John,  of  Allen  county,  Kansas;  Kate  Marshall, 
who  died  leaving  two  children,  Frank  and  Edith  who  are  with  their  father 
in  Worth  county,  Missouri,  Mattie,  wife  of  Eli  Ellsworth,  of  Gas,  Kansas; 
Sida  Clara  Veer  Laveer,  at  home;  and  Mahala.  wife  of  Riley  Moore,  of 
Allen  county. 

Mr.  Willhite  came  to  Kansas  in  1880  and  purchased  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  owned  but  one  horse,  and 
on  this  both  he  and  his  wife  rode  when  they  went  to  visit  their  neighbors. 
This  horse  he  used  for  plowing  and  cultivating  his  land  for  two  years 
before  he  was  able  to  buy  another.  Eventually  success  attended  him  and 
as  the  years  passed  he  has  added  to  his  possessions  until  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  -three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  well  improved  and  valuable 
land.  He  has  upon  his  place  good  grades  of  stock  and  his  fields  are  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  His  home  is  a  nice  country  residence,  sur- 
rounded by  fine  shade  trees,  and  everything  about  the  place  indicates  his 
careful  supervision.  His  capital  is  now  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  put 
aside  the  more  arduous  duties  of  life.  In  politics  he  has  been  a  Democrat 
since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote,  for  Buchanan,  but  he  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  to  his  business  affairs, 
in  which  he  has  met  with  signal  success. 


^^AT'ILLIAM  OVERHOIyT  was  born  in  Hancock  county,  Ohio,  June 
4.  1857,  his  parents  being  Henry  and  Sarah  (Fritz)  Overholt, 
both  natives  of  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  following  that  pursuit  throughout  his  active  life.  He 
died  during  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  wai  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years. 
His  widow,  however,  is  still  living  in  Ohio,  and  has  now  attained  the  ripe 
age  of  eighty  one.  They  had  two  sons  who  loyally  entered  the  Union  ser- 
vice during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  one  of  whom  was  taken  ill  soon  after 
joining  the  army  and  died,  giving  his  life  as  a  ransom  for  his  country's 
preservation.  David  served  throughout  the  entire  struggle  and  is  now 
living  in  Ohio.     John  C.  and  Henry  are  also  residents  of  that  state. 

William  Overholt,  the  youngest  of  the  five  children,  was  reared  under 


258  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

the  parental  roof  and  as  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  lie 
chose  Miss  Gertie  Redfern,  also  a  native  of  Hancock  county,  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter  of  Peter  C.  Redfern.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Frances  Winelan.d  and  was  a  native  of  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Mr.  Redfern  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  and  his 
widow  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  fifty-four.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Overholt  has  been  blessed  with  five  children,  namely:  FloydL. ,  Alma 
Edna,  Willie  E.,  Merle  R.  and  Orpha  H.  I.  Overholt.  The  initial  letters 
of  the  youngest  daughter  spell  Mr.  Overholt's  native  state — Ohio. 

In  the  year  1889  our  subject  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas,  and  after 
lesiding  in  Humboldt  for  a  short  time  purchased  the  Maple  Grove  farm  in 
Salem  township,  comprising  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  land, 
which  he  placed  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation,  there  residing  for 
seven  years.  He  then  rented  his  farm  and  came  to  Humboldt,  where  he  is 
now  engaged  successfuUv  in  operating  a  corn  sheller.  In  his  political 
affiliations  he  is  a  Republican,  and  for  one  term  served  as  trustee  of  Salem 
township.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies 
of  Security  and  in  Humboldt  and  the  surrounding  country  they  have  a 
large  circle  of  friends  limited  only  by  the  circle  of  their  acquaintances. 
Classified  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  community  Mr.  Overholt 
owes  his  creditable  position  to  his  well-directed  efforts  in  business  and  his 
indefatigable  energy. 


T  A  yTILLIAM  A.  CHOGUILIv,  a  practitioner  at  the  bar  of  Allen  county, 
"  "  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  representatives  of  the 
legal  fraternity  of  Humboldt,  was  bprn  in  Morgan  County,  Ohio,  March  25, 
1848.  His  father,  Samuel  Choguill,  a  contractor  and  builder,  was  born  in 
the  Buckeye  state  in  1823.  He  married  Sybilla  Todd,  an  Ohio  lady,  and 
in  1884  removed  to  Kansas,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1890.  His  widow 
still  survives  him,  and  is  living  on  the  home  farm  in  Woodson  County  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  three  of 
whom  are:  Sarah  E. ,  who  is  living  with  her  mother;  Louis  G. ,  who  resides 
on  tlie  home  farm  in  Woodson  County  and  William  A. 

William  Alkanzor  Choguill  is  indebted  to  the  public  school  .system  for 
his  early  educational  privileges,  which  were  supplemented  by  study  in  the 
Hopedale  Academy  in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio.  Later  he  entered  the 
Lebanon  Normal  School  in  Warren  County,  Ohio,  where  he  completed  his 
education  and  then  .served  an  apprenticeship  in  a  drug  store.  Subsequent- 
ly he  matriculated  in  the  Starling  Medical  College  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  in 
which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1870.  After  this  he  studied  law  with 
the  firm  of  Stewart  &  Metcalf  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  McConnells- 
ville,  Ohio,  in  1879.  Believing  that  there  was  a  better  field  of  labor  offered 
to  young  men  in  the  west  where  competition  was  not  so  great  he  .started  for 
Kansas,  arriving  in  Humboldt  on  the  fifth  of  March,    1880.      He  purchased 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  259 

a  farm  in  Woodson  Count}',  a  few  miles  west  of  Humboldt,  made  it  his 
place  of  residence  and  engaged  in  its  cultivation  for  three  years  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Humboldt  where  he  has  since  engaged 
in  law  practice,  rapidly  winning  his  way  to  a  foremost  place  in  the  ranks  of 
the  legal  fraternity. 

In  1874  Mr.  Choguill  married  Miss  Laureta  M.  Millner,  of  Ohio,  and 
the  hospitality  of  many  of  the  best  homes  of  the  locality  is  cordially  extend- 
ed them.  Mr.  Choguill  is  independent  in  his  political  views,  supporting 
the  men  and  measures  thst  he  thinks  will  best  promote  the  country's  wel- 
fare. He  is,  however,  a  man  of  superior  oratorical  power,  an  eloquent  and 
convincing  speaker,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  he  has  entered  into  the 
campaign  work,  delivering  addresses  both  in  his  adopted  and  in  his  native 
state.  In  his  fraternal  sentiment  he  is  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  Maccabees. 

Mr.  Choguill's  career  has  been  one  of  untiring  industry.  During  the 
years  of  his  residence  in  Allen  County  he  has  championed  every  movement 
designed  to  promote  the  general  welfare;  has  supported  every  enterprise  for 
the  public  good  and  has  materially  aided  in  the  advancement  of  all  social, 
educational  and  moral  interests.  His  knowledge  of  law,  his  ability  in 
argument  and  his  masterful  treatment  of  the  intricate  problems  of  juris- 
prudence have  resulted  in  gaining  him  a  creditable  standing  among  his 
professional  brothers. 


C^AMUEL  G.  CECIL,  one  of  the  prominent  builders  and  contractors  of 
'^-^  lola,  and  a  citizen  whose  interest  in  the  public  affairs  of  his  city  are 
positive  and  constant,  was  born  in  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  March  12,  1853. 
His  father,  B.  Cecil,  was  a  teacher  and  was  engaged  in  educational  work 
in  Belmont  County  many  years  and  was,  himself,  born  there  in  1824,  dying 
in  1854.  He  was  descended  from  French  parents,  his  father  having  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  from  the  Kingdom  of  France  at  an  early  period. 
Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather  was  a  farmer  and  is  buried  in  the  county 
of  Belmont  where  he  seems  to  have  settled. 

B.  Cecil  married  May  Jordan,  a  daughter  of  Abel  Jordan,  a  Quaker, 
whose  abiding  place  was  once  Mayfield,  Pennsylvania,  and  whose  calling 
was  that  of  a  cabinet  maker.  Mrs.  Cecil  died  in  1881  leaving  two  children: 
John  E.  Cecil,  who  died  in  1880,  leaving  one  child  at  Berea.  Ohio,  and 
Samuel  G.  Cecil,  our  subject. 

S.  G.  Cecil  spent  his  youth  on  a  farm  till  his  sixteenth  year.  At  that 
age  he  undertook  the  task  of  learning  the  carpenter  trade,  around  Urichs- 
ville,  Ohio,  and  finishing  or  completing  it,  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  re- 
mained with  his  native  State  till  1884  when  he  came  we.st  and  located  in 
Larned,  Kansas.  In  that  western  town  he  took  up  contracting  prominent- 
ly and  remained  in  that  section  until  1897  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
lola.     In  his  last  location  he  has  been  as    prominently    identified    with  the 


26o  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

building  interests  as  any  of  his  competitors,  as  many  of  the  buildings  he 
constructed  will  serve  to  show  what  class  of  work,  in  a  measure,  he  has 
been  identified  with. 

Mr.  Cecil  married  first  in  Urichsville,  Ohio,  in  1878,  Anna  Harris, 
who  died  in  1890.  Her  children  are;  Harry  H.  and  Ralph  E.  Mr.  Cecil 
was  again  married  in  1895,  to  Sarah  E.  Tabor. 

The  Cecils  are  Republicans,  early  and  late,  and  our  subject  has  evinced 
an  active  interest  in  local  public  matters  wherever  he  has  resided.  lu 
Larned  he  was  the  city's  public  servant  for  a  time  and  soon  after  locating 
in  lola  he  was  called  to  the  city  council.  While  he  is  a  gentleman  with 
positive  convictions  he  is  not  an  extremist  to  such  an  extent  as  to  prejudice 
and  bias  his  usefulness  as  a  public  officer.  During  his  membership  of  the 
council  while  the  "gas  question"  was  uppermost  his  position  was  rather 
that  of  a  mediator  and  pacificator,  or  harmonizer,  of  the  two  strongly  an- 
tagonistic factions.  In  1899  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  edu- 
cation for  the  first  ward  of  his  city.     He  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow. 


T  ]^  ZILLIAM  J.  IHRIG,  one  of  the  best  known  masons  and  plasterers 
"  "  of  Allen  County,  and  a  citizen  who  has  spent  more  than  a  gener- 
ation as  a  resident  of  the  county,  came  here  in  March  1879,  from 
Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania.  He  is  a  native  son  of  the  Keystone  State, 
having  been  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa. ,  January  21,  1842.  His  father,  Adam 
Ihrig,  was  born  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany,  in  18 ri  and,  about  1853, 
•came  to  America  with  his  family  and  located  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 
He  was  known  among  the  early  hotel  keepers  of  Strasburg,  Alleghany 
City,  and  in  the  counties  of  the  Oil  Region  and  his  last  years  were  passed 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  married  Margaret  Ihrig  and  died  in  1894,  his 
wife  dying  at  Cleveland  in  1872.  Their  children  are:  William  J.,  the  first 
to  grow  up;  Catherine,  wife  of  John  Meyer,  died  in  Cleveland  in  1898;  and 
Adam  Ihrig,  of  the  city  of  Cleveland. 

W.  J.  Ihrig 's  boyhood  was  passed  in  the  manufacturing  districts  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  the  counties  of  Schuylkill,  Alleghany  and  Lancaster. 
He  was  schooled  in  both  English  and  German  and  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  till  his  enlistment  in  the  army.  September  12,  1861,  he 
became  a  member  of  Company  C,  79th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Col. 
Hambright's  regiment.  He  belonged  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and 
began  his  active  service  at  Louisville,  Kentucky.  The  14th  corps,  to 
which  he  belonged,  was  in  the  battles  of  Perryville,  Nashville,  Murfrees- 
boro,  Chickamauga,  Missionary  Ridge  and  in  the  Atlanta  campaign.  In 
this  campaign  our  subject  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Kennesaw  Moun- 
tain, and  taken  prisoner.  He  was  confined  in  Andersonville  nearly  four 
months,  was  transferred  to  Florence,  South  Carolina,  where  on  the  eve  of 
an  exchange  of  prisoners,  with  two  others  he  made  his  escape.  They  fell 
into  a  squad  on  detail  for  wood  and  when  outside  broke  the  guard  line  and 
fled.     They    were   piloted   through   the   strange   country   by    negroes  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  26 1 

reached  the  Union  lines  some  six  weeks  after  their  escape.  A  pass  was 
issued  to  Mr.  Ihrig  to  enter  a  parole  camp  at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  where 
he  found  his  regiment,  and  he  returned  home  with  it  in  June,  1865.  From 
the  battle  of  Murfieesboro  Mr.  Ihrig  was  on  detail  in  the  4th  Indiana 
Battery,  serving  a  gun,  till  after  the  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain.  He  then 
returned  to  his  regiment. 

On  coming  out  of  his  long  army  service  Mr.  Ihrig's  first  work  was  in 
the  oil  fields  as  a  driller  and  he  followed  this  work  much  of  the  time  till  he 
left  the  State.  He  conceived  a  desire  to  see  the  west  and  left  Lancaster  in 
1879  on  a  prospecting  tour.  He  met  with  our  townsman,  Henry  F.  Travis, 
on  the  train  and,  upon  their  reaching  Kansas  City  they  decided  to  run 
down  the  Santa  Fe  Railway  and  see  lola.  Their  coming  settled  the  fate  of 
both,  foi  Ihrig  bought  the  Perkins  place  (the  Gpodner  property)  and 
Travis  located  in  Elm  township  and  both  brought  theii  families  out  the 
next  year. 

Mr.  Ihrig  learned  the  masons  and  plasterers  trade  in  Lancaster,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  he  has  practically  followed  nothing  else  in  Kansas.  He  has 
worked  on  nearly  every  good  brick  or  stone  building  in  lola  and  his  pros- 
perity has  enabled  him  to  build  a  house  for  himself  every  year  for  the  past 
ten.  With  the  end  of  1899  he  sought  retirement  and  is  in  ample  financial 
freedom  to  remain  so. 

July  26,  1865,  Mr.  Ihrig  was  married  in  Lancaster,  Pa.,  to  Mrs.  Annie 
Gminder,  a  daughter  of  Archibald  Warren,  one  of  Lancaster's  merchants. 
One-  of  his  sons,  William  Warren,  served  in  the  regular  army  and  was 
stationed  in  some  of  the  western  posts.  He  went  to  South  America  when 
his  enlistment  expired.  A  daughter,  Lizzie,  married  Peter  Frank  and  re- 
sides in  Saginaw,  Michigan.  George  Pinkerton.  of  Lancaster,  Pennsyl- 
vania, married  Amanda  Warren  and  Susie  Warren  married  James  Buchan- 
an, of  Philadelphia.  The  youngest,  James  Warren,  is  still  in  Lancaster. 
Mrs.  Ihrig  has  a  son,  Harry  Gminder,  by  her  first  marriage.  The  Ihrig 
children  are  two  sons,  Albert  W. ,  who  married  Maggie  Duncan  and  has 
six  children:  Annie,  Bertha,  Lillian,  Lloyd,  Eugene  and  Charlie.  Arthur 
Eugene  Ihrig  was  born  in  May,  1871,  and  is  W.  J. 's  younger  son.  He  was 
married  to  Nellie  Bean  in  lola  and  has  no  children. 

Harry  Gminder  married  Emma  Riggs  and  resides  in  Concordia,  Kan- 
sas.    Their  three  children  are:  Anna,  Lillian  and  Edna. 

As  a  citizen  W.  J.  Ihrig  is  one  of  our  most  pronounced  and  positive 
in  his  views.  There  are  no  more  staunch  Republicans  than  he  and  his  in- 
terest in  and  connection  with  McCook  Post,  G.  A.  R. ,  is  especially  strong 
and  permanent.  He  is  a  member  of  many  of  our  mutual  insurance  orders 
and  is,  on  the  whole  a  social  and  agreeable  gentleman. 


A  NDREW  D.  INMAN,  of  Osage  township,  Allen  county,  has  passed 
-^^^  twenty  years  within  the  boundaries  of  the  county.  He  came  to  it  in 
April   1 88 1   and  settled  upon  one  of  the  old  pioneer  farms  of  eastern  Allen 


262  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

county.  It  is  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  i8,  township  24,  range  20, 
and  there  Mr.  Inman  has  maintained  a  continuous  and  honorable  resi- 
dence. Mr.  Inman  came  to  Kansas  from  Benton  county,  Indiana,  but  he 
was  born  and  reared  in  Blackford  county,  that  state.  His  birth  occurred 
January  12,  1849,  and  his  training  and  education  were  entirely  rural.  He 
is  a  son  of  Samuel  Inman,  who  was  reared  in  Ohio,  but  whose  active  life 
was  spent  largely  in  Blackford  county,  Indiana.  He  was  married  to  a  lady 
of  Scotch  descent,  Abigail  Dickson.  A  streak  or  strain  of  Irish  also 
coursed  through  her  veins  for  her  ancestors  were  from  the  north  of  Ireland. 
Samuel  Inman  was  married  in  Ohio  and  died  in  December  1876  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven  years.  His  wife  died  in  1856.  Their  children  were: 
John,  who  died  in  Blackford  county,  Indiana  and  left  a  family;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Solomon  Geyer,  of  Piqua,  Kansas;  Mary,  wife  of  John  Waters,  of 
Moran,  Kansas;  Eli,  of  Blackford  county,  Indiana;  Sarah,  deceased,  was 
married  to  Jacob  Clapper  and  left  a  family  in  Indiana;  Isaac,  of  Lawrence- 
burg,  Tennessee;  Jane,  deceased,  wife  of  Daniel  Daily,  and  Andrew  D. ,  our 
subject. 

Andrew  D.  Inman  acquired  the  necessary  elements  of  an  English  edu- 
cation and  became  responsible  for  his  proper  conduct  and  personal  main- 
tenance m  his  sixteenth  year.  For  some  eighteen  years  he  was  a  laborer, 
by  the  month  or  day,  and  on  December  23,  1880,  he  was  married  at  Mound 
City,  Kansas.  In  September,  1871,  he  left  Indiana  and  spent  the  years 
intervening,  till  1880,  in  Allen  and  Linn  counties,  Kansas.  Upon  pur- 
chasing, or  arranging  the  terms  for  his  farm,  he  found  it  necessary  to  mort- 
gage it  in  order  to  provide  himself  with  the  implements  and  other  adjuncts 
necessary  to  cultivate  it.  His  twenty  years  of  residence  upon,  and  cultiva- 
tion of,  an  Osage  township  farm  have  been  both  pleasant  and  profitable  to 
him.  His  idea,  that  everything  was  wrought  by  industry  and  nothing 
without  it,  was  the  proper  one  and  he  and  his  loyal  wife  have  witnessed 
their  labors  bear  substantial  fruit. 

Mr.  Inman  married  Miss  May  Dow,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Dow,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  state  in  1832.  The  latter  was  from  Vermont  parents,  a 
thrifty  and  industrious  people.  Mr.  Dow  was  a  mechanic,  came  to  Kansas 
in  1866  and  settled  in  Linn  county.  He  married  Phebe  Daggett,  a 
daughter  of  Harvey  Daggett,  of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Dow  belonged  to 
Company  E,  Fourth  Iowa  Cavalry  during  the  Rebellion  and  served  three 
years  in  the  western  department.  He  received  a  sun  stroke  on  the  battle 
field,  was  discharged  on  account  of  it  and  it  finally  caused  his  death, 
April  1899. 

The  Dow  children  are:  Mary  A.,  wife  of  our  subject,  born  November 
5,  i860;  Frances,  wife  of  A.  B.  Houser,  of  LaHarpe,  Kansas;  Loren  Dow, 
of  LaHarpe,  and  Miss  Bulah,  with  her  widowed  mothei  at  LaHarpe, 
Kansas. 

The  politics  of  the  Inmans,  early,  was  Democratic,  that  of  the  Dows 
Republican.  Andrew  Inman  voted  with  the  Democrats  till  1884,  since  then 
he  has  been  a  Republican. 

Our  subject's  only  child,  Charles,  was  born  January  29,   1885. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  263 

»nnHOMAS  B.  SHANNON.— One  of  the  enterprising  merchants  of  Tola, 
-*-  ■  successf UII3'  conducting  an  extensive  hardware  establishment  is  T.  B. 
Shannon,  who  since  1897  has  been  a  well  known  factor  in  commercial 
circles  in  this  city.  He  was  born  in  Attica,  Indiana,  Januar}!-  28,  187 1, 
and  is  a  son  of  G.  W.  Shannon,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Virginia,  May  31, 
1835.  The  grandfather,  Thomas  Shannon,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Old 
Dominion,  born  at  Sharon  Springs,  Bland  county,  March  20,  1817,  and  in 
that  state  the  father  of  our  subject  resided  until  1865,  making  his  home 
upon  a  farm.  He  then  removed  to  Fountain  county,  Indiana,  where  he 
again  followed  farming  until  the  spring  of  1871,  when  he  came  to  Kansas, 
settling  in  Woodson  county,  on  the  present  townsite  of  Vernon.  In  1873 
lie  removed  to  Neosho  Falls,  where  he  learned  the  tinner's  trade  under  the 
direction  of  ex-Governor  Finney.  In  1880  he  engaged  in  the  hardware 
business  in  Toronto,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  ten  years,  and  in  the  fall 
of  1890  he  became  a  resident  of  Anacortes,  Washington,  where  he  is  now 
successfully  conducting  a  hardware  establishment.  He.  was  married  in 
Wythe  county,  Virginia,  to  Miss  Callie  Brown,  who  was  born  in  Wythe 
county,  Virginia,  October  7,  1831,  a  daughter  of  Josiah  Biown,  also  a 
native  of  Virginia.  She  died  in  Neosho  Falls,  Kansas,  August  26,  1874, 
leaving  two  children,  namely:  T.  B.,  of  this  review,  and  G.  D.,  who  is 
connected  in  business  with  his  father  in  Anacortes,  Washington. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  indebted  to  the  public  school  system  for 
his  educational  privileges,  and  in  his  youth  he  became  familiar  with  the 
hardware  trade  in  his  father's  store.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  entered 
upon  an  independent  business  career  in  Blaine,  Washington,  as  a  dealer  in 
hardware,  since  which  time  he  has  been  connected  with  that  line  of  com- 
merce. In  the  .spring  of  1897  he  disposed  of  his  store  in  Blaine  and  came 
to  lola,  where  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Frank  M.  Horville  under 
the  firm  name  of  Shannon  &  Horville.  This  connection  was  maintained 
until  September  1898,  when  Mr.  Shannon  purchased  his  partner's  interest 
and  has  since  carried  on  business  alone.  During  the  summer  of  1900  he 
remodeled  and  added  to  his  store  building  and  now  occupies  both  floors 
and  an  eighty  foot  basement  with  his  large  stock  of  shelf  and  heavy  hard- 
ware. He  carries  everything  found  in  a  first-class  establishment  of  the 
kind,  and  in  the  rear  of  the  store  he  has  a  tin  and  plumbing  shop,  doing 
all  kinds  of  work  in  those  trades.  He  deals  in  buggies,  wagons  and  farm- 
ing implements  in  addition  to  hardware,  stoves  and  ranges,  tinware,  paints 
and  oils,  guns  and  cutlery,  and  his  patronage  is  constantly  increasing. 

On  the  30th  of  November,  1892,  Mr.  Shannon  married  Miss  Lulu 
Brewer,  of  Greenwood  county,  Kansas.  She  was  born  in  Colorado,  Janu- 
ary 8,  1873,  a  daughter  of  E.  j.  Brewer,  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  Their 
only  child  died  October  25,  1894,  ^^^^  the  mother  passed  away  on  the  12th 
of  December,  following.  On  the  ist  of  February,  1899,  Mr.  Shannon  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Agnes  Mitchell,  who  was 
bom  in  Franklin  county,  Kansas,  February  12,  1872,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
David  H.  Mitchell,  a  native  of  Missouri.     Their  home  is  now  blessed  with 


264  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

the  presence  of  a  little  daughter,  Winifred,  born  July  31,  1900.  Mr. 
Shannon  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  the  B.  P. 
O.  Elks,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  well  known  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  lola,  the  hospitality  of  many  of  its  best  homes  being  freely  ex- 
tended to  them. 


T  AMES  W.  DRAKE. — Among  the  substantial  farmers  of  lola  township 
"  is  James  W.  Drake,  who  was  born  near  Louisville,  Kentucky,  January 
26,  1831.  His  father,  James  Drake,  was  born  in  that  state  in  1781,  while 
the  red  men  still  roamed  the  forest.  In  the  early  days  he  was  more  than 
once  called  to  leave  his  work  on  the  farm  to  defend  himself  or  his  friends 
against  the  attacks  of  these  wild  neighbors.  He  related  many  stories  of 
engagements  with  the  Indians,  of  the  captures  they  made  and  of  the  res- 
cues performed  .within  the  limits  of  the  "dark  and  bloody  ground."  In 
1832  he  removed  to  southern  Indiana,  locating  on  Whitewater  river,  not 
far  from  Cincinnati,  where  he  resided  until  1834,  when  he  removed  to 
Kosciusko  county,  Indiana,  still  following  his  occupation  of  farming. 
There  he  died  in  1845.  He  served  his  country  as  a  volunteer  soldier  in 
the  war  of  18 12.  While  in  Kentucky  he  married  Elizabeth  Dickerson, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1787  and  died  in  Indiana  in  1842.  Her 
father  was  John  Dickerson,  a  native  of  Scotland  who  emigrated  to  the  new 
world  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Drake  were  born  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  reached  maturity,  while 
three  survive.  Those  who  attained  adult  age  were  William,  now  deceased, 
whose  family  lives  in  Linn  county,  Kansas;  Martha,  deceased,  wife  of 
Isaac  Masters,  of  Kosciusko,  Indiana;  Kelley,  who  died  near  Cedar  Rapids, 
Iowa;  Nathan,  who  died  in  Kosciusko,  Indiana;  Mrs.  Jane  Carter;  Ira, 
who  resides  in  Kosciusko,  Indiana;  James  W. ,  of  lola,  Kansas;  and 
Homer,  who  resides  in  Champaign  counnty,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Drake,  of  this  review,  accompanied  his  parents  to  Indiana,  and 
remained  with  them  until  they  died.  In  1854  he  went  to  Illinois,  but  re- 
turned to  the  Hoosier  state,  and  in  1856  removed  to  Iowa  where  he  resided 
two  years.  The  year  1858  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Allen  county,  and  he 
secured  a  claim  in  lola  township,  upon  which  he  has  since  lived.  He  has 
ioUowed  farming  throughout  his  entire  life,  and  is  now  numbered  among 
Allen  county's  best  known  and  prosperous  pioneer  agriculturists.  At  the 
time  of  the  Civil  war  he  put  aside  personal  considerations,  enlisting  as  a 
private  of  Company  E,  Ninth  Kansas  Cavalry,  under  command  of  Captain 
Henry  Fletcher  and  Colonel  Lynde.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Prairie  Grove,  Johnstown,  Stone  Lane  and  Westport,  besides  numerous 
smaller  engagements,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in  November,  1865,  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  having  served  for  three  years  and  three  months. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  services,  Mr.  Drake  gladly 
returned   to   his   family.      He  had  been   married  in  1861  to  Miss  Mary  A. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  265 

McKenzie,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
McKenzie,  of  Irish  lineage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drake  have  become  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  namely:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Frank  Bliss;  Minerva,  wife 
of  Nicholas  Burton;  Viola,  wife  of  John  Harris;  Dora,  wife  of  George 
Strawderman;  Nora,  wife  of  Fred  Baker;  Cora,  who  resides  with  her 
parents,  and  Frank,  at  home. 

Since  1866  Mr.  Drake  has  been  a  member  ot  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  in  his  life  exemplifies  its  principles  of  mutual  helpfulness  and  kind- 
ness. He  supported  the  Republican  party  until  1867,  since  whi(<h  time  he 
has  been  an  advocate  of  the  Democracy.  His  attention  has  been  closely 
given  to  its  interests,  though  he  has  never  sought  public  office,  but  he  is  as 
true  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  today  as  when  he  followed  the  stars  and 
stripes  on  southern  battle  fields. 


CONRAD  HEIM  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  and 
the  true  western  spirit  of  progress  and  enterprise  has  colored  his 
career.  He  was  born  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  on  the  first  of  August,  1850,  and 
is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Barbara  (Stumpf)  Heini,  natives  of  Baden  Baden, 
Germany.  The  father  was  a  brewer  by  trade,  and  after  emigrating  to 
America  in  1836  he  carried  on  that  business  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  where  he 
died  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  His  wife  survived  him  for 
some  time  and  died  in  Quincy  in  1893,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-three 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  the  subject  of  this  review 
Ijeing  the  eldest.  The  others  are  Anton,  a  resident  of  Quincy,  Cararma, 
who  is  married  and  lives  in  Southern  California,  and  Anna,  who  makes  her 
home  in  Portsmith,  Ohio. 

During  his  boyhood  Conrad  Heim  learned  the  butcher's  trade  and 
after  reaching  adult  age  he  went  to  the  west  where  he  was  employed  for  a 
time.  Subsequently,  however,  he  returned  to  Quincy  and  there  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Enghouser.  Four  children  were  born  unto 
them,  of  whom  three  are  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Anna  Nelson,  a  resident  of 
Parsons,  Kansas;  Maggie,  wife  of  William  Hess,  a  druggist  of  Humboldt, 
and  Mrs.  Emma  Kelley,  of  Humboldt. 

After  our  subject's  arrival  in  the  Sunflower  State  he  purchased  a  farm 
in  Salem  township  and  there  resided  for  several  years,  devoting  his  atten- 
tion to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  and  to  the  raising  of  stock.  He  then 
came  to  Humboldt,  where  he  embarked  in  the  butchering  business  and  also 
began  buying  and  shipping  horses  and  cattle.  He  feeds  considerable  stock 
during  the  winter  and  his  business  efforts  have  been  attended  with  a  very 
gratifying  degree  of  success,  for  when  he  came  to  the  county  he  had  no 
capital  and  now  he  is  in  possession  of  a  profitable  business,  which  annually 
increases  his  bank  account.  He  today  owns  a  good  farm  and  some  business 
property,  together  with  three  residences  in  Humboldt  and  three  in  Chanute. 
His  identification  with  the    Democracy    dates   from   the   attainment   of  his 


266  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

majority,  while  of  two  civic  orders  lie  is  a  representative,  being  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  the'  Maccabees  and  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Asso- 
ciation. He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  Humboldt,  where  he  is  held  in 
uniform  regard  as  a  reliable  business  man  and  public-spirited  citizen. 


FRANKIvIN  RICHARDS,  M.  D.— Although  one  of  the  youngest  mem- 
bers of  the  medical  fraternity  of  Kansas,  Dr.  Richards'  years  seem 
no  bar  to  his  success,  and  in  lyaHarpe,  where  he  is  located,  he  has  gained 
a  liberal  patronage  that  indicates  confidenca  reposed  by  the  public  in  his 
skill  and  ability. 

The  Doctor  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Canton,  on 
the  17th  of  March,  1874.  He  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  families  of  that 
place,  his  ancestors  for  several  generations  having  resided  in  that  city.  His 
father  removed  to  Nebraska  in  1887,  and  engaged  in  the  drug  busiriess  with 
his  eldest  son  in  Shadron,  where  he  is  still  located.  He  was  a  man  of 
practical  common  sense  and  sound  judgment  who  believed  in  preparing 
his  children  for  the  responsible  duties  of  life  and  thus  Dr.  Richards  was 
trained  to  habits  of  industry  in  his  youth.  He  completed  his  literary  edu- 
cation in  the  high  school  of  Milford,  Nebraska,  after  which  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  the  intention  of  making  its  practice  his  life  work. 
This  resolution  probably  had  its  beginning  with  him  when  he  was  very 
young.  When  a  little  lad  of  four  years  he  was  crippled  through  an  acci- 
dent and  the  old  family  physician  who  attended  him  told  him  that  he  must 
become  a  doctor.  Franklin  never  forgot  the  advice  of  this  worthy  man 
and  after  completing  the  high  school  course  he  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine in  the  fall  of  1893  ^^  ^  student  in  the  Eclectic  Medical  College  of 
lyincoln,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  Subsequently  he  entered  the 
Williams  Medical  College  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  but  was  graduated  in 
Lincoln,  Nebraska,  in  1897.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the  State  Eclectic 
Society  of  Nebraska. 

After  his  graduation  Dr.  Richards  located  in  Centerville,  Linn  County, 
Kansas,  remaining  two  years,  when  he  removed  to  LaHarpe,  Allen  County, 
in  1899.  He  has  since  gained  a  large  and  lucrative  patronage  and  the 
profession  and  the  public  acknowledge  his  worthiness.  He  is  a  close  and 
discriminating  student  and  by  perusal  of  medical  journals  he  keeps  in  touch 
with  the  progress  that  is  being  continually  made   in  the   medical  fraternity. 

On  the  23rd  of  December,  1893  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  Dr.  Richards 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Bowman,  of  Magnolia,  Ohio.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  L-  D.  Bowman,  a  leading  stockholder  in  the  Magnolia  Oil 
&  Gas  Company,  which  controls  one  of  the  principal  industries  of  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  Another  member  of  the  Bowman  family  is  a  promi- 
nent attorney  of  Canton,  Ohio,  and  is  now  mayor  of  that  city.  Dr.  Rich- 
ards and  his  family  have  always  been  staunch  Republicans,  unswerving  in 
their  advocacy  of  the  part}^.     The}'  have  always  been   earnest   adherents  of 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  267 

Christian  principles  and  belong  to  that  class  of  representative  Americans 
who  labor  for  the  advancement  of  County,  State  and  Nation  along  the  lines 
of  greatest  good. 


TB.  HARRISS,  who  is  numbered  among  the  veterans  of  the  Civil 
•  war,  and  is  now  one  of  the  esteemed  residents  of  Allen  County,  was 
born  on  the  1 2th  of  October,  1826,  near  Nashville,  in  Holmes  County, 
Ohio.  He  is  a  son  of  Jonathan  Harriss,  who  was  born  in  Brooks  County, 
Virginia,  in  1801.  His  great  grandfather,  John  Harriss  Sr. ,  was  of  Eng- 
lish birth,  and  came  to  America  dm  ing  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  He 
then  joined  the  American  army  and  valiantly  aided  in  the  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence. His  wife  was  a  native  of  Scotland.  Their  son,  John  Harriss 
Jr.,  was  born  in  Maryland,  and  became  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  aided 
his  country  in  the  war  of  1812,  mainly  acting  as  scout  and  guide.  He,  too, 
married  a  Scotch  lady',  who  became  a  resident  of  Maryland  during  her 
girlhood.  They  removed  to  Brooks  County,  Virginia,  where  the  father  of 
our  subject  was  born,  spending  his  boyhood  days  on  a  farm  in  the  Old 
Dominion.  The  latter  acquired  an  education  such  as  the  common  schools 
of  that  dij-  afforded  and  at  an  early  period  in  the  development  of  Ohio  re- 
moved thereto  where  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  and  shoemaker's  trades 
for  about  thirty  years.  In  early  life  he  voted  with  the  Whig  party,  but 
joined  the  Republican  party  upon  its  organization  He  married  Sarah 
Birden,  who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  in  1805,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Birden,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Rhode  Island  aud  was  a  sea  captain. 
Jonathan  Harriss  passed  away  at  his  home  in  Ohio  in  1877.  In  his  family 
were  the  following  named:  T.  B.,  of  this  review;  Bradford  and  John  W. , 
who  died  during  the  Civil  war;  Allen,  of  Mansfield,  Ohio;  Henry^  who  is 
living  in  Nashville,  Ohio;  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Gill,  who  died  leaving  a  family 
in  Nashville,  Ohio,  (one  of  her  sons  being  a  banker  in  Millersburg,  that 
State);  and  Mrs.  Abby  Remington,  of  Nashville,  Ohio. 

On  a  farm  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio,  T.  B.  Harriss  spent  his  boyhood 
and  youth  and  conned  his  lessons  in  an  old  log  school  house,  where  the 
curriculum  was  limited  aud  the  method  of  instruction  was  of  primitive  char- 
acter. He  entered  upon  his  business  career  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  upon 
a  farm  in  his  native  county,  and  later  he  engaged  in  business  as  a  railroad 
contractor.  Next  he  purchased  a  sawmill,  which  he  operated  for  five 
years,  after  which  he  sold  that  property  and  engaged  in  the  stock  business 
until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war. 

When  the  country  was  calling  for  the  support  of  her  loyal  citizens  to 
aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Twenty- 
third  Ohio  Infantry,  and  with  that  command  served  during  the  years  1861-2.. 
In  the  latter  year  he  was  wounded,  and  in  consequence  was  discharged, 
but  after  his  recovery,  in  the  fall  of  1863,  he  re-enlisted,  joining  the  boys 
in  blue  of  Company    G,  of  the  One  Hundred   Second    Ohio  Infantry-,    with 


268  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AXD 

which  he  was  connected  until  -ifter  the  stars  and  stripes  were  planted  in  the 
capital  of  the  Confederacy.  His  regiment  took  part  in  the  engagement  at 
Murfreesboro  and  was  afterwards  stationed  at  Nashville,  T^nnesiee. 
He  received  an  honorable  discharge  in  L,ouisville,  Kentucky,  in  November, 
1865. 

On  the  first  of  February,  1849  Mr.  Harriss  had  been  united  in  marriage 
to  Sabrina  Gray,  who  was  born  in  Erie  County,  Pennsylvania,  August  8, 
1824,  and  is  a  sister  of  Hiram  P.  Gray,  of  lola,  Kansas.  Her  people  were 
natives  of  Connecticut.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harriss  have  been  born  ten  chil- 
dren, but  only  three  are  now  living:  Jonathan  E. ,  an  engineer  on  the  Santa 
Fe  railroad,  now  residing  in  Winfield,  Kansas;  Mrs.  lyaura  Kirkland,  of 
Wichita,  Kansas,  and  Mrs.  Lovie  E.  Hill,  who  is  living  in  lola. 

Mr.  Harriss  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  William  Henry  Har- 
rison, and  was  a  supporter  of  the  Whig  party  until  he  joined  the  ranks  of 
the  Republican  party,  of  which  he  has  since  been  an  earnest  advocate. 
Since  1857  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  in  his  life 
has  exemplified  its  beneficent  principles.  He  has  passed  the  seventy- 
fourth  milestone  on  life's  journey,  but  still  maintains  an  active  interest  in 
affairs  of  general  importance,  and  is  a  valued  citizen  of  Allen  County. 


JOHN  M.  BROWN. — The  prairies  of  Kansas  are  dotted  here  and  there 
'-'  with  pioneers  who  have  passed  through  the  discouragements  and  ad- 
versities incident  to  life  on  the  frontier  and  a  few  of  this  class,  the  more 
resolute  and  industrious,  have  exemplified  the  adage,  "time  is  money,"  in 
making  the  years  roll  up  each  a  new  and  larger  balance  on  the  credit  side 
of  the  ledger.  One  of  the  early  settlers  on  the  prairies  of  eastern  Allen 
county  whose  circumstances  place  him  with  the  exceptional  but  thrifty 
class  above  referred  to  is  John  M.  Brown.  The  pioneer  days  of  ea.stern 
Allen  were  about  ten  years  later  than  those  days  along  the  Neosho,  and 
while  the  settlements  along  the  river  were  thickening  up  the  expanse  to 
the  east  of  it  was  still  barren  and  unbroken  with  the  cabins  of  home-seekers. 
Mr.  Brown's  first  trip  to  the  county  was  made  in  187 1  when  he  came  to 
learn  whether  he  could  eke  out  an  existence  upon  a  tract  of  land  he  had 
bought  here  in  1864,  "sight  unseen."  He  decided  that  he  could  make  the 
land  provide  a  living  for  one  and  in  1872  he  brought  his  effects  out  from 
the  east,  permanently  to  remain.  He  turned  the  sod  with  his  oxen  and 
got  things  to  appearing,  to  him,  somewhat  homelike  so  that  in  twelve 
months  he  felt  warranted  in  having  his  family  venture  out.  His  land  was 
one  of  the  prime  quarters  of  the  section.  It  is  situated  in  the  "Golden 
Valley"  belt  of  Allen  county  and  now  approaches,  in  fertility  and  improve- 
ment, a  well-conducted  Illinois  or  Indiana  farm.  The  proceeds  of  his 
early  years'  efforts  Mr.  Brown  turned  into  land  and  his  farm  comprises  five 
hundred    and    twenty    acres  of  this  rich  and  productive  region.     His  first 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  269 

abiding  place  was  a  shanty  13x15  feet  and  in  this  he  resided  from  1873  till 
1882  when  he  built  extensively  and  permanently. 

Mr  Brown  was  born  in  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania,  June  9,  1843. 
His  father  was  Alexander  Brown,  a  farmer,  who  died  at  the  home  of  our 
subject  in  June  1900.  The  latter  was  born  in  County  Derry,  Ireland,  town 
of  Kilwray,  in  1819.  He  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1827,  with  his 
father,  William  Brown,  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  In  1852  Alexander 
Brown  went  to  Grundy  county,  Illinois,  and  there  his  father  died. 

Alexander  Brown  married  Sophronia  Murphy  who  was  born  in  Beaver 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1819  and  died  in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  in  1897. 
Their  children  were:  John  M. ;  William,  of  L,ittle  Rock,  Arkansas;  Charles, 
of  Polk  county,  Nebraska;  James  and  Daniel,  of  Portland,  Oregon;  Her- 
bert, who  died  in  Texas  in  July  1899. 

John  M.  Brown  was  married  in  Woodford  county,  Illinois.  He  mar- 
ried Amy  A.  Phillips,  a  daughter  of  James  Phillips,  who  went  into  Illinois 
from  Tennessee.  The  Phillips  children  were:  William  F.;  Margaret,  de- 
ceased, who  married  James  Brown;  Paulina,  deceased,  married  Mr.  Dan- 
iels, of  Neodesha,  Kansas;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  Grim,  of  Ford  county, 
Illinois;  Almyra,  wife  of  Mr.  Snyder,  of  Pasadena.  California;  Manala,  who 
married  A.  C.  Brown,  of  Champaign  county,  Illinois;  Eli  Phillips,  who 
died  in  McLean  county,  Illinois,  in  1900;  Mrs.  E.  Brown,  of  Pasadena, 
California,  and  Albert  Phillips,  of  the  same  point. 

The  heirs  of  John  M.  Brown  and  wife  are;  Edgar  A.  Brown,  with  the 
Swift  Packing  Company,  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  who  is  married  to  Alice 
Woodward;  Hannah;  J.  Oscar;  Albert,  and  Herbert  Brown.  Four  of  the 
children  are  common  school  graduates  and,  in  addition,  Albert  and  Oscar 
are  graduates  of  the  Moran  High  School.  These  young  men  are  especially 
gifted  with  bright  and  active  intellects  and,  with  their  industrious  habits 
and  energetic  composition,  are  admirably  equipped  for  a  successful  and 
useful  career. 

The  Republican  proclivities  of  JohnM.  Brown  are  well  known.  He 
has  taken  some  active  interest  in  Elm  township  politics  for  many  years  and 
has  served  as  its  Treasurer.  His  educational  equipment  is  not  of  the 
highest  order  but  it  is  ample  for  the  efficient  conduct  of  all  business  per- 
taining to  his  community  or  his  farm.  He  enjoys  the  unalloyed  confidence 
of  those  of  his  acquaintanceship  and  permits  no  man  to  outdo  him  in  matters 
pertaining  to  the  moral  or  educational  wellbeing  of  his  county. 


TTOWARD  B.  ADAMS,  of  lola,  whose  business  interests  are  at  Moran, 
-•-  -^  Kansas,  and  who  has  spent  nearly  thirty  years  in  Allen  county,  was 
born  in  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio,  January  12,  1845.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles 
K.  Adams,  M.  D.,  who  was  a  native  of  Keene,  New  Hampshire,  born 
1812,  and  died  in  Maries  county,  Missouri,  in  1870.  He  received  his  pro- 
fessional  training  in  New  York  state  and  went  from  school  to  Ohio  and 


270  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AXD 

began  practice.  In  1847  ^^^  went  to  Green  county,  Wisconsin,  and  after 
some  years  spent  there,  went  to  Stephenson  county,  Illinois,  and  from 
there  to  Missouri  where  he  died.  He  was  a  strong  sympathiser  with  pub- 
lic education,  took  an  active  interest  in  politics,  as  a  Republican,  and  be- 
lieved firmly  in  the  efficacy  of  the  church.  He  died  a  Methodist.  He 
married  Jerusha  B.  Swain,  a  daughter  of  William  Barrett  Swain  and  grand- 
daughter of  Joseph  Swain  whose  ancestors  were  among  the  passengers 
aboard  the  "Mayflower."  John  Tilley  and  wife  and  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  John  Howland,  came  to  America  in  that  historic  little  craft.  The 
mother  of  Joseph  Swain  was  a  Chipman,  a  daughter  of  John  Chipman  and 
Hope,  a  daughter  of  John  Howland.  John  Howland  married  Elizabeth 
Howland. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Athens,  Pennsylvania,  April  8, 
1820.  She  died  in  Dane  county,  Wiscon.sin.  She  was  the  mother  of: 
Charles  E.  Adams,  who  died  in  1861,  leaving  a  family;  Ellen  L. ,  wife  of 
William  B.  Payne,  of  Jefferson  City,  Missouri;  Olive  J.,  widow  of  Elijah 
L,.  Weston,  of  Shenandoah,  Iowa,  and  Howard  B.  Adams. 

Green  county,  Wisconsin,  was  the  scene  of  our  subject's  boyhood.  He 
attended  the  city  schools  till  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  entered  the 
Federal  army,  enlisting  in  Company  B,  Eighth  United  States  Infantry. 
He  was  mustered  in  on  Governor's  Island,  New  York,  and  joined  his  regi- 
ment just  after  the  battle  of  Antietam.  His  regiment  remained  a  part  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  he  participated  in  the  great  battles  of  Gettys- 
burg, Chancellorsville,  Fredericksburg,  Cold  Harbor,  Wilderness,  and 
Spottsylvania  Court  House.  The  last  year  of  his  service  he  was  on  detail 
and  was  discharged  in  Baltimore  in  June  1865. 

Upon  his  return  to  Illinois,  where  his  people  had  removed,  Mr.  Adams 
engaged  in  teaching  school  in  the  country  and  made  it  a  part  of  his  busi- 
ness for  9  time.  He  came  to  Allen  county  in  1872  and  located  upon  a  farm 
east  of  Humboldt  and  here  engaged  in  farming  as  well  as  teaching.  In 
1880  he  went  to  the  Paola  Normal  College,  an  efficient  educational  insti- 
tution and  teachers'  training  school  under  the  leadership  of  Profes.sor 
Whirrell,  to  better  prepare  himself  for  the  work  of  higher  education  and,  in 
1883,  he  received  a  certificate  of  graduation.  He  taught  in  Geneva  and 
completed  his  educational  work  with  four  years  of  service  as  principal  of 
the  Moran  schools. 

Mr.  Adams  turned  his  attention  to  merchandising  in  1888,  succeeding 
W.  J.  Steele  in  the  hardware  business  in  Moran,  with  Charles  Mendell  as 
partner.  Disposing  of  this  business  he  established  himself  in  the  lumber 
business  and  the  firm  of  Adams  &  Merrill  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  pop- 
ular ones  of  the  city.  Mr.  Adams  has  served  Moran  as  Mayor,  on  its 
Council,  as  City  Treasurer  and  on  her  Board  of  Education. 

Mr.  Adams  was  first  married  in  Stephenson  county,  Illinois,  in  1867  to 
Ruth  A.  Harris.  The  Harris's  were  from  near  L,ake  Champlain,  New 
York,  and  Ruth  was  born  in  1840.  She  died  in  1892.  She  was  educated 
in  Plattsburg,  New  York,  taught  in  Stephenson  county,  Illiliois,  and  many 
years  in   Allen  county,  Kansas.     Her  surviving  child  is  George  I.  Adams, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  27 1 

\Yho  was  horn  in  their  Illinois  home  August  17,  1870.  After  leaving  the 
common  schools  George  spent  four  }'ears  in  the  Kansas  State  Normal  and 
after  his  graduation  there  he  took  the  Bachelor's  degree  in  the  State  Uni- 
versity and  later  the  Master's  degree,  in  the  same  institution.  He  entered, 
next,  Princeton  College  took  the  degree  of  Master  oi  Science.  During  his 
career  as  a  student  he  did  some  teaching,  at  Emporia  and  in  normal  insti- 
tutes in  Kansas.  I,eaving  Princeton  Mr.  Adams  spent  a  year  in  Germany, 
at  Munich,  taking  lectures  and  perfecting  the  German  language.  Soon 
after  his'  return  to  the  United  States  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  upon 
the  geological  survey  of  Kansas.  He  spent  two  years  at  this  and  the  fol- 
lowing two  years  as  assistant  geologist  upon  the  United  States  Geological 
survey.  In  May  1900  he  successfully  passed  the  examination  for  perma- 
nent appointment  with  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  and  is  stationed 
at  Washington,  D.  C. 

H.  B.  Adams'  second  marriage  was  to  EmmaE.  a  daughter  of  James  R. 
McNaught,  of  Allen  county.  Mr.  McNaught  was  born  in  Morgan  county, 
Indiana,  m  1828  and  came  to  Kansas  in  1870.  He  married  Rebecca  Adams 
and  Emma  E.  is  their  fourth  child.  Mr.  McNaught  died  in  March  1900. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams'  children  are;  Charles  H.,  born  in  1894;  Scott  Mc- 
Kinley,  born  in  1895;  Grace  E.,  born  in  1897,  ^"^^  Ruth  Eddy,  born  in 
1900.  Mr.  Adams  erected,  in  1900,  one  of  the  handsome  cottages  of  lola, 
located  upon  the  north  eminence  overlooking  the  city  and  here  he  is  resting 
from  an  active  and  well-spent  life. 


/~^  EORGE  FREEMAN— Among  the  young  educators  of  Allen  County 
^-^  who  have  endeared  themselves  to  the  school  patrons  and  who  have 
established  a  reputation  for  efficiency  and  honesty  of  purpose  is  the  subject 
of  this  persona]  reference,  George  Freeman,  principal  of  the  first  ward 
school  in  lola.  Mr.  Freeman  is  distinctly  of  Allen  County.  His  birth  oc- 
curred here,  he  was  educated  here  and  his  entrance  upon  the  serious  phase 
of  life  has  occurred  here.  He  was  born  in  Salem  township  April  8,  1875, 
and  his  first  years  of  school  age  were  passed  in  the  country.  At  the  age  of 
twelve  years  his  parents  moved  into  lola  and  almost  since  that  date 
George  Freeman  has  been  more  or  less  known  to  the  citizens  of  this  town. 
Charles  Freeman,  our  subject's  father,  came  to  Kansas  in  1868,  from 
New  Eondon,  Canada  West.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  but  he  deter- 
mined to  secure  a  free  home  upon  the  plains  of  Allen  County  and  he  home- 
steaded  a  quarter  section  in  Salem  township.  He  laid  aside  his  trade,  as  a 
business,  and  devoted  himself  to  improving  his  claim  and  bringing  it  grad- 
ually into  the  appearance  of  a  farm.  He  remained  with  it  till  1887,  when 
he  came  to  lola.  Mr.  Freeman  is  a  son  of  George  Freeman,  who  with  his 
wife,  Sarah,  nee  Faulkenburg,  emigrated  to  the  new  world  and  located  in 
Canada  West.  They  died  there  in  1884  leaving  their  son,  Charles,  as  their 
sole   American    heir.     He  was  reared  by  Mr.  McKenzie.     He  had  learned 


2/3  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AXD 

his  trade  by  the  time  he  reached  his  majority  and,  during  the  war  he  went 
into  the  Pennsylvania  oil  fields  and  became  a  small  operator,  with  some  pros- 
pect of  success,  but  unexpected  reverses  overtook  him  and  left  him  financially 
exhausted.  He  was  married  in  Logan  township,  Allen  County,  in  1867  to 
Xancy  E. .  a  daughter  of  William  Bartley.  Their  children  are:  Minnie, 
Arthur  W. ,  M.  Louise,  George,  Fred  F. ,  Samuel  S.  and  Josie. 

George  Freeman  entered  the  7th  grade  of  the  lola  schools,  and  finished 
the  high  school  course  in  1893.  He  taught  his  first  school  in  his  old 
vSalem  district  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  year  1896-7  spent  in  Baker 
Universit}',  he  has  made  teaching  his  exclusive  business.  He  entered  the 
lola  schools  in  1899  as  principal  of  the  first  ward  building  where  he  has 
finished  his  second  year. 

Mr.  Freeman  was  married  in  Ida  in  August,  1900,  to  Zella,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Marshal  M.  Hart.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  in  which  he  has  taken  an  active  part  for  many  yeais. 


TI^RAXK  NIGH — For  almost  a  third  of  a  century  J.  Frank  Nigh  has 
-•-  resided  in  Allen  County,  and  is  today  classed  among  the  wide-awake 
and  progressive  fanners  and  stock  raisers  of  lola  township.  He  was  born 
in  Cowden,  Shelby  County,  Illinois,  October  14,  1859.  His  father,  Isaac 
Nigh,  was  born  in  Garfield  County,  Ohio,  December  2.  1829,  and  his 
grandfather  was  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maryland,  born  in  1803.  In  1846 
the  last  named  enlisted  in  Ohio  for  service  in  the  Mexican  war  and  his 
regiment  was  assigned  to  General  Scott's  array.  He  participated  in  the 
CAinpaigns  of  that  victorious  army  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico, 
where  he  was  stricken  with  typhus  fever,  died  and  was  buried.  In  civil 
life  he  was  a  frontier  farmer  and  died  leaving  a  family  of  four  children. 
His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Beachtel,  born  in  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania in  181 1.     She  died  in  Shelby  County,  Illinois,  in  1898. 

Isaac  Nigh  was  the  first  child  of  his  parents  and  his  boyhood  and 
early  youth  were  passed  in  Franklin,  County,  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years  he  joined  the  same  regiment  with  his  father  for  service  in  the 
Mexican  war  and  followed  the  army  of  General  Scott  to  the  City  of  Mexico. 
He,  too,  took  down  with  the  dread  disease,  typhus,  and  was  sick  near  unto 
death.  Upon  recovery,  and  being  discharged  from  the  army,  he  went  back 
to  his  native  county  and  passed  a  year  upon  the  farm.  The  next  year  he 
spent  in  New  York  City  and,  upon  his  return  west,  he  took  up.  his  resi- 
dence in  Shelby  County,  Illinois.  He  engaged  in  farming  there  and  con- 
tinued it  until  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  called  him  to  arms.  He  enlisted 
in  the  115th  Illinois  Infantry,  Colonel  Moore,  and  served  three  years. 
From  the  year  of  his  muster  out  of  the  service  till  1869  he  passed  in  Illinois 
on  a  farm.  The  latter  month  and  year  he  journeyed  to  Kansas  and  settled 
in  Cottage  Grove  township,  Allen  County.  He  secured  a  homestead  four 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  Humboldt  which  he  improved  and  upon  which  he 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  273 

made  his  home  many  years.  The  first  year  Isaac  Nigh  spent  in  Kansas 
he  was  engaged  much  of  the  time  in  freighting  goods  from  the  nearest  rail- 
road points  along  the  Kaw  River,  I^awrence  and  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  to 
Humboldt.  In  this  way  he  was  able  to  the  better  provide  for  his  family 
while  the  initial  steps  toward  farm-improvement  and  farm-cultivation  were 
being  taken. 

Isaac  Nigh  was  married  in  1853  to  Ann  Phillips.  Mrs.  Nigh  was 
born  January  6,  1835,  in  Shelby  County,  Illinois.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Bryant  Phillips  and  is  the  mother  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter:  Sam- 
uel C.  Nigh,  who  died  at  Chanute,  Kansas,  in  1894;  Mary  J,,  wife  of  E.  A. 
Gleason,  of  Humboldt,  and  J.  Frank  Nigh,  our  subject. 

At  ten  years  of  age  Frank  Nigh  came  into  Allen  County.  He  began 
contributing  toward  his  own  support  upon  entering  his  'teens  and  learned 
the  lessons  of  independence  and  self-confidence  long  before  he  saw  his 
twenty-first  birthday.  He  was  schooled  passably  well  in  the  district  schools 
and  this,  strengthened  by  the  efficient  school  of  experience,  has  equipped 
him  for  a  successful  career  in  life.  To  enter  the  railroad  service  was  among 
the  first  acts  of  our  subject  upon  reaching  man's  estate.  He  learned 
telegraphy  with  the  L.  L.  and  G-.  Railway  people  and  was  in  their  employ 
at  stations  along  their  line  till  i885.  Leaving  the  road  he  located 
upon  a  farm  along  the  Neosho  River  and  has  ever  since  dubbed  himself 
a  farmer. 

In  November  1889  Mr.  Nigh  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  of  Allen 
County  and  was  again  elected  in  189 1,  each  time  bv  a  rhajority  largely  in 
excess  of  the  regular  Republican  ticket.  He  performed  his  official  duties 
with  fidelity  and  efficiency  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  our  reliable  and 
honorable  public  servants. 

November  16,  18S4,  Mr.  Nigh  was  married  to  Miss  Lou  Hubbard,  a 
daughter  of  the  late  pioneer,  Samuel  F.  and  Parmelia  Hubbard.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hubbard  were  from  North  Carolina  and  came  into  Allen  County  in 
1857.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nigh;  Edna  L., 
Claude  H.,  Matilda  M.  and  James  P. 

Frank  Nigh  has  acquitted  him.self  well  wherever  he  has  been  tried. 
He  served  his  employers  faithfully  when  in  the  railroad  service;  nothing 
WIS  left  undone  by  him  as  a  public  official,  which  jeopardized  the  public, 
or  private  welfare  of  his  constituents;  as  a  farmer  he  is  broad-gauged  and 
progressive,  practicing  industry  and  honesty  before  all  men,  and  as  a  citi- 
zen he  is  unassailable  and  his  character  stands  unimpeached.  Being  a 
firm  believer  in  the  efficacy  of  Republican  principles  he  is  a  loyal  and  un- 
swerving supporter  of  the  party  of  his  choice.  He  is  a  Knight  of  Pythias, 
an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  laborer  in  the  cause  of  Father  Upchurch. 


"CD  OBERT  NELSON.— One  of  the  successful  farmers  and  well  known 
-*-  *-  citizens  of  Deer  Creek  township  is  Robert  Nelson  who.se  residence  in 
Allen  county  has  spanned  a  period  of  almost  a  score  of  ■  years.     He  located 


2  74  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

upon  section  i6,  township  24,  range  20,  a  raw  and  unimproved  piece  of 
school  land  in  1882,  and  since  that  date  he  bas  devoted  his  time  and 
energies,  not  only  to  the  proper  care  and  support  of  his  family  but  to  the 
development  and  improvement  of  a  farm  and  to  the  task  of  reaching  a  con- 
dition of  financial  independence,  both  warrantable  and  creditable.  The 
place  of  his  first  settlement  he  made  sale  of  as  did  he  of  the  settlement 
made  in  section  seventeen  where  he  repeated,  on  a  larger  scale,  his  efforts 
upon  the  first  farm. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Illinois,  September  18,  1846. 
His  father,  Zenas  B.  Nelson,  was  born  near  L,ouisville,  Kentuckj',  in  i8ig 
and,  in  1832,  left  th^t  state  and  became  a  citizen  of  Illinois.  He  accom- 
panied his  father,  James  Nelson,  whose  origin,  or  birth,  occurred  in  Vir- 
ginia. The  latter  died  in  Illinois  in  1846  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His 
military  experience  was  gained  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  18 12  and,  as  a 
civilian,  he  was  devoted  to  agriculture.  He  married  Elizabeth  Allen  and 
rt'as  the  father  of  fifteen  children,  fourteen  of  whom  lived  to  grow  up  and 
marry. 

Zenas  B.  Nelson's  military  service  consisted  of  a  connection  with  the 
Illinois  militia  when  called  out  for  the  purpose  of  suppressing  the  disturb- 
ances with  the  Mormons  at  Nauvoo.  He  was  married  in  1843  to  Delilah 
Hopson,  a  daughter  of  Robert  Hopson  who  was  a  Scotchman,  kidnapped  in 
boyhood  by  some  sailors,  while  hauling  logs  in  the  wood  near  the  seashore. 
While  the  ship  of  his  master  was  in  harbor  at  New  Yoik  he  stole  away  and 
made  his  way  to  Ohio.  He  was  married  in  that  state  to  Narcissa  Pierce, 
which  union  was  productive  of  fourteen  children. 

The  children  of  Zenas  and  Deliah  Nelson  were:  Alfred  and  Robert 
Nelson,  of  Allen  county;  Olive,  wife  of  Martin  Cray,  of  Woodward  county, 
Oklahoma;  Harriet,  wife  of  Edward  Wade,  deceased,  of  Clark  county,  Mis- 
souri, Ann,  who  married  Thomas  L,owry,  of  Adams  county,  Illinois;  Ida, 
wife  of  Chauncey  Owens,  of  the  same  county;  Deliah,  wife  of  Sanford 
Graham;  Charles  and  Philip,  all  of  Illinois.  Philip  Nelson  is  one  of  the 
leading  architects  of  the  state.  He  is  widely  known  throughout  the  state 
and  has  done  much  work  of  a  high  character  and  received  the  plaudits  and 
commendations  of  architects  and  builders  alike. 

Robert  Nelson  passed  his  childhood  and  early  manhood  with  the 
family  home.  He  left  the  parental  roof  at  twenty-four  years  of  age  and 
was  married  and  engaged  in  farming.  His  wife  died  soon  thereafter  and 
centennial  year  he  was  again  married  and,  with  scarce  an  intermission,  has 
continued  his  connection  with  the  farm. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  first  married  February  3,  1870,  to  Sarah  Seals,  who 
died  in  1873,  leaving  a  son,  Alpha,  who  is  married  to  Catherine  Mills  and 
resides  in  Allen  county.  January  26,  1876,  Mr.  Nelson  was  married  to 
Mary  O.  Treatch,  a  daughter  of  George  W.  Treatch,  a  German  and  from 
Darmstadt.  The  iatter  came  to  America  with  his  family  in  1840  and  set- 
tled in  Illinois  about  1841.  He  was  a  miller  by  trade  and  was  the  father 
often  children.  Those  living  are:  George  Treatch,  Catherine,  wife  of 
George  Randolph,  both  of  Illinois,  Mrs.  Robert  Nelson;  Kate,  wife  of  Wil- 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,. KANSAS.  275 

liam  Crabtree,  of  Adams  county;  Matilda,  wife  of  Wilson  Jones;  Fred 
Treatch,  who  married  Maggie  Seals  and  resides  in  the  home  county; 
Henry,  who  married  Rosa  Hill,  residing  in  Adams  county,   Illinois. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson's  children  are:  Gertrude,  who  is  the  wife  of 
George  Myers,  of  lola;  Ona,  wife  of  Lindsey  T.  Gillenwater,  of  Allen 
county,  and  Cora,  Jessie  and  Clark,  about  the  domestic  hearthstone. 

In  politics  the  early  Nelsons  were  Whigs.  Later  on  the  voters  of  the 
family  weire  divided  as  to  parties  and  our  subject  became  a  Greenbacker, 
then  a  Union  Labor  man  and  finally  a  supporter  of  the  Peoples  Party. 


JOHN  B.  FERGUS,  of  Deer  Creek  township,  well  known  in  horticulture 
•J  and  floriculture  in  Allen  county,  settled  upon  the  west  half  of  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  29,  township  23,  range  20,  his  present  home,  in 
January  1889.  He  was  a  resident  of  Anderson  county  before  coming  into 
Allen  and  prior  to  that  time  occupied  the  old  Younger  homestead  in  Jack- 
son county,  Missouri.  He  was  a  resident  of  Missouri  from  1879  to  1882 
when  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Anderson  county,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Fergus  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  March  24, 
1858,  and  is  a  aon  of  Thomas  P.  Fergus,  of  the  same  county  and  state. 
The  latter  was  born  in  1832,  was  engaged  in  the  calling  of  a  firmer  and  in 
1879  went  into  Missouri.  His  last  years  were  spent  in  Anderson  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  died  in  1S88.  He  married  Abigail  Bradford,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Annie  (Hamilton)  Bradford,  lineal  descentants  of  the  famous 
Massachusetts  family  of  Bradfords.  John  Bradford  of  this  mention  was  a 
soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  died  near  Dayton, 
Ohio.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Bradford  ate:  Elizabeth 
Friend,  of  Wyoming,  Ohio,  aged  eighty-two  years,  still  living;  Margaret  Ser- 
vice, of  Dayton.  Ohio,  eighty  years;  Martha  Jane  Hamilton,  Ft.  Wayne, 
Indiana,  .seventy-eight  years;  Rev.  D.  G.  Bradford,  Springfield,  Illinois, 
seventy-six  years;  James  H.  Bradford,  Bellbrook,  Ohio,  seventy-three 
years:  Ebenezer  E.  Bradford,  Centerville,  Ohio,  seventy  years;  Annie  C. 
Ewing,  missionary  in  Cairo,  Egypt,  sixty-eight  years;  Abigail  Fergus, 
Glenlock,  Kansas,  sixty-six  years;  Agnes  Andrews,  Bellbrook,  Ohio, 
sixty-three  years. 

The  Fergus'  are  of  Scotch  lineage.  Thomas  Fergus,  our  subject's 
paternal  grandfather  and  a  Scotchman,  sought  the  United  States  about 
1803,  stopped  a  season  at  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  but  made  his  permanent 
home  in  Washington  county,  that  state.  His  sons  and  daughters  were: 
Martha,  who  married  James  Taggart;  Margaret,  wife  of  Thomas  McCall; 
Sarah,  who  married  Joseph  Donaghy;  Nancy,  who  became  Mrs.  James 
White;  Hugh;  John  and  Thomas  P. 

The  surviving  children  of  Thomas  P.  and  Abigail  Fergus  are:  Anna, 
wife  of  Alexander  McKitrick,  of  Anderson  county,  Kansas;  J.  Bradford', 
our  subject;  Samuel  and  Hugh,  of  Anderson  county ;  Sadie,  wife  of  Robert 
Furneaux,  of  Allen  county,  and  Thomas,  of  Reno  county,  Kansas. 

John  B.  Fergus  has  passed  his  life  a  student   of  the  field   and   farm. 


276  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

His  first  independent  enterpiise  was  one  calculated  to  make  him  a  sheep 
grower  and  he  came  into  Allen  count\'  in  1881  and  bought  land  for  the 
purpose  of  ranching  it  with  sheep.  The  year  happened  to  be  a  dry  one 
and  the  venture  proved  a  failure.  He  sold  out  what  remained  of  his  stock 
and  for  the  next  five  years  "knocked  about."  He  was  married  in  1887 
and  the  next  year,  but  one,  moved  to  the  farm  that  is  now  his  attractive 
home.  General  farming  and  horticulture  with  a  recent  entry  upon  the  fine 
cattle  business  are  matters  which  claim  all  his  time.  From  a  modest  be- 
ginning he  has  gained  on  the  world  steadily  and  surely  and  has  not  only 
demonstrated  his  success  with  the  soil  but  has  established  and  maintained 
a  public  confidence  that  is  worthy  of  emulation. 

May  20,  1887,  Mr.  Fergus  was  married  to  Emma  Z.  Nicholson,  a 
daughter  of  Cornelius  J.  Nicholson,  who  carae  to  Allen  county  in  1866  and 
settled  in  the  valley  of  the  Little  Osage.  He  emigrated  from  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  married  to  Sarah  Hoover.  Their  children  were: 
Scott  W.,  deceased;  David  and  Emma  Z. ;  Robert,  and  Hattie,  wife  of 
Robert  Richardson,  of  Ripley,  Oklahoma. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fergus'  children  are:  T.  Earl;  Ruth,  deceased;  Hugh; 
Fanny  Fern,  and  Lou  J.,  since  deceased.  The  Ferguses  are  among  the 
staunch  and  active  Republicans. 


THEODORE  THOMPSON  ANDERSON,  whose  residence  in  Allen 
County  dates  from  the  pioneer  settlement  of  the  county  and  whose 
personality  is  among  the  best  known  of  all  her  citizens,  was  born  at  Ripley, 
Ohio,  August  15,  1844.  His  father,  Levi  V.  Anderson,  died  in  Brown 
County,  Ohio,  in  1849.  The  latter  was  a  son  of  John  Anderson,  an  old 
Scotch  school  teacher  who  lived  to  an  advanced  age  and  died  in  Linn 
County,  Missouri,  in  1867.  He  was  a  most  pronounced  Abolitionist  and 
was  ordered  to  leave  Missouri  by  Eebel  sympathizers,  as  a  rebuke  for  his 
altitude,  but  he  took  down  his  rifle  and  defied  the  "Secesh"  element.  He 
was  married  to  Mary  Van  Camp.  Their  children  were:  Levi  y.,  our  sub- 
ject's father,  who  died  of  smallpox;  John,  who  served  in  the  Civil  war  with 
a  Missouri  regiment,  and  one  other. 

Levi  V.  Anderson  married  Caroline,  a  daughter  of  George  T.  and 
Hannah  (Middleswart)  Reynolds.  George  Reynolds  is  a  Pennsylvanian 
and  is  buried  on  the  hill  north  of  lola,  near  the  Robinson  home.  The 
Anderson  children  were:  Mary  J.,  who  married  M.  F.  Warner  and  is  buried 
at  lola;  Theodore  T. ;  Lavina  A.,  wife  of  John  McDonald,  of  lola;  George 
T. ,  of  Baxter  Springs,  Kansas.  Caroline  Anderson  removed  from  Ohio  to 
Livingston  County,  Illinois,  with  her  family  and  while  there  she  married 
our  well  remembered  pioneer,  Lyman  E.  Rhoades.  Their  only  child  was 
Rhoda,  deceased,  wife  of  the  late  Lafe  McCarley. 

Lyman  Rhoades  was  born  in  Ohio  and  died  in  lola  in  1892  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five  years.     He  had  two  children  by  his  first  marriage  and  was  a 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  277 

father  to  the  children  orphaned  by  the  death  of  L,evi  Anderson.  In  com- 
ing to  Kansas  he  put  into  execution  a  desire  to  locate  in  the  west  and  he 
started  overland  on  the  journey  hither  in  1855.  He  meandered  across  the 
State  of  Missouri  and  stopped  in  Barton  County  whese  he  raised  a  crop  in 
the  year  1856.  The  next  spring  he  drove  over  into  Kansas  on  a  tour  of 
inspection  and  decided  to  locate  in  Allen  County.  He  brought  his  family 
immediately  and  located  on  the  claim  where  the  lola  mineral  well  is,  in 
1857.  He  was  a  prominent  factor  in  the  preliminary  steps  leading  up  to 
the  organization  of  the  town  and  remained  one  of  its  substantial  and  in-  . 
fluential  citizens  for  many  years.  Rhoades'  Addition  to  lola  was  laid  out 
by  him,  the  tract  where  the  Northrup  homestead  is  located  was  once  his 
property.  His  last  residence  was  on  Sycamore  street  just  north  of  the  city 
limits.  As  a  genuine  man  he  was  one  to  be  remembered.  His  nature  was 
in  full  sympathy  for  the  needy  and  distressed  and  the  testimony  of  the 
worthy  poor  of  lola  would  be  to  the  effect  that  he  divided  his  substance 
with  them  and  kept  them  from  want.  He  served  lola  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  was  one  of  the  prominent  local  Republicans  hereabout. 

T.  T.  Anderson  got  a  smattering'of  an  education  attending  a  subscrip- 
tion school  in  lola.  Joel  L.  Jones  was  one  of  the  first  teachers  to  visit  lola, 
and  he  kept  school  in  a  rude  building  prepared  for  that  purpose  and  situat- 
ed on  the  Delap  farm,  northeast  of  town.  Mr.  Anderson  al.so  attended 
school  in  lola' s  first  school  house,  on  lot  7,  block  7?.  In  i860  he  went 
back  to  Illinois  on  a  visit  and  while  there  the  war  broke  out  and  he  decided 
to  enter  the  Union  army.  In  1862  he  joined  the  Third  Illinois  Cavalry. 
He  joined  his  regiment  at  Helena,  Arkansas,  and  took  part  in  the  Missis- 
sippi campaign.  His  first  fight  was  at  Chickasaw  Bluffs  and  the  number 
of  engagements  before  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg,  in  which  he  participated 
were  twenty-two.  The  Third  cavalry  was  ordered  to  aid  in  the  reduction 
of  Arkansas  Post,  after  which  it  went  south  to  New  Orleans,  taking  part 
in  the  battle  of  Port  Hudson.  A  considerable  force  of  Union  troops  was 
sent  to  Texas  in  1863  and  Mr.  Anderson's  was  one  of  the  regiments  to  go. 
After  a  few  exploits  in  the  west  the  regiment,  with  others,  went  into  Ten- 
nessee and  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Franklin  and  Nashville.  It  re- 
mained in  that  vicinity  the  residue  of  Mr.  Anderson's  term  of  enlistment. 
He  was  discharged  at  St.  L,ouis,  Missouri,  after  serving  two  years,  ten 
months  and  eleven  days. 

When  he  left  the  army  Mr.  Anderson  returned  to  Illinois,  and  without 
much  delay  came  back  to  Allen  County,  Kansas.  He  purchased  a  farm  on 
Elm  Creek  which  he  was  deprived  of,  some  time  later,  through  the  "securi- 
ty channel."  Being  much  reduced  in  circumstances  he  brought  his  family 
to  lola  and  for  many  years  has  maintained  his  residence  here. 

For  years  Mr.  Anderson  held  clerkships  with  some  of  lola's  lead- 
ing merchants  and  his  service  was  always  marked  for  its  faithfulness.  His 
connection  with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workman  in  lola  has 
brought  him  conspicuously  into  the  public  view  and  if  there  is  a  youth  in 
lola  who  does  not  know  him  it  would  be  a  new-comer  indeed. 

In  1865  Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  Livingston  County,    Illinois,  to 


278  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Nancy  M.  DeMoss,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  DeMoss.  She  died  in 
1867  and  in  1871  Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  Ida  to  Cinderella  M.,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Adah  Green,  of  Huron  County,  Ohio.  Two 
daughters  were  the  fruits  of  this  union:  Carrie  Estella  and  Pearl  Adell. 
Carrie  E.  died  in  the  eighth  year  of  her  age.  Miss  Pearl,  with  the  Ida 
Racket,  is  the  only  living  heir  of  this  union. 

Our  subject  became  a  Republican  when    a  boy  and   cast  his   first  vote 

for  the  party  in  1868.      He  is  proud  of   the  fact  that  he    never  voted  for  but 

•  one  Democrat  in  his  life.      In  the  fraternal    world  he  is    one  of   the  charter 

members  of  lola  lodge  No.  98,  A.  O.  U.  W. ,  of  which  he  has  been  Financier 

many  years. 


GEORGE  M.  NELSON — Among  the  most  energetic,  reliable  busiue,ss 
men  and  entesprising,  public  spirited  citizens  of  Allen  County  is 
numbered  George  M.  Nelson,  who  now  resides  in  Brooklyn  Park,  Ida. 
Since  his  arrival  in  Kansas  he  has  taken  an  active  and  commendable  inter- 
est in  public  affairs  and  his  labors  have  been  of  valuable  benefit  to  the 
county. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  Mr.  Nelson  was  born  in  Highland  County,  on  the 
7th  of  April,  1846.  His  father,  William  .\.  Nelson,  was  born  in  Hillsboro,  of 
the  same  county,  while  John  M.  Nel.son,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Stanton,  Virginia,  whence  he  emigtated  to  Ohio  in  an  early 
day  on  account  of  his  views  on  the  slavery  question.  William  A.  Nelson 
spent  his  early  life  in  Hillsboro,  and  acquired  his  education  in  its  public 
schools.  After  his  marriage  to  Katherine  Kibler,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Kibler  of  Hillsboro,  he  developed  and  improved  a  farm  in  Highland 
County,  the  land  having  been  granted  to  his  grandfather.  Captain  Trimble, 
in  recognition  of  his  valued  service  in  the  American  army,  during  the  war 
of  the  Revolution.  The  farm  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family,  by  whom 
it  has  been  owned  for  more  than  a  century.  Upon  the  homestead  which  he 
developed.  William  A.  Nelson  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
18S3.  By  his  first  marriage  he  became  the  father  of  six  children,  the  eldest 
of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  others  are';  Cary  L,. ,  who  died  in  1899,  at 
Albia,  Iowa;  Jennie  E. ,  who  is  the  widow  of  Robert  Bishop  and  resides  in 
Paris,  Illinois;  Joseph  K. ,  of  Chelsea,  Butler  County,  Kansas;  George  M., 
of  this  review,  and  Katherine  A. ,  wife  of  Henry  Bishop,  a  journalist  of 
Kansas  City,  Missouri.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  in  1849,  and 
Mr.  Nelson  afterward  married  Miss  Margaret  Kelley,  of  Rockbridge  Coun- 
ty, Virginia,  daughter  of  John  Kelley.  To  them  were  born  six  children, 
five  of  whom  reached  maturity,  namely:  William  C. ,  a  practicing  physician 
of  Sycamore  Springs,  Kansas;  Anna  V.,  wife  of  Marion  Meyers  of  Paris, 
Illinois,  who  removed  to  California  where  Mrs.  Meyers  died  in  i8g8;  Charles 
Q.,  a  medical  practitioner  of  Albia,  Iowa;  Lena,  the  second  wife  of  Marion 
Myers,  who  is  now  in  Pasadena,  California,    and  is  the    State   Secretary  of 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,   KANSAS.  279 

the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  Thomas  H.,  who  occupies  the 
old  homestead  at  Hillsboro,  Ohio. 

George  M.  Nelson,  in  whom  the  citizens  in  Allen  County  are  especially 
interested,  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  schools  of  Hillsboro, 
Ohio,  after  which  he  pursued  a  classical  course  in  the  National  Normal 
school  in  Lebanon,  Ohio,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1868.  During  the 
following  year  he  served  as  deputy  postmaster  in  Lebanon,  and  later  he 
purchased  and  operated  a  farm  in  Brown  County,  that  State.  He  also  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  the  common  schools  there.  He  was  for  a  year  a  member 
of  the  iaculty  in  the  Harrisburg  Academy  at  Harrisburg,  Kentucky ,  after 
which  he  emigrated  to  Kansas  in  1883,  locating  in  Butler  County,  where 
for  one  year  he  was  engaged  in  the  stock  business  in  connection  with  his 
brother,  J.  K.  Nelson.  In  1884  he  purchased  a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half  north 
of  Moran,  Allen  County,  and  took  up  his  abode  thereon  in  April  of  that 
year.  For  some  time  he  successfully  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  His  fellow  townsmen  recognizing  his  ability  and  trustworthiness 
have  frequently  called  him  to  public  office,  his  first  service  having  been  the 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  trustee  of  Marmaton  township.  He  remained  in 
that  office  for  a  year,  and  in  1890  he  was  made  census  enumerator.  In 
1891  he  was  elected  county  treasurer,  and  so  acceptably  discharged  his 
duties  that  he  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term.  On  his  retirement  he  entered 
into  partnership  with  J.  M.  Mason  in  the  real  estate  business,  in  which 
he  is  now  eng'aged.  The  firm  has  conducted  a  number  of  important  realty 
transactions,  handling  considerable  valuable  property,  and  their  business 
methods  commend  them  to  the  confidence  and  pratonage  of  all.  Mr. 
Nelson's  iellow  citizens,  however,  are  not  content  that  he  should  retire 
wholly  from  public  office  for  his  services  have  ever  been  of  value,  and  at 
the  present  time  he  is  acting  as  president  of  the  board  of  education  of  lola. 
He  has  always  supported  the  Republican  party,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Republican  central  committee. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  in  1869  to  Miss  Clara  A.  McFadden,  of 
Brown  County,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  McFadden,  who  was  a  native 
of  Virginia.  She  was  a  graduate  of  the  Lebanon  Normal  School  of  the 
class  of  1868,  and  for  some  time  followed  teaching  with  excellent  success. 
Four  children  were  born  of  their  marriage,  but  only  one  is  now  living, 
Wilfred  W. ,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  in  lola  with  A. 
W.  Beck.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  Twentieth  Kansas  In- 
fantry under'  Colonel,  afterward  General,  Fred  Funston,  and  served  for 
eighteen  months  in  the  Philippines.  He  was  promoted  to  the  position  of 
quartermaster  sergeant,  and  as  such  was  discharged.  After  the  death  of 
his  wife  in  1881  Mr.  Nelson  married  Miss  Phoebe  F.  Gilbert  of  Champaign 
County,  Ohio.  She  died  in  1886,  survived  by  one  of  their  two  daughters — 
Grace  G.  Mr.  Nelson's  present  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Miss  Elozia 
C.  Strong,  of  Moran,  Kansas  a  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  Henry  Strong.  Of  four 
children  bora  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  two  are  yet  living,  Alfred  and . 
Lawrence. 

Mr.  Nelson's  military  service  began  through  connection  with  the  Ohio 


280  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

State  Militia,  and  with  his  regiment  he  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  May  2,  1864,  as  a  member  of  Company  H,  One  Hundred 
Sixty-eighth  Ohio  Infantry.  After  assisting  in  repulsing  Morgan  on  his 
last  raid  and  engaging  in  the  battle  of  Cynthiaua,  Kentucky,  the  regiment 
was  mostly  on  guard  and  patrol  duty  until  mustered  out  at  Camp  Denuison, 
Ohio,  September  8,  1864.  Socially  Mr.  Nelson  has  been  connected  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity  since  iSSo  and  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  since  1893.  He  has  been  a  life-long  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church — a  man  of  upright  principles  and  of  sterling  worth,  his  character 
being  such  as  commands  respect  and  admiration  in  every    land    and  clime. 


JAY  McCARLEY— The  lalte  A.  Jay  McCarley,  of  lola,  among  the  best 
"  known  cattle  men  of  lola  and  ex-County  Commissioner  of  Allen  Coun- 
ty, came  to  the  county  in  i86o.  He  had  resided  in  McL,ean  County, 
Illinois,  just  prior  to  his  entrance  to  Kansas,  having  taken  up  his  resi- 
dence there  in  1853.  He  was  born  in  Jessamine  County,  Kentucky,  and 
was  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Celia  (Harris)  McCarley.  He  was  one  of  seven 
children,  as  follows:  Mary,  wife  of  Holman  Dean,  residing  in  Kentucky; 
Sarah,  who  married  J.  C.  Todd  and  lived  in  lola;  Samuel  McCarley,  re- 
siding in  San  Jose,  California;  James  McCarley,  of  California;  Eliza, 
married  Dorus  Stevens,  of  Lexington,  Illinois;  A.  Jay,  and  L,aFayette  C. 
McCarley,  deceased. 

Jay  McCarley  received  only  a  passably  good  education  and  began  his 
life  work  as  a  farmer.  He  entered  into  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  Lafe, 
at  an  early  date  and  the  two  were  engaged  prominently  in  dealing  in  stock 
until  death  separated  them.  They  owned  farms  adjoining,  had  the  fullest 
confidence  in  each  other  and  had  no  differences  except  in  politics.  A.  J. 
McCarley  was  elected  Commissioner  of  Allen  County  in  1879  and  was  re- 
elected in  1882,  serving  two  full  terms.  He  made  a  most  conscientious  and 
efficient  official.  With  county  matters  he  was  as  devoted  as  to  his  private 
matters,  and  when  his  services  ended  it  was  with  a  consciousness  of  having 
merited  the  plaudits  of  his  whole  county. 

Jay  McCarley  was  no  ordinary  man.  Coming  here  when  a  young  man 
of  twenty-three  he  was,  during  all  the  years  that  passed,  a  prominent, 
respected  and  influential  citizen.  He  was  a  fine  business  man,  as  his  suc- 
cess in  farming  and  dealing  in  stock  testified,  and  he  was  generous  and 
public-spirited  to  a  marked  degree.  He  had  no  political  ambition,  but  up- 
on the  demand  of  the  people  he  served  his  county  two  terms  in  one  of  its 
most  important  offices.  He  brought  to  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners 
the  same  energy,  zeal  and  clear-headed  sagacity  that  marked  the  manage- 
ment of  his  personal  interests.  He  had  no  religious  professions  but  was  a 
friend  to  the  widow  and  the  fatherless.  His  door  stood  open  for  any  whose 
condition  made  them  seek  shelter  there,  and  his  purse  was  never  closed 
against  the  appeal  of  the  distressed.     His  hand  was   never   withheld  when 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  28 1 

its  Strength  was  needed  to  sustain  the  weak.  He  never  defrauded  any 
man;  he  never  went  back  on  a  friend.  Many  loved  him  and  all  his  ac- 
quaintances liked  him. 

Mr.  McCarley  was  married  October  i8,  1863,  in  Neosho  Falls,  Kansas, 
by  Squire  Phillips  to  Hannah  Goff.  J,  R.  Goff,  Mrs.  (McCarley)  Robert- 
son's father,  was  born  in  Maine,  was  married  to  Cynthia  Noyes  and  died  at 
Stillwater,  Minnesota,  in  1884.  Their  children  were:  Sidney,  Eliflet, 
Rufus  and  Horace  Goff,  of  Stillwater,  Minnesota;  Mrs.  Eli  Ratliffe.  of  lola; 
Diana,  deceased  wife  of  Henry  Clark,  of  Superior,  Wisconsi:i;  and  Mrs. 
Robertson.  The  last  named  was  born  in  Piscataquis  County,  Maine,  Janu- 
ary 8,  1839.     She  was  married  to  C.  T.  Robertson  in  1893. 

Jay  McCarley  died  April  9,  1892.  He  left  no  heirs  but  was  fond  of 
children  and  he  and  his  worthy  wife  reared  two  children  of  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Todd,  viz.:  Rice  Todd  and  Mary,  widow  of  John  Beggs,  of  Chicago. 
Willie  Briggs  and  Emma  L,ucas  were  also  members  of  this  hospitable  house- 
hold. Alfred,  Luther  and  Ella  McCarley,  children  of  Lafe  McCarley, 
make  their  home  with  Mrs.  Robertson  since  the  death  of  their  parents. 


TOSIAH  F.  and  lOLA  COLBORN.— The  venerable  and  revered  pioneers 
"  whose  names  introduce  this  review  possess  a  history  so  closely  and 
peculiarly  identified  with  the  county  seat  of  Allen  county  that  it  is  of  in- 
terest and  importance  to  enter  at  some  length  into  the  circumstances  of 
their  settlement,  the  incidents  following,  and  the  substantial  facts  of  their 
family  history.  While  many  other  pioneers  were  intimately  connected 
with  the  founding  of  and  early  history  of  lola,  and  rested  their  hopes 
upon  its  future,  we  are  warranted  in  asserting  that  there  was  not  that  pe- 
culiar, sincere  and  burning  attachment  existing  as  really  possessed  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Colborn,  from  the  very  circumstances  of  the  case. 

J.  F.  and  lola  Colborn  left  Lewisville,  Illinois,  about  the  20th  of 
September,  1857,  for  Allen  county,  Kansas.  An  ox  team  was  hitched  to 
their  effects  and  it  "polled"  its  way  across  Missouri  and  into  Kansas, 
reaching  lola  October  24h,  following.  In  June  prior  Mr.  Colborn  had 
made  a  trip  of  exploration  and  discovery  in  Kansas  and  had  purchased  a 
claim  on  the  Neosho  river,  embracing  the  land  occupied  by  the  Otten 
country  home,  the  fair  grounds  and  a  large  portion  of  the  city  of  lola. 
His  cabin  rested  in  the  wood  (on  the  site  of  the  Otten  residence)  by  the 
river  and  to  this  our  settlers  proceeded  upon  their  arrival  at  their  destina- 
tion. To  prepare  the  cabin  for  the  proper  comfort  of  his  family  Mr.  Col- 
born put  in  a  floor,  "battened"  the  door,  etc.,  and  when  all  was  done 
about  the  house  began  the  task  of  making  the  rails  with  which  to  fence 
forty  acres  of  his  farm.  This  tract  included  about  half  of  what  is  now  the 
public  square  and  was  enclosed  eight  rails  high.  He  broke  it  out  the  next 
spring,  planted  it  to  corn  and  soon  after  returned  with  his  family  to  Illinois 


282.  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

for  a  visit.  He  expected  to  find  a  good  crop  of  sod  corn  on  his  return  but 
his  experience  with  Kansas  was  too  brief  to  take  into  account  the  prob- 
ability of  a  drouth  (which  ensued)  and  the  sod  corn  was  without  ears  or 
fodder. 

In  1858  the  question  of  a  town  for  the  Neosho  River  and  Rock  Creek 
colony  became  to  be  agitated.  The  old  (and  first)  county  seat  below  the 
mouth  of  Elm  Creek  was  not  advantageously  situated  for  a  town  and  now 
that  Humboldt  had  secured  legislation  which  deprived  the  former  of  the 
county  seat  it  was  not  thought  wise  to  try  to  revive  the  old  Indian  town. 
An  inspection  of  the  country  roundabout  Elm  Creek  and  the  Neosho  dis- 
closed the  fact  that  the  Colborn  claim  was  the  ideal  one  for  a  townsite  and 
in  due  time  it  was  selected  and  purchased  for  the  purpose. 

The  movement  in  favor  of  a  town  on  Elm  Creek  took  substantial  form 
in  the  organization  of  a  town  company,  composed  of  fifty  pioneers,  of  which 
Dr.  John  W.  Scott  was  chosen  president.  The  latter  resided  in  Carlyle  at 
that  time  but  became  interested  in  the  town  proposition  and  became  one  of 
its  chief  and  most  powerful  promoters.  Weekly  meetings  of  the  company 
were  held  in  a  little  school  house  out  near  where  the  "Horville"  school 
house  now  stands  and,  at  one  of  these  meetings  and  when  the  business  of 
the  company  had  proceeded  to  the  point  of  choosing  a  name  for  the  town, 
an  assortment  of  hall  a  dozen  or  more  were  proposed.  Noah  Lee  proposed 
Caledonia,  as  he  was  from  Caledonia,  Ohio;  Mr.  Colborn  proposed  Elgin 
and  other  favorite  names,  none  of  which  seemed  to  "catch  the  ear"  of  the 
company.  Finally  L,yman  E.  Rhoads  in  a  short  and  complimentary 
speech  proposed  the  name  of  'Tola"  in  honor  of  the  wife  of  the  former 
owner  of  the  site  of  the  town.  This  suggestion  prevailed  as  "a  motion  be- 
fore the  house",  adopted  January  1859. 

It  may  interest  some  student  of  history  to  learn  the  origin  of  the  name 
'Tola"  and  while  the  information  is  accessible,  sufficient  for  our  purpose, 
it  is  here  asserted  that  the  name  is  of  French  origin.  George  Collins,  a 
great  uncle  of  Mrs.  Colborn,  married  a  French  lady  whose  Christian  name 
was  lola.  Thomas  Friend,  Mrs.  Colborn's  father,  married  Emily  Collins,  a 
neice  of  George  Collins,  and  their  first  child  was  christened  "lola." 

Returning  to  the  personal  history  of  Mr.  Colborn — he  was  a  farmer 
but  one  year  in  Allen  county.  After  selling  his  claim  he  opened  a  shop 
and  followed  blacksmithiug  until  some  time  in  1862  when  he  began  a 
clerkship  with  Brinkerhoff  Brewster.  He  continued  with  him  and  with 
Scott  Brothers,  his  successor,  till  1865  when,  in  company  with  Nimrod 
Hankins,  he  opened  a  general  store  in  lola.  His  was  a  popular  place — 
the  corner  where  Coutant's  hardware  now  stands — and  he  carried  on  his 
business  with  profit  so  long  as  he  remained  there.  Early  in  the  eighties  he 
sold  his  business  corner  and  conceived  the  idea  of  introducing  life  into  the 
"north  side  of  the  squre."  He  erected  the  first  store-room  on  that  side 
(the  Shannon  block)  and  opened  a  dry  goods  business.  This  venture 
was  disappointing  in  its  results.  Trade  could  not  be  induced  "to  leave 
town,"  as  crossing  the  square  seemed  to  be  doing,  but  spent  its  surplus 
with  merchants  about  their  "old   haunts"    and   left   the  "north   side"   to 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  283 

dwindle  and  decay.  Mr.  Colborti  continued  business  till  1896  when  he 
closed  his  doors  and  retired. 

From  his  earliest  advent  to  the  county  and  for  more  than  thirty-five 
years  Josiah  F.  Colborn  was  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  affairs  of  [ola. 
When  the  county  was  first  organized  it  was  done  under  the  "township 
plan."  Each  township  chairman  was,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  County  Commissioners.  Mr.  Colborn  was  chairman  of  lola 
township  and  took  part  in  the  business  of  the  first  board  of  County  Commis- 
sioners. Down  through  the  years  he  filled  township  and  town  offices,  as 
called  upon  to  do  so  by  the  voters  at  their  annual  elections,  and  all  his 
official  acts  were  performed  with  that  painstaking  care  and  consideration 
for  the  public  good  which  characterized  his  personal  intercourse  and  busi- 
ness relations  with  human  kind.  Quiet,  and  without  show  or  fuss,  he  has 
passed  almost  across  the  stage  of  acticn  in  lola  and  has  maintained,  for 
forty-five  years,  an  unblemished,  spotless  reputation.  In  Masonic  work  he 
has  been  a  part  of  the  Allen  county  structure  from  the  beginning.  His  first 
work  was  done  in  Kansas  with  Pacific  Lodge  at  Humboldt  when  there 
were  only  eight  Masons  in  the  county.  The  lodge  at  lola  was  instituted 
in  1863  and  he  was  appointed  its  first  master.  By  election  he  served  till 
1865,  and  was  called  to  the  chair  again  in  1870.  In  this,  as  in  other 
things,  he  has  done  his  duty  conscientiously  and  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  by  the  brethren  of  the  craft.  In  politics,  while  his  forefathers  and 
many  of  his  brothers  were  Democrats,  he  became  a  charter  member  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  is  well  known  as  such  now. 

Josiah  F.  Colborn  was  born  near  Noblesville,  Hamilton  county,  In- 
diana, February  7,  1829.  His  father,  Robert  Colborn,  went  into  that  sec- 
tion about  1825,  settled  a  farm  and  remained  till  the  latter  part  of  the 
thirties  when  he  removrd  to  LaFayette,  Indiana,  to  execute  a  contract  for 
apiece  of  work  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  This  work  completed 
he  settled  in  Clay  county,  Illinois,  where  he  "took  up"  land,  prospered  as 
a  farmer  and  died  in  1855.  He  was  born  in  Perry,  county,  Ohio,  in  1801 
and,  in  182 1,  married  Rosanna  West  who  died  in  Clay  county,  Illinois,  in 
1872.  Robert  Colborn,  the  ist,  was  our  subject's  paternal  grandfather. 
He  emigrated  from  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  to  Perry  county,  Ohio, 
soon  after  the  close  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  removed  from  Ohio  to 
Hamilton  county,  Indiana,  in  1823  and  there  died.  He  was  the  father  of 
five  sons,  viz:     Johathan,  Robert,  Jesse,  Perry  and  Harrison. 

Robert  and  Rosanna  Colbqrn's  children  were:  Levi,  who  died  in 
Clay  county,  lUinoss,  in  1899;  Samuel,  who  died  f n  Richland  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  1885,  George  W. ,  of  Clay  county,  Illinois;  Mary  Jane,  who  mar- 
ried Crawford  Lewis,  died  in  Jonesboro,  Arkansas,  in  1898;  Josiah  Francis; 
Elizabeth,  who  married  Jonathan  Lewis,  died  in  Texas;  Robert,  of  Rich- 
land county,  Illinois;  Martha,  who  married  Mr.  Hadden,  is  believed  to 
reside  in  Arkansas,  and  John  W. ,  who  was  one  of  the  early  residents  of 
lola,  served  on  General  Logan's  staff  in  the  Rebellion,  as  first  lieutenant, 
went  into  the  southwest  from  lola  and  was  never  heard  of  again. 

J.  F.  Colborn  was  married  to  lola   Friend  on  the    12th   of  September, 


284  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

1857.  The  latter's  father  was  Thomas  Friend  whose  ancestors  were  Dutch 
and  whose  wife's  antecedents  were  Scotch.  He  married  Emily  Collins,  as 
elsewhere  stated,  and  their  four  children  to  reach  maturity  were:  Ida, 
born  Januaiy  13,  1832;  Mary  B.,  of  lola;  Marshall  D.,  of  Chisago,  Illinois, 
and  Wellington  M.,  deceased.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colborn 
are:  Mrs.  Alice  Scott;  Luella,  the  first  child  born  in  lola,  is  the  wife  of 
William  P.  Northrup,  of  Murray,  Idaho;  Effie  J.,  wife  of  Edward  Moffit, 
of  Wallace,  Idaho;  Madaline  Jo.,  wife  of  David  M.  McKissick,  of  Wallace, 
Idaho;  Nellie  Colborn,  of  lola,  and  George  M.,  of  Spokanne,  Washington- 


GEORGE  J.  ELDRIDGE— Those  who  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  lola  as  early 
as  the  year  1850  recall  the  appearance,  one  July  day  of  a  little  English- 
man driving  a  yoke  of  oxen  across  the  prairie  and  into  the  village.  Behind 
this  primitive  team  was  a  young  wife  and  son  and  all  the  worldly  effects  of 
the  travelers.  That  they  were  settlers  was  early  made  known  and  that  they 
were  poor  was  at  once  apparent.  They  had  made  the  journey  all  the  way 
from  McHeury  County,  Illinois,  to  lola  and  were  just  finishing  their  trip 
that  27th  of  July.  Their  resources,  aside  from  their  team,  wagon  and 
camping  outfit,  amounted  to  $40.  The  head  of  the  family  was  a  wagon- 
maker  and  the  hope  of  their  future  welfare  lay  in  his  ability  to  provide 
life's  necessities  from  his  trade.  He  built  a  small  cabin  on  the  site  of  the 
Hart  livery  barn  and  took  possession.  If  his  wagon  shop  was  not  the  first 
in  town  it  was  one  of  the  early  ones  and  he  plied  his  trade  as  the  main 
means  of  existence  from  that  date  till  i858. 

The  few  foregoing  facts  are  sufiicient  to  identify  the  subject  of  this 
review,  George  J.  Eldridge.  He  was  born  in  East  Kent,  England,  Mary 
ig,  1833," and  was  a  son  of  Richard  and  Mary  (Bone)  Eldridge.  The 
parents  had  six  children,  two  of  whom  survive:  Mrs  Peter  Adams,  of  Cald- 
well, Missouri,  and  the  subject  of  this  notice.  Although  his  father  was  a 
shoemaker  George  Eldridge  left  England  without  a  trade.  He  went 
aboard  a  sailing  vessel  at  London,  in  company  with  an  uncle  and  family, 
and  after  five  weeks  of  sea  life  landed  in  Castle  Garden.  The  little  com- 
pany located  in  Wayne  County,  New  York,  and  there,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  our  subject  took  his  first  lessons  in  wagon-making.  In 
1856  he  came  on  west  to  McHenry  County,  Illinois,  residing  three  years, 
and  while  there  marrying  Miss  Martha  J.  Hopkins,  a  lady  born  in  Alle- 
ghany County,  New  York.  She  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
Hopkins  whose  children  she  and  Mrs.  Catharine  Washburn,  deceased,  of 
Elgin,  Illinois,  are. 

Two  of  the  three  children' of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eldridge  survive:  Mary, 
wife  of  John  Cloud,  of  Allen  County,  has  a  son.  Glen;  and  Richard  A. 
Eldridge,  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

George  Eldridge  had  been  in  America  ten  years  when  the  Rebellion 
broke  out.     He  felt  the  same  patriotic  zeal  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  285 

under  the  southern  sun  of  Kansas  as  in  the  free  and  invigorating  air  of  the 
northern  clirue.  When  the  second  call  for  troops  was  issued  he  enlisted 
for  three  years  or  during  the  war.  He  entered  Company  E,  9th  Kansas 
Cavalry.  Colonel  Lynde  and  Captain  Flesher,  on  the  19th  of  October,  186 1. 
The  Company  joined  the  regiment  at  L,awrence,  Kansas,  and  in  the  course 
of  events  was  sent  south  into  the  Territory.  It  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Prairie  Grove  and  in  many  smaller  engagements  and  skirmishes  in  Mis- 
souri and  Arkansas.  Mr.  Eldridge  was  discharged  at  Duval's  Bluff,  Ar- 
kansas, in  January,  1855,  having  served  his  three  years. 

In  1867  Mr.  Eldridge  purchased  the  tract  of  land  which  is  his  home- 
stead. It  is  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  36,  township  24,  range  17, 
and  cost  him  three  and  a  half  dollars  per  acre.  The  first  years  of  his 
career  as  a  farmer  was  something  of  a  struggle  for  little  more  than  exi.stence. 
Like  all  settlers  without  means  it  was  a  slow  process  to  do  more  than  the 
natural  improvement  the  first  ten  years.  After  this  his  progress  was  steady 
and  sure  and  as  the  circumstances  warranted  he  extended  the  area  of  his 
farm.  As  is  well  known  he  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  community, 
and  a  gentleman  whose  social  and  political  integrity  are  undoubted  and 
above  reprpach.  He  is  a  Republican  pioneer,  having  joined  the  party  in 
1856  as  a  charter  member.  His  first  vote  was  for  John  C.  Fremont  and 
his  last  one  for  William  McKinley.  He  has  aided  in  an  official  capacity 
the  conduct  of  public  business  in  his  township  and  does  his  part  as  an  in- 
dividual toward  the  promotion  of  Republican  principles  and  Republican 
success  in  political  campaigns. 


JOSEPH  P.  ROSE,  of  Elm  township,  Allen  County,  was  almost  a 
'-'  pioneer  to  Woodson  County,  Kansas.  He  homesteaded  a  tract  of  land 
there,  in  section  eight  of  Liberty  township,  and  remained  a  citizen  of 
Woodson  till  1895  when  he  became  a  citizen  of  Allen.  His  farm  is  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  19,  town  25,  range  19,  and  in  early  days  it  was 
the  Zike  property. 

Mr.  Rose  was  born  at  Kingston,  Ontario,  October  30,  1847.  I"  1853 
his  father,  Stephen  R.  Rose,  left  Canada  and  located  at  Rockford,  Illinois. 
The  latter  was  a  hotel  man  at  Kingston,  Canada  and  followed  railroad  and 
carpenter  work  in  Rockford,  Illinois.  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Adget 
who  died  in  Rockford,  while  he  died  in  Eredonia,  Kansas,  in  1897  at  the 
age  of  eighty-seven  years.  Their  children  are:  Sarah  J.,  wife  of  Lorenzo 
Bissell,  of  Winnebago  County,  Illinois;  D.  W.  Rose,  of  Detroit,  Michigan; 
Annie,  wife  of  Fred  L-  Horton,  of  Chicago,  Illinois;  Joseph  P.,  our  subject, 
and  Cyrus  Rose,  of  the  Indian  Territory. 

The  Roses  were  originally  from  York  State.  Our  subject's  father  was 
born  in  the  Empire  State  and  migrated  to  Canada  in  early  life.  In 
1866  he  came  onto  the  prairies  of  Kansas  and  settled  in  the  county  of 
Woodson. 

J.  P.  Rose  began  life  as  a  newsboy.     He  carried   the   News  and  Times 


286  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

in  DuBuque,  Iowa,  and  later  worked  in  the  lead  mines  at  that  place. 
With  the  exception  of  the  year  i8S6  he  has  resided  in  Kansas,  Woodson 
and  Allen  Counties.  He  spent  the  year  1886  in  Pomona,  California,  where 
he  was  toll-keeper  in  a  mill.  But  he  had  lived  too  long  in  Kansas  to  be  con- 
tent with  a  new  place,  so  he  came  back  to  Woodson  County  and  took  up  farm- 
ing, where  he  left  off,  and  is  today  one  of  the  well  known  citizens  of  Elm 
township,  Allen  County. 

In  January,  188 1,  Mr.  Rose  was  married  to  Emma  Crabb,  a  daughter 
of  Henderson  Crabb,  who  came  to  Kansas  in  1866  and  was  once  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  Pennsylvania  Hotel  in  lola.  His  wife  was  Mary  Beach,  who 
resides  in  Pomona,  California. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rose's  children  are:  Albert  R.,  who  died  in  1897  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years;  Richard;  W.  Darwin;  George  Beach;  A.  Orville  and 
Lillian  V. 

The  Roses  are  Republicans  and  Methodists.  Our  subject  is  leader 
of  the  class  in  the  LaHarpe  charge  and  is  otherwise  one  of  the  active 
members. 


A  yrilvLARD  FII.MORE  SICKLY  was  born  in  Livingston  County,  New 
-L^'-L  York,  January  1 1,  1852.  His  father,  Robert  Sickly,  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  married  Elizabeth  Gray,  born  in 
the  same  State.  A  brother  and  sister  of  Mrs.  Sickly  are  still  in  the  Empire 
State,  William  T.  Gray  and  Mrs.  Mary  Morris. 

The  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  spent  on  the  old  family  home- 
stead, where  he  assisted  in  the  labors  of  field  and  garden  until  he  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  then  went  to  California,  remaining  in  the 
Golden  State  for  a  yeai.  Subsequently  and  for  a  period  of  five  years  he  en- 
gaged in  merchandising  in  New  York.  In  1880  he  came  to  Allen  County, 
Kansas,  remaining  in  lola  while  a  house  was  being  erected  on  the  farm  in 
Elm  township  which  he  had  purchased.  As  soon  as  the  new  home  was 
completed  he  took  up  his  abode  therein  and  as  the  years  have  passed  his 
labors  have  wrought  great  change  in  the  appearance  of  the  farm  through 
the  improvements  he  has  added.  His  work  has  annually  augmented  his 
income  and  he  now  has  a  very  desirable  property.  Mr.  Sickly's  brother, 
Alfred,  the  only  other  surviving  member  of  the  family,  is  living  in  the 
Empire  State. 

In  1879  Mr.  Sickly  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  L-  Bearss,  a 
native  of  Livingston  County,  New  York,  where  her  people  were  also  born. 
Her  mother  belonged  to  the  well  known  Jerome  family  of  that  StPte,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sickly  have  four  children:  Dumont,  Clyde,  Bertha  and  Glenn. 
Mr.  Sickly  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Republican  party  although  his  father  was  a  Democrat.  He 
spent  his  early  life  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  passed  one  year  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  is  now  contentedly  living  in  Kansas,  his  labors  having  brought  to 
him  creditable  success,  so  that  he  is  now  the  possessor  of  a  good  home  here. 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,   KANSAS.  287 

SIMON  KLOTZBACH. — Perhaps  the  history  of  few  men  in  Allen 
county  exemplifies  more  forcibly  the  power  of  determination,  courage 
and  industry  in  achieving  success  than  does  that  of  Simon  Klotzbach.  an 
honored  pioneer  of  Allen  county.  He  was  born  in  Hessen  Germany, 
March  10,  1848,  and  is  a  representative  of  a  family  that  was  prominent 
both  in  political  and  military  affairs  there.  His  grandfather,  Martin 
Klotzbach,  served  under  Napoleon  in  the  battle  of  Wagram  in  1809,  and 
two  of  his  brothers-in-law  went  to  Moscow  under  that  officer.  The  younger 
entered  the  army  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  served  under  the  Corsican  gen- 
eral for  fifteen  years.  He  was  a  "Tryrom," — a  man  that  batters  down 
doors, — until  that  position  was  abolished  by  the  use  of  cannon,  alter  which 
he  was  a  sharpshooter  and  also  served  on  outer  picket  duty. 

George  Klotzbach,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  1802,  and  in 
the  '60s  came  to  America  where  he  took  up  farming  as  an  occupation.  He 
followed  that  pursuit  for  several  years  in  Pennsylvania,  removed  to  Illinois 
in  1872,  and  in  1878  came  to  Kansas,  settling  on  a  farm  on  which  Simon 
now  resides,  and  which  he  homesteaded.  His  widow  and  daughter  Ma- 
tilda are  now  living  with  the  subject  of  this  review,  and  the  mother, 
althoup^h  ninety  years  of  age,  is  still  enjoying  good  health.  The  other  sur- 
viving member  of  the  family  is  Mrs.  Kate  Malone,  who  lives  in  Iowa. 

Simon  Klotzbach  of  this  review  spent  his  early  youth  in  the  fatherland 
and  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  the  new  world.  He 
came  to  Kansas  in  an  early  period  in  the  development  of  Allen  county,  and 
soon  after  his  arrival  hete  he  attempted  to  purchase  his  supper  at  a  house 
by  the  roadside  but  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  food  was  refused,  although 
he  had  three  hundred  dollars  in  his  pocket.  He  suffered  many  hardships 
and  difficulties  those  first  years  in  Kansas.  Twice  the  grasshoppers  de- 
stroyed all  his  crops,  and  he  has  at  several  different  times  lost  all  his  hogs 
b\'  cholera  and  once  by  cockle  burrs.  His  first  loss  amounted  to  about 
twelve  hundred  dollars,  and  the  next  spring  and  fall  he  lost  at  each  time 
about  sixty  head.  In  1897  he  lost  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  head  of 
hogs;  in  1898  one  hundred  and  forty;  and  the  following  winter  between 
forty  and  fifty,  and  at  one  time  he  lost  probably  one  hundred  head  of  cattle 
by  the  Texas  fever.  Yet  in  spite  of  all  this  he  has  prospered  and  he  to-day 
owns  five  eighty  acre  tracts  of  land,  of  which  one  hundred  acres  are  planted 
to  orchard  products,  eighty  acres  of  this  being  in  one  plat.  He  follows 
progressive    methods    in  his  farming,   and  merits  a  high  degree  of  success. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  1891,  Mr.  Klotzbach  married  Miss  Dora  Strup- 
hart,  whose  widowed  mother  is  now  living  in  Chanute,  Kansas.  Her 
brother,  Joseph,  resides  in  Salem  township,  Allen  county.  Unto  Mr  and 
Mrs.  Klotzbach  were  born  five  children,  viz:  George,  Willie,  Mary,  Mar- 
garet and  Frank,  who  died  at  nine  months. 

During  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Klotzbach  manifested  his  loyalty  to  his 
adopted  conntry  by  enlisting  in  the  Forty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  with  Sherman  participated  in  the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea.  While 
at  the  front  he  suffered  a  very  severe  attack  of  typhoid  fever  and  it  was  be- 


288  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

lieved  that  he  could  not  recover.  To  all  duties  of  citizenship  in  times  of 
peace  he  is  as  true  and  loyal  as  when  he  defended  the  stars  and  stripes  on 
southern  battlefields. 


T~AR.  SAMUEL  H.  KELLAM,  who  located  in  LaHarpe  about  three  ^ 
-' — ^  years  ago  and  who  already  enjoys  a  large  and  lucrative  patronage  in 
the  line  of  his  profession,  was  born  in  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  May  6,  1865. 
His  father,  Nathan  Kellam,  was  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  of  Elk  county, 
Kansas.  He,  too,  is  a  native  of  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  his  birth  having 
occurred  there  in  1827.  In  the  place  of  his  nativity  he  continued  to  reside 
until  i88o,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Kansas  and  has  since  become  a 
prominent  stock  raiser  and  shipper  of  Elk  county.  Having  acquired  a 
comfortable  competence  he  is  now  retired.  He  is  a  leading  representative 
of  the  Democracy  in  that  locality  and  is  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 
He  married  Ellen  Yantis,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Yantis,  a  farmer  of  Marion 
county,  Ohio,  who  at  an  early  day  removed  to  Illinois,  carrying  all  his 
personal  effects  in  a  red  handkerchief.  In  the  Prairie  state  the  latter  pros- 
pered, becorning  well-to-do.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  Kentucky  in  1790,  and  he  also  became  a  pioneer  of  Illinois,  mak- 
ing the  journey  to  Shelby  county  in  a  two  wheeled  cart.  There  he  began 
the  arduous  task  of  transforming  the  wild  land  into  a  good  farm.  He  mar- 
ried Nancy  Smith  and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  sons  and  two 
daughters,  namely:  Samuel,  William,  Nathan,  L,ogan,  John,  Mrs.  Leran, 
James  and  Mrs  Matildi  Handerly,  the  last  named  being  still  a  resident  of 
Shelby  county.  The  Kellam  and  Yantis  families  were  united  through  the 
marriage  ot  Nathan  Kellam  and  Ellen  Yantis.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  six  children  who  are  still  living:  Flora,  wife  of  W.  T.  Calon,  of  Elk 
county,  Kansas;  Sarah,  wife  of  J.  W.  Donnell;  William  J.,  who  died  in 
1892;  Nora  Belle,  wife  of  J.  G.  Yantis,  of  Elk  county;  Metta  Blanche  and 
Aullendore,  who  are  also  residents  of  Elk  county. 

Into  the  mind  of  Dr.  Kellam  of  this  review  were  early  instilled  lessons 
of  industry.  When  quite  young  he  began  work  on  his  father's  farm, 
remaining  there  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  His  father  retired 
and  for  four  years  he  managed  the  ranch.  In  the  meantime  he  secured  a 
good  foundation  for  his  professional  knowledge  by  a  thorough  English 
course,  supplementing  his  preliminary  studies  by  a  course  in  the  Howard 
high  school,  of  which  he  is  a  graduate.  For  some  time  he  occupied  the 
position  of  department  foreman  of  the  Armour  Packing  Company,  of  Kan- 
sas City,  but  wishing  to  make  the  practice  of  medicine  his  lite  work  he 
began  reading  in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Strunen,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  two  years.  Eater  he  was  graduated  in  the  Kansas 
City  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  and  received  practical  training 
while  acting  as  assistant  in  the  free  dispensary  hospital  at  Bethany.  Prior 
to  coming  to  EaHarpe  he  practiced   medicine   in    Kansas   City  for  three 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  289 

years,  but  since  1897  1^^^  been  a  valued  member  of  the  medical  fraternity  of 
Allen  county. 

Doctor  Kellam  married  Miss  Hattie  Graham,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  in 
1867,  a  daughter  of  James  Graham,  now  a  farmer  of  Elk  county,  Kansas. 
Two  children  grace  their  union:  Marvelle  and  Lillian.  The  Doctor  and 
his  wife  have  many  friends  in  Allen  county  where  he  is  enjoying  an  ex- 
cellent practice,  having  a  patronage  that  many  an  older  representative  of  the 
medical  fraternity  might  well  envy.  As  a  citizen  he  is  public  spirited  and 
progressive,'  and  is  therefore  a  welcome  addition  to  LaHarpe. 


COLUMBUS  L.  RICE.— On  the  roll  of  the  business  men  of  Humboldt 
appears  the  name  of  Columbus  L-  Rice.  He  was  born  in  Jasper 
county,  Missouri,  on  the  12th  of  September,  1854.  His  father,  George  D- 
Rice,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  when  a  young  man  removed  to 
Ohio,  where  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Eleanor  Taylor.  On  leaving  the 
Buckeye  state  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Missouri,  and  the  year  1862 
witnessed  his  arrival  in  Allen  county,  Kansas.  Soon  afterward  he  joined 
the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  the  Ninth  Regiment  of  Kansas  Volunteers, 
and  served  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  war,  loyally  aiding  in  the 
preservation  of  the  Union.  During  much  of  his  life  he  followed  farming, 
but  in  later  years  he  located  in  Humboldt,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
coal  business  until  his  death,  in  July,  1899,  when  he  was  seventy-three 
years  of  age. 

Columbus  L-  Rice  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  and  through  the 
sunny  days  of  early  spring  followed  the  plow  as  it  turned  the  furrows  for 
the  planting.  He  afterward  engaged  in  farming  on  his  own  account  for  a 
short  time,  when  he  entered  the  machinery  department  of  the  business  of 
Johnson  &  Bragg  at  Humboldt,  being  thus  employed  for  nine  and  a  half 
years.  On  severing  his  connection  with  that  firm,  he  entered  the  employ 
of  William  Rath,  who  was  in  the  same  line  of  business,  and  with  whom  he 
remained  for  seven  and  a  half  years.  While  there  he  learned  the  trade  of 
a  tinner  and  gas  fitter.  Subsequently  he  opened  a  hardware  store  of  his 
own,  conducting  it  for  two  years,  when  he  sold  out  to  E.  W.  Trego,  with 
whom  he  has  since  remained  in  the  capacity  of  tinner  and  gas  fitter.  He 
has  always  been  an  industrious  and  energetic  man  and  has  never  had 
trouble  in  keeping  himself  employed. 

Mr.  Rice  was  married  on  the  23rd  of  March,  1879,  to  Miss  Lydia  Ann 
Shellman,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Shellman.  She  was  born 
near  Bloomington,  Illinois,  and  in  1872  came  to  Kansas  with  her  parents, 
who  settled  in  Humboldt,  where  her  father  was  proprietor  of  the  Sherman 
House.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rice  has  been  born  a  son,  Robert  Charles, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  October,  1880.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr! 
Rice  is  a  Republican,  but  though  he  keeps  informed  on  the  issues  of  the 
day   he  has   never   been  a  politician.     He  is  connected  with  the  Modern 


290  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Woodmen  of  America,  and  is  well  known  in  his  community  for  those  traits 
of  character,  which  in  ever3'  land  and  ever}'  clime  command  respect. 


THOMAS  M.  FITZPATRICK.— A  history  of  Allen  county  would  be 
incomplete  without  the  record  of  Thomas  Marion  Fitzpatrick  for  he  is 
one  of  her  native  sons,  a  distinction  of  which  very  few  men  of  his  age  can 
boast.  He  was  born  in  the  county  in  i860,  before  the  state  was  admitted 
into  the  Union.  His  father  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Kansas  who  came 
hither  locating  in  Osawatomie  in  1856.  Four  years  later  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Allen  county,  locating  on  what  was  known  as  the  Bishop  farm, 
■  and  during  the  Civil  war  he  served  as  a  private  in  Company  E,  Ninth 
Kansas  Cavalry.  He  was  born  in  Missouri  in  1820,  and  was  thorougjhly 
familiar  with  the  development  of  the  west.  He  married  Rebecca  Sparks, 
whose  people  were  natives  of  Indiana.  Their  surviving  children  are:  J. 
J.  Fitzpatrick,  of  Allen  county;  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Schultz,  of  Anderson  county; 
Thomas    M.,   of  this  review;  and  Mrs.  Anna  M.  I,ucky,  of  Allen    county. 

The  boyhood  of  our  subject  was  not  one  of  leisure  for  he  was  early 
trained  to  do  the  work  of  the  farm  and  through  the  summer  months  as- 
sisted with  the  plowing,  planting  and  harvesting.  He  pursued  his  educa- 
tion in  the  subscription  school,  his  first  teacher  being  a  Mr.  Todd,  and  the 
school  house  being  on  the  Fulton  farm.  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  also  engaged  in 
teaming  from  Kansas  City  prior  to  the  building  of  the  Southern  Kansas 
railroad.  He  aided  in  farm  work  when  Elm  township  was  a  part  of  Ida 
township,  and  only  about  ten  families  lived  within  its  borders,  the  greater 
part  of  the  land  being  wild  prairie  which  awaited  the  awaking  touch  of 
civilization.  The  first  land  which  he  owned  was  a  quarter  of  the  Dr.  Ful- 
ton farm.  He  removed  to  his  present  farm  in  1881,  and  is  to-day  the 
owner  of  a  valuable  property,  his  labors  having  wrought  a  great  change  in 
the  appearance  of  the  farm. 

In  1880  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  wedded  Miss  Melissa  Leake  who  was  born  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  Mr.  Daniel  Horville,  and  whose  mother  is  yet 
living.  She  has  three  brothers  living  in  Kansas:  William  Henry,  a  resi- 
dent of  Phillips  county;  J.  P.,  of  lola,  and  I.  T. ,  who  is  also  living  in  the 
county.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fitzpatrick  are  Albert,  Bertha 
May,  Cora  Fay  arid  Jessie.     All  are  under  the  parental  roof. 

After  attaining  his  majority  our  subject  gave  his  political  support  to 
the  Democracy,  but  of  late  years  has  been  a  Populist.  He  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  school  board,  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  camp  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fitzpatrick  are  native  citizens  of 
Allen  county,  and  as  such  are  entitled  to  distinction.  They  have  always 
manifested  a  deep  interest  in  its  progress  and  upbuilding  and  have  borne 
their  share  in  the  work  of  development  which  has  placed  Allen  county 
upon  a  par  with  any  county  in  the  commonwealth.  Their  social  qualities 
and  genuine  worth  have  gained  them  many  friends. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  201 

MRS.  MARGARET  C.  DEAL,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Allen  county, 
was  born  in  Indiana  May  9,  1841.  Her  father,  Enos  Myers,  a 
native  of  North  Carolina,  came  to  Indiana  when  still  a  young  man.  Here 
he  married  Sallie  Seachrist,  a  native  of  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Myers  moved 
to  Illinois  when  Mrs.  Deal  was  eleven  years  old,  and  resided  there  for  two 
years.  He  then  moved  to  Denton  county,  Texas,  where  Mrs.  Deal  was 
married  in  rSsy  to  Andrew  M.  Deal,  a  native  of  Indiana.  Mr.  Deal  had 
gone  to  Texas  when  but  twenty-one  years  old,  intending  to  make  that  state 
his  home.  When  the  war  came  on  he  did  not  believe  in  the  Confederacy, 
and,  as  Union  men  were  not  wanted  in  that  part  of  Texas,  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas. An  ardent  and  earnest  advocate  of  the  cause  of  the  Union  in  the  great 
struggle,  Mr.  Deal  in  1862,  enlisted  in  the  Ninth  Kansas  regiment.  The 
regiment  was  used  largely  against  the  bushwhackers,  that  infested  the 
border  counties  and  made  life  for  the  free  state  men  a  constant  terror.  One 
morning  a  party  of  twenty  from  the  regiment,  among  the  number  Mr.  Deal, 
joined  a  detail  of  scouts  for  an  expeditio.n.  While  passing  through  a  stone 
lane  near  West  Port,  they  were  suirounded  by  the  enemy,  believed  to  be 
Quantrell's  guerrilas,  who  opened  upon  them  from  behind  cover.  Al- 
though surprised  and  unable  to  see  their  foe  they  fought  gallantly,  until 
fifteen  of  Company  E,  Ninth  Kansas  men  were  killed,  Mr.  Deal  among 
the  number;  the  five  men  who  were  left  making  their  escape.  The  Con- 
federates killed  the  Federal  wounded. 

Three  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Deal:  Mary  E. ,  now  the 
wife  of  Howard  lyioore;  Paris  and  Thomas,  both  living  at  home.  Left  thus 
with  the  care  of  a  small  family  Mrs.  Deal  faced  the  future  with  a  courage 
worthy  of  the  husband,  who  had  given  his  life  for  his  country.  The  chil- 
dren as  they  grew  older  aided  in  the  struggle  against  the  hardships  of  the 
new  country  and  now,  after  many  years,  have  succeeded  in  acquiring  a 
fair  share  of  this  world's  goods.  Three  miles  east  of  Humboldt  they  have 
a  pleasant  home,  surrounded  by  stately  maple  trees,  and  every  acre  of  the 
eighty  is  well  improved  and  shows  the  evidences  of  careful  cultivation. 

To  the  fatherless  children  Mrs.  Deal  has  given  a  careful  training  and 
the  record  of  the  deeds  of  her  husband  has  been  one  of  the  cherished 
memories  of  their  life. 


T~^  AVID  P.  DURNING  is  one  of  the  most  successful  .stockdealers  of 
-^ — ^  southeastern  Kansas  where  he  has  carried  on  business  since  1871, 
and  through  the  intervening  years  he  has  borne  an  unassailable  reputation 
in  trade  circles,  never  making  an  engagement  which  he  has  not  kept,  nor 
contracted  an  obligation  that  he  has  not  met.  His  sagacity  and  enter- 
prise, and  moreover  his  untiring  labor  have  brought  to  him  a  handsome 
competence,  and  the  most  envious  can  not  grudge  him  his  success,  so 
honorably  has  it  been  acquired.  Neither  have  his  labors  resulted  alone  to 
his  individual  benefit,  for  on  account  of  the  large  amount   of  stock   which 


29^ 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


he  handles  he  has  instituted  a  market  for  much  of  the  grain  raised  in  this 
locality  and  his  trade  relations  with  his  fellowmen  have  'been  mutually 
profitable. 

Mr.  Burning  was  boru  in  Kentucky  March  4,  1842.  His  father,  John 
Burning  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  during  his  boyhood  days  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Kentucky  where  he  was  reared 
10  manhood  and  married  to  Mi,ss  Mary  J.  Maxwell.  The  latter  died  when 
herson.  Porter,  was  a  small  boy.  Mr.  Burning  afterward  came  to  Kansas  and 
spent  his  last  day?  with  the  subject  of  this  review,  his  death  occurring 
about  1885. 

Bavid  Porter  Burning  spent  his  early  boybood  days  under  his  father's 
roof,  remaining  at  home  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  the  father 
suffered  financial  reverses  and  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  His  educational  privileges  were  very  limited.  He  attended  school 
for  about  a  year,  but  other  than  this  his  mental  discipline  has  been  obtained 
in  the  hard  school  of  experience.  Reading,  observation  and  practical  work 
gave  him  a  good  knowledge  which  fitted  him  for  the  responsibilities  of  a 
business  life.  On  leaving  home  he  went  to  Illinois  in  1857  and  there 
secured  work  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand.  He  was  thus  emplo5'ed  until 
he  had  saved  money  enough  to  venture  upon  a  new  stage  of  life's  journey, 
taking  to  himself  a  companion  and  helpmate, — Miss  Mary  J.  Traughber, — 
their  marriage  being  celebrated  in  the  year  1865.  The  .lady  was  born  and 
reared  in  Illinois  and  for  a  few  years  after  their  marriage  they  resided  in 
that  State,  but  believing  that  there  were  better  opportunities  for  young  men 
in  the  districts  farther  west,  Mr.  Burning  turned  his  face  toward  the  setting 
sun  and  in  187 1  arrived  ill  Kansas,  locating  on  the  county  line  between 
Allen  and  Woodson  counties.  He  made  his  home  there  for  a  number  of 
years  and  improved  the  property,  but  gave  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and 
attention  to  the  buying  and  shipping  of  stock.  After  eight  years  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  the  city  of  Humboldt  and  has  always  continued  his  opera- 
tions as  a  live  stock  dealer.  He  entered  into  partnership  with  James 
Bayton  and  togethet  they  purchased  and  shipped  stock  for  a  number  of 
years,  when  the  business  relations  between  them  were  dissolved,  since 
which  time  Mr.  Burning  has  been  buying,  feeding  and  shipping  stock  on 
his  own  account.  His  business  has  grown  to  very  extensive  proportions  and 
he  ships  more  stock  from  the  Humboldt  depots  than  any  other  man  in  the 
county ,  his  shipments  reaching  as  high  as  thirty-five  carloads  a  month. 
His  equipment  and  preparation  foi  feeding  and  growing  stock  is  unequaled 
in  the  State.  He  pays  good  prices  to  the  fanners  for  their  grain  and  his  ex- 
tensive stock  dealing  interests  have  made  Humboldt  one  of  the  best  grain 
markets  in  Kansas.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs 
and  this  enables  him  to  make  judicious  purchases  and  profitable  sales. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Burning  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  but  he 
has  never  sought  or  desired  the  emoluments  of  public  ofiice,  preferring  to 
give  his  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  He  started  out  in  life  for  him.'^elf 
a  poor  boy  without  capital.  His  environments  were  not  particularly  favor- 
able and  he  had  no  influential  friends  to  aid  him,  but  he  placed  his  reliance 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  293 

ill  the  more  substantial  qualities  of  diligence,  energ}',  determination  and 
honesty.  The  experience  of  men  who  are  willing  to  work  persistently- 
and  intelligently  and  wait  calml.\  goes  to  prove  that  success  may  surely  be 
attained  during  the  ordinary  lifetime,  and  no  man,  not  cut  off  at  an  untimely 
age  need  work  and  wait  in  vain.  Steadily  has  Mr.  Burning  increased  his 
capital  and  his  honorable  business  methods  and  unflagging  industry  have 
enabled  him  for  many  years  to  maintain  a  position  among  the  wealthy 
business  men  of  Allen  County. 


"TDICHARD  WARD— A  native  of  the  Empire  State,  Richard  Ward  was 
-*-  *-  born  in  Westchester  County  in  1843.  The  Wards  came  originally 
from  Holland  to  America,  the  family  being  established  in  New  York  in 
1680.  James  Ward,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  West- 
che.ster  County.  Hezekiah  Ward,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  also  a 
native  of  Westchester  County  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  wedded 
Mary  A.  Cromwell,  who  was  of  English  lineage.  They  became  the  parents 
of  three  sons  who  are  still  living:  Clarence  A.  and  Charles  P.,  both  younger 
than  Richard,  being  still  residents  of  the  Empire  State. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life 
for  Richard  Ward  during  his  boyhood  days.  He  assisted  in  the  labors  of 
field  and  meadow  through  the  summer  months  and  pursued  his 
education  through  the  winter  season  at  the  common  schools.  In 
18(54,  on  attaining  his  majority,  he  enlisted  in  the  navy  and  was  assigned 
to  duty  on  the  war  ship  Hetzel.  He  afterward  served  on  the  Granite  and 
on  the  Mattabessett,  his  time  being  spent  with  the  blockading  forces  at 
Plymouth,  Albemarle  Sound  and  Cape  Hatteras,  under  Commander 
Febbager.  Throughout  his  business  career  he  has  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  and  has  gained  a  good  living   through  his    indefatigable  industry. 

In  October,  1879,  Mr.  Ward  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Naomi 
P^arl,  who  is  the  only  child  of  William  Earl.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ward  now 
have  seven  children,  all  of  whom  still  call  the  old  place  home.  These  are: 
Hezekiah,  Mary  A.,  Fanny  C,  Jennie,  Clarence  A.,  William  J.  and 
Amelia.  The  year  1880  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Ward  and  his  family 
in  Allen  County,  and  he  has  since  been  numbered  among  the  enterpri.sing 
agriculturists  of  Ehn  township,  having  a  very  comfortable  home,  which  is 
surrounded  by  well  tilled  fields,  whose  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indi- 
cates the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner.  As  a  citizen  he  takes  a 
commendable  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  com- 
munity and  gives  a  loyal  support  to  all  measures  which  he  believes  will 
contribute  to  the  substantial  upbuilding  of  the  county  and  to 'its  progress 
along  intellectual,  social  and  moral  lines. 


294  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

CHARLES  F.  HELLE — In  Humboldt  township  is  a  well  developed 
farm  which  is  the  property  of  Charles  F.  Helle,  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  agriculturists  of  the  county.  He  was  born  in  Allen  County. 
Indiana,  on  the  20th  of  November,  1843.  His  father,  Frederick  Helle, 
was  a  native  of  Prussia  and  in  that  country  married  Celatara  Pence.  With 
his  young  wife  he  sailed  for  America  in  1841,  and  after  a  short  time  spent 
in  New  York  continued  his  westward  journey  until  he  established  his  home 
in  Allen  County,  Indiana.  He  was  a  passenger  on  the  first  canal  boat  that 
was  ever  taken  through  the  Erie  Canal.  By  trade  he  was  a  tanner  and 
worked  with  General  Grant  at  the  tannery  in  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana.  The 
friendship  formed  between  them  at  that  time  continued  throughout  their 
remaining  days.  Mr.  Helle  was  also  an  engineer  and  during  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  was  employed  in  that  capacity  in  the  foundry  of  Stacy  & 
Bouser,  at  Fort  Wayne.  He  died  in  1876  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  in  1870  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  They  were  the 
parents  of  only  two  children,  the  daughter,  Louisa  Dolman,  being  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Allen  Cjunty,  Indiana. 

Charles  F.  Helle  was  the  elder.  Although  his  parents  were  natives  of 
the  fatherland  he  never  learned  the  German  language.  He  associated  with 
boys  who  spoke  the  English  tongue  and  has  always  been  an  American  in 
thought,  purpose  and  feeling.  His  time  in  youth  was  devoted  to  the 
studies  of  the  school  room  and  to  different  employments  that  would  contri- 
bute to  his  livelihood.  In  Allen  County,  Indiana,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Amanda  Bishop,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  November  3, 
1862.  The  lady  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
afterward  a  resident  of  Ohio,  but  later  moved  to  the  Hoosier  State.  Unto 
them  have  been  born  seven  children,  namely:  Charles  F. ,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  transfer  business  in  Chicago;  Lizzie,  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Wheatley,  a 
resident  of  lola;  John,  at  home;  Warren,  who  is  also  engaged  in  business 
in  Chicago;  Frank,  who  has  business  interests  in  Kansas  City;  George  and 
Daisy,  who  are  with  their  parents. 

Thinking  to  find  better  opportunities  in  the  west  where  ithere  was  not 
such  great  competition,  Mr.  Helle  removed  from  Indiana  to  Allen  County, 
Kansas,  and  purchased  three  hundred  acres  of  land  a  mile  and  a  half  north 
of  Humboldt.  To  his  property  he  has  added  until  now  he  has  land  aggre- 
gating seven  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  a  rich  farming  tract  in  this  section  of 
the  State.  He  raises  wheat,  oats  and  corn  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  has 
large  numbers  of  horses,  mules,  cattle  and  hogs,  and  everything  about  the 
place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance  and  modern  in  appointment.  H  is 
residence  occupies  a  commanding  building  site,  standing  on  a  blufi  of  the 
Neosho  river  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  grove  of  natural  forest  and  cedar 
trees.  In  politics  he  is  independent,  voting  for  the  man  he  regards  as  best 
qualified  for  the  office.  His  business  career  has  surely  been  a  most  success- 
ful one,  due  to  his  well  directed,  earnest  and  indefatigable  efforts.  He 
has  made  a  good  record  as  a  business  man  and  citizen,  being  at  all  times 
reliable  and  upright.     His  name  is  high  on  the  roll  of  Allen  County's  most 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  295 

prosperous  agriculturists.  His  code  of  morals  is  such  as  to  impel  him  to  a 
just  consideration  of  the  rights  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact  and  a  conscientious  observance  of  all  the  proprieties  of  life. 


OLIVER  H.  STEWART— Although  Mr.  Stewart  does  not  make  his 
home  in  Allen  County  at  the  present  time,  he  is  one  of  the  native 
sons  of  the  county  and  has  been  prominently  identified  with  her  interests 
so  that  his  history  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers. 
He  occupies  an  enviable  position  in  financial  circles,  not  alone  on  account 
•of  his  brilliant  success  but  also  on  account  of  the  honorable,  straightforward 
business  policy  he  has  ever  followed.  He  is  a  man  of  energy,  of  keen  per- 
ception, forms  his  plans  readily,  and  ib  determined  in  their  execution,  brook- 
ing no  obstacles  that  bar  his  path  to  success  along  the  line  of  honorable 
effort. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  born  in  this  county  on  the  6th  day  of  November, 
1 86 1,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  leading  pioneer  families,  his  parents 
having  settled  in  what  is  now  Allen  County  in  May,  1856.  He  is  the 
fourth  son  of  Watson  and  Elizabeth  Stewart  and  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Humboldt.  In  1885,  though  a  staunch  Republican,  he  was  appointed 
under  the  Democratic  administration.  Agent  to  the  Mexican  Kickapoo 
Indians  under  the  control  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  Agency  in  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory  and  detailed  as  an  expert  accountant  to  the  Sac  and  Fox  Agency. 
He  remained  there  for  a  year  at  which  time  he  removed  to  Parsons, 
employed  by  W.  L.  Bartlett  and  Company  of  that  city,  large  dealers  in 
general  merchandise,  and  subsequently  became  a  member  of  that  firm, 
where  he  continued  for  ten  years,  his  labors  and  counsel  proving  import- 
ant factors  in  the  successful  conduct  of  the  business.  In  1897  he  returned 
to  Humboldt  to  assist  in  the  settlement  of  the  estate  of  the  late  Paul  Fisher, 
and  when  that  task  was  completed  returned  to  Parsons,  Kansas,  assisting 
in  the  organization  of  The  State  Bank  of  Parsons,  which  was  opened  for 
business  on  the  7th  day  of  November,  A.  D. ,  1899,  with  a  paid  up  capital 
of  $25,000,  with  Mr.  Stewart  as  president  of  the  institution.  In  1900  The 
Savonburg  State  Bank  with  paid  up  capital  of  $6,000  was  also  organized 
and  opened  for  business  on  the  23rd  day  of  October,  Mr.  Stewart  being  also 
president  of  this  institution.  He  gives  both  banks  personal  attention,  and 
they  are  classified  among  the  safe  financial  institutions  of  the  State. 

He  and  Mrs.  Stewart  own  and  operate  upward  of  nine  hundred  acres 
of  Allen  County's  most  fertile  soil,  in  high  state  of  cultivation,  finely  im- 
proved, and  carrying  a  considerable  number  of  fine  cattle. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1887,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Stewart 
and  Miss  Katie  Fisher,  a  daughter  of  Paul  and  Nancy  E.  Fisher,  one  of 
Allen  County's  native  daughters.  They  have  four  sons:  Lyman  O., 
Ellsworth  F. ,  Harold  E.  and  Paul  F.,  aged  respectively  twelve,  ten,  five 
and  one  year.      Mr.  and  Mrs.    Stewart  have    many  warm    friends    in  Allen 


296  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

County  as  well  as  in  the  city  of  their  present  residence.  In  his  p  ilitical 
affilixtions  he  has  always  been  a  Republican.  He  has  served  as  president 
of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  city  of  Parsons,  and  member  of  the  City 
Council  of  the  city  of  Humboldt.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Royal  Arcanum.  Both  Mr.  Stewart  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church  of  Parsons. 


BERGEN  S.  SMITH,  one  of  the  prosperous  business  men  of  Humboldt, 
was  born  in  Hunterdon  county,  New  Jersey,  July  27,  1857.  His 
father,  Zachariah  Smith,  a  native  of  the  same  state,  was  a  farmer,  until  ill 
liealth  compelled  him  to  abandon  the  farm.  He  accordingly  entered  the 
merchant  tailoring  business,  which  he  followed  until  his  death  in  1862. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  A.  Johnson,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and 
three  children  were  born  to  them ,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
the  second.  After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Smith  was  married  to 
Mr.  Nical  Graham,  and  is  still  living. 

Early  in  life  our  subject  started  out  to  face  the  realities  of  life.  He 
first  learned  the  printers  trade  and  worked  for  four  years  in  the  office  of  the 
Hunterdon  County  Republican.  This  business  did  not  offer  the  oppor- 
tunity that  he  wished  and,  in  1877,  he  came  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and 
after  trying  in  vain  to  get  a  position  that  would  aid  him  in  his  ambition  he 
accepted  a  position  with  BuUene,  Moore  &  Emery,  (now  Emery,  Bird, 
Thayer  &  Co.),  one  of  the  large  department  stores  of  that  city.  This  place 
he  soon  left  for  a  better  one  with  G.  Y.  Smith  &  Co.,  and  two  years  later 
entered  the  wholesale  house  of  Tootle,  Hanna  &  Company,  where  he  re- 
mained for  five  years. .  His  careful  attention  to  business  and  his  natural 
aptitude  for  the  work  soon  gained  him  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
employers  and  he  was  advanced  rapidly.  His  work  in  Kansas  City  came 
at  a  time  when  real  estate  was  advancing  enormously  in  that  city  and  Mr. 
Smith  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  thus  offered  to  invest  his  savings 
in  that  channel.  As  soon  as  his  investment  showed  a  fair  profit  he  sold, 
and  by  this  method  succeeded  in  adding  materially  to  his  savings.  In 
1884  he  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  F.  Cooper  and  together  they  estab- 
lished a  clothing  store  at  Cherryvale,  Kansas.  One  year  later  Mr.  Smith 
purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner  and  moved  the  stock  to  Humboldt. 
Here  he  has  built  up  a  business  second  to  none  in  the  southwest.  Carry- 
ing a  large  stock,  carefully  selected,  a  shrewd  and  judicious  buyer,  he  has 
been  able  to  attract  trade  from  territory  not  strictly  tributary  to  him.  The 
years  he  spent  with  the  large  stores  in  Kansas  City  brought  him  an  ex- 
perience that  he  has  been  able  to  turn  to  golden  account  in  the  conduct  of 
his  own  business. 

Mr.  Smith  has  always  been  active  in  all  measures  taken  for  the  up- 
building of  Humboldt  and  is  now  a  large  stock  holder  in  the  Humboldt 
Brick  Manufacturing  Company.     He  has  always  been  an  active   Republi- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  297 

can  and  has  taken  a  warm  interest  in  the  success  oi  his  party.  Personally 
he  has  had  no  desire  for  office  and  his  business  has  always  occupied  his 
entire  time.  He  has  served  as  Treasurer  of  the  City  of  Humboldt  for  sev- 
eral years  and  is  a  member  of  the  Knight  Templars  and  other  secret 
societies. 


HENRY  EBERT. — One  of  the  respected  citizens  and  prosperous 
farmers  of  Allen  county  is  Henry  Ebert,  who  was  born  in  Germany j^ 
on  the  28th  of  January,  1839.  His  father,  Frederick  Ebert,  was  also  a 
native  of  the  same  country  and  was  there  married  to  Anielie  Snyder,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  that  land.  In  1849  they  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends 
and  w^ith  their  family  came  to  the  new  world,  locating  in  Ohio.  The 
father  was  a  contractor  and  for  a  time  was  identified  with  business  interests 
in  Cincinnati,  but  subsequently  removed  to  Illinois,  making  his  home 
upon  a  farm  there  from  1857  until  1871,  when  he  died  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five  years.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  1808,  died  in  1882,  at  the  age  of 
seventy -four  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children-,  Augusta  and 
Henry.  The  former  married  Albert  Martin  and  is  living  in  Decatur, 
Illinois. 

Henry  Ebert  spent  the  first  ten  years  of  his  life  in  the  fatherland  and 
then  came  with  his  parents  to  America.  He  learned  the  brass  molder's 
trade  and  followed  that  occupation  in  Cincinnati  until  the  removal  of  the 
family  to  Illinois.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  wai  and  in  respon.se  to  the 
country's  call  for  aid,  he  enlisted  on  the  15th  of  August,  1862,  as  a  member 
of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  with  which 
he  served  until  honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  partici- 
pated in  all  the  battles  and  engagements  that  his  regiment  had  part  in  and 
was  severeh'  wounded  at  Vicksburg,  May  19th,  1863,  a  ball  shattering  the 
front  part  of  his  lower  jaw.  In  February  of  the  same  year  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  sergeant  of  his  company  and  after  his  wound  has  suf- 
ficiently healed  he  returned  to  his  regiment,  October  21st,  1863.  When 
hostilities  had  ceased  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  with  a  credit- 
able military  record  returned  to  his  Illinois  home. 

In  1882  Mr.  Ebert  came  to  Kansas  and  located  on  the  farm  which  is 
still  his  home.  It  is  the  "Cottage  Corner"  farm  and  is  located  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  Allen  county.  In  his  agricultural  pursuits  he  has  been 
successful  and  now  owns  a  valuable  and  attractive  property,  its  richly  cul- 
tivated fields  indicating  his  careful  supervision  and  enterprising  spirit.  He 
has  also  engaged  in  stock  raising,  which  has  been  a  profitable  source  of 
income  to  him,  and  to-day  he  is  the  possessor  of  a  comfortable  competence 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Ebert  has  been  twice  married.  While  in  Illinois  he  wedded  Miss 
Ellen  S.  Neyhard,  a  native  of  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  and  unto  them  were 
born  five  children:     Alvin  H.,  whois  residing  in  Rosedale,   Kansas;  Irvin, 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


who  is  engaged  in  the  plumbing  and  gas-fitting  business  in  Chanute,  Kan- 
sas; William  A.,  who  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Twentieth  Kansas  Volun- 
teers, and  went  to  Manila  where  he  was  very  severely  wounded  in  an  en- 
gagement. He  was  discharged  in  Manila,  and  is  still  in  that  city;  Anna 
A.  and  Richard  both  died  in  infancy.  The  mother  died  September  24th, 
1879  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Ebert  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Ellen  Shaffer,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of  Peter  H.  Shaffer, 
who  was  born  in  the  Keystone  state  in  1823.  He  married  Sarah  Grove, 
who  died  in  January,  1900,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years,  but  Mr.  Shafier 
is  yet  living  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven.  They  had  two  children:  John, 
who  is  living  on  a  farm  in  this  locality,  and  Mrs.  Ebert.  By  her  former 
marriage  she  had  one  child,  Frank.  The  children  of  the  second  marriage 
are  Fred,  Sadie,  Bessie  and  Anna,  all  at  home.  The  family  is  well 
known  in  the  community  and  their  friends  are  many. 


JESSE  BARKER,  foreman  in  the  office  of  the  Humboldt  Union,  was 
"  born  in  Keosauqua,  Van  Buren  county,  Iowa,  July  21,  1850.  His 
father,  Jesse  B.  Barker,  a  native  of  Indiana,  was  married  to  Amelia  Scott, 
a  native  of  Missouri,  who  had  moved  with  her  parents  to  Iowa  in  an  early 
day.  The  elder  Mr.  Barker  is  still  living  in  Montana  at  the  advanced  age 
of  seventy-four  years.     Jesse   Barker  is  the  only  living  child  of  this  union. 

Mr.  Barker  had  a  common  school  education.  At  the  tender  age  of  ten 
years  he  began  to  learn  the  printer's  trade.  He  worked  two  years  and 
eight  months  in  a  printing  office  in  his  native  city  and  then  two  years  in 
Ottunnva,  Iowa.  His  health  tailing  he  went  to  Hancock  county,  Illinois, 
and,  learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  worked  at  it  for  several  years.  He 
spent  a  few  years  on  a  farm  and,  in  1883,  came  west,  locating  in  Anderson 
county.  He  was  .soon  installed  as  editor  of  the  Anderson  County  Demo- 
crat and  for  two  and  a  half  years  resided  in  and  near  Garnett.  An  offer  of 
a  good  po.sition  on  the  Humboldt  Union  caused  him  to  leave  Garnett  in 
1886  and  he  came  to  Humboldt  taking  charge  of  the  mechanical  depart- 
ment of  the  paper.  His  long  connection  with  the  newspaper  business  has 
given  him  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  work  and  he  has  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  his  employer. 

Originally  a  Democrat  Mr.  Barker  found  himself  out  of  accord  with 
his  party  in  1890  and  he  allied  himself  with  the  Republicans.  He  has 
since  been  an  active  member  of  that  party. 

Mr.  Barker  has  never  married,  but  "while  there  is  life  there  is  hope" 
is  the  old  adage.  He  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Eastern 
Star  and  has  filled  offices  in  both  lodges. 


TAMES  M.  WAIyLACE,  one  of  the  highly  respected  citizens  of  Hum- 
"  boldt,  was  born  in  Springfield,  Illinois,  January  17,  1829.  His  father, 
John  Wallace,  was  born  in  Georgetown,   South    Carolina,    August  3,  1800, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  299 

and  moved  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  when  but  twelve  years  old.  He 
was  a  wagon-maker  by  trade  and  followed  that  business  in  Illinois  for 
mnny  years.  Upon  reaching  manhood's  estate  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Minerva  Myers,  a  native  of  Davis  County,  Kentucky. 

The  schools  of  those  days  were  of  little  consequence  and  the  only  edu- 
cation it  was  possible  for  a  child  to  get  was  from  the  schools  which  were 
conducted  by  teachers  who  received  their  pay  from  the  scholars  who  at- 
tended. Tliese  schools  Mr.  Wallace  attended  and  received  such  meager 
instruction  as  they  afforded.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  he  was  apprenticed 
to  a  carpenter  and  served  with  him  for  four  years.  Two  years  of  this  time 
he  worked  for  his  board  and  clothes  and  two  months  schooling  each  year. 
The  early  love  for  the  carpenter's  trade  has  never  left  him  and  although 
most  of  his  life  has  been  spent  on  a  farm  he  has  always  worked  more  or  less 
at  the  trade  he  learned  in  those  early  days. 

October  19,  1849  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Garver,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  to  them  has  been  born  eight  children.  Seven  of  these 
children  still  survive:  John  J.,  David  C,  Emma  A.  Zigler,  of  Emporia; 
Charles  S. ;  William  C. ;  James  A.  and  Mary  C. ,  all  scattered  about  over 
Colorado,  Illinois,  Missouri  and  Katisas. 

Mr.  Wallace  was  living  in  Illinois  when  the  war  came  on  and  although 
he  had  a  large  family  he  answered  the  call  for  troops,  enlisting  August  2, 
1:862,  in  Company  C,  ii6th  Illinois  volunteers.  He  was  elected  a  lieu- 
tenant of  his  company  and  after  a  month's  drill  his  regiment  was  sent  to 
the  front.  They  landed  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  were  soon  sent  south 
to  re-enforce  troops  that  had  previously  been  sent  down  into  Mi.ssissippi. 
Mr.  Wallace  was  taken  sick  on  the  march  and  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital. 
Here  he  lay  for  a  long  time  and  when  he  had  recovered  sufficiently  to 
travel  he  was  sent  back  to  Decatur  with  health  shattered.  Here  he  was 
given  detached  duty,  enforcing  the  draft,  arresting  deserters  and  the  like. 
This  work  continued  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  in  1865  he  was  mustered 
out.  The  year  1867  he  came  to  Kansas  to  look  up  a  location  and  finally 
located  in  Humboldt.  He  bought  a  farm  five  miles  west  of  that  city  and 
returned  to  Illinois  and  brought  his  family  out  to  their  new  home.  In 
this  vicinity  he  has  lived  until  the  present  time.  He  improved  that  farm, 
which  was  a  wilderness  when  he  came  here,  until  it  is  one  of  the  best  in 
the  county.  His  life  has  been  filled  with  hard  work  and  in  1896  he  moved 
to  Humboldt,  determined  upon  a  partial  rest.  His  activity  for  the  good  of 
the  city  soon  brought  him  in  contact  with  municipal  affairs  and  he  was 
elected  Police  Judge.     He  is  now  mayor  of  the  city. 

Politically  he  has  always  been  an  ardent  Republicaa  and  for  many 
years  was  an  active  worker  in  the  ranks  of  that  party.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order. 


A/TRS.  JENNIE  JONES,  wife  of  the  late  A.  A.  Jones,  was  born  in 
-lVJ-  Philadelphia,  May  24,  1851.  Her  father,  George  Marshall,  was 
also  a  native  of  that  city,  born  April  27,  1826,  and  there  he  lived  until  after 


300  HISTORY    OF    ALLKN    .VXD 

he  had  attained  to  man's  estate.  In  early  life  he  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  a  number  of  years.  He  married  Miss  Xaoiiii 
Tliompson,  who  was  born  in  England  in  1830,  and  came  to  America  with 
her  parents  in  1844,  being  then  a  maiden  of  fourteen  years.  They  took 
passage  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  encountered  some  very  rough  weather 
sixty-six  days  having  elapsed  from  the  time  they  left  the  English  port  until 
they  reached  the  harbor  of  New  York.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  were 
married  on  the  23rd  of  July,  1850,  and  in  1900  they  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding.  They  are  both  well  preserved  people  who  look  as  if  they  might 
be  spired  for  many  years  to  come,  and  in  that  hope  their  friends  all  join. 
In  1852  Mr.  Marshall  removed  with  his  family  to  Eebanon,  Warren  County, 
Ohio,  and  in  1854  journeyed  still  farther  westward,  locating  at  Grandview, 
Illinois,  where  Mr.  Marshall  worked  at  his  trade  of  blacksmithing  until 
1870,  when  he  came  to  Allen  County,  Kansas,  and  purchased  a  raw  tract 
of  prairie  land  six  miles  east  of  Humboldt.  Not  a  fun'ow  had  been  turned 
nor  an  improvement  made  upon  the  place,  but  with  characteristic  energy 
he  began  its  development  and  continued  its  cultivation  for  twenty-two 
years.  He  and  his  wife  then  removed  to  Humboldt  and  have  since  resided 
with  their  daughter. 

Mrs.  Jones  is  their  only  child.  She  spent  her  girlhood  days  under  the 
parental  roof  and  on  the  24th  of  August,  1890,  became  the  wife  of  A.  A. 
Jones,  who  was  born  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Humboldt  in 
1885.  Here  he  built  the  elevator  and  feed  mills  and  conducted  an  exten- 
sive business,  buying  and  shipping  grain  of  all  kinds,  and  grinding  feed. 
He  was  then  one  of  Humboldt's  enterprising  business  men,  energetic, 
reliable  and  trustworthy,  but  death  came  to  him  very  unexpectedly  and  his 
life's  labors  were  thus  ended  February  27,  1893.  As  a  citizen  he  was 
loyal  and  progressive,  as  a  friend  faithful  and  as  a  husband  and  father  devoted 
and  tender.  He  left  a  wife  and  the  four  children  of  his  first  marriage  to 
mourn  his  loss.  These  are:  Harry  E.,  Cora  Chester,  who  is  attending  the 
State  University  at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  Etta  and  Forest,  who  are  now 
students  in  the  schools  of  Humboldt.  Mrs.  Jones,  her  parents  and  the 
children  are  all  living  very  happily  together  in  a  pleasant  residence  in 
Humboldt,  and  she  takes  as  great  interest  in  rearing  the  children  as  thojigh 
they  were  her  own.  In  addition  to  her  home  in  Humboldt  she  owns  a 
good  farm,  and  is  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  ladies  of  the  community. 


TA^^ILLIAM  BRAUCHER,  of  Humboldt,  Allen  County,  is  a  gentle- 
^  "  man  whom  the  citizens  of  his  county  have  delighted  to  honor. 
His  character  is  a  combination  of  traits  that  make  true  men  and  worthy 
citizens  and  his  life  has  been  an  open  book  to  the  people  of  Allen  County 
for  nearly  a  third  of  a  century.  Mr.  Braucher  was  born  in  Tuscarawas 
County,  Ohio,  January  24,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  a  pioneer  to  the  Buckeye 
State.     The  latter  was  Joseph  Braucher,  born  in  Penusylvania  and  a  son  of 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  30I 

German  parents  whose  migration  to  the  United    States   occurred    about  the 
opening  of  the  igth  century. 

Joseph  Braucher  married  Julia  Antoinette  Hawley  (Halley),  a  native 
of  New  York  and  of  English  parents.  He  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  busi- 
ness in  early  manhood  and  made  merchandising  his  business  through  life. 
The  scene  of  his  business  activity  was  in  Ohio,  and  he  retired  -A'hen  the 
infirmities  of  age  were  found  to  be  creeping  upon  him.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty  years. 

William  Braucher  attended  the  common  schools  until  he  was  prepared 
to  enter  college.  At  sixteen  he  became  a  student  at  Wittenburg  Lutheran 
College  and  there  took  up  the  study  of  the  orthodox  faith.  The  ministry 
was  his  ultimate  goal.  For  a  further  preparation  and  following  a  com- 
pletion of  the  course  in  the  Lutheran  institution  he  entered  a  military 
college  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  while  there  the  war  between  the  states  was 
in  progress.  His  enlistment  followed  in  the  course  of  time  and  his  regi- 
ment, the  129th  Ohio  Volunteers,  saw  some  of  the  real  service  in  that 
struggle.  It  aided  in  the  capture  of  Cumberland  Gap  and  then  re-enforced 
General  Burnside  at  Knoxville  and  aided  General  Sherman  in  releasing 
Burnside  after  a  twenty-five  day  siege. 

Upon  his  return  from  his  army  service  Mr.  Braucher  went  into  his 
father's  store  and  remained  three  years  Having  accumulated  a  small 
amount  of  cash  in  the  spring  of  1868  he  came  into  Allen  County.  He 
purchased  a  farm  five  miles  south  of  Humboldt  and  entered  upon  a  new 
and  semi-strange  experience.  A  new  farm  always  furnishes  ample  oppor- 
tunity for  the  display  of  industry  and  art  in  its  improvement  and  in  these 
elements  Mr.  Braucher  was  not  lacking.  His  soil  was  fertile  and  the  in- 
dustry and  good  taste  of  its  owner  rapidly  made  the  farm  one  of  the  attractive 
country  homes  in  his  township. 

During  the  early  years  of  his  residence  in  Kansas  Mr.  Braucher  was 
associated  with  G.  Y.  Smith  in  the  dry  goods  business  in  Humboldt.  Mr. 
Smith,  now  located  in  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  was  one  of  the  prominent 
merchants  of  Allen  County  and  Mr.  Braucher's  connection  with  his  store 
covered  a  period  of  over  five  years.  Later  he  spent  two  years  behind  the 
counters  of  Hysinger  &  Rosenthal,  another  firm  whose  history  covers  many 
of  the  early  and  prosperous  years  of  Humboldt's  existence.  In  February, 
1898,  Mr.  Braucher  lost  his  wife  and  he  rented  his  farm  to  which  he  had 
moved  and  returned  to  Humboldt  soon  thereafter.  Seeing  an  opening  he 
engaged  in  the  furniture  business  but  soon  sold  this  and  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business. 

In  December,  1870,  Mr.  Braucher  married  Isabel  Heath.  She  left  three 
children,  viz.:  Joseph  W.,  Edward  Allen  and  Halley  Heath  Braucher.  The 
first  two  are  in  Kansas  City  and  the  last  named  is  with  his  father  in  Hum- 
boldt. In  January,  1899,  Mr.  Braucher  married  Mrs.  Margaret  (Bragg) 
Johnson. 

In  the  matter  of  the  conduct  of  public  affairs  in  Allen'  County  Mr. 
Braucher  has  always  .shown  an  active  and  intelligent  interest.  His  rare 
judgment  and  his  wise  discrimination  in  matters  of  public  policy  make  him 


302  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AN1> 

an  admirable  public  servant.  He  served  Cottage  Grove  township  in  an 
official  capacity  and  was  elected  County  Commissioner  for  a  term  of  thiee 
years.      His  political  affilations  are  with  the  Republican  party. 

In  his  business  and  social  relations  Mr.  Braucher  is  the  prototype  of 
honesty  and  sincerity.  His  practice  of  meeting  his  engagements  promptly 
and  otherwise  maintaining  his  good  name  are  matters  of  common  report. 
He  is  courteous  and  affable  and  is  without  the  objectionable  qualities  of 
manner  too  often  present  with  the  business  and  professional  men  of  our  day. 


"K  A  r  P.  McGREW. — ^Among  the  native  sons  of  the  Sunflower  state 
V  V  •  -^  p  McGrew  is  numbered,  while  in  the  business  circles  of 
Humboldt  he  is  recognized  as  an  important  factor.  He  was  born  in  Doug- 
las county,  Kansas,  February  lo,  1862.  His  father,  William  McGrew, 
was  a  native  of  Indiana  and  married  lyucinda  Dickey,  who  was  also  born 
in  that  state  They  arrived  in  Kansas  in  i860,  and  the  following  year  the 
father  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  the  Eleventh 
Kansas  Infantry,  with  which  he  was  associated  until  victory  crowned  the 
northern  arms  and  the  sound  of  musketry  was  no  longer  heard  in  the  land. 
He  died  in  1896  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years,  and  his  widow  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Chetopa,  Kansas 

W.  P.  McGrew  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  their  family  of  nine 
children,  and  learned  the  plasterer's  trade  under  the  direction  of  his  father, 
following  that  pursuit  for  about  sixteen  years.  He  then  went  to  the  In- 
dian Territory,  where  he  worked  in  a  cotton  gin  in  a  custom  mill  for  some 
time,  after  which  he  returned  to  Chetopa,  Kansas,  and  entered  into  part- 
nership with  Mr.  Bartlett.  They  purchased  a  flouring  mill  which  they 
still  own  and  operate,  the  plant  having  a  capacity  of  thirty  barrels  per  day. 
Wishing  to  enlarge  their  business,  in  1896  they  purchased  the  mill  site  in  ■ 
Humboldt  and  built  a  large  flouring  mill  with  a  capacity  of  fifty  barrels 
per  day  and  equipped  with  the  latest  improved  machinery.  In  February, 
1900,  Mr.  McGrew  came  to  Humboldt  to  supeivise  and  conduct  the  intei- 
ests  of  the  firm  at  this  place. 

In  1893  was  celebrated  his  marriage  to  Miss  Cora  Orm,  a  native  of 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  a  daughter  of  Robert  Orm.  They  have  two 
children.  Marguerite  and  Elinor.  Already  they  have  gained  warm  friends 
in  Humboldt  and  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  many  of  the  best  homes  here. 
Socially  Mr.  McGrew  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  while  politically  he  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat. He  had  no  special  educational  advantages  and  was  without  the 
assistance  of  influential  friends  in  his  early  business  career,  but  steadily  he 
has  advanced  step  by  step  until  he  now  occupies  a  creditable  position  on 
the  plane  of  affluence. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  303 

GEORGE  W.  HESS,  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  in  Humboldt, 
and  one  of  the  recent  additions  to  her  citizenship,  was  born  in  Canton, 
Ohio,  July  27,  1838.  His  father.  Christian  Hess,  was  born  in  Baden,  Ger- 
many, and  came  to  America  with  his  parents  when  seventeen  years  of 
age.  He  was  married  to  Barbara  Shutt  in  Canton,  Ohio,  a  lady  born  on 
the  line  between  Germany  and  France.  Christian  Hess  followed  shoe- 
making  and  died  in  December  in  the  year  1861,  aged  forty-eight  years. 
His  wife  died  in  iSgi  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  Six  of  their  children 
survive:  Mary,  wife  of  J.  B.  McBroom,  resides  in  Defiance,  Ohio;  John 
Hess,  of  Defiance,  Ohio;  Sarah,  \yife  of  Joseph  Blanchard,  of  Defiance; 
Frances,  wife  of  W.  St.  Amont,  of  Defiance;  Rosella  B.  Hess,  of  Defiance, 
Ohio,  and  G.  W.,  of  Humboldt. 

For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Hess  was  in  the  grocery  business  in  Defi- 
ance, Ohio.  While  there  he  married  Frances  Ke.stler,  born  in  Henry 
county,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Francis  and  Elizabeth  (Fonder)  Kestler, 
both  German  born.  Mrs.  Hess  was  born  February  19,  1844,  and.  was  one 
of  five  children,  viz:  Elizabeth  P.  Sterns,  of  Belphis,  Ohio;  Adam  Kestler 
of  Nevada,  Missouri;  Maigaret,  wife  of  John  Schwartz,  of  Defiance;  Mary, 
wife  of  John  Bohman,  of  Ludlow  Grove,  Ohio,  and  Mrs.  Hess. 

Mr.  Hess  came  to  Kansas  in  the  spring  of  1872  and  took  a  claim  in 
Butler  county.  At  that  time  there  were  plenty  of  indolent  and  loafing  In- 
dians in  the  county  and  they  made  regular  pilgrimages  about  the  country 
begging  flour  (not  corn  meal)  and  meat  and  in  this  way  provided  largely 
for  their  physical  needs.  In  1884  Mr.  Hess  sold  his  Butler  county  farm 
and  moved  into  Allen  county.  He  purchased  a  small  farm  joining  the 
townsite  of  Humboldt  and  has  builded  up  one  of  the  beautiful  and  attract- 
ive country  homes  of  the  township.  He  devotes  his  time  to  the  growing 
of  fruit  and  "small  farming,"  generally  and  everything  is  kept  in  perfect 
order. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hess'  family  of  nine  sons  is  one  of  the  remarkable  cir- 
cumstances of  their  lives.  They  are  Frank  E. ,  of  lola,  Kansas;  Joseph  F. , 
of  Humboldt,  Kansas;  Charles  A.  and  William  A.,  of  Humboldt,  of  the 
Hess  Drug  Company,  (the  latter  is  married  to  Maggie  Heim);  George  J., 
of  Telluride,  Colorado;  Henry  J.,  of  lola;  Frederick  A.,  Walter  I.  and 
L,evvis  B.  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Hess  has  demonstrated  his  business  success  as  a  citizen.  He  has 
reared  his  large  family,  educated  them  liberally  and  has  amassed  a  com- 
petence sufficient  to  provide  him  against  want  in  his  decline.  He  has  not 
preached  politics  nor  entered  into  serious  advocacy  of  the  cause  of  any 
local  politician  but  he  does  vote  and,  in  national  affairs,  the  Democratic 
ticket. 


JOHN  W.  SAVAGE,  of  Humboldt,  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin, 
"  Octobejr  25,  1842.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  Savage  and  Nancy  Smith, 
the  former  of  Geneseo  county.  New  York,  and  the  latter  of  Canada.     The 


304  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AND 

parents  emigrated  to  Milwaukee  where  the  father  was  connected  with  the 
cit3-'s  affairs,  as  an  official  for  some  years.  The  mother  died  in  1844  and 
the  father  two  years  later,  They  left  several  children  four  of  whom  sur- 
X'ive,  viz:  Mary  A.,  Ruth  E.  and  James  E.,  all  residents  of  Great  Bend, 
Kansas,  and  John  W. ,  our  subject. 

Mr.  Savage  was  sent  to  New  York  upon  the  death  of  his  parents  and 
grew  up  in  the  company  of  his  relatives.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and,  when  the  war  began,  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Second  New 
York  Infantry.  He  spent  two  years  in  that  regiment  and  then  enlisted  in 
the  Twenty-first  New  York  Cavalry  and  served  about  two  years  in  that 
command.  He  saw  the  war  from  first  to  last  and  was  in  many  of  its  fiercest 
engagements.  He  was  in  the  seven  days  fight  on  the  Peninsula,  the  bat- 
tles of  Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville,  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
went  through  the  campaign  iu  the  Shenandoah  and  was  wounded  on  the 
22nd  of  November,  1864,  in  the  battle  of  Rhoads  Hill.  After  the  war  he 
volunteered  for  service  in  the  regular  army  and  served  thirteen  months 
longer.      He  was  discharged  for  disability. 

In  1870  Mr.  Savage  moved  to  Illinois  and  was  a  resident  of  Lake 
county,  that  state,  till  1877  when  he  came  to  Kansas.  He  settled  first  in 
Barton  county,  Kansas,  and  remained  in  the  wheat  belt  seven  years.  In 
1884  he  came  to  Allen  county  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Humboldt. 

Mr.  Savage  was  married  March  25,  1872,  to  Catherine  Miller.  She 
died  February  8,  1897,  leaving  two  children,  Charles  and  Lizzie  Savage. 
February  4,  1900,  Mr.  Savage  was  married  to  Ida  M.  Wilson,  a  Georgia 
lady. 

In  business  circles  Mr.  Savage  devotes  his  time  to  real  estate  and  the 
execution  of  legal  papers.  He  is  serving  Humboldt  as  Police  Judge  to 
which  the  people  have  chosen  him.  For  fifteen  years  he  has  been  Post 
Adjutant  of  Vicksburg  Post  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  is  a  Demo- 
crat, is  a  lover  of  his  country  and  of  the  flag  he  helped  defend.  He  served 
one  year  as  Post  Commander. 


A  DDISON  SLEETH— The  forefathers  of  the  subject  of  this  review 
-^~^  were  among  the  pioneers  to  America.  They  settled  in  the  colony 
of  Virginia,  and  did  their  share  in  the  establishment  of  a  civilization,  the 
highest  and  most  progressing  and  enduring  of  the  age.  The  paternal 
great  grandfather  of  our  subject,  like  most  of  the  other  colonists,  had  been 
taught  to  love  liberty  and  justice,  and  when  British  tyranny  and  British 
encroachment  became  unbearable,  and  the  colonies  said  they  were, 
"and  of  right  ought  to  be  free  and  independent  states,"  he  enlisted  in  a 
Virginia  regiment  and  served  seven  fiiU  years  as  ensign  in  our  struggle  for 
independence. 

About  the  first  of  the  19th  century  a  son  of  this  soldier  of  "The  Ameri- 
can Revolution"  settled  in  Ohio,  where  John  Sleeth,    our  subject's  father, 


WOOUSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  305 

was  born.  When  he  was  six  years  old  the  family  again  moved  west,  locat- 
ing in  Shelby  County,  Indiana,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  inarried 
Rebecca  Talbert,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and  came  with  her 
parents  to  Indiana  when  a  child.  They  were  tillers  of  the  soil,  and  brought 
up  their  children  in  the  paths  of  sobriety  and  industry.  Their  children 
were  seven  in  number  and  Addison,  their  second  son,  was  born  April  29, 
1842.  The  mother  died  in  Shelby  County,  Indiana,  in  1883  at  the  age  of 
sixty -five  years,  and  the  father  died  in  1889  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
years.  Their  three  sons  and  four  daughters  survive  them  and  are  still 
living. 

Addison  Sleeth  spent  his  youth  on  a  farm,  attending  the  country 
schools  during  the  fall  and  winter  months,  till  he  was  eighteen  years  of 
age.  Desiring  the  advantages  of  a  higher  education,  he  entered  Asbury 
University  at  Greencastle,  Indiana,  but  had  been  a  student  only  a  year 
when  the  Southern  Rebellion  threatened  to  overthrow  the  government. 
He  enlisted  in  Company  G,  52nd  Indiana  Volunteers,  on  the  28th  of 
October,  1861,  for  three  years.  He  then  veteranized  and  served  till  the 
war  closed.  The  regiment  participated  in  a  number  of  battles  and 
skirmishes,  beginning  with  the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson,  in  February, 
1862,  and  ending  with  the  capture  of  Mobile,  in  April,  1865.  As  a  member 
of  the  regiment  he  traveled  ten  thousand  miles  during  its  forty-three 
months  active  service  in  the  field.  September  loth,  1865,  his  regiment 
was  mustered  out  of  the  service  at  Montgomeiy,  Alabama.  The  war  over, 
Mr  Sleeth  returned  home  and  engaged  in  farming  and  teaching.  He  was 
married  August  11,  1868,  to  Margaret  Joyce  and  became  a  citizen  of  Allen 
County,  Kansas,  in  the  year  1874.  In  1877  Mrs.  Sleeth  died  leaving  two 
children,  Grace  G.  and  John  J.  Sleeth.  Both  are  well  educated,  the 
former  having  pursued  some  of  the  higher  branches  of  learning,  and  the 
latter  having  completed  a  course  in  the  Humboldt  high  school. 

In  1878.  Mr.  Sleeth  married  his  present  wife,  Phebe  C,  a  daughter  of 
S.  M.  and  I^.  A.  Partlow. 

As  a  citizen  of  Kansas  Mr.  Sleeth  is  thoroughly  representative  and 
honorable.  He  goes  through  life  without  interference  with  the  affairs  of 
others  and  for  thirty  years  has  maintained  himself  blameless  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  fellow  countrymen.  In  politics  he  is  Republican  and  is  a  frequent 
attendant  of  county  conventions  in  a  delegate  capacity. 


TZ^  H.  IvElTZBACH  was  bom  in  I^itchfield  County,  Connecticut, 
-'—-'•  August  6,  1864.  His  father,  N.  Leitzbach,  a  native  of  Germany, 
emigrated  to  America  in  1857.  His  mother,  also  a  native  of  Germany, 
makes  his  descent  distinctly  German.  Mrs.  L,eitzbach's  maiden  name  was 
Esslinger.  Three  children  were  born  to  them:  Anna,  Augustus,  a  prac- 
ticing physician  in  Fairmount,  Illinois,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The 
elder  Leitzbach  was  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade  and  followed  this  business  for 
many  years  in  his  New  England  home. 

E.  H.  Leitzbach  attended  the  schools  of  his   native  city   and  when  old 


3o6  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

enough  entered  the  high  school  where  he  completed  his  education.  After 
graduation  at  Winstead,  Connecticut,  he  entered  a  furniture  store  where  he 
thoroughly  learned  the  business.  Here  he  worked  for  three  years  and,  in 
1885,  he  came  to  Kansas.  Purchasing  a  half  interest  in  the  Utterson  & 
McLeod  stock  of  furniture,  he  began  a  business  which  he  has  since 
conducted  with  signal  ability  and  success.  Three  years  after  beginning 
business  in  Humboldt  he  purchased  the  remaining  interest  in  the  firm  and 
has  since  conducted  it  alone.  His  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business  and 
his  untiring  industry  have  combined  to  build  up  a  business  which  is  one  of 
the  largest  of  its  kind  in  this  part  of  the  State.  He  is  very  popular  with 
the  people  in  the  county  and  has  always  had  the  reputation  of  dealing  with 
them  in  the  fairest  manner. 

Mr.  lycitzbach  was  married  to  Miss  Ona"  Cox,  of  Elsmore,  Kansas,  in 
rSgg,  and  their's  is  one  of  the  handsomest  homes  in  the  county.  Mrs. 
Leitzbach  is  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  D.  Cox,  of  Elsmore.  and  is  a 
native  of  Allen  County. 

Politically  Mr.  Leitzbach  is  a  Republican  and  has  always  been  an 
active  worker  for  party  success.  He  has  served  two  terms  on  the  city 
council  of  Humboldt. 


OSCAR  C.  BRETT — ^One  of  the  most  prominent  business  men  of  Allen 
County  is  Oscar  C.  Brett,  of  Humboldt.  From  a  modest  beginning 
he  has  built  one  of  the  largest  and  most  prosperous  mercantile  businesses 
in  the  county.  Twelve  years  aoo  he  purchased  a  small  stock  of  goods  in 
Humboldt.  In  order  to  do  this  he  was  compelled  to  borrow  $200.  To  the 
building  up  of  this  business  he  gave  his  entire  time  and  the  most  patient 
industry.  Graduallj'  he  saw  his  little  busines'r  grow.  Soon  he  was  able  to 
repay  the  borrowed  money  and  add  materially  to  the  small  stock.  As  his 
trade  grew  the  stock  gre  fi.  Soon  he  was  able  to  occupy  a  larger  store 
than  the  one  in  which  he  began  business.  A  few  years  more  found  one 
store  room  too  small  for  the  needs  of  the  establishment  and  an  adjoining 
room  was  added.  Today  both  rooms  are  filled  with  goods  and  his  trade 
has  reached  proportions  seldom  attained  in  the  smaller  towns.  His  success 
has  been  largely  due  to  industry,  but  to  this  he  has  added  a  ripe  judgment 
and  correct  business  methods. 

Mr.  Brett  was  born  in  Macon  County,  Illinois,  April  29,  1863.  His 
father  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1822  and  came  to  Illinois  when  but  a  child. 
Settling  on  a  farm  he  followed  that  business  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  was 
married  to  Mi.ss  Martha  Cox  and  to  them  were  born  seven  children,  of  whom 
James,  Oscar,  Grant,  Otto,  Julia  and  Grace  still  survive.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  able  to  secure  little  schooling  but  the  little  he  had  was  well 
learned.  Until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old  he  worked  on  the  farm  with 
his  father.  Coming  to  Humboldt  he  entered  the  large  store  of  S.  A. 
Brown  &  Co.,  where  he  worked  for  a  vear  and  a  half.      When  the  company 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  307 

burned  out  and  discontinued  business  he  went  to  Kansas  City  where  he 
secured  a  place  in  the  Boston  Dry  Goods  Co. 's  store  and  there  he  remained 
a  year.  City  life  was  not  to  his  taste  and  he  moved  back  to  Humboldt  and 
engaged  in  farming.  A  single  year  sufficed  in  this  business  and  he  again 
moved  into  town  and  established  himself  in  a  small  Racket  business  on  the 
north  side  of  the  square.  From  this  small  beginning  he  ha.s  grown  into 
his-  present  immense  establishment.  While  living  in  Kansas  City  Mr. 
Brett  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  McKnight,  a  resident  ot  Humboldt.  One 
child,  a  girl,  Hazel,  eight  years  old,  was  the  result  of  this  union. 

Mr.  Brett  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  politics  and  has  con- 
tributed much  toward  the  election  of  Republican  candidates.  Never  an 
office  seeker  he  has  filled  many  positions  under  the  city  government  of 
Humboldt  and  has  been  identified  with  every  effort  to  aid  the  town  and 
country.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma.sons,  M.  W.  of  A.  and  has  filled 
different  offices  in  each  lodge. 


J 


"AMES  PEERY. — When  Samuel  Peery  came  to  Vigo  county,  Indiana, 
'-'  in  1776,  the  country  was  a  wilderness.  The  French  colony  which  had 
settled  there  had  few  members  but  these  were  hardy  pioneers  and  the  soli- 
tude of  the  forest  and  inhospitable  character  of  the  savages  did  not  deter 
them  from  founding  a  colony  that  eventually  brought  civilization  to  the 
country  and  cultivation  to  the  soil.  In  this  state  four  generations  of  Peerys 
were  born. 

George  W.  Peery,  born  in  Marion  county,  Indiana,  was  marjied  to 
Miss  Margaret  A.  Myers,  and  to  them  ten  children  were  born.  In  1869  he 
moved  with  his  family  to  Allen  county,  Kansas,  where  he  died  in  1891, 
followed  in  1897  by  his  wife. 

In  1868  James  Peery,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  born  in  Monroe 
county,  Indiana,  April  10,  18.43,  came  to  Kansas,  settling  in  Jacksonville, 
Crawford  county.  Here  he  lived  for  five  years,  moved  thence  to  Labette 
county  and  after  a  few  years  there  removed  to  Missouri.  In  1882  he  re- 
turned to  Kansas  this  time  settling  in  Humboldt  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  When  he  came  to  Humboldt  he  entered  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness and  has  been  engaged  in  some  branch  of  that  business  since.  He. is 
one  of  the  most  extensive  broom  corn  buyers  and  shippers  in  this  part  of 
the  state  and  gives  it  his  chief  attention.  He  has  been  eminently  success- 
ful in  the  business  and  has  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  trade. 

Mr.  Peery 's  early  life  was  spent  on  the  farm  on  which  he  was  born. 
He  lived  with  his  father,  getting  such  education  as  the  limited  facilities  of 
that  day  and  region  afforded  and  when  the  war  came  on  he  enlisted  in  the 
Thirty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteers  and  served  throughout  the  war.  His 
regiment  participated  in  many  of  the  hardest  fought  battles  of  the  war  and 
he  looks  back  over  those  days  with  great  pride.  He  was  in  the  battles  of 
Corinth,  Nashville,  Perryville,  Stone  River  and  Murfeesborough.      He  was 


308  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

wounded  at  Liberty  Gap,  Tennessee,  in  one  of  the  numerous  engagements 
of  his  regiment.  He  was  invalided  the  latter  part  of  his  service  and  was 
mustered  out  near  the  close  of  the  war.  Returning  to  his  home  he  was 
married  October  20,  1864,  to  Miss  Carrie  Anthony,  of  Paris.  Illinois,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  ten  children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living:  George 
H.,  Maggie,. Mabel  and  Everett. 

Mr.  Peery  has  always  been  a  prominent  Republican  and  has  been 
.several  times  honored  by  his  party  with  important  offices.  During  his 
residence  in  Crawford  county  he  was  elected  County  Commissioner  and 
Trustee  of  his  township,  and  he  has  filled  the  ofiice  of  Justice  "of  the  Peace 
in  Humboldt.     In  1899  he  was  elected  Mayoi  of  Humboldt. 


JOHN  M.  ASHBROOK  was  born  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  on  the 
26th  of  July,  1859.  His  father,  Absalom  Ashbrook,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  during  his  boyhood  removed  to  Ohio  with  his  parents. 
His  second  wife  was  Mrs.  Frances  (Wesenhouver)  Brinker,  a  native  of  the 
Buckeye  state,  and  in  1876  he  died,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  leaving 
his  wife  and  son,  the  subject  of  this  review.  In  1865  they  came  to  Kansas, 
locating  upon  the  farm  to  which  Mr.  Ashbrook  has  since  devoted  his 
energies,  making  it  one  of  the  valuable  properties  in  Logan  township. 

In  the  spring  of  1884  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lizzie  Defen- 
baugh,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  daughtei  of  Henry  Defenbaugh.  During 
her  early  girlhood  Mrs.  Ashbrook's  parents  removed  to  Illinois.  Her 
mother  died  in  1900  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  but  her  father  is  still 
living  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 

When  Mr.  Ashbrook  came  to  Kansas  with  his  mother  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  of  land  which  his  industry  has  improved  until 
it  has  reached  a  state  of  commendable  development.  In  all  his  work  he 
has  been  successful  and  ranks  among  the  progressive  farmers  of  the  county. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Ashbrook  is  a  Republican  and  has  been 
honored  with  local  positions  of  public  trust.  He  has  served  as  township 
trustee  and  for  several  years  has  been  treasurer  of  his  township.  Socially 
he  is  a  Workman,  having  filled  a  chair  in  the  lodge.  He  belongs  to  the 
class  of  enterprising  Americans  who  always  constitute  the  substantial  ele- 
ment in  our  population. 


A  NDREW  WEDIN  has  resided  in  Allen  county  for  thirty  years  and  is 
-^~^  one  of  the  leading  grocers  of  Humboldt.  He  was  born  in  Sweden  on 
the  5th  of  February,  1847,  and  is  a  son  of  Gustavus  Wedin,  also  a  native 
of  that  country,  in  which  land  he  spent  his  entire  life.  His  business  was 
that  of  hotel  keeping.     He  mamed  Miss  Charena  Jones,  and  they  became 


WOODSON    COtTNTlES,    KANSAS.  30$ 

the  parents  of  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living,  three  being  resi- 
dents of  America,  namely:  Peter,  a  resident  farmer  of  Allen  county;  Eva 
Jarel,  of  Illinois,  and  Andrew.  The  father  died  in  1880,  at  the  age  of 
seventy- three  years,  while  the  mother  passed  away  in  1889,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine  years. 

Andrew  Wedin  pursued  his  education  in  Sweden,  attending  the  com- 
mon schools  and  spending  one  term  in  a  college  there.  He  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1869,  landing  in  New  York  on  the  19th  of  April,  when  twenty -two 
years  of  age.  After  one  year  spent  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  a  short  time 
passed  in  Iowa,  he  arrived  in  Humboldt  in  the  fall  of  1870,  and  with  char- 
acteristic energy  began  life  in  the  west.  America  offers  a  broad  field  to 
ambitious  and  energetic  young  men,  and  Mr.  Wedin  soon  took  his  place 
among  the  leading  businessmen  of  his  community.  He  has  been  connected 
with  the  grocery  trade  since  1883,  in  which  year  he  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  F.  W.  Frevert.  That  connection  was  maintained  for  three  years, 
when  Mr.  Wedin  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner  and  established  an  inde- 
pendent grocery  and  provision  store  in  which  he  has  since  conducted  a 
large  and  constantly  growing  trade,  his  business  annually  amounting  to 
from  sixteen  to  eighteen  thousand  dollars.  He  also  owns  a  farm  a  few 
miles  west  of  Humboldt. 

Mr.  Wedin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  May  Johnson,  a  native  of 
Sweden,  who  came  to  America  in  1872.  They  had  two  children  but  both 
are  now  deceased.  Our  subject  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support 
of  Republican  principles,  but  otherwise  takes  no  active  interest  in  politics. 
He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge,  and  in 
the  latter  has  filled  all  the  offices  and  seived  as  representative  to  the  grand 
lodge.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
his  community  and  has  ever  cheerfully  given  his  support  to  those  enter- 
prises that  tend  to  public  development.  His  name  is  synonymous  with 
honorable  dealing,  and  he  has  probably  not  an  enemy  in  Allen  county,  for 
he  is  ever  straightforward  in  commercial  transactions  and  is  most  reliable 
and  faithful  in  his  friendships. 


"Cf  LNATHAN  N.  WERT,  of  Humboldt,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
-•— -*  on  the  20th  of  January,  1839,  and  was  the  third  child  born  unto 
Richard  D.  and  Amanda  Wert.  His  father  was  born  in  Germany,  March 
10,  1810,  and  with  his  parents  came  to  America  in  1813,  landing  at  Jersey 
City,  residing  there  two  years  and  subsequently  removing  to  Cincinnati. 
In  early  life  he  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  but  afterward  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. In  1839  I16  married  Miss  Amanda  Compton,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
removed  to  Indiana,  securing  a  homestead  near  Crawfordsville,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1893.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  January,  1865.  They  had  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of  whom 
reached  years  of  maturity. 

E.  N.  Wert  spent  his  youth  in  Montgomery  county,  Indiana,  where  he 


310  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

attended  the  common  schools,  after  which  he  spent  two  years  in  Wabash 
College  oi  that  state.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  enlisted  in  1861  for 
three  mouths'  service  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Tenth  Indiana  Infantry, 
and  participated  iu  the  battle  of  Rich  Mountain.  When  his  term  had  ex- 
pired he  received  an  honorable  discharge,  but  re-eulisted  for  one  year's 
service  in  Company  B,  Sixty  third  Indiana  Infantry.  He  was  detailed  for 
duty  in  the  secret  service  and  received  a  lieutenant's  pay.  On  the  ist  of 
Septembei,  1863,  he  resigned,  but  soon  afterward  was  appointed  recruiting 
officer  and  recruited  sixty-four  men,  with  whom  he  joined  Company  B, 
One  Hundred  and  Twentieth  Indiana  Infantry,  being  assigned  to  the  posi- 
tion of  corporal.  Successive  promotions  came  to  him  as  orderly  sergeant, 
second  and  first  lieutenant,  and  he  was  detailed  to  act  as  General'Cox's 
body  guard  with  the  Third  Division  and  Twenty-third  Army  Corps,  thus 
.serving  until  November  30,  1865,  when  he  was  discharged  under  general 
orders  at  David  Island  in  New  York  harbor.  He  was  ever  a  loyal  soldier, 
true  to  the  stars  and  stripes,  but  when  the  country  no  longer  needed  his 
services  he  gladly  returned  to  his  home  and  family. 

Mr.  Wert  was  married  on  the  22nd  of  January,  i860,  to  Elizabeth 
Copner,  a  native  of  Indiana.  Aftei  following  carpentering  in  the  Hoo.sier 
state  until  the  fall  of  1867,  he  brought  his  family  to  Kansas,  arriving  in 
Humboldt  on  the  22nd  of  October.  Here  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  the 
United  States  land  ofSce,  under  Colonel  Goss,  with  whom  he  worked  for 
three  months.  He  then  secured  a  homestead  three  miles  north-ea.st  of 
Humboldt,  residing  thereon  until  December,  1869,  when  he  returned  to 
the  city  and  entered  into  partnership  with  Messrs.  Gilbert  and  Suits  in  the 
law  and  real  estate  business.  This  connection  was  maintained  until  1873, 
when  Mr.  Wert  sold  out  and  became  traveling  salesman  for  the  Singer 
Sewing  Machine  Company,  which  he  represented  on  the  road  for  ten  years. 
He  went  into  the  livery  business  in  Humboldt  and  traded  his  livery  stock 
for  a  Woodson  county  farm  which  he  moved  to  and  operated  some  years. 
On  selling  that  property  he  became  owner  of  eight  hundred  acres  in  Gove 
county,  Kansas,  where  he  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising  for 
four  5'ears.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  disposed  of  his  land,  pur- 
chased property  in  Humboldt  and  has  since   made  his  home  in  this  city. 

On  the  i6th  of  August,  1869,  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
his  wife,  who  died  leaving  three  children,  but  William  and  James  are 
now  deceased.  Nettie,  the  only  surviving  child  is  the  wife  of  John  Dorn- 
burg,  of  Allen  county.  For  his  second  wife  he  chose  Frances  E.  Scan- 
Ion,   their  marriage  being  celebrated  September  19,  1878. 

Mr.  Wert  has  always  been  an  active  worker  in  the  Republican  party 
since  attaining  his  majority.  He  was  deputy  sheriff  for  four  years,  filled 
the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in  both  positions  discharged  his  duties 
in  a  very  commendable  manner.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  lyodge  of  Humboldt,  in  which  he  has  filled  all  the  chairs.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  was  a  delegate  to  the 
national  encampments  in  San  Francisco  and  Columbus,  Ohio.  In  his  early 
life  he  twice  sailed  round   Cape   Horn  as  a  cabin  boy,  the  voyage,  in  those 


■ft'oonsoN  courfTiEs,  kansas.  311 

days  of  primitive  navigation,  consiiraing  six  months.  He  has  visited  every 
state  and  territory  of  the  Union,  gaining  that  experience  and  knowledge 
which  only  travel  can  bring.  His  has  been  an  active,  useful  and  honor- 
able life  and  now  he  is  enjoying  a  well-earned  retirement  from  labor,  occu- 
pying a  pleasant  home  in  Humboldt,  where  he  has  the  warm  regai'd  of  a 
large  circle  of  friends. 


T  A  /"ILLIAM  J.-  CAMPBELL— In  reverting  to  the  settlers  of  the  olden 
"  ^  time  who  bared  the  breast  and  braved  the  storms  of  adversity  in 
order  that  tliere  might  be  a  community  of  enlightened  citizens  instead  of  a 
camp  of  government  wards,  our  minds  cling  to  the  memory  of  those  along 
the  Neosho  River,  where  the  very  first  settlements  were  made.  Conspicu- 
ous among  them  was  a  young  Kentuckian,  full  of  life  and  hope  and  young  in 
years,  who  wandered  into  Allen  County  as  early  as  1855.  That  date  was 
almost,  if  not  quite,  the  beginning  of  the  era  of  white  settlement  in  the 
county.  There  was  then  no  Humboldt,  no  lola,  a  trading  post,  perhaps, 
at  Cofachique  and  a  inilitary  post  at  Ft.  Scott.  At  that  time  the  Red  Man 
roamed  the  prairie  and  forest  at  will  and  thought  little  of  the  encroachment 
of  his  pale-faced  brother.  Our  Kentucky  pioneer  dropped  down  upon  a 
piece  of  land  three  miles  southwest  of  Humboldt  in  the  midst  of  a  band  of 
Indians.  At  first  they  swarmed  about  him  thick  out  of  curiosity  and  a  de- 
sire to  learn  his  intentions.  Being  convinced  that  his  mission  was  a  friend- 
ly one  they  became  his  fast  friends  and  would  have  protected  him  with 
their  lives.  In  this  community  and  upon  this  claim  did  our  subject,  the 
late  William  J.  Campbell  remain  till  death. 

We  have  refetred  to  TVlr.  Campbell  as  a  Kentuckian  for  the  reason  that 
his  birth  occurred  in  the  State  of  Daniel  Boone.  He  was  born  in  Hopkins 
County,  March  11,  1833.  He  was  a  son  of  William  Campbell,  a  native  of 
the  State  of  Kentucky  and  was  the  youngest  of  six  children.  His  educa- 
tion amounted  to  but  the  rudiments  of  English  and  his  life  till  his  emigra- 
tion westward  was  pa,ssed  as  a  farm  hand.  It  will  be  noticed  that  on  com- 
ing of  age  he  left  his  native  State  and  went  into  Missouri,  stopping 
near  Mt.  Vernon,  Lawrence  County.  He  remained  there  one  year  and 
continued  his  journey  to  Kansas.  Alex.  H.  Brown,  of  lola,  is  the  only 
other  settler,  now  in  the  county,  who  came  the  same  year.  Mr.  Campbell 
was  two  years  in  advance  of  most  of  the  Humboldt  pioneers  an-d  his 
life  spanned  a  period  of  two  generations  of  western  settlement  and 
development. 

February  29,  1856,  Mr.  Campbell  returned  to  Missouri  and  was  married 
to  Caroline  Bashaw,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Bashaw,  and  a  lady  born  in 
Caldwell  County,  Kentucky,  August  27,  1840.  The  husband  and  child 
wife  returned  to  his  new  possessions  along  the  Neosho,  in  the  wilds  of 
Kansas,  and  .settled  down  to  the  task  of  clearing  up  and  improving  their 
home.      For  two  years  during  the  period  of  the  Rebellion  Mr.  Campbell  was 


312  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN   AKD 

away  from  his  farm  and  residing  in  Nebraska.  While  away  he  was  engaged 
in  freighting  across  the  plains  to  Colorado,  carrying  supplies  and  provisions 
to  Denver.  Returning  to  Allen  County  in  1865  he  took  permanent  posses- 
sion of  his  farm.  Raising  grain  and  hogs  and  horses  was  his  chief  busi- 
ness. A  good  horse  was  an  object  of  adoration  with  him  and  he  always 
owned  them.  Industry  and  steadiness  were  traits  which  characterized  his 
every  day  life  and  in  consequence  his  accumulations  were  certain  and  con- 
tinuous. He  made  his  family  comfortable  while  he  lived  and  left  them  so 
at  his  death.  He  was  devoted  to  his  wife  and  children  and  their  jo}'s  and 
sorrows  were  his  own.  He  reared  his  children  to  habits  of  industry  and  to 
become  persons  of  honesty  and  integrity.  He  enjoyed  the  society  of  his 
neighbors  and  friends  and  his  hospitality  was  proverbial  and  unbounded. 
He  took  little  interest  in  affairs  not  connected,  with  his  personal  or  family 
welfare  and  to  talk  and  vote  was  as  far  as  his  interest  extended  in  public 
matters.  He  was  a  Democrat  of  the  old  school  and  hewed  to  the  line  in 
State  and  National  politics. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell's  surviving  children  are:  Sarah  J.,  widow  of 
Archibald  D.  Young,  whose  two  children  are  George  W.  and  Gracie  May; 
Mary  E.  Campbell;  L,ucretia  (Campbell)  Cox,  wife  of  John  F.  Cox.  a  pop- 
ular clothier  of  Cherryvale,  Kansas;  and  James  Campbell,  whose  wife,  nee 
Minnie  Ladd,  died  February  27,  1900,  leaving  two  children,  Olive  Blanche 
and  Ralph  Augustus 

William  J.  Campbell  was  a  strong  robust  man  till  late  in  life.  A  can- 
cerous trouble  developed  some  years  ago  and  grew  slowly  but  surely, 
.■japping  his  vitality  at  every  turn  and  bafHing  the  skill  of  the  medical 
fraternity  in  their  efforts  to  destroy  it.  The  end  came  on  March  10,  1900, 
and  a  good  and  true  man  passed  to  his  reward. 


^  A  riLIylAM  H.  ANDREWS— There  is,  in  the  anxious  and  laborious 
^  ^  struggle  for  an  honorable  competence  and  a  solid  career  of  the 
business  or  professional  man  fighting  the  every-day  battle  of  life,  but  little 
to  attract  the  idle  reader  in  search  of  a  sensational  chapter,  but  for  a  mind 
thoroughly  awake  to  the  reality  and  meaning  of  human  existence,  there 
are  noble  and  immortal  lessons  in  the  life  of  the  man,  who,  without  other 
means  than  a  clear  head,  a  strong  arm  and  a  true  heart,  conquers  adversity, 
and  toiling  on  through  the  work-a-day  years  of  a  long  career  finds  that  he 
has  not  only  won  a  comfortable  competence,  but  also  something  far  greater 
and  higher. — the  deserved  respect  and  esteem  of  those  with  whom  his  years 
of  active  life  placed  him  in  contact. 

Such  a  man  and  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Humboldt  is  William  H. 
Andrews,  who  was  born  on  Long  Island,  in  Queens  County,  New  York,  on 
the  19th  of  September,  1829.  His  father,  James  Andrews,  was  also  a 
native  of  Long  Island  and  was  there  married  to  Miss  Hulda  Jackson,  a 
native  of  the  same  locality.     The  former   died    in   September,    1856,  at  the 


WOODSON- COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  3Ii 

age  of  fifty-six  j^ears,  but  the  mother  long  survived  him,  passing  awa}'  in 
1896  at  the  extreme  old  age  of  ninety-six  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Margaret  Bisley. 
of  New  York;  Isaac  R. ,  who  is  living  in  Virginia;  Mrs.  Jane  Alger,  of  New 
York,  wl'ose  husband  laid  out  Alger's  addition  to  the  city  of  Humboldt; 
William  H.,  of  this  review;  Lucy,  who  is  living  in  Pennsylvania;  James,  a 
resident  of  lyong  Island;  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Merritt,  who  is  also  living  on 
Long  Island. 

William  H.  Andrews  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  under 
the  parental  roof  and  mastered  the  branches  of  learning  taught  in  the 
common  schools.  When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  began  to  learn  the 
carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  in  the  Empire  State  until  1852  when 
he  removed  to  Ohio,  there  following  the  same  pursuit  until  after  hostilities 
were  inaugurated  between  the  North  and  the  South.  A  loyal  advocate  of 
the  Union  cause,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  K,  Nineteenth  Ohio 
Infantry,  and  was  afterward  promoted'  sergeant  of  his  company.  He 
experienced  many  of  the  hardships  of  war,  having  participated  in  numerous 
skirmishes  and  several  of  1  he  most  hotly  contested  battles,  including  the 
engagements  at  Shiloh,  Crab  Orchard,  Chicamauga  and  Mission  Ridge. 
He  was  never  captured  or  wounded  but  had  many  narrow  escapes  for  he 
was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty,  which  frequently  led  him  into  the 
thickest  of  the  fight.  He  received  an  honorable  discharge,  at  Marietta, 
Georgia,  October  17,  1865,  for  the  flag  of  the  nation  had  been  planted  in 
the  capital  of  the  Confederacy  and  the  services  of  the  loyal  Union  soldiers 
were  no  longer  needed. 

Mr.  Andrews  returned  to  his  home -in  Ohio,  but  in  April,  1866,  came 
to  Humboldt.  Kansas,  and  has  since  been  actively  identified  with  its  inter- 
ests'along  many  lines  which  have  contributed  to  the  public  good.  His 
fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth  and  ability,  have  frequently  called 
him  to  public  office,  and  he  has  filled  various  positions  of  trust.  He  has 
been  police  judge,  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  several  years  and  has  been 
trustee  of  his  township  for  twelve  years.  He  has  always  retired  from  ofiice 
as  he  has  entered  it — with  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the  public. 
Whenever  nominated,  election  has  been  accorded  him  and  altliough  he  has 
always  been  a  Democrat  he  has  many  friends  in  Republican  ranks  who 
give  him  their  support. 

In  1854  Mr.  Andrews  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Adeline  Redfield, 
of  Ohio,  who  has  been  to  him  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  on  the 
journey  of  life.  They  have  two  sons:  James  H. ,  who  is  now  one  of  the 
leading  musicians  of  Kansas  City,  and  Orin  S  ,  who  is  a  member  of  a  New 
York  City  orchestra.  The  sons  have  exceptional  musical  talent,  which, 
having  been  cultivated,  has  placed  them  in  prominent  positions  in  musical 
circles.  Socially  Mr.  Andrews  is  a  man  of  genial  nature  and  one  who  is 
most  appreciative  of  the  amenities  which  go  to  make  up  the  sum  of  human 
happiness.  He  has  therefore  identified  himself  with  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
belonging  to  the  Blue  lodge,  the  Chapter  and  Commandery  and  he  has 
filled  one  of  the  chairs  in  the  Grand  Chapter  of  the   State.     He  is  a  valued 


314  HISTORY    OF    ALLBN    AND 

member  of  the  Grand  Armj^  of  the  Republic  and  thus  maintains  pleasant 
relationships  with  his  comrades  of  the  blue.  He  has  been  quartermaster 
of  Vicksburg  Post,  No. '72  for  a  number  of  j^ears.  He  is  now  sevent.\'-one 
j'ears  of  age,  but  still  manifests  a  commendable  interest  in  public  affairs 
and  is  regognized  as  an  esteemed  citizen  and  honored  pioneer  of  Humboldt. 


MRS.  CELIA  H.  STEEIyMAN  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  her 
birth  having  occurred  at  Gloversville,  New  York,  on  the  28th  of 
September,  1846.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Abraham  Gulick,  who  was  born  in 
New  York,  in  1814,  and  was  married  on  the  25th  of  November,  1841,  to 
Miss  Maria  Mitchell,  whose  birth  occurred  July  2nd,  1816.  Their  union 
was  blessed  with  three  children,  but  only  two  survive,  namely:  Mrs.  Steel- 
man  and  Andrew.  The  latter  was  born  July  12,  1844,  and  is  now  living 
with  his  sister.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gulick  became  residents  of  Kansas  in  1880. 
In  the  State  of  her  nativity  Celia  H.  Gulick  spent  her  girlhood  days 
in  acquiring  her  education  in  the  public  schools.  In  1869  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  J.  F.  Wing,  who  was  also  born  in  New  York,  iu  which 
State  they  began  their  domestic  life.  They  removed  to  Minnesota,  where 
they  remained  for  three  years,  and  in  1874  they  came  to  Kansas,  locating 
in  the  northern  part  of  Allen  County  where  Mr.  Wing  purchased  a  large 
farm.  They  remained  upon  the  farm  for  three  years,  and  then  took  up 
their  abode  in  lola,  which  was  their  place  of  residence  for  about  eight 
5'ears,  when  their  home  was  given  in  exchange  for  Humboldt  property. 
In  1888  they  located  in  the  latter  city  and  Mr.  Wing  purchased  business 
property  there.  He  was  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  the  place 
until  i8go,  when  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death,  he  being  then  fifty- 
seven  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Wing  remained  a  widow  for  two  years  and  in 
1892  was  married  to  David  Steelman.  Theirs  was  a  short  but  happy 
married  life,  terminated  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Steelman  in  1896,  when  he 
was  seventy-seven  years  of  age. 

Mrs.  Steelman  and  her  brother  now  reside  in  her  pleasant  home  in 
Humboldt.  She  owns  two  nice  residences  in  the  be.st  portion  of  the  city 
and  has  other  property  which  yields  to  her  a  good  income.  In  no  field  of 
endeavor  requiring  intellectuality  has  woman  failed  to  demonstrate  her 
equality  with  man,  and  her  business  and  executive  powers,  when  brought 
to  a  practical  test,  are  found  equal  to  his.  Mrs.  Steelman  shows  decided 
ability  in  the  care  and  supervision  of  her  property  interests.  For  twenty- 
seven  years  she  has  been  a  resident  of  Allen  County  and  is  now  widely 
known  in  this  portion  of  the  State,  where  her  estimable  characteristics 
have  gained  for  her  the  sincere  friendship  of  those  with  whom  she  has  been 
associated. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  315 

JAMES  T.  TREDWAY — While  the  race  is  not  always  to  the  swift  nor 
the  battle  to  the  strong,  tireless  energy,  resolute  purpose  and  sound 
judgment  never  fail  to  gain  success,  and  though  Mr.  Tredway  spent  his 
youth  amid  rather  unfavoring  circumstances  and  has  had  to  depend  entire- 
ly upon  his  own  labors,  he  has  risen  to  a  position  of  affluence  and  is  classed 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  Allen  County.  He  was  born  in  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio,  April  10,  1849,  and  is  of  English  lineage.  His  parents, 
however,  were  natives  of  Maryland,  and  were  married  in  Wheeling,  West 
Virginia.  The  father  died  when  James  was  only  two  years  old.  The  sur- 
viving members  of  the  family  are:  Mrs.  Olivia  B.  L,ittell,  whose  husband 
was  a  captain  in  the  Civil  war  and  later  was  captain  of  police  in  Cincinnati; 
Thomas  Albert,  who  is  married  and  lives  with  his  family  in  Kentucky; 
John  W.,  who  is  general  manager  in  the  offices  of  theSelmer  Hess  Publish- 
ing House,  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania;  James  T. ;  and  Almira  E.  Nes- 
bitt  who  resides  at  the  old  home.  Of  the  sons,  Thomas  served  as  one  of  the 
boys  in  blue  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion. 

At  the  father's  death  the  mother  was  left  to  caie  for  her  six  small  chil- 
dren ,  but  she  nobly  took  up  the  work  and  ably  prepared  them  for  the  practical 
and  responsible  duties  of  life.  She  gave  them  good  educational  privileges, 
and  after  attending  the  common  schools  James  T.  Tredway  continued  his 
studies  in  Clermont  Academy  in  Ohio.  When  still  young  he  went  to  Cin- 
cinnati, where  for  five  years  he  served  as  a  street-car  conductor  in  summer 
and  stencil  cutter  in  the  winter  season.  He  also  spent  two  years  in  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  as  foreman  in  the  stencil  and  steel-stamp  establishment  of 
J.  G.  Harris  &  Company. 

He  resigned  this  position  and  returned  to  Ohio  to  wed  Miss  Josephine 
Brede,  of  Cincinnati.  She  was  born  of  German  parents.  Her  father 
served  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  and  was  taken  prisoner  and  spent  many 
months  in  Andersonville  and  other  southern  prisons.  He  returned  home 
after  the  war  but  in  a  few  years  died  from  the  effects  of  prison  life.  Her 
mother  is  still  living  with  Mrs.  Tredway  on  the  farm  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years. 

They  began  farming  in  Ohio  and  after  several  years  of  up  hill  work 
concluded  to  go  west  and  were  attracted  to  Allen  County  by  circulars  of 
George  A.  Bowlus,  real  estate  agent. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tredway  have  been  born  five  children,  who  are  a 
source  of  great  comfort  to  the  parents.  Guy,  the  eldest,  is  a  graduate  of 
the  State  Normal  College,  at  Emporia;  Charles  is  among  the  first  teachers 
of  Allen  County;  Edna  is  a  graduate  of  the  Ida  high  school;  John  is  a 
student  in  the  Agricultural  College  at  Manhattan,  Kansas,  and  Alt  at  four- 
teen is  still  with  his  father  on  the  farm. 

In  his  business  career  Mr.  Tredway  has  experienced  many  difficulties, 
but  the  obstacles  in  his  path  have  served  as  an  impetus  to  renewed  effort. 
When  he  came  to  Kansas  he  had  nothing  but  a  team  of  mules,  and,  renting 
a  farm  of  Jacob  Zike,  he  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  The 
firm   of   Scott  &   Goforth,    of  lola,   furnished    him    with    provisions    for  a 


3l6  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

ye  ir  and  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  his  work,  which  broui^ht  to 
him  a  good  return.  He  purchased  his  farm  without  paying  a  cent  down, 
but  soon  discharged  his  indebtedness  and  bought  an  adjoining  eighty.  The 
building  which  is  now  utilized  as  a  barn  served  as  his  house  for  eight 
years,  but  as  the  years  passed  he  added  substantial  improvements  lo  his 
property  and  has  made  it  a  very  desirable  and  attractive  place.  All  of 
which  has  been  made  possible  only  by  the  aid  of  his  dutiful  wife. 

In  politics  Mr.  Tredway  has  alwa3's  been  a  Republican,  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  work  of  the  party  and  has  been  chairman  of  the  county 
central  committee.  He  has,  howevei,  never  sought  office  as  a  reward  for 
his  service,  which  has  been  given  because  he  believes  earnestly  in  Republi- 
can principles.  He  has  been  elected  president  of  the  County  Farmers'  In- 
stitute for  several  years  and  has  been  twice  elected  president  of  the  County 
Sunday  School  conventions.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Re- 
formed church.  His  life  demonstrates  most  clearly  what  may  be  ac- 
complished by  determined  purpose  and  shows  that  success  does  not  depend 
upon  fortunate  circumstances,  upon  inheritance  or  the  aid  of  influential 
friends,  but  upon  the  man.  His  career  is  creditable  and  honorable  and 
should  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  to  others  who  are  forced  to  begin 
life  empty-handed,  as  did  Mr.  Tredway. 


JOHN  S.  LEHMAN. — It  is  a  well  proven  assertion  that  the  history  of  a 
county  is  best  told  in  the  lives  of  its  people,  for  it  is  individual  enter- 
prise and  effort  that  bring  about  the  upbuilding  and  advancement  of  a 
community.  One  of  the  energetic  and  reliable  merchants  of  Humboldt  is 
John  S.  Lehman,  who  is  now  connected  with  the  grain  trade.  He  was 
born  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  on  the  i6th  day  of  May,  1850.  His 
father.  Christian  Lehman,  was  a  native  of  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania, 
and  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Ohio  when  he  was  only 
six  years  of  age.  After  reaching  years  of  maturity  he  married  Susannah 
Shank,  a  native  of  Rockingham  county,  Virginia,  who  was  a  little  maiden 
of  five  summers  when  her  parents  became  early  settlers  of  the  Buckeye 
state.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  died  in 
Ohio,  in  1895,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  His  wife  passed  away 
some  time  previous,  her  death  occurring  in  i856.  He  was  a  second  time 
married.  By  the  first  union  he  had  eight  children,  and  by  the  second , 
one. 

John  S.  Lehman,  our  subject,  is  the  eldest  of  the  family,  the  others 
being  David,  a  minister  residing  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio;  Jacob,  a 
farmer  of  that  county;  Henry,  who  is  a  horse  buyer  and  shipper  of  Hum- 
boldt; Christian,  who  is  conducting  a  planing  mill  and  lumber  business  in 
Columbiana  county,  Ohio;  Mrs.  Anna  Miller,  of  the  same  place;  Mrs. 
Susan  Hurst,  of  Wayne  county  Ohio;  and  Mrs.  Rebecca  Culler,  of  Colum- 
biana county.     Frances  L-  Lehman,  the  half-sister,  died  in  1893. 

After  John  S.  Lehman  completed  his  common  school  course  he   pur- 


•WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  3  17 

sued  his  studies  through  one  term  in  the  PoUand  Seminar j'  Union,  and 
afterward  organized  the  Columbiana  Lumber  &  Coal  Company,  with  which 
he  was  connected  ior  eight  years,  serving  for  two  years  as  its  manager.  In 
1884  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  on  a  farm  in  Allen  county,  north-west  of 
Humboldt.  There  he  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  grain  and  the  raising 
of  stock  foi  seven  years,  and  in  1893  took  up  his  residence  in  this  city, 
where  he  engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  live  stock,  an  industry  to  which 
he  devoted  his  energies  for  about  three  years.  He  was  then  appointed  by 
Governor  Leedy,  to  the  position  of  superintendent  of  the  public  grounds 
and  state  house,  thus  serving  until  he  was  relieved  by  the  Republican  gov- 
ernor. After  his  return  to  Humboldt  he  opened  a  grain  and  feed  store, 
buying  and  shipping  all  kinds  of  grain,  vegetables,  seeds  and  flour. 

Before  leaving  Ohio  Mr.  Lehman  was  married  in  1876  to  Miss  Mary 
A.  Kistler,  of  Lordstown,  Ohio,  and  to  them  have  been  born  eight  children: 
Gertrude,  wife  of  Edward  King,  who  is  now  foreman  of  a  blacksmith  shop 
in  Topeka,  Kansas;  Cora,  who  is  living  with  her  sister,  Gertrude;  Allen, 
who  died  in  1897;  Arden;  Leslie;  Ethel,  who  died  in  1888,  and  Harney  and 
Floyd,  at  home. 

Mr.  Lehman  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Populist  party  and  his  deep 
interest  in  political  affairs  has  led  him  to  give  an  earnest  support  to  its 
principles  and  to  labor  untiringly  for  its  success.  Socially  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows  fraternity.  As  a  citizen  he  has  always  been  true  and 
faithful  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him  and  is  a  worthy  representative  of  that 
class  who  lead  quiet,  industrious,  honest  and  useful  lives  and  constitute  the 
best  portion  of  a  community. 


A  SA  M.  WOOD.— Although  one  of  the  more  recent  arrivals  in  Allen 
-^^^  county,  Asa  M.  Wood  is  already  widely  known  and  has  made  for 
himself  a  place  among  the  practical  and  progressive  agriculturists  who  have 
made  Elm  township  to  bloom  and  blossom  as. the  rose.  He  was  born  in 
Harrison  county,  Missouri,  August  14,  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Irwin 
and  Elizabeth  (Bartlett)  Wood.  His  paternal  great  grandfather  was  a 
native  of  England  and  became  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America  at  an 
early  period  in  the  development  of  this  country.  George  Wood,  the  grand- 
father, was  born  in  Kentucky  during  the  pioneer  epoch  in  the  history  of 
that  state,  and  there  occurred  the  birth  of  John  Irwin  Wood  in  1816.  Hav- 
ing arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  wedded  Elizabeth  Bartlett,  who  was 
born  in  Tennessee  in  1818.  She  has  a  brother  Nathan  who  is  living  in 
Mississippi,  and  a  half  brother,  Daniel  T.,  who  is  also  a  resident  of  that 
state.  (Her  father  was  married  twice. )  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  namely:  Asa  M.;  D.  C. ,  a  ranchman  of  Seward 
county,  Kansas;  Joseph,  a  farmer  of  Missouri;  Amanda  and  Martha,  who 
manage  the  homestead  in  Harrison  county,  Missouri;  and  Mrs.  Arazilla 
Easton,  who  is  also  a  resident  of  Harrison  county.  Robert  H.  died  in 
1874. 

On  his  father's  farm  Mr.   Wood,  of  this  review,  spent  the  days  of  his 


3l8  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

boyhood  and  youth,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  went  to  Colorado,  where 
he  remained  for  two  years  engaged  in  ranching.  Returning  to  Missouri  he 
spent  the  two  succeeding  years  in  his  native  state,  and  then  again  located 
in  Colorado,  but  after  four  years  he  came  to  Kansas  and  in  1896  purchased 
his  present  farm  in  Elm  township,  formerly  owned  by  Mr.  Swartzman. 
Since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  his  fields  and  in 
stock  raising.  He  conducts  both  branches  of  his  business  profitably  for  he 
follows  progressive  methods  and  in  all  his  dealings  he  is  strictly  reliable. 
In  1888,  in  Missouri,  Mr.  Wood  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jennie 
Frisby,  whose  people  were  from  Ohio.  Htr  father,  J.  C.  Frisby,  is  still 
living,  and  spends  the  summer  months  in  Kansas,  while  in  the  winter 
season  he  makes  his  home  in  Missouri.  Mrs.  Wood  has  two  brothers, 
Adna  H.  and  E.  H.,  who  are  residents  of  Missouri.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  have  two  sons,  Glenn  and  Kirk,  aged  respectively  eleven  and  five 
years.  Mrs.  Wood  is  a  lady  of  considerable  business  ability,  who  is  now 
contributing  to  the  family  income  through  the  raising  of  poultry  on  an  ex- 
tensive scale. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Wood  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  unswerving 
in  his  support  of  the  principles  of  the  party,  and  on  that  ticket  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  township  trustee  of  Elm  township,  in  which  capacity 
he  is  now  serving.  He  is  a  western  man  by  birth  and  by  inclination  and  is 
thoroughly  imbued  with  the  western  spirit  of  progress  and  enterprise. 


GEORGE  G.  FOX.— Not  in  desultory  fashion  that  renders  effort  un- 
profitable and  labor  without  satisfactory  result  has  Mr.  Fox  prose- 
cuted his  business  career  for  he  is  a  man  of  marked  energy  and  strong 
determination  who  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  to  a  position  of 
affluence.  He  now  resides  in  LaHarpe,  where  he  is  successfully  engaged 
in  real  estate  dealing. 

A  native  of  the  Empire  state,  Mr.  Fox  was  born  iu  lyivingston  county, 
New  York,  June  23rd,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Hannah  (Hillman) 
Fox,  the  former  born  in  Connecticut  in  1803,  the  latter  in  New  York  in 
1808.  They  had  ten  children — five  sons  and  five  daughters.  Two  of  the 
sons  loyally  served  the  Union  during  the  Civil  war.  George  G.  Fox  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  cgunty  and  in  an 
academy  at  Geneseo,  New  York.  In  his  early  business  career  he  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  cheese  for  eight  years,  and  was  also  proprietor  of  a 
general  mercantile  establishment  for  twelve  years.  Prominent  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  resided,  he  was  elected  and  served  for  one  term  as 
township  clerk  in  Livingston  county,  and  was  also  postmaster  at  East 
Groveland,  New  York. 

The  year  1883  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Fox  in  Kansas,  and  for 
seventeen  years  he  has  made  his  home  in  Allen  county.  He  first  located 
on  a  farm   north   of  L,aHarpe,   but  for  some  time  has  been  engaged  in  real 


i^ 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  319 

estate  dealing  in  the  city.  He  is  well  informed  on  land  values  and  has 
conducted  a  number  of  important  transactions  in  his  line.  He  is  a  man  of 
sound  business  judgment,  obliging  and  courteous  and  at  all  times  perfectly 
reliable.     These  qualities  have  insured  him  gratifying  success. 

In  February,  1885,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Fox  and  Miss 
Mary  Eagle,  who  was  born  in  I,ivingston  county,  New  York.  They  have 
a  pleasant  home  in  L,aHarpe  and  occupy  a  leading  position  in  social  cir- 
cles. In  politics  Mr.  Fox  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  has  filled  the  office 
of  township  trustee  in  Elm  township,  Allen  county.  Throughout  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  he  has  been  an  active  worker  in  the  church,  and  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Piesbyterian  church  of  LaHarpe.  He  withholds 
his  support  from  no  movement  or  measure  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit,  along  material,  social  or  moral  lines,  and  is  a  valued  resident  of  the 
county,  having  the  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


JOHN  N.  OHLFEST — Among  the  residents  of  Kansas  who  are  of  foreign 
"  birth  is  numbered  John  N.  Ohlfest,  who  is  a  native  of  Holstein, 
Germany.  The  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed  in  that  land, 
and  his  education  was  acquired  in  its  public  schools.  In  accordance  with 
its  laws  he  served  in  the  German  army,  was  in  the  Schleswig-Holstein 
war  between  Denmark  and  Germany  and  was  three  years  in  Denmark  as  a 
soldier.  In  i855ihe  came  out  of  the  army.  Hearing  of  the  advantages 
offered  young  men  in  America  and  thinking  to  better  his  financial  condi- 
tion on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  he  crossed  the  briny  deep  in  1857  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  where  resided  his  brother  Carl, 
who  had  come  to  America  the  year  previous  and  who  sought  a  home  in 
Kansas  in  1870.  He  is  now  a  neighbor  of  our  subject.  The  latter  engaged 
in  the  butchering  business  in  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  and  was  married  there 
in  1861,  to  Anna  Dora  Urbahus,  who  was  also  born  in  Holstein,  Germany, 
and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1858.  The  year  1870  witnessed  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ohlfest  in  Kansas,  and  since  that  time  he  has  de- 
voted his  energies  to  the  development  of  his  farm,  which,  at  the  time  of 
his  purchase  was  a  piece  of  raw  prairie  land,  entirely  destitute  of  improve- 
ments. Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned,  but  he  at  once  began  the  work  of 
plowing  and  planting,  and  in  the  intervening  years  he  has  developed  a 
valuable  property,  complete  with  all  the  accessories  and  convenieucies  of  a 
model  farm. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ohlfe.st  has  been  blessed  with  six  chil- 
dren, namely:  Mrs.  Mary  Davis,  who  is  living  in  LaHarpe; Otto,  a  railroad 
employe  located  in  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  Span- 
ish-American war.  Company  I,  157th  Indiana  Volunteers;  Minnie,  who  is 
at  home;  Emma,  wife  of  Dr.  Hooper,  of  LaHarpe,  and  Albert  Frederick, 
who  is  also  under  the  parental  roof.  John  died  in  1877  at  the  age  of  eight 
years.     The  family  have  many  warm  friends  in   the   community    and  their 


320  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

circle  of  acquaintances  is  an  extensive  one.  Mr.  Ohlfest  has  always  given 
his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  keeping  well  informed 
on  the  issues  of  the  day  is  able  to  support  his  position  by  intelligent  argu- 
ment. In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Lutheran.  He  left  the  little  German 
home  across  the  sea  to  become  identified  with  American  interests  and  in  the 
new  world  he  has  found  the  opportunity  he  sought  for  advancing  in  life  to 
a  position  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  community  in  which  his  lot 
has  been  cast. 


'PT'DWIN  IRVING  CROWELIy.— At  a  period  in  the  pioneer  develop- 
-'— -*  ment  of  Allen  county,  Edwin  Irving  Crowell  came  to  Kansas,  and 
for  many  years  was  identified  with  agricultural  interests  in  Elm  township, 
becoming  one  of  its  most  prosperous  farmers.  The  years  of  his  active 
labor  annually  augmented  his  income,  and  now  with  a  handsome  compet- 
ence acquired,  entirely  through  his  own  efforts,  he  is  living  retired.  He 
has  watched  with  interest  the  progress  and  upbuilding  of  the  county  and 
has  aided  in  its  advancement  and  progress  along  the  lines  which  have  con- 
tributed to  its  substantial  improvement. 

A  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  Mr.  Crowell  was  born  in  Ashtabula 
county,  Ohio,  April  gth,  1839.  It  is  believed  that  the  family  patronymic 
was  originally  Cromwell  and  that  the  ancestors  of  our  subject  were  direct 
connections  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  changing  their  name  to  its  present  form 
when  they  fled  to  America  in  order  to  escape  the  persecution  brought  upon 
them  by  reason  of  their  connection  with  the  attempt  to  establish  a  pro- 
tectorate government  in  England,  and  thus  end  monarchial  rule.  Samuel 
Crowell,  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in 
1742,  and  was  married  in  1770  to  Jerusha  Tracy,  by  whom  he  had  four 
sons:  William,  Samuel,  John  and  Hezekiah.  Of  this  number  Samuel 
Crowell  became  the  grandfather  of  our  subject.  With  a  colony  he  emi- 
grated westward,  locating  in  Ashtabula  county.  Ohio,  where  he  was  known 
as  a  thrifty  and  enterprising  farmer.  By  trade  he  was  a  tanner,  having 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  seven  years,  as  was  required  in  those  days,  but 
in  later  life  he  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  served  as 
a  soldier  in  the  department  of  the  east  in  the  war  of  1812  and  held  a  cap- 
tain's commission.  He  was  born  August  5,  1773,  and  died  August  22, 
1864.  The  early  Crowells  were  Whigs,  but  on  the  formation  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  representatives  of  the  name  joined  its  ranks. 

George  Crowdl,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Connecticut  in 
1859,  and  in  his  youth  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Ashta- 
bula county,  Ohio.  There  he  reared  his  family,  and  his  eldest  son, 
Edward  I.  Crowell,  after  attending  the  common  schools,  continued  the 
acquirement  ot  an  education  at  Grand  River  Institute  at  Austinburg,  Ohio 
Subsequently  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  two  years,  and  then  turned 
his  attention  to  farming  which  he  followed  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  until 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  32  1 

his  removal  to  Kansas  in  October,  1870.  In  the  meantime,  however,  he 
had  spent  a  few  months  in  Greeley,  Colorado,  after  which  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  removing  thence  to  lola.  His  farm  in 
Elm  township  which  he  came  to  in  1875  was  entirely  a  tract  of  raw  prairie, 
but  with  indefatigable  industry  he  began  its  development  and  for  twenty- 
five  years  has  continued  its  cultivation,  making  it  one  of  the  most  highly 
impi-oved  and  desirable  farm  properties  in  the  county.  In  connection  with 
the  raising  of  grain  he  has  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  graded  hogs,  and 
has  found  this  a  profitable  enterprise. 

In  December,  1866,  Mr.  Crowell  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Mirfs  Sarah  E. 
Crosby,  a  daughter  of  Elijah  Crosby,  who  was  originally  from  Connecticut, 
but  removed  to  Ohio  with  the  colony  of  which  the  Crowells  were  membei's. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza  Chester,  and  their  surviving 
children  are  Mrs.  Crowell;  Albert  C,  who  is  married  and  lives  in  Delta, 
Michigan;  Alice,  who  was  formerly  a  school  teacher  of  lola  and  is  now 
teaching  in  the  Indian  Territory;  Carrie,  who  is  widow  of  Elton  Stiles. 
The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crowell  are  Newman  I.,  who  is  married  and 
lives  in  Elm  township;  Oriette  B.,  wife  of  Rev.  I/.  S.  Faust,  of  Emporia, 
Kansas;  George  T.  and  Walter  C,  who  are  still  at  home.  They  also  have 
three  adopted  children,  Hattie,  Sarah  and  Nellie. 

Mr.  Crowell  served  for  several  years  as  justice  of  the  peace  in  Elm 
township  and  was  frequently  called  upon  to  perform  marriage  ceremonies 
as  well  as  settle  litigation.  He  was  commissioner  of  Allen  county  in  1891, 
and  is  now  filling  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  discharging  his  duties  in 
a  manner  which  has  won  him  high  commendation.  He  is  one  of  the  leading 
and  influential  members  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  he  has  served 
as  elder  for  twenty  years,  and  in  all  life's  relations  he  has  been  found  true 
to  manly  principles.  His  word  is  as  good  as  any  bond  solemnized  by  sig- 
nature or  seal,  and  among  those  who  know  him  his  honesty  is  proverbial. 
In  all  his  business  dealings  he  has  been  straightforward,  and  this  is  doubt- 
less one  of  the  salient  factors  in  his  success.  His  life  record  is  well  worthy 
of  emulation,  and  being  closely  interwoven  with  the  history  of  Elm  town- 
ship it  certainly  deserves  a  place  in  this  volume. 


O  AMUEL  E.  DOWNS  passed  the  Psalmist's  span  of  three  score 
**— ^  years  and  ten.  He  was  an  honored  veteran  of  two  wars  and  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Allen  county,  having  long  been  identefied  with  the 
work  of  improvement  and  development  in  Cottage  Grove  township.  He 
claimed  Virginia  as  the  state  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Culpepper  county,  on  the  14th  of  February,  1825,  his  parents  being  William 
H.  and  Cynthia  (Bean)  Downs.  The  father  died  in  the  Old  Dominion, 
and  the  mother  afterward  removed  to  Illinois  when  her  son  Samuel  was  ten 
years  of  age. 

Amid  the  wild  scenes  of   frontier  life  in  the  Prairie  state,  Mr.  Downs 


322  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

was  reared  and  after  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married,  on  the 
i5th  of  October,  1857,  to  Martha  A.  Savage,  a  daughter  of  Moses  P.  Sav- 
age, who  was  born  in  Albemarle  couuty,  Virginia,  and  who  wedded  Sarah 
L,ee,  a  native  of  Virginia.  He  died  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  when  seventy-six  years  of  age.  They 
were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  seven  are  now  living,  as  fol- 
lows: F.  M.,  who  is  in  the  Indian  Territory;  C.  A.,  of  Danville,  Illinois, 
Mrs.  Etta  Nye,  of  Chanute,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Laura  Bans,  of  Saybrook,  Illi- 
nois; Mrs.  Florence  Howe,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois;  and  Mrs.  Downs.  By 
the  marriage  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  eight  children  were  born,  the 
living  members  of  the  family  being  Mrs.  L,aura  F.  Matsler,  of  Chanute; 
Charles  L,. ;  William  E. ,  now  of  Lafayette,  Indiana;  Harmon  E.  of  Hum- 
boldt, Kansas;  Nettie  J.,  and  W.  H.  Savage,  a  resident  of  Allen  county, 
Kansas. 

Mr.  Downs  followed  farming  in  Illinois  until  after  the  inauguration  of 
the  Civil  war.  He  entered  the  service  with  a  knowledge  of  military  tactics, 
for  he  had  been  ntimbered  among  the  loyal  defenders  of  his  country 
throughout  the  Mexican  war.  When  the  South  refused  to  acknowledge 
the  supremacy  of  the  national  government  at  Washington,  he  joined  the 
army  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  becoming  a  member  of  Company 
C,  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  for 
three  years,  participating  in  many  hard  fought  battles.  He  was  for  four 
months  under  constant  fire,  though  many  bullets  pierced  his  clothes  he 
escaped  without  wounds  or  injur)'.  Truly  this  was  a  remarkable  record. 
He  was  never  absent  from  the  regiment  until  the  war  was  over,  and  par- 
ticipated in  all  of  the  engagements  down  the  Mississippi  river  and  through 
the  south  to  Nashville.  When  the  stars  and  stripes  were  planted  in  the 
Southern  Confederacy  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  returned  to 
his  home. 

Soon  afterward  Mr.  Downs  started  with  his  young  wife  for  the  new 
west,  arriving  in  Kansas  in  the  fall  of  1865.  He  secured  a  claim  on  Vege- 
tarian creek,  five  miles  southeast  of  Humboldt,  and  has  continually  made 
his  home  here,  having  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  Prior  to  the  war  he  voted  with  the  Democracy, 
first  supporting  James  K.  Polk,  for  the  presidency,  but  since  the  Civil  war 
he  has  been  unfaltering  in  his  advocacy  of  Republican  principles.  His  life 
has  been  an  active  and  useful  one,  characterized  by  fidelity  to  duty  in  all 
relations  and  he  justly  enjoyed  the  esteem  and  respect  of  his  fellow  men. 
Mr.  Downs  died  April  ist,  1901, 


"lyyTRS.  ELIZABETH  HECK— Well  known  in  social  and  business 
-L"-*-  circles  in  Humboldt.  Mrs.  Heck  enjoys  the  warm  regard  of  many 
friends  and  well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume.  She  was  born  in 
Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  April  4,    1872,  and  is  a  daughter  of   Matthew  B. 


WOODSON  COUNTIES',  KANSAS.  323 

MuUany,  a  native  of  Ireland.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  her  father  left 
the  green  isle  of  Erin,  crossed  the  broad  ocean  to  the  new  world  and  be- 
came a  resident  of  Virginia.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Bates,  who  was  born  in  New  York  City,  but  her  parents  were  natives  of 
England.  When  Mrs.  Heck  was  a  little  child  of  two  summers  her  parents 
left  the  Old  Dominion  for  the  Nation's  capital,  and  the  father  engaged  in 
business  in  Washington.  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Quincy,  Illinois, 
where  he  conducted  a  grocery  store.  In  1876  he  came  with  his  family  to 
Humboldt  where  both  he  and  his  wife  spent  their  remaining  days.  The 
father  died  April  25,  1898,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  while  the  mother 
passed  away  the  loth  of  June,  1900,  at  the  age  of  fifty-.six.  They  had  three 
children,  but  two  died  early  in  life. 

Elizabeth  MuUany,  the  only  surviving  member  of  the  family,  spent 
her  girlhood  days  in  Washington,  D.  C,  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  in  Hum- 
boldt, Kansas,  and  the  public  schools  afforded  her  the  educational  priv- 
ileges which  she  enjoyed.  When  she  had  attained  womanhood  she  gave 
her  hand  in  marriage  to  Henry  Heck,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  in 
1890.  Mr.  Heck  was  a  native  of  Germany  and  a  man  of  considerable 
means,  his  attention  being  given  to  the  management  of  his  security  inter- 
ests. His  health  failed  him,  however,  and  after  two  years  of  married  life, 
in  1892,  he  passed  away.  Mrs.  Heck  maintains  her  residence  in  Hum- 
boldt where  she  looks  after  her  real  estate  interests  and  other  investments 
which  she  has  here  and  which  yield  to  her  an  ample  income.  She  pos- 
sesses good  business  and  executive  ability  and  at  the  same  time  manifests 
in  her  life  those  true  womanly  qualities  which  everywhere  command 
respect.  Having  long  made  her  home  in  this  portion  of  the  State,  she  has 
a  wide  acquaintance  and  her  circle  of  friends  is  very  extensive. 


TAMES  L.  CHRISTY— One  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  and  prominent 
^  pioneers  of  -southeastern  Kansas  is  James  L,.  Christy,  who  came  to 
to  this  portion  of  the  country  during  territorial  days  and  took  part  in  the 
exciting  events  which  formed  the  hi.story  of  Kansas  prior  to  the  Civil  war. 
With  the  era  of  progress  and  improvement  he  has  also  been  connected, 
bearing  his  part  in  reclaiming  the  wild  land  for  purposes  of  civilization. 
No  history  of  Allen  County  would  be  complete  without  the  record  of 
his  life. 

He  was  born  in  Rowan  County,  Kentucky,  July  12,  1840,  the  eldest 
son  of  John  A.  and  Nancy  Christy,  who  came  to  Allen  County  in  i860. 
The  mother  died  June  25,  1870,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  and  the 
father  passed  away  July  29,  1897,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
five  years. 

James  L,.  Christy  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Illinois 
during  his  eaily  boyhood  and  also  went  with  them  to  Missouri.  In  1855, 
thinking  that  he  would  like  to  see  more  of  the   wild  west  he   came  to  Kan- 


324  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

sas,  locating  first  in  Bourbon  County,  where  he  was  employed  on  a  farm. 
There  he  worked  for  three  years,  during  which  time  the  border  troubles 
bioke  out  and  he  joined  John  Brown's  party.  He  was  right  in  the  midst  of 
the  border  difficulties  and  saw  service  under  Generals  Montgomery  and 
Lane,  participating  in  the  battle  of  Osawatomie.  He  was  well  acquainted 
with  John  Brown,  the  Abolition  leader,  whom  he  says  was  a  very  good 
man  and  used  to  preach  to  his  followers  every  Sunday.  When  the  trouble 
was  over  Mr.  Christy  returned  to  his  work.  He  was  a  great  hunter  and 
would  often  accompany  the  Indians  on  their  hunting  expeditions.  He 
also  killed,  December  27,  1893,  the  last  deer  ever  shot  in  this  county. 
When  Captain  Gordon,  the  United  States  surveyor,  divided  the  county 
into  sections,  Mr.  Christy  drove  the  ox -team  hauling  the  stones  used  in  the 
corners  of  the  sections.  In  1850  he  returned  to  Missouri  on  a  visit,  but  in 
i860  again  came  to  Kansas,  where  he  watched  with  interest  the  oncoming 
tide  of  events  that  involved  the  country  in  war. 

Upon  reflection  and  in  the  rehearsal  of  incidents  and  events  connected 
with  the  first  years  of  Allen  County  Mr.  Christy  adverts  to  the  fact  that  the 
first  blacksmith  shop  in  the  county  was  located  in  section  5,  town  24,  range 
18,  and  that  it  was  established  by  Reuben  Benbow.  The  first  death  in  the 
county  of  which  the  public  and  society  took  notice  was  that  of  Tommy 
Keith.  He  was  buried  on  the  Carpenter  place  which  was,  necessarily,  the 
first  opened  cemetery  in  the  county.  The  first  school  house  was  named  for 
"Uncle  Jimmy"  Carpenter  and  was  erected  on  his  premises. 

In  the  days  of  disorganization  and  before  the  establishment  of  Terri- 
torial regulations  for  the  county  the  few  settlers  were  distressed  by  thiev- 
ing Indians  and  white  men  and  were  driven  to  take  matters  into  their  own 
hands.  They  formed  an  organization  for  mutual  protection  and  chose  the 
first  officers  and  established  the  first  seat  of  government  for  the  county. 
Cofachique  was  selected  as  the  county  seat  and  the  officers  chosen  were: 
A.  W.  J.  Brown,  Probate  Judge;  Jesse  E.  Morris,  Sheriff  and  William  C. 
Keith,  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Frank  Morris,  son  of  Jesse,  was  selected  to 
represent  the  county  in  the  Lecorapton  Constitutional  Convention. 

These  scenes  are  long  past  and  few  are  alive  who  remember  them. 
Elijah  Brown,  son  of  the  pioneer  Isham  Brown,  who  resides  in  Neosho 
County,  Kansas,  and  Robert  McQuigg,  of  Roseburg,  Oregon,  were  among 
the  active  participants  in  these  events. 

On  the  24th  of  July,  1861,  Mr.  Christy  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Third 
Kansas  Infantry,  and  soon  afterward  the  Third,  Fourth  and  Fifth  regi- 
ments consolidated  to  form  the  Tenth  regiment,  with  which  he  served  for 
three  years,  experiencing  all  the  hardships  and  rigors  of  war.  He  partici- 
pated in  nineteen  engagements,  including  some  of  the  most  hotly  contested 
battles,  among  which  were  Wilson's  Creek,  Locust  Grove,  Dry  Wood, 
Newtonia,  Ray's  Mills,  Prairie  Grove,  Van  Buren,  Chattanooga  and  the 
storming  of  Fort  Blakel}-.  He  was  taken  ill  and  was  forced  to  remain  at 
Salem,  where  he  was  captured  by  the  Rebels,  but  after  two  weeks  he 
managed  to  make  his  escape   by    running   through    the    guard   lines.     He 


c-^^^ 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  325 

faithfully  defended  the  stars  and  stripes  and  the  cause  they  represented,  but 
when  the  war  was  over  he  gladly  returned  to  his  home. 

In  1867  Mr.  Christy  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha  E.  Morris, 
a  native  of  Missouri,  who  came  to  .\llen  County  in  1855  with  her  parents. 
She  is  the  second  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Elizabeth  Morris,  who  located  on 
Deer  Creek,  in  Geneva  township.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Christy  have  been 
born  nine  daughters:  Louisa  E. .  died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  Emma,  wife 
of  George' A.  Smith,  of  Chandler,  Oklahoma;  Cora,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years;  Mamie,  Ruby,  Lora,  Mattie  and  Lizzie,  twins,  and  Jessie,  the 
youngest,  all  at  home.     Ruby  is  a  teacher  in  the  county  schools. 

Mr.  Christy  has  held  a  number  of  responsible  positions  in  Allen  Coun- 
ty. He  was  deputy  sheriff  under  J.  C.  Redfield  and  also  under  Charles  P. 
Twiss.  He  has  also  served  for  several  terms  as  justice  of  the  peace  and 
constable  of  Geneva  township,  and  discharged  his  duties  with  marked 
fidelity  and  promptness.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a  Republican. 
Whether  on  the  field  of  battle,  in  public  office  or  in  the  walks  of  private 
life,  he  has  ever  been  true  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  and  has  commanded 
and  enjoyed  the  high  regard  of  those  with  whom  he    has   been    associated. 


TONATHAN  H.  SPICER  has  passed  the  eighty-fourth  milestone  qn  life's 
*J  journey  and  his  has  been  an  honorable  record,  the  history  of  his  life 
containing  no  esoteric  chapters.  Manly  and  sincere  at  all  times  he  has 
commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he  has  associ- 
ated, and  he  now  receives  the  veneration  and  regard  that  should  ever  be 
accorded  those  who  have  reached  advanced  age. 

Mr.  Spicer  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  on  the  12th  of  April,  18 16. 
His  father,  Jabez  Spicer,  was  also  born  in  the  old  Granite  State  and 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Huvey,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  The  father  won  the 
degrees  of  D.  D.  and  M.  D.  He  pursued  both  the  classical  and  theological 
course  in  the  Dartmouth  Theological  College,  and  though  he  prepared  for 
the  medical  profession  he  never  engaged  in  practice,  believing  that  his 
duty  called  him  to  the  ministerial  field.  In  an  early  day  he  removed  to 
Michigan  where  he  enteied  upon  the  often  arduous  life  of  a  home  mission- 
ary, and  during  the  greater  part  of  his  career  he  was  thus  engaged  in  work 
in  the  west,  carrying  the  gospel  tidings  into  settlements  where  church 
privileges  were  little  krown.  When  he  arrived  in  the  Wolverine  State  it 
was  a  largely  undeveloped  region,  the  Indians  being  far  more  numerous 
than  the  white  settlers.  He  took  a  very  active  part  in  planting  the  seeds 
of  truth  in  the  new  communities  and  his  influence  was  manifest  in  the 
upright  lives  of  those  among  whom  he  lived  and  labored.  He  died  in 
Michigan  on  the  25th  of  December,  1847,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  three  years  later  when  sixty  years  of  age.  They  were 
the  parents  of  ten  children,  but  only  two  are  now  living,  the  other  being 
Charles  R.  Spicer. 

J.  H.  Spicer  of  this  review  was  the  third  in  order  of   birth.     He    spent 


326  HISTORY   OF    ALLEisr  ATTO 

much  of  his  boyhood  in  the  Empire  State  and  received  a  common  schoo! 
education.  When  a  young  man  he  went  to  Vermont  where  he  engaged  in; 
teaching  school  and  also  worked  on  a  farm.  Subsequently  he  returned  tO' 
New  York  and  later  made  his  way  to  Ohio  and  afterward  to  Michigan, 
where  he  met  a  Iitt!?  black-haired  maiden  of  attractive  appearance  and! 
pleasing  manner.  Their  acquaintance  ripened  into  love  and  on  the  3rd. 
of  September,  1842,  Emily  Finney  became  his  wife.  She,  too,  was  a 
native  of  the  Old  Granite  State,  a  daughter  of  Seth  and  Lydia  Jane  Finney, 
the  former  born  in  New  Hampshire  and  the  latter  in  Connecticut.  Her 
father's  birth  occurred  May  27,  1791,  his  death  October  24,  1872.  Mrs. 
Finney  was  born  November  26,  1792,  and  departed  this  life  May  25,  1852. 
They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  but  Mrs.  Spicer  is  the  only  sur- 
vivor of  the  family.  She  was  born  April  8,  1821,  and  for  sixty  one  years 
(September  3,  igoo,  the  6ist  anniversary)  she  has  traveled  life's  journey 
by  her  husband's  side,  sharing  with  him  in  all  his  pleasures,  sorrows,  his 
adversity  and  prosperity,  and  ever  proving  to  him  a  faithful  companion  and 
helpmate. 

A  few  years  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Spicer  removed  from  Michigan  to 
Kansas,  arriving  in  this  State  in  1857  with  a  colony  that  took  up  their 
abode  at  Geneva.  He  preempted  a  tract  of  land  just  north  of  the  little 
village  and  his  experience  on  the  frontier  of  Michigan  well  fitted  him  to- 
meet  the  hardships  and  trials  of  pioneer  life  in  the  Sunflower  State.  The 
Indians  were  .still  numerous  in  this  section  of  the  country  and  there  was 
much  discussion  as  to  whether  Kansas  would  or  would  not  permit  slavery 
within  its  borders.  It  was  decided  to  settle  the  question  by  popular 
suffrage,  and  the  South,  anxious  to  retain  Kansas  as  slave  territory,  sent 
many  squatters  who,  says  Mr.  Spicer,  gave  the  permanent  settlers  more 
trouble  than  all  the  Indians.  Not  long  afterward  the  country  became  in- 
volved in  civil  war  and  loyal  to  the  North,  Mr.  Spicer  enlisted  as  a  member 
of  the  Ninth  Kansas  cavalry,  being  made  quartermaster  sergeant  of  his 
regiment.  He  went  to  the  front  and  served  throughout  the  war,  while  his 
young  wife  and  little  son  remained  alone  in  the  wild  country.  Mrs, 
Spicer  relates  many  interesting  instances  of  her  experience  in  Kansas  and 
Michigan,  living  in  both  States  when  they  were  the  haunts  of  the  red  men. 
When  they  located  at  Geneva  their  nearest  post  office  was  Kansas  City, 
Missouri.  For  many  years  they  resided  upon  a  farm,  but  about  1886  took 
up  their  abode  in  Geneva  where  they  have  a  pleasant  home.  They  are 
nearing  the  end  of  life's  pilgrimage,  but  can  look  back  over  the  past  with- 
out regret  and  forward  to  the  future  without  fear. 

Duane  D.  Spicer,  the  only  son  of  J.  H.  and  Emily  Spicer,  was  born  in 
Seneca  County,  Ohio,  December  4,  1345,  and  with  his  parents  came  to 
Kansas  when  twelve  years  of  age.  This  was  in  1857.  He  was  reared  upon 
a  farm  and  the  experiences  and  duties  of  agricultural  life  early  became 
familiar  to  him.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the  schools  at  Emporia 
and  later  at  the  Academy  in  Geneva.  On  the  15th  of  June,  1869,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ella  G.  Brown,  a  daughter  of  G.  M.  and  Caro- 
line Brown.     They  had  been  reared  in  the  same  neighborhood  and  attended 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,    EAINSAS.  327 

the  same  school,  and  now  they  are  traveling  life's  joarney  together  in  a 
fhappy  married  relation.  Their  home  has  been  blessed  with  three  children, 
.namely:  Fred  Brown,  a  resident  of  Neosho  Falls;  Flora  E,,  tire  wife  oi 
^Robert  B.  Warner,  of  Geneva,  and  Herbert  R. ,  who  is  still  with  his  parents. 
Duane  D.  Spicer  continued  farming  until  1885,  when  he  sold  his  land 
and  entered  into  partnership  with  C.  L.  Knowlton  in  the  conduct  of  a 
jo^eneral  mercantile  enterprise  in  Geneva.  They  carried  on  business  together 
for  fourteen  years  wh«n  Mr.  Spicer  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Knowlton  and 
•established  a  hardware  business  which  he  is  still  conducting.  In  1899  he 
was  appointed  postmaster  of  Geneva  and  is  now  filling  that  position  with 
■credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  In  1887  he  was  ap- 
pointed on  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by 
the  resignation  of  Robert  Inge,  and  in  1S91  he  was.  elected  to  that  office 
where  he  served  for  two  terms,  retiring  from  the  position  as  he  had  entered 
it,  with  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the  public.  His  political  support 
is  given  to  the  Republican  party  and  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues 
of  the  day.  His  prosperity  is  the  reward  of  his  own  unaided  and  well- 
■directed  efforts  and  today  he  ranks  among  the  representative  residents  of  his 
.adopted  village. 


JOHN  CORNELL.— With  the  history  of  the  development  and  upbuild- 
ing of  Allen  county  the  name  of  John  Cornell  is  inseparably  inter- 
woven, for  he  has  long  been  a  potent  factor  in  the  progress  and  advance- 
ment of  this  portion  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Fountain  county,  Indi- 
ana, October  i,  1827,  and  is  of  Welsh  descent,  his  paternal  grandfather 
having  c&me  to  America  from  the  little  rock-ribbed  country  of  Wales  about 
1750.  Daniel  Cornell,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Canada,  and 
during  his  boyhood  removed  to  New  York,  where,  after  attaining  to  adult 
age,  he  was  married  to  Marry  E.  Tracy,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  About 
1810  he  removed  to  Indiana,  becoming  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the 
Hoosier  state.  His  death  occurred  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years,  and  his  wife  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven.  They 
were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  of  whom  six  are  now  living,  namely: 
Dessie  B.,  George,  John  O.,  Samuel,  Martha  and  Sarah  Jane. 

John  Cornell  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Indiana,  and 
like  most  boys  who  spend  their  youth  in  frontier  settlements,  his  educa- 
tional privileges  were  quite  limited.  In  his  native  state  he  wedded  Miss 
Phoebe  Booe,  and  in  1858  removfed  to  Kansas,  securing  a  claim  which  ad- 
joins the  present  town  site  of  Ida,  and  is  now  known  as  the  Delap  farm. 
He  made  many  improvements  upon  that  claim  and  there  lived  for  several 
years,  it  being  his  home  when  the  lola  Town  Company  was  organized.  He 
became  a  member  of  the  company  and  drove  the  first  stake  used  in  laying 
out  the  town.  After  some  time  he  sold  his  first  claim  and  purchased 
a  tract  west  of  the  river,   about  nine  miles    northwest  of   lola.     This   was 


32S  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

prairie  land  and  he  soon  learned  to  know  that  it  was  not  as  preferable  for 
farming  purposes  as  river  bottom  land  lying  near  him,  which  was  covered 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber  and  which  no  one  seemed  to  want,  so  he 
sold  his  upland  and  purchased  a  farm  in  the  river  bottom  amid  the  green 
woods.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began  to  clear  this,  and  to-day  he 
has  a  valuable  tract  of  land  worth  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  Its  im- 
provement, however,  represents  much  hard  labor,  but  it  is  now  a  very  pro- 
ductive tiact  and  yields  to  him  an  excellent  financial  return  for  the  care  he 
bestows  upon  it. 

In  1899  Mr.  Cornell  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
who  died  June  30,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  They  were  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely:  Mary  E. ,  wife  of 
E.  Goff,  of  Minnesota;  Daniel,  a  resident  of  Chanute,  Kansas;  Ashpet  W. 
C. ,  of  Bourbon  county,  Kansas;  George,  of  lola,  Olive,  wife  of  Wellington 
Osborn,  of  Allen  county;  John  C.  and  Albert  O.,  who  are  on  the  home 
farm;    and    Minnie,   wife  of  Thomas  Heffern,  of  Woodson  county,  Kansas. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Cornell  was  called  out  with  the  State 
Militia  and  went  to  Fort  Scott,  for  Price  was  then  making  his  raid  into  the 
state.  He  served  on  guard  duty  on  the  border  for  about  six  weeks  and 
then  returned  to  his  home.  He  has  served  as  deputy  under  Sheriff  Brown 
and  later  was  elected  constable  of  lola  township.  He  discharged  his  duties 
without  fear  or  favor,  and  it  is  said  that  he  always  secured  the  prisoner  he 
was  in  search  of.  He  is  widely  known  throughout  Allen  county  as 
"Uncle"  John  Cornell  and  enjoys  the  high  regard  of  many.  He  belongs 
to  the  class  of  honored  pioneers  who  laid  broad  and  deep  the  foundation 
for  the  present  prosperity  of  this  part  of  the  state. 


JOHN  SHELBY — .Among  the  enterprising  and  progressive"  young 
•J  farmers  of  Allen  county  is  John  Shelby,  who  has  already  attained  suc- 
cess that  many  an  older  man  might  well  envy.  He  was  born  in  Circle- 
ville,  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  on  the  nth  of  October,  1865,  his  parents 
being  David  and  Margaret  (Mason)  Shelby,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  the  latter  of  West  Virginia.  The  father  died  in  Arkansas  in  1894.,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  while  visiting  at  the  home  of  his  son  John,  but 
the  mother  is  still  living  in  Ohio,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  They 
were  the  parents  of  three  children:  John,  of  this  review;  W.  D.  and 
Edwin  B.,  who  are  now  residents  of  Ohio. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  John  Shelby  we  present  to  our 
readers  the  life  record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the 
county  of  his  adoption.  His  preliminary  education,  acquired  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  Northern  Indiana  Nor- 
mal School,  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  where  he  was  graduated.  On  com- 
pleting his  education  and  putting  aside  his  text  books,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farming  and  has  made  that  pursuit  his  life  work. 

Mr.   Shelby  was  married  in  Ohio  to  Miss  Jane  Young,  a  native  of  the 


WOODSON  COUNTIEvS,  KANSAS.  329 

Buckeye  state,  and  soon  afterward  they  moved  to  central  Arkansas,  where 
Mr.  Shelby  engaged  in  fanning  fot  ten  years.  The  year  1890  witnessed 
his  arrival  in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  where  he  has  now  made  his  home  for 
a  decade.  He  located  five  miles  northwest  of  lola,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres..  From  that  time  he  has  continued 
the  work  of  improvement  until  he  is  to-day  the  owner  of  a  very  valuable 
property,  on  which  is  a  good  house  and  everything  that  goes  to  make  up  a 
desirable  farm.  He  keeps  his  land  in  excellent  condition  through  the 
rotation  of  crops  and  the  rich  fields  yield  to  him  a  good  return. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shelby  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children:  Maxwell,  Joe  R.  and  Booth  S.,  who  are  the  life  and  light  of 
their  parents'  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shelby  have  become  widely  known  in 
Geneva  township  and  the  circle  of  their  friends  is  almost  co-extensive  with 
the  circle  of  their  acquaintances. 


HARVEY  H.  CARMAN;  one  of  the  most  energetic  young  farmers  of 
Allen  county,  was  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  on  the  5th  of  March, 
1869,  but  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  Kansas,  having  been  brought 
to  this  state  by  his  parents  when  a  year  old.  His  father,  David  Carman, 
was  born  in  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  and  died  in  1896,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
three  years.  He  first  wedded  Elizabeth  H.  Taylor,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Harvey 
H.  and  Ida,  who  are  at  home;  Anna,  wife  of  Edward  Cleaver,  and  David 
and  Charles,  who  are  deceased.  As  before  stated  the  father  of  this  family 
came  to  Kansas  in  the  spring  of  1870  and  was  a  resident  of  Riley  county 
until  the  spring  of  1876,  when  he  came  to  Allen  county,  and  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  Indian  creek,  one  mile  west  of 
Geneva.  There  he  improved  a  farm,  leaving  his  property  in  good  condi- 
tion. His  first  wife  died  in  Ogden,  Kansas,  in  1875,  and  he  was  afterward 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Thrall,  a  native  of  Ohio,  whose  death  occurred 
in  i888.  For  his  third  wife  he  chose  Miss  Nannie  Rankin,  of  Monroe- 
ville,  Alabama,  who  died  September  19,  1890. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  David  Carman  responded  to  the  country's 
call  for  aid,  enlisting  in  the  Third  Ohio  Battery,  in  which  he  served  as 
gunner.  He  participated  in  many  engagements  under  command  of  Gen- 
erals McPherson  and  Thomas,  and  during  the  lattei  part  of  the  war  was 
with  the  troops  of  General  I,ogan.  He  loyally  served  his  country  for  four 
years  and  six  months.  He  marched  through  the  southern  Confederacy 
from  Atlanta  to  the  sea,  taking  part  in  all  the  engagements  on  the  way. 
He  was  also  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  the  battle  of 
Appomattox,  and  in  the  engagements  at  Chattanooga,  at  Peach  Tiee  Creek 
and  at  Vicksburg  he  was  wounded.  After  faithfully  serving  his  country 
for  three  years,  he  veteranized  and  remained  at  the  front  until  after  the 
stars  and  stripes  were  planted  in  the  Confederate  capital.     He  ever  loyally 


330  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

tollowed  the  old  flag  and  was  often  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  battling  earn- 
estly for  the  Union. 

Harvey  H.  Carman  pursued  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Allen 
county,  and  in  the  periods  of  vacation  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home 
farm.  In  this  way  he  was  well  qualified  by  practical  experience  to  assume 
its  management  upon  his  father's  death.  He  has  since  overseen  the  prop- 
erty and  the  fields  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  yielding  a  golden 
tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  them.  He  also 
raises  and  handles  quite  a  number  of  horses  and  hogs  and  feeds  all  of  his 
grain  to  his  stock.  His  sister  Ida  acts  as  his  housekeeper  and  the  home  is 
characterized  by  an  air  of  neatness  and  thrift,  while  the  household  is  noted 
for  its  generous  hospitality. 


DOCTOR  BENJAMIN  COPE  is  a  skilled  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Humboldt,  whose  ability  is  widely  recognized.  His  knowledge  of 
the  science  of  medicine  is  broad  and  comprehensive,  and  his  successful 
adaptation  of  its  principles  to  the  needs  of  suffering  humanity  has  gained 
him  enviable  prestige  in  professional  circles.  He  was  born  in  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  October  g,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  Elijah  Cope,  also  a  native  of 
the  Buckeye  state  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  married.  Miss  Anna 
Fryfogle,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  about  1865  removed  with  his  family  to 
northern  Indiana,  where  he  remained  for  a  few  years,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1876,  at  sixty  years  of 
age.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  has  attained  to  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-three  years.  In  their  family  were  ten  children,  but  all  are  now 
deceased  with  the  exception  of  the  Doctor  and  David  Cope,  the  latter  a 
resident  of  Colorado.  Two  of  the  sons  were  soldiers  in  the  Civil  war,  John 
W.,  one  of  them,  enlisting  in  i85i  as  a  private  of  the  Forty-third  Ohio 
Volunteers.  After  the  battle  of  Corinth  he  was  taken  ill,  died  and  was 
buried  there.  Joshua  Cope,  the  other,  enlisted  in  1863,  was  sent  to  the 
department  of  the  Cumberland,  and  participated  in  the  arduous  service  of 
the  campaign  oi  east  Tennessee.  The  troops  had  to  go  on  long  hard 
marches  and  their  food  supply  was  short,  for  as  communication  with  the 
north  was  cut  off  they  had  to  live  on  what  they  could  forage  on  an  almost 
exhausted  country.  Joshua  Cope  participated  in  the  siege  of  Knoxville, 
which  lasted  twenty-five  days  and  when  General  Sherman  went  to  the  re- 
lief of  the  besieging  troops  who  were  under  command  of  General  Burnsides, 
he  found  that  they  were  almost  starved,  having  nothing  to  eat  except  a  loaf 
of  bread  daily.  Joshua  Cope  returned  to  his  home  at  the  close  of  the  war 
and  soon  afterward  died  from  disease  resulting  from  the  exposure  and  hard- 
ships of  army  life. 

Dr.    Cope   acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  common  schools 
of  Ohio  and  Indiana  and  afterward  attended  college  at  Mount  Union,  Ohio. 


^J^y^^-^)-^^ 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  33I 

Ih  1870  be  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  L,inn  county,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  various  ways  until  his  return  to  Ohio.  He  then  read  medicine 
under  Dr.  B.  A.  Whiteleather,  at  Osnaburg,  Stark  county,  Ohio,  and 
attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  Cleveland.  In  1878  he  again  came  to  Kan- 
sas and  was  a  student  in  the  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  Northwestern  College, 
winning  his  diploma  in  that  institution.  He  began  practice  in  Wilson 
county  and  for  seventeen  years  was  a  leading  representative  of  the  medical 
profession  there.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Humboldt 
and  has  since  enjoyed  a  large  and  constantly  increasing  patronage  in  this 
place. 

In  the  fall  of  1878  Dr.  Cope  returned  to  Ohio  and  married  Miss  Ella 
Pettit  at  New  L,isbon.  She  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  and  by  her 
marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  five  children,  namely:  Edna,  Florence, 
Elsie,  Frances  and  Byron.  The  Doctor  owes  his  success  in  life  entirely  to 
his  own  efforts.  He  scorned  no  service  that  would  yield  to  him  an  honor- 
able living  and  thus  prepared  for  professional  life  in  which  he  has  obtained 
an  enviable  degree  of  success. 


SAIvATHIEL  M.  IRWIN.— If  "biography  is  the  home  aspect  of 
history,"  as  Willmott  has  expressed  it,  it  is  entirely  within  the  prov- 
ince of  true  history  to  commemorate  and  perpetuate  the  lives  and  character, 
the  achievements  and  honor  of  the  illustrious  sons  of  the  nation;  and  if 
any  stimulus  is  needed  in  this  behalf,  it  may  be  found  in  the  caustic  words 
of  Burke,  that  "those  only  deserve  to  be  remembered  who  treasure  up  a 
history  of  their  ancestors."  Each  state  pre.sents  with  pride  her  sons  and 
her  jewels.  She  has  nursed  among  her  children  those  who  have  become 
illustrious  in  religion,  in  law,  in  oratory  and  in  statesmanship,  and  whose 
exalted  character  and  national  reputation  have  shed  more  honor  and  glory 
upon  the  history  of  their  native  state  than  any  beside.  One  of  the  most 
widely  known  and  honored  citizens  of  southeastern  Kansas  is  Rev.  S.  M. 
Irwin.  Thirty-three  years  have  been  added  to  the  cycle  of  the  centuries 
.since  he  established  his  home  in  Geneva  to  minister  to  the  spiritual  wants 
of  tbe  congregation  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

He  was  born  at  South  Salem,  Ross  county,  Ohio,  on  the  23rd  of  No- 
vember, 1836,  and  is  a  son  of  William  S.  Irwin,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
18 1 2.  When  he  (the  father)  had  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  married 
Miss  Sally  McMunn,  a  native  of  Ohio.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he 
served  as  captain  of  Company  I,  of  the  Sixtieth  Ohio  Volunteers,  and  in 
the  course  of  his  services  he  was  captured  at  Harpets  Ferry,  Virginia,  and 
sent  back  to  Chicago  where  he  remained  until  he  was  paroled.  He  then 
helped  to  organize  the  Second  Ohio  Heavy  Artillery.  He  was  commis- 
sioned major  of  the.  battery  and  acted  as  commanding  officer  most  of  the 
time  until  the  war  was  ended  and  he  received  an  honorable  discharge. 
Resuming   the   pursuits  of  civil  life   he  engaged  in  the  nursery  business, 


332  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

dealing  in  fruit  trees.  On  coming  to  Kansas  he  located  in  Neosho  countv 
and  was  elected  to  represent  his  county  in  the  general  assembly,  having 
the  distinctive  honor  of  being  the  first  Republican  sent  to  the  legislature 
from  that  county.  He  was  a  member  of  the  house  during  the  session  in 
which  Pomeroy  and  York  had  their  trouble,  and  when  John  J.  Ingalls  was 
elected  to  the  United  States  senate.  His  wife  died  in  January,  1879,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-eight  years,  and  is  now  survived  by  three  of  her  six  children, 
namely:  Albert  Irwin,  a  resident  of  Washington,  D.  C;  William  N. ,  who 
is  first  assistant  in  the  pomological  department  at  Washington;  and  S.  M., 
of  this  review. 

Rev.  Irwin  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  the  public  schools 
,  and  academy  of  his  native  town  afforded  him  his  early  educational  priv- 
ileges, which  were  supplemented  by  study  in  Hanover  College  and  in 
which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1861.  He  then  engaged  in  teach- 
ing for  two  years,  as  principal  of  the  high  school  of  Hanover,  and  subse- 
quently entered  the  theological  seminary  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  where 
:he  remained  until,  having  completed  the  three  years'  course,  he  was 
graduated  in  1866.  The  following  year  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  at 
Deepwater,  being  located  in  Vernon  county,  Missouri,  his  first  charge 
being  the  Little  -Osage  church,  and  there  he  continued  for  a  year,  coming 
to  Geneva  in  1867.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  he  is  rich  in  the  love,  confidence  and  respect  of  his  people,  and 
his  influence  for  good  in  the  community  is  immeasureable.  He  has  also 
been  identified  with  educational  interests  in  A.llen  county,  having  for  six 
years  been  a  teacher  in  the  Academy  at  Geneva.  His  sermons  are  in- 
structive, forceful,  logical  and  entertaining,  and  fail  not  to  impress  his 
hearers  with  his  earnestness  and  with  the  truth  of  his  utterances.  He  has 
preached  in  many  of  the  churches  in  the  surrounding  country  and  for 
twenty-eight  years  he  has  had  charge  of  Liberty  church,  now  at  Piqua. 

Rev.  Irwin  was  married  in  the  summer  of  1867  to  Miss  Louisa  A. 
Hackman,  of  Washington,  Missouri,  and  a  daughter  of  J.  F.  W.  and 
Juliana  Hackman.  They  are  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  seven 
are  now  living,  as  follows:  John  M.,  a  railroad  agent  at  Westphalia,  Kan- 
sas; William  N.,  a  resident  of  Geneva;  Samuel  J.,  who  is  a  train  dispatcher 
at  Herrington,  Kansas;  Paul  C,  Julia  L-,  Abram  M.  and  Mary  L. ,  all  at 
home.  Mr.  Irwin  has  a  very  pleasant  residence  and  a  fine  orchard  in 
Geneva.  When  he  first  came  to  this  state  he  purchased  two  lots  and  a 
small  dwelling  and  has  kept  adding  to  it  until  he  has  a  comfortable  home. 
He  has  bought  the  first  forty  blocks  (save  one  lot)  within  the  corporation 
limits  of  the  town  and  afterward  purchased  tracts  of  forty-five  acres  on  the 
east  and  forty  acres  on  the  west  and  at  another  time  a  tract  of  eighty  acres 
in  Woodson  county,  Kansas,  so  that  his  realty  posses.sions  are  now  quite 
extensive.  No  man  has  ever  been  more  respected  in  Geneva  and  the  sur- 
rounding country,  or  enjoyed  more  fully  the  confidence  of  the  people,  or 
better  deserves  such  respect  and  confidence  than  Mr.  Irwin.  The  residents 
of  southeastern  Kansas  recognize  his  merit  and  hold  in  the  highest  regard 
his  services.     He  believes  in  a  church   true  to  the    Master   and   aims  to 


"WOODSON    COUNTISS,    KANSAS.  333 

preach  the  whole  truth  whether  men  will  heai  or  forbear.  Many  have 
xeason  to  bless  him  for  his  influence  in  leading  them  to  take  cognizance  of 
the  soul's  needs  and  to  place  their  treasure  in  that  country  "where  moth 
;and  rust  do  not  corrupt  and  thieves  do  not  break  through  and  steal." 


EDWARD  D.  CURTIS— A  native  of  the  Empire  State,  Edward  D. 
Curtis,  was  born  on  the  2nd  of  September,  i860,  the  eldest  in  a 
iamily  of  ten  children.  He  spent  the  first  ten  years  of  his  life  in  New 
York,  and  then  ac<;ompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Kansas,  the 
iamily  locating  in  Allen  County.  He  remained  at  home  until  twenty -six 
years  of  age  and  in  the  meantime  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  a  number  of  years,  eventually  abandoning  it  for  farming. 

Mr.  Curtis  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Amanda  Estep,  a  daughter 
of  A.  J.  Estep.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Estep,  died  in  1870,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-four  years.  She  has  a  brother  and  sister,  George  and 
Charlotte,  the  latter  the  wife  of  J.  H.  Hobb,  of  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  the  Stock  Brokerage  business.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Curtis  have  been  born  three  children,  May,  Ivan  and  Madge 

After  his  marriage  in  1886,  Mr.  Curtis  moved  to  Wichita,  Kansas, 
and  there  engaged  in  the  implement  business  for  five  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  sold  his  store  and  returned  to  Allen  County, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1897.  He  then  resumed  work  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  lola,  following  that  pursuit  until  he  met  witH  an  acci- 
dent, falling  from  a  building.  Subsequently  he  conducted  a  feed  store  in 
Ida,  but  in  1899,  disposed  of  that  busine.ss  and  removed  to  his  farm  in 
Geneva  township,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  raising  grain  and  stock. 
Thirty-one  years  have  passed  since  he  came  to  the  county  and  throughout 
the  period  he  has  been  held  in  high  regard  for  his  many  excellent  qualities 
and  sterling  worth. 


"^  A  /"ILLIAM  J.  PICKELL— We  are  now  permitted  to  touch  briefly 
^  ^  upon  the  life  history  of  one  who  has  retained  a  personal  associa- 
tion with  the  affairs  of  Allen  County  for  a  number  of  years.  His  life  has 
been  one  of  honest  and  earnest  endeavor  and  due  success  has  not  been 
denied  him.  As  proprietor  of  the  elevator  in  Humboldt  he  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  the  community.  The  safe,  conserva- 
tive policy  which  he  has  inaugurated  commends  him  to  the  judgment  of 
all,  and  he  has  secured  a  patronage  which  makes  the  volume  of  business 
transacted  in  his  office  of  considerable  magnitude. 

Mr.  Pickell  was  born  in  Canada,  November  30,  1857,  his  parents  being 
Moses  and  Mary  (Mark)  Pickell,  the   former  a    native  of   Canada,  and  the 


334  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

latter  of  England.  During  her  girlhood,  however,  the  mother  accompanied 
her  parents  on  their  removal  to  the  English  province  in  the  new  world. 
B)'  the  marriage  of  this  worthy  couple  they  became  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, namely:  Moses,  who  died  February  26,  1901;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Beck, 
wife  of  A.  W.  Beck,  of  lola;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Dr.  A.  J.  Fulton,  of  lola;  Mrs. 
Kate  Thomas,  of  lola;  Anna,  wife  of  L.  H.  Wishard,  of  lola;  and  William 
J.  The  father  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  also  followed-  blacksraithing. 
In  1858  he  went  to  California,  where  he  remained  for  eight  years,  working 
at  his  trade  and  operating  a  sawmill.  In  1861  his  family  removed  to 
northern  Indiana  and  after  his  return  from  California  Mr.  Pickell  took  them 
to  Kansas,  arriving  July  30,  1869,  five  miles  east  of  lola,  where  he 
purchased  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  owning  the  land  joining  the  town  of 
LaHarpe.  His  wife  died  in  October,  1869  at  the  age  of  fortj'-two  years. 
His  death  occurred  in  Allen  County  in  187 1,  when  he  was  forty-four  years 
of  age. 

William  J.  Pickell,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  received  but 
limited  educational  privileges,  never  attending  school  after  he  was  eleven 
years  of  age.-  He  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  father's 
death,  and  upon  him  devolved  largely  the  responsibility  of  managing  the 
family  affairs.  For  twenty-two  years  he  resided  upon  a  farm,  but  coming 
to  the  conclusion  that  he  could  better  his  financial  condition  by  entering 
commercial  life  he  went  to  lola,  where  he  was  employed  for  six  years  by 
A.  W.  Beck,  a  dealer  in  farm  implements  and  grain.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  Mr.  Pickell  traded  his  farm  near  I,aHarpe  for  the  elevator  at 
Humboldt,  and  on  the  14th  of  October  1897,  removed  his  family  10  that 
place.  There  he  began  business  on  a  small  scale,  buying  grain  and  grind- 
ing feed,  but  his  trade  has  rapidly  and  steadily  increased,  so  that  he  now 
furnishes  employment  to  from  five  to'eight  men.  He  buys  everything  the 
farmers  have  for  sale,  including  hogs,  cattle,  corn,  wheat,  oats,  hay  and 
flax.  He  is  the  proprietor  of  one  of  the  best  business  enterprises  in  his 
line  in  the  State  of  Kansas. 

On  the  22nd  of  March,  1879,  Mr.  Pickell  wedded  Miss  Jessie  Weitner, 
a  native  of  Greene  County,  Illinois,  who  came  to  Kansas  in  1878  with  her 
parents.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  seven  children: 
James  Ralph,  Catharine  Maud,  Archie  Benson,  Moses  F.,  Ray  Caswell, 
Mark  Weisner  and  lyOren  Clifford.  The  eldest  son  has  completed  the  high 
school  course  and  for  two  years  has  been  a  student  in  Baker  University  at 
Baldwin. 

Mr.  Pickell  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  but  aside  from  casting 
his  franchise  in  support  of  its. men  and  measures  he  takes  no  active  part  in 
politics,  preferring  that  his  attention  shall  be  given  in  an  undivided  man- 
ner to  his  business  affairs.  He  started  out  in  life  with  a  very  limited  capi- 
tal, but  the  years  have  brought  him  success  as  a  reward  for  his  efiorts  and 
prominence  in  commercial  circles  is  assured  and  enviable. 


^ 


WOODSON-  COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  335 

JOHN  p.  DICKEY  has  been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes  and  has 
builded  wisely  and  well.  His  life  affords  an  illustration  of  the  viccisi- 
tudes  of  business  under  modern  conditions;  it  emphasizes  the  importance  of 
doing  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time  and  it  teaches  a  lesson  of  patience 
under  difficulties  and  perseverance  against  obstacles, — a  lesson  that  might  be 
profitably  followed  by  many. 

Mr.  Dickey  was  born  in  Scott  County,  Indiana,  on  the  26th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1824,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  South. 
His  father,  Rev.  John  Dickey,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  re- 
moved to  Kentucky  when  ten  years  of  age,  being  there  reared  to  manhood. 
He  was  licensed  to  preach  in  the  Presbytery  of  that  State,  and  in  an  early 
day  removed  to  Indiana,  being  the  first  Presbyterian  minister  ever  installed 
in  that  commonwealth.  He  had  charge  of  one  church  for  thirty  years  and 
was  one  of  the  organizers  and  founders  of  the  Presbyterian  Academy  in 
Hanover,  Indiana.  As  an  educator  he  possessed  exceptional  ability  and 
throughout  his  life  he  devoted  his  time  and  talents  to  imparting  knowledge 
to  others  or  to  preaching  the  gospel,  carrying  the  glad  tidings  of  great  joy 
into  many  a  household  upon  the  frontier. 

Rev.  Dickey  preached  the  first  anti-slavery  sermon  and  the  first  tem- 
perance sermon  in  the  synod  of  Indiana.  He  was  without  college  educa- 
tion or  theological  training,  like  Uncle  Tom,  of  a  meek  and  quiet  disposi- 
tion, yet  he  was  first  and  foremost  in  all  the  reforms  of  the  day. 

Mr.  Beecher  was  a  member  of  the  same  synod  with  Mr.  Dickey. 
Harriet  Beecher  Stowe  says  the  life  of  Rev.  Mr.  Dickey  gave  her  the  in- 
spiration for  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.  He  was  the  first  installed  pastor  i.n  the 
State,  and  probably  the  third  minister  in  the  State  of  Indiana. 

When  Birney  run  on  the  ticket  for  anti-slavery  Mr.  Dickey  was  the 
only  one  who  cast  a  vote  for  him  in  Clark  County,  Indiana. 

He  married  Miss  Margaret  Osbom  Steele,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and 
they  instilled  into  the  minds  of  their  eleven  children  lessons  of  indu.stry, 
honesty  and  morality.  The  father  died  in  1849  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine 
years,  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  1847,  when  fifty  j-ears  of  age. 
Four  of  the  children  are  yet  living,  namely:  James,  a  resident  of  lola;  Mrs. 
Mary  Haines,  of  New  Albany,  Indiana;  William,  now  living  in  Oregon, 
and  John  P.  of  this  review. 

The  last  named  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  during  the  early 
development  of  the  State  of  his  nativity.  His  educational  privileges  were 
those  afforded  by  the  common  schools.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  and 
wagonmaker's  trades  as  a  preparation  for  life's  practical  duties,  and  as  a 
companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Martha  E. 
Matthews,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  in  New 
Washington,  Indiana.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  was  again 
married  in  1865,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Amanda  D.  Dickerson, 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Dickerson.  Her  father  was 
born  in  the  Green  Mountain  State  and  when  he  had  arrived  at  the  years  of 
maturity  he  wedded  Miss  Marj'  Bacon,  a  native  of   Connecticut.     In    1864 


336  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

they  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Geneva,  where  Mr.  Dickerson  died  ire 
1856,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1885,. 
when  eighty-five  years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  six  children,  three  of 
whom  survive,  namely:  Mrs.  Maria  L,.  Williamson,  who  resides  with  Mrs, 
Dickey;  Lewis  I.  Dickerson  and  Mrs.  Dickey. 

In  the  year  1857  M'^-  Dickey  arrived  in  Kansas,  which  was  then  a 
territory  having  not  yet  assumed  the  dignity  of  Statehood.  He  secured  a 
claim  on  Martin  Creek  and  there  resided  until  his  country's  call  tor  aid 
prompted  his  enlistment  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  Ninth  Kansas 
Cavalry.  He  served  for  three  years  along  the  border  of  Missouri  and  Ar- 
kansa.s,  escorting  trains  as  they  passed  to  and  fro.  His  command  was 
mostly  engaged  in  guard  duty,  but  occasionally  met  a  band  of  bushwhack- 
ers, which  would  be  followed  by  a  skirmish.  At  the  close  of  the  war  the 
subject  of  this  review  returned  to  his  adopted  State,  locating  in  Geneva 
where  he  was  identified  with  its  building  interests.  He  had  the  honor  of 
building  the  first  school  house  and  the  first  church  ever  erected  in  Allen 
County,  the  location  being  in  district  No.  i  of  Geneva. 

In  1867  Mr.  Dickey  removed  to  his  farm  and  has  since  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  with  marked  success.  He  owns  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land  and  has  developed  a  valuable 
property.  In  front  of  his  commodious  residence  is  a  wide  lawn  on  which 
stand  beautiful  shade  trees  protecting  the  home  from  the  hot  rays  of  the 
summer  sun.  His  extensive  barns  and  outbuildings  furnish  shelter  for 
grain  and  stock.  When  he  arrived  in  Kansas  he  had  only  twelve  dollars 
in  money,  and  that  served  as  a  nucleus  for  his  present  comJortable  compe- 
tence. His  success  was  assured  from  the  beginning  because  he  possesses 
those  qualities  which  contribute  to  prosperity.  He  has  always  been  a 
staunch  advocate  of  Republican  principles,  voting  with  the  party  since  he 
cast  his  first  ballot  for  General  John  C.  Fremont.  In  all  life's  relations  he 
has  been  found  true  to  duty,  whether  it  has  been  in  the  fields  of  indus- 
trial or  agricultural  business,  in  military  circles  or  in  the  walks  of  private 
life.  There  has  been  manifest  in  his  career  a  persistency  of  purpose  that 
when  guided  by  sound  judgment  never  fails  of  reward. 


CHARLES  L.  KNOWLTON  was  born  in  Clark  County,  Indiana,  on 
the  23rd  of  June,  1849.  His  father,  James  H.  Knowlton,  was  born 
in  Shrewsbury,  Massachusetts,  in  1810,  and  in  1836  became  a  resident  of 
Hanover,  Indiana,  where  he  began  the  study  of  medicine.  He  was  gradu- 
ated in  the  Cincinnati  Medical  College  and  entered  the  professional  ranks 
where  he  soon  won  prominence,  his  skill  and  ability  gaining  him  marked 
prestige.  In  1838  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Margaret  Dickey,  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  who  was  born  in  1814  and  was  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Margaret  Dickey.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knowlton  became  the  parents  of  six 
children,  of    whom   three   sons  are    now  living:   John    D.,  Charles  L- and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  337 

Howard  N.  Two  sisters,  Olive  and  Emma,  married  George  Tatham,  the 
latter  becoming  his  wife  after  the  death  of  her  sister,  and  she,  too,  has 
passed  away. 

Dr.  Kiiowltou  continaed  to  practice  medicine  in  Indiana  until  the  in- 
auguration of  the  Civil  war.  When  rebellion  threatened  the  destruction  of 
the  Union,  from  every  walk  of  life  there  came  men  of  loyal  purpose  and 
undaunted  spirit  who  offeied  their  services  to  the  government,  and  among 
the  Union  troops  of  Indiana  Dr.  Knowlton  was  numbered,  joining  the  Fifty- 
second  Indiana  Infantry,  of  which  he  was  appointed  assistant  surgeon.  He 
rendered  great  aid  to  the  sick  and  wounded  men  of  his  regiment  and  served 
in  that  capacity  until  his  own  health  failed,  when  he  resigned  and  returned 
to  his  home.  He  afterward  removed  to  Illinois  where  he  engaged  in  prac- 
tice several  years  and  in  1866  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Geneva 
where  he  followed  his  profession  through  his  remaining  days,  his  death 
occurring  in  1882.  Seven  years  later  his  wife  passed  away,  being  then 
seventy-five  years  of  age.  Like  many  other  energetic  wung  men  starting 
out  in  lite  Dr.  Knowlton  had  to  depend  entirely  on  his'  own  efforts,  and 
engaged  in  teaching  school  in  order  to  obtain  the  money  necessary  to  pur- 
sue his  medical  course.  After  locating  in  Allen  County  he  became  one  of 
the  leading  practitioners  and  also  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  in  other 
walks  of  life.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  mentality,  of  marked  force  of  char- 
acter and  keen  discernment,  and  his  fitness  for  leadership  led  to  his  selec- 
tion for  high  official  honors.  He  was  once  chosen  to  serve  in  the  legislature 
and  Allen  County  has  never  been  better  represented  than  by  Dr.  James 
H.  Knowlton.  He  left  the  impress  of  his  individuality  upon  the  legislature 
of  that  period  and  upon  many  of  the  interests  of  Allen  County,  and  by 
those  who  knew  him  he  is  remembered  as  a  man  who  was  fearless  in  con- 
duct and  of  untarnished  reputation. 

The  first  twelve  years  of  Charles  L,-  Knowlton's  life  were  spent  in 
town.  He  ithen  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  a  farm. 
They  had  become  residents  of  Illinois  during  his  early  boyhood  and  in  the 
schools  of  that  State  he  acquired  his  education,  becoming  familiar  with  all 
the  branches  of  English  learning  that  constituted  the  curriculum  of  public 
instruction.  In  1867,  when  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Geneva  where  he  has  since  continued  to 
make  his  home.  For  many  5'ears  he  was  identified  with  the  work  of  the 
farm.  In  1872  he  married  Miss  Emily  Denney,  a  naitve  of  Ohio,  who  in 
1859  came  to  Kansas  with  her  parents,  William  and  Emilin  Denney.  On 
putting  aside  the  plow  Mr.  Knowlton  became  identified  with  commercial 
pursuits,  establishing  a  general  store  in  Geneva  where  he  carries  every- 
thing that  is  usually  found  in  a  first  class  establishment  of  the  kind.  This 
includes  a  stock  of  drugs.  About  the  same  time  he  began  the  practice  of 
medicine.  His  father  being  a  physician,  he  became  familiar  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  medical  profession  from  association  with  him.  As  the  years 
have  passed  he  has  continued  his  studies  and  is  now  well  informed  along 
that, line.      He  controls  quite  an  extensive   practice  in    connection    with  his 


338  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

mercantile  affairs  and  is  the  most  active  and    enterprising    business  man  in 
the  little  town  of  Geneva. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knowlton  have  been  born  four  children:  Olive, 
who  is  a  teacher  in  Allen  County;  Maggie  and  Daisy,  who  are  successfully 
teaching  in  the  schools  of  Allen  County,  and  Frank,  who  is  still  under  the 
parental  roof.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community,  enjoy- 
ing the  high  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  the  hospitality  ot  the 
best  homes  in  this  locality.  Mr.  Knowlton  has  always  taken  a  deep  and 
abiding  interest  in  political  affairs  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of 
the  day,  thereby  being  enabled  to  support  his  position  by  intelligent  argu- 
ment. He  always  attends  the  County  and  State  conventions  and  his 
opinions  carry  weight  in  party  councils,  yet  he  has  never  been  a  politician 
in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  could  undoubtedly  win  political  honors 
did  he  desire,  but  his  business  makes  heavy  demands  upon  his  attention 
and  he  prefers  to  give  his  time  in  an  undivided  manner  to  the  control  of  his 
mercantile  and  professional  interests.  His  labors  have  contributed  largely 
to  the  upbuilding  ©f  Geneva,  and  its  commercial  enterprise  is  due  in  no 
small  measure  to  him.  In  business  circles  he  enjoys  an  unassailable  repu- 
tation for  he  follows  correct  methods  and  honorable  principles  and  at  all 
times  he  is  possessed  of  that  progressive  spirit  which  seeks  not  alone  his  own 
good,  but  is  alive  to  the  advancement  of  city,  county  and  State,  and  his 
place  in  Geneva  would  be  difficult  to  fill. 


TV  /TRS.  CLARA  M.  MABIE  is  one  of  the  highly  esteemed  ladies  of 
-L'-L  Allen  county  and  resides  upon  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  southeastern 
Kansas.  She  was  born  in  the  county  which  is  yet  her  home,  on  the  22nd 
of  April,  1862,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  A.  Esse.  Her 
parents  are  still  living,  their  home  being  in  Geneva.  Her  father  was  born 
in  France  near  the  city  of  Metz,  on  the  12th  of  December,  1827.  His 
father,  John  Esse,  was  a  Frenchman,  but  his  mother,  Mrs.  Mary  Esse,  was 
of  German  birth.  When  twelve  years  of  age  George  Esse  came  to  America 
and  resided  in  New  York  until  he  had  attained  to  man's  estate.  He  was 
married  there  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Ikius,  an  English  lady  who  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1845.  In  1867  they  emigrated  to  Kansas,  locating  on  a 
farm  near  their  present  home.  There  the  father  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  for  a  number  of  years,  but  he  has  since  disposed  of  all  of  his  laud 
with  the  exception  of  a  small  tract,  not  caring  to  be  burdened  with  a 
greater  amount.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Esse  were  born  two  children:  Eugene 
C.  and  Clara,  the  former  a  resident  of  lola. 

Clara  M.  Esse  spent  her  girlhood  days  under  the  parental  roof  and 
pursued  her  education  in  the  public  schools.  When  eighteen  years  of  age 
she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Edward  R.  Mabie,  the  wedding  being 
celebrated  on  the  27th  of  May,  1880.  Mr.  Mabie  was  born  in  South  Wes- 
ley, New  York,  August  25,  1838,  was  reared   there  and  was  graduated  at 


c^/CT^i^t^^A/i^L^ 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  I^A-NSAS.  3.19 

the  high  school  in  Alban}-,  New  York.  When  the  country  became  in- 
volved in  Civil  war  he  joined  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh  New 
York  Infantry,  at  Rome  New  York,  serving  for  three  years.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Richmond,  Antietam,  Vicksburg,  Atlanta 
and  many  others  which  led  to  the  successful  termination  of  the  Rebellion. 
On  one  occasion  he  was  wounded  by  a  minie  ball  which  grazed  the  back 
of  his  neck,  and  he  incurred  diseases  that  finally  terminated  his  life. 

In  1866  Mr.  Mabie  came  to  Kansas  and  secured  a  claim  of  eighty  acres 
on  Martin  creek,  two  miles  east  of  Geneva,  where  he  resided  until  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  added  to  his  farm  as  opportunity  offered  until  he 
became  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  land  which  he 
placed  under  a  high  state  ot  cultivation.  He  erected  thereon  a  good  resi- 
dence and  barn  and  the  home  is  surrounded  by  beautiful,  native  forest 
trees  which  protect  it  from  the  hot  rays  of  the  summer  sun.  He  also  set 
out  nine  miles  of  hedge  fence,  and  forty  gates  furnish  entrance  to  his  fields 
and  pastures.  His  labors  resulted  in  making  his  property  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  Allen,  county.  He  died  October  20,  1899,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two 
years.  He  was  a  loving  and  devoted  husband  and  father,  a  faithful 
friend  and  a  loyal  citizen  and  thus  throughout  the  community  his  loss  was 
deeply  felt. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mabie  were  the  parents  of  eight  children:  George  E. , 
Frank  C,  Harris  R.,  Alice  E.,  Maud  P.,  Clara  B.  and  Ed.  T.,  seven  of 
whom  are  under  the  parental  roof.  Mrs.  Mabie,  with  the  assistance  of  her 
eldest  son,  George,  is  conducting  the  home  farm,  which  is  kept  up  in  the 
same  excellent  condition  in  which  it  was  found  when  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  husband  and  father.  Mrs.  Mabie  possesses  e.^cellent  business 
and  executive  ability,  in  addition  to  those  true  womanly  qualities  which 
have  gained  her  the  high  regard  and  friendship  of  many  with  whom  she 
has  been  brought  in  contact. 


/^>HARI^ES  A.  STEWART  is  a  representative  of  one  of  Allen  county's 
^-^  honored  pioneer  families,  and  is  one  of  her  native  sons,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occuned  on  the  5th  of  June,  1S70.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm  which 
is  now  his  home,  the  residence  being  situated  within  two  hundred  feet  of 
his  present  dwelling.  His  parents  were  Samuel  J.  and  Emma  A.  Stewart, 
and  he  is  the  eldest  son  of  their  seven  children.  During  his  youth  he  at- 
tended the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  in  the  summer  months 
assisted  in  the  plowing,  planting  and  cultivation  of  the  fields,  early  becom- 
ing familiar  with  all  the  duties  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He 
remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  his  marriage,  which  event  in  his 
life  occurred  on  the  3rd  of  April,  1892,  Miss  Freelie  E.  Dnncan  becoming 
his  wife.  She  was  born  in  Indiana,  and  is  the  second  child  of  John  W. 
and  Elizabeth  Duncan,  with  whom  she. came  to  Kansas  during  her  early 
girlhood.     Her   parents   were   also   natives  of  the  Hoosier  state,   and  her 


340  HIS'SPRY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  0\ven.  lu  1878  they  came  to 
Allen  county,  settling  four  miles  south  of  Humboldt,  where  Mrs.  Duncan 
still  resides.  Her  husband  died  February  8,  1898,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years. 
During  the  Civil  war  he  loyally  .served  the  Union  as  a  member  of  an  In- 
diana regiment.  By  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duncan  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  namely:  O.  P.,  who  is  living  in  lola;  Mrs. 
Stewart;  Emmert,  a  resident  of  Oklahoma;  Othella,  wife  of  W.  H.  Booe,  a 
resident  of  Fountain  countj^  Indiana;  Bertha,  Bulin  and  Olin,  who  are 
with  their  mother. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  of  seventy- 
seven  acres,  which  he  purchased,  erecting  thereon  a  cozy  little  residence, 
to  which  he  has  since  added  a  stone  addition.  He  has  increased  the 
beauty  of  the  place  by  planting  trees,  has  set  out  a  nice  vineyard,  erected  a 
good  barn  and  other  outbuildings  and  now  has  one  of  the  desirable  farms 
in  the  southern  portion  of  the  county.  The  fields  are  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  their  rich  products  find  a  ready  sale  on  the  market. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  has  been  blessed. with  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Alma,  Gladys,  Harlan  and  Glenn.  Mr.  Stewart  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  though  he  never  seeks  oflBce  for  himself  he  has  just  regard 
for  the  duties  of  citizenship,  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day, 
and  attends  the  conventions  of  his  party,  doing  all  he  can  to  support  his 
friends  and  to  secure  the  adoption  of  Republican  principles.  He  started 
upou  his  business  career  as  many  others  have  done,  without  capital,  and 
his  earnest  labor,  guided  by  sound  judgment  in  business  affairs,  has 
brought  to  him  all  that  he  now  possesses,  making  him  one  of  the  substan- 
tial residents  of  the  community. 


FRANK  S.  DENNEY.— The  Denney  family  is  of  English  lineage  and 
was  founded  in  America  by  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  who 
was  born  in  the  city  of  London.  While  on  the  ocean,  at  the  time  of  the 
Revolutionary  war,  he  was  captured  and  brought  to  this  country  and  being 
well  pleased  with  his  new  home  he  never  returned  to  his  native  land.  His 
son,  James  Denney,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  having  arrived  at  years 
of  maturity  married  Sarah  Lucas,  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state.  Of 
their  children  William  Denney  became  the  father  of  our  subject.  He  was 
born  in  Greene  county,  Pennsylvania,  August  23,  1823,  and  was  married 
in  Ohio  in  1845,  to  Miss  Emily  Melick,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Anna 
(Duncan)  Melick,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky.  At  an  early  day 
William  Denney  removed  from  the  Buckej-e  state  to  Green  county,  Wis- 
consin, and  in  1859  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  yet  living  *and  have  enjoyed  a  happy 
married  life  of  fifty-five  years.  Their  farm  is  situated  on  Indian  creek,  a 
mile  northwest  of  Geneva.  They  are  numbered  among  the  honored  pioneer 
settlers  of  the  Sunflower  state,  having  resided  here  for  forty-one  years,  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  34 1 

they  relate  main-  interesting  incidents  of  the  early  development  of  Allen 
county  when  its  farms  were  in  their  primitive  condition,  when  the  now 
thriving  towns  and  villages  were  unfounded  and  when  the  Indians  were 
still  very  numerous.  Great  changes  have  since  occurred  and  they  have 
borne  their  part  in  the  transformation  that  has  been  wrought. 

Frank  S.  Denney,  their  sixth  child,  was  born  in  Green  county,  Wis- 
consin, on  the  28th  of  March,  1857,  ^"d  was  therefore  but  two  years  of  age 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Allen  county  in  the  fall  of  1859.  The 
days  of  his  youth  were  passed  upon  the  home  farm,  and  in  the  schools  of 
Geneva  he  acquired  his  education.  In  1884  he  wedded  Miss  Alice  White, 
of  Colony,  Kansas,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Marj^  White.  Her  father 
died  in  i8go,  but  her  mother  is  still  living.  Mrs.  Denney  came  to  Kansas 
in  1881. 

Three  years  previous  to  his  marriage  our  subject  entered  a  general 
mercantile  store  in  Colony  as  clerk  and  held  the  position  for  seven  years, 
after  which  the  stock  of  goods  was  sold  and  he  returned  to  the  farm,  pur- 
chasing one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  a  half  mile  south  of  Geneva. 
Here  he  has  since  made  his  home  and  is  engaged  in  raising  and  selling 
cattle  and  hogs.  He  never  sells  any  of  his  grain  but  feeds  it  to  his  stock, 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  prosperous  stock  raisers  of  this  locality.  He 
has  been  very  successful  and  has  made  all  that  he  has  by  his  own  industry 
and  good  judgment. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Denney  have  been  born  three  children:  Roy, 
Delta  and  Alta,  who  are  still  with  their  parents.  The  youngest  is  a  bright- 
eyed  little  maiden  of  seven  years  and  very  small  for  her  age,  but  she  had 
the  honor  of  winning  the  first  prize  at  the  Allen  county  oratorical  contest 
held  in  lola  in  January,  1900.  The  best  talent  of  the  county  participated, 
including  men  and  women,  and  there  were  twelve  contestants,  but  Alta 
Denney  was  awarded  the  prize,  an  unabridged  dictionary  valued  at  ten 
dollars.  Her  parents  certainly  have  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  her. 
The  family  is  one  of  promince  in  the  community  and  they  enjoy  the  warm 
regard  of  many  friends. 


'VAR  E.  BENNETT— Inscribed  on  the  roll  of  pioneer  settlers  of  south- 
^— '  ern  Kansas  appears  the  name  of  Zar  E.  Bennett,  who  came  to  this 
county  at  a  very  early  period  in  its  development.  He  was  born  in  western 
New  York,  June  15,  1853,  and  when  five  years  of  age  came  with  his  parents 
to  this  State.  He  belongs  to  a  family  noted  for  longevity.  His  father, 
Zar  Bennett,  Sr.,  is  yet  living  at  the  age  of  ninety-three  years,  and  is  a 
resident  of  lola.  He  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  after  arriving  at  years 
of  maturity  wedded  Sarah  J.  Hinman,  of  New  York,  whence  they  removed 
to  the  Sunflower  State  in  1858.  Mrs.  Bennett's  death  was  occasioned  bj' 
accident.  Her  clothing  caught  fire  and  burned  her  badly,  and  this,  to- 
gether with  the  nervous  shock,  terminated  her  life  December  25,  1898,  when 


34Z  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

she  was    seventy-one   years  of   age.     They  had   three   children:   Zar    E. . 
Fred  S.  and  Leslie,  both  of  Tola. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  early  be- 
gan work  in  the  fields,  assisting  in  the  work  of  plowing,  planting  and 
harvesting.  When  crops  were  garnered  in  the  autumn  he  was  allowed  the 
privilege  of  going  to  school,  but  the  educational  advantages  in  Kansas  at 
that  time  were  rather  meager,  owing  to  the  unsettled  condition  of  ihe  coun- 
try, but  through  study  in  the  school-room  and  in  his  leisure  hours,  Mr. 
Bennett  prepared  himself  for  teaching  and  followed  that  profession  for  five 
years,  thus  gaining  capital  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  get  a  start  in  life. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmeet  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  L,ibbie 
M.  Reno,  a  native  of  Indiana,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  in  1875.  The 
lady  is  a  daughter  of  P.  G.  and  Lucinda  (Clark)  Reno,  the  parents  being 
natives  of  Indiana,  whence  they  came  to  Kansas  during  the  early  girlhooa 
of  Mrs.  Bennett.  They  have  five  children  now  living,  namely:  W.  C,  of 
Richmond,  Kansas;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  M.  M.  Hart,  of  lola;  Mrs.  Eliza  Cook, 
of  Oklahoma;  S.  D.,  of  Kingman,  and  Eibbie  M.,  the  honored  wite  of  our 
subject. 

Although  Mr.  Bennett  started  out  on  his  business  career  at  the  very 
bottom  round  of  the  ladder  he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  and 
now  stands  on  the  plane  of  affluence.  He  has  always  followed  farming 
with  the  exception  ol  a  short  period  devoted  to  conducting  a  meat  market 
in  lola.  in  partnership  with  M.  M.  Hart,  but  not  being  satisfied  with  that 
enterprise  he  returned  to  his  farm  on  Deer  Creek.  Subsequently  he  sold 
his  land  in  the  river  bottom  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  and 
a  half  acres  on  Martin  Creek  where  he  has  developed  one  of  the  best  farms 
in  Geneva  township.  He  has  plenty  of  bottom  land  for  cultivation,  while 
his  residence  stands  on  an  elevation,  commanding  an  excellent  view  of  the 
surrounding  country.  His  home  stands  in  the  midst  of  richly  cultivated 
fields  and  it  is  evident  to  the  passerby  that  the  owner  follows  progressive 
methods  in  his  farming  operations.  Politically  Mr.  Bennett  is  a  stalwart 
Republican  and  has  twice  served  as  trustee  of  Geneva  township,  leaving 
the  office  as  he  entered  it  with  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the  public. 
The  history  of  Allen  County  is  familiar  to  him  from  pioneer  days  and  his 
support  and  co-operation  have  been  given  freely  to  many  measures  which 
have  contributed  toward  the  general  good  and  to  the  upbuilding  and  pros- 
perity of  the  county. 


JAMES  W.  HAMM,  one  of  the  enterprising  young  business  men  of 
Humboldt,  was  born  in  Clarion  County,  Pennsylvania,  February  22, 
1865.  His  father,  William  B.  Hamm,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
State,  and  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  following  that  pursuit  for  many  years 
in  Pennsylvania.  In  1878  he  removed  to  Kansas,  locating  on  a  farm  five 
miles  northwest  of  Humboldt,  in    Woodson    County,    where   he  carried  on 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  343 

agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1887,  when  he  was 
fifty-five  years  of  age.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  living  in 
Humboldt.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catharine  M.  Servey,  is  a  native 
of  Clarion  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  married  in  1852.  By  their 
union  were  born  six  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  childhood,  while  five 
are  yet  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Mary  Weckerly,  of  Yates  Center,  Kansas; 
John  C,  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  Evanston,  Wyoming;  Sadie,  now 
Mrs.  Kesterson,  of  Portland,  Arkansas;  James  W.  of  this  review  and 
Albert,  who  is  living  with  his  mother. 

James  W.  Hamm  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Penn- 
sylvania until  fourteen  years  of  age  and  only  attended  school  for  six  months 
after  coming  to  Kansas.  He  was,  however,  an  extensive  reader  of  news- 
papers, and  thus  in  the  evenings,  after  the  day's  work  was  done,  became 
familiar  with  the  events  that  mark  the  world's  history.  He  worked  upon 
the  home  farm  until  1886,  when,  in  connection  with  his  brother,  J.  C. 
Hamm,  he  purchased  the  Allen  County  Courant,  a  Democratic  paper  pub- 
lished in.  lola.  They  continued  to  issue  that  journal  for  two  years,  when 
they  sold  the  plant  to  A.  C.  and  W.  W.  Scott,  who  removed  it  "to  Okla- 
homa and  established  there  the  Oklahoma  Journal.  After  disposing  of  his 
interests  in  that  journal  Mr.  Hamm  spent  some  time  in  travel  and  was  for 
a  short  time  a  resident  of  Evanston,  Wyoming,  but  in  1890  returned  to 
Humboldt,  and  in  that  year  was  married.  After  his  marriage  he  settled 
on  a  farm  north  of  the  city,  and  there  still  resides,  giving  a  part  of  his  time 
to  agricultural  pursuits  in  connection  with  other  business  affairs.  He  was 
for  some  years  general  agent  for  the  Page  Woven  Wire  Fence  Company  of 
Adrian,  Michigan.  In  1897  he  engaged  in  the  ice  business,  erecting  a 
small  plant  which  he  operated  in  connection  with  an  ice  house  on  the  bank 
of  the  river,  the  building  having  a  capacity  of  seven  hundred  tons,  which 
he  fills  with  ice  sufficient  to  supply  a  large  patronage  through  the  hot 
summer  months.  He  has  recently  added  to  his  manufacturing  enterprises 
a  sorghum  mill  and  evaporator,  which  is  operated  by  steam  and  has  a 
capacity  of  two  hundred  gallons  per  day,  also  a  hydraulic  cider  press,  the 
name  of  the  firm  now  being  Hamm  Bros. 

On  the  22nd  of  February,  1890,  Mr.  Hamm  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Ella  Works,  a  daughter  of  the  pioneer  R.  M.  Works.  Three  children 
have  been  born  of  this  union:  Robert,  Helen  and  Mildred.  Mr.  Hamm 
votes  with  the  Democracy,  but  takes  no  active  part  in  politics.  Socially  he 
is  identified  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  The  bu.siuess  interests  of  Humboldt  are  well 
represented  by  him,  and  whether  in  public  or  private  life  he  is  always 
a  courteous,  genial  gentleman,  well  deserving  the  high  regard  in  which  he 
is  held. 


TOHNGS.IMM,  who  follows  farming  in  Geneva  township,  was  born  in 
"  Prussia  February  5,  1839,  a  son  of  John  H.  Grimm,  who  died  in  the 
fatherland  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  while  the  mother   also   passed 


344  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AN» 

away  in  that  country.  Their  two  children,  Henry  and  John,  are  both  resi- 
dents of  America.  The  latter  was  reared  in  the  land  of  his  nativity  and 
after  entering  upon  his  business  career  secured  a  situation  in  an  iron 
foundry  where  sheet  iron  was  manufactured.  He  was  thus  employed  until, 
according  to  the  German  laws,  he  had  to  enter  the  regular  army.  He  was 
a  member  of  a  sharp-shooters  company  and  remained  in  the  service  for 
seven  years,  but  as  the  country  was  then  at  peace  the  soldiers  had  little 
else  to  do  but  drill.  One  regulation  of  their  army  life  was  that  they  were 
required  to  learn  to  swim,  spending  an  hour  thus  each  day  in  summer 
months  and  continuing  the  practice  until  they  were  enabled  to  swim  across 
the  River  Rhine,  which  is  a  mile  and  a  half  in  width.  Another  regulation 
was  that  the  soldiers  could  not  marry  until  they  had  served  their  seven 
years  in  the  army. 

After  being  released  from  military  service,  Mr.  Grimm  was  united  in 
marriage,  in  1867,  to  Miss  Eliza  France,  and  in  1871  they  came  to  the 
United  States,  casting  their  lot  with  the  citizens  of  Allen  county,  Kansas. 
At  the  time  of  their  arrival  Mr.  Grimm's  cash  capital  consisted  of  only  a 
few  dollars,  but  he  resolutely  set  to  work  and  when  he  had  earned  more 
money  he  rented  a  small  farm,  continuing  its  operation  for  six  or  seven 
years,  when  with  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through  his  own  efforts  he 
purchased  a  small  farm,  to  which  he  has  added  from  time  to  time  until  his 
landed  possessions  now  aggregate  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  There 
were  no  trees  upon  the  place,  but  now  a  beautiful  grove  surrounds  his 
farm.  He  has  a  good  residence  and  barn,  well  tilled  fields  and  a  fine 
01  chard  containing  seventeen  varieties  of  apples. 

Mr.  Grimm  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  of  Geneva  township  for  one 
term  atid  then  declined  re-election.  For  about  twelve  years,  however,  he 
has  served  as  school  director,  and  the  cause  of  education  has  found  in  him 
a  warm  friend.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  .support  of  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party  and  is  veiy  earnest  in  his  advocacy 
of  its  principles.  All  that  he  is  in  life  and  all  that  he  has  acquired,  are  due 
to  his  own  efforts.  Though  he  came  to  America  empty-handed,  unfamiliar 
with  the  language  of  the  people  and  their  customs,  he  readily  adapted  him- 
self to  his  new  surroundings,  and  to-day  is  numbered  among  the  substan- 
tial citizens  of  his  community. 


GEORGE  McKINLEY,  agent  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe 
Railway  Company  at  Humboldt,  is  a  worthy  citizen  of  Allen  county 
whose  business  life  has  been  passed  within  its  borders.  He  was  born  in 
Fairfield,  county,  Ohio,  December  8,  1861.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Mc- 
Kinley  who  came  to  Allen  county  and  settled  west  of  Humboldt,  on  Owl 
creek,  in  1880,  and  improved  a  bottom  farm.  His  is  one  of  the  large 
bodies  of  cultivated  land  in  the  county  and  in  his  relation  with  his  fellow 
countymen  he  has  maintained  himself  with  honor  dignity  and  uprightness. 
William   McKinley  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  in  1830,  and 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  345 

was  the  son  of  an  Irishman  by  the  same  name.  His  mother  was  Betty 
Herring,  born  also  in  Ireland.  They  came  to  the  United  States  in  1820 
and  settled  a  farm  in  Ohio.  They  reared  a  fainily  of  five  children  to  be- 
come industrious  and  honorable  men  and  women.  When  William  was 
married,  January  20,  1858,  he  continued  the  occupation  of  his  father  and 
maintained  a  substantial  and  progressive  establishment  from  the  first. 
The  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  his  Ohio  home  he  invested  in  land  and  its  im- 
provements near  Humboldt  and  the  same  thrift  and  expansiveness  which 
characterized  him  in  the  east  he  has  maintained  in  the  west.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kinley  married  Grace  Mounts  and  efWiit  of  their  ten  children  are  living: 
Mary,  wife  of  Monroe  Ashbiook;  George;  Alice,  wife  of  Charles  E.  Reeber, 
of  Independence,  Missouri;  William,  of  Carlinville.  Illinois;  Charles,  of 
Hutchinson,  Kansas;  Scott,  John  and  Joseph,  the  last  two  with  the  Wells- 
Fargo  Express  Company  at  lola. 

George  McKinley  was  almost  grown  when  he  came  to  Humboldt. 
His  enviroment  in  early  life  was  entirely  rural  and  his  education  of  the 
common  school  sort.  When  he  decided  his  fate  and  selected  his  life  work 
railroading  was  his  choice.  In  1884  he  entered  the  office  at  Humboldt 
under  the  instruction  of  C.  E.  Blackmar  and  learned  telegraphy.  His  first 
position  was  that  of  operator  with  the  Santa  Fe  Company  at  Piinceton, 
Kansas.  He  was  employed  at  points  on  the  system  for  some  years  and  was 
then  given  charge  of  the  Humboldt  station.  This  position  he  has  filled 
fourteen  years  and  with  what  acceptibility  his  tenure  of  office  will  answer. 

December  29,  1885,  Mr.  McKinley  was  married  to  Flora  Deffenbaugh, 
a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Susari  Deffenbaugh,  of  Peoria,  Illinois.  The 
children  of  this  marriage  are  Susan,   Benjamin  and  George    McKinley,    Jr. 

It  would  be  a  strange  departure  to  announce  the  politics  of  the  Mc- 
Kinleys  as  anything  but  Republican.  They  have  ever  maintained  an 
interest  in  public  affairs  and  their  voices  not  infrequently  respond  to  the 
roll-call  in  party  conventions. 


TAMES  M.  YOUNG. — For  twenty-two  years  James  M.  Young  has  re- 
"  sided  in  Allen  county  and  his  farm  in  Eogan  township  is  one  of  the 
valuable  properties  in  that  locality.  He  was  born  in  Jackson  count}",  Ind.. 
on  the  5th  of  December,  1840,  his  parents  being  George  W.  and  Susanna 
(Erma)  Young,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  the  latter  of  Indiana. 
When  a  young  man  the  father  took  up  his  abode  in  the  Hoosier  state  and, 
when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  ten  years,  removed  with  his  family  to  Iowa, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  the  spring  of  1857,  when  he  came  to  Allen 
county,  Kansas,  here  making  his  home  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Young  still 
survives  and  is  living  on  the  old  homestead.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  and  with  two  exceptions  all  are  living  in  Kansas. 

James  M.  Young  spent  the  first  ten  years  of  his  life  in  the  state   of  his 
nativity  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Iowa.      He 


346  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

came  to  Kansas  in  the  fall  of  1878  and  purchased  a  farm  in  the  south- 
western corner  of  Allen  count}',  in  Logan  township,  on  the  southern 
boundry  line  and  a  mile  from  the  western  limit  of  the  count}'.  It  was 
school-land  and  he  became  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  began  its  development  and  from  time  to  time  ex- 
tended its  boundaries  until  his  farm  now  comprises  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  constituting  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Logan  township.  A  nice  resi- 
dence is  surrounded  by  beautiful  shade  trees,  sheltering  the  home  from  the 
hot  summer  sun;  large  barns  and  sheds  furnish  protection  for  grain  and 
.stock  and  all  the  modern  improvements  and  accessories  of  a  modern  farm 
are  there  found.  He  raises  horses,  cattle  and  hogs  and  feeds  all  of  his 
grain  to  his  stock. 

While  in  Iowa  Mr.  Young  married  Miss  Mary  Esther  Turner,  a  native 
of  Illinois,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  four  children,  two  of  whom  are 
living.  W.  T.  Young,  the  elder,  married  Florence  Schooley  and  resides  in 
this  county,  while  Robert  O.  is  at  home  and  assists  his  father  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  farm.  In  politics  Mr.  Young  is  a  Democrat,  voting  for  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  party,  but  never  seeking  or  desiring  office,  as  he  pre- 
fers to  give  his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  These  have  been 
carefully  managed  and  his  diligence  and  sound  judgment  have  enabled 
him  to  accummulate  sufficient  capital  to  cany  him  through  the  evening  of 
life,  whether  his  remaining  days  be  few  or  many. 


/'^HARLES  HOUSER — On  scores  of  farms  in  Kansas  are  men  who 
^-^  were  educated  in  the  trades.  In  many  cases  they  are  men  who  were 
high  up  in  their  occupations  and  able  to  command  the  best  wages,  but  they 
preferred  the  free  life  of  the  farm  rather  than  the  uncertain,  and  oftimes 
precarious  life  in  the  factories.  Among  the  men  who  left  positions  of  trust 
and  profit  as  a  mechanic  to  found  a  home  on  the  prairies  of  Kansas 
is  Charles  Houser,  of  Humboldt  township.  Born  in  Germany  October  16, 
1839,  he  came  to  America  in  1864,  and  at  once  secured  employment  at  his 
trade  of  cabinet  maker.  His  ability  soon  secured  him  a  good  position  with 
a  railroad  company  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  where  he  worked  for  many 
years.  In  1868  he  moved  to  South  Bend,  Indiana,  and  worked  at  his 
trade  there.  Two  years  later  he  followed  the  great  tide  of  immigration  to 
Kansas,  stopping  at  Humboldt.  Here  he  resumed  his  trade,  carefully  saving 
his  money  and  investing  it  in  an  80  acre  farm.  For  years  he  alternated  with 
work  on  the  farm  and  in  the  cabinet  shops.  He  has  added  largely  to  his 
land  holdings  and  now  he  has  one  of  the  splendid  farms  in  the  county.  It 
consists  of  320  acres  of  well  improved  land,  with  ample  shed  and  stable 
room  and  a  comfortable  residence.  The  same  careful  attention  to  his  work 
that  made  his  services  as  a  cabinet  maker  always  in  demand  has  been 
applied  to  the  work  of  improving  and  cultivating  his  farm  and  it  has  brought 
him  the  success  which  such  efforts  always  insure. 

Mr.    Houser   has   always   devoted    much   attention    to   the  raising  of 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  347 

horses  and  in  spite  of  the  low  prices  which  they  have  commanded  for  the 
past  few  years  he  succeeded  in  making  the  business  profitable.  To  this  has 
been  added  the  raising  of  cattle  and  hogs. 

When  Mr.  Houser  came  to  America  the  civil  war  was  still  raging  and 
he  was  offered  $i,ooo  to  go  as  a  substitute  for  a  man  who  had  been  drafted, 
but  the  five  years  he  had  spent  in  the  army  in  his  native  country  had  left  a 
distaste  for  army  life  which  he  could  not  overcome  and  the  offer  was  de- 
clined. But  he  has  great  love  for  his  adopted  country  and  should  they 
ever  need  his  services  as  a  soldier    they  will  be  cheerfully  given. 

Mr.  Houser  was  married  to  Louisa  Wolf  in  Buffalo,  New  York, 
in  November,  i8f6.  She  is  also  a  native  of  Germany.  Five  children 
have  been  born  to  them:  Charles  W.,  David  M.,  Fred,  Henry  and 
Cliristiane. 

Mr.  Houser  has  always  been  an  earnest  advocate  of  Republican  prin- 
ciples and  has  always  affiliated  with  that  party  except  that  he  is  not  in 
harmony  with  the  prohibition  law. 


MARTIN  FEELEY,  one  of  Allen  County's  most  prosperous  farmers, 
was  born  in  Lockport,  New  York,  October  24,  1854.  His  father 
a  native  of  Ireland,  and  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Cox, 
also  a  native  of  Ireland,  came  to  America  in  1845  and  settled  in  L,ockport, 
where  they  lived  until  Mr.  Feeley's  death  in  1884,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
sixty-nine  years.  Mrs.  Feeley  still '  lives  in  Lockport.  Eight  children 
were  born  to  them :  Daniel,  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana;  Mary  O'Shaunecy; 
Jennie  Johnston  and  Anna  Riley,  all  living  in  Eockport  and  Martin.  The 
other  children  are  deceased. 

Martin  Feeley  lived  in  Lockport,  New  York,  until  he  was  twenty-five 
years  old,  when  he  moved  to  Indiana.  Before  leaving  his  native  State  he 
learned  the  cooper's  trade  at  which  he  worked  for  several  years,  and  when 
he  came  west  he  continued  it.  He  saved  money  enough  in  New  York  to 
purchase  a  farm  in  the  west.  In  1884  he  settled  in  Carlyle  township,  Allen 
County,  but  in  the  spring  of  1889  he  sold  his  farm  there  and  purchased  a 
better  one  near  Humboldt  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  owns  120  acres 
well  improved  and  stocked,  and  everything  about  the  farm  denotes  the 
presence  of  a  careful  and  successful  farmer. 

Before  leaving  New  York  Mr.  Feeley  was  married  to  Miss  Julia 
Johnston.  Eleven  children  have  been  born  to  them,  all  of  whom  are  still 
living.  They  are:  Mary,  Francis  and  Rhoda,  living  in  Kansas  City;  MoUie, 
Daniel,  Viola.  Julia,  Clara,  Florence,  Emma  and  Regina,  all  at  home. 
The  family  have  had  the  rare  good  fortune  not  to  have  had  a  death,  nor 
any  serious  illness. 

In  politics  Mr.  Feeley  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  but  has  taken  no 
active  part  in  political  campaigns.  He  has  allowed  his  judgment  as  to  the 
best  man  for  the  office  to  rule  him. 


348  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

LYLE  A.  GARRET  r—Xature  has  evidently  intended  that  man  shall' 
enjoy  a  period  of  rest  in  the  evening  of  life.  In  his  early  manhood 
he  possesses  great  energy,  vigor,  strong  purpose  and  ambition  and  fears  not 
the  arduous  labor  necessary  toward  the  acquirement  of  success.  In  the 
prime  of  life  his  powers  become  ripened  and  mature,  and  his  efforts  may  be 
discerningly  directed  along  well  defined  lines.  If  a  man  therefore  im- 
proves his  opportunities  through  the  years  of  early  and  middle  manhood  he 
will  find  that  in  the  evening  of  life  he  is  the  possessor  of  a  competence 
sufficient  to  supply  liim  with  all  the  necessities  and  many  of  the  luxuries 
which  make  existence  a  pleasure.  Such  has  been  the  case  with  Mr. 
Garrett,  who  is  now  living  retired  in  his  pleasant  home  in  Humboldt.  He 
has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  and  the  competence  that  crowns  his 
labors  is  well  merited. 

A  natiye  of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Highland  County,  on  the  i8th  of 
March,  in  1823,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Garrett,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
South  Carolina,  in  1798,  Having  arrived  at  the  age  of  maturity,  however, 
he  wedded  Miss  Mary  Dean,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  He  had  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  the  Buckeye  State  when  ten  years  of  age,  and  the 
Deans  had  also  located  there  at  an  early  date.  The  Garrett  family  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  lineage  and  the  original  American  ancestors  came  to  this  coun- 
try from  the  north  of  Ireland.  Many  of  the  sterling  characteristics  of  the 
two  races  William  Garrett  manifested  in  his  career.  He  began  farming  in 
Ohio  in  1809  and  in  1847  ^^  removed  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  where  he  made 
his  home  until  1870,  in  which  year  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Kansas  City, 
Missouri.  He  died  at  the  home  of  his  son  in  Allen  County.  Kansas,  in 
1891,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years,  but  his  wife  passed  away  in  Kansas 
City  in  188 1,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years  They  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living,  the  daughters  being:  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Elson,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Mrs.  Alma  Murray,  of  Ohio,  and  Mrs. 
May  Evans,  of  Spring  Hill,  Kansas. 

Eyle  A.  Garrett,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  family,  resided  in  Ohio 
until  his  twenty-fourth  year  and  was  married  in  that  State  to  Miss  Eleanor 
B.  Stewart.  Two  children  were  there  born  to  them.  The  son,  Cyrus  W., 
grew  to  manhood  and  became  a  soldier  during  the  Civil  war,  serving  with 
the  Eighth  Iowa  Cavalry.  The  mother  died  in  Iowa  in  1H49,  the  daughter 
pa.ssiug  away  only  three  days  previous  at  the  age  of  three  years.  Mr. 
Garrett  was  married  again  in  1858,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Mary 
Hamilton. 

In  his  early  business  career  the  subject  of  this  review  followed  farming 
in  Ohio,  and  in  1847  removed  from  that  State  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  which 
was  his  place  of  residence  until  1852.  About  that  time  the  country  became 
excited  over  the  gold  discoveries  of  California,  and  the  fortunes  that  were 
rapidly  acquired  by  men  in  the  mines  on  the  Pacific  coast,  so  that  our 
subject,  in  company  with  his  brother  and  Dr.  Mordice,  fitted  out  an  ox 
team  of  four  yoke  of  oxen.  They  also  had  four  cows,  and  thus  equipped, 
they  crossed  the  plains  and  mountains  which  lay   between   them   and  Cali- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  349 

foniia.  After  traveling  four  months  they  reached  their  destination  and  Mr. 
Garrett  engaged  in  mining  and  prospecting  four  years.  He  returned  home 
by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  riding  on  a  train  for  the  first  time  wlien 
making  his  waj'  across  the  isthmus.  By  steamer  he  proceeded  to  New 
York  and  thence  returned  to  liis  home  in  Iowa.  He  remained  there  until 
1867,  the  year  of  his  removal  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  In  the  latter 
locality  he  engaged  in  fruit  raising  for  twelve  years.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  came  to  Allen  County,  locating  southeast  of  Humboldt,  on  a 
farm  which  he  purchased  and  which  he  still  owns,  comprising  five  hun- 
dred and  forty  five  acres  of  fine  land.  He  carried  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising,  keeping  about  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  about  the  same 
number  of  hogs.  In  1896,  however,  he  put  aside  the  arduous  cares  of 
business  life;  rented  his  farm,  and  is  now  spending  the  evening  of  his  days 
in  a  fine  residence  in  Humboldt,  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  and  many 
of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Garrett  earnestly  espoused  the  cause  of 
the  Union  and  manifested  his  loyalty  in-1862  by  enlisting  as  a  member  of 
Company  C,  Twenty-third  Iowa  Infantry.  He  went  into  the  service  as  a 
private,  but  at  Vicksburg  he  was  promoted  for  gallantry  to  the  rank  of  first 
lieutenant.  He  participated  in  many  hard  fought  battles,  and  skirmishes 
of  lesser  importance,  the  banner  of  his  regiment  being  pierced  by  the 
bullets  of  twelve  hotly  contested  engagements.  He  was  in  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  the  battle  of  Fort  Gibson  and  Fort  Spanish  thirteen  days  and 
nights,  yet  he  was  never  wounded  nor  taken  a  prisoner.  He  lay  in  the 
trenches  at  Vicksburg  from  May  18  until  July  4,  1863,  getting  rest  and 
sleep  at  odd  moments,  and  never  being  able  to  take  off  his  clothing  in  all 
that  time.  He  crossed  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  five  different  occasions  dur- 
ing his  service  and  was  ever  found  where  duty  called,  loyally  defending 
the  starry  banner  of  the  nation.  In  the  fall  of  1865,  when  the  war  was 
ended  and  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  services,  he  was  discharged 
from  the  army  in  Texas.  He  immediately  returned  to  his  home  in  Iowa 
and  resumed  again  the  pursuits  of  civil  life. 

When  Mr.  Garrett  started  out  upon  his  business  career  he  was  the 
possessor  only  of  a  horse.  His  father  allowed  him  the  use  of  a  field,  free 
of  rent  for  the  first  year,  but  from  that  time  he  made  his  way  independent- 
ly, adding  to  his  accumulations  as  the  years  have  passed  by.  He  has  met 
many  of  the  hardships,  trials  and  difficulties  of  life,  but  has  overcome 
these  by  his  determined  purpose.  In  all  his  business  relations  he  has  com- 
manded the  confidence  and  good  will  of  his  fellowmen  by  his  honorable  and 
systematic  methods,  his  force  and  his  enteiprise. 


IIDOBERT  xVI.  WORKS.— Fourty-four  years  upon  the  plains  of  Kansas, 
-'-  ^  more  than  four  decades  a  resident  of  Allen  county  and  above  two 
score  of  years  a  central  figure  in  the  industrial  sphere  of  his  commonwealth 


350  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

marks  the  record  of  our  worthy  pioneer,  Robert  M.  Works.  A  lifetime  of 
intense  and  profitable  activity  along  the  banks  of  the  placid  Neosho  and 
the  last  of  a  race  of  determined  and  indigent  pioneers  express  to  the  world 
in  a  few  words  his  physical  achievements.  If  there  were  no  substantial 
rewards  for  industry,  if  there  were  no  appreciation  for  things  done  and 
tasks  accomplished,  how,  then,  could  the  world  repay  her  planters  of 
civilization  and  establishers  of  society  for  the  hardships  and  misfortunes 
they  have  endured.  Tenacity  is  the  chief  ingredient  in  the  mechanism  of 
a  typical  pioneer  and  the  few  who  have  possessed  this  trait  to  a  marked 
degree  are  the  few  who  answer  to  roll-call  after  a  quarter  of  a  century  of 
prosperity  and  adversity,  of  successes  and  reverses,  each  in  allopathic  rases. 

The  time  seems  never  to  have  been  when  R.  M.  Works  was  not  a 
citizen  of  Humboldt  township.  He  settled  on  the  river  near  the  old  county 
seat  at  a  date  farther  back  than  most  men  now  remember — 1857 — ^^d  be- 
gan the  task  of  opening  a  farm.  The  most  that  was  known  then  about 
Kansas  soil  was  that  the  best  land  lay  near  the  streams  and  in  this  know- 
ledge Mr.  Works  was  particularly  fortunate.  His  homestead  all  lay  in  the 
bottom  and  when  its  wild  nature  had  been  destroyed  and  the  abundance  of 
its  yield  beheld,  the  prosperity  of  its  owner  was  no  longer  a  subject  of 
wonder.  As  a  grain  farmer  and  as  grain  producers  Mr.  Works  and  his 
broad  acres  are  unequaled  in  Allen  county.  Away  back  in  the  seventies 
when  the  prairies  were  settling  up  and  when  the  grass-hoppers  and  floods 
made  it  impossible  for  the  new  men  to  tide  over  on  their  crop  they  called 
on  "Uncle  Robert"  and  paid  him  in  money  and  in  notes,  a  dollar  a  bushel 
for  big  white  corn.  There  was  always  one  place  where  corn  or  wheat 
could  be  had,  in  the  olden  time,  and  what  was  tiue  of  that  farmer  then  is 
true  of  him  still.  Mr.  Works  absorbed  acre  after  acre  of  land  adjoining 
him  till  in  all  fourteen  hundred  acres  along  and  near  the  great  Neosho 
Valley  represent  the  partial  fruits  of  his  labors. 

At  eleven  years  of  age  Robert  Works  was  thrown  out  upon  the  world 
to  battle  with  the  elements.  He  was  left  an  orphan  at  seven  years  of  age 
by  the  death  of  his  father  and  it  was  as  a  farm  hand  and  at  other  forms  of 
hard  work  that  he  started  in  life.  He  was  born  in  Essex  county.  New 
York,  February  20,  1831,  and  was  a  farmer's  son.  His  father  was  George 
Works  and  his  mother,  who  died  in  1880,  was  Julia  Collidge.  The  father 
was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1803  and  his  mother's  birth  occurred  in  1805. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  children:  George,  Robert  M. ,  Clark  and 
Obadiah  Works.  George  and  Clark  are  in  New  York  and  Obadiah  is  in 
Wisconsin,   near  Eau  Claire. 

In  1838  the  Works  family  passed  through  the  Erie  canal  bound  for 
Illinois.  Soon  after  reaching  their  destination  the  father  died  and  the 
mother  took  her  children  back  to  New  York  state.  The  indigency  of  the 
family  made  work  necessary  and  placed  education  beyond  the  reach  of 
young  Robert.  Having  tasted  of  the  western  air  he  longed  to  try  his  for- 
tunes there  and  in  1855  he  went  into  Iowa.  He  spent  two  years  there  in 
the  employ  of  farmers  and  while  there  heard  of  Kansas.      Following  a  de- 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,   KANSAS.  351 

sire  to  see  and  know  the  new  Territory  himself  he  came  hither  and  "took 
up"  the  best  tract  of  land  in  Allen  county. 

The  first  events  of  the  Civil  war  found  Mr.  Works  busy  with  his  new 
farm.  When  the  country  called  he  was  not  too  busy  to  help  put  down 
rebellion  against  the  flag.  The  second  call  for  troops  brought  him  to  the 
proper  officer  to  subscribe  his  name  and  to  offer  his  services,  and  his  life, 
if  need  be,  that  we  might  be  preserved  a  nation  and  not  a  league  of  states. 
He  joined  Company  G.  Ninth  Kansas  and  was  in  the  field  three  years  and 
four  months.  The  regiment's  marches  through  Arkansas  and  Missouri 
and  the  battles  and  skirmishes  incident  thereto  furnish  many  of  the  excit- 
ing reminiscences  of  Mr.  Work's  life. 

When  the  war  ended  Mr.  Works  returned  home  and  was  married  the 
same  year  to  Mrs.  Caroline  Butterfield,  Two  children  were  the  result  of 
this  union:  Julia  E. ,  wife  of  James  W.  Hamm  of  Humboldt,  and  C. 
Wilbur  Works,  the  active  young  aid  to  his  father's  large  enterprises.  The 
latter  is  married  to  Alice  Michael  and  has  two  children.  In  1872  Mr. 
Works  lost  his  wife  by  death  and  in  1874  he  was  married  to  Mrs,  Frances 
Parker,  a  daughter  of  John  Woodin.  Of  the  four  children  of  this  marriage 
three  survive,  viz:  Robert  I,.,  George  C.  and  Mary  Works.  In  June, 
1892,  Mr.  Works  lost  his  second  wife. 

Throughout  all  the  years  of  his  active,  and  somewhat  eventful  life, 
Mr.  Works  has  maintained  himself  pure  and  righteous  among  men.  The 
taint  of  suspicion  or  reproach  has  not  pointed  in  his  direction  and  in  his 
quiet  and  unobtrusive  manner  he  has  made  and  retained  warm  friend- 
ships at  every  turn.  His  whole  life  illustrates  the  adage  that  one  should 
never  weary  of  well-doing. 


TAMES  S.  McKAUGHAN  settled  in  Elm  township.  Allen  county,  in 
"  1 88 1.  He  settled  upon  a  piece  of  prairie  land  and  began  its  cultivation 
and  development  with  a  team  and  a  small  bunch  of  cattle.  His  suc(^ess  is 
observable  in  the  ownership  of  a  half  section  of  land,  instead  of  a  quarter  as 
at  first,  and  in  the  fact  that  his  place  is  improved  and  .'-tocked.  Labor, 
alone,  has  brought  about  this  gratifying  condition.  The  element  of  man- 
agement, of  course,  is  a  valuable  aid  to  industry  in  the  accumulation  of 
wealth  and  both  these  characteristics  are  abundantly  present  in  the  compo- 
sition of  "Jim  McCoin." 

Mr.  McKaughan  was  born  in  Lewis  county,  Illinois,  August  14,  1863. 
He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Edward  McKaughan  who  died  at  the  home  of  our 
subject  August  24,  1899.  The  latter  was  born  in  Pulaski  county,  Ken- 
tucky, in  18 1  g.  He  was  married  there  to  Eliza  Noflet  who  died  in  John- 
son county,  Kansas,  in  1880,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  Their  children 
are:  John  McKaughan,  of  Johnson  county.  Kansas;  Harvey  McKaughan, 
of  the  same  county;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Abe  Larick,  of  Johnson  county, 
Kansas;   Eliza,    wife  of  Levi   Williams,  of  Butler  county,  Kansas;  Serena, 


352  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

deceased,  wife  of  Spencer  Sloan;  Rhoda,  wife  of  Ed.  Montgomery,  of 
Coffeyville,  Kansas;  Lissie,  who  married  J.  B.  Williams,  of  Allen  county, 
and  James  S.,  our  subject. 

James  McKaughan  was  schooled  in  the  country.  He  was  brought  up 
ill  Johnson  county,  Kansas,  and  received  his  first  lessons  in  fanning  there. 
He  was  married  in  Allen  county  in  1884  to  Rosa  Mills,  a  daughter  of 
C.  K.  Mills,  one  of  the  well  known  farmers  of  Deer  Creek  township.  The 
children  of  this  marriage  are:     Jay  and  Edith  McKaughan. 

James  McKaughan  has  filled  an  important  niche  in  the  citizenship  of 
Allen  county.  He  has  not  only  done  his  share  in  local  development  and 
improvement  but  in  other  ways  has  he  shown  his  interest  and  pride  in  his 
county  and  patriotism  on  public  questions.  He  has  trained  with  Democ- 
racy because  he  believed  its  policies  to  be  best  adapted  to  the  needs  of  our 
country  but  a  conviction  to  the  contrary  would  cause  him  to  hold  personal 
interest  above  part}'  and  to  cast  his  ballot  accordingly. 


TAMES  W.  LOCKHART,  County  Commissioner  of  Allen  County,  and 
"  one  of  the  well  known  farmers  of  Humboldt  township,  was  born  in 
Mercer  County,  Illinois,  May  i,  1852.  His  father,  Josiah  Lockhart,  one 
of  the  characters  of  Allen  County  for  nearly  thirty  years,  was  born  in 
Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  in  1815,  and  died  in  Allen  County,  Kansas, 
March  20,  1894.  He  was  married  in  the  State  of  his  birth  to  Elizabeth 
I/cmon,  who  died  at  the  family  homestead  August  5,  1900,  at  eighty-six 
years  of  age. 

In  1843  Josiah  Lockhart  and  wife  moved  into  Mercer  County,  Illinois. 
He  resided  there  till  his  advent  into  Kansas  in  1866.  He  devoted  his  life 
to  the  farm  and  to  stock  and  when  he  settled  in  Allen  County  it  was  three 
miles  southeast  of  Humboldt  that  he  purchased  his  farm.  The  daytime  of 
his  life  was  all  activity.  He  was  one  of  the  old  school  of  citizens,  with 
no  pretense  toward  religion,  with  little  regard  for  sacred  things  and  with, 
apparently,  a  strong  belief  in  the  doctrine  of  "eat,  drink  and  be  merry"  in 
its  literal  sense.  He  was  a  conspicuous  character  at  all  public  gatherings 
and  when  his  friend  was  with  him  he  was  particularly  jocular  and  pointed. 

James  W.  L,ockhart  was  the  sixth  of  seven  children.  When  of  age  he 
went  to  Texas  and  spent  six  years.  He  passed  another  year  in  the  Indian 
Territory.  He  returned  then  to  the  family  hearthstone  and  took  charge  of 
the  farm  and  supported  his  parents  and  provided  for  their  comfort  in  their 
decline.  In  1889  he  was  married  to  Clara  Wiggins,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Sarah  Wiggins.  Mrs.  Lockhart  is  a  native  of  Penn.sylvania  and  ac- 
companied her  parents  to  Kansas  in  1884.  Her  children  are  two  daughters. 
Myrtle  and  Sylvania,  respectively  seven  and  four  years  of  age. 

As  a  farmer  Mr.  lyockhart  is  one  of  the  progressive  and  successful  ones 
in  his  vicinity.  His  property  he  maintains  in  good  repair  and  order  and 
his  farm  is  one  of  the  old   and   attractive   ones   along   the   highway.     His 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  353 

Standing  with  his  fellows  is  unusually  high,  for  he  maintains  a  business 
and  social  honor  not  easily  assailed.  It  was  this  popularity  that  gave  him 
the  nomination  for  County  Commissioner  in  1896.  Notwithstanding  the 
Republican  majority  in  his  district  he  was  elected.  After  a  service  of  three 
years  his  worth  was  fully  recognized  and  he  was  re-elected  as  the  candi- 
date of  the  Fusionists.  His  official  conduct  has  been  fair  and  honorable 
and  has  been  as  free  from  partisan  bias  as  the  exigencies  of  the  case  permit. 
First  of  all  Mr.  Lockhart  is  an  American  and  when  it  comes  to  matters  of 
public  policy  in  Nation  or  State  his  views  coincide  with  modern  Democratic 
ideas.     He  is  a  Democrat  with  a  friendly  feeling  for  other  parties. 


"TAAVID  T.  NASH— For  almost  a  third  of  a  century  David  Thomas 
J — '  Nash  has  resided  in  Allen  County,  the  period  of  his  connection  with 
agricultural  interests  of  Elm  township  covering  thirty  years.  He  was  born 
in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  July  18,  1839,  and  was  the  second  son  of 
Samuel  L,.  and  Catherine  (Early)  Nash.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  a 
native  of  Ireland  and  located  in  Pennsylvania  at  an  early  day.  Both  he 
and  the  maternal  grandfather  served  their  country  in  the  war  of  18 12. 
Samuel  Nash  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1801.  Going  to  the  South  he 
became  overseer  of  slaves  on  a  Kentucky  plantation,  and  while  in  that 
State  he  married  Miss  Early,  a  relative  of  General  Early,  of  Civil  war 
fame.  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Ohio,  and  there  reared  his  family  upon 
a  farm  in  Delaware  County.  He  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  David 
T. ;  Henry,  a  resident  of  Delaware  County,  Ohio;  and  Mrs.  Amanda 
Gregory  and  Mrs.  Anna  Hall,  who  are  also  living  in  that  county. 

Upon  the  home  farm  David  T.  Nash  aided  in  the  labors  of  field  and 
meadow  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  aid  to  crush  out  the  rebellion,  and  enlisted  as  a  member 
of  Company  C,  of  the  Fourth  Ohio  Infantry.  He  served  for  three  years 
and  three  months  and  was  ever  found  at  his  post  of  duty,  loyally  defending 
the  stars  and  stripes.  His  regiment  was  organized  under  Colonel 
Andrews  who  three  months  later  was  succeeded  in  the  command  by 
Colonel  Mason.  It  was  attached  to  tlie  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  Mr. 
Nash  participated  in  twenty-one  engagements.  On  one  occasion  he  could 
easily  have  shot  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  but  not  daring  to  expose  himself 
he  remained  concealed  until  the  General  had  passed  by.  In  1864  he  was 
mustered  out  of  the  service  and  with  a  creditable  military  record  returned 
to  his  home.  He  continued  farming  in  Ohio  until  1870,  when  he  came  to 
Kansas.  After  spending  a  year  in  lola  he  located  upon  his  present  farm  in 
Elm  township,  and  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  the  further 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  land.  His  home  is  presided  over  by  a 
most  estimable  lady,  who  in  her  maidenhood  bore  the  name  of  Louisa  E. 
Gunn.  She  was  born  in  Edwards  County,  Illinois,  in  1845,  a  daughter  of 
Tyler  and  Jemima  (Root)  Gunn,    the   former   a   native   of   Massachusetts. 


354  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

Their  three  childreh  are:  Mrs.  Nash;  Henry,  of  Perkinsville,  Indiana,  and 
Nelson  B.,  of  Elmwood,  Indiana.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nash 
was  celebrated  in  1865,  and  unto  them  have  born  born  seven  children; 
Mrs.  Rosa  E.  Walker,  of  Coffeyville,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Ada  Remaster,  of 
Carlisle,  Kansas;  Samuel  L. ,  a  locomotive  engineer,  of  Springfield,  Ohio; 
Mrs.  Ida  F.  Ellison,  of  Drexel,  Missouri;  Mary  E. ;  Lulu  Pearl  and  Nelson 
Ray,  both  at  home.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
to  which  Mr.  Nash  has  belonged  for  eighteen  years,  while  his  wife  has 
been  a  member  for  nearly  forty  years.  For  five  years  he  served  as  trustee 
ol  Elm  township.  His  long  continuance  in  that  office  indicates  his  faithful 
service  and  the  confidence  reposed  by  his  fellow  townsmen  in  his  ability 
and  tustrworthiness. 


TDENJAMIN  L.  WALLIS— The  arrival  of  few  of  the  citizens  of  Allen 
J — '  Countj'  antedates  that  of  Mr.  Wallace  who  came  to  it  in  1856,  locat- 
ing north  of  lola.  In  the  years  of  his  residence  here  he  has  watched  with 
interest  the  progress  of  events  whichhave  placed  this  county  on  a  par  with 
many  counties  of  the  older  east  and  to  measures  which  have  contributed  to 
the  material  upbuilding  and  substantial  development  of  the  community  he 
has  given  endorsement  and  support. 

A  native  of  Virginia  he  was  born  in  Lee  County,  in  1833.  His 
paternal  grandfather  emigrated  from  Scotland  to  the  Old  Dominion  at  an 
early  day  and  the  maternal  grandfather  left  his  home  in  Holland  to  take  up 
his  abode  in  the  new  world  when  Virginia  was  a  part  of  the  colonial 
possessions  of  England  in  America.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  both 
born  in  Lee  County  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  in 
1834  removed  to  Indiana,  locating  on  a  farm  where  they  spent  their  re- 
maining days. 

Benjamin  L.  Wallis  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  hard  work  upon  his 
father's  farm  and  as  he  lived  in  a  new  settlement  he  had  but  limited  oppor- 
tunity to  secure  an  education.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  in 
1856  came  to  Kansas.  Here  he  followed  carpentering  for  six  years,  and  in 
1862  he  returned  to  Indiana,  there  to  enter  his  country's  service  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Forty-sixth  Indiana  Infantry,  which  was  attached  to  the  Western 
army.  He  served  under  Generals  Hovey  and  McClarran,  and  participated 
in  many  important  engagements,  including  the  battles  of  New  Madrid,  Fort 
Pillow  and  vSt.  Charles.  In  1864  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service. 
During  the  term  of  his  enlistment  he  was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty, 
faithfully  defending  the  old  flag. 

In  1865  Mr.  Wallis  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sophia 
McCool,  whose  parents  were  born  and  reared  in  Ohio,  and  removed 
to  Indiana  in  the  early  '50s.  Mrs.  Wallis  has  two  brothers, 
Jacob  and  John,  who  are  married-  and  reside  with  their  families  in 
Fountain  County,  Indiana.     Mr.  Wallace  also  has  two   brothers,  John  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  355 

Henry,  who,  with  their  families,  reside  in  the  Hoosier  State.  His  sisters 
are  Mrs.  L,ouisa  Grubbs,  a  widow  now  living  in  Muncie,  Indiana;  Susan 
McKinley,  also  of  Muncie,  and  Mrs.  Nellie  Shipley,  of  Tippecanoe  County, 
Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wallis  have  five  children:  William  C,  who  is 
with  his  parents;  Scott  A.,  blacksmith  in  LaHarpe,  and  is  married;  Charles 
B.,  who  is  a  member  of  the  Thirty-fifth  regiment  of  "United  States  Volun- 
teers, in  the  Philippines;  Mrs.  Emma  Morrison  of  iMoran,  and  Mrs.  Gertie 
Wooten,  who  is  living  near  lola. 

For  a  unraber  of  years  after  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr.  Wallis 
resided  in  Indiana,  but  like  most  people  who  have  once  lived  in  Kansas, 
he  desired  to  return  to  the  Sunflower  State,  and  in  1879  took  up  his  abode 
once  more  in  Allen  County.  He  puichased  a  farm  south  of  LaHarpe  and 
although  it  was  then  a  tract  of  open  prairie,  he  made  it  one  of  the  best  im- 
proved farms  in  the  county,  continuing  its  cultivation  until  February,  1899, 
when  he  put  aside  the  more  arduous  duties  of  farm  life  and  moved  to  La- 
Harpe. He  is  a  staunch  advocate  of  the  Populist  party,  and  since  his 
boyhood  days  has  been  a  consistent  member  of  the  Christian  church.  His 
advancement  in  the  business  world  has  resulted  from  his  own  energy, 
prompted  by  a  laudable  ambition,  and  his  prosperity  has  been  well  and 
worthily  achieved. 


A  RCHIBALD  J.  FULTON.  M.  D.,  of  lola,  Kansas,  was  born  on  the 
-^"^  1 8th  day  of  October,  1847,  on  his  father's  farm,  near  Port  Stanley,  in 
the  county  of  Elgin,  Ontario,  Canada.  His  father,  Samuel  Fulton,  was 
born  at  Ballmaena  and  educated  in  Belfast,  Ireland.  His  mother,  Jean 
(McDearmid)  Fulton,  was  born  and  educated  in  Glasgow,  Scotland.  The 
two  families  emigrated  to  we.stern  Canada  in  an  early  day,  where  Samuel 
Fulton  and  Jean  McDearmid  were  married,  purchased  heavily  timbered 
lauds,  chopped,  logged,  cleared  and  cultivated  the  same,  at  a  time  when 
their  machinery  consisted  of  the  cradle,  hand-rake  and  flail  and  they  were 
obliged  to  travel  sixty  miles  lay  ox  wagon  to  have  their  wheat  ground  into 
flour.  Yet  they  labored  successfully  and  lived  to  see  their  neighborhood 
populate  and  flourish.  To  them  were  born  five  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Of  these,  three  sons,  John  Fulton,  Andrew  L.  Fulton  and  Archibald  J. 
Fulton,  took  up  the  profession  of  medicine  and  surgery.  Dr.  John  Fulton 
(now  deceased)  was  professor  of  surgery  in  Trinity  Medical  College,  of 
Toronto,  Canada,  for  many  years  and  was  rightly  considered  at  the  head 
of  his  profession  in  Canada.  He  had  taken  degrees  in  London,  Edin- 
burgh, Paris,  Heidleburg  and  Berlin.  Dr.  Andrew  L.  Fulton  gratuated  at 
Trinity  Medical  College  of  Toronto,  Canada,  and  Bellevue  Hospital  Med- 
ical College  of  New  York  City.  He  has  been  professor  of  surgery  in  the 
Kansas  City  Medical  College,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  for  two  years  has  been  dean  of  the  faculty  of  that  college. 

Dr.  A.  J.  Fulton  grew  to  manhood  under  the  healthful   enviroment  of 


356  HISTORY    OF    ALLKN    AND 

a  country  life,  and  after  receiving  the  education  obtainable  at  the  countrj* 
log  school  house  in  those  early  days  he  took  a  course  in  the  I/Ondon  (Can- 
ada) Commercial  College  and  graduated  in  class  A  in  1866.  He  then  be- 
gan the  study  of  medicine  and  surgery  under  the  able  guidance  of  his 
brother,  Dr.  Andrew  L.  Fulton,  spending  one  session  in  Bellevue  Hospital 
Medical  College,  of  New  York,  and  giaduating  from  Jefferson  Medical 
College  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  in  March,  1874.  He  immediately 
began  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Uniontown,  Bourbon  county,  Kanas,  but 
after  a  few  months,  in  the  fall  of  1874,  he  removed  to  lola,  Kansas.  On 
the  5th  day  of  May,  1880,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Pickell  and  to 
them  were  born  two  sons,  Fred  Robert  and  Harold  John  Fulton 

For  eleven  years  Dr.  Fulton  discharged  the  duties  of  Pension  Ex- 
aminer. First  receiving  the  appointment  as  a  single  examiner  and  after- 
ward, under  the  administrations  of  Presidents  Harrison  and  Cleveland,  he 
was  one  of  the  three  members  of  the  board,  first  acting  as  president  and 
lastly  as  secretary  of  the  board.  He  was  elected  coroner  of  Allen  county, 
Kansas,  in  November,  1885,  and  succeeded  himself  in  1887,  holding  the 
office  for  four  consecutive  years.  He  served  the  City  of  lola  as  councilman 
for  two  consecutive  years.  In  1898  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Education  and  was  chosen  president  of  that  body  for  two  consecutive 
years.  In  1897  he  received  the  appointment  of  surgeon  to  the  Missouri 
Pacific  Railway  Company  and  is  still  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  that 
office. 

In  fraternal  matters  he  has  held  continuous  membership  in  the  order 
of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  since  twenty- one  years  of  age;  is  at  this  time  a  member  of 
the  M.  W.  of  A..  R.  N.  of  A.,  K.  &  L.  of  S.,  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the  Triple 
Tie  Benefit  Association. 


L  PARSONS. — Not  only  has  the  subject  of  this  sketch  seen  Allen 
•  county  grow  from  a  comparatively  wild  district  with  only  a  few 
white  inhabitants,  to  a  rich  agricultural  country  containing  thousands  of 
good  homes  and  many  thriving  towns,  inhabited  by  an  industrious,  pros- 
perous and  progressive  people,  but  he  has  participated  in  and. assisted  with 
persistent  work  the  development  which  was  necessary  to  produce  the 
change  that  has  placed  this  county  among  the  foremost  in  the  common- 
wealth. For  many  years  he  was  identified  its  with  agricultural  interests,  but 
is  now  living  retired,  although  he  still  makes  his  home  upon  his  farm. 

Mr.  Parsons  was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Indiana,  on  the  8th  of 
August,  183S.  His  father,  Jonathan  Parsons,  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  during  his  boyhood  removed  to  Ohio,  whence  he  made  his  way  to 
Indiana.  In  that  state  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Flanagan,  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky. Throughout  his  life  he  engaged  in  farming,  making  it  a  source  of 
livelihood  for  his  family.  He  died  in  Kansas  in  i87i,at  the  age  of  sixty- 
seven  years,  while  visiting  his   son,   and    his   wife,    long   surviving  him. 


■WOOT)SON  COtTNTIES,   KANSAS.  357 

passed  awaj'  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  They  were  tlie  parents  of 
thirteen  children,  of  whom  seven  are  now  living,  namely:  Peter,  who 
makes  his  home  in  Ashland,  Dakota,  L. ,  of  this  review;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Richard  Heaiey-  Ephraim;  John-  Frank,  and  America  Hines, 

Mr.  Parsons,  of  this  review,  spent  the  first  seventeen  years  of  his  life 
under  the  parental  roof  in  Indiana.  He  then  went  to  Minnesota  with  his 
parents  where  he  remained  for  three  years  and  then  returned  to  Indiana. 
The  j-ear  1870  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Kansas,  and  with  the  interests  of 
Allen  county  he  has  since,  been  associated.  He  located  two  miles  east  of 
Savonburg,  pre-empted  eighty  acres  of  land  and  afterward  secured  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  At  a  later  date  he  again  extended  the  boundaries 
of  his  farm  so  that  it  now  comprises  three  hundred  and  five  acres  of  arable 
land.  It  was  a  tract  of  raw  prairie  when  he  took  possession  of  it,  but  with 
characteristic  energy  he  began  its  development  and  soon  transformed  the 
wild  place  into  richly  cultivated  fields  which  brought  to  him  a  good  income 
as  the  years  pa.ssed  by.  Thus  he  gained  a  comfortable  competence  which 
now  enables  him  to  live  retired,  his  toil  in  former  years  supplying  him 
-with  a  capital  sufficient  to  meet  all  his  wants  at  the  present  time. 

On  the  22nd  of  December,  1864,  Mr.  Parsons  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Phoebe  Fausset,  a  native  of  Indiana,  who  proved  to  him  a  faithful 
companion  and  helpmate  on  the  journey  of  life  for  more  than  a  third  of  a 
century,  but  in  1900  they  were  separated  by  death,  Mrs.  Parsons  being 
called  to  the  home  beyond  on  the  29th  of  June,  of  that  year,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-nine.  Eight  children  had  been  born  to  them,  namely:  John  F. ,  who 
is  now  a  resident  of  Oklahoma  Territory;  C.  N. ,  who  is  a  teacher  in  Bethel 
College,  at  Newton,  Kansas;  W.  J.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal 
of  Texas;  James  M.,  Ora  and  O.  H.,  all  at  home;  A.C.,  who  is  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  home  school  in  Allen  county,  and  is  also  a  Normal  and 
Business  College  graduate;  and  Flora,  the  wife  of  Elmer  Price,  who  resides 
near  the  family  homestead. 

Mr.  Parsons  evercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  men  and 
measures  of  the  Democracy,  but  has  never  sought  the  honors  or  emolu- 
ments of  public  office.  He  has  been  an  ardent  supporter  of  educational 
institutions  and  has  lived  to  see  three  of  his  sons,  C.  N.,  W.  J.  and  A.  C, 
finish  their  college  courses.  He  has  kept  supervision  over  the  doings  of 
his  farm  that  it  may  be  always  properly  conducted.  He  is  engaged  in 
stock  raising  and  his  keen  discrimination  in  business  affairs  and  his  un- 
flagging industry  made  him  one  of  the  well-to-do  citizens  of  the  community. 


TTENRY  F.  RICE,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Kansas,  was  born  in 
-*-  -•-  Marion  county,  Kentucky,  August  1816.  At  an  early  age  he  went 
with  his  parents  to  the  southern  part  of  Illinois  and  helped  to  cut  and  hew 
the  logs  that  built  a  cabin  for  a  home  for  the  family  in  that  heavily  tim- 
bered country.      There    were   no   school   advantages   except   subscription 


35S  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

schools  and  our  subject  only  received  about  six  months  schooling  in  his 
life.  Add  to  this  the  home  instruction  and  he  came  to  maturity  with  a 
good  practical  education.  When  about  twenty-five  years  of  age  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  K.  Thompson,  of  Hopkinsville,  Kentucky,  and  settled 
near  Marion,  in  that  state.  He  and  his  wife  were  devoted  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church, 

Mr.  Rice  was  a  stone-mason  by  trade,  but  lived  upon  the  farm.  He 
and  his  wife  lived  happily  together  for  twelve  years,  when  death  claimed 
her.  Mr.  Rice  conceived  that  it  would  be  better  to  take  his  little  ones  to 
his  widowed  mother  and  both  give  and  receive  help  and  comfort,  and  so 
taking  the  two  oldest  children,  seven  and  nine  years  old,  on  horseback 
they  started  on  their  journey  of  sixty  miles.  He  singing  "Guide  me.  Oh 
though  great  Jehovah.  Pilgrim  through  this  barren  land;  I  am  weak. 
But  Thou  art  mighty;  hold  me  with  thy  powerful  hand." 

After  passing  through  many  trials  and  misfoitunes  his  family  were 
beginning  to  scatter.  The  father's  love  was  so  strong  as  to  keep  him  with 
them  thirty  years.  He  remarried  and  some  years  afterward  sold  his  beau- 
tiful home  in  Illinois,  gathered  his  family  together  and  emigrated  to  Kan- 
sas. In  May,  1867,  six  covered  wagons  drove  up  and  halted  near  Rufus 
Perkins'  home  in  lola,  (now  known  as  Mrs.  Canatsey's).  After  stopping 
there  a  few  days  to  look  around  Mr.  Rice  bought  the  Barry  farm  about 
five  miles  south  of  lola.  Reaching  Kansas  the  year  after  the  grass-hoppers 
came  (in  i856)  times  were  very  hard,  but  the  brave  man  who  had  endured 
so  much  only  laughed  at  the  discouragements  which  made  others  despond- 
ent and  leave  the  country.  By  lending  a  hand  here  and  giving  a  kind, 
encouraging  word  there  and  more  substantial  help  to  those  who  needed  he 
endeared  himself  to  those  who  knew  him.  The  last  fifteen  years  of  his 
life  were  spent  on  his  Kansas  farm  in  the  company  of  his  single  daughter. 
Miss  Saiah  Rice.  He  was  public  spirited,  generous  hearted  and  an  earnest 
consistent  Christian,  helping  in  all  good  works.  He  died  at  his  home  in 
June,  1880,  of  heart  failure,  leaving  three  children:  Miss  Sarah  Rice, 
afterwards  Mrs.  Sarah  Toop,  of  Ulyses,  Nebraska;  Mrs.  M.  J.  Barth,  of 
lola,  and  C.  M.  Rice,  of  Bentonville,  Arkansas.  The  remains  were  laid  to 
rest  in  the  lola  cemetery. 


JOHN  G.  KENYON,  who  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  good  farms  of  Allen 
County,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Elsmore,  was 
born Jn  Rhode  Island,  October  7,  1840.  In  that  State  he  remained  until 
eighteen  years  of  age  where  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  residing  for  four 
years.  Returning  to  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  he  remained  for  two  years. 
He  was  married  in  Filmore  County,  Minnesota,  "of  which  State  he  had  al- 
ready become  a  resident,  on  the  4th  of  May  1861,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  H-. 
Larkin,  also  a  native 'of  Rhode  Island.  In  December,  1861,  in  response  to 
the  call  of  the  President,  he  enlisted    in  the   Union   army  for   three  years. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  359 

Ou  reaching  St.  lyouis,  however,  he  was  taken  ill  and  later,  was  discharged 
on  account  of  disability  after  one  year's  service. 

Returning  then  to  Minnesota  Mr.  Kenyon  engaged  in  farming  until 
i865  when  he  removed  to  Brookfield,  Missouri  where  he  resided  until  1870. 
That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Kansas.  He  took  up  hi.s  abode  on  a 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  located  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
Elsmore  township  and  for  nineteen  years  continued  its  cultivation,  making 
his  home  thereon  until  1889,  when  he  came  to  Elsmore  and  established  his 
livery  stable  which  he  has  since  conducted  with  great  success.  He  has 
been  a  prominent  factor  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  town,  serving  as  post- 
master under  President  Harrison.  For  about  fifteen  years  he  has  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  and  his  decisions  have  ever  been  fair  and  impartial, 
winning  him  golden  opinions  from  all  classes  of  people. 

In.  1897  Mr.  Kenyon  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
who  died  on  the  23rd  of  Jul}'  of  that  year,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six.  She  had 
many  warm  friends  and  her  death  was  therefore  widely  mourned.  They 
never  had  any  children,  but  reared  an  adopted  daughter,  Daisy,  who  is 
now  at  home  with  her  father,  a  young  lady  of  seventeen  years.  Mr. 
Kenyon  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Republican  party,  and  has  ever  manifested  the  same  loyal  spirit  of 
citizenship  that  he  displayed  when  in  1861  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government  in  defense  of  the  stars  and  stripes. 


l_j'"RIC  D.  ERICSON,  who  is  numbered  among  the  prosperous  and  self- 
-*— -*  made  men  of  Elsmore  township,  Allen  Count}',  was  born  of  Swedish 
parentage  in  Knoxville,  Knox  County,  Illinois,  on  the  2nd  of  November, 
1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Ole  and  Elna  Ericson,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Sweden,  whence  they  came  to  America  in  1852,  locating  in  Knoxville.  In 
their  family  were  nine  children,  of  whom  Eric  D.  is  the  fourth  in  order  of 
birth.  He  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  during  his  boyhood 
pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  worked  at  home  until 
nineteen  years  of  age  and  then  started  out  in  life,  for  himself,  securing  em- 
ployment as  a  fai-m  hand.  He  also  worked  in  coal  mines,  giving  his  time 
to  those  two  pursuits  until  he  had  secuied  a  capital  of  about  five  hundred 
dollars.  Believing  that  this  might  be  profitably  invested  in  the  west,  in 
the  spring  of  1883,  in  company  with  his  brother  Joseph,  he  came  to  Kansas, 
locating  first  in  Bourbon  County,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  one  year.  In 
18S4  he  came  to  Allen  County  and  in  connection  with  his  brother 
purchased  a  league  claim.  He  gave  all  of  his  money  for  the  property  and 
soon  aterward  found  that  he  had  no  title  to  the  land,  nor  could  he  acquire 
one.  He  thus  lost  all  that  he  had  paid.  .Such  an  experience  would  have 
utterly  discouraged  many  a  man  of  less  resolute  spirit,  but  with  a  de- 
tehnined  purpose  and  a  strong  heart  he  set  to  work  to  retrieve  his  lost 
possessions.     Again  buying  that  tract  of  land,  with  characteristic  energy  he 


360  iriST'ORY  OF    ALLEN    ANTT 

commenced  improving  it,  erected  a  good  residence,  planted  shade  trees  and 
otherwise  added  to  the  value  and  attractive  appearance  of  the  place.  He 
today  owns  three  hnndred  and  twenty  acres,  and  the  rich,  productive  soil 
yields  to  him  excellent  returns  for  the  labor  he  bestows  upon  it.  The 
entire  farm  is  improved  and  much  of  the  grain  he  raises  he  feeds  to  his 
stock,  which  upon  the  market  finds  a  ready  sale. 

On  the  i2th  of  April,  1883,  Mr.  Ericson  'was  united  in  marriage 
to  Mi.ss  Jennie  Freeburg,  who  was  born  in  Sweden,  on  the  31st  of  May, 
1863,  and  came  to  America  with  her  parents  when  five  years  of  age.  Stie 
is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ingar  Freeburg,  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
new  world  in  1869,  settling  near  Paxton,  Illinois,  whence  they  came  to 
Kansas  in  1883.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ericson  has  been  blessed 
with  five  children:  Hattie,  George,  Alvin,  Harley  and  Earl,  aged  respective- 
ly sixteen,  fifteen,  ten,  eight  and  four  years.  Mr.  Ericson  is  a  member 
of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  at  Elsmore,  and  of  a  mutual  insurance'  com- 
pany at  Galesburg,  Illinois.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  State  Bank  of 
Elsmore  and  is  at  present  one  of  the  directors  of  that  institution.  In  poli- 
lics  he  is  a  Populist,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office,  preferring  to 
give  his  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  He  has  served  as  a  school  officer 
for  a  number  of  years  and  the  cause  of  education  in  his  district  has  found 
in  him  a  warm  friend.  Otherwise  he  has  held  no  other  political  prefer- 
ments, for  the  work  of  the  farm  claims  his  industry  and  enterprise.  How- 
ever, he  has  met  with  reverses,  but  has  overcome  all  the  difficulties  and 
obstacles  in  his  path  by  a  resolute  will  and  unflagging  perseverance,  and 
today  he  is  classed  among  the  substanial  agriculturists  of  his  adopted 
country- 


JESSE  P.  DECKER,  of  Elsmore,  Allen  county,  editor,  merchant  and 
politician,  has,  through  the.se  and  other  channels  of  public  intercourse, 
acquired  a  promince  and  a  leadership  in  eastern  Allen  county  which  be- 
speak for  him  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  townsmen.  This  confidence  and 
fegard  he  has  merited  and  drawn  to  himself  in  the  brief  period  of  eight 
years,  for  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Allen  county  only  since  1892.  Being 
born  so  close  to  the  county  line  and  being  a  son  of  one  of  Allen  county's 
pioneers  Mr.  Decker  is  almost  entitled  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  our  old 
citizens.  He  was  born  in  Xenia,  Bourbon  county,  September  10,  1865. 
He  is  a  son  of  ex-County  Treasurer  M.  1,.  Decker,  of  lola,  and  at  the  age 
of  six  years  was  taken  into  Eeavenworth  county,  Kansas,  and  there  resided 
during  his  youth  and  was  there  educated  in  the  common  schools.  On 
coming-  of  age  he  returned  to  his  birthplace  and  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  the 
store  of  his  uncle,  John  Decker.  For  two  years  he  was  so  employed  and 
then  opened  a  store  on  his  own  account.  In  April  1888,  he  was  appointed 
postmaster  at  Xenia,  but  resigned  after  some  months'  service  to  better 
look    after   other  business.      In   1 892  he  disposed  of  his  stock  and  business 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  361 

and,  after  some  prospecting,  located  in  Elsmore  wliere  he  opened  a  general 
store  in  June  of  that  year.  In  February,  1897,  he  sold  his  business  and 
engaged  in  the  real  estate,  loan  and  insurance  business.  This  year  he  was 
appointed  "post-master  at  Elsmore  which  position  he  still  occupies.  In 
igoo  he  re-engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  and  his  is  one  of  the  con- 
spicuous and  popular  enterprises  in  Elsmore. 

In  February,  1899,  Mr.  Decker  purchased  the  "Elsmore  Enterprise," 
a  weekly  newspaper  devoted  to  the  interests  of  Elsmore  and  Allen  county 
and  a  publication  with  a  strong  declaration  of  Republican  principles. 
With  the  active  management  of  this  journal,  with  the  supervision  of  the 
mail  matters  of  Elsmore  and  with  the  conduct  of  his  general  store  Mr. 
Decker  manages  to  keep  fairly  busy. 

Mr.  Decker's  interest  in  the  development  of  Allen  county  is  a  matter 
of  public  notoriety.  When  there  is  anything  proposed  for  the  good  of  the 
town  if  he  is  not  at  the  head  he  is  always  in.  If  some  important  move  is 
on  foot  touching  the  welfare  of  his  community  and  requiring  tact  and 
ability  to  execute  Jesse  Decker  is  one  to  help  do  the  work.  In  any  part  of 
our  county  when  a  bit  of  information  is  wanted  at  Elsmore  or  some  im- 
portant work  to  be  done  it  is  usually  Jesse  Decker  who   is   asked   to    do    it. 

A  Republican  convention  finds  Mr.  Decker  always  with  his  working 
clothes  on.  He  is  rarely  absent  from  any  meeting  of  his  party  committee 
or  convention  and  the  delegation  from  "North  Elsmore"  honors  him  with 
its  chairmanship  on  every  occasion  that  he  will  accept  it.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  has  represented  his  precinct  on  the  County  Committee  and  in 
1900  was  one  of  the  assistants  to  the  secretary  of  the  committee. 

Mr.  Decker  was  married  November  14,  1889,  to  Miss  Nellie  Steven- 
son and  May  18,  1890,  Mrs.  Decker  died.  June  17,  i8gi,  Mr.  Decker 
married  Miss  Sadie  Cutter,  of  Allen  county.  Their  children  are:  Nellie, 
Ruth,  Martin  and  Jesse  Decker. 

Mr.  Decker  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the  Blue  Lodge  at  Savonburg 
and  to  the  Scottish  Rite  bodies  at  Fort  Scott,  a  member  of  some  of  the 
popular  insuiance  societies  and  holds  advanced  and  progressive  opinions 
on  all  public  questions. 


^ARh  A.  REYNOLDS — Among  the  newspaper  fraternity  of  Allen 
^-^  County  is  the  editor  of  the  Savonburg  Record,  Carl  A.  Reynolds. 
He  is  one  of  the  self-made  men  of  our  day  and  has  risen  from  comparative 
obscurity  to  a  position  of  importance  and  usefulness  in  a  community  of  in- 
telligent and  progressive  citizens. 

Mr.  Reynolds  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  Iowa,  August  14,  1876,  and 
is  a  son  of  Frank  Reynolds  and  Martha  Whitinger.  His  parents  were 
born  in  Indiana  and  his  widowed  mother  resides  with  our  subject  in 
Savonburg. 

Carl  Reynolds  was  left  fatherless  in  1880  and  was  forced  by  that  event 


362  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

to  make  some  effort  toward  the  support  of  the  famil}'  very  earlv  in  life.  He 
went  to  the  printers  trade  at  eleven  j-ears  of  age,  and  while  his  days  were 
given  to  his  employer,  his  nights  were  spent  over  school  books,  acquiring 
an  education  He  learned  his  trade  in  Iowa,  and  upon  its  completion,  went 
to  Chicago  where  he  was  employed  in  some  of  the  large  print  shops  of  the 
city.  He  drifted  about  the  city  in  this  way  and  finally  reached  the  great 
establishment  of  Rand,  McNally  &  Company.  He  .spent  three  years  in  the 
service  of  this  company  and  laid  by  his  net  earnings.  Longing  for  a  busi- 
ness of  his  own  he  returned  west  in  the  expectation  of  coming  against  a 
location.  He  went  to  work  on  the  Yates  Center  Advocate  in  1896  and 
during  his  stay  there  made  a  visit  to  Savonburg  which  led  to  his  locating 
there.  He  laid  in  a  supply  of  the  best  material,  type,  press  and  other 
paraphernalia,  and  April  i,  1898,  he  founded  and  issued  the  first  copy  of 
the  Savonburg  Record.  The  general  business  of  his  office  has  met  his 
expectation.  His  editorial  efiorts  are  appreciated  and  enoouraged  with  a 
satisfactory  subscription  list  and  the  job  work  department  is  meeting  the 
demands  of  its  patrons  with  artistic  work  on  a  paying  basis. 

Mr.  Reynolds  was  married  June  26,  1900,  to  Carol  E.  Kimbell,  of 
Yates  Center,  Woodson  County,  and  a  daughter  of  R.  Kimbell. 

Mr.  Reynolds  is  one  of  four  children,  viz.:  Oscar  Reynolds,  of  Harlin, 
Iowa;  E.  A.  Reynolds,  of   Chicago  and    Mrs.  F.  P.    Taylor,  of   Savonburg. 

In  politics  our  subject  is  radical  in  support  of  the  administration  of 
President  McKinley.  His  training  and  political  associations  have  been 
Republican  and  his  paper  is  one  ot  the  political  educators  of  Allen  County. 


T  EWIS  HUFF,  JR. ,  is  actively  connected  with  business  affairs  in  Els- 
-'— '  more  township,  Allen  County,  as  a  farmer,  contractor  and  builder. 
He  was  born  in  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  July  3,  1846,  his  parents  being 
Eewis  and  Elizabeth  Huff.  The  father  is  a  native  of  Virginia  and  when 
seven  years  of  age  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Ohio  wheie 
he  resided  for  about  forty  years.  In  1870  he  came  to  Kansas,  settling  in  the 
southeastern  portion  of  Allen  County,  near  the  southern  boundary  line,  and 
upon  the  old  homestead  he  is  still  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six 
3'ears,  a  venerable  and  highly  respected  gentleman.  His  wife  died  in  1894 
at  the  age  of  seventy -four.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  nine  of 
whom  are  living,  while  eight  of  the  number  are  sons.  The  record  is  as 
follows:  S.  S.,  of  Fort  Scott,  Kansas;  W.  T.,  who  is  living  in  Buffalo, 
Kansas;  T.  G. ,  whose  residence  is  near  Savonburg;  Lewis;  Sylvester,  a 
practicing  physician  of  Mound  Valley,  Kansas;  Pleasant,  the  wife  of  D. 
Freed;  Albert,  of  Allen  County;  Joseph,  lives  in  Baldwin,  Kansas,  and 
Martin,  who  is  living  in  Allen  County.  Four  of  the  sons  were  soldiers  in 
the  Union  army  and  their  record  is  one  of  which  the  family  has  every 
reason  to  be  proud. 

Lewis  Huff  Jr. ,   whose    name    introduces  this   review,,  was  reared  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  363 

educated  in  Ohio,  and  after  arriving  at  the  years  of  maturity  he  wedded 
Miss  Mary  S.  Hodges,  a  native  of  that  State.  In  1865,  when  eighteen  years 
of  age,  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid,  enlisting  as  a  member  of 
Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-second  Ohio  Infantry,  in  which  he 
served  for  nine  months,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged,  for  the  war 
was  ended  and  the  stars  and  stripes  floated  over  the  capital  of  the  .southern 
Confederacy. 

Mr.  Huff  contined  to  make  his  home  in  the  Buckeye  State  until  the 
spring  of  1870  when  he  came  to  Kansas  and  secured  a  claim  in  Neosho 
County,  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Savonburg.  He  there  resided  for  six 
years,  continuing  the  operation  and  improvement  of  the  land,  after  which 
he  sold  the  property  and  secured  another  claim,  including  the  site  of  Savon- 
burg. To  the  development  and  cultivation  of  that  tract  he  devoted  his 
time  for  about  six  or  seven  years  when  hs  again  diipossd  of  the  property 
and  bought  a  farm  two  miles  east,  living  thereon  until  he  sold  and  removed 
to  Fort  Scott.  In  that  city  he  began  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  five  years,  when  he  returned  to  Allen  County  and  purchased 
ten  lots  in  Savonburg.  He  erected  three  houses  which  he  afterward 
sold  and  next  purchased  a  farm  half  a  mile  south  of  town  and  built 
thereon  a  good  residence.  He  has  improved  his  little  farm  and  at  the 
same  time  has  continuously  followed  carpentering,  doing  a  good  business 
as  a  contractor  and  builder.  He  has  erected  more  houses  than  any  other 
man  in  Savonburg,  and  in  other  portions  of  the  county  stand  buildings 
which  are  monuments  to  his  skill,  thrift  and  enterprise. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huff  have  been  born  four  children:  Nora  Huff; 
Elva,  the  wife  of  Ed  Belcher,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Winifred  C,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  Elmer  M.,  at  home.  Mr.  Huff  be- 
longs to  Savonburg  Camp,  No.  1271.  M.  W.  A.  In  his  political  aflEiliations 
he  is  a  Republican,  warmly  espousing  the  cause  of  the  party.  A  life  of 
industry  and  honesty  has  brought  to  him  gratifying  success.  With  no 
special  advantages  in  his  youth,  with  nothing  but  a  determined 
purpose  and  willing  hands  to  aid  him  as  he  started  out  for  himself,  he  has 
worked  his  way  steadily  upward  and  today  is  known  as  one  of  ,the  sub- 
stantial and  reliable  citizens  in  his  portion  of  Allen  County. 


rOHN  H.  SMITH  is  a  well  known  merchant  of  Allen  County,  aiding  in 
'-'  the  successful  conduct  of  a  large  enterprise  in  Savonburg  where  his 
labors  have  brought  him  prominence  in  connection  with  commercial  pur- 
suits. A  native  of  the  Hoosier  State,  his  birth  occurred  in  Dearborn 
County,  Indiana,  on  the  17th  of  April,  1869,  and  he  is  a  son  of  O.  H. 
Smith  who  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  His  boyhood  days 
were  spent  upon  the  home  farm  and  from  the  time  of  early  spring  planting 
until  the  crops  were  harvested  in  the  autumn  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the 
fields.     In  the  winter  months  he  was  a  student  in  the  common  schools  and 


364  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

thus  his  time  was  passed  until  his  fifteenth  year,  when  he  left  Indiana  with 
his  parents  and  came  to  Kansas.  He  continued  under  the  parental  roof 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  became  a  student  in  the 
academy  at  Parsons,  and  later  he  completed  his  education  in  the  Sedalia 
Business  College,  in  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  oi  1890. 

Mr.  Smith  taught  school  for  two  years  and  then  entered  the  grocery 
and  queensware  business  in"St.  Paul,  Neosho  County,  in  connection  with  a 
Mr.  Post.  This  relationship  was  maintained  for  a  short  time  and  then  Mr. 
Smith  entered  into  partnership  with  his  father,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Smith  &  Son.  They  have  since  been  associated  in  business  and  continued 
their  enterprise  in  St.  Paul  until  1S95  when  they  came  to  Savonbarg, 
enlarging  their  field  of  operations  by  adding  a  stock  of  general  merchandise. 
By  the  admission  of  the  second  son  of  the  famtly  the  firm  style  has  been 
changed  to  Smith  &  Sons.  They  carry  a  very  large  stock  of  merchandise 
which  is  displayed  in  two  large  storerooms  and  they  also  have  a  branch 
store  at  Elsmore  under  the  control  of  Frank  E.  Smith,  the  youngest 
partner.  Their  business  now  amounts  to  forty  or  fifty  thousaud  dollars 
annually  and  is  constantly  growing  under  the  capital  management  of  the 
partners,  who  are  reliable  business  men. 

Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Irene  Blake  on  the  27th  of 
December,  1896.  She  is  a  native  of  Bartholomew  County,  Indiana,  and  a 
daughter  of  Allen  and  Lettie  Blake  of  that  county,  who  came  to  Kansas 
with  their  family  in  1878.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  one  little  daughter, 
Eva  May,  who  is  two  years  of  age.  He  is  a  prominent  church  and  Sab- 
bath school  worker  and  is  superintendent  of  the  M.  E.  Sunday  School  of 
Savouburg,  which  position  he  has  held  for  the  past  five  years.  Mr.  Smith 
is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  society  in  Savonburg  and  has  filled  all  the 
chairs  in  the  order.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
in  which  he  has  served  as  clerk  for  a  number  of  years,  and  of  the  Royal 
Neighbors  he  is  a  representative.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent  supporters 
of  the  Republican  party  in  this  portion  of  the  State  and  a  member  of  the 
county  central  committee.  He  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the 
day  and  is  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  administration.  He  has  entered 
upon  a  prosperous  era  in  his  business  career,  and  although  a  young  man  he 
has  already  won  success  that  would  be  creditable  to  one  many  years  his 
senior.  He  is  favorably  located,  his  store  being  situated  in  the  midst  of  a 
rich  farming  community.  His  genial  manner,  courteous  and  obliging  dis- 
position have  gained  him  the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  is  associated,  have 
made  him  many  friends  and  won  him  a  liberal  patronage. 


T~\R.  WILLIAM  LITTLEJOHN.  whose  prestige  as  a  medical  practi- 
■^ — '  tioner  is  an  unmistakable  evidence  of  his  ability,  was  born  in  Scot- 
land, on  the  20th  of  August,  1864.  His  father,  James  Littlejohn,  was  also 
a  native   of   the   land   of  hills  and   heather,  as  was  his  wife,  who  bore  the 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  365 

maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Walker  Scott.  The  father  was  a  minister  of  the 
old-school  Presbyterian  church,  and  devoted  his  entire  life  to  that  holy 
calling.  In  1896  he  came  to  America  to  visit  his  children  who  had  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  new  world,  and  died  in  Missouri  in  the  winter  of  1899,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  His  widow  still  survives  him,  and  now  re- 
sides in  Chicago  with  her  sons.  They  had  eight  children,  of  whom  five 
are  now  living,  namely:  William,  of  this  review;  John  Martin,  a  promi- 
nent medical  practitioner  of  Chicago;  James  B.,  who  held  the  position  of 
surgeon  under  the  British  government  five  years;  and  David,  who  is  also 
a  member  of  the  medical  fraternity;  and  Elizabeth  M.,  wife  of  Thomas 
Anthony,  a  resident  of  England. 

Dr.  L,ittlejohn,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  was  reared  and 
educated  in  Scotland,  and  was  afforded  excellent  educational  privileges, 
studying  both  theology  and  medicine  in  the  Glasgow  University.  He  was 
ordained  to  preach  the  go.spel  in  1886,  and  in  1888  came  to  America,  set- 
tling in  Iowa,  where  he  was  engagedJ;o  fill  the  pulpit  of  some  of  the  best 
churches  in  that  state.  In  1895  he  came  to  Kansas  to  accept  the  pastorate 
of  the  church  in  Denison,  Jackson  county,  where  he  remained  for  four 
years,  on  the  expiration  of  which  period  he  removed  to  Topeka.  Having 
his  degree  of  M.  D.  and  his  diploma  from  the  Glasgow  University,  he  then 
gave  up  the  ministry  and  after  taking  a  post-graduate  course  of  study 
■  entered  upon  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Topeka,  where  he  remained  three 
years.  Since  that  time  he  has  resided  in  Savonburg,  and  his  patronage  is 
all  that  he  can  conveniently  attend  to.  His  ability,  both  natural  and  ac- 
quired, well  fits  him  for  the  responsible  duties  of  one  who  devotes  his  life 
to  the  restoration  of  health  and  to  the  alleviation  of  human  sufferings. 

Dr.  L,ittlejohn  was  married  in  Iowa  to  Miss  Maggie  A.  Orr,  of  Medi- 
apolis,  a  daughter  of  William  M.  and  Catherine  Orr.  The  Doctor  and  his 
wife  now  have  two  children:  Catherine  Elizabeth  and  James  Martin. 
They  are  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church,  and  the  Doctor 
belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Royal  Neighbors,  at 
Savonburg.  He  is  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments,  of  broad  culture  and  of 
strong  mentality,  and  his  thorough  preparation  for  his  chosen  calling  well 
qualifies  him  for  the  successful  practice  of  medicine. 


JOHN  O.  NYMAN  occupies  a  leading  position  in  busine.ss  circles  in 
"  Savonburg.  He  was  born  in  Clay  county,  South  Dakota,  on  the 
14th  of  June,  1873,  and  is  the  second  son  of  August  and  Matilda  Nyman, 
who  are  mentioned  on  another  page  of  this  work  in  connection  with  the 
sketch  of  C.  W.  Nyman.  In  1877  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Allen 
CDunty,  being  then  but  four  years  of  age,  and  was  reared  on  the  home  farm , 
early  becoming  familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of 
the  agriculturist. 

Mr.  Nyman  entered  upon  an  independent  business  career   with    little 


366  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    ANIT 

capital,  becoming  a  real  estate,  loan  and  insurance  agent  at  Savonburg, 
bat  his  patronage  has  steadily  inci-eased,  and  he  has  conducted  some  im- 
portant real  estate  transactions  and  made  some  judicious  and  profitable 
investments  for  himself.  His  business  qualifications  are  such  that  he  has 
already  won  a  good  competence,  and  his  friends  predict  for  him  a  very  suc- 
cessful future.  He  has  become  one  of  the  directors  and  stockholders  in  the 
Savonburg  State  Bank,  owns  the  building,  in  which  the  bank  is  located,, 
and  has  several  lots  in  Savonburg,  together  with  his  residence. 

On  Christmas  day  of  1895  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Nyman 
and  Miss  Ella  Morgan,  a  native  of  Kansas,  and  a  daughter  of  George  M. 
and  Rebecca  Morgan  of  Neosho  county.  They  now  have  a  little  daughter 
of  one  year,  named  lone.  Mr.  Nyman  is  prominent  in  fraternal  circles. 
He  belongs  to  the  blue  lodge  of  Masons  at  Savonburg,  and  has  attained 
the  thirty -second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Kite  in  the  consistory  at  Fort 
Scott,  Kansas,  and  is  a  member  of  Abdallah  Temple,  I^eavenworth,  Kan- 
sas, Ancient  Arabis  Ordei  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  also  belongs 
to  Savonburg  Lodge,  No.  467,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  and  Savonburg  Camp.  No. 
1271.  By  his  ballot  he  supp>orts  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican 
party,  believing  that  its  platform  contains  the  best  elements  of  good  gov- 
ernment. Almost  his  entire  life  has  been  j>a.ssed  in  Allen  county,  and 
that  many  of  his  friends  are  numbered  among  those  who  have  known  him  . 
from  boyhood  is  an  indication  that  his  career  has  ever  been  an  honorable 
one. 


ANDREW  J.  McCIyUNG. — ^Virginia,  which  was  the  first  settled  colony 
in  the  new  world,  has  sent  forth  its  representatives  to  every  state  in 
the  Union,  its  sons  having  aided  in  founding  the  many  great  common- 
wealths which  go  to  make  up  the  nation.  Among  those  who  claim  the 
Old  Dominion  as  the  state  of  their  nativity  is  Andrew  J.  McClung,  an  es- 
teemed resident  of  Allen  county,  his  home  being  in  Elsmore  township. 
He  was  born  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  in  Augusta  county,  Virginia,  on 
the  28th  of  March,  1841.  His  father,  Samuel  McClung,  was  a  native  of 
Rockbridge  county,  that  state,  while  the  mother  of  oui  subject,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  Haffner,  was  born  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 
For  a  number  of  years  after  their  marriage  they '  remained  on  the  Atlantic 
coast,  but  in  1852  sought  a  home  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  taking  up  their 
abode  in  Illinois,  where  they  spent  their  remaining  days,  the  father  dying 
on  the  3rd  of  April,  189 1,  when  seventy-six  years  of  age.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  until  1896  and  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children  of  whom  three  are  now 
living:  Granville,  who  resides  in  Astoria,  Illinois;  Mrs.  M.  E.  Merrill 
who  resides  near  the  same  town;  and  Andrew  J.,  who  is  the  first  in  order 
of  birth. 

Through  the  first  eleven  years  of  his  life  Mr.   McClung  of  this  review 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  367 

remained  in  Virginia  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
[Uinois  in  1852.  There  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools 
and  after  putting  aside  his  text-books  he  entered  the  school-room  as  a 
teacher,  following  that  profession  through  the  winter  months,  while  in  the 
summer  he  engaged  in  farming  for  twenty  years.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Epurvey  Ward  on  the  21st  of  April,  1862,  a  lady  who  is  a 
native  of  North  Carolina,  born  January  20,  1841,  and  when  a  little  maiden 
of  six  summers  went  to  Illinois  with  her  parents,  Lindsay  and  Meca  Ward. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  McClung  and  his  bride  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  rented  farm  which  he  operated  through  the  summer  months, 
while  in  the  winter  he  continued  teaching.  Until  1883  he  was  a  resident 
of  Illinois  and  that  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Kansas.  He  came  with 
his  family  to  Allen  county,  settling  in  Elsmore  township  where  he  con- 
tinued to  operate  rented  land  until  1896,  when  he  invested  his  earnings  in 
a  tract  of  eighty  acres  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  the  town  of  Elsmore.  On 
this  place  he  erected  a  pleasant  and  comfortable  residence  and  a  good 
barn.  He  has  developed  an  excellent  farm,  and  in  connection  with  the 
raising  of  cereals  best  adapted  to  this  climate  he  gives  some  attention  to 
stock-raising.  His  methods  are  progressive  and  practical  and  a  glance  at 
the  place  indicates  to  the  passerby  the  careful  supervision  of  the  thrifty  and 
energetic  owner. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClung  have  been  born  eight  children  of  whom 
seven  are  now  living,  namely:  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Hartley,  a 
resident  of  Illinois;  Henry,  who  makes  his  home  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri; 
Charles,  who  is  living  in  Moline,  Illinois;  Edwin  and  George,  who  assist 
their  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm;  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Roedel,  near  the  old  family  homestead.  The  first  member  of  the  family 
was  William,  who  died  in  1894  when  thirty-one  years  of  age. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClung  are  members  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of 
Security.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  has  always  been  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican. He  was  elected  and  served  four  terms  as  township  trustee  of  Els- 
more township,  and  was  appointed  by  the  government  to  take  the  census 
of  his  township  in  1900.  He  has  ever  discharged  the  duties  of  the  offices 
which  he  has  been  called  to  fill  in  a  manner  with  credit  to  himself  and 
satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  Mr.  McClung 
suffered  greatly  from  rheumatism  and  lost  the  use  of  his  right  arm.  While 
this  would  have  utterly  discouraged  many  a  man  of  less  resolute  will,  he 
has  worked  steadily  year  after  year  making  the  most  of  his  opportunities 
and  to-day  he  is  known  among  those  whose  labors  have  brought  to  them 
the  comforts  of  life  and  won  for  them  a  place  among  the  substantial  citizens 
of  the  community  in  which  they  abide.  Mr.  McClung  uniformly  bears 
himself  as  a  gentleman.  Mentally  he  has  grown  strong  through  his  wide 
reading.  He  has  quick  apprehension  and  readily  comprehends  all  the 
business  affairs  with  which  he  has  to  do.  He  is  domestic  in  his  habits  and 
as  a  husband,   father  and  citizen  his  example  is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


368  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN    AND 

T  T  R.  COURTNEY  is  one  of  the  successful  educators  in  Allen  county 
*— '  •  and  throughout  his  entire  business  life  he  has  devoted  his  attention  to 
the  work  of  the  school-room.  This  profession  ranks  high  among  the  call- 
ings to  which  men  devote  their  energies.  The  student  does  not  alone  ac- 
quire a  knowledge  of  the  text-book  placed  in  his  hands,  but  develops  the 
power  of  mental  concentration  which  becomes  an  active  factor  in  his  later 
life  and  at  the  same  time  forms  habits  which  color  his  future  career.  It  is 
therefore  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  teachers  should  be  people  of 
sterling  worth  as  well  as  of  high  mental  qualifications,  for  the  impress 
which  they  leave  upon  the  minds  and  characters  of  their  pupils  is  ineradi- 
cable. Very  successful  has  Mr.  Courtney  been  in  his  chosen  calling  and 
well  he  deserves  representation  in  this  volume. 

A  native  of  Indiana,  he  was  born  in  Newton  Stewart,  on  the  30th  of 
July,  1867,  and  resided  in  that  state  until  seven  years  of  age  when  he  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Illinois.  There  he  resided  for  three  years.  He 
is  the  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Courtney  of  l,eanna.  In  1878  the  father  came  to 
this  state  settling  on  a  farm  near  Leanna,  and  the  subject  of  this  review 
completed  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  and,  at  the  age  of  nineteen, 
began  teaching.  He  has  since  continuously  followed  that  profession,  with 
the  exception  of  a  period  of  one  year  wl  en  he  was  employed  in  the  capacity 
of  a  book-keeper  in  a  large  hardware  store  owned  by  Mr.  Bragg,  of  Hum- 
boldt. He  has  for  some  time  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  capable  teachers  in  the  county,  having  been  employed  in  many  schools 
in  this  portion  of  the  state.  He  has  never  failed  to  continue  as  a  teacher 
in  a  given  locality  if  he  desired  to  remain  there,  for  his  services  were  ever 
commendable  and  received  the  support  of  the  intelligent  public.  In  1892 
he  came  to  Savonburg  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  for  four  terms,  after 
which  he  removed  to  Humboldt,  as  before  stated.  After  a  year,  however, 
he  went  to  Elsmore  and  was  engaged  in  teaching  in  that  locality  for  two 
years,  spending  one  year  in  the  city  schools  and  one  year  in  the  Old  Els- 
more district  school.  In  1899  he  returned  to  Savonburg  where  he  now 
resides,  being  employed  as  principal  of  the  schools  in  this  place  for  the  year 
1899-1900.  He  also  pcssesses  musical  talent  of  a  superior  order  and  has 
given  considerable  attention  to  the  teaching  of  vocal  music,  having  had 
charge  of  some  very  large  classes. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1890,  Mr.  Courtney  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Jennie  Williams,  who  was  born  in  England  and  in  1886  came  to  the 
United  States  with  her  parents,  James  and  Elizabeth  Williams.  Mr.  and 
Mr.s.  Courtney  have  had  five  children,  namely:  Maud,  Reginald,  Ruby, 
Marie  and  Roy,  but  the  last  named  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Courtney  gives  his  political  support  to  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Republican  party  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and 
insure  the  success  of  Republican  principles.  He  has  given  his  entire  time 
to  his  educational  work,  either  as  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools,  or  as  a 
teacher  of  vocal  music  and  in  both  departments  he  is  proficient,  having 
ranked  among  the  most  successful  teachers  in  this  portion  of  the  state. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  369 

LINCOLN  PINKSTON. — Since  five  years  of  age  Lincoln  Pinkston  has 
been  a  resident  of  this  state,  and  has  been  an  interested  witness  of  its 
growth,  development  and  progress.  He  was  born  in  Scott  county,  Vir- 
ginia, on  the  27th  of  January,  1863,  a  son  of  J.  W.  and  Rachel  (Groves) 
Pinkston,  natives  of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  respectively.  In  1868 
they  left  the  Old  Dominion  for  the  Sunflower  state,  taking  up  their  abode 
in  Cherokee  county.  Mr.  Pinkston  secured  a  homestead  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  He  engaged  in  its  cultivation  for  fifteen  years  and  then 
sold  the  property,  removing  to  Texas,  but  not  being  pleased  with  the  Lone 
Star  state  he  remained  for  only  a  year,  after  which  he  returned  to  Kansas, 
settling  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  Allen  county  in  18S4.  There  he 
bought  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  and  began  the  development 
of  the  farm,  but  death  ended  his  labors  in  1894,  when  he  was  seventy-five 
years  of  age.  His  first  wife  had  died  many  years  before  and  he  has  been 
the  second  time  married,  his  widow  surviving  him.  He  also  left  four 
children. 

Lincoln  Pinkston  was  reared  in  the  state  which  he  now  makes  his 
home  and  received  limited  educational  privileges,  yet  by  reading,  ex- 
perience and  observation  he  has  become  a  well  informed  man  and  is 
familiar  with  all  the  questions  of  general  interest.  He  remained  with  his 
father  until  the  latter's  death  and  afterward  continued  upon  the  old  home- 
stead. He  was  married  on  the  15th  of  January,  1888,  to  Miss  Ella  Louisa 
Mashburn,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  came  to  Kansas  with  her 
parents  when  only  two  years  of  age.  Her  father,  John  Mashburn,  was  a 
native  of  North  Carolina  and  came  to  this  state  in  1870,  but  is  now  living 
in  Polk  county,  Missouri.  Mrs.  Pinkston  is  the  eldest  of  ten  children.  By 
her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  five  children:'  Belle,  Grace,  Elmer, 
Robert  and  Roy,  twins. 

The  subject  of  this  review  is  now  operating  and  managing  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  land  belonging  to  him  and  his  heirs  and  has  de- 
veloped it  into  a  very  valuable  property.  He  handles  cattle,  hogs  and 
horses,  watches  the  market  prices  and  sells  to  good  advantage,  thus  an- 
nually augmenting  his  income.  He  is  independent  in  politics,  studies  the 
questions  and  platforms  and  then  gives  his  support  to  the  principles  which 
he  believes  contain  the  best  elements  of  good  government.  His  worth 
as  a  man  and  citizen  is  widely  acknowledged  and  among  the  substantial 
residents  of  Allen  county  he  is  numbered. 


/'~\  H.  SMITH,  who  is  prominent  in  commercial  and  fiaternal  circles 
^-^*  in  the  county  of  his  adoption,  his  home  being  in  Savonburg,  was 
born  in  Dearborn  County,  Indiana,  April  6,  1843,  and  upon  a  farm  in  the 
Hoosier  State  spent  his  boyhood  days  performing  his  share  of  the  work 
in  field  and  meadow.  He  acquired  a  good  school  Education  and  remained 
with  his  parents  until  after  he  had    attained  his  majority    when  he   started 


370  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

out  upon  an  independeut  business  career,  and  as  a  companion  and  helpmate 
on  life's  journe)-  he  chose  Miss  Nancy  A.  Herbert,  of  Johnson  County, 
Indiana. 

The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  which  he  had 
previously  purchased  in  Dearborn  County  and  there  resided  until  1884,  his 
labors  as  an  agriculturist  being  crowned  with  a  gratifying  degree  of  success. 
Having  a  family  of  growing  sons  he  thought  that  he  might  secure  better 
opportunities  for  them  in  the  west  where  the  population  was  not  so  great 
and  competition  in  consequence  not  so  marked.  Accordingly  he  sought  a 
home  in  Kansas,  bringing  his  family  to  the  Sunflower  State  in 
1884.  They  located  five  miles  north  of  Parsons,  in  Neosho  County, 
where  Mr.  Smith  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  lich, 
arable  land  which  he  still  owns,  the  tract  constituting  one  of  the  valuable 
farming  properties  of  the  county  in  which  it  is  located.  He  has  excellent 
improvements  upon  the  place  and  everything  is  in  good  condition.  There 
he  resided  for  eight  years  when,  having  acquired  considerable  capital 
through  his  labors  as  an  agriculturist,  he  concluded  to  abandon  the  plow 
and  enter  into  commercial  pursuits.  Accordingly  he  located  in  St.  Paul 
where  he  and  his  eldset  son  established  a  grocery  and  queensware  store  in 
1891,  under  the  firm  name  of  Smith  &  Son.  They  remained  there  for 
four  years  when  they  sought  a  broader  field  of  labor  by  removing  to  Savon- 
burg  in  1895.  Here  they  enlarged  their  stock,  adding  general  merchandise, 
and  thej'  now  have  one  of  the  most  extensive  general  mercantile  establish- 
ments in  the  county,  carrying  a  large  line  of  goods,  such  as  is  demanded  by 
the  town  and  country  trade.  The}'  also  have  a  branch  store  at  Elsmore 
and  their  business  has  now  reached  proportions  represented  by  sales  that 
amount  to  forty-five  thousand  dollars  annually,  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Sons 
ranking  high  in  commercial  circles. 

O.  H.  Smith  is  the  owner  of  a  nice  residence  on  a  pleasant  corner  in 
Savonburg  and  there  he  resides  with  his  wife  and  the  children  who  are 
still  under  the  parental  roof.  Six  sons  have  been  born  unto  them;  John  H. , 
who  is  now  in  partnership  with  his  father;  Frank  E. ,  who  is  also  a  member 
of  the  firm  and  has  charge  of  the  store  in  Elsmore;  Lawrence  O. ,  who  is  a 
student  in  school;  Charles  Otto,  at  home;  Oliver,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
four  years,  and  Claudius,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two.  Mr.  Smith  takes 
a  great  pride  in  his  family  and  has  provided  his  children  with  excellent 
educational  privileges,  that  they  may  be  well  fitted  for  life's  practical  and 
responsible  duties.  The  eldest  son  is  a  graduate  of  the  Sedalia  Business 
College  and  the  second  son  of  the  Fort  Scott  Business  College. 

In  political  views  Mr.  Smith  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  has  voted 
for  each  presidential  nominee  of  the  party  since  its  organization,  when  John 
C.  Fremont  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  ticket.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest, 
if  not  the  oldest  Odd  Fellow  in  the  State,  having  joined  the  order  in  Indi- 
ana in  1856.  Throughout  the  passing  years  he  has  been  an  exemplary 
member  of  the  fraternity  and  his  life  shows  forth  its  beneficent  principles. 
Several  times  he  was  a  representative  to  the  grand  lodge  in  Indianapolis, 
Indiana,  and  has  filled  every  chair   in  his   local  lodge.     He   is   conducting 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  37 1 

his  business  on  systematic  and  metlipdical  principles  and  an  idea  of  the  suc- 
cess which  has  attended  the  enterprise  is  indicated  by  the  greatly  increased 
facilities.  He  is  now  numbered  among  the  prosperous  merchants  of  his 
community  and  his  position  is  the  just  reward  of  meritorious  and  honorable 
effort  which  commands  the  respect  and  admiration  of  all. 

In  this  connection  it  will  be  of  interest  to  know  something  of  the  tamily 
of  which  Mr.  Smith  is  a  representative.  His  father,  Richard  Smith,  was 
born  at  Thorpe  Arch,  Yorkshire,  England,  and  when  sixteen  years  of  age 
he  entered  the  English  army,  serving  for  seven  years  under  Sir  Arthur 
Wellesley,  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Waterloo.  His  command  en- 
tered the  engagement  eight  hundred  strong  and  left  the  battle-field  with 
only  thirty-two  survivors.  Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  those  who  fortunately 
escaped  with  his  life.  His  son,  O.  H.  Smith,  is  now  in  po.ssessiou  of  his 
father's  discharge  papers,  also  a  clothes  brush  which  he  carried  through 
that  war. 

.\fter  retiring  from  the  army  Richard  Smith  determined  to  seek  his 
home  in  the  land  of  the  free  and  bidding  adieu  to  his  native  country  sailed 
for  America  where  he  arrived  in  March,  1817.  He  was  married  in  this 
country  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Harbert,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  unto  them 
were  born  ten  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living, Jnamely:  Richard  H., 
a  resident  of  Dearborn  County,  Indiana;  Henry  K.,  who  resides  in  Arkan- 
sas; Mrs.  Maria  L.  Butt,  of  Shawnee  County,  Kansas;  and  O.  H.  Smith, 
the  popular  merchant  of  Savonburg. 


NEWTON  L,.  ARD,  one  of  the  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  citizens 
of  Allen  County,  resides  in  Elsmore  township,  where  he  has  a  valu- 
able farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  was  born  in  Morgan  Coun- 
ty, Missouri,  July  3,  1845,  while  his  parents,  Charles  C.  and  Susan 
(Borrow)  Ard,  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  On  leaving  that  State  in  1840 
they  emigrated  westward  to  Missouri,  where  the  father  carried  on  farming  for 
twenty-one  years,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  came  to  Kansas  in 
1 86 1,  settling  on  Big  creek  in  Elsmore  township.  He  was  not  long  per- 
mitted, however,  to  enjoy  his  new  home  for  his  death  occurred  in  1864, 
when  he  was  forty-five  years  of  age.  His  wife  died  the  same  year,  and 
also  at  the  same  age.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom 
ten  are  now  living. 

Newton  L,.  Ard,  the  third  in  order  of  birth,  came  to  Kansas  with  his 
parents  in  1861  After  their  death  he  remained  with  the  other  children, 
the  family  continuing  together  until  all  of  the  son^  and  daughters  had 
attained  an  age  where  they  were  capable  of  caring  for  themselves.  The 
subject  of  this  review  secured  a  claim  near  the  old  homestead  and  has  since 
engaged  in  its  cultivation. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  Mr.  Ard  chose  Miss 
Sarah  Ann  Burns,  their  marriage  being  consummated  on  the  30th  of  March, 


372  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

1871.  She  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  Kansas -.vith  her 
parents  iu  i860.  They  have  had  ten  children,  namely:  Mark,  Myrtle,  wife 
of  William  Hoil;  Olive;  James;  Elbert;  Charles,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seven  years;  Herschell;  Hazel,  Nellie  and  Edna. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Ard  served  in  the  First  Brigade  of  the 
Kansas  milida.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and 
in  politics  is  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  is  a  recognized  leader  of  his  part)- 
and  for  several  years  he  has  served  as  trustee  of  Elsmore  township.  In 
1894,  when  his  district  was  strongly  Democratic,  he  was  elected  county 
commissioner  by  a  large  majority,  having  been  nominated  for  the  office  by 
his  friends  who  knew  that  he  was  the  only  man  in  the  district  who  could 
defeat  the  Democratic  nominee.  He  served  for  three  years,  filling  the 
office  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He  is 
extremely  popular  and  well  deserves  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  uni- 
formly held  and  at  the  same  time  justly  merits  the  success  that  has  come  to 
him  as  the  reward  of  his  energy  iu  business. 


HIRAM  A.  MYERS  has  been  a  witness  of  the  development  of  Allen 
County  from  its  pioneer  epoch,  has  seen  its  wild  lands  transformed 
into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  while  the  work  of  progress  has  been 
carried  forward  in  city  and  village  and  the  county  has  taken  rank  with  the 
best  in  the  State.  His  residence  here  dates  from  1870,  and  thus  through 
three  decades  he  has  been  numbered  among  its  worthy  citizens. 

Mr.  Myers  was  born  in  Boone  County,  Indiana,  March  10,  1841,  and 
his  parents,  James  and  Eviline  (Stoker)  Myers,  were  both  natives  of 
Kentucky.  When  a  young  man  the  father  removed  to  Indiana,  where  he 
was  married,  and  in  1852  took  his  family  to  Iowa,  coming  thence  to  Kansas 
in  1857.  In  this  State  he  settled  in  Jefferson  County,  where  he  died  in  1882, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1890,  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty  three.  They  celebrated  their  sixtieth  wedding  anni- 
versary, and  at  that  time  thirteen  of  their  fifteen  children  were  living.  The 
following  named  were  born  unto  them  :  Elizabeth  A.,  wife  of  Frank  John- 
son; Mary,  wife  of  Horace  Gibbs;  Ellen,  wife  of  Perry  Dale;  Sarah,  wife  of 
Thomas  West;  Eliza,  who  married  Squire  Burnes;  Harriet,  who  wedded 
Thomas  Pucket;  Sophrona,  wife  of  Alfred  Quackingbush;  Martha,  wife  of 
A.  L.  Rivers;  L,ouisa,  wife  of  James  Clements;  Flora  and  Reuben,  both 
deceased;  Jonathan,  who  was  killed  in  the  army;  Thomas,  now  in  Jefierson 
County,  Kansas;  H.  A.,  of  Allen  County,  and  James  of   EUwood,    Kansas. 

There  were  five  brothers  in  the  army.  One  of  the  number  made  his 
escape  from  the  Indians  at  the  time  of  the  massacre  on  the  Platte  river.  He 
was  also  of  the  party  of  men  that  rescued  Mrs.  Larimer  from  the  Indians, 
by  whom  she  had  been  held  captive  for  one  year. 

Hiram  A.  Myer§,  whose  name  begins  this  review,  came  to  Kansas  in 
1857,  and  remained  with  his  parents  on  the  home   farm  until   twenty  years 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  EA^NSAS.  373 

'ol  age,  when,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  he  voluiiteefed  as  a  "Onion 
■soldier  on  the  17th  of  September,  1862,  enlisting  in  Coitipanj'  D,  Eleventh 
Xansas  Mounted  Infantrj'.  He  saw  some  very  arduous  service,  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Fort  Wayne,  Cane  Hill,  Van  Buren,  Prairie  Grove  and 
■Cross  Hollows,  and  was  at  Lawrence  at  the  time  of  the  Quantrell  raid.  He 
also  aided  in  repelling  the  Price  raid,  and  at  the  close  of  his  term  was 
Tionorably  discharged  February  22ud,   1865. 

Returning  to  his  home  Mr.  Myers  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
L.  E.  Young,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and  came  to  Kansas  in  i860. 
In  March,  1870,  they  removed  to  Allen  County,  locating  on  a  farm  in 
Elsmore  township,  where  they  lived  for  several  years,  Mr.  Myers  raising, 
buying  and  selling  stock.  He  now  resides  in  Savonburg,  and  for  the  past^ 
twelve  years  has  been  traveling  agent  for  a  stock   company  of    Kansas  City. 

In  1898  Mr.  Myers  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who 
died  leaving  fi've  children:  Cora  Alice,  Oliver  J.,  who  is  a  guard  in  the 
Kansas  penitentiary  and  who  served  in  the  Spanish- American  war  with  the 
First  Territorial  Infantry,  Company  M;  Delia  I.;  Lillian  D.;  Julia  A. ; 
"Clara  E.' and  Gilbert  O.,  the  third  and  fifth  members  of  the  family,  are  now 
■deceased.  Since  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Myers  has  been  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican. He  belongs  to  Savonburg  Post,  G.  A.  R. ,  and  is  as  true  to  his 
duties  of  citizenship  today  as  when  he  followed  the  stars  and  stripes  on 
southern  battle-fields. 


CHARLES  W.  DANIELS.— One  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Allen 
county  is  Charles  W.  Daniels.  He  claims  Virginia  as  the  state  of  his 
nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Barbara  county,  of  the  Old  Dominion 
■on  the  22nd  of  February,  1865.  His  father  was  Elmore  Daniels,  also  a 
native  of  Virginia  and  in  which  state  he  was  reared,  spending  the  days  of 
his  childhood  and  yo-:th  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  of  that  period. 
After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Miss  Rebecca  Cooper,  also  a 
native  of  the  same  state,  and  after  residing  there  a  number  of  years  suc- 
ceeding their  marriage  they  came  to  Kansas,  emigrating  westward  in  1877. 
In  Bourbon  county  they  took  up  their  abode  on  a  farm,  and  to  the  further 
improvement  and  development  of  the  land  Mr.  Daniels  devoted  his  time 
and  energies  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death.  He  passed  away 
in  1888  at  the  age  of  seventy  years  and  the  community  thereby  lost  one  of 
its  valued  citizens,  for  he  was  a  man  faithful  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him, 
honorable  in  business  and  well  worthy  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  uni- 
formly held.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  living  in  Baldwin 
where  her  sou  Edwin  is  attending  Baker  University.  In  their  family  were 
twelve  children,  and  wiih  one  exception  all  are  yet  living,  namely: 
Eugene,  John,  Alice.  Jennie,  Elizabeth,  May,  Charles  W. ,  Anna,  Grace, 
Ed  and  Frank.  Jessie,  who  was  the  eleventh  in  order  of  birth,  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-three  j^ears. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Charles  W.  Daniels  we  present  to 


;J74  HISTORY   OF  ALLEW  AND- 

our  readers  the  life  record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  irr 
Allen  county.  He  spent  the  first  twelve  5-ears  of  his  life  in  the  state  of  his 
nativity  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  westward  journey  to 
Kansas  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  his  majority  and  during  that  time  he 
acc^uired  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  mastering  the  branches  of 
E-nglish  learning  which  usually  formed  the  curriculum  irr  such  an  institu- 
tion. During  the  summer  months  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  fields- 
from'  the  time  of  the  early  planting  until  the  crops  were  harvested  and  thus- 
he  gained  practical  experience  in  the  work  he  has  followed  as  a  means  of 
livelihood  since  attaining  his  majority.  After  he  had  reached  man's  estate 
he  left  the  parental  roof  and  entered  upon  an  independent  business  career; 
and  rented  a  farm  which  he  operated  for  three  years.  As  a  companion  and 
helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  I^ottie  Lorrick,  a  native  of  Ohio,, 
his  preparation  for  a  home  being  consummated  by  their  marriage  in  1886, 
The  lady  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Lorrick,  also  natives  of  the 
Buckeye  state.  John  I^orrick  died  in  Charleston,  Coles  county,. Illinois. 
The  widow  and  family  settled  in  Neosho  county,  Kansas,  in  1869,  where 
she  now  resides. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Daniels  continued  to  ojyerate  a  rented  farm  for 
five  years  and  during  that  period,  as  the  result  of  his  industry,  economy 
and  capable  management,  he  acquired  money  sufEcient  to  enable  him  to 
purchase  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Bourbon  county,  and  there  he  resided  for 
two  years,  after  which  he  sold  the  eighty-acre  tract  and  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land  in  Allen  county,  the  place  being  three 
miles  east  of  the  town  of  Elsmore.  Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  nor  an 
improvement  made  on  the  place,  but  through  his  energetic  efforts  he  has 
developed  a  very  desirable  farm  property.  The  fields  are  well  tilled  and 
give  promise  of  good  harvests.  He  has  also  made  many  improvements, 
erecting  a  nice  residence,  a  good  barn  and  all  the  necessary  outbuildings 
for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  As  time  has  j)assed  and  his  financial 
resources  have  increased  he  has  made  judicious  investments  of  his  capital 
in  more  laud,  extending  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  until  it  now  comprises 
three  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  also  handles  stock  to  a  considerable 
extent,  feeding  hogs  and  cattle,  and  thus  he  utilizes  all  the  corn  which  he 
raises. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daniels  have  been  born  six.  children,  namely:  Elmer, 
Gerard,  Zola,  Leonard,  Jessie  and  Edna.  Mr.  Daniels  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  lodge  of  Savonburg  and  also  has  membership  relation  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  belonging  to  the  camp  in  Elsmore.  In  his 
political  afBliations  he  is  a  Democrat. 

Not  many  men  of  Mr.  Daniels'  years  have  met  with  such  success  as  he 
has  achieved,  but  his  prosperity  has  all  been  won  along  legitimate  business 
lines.  He  has  followed  closely  the  old  time-tried  maxims  such  as,  "Hon- 
esty is  the  best  policy."  and  "There  is  no  excellence  without  labor."  He 
had  to  incur  indebtedness  in  order  to  buy  his  first  farming  implements,  but 
his  successful  management  has  enabled  him  to  work  his  way  steadily  up- 


•WaODSON    COtTNTIES,    KATJSAS.  375 

ward  and  to-day  he  is   iiumbered  among   the   substantial  "citizens   ef    liis 
(communitj*. 


HENRY  A.  RICHARDSON  was  born  in  Ripley  county,  Indiana, 
February  i8,  1859,  and  was  the  eldest  of  the  six  children  of  M.  A. 
and  Eliza  Richardson.  His  father  was  born  in  Onondaga  county,  New 
York,  March  12,  1835.  The  grandfather,  Asa  Richardson,  also  a  native  of 
the  Empire  state,  married  Barbara  Babcock,  and  died  in  1870,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-five  years.     His  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years. 

M.  A.  Richardson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  became  a  resident  of  In- 
diana during  his  boyhood,  and  there  resided  until  his  removal  to  Kansas. 
In  the  meantime  he  married  Miss  Eliza  Wylie,  a  native  of  Ohio,  the  wed- 
ding being  celebrated  in  1858.  Feeling  that  his  duty  was  to  his  country 
at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  he  enlisted  on  the  12th  of  Augu.st,  1862,  as  a 
member  of  Company  A,  Eighty-third  Regiment  of  Indiana  Volunteers, 
serving  for  three  years,  in  which  time  he  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Arkansas  Post,  Helena  Arkansas,  Chickamauga,  Grand  Gulf,  Champion 
Hills,  Black  River  Bridge,  both  charges  of  Vicksburg,  the  battle  of  Jack- 
son Mississippi,  and  many  smaller  engagements,  displaying  his  bravery 
and  valor  on  many  occasions.  After  the  stars  and  stripes  were  planted  in 
the  capital  of  the  Confederacy  he  received  an  honorable  discharge,  August 
27,  1865,  and  returned  to  his  Indiana  home.  In  1872  he  came  to  Allen 
county,  Kansas,  settling  on  a  farm,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  now  resi- 
dents oi  Savonburg.  He  is  still  a  vigorous  and  energetic  man  and  assists 
his  son  Henry  iu  the  conduct  of  his  business.  This  worthy  couple  are 
people  of  the  highest  respectability  and  have  reared  a  creditable  family  of 
six  children,  namely:  Henry  A.;  Mary,  wife  of  William  H.  Allen,  of 
Colorado;  L,ida,  wife  of  William  PuUum,  of  Argentine,  Kansas;  I^ucy,  wife  of 
C.  H.  King,  of  Bloomington,  111.;  V.  B.,  of  Colorado; and  Josie,  wife  of  N.  W. 
Mills,  of  Kansas. 

Henry  A.  Richardson  spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  in  In^ 
diana  and  then  came  with  his  parents  to  Allen  countj',  living  near  the 
south  line  in  Cottage  Grove  township.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent  in 
the  work  of  the  farm  or  in  attendance  at  the  distiict  schools.  He  was  mar- 
ried August  5,  1880,  to  Alice  C.  Reed,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  came  to 
Kansas  with  her  parents  in  1870.  Mr.  Richardson  then  purchased  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  owned  and  operated  until  1886, 
when  he  sold  out  and  became  identified  with  commercial  interests  in 
Leanna,  dealing  in  all  kinds  of  produce  there  until  1895,  when  he  removed 
to  Chanute.  A  year  later  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Savonburg,  and  for 
eight  months  conducted  the  City  Hotel,  but  later  bought  a  business  prop- 
erty, and  has  since  engaged  in  dealing  in  produce  with  excellent  success, 
his  business  now  amounting  to  from  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand  dollars 
annually.     He  has  always  paid  the  highest  market  price  for   produce   and 


376  msTORY  OF  allen  and 

ships  in  car  loads  to  the  city  markets.  He  has  won  the  confidence  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  thus  come  in  contact,  by  reason  of  his  honorable  busi- 
ness methods. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richardson  have  been  born  six  children:  Ada, 
now  the  wife  of  August  Schwardt,  a  lumber  merchant  of  Savonburgr 
Blanche,  Edith,  Nellie,  Flora  and  Homer,  all  of  whom  are  still  with  their 
parents..  Since  easting  his  first  presidential  vote  Mr.  Richardson  has  been 
a  stalwart  Republican,  and  his  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth  and 
ability,  have  called  him  to  ofiice,  so  that  he  is  now  serving  for  the  third 
term  a?  constable  of  his  township.  He  is  a  member  of  Savonburg  Camp, 
No.  1271,  M.  W.  A.,  and  is  prominent  in  btisiiiess,  social  and  political 
circles. 


XTtriLIylAM  E,  AI.EXANDEK  was  born  in   Ringgold  County,  Iowa, 
"   ^        on  the  24tli  of  April,  1859,    and  his   childhood    days   were  spent 
upon  a  farm.     At  the  age  of    eleven   years  he   accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Missouri  where  they  remained  two  years,  and  in  1872  they 
eame  to  Kansas,  William   E.    then   being    a    youth    of  thirteen    summers. 
Throughout  the  period  of  his  boyhood  he   attended  the  public   schools  near 
his  home.     The  family  located  at  Austin,  Kansas,  and  he  resided   with  his 
parents    until   seventeen  years   of   age,    completing  his  education   in  the 
schools  of  that  town.     He  then  began  teaching   and   successfully   followed 
the  profession  for  five  years.     After  his   marriage   he  began   farming,  oper- 
ating a    tract    of   land  for   three   years.      His    next   venture    was  in  a  com- 
mercial line.     Removing    to    Chanute,    Kansa.'.;,  he    accepted  a    position  as 
Salesman  in  the  hardware  store  of  A.  H.  Turner  with    whom    he   remained 
for  six  years  when  he  entered  the   employ    of  F.    W.    Jeffries   of  the  same 
place.     There  he  remained  for  two  years  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Big 
Creek  township  and  once  more  engaged  in    farming   and   threshing   grain. 
He  operated  a- threshing  machine  for  six  years  and  in  the  meantime  operat- 
ed a  mill  at  Leanna.     In  i8g8  he  became    a    resident  of   Savonburg,  where 
he  purchased  a  residence  and  five   acres  of   ground  in   the  east  edge  of  the 
town.     He  has  gradually  improved  his  place  and  has  now  one   of  the  most 
attractive  little  homes  in  this  section   of  the   county.     In    1898    he  entered 
into  a  partnership  with  M.  K.   Hunter,    known  as   the   Savonburg  Milling 
Company,  and  erected  a  mill  for   the   purpose  of   grinding   meal   and  feed. 
They  have  since  conducted  this  enterprise  and  are  the  proprietors  of  a  well 
equipped  plant  supplied  with  good  machinery  and  modern  processes.   They 
make  a  specialty  of  the  manufacture  of  graham  flour   and  are  doing  a  good 
business,  owing  to  the  excellence  of   their   product  and   their  reliable  and 
trustworthy    business     methods.     When    Mr.    Alexander  once   secures  a 
patronage   he  has  no  difficulty  in   retaining  it,    owing   to   his  well  known 
honesty,  to  his  obliging  manner  and  his  courteous  treatment  of  his  patrons. 
In  1881    was   celebrated   the    marriage  of    William  E.    Alexander  and 
Miss  Ida  Cochran,  of  Mi.ssouri.     They  now  have  tA^o  interesting  daughters. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  377 

Ina  B.  and  Hallie,  aged  respectively  fourteen  and  ten  years.  In  his  politi- 
cal affiliations  Mr.  Alexander  has  been  a  stalwart  Republican  since  casting 
his  first  presidential  vote  for  James  A.  Garfield.  He  was  elected  and  served 
as  trustee  of  Canville  township,  Neosho  County,  in  April,  1884,  and  proved 
an  acceptable  officer.  He  was  chairman  of  the  McKinley  and  Roosevelt 
club  at  Savonburg  during  the  campaign. of  1900.  He  belongs  to  Savonburg 
Camp,  No.  1271.  M.  W.  A.,  and  for  two  years  held  the  office  of  venerable 
consul.  While  at  Leanna  he  served  two  years  as  venerable  consul  of 
Camp  No.  3750.  Mr.  Alexander  is  a  man  of  strong  force  of  character,  true 
to  his  honest  convictions,  trustworthy  in  business  relations  and  reliable  in 
citizenship.  With  him  friendship  is  inviolable,  and  by  all  who  know  him 
he  is  esteemed  for  his  genuine  worth  of  character. 


FRANK  GOYETTE  is  the  popular  cashier  of  the  Elsmore  Bank,  and 
the  success  of  the  institution  is  attributable  in  a  large  measure  to  his 
efforts.  Banking  institutions  are  the  pulse  of  a  commercial  body  and  indi- 
cate the  healthfulness  of  trade.  In  times  of  financial  panic  all  the  world 
looks  toward  the  banks  of  the  country  and  any  weakness  or  uncertainty 
therein  displayed  immediately  bring  about  disastrous  results  in  the  com- 
mercial circles,  while  the  bank  that  is  known  to  •  be  reliable  and 
in  the  hands  of  substantial  business  men  will  do  more  to  establish  the 
public  confidence  than  any  other  one  interest  or  enterprise.  The  Elsmore 
Bank  has  a  reputation  for  reliability  that  is  indeed  enviable  and  at  its  head 
stand  men  of  known  worth  and  ability,  of  high  business  honor  and  un- 
questionable integrity. 

The  cashier  of  the  institution  was  born  in  Canada,  on  the  13th  of 
September,  1846.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of  the  English  province 
whence  they  came  to  the  United  States  when  their  son  Frank  was  but  five 
years  of  age,  taking  up  their  abode  in  Kankakee  County,  Illinois,  where 
the  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  to  manhood.  The  family  was  in 
limited  circumstances,  thus  his  educational  privileges  were  meager,  but  he 
had  a  desire  to  broaden  his  knowledge,  realizing  the  importance  of  an  edu- 
cation in  the  business  world.  By  study  at  night  he  became  well  informed 
and  as  the  years  have  passed  his  knowledge  has  been  continually  broadened 
through  experience,  observation  and  contact  with  the  world. 

When  seventeen  years  of  age  Mr.  Goyotte  responded  to  his  country's 
call  for  aid,  enlisting  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth 
Illinois  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  six  months  when  he  was  discharged, 
the  war  having  ended.  Returning  to  his  home  he  accompanied  his  parents 
on  their  removal  to  Iroquois  County,  Illinois,  where  he  began  work  by  the 
month,  giving  his  father  his  wages.  He  was  thus  employed  for  five  years 
and  then  rented  a  tract  of  land  in  order  to  engage  in  farming  on  his  own 
account.  Through  the  succeeding  five  years  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  in  the  Prairie  State  and  in    1879    he  came   to   Kansas,    locating  in 


378  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Salem  township,  Allen  County,  where  he  made  a  claim  on  what  he  sup- 
posed was  government  land,  but  it  afterward  pro\-ed  to  be  railroad  property 
and  he  was  therefore  obliged  to  purchase  it.  Carrying  forward  the  work  of 
cultivation  and  development,  he  has  now  one  of  the  finest  farming  proper- 
ties in  the  township,  improved  with  orchards,  groves,  a  good  residence  and 
substantial  barns  and  outbuildings..  Everything  about  the  place  is  neat 
and  thrifty  in  appearance,  indicating  his  progressive  spirit  and  careful 
supervision.  Having  acquired  considerable  capital,  he  determined  to  enter 
into  business  in  Elsmore  and  in  the  spring  of  igoo  took  up  his  abode  there, 
becoming  one  of  the  leading  stockholders  in  the  Elsmore  Bank,  of  which  he 
was  made  cashier. 

On  the  29th  of  March,  1883,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Goyette  and 
Miss  Nannie  Boman,  of  Illinois,  who  came  to  Kansas  with  her  parents  in  1878. 
They  have  now  six  children,  namely:  Freddie,  Omar,  Clarence,  David,  Lucy 
and  Edward.  In  the  community  their  circle  of  friends  is  extensive  and  their 
own  home  is  celebrated  for  its  hospitality.  Mr.  Goyette  is  a  Democrat  in 
his  political  affiliations.  Socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Knights  and 
lyadies  of  Security  in  Elsmore.  He  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for  what 
he  has  accomplished  in  life,  for  all  that  he  has  is  the  reward  of  his  own 
labors  and  has  been  acquired  since  his  arrival  in  Allen  County. 


O  AMUEL  A.  GARD— In  America,  labor  is  king  and  is  the  only 
* — '  sovereignty  which  our  liberty  loving  people  acknowledge.  The  world 
instinctively  pays  deference  to  the  man  who  through  his  own  efforts,  has 
arisen  from  a  humble  position  to  occupy  a  place  among  the  prosperous 
citizens  of  his  community,  and  who  has  through  an  active  business  career 
ever  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men  by  honorable 
methods.  Such  a  one  is  Mr.  S.  A.  Gard,  who  has  embraced  every  oppor- 
tunity for  raising  himself  to  the  position  indicated  by  his  laudable  ambition. 
A  native  of  Illinois,  he  was  born  on  the  3rd  of  October,  1864. 
in  a  little  log  house  near  Hazel  Dell,  in  Cumberland  County.  In 
early  life  he  learned  the  lessons  of  industry  and  perseverance  which  have 
proved  such  potent  factors  in  his  later  success.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of 
Jacob  Gard,  and  upon  his  father's  farm  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  He 
spent  his  youth  in  assisting  in  the  labors  of  the  fields  on  the  old  home  place, 
and  in  working  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  neighborhood.  He  also  had  a 
liberal  common  school  education,  acquired  in  the  common  schools,  and  was 
imbued  with  a  true  sense  of  right  and  wrong,  having  received  excellent 
moral  training  from  his  parents.  Beyond  this  his  knowledge  of  the  world  was 
meager.  He  grew  to  manhood  an  upright  lad,  true  to  his  convictions.  At 
the  age  of  nineteen  he  determined  to  leave  home  and  seek  his  fortune  else- 
where, and  accordingly  made  his  way  to  Allen  County,  Kansas,  in  1884, 
reaching  his  destination  with  $2.00  in  his  pocket.  With  a  determination 
to  succeed,  and  wishing  to  make  the  practice  of  law  his  life   work,  in    1888 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  379 

he  entered  the  office  of  Milford  Donoho,  attorney  at  Bronson,  Kansas. 
When  he  had  mastered  many  of  the  principles  of  the  science  of  juris- 
prudence he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  May  13,  1890.  Previous  to  this  time 
he  had  attended  the  Normal  College  at  Ft.  Scott  and  had  received  a 
teacher's  certificate,  but  had  never  engaged  in  teaching.  After  his  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  he  practiced  law  in  Bronson  until  1892,  when  he  removed  to 
lola  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  Here  he  has  practiced  ever  since, 
and  in  1898  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  G.  R.  Gard,  who 
moved  to  lola  from  Humboldt,  and  who  was  elected  County  Attorney  in 
November,  1898. 

In  his  chosen  profession  Mr.  Gard  has  made  creditable  success.  He 
has  won  for  himself  very  creditable  criticism  tor  the  careful  and  systematic 
methods  which  he  has  followed.  He  has  remarkable  powers  of  concentra- 
tion and  application,  and  his  retentive  mind  has  often  excited  the  surprise 
of  his  professional  colleagues.  As  an  orator  he  stands  high,  especially  in 
the  discussion  of  legal  matters  before  the  court  and  jury,  where  his  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  the  law  and  human  nature  is  manifest,  and  his  appli- 
cation ol  legal  principles  demonstrates  the  wide  range  of  his  professional 
acquirements.  The  utmost  care  and  precision  characterizes  his  preparation 
of  a  case,  and  has  made  him  one  of  the  most  successful  attorneys  in 
Allen  County. 

Mr.  Gard  was  married  in  1894  to  Miss  L,ulu  Ireland,  of  Allen  County. 
She  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  who  for  several  years  prior  to  her 
marriage  was  successfully  engaged  in  teaching.  Her  father,  W.  H.  Ire- 
land, is  a  farmer  in  the  eastern  part  of  Allen  County,  whither  he  removed 
from  Illinois  some  years  ago.  Mrs.  Gard  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of 
seven  children,  one  of  whom,  Thomas,  was  a  member  of  the  20th  Kansas 
regiment,  and  served  in  the  Philippines.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gard  are  well 
known  in  lola  and  Allen  County.  Their  worth  and  intelligence  are  re- 
ceived as  passports  to  the  best  society.  He  certainly  deserves  great  credit 
for  his  success  in  life,  as  from  an  early  age  he  has  been  entirely  dependent 
upon  his  own  resources.  Pleasant  and  agreeable  in  manner,  he  has  a  large 
circle  of  frieftds  and  is  popular  throughout  the  county  of  his  adoption. 


/^ASSIUS  M.  EDSON,  late  councilman  of  the  city  of  lola,  representing  the 
^-^  third  ward,  is  one  of  lola's  new  men.  Prior  to  1897  he  was  unknown 
to  our  people  but  in  the  four  years  he  has  resided  in  Allen  county  he  has 
come  to  be  one  of  the  best  known  of  our  townsmen. 

Mr.  Edson  was  born  in  Richland  county,  Wisconsin,  April  i,  1861. 
His  father,  James,  Edson,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  state,  having 
settled  there  as  an  emigrant  from  the  state  of  New  York.  He  was  born 
in  the  famous  Cherry  Valley  in  1819  and  died  in  Greenfield,  Missouri, 
in  1875.  His  occupation  was  tlat  of  a  carpenter  and  in  1871  he  located  in 
Missouri  where   he    died.       He    offered  his  services  to  the  Union  at  lyOne 


380  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Rock,  Wisconsin,  but  was  rejected  on  account  of  physical  disability'. 
Five  of  his  brothers  were  in  the  army,  two  of  whom  were  killed  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Chickamauga.  He  was  one  ot  eight  sons  and  seven  daughters  of 
E.  B.  Edson.  The  last  named  went  into  Cherry  Valley,  New  York;  from 
some  point  in  old  England  where  he  was  married  to  a  Scotch  lady. 

James  Edson  married  Dorcas  E.  Wood,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Wood, 
who  as  well  as  E.  B.  Edson,  lived  to  be  ninety  years  of  age.  Three  chil- 
dren were  the  result  oi  the  marriage  of  James  and  Dorcas  Edson:  Cora, 
wife  of  Charles  Wilman,  of  Joplin,  Missouri;  Cassius  M.,  and  Mark  Edson, 
an  electrician  of  Chicago,  Illinois. 

"Cash"  Edson 's  youth  was  passed  in  the  country,  on  the  farm  in 
summer  and  in  school  in  winter.  At  fourteen  years  of  age  he  worked  for 
wages,  contributing  to  his  own, maintenance,  and  at  seventeen  years  of  age 
he  became  a  teacher.  He  taught  a  term  each  in  Missouri  and  in  Crawford 
county,  Kansas,  and  at  the  close  of  his  last  term  he  secured  a  clerkship 
with  S.  H.  Lanyon  &  Company  at  Pittsburg,  Kansas.  The  Rogers  Coal 
Company  were  also  his  employers  and,  finally,  T.  P.  Waskey,  of  Pittsburg 
and  Frontenac,  secured  his  services.  While  with  this  last  firm  he  received 
the  appointment  of  post-master  of  Frontenac.  He  remained  with  the  office 
through  the  Harrison  administration  and  through  Cleveland's  second  ad- 
ministration and  was  not  molested  till  McKinley  had  served  six  months. 
He  left  the  Mount  Carmel  Mercantile  Company  in  September,  1897,  to 
locate  in  lola.  He  purchased  the  post-office  news  stand  of  the  Miller 
Brothers  and  was  its  proprietor  till  the  ist  of  October,    t  898. 

While  the  history  of  this  branch  of  the  Edson  family  shows  the  early 
voters  to  have  been  Republican  "Cash's"  first  vote  was  cast  for  Cleveland 
in  1884.  He  has  persistently  and  repeatedly  espoused  the  cause  of  Democ- 
racy, and  its  Fusion  successor,  and  August  5,  1900,  he  was  nominated  at 
Yates  Center  by  the  Fusion  forces  for  State  Senator. 

In  politics  and  religion  Mr.  Edson  stands  for  the  most  liberal  notions 
and  the  greatest  personal  freedom  and  liberty  of  action.  He  holds  that  the 
proper  method  of  controlling  the  liquor  and  other  moral  questions  that  enter 
the  politics  of  live  municipalities  is  to  license  them  for  revenue'  and  permit 
the  judgment  of  men  to  control  their  desires  and  appetites.  L,egislative 
restraint  should  not  be  placed  upon  any  business  which  does  not  take  from 
the  public  their  unwilling  dollars  and  which  furnishes  it  with  that  which 
pleases  the  eye  and  gratifies  the  soul. 

Mr.  Edson  was  married  July  20th,  1887,  at  Girard,  Kansas,  to  Kate 
Cox,  a  daughter  of  David  Cox,  of  Hillsboro,  Iowa.  Cora,  Melvin  and 
Dorothy  Edson  are  the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edson. 

Mr.  Edson  is  an  Elk,  a  Woodman,  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  a  Master 
Mason  and  an  A.  O.  U.  W. 


T  TARMQN  HOB  ART. —In  all  ages  and  enlightened  places  the  admin- 
■^  -*-  istrative  officer  of  the  court  has  been  fraught  with  serious  and  weighty 
responsibilities.     He   is   the    agent  of  the  court  and  stands   between   the 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  581 

citizen  and  the  seat  of  justice.  Tlie  mandates  of  his  authority  he  executes 
without  favor  and  this  execution  requires  not  onl}'  superioi  intelligence 
but  must  be  done  without  timidity  or  lack  of  courage.  The  sheriff's  office, 
like  all  others  in  a  county,  has  its  clerical  duties  to  be  performed,  but 
unlike  other  offices,  it  furnishes  ample  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of 
native  ingenuity  and  tact,  elements  not  universal  in  the  mental  composition 
■of  a  man.  But  once  in  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  has  Allen  county 
chosen  a  man  for  high  sheriff  who  was  not  only  lacking  in  clerical  ability 
but  was  woefully  short  on  courage.  For  sixteen  years  the  county  has 
placed  men  in  the  shrievalty  possessing  prime  qualities  for  court  officers. 
They  have  been  men  who  knew  the  meaning  of  duty  and  were  only  satisfied 
in  its  performance,  men  who  were  good  citizens  as  well  as  good  officers  and 
whose  history  will  reveal  the  incumbency  of  the  sherifi's  office  as  the  lead- 
ing chapter  of  their  lives.  But  of  all  the  court  officers  of  Allen  county 
none  has  excelled  in,  ability  or  official  integrity  the  present  incumbent, 
Harmon  Hobart.  The  element  of  training  foi  any  business  is  one  to  be 
considered  from  the  standpoint  of  efficiency  and  if  our  subject  has  not 
erred,  in  any  manner,  during  his  administration  it  is  due  to  his  bringing-up 
in  the  office. 

Harmon  Hobart  was  born  iu  Cottage  Grove  township,  Allen  county, 
September  4,  1869.  He  is  the  son  of  ex-Sheriff  Lewis  Hobart,  and  was  a 
country  youth  up  to  his  twentieth  year.  His  father  was  born  near  Oswego, 
New  York,  in  1840,  and  his  grandfather  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland. 
The  latter  Edward  Hobart,  owned  and  operated  a  steamer  between  the 
ports  of  Liverpool  and  New  York  and  upon  settling  in  the  United  States 
took  up  his  residence'  near  Oswego,  in  the  Empire  state.  Some  time  prior 
to  the  Civil  war  he  removed  to  MaComb,  Illinois,  where  he  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-nine  years. 

Lewis  Hobart  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  McDonough  county, 
Illinois,  and  when  the  war  came  on  he  enlisted  in  the  Sixteenth  Illinois 
Infantry.  After  his  discharge  he  attended  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business 
College,  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  graduated.  He  came  to  Kansas  at  once 
and  worked  as  a  farm  hand  till  1867  when  he  married  Eliza  J.,  a  daughter 
of  William  Bartley,  of  Champaign  county,  Illinois.  Mr.  Hobart  took  a 
claim  five  miles  south  of  Humboldt,  improved  it  and  resided  upon  it  as  a 
farmer  and  stock  raiser  till  1889  when  he  assumed  the  sheriff's  office  to 
which  the  Republicans  had  elected  him.  He  served  two  terms  and  has, 
since  his  retirement,  been  occupied  with  his  large  private  interests  and 
with  handling  real  estate. 

Harmon  Hobart  is  one  of  a  family  of  seven  children.  His  education 
was  acquired  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county.  He  took  the  position  of 
jailer  and  under-sheriff  when  his  father  became  sheriff  and  filled  the  posi- 
tion with  exceptional  ability  through  his  terms  and  those  of  his  successor. 
Sheriff  Ausherman.  He  was  slow  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  office  and 
did  not  announce  his  willingness  to  accept  a  nomination  till  other  candi- 
dates believed  they  had  the  prize  well  in  hand.  His  nomination,  the  first 
time,  came  to  him  without  a  great  contest   and   the    second    time   without 


3S2  HISTORY  OF   AtLEN   AND' 

competition,  and  each  time  he  was-  ekcted  by  majorities  much  in  excess  o^ 
the  head  of  the  Republican  ticket. 

When  Mr.  Hobart  was  elected  sheriff  he  was  twenty-eight  years  old 
the  youngest  sheriff  the  connty  ever  had.  His  entrance  upon  bis  first  terni 
was  no  experiment.  He  had  demonstrated  his  competency  when  deputy 
sheriff  and  the  fact  that  all  went  smooth  and  without  a  jar  was-  no  surprise 
to  the  public.  His  administration  will  pass  down  into  the  archives  as  one 
of  the  most  able  and  successful  in  the  county's-  history. 

In  1 900  Mr.  Hobart  became  a  partner  with  J,  D.  Arnett  in  the  Ida 
Telphone  Exdiaugie.  When  he  has  retired  from  public  seviee  the  exten- 
sion and  improvement  of  the  telephone  service  will  claim  his-  time  and 
attention^ 

February  25,  iSgS,  Mr..  Hobart  was  married  to  Estella,.  a  daughter  of 
George  S.  Davis,  of  Tola.  Mrs.  Hobart  was  educated  in  the  lola  public 
schools  and  is  an  accomplished  musician.     She  was  born  March  3.,  1875. 

Harmon  Hobart  is  prominent  in  fraternal  circles.  Odd  Fellowship,. 
Pvthianship  and  Masonry  have  claims  upon  him  superior  to  none,  save 
the  domestic  circle. 


■jV/f  J.  CHOttEJl'fE.— The  late  Cornenu&  M.  ChoIIette,  of  lola,  who- 
"'-''-*-•  will  be  remembered  with  pleasure  by  the  old  settlers  of  this  city, 
was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York  March  12,  1834.  He  wasthelast  of  seven 
children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  was  a  son  of  Henry  ChoUette,. 
whose  ance.stors  were  French.  The  identity  of  five  of  Henry  ChoUette's 
h«irs  is  as  follows^  Jonathan,  who  died  in  Wahoo,  Nebraska,  in  1896? 
William',  Henrietta,  Anna  and  Frances  are  residents  of  Galva.  Illinois. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  Cornelius  ChoIIette  went  into  New  York 
City  and  there  learned  the  cabinet  makers  trade  with  his  brother  Jonathan, 
He  remained  there  five  years  and  came  west  to  Henry  county,  Illinois. 
He  followed  his  trade  in  that  state  till  the  latter  part  of  the  fifties  when  he 
returned  to  his  native  heath  in  New  York,  remaining  till  i860.  The  year 
before  the  outbreak  of  the  war  he  went  into  Pennsylvania  and  the  next 
yeai*  enlisted  in  the  Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  three  months' 
service.  He  re-enlisted  in  the  Fourth  or  Fifth  United  States  Artillery  and 
in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  fought  near  General  Hancock's  headquarters. 
He  reached  the  rank  of  First  I^ieutenant  and  was  for  a  time  in  command 
of  his  battery.  He  was  in  Sheridan's  Shenandoah  campaign  and  in  the 
famous  battle  of  Cedar  Creek.  At  ths  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment 
in  the  artillery  he  rejoined  the  army,  this  time  becoming  a  member  of  Com- 
pany E,  Fifty-sixth  Pennsylvania,  He  was  discharged  in  the  autumn  of 
1865,  having  completed,  in  all,  iifty-foui  months  of  active  .service. 

Mr.  ChoUette  returned  to  Henry  county,  Illinois,  after  the  war,  to 
which  point  his  mother  had  moved,  and  he  took  care  of  her  till  her  death; 
March  6,  187 1,  he  came  to  lola.     He  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  furniture 


*(i  HPi 


/ 


■WOODSON   COUNTIfiS,  KANSAS.  3S3 

ibiTsiness  with  Mr.  White  and  continued  it  some  years.  He  sdlcl  his  btisi- 
aiess  to  S.  A,  Brown,  who  was  establishing  yards  all  over  eastern  I^ansas, 
and  retired  permanently  from  active  business. 

May  4,  1872,  Mr.  Chellette  was  married  at  'Geneva,  by  Rev.  S.  'BJ. 
Irwin,  to  Mary  J.  Hopkins,  a  daughter  of  William  and  I^otiisa  Searles. 
Mrs.  Searles  homesteaded  the  place  in  Geneva  township  owned  by  Loftus 
Searles  and  died  in  lo-la  in  1S72.  The  Searles  went  from  LaGrange  county, 
Indiana,  to  Springfield  and  in  1867  settled  on  the  homestead  in  Geneva 
township.  Mrs.  Searles'  children  are:  Charles  W.,  in  lola;  Loftus,  Oscar, 
'Orin  Adeltiert  and  J-ohn. 

Mr.  ChoUette  was  a  statinch  Republican  and  was  an  enthusiastic 
Grand  Army  man.  He  attended  many  of  their  encampments  and  was  fore- 
most in  many  things  tending  to  awaken  an  interest  in  the  local  post.  He 
•died  February  28,  1889. 


T  T  ENRY  L.  HENDERSON.— The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  ift 
■*-  -*-  Holmes  county,  Ohio,  November  i,  1847,  the  son  of  Elisha  Hender- 
son, a  carpenter  and  weaver.  Thrown  on  his  own  resources  at  the  early 
age  of  thirteen  years,  he  worked  his  way  through  the  common  schools, 
the  academy  and  the  college,  graduating  in  1871  from  the  University  of 
Wooster,  Ohio,  with  the  first  class  of  graduates  from  that  school.  The 
year  following  his  graduation  he  conducted  the  Vermillion  Institute,  and 
the  next  year  he  was  engaged  as  Assistant  Professor  of  Latin  and  Science 
in  the  Wooster  University,  After  holding  this  latter  position  for  one  year 
Mr.  Henderson  removed  to  Geneva,  Kansas,  where  he  conducted  the 
Academy  for  one  year,  removing  at  the  end  of  that  time  to  lola  to  take 
charge  of  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  The  year  following  he  accepted  a 
flattering  offer  to  take  the  chaii  of  Latin  and  Mathematics  in  the  Golden 
Gate  Academy,  Oakland,  California,  a  position  which  he  held  until  he 
reached  the  determination  to  exchange  the  teacher's  profession  for  the 
mercantile  business.  Returning  to  lola  after  teaching  the  city  schools  one 
year  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  in  which  he  continued  until 
1883.  He  then  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  hardware  trade  and  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business  which  he  conducted  for  two  years,  leaving  it  to 
take  up  real  estate,  loans  and  insurance,  to  which  he  has  ever  since  devoted 
most  of  his  attention,  being  associated  at  present  with  Mr.  J.  E-  Powell, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Henderson  &  Powell. 

Although  never  an  ofiice  seeker  Mr,  Henderson's  interest  in  the  Re- 
publican party  and  his  availability  as  a  candidate  on  account  of  the  high 
reputation  he  has  always  borne  for  integrity  and  business  ability  have  com- 
pelled him  to  engage  more  or  less  actively  in  politics.  Most  of  his  work 
has  been  done  for  others,  but  in  1885  he  reluctantly  consented  to  become  a 
candidate  for  county  commissioner  and  held  that  ofiice  for  two  terms,  a 
period  of  six  years.     In  1898,  again  at  the  solicitation   of  his   friends,    and 


384  HISTORY   OF    ALtEN    AN1> 

not   upon    his   own  initiative,    he  accepted  appointment  as  post-master  of 
lola,  which  office  he  still  holds. 

Before  coming  to  Kansas  Mr.-  Henderson  was  married  to  Mrs.  I^aura 
Iveidligh.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  them,  of  whom  John  H., 
Willis  E.  and  Henrietta  survive,  and  all  of  whom  are  graduates  of  the 
Kansas  State  University. 

The  foregoing  is  but  a  bare  outline  af  a  busy^  active,  honorable  and 
successful  life.  A  life  that  well  illustrates  the  possibilities  of  American 
citizenship,  proving  as  it  does  that  poverty  is  no  bar  in  this  country  to  edu- 
cation and  culture,  and  that  success  rests  upon  character,  capacity  and 
industry  and  not  upon  inherited  wealth  or  social  position.  Mr.  Henderson 
commands  the  unqualified  respect  of  the  people  among  whom  most  of  his. 
mature  life  has  been  spent  because  he  has  been  faithful  and  efficient  in 
every  position  of  public  trust,  because  he  has  conducted  his  own  business- 
with  a  careful  regard  for  the  right  of  others,  and  because  in  small  matters 
as  well  as  large  he  has  observed  the  Golden  Rule  and  told  the  truth. 


/^HARI^ES  HIRAM  BOITLSON.— Stamped  indellibly  upon  the  mem- 
^-^  ories  of  the  citizenship  of  Allen  county  is  the  life  of  one  who  filled  an 
honorable  place  in  one  of  the  great  profes.sions,  whose  great  sympathy  for 
humanity  effervesced  from  every  pore  and  whose  power  for  good  was  lim- 
ited only  by  the  area  of  his  experience  and  the  boundaries  of  his  oppor- 
tunities. A  pioneer  in  the  practice  of  homeopathy  in  Allen  county  he  saw 
bis  favorite  school  grow  in  the  favor  of  the  populace  and- his  practice  ex- 
tend to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  municipality.  Both  as  a  man  and  a 
physician  Dr.  Boulsou  was  loved  for  his  integrity  and  for  the  great  warm 
heart  which  throbbed  in  unison  with  that  of  the  common  people.  His 
genial  and  kindly  nature  and  his  Christian  character  won  him  the  uni- 
versal respvect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  county  people. 

Charles  H.  Boulson  came  into  Allen  county  in  1877.  He  established 
himself  in  lola  where  he  was  ever  afterward  one  of  tine  leading  citizens. 
In  the  vigor  of  manhood  he  launched  into  practice'  and  pursued  it  with 
energy  and  enthusiasm,  day  and  night,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  and  only 
loosened  his  hold  upon  his  country  work  when  the  infirmities  of  age  seemed 
leaning  upon  him.  In  early  and  middle  life  to  call  meant  to  secure  his 
services.  The  matter  of  a  fee  was  an  after  consideration  so  long  that  when 
he  died  he  was  a  great  creditor.  In  this  practice  he  did  himself  an  injury. 
With  a  correct  accounting  of  all  his  earnings  and  a  business-like  and  system- 
atic collection  of  the  same  he  could  have  passed  his  last  years  in  ease  and 
independence.  But  his  desire  to  relieve  suffering  wherever  and  whenever 
found  was  too  strong  to  be  overcome  by  mercenary  motives,  purely,  and  he 
died  "in  the  harness,"  so  to  speak. 

Dr.  Boulson  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  November  16,  1832.  He 
was  a  son  of  a  blacksmith.  Hiram  Boulson,  who  brought  his  family  to  the 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  385 

United  States  in  1846  and  passed  some  ten  years  of  his  life  in  New  Jersey. 
He  emigrated  from  there  just  before  the  war  and  became  a  pioneer  of 
Anderson  county.  Kansas.  During  the  Civil  war  he  was  employed  by  the 
Federal  Government  as  a  horse-shoer  and  as  such  he  died  before  the  war 
closed.  He  is  buried  in  Anderson  county.  Hiram  Boulson  was  twice 
married,  his  first  wife  being  the  Doctor's  mother.  Of  the  five  children  of 
this  union  Edward  Boulson,  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  Henry  Boulson,  of 
Woodson  county,  Kansas,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Starkey,  of  Oklahoma,  survive. 
Five  children  by  a  second  marriage  survive,  viz:  Dr.  Isaac  Boulson,  of 
Oklahoma,  Rimer  W.  Boulson,  of  Allen  county,  Kansas,  Elijah  and  Harry 
Boulson,  farmers  of  Anderson  county,  Kansas,  and  Mrs.  Libbie  Rogers,  of 
that  county. 

Dr.  Boulson  was  educated  in  childhood  in  the  German  schools  of  Han- 
over and  his  youth  was  spent  in  school  in  New  Jersey.  He  chose  medicine 
as  a  profession  in  early  life  and  pursued  his  studies  to  that  end  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  attended  an  Homeopathic  College  in  Philadelphia  and  was 
there  prepared  for  entrance  upon  the  serious  duties  of  his  profession.  He 
went  to  Lawrence  county,  Pennsylvania,  to  engage  in  practice,  reaching 
there  in  his  twenty-second  year.  While  a  resident  of  New  Castle  he  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Sallie  White  whom  he  married  August  9,  1855. 
Mrs.  Boulson  was  a  daughter  of  James  and  Ellen  (Graves)  White,  old 
residents  of  Lawrence  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  parents  of  ten 
children. 

Dr.  Boulson  practiced  in  New  Castle  and  in  Birmingham,  Pennsyl- 
vania, each  about  six  years  and  was  induced  to  join  his  brother-in-law,  Dr. 
White,  in  a  sanitarium  venture  in  La,Salle  county,  Illinois.  Matters  so 
shaped  themselves  later  on  that  Dr.  Boulson  turned  his  interest  in  the  re- 
sort over  to  his  partner  and  made  his  final  move  westward. 

lola  was  a  struggling  little  prairie  town  when  Di.  and  Mrs.  Boulson 
cast  their  fortunes  with  it.  The  undeveloped  condition  of  the  country, 
alone,  sufiiced  to  warrant  the  doctor  in  deciding  to  remain  here.  The  set- 
tlements along  the  streams  thirty  years  ago  were  tolerably  numerous  but 
those  on  the  prairies  were  scarcely  visible  to  one  another.  The  story  of 
his  experiences  in  his  early  practice  here  would  be  a  repetition  of  the  ex- 
perience of  pioneer  physicians  of  all  ages  and  places.  He  drew  rein  at  the 
door  of  all  and  out  of  it  all  came  his  unblemished  and  untarnished 
reputation. 

Dr.  Boulson  fraternized  with  many  of  the  popular  societies.  He  was 
prominent  as  an  Odd  Fellow,  which  society  cared  for  him  so  tenderly  dur- 
ing his  last  illness,  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  he  was  a 
faithful  and  valuable  brother,  and  of  the  Select  Knights  and  Select  Friends. 
He  believed  in  Republicanism  and  supported  its  principles  through  all  the 
history  of  that  party.  He  became  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  in 
early  life  and  was  a  deep  student  of  the  spiritual  as  well  as  the  material 
life.  Through  all  his  illness  he  never  once  flinched  from  his  great  re- 
sponsibility. He  suffered  intensely  for  weeks  and  his  only  complaint  was 
that  he  could  not  pass  over  sooner.     When  the  end  came  on  Sunday  even- 


386  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

ing,  October  7,  1900,  he  passed  away,  peacefully  and  quietly  in    the    assur- 
ance of  that  rest  promised  the  people  of  God. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Boulson  reared  only  one  child,  a  son,  the  late  James 
Boulsou  M.  D.  The  latter  died  May  27,  1885,  leaving  a  son,  Kenneth 
Boulson,  who  resides  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  An  adopted  son,  Clyde 
Boulson,  is  a  promising  young  man  of  lola,  and  a  companion  and  counsel- 
lor of  his  widowed  mother. 


"TDEV.  LEWIS  I.  DRAKE.— A  man  of  ripe  scholarship  and  marked 
-*-  *-  executive  ability  whose  life  has  been  consecrated  to  the  cause  of  the 
Master  and  the  uplifting  of  men,  there  is  particular  propriety  in  here  di- 
recting attention  to  the  life  history  of  the  Rev.  Lewis  I.  Drake,  who  for 
nine  years  served  as  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Humboldt  and  is 
now  connected  with  the  field  of  missionary  labor  in  Neosho  Presbytery. 
He  has  devoted  himself  without  ceasing  to  the  interests  of  humanity  and  to 
the  furtherance  of  all  good  works.  His  reputation  is  not  of  restricted 
order,  and  his  power  and  influence  in  his  holy  office  have  been  exerted  in 
a  spirit  of  deepest  human  sympathy  and  tender  solicitude.  There  has  not 
been  denied  the  full  harvest  nor  the  aftermath  whose  garnering  shall  bring 
sure  reward  in  the  words  of  commendation,  "well  done,  good  and  faithful 
servant. ' ' 

Lewis  I.  Drake  was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  August  7,  1826, 
a  son  of  Jonathan  Drake,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in  1782,  a  native  of 
Huntington  county.  When  nine  years  of  age  he  accompanied  his  father, 
William  Drake,  of  New  Jersey,  to  the  Buckeye  state.  The  family  located 
near  Cincinnati,  and  when  Jonathan  Drake  had  attained  to  manhood  he 
began  business  for  himself  by  shipping  flour  and  pork  down  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers,  by  ilatboat,  to  New  Orleans.  He  afterward  engaged  in 
farming  in  Ohio,  following  that  pursuit  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
when  he  T\'as  forty-seven  years  of  age.  He  married  Miss  Eliza  Mead,  of 
Connecticut,  who  was  born  June  10,  1793,  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Mead, 
of  the  same  state.  Her  mother  was  a  descendant  of  the  Pilgrims  who  made 
the  first  settlements  in  New  England.  To  Jonathan  and  Eliza  Drake  were 
born  five  children,  two  of  whom  are  living:  Harriet  A.,  wife  of  Dr.  H.  J. 
Cox,  of  Tamaroa,  Illinois,  and  Rev.  Lewis  I.  Drake.  Jeremiah  M.  Drake, 
who  was  a  Presb^'terian  minister,  died  in  Lima,  Indiana,  in  1873.  The 
mother  passed  away  the  same  year.  The  father  was  a  Whig  in  his  politi- 
cal afiiliations,  and  in  his  religious  belief  was  a  Presbyterian,  rearing  his 
children  in  the  faith  of  that  church. 

Rev.  L.  I.  Drake  spent  his  boyhood  in  Springdale,  Hamilton  county, 
Ohio,  near  Glendale,  was  graduated  in  the  seminary  of  that  place  and  after- 
ward continued  his  studies  under  the  guidance  of  his  pastor.  At  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  began  teaching  in  the  academy  of  which  he  was  a  gradu- 
ate and  afterward  followed  the  same  profession  in  other  places.     Later  he 


o^i.ou«v   ^  oOV^z^^^^-^- 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  '       387 

devoted  some  time  to  the  stud}'  of  medicine.  When  about  twenty  years  of 
age  he  resumed  college  work  in  Hanover  and  was  graduated  in  1852.  He 
is  also  a  graduate  of  the  McCormick  Theological  Seminary  of  Chicago,  and 
therein  was  prepared  for  the  high  calling  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  en- 
tire life.  After  being  ordained  to  the  ministry  he  accepted  the  pastorate  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  at  West  I,iberty,  L,ogan  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  for  thirty  years,  greatly  beloved  by  his  people  and  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  those  of  other  denominations.  He  afterward  spent  two 
years  as  the  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Holden,  Missouri,  and 
then  resigned,  accepting  the  pastorate  of  the  church  in  Humboldt,  Kansas, 
where  he  continued  for  nine  years,  doing  effective  service  in  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  church.  He  was  formerly  connected  in  a  prominent  manner 
with  educational  work  in  Ohio.  He  aided  in  establishing  a  college  in 
Yellow  Springs,  that  state,  and  in  connection  with  ex-Piesident  Hayes  was 
a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Wooster  University,  of  Wooster,  Ohio. 
In  1880  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinit}-  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Han- 
over College.  In  1895  ^^  resigned  his  charge  in  Humboldt  and  removed 
to  his  farm  four  miles  south  of  lola,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged 
in  missionary  work  in  this  presbytery. 

Rev.  ly.  I.  Drake  was  married  in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Hamilton  county, 
Ohio,  May  10,  1849,  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Gaston,  who  was  born  May  9, 
1830.  Her  father,  David  B.  Gaston,  was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  No- 
vember 29,  1803.  Our  subject  and  his  wite  have  become  parents  of  ten 
children,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living:  John  W.,  a  dentist  now  practicing 
in  Chillicothe,  Ohio;  Mary,  wife  of  J.  B.  Chamberlain,  formerly  of  Hum- 
boldt, but  now  of  Chicago;  Mrs.  Esther  E.  Aspinall,  of  lola,  and  Ralph 
R. ,  who  has  resided  in  Allen  county  since  1884.  Ralph  was  born  in  West 
Iviberty,  Ohio,  February  24,  1864,  and  drove  alone  in  a  wagon  from  the 
Buckeye  state  to  Kansas.  He  has  been  twice  married.  He  wedded 
Blanche  Cain,  of  Ohio,  and  to  them  were  born  two  children, — Hazel  and 
lycwis.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  he  wedded  Agnes  Wagner,  of 
Toledo,  Ohio,  formerly  of  Pennsylvania.  Their  children  are  Margaret  and 
Frederick.  Both  Ralph  Drake  and  his  father  have  been  lifelong  Repub- 
licans. Our  subject  has  never  failed  in  any  duty  of  citizenship,  and  has 
ever  kept  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  is  a  man  of  strong 
convictions  yet  of  an  abiding  sympathy.  As  a  speaker  he  is  forceful  and 
eloquent  and  his  every  utterance  rings  with  sincerity  and  honest  convic- 
tion. His  mind,  carefully  disciplined,  analytical  and  of  broad  ken,  his 
deep  perception  and  quick  and  lively  sympathy,  make  him  a  power  in  his 
field  of  labor. 


^7^  WILLIAM  1,EWIS  BARTELS,  retired,  of  lola,  whose  presence  has 

^   ^     been  conspicuously  recognized  in  the  business  and  social  world  of 

Allen  county  for  the  past  forty  years,  is  one  oi  the  remaining  pioneers  of 


388  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AXD 

Kansas  whose  business  career  almost  spans  the  history  of  his  county  and 
whose  life,  filling  with  years,  has  been  crowned  with  the  reward  of  honest, 
earnest  and  intelligent  effort.  He  has  not  simply  been  in  the  county  but 
distinctly  of  the  county  and,  while  he  has  witnessed  most  of  the  events 
of  importance  that  have  happened  here  he  has  caused  some  of 
them  to  happen  and  knew  that  others  were  going  to  happen.  He  had 
arrived  at  the  age  of  responsible  citizenship  when  he  first  saw  Allen  county 
and  was  equipped  with  a  fair  education,  a  good  constitution,  an  abtmdance 
of  energy  and  a  good  name.  This  combination,  carefully  guarded,  will 
win  in  the  race  of  any  life  and,  when  its  cares  have  been  laid  aside,  it  can 
not  be  said  that  "it  was  all  in  vain." 

"L,ew"  Bartels  was  born  in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  May  ii,  1842. 
He  is  a  son  of  Christian  Bartels,  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1808. 
The  latter  was  a  miller's  son  and,  in  1835,  came  to  the  United  States.  He 
has  a  brother,  I,ewis,  who  resides  at  Gypsum,  Kansas,  and  another  brother, 
Henry,  who  remained  in  Germany.  Christian  Bartels  learned  the  tailor's 
trade  in  his  youth  and  his  first  work  in  this  country  was  done  in  Phila- 
delphia. He  located  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  about  1840  and  was  there  mar- 
ried to  Sarah  Pryor,  whose  parents  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  that 
community.  In  185 1  he  went  to  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  and  located  in 
Sheffield.  He  had  undertaken  farming  in  Illinois  and,  feeling  cramped  for 
room  and  with  the  expectation  of  getting  a  "claim,"  he  came  to  Kansas  in 
i860.  He  pre-empted  a  quarter  section  on  Onion  Creek,  on  the  south  line 
of  lola  township  and  died  there  in  1878.  His  widow  died  in  lola  in  1898. 
Their  children  are:  Amelia,  widow  of.  Jesse  VanFossen,  of  Humboldt; 
Mary,  died  single;  W.  L,-;  Margaret,  wife  of  D.  B,  Stephens,  of  lola;  Sarah, 
who  married  Robert  L,.  Travis,  of  Humboldt,  Kansas;  Thomas  M. ,  a 
leading  merchant  of  lola. 

Among  the  first  things  that  Lew  Bartels  encountered  on  coming  to 
Kansas  was  the  Civil  war.  It  was  no  trial  for  him  to  meet  his  obligation  in 
this  matter  for  he  was  a  strong  believer  in  the  union  of  the  states  and  cow- 
ardice was  not  a  part  of  his  makeup.  He  enlisted  August  10,  186 1,  in 
Company  G,  Ninth  Kansas,  Colonel  I^ynde;  and  the  first  thing  that  was 
done  was  to  raid  the  Rebels  and  Bushwhackers  who  sacked  Humboldt. 
They  were  overtaken  at  Cabin  Creek  and  a  battle  ensued.  The  fellows 
who  burned  Humboldt  also  came  in  for  a  raid  and  the  Ninth  did  its  duty 
toward  them.  The  Ninth  spent  the  winter  of  1861  on  post  duty  at  Humboldt 
and  the  next  spring  it  was  marched  to  I,eavenworth,  Kansas,  and  mounted. 
It  took  the  Santa  Fe  trail  for  Fort  Union,  New  Mexico,  guarding  the  over- 
land stage  line  against  the  Indians  and  Rebels.  The  regiment  returned  to 
I/Cavenworth  the  same  fall  and  Company  G  did  provost  guard  duty  around 
the  city  till  the  spring  of  1863.  The  regiment  guarded  the  southern  border 
of  the  state  and  chased  Quantrel's  band  of  guerrillas  in  Missouri  the  greater 
part  of  the  year.  General  Joe  Shelby's  men  were  encountered  at  difierent 
times  in  his  feints  on  Kansas  City  and  north  Missouri.  The  spring  of  1864 
the  Ninth  Kansas  was  ordered  toward  Little  Rock  and  had  many  brushes 
with  the  Confederates  in  Arkansas.     Our  subject  enlisted  as  a  private  and 


"WOODSON   COUNtlfiS,    KANSAS.  389 

■wa-s   discharged   at    Duvalls    Bluff,    Arkansas,  January    16,    1865,  being  a 
sergeant  and  having  seen  three  and  one-half  years  of  service. 

Mr.  Bartels  tilled  th«  soil  the  first  four  years  succeeding. the  war.  He 
went  into  Degenhart's  harness  shop  at  Humboldt,  learned  the  trade  and  the 
business  and  spent  three  years  there.  He  came  10  lola  in  1874  and  opened 
a  shop  and  did  a  thriving  business  in  the  old  building  on  his  present  busi- 
ness corner  -till  1885.  He  was  then  appointed  Deputy  Revenue  Collectoj 
"for  fourteen  eastern  Kansas  counties.  He  officiated  in  this  capacity  four 
and  a  half  years  and  acquitted  himself  with  credit  to  himself  and  with  great 
satisfaction  to  the  government.  Upon  the  election  of  Harrison  the  Deputj'- 
force  resigned  in  a  body  and,  in  reply  to  his  letter  of  resignation  his  chief 
sent  Mr.  Bartels  the  following; 

"In  terminating  our  official  relations  I  desire  to  say  that  I  have  always 
•considered  the  business  of  the  Second  Division  in  safe  hands,  and  to  thank 
you  for  your  care  and  fidelity  in  the  discharge  of  your  duties.  Your  selec- 
tion and  appointment  has  never  caused  me  a  regret.  I  hope  your  pros- 
perity and  happiness  in  future  may  equal  your  individual  merits." 

lietiring  from  the  revenue  service  Mr.  Bartels  established  himself  in 
the  hardware  business  and  his  house  became  one  of  the  popular  places  of 
business  in  Allen  county.  He  -conducted  its  afiairs  most  satisfactorily  till 
•April  1899  when  he  sold  his  stock  and  retired  from  active  business.  Dur- 
ing the  year  1898  he  erected  the  "Bartels  Block,"  a  two  story  brick  22x120 
feet  with  basement  and  the  following  year  his  brick  residence,  on  East 
Madison  avenue,  was  erected,  and  he  thus  becomes  the  owner  of  two  of  the 
most  attractive  and  substantial  structures  in  the  city. 

March  22,  1863,  Mr.  Bartels  was  married  in  Allen  county  to  Sidney,  a 
daughter  of  John  B.  Tibbetts,  who  was  driven  out  of  Missouri  in  1861  by 
the  Rebels  and  came  over  into  Allen  county.  Mr.  Tibbetts  was  a  shoe- 
maker and  was  born  in  Massachusetts.      He  married  Miss  Amy  Wood. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartels'  children  are  Ida  H.,  wife  of  Eli  Wharton,  of 
lola,  Kansas^  Josie,  wife  of  B.  C.  Potter,  of  lola;  Rosie,  wife  of  Edward 
Langford,  of  lola,-  William  Z.  Bartels,  who  married  Jessie  Webb;  Ollie, 
Maud  and  Jessie  Bartels. 

The  Democracy  of  the  Bartels'  is  proverbial.  Their  adherence  to  the 
principles  of  the  ancient  and  honored  faith  is  constant.  William  L.  has ' 
been  twice  honored  with  election  to  the  office  of  Mayor  of  lola,  first  in  1882 
when  he  was  chiefly  concerned  in  getting  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway  to 
build  into  lola,  and  second  in  1892  when  he  gave  the  city  a  business 
administration. 


TAMES  SIMPSON,  who  was  prominent  as  a  citizen  and  contractor  in 
^  lola  a  decade  and  a  half  ago  and  who  died  there  September  6,  1889, 
was  a  native  born  Englishman.  He  was  born  near  York  October  18,  1827, 
and  was  one  of  fifteen  children.     His  father,  Robert  Simpson,  was  a  farmer 


3  go  HISTORY    Off    A.LLEN  ANTT 

and  young  "Jimmy"  passed  his  youth  at  such  work  as  would  aid  in  raain'- 
taining  the  household.  He  was  apprenticed  at  an  early  age  and  spent  six 
years  at  the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade.  He  was  some  twenty-five  years- 
old  when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  landed  at  New  York  but  went 
direct  to  Canada.  He  was  in  company  with  his  brother,  Thomas,  but 
Charles  and  Mark,  brothers  also,  reared  families  and  died  in  America. 
Thomas  died  in  Canada,  Charles  died  in  Philadelphia  and  Mark  died  in 
Decatur,  Illinois. 

James  Simpson  returned  to  the  United  States  and  found  his  first  em- 
ployment at  his  trade  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He  worked  in  Jacksonville 
and  Decatur,  Illinois,  going  to  the  latter  point  about  1867  from  the  former. 
He  came  to  lola  in  1879  and  was  a  thorough-going  and  properous  citizen  to 
the  end.  He  adhered  to  the  Democratic  faith  and  was  an  Episcopalian  in 
spiritual  matters.  He  was  well  informed,  ready  and  alert  and  was  a  genial 
and  companionable  gentleman.  He  was  married  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois, 
September  12,  1852,  to  Sarah  Sprowell,  whose  father,  Robert  Sprowell,  was 
also  an  Englishman.  The  Sprowells  were  from  Lincolnshire  as  was. Betty 
Wilson  whom  Robert  Sprowell  married.  William  G.  Sprowell  and  Mrs. 
Simpson  are  their  surviving  heirs. 

"Uncle  Jimmy"  Simpson  and  Mrs.  Simpson  manifested  a  warm  per- 
sonal interest  in  orphan  children.  They  were  childless,  themselves,  and 
many  of  these  unfortunates  found  comfortable  homes  with  them.  Those 
who  have  enjoyed  their  hospitality  and  profited  by  their  friendship  are; 
Charles  Dunavan,  the  late  Mrs.  Ada  Bartlett,  Mrs.  Jennie  Nelson,  of 
Springfield,  Illinois,  George  Simpson,  of  Decatui,  Illinois,  Mrs.  Eva  Rob- 
inson, of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  Sarah  Metcalf. 

For  twenty  years  Mrs.  Simpson  was  engaged  in  tte  millinery  business 
in  lola,  retiring  July  4,  1889.  The  old  Simpson  corner  she  has  adorned 
with  a  splendid  two  story  brick  business  house,  and  the  new  Episcopal 
church  edifice  owes  much  to  hei  for  its  early  erection.  She  and  her  hus- 
band seem  to  have  lived  for  the  good  they  might  do  and  all  worthy  enter- 
prises and  proper  charities  participated  in  their  benefactions. 


T 


OSHUA  BUTLER,  lola's  enterprising'  and  thrifty  farmer,  feeder  and 
*^  stock  shipper,  has  passed  more  than  thirty  years  within  the  limits  of 
Allen  county.  He  entered  it  early  in  November  of  1869  and,  on  Sunday 
morning,  the  4th  of  the  month,  he  drove  into  town  from  the  east,  having 
arrived  at  his  destination  after  a  drive  of  several  hundred  miles.  He  ended 
a  journey  that  began  in  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  in  October,  by  steam- 
boat, "Champion,"  from  Cincinnati  to  St.  Louis,  and  was  finished  with 
an  overland  trip  from  that  city. 

Mr.  Butler  was  born  in  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  September  17,  1845, 
and  was  a  son  of  an  early  settler  there,  Harrison  Butler.  The  latter  was 
born  and  brought   up  in  Culpepper   county,    Virginia,    where   he   owned 


"WaOUSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  391 

slaves  and  was  one  of  the  thrifty  planters  of  his  community.  His  birth  pc- 
•curred  in  1785  and  he  died  in  1868.  He  was  one  of  the  intensely  indus- 
trious men  of  his  time  and  place  and  his  industry  was  liberally  rewarded. 
"The  children  by  his  first  wife  were:  Ann,  who  married  Michael  Carrol 
.and  died  leaving  a  daughter  in  Coshocton  county ;  Mary  Butler,  who  died 
young;  Frances,  who  married  Chrispum  Foster  and  died  in  Allen  county, 
Kansas;  Lucinda,  who  died  single;  and  William  Butler,  well  known  to 
•early  settlers  west  of  the  Neosho  river  in  Allen  county,  who  died  in  1879. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Margaret  Nellineer.  Her  children  were: 
Henry  Butler,  of  Akron,  Ohio;  Caroline,  wife  of  William  Valentine,  of 
lola:  Joshua,  our  subject;  Charlotte,  wife  of  John  Porter,  resides  in  Colum- 
Tdus,  Ohio,  and  Sarah  J.,  who  married  Isaac  Bible  and  resides  in  Coshocton 
■county,  Ohio. 

Joshua  Butler  has  been  nothing  short  of  a  shrewd,  industrious  and 
thrifty  farmer  from  boyhood.  He  received  little  in  the  way  of  an  education 
and,  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  he  can  be  said  to  have  "started"  in  life. 
He  relates  that  he  hadn't  clothing  fit  to  wear  to  Sabbath  School  for  two 
years  at  a  time  and  he  worked  out  by  the  day  and  month  for  five 
years.  Although  his  father  was  thrifty  he  did  not  lavish  any  of  his  sub- 
stance upon  Joshua,  assuming  it  to  be  the  better  plan  to  compel  him  to 
giin  experience  by  practice  while  young.  Joshua  Butler  earned  many  an 
honest  dollar  at  the  pitiful  sum  of  $11.00  a  month.  One  three  months' 
work  he  invested  in  seed  wheat,  sowed  it  and  lost  it  by  the  weevil.  An- 
other sum  of  money,  earned  as  wages,  he  bought  calves  with  and  doubled 
his  money.  He  was  not  more  than  a  youth  when  he  bought  a  mare  which 
he  expected  to  sell  to  Dan  Rice's  show  but  a  shipper  came  along  and 
offered  him  $45  more  than  he  paid  and  she  went  south.  On  a  Sunday 
morning  he  bargained  for  a  hundred  head  of  sheep  at  $400  and  s.old  them 
in  a  short  time  for  $507.50.  This  sort  of  speculation  and  liis  wages  enabled 
him  to  pay  for  three  shares  of  the  old  home  in  five  years.  One  of  the  heirs 
petitioned  to  have  the  place  sold  and  our  .subject  bought  it  in  on  Saturday 
and  sold  it  again,  at  once,  at  a  profit  of  $400.  Feeling  the  need  of  better 
educational  equipment  he  spent  two  years  in  school.  In  1868  he  was 
married  to  Clementine  Foster  and  remained  the  first  year  in  Roscoe.  The 
first  thing  he  did  upon  coming  to  Allen  county  was  to  purchase  forty-six 
acres  of  land  west  of  the  river  and  the  next  fall  he  added  eighty  acres  to 
the  west  of  it,  creating  a  debt  of  $400.00.  As  he  became  able  he  added 
another  eighty  and  then  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres,  and  more  re- 
cently one  hundred  and  fifty -eight  acres.  He  rested,  as  it  were,  ten  years' 
till  he  paid  out  and  sent  two  of  his  children  to  I^ane  University  two  years. 
He  moved  into  lola  in  1893  and  purchased  the  southeast  corner  of  block 
ten  upon  which  he  has  erected  two  large  houses.  He  built  one  of  ■  the 
handsome  store  buildings  on  the  south  side  of  the  square  in  1894  3^1^^  his 
income  from  rentals  is  one  much  to  be  desired.  As  a  feeder  Mr.  Butler 
handles  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  several  car  loads  of  fat  hogs  yearly. 

In  1881  Mr.  Butler  lost  his  first  wife.     Her  children  were:     Ebenezer, 
who   married  Ada  Johnson  and  resides  on  the  farm;  Emma,  wife  of  H.  C. 


^i^l  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AND 

Williamson,  of  lola,  and  Nellie,  who  married  James  B.  Ewart,  of  Vernoir 
county,  Missouri.  In  1883  Mr.  Butler  married  Mary  Williams.  Their 
children  are:     Edna,  Stuart.  Flossie  and  Iva  Butler. 

No  man  about  lola  is  better  known  than  Joshua  Butler.  No  man  of 
his  age  and  length  of  residence  in  Allen  couniy  has  produced  more  sub- 
stantial results  from  actual  hard  work  than  he.  In  his  youth  he  learned 
that  it  always  paid  to  be  honest,  and  this  old  adage  he  has  followed  to  the- 
letter  in  latter  life.  As  a  stock  man  he  possesses  excellent  judgment  and 
on  aJl  his  varied-  interests  he  keeps  a  close  tab. 


CAPTAIN  G.  DeWITT  was  bom  in  Gallfa  county,  Ohio,  February 
28,  1834,  where  he  lived  until  about  fourteen  years  old  when  he 
m;oved  with  his- parents  to  Franklin  county,  Illinois.  Here  be  grew  to 
manhood,  choosing  farming  and  school  teaching  as  his  vocation  and  fitted 
himself  for  a  civil-  engineer.  In  i860  he  enlisted  in  the  Civil  war  as  an 
Illinois  volunteer  in  the  iioth  Regiment  where  he  served  as  captain 
eighteen  months,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged  on  account  of  poor 
health.  In  1863  be  moved  with  his  family  to  Humboldt,  Kansas,  where 
he  served  in  the  militia  about  two  years.  He  bought  a  farm  two  and  a  half 
miles  west  of  Humboldt  upon  which  he  lived  for  thirtj'-seven  years.  He 
was  quite  a  public  spirited  man,  taking  a  very  active  part  in  all  public 
issues.  He  was  ever  a  true  Republican  and  by  this  party  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  County  Surveyor  which  he  held  almost  continuously  for  thirty- 
five  years.  He  held  the  office  of  County  Superintendent  one  term  and  rep- 
resented -his  county  two  terms  in  the  State  Legislature.  The.se  offices  he 
filled  with  much  credit  to  his  constituents.  There  was  hardly  a  square 
section  in  the  county  which  he  had  not  surveyed  and  knew  fully  as  well  as 
the  owner  himself. 

He  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  a  deliberate  thinker — never  jump- 
ing at  conclusions  and  seldom  ever  losing  his  point  in  an  agument.  He 
united  with  the  Missionary  Baptist  denomination  when  quite  a  young  man 
and  dung  very  tenaciously  to  this  belief  until  his  death  which  occurred 
April  9th,  igoi- 


TOSEPH  TERREtL  RENO,  of  lola,  was  born  in  Schuyler  County, 
'J  Illinois,  October  5,  1845.'  His  father  was  the  Rev.  Joseph  Reno, 
United  Brethren,  whose  ministerial  work  in  Linn  and  Bourbon  Counties, 
Kansas,  many  years  was  both  important  and  effectual.  He  did  much  to- 
ward the  establishment  of  that  faith  in  those  counties,  and  at  his  death  in 
1876,  left  the  work  in  a  healthy,  encouraging  condition.  He  was  born  in 
East  Tennessee  in  1807,  and  went  to  Illinois  in  the  early  settlement  of  that 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  393 

State.  He  secured  an  education  that  made  liis  life  a  success,  and  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  1834,  he  enlisted  and  served  his  State  in 
quelling  the  disturbance.  Although  he  was  a  sell-made  man,  few  with  his 
opportunities  could  have  done  more  in  the  cause  of  religion  as  a  pioneer 
preacher  than  he.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  coming  into  that  party 
from  the  Whigs. 

Jonathan  Reno,  our  subject's  paternal  grandfather,  was  a  Virginian. 
He  was  descended  from  French  stock,  was  a  farmer  and  was  killed  in 
Springfield,  Missouri. 

Sarah  Skyles  married  Rev.  Joseph  Reno.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
Skyles,  of  East  Tennessee.  Mrs.  Reno  resides  in  Allen  county,  Kansas, 
and  is  the  mother  of  Joseph  T.,  Charles,  of  Piqua,  Kansas;  William  O.,  of 
lola;  Adda,  wife  of  Frank  Smith,  of  Allen  county  and  Jeanette,  wife  of  I. 
Helms,  of  Bronson,  Kansas. 

Joseph  T.  Reno  was  near  twenty-one  years  old  when  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas. He  was  reared  on  an  Illinois  farm  and  educated  in  the  district  schools 
and  before  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age  he  enlisted  in  the  army.  His  regi- 
ment was  partially  raised  in  McDonough  county,  Illinois,  and  his  command 
was  Co.  A,  84th  Infantry.  His  regiment  was  placed  first  in  the  4th  corps 
and  later  became  a  part  of  the  14th  corps.  He  began  service  at  L,ouisville, 
Kentucky  and  was  in  the  fight  at  Perryville,  that  state.  In  their  order  Mr. 
Reno  participated  in  the  engagements  at  Chicamauga,  Atlanta  campaign, 
(Ringgold  Gap,  Buzzards  Roost,  Kennesaw  Mountain,)  Jonesboro,  Nash- 
ville and  Franklin.  He  served  as  a  private  and  through  all  these,  some  of 
the  most  bloody  battles  of  the  war,  he  passed  without  injury.  He  was  dis- 
charged at  Camp  Harker  June  8,  1865,  and  cultivated  his  crops  in  Illinois 
that  year.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  the  fall  and  located  on  a  farm  in  L,inn 
county.  In  1879  he  came  into  Allen  county  and  located  a  farm  near  Bron- 
son and  resided  in  that  vicinity  for  ten  years.  In  1889  he  located  on  a  farm 
near  Carlyle  and  four  years  later  he  took  up  his  residence  in  lola. 

Mr.  Reno  was  first  married  in  L.inn  county,  Kansas,  in  1868  to  Emma 
Saddler,  a  daughter  of  James  Saddler,  one  of  the  pioneers  to  L,inn  county. 
In  1883  Mrs.  Reno  died,  leaving  five  daughters:  Laura,  wife  of  Andrew 
Price  of  Lordsburg,  New  Mexico;  Mary  E. ,  wife  of  Dallas  Gillespie,  of 
Missouri;  Dora,  widow  of  Simon  Brillhart;  Cora,  who  married  Charles  Cain, 
of  lola,  and  I,ettie.  Mr.  Reno  was  married  the  second  time  in  1883.  His 
wife  was  ,Sadie  Kenady,  a  daughter  of  Valentine  Brillhart.  She  died 
in  1898  and  in  April  1900  Mr.  Reno  married  Emma  L,.  Prather,  a  daughter 
of  Randolph  B.  Tucker,  of  Clermont  county,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Reno  added  his  mite  to  the  expan.sion  era  of  lola.  In  1899  he 
platted  Reno's  addition  to  lola,  much  of  which  has  already  been  disposed 
of  and  improved. 


T  A  yilvLIAM  MORGAN  HARTMAN,  deceased,  was    identified    with 

"   "     the  mercantile  and  financial  interests  of  lola  during  its  childhood 

and  early  youth.     He  came   to   Allen    county   in    1865    and  was  first  en- 


394  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   AND 

gaged  in  the  stock  business  with  the  pioneer,  John  McClnre,  his  father-in- 
law.  When  the  prairies  began  to  settle  up  and  the  village  became  a  town 
"Morg"  dropped  out  of  the  stock  business  and  entered  the  field  of  merchan- 
dise. He  clerked  for  L.  L.  Northrup,  conducted  a  furniture  business  with 
Norris  and  a  hardware  business  with  Jacob  Casmire,  and  was  one  of  the 
popular  merchants  of  the  city.  He  prospered  as  time  passed  and  when  he 
reached  middle  life  the  thought  of  establishing  a  banking  business  in  lola 
took  serious  hold  upon  him.  He  became  associated  with  Geo.  A.  Bowlus 
in  the  loan  business  and  the  two  formed  a  partnership  and  started  the  Bank 
of  Allen  County.  To  the  success  of  this  institution  he  devoted  his  few  re- 
maining years,  for  he  died  October  6,  1887. 

W.  M.  Hartman  was  born  in  Indiana,  June  4,  1834.  He  was  a  son  of 
William  Hartman  who  established  his  family  at  Ridgefield,  111.,  and  died 
there'.  His  mother  was  Agnes  Gibson,  who  is  also  buried  at  Ridgefield, 
111.  Her  children  were:  David,  who  was  a  Union  soldier,  died  during  the 
war;  Gibson,  at  Ridgefield,  111;  W.  M.,  our  subject;  Isaac,  of  Chicago;  Lem 
H.,  who  died  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  was  once  a  resident  of  lola; 
Sophia,  wife  of  Joseph  Wayne,  of  Center  Point,  la.,  Lizzie,  wife  of  William 
Morey,  of  Ridgefield,  111.,  and  Gussie,  who  died  at  Ridgefield. 

Morg  Hartman  acquired  a  fair  education  in  the  district  schools,  was  all 
his  life  a  great  reader,  his  fine  memory  enabling  him  to  give  quotations 
from  the  Bible  or  Shakespeare  to  fit  every  occasion.  He  was  very  fond  of 
poetry,  often  reciting  whole  poems  which  he  had  learned  when  a  boy.  He 
was  a  lover  of  nature — birds  and  flowers  especiallv. 

His  lather  moved  to  Ridgefield,  111.,  about  1834  and  Morg  grew  up  on 
a  farm.  His  first  wife  was  Mary  McClure,  whom  he  married  at  Ridgefield. 
She  died  in  1862  leaving  one  child  Gertrude,  now  the  wife  of  Benjamin 
Throop,  of  Crystal  I,ake,  111.  Agnes  Throop  is  the  only  grandchild.  On 
April  16,  1874  he  married  Melissie,  a  daughter  of  William  Buchanan,  of 
lola. 

In  politics  he  was  an  independent,  voting  for  the  man  or  the  principle. 
He  read  all  sides,  forming  his  opinion  and  voting  as  he  thought  right.  He 
was  public  spirited,  giving  liberally  to  every  good  enterprise. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows  fraternities  and  al- 
though not  a  religious  man  in  the  usual  sen.se  of  the  word  he  thought  deeply  on 
spiritual  matters.  He  did  his  whole  duty  toward  his  fellows.  His  sym- 
pathy extended  to  the  poor  and  he  helped  men  when  they  knew  not  the 
source  of  their  benefaction. 


TTj^RANK  GAY — The  chizens  of  "the  west  side"  in  lola  township 
-^  recognize  no  more  industrious  or  worthy  farmer  than  Frank  Gay. 
He  has  been  in  Allen  County  more  than  thirty  years,  nearly  all  of  which 
time  has  been  spent  in  the  vicinity  of  his  present  home.  He  was  born 
near     Montgomery     Alabama,     December    16,     1852,    and    is    a    son  of 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  395 

Jasper  N.  Gay.  The  latter  left  Alabama  before  the  Civil  war  came  on  and 
passed  that  period  in  the  State  of  Arkansas.  He  was  born  in  Georgia  in 
1815  and  was  a  planter's  son.  In  1869  he  came  to  Allen  County  and  locat- 
ed upon  the  Goforth  place,  west  of  lola.  He  died  there  in  rSyr.  His 
wife  was  Sarah  Gilland  who  is  residing  with  her  son,  Frank.  Their  children 
are:  Frank  Gay;  Enlma,  wife  of  John  H.  Beahm;  John  Gay,  of  Hillsboro, 
California;  George  Gay,  a  soldier  in  the  regular  army  and  now  in  the 
Philippines;  Jeff  Gay  of  Colorado,  and  Edward  Gay,  of  Washington. 

Frank  Gay  went  to  school  where  school  facilities  were  poor.  He 
deplores  the  fact  that  his  educational  equipment  is  so  scant  and  has  a 
warmer  side  foi  a  liberal  education  on  this  account.  l,abor  has  been  his 
strong  card  and  he  has  engaged  in  it  persistently  and  unceasingly  since  his 
sixteenth  year.  For  five  years  he  was  a  wage  earner  on  the  farm  and  out 
of  these  earnings  he  purchased  his  first  piece  of  land  near  the  Neosl  o 
Valley  school  house.  He  purchased  and  disposed  of  another  farm  in  the 
same  section  before  he  located  in  section  5,  town  24,  range  18.  His  pres- 
ent place  was,  only  a  few  years  since,  an  expanse  of  wild  laud  fit  only  for 
the  grazing  of  roaming  herds  and  attractive  to  the  eye  of  no  man.  Under 
the  unyielding  pressure  of  his  industrious  hand  it  blooms  and  blossoms  and 
produces  abundantly. 

Mr.  Gay  was  married-  May  18,  1880,  to  Eliza,  a  daughter  of  David 
Beahm.  The  issue  of  this  marriage  are:  Earl,  Josie,  Willie,  Charley,  Orby 
and  Ira. 

Ml.  Gay  is  a  Prohibitionist  with  Democratic  leanings — his  ancestors 
having  been  Democrats — and  is  a  member  of  the  Advent  church. 


TOHN  C.  HOLTZ,  of  lola,  retired  farmer,  was,  for  many  years,  one  of 
"  the  progressive  and  successful  farmers  of  W^oodson  County.  He  locat- 
ed just  east  of  Neosho  Falls  in  1884,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  and  where 
he- is  yet  a  large  land  owner.  The  business  of  grain  and  stock  raising  he 
has  carried  on  during  his  active  lile  most  successfully  and  when  he  retired, 
in  1900,  it  was  in  the  possession  of  a  surplus  sufficient  to  maintain  him  and 
his  in  the  years  of  theii  decline. 

Mr.  Holtz  was  bom  in  Mecklinburg-Schwerin,  September  14,  1837, 
and  was  a  son  of  Frederick  Holtz,  a  farmer,  who  left  Germany  early  in  the 
fifties  and  settled  his  family  in  West  Virginia.  He  remained  in  that  State 
till  death  in  1875  and  is  buried  in  Wood  County.  His  wife  was  Christina 
Kruger  who  died  in  the  same  county  ten  years  before  her  husband.  Their 
children  were:  Lewis,  of  Parkersburg,  West  Virginia;  John  C;  Sophia,  wife 
of  William  Karnhoff,  of  Covington,  Kentucky,  and  "Stina,"  wife  of  John 
Moseman,  of  Parkersburg,  West  Virginia. 

John  C.  Holtz  was  a  lad  of  sixteen  when  he  left  the  Old  World  and 
became  a  Virginia  youth.  The  vessel  which  brought  him  was  a  sailer  out 
of  Hamburg,    bound  to   New   York.     His   opportunities   were    meager  for 


396  HISTORY    OV    ALLEN    AND 

educational  equipment,  but.  he  managed  to  secure  the  rudiments  or  first 
principles,  and  was  about  embarking  in  an  undertaking  when  the  Civil 
war  came  on.  He  enlisted  in  Company  C,  West  Virginia  cavalry,  first 
regiment.  Col.  Capehard.  His  regiment  .vas  a  part  of  General  Sheridan's 
command  and  the  Rebels  were  right  handy  when  they  were  wanted.  In  all 
the  important  field  service  of  West  Virginia,  Virginia,  Maryland  and  Pennsyl- 
vania Mr.  Holtz  took  part.  He  A^as  captured  at  Winchester,  Virginia,  but 
escaped  from  the  Rebel  field  prison  in  fourteen  days  and  rejoined  his  regi- 
ment. Mr.  Holtz  witnessed  some  of  the  clo.sing  scenes  of  the  war  and  was 
near  the  Capitol  when  L,ee  surrendered.  He  was  discharged  in  June, 
1865,  having  served  in  all  the  four  years  of  the  Civil  war. 

Almost  upon  his  release  from  the  army  Mr.  Holtz  came  to  Kansas. 
He  gathered  together  a  small  amount  of  cash  and,  upon  his  arrival  at 
Lawrence  he  purchased  a  forty  acre  tract  of  timber  of  a  Delaware  Indian 
and  proceeded  to  get  out  ties  for  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  then  building. 
He  spent  the  first  winter  around  Lawrence  at  this  work,  boarding  with  the 
Indians,  and  when  spring  came  he  went  south  into  Franklin  County  and 
bought  a  farm  eight  miles  east  of  Ottawa.  He  returned  to  Lawrence  in 
the  spring  of  1867  and  was  married  to  Margaret  Lewis,  a  daughter  of  James 
Lewis,  from  Ohio,  who  settled  at  Cherokee,  Kansas. 

In  1869  Mr.  Holtz  moved  over  into  Coffey  County,  near  Burlington, 
and  there  carried  on  his  farming  and  stock  raising  till  1884,  as  previously 
explained.  With  the  aid  of  his  sons  in  operating  his  large  farm  and  with 
his  own  expert  management  Mr.  Holtz's  prosperity,  as  an  agriculturist,  has 
been  positive  and  enduring.  His  sons  are:  Lewis,  of  Allen  County,  is 
married  to  Mary  Dice;  James,  of  Woodson  County;  Frank,  of  Woodson 
County,  and  John,  of  lola. 

In  politics  Mr.  Holtz  is  a  Republican.  His  first  Presidential  vote 
was  for  Lincoln  in  1864,  and  he  has  voted  for  every  Republican  candi- 
date since. 


TTENRY  W.  WILLIAMS,  of  lola,  one  of  lola's  early  Police  Judges 
-'-  -*~  and  for  some  years  a  grain  and  coal  dealer  in  the  city,  came  into 
Kansas  in  1878  and  settled  on  the  frontier  in  Pawnee  county.  He  mi- 
grated there  from  Cumberland  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  born  Feb- 
ruary I,  1833.  He  passed  his  boyhood  in  Coles  and  his  youth  in  Cumber- 
land county  and  was  a  son  of  Harry  Williams  who  went  into  Illinois  in 
1830  and  settled  in  Coles  county.  The  latter  was  born  in  Bradford  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1809,  and  left  the  state  three  years  later  with  his  father, 
Zaben  Williams,  to  Elizabethtown,  Kentucky,  Hardin  county,  and  was 
reared  there  almost  to  manhood.  In  1828  he  crossed  the  Ohio  river  and 
invaded  Crawford  county,  Indiana,  where  he  married  Lucretia  Beals  and, 
soon  after  moved  over  into  Coles  county,  Illinois.  Lucretia  was  a 
daughter  of  David  Beals  and  Philiney  Hayes,  a  niece  of  ex-President  Hayes, 


■WQODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  '^qj 

'^OT  her  father,  Oliver  Hayes,  was  the  President's  uncle.  The  Beals  were 
.from  near  Saratoga,  New  York,  from  which  point  they  settled  first  in  the 
Miami  country  above  Cincinnati  and  afterward  in  Crawford  -county, 
Indiana. 

Zaben  Williams  was  born  and  reared  at  Williams  town,  Massachusetts, 
:and  was  a  son  of  one  of  the  founders  of  the  town  and  a  nephew  of  the  other. 
These  brothers  were  men  of  alSuence  and  their  generosity  prompted  them 
"to  found  and  endow  the  college  at  Williamstown.  Zaben  Williams'  three 
children  were:  Harris,  Constant  and  Harr}-,  whose  forefathers  were  pat- 
riots in  the  American  Revolution,  in  the  person  of  the  founders  of  Wil- 
liamstown College,  both  of  whom  died  in  the  service. 

Harry  Williams''  children  were:  Mary  J.,  who  married  Josiah  Good- 
win, of  Cumberland  county,  Illinois';  Henry  W. ;  David  B. ,  of  Sullivan 
eounty,  Missouri.;  Lucy  E. ,  deceased,  wife  of  W.  J,  Vinsoxi,  of  Cumberland 
county,  Illinois;  Jesse  M.,  of  the  same  county;  Larinda  C,  wife  of  J.  T. 
Jonet,  of  Coles  county,  Illinois,  and  William  F.  Williams,  of  Cumberland 
•county,  Illinois. 

Our  subject  spent  his  early  life  on  his  father's  farm.  He  went  to 
school  three  nfonths  in  the  year  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  bargained  with 
his  father  for  his  time.  He  made  and  handled  saw-logs  and  rails  and  from 
this  he  dropped  into  farming.  He  was  married  in  October,  1850,  to  Nancy 
J.  Stone  who 'died  October  10,  1S65,  leaving:  Frances,  wife  of  William 
J.  Newman,  of  Mattoon,  Illinois;  Lewis  B.  Williams,  of  Allen  county,  and 
Chauncey  L.  Williams,  of  Coles  county,  Illinois.  In  1866  he  was  married 
to  Amanda  F.  Kelley,  who  died  in  lola  July  17,  1899.  Her  children  are: 
'Orville  K.,  one  of  Allen  county's  successful  teachers;  0.scar  L. ;  Charles; 
■MaryE. ,  wife  of  W.  Rutledge;  Amanda  L-,  wife  of  Oscar  L.  Cowan; 
Harry,  Olive  and  Fred  Williams  are  with  their  father.  January  21,  igoo, 
Mr.  Williams  married  Mattie  Dailey,  a  daughter  of  Amos  Dailey,  one  of 
lola's  early  settlers. 

In  western  Kansas  Mr.  Williams  was  engaged  in  both  carpenter  work 
and  farming-.  He  resided  in  Pawnee  Rock  and  later  in  Larned  and  from 
that  city  he  came  to  lola  in  1888.  He  purchased  a  half  block  in  the  first 
ward  of  lola  which  he  has  improved  by  covering  it  with  residences  and  has 
thereby  contributed  his  part  in  the  city's  development.  In  the  spring  of 
1900  he  went  out  of  active  business  and  is  concerned  now  only  with  the 
proper  rearing  and  education  of  his  younger  children. 

In  political  training  the  early  Williams  were  Whigs.  Upon  the  disso- 
lution of  that  party  they  became  "Know  Nothing"  and  when  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  christened  they  joined  it  and  helped  swell  Fremont's 
popular  vote.  Our  subject's  first  vote  was  cast  for  that  candidate  for  the 
Presidency  and  he  has  never  missed  an  election  in  ail  these  forty-four 
years.  He  has  great  faith  today  in  the  ability  of  that  party  to  do  things 
and  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  our  country  with  wisdom  and  prudence  and  to 
lead  our  citizens  along  a  high  plane  of  morality,  patriotism  and  civilization. 

Mr.  Williams  enlisted  at  Benton  Barracks,  St.  Louis,  October  1861, 
for  three  years  and  his  regiment  was  McClelland's  advance  guard  along  the 


598'  msTORY  OF  ALLEN"  ANXr 

Potomac  river  in  i85i  and  1862,  He  was  discharged  at  Cuiuberlan d, 
Maryland,  for  disability  and  returned  to  Illinois,  and  in  February,  1865. 
joined  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Illinois  and  was  transferred  to- 
Sixty-first  Illinois,  fram  which  he  was  discharged  October  19,  1865.  He 
was  detailed  on  duty  to  turn  over  deserters  to  the  army,  who  returned 
vmder  the  President's  proclamation,  during  the  end  of  his  second  enlistment 
and.  the' close  of  the  war  foand  him  so  engaged. 


TGrfRANKLlN"  ROOf .— The  late  Franklin  Root,  ex-County  Superiuteud- 
-*-  exit  of  Public  Instruction  of  Allen  count}-,  was  one  of  the  noble 
characters  and  honored  citizens  of  his  CDuaty.  Few  men  possessed,  in  as 
high  degree,  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  townsmen  and  few  men  more 
sincerely  merited  that  confidence  so  extended  and  so  marked. 

While  in  Allen  county  Mr.  Root  made  himself  as  much  a  part  of  the 
county  as  though  he  had  been  born  here  and  bis  life  of  usefulness  to  it  be- 
gan from  the  week  he  set  foot  upon  its  soil.  As  educator,  as  Christiart 
gentleman  and  as  model  citizen  he  performed  his  part  and  well  and  effect- 
ively it  was  done,  leaving  the  impress  of  his  beautiful  life  and  stainless 
character  wherever  he  mingled  in  business  or  society. 

Prank  Root  was  born  in  Pekin,  New  York,  May  4,  1826.  Hii  early 
life  w'as  rural  in  environment,  for  his  father,  Elias  Root,  was  a  farmer. 
The  latter  was  born  in  Mansfield,  Connecticut,  June  8,  1781,  and  was  there 
fiiarried  to  Anna  Belding,  who  was  born  in  Conway,  Massachusetts,  July 
12,  1790.  Of  their  seven  children  Frank  was  the  only  one  who  identified 
himself  with  the  West. 

In  preparing  himself  for  the  duties  of  lite  Franklin  Root  attended  the 
Lewiston,  New  York,  Academy  and  the  Lockport  Union  School.  ■  He  en- 
gaged in  teaching  and  continued  the  work  several  years,  finally  abandon- 
ing it  when  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  in  the  revenue  service  at  Sus- 
pension Bridge,  New  York.  He  spent  eight  years  in  the  customs  service 
and  was  as  efficient  and  popular  as  a  customs  collector  as  he  was  as  a 
teacher  of  the  American  youth.  In  1871  he  came  to  Kansas  and  took  the 
school  at  Geneva,  Allen  county.  His  success  there,  and  his  apparent 
personal  fitness  for  the  office,  led  the  Republicans  of  the  county  to  name 
him  for  county  superintendent.  He  was  first  appointed  to  fill  an  unexpired 
term  and  was  then  elected  to  fill  the  remainder  of  that  term  and  twice  to 
fill  full  terms  of  two  years  each.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  public  officer  held 
the  universal  esteem  of  his  constituents  to  a  greater  degree  than  did  Mr. 
Root,  To  the  teachers  he  was  a  fatherly  adviser  and  a  tower  of  strength 
and  to  the  district  board  and  patrons  he  was  a  wise  counsellor  and  sincere 
friend,  and  all  worked  in  practical  harmony  together. 

Upon  retiring  from  office  Mr.  Root  was  associated  with  H.  ly.  Hender- 
son in  the  hardware  business,  afterwards  with  W.  A.  Cowan  in  the  grocery 
business.     The  last  years  of  his  life   he  was     with    A.    W.    Beck   as  his 


•WOODSON  COUNTIEIS,  KANSAS.  399 

took -keeper  and  so  long  as  he  possessed  the  strength  he  filled  this  posi- 
ition.  He  was  a  long  sufierer  "from  asthma  and  this  finally  terminated  his 
Jife.  He  died  at  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas,  May  29,  1886,  and  was  buried  at 
3ola. 

April  i^,  1-867,  '^~'^-  Root  was  married  to  Lucinda  Fletcher,  a  daughter 
.of  Da%'id  and  Elizabeth  (Fletcher)  Fletcher.  They  had  no  children,  save 
those  they  adopted  and  elsewhere  referred  to  herein. 


HTELL  EVANS,  -a  memljer  of  the  drug  firm  of  Evans  Brothers,  is  a 
•  son  of  one  of  Allen  county's  pioneers.  His  father  was  Hon.  John 
M.  Evans,  who  represented  Allen  county  in  the  State  Legislature  near  the 
<;lose  of  the  sixties  and  who  was,  at  the  time  of  his  death  and  for  some 
years  prior,  a  prominent  merchant  of  the  county,  doing  business  at  Ge- 
neva. The  latter  was  an  Indiana  settler  and  came  into  the  county  in  1857. 
He  entered  the  quarter  section  in  Carlyle  township  known,  now  as  the 
"County -Poor  Farm"  and  resided  upon  it  till  the  year  following  the  close 
■of  the  war  when  he  went  to  Oeneva.  He  was  associated  with  L.  I*.  North- 
rup  in  a  general  store  and  was  stricken  down  in  the  prime  of  life  thirteen 
years  aft-er  his  advent  to  the  county. 

H.  T.  Evans  is  the  fourth  of  a  family  of  six  surviving  heirs  of  John 
M.  Evans.  He  was  born  at  the  old  homestead  in  Allen  county  January 
29,  1863,  just  two  years  after  Kansas^  natal  day.  The  early  part  of  his  life 
was  passed  in  Geneva  and  since  1876  he  has  lived  in  Tola.  He  secured  an 
ordinary  training  in  the  common  schools  and  in  his  youth  he  engaged  to 
learn  the  carpenter  trade.  He  worked  many  months  with  the  late  S.  P. 
Overmyer  and  it  might  be  said  that  that  o'dd  character  taught  him  the 
prime  mysteries  of  the  craft.  One  of  the  last  acts  of  our  subject,  as  a  me- 
chanic, was  to  erect  the  frame  work  and  do  the  finishing  on  Evans 
Brothers^  store. 

When  Mr.  Evans  first  engaged  in  business  it  was  as  a  partner  with 
M.  L.  Miller,  the  firm  being  "Miller  &  Evans,  undertakers."  Two  years 
after  the  formation  of  the  firm  he  purchased  the  interest  of  Mrs.  Miller  and 
conducted  the  busine.ss  alone.  The  disastrous  fire  of  1891  swept  away 
three-fourths  of  his  resources  and  wiped  out  a  business  that  had  been  estab- 
lished onlj'  four  years.  The  firm  of  Evans  Brothers  grew  out  of  that  con- 
flagration. Tell  and  William  J.  found  it  necessary,  from  force  of  circum- 
stances, and  mutually  helptul  to  unite  their  shattered  resources  in  an  effort 
to  regain  a  place  in  the  business  world  of-  lola.  They  purchased  the  lot 
upon  which  was  the  old  Stevenson  drug  store  and  erected  lola's  first  hand- 
some business  hous^e.  In  1892  the  firm  opened  their,  now  famous,  drug 
and  stationery  house,  one  of  the  conspicuously  attractive  places  in  lola. 

Realizing  the  late  start  in  a  new  business,  he  took  up  the  study  of 
pharmacy  with  the  determination  to  win.  And  though  studying  only  at 
home,  with  the  assistance  of  other  members  of  the  firm,    and   taking   the 


40O  HISTORY    OF    AtLEN    AND' 

correspondence  course  of  the  National  Institute  of  Pharmacy,  of  Chicago,, 
Illinois,  (of  which  he  has  a  diploma)  was  ready  for  the  State  Examina- 
tion ol  Pharmacists,  in  the  minimum  of  time  of  experience,  as  prescribed 
by  the  Kansas  laws,  and  was  passed  by  the  board  at  the  head  of  a  class- 
of  fifty-five. 

September  zg,  1896,  Mr.  Evans  married  Aline  Peterson,  a  lady  of 
social  and  raTisical  prominence  who  located  in  lola  in  1886.  She  was  born- 
in  the  city  of  Chicago  and  reared  in  Plattsburg,  Clinton  county,  Missouri, 
and,  in  1895,  took  a  course  in  the  New  England  Conservatory  of  Music  in. 
Boston.     The  childreaof  this  union  are  Telline  and  Emily  J.  Evans. 

Mr.  Evans  began  the  exercise  of  his  elective  franchise  in  1884  by  cast- 
ing  his  presidential  ballot  for  the  "Plumed  Knight,"  the  great  Secretary 
Blaine.  His  party  fealty  never  suffers  by  defeat.  Twice  has  he  seen  the 
banner  of  progress  and  prosperity  fall  into  the  hands  of  his  political  com- 
petitors and  as  many  times  has  he  helj>ed  to  reclaim  it  and  to  restore  it  to- 
its  own.  In  local  matters  he  has  done  only  that  which  would  tend  to  the 
best  public  service  for  lola.  Being  in  strict  accord  with  the  spirit- of  pro- 
gress in  public  education  he  was  nominated  for  the  Board  of  Education  in. 
r-900  from  the  Fourth  ward  and  elected.  He  is  one  of  the  first  members  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  has  represented  the  lola  body 
in  the  State  Grand  L,odge. 


rUUGE  Alexander  WH^LIAM  J.  brown,  tire  late  pioneer  and 
*-*  Captain  of  Company  F,  Sixth  Kansas,  war  of  the  Rebellion,  was  one  of 
(he  locally  conspicuous  characters  on  the  Kansas  frontier.  His  prominence 
lies  in  his  being  a  settler  at  such  an  early  date  and  from  his  various  rela- 
tions to  the  settlers  along  the  Neosho  and  its  tributaries  in  Allen  county. 
He,  in  company  with  his  son,  Alexander  H.  Brown,  left  Saline  county, 
Illinois,  in  the  month  of  May,  1855,  with  an  ox  team  for  Kansas.  They 
crossed  the  Mississippi  at  St.  Louis,  the  Missouri  at  St-  Claries  and  at 
Rock  Port,  keeping  the  western  trail  to  the  Kansas  line  twelve  miles  south 
of  Kansas  City.  They  were  headed  for  the  Neosho  Valley  but  soon  after 
they  entered  the  Territory  the  road  disappeared  and  their  last  fifty-five 
miles  was  made  without  pilot  or  guide  other  than  the  sun  and  stars.  On- 
entering  the  county  the  little  caravan  went  into  camp  a  half  mile  north  and 
about  two  hundred  yards  east  oi  where  North  Maple  Grove  school  house 
now  stands.  It  was  the  month  of  June  and  the  heavy  rains  had  swollen 
Deei  Creek  so  that  it  could  not  be  forded.  Some  settlers  were  discovered 
to  be  on  the  south  side  of  the  creek  and,  while  delayed,  they  were  "hel- 
loed" over  and  found  to  be  of  the  same  family,  but  of  the  tribe  of  Isham. 
Isham  Brown  and  Dallis  Martin  on  Deer  Creek,  Moses  Followell  on  Elm 
Creek,  the  Baker  brothers  on  the  Neosho  River  and  Mr.  Ferguson  on 
Rock  Creek,  were  the  persons  who  reached  this  locality  ahead  of  Judge 
Brown.     The  latter  crossed  the  prairie  from  Deer  Creek  to  Rock  Creek  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  ItANSAS.        .  4OI 

there  located  by  purchasing  Mr.  Ferguson's  interest  in  a  cbim  for  $roo  in 
gold,  a  yoke  of  cattle  and  a  wagon.  His  was  the  first  permanent  settle- 
ment on  Rock  Creek  and  the  second  permanent  settlement  in  the  northern 
part  of  Allen  county,  for  none  of  those  mentioned  above,  except  Dallas 
Martin,  remained  amongst  us  till  a  very  recent  date. 

The  condition  of  our  subject  was  a  trifle  extraordinary  and  very  un- 
usual for  he  came  to  the  county  with  sufficient  means  to  count  him  as  a 
wealthy  man,  whereas,  the  average  pioneer  found  himself  exhausted  in 
purse  by  the  time  he  had  passed  the  first  winter  in  his  new  home.  This 
fortunate  condition  of  the  Judge's  was  turned  to  the  public  as  well  as  to  his 
personal  good.  It  enabled  him  to  confer  acts  of  charity  where  it  was  most 
deserving  and  appreciated  and  in  many  ways  did  his  benefactions  contri- 
bute to  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  the  first  settlers  of  his  locality. 

There  was  the  largest  possible  opportunity  for  engaging  in  the  cattle 
business  and  this  our  subject  did  in  connection  with  the  subjugation  and 
improvement  of  his  farm.  He  was  one  of  the  successful  men  of  his  time 
and  was  one  of  those  men  whose  opinion  is  sought  and  valued  for  its  wis- 
dom and  a  gentleman  whose  interest  in  any  public  matter  assured  the  more 
unanimous  co-operation  of  the  citizens.  He  was  one  of  the  early  Probate 
Judges  of  the  county  and  he  performed  the  first  marriage  ceremony  in 
Allen  county.  His  selection  to  the  captaincy  of  a  company  in  the  volunteer 
service  shows  him  to  have  been  in  accord  with  the  patriots  of  '61.  His 
regiment,  the  Eighth,  was  made  a  part  of  the  Sixth  Kansas  and  was  ren- 
dezvoused at  Fort  Scott.  The  Judge  resigned  in  less  than  a  year  and  re- 
turned to  civil  pursuits.      He  died  in  1866  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years. 

A.  W.  J.  Brown  was  born  in  Kentucky.  He  went  into  Saline  county, 
Illinois,  with  his  mother  and  step-father,  Mrs.  and  Mr.  Daniel  Coy.  He 
was  limitedly  educated,  was  fond  of  books,  a  student  of  history — ancient  as 
well  as  modern — and,  while  interested  in  politics,  was  not  a  politician. 
His  three  half-sisters  were  Rhoda,  Elizabeth  and  Martha  Coy.  They 
married  David  Evans,  Samuel  Miller  and  Jacob  Barker,  respectively,  and 
passed  their  lives  in  Illinois. 

Our  subject's  first  wife  was  Eliza  Barger  who  died  near  lola  in  1861. 
For  his  second  wife  he  married  Mrs.  Margaret  Robinson,  a  daughter  of  the 
pioneer  physician  Dr.  John  Hart,  who  came  to  Allen  county  in  1857.  The 
children  by  his  first  wife  were:  John  I/.,  deceased,  ex-sheriff  of  Allen 
county;  Alex.  H.,  born  March  12,  1840;  Lottie,  wife  of  John  H.  Harris, 
also  one  of  our  pioneer  citizens;  Julia,  who  died  young;  Eliza,  recently  de- 
ceased, wife  of  John  E.  Thorpe,  an  lola  patriot  and  a  pioneer;  William,  Albert 
and  Mattie,  wife  of  I,ee  Patton,  of  Indiana.  A  son  by  his  second  marriage 
is  Orlie   Brown,  of  Oklahoma. 

Alexander  H.  Brown  has,  with  the  exception  of  two  winters,  been  a 
resident  of  Allen  county  for  a  term  of  forty- five  years.  This  is  a  longer 
terra  than  any  other  man  now  in  the  county  has  to  his  credit.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  stock  man  and  trader  till  1884  when  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  lola.  He  has  been  identified  with  the  "ins  and  outs"  of  county  matters 
nearly  ever  since  the  war.      Whatever  he  could  do  in  any   way  to  advance 


402  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

the  general  interest  of  his  town  or  county  he  has  dorie,  or  in  whatever  wav 
he  could  assist  a  neighbor  in  distress  or  help  a  brother  over  a  piece  of 
"corduroy"  his  hand  was  ready.  In  1885-6  he  was  Deputy  Sheriff  of 
Allen  county.  I,ike  his  father,  his  Republicanism  is  of  the  staunche.st 
variety.  He  was  married  March  20,  1864,  to  Annie  L.,  a  daughter  of 
Jonathan  Masterson,  who  came  to  Kansas  from  Bloomington,  Illinois. 
Mrs.  Brown  was  born  July  17,  1845,  and  died  October  18,  1900.  Their 
children  are:  Minnie,  wife  of  P.  L-  Augustine;  Hattie,  wife  of  Georo-e 
Frver,  and  Miss  Ella  Brown. 


JOHN  A.  RICHESON — One  of  the  unique  characters,  whose  life  was 
"  spent  in  lola  and  whose  original  traits  will  remain  fresh  in  the  minds 
of  his  acquaintances  and  friends,  is  the  late  John  A.  Richeson.  He  passed 
twenty-four  years  in  Allen  County — the  most  of  them  around  lola — and  he 
demonstrated  that  his  chief  quality  was  industry.  He  was  born  of  humble 
parents  and  his  child  opportunities  were  those  of  the  wage  earner  at  what- 
ever came  in  his  way.  He  learned  no  trade  and  seemed  to  have  no  genius 
or  special  adaptation  for  mechanics.  He  drifted  along  through  life  from 
place  to  place — till  he  reached  lola — having  little  more  of  life's  riches  than 
would  sustain  life.  His  notions  of  industry  were  that  it  should  always  be 
practiced.  It  was  the  corner  stone  of  comfort  and  riches  and  the  promoter 
of  good  health.  He  loved  to  work  at  good  pay,  but  if  he  could  not  get 
such  a  berth  he  took  one  with  poor  pay  rather  than  none.  When  jobs 
around  lola  were  scarce  he  plied  the  trade  of  fisherman.  This  occupation 
no  doubt,  sustained  his  family  and  supplied  his  few  personal  wants  many 
times  in  the  absence  of  steady  employment.  Another,  and  a  favorite,  occu- 
pation of  his  was  selling  soda  pop.  His  voice  was  heard  at  nearly  every 
fair,  picnic  and  show  at  lola  crying  the  sale  of  these  goods.  He  possessed 
peculiar  and  successful  qualities  in  the  conduct  of  such  a  business  and  the 
profits  he  reaped  always  went  to  the  support  of  his  well-trained  and  honora- 
ble family. 

Johnny  Richeson  was  born  at  White  Hall,  Indiana,  March  4,  1852. 
He  was  a  son  of  William  Richeson,  an  early  settler  in  Indiana  and  an  old 
soldier.  His  business  was  that  of  shoemaking  and  he.  died  at  Renssalaer, 
Indiana.  William  Richeson  married  Lizzie  E.  Jackson,  who  was  Johnny's 
mother.  The  latter  came  to  Kansas,  and  to  Allen  County,  many  years  ago 
and  it  was  her  last  sickness  that  brought  her  oldest  child,  our  subject,  to 
the  State,  August  4,  1875. 

December  24,  1878,  Mr.  Richeson  wa.s  married  in  lola  by  Judge^  Boyd 
to  Roena  Wright,  a  daughter  of  Amos  Wright.  The  Wrights  came  to 
Allen  County  from  McLean  County,  Illinois,  in  1869.  The  Richesons 
finally  located  on  State  street  where  Johnny  purchased  a  small  amount  of 
property  and  erected  a  mode.st  dwelling.  His  surplus  earnings  were  de- 
voted to  the  improvement  of  and  betterment  of  his  home  and  when  he  died, 


clzy-c^yu^cJ^i/U  /f ^^X/i-'^-tA.^ 


WOODSON  countie;;,  kansas.  403 

February  16,  igoo,  his  family  was  provided  with  the  means  to  straighten 
up  all  his  affairs  and  to  secure  them  against  the  storms  of  adversity. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richeson's  children  are;  Louie,  Charles  A.,  Harry  A., 
Lyiia  E. ,  Warner  A.,  Addie  D.,  Oril  L,-,  William  E.  and  Thelma  Richeson. 

When  Johnny  Richeson  died  he  was  a  member  of  the  Select  Friends 
and  of  the  Odd  Fellows.  It  is  the  custom  for  the  latter  order  to  bury  their 
dead,  but,  at  his  request,  the  order  was  not  permitted  to  contribute  more 
than  its  attendance  at  his  obsequies.  It  was  his  disposition  to  be  inde- 
pendent and  to  permit  no  one  to  put  him  under  obligation  to  them.  He 
desired  to  give  full  value  for  all  he  received  and  if  he  could  not  do  this  he 
declined  assistance. 


TV  /TISS  FRANCES  WILSON— Fifteen  years  of  public  service  is  sufficient 
-'-"-'-  to  establish  the  good  name  of  the  person  whose  name  introduces 
this  review.  It  is  an  ample  guaranty  of  all  the  elements  which  constitute 
integrity,  truth  and  sobriety  and  these  qualities  are  little  more  than  an 
apology  for  the  real  attributes  which  enter  into  the  mental  composition  of 
Allen  County's  lady  Treasurer. 

Frances  Wilson  was  born  in  Allen  County  after  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion. Her  father,  James  H.  Wilson,  a  worthy  farmer  of  lola  township, " 
came  into  the  county  near  the  close  of  1863  to  take  up  his  residence 
permanently.  He  drove  the  Leavenworth,  Lawrence  and  Humboldt  stage, 
but  upon  leaving  this  employ  he  arranged  with  O'Brien,  Scott  and  Amsden 
to  care  for  their  cattle  around  about  Humboldt.  He  became  so  attached  to 
the  country  that  when  his  period  of  service  as  a  cattle  man  was  terminated 
he  decided  to  remain  here  and  engaged  in  farming.  In  the  spring  of  i866 
he  resided  on  the  Neosho  River  (on  the  WiUenburg  farm)where  his  daugh- 
ter and  second  child  was  born.  He  has  vibrated  between  lola  and  Hum- 
boldt townships  in  these  thirty-five  years,  finally  becoming  a  fixture  of 
the  latter. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  born  in  Gurnsey  County,  Ohio,  August  3,  1836,  and 
is  a  son  of  Enos  Wilson,  a  native  of  Maryland.  The  latter,  with  his  wife, 
went  into  Ohio  early  and  died  when  James  was  a  small  child.  An  uncle 
took  the  orphaned  boy  with  the  intention  of  bringing  him  up  but  he,  too, 
died  and  the  boy,  at  the  age  of  six  years,  was  forced  to  provide  the  greater 
part  of  his  means  of  support.  He  got  little  chance  to  prepare  himself  along 
educational  lines  for  the  battles  of  life,  as  he  became  a  farm  hand  from  the 
first  and  remained  one  until  he  left  Ohio.  In  1854  he  went  to  Champaign 
County,  Illinois,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  until  his  entry  into  Kansas 
during  the  war  period.  In  August,  1863,  he  was  married  to  Rebecca  J.,  a 
daughter  of  John  Ellis,  a  native  of  Indiana. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Wilson  emigrated  to  Kansas.  He 
took  the  boat  at  St.  Louis  for  Lawrence  and  left  that  place  on  the  last  stage 
out  before   the   guerrillas  sacked  the  town.     Their  baggage  containing  all 


404  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

their  personal  effects  were  destroyed  arid  thus  thej'  entered  Allen  County. 
George,  Frances  and  Samuel  Wilson  are  the  children  of  James  H. 
Wilson.  The  former  is  an  employee  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railway  Coraoany,  the 
last  named  is  a  progressive  young  farmer  of  lola  township,  and  Frances  is 
the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch. 

"Fraukie"  Wilson  is  known  to  every  tax-payer  in  Allen  County.  She 
began  getting  acquainted  with  them  away  back  in  the  regime  of  "Pap"  H. 
H.  Hayward,  for  whom  she  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  i88b.  She  was > not 
specially  equipped  for  such  a  responsible  place  but  the  good  old  man  gave 
her  a  chance  and  that  was  what  she  desired.  She  had  attended  the  schools 
of  her  district  and  advanced  far  enough  to  have  become  a  "common  school 
graduate"  had  that  ceremony  been  established  in  her  day.  In  the  Treas- 
urer's office  her  first  years  were  those  of  a  student.  The  numerous  details 
of  the  office  she  set  out  earnestly  to  master  and  before  her  preceptor  retired 
from  office  she  knew  them  perfectly.  When  Mr.  Cunningham  took  charge 
of  the  office  he  retained  Miss  Wilson  as  his  deputy.  This  movement  was 
in  full  accord  with  the  sentiment  of  the  public  for  she  was  even  then 
regarded  as  necessary  to  the  perfect  and  systematic  conduct  of  the  office. 
Having  served  through  this  term,  the  public  was  again  gratified  to  learn 
that  Mr.  Nelson  had  arranged  to  keep  her  with  him  through  his  adminis- 
tration of  the  office.  The  same  sincere  service  was  rendered  to  him  as  was 
to  his  successor,  Mr.  Decker,  through  both  of  whose  regime  she  was  all  but 
the  chief  of  the  office.  In  all  clerical  matters  pertaining  to  the  conduct 
of  the  affairs  of  the  office  Miss  Wilson  was  reliable  almost  to  infallibility. 
Her  natural  modest  and  retiring  disposition  coupled  with  her  capacity  and 
ability  as  an  accountant  made  her  a  favorite  with  her  predecessors  and, 
when  the  time  for  the  nomination  of  a  new  Treasurer  approached,  she  was 
the  favorite  with  the  people. 

Women  seldom  become  politicians,  save  in  Kansas.  The  calling  is 
honorable  when  engaged  in  in  response  to  a  universal  and  enthusiastic 
outburst  of  the  people.  Her  campaign  for  the  nomination  for  County 
Treasurer  was  not  a  campaign.  When  it  was  known  that  she  would  serve 
in  that  capacity  she  was  the  nominee.  People  like  to  support  their  friends 
for  office  and  she  was  everybody's  friend. 

When  the  convention  was  called  she  had  been  named  in  the  primaries 
and  all  that  was  left  was  the  formal  announcement  of  the  result.  The 
election  was  almost  as  pronouncedly  in  favor  of  her.  Her  majority  greatly 
exceeded  the  normal  Republican  majority  in  the  county.  She  was  installed 
Octobet  9,  1900  and  chose  for  her  deputy  one  of  the  most  popular  men  of 
the  20th  Kansas,  lyCwis  Coffield. 

It  is  a  fact  that  criticism  is  one  of  the  penalties  of  success.  In  the 
brief  review  of  the  life  of  our  subject  there  seems  to  have  been  nothing  but 
success,  yet  there  is  not  in  all  Allen  county  one  who  would  be  warranted 
in  engaging  in  other  than  favorable  criticism  of  her  years  of  public  service. 
No  person  in  public  life  in  Allen  county  has  so  unanimously  won  the  good  will 
and  confidence  of  the  whole  people  as  she,  and  no  person,  whether  in  public 
or  private  life,  so  richly  deserves  such  unreserved  endorsement  and  approval. 


^OOTJSON  COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  40$ 

HENRY  M.  MIIrLER,  of  lola,  whose coHnection  with  the  developiiierit 
of  Allen  county  has  extended  over  a  period  of  twenty-one  years  and 
■whose  citizenship  is  a  synonym  for  integrity,  honor  and  patriotism,  was 
^Dorn  in  Hayesville,  Ohio,  August  i6,  1838.  His  father,  Samuel  G.  Miller, 
was  a  doctor  of  medicine.  The  latter  was  fitted  for  his  profession  in 
"Wooster,  Ohio,  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Day.  He  practiced  in  Richland  county, 
Ohio,  till  1854,  when  he  removed  westward  and  settled  in  Washington 
■county,  Iowa.  He  died  in  1894,  at  *the  age  of  eighty-five  years  and  is 
buried  in  Minnesota,  He  is  descended  from  the  Millers  of  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  son  of  George  Miller.  His  wife,  our  subject's 
mother,  was  Nancy  J.  McEwen,  born  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  She 
died  in  1874  and  is  buried  at  Washington,  Iowa.  The  children  of  their 
union  are:  Nancy  J.,  Henry  M.,  Samuel  R.,  Elizabeth  J.,  Mary  E-,  George 
F.,  Ella  May  and  Wilbur  D. 

Henry  M.  Miller  is  the  second  child  of  his  parents.  His  life  up  to  his 
sixteenth  year  was  passed  in  Richland  county,  Ohio.  At  that  age  he  ac- 
•companied  his  parents  into  Iowa  and  soon  engaged  in  teaching  school.  He 
taught  in  Washington  and  nearby  counties  for  seven  years,  spending  his 
spare  hours  and  his  vacations  reading  medicine  as  his  calling  and  fully  in- 
tended to  enter  a  regular  school  (Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,) 
when  his  preliminary  preparation  should  be  completed.  He  returned  to 
Ohio  about  the  time  the  war  cloud  broke  upon  the  country  and  there 
responded  to  the  President's  second  call  for  troops.  He  enlisted  September 
3,  1861,  as  a  private  in  Company  E,  Third  Ohio  cavalry.  He  was  promot- 
ed to  Sergeant  four  days  after  his  enlistment,  while  in  camp  at  Monroeville, 
Ohio,  and  to  Sergeant  Major  August  11,  1862,  in  the  field  while  in  Ken- 
tucky. March  21,  -1863,  he  was  promoted  to  ist  Lieutenant,  while  the 
army  lay  around  Murfreesboro,  Tennessee,  and  April  24,  of  the  same  year, 
he  was  raised  to  the  Staff  Department  and  assigned  to  duty  as  Assistant 
Commissary  of  Musters  on  the  staff  of  Brigadier  General  R.  B.  Mitchell, 
1st  Brigade,  ist  Cavalry  Division,  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  He  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  staff  of  Gen.  E.  M.  McCook,  ist  Brigade,  2nd  Cavalry  division 
of  that  army,  and  again  transferred,  this  time  to  the  staff  of  Major  General 
W.  L.  Elliott,  ist  Cavalry  division,  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  His  final 
transfer  was  to  the  Executive  Staff  ot  Major  General  W.  T.  Sherman  where 
he  was  assigned  to  duty  as  Military  Conductor  of  United  States  Military 
railroads.  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  November  20,  1864,  he  resigned  his 
position  upon  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability,  and  accepted,  soon  there- 
after, the  position  of  Paymaster,  United  States  Military  railroads  in  the 
office  of  F.  J.  Grilly,  Nashville,  Tennessee,  Assistant  Quarter- Master  Gen- 
eral.- August  20,  1865,  he  resigned  this  position  and  returned  to  pri- 
vate life. 

In  all  Mr.  Miller's  service  his  positions  were  not  sinecures.  Duty  called 
him  where  the  fray  was  going  on  and  he  met  the  enemy  with  his  comrades 
in  many  noted  battles  of  the  war.  In  1862  he  was  in  the  engagement  at 
Lexington,    Kentucky;    Franklin,    Columbia;   Woodville   and    LaVergne, 


406  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AND 

Tennessee,  and  at  the  evacuation  of  Corinth,  Mississippi.  In  1863  he 
participated  in  the  battles  at  Fajretteville,  Shelbyville  and  TuUahoma, 
Tennessee,  and  in  the  brushes  at  Titscumbia  and  Sand  Mountain,  Alabama. 
In  1864  he  did  his  part  in  entertaining  the  Rebels  at  Snake  Creek  Gap, 
Pumpkin  Vine  Creek,  Burnt  Hickory,  Crossing  of  the  Chattahooche  and' 
the  siege  of  Atlanta.  He  took  part  in  the  following  general  engagements 
in  which  he  received  seven  wounds  as  reminders  of  the  execution  of  the 
eneray;  Shiloh,  Murfreesboro,  Chicamauga,  Resaca,  Kennesaw,  Peach  Tree 
Creek  and  Atlanta,  as  before  stated? 

The  war  ended,  Mr.  Miller  engaged  in  teaching  school.  From  1S65 
to  1870  he  resided  in  Carroll  county,  Indiana,  from  whence  he  came  west- 
ward to  Bates  county,  Missouri.  In  1873  he  returned  to  Indiana  and  in  1876 
came  to  Kansas.  For  some  years  he  was  traveling  salesman  with  his  home 
in  lola.  He  was  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  here  in  the  early 
eighties  and,  succeeding  in  this,  he  was  cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Allen  coun- 
ty nearly  thirteen  years.  About  a  year  after  his  retirement  from  the  bank 
he  became  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  and  was 
elected  to  it  in  November,  1898.  In  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  he 
has  demonstrated  rare  ability  as  a  competent  and  careful  and  painstaking 
officer. 

Mr.  Miller  was  married  in  Delphi,  Indiana,  February  5,  1870,  to 
Msrgaret  L,.  Evans,  a  daughter  of  James  Evans.  Mrs.  Miller  was  born  in 
Indiana  in  1845.  I'he  children  of  this  union  are:  Bert  E.  and  Rak  Miller. 
The  older  served  with  Company  I,  Twentieth  Kansas  Volunteers,  in  the 
Filipino  Insurrection  and  took  part  in  many  of  the  noted  engagements  from 
Manila  to  the  Bag  Bag. 

The  political  alliance  of  the  Millers  was  with  the  Whig,  and  then,  the 
Republican  parties.  Henry  M.,  our  subject,  has  been  a  Republican  voter 
forty-two  years  and  twenty-three  years  of  that  time  has  been  a  leader  in 
Allen  county  politics.  His  broad  information  and  his  positive  conviction 
render  him  one  of  the  characters  of  the  county.  He  is  prominent  in  the 
Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter,  A.  F.  and  A.  M. ,  at  lola,  having  passed  all  the 
chairs,  and  belongs  to  the  Valley  Consistory  at  Ft.  Scott,  Kansas.  He  has 
taken  all  degrees  of  Masonry,  including  the  thirty-second  and  is  a  member 
of  the  subordinate  lodge  and  encampment,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  As  a  citizen  he  is  always  a  gentleman  and  has  maintained  an 
unblemished  record  for  probity  and  honor.  He  is  public-spirited  to  a 
marked  degree  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  lola. 


^  A  riLLIAM  H.  RICHARDS,  than  whom,  among  the  old  residents 
^  ^  of  lola,  scarce  a  man  is  better  known,  came  to  the  city  in  October 
1865.  His  original  home  was  in  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Lebanon,  that  state,  December  19,  1833.  Samuel  Richards  was  his 
father  and  he,  too,  was  born  in  Lebanon  county.     His  trade  was  that  of  a 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  407 

•weaver  but  in  later  life  he  drifted  into  farming  and  he  died  such,  in  Frank- 
lin county,  Pennsylvania,  about  1890,  He  was  born  in  1800,  wasa  Demo- 
crat, a  success  in  business  and  one  of  Jesse  Richards'  sons.  The  last 
named  died  in  Lebanon  county  about  1837  at  near  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
The  Richards  are  Pennsylvania  German  but  their  remote  ancestors  were,  it 
is  claimed,  Scotch  and  Irish. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Margaret  Harklerode.  She  was  born 
in  1805  and  died  in  1848.  Here  children  were:  Joseph,  who  died  and 
left  a  son  in  Ohio;  Sarah,  deceased,  wife  of  Mr.  Harmon,  and  left  a  family 
in  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania;  John  Richards,  well  known  to  old 
lolans;  William  H.;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Frank  Gerhart,  resides  in  Franklin 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  three  other  children  who  died  in  infancy. 

From  the  age  of  seven  years  our  subject  passed  his  boyhood  and  youth 
in  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania.  His  school  advantages  were  quite 
poor  and  it  can  be  said  that  he  secured  no  more  than  a  common  countr}' 
school  education.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  began  life  independ- 
ently by  starting  an  apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter  trade.  John  Stickle 
was  his  master  and  with  him  he  remained  to  fulfill  the  conditions  of  his 
bond.  After  completing  his  trade  he  traveled  over  some  oi  the  eastern 
mountain  states,  in  company  with  his  brother,  John,  and  they  traveled  and 
worked  in  the  states  of  Maryland, — at  Hagerstown  and  Clear  Springs — 
Virginia,   and,   lastly,  into  the  state  of  Ohio — at  Coddington  aud  Ravenna. 

In  September,  1865,  Mr.  Richards  was  married  at  Ravenna,  Ohio,  and 
came  direct  to  lola.  Here  he  continued  his  trade  for  a  couple  of  years, 
adding  to  his  scant  stock  of  ready  cash.  He  engaged  in  the  restaurant 
business  and  his  vyife  took  up  dress-making  and  millinery.  From  the 
restaurant  and  bakery  business  Mr.  Richards  drifted  into  the  grocery  busi- 
ness and,  after  running  some  five  years  he  took  W.  A.  Cowan  in  as  a  part- 
ner. A  few  years  later  Mr.  Cowan  went  out  and  Mr.  Lakin  succeeded 
him,  and  still  later  John  E.  Ireland  joined  the  two  and  the  firm  of  Rich- 
ards, Lakin  &  Ireland  was  one  of  the  prominent  business  houses  of  lola, 
doing  a  wholesale  business.  Upon  the  retirement  of  Mr.-  Ireland,  Richards 
&  Lakin  conducted  a  retail  business  for  some  time.  Mr.  Richards  asso- 
ciated with  him  H.  L.  Hender.son  some  time  later,  and  conducted  the  same 
business.  About  1897  Mr.  Richards  disposed  of  his  last  business  aud  en- 
tered retirement  with  thirty-two  years  of  active  service  as  a  merchant  and 
man-of-affairs  to  his  credit. 

Mr.  Richaids  brought  with  him  to  lola  about  three  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  all  of  which  he  put  into  a  house  at  once.  This  property  was  the 
two  lots  facing  north  at  the  southwest  corner  of  the  square.  He  invested  in 
other  property  as  his  accumulations  would  warrant,  much  of  which  is  the 
most  desirable  in  the  city.  His  improvements  include  his  handsome  resi- 
dence at  the  head  of  Madison  avenue  and  four  business  houses.  Misfoi- 
tuue,  as  well  as  fortune,  has  befallen  Mr,  Richards  for  he  has  made  invest- 
ments which  not  only  lost  him  his  first  outlay  but  required  him  to  invest  an 
additional  sum  to  meet  his  legal  obligations  and  to  retrieve  his  credit  and 


4oi>  nrsTORY  of  AtLEK  Anry 

maintain  his  good  name.  In  the  lola  carriage  works  alone,  he  lost  a  sons 
of  money  equivalent  to  a  modest  fortune, 

Mr.  Rich-ards  married  Amelia  Miester,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Miester,. 
M.  D,  Dr.  Miester  was-  a  surgeon  fifteen  years  under  the  great  Napoleoui 
and  wasa  German  by  birth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards'' children  are:  Maud, 
wiie  of  Rev.  Leslie  F.  Potter,  of  vSL  Irouis,  Missouri,  and  Blanche,  wife  o^ 
Elmer  C.  Mcl,ain,  one  of  lola's  young  clothiers  and-  furnishers. 

Mr.  Richards  is  a  liberal  Democrat..  He  served  once  upon  the  towi» 
council  but  has-  seldom  permitted  himself  ta  enthuse  over  a-  politicaB 
campaign. 


1p\  AVIS  BROTHERS-,— William  E,  and  George S.  Davis-,  are  sons  of  the 
-' — '  late  Edward.  S.  Davis,  wha  founded  the  Davis  Mills  on  the  Neosho- 
river,  and  who  will  be  remembered  by  old  residents  of  the  Neosho  Valley. 
Davis  Brothers-  were  the  immediate  successors  to  theii  father''s  business  and 
conducted  it  successfully  for  more  than  thirty  yeais. 

This  particular  Davis  family  is  not  oite  of  the  ori-ginal  Colonial  fami- 
fies  although  it  was  estafblished  in  New  England  near  the  opening  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  Commodore  Davis,  grandfather  of  our  subjects,  was- 
born  in  Wales,  came  to  the  United  States,  a  boy,  grew  up  in  New  England 
and  became  a  sea-faring  man.  He  fallowed  the  coast  and  river  trade  of 
New  Vork  and  New  England.  He  married  in  Maine  and  removed  his 
family  to  the  Ohio  river  country  at  Marietta,  at  which  place  he  died.  His 
fam'ily  consisted  of  three  sons-  and  a  daughter,  viz  r  Stephen,  William  and 
Edwafd  S.  Davis  and  Patience,  who  married  Mr,  Burek  and  made  her 
home  in  St.  Louis^  Stephen  reared  a  family  at  Marietta,  Ohio;  William 
reared  a  family  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  all  three  brothers  were  boat- 
men in  an  2arly  day. 

Edward  S.  Davis  was  born  in  Maine  in  i8o8  and  died  in  lola  in  De- 
cember, 1870.  His  early  manhood  was  f>assed  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
rivers  and  flat  boating  and  steam  boating  comprised  his  business.  He 
made  twenty-eight  trip>s  from  Marietta  to  New-  Orleans  and  in  the  years 
that  he  followed  the  river  he  amassed  considerable  property.  He  gave  up 
the  river  at  forty-two  years  of  age  and  took  his  family  into  the  new  state  of 
Iowa.  He  had  two  aims  in  going  to  the  prairie  state  on  the  north;  one  was 
to  get  himself  away  from  the  river,  of  which  he  had  become  tired,  and  the 
other  was  to  get  his  growing  sons  onto  a  farm.  He  bought  a  three  hundred 
And  fifty  acre  farm,  but  hardly  had  he  obtained  possession  when  he  decided 
to  engage  in  the  milling  business.  He  located  in  Ottumwa  and  opened 
business  the  next  year.  He  conceived  the  idea  of  running  a  steamboat  on 
the  DesMoines  rivef  and  went  back  to  Marietta  and  built  one.  In  this 
venture  he  made  a'mistake.  He  got  the  boat  around  to  St.  Ivouis  and 
while  tied  up  there  a  woman  came  aboard  with  smallpox.  It  was  contrary 
to  his  nature  to  turn  her  away  from  shelter  under   even  such  circumstances 


^^^ 


"^"lAr-l^ 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  409 

and  it  was  the  cause  of  his  contracting  the  disease  himself.  When  he 
finally  got  through  with  the  authorities  and  the  disease  he  had  lost  hii  boat 
and  effects.  A  Pike's  Peak  venture  then  presented  itself  to  Mr.  Davis. 
He  took  his  first  son  and  crossed  the  plains  in  the  spring  of  r86o  and 
stopped  to  prospect  in  Quartz  Valley.  There  was  no  money  to  be  made 
there  with  the  pick  and  pan  and  they  began  getting  out  saw  logs.  They 
returned  home  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  and  again  the  ferry  proposition 
took  possession  of  them.  A  boat  was  built  at  Ottuniwa  and,  in  the  seven 
years  it  was  run  by  the  Davises,  it  yielded  large  profits.  In  1868  they  sold 
out  their  Iowa  interests  and  came  to  Allen  county,  Kansas. 

At  lola  D.  R.  Hovey  had  built  a  grist  mill  on  the  Neosho  river  and 
-this  plant  the  Davises  purchased  for  the  fabulous  sum  of  $14,250.  It  con- 
sisted of  two  burrs,  a  saw-mill  and  thirteen  acres  of  land.  The  mill  was 
situated  on  the  river  bank  just  above  Riverside  Park  and  it  was  operated 
there  as  a  steam  mill  till  1880,  when  the  dam  at  the  bridge  was  constructed 
and  the  mill  moved  there  and  rebuilt. 

William  E.  Davis  was  born  September  6th,  1839,  and  George  S. , 
March  8,  1845.  I^'i^  brothers  forrried  a  partnership  in  early  life.  They 
were  less  than  thirty  years  of  age  when  they  came  to  lola  and  their  busi- 
ness life  has  been  almost  wholl}-  passed  here.  Their  recollection  of  the 
early  days  of  the  Davis  mills  reveah  the  fact  that  much  of  its  custom  came 
from  points  far  beyond  the  confines  of  Allen  and  Woodson  counties.  It  was 
no  uncommon  thing  to  toll  grists  from  Independence  and  to  wait  on  trade  from 
Eureka.  They  have  served  the  public  for  little  less  than  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury and  their  labors  have  been  liberally  rewarded. 

Edward  S.  Da-vis'  wife  was  Drusilla  Alcock.  Their  children  are 
Patience,  widow  of  Joel  D.  Myers,_  r_psiding  in  Tampa,  Florida;  Martha, 
who  died  in  1864,  married  Oliver  Harlan;  Francis,  deceased,  married  Don 
Mitchell,  Sarah,  deceased,  became  Mrs.  Elmer  Marsh;  W.  E.;  George  S.; 
Drusilla,  wife  of  Elias  Bruner,  and  Marietta,  the  widow  of  Colonel  W.  C. 
Jones 

William  E.  Davis  enlLsted  in  Company  K,  Forty-seventh  Iowa  Infan- 
try at  Ottumwa,  was  in  the  service  one  hundred  days  and  was  stationed  at 
Helena,  Arkansas.  He  received  his  discharge  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  when 
his  enlistment  expired  and  he  returned  to  his  business  at  Ottumwa. 

In  1867  Mr.  Davis  married  Sarah  Stevenson,  a  sister  of  Robert  B. 
Stevenson,  of  lola.  She  died  February  28,  1878,  leaving  one  son,  Edward 
S.  Davis.  A  few  years  later  Mr.  Davis  married  Lydia,  a  daughter  of 
Zadock  Vezie.  The  children  of  this  union  are;  Bertha,  born  December 
26,    1882;   Laura,  born   March  6,    1888;  Drusilla,  born  December  13,  1900. 

George  S.  Davis  was  married  June  3rd,  1873,  to  Ada  J.,  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  Norton,  from  Maine,  who  came  to  Allen  county  in  187 1.  Estella, 
the  wife  of  Harmon  Hobart,  is  the  only  heir  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Davis. 

The  politics  of  the  Davises  is  no  uncertain  quantity.  On  the  other 
hand  they  are  of  the  positive  and  outspoken  sort.  The  brothers  were 
rocked  in  an  abolition  cradle  and  fed  on  Republican  doctrine.  T  ey  are 
not  politicians  beyond  their  interest  in  securing  the  adoption  of  such  prin- 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


ciples  of  public  policy  as  will  insure  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number. 
Tiiey  believe  in  every  man  having  an  opportunity  to  earn  a  dollar,  good 
the  world  over,  and  have  great  faith  in  the  efEcacy  of  the  United  States  as 
a  civilizing  power. 


JOHN  M.  McDonald — On  the  county  roster  of  Allen  county  appears 
the  name  of  John  M.  McDonald  who  has  just  closed  a  service  of  six 
years  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners.  The  public 
trust  thus  reposed  in  him  is  well  merited  for  he  is  a  citizen  of  pa- 
triotic spirit  and  faithful  to  his  duties  at  all  times.  He  was  born 
in  Lexington,  McLean  county,  Illinois,  February  22,  1843.  His  father, 
James  McDonald,  came  from  Kentucky,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Mc- 
Lean county  in  1833,  his  home  being  on  a  farm  near  Lexington.  His 
birth  had  occurred  in  the  former  State  in  1816.  He  was  married  at 
Spencer,  Owen  county,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Sally  I.  McNaught,  daughter  of 
Robert  McNaught,  one  of  tht  pioneers  of  that  county.  Three  children 
were  born  of  this  union:  Mrs.  Harriet  Todd,  wife  of  J.  W.  Todd,  of  Tulare 
county,  California;  Emily,  deceased  wife  of  Dennis  McCarty,  who  also 
resides  in  Tulare  county;  and  JohnM.,  of  this  review.  The  father  con- 
tinued his  residence  in  Illinois  until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  bring- 
ing with  him  his  family.  He  located  upon  the  farm  now  occupied  by  his  son 
and  there  resided  until  1874.  The  journey  to  this  State  consumed  a  month 
for  they  traveled  in  the  primitive  manner  of  the  times,  crossing  the  Missis- 
sippi river  at  Louisiana,  Missouri. 

John  M.  McDonald  spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  in  the 
county  of  his  birth  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emigration 
to  the  Sunflower  State,  arriving  in  Allen  county  in  the  month  of  October. 
He  well  remembers  many  incidents  of  the  trip  and  can  also  relate  many 
stories  of  pioneer  life  in  this  section  of  the  country.  He  obtained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  country  schools,  acquiring  a  good  knowledge  of  those  branches 
of  learning  which  fit  one  for  life's  practical  duties.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  the  spirit  of  patriotism  was  aroused  within  him  and,  in  October, 
1 86 1,  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  E,  Ninth  Kansas  Cavalry, 
under  Colonel  Lynde,  Henry  Flesher  being  in  command  of  the  company. 
He  was  mustered  in  at  lola  and  with  his  regiment  was  sent  to  Leavenworth 
in  February,  1862.  In  May  of  the  same  year  the  troops  were  ordered  back 
through  lola  to  Grand  River,  in  the  Indian  Territory,  and  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Prairie  Grove  and  several  minor  engagements.  Subsequently 
they  returned  to  Fort  Scott  where  the  regiment  was  detailed  to  guard  the 
Missouri  and  Kansas  line,  being  stationed  there  for  one  year.  Later  it  was 
sent  to  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas,  and  to  Harrisonville,  Mi.ssouri,  spending 
the  winter  of  1863-4  in  the  latter  place,  and  while  there  Mr.  McDonald  and 
others  re-enlisted.  After  a  furlough  of  thirty  days,  during  which  time  he 
visited  his  home,  he  rejoined  his  regiment  as  a  veteran.     In  the    meantime 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  411 

the  Ninth  Kansas  Cavalry  had  been  sent  to  Fort  Smith  and  thence  pro- 
ceeded to  Little  Rock.  In  July  of  that  year  they  participated  in  several 
engagements  with  the  bu-ihwhackers  unlsr  Riybarti,  and  from  the  Arkan- 
sas capital  they  were  sent  to  Brownsville  of  that  State,  on  White  river, 
where  the  winter  of  1864-5  was  passed.  During  that  winter  and  the  follow- 
ing spring  and  summer  they  again  met  the  bushwhackers  in  several  en- 
gagements. After  four  years  of  faithful  service,  in  which  he  loyally  de- 
fended the  starry  banner  of  the  Union,  Mr.  McDonald  was  honorably  dis- 
charged in  August,  1865,  at  Brownsville. 

Returning  to  Tola  he  has  continuously  resided „ in  Allen  county.  He 
was  married  at  the  county-seat  in  August,  1866,  to  Miss  Leviua  Anderson, 
who  came  to  Allen  county  from  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio.  She  has  two 
brothers  living,  T.  T.  Anderson,  of  lola,  and  George  Anderson,  a  resident 
of  Baxter  Springs,  Kansas.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDonald  have  been  born 
four  children,  Anna,  Cora,  lyUra  and  Frank,  who  are  all  with  their  parents. 

As  a  means  of  livelihood  Mr.  McDonald  has  followed  farm  and  stock- 
raising,  and  during  his  connection  with  those  pursuits  he  has,  through 
energetic  effort,  guided  by  sound  judgment,  won  a  comfortable  competence. 
In  politics  he  has  ever  been  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  was  twice  elected 
township  trustee.  In  the  fall  of  1894  ^^  was  elected  to  the  office  of  county 
commissioner,  was  re-elected  in  1897  and  in  1898  he  became  chairman  of 
the  board.  During  his  incumbency  many  improvements  were  made 
in  the  county  buildings  and  the  work  of  subBtantial  progress  has  bee  n 
carried  forward  in  a  marked  degree,  thus  winning  the  commendation  of  all 
public-spirited  and  enterprising  citizens.  His  career,  both  public  and 
private,  has  been  marked  by  the  strictest  integrity  and  faithfulness  to  every 
trust  reposed  in  him.  The  record  of  his  life  is  unclouded  by  a  shadow  of 
wrong  or  a  suspicion  of  evil,  and  he  is  today  as  true  to  his  duties  of 
citizenship  as  when  he  followed  the  starry  banner  upon  the  battle-fields  of 
the  South. 


SIMON  P.  RUBLE  came  to  AUeu  county  in  1866  from  Centre  county, 
Pennsylvania,  which  is  the  place  of  his  nativity,  his  natal  day  being 
February  5,  1840.  The  family  is  of  German  lineage  and  was  founded  in 
America  by  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  who  was  born  in  Germany, 
but  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world  and  participated  in  the  early 
Indian  wars  which  form  an  important  chapter  in  the  annals  of  America. 
His  son,  Peter  Ruble,  and  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Mifflin 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  served  with  the  American  army  in  the  war  of 
1812.  His  early  political  support  was  given  the  Whig  party,  and  on  its 
dissolution  he  joined  the  Republican  party.  He  read  extensively  and 
always  kept  well  informed  on  the  issues  and  questions  of  the  day, 
political  and  otherwise.  He  was  married  in  Juniata  county,  Pennsylvania, 
and   unto   them   were   born    four   sons    and  two    daughters,  namely:  Mrs. 


412  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Hartswick,  Mrs.  Basor,  John,    Peter,    Michael    and    Mathias.     The    father 
passed  away  in  1882. 

Of  his  family,  Peter  Ruble  Jr.,  became  the  father  of  our  subject.  He 
was  born  and  reared  in  Centre  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  throughout  his 
life  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  entered  upon  his  independent 
business  career  without  capital,  save  a  strong  constitution  and  a  willingness 
to  work,  yet  .steadily  he  advanced  on  the  road  to  affluence,  becoming  one 
of  the  wealthy  farmers  of  Centre  county.  He  died  March  3,  1877,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret 
Meas,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Martin  Meas,  who  was  formerly  connected 
with  the  Valentine  Iron  Works,  of  Centre  county.  Three  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruble:  Simon  P.;  James,  who  died  leaving  a  family 
at  State  College,  Centre  county,  Pennsylvania;  and  Margaret,  who  became, 
the  wife  of  William  Love,  and  at  her  death  left  a  family  in    Center   county. 

Simon  P.  Ruble  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
county,  and  remained  upon  his  father's  farm  until  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  when  he  purchased  a  mill,  which  he  operated  for  eight  years.  After 
traveling  for  a  number  of  years  in  different  states,  he  came  to  Kansas  in 
1884,  locating  in  Allen  county.  He  purchased  what  is  known  as  the 
Weller  farm,  adjoining  lola,  and  still  resides  upon  that  property,  devoting 
his  time  to  its  further  cultivation  and  improvement.  He  is  systematic  and 
methodical  in  his  business  and  has  achieved  creditable  success. 

On  Christmas  Day,. of  1866,  in  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Ruble  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Ellen  Lee,  a  daughter  of  John  Lee.  who  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Centre  county  and  who  married  Miss  Jane  Livingston.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruble  have  been  born  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three 
daughters,  namely:  Anna,  wife  of  Prof.  J.  W.  Stevens,  of  the  agricul- 
tural College  at  Stillwater,  Oklahoma;  James,  who  is  connected  with  the 
smelters  at  Cherry  vale,  Kansas;  Calvin,  who  is  with  the  Lanyon  Zinc 
Company,  of  lola;  Mamie  Bertha,  Elmer,  Ella  and  Grace,  who  are  still  at 
home.  Mr.  Ruble  always  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  He  has  filled  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  has  several  times  served  as  a  school  officer. 
As  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes  he  has  builded  wisely  and  well,  and  his 
life  illustrates  what  may  be  accomplished  through  consecutive  effort  when 
guided  by  practical  business  judgment. 


\  A  7ILLIAM  J.  DONNAN,  of  LaHarpe,  one  of  Elm  township's 
"  "  thorough-going  and  representative  farmers,  came  into  Allen 
county  September  12,  1879,  and  located  upon  the  north-west  quarter  of 
section  11,  township  24,  range  19.  This  tract  was  formerly  the  property  of 
W.  H.  Arnett  but  when  it  came  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Donnan  it  had 
scarcely, the  semblance  of  improvements  and  might  with  propriety  be  termed 
an  unimproved  farm.  Those  who  remember  it  then  and  who  look  upon  it 
now  will  acknowledge  the  wonderful  change  which  has  been  wrought  in 
little  more  than  a  generation. 

Mr.   Donnan  came  from  Livingston  county.  New  York,  where  he  was 


•WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  4 13 

toorii  November  7,  1854.  His  father,  John  A.  Donnan.  was  born  in  the 
same  county  in  1819  and  died  there  in  1896.  He  began  life  as  a  farmer 
and  ended  it  as  such  and  his  resources  througlr  life  were  ample  to  provide 
for  the  wants  of  himself  and  family.  He  was  descended  from  the  Scotch 
of  New  York  and  was  a  son  of  John  Donnan,  born  at  Amsterdam,  that 
-state.  The  latter  died  in  1870.  His  early  life  was  passed  in  the  tanning 
business  but  he  grew  out  of  this  and  into  a  farmer.  He  moved  into  L,iv- 
ingston  county  before  Rochester  was  founded. 

John  A.  Donnan  married  Mary  Milroy,  a  daughter  of  John  Milroy. 
The  father  came  to  the  United  States  from  Scotland  in  1819.  He  settled 
in  lyivingston  county  and  three  generations  of  the  family  reside  on  the  old 
homestead.  John  A.  Donnan's  heirs  are;  William  J. ;  John  M. ,  of  York, 
New  York ;  George  A.,  of  York,  and  Annie,  wife  of  C.  H,  Hackney,  of 
LaHarpe. 

Our  subject  spent  his  youth  on  his  father's  farm.  He  separated  from 
the  old  home  at  twenty-two  and  began  life  as  a  farm  hand.  This  was  his 
chief  employment  while  he  remained  in  the  east  and  for  a  time  after  com- 
ing to  Kansas.  January  5,  1894,  he  was  married  to  Eliza  D.  Brister,  a 
■daughter  of  Thomas  Brister,  of  Elm  township.  Their  only  child  is  Zoe 
B.  Donnan. 

The  political  history  of  the  Donnans  is  one  unbroken  record  of  Repub- 
licanism. The  pioneer  Republicans  of  the  family  came  into  the  party  from 
the  Whigs  and  they  are  .of  the  patriotic  and  public-spirited  people  of  their 
communitie.s. 


T 


HE  RITTER  BROTHERS.— In  September  1882  two  boys,  Chris 
Ritter  and  John  Ritter,  came  to  Kansas  from  their  home  in  Clark 
county,  Illinois. 

The  town  of  Bronson  had  only  been  founded  a  short  time  and  it  was 
here  these  pioneer  representatives  of  the  Ritter  family  in  Kansas,  first 
located.  They  came  from  a  family  of  farmers  both  having  been  born  and 
raised  on  a  farm  in  Illinois.  Having  no  relatives  in  the  West  they  located 
in  Marmaton  and  Elsmore  townships  where  for  some  years  they  made  their 
home  with  the  Welkers  and  Fords  and  other  Clark  county,  Illinois,  people 
who  had  located  in  Kansas.  At  that  time  the  Rocklow  school  was  with- 
out a  teacher.  A  few  days  after  his  arrival  in  the  State,  Chris  was  em- 
ployed as  teacher  for  the  winter  term  of  school.  Rocklow  was  then  famous 
for  one  thing,  that  was  its  big  bad  boys. 

John  Ritter  secured  a  position  with  William  Davis  and  Sam  Stout  to 
help  them  run  their  threshing  machine.  At  that  time  the  millet  was  not 
threshed  until  during  the  winter  for  granaries  and  barns  were  unknown. 
Grain  was  kept  stored  in  the  stack  until  a  market  was  found  for  it.  In  the 
following  January  while  threshing  millet  on  the  farm  of  D.  W.  Youngs,  in 
Spring  Valley,  John  Ritter  accidentally  had  his   right  hand   torn  ofi  by 


414  HISTORY   OF  ALLEK    AND'' 

getting  it  cangh't  in  the  side  gear  of  an  old  horse  power  machine.  He  was; 
then  but  a  boy,  six  hundred  miles  from  home  and  among  strangers  BoyS' 
with  less-  pluck  and  determination  would  have  given  up  the  battle  in  the 
West  and  returned  to  the  parenKil  roof,  but  not  so  with  John  Ritter. 

During  the  next  summer  and  even  before  his-  wounded  arm  had  en- 
tirely healed?  he  secured  work  on  the  farm  and  continued  in  that  capacity 
for  several  years.  In  about  1890  he  together  with  his  brother  Chris  bouo-ht 
a  livery  stable  in  Bronson  and  he  entered  into  that  business  which  he  fol- 
lowed-very  succes.sfully  for  several  years,  afterwards  buying  a  livery  stable- 
in  Tola.  He  moved  to  that  city  and  has  been  in  the  livery  business  ever 
since.  In  1891  he  married  Delana  Evans,  a  daughter  of  Jesse  Evans,  for 
years  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Bronson, 

Chris  Ritter  taught  school  in  Rocklow  and  Stony  Point,  the  adjoining 
district,  for  four  years.  He  farmed  during  the  summer  season  and  in  iSSS- 
quit  teaching  and  devoted  himself  entirely  to  farming  and  st,oek   raising. 

When  the  Alliance  and  kindred  Farmer's  organizations  were  organized 
in  1&89  and  1890  he  took  an  active   part  and    was    President   of   the   first 
County    Alliance  of  Allen  county.     During  the  summer  of  1890  when  the 
Farmer's  Alliance  movement  began  to  take  shape  as  a   political  organiza- 
tion, he  together  with  "Doc"  Aitken  issued  a  call  for  a  mass  convention  in 
lola  to  organize  the  Peoples  Party  in  this  county.     When  the  party  was. 
organized   in   the    Second   Congressional  District  he  was  the  only  delegate 
from  Allen  county  to  that  conventiou  which  was  held  in  Fort  Scott.     In 
September,    1890,  Chris  Ritter  sold  his  farming  outfit  and  stock  and  moved 
to  Bronson  to  take  up  the  study  of  law.     He   was  elected   Justice   of  the 
Peace   in    the  election  that  fall  and  when  the  town  of  Bronson  was  incor- 
porated as   a   city  of  the  third  class  the  following  spring  he  was  elected 
Police  Judge.     In  September,  1891,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  Dis- 
trict Court  of  Bourbon  county  of  which  Hon.  S.   H.   Allen,  afterwards  Jus- 
tice of  the  Supreme  Court,   was  then  Judge.     During  the  winter  of  1891  he 
made  a  trip  to  Oklahoma  to  look  up  a  better  country  to  settle  in   but  came 
back    satisfied   that  lola   and  Allen  county  were  good  enough.     In  April, 
1892,  he  moved  to  lola  and  opened  up   a  law  office.      At  that  time   the 
Fanner's  Friend,   the  Populist  newsp>aper,  was  in  hard  lines  and  the  pub- 
lishers,  Wixon  Brothe  s,  had  announced  their  intention  to  discontinue  the 
paper.      Mr.  Ritter  at  once  realized  that  the  Peoples  Party  in  Allen  county 
needed  the  Farmer's  Friend.     He  had  some  newspaprer  experience,  having 
done  considerable  work  on  the  local  paper  at  Bronson  while  he  lived  there. 
L,argely  through  his  efforts  others  were  interested  in  the  Farmer's  Friend 
and  its  publication  continued  with  S,  D.  Bartlett  as  editor  and  himself  as- 
sociate editor. 

Mr.  Bartlett  severed  his  connection  with  the  paper  later  on  and  Mr. 
Ritter  assumed  charge  of  it.  The  Allen  County  Herald,  a  Democratic 
paper  published  in  lola  at  that  time,  was  absorbed  by  him  and  consolidated 
with  the  Farmer's  Friend.  The  business  of  a  Populist  lawyer  and  weekly 
newspaper  of  the  same  political  faith  seem  to  go  well  together  and  Mr.  Ritter 
continued  them  for  many  years.     In  1896  he  was  nominated  by  his  party  for 


■WOODSON  COUNTIEii,   KANSAS.  415 

•County  Attorney  and  endorsed  by  the  Democrats  and  elected,  •A'fter  his 
term  expired  he  again  took  up  his  private  practice  and  newspaper  work 
and  is  still  at  it. 

Among  the  young  ladies  who  attended  the  Rocklow  school  during  the 
time  Mr.  Ritter  taught  it  was  Miss  Hattie  Welker.  In  1893  ^^-  Ritter 
made  a  trip  to  Minnesota  where  Miss  Welker  was  visiting  relatives  and 
tthey  returned  married,  very  much  to  the  surprise  of  their  friends  and  rela- 
tives here.  They  have  two  girls,  Neva  and  Casandra.  They  live  in  a 
pleasant  home  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  South  Elm,  in  Ida. 


D ELMER  PIERCE  NORTHRUP,  chief  of  the  mercantile  interests  of 
the  Northrup  estate  and  son  of  the  late  L-  E.  Northrup,  was  born  in 
Hola  July  20,  1867.  His  birth  occurred  in  the  house  which  is  the  residence 
■of  Dr.  Fulton  on  North  street,  and  all  the  years  of  his  youth  and  middle 
life  have  been  passed  in  lola.  He  passed  through  the  grades  of  the  city 
schools,  almost  to  graduation,  and,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  took  a  permanent 
position  in  the  store  of  O.  P.  Northrup  &  Compan}-.  This  was  not  a  new 
experience  for  him  for  his  father  bad  been  a  merchant  many  years  before 
and  either  conducted  a  business  or  had  an  interest  in  one  all  the  years  he 
lived  in  lola  and  thus  his  sons  grew  up  in  the  business.  When  the 
Northrup  interests  were  separated  into  distinct  departments  our  subject 
became  the  head  of  the  drygoods  division.  He  was  amply  equipped  to  ac- 
cept the  responsibility  and  "Northrups"  has  continued  to  be,  as  in  the 
past,  the  popular  trading  point  in  the  gas  belt. 

The  firm  of  Northrup  Brothers  came  into  existence  in  1890  as  succes- 
sors to  O.  P.  Northrup  &  Company  and  is  composed  of  F.  A. ,  L.  E.  and 
D.  P.  Northrup.  The  special  educational  equipment  of  our  subject  for 
any  line  or  department  of  the  Northrup  interests  was  secured  in  Eastman 
Business  College  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York.  He  took  a  course  there  in 
1885  in  which  he  secured  that  thorough  drill  necessary  to  convert  theory 
into  practice. 

Mr.  Northrup's  interest  in  matters  pertaining  to  lola  is  a  lively  and 
growing  one.  His  mind  is  on  his  store  by  day,  with  his  family  at  night 
and  on  lola  all  the  time.  He  has  aided  liberally  any  movement  to  adver- 
tise his  town  or  to  make  it  bigger  and  better.  He  is  fond  of  sport  and  he 
enthuses  over  baseball  and  the  fair.  He  is  interested  in  the  cause  of  labor 
and  encourages  its  efforts  and  entertainment  in  lola.  He  believes  in  high- 
er education  and  represents  the  third  ward  on  the  Board  of  Education.  He 
is  in  sympathy  with  fraternities  and  is  in  good  standing  with  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Elks.  He  is  a  man  with  strong  likes  and  dislikes  and 
while  his  friends  are  legion  you  can  count  his  enemies  on  the  fingers  of  one 
hand.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  in  State  and  National  matters  but  in 
local   affairs   his   ticket  often   suffers   some   modifiation    to  adjust  it  to  his 


4l6  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AKD 

views.     His  universal  popularity  is  attested    by  his  election,    without  oppo- 
sition to  a  place  on  the  Board  of  Education  in  1899. 

October  9,  1889,  Mr.  Northrup  was  married  in  Ida  to  Docia,  daughter 
of  Riley  Young.  Mrs.  Northrup  was  born  in  Allen  county  June  9,  1869. 
The  children  of  this  union  are.-^  Gladys  Young,  born  July  29,  1890;.  Lewis 
O.,  born  January  28,  1893,  and  lyillian,  born  June  29.,  1896. 


/^ONSTANTlNE  G.  MULL,  is  one  of  Allen  county's  early  settlers. 
^~-^-  He  came  amongst  the  pioneers  of  this  county  in  1866  and  settled  in 
Carlyle  township  on  a  farm  in  section  25,  township  23,  range  18.  He  was 
reared  a  farmer  and  when  he  established  himself  in  the  new  west  it  was  but 
natural  that  he  should  turn  his  attention  to  the  farm  and  field.  He  had 
had  ample  training  and  it  was  not  surprising  that  he  should  succeed.  He 
remained  with  the  farm  for  nearly  thirty  years,  leaving  it  only  when  the 
death  of  his  wife  deprived  him  of  a  companion  and  rendered  the  old  home 
dreary  and  depressing. 

Mr.  Mull  was  born  near  Rockville,  Indiana,  October  3,  1842.  His 
father  was  Jacob  Mull,  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  a 
country  school-mate  of  James  Buchanan,  the  fifteenth  President  of  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Mull  was  born  November  5,  1805,  was  married  in 
Lancaster  county  about  1836  and  removed  to  Columbiana  county,  Ohio.  In 
1840  he  settled  in  Parke  county,  Indiana,  where  he  became  one  of  the 
prominent  and  successful  farmers  of  his  day.  He  spent  his  last  years  in 
Rockville,  dying  there  in  1&74.  He  was  a  son  of  Nicholas  Mull,  a  German 
by  birth  who  died  near  the  place  of  his  settlement  in  Pennsylvania.  He 
seems  to  have  had  an  only  son,  Jacob,  who.se  sons,  alone,  bear  the  family 
name  of  this  American  blanch. 

Jacob  Mull  married  Mary  A.  Durrah,  whose  father,  William  Durrah, 
was  a  tailor  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio.  Mary  A.  Mull  died  at  Rock- 
ville, Indiana,  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  Her  children 
are:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Henry  Burford,  of  Marshall,  Indiana;  Lucinda, 
widow  of  J.  F.  Clark,  of  Rockville,  Indiana;  Susan,  deceased,  married 
William  Snell;  William  D.  Mull,  who  was  killed  by  a  maniac  while  sheriff 
of  Parke  county,  Indiana;  David  H.  Mull,  of  Mercer  county,  Missouri;  Con 
G.;  Martha,  widow  of  William  Elliott,  ot  Rockville,  Indiana;  John,  who 
died  in  Montgomery  county,  Kansas;  Henry, "on  the  old  home  in  Indiana, 
and  Martin  Mull,  who  was  killed  at  Ingalls,  Kansas,  by  an  accidental 
shot. 

Our  subject  possessed  the  advantages  only  of  the  country  youth  of  the 
early  days  in  Indiana.  When  he  left  home  it  was  to  go  into  the  army. 
He  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Eleventh  Cavalry,  Colonel  "Bob"  Stewart,  of 
Terre  Haute.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  and  his  regiment  was 
sent  south  to  General  Thomas'  army.  His  company  was  so  situated  that 
his  first  year  or  more  was  spent  fighting  Bushwhackers.     The  first  Rebel 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  417 

commander  to  engage  their  attention  was  General  Joe  Wheeler.  The  main 
campaign  in  which  the  Eleventh  was  engaged  was  the  one  at  Franklin  and 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  at  the  latter  place  Mr.  Mull  was  discharged 
after  two  years  of  service.  This  military  experience  served  to  stimulate  in 
him  a  desire  for  other  similar  service  later  on  and  when  the  opportunity 
came  to  join  a  Kansas  regiment  to  fight  the  Indians  and  recapture  the 
white  women  who  had  been  taken  by  them  he  enlisted  in  the  famous  Nine- 
teenth Kansas.  He  was  on  the  march  through  Texas  and  the  Territory 
where  their  mission  was  accomplished.  The  women  were  surrendered  and 
the  campaign  ended  with  the  close  of  winter.  The  winter  of  1868  was  a 
long  and  cold  one  and  those  who  saw  service  in  the  marching  across  the 
trackless  plains,  through  snow  and  ice  and  under  the  protection  of  Heaven 
alone,  are  to  be  praised  for  their  heroism  and  revered  for  their'  self- 
sacrifices. 

Mr.  Mull  brought  a  small  sum  of  money  with  him  to  Kansas.  He  in- 
vested it  in  wild  prairie  and  out  of  this  he  proceeded  to  develop  a  home. 
When  he  had  done  this  he  found  it  agreeable  to  himself  to  entertain  matri- 
monial thoughts.  He  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Laura  Adams  and 
married  her  at  Carlyle  in  September  1871.  Mrs.  Mull  was  a  native  of 
Parke  county,  Indiana,  and  died  without  heirs,  1891.  In  November  1896, 
Mr.  Mull  married  Mrs.  Ella  Curnutt. 

Mr.  Mull  is  an  enthusiastic  Grand  Army  man  and  his  Republican  pro- 
clivities are  among  his  pronounced  characteristics. 


A  RTHUR  LEROY  TAYLOR,  of  lola,  whose  career  of  above  thirty 
■^-^  5'ears  in  Kansas,  has  established  for  himself  a  reputation  for  business 
and  a  character  for  integrity,  unimpeached,  throughout  southeast  Kansas, 
is  particularly  well  known  to  the  lumber  trade  of  this  section.  Long  years 
of  connection  with  these  interests  have  not  conspired  to  bring  about  this 
prominence  so  much  as  the  spirit  with  which  he  conducts  his  business  and 
the  enthusiasm  which  he  maintains  for  the  success  of  the  "Hoo  Hoo" 
tribe.  His  long  residence  in  Kansas  almost  makes  him  a  pioneer  yet  he 
has  accomplished  mote  for  his  locality  than  many  pioneers  and  his 
individuality  is  firmly  stamped  upon  whatever  is  honored  with  his  serious 
attention. 

Rock  Island,  Illinois,  is  the  birthplace  of  Arthur  L.  Taylor.  He  was 
born  April  5,  1848,  was  reared  in  the  country,  largely,  and  is  a  son  of 
Clinton  G.  Taylor.  The  latter  went  into  Rock  Island  county  in  1842  from 
Jefferson  county.  New  York.  He  was  born  in  the  Empire  State  in  1809 
and  of  English  descent.  Our  subject's  great-grandfather  ,  was  a  soldier  of 
the  American  Revolution. 

Clinton  G.  Taylor  was  a  self-made  man,  a  teacher  in  early  life  and 
taught  one  of  the  first  schools  to  be  held  in  Rock  Island  county.  He  was 
one  of  the  conspicuous    men   of  the  early    days  in    western    Illinois,  was  a 


4l8  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Whig  and,  later,  a  Republican,  and  was  appointed  by  the  Lincoln  adminis- 
tration Revenue  Assessor  in  that  State.  He  died  in  Galesburg,  Illinois,  in 
J8S4.  He  was  a  strict  Presbyterian  and  his  son,  Rev.  Mark  B.  Taylor, 
is  a  prominent  Congregational  clergyman,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York.  He 
married  Eliza  M.,  a  daughter  of  Asa  Barnes,  of  Jefferson  county.  New  York. 
Mrs.  Taylor  resides  in  Ottawa,  Kansas.     She  was  born  in  1810. 

Clinton  G.  Taylor  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  F.  A.  Cobb,  of  Ireton,  Iowa; 
Mrs.  A.  P.  Gibson,  of  Neosho  county,  Kansas;  Rev.  Mark  B.  Taylor,  Past 
Chaplain  of  the  National  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic;  Arthur  L,.  and  Mrs. 
Ella  Tabor,  of  Ottawa,  Kansas. 

Arthur  L.  Taylor  spent  the  first  twenty-one  years  of  his  life  on  the 
farm  and  was  schooled  in  such  institutions  as  were  common  to  sons  of  farmers 
from  1855  to  1865.  With  the  money  he  made  at  farming  a  rented  place 
the  year  he  became  of  age  he  attended  Bryant  and  Stratton's  College  at 
Davenport,  Iowa.  He  spent  the  following  season  at  farming  and,  deciding 
to  come  to  the  western  prairies,  he  drove  a  mule  team  through,  in  1869,  to 
Neosho  county,  Kansas.  The  first  three  years  in  Kansas  were  devoted  to 
farming — at  that  time  his  favorite  calling.  He  had  the  experience  of  every 
country  youth  in  Kansas  in  the  early  70's,  that  of  breaking  prairie  with 
Texas  steers.  To  this  he  owes  the  cultivation  of  his  wonderful  stock  of 
patience,  and,  if  he  has  departed  from  the  training  which  he  received  at 
his  mother's  knee,  it  was  this  that  caused  it.  In  1872  he  was  appointed 
Deputy  County  Clerk  of  Neosho  county  ^nl  served  as  such,  and  as  Deputy 
County  Treasurer,  four  years.  In  these  capacities  his  natural  business 
ability  was  given  an  opportunity  to  shine.  His  familiarity  with  the  affairs 
of  the  county  and  his  pronounced  views  with  reference  to  the  proper  con- 
duct of  the  public  business  rendered  him  a  formidable  candidate  for  County 
Commissioner  without  his  encouragement  or  consent.  In  1876  he  was  elected 
to  that  office  and  served  the  county  ten  years,  continuously,  with  great 
ability  and  fidelity.  Mr.  Taylor  was  a  Republican  the  first  five  years  of  his 
majority  but  he  fell  out  with  the  tariff,  believing  it  to  be  "legalized 
robbery"  and  he  became  a  Democrat.  His  election  as  County  Commission- 
er occurred  in  a  Republican  district  and  while  serving  as  such  he  was  in  the 
lumber  business  at  Osage  Mission,  now  St.  Paul,  Kansas. 

In  1888  Mr.  Taylor  bought  the  S.  A.  Brown  lumber  yard  -in  lola  and 
that  year  began  a  residence  there  which  has  been  mutually  profitable  and 
pleasant  to  himself  and  his  townsmen.  Two  years  after  his  advent  to  the 
city  he  was  elected  to  the  Council  and  was  chosen  Mayor  in  1897.  He  is 
one  of  the  active  members  of  the  Commercial  Club,  and  its  President,  and 
is  the  shaft  which  drives  the  machinery  of  the  Allen  County  Fair  Associa- 
tion. This  latter  not  only  requires  days  of  unremitting  toil  but  nights  of 
worry  and  unrest,  besides  a  yearly  financial  outlay.  He  has  witnessed  its 
periods  of  temporary  adversity  and  has  beheld  its  era  of  great  success  and 
popularity. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  first  married  January  i,  1S74,  to  Annie,  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  G.  W.  McMillin,  whose  former  home  was  in  Lexington,  Kentucky. 
Mrs.  Taylor  was  born  in  Lexington  in  1851  and  died  in    lola  January   23, 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS..  419 

1893.  Her  children  are:  Ella,  wife  of  Adlai  Ewing,  was  born  August  i, 
1875;  Clinton  G.,  married  to  Pearl  M.  Harkness,  was  born  September  15, 
1877,  and  is  associated  with  his  father  in  business;  Ray,  born  July  9, 
1883;  Irene,  born  Novembers,  1886,  and  Genevieve,  born  June  18,  1891. 
Mr.  Taylor  was  married  June  24,  1896,  to  Mrs.  Julia  Archibald,  a  daugh- 
ter of  W.  B.  Alcock,  of  Marietta,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Taylor  was  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful and  popular  teachers  in  the  lola  schools  foi  some  years. 


CHARI.es  CALVIN  AUSHERMAN,  of  lola,  junior  member  of  the 
well  known  firm  of  Cowan  &  Aushermari,  and  Allen  county's  popu- 
lar ex-sheriff,  came  into  the  county  iu  1880,  a  young  man  just  turned 
twenty-one.  He  was  born  in  Frederick  county,  Maryland,  March  11,  1859, 
and  spent  his  first  sixteen  years  in  the  famous  Middletown  Valley.  The 
Ausherraans  were  among  the  early  and  thrifty  settlers  of  that  valley  and 
were,  as  the  name  indicates,  of  German  origin.  The  growing  of  grain  and 
the  raising  of  stock  took  up  their  time  and  attention  and  their  prominence 
as  such  was  a  matter  of  common  report  during  the  first  half  of  the  present 
centur}'.     They  were  Whigs  in  politics  and  Dunkards  in  religion. 

John  Ausherraan,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was  born  in  the  Valley 
and  died  there  in  1864  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  was 
Ldiay  Arnold,  and  his  children  were  twelve  in  number.  John  Ausherman's 
father  was  a  German  who  settled  in  Middletown  Valley  during  the  closing 
years  of  the  i8th  century  and  his  children  were:  John,  Henry,  David  and 
Mis.  Slifer. 

Samuel  Ausherman,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  near  Middletown, 
February  i,  1834,  and  died  in  Bourbon  county,  Kansas,  September  15, 
1891.  He  was  married  in  Frederick  county,  Maryland,  in  1856  to  Malinda 
C. ,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  I,eazer.  In  1875  Mr.  Ausherman  left  Maryland 
for  the  west  and  located  near  Springfield,  Missouri.  In  1880  he  came  to 
the  vicinity  of  lola  and  in  1887  removed  to  Berlin,  Bourbon  county,  and 
there  died.  Like  his  ancestors,  Mr.  Ausherman  devoted  himself  to  the 
farm  and  kindred  enterprises  and  at  times  made  money  and  at  times  lost. 
He  became  a  Republican  early  in  the  history  of  that  party  and  was  a  man"  of 
positive  and  outspoken  convictions.  His  son?  are  holding  up  the  banner 
with  credit  to  the  family  name  and  are  honored  citizens  of  their  respective 
communities. 

The  Leazers  were  also  German.  Daniel  L,eazer,  or  subject's  maternal 
grandfather,  was  a  well  known  blacksmith  of  the  Valley  and  married  Mary 
Gaver.  Of  their  seven  children  Malinda  C. ,  was  then  seventh.  She  was 
born  in  1838  and  resides  in  lola.  Her  children  are:  Ella,  wife  of  John 
Moore,  of  Bourbon  county,  Kansas;  Charles  C. ;  Benjamin  M. ,  a  leading 
lawyer  of  Evanston,  Wyoming;  Alta  May,  wife  of  Henry  W.  Lambeth,  of 
Allen  county;  Will  C. ,  a  grocer  in  Salt  Lake,  Utah,  and  Miss  Kate  Ausher- 
man, one  of  Tola's  talented  teachers  in  the  public  schools. 

Charles  C.    Ausherman   received    a   common   school   education.     He 


420  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

knew  no  business  but  farming  till  he  was  twenty-five  5'ears  old.  He  began 
his  career  as  a  merchant  in  lola,  with  Hart  &  Welch.  His  next  employ- 
er was  D.  B.  Stephens  and,  finally,  he  became  the  trusted  clerk  of  Cowan  & 
Marsh.  When  Cowan  &  Norris  entered  into  a  partnership  Mr.  Ausher- 
man's  name  became  second  in  the  firm.  In  1887  the  firm  of  Cowan  & 
Ausherman  was  formed  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  concerns  of  the  city. 
Mr.  Ausherman  is  the  active  head  of  the  institution  and  to  his  popularity  is 
due,  in  great  measure,  the  prosperity  and  perpetuity  of  the  firm. 

The  fact  that  C.  C.  Ausherman  got  into  politics  when  he  became  a 
voter  and  immediately  acquired  a  following  seems  "a  matter  of  course." 
His  personal  magnetism  and  his  evident  sincerity  of  purpose  are  the  quali- 
ties necessary  to  leadership  and  it  is. but  natural  that  he  should  become  a 
prominent  factor  in  the  manipulation  of  party  affairs.  He  was  township 
clerk  some  years  ago  and  when  the  county  campaign  of  1893  approached 
his  friends  insisted  upon  his  candidacy  for  the  office  of  Sheriff.  He  ulti- 
mately consented  and  won  the  nomination  easily,  and  the  election  by  a 
majority  of  234  votes.  His  administration  of  the  office  was  so  efficient  as 
to  win  him  a  second  election  by  a  majority  of  913  votes,  and  he  left  the 
office  the  most  popular  ex-Sheriff  of  Allen  county.  He  has  served  on  the 
lola  city  Council,  both  before  and  since  its  charter  as  a  second  class  city, 
and  represented  the  first  ward  till  1900.  His  attitude  toward  his  city  is 
that  of  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen.  Worthy  enterprises  ap- 
peal to  his  liberality  and  worthy  charities  his  financial  support.  He 
is  well  know  as  an  Odd  Fellow  and  is  prominent  in  the  "Knights  and 
Ladies"  order. 

Mr.  Ausherman  was  married  December  20,  1893,  in  Coffeyville,  Kan- 
sas, by  Rev.  Freed,  to  Sadie  J.  Proctor.  Her  father  was  Richard  Proctor 
and  her  mother,  Elizabeth  Bratton.  They  were  Kentucky  people  and 
came  to  Allen  county  in  1881.  Mrs.  Ausherman  was  born  March  22,  1870. 
Harold  P.  Ausherman,  our  subject's  only  child,  was  born  February  8, 1898. 


JOHN  SCHLIMMER,  one  of  the  substantial  German-Americans  of  Mar- 
^  maton  township,  has  passed  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  Allen  county, 
upon  section  3,  town  24,  range  20.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  1875  from 
Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  and  was  in  company  with  a  colony  of  settlers  who 
located  in  both  Allen  and  Anderson  counties.  He  was  not  a  farmer  by 
training  but  conditions  in  this  new  country  pointed  to  success  in  farming, 
if  the  proper  energy  and  industry  were  present,  and  knowing  that  he  pos- 
sessed both  these  qualities  Mr.  Schlimmer  did  not  hesitate  to  try  the  ex- 
periment. With  what  success  he  has  met  it  is  sufficient  to  note  the 
increased  acreage  of  his  farm  and  the  improvements  and  the  stock  that  are 
found  thereon. 

Mr.  Schlimmer  was  born  in  Kur  Hessen,  Germany,  October  24,  1839. 
He  was  a  youth  of  seventeen  when  he  started  for  the  United   States  and  his 


■WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  42I 

destination  was  Cincinnati.  He  worked  as  a  journeyman  blacksmith  fur 
Mr.  Stacey,  on  Walnut  Hill,  Cincinnati,  five  years  and  then  established  a 
blacksmith  and  wagon  shop  on  the  same  hill.  In  the  fifteen  years  that  he 
conducted  it  he  accumulated  the  surplus  cash  he  invested  in  his  Kansas 
ifarni.  Mr.  Schlimmer  left  Germany  alone  with  only  scant  means  to  pay 
his  passage  but  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  trade  he  expected  to  follow.  He 
sailed  from  Bremen  aboard  the  Harmonia,  bound  for  Baltimore.-  He 
stopped  a  week  in  Frostburg,  Maryland,  to  visit  friends  and  then  con- 
tinued his  journey  to  Cincinnati. 

Mr.  Schlinmier's  father,  John  Schlimmer,  was  a  farm-er  and  three  of 
his  six  children  are  in  the  United  States,  viz. :  Adam,  of  St.  Joe,  Mi.ssouri; 
John,  and  Henry  -Schlimmer,  of  Ansonia,  Ohio.  Mary,  Elizabeth  and 
Christ  Schlimmer  are  in  Germany. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Cincinnati  in  1861  to  Elizabeth  Neibert, 
who  was  born  in  the  same  locality  with  her  husband.  Their  children  are: 
Mary,  wife  of  Fred  Bratts,  of  Moran,  Kansas;  Conrad  and  Elizabeth 
Schlimmer, 

Mr.  Schlimmer's  first  vote  was  cast  for  Mr.  Lincoln  in  i860  and  his 
ballot  has  been  counted  at  each  Presidential  election  since. 


TDOBERT  ZIMMERMAN— The  subject  of  this  sketch  furnishes  a  strike 
■^  *-  ing  example  of  what  energy,  coupled  with  tenacity  and  good  judg- 
ment, can  accomplish  upon  a  Kansas  farm.  Twenty  years  ago  Robert 
Zimmerman  was  not  a  citizen  of  Kansas.  He  was  a  poor  laborer  struggling 
with  adversity  in  the  mining  district  of  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  He  came 
to  the  latter  place  an  ignorant,  inexperienced  young  Swiss  in  the  hope  of 
improving  a  condition  of  perpetual  servitude  in  his  native  Switzfrland.  He 
was  born  of  poor  parents  May  6,  1845,  and  had  acquired  such  school  and 
other  advantages,  at  his  twenty-first  year,  as  were  common  to  children  in 
his  station.  His  father,  Jacob  Zimmerman,  died  when  our  subject  was 
a  small  boy  and  the  needs  of  the  family  could  only  be  provided  for  through 
the  diligence  and  industry  of  the  children.  Robert  was  one  of  four  and 
next  to  the  youngest  child.  In  his  youth  he  got  into  the  silver  mines  of 
Switzerland  and  eked  out  an  existence  for  some  years.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-three  he  decided  to  come  to  the  United  States,  if  he  could  make 
arrangements  for  the  passage  money.  He  secured  a  loan  from  a  friend 
upon  the  promise  that  it  should  be  returned  out  of  the  first  money  earned 
in  America.  He  reached  this  country  in  1869  and  went  direct  to  the 
Illinois  coal  fields  and  secured  work  in  the  LaSalle  mines.  When  he  had 
repaid  his  passage  money  he  laid  by  his  earnings  and  soon  brought  over 
the  mother,  one  sister  and  two  brothers.  The  family  circle  was  again 
united  and  he  devoted  his  energies  to  providing  the- means  for  a  permanent 
home.  By  the  year  1881  he  had  amassed  a  modest  sum  and  with  it  he 
came  to  the  friend  of  the  poor  man,  Kansas.     He  purchased  an  unimproved 


42  2  HTISTOKY   OF    ALLEN   ANU 

eight.v  cheap  and  from  thenceforward  was  a  farmer.  His  beginnino-s  were 
very  humble  and  his  first  years  in  Kansas  were  in  the  nature  of  a  struo-crie 
for  comfortable  existence.  He  laid  then  the  foundation  for  the  comfortable 
surroundings,  which  are  his  in  the  years  of  his  decline,  and  solved  well  the 
first  problems  in  American  agriculture.  Each  year  found  him  a  trifle  in 
advance  of  the  year  before.  His  accumulations  were  invested  in  more 
land,,  from  time  to  time,  and  he  now  pays  taxes  on  a  half  section,  one  of 
the  good  farms  qn  Big  Creek.  With  his  surroundings  he  presents,  to  a 
marked  degree,  an  appearance  of  thrift  and  comfort.  His  cribs  and  mows 
are  filled  with  the  products  of  the  farm  and  his  yards  of  stock  indicate  from- 
whence  comes  the  reward  for  his  toil.  By  close  application  he  has  reached  a 
condition  of  financial  independence  exceeded  by  few  farmers  in  his  town- 
ship and  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  full-handed  farmers  of  Elsmore. 

In  187 1  Mr.  Zimmerman  was  married  to  Christina  Thomas.  Their 
family  is  a  large  one,  twelve  of  their  thirteen  children  being  alive.  They 
are  Christina,  Mary,  John,  Lillie,  Clara,  Thomas,  Ella,  Victoria,  Olga, 
Julia,  Nellie  and  Eva.  Nine  of  the  number  are  with  the  family  home  while 
three  are  married  and  building  homes  for  themselves. 


GAYLORD  ROBINSON,  highly  regarded  among  the  business  men  of 
lola,  and  universally  respected  as  a  citizen,  came  to  Allen  county 
March  i,  1870.  He  came  out  of  Illinois,  his  native  state,-  being  born  in 
Peoria  county,  November  21,  1841.  His  father,  George  Robinson,  was  a 
farmer  who  located  in  Peoria  county  in  1835  and  opened  up  a  pre-emption 
claim  upon  which  he  reared  his  family.  He  was  born  in  Otsego  county. 
New  York,  and  the  son  of  an  Irishman.  His  birth  occurred  in  1794  and 
his  death  on  his  Illinois  farm  in  1872.  He  was  a  plain  quiet  citizen,  with- 
out fuss  or  show  or  desire  for  place.  He  was  reasonably  successful  in  his 
vocation  and  brought  up  his  children  to  be  useful  men  and  women.  His 
brothers  were:  Thomas,  John,  David,  Matthew  and  Charles.  Thomas, 
David  and  Charles  left  no  families. 

George  Robinson  married  Maria  Gaylord  who  died  in  1873,  leaving 
the  following  children:  William,  of  Brimfield,  Illinois;  Thomas,  deceased; 
Abigail,  deceased,  wife  of  C.  C.Cady;  Eliza,  wife  of  N.  Dunlap,  resides  in 
Dunlap,  Illinois;  Harriet,  now  Mrs.  J.  M.  Miller,  of  Galva,  Illinois; 
Charles,  of  Memphis,  Tenne.ssee;  Lucy,  wife  ol  J.  A.  Nelson,  of  Benton, 
Iowa;  Fannie,  of  Webb  City,  Missouri,  wife  of  R.  Loeb;  David  Robinson, 
of  Tola;  George,  of  Webb  City,  Missouri;  M.  Gaylord;  Emeline,  decea.sed, 
married  the  late  James  L,.  Woodin,  of  Tola. 

Until  his  entering  the  volunteer  army  Gaylord  Robinson  was  a  farmer. 
He  enlisted  August  11,  1862,  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  in  Company  G,  Seventy- 
.seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  Captain  John  D.  Rouse,  Colonel  D.  P.  Greer,  13th 
Army  Corps.  His  regiment  was  in  the  Aimy  of  the  Tennessee  till  the 
surrender  of  Vicksburg  when  it  was  placed  in  the  department  of  the  Gulf. 


WOODSON    COtTNTIES,  KANSAS.  423 

His  division  was  the  first  to  cross  the  Mississippi  river  when  Granf  s  army 
■was  getting  into  the  rear  of  Vicksbiirg.  His  first  battle  was  at  Arkansas 
Post,  then  followed  Port  Gibson  and  the  other  bloody  ones  leading  up  to 
the  capture  of  Vicksburg.  The  Seventy-Seventh  went  to  Matagorda  Bay, 
Texas,  late  in  the  summer  of  1863  but  returned  east  in  time  to  take  part  in 
Banks  Expedition.  At  the  battle  of  Sabine  Cross  Roads  in  this  campaign 
■our  subject  was  captured  and  was  confined  in  the  Confederate  military 
stockade  at  Tyler',  Texas,  till  the  end  of  the  war.  He  was  turned  over  to 
the  Fedsral  authorities  in  May  and  was  mustered  out  July  6,  1865.  He 
returned  to  civil  pursuits  in  Illinois  at  once.  He  took  up  the  trade  of 
wagon-maker  at  Galva,  with  his  brother  and  left  the  shop  there  to  come  to 
Kansas.  He  reached  lola  with  a  capital  of  about  thirty-five  dollars.  He 
did  some  building  that  summer  but  in  the  fall  went  into  the  wagon  shop  of 
Winans  &  Naylor.  He  was  associated  with  I,.  H.  Gorrell  for  a  time  in 
shop  work  and  was  joined  by  Weith  &  Cozine  some  years  latter.  The 
next  five  years  Mr.  Robinson  spent  on  a  farm  near  lola  which  he  traded,  in 
1885,  for  his  lola  residence.  He  owns  the  west  half  of  block  59,  some  of 
the  most  valuable  property  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  married  in  lola  March  i,  1876,  to  Elnora  I.  Proctor. 
Their  children  are;     Agnes,  wife  John  Thompson,  and  TheoP. 

Mr.  Robinson  has  taken  a  prominent  and  sincere  interest  in  public 
affairs  in  lola,  having  served  on  both  the  City  Council  and  the  Board  of 
Education,  He  is  a  reliable  and  conservative  business  man  and  it  is  well 
for  lola  that  his  lot  has  been  cast  with  her. 


[ACOB  H.  I^ADD.— The  late  Jacob  H.  Ladd,  of  lola,  was  born  in  Lees- 
^  burg,  Highland  county,  Ohio,  February  23,  1843.  He  was  a  farmer's 
son  and  resided  oij  the  family  homestead  until  November  9,  1868,  when  he 
started  for  Verdi,  Kansas.  He  remained  there  only  temporarily  and  came 
to  lola  in  December  following.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  wagon  maker  and 
engaged  in  that  business  in  this  city.  He  died  March  6,  1884.  He  was 
married  December  7,  1871,  to  Amelia  DeMoss,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Morton 
DeMoss,  one  of  the  early  physicians  of  lola.  Mr.  Ladd's  children  are: 
Delia  Ladd,  of  lola;  John  I/add,  of  Sheridan,  Wyoming;  Mabel  L,-,  wife  of 
L,.  C.  Beaity,  of  lola,  and  Jacob  Ladd,  of  lola. 


A  LTES  H.  CAMPBELL. — Conspicuous  among  the  attorneys  at  the  bar 
-^~^  of  the  Seventh  Judicial  District  of  Kansas  is  Altes  H.  Campbell. 
Born  in  Allen  county,  two  miles  east  of  Carlyle,  on  the  4th  of  May,  1862, 
he  is  all  but  a  pioneer.  His  father,  James  H.  Campbell,  located  in  that 
county  in  i860,  settling  on  Deer  Creek  where,   between  farming   and  law, 


|24  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN    AKD 

he  reared  and  maiutairied  his  family.  He  was  an  emigrant  from  Switzer- 
land county,  Indiana,  where  he  was  born  in  i8-i8  and  reared  and  educated. 
He  was  a  son  of  William.  Campbell,  a  relative  of  Colonel  Harrod,  who 
faunded  Harrodsburg,  Kentucky,  and  with  others  came  from  South  Caro- 
lina to  aid  in  the  founding  of  that  city,  about  the  time  of  Boone's  period  of 
greatest  adventures.  James  H.  Campbell  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  In- 
diana. In  1866  he  WIS  elected  county  attorney  of  Allen  county  and  when 
his  term  expired  he  was  sent  to  the  Kansas  State  I^egislature  by  the  Repub- 
licans af  his  county.  He  practiced  law  till  1872  when  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising  in  Anderson  county,  Kansas,  afterwards  removing  to 
Colony,  in  that  county,  and  later  to  lola  where  he  died  in  1889.  In  i860 
Bertha  A.  Simpson  became  the  wife  of  James  H.  Campbell,  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Matthew  Simpson,  a  cousin  of  Bishop  Simpson,  of  the  Method- 
ist denomination.  Matthew  Simpson  was  one  of  the  early  educators  of 
Allen  county  and  was,  for  a  time.  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 
He  was  a  man  of  strong  personality,  was  a  pioneer  among  teachers  and 
impres.sed  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  early  seventies,  in  Allen  county,  with 
the  seriousness  of  his  cause. 

Of  the  seven  children  born  to  James  H.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  only  three 
survive:  Altes  H.,  Mary  J.  and  Jams.s  H.  Campbell.  The  last  namsd  is 
one  of  the  firm  of  Campbell  &  Burrell,  druggists,  of  lola,  and  the  mother, 
brothers  and  sister  all  live  in  the  .same  yard. 

A.  H.  Campbell  passed  his  early  life  amid  the environraentsjof  the  farm. 
The  common  schools  are  responsible  for  his  education  and  when  he  left  the 
farm  it  was  to  take  a  clerkship  in  Colony,  Kansas.  Following  this  employ- 
ment he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  steam  hay-press  and  operated  it  till  18  82 
when  his  uncle,  "Cy"  Simpson,  appointed  him  to  a  position  in  the  lola 
post  office.  His  preparation  for  the  law  had  been  going  on  all  the  time  he 
Was  baling  hay  around  Colony  and  his  spare  hours  while  in  the  post  office 
were  passed  pouring  ovei   Blackstone,  Walker's    American    Law  etc.      In 

1884  he  left  the  post  office  and  went  into  the  office  of  A.  C.  Bogle,  a 
leading  attorney  of  lola  at  the  time,  and  under  his  direction  carried  on  a 
course  of  systematic  reading,  continuing  the  same  later  with  Hon.  Henry 
A.  Ewing,  a  prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  Allen   county.     In  August 

1885  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  before  Judge  I,eander  Still  well. 

"Alt"  Campbell  was  poor,  almost  to  poverty,  when  he  was  struggling 
for  admission  to  the  bar,  and  after  his  admission  found  it  necessary  to  sup- 
plement his  legal  earnings  by  taking  employment  outside  of  his  profession. 
He  mastered  stenography  by  study  from  the  book  without  a  teacher  and 
did  considerable  court  reporting.  A  few  months  he  was  cashier  of  the 
Bank  of  Allen  County  and  when  lola  took  on  her  first  Democratic  post- 
master he  was  invited  into  the  office  to  give  direction  to  the  initial  move- 
ments of  the  office  force.  Among  the  first  acts  in  his  professional  career 
Was  to  form  a  partnership  with  Hon.  Charles  E.  Benton,  then  of  lola  but 
now  Assistant  Attorney  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  with  office  at  Fort 
Scott.  The  firm  of  Benton  &  Campbell  gave  way  and  that  of  Campbell  & 
Hankins  succeeded  it.     Campbell  &  Porter   followed  and  was  terminated 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  425 

by  the  uiitimaly  death  of  John  Porter.      In   1900   Mr.    Campbell   associated 
with  him  John  F.  Goihorn,  County  Attorney  of  Allen  county. 

Mr.  Campbell  is  admitted  to  practice  before  all  the  courts  of  the  state, 
and  in  the  United  States  Circuit  and  District  courts.  From  1S95  to  1^97 
he  served  as  County  Attorney,  being  elected  as  a  Democrat,  and  has  filled 
the  office  of  City  Attorney  of  lola  three  terms  and  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
city  in  April  1901.  Politically  he  was  always  a  Democrat  until  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Chicago  platform  in  1896  when  he  left  that  party  and  cast  his 
lot  with  the  Republicans. 

'  June  12,  1888,  Mr.  Campbell  married  Mrs.  Mary  Jeanette  English,  a 
daughter  of  Cyrus  S.  Potter,  one  of  the  well  known  citizens  of  lola  and 
formerly  of  Watertown,  New  York.  Mrs.  Potter  was  Misss  Adelaide  E. 
Wafiel  and  their  children  are:  "Nettie"  Campbell,  wife  of  our  subject; 
Bert  Potter,  of  lola;  Irwin  Potter,  of  Coffeyville,  Kansas,  and  Rev.  Leslie 
Potter,  Rector  of  Grace  Church  in  Kirkwood,  Missouri.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Campbell's  children  are  Leslie  J.,  Carl  B.  and  Helen. 

In  summing  up  the  life  of  one  whose  race  is  only  half  run  it  is  our 
privilege  to  touch  slightly  upon  the  attributes  which  form  the  mental  com- 
position, and  thus  the  character,  of  him  whose  name  introduces  this  review. 
Reared  without  wealth,  but  in  honor,  Alt  Campbell  chose  the  paths  of 
rectitude  and  virtue.  He  was  ever  a  gentleman  and  when  his  preparation 
for  life  had  been  completed  and  he  took  his  station  among  the  men  of  his 
county  it  was  with  the  determination  to  shun  duplicity  and  avoid  dishonor. 
In  his  profession  his  clientage  has  been  drawn  to  him  not  only  because 
he  was  learned  in  the  law  but  because  of  his  sincerity  as  a  counsellor  and 
of  his  standing  and  ability  before  the  court. 

As  a  citizen  of  lola  Mr.  Campbell  has  an  abiding  faith  in  the  future  of 
his  town  and  whatever  aid  he  can  render  is  done  without  expectation  of 
reward.  He  is  a  Mason  and  Odd  Fellow,  a  Workman  and  a  member  of 
other  fraternal  associations.  In  the  business  circle  of  his  community  his 
substantial  worth  is  a  matter  of  common  recognition,  and  in  his  home  his 
family  possesses  a  loyal,  indulgent  and  devoted  head. 


NIMROD  HANKINS,  of  lola,  among  Allen  county's  venerable  pio- 
neers and  a  gentleman  who  has  perforared  his  part  in  the  moral, 
material  and  political  upbuilding  of  his  county,  was  born  in  Vermillion 
CDunty,  Illinois,  March  i,  18.51.  He  is  a  son  of  Fielden  L,-  Hinkins,  a 
Virginian,  and  a  farmer  and  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  The  latter  was 
married  to  Miss  Fannie  Drury,  a  lady  of  Virginia  birth  and  of  the  age  of 
her  husband.  This  union  was  productive  of  eight  children,  three  sons  and 
five  daughters,  viz:  Deborah  Hays,  who  died  in  lola  in  1895  ^t  the  age 
of  eighty-four;  Davis  Hankins,  who  died  in  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  at 
the  age  of  sixty  years;  Wesle}' Hankins,  who  died  in  McDonough  county, 
Illinois,   in    1885;  Emily   Hays,  of  Leon,   Kansas;   Andrew  J.  Hankins,  of 


426  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Good  Hope,  Illinois;  Rev.  William  Hankins,  of  lola,  and  Nirarod,  our 
subject. 

Grandfather  Drury  was  a  Methodist  minister  in  Virginia,  Tennessee 
and  Kentucky.      His  wife  lived  to  be  near  one  hundred  years  of  age. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  Nirarod  Hankins  began  life  as  a  farmer 
and  continued  it  in  Illinois,  and  in  Kansas  till  recent  years.  He  left  Illi- 
nois in  1856  and  came  to  x\llen  county,  Kansas.  He  located  near  lola  in 
the  fall  of  the  same  year.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  enlisted  at  lola  in 
Company  E,  Ninth  Kansas  Cavalry,  October  17,  1861.  The  regiment  was 
commandtd  by  Colonel  Lynde  and  the  company  by  Captain  Flescher.  He 
enlisted  as  a  private  but  was  soon  promoted  to  Orderly  Sergeant  and  later  to 
First  Lieutenant  and  for  six  months  he  was  on  detail  as  recruiting  officer. 
His  service  was  spent  largely  in  running  down  Bushwhackers,  one  year  of 
his  enlistment  being  passed  on  guard  duty  along  the  Missouri  and  Kansas 
line.  The  regiment  was  sent  south  toward  the  end  of  the  war  into  Ar- 
kansas, stopping  at  Fort  Smith  and  Little  Rock,  spending  several  months 
in  that  state.  The  regiment  was  disbanded  at  Duvalls  Bluff  and  there  our 
subject  was  mustered  out. 

November  i,  1855,  Mr.  Hankins  was  married  to  Elizabeth  A.  Case 
who  was  born  November  20,  1844.  She  was  an  Allen  county  teacher  and 
a  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Amelia  Case  who  came  to  Allen  county  in  1857 
■  from  Franklin  county,  Kansas.  Mr.  Case  came  to  Kansas  in  1852  and  was 
a  trader  among  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  on  the  Marias  des  Cygnes  river. 
He  erected  one  of  the  first  store  buildings  in  Cofachique  and,  when  that 
place  seemed  destined  to  die  he  removed  bis  stock  to  lola  where  he  fol- 
lowed merchandising  till  his  death,  December  1862.  Mr.  Case  was  born 
in  Ashtabula  county,  Ohio,  in  1822,  and  was  married  in  1843  to  Amelia 
Foster  who  was  born  in  Clay  county,  Missouri.  His  widow  resides  in  Fre- 
donia,  Kansas.  Their  children  are:  William  E.  Case,  a  leading  merchant 
in  Fredonia,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Nimrod  Hankins;  Mrs.  Laura  E.  Hunt,  of  Fre- 
donia;  Mrs.  Louise  J.  Hudson,  of  Fredonia;  Mrs.  Belle  Lakin,  of  Fort 
Scott,  Kansas,  and  Richard  Case,  of  Fredonia. 

Mrs.  Nimrod  Hankins  taught  a  subscription  school  in  Cofachique  in 
1859,  the  first  school  taught  there.  Afterward  she  spent  three  years  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  county. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hankins  have  been  born  six  children,  four  of  whom 
survive:  William  C.  Hankins,  an  attorney  and  abstracter  of  lola;  Miss 
Olive  Hankins;  Richard  N.  and  George  D. 

Nimrod  Hankins  is  well  known  as  a  Democrat.  His  ancestors  es- 
poused the  principles  of  the  old  time  faith  and  when  he  came  to  re.sponsi- 
bility  and  citizenship  he  followed  in  their  footsteps.  His  political  life  has 
been  as  quiet  as  his  social  life.  He  filled  the  unexpired  term  of  J.  L. 
Arnold  as  Probate  Judge,  by  appointment  of  Governor  Lewelling,  which  is 
the  sum  total  of  his  official  service.  He  is  slow  of  speech,  pleasant  and 
affable  in  manner,  droll  at  times  and  full  of  dry  humor.  He  measures  to 
the  full  height  of  our  standard  of  citizenship  and  possesses  the  entire  con- 
fidence of  his  neighbors  and  friends. 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  427 

CHARLES  F.  J.  BARTH. — In  connection  with  the  pioneer  develop- 
ment of  the  state  Charles  Frederick  Jacob  Barth,  now  deceased,  is 
worthy  of  honorable  mention.  His  name  is  insepaiably  interwoven  with 
the  early  history  of  Allen  county,  and  through  the  years  of  his  residence 
here  he  was  a  valued  citizen  who  contributed  in  appreciable  measure  to  the 
upbuilding  and  progress  of  his  community. 

A  native  of  Germany,  he  was  born  in  Udenheim,  in  Rhine-Hessen, 
January  18,  1837.  His  father,  Charles  Frederick  Barth,  was  principal  of 
the  high  school  of  that  city,  and  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  marked 
intellectuality.  His  eldest  son,  George  Barth,  is  a  banker  in  Frankfort-on- 
the-Main,  in  Germany.  Another  son,  Philip,  is  a  carpenter  of  New  York 
City.  Their  mother  was  Phillipena  Barth.  Charles  F.  J.  Barth,  of  this 
review,  spent  his  early  boyhood  in  his  native  land,  and  there  -served  an 
apprenticeship  to  the  cabinet-making  and  upholstering  trades.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  he  became  a  member  of  the  German  Reformed  church  and  for  a 
time  served  as  its  pianist,  having  been  well  trained  in  music.  At  the  age 
of  fifteen  he  secured  his  father's  permission  to  come  to  America  and  sailed 
for  New  York  city.  There  and  in  Passaic,  New  Jersey,  he  followed  the 
pursuits  with  which  he  had  become  familiar  in  his  native  land,  and  as  he 
journeyed  westward  he  followed  .various  occupations.  In  Missouri  and 
Wisconsin  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  in  the  former  state  at  the  time 
of  the  Civil  war.  He  responded  to  the  first  call  for  volunteers  and  served 
for  several  months  in  the  Missouri  State  Militia.  He  afterward  enlisted  in- 
Company  I,  Sixth  Kansas  Cavalry,  and  was  a  comrade  of  Dr.  Gillihan,  of 
lola.  During  the  early  part  of  his  service  he  was  at  the  front  on  the  field, 
but  afterward  was  promoted  to  hospital  steward.  He  had  previously 
studied  medicine  and  had  been  clerk  in  a  drug  store  and  those  qualifica- 
tions secured  him  his  positions  in  the  hospital.  He  received  an  honorable 
discharge  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  immedi- 
ately afterward  went  to  White  county,  Illinois,  locating  there  in  August, 
1865.  The  following  year  he  came  to  Allen  county,  and  in  1868  took  up 
his  residence  on  the  farm  where  his  family  now  reside. 

At  Duvalls  Bluff,  Arkansas,  he  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss 
Martha  J:  Rice,  of  Carmi,  Illinois,  who  was  engaged  in  teaching  at  the 
former  place,  and  on  the  13th  of  September,  1865,  they  were  married.  The 
lady  was  born  in  Kentucky,  December  15,  1843,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Henry  F.  Rice,  of  Carmi,  that  .state.  Her  father  was  born  in  Marion 
county,  Kentucky,  and  died  near  lola  in  1880,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two. 
His  wife  was,  in  her  maidenhood,  Mary  Kertley  Thompson,  of  Hopkins- 
ville,  Kentucky.  She  died  in  Marion  county,  Kentucky,  in  1852.  Unto 
our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  five  children:  Margaret  A.,  de- 
ceased; George  H.,  of  lola;  Willie  C,  who  is  agent  of  the  Rock  Island 
Railroad,  at  Broughton,  Kansas;  Charles  F.  and  Anna  E. ,  who  reside  with 
their  mother. 

After  coming  to  Allen  county,  in  1868  Mr.  Barth  homesteaded  the  east 
half  of  ihe  southeast  quarter  of  section  twelve,  lola  township,  and  through- 


43S  HISTORY    OF   ALLEX    AND 

out  his  remaining  days  he  devoted  his  energies  to  farming,  cultivating  his 
fields  and  improving  his  place  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death, 
January  29,  1900.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  lola, 
and  possessed  sterling  principles  of  character  which  were  manifest  in  his 
integrity  and  positive  convictions  of  right  and  justice  in  his  associations 
and  dealings  with  his  fellow  townsmen,  among  whom  he  lived  for  thirty- 
two  years.  He  was  a  man  of  domestic  tastes,  faithful  to  every  home  duty, 
and  he  considered  no  personal  sacrifice  too  great  which  would  enhance  the 
happiness  or  promote  the  welfare  of  his  wife  and  children.  His  Christian- 
ity was  manifest  in  his  interest  in  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  development 
of  his  children,  in  his  faith  and  trust  in  God  through  life,  and  in  his  resig- 
nation to  the  Divine  will  at  death.  His  life  stands  in  exemplification  of 
the  power  of  integrity  and  uprightness  in  the  affairs  of  life  and  his  mem- 
orv  remains  as  a  blessed  benediction  to  all  who  knew  him. 


T  TARRY  BRAGG — To  instill  into  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  young 
-*-  -*-  respect  for  great  attainments,  reverence:  for  great  virtues,  and  to 
excite  generous  emulation,  by  holding-  up  as  examples  for  admiration 
and  imitation  the  lives  of  the  wise,  the  great  and  the  good,  is  commenda- 
ble and  right.  But  the  field  of  example  should  be  extended,  and  lessons 
of  industry,  energy,  usefulness,  virtue,  honor,  the  true  aims  of  life  and  the 
sources  of  happiness,  should  be  gathered  and  enforced  from  all  the  various 
provinces  of  human  labor,  however  humble.  Our  country  is  eminently  in 
need  of  increasing  intelligence  in  agriculture,  commerce  and  mechanism. 
Those  great  divisions  of  labors  should  be  rendered  not  only  lucrative  and 
respectable  as  they  are  but  honorable  and  attractive  to  the  young  in  all 
classes  of  society.  The  lives  of  leading  merchants,  farmers,  manufacturers, 
mechanics, — of  all  who  by  honsst  labor  have  achieved  success  in  the  differ- 
ent occupations,  should  be  written  and  commended  to  the  young  men  of 
the  republic.  The  path  of  labor  and  usefulness  should  be  indicated  as  the 
highway  to  honor. 

Harry  Bragg,  now  one  of  the  leading  merchants  in  southern  Kansas, 
has  attained  to  his  present  creditable  position  entirely  through  his  own 
efforts.  He  was  born  in  Shropshire,  England,  February  9,  1850.  His 
father,  William  M.  Bragg,  was  born  in  London,  England,  and  was  married 
to  Miss  Margaret  M.  Pace,  of  Shropshire,  in  1844,  where  he  was  Master  of 
a  school  under  the  patronage  of  and  maintained  by  the  Duchess  of  Suther- 
land (then  Mistress  of  the  robes  to  the  Queen)  on  one  of  their  estates  in 
that  county.  In  this  position  he  remained  until  he  came  to  America  in 
1852.  locating  at  Bellevue,  Iowa.  Moving  to  Kansas  in.  1869  he  took  up 
320  acres  of  land  and  engaged  in  farming,  which  occirpation  he  followed 
until  he  moved  to  Humboldt  in  1889,  laying  aside  the  arduous  duties  of  a 
farmer's  life,  and  at  which  place  he  now  resides  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight, 
keeping  books  in  the  office  of  his  son.     His  wife  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  429 

five  j'ears.  They  had  nine  children,  of  whom  Harry  was  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  histor}'  of  Harrj-  Bragg  we  present  to  our 
readers  the  record  of  one  who  is  verj-  widely  and  favorably  known.  He 
remained  in  Iowa  during  his  youth  and  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  began 
to  learn  the  tinner's  trade.  When  his  parents  came  to  Kansas  he  remained 
in  the  Hawkeye  State  in  order  to  finish  learning  his  trade,  and  in  1870  he 
came  to  Humboldt,  his  father  having  previously  located  in  Neosho  county. 
He  secured  a  situation  as  tinner  in  the  shops  of  Redfield  &  Signor,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  twenty  months,  after  which  he  spent  six  months  in 
the  employ  of  J.  R.  Lowey  and  later  was  with  J.  P.  Johnson  in  the  hard- 
ware business  under  the  firm  name  of  Johnson  &  Bragg,  which  connection 
was  maintained  from  1876  until  1886,  when  Mr.  Bragg  purchased  his 
partner's  interest  and  has  since  continued  the  business  alone.  He  now  has 
the  largest  hardware  and  farm  implement  store  in  southern  Kansas  and  is 
doing  a  business  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  a  year.  He  has  followed 
most  systematic  and  honorable  business  methods,  and  his  straight- 
forward dealing  and  inoderate  f  rices  have  gained  to  him  a  very  liberal 
patronage. 

Mr.  Bragg  was  married  in  1873  to  Miss  Ella  Rouse,  a  na:tive  of  Warren 
county,  New  York.  Her  father,  N.  B.  Rouse,  removed  with  his  family 
from  the  Empire  State  to  Kansas  and  in  1870  came  to  Humboldt,  Kansas. 
Mrs.  Bragg  has  indeed  been  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  to  her  hus- 
band, and  to  her  aid  he  largely  attributes  his  success.  He  had  to  borrow 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  with  which  to  purchase  tools  when  he  began 
business  in  Humboldt,  but  both  he  and  his  wife  worked  hard,  she  doing 
dressmaking  in  order  to  enable  him  to  get  a  good  start.  Together  they 
saved  the  inoney,  and  now  as  a  result  of  their  industry  and  economy,  they 
are  enabled  to  enjoy  many  of  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life.  They  have 
one  child,  Lucile,  an  interesting  intelligent  and  popular  young  lady  of 
Humboldt.  She  was  graduated  in  the  high  school  of  this  city,  afterward 
she  studied  in  the  State  University  at  I^awrence,  and  subsequently  matricu- 
lated in  Lombard  College  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  where  she  graduated.  She 
is  now  acting  as  her  father's  bookkeeper. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Bragg  is  a  Republican  but  has  had 
neither  time  nor  inclination  for  public  office.  He  has  attended  some  of  the 
county  conventions,  however,  and,  as  every  true  American  citizen  should 
do,  feels  an  interest  in  political  affairs.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  He  occupies  a  leading  position  in  business  circles  in  this  county 
and  his  record  is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


"N /f  ARION  INGELS  was  born  in    Morgan   county,    Indiana,  September 

-^     17,  .1844.     His  ancestors  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Kentucky, 

and  thence   to  Indiana,  casting  in  their  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that 


430  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND- 

State.  Samuel  Meranda,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  soldier  in; 
the  War  of  1812.  Thomas  Ingels,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of: 
the  Hoosier  State,  and  in  1843  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Meranda.  By  occu- 
pation he  was  a  farmer,  following  that  pursuit  throughout  his  active  lite. 
He  died  in  1859,  at  the  age  of  forty  years,  while  his  wife  survived  until 
1895,  and  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine.  They  had  six  children,  of 
whom  five  are  now  living,  namely:  Marion;  John,  of  Center,  Indiana;  Mrs, 
S.  R.  Gideon,  of  Washington,  D.  C;  George,  of  Alva,  Oklahoma,  and 
Samuel,  of  Hemlock,  Indiana. 

Elder  Ingels  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  and   through  the  winter 
mouths  attended  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  uutil  twenty  years- 
of    age,    when    his    uncle,  James  Ingels,  sent  him  to  Abingdon  College,  in 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  until  his  graduation.      He  was  educated  for  the 
teacher's   profession,    but  he  soon  began  preaching  in  connection  with  his 
teaching,  and  continued  .so  to  do  foi    five  3  ears,    since  which  time   he  has- 
abandoned  teaching  for  preaching  the  gospel  of  the  Christian   church.     He 
has  filled  pastorates  at  Bryant,   Abingdon,  Cuba,    Lewiston    and    Illiopolis, 
Illinois;  and  at  Leanna,  Oswego,  Chetopa,  North   Topeka  and   Coffeyville, 
Kansas.      He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Libbie  Frazier,   June  6,  i86g. 
Miss  Frazier  was  born  in  Ursa,  Illinois,    November  11,    1848.     Her  father 
Lemuel  G.  Frazier,  was    a  native    of    Kentucky,    but    removed   to   Adams 
county,  Illinois,  when  a  mere  child  where  he  grew  to  man's  estate,  raised  a 
large   family  and   died.     He   gave  his  daughter  excellent  educational  priv- 
ileges,   and    in    1873    she    was   graduated    in    Abingdon  College,  with  the 
degree  of  bachelor  of  science.     The  homa  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.    Ingels  has  been 
blessed  with  two   sons,    Thomas  L,.,    who    married    Miss  Jennie   Little,  of 
Savonburg,  Kansas,  and  is  living  on  his  father's  farm;  and  Harry   P.,  now 
twelve  years  of  age. 

Elder  Ingels  continued  his  ministerial  work  in  Illinois  until  the  fall  of 
1882,  when  he  came  to  Kansas  and  purchasea  eighty  acres  of  land  in  east 
Cottage  Grove  township,  near  Leanna,  Allen  county.  He  has  made 
splendid  improvements  upon  his  farm  and  has  a  most  attractive  home, 
which  stands  in  the  midst  of  highly  cultivated  fields.  There  is  also  a  large 
orchard  upon  his  place  and  all  modern  improvements,  and  in  the  periods 
of  his  rest  from  the  ministerial  duties  he  finds  pleasure  in  the  work  of 
the  farm- 
He  returned  to  Illinois  in  1895  for  a  period  of  two  years  to  educate 
his  son  Thomas  in  Eureka  College.  During  these  two  years  he  did 
evangelistic  work  in  Michigan  and  Illinois.  He  was  State  Sunday  school 
evangelist  of  Kansas  for  six  yeais  and  is  now  engaged  in  evangelistic  work 
under  the  State  missionary  board  of  the  Christian  church.  Mr.  Ingels  took 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science  in  1869,  and  that  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in 
1873,  in  Abingdon  College  and  he  and  his  wife  taught  therein  during  the 
two  college  years  beginning  in  the  fall  of  1875.  He  prepares  the  lessons 
for  the  Christian  Endeavor  Quarterly,  and  does  other  religious  literary 
work.  He  has  found  in  his  wife  a  most  able  assistant.  She  is  a  most 
earnest  worker  in  the   misssionary    field,    and  is   president   of  the  Woman's 


■WOODSON  coonTie:;,  kansas.  431 

Christian  Board  of  Missions  in  Kansas,  an  important  position  which  she 
Jias  filled  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  Ingels  is  one  of  the  leading  ministers 
•of  the  Christian  church  in  this  State,  having  filled  positions  of  trust  on  the 
State  board  of  the  Interdenominational  Sunday  school  work,  and  on  tlie  State 
boards  of  his  own  church.  He  is  a  man  of  thoughtful,  earnest  purpose,  of 
strong  intellectual  endowments,  of  broad  charity  and  kindly  nature,  and  by 
all  denominations,  as  well  as  his  own  people,  is  held  in  the  highest  regard. 


T 


ACOB  ERICSON  is  a  stock  and  grain  farmer,  living  in  Elsmore  town- 
■"J  ship,  Allen  county.  He  has  always  resided  in  the  middle  west  and  is 
characterized  by  the  true  western  spirit  of  progress  and  advancement.  He 
was  born  in  Knoxville,  Knox  county,  Illinois.  His  parents  were  Ole  and 
Elna  Ericson,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Sweden.  (See  sketch  of  Eric 
Ericson. ) 

In  the  common  schools  of  his  native  town  Jacob  Ericson  pursued  the 
studies  which  fitted  him  for  the  practical  duties  of  a  business  life.  He 
remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  farming 
till  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age  and  mining  the  next  six  years.  Dur- 
ing his  boyhood  he  learned  the  painter's  trade  and  followed. that  pursuit 
through  the  stammer  months,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  worked  in  the 
mines.  His  home,  however,  was  upon  a  farm  and  he  thereby  became 
familiar  with  the  labors  of  the  field.  He  was  married  in  1888  and  after- 
ward took  up  his  abode  in  Knoxville  where  he  engaged  in  the  painting 
business  through  the  succeeding  period  of  seven  years.  During  that  time 
he  had  saved  earnings  enough  to  enable  him  to  come  to  Kansas,  where  he 
had  two  brothers  living,  and  purchase  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  He  has  made  good  improvements  upon  the  place  and  is  still  adding 
to  his  farming  facilities.  His  farm  is  located  two  miles  west  of  Elsmore 
and  is  approaching  one  of  the  finest  in  the  entire  community,  for  he  is  pro- 
gressive and  enterpiising  and  as  far  as  possible  is  adding  to  his  place  all 
the  modern  accessories.  He  raises  stock  and  grain  and  keeps  on  hand  good 
horses  to  do  the  farm  work. 

Before  leaving  his  native  State  Mr.  Ericson  was  married  on  the  13th  of 
December,  1888,  to  Miss  Hannah  Basser,  a  native  of  Sweden.  She  came 
alone  to  America  in  1886  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and  her  parents  still 
reside  in  Sweden.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ericson  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren: Harold  E. ,  born  in  1889;  Herman  E. ,  born  in  1890';  Hazel  W.,  born 
in  1893;  Glenn  H.,  born  in  1896,  while  Myrtle,  the  baby,  was  born  Febru- 
ary I,  1900.  Mr.  Ericson  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Ameri- 
ca in  Elsmore.  L,ike  his  brothers,  who  are  residing  in  this  county,  he  can 
claim  the  distinction  of  being  what  the  public  calls  "a  self-made  man." 
He  has  never  had  a  dollar  given  him,  and  from  early  boyhood  has  earned 
his  own  living.  Labor  has  been  the  key  which  has  unlocked  to  him  the 
portals  of  success  and  from  its  storehouse  he  has  gained  rich  treasures.  He 
is  numbered  among  the  valued  and  respected  citizens  of  his  community  and 
well  deserves  mention  in  this  volume. 


4,32  .     HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

r  E.  JONES,  of  lola,  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania 
^  •  August  6,  1853,  and  is  a  representative  of  an  old  New  Jersey  family 
of  Welsh  lineage.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Peter  Jones,  removed  from 
New  Jersey  to  Washington  county  and  there  on  the  23rd  of  March,  1826, 
John  A.  Jones,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born.  In  his  early  life  the  latter 
resided  upon  a  farm  with  his  maternal  grandfather,  his  mother  having  died 
when  he  was  only  a  few  days  old.  He  was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits 
and  throughout  his  life  engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil,  owning  a  portion 
of  the  farm  on  which  he  was  born.  In  the  fall  of  1867  he  left  Pennsylvania 
and  removed  to  Knox  county,  Ohio,  where  his  father  had  resided  for  a 
number  of  years.  After  two  years,  however,  John  A.  Jones  went  to  La 
Salle  county,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  In  1847  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nancy  Hampson,  who  was  born  in  Washington 
county,  Pennsylvania,  March  2,  1826,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Hampson,  a 
native  of  New  Jersey.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  became  the  parents  of  four 
children,  three,  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely:  W.  P.,  a  resident  of 
Anthony,  Kansas;  D.  E. ,  who  is  living  in  Grand  Ridge,  Illinois;  and  J.  E. 
the  subject  of  this  review.  The  father  died  in  LaSalle  county,  Illinois,  in 
1880,  and  the  mother's  death  occurred  in  Grand  Ridge,  that  State,  in  June, 
1897- 

J.  E.  Jones  the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  spent  the  first  four- 
teen years  of  his  liie  upon  the  old  homestead  in  Washington  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  during  that  period  pursued  his  education  in  the  public 
schools.  In  1867  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Ohio,  and  in  1869  to 
Illinois.  On  reaching  his  majority  he  left  the  home  farm  and  entered  the 
office  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  at  Ottawa,  Illinois,  where 
he  remained  for  one  year.  On  account  of  ill  health  he  was  forced  to  leave 
that  position  and  spent  the  succeeding  year  and  a  half  upon  the  farm,  after 
which  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  LaSalle  county,  Illinois  for  five 
years.  In  1884  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  at  Anthony,  Harpei  county, 
where  he  followed  carpentering.  lu  1886  he  purchased  a  shop  and  was 
identified  with  the  building  interests  of  that  place  until  February,  1897, 
when  he  came  to  lola.  Here  he  engaged  in  contract  work  until  the  fall  of 
1899.  during  which  time  he  and  his  partner,  A.  J.  Servey,  had  the  contract 
on  the  New  York  Store  building  and  the  Odd  Fellows  block.  He  also 
prepared  the  plans  for  the  Masonic  Temple  at  lola.  He  now  owns 
and  conducts  a  mill  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  South  street  which  is 
equipped  with  machinery  of  all  kinds  and  where  he  executes  all  sorts  of 
wood  work. 

On  the  i6th  of  September,  1884,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Jones  and  Miss  Sarah  Beynier  of  Coldwater,  Comanche  .county,  Kansas. 
They  were  the  first  couple  tc  whom  a  license  was  issued  in  that  county, 
and  for  this  reason  they  were  presented  with  a  lot  in  the  town  site  of  Cold- 
water.  Mrs.  Jones  was  born  in  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Noah  Beymer,  a  native  of  Germany. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  resided  in  Anthony  until  their 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  433 

removal    to   lola.     They  have  formed  many  acquaintances  since  coming  to 
this  city  and  now  have  the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

Mr.  Jones  joined  the  Odd  Fellows  at  Grand  Ridge,  Illinois,  November 
5,  1875,  and  Ottawa  Encampment  in  March,  1882.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  lodge  and  Grand  Encampment  and  is  a  Chapter  Mason. 


TT'DWARD  CAIN. — Among  the  pioneers  of  Allen  county  who  have 
-•-— '  performed  an  active  and  honorable  part  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
municipality  is  Edward  Cain.  He  settled  on  Deer  Cieek,  in  what  is  now 
Carlyle  township,  April  10,  1858,  and  homesteaded  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  10,  township  24,  range  18,  which  tract  he  after  ward  covered  with 
a  land  warrant.  Among  the  settlers  along  the  creek  then  were  Isaiah 
Brown,  Alfred  Decker  and  Lew  Edmundson,  well  remembered  by  their  few 
remaining  contemporaries,  and  all  of  whom  have  passed  to  the  great 
beyond . 

Ed.  Cain  brought  an  amount  of  funds  into  the  county  with  him  suf- 
ficient to  provide  himself  with  two  yoke  of  cattle  and  to  sustain  himself 
through  the  first  season.  With  the  oxen  he  broke  prairie — aided  by  Thos. 
A.  McClelland — at  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  acre.  In  August  1861, 
he  left  the  plow  and  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  to  aid  in  repressing  the 
Southern  Confederacy.  He  joined  Company  F,  Eighth  Kansas,  under 
Colonel  John  A.  Martin  and  served  on  the  frontier  till  March  1863,  when 
the  regiment  was  ordered  east  and  placed  in  General  Wood's  corps.  Mr. 
Cain  participated  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  and  Missionary  Ridge, 
where  he  was  wounded  and  put  off  of  the  firing  line  for  three  months  but 
never  left  his  regiment.  He  was  on  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  fought  in 
the  engagement  at  I/Ovejoy  Station  on  the  last  day  of  his  enlistment.  He 
was  discharged  at  L,ouisville,  Kentucky,  December  1864,  and  at  once  re- 
turned to  his  Kansas  claim. 

Mr.  Cain  took  up  in  earnest  the  improvement  and  cultivation  of  his 
farm.  Whereas  he  had  it  partially  fenced  when  he  entered  the  army,  when 
he  returned  to  it  the  settlers  had  borrowed  his  fence  and  had  carried  off  all 
his  temporary  improvements.  He  gathered  in  a  few  cattle  as  he  became 
able  and  was  soon  in  the  stock  business.  His  farm  and  his  stock  have 
enabled  him,  from  time  to  time,  to  increase  his  acreage  until  he  owns  a  half 
section  of  land,  the  result  of  years  of  industry  and  persevering  effort.  For 
many  years.  Mr.  Cain  has  been  one  of  the  prominent  shippers  of  stock  from 
the  lola  yards  and  the  money  he  has  thus  distributed  among  the  farmers 
amounts  to  a  fabulous  sum. 

Edward  Cain  was  born  in  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  October  3,  1834. 
His  father,  Watson  Cain,  went  into  Ohio  from  Kentucky,  where  he  was 
born,  at  an  early  date.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  father,  Orrin  Cain, 
who  was  a  pioneer  farmer  in  the  Buckeye  state*  Watson  Cain  grew  up  in 
Coshocton  county,  Ohio,   married  there  Sarah  Miller,  and  in  1856  went  to 


434  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AND 

Clinton  county,  Indiana.  He  cleared  up  a  farm  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
died  there.  Their  children  were:  Edward;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Mr.  Golli- 
ver,  of  Independence,  Iowa;  Malony.  wife  of  Lewis  Cass,  of  Clinton 
county,  Indiana;  Henry  and  George,  of  the  same  county;  Charles  Cain,  of 
Elwood,  Indiana,  and  Maggie,  deceased,  wife  of  Andrew  Mclntyre. 

Ed.  Cain  was  first  married  in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  August  lo,  1866, 
to  Martha  Wright  who  died  in  1875,  in  March,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight 
years.  She  left  three  children,  namely:  Minnie,  wife  of  John  Gregg,  of 
Allen  county;  Charles  Cain,  and  Sadie,  wife  of  Bsrt  Wiggins,  of  Allen 
county.  In  1877  Mr.  Cain  married  in  Troy,  Ohio,  Sarah  Iddings  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Bethel,  Ohio.     She  is  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Moses  Warden. 

Mr.  Cain's  education  was  acquired  in  the  country  schools,  attending 
three  months  in  the  year.  Forgetting  in  nine  months  much  of  what  he 
learned  in  three,  the  next  year  he  would  repeat  and  in  this  way  he  man- 
aged to  get  the  rudiments  of  an  education  by  the  time  he  reached  man's 
estate.  Experience  has  been  his  best  teacher  but  with  the  two  his  compe- 
tition with  the  world  of  barter  and  trade  has  yielded  amply  for  himself  and 
family. 

In  politics  the  early  Cains  were  Democrats.  The  events  of  the  Civil 
war  period  made  a  Republican  of  our  subject  and,  even  before  that  struggle 
began,  he  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont,  In  politics  as  in  everything  else 
Ed.  Cain  is  always  reliable  and  always  honorable. 


I  i  'RANK  P.  TANNER,  a  well-known  representative  of  the  educational 
-^  interests  of  southeastern  Kansas,  now  residing  in  lola,  was  born  in 
McL,ean  county,  Illinois,  January  8,  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  F.  Tan- 
ner, who  was  born  in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  September  2, 
1828.  The  paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Germany,  his  birth  oc- 
curring in  that  country  near  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  He  died 
when  his  son  Samuel  was  only  about  five  or  six  years  of  age,  and  in  con- 
sequence the  latter  was  early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  His  educa- 
tional privileges  were  such  as  were  afforded  at  that  time  in  the  old  log 
school  houses  in  frontier  settlements.  During  his  youth  and  early  man- 
hood he  learned  and  followed  the  cabinet  maker's  trade,  and  later  he 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  at  farming. 

About  the  time  he  attained  his  majority  Samuel  Tanner  removed  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Ohio,  settling  near  Marietta.  There  he  met  and  married 
a  Miss  Flanders,  a  native  of  that  state,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Laura  V.,  wife  of  L.  Chambers;  Charity  A.,  wife  of 
B.  C.  Allen  worth;  William  R. ;  lola  J.,  wife  of  J.  S.  Sheetz,  a  resident  of 
Tazewell  county,  Illinois,  as  are  the  other  members  of  the  family  men- 
tioned above;  Ida  M.,  wife  of  L.  Shreve,  of  Lucas  county,  Iowa;  Mary, 
wife  of  R.  P.  Decker,  of  the  .same  county;  and  S.  Tellford,  who  is  living  in 
Lucas   county.     The    mother  of  this  family   died  in  1867,  and  Samuel  F. 


WOODSON  COUNTIE!!,   KANSAS.  435 

Tanner  afterward  wedded  Elizabeth  B.  Preshaw,  the  marriage  being  cele- 
brated June  II,  1868.  The  lady  was  born  in  Ohio,  September  9,  1832,  a 
daughter  of  Alexander  Preshaw,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  March  17,  1793, 
but  was  of  English  descent.  He  married  Eliza  Ann  McCracken,  who  was 
born  in  Ireland,  June  25,  1796,  her  people  having  emigrated  from  Scotland 
to  the  Emerald  Isle.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Preshaw  occurred  in 
Ireland,  April  26,  1816,  and  about  1819  they  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  new  world.  Unto  Samuel  F.  and  Elizabeth  B.  (Preshaw)  Tan- 
ner were  born  four  sons,  but  the  subject  of  this  review  is  the  only  one 
now  living.  In  1869  the  parents  removed  to  Mclyean  county,  Illinois,  and 
in  1874  went  to  Tazewell  county,  that  state,  whence  in  1885  they  came  to 
Allen  county,  Kansas.  Here  on  the  21st  of  August,  1892,  the  mother 
died,  and  in  the  following  year  Mr.  Tanner  removed  to  Lucas  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  departed  this  life  on  the  4th  of  October,    1894. 

Frank  P.  Tanner  was  only  two  years  old  when  taken  by  hi.s  parents  to 
Tazewell  county,  and  was  a  youth  of  thirteen  when  he  came  with  them  to 
Allen  county.  He  remained  home  until  January,  1891,  when  he  was 
called  to  complete  a  term  of  school  in  District  No.  65,  having  in  the  pre- 
vious summer  been  granted  a  teacher's  certificate.  Since  that  time  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  educational  interests  of  Allen  and  Woodson 
counties,  and  is  recognized  as  a  very  capable  instructor,  having  marked 
ability  in  imparting  to  others  a  knowledge  of  the  subjects  which  constitute 
the  curriculum  of  the  schools  with  which  he  has  been  connected. 

In  1892  Mr.  Tanner  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mattie  L,.  See, 
who  was  born  in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  March  18,  1874,  and  is  a  daughtei:' 
ofR.  W.  See,  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  on  the  6th  of  March,  1842.  Three 
children  have  been  born  of  their  union,  but  they  lost  their  only  daughter, 
Lena  M.  Alta  R.  and  Ralph  O.  are  still  with  their  parents.  In  February 
1898,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tanner  removed  from  their  farm  five  miles  west  of  lola 
to  the  county  seat,  where  they  now  reside,  having  a  pleasant  home  at  No. 
802  North  Jefferson  avenue.  They  occupy  an  enviable  posiHon  in  social 
circles  where  intelligence  and  true  worth  are  received  as  the  passports  into 
good  society. 


n^ 


kANIEL  HOUSTON  SCOTT,  of  lola,  whose  residence  here  has 
-" — '  been  extended  over  a  period  of' nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  was  born 
in  Blunt  county,  Tennessee,  November  21,  1842.  His  father,  Daniel  Scott, 
was  born  in  the  same  county  and  state  in  1805  and  died  in  Sullivan  county, 
Missouri,  in  1862.  Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather  was  William  Scott. 
He  was  born  in  old  Virginia  in  1778  and  died  in  Blunt  county,  Tennessee, 
in  1855.  He  married  Phebe  Marr  and  was  the  father  of  six  children: 
Daniel,  James,  Sarah,  wife  of  John  McBrin;  Mary,  wife  of  William 
McBrin;  Jane  and  Charles. 

Daniel  Scott  married  Jane,  a  daughter  of  Richard  McBrin.     She  died 


436  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

in  1870  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  Her  children  were:  Charles  T., 
deceased;  William  H.,  of  Livingston  county,  Missouri;  Nancy  J.,  who  re- 
sides in  Sullivan  county,  Missouri;  John  Tipton  Scott,  deceased;  James 
M.,  deceased,  and  Richard  and  Elizabeth  C,  deceased;  the  latter  was 
married  to  Andrew  Johnson  and  left  a  family  in  Sullivan  county,  Missouri; 
Isaac  A.,  of  Fulton,  Kansas;  Phebe  A.,  deceased,  who  married  John 
Ruble;  Daniel  H  ;  Sarah  I..,  wife  of  Byram  Chapman,  of  Bourbon  county, 
Kansas. 

At  the  age  of  twelve  years  Houston  Scott  went  with  his  parents  to 
Sullivan  county,  Missouri,  and  was  there  limitedly  schooled  in  the  rural 
schools.  He  was  a  resident  of  that  county  till  the  year  after  the  Civil  war. 
He  was  married  in  1865  to  Hannah  M.,  a  daughter  of  John  G.  Anderson, 
who  moved  from  Kentucky  to  Ripley  county,  Ohio,  resided  there  some 
years  and  continued  his  journey  westward  to  Livingston  county,  Illinois, 
and  still  another  move  to  Linn  county,  Missouri.  In  1868  he  took  up  his 
final  location  in  Kansas,  settling  at  lola  in  1867.  He  moved  to  Neosho 
county,  Kansas,  where  he  died  in   1868. 

Mr.  Scott  settled  temporarily  in  Bourbon  county  upon  his  advent  to 
Kansas.  He  entered  Allen  county  in  1874  and  three  years  later  he  came 
into  lola.  He  was  essentially  a  farmer  up  to  the  date  of  his  location  in 
this  city,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged  as  a  mechanic.  He  has 
done  much  of  the  mason  work  in  old  lola  and  only  within  the  recent  past 
has  his  physical  condition  forced  his  retirement  from  active  work. 

Mr.  Scott  is  one  of  the  well  known  Grand  Army  men  of  Allen  county. 
November  2nd,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Twenty-third  Missouri 
Infantry,  which  regiment  was  a  part  of  Sheiman's  army.  At  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  Mr.  Scott  was  taken  prisoner.  He  was  in  the  Rebel  prisons  at 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  and  at  Macon,  Georgia,  seven  and  a  half  months 
and  was  exchanged.  He  reached  his  regiment  again  December  25th  and 
served  with  it  till  December  30th,  1864,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at 
Savannah,  Georgia.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Lovejoy  Station,  Peachtree 
Creek,  Resaca,  Kennesaw  Mountain,  Atlanta  and  Snakehead  Gap. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott's  family  consi.sts  of  the  following  children:  James 
Winfield,  of  Coffeyville,  Kansas;  May  L..  of  Blackfoot,  Idaho;  Anna  M., 
of  Whittiei,  California;  Lottie  Alice,  of  Blackfoot,  Idaho;  William  H.,  one 
of  the  leading  barbers  of  lola;  Bertha  and  Ruby  Scott.  The  first  three 
daughters  are  well  known  and  efficient  teachers  in  their  respective  homes 
and  May  L.  Scott  was  named  by  the  Republicans  of  her  county  for  the 
office  of  County  Superintendent  in  1898,  and  again  in  1890  and  was  elected 
to  the  office. 

The  political  history  of  the  Scotts  reveals  the  fact  that  they  have  been 
Whigs  and  then  Republican,  as  those  parties  existed.  Houston  Scott  be- 
came a  Republican  when  his  attention  was  first  turned  toward  politics. 
His  fealty  to  the  principles  of  that  party  has  been  constant  and  such 
steadfastness  is  a  matter  of  personal  pride  to  himself  and  of  satisfaction  to 
his  party. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  437 

FC.  MOONEY  was  born  in  Fayetteville,  West  Virginia,  July  5,  1837. 
•  and  is  the  eldest  of  eight  children  born  unto  J.  S.  and  Margaret 
(Bailey)  Mooney.  His  father  died  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years, 
and  the  mother  passed  away  in  1885  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  Their 
surviving  children  are:  Mrs.  L,.  V.  Garrison,  of  lyadonia,  Missouri;  Mrs. 
Susan  Nail,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  and  the  subject  of  this  review.  In 
his  early  youth  F.  C.  Mooney  learned  the  tanner's  trade  and  followed  this 
pursuit  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Bowling  Green,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  learned  the  plasterer's  and  ruason's  trades.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  business  along  those  lines  until  i860  when  he  went  to  Mexico, 
Missouri,  but  soon  returned  to  Bowling  Green  where  he  resided  until  after 
the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war.  He  then  enlisted  in  Compan\  D,  Tenth 
Missouri  Infantry,  and  was  made  drum-major  of  the  regiment.  In  1863  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge  on  account  of  disability.  He  paiticipated 
in  the  first  battle  of  Corinth,  in  the  engagements  at  luka,  Shiloh,  in  the 
second  battle  of  Corinth  and  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  was  discharged 
at  St.  L,ouis,  Missouri,  November  18,  1863. 

Mr.  Mooney  returned  to  Bowling  Green  where  he  continued  to  reside 
until  1880, — the  year  of  his  arrival  in  Kansas.  He  settled  in  Elsmore, 
Allen  county,  upon  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  which  he  purchased  and  im- 
proved, continuing  its  cultivation  until  1892  when  he  sold  that  property 
and  took  up  his  abode  in  Elsmore.  There  he  purchased  a  home  and  has 
since  worked  at  his  trades  of  plasterer  and  stone  mason.  He  is  an  excel- 
lent  workman  and   is  therefore    always  able  to  command  a  good  position. 

In  1864  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Moone}'  and  Miss  Catherine 
Beisley,  a  native  of  Pike  county,  Mis.souri,  and  unto  them  have  been  born 
ten  children.  In  order  of  birth  they  are  as  follows:  William;  Edgar; 
Charles;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  William  Sullivan;  Lee;  Anna,  the  wife  of 
Walter  Samuels;  Mary  A.,  died  1877;  Lilly  V.,  died  1882;  Robert  and 
Herbert,  who  are  still  with  their  patents.  The  family  is  well  known  in 
Elsmore  and  its  representatives  enjoy  the  high  regard  of  many  friends.  In 
his  political  views  Mr.  Mooney  is  a  Populist  and  is  now  serving  as  a  notary 
public.  He  maintains  pleasant  relations  with  his  old  army  comrades 
through  his  membership  in  Elsmore  Post,  No.  13,  G.  A.  R. ,  and  in  its 
gatherings  there  are  recalled  many  incidents  that  occurred  upon  the  tented 
field  or  on  the  firing  line.  As  a  citizen  Mr.  Mooney  is  public  spirited  and 
progressive,  manifesting  the  same  loyalty  to  his  duties  as  when  he  followed 
the  nation's  banner  to  the  south. 


L^'    C.  PRICE — No  man  in    Allen  county  is   more   entitled  to   credit  for 

— '  •     success   in   life  than  Mr.  Price  who  today  owns  and  operates  one  of 

the  fine    farms   in    Elsmore  township.      He  was  born    in  Lawrence  county, 

Arkansas,  on  the  17th  of  May,  1S55,  a  son  of  L.  C.  and  Elizabeth  (Huston) 

Price.     The  father  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  when  a  young  man 


43''>  HISTORV  OF    ALLEN    ANET 

emigrated  to  Arkansas,  Three  children  were  born  to  him  and  his  wife 
and  in  1861  he  started  with  his  family  for  Illinois,  leaving  the  south  011 
account  of  the  danger  that  threatened  the  Union  men  who  lived  in  that 
portion  of  the  country.  They  took  p^assage  on  a  boat  going  up  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  while  on  the  voyage  the  wife  and  mother,,  together  with  two  of 
the  children,  was  taken  ill.  All  three  died  and  the  boat  anchored  by 
the  shore  in  order  that  the  bodies  might  be  interred  on  the  bank  of 
the  river. 

After  reaching  Illinois  Mr.  Price  placed  his  surviving  child,  the  subject 
of  this  review,  with  a  family  and  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  with  which 
he  served  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  war.  He  leturned  to  Illinois 
and  was  again  married  and  moved  to  Arkansas.  In  1873  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas, locating  in  Bourbon  county  on  the  22nd  of  December,  of  that  year. 
Subsequently,  however,  he  removed  to  Linn  county.  From  there  he  re- 
turned to  Illinois,  leaving  the  son  in  L,inn  county,  Kansas. 

During  his  minority  E.  C.  Price  continued  work  by  the  month  as  a 
farm  hand,  his  father  collecting  his  wages  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  when  for  the  first  time  he  was  allowed  to  enjoy  the  benefit  of  his  own 
labors.  He  determined  to  own  a  team  of  horses,  and  at  the  end  of  one 
year,  as  the  result  of  day  labor,  he  liad  capital  sufficient  to  make  the  purchase. 
During  the  .second  year  he  rented  land  and  engaged  in  farming  on  his  own 
account.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he  was  married  and  rented  for  two 
years,  then  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  making  arrangements  to  pay  for 
the  same  in  six  years,  but  when  only  two  years  had  passed  his  farm  was 
freed  from  all  indebtedness.  About  three  years  afterward  he  sold  the  place 
and  came  to  Allen  county,  purchasing  a  claim  on  the  league  land,  for  which 
he  gave  eleven  hundred  dollars, — all  of  the  money  that  he  had  received 
from  his  eighty  acre  farm.  Not  long  afterward  the  courts  made  a  decision 
whereby  he  lost  all  of  his  property.  He  then  rented  until  three  years  ago, 
then  removed  to  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  county  and  purchased  "one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  which  few  improvements  had  been 
made.  He  saved  enough  to  make  a  payment  on  the  land  and  arranged 
to  make  payments  at  stated  intervals  and  now  has  the -farm  almost  free 
from  indebtedness.  In  the  meantime  he  has  made  many  improvements, 
erecting  a  good  residence  and  a  large  barn.  A  nice  grove  surrounds  his 
home,  which  occupies  one  of  the  finest  locations  in  the  county,  standing  on 
the  northeastern  corner  of  his  farm  about  three  miles  from  Savonburg.  The 
place  is  one  which  any  person  might  be  proud  to  possess,  for  the  fields  are 
well  tilled,  the  fences  and  buildings  are  kept  in  good  repair  and  everything 
about  the  farm  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  showing  that  the  owner  is 
a  man  of  progressive  spirit. 

In  1880  Mr.  Price  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jeanette  Smith,  a 
native  of  Johnson  county,  born  on  the  2nd  of  August,  1862,  her  parents 
being  Thomas  and  L,ucy  (McKnight)  Smith.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
Ireland  and  when  five  years  of  age  was  brought  to  America.  His  wife  was 
born  in  Osage  county,  Missouri,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years, 
while    he    was    murdered    in    Colorado  by  traveling  companions,  who  took 


■\VOOT)SON    COT.TNTIES,    KANSAS.  439 

ahat  method  of  obaining  his  money.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  have  been 
born  four  children,  namely:  Thomas  Elmer,  who  is  nowmairied  and  resides 
near  his  father;  Zachariah  W. ,  Ardella  and  Dora  Etta.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  elder  son  all  are  at  home. 

In  his  youth  Mr.  Price  had  very  few  advantages.  At  an  extremely 
•early  age  he  started  out  to  earn  his  own  living.  His  educational  privileges 
were  very  meager,  yet  by  reading,  experience  and  observation  he  has  a-c- 
•quired  a  good  practical  knowledge  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions of  the  day.  He  was  not  even  allowed  to  profit  by  the  wages  of  his 
labors  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  Notwithstanding  all  the  difficul- 
ties and  hardship.s  in  his  path  he  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward,  his 
trials  seeming  to  serve  as  an  impetus  to  renewed  effort.  His  advancement 
has  been  sure  and  steadfast,  for  he  possesses  that  determined  nature  that 
■will  brook  no  obstacles  that  can  be  overthrown  by  honest  labor.  Today, 
iiumbeired  among  the  well-to-do  citizens  of  his  adopted  county  he  is  certain- 
ly deserving  of  honorable  mention  among  the  respected  and  representative 
residents  of  this  portion  of  the  State. 


A  /TRS.  AGNES  L,.  PUNK— For  twenty-two  years  Mrs.  Eunk  has  been 
-'-''-'-  a  resident  of  Allen  county,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 
ladies  of  Elm  township.  While  the  names  of  women  figure  less  conspicu- 
ously on  the  pages  of  history  on  account  of  the  more  quiet  part  they  take 
in  the  affairs  of  the  world  they  are  no  less  worthy  of  mention  and  exert  no 
less  an  influence  than  do  the  husbands,  fathers  and  brothers.  Since  her 
husband's  death  Mrs.  Funk  has  manifested  excellent  business  ability  in  the 
care  of  her  farm,  at  the  same  time  displaying  those  womanly  qualities 
which  ever  command  respect  and  admiration.  She  was  born  in  Westmore- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  October  ry,  1852,  and  in  her  maidenhood  was 
Agnes  L.  Lightcap.  The  family  is  of  Holland  lineage.  Her  great-grand- 
father was  boin  in  the  land  of  d3'kes  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new 
world,  locating  in  Pennsylvania  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Solomon  Lightcap,  her  grandfather,  was  born  in  Cumberland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Foster  Lightcap,  her  father,  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
county,  in  1832.  He  married  Margaret  Baldridge,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  six  children  who  are  still  living,  namely:  Mrs,  Funk,  Mrs.  Mary 
Lasley,  of  Cass  county,  Missouri;  Mrs.  Eydia  Kintigh,  also  of  Cass  county; 
Alex,  who  is  living  in  the  same  county;  Samuel,  who  is  a  professor  of 
schools  in  St.  Clair  county,  Missouri;  and  Charles,  who  makes  his  home  in 
Cass  county.  The  parents  are  likewise  residents  of  the  same  county  and 
are  people  of  the  highest  respectability. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Agnes  L.  Lightcap  spent  the  days  of  her 
maidenhood,  and  in  1873  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  A.  Z.  Funk, 
who  was  also  a  native  of  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania,  born  in 
1851.     After  their   marriage   they    took  up  their  abode  on  what  is  now  the 


440  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AND 

Eagle  farm  and  three  years  afterward  moved  to  Elm  township  where  Mrs. 
Funk  is  still  living.  Six  children  were  born  unto  them:  Lillian  Steinmetz., 
Foster,  John,  Charles,  Mrs.  Clara  A.yers,  of  Elm  township,  and  Margaret. 
The  family  lived  pleasantly  upon  their  farm  in  Elm  township  and  a  fair 
degree  ot  prosperity  attended  their  efforts,  but  in  1891  the  husband  and 
father  was  called  away,  the  community  thereby  losing  one  of  its  valued 
citizens.  Since  that  time  Mrs.  Funk  has  managed  the  farm  with  the  aid  of 
her  sons,  who  have  entire  charge  of  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  and  the 
harvesting  and  marketing  of  crops.  Under  the  able  management  of  the 
mother  business  affairs  have  been  so  conducted  that  the  farm  has  annually 
increased  in  value  and  is  now  one  of  the  most  desirable  and  attractive 
places  in  the  neighborhood.  Considerable  stock  is  raised,  and  everything 
about  the  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance.  The  sons  give  their 
political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  which  Mrs.  Funk  also  endorses. 
For  eighteen  years  she  has  been  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Association 
and  her  many  estimable  qualities  commend  her  to  the  good  will  and  high 
regard  of  all.  The  family  is  one  well  known  in  the  community  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  household  have  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


WD.  Cox — From  the  'earliest  e.stablishment  of  the  town  of  Els- 
•  more,  Mr.  Cox  has  been  a  representative  of  its  business  inter- 
ests and  through  the  conduct  of  its  enterprises  has  contributed  in  a  large 
measure  to  its  substantial  upbuilding,  improvement  and  development.  A 
native  of  Kentucky,  he  was  born  iu  Madison  county,  on  the  31st  of  May, 
1849,  his  parents  being  Robert  and  Jane  (Adams)  Cox,  who  were  relatives 
of  that  State  in  which  they  spent  their  entire  lives.  The  subject  of  this 
review  was  reared  on  the  farm  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  and  in  the 
winter  time  he  attended  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  He 
then  beeame  a  student  in  the  Richmond  Academy,  and  after  completing 
the  course  in  that  institution  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  in  Kentucky, 
following  that  pursuit  until  1870,  when  he  left  his  native  State  and 
became  a  resident  of  Bloomington,  Illinois.  Throughout  the  succeeding 
eight  years  he  was  a  representative  of  the  educational  interests  of  McLean, 
Brown  and  Champaign  counties  and  gained  a  very  enviable  reputation  as 
the  result  of  his  ability  to  impart  clearly  and  concisely  to  others  the 
knowledge  he  had  acquired. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  1878,  Mr.  Cox  was  married  to  Miss  Gerty 
Smith,  of  Brimfield,  Illinois,  a  native  of  that  State.  They  were  young  and 
energetic  and  wished  to  gain  a  good  home.  Believing  there  was  a  better 
opportunity  in  the  less  thickly  settled  portions  of  the  west,  they  started  for 
Kansas  on  the  gth  of  April,  1878,  arriving  .safely  in  Humboldt.  Allen 
county.  Mr.  Cox  soon  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres 
about  five  miles  south  of  Humboldt,  in  Cottage  Grove  township,  and  there 
carried  on  agricultural   pursuits,    spending  his   time  iu  the  cultivation  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  44 1 

operation  of  the  fields  throughout  the  summer  months,  while  in  the  winter 
season  he  engaged  in  teaching.  He  resided  upon  his  farm  until  1886  when 
he  sold  that  property  and  removed  to  Elsmore  township,  establishing  a 
store  on  the  old  Humboldt  and  Fort  Scott  road.  He  also  began  buying 
grain  and  remained  at  that  point  for  one  year.  The  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  railroad  was  then  built  from  Kansas  City  to  Parsons  and  a  town  was 
laid  out  about  two  miles  south  of  where  Mr.  Cox  was  living.  This  led  to 
his  removal  to  Elsmore.  He  moved  his  houses  to  that  place  and  was  the 
first  man  to  embark  in  business  there,  opening  a  general  merchandise  store 
which  he  continued  to  conduct  for  five  years  when  he  sold  his  stock  of 
goods  and  began  dealing  in  hardware  and  machinery  of  all  kinds.  He 
also  bought  and  sold  grain,  making  extensive  shipments  of  the  farm 
products  of  the  locality.  Subsequently  he  admitted  his  son  to  a  partner- 
ship in  the  business  and  they  added  a  stock  of  furniture  and  undertaking 
goods.  Their  store  is  complete  tor  they  carry  all  grades  of  goods  such  as 
are  in  demand  by  the  town  and  country  trade.  The  experience  and 
mature  judgment  of  the  father,  supplemented  by  the  youthful  energy  of  the 
son  makes  the  firm  a  strong  one.  They  deal  quite  extensively  in  flax,  corn 
and  all  kinds  of  seeds  and  grains,  and  their  business  amounts  annually  to 
upwards  of  thirty  thousand  dollars. 

Unto  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Cox  have  been  born  three  children,  a  son  and  two 
daughters:  Ona,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of  E.  H.  Leitzbach,  of  Humboldt; 
R.  E. ,  who  is  a  graduate  of  a  business  college  in  Kansas  City,  and  a  gradu- 
ate of  an  undertaking  school  of  that  place,  is  now  associated  with  his  father 
in  business,  acting  as  bookkeeper  and  contributing  in  a  large  measure  to 
the  success  of  the  firm.  Eouise,  the  younger  daughter,  is  yet  a  student  in 
school.  Mr.  Cox  holds  membership  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Ameri- 
ca-and  the  Ancient  Order  of  the  United  Workmen,  both  of  Elsmore.  His 
. political  support  is  given  to  the  Democracy.  Through  the  period  of  his 
business  career  Mr.  Cox  has  ever  directed  his  efforts  along  legitimate  lines 
and  has  had  a  strict  regard  for  the  commercial  code.  He  is  a  man  of  un- 
flagging industry,  strong  resolution  and  keen  discrimination, — essential 
qualities  to  prosperity.  In  all  his  dealings  he  is  straightforward  and  hon- 
orable and  thus  he  has  commanded  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  men, 
winning  not  only  success,  but  also  that  good  name   which  is  above  riches. 


T  A  ril^LIAM  KENNEDY,  who  is  residing  in  Elsmore  township,  Allen 
^  ^  county,  was  born  in  McDonough  county,  Illinois,  October  31, 
1842,  and  is  a  representative  of  an  old  .southern  family.  His  father,  John 
Kennedy,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  in  1832  took  up  his  abode 
in  the  Prairie  State.  He  married  Susan  Conner  and  they  had  six  children, 
of  whom  three  are  now  living,  namely:  S.  M. ,  a  resident  of  Illinois; 
William,  our  subject,  and  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Toland,  who  resides  in  Wilson 
county,  Kansas.  The  father,  who  was  born  in  1805,  died  in  187 1;  and  the 
mother,  whose  birth  occurred  in  1808,  passed  away  in  1855. 

William  Kennedy,  the  youngest   surviving   child,  was   reared  to   farm 


442  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

life  in  his  native  State,  there  remaining  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas and  purchased  a  farm  in  Neosho  count}-,  upon  which  he  made  his  home 
for  eight  years.  He  then  sold  the  property  and  came  to  Allen  county, 
securing  a  claim  on  the  disputed  land  where  he  has  since  lived,  hoping 
from  year  to  year  that  the  United  States  courts  would  decide  the  question 
of  the  property  rights.  He  has  here  a  valuable  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  and  certainly  deserves  the  title  to  the  same.  He  also  owns  an- 
other tract  of  eighty  acres  in  Allen  county.  In  connection  with  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  fields  he  is  successfully  engaged  in  raising  stock,  feeding  from 
one  to  two  carloads  of  both  cattle  and  hogs  annually. 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  formerly  a  Democrat  but  now  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Populist  party.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Ancient 
order  of  United  Workmen,  belonging  to  the  lodge  in  Elsraore.  He  was 
married  in  November,  1862,  to  Miss  Louisa  H.  Wheeler,  a  native  of 
Brown  county,  Illinois,  and  the  eldest  daughter  of  Charles  T.  and  Elizabeth 
Wheeler.  Her  father  died  in  1894  at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  while  his 
wife  passed  away  in  1857,  at  the  age  of  foity-two.  They  had  twelve  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  now  living,  namely:  Eliza,  John,  Charles  and  Louisa. 
Lee,  the  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kennedy  died  June  r8,  1895,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-seven  years.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  the  warm  regard 
of  many  friends  in  Allen  county  and  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  many  of  the 
best  homes  of  the  community. 


EPHRAIM  Gay  is  a  prosperous  farmer  residing  on  the  Allen  county  line, 
four  miles  east  of  the  town  of  Elsmore.  He  was  born  in  Guernsey 
county,  Ohio,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1838,  and  his  father,  Ephraim  Gay,  was 
also  a  native  of  that  State.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Elizabeth  Waterhouse,  was  the  daughter  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 
Ephraim  Gay  Sr.  died  in  1838,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years,  and  his 
wife,  surviving  him  until  1878,  passed  away  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
three. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  the  youngest  of  their  eight  children. 
He  left  home  at  the  age  of .  sixteen  years  in  order  to  make  his  own  way  in 
the  world,  going  to  Iowa,  where  he  secured  employment  on  a  farm  by  the 
month.  He  remained  in  the  employ  of  one  man  for  two  years,  receiving 
thirteen  dollars  per  month,  and  then  engaged  in  the  operation  of  rented 
land  for  a  year.  In  the  spring  of  i860  he  arranged  to  drive  an  ox  team  to 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  after  arriving  at  his  destination  he  and  another  young 
man  purchased  an  ox  team  of  his  employer,  secured  a  stock  of  provisions 
and  started  for  California,  arriving  in  September  of  the  same  year,  after 
about  five  months  spent  upon  the  road.  Mr.  Gay  followed  farming  on  the 
Pacific  coast  for  two  years,  and  then  engaged  in  teaming  for  one  year,  after 
which  he  went  to  Nevada,  where  he  located  a  gold  mine.  He  was  offered 
seven  thousand  dollars  for  the  property,  but  thinking  to  become   a   million- 


^v 


WOUUSUN    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  443 

aire  he  refused  to  sell,  but  about  that  time  the  miners  began  to  leave  that 
portion  of  the  country  and  he  never  realized    anything  from    his   property. 

In  the  fall  of  iSbs  Mr.  Gay  paid  a  visit  to  his  mother  in  Ohio,  remain- 
ing there  for  three  months,' after  which  he  returned  to  Iowa  and  spent  the 
summer.  In  the  autumn  of  1866  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Bourbon 
cou^nty,  where  he  secured  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, — the  first 
land  which  he  ever  owned..  He  made  excellent  improvements  on  the  same, 
secured  the  title  to  the  property,  and  resided  thereon  for  fifteen  years,  after 
which  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Allen  county  in  1884,  purchasing  a  farm  in 
Elsmore  township.  To  this  he  has  added  until  he  now  owns  four  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land  in  Allen  and  Bourbon  counties. 
He  handles  and  feeds  cattle  and  hogs,  feeding  all  that  he  raises  to  his  own 
stock.  He  is  known  as  a  wide-awake  and  enterprising  farmer  who 
gained  very  desirable  success  through  his  energy  and  perseverance. 

In  1868,  two  years  after  arriving  in  Kansas,  Mr.  Gay  wedded  Mary 
Mason,  with  whom  he  lived  happily  for  eight  years,  when  on  the  27th  of 
November,  1876,  she  was  called  to  her  final  rest,  leaving  her  husband  and 
three  chiklren,  of  whom  two  are  living:  Albert  and  Lilas,  the  latter  the  wife 
of  Wesley  Humphreys.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Gay  chose  Miss  Martha 
Mason,  a  cousin  of  his  first  wife.  They  wfre  married  Jul5'-  27,  1879,  and 
now  have  eight  children:  Myrtle,  wife  of  Morris  Davis;  Gertrude;  Louisa; 
Delia;  Charles;  Willard;  Wesley  and  Jennie.  The  family  is  one  of  prom- 
inence in  the  community,  and  the  members  of  the  household  occupy  a 
leading  position  in  social  circles,  while  in  business  circles  Mr.  Gay  enjoys 
an  unassailable  reputation.       In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 


\  A  711.1.1  AM  T.  McELROY— Indellibly  inscribed  upon  the  roll  of 
''  "  honor  of  the  pioneers  of  journalism  in  Kansas,  of  the  men  who 
have  given  their  best  days  to  the  citizen  service  of  their  State  and  of  those 
who  have  been  a  prominent  factor  in  both  the  internal  and  external  affairs 
of  Humboldt  since  the  Rebellion  is  W.  T.  McElroy.  An  era  of  thirty-five 
years  has  passed  into  history  since  the  March  day  that  he  landed  stage-tired 
and  weary,  in  the  then  metropolis  of  southeast  Kansas  and  marked  himself 
as  a  permanent  settler.  He  was  young  in  years  and  poor  of  purse  but  with 
a  wealth  of  experience  born  of  five  years  service  in  print  shop  and  army. 
His  ambition  was,  no  doubt,  to  get  an  even  start  with  the  boys  of  the  news- 
paper fraternity,  in  the  new  field  and  to  found  a  periodical  which  should 
become  a  factor  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  commonwealth.  His  earlj' 
connection  with  the  publication  of  the  Humboldt  Union  as  printer  and  pub- 
lisher, and,  after  nine  mouths,  as  one  of  the  proprietors,  marked  the  begin- 
ning of  the  realization  of  this  dream. 

The  Humboldt  Union  is  one  of  the  oldest  papers  in  Kansas.  It  was 
established  in  1S66  by  Colonel  Orlin  Thurston,  who  was  superseded  the 
following  year  by  H.  A.  Needham  and  W.  T.  McElroy,  as  copartners.     In 


444  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

1868  Mr.  McElroy  became  the  sole  owner  of  the  paper  and  has  remained  in 
connection  with  it  since.  The  policy  of  the  paper  from  the  ist  of  January, 
1867,  was  Republican  audits  status  toward  the  public  has  been  that  of  a 
highly  mora],  clean  and  well  written  weekly. 

Although  Mr.  McElroy  came  to  Allen  county  from  Ohio  he  was  born 
in  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  December  24,  1845.  His  father,  William 
McElroy,  was  a  shoemaker  and  was  born  in  western  Pennsylvania  where 
his  North-of-Ireland  ancestors  settled  when  Pittsburg  was  a  village  and 
when  the  Ohio  basin  was  the  frontier.  Sarah  A.  White  became  the  wife  of 
the  senior  McElroy.  Her  people  were  English,  coming  to  the  United 
States  from  the  city  of  Liverpool  during  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century. 

The  school  privileges  of  W.  T.  McElroy  were  most  limited  and  his 
knowledge  of  the  common  branches,  when  he  had  reached  his  fifteenth 
year,  was  very  poor.  In  1856  he  went  into  Mahoning  county,  Ohio,  where 
the  first  four  years  were  spent  upon  the  farm  with  relatives.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  he  was  attracted  toward  a  print  shop,  being  induced  to  that  deter- 
mination by  an  uncle,  William  Ritezel,  who  was  the  publisher  of  the 
Trumbull  County  Democrat  at  Warren,  Ohio.  Our  subject  first  entered 
the  office  of  the  Democrat  at  Warren  and  remained  with  it  till  the  con- 
solidation of  the  Chronicle  and  Democrat  when  he  was  transferred,  so  to 
speak,  as  a  part  of  the  fixtures  of  the  office. 

While  serving  his  trade  he  made  three  unsuccessful  attempts  to  get 
into  the  army  and,  in  1864,  did  finally  succeed  in  being  accepted  and  was 
enrolled  in  Company  D,  196th  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  under  General 
.Hancock  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  and  saw  service  in  the  field  till  some 
time  in  July  following  the  close  of  the  war.  Upon  being  discharged  in 
September,  1865,  he  returned  to  his  old  position  in  Warren,  whsre  he  re- 
mained till  the  early  spring  of  1866  when,  against  the  protest  of  his  people, 
he  cast  his  lot  with  Kansas. 

July  2,  1868,  our  subject  was  married  in  Humboldt  to  Melissa  M.  Mc- 
Veigh, a  daughter  of  Daniel  McVeigh  who  came  to  Humboldt  in  1866  from 
Iowa.  Two  daughters  were  the  issue  of  this  union,  viz.:  Anna  M.,  wife  of 
John  B.  House,  of  Wichita,  Kansas,  and  Adele  C. ,  who  is  with  her  parents 
in  Humboldt. 

Mr.  McElroy  had  not  reached  his  majority  when  he  came  to  Allen 
county  and  has,  consequently,  done  all  his  voting  in  his  favorite  town.  He 
imbibed  Republican  principles  and  sentiment  in  his  youth  back  in  the 
Western  Reserve,  and  he  has  been  steadfast  in  the  faith.  His  voice  and 
pen  have  added  strength  to  the  cause  in  Allen  county  and  his  honest  and 
earnest  counsels  have  effected  much  individual  reform  amongst  the  indiffer- 
ent and  backsliders  in  the  party.  He  has  cast  a  vote  at  every  general 
election  since  1867  and  has  been  Mayor  of  his  town.  He  served  as  post- 
master under  the  administration  of  President  Hayes  and  was  appointed  to 
the  same  position  by  President  McKinley  in  1898.  He  has  been  a  Master 
Mason  since  1870  and  is  by  inclination  and  training  a  Methodist. 


■WOODSOlsr  COTJNTres,  KANSAS.  44S 

HOMER  p.  FOWLER — In  presenting  herein  the  brief  record  6i  him 
whose  name  introduces  this  review  it  is  not  unfair  to  state  that  he  is 
one  of  the  younger  and  newer  settlers  of  Allen  county.  He  cannot  boa^  of 
a  pioneer  history  or  relate  what  he  did  during  the  war,  for  he  was  only 
.born  just  a  year  prior  to  the  passage  of  the  first  acts  of  secession.  When  it 
is  stated  that  he  came  to  Allen  county  in  1879  it  will  be  seen  that  he  was 
only  a  boy  when  he  took  the  initial  steps  which  connected  him, as  a  citizen^ 
with  the  history  of  the  county.  In  the  twenty-one  years  which  have 
■elapsed  since  that  eventful  day  in  his  life  Homer  P.  Fowlet  has  comported 
himself  as  an  honorable,  ambitious  and  industrious  citizen.  He  has  aimed 
to  live  right,  he  has  striven  to  achieve  success;  and  few  can  gainsay  the 
accomplishment  or  achievement  of  his  ambition. 

Mr.  Fowler  was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  February  2,  1860-. 
He  is  a  son  of  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  Fiank  Fowler,  who 
married  Elizabeth  Birney,  a  lady  with  Irish  antecedents,  of  the  vicinity  of 
Dublin.  There  were  four  children  born  of  this  union  of  which  number 
Homer  P.  was  the  oldest.  The  latter  was  educated  liberally  and  prepared 
himself  for  a  career  as  a  teacher  when  he  left  his  native  State,  enroute  to 
Manitou,  Colorado-  He  stopped  over  in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  and  during 
his  stay  was  so  impressed  with  the  outlook  that  he  decided  to  remain.  The 
first  two  years  he  lived  a  bachelor's  life  but  in  1881  he  returned  to  Ohio 
and  married  Rebecca  J.  Copeland  who  died  in  1889,  leaving  two  children, 
viz. :  Nora  E.  and  Frank  W.  Fowler,  She  lived  an  exemplary  Christian 
life  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Moran  cemetery.  In  1890  Mr.  Fowler  married 
Mrs.  Katie  Berkihiser,  of  Moran,  who  has  borne  him  two  sons,  Walter 
Marion  and  William  Lindella. 

Farming  embraces  the  life  work  of  our  subject.  He  has  encountered 
some  of  the  struggles  and  difficulties  which  discourage  some  men  in  their 
effort  to  establish  a  home  in  a  new  country  but  he  has  not  faltered  nor 
fallen  by  the  wayside.  His  success  has  come  by  industry,  frugality  and 
honesty,  qualities  which  stand  sponser  for  a  good  character,  always. 

In  politics  Mr.  Fowler  has  played  some  part  in  the  affairs  of  his  adopt- 
ed county.  In  the  first  place  he  is  recognized  as  a  genuine  Republican. 
He  has  been  honored  with  various  offices  in  his  township,  served  nine 
years  as  clerk  of  his  school  district  and  in  1897  was  nominated  fot  Register 
of  Deeds  of  his  county.  He  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  carrying  his 
own  Populist  township  by  a  majority  of  thirteen  votes.  He  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  in  1899  and  has  made  a  careful,  painstaking  and  efficient 
officer.  In  fraternal  matters  he  holds  .membership  in  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees.  His  name  has  been  on  the  rolls  of  the  Methodist  church 
since  his  thirteenth  year  and  he  is  now  Recording  Steward  of  the  Methodist 
congregation  in  lola. 


446  HISTORY   OF  AILEN  ANH 

T  A.  RUNDQ.UIST,  who  is  a  representative  of  the  commercial  fnterest* 
"  •  in  Elsmore,  was  bora  in  Sweden  on  the  first  day  of  November,  1858,. 
ajid  there  resided  tmtil  eleven  years  of  age,  during  which  time  he  began 
his  education-  in  the  public  schools.  When  a  youth  of  eleven  summers . 
however,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1869,  the 
family  locating  at  Fort  Scott,  Kansas.  The  subject  of  this- review  attended 
the  pu^blic  schools  in  that  locality  an-d  learned  to  read  and  speak  the  Eng- 
lish language.  In  1871  the  family  removed  to  Neosho  county ^  locating  on 
a>  farm,  and  to  its  development  and  ixapravement  he  devoted  his  time  and.- 
attention  throughout  the  summer  months,  while  in-  the  winter  season  he 
completed  his  education  in  the  public  schools. 

In  1869  Mr.  Rundquist  came  to  El&more  and  eirtered  the  employ  of 
W.  D.  Cox,  as  a  salesman  in  his  general  merchandi-se  store,  remaining  in 
his  service  for  three  years,  when  he  accepted  a  clerkship  with  J.  P.  Decker 
with  whom  be  also  remained  for  three  years.  He  afterward  engaged  in 
clerking  for  Lardner  &  Love  Brothers  for  two  years,  and  when  they  sold 
their  store  to-  the  firm,  of  Smith  &  Sons  Mr.  Rundquist  remained  with  their 
successors  by  whom  he  is  still  employed.  He  is  known  as  one  of  the  most 
reliable  and  capable  salesmen  in  the  town,  his  honesty  being  above  ques- 
tion, while  his  fidelity  to  his  employers'  interests  has  won  him  their  un- 
qualified confidence,  and  his  genial  manner  and  obliging  disposition  have 
made  him  popular  with  the  public. 

Mr.  Rundquist  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  L,inquist,  a 
daughter  of  J.  A.  I,inquist  and  a  native  of  Sweden,  Their  marriage  has 
been  blessed  with  six  children,  but  only  three  are  n-ow  living,  namely: 
Albena,  Abnei  and  Agnes.  The  family  occupy  a  pleasant  home  in  Els- 
raore,  which  is  the  property  of  Mr.  Rundquist,  and  he  also  owns  other  real 
estate  in  the  town,  having  thus  made  judicious  investments- of  bk  capital. 


Ah.  CAMFBEI/L,  is  well  known  in  commercial  circles  in  Savonburg  as 
•  the  popular  proprietor  of  a  leading  drug  store  there.  He  was  born 
in  Bates  county,  Missouri,  on  the  iiih  of  October,  1873,  a  son  of  Dr.  J.  T. 
Campbell,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Bates  county,  Missouri,  in  1843.  Re- 
moving to  I/inn  county,  Kansas,  he  there  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1888,  when  he  was  forty -five  years 
of  age.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza  Williams,  a  native  of 
Bates  county,  Missouri,  is  still  living,  her  home  being  in  Pleasanton,  Kan- 
sas. They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  two  have  passed 
away.  The  others  are  T.  V.,  now  of  Galena;  P.  W.,  of  Centerville,  Kan- 
sas; Belle,  wife  of  William  Sharp,  of  Osawatomie,  Kansas;  A.  h.;  S.  W. ,  of 
Savonburg;  and  W.  B.  and  Ethel,  who  are  with  their  mother  in  Pleasanton. 
During  his  early  boyhood  A.  h-  Campbell  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Linn  county,  Kansas,  where  he  was  reared  and  acquired 


"WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  44'y 

liis  nterary  education.  Through  his  own  earnest  efiorts  and  diligent  labor 
"he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  pharniac}'  and  received  a  certificate  te  engage 
an  its  practice  in  1896.  He  then  opened  a  drug  store  in  Savonbarg,  where 
hy  his  close  attention  to  business,  his  indefatigable  industry  and  his  court- 
eous treatment  of  his  patrons  he  has  built  up  a  -large  and  constantly 
growing  business.  He  is  a  stalwart  sapportet  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  is  deeply  interested  in  its  success,  but  has  never  sought  the  honors  or 
•emoluments  of  oflSce  for  himself.  He  belongs  to  Savonburg  Camp,  No. 
1 271,  M.  W.  A.,  Parsons  Lodge  No.  527,  B.  P.  O.  Elks,  and  in  social  cir- 
•cles  he  is  popular  and  highly  esteemed. 


THOMAS  W.  ROBERTS,  one  of  the  energel:ic  young  fanners  of  Els- 
more  township,  Allen  county,  Was  born  in  Washington  county,  In- 
'diana,  on  the  3rd  of  August,  1857.  His. father,  John  ly.  Roberts,  was  also 
&  native  of  the  Hoosier  state,  and  there  wedded  Miss  I,aura  Edwards,  one 
•of  Indiana's  daughters.  In  early  life  John  L,.  Roberts  engaged  in  teaching 
school,  but  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  he  put  aside  all  personal 
•considerations,  donned  the  blue  and  joined  the  One  Hundred  and  Seven- 
teenth Indiana  Infantry,  with  which  he  saw  some  hard  service  during  the 
winter  erf  1862-3.  His  regiment  was  in  eastern  Tennessee  and  marched  all 
•over  that  section  of  the  country  from  Camp  Nelson,  Kentucky,  to  Cumber- 
land Gap,  and  to  Greenville,  Tennessee.  They  were  only  about  half  clothed 
and  their  food  supply  was  cut  down  three-quarters.  They  Were  hemmed  in 
in  that  district,  being  unable  to  communicate  with  the  main  branch  of  the 
army  and  thus  were  forced  to  undergo  much  sufieriug.  In  the  spring  of 
1863  they  marched  back  to  Camp  Nelson  and  by  train  Mr.  Roberts  pro- 
ceeded to  Indianapolis,  Ipdiana,  where  he  was  honorably  discharged  by 
reason  of  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service^  In  1865  he  removed  to 
Illinois  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1876  and  then  went  With  his 
family  to  California,  but  after  a  year  he  returned  to  the  Prairie  state,  re- 
maining there  until  the  spring  of  1885  when  he' came  to  Kansas  and  pur- 
chased two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  two  miles  northeast  of  Els- 
more.  There  he  resided  until  his  death  which  occurred  in  February  1896, 
when  he  was  sixty-three  years  of  age.  His  wife  still  survives  him  and  is 
now  living  on  the  old  homestead  with  her  son,  Thomas  W. 

The  subject  of  this  review  is  the  only  surviving  member  of  their  family 
of  six  children.  He  has  assumed  the  management  and  care  ot  the  farm, 
making  a  good  home  for  his  mother  and  relieving  her  of  all  responsibility. 
He  was  reared  in  Indiana  and  in  his  boyhood  days  pursued  his  education 
in  the  common  schools,  while  later  he  continued  his  studies  in  Ashbury 
University  at  Green  Castle,  that  state.  He  afterward  engaged  in  teaching, 
spending  one  year  as  a  teacher  in  Illinois.  After  the  death  of  his  father  he 
abandoned  teaching  in  order  to  take  charge  of  the  farm  which  he  has  since 
successfully  conducted.     He  raises  cattle,  hogs  and  horses  and  the  well- 


448  HISTORY    OF   ALLEK    AND 

tilled  fields  yield  to  him  good  harvests.  There  is  a  comfortable  residence 
and  modern  improvements  upon  the  place  and  everything  about  the  farm 
is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  indicating  his  careful  supervision. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  18^,  Mr.  Roberts  was  united  in  marriage  tO' 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Canaday,  a  native  of  Indiana.  They  have  never  had  any 
children  of  their  own,  but  have  adopted  a  little  daughter.  In  his  political 
views  Mr.  Roberts  is  a  Republican  and  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
issues  of  the  day.  In  farming,  as  in  teaching,  he  has  met  with  success  and 
is  now  numbered  among  the  energetic  and  reliable  agriculturists-  of  his 
community. 


TVTELSON  F'.  ACSRv*?,  whose  gradual  retirement  from  active  affairs  in 
-•-  ^  lola  removes  one  of  the  original  and  conspicuous  characters  of  Allen 
county  and  the  state  of  Kansas  from  the  ranks  of  busy  men,  is  a  Kansan  of 
thirty-five  years  residence,  and  a  citizen  whose  history  embraces  not  onlj^ 
chapters  devoted  to  his  public  acts  in  Allen  county  but  un-recorded  pages 
of  hi.story  of  his  connection  with  public  matters  both  state  and  national  in 
their  character.  He  is  a  man  whom  a  great  pyolitical  party  has  been 
pleased  to  honor  with  leadership  and  with  one  of  the  important  public 
trusts  of  the  state.  His  connection  with  state  politics  dates  back  almost  a 
score  of  years  and  in  the  battles  won  by  his  party  during  this  period  are  to 
be  seen  unmistakable  traces  of  his  political  counsel  and  generalship. 

Mr,  Acers  came  to  Kansas  from  Geneva,  Illinois,  in  1865.  He  was 
born  in  the  latter  state  March  4,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  the  venerable  Roswell 
W.  Acers;  of  lola,  whose  ninety-third  birthday  will  occur  in  August  1901, 
The  Acers  are  among  the  early  Colonial  families,  their  most  remote  Ameri- 
can ancestor  having  settled  in  one  of  the  New  i^nglatid  colonies,  an  emi- 
grant from  Erin's  Isle.  The  "Akers,  Acres  and  the  Acers"  all  emigrated 
from  the  same  source  and  their  kinship  is  undoubted.  Which  is  the  cor- 
rect and  incorrupted  spelling  of  the  Celtic  name  is  now  indeterminable. 
John  Acers,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  in  177 1 
whence  he  removed  to  New  York,  in  Chautauqua,  of  which  state  Roswell 
W.  Acers  was  born.  John  Acers  married  Malinda  Spears  and  lived  till 
1864,  dying  in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  in  his  ninety-third  year.  Roswell 
W.  Acers  was  his  second  child  and  was  reared  in  his  native  county.  He 
was  a  father's  son,  was  schooled  limitedly  and  became  a  farmer  on  begin- 
ning life  independently.  He  was  married  to  Juliette  Spencer  and  left  the 
Empire  state  about  1831.  They  settled  in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  and  were 
there  residents  upon  the  farm  and  in  Geneva  till  1867,  when  they  followed 
their  son,  our  subject,  to  Kansas. 

Nelson  F.  Acers  is  the  sole  heir  to  his  parents.  His  youth  was  passed 
upon  his  father's  Kane  county  farm  and  the  pioneer  schools  did  the  work  of 
education  for  him  in  his  boyhood.  He  studied  law  with  Major  J.  H.  May- 
borne  in  Geneva,  111.,  and  graduated  at  the  Albany  (N.  Y.)  I^aw  Depart- 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  449 

«ient  University.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  by  the  supreme  court  of  the 
state  of  New  York  and  -ivhen  he  was  ready  for  business  entered  the  office 
where  he  had  first  studied  and  took  charge  of  his  old  preceptor's  business, 
the  latter  entering  the  military  service  of  the  United  States.  This  respou' 
sible  professional  and  business  arrangement  was,  most  probably,  what  pre- 
vented his  entering  the  army  himself  before  the  Civil  war  ended.  He 
tried  his  first  lawsuit  in  Geneva  and  practiced  his  profession  there  till  late 
in  1865  when  he  set  out  for  the  west. 

Just  at  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Acers  set  out  for  Kansas.  He  reached 
Weston,  Missouri,  (then  the  western  terminus  of  railroads)  by  rail.  From 
this  latter  point  he  walked  in  the  direction  of  the  capital  of  Kansas.  When 
he  arrived  at  his  destination  the  state  legislature  was  in  session  and,  as 
clerical  competents  were  needed  to  properly  prepare  the  records  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Senate,  he  was  appointed  first  assistant  secretary  of  that 
body.  "Jim"  L,egate  was  in  the  state  Senate  then;  Colonel  Anthony  was 
in  the  House  and  so  were  Jacob  Stotler  and  "Jim"  Snoddy.  The  legisla- 
ture was  taken  up  chiefly,  that  session,  with  railroad  land  grants  as  a  pre- 
liminary to  the  construction  oE  the  pioneer  railroads  of  the  state.  Early  in 
the  spring  of  1868  our  subject  came  on  down  to  lola,  a  little  hamlet  of,  per- 
haps, one  hundred  and  fifty  people.  One  of  the  first  acts  he  did  was  to 
purchase  four  lots  on  the  "Sleeper"  corner  where  he  erected  a  residence 
and  made  arrangements  for  the  reception  of  his  family.  He  formed  a  part- 
nership with  W.  S.  Newberry  for  the  practice  of  law  and  took  a  leading 
place  at  the  bar  of  eastern  Kansas  almost  from  the  start.  He  was  elected 
County  Attorney  in  1867  and,  byre-election,  served  two  terms.  In  1874  he 
was  named  as  the  candidate  of  the  "opposition"  to  the  Republican  ticket 
for  Probate  Judge  and,  contrary  to  his  expectation  and  desires,  he  was 
elected.  His  first  official  act  as  Judge  of  Probate  was  to  grant  a  marriage 
license  to  E.  A.  Barber  of  Humboldt. 

The  discovery  of  mineral  water  at  lola  by  the  Acers  was  responsible, 
largely,  for  Mr.  Acers'  separation  from  the  law.  He  conceived  the  idea  of 
establishing  a  sanitarium  here  and  did  so  with  considerable  degree  of  suc- 
cess. For  some  years  the  lola  Mineral  Well  was  widely  advertised  and 
many  patients  went  away  from  here  with  the  song  of  its  praise  upon  their 
lips.  But  for  lack  of  local  interest  the  sanitarium  proposition  failed  of  its 
true  purpose  and  object.  Succeeding  this  venture  Mr.  Acers  was  more 
and  more  of  an  interested  participant  in  politics.  Formerly  he  was  a  Re- 
publican but  in  1869  something  happened  in  Allen  county  which  caused 
him  to  change  front  and  he  ever  afterward  trained  with  the  Democrats. 
In  1882  he  was  nominated  by  the  minority  party  for  Congress,  in  the 
second  congressional  district,  but  was  defeated.  In  1885  he  was  appointed 
by  President  Cleveland  Internal  Revenue  Collector  for  the  district  embrac- 
ing Kansas  and  the  Indian  Territory.  In  this  capacity  he  served  four 
years  and  when  Mr.  Harrison  was  elected  his  resignation  was  one  of  the 
first  to  reach  the  department,  and  he  was  the  last  to  be   relieved   of   duty. 

Hiving  an  interest  in  some  silver  mining  property  in  the  west  upon 
his  release  from  official  life  Mr.  Acers  went  thither   to    develop    the   same. 


450  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   AND 

At  the  old  price  of  silver  bullion  the  property  promised  large  returns  and 
the  placing  of  the  wealth  of  its  owners  in  the  six  figure  column,  but  with 
the  rapid  decline  of  that  commodity  the  value  of  the  property  decreased  to 
a  non-payiug  basis  and  its  operation  was  abandoned  to  others.  In  1896 
Mr.  Acers  returned  to  lola  and  took  an  active  interest  in  the  campaign  of 
that  year,  in  the  hope  that  the  "16  to  i"  plan  would  triumph.  Since  then 
he  has  devoted  his  energies  to  the  real  estate  and  loan  business,  and  to  the 
improvement  of  the  family  properties.  The  erection  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
Block  in  1898  was  due  largely  to  his  foresight  and  progressive  spirit  and  in 
other  matters  where  his  town  might  be  benefitted  has  he  shown  his  un- 
selfish and  disinterested  hand. 

September  23.  1863,  Mr.  Acers  was  married  to  Ellen  A.  Conant,  a 
daughter  of  William  Conant,  of  Geneva,  Illinois.  The  Conants  were  Ver- 
mont people  where,  at  Brandon,  Mrs.  Acers  was  born  in  1840.  Two  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Acers,  viz:  Miss  Grace  ai>d  Fred  A.,  the 
latter  being  deceased. 


"^  A  7"  II.I.IAM  J.  PRICE.— The  reward  for  honorable  toil  follows  surely 
"  "  and  swiftly  the  efforts  of  our  citizens  and  the  fruits  of  legitimate 
endeavor  come  to  us  as  a  note  of  encouragement,  as  a  token  of  appreciation 
for  expended  energj',  and  the  ratio  of  such  reward  is  in  proportion  to  the 
magnitude  of  our  endeavors.  Illustrations  occur  daily  in  all  lines  of  in- 
dustrial activity  where  men  rise  from  comparative  obscurity  to  affluence 
and  semi-opulence  in  a  decade  or  a  score  of  years  but  seldom,  does  it  seem, 
that  we  would  find,  in  the  field  of  agriculture,  a  success  so  pronounced  as 
is  brought  to  our  notice  in  the  sketch  of  William  J.  Price,  our  subject. 
The  life  of  the  farmer,  as  'that  of  the  merchant,  is  full  of  successes  and 
failures  and  when  we  behold  one  who  is  conspicuously  an  example  of  thrift 
and  well-doing  we  at  once  conclude  that  his  business  practices  have  been 
along  correct  principles  and  that  prodigality  and  extravagance  have  had  no 
part  in  his  makeup.  We  present  herein  the  history,  in  brief,  of  a  self-made 
man,  one  born  and  reared  to  the  farm  work  and  to  the  experiences  found 
in  an  humble  and  respectable  country  home.  Born  in  the  northernmost  of 
the  southern  states.  West  Virginia,  he  was  but  a  boy  just  entering  his 
'teens  when  the  war  between  the  states  broke  out.  His  native  county  was 
Marion  and  his  birthday,  September  26,  1849.  He  is  a  son  of  Eli  Price 
and  Amanda  Troy,  the  former  yet  a  resident  of  the  state  of  his  birth.  West 
Virginia.  He  was  born  in  1822,  passed  his  life  as  a  modest  farmer,  and 
was  widoweied  in  1883,  his  wife  dying  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 

Six  of  the  seven  children  of  Eli  and  Amanda  Price  survive.  The  first 
death  among  the  children  occurred  December  2,  1900,  when  the  youngest 
was  thirty-five  years  old.  William  J.  Price  is  the  first  born.  There  seems 
to  have  been  nothing  unusual  iu  his  career  as  a  boy,  except  that  he  appears 
to  have  been  a  trifle  more  in  earnest  than  the   average  country  lad  in  ac- 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  45 1 

quiring  an  education.  His  school  days  closed  with  a  season  in  the  State 
Normal  School  of  West  Virginia  and  for  twelve  years  thereafter  be  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school.  Seven  years  was  he  surveyor  of  his  county  but 
notwithstanding  these  seeming  advantages  he  was  slow  to  prosper.  Op- 
portunities in  the  old  state  appeared  rare  and  no  solution  of  the  question  of 
his  ultimate  welfare  seemed  better  than  a  removal  to  Kansas.  Hither  he 
came  in  1882  and  made  settlement  in  Bourbon  county.  He  was  a  tenant 
for  seven  years  and  in  that  time  laid  the  foundation  for  the  prosperity  he 
now  enjoys.  He  purchased  a  quarter  section  of  land  on  the  east  line  of 
Allen  county  and  took  possession  of  it  in  1889.  He  paid  for  this  with  the 
proceeds  of  his  labor  and  added  more  land.  His  farm  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres,  with  a  modern  dwelling  and  large  barn  and  yards  of  stock, 
and  a  credit  commensurate  with  his  needs  tell  the  story  of  his  achievements 
on  a  Kansas  farm  inside  of  twenty  years. 

In  the  case  of  nearly  every  successful  Kansas  farmer  so  with  Mr.  Price. 
He  became  interested  in  the  cattle  and  horse  business  upon  his  advent  to 
Kansas  and  in  this  he  has  acquired  much  of  his  financial  independence. 
Some  of  his  stock  of  various  kinds  is  registered  and  other  is  eligible  to  reg- 
istration. His  horse  stock  is  his  pride  and  his  stalls  contain  animals  which 
are  a  credit  to  the  county  and  to  his  taste  as  a  growei  of  the  "prince  of 
animals." 

October  19,  1871,  Mr.  Price  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Jackson  who 
was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania,  1850.  Mr.  and  Mns.  Price  are 
the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  viz;  William  H. ,  Alpheus  E. ,  Clarence 
W.,  Ross  L-,  Amanda  Belle,  wife  of  Arthur  Stonehocker;  Isaac  L. ,  Bessie 
A.,  Virginia  E. ,  Bertha  t,ee,  George  E. ,  Maud  Agnes,  Rnth  Cleveland 
and  Florence  Olive  Price.  A  family  group  shows  both  children  and 
parents,  fifteen  in  number,  a  fact  and  circumstance  both  remarkable  and 
unusual. 

Mrs,  Price  is  a  daughter  of  Alfred  Jackson  and  Parthena  Showalter. 
Both  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  latter  died  in  1856  and  the  former 
is  a  resident  of  Boulder,  Colorado.  He  was  born  in  1823  and  is  the  father 
of  three  children. 

Mr.  Price  takes  a  citizen's  interest  in  public  affairs  in  Allen  county 
and  has  repie.sented  his  party  as  a  candidate  for  public  office.  He  has  no 
special  desire  for  holding  office  but  it  was  only  to  obey  the  commands  of  his 
party  that  he  consented  to  run.  He  is  convinced  of  two  things:  That  he 
is  on  the  right  side  politically  and  on  the  wrong  side  numerically.  Al- 
though his  ancestry  answered  to  the  Democratic  roll  call  and  weie  citizens 
of  a  semi-southern  state  their  sentiments  during  the  Rebellion  were  in- 
tensely union.  Two  uncles  died  in  the  service  and  other  relatives  tendered 
patriotic  and  agpreciative  service  in  the  cause  of  a  union  of  the  states. 

Mr.  Price  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  was  introduced  to 
the  mysteries  at  twenty-two  years  of  age  and  holds  his  membership  in 
Unioutown  l/odge  No.  115. 


452  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

1  \ANIP^Iv  FREED — When  one  is  forced  to  begin  a  business  life  empty- 
-• — '  handed  it  is  necessary  to  practice  economy  in  order  to  gain  a  start, 
and  to  endure  many  hardships  and  trials.  This  demands  courage,  and 
only  people  of  resolute  spirit  are  enabled  to  overcome  the  difficulties  and 
obstacles  in  the  path  to  progress  and  prosperity.  Mr.  Freed,  however,  is 
numbered  among  the  representatives  of  that  class.  He  was  born  in  Han- 
cock county,  Ohio,  on  the  13th  of  January,  1850,  a  sou  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Dubbs)  Freed,  also  natives  of  the  Buckeye  State.  The  father  was  an  ag- 
riculturalist and  died  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Ohio,  in  1891,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  June,  1900,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-seven  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom 
five  are  now  living. 

Daniel  Freed  was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth  and  was  reared  in  Ohio, 
spending  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  under  the  parental  roof.  He 
pursued  a  common  school  education,  assisted  in  the  labors  of  field  and 
meadow,  and  in  his  minority  also  learned  the  painter's  trade.  As  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Pleasant  A.  Huff,  also 
a  native  of  Ohio,  their  marriage  being  celebrated  June  23,  1870. 

In  the  following  year  Mr.  Freed  came  to  Kansas  and  preempted  a 
claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  the  county  line,  it  being 
located  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  section  on  which  the  town  of 
Savonburg  now  stands.  He  arrived  in  Kansas  without  capital.  He  had 
no  money  with  which  to  carry  on  the  work  of  improving  his  place  or  of 
supporting  his  family,  but  he  possessed  indefatigable  energy  and  determina- 
tion. These  are  solid  foundation  stones  of  success,  and  upon  them  he  has 
builded  his  fortune.  As  he  found  opportunity  he  followed  the  painter's 
trade.  Many  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that  day,  being  limited  in  financial 
resources,  did  not  have  their  homes  painted,  but  as  the  population  in- 
creased new  residences  and  buildings  were  erected  and  his  patronage  in  the 
line  of  his  trade  grew  and  today  it  claims  all  of  his  attention.  He  still 
owns  his  farm,  but  the  work  of  cultivating  and  improving  it  is  carried  on 
by  those  whom  he  emploj's.  Many  years  have  passed  since  he  has  known 
through  personal  experience  what  poverty  meant,  for  his  labors  brought 
him  a  comfortable  competence  that  enabled  him  to  pirovide  his  family  with 
all  the  necessaries  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  He  now  has  a  fine 
residence,  a  large  barn  and  all  the  necessary  outbuildings  upon  his  place, 
everything  is  kept  in  good  condition. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freed  has  been  blessed  with  four  children: 
E.  Wilbur,  who  is  now  in  Oklahoma  Territory;  Alice  D.,  the  wife  of  C.  W. 
Nyman,  who  resides  near  her  father;  Hattie  Blanche  and  Henry  Clinton, 
who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  Mr.  Freed  has  ever  given  his 
political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  never  faltering  in  his  allegiance 
to  its  principles.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Knights  and  lyadies  of 
Securities  and  A.  O.  U.  W.  at  Savonburg. 


"WaOXjSON  COtJNTIES,  KANSAS.  -*453 

LT.  DONOHO — For  thirty  years  L,.  T.  Donoho,  one  of  the  enterprising 
•  farmers  of  Elsmore  township,  has  been  a  resident  of  AUea  county. 
He  was  born  in  McDouough  county,  Illinois,  on  the  29th  of  January,,  1850, 
;and  is  the  youngest  of  seven  children  born  unto  J".  M.  and  Emma  Donoho. 
'The  father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  died  in  1888,  at  the  ripe  old  age 
<of  seventy-six  years,  while  his  wife  passed  avvay  in  1886,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
-eight  years. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  upon  a  farm  and  acquired  a  com- 
aiion  school  education  in  Illinois.  He  came  to  Kansas  with  his  parents  in 
1870  and  has  resided  in  Elsmore  township  for  more  than  thirty  years.  In 
•the  year  of  his  arrival  here  he  married  Miss  Letitia  Harris,  and  after  a 
■quarter  of  a  century  of  married  life  death  came  to  her  on  the  25th  of  Sep- 
itember,  1895,  She  left  a  husband  and  nine  children  to  mourn  her  loss, 
namely:  Lillian,  now  the  wife  of  William  Jordan;  Effie,  the  wife  of  Mont 
Kirby,  of  Oklahoma  Territory;  Ella,  the  wife  of  John  Kirby,  of  Elsmore 
township:;  Ernest,  Lawrence,  Jennie,  Cecil,  Alice  and  Fred,  all  of  whom 
are  at  home. 

Mr.  Donoho  was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  in  the  early  part 
■of  his  business  career  followed  farming,  but  finally  sold  his  property  and 
took  up  his  abode  in  Elsmore,  where  he  was  engaged  in  merchandising  for 
«ome  tinie.  In  1894  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  the  town  and  served 
■under  the  presidential  administration  of  Grover  Cleveland.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  his  four  years'  term  he  was  succeeded  by  a  Republican,  but  retired 
ifrom  office  with  a  creditable  record  as  an  obliging,  accommodating  and 
iaithful  official.  He  then  returned  to  his  farm  and  assumed  the  cultivation 
•of  its  fields  and  the  raising  of  stock,  to  which  work  he  has  since  given  his 
attention,  preferring  it  to  any  other  occupation.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Donoho  is  a  Democrat  and  socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Fraternal  Aid 
Society,  of  Elsmore.  Throughout  the  long  years  of  his  residence  in  the 
■county  he  has  become  widely  known  and  his  career  will  bear  the  closest 
investigation. 


rOSEPH  ERICSON — The  name  of  Ericson  is  well  known  in .  Connection 
''^  with  agricultural  interests  in  Allen  county  and  has  ever  been  synony- 
mous with  signal  honesty  in  business  affairs.  Joseph  Ericson,  who  now 
follows  farming  in  Elsmore  township,  claims  Illinois  as  the  State  of  his 
nativity,  his  birth  having  occured  in  Knoxville,  Knox  county,  on  the  6th 
■of  November,  1827.  His  father,  Ole  Ericson,  was  born  in  Sweden  in  the 
year  1812,  and  having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he  was  married  in  that 
country.  His  wife,  Elna,  was  born  in  1825,  and  in  the  year  1850  they 
came  to  the  new  world,  attracted  by  the  opportunities  here  afforded.  Since 
that  time  they  have  been  residents  of  Kno3i  county,  Illinois,  their  home 
being  in  Knoxville.  The  father  has  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years   and   the   mother   is   now    seventy-five   years    of   age.     Their 


4^54  fflSrOKY   OF   ALLEN'  AOTT 

family  numbered  nine  ch-ildren  and  three    of  the  sons   are  now   pfosperoiTv 
farmers  of  Allen  county. 

Joseph  Ericson,  the  fifth-  in.  orckr  of  birth,,  was  reared  in  Knox  county 
and  pursued  his  education-  iu  the  coni'tnon  schools  and  worked  for  his- 
parents  until  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  then  secured  em-ployment  as  a 
farm  hand,  to  which  work-  be  gave  his  attention  through  the  summer 
months,  while  in  the  winter  seasons  he  was  eniployed  in  the  coal  mines. 
Through  his  industry,  econonsy  and  determination  he  accumulated  about 
six-  hundred-  dollars,  and  with  this  capitaL  be  came  to  Kansas,  accompanied 
by  his- brother  Eric.  They  made  the  journey  in  the  spring  of  l88-3  and  our 
subject  located  first  at  Warrensburg,  where  be  was  employed  in  a  store- 
owned  by  Charles  Nelson.  About  a  year  afterward  he  and  his  brother 
together  purchased  what  is  known  as  a  "league  claim"  in  Allen  county ^ 
rnvesting  all  of  their  capital  in  that  property.  Soon,  however  they  found 
that  they  could-  not  secure  a  title  without  again  buying  the  land.  Thus 
they  lost  all  of  the  money  which  tbey  liad  first  put  into  the  pdacSr  but  they 
made  arrangements  to  again  pay  the  purchase  price,  and  for  seven  years- 
Joseph  Ericson  resided  upon  that  farm,  after  which  be  sold  his  interest  to- 
his  brother  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  12,  town) 
2-6,  range  zo,  on  which  be  has  since  made  bis  home,  and  today  be  owns  ire 
Elsmore  township  a  valuable  property  of  two  hundred  acres,  conveniently 
located  one  mile  west  of  the  town  of  Elsmore,  which  furnishes  him  a  good 
market  for  all  that  be  has  to  sell. 

Although  Mr.  Ericson  started  out  upon  bis  business  career  without  a 
dollar  and  has  bad  no  assistance  from  wealthy  or  influential  friends,  he  has 
steadily  advanced  upon  a  successful  career,  his-  resolute  spirit  and  unflag- 
g.ing.  energy  .standing  him  instead  of  capital.  His  property  interests  are 
now  very  desirable.  A  pleasant  residence  occupies  a  good  building  site 
and  is-  surrounded  with  shade  trees  of  his  own  planting,  A  school  house 
is  located  at  one  corner  of  his  farm  and  thus  his  children  enjoy  educational! 
advantages  near  at  band.  He  raises  hogs,  cattle  and  horses,  and  to  his 
stock  feeds  the  most  of  bis  grain.  His  farming  methods  are  progressive 
and  he  is  quick  to  adopt  all  improved  methods  which  will  promote  the 
productiveness  of  his  farm  or  add  to  its  value  or  convenience. 

On  the  nth  of  February,  1S92,  in  Allen'county,  Mr.  Ericson  led  to  the 
marriage  altar  Miss  Amanda  Olson,  a  daughter  of  Nels  and  Anna  Olson, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Sweden.  Mrs.  Ericson  was  born  in  Ford 
county,  Illinois,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  five  chil- 
dren, but  Elna  and  Arthur  are  now  deceased.  Those  still  living  are  Elmer, 
Josie  and  Juneta.  A  nephew,  Eddie  W.  Miller,  is  also  a  member  of  the 
family.  Mr.  Ericson  usually  gives  bis  political  S'lipport  to  the  Populist 
party,  but  votes  for  the  men  rather  than  the  organization.  For  eighteen 
years  be  has  been  a  resident  of  Allen  county,  known  and  respected  as  a 
man  of  stsrling  worth  and  ability,  and  as  one  of  those  who  contribute  to  the 
general  stability  of  the  community  be  is  numbered. 


"WOODSON  COUNTIES,   KANSAS.  -VSS 

JOHN  SWANSON-,  who  follows  farming  in  Elsmore  township,  was  borh 
in  Sweden,  December  5,  18-50.  His  father^  Swan  Olson,  is  still  a 
Tesident  ol  Sweden,  and  there  he  reated  his  family,  the  subject  of  this 
Teview  remaining  in  that  country  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
^hen  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Moline,  Illinois, 
•where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  John  Deere  Plow  Company  and  re- 
mained for  three  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  went  to 
Iowa  and  for  two  years  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Moline  and  again  entered  the  works  of  the  Deere  Company.  He 
Tvas  employed  for  four  years  in  the  factory,  during  which  time  he  won  the 
•confidence  of  Mr.  Deere  who  manifested  his  appreciation  of  the  faithful 
•service  our  subject  had  rendered  him  by  giving  him  employment  at  his  home 
and  there  he  remained  for  two  years. 

In  1876  Mr.  Swanson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hannah  Benson, 
ta  native  Of  Sweden  who  came  to  America  on  the  same  ship  on  which  her 
liusband  had  made  the  voyage.  He  then  rented  a  farm  in  Henry  county, 
Illinois,  and  continued  its  operation  for  eight  years,  returning  again  to 
Moline,  where  he  resided  two  years.  Believing  that  he  could  more  readily 
secure  a  home  for  his  family  in  the  west  he  then  came  to  Kansas,  arriving 
iin  Allen  county  on  the  8th  of  November,  1887.  He  purchased  eighty  acres 
■of  land  two  miles  and  a  half  west  of  Savonburg,  where  he  still  resides  and 
lias  made  himself  one  of  the  prettiest  homes  in  the  county,  having  erected 
a  fine  residence  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  grove.  The  house  is  finished  in 
an  attractive  manner  on  the  inside  and  neatly  furnished  and  an  aii  of 
hospitality  pervades  it.  Mrs.  Swanson  presides  over  the  household  affairs 
■and  is  an  excellent  housekeeper.  Mr.  Swanson  attends  to  the  work  of  the 
fields  and  every thiug'about  the  place  is  characterized  by  thrift  and  enterprise. 
"When  he  left  Sweden  he  had  to  borrow  money  of  his  brother  and  in  Illinois 
he  laid  up  $1300  which  he  brought  to  Kansas,  and  by  his  untiring  diligence 
and  capable  management  he  has  continually  added  to  his  competence  which 
has  now  assumed  very  creditable  proportions. 

Unto  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Swanson  hav^e  been  born  seven  children,  three 
sons  and  four  daughters':  Alfred,  Ansfred  and  Victor,  who  are  at  home  and 
assist  their  father  in  the  work  of  the  farm';  Almeda,  who  is  in  Kansas  City^ 
and  Jenme,  Minnie  and  Ester,  who  are  still  with  their  parents.  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  Swanson  is  a  Republican.  His  iuties  of  citizenship 
are  faithfully  discharged  and  he  is  true  to  all  responsibilities  devolving 
upon  him.  Surely  he  had  earned  the  proud  American  title  of  "self-made 
man"  for  having  come  to  the  new  world  empty  handed  he  has  worked  his 
way  upward,  and  as  the  architect  of  his  dwu  fortunes  has  builded  wise- 
iy  and  well. 


ISAAC  N.  O'BRIEN — Tireless  energy,  well  directed  by  soUnd  business 
•^  judgment,  has  brought  to  Mr.  O'Brien  very  gratifying  success  in  the 
affairs  of  life.     He   resides   in   Humboldt   township,    where  he  owns  and 


456  HISTORY   OF   ALLEK  AWl< 

occupies  a  fine  farm.  He  was  born  in  Pike  conntyr  Ohio,  IVTarch  29,  1835^ 
and  was  about  twenty-three  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  this  State.  His* 
father,  Cornelius  O'Brien,  was  born  in  the  Buckeye  State  in  1808,  audi 
having  arrived  at  year§  of  maturity  he  married  Leah  Newman,  of  Adams 
county,  Oiiio.  In  the  year  185.7  he  came  with  his  son  William  to  Allen- 
county,  Kansas,  and  preempted  the  q,uarter  section  of  land  upon  which  his- 
son  Isaac  novv  resides.  The  country  was  wild  and  the  Indians  far  out- 
numbered the  white  population.  It  required  considerable  courage  tor  an 
eastern  man  to  settle  among  the  red-skinned  people,  and  also  face  the  trials- 
and  hardships  incident  to  life  on  the  frontier,  but  for  many  years  the  father 
carried  on  farming  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  reliable  citizens  of  the 
community.  He  died  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  His  wife 
was  born  in  1807,  and  passed  away  in  1866,  at  the  age  of  fifty -nine.  They 
had  but  two  children^  William  C,  of  Mound  Valley,  Kansas,  and  Isaac  N. 

Isaac  IST.  O'Brien  spent  the  days  of  his  childhood  and  youth  in  Ohio,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  father's  removal  to  Kansaswas  serving  as  Clerk  of  Common. 
Pleas  court.  He  served  from  185&  to  185-8  and  accordingly  did  not  come  to- 
the  Sunflower  State  until  April  9,  185.8,  at  which  time  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Humboldt  and  engaged  in  freighting  from  I^eavenworth  and 
Kansas  City.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  joined  the  army  and  was  de- 
tailed as  a  teamster.  He  was  discharged  in  September,  1862',  and  went 
back  to  Ohio,  and  when  the  War  was  nearly  over  reenlisted  as  a  substitute, 
rfeceiving  sixteen  hundred  dollars  for  his  services.  As  his  command  was- 
proceeding  down  the  Ohio  river,  they  received  word  that  Lee  had  sur- 
rendered and  were  ordered  back  to  be  discharged,  so  that  Mr.  O'Brien  was- 
only  out  four  weeks  the  second  time. 

Throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  business  career  he  has  carried  on- 
farming.  He  spent  five  years,  however,  in  Chanute,  where  he  operated 
the  electric  light  plant  arid  mills,  and  was  also  engaged  for  a  time  in  the 
grocery  business.  In  due  time  he  returned  to  his  farm  where  he  is  now 
extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in  the  raising  of  wheat,  corn  and 
hogs.  His  place  comprises  a  tract  of  rich,  never-failing  bottom  land  on  the 
Neosho-  river. 

Mr.  O'Brien  has  been  twice  married.  First  May  29,  1859,  lie  wedded, 
in  Ohio,  Miss  Mary  E.  Were,  and  totheni  were  born  a  son  and  daughter; 
Cornelius,  born  April  14,  1864,  is  now  engaged  in  the  transfer  business  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio;  Mary  E. ,  born  May  13  and  died  July  16,  1867.  The 
mother  died  June  5,  1867,  and  Mr.  O'Brien  was  again  married  February 
II,  1872,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Maggie  P.  Moore,  of  Pike 
county,  Ohio.  By  this  union  six  children  were  born:  J.  M.,  a  prominent 
merchant  in  Humboldt;  Grace  and  Hattie,  both  of  whom  have  been  college 
.students  and  are  now  teachers  in  Allen  county;  Bertha,   Geoi'ge  and  Perlie, 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  O'Brien  has  always  been  a  Republican. 
The  honors  and  emoluments  of  public  ofiice  have  had  no  attraction  for  him, 
his  attention  being  given  to  the  farm,  which  has  been  the  means  of  secur- 
ing for  him  a  comfortable  competence.     He  has  long  been  a   witness  of  the 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  457 

growth  and  development  of  southeastern    Kansas,  and   Allen   county  num- 
bers him  among  her  valued  early  settlers.     . 


"^  A  7ILLIAM  W.  MOFFITT,  who  has  from  early  boyhood  been  de- 
^  "  pendent  upon  his  own  resources  and  has  worked  his  way  steadily 
upward,  is  now  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  successful  business  men  in 
Savonburg,  A  native  of  Franklin  county,  Indiana,  he  was  born  December 
30,  1847,  a  son  of  Wesley  and  Elizabeth  (Garrison)  Moffitt.  The  father 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  when  a  young  man  removed  to  Indiana, 
where  he  met  and  married  Miss  Garrison,  who  had  gone  to  the  Hoosier 
state  with  her  parents  in  her  girlhood.  Mr.  Moffitt  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  and  followed  that  pursuit  for  a  few  years  in  Illinois,  after  which  he 
came  to  Kansas  in  1867,  locating  in  Bourbon  county,  near  Uniontown. 
He  died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  while  visiting  in  Nebraska. 
Five  years  earlier  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  fifty-three.  They  had 
five  children:  William  W.,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Lakin,  Emma  Pemrock, 
Charles  and  Mrs.  Ella  A.  Cation. 

Mr.  Moffitt,  of  this  review,  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  iu 
Illinois,  and  mastered  the  common  English  branches  of  learning  as  taught 
in  the  public  schools.  He  came  with  the  family  to  Kansas  in  1867,  when 
twenty  years  of  age  and  remained  with  his  parents  till  the  age  of  twenty- 
five,  when  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Morrison,  the  wedding  being  cele- 
brated on  the  nth  of  February,  1872.  The  lady  is  a  native  of  Guernsey 
county,  Ohio,  They  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  rented  farm  near 
Uniontown,  where  Mr.  Moffitt* carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  foi  a  year, 
and  then  removed  to  Neosho  county.  Here  he  secured  a  claim  in  Grant 
township,  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  highly  improved  land. 
He  continued  farming  until  i8gi,  when  he  removed  his  family  to  Savon- 
burg, where  he  has  since  engaged  in  the  grain  and  seed  business,  buying 
and  shipping  those  commodities.  His  trade  has  constantly  grown,  and  his 
business  now  amounts  to  sixty  thousand  dollars  annually,  for  he  handles 
the  greater  part  of  the  grain  raised  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  Allen 
county,  having  a  warehouse  in  both  Elsmore  and  Savonburg.  He  has  ex- 
cellent facilities  for  carrying  on  the  business  and  is  prepared  to  pay  the 
highest  market  price  for  grain,  seeds  and  broom  corn. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moffitt  has  been  blessed  with  two  chil- 
dren, Edna  and  Elsa.  They  occupy  a  very  pleasant  residence  in  Savon- 
burg, which  is  owned  by  Mr.  Moffitt,  whose  property  interests  also  include 
his  farm  and  the  buildings  in  which  he  is  conducting  his  business.  In 
politics  he  has  always  been  a  Republican,  warmly  espousing  the  principles 
of  the  party,  and  he  is  now  capably  serving, as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  his 
township.  Of  the  Odd  Fellows  Society,  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  he  is  a  representative, 
belonging  to  the  local  organizations  in  Savonburg.  His  life  illustrates  the 
power  of  honesty  and  diligence  iu  the  business  world  and  is  an  example 
that  is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


458  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

/^>  US  EXGELHARDT,  one  of  the  well  known  and  popular  farmers  of 
^^  Elsmore  township,  Allen  county,  was  born  in  LaGrange,  Cook 
county,  Illinois,  and  is  of  German  lineage.  His  father,  Charles  Engel- 
hardt,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  when  a  young  man  crossed  the  briny 
deep  to  the  new  world  in  1856,  settling  upon  a  farm  near  Chicago.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  Marie  Harnish,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Germany.  An 
agriculturist  by  occupation,  he  engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil  in  Cook 
county,  Illinois,  from  1S56  until  1878,  and  during  that  time  made  consider- 
able money.  He  then  determined  to  remove  to  the  west,  where  he  could 
buy  land  at  a  lower  price,  and  in  1878  came  to  Kansas,  where  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  one  thousand  and  eighty  acres  on  Big  Creek,  in  Elsmore  town- 
ship,— one  of  the  richest  tracts  in  Allen  county.  He  there  resided  until 
his  death,  which  was  caused  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun.  He 
was  a  man  whom  to  know  was  to  respect  and  honor  for  he  lived  an  indus- 
trious life,  true  to  all  noble  and  manly  principles.  His  wife  still  survives 
him  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  aud  is  now  living  wiih  her  sons  in  Chi- 
cago. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Engelhardt  had  nine  children,  namely:  Alfred, 
Robert,  Gus,  Frank,  Fred,  Ed.  and  Mrs.  Flora  Consell.  The  last  named 
is  a  resident  of  Wyoming,  Illinois. 

Gus  Engelhardt  was  reared  in  Illinois  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  came  to  Kansas  with  his  parents,  remaining  with  them  on  the  home- 
stead farm  until  he  attained  his  majority  when  he  crossed  the  plains  to 
California  and  for  one  year  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  on  the  Pacific 
coast.  Since  that  time  he  has  engaged  in  the  operation  of  the  farm  in 
Allen  county,  which  belonged  to  his  father.  He  took  charge  of  the  place 
upon  his  father's  death  and  has  since  successfully  operated  it,  raising  and 
feeding  cattle  and  hogs  in  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields.  He  has 
excellent  grades  of  stock  upont  he  place  and  is  a  progressive  agriculturalist, 
all  appointments  being  modern,  while  the  farm  machinery  is  of  the  latest 
improved  kind.  He  possesses  good  business  qualifications  and  his  capable 
management  of  the  property  has  made  it  yield  a  good  return. 

Mr.  Engelhardt  was  married  April  7,  1897,  to  Miss  Mary  Teel,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Teel.  She  was  born  in  Linn  county, 
Iowa,  and  with  her  parents  came  to  Kansas  in  1877.  By  her  marriage  she 
has  become  the  mother  of  an  interesting  little  daughter,  Mona  Marie,  born 
August  25,  1899.  In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Engelhardt  is  connected 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  He  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  and  assists  his  friends  in 
obtaining  office  but  has  never  desired  official  preferment  for  himself. 


JOHN"  S.  WILSON,  of  LaHarpe,  is  one  of  the  more  recent  settlers  of 
"  Allen  couuty  and  he  belongs  to  the  thrifty  and  industrious  class  of 
Anglo-Americans  who  are  so  numerous  in  Elm  township.  He  came  into 
Allen  county  in  1889  from  Tazewell  county,  Illinois,  where  he  had  resided 
fifteen  years  and  whither  he  went  from  Livingston  county,  New  York.     In 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  459 

the  latter  state  he  was  a  neighbor  of  our  fellow  townsman,  Henry  Busley, 
and  in  locating  in  Allen  county  it  was  not  strange  that  he  should  join  farms 
with  his  old  friend  in  their  new  home. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  born  in  L,incolnshire,  England,  November  15,  1843, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  Wilson,  a  laborer,  who  had  two  sons  and  three 
daughters,  viz:  Mary,  deceased,  wife  of  William  Wakefield;  Robert  Wil- 
son, who  is  in  Australia;  Elizabeth,  who  is  married  to  William  Graham 
and  resides  in  England;  John  S.  Wilson,  and  Jane,  wife  of  John  Higgins, 
of  England. 

Our  subject's  mother  was  a  school  teacher  and  her  maiden  nafne  was 
Lizzie  Simpson.  She  reared  her  family  to  habits  of  industry  and  to  prin- 
ciples of  honesty  and  gave  them  such  intellectual  training  as  to  equip  them 
for  successful  competition  with  the  world. 

At  nine  years  of  age  John  S.  Wilson  began  working  by  the  year  and 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  he  was  able  to  earn  three  pounds.  His  labors  were 
all  given  to  farm  work  and  the  highest  wages  he  earned  (which  was  the 
highest  paid)  was  twenty-one  pounds  a  year.  When  he  left  England  it 
was  with  sufficient  funds  to  pay  the  passage  of  himself,  wife  and  a  child. 
He  became  a  farm  hand  in  his  new  but  temporary  home  in  Livingston 
county,  New  York,  and  when  he  had  layed  up  two  hundred  dollars  he 
bought  a  team  and  began  farming  rented  land.  He  had  accumulated  a 
small  surplus  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  a  little  more  by  the  time  he 
settled  in  Kansas,  so  that  when  he  contracted  for  his  home  place  of  eighty 
acres  he  was  only  in  debt  a  thousand  dollars.  In  tae  eleven  years  he  has 
passed  in  Allen  county  he  has  paid  off  his  indebtedness  and  is  clear  of  in- 
cumbrance with  another  eighty  acres  added  to  complete  his  quarter  section. 

In  18/2  Mr.  Wilson  was  married  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  to  Susan 
Johnson  who  died  at  LaHarpe  in  189 1  leaving  three  children,  as  follows: 
Lizzie,  wife  of  Simon  Remsburg,  a  prominent  young  farmer  of  lola  town- 
ship; Robert  W.  Wilson,  with  his  father,  and  Lydia  Wilson,  who  died  May 
4,  1900,  from  accidental  burning. 

Mr.  Wilson  allied  himself  with  the  Democratic  party  when  he  became 
a  voter  in  the  United  States  and,  in  his  quiet  way,  has  given  aid  and  com- 
fort to  the  enemies  of  the  opposition  for  many  years. 

His  pride  in  his  home  Mr.  Wilson  has  made  manifest  in  his  constant 
and  permanent  improvement  of  his  premises.  His  farm  is  one  of  the  con- 
spicuously attractive  ones  on  his  highway  and  when  any  of  the  conven- 
iences of  a  farm  are  needed  he  provides  them. 


r>  EORGE  H.  BACON  was  born  in  Litchfield  county,  Connecticut,  on 
^-^  Christmas  day  of  1827,  his  parents  being  Henry  H.  and  Lois  (Mill) 
Bacon,  also  natives  of  that  state. .  The  son  spent  the  first  fifteen  years  of 
his  life  in  the  place  of  his  nativity.  His  father  died  in  Connecticut  in 
1840,  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years,  and  in  1842  he  accompanied  his  mother 


460  HISTORY   OF    A.LLEN   AND 

oa  her  removal  to  Indiana.  Throughout  her  remaining  days  he  cared  for 
her,  and  she  departed  this  life  at  his  home  in  Kansas  in  1874  when  eighty- 
nine  years  of  age. 

While  in  Indiana  George  H.  Bacon  learned  the  trade  of  cloth  dressing, 
which  he  followed  for  seven  years.  In  1853  he  and  his  mother  removed  to 
Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  His  first  work  was  at  the  car- 
penter's trade,  which  he  followed  for  eighteen  months,  and  from  his  earn- 
ings he  saved  three  hundred  dollars.  He  then  visited  New  Orleans,  but 
returning  to  Illinois  worked  on  a  farm  for  nine  months,  after  which  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land,  devoting  his  energies  to  its  cultivation.  In 
that  enterprise  he  met  with  gratifying  success. 

In  1853  Mr.  Bacon  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  F.  Ridge, 
a  native  of  Indiana,  and  in  Illinois  they  resided  until  1873  when  they  came 
to  Kansas,  Mr.  Bacon  purchasing  two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Elsmore 
township,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  has  made  splendid  improve- 
ments upon  his  farm  and  has  a  very  desirable  property.  In  1895  '^''S- 
Bacon  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  six  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely:  Cliarles  W. ,  who  resides 
on  a  farm  in  Elsmore  township;  John  E. ,  of  I^aHarpe;  Ella  L,.,  wife  of 
Wesley  Jones;  Mary  P.,  wife  of  C.  S.  Cox;  I^a-ura  Kate,  wife  of  E.  W. 
Myler,  of  Burlinganie,  Kansas;  Lizzie  H. ,  wife  of  B.  F.  Low,  and  Frank 
M. ,  an  adopted  son. 

Mr.  Bacon  has  always  been  a  strong  temperance  man  and  now  has  in 
his  possession  a  pledge  which  he  signed  September  16,  1841,  when  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  giving  the  names  of  the  president  and  secretary  of  the 
organization.  Prior  to  the  war  he  was  a  supporter  of  the  Abolition  party 
and  on  its  organization  he  joined  the  Republican  party,  with  which  he  has 
since  affiliated.  His  life  has  been  one  of  marked  industry.  A  glance  at 
his  farm  will  indicate  his  careful  supervision  and  progressive  methods. 
He  has  now  passed  the  seventy-third  milestone  on  life's  journey,  and  in  the 
evening  of  life  he  receives  the  veneration  and  respect  which  should  ever  be 
accorded  those  whose  record  is  an  upright  one. 


CW.  NYMAN  owns  and  operates  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred 
•  acres  in  Elsmore  township.  He  was  born  in  Clay  'county.  South 
Dakota,  on  the  3rd  of  September,  1869,  and  is  of  Swedish- lineage,  being 
the  eldest  son  of  August  J.  and  Matilda  Nyman,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Sweden.  The  father  was  born  April  9,  1839,  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools,  and  on  the  30th  of  December,  1867,  married  Miss 
Matilda  Swanson.  For  a  number  of  years  he  had  served  as  a  grade  con- 
tractor on  the  railroad.  In  1868  he  came  with  his  young  wife  to  America, 
locating  first  in  Boone  county,  Iowa,  where  ,he  worked  on  a  gravel  train. 
A  year  later  they  went  to  South  Dakota,  where  Mr.  Nyman  secured  a 
homestead   and    began   farming,    experiencing  many  of  the  hardships  and 


T\'OOT)SON   COUNTIES,  KAJJSAS.  -4.'5i 

trials  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  pioneer.  The  summers  were  short,  the  wiiiters 
Song  and  severe,  and  many  blizzards  rendered  the  lot  of  the  settlers  any- 
thing but  enviable.  After  nine  years  Mr.  Nyman  sold  his  farm  and  on 
account  of  ill  health  returned  with  his  family  to  Sweden,  but  after  fifteen 
months  he  again  came  to  America,  reaching  Kansas  in  1878.  He  bought  a 
larm  of  eighty  acres  vphere  Savonburg  is  located,  and  later  added  to  the 
jiroperty  until  he  owns  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  the  rich  and  pro- 
ductive soil  of  Allen  county.  Here  he  has  built  a  fine  country  residence 
•and  large  barns  and  is  now  in  possession  of  a  model  country-seat,  every- 
thing about  the  place  being  in  first  class  condition.  He  is  numbered  among 
the  progressive  and  substantial  farmers  of  Allen  county,  and  deserving  of 
;great  credit  for  his  success,  for  when  he  first  arrived  in  America  he  had 
only  twenty  dollars.  His  excellent  ability  as  a  manager,  combined  with  his 
unflagging  industry,  has  enabled  him  to  work  his  way  steadily  upward  and 
today  he  is  in  possession  of  a  handsome  coriipetence. 

In  politics  August  J.  Nyman  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  inflexible  in 
support  of  the  principles  of  his  party.  For  a  third  of  a  century  his  wife  has 
'traveled  lile"'s  journey  by  his  side  and  their  home  was  blessed  with  three 
■children.  The  two  surviving  are  C  W,  and  J.  O.,  the  latter  a  prominent 
Teal  estate  dealer  in  Savonburg. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  C.  W,  Nyman  we  present  to  our 
readers  the  life  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Allen  county. 
He  spent  the  first  eight  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  State,  and  then  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  return  to  Sweden.  His  experience  in  the 
-old  country  was  an  interesting  period  in  his  boyhood  career.  With  the 
iamily  he  came  to  Allen  county  when  nine  years  of  age,  and  has  made  his 
home  here  continuously  since,  supplementing  his  early  education,  acquired 
in  South  Dakota,  by  study  in  the  schools  of  Savonburg  and  also  in  learning 
the  Swedish  language.  He  assisted  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm  and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  when  he  was  married,  on  the  3rd  of  March  1892,  to  Miss  Allie  Freed, 
a  native  of  this  county,  and  a  -daughter  of  Daniel  and  Pleasant  Freed,  They 
now  have  a  little  son,  Vernon,  who  is  three  years  old. 

After  his  marriage  Mr,  Nyman  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on  the 
county  line,  a  mile  south  and  west  of  Savonburg,  and  with  characteristic 
■energy  began  transforming  the  raw  prairie  into  richly  cultivated  fields.  He 
■erected  a  nice  residence  and  added  to  its  homelike  appearance  by  planting 
trees  about  the  place.  His  house  is  situated  on  the  county  line,  and  he 
■owns  also  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Neosho  county.  The 
soil  is  rich  and  productive  and  a  crop  can  be  depended  upon  almost  any 
season.  He  has  a  herd  of  good  cattle,  keeping  on  hand  about  forty  head, 
and  he  also  has  good  horses  and  mules,  with  which  to  operate  his  land  and 
tend  to  the  other  work  of  the  farm.  In  1896  he  became  interested  in  the 
real  estate  business  in  Savonburg  in  connection  with  his  brother,  but 
after  a  year  he  sold  out  to  his  brother  and  returned  to  the  farm,  since  which 
time  he  has  devoted  his  energies  exclusively  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields 
and  the  raising  of  stock. 


462  HISTORY   OF  AtLEN   ANET 

In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Nyraan  is  an  Odd  Pellow  and  Rebetafi  ancS 
also  belongs  to-  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workman,  to  the  KnightS' 
and  Ladies  ol  Security  aiKl  tcrthe  Anti-Horse  Thief  Association.^  In  politics- 
be  has  been  an- earnest  and  energetic  Republican  since  casting  his' first  vote.. 
In  his  farming  methods  he  is  practical  and  eiiterprising,  and  these  quali- 
ties have  made  him  one  of  the  prosperous  agrieulturalists  (rfthe  community^ 
while  his  genial  manner  has  rendered  him  popular  witbmany  friends.- 


fAMES  H.  RU'NVAN— Fora  quarter  of  a  century  James  H.  Kunyan  has- 
^  resided  upon  the  farm  in  Elm  township  which  is  now  his  home,  and 
is  a  loyal  citizen  of  KJansas-.  He  has  traveled  irt  various  states  but  has 
never  found  a  location  as  pleasing  as  Allen  county  and  therefore  with  its 
interests  he  has-  been  long  and  actively  identified.  He  was  born  in  Warren, 
county,  Ohio,  in  18-27,  His  paternal  great-grandfather,  Henry  Runyan,. 
Sr,,  was- a  native  of  HoUandv  wlience  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America.- 
When  the  yoke  of  British  oppression  became  intolerable  and  the  people 
sought  independence  he  joined  the  colonial  army,  thus  becoming  one  of  the- 
Revolutionary  heroes-.  His-  son,  Henry  Runyan,  jr.,  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  what  is  now  West  Virginia,  in  1775,  and  in  that  State 
occurred  the  birth  of  bis  son,  Peter  L,.  Runyan,  the  date  of  his  birth  being 
1 801.  During  the  pioneer  epoch  in  the  development  of  Ohio,  be  removed 
from  West  Virginia  to  the  Buckeye  State  and  in  1824  married  Hannah 
Grosson.,  whose  people  moved  Irom  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio  in  1803.  Of  the 
children  of  Peter  L,.  Runyan  five  are  still  livingr  Henry,  of  Butlerville, 
Ohio;  James  H.>  Archie,  of  Blancbester,  Ohio;  Mrs.  Rebecca  lyong 
and  Mrs.  Mary  Flommerfelt,  both  of  whom  are  residents  of  Butlerville. 

James  H.  Runyan,  the  second  of  the  family,  early  became  inured  to  the 
hard  labor  incident  to  life  upon  a  pioneer  farm.  In  1852  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  there  and  spent  seven  years  on  the 
Pacific  slope  engaged  in  mining  and  in  running  a  pack  train  and  trading 
post  at  the  mines.  In  1859  be  returned  to  Ohio  and  after  devoting  six 
years  to  merchandising  once  more  took  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm  where 
he  remained  until  his  removal  to  Allen  county,  Kansas,  in  1874.  He  spent 
about  a  year  in  lola  and  then  purchased  the  land  on  which  he  now  resides. 
He  found  here  a  log  cabin,  while  a  small  portion  of  the  ground  had  been 
placed  under  cultivation-  Each  year  he  has  added  to  the  improvement'^ 
upon  the  place  until  he  has  made  it  one  of  the  best  farms  in  Elm  township; 
the  well  tilled  fields  yielding  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care 
and  cultivation  he  has  bestowed  upon  them. 

In  i860  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Runyan  and  Miss  Sarah  S. 
Bird ,  whose  people  removed  from  New  Jersey  to  Ohio.  She  is  the  only 
surviving  one  of  a  family  of  fourteen  children;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Runyan  have 
five  children,  all  living,  namely;  LeRoy,  who  is  clerking  for  the  Lanyon 
Zinc  Company    at    Lanyonville,    is  manried;  George  W.,  married,  and  is  a 


"WOODSON   COTJNTIES,   ^KA^SAS.  46^ 

»ailToacl  employe  living  in  .N3odesha,  Kansas.-  Clement  E.,  of  'Calitenia;; 
Ed  L- ,  who  is  married  and  is  in  the  real  estate  business  in  lyaHai'pe,  'and 
Mrs.  Nellie  Morrison  who -resides  on  a  farm  in  Kim  township.  lii  'politics 
ithe  Runyans  are  Democrats,  and  in  religious  belief  they  are  Methodists. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Runyan  of  this  review  have  been  members  or  the  church  of 
ithat  denomination  for  thirty  years,  and  in  their  life  exemplify  their 
rfaith,  Mr.  Ruriyan  has  had  no  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to 
■seek  a  home  in  Kansas,  for  here  he  has  prospered,  gaining  a  com- 
ifortable  competence,  and  at  the  same  time  winning  the  resj)ect  of  his 
sfellow  men. 


WILLIAM  ;j.  FtTRlSTEAtlX — In  his  life  record  William  J.  Pur- 
neaux  has  manifested  many  of  the  sterling  traits  of  his  English 
■and  Scotch  ancestors.  He  -was  born  in  Owen  Souad,  in  Canada,  September 
4,  1867.  His  father,  John  Furneaux,  was  a  native  of  England,  born  in 
Devonshire,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
JBritish  province  in  the  new  world.,  being  reared  and  married  in  Canada. 
Miss  Jennie  Lawrie,  who  became  his  wife,  was  born  in  Scotland  and  was 
hrought  to  Canada  when  five  years  of  age.  With  his  family  John  Fur- 
neaux removed  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  in  1869,  locating  upon  a  farm 
ithere.  He  had  previously  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lye,  but  after 
•coming  to  the  Sunflower  state  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
At  present  he  is  living  with  his  family  in  Barton  county,  Missouri.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Furneaux  became  the  parents  of  six  children,  five  of  whom  are 
living,  namely:  Robert,  William  J.,  Helen,  Henry  and  Grace,  now  the 
wife  of  Dan  VanScoyoc. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  the  second  of  the  family.  He  remained 
with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age  and  was  then  married 
to  Miss  Aldora  Gloyd,  who  was  born  in  Bucyrus,  Crawford  county,  Ohio, 
•on  the  14th  of  November,  1873.  Her  parents  were  Henry  and  Lavina 
((Grundrun)  Gloyd,  who  came  to  this  state  in  1888,  but  are  now  living  in 
Davis  county,  Missouri,  where  Mr.  Gloyd  has  been  employed  by  the 
Wabash  Railroad  Company  for  a  number  of  years. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Furneaux  rented  a  farm  and  began  life  on  his 
own  account.  He  had  a  team,  but  few  possessions  beyond  this  and  it  was 
hard  work  that  gave  him  his  start.  However,  he  possessed  an  unfailing 
amount  of  energy  and  determination  and  as  the  result  of  his  well  directed 
efforts  he  was  soon  enabled  to  purchase  a  farm. 

Mr.  Furneaux  resided  in  Anderson  county  until  i8'94  when  he  sold  his 
property  there  and  came  to  Allen  county  where  he  purchased  eighty  aCres 
of  land  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Elsmore,  Here  he  is  making  a  nice  home 
and  with  the  aid  of  his  wife  he  is  advancing  steadily  on  the  road  to  pros- 
perity. The  marriage  of  this  worthy  couple  has  been  blessed  with  four 
children,  namely;     Roy,   George,  McNel   and   Eva.     Mr.    Furneaux   has 


464  HrsTORY  OF"  ALLEK   ASTO^ 

always  been  a  stalwart  Republican  and  is  giving  an-  unswerving  support  to' 
the  principles  af  the  party,  but  he  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  his. 
attention  being  fully  occupied  by  bis  business  affairs. 


/^EOUGE  S.  YOUNG.— The  record  of  George  H.  Ybmig  is  that  of  a 
^-^  conscientious  man  who  by  bis  upright  life  has  won  the  confidence  of 
all  witb  whom  he  has  conte  in  contact.  He  has  passed  the  eighty-third 
milestone  on  life's  journey  and  although  the  snows  of  many  winters  have 
whitened  his  hair  he  has  tbe,  vigor  of  a  much  younger  man  and  in  spirits- 
and  interesfe  seems  yet  in  bis  prime.^  Old  age  i*  not  necessarily  a  syn- 
onym of  weakness  and  inactivity.  It  need  not  suggest,  as  a  matter  of; 
course,  want  of  occupation  or  helplessness.  Tbere  is  an  old  age  that  is  a 
benediction  to  all  that  come  in  contact  with  it,  that  gives  out  of  its  rich 
stores  of  experience  and  is  thus  a  benefit  ta  others-,  ^cb  is  the  life  of  Mr, 
Young,  an  encouragement  to  his  associates  and  an  example  well  worthy  o£ 
emulation  to  those  who  are  but  starting  out  on  life''s  journey. 

He  was  born  in  Stokes  county.  North  Carolina,  October  24,  181 7,  a 
son  of  Robert  and  Mary  (.Astrop)  Young,  the  former  a  native  of  the  Old 
North  state,  while  the  latttr  was  born  in  Culpeper  caunty,  Virginia.  He 
died  in  December,  1857,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and  bis  wife  sur- 
vived him  until  1864,  passing  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  Nine  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them  but  only  three  are  now  living::  Anna,  who  reside.s 
in  North  Carolina,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years;  George  H.,  and  E.  H.,  who' 
is  still  living  in  the  county  where  he  was  born  seventy-six  years  ago. 

George  H.  Young  received  only  such  educational  privileges  as  were 
afiorded  by  the  common  schools  of  his  native  state.  He  was  reared  to  man- 
hood under  the  parental  roof,  and  on  the  nth  of  March,  1841,  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Polly  A.  Ross.  He  owned  a  small  farm  in  North  Car- 
olina and  continued  its  operation  until  i860,  when  he  started  for  Kansas, 
hoping  to  tbere  secure  a  good  location,  but  when  he  reached  Kansas  City 
he  heard  such  discouraging  reports  concerning  the  droughts  in  the  Sun- 
flower state  that  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Cass  county,  Missouri,  and  there 
took  up  his  abode.  Afterward,  however,  he  removed  to  Johnson  county, 
Kansas,  but  returned  to  his  farm  in  Missouri,  where  he  remained  six 
months,  then  came  back  to  Kansas,  In  1870  he  came  to  Allen  county  and 
secured  a  claim  comprising  a  quarter  section  of  land  in  the  southeast  por- 
tion of  the  county.  It  was  a  tract  of  wild  prairie  on  which  not  a  furrow 
had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made,  but  he  at  once  began  its  de- 
velopment and  has  made  his  home  thereon  for  thirty  years.  He  has  suf- 
fered many  trials  since  coming  to  the  west-  He  lived  in  Missouri  during  a 
portion  of  the  war  period  and  was  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  the  bush- 
whackers who  twice  robbed  him  of  nearly  everything  he  had  and  kept  him 
in  a  state  of  constant  fear  and  anxiety.  During  the  war  he  joined  the 
militia  and  aided  in  guarding   the   families   on   the   border.     He  has  per- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  465 

formed  the  arduous  task  of  improving  a  new  farm  in  Kansas,  but  now  has  a 
valuable  property  which  supplies  him  with  all  the  necessities  and  comforts 
of  life. 

In  1894  Mr.  Young  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who 
died  on  the  3rd  of  September  of  that  year,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  To 
them  were  born  eleven  children,  nine  of  whom  reached  years  of  maturity, 
while  eight  are  yet  living,  namely:  Smith  A.,  wife  of  James  Davis,  now 
of  Wilson  county,  Kansas;  Jasper  L,.  I..  Martin  G.  and  John  R.,  all  of 
Bourbon,  Kansas;  G.  W.,  at  home;  J.  B.,  in  Nebraska;  Charles  Grant  and 
Anna  M.,  also  at  home. 

Mr.  Young  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  William  Henry  Harrison 
and  was  a  stalwart  Whig  until  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
when  he  joined  its  ranks  and  has  since  followed  its  banners,  giving  his 
support  to  President  McKinley  in  1896  and  again  in  1900.  Everything 
pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community  receives  his  endorsement  and 
co-operation.  To  the  Methodist  Episcopal  congregation  he  gave  a  plat  of 
ground,  the  society  wasorganized  and  a  good  church  was  built  in  1883, 
now  having  a  membership  of  between  seventy-five  and  one  hundred,  Mr. 
Young  is  a  well  preserved  man,  vigorous  and  energetic,  with  memory  un- 
impaired and  mind  undimmed  with  the  weight  of  years.  His  many  friends 
join  in  the  wish  that  he  may  be  spared  for  some  years  to  come,  to  be  num- 
bered still  among  the  respected  and  worthy  citizens  of  Allen  county. 


"T^R.  CHARLES  S.  RANNEI/LS  has  been  engage'd  in  the  practice  of 
-* — '  medicine  in  Allen  county  for  twenty-two  years.  He  possesses  a 
broad  humanitarian  spirit,  a  sympathetic  nature  and  a  strong  mind,  that  in 
its  power  of  analysis  enables  him  to  correctly  and  carefully  diagnose  dis- 
ease. These  qualities  have  insured  his  success  and  won  him  prestige  as  a 
representative  of  the  medical  fraternity. 

The  Doctor  was  born  in  St.  I<ouis  county,  Missouri,  January  15,  1851, 
and  is  the  eldest  son  of  Dr.  David  Watson  and  Mary  Eliza  (Clarkson) 
Rannells,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  The  father  located  in 
St.  Louis  county,  Missouri,  at  an  early  day,  his  home  being  within  seven 
miles  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  and  for  forty-five  years  engaged  in  practice 
there,  being  the  loved  family  physician  of  many  a  household.  He  died  in 
1876.  His  wife  passed  away  many  years  before,  leaving  for  children: 
Charles  S.;  Sallie,  wife  of  Rev.  Penu  Mead,  of  New  York,  now  deceased; 
Catherine,  who  is  living  in  New  York  with  her  sister,  and  David,  a  resi- 
dent of  San  Diego  county,  California. 

Having  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  public  schools, 
Charles  S.  Rannells  afterward  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  his 
father's  watchful  care  and  guidance,  and  subsequently  became  a  student  in 
the  medical  university  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  in  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  the  winter  of   1876.     He    began   practice   in    Baltimore,    but 


466  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

after  a  j-ear  returned  to  Missouri  to  visit  his  father  and  practiced  for  one 
year  in  his  old  home  neighborhood  near  St.  Louis.  In  1878  he  came  to 
Allen  county,  where  he  has  since  made  his  iiome,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  has  been  located  in  Savonburg.  His  practice  extends  into  Neosho 
and  Bourbon  counties,  and  has  now  assumed  large  proportions. 

The  Doctor  married  Mrs.  Mattie  Ayer^,  widow  of  Benj.  W.  Avers,  and 
a  daughter  of  Dr.  G.  G.  Samuels,  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  St.  Louis,  where  he  met  and  married  Adoline  Butler,  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  city.  Dr.  Samuels  died  in 
1895,  while  ^-isiting  in  Arkansas,  and  his  wife  passed  away  many  years  be- 
fore. By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Rannells  had  two  children:  Mabel,  a 
popular  young  lady  of  Allen  county;  and  Bennie,  who  is  married  and  re- 
sides in  Kansas  City.  Unto  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  been  born  a 
daughter,  Sallie  M.,  now  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  a  son,  Charles,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty  months.  His  success  in  the  line  of  his  chosen 
profession  has  brought  to  Dr.  Rannells  a  comfortable  competence  and  en- 
ables him  to  supply  his  family  with  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  His  man- 
ner is  cordial  and  courteous,  his  actions  sincere,  and  all  who  know  him 
recognize  his  .sterling  worth. 


TTENRY  E.  BLAKELY,  who  is  numbered  among  Ohio's  native  sons, 
-'-  -•-  was  born' in  Miami  county,  October  11,  1867,  and  is  a  son  of  George 
H.  and  Sophia  Ann  (Dillon)  Blakely,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Ohio,  the  latter  being  of  Irish  descent,  for  her  grandparents  were  natives  of 
the  Green  Isle  of  Erin.  When  the  subject  of  this  review  was  three  years  old 
his  parents  removea  to  Dunn  county,  Wisconsin,  and  there  he  resided  for 
twelve  years,  attending  the  common  schools  and  thus  acquiring  the  founda- 
tion of  his  education.  Subsequently  the  family  became  residents  of  Good- 
hue county,  Minnesota,  where  he  completed  his  schooling.  He  early  be- 
came familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agricul- 
turalist, and  in  addition  to  working  on  the  farm  through  the  summer  months 
he  taught  school  for  nine  years  in  the  winter  season,  thus  supplementing 
the  money  earned  at  agriculture  by  a  fair  income  from  his  professional  labors. 

While  residing  in  Goodhue  county  Mr.  Blakely  was  united  in  marriage 
on  June  28,  1893,  to  Miss  Effie  M.  Folsom,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
that  county  and  successfully  followed  school  teaching  until  her  marriage. 
Her  parents  were  Abel  B.  and  Nancy  (Wright)  Folsom.  Her  father  died 
in  1897,  but  her  mother  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  in  Lewiston, 
Idaho,  where  she  owns  a  good  fruit  farm.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Blakely  has  been  blessed  with  two  interesting  little  daughters:  Frances  F. , 
who  is  now  three  years  of  age,  and  Bessie  May,  a  baby  of  about  eighteen 
months. 

In  the  year  1896  Mr.  Blakely  came  to  the  Sunflower  State  and  has 
since  been  a  resident  of   Elsmore.     For   three   years   he  had  charge  of  the 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  467 

creamery  business  and  then  he  embarked  in  the  livery  business  which  he 
conducted  alone  until  the  spring  of  1900,  when  he  sold  a  half  interest  in 
that  enterprise  to  his  father.  Together  they  purchased  Mr.  Kenyou's 
livery  stable  which  was  added  to  their  own  enterprise  and  thus  they  are  in 
control  of  kn  extensive  livery  establishment  and  a  good  business.  Our 
subject  started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  his  only  capital  being  his  earnest 
determination  to  succeed  and  by  diligence  and  a  resolute  will  he  has  steadi- 
ly advanced  on  the  high  road  to  success.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen  of  Elsmore,  and  in  his  political  affiliations  he  is 
a  Republican.  He  has  filled  the  position  of  constable  in  his  town  for  two 
years,  making  a  creditable  record  as  a  public  official. 


GEORGE  D.  HILDEBRANT— Among  the  farmers  of  Allen  county 
who  have  responded  to  the  spirit  of  development  and  shared  in  the 
improvement  and  settlement  of  lola  township  is  George  D.  Hildebrant. 
He  came  west  before  Horace  Greeley  promulgated  his  famous  advice  to 
young  men  and  the  year  1857  found  him  in  Linn  county,  Kansas.  He 
roamed  about  over  the  western  piairies  and  mingled  with  the  Red  Man 
and  the  pioneers  and  familiarized  himself  with  the  customs  and  practices  of 
the  frontier. 

Mr.  Hildebrant  was  born  in  Morris  county,  New  Jersey,  November  13, 
1835.  He  was  a  son  of  Jacob  Hildebrant,  born  in  Hunterdon  county,  that 
State,  in  1802  and  who  died  at  Paw  Paw  Grove,  Illinois,  in  1887.  He 
was  one  of  a  large  family  of  children  of  Jacob  Hildebrant,  an  old  German 
settler  of  East  Jersey.     The  latter  married  Anna  Slack. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Clarissa  Emmons.  She  died  in  1849 
and  is  buried  at  Mendham,  New  Jersey.  In  1850  our  subject's  father  left 
New  Jeisey  and  brought  his  family  westward  into  DeKalb  county,  Illinois. 
His  sons  and  daughters  were:  Jerome,  who  died  and  left  a  family  in 
New  Jersey;  Elizabeth,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Valentine  Wirick;  Henry, 
of  Paw  Paw  Grove,  Illinois;  Emeline,  who  married  William  Griffith,  of 
Ottawa,  Illinois,  and  Jacob,  of  Aurora,  Illinois. 

George  D.  Hildebrant  was  reared  and  received  a  fair  education  about 
the  town  of  Paw  Paw  Grove,  Illinois.  There  was  a  Seminary  at  that  point 
then  and  he  attended  it  as  a  climax  to  his  career  as  a  school- boy.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  by  working  with  others,  and  until  he  be- 
came deeply  absorbed  in  farming,  he  made  this  his  vocation.  His  final 
entry  into  Kansas  was  made  in  187 1  when  he  stopped  in  I,inn  county.  In 
1874  he  came  over  into  Allen  and  invested  his  scant  means  in  a  quarter 
section  of  railroad  land,  in  section  35,  town  24,  range  17.  His  improve- 
ment of  it  was  at  first  exceedingly  slow  for  he  had  no  means  save  what  his 
trade  and  a  rented  farm  would  furnish  him.  In  1876  he  was  enabled  to 
move  to  his  farm  and  to  begin  the  cultivation  of  a  small  patch  which  he 
had  fenced.     With  the  lapse  of  years  he  has  discharged    all  his  early    and 


468  HISTORY   OF    A.J,LEN    AND 

burdensome  obligations,  has  added  to  his  acreage  largely-  and  has  reared 
a  large  family  and  surrounded  himself  with  the  comforts  of  a  well- 
ordered  home. 

In  i860  Mr.  Hildebrant  was  married  in  Illinois  to  Mariettta  Firkins,  a 
daughter  of  Asahel  and  Harriet  Firkins.  The  children  of  this  union  are: 
James  A.  Hildebrant,  who  married  Eliz  Kidney;  Ella,  deceased, 
married  H.  E.  Billbee  and  left  a  family  of  six  children;  William  Hilde- 
brant, with  the  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company  at  Independence,  is  married 
to  Sadie  Kidney;  Jacob  A.  Hildebrant,  with  the  Santa  Fe  Company  at  El 
Paso,  Texas,  is  married  to  Minnie  Reed;  Charles  Hildebrant,  a  Santa  Fe 
man  at  Independence,  Kansas;  Clyde  Hildebrant,  with  the  Lanyon  Zinc 
Company  at  lola,  is  married  to  Myrtle  Pinnegei,  Barney  E. ,  Garfield,  Jesse 
and  Clarissa  Hildebrant,  residing  on  the  homestead. 

In  political  action  Mr.  Hildebrant  and  his  .sons  are  Republicans.  In 
the  way  of  establishing  his  claim  to  such  political  brotherhood  he  cites  the 
casting  of  his  first  ballot  for  the  party's  first  presidential  candidate,  John  C. 
Fremont.  He  had  just  returned  to  Illinois  from  his  first  Kansas  trip  in 
i860  when  the  quadrangular  campaign  of  that  year  was  being  fought  and 
he  voted  for  Lincoln.  In  all  he  has  cast  a  dozen  ballots  for  Republican 
candidates  for  President  and  has  lost  only  three  of  the  twelve.  In  religious 
matters  Mr.  Hildebrant  is  allied  with  the  Methodists.  He  holds  his 
membership  with  the  congregation  in  Piqua  and  renders  it  his  conspientious 
support. 


ALFRED  CUNNINGHAM,  who  for  thirty  years  has  been  a  resident 
of  Allen  county,  was  born  in  Moultrie  county,  Illinois,  in  1836. 
His  father,  Hiram  Cunningham,  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  was  reared 
upon  the  farm.  In  earlj"-  manhood  he  removed  to  Kentucky,  but  after  two 
years  became  a  resident  of  Moultrie  county,  Illinois,  where  he  soon  after- 
ward married  Miss  Amanda  Wood.  Her  people  were  from  Kentucky  and 
were  representatives  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  South  Carolina.  Hiram 
Cunningham  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  war  under  Captain  Alfred  Hawes. 
He  made  farming  his  life  work  and  died- in  Illinois,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five 
years.  His  wife,  long  surviving  him,  departed  this  life  at  her  home  in 
Moultrie  county  in  1896.  The}- were  parents  of  the  following  named:  Owen, 
who  died  on  the  home  farm  in  Illinois,  leaving  a  wife  and  one  child; 
Crawford,  who  died  in  Iowa;  Samuel  and  Newton,  who  reside  in  Illinois; 
Jasper,  who  was  a  twin  brother  of  Newton  and  died  in  infancy;  Columbus, 
whose  place  of  residence  is  unknown,  and  Alfred,  our  subject. 

When  Mr.  Cunningham  was  only  two  years  old  his  parents  removed 
with  their  family  to  Macon  county,  Illinois,  but  when  he  was  fifteen  years 
of  age  returned  to  Moultrie  county,  Illinois.  His  educational  privileges 
were  such  as  the  subscription  schools  afforded  (for  there  were  no  public 
schools  in  that  part  of   Illinois)  at  the  time.     He  was   reared  to  farm  labor, 


•WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  4B§ 

<earl3'  becoming  familiar  with  the  work  of  plowing,  planting  an3  harvesting. 
As  a  companion  and  helpmeet  on  life's  journey  he  chose  ]Mis.s  Armilda 
•Swimni,  who  was  driven  from  Kentucky  by  Morgan's  men  duti-ng  the 
Civil  war.  They  were  married  in  Saybrook,  McLean  county,  Illinois  iin 
April,  1866.  H-er  father,  Robert  Swinim,  was  born  in  Fleming  co'tinty, 
Kentucky,  in  1812,  and  was  a  son  of  Hiram  Swimm,  a  Maryland  farmer 
who  was  killed  while  serving  his  country  in  the  war  of  1812.  His  children 
were  Michael,  John,  Taylor,  Ace,  Robert  and  Barbara,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Dan  Hamm.  All  are  nov?  deceased.  Robert  Swimm  married 
■Sarah  Riggs-,  and  Mrs.  Cunningham  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  their  six 
•children.  Ambrose,  the  eldest  son,  died  of  consumption;  Matthew  is  still 
living  in  Fleming  county,  Kentucky;  Eliza  A.,  is  the  wife  of  Robert 
Vanosdell,  of  Ottawa,  Kansas;  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Judas  Bandro,  of 
Purcell,  Indian  Territory,  and  Samuel  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
£ve.  The  father  of  this  family  departed  this  life  in  Fleming  county,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1848,  but  the  mother  is  still  living,  making  her  home  with  her 
daughter  Margaret  in  the  Indian  Territory.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cunningham 
had  three  children,  but  I,ela,  who  was  born  March  8,  1882,  is  the 
■only  one  now  living.  The  sons,  Corlus  B.  and  Ora  D.,  died  when  four 
years  of  age. 

Mr.  Cunningham  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas  in  1S70,  arriving  in 
Humboldt  on  the  9th  of  October.  He  was  then  thirty-six  years  of  age, 
strong  and  vigorous,  with  a  realization  that  life  was  not  all  sunshine,  and 
willing  to  bear  his  share  of  hardships  if  he  could  ultimately  secure  a  good 
home  for  himslf  and  family.  Grasshoppers,  fire  and  pestilence  have  injured 
his  income  and  taught  him  patience  and  endurance.  In  the  spring  after 
his  arrival  he  rented  a  small  farm  of  Mr.  Smith  of  Salem  township,  and 
there  lived  for  two  years,  after  which  he  took  up  his  abode  on  the  farm 
which  he  yet  owns.  He  purchased  the  property  in  187 1,  and  with  charac- 
teristic energy  began  its  development  the  following  year,  breaking  about 
five  acres  of  land  where  his  house  stands  and  laying  the  foundation  for  the 
building.  He  also  planted  a  small  orchard.  In  1871  he  purchased  about 
sixty  head  of  cattle,  but  .soon  afterward  had  his  hay  supply  destroyed  by 
a  fire  which  started  near  Big  Creek,  and  burned  its  way  up  into  Anderson 
county.  At  the  end  of  the  third  day  the  wind  changed  and  the  fire  was 
thus  driven  back  in  a  northeasternly  course  along  the  track  west  of  that 
over  which  it  had  first  swept.  It  traveled  at  a  fearful  rate  and  nothing 
could  withstand  its  fury.  Mr.  Cunningham  only  escaped  by  runtiing  with 
the  fire  and  jumping  into  the  creek.  He  hurried  on  to  his  home,  where 
his  wife  lay  ill.  In  the  woodyard  was  a  small  bate  spot  around  the  wood 
pile  and  there  he  carried  Mrs.  Cunningham  on  a  feather  bed,  laying  her  on 
the  wood  and  thus  escaping  the  fury  of  the  fire. 

Malaria  was  prevalent  in  those  early  days  and  Mrs.  Cunningham  was 
forced  in  the  fall  of  1862  to  return  to  Illinois  to  recover  her  health.  Her 
husband  remained  in  Kansas,  built  a  new  home  for  them  and  received  her 
again  the  following  spring.  Though  he  was  met  with  difficulties,  Mr. 
Cunningham  has  persevered  and  prosperity  has  now   rewarded  his   labors. 


470  HISTORY    OF    ALLEIST  AND 

Aside  from  fanning,  he  has  been  very  successful  in  the  raising  of  hogs  anij 
has  thus  added  materially  to  his  incomer  He  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous 
residents  of  his  Gommurtity^ 

Since  I  &7 4.  Mr,  Cunningham  and  his  wife  have  been  members  of  the- 
Methodis-t  Episcopal  church  and  are  active  in  its  work.  Their  well  spent 
lives  have  gained  them  high  regard  and  they  now  enjoy  the  esteem  and 
friendship  of  a  wide  acq^uaintance. 


A  IvF'RED  W.  JORDAN"— In  the  history  of  a  marr  who  has  devoted  his 
-^~^  entire  life  to  business,  there  is  little  to  awaken  the  interest  of  the 
reader  in  i-earch  of  a  sensational  chapter,  but  Carlyle  has  said  that  "biogra- 
phy is  the  niDst  profitable  of  all  reading,"  for  therein  are  set  forth  the 
methods  which  have  been  followed  to  win  succsss  or  which  have  lead  to 
failure.  The  careful  student  may  therefore  learn  valuable  lessons  from  such 
a  career  as  Mr.  Jordan's  for  he  is  one  who  has  worked  his  way  upward, 
conquering  all  obstacles  and  advancing  steadily  on  the  highway  of  prosperi- 
ty by  means  of  determined  purpose  and  ceaseless  energy. 

Born  in  Jasper  county,  Missouri,  June  4,  185.0,  Mr.  Jordan  is  the 
second  child  of  Gustavus  and  Elizabeth  (Clay)  Jordan.  His  father  was  a 
native  of  Virginia  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  left  that  state,  removing  with  his 
parents  to  Kentucky  where  he  spent  the  succeeding  twenty  years  of  his  life. 
During  that  period  he  was  married  to  Miss  Clay,  a  native  of  the  Blue 
Grass  State.  When  twenty  years  had  passed  he  returned  to  Virginia,  later 
took  up  his  abode  in  Tennessee,  thence  went  to  Arkansas  and  later  t'> 
Jasj>er  county,  Missouri.  The  year  1863  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Kansas, 
He  fiist  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Osage  river  in  Anderson  county,  and  in 
1866  came  to  Allen  county,  locating  on  Big  creek,  where  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days,  his  death  occurring  in  1875,  when  he  was  seventy-six  years 
of  age.  His  wife  passed  away  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years.  Of 
theii  eight  children  five  are  still  living:  Mary,  wife  of  D.  R.  Chappel,  of 
Neosho  county;  A.  W-,  of  this  review;  Amanda,  wife  of  Thomas  Edwards, 
of  Neosho  county;  Julia,  wife  of  William  Evans  of  the  same  county;  and 
George,  also  of  Neosho  county. 

Mr.  Jordan  of  this  sketch  came  with  bis  parents  to  the  Sunflower  State 
in  1863,  and  to  Allen  county  in  1866  and  in  the  common  schools  acquired 
his  education.  He  assisted  his  father  until  attaining  his  majority  and  then 
began  farming  on  his  own  account.  That  he  has  labored  untiringly  and 
guided  his  labors  by  sound  judgment  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  eight  acres  of  valuable  land,  constituting 
one  of  the  finest  stock  farms  in  Kansas.  It  is  well  improved  with  a  fine 
residence,  a  commodious  and  substantial  barn  and  all  necessary  outbuild- 
ings and  a  beautiful  grove  surrounds  his  home.  His  feed  lots  adjoin  a  large 
body  of  fine  timber  and  there  is  plenty  of  running  water  upon  the  place. 
Each  winter  he  feeds  cattle  and    hogs  in  large    numbers  and  these  he  ships 


"WOODSOlSr   CO'UNTIES,    KAT^SAS.  iijl 

sto  market  in  Kansas  Citj'-  He  raises  grain  in  -considerable  q'£ia:ritities  a:iid 
sthis  he  feeds  to  his  stock  and  also  buys  large  quantities  from  his  Me^ighbdrs, 
rthus  furnishing  a  market  for  the  corn  raised  in  this  locality. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  1880,  Mr.  Jordan  was  united  in  marriage  "to  Miss 
Clara  Kerr,  a  native  of  Indiana,  who  came  with  her  parents 'to  Kansas  in 
1879.  They  now  have  six  children,  namely:  Rettie,  Una,  Anna,  Dailey, 
Pearl  and  John.  In  the  community  they  have  many  warm  friends,  being 
■highly  esteemed  for  their  sterling  worth.  In  his  political  vi-ews  Mr. 
Jordan  is  a  staunch  Republican  and  always  supportsthat  party  by  his  ballot 
although  he  has  never  sought  office,  preferring  to  give  his  attention  to  his 
business  affairs  in  which  he  has  met  with  signal  success.  His  li'fe  has  ever 
■been  upright  and  his  name  is  synonymous  with  honorable  dealing,  his  word 
being  as  good  as  his  bond.  Diligence  and  enterprise  have  rendered  his  life 
•of  much  avail  in  the  business  world  and  his  handsome  property  stands  as  a 
iinouuraent  to  his  earnest  effort. 


JOHN  T.  WOOD,  the  proprietor  of  the  lola  Horse  and  Mule  Market,  was 
born  in  Edgar  county,  Illinois,  on  the  13th  of  May,  1865.  His  father 
■became  a  resident  of  that  county  in  1845,  arfd  taught  the  first  school  within 
its  borders.  For  some  years  he  was  identified  with  educational  interests 
there  and  also  was  prominent  in  public  affairs.  He  held  some  county 
■offices,  and  was  widely  and  favorably  known  throughout  Edgar  county. 
In  his  business  affairs  he  prospered  and  having  gained  a  comfortable  com- 
petence was  well  able  to  start  his  son  in  business,  but  possessing  a  com- 
mendable spirit  of  self-reliance,  John  T.  Wood  resolved  to  make  his  own 
way  and.  show  to  the  world  that  a  young  man  could  gain  success  without 
assistance.  In  the  family  were  three  sons,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the 
middle.  The  first  owns  and  operates  a  stock  ranch  in  Reno  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  the  younger  brother,  Walter  Wood,  has  a  farm  in  Allen  county. 
The  brothers  are  all  men  of  sound  business  sagacity  and  great  tfaders. 

In  the  common  schools  John  T.  Wood  acquired  his  education  and  was 
early  trained  to  habits  of  industry  upon  his  father's  farm.  It  Was  therefore 
with  a  practical  experience  of  agricultural  labors  that  he  came  to  Kansas, 
but  with  no  capital.  He  arrived  in  the  state  in  1887  and  entered  upon  his 
business  career  here  by  working  for  fifty  cents  a"  day.  He  afterward  at- 
tended the  Normal  Institute  and  obtained  a  teacher's  certificate.  For  nine 
years  he  performed  the  labors  of  the  school  room  and  was  regarded  as  a 
very  capable  educator,  but  the  natural  tendency  of  the  family  began  to 
strongly  assert  itself  and  abandoning  the  teacher's  profession  he  took  up 
his  abode  upon  a  farm,  raising,  buying  and  shipping  stock.  He  is  an  ex- 
cellent judge  of  stock  and  his  efforts  in  this  direction  have  been  attained 
with  prosperity.  From  time  to  time  he  has  made  judicious  investments  in 
real  estate  until  his  landed  possessions  now  aggregate  five  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  in  Elm  township,  constituting  a  well  improved  farm. 


4y2  HTSTORY  OF   ALLESr   AND' 

In  December,  iSgi,  Mr.  Wood  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Blanche 
Allen,  a  native  of  Michigan,  who  in  1880.  accompanied  her  parents  on 
their  removal  from  Chicago  to  the  Sunflower  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood 
now  have  two  children:  Roscoe  and  Edna,  aged  respectively  seven  and 
six  years.  As  every  true  American  citizen  should  do  Mr.  Wood  keeps, 
well  informed  on  the  political  issues  of  the  day,  and  believing  that  the 
platform  of  the  Republican  party  contains  the  best  elements  of  good  govern- 
ment, he  gives  to  it  a  loyal  support.  He  has  held  the  oiSce  oi  trustee  in. 
Elm  township,  but  seeks  not  public  officer  preferring  to  devote  his  ener- 
gies to  his  business  affairs.  He  has  always  depended  upon  his  own. 
resources  and  his  life  record  illustrates  most  forcibly  what  can  be  accom- 
plished through  determined  purpose  and  indefatigable  energy,,  when  guided 
by  practical  business  sense- 


T3KTE,R  C.  JACOBSON  is  oue  of  the  worthy  residents  of  Allen  county 
^  that  Denmark  has  furnished  to  the  Sunflower  state.  Of  Danish  birth 
bis  natal  day  was  August  26,  1&3.6.  His  parents,  Peter  J.  and  Cory  Jacob- 
son,  were  also  natives  of  Denmark,  the  former  born  in  1801,  and  the  latter 
in  179S.  They  spent  their  entire  lives  in  the  land  of  their  birth  and  are 
now  deceased- 

Until  twenty-five  years  of  age  Peter  C.  Jacobson  remained  in  Den- 
mark, and  then,  in  1861,  came  to  America,  locating  first  in  Milwaukse, 
Wisconsin,  where  he  worked  at  the  shoemaker's  trade.  He  afterward 
followed  that  pursuit  in  Madison,  Wisconsin,  until  the  i6th  of  April,  1862, 
when  he  joined  the  Union  army  as  a  private  of  Company  A,  Twenty-third 
Wisconsin  Infantry.  With  that  command  he  served  for  three  years  and 
two  months  and  participated  in  many  of  the  most  hotly  contested  engage- 
ments of  the  war,  including  the  battles  of  Haines  Bluff,  Arkansas  Post, 
Grand  Gulf,  Black  River  Bridge,  Champion  Hills,  Jackson  and  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg,  which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  th-at  city  after  forty-three 
days  of  siege.  He  was  also  in  the  battles  of  Port  Gibson,  Sabine  Cross 
Roads,  Appaloosa,  Fort  Blakely,  Spanish  Fort,  Mobile  and  many  other 
engagements  of  lesser  importance.  After  three  years  of  service  he  was 
mustered  out  at  Mobile,  having  been  one  of  the  loyal  defenders  of  his 
adopted  land.  He  was  only  slightly  wounded,  his  injuries  never  keeping 
him  away  from  the  field  of  duty. 

On  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  Mr.  Jacobson  returned  to  Madi- 
son, Wisconsin,  but  soon  afterward  located  in. Green  Bay,  that  state,  where 
he  resided  for  seven  years.  During  that  period  he  was  married  to  Mary 
Jenson,  a  native  of  Denmark,  and  they  have  five  children:  Charles  C,  at 
home;  Sarah  A.,  wife  of  Charles  E.  Foster;  Benjamin  F. ,  a  resident  of  Can- 
ton, Illinois;  Marion  W.  and  Ida  M. ,  both  at  home. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Jacobson  removed  to  Helena,  Arkansas,  where 
he   remained  for  three  years,   working  at  his  trade.     In   1873  he  came  to 


WOODSON  COUNTIEi),  KANSAS.  473 

Kansas,  locating  first  at  Osage  Mission,  where  he  followed  farming  until 
1874.  That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Allen  county,  and  after  three 
years  spent  on  a  farm  west  of  Savonburg  he  removed  to  the  farm  which  is 
now  his  home  and  on  which  he  has  erected  a  good  residence.  He  has  also 
made  other  substantial  improvements.  During  President  Cleveland's  ad- 
ministration he  received  an  appointment  to  the  po-iition  of  railway  postal 
clerk  and  served  in  1897  ^nd  1898  on  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe 
Railroad  and  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway.  Since  that  time 
he  has  continuously  and  successfully  engaged  in  farming.  In  America  he 
has  found  the  opportunity  he  sought  of  advancing  to  a  position  of  affluence, 
and  as  the  result  of  his  own  efforts  he  now  has  a  comfortable  property.  He 
belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  Post  at  Elsmore  and  in  his  political  affiliations 
is  a  Populist. 


"T^R.  JOHN"  COURTNEY  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
-* — '  in  Allen  county  for  twenty-two  years.  The  world  has  little  use  for 
the  misanthrope.  The  universal  truth  of  brotherhood  is  widely  recognized, 
also  that  he  serves  God  best  who  serves  his  fellowmen.  There  is  no  pro- 
fession or  line  of  business  that  calls  for  greater  self-sacrifice  or  more  devoted 
attention  than  the  medical  profession,  and  the  successful  physician  is  he 
who  through  love  of  his  fellowmen  gives  his  time  and  attention  to  the  re- 
lief of  human  suffering.  Dr.  Courtney  is  one  of  the  ablest  representatives 
of  this  noble  calling  in  his  adopted  county. 

A  native  of  Kentucky  he  was  born  in  Pendleton  county,  January  30, 
1836,  and  is  of  Irish  lineage.  Thomas  Courtney,  his  grandfather,  was  a 
native  of  Ireland,  and  when  a  young  man  crossed  the  Atlantic,  becoming  a 
resident  of  Pennsylvania.  By  trade  he  was  both  a  glove-maker  and 
tailor.  Michael  Courtney,  the  father  of  the  Doctor,  was  born  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1794,  and  married  L,eanna  McMurray,  who  was  of  Scotch 
parentage.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven  sons  and  three  daughters, 
and  four  of  the  sons  served  their  country  in  the  Union  army,  one 
laying  down  his  life  on  the  altar  of  freedom,  while  the  others  returned 
to  their  homes.  One  of  these,  Thomas,  is  now  living  in  Indiana,  while 
Marcellas  is  a  resident  of  Arkansas.  About  1850  the  family  removed  to 
Indiana  where  the  father  of  our  subject  died  in  1875,  at  the  ripe  age  of 
eighty-one  years. 

Dr.  Courtney  was  a  youth  of  twelve  years  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  the  Hoosier  state,  acquiring  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  there  and  in  the  high  schools  at  I^eavenworth  and  Huntingburg, 
Indiana.  From  the  former  he  was  graduated,  and  after  completing  his 
studies  he  engaged  in  teaching  until  the  Civil  war,  when  he  enlisted  as 
a  private  in  Company  E,  First  Indiana  Cavalry.  After  remaining  twenty 
months  with  that  command  he  received  a  commission  as  second  lieutenant 
in  Company  E,  Forty-fourth  United  States  Colored  Infantry,    with    which 


.'74  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

he  served  for  seven  months,  when,  the  war  having  ended,  he  received  an 
honorable  discharge.  He  was  in  several  skirmishes  and  battles,  and  at  the 
engagement  at  Peach  Orchard  had  his  horse  shot  from  under  him. 

After  the  war  Dr.  Courtney  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Vanduron,  of  English,  Crawford  county,  Indiana,  and  in 
1865  he  located  for  practice  in  Newton-Steward,  that  state,  where  he  re- 
mained for  ten  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to  Ma- 
coupin county,  Illinois,  where  he  practiced  three  years,  and  in  1878  he 
came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Cottage  Grove  township,  on  the  present  site  of 
the  town  of  Leanua,  which  was  named  in  honor  of  his  mother.  He  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land,  erected  a  good  residence  and  has  everything 
about  his  place  in  excellent  condition,  his  home  being  surrounded  by  beau- 
tiful shade  trees  that  stand  guard  over  a  well-kept  lawn.  From  the  time 
he  located  here  up  to  the  present,  he  has  enjoyed  a  large  and  important 
practice.  Thirty-six  years  experience  have  given  him  a  high  degree  of 
skill  and  he  holds  enviable  prestige  in  the  ranks  of  the  medical  fraternity 
in  Allen  county. 

The  Doctor  was  married  September  24,  1865,  to  Miss  Martha  Jane 
Foster  of  Tennessee.  She  was  born  in  Jackson,  that  state,  a  daughter  of 
William  P.  and  Charlotte  Foster,  who  removed  to  Indiana  at  the  time  of 
the  Civil  war,  for  they  entertained  strong  sympathy  for  the  Union  cause 
and  it  was  therefore  unsafe  for  them  to  remain  in  the  south.  Mr.  Foster 
died  in  1881,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in 
1894,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  Of  their  twelve  children  only  four  are 
now  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Courtney;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  J.  A.  Kellans; 
Mary,  wife  of  Hiram  Langford,  and  Welcome  Foster,  all  of  Newton-Stew- 
ard, Indiana.  Unto  the  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Courtney  have  been  born  four 
children,  three  of  whom  survive,  as  follows:  U.  R.,  a  teacher  of  Savon- 
burg,  Kansas;  O.  D.,  who  is  cashier  of  fhe  State  Bank  of  Savonburg,  and 
A.  Dieskau,  a  student  in  the  normal  school  at  Emporia.  The  family  is  one 
of  prominence  in  the  community,  the  sterling  worth  of  its  lepresentatives 
gaining  them  the  warm  regard  of  many  friends.  In  politics  the  Doctor  is 
an  unwavering  Republican,  believing  fully  in  expansion  and  the  protection 
of  the  American  flag  for  which  he  fought  on  southern  battle-fields,  and 
which  he  is  proud  to  know  now  floats  over  some  of  the  islands  of  the  sea 
as  a  symbol  of  protection  and  humanity. 


-ni 


■"HOMAS  HOGAN  was  born  in  Grant  county,  Wisconsin,  December 
27,  1852,  and  now  resides  in  Cottage  Grove  township,  Allen  county, 
being  numbered  among  the  successful  farmers  and  early  settlers  of  Kansas. 
His  father,  John  Hogan,  was  a  native  of  the  Green  Isle  of  Erin,  and  with 
his  parents  came  to  America,  the  family  locating  in  Illinois  near  Ottawa. 
After  his  first  marriage  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  where  his  wife  died,  and 
in  the  Badger  state  he  wedded  Margaret  Marshall,  a  native  of  Canada,  our 


WOUUSUN    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  475 

subject  being  a  son  of  the  second  marriage.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  after  his  removal  from  Wisconsin  followed  that  pursuit  in 
Douglas  county,  Kansas,  from  1857  until  the  time  of  his  removal  to  Leaven- 
worth county,  this  state,  where  he  spent  his  last  days,  dying  in  1878,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife  passed  away  in  1864,  at  the  age 
of  forty-eight  years.  They  had  five  children:  Thomas  P.;  Catherine, 
wife  of  James  Doyle;  James  T. ,  and  Carrie,  wife  of  Thomas  Hiland. 

When  only  four  years  of  age  Thomas  Hogan  of  this  review  was 
brought  to  Kansas  by  his  parents  and  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Douglas 
and  L,eavenworth  counties,  acquiring  his  education  in  the  common  schools. 
In  1874  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  journeying  west- 
ward to  California,  where  he  worked  for  a  time  upon  a  farm,  but  wishing 
to  see  more  of  the  countiry  he  visited  Oregon,  Nevada,  Arizona  and  Wyom- 
ing, whence  he  went  to  Colorado,  where  he  worked  in  a  mine  for  some 
time.  Believing  that  he  could  meet  with  better  success  in  the  Sunflower 
state  he  therefore  returned  to  Kansas,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
In  1879  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Hiland,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
seven  children,  as  follows:  Thomas  F.,  Anna  C,  L,izzie  May,  Catherine, 
James  T. ,  Charles  L.  and  Nellie  L,aura. 

In  1894  Mr.  Hogan  came  to  Allen  county  and  purchased  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and. sixty  acres  in  East  Cottage  Grove  township,  seven  miles 
southeast  of  Humboldt,  where  he  now  has  a  highly  improved  tract  of  land. 
The  home  is  surrounded  by  fine  forest  trees  and  his  fields  are  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  yielding  to  him  good  crops  which  materially  enhance 
his  income.  He  does  not  belong  to  that  class  of  farmers  who  are  continu- 
ally talking  about  hard  times,  but  has  faith  in  the  power  of  honest  labor  in 
bringing  success  to  the  individual.  Industry  has  been  the  strong  element 
in  his  own  prosperity  and  while  he  has  worked  hard -to  attain  success  he  is 
now  in  possession  of  a  good  home,  a  fine  farm  and  a  desirable  income.  He 
has  never  taken  any  very  active  part  in  politics,  usually  supporting  the 
Democracy,  but  believing  that  the  country  is  now  in  a  prosperous  condition 
he  does  not  desire  any  change  in  the  political  administration. 


JOSEPH  THUNEY  is  of  French  birth,  but  has  been  a  resident  of  Amer- 
"  ica  from  the  age  of  seven  years,  and  is  in  full  sympathy  with  the  insti- 
tutions of  this  country.  He  was  born  in  L,oraine,  France,  on  the  i8th  of 
March,  1838,  his  parents  being  John  B.  and  Anna  (Ferry)  Thuney,  of 
French  nativity.  They  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world  in  1845, 
taking  up  their  residence  in  Brown  county,  Ohio,  upon  the  farm  which  the 
father  made  his  home  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  died  in  1886, 
at  the  age  of  seventy- eight,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1894,  when  she 
had  reached  the  Psalmist's  span  of  three  score  years  and  ten.  They  had 
six  children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living,  namely:  August  and  Julian, 
who  are  residents  of  Brown  county,  Ohio;  Joseph;  Adeline,   wife  of  Victor 


476  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Petard;    and    Charles  and   Josephene,    who    make   their  home    in    Brown 
count}',  Ohio. 

Joseph  Thune}-  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  reared  on  the 
home  farm,  receiving  the  advantages  of  a  common  school  education.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  became  an  apprentice  at  the  carpenter's  trade. 
After  completing  his  term  of  service  he  was  employed  as  a  journej-man  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  being  a  good  workman  was  always  able  to  secure  a 
situation.  When  he  had  accumulated  about  sixteen  hundred  dollars  he 
decided  to  marry,  and  on  the  i6th  of  April,  1869,  was  joined  in  wedlock  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Miller,  one  of  the  accomplished  young  ladies  of  Brown 
county,  Ohio.  Her  parents  were  Jacob  and  Maj:ilda' (Schler)  Miller.  Her 
father  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  during  his  boyhood  came  to  the 
United  States  where  he  met  and  married  Miss  Schler,  who  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania.  They  had  seven  children,  of  whom  six  are  living,  all  be- 
ing residents  of  Brown  county,  Ohio,  with  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Thuney. 
The.se  are  Josephine,  wife  of  Benjamin  Farris;  Frank;  Henry;  Susan,  and 
Matilda,  wife  of  John  Evans. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Thuney  continued  to  work  at  the  carpenter's 
trade  until  1880,  when  he  resolved  to  turn  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits arid  believing  that  he  could  find  better  opportunities  in  the  west  where 
land  was  cheap  he  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas  in  1880  and  purcha.sed 
a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  forty- three  acres  in  Cottage  Grove  township,  five 
miles  southeast  of  Humboldt  He  has  since  resided  thereon  and  has  made 
it  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  his  section  of  the  county,  everything  being  kept 
in  good  condition.  His  knowledge  of  carpentering  has  enabled  him  not 
only  to  erect  a  pleasant  residence  and  one  of  the  best  barns  in  the  county, 
but  also  to  keep  everything  in  good  repair,  and  now  in  their  attractive 
home,  he  and  his  wife  are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  their  toil,  for  she  has  been 
to  him  an  able  assistant. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thuney  are  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  four  daughters, 
namely:  Frank  E. ,  who  is  now  in  the  United  States  civil  service,  being 
stationed  in  the  custom  house  at  Burlington,  Vermont,  and  having  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward  so  that  at  the  present  time  only  one  outranks  him; 
Matilda,  wife  of  George  Reynolds,  of  Salem  township;  John  and  Louisa,  at 
home;  Edward  and  Belle,  twins;  and  Stella,  who  completes  the  family 
circle.  Mr.  Thuney  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  faith,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  has  served  as  township  treasurer,  his  long  continued  serving  in- 
dicating the  capable  manner  in  which  he  is  now  discharging  his  duties. 
He  is  a  mati  of  genial  manner  and  kindly  disposition  and  is  a  popular 
citizen  of  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his  home. 


JOHN  RAISH  has  been  a  resident  of  Allen  county  for  twenty-one  }'ears 
'-'  and  may  therefore  be  said  to  have  attained  his  majority  as  a  citizen  of 
this   locality.     He  is  widely  known  as  one  of  the  prosperous  and  reliable 


WOODSON    COTTNTIES,  KANSAS.  477 

citizens  of  Salem  township.  He  was  born  in  Bedford,  PeiiHsylvairta, 
March  5,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Tracy  (Sromange-r)  Raish,, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  father  came  to  America  in 
J839,  and  from  Pennsylvania  removed  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  where  for  a 
number  of  years  he  occupied  a  position  as  salesman  in  a  large  store.  He 
■died  in  1859,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven,  and  his  wife,  long  surviving  him, 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  five  of  whom  reside  in  Quiucy,  Illinois. 

John  Raish  spent  the  greatei  part  of  his  youth  in  Quincy  and  was 
•educated  in  the  schools  of  that  city.  On  putting  aside  his  text. books  he 
learned  the  tinner's  trade,  which  he  followed  until  his  removal  to  Kansas, 
arriving  in  Allen  county  on  the  22nd  of  November,  1879.  Here  he  pur- 
chased two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  raw  prairie  land,  with  money  saved 
from  his  earnings  in  the  tin  shop.  His  place  is  pleasantly  and  conven- 
iently located  in  Salem  township,  five  miles  east  of  Humboldt  and  is  one 
of  the  most  desirable  farms  in  that  part  of  the  county.  All  modern  acces- 
sories and  conveniences  have  been  supplied,  including  a  good  residence,  a 
large  barn,  fine  shade  trees  and  an  excellent  orchard. 

The  lady  who  has  for  a  number  of  years  been  to  him  a  faithful  com- 
panion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  was,  prior  to  their  marriage  Miss 
Johanna  Wacklin.  She  was  born  in  Germany  and  when  fourteen  years  of 
age  came  to  the  new  world  with  her  parents,  Daniel  and  Minnie  (Kornut) 
Wacklin.  The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  was  blessed  with  five 
children,  but  only  one  has  been  spared  to  them,  Daniel  A.,  who  is  married 
and  resides  on  a  farm  near  the  old  homestead. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Raish  is  a  Democrat,  who  keeps  informed  on 
the  issues  of  the  day  and  takes  an  active  part  in  politics.  He  is  now  serv- 
ing as  a  member  of  the  county  central  committee  and  does  all  in  his  power 
to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party.  His  business 
career  has  been  one  marked  by  unfaltering  purpose,  guided  by  sound  judg- 
ment, and  his  record  stands  in  exemplification  of  what  may  be  accom- 
plished in  a  country  where  opportunity  is  open  to  all. 


T  D.  MENDENHAFT  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  best  farms  in  Cottage 
-•— '•  Grove  township.  He  has  here  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
splendid  land  pleasantly  located  six  miles  southeast  of  Humboldt.  His 
residence  is  surrounded  by  large  forest  trees  which  throw  their  grateful 
shade  on  the  house  and  lawn.  The  soil  is  rich  and  productive,  and  he 
never  fails  to  raise  a  crop,  annually  securing  good  harvests  of  wheat,  corn, 
oats  and  flax. 

Mr.  Mendenhaft  was  born  in  Columbia,  count}',  Pennsylvania,  on  the 
17th  of  October,  1827.  His  father,  Eli  Mendenhaft,  was  also  a  native  of 
that  county,  there  spent  his  entire  life,  and  when  death  claimed  him  his 
remains  were  interred  in  one  of  its  cemeteries.     He  pa.ssed   away  in  1888  at 


47^  HISTORY    OF  ALLEK   AND 

the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden; 
name  of  Elizabeth  Davis,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  and  diecE 
in  1874,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  seven  months  and  tbirteen  days. 
They  had  four  children:  Carlton,  now  of  Brooklyn,  New  York;  Arminta  M. 
and  Elizabeth,  both  of  Pennsylvania  and  L.  D.,^  of  this  review. 

Mr.  Mendenhaft,  whose  name  forms  the  caption  ol  this  article,  was  the 
eldest.  In  his  youth  he  became  familiar  with  the  milling  trade,  mastering 
the  business  in  all  its  departments,  and  he  also  learned  the  tanner's  trade 
which  he  followed  for  some  years.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Sarab  J.  lyemon 
of  RhorsbU'Tg,  Pennsylvania,  January  i,  1857  and  for  some  years  they  re- 
s-idcd  in  New  York  city  during  the  period  of  the  Civil  war,  he  having  charge 
of  a  large  rice  mill  there,  cleaning  rice  for  the  United  States  army.  He 
then  returned  to  Pennsylvania,  and  was  made  manager  of  the  extensive 
mills  of  A.  Pardee  &  Company,  continuing  their  operation  for  nine  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  be  removed  to  South  Bend,  Indiana,  where 
he  engaged  in  milling  for  two  years,  and  traveling  for  years,  his  attention, 
being  given  to  the  dressing  of  millstones.  In  1S80  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  Humboldt,  Kansas,  and  tiring  of  the  milling  business,,  which  he 
had  so  long  iollowed,  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Cottage  Grove  town.ship.  He 
had  had  no  experience  as  an  agriculturist,  but  he  soon  mastered  farm  work 
and  is  today  one  of  the  most  successful  and  enterprising  representatives  of 
farming  interests  in  Allen  county. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mendenhaft  have  been  born  two  children:  Arior 
C.  M.,  is  now  living  at  Chanute,  Kansas;  Estella,  became  the  wife  of 
Edward  Rush  (who  was  killed  in  a  balloon  ascension  at  Grenola,  Kansas,. 
October  8,  1898),  and  has  since  married  Burt  Lackey,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  Mr.  Mendenhaft  isin  politics  a  Republican,  and  has  labored 
earnestly  to  elect  his  friends,  but  has  never  sought  official  preferment  for 
himself.  He  is  now  seventy- three  years  of  age,  but  possesses  the  vigor  and 
energy  of  a  much  younger  man  and  is  still  concerned  with  the  active  affairs 
of  business  life. 


ANDREW  P.  WISBORG— Perhaps  more  failures  in  business  life 
occur  from  a  lack  of  persistency  of  purpose  than  from  any  other 
cause.  It  is  this  which  fenders  effort  futile  and  labor  unavailing,  but  Mr. 
Wisborg  is  one  who  has  followed  a  given  task,  having  always  devoted  his 
energies  to  farming,  and  thereby  he  has  won  success. 

One  of  Allen  county 'i  native  sons,  he  was  born  March  26,  i86i,  on  the 
farm  which  is  now  his  home,  and  is  the  only  child  of  N.  P.  Wisborg.  His 
father  was  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Allen  and  Neosho  counties. 
Born  in  Denmark,  he  came  to  America  in  1S58  and  settled  in  Allen  county, 
twenty  miles  southeast  of  lola  on  Big  creek,  where  he  purchased  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy-two  acres  of  land.  There  he  successfully  followed  farm- 
ing for  many  years.     His  military  experience   covered  three   years'  service 


•WOODSON   COtJN'TIES,    KA'NSAS.  '\T^ 

gn  the  army  of  his  native  land  and  three  years  in  the  Union  ai'tiiy  as  a  "mem- 
ber of  Company  G,  Nineteenth  Kansas  Cavalry.  He  participated  in  all  of 
:the  engagements  in  which  his  regiment  took  part  and  was  ever  found  a't  his 
post  of  duty,  loyally  defending  the  starry  banner  of  the  Nation.  Atone 
■time  he  served  as  trustee  of  Cottage  Grove  and  \vas  also  postmaster  of 
■Odense.  He  married  Anna  Hill,  a  native  of  Denmark,  and  died  in  iSq^n, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  His  widow  is  a  resident  of  Savouburg. 
He  was  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  most  highly  respected,  and  the  community 
mourned  the  loss  of  one  of  its  valued  citizens  when  he  was  called  from  this 
life.  In  all  life's  relati-ons  he  was  upright  and  honorable  and  his  example 
is  in  many  respects  well  worthy  of  emulation. 

Andrew  P.  Wisborg  remained  at  home  until  his  father's  death  with  the 
•exception  of  a  very  brief  period.  He  attended  the  common  schools 
and  early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  that  fall  to  the  lot 
•of  the  agriculturalist-  He  was  married  on  the  7th  of  October, 
1886,  to  Miss  Anna  Erickson,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  and  came 
to  Kansas  with  her  parents.  She  died  in  October,  1889,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren, Mary  and  Anna.  On  the  2nd  of  October,  1895,  Mr.  Wisborg  wa<5 
■again  married.  Miss  Mattie  Roberts  becoming  his  wife.  She  was  born  in 
Neosho  county  and  the  marriage  was  therefore  of  a  native  son  and  daugh- 
ter of  Kansas.  Her  father,  William  Roberts,  was  born  in  Illiuois  and  came 
to  this  State  in  1870,  locating  in  Neosho  county.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Nancy  Hin&haw  and  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  They  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  eight  of  whom  are  living,  namely:  Mattie,  Etta-, 
Judson,  Walter,  Ella,  Andy,  Mamie  and  Morton. 

Mr.  Wisborg  is  now  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in  farming. 
He  has  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  acres  of  land,  well  adapted  to  stock- 
xaising  purposes,  for  there  is  much  water  and  timber  upon  the  place.  A 
large  barn  and  other  outbuildings  also  furnish  shelter  to  the  stock  and  that 
branch  of  his  business  is  quite  profitable.  His  home  is  a  pleasant  residence 
on  the  bank  of  Big  creek. 

Mr.  Wisborg  was  elected  constable  of  his  township  and  served  for 
one  term. 


rUSTIN  O.  HOTTENSTEIN— While  gratitude  is  a  characteristic  of  the 
"  human  race — and  it  ever  will  be—  the  American  people  will  never  fail 
to  hold, in  grateful  remembrance  those  brave  and  loyal  soldiers  who  fought 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  and  aided  in  preserving  intact  the  greatest 
republic  on  the  face  of  the  globe.  Among  the  boys  in  blue  Mr.  Hottenstein 
was  numbered,  and  in  days  of  peace  as  well  as  in  days  of  war  he  has  ever 
been  found  as  a  faithful  citizen. 

He  was  born  in  Cook  county,  Illinois,  March  11,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of 
Philips,  and  Elizabeth  (Burns)  Hottenstein,  the  former  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  the  latter  of  Canada.     The  mother  was  driven  from  her  home 


4^0  HISTORY   OF   ALLEK    ANT> 

by  the  British  when  she  was  only  four  years  of  age,  during  the  battle  of 
L,ake  Erie.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  Michigan  and  unto 
them  were  born  six  children,  but  the  only  survivor  of  the  family  is  Justin 
O.  (Colonel  J.  A.  Hottenstein,  now  deceased,  was  a  brother  of  our  subject.) 
The  father,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  died  in  1842,  and 
the  mother,  whose  birth  occurred  in  1809,  passed  away  February  7,  1881, 
at  the  age  of  seventy- two  years. 

When  only  eighteen  months  old  Mr.  Hottenstein,  the  subject  of  this- 
sketch,  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Indiana,  but  after  five  years  spent  in 
that  State  the  family  returned  to  Illinois,  where  he  remained  until  the  in- 
auguration of  the  Civil  war.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Hotten.stein  had  ac- 
quired a  common  school  education  and  had  become  familiar  with  the  work 
of  the  farm.  He  watched  with  interest  the  progress  of  events  in  the  South 
and  resolved  that  if  an  attempt  at  secession  was  made,  he  would  strike  a 
blow  in  defense  of  the  Union.  Accordingly  on  the  21st  of  April,  1861,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  G,  Twentieth. Illinois  infantry,  was  made  sergeant  and 
was  afterward,  April,  1863,  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant.  He 
served  until  1864,  and  was  then  honorably  discharged,  on  account  of  disa- 
bility, from  wounds  received  in  battle.  Among  the  most  important  engage- 
ments in  which  he  participated  were  those  at  Fredericktown  and  Charleston, 
Missouri,  Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth  and  Britan's  Lane, 
(at  which  latter  place  five  hundred  Union  soldiers  fought  eight  thousand 
Confederates)  and  Fort  Gibson.  He  was  under  fire  for  twenty-one  days, 
including  the  battle  of  Bayou  Prairie  and  the  battle  of  Raymond.  May  12, 
1863,  at  the  last  named  he  sustained  a  gun  shot  wound,  the  bullet  piercing 
his  lung  and  coming  out  under  his  left  shoulder.  He  lay  for  days  (was 
picked  up  after  two  days  and  bunched  with  the  wqunded)  without  medical 
aid  among  the  dead  and  wounded,  but  was  ultimately  given  medical  atten- 
tion. He  was  taken  prisoner  May  24th  and  escaped  July  9th  and  went  to 
Vickisburg.  He  furloughed  home  for  recuperation  but  as  soon  as  he  was 
able  rejoined  his  regiment  and  participated  in  the  fight  at  Kennesaw  Moun- 
tain, June  23,  1864.  His  wound  incapacitated  him  for  further  duty,  and  on 
the  25th  of  June,  1864,  he'  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  service. 
During  much  of  the  time  that  he  held  the  rank  of  sergeant  he  was  in  com- 
mand of  his  company  and  his  own  personal  bravery  inspired  his  comrades 
to  many  deeds  of  valor. 

Mr.  Hottenstein  was  married  while  home  on  his  furlough,  on  the  6th 
of  April,  1864,  to  Miss  Lois  M.  Smith.  She  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter  of  Ira  W.  and  Lois  (Beckwith)  Smith,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  1 8 10.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Vermont.  Mi.  and  Mrs.  Smith  had 
five  children,  Mrs.  Hottenstein  being  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  By  the 
latter's  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  six  children,  namely:  Mrs. 
Addie  B.  Maxwell,  of  Kansas;  Mrs.  Nellie  Payn,  of  Illinois;  Mrs.  Ida  E. 
Crawford,  of  Ohio;  Russell  W. ,  Fred  J,  and  Archie  P.,  at  home. 

In  1867  Mr.  Hottenstein  came  to  Kansas  where  he  secured  a  home- 
stead of  eighty  acres  five  miles  ea.st  of  Humboldt.  He  has  since_  resided 
upon  his  farm  but  has  extended  its  boundaries  until   it   now   comprises  four 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  48 1 

hundred  acres,  constituting  one  of  the  valuable  and  attractive  country  seats 
in  Salem  township.  Everything  is  arranged  for  comfort  and  convenience. 
There  is  a  good  residence,  a  large  barn  and  other  substantial  outbuildings. 
He  raises  much  stock  and  is  numbered  among  the  prosperous  farmers  of 
the  State.  He  has  depended  upon  his  own  exertions  for  a  livelihood  since 
he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  therefore  deserves  great  credit  for  his  suc- 
cess. In  his  social  relations  he  is  a  Mason,  while  politically  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat. His  attention,  however,  has  been  chiefly  given  to  his  farm,  which  is 
a  monument  to  his  enterprise,  diligence  and  capable  management. 


T  AT"  IIvLIAM  D.  JEWELL.— For  thirty  years  Mr.  Jewell  has  been  a 
"  ^  resident  of  Allen  county  and  in  the  active  pursuits  of  business  has 
gained  a  competence  that  now  classes  him  among  the  substantial  citizens  in 
this  portion  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Allegany  county.  New  York, 
July  7,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Sias  and  Charlotte  (Davis)  Jewell,  the  former 
born  at  Scipio,  New  York,  was  a  weaver  by  trade,  following  that  vocation 
during  the  period  of  his  residence  in  the  Empire  state.  He  wedded  Miss 
Davis,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  in  1833  they  removed  to  Michigan, 
where  Mrs.  Jewell's  death  occurred  a  short  time  after  their  arrival.  Mr. 
Jewell  purchased  land  in  Michigan  and  engaged  in  farming  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  afterward  resumed  work  at  his  trade.  He  was  again  married 
and  was  the  father  of  five  children;  two  by  the  first  union  and  three  by  the 
second.  Mary  Jane,  an  own  sister  of  our  subject,  is  now  the  wife  of  Syl- 
vester Wood,  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Michigan.  The  father  of 
our  subject  died  in  that  state  in  1865,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

William  D.  Jewell  was  only  two  years  old  when  his  parents  removed 
to  Michigan,  where  he  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  amid  the  wild 
scenes  of  frontier  life.  He  attended  the  common  schools,  which,  however, 
were  of  a  rather  primitive  character,  owing  to  the  unsettled  condition  of  the 
county,  in  which  the  Indians  outnumbered  the  white  population  five  to 
one.  Through  association  with  the  red  men  our  subject  learned  to  speak 
their  language  as  well  as  he  could  the  English  tongue.  At  the  age  of 
thirteen  he  began  an  apprenticeship  as  an  engineer,  and  for  several  years 
was  employed  as  an  engineer  in  a  large  distillery.  He  afterward  secured  a 
similar  situation  in  a  sawmill,  where  four  hundred  men  were  employed, 
and  served  as  engineer  in  connection  with  that  enterprise  until  his  removal 
to  Kansas  in  1870.  Here  he  located  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Salem 
township,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  his  farm  being  pleasantly 
located  five  miles  southeast  of  Humboldt.  He  secured  a  homestead  of 
eighty  acres,  and  added  to  his  property  from  time  to  time  until  he  now 
owns  one  hundred  and  eighty-one  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land.  The  farm 
is  divided  into  fields  of  convenient  size  by  well-kept  fences,  and  everything 
about  it  is  characterized  by  neatness  and  order.  He  has  an  attractive  resi- 
dence and  beautiful  shade  trees  surround  his  home.     There  is  a  good  barn 


482  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

and  other  substantial  outbuildings  and  he  has  a  small  vineyard  and  a  <rood 
orchard  of  six  acres  planted  with  fine  varieties  of  apple  trees. 

When  he  arrived  in  Kansas  Mr.  Jewell's  cash  capital  consisted  of  four 
hundred  and  eighty  dollars  which  he  had  saved  from  his  earnings  in  Mich- 
igan. He  had  to  pay  a  very  high  price  for  his  team  and  when  he  had  be- 
come settled  for  the  winter  his  funds  were  exhausted,  but  he  was  not 
discouraged  with  this  condition  and  resolutely  set  to  work  to  earn  a  liveli- 
hood for  his  family.  As  the  years  have  passed  his  financial  resources  have 
increased,  and  to-day  he  occupies  an  enviable  position  among  those  who 
have  reached  a  place  of  independence. 

In  1869  Mr.  Jewell  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Michigan,  to  Seraph 
A.  Whitford.  Her  father,  George  Riley,  was  a  native  of  New  York  and 
died  in  Kansas  at  the  home  of  his  daughter  in  February,  1900,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years.  Mrs.  Jewell's  mother  is  living  with  her  at  the  age  of 
eighty -three  years.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hannah  A.  Dailey,  and 
was  a  native  of  New  York.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jewell  have  been  born  six 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living,  namely:  John  I,eslie;  Estelle,  wife  of 
William  Grenane,  of  Neosho  county,  Kansas;  Wesley,  at  home;  Nellie  J., 
wife  of  Sedley  Yount,  of  Allen  county;  Nettie  and  Iva,  at  home. 

Mr.  Jewell  is  a  public  spirited  and  progressive  citizen.  He  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  county.  At  the 
time  of  the  Civil  war  he  manifested  his  loyalty  to  the  government  by  enlist- 
ing in  Company  K,  Twelfth  Michigan  Infantry,  with  which  command  he 
served  two  years  and  eleven  months.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Saline  Cross  Roads  and  in  many  smaller  engagements  and  skirmishes,  and 
when  the  war  was  ended  received  an  honorable  discharge,  returning  to  his 
home  with  a  creditable  military  record.  That  his  fellow  townsmen  recog- 
nize in  Mr.  Jewell  worth  and  ability,  and  that  he  is  one  of  the  popular  citi- 
zens of  Allen  county  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  at  the  convention  held  in 
lolainjune,  1900,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  Probate  Judge  by 
the  People's  convention  without  his  knowledge  or  consent,  but  was  defeated 
at  the  election. 


]~\  WEBSTER  BOSTWICK,  of  lola,  has  been  one  of  the  conspicuous 
-■ — '•  characters  in  the  settlement  and  development  of  Allen  county.  To 
him  is  due  in  a  great  measure  the  credit  for  the  actual  work  done  in  the 
location  of  a  large  per  cent  of  the  country  population  of  the  county  and  to 
his  ingenuity  as  an  immigration  promoter  is  due  the  credit  for  the  settle- 
ment of  much  of  our  eastern  domain  in  Allen  county.  His  name  went 
from  tongue  to  tongue  through  the  east  and  his  fame  followed  closely  in  its 
wake.  No  man  who  makes  real  estate  his  business  in  Allen  county  is  as 
widely  known  as  Web  Bostwick  and,  in  the  olden  time,  no  combination  of 
dealers  in  the  county  possessed  a  wider  or  more  universal  confidence  of  the 
homeseeker  from  the  east  than  Bowlus  &  Bostwick. 


WOUUSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS..  483 

Web  Bostwick  came  to  Allen  county  November  11,  1866,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  located  upon  his  brother's,  H.  C.  Bostwick's,  farm  on  Deer 
creek.  Some  three  years  later  William  Davis  came  along  from  Colorado 
and  offered  him  his  price  for  the  place  and  he  moved  down  to  the  Anderson 
and  Fiuley  ranch  (that  now  is).  What  is  now  the  Allendale  Stock  Farm 
was  then  an  unbroken  prairie  and  Web  went  onto  it,  broke  a  portion  of  it 
out,  as  any  farmer  would  have  done,  began  its  improvement  and  in  seven 
years  sold  it.  This  concluded  his  career  as  a  farmer.  He  moved  into  lola 
at  once  and  entered  the  real  estate  business  with  Bowlus  &  Richards.  The 
railroad  lands  of  the  county  were  just  coming  onto  the  market  then  and 
this  agency  handled  almost  the  entire  holdings  adjacent  to  lola.  For  eight 
years  this  firm  remained  intact  and  undisturbed  in  its  enjoyment  of  a  mam- 
moth and  lucrative  business.  Investors  poured  into  the  county  from  all 
directions  and  speculators  and  settlers  vied  with  each  other  in  the  acquire- 
ment of  tracts  suitable  for  farms,  for  ranches  and  for  investment.  Retiring 
from  this  noted  firm  Mr.  Bostwick  joined  D.  B.  D.  Smeltzer  in  a  loan  and 
real  estate  business  for  some  years  and  later  was  a  partner  with  Judge  H. 
W.  Talcott  in  the  same  business.  In  1895  he  joined  the  well  known 
townsman,  Nels  Acers,  with  whom  he  is  yet  a  leader  in  the  matter  of 
handling  city  and  country  property. 

The  selling  of  real  estate  in  Allen  county  was,  in  itself,  an  easy  and 
pleasant  business  but  to  do  so  in  defiance  of  an  element  of  our  citizens 
whose  edict  had  gone  out  against  it  and  who.se  threats  were  upon  the  lips  of 
all  was  an  undertaking  involving  much  hazard,  with  possible  loss  of  life. 
From  1875  to  1885  the  settlers  on  the  disputed  lands  in  the  east  part  of  our 
county  determined  not  to  have  any  more  of  the  land  sold  by  the  agents  of 
the  railroad  companies,  desiring  tc  have  it  entered  as  public  domain  and 
by  persons  whose  interests  would,  from  the  start,  be  identical  with  their 
own.  They  even  provided  a  penalty,  or  rather,  suggested  as  a  penalty  for 
any  agerrt  violating  this  ukase,  a  bit  of  inch  rope.  It  is  stated  that  the  rope 
was  bought  with  which  to  square  accounts  with  our  subject  but  he  never 
abandoned  a  trip  nor  lost  a  meal  on  account  of  it. 

D.  W.  Bostwick  was  born  in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  October  21,  1840. 
His  father,  Daniel  Bostwick,  was  a  millwright,  foundry  man  and  manu- 
facturer of  woolen  goods.  The  latter  was  born  in  New  York,  went  into 
Ohio  early  and  settled  in  Portage  county.  From  this  latter  place  he 
located  in  Park  county,  Indiana,  and  was  in  busines-s  there  during,  and  for 
some  time,  after  the  war.  He  married  Sophia  Fondersmith,  originally 
DeFondersmith,  a  Pennsylvania  German  lady.  Late  in  life  this  venerable 
couple  came  to  Allen  county  and  passed  their  remaining  years  here.  Mr. 
Bostwick  died  in  1876  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years,  and  his  wife  died  in 
1881  aged  seventy-nine  years.  Their  children  were:  Clarentine,  deceased, 
who  married  Lewis  Hine;  Dr.  Henry  C.  Bostwick,  of  Tacoma,  Washing- 
ton, surgeon  of  Ninth  Kansas  and  now  a  Representative  to  the  Wash- 
ington Legislature;  Leveues  E.  was  killed  in  the  Civil  war  as  Captain  of 
Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth  Indiana  Volunteers,  while  in 
his  seventeenth    engagement;    D.    Webster;   Maria,  deceased,  wife  of  An- 


484  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

drew  Jackson  Clark,  of  Tacoma,  \'\''ashington;  and  Amfield  S.,  deceased, 
who  married  Samuel  Doren. 

D.  W.  Bostwick  grew  up  at  Rockville,  Indiana.  He  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany G,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-third  Infantry  and  ser^'ed  in  the  western 
department.  He  took  part  in  the  Chickamauga  and  Nashville  campaigns 
and,  at  the  close  of  his  service,  was  in  the  Independent  sharpshooters. 

Mr.  Bostwick  was  married  in  Allen  county  in  lola,  1869,  to  Clemen- 
tine C,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  M.  DeMoss,  who  was  born  and  educated  in 
Oxford,  Ohio,  and  was  one  of  the  characters  of  lola  for  many  vears.  His 
wife  was  Miss  Margaret  C.  Kennedy  who  was  born  and  principally  raised 
in  the  city  of  Washington.     Their  children  were  ten  in  number. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bostwick's  children  are:  Hattie  B.,  a  stenographer  and 
type- writer  in  Tacoma,  Washington;  Misses  Grace  F.  and  Ella  M. .  teachers 
in  the  lola  city  schools;  L,eveues  H.,  a  printer  of  lola,  and  Pearl  M.,  wife  of 
R.  E-  Donaldson,  of  Seattle,  Washington. 

The  early  Bostwicks  were  Whigs  and  their  posterity  dropped  naturally 
into  the  Republican  party,  following  the  issues  of  the  war. 


T  EWIS  HENRY  WISH ARD,  principal  of  the  4th  ward  school  of  lola, 
-' — *  and  one  of  the  prominent  and  capable  educators  of  Kansas,  is  essen- 
tially a  Kansan.  He  has  passed  all  but  ten  years  of  his  life  in  the  State  and 
all  that  he  is  and  has  is  credited  to  his  adopted  State. 

Mr.  Wishard  was  born  in  Vermillion  county,  Indiana,  February  3, 
1866,  and  is  a  son  of  a  farmer  and  stock  man  of  Butler  county,  Kansas,  J. 
H.  Wishaid,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county  in  1830.  The  latter  is  a 
son  of  James  L,.  Wishard,  a  veteran  of  the  War  of  1812,  who  went  into 
Indiana  about  1829  and  settled  in  Vermillion  county.  He  enlisted 
in  the  army  from  Kentucky,  in  Colonel  Johnson's  regiment,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  the  Thames.  He  was  a  sou  of  an  Irishman  who 
settled  in  Kentucky  about  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  and  whose 
brother  settled  near  Philadelphia.  Some  of  the  posterity  of  these 
earlj'  Wishards  spell  the  name  with  a  "t",  but  wherever  they  are 
and  however  the  spelling  of  the  name  they  descended  from  the  same  Celtic 
ancestors. 

James  L-  Wishard  married  a  Lytle  and  reared  seven  children,  two  of 
whom  left  families:  William,  of  Renssalaer,  Indiana,  and  Archibald  Wishard, 
whose  family  resides  in  Los  Angeles,  California. 

J.  H.  Wishard  married  Elizabeth  Fassett,  a  daughter  of  David 
Fassett,  of  West  Virginia,  near  Winchester.  The  children  of  this  union 
are:  Jame^  E.  Wishard,  of  Burlington,  Arkansas;  Frank  M.  Wishard,  of 
Spencer,  Iowa;  Attie  Wright,  of  Augusta,  Kansas  and  Lewis  H.  Wishard, 
our  subject. 

L.  H.  Wishard  attended  the  countr}'  .schools  of  Butler  county,  Kansas, 
in  his  early  j'outh  and  graduated  in  the  Augusta  cit3'  schools  in    1884.     He 


"WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  -481 

ttauglit  school  a  year  and  clerked  in  an  Augusta  store  a  ye&r  and  tatight 
■still  another  year.  In  1887  he  entered  the  fCansas  State  Normal 
^School  and  finished  the  Elementary  course  in  that  institution  in  188^.  He 
'^ecarne  principal  of  the  high  school  at  Solomon  City,  Kansas,  and  oCcupiied 
^he  position  two  years  when  he  Was  elected  to  the  principalship  of  the  city 
■schools.  He  remained  with  the  schools  six  years  in  that  capacity 
:and  withdrew  from  school  work,  then,  to  perform  his  duties  aS 
Secretary  of  the  lola  KTanufactttring  company.  In  1898  he  entered 
the  lola  schools  as  principal  of  the  ist  ward  building  and  has  con- 
•cluded  three  years  of  successful  school  work  in  the  city.  He  has  instructed, 
in  County  Institutes  in  Dickinson  county  and  in  Allen  county;  in  the  latter 
■six  years  consecutively. 

December  24,  1891,  Mr.  Wishard  Was  married  in  Tola  to  Anna  M. ,  a 
■daughter  of  tlje  late  Moses  Pickell.  Mrs.  Wishard  was  born  in  V'alparaiso, 
Indiana,  February  8,  1868,  was  educated  in  Ida,  and  Was  one  of  the  Capable 
teachers  of  the  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wishard 's  daughter.  Mary  E.,  was 
born  March  19,   1899. 

Mr.  Wishard  is  a  member  of  the  State  Teacliers'  Association  and  is  an 
:able  and  aseful  member  ©f  the  Allen  County  Teachers'  Aissociation. 


T^ANlEIv  HORVlLIvE— The  pioneefs  of  a  coiintry  ate  the  ones  who 
-* — '  lay  broad  and  liberal  foundations  of  society  and  engage  the  atten- 
tions of  the  world  by  their  qualities  of  daring,  determination  and  tenacity. 
They  furnish  the  plans  for  the  development  of  a  new  country  and  provide 
the  brain  and  sinew  for  their  execution.  As  good  men  as  ever  pireached  a 
sermon  or  settled  a  homestead  were  among  the  pioneers  to  Allen  county. 
They  came  from  all  quarters  of  the  east,  even  across  the  Atlantic,  and  took 
up  their  residence  here  with  a  sincere  desire  to  do  an  honorable  part  in  the 
•development  of  the  county.  One  of  these  men,  and  a  character  well  known 
and  highly  regarded,  was  Daniel  Horville,  whose  brief  history  is  presented 
herewith. 

"Dan"  Horville's  origin  is  French.  He  was  born  iii  the  province  of 
Ivoraine — when  that  country  was  French  territory — in  February,  1824.  '  He 
is  a  son  of  Michael  Horville,  a  successful  farmer  and  stock  raiser  near  Pu- 
vergne,  and  who  died  there  some  years  since.  !He  was  twice  inarried,  his 
first  wife,  Catharine  Ansel,  being  our  subject's  mother.  Another  son, 
Michael  Horville,  left  a  family,  at  death,  near  the  French-German  town 
above  mentioned. 

Daniel  Horville  left  France  about  the  time  he  came  of  age,  sailing  from 
Havre  for  New  York.  He  had  little  capital  and  found  little  labor  of  a  re- 
munerative character  while  in  the  city.  When  financial  matters  forced  an- 
other move  he  made  his  way  down  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  While  there  he 
had  a  miscellaneous  lot  of  jobs  out  of  which  he  accumulated  some  money. 
His   next   move    was    westward   into   Owen,  county,    Indiana,    where,    in 


4S6  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN"  ANTJ 

Spencer,  he  opened  a  small  store.     He  remained  there  something  near  f  wo> 
years,  when,    in  company    with   James    Wood,    father  of  "Bob"  Wood   of 
lola,  he  made  another  move  toward  the  setting  sun,    this   time   locating   in. 
L,exinotonr  McLean  county,  Illinois,     Mr.  Wood  offered    him  a   good  busi- 
ness arrangement  to  engage  in  mercantile  pursuit  and  he  accepted,  opening' 
a  store  at  this  point.     They   shipped   their   good?  to    Peoria  up  the  Illinois' 
river  from  St.  Louis  and  freighted  them  across  the  country  in  the  old  west- 
ern style.     Mr.  Horville  prospered   in  his  lyCxingtou  venture  and  remained, 
in  business  there  till  1856.     Selling  out  that  year  he  made  his  fifth  and  last 
trip  westward.     He  had  made  a  preliminary  trip  to    Kansas  and   decided  to- 
locate  in  Allen  county  and  in  1856  he  came  to  stay.     He   stopped  one  mile 
east  of  lola,  on  Elm  creek,  temporarily,  and  the  next  year  horaesteaded  the- 
Sleeper  place,  southeast  of  the  Elm  creek  wagon  bridge.     Some  three  years- 
later  he  purchased  the  Lewis  claim  on   the  Neosho   river,  to    tvhich   he  re- 
moved and  in  which  community  he  has  resided  since.     In  an  early  day,  as- 
now,  Mr,  Horville  was  not  regarded    a  poor  man.     The  capital  he    brought 
with  him  to  Kansas  was  sufi&cient  for  his  needs  and,  with  it,  he  was  enabled 
to  handle  matters  requiring  cash  which  men  without   his  advantage   could 
not  touch.      He  saw  a  golden  opportunity  to  engage  in  the   cattle   busine.ss 
and  seized  upon  it.     The  range  was  wide  and  free,  and  stock  could  be  raised 
with  little  cost    but   labor.     His    hopes   have    been  so  fully  realized  in  this 
tine  of  industry  all  these  forty   years  that  he  has   remained  in    the  busine.ss. 
Scarcely  a  citizen  in  Allen  county  can  recall  when  Dan    Horville  was  not  a 
"cattle  man."     With  his  successes  in  this  line  came  successes  in  other  lines 
and  his   general    prosperity  took    form  in  expanded  domain  and   in  its  sub- 
stantial improvement  and  development.      His  broad    acres    number  above  a 
thousand  and  the  yearly  business  he  transacts,  in  the  buying  and  selling  of 
stock  and  grain,  runs  up  into  the  thousands 

January  i,  1862,  Mr.  Horville  was  married  to  Margaret  Ann  Bird,  a 
daughter  of  Amor  Bird,  a  former  Ohio  settler.  The  childien  of  this  union 
are:  Flora  Horville,  Louis  E.  Horville,  Mrs.  Bird  Foust,  whose  children 
arc  Dorothy  and  Kenneth;  Frank  and  Ralph  D.  Horville;  Katie,  wife  of 
Walter  C.  Teats,  of  lola,  and  Misses  May  and  Grace  Horville. 

In  public  matters  Mr.  Horville  was  once  an  active  participant.  In  the 
early  days  of  Allen  county  he  was  a  .Republican  but  his  views  changed 
in  the  early  seventies  and  he  has. since  affiliated  with  Democracy  and  its 
allies.  He  was  elected  Commissioner  of  the  county  in  1873  and  was  a  care- 
ful and  conservative  guardian  of  the  county's  funds.  For  fifteen  years  he 
served  on  the  school  board  in  his  district  ^and  in  this  capacity  was  looked 
to  largely  for  the  success  of  each  term  of  school. 

The  history  of  Daniel  Horville  reveals  a  man  who  has  not  lived  in 
vain.  In  no  material  thing  has  he  been  a  failure  and  in  all  things  has  he 
played  a  manly  part.  His  remarkable  successes  have  not  bred  in  him  or  his 
family  any  element  of  aristocracy,  on  the  contrary  his  home  is  accessible  to 
the  most  lowly  and  his  society  an  encouragement  to  honest  labor.  The 
active  supervision  of  his  interests  are  in  the  hands  of  his  first  son,  Louis  E. , 
whose  demonstration  of  his  capacity  occurred  on  the  first  opportunity.   The 


"WOOtlSON    COUNTrES,    KANSAS.  487 

latter  was  equipped  with  a  commercial  education,  is  a  friend  to   progressSre 
adeas  and  is  in  every  way  worthy  th;  confidence repissd  in  him. 


GEORGE  A.  AMOS. — In  the  ''learned  ptofessions"  merit  alone  cai\ 
win  advancement.  When  success  must  depend  upon  the  various 
Tnental  attributes  of  the  individual,  neither  wealth  nor  influential  friends 
'can  aid  one .  in  the  progress  toward  fame.  The  man  who  has  attained 
prominence  at  the  bar  is  therefore  entitled  to  great  credit,  for  as  he 
"lengthens  the  distance  between  himself  and  mediocrity  it  is  the  indication 
-of  great  zeal,  marked  ability,  close  application  and  thorough  knowledge. 
It  has  been  through  the  exercise  of  these  qualities  that  George  A.  Amos 
has  attained  a  position  at  the  bar  that  might  well  be  envied  by  many  a 
practitioner. 

Mr.  Amos  is  now  residing  in  Humboldt.  He  was  born  in  Springfield, 
Illinois,  on  the  4th  of  September,  1841.  His  father,  Josiah  F.  Amos,  was 
a  native  of  Marjdand  and  in  1836  emigrated  to  Illinois.  He  was  an  archi- 
tect and  carpenter,  and  in  the  capital  of  the  Prairie  State  he  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business.  He  married  Mi.ss  Julia  Hay,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and 
iunto  them  were  born  three  children;  George  A.,  of  this  review;  John  M., 
who  is  now  in  business  in  Springfield;  and  Sarah  E.  Shepherd,  a  resident 
■of  Los  Angeles,  California.  In  the  public  schools  of  Springfield,  Illinois, 
Oeorge  A.  Amos  acquired  his  education.  Entering  upon  his  business 
career,  he  was  connected  with  the  lumber  trade,  and  in  August,  1869,  he 
removed  to  Hum1)oldt,  Kansas,  where  he  was  again  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  until  1873.  He  then  sold  out  and  began  the  study  of  law,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  by  the  district  court  of  Allen  county,  November 
21,  1874.  On  the  15th  of  January,  1880,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
the  federal  court  and  was  admitted  to  the  supreme  court  July  6,  1887.  He 
has  been  very  successful,  having  the  confidence  of  his  clients  and  of  the 
public,  and  has  demonstrated  his  ability  by  the  many  verdicts  he  has  won 
favorable  to  the  people  whom  he  represents.  In  1882  he  was  elected  county 
attorney  of  Allen  county  and  throughout  his  term  he  served  in  a  most 
creditable  and  satisfactory  manner.  In  1884  he  was  re-elected.  His 
lather  died  in  1889  and  Mr.  Amos  returned  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  to  settle 
up  the  estate,  remaining  in  his  native  city  five  years.  During  that  time  he 
was  elected  city  attorney  of  West  Springfield,  but  when  his  business  inter- 
ests were  satisfactorily  ended  there  he  returned  to  Humboldt,  and  since 
1894  has  been  continuously  practicing  his  profession  in  Allen  county.  He 
is  a  strong  advocate  before  a  jury  and  concise  in  his  appeals  before  the 
court.  He  began  as  all  others  do  in  the  practice  of  law^-at  the  bottom 
round  of  the  ladder — and  his  present  prominence  has  come  to  him  as  a  re 
ward  of  honest  endeavor,  fidelity  and  recognized  ability. 

His  efforts  have  not  been  limited  alone  to  one  line,  for  he  is  a  director 
and  one  of  the  stockholders  in  the  Humboldt  Brick  plant.     Socially  he  is 


4'88  HISTORY    OF'  ALLEN    AlSTD" 

connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  has  taken  the  Knight  Templarr 
degree  of  the  York'  rite.  His  life  exemplifies  the  beneficent  spirit  of  the- 
order  and  be  has-  the  high  regard  of  his  brethren  of  the  craft. 

On  the  30th  of  October,  i856,  Mr.  Amos  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Josephine  Andrews,  of  Wapakoneta,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  G. 
W.  Andre w.s  of  that  .state.  They  had  two  children,  Georgia  C,  who  is  now 
the  wife  af  John'  H..  Arrael,  of  Hum-boldt,  and  Anna  R. ,  a  very  bright 
young  lady,  who  died  November  23,  1890.  Mrs.  Amos  passed  away  on. 
the  i6th  of  August,  1885^  Mr.  Amos  remained  single  for  ten  years  and. 
was-  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  I^ura  Warner,  who 
became  his  wife  August  13,  1895.  She  was  also  a  native  of  Ohio.  They 
enjoy  the  hospitality  of  many  of  the  best  homies  in  Humboldt  and  their 
circle  of  friends  is  extensive..  Mr.  Amos  has  those  qualities  which  give- 
him  .strength  in  business  circles,  and  his  advancement  in  professional  life 
is  due  to  his- business  ability,  his  determination  and  his  laudable  ambition.. 
He  is  an  indefatigable  worker,  which  means  that  he  is  a  student,  accurate 
r-n  his-  analysis  and-  of  broad-  learning. 


t  BANDER  STILI^WELI^  is  not  a  citizen'  of  Allen  county,  having  re- 
-^ — ''  sided  in  Erie,  Neosho  County,  for  many  years,  but  as  the  Judge  for 
eighteen  years  past  of  the  District  of  whidi  this  county  is  a  part  he  has  be- 
come so  fartiiliar  a  figure  here  and-  has  done  so  much  toward  shaping  the 
history  of  the  county,  that  this  volume  would  not  be  complete  without  at 
least  a  brief  sketch  of  his  honorable  and  distinguished  career. 

Judge  Stillwell  was  born  in  Otter  Creek  precinct,  Jersey  county,  Illi- 
nois, on  Septeifl'bet  i6th,  1843.  His  father,  Jeremiah  O,  Stillwell,  and  his 
mother  (whose  maiden  name  was  Ann  Eliza  White,)  were  natives  of  the 
state  of  North  Carolina,  but  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1834.  Judge  Stillwell 
received  a  limited  and  meager  common  school  education.  His  early  life 
was  spent  on  a  farm  in  the  backwoods  of  western  Illinois  until  a  few 
months  after  the  beginning  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  On  January  7, 
1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  Sixty-first  Illinois  Infantry, 
re-enlisted  in  said  company  and  regiment  as  a  veteran  volunteer  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  and  was  mustered  out  with  his  regiment  as  first  lieutenant 
of  his  company  some  months  after  the  close  of  the  war,  having  served  con- 
tinuously nearly  four  years.  During  his  term  of  service  he  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Shiloh,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  numerous  other  battles  and 
skirmishes.  Aftel  his  discharge  from  the  army,  he  studied  law  at  the 
Albany,  New  York,  I^aw  School,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Decem- 
ber, 1867.  He  emigrated  to  Kansas  in  May,  1868,  locating  at  Erie,  in 
Neosho  county,  Where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  has  resided 
in  Neosho  county  continuously  ever  since  he  came  to  Kansas. 

He  was  married  in  May,  1872,  to  Miss  Anna  L.  Stauber.     Five  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  them,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living.     He  was  elected 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  489 

to  the  lower  house  of  the  Kansas  legislature  in  1876,  was  elected  judge  of 
the  Seventh  Judicial  District  in  1883.  and  re-elected  to  said  office  in  the 
years  1887,  1891,  1895  and  1899.  He  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  been 
a  district  judge  in  Kansas  for  the  longest  period  of  time  that  the  office  has 
been  held  by  any  judge  in  any  of  the  different  districts  in  the  State,  since 
Kansas  was  admitted  into  the  Union, — a  distinction  which  is,  in  itself,  a 
most  eloquent  eulogy,  showing  as  it  does  that  his  conduct  on  the  bench  has 
been  such  as  to  win  and  hold  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  people. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has  been  from  his  boyhood. 


r 


OHN  W.  BALE  was  born  April  20,  1843,  in  Hart  county,  Kentucky, 
<J  and  is  of  German  lineage.  His  great  grandfather, 'William  Bale,  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  and  on  emigrating  to  America  owned  and  operated  a 
gristmill  on  Brash  creek,  in  Green  county,  New  Jersey  at  a  very  early  day. 
He  was  a  millwright  by  trade.  His  son,  Peter  Bale,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  became  a  prospsrouj  farmer  of  Ken- 
tucky, owning  between  five  and  six  hundred  acres  of  land  on  L,eon  Cinip 
creek  in  that  State.  Jacob  Bale,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Hart 
county,  Kentucky,  in  i8i8,  aui  still  resides  there.  He  received  excellent 
school  privileges  and  at  one  time  was  probably  the  best  educated  man  of  his 
county.  He  worked  in  a  powder  mill  and  also  foUowe.l  farming  and  stock 
raising,  but  for  some  time  past  has  lived  retired,  still  residing  on  the  old 
homestead.  He  was  married  in  1842  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Pointer,  who 
was  born  in  1S24,  a  daughter  of  Edward  Pointer  who  removed 
from  one  of  the  southern  states  to  Kentucky.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bale  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  children:  John  H.,  W.  T. ,  Robert,  Mrs. 
Nancy  Richardson  and  Mrs.  Mattie  Murray,  all  of  whom  are  living  in  Ken- 
tucky with  the  exception  of  the  subject  hereof. 

Mr.  Bale,  of  this  review,  resided  on  his  father's  farm  in  Hart  county, 
Kentucky,  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  responded  to  his  country's 
call  for  aid,  joining  the  Union  army  on  the  fifteenth  of  October,  1861,  as  a 
member  of  Company  F,  Fifteenth  Kentucky  Infantiy,  under  Captain  Carroll 
and  Colonel  Pope.  The  regiment  proceeded  to  New  Haven  and  to  Bacon 
creek,  and  after  participating  in  the  battles  at  Bowling  Gieen,  Nashville 
and  Huntsville,  returned  to  L,ouisville,  Kentucky.  Subsequently  Mr. 
Bale  with  his  command  participated  in  the  engagements  at  Perryville,  Stone 
River,  Murfreesboro,  Chattanooga,  and  the  campaign  as  far  as  Atlanta,  and 
Jonesboro,  Georgia.  He  was  mustered  out  January  17,  1865,  at  L,ouisville, 
having  loyally  served  his  country  for  more  than  three  years. 

For  several  months  he  engaged  in  farming  and  cattle  raising  in  Ken- 
tucky, but  in  January,  1866,  came  to  Kansas,  residing  in  Leavenworth  until 
the  following  fall,  when  tie  came  to  Allen  county,  settling  in  lola  town- 
ship. Here  he  has  since  devoted  his  energies  to  ttie  cultivation  of  his  fields 
and  to  the  raising  of  stock,  and    is  today    numbered   among  the    most  ener- 


490  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

getic   and   prosperous   citizens    of   his  townsliip,  owning  five  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  acres  of  valuable  land. 

Mr.  Bale  was  married  in  Hart  county,  Kentucky,  November  28,  1866, 
to  Miss  Anna  DeFever,  who  was  born  in  that  county,  December  19,  1851, 
a  daughter  of  William  DeFever,  a  native  of  the  same  county,  and  of  French 
descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bale  became  the  paients  of  three  sons:  Irvin,  who 
was  drowned  in  the  Neosho  river  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  Wallace  and 
Frank,  who  are  residents  of  this  county.  Mr.  Bale  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  mea.sures  of  the  Democracy,  but  has 
never  been  a  professional.  Socially  he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason.  Through 
the  legitimate  channels  of  trade  he  has  risen  to  an  enviable  position  financial- 
ly, and  at  the  same  time  has  commanded  and  enjoyed  the  respect  of  his 
fellow  men  by  rea.son  of  his  well  spent  life. 


\  A  7'ILLIAM  T.  HALL, — In  enumerating  the  successful  farmers  of 
"  "  Allen  county  the  name  of  William  T.  Hall  .should  not  be  omitted. 
He  is  not  one  of  our  pioneers  but  his  residence  among  us  entitles  him  to  be 
classed  with  the  permanent  people  and  responsible  for  a  fair  share  in  the 
development  of  his  county. 

Mr.  Hall  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Fennsjdvania,  April  12,  1838.  His 
ancestors  were  among  the  first  to  settle  that  region  and  were  there  when 
the  French  controlled  old  Ft.  DuQuesue,  now  Pittsburg.  His  grandfather, 
an  old  German,  went  into  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania  in  1768,  and 
there  passed  his  remaining  years.  One  of  his  sons  was  Robert  Hall,  our 
subject's  father.  The  latter  was  born  in  1808  and  died  in  1887.  He 
married  Grace  Bell  whose  family  settled  in  Allegheny  county,  as  early  as 
the  Halls,  their  land  being  on  Chartiers  Creek.  Upon  the  old  farm  stands 
the  stone  mansion  which  was  erected  as  a  means  of  defense  against 
the  Indian  attacks  of  that  day.  The  town  of  Carnegie  covers  some  of  the 
Bell  land,  and  one  of  the  Bells  still  owns  the  stone  house  and  lot. 

The  Bells  were  originally  Irish  and  Mr.  Hall's  great-grandfather  Bell 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  in  our  war  for  independence.  Joseph  Hall,  the 
old  German  above  referred  to,  came  into  western  Pennsylvania  from  New 
Jersey.  He  seived  his  country  in  one  of  the  early  wars  of  our  country  and 
William  Hall  possesses  a  powder  horn  which  the  old  patriot  carried  through- 
out his  service  and  which  has  become  one  of  the  heir-looms  of  the  family. 
The  Halls  and  Bells  were  farmers,  in  the  main,  but  James  Bell,  maternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  operated  a  distillery  as  well. 

The  children  of  Robert  and  Grace  (Bell)  Hall  are:  William  T.;  James 
F. ,  of  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania.  The  former  was  put  to  learn  the 
buggy  and  wagon-makers  trade  upon  approaching  man's  estate  and  in  1859 
he  made  his  way  westward  to  Owen  county,  Indiana.  He  took  up  the 
carpenter  trade  there  and  followed  it  in  the  two  counties  of  Owen  and 
Sullivan  so  long  as  he  remained  in  the  State.     He  helped  build  the  theatre 


WOUDHUN   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  49 1 

ill  Brazil  and  was  two  years  in  the  construction  of  the  residence  of  Judge 
Hanna  at  Curry  ville,  Indiana. 

As  a  pupil  in  the  country  school  Mr.  Hall  made  satisfactory  advance- 
ment and  was  considered  one  of  the  first  in  his  class.  His  only  experience 
as  a  teacher  was  when  he  filled  his  teacher's  place  for  three  months  the  last 
terra  he  attended.  In  1854  Mr.  Hall  was  married  in  Owen  county,  Indi- 
ana, to  Mary  Wallace,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Willie)  Wallace. 
The  Wallaces  came  from  the  Parish  of  Zaneygred,  Scotland,  and  of  their 
five  children  Mrs.  Hall  is  the  only  daughter  surviving.  The  sons  are: 
David,  James,  Samuel  and  John  Wallace. 

Our  subject's  children  are:  Margaret,  wife  of  David  E.  Earl,  of 
Brouson,  Kansas;  Annie,  wife  of  Ernest  Pancoast,  of  Stroud,  Oklahoma;  R. 
W.  Hall,  whose  wife  was  Miss  Gertie  Flake,  and  Misses  Mattie,  Frances 
E.,  Eva  and  Ross  Hall. 

In  1879  Mr.  Hall  came  to  Kansas.  The  appearance  of  Allen  county 
satisfied  him  and  he  purchased  a  partly  improved  farm  of  Elias  Norman. 
This  tract  is  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  i6,  township  25,  range  20,  and 
lies  on  either  side  of  a  fork  of  the  Marmaton  river.  The  improvements  con- 
sisted of  an  old  building,  scarcely  deserving  the  name  of  house,  and  a  piece 
of  tillable  land.  For  some  years  he  gave  his  own  time  largely  to  the  car- 
penter's bench  and  left  the  actual  work;  of  sowing  and  reaping  to  the  family. 
His  last  work  as  a  mechanic  was  done  on  the  Snyder  barn  some  ten  years 
ago  and  since  then  his  farm  has  occupied  him  fully  and  well. 

The  politics  of  the  Halls  and  the  Bells  were  somewhat  divided.  Some 
were  Democrats  and  some  were  Whigs.  In  these  matters  our  subject  has 
little  interest.  On  national  questions  he  is  with  the  Democrats  but  on  local 
candidates  he  is  both  and  neither  according  to  the  character  of  the  nom- 
inees. In  secular  matters  he  was  schooled  in  the  faith  of  Calvin  and  be- 
came a  Baptist  only  when  circumstances  placed  him  without  the  influence 
of  the  United  Presbyterian  church. 


JOHN  WAIyTER  SCOTT  was  born  near  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania, 
"  August  29,  1823.  His  father  was  Alexander  McRay  Scott,  who  was 
born  at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  August  19,  1800.  His  mother  was 
Mary  Dean,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey  or  Pennsylvania  in  1799.  His 
paternal  grandfather  was  John  Scott,  who^'migrated  from  Belfast,  Ireland, 
soon  after  the  Revolution,  landing  first  at  St.  Thomas,  West  Indies,  but 
soon  after  going  to  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  thence  to  Alexandria.  His 
paternal  grandmother  was  Margaret  Kenna,  the  daughter  of  an  English 
sea  captain.  Nothing  farther  is  known  of  the  paternal  line,  except  that 
"in  the  beginning"  one  "John,"  a  ship  joiner,  migrated  from  Scotland  to 
the  ship  yards  at  Belfast,  Ireland,  and  was  there  called  "John,  the  Scot,"  to 
differentiate  him  from  other  Johns,  which    name,    of   course,   soon    became 


492  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

John  Scott,  which  it  still  remains.  The  John  Scott  who  migrated  to  Ameri- 
ca was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He  was  killed  by  lightning  when  about  sixtv 
years  of  age.  His  wife  died  in  Indiana  about  1853,  of  old  age.  Alexander 
Scott,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  machinist  and  mechanic,  although  he 
always  lived  on  a  farm.  He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  in  Bloomington, 
Illinois,  of  cerebro  spinal  meningitis.  His  wife  has  previously  passed  away 
in  Kentucky  at  the  age  of  forty-four,  of  malarial  fever. 

John  W.  Scott's  maternal  grandfather  was  Samuel  Dean,  a  Revolution- 
ary soldier  in  the  New  Jersey  line.  He  afterwards  served  under  "Mad 
Anthony"  Wayne  in  the  Indian  wars  and  was  severely  wounded  in  the  hip, 
making  him  lame  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  probably  of  Danish 
descent  and  was  a  farmer.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  from 
the  effect  of  his  wounds.  Nothing  more  is  known  of  the  family  on 
this  side. 

John  W.  Scott  was  the  oldest  child  of  Alexander  and  Mary  Dean 
Scott.  He  had  three  brothers,  Samuel,  William  and  Harmon,  and 
five  sisters,  Martha,  Mary,  Jennie,  Margaret  and  Hannah.  Of  this  family 
only  Margaret  and  Jennie  now  survive. 

When  John  W.  Scott  wasthree  years  of  age  his  father  bought  a  farm  ad- 
joining the  Braddock  Field  property,  near  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and 
there  mo.st  of  his  childhood  was  spent.  He  worked  on  the  farm  in  summer 
and  in  the  winter  attended  such  schools  as  the  uncertain  condition  of  the 
country  afforded,  in  this  way  acquiring  the  rudiments  of  a  fair  English  edu- 
cation. In  1840  he  went  with  his  father  to  Gallatin  county,  Kentucky, 
where  he  worked  on  a  farm  and  in  a  saw  mill  for  three  or  four  5'ears.  The 
work  proved  too  heavy  for  him  and  his  health  giving  way  he  secured  a 
position  as  private  tutor  in  the  family  of  Dr.  William  B.  Chamberlain,  in 
Warsaw,  Kentucky.  He  taught  the  children  of  his  employer  the  rudi- 
ments of  English  and  received  from  him  in  return  a  smattering  of  Greek, 
Latin  and  mathematics.  He  afterward  taught  school  in  various  portions  of 
the  county  during  the  winters  and  read  medicine  with  Dr.  Chamberlain. 
In  1846-7  he  took  a  course  of  medical  lectures  at  the  Starling  Medical 
College,  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  in  the  spring  of  1847  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  Hopewell,  Indiana.  After  practicing  there  for  two  years 
he  took  another  course  of  lectures  at  the  above  college  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  the  spring  of  1849,  returning  at  once  to  his  practice  in  Indiana. 
December  13,  1849,  he  was  married  to  Maria  Protsman,  the  neice  of  his 
former  preceptor.  Dr.  Chamberlain,  and  continued  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine at  Hopewell  and  Franklin,  Indiana,  until  1857  when  he  came  to  Kan- 
,sas.  He  bought  an  original  interest  in  the  townsite  of  Olathe,  which  had 
just  been  located,  and  in  connection  with  one  Charles  Osgood,  built  the  first 
house  erected  on  the  townsite.  In  the  fall  he  returned  to  Indiana  and  the 
following  spring  brought  his  family  to  Olathe.  Owing  to  the  unsettled 
condition  of  the  country  and  the  scenes  of  violence  that  were  continually 
occurring  in  the  town  Olathe  was  not  then  a  desirable  place  of  residence, 
and  so  in  June  of  1858  Dr.  Scott  removed  with  his  family  to  Allen  county 
and  took  up  a  claim  near  Carlyle  where  he  lived  for  the  next  sixteen  years. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  493 

111  the  fall  of  1859  he  was  elected  to  the  Territorial  legislature  wliich  met  at 
Lecompton  and  afterwards  adjourned  to  lyawrence, — the  first  Free  State 
legislature.  He  was  re-elected  in  i860  and  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the 
House,  In  1861  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  first  State  legislature.,  and 
in  the  absence  of  the  Speaker  presided  during  most  of  the  session.  During 
this  session  Fort  Sumpter  was  fired  upon,  and  at  its  close  most  of  its  mem- 
bers entered  the  Union  army.  Dr.  Scott  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Kansas 
Volunteer  Infantry  and  was  elected  surgeon.  He  served  with  the  Fourth 
during  the  tall  and  winter  of  1861-2,  being  in  charge  of  the  general  hospital 
at  Fort  Scott.  When  the  Third  and  Fourth  regiments  were  consolidated 
and  became  the  loth  Kansas  he  became  the  surgeon  of  that  regiment  and 
served  until  May,  1863,  when  he  resigned  on  account  of  the  long  and 
serious  illness  of  his  wife.  In  the  fall  of  the  same'  year,  his  wife's  health 
having  been  restored,  he  re-entered  and  served  to  the  end  of  the  war,  re- 
turning then  to  his  Carlyle  farm. 

In  1866  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  was  elected  president 
pro  tem  of  that  body  and  presided  during  the  session  on  account  of 
Lieutenant  Governor  Greene  serving  as  Governor,  vice  Governor  S.J.  Craw- 
ford resigned.  Although  always  interested  in  politics  and  often  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  contests  as  a  member  of  conventions  and  as  a  speaker  in  the 
campaigns,  and  frequently  mentioned  as  an  available  candidate  for  Congress 
and  other  high  positions,  he  was  not  again  a  candidate  for  any  office  during 
the  remainder  of  his  residence  in  Kansas. 

Almost  from  his  first  location  in  the  state  Dr.  Scott  had  interested  him- 
self actively  in  the  various  projects  looking  to  the  building  of  railroads  into 
this  section  of  the  State.  Among  the  numerous  meetings  and  conventions 
held  in  the  interest  of  these  projects  the  most  important  was  a  convention 
held  at  Topeka  in  the  year  1859.  The  purpose  ol  this  convention  was  to 
agree  upon  a  system  of  railroads  upon  which  the  State  would  go  to  Con- 
gress, asking  for  land  grants  to  aid  in  the  building  of  the  roads,  and  the 
chief  contest  was  between  the  proposed  line  from  Leavenworth  south  (now 
the  Southern  Kansas)  and  the  proposed  line  then  designated  as  the  Border 
Tier  road  (now  the  Kansas  City,  Fort  Scott  and  Memphis.)  The  commit- 
tee appointed  to  draft  outlines  of  the  system  of  roads  decided  in  favor  of  the 
Border  Tier,  leaving  out  the  Leavenworth,  Lawrence  and  Galveston,  as  it 
was  then  and  for  many  years  afterward  called.  As  a  dissenting  member  of 
this  committee  Dr.  Scott  made  a  minority  report  in  favor  of  the  L.  L.  and 
G. ,  and  succeeded  in  carrying  it  through  the  convention,  thus  securing  the 
grant  of  land  which  made  possible  the  building  of  that  road.  When  the 
company  was  organized  he  became  one  of  the  directors,  and  when  the  road 
was  finally  built,  in  1869,  he  was  appointed  Land  Commissioner.  He  re- 
mained in  that  capacity  eight  years,  duritig  which  time  he  was  the  chief 
agent  in  securing  the  railroad  title  to  the  land  to  which  it  was  entitled  and 
in  disposing  of  the  lands  to  settlers.  During  most  of  this  time  also  he  was 
a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Agiiculture,  taking  an  active  and  efficient 
part  in  organizing  and  conducting  the  State  Fairs  which  were  a  feature  of 
those  early   years.     From    1873   to  1879   he   served  as  Regent  of  the  State 


494^  HXSTORY  of  ALLEN  AND 

University,  helping  to  lay  the  foundations  of  that  great  institutfoir. 

After  closing  his  connection  with  the  railroad  he  returned    to  Ida,  the- 
family  having  removed  from  the  Carlyle  farm  to  that  place  in   1874,  and  iip 
1876  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  purchasing   the  stock  of  John  Francis; 
In  1883,- withoiTt  solicitation   on  his  j>art,    he  was   appointed   agent  for  the- 
Pbnca,  Pawnee  and  Otoe  Indians  taking  charge  of  the   Agency  January  i 
1884.     He  served  in   this  position    until  October,  1S85,   when  he   resigned 
and  returned  to  lola  to  resume  the  conduct  of  his   drug  business'.     He  con- 
ducted this  business  until  1891,  when   be  sold  it  to  J.  H.  Campbell  in  order 
to  accept  an  appointment  as  Inspector  for  the  Bureau  of   Animal  Industry. 
He  was  assigned  to   duty  at  Kansas   City  and   served  until    1893.   when  he 
resigned.     Desiring  to  retire  from  active  business  he  went  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  Belle,  then  constituting  his  family,  to  Clifton,  Oklahoma,   to  visit 
his  oldest   son,  who   had  taken  a  claim   there.     The   climate  and  country 
pleased  him  so  well  that  when  the  Oklahoma  school  lands  were  thrown  open> 
he  leased  a  quarter  section  and  with  the  energy  which  always  characterized! 
him  proceeded  to   improve  it,    as  if  he  were  in  his  youth    instead   of  in  his- 
seventieth  year.     He  lived  there  quietly  and  happily  until    the  fall   of  1898- 
when  his  neighbors,  almost  without  lespect  to  party,  although    he  was  still 
an  ardent  Republican,  as  he  had  been  since  the  organization  of   that  party, 
insisted  that  he  serve  as  their  candidate  for  the   Territorial  legislature.     He 
reluctantly  consented,  and  was  elected,    although  the   district   contained  a 
largely  adverse  party  majority.     He  was  not  in  his  usual   health   when  the 
session   opened   early  in   January,    1899,    and  in    going  to   the    Capitol  he 
suffered  some  exposure  which  brought  on  an    attack   of   pneumonia  which 
resulted  in  his  death,  which  occurred  January  19,    1899.     In  honor  of  his- 
memory  the  legislature  adjourned  and  a  committee   of  its  members   was  ap- 
pointed to   accompany  the   remains   to    lola  where  they  were  inierred.     A 
further  and  rnost  touching   proof  of  the   respect  and   affection  in   which  he 
was  held  by  his  colleagues  was  given  by  the  fact  that  during  the   entire  re- 
mainder of  the  session  his  chair  on  the  floor  of  the  house   remained  draped, 
and  every  morning  there  was  on  his  desk  a  bouquet  of   fresh  flowers.     And 
so  he  died  as  he  had  lived,    honored  and   beloved  by  all  who  knew  him,  a 
man  who  loved  his  family  with  a  rare  devotion,   who  was  an  important  and 
influential   factor  in   the   development   of  two  new   States,  who  served  his 
State  and  his  country,    in    office   and  out   of  it,  in    peace  and    in  war,  with 
great  ability  and  with  incorruptible  integrity,  and  who   in  all  the   relations 
of  life  was  worthy  of  love  and  honor. 

Maria  Protsman,  wife  of  John  W.  Scott,  was  born  on  a  farm  nine  miles 
north  of  Vevay,  Indiana,  July  19,  1829.  Her  father,  William  Protsman, 
was  born  in  Danville,  Kentucky,  February  5,  iSoi,  and  came  to  Indiana 
in  1 8 14  where  he  worked  with  his  father  at  farming  and  wagon  making. 
He  opened  a  large  farm  near  Vevay  and  reared  children  as  follows:  Flora, 
Maria,  Emarine,  Isaac,  Ellen,  Adelia,  Charles,  Fannie,  William,  Alexander 
of  whom  Flora,  Maria,  Emarine,  Charles,  William  and  Alexander  still 
survive.  William  Protsman  died  in  1866.  His  father  was  John  Protsman, 
who  emigrated  from  Germany  with  his  father's  family  about  the  year  1769. 


"WOODSON  'COTJNTrES,   XA"NSAS.  495 

5n  tlie  family  there  were  four  brothers  and  two  sisters.  As  a  meire  boy 
John  Protsman  served  as  a  teamster  during  the  Revolutionary  wa;r.  In 
,1792  he  was  married  in  Philadelphia  to  Nancy  B.  Recknor  and  soon  aifter- 
•wards  moved  to  Ohio.,  going  from  there  to  Kentucky  and  finally  to  Vevay, 
Indiana,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  He  was  a  carpenter 
.■and  farmer.  His  children  were  David,  Samuel,  John.,  William,  Nancy  B.., 
and  Elizabeth.  Nancy  Recknor,  wife  of  John  Protsman,  was  also  of 
•German  descent,  her  father  and  mother  emigrating  from  Germany  a  little 
before  the  Revolutionary  war.  Her  father  was  a  soldier  and  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  Her  mother  died  the  year  following  at  Phila- 
delphia, and  the  two  children,  Nancy  B,  and  John,  were  taken  and  reared 
by  their  grandmother.  When  they  were  grown  John  went  to  the  South  and 
that  was  the  last  known  of  him. 

Polly  Campbell  Protsman,  the  mother  of  Maria  Protsman  Scott,  was 
born  in  Kentucky  April  9,  1809,  and  died  at  Vevay,  Indiana,  in  1890. 
Her  father  was  William  Campbell,  who  was  born  in  South  Carolina  in 
August,  1776.  Her  mother,  Polly  Brown,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  June  17, 
1783,  and  was  married  to  William  Campbell  June  17,  1800.  William 
'Campbell  died  February  4,  1832,  leaving  a  family  of  nine  children,  as 
iollowsi  Jeannette,  Jemima,  Elizabeth,  Susan,  Polly,  Samuel,  James, 
■and  William,  Polly,  his  wife,  died  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
~&ve  years. 

The  children  of  John  W,  and  Maria  P.  Scott  were:  William  Alexander, 
born  September  29,  1850^  Walter  Winfield,  born  September  4,  1853;  Clara 
Belle,  born  September  14,  1855,  Angelo  Cyrus,  born  September  25,  1857; 
Charles  Frederick,  born  September  7,  i860;  Emma  Louisa,  born  April  23, 
1865,  died  September  4,  1879;  Su.sie  Flora,  born  April  6,  1867,  died 
September  i,  1873;  Effie  June  (Mrs.  E.  C.  Franklin)  born  August  4,  1871. 


TV  /TRS,  MARY  FORD,  of  Marmaton  township,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
-'-"-'-  that  portion  of  Allen  county,  is  the  widow  of  John  O.  Ford  who 
settled  on  the  wild  waste  of  land  in  the,  then,  new  township,  in  the  year  of 
1876.  Her  husband  died  in  November  1877  and  she  was  left  with  a  family 
of  young  children  to  battle  with  the  difficulties  incident  to  the  settlement  of 
a  new  country. 

This  prominent  and  worthy  family  emigrated  from  Peoria,  Illinois, 
where  John  O.  Ford  had  grown  up  from  his  fifth  3ear.  The  latter  was 
born  in  Devonshire,  England,  in  1841,  and  his  wife  in  the  same  shire 
October  14,  1848.  Each  came  to  the  United  States  with  their  parents,  the 
former  in  1855  and  the  latter  in  1850.  Both  families  located  in  Peoria 
county,  where  their  children  were  reared  on  the  farm.  Mr.  Ford's  father, 
William  Ford,  had  four  sons,  one  of  whom,  Henry  Ford,  still  resides  in 
Peoria  county.  Mrs.  Ford's  parents  were  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Fewins) 
Torrington.     Mr.    Torrington    died   in    1864  and  his  widow  is  the  wife  of 


496  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN   AWT) 

Richard  Bailey,  of  Allen  county,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Ford  and  Mrs.  Thomas- 
Woods,  of  Marniaton-  township^  are  the  sole  survivors  of  the  Torrington 
family  of  six  children. 

John  O.  Ford  brought  his  effects  to  Allen  county  in  a  chartered  car. 
He  was  a  gentleman  with  much  hope  and  ample  industry  and  it  must  have 
been  a  source  of  gratification  to  himself  to  locate  in  a  new  country  where 
all  were  poor  alike  and  where  each  possessed  the  same  advantage  with  his 
neighbor.  Of  his  five  children  the  eldest,  at  his  father's  death,  was  twelve 
years-.  These  children  are  all  married  and  reside  within  reach  of  their 
mother.  They  are,  William  T. ,  who  married  Florence  lyamb  and  has  five 
children:  Blanche,  Harry,  Edna,  IvCta  and  Raymond  Ford;  Charles  Ford, 
who  is  married  to  Maggie  Davis,  has  two  children,  Eugene  and  Leslie 
Ford;.  Anna,  wife  of  Neal  Ford,  of  Allen  county,  has  two  children.  Marie 
and  Nina  Ford;  l^aura,  wife  of  James  Robb,  has  five  children,  Mildred, 
Alice,  Agnes,  Philos  and  Arthur  Robb;  and  Mabel,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Albert  Smith. 

Mrs.  Ford  gave  her  children  a  common  school  education  in  the  home 
district  and  reared  them  all  to  become  useful  and  honorable  men  and 
women.  The  earlier  years  of  their  lives  were  something  of  a  struggle 
against  adversities  but  as  the  children  approached  man  and  womanhood 
their  labors  were  rendered  with  telling  effect  and  their  homestead,  instead 
of  dwindling  below  its  original  size  doubled  it  and  Mrs.  Ford  owns  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  each  of  sections  iourteen  and  twenty-two. 

In  public  affairs  and  in  party  afiiliations  the  Fords  are  Republicans. 
The  young  men  are  among  the  substantial  young  men  of  their  township 
and  it  is  much  to  the  credit  of  the  family  that  their  neighbors  and  friends 
bold  them  in  the  highest  esteem-. 


CORNELIUS  W.  McNIEL,  manager  of  the  extensive  interests  of  the 
Northrup  lyumber  Company,  of  lola,  has  resided  in  Allen  county  for 
twenty-one  years.  He  came  to  it  in  1879  and  purchased  a  farm  near  that 
of  Daniel  Horville,  northwest  of  lola,  which  he  cultivated  until  1883  when 
be  sold  it  and  moved  into  town.  He  took  the  foremanship  of  the,  then, 
small  lumber  yard  of  L.  L.  Northrup  and  has  remained  with  the  business 
through  all  the  years  which  have  intervened  and  has  watched  its  growth 
from  the  chief  lumber  yard  of  a  small  town  to  the  leading  one  of  the 
metropolis  of  the  gas  belt. 

Mr.  McNiel  was  born  in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  November  loth,  1834. 
Lazarus  McNiel,  his  father,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  to  that  county  where 
he  opened  out  a  farm  in  the  heavy  timber  and  cultivated  it  with  success 
during  his  active  life.  He  went  into  Ohio  from  near  Harrisburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  was  born  in  this  latter  state,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812 
and  died  just  three  days  before  his  wife.  He  was  one  of  the  Jeffersonian 
and  Jacksonian  Democrats  and  when  our   subject   changed   the   course  of 


WOODSON  COUNTIEIi,  KANSAS.  497 

family  politics  by  casting  his*  ballot  for  Fremont  in  1856  it  was   almost  at 
the  expense  of  his  father's  friendship. 

Jane  Hall,  our  subject's  mother,  was  a  daughter  ol  Cornelius  Hall, 
who  represented  his  district,  as  a  Whig,  in  the  Ohio  L,egislature  in  an  early 
day.  He  was  likewise  from  Pennsylvania  and  was  a  farmer.  Of  six  chil- 
dren born  to  I^azarus  McNiel  only  two  survive:  Martha,  wife  of  Thomas 
Mitchell,  of  Albany,  Oregon,  and  Cornelius  W.  McNiel.  Nancy,  the 
oldest,  manied  Dr.  Alanson  Smith  and  is  deceased;  Sarah  J.  died  single; 
Maria  H.  married  B.  F.  Fessenden  and  was  killea,  together  with  her  hus- 
band, by  a  railroad  train  near  Cincinnati;  Rebecca  C. ,  died  in  Anderson, 
Indiana,  in  1900,  was  the  wife  of  L.  H.  Vinedge. 

Mr.  McNiel  spent  his  youth  and  early  married  life  in  the  country.  He 
attended  the  country  school,  Hanover  College  and  Miami  University,  at 
Oxford,  Ohio.  He  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  soon  after  coming  of 
age,  with  Dr.  Newton,  of  Cincinnati,  but  was  thought  to  be  consumptive  . 
and  was  advised  by  the  doctor  to  abandon  his  professional  notions  and  go 
home  to  die.  From  thence  forward  his  life  was  an  out-of-door  one  and  it 
was  not  till  the  close  of  the  Civil  war  that  he  ventured  awaj'  from  his 
native  state.  In  1865  he  moved  to  Pettis  county,  Missouri,  and  spent  two 
years  in  farming.  He  started  the  town  of  Lamont,  by  building  the  first 
house  in  it,  and  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  grain  business  there  till 
1879,  when  he  came  to  Kansas. 

December  3,  1854.,  Mr.  McNiel  was  married  to  Maria  H.  Gaston,  a 
daughter  of  David  Gaston,  one  of  the  early  setUers  of  Hamilton  county, 
Ohio.  Mrs.  McNiel  died  in  1883,  being  the  mother  of  Harry  L.,  of  the 
firm  of  Brigham  &  McNiel,  of  lola;  Edward  H.,  who  died  in  1894;  Jennie 
McNiel;  Walter  S.  and  Bert  L.  McNiel,  leading  jewelers,  of  lola. 

C.  W.  McNiel  has  been  one  of  the  active  citizens  of  lola.  He  has  not 
only  gone  about  the  transaction  of  his  personal  business  with  prudence  and 
wisdom  but  in  the  conduct  of  public  business  he  has  exercised  the  same  dis- 
cretion and  business  judgment.  For  five  years  he  was  a  member  of  lola's 
common  council  and  was  two  years  its  Mayor  and  his  accession  to  those 
positions  are  ample  testimony  to  the  efficiency  with  which  he  cared  for  a 
public  trust.  In  politics  he  permits  no  man  to  outdo  him  as  a  Republican. 
As  heretofore  mentioned,  he  started  with  the  paity  and  his  claim  to  a 
place  of  honor  in  the  great  and  patriotic  organization  can  not  be  disputed 
or  disproved. 


/'^HAUNCEY  H.  DeCIvUTE.— To  know  how  to  make  money,  to  know 
^-^  how  to  spend  money,  and  to  know  how  to  make  and  keep  friends, — 
those  are  rare  gifts,  and  the  man  who  possesses  all  of  them  cannot  make  a 
failure  of  this  life.  It  is  because  he  possesses  these  gifts  that  the  name  of 
C.  H.  DcClute  always  appears  in  any  list  of  the  successful  business  men  of 
Tola. 

Chauncey  Hovver  DeClute  was  born  in  Monroe  county.  New  York,  in 


498  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

the  year  1839.  When  twelve  years  of  ag^  the.  family  removed  to  Cold- 
water,  Michigan,  where  the  boy  attended  the  city  schools  until  he  reached 
the  age  of  nineteen  when  he  left  the  bchool  room  to  take  a  place  as  clerk  in 
a  clothing  store. 

In  July,  1864,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  C,  Twenty-eighth 
Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry.  After  serving  in  the  ranks  for  six  months 
he  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  and  transferred  to  another  Company 
of  the  regiment,  of  which  he  was  put  in  command, — its  captain  being  ab- 
sent on  detached  service, — and  which  he  continued  to  command  during  the 
remaining  eighteen  months  of  his  service. 

After  being  mustered  out  in  June,  1866,  after  two  years  of  hard  and 
gallant  service  under  the  flag  of  his  country,  Lieutenant  DeClute  returned 
to  Coldwater  and  resumed  his  place  behind  the  counter,  where  he  remained 
until  1879,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  W.  W. 
Anderson,  and  together  they  came  to  lola,  Kansas,  and  engaged  in  the 
clothing  business. 

Up  to  that  time  most  of  the  stores  in  the  then  small  village  of  lola,  had 
carried  stocks  of  "general  merchandise,"  a  little  of  everything,  and  the 
old  settlers  will  remember  well  what  a  shaking  of  heads  there  was  when  it 
was  announced  that  the  new  firm  was  going  to  run  an  exclusive  clothing 
store,  and  how  general  were  the  prophesies  of  failure.  But  the  new  firm 
didn't  fail.  It  started  out  at  first  in  a  small  way,  with  a  limited  stock  in  a 
small  building  about  the  middle  of  the  block  facing 'the  square  between 
Madison  avenue  and  West  street.  But  by  and  by  the  stock  grew  larger 
and  it  was  only  a  few  years  until  it  was  announced  that  the  new  firm  had 
bought  the  most  prominent  corner  in  town  and  would  put  up  a  brick  and 
stone  building.  So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  prophesies  of  failure  ceased 
and  the  clothing  house  of  Anderson  &  DcClute  became  known  all  over  the 
county  as  one  of  the  substantial  commercial  enterprises  of  lola.  And  while 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm, — whose  death  in  1892  was  deeply  deplored, 
— was  personally  popular  and  well  liked,  it  was  generally  recognized  that 
the  long  experience  and  the  shrewd  business  sense  of  the  junior  partner 
were  the  largest  factors  in  achieving  what  has  certainly  been  most  gratify- 
ing success. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Anderson  and*  of  his  wife,  which  occurred  in 
1899,  Mr.  DeClute  bought  the  interest  of  their  heirs  and  has  since  been 
sole  proprietor  of  the -business.  It  has  continued  to  grow,  and  has  in- 
creased to  such  an  extent  that  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  build  a  two- 
story  addition  to  accommodate  the  large  stock  made  necessary  by  the  en- 
larged demands  of  the  trade. 

It  often  happens  that  business  success  is  achieved  at  the  sacrifice  of 
personal  popularity,  but  in  the  present  instance  this  bad  rule  has  fortu- 
nately not  held  good.  There  are  plenty  of  good  reasons  for  this,  but  the 
principal  one,  doubtless,  is  the  fact  that  Mr.  DeClute  is  one  of  the  most 
public  spirited  of  all  our  citizens.  The  money  he  has  made  here  he  has 
spent  here, — -in  putting  up  a  fine  business  block,  in  building  for  his  family 
a  handsome  and  commodious  home,  and  in  extending  his  business.     He  is 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  499 

always  prompt  and  liberal  in  subscribing  to  any  fund  that  may  be  needed 
for  some  public  purpose,  or  in  taking  stock-  in  any  enterprise  that  is  started 
to  benefit  the  town,  or  in  giving  time  and  toil  to  help  make  a  success  of  any 
public  entertainment.  He  is  intensely  loyal  to  the  town  and  amply  de- 
serves the  success  he  has  won  and  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held. 

Mr.  DeClute  was  married  at  Coldwater,  Michigan,  in  1861,  to  Miss 
Jeannette  Davis,  and  the  son,  George,  that  was  born  to  them,  after  serving 
with  gallantry  as  a  volunteer  in  the  First  Illinois  through  the  Cuban  cam- 
paign in  the  war  with  Spain,  is  now  assisting  his  father  in  the  conduct  of 
his  business.  Mrs.  Jeannette  Davis  DeClute  died  in  1877,  and  in  1879  Mr. 
DeClute  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Anderson,  who,  with  their  daughter, 
Louise,  constitute  the  family  which  adorns  one  of  the  happiest  as  well  as 
one  of  the  prettiest  homes  in  lola. 


T 


AMES  TAYLOR,  of  lola,  one  of  the  well  known  and  progressive  re- 
'^  tired  farmers  of  this  city,  has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  since  1879. 
He  came  into  the  county  in  March  of  that  year  from  Johnson  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  located  upon  section  two,  township  twenty-four,  range  twenty, 
Osage  township.  This  tract  was  a  piece  of  raw  land  and  Mr.  Taylor  set 
about  bringing  the  soil  under  subjection  and  making  such  improvements  as 
were  necessary  to  insure  the  family  comfort.  His  industry  brought  him  a 
good  degree  of  prosperity  and  he  increased  the  area  of  his 'original  quarter 
by  one-half.  In  December  of  1895  he  came  to  lola,  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
tiring from  further  active  business. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Missouri,  June  12,  1830. 
His  father,  Joseph  Taylor,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  county,  having 
located  there  in  1826.  He  opened  out  a  farm  near  Danville  and  remained 
in  the  vicinity  till  1842  when  he  went  into  Livingston  county  where  he 
lived  until  1865  when  he  went  to  Boone  county  and  remained  there  until 
he  died  in  1885.  He  was  born  in  the  state  of  Maryland  in  1804,  went  into 
Kentucky  at  an  early  day  and  removed  from  Simpson  county,  that  state, 
to  Missouri.  His  wife,  nee  Jane  Doss,  was  born  in  1806  and  died  in  1875. 
Their  children  were :  Mary,  wife  of  James  Hicks,  resides  in  Chillicothe, 
Missouri;  Artemicia,  married  Hampton  Livingston,  Davis  county,  Missouri; 
Susan,  wife  of  William  Parks,  Boone  county;  Lucretia,  who  married  George 
Hubbard,  Montgomery  county;  Martha,  deceased,  married  Thomas  Patton, 
Montgomery  county;  Catherine,  Boone  county,  Missouri,  wife  of  John 
Patton,  deceased;  Wesley,  of  Kincaid,  Anderson  county,  Kansas,  Samuel 
Taylor,  deceased,  Thomas  Taylor,  of  Oklahoma;  Julean  Sharp,  of  Pattens- 
burg,  Davis  county,   Missouri. 

Our  subject's  early  life  was  that  of  a  farm  boy.  He  attended  school 
only  a  few  months  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  left  the  farm  and  learned 
the  carpenter  trade.  He  took  on  mason  work  and  brick  laying  about  the 
same  time  and  became  quite  proficient  in  all  three  trades.     Foi  thirty  years 


500  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

he   followed    his  trades,    making  them  his  chief  livelihood,  and  even  some 
residents  of  Allen  county  can  testify  to  his  skill  in  these  lines. 

"Uncle  Jimmy"  Taylor,  as  he  is  familiarly  addressed,  is  the  architect 
of  his  own  fortune.  He  was  thrown  upon  the  world,  as  many  faimer's  sons 
are,  without  a  dime  and  he  accumulated  very  little  until  he  deserted  his 
trades.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  went  to  Colorado  and  located  at  Black 
Hawk,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he  prospected  for .  ore  and  located  a  few 
claims  but  could  not  develop  them.  While  in  the  west  his  wife  died,  at 
Canon'  City,  Colorado,  and  when  he  returned  to  this  state  in  1875  he  pos- 
sessed less  resources  than  when  he  went  away.  He  located  in  Johnson 
county,  this  state,  on  a  farm  near  Olathe. 

Mr,  Taylor  has  been  three  times  married.  His  fir.st  wife  was  Polly 
Ann  Brumnitt  who  died  at  Utica,  Missouri.  One  of  her  three  children 
survive:  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Artega,  of  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico.  Mr.  Taylor's 
second  wife  was  Jeraldine  M.  Dennison.  Her  heirs  are:  Samuel  G. 
Taylor,  of  Canon  City,  Colorado,  and  John  W.  Taylor,  who  died  in  lola 
March  31,  1901.  Mr.  Taylor's  present  wife  was  Maggie  Shuey,  whom  he 
married  in  Johnson  county,  Kansas.  To  them  was  born  one  son  who  has 
been  an  invalid  all  his  life. 

More  than  thirty  years  ago  our  subject  joined. Canon  City,  Colorado, 
Lodge  No.  7,  of  Odd  Fellows  and  he  has  maintained  his  membership  in 
the  order  since.  He  is  a  known  Democrat,  one  of  positive  opinions  and 
only  exercises  liberality  and  impartiality  as  to  candidates  in    local   affairs. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  prominently  identified  with  the  movement  to  secure 
cheap  gas  for  fuel  in  lola  and  upon  the  consolidation  of  the  two  gas  com- 
panies he  became  connected  with  the  active  operation  of  the  consolidated 
plant.  He  has  done  a  fair  share  of  the  building  up  of  the  city,  having 
erected  several  houses,  one  of  which,  his  residence,  is  one  of  the  attractive 
homes  in  lola. 


T  \AVID  SMITH,  whose  remarkable  influence  as  one  of  the  early  teach- 
-" — ^  ers  of  the  county  has  been  elsewhere  noted,  was  born  October  13, 
1822,  in  We.stmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania,  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage. 
The  following  year  his  parents  removed  to  Stark  county,  Ohio,  and  settled 
upon  a  tract  of  land  where  the  city  of  Massilon  now  stands.  David,  the 
oldest  of  five  brothers,  lived  and  worked  upon  the  farm  and  in  his  father's 
tannery  until  about  his  eighteenth  year.  Up  to  this  time  his  educational 
advantages  were  very  meager.  The  country  was  new,  a  tribe  of  Indians 
occupied  a  part  of  the  county  for  several  years,  schools  were  short,  poor  and 
primitive,  teachers  poorly  qualified  and  books  .scarce.  His  nineteenth  year 
he  spent  in  the  Twinsburg  Academj',  taught  by  Rev.  Samuel  Bissell,  at 
that  time  one  of  the  largest  and  most  popular  schools  in  northern  Ohio. 
The  next  two  years  he  taught  school  and  then  entered  Western  Reserve — 
now  Adelbert  College — then  located  at  Hudson,    now  at   Cleveland,    Ohio. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  5?)* 

Here  and  at  Jefferson  College  at  Cannonsburg,  Pennsylvania,  he  spent  hi« 
time  while  not  teaching  till  his  graduation  at  Jefferson  about  the  year  1847. 
He  also  received  a  diploma  from  Adelbert.  Immediately  after  graduation 
lie  was  called  to  the  principalship  of  the  Old  Pisgat  Academy,  near  lLe>King- 
ton,  Kentucky.  Two  years  after  he  entered  the  Western  Theological 
Seminarv  at  Allegheny,  Pennsylvania.  Completing  his  theological  cotiriSe 
he  married  Miss  S.  E.  Clarke,  a  teacher  at  Northfield,  Ohio,  and  immedi- 
ately answered  a  call  to  take  charge  of  the  academy  at  Winchester,  Ten- 
nessee. A  year  later  he  was  called  to  the  chair  of  mathematics  in  Burett 
College,  Spencer,  Ten.nessee.  A  few  months  after  upon  the  death  of  the 
president  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  college — about  1857.  He  held 
this  position  till  the  Civil  war  closed  the  college. 

Leaving  Spencer,  Tennessee,  in  1863,  in  troublesome  times — -times  that 
tried  northern  men's  souls — he  settled  in  Olney,  Illinois.  Here  he  taught 
for  a  year,  when  he  was  called  to  take  charge  of  the  schools  at  Shawnee- 
town,  Illinois.  In  the  year  1866  he  resigned  his  position  at  Shawneetown 
and  accepted  the  call  to  Geneva,  Kansas,  and  the  following  year  settled  at 
Carlyle  where  he  continued  to  teach  until  his  death,  April  10,  1878. 

Professor  Smith  was  of  the  old  Puritan  type,  a  stern  disciplinarian,  a 
rigid  observer  of  the  strictest  religious  rules, — a  combination  of  teacher  and 
preacher  whose  influence  was  wide  and  lasting.  His  memory  will  be 
revered  as  long  as  any  still  live  who  were  the    beneficaries  of   his    training. 


GEORGE  W.  FISHER — In  selecting  candidates  for  public  office  politi- 
cal parties  rarely  fail  to  follow  other  courses  than  the  one  dictated  by 
their  trusted  leaders  and  in  no  instance  is  this  fact  more  strikingly  true  than 
in  the  minority  party  whose  candidates  must  go  before  the  voters,  in  a  local 
contest,  upon  their  individual  merits,  as  citizens  and  men,  rather  than  upon 
their  unpopular  political  platform.  The  political  situation  in  Allen  county 
leaves  the  People's  party  and  the  Democratic  party,  combined,  in  the 
minority  and  in  the  selection  of  their  candidates  for  the  various  offices  to  be 
filled  by  the  election  of  igoo,  no  more  honorable  or  conscientious  nominee 
appeared  on  the  Fusion  ticket  than  that  for  Representative  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, George  W.  Fisher.  All  the  years  since  his  majority  have  been 
passed  in  Allen  county,  near  lola,  and  in  enumerating  our  worthy 
citizens  it  is  with  pride  that  a  reference  is  made  to  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 

George  Fisher  was  born  in  Park  county,  Indiana,  May  13,  1862.  He 
is  a  son  of  the  late  John  Fisher,  a  farmer  and  a  native  of  Brown  county, 
Ohio,  who  died  in  lola  township  in  1886  at  sixty-two  years  of  age.  The 
latter  went  into  Park  county,  Indiana,  in  1828  and  was  married  there  to 
Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Cox)  Gooding.  He  was  an 
Ohio  emigrant  and  was  a  son  of  John  Fisher,  a  soldier  of  the  War  of  181 2 
and  "a  Whig  in  politics  who  went  into  Ohio  from  Washington  county,  Penn- 


502  HISTORY    OF  ALLEN   ATTD 

sylvania,  and  took  up  land  there  in  an  early  day.  He  took  his  family  of 
six  sons  to  Park  county,  Indiana,  in  1828  and  died  there  leaving  six  sons 
and  two  daughters,  who  reared  families.  The  children  of  his  son,  John 
Fisher,  were:  J.  Wesley  Fisher,  of  Allen  county ;  Nathan  Fisher,  of  Marshall 
Illinois;  Malinda,  deceased ; George  W. ;  Thorns  F. ,  of  Hansford,  California' 
and  Allen  G.  Fisher  of  Allen  county. 

Gecrge  W.  Fisher  was  a  youth  of  nineteen  years  when  he  came  to 
Allen  county.  He  was  liberally  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  had 
had  instruction,  .specially,  in  book-keeping  and  writing.  He  reached  his 
twenty-first  year  as  a  farmer  and  his  continuation  of  it  evidences  the  fact 
that  his  success  is  of  the  certain  and  enduring  kind.  Since  the  death 
of  his  mother  February  14,  1899,  he  has  resided  alone  upon  the  old  family 
home  in  section  13,  town  24,  range  17,  where  he  owns  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres. 

The  platforms  of  modern  Democracy  and  of  the  People's  party  find 
responsive  chords  in  the  organism  of  the  Fishers  and  their  faith  is  pinned 
to  the  ultimate  triumph  of  all  the  elements  opposed  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Philadelphia  convention  of  1900.  George  Fisher  is  not  a  Populist  for  office, 
for  Populists  seldom  get  offices  in  Allen  county.  He  is  not  an  office-seeker 
and  in  the  campaign  of  1900  it  is  doubtful  if  he  even  hinted  in  the  presence 
of  a  voter  that  he  desired  his  support  at  the  polls.  His  election  would  have 
meant  that  Allen  county  would  have  had  a  Representative  who  would  not 
fail  to  piotect  her  by  at  least  his  vote  against  any  effort  to  deprive  her  of  her 
deare.st  resource  by  a  foreign  corporation. 


A  /TARTIN  h.  DECKER,  ex-Treasurer  of  Allen  county,  was  born  in 
-LV_L  Wallertheim,  Darmstadt,  Empire  of  Germany,  December  8,  1837. 
He  was  born  in  the  same  house  with  his  father,  John  A.  Decker  and  with 
his  grandfather.  Both  grandfather  and  father  were  wine  growers,  cultivat- 
ing large  farms  planted  to  vineyards.  John  Decker  was  married  to  Philipina 
Weinheimer  and  Martin  I/Uther  was  the  third  of  eleven  children.  He 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1853  and,  on  his  sixteenth  birthday, 
arrived  in  LaSalle  county,  Illinois.  He  cro.ssed  the  Atlantic  in  the  sailer 
Powhattan,  bound  from  Rotterdam  to  New  York,  fifty-two  days  at  sea. 
Young  Decker  stopped  on  a  farm  near  Mendota,  Illinois,  and  worked  for 
wages  three  years.  In  1856,  in  company  with  an  uncle  he  immigrated  to 
Iowa  and  then  to  Minnesota  where,  at  Austin  he  ran  a  saw-mill  till  1858. 
While  in  the  mill  he  invented  a  machine  for  sawing  eve-troughs,  probably 
the  first  one  in  existence,  but  which  was  never  patented  nor  followed  up 
with  a  profit. 

His  entry  to  Kansas  in  1858  was  celebrated  by  the  preempting  of  a 
piece  of  land  near  Goodrich,  I,inn  county.  In  1859,  having  sold  his  claim 
he  crossed  the  line  into  Allen  county  and  worked  on  a  farm  on  the  Osage, 
for  Johnston    Mann.     In   the   spring   of  1861    he   enlisted  in  Company  C, 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KATSTSAS.  503 

Third  Kansas  cavalry,  Colonel  Montgomery.  In  1862  the  regiment  was 
disorganized  and  Company  C  was  transferred  to  the  9th  Kans-as  'cavalry. 
In  its  periods  of  marching  and  counter  marching  this  regiment  visited  Ft. 
Riley,  Kansas;  Ft.  Gibson,  Indian  Territory;  Kansas  City,  Trading  Post, 
Kansas;  Lawrence,  Kansas;  Little  Rock,  Ft.  Smith,  Duvall's  Blu£f  and 
■campaigned  on  the  White  and  Mississippi  Rivers.  He  was  discharged  from 
the  service  November  23,  1864,  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  having  done  his 
whole  duty  toward  the  flag  of  his  adopted  country. 

December  8,  1864,  Mr.  Decker  was  married  at  Leavenworth  city  to 
Grace  A.  Thomas,  who  was  born  in  England  Noverubei  22,  1846.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  H.  Thomas  and  Mary  Evans,  the  former  a 
Welchman  and  the  latter  an  English  lady.  The  Thomas'  came  to  Kansas 
in  1856,  from  New  York  State,  and  settled  in  Douglas  county,  near 
Lawrence. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Decker  farmed  in  Allen  and  Bourbon  counties 
till  the  fall  of  1867  when  he  removed  to  Leavenworth  county,  residing  near 
Potter  where  he  was  a  farmer  and  fruit  grower  till  i88g.  The  latter  year 
he  returned  to  Allen  county  and  purchased  the  Mann  farm,  in  Osage  town- 
ship two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Bayard.  He  resided  upon  this  tract  three 
years,  then  located  in  the  town  of  Elsmore  and  engaged  with  a  son  in 
merchandising.  After  a  three  years  residence  in  Elsmore  he  removed  to 
Ida  to  assume  the  duties  of  county  Treasurer. 

Mr.  Decker  has  always  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party.  This 
political  relation  is  a  matter  in  which  he  feels  much  warranted  pride.  The 
succession  of  events  in  the  past  forty  years  has  shown  that  party  to  have 
been  right  on  all  great  questions  and  to  be  right  is  to  be  patriotic.  After  a 
contest  of  a  few  weeks  Mr.  Decker  was  nominated  for  County  Treasurer  in 
1895  ^nd  was  elected  the  same  year.  He  took  possession  of  the  office  in 
October  of  the  next  year  and  held  it  four  years.  His  administration  cov- 
ered one  smooth,  unruffled  and  uneventful  period  of  two  terms  and  was 
one  of  the  many  clean  and  efficient  ones  of  the  past  dozen  years.  He  was 
seldom  away  from  his  office,  was  gentlemanly  and  obliging  to  all  and 
guarded  with  jealous  care  the  receptacle  of  the  people's  funds. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  IDecker's  children  are:  Jesse  P.  Decker,  of  Elsmore; 
Emma,  wife  of  John  Amann,  of  Jefferson  county,  Kansas;  Grant  P.  and 
Martin  L.  Decker  Jr. ;  Thos.  H.  Decker  and  Isaac  Decker,  of  Allen  county; 
Henry  F.  Decker,  late  with  the  United  States  Volunteers  in  the  Philip- 
pines. He  enlisted  in  Battery  F,  Third  Artillery,  and  served  in  the  Cuban 
and  Porto  Rican  campaigns,  Spanish-American  war,  and  later  in  Com- 
pany F,  34th  United  States  Volunteer  infantry.  Mary  A. ,  wife  of  R. 
Edward  Glassel,  residing  in  Joplin,  Missouri;  Elsie  G. ,  Ellen,  Walter  A. 
and  John  A.  Decker.  It  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Decker  has  eight  sons 
who,  with  himself,  cast  seven  votes  for  William  McKinley  in  1900,  being 
no  doubt  a  record  unequaled  by  any  other  family  in  Allen  county. 


504  HrsTOEY    OF   ALLEN    ANU 

T  A7"ILLIAMT.  BARNETT.— When  ambition  is  satisfied  and  every 
"  ^  ultimate  aim  realized  then  activity  will  cease  and  effort  will  end. 
It  is  ambition  which  prompts  man  to  continue  in  business,  enables  him  tc 
overcome  obstacles-  and  to  persevere  even  when  a  seemingly  adverse  fate 
thwarts  him.  His  resolute  purpose  and  determination  forms  the  ladder  on 
which  he  mounts  to  success.  Mr.  Barnett  is  one  who  owes  his  prosperity 
entirely  to  his  own  efforts,  and  his  life  record  should  serve  as  a  source  of 
inspiration  and  encouragement  to  others  who  are  also  forced  to  start  out 
on  an  independent  business  career  empty  handed.  He  now  resides  on  sec- 
tion 12,  lola  township,  where  he  has  made  his  home  since  1869. 

He  was  born  in  Fulton  county,  Indiana,  near  Rochester,  November 
20,  T844,  a  son  of  Thomas  W.  Barnett,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  that 
county.  His  paternal  grandfather,  John  Barnett,  was  born  in  Goochland 
county,  Virginia,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  slavery  trouble  left  the  Old 
Dominion  for  Ohio.  He  and  his  fainily  were  of  the  Quaker  faith  and  trace 
their  ancestry  back  to  Scotland  through  emigrants  who  came  to  America 
prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war.  Politically  they  were  all  Whigs,  and  Re- 
publican. Great  strength  and  size  were  two  marked  family  characteristics, 
nearly  all  of  the  men  being  more  than  six  feet  in  height.  Thomas  W. 
Barnett  was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  June  13,  1813,  and  in  1835  he  removed 
to  Fulton  county,  Indiana,  where  he  developed  a  farm  from  the  wild  land, 
his  home  being  a  log  cabin.  He  wedded  Mary  Troutmau,  a  daughter  of 
Michael  Troutman,  who  was  of  Irish  extraction  and  their  eldest  son,  John 
A.  Barnett,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Fulton  county.  Their  other 
children  were  Michael  I.;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  John  J.  Carter,  of  Fulton 
county;  William  T.,  of  this  review;  Emma, .wife  of  Dr.  Albert  Coble,  of 
Carroll  County,  Indiana.  The  father  had  accumulated  a  considerable  for- 
tune when  the  war  broke  out,  but  while  the  war  lasted  he  devoted  so  much 
of  his  time  and  means  to  the  cause  of  the  Union  that  most  of  his  capital 
was  dissipated,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1882  he  was  in  but  moderate 
.circumstances.     His  wife  died  in  Frankfort,  Indiana,  in  1891. 

William  T.  Barnett,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  remained  at  home  until 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  with  the  exception  of  the  period  spent  at  the 
front  in  the  Civil  war.  He  pursued  his  education  in  an  old-time  log  school 
house,  where  he  conned  his  lessons  during  the  winter  months  in  his  early 
years.  In  April,  1863,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A, 
Twenty-sixth  Indiana  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Clark,  who  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Frankfort,  Indiana.  The  company  joined  the  regiment  at  Raleigh, 
Missouri,  and  embarking  on  transports  at  St.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  they 
went  down  the  river  to  take  part  in  the  Vicksburg  campaign.  Landing  at 
Haynes  Bluff,  they  participated  in  the  Yazoo  river  engagement,  crossed  the 
river  at  Youngs  Point,  and  proceeded  to  a  point  below  Vicksburg,  thus 
closing  up  the  line.  There  they  participated  in  the  siege  and  assault  on 
the  city,  and  took  part  in  several  hotly  contested  engagements,  one  of 
which  was  a  charge  to  get  possession  of  the  outer  works.  The  Twenty- 
sixth  Indiana  was  under  the  command  of  Major  General  Heiren,  then  only 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  505 

twenty-six  years  of  age.  From  Vicksburg  they  were  sent  up  the  Yazoo 
river,  and  after  capturing  Yazoo  City,  took  part  in  the  fight  at  Big  Black 
river.  After  capturing  and  burning  Edwards  depot  they  returned  to  Vicks- 
burg, and  then  went  on  to  New  Orleans,  where  they  were  recruited,  pro- 
ceeding thence  to  capture  Morgan's  Bend.  While  stationed  on  the  Atcha- 
falaya  they  were  captured  by  the  Confederates  and  taken  to  Tyler,  Texas. 
In  November,  1863,  they  signed  the  parole  and  were  sent  to  Shreveport  for 
exchange.  They  were  captured  in  the  summer  while  on  a  scouting  expe- 
dition and  had  very  little  clothing  with  them.  They  were  also  barefooted, 
when  on  the  19th  of  November,  the  weather  turned  very  cold  and  the  river 
froze  over,  so  that  the  Confederates  rode  back  and  forth  on  the  ice.  The 
Union  soldiers  experienced  great  suffering  there.  Returning  to  Tyler  after 
three  months  they  remained  at  the  latter  place  until  July,  when  they  were 
taken  to  the  mouth  of  the  Red  river  and  exchanged.  Going  by  way  of 
New  Orleans  they  rejoined  the  regiment  at  F'ort  Butler,  Louisiana,  and 
later  participated  in  the  capture  of  Mobile  and  Port  Blakely.  Passing  up 
the  Mobile  river  they  captured  Montgomery  and  Selma,  and  thence  went 
to  Meridan,  Mississippi,  where  they  captured  General  Taylor  and  thirty 
thousand  men.  On  that  march  Mr.  Baruett  and  many  of  his  comrades 
were  bare-footed  and  on  very  short  rations  part  of  the  time.  After  that 
they  were  on  detached  service  and  our  subject  also  acted  as  military  court 
officer  until  mustered  out  at  Vicksburg,  January  17,  1866.  During  his 
service  he  received  a  severe  wound  in  the  right  cheek  from  a  musket 
ball. 

When  Mr.  Barnett  came  to  Allen  county,  he  brought  with  him  two 
hundred  dollars  in  cash,  which  represented  the  sum  total  of  his  savings  up 
to  that  time.  On  looking  around  for  some  time  he  decided  to  locate  in 
lola  township  and  finally  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on  which  he  now 
resides  for  eight  hundred  dollars,  paying  down  two  hundred  dollars  and 
giving  a  mortgage  for  the  remainder.  The  improvements  upon  the  place 
consisted  of  a  house  fifteen  feet  square  and  thirteen  acres  of  broken  ground. 
Mr.  Barnett  then  entered  the  employ  of  John  McClure,  a  well-known 
pioneer  engaged  with  I,.  L-  Northrup  in  the  cattle  business.  He  received 
twenty  dollars  per  month  and  later  he  entered  the  service  of  Brooks  & 
Arnold,  who  gave  him  twenty-eight  dollars  per  month.  He  was  thus  em- 
ployed until  he  had  paid  off  the  mortgage,  when  he  returned  for  a  visit 
with  relatives  and  friends  in  Indiana.  On  again  reaching  Allen  county,  he 
began  the  work  of  improving  his  farm  in  1873  and  kept  bachelor's  hall 
there.  He  had  a  yoke  of  oxen,  a  plow  and  a  harrow.  As  the  years 
passed  he  secured  improved  facilities  and  has  continued  the  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  his  place  until  he  now  has  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive farms  of  the  neighborhood,  having  in  the  meantime  extended  its 
boundaries  by  the  additional  purchase  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 

Mr.  Barnett  married  Miss  Mary  E).  Cox,  daughter  of  Samuel  W.  Cox, 
a  farmer  and  merchant  of  Hafristown,  Illinois,  who  removed  from  Ken- 
tucky to  Illinois.  Mis.  Barnett  has  three  brothers  and  two  sisters:  Henry 
and  Ephraim,  of  Sumner  county,  Kansas;  William,  of  Illinois;  Mrs.  Nancy 


5o6  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Morrison,  of  Iowa;  and  Mrs.  Minerva  Bear,  of  Bearsdale,  Illinois.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnett  were  born  ten  children.  These  are  Mary  E. , 
wife  of  Robert  Sullivan,  of  Allen  county,  Kansas;  Centennial  R.,  wife  of 
Samuel  E.  Wilson,  of  Allen  county;  Thomas  W. ,  of  lola,  died  August  31, 
1900;  Florence,  Elmer  A.,  Harry  C,  Noble  R.,  Chester  R. ,  Russell  J.  and 
Bruce,  who  are  still  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Barnett  cast  his  first  vote  for  General  Grant  and  has  since  been  an 
active  factor  in  local  politics.  He  was  elected  trustee  of  lola  township,, 
and  by  election  and  appointment  has  served  for  six  terms  in  that  office.  In 
religious  faith  he  is  connected  with  the  Society  of  Friends,  but  there  is  no 
church  of  his  denomination  in  the  neighborhood.  His  has  been  a  useful 
and  active  life  and  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil  over 
the  public  or  private  career  of  William  Thomas  Barnett. 


TAMES  B.  PEES,  of  Liberty  neighborhood,  Allen  county,  is  one  of  the 
"  homesteaders  of  lola  township.  He  came  to  the  county  in  March, 
1871,  and  entered  an  eighty  acre  tract  in  section  18,  township  24,  range 
18,  the  same  year.  He  established  himself  among  the  settlers  west  of  the 
Neosho  river,  married  one  of  their  pioneer  women  and  has  maintained  him- 
self a  useful  honorable  and  appreciated  ciuzen. 

In  tracing  up  the  genealogy  of  Mr.  Pees  we  find  him  to  be  a  son  of 
Nicholas  Pees,  a  farmer  who  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1798.  In  1854  he  emigrated  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Cham- 
paign county,  where  he  died  in  1869.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Pees,  likewise 
a  native  of  the  Keystone  state,  whose  parents  cros.sed  the  mountains  into 
we.stern  Pennsylvania  in  the  first  settlement  of  that  region.  Whether  this 
ancestor  or  his  immediate  relatives  had  any  connection  with  the  military  of 
the -United  States  during  its  early  wars  is  not  certain,  now.  It  is  probable 
that  they  were  Democratic  patriots  for  Nicholas  Pees  affiliated  with  that 
political  party  until  the  issues  of  the  war  made  him  a  Republican. 

Nicholas  Pees  married  Susan  Ingle  who  died  in  Allen  county  May  15, 
1885,  and  is  buried  at  Piqua.  Their  children  are:  Ruth  A.,  wife  of  James 
McGlumphy,  of  Pittsburg  Pennsylvania;  Joanna,  who  married  John  Mc- 
Crary  and  died  near  Keokuk,  Iowa,  in  1848;  Mary,  whose  first  husband 
was  Edmon  Loyd,  resides  in  Champaign  county,  Ohio,  and  is  the  wife  of 
John  Shields;  Sarah,  who  died  single;  Tephanes,  deceased,  was  married  to 
Joseph  McAphee,  and  James  B.  Pees,  our  subject.  He  was  married  to  E. 
A.  Dennison  October  3,  1878. 

Mr.  Pees  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  August  14, 
1842.  He  was  reared  in  Champaign  county,  Ohio,  from  the  age  of  twelve 
years  and  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  books  from  the  country  schools  of 
his  day.  With  the  exception  of  the  years  he  spent  in  the  army  he  re- 
mained with  his  father  till  the  latter's  death.  Soon  after  that  event  he 
decided  to  come  to  Kansas  and  grow  up  with  the  county  of  Allen.     He  re- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  507 

sided  a  short  time  on  his  small  tract  on  Elm  creek  adjoining  lola  but  for 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  maintained  his  residence  near  the 
eighty  he  homesteaded  in  the  year  187 1. 

October  3rd,  1878,  Mr.  Pees  married  Eliza  Dennison  whose  second 
husband  was  Lewis  Dennison  and  whose  father  was  Carver  Gunn.  The 
Gunns  were  Massachusetts  people  and  Carver  married  Lucy  Arvilla  Owen, 
a  Connecticut  lady.  Their  surviving  heirs  are  Osraan  Gunri,  of  Polk 
county,  Mis.souri;  Eliza,  wife  of  our  subject;  Clay  Gunn,  of  Polk  county, 
Missouri;  Addie,  wife  of. Taylor  Hadlock,  of  Ciawford  county,  Kansas; 
Bettie,  who  married  John  Reed  and  resides  in  Bolivar,  Missouri,  and  Rufus 
B.  Gunn,  of  the  same  point. 

Mrs.  Pees'  first  husband  was  Jasper  Hillbrant  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Allen  county.  He  preempted  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  24.  town- 
ship 24,  range  17,  and  died  here  in  1862,  leaving  a  son,  William  G.  Hill- 
brant, of  lola  township.  Mr.  Hillbrant  came  into  Kansas  from  Missouri 
and  was  in  company  with  Henry  Hillbrant  who  served  in  the  Second  Kan- 
sas, died  in  the  service  and  is  buried  in  Leavenworth.  The  environment  of 
this  young  couple  was  certainly  frontier  from  1856  to  i860.  There  were 
not  more  than  four  or  five  families  in  the  woods  and  on  the  prairies  in  the 
Liberty  neighborhood  in  those  days:  The  Berrys,  Parkers,  Gardners, 
Blacks  and  McQuiggs,  but  all  went  well  with  them  till  the  year  1S60  when 
the  great  drouth  overtook  their  crops.  Their  first  year's  provisions  they 
brought  with  them  and  they  sold  flour  to  people  about  the  country  includ- 
ing L.  L.  Northrup  who  was  running  a  store  at  Geneva.  Mrs.  Pees  re- 
turned to  Missouri  after  her  husband's  death  and  was  not  again  a  resident 
of  Kansas  till  1867  when  she  returned  with  her  second  husband. 

Mrs.  Pees  has  a  son  by  her  second  marriage,  Thomas  Dennison,  of 
Ida,  who  is  married  to  Hattie  Bassett,  and  a  daughter,  Lillian  M.,  wife  of 
R.  S.  Russ,  Superintendent  of  Schools  at  Pittsburg,  Kansas.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pees  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Guy  E.  Pees  and  Lacy  A.,  wife 
of  Charles  E.  Moriell. 

Mr.  Pees  enlisted  in  September  1861  in  the  Second  Ohio  Infantry, 
Company  D,  Captain  James  Warnock,  with  L.  A.  Harris,  colonel  of  the 
regiment.  The  regiment  began  its  service  in  eastern  Kentucky  and  did 
much  skirmishing  along  down  the  river  to  Louisville  and  Bowling  Green. 
It  was  w.ith  Mitchell's  division  on  the  tour  through  Tennessee  and  Alabama 
to  Huntsville,  at  which  point  the  return  journey  was  begun  in  the  nature 
of  a  retreat  toward  Louisville.  On  the  way  north  the  battle  of  Perryville 
was  fought.  The  Murfreesboro  or  Stone  River  engagement  followed  in 
December  of  the  same  year.  In  the  Chicamauga  fight  Mr.  Pees  was  cut  off 
from  his  command  and  taken  prisoner.  He  was  taken  to  Bell  Island  and 
remained  two  weeks  before  his  transfer  to  Libby  prison,  at  Richmond.  In 
two  months  he  was  again  moved,  this  time  to  Danville,  Virginia,  and  was 
there  imprisoned  till  March  1864.  At  each  of  these  removals  it  was  re- 
ported that  an  exchange  of  prisoners  was  being  conducted  and  in  this  way 
the  boys  in  blue  were  deceived  into  journeying  from  one  prison  to  another 
without  an   effort  at  escape.      Mr.   Pees  was  taken  to  Andersonville  prison 


508  HISTORY    OF    .\LLEN    AND 

from  Danville  and  in  March  1865  was  taken  to  a  parole  camp  ten  miles 
east  of  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  and  actually  exchanged.  He  was  put 
aboard  the  illfated  "Sultana,"  with  twenty-two  hundred  men  aboard,  and 
started  north.  Seven  miles  above  Memphis  a  boiler  explosion  destroyed 
and  sank  the  boat  and  fourteen  hundred  of  the  men  were  lost.  Mr.  Pees 
was  thrown  into  the  water  and  chanced  to  gather  up  a  plank  upon  which 
with  a  few  others,  he  floated  down  to  Memphis.  He  was  badly  burned 
and  was  placed  in  the  Gaoso  hospital  where  he  remained  two  weeks,  when 
he  was  again  shipped  aboard  a  Mississippi  steamer  and  landed  at  Cairo, 
Illinois.  He  proceeded  immediately  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  reaching  home 
June  5,  1865. 

Farming  was  what  had  been  taught  Mr.  Pees  before  he  put  on  a  sol- 
dier's uniform  and  it  was  but  natural  that  the  farm  should  receive  him 
again  when  his  military  duties  were  over.  He  consented  to  remain  in  the 
east  only  so  long  as  his  father  survived  aud  when  he  died  our  subject's 
advent  to  Kansas  soon  followed.  His  history  in  AUen  county  is  summed 
up  in  the  words  "work"  and  "hope."  He  has  worked  incessantly  and 
hoped  for  reward  in  proportion  to  his  industry.  After  thirty  years  of  ex- 
perience on  the  plains  of  Kansas  he  finds  himself  surrounded  with  ample 
substance  to  provide  old  age  with  the  comforts  of  life.  He  resides  in  the 
midst  of  a  community  whose  confidence  he  possesses  in  the  highest  degree 
and  the  welfare  of  whose  citizens  is  a  matter  of  his  personal  interest  and 
concern. 


T^DWIN  P.  MINOR.— The  late  Edwin  P.  Minor,  of  lola,  came  to  Kan- 
-•— -*  sas  with  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  emigrants  who  settled  at  Law- 
rence in  1856  to  aid  in  making  this  a  free  state.  The  Emigration  Aid  As- 
sociation of  Massachusetts  gathered  together  a  party  of  two  hundred  and 
forty-eight  people  and  sent  them  to  Lawrence  in  1856  aiad  they  were  picked 
up  all  the  way  from  New  England  to  Chicago.  The  Minors  joined  the 
train  in  Huron  county,  Ohio,  and  the  trip  was  made  by  rail  to  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant, Ohio,  and  by  wagon  to  Lawrence.  Missouri  was  not  a  safe  state  in 
which  to  find  Free  State  people  on  their  intended  mission  to  Kansas  and, 
to  avoid  trouble  the  company  came  through  Iowa,  Nebraska  and  into  Kan- 
sas from  the  north.  Mr.  Minor  was  a  carpenter  and  he  worked  at  his  trade 
the  first  winter  in  Lawrence  and  the  next  season  he  went  onto  a  farm  and 
made  that  occupation  his  business  henceforward.  In  1859  he  went  into 
Greenwood  county,  Kansas,  and  took  a  claim  and  left  it  only  when  he  felt 
it  his  duty  to  go  into  the  aimy.  While  in  the  service  his  wife  returned  to 
Ohio  and  was  joined  there  by  her  husband  after  the  war  ended.  They  re- 
mained some  years  in  the  ea.st,  returning  in  1873,  to  Kansas,  and  taking  up 
their  residence  in  Allen  county.  Mr.  Minor  resided  one-half  mile  east  of 
lola  for  more  than  twenty  years  and  was  engaged  in  farming  and  dairying. 
He  sold  his  farm  in  1894  s'ld.  became  a  citizen  of  lola,  dying  here  in   1899. 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  JOiJ 

Bdwin  p.  Minor  was  born  in  Huron  county,  Ohio,  July  16,  1831.  He 
■was  a  son  of  Cyrus  Minor,  who  weat  into  Ohio  early  and  back  to  Connecti- 
■cut  and  again  to  Ohio  "from  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in  1847.  Cyrus  Minor 
was  a  miller  and  was  married  to  Sarah  Hall.  They  lived  in  Conriecticnt 
iuntil  Mr.  Minor  was  sixteen  years  old  and  then  moved  back  to  Ohio. 
Their  children  were:  Era.stus,  of  Portland^  Oregon;  Charles,  of  Huron 
•county,  Ohio.;  Wallace,  of  California;  Mitchell,  of  Los  Angeles,  California; 
William,  of  Huron  county,  Ohio;  Lucy,  wife  of  Charles  Clark,  of  Michi- 
gan; Olive,  wife  of  James  Wilson^  Tiffin,  Ohio,  and  our  subject. 

Edwin  P,  Minor  settled  in  Ohio  in  1847.  He  learned  the  carpenter 
trade  at  the  age  of  eighteen  to  twenty-one  and  became  one  of  the  early 
bridge  carpenters  on  railroad  construction  in  Ohio.  He  made  his  trade  his 
support  while  he  remained  in  the  east  and  followed  it  periodically  in  the 
west.  He  enlisted  -in  the  Fifth  Kansas  Cavalry  the  second  year  of  the 
war  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Pine  Bluff,  Helena  and  Dry  Wood, 
among  others.  He  was  in  the  westers  department  and  was  out  three  years 
and  three  months. 

Mr.  Minor  was  married  in  Huron  county,  Ohio,  May  17,  1851,  to 
Laura,  a  daughter  of  Dan  Clark.  The  Clarks  were  from  Litchfield  county, 
Connecticut,  and  DaniePs  wife  was  Almena  Guthrie.  In  early  life  he  was 
■a  teacher  but  became  a  wholesale  dry  goods  peddler  later,  and  finally  a 
farmer.  Mrs.  Minor  survives  of  their  household,  as  does  also  Oliver  Clark, 
of  Lucas  county,  Ohia  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Minor's  children  are:  Ellis,  born 
Jn  1852,  married  Eliza  Anderson  and  resides  in  New  Mexico;  Hermosa; 
Frank  G. ,  born  in  1855,  o^  Denver,  Colorado,  and  Lewis  Minor,  born  1859, 
resides  in  lola. 


TJ  ENRY  ANDERSON  EWING  was  born  in  Bloomington,  Illinois, 
■*-  -*■  August  9,  1841.  His  father  was  John  W.  Ewing,  who  was  born  in 
Statesville,  North  Carolina,  February  9,  1808,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  His  mother  was  Maria  Stevenson  who  was  born  November  4., 
J 802,  at  Statesville,  North  Carolina.  Her  father  was  James  Stevenson  who 
was  born  at  the  same  place  in  1762,  the  son  of  Gabriel  Stevenson  who  came 
to  North  Carolina  from  Pennsylvania  in  1760.  Both  the  Ewing  and 
Stevenson  families  came  originally  from  the  Scotch  settlement  in  London- 
derry, Ireland. 

The  children  of  John  W.  and  Maria  Ewing  were:  Adlai  (died  in 
infancy)  Nancy  J.,  James  S.,  John  W.,  William  G.,  Henry  A.,  Adlai  T. 
Of  these  all  are  living  except  the  first  who,  as  noted,  died  in  infancy. 
James  S.  Ewing  served  as  United  States  minister  to  Belgium  during  the 
last  Cleveland  administration.  William  G.  Ewing  was  for  four  years — 
1885-9 — United  States  District  Attorney  for  the  northern  district  of  Illinois, 
and  was  later  Judge  of  the  Superior  court  of  Chicago. 

Henry  A.  Ewing  spent  his  boyhood  and   youth  in    Bloomington  in  at- 


5IO  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

tendance  upon  the  city  schools,  acquiring  a  good  working  education.  He 
responded  to  the  call  for  volunteers  when  the  war  came  on,  enlisting  as  a 
private  May  25,  1 86 1,  in  Company  E,  Fourteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  He 
was  offered  a  commission  as  captain,  but  modestly  declined.  His  regiment 
very  soon  got  into  active  service  and  as  a  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
took  part  in  the  campaigns  from  Donelson  to  Atlanta,  participating  in  the 
battle  of  Shiloh  and  in  the  battles  and  sieges  leading  up  to  the  capture  of 
Vicksburg.  The  regiment  made  a  better  than  average  fighting  record, 
traveling  during  the  four  years  of  its  existence  upward  of  10,000  miles  and 
fighting  over  country  from  Macon,  Missouri,  to  the  sea,  and  from  l^eaven- 
worth  to  Washington,  and  H.  A.  Ewing  bore  his  share  of  the  gallant  and 
arduous  service.  On  April  6,  1862,  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  he  was  made 
a  sergeant,  and  on  July  12,  1863,  was  promoted  to  .second  lieutenant, 
with  which  rank  he  was  mustered  out  June  18,  1864,  at  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  enlistment. 

Returning  to  Bloomington,  he  was  elected  sheriff  and  filled  that  office 
two  years.  He  then  began  the  study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1867,  practicing  in  Bloomington  until  December,  1883,  with  no  interrup- 
tion except  that  occasioned  by  a  term  in  the  Illinois  legislature  to  which 
he  was  elected  in  1879.  In  1883  he  came  to  lola,  Kansas,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  in  conducting 
his  large  farm  near  the  city.  In  1888  he  was  elected  county  attorney  and 
in  1890  was  re-elected — the  only  county  attorney  who  has  been  awarded  a 
second  term  in  recent  years.     He  is  a  Presbyterian  and  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Ewing  was  married  March  28,  1866,  to  Elizabeth  Julia  Merriman, 
who  was  born  in  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts. 

Mrs.  Ewing's  father  was  Henry  Merriman,  who  was  born  at 
Hinsdale,  Massachusetts,  and  was  the  son  of  Daniel  Merriman,  who 
was  born  at  Dalton,  Massachusetts,  and  the  grandson  of  Jesse  Merriman, 
also  born  in  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Ewing's  mother  was  Sarah  T.  Bodurtha, 
who  was  born  in  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts,  the  daughter  of  Harvey 
Bodurtha  and  Dolly  Taylor. 

The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ewing  were:  Henry  Wallis, 
(married  August  5,  1893,  to  Alice  Sweet,  of  Fon  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  and 
whose  children  are  Henry  Wallis,  Abbie  Jane,  Lucius  Winchester  and 
Lawrence  Bodurtha);  May  Brevard,  (wife  of  Charles  F.  Scott)  Adlai 
Merriman,  (married  June  16,  1896,  to  Ella  Taylor,  to  whom  has  been  born 
one  child,  Annie  McMillin),  Elliott  Winchester  (deceased)  ;Richard  Avery, 
Ruth  Stevenson  and  Sarah  Katherine. 

Henry  A.  Ewing  is  now  associated  in  the  practice  of  law  with  C.  A. 
Savage,  and  the  firm  of  Ewing  &  Savage  is  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the 
foremost  at  the  Allen  county  bar. 


/^RLANDO  HUNTER— The  Hunters  are  among  the  familiar  faces  on 
^^  the  streets  of  lola.  The  brothers,  Orlando  and  Joseph,  have  been 
in    Allen   county    a   great   many    years,    the   former   having   arrived  here 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  Jll 

December  24,  1869.  He  was  directly  from  Centralia,  Illinois,  to  lola  but 
was  born  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  October  31,  1845.  Joseph  Hunter,  our  subject's 
father,  was  born  in  Mercer  county,  Pennsylvania,  May  17,  1815.  He  was 
reared  on  a  farm  and  was  a  son  of  William  Hunter  who  died  in  the  Key- 
stone State  about  1839.  It  is  thought  the  family  ancestors  were  Irish  peo- 
ple who  went  into  the  Atlantic  coast  states  at  a  very  early  date.  Joseph 
Hunter,  the  second,  settled  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  was  one  of  the  finest 
cabinet  makers  of  his  day.  A  work-box  which  he  presented  to  his 
afiBanced  wife,  and  which  is  yet  in  her  possession,  inlaid  with  different 
woods  and  studded  with  pearls,  surpasses  anything  coming  fiom  the  work- 
shops of  our  later  day  mechanics.  On  the  28th  ot  May,  1850,  he  was 
drowned  in  the  Muskingum  river,  a  few  months  prior  to  the  birth  of  his 
younger  son.  He  married  Harriet  Alcock,  a  daughter  of  William  Alcock, 
a  worthy  representative  of  one  of  the  esteemed  families  of  Marietta. 
William  Alcock  was  born  in  Cheshire,  England,  January  31,  1786.  He 
married  Sallie  Posey,  who  was  born  March  3,  1788.  Their  children  were: 
W.  B. ,  who  died  at  Chanute,  Kansas,  the  father  of  Mrs.  A.  L,.  Taylor,  of 
lola;  Nelson  S.,  who  died  at  Geneva,  Kansas  in  1892;  Drusy,  who  married 
Ed  S.  Davis,  and  died  in  lola;  Aurilla,  who  became  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Sinnamon  and  died  in  DesMoines,  Iowa,  Harriet,  mother  of  our  subject, 
born  November  20,  1824;  Mary,  wife  of  B.  W.  Jeffries,  who  died  at  Ottum- 
wa,  Iowa;  George  W. ,  who  died  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  Charles  T. 
Alcock,  of  Marietta,  Ohio. 

Harriet(Arcock)Hunter  married  Hugh  Means  February  28,  1864.  The 
latter  was  born  in  New  Wilmington,  Pennsylvania,  and  spent  four  years  in 
the  looth  Pennsylvania  infantry,  Ninth  armj^  corps.  He  was  Brigade  Post 
Master  in  Rosecrans  Corps  and  was  born  in  1820  and  died  in  February,  1894. 

Orlando  and  Joseph  Hunter  grew  up  in  Ohio  and  in  Illinois.  The 
latter  was  born  November  9,  1850,  and  both  attended  only  the  district 
schools  in  their  boyhood.  In  February,  1864,  Orlando  Hunter  enlisted  in 
Company  D,  77th  Ohio  infantry,  Captain  Sim  McNaughton,  Colonel 
William  B.  Mason.  He  joined  his  regiment  at  Marietta  and  proceeded  to 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  The  regiment  joined  Steele's  command  which  was 
ordered  to  reinforce  General  Banks.  It  went  out  to  Camden  and  met  the 
enemy  in  such  iorce  that  it  was  forced  back  to  Eittle  Rock.  The  battles  of 
Okalona,  Jenkins  Ferry  and  the  capture  of  Camden  were  the  chief  engag- 
ments  in  which  our  subject  participated  and  he  was  discharged  at  Little 
Rock,  October  10,  1864,  the  same  year  of  his  enlistment. 

Mr.  Hunter  spent  the  first  few  years  after  the  war  roaming  over  the 
west,  through  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Iowa,  reaching  his  final  stopping  place 
just  before  the  close  of  the  year  1869.  December  i,  1871,  he  was  married 
in  Chautauqua  county,  Kansas,  to  Fannie  E.  Beaver,  whose  parents  were 
from  Gold  Hill,  North  Carolina.  Mrs.  Hunter  died  in  1883.  Her  children 
were;  Nettie,  wife  of  Wm.  O.  Lees,  of  lola;  Mrs.  Lees  was  born  December 
I,  1874;  Dan  Hunter,  of  lola,  boru  December  18,  1876,  and  Bertha  May 
Hunter,  born  May  9,  1883.  Mrs.  Hunter  was  bom  July  16,  1852,  and  died 
in  Chautauqua  county,  Kansas. 


512  HISTORY    OF  ALLEfT   ANtf 

TWriSSCUFFORD  A.  MITCHELL,  superintendent  of  the  lola  public 
-L" J-  schools,  one  of  the  popular  educators  of  Kansas  and  a  lady  whose 
intellectual  and  professional  attainments  have  won  her  an  enviable  place  in 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  of  lola,  has  just  completed  her 
tenth  year  in  Kansas.  She  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Ohio,  and  was 
reared  there  to  her  seventeenth  year.  She  was  educated  .in  the  schools  of 
New  Carlyle  and  in  the  Normal  school  for  training  teachers  at  Dayton, 
Ohio.  Her  introduction  to  the  polite  profession  occurred  in  Ohio,  but  after 
her  first  year  there,  she  followed  her  parents  to  Kansas  and  has  since  been 
prominently  identified  with  educational  work  in  this  State.  Her  first  year.s 
in  her  adopted  State  were  spent  in  Fredonia  as  principal  of  the  high  school. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  autumn  term  of  1893  she  entered  the  high  school  at 
lola  as  its  principal  and  maintained  herself  admirably  in  that  position 
till  her  final  promotion  in  1899  when  she  became  City  Superintendent 
of  Schools. 

Miss  Mitchell  is  a  daughter  of  Asa  N.  Mitchell  of  lola,  a  native  son  of 
"the  best  State  in  the  Union  outside  of  Kansas,"  and  was  born  September 
9,  1840.  The  latter  is  a  son  of  James  Mitchell  who  was  born  at  Jamestown, 
Virginia,  in  1803,  and  who  died  in  Clark  county,  Ohio,  in  1859.  During 
the  early  life  of  the  last  named  he  was  engagedin  the  nursery  business  but 
his  last  years  were  passed  in  New  Carlyle  as  a  hotel-keeper.  The  paternal 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  Scotch-Irishman.  He  settled  at 
Jamestown,  Virginia,  and  was  the  father  of  five  sons  and  a  daughter. 
The  whole  family  emigrated  to  Ohio  as  pioneers  and   reared  faniilies  there. 

Asa  N.  Mitchell's  mother  was  Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of  Philip  Swigart. 
Her  children  were:  Mary  F.,  deceased,  married  Denny  Minrow;  Asa  N., 
and  Lida,  wife  of  Edward  H.  Funston,  of  Allen  county.  Asa  N.  Mitchell 
became  a  teacher,  when  grown,  and  was  engaged  in  the  work  in  Taylors- 
ville,  Kentucky,  when  the  war  came  on.  He  enlisted  the  first  year  of  the 
war  in  the  i6th  Ohio  Battery,  with  two  other  Allen  county  men,  E.  H. 
Funston  and  James  W.  McClure,  and  was  mustered  aboard  a  steam- 
boat between  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  Eawrenceburg,  Indiana,  where  the 
troops  disembarked.  The  battery  crossed  the  country  to  St.  Louis  and  over 
into  the  interior  of  the  State  and,  from  Pilot  Knob,  crossed  the  State  into 
Arkansas,  bound  for  Helena.  The  i6th  battery  was  with  Hovey's  Division 
during  the  Vicksburg  campaign  and  was  with  Sherman  at  Jackson,  Missis- 
sippi. Following  the  close  of  this  campaign  the  battery  went  down  the 
river  to  New  Orleans  and,  soon  thereafter,  crossed  the  Gulf  of  Matagorda, 
Texas,  to  join  the  forces  intended  for  the  interception  of  the  Confederates 
when  Banks  should  defeat  and  drive  them  out  of  Arkansas.  Banks'  failure 
to  do  his  part  made  it  necessary  for  the  immediate  return  of  the  Federal 
forces  to  New  Orleans  and  when  they  did  Asa  N.  Mitchell  was  mustered 
out,  his  enlistment  having  expired. 

Upon  taking  up  civil  life  Mr.  Mitchell  became  a  bank  clerk  in  Upper 
Sandusky,    Ohio.     From   the  bank   he  engaged  in   the  fruit   and   nursery 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  513 

business  and  has  remained  so,  in  the  main,  before   and  since   his  advent  to 
Kansas. 

In  April,  i858,  Mr.  Mitchell  married  Fannie  E-,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
E.  Rogers  Johnson,  a  graduate  of  Bowdoin,  College,  a  classmate  of  Henry 
W.  Longfellow,  and  who  carried  off  the  honors  of  his  class.  He  entered  the 
ministry  at  New  Carhle,  Ohio — his  first  charge — and  died  in  fhe  service  of 
the  same  church.  His  wile  was  Julia  Colton  and  three  of  their  four  children 
reside  in  Clark  county,  Ohio. 

The  first  child  of  A.  N.  and  Mrs.  Mitchell  is  Clifford  A.  Mitchell  Their 
other  children  are  Lieutenant  Burton  J.  Mitchell,  on  the  staff  of  Brigadier 
General  Funston,  in  the  Philippines,  and  Miss  Florence  Mitchell,  one  of 
Allen  county's  young  teachers,  and  a  graduate  of  the  lola  high  school. 

Miss  Mitchell  is  remarkably  gifted  and  endowed  as  a  teacher.  Hers 
is  a  strong  combination  of  intellect  and  a  genius  for  directing  affairs. 
While  she  is-always  the  controlling  influence  in  her  educational  work  she 
is  happily  the  confidante  of- her  pupils.  Her  sincerity  of  purpose  and  her 
grace  of  manner  attract  both  patron  and  pupil  and  all  work  '  together  in 
harmony  for  the  strength  and  efficiency  of  one  of  the  best  schools  in  Kansas. 
Miss  Mitchell  maintains  her  station  as  Superintendent  well  in  her 
attendance  upon  county  and  State  associations  and  in  meeting  ably 
the  requirements  of  those  bodies  when  responding  to  her  number  upon 
the  program. 


[OHN  E.  IRELAND,  Ida's  efficient  ex-postmaster  and  one  of  the  old 
"  residents  of  Allen  county,  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England,  December 
18,  1828.  Robert  Ireland,  his  father,  was  a  carpenter  and  master  mechanic 
who  passed  his  years  of  activity  in  the  city  of  Liverpool.  He  married  Maria 
Eggbeer,  who  was  also  a  Devon,  and  both  of  whom  died  in  England's 
great  port  of  entry.  Of  their  ten  children  John  Eggbeer  Ireland  was  their 
eighth.  His  early  life  was  spent  as  an  errand  boy  and  pupil.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  he  went  to  the  tailor's  trade  in  Liverpool.  Having  served  his 
time  and  completed  his  trade  he  came,  in  1849,  to  the  United  States.  He 
was  ten  weeks  in  coming  over  on  the  sailer  and  entered  through  the 
famous  Castle  Garden.  He  got  a  job  on  the  dock  in  New  York  City,  load- 
ing vessels  with  cotton  and  remained  with  it  till  the  first  of  January  follow- 
ing. He  went  up  into  Schuyler  county,  New  York,  and  worked  at  his 
trade  at  Havana.  Some  time  later  he  located  in  Geneseo  and  was  in  that 
city  when  the  war  broke  out.  He  enlisted  in  the  50th  New  York  Engineers, 
as  first  Sergeant,  and  was  promoted  to  Sergeant  Major  of  his  regiment.  He 
was  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  saw  how  it  was  done  and  helped  do 
it  all  the  way  from  first  Bull  Run,  Petersburg,  Yorktown,  Seven  Pines, 
Fredericksburg,  Seven  Days,  and  Gettysburg  and  Chancellorsville,  Wilder- 
ness and  the  rest,  till  his  muster  out  in  1864.  In  all  this  conspicuous  and 
hard  service  he  escaped  personal  injury,  in  the   field,  and   retired   from  the 


514  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

army  with  a  consciousness  of  having  done  his  full  dutj'  to  his  adopted  country. 

After  he  was  discharged  Mr.  Ireland  worked  at  his  trade  in  New  York 
City  till  the  2ist  of  February,  1865,  when  he  came  westward  to  Galva, 
Illinois.  He  remained  in  that  city  at  his  trade  till  1870  when  he  was  in- 
duced to  come  to  lolato  work  for  Davis  &  Vannuys,  then  in  the  clothino- 
business.  He  arrived  here  in  June  and  began  a  long  and  pleasant  residence 
in  the  little  western  metropolis.  The  year  1874-5  he  spent  with  W.  W. 
Scott  in  Winfield,  Kansas,  as  a  tailor  in  his  clothing  establishment,  and 
upon  his  return  to  lola  he  established  his  first  independent  tailor  shop.  In 
1878  he  went  into  the  grocery  business  with  Sam  J.  Cowan.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  well  known  firm  of  Richards,  Lakin  &  Ireland,  wholesale 
grocers,  who  were  burned  out  in  1882,  later  on.  After  severing  this  latter 
connection  he  went  into  the  livery  business  with  S.  T.  Ellis.  In  1885  he 
retired  from  this  business  to  enter  the  post  office  as  Post  Master  of  lola — the 
first  and  only  Democrat  to  fill  the  office.  His  four  years  of  public  service 
was  most  satisfactory  to  the  patrons  of  the  office.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
term  a  Republican  succeeded  him  and  he  again  went  into  the  grocery 
busine.ss,  this  time  with  Eugene  E.sse.  The  firm  burned  out  some  months 
afterward  and  business  was  not  resumed.  When  it  was  seen  that  another 
Democratic  Post  Master  was  to  serve  the  lola  office,  with  one  accord  the  pat- 
rons of  the  office  looked  to  John  Ireland  as  the  rightful  appointee.  They  were 
not  disappointed,  for  in  1894  ^^  succeeded  his  successor,  William  H.  Mc- 
Clure,  to  the  office.  His  .second  administration  was  even  more  popular 
than  his  first.  His  former  experience  had  rendered  him  perfectly 
familiar  with  the  office  and  his  second  office  force  was  more  desirable  than 
the  first.  Since  the  fall  of  1897  he  has  been  in  actual  retirement  from 
business. 

Mr.  Ireland  was  married  in  Schuyler  county,  New  York,  to  Hattie 
Littlefield.  Their  two  children  died  in  infancy  but,  after  coming  to  lola 
they  adopted  Sadie  Preutis,  who  became  the  wife  of  George  Kirby  and 
has  a  son.  Jay  Kirby. 

John  E.  Ireland  is  a  very  quiet  man,  without  assumption  or  show,  but 
with  all  the  elements  of  a  real  manly  man.  His  relation  to  his  fellow 
townsmen  is  most  cordial  and  affable  His  homestead,  which  he  purchased 
at  what  seemed  a  fabulous  price,  when  he  came  to  lola,  he  has  beautified 
and  adorned  with  shrubbery,  and  residence  and  lawn  until  it  is  one  of  the 
handsome  homes  in  the  city. 


\y\  T'lLLIAM  JOHNSON  HUCK,  lola's  well  known  painter  and 
^  "  paper-hanger  and  a  Kansas  pioneer,  was  born  in  Ohio  October 
21,  1845.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Abraham  Huck,  of  West  Minster,  British 
Columbia,  and  was  brought  west  and  into  Anderson  county,  Kansas,  in 
i860.  He  located  upon  a  claim  thirteen  miles  south  of  Garnett  and  did 
farming  and  blacksmithing,   as  a  civilian,  till  1865  when  he  located  eight 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  515 

miles  south  of  Butler,  Missouri.  In  1871  he  began  a  series  of  moves  which 
finally  brought  him  to  the  point  where  he  died  in  1892.  He  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1817  and  was  a  son  of  Jacob  Huck,  a  German-American. 
The  latter  died  in  Williamson  county,  Illinois.  He  was  the  father  of  five 
children.  Abraham  Huck  served  in  Company  L,,  Fourteenth  Kansas 
Volunteer  Cavalry,  as  a  private,  and  was  discharged  for  disability  in  1865. 
He  married  Nancy  Gentry,  whose  father  was  from  near  Vincennes,  Indi- 
ana. Mrs.  Huck  died  in  West  Minster,  British  America,  in  1893.  Their 
children  are  William  J.  Huck,  of  lola,  Kansas;  Jacob,  who  died  at  sixteen 
years;  Mary  E. ,  wife  of  John  Turner,  who  resides  in  Vancouver,  British 
America,  Martha  A.,  wife  of  George  Grimmer,  of  West  Minster,  British 
Columbia;  Caroline,  deceased,  and  Cynthia,  who  married  in  British  Colum- 
bia and  resides  at  Chillwhack,  on  the  Frazier  river  in  British    Columbia. 

"Billy"  Huck  was  educated  sparingly  in  the  pioneer  schools  of  Kan- 
sas. He  enlisted  in  Company  L,  Fourteenth  Kansas  Volunteer  Cavalry 
November  10,  1863,  and  was  under  Captain  Harris  and  Colonel  Briggs. 
He  was  mustered  in  at  Cane  Hill,  Arkansas,  and  his  service  consisted,  in 
the  main,  in  fighting  Bushwhackers  in  the  Territory  and  Arkansas.  The 
nearest  approach  to  an  engagement  with  which  his  regiment  had  to  do  was 
at  Cabin  Creek,  Indian  Territory.  His  company  was  one  detached  at  Fort 
Scott  to  take  a  train  of  supplies  down  to  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas.  The  little 
command  was  surrounded  at  Cabin  Creek  and  the  train  captured  with 
many  of  Company  I,.  Mr.  Huck  made  his  escape  to  other  Federal  forces 
and  was  stationed  at  Fort  Gibson  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  dis- 
charged at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  August  22,  1865.  He  spent  five  years  suc- 
ceeding the  war  in  Bates  countj^  Missouri,  (arming  and  when  Wakefield  & 
Company,  through  their  agent,  Henry  Waters,  made  him  an  offer  to  engage 
with  them  he  accepted  and  traveled  over  Kansas  and  Missouri  selling 
medicines  till  1874.  With  his  accumulations  he  came  to  Allen  county  and 
went  onto  a  farm,  remaining  only  two  years,  then  coming  into  lola.  In 
Ida  he  has  become  widely  known  as  an  artist  in  his  business  of  painting 
and  paper-hanging.  He  is  best  known  for  his  absolute  leliability  and 
among  the  old  settlers  to  say  that  "Billy  Huck"  did  a  certain  piece  of  work 
was  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  the  efficiency  and  honesty  of  the  job. 

.Mr.  Huck  was  married  near  I,ecompton,  Kansas,  February  12,  1874, 
to  Agatha,  a  daughter  of  George  Rose,  who  came  from  West  Virginia  to 
Kansas  in  1863.  Mrs.  Huck  was  born  May  20,  1856.  Her  sister,  Agnes, 
is  the  wife  of  J.  A.  Stuck,  of  Dexter,  Kansas,  and  her  brother  is  James 
Rose,  of  Franklin  county,  Kansas. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huck's  children  are:  Hattie,  born  July  25,  1875;  Mary, 
born  January  9,  1883;  Oscar,  born  January  17,  1885,  and  Earl  and  Ernest 
Huck,  twins,  born  February  g,  1890. 

Mr.  Huck  is  one  of  the  well  known  Republicans  of  lola. 


5l6  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

/'"^  R.GARD. — rn  a  profession  where  advancement  depends  upon  iiidi- 
^-^  •  vidual  merit  G.  R.  Gard  has  attained  a  prominent  position,  being 
one  of  the  leading  representatives  of  the  bar  of  Allen  county.  He  has  won 
distinction  through  his  devotion  to  his  clients'  interests  and  through  his 
masterly  handling  of  the  intricate  problems  of  jurisprudence  that  have  been 
connected  with  the  trial  of  cases  in  which  he  has  been  retained  as  advocate 
either  for  the  defense  or  prosecution.  Thus  he  has  long  since  left  the 
ranks  of  the  many  to  stand  among  the  succe.ssful  few. 

Ml.  Gard  was  born  December  lo,  1868,  in  Cumberland  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  was  reared  upon  a  farm  belonging  to  his  father,  Jacob  Gard,  who 
is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Through  the  winter  months  he 
pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and  during  the  summer 
season  assisted  in  the  labors  of  field  and  garden.  The  sports  of  youth  also 
claimed  some  of  his  attention  and  in  this  manner  the  days  of  his  minority 
were  passed.  He  manifested  special  aptitude  in  his  studies  and  showed 
particular  fondness  for  intellectual  advancement.  It  was  this  that  led  him 
to  earn  the  money  with  which  to  pursue  a  college  course.  He  spent  the 
winter  of  18S8-9  in  the  Valparaiso  Normal  College  of  Valparaiso,  Indiana, 
and  then  returned  to  his  father's  farm  where  he  remained  until  the  autumn 
of  1890,  when  at  the  request  of  his  brother  Samuel,  who  was  then  a  rising 
young  lawyer  in  Bronson,  Kansas,  he  came  to  this  state  and  began  the 
study  of  law. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1893,  Mr.  Gard  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Fort 
Scott,  and  in  order  to  seek  a  wider  field  for  his  labors  removed  from  Bron- 
son to  Humboldt,  Allen  county,  in  April  of  the  same  year.  No  dreary 
novitiate  awaited  him  in  his  practice,  for  he  soon  gained  a  good  clientage 
and  became  a  popular  attorney.  He  received  the  Republican  nomination 
for  county  attorney  in  1898  and  to  that  office  was  elected  by  an  overwhelm- 
ing majority.  He  entered  upon  its  duties* in  January  1898  and  in  May  of 
the  same  year  removed  his  family  to  lola,  the  county  seat,  where  he  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  his  brother,  S.  A.  Gard,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Gard  &  Gard.  His  ofiicial  course  was  most  commendable.  He  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  people  with  the  firm  conviction  that  crime  should  and 
must  be  suppressed  and  the  laws  of  the  state  respected  and  obeyed.  His 
labors  resulted  in»the  uprooting  of  a  number  of  crimes  in  Allen  county,  and 
the  perpetrators  brought  before  a  court  of  justice.  He  foimed  no  entang- 
ling alliances  in  societies  or  organizations  that  could  effect  his  faithful  dis- 
charge of  duty  and  allowed  nothing  to  interfere  with  the  administration  of 
even-handed  justfce.  He  also  avoided  unnecessaiy  expense  as  the  legal 
advisor  of  the  county  and  that  his  course  was  highly  satisfactory  to  the 
public  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  was  tendered  the  nomination  of  the  Re- 
publican party  for  re-election  in  the  fall  of  1899.  Owing  to  the  great  in- 
crease in  the  civil  practice  in  the  firm  of  which  he  is  a  member,  Mr.  Gard 
declined  the  nomination  for  a  second  term  and  retired  to  private  life.  ' 

While  residing  in  Humboldt  he  met  and  married  Miss  Katie  Gallagher 
whose  father,  John  Gallagher,  was  one  of  the  honored   early   pioneers  of 


WOODSON  couNTnes,  Kansas.  517 

Kansas.  She  was  born  in  Woodson  county,  this  state,  and  prior  to  her 
marriage  was  engaged  in  the  milliner}-  business  in  Humboldt.  Mr.  -and 
Mrs.  Gard  were  married  August  29,  1896,  and  fhey  now  have  an  interest- 
ipg  family  of  three  children,  a  son  and  two  daughters.  Their  friends  in 
the  community  are  many  and  they  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes 
of  lola.  A  man  of  earnest  purpose  and  strong  determination  with  a  com- 
prehensive knowledge  of  law  and  a  high  appreciation  for  his  profession, 
which  is  the  conservator  of  justice  and  the  protector  of  life,  prosperity  and 
liberty,  Mr.  Gard  has  already  gained  a  distinctively  representative  clientage 
and  undoubtedly  has  a  successful  future  before  him. 


JOHN  HALL  KUDKR,  Superintendent  of  the  Ida  Brick  Company's 
works,  is  one  of  the  recent  additions  to  the  citizenship  of  Allen  county. 
He  came  here  in  1897  ^'"■^  took  charge  of  the  manufacture  of  brick  for  his 
■company  and  is  responsible  for  the  success,  in  a  great  measure,  which  this 
company  and  its  projectors  have  enjoyed. 

Mr.  Kuder  was  born  in  Iowa,  August  31,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  a  promi- 
nent retired  farmer  and  stock  man,  George  W.  Kuder,  who  resides  near 
Muscatine,  Iowa,  and  wlio  was  born  in  Germany  in  1803.  He  went  into 
Iowa  in  1841  from  the  State  of  Ohio  and  was  one  of  the  most  successful 
men  of  his  county.  He  first  married  a  Miss  Kurtz,  whose  three  children 
were;  Nicholas  and  Mrs  Mahala  Brown,  of  Muscatine,  Iowa,  and  Madama, 
wife  of  Isaac  McGill.  of  Davenport,  Iowa.  George  Kuder's  second  wife 
was  Sarah  Oliva  Crawford,  daughter  of  James  Crawford,  people  with  Scotch- 
Irish  antecedents.  This  wife  was  the  mother  of  our  subject.  Her  people 
were  from  Harrison  county,  Ohio.  She  died  in  1857,  leaving  an  only  son, 
John  H.  Kuder.  George  Kuder  married  for  his  third  wife,  Sarah  Ever- 
sole.  Their  children  are:  Frank,  wife  of  John  Thompson,  of  Wappelo, 
Iowa;  Nellie,  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota:  Guy  S.  Kuder,  of  Louisa  county, 
Iowa,  and  Clyde  and  Earl  Kuder,  .of  Columbus  Junction,  Iowa. 

Our  subject  was  reared  around  Winfield  and  Muscatine,  Iowa,  by  an 
uncle,  William  Crawford.  He  was  left  with  a  considerable  legacy  from  his 
mother's  estate  and  he  learned  to  travel  and  sightsee  in  his  youth.  He 
undertook  to  learn  the  drug  business  but  was  counseled  that  it  was  hazardous 
to  his  health  and  he  dropped  it.  He  tried  farming  but  he  found  this  irk- 
some and  somewhat  difficult  and  he  abandoned  it.  He  got  into  the  service 
of  one  of  the  Iowa  telephone  construction  companies  prior  to  his  farm 
venture  and  received  an  injury — ran  a  hedge  thorn  into  his  knee — -which 
permanently  disabled  the  same.  On  leaving  the  farm  and  without  previous 
experience  he  engaged  in  the  business  of  contracting  and  building  and, 
strange  to  say,  he  made  some  money  at  it.  Leaving  this  work,  he  engaged 
to  travel  for  the  Thompson-Houston  Electric  Light  Company  for  the  sale  of 
their  goods,  putting  in  light  plants  over  the  country.  Eight  years  with 
this  company  sufficed  and    he   severed    his   connection  to   engage   in  the 


5iS  HISTOEY    OT    ALLKN   AITD 

electric  light  business  in  Cotfeyville,  Kansas.  From  this  he  got  into  the 
gas  business  but  failed  ta  reach  the  strong  flow  of  gas  and  disposed  of  his. 
holdings  for  what  little  they  would  bring  and  made  his  first  start  in  the 
brick  business.  Hetoo-k  the  position  of  engineer  in  the  Coffey  ville  Vitrified 
Brick  Plant,  was  promoted  to  foreman  of  the  machinery  and  generally 
assisted  in  the  manufacture  of  brick.  His  reputation  at  Coffeyville  found 
its  way  to  Tola,  at  a  time  when  the  latter  place  was  searching  for  the  right 
man,  and  he  was  offered  a  proposition,  advantageous  to  himself,  accepted 
it  and  still  holds  the  position.  He  went  to  Coffeyville  in  18S7  and  came  to 
lola  in  1S97. 

In  his  comparatively  short  life  Mr.  Kuder  has  probably  met  with  more 
physical  misfortunes  than  any  other  man  of  his  age.  His  first  serious  in- 
jury was  the  falling  from  a  telephone  pole  and  running  of  a  thorn  into  his 
knee.  White  swelling  followed  and  made  a  lasting  injury.  He  next  fell 
from  the  top  of  a  high  barn  onto  the  floor  and  lay  unconscious  twenty-four 
hours.  A  horse  kicked  him  and  broke  his  skull,  and  while  in  the  brick  plant 
at  Coffeyville  he  got  his  foot  into  a  drypan  and  mashed  the  instep.  Lastly,  at 
Tola,  he  was  caught  in  the  connecting  shaft  to  the  cut  off  table  and  he  came  out 
of  it  all  with  the  left  arch  of  his  forehead  crushed,  the  back  of  his  head  caved 
in,  his  left  arm  and  shoulder  broken,  five  ribs  snapped  off,  and  right  arm 
and  leg  bruised.  The  remarkable  nerve  which  he  displayed  when  these 
Wounds  were  being  dressed,  marked  bira  as  one  of  the  most  courageous  and 
determined  men  to  be  found  anywhere. 

Mr.  Kuder  was  married  at  Winfield,  Kansas,  in  1887,  to  Adelia,  a 
daughter  of  D.  P.  Williams,  whose  early  home  was  in  Mississippi.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kuder's  children  are:  Daisy  M.  and  George  ly-eo. 

Mr.  Kuder's  Republicanism  is  well  known.  His  father  is  a  rabid 
Democrat  and,  during  the  war  even  held  opinions  antagonistic  to  the 
unicfn  of  the  States.  Our  subject  has  no  time  for  an  active  interest  in 
politics  but  he  does  his  duty  as  a  citizen  and  as  often  as  the  opportunity 
occurs.     He  has  and  holds  the  highest  regard  of  his  townsmen. 


ROBERT  L.  THOMPSON— In  his  early  life  Robert  L.  Thompson  was 
encompassed  by  those  environments  which  have  ever  fostered  the 
spirit  of  personal  independence  and  self-reliance,  and  which  have  produced 
the  self-made  men  who  form  the  bulwark  of  our  nation's  prosperity  and  her 
wonderful  industrial  development.  At  an  early  age  he  started  out  in  life 
for  himself  empty  handed  and  today  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  and 
prosperous  farmers  of  Allen  county. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  January  4,  i860,  in  Waterman,  Park  county, 
Indiana,  a  son  of  Robert  N.  and  Elizabeth  D.  (Truman)  Thompson.  The 
father  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1830,  and  in  Park  county,  in  1855,  married 
Miss  Truman,  who  was  born  in  Oldham  county,  Kentucky,  in  1820.  He 
died  in  1868,  and  she  afterward  became  the  wife  of  James  D.  Roberts,  with 


WOODSON   COTJN-TIES,    KANSAS.  J 19 

•wliom  she  removed  to  Iowa  in  1870,  and  to  Kansas  in  1872.  'They  located 
in  what  was  at  that  time  Howard  county,  now  Chautauqiia  and  Elk 
counties.  The  mother  died  near  lola  in  1889,  being  cared  for  by  ^et  sons. 
By  her  first  marriage  she  has  two  sons:  Charles  M.,  who  is  with  the 
lanyon  Zinc  Company  at  lola,  and  Robert  L. 

In  1874,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  Mr.  Thompson,  of  this  review, 
left  home  and  went  to  Humboldt,  Kansas.  His  only  capital  with  which  to 
begin  business  life  was  a  strong  determination  to  succeed,  and  a  pair  of 
-willing  hands.  For  a  year  he  worked  on  a  farm  of  J.  S.  Fast,  who  was 
afterward  register  of  deeds  in  Allen  county,  and  who  took  great  interest  in 
helping  the  boy.  Mr.  Thompson  received  as  renumeration  for  his  services 
■for  the  year,  his  board  and  clothing,  four  months  schooling  and  twenty-five 
dollars  in  money.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  time  through  the  succeed- 
ing eight  years  he  was  in  the  employ  of  ex-Sheriff  Hodson.  Through 
perseverance,  indefatigable  energy  and  capable  business  management,  he 
has  become  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of  Allen  county,  and  in  addition 
to  the  cultivation  of  his  fields  he  is  successfully  engaged  in  dealing  in  short 
horn  cattle  and  Polan  China  hogs. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1881,  Mr.  Thompson  wedded  Miss  Permelia  C. 
Hubbard,  who  was  born  July  31,  1864,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  F. 
Hubbard,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of 
Allen  county,  of  1857.  She  has  one  brother  and  two  sisters  living:  A.  D. 
Hubbard,  of  Memphis,  Tennessee;  Louisa,  wife  of  J.  F.  Nigh,  of  Allen 
county,  and  Mrs.  Charles  M.  Thompson,  of  lola.  Unto  our  subject  and  his 
wife  have  been  born  eight  children:  Blanche,  Clyde,  Grace,  Truman,  Frank, 
Ruth  and  Robert  L,. ,  all  at  home,  and  Eugene,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
months.  In  politics  Mr.  Thompson  is  a  Republican,  and  has  always  been 
an  active  worker  in  the  party.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His  life  plainly  indicates  that  pros- 
perity depends  not  upon  genius,  upon  influence  or  upon  environment,  but 
Hpon  the  man. 


TipREDERICK  FUNSTON,  whose  brilliant  achievements  as  a  volunteer 
^  officer  in  the  United  States  army  in  the  Philippines  have  attracted 
the  admiring  attention  of  all  the  world,  is  an  Allen  county  boy,  and  his  old 
friends  and  neighbors  are  justly  proud  of  him.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  in 
1865,  the  oldest  child  of  Hon.  Edward  H.  and  Ann  Eliza  Funston,  but  he 
came  to  Kansas  with  his  parents  when  only  two  years  old  and  hence  has 
never  known  any  other  home.  He  grew  up  on  the  Carlyle  farm,  attending 
the  district  school  at  North  Maple  Grove  during  the  winter  months  and  doing 
his  share  of  the  farm  work  during  the  summer.  He  was  quick  in  his 
books  and  ambitious  to  obtain  an  education;  so  at  an  early  age  he  had  mas' 
tared  the  course  of  study  in  the  country  school  and  entered  the  High 
School  at  lola  from  which  he  graduated  in  1886.     Perhaps  the  first  inde^ 


520  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXT> 

pendent    work    in    which   he  engaged  was  to  teach  the  school  at  the  little 
stone  school  house,  half  way  between  Humboldt  and  lola,    known   all  over 
the  county   as  "Stoney  Lonesome,"  from  its  material  and  its  location,  and 
a  picture  of  which  as  it  now  appears  is  presented  on  another  page  in  this 
history.     As  soon  as  he  could  accumulate  some  money  with  which  to  de- 
fray expenses  he  started  to  the  State  University   which .  he  attended  at  dif- 
ferent  times   for   the  next  three  or  four  years,   but  from  which  he  never 
graduated.     After  leaving  the  University  finally  Funston  engaged  in  news- 
paper work  as  a  reporter,  work  which  pleased  him  well  and  for  which  he 
had  a  peculiar  aptitude.     After  continuing  in  the  newspaper  business,  at 
Kansas  City  and  at  Fort  Smith,   Arkansas,  for  some   time,    he   secured  a 
better  paid    position   as   collector   on  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe 
which  he  held  until  the  summer  of  1890,  when  he  gave  it  up  to  accept  an 
appointment  as  assistant  with  a  party  of  botanists  sent  out  from  Washing- 
ton to  secure  specimens  of  the  native  grasses  of    Montana.       He    did    this 
work    so   well,    that    when   another  party   was   detailed  to  go  to  the  Death 
Valley  region  the  following  summer  ou  a  similar  expedition,  he  was  made 
a  member  of  it.     The  hardships  of  this  expedition  were  so  great  that  of  the 
party  of  uncommonly  hardy  men  who  entered  upon  it  more  than  one-half 
were  permanently  disabled  in  either  mind  or  body,  but  Funston  fortunately 
escaped  sound  and  well.     The  next  summer  was  spent  among  the  Indians 
on  the   Alaskan  coast,  still  in  the  employ  of  the  Agricultural  department, 
collecting  specimens  of  the  flora  of  the  region.     This  work  he  did  so  well 
that    when    the    Department    wished  to  know  what  was  growing  in  the  in- 
terior oi  Alaska  Funston  was  selected  for  the  arduous  and  dangerous  task. 
It  was  not  a  pleasant  commission.      It   meant   eighteen    months   of   exile, 
many   thousand   miles   of  travel,  largely  through  an  unexplored  country, 
and  a  winter  the  other  side  of  the  Arctic  circle.     But  Funston  entered  upon 
it  with  his  usual  cheerfulness  and  energy.     He  climbed  the  famous  Chil- 
coot  pass,  built  a  sled  and  pulled  and  sailed  it  across  the  frozen  lakes,  built 
a  boat  and  floated  it  through  the  White  Horse  rapids, — a  journey  so  full  of 
toil  and  terrors  that  thousands  of  strong  men  have  failed  to  survive  it — and 
joked  about  it  in  the  letters  he  wrote  home.      He  spent  the  long,  long  win- 
ter in   an  Indian   village,   where   he  was  the  only   white  man,  taking  for 
diversion  the  longest  snow  shoe  journey  ever  made  by  a  white  man,  barely 
escaping  death  from  cold,  exhaustion  and  starvation.   When  the  slow  spring 
finally  came  he  set  about  gathering  the  plants  for  which  he  was  sent,  eventu- 
ally floating  down  the  Yukon  to  its  mouth  where  he  was  picked  up  by  the 
United    States   revenue  cutter   Bear,    and    returned    home  by  way  of  San 
Francisco,  the  expedition  having  been  entirely  successful. 

Resigning  his  position  in  the  Agricultural  department,  Mr.  Funston 
spent  the  winter  of  1894-5  011  the  lecture  platform,  telling  the  story  of  his 
Alaskan  experiences.  The  summer  and  fall  of  1895  he  spent  trying  to 
organize  a  company  to  engage  in  the  coffee  business  in  Central  America  on 
a  large  scale.  The  enterprise  required  a  laige  sum  of  money  and  times 
were  too  hard  to  make  success  possible.  Funston  therefore  gave  up  the 
project  and  went  to  New  York  where  he  was  engaged  for  several  months  in 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  521 

writing  newspaper  and  magazine  articles  and  doing  some  work  in  the  office 
of  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  company.  While  thus  employed  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  Cuban  Junta,  then  engaged  in  promoting  in  all  possible 
ways  the  revolt  of  the  people  of  that  island  against  Spain.  The  cause  en- 
listed his  sympathies  and  he  was  easily  persuaded  to  accept  a  commission 
as  captain  of  artillery  in  the  insurgent  army.  Proceeding  at  once  to  Cuba 
he  engaged  in  the  contest  with  so  much  zeal  and  ability  that  within  eigh- 
teen months  he  held  a  commission  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  was  in  com- 
mand of  all  the  artillery  of  General  Gomez'  army.  The  distinction  had 
not  been  won  without  paying  the  price.  Twice  the  young  artillery  officer 
had  been  wounded,  once  by  a  fragment  of  a  shell  which  shattered  his  left  - 
fore-arm,  and  once  by  a  Mauser  bullet,  which  penetrated  both  lungs,  pass- 
ing within  three-quarters  of  an  inch  of  his  heart.  He  had  suffered  an  attack 
of  typhoid  fever  also,  but  it  was  a  fall  with  his  horse  that  finally  sent  him 
back  to  New  York,  with  a  running  abscess  in  his  hip  and  with  constitution 
apparently  permanently  wrecked.  He  went  at  once  into  a  hospital  where 
he  submitted  to  an  operation,  and  where  he  gradually  gained  strength 
enough  to  return  to  his  home  in  Kansas.  Although  still  far  from  well,  he 
went  upon  the  lecture  platform,  pleading  the  cause  of  the  Cubans. 

When  the  war  with  Spain  broke  out  and  Kansas  was  called  upon  to 
furnish  her  quota  of  the  troops  required,  Frederick  Funston  was  appointed 
without  solicitation  by  Governor  John  W.  Leedy,  Colonel  of  the  Twentieth 
Kansas,  the  first  Kansas  regiment  to  be  raised  for  service  in  the  Spanish 
war.  Soon  after  his  appointment  Colonel  Funston  was  summoned  to 
Tampa,  Florida,  by  General  Miles,  and  for  several  weeks  was  engaged  in 
writing  some  chapters  in  the  book  on  the  roads  and  topography  of  Cuba 
which  the  War  department  published  for  the  use  of  the  army  in  case  it  was 
found  necessary  to  invade  Cuba.  He  then  joined  his  regiment  which  had 
been  ordered  to  San  Francisco.  After  several  months  in  camp,  spent  in 
ceaseless  drilling,  the  Twentieth  was  ordered  to  Manila,  where  it  arrived 
about  the  first  of  December,  1899,  and  was  made  a  part  of  the  Eighth 
Army  Corps. 

From  this  time  forth  the  history  of  Frederick  Funston  belongs  to  the 
history  of  the  United  States,  rather  than  merely  to  a  history  of  Allen 
county,  or  of  Kansas,  for  from  the  hour  when  the  Filipinos  foolishly  re- 
belled against  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  the  Colonel  of  the  Twen- 
tieth became  a  National  figure.  Suffice  it  here  to  say  that  he  led  his 
splendid  regiment  with  such  energy,  skill  and  soldierly  daring  that  within 
six  months  from  the  time  the  first  shot  was  fired  he  was  made  a  Brigadier 
General  of  Volunteers.  When  the  Twentieth  came  home. to  be  mustered 
out,  in  November,  1899,  Funston  came  with  it,  expecting  also  to  retire 
from  the  service,  as  his  term  of  enlistment  had  expired.  The  War  depart- 
ment, however,  requested  hira  to  return  to  the  Philippines  and  resume 
command  of  his  old  brigade,  and  this,  much  against  his  inclinations  and  at 
great  financial  sacrifice,  he  did,  regarding  the  request  as  a  command  of 
duty.  Returning  to  Manila  he  was  placed  in  control  of  one  of  the  northern 
provinces  of  Luzon,  with  headquarters  at  San  Isidro,  where  he  exerted  his 


522  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

efforts  to  pacifying  the  countr}'  with  such  energy  and  efficiency  that  in  a 
short  time  the  province  was  noted  as  one  of  the  quietest  and  best  governed 
on  the  island.  In  the  spring  of  1901  General  Funston  regarded  the  insur- 
rection as  practically  at  an  end  and  was  looking  forward  to  an  early  return 
to  his  home  and  to  civil  life,  when  news  was  brought  to  him  of  the  where- 
abouts of  Aguinaldo,  the  chief  of  the  insurrection.  He  instantly  formed  a 
plan  to  capture  him,  and  this  plan,  with  the  approval  of  his  superior  oflB- 
cers,  he  successfully  carried  out.  The  exploit  was  so  daring  and  so  suc- 
cessful, that  the  whole  world  rang  with  it,  and  the  name  of  Frederick 
Funston  became  as  familiar  in  every  court  and  camp  of  Europe  as  it  is  in 
Allen  county.  In  prompt  and  grateful  recognition  of  the  splendid  service 
he  had  done  his  country  President  McKinley  appointed  him  a  Brigadier 
General  in  the  regular  army, — a  fitting  reward  for  patriotic,  gallant  and 
wonderfully  able  public  service. 

Frederick  Funston  was  married,  only  a  few  days  before  his  regiment 
sailed  for  the  Philippines,  to  Miss  Eda  Blankhart,  of  San  Francisco,  a  lady 
of  rare  culture  and  beauty,  who  is  now  with  her  hu.sband  in  the  Philippines. 


HARRY  E.  THOMAS,  the  east  lola  lumber  dealer,  and  for  many  years, 
last  passt,  identified  prominently  with  the  building  interests  of  lola, 
came  into  Allen  county  in  1883  from  Clinton  county,  Indiana.  He  was 
born  in  the  latter  locality  September  25,  1861,  secured  his  common  school 
education  there  and  left  there,  permanently,  only  when  he  came  to  Kansas. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  M.  Thomas,  a  carpenter  in  Jefferson,  Clinton  county,  a 
native  of  that  county  and  born  in  Frankfort,  Indiana,  in  1835.  He  died  in 
lola  in  1898.  He  was  a  son  of  Asahel  Thomas,  a  Welchman,  by  trade  a 
cabinet  maker  and  a  pioneer  to  Clinton  county,  Indiana. 

John  M.  Thomas  married  Barbara  Utz,  a  daughter  of  George  Utz. 
Mrs.  Thomas  died  in  Eldorado,  Kansas,  in  1896.  Mr.  Utz  went  into  Indi- 
ana from  Maryland  and  passed  his  early  life  at  the  carpenter's  bench.  His 
last  years  were  spent  on  the  farm. 

To  John  M.  Thomas  and  wife  were  born  seven  children,  viz.:  Edgar  N. 
Thomas,  Harry  E.  Thomas,  E-lma  M.  Thomas,  Estella  J.  Thomas,  John  E. 
Thomas  and  Charles  and  Eva  Thomas. 

Harry  E-  Thomas  was  reared  in  Jefferson,  Indiana,  and  was  a  pupil 
in  the  schools  of  that  place  till  he  was  fifteen  years  old.  He  worked  on  the 
farm  in  summer  and  in  the  saw-mill  in  winter,  in  early  youth,  and  had  just 
entered  his  'teens  when  he  took  up  his  first  lessons  at  the  carpenter's  bench. 
It  seems  but  natural  that  he  should  be  an  apt  pupil  with  tools,  since  his 
ancestors  were  mechanics  and  his  own  inclinations  sanctioned  the  step,  and 
it  is  not  surprising  that  he  should  become  an  efficient  workman  with  little 
instruction.  He  worked  with  his  father  till  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  west 
seized  him  and  he  quit  and  came  to  Kansas.  He  struck  the  State  with  less 
money  than  would  board  him  a  day  at   a  first  iclass   hotel.     He    added  his 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  523 

name  to  the  small  force  of  mechanics  in  lola  and  followed  his  trade,  with 
scarce  an  interruption,  for  ten  years.  In  1896  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
I.  E.  Patterson  and  established  a  third  lumber  yard  in  lola,  carrying,  also, 
builders  supplies,  but  in  1898  the  firm  dissolved  and  Mr.  Thomas  retired. 
In  1899  he  opened  his  yard  in  East  lola,  commonly  called  Bricktown,  and 
has  a  well-arranged,  well-equipped  and  prosperous  yard,  having  since 
taken  as  a  partner  his  brother-in-law,  G.  W.  I<awyer. 

November  11,  1884,  Mr.  Thomas  married  Sadie  E.  I^awyer,  a  daughter 
of  Ira  B.  Lawyer,  one  of  Allen  county's  leading  pioneers.  Four  children 
have  been  botn  of  this  union:  Fannie,  deceased;  Ira,  Frank  and  I,loyd 
Thomas,  deceased. 

Harry  Thomas  is  not  only  prominently  known  in  business  but  he  is  equal- 
ly well-known  politically  in  lola.  His  splendid  sense  of  the  proprieties  of 
business  and  his  intense  loyalty  to  honor  were  qualities  which  caused  his 
selection  for  Councilman  at  two  different  times.  Politics  was  not  permitted  to 
govern  his  official  conduct  and  only  needful  municipal  legislation  did  he 
countenance  and  s.upport.  He  is  a  Republican,  but  not  because  his  father 
and  his  grandfathers  were.  He  occupies  an  unshakable  moral  attitude 
toward  questions  of  public  polity  and  in  social  intercourse  and  is  universally 
regarded  as  a  patriotic  and  worthy  citizen. 


F^AVID  ROBINSON,  lola's  old  time  painter,  was  born  in  Peoria 
-• — '  county,  Illinois,  February  3,  1838.  He  is  the  ninth  of  twelve  chil- 
dren and  son  of  George  and  Maria  (Gaylord)  Robinson.  He  was  reared 
upon  a  farm  and  was  educated  in  the  manner  common  to  the  country  3'outh 
of  that  day.  About  the  time  he  was  just  of  age  he  joined  a  party  and 
crossed  the  plains  to  Colorado  and  was  associated  with  the  western  wilds 
till  i860  when  he  returned  east  and  stopped  in  Breckenridge,  Missouri. 
When  the  war  came  on  he  joined  Company  G,  33rd  Missouri  regiment  of 
Federals  and  saw  four  years  of  service  in  the  western  department  of  the  Union 
army.  His  division  was  the  istand  his  corps  the  i6th  and  he  participated  in 
much  hard  service  and  in  many  warm  and  severe  engagements,  chief  among 
them  being  Helena,  Arkansas,'  Red  River  expedition,  Chico  Lake,  Tupelo, 
Nashville  and  under  thirteen  days  fire  at  Fts.  Spanish  and  Blakely  at  Mobile. 
He  was  first  sergeant  of  his  company  at  the  end  of  the  war. 

David  Robinson  spent  the  few  years  succeeding  the  war  and  until  he 
came  to  lola  in  Galva,  Illinois.  He  learned  the  painter's  trade  in  his 
native  State  and  has  made  it  his  life  work.  He  followed  his  brother.  Gay- 
lord,  to  Allen  county  and  reached  here  in  1870.  For  thirty  years  he  has 
wielded  the  brush  in  lola  and  he  is  the  oldest  of  the  craft  in  point  of  resi- 
dence. He  was  married  here  in  1883  to  Myra,  a  daughter  of  A.  L.  Dibble, 
deceased,  who  came  to  lola  in  1880.  The  latter  was  born  in  1827  in  the 
State  of  New  York  and  was  married  to  M.  J.  Lord.  Of  this  union  three 
children  were  born,  viz.:  N.  E.  Dibble,  of  Philadelphia;  Delia,  who  married 
Willard  Lord,  and  Mrs.  Robinson. 

Mr   and  Mrs.  Robinson's  only  child  is  Miss  Florence.     Mr.    Robinson 


524  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

is  a  Republican  and  he  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of  the  First  Baptist 
church  of  lola. 


r>HARLES  A.  JAPHET— One  of  Allen  county's  early  settlers— not 
^^  classed  with  the  pioneer-^is  Charles  A.  Japhet,  lola's  efficient  and 
widely  known  veterinarian.  In  1872  he  sought  Allen  county  as  his  future 
abiding  place  and  was  induced  to  believe  that  much  of  the  wild  land  then 
abounding  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  was  subject  to  settlement,  as 
public  lands,  and  he  bought  the  right  of  a  settler  to  the  claim,  in  Salem 
township  now  the  property  of  Harry  Boeken.  He  contested  the  right  of  the 
purchaser  to  ownership  and  possession  and,  seeing  that  there  was  no 
chance  for  the  settler  as  against  the  railroad,  he  sold  his  improvements  and 
closed  his  fight  after  three  years  of  interesting,  exciting  and  stubborn 
resistance.  He  purchased  a  farm  in  the  southern  part  of  lola  township 
and,  after  cultivating  it  a  few  years,  came  to  lola  and  opened  a  breeding 
barn.  This  was  succeeded,  in  part,  by  the  livery  business  and  when  he 
closed  out  this  business  it  was  to  go  on  the  road  introducing  an  invention  of 
his  own  patent.  He  is  the  inventor  of  one  of  the  best  selling  washing 
machines  yet  put  on  the  market  and  it  was  the  sale  of  this  that  occupied  his 
time  for  about  five  years.  To  say  that  he  made  a  success  of  his  venture  is 
patting  it  mildly,  as  he  became  the  owner  of  lots,  lands,  stock  and  chattels 
in  many  of  the  counties  of  Missouri,  Nebraska,  Iowa  and  Kansas.  All  of 
ISTorth  Missouri  will  remember  Charley  Japhet  who  made  headquarters 
within  their  border  for  months  at  a  time,  spent  his  money  freely  and  did  an 
immense  and  legitimate  patent-right  business  to  the  surprise  and  delight 
of  his  stranger  neighbors.  When  he  had  gathered  together  the  results  of 
his  tour  on  the  road  Mr.  Japhet  returned  to  lola  and,  while  he  has  done 
somethiug  at  farming,  he  has  been  more  devoted  than  ever  to  the  profession 
he  acquired  in  his  youth  from  one  of  the  great  surgeons  of  the  country,  L. 
M.  Briggs,  State  Veteiinary,  of  New  York. 

Charley  Japhet  was  born  in  Shenango  .county.  New  York,  Septem- 
ber 24,  1848.  His  father,  Albert  Japhet,  was  born  in  the  same  county  in 
1817  and  died  there  in  1861.  The  latter  was  a  thrifty  farmer  and  a  son  of 
one  of  the  pioneers  to  Shenango  county  from  the  State  of  Connecticut.  The 
family  came  originally  from  England,  the  remote  settler  and  Colonial  pioneer 
.being  our  subject's  great-grandfather. 

Albert  Japhet  married  Polly  Ingraham,  whose  people  were  also  from 
the  "Wooden  Nutmeg  State."  Their  family  consisted  of  George  Japhet,  of 
Courtland,  New  York;  Eliza  A.,  wife  of  F.  C.  Stork,  of  Shenango  county. 
New  York,  and  Charles  A,,  our  subject. 

Charley  Japhet  was  left  an  orphan  by  the  death  of  his  father  in  1861. 
By  this  circumstance  he  was  dependent  upon  his  resources,  in  a  great 
measure,  for  his  education  and  youthful  training.  He  remained  with  the 
farm  two  years  and  then    sought  employment    in  a  hoe  factory  at  Oxford, 


•WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  525 

New  York.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  went  on  the  road  with  'the 
noted  New  York  Veterinarian,  Dr.  Briggs,  and,  in  the  next  twoyeats,  he 
secured  that  actual  experience  and  practice  that  largely  settled  his 'Career  in 
life.  In  order  to  better  equip  himself  for  the  profession  he  attended  lectures 
at  the  Veterinary  Hospital  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  but  he  did  "not  en- 
gage in  veterinary  work  at  once.  He  was  married  rather  early  and  he 
located  in  a  small  place  and  went  to  butchering.  He  had  a  contract  fot 
furnishing  meat  to  some  railroad  builders  and  was  in  a  fair  way,  as  he  felt, 
to  reap  a  reasonably  good  reward  for  his  labors,  when  his  pay  master  drew 
his  funds  and  departed,  leaving  our  subject  practically  and  suddenly  "flat." 
Soon  after  this  he  gathered  together  his  scant  effects  and  came  to  Kansas, 
His  object  in  coming  west  was  to  seek  some  point  where  homes  could  be 
gotten  with  more  ease  than  in  the  old  states.  His  condition  upon  his  arriv- 
al at  Ft.  Scott  was  one  requiring  positive  and  early  industrial  activity  and 
he  secured  a  place  in  Latimer's  nursery,  Linn  county,  by  the  day.  He  was 
given  the  position  of  salesman  the  next  year,  on  commission,  and  he  began 
to  gather  moss  rapidly.  He  remained  in  that  county  two  years  and  while 
there  served  as  Constable,  which  yielded  a  few  dollars  to  his  strong  box. 
He  came  to  Allen  county  with  the  funds  necessary  to  locate  himself  as 
herein  mentioned  and  for  the  past  fifteen  years  the  battle  has  been  a  com- 
paratively easy  one.  He  has  been  in  Kansas  thirty  years  and  when  he  came 
to  it  his  resources  amounted  to  $32.00  and  a  few  household  goods.  He  owns 
now  a  farm  of  four  hundred  acr^s  in  Osage  township,  Allen  county,  one 
hundred  and  seventy  acres  in  'White  county,  Arkansas,  and  town  property 
in  Augusta,  Burlington  and  lola,  all  of  which  gives  him  a  degree  of  financial 
independence  which  ought  to  come  with  thirty  years  of  honorable  toil. 

Mr.  Japhet  was  first  married  in  Shenango  county,  New  York,  in  1866, 
to  Edna  E.  Bartholomew,  a  daughter  of  John  Bartholomew.  She  died  in 
Tola,  August  7,  1884,  leaving  three  children:  Eugene,  ofTacoma,  Washing- 
ton; Emogene,  wife  of  Charles  Youngs  of  Oxford,  New  York,  and  Berton 
Japhet.  In  1855  Mr.  Japhet  married  Lizzie  Heath,  a  daughter  of  Amos 
Heath.     The  children  of  this  union  are:  Cora,   Frank,   Agnes   and    Mabel. 

In  New  York,  Kansas,  and  elsewhere  the  Japhets  are  Republicans. 
Our  subject  is  an  Odd  Fellow. 


"X  A  7"ILLIAM  D.  CHASTAIN,  M.  D.,  of  lola,  whose  professional  and 
^  "  social  life  has  withstood  the  public  scrutiny  in  Allen  county  for 
more  than  two  generations  and  whose  characteristics  and  personal  attain- 
ments mark  him  as  one  of  the  conspicuous  citizens  of  lola,  came  to  us  from 
the  state  of  Kentucky  November  15,  1870.  He  was  born  in  Logan  county, 
that  state,  December  27,  1846,  and  is  a  grandson  of  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  "Blue  Grass"  state.  'William  Chastain,  who  introduced  the  family 
name  into  Kentucky,  was  a  descendant  of  Huguenot  French  settlers  of 
North  Carolina.     He  went  into  Kentucky  before  it  became  a  state  and  was. 


526  HISTORY   OF  ALLEN   AOT? 

consequently,  one  of  the  first  tillers  of  its  soil.  He  died  rather  early  in 
life,  leaving  six  sous:^  Edward,  Edmund,  Willis,  Boone,  Jackson  and 
Isham.  Some  of  these  left  Kentucky  many  years  ago  and  located  in  Ben- 
ton county,  Missouri,  He  had  two  daughtersr  Mrs.  Moss,  of  Spring- 
field, Missouri,  and  Mrs.  Mosley,  who  lived  and  died  in  Kentucky. 

Isbam  Chastain  was  the  father  of  William  D.  Chastain.  He  was  bom 
in  1816  and  died  in  i8'5i.  He  was  amply  educated  and  was  a  prosperous 
and  successful  farmer.  He  was  a  Whig  in  politics  and  was  married  to 
Angelina,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Bailey.  The  Bailc}'  family  was  a  promi- 
nent one  in  Logan  county,  Daniel  being  a  prosperous  and  representative 
citizen. 

Dr.  Chastain's  mother  died  in  1847  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years. 
Her  four  children  were;  Mary,  who  married  William  Town.send  and  died 
young;  James  Chastain.  so  far  as  known  a  resident  of  Colorado;  Fannie 
Chastain,  a  resident  of  I/agan  county,  Kentucky,  and  our  subject,  the 
Doctor.  A  half-sister  to  these,  Mis.  Cornelia  Evans,  is  a  resident  of  Logan 
county,  Kentucky. 

Dr.  Chastain  lived  with  the  family  of  an  uncle.  Dr.  J.  R.  Bailey,  from 
infancy.  Dr.  Bailey  was  an  extensive  farmer,  also,  and  our  subject  passed 
his  time  upon  the  farm  until  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  attended  the 
county  seminary  and  afterward  Bethel  college  at  Russelville.  He  chose 
medicine  for  his  life  work  and  read  more  or  le.ss  with  his  uncle.  He  spent 
two  years  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, from  which  he  graduated  in  1870,  just  prior  to  his  departure  for 
Kansas.  He  had  never  been  in  the  west  and  his  knowledge  of  Kansas  and 
of  Allen  county,  in  particular,  was  obtained  from  friends.  He  opened  an 
office  in  lola  upon  his  arrival  here  but  the  following  year  decided  to  try  the 
experiment  of  locating  in  Osage  township.  This  move  did  not  realize  as 
it  was  hoped  for,  in  the  matter  of  patronage,  and  he  returned  to  lola  in  six 
months. 

Dr.  Chastain 's  professional  attainments  have  long  been  recognized  and 
he  has  held  a  high  place  in  the  esteem  of  the  public  since  he  came  among 
us.  His  relation  to  his  town,  and  the  public  generally,  has  been  that  of  a 
liberal,  judicious  and  progressive  citizen  and  to  the  church  that  of  a  con- 
scientious, courageous  Christian  gentleman. 

April  3  1873,  Dr.  Chastain  was  married  in  lola  to  Alice  F.,  a  daughter 
of  Rev.  Samuel  Price,  now  of  Wellington,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Rev.  Price  was 
Charlotte  Alder  and  she  and  her  husband  were  from  Belmont  county,  Ohio. 

The  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Chastain's  children  are:  J.  Earl,  D.  D.  S.,  a  grad- 
uate of  the  lola  High  School  and  of  the  Western  Dental  College,  Kansas 
City,  was  born  February  14,  1874.  He  served  as  hospital  steward  in  the 
Twentieth  Kansas  in  the  Philippine  insurrection;  Bertha,  Maud  and  Fannie 
Chastain,  both  graduates  of  the  lola  High  School. 

The  politics  of  Dr.  Chastain  is  unmistakable.  He  is  known  far  and 
wide  in  Allen  county,  for  his  outspoken  Republican  sentiments,  and,  in 
years  past,  he  has  been  regarded  among  the  active  local  political  workers. 
His  name  has  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  a  nomination  for  county 


■WOODSOTSr   COtTN'TrES,   KANSKS.  52J 

cfGce  bcft  lie  would  not  sacrifice  his  profession   to    the   requrt-esnen-ts  -of  a 
public  office. 

JOEL  P.  HAYES. — One  of  the  early  settlers  west  o'f  the  Neosho  TiV'eY  in 
lola  township  and  one  in  whom  his  community  has  the  utmost  con- 
fidence is  Joel  P.  Hayes.  Mr.  Hayes  came  into  Allen  county  in  1870  an^ 
•owns  the  south-west  quarter  of  section  35,  township  24,  range  17.  McLean 
•county,  Illinois,  was  the  home  of  Mr.  Hayes  prior  to  his  advent  to  Kansas-. 
He  was  a  farmer  near  Lexington,  that  county,  from  1865  to  1870  and  dis- 
posed of  his  interests  there  and  came  west  only  to  find  a  pla<;e  where  a  man 
of  small  means  could  more  easily  and  more  quickly  acquire  a  home.  He 
had  migrated  to  Illinois  for  the  same  reason  but  found  land  there,  just  after 
the  war,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  poor  man  and  this  fact  determined  him, 
eventually,  to  make  another  move, 

Mr.  Hayes  was  born  and  reared  in  Clinton  county.  New  York.  His 
birth  occurred  March  6,  1840,  and  his  education  was  of  the  country  and 
common  school  sort.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  and  his  father  was  Asa 
Hayes  whose  origin  is  hot  certain  but  it  is  believed  to  have  been  Massa^ 
chusetts.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  18 12  and  fought  in  the  battle  of 
Lake  Champlain  near  the  site  of  which  our  subject  was  born.  He  married 
Laura  Larkins  who  died  in  1841  while  her  husband  died  in  1867  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five  years.  Their  children  are:  Hiram  Hayes,  of  Whitewater, 
Wisconsin;  Loyal  Hayes,  of  Vermont;  Christiana,  deceased,  wife  of  Luther 
Robinson,  of  Clinton  county.  New  York;  Harriet  E.,  deceased,  married 
Levi  Stafford,  of  the  same  point;  Loren  and  Enoch,  deceased;  Mary,  wife  of 
Stephen  Alford,  of  Illinois;  Charles,  of  Indiana;  John  Hayes,  on  the  old 
homestead  in  New  York,  and  Joel  P.,   our  subject. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  Mr.  Hayes  began  real  life  when  he  en- 
listed in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth  New  York  Infantry. 
His  colonels  were,  first  Richard  Keys  and  then  George  Nichols.  The 
regiment  was  ordered  to  Fortress  Monroe  and  was  engaged  at  the  battle  of 
Bermuda  Hundred.  Mr.  Hayes  was  in  the  heavy  fighting  at  Cold  Harbor 
and  around  Petersburg  and  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  the  end  at 
Appomattox.  Everyday  of  the  time  from  June  3rd  1864  to  January  ist,  1865, 
he  was  in  some  engagement  or  skirmish  and  was  in  front  of  the  mine  at 
Petersburg  when  it  was  exploded,  with  so  little  advantage  to  the  Union 
forces.  From  January  ist  to  April  gth,  1865,  Mr.  Hayes  was  on  detail  at 
General  Gibbons'  headquarters.  He  was  discharged  at  Richmond,  Vir- 
ginia, and  was  mustered  out  at  Plattsburg,  New  York,  in  July  after  the 
surrender. 

With  a  small  sum  of  money  Mr.  Hayes  went  to  McLean  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  found  a  degree  of  prosperity  there  on  the  farm  till  1870.  He  was 
married  in  McLean  county  in  February,  1867,  to  Hannah  J.,  a  daughter  of 
Henderson  Crabb  and  Mary  (Beech)  Crabb.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayes'  chil- 
dren are:     Luel,  Herbert  O.  and  Arza  Clayton. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayes  are  members  of   the    Methodist   congregation    in 


52S  HISTORY    OF  ALLEN-    AND 

Piqua,  Kansas.  He  was  converted  in  early  life  and  has  found  consolatioiii 
in  executing  the  will  of  the  Master  as  laid  down  in  the  Scripture  lessons. 
He  is  a  firui  believer  in  Providential  control  and  supervision  of  the  lives 
and  destinies  of  men.  On  three  occasions  would  his  life  have  been  sacrificed 
during  the  war,  times  when  there  seemed  no  possibility  of  preventino-  it, 
and  but  for  the  interposing  hand  of  the  Almighty  he  would  have  died 
around  Petersburg.  The  elder  Hayes'  were  followers  of  the  faith  of  Wes- 
ley and  their  relations  to  their  church  were  as  those  of  our  subject,  both 
official  and  private.  In  public  affairs  the  Hayes'  are  no  less  out-spoken  than 
in  matters  of  religion.  They  believe  in  a  government,  local  or  general, 
being  honestly  administered  by  its  patriotic  citizens.  For  the  purpose  of  a 
political  home  our  subject  has  allied  himself  with  the  Republican  party  and 
in  its  tenets  and  declarations  he  sees  the  future  of  our  domestic  institutions. 


XKTltrtlAU  DAVIS,  of  lola,  seven  years  a  Sunday  School  Mission- 
"  "  ary  in  Oklahoma,  and  a  resident  of  Allen  county  for  nearly  a  third 
of  a  century  is  a  contribution  from  the  citizenship  of  Indiana.  He  cast  hi.s. 
lot  with  Kansas,  and  Allen  county,  in  1869,  a  time  when  good  honest  citi- 
sienship  was  in  need  of  encouragement  and  reinforcement  here,  and  when 
pvermanent  settlements  were  only  beginning  to  take  substantial  hold. 

Of  the  eastern  states  whose  sons  were  looking  in  the  direction  of  the 
prairie  states  for  settlement,  just  after  the  war,  Indiana  furnished  her  share 
and,  from  1865  to  1S75,  they  poured  into  Kansas  in  a  steady  stream. 
Johnson  county,  that  State,  gave  Allen  county  many  men  whose  character 
and  personal  worth  won  them  a  conspicuous  prominence  in  the  confidence 
of  our  citizens.  William  Davis  is  one  of  these.  He  was  born  in  Franklin 
township,  Johnson  county,  Indiana,  January  12,  1838.  The  blood  of  the 
Scotch  and  Irish  courses  through  his  veins  and  his  remote  ancestors 
were  among  the  settlers  of  the  Colonies  and  in  the  ranks  of  the  Revolution- 
ary armies. 

This  family  of  Davis  emanates  from  New  Jersey.  William  Davis,  our 
subject's  grandfather,  was  born  in  Mercer  county,  that  State,  and  came  by 
wagon,  westward  to  the  Mouongahela rivei ,  in  Pennsylvania  where  he  built 
a  flat  boat  and  floated  down  the  river  to  Ohio  Falls  and  from  that  point  went 
into  Mercer  county,  Kentucky.  Farming  was  his  vocation.  He  served  in 
the  War  of  1812  from  that  State  and,  late  in  life,  went  into  Clark  county, 
Illinois,  and  died  there  in  1874,  aged  ninety  years.  He  was  a  son  of  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  married  a  Miss  Covert  and  was  the  father  of 
four  sons  and  eight  daughters.  The  sons  were:  John  W.,  William  Samuel 
and  Daniel  Davis. 

John  Davis,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Mercer  county,  Ken- 
tucky, February  17,  1813.  He  left  his  native  State  in  1822  and  settled  on 
the  Ohio  river  in  Switzerland  county,  Indiana.  Two  years  later  he  went 
into  Johnson  county,  and  there  lived  a   successful  farmer  and   an   honored 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  529 

citizen.  Like  his  forefathers  he  was  a  Democrat,  but  the  firing  on  Ft. 
Sumpter  caused  him  to  unite  his  political  fortunes  with  the  Republicans. 
He  was  a  man  of  much  piety,  of  strong  Christian  character  and  was  a  life- 
long Presbyterian.  His  first  wife  was  Mar/  F.  ,a  daughter  of  William 
McGee  from  Mercer  county,  Kentucky.  The  McGees  were  a  Scotch  and 
Irish  mixture  while  the  Davis'  proper  are  believed  to  be  of  Welch  origin. 
John  Davis'  second  wife  was  Martha,  a  daughter  of  John  Vanarsdale.  She 
resides  on  the  family  homestead  in  Johnson  county,  Indiana.  Mr.  Davis' 
first  wife  died  February  14,  1853.  Their  children  were:  William,  Martha 
J.,  deceased,  married  Elisha  Vanarsdale;  Mary  E.,  deceased,  married  John 
W.  Davis  and  lelt  two  children;  Daniel  C.  Davis,  deceased;  Rachel  A., 
deceased;  Abraham  V.  and  John  H.  Davis,  both  deceased,  are  children  by 
his  second  wife.  Mr.  Davis  died  July  24,  1880.  He  was  an  intelligent, 
strong-willed  positive  citizen.  His  character  showed  in  all  his  acts  and  his 
life  was  one  good  example  to  be  followed  with  profit. 

William  Davis,  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the  better  schools  of  his 
time  and  he  reached  his  majority  as  a  farmer.  His  first  experiences  away 
from  the  parental  home  were  as  farm  hand  and  as  clerk  in  a  Franklin 
store.  He  entered  the  army  at  the  first  call  for  troops,  joining  Company  H, 
7th  I.  V.  I.  The  regiment  went  into  West  Virginia  and  was  engaged  in 
the  first  battles  of  the  war,  Carricks  Ford,  Bealington  and  Laurel  Hill.  It 
was  enroute  home  to  be  mustered  out  when,  at  Bellaire,  Ohio,  the  joy  over 
their  successes  was  turned  into  gloom  by  the  news  from  Bull  Run.  Mr. 
Davis  was  discharged  in  August  and  re-enlisted  in  Company  F,  7th 
Infantry  as  private  and  went  back  into  West  Virginia.  In  December  was  in 
Cumberland,  Maryland,  aided  in  the  relief  of  General  Reynolds  in  We.st 
Virginia  and  in  March,  1862,  was  in  Winchester,  Virginia.  Skirmished 
through  to  Rockingham  county,  Virginia,  as  a  part  of  Shields'  Division  and 
to  Fredericksburg  under  General  McDowell.  The  regiment  hurried  back  to 
the  Valley  to  catch  Stonewall  Jackson,  but  failed.  Then  went  to  Alexan- 
dria where  it  waited  till  the  Pope  campaign.  It  was  in  the  battle  at 
Slaughter  Mountain  and  the  preliminary  skirmishes  to  second  Bull  Run. 
The  7th  Indiana  Infantry  was  in  the  fights  at  Chantilly,  South  Mountain 
and  Antietam.  At  Port  Republic  a  piece  of  Federal  artillery  was  deserted 
dangerously  near  the  Confederate  advance  and  Mr.  Davis  was  one  of  eight 
to  volunteer  to  recover  it.  J  t  was  brought  off  under  the  fire  of  eighteen 
guns.  At  2nd  Bull  Run,  Virginia,  the  coloi  bearer  was  killed  and  our 
subject  caught  the  flag  and  carried  it  till  a  new  detail  was  made.  At  Union 
he  caught  the  flag  under  similar  circumstances  and  was  its  bearer  for  the 
regiment  till  his  promotion  to  orderly  after  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  He 
was  in  the  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg  campaigns  and  back  to  Mine 
Run  on  the  Rapidan,  the  following  winter.  He  was  promoted  to  2nd  Lieu- 
tenant in  February,  1863.  In  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  he  was  wounded 
in  both  thighs  and  lay  for  hours  between  the  lines  while  the  fight  raged. 
He  lay  in  the  Wilderness  hospital,  and  in  the  Lynchburg  hospital  for  the 
convalescent,  a  prisoner.  He  slipped  away  from  the  Rebel  lines  on  the 
19th  of  June,  1864,  and,  in  company  with  John  A.    Grifiin  made  his  way  to 


530  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

the  Union  lines  at  Lynchburg.  He  was  recaptured  just  before  he  reached 
the  Union  army  but  was  only  robbed  and  released.  He  was  sent  home, 
reaching  there  July  4th  and  found  the  family  in  mourning  for  him,  a.s  he 
was  reported  among  the  dead  after  the  Wilderness  fight  and  his  capture  had 
prevented  the  real  facts  from  being  known.  He  was  discharged  at  the  close 
of  his  enlistment  September  20,1864. 

Mr.  Davis  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Franklin,  Ind.,and  only  closed 
out  the  business  to  come  to  Kansas.  His  first  permanent  location  was  in 
lola  where  he  established  a  business  (a  partnership)  and  conducted  it  till 
1875.  The  following  three  years  he  spent  in  colportage  work  for  the  Presby- 
terian church  traveling  about  through  Kansas  and  the  Indian  Territory, 
lu  the  fall  of  1878  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  in  Allen  county, 
serving  four  years.  He  spent  three  years  on  his  Carlyle  farm  and  in  Janu- 
ary, 1890,  began  his  work  in  Oklahoma  as  Sabbath  School  Missionary  for 
the  Presbyterian  church.  In  the  eleven  years  he  has  organized  147  schools, 
made  2295,-^  visits  and  traveled  51166  miles. 

In  politics  Mr.  Davis  is  an  uncompromising  Republican.  He  became 
a  protectionist  when  a  boy  from  reading  American  history  and  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Mr.  Davis  was  married  at  Brownsville,  Nebraska,  May  16,  1872,  to 
Candace,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  Grimes.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  C.  G. 
Boyce,  resides  with  her.  The  Grimeses  were  from  near  Richmond, 
Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis'  surviving  child  is  Miss  Grace  E.  Davis, 
born  October  10,  1882. 


"^  A  7"IILIAM  BIRD,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Allen  county  and  a  worthy 
*  "  representative  of  the  brotherhood  of  farmers,  is  a  sou  of  Emmer 
Bird  whose  entrance  to  Allen  county,  as  a  settler,  occurred  in  1857.  The 
latter  brought  his  family  hither  from  Lee  county,  Iowa,  going  to  the  latter 
place,  as  a  pioneer,  from  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  the  State  of  Virginia  in 
the  year  1802,  was  married  to  Prudy  Hamilton,  who  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1804  and  died  in  1865  He  was  the  father  of  Margaret  A.,  wife 
of  Daniel  Horville;  Jasper  N.  Bird,  of  Elk  Falls,  Kansas;  Emerilla  J.,  wife 
of  John  McGee,  of  Seattle,  Washington;  William,  our  subject;  Samuel  L., 
of  Arizona,  and  George  Bird,  of  lola. 

Emmer  Bird  settled  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Neo.sho  river,  at  the  site  of 
the  water  mill,  purchasing  the  claim  from  Judge  A.  W.  J.  Brown. 
He  lived  there  a  brief  and  uneventful  period  and  died  in  1863.  His 
wife  died  the  year  1865. 

William  Bird  was  born  near  Keokuk,  Iowa,  September  15,  1850.  He 
grew  up  in  Allen  county  from  a  boy  of  seven  years  and  passed  many  years 
as  a  farm  hand.  Twenty  years  of  this  time  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Daniel 
Horville  and  with  his  wages  thus  earned  he  purchased  a  tract  of  wild  land 
on  Deer  Creek  which  he  afterward  improved  and  developed  into  a  desirable 
farm. 

In   1868  the   Cheyenne    and   Arapahoe    Indians   gave  the  settlers   in 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  53 1 

western  Kansas  much  tiouble  and  captured  and  carried  away  two  white 
women.  The  State  raised  a  regiment,  the  19th  Kansas,  which  was  sent  in 
pursuit  of  the  warriors.  William  Bird  joined  this  regiment  and  experienced 
all  the  hardships  of  a  winter  campaign,  in  a  hostile  and  trackless  country 
and,  occasionally,  with  no  other  than  mule  meat  for  his  ration.  The  march 
was  down  into  New  Mexico,  where  the  band  was  overtaken  and  the 
captives  recovered.  This  ended  the  trouble,  for  the  time  being,  and  the 
regiment  returned  to  Ft.  Hayes  and  was  mustered  out  there  in  the  spring 
of'  1869. 

In  1882  Mr.  Bird  went  into  the  wilds  of  Wyoming  where  he  joined 
a  ranchman,  and  where  he  was  employed  as  handy  man  on  various  ranches 
during  the  three  years  he  remained  in  the  Territory.  On  his  return  to 
Allen  county  he  took  possession  of  his  Deer  Creek  farm  and  proceeded  with 
its  cultivation  and  improvement. 

February  5,  1888,  Mr.  Bird  was  married  to  Emma  Fackler,  a  daughter 
of  George  Fackler,  a  substantial  and  worthy  German  farmer  of  Carlyle 
township.  The  children  of  this  marriage  are  Dannie  E. ,  Edna  May,  Grace 
and  Pearl. 

In  politics  our  subject  is  well  known  as  a  Republican.  He  cast  his 
first  Presidential  vote,  for  General  Grant  in  1872  and  has  maintained  a 
steady  and  enthusiastic  attitude  toward  his  party  in  recent  years. 


A  DAM  BARNHART,  who  is  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock 
-^^^  raising  in  lola  township,  has  resided  at  his  present  home  for  twenty 
years,  having  taken  up  his  abode  on  his  farm  February  6,  1880.  He  was 
born  in  Brady's  Bend  township,  Armstrong  county,  Pennsylvania,  April 
30,  1839,  aud  is  a  son  of  John  Barnhart,  who  was  born  in  Butler  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1800,  and  died  October  31,  1887.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Jacob  Barnhart,  was  a  native  of  Easton,  Pennsylvania,  and  his 
grandfather  was  a  native  of  Ger;naiiy,  whence  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  new  world,  becoming  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  Jacob 
Barnhart  followed  farming  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Keystone  state,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  American  army  during  the  war  of  1812.  His  son, 
John  Barnhart,  carried  on  farming  and  carpentering.  He  was  a  man  of 
strong  CO  ivictions,  active  and  influential  in  his  community,  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  served  as  a  member  of  the  state  militia.  In  politics  he  was 
always  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  German 
Reformed  church,  taking  an  active  part  in  its  work  and  upbuilding.  He 
married  Susan  Helper,  who  was  born  in  Clarion  county,  Pennsylvania,  in 
181 1  and  died  in  1877.  Her  father,  Jacob  Helper,  was  also  of  German 
lineage.  Her  brothers  were  Adam,  Emanuel,  Abraham,  Jacob  arid  David, 
all  of  whom  were  married  and  left  families.  Her  sisters  were  Mrs.  William 
Armstrong,  Mrs.  John  Switzer  and  Mrs.  George  Roy.  The  children  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnhart  were  Jacob  C,  a  resident  of  Clarion  county,  Penn- 


532  ■  HISTORY    OF    ALLKN    AND 

s\ivania;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Thomas  Dovvans,  of  Richmond,  Kansas;  Han- 
inh,  wiie  of  Joseph  Foringer,  of  Armstrong  count}-,  Pennsylvania,  Louis, 
who  died  in  Clarion  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1899;  Isaac,  who  was  a 
member  of  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Third  Pennsylvania  Infantry 
during  the  Civil  war,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Armstrong  county;  Joseph, 
also  of  that  county;  Rachel,  wife  of  Harvey  Peck,  of  Champlain,  Vermont; 
and  Susanna,  twin  sister  of  Rachel  and  wife  of  Thomas  Shook,  of  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania;  Catherine,  wife  of  Thomas  Roads,  of  Ohio,  and  Sarah, 
wife  of  William  Eynon,  of  Kaylor,  Petjnsylvania. 

Adam  Barnhart  began  earning  his  own  livelihood  by  working  in  the 
coal  and  iron  mines  of  Pennsylvania.  He  entered  upon  this  industry  in 
1S58  without  capital,  but  was  successful  and  soon  took  contract  work  at 
tunneling  and  mining,  continuing  in  that  line  of  business  until  1878.  In 
1876  he  came  to  Kansas,  visiting  Allen  and  Woodson  counties  for  the  pur- 
pose of  selecting  a  favorable  location.  HoA^ever,  he  returned  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  continued  through  the  three  succeeding  years,  spending 
tlie  last  year  there  in  leasing  coal  and  oil  rights.  In  1879  he  located  in 
lola  township.  Allen  county,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  farming  and 
in  raising  cattle  and  hogs.  He  has  been  very  successiul,  and  as  his  finan- 
cial resources  have  increased,  he  has  added  to  his  property  until  he  now 
owns  five  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Allen  and  Wood- 
son counties. 

On  the  4tli  of  August,  1859,  Mr.  Bainhart  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Catherine  J.  Shook,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Shook,  whose  family  were  early 
settlers  of  Allegheny  county,  and  were  of  German  descent.  In  his  family 
were  Thomas,  Jacob,  John,  Barbara  and  Ellen,  all  of  Allegheny  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Mrs.  Barnhart.  To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been 
born  eight  children:  Arabella,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  B.  Mc- 
Kinney,  and  died  June  28,  1900;  Lomond  C.  and  Walter  L. ,  who  reside  in 
Polk  county,  Oregon;  Sinas  C,  of  Woodson  county,  Kansas;  Ida  M., 
Emma  E. ,  John  A.  and  L.  Edward,  who  reside  at  home.  Mr.  Barnhart  is 
9  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having  joined  the 
organization  in  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1864.  He  cast  his 
first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  i860,  and  has  never  failed  to 
support  each  presidential  candidate  of  the  Republican  party  since  that  time. 
He  has  never  sought  oflGce  as  a  reward  for  his  labors,  content  to  devote  his 
time  to  his  business.  Since  1881  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Liberty.  As  a  citizen  he  is  public  spirited  and  progressive,  with- 
holding his  co-operation  from  no  movement  for  the  public  good.  He  emi- 
nently deserves  classification  among  the  self-made  men  who  have  distin- 
guished themselves  for  their  ability  to  master  the  opposing  forces  of  life  and 
wrest  from  fate  a  large  measure  of  success  and  an  honorable  name. 


SAMUEL  J.  STEWART.— Among  the  pioneers  whose  life  has  been  in- 
separatbly  connected  with  the  history  of  Allen  county  is  Samuel  J. 
Stewart,  State  Senator  of  the  Fourteenth  District,  embracing  the   counties 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  533 

of  Allen  and  Woodson.  He  was  born  in  Miami  county,  Ohio,  over  sixty- 
€ight  years  ago  and  came  into  the  territory  of  Kansas  in  April  1856.  Some 
time  during  his  youth  he  had  emigrated  to  t,aFayette  county,  Indiana,  and 
it  was  from  this  point  that  he  made  his  start  for  the  Kansas  border. 
He  was  in  company  with  his  brother  Watson,  whose  history  during  the 
twenty-five  or  more  years  that  he  resided  within  the  boundaries  of  Allen 
county,  formed  a  part  of  the  public  records,  both  civil  and  military  of  the 
county.  The  former  settled  upon  a  claim  about  five  miles  south  of  Hum- 
boldt where  he  has  developed  one  of  the  valuable  and  beautiful  farms 
along  the  Neosho  river. 

Our  subject  got  into  politics  early  in  the  county,  for  the  reason  that  he 
was  a  man  of  conviction  and  never  failed  to  express  himself  clearly  and  to 
the  point  whenever  invited  to  do  so.  Being  a  young  man  of  energy  and 
absolute  reliability  he  was  chosen  to  represent  Allen  county  in  the  Terri- 
torial L,egislature  of  1858.  The  year  previous  he  attended  the  Grasshopper 
Falls  convention  where  the  Free  State  men  for  the  first  time  decided  to  par- 
ticipate in  Kansas  elections.  Up  to  this  time  they  had  steadily  refused  to 
take  any  part  in  political  affaiis  under  the  "bogus  laws,"  or  rather  the  laws 
passed  by  a  "bogus  legislature."  This  decision  on  the  part  of  the  Free 
State  men  resulted  in  the  rescuing  of  the  state  from  its  enemies  and  placing 
the  control  of  its  afiairs  in  the  hands  of  its  bona  fide  inhabitants.  Mr. 
Stewart  was  a  member  of  the  Houses  of  1883  and  1885  and  of  the  special 
sessions  of  the  legislature  during  each  of  those  terms.  His  face  has  been 
one  of  the  familiar  ones  of  the  "old  crowd"  at  nearly  every  county  and 
state  convention  and  few  delegates  in  either  have  been  accorded  a  mo're 
respectful  hearing  or  have  had  a  inore  enthusiastic  personal  following  than 
has  he. 

When  the  war  came  on  he  entered  the  service  as  a  private,  enlisting  in 
1 86 1.  He  was  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy  in  August  of  the  same  year  and 
to  a  captaincy  in  February  1863.  He  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  in 
August  1864.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  married  and  has  reared  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  four  daughters  to  become  honorable  men  and 
women. 

One  or  two  incidents  will  serve  to  show  that  Captain  Stewart's  life  has 
not  always  been  a  plain  domestic  one.  They  will  show  that  there  was  a 
time  in  Kansas  when  a  man's  protection  depended  upon  his  personal 
courage  and  that  Mr.  Stewart  was  not  lacking  in  this  element.  Soon  after 
their  arrival  in  Allen  county  the  two  brothers  sent  a  man  with  a  team  to 
Kansas  City  to  haul  to  their  claim  the  household  goods  which  they  had 
shipped  to  that  point  by  rail  and  river,  the  nearest  available  point  to  their 
location.  The  goods  were  loaded  up  and  the  driver  had  reached  Westport 
when  he  was  met  by  a  company  of  "Border  Ruffians"  headed  by  the  noted 
Allen  McGhee.  The  ruffians  took  the  team  and  ordered  the  driver  to 
leave  the  town  which  he  did,  walking  all  the  way  back  to  Allen  county. 
When  our  subject  heard  what  had  become  of  his  team  and  goods  he  went 
to  Kansas  City  and,  alone  and  single  handed,  .secured  one  of  the  horses,  the 
wagon  and  nearly  all  the  goods.     He  was  not  satisfied  with  this  partial  re- 


534  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN'  ANIJ 

covery,  however,  and,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  visited  l^fcGhee  and  de- 
manded  satisfaction  for  the  balance  of  his  loss.  Money  being  scarce,  Mc- 
Ghee  jHresented  him  with  his  gold  watch,  then  worth  about  two  hundred 
dollars. 

In  the  summer  of  1856  Captain  Stewart  went  to  Kansas  City  with  aw 
ox  team  to  move  some  settlers  into  Allen  county.  The  Border  Ruffians- 
were  preparing  then  to  make  a  raid  in  Kansas  and,  when  near  Westport, 
they  took  Stewart  prisoner.  Tliey  robbed  hrm  of  what  goods  and  chattels 
they  desired  and  started  him  on  east  through  Missouri,  deelrnrng  to  permit 
him  to  return  home.  He  worked  bis  way  around  through  the  state  of 
Missouri,  in  the  direction  of  home,  till  he  came  to  Bates  county  where  he 
was  set  upon  by  a  party  of  six  men  who  su'speeted  him  of  being  a  loyal 
Kansan.  They  were  intending  to  hang  him,  as  they  sard,  but  the  Captain, 
out  talked  theirr,  got  them'  to  quarreling  among  themselves  and,  during  the- 
mele;  got  away. 

As  the  campaign  of  rgoo  approached  Captain  Stewart  decided  to- 
become  a  candidate  for  the  state  senate.  He  was  nominated  easily  at 
the  primaries  and  carried  both  counties  by  good  majoritres^  He  took  rank, 
in  the  senate  as  one  of  the  active  men  of  that  body  and  his  record  there- 
coupled  with  his  long  and  valuable  personal  service  as  a  citizen  of  the  state- 
actuated  the  Governor  in  appointing  him  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents- 
of  the  State  Agricultural  College,,  upon  which  duty  he  has  but  recently 
entered. 


A  LF'RIJD  W.  beck.— Among  all  the  men  of  affairs  who  have  resided 
-^~^  in  Allen  county  the  one  most  widely  known  is  A.  W.  Beck.  The 
nature  and  character  of  his  business  has  brought  him  into  personal  rela- 
tions with  more  people  contiguous  to  lola  than  that  of  any  other,  and 
scarcely  a  citizen,  beyond  the  confines  of  Humboldt  township,  from  1870 
to  1895,  and  within  the  boundaries  of  Allen  county,  but  that  has  had  some 
tiansaction  with  the  subject  of  this  review. 

It  is  interesting  to  listen  to  the  relating  of  the  experiences  of  the 
founders  of  a  community,  wherein  you  get  a  glimpse  of  the  important 
events  which  have  ruled  their  conduct,  a  bird's-eye  view  of  their  lives,  as 
they  were  being  lived,  revealing  adversity,  trials,  failures  and  then  success, 
prfosperity  and  independence.  TTie  adage,  that  "one-half  the  people  do 
not  know  how  the  other  half  live,"  will  remain  true  till  the  end  of  time  and 
many  worthy  persons  who  have  been  distressed  by  reverses  have  suffered 
in  silence  and  have  spoken  freely  of  their  jmst  only  when  fortune  has 
guaranteed  their  financial  independence.  The  history  of  our  subject  is  not 
one  of  absolute  penury  and  want,  during  all  his  early  years  in  lola,  but  his 
share  of  those  commodities  were  visited  upon  him  in  a  modified  form  and 
with  such  force  as  to  remind  him  that  hardships  are  occasionally  a  reality. 
The  Becks  are  of  German  origin.     Leonard  Beck,  our  subject's  father, 


"WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  535 

settled  in  Crawford  county,  Ohio,  about  1820.  He  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1813,  learned  shoemaking  there,  but  became  a  fairly  successful 
-farmer  during  his  residence  in  Ohio.  He  died  in  1852  in  the  vigor  of  man- 
hood. His  father,  a  Pennsylvania  German,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  to 
■central  western  Ohio  and  died  in  Crawford  county  just  before  the  civil  war. 
■The  members  of  his  family  were  Dan,  Isaac^  Adam,  John  and  I^eonard 
Beck.  They  reared  families  on  the  clay  hills  of  Crawford  county  and  were 
among  the  representative  citizens.  They  were,  in  the  main.  Republicans 
:aud  were  divided  in  their  -church  fealties  among  the  Methodist,  United 
Brethren  and  Lutheran  churches. 

Leonard  Beck  married  Margaret  Beltz,  a  daughter  of  Christopher 
Beltz  who  migrated  to  Ohio  from  Pennsylvania.  Margaret  Beck  died  in 
Ida  in  1879.  Alfred  W.  Beck  is  her  only -child.  He  was  born  November 
10,  1845,  and  was  orphaned  by  the  death  of  his  father  when  not  yet  eight 
years  of  age.  He  aided  in  sustaining  his  mother  from  a  youthful  age  and 
his  early  school  training  was  that  of  the  country  district.  At  sixteen  years 
of  age  he  entered  a  store  at  Little  Sandusky  and  got  his  first  mercantile 
experience  at  a  salary  of  ten  dollars  a  month.  He  drew  this  liberal  sum 
{for  that  day)  two  years  and  with  a  part  of  the  funds  he  attended  the  Ohio 
Wesleyan  University,  at  Delaware,  Ohio,  one  term,  and  took  a  course  in 
book-keeping  in  a  business  college  at  Columbus.  He  then  went  into  a 
mill  in  his  home  county  as  general  helper  and,  some  time  later,  into  a 
foundry  and  machine  shop  in  Upper  Sandusky  as  fireman.  His  last  ser- 
vice, prior  to  his  departure  for  the  west,  was  with  his  first  employer  and  at 
a  salary  of  thirty-five  dollars  a  month.  In  1868  he  made  a  trip  into  the 
•west  and  in  1870  he  came  out  to  Ottawa  and  in  June  of  the  same  year  he 
cast  his  lot  with  lola.  In  casting  about  for  an  opening  he  purchased  the 
grocery  stock  of  Wm.  H.  Richards  and  erected  the  frame  building  which 
once  stood  on  the  square.  He  took  in  a  partner  and  the  firm  did  a  general 
mercantile  business  till  reverses  overtook  it.  It  seems  that  sobriety  was 
not  one  of  the  chief  characteristics  of  Mr.  Beck's  partner  and  the  failure  of 
the  firm  was  due  to  his  peculations  and  unwise  manipulations.  The  debts 
of  the  firm  were  considerable  but  their  creditors  permitted  our  subject  to 
still  manage  its  affairs  and  thereby  all  of  the  obligations  were  met.  When 
Mr.  Beck  was  finally  fieed  from  the  entanglements  of  the  store  his  condi- 
tion was  such  that  the  starting  of  a  business  requiring  capital  was  out  of 
the  question  and  he  and  his  wife  decided  to  open  a  boarding  house.  A 
degree  of  prosperity  accompanied  this  venture  and  with  a  few  surplus  dol- 
lars thus  gathered  in  Mr.  Beck  bought  a  cai  of  coal  and  became  again  a 
business  man.  He  conducted  this  business  in  a  small  way  and  sold  fruit 
trees  and  by  this  means  managed  to  sustain  himself.  With  sixty  dollars 
saved  from  his  wife's  business  he  bought  an  old  house  and  moved  it  onto 
a  tract  of  land  which  he  had  made  a  payment  on  some  time  before.  An- 
other sum  of  money  saved  from  the  table  was  paid  to  James  Drake  for 
cattle  and  with  these,  and  four  dozen  chickens,  the  family  moved  to  their 
railroad  claim.  The  team  Mr.  Beck  went  to  the  farm  with  cost  $37.50  and 
it  was  chained  to  a  $5.00  wagon.     He  wanted  to  hire  Sam  Baker  to  run 


536  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

the  farm,  but  Sam  declined  to  work  for  a  man  who  drove  with  rope  h'nes% 
so  he  hired  a  boy  instead.  The  family  was  supported  by  the  butter  and 
egg  crop,  largely,  the  first  few  years  on  the  farm,  while  the  liead  ot  the 
household  was  footing  it  to  and  from  lola,  daily,  trading  and  scheming 
and  handling  anything  there  was  a  pro5t  in. 

Morg.  Hartman  and  Jake  Casmire  sold  Mr.  Beck  a  small  stock  of  im- 
plements, on  time,  as  he  was  too  poor  to  think  of  paying  for  anything  like 
that,  and  was  told,  by  Mr.  Hartman  that  he  coirld  get  all  the  goods  he 
wanted.  This  stock  of  implements  he  took  charge  of,  did  all  the  work 
himself,  waited  on  the  trade,  kept  the  books  and  cleaned  the  store — and  his 
advice  to  men  entering  business  is  to  follow  a  similar  plan  and  thus  more 
certainly  make  a  success  of  their  btisiness. 

For  three  years  did  A.  W.  Beck  make  his  daily  pilgrimages  to  lola  on 
foQt  and  the  happiest  day  of  all  that  era  was  when  he  became  the  owner  of 
a  little  crop-eared  pony.  As  he  rode  this  to  business  he  felt  the  pride  of  an 
aristocrat  and  the  "twenty  dollar  pony"  was  chief  in  the  affections  of  our 
now  prospering  farmer,  He  bought  every  heifer  calf  that  his  finances 
would  reach  and  within  three  years  after  his  becoming  a  fanner  he  sold 
seven  hundred  dollars  worth  of  stock  and  in  five  years  eight  hundred  dol- 
lars more. 

The  nature  of  his  business  was  such  that  Mr.  Beck  could  engage  in 
the  grain  and  seed  business  and  this  he  did,  reaping  a  good  return  for  his 
labor.  The  coal  business  was  taken  up  and  this  alone  would  have  sus- 
tained a  modest  family.  The  growth  of  his  various  interests  demanded  a 
larger  room  and  in  1882  he  erected  the  Beck  business  house,  the  largest  in 
lola  at  that  time.  In  1897  he  joined  in  the  erection  of  another  business 
block,  adjoining  his  own,  and  in  this  substantial  way  contributed  no  little 
toward  the  development  of  his  town. 

In  1900  Mr.  Beck  went  out  of  the  implement  business  and  took  up  the 
furniture  business,  instead.  The  grain  and  seed  business  he  also  dropped 
and  the  coal  business  was  sniffed  out  by  the  discovery  of  natural  gas. 

While  our  subject  has  been  chiefly  occupied  with  winning  fortune  for 
himself  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  it  is  but  fair  to  say  that  the  welfare  of  his 
community  has  not  been  the  least  of  his  thoughts,  With  the  development 
of  the  gas  field  came  opportunities  for  municipal  growth  and  expansion  and 
he  aided  in  setting  in  motion  plans  for  the  location  of  industries  to  employ 
labor  and  to  utilize  our  wonderful  resources.  He  was  on  the  committee  to 
visit  the  W.  and  J.  Lanyons  at  Pittsburg  for  the  purpose  of  laying  lola's 
inducements  before  them  in  the  hope  of  their  locating  here.  He  experi- 
mented with  our  shale  product,  by  building  a  miniature  brick  kiln  in 
the  end  of  the  city  hall  and  discovered  that  it  would  make  fine  brick.  He 
succeeded  in  organizing  a  company  of  lola  citizens  to  push  the  matter  and 
the  lola  Brick  Company,  and  its  immense  output,  is  the  result.  The  ex- 
pansion of  lola  has  felt  the  touch  of  his  hand.  The  popular  additions  of 
Brooklyn  Park  and  Highland  Place  and  Bunnell's  Addition  have  been  im- 
proved and  placed  upon  the  market  largely  through  his  suggestion  and  advice. 

Mr.    Beck    was    married   in    Allen  county  July  2,   1875,  to  Elizabeth 


WOODSON  COUKTIES,  KANSAS.  537 

Pickell,  a  daughter  of  Moses  Pickell.  Their  surviving  children  are: 
Grace,  Maud,  Bessie  and  Harold  Beck.  The  daughters  are  talented  musi- 
cians and  Grace  possesses  exceptional  gifts  and  rare  accomplishments  as  a 
pianist.  Her  final  training  was  in  the  Boston  Musical  Institute  and  lola 
enjoys  a  musical  treat  when  she  gives  a  public  performance. 

A.  W.  Beck  is  no  ordinary  man.  He  is  possessed  of  rare  clerical  and 
executive  business  qualities,  and  his  trained  judgment  and  fine  sense  of 
business  properties  render  him  a  tower  of  strength  in  the  business  world  of 
lola. 


JOHN  FRANCIS— In  Norfolk,  England,  where  had  been  born  and 
buried  generations  of  his  family,  John  Francis,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  saw  the  light  of  day  on  April  24,  1837.  By  the  death  of  his  father 
he  was  left  at  two  years  of  age  to  the  care  of  his  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Sarah  Kitteringham.  She  was  a  woman  of  much  energy  and 
unusual  strength  of  character  and  under  her  hand  he  was  educated  and 
brought  to  his  majority.  It  was  then  that  the  Kansas  struggle  was  pending 
and  the  Free  State  and  Pro-Slavery  fight  was  being  hearkened  to  half  way 
round  the  world.  The  young  man  listened  with  the  rest  and  his  sympa- 
thies being  strongly  awakened  he  determined  to  come  to  America  and  have 
a  hand  in  the  strife.  He  left  England  for  Kansas  in  1858,  coming  to  Osa- 
watomie  where  were  gathered  many  of  the  friends  and  tollowers  of  John 
Brown.  He  remained  there  until  March,  1859,  when  he  removed  to  Allen 
county,  pre-empted  a  claim,  near  his  present  home,  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. The  looked  for  crash  came  and  in  July,  i86i,  he  enlisted  in  the  Third 
Kansas  Regiment,  Colonel  James  Montgomery  commanding.  In  the  spring 
of  1862  the  company  to  whi:h  he  belonged  was  transferred  to  the  5th 
Kansas  Cavalry  in  which  regiment  he  served  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas, 
making  the  march  from  RoUa  to  Helena.  At  Helena  he  was  invalided  and 
sent  to  the  General  hospital  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  from  which  he  was  dis- 
charged in  November,  1863,  greatly  broken  in  health. 

He  returned  to  Allen  county  and  was  elected  County  Clerk  and  re- 
elected in  1865,  serving  four  years.  He  also  held  under  appointment  of 
Judge  D.  M.  Valentine,  then  Judge  of  the  District,  the  office  of  Clerk  of 
the  District  Court,  teceiving  this  appointment  in  1865  at  the  time  the 
county-seat  was  moved  from  Humboldt  to  lola.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
appointive  term  he  was  elected  to  the  office  which  he  resigned  in  1868. 
Meanwhile  he  had  found  time  to  study  law  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
1867.  In  November  of  the  same  year,  1867,  he  was  elected  County  Treas- 
urer and  re-elected  in  '69. 

At  the  end  of  his  term  of  service  as  County  Treasurer  he  engaged  in 
merchandising   in    lola    in    which    business  he  continued  until  July,  1877. 

In  1873  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Thomas  A.  Osborn  as  one  of 
the  trustees  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum  at   Olathe.     And   on    May   ist. 


53^  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

1874,  he  was  appointed  State  Treasurer  of  Kansas  to  fill  the  unexpired 
term  of  Josiah  E.  Hayes.  Again  in  December,  1875,  he  was  appointed  to 
the  same  office  to  bring  order  out  of  chaos  in  the  accounts  of  Samuel  Lappin, 
who  was  in  trouble. 

In  1876  he  went  before  the  people  as  a  candidate  for  State  Treasurer 
and  was  elected,  was  re-elected  in  1878  and  again  re-elected  in   1880. 

After  leaving  the  office  of  State  Treasurer  he  engaged  in  bond  business 
and  banking  in  New  York  City.  In  1892,  his  health  again  failing  him, 
he  moved  to  his  farm  at  the  northern  edge  of  Allen  county,  where  he 
now  lives. 

In  1898  he  was  elected  Representative  of  his  county  and  was  made 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  State  Affairs.  He  was  returned  to  the  House 
in  1900  and  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means. 
Upon  the  adjournment  of  the  Legislature  he  was  appointed  a  member  of 
the  Tax  Commission,  authorized  by  the  House  and  Senate  of  1901,  and  was 
selected  as  its  President. 

John  Francis  is  a  Republican,  a  Mason  and  a  Knight  Templar.  He 
became  a  member  of  the  lola  Lodge,  number  38  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  in  1865 
and  filled  successively  its  several  offices  including  that  of  Master.  He  is  a 
Churchman,  having  been  confirmed  in  Norwich,  England,  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  by  Bishop  Selwyn  of  New  Zealand. 

■  On  February  23rd,  1862,  while  on  furlough  from  his  regiment,  he  was 
married  to  Lodeska  Coffield,  whose  parents  came  to  Allen  county  from  In- 
diana in  i860.  Mrs.  Francis  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Adrial  Simons,  a 
Revolutionary  patriot,  son  of  Dutch  parents  who  emigrated  from  Holland 
in  i7'oo,  also  of  Benjamin  Clark,  likewise  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution. 

They  have  three  daughters  and  one  son,  Anna,  Clara,  Maude  Elizabeth 
and  John. 

Few  men  in  Kansas  have  a  more  distinguished  and  honorable  record  of 
public  service  than  Hon.  John  Francis,  and  none  is  more  highly  esteemed  or 
more  universally  respected.  For  thirty  years  he  has  been  a  con.spicuous 
figure  in  the  public  life  of  Allen  county  and  of  the  State  of  Kansas,  and  he 
is  still  vigorously  engaged  in  the  performance  of  the  most  responsible  and 
important  public  duties. 


I  ANDQLPH  W.  SEE  was  born  March  6,  1842,  in  Hardy  county,  Vir- 
ginia, now  a  part  of  West  Virginia,  and  is  a  son  of  John  See,  who 
wr. '.  born  in  the  Old  Dominion  about  1788,  and  died  in  1854.  The  father 
re:;ived  a  good  education  and  for  many  years  taught  school  during  the 
wi'.iter  months.  Occasionally  his  son  Randolph  would  accompany  him  tothe 
district  in  which  he  was  teaching  and  there  would  pursue  his  education. 
During  the  summer  months  the  father  engaged  in  farming  and  followed  the 
cooper's  trade,  which  he  had  learned  during  his  boyhood.  He  owned 
about  three  hundred  acres  of  farm  land  in  Lost  River  Valley,  Virginia.     In 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  539 

his  political  affiliations  he  was  a  Whig.  Twice  married,  bj'  his  first  union  . 
he  had  the  following  children:  Craigen;  Michael  H. ;  Amanda,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Abner  McWilliams  and  died  in  Illinois  about  1875,  while  her 
husband  survived  until  1S85;  and  Mrs.  Dolly  Neff,  who  removed  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois.  For  his  second  wife  John  See  chose  Catherine 
Stalnaker,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  about  i8oo,  her  father  being  a  native 
of  Randolph  county,  that  State.  Her  death  occurred, in  1884.  Her  chil- 
dren were  Andrew  S.,  of  Hartsville,  Missouri;  Keziah,  who  became  the 
wife  of  William  Sturm,  and  died  in  Douglas  county,  Illinois,  about 
1863;  Thomas,  who  died  in  the  same  county  about  1864;  and  R.  W.,  of 
this  review. 

The  father  of  this  family  died  in  1854  when  Randolph  W.  See  was 
twelve  years  of  age.  In  1855  the  family  removed  to  Illinois,  and  the  eldest 
son  was  soon  married  there.  Our  subject  then  began  earning  his  own 
livelihood,  working  for  James  H.  Shawhan,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Douglas 
county,  Illinois,  and  afterward  for  William  Murphy.  He  was  employed 
as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month  until  he  entered  the  Union  army  on  the  21st 
of  July,  1862,  joining  Company  H,  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  infantry,  under 
Colonel  Kohler,  while  Lieutenant  Buckner  acted  as  captain.  The  regiment 
rendezvoused  at  St.  Louis  and  thence  went  to  Jefferson  City,  Sedalia  and 
vSpringfield,  going  into  winter  quarters  at  Rolla,  Mo.  In  the  spring  of  1863 
they  advanced  on  Price  at  Springfield,  then  went  to  Arkansas  below  iBenton- 
ville,  participating  in  the  three  days'  fight  at  Pea  Ridge  on  the  6th,  7th  and 
8th  of  March.  He  was  wounded  in  the  side  and  had  his  right  leg  shattered 
by  a  musket  ball,  after  which  he  was  taken  to  Cassville,  where  he  remained 
in  the  hospital  until  July.  He  was  then  removed  to  Springfield,  and  later 
to  Rolla,  and  in  the  fall  was  sent  to  St.  Louis,  where  on  account  of  the 
wounds  sustained  at  Pea  Ridge,  he  was  honorably  discharged  September  19, 
1863,  having  served  for  fourteen  months. 

Mr.  See  then  returned  to  Illinois,  and  for  some  time  continued  in  the 
employ  of  Mr.  Murphy.  He  afterward  rented  land  and  began  farming  on 
his  own  account;  his  mother  acting  as  his  housekeeper  until  his  marriage, 
which  occurred  August  10,  1865,  Miss  Martha  Osborn,  daughter  of  Levi 
Osborn,  becoming  his  wife.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary 
Parker,  and  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  October  29,  1815,  her 
death  occurring  October  16,  1856.  Mr.  Osborn  survived  her  and  passed 
away  in  March,  1875,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three,  having  been  born  in  Ohio, 
January  11,  1812.  Mrs.  See  was  born  in  Douglas  county,  Illinois,  July  5, 
1848,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  four  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living:  Mary  H.,  wife  of  D.  P.  Neher,  who  resides  near  McCune, 
Crawford  county  Kansas;  A.  L-,  who  ,is  engaged  in  sheep  raising  at 
iSTorth  Yakima,  Washington,  Frank  E. ,  an  engineer  in  the  employ  of 
the  Portland  Cement  Company  at  Iola,and  HattieL-,  wife  of  F.  P.  Tanner, 
of  lola. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  See  left  Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1867,  and  came  direct  to 
Allen  county,  where  he  secured  a  homestead  claim  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  26,  lola  township.     For  thirty-one  years  he  devoted  his   energies  to 


540  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

the  cultivation  and  further  improveniL'nt  of  his  property,  and  transformed 
the  wild  tract  of  land  into  a  verj'  valuable  farm,  which  yielded  to  him  an 
excellent  return  for  the  caie  and  labor  which  he  bestowed  upon  it.  Thus 
he  acquired  a  handsome  competency,  which  now  enables  him  to  live 
retired,  and  in  1898  he  removed  to  '  lola,  taking  up  his  abode  at  No.  712 
North  Jefferson  avenue,  where  he  is  now  enjoying  a  well-eained  rest, 
surrounded  by  many  of  the  comforts  which  go  to  make  life  worth  the  living. 


"n^DWARD  H.  FUNSTON,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens  of 
-'— -'  Allen  county,  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Ohio,  September  16,  1836. 
His  father  was  Frederick  Funston  and  his  mother  was  Julia  Stafford,  both 
of  Scotch  Irish  ancestry.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  but  was  able  to  secure 
a  good  English  education  in  the  common  schools  and  in  the  New  Carlisle 
Academy.  He  began  life  as  a  school  teacher,  but  this  work  was  soon  in- 
terrupted by  Abraham  Lincoln's  call  to  arms,  to  which  Edward  Funston 
promptly  responded,  enlisting  in  the  Sixteenth  Ohio  Battery,  in  which  he 
was  commissioned  a  lieutenant.  He  served  gallantly  until  the  close 
of  the,  war,  when  he  was  mustered  out  and  returned  to  his  Ohio 
home.  Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Kansas,  locating  on  the  farm  near 
Carlyle,  Allen  county,  which  has  ever  since  been  his  home.  His  intereet 
in  public  affairs,  his  zeal  for  the  Republican  party  and  his  ability  as  a 
public  speaker  soon  led  him  into  politics,  and  in  1873  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Kansas  House  of  Reptesentadves.  His  service  was  so  satis- 
factory to  his  constituents  that  he  was  easily  re-elected  in  1874  and  again 
in  1875,  the  last  time  being  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.  In  1880  he  was 
promoted  to  the  State  Senate  and  at  the  close  of  his  term  in  that  body  was 
elected  to  Congress.  He  was  continued  in  Congress  by  the  votes  of  the 
people  of  the  Second  district  in  1884,  '86,  '88,  1890,  '92  and  '94,  the  seat 
being  lost  by  a  contest  before  a  Democratic  House  in  the  last  named  year. 
Since  retiring  from  Congress  Mr.  Funston  has  devoted  himself  energetically 
and  successfully  to  the  work  of  his  farm,  which  is  one  of  the  most  attractive 
as  well  as  one  of  the  most  profitable  in  the  county. 

The  foregoing  is  a  very  brief  sketch  of  a  long  and  honorable  career, 
well  illustrating  the  possibilities  of  American  citizenship.  Coming  to  a 
new  state  with  substantially  no  capital  except  his  physical,  mental  and 
moral  strength,  obliged  always  to  provide  first  and  by  means  of  one  of  the 
most  arduous  and  exacting  of  vocations  for  the  support  of  his  family,  Mr. 
Funston  has  still  been  able  to  maintain  a  position  of  commanding  influence 
a'.id  power,  a  factor  in  the  public  life  of  the  State  and  the  Nation  for  nearly 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  it  is  a  record  that  his  family  and  his  friends  may 
well  remember  with  pride.  Of  heroic  mould  physically,  a  thorough  stud- 
ent of  economic  questions,  a  strong  debater,  with  a  steadfast  faith  in  the  in- 
stitutions of  his  country  and  in  the  principles  of  the  party  to  which  he  gave 
his  adherence,  Mr.   Funston  won  and  for  many  years  held  a  most  enviable 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  54I 

position  in  the  political  life  of  the  State  of  his  adoption.  As  a  member  of 
"the  National  Congress  his  mo,st  efiectual  work  was  done  on  the  committee 
■of  Agriculture,  of  which  he  was  for  several  years  chairman,  for  which  posi- 
tion his  long  and  successful  experience  as  a  practical  farmer  especially 
fitted  him.  It  was  during  his  chairmanship  of  this  committee  that  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  the  other  great  depart- 
ments of  the  Government  with  its  head  a  member  of  the  Cabinet,  and  in 
this  organization  Mr.  Funston  was  the  chief  factor. 

Although  no  longer  actively  engaged  iu  politics  Mr.  Funston  is  no  less 
interested  in  the  ascendancy  of  the  principles  in  which  he  believes  and  his 
party  gladly  avails  itself,  in  each  campaign,  of  his  effective  services. 

Mr.  Funston  was  married  in  1861  to  Ann  Eliza  Mitchell  and  to  them 
have  been  born^  Frederick,  James  Burton,  Pogue  Warwick,  Ella,  Aldo 
and  Edward  Hogue,  jr. 


JAMES  FINLEY  was  born  in  Vermillion  county,  Illinois,  January  6, 
1842,  His  father,  John  Finley,  was  a  native  of  Dearborn  county,  In- 
diana, born  May  2,  1814.  In  1833  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Ver- 
million county,  Illinois,  locating  upon  the  farm  which  he  owned  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  He  married  Miss  Frances  Ray,  also  a  native  of  Indiana,  and 
her  death  occurred  September  13,  1869,  but  Mr.  Finley  survived  until  July 
31,  1900.  He  belonged  to  a  family  of  seventeen  children,  ten  daughters 
and  seven  sons.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Vermillion  county, 
was  a  man  of  great  strength  and  fortitude,  and  in  all  life's  relations  was 
honorable  and  upright,  thus  winning  the  high  regard  of  those  with  whom 
he  was  associated.  He  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six 
years  and  five  of  his  seven  sons  survive  him,  namely:  Mrs.  Emily  Cole,  a 
resident  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  James,  of  lola,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Agnes 
Pryor,  who  is  living  in  Danville,  Arthur,  also  of  Danville,  and  Mrs.  Fan- 
nie Cole,  of  the  same  city. 

James  Finley  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  in  Vermillion  county, 
and  assisted  his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  fields  until  after  the  Civil  war 
broke  out,  when  stirred  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  Company  A,  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  September  7,  1862,  for  a  three-years  term. 
His  regiment  was  immediately  sent  to  the  front  and  he  participated  in  many 
of  the  most  hotly  contested  engagements,  including  the  battles  of  Perry- 
ville,  Chicamauga,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  Jonesboro, 
Atlanta,  Savannah  and  Bentonville,  together  with  many  others  of 
lesser  importance.  He  also  went  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march 
to  the  sea,  also  on  the  march  from  Savannah  to  Richmond  and  understands 
fully  what  constitutes  the  hardships  of  war,  yet  he  was  always  found  at  his 
post  whether  on  picket  duty  or  on  the  firing  line,  and  with  an  honorable 
military  record  he  returned  to  his  home. 

On   the   25th  of  August,   1867,   Mr.   Finley  was  united  in  marriage  to 


542  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

Miss  Maggie  Ditnond,  a  native  of  Canada,  who  removed  with  her  parents 
to  Michigan  when  a  child  and  in  1865  came  to  Vermillion  county,  Illinois, 
where  she  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Finley,  who  latei  sought  her 
band  in  marriage.  Unto  them  have  been  born  two  daughters:  Oral,  and 
Sabra,  wife  of  Harry  Canatsey  of  lola. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  Finley  and  hi&  family  came  to  Kansas  and  have  since 
been  residents  of  Allen  county.  He  purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  Salem  township  five  miles  east  of  Humboldt,  and  has  since  devoted  his 
energies  to  its  further  development  and  improvement.  For  the  past  three 
years,  however,  he  has  practically  lived  retired,  having  erected  a  fine  resi- 
dence in  lola,  which  is  now  the  place  of  his  abode.  He  holds  membership 
in  Vicksburg  Post,  No.  72,  G.  A.  R. ,  and  thus  he  maintains  pleasant  rela- 
tions with  his  old  army  comrades.  He  .started  out  in  life  without  capital 
and  had  no  influential  friends  to  aid  him,  neither  was  his  environment  par- 
ticularly helpful.  He  has  placed  his  dependence  upon  the  more  substan- 
tial qualties  of  energy  and  honorable  dealing  and  has  thus  worked  his  way  • 
upward  to  the  plane  of  affluence. 


T  A  7"IL,LIAM  H.  ROOT. — Conspicuous  among  the  mechanics  who 
^  "  have  aided  in  the  material  advancement  of  lola  and  who  have 
contributed  liberally,  in  a  substantial  way.  to  its  development  is  William 
H.  Root.  He  knew  lola  when  it  was  in  its  swaddling  clothes  and  as  boy 
and  man  has  followed  its  careers  of  adversity  and  prosperity  through  vil- 
lage and  town  and  city.  He  is  not  a  stranger  to  Kansas  for  he  is  one  of 
her  own.  He  was  born  in  Anderson  county  the  second  of  March,  1866, 
and  has  resided  in  Allen  county  since   1873. 

Mr.  Root  was  orphaned  in  childhood  b\  the  death  of  both  father  and 
mother  and  at  the  age  of  seven  years  he  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Frank 
Root,  of  Geneva,  together  with  a  younger  sister,  Effie.  Will  and  Effie 
Stigenwalt  were  adopted  by  Mr.  Root  and  assumed  the  latter's  name.  The 
Stigenwalt  family  were  of  German  origin.  John  Stigenwalt,  our  subject's 
grandfather,  immigrated  to  the  United  States  from  some  point  in  the  German 
Empire  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  From  that  state  his  son  James,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  together  with  his  brother  came  westward  by  degrees 
to  Ohio,  Indiana,  Missouri  and  to  Kansas,  reaching  the  last  named  state 
before  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  John  Stigenwalt's  sons  were  James, 
John,  Andiew,  Thomas  and  George,  of  whom  Thomas  and  Andrew  reside 
near  Los  Angeles,  California. 

James  Stigenwalt  was  a  farmer  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight 
years  in  1870.  He  married  Ruth,  a  daughter  of  John  Hull,  a  Welchman, 
who  came  to  Kansas  from  Illinois  and  lies  buried  at  Earlton,  Kansas.  Mrs. 
Stigenwalt  died  almost  simultaneously  with  her  husband  and  left  two  sons 
and  two  daughters,  viz:  Ida  M.,  wife  of  William  Swiger,  of  Neosho 
county,  Kansas;  William  H.  Root,  our  subject;  Otis  H.,  who  was  reared  by 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  543 

Bert  Hodgson  and  holds  that  name,  and  Effie  Root,  who  died  in  California 
December  15,  i8gi. 

In  the  fall  of  1876  Frank  Root  moved  with  his  family  to  lola  to  assume 
the  office  of  County  Superintendent  of  Schools.  From  that  date  our  sub- 
ject's residence  in  the  county  seat  begins.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  town  but  quit  school  at  sixteen  years  of  age  to  take  his 
initial  step  in  business.  His  uncle  Root  was  one  of  the  partners  in  the 
hardware  firm  of  Henderson  &  Root  and  Will  lather  grew  up  in  their  tin 
shop.  At  seventeen  years  of  age  he  began  regularly  to  learn  the  tinner's 
trade  with  Jacob  Casmire  and  served  his  full  time  of  three  years.  He  was 
in  the  employ  of  Ewarts,  and  Lawyer,  in  lola,  as  tinner  and  spent  two 
years  in  Eldorado,  Kansas,  at  the  same  work.  Upon  his  return  to  lola  he" 
•did  the  tin  work  in  the  hardware  store  of  J.  W  Coutant  tor  one  year.  In 
1890  he  set  up  alone  and  for  the  past  ten  years  has  been  engaged  in  build- 
ing up  of  one  of  the  leading  businesses  in  the  city.  One  of  the  results  of 
his  ten  years  of  unremitting  labor  is  the  Root  business  house  on  south 
Washington  avenue,  a  two-story  brick  extending  to  the  alley  and  having  a 
width  of  twenty-five  feet.  The  lower  floor  of  this  building  Mr.  Root  uses 
himself  as  work  shop  and  store  for  his  line  of  builders'  supplies  and  gas 
fittings  and  the  like. 

November  21,  1889,  Mr.  Root  was  married  to  Adda,  a  daughter  of 
Warren  Arnold,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Allen  county.  The  children  of  this 
marriage,  surviving,  are  Florence  A.,  Franklin  P.,  Bernice  and  Katie 
Root. 

Aside  from  personal  considerations  Mr.  Root  has  manifested  a  lively 
and  public-spirited  interest  in  the  welfare  of  lola.  This  is  demonstrated  in 
his  connection  with  enterprises  originated  for  the  public  good,  by  the  sub- 
stantial manner  in  which  he  has  improved  his  properties  and  by  his  liberal 
aid  and  encouragement  of  whatever  tends  to  the  moral  and  educational  ad- 
vancement of  his  home  and  county.  A  matter  with  which  he  is  especially 
concerned  andinterested  is  the  welfare  of  the  Methodist  congregation  of 
lola.  For  years  has  he  affiliated' with  it  as  a, member  and  his  official  con- 
nection with  the  body  extends  over  a  long  period. 

Mr.  Root  began  his  political  career  with  a  vote  for  Benjamin  Harrison 
for  president.  His  early  training  was  from  the  head  of  that  honest  citizen 
and  Christian  gentleman,  Frank  Root,  whose  Republicanism  passed 
through  drouth  and  pestilence  and  war  and  never  failed. 


\  A  riLI/IAM  M.  BROWN,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  to  Allen 
^  "  county,  having  settled  within  her  borders  October  18,  1856.  He 
was  an  emigrant  from  Henry  county,  Illinois,  and  was,  unlike  most  of 
Kansas  pioneers,'  possessed  of  ample  means  to  provide  for  his  family  wants 
in  case  of  an  extended  failure  of  crops.  He  was  a  thrifty  farmer  in  Illinois 
and  came  to  the  western  plains  to  provide  his  family  with  an    abundance  of 


544  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

farm  land  in,  the  hope  of  securing  for  them  a  more  subitantial  hold  upon  the 
world  of  things  in  their  battle  of  life.  He  settled  west  of  the  Neosho  river, 
near  lola,  where  he  became  at  once  a  prominent  and  conspicuous  citizen. 
His  prominence  as  a  stock  man  and  his  extensive  farming  venture,  tor  that 
day,  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  employ  much  labor,  and  he  did  so  fre- 
quently, when  he  really  needed  no  one,  simply  to  aid  some  worthy  and 
struggling  settler.  His  cribs,  his  cellar  and  his  smoke-house  were  open  to 
the  needs  of  his  neighbors  in  the  days  of  the  drouth  of  i860  and  so  much  of 
the  milk  of  human  kindness  did  he  possess  that  he  was  looked  upon,  almost, 
as  Divinely  sent  to  stay  the  hunger  and  to  provide,  in  a  measure,  the  com- 
forts of  the  destitute  pioneers. 

Mr.  Brown  made  an  experimental  trip  to  Allen  county  in  April  of  1856,. 
in  company  with  Nimrod  Hankins,  and  on  this  trip  he  purchased  land  to 
which  he  brought  his  family  in  the  fall.  He  made  the  latter  trip,  like  the 
former,  by  wagon  which  method  of  travel  seemed  to  contribute  much  to  his 
personal  likes  and  comfort.  Frontier  life  suited  his  tastes.  His  father 
went  into  Illinois  as  a  pioneer  and  he,  him.self  crossed  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia, with  the  forty- miners,  in  search  of  the  metal  which  produced  the 
excitement  at  Sutter's  Mill. 

William  M.  Brown  was  born  in  Floyd  county,  Indiana,  May  14,  1823, 
and  died  near  lola  December  27,  1865.  He  had  just  returned  from  a  trip 
with  his  militia  regiment,  upon  its  march  from  the  Price  Raid  journey, 
upon  which  trip  he  contracted  a  severe  cold  and  death  ensued  from  lung 
fever.  He  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Brown  who  emigrated  from  Floyd 
county,  Indiana,  to  Putnam  county,  Illinois,  and  died  there  at  the  age  of 
ninety-two  years.  He  was  born  near  Lexington,  Kentucky,  June  i,  1799, 
and,  it  is  believed,  was  a  son  of  an  Irishman.  He  was  married  May  10, 
1851,  to  Lovina  Ahers,  who  was  born  April  15,  1804.  They  were  the 
parents  of  fifteen  children  at  thirteen  births  and  William  Morton,  our  sub- 
ject, was  their  second  child.  The  latter  was  first  married  January  19,  1844, 
to  Sarah  J.  Myers.  The  issue  of  this  union  was  Marion  Brown,  a  soldier 
in  the  gth  Kansas,  who  died  from  the  effects  of  wounds  received  in  the 
battle  of  Stone  Lane,  Missouri.  William. M.  Brown's  second  marriage  oc- 
curred March  18,  1842.  His  wife  was  Nancy  E. ,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Deborah  (Hankins)  Hayes.  The  children  of  this  union  are:  Orrin  Brown, 
of  Montana;  Ruth  L.  and  Samuel  Brown,  of  lola;  John  Brown,  of  Utici, 
Illinois;  Deborah,  deceased,  wife  of  Samuel  J.  Jordan,  left  three  children  in 
lola,  and  Albert  L.  Brown,  of  Long  Creek,  Oregon.  Mrs.  Nancy  (Hayes) 
Brown  married  Daniel  Homey  and  one  child  resulted  from  the  union,  a 
daughter,  Miss  Mary  Horney. 

Two  of  the  fifteen  children  of  Samuel  and  Lovina  Brown  died  at  birth. 
From  first  to  last  their  names  are:  Martha,  William  M.,  Sarah,  Mary  and 
John,  Alfred,  Anna,  Nancy,  Lovina,  Prudence,  Loui.sa  and  Achsa  and 
Albert.     Their  births  covered  a  period  of  twenty  years,  from    1822  to  1842. 

Samuel,  sou  of  our  subject,  was  fifteen  months  old  when  his  parents 
came  to  Allen  county.  He  was  born  in  Henry  county,  Illinois,  July  11, 
1865,  and  passed  fourteen  years  of  his  life,  in  childhood,  west  of  the  Neosho 


WOODSON    COUNTISS,    KANSAS.  545 

river,  in  lola  township.  He  returned  to  LaSalle  county,  Illinois,  in  187 1, 
and  worked  there  as  a  farm  hand  till  1882  when  he  returned  to  lola.  He 
engaged  in  painting  and  decorating,  and  in  clerking,  till  1892,  when  he 
drifted  into  the  gas  business.  He  became  associated  with  W.  S.  Pryor,  the 
father  of  the  gas  field,  as  his  foreman  of  mains  and  service  extension  that  year 
and  when  the  lola  Gas  Company  succeeded  Mr.  Pryor  as  owner  of  the 
business  Mr.  Brown  was  a  part  of  the  assets,  so  to  speak,  and  has  continued 
as  foreman  of  the  plant. 

November  30,  1893,  Mr.  Brown  was  married  in  lola  to  Susie  A.,  a 
daughter  of  John  Reimert,  one  of  the  old  and  prominent  mechanics  of  the 
city.  Mrs.  Brown  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  January  20,  1871.  Her 
children  are:  Russell  Reimert  Brown,  Orrin  Crosier  Brown  and  Cecil 
Martin  Brown. 

The  early  politics  of  the  Browns  was  Democratic.  When  William  M. 
Brown  came  to  Kansas  there  was  something  in  the  condition  of  things 
which  caused  him  to  change  his  politics  and  he  became  a  Republican.  His 
sons  espoused  the  same  faith. 


T  EWIS  D.  BUCK — On  the  anniversary  of  American  Independence 
-" — '  there  settled  in  Allen  county  a  citizen  whose  interest  in  horticulture , 
and  agriculture  have  ranked  him  as  one  of  the  intelligent  and  successful 
men  in  his  cla.ss.  This  well  known  settler  is  Lewis  D.  Buck,  who  estab- 
lished himself  upon  a  prairie  farm  in  Marmaton  township  three  miles  north- 
east of  Moran.  He  was  without  friends  here,  and  consequently,  without 
credit,  and  his  "nickle,"  and  the  plug  team  he  drove  into  the  county  consti- 
tuted his  visible  resources.  The  story  of  his  first  efforts  at  cropping  is  an 
interesting  one  and  the  methods  employed  to  secure  necessary  implements 
and  accommodations,  by  men  in  his  reduced  circumstances,  would  form 
a  subject  for  an  interesting  essay  upon  pioneer  life  on  the  prairies  of  Allen. 

When  Mr.  Buck  came  to  Kansas  he  settled  for  a  time  in  Douglas 
county.  He  remained  tn  the  vicinity  of  L,awreuce  till  the  year  1876  when 
he  loaded  his  few  effects  into  his  -wagon  and  directed  his  steps  toward 
Allen  county.  Ohio  is  Mr.  Buck's  native  State.  He  was  born  in  Putnam 
county,  October  13,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  a  farmer,  Benjamin  D.  Buck. 
The  latter  was  born  in  1802  in  Oneida  county.  New  York.  He  was  married 
to  Almeda  Couant.  He  came  into  Ohio  at  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812, 
and  died  in  1864.  His  wife  died  in  1892.  Of  their  children,  Seth,  Ben- 
jamin, Lavina  and  Orson  are  deceased.  Henry  is  at  Columbus  Grove, 
Ohio,  and  Lewis  D.,  our  subject. 

Until  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  Lewis  D.  Buck  had  had  no  ex- 
perience beyond  the  limits  of  the  farm.  His  patriotism  was  aroused  by  the 
insult  to  our  flag  and  he  enlisted  for  its  defense  in  Company  A,  20th  Ohio 
Infantry.  He  went  into  the  service  April  18,  1861,  and  served  ninety 
days.     His  second  enlistment    was  in    Company    K,  14th    Infantry    and  he 


546  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

served  as  hospital  nurse  at  Lebanon,  Kentuck}',  and  at  New  Alban}-,  In- 
diana. He  was  discharged  at  the  latter  place  in  1863  and  passed  the  suc- 
ceeding two  years  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  1865  he  recrossed  the 
plains  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri  and  secured  employment  with  Myers,  Lee 
and  Low  in  that  city  as  real  estate  solicitor.  March  11,  1866,  he  was  riiar- 
ried  to  Elizabeth  Gibson,  a  widow  whose  father,  Albert  Vaughn,  emigrated 
to  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  as  one  of  her  pioneers  and  was  irom  Ken- 
tucky. Mrs.  Buck  was  born  near  Kansas  City  November  15,  1841. 
Her  children  were  two,  one  by  each  marriage 

In  his  career  as  a  farmer  in  Allen  county  Mr.  Buck  has  demonstrated 
one  important  fact,  that  small  fruit  will  grow  and  mature  here  abundantly. 
His  orchards  are  a  prominent  feature  of  his  farms  and  his  peaches,  apples 
and  other  fruit  products  have  been  going  to  the  Kansas  City  markets  for 
niHuy  years.  His  success  in  this  work  is  a  matter  widely  known  and  in 
the  horticultural  meetings  of  the  county  his  number  on  the  program 
is  one  of  the  instructive  features  of  the  session.  He  is  local  reporter 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  State  Horticultural  Societ)r,  of  Kansas,  and  his 
enthusiasm  has  done  much  to  stimulate  interest  in  hoiticulture  in  Allen 
county. 

Mr.  Buck  is  a  staunch  Republican.  He  voted  first  for  Mr.  Lincoln 
and  for  thirty-six  years  he  has  been  an  unwavering  supporter  of  the  doc- 
trines of  protection  and  sound  money. 


HARMON  SCOTT— The  late  Harmon  Scott,  of  lola,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Kansas  and  one  of  the  early  business  men  of  lola.  He 
belongs  to  a  family  whose  prominence  has  been  recognized  in  Allen  county 
for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  and  which  has  done  its  part  in  establish- 
ing an  industrious,  intellectual  and  patriotic  citizenship  in  the  State 
of  Kansas. 

Harmon  Scott  was  born  at  Braddocks  Field,  Pennsylvania,  December 
19,  1828.  He  was  a  farmer's  son  and  in  1833,  his  father  moved  into  Ohio 
and,  later,  into  Kentucky  and  in  that  State  was  our  subject  chiefly  reared 
and  educated.  After  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Scott  went  to  Blooming- 
ton,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  till  1857,  coming  thence  to  Kansas.  He 
stopped  first  in  the  Territory  in  Johnson  county  where  he  took  up  a  home- 
stead. He  engaged  in  business  in  the  town  of  Olathe,  while  awaiting  the 
turn  of  events  in  the  process  of  acquiring  a  title  to  his  piece  of  government 
land,  and  this  result  being  unfavorable  to  him  he  came  to  Allen  county,  in 
1838,  and  became  one  of  her  permanent  citizens,  He  engaged  in  the  dry 
goods  and  grocery  business  with  his  biother,  the  late  Dr.  John  W.  Scott, 
on  the  corner  where  DeClute's  clothing  store  now  stands.  In  1872  he  be- 
came a  railway  mail  clerk  between  Topeka  and  Kansas  City.  Leaving 
that  service  he  spent  two  years  on  the  farm  on  Rock  Creek,  returning  to 
Ida  in  1876. 

In  matters  pertaining  to  the  administration  of  affairs  and  to  the  welfare 


WOOUSUN    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  547 

of  Tola  Mr.  Scott  was  one  of  the  foremost.  He  was  twice  elected  Trustee  of 
lola  township  and  made  an  efficient  and  honest  public  servant.  The  fact 
that  he  had  managed  his  private  business  successfully  was  an  index  to  the 
manner  in  which  the  public  business  would  be  cared  for  in  his  hands.  He 
was  one  of  the  stauuchest  of  Republicans,  having  joined  that  party  from 
"the  Old  Line  Whigs." 

Mr.  Scott  enlisted  in  Company  H,  gth  Kansas,  as  a  private  and  was 
promoted  to  first  lieutenant  of  a  company  in  an  Indian  regiment,  designated 
as  the  3rd  Indian  regiment.  He  was  in  active  service  until  1865,  and 
in  which  he  laid  the  foundation  of  the  disease  which  ultimately  caused 
his  death. 


i:^  MANUEL  SNIVELY,  of  lola  township,  settled  in  Allen  county  in 
-•— -*  January,  1879,  and  for  the  past  twenty-one  years  has  devoted  him- 
self to  the  intelligent  and  successful  cultivation  of  her  soil  He  settled 
upon  section  twelve,  his  farm  being  the  claim  entered  by  the  Woodins,  one 
of  the  early  and  well  known  families  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Snively  was  from  Alleghany  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was 
born  October  17,  1830.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  and  his  father,  Christian 
Snively,  a  son  of  Henry  Snively,  improved  a  tract  of  land  there  and  be- 
came one  of  the  substantial  and  reliable  farmers  of  his  county.  Henry 
Snively  went  into  Alleghany  county  from  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania, 
where  his  German  ancestors  settled  many  generations  ago.  They  were  not 
only  farmers  but  were  known  in  business  and  among  early  ones  were 
soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Christian  Snively  was  a  public  official 
many  years  of  his  life  and  he  helped  fight  many  of  the  battles  of  the  Re- 
publicans in  his  county. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary,  a  daughter  of  Emanuel  Stotler, 
who  settled  in  western  Pennsylvania  from  Franklin  county,  that  State. 
They  were  originally  German  and  were,  in  the  main,  devoted  to  the  farm 
and  field.  Christian  Snively  died  in  1877.  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  while 
his  wife  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  six-years.  Their  children  were:  Joseph 
Snively,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Antietam;  David  Snively,  of  Santa  Clara 
county,  California;  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Matthew  Mitchell,  of  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania;  Henry  Snively,  of  Alleghany  county, Pennsylvania;  Martha, 
deceased  wife  of  Alexander  Frew;  John  Snively,  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania; 
Mary,  who  died  unmarried  in  1869;  Nancy,  wife  of  Joseph  Hallett,  of  Cali- 
fornia; Christopher,  and  Dr.  Whitmore  Snively,  one  of  the  faculty  of  the 
Pittsburg  Medical  College. 

Our  subject  acquired  a  fair  education  in  the  schools  common  to  the 
country  in  his  day.  He  remained  with  his  birthplace  till  he  had  passed 
his  fortieth  milestone  when  he  was  married  and  separated  from  it  to  estab- 
lish a  household  of  his  own. .  He  came  west  searching  for  cheaper  lands 
with  better  opportunities  for  small  capital.    .Allen  county  had  many    Penn- 


548  HISTORY    OF    A.LLEN'    AND 

S3'lvania  families  within  her  borders  and  it  may  be  that  this  fact  led  to  his 
determination,  partially,  to  locate  here.  He  entered  into  the  business  of 
farming  with  the  same  energy  and  zeal  here  that  was  characteristic  of  the 
forefathers  in  the  east  and  his  success  is  due  to  this  fact  alone.  He  has 
surrounded  himself  with  such  herds  of  stock  as  are  necessary  tu  the  profita- 
ble operation  of  a  Kansas  farm  and  is  regarded  one  of  the  substantial  men 
of  his  community. 

Mr.  Snively  was  married  in  January,  1873,  to  Mary  F.  Stoner, 
whose  father,  Joseph  Stoner,  was  a  resident  of  Perry  township,  Alleghany 
county,  Pennsylvania. 

During  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Snively  was  a  member  of  the  Home 
Guards,  of  Pennsylvania  and  had  five  brothers  in  the  volunteer  service.  In 
politics  this  family  is  well  known  in  the  east  as  Republican,  and  in  this  faith 
our  subject  was  strong  till  the  year  1890  when  the  era  of  political  reform 
in  Kansas  created  havoc  with  old  party  lines  and  he  joined  hands  with  the 
Peoples  party. 

Emanuel  Snively  is  well  known  as  a  gentleman  with  pronounced 
opinions.  He  arrives  at  conclusions  after  ample  deliberation  and  takes  a 
position  aftei  he  is  convinced  he  can  hold  it.  He  is  a  representative 
citizen  in  many  wa5'S  and  the  "west  side"  is  socially  and  materially  strong- 
er for  his  presence  there. 


/^^OLMORE  L.  WHITAKER,  the  well  known  bioker  and  in.surance 
^-^  man,  of  lola,  was  born  near  Zanesville,  Ohio,  April  2,  1855.  He  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Lemuel  Whitaker,  of  lola,  who  settled  in  Muskingum 
county,  Ohio,  in  1848.  The  latter  removed  to  Allen  county,  Kansas,  in  1869, 
and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Carlyle  township.  He  resided  there  till  1882  when  he 
took  up  his  residence  in  lola.  He  died  in  April,  1895,  atthe  age  of  seventy- 
one  years.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  a  son  of 
Reuben  Whitaker,  also  a  native  son  of  the  Buckeye  State.  Reuben  Whita- 
ker was  born  in  1800  and  died  in  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  in  1866.  He 
was  a  son  of  Lemuel  Whitaker  and  was  the  father  of  ten  sons:  David,  who 
starved  to  death  in  California  on  his  journey  with  the  "forty-niners;" 
Lemuel,  our  subject's  father;  Lewis,  who  reared  a  family  and  died  in  1891; 
George,  who  left  a  son  at  his  death;  Milton,  who  died  in  Libby  prison; 
Annis,  who  resides  in  Fall  Brook,  California;  John,  a  farmer  in  Mason 
CJuity,  Illinois,  until  i860,  when  he  died  leaving  a  family;  Captain  Samuel 
Whitaker,  who  is  buried  at  Tola  and  who  was  an  Illinois  cavalry  ofiicer; 
aii.l  Reuben,  who  resides  at  Durango,  Colorado. 

Lemuel  Whitaker  married  Matilda  A.,  a  daughter  of  Grafton  Duval, 
who  helped  cut  the  trees  where  the  Zanesville  court  house  stands,  in  1809. 
He  was  born  in  the  state  of  Maryland,  was  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  reared 
two  sons.  Dr.  James  and  Washington  Duval,  both  soldiers  of  the  Civil  war. 
They  reared  families  in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio. 

Mrs.  Lemuel  Whitaker  was   born  in    September,    1S25,  and   resides  in 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  549 

lola.  Her  children  are:  Grafton  D.,  Colony,  Kansas;  Reuben  B.,  a  lawyer 
of  Tacoma,  Washington;  Colmore  L.;  Eugene  M.,  Clerk  of  Baco  county, 
Colorado;  Myrtie,  deceased,  married  D.  D.  McDaniel,  and  Fannie,  who 
died  young. 

"Col"  Whitaker  was  fifteen  years  old  when  he  came  to  Kartsas.  He 
obtained  his  education  chiefly  in  the  coujitry  schools  of  Ohio  and  he  re- 
mained with  the  old  home  until  his  marriage.  He  taught  school  some 
while  yet  single  but  took  up  farming  upon  becoming  the  head  of  a  house- 
hold. He  came  to  lola  in  1880,  and  went  into  the  mill  of  Waters  & 
Thaver,  as  a  helper.  He  engaged  next  in  the  restaurant  business  and,  two 
years  later,  formed  a  partnership  with  Henry  Waters  and  engaged  in  the 
loan  and  brokerage  business.  They  also  did  a  real  estate  business  which 
has  continued  in  the  office  of  our  subject  since  the  dissolution  of  the  old 
firni.  January  i,  1897,  Waters  &  Whitaker  ceased  as  a  firm,  since  which 
date  Mr.  Whitaker  has  continued  the  business  alone. 

The  Whitakers  have  all  had  positive  convictions  on  politics.  From 
first  to  la.st  they  have  been  either  Whigs  or  Republicans.  Their  constancy 
is  a  matter  of  family  pride;  no  wobbler  has  emanated  from  the  household  or 
borne  the  family  name.  Col  is  no  exception  to  the  ancient  rule.  He  is 
among  the  first  to  get  on  the  right  side  of  a  question  and  the  last  to  sur- 
render. He  has  enjoyed  reasonable  prosperity  in  lola  and  his  home  is  one 
of  the  neat  and  new  residences  of  the  city. 

March  30,  1880,  Mr.  Whitaker  married  Ella  M.,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Waters,  one  of  the  well  known  and  successful  men  of  Allen  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Whitaker's  children  are;  Frank  E.,  Herbert  E. ,  "the  baby"  of 
the  20th  Kansas,  and  the  yougest  volunteer  soldier  in  Company  I;  Charles 
Frederick;  Edith,  deceased;  Ethel  and  Ella  May  Whitaker. 


r^R.  WILLIAM  H.  Mcdowell,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  well  known 
-' — ^  physicians  of  lola,  was  born  in  Lawrence  county,  Indiana,  April  12, 
1841.  His  father,  John  McDowell,  was  a  farmer  and  the  Doctor's  youth 
aud  early  manhood  were  passed  in  the  pursuits  of  agriculture.  John  Mc- 
Dowell went  from  North  Carolina  to  Indiana  with  his  father,  James  Mc- 
Dowell, in  i8i8.  There  they  opened  up  a  farm  in  the  woods  of  Lawrence 
county.  James  McDowell  died  in  Lawrence  county  in  1821  at  the  age  of 
forty-five  years,  leaving  the  care  of  the  family  to  the  two  boys,  John  aged 
eleven  years  and  William  aged  thirteen  years. 

The  McDowells  are  descended  from  the  Highland  Scotch  McDowells. 
Just  what  date  this  branch  of  the  family  emigrated  to  America  is  not 
definitely  established  but  it  is  known  that  they  were  here  in  the  early 
Colonial  days  and  that  thej'^  were  in  the  South  at  that  time. 

James  McDowell  married  Susan  Gainey,  an  English  lady.  Their  chil- 
dren were:  William;  John;  Rachel,  wife  of  James  Murray;  Lydia,  who 
became  Mrs.  William  Crook;  Sarah,  wife  of  John   Irwin,    and    Ann,    who 


550  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    ANTj 

mirried  John  Phipps.  John  McDowell  died  in  1878  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight  years.  He  married  Ann  Owens,  was  a  man  of  some  means,  a  Whig 
and  Republican  in  politics  and  an  active  member  of  the  Christian  church. 
His  children  were:  SarahT  who  married  John  Pitt  and  died  in  i8go;  Eliza- 
beth, who  became  the  wife  of  John  Byers  and  died  in  1891;  Mary,  who 
married  Lilburn  Owen  and  died  in  1867;  Dr.  W.  H.;  James,  of  Lawrence 
county,  Indiana;  Milton  P.,  same  place;  Jennie,  wife  of  Milton  Beatty,  of 
Christian  county,  Illinois;  Nancy  A.,  wife  of  Horace  V.  Phipps,  Adair 
county,  Missouri,  and  lyucinda  G. ,  who  married  James  H.  Lowder,  of 
Bloomington,  Indiana. 

Until  1861  Dr.  McDowell  was  engaged  in  farming  as  a  business.  He 
enlisted  August  24  of  that  year  in  Company  H,  31st  Indiana  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. The  regiment  was  ordered  first  to  Calhoun,  Ky.,  then  to  South 
Carolton,  and  back  to  Calhoun.  They  went  on  to  Forts  Henry  and  Donel- 
son,  found  Fort  Henry  captured  and  then  engaged  in  battle  at  Fort  Don- 
elson  February  13th  and  i6th,  1862,  when  the  enemy  was  taken,  then 
continued  their  march  toward  Shiloh.  They  lav  in  camp  there  till  the 
6th  of  April  when  the  battle  opened.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day 
our  subject  was  wounded  in  the  left  arm  and  shoulder.  He  was  sent  to  the 
hospital  at  Evansville,  Indiana,  from  which  place  he  was  furloughed  home 
the  middle  of  the  same  month.  In  August,  following,  he  returned  to 
Evansville  where  he  was  in  the  marine  hospital  until  the  7th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1863,  when  he  was  discharged  and  sent  home.  In  April  following 
he  entered  the  Indiana  State  University,  remained  one  term  and  July  9, 
the  same  year,  was  mariied.  For  the  next  ten  years  he  taught  school 
winters  and  farmed  summers,  and  the  testimony  of  his  old  neighbors  was 
that  he  was  one  of  the  most  earnest  and  competent  country  school  educators 
of  his  county.  In  1873  he  began  his  preparation  for  medicine.  He  took  a 
course  of  reading  with  Dr.  F.  W.  Beard,  Harrodsburg,  and  attended  the 
medical  department  of  the  State  University  in  1874-5.  He  went  back  to 
his  preceptor  and  opened  an  office  in  the  same  town.  He  practiced  two 
years  there  and  located  then  in  Jonesboro,  Indiana,  where  he  practiced 
nine  years.  In  1885  he  decided  to  settle  in  Kansas,  and  January  i,  1886, 
he  departed  for  lola.  From  1886  to  1891  his  practice  was  uninterrupted. 
The  latter  year  he  thought  he  saw  an  opportunity  to  improve  his  condition 
and  he  applied  for  and  was  appointed  physician  to  the  Mojave  Indians  on 
the  Colorado  River  Reservation  in  Nevada.  This  position  was  a  disap- 
pointment to  him  and  in  July  1892  he  resigned  and  returned  to  Tola. 

As  a  Republican  Dr.  McDowell  is  well  known  in  Allen  county.  He 
dates  his  fealty  to  the  party  from  its  organization,  although  he  was  not  a 
voter.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Mr.  lyincoln  and  finds  as 
much  reason  for  supporting  the  candidates  of  that  party  now  as  he  did  in 
1864.  In  1890  the  Doctor  was  elected  County  Coroner  and  became  chair- 
man of  the  Pension  Board  the  same  year.  Since  his  return  from  the  we.st 
his  practice  has  made  such  demands  on  him  that  little  else  has  received  his 
attention. 

Dr.  McDowell  married    Martha  A.,   a  daughter  of  I^inden  and  Mary 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  551 

^Short)  I/Owder.  The  childfen  of  this  union  are:  Thomas  H.,  who  mar- 
ried Ella  Tozer  and  has  a  daughter,  Fay;  Ralph  W.,  who  married  Maggie 
Brogden  and  has  two  children,  Ruth  H.  and  Graces  Ralph  McDowell  en- 
listed in  Company  Z,  Twenty-second  Kansas  in  the  Spanish-American  war 
in  April  1898,  where  he  served  until  his  regiment  was  mustered  out  in  No- 
vember of  the  same  year.  He  is  now  one  of  the  partners  oi  the  Record 
Publishing  Company,  of  lola,  Cragie  J.  McDowell,  with  th-e  Northrup 
National  Bank  of  lola;  Miss  McDowell  graduated  from  the  lola  High 
School,  finished  .stenography  in  Topeka  and  held  a  position  with  the  State 
Evangelical  Association  of  the  Christian  church  of  that  city.  She  is  now 
president  of  the  Christian  Endeavor  department  of  the  church  for  Kansas; 
John  and  Lucinda  G.  McDowell  are  the  two  younger  children  and  reside 
with  their  parents.  Thomas  H.  McDowell  is  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  is 
■employed  by  the  Lanyon  Zinc  Company. 


GEORGE  H.  LIST. — When  the  country  was  In  the  thioes  of  Civil  war 
and  from  the  work-shops,  the  fields,  the  stores  and  the  offices  men 
Tallied  to  the  support  of  the  flag,  George  H.  List  was  among  the  number 
who  put  aside  personal  considerations  to  aid  in  the  perpetuation  of  the 
Union,  and  to-day  he  is  as  true  and  loyal  a  citizen  as  when  he  followed  the 
stars  and  stripes  on  southern  battle  fields.  He  was  born  in  Switzerland 
county,  Indiana,  October  12,  1834.  His  father,  Jacob  List,  was  a  native 
of  Germany,  and  when  four  years  of  age  became  a  resident  of  the  United 
States,  living  first  in  New  Jersey,  afterward  in  Pennsylvania,  and  later  in 
Ohio.  He  married  Elmira  M.  Stephens,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
in  1850  removed  to  Illinois,  where  he  died  in  1857,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four  years.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1897,  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
ninety-nine  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  but  only  two' 
are  now  living:     Jacob  and  George  H. 

In  1847  the  subject  of  this  review  became  a  resident  of  Illinois,  and 
upon  the  home  tarm  spent  his  youth.  He  possesses  marked  mechancial 
genius,  and  though  he  was  reared  on  the  farm  he  followed  both  carpenter- 
ing and  blacksmithing  and  also  worked  as  a  machinist,  being  able  to  per- 
form any  kind  of  mechanical  labor.  On  the  iStli  of  April,  1861,  he  re- 
sponded to  the  president's  call  for  aid  to  crush  out  the  rebellion  in  the 
south,  and  served  until  August,  1865.  His  regiment  was  sent  at  once  to 
the  front  and  remained  there  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated 
in  many  important  engagements,  including  the  battles  of  Charleston,  Mis- 
souri, and  Cape  Girardeau,  that  state.  In  July,  1862,  his  regiment  was 
ambushed  and  several  of  their  number  were  killed.  He  also  took  part  in 
the  battles  of  Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh  and  the  siege  of  Corinth, 
and  went  with  hi?  command  to  Jackson,  Tennessee,  the  members  of  his 
regiment  patrolling  that  portion  of  the  country.  In  September,  1863,  they 
fought  in  the  battle  of  Britten  Lane,  where  they   were  surrounded  by  an 


552  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

overwhelming  force,  but  fought  their  way  out  with  heavy  loss.  The 
Twentieth  Illinois  went  with  Grant  to  Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  served  in 
General  Logan's  command  at  the  battle  of  Thompson's  Hill  and  Raymond. 
At  Jackson  they  were  with  McPherson  when  he  whipped  Johnson's  army 
in  the  battle  of  Champion  Hills.  They  were  also  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg 
and  in  the  Meridian  campaign  in  eastern  Mississippi.  With  beef  cattle  the 
regiment  was  sent  to  Sherman,  and  for  thirty  days  was  continually  fight- 
ing, but  ultimately  reached  Sherman  at  Clifton,  Tennessee.  Mr.  List  was 
present  when  General  McPherson  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Lessels  Hill 
and  saw  him  fall  from  his  horse  when  he  received  the  fatal  shot.  On  the 
22nd  of  July,  1864,  he  was  captured  and  .sent  to  Andersonville  prison,  but 
after  eight  months  and  fourteen  days  there  he  succeeded  in  making  his  es- 
cape and  working  his  way  back  to  the  Union  lines.  He  was  then  granted 
a  furlough  and  returned  home  on  a  visit.  At  Chicago  on  the  17th  of 
August,  1865,  he  was  honorably  discharged  and  with  a  military  record  of 
which  he  has  every  reason  to  be  proud,  he  returned  to  his  friends  and 
family  in  Illinois. 

On  the  17th  of  February,  1867,  Mr.  List  wedded  Miss  Mary  C.  Tuder, 
a  native  of  Kentucky.  To  them  have  been  born  five  children  and  the 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by  the  hand  of  death.  These  are  Cora, 
wife  of  C.  J.  Barlow;  Elizabeth  J.,  wife  of  John  Cation;  Rachel  F. ,  wife  of 
.\lbert  Lassmann;  Anna,  wife  of  John  H.  Parker,  and  John  E. ,  who  as- 
sists his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm. 

In  1876  Mr.  List  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas,  taking  up  his  abode 
near  Leanna,  Cottage  Grove  township,  Allen  county,  where  he  worked  at 
the  blacksmith's  trade  and  farming  for  three  years.  He  then  purchased  a 
little  farm  of  sixty-three  acres,  two  miles  north  of  Leanna,  and  has  since 
made  it  his  home.  Its  well  developed  fields  bring  to  him  a  good  return. 
Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  John  C.  Fremont  in  1856  he  has 
been  a  stalwart  Republican  in  his  political  affiliations  and  is  in  hearty 
•accord  with  President  McKinley's  administration. 


GEORGE  W  ELLIS — Among  the  substantial  and  honorable  citizens 
of  Allen  county  "and  at  the  same  time  one  of  its  early  settlers  is 
Geoige  W.  Ellis,  of  lola  township.  He  is  a  son  of  Asa  Ellis  whose  birth 
occurred  in  New  York  State  in  1806.  The  latter's  father  died  in  1807  and 
soon  thereafter  the  family  came  westward  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Athens 
county.  In  early  lile  Asa  Ellis  worked  on  a  ferryboat  on  the  Scioto  River 
and  later  on  owned  and  operated  one  himself.  He  finally  abandoned  boat- 
ing'and  took  up  farming  and  continued  it  in  the  Buckeye  State  till  i860, 
when  he  came  by  boat  with  his  family  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  During 
the  first  years  of  the  war  he  lost  his  crop  by  fire  at  the  hands  of  the  bush- 
whackers and  he  located  again  in  the  city.  In  1 866  he  located  near  Olathe, 
Kansas,  and  in  1869  came  to   Allen  county.     He   homesteaded  the  south 


"WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  553 

^alf  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  14,  town  25,  range  17,  and  died 
tthereon  in  March,   1892. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Sarah  Franz  who  was  born  in  Peuusyl- 
A'ania  in  1812.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Christian  Franz,  a  son  of  a 
'German  emigrant,  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  to  his  part  of  the  State, 
-She  was  the  mother  of:  Henry  UMis,  deceased,  Catharine,  -wife  of  William 
Dye,  of  Humboldt,  Kansas,  Eliza,  deceased,  married  James  McCausland, 
•of  Humboldt^  William  Ellis,  who  resides  in  Woodson  -county,  Kansas; 
Frank  C.  Ellis,  of  Allen  county;  George  W.  Ellis';  Sarah,  wife  of  W.  H. 
Willingham-;  I,uia,  who  married  I,evi  Steeley,  of  Humboldt,  and  Sylvester 
Ellis,  of  Oklahoma. 

George  W.  Ellis  was  born  July  18,  1852,  in  Athens  county,  Ohio.  He 
-was  eight  years  old  when  he  left  his  native  State  and  was  a  youth  of  seven- 
teen when  he  came  into  All'en  county,  Kansas.  He  began  life  as  a  farm 
hand,  working  by  the  month  for  R.  M.  Works,  Charles  Lehmann  and  for 
Hand,  the  Englishman,  west  of  Humboldt.  In  this  way  he  earned  the 
funds  to  provide  himself  with  a  team  and  he  rented  land  and  engaged  in 
farming.  He  farmed  with  Robert  M.  Works  for  nine  years  and  in  1883  had 
accumulated  sufficient  to  warrant  him  in  buying  a  railroad  eighty  in  lola 
township.  In  1884  he  moved  to  his  new  farm  and  by  dint  of  economy  and 
hard  work  has  made  it  one  of  the  desirable  homes  on  the  west  side.  He 
bought  another  eighty  acre  tract  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the  first  farm  and 
both  are  free  and  unincumbered. 

June  18.  1875,  Mr.  Ellis  was  married  to  Jane,  a  daughter  of  Peter 
Fresman,  born  in  1816,  and  Nancy  Freeman,  born  in  Kentucky,  in  1821, 
■who  came  to  Indiana  from  Whitley  county,  Kentucky,  in  'I874,  and  came 
to  Kansas  in  1876.  The  Freeman  children  are:  Mark,  who  resides  in 
Kentucky,  is  married  to  Anna  Bales;  James,  who  enlisted  in  the  Union 
army  in  1862  and  died  in  the  service;  Henry,  who  died  in  1861;  Solomon 
who  died  in  Kentucky  in  1848;  John,  who  married  Nancy  McCabe  and 
resides  in  Kentucky;  Josh,  who  married  Jane  Steeley  and  resides  in  Ken- 
tucky; Golana,  who  died  in  1896;  Jane,  the  wife  of  our  subject;  Benjamin, 
who  married  Susan  McCabe  and  resides  in  Nebraska,  and  Lucy,  wife  of 
Mark  Hite,  resides  in  Indiana.  The  Freemans  are  Republicans.  The 
result  of  this  union  is  seven  children;  Bert  Ellis,  married  to  Isa  Dix, 
resides  in  Allen  county;  Fred  Ellis,  married  Inez  Rush,  resides  in  tola; 
George,  May,  Ethel,  Nellie,  Frank  and  Wallace  Ellis  are  all  on  the 
homestead. 

In  early  life  and  until  1890  the  Ellis  boys  were  Republicans,  That 
year  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  took  them  out  of  their  party, 
with  thousands  of  other  Republicans,  and  made  so  formidable  the  Peoples' 
party.  To  this  organization  do  they  still  hold  National  and  State  allegiance 
but  in  county  matters  their  support  is  given  to  the  worthy  and  honorable 
lather  than  to  the  party  nominee. 


554  msTORV  OF  ALLEW  Amy 

T  EROY  O.  LADD,  of  Logan  township,  one  of  the  successfur  and  pros- 
-* — '  perous  farmers  of  Allen  county,  is  almost  a  pioneer  to  Kansas.  Tei)' 
years  before  he  came  to  the  State  the  first  settlers  weie  pulling  into  it  from; 
the  east  and  nestling  themselves  dowrr  along  the  tfin-terecf  streams.  Mr.. 
Ladd  was  early  enough  to  get  desirable  land  cheap,  for  he  came  here  in 
1868  when  settlements  in  bi&  neighborhood  were  widely  scattered.  His- 
means  permitted  him  to  buy  only  a  small  tract  of  thirty-two  acres  seven- 
miles  southwest  of  Humboldt.  In  that  community  he  has  remained.  The- 
little  farm  has  grown  and  expanded  with  the  elapse  of  years  and  in  response- 
to  his  needs  until  it  contains  eight  hundred  acres,  one  of  the  splendid  stock 
and  grain  farms  in  the  township.  Its  improvements  are  in  keeping  and 
proportion  to  its  area,  commodious  residence,  roomy  barns  and  extensive- 
sheds.  The  abundance  ot  op>en  land  and  free  pasture  led  Mr.  I,add  to  en- 
gage in  the  cattle  business  at  an  early  period  and  his  success  in  this  ven- 
ture has  warranted  him  in  its  continuance.  He  has  been  a  large  feeder 
for  years  and  much  of  his  accumulation  of  years  has  come  from  this  source. 
He  is  a  large  consumer  of  grain  other  than  his  own  raising  and  his  enter- 
prise has  thus  furnished  a  market  for  the  surplus  grain  of  his  neighbors. 
Aside  from  the  buildings  which  adorn  the  farm,  and  which  Mr.  I,add 
erected,  a  small  fore.st  sets  off  bis  prerai.ses  and  surrounds  his  edifice. 
These  trees  the  family  planted  away  back  in  the  early  days  of  Allen  county, 

Leroy  Ladd  originated  in  New  England.  He  was  born  in  Vermont 
March  24,  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Caroline  (Olds)  Ladd,  country 
people  and  children  of  the  Green  Mountain  State.  In  1849  they  crossed 
over  into  New  York  State,  settling  in  Oswego  county,  where  the  father 
died  in  i860  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  His  widow  died  in  Vermont  in 
1885  at  the  age  of  seventy -two  years.  Of  their  nine  children  five  are  yet 
living,  viz. :  Urbane,  of  Bay  City,  Michigan;  Era  and  Corrin.  of  Oswego, 
New  York;  Cordelia,  wife  of  Richard  Rawson,  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
Leroy  O.  Ladd.  John  Ladd  owned  a  large  giist  mill  which  he  operated 
in  connection  with  his  New  York  farm.  His  five  sous  all  served  in  the 
Union  army  during  the  Rebellion  and  all  returned  but  Lucius  H.,  who 
died  in  Richmond,  Virginia, 

Leroy  Ladd's  youthful  opportunities  were  only  those  of  the  country 
lad.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  enlisted  in  the  iioth  New  York  Infantry 
and  his  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  department  of  the  Gulf.  For  two 
years  he  was  on  guard  duty  on  the  Island  of  Tortugas  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  where  the  Confederate  prisoners  were  confined.  He  was  dis- 
charged at  the  end  of  his  enlistment,  September,  1865,  and  returned  to  his 
State.  His  brothers  all  enlisted  for  three  years  and  all  served  their  full 
time,  or  until  death.  This  fact,  alone,  indicated  the  feeling  and  opinions 
entertained  by  the  young  men  with  reference  to  the  preservation  oi 
the  Union. 

Mr.  Ladd  engaged  in  farming  upon  his  return  home  and  continued 
it,  with  some  degree  of  success,  three  years.  The  western  fever  took  a 
firm    hold   upon   him   soon    after   the    war   and    he   definitely   decided  to 


"WOODSON   COtJNTIES,    KANSAS.  555 

anigrate  in  1868.  His  resources  were  limited,  but  that  did  not  deter  him  for 
tthe  frontier  was  the  best  place  for  a  man  in  his  circumstances^  He  came 
■and  saw  and  conquered. 

In  1866  Mr.  Ladd  was  married  to  Miss  Kate  Dinlick.  She  died  in 
1870,  leaving  a  son,  Lucius  Herman  Ladd,  of  Woodson  county,  Kansas,; 
Mr.  Ladd  was  married  in  December,  1873,  to  Mrs.  Philinia  (Gibbs)  Jack- 
-son.  Nine  children  have  been  born  to  them,  viz. :  Minnie  (Ladd)  Camp- 
bell, who  died  February  2,7,  1900,  leaving  two  children,  EfEe  and  Cora 
Ladd;  Orlie  L-  Ladd,  who  died  May  14,  1885-  Eddie,  Gertie,  Ennis, 
Urbane  and  Leola.  Mrs.  Ladd  has  a  son  by  her  first  husband,  John  E- 
Jackson,  of  Cottage  Grove  township.  Mrs.  Ladd  was  a  daughter  of  John 
'Gibbs,  a  native  of  Illinois,  whose  wife  was  Ellen  J.  DeWitt. 

Mr.  Ladd  is  a  Republican.  He  learned  his  first  lessons  in  politics  in 
"the  array  helping  to  suppress  treason  and  he  has  maintained  his  political 
■relations  with  the  pariy  that  favored  a  union  of  states. 


CHARLES  GTTEN.— The  late  Charles  Otten,  of  tola,  was  among  the 
honorable  and  -substaittial  citizens  of  Allen  county.  He  came  to  lola 
in  1876,  when  this  city  was  little  more  than  a  village,  and  engaged  in  the 
t)akery  and  confectionary  business.  His  little  store  was  located  on  the  site 
■of  his  new  building  and  was  one  of  the  small  and  unpretentious  structures 
of  the  town.  His  previous  experience  enabled  him  to  bring  the  best  of 
business  principles  to  the  conduct  oi  his  affairs  and  he  was  soon  seen  to  be 
the  one  merchant  first  to  be  ready  to  expand.  He  remained  in  business  in 
-lola  twenty-one  years  and,  upon  retirement,  was  succeeded  by  his  son-. 

Charley  Otten  was  born  in  Rhumeln,  Rhine  Province,  Germany,  in 
1839.  He  was  a  son  of  Arnholdt  Otten,  a  teacher,  whose  family  had  been 
■connected  with  the  same  school  which  he  taaght  for  one  hundred  and  five 
years.  Arnholdt  Otten's  children  were:  Arnold  Otten,  the  last  teacher  of 
the  family  and  of  that  place;  Julius  Otten,  educated  by  the  King,  was  in 
the  army  all  his  life  and  died  a  general;  Hugo  Otten,  who  is  superintendent 
-of  the  coal  mines  supplying  coal  to  the  Krupp  Gun  Works  at  Essen^-  Albert 
Otten,  assistant  superintendent  of  above  coal  mines. 

Charley  Otten  was  frail  and  sickly  when  a  youth.  His  Sfathef  put  him 
into  a  hospital  to  cook  on  account  of  the  light  work.  His  education  was 
somewhat  neglected  but  while  in  the  hospital  he  formed  a  notion  to  become 
a  baker.  In  February  1859  he  was  married  to  Louisa  Windhoevinl,  a 
daughter  of  a  court  officer  of  the  Kingdom,  Arnold  Windhoevinl.  In  1866 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Otten  came  to  the  United  States.  They  sailed  on  the  "Ad- 
miral" from  Bremen  to  Baltimore  and  engaged  in  business  in  that  city  five 
years.  He  located  in  Lockhaven,  Pennsylvania,  next,  and  at  both  points 
the  young  people  made  money.  However,  misfortune  overtook  him  and 
he  failed  in  the  panic  of  1873.  In  his  last  home  Mr.  Otten  was  held  in 
high   regard.       His    social    intercourse     with   his    fellow    townsmen    was 


556  HlSfORf  OF'   ALLEN'  AND 

mutually  pleasant  and  he  possessed  their  confidence  in  a  high  degree.  It 
was  awkward,  at  times,  for  him  to  perform  his  part  in  a  social  or  fraternal 
function,  because  of  his  broken  speech,  but  he  found  much  in  them  to- 
enjoy  and  appreciate  and  this  fact,  alone,  pleased  his  friends, 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Qtten's  children  are:  Joseph  Otten,  born  in  i860,  Al- 
vina  Otten;  John  Otten,  widely  known  throughout  Allen  county;  Lena;: 
Ludie  Otten  and  George  Otten. 

Charley  Otten  was  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  Workman.  He  died  April. 
5,  1900,  amidst  comfortable  surroundings  and- after  three  years  of  retirement, 
at  his  country  home. 


^  A  /ILLIAM  Ht.  LING,  of  lola  township,  who  resided  in  Kansas  since 
"  "  188-1  and  in  Allen  eoonty  since  1883,  was  born  on  Canadian  soil 
but  of  British  parents.  January  12,  1841,  he  was  born  near  Charlottetown, 
Prince  Edward  Islands,  and  died  near  lola,  Kansas,  February  19,  1901. 
His  father,  George  R.  Ling,  was  a  grain  merchant  who  carried  on  his  busi- 
ness in  St.  Thoma.s,  Ontario,  to  which  point  he  migrated  with  his  family 
in  1848.  He  was  born  in  England  in  1812  and  came  to  Prince  Edward 
Island  at  eleven  years  of  age.      He  died  near  St.  Thomas,  Canada,  in  1857. 

Our  subject's  mother  was  Mary  Taylor,  now  a  resident  of  Ingham 
county,  Michigan.  She  was  born  in  18-19  and  is  the  mother  of  William  H. 
Ling,  deceased;  Mary  A.  Young,  wife  of  William  Young;  Mary  A.  and  her 
next  sister,  Martha,  are  both  deceased;  Maria,  who  married  William 
Jacobs,  resides  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska;  George  R.  Ling,  of  Ingham  county, 
Michigan;  Eliza,  deceased,  married  a  Mr.  Young;  Robert  A.  Ling,  ol  Los 
Angeles,  California;  Frank  Ling,  a  methodist  minister,  in  Ingham  county, 
Michigan;  Adaline  and  Josephine,  twins,  reside  in  Ingham  county, 
Michigan. 

W.  H.  Ling  reached  manhood  as  a  farm  hand.  He  continued  in  this 
Vocation  till  his  entry  into  the  lumber  woods  soon  after  reaching  his  ma- 
jority. At  twenty-three  years  of  age  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  was 
married  the  next  year  at  Howell,  Michigan,  to  Mary  J.  Backwell.  The 
couple  started  life  in  charge  of  a  large  farm  in  Livingston  county,  Michi- 
gan. Two  years  of  his  married  life  were  pa.ssed  as  farm  superintendent 
and  concluding  his  service  he  went  into  north  Michigan,  bought  a  farm 
and  began  its  operation  and  improvement.  He  seized  an  opportunity  to 
engage  in  merchandising  at  Weberville,  Michigan,  and,  in  1873,  lost  his 
all  by  fire.  While  casting  about  for  scnne  profitable  employment,  and  at 
the  same  time  something  to  his  liking,  he  did  a  little  farming.  He  soon 
succeeded  in  making  a  contract  for  furnishing  large  quantities  of  charcoal 
wood  and  at  this  he  recovered  his  losses  rapidly.  He  came  to  Kansas  and 
invested  in  sheep  and  cattle  in  Montgomery  county,  and  between  Texas 
fever  and  scab  he  lost  much  of  his  stock.  In  pro-specting  about  for  a  new 
location  he  was  pleased  with  Allen  county  and  located  in  lola.     He  turned 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  557 

his  attention  to  the  hotel  business  and  ran  the  old  New  York  house  about 
nine  months.  He  next  purchased  the  Joslj'n  delivery  business  and  con- 
ducted it  and  carried  the  express  for  a  year.  The  following  five  years  he 
was  engaged  in  the  ice  and  coal  business.  He  then  established  the  "'Star 
Lunch  Room,"  the  predecessor  of  the  "Our  Way,"  and  for  many  years 
found  it  a  profitable  enterprise.  Upon  disposing  of  it  to  the  Wilhites  he 
exchanged  his  home  in  lola  for  one  of  the  best  eighties  of  land  in  -  Allen 
county  and  took  possession  of  it  soon  after. 

Mr.  Ling's  first  wife  died  in  Michigan,  Ingham  county,  in  1872,  leav- 
ing him  two  sons,  Albert  A.  Ling,  of  lola,  and  Edward  E.  Ling.  In  1882 
Mr.  Ling  was  married  in  Montgomery  county,  Kansas,  to  Nora  McGuire, 
who  was  reared  by  A.  K.  Miller,  of  Cotfeyville,  Kansas.  She  was  born  in 
Marshall  county,  Indiana,  in  1862  and  is  the  mother  of  ten  children,  viz: 
Lena,  deceased;  Lulu,  Howard,  Walter,  Edna,  Irvin,  Aldo,  William, 
Helen  and  Jennie. 

Mr.  Ling  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  U.  S.  Grant  in  1868.  He 
found  it  to  his  interest  to  remain  a  Republican  and  it  was  his  disposition 
to  assert  himself  upon  public  questions  whenever  he  was  challenged.  He 
served  in  the  Second  ward  of  lola  three  terms  iia  the  City  Council  and 
made  an  active  member.  He  took  sides  with  the  proposition  for  city 
ownership  of  the  gas  plant  and  supported  it  with  all  the  energy  he  pos- 
sessed. He  was  also  a  member  of  the  school  board  in  his  district  and  was 
in  thorough  accord  with  advanced  notions  of  education. 


HENRY  GIVLER  had  passed  the  eighty-third  milestone  on  life's 
journey,  before  he  passed  away,  and  his  last  days  were  made  happy 
by  the  veneration  and  respect  which  should  ever  be  accorded  to  those  of 
advanced  years  whose  career  has  been  colored  by  good  deeds  and  by  honor- 
able purpose.  He  was  numbered  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this  sec- 
tion of  the  Sunflower  State,  and  had  not  only  been  a  witness  of  the  growth 
and  progress  of  the  county,  but  had  aided  in  its  advancement  and  sub- 
stantial improvement. 

Mr.  Givler  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  on  the  first  of  September,  1817, 
and  was  of  German  lineage.  His  grandfather  was  the  founder  of  the  family 
in  America  and  located  in  Pennsylvania  at  an  early  day.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  born  in  that  State  in  1775  and  was  a  miller  by  trade.  His 
son  Henry  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  early 
learned  to  plow  and  hoe,  working  in  the  fields  from  the  time  of  early  spring 
planting  until  crops  were  harvested  in  the  autumn.  In  early  life  he 
learned  the  machinists's,  carpenter's  and  blacksmith's  trades  and  followed 
the  latter  until  his  removal  to  Illinois,  in  1855.  In  that  State  he  again 
carried  on  both  blacksmithing  and  farming,  but  thinking  to  benefit  his 
financial  condition  in  a  district  still  further  west  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1867, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  Elm  township,  Allen   county.     This   region  was 


558  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

then  wild  and  unimproved;  there  were  few  houses  and  an  old  log  school 
house  was  almost  the  only  evidence  of  civilization  in  his  immediate  neigh- 
borhood. With  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  work  of  developing  a 
farm,  and  as  the  years  passed  his  richly  cultivated  fields  brought  him  in  a 
good  financial  return. 

Mr.  Givler  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Goodhart,  who 
belonged  to  an  old  Pennsylvania  family,  and  two  of  her  brothers  and  three  of 
her  sisters  are  still  living  in  Cumberland  county.  Six  children  were  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Givler,  namely:  Mrs.  lyina  Reill}-,  who  resides  with  her 
family  on  the  old  home  place;  Mrs.  Mary  Faddis,  of  lola;  Mrs.  Anna 
Morrison,  of  lola;  Isaac,  a  resident  of  Carthage,  Missouii;  W.  F.,  of  Clay- 
ton, Illinois;  and  Samuel,  of  Meade  Center,  Kansas. 

Like  the  other  members  of  the  family  Mr.  Givler  gave  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Democratic  party  in  early  life,  but  at  the  time  of  the  civil  war 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party,  which  loyally  stood  by  the 
Union.  Of  recent  years  he  had  given  his  allegiance  to  the  People's  party. 
His  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Martin  Van  Buren  in  1840.  Since 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  Mr.  Givler  had  been  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  and  in  his  life  exemplified  his  belief.  The  cause  of 
education  ever  found  in  him  a  warm  friend  and  he  aided  in  building 
schools  in  Pennsylvania,  Illinois  and  Kansas.  He  never  withheld  his 
support  from  any  measure  or  movement  which  he  believed  would  contribute 
to  the  public  good,  and  his  was  a  well  spent  life,  in  many  respects  well 
worthy  of  emulation.  He  looked  back  over  the  past  without  regret,  and 
forward  to  the  future  without  fear.  Mr.  Givler  died  between  12  and  i 
o'clock  January  i,  1901. 


JOHN  A.  SCANTLIN— For  thirty  years  John  A.  Scantlin  has  been  a 
resident  of  Allen  county,  and  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of 
Cottage  Grove  township.  He  was  born  in  Guernsey  county,  Ohio,  on  the 
14th  of  August,  1844,  his  parents  being  Thomas  and  Delilah  (Elliott) 
Scantlin,  the  former  a  native  of  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania,  whence 
he  removed  to  Ohio  when  a  young  man.  In  the  Buckeye  State  he  was 
married  and  for  a  number  of  years  followed  the  miller's  trade,  but  in  later 
life  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  died  upon  his  farm  in 
1S59,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1870, 
passing  away  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven. 

John  A.  Scantlin  is  now  the  only  surviving  member  of  their  family  of 
tlr.ee  children.  No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the 
routine  of  life  for  him  in  his  youth.  He  assisted  his  father  and  pursued  his 
education  in  the  public  schools.  When  he  had  arrived  at  man's  estate  he 
was  married,  in  February,  1869,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Reed,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1870  he  came  to  Kansas,  where  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  East  Cottage  Grove   township.     With   character- 


WOODSUN    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  559 

istic  energy  he  began  the  development  of  his  farm  and  as  his  financial 
resources  have  increased,  he  has  extended  its  boundaries  until  it  now  com- 
prises three  hundred  and  ninety-two  acres  of  land.  The  place  is  highly 
cultivated  and  is  improved  with  modern  accessories  and    conveniences 

Not  long  after  arriving  in  Allen  county,  Mr.  Scantlin  had*  the  misfor- 
tune to  lose  his  wife,  who  died  in  1876.  They  were  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, but  only  one  is  now  living,  Thomas,  who  is  a  resident  of  Neosho 
county.  For 'his  second  wife  Mr.  Scantlin  chose  Mrs.  Salina  McCord, 
widow  of  Andrew  McCord,  and  a  daughter  of  Nelson  Gibson.  They  were 
married  on  the  4th  of  March,  1882.  Mrs.  Scantlin  was  a  native  of  Indiana, 
and  became  a  resident  of  Kansas  about  1872.  By  her  first  marriage  she 
had  two  children,  one  of  whom  is  living,  L,illie,  now  the  wife  of  Edgar 
Kelley,  who  is  living  near  Joplin,  Missouri.  There  are  also  two  children 
by  the  second  marriage:  Clinton  J.  and  Emma  I,. ,  who  are  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Scantlin  votes  with  the  Democratic  party  and  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  has  never  sought  office  for  himself,  yet  is 
.always  ready  to  assist  a  friend.  He  withholds  his  support  from  no  measure 
which  he  believes  will  prove  of  public  good  and  is  therefore  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  community. 


\  A  WILLIAM  W.  HUFFMIRE  was  born  in  Fountain  county,  Indiana, 
"  "  August  5,  1859,  and  is  of  German  lineage.  His  grandfather  was 
a  native  of  Germany,  became  a  sailor  and  spent  many  years  upon  the 
ocean.  His  death  occurred  in  Indiana.  Samuel  Huffmire,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  during  his  boyhood  emigrated  to 
Indiana  with  his  parents.  Upon  a  farm,  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  fron- 
tier, he  was  reared,  and  after  he  had  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  married 
Melissa  Myers.  When  the  countrj'  became  involved  in  Civil  war  he 
joined  the  Union  army  and  died  while  in  the  service.  His  widow  afterward 
became  the  wife  of  John  L,awson,  and  they  had  two  children,  Manson  and 
Nettie,  the  latter  the  wife  of  William  Redenbaugh.  Mrs.  Lawson  died  in 
1897,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years. 

Early  in  life  William  W.  Huffmire  was  left  without  a  father's  care, 
and  since  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age  he  has  made  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  He  went  to  live  with  John  Bonebrake,  a  German  farmer,  who 
treated  him  most  kindly,  and  Mr.  Huffmire  remefnbers  him  with  gratitude. 
He  was  allowed  the  privilege  of  attending  the  common  .schools,  and  he 
also  pursued  a  commercial  course,  becoming  an  excellent*  penman.  In 
1879,  when  twenty  years  of  age  he  arrived  in  Kansas,  locating  first  in 
Wilson  county,  where  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ella  Sowers  of  the  county  in 
which  Mr.  Huffmire  was  born.  Her  father  is  now  living  in  Allen  county. 
The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  rented  farm  in  Woodson 
county,  and  aftei  a  year  came  to  Allen  county,  where  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land,  on  which  he  has  since   erected  a    good    residence    and    barn. 


560  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AND 

adding  all  the  other  improvements  of  a  model  farm.  The  home  has  been 
blessed  by  the  presence  of  five  children,  who  are  living,  namelj-:  Charles 
S.,  Edna  M.,  Alonzo  E-,  Minnie  G.  and  Telcy  C.  Allen  C.  died  April  8, 
1898,  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

Mr.  Huff  mire  has  for  one  year  served  as  township  cferk,  discharging 
his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity,  and  in  the  fall  of  igoo  was  nom- 
inated on  the  Republican  ticket  for  trustee.  He  belongs  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  serving  as  clerk  in  Ltanna  Camp.  He  certainly 
deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  for  he  started  out  in 
life  without  capital  save  a  pair  of  willing  hands  and  a  determination  to 
succeed.  His  success  is  attributable  to  his  own  efforts,  and  his  accomplish- 
ment is  a  matter  worthy  of  congratulation. 


TT'DWARD  HITE  is  one  of  the  more  recent  arrivals  in  Allen  county, 
-*— -*  having  taken  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  in  Osage  township  in  1898.. 
He  was  born  on  the  20th  of  April,  1868,  in  L,aSalle  county,  Illinois.  His 
parents  were  James  M.  and  Martha  M.  (Jones)  Hite,  the  former  a  native  of 
Licking  county,  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Vermont.  The  father  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  when  a  young  man  removed  to  the  Prairie  state,  where 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  the  28th  of  August, 
1893,  when  he  was  sixty  j'ears  of  age.  His  widow  still  survives  him,  and 
is  yet  living  on  the  old  homestead.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
and  nine  are  living. 

Edward  Hite,  the  third  member  of  the  family,  remained  with  his 
parents  until  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  and  during  that  time  received 
practical  training  on  the  farm,  while  the  public  schools  afforded  him 
mental  discipline.  He  was  almost  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  when  in  1897, 
he  left  Ilinois  for  Kansas  and  located  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  situated  a  mile  and  a  half  northwest  of  Bayard.  His  father  had  pur- 
chased the  land  a  number  of  years  before,  but  the  "leaguers"  had  taken 
possession  of  it  and  for  a  number  of  years  the  family  were  deprived  of  its 
use,  but  ultimately  obtained  possession,  and  since  1898  Mr.  Hite  of  this 
review  has  resided  upon  the  place.  He  erected  a  large  barn  and  other 
substantial  buildings,  fenced  the  land,  set  off.  feed  lots,  and  made  other  im- 
provements in  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields.  He  also  has  the 
place  well  stocked  with  good  horses,  cattle  and  hogs. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Kansas  in  1898  Mr.  Hite  was  united-  in  marriage 
to  Mi^s.  Jennie  Gertrude  EUenwood,  who  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
Ohio,  and  in  1878  came  to  Kansas  with  her  parents,  who  are  now  living 
in  Huntsville,  Missouri.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hite  now  have  two  interesting 
little  children.  Anniversary,' born  February  22,  1899,  and  Edwin  Everetta, 
born  December  16,  1900.  In  politics  Mr.  Hite  is  a  Democrat,  but  has 
never  sought  office  as  a  revsrard  for  party  allegiance.  In  the  three  years  of 
their  residence  here  he  and  his  wife  have  gained  many  warm  friends  and 
now  have  a  wide  acquaintance. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  561 

JOSEPH  M.  BOOE  has  passed  the  Psalmist's  span  of  three  score  years 
and  ten,  and  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  is  still  actrifiely  concerned  in  the 
business  affairs  oi  life.  He  was  born  in  Fountain  county,  Indiana,  on  the 
4th  of  October,  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Booe,  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina, who  when  thirteen  years  of  age  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Kentucky,  where  he  remained  until  he  had  attained  his  majority. 
He  then  went  to  Indiana  and  was  there  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nancy 
Henderson,  also  a  native  of  North  Caiolina.  His  remaining  days  were 
spent  in  the  Hoosier  state,  were  he  died  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years,  his  wife  passing  away  in  1832.  They  were  the  parents  of  six 
children,  but  only  two  are  now  living,  namely:     Joseph  M.  and  L.  D. 

Mr.  Booe  of  this  sketch  was  the  eldest  and  was  reared  to  farm  life,  as- 
sisting in  the  work  of  field  and  meadow,  while  in  the  district  schools  near 
his  home  he  mastered  the  common  branches  of  English  learning.  Farming 
has  been  his  life  work,  and  has  been  profitably  followed  by  him.  In- early 
manhood  he  was  married  on  the  igth  of  June,  1853,  to  Miss  Amandy  Ayls, 
but  after  a  short  wedded  life  of  three  years  she  passed  away,  leaving  two 
children,  the  elder  being  Charles  E.  Booe,  an  eminent  lawyer  of  Frankfort, 
Kentucky,  who  has  served  on  the  bench  as  judge  of  the  Frankfort  circuit 
court  for  eight  years.  Mrs  Emily  (Booe)  Winslow,.  the  younger,  is  now 
living  in  Fountain  county,  Indiana.  Mr.  Booe  was  again  married 
March  12,  1857,  his  second  union  being  with  Rachel  Wilson,  with 
whom  he  lived  seven  years.  Four  children  were  left  to  mourn  her  loss, 
only  one  survives,  McDonald  Booe,  who  is  living  in  Indianapolis.  For 
his  third  wife  Mr.  Booe  chose  Margaret  Boman.  His  present  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Lucy  Huchen.  She  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  was 
married  in  1866.  Five  children  blessed  this  union.  Those  surviving  are 
Francis  Marion,  M.  M.,  Warren,  Elzady  and  L  P.  The  daughter  is  now 
the  wife  of  Elzady  Carey  Cloud. 

Mr.  Booe  has  been  a  resident  of  Kansas  since  1881,  in  which  year  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  Cottage  Grove  township,  on  the  south  line  of  Allen 
county.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  'of  land  in  the  two 
counties  of  Allen  and  Neosho.  His  has  been  an  active  and  useful  life  and 
he  is  now  in  the  possession  of  a  comfortable  competence  and  expects  soon  to 
put  aside  business  cares  that  he  may  enjoy  the  rest  which  he  has  truly 
earned  and  richly  deserves. 


'  I  'HOMAS  CATION,  Jr.,  is  one  of  the  wide-awake  and  progressive 
''-  farmers  of  East  Cottage  Grove  township,  and  as  he  is  widely  known  in 
Allen  county  a  record  of  his  life  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest  to  many  of 
our  readers.  He  was  born  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  April  18,  1863,  and 
is  of  Scotch  descent.  His  father,  Thomas  Cation,  Sr. ,  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  May  24,  1824,  his  parents  being  William  and  Mar- 
garet (Paul)  Cation,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  land  of  hills  and  heather. 


562  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

In  1843  they  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  taking  up  their  abode  in 
Illinois,  where  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  died  when  seventy  years  of 
age.  His  wife  departed  this  life  in  Kansas,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty. 
Thomas  Cation,  Sr. ,  was  a  weaver  by  trade,  learning  that  business  in 
Glasgow,  where  he  pursued  his  chosen  occupation  until  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  America.  He  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in  the  land  of 
his  nativity  and  then  accompanied  his  parents-  on  their  emigration  to  the 
new  world.  From  Illinois  he  removed  to  Kan.'-as  in  1871,  taking  up  his 
abode  in  Allen  county,  where  he  now  resides  upon  his  fine  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  eight  acres.  He  was  married  in  Illinois  to  Miss  Jeannette 
McClanet,  who  died  on  the  nth  of  March,  1897,  at  the  age  of  fifty- nine 
years.  They  had  eight  children:  Willie,  Jeannette,  John,  Maggie,  David, 
Mary  and  Annie,  being  the  wife  of  William  Cation.  Since  coming  to 
America  the  father  has  four  times  visited  his  native  country.  He  is  now 
spending  the  evening  of  his  life  in  a  very  comfortable  home  which  he  has 
guned  through  his  own  industry. 

Thomas  Cation,  Jr.,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  was  only 
seven  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Kansas.  He  therefore  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in  Allen  county, 
and  in  the  district  schools  he  conned  the  lessons  which  made  him  familiar 
with  the  common  English  branches  of  learning.  From  early  boyhood  he 
assisted  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm  and  worked  with  his  father  until 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  giving  him  the  benefit  of  his  services,  after 
which  his  father  paid  him  for  his  labor  until  he  was  twenty-five  years  of 
age. 

On  the  ist  of  February,  1888,  Mr.  Cation  led  to  the  marriage  altar 
Miss  Agnes  Campbell,  a  resident  of  Cottage  Grove  township,  a  native  of 
Scotland,  whence  she  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents,  William 
and  Helen  (Gray)  Campbell.  They  crossed  the  ocean  in  1868  and  for  six 
years  were  residents  of  Chicago,  her  father  there  following  the  carpenter's 
trade.  In  1874  he  came  with  his  family  to  Humboldt,  Kansas,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  with  Mr.  Utterson.  After  a  year, 
however,  he  returned  to  Chicagd,  although  in  a  short  time  he  again  came 
to  Allen  county,  and  purchased  a  farm  in  East  Cottage  Grove  township, 
erecting  thereon  a  nice  residence.  Leaving  his  farm  to  the  care  of  his 
family  he  engaged  with  a  company  to  build  elevators  and  followed  that 
business  in  many  sections  of  the  country.  Subsequently,  however,  he  re- 
turned to  the  farm  and  has  since  devoted  his  energies  to  its  operation. 
Ur.to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell- were  born  eight  children,  of  whom  six  are 
living,  namely:  Jessie;  Martha  Agnes;  Nellie,  wife  of  George  Jordan  of 
Neosho  county;  John,  a  resident  of  Kansas  City;  David;  Nina,  and  Wilfird. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Cation,  of  this  review,  rented  a  farm  for  he  did 
not  have  the  means  to  purchase  land.  However,  he  possessed  energy  and 
determination  and  with  the  assistance  of  his  young  wife  he  secured  some 
capital,  so  that  a  year  after  his  marriage  he  was  enabled  to  buy  eighty  acres 
of  land.  This  he  has  improved  until  he  now  has  a  very  attractive  farm,  on 
which  he  has  erected  a  comfortable   residence  and  commodious  barn.     A 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  563 

fine  maple  grove  surrounds  bis  house  and  outbuildings,  so  that  his  barn- 
yard resembles  a  park  more  than  a  place  in  which  stock  is  raised.  He  is 
an  energetic  and  progressive  agriculturist  and  further  success  undoubtedly 
awaits  him. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cation  now  have  three  bright  boys,  Archie,  Robert  and 
Homer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  camp  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica at  Leanna,  and  in  politics  is  an  earnest  Republican,  doing  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party. 


[ 


OHN  H.  BEAHM,  who  is  identified  with  the  farming  and  stock  raising 
^  interests  of  Allen  county,  was  born  in  Page  county,  Virginia,  October 
14,  1854,  his  parents  being  David  and  Permetta  (Griffee)  Beahm.  The 
father  was  born  in  Page  county,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Beahm,  of 
Holland.  The  mother,  also  a  native  of  Virginia,  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Griffee,  who  was  born  in  the  Old  Dominion,  but  his  father  came  from 
England,  while  his  mother  was  of  German  lineage.  In  the  year  1867 
David  Beahm  left  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  had  previously  engaged 
in  farming,  and  started  westward.  After  spending  a  year  and  a  half  in 
Indiana  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1870,  locating  in  lola  township,  Allen 
county,  where  he  purchased  the  farm  of  Thomas  Ogg,  comprising  eighty 
acres  of  land  on  section  two.  There  he  made  his  home  until  his  death. 
In  his  family  were-seven  children,  namely:  Mary,  wife  of  Shan  Naylor,  of 
Osawatomie,  Kansas;  Eliza  A. ,  wife  of  J.  F.  Gay,  of  Allen  county ;  Julia, 
wife  of  Wesley  Fisher;  Josie,  deceased  wife  of  Marion  Preston;  Andrew  J. 
L.,  John  H.  and  David  M.,  all  of  Allen  county. 

John  H.  Beahm  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Indiana 
and  thence  to  Kansas,-  becoming  a  resident  of  this  State  when  in  his  fif- 
teenth year.  During  his  early  business  career  he  at  different  times  followed 
broom  making,  faiming  and  stock  raising,  and  now  devotes  his  energies  to 
the  last  two.  His  land  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  yielding  to  him 
a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  it,  and 
the  stock  which  he  raises  is  of  good  grade. 

On  the  2ist  of  August,  1878,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Beahm  and  Miss  Emma  Gay,  a  daughter  of  J.  N.  Gay,  who  was  born  in 
Georgia.  Five  children  bless  their  iinion:  Dora  M.,  OUie,  Clarence,  Edna 
and  Ada.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beahm  have  many  warm  friends  in  the  communi- 
ty and  enjoy  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  they  have  been  brought  in 
contact.     In  politics  he  is  a  Populist  but  in  no  sense  a  politician. 


T  A  ril^LIAM  CUNNINGHAM,  ex-treasurer  of    Allen   county,    whose 

"       business  engagements  in  these   parts  have   spanned  the  period  of 

a  third  of  a  century,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Alleghany  coulity,  Pennsylvania, 


564  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

February  26,  1837.  His  father  moved  to  Beaver  county  the  next  vear,  and 
from  the  common  schools  of  the  county  William  entered  Beaver  Academy, 
spending  two  years  there  and  the  succeeding  year  doing  his  first  work  as  a 
teacher  in  the  public  schools.  He  graduated  from  the  Iron  City  Com- 
mtrcial  College,  of  Pittsburg,  and  filled  the  position  of  proof-reader  and 
mailing  clerk  on  the  Presbyterian  Banner  and  Advocate  for  two  years.  In 
this  latter  capacity  he  earned  the  funds  which  defrayed  his  expenses  at  the 
Western  University  of  Pennsylvania  two  years,  at  the  conclusion  of  which 
period  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  following 
it  till  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion. 

In  1862  Mr.  Cunningham  enlisted  in  Battery  G,  Pennsylvania  Artillery , 
served  through  the  war  and  was  discharged  at  Harrisburg  in  June,  1865. 
On  returning  to  civil  pursuits  he  took  up  work  where  he  left  off — in  the 
Pittsburg  public  schools.  In  a  few  months  he  was  elected  principal  of 
what  is  now  the  23rd  ward  school  of  that  city  and  was  in  that  position 
when  failing  health  forced  his  retirement  from  the  school  room.  Travel 
seemed  one  thing  which  promised  the  restoration  of  his  health  and  he 
secured  the  general  agency  for  the  publishing  house  of  Sheldon  &  Company, 
oi  New  York,  with  headquarters  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He  passed  the 
two  years  following  in  the  business,  traveling  over  Missouri  and  Kansas, 
introducing  their  school  books  into  the  public  schools,  and  while  at 
vSedalia,  Missouri,  met  a  very  engaging  schoolma'm  who  afterward  became 
his  wife. 

February  15,  1871,  our  subject  came  to  Allen  county  and  stopped  in 
Humboldt.  The  general  bustle  of  business  and  the  apparent  thrift  of  the 
little  city  attracted  him  and  he  was  at  once  possessed  of  serious  intention  of 
locating  there.  He  made  the  acquaintance  of  Colonel  S.  H.  Stevens  then 
in  the  lumber  business  and  at  noon  of  the  same  day  was  installed  as  the 
latter's  chief  clerk  and  salesman.  He  remained  in  this  business  two  years 
and,  upon  retiring  went  to  the  new  county  seat  of  Woodson  county,  Kalida, 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  Gra.sshoppers  destroyed  not  only  the 
crops  of  the  season  following  but  destroyed  Mr.  Cunningham's  prospects, 
as  well,  and  he  traded  his  goods  for  cattle  and  that  winter  spent  his  time 
profitably  by  teaching  a  country  school  in  Woodson  county.  The  follow- 
ing spring  he  became  a  full-fledged  farmer  and  remained  such  until  the 
new  Citizens  Lumber  Company,  of  Humboldt,  chose  him  to  manage  their 
yard  there.  When  this  company  was  absorbed  by  S.  A.  Brown  in  after 
years  the  subject  hereof  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Humboldt, 
continuing  it  eight  years,  or  until  his  election  as  County  Treasurer. 

Mr.  Cunningham  has  ever  and  always  been  noted  for  his  intense 
Republicanism.  His  interest  in  things  political  began  almost  with  his 
residence  in  Kansas  and  for  many  years  he  has  been  recognized  as  one  of 
tlia  active,  honorable  aud  judicious  counselors  of  his  party  in  local  affairs. 
He  was  nominated  for  Treasurer  of  the  county  in  1887  and  in  November  of 
that  year  he  was  elected  by  a  large  majority.  He  was  elected  two  years 
later  by  a  larger  majority  than  before.  His  popularity  as  a  public  official 
grew  with  his  service  and  his  efficiency  as  such  is   unsurpassed.     On   leav- 


"WOODSON    COtTNTIES.    KANSAS.  565 

aiig  the  county  seat  in  1896  he  returned  to  Humboldt  and  was  identified 
■with  the  Bank  of  Humboldt  in  a  clerical  capacity.  December  3rd  of  that 
year  he  opened  a  lumber  yard  in  Humboldt  as  the  successor  of  J.  P.  John- 
son and  Leidigh  &  Huston.  The  firm  of  Mi.  Cunningham  and  son  is  one  of 
the  prominent  enterprises  of  the  city. 

In  April,  1871,  Mr.  Cunningham  was  married  to  Miss  Etta  A.  Phelps 
•of  Windsor,  Missouri.  Their  only  child  is  Arthur  W.  Cunningham,  who 
was  married  May  i,  1901,  to  Mary  I.  Blackman. 


CHARLES  Iv.  DOWNS,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Cottage  Grove 
township,  was  born  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  on  the  22nd  of 
November,  1863,  and  is  the  second  child  of  Samuel  E.  and  Martha  Downs, 
who  in  the  fall  of  1865  left  their  home  in  Illinois  and  came  to  Kansas. 
Their  son  Charles  has  therefore  been  a  resident  of  this  State  throughout 
almost  his  entire  life.  He  was  reared  upon  his  'father's  farm  in  Cottage 
Grove  township,  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  stone  school  house  in 
West  Cottage  Grove.  To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his'services  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority  and  then  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  having 
no  capital  save  a  pair  of  willing  hands. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  Mr.  Downs  chose  Miss 
Rosa  I,ynch,  an  accomplished  young  lady  of  Allen  county,  their  marriage 
being  celebrated  on  the  5th  of  October,  1885.  She  was  born  in  Illinois  and 
•came  to  Kansas  when  a  maiden  of  seven  years,  in  company  with  her 
parents,  William  and  Sarah  Jane  (Zink)  Lynch,  the  former  a  native  of 
Kentucky  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  The  mother  died  in  1874  when  Mrs. 
Downs  was  very  young.  The  following  year  the  father  located  in  Allen 
•county,  Kansas,  and  afterward  married  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Noyes.  His  death 
occurred  in  Kansas,  in  1897,  when  he  was  sixty-three  years  of  age. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Downs  have  been  born  three  children:  Ethel,  Hazel 
and  Velma. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Downs  rented  a  farm  in  Allen  county,  and  after- 
ward moved-  to  Neosho  county  where  he  continued  to  operate  leased  land 
for  a  number  of  years.  With  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through  his 
ceaseless  efforts  and  the  assistance  of  his  estimable  wife  he  purchased  a 
farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Cottage  Grove  township  about  seven  miles  south- 
east of  Humboldt,  removing  to  that  place  in  the  spring  of  1899.  He  has 
a  valuable  little  farm,  on  which  is  a  good  orchard,  while  native  forest  trees 
surround  his  home  and  add  to  the  attractive  appearance  of  the  place.  He 
has  built  a  good  barn  and  everything  upon  the  farm  indicates  the  careful 
supervision  of  a  thrifty  and  progressive  owner.  He  has  acquired  through 
his  own  efforts  all  that  he  now  possesses  and  in  the  years  to  come 
he  will  probably  be  numbered  among  t'ne  most  substantial  citizens  of 
Allen  county. 


^66  HISTOllY   OF  ALLESr  AJTO 

/~>HARI.ES  SCHAFFNER.— Progress  is  the  result  of  the  efforts  of  in- 
^-^  dividual  men.     Its  aiders  and  abettors  are  the  guiding  spirits  in  everr 
eomraunity  and  its  destiny   is  the  glorious  triumph  of  mankind  over  the- 
perplexities  and  problems  of  the  human  raee.     In  these  triumphs  all  races- 
and  nations  will  participate  and- whether  in  their  native  heath   or  in    their 
adopted   country   each  particalai   and    individual  actor  will   receive   some- 
credit  for  his  sacrifice.     Chief  among  our  progressive  and  prosperous  peo- 
ple of  foreign  birth  are  the  Germans.      Almost  wherever  you  find  an  Ameri- 
can there  you  will  find  a  German,  also.     In  the  early  settlement  of  Kansas 
was   this  fact   specially  true.     Humfeoldt,   one  of  the  oldest  places  in  the 
state,  had  its  German  settler  as  soon  as  it  had   its  American  settler.     Not- 
withstanding their  new  surroundings  they  entered  as  heartily  and  as  intel- 
ligently into  the  making  of  an   honorable  community^   on    the   American, 
plan,   as-  did  those  who  never  knew  another  country.     In  the  past  forty 
years  many  of  the  Kaiser's  subjects  have  resided  in  Allen   county.     Some 
have   gained  more   prominence  than  others  but  all,  save  a  few,  have  done 
socially  and  financially  well.     Among  these,  and   of  the   more   recent  set- 
tlers, is  the  subject  of  this  brief  mention,  Charles  Schaffner.     He  needs  uo> 
personal  introduction  to  the  leading  citizenship  of  Allen  county  for  he  ha,s- 
gone  in  and  out  among  them  for  more  than  a  score  of  years  and  they  know 
him  to  respect  and  admire  biro.     In  his  immediate  vicinity  he  is  especially 
esteemed.     His  character  has  been  a  subject  of  much  public  scrutiny  for 
more  than  a  generation,  in  Humboldt,  and  its  elements  are  discovered  to  be 
of  the  higher  sort.     To  no  man  can  it  be  said  that  he  has  proven  false  and 
his  reputation  for  regarding  and  maintaining  his  sacred  word  is  of  the  highest 
order.     To  him  his  credit  and  his  good  name  are  his  fortune  and  his  ma- 
terial accumulations  are  not  the  result  ol  any  shady  transactions. 

Charley  Schaffner  was  born  in  Buchbetm,  by  Freiburg,  in  the  Grand 
Duchy  of  Baden,  Empire  of  Germany.  His  birth  occurred  December  26, 
1844,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Daniel  Schaffner.  a  linen  weaver.  The  latter  wa? 
born  in  the  same  house  as  his  son,  Charles,  in  the  year  1809.  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Ragina  Fischei  in  1&35.  He  spent  bis  entire  life  in  Buchheim, 
dying  in  1 894.  His  wife  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  Of  their  five 
children  our  subject  is  the  third.  The  other  sons  are  Joseph,  Henry  and 
John.  Henry  and  John  and  a  sister  remain  in  Germany  while  Joseph 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1870  and  resides  now  in  Freemansburgr 
Pennsylvania. 

Charley  Schaffner  secured  what,  in  this  country,  would  constitute  a 
good  common  school  education,  with  private  lessons  in  French.  Upon 
coming  of  age  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  America.  He  had 
.some  knowledge  of  the  opportunities  for  young  men  in  this  new  and  enter- 
prising country  and  it  was  in  this  far  away  country  that  he  saw  his  future 
spread  out  before  hira.  He  .sailed  for  New  York  in  1866  and  was  landed  in 
the  great  American  metropolis  with  only  a  single  dollar;  and  this  a  ship- 
robber  had  failed  to  get.  To  become  a  barber  seemed  the  best  opening  for 
him  so  he  learned  the  trade  and  worked  In  the  city  till  1874.     This  latter 


"WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  567 

-year  he  went  westward  to  Copley,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  pursued  his 
ttrade  till  his  removal  to  Humboldt  five  years  lateT. 

In  Humboldt  Mr.  Schafiuer  has  been  a  busy  man.  His  was  the  lead- 
ing shop  in  the  city  for  twelve  years  and  when  he  retired  from  the  business 
it  was  with  a  consciousness  that  he  had  acquired  a  competency  which,  if 
•economically  administered,  and  occasionally  supplemented,  would  endure 
and  sustain  till  his  race  was  run.  To  further  engage  his  time  and  talents  he 
took  up  the  insurance,  loan  and  real  estate  business.  In  this  work  he  has 
succeeded  scarcely  less  conspicuously  than  at  his  trade.  His  office  is  the 
mecca  toward  which  those  having  conveyaucing  or  insuring  to  do.  direct 
their  steps 

Our  subject  was  first  married  February  22,  1869,  to  Wolpurka  Sch- 
lenk.  Two  of  their  three  children  survive,  namely,  Emma  K. ,  wife  of 
John  W.  Tholen,  of  Humboldt,  was  born  May  15,  1S70,  and  Charles  H., 
born  at  Copley,  Pennsylvania,  October  7,  1871,  is  a  resident  of  Central 
•City,  Colorado,  September  27,  1887,  Mrs  Schaffner  died.  Two  years 
later  Mr.  Schafiner  was  married  in  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  to  Mary 
Vogt,  a  lady  o'f  the  town  of  Buchheim,  Baden. 

When  it  is  said  that  Charley  Schaffner  never  profited  by  any  legacy 
of  his  ancestors  it  will  be  seen  that  he  has  been  the  architect  of  his  own 
■fortunes.  His  material  achievements  have  been  ample  for  his  personal 
needs  and  when  all  his  business  and  social  relations  have  been  considered 
and  his  life  work  has  been  summed  up  it  can  not  be  truthfully  said  that  an 
■element  of  failure  entered  into  it.  He  is  prominent  in  local  Odd  Fellow- 
ship and  in  Woodcraft  and  his  connection  with  the  politics  of  Allen  county 
bas  not  been  tbe  least  important  of  his  at:ts.  He  became  a  Democrat  from 
liis  observation  of  the  conduct  of  the  affairs  of  government  and  affiliated 
"with  that  party  till  the  reform  movement  which  swept  Kansas  in  1890 
when  he  joined  hands  with  it.  He  was  the  nominee  for  County  Treasurer 
in  1899  and  has  served  upon  different  political  committees  of  his  party 
many  years. 


TDETER  HOKANSON  was  born  in  Sweden  ou  the  17th  of  December, 
■^  1832,  and  spent  the  first  twenty  years  of  his  life  in  the  land  of  his 
birth.  Believing  that  he  might  better  his  financial  condition  in  the  new 
■world  he  accordingly  sailed  for  America  in  1852,  locating  first  at  Gales- 
burg,  Illinois.  In  the  vicinity  of  that  city  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  until 
after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  when  the  spirit  of  patriotism  being 
aroused  in  him,  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  of  the  Eighth  Regiment  of 
Illinois  Infantry.  He  served  for  one  year,  and  during  that  time  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Fort  Spanish,  Fort  Blakely  and  several  others  of  im- 
portance. Being  overcome  by  the  heat  at  Mobile,  Alabama,  and  thus 
rendered  unfit  for  further  service  he  received  an  honorably  discharge  in 
(865. 

Mr.  Hokanson  at  once  returned  to  his  home    in    Illinois,    and    again 


568  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  three  years.  In  1870  he  came  to  Kansas  and 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  the  south  line  of  Allem 
county  in  Cottage  Grove  township,  where  he  has  since  carried  forward  the 
work  of  development  and  improvement  until  he  now  has  a  very  valuable- 
property.  On  it  is  located  a  good  residence  and  one  of  the  best  barns  ire 
the  county.  He  also  keeps  on  hand  such  amount  of  stock  as  he  can  raise 
to  advantage  on  his  farm  an-d  everything  about  the  place  is  in  good 
condition. 

Mr.  Hokanson  was  married  in  Illinois- in  1865  to  Miss  Johanna  Olson,. 
who  died  April  24,  1882,.  leaving  three  children:  Albert,  Charles  and 
Hanna,  the  last  named  being  now  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Johnson.  Mr. 
Hokarison  has  been  a  Republican  since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  l^incoln.  He  came  to  this  country  in  limited  circums-tances,  but 
his  hope  of  improving  his  condition  has  been  more  than  realized.  He 
found  the  opportunity  he  sought  and  his  energy  and  careful  management 
have  brought  to  him  a  comfortable  competence. 


'npHOMAS  I.  KITZMILLER,  of  Bronson,  son  of  the  pioneer,  Morgan 
-*-  B.  Kitzmiller,  who  settled  upon  section  20,  township  25,  range  21,, 
now  Marmaton  township,  -was  born  August  22,  1856,  in  what  is  now  Grant 
county,  West  Virginia.  His  father  was  born  in  "the  old  state,"  was  a  son 
of  John  Kitzmiller  arid  a  descendant  of  Pennsylvania  German  stock.  Mary 
J.  Bartlett,  whom  Morgan  B.  Kitzmiller  married,  was  born  in  Cumberland, 
Maryland,  in   1823. 

The  Kitzmiller  family  left  Grant  county.  West  Virginia,  in  1864  and 
located  in  McLean  county,  Illinois.  They  came  on  west  to  Kansas  in 
1867  and  entered  their  land  in  Allen  county.  Here  the  father  died  in 
1878.  The  large  family  of  children  was  reared  to  habits  of  industry  and 
have  done  their  part,  in  an  humble  way,  in  the  development  of  our  county. 
In  the  order  of  their  ages  the  children  are:  Frances,  wife  of  William  Al- 
lenbaugh,  on  the  Sac  and  Fox  agency,  Oklahoma;  Charles  H.  Kitzmiller, 
of  Junction  City,  Kansas;  James  Kitzmiller,  of  Chicago.  Illinois;  Thomas; 
Ella,  wife  of  William  Hildreth,  of  Pittsburg,  Kansas;  William  Kitzmiller, 
of  English,  Indiana;  Carrie,  of  Ciaro,  Illinois,  widow  of  A.  D.  Eaton;  Ross 
and  Nettie,  twins,  the  former  of  Bourbon  county,  Kansas,  and  the  latter, 
widow  of  A.  D.  Showalter. 

Thomas  Kitzmiller  was  a  farmer  from  youth  till  1880.  September  16, 
of  this  year  he  enlisted  in  the  regular  army  in  Company  K,  Nineteenth  In- 
fantry, stationed  in  the  Indian  Territory.  He  did  most  of  his  soldiering 
in  Texas,  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  and  was  stationed  at  different  times  in 
Forts  Sam  Houston,  Brown,  Duncan,  Clark  and  Gibson,  and  during  the 
Geronimo  trouble  he  aided  in  the  rounding-up  of  that  Indian  chief.  He 
re-enlisted  at  the  expiration  of  his  first  five  years'  term  and.  May  16,  i8go, 
he  was  sent  to  Fort  Porter,  Buffalo,   New  York,  where  he  was   discharged 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  569 

July  3,  of  that  year.  For  the  next  nine  years  Mr.  Kitzniiller  remained 
with  the  old  home-  in  Allen  county. 

In  1S99  Mr.  Kitzmiller  made  a  trip  to  Alaska.  He  sailed  on  the 
steamer  "Alki"  for  Skagway  and  tramped  it  to  Chilcoot  Pass.  There  his 
heart  failed  him.  All  was  bleak  and  cold  and  desolation.  Suffering  was 
all  about  and  nothing  visible  to  urge  him  on.  He  returned  to  the  states 
during  the  late  spring  and  stopped  at  Puget  Sound.  While  looking  about 
the  Sound  he  went  salmon  fishing  and  encountered  a  hurricane.  The  boat 
was  wrecked  and  he  reached  another;  it  went  down  and  he  boarded  a  third 
and  was  finally  rescued.  In  this  experience  he  sacrificed  all  his  personal 
possessions,  including  $293  in  cash.  In  October  of  the  same  year  he 
reached  Kansas  again,  a  somewhat  wiser,  but  a  poorer  man. 

The  Kitzmillers  of  this  branch  have  only  one  word  to  express  their 
political  leanings — Republican.  The  father  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
party  and  his  sons  have  maintained  the  family  tradition. 


JACOB  GOODNER  whose  residence  in  Allen  county  has  been  pro- 
ductive of  much  material  prosperity  to  himself  and  whose  location 
upon  the  old  Perkins  tract  in  lola  is  a  matter  of  general  information  to  the 
old  settlers  of  the  city  dates  his  residence  in  the  county  from  the  year  i88o. 
He  succeeded  W.  J.  Ihrig  in  the  ownership  of  his  farm  on  Elm  creek  and 
has  continued  the  occupation  of  his  fathers  to  this  day.  Mr.  Goodner  emi- 
grated from  Saint  Cloud,  Minnesota,  to  Kansas  but  settled  in  the  north  in 
1 86 1  as  an  emigrant  from  Vermillion  county,  Illinois.  He  was  born  in 
Switzerland  county,  Indiana,  August  30,  1832.  His  father,  Michael  Good- 
ner, was  a  farmer  and  one  of  the  pioneers  to  that  wonderful  foreign  com- 
munity in  southern  Indiana.  The  latter  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1808 
and  died  in  Stearns  county,  Minnesota,  September  29,  1889.  He  settled  in 
Minnesota  in  1862  and  was  a  quiet  and  unobtrusive  farmer  whose  ambition 
was  to  do  right  and  rear  his  family  to  respectability.  His  wife,  nee  Cath- 
erine Connor,  died  in  Vermillion  county,  Illinois.  Their  children  were: 
Daniel,  deceased;  Jackson,  of  Stearns  county,  Minnesota,  and  David  Good- 
ner, of  the  same  point;  Margaret,  wife  of  Eli  Hoskins,  of  Stearns  county; 
Henry  Goodner,  of  Edgar  county,  Illinois;  Nancy,  wife  of  Henry  Casert,  of 
Oregon,  and  Jacob  Goodner. 

Jacob  Goodner  went  into  Vermillion  county,  Illinois,  in  infancy  with 
his  parents.  He  learned  to  do  the  work  of  the  farm  efiectually  and  suc- 
cessfully. Although  his  family  is  one  of  the  ancient  ones  in  the  United 
States  it  came  out  of  Germany  and  settled  along  the  Atlantic  coast  and 
came  to  Kentucky  through  North  Carolina.  This  fact  of  sturdy  origin 
gives  our  subject  a  title  to  special  traits  of  industry  and  it  is  these  qualities 
which  have  in  a  measure  marked  him  through  life. 

Mr.  Goodner  was  married  in  Vermillion  county,  Illinois,  to  Maria 
Clark.     She  died  in  Tola  in   1885,    without  issue.      In    1887    Mr.    Goodner 


570  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

tnirried    Catherine,    a    daughter   of  Samuel   Bloom.     The   children  of  this 
marriage  are:     Clarence,  Fern,  Fayette,  Elmer  and  Lillie  Goodner. 

Mr.  Goodner  became  a  Republican  in  1856  and  a  Populist  in  1S92. 
He  sold  the  site  of  the  Michigan  Portland  Cement  Company  to  that  com- 
pmy  in  1899  and  has  been  benefitted  in  other  ways  by  the  discovery  of  gas 
at  lola. 


"^  A  WILLIAM  A.  COWAN,  one  of  the  best  known  of  lola  business 
^  ^  men,  was  born  at  White  Post,  Indiana,  December  9,  1842.  May 
10,  i860,  in  company  with  his  father  and  other  members  of  the  family,  he 
started  for  Kansas,  arriving  in  lola  June  22.  After  a  mouth  of  prospecting 
he  decided  to  remain  permanently  in  lola  and  this  has  ever  since  been  his 
home. 

For  the  first  few  years  of  his  residence  in  lola  Mr.  Cowan  worked  at 
odd  jobs  and  as  mail  carrier,  in  the  meantime  serving  an  apprenticeship  at 
cabinet  making  with  Joseph  Culbertson.  In  1869  he  entered  the  store  of 
Ridenour  &  Baker,  then  the  principal  mercantile  establishment  of  the  town, 
and  served  with  them  for  four  years.  Having  accumulated  a  small  capital, 
in  1873  he  entered  into  partnership  with  W.  H.  Richards  in  the  grocery 
business.  The  firm  prospered  and  when,  six  years  later,  Mr.  Cowan  with- 
drew from  it  he  had  sufficient  capital  to  warrant  him  in  erecting  a  com- 
modious .store  building  on  the  west  side  of  the  square,  in  which  he  placed  a 
stock  of  groceries,  soon  afterwards  adding  also  a  stock  of  drugs.  A  few 
years  later  he  sold  his  interest  in  this  store  to  his  brother,  S.  J.  Cowan,  in 
order  to  assume  an  official  position  in  the  lola  Carriage  Works  Company,  in 
which  he  was  a  large  stock  holder.  When  this  company  quit  business  Mr. 
Cowan  took  charge  of  the  drug  department  of  Cowan  &  Ausherman's  store 
and  also  assumed  the  agency  of  the  Pacific  Express  Company,  both  which 
positions  he  continues  to  fill. 

During  the  '70s  Mr.  Cowan  studied  law  for  the  mental  training,  but 
never  practiced  the  profession.  He  filled  the  office  of  township  clerk  and 
school  district  clerk  for  many  years,  served  one  term  on  the  city  council, 
three  consecutive  years  as  mayor  of  the  city  and  later  five  years  as  city 
clerk.  Physically  Mr.  Cowan  is  of  slender  figure,  weighing  but  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  pounds,  and  of  rather  frail  appearnance,  and  yet  he 
has  reached  his  fifty- ninth  year  without  having  spent  a  day  in  bed,  or  even 
so  much  as  lost  a  single  meal  from  sickness  during  his  whole  life.  After 
making  this  statement  it  does  not  need  to  be  added  that  Mr.  Cowan's  per- 
sonal habits  are  irreproachable.  From  his  boyhood  he  has  so  conducted 
himself  as  to  win  the  respect  and  the  entire  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  had  business  or  social  relations.  As  his  official  record  shows,  he  has 
enjoyed  the  esteem  as  well  as  the  confidence  of  his  neighbors,  having  won 
b  )th  by  a  consistently  upright  life.  Ever  since  he  became  a  citizen  of  lola 
he    has    labored  unselfishly   for  the  upbuilding   of  the  town,  and  has  con- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  57  1 

tributed  liberally  in  money  and  in  time  toward  this  object.  Still  in  the 
ptime  of  life,  he  enjoys  the  high  regard  of  his  fellow  townsmen  and  is  a 
large  factor  in  the  business  life  of  the  ci  y. 

Inquiry  into  the  family  history  Oi  W.  A.  Cowan  reveals  the  fact  that 
about  the  year  1 790  two  Cowan  brothers  came  from  Scotland,  one  locating 
in  North  Carolina  and  the  other  in  Virginia.  The  Virginia  brother  had 
one  son,  Robert  Cowan,  a  Colonel  in  the  Virginia  military  organization. 
A  son  of  this  Colonel  Cowan  served  in  the  War  of  r8i2,  appearing  on  the 
lolls  as  Ensign  W.  A.  Cowan.  Ensign  Cowan  married  Miss  Bathsheba 
McBride.  Their  only  son.  John  M.  Cowan,  was  the  father  of  W.  A. 
Cowan,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  John  M.  Cowan  was  born  April  12, 
1810,  at  Romney,  Virginia.  He  learned  the  tiade  of-a  tanner  and  worked 
at  it  until  he  removed  to  Monticello,  Indiana,  in  1835.  In  1836  he  mar- 
ried Eliza  A.  Rifenberrick,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Samuel  Rifenberrick,  of  Mon- 
ticello, and  soon  afterwards  removed  to  Pulaski  county,  Indiana,  where  he 
was  appointed  post-master  of  a  country  office  called  White  Post.  He  held 
several  local  offices  and  was  a  member  of  the  legislature  in  the  50s,  serving 
in  that  body  while  Schuyler  Colfax  served  in  the  constitutional  convention, 
then  ill  session,  the  friendship  then  formed  between  the  two  proving  to  be 
of  life  long  duration.  After  coming  to  Kansas,  as  above  related,  Mr. 
Cowan  was  for  .several  years  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  drug  business,  his 
last  regular  employment  being  that  of  mail  carrier.  His  wife  died  in  1886, 
and  he  survived  her  but  a  few  months,  passing  away  July  3,  1887.  Eleven 
children  were  born  to  them  of  whom  the  following  survive:  Mary  B.,  wife 
of  Benjamin  F.  Pancoast;  Maria  L.,  widow  of  B.  Brew.ster;  W.  A.;  Samuel 
J.;  Ella  F.,  and  Emma  C,  wife  of  E.  T.  Barber. 

W.  A.  Cowan  was  married  April  16,  1868,  to  Lizzie  A.  Fulwider,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  two  sons,  Chester  L,. ,  of  Denver,  Colorado,  and 
O.scar  L,. ,  of  lola. 


"^  A  ZADE  M.  ADAMS  is  now  accounted  one  of  the  substantial  farmers 
"  "  of  Cottage  Grove  township,  and  the  .  secret  of  his  success  lies  in 
the  fact  that  his  career  has  been  one  of  marked  industry.  He  was  born  in 
Madison  county,  Kentucky,  on  the  30th  of  June,  1847,  ^"d  was  reared  on  a 
farm.  His  parents,  John  S.  and  Lamina  (Walker)  Adams,  were  also 
natives  of  Kentucky,  and  there  spent  their  entire  lives,  the  father  following 
the  occupation  of  farming  in  pursuit  of  fortune.  He  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  sixty-five  while  his  wife  was  called  to  her  final  re-st  at  the  age  of 
sixty.  They  had  seven  children,  of  whom  three  are  living,  Mrs. 
Eliza  Ramsay  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Armstrong  being  residents  of  Madison  county, 
Kentucky. 

Wade  M.  Adams,  their  only  surviving  brother,  was  a  school  boy  in 
that  county  about  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  pursuing  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  near  his  home.     He  lived  with  his  parents 


572  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  then  started  out  in  life  for  himself, 
securing  as  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  one  of  the  young 
ladies  of  Madison  county.  Miss  Theodosia  Cornelison,  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Susan  Jane  (Boogs)  Cornelison,  who  were  natives  of  the  Blue  Grass 
State,  as  was  their  daughter.  The  marriage  occurred  October  3,  1S72,  and 
thinking  to  improve  their  financial  condition  in  a  western  district  they 
removed  to  L,afayette  county,  Missouri,  in  1879,  where  Mr.  Adams  operated 
rented  lands  lor  six  years.  In  the  spring  of  1886  he  came  with  his  family 
ti  Allen  county,  Kansas,  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Cottage  Grove  township, 
five  miles  south  of  Humboldt,  where  he  again  leased  a  tract  of  land  and 
continued  renting  for  eleven  years.  During  that  period  he  added  to  his 
capital  from  time  to  time  until  he  had  accumulated  a  sum  sufificient  to 
purchase  oue  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine  land,  constituting  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  Cottage  Grove  township.  He  took  up  his  abode  thereon  and 
has  since  made  it  his  home.  The  succeeding  years  have  been  a  prosperous 
period  to  him,  and  he  is  now  in  possession  of  a  handsome  competence 
sufficient  for  a  rainy  day  and  for  the  needs  of  old  age. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  have  been  born  ten  children  and  with  the 
exception  of  May,  who  died  in  1894,  3-t  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  all  are 
yet  living,  namely:  J.  K. ,  at  home;  Anna,  wife  of  Fred  Houser,  of  Kansas 
City,  Missouri;  Thomas,  Ei,  James,  Wade,  William,  Claude  and  Dora, 
who  are  still  with  their  parents.  The  family  are  widel\  and  favorably 
known  in  Cottage  Grove  township  and  Allen  county  and  have  many  warm 
friends  throughout  this  pottion  of  the  State.  Mr.  Adams'  prosperity  is  the 
merited  reward  of  his  labor  and  his  life  illustrates  most  forcibly  the  power 
of  industry  and  honesty  in  a  business  career. 


VA.  SNEERINGER,  of  Humboldt,  early  settler  and  respected  citizen, 
•  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Pennsylvania,  September  2nd,  1837. 
Joseph  Sneeringer,  his  father,  was  born  in  the  same  county.  His  mother, 
Margaret  O'Bold,  was  born  in  that  State.  Joseph  Sneeringer  was  well 
known  in  the  milling  business  of  the  Keystone  State  for  he  owned  and 
operated  several  grist  mills,  and  that  most  successfully.  He  was  also  a 
farmer.  His  family  was  a  large  one,  there  being  fourteen  children  in  all, 
his  son,  V.  A.,  being  the  thirteenth  child  and  one  of  four  surviving. 

The  Sneeringers  are  of  Swiss  stock.  Joseph  Sneeringer  Sr. ,  our 
su')ject's  grandfather,  emigrated  to  America  in  1777  and  the  stone  house  he 
erected  in  Adams  county,  Pennsylvania,  that  year  still  stands,  in  perfect- 
o:der,  and  is  occupied  by  some  of  his  descendants.  The  old  Swiss  patri- 
arch died  in  1854.  at  ninety  years  of  age.  His  son,  our  subject's  father,  was 
born  in  1787  and  died  in  1871.  The  latter's father-in-law  was  Mr.  O'Bold, 
an  Irishman.  Mr.  O'Bold  left  Ireland  about  1795  and  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Adams  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  died  full  of  years. 

V.  A.  Sneeringer  remained  on  the  family  homestead  till  he  was  thirty 
years  of  age  when  he  engaged  in  mercantile   pursuits.     He   was   located  in 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  573 

the  track  of  the  Rebel  army  when  it  invaded  Pennsylvania  and  was  called 
out  in  the  defense  of  Gettysburg.  He  belonged  to  the  State  militia 
and  took  an  active  part  in  the  battle  that  occurred  about  that  city. 
His  property,  in  goods  and  wares,  'was  largely  stolen  and  carried  away 
by  the  enemy  and  its  value  has  never  yet  been  recovered  by  the  government. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Sneeringer  secured  a  stock  of  dry  goods  and  came 
to  Kansas,  but  before  his  goods  arrived  he  sold  them  to  the  well-remem- 
bered T.  K.  Foster  and  hired  to  the  latter  as  a  clerk  at  a  large  salary. 
Succeeding  his  employment  with  Foster  he  went  into  the  store  of  Hysinger 
&  Rcsenthal  in  the  same  capacity  and  remained  several  years.  His  pleas- 
ant addre.ss  and  obliging  disposition  made  it  an  easy  matter  for  Mr.  Sneer- 
inger to  procure  a  position  with  the  leading  houses  of  the  city. 

For  some  years  after  his  retirernent  from  the  counter  Mr.  Sneeringer 
was  engaged  in  dealing  in  and  handling  real  estate  and,  more  recently,  in 
looking  after  his  own  interests  in  this  line. 

Mr.  Sneeringer  was  married  in  Kansas  in  1871  to  Miss  Harriet  Robin- 
son. An  only  child,  a  daughter,  Minnie,  resulted  from  this  marriage. 
The  latter  passed  through  the  Humboldt  schools  and  graduated  in  the 
Concordia  College.  She  is  an  orator  of  much  ability  and  possessing  rare 
gifts  as  an  elocutionist.  She  made  a  few  speeches  in  Kansas  for  Grover 
Cleveland  in  1892  and  did  so  well  that  she  was  sent  to  Ohio  by  the  national 
committee  where  she  toured  the  State  and  did  telling  work  for  Democracy. 
In  the  campaign  of  1896  she  repeated  her  tour  of  Kansas  and  Ohio  in  the 
interest  of  Mr.  Bryan  and  in  igoo  many  letters  came  to  her  entreating 
her  to  return  to  Ohio  and  even  to  enter  Pennsylvania  in  a  speech-making 
tour  for  Bryan  and  Stevenson. 


"^  A  ZILIylAM  R.  SMITH — Among  the  substantial  and  public-spirited 
"  "  farmers  of  Marmaton  township  is  William  R.  Smith,  of  Bronson. 
He  settled  near  the  east  line  of  Allen  county,  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  33,  township  24,  range  21,  purchasing  the  right  of  John  Meeks  to 
the  land.  He  moved  his  bachelor  quarters  into  the  little  box  cabin,  14x16, 
and  lived  alone  the  first  year.  All  these  primitive  improvements  have 
given  way  to  substantial  and  modern  ones  and  our  subject  is  today  the  owner 
of  one  of  the  attractive  farms  on  the  Bronson  and  Moran  road. 

Mr.  Smith  came  to  Kansas  from  Cass  cou^t3^  Missouri,  but  is  a  native 
of  Caledonia,  Ohio.  He  was  born  December  13,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of 
Noah  Smith  residing  near  the  place  of  our  subject's  birth.  Noah  Smith 
went  from  Maryland  out  to  Ohio  in,  an  early  day.  Farming  has  been  his 
theme  and  practice  and  he  has  remained  a  citizen  where  he  first  rolled  a 
log  or  plowed  a  furrow.  He  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1829,  and  was 
married  to  Jemimah  Richey  who  died  in  1894.  Their  children  were: 
William  R. ;  Fmma,  wife  of  E.  Gaddis,  of  Caledonia,  Ohio;  Miss  Mary  Smith 
of  the  old  home  and  Corwin  Smith,  of  Ft.  Scott,  Kansas. 

William  R.  Smith  left  home  soon  after  he  came   of   age.     As    a   youth 


^i'^C'-'i'''''"-^     5'5-<^'Vx,dL<>^v^<V 


7i 


tr-i^      /  (?  o  a 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  572 

Patriot.  He  was  born  in  Erin's  Isle  and  married  Jane  Miller,  a  Scotch 
lady.  Their  children  were:  John,  who  married  Mary  Jane  Collins;  Robert, 
Andrew,  married  Miss  Criss  and  Nancy,  Nicholas  Criss:  Joseph;  Hannah, 
wife  of  Robert  Carnes;  Samuel;  Mary,  Thompson;  Abner,  married  Miss 
Miller,  and  Elizabeth  and  Jane  married  Henry  and  William  Criss, 
respectively. 

John-Biggs  was  our  subject's  grandfather.  He  was  in  the  United 
States  .service  at  Jeffersonville,  Indiana,  in  i8i2,  at  the  time  of  the  historic 
Indian  massacre  of  the  Pigeon  Roost.  In  this  massacre  many  of  our 
subject's  ancestors  were  victims,  both  on  the  Biggs  and  Collins  side,  and  a 
brief  notice  with  reference  to  it  will  not  be  uninteresting.  The  place  then 
known  as  the  Pigeon  R.oost  was  in  Clark  county,  Indiana,  and  the  settlers 
were  widely  separated  and  within  easy  reach  of  the  Red  Man.  In  1812 
the  latter  fell  upon  this  settlement  and  murdered  William  E.  Collins'  wife 
and  many  of  his  children.  Mr.  Collins  was  an  Indian  fighter  and  in  this 
attack  he  killed  three  before  his  gun  was  disabled  and  then  made  his 
escape  to  the  stockade.  John  Collins,  Sichie  Richie,  I^ydia  Collins  and 
Jane  Biggs,  by  hiding,  escaped  death  in  the  massacre;  Jane  Biggs  traveled 
barefoot  through  the  wood,  all  night,  with  her  four  children:  Miller,  Phebe, 
William  and  Robert  and  reached  the  fort  the  next  morning,  seven  miles 
away.  Her  husband  was  in  the  regular  army  and  she  was  compelled  to 
find  shelter  and  protection  for  their  family. 

The  counties  of  Clark,  Harrison,  Jefierson  and  Knox,  in  southern 
Indiana,  lived  in  a  state  of  alarm  during  the  years  preceding  the  close  of 
the  war  of  1812  and  Zebulon  Collins,  a  pioneer  of  Scott  county,  describing 
those  days  of  peril  said:  "The  manner  in  which  I  used  to  work  in  those 
days  was  as  follows:  On  all  occasions  I  carried  my  rifle,  tomahawk  and 
butcher-knife,  with  a  loaded  pistol  in  my  belt.  When  I  went  to  plow  I  laid 
my  gun  on  the  plowed  ground  and  stuck  a  stick  by  it  for  a  mark  so  that  I 
could  get  it  quickly  in  case  it  was  wanted.  I  had  two  good  dogs.  I  took 
one  into  the  house,  leaving  the  other  out.  The  one  outside  was  expected 
to  give  the  alarm  which  would  cause  the  one  inside  to  -bark  and  awaken 
me.  I  kept  my  horses  in  a  stable  close  to  the  house,  having  a  porthole  so 
that  I  could  shoot  to  the  stable  door.  During  two  years  I  never  went  from 
home  with  any  certainty  of  returning,  but  in  the  midst  of  all  these  dangers 
God,  who  never  sleeps  nor  slumbers,  has  kept  me." 

The  Pigeon  Roost  massacre  was  the  most  noted  one  in  Indiana,  and 
was  one  that,  for  many  years,  was  recalled  with  fear  and  horror.  It  oc- 
curred in  the  present  limits  of  Clark  county  in  a  place  called  "the  Pigeon 
Roost  Settlement,"  the  gathering  place  for  myriads  of  passenger  pigeons. 
This  settlement,  which  was  founded  by  a  few  families  in  1809,  was  confined 
to  about  a  square  mile  of  laud,  and  it  was  separatedJrom  all  other  settlements 
by  a  distance  of  five  or  six  miles. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  3rd  of  September  181 2,  Jeremiah  Payne  and 
a  Mr.  Coffman,  hunting  for  bee  trees  two  miles  north  of  the  Pigeon  settle- 
ment, were  surprised  and  killed  by  a  party  of  Indians.  This  party, 
which   consisted    of   ten   or  twelve    warriors,    nearly   all   of  whom    were 


576  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AND 

Sh^wnees,  attacked  the  settlement  about  sunset  of  the  same  day  and,  in  an 
hour,  killed  one  man,  five  women  and  sixteen  children,  some  of  their  bodies, 
being  consumed  in  the  fires  which  laid  low  their  cabins. 

The  persons  massacred  in  this  settlement  were  Henry  Collins  and 
wife,  the  wife  of  Jeremiah  Payne  and  eight  of  her  children,  Mrs.  Richard 
Collins  and  seven  of  her  children,  Mrs.  John  Morris  and  child  and  the 
mother  of  John  Morris.  Mrs.  Jane  Biggs  e.'^caped  with  her  children  as 
before  stated  and  reached  the  home  of  her  brother,  Zebulon  Collins, 
in  safety. 

William  Collins  at  seventy  years  of  age,  defended  his  house  for  three- 
qnarters  of  an  hour  against  the  Indians.  In  this  defense  he  was  assisted 
by  Captain  John  Morris.  As  soon  as  darkness  came  on  the  two  escaped 
with  the  two  children  in  the  house,  John  and  Lydia  Collins,  eluded  their 
pursuers  and  reached  the  home  of  Zebulon  Collins.  The  Indians  engaged 
in  the  massacre  escaped  the  militia  of  the  county  and  the  victims  of  the 
massacre  were  buried  in  one  grave. 

The  Collins'  were  of  German  origin.  William  E.  Collins,  our  subject's 
great  grandfather,  was  a  son  of  foreign  parents.  They  seem  to  have  settled 
iti  Pennsylvania  and  there  he  married  Phebe  Hoagland.  Their  children 
were:  Richard,  married,  second,  Nancy  Collins;  Cams,  married  Katy 
Cooper;  Zebulon,  married  Mary  Gearnsy;  Henry,  married  Miss  Houghman; 
John,  married  Jane  Brodie;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Abe  Richie;  Sichie,  married 
Jolin  Richie;  Lydia,  wife  of  Harper  Cochran,  and  Mary  Jane,  wife  of  the 
soldier,  John  Biggs. 

The  family  of  John  and  Jane  Biggs  are:  Miller,  who  married  Sallie 
McConnell;  Phebe,  wife  of  Major  Townsend;  William,  who  married  Nancy 
McConnell;  Robert,  whose  wife  was  Frances  Dewey;  Harrison,  married 
Mary  Patterson;  Henry,  our  subject's  father-in-law,  married  Sarah  Bess; 
John,  wife  of  John  Hay,  and  Elizabeth,  whose  husband  was  Thomas 
McDonald. 

Major  Townsend's  children  are:  Sarah  J.,  in  Johnson  county,  Indiana; 
Harvey;  L,avina,  deceased,  married  Lawrence  lyOw;  James,  the  subject  of 
this  notice;  Harvey,  who  died  in  Indiana,  leaving  a  family  in  Johnson 
county;   Merrill  and  Alonzo  Townsend,  both  deceased. 

James  Townsend  was  sparingly  educated  in  the  log  cabin  of  his  time. 
This  necessitated  a  long  and  lonely  tramp  through  the  dense  wood  and 
getting  an  education  was  a  trying  ordeal  then.  He  married  at  nineteen 
years  of  age  and  moved  into  a  new  neighborhood,  clearing  up  a  new  farm  to 
begin  the  battle  of  life.  He  possessed  a  horse  and  a  suit  of  clothes  and, 
with  this  as  his  capital  in  sight,  he  became  the  head  of  a  household.  He 
worked  the  first  year  of  his  married  life  at  $14.00  a  month.  Next  he 
became  a  renter  and,  as  he  accumulated  he  stored  away  for  the  farm  he' 
finally  bought.  In  1854-5  ^^^  taxes  were  $10.00  and  in  1866  his  taxes  were 
$166.60.  With  his  growing  family  he  began  to  feel  crowded  in  Indiana 
and  he  determined  to  seek  a  broader  field  of  operations  in  Kansas.  He 
came  to  this  State  first  in  1865  and  made  a  prospecting  tour  of  the  southeast 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  577 

part  of  the  State,  finally  deciding  to  locate  in  Allen  conutj'.  He  purchased 
what  is  still  his  home  place  and,  in  1868,  brought  his  family  hither. 

In  the  years  that  Mr.  Townsend  has  been  a  Kansan  he  has  met  fortune 
and  misfortune,  and  fortune  again.  Security  .signing  cost  him  all  but  his 
spirit  and  energy.  He  was  given  an  opportunity  to  recover  his  losses  and 
he  made  the  most  of  it.  He  has  paid  interest  enough  in  Kansas  to  buy  a 
ranch  and  he  is  yet  far  ahead  of  his  creditors.  He  owns  nearly  a  section  of 
the  best  land  Allen  county  possesses  and,  in  1899,  left  the  homestead  to 
rest  in  retirement  in  lola. 

Mr.  Townsend  was  first  mariied  to  Sarah  Branigan,  in  Indiana.  Their 
children  were;  John  M.,  who  died  in  1887  and  left  a  son,  Edward;  Thomas 
J.,  Lawrence;  Ira;  I,avina,  wife  of  Martin  Cahalen,  of  Johnson  county, 
lud.;  Abe  L,. ;  Mary,  wife  of  Frank  Cox,  of  Indiana,  and  George  W.  Town- 
send.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Townsend  married  Sarah  A.,  a  daughter  of 
the  late  Henry  Biggs.  Their  children  are:  Emma,  wife  of  Fred  Cramer, 
and  Ella,  deceased,  married  William  Heese.  She  left  one  child,  Henry 
Roscoe  Heese,  living  in  Allen  county. 

James  Townsend  has  no  man  to  blame  for  his  politics  but  himself. 
His  ancestors  were  Democrats  and  his  first  wife's  people  were  rank  Copper- 
heads. He  lived  in  a  community  that  was  almost  solidly  Democratic 
about  the  time  he  reached  his  majority  yet,  he  rebelled  against  the  practice 
and  started  in  right  the  first  vote  he  cast.  He- is  entitled  to  be  called  a 
Republican  because  he  was  at  the  bedside  when  the  party  was  born.  He 
yields  to  no  man  the  honor  of  being  more  American  than  he.  He  upheld 
the  cause  of  the  Union  as  against  Secession  and  has  been  right  on  every 
important  proposition  of  governmental  policy  since  the  war. 


/'CHARLES  F.  SCOTT,  son  of  John  W.  and  Maria  Protsman  vScott, 
^-^  whose  lives  are  sketched  on  another  page  of  this  book,  was  born  on 
his  father's  farm  in  Carlyle  township  September  7,  i860.  The  first  four- 
teen years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  the  usual  way,  working  upon  the  farm 
in  the  summer  and  attending  the  district  school  in  the,  winter.  In  1874  the 
family  removed  to  lola,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  continued  his 
studies,  clerking  in  stores  or  doing  any  other  work  he  could  find  to  do  in 
the  summers.  In  the  fall  of  1877  he  entered  the  University  of  Kansas  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  188 1. 

Upon  leaving  the  University  his  father  gave  him  ten  dollars.  That 
was  the  cash  capital  with  which  he  began  life  for  himself,  and  he  has  never 
had  a  dollar  since  that  he  did  not  earn. 

Borrowing  enough  additional  from  a  friend  to  pay  his  fare,  he  went  to 
Silverton,  Colorado,  where  he  spent  the  summer  of  1881  working  in  a  hard- 
wars  store  and  doing  some  newspaper  work. 

In  the  fall  of  1881,  in  company  with  two  friends,  he  drove  down  into 
New    Mexico,    stopping    at   Socorro,   where   he  .secured   employment   as  a 


578  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

copyist  in  the  office  of  the  county  clerk,  at  the  same  time  serving  as  cook 
for  a  gang  of  workmen  for  his  board. 

Early  in  1882  he  went  to  Arizona  where  he  got  a  job  as  book  keeper 
and  clerk  for  a  railroad  contractor.  He  continued  to  do  this  work  until  his 
employer  sold  out,  in  the  fall  of  1882,  when  he  returned  to  Tola,  having 
learned  that  an  interest  in  the  lola  Register  was  for  sale. 

When  he  reached  home  he  had  $250  to  show  for  his  eighteen  months 
work.  He  paid  $200  of  this  down  for  a  fourth  interest  in  the  lola  Regis- 
ter, then  a  small  weekly  paper,  his  partners  in  the  enterprise  being  his 
brother,  A.  C.  Scott,  and  E.  E.  Rohrer.  At  the  end  of  two  years  he 
bought  his  brother's  interest,  and  a  year  later  the  interest  of  Mr.  Rohrer, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  the  sole  proprietor  of  the  paper,  to  which  he 
has  given  practically  his  entire  time  and  attention. 

In  1891  Mr.  Scott  was  appointed  a  regent  of  the  University  of  Kansas, 
and  was  re-appointed  to  the  same  position  by  Gov.  Morrill  and  Gov.  Stan- 
ley, the  appointment  in  each  instance  being  made  without  his  solicitation. 
He  resigned  this  ofhce  upon  his  election  to  Congress  in  1900. 

In  1892  he  was  nominated  without  opposition  and  by  acclamation  as 
the  Republican  candidate  for  State  Senator,  and  was  one  of  the  fifteen  Re- 
publican Senators  who  escaped  the  Populist  landslide  of  that  year.  He 
served  in  the  Senate  in  the  sessions  of  1893-5,  being  an  active  participant 
in  the  bitter  debates  precipitated  by  the  "Lewelling  War,"  and  serving  as 
a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means. 

In  1900  he  was  nominated  as  the  Republican  candidate  for  Congress- 
man-at-large  from  the  State  of  Kansas,  and  was  elected  by  a  plurality 
of  18890  votes  over  J.   Botkin,  the  Fusion  candidate. 

Mr.  Scott  spent  the  summer  of  1891  in  Europe.  He  wrote  weekly 
letters  to  his  paper  and  these  were  afterwards  published  in  book  form  under 
the  title  "Eetters." 

In  1893  Mr.  Scott  was  president  of  the  Kansas  State  Editorial  Associa- 
tion and  had  charge  of  the  special  train  by  which  the  members  went  to  the 
World's  Fair  at  Chicago.  He  was  president  of  the  Republican  Slate 
League  in  1895,  and  of  the  Kansas  Day  Club  in  1900,  and  has  been  offici- 
ally connected  with  various  other  editorial  and  political  associations.  He 
has  taken  part  as  a  speaker  in  all  the  campaigns  of  his  party  since  1884, 
and  has  made  numerous  addresses  of  an  educational  and  patriotic  nature  in 
various  parts  of  the  State. 

Mr.  Scott  was  married  June  15,  1893,  to  May  Brevard  Ewing,  daughter 
of  H.  A.  Ewing  a  sketch  of  whose  family  history  has  been  given  elsewhere 
in  this  book.  The  children  of  this  union  ars  Ewing  Carruth,  born  August 
28,  1894;  Ruth  Merriman,  born  December  30,  1897,  ^"d  Angelo  C. ,  born 
November  17,  1899. 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  578^ 

JACOB  C.  STRICKL,ER,  ol  Allen  county,  came  into  Carlyle  township  in 
the  year'  1872  and  located  upon  section  19,  township  23,  range  ig. 
He  succeeded  Randolph  Wilrauth  upon  the  farm  he  owns,  then  a  new  and 
practically  virgin  piece  of  prairie.  Here  he  has  since  lived  and  labored 
and  enjoyed  a  reasonable  degree  of  prosperity.  His  acres  have  broadened 
from  their  original  area  until  he  pays  taxes  upon  nearly  one-half  of  the 
section. 

Prior  to  his  removal  to  Kansas  Mr.  Strickler  resided  six  years  in 
Monroe  county,  Iowa.  He  was  born  in  Park  county,  Indiana,  August  17, 
1845.  His  ancestors  were  Virginians,  his  father  having  been  born  in  the 
Old  Dominion,  and  planted  a  branch  of  the  family  in  Park  county,  Indiana,  at 
an  early  date.  Mr.  Strickler  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  a  grandson  of  Jacob 
Strickler,  both  of  whom  died  in  Park  county,  Indiana.  Jacob  Strickler  Sr. 
was  born  in  1778  and  died  in  1874  while  Henry,  his  son,  was  born  in  rSco 
and  died  in  1855.  The  grandfather  was  a  blacksmith  and  gunsmith  and 
was  married  to  a  Miss  Ehrhart.  Henry  Strickler,  their  first  child,  married 
Catharine  Ehrhart.  Their  children  were:  Virginia,  deceased,  who  married 
Monroe  I<ong;  Jacob  C;  Mary  C,  of  Muberly,  Missouri,  wife  of  Samuel 
Dickerson;  Martha  J.,  of  Idaho  county,  Idaho,  is  the  wife  of  Dick  Henley; 
Ellen,  of  Park  county,  Indiana,  is  married  to  Polk  Whitsell,  and  Joseph,  of 
Park  county,  Indiana. 

Jacob  Strickler  remained  with  the  old  home  till  reaching  his  majority. 
In  November,  1865,  he  was  married  to  Samantha  D.  Reitzel,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Reitzel,  who  went  into  Park  county,  Indiana,  from  Kentucky  and 
married  Catherine  Duncan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stricklei 's  children  are:  Nelson 
T.,  who  married  Nora  Herrick  and  resides  in  Anderson  county,  Kansas; 
Frances  B.;  Elmer,  Claud  and  Millie. 

In  affairs  political  the  early  Stricklers  were  allied  with  the  Democratic 
party.  Our  subject  became  a  Republican  upon  choosing  his  political  home 
and  remained  with  that  organization  till  1897  when  he  joined  forces  with 
the  People's  party. 


WOODSON  COUNTY  COURT  HOUSE. 


WOODSON  COUNTIEIS,  KANSAS.  579 


HISTORY  OF  ALLEN  AND  WOODSON  COUNTIES 

PART  II 

WOODSON  COUNTY 


In  "Andreas  History  of  Kansas,"  (popularly  known  as  thfi  "Herd 
Book,")  Woodson  County  is  said  to  have  been  named  for  Governor  Silas 
Woodson,  of  Missouri,  while  Webb  Wilder,  in  his  "Annals  of  Kansas," 
new  edition,  says  the  county  was  named  in  honor  of  Daniel  Woodson,  who 
Avas  the  first  Secretary  of  the  territory  of  Kansas  and  who  also  acted  at 
various  intervals  as  Governor  of  the  territory  by  virtue  of  his  office  as 
Secretary,  As  a  further  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  Mr-  Wilder,  and 
as  proof  positive  that  the  county  was  named  in  honor  of  Daniel  Woodson 
a  letter  from  ex-Senator  John  Martin  replying  to  a  query  of  the  Hon. 
Leander  Still  well  on  this  same  point  says:  "You  are  entirely  right  about 
the  name  of  Woodson.  The  county  was  named  in  honor  of  Daniel 
Woodson,  who  was  Secretary  of  the  territory  in  1855-6  and  a  part  of 
1857,  I  think,  and  who  frequently  acted  as  Governor  during  those  years. 
He  was  from  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  and  a  most  excellent  man.  Governor 
Silas  Woodson  was  not  even  thought  of  in  connection  with  the  naming 
of  the  county." 

As  ex-Senator  Martin  held  the  position  of  assistant  clerk  of  the  House 
C'i'  Representatives  of  the  territorial  legislature  which  created  and  named 
Woodson  County  he  is  more  familiar  with  the  acts  of  that  body  than  any 
one  not  a  member  of  it  and  is,  therefore,  competent  to  give  accurate  and 
reliable  information  as  to  the  act  creating  Woodson   County. 

When  the  honor  of  a  name  was  conferred  upon  the  unsettled  and 
almost  unknown  tract  in  the  third  tier  of  counties  from  the  east  line  of  the 


58o  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

srate  the  space  designated  l)y  the  first  legislature  which  created  it  con- 
tained little,  if  any,  of  the  territory  which  now  bears  the  name  of  "Woodson 
County.  To  understand  this  matter  the  proceedings  of  the  "Bogus  Legis- 
lature" (in  consequence  of  gross  irregularities  connected  with  their 
election)  of  1855  must  be  gone  into.  One  act  of  that  body,  among  others, 
laid  out  a  whole  block  of  rectangular  counties.  This  act  was  passed 
before  surveys  were  made,  and  boundary  lines  of  counties  were  given  in 
miles  from  the  points  named.  The  initial  point  for  counties  south  of 
the  Kansas  rivtr  was  the  mouth  of  that  river.  The  southeast  corner  of 
•J  nhnson  County  was*  twenty-six  miles  south  of  that  point,  the  southeast 
corner  of  lykens  (Rliam.i)  County  was  twenty-four  miles  farther  south; 
the  southern  boundary  of  Linn  was  twenty-four  miles  farther  south, 
Bourbon  County  extended  thirty  miles  farther  south  and  McGee  County 
I'an  to  the  Territory  line.  Pour  tiers  of  Counties  were  blocked  out  in 
exact  coriformity  to  these,  and  in  the  third  tier  lay  Woodson  County,  the 
Kccond  from  the  south  line  and  occupying  almost  the  identical  land  now 
known   as  AYilspn   County. 

In  1857  the  counties  of  the  third  tier  were  crowded  northward,  and 
Wilson,  taking  in  what  was  "Woodson,  pushed  the  latter  to  nearly  its 
present  boundaries- 

In  1861,  through  a  blunder  on  the  part  of  the  Representative  from 
this  county,  a  new  survey  and  location  of  boundaries  took  from  the  south 
line  a  strip  three  miles  in  width  and  gave  it  to  Wilson  County,  which 
has  ever  since  held  it. 

By  the  act  of  1857  the  boundaries  of  Woodson  County  were  defined 
as  follows:  Beginning  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Anderson  County; 
I  hence  south  along  the  west  boundary  of  Allen  County  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  Dorn  County;  thence  west  with  the  section  lines  to  the  four 
corners  of  sections  14  and  15,  22  and  2-3  of  township  28  south,  range 
13  east:  thence  north  with  the  section  lines  dividing  the  second  and  third 
t'.er  of  sections,  to  the  southwest  corner  of .  Coffey  County ;  thence  east 
ylong  the  r-iouth  boundary  of  said  Coffey  County  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

By  the  general  statutes  of  1868  Woodson  County  is  bounded  as 
follows:  Commencing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Anderson  County; 
1  hence  south  with  section  lines  atad  the  west  line  of  Allen  County  to  the 
.'^outh  line  of  township  26,  south;  thence  west  with  said  township  line 
and  the  north  line  of  Wilson  County,  to  the  east  line  of  Greenwood 
Coutaty;  thence  north  with  said  east  line  of  Greenwood  County  to  the 
four  corners  of  sections  14  and  15,  22  and  23  of  to-miship  23  south  of 
range  13  east;  thence  east  on  section  lines  and  the  south  line  of  Coffej^ 
County    to    the    place    of   beginning. 

Ninety  per  cent  of  Woodson  County  is  upland,  the  remainder  river 
and  creek  bottom.  About  six  per  cent  of  the  original  surface  of  the 
countj"-  was  covered  with  forest  and  the  remainder  was  prairie.  The 
Neosho  River,  which  enters  hear  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  58 1 

runs  southeasterly  to  the  county  line,  is  the  principal  stream.  The 
Verdigris  River  cuts  across  the  southwest  corner  of  the  county,  and 
Om4  Creek,  rising  in  three  "head  streams"  (North  and  South  Owl  Creek 
and  Cherry  Creek)  near  the  center  of  the  county  flows  southeast  to  the 
county  line.  Buffalo,  East  and  West,  rises  toward  the  south  line  of 
the  county  and  runs  across  the  line  into  Wih;on  County.  Big  and 
Little  Sandy  are  creeks  of  importance  in  Belmont  township,  the  one 
rising  in  the  west  and  the  other  in  the  east  part  of  the  township  and 
furnishing  an  abunda  nceof  spring  water.  The  belts  of  timber  which  once 
lined  the  banks  of  the  streams,  and  extended  out  into  the  bottoms  from 
a  few  rods  to  a  mile  in  width,  have  been  largely  cleared  av.-ay,  but 
the  "jack  oak  hills"  have  been  fenced,  and  the  once  scrub  brush  has 
grown  into  young  forests  in  places,  and  its  importance  as  a  source  of  wood 
supply  has  come  to  be  considered   of  some   consequence. 

Woodson  County  is  well  watered.  Springs  abound  in  the  hill 
country,  large  pools  in  the  creeks  of  the  lowlands  supply  stock  water  and 
well  water  is  found  in  sufficient  quantities  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  below 
the  surface. 

Coal  is  found  in  veins  of  considerable  thickness  in  the  western  half 
of  the  county  and  it  was  onee  depended  upon  for  a  considerable  item  of 
fuel.  As  a  resource  it  was  mined  and  marketed  to  some  extent  but  as 
heavy  "stripping"  was  necessary  to  reach  the  coal  the  labor  expended 
came  to  be  regarded  of  more  value  than  the  mined  coal. 

The  ridge  passing  through  the  center  of  the  county  and  upon  which 
the  county  seat  is  located  abounds  in  a  fine  grade  of  sandstone.  It  is 
stratified  and  varies  in  thickness  from  a  few  inches  to  a  few  feet-  Several 
quarries  have  been  opened  and  considerable  quantities  of  the  stone  taken 
out  but  used  largely  by  the  settlers  and  by  contractors  and  builders  in 
the  construction  of  the  county  seat.  In  color  the  stone  is  a  deep  cream  or 
a  light  brown  and  when  first  taken  from  the  ground  contains  a  large 
percent  of  water  and  is,  therefore,  easy  to  Avork. 


582  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


learl^  Settlers 

All  of  Woodson  County  and  a  small  strip  off  the  south  side  of  Coffey 
County  was  included  in  the  New  York  Indian  Reserve.  This  strip  began 
yi  the  state  line  and  ran  westward  beyond  the  surveys,  while  on  the  south 
it  joined  the  Osage  Reserve.  The  Woodson  County  part  of  the  strip  was 
never  occupied  by  any  of  the  New  York  tribes,  their  only  settlement  being 
a  temporary  one  near  Ft.  Scott.  Finding  that  the  Indians  would  not 
settle  on  the  Reserve,  the  Government,  in  1860,  had  all  of  these  lands 
offered  for  sale  and  opened  to  pre-emption  at  the  land  office  at  Ft.  Scott. 
'J'here  were  many  squatter  settlers  scattered  about  over  the  county,  people 
who  had  come  into  the  county  as  early  as  1855  and  '56  and  on  down  to 
1860,  and  these  settlers  hastened  to  the  land  office,  upon  hearing  of  the 
Government's  move  in  placing  the  land  upon  the  market,  and  made 
entries  of  their  choice  of  lands. 

Just  who  the  first  settlers  of  the  county  actually  were  it  is  difficult 
a1  this  date  to  determine.  Many  of  the  "first  settlers"  passed  on,  later, 
and  those  who  remained  are  not  certain  as  to  whom  the  honoj'  of  the 
"first  settler"  in  the  county  really  belongs.  On  March  2,  1857  Jack 
Cavan,  John  Woolman,  John  Chapman  and  others  readied  Neosho  Falls. 
Soon  after  this  the  Stockbrands,  August  Lauber  and  August  Toedman 
settled  in  Center  township  and  there  were  some  early  settlements  made 
in  Belmont  township.  Reuben  Daniels  settled  in  the  latter  place  in 
1856  and  some  of  his  children  and  many  of  his  grandchildren  reside 
there  still.  The  Gregorys  went  into  Belmont  as  early  as  1858  and  James 
and  Cortes  Gregory,  two  sons  of  the  pioneer,  have  resided  almost  continu- 
ously in  the  county  for  forty- three  years.  David  Cooper  settled  on  the 
"\'erdigris  in  1856  and  the  same  year  John  Coleman  squatted  upon  a  piece  of 
land  in  Owl  Creek  township. 

IMany  notable  propositions  have  come  before  the  voters  of  the  county 
for  their  decision.  They  approved  the  Banking  Law  in  1861  by  a  vote 
01  62  to  7,  and  the  same  election  gave  Lawrence  71  votes  for  state  capital 
and  Topeka  5.  In  1867  the  question  of  elective  franchise  was  submitted 
—striking  the  word  "white"  from  the  constitution— and  of  women  suf- 
frage, striking  the  word  "male"  from  the  constitution,  all  of  which  propo- 
sitions were  defeated  in  the  county  by  heavy  majorities.  February  27. 
1875  the  question  of  voting  $5,000  in  bonds  in  aid  of  the  destitute  of  the 
state  was  voted  on  and  lost  by  more  than  two  to  one.  November  2,  1880, 
the  Prohibitory  Amendment  was  voted  upon  and  carried  by  a  vote  of 
748  to  530. 


^DO'DSdK   CdUNT-rES,    KANSAS.  583 

August  16,  1858,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  met  at  Neosho  Falls  and 
proceeded  to  lay  off  the  county  into  townships.  Neosho  Palls,  Liberty, 
Dwl  Creek,  Belmont  and  Verdigris  townships  -were  the  result  of  this  meet- 
ing of  the  board.  May  22,  1858,,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  eonsisting  of 
1.  W.  Dow,  G.  J.  Cavan  and  William  Phillips,  with  Charles  Cameron,  clerk 
'of  the  board,  met  at  Neosho  Falls  and  passed  an  order  esta^Dlishing  the 
rseat  of  county  government  at  that  place.  The  same  month  N.  G.  Goss  & 
Company  donated  to  the  county  a  "building  to  be  used  as  a  county  jail  sG 
"long  as  the  County  Seat  should  remain  at  Neosho  Falls.  Dow's  hall  was 
•eventually  rented  for  court  house  purposes.  In  1867  began  an,  agitation 
<over  the  question  of  County  Seat  location  which  continued  nine  years  and 
was  not  settled  until  a  half  dozen  elections  were  held  and  much  bitterness 
Vif  feeling  ^engendered  among  the  contesting  sections  of  the  county.  The 
result  of  the  election  of  Novemher  5,  1867,  gave  Neosho  Falls  129  votes, 
^Center  2,  Colma  2,  and  the  Southwest  quarter  of  section  11,  township  25, 
range  15,  (the  present  site  of  the  County  Seat)  118.  Elections  followed 
■each  other  in  rapid  succession,  the  next  one  being  held  September  21,  of 
the  next  year  resulting  in  a  vote  of  313  for  Neosho  Falls  and  199  for 
Chellis.  The  third  election  took  place  November  3,  1873.  and  gavo 
IJefiance  506,  Kalida  530  and  Waldrip  1.  Kalida,  which  thus  became  the 
County  Seat,  was  three  miles  southeast  of  the  center  of  the  county,  and 
Defiance  was  six  miles  east  of  the  center.  Both  towns  were  at  a  later  date 
transferred  J)odily  to  Yates  Center.  On  February  23,  1874,  the  question 
•came  up  for  decision  again  and  Defiance  was  chosen  over  Kalida  by  a 
vote  of  643  to  491.  A  year  later  a  new  factor  came  up  in  the  fight  and 
another,  and  the  fifth,  election  was  called  to  locate  the  County  Seat.  The 
contestants  were  Neosho  Falls.  Defiance  and  Yates  and  resulted  in 
Neosho  Falls  received  301,  Defiance  235  and  Yates  Center  335-  On  the 
12th  of  September,  1876,  a  second  election  was  held  to  decide  between 
Neosho  Falls  and  Yates  Center  as  to  which  should  be  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment. At  this  election  Yates  Center  received  488  votes  and  Neosho  Falls 
426,  which  was  a  final  settlement  of  the  vexed  and  vexing  question. 

Prom  the  first  official  act  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  down  to  the 
-selection  of  Yates  Center  as  the  County  Seat  the  county  had  nothing  but 
a  temporary  court  house,  or  place  for  the  transaction  of  its  public  busi- 
ness. Some  hall  or  old  store  huilding  was  fitted  up  for  the  reception  of 
the  records,  wherever  the  County  Seat  chanced  to  he  and  the  nearest 
approach  to  a  genuine  court  house,  until  its  present  structure  was  dedi- 
■cated,  was  in  the  arrangement  and  preparation  of  the  old  wooden  shack 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  square  in  Yates  Center  to  become  sUch 
building  and  to  be  used  for  public  purposes.  A  number  of  elections  were 
held  to  vote  upon  a  proposition  to  bond  the  county  for  a  court  house  but 
little  enthusiasm  was  manifest  for  such  a  proposal  outside  of  the  County 
■Seat  and  smaller  towns.  As  time  wore  on  it  became  more  and  more 
apparent  that  the  old  "Bee  Hive"  was  fast  becoming  inadequate  for  the 


584  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

public  needs.  Its  hygienic  conditions  were  almost  intolerable,  and  its 
run-doTiTi  dilapidated  appearance  all  conspired  to  arouse  the  people  to 
a  true  realization  of  their  public  needs.  In  1899  a  proposition  to  vote 
$30,000  in  bonds  for  the  erection  of  a  new  court  house  and  jail  met  T\'ith 
a  willing  response,  and  on  August  9,  1899,  the  corner  stone  of  the  new 
structure  was  laid  with  much  ceremony,  and  an  address  by  the  District 
Judge,  Hon.  Leander  Stillwell. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  585 


Moobson  Counti?  in  Mar 

A  company  of  soldiers  for  service  in  the  Union  Army  was  organized 
at  Neosho  Falls  in  November,  1861.  B.  F.  Goss  was  chosen  Captain  and 
I.  W.  Dow  First  Li-eutenaht.  This  company  formed  a  part  of  the  lola 
Battalion  of  the  9th  Kansas  Cavalry  They  served  along  the  border 
between  Kansas  and  Missouri  and  in  Arkansas  and  participated  in  many 
of  the  well  known  engagements  and  skirmishes  fought  in  those  Bush- 
whacking strongholds  the  first  three  years  of  the  war.  The  state  militia 
enrolled  many  other  men  of  the  county  who  were  either  indisposed  to 
service  in  the  volunteer  army  or  were  physically  incapacitated  for  such 
service.  These  militiamen  were  subject  to  the  call  of  the  Governor  or  of 
the  commander-in-chief  of  the  state,  in  emergencies,  chief  of  which  were 
the  raids  of  "Pap"  Price. 

For  service  in  the  Spanish- American  war  the  county  furnished  her 
quota  of  young  men— sons  of  veterans  and  other  sons— -who  enlisted  in 
one  of  the  companies  of  the  famous  20th  Kansas,  Colonel  Funston.  The 
regiment  rendezvoused  at  Topeka,  was  ordered  to  San  Francisco  and 
there  equipped  and  made  ready  for  the  field.  It  was  one  of  the  last  com- 
mands to  be  ordered  to  the  Philippines  and  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the 
first,  and  all  other  prominent  engagements  of  the  Philippine  Insurrection. 
Upon  its  return  home  after  an  absence  of  a  year  and  a  half  the  regiment 
was  tendered  a  public  welcome  and  reception  by  the  state  in  honor  of 
its  gallant,  brave  and  patriotic  achievements  in  Luzon. 


SS6  BOSrCfRY  OF  ALtEISr  ANtP 


TRailroab^,  towns,  &:c. 

As  early  as  1867  the  question  of  a  railroad  for  Woodson  County  hegaa 
to  claim  the  attention  of  the  people.  Begiijning  then  and  continuing: 
down  to  the  summer  of  1881  there  were  many  bond  propositions  sub- 
mitted to  a  vote  of  the  people  in  behalf  of  as  many  different  companies  for 
lines  of  railroad  across  the  county  from  almost  every  cardinal  and  semi- 
cardinal  point.  All  these  propositions  were  voted  down  except  the  one  to- 
aid  the  St.  Louis,  Ft.  Scott  and  Wichita  Railway  which  asked  of  Center 
and  Toronto  townships  an  aggregate  of  $50,000  in  bonds.  There  was  little 
opposition  to  the  proposition,  and  in  the  summer  of  1881  the  first  railroad 
for  the  county  became  a  reality.  This  line  became  a  part  of  the  Missouri 
Pacific  system  a  few  years  later,  which  company  built  a  line  frojn  Leroy 
southwest  through  Yates  Center  where  it  formed  a  junction  with  the- 
Wichita  road  for  points  -west. 

In  1887  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway  constructed  a 
feeder  from  its  line  at  Colony  south-west  through  Neosho  Falls  to  Yates; 
Center,  a  distance  of  twenty-six  miles,  and  there  terminated  the  branch. 
The  same  system  built  a  branch  line  from  Madison,  Kan.,  in  1884,  down 
the  Verdigris  River,  crossing  the  southwest  corner  of  Woodson  County, 
and  called  the  Chicago,  Kansas  and  Western  railroad.  This,  with  the 
Missouri  Pacific  line,  gave  Toronto  two  railroads  and  aided  much  in  the 
development  of  the  west  side  of  the  county. 

The  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  railroad  built  a  line  from  Junetion 
City,  Kan.,  in  1870  down  the  Neosho  River,  passing  across  the  northeast 
corner  of  Woodson  County  to  Parsons.  For  many  years  this  was  an  im- 
fiortant  line  of  road  and  heavy  trains  of  Texas  cattle  were  shipped  over 
the  road  to  northern  connecting  points.  With  the  construction  of  com- 
peting lines,  and  directly  to  the  markets  of  Chicago  and  St.  Louis,  through 
business  sought  other  channels  and  the  Junction  City  branch  dropped  into 
a  line  solely  for  local  traffic. 

The  towns  of  the  county  are  Yates  Center,  Neosho  Falls,  Toronto 
Piqua,  Vernoti  and  Rose.  The  mere  postoffices  are  Burt,  Finney  Griffin, 
Keck  Coloma,  Lomando,  Cookville  and  Conger.  The  histories  of  Neosho 
Falls  and  Toronto  appear  under  separate  heads  in  this  work  while  that 
of  the  other  towns  is  recorded  below. 

Yates  Center,  the  County  Seat  of  Woodson  County,  is  located  upon 
sections  10,  11,  14  and  15,  township  25,  range  15,  and  includes,  with  its 
additions,  something  over  a  section  of  land.     The  fact  that  this  location 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,   KANSAS.  587 

is  in  the  geographical  center  of  the  county,  and  that  its  original  owner's 
name  was  Yates  led  to  the  christening  of  the  town  as  "Yates  Center." 
When  tlie  election  had  decreed  that  this  spot  was  to  be  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment of  the  coTinty  Mr.  Yates  purchased  a  two  story  building  and  moved  it 
to  the  townsite— the  first  building  in  Ihe  town.  This  building  wa '  for  a 
long  time  used  not  only  for  a  county  building  but  for  holding  religious 
services  and  for  other  public  gatherings.  George  "Wille  was  the  first 
j^cueral  merchant.  T.  W.  Wilson  opened  the  second  store  and  J.  M, 
Wolfer  came  with  the  first  stock  of  drugs.  E.  V. Wharton  was  the  first 
physician  and  was  followed  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Turner.  Jesse  Pickett  was  the 
first  lawyer  in  the  town,  but  Judge  W.  H.  Thurber  and  Alexander  Stewart 
were  on  the  ground  almost  as  early.  The  first  hotel,  moved  from  Kalida. 
was  run  by  C-  W.  Wilson,  who  was  also  the  first  liveryman.  J.  B.  Fry  was 
the  first  blacksmith.  In  1878  the  court  house  was  moved  from  Defiance  to 
the  new  County  Peat  and  was  located  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  public 
square.  In  1884  the  town  was  incorporated  and  became  a  city  of  the 
third  class.  The  town  is  supported  almost  entirely  by  an  agricultural 
district  and  has  maintained  a  steady  and  continuous  growth.  The  popu- 
Ifition  has  increased  from  year  to  year,  the  census  showing  a  population 
of  500  in  1880;  of  1,-370  in  1890  and  of  1,638  in   1900. 

Piqua  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas 
and  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railways,  and  is  one  mile  from  the  east  line  of 
the  county.  It  grew  up  hurriedly  to  a  town  of  a  couple  of  hundred  souls 
and  has  remained  at  that  stage — a  good  country  trading  point.  The  place 
is  not  incorporated  and  its  chief  educational  and  denominational  institu- 
tions are  conducted  by  the  Roman  Catholics.  Other  churches  maintain 
organizations  there  and  a  public  school  is  conducted  in  the  district  several 
n.'onths  in  the  year. 

Vernon  is  a  modern  village  situated  on  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway. 
nine  miles  northeast  of  Yates  Center.  A  population  of  a  hundred  or  more 
gathered  together  in  a  bunch  near  the  head  of  Cherry  Creek  and  in  the 
midst  of  a  fine  rolling  prairie  country  constitutes  Vernon.  J.  N.  Shannon 
is  the  leading  general  merchant,  and  all  the  enterprises  usually  found  in 
the  smaller  towns  are  represented  there. 

Rose  consists  of  a  store,  blacksmith  shop,  a  church  and  a  large  hay 
market.  It  is  on  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway  eight  miles  southeast  of 
Yates  Center  and  in  the  very  heart  of  a  fine  agricultural  and  hay  region, 
less  than  a  hundred  souls  number  its  population  but  its  importance  as  a 
trading  and  shipping  point  is  second  to  none  of  its  si?e  in  the  state.  Du- 
mond  Brothers  and  William  M.  Patterson  are  the  leading  shippers  of  the 
place,  and  the  postmaster  and  merchant  is  Tuttle. 

The  Neosho  Falls  Post  is  the  oldest  paper  in  the  county,   and  hajs 

had  many  editors ;  W.  W-  Sain,  if  we  mistake  not,  was  its  founder  and 

.tirst  editor,  while  H.  D.  Dickson,  now  of  Emporia,  was  the  first  typesetter 

(>('  the  ^heet-     J.  N.  Stout,  now  postmaster,  has  for  the  past  dozen  years 


5SS  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AN13 

Lten  publisher,  but  he  transferred  the  title  the  first  of  April  last  to  H.  C. 
!^ticfcer,  who  is  now  its  editor  and  proprietor. 

The  Ya;es  Center  News  was  the  next  paper  established.  It  was 
tounded  at  the  counly  seat  by  Ret  Baker  in  May,  1877.  It  had  several 
owners  and  publishers  up  to  July,  1886  when  the  business  management  came 
into  the  hands  of  R.  H.  Trueblood,  who  has  had  charge  of  the  paper  ever 
since.  The  owners  of  the  News  to-day  are  R.  H-  Trueblood  and  F.  L. 
Stephenson.  The  former  is  editor  and  publisher,  and  the  latter  simply 
owns  an  interest,  being  engaged  in  the  banking  business  which  requires  all 
(.f  his  attention.  The  News  is  the  official  county  paper,  Republican  in 
politics  and  for  the  best  interests  of  its  town  and  county  all  the  time. 

The  xVrgus  was  established  in  the  winter  of  1882  by  W.  H.  Jones  who 
conducted  it  a  short  time  and  sold  it  to  N.  B.  Buck,  who  a  short  time 
afterwards  sold  the  paper  to  J.  P.  and  J.  H.  Bell,  who  in  a  very  few  days 
sold  the  plant  to  the  Yates  Center  News.     That  ended  the  Argus. 

Next  came  the  Sun,  at  Yates  Center,  by  J.  A.  Overby,  that  was  after- 
vard  converted  into  the  Independent-Sun,  and  a  few  months  later  was 
iil'/sorbed  by  the  Yates  Center  News. 

This  was  followed  along  about  1888  by  the  Tribune,  at  Yates  Center. 
by  the  irrepressible  W.  H.  Jones,  and  later  Jas.  H.  Hale  was  taken  in  as 
(1  partner.  This  paper  lasted  the  usual  length  of  time  and  was  then 
gathered  in  by  the  Yates  Center  News. 

The  Woodson  Democrat  should  have  been  mentioned  before  the  Tri- 
bune. It  was  established  in  1884  by  Dr.  E.  V.  Wharton,  and  through 
its  columns  he  rode  into  the  postoffice  after  Grover  Cleveland  was  elected 
President.  He  then  sold  the  paper  to  R.  R.  Wells  who  conducted  it  until  it 
burned  up  along  with  the  block  on  the  east  side  in  1893.    It  remained  dead. 

With  the  Alliance  in  1890  came  the  Advocate  at  Yates  Center,  by  A.  E. 
and  N.  S.  Macoubrie.  They  stayed  with  the  paper  until  1896  then  sold 
ir  to  Hudson  &  Faught,  of  Eureka.  A  little  later  Faught  sold  out  to 
E.  6.  Kinyon,  who  in  turn  sold  to  Fred  Wilkinson,  and  the  firm  to-day  is 
Hudson  &  Wilkinson- 

Along  about  1894  the  Woodson  Republican  was  established  by  Harve 
Bristow.  That  had  a  short  life,  and  was  in  due  time  moved  to  Altamont 
Kan.,  and  the  subscription  list  turned  over  to  the  Yates  Center  News. 

A  few  months  ■  later  this  outfit  was  moved  back  to  this  place  and 
another  weekly  paper,  the  Republican,  was  started  and  had  a  brief  ex- 
perience, but  it  did  not  survive  long  and  was  gathered  into  the  folds  of  the 
Yates  Center  News. 

Toronto  has  one  paper,  the  Republican,  conducted  by  Mrs.  M.  M, 
Buck,  widow  of  the  late  N.  B.  Buck.  Another  paper  was  established 
there  last  year  but  was  discontinued  in  a  few  months,  after  demonstrating 
ing  that  Toronto  was  not  large  enough  to  support  two  weekly  newspapers. 
(The  editors  are  indebted  to  Mr.  R.  H.  Trueblood,  for  many  years  editor 
oJ'  the  Yates  Center  News,  for  the  foregoing  sketch). 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,   KANSAS.  K.^C! 


Zhe  JBencb  ant)  Bar 

(by  senator  G.  H.  IjAMB.) 

The  eai'ly  history  of  the  events  of  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  WoodsOfl 
County  are  vei'y  difficult  to  obtain,  and  any  attempt  to  write  an  exact 
account  of  that  period  is  out  of  th-e  question.  If  the  writer  seeks  the 
records  for  information  on  this  point,  there  are  none.  If  he  applies  to 
the  old  settlers,  they  do  not  remember  things  alike.  So  the  writer  of  this 
article  will  have  little  to  tell  of  the  judicial  proceedings  of  Woodson  County 
prior  to  1864. 

Chapter  78  of  the  session  laws  o'f  the  territorial  legislature  of  1860 
divided  the  Territory  of  Kansas  into  three  judicial  districts,  and  placed 
Woodson  County  in  the  second  district,  and  assigned  Hon.  Rush  Elmore, 
one  of  the  Associate  Justices  of  the  Territorial  Supreme  Court  to  the 
judgeship  of  that  district.  By  this  same  act,  Woodson  County  was  attached 
to  Coffey  County  for  judicial  purposes.  The  terms  of  coiirt  were  held  in 
Coffey  County  on  the  second  Monday  of  March  and  September  of  each 
year.  This  arrangement  continued  until  Kansas  became  a  state  under  the 
Wyandotte  Constitution,  and  Woodson  County  became  a  part  of  the  fifth 
judicial  district. 

May  22nd,  1861,  the  state  legislature  passed  an  act  detaching  Woodson 
from  Coffey  County,  and  attaching  Greenwood,  Wilson  and  Godfrey 
CoTinties  to  Woodson  for  judicial  purposes.  By  this  act  Woodson  County 
was  given  one  term  of  court  commencing  on  the  first  Monday  in  September 
of  each  year. 

This  law  further  provided  that  the  clerk  of  the  district  court  of  Coffey 
County  shall  make  out  and  deliver  to  the  clerk  of  the  district  court  of 
Woodson  Count.y,  "a  full  and  complete  transcript  of  all  process  and 
proceedings  pending,  and  of  cases  tried  and  determined  in  the  district  court 
of  said  county  between  parties  or  against  defendants  resident  in  said 
county  of  Woodson  together  with  all  papers  on  file  in  his  office  belonging 
to  or  pertaining  to  such  cases."  This  order  of  the  legislature  has  never 
been  complied  vrith. 

On  February  2,  1865  the  legislature  detached  Greenwood  from 
Woodson  County  and  attached  it  to  Lyon  County  for  judicial  purposes. 
There  were  no  other  changes  until  1867,  when  the  legislature  created  the 
seventh  judicial  district,  and  placed  Woodson  County  in  that,  with  terms 
of  court  commencing  on  "the  fifth  Monday  after  the  fourth  Monday  in 
March  and  September  and  on  said  days  annually  thereafter."     In  1874 


590  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Woodson  County  was  given  three  terms  of  court,  commencing  on  the  first 
Monday  of  Alarch,  and  the  second  Monday  of  June  and  October  of  each 
year.  The  next  change  occurred  in  1877  \dien  the  time  of  holding  the 
June  term  of  court  was  changed  from  the  second  to  the  first  Monday  in 
the  month.  The  legirla^ure  of  1901  fixed  the  terms  of  court  to  begin  on 
the  third  Tuesday  in  March,  the  third  Tuesday  in  June  and  the  Tuesday 
Kuccteding   the  second   Monday   in   November. 

The  first  judge  of  the  fifth  district  of  which  Woodson  County  formed 
a  part  was  Hon.  0.  E.  Learnard,  of  Burlington,  Kan.  He  was  elected 
December  6,  1859,  at  the  first  election  held  under  the  Wyandotte  Constitu- 
tion. He  resigned  before  entering  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  and  was 
appointed  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  first  regiment  of  Kansas  volunteers 
and  served  as  such  during  the  civil  war.  Hon.  R-  M.  Ruggles,  of  Emporia 
was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and  on  November  5,  1861  was  elected 
for  the  unexpired  term.  Hon.  J.  H.  Watson  was  elected  November  S 
1864,  but  before  his  term  of  office  as  judge  had  expired,  the  legislature  had 
taken  AYoodson  County  from  the  fifth  district  and  placed  it  in  the  seventh 
since  which  time  the  history  of  the  bench  of  this  county  is  identical  with 
tiiat  of  Allen  County,  already  recorded  in  this  volume. 

The  Bar  of  Woodson  County  has  undergone  many  changes  since  1860. 
The  pioneer  lawyers  are  all  gone  except  A.  Stewart  who  now  resides  at 
Yates  Center,  and  W.  B.  Stine,  who  quit  the  practice  of  law  in  the  latter 
60 's  and  has  since  engaged  in  farming.  Samuel  E.  Hoffman  was  the  first 
lawyer  in  Woodson  County.  He  came  from  Pennsylvania  to  Kansas  in 
1858.  and  was  21  years  old  when  he  reached  Woodson  County. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1859  and  helped 
frame  the  Wyandotte  Constitution,  and  was  the  first  State  Senator  from 
Woodson  County-  He  is  now  a  resident  of  St.  Louis  and  is  engaged  in 
the  banking  business. 

In  the  early  60 's  there  was  no  resident  lawyer  in  the  county,  and  N. 
H.  Bent,  of  Burlington,  was  appointed  county  attorney.  Prior  to  1867, 
the  principal  law  business  of  the  county  was  transacted  by  Eli  Gilbert  and 
Alex  Johnson,  of  Garnett,  N.  H.  Bent,  Silas  Pearl,  Alex  Stewart  and  A. 
Jones,  of  Coffey  County,  and  Ruggles  and  Plumb,  of  Emporia.  Soon  after 
the  formation  of  the  seventh  judicial  district,  William  E.  Grove  located  at 
Neosho  Palls,  then  the  county  seat,  and  was  appointed  county  attorney^ 
He  was  then  the  only  lawyer  in  Woodson  County  who  devoted  his  entire 
time  to  the  practice  of  law.  He  moved  from  Woodson  County  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Mich.,  and  was  there  elected  Circuit  Judge,  which  position  he  held 
for  many  vears. 

During  the  year  of  1870,  W."  H.  Slavens,  W-  A.  Atchison,  T.  J.  Petit, 
and  C.  B.  Graves  opened  offices  iu  Neosho  Falls,  and  the  following  year 
Willard  Davis,  afterward  attorney  general  of  the  state,  and  W.  P.  Talbott 
located  there.  About  this  time  Peter  Bell,  who  lived  on  a  farm  near 
Kalida  commenced  the  practice  of  law.     Then  H.  D.  Dickson  opened  an 


O  ■WOOTaSON  'CDTTNTl^eS,    KANSAS.  59? 

*  : 

^Tfiee  at  T^Ifuslio  Falls,  and  foUowiDg  him  during  the  70 's  cam.e  J-  E. 
Pickett,  W.  H.  Thurber,  J.  P-  Shively,  M.  V.  Yoder,  G,  R.  Stephenson,  AV. 
E.  HogTjel\nd,  J.  S.  Stieher  and  J.  W.  Dickson,  Of  these  attorneys, 
JSlavens,  Atchison,  Petit,  Davis,  Thurber  and  Bell  ai'e  d«ad.  Talbott  lives 
■at  Parsons,  Kan.  Graves  moved  to  Burlington,  Kan.,  and  was  elected  judge 
tiN  that  district  which  position  he  h«ld  for  tvfelve  years.  lie  now  lives  at 
Emporia  and  is  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  hiw.  H.  D-  Dickson 
served  one  term  aS-  Reppesentati'te  of  Woodson  County,  one  t«rm  as 
•county  attorney  and  now  lives  at  Emporia,  Kan.  Since  moving  to  that 
place  he  has  served  one  term  as  county  attorney  of  Lyon  County,  and  was 
for  several  years  attorney  for  The  A.  i'.  &  S.  P.  Ry-  Co.  J.  E.  PickelJt 
•served  five  years  as  county  attorney,  and  in  1888  he  abandoned  the 
practice  of  law  to  enter  the  ministry,  and  is  now  pastor  of  the  Christian 
•church  at  Boulder,  Colo.  J.  P.  Shively  is  farming  near  Paola.  M.  V".  Yoder 
went  to  Washington  Territory  (now  state),  and  the  last  known  of  hira 
here  he  was  proljate  jud-ge  of  oue  of  the  counties  in  tliat  territory.  J.  W. 
Dickson  served  as  postmaster  at  Neosho  Palls  during  the  Harrison  admin- 
istration and  went  from  tliere  to  Danville,  111.,  wliere  for  several  years  he 
■served  as  l)ookkeeper  for  a  coal  company  at  that  place.  In  Pebruary,  1901 
lie  returned  to  Woodson  County  and  is  now  liookkeeper  for  the  Yates  Center 
Bank-  G.  R.  Stephenson  and  W.  E.  Sogueland  and  J.  S.  Stieher  are 
the  only  attorneys  of  this  period  who  still  reside  in  Woodson  County,  and 
are  engaged  in  tlie  practice  of  law. 

During  the  80 's  D.  C.  Zimmerman,  M.  C.  Smith,  C.  N.  Warner,  C.  C. 
Clevenger,  W.  P.  Gregorv,  G.  M.  Martin,  E.  H.  White,  W.  A.  Reid,  P.  S. 
Ray,  G.  H.  Lamb  and  P.  M.  Sutton  became  memliers  of  the  Woodson 
tlounty  Bar.  Mr.  Zimmerman  now  lives  in  Indiana  and  has  recently  been 
a  prominent  candidate  for  member  of  congress  from  his  district  in  that 
•state.  M.  C.  Smith  is  now  a  leading  lawyer  of  Springfield,  Mo.  C  .  N. 
Warner  is  practicing  law  at  Seattle,  Wasli.  W.  P.  Gregory  served  one 
term  as  county  attorney  of  Woodson  County  and  is  now  located  at  Trenton, 
Mo.,  and  is  practicing  law  at  that  place.  C.  C  Clevenger  served  four 
years  as  Probate  -Judge  of  Woodson  County  and  then  entered  the  news- 
])aper  business.  He  is  now  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Osawatomie 
Graphic  of  Osawatomie,  Kan.,  and  is  postmaster  at  that  place.  E.  H. 
White  is  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Yates  Center.  F.  M. 
Sutton  lives  on  a  farm  near  Toronto.  W.  A.  Reid  is  in  the  railway  service 
in  Texas,  and  the  other  gentlemen  named  are  still  residing  at  Yates  Center 
and  engaged  in  the  active  practice  of  law. 

During  the  past  ten  years  S-  C.  Holcomb,  A.  J.  Jones,  S.  C.  Holmes. 
J.  S.  Gilson,  R.  Sample,  Jr.,  E.  Q.  Stillwell,  E.  E.  Kelley,  J.  E.  Wirick  and 
A.  Howard  were  enrolled  as  members  of  the  legal  fraternity  of  the  county, 
E.  E.  Kelley  is  county  superintendent  of  public  instruction  of  this  county, 
and  is  fast  winning  fame  as  an  author.    All  of  the  rest  of  these  last  named 


592  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN    AND 

gentlemen  still  reside  in  Woodson  County  and  are  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  law  except  J-  S.  Gilson  who  is  dead.  .  j. 

The  first  case  that  appears  on  the  docket  of  the  district  court  of 
Woodson  County,  as  shown  by  the  records,  was  filed  Septeml||r  9,  1864. 
The  title  of  the  case  is :  The  State  of  Kansas,  against  D.  H.  ^Iler,  charged 
with  breaking  jail.  This  note  appears  on  the  trial  doc^ff  "Case  con- 
tinued on  account  of  the  absence  of  the  defendant. ' '  ■  -Tlie  defendant  is 
still  absent.  C*'*'^*'^    '   ^ 

In  these  early  days  when  the  lawyCTs  wefe^oiing,  inexperienced  and 
without  books,  questions  were  raised  and  discussed  that  would  surprise  and 
startle  the  lawyers  of  to-day.  Among  many  instances  of  this  kind  is  the 
following :  A  man  was  arrested  in  the  city  of  Neosho  Falls  for  selling  in- 
toxicating liquors  without  a  license.  The  defendant  before  the  Police  Judge 
pleaded  "not  guilty,"  and  demanded  a  jury.  No  provisions  could  be  found 
by  court  or  counsel  authorizing  such  a  proceeding.  The  constitutional  pro- 
vision giving  to  every  man  a  trial  by  jury  M'as  paraded  by  counsel  for  the 
defendant  and  thereupon  the  City  Attorney  confess'ed  the  right  of  trial  by 
jury,  and  proposed  to  the  Police  Judge  to  impannel  one,  which  he  proceed- 
ed to  do.  To  this  the  defendant  objected,  but  the  trial  went  on  and  the 
defendant  was  convicted,  whereupon  he  appealed  to  the  district  court, 
In  the  district  court  the  defendant  moved  to  dismiss  on  the  ground 
that  the  defendant  had  been  convicted  in  a  manner  not  provided  for  by 
the  statutes;  but  the  Judge  held  the  appeal  good,  and  stated  that  the 
defendant  was  now  voluntarily  in  a  court  where  he  could  have  the  benefit 
of  a  constitutional  jury,  and  thereupon  the  trial  proceeded.  There  being 
no  jury  room,  the  jury  was  left  in  the  court  room  to  consider  their  verdict, 
and  remained  there  all  night.  The  defendant  at  the  time  of  the  trial  was 
running  a  saloon  in  a  room  adjoining  the  court  room.  During  the  night 
he  slipped  through  the  thin  partition  to  the  jury  bottles  of  beer  and  other 
liquors- 

In  the  morning  the  jury  were  called  into  the  box  and  delivered  to  the 
court  a  verdict  of  not  guilty.  The  City  Attorney  insisted  upon  having  the 
jury  polled.  During  this  examination  of  the  jury  one  of  them  said  that 
he  had  not  agreed  to  the  verdict,  but  that  he  had  been  compelled  by  other 
jurors  to  assent  thereto;  that  he  had  been  knocked  down  and  with  an 
uplifted  chair  and  violent  threats  forced  to  consent  to  the  verdict;  but  he 
now  claims  protection  of  the  court  in  repudiating  it;  but  the  jury  were 
discharged,  the  defendant  was  not  to  be  found,  and  he  is  still  at  large. 

The  warmest  feelings  of  friendship  have  always  existed  between  the 
members  of  the  Woodson  County  Bar,  and  the  different  persons  who  have 
presided  as  judge  of  the  district.  They  have  mutually  aided  each  other  in 
arriving  at  the  correct  solution  of  the  various  questions  tliat  have  arisen. 

Woodson  County  is  purely  an  agricultural  and  stock  raising  county, 
and  is  not  a  fruitful  field  for  litigation,  yet  its  bar  ranks  among  the  first 
in  the  state.    Several  of  her  lawyers  having  a  large  practice  in  the  adjoining 


WOODSON  COUNTIE!),  KANSAS.  593 

counties.  They  have  taken  an  active  part  in  all  movements  for  the  uplifting 
of  the  county,  all  of  them  who  have  families,  with  possibly  one  exception, 
own  their  own  homes,  and  they  may  truly  be  said  to  be  part  and  parcel  of 
rhe  various  communities  where  they  reside. 


59*  HjsroRV  or  AtLUK'  aaT' 


Zbc  {public  Scfeofe 

(by-  MR.  E.  E,  KELLEY,  SUPERINTENDENT  OP  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION.)    ....-, 

The  Barly  history  of  the  schools  of  Woodson  County  is  very  similar 
fc  that  of  scores  of  counties  in:  the  Eastern  half  of  Kansas,    The  pioneers; 
were  men  and  women  who  came  to  make  homes.     The  great  majority  were- 
men  and  Women  of  good  education  and,  next  to'  the  making  of  homes 
they  were  interested  in  the  education  of  their  children. 

In  1857  the  common  school  system  was  in  the  first  stage  of  its  evolution) 
even  in  the  states  east  of  the- Mississippi.  The  Kansas  pioneer  tried  to- 
begin  the  education  of  his  children  at  the  point  where  it  was  broken  off 
when  he  moved  from  the  East. 

Under  the  territorial  law  there  was  an  attempt  at  the  organization  of 
a  publico  school  system.  The  free  state  legislature  of  1858  took  some  steps- 
m  this  directi9n  and  created  the  office  of  Territorial  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  though  the  first  incumbent  of  that  office,  James  N.  Noteware,  has 
left  on  record  no  report  of  the  condition  of  the  schocfl^s  during  his  adminis- 
tration. Sis  successor,  S.  W.  Greer,  did  much  tov^'ards  organizing  the 
schools  into  a  system,  as  did  his  siiceessar,  J.  C.  Doruglas,  the  last  of  the 
k  rritorial  superintendents. 

W.  R.  Crriffith  w,is  the  first  state  superintendent  and  died  soon  after 
his  election.  His  siiccesor,  S.  M.  Thorp,  was  killed  in  the  sacking  of 
Lawrence.  Then  came  Isaac  T.  Goodnow,  a  man  of  great  force  of  character 
and  fine  executive  ability.  To  his  recommendation  the  passage  of  many 
wise  school  laws  of  the  earlier  days  is  due.  He  organized  the  state  school 
system  as  it  stood  until  the  year  1876.  The  school  laws  were  revised  in 
that  year,  and  the  Hon.  t).  W.  Finney,  of  this  county,  then  a  state  senator, 
was  chairman  of  the  committee  On  revision. 

The  first  school  taught  in  the  county  was  taught  at  Neosho  Palls, 
it  was  taught  in  the  summer  of  1858  by  Miss  Emma  Coulter.  Early  settlers 
say  she  was  a  very  pretty,  stylish  young  lady  and  was  well  liked.  (A 
standard,  by  the  way,  that  seems  to  have  been  maintained  throughout  the 
district's  history.)  Following  the  close  of  this  term,  Ebenezer  H.  Curtis 
opened  a  private  school  in  the  building  which  now  stands  south  of  Mrs. 
Tydemali's  and  back  from  the  street  in  Neosho  Falls.  Mr.  Curtis  was  a 
Irian  of  good  education  and  was  a  popular  teacher.  When  the  war  broke 
out  he  entered  the  tJnion  army  and  subsequently  became  the  colonel  of  a 
colored  regiment.  AYhen  last  heard  from,  some  eight  years  ago,  he  was 
living  near  Baxter  Springs,  Kan, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  595 

In  the  winter  of  1860-61  George  Waite  taught  a  private  school  in  the 
"V'iteto  building  just  east  of  Highbargin's  hotel.  During  the  next  winter 
Mrs.  Brengle  taught  a  school  in  her  home,  the  house  now  known  as  the 
John  Bryant  house,  and  had  an  enrollment  of  twenty-five  pupils. 

In  January,  1863,  the  new  County  Superintendent,  E.  J.  Brown  began 
the  organization  of  the  county  into  school  districts.  They  were  numbered 
consecutively  in  each  township.  Number  One,  Owl  Creek  township,  was 
organized  January  17th  of  that  year.  Number  One,  Neosho  Falls  township, 
was  organized  January  15th,  as  was  Number  One,  Belmont  township.  Num- 
ber One,  Liberty  township,  was  created  January  24th,  and  Number  One, 
Toronto  township,  was  organized  April  25th  of  the  same  year. 

Thomas  Holland  taught  the  first  public  school  in  Neosho  Falls-  About 
this  time  lumber  was  obtained  for  a  new  school  house,  but  I  am  told  the 
greater  portion  of  it  was  "jayhawked"  by  a  wagon  maker  who  had  a 
shop  near  'y.  Tlie  law  of  recompense  was  vmdieated,  however,  in  a  peculiar 
\:ay.  At  that  time  there  was  a  small  building  two  lots  north  of  Dulinsky's 
store  that  was  used  as  a  cooper  shop.  Early  in  the  war  the  proprietor  stole 
away  and  later  the  news  came  back  that  he  had  joined  the  Rebel  army  and 
was  killed  in  battle.  No  relatives  appeared  to  claim  his  property,  and 
the  cooper  shop  was  appropriated  and  made  use  of  as  a  school  house. 

The  first  ""new"  school  house  was  built  in  Neoslio  Falls  in  1869-  A 
second  room  was  added  in  1871,  and  in  1872  the  district  purchased  the 
old  land  office  building  just  south  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  This  served  as  the 
high  school  building  until  January,  1900,  when  it  was  abandoned  for 
school  purposes,  sold,  and  the  new  school  building,  just  then  completed. 
was  occupied.  The  new  building  has  six  rooms,  is  built  of  brick  and  is  of 
modern  architecture.  Among  those  who  once  taught  in  the  Neosho  Falls 
schools  I  find  the  names  of  A.  F.  Palmer,  later  a  county  superintendent; 
J  N.  Shannon,  now  a  prosperous  merchant  of  Vernon ;  J.  J.  McBride,  a 
brilliant  scholarly  man  who  came  to  his  death  in  a  tragic  manner  at  Toronto 
in  1886 ;  J-  N.  Stout,  ex-editor  of  the  Post ;  A.  J.  Jones,  later  probate  judge 
and  county  attorney ;  A.  H.  Newton,  of  the  Humboldt  schools,  and  J.  W.  D. 
-Anderson,  a  man  of  brilliant  attainments  and  literary  aspirations,  who  died 
at  Omaha,  Nebraska. 

Operating  under  a  new  law,  in  1865,  Mr.  W.  B.  Stines,  then  county 
superintendent,  proceeded  to  number  the  school  districts  of  the  county 
in  consecutive  order.  There  was  a  rivalry  among  the  various  districts 
in  the  position  of  "Number  One."  Neosho  Falls  especially  pushed  her 
claims  for  that  place.  The  coveted  number  was  conferred  on  a  Liberty 
township  district  near  Mr.  Stines'  home.  Neosho  Falls  was  Numbered 
Eight,  which  number  she  still  bears,  but  the  district  squared  matters  with 
Mr.  Stines  at  the  next  election  by  casting  a  heavy  vote  against  him  and 
securing  his  defeat. 

The  official  records  show  that  a  school  was  taught  in  Toronto  in  the 
summer  of  1864  by  R.  "W.  Richardson,  that  forty-nine  pupils  were  enrolled, 


596  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN"    AXD 

of  which  onlj'  twenty-three  were  residents  of  the  district.  The  school  cost 
!}^90  for  the  term  of  three  months.  E.  Kellogg  was  the  district  clerk.  The 
next  year  Mv.  Richardson  again  taught  the  school,  receiving  $20  per  month. 
The  clerk  reports  that  the  school  house  was  built  with  money  raised  by 
levjdng  a  district  tax.  The  hou^e  so  buiU  served  its  purpose  until  1881!. 
A^'hen  a  house  of  four  rooms  was  erected  and  A.  J.  Jones  was  the  first 
principal.  In  1899  it  was  found  necessary  to  build  two  more  rooms  to 
meet  the  growing  needs  of  the  school.  G.  H.  Lamb  was  principal  for 
a  number  of  years,  as  was  E-  E.  Kelley.  jMrs.  Ella  Crockett  served  twelve 
years  in  the  primary  room. 

The  first  school  house  was  built  in  the  Yates  Center  district  in  1876.  It 
was  a  one  room  stone  building.  Two  rooms  were  subsequently  added  to  it, 
and  in  1882  bonds  were  issued  to  build  the  stone  house  on  the  hill  in  the 
north  part  of  the  city.  It  was  known  as  the  high  school  building,  and  its 
graduates  number  about  150.  In  April,  1901,  the  district  voted  bonds  in 
the  amount  of  $12,500  for  a  new,  modern,  ten  room  structure  on  the  site 
of  the  north  building. 

The  first  building  at  Vernon  was  erected  about  1873.  In  1895  it  gave 
p^ace  to  a  new  school  house,  and  in  1900  an  additional  room  was  built  and 
:i  graded  school  established  with  Miss  Flora  Sherman  and  Miss  Maude  Lamb 
as  teachers. 

Among  the  old  time  teachers  I  find  the  names  of  many  now  dead, 
and  all  survivors  are  in  other  vocations  :  Edwin  B.  Dennison,  Mary  Brengle, 
Helen  S.  Miller,  who  later  became  Mrs.  Fred  Arnold,  Sarah  H.  Hawkins, 
who  became  J^Irs.  Judge  Graves,  Cornelia  A.  Woodruff,  Wm.  B-  Stines,  Julia 
B.  Thayer,  Laura  A.  Dumond,  Phedora  Jones,  M.  E  .Patterson,  David 
I'hillips^.  L.  A.  Wolfe,  R.  F.  Fades,  J.  M.  Jewett.  Mollie  Brady,  A.  J.  Moody, 
Vj-  V.  Wharton  and  H.  S.  Johnson. 

In  1867  the  school  population  of  the  county  was  571  white  children  and 
one  colored.  The  average  daily  attendance  in  the  county  was  186,  and 
*he  average  length  of  the  school  term  was  three  and  one- fourth  months. 
There  were  six  male  and  nine  female  teachers  employed,  and  the  average 
wages  of  the  males  was  $31.14,  and  of  the  female  teachers  $19.  Now 
the  total  number  of  school  age  in  the  county  is  3,521,  with  an  average  daily 
attendance  of  2.300.  The  average  length  of  school  term  is  seven  and  one- 
half  months,  and  the  average  wages  per  month  for  male  teachers  is  $37.50, 
and  for  females  $31.50. 

It  seems  a  little  strange  to  hear  of  log  school  houses  in  Kansas.  Yet, 
in  the  report  of  the  county  superintendent  for  1867,  it  appears  that  there 
were  thirteen  school  houses  in  the  county,  and  that  ten  of  them  were  log 
I'f.uses  and  three  were  frame  buildings.  At  that  time  the  following  text 
books  were  in  use:  McGuffey's  reader  and  speller,  Spencerian  penman- 
ship. Ray's  arithmetics.  Cornell's  geographies,  the  Goodrich  history 
and  Pinneo's  grammars:  in  many  respects  distinctly  superior  to  the  state 
texts  of  the  present  day. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  597 

It  might  be  well  to  speak  here  of  at  least  two  ventures  toward  estab- 
lishing private  schools.  -Especially  I  wish  to  speak  of  the  work  of  Miss 
Hattie  Clark,  now  Mrs.  W.  W.  P.  McConuell.  Miss  Clark  came  to  Neosho 
Falls  during  the  war  period  with  the  purpose  in  view  of  founding  a  semi- 
nary for  young  ladies,  t-he  came  in  January,  1864.  The  hall  over  the 
Jiotel  was  fitted  with  blackboards  and  seats,  and  the  use  of  Mrs.  Crane's 
organ  was  obtained.  Miss  Clark  taught  four  terms  of  three  months  each. 
The  tuition  was  $2.50  per  term.  The  first  term  she  had  sixteen  pupils. 
Then  to  make  the  school  more  lucrative  she  admitted  younger  children 
and  also  some  male  pupils.  During  the  last  term  the  enrollment  reached 
forty. 

In  Perry  township,  almost  due  west  of  Humboldt,  and  on  a  high,  bleak 
limestone  hill,  stands  an  old  unpainted  house,  gloomy  in  appearance  and 
showing  the  ravages  of  time.  Here,  soon  after  the  war  a  man  named 
Quackenbos,  a  brother  of  the  old  time  text  book  author  of  that  name, 
essayed  to  start  a  boarding  school  for  boys.  An  old  settler  tells  me  that 
the  plan  was  to  take  for  students  the  sons  of  Eastern  men  who  desired 
their  sons  to  see  a  bit  of  Western  life  and  at  the  same  time  be  far  removed 
from  the  contaminating  influences  too  often  found  in  the  East.  The  project 
began  bravely  enough,  but  the  students  had  a  predilection  for  running 
away  to  Humboldt  for  a  good  time,  and  after  a  year's  trial  the  school  was 
ubandoned.  The  old  building  is  a  landmark  and  can  be  seen  for  many  miles. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  county  superintendents  of  the 
county:  Peter  Stevens,  1859-61 ;  J.  B.  Pickering,  1861-62;  E.  J.  Brown 
1863-64;  Dr.  McCartney,  1864;  W.  B.  Stines,  1865-67;  S.  J.  Williams,  1867- 
70;  W  M.  Ftiendlv,  1870-71.  J.  L.  Gilbert,  1871-75;  A.  F.  Palmer,  1875-81; 
J  W.  Richardson,  iSSl ;  Lizzie  J.  Stephenson,  1882-87 ;  Kate  Ehea,  1887-89 ; 
J.  C.  Culver,  1889-91 ;  Kate  Rhea,  1891-93 ;  A.  M.  Kannard,  1893-97 ;  Lucy 
Ellis,  1897-99 ;  E.  E.  Kelley,  1899. 

The  twenty-fifth  annual  session  of  the  normal  institute  was  held  in 
the  month  of  July,  1901.  It  is,  in  Kansas,  the  educational  Chautauqua  of 
the  school  teacher,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  county  in  the  state  but  where 
the  attendance  runs  above  the  hundred  mark.  The  early  history  of  the 
normal  institute  is  interesting.  In  the  legislature  of  1864  some  humorously 
inclined  Solon  introduced  and  secured  the  passage  of  a  bill  designed  to 
encourage  the  normal  institute.  It  provided  for  the  holding  of  an  insti- 
tute in  each  senatorial  district,  "Provided,  board  shall  be  furnished  free  of 
charge  to  all  teachers  and  members  of  the  institute  during  its  session, 
hy  the  place  where  ihe  institute  is  held." 

It  would  be  rather  a  wonder  if  any  town  would  want  the  institute  under 
those  circumstances,  but  a  search  of  the  records  shows  that  Neosho  Falls 
opened  her  homes  and  spread  her  tables  for  the  members  of  the  institute 
on  at  least  two  occasions.  One  transcription  is:  "The  institute  held  at 
Neosho  Falls  on  September,  19th,  20th,  21st  and  22nd  was  a  decided 
success. ' '  Another  entry,  a  little  later  says : ' '  The  institute  at  Neosho  Falls 


598  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AXD 

^'.as  a  decided  success.  Teac);ers  are  becoiiiiuL;'  luoie  efficient  in  the  school 
room  and  more  active  out  of  it.  Forty-six  new  school  houses  have  been 
built  during  tl:e  year.  But  one  instance  has  occ',;rred  in  which  a  patron 
has  attempted  to  interfere  with  the  lawful  authority  of  the  teacher.  That 
patron  suffered  the  expense  of  a  lawsuit,  a  fine  of  eighty  dollars  and  the 
righteous  indignation  of  an  outraged  community." 

In  1867  the  county  received  $357.57  from  the  state  school  fund.  Last 
year  it  received  the  sum  of  $3,040.  In  1867  the  total  amount  paid  for 
teachers'  wages  was  $1,315.50,  and  last  year  $21,080  was  so  paid.  There  are 
now  eighty-eight  teachers  employed  and  sixty-nine  organized  districts  in 
the  county.  The  alumni  of  the  various  high  schools  number  220.  and 
there  have  been  238  graduates  from  the  district  schools. 


"WOODSON    COUNTIES-,    KANSAS.  ,SQQ 


politics  an&  leiection  TReturns 

(by  FRED  L.  STEPHENSON) 

At  the  time  Wooc  in  County  was  organized  and  for  a  number  of  yea  is 
afterward,  locality  and  personal  popularity  seemed  to  have  more  to  do 
with  the  selection  of  tlie  county  officials  than  party  politics.  The  Eepub- 
licans  were  so  largelj  in  the  majority  that  not  until  about  1880  or  1881 
did  the  Demo  rats  pla  -e  a  county  ticket  in  the  field.  However  the  regular 
nominee  on  the  Eepubl  can  ticket  was  not  always  successful  as  almost  every 
year  there  were  some  independent  candidates,  and  occasionally  a  Democrat 
■v/ould  be  elected  by  reason  of  his  personal  popularity  or  some  local  strife, 
Erom  the  beginning  the  Republicans  have  maintained  their  organization 
and  have.been  the  dominant  party  in  the  county. 

Some  of  the  active  workers  among  the  Eepublicans  in  the  60 's  and 
70 's  were:  I.  W.  Dow,  W.  B.  Hogueland,  W.  W.  Sain,  W.  H.  Jones,  W. 
B.  Stines,  W.  A.  Atchison,  D.  W.  Finney,  T-  W.  .Wilson,  W.  H.  Slavens, 
David  Phillips,  A.  B.  Mann,  Joseph  Bishop,  W.  S.  Loekard,  0.  S.  Woodard, 
J.  H.  Bayer,  William  Stockebrand,  J.  W.  Turner,  Pred  L-  Arnold,  Henry 
Gregory,  J.  W.  Jewett,  J.  A.  Freer,  G.  C.  Snow.  In  the  70 's  and  80 's  the 
following  came  into  honorable  prominence :  Seth  Kellogg,  J.  B.  Prutzman 
J.  A.  Gregory,  F-  M.  Henly,  Geo.  D.  Carpenter,  I.  N.  Holloway,  I.  S.  Jones, 
Geo.  E.  Faler,  J.  B.  Fry,  H.  S.  Trueblood,  R.  A.  Hurt,  J.  W.  Depew,  J.  E, 
Pickett,  J.  A-  Hale,  T.  J.  Eagle,  W.  P.  Stephenson,  S.  E.  Porter,  G.  W. 
Davis,  B.  P.  Baker,  G.  W.  Rogers,  W.  E.  Hogueland,  G.  R.  Stephenson,  J. 
B.  Stockton,  Dexter  E.  Clapp,  A.  C.  Gordy,  L.  L-  Byington,  W.  C.  Willie, 
B.  P.  Everett,  T.  L.  Reid,  Eli  Jackson,  Jno.  0.  Dow,  N.  B.  Buck,  J.  N.  Stout, 
W-  L.  Parsons,  Jas.  Dutro,  I.  M.  Jewett,  R.  M.  Phillips,  W.  P.  Dickerson, 
Chas.  Starrett,  A.  Singleton,  S.  C.  Guston,  A.  A.  Keck,  E.  W.  Naylor,  Geo. 
W.  Shepard,  James  Davidson,  J.  J.  Layton,  H.  H.  MeCormick,  R.  P.  Hamm, 
J.  P.  Bayless,  J-  J.  Puckett,  A.  H.  Schnell,  D.  T.  Shotts,  A.  T.  Woodruff, 
G.  H.  Lamb,  J.  L.  Martin,  J.  W.  Quick,  Thad  Parsons,  S.  G.  Paris, 
D.  M-  Ray. 

'  In  1873  what  was  known  as  the  Reform  party  yfas  organized  by 
Democrats  and  former  Republicans.  Among  those  prominent  in  the 
movement  were  G.  W.  Hutchinson,  W.  J.  Houghawout,  Hud  Houghawout, 
Mike  Reedy,  Dan  Fullmer  and  Frank  Butler.  This  party  nominated  a 
ticket  in  1873  and  succeeded  in  electing  Prank  Butler  Representative. 

The  Democratic  party  was  the  next  to  form  a  county  organization  and 
placed  a  ticket  in  the  field,  selecting  their  candidates  in  mass  convention. 
In  1882,  E.  V.  Wharton,  their  nominee  for  Representative  was  elected,  he 


6oO  history'  of    ALLElN'    AND 

lu'ing  the  only  suCL-essfxiI  candidate  on  their  ticket  that  year.  Among  the* 
leading  Denioerats  of  the  county  were:  Frank  Butler,  W.  J.  Houghawout,. 
A  Hamilton,  0.  F.  Houghawout,  ilike  Reedy,  Mike  Heffren,  Hud  Hough- 
awout,  Geo.  Yohon.  Owen  Diviney,  H.  D.  Dickson,  Phillip  Hefflenger,  C.  H. 
'■  Joodrich,  E.  V  AVharton.  A.  F.  Pahner,  Henry  Ashley,  C.  C.  Mills,  R.  R. 
Wells,  ?J.  C.  Smith,  E-  K.  Kellenberger,  T.  AV.  Plummer,  H.  H.  Winter,  G.. 
W.  Highbargin.  A.  A.  Kewrnan,  M^illiam  Cooper,  John  Cannon,  Geo.  Mc- 
Gill,  AVm.  Eeedv,  M.  E.  Hunt,  Wm.  AVyse,  James  Drain,  W.  D.  Wingrave,- 
U.  L.  Lynch,  Fred  Stewart,  W.  B-  AA^oodside,  H.  C.  Rollins. 

In  1886  the  Prohibition  party  held  their  first  county  convention  that 
nominated  a  full  ticket.  J.  N.  Shannon  was  the  nominee  for  Representative. 
receiving"  288  votes.  In  1888  Pusey  Graves  was  the  Prohibition  candidate- 
for  Representative  and  received  .368  votes,  the  largest  vote  ever  cast  in  the- 
county  for  that  ticket,  and  their  last  complete  county  ticket.  Some  cf  the- 
prominent  workers  in  this  party  were :  J.  N.  Shannon,  A.  A/'anSlyke,  W. 
S.  Shippey,  Pusey  Graves,  0.  P.  Houghawout,  M-  V.  B.  Pearsall,  H.  H. 
Petty,  T.  B.  Noland,  J.  AV.  Grimes,  E.  J.  Troyer,  John  Taylor,  John  Young, 
At  this  time  all  of  the  minority  parties  were  more  or  less  interested  in  the- 
so-called  Reform  movement. 

In  1888  the  Union  Labor  part5^  which  had  already  been  organized  in 
the  county,  nominated  a  complete  county  ticket  with  H-  IJ.  Petty  for  repre- 
sentative. The  Knights  of  Labor  were  well  organized  at  that  time  giving  all 
ihe  assistance  they  could  to  the  Union  Labor  party.  Some  of  the  leaders 
in  this  new  reform  party  were,  E.  A^.  AVharton,  H.  H.  Petty,  J.  G.  Kellen- 
berger, Prank  HaU,  AA^m.  AYalker,  J.  Z.  Dysert,  E.  B.  Moore,  W.  A.  Bailey, 
J.  H-  Sturdivan,  H.  T.  Chellis,  S.  C.  Geary,  AV.  H.  Talbot  and  Chas.  Pol- 
lard. This  party  only  eontinuel  their  county  organization  for  a  year  or 
two,  when  nearly  all  of  them  with  some  dissatisfied  Democrats  and  Repub- 
licans formed  the  Alliance  party,  and  in  1889  and  '90  they  effected  their 
county  organization. 

Although  the  Democratic  party  lost  many  of  its  members  they  kept  up 
iheir  county  organization.  The  organization  of  the  Alliance  was  soon  fol- 
lowed by  fusion  which  was  successfully  effected  with  the  combined  opposi- 
tion 10  the  Repuhlicans  in  this  county. 

in  1892  the  Peoples'  or  Populist  party  as  the  result  of  fusion  reached 
its  zenith  in  this  county  and  for  several  yeiars  succeeded  in  electing  one  or 
t\-,'o  county  oiSeers,  by  the  assistance  of  some  free  silver  and  dissatisfied  Re- 
publicans," but  the  Republicans  have  al-n'ays  been  considered  the  strongest 
political  organization  in  the  county. 

A  few  of  the  organizers  and  leadeis  of  the  Populist  party  in  this 
county  were,  E.  V.  AVharton,  H.  H.  Petty,  J.  G.  Kellenberger,  B.  A. 
Macoiibrie,  Frank  McGill,  J.  Z-  Dysert,  Sam  Jones,  J.  H.  Sturdivan,  A. 
Hamelton,  C.  B.  Goodale.  H.  T.  Chellis,  D.  S.  Park.  Geo.  Mentzer,  Fred  AVil- 
i'inson,  Alex.  Baxley,  Alee  Linder,  S.  C.  Geary,  Thomas  Watson,  Chas. 
Baiiersfeld  and  C.  C.  Mills. 


"WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  6(il 

At  a  meeting  of  the  supervisors  of  Woodson  county,  ivansas  territory, 
lidd  at  Neosho  Falls,  JMay  22,  1858,  I.  W.  Dow  was  chairman  and  W. 
Phillips  and  G.  J.  Oavin  constituted  the  board  With  Ghas,  Camron  their 
'clerk.  Among'  other  business  they  made  a  call  for  an  election  of  county  of- 
ficers the  first  held  in  the  county,  at  which  time  there  were  less  than  one 
'hundred  votes  cast.  At  the  general  November  election  in  1859,  Marcus 
■  J.  Parrott  received  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  for  delegate  to  congress  and 
N.  S.  Goss  for  mem'ber  of  the  coiincil  of  the  12tli.  Gouncil  district.  P.  G.  D- 
Morton  was  elected  a  Representative  of  the  24th  district,  over  E.  J 
Brown.  The  county  officers  elected  Were :  Peter  Stevens,  Supt.  Common 
'Schools ;  Jonathan  Keys,  Probate  Judge ;  Hiram  McConnell,  Sheriff.  For 
Register  of  Deeds,  Emerie  Chase  and  H.  GroBsbeck  each  received  84 ;  for 
County  Cleric,  J.  M.  Leech  and  M-  Smith  Atistm  received  81  vfttes  each;  A. 
Vernam  elected  county  attorney ;  G.  J.  Gavin,  treasurer ;  David  Reynolds 
'Coroner;  John  Woolman,  Surveyor. 

At  an  election  held  under  the  Wyandotte  constitution,  December  6, 
1859,  Charles  Robinson  received  60  vo'-es  and  Samuel  Medary  37  votes  in  the 
county  for  Governor,  97  being  the  total  number  of  votes  Cast  in  the  county 
that  year. 

At  a  special  election  in  March,  i860,  T.  D.  Bodman  was  elected  county 
clerk  and  H.  Groesbeek  register  of  deeds  to  fill  vacancies,  there  being  n6 
•choice  for  those  offices  at  the  previous  election. 

In  November,  1860,  tbe  county  officers  elected  were:  James. Crane,  pro- 
bate judge;  A.  W.  Pickering,  County  clerk;  Joel  Moody,  county  attorney; 
Osbone  Ewing,  county  assessor,  and  William  Phillips,  E.  Chase  and  Lewis 
'Thompson,  'commissioners. 

At  a  special  election  in  March,  1861,  E.  J.  Brown  vs'as  elected  repre- 
■sentative,  and  John  Stansbury  probate  judge  to  fill  vacancies. 

At  the  general  election  in  November,  1861,  George  A.  Crawford  received 
■a  majority  of  the  votes  in  the  county  for  governor.  E.  J.  Brown  was  elected 
representative.  David  Reynolds,  sberiff ;  Peter  Yohon,  county  clerk ;  M.  W. 
Alexander,  treasurer ;  J.  D.  Coulter,  register  of  deeds ;  J.  S.  Askren,  county 
assessor;  James  Crane,  probate  judge;  J.  B.  Pickering,  superintendent 
public  instruction ;  W.  B.  Stines,  surveyor ;  Allen  McCartney,  district  clerk : 
■Jackson  Lewis,  Owen  Diviney  and  H.  J.  Gregory,  county  commissioners 

For  state  capital  the  vote  stood :  Lawrence,  71 ;  Topeka,  5,  and  Em- 
poria, 1. 

NOVEMBER,  1862. 

There  were  101  votes  cast  for  governor  of  which  Thos.  Carney  received 
61  and  W  .R.  Wagstaff  received  50. 

A.  McCartney  was  elected  representative;  J.  B.  Pickering,  probate 
judge ;  A.  L.  Hathaway,  clerk  of  district  court ;  Geo.  L.  Wait,  county  clerk ; 
A.  Johnson,  sheriff";  Michael  Collins,  coroner;  J.  M.  Baldwin,  treasurer; 
John  Woolman,  surveyor;  Peter  Yohn,  register  of  deeds;  Isaac  McCon- 
nell,  county  assessor,  and  E,  J.  Brown,  superintendent  public  instruction 


fflSrORY   OF    AtLJSN   AND- 
NOVEMBER,   1863. 


'.reasurer ;  John  AVoolman,  surveyer;  J.  D.  Coulter,  register  of  deeds  and  D- 

A ski  en,  conntj-  as.seasor. 

NOVEMBER,  1864. 

The  total  number  of  votes  cast  for  president  was  102.  Lincoln  and 
Johnson  securing  67  and  McClelland  and  Pendleton  35  votes.  Saml.  J, 
(,'rawford  carried  tie  county  for  governor  and  John  Nathan  Foster  elected 
repreentativf  ;  Thns.  Arnold,  county  attorney ;  Pusey  Graves,  probate  .judge 
X:  Keller,  clerk  district  court;  J.  D.  Coulter,  treasurer;  Enoch  Fender, 
county  assessor;  W  B.  Stines,  superintendent  public  instruction  and  J.  S. 
Lc.bough,  commissioner- 

NOVEMBER,  1865. 

I.  AY.  Dow  was  elected  representative;  Pusey  Graves,  clerk  district 
court ;  Geo.  L.  AVait,  county  clerk ;  David  H.  Faler,  sheriff ;  David  Reynolds, 
treasurer ;  AV.  B.  Stines,  county  surveyor ;  Geo.  L.  Wait,  register  of  deeds ;  0. 
P.  Haughowout,  county  assessor ;  J.  D.  Coutler,  county  attorney ;  Chas. 
Ostermeier,  coronei-  and  Jno.  S.  Lobough,  Michael  Reedy  and  H.  J.  Gregory, 
commissioners. 

NOVEMBER,   1866. 

Again  Gov.  Crawford  carried  the  county  for  governor.  H.  J.  Gregory. 
Republican,  was  elected  representative;  Jas.  Crane,  probate  judge;  Pusey 
Graves,  clerk  district  ourt ;  ^.  J.  A\''illiams,  superintendent  public  instruc- 
tion; A.  K.  Philon,  trta,surer:  D.  Reynolds,  commissioner;  0.  P.  Hougha- 
wout,  democrat,  countj'  as.sessor  and  M.  V.  B.  Pearsall  for  coroner. 

NOVEMBER,  1867. 

The  Republicans  were  successful  and  elected  D.  AV.  Finney  representa- 
tive. Thos.  A.  Blanchard,  sheriff  and  treasurer;  W.  B.  Stines,  county  at- 
torney and  surveyor ;  AV.  AV.  Sain  county  clerk  and  register  of  deeds;  C.  B 
Graves,  county  assessor;  A.  Brush,  coroner  and  J.  L.  Loboxigh,  D.  Reynolds 
,',nd  H.  J.  Gregory,  commissioners.  D.  AV.  Finney,  AV.  AV.  Sain  and  AV.  B. 
Stines  are  still  citizens  of  the  county  and  have  from  that  time  been  active 
i  ■  the  political  field.  The  vote  on  the  constitutional  amendment  to  strike 
otit  the  word  white  stood  149  against,  and  88  for. 

NOVEMBER,  1868. 

Jas.  M.  Harvey  carried  the  county  for  governor  by  183  majority  over  G. 
Vv.  Glick;  B.  F.  Johnson  was  elected  representative;  Pusey  Graves,  probate 
judge;  S.  J.  AA'illiams,  superintendent  public  instruction;  AA^.  E.  Graves, 
county  attorney  and  E.  Fender,  coroner. 

NOVEMBER,  1869. 

H.  J.  Greuoi-y  was  elected  representative  over  C.  B.  Graves ;  I.  AV.  Dow, 
treasurer;  AA'.  AA"'   Sain,  county  clerk  and  register  of  deeds;  D.  Reynolds, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  603 

sheriff ;  J.  M.  Leach,  coroner ;  D.  V.  Dow,  surveyor  and  J.  W.  Jewitt,  P.  W. 
Yohon  and  H.  C.  Leonard,  commissioners. 

NOVEMBER,  1870. 

Again  Gov.  Harvey  carried  the  county  for  governor.  G.  A.  Bogart 
was  elected  representative;  W.  E.  Graves,  county  attorney;  Pusey  Grave::, 
probate  judge,  and  J.  S.  Gilbert  .superintendent  public  instruction. 

NOVEMBER,  1871. 

B.  F.  Everett,  republican,  was  elected  representative;  J.  A.  Bur- 
dett,  county  clerk ;  W.  J.  Houghawout,  democrat,  county  treasurer ;  Samuel 
Cook,  register  of  deeds;  D.  V.  Dow,  surveyor;  E.  Fender,  coroner  and  A. 
Hamilton,  democrat,  sheriff. 

NOVEMBER,  1872- 

Gen.  U.  S.  Grant  received  782  votes  for  president  and  Horace  Greeley 
received  247 ;  Wm.  Peck  republican,  was  elected  representative ;  I.  S.  Jones 
probate  judge;  T.  J.  Petit,  county  attorney;  Dan  Tollner,  clerk  district 
court  and  J.  L.  Gilbert,  county  superintendent.  Although  the  Republicans 
seemed  at  this  time  to  have  a  large  majority,  in  November,  1873,  so  the  story 
goes,  an  independent  ticket  -was  selected  the  night  before  election  known 
as  "the  Midnight  ticket"  and  was  in  a  measure  successful.  Those  elected 
were :  Frank  Butler,  democrat,  representative ;  Wm.  Cozine,  sheriff ;  W.  J. 
Houghawout,  democrat,  treasurer ;  I.  N.  Holloway,  republican,  county 
clerk ;  I.  S.  Jones,  republican,  register  of  deeds ;  J.  W.  DriseoU,  coroner  and 
S.  Michner,  W.  P.  Stephenson  and  L.  G.  Porter,  commissioners. 

NOVEMBER,   1874' 

J.  C.  Cusey,  democrat,  carried  the  county  for  governor ;  A.  B.  Mann, 
(R)  was  elected  representative;  I.  S.  Jones  (R)  probate  judge;  G.  I.  Car- 
penter (R)  clerk  district  court;  W.  H.  Stares  (R)  county  attorney ;  A.  F. 
Palmer  (D)  superintendent  public  instruction  and  D-  M.  Ray,  county 
surveyor. 

SEPTEMBER  12,   1875. 

Yates  Center  was  selected  as  the  county  seat  and  for  a  number  of 
years  afterward  the  prejudice  aroused  during  the  county  seat  contest  was  a 
factor  in  the  county  politics. 

NOVEMBER,   1875. 

H.  D.  Dickson,  democrat,  was  elected  representative;  I.  N.  Holloway, 
(R)  county  clerk;  R.  A.  Hurt,  (R)  treasurer;  I.  S-  Jones,  register  of  deeds 
and  A.  Smith,  coroner. 

NOVEMBER,  1876. 

For  president,  R.  B.  Hays  received  673  votes  in  the  county  and  Saml 
J.  Tilden  306 ;  Geo.  T.  Anthony  carried  the  county  for  governor ;  S.  R.  Kel- 
logg (R)  was  elected  representative;  J.  E.  Pickett,  (R)  county  attorney; 
Geo-  D.  Carpenter,  clerk  district  court;  I.  S.  Jones,  (R)  probate  judge  and 
A.  F.  Palmer,  (D)  superintendent  of  instruction. 

NOVEMBER,   1877. 

Complete  Republican  ticket  elected.  R.  A.  Hurt,  treasurer;  I.  I\.  Hollo- 


6o4  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

way,  county  clerk;  I.  S.  Jones,  register  of  deeds;  A.  Smith,  shriff;  Jos. 
"Webb,  surveyor ;  E.  Fender,  coroner  and  S.  Aliehner,  T.  J.  Eagle  and  J.  H. 
Bayer,  commissioners. 

NOVEMBER,  1878. 

Jno.  P.  St.  John  carried  the  county  for  governor;  Gen.  D.  E.  Clapp, 
(R)  elected  representative;  Geo.  D.  Carpenter,  (R)  clerk  district  court;  I. 
S.  Jones,  (R)  probate  judge;  H-  D.  Dickson,  (D)  county  attorney;  A.  F. 
Palmer,  (D)  superintendent  public  instruction  and  G.  C.  Snow,  (R)  com- 
missioner. 

NOVEMBER,   1879. 

Full  Republican  ticket  elected.  J.  W.  Depew,  county  treasurer ;  H.  S. 
'J'rueblood,  county  clerk;  I.  S.  Jones,  register  of  deeds;  Geo.  W.  Davis, 
sheriff;  Jos-  AVebb,  surveyor;  J.  L.  Jones,  coroner  and  J.  H.  Bayer,  com- 
missioner. 

NOVEMBER,   1880. 

County  gave  a  majority  for  Jas.  A.  Garfield  for  president,  John  P.  St. 
John  for  governor  and  D.  W.  Finney  for  lieutenant-governor.  D.  E.  Clapp 
was  elected  representative ;  I.  S.  Jones,  probate  judge ;  W.  E.  Hogueland 
(R)  clerk  district  court;  J.  W.  Richardson,  superintendent  public  instruc- 
tion and  Levi  Robbins,  commissioner. 

NOVEMBER,  1881. 

H.  S.  Trueblood  (R)  elected  county  clerk  and  J.  W.  Depew  (R) 
treasurer,  with  no  oppositon ;  G.  W.  Davis,  sheriff ;  W.  A.  Bailey,  Inde- 
pendent candidate  elected  register  of  deeds ;  Jos.  Webb,  surveyor  and  G.  C. 
Snow,  commissioner. 

NOVEMBER,  1882- 

Gov.  St.  John  again  carried  the  county  for  governor;  E.  V.  Wharton 
(D)  was  elected  representative;  I.  S.  Jones,  (R)  probate  judge;  W.  E. 
Hogueland,  (R)  clerk  district  court;  J.  E.  Pickett,  (R)  county  attorney; 
Miss  L.  J.  Stephenson,  (R)  superintendent  public  instruction  and  R.  D. 
Webster,  (H)  commissioner- 

NOVEMBER,  1883. 

Those  elected  were  J.  W.  Turner,  (Ind.)  county  treasurer;  I.  M 
Jewett,  (R)  county  clerk;  W.  A.  Bailey,  register  of  deeds;  D.  M.  Ray,  (R) 
surveyor;  G.  H.  Phillips,  (R)  coroner;  Jas  Cannady,  (Ind.)  sheriff  and  J, 
C  Puckett,  commissioner. 

NOVEMBER,  1884. 

For  president,  Jas.  G.  Blaine,  received  1,143  votes,  Grovei-  Cleveland, 
68.")  votes,  Benj.  F.  Butler,  135  votes  and  Jno.  P.  St.  John,  51  votes.  For 
governor  Jno.  A.  Martin  carried  the  county  by  a  large  majority.  W.  H. 
Slavens  (R)  was  elected  representative;  I.  S.  Jones,  (R)  probate  judge; 
W.  E.  Hogueland  ,(R)  clerk  district  court;  G.  R.  Stephenson,  (R)  county 
attorney;  Lizzie  Stephenson,  (R)  superintendent  public  instruction  and  C. 
C.  Mills  and  W.  D.  Windgrave,  commissioners,  making  the  board  Demo- 
cratic. 


WOODSON  COUNTIEI),  KANSAS.  605 

NOVEMBER,  1885. 

I.  M.  Jewett  (R)  elected  county  clerk;  Fred  Stewart,  (D)  treasurer; 
Jos.  Cannady,  (R)  sheriff;  P.  H.  How,  (R)  register  of  deeds;  D-  M.  Ray, 
(R)  surveyor;  C.  R.  Jones,  (R)  coroner  and  C.  C.  Jlills,  (D)  county  com- 
missioner. 

NOVEMBER,  1886. 

Gov.  John  A.  Martin  again  carried  the  count3r  for  governor;  W.  H. 
Slavens,  (R)  elected  representative;  C.  C-  Clevenger,  (R)  probate  judge; 
W.  E.  Hogueland,  (R)  clerk  of  district  court;  G.  R.  Stephenson,  (R) 
county  attorney;  Kate  Rhea,  (D)  superintendent  public  instruction  and 
A   C.  Gordy,  (R)  commissioner. 

NOVEMBER,   1887. 

M.  F.  Stewart,  (D)  elected  county  treasurer;  R.  M.  Phillips,  (R) 
county  clei'k;  A.  A-  Keck,  (R)  sheriff;  II.  B.  McHugh,  (R)  register  of 
deeds;  G.  E.  'Carpenter,  (R)  surveyor;  A.  H.  Mann,  (R)  coroner  and  J.  W. 
Quick,  commissioner. 

NOVEMBER,   1888. 

For  president,  Benj.  Harrison  received  1,148  votes;  Grover  Cleveland, 
595  votes;  A.  J.  Streetor,  363  votes  and  C.  B.  Fish,  104  votes.  L.  U. 
Humphrey  carried  the  county  for  governor  and  J.  H.  Hale  (R)  was 
elected  representative;  C.  C.  Clevenger,  (R)  probate  judge;  J.  H.  Sticher, 
(R]  county  attorney;  W.  P.  Dickerson,  (R)  clerk  district  court;  J.  C.  Cul- 
ver, (Ry  superintendent  public  instruction  and  Wm.  K.  Rogers, (R)  commis- 
sioner. 

NOVEMBER,  1889. 

W.  C.  Wille,  (R)  elected  county  treasurer;  R.  M.  Phillips,  (R)  county 
clerk;  A.  A.  Keck,  (R)  sheriff;  Geo.  E.  Carpenter,  (R)  surveyor;  A.  H. 
Mann,  (R)  coroner;  H.  A.  Nichols,  (R)  commissioner  and  H-  B.  Mc- 
Hugh, (R)  register  of  deeds. 

NOVEMBER,   1890. 

L.  U.  Humphrey  again  carried  the  county  for  governor ;  J.  H.  Bayer, 
(,R)  elected  representative;  A.  J.  Jones,  (R)  probate  judge;  W.  P.  Gregory, 
(Peoples' party)  county  attorney:  W.  P.  Dickerson,  (R)  clerk  district 
court;  Kate  Rhea,  (D)  superintendent  public  instruction  and  Wm.  Moore- 
head,  (Peoples'  party)  commissioner. 

NOVEMBER,  1891. 

Officer  elected  were:  H.  H.  McCormick,  county  clerk;  "W.  C.  Wille, 
treasurer;  F.  L.  Stephenson,  register  of  deeds;  T.  L.  Reid,  sheriff;  0.  P. 
Augustine,  coroner;  Arthur  Moffat,  surveyor  and  Henry  Ashley,  commis- 
sioner of  2d  district,  all  Republicans  but  Henry  Ashley. 

NOVEMBER,  1892. 

This  county  gave  Benj.  Harrison  a  majority  of  40  votes'  over  Weaver 
for  -f)resident  and  A.  AV.  Smith  a  majority  of  49  over  Lewelling  for  governor. 
Chas.  F.  Scott  received  a  majority  of  42  for  state  senator.  J.  H.  Bayer 
was  elected  representative;  A.  J.  Jones,  probate  judge  and  Wm.  Reedy, 


6o6  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

clerk  district  court;  A.  j\l.  Kannard,  (R)  superintendent  public  instruc- 
tion; (;.  H.  Lamb,  county  actoruey;  H.  A.  Nichols,  commissioner  of  third 
district.     All  Republicans  except  AYm.  Reeay. 

NOVEMBER,  1893. 

Those  elected  were  R.  D.  Webster,  treasurer ;  H.  H.  MeCormick,  county 
clerk;  T.  L.  Reid,  sheritiP;  F.  L.  Stephenson,  register  of  deeds;  0.  P. 
Augustine,  coroner;  Arthur  iMoffat,  surveyor,  and  Wm.  Moorehead,  com- 
missioner ot  1st  district:  all  republicans  except  Wm.  Moorehead. 

NOVEMBER.  1894. 

For  governor,  E.  N.  Morrill  received  a  majority  of  55  votes  in  the 
county.  The  suffrage  amendment  was  defeated  by  175  votes.  Wm. 
Stockebrand  was  elected  representative ;  James  Dutro,  probate  judge ;  6.  H. 
Lamb,  county  attorney ;  A-  M.  Kannard,  superintendent  public  instruction 
and  Wm.  Reedy,  clerk  district  court;  all  Republicans  except  Wm.  Reedy 
and  W.  P.  Lytle  who  was  elected  commissioner  of  second  district. 

NOVEMBER,  1895. 

There  was  only  one  vote  against  Judge  Stillwell  in  the  county  for 
district  judge.  R.  D.  Webster,  elected  treasurer;  J.  L.  Martin,  register  of 
deeds ;  W.  0.  Fades,  county  clerk ;  M.  E-  Hunt,  sheriff ;  D.  M.  Ray,  surveyor ; 
0.  P.  Augustine,  coroner  and  Henry  Peter,  commissioner  of  3d  district;  all 
Republicans  except  M.  E.  Hunt 

NOVEMBER,  1896. 

For  president,  Wm.  McKinley  received  1,288  votes  and  W.  J.  Bryan, 
1.180  vole.s.  E.  N.  Morrill  carried  the  county  by  13S  majority.  W.  W. 
Finney  was  elected  representative ;  James  Dutro,  probate  judge ;  A.  J.  Huff, 
clerk  district  court;  Lucy  Ellis,  superintendent  public  instruction.  G.  W. 
Cox,  commissioner  3d  district  and  J.  R.  Vice,  commissioner  1st  district;  all 
Republicans  except  Lucy  Ellis  and  J.  R.  Vice.  A.  J.  Jones  elected  county 
attorney. 

NOVEMBER,  1897- 

J.  C.  Culver,  elected  treasurer ;  W.  0.  Fades,  county  clerk ;  M.  E.  Hunt, 
sheriff;  J.  L.  Martin,  register  of  deeds;  L.  N.  Tallman,  surveyor;  Otis 
OreJidorff,  coroner,  and  S.  C.  Giistin,  commissioner  3d  district. 

NOVEMBER,  1898" 

W.  E.  Stanley  carried  the  county  for  governor  by  123  votes.  H.  A. 
Nichols  T\as  elected  representative;  S.  C.  Holcomb,  county  attorney;  W.  L. 
Parsons,  probate  judge;  E.  E.  Kelley,  superintendent  public  instruction; 
A.  J.  Huff,  clerk  district  court,  and  Q.  W.  Cox,  commissioner  of  3d  district; 
all  Republicans  except  S.  C.  Holcomb. 

NOVEMBER,  1899. 

J.  P.  Kelley,  elected  county  clerk ;  J.  C.  Culver,  treasurer ;  Silas  Nay- 
lor,  register  of  deeds;  S.  L]  Patterson,  sheriff;  L.  N.  Tallman,  surveyor; 
Otis  Orendorff,  coroner  and  J.  W.  Quick,  commissioner  of  1st  district;  all 
Republicans  except  L.  N.  Tallman. 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  607 

NOVEMBER,  1900. 

-For  president,  Wm.  McKinley  received  300  majority  in  the  county.  W, 
E.  Stanley  received  a  majority  of  290  for  governor  and  Chas.  F.  Scott's 
majority  in  the  county  was  295  for  congressman-at-large-  H,  A.  Nichols 
w  as  elected  representative ;  W.  L.  Parsons,  probate  judge  ;  A.  C.  Woodrutf , 
clerk  district  court;  S.  C.  Holcomb," county  attorney;  E.  E.  Kelley,  superin- 
>endent  public  instruction  and  S.  G.  Paris,  commissioner  2d  district;  all 
Republicans  except  S.  C.  Holcomb, 


6o8  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN   AN3> 


Zovonto 

BY  MRS.  M.  M.  BUCK. 

Toronto  is  a  thriving  and  progressive  town  of  nearly  800  population, 
situated  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Woodson  county,  on  the  Verdigris  river, 
tt  Avas  laid  out  in  1869  by  the  Toronto  Town  company.  The  town  did  not 
^row  much  until  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad  entered  its  domain  in  1882 
and  a  few  years  later  the  Santa  Fe. 

Toronto's  leading  enterprise  is  the  roller  mills  which  was  erected  in 
1894  by  its  present  owner,  W.  P.  Dickerson,  and  is  the  best  equipped  flour 
mill  in  this  section,  having  a  capacity  of  50  barrels  per  day  and  a  grinding 
capacity  of  400  sacks  daily.  The  brands  of  flour  turned  out  are  the  Gem 
Patent,  Pride  of  Toronto  and  Wild  Rose,  and  aU  give  general  satisfaction. 
Mr.  Dickerson  is  also  an  extensive  stock  feeder,  and  uses  the  surplus  mill 
stutf  to  good  advantage  as  some  of  the  finest  cattle  ever  shipped  from 
this  section  were  fed  on  the  output  of  this  mill. 

Another  industry  is  the  Broom  factory  which  has  been  in  operation 
since  1885  and  is  owned  and  operated  by  a  practical  broom  maker,  C.  B. 
Stuart,  and  places  a  broom  on  the  market  which  for  neatness  and  durability 
cannot  be  improved  on  by  any  of  the  larger  factories. 

The  various  business  and  professional  lines  are  represented  as  follows  ■ 
Two  dry  goods  stores,  four  general  merchandise  stores,  three  hardware 
stores,  one  meat  market,  two  furniture  stores,  two  grocery  stores,  two  har- 
ness shops,  three  millinery  stores,  six  restaurants,  two  druggists,  one  jew- 
eler, two  hotels,  four  blacksmith  shops,  three  painters  and  paper  hangers, 
several  carpenters,  one  undertaking  establishment,  four  doctors,  one  news- 
paper, two  lawyers,  one  dentist,  two  real  estate  agents,  one  bank,  two  bar- 
bers, three  livery  barns  and  one  lumber  yard.  A  public  school  building  was 
erected  in  the  80 's,  two  stories  high  and  containing  four  rooms.  In  1899 
two  additional  rooms  were  built  but  only  one  of  them  was  finished-  It  is 
expected  the  upper  room  will  be  finished  this  year,  1901,  in  time  for 
the  fall  term,  which  will  necessitate  the  hiring  of  another  teacher  making 
six  in  all. 

Toronto  people  are  alive  to  their  spiritual  needs  and  requirements  and 
have  three  church  buildings.  Methodist,  Presbyterian  and  United  Brethren. 
The  Methodist  made  Toronto  a  station  at  the  last  annual  conference  held 
in  Eureka,  March,  1901,  which  gives  them  a  pastor  who  preaches  every 
Sunday,  morning  and  night.  Rev.  W.  Emerson  is  the  present  pastor.  They 
also  have  a  good  parsonage  of  six  rooms. 

The  Presbyterians  have  not  had  a  pastor  for  two  years,  but  expect  one 
this  vear. 


■WOODSON    COtTNTIES,   KANSAS.  '60$ 

The  United  Brethren  is  the  newest  of  the  three  churches  having  been 
built  in  1890.  There  is  preaching  every  Sunday  night  and  alternate  Sim- 
ulays  in  the  morning.  Atso  a  good  Sunday  school  is  held  every  Sunday 
morning.  A  parsonage  was  bought  in  1898  about  two  blocks  from  the 
•church.  The  present  pastjor,  Rev.  T-  A.  Darling,  i-s  .young,  \amd  active  in 
the  Master's  cause. 

Toronto  has  eleven  secret  societies,  fraternal  and  beneficiary,  -each  hav- 
ing claims  to  the  individual  peeking  protection  for  the  home,  or  for  social 
and  pleasant  in+ercourse  with  each  other,  and  by  that  means,  help  relieve  the 
■dreary  vicissitudes  of  life  in  which  so  many  of  us  come  in  contact. 

Another  great  factor  in  Toronto's  husiness  circles  is  its  bank,  with  a 
capital  of  $5,000,  organized  in  1892.  The  arrangcm-ent  of  the  counting  room 
is  in  accordance  with  +he  ideas  of  metropolitan  banks  having  fire  and  burglar 
proof  steel  vault  and  safe  with  time  jo'.-k.  The  funds  and  valuahle  docu- 
ments are  further  protected  against  loss  by  a  policy  in  the  Bankers'  Mutual 
Insurance  company. 

The  ]irogressive  business  men  and  citizens  formed  a  company  in  1899 
for  the  purpose  of  drilling  for  gas.  Three  wells  have  been  sunk  at  an  ex- 
pense of  about  $1,000  for  each  well  and  the  results  are  far  from  satisfactory. 
The  first  well  was  abandoned  after  going  down  942  feet  as  the  conditions 
would  not  justify  them  in  going  to  any  greater  expense,  but  gas  and  salt 
water  is  s^ill  running  from  tie  pipes  and  is  being  drank  by  some  of  our 
rheumatic  citizens  with  beneficial  resvxlts.  Gas  well  No.  2  was  sunk  792  feet 
and  the  conditions  were  almost  similar  to  No.  1.  The  last  well,  or  No.  3 
was  sunk  1,000  feet  with  better  results  than  the  other  two,  and  it  was 
town.  Pipes  were  accordingly  laid,  and  most  of  the  business  men  had  it  put 
claimed  by  some  experts  that  we  had  enough  gas  in  that  one  well  to  run  the 
in  their  stores,  but  tie  flow  was;  not  what  was  expected  as  lamps  had  to  be 
used  in  addition  to  the  gas  to  make  good  lights-  At  present  there  is  some 
talk  of  raising  funds  to  sink  another  well,  and  as  the  citizens  have  already 
sunk  over  $3,000  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth  it  will  take  a  good  deal  of  argu- 
iiient  to  get  them  to  invest  in  another  hole. 


6lO  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN   ANU 


1fteo0bo  ifalls 

(by  miss  FLORENCE  L.  SNOW.) 

"When  strangers  come  into  the  town  of  Neosho  Falls,  they  notice  first 
the  broad,  smooth  graveled  streets  and  the  beautiful  embrasure  of  the  river, 
and  then  they  invariably  put  the  question,  "Where  are  the  falls?"  The 
changing  flow  of  water  over  the  mill  dam  is  most  disappointing  and  the 
explanation  that  the  riffle  above  the  town  site  is  responsible  for  the  name 
is  always  met  with  dissatisfaction.  But  this  gradual  fall  in  the  deliberate 
stream,  just  nine  feet  in  two  miles,  was  the  determining  factor  in  the 
genesis  of  the  place  and  because  the  men  who  founded  it  had  the  sense  of  eu- 
phony, Neosho  Falls  is  a  matter  of  natural  right  as  well  as  verbal  beauty, 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  '57  that  this  riffle  in  the  Neosho  river  gladdened 
the  eyes  of  these  pioneers.  They  had  come  from  Iowa  in  an  open  buggy,  two 
young  comrades,  full  of  the  life  that  belongs  to  new  countries  and  fresh 
enterprises,  and  they  were  looking  for  a  suitable  place  to  build  a  saw  mill, 
and  to  putih  their  fortunes. 

One  of  them  was  a  practical  mill  wright,  Isaac  W.  Dow,  a  native  of 
Maine,  of  strong  well-bred  universalist  stock,  lithe  and  active,  clear-sighted 
generous-hearted  and  ready  for  whatever  might  come.  The  other  was  N- 
S.  Goss,  Stickney  Goss,  as  many  who  knew  him  in  the  early  days  still  affec- 
tionately call  him.  He  was  a  little  older  than  his  friend,  and  had  recently 
sustained  the  loss  that  shadowed  all  his  life— the  death  of  his  beautiful 
young  wife.  The  descendant  of  an  old  Puritan  family,  he  had  passed  his 
later  boyhood  in  Wisconsin  whither  his  father  had  emigrated  from  Lan- 
caster, New  Hampshire.  He  made  the  best  of  scant  educational  advantages, 
cultivated  a  natural  fondness  for  all  sorts  of  bird  life,  and  began  the  busi* 
ness  activities  which  had  prepared  him  for  the  Kansas  venture.  Of  nervous 
temperament  and  a  rather  delicate  but  elastic  physique,  he  had  a  great  ca- 
pacity for  patient,  persistent  work,  and  with  a  kindly,  genial  spirit  and 
various  other  qualities  of  leadership,  he  was  especially  well  fitted  to  become 
the  main  stay  of  an  infant  town  as  well  as  the  "Father  of  the  Neoshfl 
Valley."  ^    . 

After  carefully  inspecting  the  banks  of  the  river  and  calculating  the 
water  power,  the  friends  decided  that  the  mill  should  be  built,  and  Mr. 
Dow  remained  in  camp  "with  the  Indians,"  as  he  himself  puts  it,  ou 
\ihat  afterwards  became  the  Reuben  Slavers  farm,  while  Mr.  Goss  went  to 
St.  Louis  for  the  lumber  and  machinery. 

There  were  only  two  settlers  in  the  vicinity,  John  Woolman,  three  miles 
west  of  the  chosen  site,  and  John  Chapman  who  had  a  cabin  near  Spring 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  6ll 

Creek,  though  to  these  might  be  added  the  Indian  agent  who  was  located 
three  and  a  half  miles  east--the  Leonard  Fuqua  who  still  lives  near  Kansas 
City.  The  east  hank  of  the  river  was  thickly  wooded  for  a  prairie  country, 
hut  to  the  west  of  it  the  level  ground  stretched  away  -without  even  the 
shadow  of  a  rock  to  the  low  bluffs  that  mark  the  ancient  boundary  of  the 
water.  Yet  it  seemed  a  promising  country,  and  it  was  highly  probable  that 
it  would  appeal  to  many  of  the  families  who  were  seeking  new  homes  in  the 
famous  territory.  The  mill  was  built,  the  people  came,  and  lumber  was 
made  for  their  cabins. 

The  first  of  these  rude  dwellings  belonged  to  Enoch  Pender,  and  his 
wife,  who  has  recently  followed  her  husband  to  the  undiscovered  country, 
was  the  first  white  woman  in  the  settlement-  Then  Stevens  and  Rugglea 
put  up  a  grocery  store  and  the  original  Falls  House.  Mr.  Euggles  was 
the  son  of  one  of  the  first  missionaries  to  the  Sandwich  Islands ;  had  been 
named  for  one  of  the  native  chiefs,  and  in  his  utter  disregard  of  his  parents ' 
teaching,  gave  additional  emphasis  to  a  most  original  and  interesting 
character. 

With  this  beginning  the  two  initial  nestors  secured  the  necessary  land 
find  laid  out  the  proportions  of  the  future  town,  and  a  postoffice  ha-ving 
been  granted  to  the  ambitious  se-^tlement,  Mr.  Goss  was  appointed  post- 
master. He  also  carried  on  considerable  business  with  the  Indians,  and  a 
grist  mill  was  added  to  the  original  industry. 

When  the  war  came  on  the  village  contained  some  very  strong  effective 
factors.  Robert  Mowry  had  come  from  Lawrence  to  assist  in  the  building 
of  the  mill,  and  the  great  water-wheel  that  he  created  was  a  nine  day's 
vender.  An  ardent  abolitionist,  he  had  been  in  the  thickest  of  some  of  the 
Lawrence  troubles,  and  an  equally  devoted  Methodist,  he  began  the  religious 
ser-vice  in  the  new  home  that  resulted  in  course  of  time  in  the  organization 
of  the  Methodist  church.  He  was,  to  the  last  of  his  days,  which  were  all 
spent  in  Neosho  Falls,  a  seer  of  visions  and  a  dreamer  of  intense  religious 
dreams,  yet  he  always  stood  for  practical  righteousness,  and  strove  with  all 
his  power  to  forward  the  common  ambition  of  making  a  good,  clean,  enter- 
prising town. 

Another  notable  addition  was  James  Crane  and  his  family.  He  had 
been  a  pioneer  in  Wisconsin,  and  was  accompanied  by  Dr.  Whitney  and  his 
wife  and  their  daughter,  and  son-in-law,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hurd.  The  party 
had  taken  adjacent  claims  near  lola,  but  being  dissatisfied,  had  moved  intfj 
the  Falls  where  Willis  Hurd,  the  first  child  born  to  the  community  made 
his  advent  early  in  '60- 

Mr.  Crane  had  a  tough  moral  fibre  and  indomitable  energy,  and  his 
wife  was  made  of  the  same  sterling  stuff.  They  subscribed  to  the  Con- 
gregationalist  creed,  and  for  many  years  abounded  in  good  works.  During 
the  hard  times  of  '60  he  was  sent  to  Wisconsin  and  Illinois  to  solicit  aid  for 
the  settlers  who  felt  that  they  must  have  help  or  abandon  the  country.  He 
succeeded  in  getting  an  appropriation  from  the  Wisconsin  legislature  for  a 


6l2  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

(;uantity  of  wheat,  and  Pusey  Graves,  who  was  one  of  the  most  interesting 
characters  the  town  has  ever  known,  assisted  very  largely  in  the  work  of 
systematic  relief. 

B.  F.  Goss,  who  organized  the  company  we  sent  to  the  war,  had  joined 
his  brother  and  built  the  first  frame  dwelling  house  in  the  settlement,  and 
Dr.  Allen  McCartney  who  had  a  superior  education  and  a  great  fund  of  dry 
humor  had  opened  a  drug  store  and  begun  a  successful  practice.  Dr.  S.  J.  , 
Williams,  an  equally  entertaining  humorist,  had  also  entered  upon  a  similar 
avocation,  and  his  eldest  daughter,  who  still  resides  here,  was  the  first  female 
child  born  within  our  limits. 

^Yith  such  a  nucleus  for  greater  things  the  matter  of  education  could 
not  be  neglected,  and  in  the  summer  of  '58  the  first  school  was  organized  by 
a  ]\Iiss  TUmnia  Coulter,  of  whom  no  record  remains  but  that  she  was  "pretty 
and  stylish  and  well  liked,"  and  she  was  followed  the  next  winter  by  Mr 
I'ibenezer  Curtis  who  "had  good  advantages  and  attracted  many  pupils 
from  the  country."  He  went  to  the  war  and  became  a  colonel,  sharing  in 
the  promotion  that  was  quite  common  among  the  men  we  supplied.  The 
response  to  the  call  to  arms  had  been  so  general  that  the  little  community 
was  left  at  one  time  with  only  four  men,  0.  P.  Houghawout  who  carried  the 
mail,  Mr.  Mowry,  whose  religious  convictions  kept  him  at  home,  Dr.  McCart- 
ney whose  practice  made  a  stronger  claim,  and  Major  Snow,  who  came  to 
the  place  early  in  '62  to  take  charge  of  the  Indians  who  made  up  the  Neosho 
agency.  The  neighborhood  of  the  Indians  made  a  good  market  for  all  sorts 
of  prodiice.  but  it  also  added  to  the  apprehension  of  the  time  and  the  temper 
ci  the  women  who  held  the  homes  remained  firm  and  true.  It  was  during  this 
period  that  the  Widow  Brengle  who  had  force  and  courage  enough  for  a 
much  larger  sphere,  made  a  memorable  ride  to  lola  to  carry  a  message  in 
regard  to  a  threatened  raid.  As  soon  as  it  appeared  that  no  one  else  could 
undertake  the  errand  she  saddled  her  fleet  little  pony  and  hurried  away 
over  the  wide  lonely  prairie,  stayed  all  night  with  some  friends  and  was  back 
again  next  day  as  if  nothing  unusual  had  occurred. 

And  so  the  life  of  the  place  went  on.  The  men  came  back  some  times 
(/n  leave— some  new  arrivals  came  in,  divine  services  were  held  by  Mr. 
Mowry,  Mr.  Lynn,  a  Presbyterian  minister  and  Mr.  Northrup,  an  earnest 
Congregationalist,  and  the  school  was  kept  up  as  teachers  cou4d  be  obtained 
The  year  of  '64  was  marked  by  the  opening  of  a  private  school  by  Miss 
Harriet  N-  Clark,  a  niece  of  the  Goss  brothers  who  had  been  most  carefully 
educated  in  her  Wisconsin  home,  and  who  had  been  very  desirous  of  enter- 
ing the  missionary  field.  She  had  given  up  this  hope  on  account  of  insuffi- 
cient strength  and  her  mother's  objections,  and  undertook  the  arduous  war' 
time  journey  to  the  new  country  feeling  that  in  spending  a  little  time  with 
her  uncles  and  engaging  in  teaching  she  could  still  enter  upon  a  very  usefu) 
career. 

Mrs.  Crane,  in  her  husband 's  absence,  had  moved  with  her  four  children 
into  the  half  finished  Falls  House,  and  kept  a  home-like  hostelry.    Lieu 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  613 

tenant  Crane,  from  his  station  in  Missouri,  sent  material  to  finish  the  large 
room  to  Central  City,  and  Mrs.  Crane,  eager  for  the  good  work  to  go  on' 
sent  the  two  younger  children,  George  and  Ada  across  country  in  the 
big  wagon  to  get  it.  It  was  a  large  undertaking  for  people  of  twelve  and 
fourteen,  but  they  made  the  trip  in  safety,  though  they  were  overtaken  by 
a  storm,  and  in  a  short  time  Miss  Clark  began  her  work,  using  an  organ 
which  the  music-loving  father  sent  his  daughter  from  Port  Leavenworth 
and  which  was  the  admiration  aiid  delight  of  the  whole  community. 

The  influence  of  this  refined  and  lovely  young  woman  was  a  very  fortu- 
nate thing  for  the  rising  generation,  and  though  one  period  of  her  history 
has  been  spent  in  another  state,  she  has  always  been  identified  with  all  oui 
nobler  interests.  Her  father  and  mother  decided  to  settle  here  soon  after 
she  arrived,  and  she  married  later  on  Captain  W.  W.  P.  McConnel,  whost? 
family  has  been  equally  prominent  in  our  de^'elopment.  The  Clarks,  like 
the  Cranes,  were  devoted  Congregationalists,  and  the  firm  of  Clark  and  Mc- 
Connel for  a  long  period  represented  our  leading  mercantile  interests  and 
entered  into  every  worthy  enterprise. 

A¥hen  the  war  was  over  we  had  the  common  season  of  rehabilitation, 
and  as  our  citizens  took  up  the  work  of  making  homes  again,  the  town 
f.'iade  steady  advancement.  Through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr.  Goss,  who 
had  served  as  colonel  in  the  state  militia,  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Railroad  passed 
through  the  town,  and  with  its  round  house  and  land  office  brought  a  great 
accession  of  life  and  energy.  It  was  an  easy  matter  to  vote  bonds,  and  the 
township  built  the  old  bridge  above  the  dam.  It  was  a  single,  graceful 
iron  span  225  feet  long  and  endured  an  incalculable  amount  of  stress 
and  strain  until  the  summer  of  '98  when  it  was  wrecked  by  an  undue 
weight  and  had  to  be  replaced.  In  '69  the  first  school  house  was  erected, 
and  in  '70  and  '71  the  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  churches,  after  being 
freshly  organized,  were  provided  with  the  rectangular  structures  of  the 
period.  The  county  seat  advantages  belonged  to  us  by  natural  right,  and 
in  1870  we  reached  the  dignity  of  corporation  with  a  population  of  thirteen 
hundred  souls,  0.  P.  Houghawout  being  the  first  mayor. 

We  also  had  a  newspaper  and  the  Washington  press  upon  which  it  was 
printed  had  a  history  that  was  characteristic  of  the  times.  It  had  been 
brought  to  Leavenworth  for  free  state  service,  taken  to  Lawrence  for  a 
similar  purpose  and  thence  to  Burlington  for  the  founding  of  the  Patriot 
by  Mr.  Prouty.  It  was  next  purchased  by  Wm.  Higgins,  afterwards  Secre- 
tary of  State  and  some  other  citizens  of  Le  Roy,  and  in  '69  it  passed  into 
our  possession  through  I.  W.  Dow  and  Captain  W.  W.  P-  McConnel.  Some 
irregularities  in  this  transfer  resulted  in  a  suit  before  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  the  records  show  the  judgment  in  favor  of  the  last  purchasers.  Like 
any  other  pioneer  the  old  press  was  built  on  heroic  lines,  and  it  was  used 
here  continuously  until  Mr.  Stout's  office  was  burned  in  '98  when  it  was 
destroyed  with  all  the  other  property. 

The  paper,  as  founded  by  I.  B.  Boyle,  was  called  The  Frontier  Demo- 


'6l4  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

crat,  and  was  considered  a  very  bright  and  breezy  sheet.  It  was  the  first 
newspaper  in  the  county,  and  it  has  passed  through  many  changes.  With 
W.  H.  Slavens  it  became  a  year  later  The  Neosho  Falls  Advertiser,  and 
iu  January  of  73  it  was  purchased  by  W.  W.  Sain  who  changed  the  name 
1o  The  Woodson  County  Post,  and  gave  it  a  stronger  Republican  character. 
Mr.  Sain  had  been  in  the  county  since  '66  and  had  made  a  distinctive  record 
as  County  Clerk  and  Register  of  Deeds,  and  it  was  during  his  exertions  that 
the  paper  reached  its  highest  tone  and  largest  usefulness.  It  reflected  the 
vigorous  independence  and  decisive  judgment  that  have  always  marked  his 
place  among  us  and  only  the  very  best  that  he  could  do  was  worthy  of  his 
readers.  But  with  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  other  business  seemed 
to  be  more  profitable,  and  Nathan  Powell  and  H.  D.  Dickson  bought  out 
the  enterprise  and  gave  it  a  different  sphere  as  The  Neosho  Foils  Post. 

Mr.  Powell  had  had  a  varied  experience  in  other  fields,  and  Mr. 
Dickson  was  a  young  man  of  rare  promise.  He  had  begun  his  life  here 
as  a  typo  on  the  Advertiser  and  assisted  Mr.  Sain  in  the  many  ways 
paper  in  '78  but  resumed  control  in  '81,  and  after  two  or  three  other 
ohB'nges  it  was  sold  to  J.  N.  Stout  who  still  serves  the  community  in 
the  editorial  capacity. 

During  the  early  seventies  a  comparatively  large  number  of  superior 
that  are  known  to  the  clever  foreman.  He  studied  law  as  he  worked, 
and  became  a  leading  figure  in  our  political,  as  well  as  legal  circles  until 
his  removal  to  Emporia  where  he  still  resides.  He  retired  from  the 
people  controlled  the  life  of  the  town.  The  land  office  had  brought 
the  Hon.  E.  T.  Goodnow  and  a  staff  of  enterprising  assistants,  and 
Mr.  Goodnow 's  seholary  training  and  refinement,  his  high  religious  tone 
and  steadfast  character  were  all  intensified  by  similar  gifts  on  the  part 
of  his  wife  and  their  accomplished  niece.  Miss  Hattie  Parkerson.  Major 
Snow  having  concluded  the  business  of  his  agency  brought  his  family 
troni  Baldwin  and  made  a  permanent  home  in  our  midst.  The  Good- 
richs  and  Hamms  brought  various  good  gifts  and  infiuences,  Joseph 
Bishop  began  the  career  among  us  which  has  been  one  of  our  strongest 
elements.  The  Woodwards  and  the  Ennesses  gave  us  various  fine  factors. 
D.  W.  Finney  has  been  a  continuous  and  persistent  force  in  business, 
political  and  social  circles.  Colonel  W.  L.  Parsons  bought  the  mill  of 
Covert  and  Cozine,  put  in  new  machinery  and  increased  its  capacity, 
married  one  of  our  noblest  daughters  and  entered  upon  a  continued 
period  of  usefulness.  C.  B.  Graves,  now  Judge  Graven,  of  Emporia, 
W.  A.  Atchison  and  T.  J.  Petit  kept  our  legal  lights  aflame,  though  they 
left  H.  D.  Dickson  alone  in  the  field,  later  on,  and  Dr.  J.  L.  Jones  had 
for  a  long  time  the  largest  and  most  successful  practice  in  the  county. 
Oiir  schools  had  necessitated  a  larger  building;  the  churches  were  in 
a  flourishing  condition;  everybody  had  rosy  visions,  and  altogether  it 
was  an  era  of  happy  work,  pleasant  intercourse  and  buoyant  vitality 

After  a  long  conflict  the  county  seat  was  finally  fixed  at  Yates  Center, 


TVOaOSON   COUN'tlES,    KANSAS.  615 

'but  we  quickly  recovered  from  the  loss  and  assured  ourselves  that  wa 
'Could  get  along  very  well  without  the  county  business.  Fillings  Brothers 
•ratablished  a  woolen  mill  in  '73  on  the  town  side  of  the  river  which  for  a 
time  was  very  successful,  and  in  its  failure  paved  the  way  for  the  flouring 
business  of  Finney   &   Son   which   now   occupies   the   buildings. 

In  '71,  I.  W.  Dow  in.stituted  a  prosperous  banking  business  which 
however,  had  a  short  life  on  account  of  the  panic  of  '73.  Mr.  Dow 
then  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  in  which  he  continued  until  he  left  for 
Marceline,  Mo.,  in  '86.  But  after  fourteen  years  he  has  returned  to  us, 
and  his  presence  is  greatly  appreciated. 

This  period  was  also  marked  by  the  erection  of  a  cheese  factory  by  the 
Rev.  John  Creath  who  was  also  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
who  became,  when  the  business  failed,  the  principal  of  the  city  schools. 
T?ut  the  largest  enterprise  of  the  time  was  the  Neosho  Valley  District  Fair 
ivhich  held  its  first  meeting  in  the  fall  of  '75.  The  district  was  composed 
oP  the  four  sympathetic  counties.  Allen  and  Anderson,  Greenwood  and 
Woodson,  the  association  was  ably  ofiicered,  and  the  stock  made  good 
returns  in  the  development  of  the  territory  and  rich  fellow-feeling,  though 
it  absorbed  some  hard-earned  cash.  The  convenient  grounds  were  leased 
at  first  from  Colonel  Goss,  and  afterwards  purchased.  Even  with  the 
little  work  that  could  be  done  at  best,  they  soon  gained  the  reputation  of 
being  the  most  beautiful  tract  of  woodland  in  the  whole  state,  and  they 
have  always  possessed  a  certain  indefinable  charm  that  draws  people  to 
them  upon  every  possible  occasion. 

The  fair  reached  its  zenith  in  1879  when  the  officers  possessed  suffi- 
■cient  influence  to  entertain  for  a  day  President  and  Mrs.  Hayes,  General 
Sherman  and  various  state  dignitaries.  The  decorations  and  music  and 
speeches;  the  wonderful  dinner  that  was  spread  for  the  guests;  the  beau- 
tiful buck-horn  chair  that  was  presented  to  the  President;  the  surpassing 
display  of  produce  and  live  stock,  to  say  nothing  of  the  chariot  race  that 
might  have  delighted  an  old  Roman  emperor,  and  above  all  the  crowds 
and  crowds  of  enthusiastic  people.  All  these  elements  made  up  a  very 
memorable  event.  "The  time  when  Hayes  was  here"  has  never  again 
been  equalled. 

The  decadence  of  the  fair  through  changing  sentiment  and  circum- 
slances,  resulted  in  the  purchase  of  the  grounds  by  the  city  which  takes 
much  pleasure,  but  not  enough  pride,  in  the  Riverside  Park  it  has  acquired. 
The  Old  Settlers'  meetings,  however,  instituted  six  years  ago  by  the  people 
of  the  same  territory,  bring  old  friends  and  neighbors  together,  keep 
tilive  the  spirit  of  good-fellowship,  and  give  the  blessed  old  trees  fresh 
appreciation  and  opportunity. 

It  was  not  only  in  the  work  of  the  fair,  but  in  various  other  channels 
that  Colonel  Goss  remained  our  most  distinguished  citizen.  As  president 
<C'f  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Railroad  Company  and  as  attorney  for  the  Santa  Fe,  he 
had  a  large  sphere  of  activity  outside  of  the  town,  yet  he  always  had  time 


6l6  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN   AND 

and  thought  for  every  Avorthy  home  ambition.  Through  all  the  busy  years 
be  had  spent  his  scant  leisure  upon  the  ornithological  work  which  he  loved 
more  devotedly  with  the  passage  of  time,  and  with  financial  success  and 
partial  retirement  from  business,  the  passion  for  bird  study  gained  the 
ascendency.  He  spent  much  time  in  travel  for  the  growth  of  his  collec- 
tion, and  finally  in  '82  he  accepted  the  invitation  to  occupy  quarters  in 
the  State  Ho^^se  where  his  exquisitely  mounted  specimens  still  remain  as 
a  most  remarkable  illustration  of  individual  attainment.  In  '86  Colonel 
Goss  published  through  Crane  &  Company  a  large  and  beautiful  work 
upon  the  Birds  of  Kansas,  and  he  has  an  appropriate  place  among  leading 
American  ornithologists.  The  most  effective  clauses  in  our  Kansas  bird 
laws  are  due  to  his  exertions,  and  the  feathered  tribes  still  retain  their 
sympathetic  friend  though  the  mortal  man  has  passed  away.  He  died 
suddenly  in  the  spring  of  '91  as  he  must  have  wished,  here  in  the  town 
for  which  he  was  so  largely  responsible,  and  in  full  tide  of  his  special 
aspirations,  and  the  expression  of  his  spirit  still  abides  in  all  our  at- 
mosphere. 

The  removal  of  the  round  house  and  change  in  the  M.  K.  &  T.  division, 
followed  by  the  loss  of  the  land  office  in  '76  deprived  the  growth  of  the 
town  of  a  very  potent  factor,  but  the  office  building  was  purchased  for 
school  purposes,  and  in  1878  Professor  J.  J.  McBride  organized  the  first 
high  school  grades,  and  in  his  teaching  transmitted  the  finest  intellectual 
inspiration  our  educational  .system  has  ever  known.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  Ann  Arbor,  and  had  had  many  o*her  fine  opportunities,  which  united 
with  a  sanguine  temperament  and  tireless  energy  gave  him  a  remarkable 
power  of  wakening  the  best  possibilities  in  every  individual  pupil.  And  so 
strong  was  his  personal  charm  that  even  when  he  was  overcome  by  the 
lamentable  elements  in  his  character  many  of  his  pupils  clung  most 
loyalty  to  the  better  nature  they  had  revered.  To  them  his  "faults  are 
all  shut  up  like  dead  flowerets,"  and  because  of  the  endless  impetus 
he  gave  them  they  look  back  and  call  him  blessed. 

With  all  his  imperfections  he  stood  for  the  world  of  beneficent  cul- 
ture, and  we  owe  to  him.  perhaps,  more  than  to  any  other  person,  the 
reputation  we  have  gained  of  being  the  "Athens  of  the  county."  The 
teachers  who  came  after  him  fostered  the  tone  that  has  made  our  schools 
the  very  best  possible  to  the  size  of  the  place,  and  the  spirit  of  our  people 
lias  been  unusually  refined  for  so  small  a  town. 

And  this  has  been  a  continued  chararteristic  through  changing  per- 
sonality. In  the  last  twenty  years  many  of  our  best  families  have  moved 
away  to  more  enterprising  places,  though  we  possess  a  subtle  attraction 
that  often  draws  them  back  again.  And  while  we  have  had  during  the 
greater  part  of  this  period  many  very  slumberous  seasons,  we  still  en- 
joyed enough  life  to  pass  a  very  comfortable  and  pleasant  existence. 

Through  fatal  fires  and  the  help  of  our  building  and  loan  com- 
panies many  of  our  old  business  houses  have  been  replaced  by  more  com- 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  617 

ciodioiis  and  substantial  structures.  In  '82  the  private  bank  of  Hougha- 
^\•out  and  Goodrich  was  established  in  a  convenient  office  built  especialls' 
for  it,  and  the  enterprise  has  given  us  continued  service,  though  the  firm 
has  been  changed  to  Goodrich  and  Inge,  and  again  to  Inge  and  Stillwell. 
The  Congregational  church  was  erected  in  the  same  year,  the  permanent 
organization  having  been  effected  in  '71  by  Eev.  T.  W.  Jones,  of  Arvonia, 
and  the  permanent  home  thus  secured  has  given  us  one  atti'actively  modern 
place  of  worship.  In  '86  a  large  city  hall  was  completed  and  furnished, 
having  been  made  possible  by  an  initial  movement  on  the  part  of  the  ladies 
0+'  the  place,  and  a  growing  pride  in  our  homes  has  made  all  our  environ- 
n^ent  more  and  more  inviting. 

In  '85  a  branch  of  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  was  built  from  Colony  to 
Yates  Center  and  with  direct  connection  with  Kansas  City  and  larger  ship- 
ping facilities,  the  farming  districts  have  contributed  more  largely  to  our 
business.  With  the  return  of  general  prosperity  we  hav-e  felt  the  common 
impetus  toward  greater  things,  and  in  the  last  year  we  have  made  more 
improvements  than  during  ten  years  before.  In  '98  bonds  were  voted  for  a 
TTew  school  house,  and  we  have  built  a  modern  brick  structure  that  will 
supply  our  needs  for  many  years  to  come,  and  be  a  constant  pride  and 
pleasure.  Former  attempts  having  failed,  a  fresh  effort  is  being  made  to 
discover  the  gas  which  has  so  abundantly  blessed  our  neighbors,  new  people 
tif  the  right  stamp  are  coming  in,  and  enterprise  and  hopefulness  per- 
meate the  air. 


6l8^  KTSTORY   OF    ALLEN    AN0^ 


Zbe  fiDeMcal  iprofession 

By  E.  V.  Wharton,  M.  D. 

the  men  who  came  to  Kansas  in  the  early  fifties  were  home  builders 
and  commonwealth  architects— early  eaglets  fluttering  out  of  the  parent 
nest,  whose  leaving  of  the  home  crag  indicated  strong  wings,  determina- 
tion and  what  is  known  in  western  parlance  as  grit.  No  weaklings,  no- 
•doubting  Thomas's,"  none  of  faint  heart  led  the  van  of  civilization  then, 
nor  ever  will.  Possibly  they  were  somewhat  rough  in  character,  or  a 
bit  indifferent  to  the  strict  observation  of  social  rules,  as  provided  by  the 
dilletante  of  the  East;  yet,  withal  possessing  a  sense  of  honor  which 
would  have  cheered  the  heart  of  the  early  cavalier.  Warm-hearted  and 
charitable  as  an  Oglethorpe  or  an  Austen,  prompt  and  exacting  as  a 
John  Winthrop,  came  they  to  build  and  fashion  after  their  own  notions 
a  new  commonwealth  in  the  great  American  desert. 

They  were  not  all  farmers  seeking  tillable  land  upon  which  to  build 
homes,  to  plant  orchards  'and  to  lay  off  fields ;  nor  tradesmen  seeking  soft 
.snaps  and  corner  lots  in  newly  erected  cities;  nor  lawyers  short  on  briefs 
and  long  on  lore ;  nor  preachers  seeking  locations  for  mission  schools  and 
invalid  souls  to  be  saved;  nor  incompetent  and  unemployed  mechanics; 
nor  promoters  selling  hot  air  and  cerulian  blue;  but  an  army  of  men  and 
\vomen,  and  with  them  a  few  brave,  big-hearted  and  zealous  doctors,  they 
came  bearing  the  plans  for  a  state  to  be,  yet,  the  grandest  and  most  pro- 
gressive in  the  sisterhood  of  states. 

The  doctor  of  pioneer  days  was  an  unique  character.  Educated  he 
was,  and  learned— as  learning  in  the  colleges  of  the  days  of  short  terms. 
ir  eager  curriculum  and  rapid  process  of  making  doctors  meant  learned.  He 
knew  little  of  bacteria,  less  of  plas  moedium  materia  and  asepsis  in 
traumatism,  but  possibly  as  much  of  the  "ager,"  the  necessity  of  cleanli- 
ness and  the  effect  of  quinine  and  corn  whiskey  on  the  human  system 
ns  do  our  bright  young  men  turned  loose  at  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth 
century,  schooled  in  Pasteurism  and  modern  bacteriology,  and  licensed  to 
maim  and  kill.  His  library  was  in  hi.s  head,  his  stock  of  drugs  in  his 
capacious  saddle-bags,  his  wardrobe  on'  his  back  and  his  office  wherever 
he  was  found.  He  eared  little  for  churches  or  church  ceremonials, 
dabbled  somewhat  in  nolitics.  talked  sketchily  of  scientific  matters, 
e-schewed  the  aesthetieism  of  the  Bostonian  school:  but  would  waaer  his 
sDurs.  stiletto   or  six-shooter  on  his  ability  to  cure  the  "shakes."  extract 


WOODSON    COUMTIES,    KANSAS.  619 

a  tooth,  or  relieve  intestinal  spasm.  He  had  heard  that  a  Boston  chemist  a 
decade  ago  had  discovered  the  wonderful  ether  agent-chloroform,  but  he 
knew  little  of  general  anesthesia  and  nothing  at  all  of  local  anesthesia, 
cocaine  and  the  ether  spray ;  and  the  effects  of  the  lighter  ethers  as  local  an- 
esthetics were  unknown  to  him.  The  antieeptie  qualities  of  phenol  he 
had  not  yet  been  introduced  to.  Yet  he  did  his  work  patiently  and 
well  in  the  light  which  he  possessed  and  contributed  much  of  value  to  the 
generation  which  followed  him.  The  doctor  of  1858,  dressed  in  homespun, 
broad-brimmed  hat,  and  with  trousers  encased  to  his  knees  in  jack-boots, 
and  spurred  like  a  knight  of  old,  mounted  on  a  bucking  bronco,  and 
with  saddle-bags  like  paniers  to  a  pack  mule,  would  make  a  strange  com- 
parison with  the  well-dressed  and  well-barbered  M.  D.  of  the  present  era, 
seated  in  an  easy  carriage  and  accompanied  by  his  driver.  The  appearances, 
though  seemingly  widely  different,  reveal  the  march  of  civilization  and 
the  development  of  a  race  of  people  who  move  rapidly  and  possess,  to 
a  wonderful  degree,  constructive  ability. 

The  medics,  in  common  with  other  professions  have  furnished  men 
who  could  be  trusted  to  place  a  hand  upon  the  helm  of  state.  Kansas' 
first  governor  was  a  pioneer  doctor.  Her  iirst  body  of  law-makers  was 
made  up  of  a  respectable  number  of  doctors,  and  in  the  passing  of  the 
succeeding  history-making  years,  the  roster  of  her  diplomats,  statesmen, 
and  laM'-givers  shows  the  presence  of  a  fair  representation  called  from  the 
field  of  her  medical  workers. 

The  oldest  settler  is  somewhat  in  doubt  as  to  when  and  where  and 
as  to  who  was  the  first  doc^ior  to  locate  in  Woodson  county.  The  weight 
of  testimony  leans  to-\rard  Drs.  John  and  L.  Dunn,  brothers,  who  established 
therppelves  at  Belmont  in  1857  or  1858.  Hon.  William  Stockebrand,  who 
«as  wounded  by  an  Indian  in  December,  1857,  was  treated  by  the  Dunn 
brothers  a  few  weeks  later.  The  Dunns  did  not  remain  long  at  Belmont. 
One  of  them  met  summary  vengeance  at  the  hands  of  the  "vigilantees"  in 
southeast  Kansas  while  the  other  removed  to  Texas,  but  resides  now  at 
i=nnie  point  in  Oklahoma.  In  1859  Dr.  D.  J.  Williams  located  at  Neosho 
Palls,  remaining  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  returned  to 
Illinois,  enlisted  in  one  of  the  regiments  of  that  state,  served  as  hospital 
steward  during  the  entire  struggle  and  returned  to  Nosho  Falls  in  1866. 
His  daughter,  now  Mrs.  Lucy  Gorbett,  was  the  first  white  child  born  at  the 
Falls  of  the  Neosho.  The  doctor  was  rather  an  opinionated  character  and 
believed  in  settling  matters  according  to  his  own  notion  of  things.  He 
was  kind-hearted,  attentive  to  the  suffering  and  delighted  in  relieving  "the 
sting  of  the  venomed  fang"  by  extraction.  He  died  of  cancer  late  in  the 
seventies. 

About  1862  Dr.  Logwood  located  in  Belmont  as  the  successor  of  the 
Dunn  brothers.    To  him  was  charged  the  mistake  of  inoculating  the  entire 


620  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

vicinity  with  smallpox  virus  instead  of  the  milder  form  of  vaccine.  As  a  re- 
Kult  a  large  portion  of  the  pioneers  of  that  portion  of  the  county  died  of 
smallpox. 

Dr.  Allen  JNIcCartney  came  to  Neosho  Falls  in  1858,  about  the  time 
Dr.  Williams  located  there.  He  remained  there  during  the  war,  M-as 
Lincoln's  first  postmaster  at  "the  Falls,"  left  there  in  1868  and  estab- 
lished a  trading  post  at  the  foot  of  the  mound  where  "Little  Bear"  was 
buried,  at  the  junction  of  the  Neosho  and  Fall  rivers.  Later,  he  was  in- 
terested in  the  founding  of  the  town  of  Neodesha  and  still  later  represented 
his  county  (Wilson)  in  the  state  legislature.  And  now,  in  the  glorious 
sunset  of  life,  he  looks  back  over  the  past  with  the  consciousness  that 
there  was  in  his  career  a  something  which  bettered  those  who  followed 
him,  as  well  as  those  who  came  into  personal  touch  with  him. 

Dr.  D.  W.  Maxson  came  to  Woodson  county  in  1858  also,  and  located 
at  Coy's  store,  now  Coyville.  For  a  more  extended  mention  of  his  career 
see  his  biography  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  He  has  seen  much  service  in 
professional  life,  is  a  sound  counsellor,  a  good  clinician  and  a  worthy 
member  of  the  profession. 

In  1869  and  in  1870,  Dr.  R.  B.  Camfield  and  Dr.  S.  J.  Carpenter, 
came  to  the  county.  Dr.  Camfield  located  upon  a  claim  on  South  Owl 
Creek  and,  for  some  years,  looked  after  the  health  of  that  community. 
Later  he  removed  to  Buffalo,  Kansas,  where  he  died  in  1889,  from  wounds 
received  from  a  vicious  horse.  Dr.  Carpenter  located  near  Neosho  Falls, 
did  something  of  a  general  practice,  but  was  inclined  toward  special  work. 
He  established  sanitariums  at  Humboldt  and  at  Eureka,  where  he  sought 
to  treat  chronic  diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs.  Not  meeting  with  the 
success  he  expected  in  such  a  field  of  labor  he  settled  do'wn,  late  in  life,  to 
general  work  in  one  of  our  live  Kansas  towns. 

Dr.  D.  L.  Rogers  came  to  Toronto  from  Canada  in  1871.  He  was  a 
bright  and  earnest  worker,  became  tired  of  Kansas  life  and  returned  to 
the  Queen's  Dominion  where  he  died  in  1891.  The  same  year  (1871)  Dr. 
A.  H.  Mann  came  to  Toronto.  He  was  just  from  the  regular  army 
and  only  remained  out  of  the  service,  and  in  the  practice  at  Toronto,  a  few 
years.  He  returned  to  Toronto  again  in  1875  and  remained  many  years. 
He  performed  the  first  amputation  that  was  done  in  Woodson  and  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  able  physicians  and  surgeons  of  his  day  and 
county.  He  resided  in  Illinois  when  the  Spanish-American  war  broke  out 
and  was  commissioned  a  surgeon  in  one  of  the  regiments  raised  in  that 
state  and  did  duty  at  Tampa,  Florida.  Doctor  R.  B.  Marr,  a  bright 
young  man  from  one  of  the  St.  Louis  colleges,  located  in  Toronto  in  1875 
v.'here  he  was  an  active  and  energetic  man,  wedded  to  his  profession.  He 
became  inoculated  with  a  loathsome  disease  while  attending  a  patient  and, 
as  a  price  for  his  martyrdom,  was  incapacitated,  for  many  years,  for  pro- 


WOODSON  COUNTIEiS,  KANSAS.  62 1 

fessional  work.    He  is  no\v  in  south  Missouri  a  physical  wreck  but  a  pro- 
fessional hero 

Dr.  J.  L.  Jones  came  to  Kalida,  a  town  which  now  lives  only  in  history, 
v\  1872.  The  doctor  was  a  Kentuekian — in  that  Kentucldan  means  hospi- 
table, jolly,  and  with  an  eye  to  business.  He  practiced  there  three  year;; 
and  the  fifteen  years  following  in  Neosho  Palls.  In  1890  he  removed  to 
Ijeroy  and  in  1892  became  a  resident  of  Yates  Center.  In  all  his  perigrina- 
tions  he  never  lost  sight  "o'  the  silver."  He  amassed  quite  a  competency 
and  now  resides  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 

Dr.  T.  J.  Means,  another  old-fashioned,  "old  school"  Kentucky  doctor, 
opened  his  practice  in  Neosho  Falls  in  1872.  His  office  was  afterward  the 
dining  room  of  Judge  H.  D.  Dickson's  residence.  He  believed  in  heroic 
doses  of  calomel  and  jalap,  bled  his  patients  profusely,  and  was  a  typical 
representative  of  the  medical  rennaisEanee.  He  could  not  endure  Kan- 
sas Republicanism  and,  in  1874,  removed  to  Texas. 

Among  the  seventies  probably  Dr.  J.  W.  Driscoll  was  a  character  the 
most  unique.  He  dropped  into  Neosho  Falls  as  though  he  had  fallen  from 
the  planet  Mars,  and  to  strengthen  the  supposition,  some  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  fighting  god  are  herewith  attributed  to  him:  He  was  stub- 
born, unyielding,  imperious,  yet  withal  tender,  compassionate  and  char- 
itable, doing  his  duty  as  he  saw  it.  Possibly  the  most  learned  of  his  com- 
peers, yet  not  "stuck  up,"  he  looked  upon  matters  with  only  the  eye  of  a 
scientist.  "If  you  are  worthy  and  can  do  the  work" — for  he  was  a  worker 
—"you  are  one  of  us;  otherwise  you  must  learn,"  said  he  to  the 
neophyte  as  to  "the  elect,"  until  he  knew  them.  For  some  years  he  had 
tilled  the  chair  of  mathematics  in  an  eastern  academy,  taught  the  young 
man  his  first  lessons  in  quadratics,  discussed  geometry  from  a  straight  line 
all  the  way  through  to  conic  sections — not  even  forgetting  the  pons  asin- 
oi"um,  taught  trigonometry  and  talked  of  the  value  of  angles,  spoke  of 
sines,  tangents,  chords,  secants,  et  omnia  gens,  in  fact  was  an  "all-round 
man"  in  mathematical  science.  When  he  located  among  us  the  good  people 
recognized  his  worth  and  made  him  a  member  of  our  board  of  examiners 
tL  pass  upon  the  qualifications  of  the  teachers  of  the  county,  and  also 
made  him  county  surveyor.  Be  it  said  to  his  memory,  his  records  are 
the  only  ones  in  the  county  which  show  surveys  made  by  "latitude  and 
departure."  His  notes,  like  his  work,  to  a  class  of  students  are  as  exact 
as  the  science  he  loved.  More  of  a  surveyor  and  engineer  than  a  doctor, 
he  left  Kansas  after  a  few  years  sojourn,  returned  to  Indiana  and,  in  1882, 
died  in  the  harness  as  a  teacher.  Excentric  he  might  have  been,  but 
bright,  brainy  and  brilliant,  he  was  one  of  the  needed  men  of  his  time. 

Dr.  Parker  was  one  of  the  birds  of  passage  who  came  in  about  1870. 
He  and  his  family  aspired  to  be  social  leaders  in  a  pioneer  town  but  his 
experience  proved  only  a  labor  of  love  and  after  a  few  months  "he  folded 


622  HISTORY   OF    ALLEN    AND 

his  tent  and  quietly  stole  away"  to  a  more  appreciative  community. 

Dr.  B.  D.  Williams  was  the  first  homeopathist  to  locate  in  the  country. 
His  learning  professionally  was  not  of  the  highest  order,  nor  did  he  liave 
must  respect  for  the  English  language,  as  taught  from  Kirkham  to  the 
latest  edition  of  grammer.  It  was  he  who,  on  July  4,  1874,  when  the 
fantastic  paraders  removed  their  masks,  remarked,  "they  ought  to  have 
gone  to  some  obscure  place  to  do  that."  In  1875  he  went  west  and  was 
lost  in  the  flood  of  emigration  to  the  Rockies  during  the  decade  which 
followed. 

Dr.  John  T.  Warner  was  probably  the  most  active  and  enjoyed  the 
most  extensive  practice  of  any  of  his  colleagues  at  the  Falls.  He  was  a' 
pleasant  and  agreeable  gentleman,  competent  and  well  liked  by  the  people, 
but  was  too  timid  for  a  good  physician.  .  He  died  in  1875  from  opium 
poisoning.  He  suffered  from  some  ailment  and  had  taken  a  large  dose  of 
opium.  Not  getting  better  he  summoned  another  doctor  who,  without  know- 
ing his  patient  had  already  taken  the  drug,  administered  another  large 
dose,  and  with  fatal  results. 

Dr.  Will  E.  Turner,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Major  Snow,  was  a 
competent  man  in  his  profession,  but  paid  more  attention  to  holding  down  a 
homestead,  and  other  outside  matters,  than  medicine.  He  moved  to  Mon- 
tana, made  money  there,  but  was  accidentally  drowned  in  the  Missouri 
river  about  1880. 

Dr.  J.  W.  Turner  came  to  the  county  in  1872  and  located  northeast  of 
Yates  Center  on  a  homestead.  The  doctor  was  a  true  scion  of  the  Blue 
Grass  state;  was  a  Kentuckian  in  all  that  "a  son  of  Kentucky"  means. 
He  did  in  his  day,  probably,  more  surgical  work  than  any  of  the  profession 
of  the  county.  He  was  somewhat  irascible  in  temper,  .^lightly  inclined 
to  haughtiness,  yet  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  one  of  the  type  which  is 
too  rapidly  disappearing  in  this  age  of  rush  and  ' '  every  fellow  for  himself. 
The  first  laparotomy  ever  attempted  in  the  county  was  conducted  by  him. 
He  had  a  busy  practice  for  some  years,  served  as  county  treasurer  one 
term,  was  a  director  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Yates  Center  and  died 
from  hemorrhage  of  the  stomach  in  1885. 

Dr.  0.  J.  Skinner  came  to  this  county  in  1872  and  located  on  a  claim 
adjoining  Dr.  Turner's.  He  was  a  Vermonter  by  birth  and  a  Kentuckian 
by  adoption  and  instinct.  Among  all  the  workers  of  the  profession  none 
were  or  will  be  more  studious  and  observing  than  he.  He  loved  books 
and  a  late  light;  was  possibly  the  best  clinician  of  his  fellows  and  the 
safest  counsellor  of  all  the  coterie  of  workers  of  his  time.  None  more 
patient  and  none  more  desirous  of  knowing  all  of  a  case  than  he.  After 
years  of  hard  work  and  kindly  admonition  to  the  younger  brood  of  doctors 
he  fell  asleep,  with  his  sack  for  a  pillow.     Among  the  old  fellows  who 


"WaODSON  COTJNTIES,   kansas.  62^; 

icame  here  in   early   days   tew  were   his   peer   as   a   careful,   painstaking 
-watcher  and  observer  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick,  and  none  his  superior. 

About  1873  Dr.  W.  F.  Girdener  eame  to  Kalida  and,  in  conjunction 
Avith  Dr.  Jones,  composed  the  medical  staff  of  that  village  for  a  time.  In 
1877  he  removed  to  Yates  Center  where  be  died  a  year  or  two  following, 
■a  victim  of  tuberculosis. 

The  writer.  Dr.  E.  V.  Wharton,  came  to  Yates  Center,  August  20, 
1876,  and  was  the  first  medical  man  to  fan  the  breezes  of  the  coiinty  seat 
vith  his  shingle.  July  1901  finds  him  here  still.  In  1877  his  other  col- 
leagues in  the  practice  were  Doctors  Skinner,  Turner  and  Girdener,  at  the 
■county  seat. 

Dr.  S.  J.  Bacon  came  to  Yates  Center  in  1880  and  purchased  the 
Wolfer  drug  store.  He  has  been  in  the  drug  business  continuously  since. 
The  doctor  is  not  a  Kentuckian  nor  does  he  endorse  the  theories  of  the 
total  abstainers.  He  did  much  work  in  the  professional  field,  was  a 
horse  fancier  for  some  years,  a  eport  and  an  all  round  good  fellow. 

Dr.  H.  W.  West  came  to  the  county  as  a  protege  of  Dr.  Turner  in  1880. 
He  has  had  a  lucrative  practice,  married  a  most  estimable  woman,  reared  a 
.splendid  family  and  is  going  down  to  a  glorious  sunset  of  old  age.  He  is 
one  of  the  Board  of  Pension  Examiners  of  the  McKinley  administration. 

In  1882  Dr.  George  H.  Phillips  emigrated  from  Jacksonville,  Illinois, 
to  Yates  Center,  entered  the  practice  of  medicine,  bought  an  interest  in  a 
■drug  store  and  assisted  in  conducting  the  Sunday  school.  He  is  a  man 
■of  brilliant  parts,  a  hard  worker  and  careful  observer,  and  left  Kansas  to 
assume  the  position  of  physician  to  the  Indian  school  at  Chiloceo,  I.  T. 
He  is  now  a  resident  of  Pawnee,  Oklahoma,  and  has  been  appointed,  re- 
cently, as  teacher  and  medical  advisor  at  Chiloceo. 

Dr.  George  Rutlege,  a  playmate  and  boy  chum  of  Dr.  Phillips,  came 
to  Yates  Center  in  1881,  remained  a  few  brief  months  and  removed  to 
Missouri.  The  polities  of  that  state,  his  practice  and  the  climate,  were  not 
■congenial  and  he  returned  to  Kansas  for  a  short  period  and  finally  took  up 
his  residence  in  Illinois. 

Dr.  G.  W.  Lee  another  of  the  good  man  from  the  "Old  Sucker  State" 
spawned  on  Kansas,  came  in  1889,  and  practiced  a  short  time  in  Yates 
(''enter.  He  then  took  up  his  residence  in  Toronto  where  he  has  an 
enviable  business. 

Dr.  T.  A.  Jones  became  a  resident  of  Toronto  about  1888.  did  an  active 
practice,  was  generally  loved  by  the  public,  dabbled  somewhat  in  politics 
and  social  studies  and  died  in  1894  or  1895.  His  work  was  thorough  and 
t)ore  the  ear-marks  of  a  plodding,  painstaking  student. 

Dr.  Otes  Orendorff  came  to  Yates  Center  in  1893  fresh  from  medical 
college,  was  associated  some  years  with  Dr.  Kellenberger,  moved  then  to 
southern  Missouri  where  he  did  some  work.     Tiring  of  Missouri  practice 


624  HISTORY   OF  ALLEN   AND 

and  Missouri  hospitality  lie  returned  to  his  first  love,  metaphorically  speak- 
ing, and  re-entered  the  practice  alone.  He  bears  the  impress  of  the  seal 
of  work  which  is  the  characteristic  of  a  Kansan  and  in  the  years  to  come 
will  materially  aid  in  completing  the  structure  planned  by  the  early  ar- 
gonauts. He  is  one  of  the  Board  of  Pension  Examiners  of  the  McKinley 
administration. 

Dr.  B.  F.  Browning,  after  trying  several  locations  in  Kansas,  in  1893 
concluded  that  Yates  Center  would  suit  and  he  located  here.  He  rushed 
iuto  a  lucrative  practice  and,  notwithstanding  his  Virginian  idiosyncrasies, 
has  become  completely  westernized  and  does  things  according  to  the  Kan- 
sas rule.  Bright  affable  young  and  energetic  he  has  the  elements  necessary 
to  continue  pushing  the  profession  in  Kansas  to  the  front  rank  with  the 
best  of  the  other  states. 

Dr.  A.  J.  Lieuranee  came  to  Neosho  Falls  in  1886  and  has  done  some 
practice  but  pays  more  attention  to  the  legitimate  drug  trade.  He  has 
dabbled  some  in  politics  as  a  Democratic  leader,  is  financially  independent 
and  takes  the  world  easy. 

Dr.  0.  S.  Spaulding  who  came  to  Toronto  in  the  late  eighties  or 
early  nineties  is  the  only  homeopathic  in  the  county.  He  has  the  distinc- 
tion of  enjoying  the  confidence  of  the  people,  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Pension  Examiners,  is  closely  intouch  with  the  more  advanced 
thinkers  of  sociology,  is  a  student  and  all  that  a  thinker  in  Kansas  parlance 
means. 

During  the  years  of  developing  the  territory  known  as  Woodson 
county  a  number  of  doctors,  like  the  wild  duck,  have  come  and  gone. 
Their  stay  was  too  short  and  their  work  too  ephemeral  to  notice  as  a  part 
of  the  hive  of  workers.  Some  were  adventurers,  some  simply  "doing 
the  country,"  and  some  of  the  "make-fat"  variety.  Probably  this  county 
has  had,  as  the  years  go  by  to  make  decades,  a  class  of  medical  men  as 
bright,  as  worthy,  and  who,  in  their  humble  way,  have  contributed  as 
much  toward  commonwealth  building  as  the  average  county  of  the  state. 
While  peans  of  praise  are  sung  to  the  memory  of  the  child  of 
politics  and  occasionally  a  tablet  is  reared  to  commemorate  the  work  of 
some  special  scientific  discoverer,  the  country  and  pioneer  doctor  patiently 
plods  his  weary  way,  doing  his  Ijest  to  relieve  suffering  and  to  bring  back 
the  flush  of  health.  Nowhere  is  there  a  hall  of  fame  for  the  humble  medical 
worker. 

' '  To  cure  their  ills,  to  guard  the  people 's  health 
Brings  little  fame  and  scarcely  more  of  wealth. 

'Tis  rare  indeed  upon  the  roll  of  fame 
To  find  inscribed  the  busy  doctor's  name; 

Nor  is  it  wrought  in  gold  or  carved  in  stone. 
Few  poets  have  writ  the  things  by  doctors  done. 


•WOODSON    COTTNTIES,  KANSAS.  '625 


To  worship  heroes  and  to  sing  their  praise, 
To  tell  of  love  in  many  different  ways, 

Of  human  happiness  and  human  grief, 
All  this  has  been  of  poetry  the  chief ; 

And  yet,  methinks  the  greatest  theme  of  all 
Plas  be-en  neglected,  or  scarce  sung  at  alL ' ' 


^26.  HlsrORY    OP    ALLEN    AKO' 


BioGrapbies 


DANIEL  W.  MAXSOSJ. 
DANIEL  AV  MAXSON  is  the  leading  physician  in  his  section  of" 
Woodson  county.  No  other  medical  practitioner  of  the  county  has  s& 
lonsresided  within  its  borders  and  none  more  highly  deserves  success^ 
md- prominence  than  Dr.  Maxson.  He  was  born  m  AHeghany  county  N,-.- 
Wk  in  January,  1836.  and  is  a  son  of  John  Maxson  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation Xwas  born  in  Massachusetts  and  married  Miss  Ann  Ruft 
?  an™thy  a  native  of  Rhode  Island.  They  died  m  the  Empire  state, 
};Xg  tw:f;hildr.n,  but  the  doctor  is  now  the  only  surviving  representative. 

''"  '^The'Slfiect  of  this  review  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 

mmmmmm 

TardL^Wdlt  Fort  Leav^rtW  ^^^^  ^^^^^^      ,^ 

The  war  ended.  Dr.  Maxson  ^^^f  ™''^^™- \i/a,^a  had  prepared  for 
meantime  he  had  resumed  the  '''^^^\Ze^Z Erection  ohll^ovm.n 


S^XC/^juj^ 


WOODSON  CODNTIK),  KANSAS.  627 

not  only  from  this  town  but  also  from  Coyville  and  Buffalo  and  is  quite 
extensive.  He  is  the  oldest  physician  in  years  of  continuous  practice  in 
Woodson  county,  and  as  time  has  pased  he  has  easily  maintained  his  rank 
&mong  the  foremost  physicians  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  has  k^ipt 
abreast  with  the  progress  made  by  the  medical  fraternity,  is  a  discriminate 
ing  student,  most  careful  in  diagnosing  disease  and  correct  in  prescril'uu; 
the  medicines  which  will  best  supplement  nature  in  her  efforts  to  restore 
a  healthful  and  normal  condition.  Although  he  attended  two  courses  of 
medical  lectures,  the  last  one  in  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  at  Cincinnati, 
he  did  not  consider  his  studies  ended  and  constant  reading  has  kept  him 
in  touch  with  the  onward  march  of  progress  made  in  the  medical  science. 

Dr.  Maxson  was  married  in  Mapleton,  in  1860,  to  Miss  Louise  E. 
Myrick,  whose  father  came  to  Kansas  from  Tennessee.  Mrs.  Maxson  died 
March  27,  1901.  Unto  them  have  been  born  the  following  children:  W. 
E.,  who  is  superintendent  of  the  terminals  of  the  railroad  and  steamship 
lines  at  Galveston,  Texas ;  Frank ;  Henrietta,  wife  of  Charles  Chambers,  of 
Purcell,  Indian  Territory;  Ealph,  of  Toronto,  and  Lillie  A.,  of  Toronto. 

From  the  date  of  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  Dr.  Max- 
son  has  been  in  hearty  sympathy  with  its  principles  and  gives  his  support  to 
its  men  and  measures.  He  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day 
and  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success 
ox  the  party.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Pension  Examining  Board  of  Woodson 
county,  and  is  a  loyal  and  patriotic  citizen,  who  believes  in  upholding  the 
starry  banner  of  the  nation  wherever  the  courage  and  loyalty  of  the  Amer- 
ican soldier  has  planted  it.  The  doctor  has  a  very  wide  acquaintance 
throughout  Woodson  county  where  he  has  so  long  made  his  home  and  his 
many  sterling  traits  of  character  as  well,  as  his  splendid  work  in  the  line 
of  his  profession  have  gained  for  him  the  confidence,  good  will  and 
high  regards  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


THOMAS  L.  REID. 

For  twenty-five  years  connected  with  the  business  interests  of  Wood- 
son county  and  with  its  public  affairs,  Mr.  Reid  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
valued  and  representative  citizens  of  Yates  Center  and  this  entire  section 
of  the  state.  He  is  classed  among  the  men  whose  energy,  determination 
'''^d  business  ability  are  leaving  an  impress  upon  the  rapidly-developing 
civilization  of  the  west.  To-day  he  is  at  head  of  the  leading  livery  and 
transfer  business  of  Woodson  county,  and  for  many  years  he  was  widely 
known  as  the  popular  host  of  some  of  the  best  hotels  of  this  portion  of 
the  state. 


628  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AND 

A  native  of  the  province  of  Nova  Scotia,  ^Ir.  Reid  Avas  born  on  I'lc 
2d  of  November,  1850,  a  son  of  Kzra  and  Tabitha  (Ells)  Reid,  whose 
family  numbered  five  children.  Theodore  H.,  of  South  Farmington,  Massa- 
chusetts; Albert  B.,  of  Maine;  Thomas  L.,  and  a  son  Wm.  D.,  and  daughter 
Mary  S.  Eaton,  living  in  Nova  Scntia,  ai'e  the  survivors  of  the  family,  the 
parents  having  passed  avray. 

jNIr.  Reid  of  this  review  received  very  meager  educational  privileges 
in  his  youth,  but  reading,  experience  and  observation  in  later  years  have 
made  him  a  well  informed  man.  In  1868  he  went  to  Massachusetts  and  se- 
cured employment  in  a  shoe  shop  and  later  in  a  grain  store.  Afterward  he 
entered  upon  a  clerkship  in  a  hotel,  where  he  gradually  worked  his  waj' 
upward,  enjoying  the  unqualified  confidence  and  regard  of  his  employer. 
On  the  3d  of  November,  1873.  he  returned  to  Nova  Scotia  and  was  mar- 
lied  at  Bridgetown,  Annapolis  county,  on  that  day  to  Bessie  Willett, 
(laughter  of  Captain  John  R.  Willett. 

At  the  time  of  the  financial  panic  of  1873  Mr.  Reid  was  chief  clerli  in 
the  Marlborough  Hotel.  With  the  sudden  and  extensive  reductions  in 
working  forces  along  all  lines  came  his  own  forced  retirement  in  the  early 
part  of  1875  and  he  left  New  England  in  search  of  work  in  other  parts  of 
the  country.  Believing  that  the  west  would  afford  him  better  opportuni- 
ties he  came  to  Kansas,  March,  1875,  arriving  in  Neosho  Falls  with  only 
thirty-five  cents  in  his  pocket,  biit  he  possessed  a  determined  spirit  and  un- 
faltering energy  and  these  stood  him  instead  of  capital.  He  found  ;> 
friend  in  the  proprietor  of  the  Falls  House,  a  New  England  man  who 
aided  him  until  he  could  get  work.  Here  for  the  first  time  he  engaged  in 
farm  work,  entering  the  service  of  W.  P.  Sharp,  an  agriculturist,  who 
gave  him  fifteen  dollars  a  month  in  compensation  for  his  services.  Within 
six  months  he  had  arranged  to  take  charge  of  the  hotel  at  Neosho  Falls  and 
then  sent  for  his  wiie.  From  the  fall  of  1875  until  1882  he  conducted 
that  hostelry  and  thus  gained  some  capital.  He  afterward  spent  a  few 
months  in  the  Leland  Hotel,  in  Tola,  but  returned  to  the  Falls  House,  which 
he  conducted  until  1887  ,when  he  transferred  all  his  interests  to  Yates 
Center  and  became  the  proprietor  of  the  Hotel  Woodson,  with  which  he 
was  connected  as  proprietor  at  different  times  for  twelve  years,  retiring 
from  its  management  in  September,  1899.  For  nearly  twenty  years  he 
has  been  engaged  in  the  livery  and  transfer  business  and  is  the  leader  in 
his  line  in  Woodson  county. 

Mr.  Reid  has  been  called  to  a  number  of  positions  of  public  trust  by 
his  fellow  townsmen  who  recognize  his-  worth  and  ability.  He  was  ap- 
pointed by  Abe  Smith  to  the  position  of  deputy  sheriff  for  Woodson 
county  and  was  marshal  of  Neosho  Falls  from  1876  until  1880.  In  1891 
he  was  nominated  and  elected  sheriff  of  Woodson  county,  and  re-elected 
in  1893,  thereby  holding  the  office  the  limit,  a  fact  which  indicates  his 


WOODSON    COQNTIES,    KANSAS.  629 

popi^larity  in  the  ranks  of  his  party.  In  1888  he  was  a  strong  competitor 
for  the  office  of  United  States  marshal,  and  in  1896  he  M'as  a  leading  can- 
didate for  the  nomination  for  representative  to  the  general  assembly.  In 
1901  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Yates  Center  by  a  large  majority.  In  politics 
he  has  ever  been  a  Republican,  unswerving  in  support  of  the  principles  of 
the  party.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Governor  Tilden,  but 
since  1876  has  been  a  firm  advocate  of  the  Grand  Old  Party.  His  record 
as  an  officer  of  the  law  cannot  be  successfully  attacked  and  his  reputation 
a;,  a  citizen  grows  brighter  with  the  lapse  of  years. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reid  have  been  born  the  following  named :  Edith, 
wife  of  L.  F.  Samuels,  of  Coffeyville,  Kansas;  Maude,  wife  of  C.  "VV. 
Lockard,  of  Will  Springs,  Missouri ;  Walter  L. ;  Harry  H. ;  Ed-win  C,  and 
Mary  E.  The  family  occupies  a  leading  position  in  social  circles.  Mr. 
Reid  to-day  stands  among  the  most  prominent  men^of  his  adopted  county. 
He  is  public-spirited  in  an  eminent  degree,  local  advancement  and  na- 
tional progress  both  being  subjects  dear  to  his  heart.  He  commands  the 
unqualified  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow  men  by  reason  of  his 
sterling  worth,  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  his  unquestioned  probity,  and  such  a 
lecord  is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


AUGUST  LAUBER. 

AUGUST  LAUBER  is  familiar  with  pioneer  experiences  and  en- 
vironments in  Kansas  for  he  came  to  Woodson  county  forty-three  years  ago 
wben  the  work  of  improvement  and  progress  seemed  scarcely  begun.  He 
was  born  June  30,  1827,  in  Westphalia,  Germany,  a  son  of  Otto  and  Amelia 
(Maier)  Lauber.  The  father  was  a  farmer  whose  people  had  resided  in 
that  locality  for  many  generations  and  the  mother's  family  were  also 
farmers.  By  her  marriage  she  had  the  following  children :  Henry ;  Minnie, 
deceased  wife  of  Frederick  Mischer,  of  La  Grange,  Texas,  and  August. 

When  our  subject  was  young  he  worked  upon  the  home  farm  and 
pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  Thinking  to  benefit  his 
financial  condition  in  the  New  World  he  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  native 
land,  and  on  the  12th.  of  September,  1853,  took  passage  at  Bremen  on  the 
sailing  vessel,  Jule,  which  on  that  voyage  was  six  weeks  in  reaching  New 
York.  Having  friends  in  Illinois,  Mr.  Lauber  at  once  made  his  way  to 
Stephenson  county,  in  that  state,  where  he  engaged  in  farming,  in  teaming 
and  in  other  labor  that  would  yield  to  him  an  honest  living.  With  capital 
he  acquired  through  his  own  efforts  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land.  The  year  1857  witnessed  his  removal  from  Preeport,  Illinois, 
to  Kansas.    He  was  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  free  state  movement  and 


630  HISTORY   OF   ALLEN    AND 

gave  his  support  to  the  efforts  being  made  to  keep  slavery  out  of  the  terri- 
tory. He  became  identified  with  farming  interests  here,  securing  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  sectionl,  Yates  Center  township.  It 
was  then  covered  with  wild  prairie  grass  and  native  timber,  but  his 
labors  have  wrought  a  great  change  in  its  appearance.  It  has  continuouslj' 
been  hip  home  for  forty-three  years  and  is  now  a  very  valuable  propertJ^ 
improved  with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences.  The  boundaries  of 
the  place,  however,  have  been  greatly  extended,  and  to-day  Mr.  Lauber  is 
the  owner  of  eleven  hundred  acres  of  the  rich  farming  land  of  Kansas.  At 
the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  served  in  the  state  militia  and  while  in  Ger- 
many he  had  served  in  the  war  in  Sehleswig. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1860,  Mr.  Lauber  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Louisa  Stockebrand,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1859.  She  was 
born  July  5,  1830  and  their  marriage  has  been  blessed  wich  six  children : 
William,  who  marfied  Augusta  Harder  and  is  now  living  in  Yates  Center ; 
August;  Herman;  Henry;  Matilda,  wife  of  John  Ropp,  of  Harper  county, 
Kansas,  and  John  E.  Mr.  Lauber  and  his  family  are  all  members  of  the 
German  Evangelical  Church  and  he  and  his  sons  are  stalwart  Republicans, 
his  support  having  been  given  to  the  party  since  he  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  In  a  land  where  are  no  class 
conditions  and  opportunity  is  open  to  all  Mr.  Lauber  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward,  winning  a  high  measure  of  success,  having  a  handsome 
competence  for  the  evening  of  life.  He  is  well  known  and  is  popular  witli 
his  many  friends  and  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county  he  well  cle- 
btrves  representation. 


GEORGE  W.  COX. 

GEORGE  W.  COX,  one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  Wood- 
son county,  is  now  serving  as  chairman  of  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners acquitting  himself  in  a  most  creditable  manner  as  the  incumbent 
of  that  important  position.  He  is  a  firm  advocate  of  Republican  principles, 
having  always  supported  the  party,  and  his  opinions  carry  weight  in  its 
councils  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  is  likewise  prominent  as  a  repre- 
i^entative  of  agricultural  interests,  having  devoted  most  of  his  time  to 
farming  since  coming  to  the  county  in  November,  1885.  He  now  owns  a 
valuable  tract  of  land  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Eminence  town- 
ship, where  he  is  successfully  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the  crops  best 
adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate. 

Mr.  Cox  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania,  January  4,  1855, 
and  is  a  son  of  George  W.  Cox,  and  a  grandson  of  Joseph  H.  Cox,  the 


■WOODSON   COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  6'3'l 

Matter  a  millwright  by  trade.  His  wife  died  young  leaving  a 
family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  One  of  the  sons,  "William  Cox, 
.-served  his  country  in  the  war  of  1812.  George  W.  Co.x;.  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  the  Keystone  state,  near  Chambersburg,  August  14. 
1812,  and  in  1815  his  parents  removed  to  western  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
was  reared.  He  married  Elizabeth  A.  Cope,  whose  parents  went  from  the 
-vicinity  of  Philadelphia  to  the  western  part  of  the  Ktate.  Mr.  Cox  followed 
farming  in  Payette  county  through  his  active  business  career  but  he  and  his 
wife  are  now  living  retired  in  Green  county,  Pennsylvania,  the  former  at 
the  age  of  eighty-nine  years,  the  latter  seventy-seven  years  of  age.  Their 
■children  are :  James  F.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  tbree  months ;  Joseph  H.. 
of  Dickinson  county,  Kansas;  Eli  C.  of  Miami  county,  this  state:  Elma. 
wife  of  Pinley  Woodward,  of  Payette  county,  Pennsylvania:  Sarah  J.,  v/ho 
died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years :  Mary  E.,  wife  of  George  Prost,  of  Green 
county.  Pennsylvania,  and  George  W. 

The  opportunities  which  George  W.  Cox  had  in  his  youth  were  such 
as  most  boys  of  tlie  period  en.joyed.  He  pursued  his  education  in  the  com- 
nionschools,  and  after  nutting  aside  his  text  books  he  became  familiar  with 
the  practicpl  work:  of  the  farm  in  a.ll  its  department?,  followinsr  that  pu"- 
snit  througbout  his  residence  in  the  state  of  his  nativi-^v.  He  first  visitrd 
this  s+ate  in  1877.  spendinsr  the  summer  at  Wellsville.  and  being  well 
pleased  with  the  country  and  the  future  prospects  of  the  sta+e  he  ultimately 
■decided  to  locate  here,  coming  to  Woodson  County  in  November,  1885. 
He  made  the  journey  direct  from  Payette  county,  Pennsylvania  and 
located  upon  section  .eighteen,  township  t-w'enty-six,  range  sixteen,  on  a 
partially  improved  farm.  He  now  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
valuable  property.  Tlie  latest  improved  machinery  facilitates  the  work 
of  cultivation,  and  substantial  buildings  add  to  the  value  and  attractive 
appearance  of  the  place.  In  1893  Mr.  Cox  began  merchandising  at  Rose, 
where  he  carried  on  his  storg  for  six  years  and  then  sold  out  to  Al  Troyer, 
resuming  his  work  upon  the  farm. 

On  the  3d  of  October,  1878,  Mr.  Cox  was  united  in  marriage  in  Payette 
■county,  Pennsylvania,  to  Miss  Agnes  C.  Leighty,  a  daughter  of  Stephen  S. 
Leighty,  a  farmer  of  Payette  county,  where  he  was  born  in  1814.  He  mar- 
ried Eliza  Hutson,  and  his  death  occurred  August  10,  1892,  while  his 
wife  passed  away  in  1863,  leaving  the  following  children:  William,  of 
Stafford  county,  Kansas ;  Henry,  of  Macomb.  Illinois ;  Kate,  wife  of  Milton 
Blair,  of  Oklahoma ;  Taylor,  of  Payette  county,  Pennsylvania ;  Eebecca, 
wife  of  Joseph  Piersol,  of  Ohio ;  Anna,  wife  of  Robert  Rankin,  of  Stafford 
county,  Kansas;  t'tephen  S.,  of  Reno  county,  Kansas;  Eliza,  wife  of  Davis 
D.  Woodward,  of  Payette  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  Mrs.  Cox.  After  the 
death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Leighty  married  Mary  Hair,  and  their  children 
were :    Emma,  wife  of  Chester  P.  Gween,  of  Payette  county,  Pennsylvania ; 


6^3^  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AISD 

worthy  of  their  re-ard.  His  badness  career  is  alilse,  free  from  tarnisfi  a^'- 
he  IS  always  straightforward  in  his  dealing,  living  in  touch  with  'the- 
R^gh'^st  ethios  of  r-onimpreial  life. 


FREDERICK  SCHAEDE. 

FREDERICK  SCHAEDE.  who  is  engaged  in  farming  on  section 
SIX,  Eminence  township,  Woodson  county,  took  up  his  abode  here  in  1873, 
and  has  resided  continuously  since  upon  the  farm  which  is  yet  hi.s  home.' 
Rp  was  born  in  Brandenburg,  Germany,  in  the  village  of  Friedeburg,  Jan' 
uary  28,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  ^Yilhellnina  (Weichman)  Sehaede, 
who  were  also  natives  of  Brandenburg,  the  former  a  farmer  by  occupation! 
In  the  year  1873  the  parents  and  their  children  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the- 
Xew  World  and  making  their  way  westward  to  Kansas  took  up  their 
abode  upon  the  homestead  now  owned  and  occupied  by  our  subject.  There- 
were  five  children :  Frederick ;  Amelia,  now  the  widoM'  of  John  Yeager, 
of  Woodson  county;  Ferdinand,  of  Owl  Creek  township,  Woodson  county, 
and  Frank  and  Gottlieb,  who  are  residents  of  Everett  township,  this 
county. 

In  the  fatherland  Frederick  Sehaede  was  reared,  and  in  accordance 
with  its  laws  he  acquired  his  education.  The  reports  received  concerning 
.\merica  and  its  opportunities  and  privileges  decided  the  family  to  cross; 
the  ocean,  and  with  the  family  J\Ir.  Sehaede  came  to  southeastern  Kan- 
sas He  first  located  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  six,  township- 
U.  S.  G.,  also  of  that  county,  and  John  of  Washington  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Mrs.  Cox  was  born  December  7,  1856,  and  by  her  marriage  she  has. 
become  the  mother  of  six  children,  of  whom  three  are  living :  Stephen  L., 
George  W.  and  Kenneth  K.  The  family  have  a  pleasant  home  in  Eminence 
township  and  :Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  are  prominent  citizens  of  their  com- 
munity. He  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics.  The  members  of  the  Cox 
tamily  were  originally  Whigs,  and  when  the  Republican  party  was  formed 
joined  its  ranks.  Our  subject  has  therefore  followed  in  the  political  foot- 
steps of  his  ancestors  and  has  been  quite  prominent  in  the  work  .of  his 
party  in  the  township.  He  has  served  as  township  treasurer  and  in  1896 
he  was  nominated  as  the  candidate  to  fill  out  an  unexpired  term  as  county 
commissioner,  to  which  position  he  was  elected.  In  1898  he  was  re-elected 
tor  the  full  term  of  three  years,  so  that  his  incumbency  will  cover  five 
years,  and  at  the  present  time  he  is  serving  as  chairman  of  the  board. 
His  course  reflects  credit  upon  his  constituents  and  indicates  his  patriotic 
interest  in  his  county,  its  welfare  and  its  progress.  He  is  a  man  who, 
without  false  ostentation  or  display,  by  his  sterling  worth  commands  the 
confidence,  good  will  and  respect  of  his  fellow  men,  being  m  every  way 


"WOODSON   CODN'TIES,    KANSAS.  03;^ 

twenty-six,  range  sixteen,  in  Woodson  county,  and  has  eotitimxously  de- 
voted his  energies  to  thje  cultivation  of  the  farm.  He  has  added  many 
"improvements  in  the  shai>e  of  large,  commodious  and  substantial  build- 
ings, including  the  'erection  of  a  comfortable  residence  and  good  barns, 
;and  all  modern  equipments  have  been  secured,  making  the  place  one  of 
the  most  desirable  country  seats  in  this  portion  of  tlie  county.  He  has  alsO 
.Ridded  to  hislanded  possessions,  purchasing  a  tract  on  section  five.  Eminence 
township,  so  that  his  property  interests  now  include  four  hundred  acre^:. 
In  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  he  is  also  engaged  in  raising 
cattle  and  sheep,  fine  grades  of  both  being  found  in  his  pasturi-^.' .  He 
lias  found  botli  branches  of  his  business  profitable  and  is  now  accounted 
one  of  the  sul^stantial  agriculturists  and  stock  i-aisers  of  the  community. 

Ere  leaving  the  fatherland  Mr.  Schaede  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Bertha  Kendt,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  on  the  14th.  of  April,  1871. 
The  lady  is  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Charlotte  (Gulicke)  Kendt,  whosp 
^children  were  as  follows :  Florence,  wife;  of  AVilliam  Moritz ;  Carl ;  Wil- 
liam: Henrietta,  wife  of  William  Eaushlte ;  Augusta,  wife  of  John  Guse : 
Hulda,  wife  of  Herman  Guse,  deceased,  and  Mrs.  Schaede.  The  ma,rriage 
n'-'  our  subject  and  his  wife  has  been  blessed  with  seven  children,  namely: 
Piitz.  who  married  Anna  Schultz :  Anna,  wife  of  William  Stange,  of 
Woodson  county:  Hulda:  Amelia,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching  in  AVoorlso^i 
county:  Flora;  Herbert,  and  Lillie.  The  family  Is  one  well  known  in  the 
county  where  the  parents  have  resided  for  twenty-eight  years,  and  the 
T.iembers  of  tlie  household  occupy  enviable  positions  in  the  social  circles  in 
"(vhich  they  move.  Mr.  Schaede  gives  his  political  support  to  the  TJepubli- 
Cfin  party,  having  been  one  of  its  stalwart  advocates  since  he  ca.st  his  firAt 
presidential  vote  for  Rutherford  B.  Hayes. 


GEORGE  STOLL. 

Thirty-one  years  covers  the  period  of  Mr.  Stoll's  residence  in  Kansas, 
the  date  of  his  arrival  in  the  state  being  1870.  While  the  republic  of 
"Switzerland  has  furnished  a  comparatively  small  number  of  citizens  to  the 
ISew  World  tbey  have  been  men  of  worth,  diligent,  enterprising  and 
trustworthy.  Among  tlie  number  is  Mr.  Stoll,  who  was  born  m  the  land  of 
the  Alps,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Canton  Schaffhausen,  Switzerland, 
January  3,  1848.  His  father,  Daniel  Stoll,  was  a  farmer  of  that  country 
and  there  married  Elizabeth  Werner.  In  the  year  185.3  they  came  to 
the  United  States,  located  in  Clark  county,  Indiana,  where  they  spent 
their  remaining  days.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely : 
John,  now  deceased;  Magdalena,  deceased  wife  of  Conrad  Bollinger; 
Daniel,  of  Clark  county,  Indiana;  Barbara,  wife  of  William  Dietrich,  also 
of  the  same  county,  and  George,  of  this  review. 


^34  HIStORY    OF    ALLEN    Al^D 

The  last  named  was  a  little  lad  of  five  years  \vhen  brought  by  his 
jjarents  to  the  United  States  and  in  Clark  county  he  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated, enjoying  the  advantages  afforded  by  the  common  schools.  He  left 
home  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  en- 
listed in  the  regular  army  as  a  member  of  the  Second  United  States  In- 
fantry, with  which  l.e  served  for  a  few  months,  when  he  was  discharged  by 
order  of  the  war  department. 

Mr.  Stoll  came  from  Clark  county,  Indiana,  to  Kansas,  locating  tirst 
ill  Humboldt,  where  he  resided  for  two  years,  being  employed  by  the  month. 
On  his  arrival  in  Woodson  county  in  1872  he  purchased  a  new  and  unim- 
proved farm  near  Buffalo  creek  and  was  engaged  in  its  cultivation  for  two 
years,  moving  thence  to  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  twenty-six,  town- 
ship twenty-six,  range  sixteen,  upon  which  he  has  resided  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  since.  His  labors  have  wrought  great  changes  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  place,  transforming  the  raw  tract  into  fields  of  grain, 
giving  indication  of  coming  bounteous  harvests ;  buildings  of  commodious 
size  and  substantial  structure  adorn  the  farm  and  everything  indicates  the- 
careful  supervision  of  a  thrifty  owner.  Twice  he  has  made  trips  to  Colo- 
rado, looking  over  the  country,  but  each  time  has  returned  well  satisfied 
with  his  Kansas  home.  He  had  but  limited  financial  resources  at  the  time 
of  his  arrival  here  but  has  found  that  fortune  vouchsafes  a  sure  and 
good  return  for  honorable  and  continuous  labor,  when  directed  by  sound 
business  judgment. 

Mr  .Stoll  was  married  in  Humboldt  in  1871,  to  Charlotte  N.  Thomas, 
a  daughter  of  George  Thomas,  originally  from  Indiana.  Twelve  children 
graced  their  union,  but  they  lost  the  fii'st  born,  Georgie,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  years.  The  others  are  :  John,  of  Wilson  county,  Kansas ; 
Albert,  Clyde,  Guy,  Daisy,  Leo,  Carl,  Ray,  Emil,  Glenn  and  Beryl  all  yet 
under  the  parental  roof.  The  family  have  a  pleasant  home  upon  the 
farm,  which  comprises  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  land  and 
yields  to  parents  and  children  an  income  supplying  them  vnth  all  the  neces- 
sities and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  In  his  political  viev^-s  Mr.  Stoll  is 
a  Republican,  being  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  policy  and  platform  of 
the  party. 


CHARLES  F.  M'GILL. 

Throughout  the  years  of  his  business  career  Charles  Frank  McGill 
has  been  a  resident  of  WoodsOn  county,  having  located  within  its  borders 
in  1876.  He  makes  his  home  in  Perry  township,  where  he  follows  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  finding  therein  a  profitable  source  of  income.  He  was  born 
March  6,  1856,  in  McKeesport,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Mc- 
Gill, who  became  a  well  known  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Marshall  county, 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  635 

Illinois,  where  he  died  in  October,  1899.  He  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1817, 
but  in  early  life  went  to  Pennsylvania  and  ^vas  married  in  Pittsburg,  that 
state,  to  Martha  Craig,  who  departed  this  life  in  Woodson  county  in  1899, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  four  score  years.  The  original  American  an- 
cestors of  the  McGill  family  were  of  Irish  birth  and  came  to  this  country  at 
an  early  epoch  in  its  development.  In  the  years  which  followed  his  arrival 
at  man's  estate,  the  father  of  our  subject  was  a  boatman  on  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers,  running  between  Pittsburg,  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  New 
Orleans.  He  was  thus  engaged  for  thirty-five  years,  being  made  a  pilot 
al  the  age  of  eighteen.  At  one  time  he  was  on  a  transport  on  the  lower 
Mississippi  when  General  Marmaduke's  soldiers  fired  upon  the  boat.  He 
was  twice  wounded  and  his  injuries  forced  him  to  give  up  piloting. 

Upon  leaving  the  water  Mr.  McGill  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and 
was  connected  with  agricultural  interests  in  La  Salle  and  Vermillion 
counties,  Illinois,  finding  this  a  profitable  labo^f^  He  thus  carried  on  busi- 
ness until  the  infirmities  of  age  forced  him  to  r'etireii  to,  private  life.  His 
children  were  as  follows:  John,  of  Woodson  county;  Annie,  M'ife  of 
Charles  Griffin,  of  Winona,  Illinois;  George  W.,  of  Woodson  county, , and 
C.  Prank,  of  this  review. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  our  subject,  we  note  that  he 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in  Illinois  and  is  indebted  to  the  public 
school  system  of  that  state  for  the  educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed. 
He  became  familiar  with  the  labors  of  field  and  meadow  upon  his  father's 
farm  and  remained  in  Vermillion  county,  Illinois,  until  1876,  when  he  came 
to  Kansas,  making  the  journey  by  rail  to  Humboldt.  He  then  located  upon 
section-eleven,  township  twenty-six,  range  sixteen,  and  for  many  years  he 
has  now  been  classed  among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  Perry  township. 
His  diligence  and  perseverance  are  numbered  among  his  salient  character- 
istics and  have  been  the  leading  elements  in  his  success.  His  political  sup- 
port is  given  the  Democracy,  in  harmony  with  the  political  belief  of  the 
McGill  family. 


BAXTER  P.  BAKER. 

^  BAXTER  P.  BAKER  is  a  well  known  business  man  of  Yates  Center, 
A^'here  he  is  engaged  in  dealing  in  lumber.  He  is  also  an  extensive  land 
owner  and  belongs  to  that  class  of  representative  citizens  who  owe  their 
prosperity,  not  to  a  succession  of  advantageous  circumstances,  but  to 
earnest,  honest  labor.  He  came  to  Woodson  county  in  1866  and  has  since 
been  actively  identified  with  its  interests. 

Mr.  Baker  was  born  in  Gentry  county,  Missouri,  in  the  year  1845. 
Little  is  known  concerning  the  ancestral  history  of  the  family  save  that  its 
representatives  were   residents   in   eastern     Kentucky  and   western   Ten- 


636  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AND 

nessee  and  in  the  latter  locality  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  born.  I'^e 
father  died  in  early  life  and  the  children  were  therefore  bound  out,  our 
subject  among  the  others.  When  fourteen  years  of  age^his  parents  by 
idoption,  being  dead,  he  left  his  native  county  and  went  to"  lova  where  he 
remained  for  a  year.  He  managed  to  make  his  way  to  Illinois  where  his 
parents  has  resided  previous  to  their  removal  to  Missouri.  About  this  time 
the  country  l;ecame  involved  in  Civil  war  and  with  patriotic  spirit  Mr. 
Baker  offered  his  services  to  the  government,  enlisting  in  Company  B, 
One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  under  the  command  of 
('olonel  Kenny,  the  regiment  serving  with  the  western  department  of  the 
army.  He  participated  in  the  Banks  campaign  up  the  Red  river  and  sub- 
sequently turned  north  to  Missouri  to  aid  in  the  defeat  of  Price's  army. 
With  his  regiment  he  then  went  south  again  and  took  part  in  the  move- 
ments around  Nashville  which  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  Hood's  army. 
From  that  point  he  M'ent^-ith  his  command  to  Mobile,  Alabama,  and 
liartieipated  in  the  charwg  on  Port  Blakely  which  led  to  its  ultimate  cap- 
ture. He  remained  in  that  state  until  mustered  out  of  service  in  August, 
1865,,  his  company  being  disbanded  at  Springfield,  Illinois.  After  the  war 
Mr.  Baker  spent  six  months  near  Springfield  on  a  farm,  and  then  deter- 
mined to  try  his  fortune  in  Kansas.  In  1866  he  started  for  this  great 
prairie  section  of  our  country,  making  his  way  to  lola,  Allen  county,  from 
Ottawa  and  thence  turning  westward  to  Belmont  township,  Woodson 
county.  There  he  made  arrangements  with  a  settler  for  his  claim,  improved 
the  property  and  has  since  made  it  his  home.  He  turned  his  attention  to 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  prospered  in  the  undertaking  and  his  finan- 
cial resources  increasing,  he  added  to  his  property  until  he  now  has  nine 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  constituting  one  of  the  most 
desirable  farms  in  this  portion  of  the  state.  He  came  to  Woodson 
county  with  a  cash  capital  of  one  hundred  and  forty-three  dollars  and  ten 
cents,  a  second  hand  wagon  and  a  good  team,  and  here  he  has  resolutely 
u'orked  his  way  upward,  the  difficulties  that  he  has  encountered  seeming  but 
10  serve  as  an  impetus  for  renewed  effort.  Som  years  ago  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Yates  Center  and  there  he  erected  his  home.  He  ha.s  since 
spent  his  time  upon  the  farm  and  in  his  city  residence,  but  since  embarking 
in  the  lumber  business  in  1889,  he  has  resided  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
lime  in  the  county-seat.  He  is  a  prominent  lumber  merchant,  carrying  on 
sn  extensive  business,  while  at  the  same  time  his  income  is  materially  in- 
creased by  the  profits  of  his  land  and  stock-raising  interests. 

Mr.  Baker  was  married  in  Woodson  county,  on  the  1st  of  September, 
1867,  to  Miss  Sarah  Brock,  a  daughter  of  Abram  Brock,  who  became  a 
resident  of  Kansas  in  1866.  She  died  in  1874,  and  Mr.  Baker  afterward 
married  Amanda  I.  Brock.  The  one  child  of  the  first  marriage  is  Mrs.  S. 
G.  Keck,  of  Yates  Center.  By  the  second  marriage  there  are  three  chil- 
dren: Sadie  I.,  now  the  wife  of  D.  W.  Fisher;  Viola,  the  wife  of  C.  D. 
Young,  of  Yates  Center,  and  Russell,  a  student  in  the  Agricultural  College 


WOODSON  countie:;,  kansas.  637 

of  Kansas. 

Many  years  ago  Mr.  Baker  was  a  very  active  worker  in  the  ranks  of  the 
liepublican  party  but  he  is  now  a  staunch  Prohibitionist.  He  labored 
earnestly  toward  securing  the  location  of  the  county-seat  at  Yates  Center, 
it  having  been  formerly  at  Kalida  and  afterwards  at  Defiance.  He  is 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  as  a  citizen  he 
withholds  his  support  from  no  measure  or  movement  calculated  to  prove  of 
general  good. 


ALBERT  COE. 

ALBERT  COE,  who  is  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Liberty  township,  Woodfeon  county,  was  born  in  Geauga  county, 
Ohio,  May  5,  1846,  a  son  of  John  T.  and  Nancy  (Wilkins)  Coe,  the  former 
was  bom  Feb.  20,  1811,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  the  latter,  Nancy  W.,  of  Ver- 
mont, was  born  Aug.  18,  1813.  The  father  spent  his  entire  life  in  the 
Buckeye  state  and  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  When  the  dis- 
loyalty at  the  south  was  followed  by  an  attempt  at  secession,  he  offered  his 
services  to  the  government  in  1862,  and  with  patriotic  ardor  joined  the 
Eighty-eighth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  but  his  death  occurred  at  Camp 
Chase,  about  eight  months  later,  when  he  was  fifty-one  years  of  age.  His 
wife  survived  him  until  1874,  passing  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Daniel  T.,  born  Feb.  10, 
1839,  who  is  now  in  Iowa;  Clara  E.,  born  Oct.  4,  1840,  wife  of  A.  V. 
Whitney,  of  Illinois ;  Lucy  E.,  born  Feb.  5.,  1842,  wife  of  J.  W.  Mills,  of 
Illinois ;  Albert,  and  Amy,  wife  of  W.  T.  Clark,  born  April  3,  1851,  also  of 
the  Prairie  state.  They  also  lost  one  son,  Arthur  B.,  who  was  born  in 
1847,  July  18,  and  died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 

Albert  Coe,  the  fourth  child  and  second  son,  remained  with  his  mother 
until  Ler  death,  and  with  her  removed  to  Livingston  county,  Illinois,  in 
1864.  He  had  been  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  was  reared  to  farm 
life,  thus  gaining  that  broad,  practical  experience  which  now  enables  him 
to  successfully  carry  on  agricultural  pursuits  on  his  own  account.  After 
arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  won  as  a  helpmate  and  companion  upon 
the  journey  of  life  Miss  Parsina  Clark,  their  marriage  taking  place  on 
Christmas  day  of  1870.  The  lady  was  born  in  Livingston  county,  Illinois, 
October  12,  1851,  and  is  a  daughter  of  E.  S.  Clark,  who  was  born  in  Ohio, 
February  27,  1819,  and  married  Mildred  A.  Jones,  born  Nov.  6,  1822,  of 
Kentucky.  They  removed  from  Indiana  to  Bureau,  Illinois  in  1845,  settling 
in  Livingston  county  about  1850.  Seven  children  were  born  unto  them: 
Willam  T.,  born  March  4,  1848 ;  Farsina.  now  Mrs  Coe ;  Annice,  wife  of  W. 
B.  Boatman,  born  March  3,  1854 ;  Frank  born  January  8,  1856 ;  Lyeurgus, 
who  was  born  December  22,  1857,  and  died  Jan.  17,  1859;  John  E.  who  was 
born  October  28,  1859,  and  died  September  18,  1871,  and  Winfield  S.,  who 


638  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

was  born  October  17,  1862.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  are  yet  living  at  their 
old  home  in  Illinois,  and  have  attained  an  advanced  age.  Six  children  have 
graced  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coe :  "W.  A.,  born  December  28,  1871 : 
A.  D.,  born  May  6.  1873;  Nettie,  who  M'as  born  December  17,  1874,  and 
died  March  17,  1875;  H.  M.,  born  March  22,  1876;  Maud  M.,  born  Decem- 
ber '24,  1877.  and  Clara  A.,  born  November  24,  1885.  All  are  yet  li\'ing 
M'ith  their  parents  or  in  the  same  locality  in  Liberty  township,  and  all 
were  born  in  Illinois,  save  the  youngest  daughter. 

Mr.  Coe  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas  in  1881,  locating  in  Woodson 
county  upon  the  farm  which  he  now  occupies.  He  purchased  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land,  placed  the  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
erected  a  nice  residence  on  an  elevated  portion  of  the  grounds  and  sur- 
rounded his  home  with  beautiful  forest  trees^  which  cast  a  grateful  shade 
over  the  house  and  lawn  in  the  summer  season.  He  also  built  one  of  the 
largest  barns  in  Liberty  township.  He  follows  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  and  in  company  with  his  sons  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising 
and  sale  of  hay,  having  two  barns  in  which  this> product  of  the  meadows 
is  stored.  In  1900  they  put  up  and  shipped  seven  hundred  tons  of  hay. 
He  has  his  farm  well  fenced  and  divided  into  fields,  pastures  and  meadows 
of  convenient  size,  and  one  hundred  and  80  acres  of  his  land  is  under 
cultivation,  being  planted  to  corn  and  small  grain.  He  also  has  wha' 
amount  of  stock  his  farm  will  support,  feeding  his  products  to  his  hogs  and 
cattle.  Mr.  Coe  is  a  man  of  resolute  will  and  determined  purpose  and 
carries  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes.  Thus 
in  the  business  world  he  has  advanced  step  by  step  to  a  foremost  position 
among  the  leading  agriculturist.  His  farm  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his 
labor,  the  proof  of  his  prosperity  and  it  represents  years  of  honorable  toil. 


STEPHEN  E.  PORTER. 

"The  Gods  give  naught  to  sloth,"  said  the  sage  Epieharmus  many 
centuries  ago,  and  the  truth  of  this  admonition  has  been  verified  through 
all  the  ages  down  to  the  present  time.  Certain  laws  of  business  are  as 
immutable  as  are  the  principles  of  nature.  Never  can  success  be  attained 
without  continuous  and  earnest  effort  on  the  part  of  some  one,  and  the 
only  success  of  which  man  has  reason  to  be  proud  is  that  which  he  himself 
gains.  In  this  regard  Mr.  Porter  has  an  enviable  record.  Starting  out  in 
life  on  his  own  account  he  has  put  his  dependence  upon  the  substantial 
qualities  of  enterprise,  unflagging  perseverance  and  indefatigable  industry, 
and  as  a  result  he  is  now  numbered  among  the  prosperous  and  prominent 
farmers  of  Woodson  county,  where  he  has  made  his  home  since  1867. 

A  native  of  the  Empire  state,  Mr.  Porter  was  born  in  Monroe  county, 
near  Rochester,  April  24,  1847.  His  father,  Augustus  Porter,  was  born 
in  New  Tork  in  1815,  and  his  brother,  Gilbert  Porter,  is  still  living  in  that 


"WOO^DSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  '63*; 

-jTate.  The  former  married  Cynthia  Hindmaa,  and  unto  them  were  bor& 
tliree  children :  Harriet,  wife  of  Theodore  Brown,  of  Morton  county,  Kan- 
sas; Henry,  deceaEcd,  and  Stephen.  The  father  was  a  stalwart  Republican 
.and  was  serving  as  trustee  of  Eminence  township,  AYoodson  county,  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  December,  1873.  His  wife,  long 
surviving  him  passed  away  in  1890,  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty  years. 
"L'hey  had  gradually  moved  westward,  living  in  several  states  before  taking 
up  their  abode  in,  Kansas,  where  they  were  soon  recognized  as  people  of 
sterling  wortli  and  of  the  highest  respectability. 

In  leaving  the  state  of  his  nativity,  Stephen  E.  Porter  accompanied 
his  parentJ'  on  their  'removal  to  La  Grange  county,  Indiana,  and  was  after- 
ward a  resident  of  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  for  five  years.  He  then  went 
to  Iowa  with  the  family  and  from  Wappello  county,  that  state  came  to 
Kansas.  He  had  attended  school  in  the  various  communities  in  which  he 
had  resided  and  had  been  trained  to  the  practical  work  of  the  farm.  On 
reaching  Woodson  county  in  1867,  he  first  located  on  section  twenty-two, 
township  twenty-si.x.  range  sixteen,  from  which  place  he  came  to  his  present 
home— the  nortli  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  eighteen.  This 
was  a  tract  of  land  claimed  by  the  railroad  company,  whose  title  he  con- 
tested and  won  his  case,  but  he  afterward  lost  in  an  appeal  to  the  general 
Iriud  office.  In  early  life  he  began  dealing  in  stock  and  has  considerable 
prominence  as  a  stock  dealer,  his  business  in  that  line  being  quite  ext^'.n- 
«ive. 

In  Douglas  county,  Kansas,  November  6,  1858,  Mr.  Porter  was  united 
ir  marriage  to  Miss  Alma  Fearer,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Sarah  (Ccff- 
ruan)  Fearer,  the  former  born  in  Maryland,  in  1829,  while  the  latter  was 
born  near  Hagerstown,  in  Washington  county,  that  state,  in  1831.  Their 
marriage  occurred  in  Ogle  county,  Illinois,  and  their  children  were : 
Alma,  who  was  born  January  12,  1851 ;  John,  who  died  in  childhood : 
Mary,  who  is  living  in  Oklahoma,  and  is  the  widow  of  Tillman  Elam  and 
Martha,  wife'  of  Frank  Van  Trice,  of  Douglas  county,  Kansas.  The 
father  was  killed  by  bushwackers  at  Independence,  Missouri,  in  1862,  and 
the  mother  afterward  became  the  wife  of  F.  H,  Baker,  who  did  in  Sumner 
county,  Kansas,  in  1892.  Their  children  were:  Charles,  of  Blackwell, 
Oklahoma;  Erastus,  of  Wellington,  Kansas,  and  James,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Porter  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children :  Bertha,  wife  of  Arthur  Evans,  a  resident  of  Victor,  Colorado ; 
Ollie,  wife  of  James  Clark,  of  Tulare,  California,  and  Niel,  who  married 
Ora  Smith  and  is  living  in  Rose.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Porter  have  spent  their 
entire  married  life  in  Woodson  county  and  through  the  passing  years  the 
circle  of  their  friends  has  been  constantly  enlarged.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Porter  is  a  Republican  manifesting  a  deep  and  active  interest  in  the 
success  of  the  party.  He  has  served  as  delegate  to  county  and  other  con- 
ventions and  aided  in  nominating  the  successful  ticket  of  1900.     He  has 


f'40  fflST'ORY    OK    ALLEN    A'isTT 


SI 


rved  his  town-liip  as  treasurer,  and  to  those  who  are  acquainted  wftls 
his  uiiright  career  it  is  needless  to  say  that  his  duties  were  most  faithfully- 
discharged.- 


J-UIES  DUTRO. 

Among  the  sellers  of  AVoodson  county  whose  residence  spaas  a  period 
nf  thirty  years  within  her  borders  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces 
this  persanal  sketch.  April  1,  1871,  he  entered  the  county  and  the  same- 
spring  took  a  claim  in  Liberty  township.  Of  this  he  made  a  farm 
and  upon  it  he  r.esided  till  his  removal  to  the  county  seat  to  enter  upon. 
(he  discharge  of  his  duties  as  a  county  official. 

February  3,  1842,  Judge  Dutro  was  born  in  Muskingum  county, 
Ohio.  His  antecedents  were  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  connty,  his  paternal 
grandfather  having  gone  theie  at  seven  years  of  age.  The  latter,  George 
Dutro,  was  born  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  in  1793,  grew  up  on  the 
Muskingum  river  and  passed  his  life  a  farmer.  His  family  of  seven  sous 
\vere:  David,  George,  Samuel,  John,  Elmer,  Martin  and  James;  the  second 
iij  the  list  being  the  father  of  our  subject. 

George  Dutro,  who  passed  many  of  the  active  years  of  his  upright 
fife  in  Woodson  county  and  was  therefore  well  known,  was  born  in  the  year 
1820,  and  died  February  28,  1899.  In  1845  he  left  his  native  heath  and 
epiigrated  to  Bureau  county,  Illinois.  He  had  been  reared  to  the  pur- 
suits of  agriculture  and  to  those  he  devoted  himself  in  the  new  western 
state.  When  the  Civil  war  came  on  he  enlisted  in  September  1862  in  com- 
pany C,  Sixty-six  Illinois  volunteers.  His  regiment  formed  a  part  of  the 
Si.Kteenth  corps,  army  of  the  Tennessee.  His  service  covered  the  period 
from  his  enlistment  to  the  end  of  hostilities  when  he  was  mustered  out  and 
leturned  to  civil  pursuits.  In  1869  he  left  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  came 
to  Warrensburg,  Missouri,  and  remained  there  tiU  early  in  1871  when  he 
transferred  his  interests  to  WoodsOn  county  and  to  a  farm  in  Liberty 
township. 

The  mother  of  Judge  Dutro  was  Elizabeth  Neff  w^ho  died  in  Wood- 
son county  in  1873.  Her  other  children  are :  Sarah,  wife  of  W.  F. 
Marple;  Frank,  of  Adair  county,  Iowa,  and  an  ex-soldier  of  the  Rebellion; 
Elmer,  of  Leadville,  Colorado;  Charles,  of  Canon  City,  Colorado;  Susan, 
uho  married  Enoch  Newcomb,  of  Garden  City,  Kansas ;  Mary  P.,  of  Amer- 
ican Falls,  Idaho,  and  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Thos.  H.  Lamborn,  of  Wood- 
son county. 

judge  James  Dutro  was  reared  and  educated  in  Bureau  county  Illi- 
nois. His  education  was  of  the  intermediate  Or  common  school  sort.  When 
the  Rebellion  broke  out  he  entered  company  C,  Sixty-six  Illinois  volunteer 
infantry.  Col.  Surge's  "Western  Sharpshooters."  He  served  his  full  en- 
listment of  three  years  and  was  at  home  on  a  recruiting  expedition  when 


•WOOTlSON    COU'NTmS,   KANSAS.  6'4^: 

Puis  time  expired.  Prom  the  date  of  his  discharge  till  he  left  Illinois  Mr. 
i)utro  's  business  in  the  main  was  farming.  He  was  fleeted  tax  collector  in 
Bureau  county  and  served  one  .year.  In  1870  he  left,  started  on  his  west- 
~v"ard  trip  to  Kansas.  He  paused  on  his  journey  in  Missouri  and  -entered 
the  county  of  Woodson  the  spring  following  as  before  related. 

Judge  Dutro  has  been  more  or  less  mixed  up  with  the  politics  of  Wood- 
■son  county  for  many  years.  His  sympathy  and  affection  have  always  been 
with  the  dominant  or  Republican  party  and  his  counsels  have  had  their 
"Height  and  influence  in  determining  the  policy  and  management  of  local 
•campaigns.  In  1884  he  was  appointed  a  county  commissioner  to  fill  a 
vacancy  and  Sheriff  Keel?  made  him  liis  deputy  in  the  office  during  his 
•official  term.  In  1895  he  was  elected  probate  judge  and  in  1897  waS  re- 
elected to  the  position.  In  1899  he  was  chosen  a  justice  of  the  peace  of 
Center  township  and  in  1901  was  again  elected  to  the  same  office.  In 
January,  1899  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Stanley  a  mem~ber  of  the  Board  of 
Managers  of  the  State  Soldiers'  Home  and  was  reappointed  to  the  same 
board  in  1901. 

Judge  Dutro  was  married  February  14,  1864,  in  Bureau  county, 
Illinois,  to  Phebe  S.  Brown,  a  daughter  of  Nathan  Brown  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  that  county.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dutro,  viz:  Otis  W. ;  Arthur  L. ;  Pauline  D.,  wife  of  Carlos  B.  Randall, 
of  American  Palls,  Idalio,  and  Mary  Edith,  who  is  Mrs.  Jesse  Camac,  of 
Tates  Center. 

Judge  Dutro  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  a  Red  Man  and  a 
Past  Commander  of  Woodson  Post  18K,  C4..  A.  R. 


SAMUEL  J.  COPE. 

The  life  record  of  Mr.  Cope  demonstrates  that  Kansas  has  opportuni- 
ties for  the  man  of  energy  and  determination,  for  all  that  he  possesses 
has  been  gained  through  an  active  and  Iionorable  business  career  in  this 
slate.  He  is  now  successfully  farming  in  Woodson  county,  his  home  be- 
ii.  g  in  North  township.  He  was  born  in  Clarion  county,  Pennsylvania, 
January  31,  1846,  a  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Anna  (Graft)  Cope,  both 
natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  father  was  born  in  Philadelphia  and 
hecanie  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade,  following  that  pursuit  for  many  years 
in  order  to  provide  for  his  wife  and  children — thirteen  in  number.  He  died 
in  Pennsylvania  in  1896,  when  about  seventy  years  of  age,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  in  1878,  when  she  had  completed  half  a  century. 

Under  the  direction  of  his  father  Samuel  J.  Cope  learned  the  cabinet- 
maker's trade  and  later  he  also  mastered  the  business  of  carpentering,  fol- 
li'wing  his  dual  occupation  for  about  twenty-five  years.  He  spent  several 
years  in  the  building  business  in  Oil  City,  Pennsylvania.  In  1871  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Susan  Wilcox,  a  native  of  that  state,  and  after 


642  fflSfORY    OP'    AttBN    AI^Yj 

fivy  years'  residence  there  they  concluded  that  in  order  to  get  a  home' 
of  their  own  they  would  have  to  go  where  land  was  cheaper.  Therefore  ire 
1876  they  came  to  Kanr  as  settling  in  AYoodson  county,  where  Mr.  Cope- 
rented  a  farm  for  a  y^ar  after  which  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie  about  eight  miles  northwest  of  Yates  Center, 
tlere  he  now  resides  and  to-day  he  has  a  beautiful  place  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  all  well  improved  although  not  a  furrow-  had  been  turned 
or  an  improvement  made  when  he  took  possession.  His  cabin  home  has 
l.een  replaced  l)y  a  good  residence,  a  barn  has  been  built  and  other  modem 
accessories  have  been  added.  When  they  first  came  to  the  county  Mr.  Cope- 
could  stand  in  the  cabin  door  and  see  the  deer  cross  backward  and  for- 
ward over  his  land. 

In  1879  Mr.  Cope  concluded  to  try  the  mining  country  and  went  to 
Colorac{o,  spending  nine  years  in  the  wilds  and  among  the  blood  thirsty 
Indians  of  the  divide  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  devoting  part  of  the  time- 
10  mining,  while  during  the  remainder  of  the  period  he  worked  at  car- 
pentering. He  also  spent  five  years  in  the  operation  of  a  sawmill  which 
he  had  purchased,  but  not  securing  gold  as  readily  as  he  had  anticipated 
when  he  wtnt  to  the  mountains  he  returned  to  his  farm  and  began  its 
improvement,  with  the  result  that  he  now  has  one  of  the  most  desirable- 
properties  in  his  township.  He  is  a  lover  of  fine  horses  and  only  keeps 
the  best  grades,  which  may  also  be  said  of  his  cattle  and  other  stock. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cope  has  been  blessed  -with  eight  children, 
yet  living,  namely  Anna,  the  wife  of  Asa  Miller:  Alice,  wife  of  Ernest 
E  arris;  Jennie,  who  married  Charles  Maelaskey;  Foretta,  wife  of  Charles 
Xewman ;  Judge  and  Clint  and  Lottie  at  home  with  their  parents.  In  his 
political  affiliations  Mr.  Cope  is  a  Populist  and  fraternally  he  is  an  Odd 
Fellow.  On  entering  iipon  his  business  career  he  borrowed  the  money 
with  which  to  purchase  his  tools.  Such  a  condition  is  in  strong  contrast  to- 
his  -financial  standing  to-day  and  yet  his  present  en-viable  position  is  not 
the  result  of  inheritance  or  fortunate  environment  but  has  been  won 
t);roush  earnest,  honest  persistent  etfott^ 


GEORGE  W.  LEE,  M.  D. 

From  no  professional  man  do  we  expect  or  exact  so  many  of  the 
cardinal  virtues  as  from  the  physician.  If  the  clergynian . is  austere  -we 
imagine  that  his  mind  is  absorbed  vsath  the  contemplation  of  things  be- 
yond our  ken;  if  our  lawyer  is  brusque  and  crabbed,  it  is  the  mark  of 
genius;  but  in  the  physician  we  expect  not  only  superior  mentality  and 
comprehensive  knowledge  but  sympathy  as  wide  as  the  universe.  Dr.  Lee 
ir  large  measure  meets  all  of  these  requirements  and  is  regarded  by  maioy 
ns  an  ideal  physician.     He  is  indeed  the  loved  family  doctor  in  many  a 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  643 

bouseKold  aud  the  value  of  his  service  to  the  community  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. 

The  doctor  was  born  at  Markham,  Illinois,  December  4,  1867,  a  son  of 
I'homas  and  Martha  (Sail)  Lee,  natives  of  Illinois  and  still  residents  of 
Markham.  They  had  nine  children  of  whom  our  subject  is  the  fifth  in  Order 
of  birth.  He  attended  the  district  schools  in  his  youth  and  was  reand 
upon  the  home  farm,  working  in  the  fields  from  the  time  of  early  spring 
plowing  until  crops  were  garnered  in  the  late  autumn.  In  the  winter  he 
pursued  his  education  and  when  he  was  prepared  to  take  up  the  higher 
branches  of  learning  he  entered  the  college  at  Jacksonville.  When  his 
literary  course  was  completed  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  ihe 
direction  of  Dr.  T.  M.  Cullimore,  of  Jacksonville,  and  in  1892  he  was 
graduated  in  the  Marion  Sims  Medical  College  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
He  afterward  continued  his  studies  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons, at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  completed  a  course  in  that  school  with  the 
graduating  class  of  1894. 

In  Meredosia,  Illinois,  Dr.  Lee  began  practice  but  after  a  year  came 
I0  Kansas,  locating  in  Yates  Center  In  1895.  Soon,  however,  he  came 
'.0  Toronto,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He  is  local  surgeon  for  the  A. 
T.  &  S.  P.  R.  R.  Co.,  having  served  the  company  in  that  capacity  for  about 
•■hree  years.  His  knowledge  of  the  science  of  medicine,  combined  with  a 
pleasing  personality  inspires  a  feeling  of  confidence  and  his  patients  un- 
iformly praise  his  gentleness  as  well  as  his  skill,  which  is  the  secret  of  the 
large  patronage  which  he  has  secured  since  coming  to  Toronto. 

On  the  16th  of  September,  1897,,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Tjee  and  Miss  Minnie  Kaltenbach,  a  most  estimable  young  lady  of  Toronto. 
They  now  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  city  where  they  reside  and  the 
hr.spitality  of  the  best  homes  is  cordially  extended  them.  The  doctor  is  yet 
a  young  man,  ambitious  and  energetic,  and  a  successful  career  the  futui'e 
Undoubtedly  holds  for  him. 


JOHN  A.  SEATON. 

Por  a  comparatively  brief  period  -John  A.  Seaton  has  resided  in  Wood^ 
son  county,  but  already  he  has  formed  a  wide  acquaintance  and  won  the 
regard  of  the  best  people  of  the  community.  His  life  has  been  one  of 
r>iarked  activity  in  which  he  has  faithfully  performed  public  service  and 
successfully  carried  on  business  enterprises.  He  is  now  extensively  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  is  the  owner  of  a  large  and  valuable  tract  of  land  in 
Kverett  township. 

Mr.  Seaton  was  born  in  Green  county,  Pennsylvania,  October  30, 
1840,  and  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eight  children,  of 
whom  six  are  yet  living.  The  father,  James  M.  Seaton,  was  also  a  native 
of  Gieen  county,  and  in  early  manhood  married  Miss  Sarah  Roberts,  of 


644  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

Washington  county,  Pennsylvania.  He  made  farming  his  life  occupation, 
and  in  1849  emigrated  westward,  first  taking  up  his  abode  in  Des  Moines 
county  lovva.  His  death  occurred  in  Newton,  Jasper  county,  Iowa,  when 
he  was  eigiity-five  years  of  age.  and  his  wife  passed  away  some  time  prev- 
icus,  at  th'j  age  of  seventy-three. 

When  a  lad  of  nine  years  John  A.  Seaton  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  the  Hawkeye  state  and  upon  the  home  farm  he  was 
itaied,  receiving  practical  training  in  the  work  of  the  fields  and  the  care 
of  the  stock.  In  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood  he  obtained 
l.'is  education  and  to  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  he 
attained  his  majority.  About  the  time  he  reached  man's  estate  the  Civil 
\>'ar  was  inaugurated  and  the  country  was  calling  for  aid  to  preserve  the 
Union.  In  October,  1861,  he  enlisted  among  the  boys  in  blue  of  company  B, 
Thirteenth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry  for  a  term  of  three  years  and  was  soon 
at  the  front,  fighting  the  battles  of  the  country.  He  participated  in  the 
engagements  at  Shiloh,  Corinth,  luka  and  the  battles  and  skirmishes  of  the 
campaign  of  1862,  and  at  the  battle  of  Raymond,  Mississippi,  he  lost  his 
leg  on  the  12th  of  May,  1863,  and  12  days  later  he  was  captured  and  re- 
maind  in  captivity  for  8  weeks,  although  paroled  on  day  of  captui'e. 
His  injury,  however,  was  so  great  that  he  could  not  be  moved.  On  the  5th 
of  October,  1863,  on  account  of  the  loss  of  his  limb,  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged and  returned  to  his  home. 

In  the  following  spring  Mr.  S'eaton  was  married  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  he  was  nominated  and  elected  to  the  office  of  county  clerk  by  the  Re- 
publican party.  By  re-election  he  was  continued  in  the  position  for  four 
years,  and  in  the  spring  of  1864  he  was  given  other  official  duties,  being 
appointed  by  the  governor  to  enroll  the  county  militia.  On  his  retire- 
ment from  office  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Townsend  harness  busi- 
nescs  and  engaged  in  the  harness  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Town- 
send  &  Seaton.  Six  months  later  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  store  and  re- 
moved to  a  farm  near  Newton  on  which  he  lived  for  three  months— sold 
this  and  moved  to  Kellogg,  Iowa,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  insuranc(- 
and  real  estate  and  milling  business  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  ap- 
pionted  special  agent  for  the  American  Fire  Insurance  Co.  of  Chicago,  and 
was  its  traveling  representative  for  13  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  stock-raising  and  also  en- 
gaged in  shipping  stock.  In  1886  he  became  the  special  agent  of  the 
Northwestern  Live  Stock  Insurance  Co.  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  for  south- 
■western  Iowa,  and  held  that  position  nearly  8  years,  doing  a  very  large  busi- 
ness for  his  company.  In  1897  he  engaged  again  in  business  with  his  old 
friend  and  former  partner,  Col  N.  Townsend  in  the  town  of  Newton  in  real 
estate  loans  and  insurance.  In  1898  he  disposed  of  his  possession  in  Iowa 
and  came  to  Woodson  county,  Kansas,  arriving  in  the  month  of  May.  Here 
they  purchased  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  near  Vernon  and 
have  developed  one  among  the  best  farms  of  the  county,  have  erected  a 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  645 

large  residence,  built  in  modern  architectural  style,  and  have  also  built  a 
large  barn.  Their  residence  is  the  most  attractive  home  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  county  and  stands  as  a  monument  to  their  business  life.  Since 
coming  to  Kansas  Mr.  Seaton  has  given  his  entire  time  and  attention  to 
farming  and  stock-raising  and  intends  to  make  a  specialty  of  handling 
registered  shorthorn  cattle  and  registered  Poland  China  hogs  under  the 
firm  name  of  Jno.  A.  Seaton  &  Sons.  They  also  put  up  and  ship  large 
quantities  of  hay  each  year. 

On  the  14th  of  April,  1864,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  -John  A. 
Seaton  and  Elma  Bevan,  for  a  number  of  years  one  of  the  leading  teachers 
jf  Jasper  county,  Towa.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Stacy  and  Jane  Bevan, 
\i'ho  came  to  Iowa  in  1855.  Mrs.  Seaton  is  a  most 'estimable  lady  and  pre- 
sides with  gracious  and  charming  hospitality  over  their  home.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  te  nehildren,  but  lost  three  in  infancy.  The  living 
,ire:  James  E.,  at  home;  Elvin  R.,  an  attorney  at  law  in  Hubbard,  Iowa; 
Charles  D.,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Woodson  county;  Sarah, 
wife  of  R.  W.  Nesmith,  of  Neosho  Falls;  R.  K.,  A.  G.  and  Mary  E.,  all 
with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Seaton  has  always  been  a  staunch  Republican,  in  sympathy  with 
the  party  that  stands  for  the  protection  of  American  liberties,  rights 
and  industries  and  upholds  the  flag  wherever  it  is  planted.  With  the 
savings  of  his  army  life  he  entered  upon  his  business  career  and  by 
judicious  investment  and  capable  management  he  has  increased  his  capital 
as  the  years  have  gone  by  until  his  possessions  now  rank  him  among  the 
men  of  affluence  in  his  adopted  county,  but  the  fact  that  he  has  won  suc- 
cess is  not  all  that  gains  him  respect  for  his  life  has  ever  been  upright  and 
honorable,  his  public  duties  faithfully  performed  and  the  obligations  of 
jH'ivate  life  honorably  met. 


FREDERICK  H.  BAYER. 

FREDERICK  H.  BAYER,  a  resident  of  Center  township,  Woodson 
county,  is  a  native  of  New  York  city,  his  birth  having  there  occurred  on 
the  21st  of  April,  1863.  His  father,  -John  H.  Bayer,  is  one  of  the  pros- 
perous men  of  Woodson  county,  having  accumulated  much  real  estate  and 
Oiher  property,  which  indicates  that  his  career  has  been  a  busy  and  use- 
ful one. 

Frederick  H.  Bayer  is  the  eldest  of  four  children,  and  has  practically 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Woodson  county.  He  was  educated  in  the  country 
schools,  and  remained  at  home  until  twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  worked 
in  the  fields  under  the  hot  summer  sun  and  assisted  in  the  improvement 
of  the  farm  throughout  the  period  of  his  minority.  On  the  19th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1887,  Mr.  Bayer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Seitz,  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Seitz,  who  came  to  the  United  States  from  Prussia  and 


646  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

located  in  Woodson  county,  Kansas,  before  the  Civil  war.  When  the 
country  became  involved  in  hostilities  he  joined  the  army  and  aided  in  up- 
holding the  Union.  He  died  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  forty  years,  leaving  the 
following  children:  Mrs.  Bayer,  William,  Annie  and  one  now  deceased. 
Mrs.  Seitz  afterward  married  Ferdinand  Schade  and  unto  them  were  born 
four  children:  Ferdinand,  Henry,  August  and  John.  The  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bayer  has  been  blessed  with  six  children,  namely:  Dora. 
John,  Henry,  Charles,  Edgar  and  Clarence. 

Mr.  Bayer  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  West 
Center  township,  a  tract  of  unimproved  prairie.  He  at  once  began  its 
cultivation  and  has  wrought  a  great  transformation  in  its  appearance.  He 
has  also  added  to  his  realty  holdings  until  his  landed  possessions  now 
aggregate  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  in  addition  to  the  first  pur- 
chase. The  raising  of  hay  claims  much  of  his  time,  and  the  sales  of  the 
product  materially  increase  his  financial  resources.  Mr.  Bayer  votes  with 
the  Eepublican  party,  thus  giving  evidence  of  his  political  belief,  and 
socially  he  is  connected  with  Center  Lodge,  K.  P.,  being  an  exemplary 
member  of  the  organization. 


SAMUEL  H.  WEIGHT. 

Although  Samuel  H.  Wright  was  a  resident  of  Kansas  but  a  brief 
period,  he  was  rich  in  the  qualities  which  in  every  land  and  every  clime 
command  respect  and  confidence  and  was,  therefore,  not  long  in  winning 
the  high  regard  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  so  that  his  death  came  as  a  loss  to 
the  entire  community.  He  was  earnest  and  zealous  in  his  support  of 
every  measure  which  he  believed  would  prove  of  public  benefit,  and  his 
lile,  ever  honorable  and  upright,  was  an  incentive  for  good  to  the  young, 
an  inspiration  to  his  associates  and  people  of  mature  years. 

Mr.  Wright  was  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  born  in  Ontario 
county  on  the  9th  of  December,  1817.  His  father,  Samuel  Wright,  sr.,  was 
born  1794  in  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.,  and  was  a  descendant  of  the  colonial 
Wrights  who  came  to  America  to  establish  homes  prior  to  the  war  of  the 
Kevolution,  and  who,  throughout  the  early  history  of  our  country  took  an 
active  part  in  its  develpment.  In  the  county  of  his  nativity  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review  was  reared,  there  remaining  until  1836,  when  he  went 
to  LaGrange  county,  Indiana,  whera  he  made  his  home  until  1855.  This 
letter  year  he  removed  to  Jasper  county,  Iowa,  where  he  maintained  his 
residence  till  1891,  this  year  disposing  of  his  property  interests  and  com- 
ing to  Kansas  and  settling  in  Woodson  county. 

Throughout  his  entire  business  career  Mr.  Wright  was  identified 
with  agricultural  pursuits  and  while  in  Iowa  he  was  also  connected  with 
the  Jasper  County  bank,  at  Colfax,  and  was  interested  in  the  creamery 
there.    He  was  considered  one  of  the  best  judges  of  horses  and  cattle  in 


-woaviixm  'counties,  kansas.  647 

the  state  and  did  much  to  improve  the  grade  of  sueh  stock  in  that  state. 
IPoY  nineteen  years  he  was  a  director  -and  the  president  of  the  Jasper 
County  Agricultural  Society  and  made  it  a  paying  institution.  On  coming 
to  "Woodson  county  be  purchased  a  farm  of  four  hundred  acres  on  the 
vest  line  of  Center  township  to  the  supervision  of  Avhich  he  devoted  his  re- 
maining years. 

Mr.  Wright  was  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  Elizabeth  Tone,  who 
"died  in  1844,  and  in  1858  he  married  Sarah  Newhouse,  a  daughter  of 
Andrew  Newhouse,  a  native  Virginian.  Mrs.  Wright  wa?;  born  September 
'28,  1828,  and  of  her  parents''  children  two  siirvive — Mrs.  Mary  Coldren, 
of  Topeka.  Kansas,  and  Milton  Newhouse,  of  Lake  Charles,  La.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wright  were  born  the  following  children,  viz:  Mary,  wife  of  S.  AV. 
Bayless.  of  Lake  Charles,  Louisiana ;  S.  Edward,  of  Jasper  county,  Iowa ; 
T^lla,  of  Lake  Charles,  La.,  who  married  Harry  Fullington,  and  S'edgwick 
M.,  born  December  8,  1868.  The  last  named  was  married  August  25,  1890, 
l<i  Elma  B.  Curl  and  has  two  children  — Gordon  C.  and  Beatrice  M. 

It  was  on  the  23d  of  July,  1899,  that  Samuel  Wright  was  called  to 
iiis  final  rest.  He  was  then  in  his  eighty  second  year.  Death  thus  brought 
1.  a  close  along,  useful  and  honorable  career.  His  eliaracter  was  al)ove  re- 
proach and  his  word  was  as  "good  as  his  contract."  In  early  life  he 
became  a  member  of  the  Presljyterian  church,  and  the  principles  of 
Christianity  e^'er  permiated  his  relations  witli  his  fellow  men.  He  con, 
tributed  liberally  to  religious  M-ork,  nor  did  he  neglect  his  duties  of  citizen- 
"ship  but  loyally  supported  those  public  measures  which  he  believed  would 
be.:t  promote  the  welfare  of  the  nation.  He  kept  well  informed  on  political 
issues  and  was  at  one  time  a  candidate  on  the  Greenback  ticket  for  con- 
gress, but  later  became  a  Pepublican.  He  took  a  commendable  pride  in  his 
liome,  desiring  that  everything  around  him  should  be  in  good  order.  He 
was  an  exemplary  citizen,  a  reliable  and  progressive  business  man,  a 
faithful  friend  and  a  loving  and  considerate  husband  aiid  father.  Such  a 
Tecord  is  better  thaTa  countless  wealth. 


CHARLES  H.  BAUERSFELD. 

A  highly  improved  farm  of  t^vo  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Belmont 
tiiwnship,  Woodson  county,  is  now  the  property  of  Mr.  Bauersfeld 
;and  has  l)een  acquired  entirely  through  his  own  well  directed  efforts  since 
■coming  to  America.  He  was  born  in  North  Housen,  Prussia,  Germany. 
I'^ebruary  1,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  a  shepherd,  Frederick  Bauersfeld,  who 
^ame  with  his  son  to  the  United  States  and  died  in  1881,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
two  years.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  union  being  with  Hennah 
Kumpf ,  by  whom  he  had  four  children :  Wilhelmina,  wife  of  Hermann 
ILemmerer,  of  Missouri ;  Johanna,  wife  of  Frederick  Becker,  of  Germany ; 
Ludowina^  Avife  of  Charles  Lieberman,  of  Cass  county,  Missouri.    For  his 


64.S  nrsi''ORY   UF    AtLEN"  AlNlT 

':rcoucl  Wife  the  father  chose  Mina  Mollenhour,  a  resident  of  Woodson; 
erunty.  Their  children  are:  Wilhelmina,  wife  of  Charles  Weide; 
Charles  H.,  of  llris  review;  Gimthei-,  of  Woodson  county;  Theresa  wife  of 
William  Weic'e,  and  August,  who  is  living  in  Yates  Center. 

Charle:  H.  Bav.e;sfeld  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  land' 
aiid  tl:e:e  remained  until  twenty-four  years  of  age.  He  also  learned  the 
weaver's  trade  there  but  did  not  follow  it  after  his  arrival  in  this  country. 
In  1881  he  arrived  in  Woodson  county  and  located  in  North  township, 
\i'here  be  resided  foi-  six  years  after  which  he  spent  nine  years  on  an- 
other farm.  On  the  expiration  of  flat  period  he  went  to  Yates  Center, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  milling  business  for  a  year  and  a  half.  In  1897 
he  took  up  his  abode  upon  his  present  farm  an  section  thirty-five,  town- 
ship twenty-five,  range  fourteen,  and  is  now  devoting  his  energies  to  the 
operation  of  his  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  is  now  well 
improved,  being  supplied  with  modern  acees;ories,  good  buildings  and  the 
best  equipments  for  making  of  farm  work  a  success. 

Mr.  Bauersfeld  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eva  Switzer,  who  was 
born  in  1864,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Senry  Switzer,  of  Coff'ey  county,  Kan- 
.'as.  but  formerly  a  lesident  of  Penn.sylvania.  Four  children  grace  the' 
union  of  Mr.  and  J\lrs.  Bauerpfeld:  Minnie,  Harry,  Leonard  and  Ollie. 
The  parents  enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  many  friends  in  this  part  of  the 
(•i>nn*y  and  are  widely  known.  In  the  early  days  of  his  residence  in  this 
I'funtry  Mr.  Bauersfeld  was  a  Republican  but  afterward  became  a  Popu- 
list during  the  reform  movement  in  Kansas.  In  this  country  where  op- 
portunity is  not  hampered  by  Caste  or  class  and  where  ability  is  recognized 
and  labor  brings  reward,  he  has  steadily  advanced  until  he  is  now  numbered 
among  the  prosperous  arid  progressive  agriculturists  of  his  adopted  county. 


MALEN  PARRlSH. 

MALEN  PARRISH,  who  ij.  engaged  in  farming  in  Center  township. 
^^'oodson  county,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  locality  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century  and  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Scott  county,  Illinois,  on  the  7th  of  January, 
1840.  His  father.  Henry  Parrish  removed  to  that  state  about  1830  from 
Tennessee,  his  home  having  previously  been  near  Nashville,  where  he  was 
born  about  1811.  He  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  throughout  his 
business  career  and  died  in  1846.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Arminta  Bennett,  and  after  the  death  of  her  first  husband  she  became 
the  wife  of  John  Redshaw.  By  her  first  union  she  had  three  children,  but 
Henry  and  Nancy,  the  eldest  and  the  youngest,  died  in  Scott  county,  Illi- 
nois, leaving  our  sub.ject  the  only  survivor.  The  mother  passed  away  in 
AVoodson  county  in  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  and  her  second 
husband  died  in  the  same  county  in  1899. 


'wOOD.SON    COtTNTIES,    KANSAS.  6zJ9 

The  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  fraught  with  toil  performed 
nmder  the  direction  of  a  stepfather  who  was  very  exacting  in  his  re- 
:inands,  but  after  acquiring  a  fair  English  education  in  the  public  schools 
.and  attaining  his  majorilj'  Mr.  Parrish  left  home  and  began  the  battle  of 
life  unaided.  His  possessions  consisted  of  a  cow  and  a  team  of  horses 
which  he  had  borrowed  and  which  he  continued  to  use  until  he  was  able  t& 
purchase  a  team  of  his  own.  He  has  always  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  is  an  energetic  farmer.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  the 
journey  of  life  he  chose  Miss  Harriet  Marden,  a  daughter  of  Colby 
Marden,  a  Canadian,  who  settled  in  Illinois  at  an  early  day  and  married 
Lucy  Moore,  a  native  of  Vermont.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marden 
were :  Ann  Cumby,  of  Scott  county,  Illinois ;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  George 
Cunningham,  of  the  sanie  county;  James,  of  Pope,  Arkansas;  George,  of 
Jacksonville,  111.,  and  Mrs.  Parish.  The  m.arriage  of  our  subject  and  his 
wife  was  celebrated  on  the  1st  of  January,  1862,  and  was  blessed  with  four 
children :  Mary  E.  Eeed,  of  Gunnison,  Colorado,  and  Dora,  wife  of 
James  Dawson,  of  Springdale,  Washington;  Harriet  F.,  wife  of  Prank 
"Wagner,  of  lola.  Kansas,  and  L.  B.,  who  is  with  his  father. 

Ill  health  was  the  immediate  occasion  of  Mr.  Parrish  becoming  a  resi- 
dent of  Kansas.  He  visited  the  state  on  a  prospecting  tour,  and  being 
pleased  with  Woodson  county  and  its  prospects  he  located  on  section 
twenty,  township  twenty-five,  range  sixteen.  He  sold  his  property  in 
Illinois,  purchased  this  tract  and  has  since  been  identified  with  the  farm- 
ing interests  of  Woodson  county,  carrying  on  his  work  in  an  energetic 
manner  that  finds  its  reward  in  the  gratifying  success  which  has  crowned 
his  consecutive  endeavors.  For  twenty-five  years  he  has  been  an  exemplary 
:irember  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  his  son  has  taken  the  Royal  Arch 
•degrees.  Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1864  he  has  never  failed  to  support  the  leading  candidates  of  the  Republi- 
can party  with  the  exception  of  the  year  1884.  He  is  a  citizen  of  worth, 
giving  a  loyal  support  to  measures  of  public  benefit  and  the  integrity  and 
fidelity  of  his  ehaacter  have  made  him  a  man  whom  to  know  is  to  respect 
iind  honor. 


WENZEL  SIEKA. 

A  resident  of  Woodson  county  for  twenty-one  years,  Wenzel  Sieka 
^fSiS  for  some  time  connected  with  its  agricultural  interests,  but  is  now 
>i  factor  in  commercial  circlies  in  Piqua,  where  he  is  conducting  a  hard- 
Avare  business.  He  was  born  in  Bohemia,  near  the  city  of  Prague,  October  6, 
1850,  a  son  of  Martin  and  Dorothy  Sieka.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by 
■occupation  and  in  the  fall  of  1851  left  his  native  land  for  the  New  World, 
arriving  at  New  Orleans,  on  the  5t.h  of  January,  1852.  Making  his 
way  up   the  Mississippi   river,   he   located   in   St.    Clair   county   Illinois, 


65b  riiSlORV    OF    ALLEiS    AiSL? 

^vhere  lie  made  his  home  until  1865,  when  he  went  to  Clinton  cOunty> 
tl:at  state.  After  fifteen  years  there  passed,  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1880^ 
speTidiiig  his  remaining  days  in  the  Sunflcfwer  state,  his  death  occurring 
in'  Pi(|ua  in  1894,  when  he  had  attained  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two- 
years.  His  wife  passed  away  iu  1873.  Their  children  were:  Barbara, 
V, ife  of  Samuel  Just,  of  Clinton  county,  Illinois;  Annie,  wife  of  Henry 
Albes,  of  Illinois;  ilrs.  ,Mary  Goss.  of  Illinois,  now  deceased^  Blazius,  and 
XVenzel. 

The  last  named  was  only  a  year  old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
the  United  States  and  in  Illinois  be  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm,  early 
gaining  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  work  of  fields  and  meadows.  Hi& 
school  privileges  were  those  afforded  by  the  country  scho'ols  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. After  putting  aside  his  text  books  he  gave  his  attention  en- 
tirely to  farm  work,  following  that  pursuit  in  the  Prairie  state  until  1880' 
v'hen  he  came  to  Woodson  county,  Kansas,  locating  upon  a  farm  in  Owl- 
Creek  township.  He  tilled  the  fields  and  improved  the  place  for  a  num-- 
her  of  years  and  then  came  to  Piqua.  where  he  has  since  conducted  a  hard- 
ware  store.  He  has  a  well  appointed  establishment  and  his  business 
iiiethods  are  such  as  to  make  those  who  once  patronize  him  his  con-- 
stant  customers.  He  is  also  still  interested  in  farming  lands  in  Woodsoa 
and  Allen  counties,  and  his  property  investments  bring  to  him  a  good 
income. 

On  the  liOth  of  May,  18t3,  in  Clinton  county,  Illinois,  occurred  the- 
marriage  of  Mr.  Sieka  and  Miss  Mary  E.  J^^ahrmann,  a  native  of  Germany, 
find  unto  them  have  been  born  nine  children,  namely:  John,  who  mar- 
i-ied  Tracy  Freschenmeyer  and  is  now  engaged  in  farming  in  Allen 
county,  Kansas;  Henry,  of  Woodson  county;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John'  Col- 
lins, of  AVoodson  county;  BenjamiU,  Frank,  August,  Kate,  Frances  and 
Teresa,  who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  Mr.  Sieka,  like  his  father, 
is  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles,  but  has  never  been  an  active 
politician.  His  business  affairs  bave  claimed  his  attention,  and  earnest 
bbor  has  been  the  key  which  has  opened  to  him  the  portals  of  success.  He' 
i-:  a  reliable  and  substantial  citizen,  and  the  evidence  of  &is  industrious 
l:fe  is  seen  in  his  good  business  and  his  pleasant  home. 


CHARLES  F.  PRlBBERNOW.  . 
CHARLES  F.  PRIBBERNOW  is  a  representative  of  a  well  known 
and  prominent  family  of  Southeastern  Kansas  and  is  actively  identified 
with  farming  and  stock  raising  interests  in  this  portion  off  the  state.  He 
was  born  in  Prussia,  February  13.  1853,  a  son  of  Christian  and  Sophia 
(^Busz)  Pribbernow,  also  natives  of  the  same  couiitry,  in  whose  family  were 
seven  children,  namely:  AYiUiam;  August,  wife  of  William  StangCj 
Charles  F  ;  Helena,  of  Chetopa  ,Kansas,  the  wife  of  John  Ritter ;  Amelia, 


WOODSON  COUNTIE;),  KANSAS.  65  I 

V'ife  of  Fred  Hussman,  of  Coffey  county,  Kansas ;  Bertha,  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Lassman,  of  Humboldt,  Kansas,  and  Hulda,  wife  of  Martin  Hen- 
riehs,  of  Humboldt,  this  state. 

Our  subject  spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  in  the  fatherland 
and  acquired  his  education  in  its  public  schools.  In  1867  his  parents, 
with  their  children,  came  to  the  United  States,  sailing  from  Bremen  to 
New  York,  where  they  landed  in  due  time.  From  the  east  they  made 
their  way  to  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  thence  by  wagon  to  Woodson  county. 
They  were  following  in  the  path  of  Gotlieb  Hartwig,  who  had  formerly 
lived  in  the  neighbor  hood  of  the  Pribbernows  in  Prussia  and  had  preceded 
tbem  on  their  emigration  to  the  New  World.  On  reaching  their  destina- 
t-.on  the  father  purchased  the  farm  upon  which  the  family  yet  reside  and 
there  he  successfully  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  life 's  labors 
were  needed  in  death,  in  1889,  when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of  age.  His 
wife  preceded  him  for  a  few  years  passing  away  in  1876.  Mr.  Pribber- 
now  of  this  review  has  always  remained  upon  the  old  homestead,  assisting 
in  the  Avork  of  the  farm,  and  is  a  practical,  progressive  agriculturist.  The 
family  own  altogether  fourteen  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  and  in 
the,  pastures  have  hundreds  of  head  of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs.  The 
Pribbernow  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county,  improved  with  all  modern 
acccESOries,  good  building,  well  kept  fences  and  machinery,  while  the 
fields  yield  golden  harvests  in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  bestowed 
upon  them. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1884,  Mr.  Pribbernow  was  united  in  mai'riage  to 
Wiss  Mary,  daughter  of  Charles  Ostermeier,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  AVoodson  county,  where  he  located  in  1859.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Catherine  Stange  and  they  had  two  children.  The  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pribbernow  has  been  blessed  with  five  children:  William, 
i^ngusta,  Henry,  Charles  and  Louisa,  and  the  family  circle  yet  remains 
unbroken.  Our  subject  has  always  been  a  Republican  in  his  political  af- 
filia'ions.  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  honored  father,  who  in  early 
life  was  a  Democrat,  but  at  the  inception  of  the  Republican  party  joined 
itF.  ranks.  For  fifteen  years  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board,  the  cause  of  education  finding  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  has  been 
the  nominee  for  township  treasurer  and  for  county  commissioner  and 
lacked  only  six  votes  of  being  elected  to  the  latter  office,  although  he  was 
opposed  by  a  fusion  ticket.  The  large  vote  which  he  polled  indicated  his 
personal  popularity  among  his  friends  and  neighbors  and  the  confidence 
they  reposed  in  him.  He  belongs  to  a  family  prominent  and  honored  and 
bears  worthily  the  untarnished  name. 


HENRY  S.  TRUEBLOOD. 

HENRY  S.  TRUEBLOOD  is  certainly  deserving  of  mention  among 
the  representative  citizens  of  Woodson  county,  for  he  is  recognized  as  one 


652  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

of  the  leading  meii  in  the  Eepublican  party.  He  has  been  identified 
with  the  organization  since  attaining  his  majority,  has  been  true  to  its 
principles,  has  labored  faithfully  to  promote  its  interests,  and  his  election 
to  offices  of  public  trust  have  been  but  a  fitting  recognition  of  his 
sterling  worth  and  high  standing.  A  close  student  of  the  principles  on 
which  the  party  is  founded,  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day,  he  gives  his  support  to  Republicanism  because  he  be- 
lieves firmly  that  the  adoption  of  its  platform  will  be  most  conducive  to 
public  good.  AVhile  he  has  been  honored  with  office,  fidelity  to  the  princi- 
ples in  which  he  believes  has  ever  been  with  him  before  personal  ag- 
g)  andizement,  and  his  loyalty  and  patriotic  spirit  are  widely  recognized. 

The  life  record  of  I\Ir.  Trueblood  began  on  the  9th  of  December, 
1838,  his  birthplace  being  in  Greene  county,  Indiana,  but  for  many 
years  he  was  a  resident  of  Daviess  county,  that  state.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, Mark  Trueblood,  was  one  of  the  old  time  substantial  citizens,  a 
thrifty  pioneer  farmer  who  aided  in  making  habitable  the  wild  districts 
of  the  Hoosier  state.  He  there  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  in  territorial 
days  and  at  all  times  he  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fel- 
low men  by  his  genuine  worth  of  character. 

His  son,  Jesse  Trueblood,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  torn  in  In- 
diana, in  1814,  when  it  was  still  under  the  territorial  "form  of  government, 
and  there  gave  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  throughout  a  long. 
u.=eful  and  active  career.  He  was  descended  from  the  Quaker  Whigs  of 
North  Carolina  and  possessed  many  of  the  sterling  characteristics  of  that 
religious  sect.  He  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Lawrence  and 
Daviess  counties  and  died  in  the  latter  July,  1900.  His  wife,  who 
btre  the  maiden  name  of  Charlotte  Scott  was  a  daiighter  of  Henry  Scott. 
She  was  born  in  Lawrence  county.  Indiana,  and  is  still  living  in  Daviess 
county,  where  several  of  her  children  also  reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  True- 
blood always  lived  upon  a  farm  and  were  progressive  agriculturists.  They 
]  eared  their  family  to  habits  of  industry  and  honesty,  and  their  children 
do  honor  to  an  untarnished  family  name.  In  order  of  birth  they  are  as 
follows:  Phebe,  deceased  wife  of  Nathaniel  Chambers;  Mark,  of  Daviess 
county,  Indiana ;  Henry,  of  this  review ;  Richard,  of  Daviess  county ; 
Martha,  the  wife  of  Peter  Ragle,  of  the  same  county;  Almira,  the  wife  of 
John  E.  Hayes;  Jesse  C. :  James;  Alice,  ^^-ife  of  Albert  Stuckey;  Elizabeth, 
V,  ife  of  Fred  Shaf er,  and  Sarah,  now  Mrs.  Pritchard  Smiley.  All  except- 
ing the  subject  of  this  sketch  are  residing  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  home- 
stead in  Indiana. 

The  educational  advantages  afforded  Henry  Trueblood  were  rather 
limited,  for  his  mental  training  was  received  in  the  usual  log  schoolhouse 
common  to  the  frontier,  and  therein  he  pursued  his  studies  during  the 
winter  months,  for  his  services  were  needed  in  the  fields  during  the  sum- 
mer season.  In  December,  1861,  he  was  married,  the  lady  of  his  choicd  be- 
ing Julia,  the  daughter  of  Sanford  Gowan,  a  farmer.  After  his  marriage 


WOODSON  COUNTlEli,  KANSAS.  653 

Mr.  Trueblood  followed  farming  until  January,  1865,  when  he  enlisted 
ii  the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  company  K,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
third  Indiana  infantry  under  Colonel  Grill,  and  saw  service  in  Tennessee. 
The  regiment  did  guard  and  patrol  duty,  and  was  mustered  oiit  in  Nash- 
ville, October  17,  1865. 

Upon  returning  to  his  home  Mr.  Trueblood  resumed  the  work  of  the 
farm  and  remained  in  his  native  state  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Wood- 
son county,  arriving  on  the  18th  of  October.  For  some  years  he  was 
identified  with  agricultural  pursuits  in  this  locality,  but  subsequently  put 
aside  the  labors  of  the  farm  in  order  to  give  his  undivided  attention  to 
the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  public  office  entrusted  to  him.  He  served  as 
trustee  of  Liberty  township  for  four  years  and  was  elected  county  clerk 
m  the  fall  of  1879  for  a  two  years'  term,  was  re-elected  in  1881  and  in 
1884  he  retired  from  office  as  he  had  entered  it— with  the  confidence  and 
good  will  of  the  entire  public.  His  is  recognized  as  a  master  mind  in  poli- 
lical  circles  of  Woodson  county.  He  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote 
the  growth'  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party  and  his  opinions  carry 
weight  in  party  councils  and  his  influence  is  strongly  felt.  On  resuming 
the  duties  of  private  life  Mr.  Trueblood  became  associated  in  business  with 
A.  F.  Palmer  and  the  mercantile  firm  of  Palmer  &  Trueblood  now  ranks 
S'.mong  the  foremost  in  Yates.  Center. 

The  home  life  of  Mr.  Trueblood  has  been  very  pleasant.  His  marriage 
to  Miss  Gowan  resulted  in  the  birth  of  seven  children,  namely:  Richard 
H.,  who  is  the  editor  of  the  Yates  Center  News ;  William  H. ;  Charles  A. ; 
Flora  D.  and  Lillian  E. ;  two  died  in  infancy.  The  family  is  one  of  promi- 
renee  in  the  community,  numbered  among  jthe  most  valued  citizens  of 
Yates  Center.  Mr.  Trueblood  has  been  a  resident  of  Woodson  county  for 
thirty  years  and  throughout  the  period  has  been  an  active  factor  in 
public  affairs.  His  co-operation  has  promoted  many  measures  of  public 
worth  and  benefit  and  in  all  life's  relations  he  has  followed  a  course  at 
dnce  honorable,  commendable  and  worthy  of  emulation. 


E.  W.  NAYLOR. 

A  farm  of  eight  hundred  acres,  well  improved  and  stocked  with  a 
high  grade  of  horses  and  catle,  is  an  unmistakable  evidence  of  a  busy  and 
active  life.  This  property  is  in  possession  of  E.  W.  Naylor,  who  came  to 
Woodson  county  empty  handed  but  with  a  resolute  spirit  that  has  enabled 
him  to  surmount  difficulties,  conquer  obstacles  and  press  steadily  forward 
to  the  goal  of  prosperity.  He  resides  in  North  township  and  his  extensive 
agricultural  and  stock-raising  interests  have  made  him  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Naylor  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  the  Keystone  state, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  12th 


654  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

of  April,  1851.  His  parents  were  George  and  Barbara  (Steviek)  Naylor, 
also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  whence  they  removed  to  Indiana  in  1858,  lo- 
cating in  Allen  county,  where  the  father  followed  farming.  His  wife  died 
in  that  state  in  1859,  but  the  father  retained  his  residence  there  until  1891, 
when  he  came  to  Woodson  county,  Kansas,  his  death  here  occurring  in 
1892,  when  he  had  reached  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy-six  years.  This 
worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children,  eight  of  whom  are 
yel  living:  Mrs.  Sarah  Tibbtn.  Mrs.  Anna  Butler;  George  Z. ;  E.  W. ;  Mrs. 
Lydia  Hutchings;  Mrs.  Minerva  Stewart;  Mrs.  Alice  Muller  and  David. 

E.  W.  Naylor  of  this  review  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  He  ae- 
ouired  a  good  education,  completing  his  course  in  a  high  school  of  his  native 
county,  and  when  a  young  man  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Indiana 
iin-  one  year.  In  1873  he  came  to  Kansas,  settling  in  Woodson  county  ten 
miles  northwest  of  Yates  Center.  For  four  years  following  his  arrival  he 
\v-as  connected  with  the  educational  interests  of  this  locality  as  a  teacher. 
During  that  time  he  was  married  and  after  his  marriage  he  rented  a  farm 
and  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  For  three  years  he 
rented  land  and  then  with  the  capital  which  he  had  acquired  through  his 
(iwn  exertions  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  served  as  the 
nucleus  around  which  he  has  gathered  his  present  extensive  possessions. 
He  to-day  has  eight  hundred  acres  constituting  a  valuable  property,  on 
which  is  an  attractive  residence,  and  one  of  the  finest  barns  in  the  county, 
filled  with  as  fine  horses  as  can  be  found  in  the  township.  He  handles 
yearly  about  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  an  equal  number  of  hogs  and 
as  he  keeps  only  high  grades  of  stock  he  is  always  sure  of  a  ready  and 
remunerative  sal'^. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1875,  Mr.  Naylor  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
M.  Christina  Miller,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Elizabeth  (Stines)  Miller,  also  of  the  Hoosier  state,  whence  they  came  to 
Kansas  in  1860.  They  settled  on  Turkey  creek  in  Woodfon  county,  where 
they  spent  their  remaining  days,  the  father  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
f-eventy-nine  years,  while  the  mother  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-three.  He 
\>as  a  native  of  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  his  wife  was  born  in  New  Jersey. 
Tnto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Naylor  have  been  born  two  children:  Bessie  May,  a 
student  in  the  Kansas  University,  and  Wilber  W.,  a  student  in  the  high 
school  in  Yates  Center. 

IMr.  Naylor  and  his  family  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Wood- 
son county.  His  record  is  indeed  creditable  and  thus  he  has  won  the 
admiration  and  respect  of  his  feUow  townmen.  Beginning  life  here  as  a 
teacher  of  a  country  school  receiving  but  a  small  salary,  he  has  through 
the  practice  of  industry,  economy  and  capable  management  long  since  left 
the  ranks  of  those  who  are  daily  struggling  for  a  livelihood  and  stands 
among  the  men  of  affluence  in  the  community.  In  his  work  he  has  been 
ably  assisted  by  his  wife,  a  most  estimable  lady  whose  judicious  care  of 
the  household  and  the  management  of  its  affairs  have  contributed  in  no 


"W'OODSON    counties,  KANSAS.  655 

small  degree  to  his  prosperity.  As  a  citizen  his  worth  and  loyalty  have 
Hjeen  manifest  in  several  public  offices.  He  has  served  as  township 
tiustee  for  two  terms,  and  at  the  present  writing  in  the  spring  of  1901 
ho  is  township  treasurer  and  justice  of  the  peace.  Over  the  record  of  his 
public  career  and  private  life  there  falls  no  shadow  of  ^^'rong  or  suspicion 
'■of  evil  and  to-day  he  ranks  among  the  leading,  progressive  and  respected 
.■agriculturists  of  his  adopted  county. 


JOHN  SHENCK. 

A  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  an  enterprising  business  man  and  a  leading 
■^citizen  of  Yates  Center,  Jolm  Shenk  certainly  merits  representation  in  this 
volume  among  the  men  whose  labors  have  been  of  benefit  to  the  county  in 
the  line  of  substantial  improvement  and  progress.  He  was  born  in  Erie 
^county,  Pennsylvania,  September  3,  1843,  and  is  of  German  lineage.  The 
ancestors  of  the  family  came  from  the  Fatherland  to  America  probably  in 
(Colonial  days.  JMiehael  Shenk.  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1818,  and  spent  his 'entire  life  in  that 
Slate  and  in  Illinois.  Locating  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie  he  cleared  a  tract 
-of  land  and  developed  a  farm  and  throughout  his  active  business  career  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  married  Miss  Sarah  C.  Carter,  who 
,'as  born  near  London,  England,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  "Will  county, 
Illinois,  wWther  the  family  remo^-ed  in  1857.  Her  children  are :  John ; 
William  and  Jerome,  wlio  are  living  in  Will  county;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
■of  Harvey  Brown,  of  Chicago  Illinois :  Delia,  the  wife  of  Napoleon  Leslie, 
of  Will  county ;  Ida,  wife  of  Calvin  Whitson,  of  Pontiac  JUinois,  and  Min- 
nie, wife  of  John  Jilson,  also  of  Will  eount^^ 

Mr.  Shenck,  whose  name  begins  this  record,  was  a  youth  of  fourteen 
years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Will  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  reared.  The  education 
vhich  he  had  acquirea  in  the  east  was  supplemented  by  study  in  the  schools 
of  the  Prairie  state  and  in  his  youth  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  his  fatlier"'s 
iarm'.  He  was  only  nineteen  years  of  age  when  in  1862  he  joined  the  boys 
in  blue  of  company  I,  Oni»  Hundredth  Illinois  infantry  for  service  in  the 
Civil  war  under  Colonel  Bartleson.  The  regiment  was  attached  to  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  Second  Division  of  the  Fourth  Army  Corps  and  be- 
^f.n  active  service  at  Louisville,  K-entucky,  where  it  was  equipped.  Mr. 
Shenck  participated  in  a  numlier  of  hotly  contested  engagements,  including 
(he  battles  of  Perryville,  Stone  river,  Chickamauga,  Missionary  Eidge  and 
the  seige  and  capture  of  Atlanta.  He  +hen  returned  northward  under  the 
•command  of  General  Tliomas  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Franklin 
and  Nashville  and  in"  the  second  contesv  at  Perryville.  During  the  last 
of  the  war  his  regiment  was  stationed  in  the  vicinity  of  Nashville  and 
when  hostilities  were  over  and  the  countrj'  ro  longer  needed  the  military 


fij*^  fi'l'S-r'ORV    Ob'    ALLEN    ANu 

fiid  of  its  soldipis  the  One  Himdredth  Illinois  \;<is  mustered  out  at  Ci{cagO\ 
'Sir.  Shenek  then  le'urned  to  Will  county  to  resume  the  pursuits  of 
-^ivil  life  and  for  four  years  was  engaged  in  fb^ming  there.  He  after- 
ward sppnt  a  few  years  in  teaming  in  BraMwooa,  that  county,  and  ako' 
dt-alt  m  coal.  On  discontinuing  his  labors  along  those  lines  of  activity  he- 
became  connected  witfi  the  butchering  business  which  he  has  since  made  his-' 
:  ource  of  livelihood.  He  remained  a  resident  of  lUinoiL  until  1884  when 
he  came  to  Woodson  county,  settling  in  Yates  Center  and  for  more  than 
sixteen  years  he  has  conducted  a  meat  market  in  this  place.  He  enjoys  a 
laipe  protitable  trade,  easily  retaining  an  extensive  patronage  by  reason  of 
his  moderate  prices,  his  earnest  desire  to  please  and  his  fair  dealing. 

In  186f;.  in  "Will  coun^y.  Illinois,  Mr.  Shenek  was  Joined  in  wedlock  to' 
Miss  Sarab  "^Mght,  a  daughter  of  Cherrington  "Wright,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, as  was  also  his  wife.  They  have  had  five  children :  Fred  C,  who  is- 
associated  in  bu.'iness  with  his  father;  Ada  and  John,  both  deceased;  Lester 
and  Walter,  at  home.  Since  the  organization  of  the  party  the  Shencks 
luive  been  Republicans  and  our  subject  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the' 
party.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  he  also  be- 
longs to  George  D.  Carpenter  Post.  G.  A.  R.  He  made  for  himself  a 
creditable  military  record  upon  the  tented  fields  of  the  south  and  is  to-day 
as  loyal  to  the  best  interests  of  citizenship  as  when  he  followed  the  Stars 
find  Stripps  thro-ugh  the  Confederacj"-, 


GEORGE  MOERER. 

The  iinostentatious  routine  of  private  life,  althougb  of  vast  imporfanCB- 
fo  the  welfare  of  the  community,  has  not  figured  to  any  great  extent  in 
fhe  pages  of  history.  But  tbe  names  of  men  who  have  distinguished 
themselves  by  the  possession  of  cbaracteristics  that  have  enabled  them  to 
eonquer  an  adverse  fate  and  acfvance  their  individual  prosperity  and  at 
the  same  time  contribute  to  tbe  public  good  should  not  be  permitted  to 
perish.  Their  example  is  more  valuable  to  the  majority  of  readers  thai! 
that  of  heroes,  statesmen  and  writers  for  it  is  the  few  who  entex  such 
1-nes  of  life  while  the  many  are  fonnd  in  the  great  fields  of  agriculture  and 
commerce  and  desire  to  tnow  oi  methods  that  will  aid  them  in  such 
brancbes  of  business.  The  history  of  George  Moerer  should  not  fail  to 
serve  as  a  source  of  mspiration  and  encouragement  to  those  who  would 
know  of  practical  methods  for  he  bas  depended  upon  industry  and  perse- 
verance to  gain  advancement  to  a  position  among  tbe  wealthy  and  highly 
respected  citizens  of  AYoodson  county. 

A  native  of  Prussia,  he  was  born  December  3,  1835,  a  sou  of  Christo- 
pher and  Sophia  (Struwe)  Moerer.  who  were  also'  natives  of  Germany, 
\^-henee  they  came  to  America  in  1853,  landing  at  Galveston,  Texas,  on  the 
26th  of  December.     They  remained  for  abont  a  year  in  the  l/one  Star 


•WOODSON    COTTNTIES,   KANSAS.  657 

t-irate,  anfl  then  went  to  Piatt  county.  IMissouri,  but  wishing  to  locate  where 
they  could  secure  cheap  land  they  removed  to  Nemaha  county,  Nebraska. 
The  mother  died  in  Missouri,  but  the  father  followed  farming  in  Nebraska 
until  his  death  which  occurred  when  he  was  seventy-seven  years  of  age. 
'J'hey  had  four  children,  but  only  two  are  now  living— Prantz  and  George, 
the  elder  now  a  resident  of  Nebraska. 

George  Moerer  f-pent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in  the  father- 
land and  then  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  New  World.  He  soon  com- 
menced work  by  the  month  on  a  farm  and  was  thus  employed  until  he  had 
"saved  money  enough  with  which  to  purchase  four  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  raw  prairie  land  in  Nebraska.  There  he  made  a  good  farm  and 
^completed  his  arrangements  for  a  home  by  his  marriage  to  Mss  Sophia 
5^abel.  For  twenty-three  years  he  resided  upon  his  Nebraska  farm,  mak- 
ing many  excellent  improvements  and  transforming  it  into  a  valuable 
property.  In  October,  1885.  he  cam.e  to  Kansas  and  located  at  his  present 
"home,  purchasing  seven  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  Cherry 
jreek,  in  Everett  township,  two  miles  north  and  five  miles  east  of  Yates 
Center.  The  place  was  well  improved  with  large  harns  and  other  buildings 
and  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences  for  facilitating  the  farm 
work  and  rendering  it  profitable.  His  buildings  stand  on  the  east  bank  of 
Cherry  creek,  close  to  the  timber  which  borders  each  side  of  the  stream  and 
furnishes  him  all  the  wood  which  he  needs  for  use  upon  the  farm.  The 
place  is  well  stocked  with  cattle  and  horses  and  he  raises  none  hut  the 
best  grades.  -His-  stock  gives  every  indication  of  good  breeding  and  Mr. 
Moerer  finds  no  difficulty  in  making  sales  when  he  wishes  to  dispose  of 
-either  horses  or  cattle.  In  addition  to  his  present  farm  of  seven  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  Mr.  Moerer  was  also  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
iicres  of  land,  which  he  divided  equally  between  two  of  his  sons. 

The  marriage  of  IMr.  and  Mrs.  Moerer  was  blessed  with  ten  children 
and  with  the  exception  of  one  who  died  in  infancy  all  are  yet  living, 
namely:  Prank,  who  resides  near  his  father,  Ida.  who  is  acting  as  her 
father's  housekeeper:  Julius,  a  resident  of  Woodson  county;  Emma,  wife 
«f  D.  L.  Gregory,  who  is  living  in  Southport,  Tennessee ;  Martha,  wife  of 
Kenry  Kopper,  of  AYoodson  county;  William,  Henry,  Albert  and  Lydia, 
■who  are  still  at  home. 

Mr.  Moerer  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Demo- 
cracy, but  has  never  sought  office,  giving  his  undivided  attention  to  his 
business,  wherehy  he  has  won  success.  The  subject  of  this  review  has 
through  his  own  exertions  attained  an  •  honorable  position  and  marked 
fiistency  it  may  he  said  that  he  is  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes,  and 
is  one  whose  prosperity  amply  .justifies  the  application  of  the  somewhat 
iiackneyed  but  most  expressive  title,  "a  self-  made  man." 


65'-'  EJ'iSTOKY    OF    ALLEN    AisTy 

HENRY  E.  OLD, 

HENRY  E.  OLD  is  a  prosperous  business  man  of  Liberty  townsfifpt 
Woodson  county,  jtow  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Burt,  a  little  village' 
?bout  nine  miles  northwest  of  Ya'es  Center.  For  a  number  of  years  he- 
»'as  Cfonneeted  wdth  the  educational  interests  of  the  county  and  thus  became 
widely  known.  He  was  born  in  Miami  county,  Indiana,  August  8,  1869,  a 
sun  of  James  H.  and  Phoebe  A.  (Kerschner)  Old,  also  natives  of  the 
Hoosier  state.  The  father  has  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  life  to  agri- 
pultural  pursuits.  He  eame  to  Woodson  county,  Kansas,  in  1882,  and  is- 
now  living  in  p]ureka,  this  state,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  His 
wife  passed  away  in  1889,  when  forty-one  years  of  age.  They  were  the- 
parents  of  nine  children  and  are  yet  living  with  the  exception  of  the 
eldest  who  was  killed  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun,  near  Burling- 
ton, KanS. 

Henry  Old,  the  eldest  of  the  living  diildren,  came  with  his  parents  to- 
Kansas  in  1882  and  attended  the  common  school  until  qualified  for  teach- 
ing, when  he  became  a  representative  of  that  profession  which  he  followed' 
for  nine  years  in  Woodson  county.  He  always  attended  the  county  in- 
stitutes and  thus  kept  in  toucb  witb  the  progress  continually  being  made  in' 
1hat  line  of  work.  He  also  served  for  two  years  on  the  examining  board  of 
the  county.  It  was  at  one  time  his  intention  to  enter  the  medical  fraternity, 
and  with  this  end  in  view  he  studied  medicine  for  three  years  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Kellenberger,  of  Yates  Center,  but  this  work  did  not 
prove  as  congenial  as  he  had  anticipated  and  accordingly  he  abandoned 
il  nd  turned  his  attention  to  merchandising. 

With  the  money  which  he  had  saved  from  his  wages  as  a  teacher  he 
pui'chased  a  stock  of  goods  and  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Randall  &  Old' 
he  became  connected  with  mercantile  pursuits,  opening  a  store  in  Burt  in 
1899.  Tl'.eir  store  is  the  only  one  in  that  locality  and  they  draw  a  trade 
from  miles  Srovind.  Tliey  Carry  a  well  selected  general  stock  valued  at  two- 
thousand  dollars  and  their  annual  sales  amount  to  ten  thousand  dollars. 
Their  success  has  exceeded  their  expectations  and  is  an  indication  of  their 
courteous  treatment  of  their  patrons,  their  straight-forward  dealing  and 
their  earnest  desire  to  please. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1900,  jMr.  Old  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss 
Ellen  B.  Randall,  who  *as  born  in  Cowley  county,  Kansas.  The  young" 
..•oiiple  h.ave  many  warm  friends  in  the  community  and  are  held  in  high  es- 
teem by  all  who  kno-w  them.  His  force  of  character,  strong  individuality  and 
steadfastness  of  purpose  have  already  won  for  Mr.  Old  a  desirable  posi' 
tion  in  commercial  circles  and  will  undoubtedly  bring  him  still  greater  suc- 
coes. 


REUBEN  JONES. 
Athough  one  of  the  more  recent  arrivals  among  the  farmers  and 
stock  raisers  of  Woodson  county,  Reuben  Jones  has  the  enterprising  and 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  659 

progressive  spirit  of  the  west  and  has  been  accorded  a  place  among  the 
.iTpresentative  agriculturists.  He  was  born  near  -Jefferson  City,  Missouri, 
February  2,  1848.  His  father,  Thomas  Jones,  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts and  as  his  father  died  when  Thomas  was  only  twelve  years  of  age 
the  latter  had  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world  and  finlly  drifted  to  Ohio, 
where  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Jane  E.  Puller.  In  due  course 
of  time  they  were  married,  and  in  1851  removed  to  Grundy  county,  Illinois, 
where  they  went  to  Livingston  county,  that  state.  The  year  1884  witnessed 
their  arrival  in  Kansas,  their  home  being  near  lola,  in  Allen  county,  where 
the  mother  of  Our  subject  passed  away  in  1888,  the  father  surviving  until 
1891,  when  he  to  departed  this  life.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children, 
three  of  whom  are  yet  living :  Reuben ;  Asa,  who  makes  his  home  in  the  city 
of  Oklahoma,  and  Mrs.  da  Miler,  of  La  Harpe,  Kas. 

Reuben  Jones  was  reared  to  farm  life  in  Illinois  and  there  pursued  a 
common  school  education.  As  is  usual  with  young  men  starting  out  in  busi- 
ness life  he  sought  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  the  journey  and  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Fisher,  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  They 
continued  to  reside  in  Illinois  until  1892  when  they  came  to  the  Sunflower 
state,  settling  in  Toronto  township,  M^oodson  county,  eight  miles  north  of 
the  town  of  Toronto,  where  Mr.  Jones  purchased  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land,  but  since  that  time  he  has  extended  the  boundaries  of  his 
place  until  it  now  comprises  four  hundred  acres,  constituting  some  of  the 
best  farming  land  of  the  county,  bordering  the  Brazle  creek.  Here  he  is 
engaged' in  the  raising  of  crops  and  stock  and  now  has  about  eighty  head 
of  cattle  and  one  hundred  hogs,  producing  about  that  number  annually. 
He  feeds  all  of  his  corn  and  hay  and  keeps  his  stock  in  excellent  condition, 
markets  it  himself  and  therefore  receives  the  highest  prices  paid. 

In  his  work  Mr.  Jones  has  had  able  assistance  from  his  sons.  Thomas 
E.,  the  eldest,  is  now  in  the  employ  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  company,  at 
Ouincy,  Kans. ;  George  F.,  operates  a  farm  near  the  old  homestead;  and 
Asa  is  married  and  assists  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm.  Mr.  Jones 
is  a  memer  of  the  Odd  Fellows  society,  at  Quincy,  Kans. ;  and  also  belongs 
I0  Woodson  lodge  No.  121,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Toronto.  Political  preferment 
1  as  had  no  attraction  for  him,  yet  he  was  elected  and  served  for  one  term  as 
iustice  of  the  peace.  Business  cares  engross  his  attention,  the  work  of  the 
farm  being  under  his  immediate  supervision  and  indicating  the  careful 
direction  of  an  enterprising  and  progressive  owner  by  its  splendid  returns. 
Everything  about  the  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  the  improve- 
riients  being  in  keeping  with  modern  progress  and  advancement,  and  the 
position  which  the  owner  occupies  in  agricultiiral  circles  is  commendable 
and  enviable. 


COL.  WILLIAM  L.  PARSONS. 
The  office  of  probate  jiidge  in  AYoodson  county  is  filled  by  William 


660  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

L.  Parsons,  a  man  whom  his  fellow-townsmen  recognize  as  worthy  of  the 
public  trust  and  confidence,  for  in  all  life's  relations  he  is  found  true  to 
duty,  and  his  ability  also  well  qualities  him  for  the  position.  He  came 
to  the  county  in  December,  1871,  and  therefore  through  a  period  of  thirty 
years  has  been  connected  with  its  interests,  much  of  the  time  being  a 
prominent  representative  of  its  industrial  concerns. 

Mr.  Parsons  has  had  a  somewhat  eventful  career  but  through  the 
vicissitudes  of  life  has  persevered  in  a  persistent  purpose.  He  was  born 
on  Long  Island,  New  York,  April  30,  1833.  a  son  of  William  Parsons^  of 
East  Hampton,  a  sea  captain  who  died  on  Long  Island,  leaving  two  sons 
and  two  daughters.  In  the  place^of  his  nativity  our  subject  grew  to  man- 
hood, no  event  of  special  importance  occurring  to  vary  the  usual  routine 
of  life  for  boys  of  that  period.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and 
Clinton  Academy  and  remained  on  Long  Island  until  twenty-five  years 
of  age,  when  he  sought  the  broader  business  opportunities  of  the  new 
and  growing  west,  removing  to  Racine,  Wisconsin,  in  1858.  There  he 
was  engaged  in  merchandising  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion 
in  the  south,  and,  putting  aside  all  personal  considerations,  with  patriotic 
spirit  he  volunteered  for  service  at  the  front,  enlisting  in  Company  P, 
fceeond  Wisconsin  infantry,  with  which  he  remained  for  three  years  and 
eight  months.  He  was  in  the  First  Division  of  the  First  Army  Corps  and 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  and  in  many  other  engagements,  his 
service  ending  with  the  Grant  campaign.  He  was  wounded  at  South 
Mountain,  again  at  Gettysburg  and  a  third  time  in  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  where  he  was  left  on  the  field  for  dead,  but  was  afterward 
picked  up  by  the  Rebels  and  sent  to  Macon,  Georgia.  Later  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Charleston  and  subsequently  to  Columbia,  South  Carolina.  His 
brigade  was  known  as  the  Iron  Brigade— a  name  which  indicates  the 
character  of  the  soldiers,  who  stood  with  almost  .unbending  strength  before 
the  rain  of  shot  and  shell  that  came  against  them  in  many  a  battle.  Mr. 
Parsons  was  a  brave  and  loyal  soldier,  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty, 
and  from  the  ranks  he  was  con+inually  promoted,  in  recognition  of  his 
meritorious  service,  until  he  won  the  title  of  colonel  but  fought  only  as 
n>ajor. 

After  returning  from  the  army  Colonel  Parsons  conducted  an  elevator 
for  a  railroad  company  at  Savannah,  Illinois,  and  was  later  connected  with 
the  internal  revenue  service  as  inspector.  He  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  was 
later  engaged  in  handling  vessel  supplies  and  dealing  in  groceries  on  South 
"'•N'ater  street.  There  he  continued  operation  until  the  big  fire  of  October, 
1891,  when  he  lost  all  that  he  had  saved,  his  store  being  in  the  burned 
ciistrict.  He  then  resolved  to  retrieve  his  lost  possessions  in  the  west  and 
accordingly,  in  December,  of  that  year  ,he  arrived  in  Woodson  county, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  Locating  in  Neosho  Falls  in  the  spring 
of  1872  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  milling  business  of  the  firm  of 
Covert  &  Cdzine  and  finally  became  sole  owner  of  the  plant.     He  later 


WOODSON   C0DNTIE3,    KANSAS.  66l 

ejeeted  a  new  plant  on  the  old  site  and  successfully  carried  on  the  enter- 
prise under  the  name  of  the  Neosho  Palls  Fuoring  Mills  until  1898,  when 
he  retired  from  active  business  life. 

In  Nt'^'sho  Falls,  in  1877,  Colonel  Parsons  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mis-'s  Jennie  E.  Holloway,  a  sister  of  the  late  I.  N.  Holloway,  of  Yates 
Center.  Two  children  were  born  to  thera,  William  Sherrill,  whose  bright 
young  life  on  earth  ended  in  April  1900.  The  daughter  Anna  Esther,  is 
jiow  the  wife  of  Dr.  0.  B.  Truster,  of  Yates  Center. 

Since  easting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  John  C.  Fremont  the 
colonel  has  been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Republican  party  and,  like 
every  true  American  citizen  should  do,  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues 
of  the  day  and  is  thus  able  to  support  his  position  by  intelligent  argument. 
In  1898  he  was  elected  probate  judge  and  filled  the  position  so  acceptably 
for  two  years  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1900  for  a  second  term.  Ere  leav- 
ing Long  Island  he  was  made  a  Mason  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  chapter 
0''  Yates  Center.  Various  business  interests  have  claimed  his  attention 
and  at  all  times  he  has  been  found  enterprising,  energetic  and  notably 
reliable;  his  patriotism  has  been  tested  on  the  battlefields  of  the  greatest 
\'ar  which  the  world  has  known;  his  friendship  is  ever  found  tried  and 
true ;  and  now  in  public  office  he  is  giving  evidence  of  conscientious  and 
faithful  serivce  and  thereby  winning  the  commendation  of  all  concerned. 


DAVID  GAILEY. 
DAVID  GAILEY,  whose  identification  with  the  interests  of  Wood- 
son county  dates  from  March,  1870,  was  born  in  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  in 
September  1842.  His  father,  James  Gailey,  M'as  a  native  of  Lawrence 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  descended  from  Pennsylvania-German 
ancestry.  In  the  place  of  his  nativity  he  married  Hannah  Hunter,  and 
prior  to  the  Civil  war  removed  to  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
sided until  1867.  He  then  continued  his  westward  journey  to  Johnson 
ciunty,  Missouri,  which  was  his  place  of  abode  until  1870,  when  he  came 
to  Woodson  county.  He  first  resided  at  Chellis,  Kansas,  then  at  Kalida 
and  afterward  at  Yates  Center,  where  he  died  in  the  spring  of  1890,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-five  years.  He  was  a  venerable,  honorable  and  respected 
citizen,  who  throughout  his  entire  business  career  had  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  farming.  He  voted  with  the  Republican  party  but  took  no  active 
part  in  politics.  His  wife  died  during  their  residence  in  Delaware  county, 
Ohio.  They  had  several  children  but  our  subject  is  the  only  one  now  liv- 
ing. John  Gailey,  the  eldest  son,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Ffteenth 
United  States  regulars,  served  in  the  Civil  war,  was  captured  at  Stone 
river  and  died  eleven  months  later  in  Andersonville  prison ;  William,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Eighty-eighth  Ohio  Volunteer  infantry,  died  in  Co- 
Iambus,  Ohio;  David  is  the  next  of  the  family;  James  was  a  resident  of 


662  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Anderson  county,  Kansas;  Samuel  made  his  home  in  North  Dakota;  George 
Ijved  in  Delaware  county,  Ohio;  ilary  is  the  deceased  wife  of  Austin 
Oldan ;  Eliza  resides  in  the  state  of  "Washington ;  Angeline  became  the  wife 
ci  X.  E.  Cor,  of  ^Missouri,  and  Anna  died  in  childhood. 

David  Gailey  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  and  received  but  meager 
educational  privileges.  He  attended  the  district  schools  to  some  extent  and 
for  one  year  was  a  student  in  a  select  school  in  Berkshire,  Delaware  county, 
Ohio,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  time  was  given  to  the  labors  of  the 
fields.  His  work,  however,  was  interrupted  by  his  military  service  for 
vhen  the  south  attempted  the  destruction  of  the  Union  he  enlisted  under 
the  Stars  and  Stripes,  becoming  a  member  of  the  Fifteenth  United  States 
regulars,  af  Columbus.  1861.  He  was  in  the  army  of  Ihe  Cumberland, 
v.ith  the  Fourteenth  corps,  and  the  first  battle  in  which  he  participated  was 
<<t  Shiloh.  He  afterward  took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Corinth,  Perry- 
ville  and  Stone  River,  and  about  that  time  was  taken  ill  and  was  not 
again  in  active  duty.  He  had  enlisted  for  three  years  but  on  account 
oi  disability  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his  home, 
flowever,  he  re-enlisted  for  six  months  service  in  the  Fifth  Ohio  Volunteer 
Cavalry  and  afterward  in  the  Eighty-eighth  regimeirt  of  Ohio  for  one  year, 
serving  with  the  latter  command  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  a 
private  and  passed  through  all  the  hardshipvS  and  rigors  of  war,  but  was 
ever  found  at  his  post  of  duty,  faithfully  defending  the  Old  Flag. 

When  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Gailey  returned  to  his  home  in  Ohio  and 
resumed  farming.  He  accompanied  his  father  on  his  various  removals,  re- 
Diaining  with  him  until  his  death.  After  coming  to  Woodson  county  he 
was  here  married,  on  Christmas  day  of  1871,  to  Miss  Lucinda  Gephard, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Gephard,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  farmer 
by  occupation.  He  married  Sevilla  Miller,  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
state,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  the  following  named :  Mrs.  Gailey : 
Mary,  wife  of  Thomas  Wilson,  of  Eureka,  California;  Franklin,  of  Yates 
Center ;  Joseph  and  William,  also  of  Yates  Center ;  Samuel,  of  Eureka, 
California,  and  Emma,  wife  of  Edward  Gibbons,  of  Sioiix  City,  Iowa. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Gailey  has  been  a  stalwart  Republican 
since  easting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  in  1864.  As 
a  citizen  he  manifests  a  public-spirited  interest  in  everything  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides  and  is  as  true  and  loyal 
to  his  country  to-day  as  when  his  patriotism  was  manifest  on  southern  bat- 
tlefields. 


HIRAM  E.  BRADFORD. 

One  of  the  well  known  and  prosperous  farmers  of  Perry  township. 
Woodson  county  is  H.  E.  Bradford,  who  first  came  to  Kansas  in  1866  and 
whose  residence  in  this  county  covers  a  period  of  twenty-three  years.    He 


"WOODSbN   COUlSfTlEb,    KANSAS.  663 

^,»'as  born  in  Switzerland  county,   Indiana,  November  12,  1843,  and  is  a 
;r;  presentative  of  an  old  New  England  family.     His  grandfather,  Hosea 
Bradford,  was  n  native  of  that  portion  of  the  country  and  was  one  of  two 
'brothers  who  sougbt  homes  in  the  middle  west,  the  other  being  Joel  Brad- 
ford, who  located  in  Switzerland  county,  Indiana.     Hosea  Bradford  mar- 
Tied  Hannah  Dustin,  a  niece  of  the  Mrs.  Dustin,  of  Nbw  England,  who 
^vas  carried  off  Ijy  the  Indians  and  afterward  killed  eleven  of  her  captors 
.--and  made  her   escape.     Wr.   and   Mrs.   Bradford   lesided   for   a   time   in 
Canada  and  then  removed  to  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio,  where  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject  followed  farming.    Lester  Bradford,  the  father  of  our 
•  subject  ■vs'as  born  in  Canada  and  Tvas  but  a  small  boy  when  his  parents  be- 
came residents  of  Ohio.     He  was  reared  to  farm  life  and  throughout  his 
•active  business  career  carri^ed  on  tlte  work  of  tilling  the  soil.     He  was  at 
one  time  a  resident  of  Swi+zerland   county.   Indiana,  but   afterward   re- 
turned to  Cuyahoga  -county,  Ohio,  and  his  last  days  were  passed  in  AYood- 
son  county,  at  the  home  of  bis  son,  Hiram  E.,  where  he  died  in  August, 
1898,  at  tbe  age  of  eighty-nine  years.     His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name 
'of  Elvira  Thayer  and  died  in  1848,  leaving  the  following  named:     Elbert 
ISI.,  now  a  resident  of  Douglas  county,  Oregon ;  Julia,  deceased  wife  of  Dr. 
Norman  "Wright,   of   Cuyahoga   county,   Ohio;   Lodicy,   deceased  wife   of 
Aseph  Sabin,  and  Hiram  Elliott. 

The  last  named  spent  his  boyhood  days  at  Olmstead,  Ohio,  and  there 
became  familiar  witb  farm  work.  In  August,  1862,  li«  enlisted  in  the 
X'nion  army  for  service  in  the  Civil  war.  as  a  member  of  company  B.  One 
Hundred  and  third  Obio  infantry,  and  w^as  mustered  in  at  Covington, 
Kentucky,  where  he  remained  until  th>e  summer  of  1863,  when  his  regi- 
ment joined  General  Burnsides'  army  for  an  invasion  of  eai-tern  Tennessee. 
He  met  the  Eebels  n  the  skirmish  line  near  Covington  before  be  was 
Tegularly  mustered  in,  but  tb-e  first  regular  engagement  in  which  he  partic- 
ipated was  on  the  Atlanta  campaign.  Tbe  most  serious  loss  wbieh  the  regi- 
ment sustained  was  at  Resaca.  wbere  about  one  third  of  tbe  number  was 
Ijilled  or  wounded.  Mr.  Bradford  was  with  the  forward  movement  until 
the  fall  of  Atlanta,  when  tbe  One  Hundred  and  Third  turned  back  with 
Gen-eral  Schofield  to  Franklin,  Tennessee,  wbere  one  of  tbe  bloodiest  battles 
■of  the  war  was  fought.  This  was  followed  by  the  battle  of  Nashville  and 
of  Clifton,  and  then,  they  proceeded  in  pursuit  of  General  Hood.  Later 
Mr.  Bradford  witb  his  command  was  ordered  to  Fort  Fisher,  North  Caro- 
Ina,  and  subsequently  went  across  the  state  to  Goldsboro  where  they 
joined  Sherman  and  saw  the  last  service  of  the  war.  The  regiment 
T.as  then  sent  to  Newberne  and  took  boat  to  Baltimore  where  they  boarded 
a  train  for  Cleveland,  where  he  received  an  honorable  discharge,  after 
baving  served  for  two  years  and  ten  months. 

On  tbe  close  of  his  military  experience  he  went  to  Indiana  but  after 
a  brief  period  came  to  Kansas,  here  remaining  until  1874  when  he  re- 
turned to  Cuyaboga  county,  Ohio.     There  he  passed  tbe_  succeeding  four 


664  ffiS'fOKv'  o^  AtLfiiv^  aS'O 

years  and  in  1878  located  permanently  in  this  state.     The  following'  yeai- 
he  took  up  his  abode  in  AVoodson  county  and  now  makes  his  home  on  the- 
rorthwest  quarter  of  section  twenty,  township  twenty-six,  range  seventeeie' 
u'here  he  is  carrying  on  farming  operations,  the  well  tilled  fields  giving 
promise  of  abundant  harvests. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1871,  S-lr.  Bradford  married  Irena  Bartlett, 
a  daughter  of  Jame:  and  Xaney  (Shannon)  Bartlett.  Their  marriage  has 
been  ble  sed  with  three  children:  Walter  L. ;  Elvira  M.,  a  teacher  in, 
the  public  schools  of  Woodson  county,  and  ElbertB.  The  sons-  assist  their 
father  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm.  Mr.  Bradford  is  well  known 
for  his  Republican  principles  and  the  hearty  endorsement  which  he  gives 
to  the  men  and  measures  of  tl^e  party.  .  He  has  held  the  office  of  justice  of 
the  peace  and  at  the  present  writing  is  treasurer  of  Perry  township,  in' 
V  hich  office  he  has  discharged  his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity. 
He  belongs  to  the  United  Brethren  chureh  and  is  one  of  the  reliable  arid' 
valued  citizens  of  the  community.- 


CHBTSTIAN  STANGE". 

CHRISTIAN  STANGE  has  been  a  resident  of  AVdodson  county  sinee 
he  was  eleven  years  of  age,  and  he  has  now  parsed  the  fiftieth  milestone  on 
life's  journey.  He  came  thither  with  his  father,  Christian  Stange,  Sr.,  an 
honored  pioneer  who  located  in  southeastern  Kansas  in  1858.  He  made- 
his  way  to  the  Sunflower  state  from  Hanover,  Germany,  -where  occurred 
the  birth  of  his  son  Christian,  on  the  5th  of  September,  1847.  The  latter 
spent  his  first  decade  in  his  native  country  ,and  at  the  age  of  eleven'  came- 
■«'ith  his  parents  to  the  New  World.  He  was  reared  on  the  home  farm 
on  Cherry  creek,  in  Everett  tovv'nship,  Woodson  county,  and  worked  in: 
the  fields  and  meadows  from  early  youth,  gaining  practical  experience  itt 
the  labors  of  the  farm  so'  that  he  was  well  equipped  to  carry  on  farming" 
on  his  own  account  when  he  began  business  life  for  himself. 

In  January,  1876,  in  Everett  township.  Mr.  Stange  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Louise  Sieker,  a  daughter  of  William  Sieker,  -tt'ho  resided 
in  Lippe-Detmold,  Germany.  One  of  her  brothers,  August  Siekei',  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Woodson  County.  Mrs.  Stange  came  to  Woodson  County  in  1875, 
so  that  she  has  been  a  resident  of  this  portion  of  the  state  for  more  thaa 
tv.'O  decades.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  four  children, 
namely:  Mary,  Annie,  Lizzie  and  Martha,  and  the  family  circle  yet  re- 
mains unbroken. 

At  the  same  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Stange  took  up  his  abode  upon 
a  farm  in  Everett  township,  where  he  resided  until  1884,  when  he  pur- 
chased the  southwest  quarter  of  section  thirty-three,  township  twenty-five, 
range  seventeen.     Here  he  has  since  carried  on  farming,   meeting  with 


"vVUOlXSON    CODNTiSS,    KANSAS.  655 

!signal  success  in  his  undertakings  for  his  farming  methods  are  progres- 
'■sive— calculated  to  produce  the  best  results.  In  their  religious  faith,  Mr. 
^Siange  and  his  family  are  Lutherans,  and  in  his  political  views  he  is  a 
Eepublican,  his  ballot  being  cast  for  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Grand 
'Old  Party. 


JOHN  I-I.  WALTERS. 

JOHN  H.  AA^ ALTERS,  who  has  been  actively  identified  with  the  devel- 
X)pment  of  th«  west  and  who  is  familiar  with  all  the  experiences  of  the  pio- 
neer on  the  plains,  ■v^-as  born  in  the  Province  of  Luebeck,  Kingdom  of  Hano- 
ver, Germany  in  1849  and  with  his  parents  came  to  America  in  1853,  set- 
tling in  Cincinnati,  0.  He  is  a  son  of  John  H.  and  Elizabeth  Wilmer- 
"ing  Woltermann.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  He  remained  with  his  parents 
until  thirteen  years  of  age  and  then  left  home  to  make  his  own  way  in 
the  world.  He  has  since  been  dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  resources, 
and  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished. 

Mr.  Walters  remained  in  Cincinnati  where  he  worked  at  anything  that 
he  could  get  to  do  until  he  had  an  opportunity  of  learing  a  trade.  When 
the  chance  came  he  began  learning  the  business  of  manufacturing  trunks 
-and  followed  that  pursuit  until  the  latter  part  of  the  Civil  war.  In  1864, 
although  only  fifteen  years  of  age  he  became  connected  with  the  army,  ."join- 
ing the  Fourth  United  States  Cavalry  as  a  clerk  for  the  sutler  of  that 
r.-giment  with  whom  he  remained  u'ntil  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  hired 
"as  a  messenger  to  the  quartermaster  at  Nashville.  Tenn.,  acting  in  that 
Tdpacity  until  affairs  were  all  adjusted  in  that  locality,  iDuring  the  Wilson 
raid  he  took  the  place  of  soldier,  carrying  a  musket  and  savr  some  arduous 
service.  On  the  road  between  Earlton  and  Montgomery  he  was  captured 
"and  held  for  days,  on  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  succeeded  in  making 
his  escape,  working  his  way  back  to  the  regiment. 

"V^Tien  the  war  was  over  Mr.  "Walters  returned  to  Ohio  and  four  montbs 
later  he  accompanied  some  land  dealers  to  Missouri  where  he  engaged  with 
Owen,  Pisher  &  Company,  proprietors  of  the  stage  line,  working  as  a 
■utility  man.  performing  any  service  required  by  the  company.  He  was 
frequently  sent  from  place  to  place  on  various  kinds  of  business.  After 
'<.vorldng  for  a  year  for  the  stage  company  he  went  to  Leavenworth,  Kas., 
and  herded  the  town  cattle.  In  the  fall  of  1869  he  volunteered  to 
•^0  West  to  fight  the  Indians  under  General  Carr,  as  a  teamster  for  the 
Seventh  United  States  Cavalry.  He  drove  the  mess  wagon  for  Company  S, 
■and  remained  on  that  expedition  for  six  months,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Leavenworth  and  again  engaged  in  herding  cattle  through  the  summer.  In 
1870  he  went  to  the  southern  state  line  and  secured  a  claim  in  the  new 
'Strip  of  land  opened  at  that  time  for  settlement     After  eleven  months, 


656  H'rSfbR\    Ol-    ALLKX'  aaE?" 

bowever,  he  sold  that  property  and  came  to  Woodson  County,  where  He" 
purchased  a  claim  upon  which  he  resided  for  seventeen  years  with  the' 
exception  of  two  years  at  Fort  Seott,  making  good  improvements  upon 
the  place.  In  1890  he  disposed  of  that  property  and  purchased  his  present 
farm,  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good  land.  The  farm  is 
>i!tr.ated  a  mile  and  three  quarters  northwest  of  Vernon,  and  he  has  a 
\-ery  pleasant  home,  surrounded  with  a  nice  grove  of  maples.  All  the' 
modern  equipments  and  conveniences  are  found  upon  the  place,  and  the 
neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indicates  the  careful  supervision  of  a  pro- 
gressive owner.  He  keeps  on  hand  about  thirty  head  of  cattle'  and  raises 
pood  crops,  feeding  most  of  his  corn  to  his  stock. 

Dn  the  14th  of  October.  1877,  Mr.  Walters  was  united  in  marriage  to>' 
Miss  Margaret  Jane  Withers,  a  native  of  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  William 
rnd  Eliza  (Rich)  Withers,  the  former  a  native  of  Illinois  and  the  latter 
cf  Ohio.  They  came  10  Kansas  in  1871,  when  IMrs.  AA' alters  was  thirteen 
years  of  aae.  and  the  father  died  in  1894,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years 
while  the  mother  is  still  living  in  Yates  Center,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one.  Of 
their  children  six  sons  and  six  daughters  yet  survive,  t/nto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Walters  have  been  boi-n  ten  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living: 
Frank,  Fred,  Ralph,  Arthur,  John,  Jennie  Edward,  Ellen  and  Stanley. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Walters  is  a  Republican  and  has  filled  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace  in  Everett  township,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant 
for  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  public  office,  preferring  to  devote  his- 
time  to  his  agricultural  interests  for  the  benefit  of  his  family.  Starting" 
out  in  life  a  penniless  boy  at  the  age  of  thirteen  he  now  stands  among  the- 
substantial  agriculturists  of  AVoodson  County,  the  possessor  of  a  comfort- 
able competence  and  rich  in  the  possession-  of  the  warm  regard  of  many 
friends. 


D.  R.  inge; 

Work  is  the  common  lot  of  all  and  the  majority  of  men  devote  their 
energies  to  some  line  of  activity  in  busifless,  yet  many  are  the  records  of 
failures.  The  secret  of  this  is  found  in  a  few  causes,  a  lack  of  energy, 
of  resolution,  of  persistent  purpose  and  of  practical  common  sense.  Th«se 
are  the  elements  which  contribute  to  prosperity  and  they  are  the  salient 
features  in  the. business  career  of  D.  R.  Inge,  making  him  one  of  the  sub- 
si  antial  citizens  of  Woodson  County. 

A  native  of  Indiana,  Mr.  Inge  was  horn  in  Farke  ecrunfy,  that  state, 
on  the  21st  day  of  November,  1838.  His  father,  Chesley  L.  Inge,  was  a. 
native  of  Virginia  and  was  married  there  to  Miss  Frances  M.  Lipscomb, 
also  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion.  They  removed  to  Parke  County, 
Indiana  at  an  early  day,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  green  woods  the  father 
entered  land  from  the  government  and  transformed  it  into  a  good  farm 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  667 

and  home  for  his  family.  There  he  resided  until  1873  when  he  came  to 
Kansas,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Neosho  Falls,  where  he  died  the  following 
year,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1878  and 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  They  were  parents  of  twelve  children, 
four  of  whom  are  now  living:  AVilliam,  a  resident  of  Parke  County, 
Indiana ;  James,  of  Missouri ;  Chesley,  of  Kansas  City,  Kas. ;  and  D.  R., 
of  this  review. 

Mr.  Inge,  whose  name  begins  this  article,  was  the  ninth  in  order  of 
birth  in  his  father's  family.  He  was  reared  upon  a  fa^-m  in  his  native 
county  and  received  such  educational  advantages  as  were  afforded  by  the 
common  schools  of  those  days.  He  remained  under  the  parental  roof 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  then  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  ac- 
ct  unt.  He  was  married  in  1861  to  Miss  Susan  Ships  who  has  indeed  been 
1  1  him  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey.  She  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1858  became  a  resident  of  Indiana,  her 
parents  having  both  died  .in  the  Keystone  state.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Inge  has  been  blessed  with  four  daughters,  Mary  M.,  wife  of  Daniel 
Phillips,  of  the  city  of  Oklahoma ;  Lenora,  wife  of  Joseph  Wilson,  a  lumber 
merchant  of  Neosho  Falls;  Luella,  wife  of  E.  A.  Stillwell,  cashier  of  the 
Neosho  Falls  bank,  and  Cora,  wife  of  William  Shoekey,  assistant  cashier  of 
the  Neosho  Falls  bank. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Inge  operated  his  father 's  farm  for  three  years 
and  then  removed  to  Illinois,  where  he  rented  land  and  engaged  in  farming 
for  two  years.  Believing  that  he  would  have  better  opportunities  in  the 
newer  and  less  thickly  settled  West,  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1866,  locating 
xn  the  northwest  corner  of  Allen  County,  where  he  and  his  brother  George 
together  purchased  a  section  of  land,  going  in  debt  for  the  greater  part  of 
i;.  He  turned  his  attention  to  the  stock  business,  buying,  feeding  and 
shipping  stock  on  a  small  scale  until  he  became  established,  and  as  the 
>ears  passed  he  extended  his  operations,  becoming  one  of  the  large  cattle 
dealers  in  the  county.  By  hard  work  and  close  attention  to  business  he 
scon  had  his  farm  paid  for  and  also  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  property 
by  additional  purchases.  There  is  no  man  in  Allen  County  that  has 
handled  more  cattle  than  Mr.  Inge.  He  continued  to  reside  upon  his  farm 
until  1895  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Neosho  Falls  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  banking,  establishing  the  Neosho  Falls  bank  with  a  capital  stock  of 
five  thousand  dollars.  He  was  chosen  president  of  the  bank  and  also  one 
of  its  directors,  while  E.  S.  Stillwell  became  the  cashier.  He  yet  remains 
at.  the  head  of  the  institution  which  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  reliable  and 
influential  concerns  of  the  county.  He  also  handles  some  cattle,  buying  and 
?:hipping  when  he  finds  a  favorable  opportunity,  but  at  the  present  time 
ae  is  largely  retired  from  active  business  life  save  for  the  management  of 
his  real  estate  investments.  He  owns  twelve  hundred  acres  of  land  in 
Allen  and  Woodson  Counties  and  has  six  business  buildings  in  Neosho 
Falls  besides  two  residence  properties.     When  he  was  married  his  cash 


668  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

capital  did  not  consist  of  one  hundred  dollars,  but  by  unabating  industry 
and  determined  purpose  he  has  steadily  added  to  his  accumulations  iintil 
he  is  now  one  of  the  wealthiest  citizens  of  Woodson  County.  He  has 
figured  quite  prominently  in  local  polities  and  is  an  influential  member  of 
the  Republican  party,  having  supported  its  principles  throughout  his  entire 
life.  He  was  elected  to  serve  as  county  commissioner  of  Allen  County  and 
filled  that  position  for  one  term  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction 
tu  his  constituents.  He  was  then  re-elected  for  a  second  term  but  soon  re- 
signed, in  order  to  remove  to  Neosho  Falls.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
iSeosho  Falls  lodge,  K.  of  P.  Thoroughness  characterizes  all  of  his  efforts, 
and  he  has  ever  conducted  his  business  with  a  strict  regard  to  a  high 
standard  of  commercial  ethics.  The  success  of  his  life  is  due  to  no  inherited 
fortune  or  to  any  succession  of  advantageous  circumstances,  but  to  his 
own  close  application,  tireless  industry  and  sterling  integrity. 


GEORGE  W.  TROUT. 

GEORGt  AV.  TROUT,  a  wide-awake,  enterprising  and  prosperous 
inrmer  of  Kvcttt  township,  Woodson  County,  was  born  in  Lasalle  Cojnly. 
Illinois,  January  27,  1850.  his  parents  being  John  and  Abbie  Susan 
(Angel)  Trout.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  in  the  spring  of 
1876  he  came  to  Kansas,  purchasing  land  south  of  Neosho  Falls,  where  he 
has  since  carried  on  farming. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  three  brothers.  He  came  to  ELansas  with 
his  father  when  twenty-six  years  of  age  and  soon  afterward  rented  the  old 
Major  Snow  farm,  which  he  operated  for  five  years.  He  had  previously 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  of  the  Jlissouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railroad  Company  on  the  prairie,  but  as  he  did  not  have  the  money 
to  improve  the  farm  he  had  to  cultivate  rented  land  until  he  had  acquired 
capital  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  begin  the  development  of  his  own  prop- 
erty. At  the  end  of  five  years  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  his  own  place, 
three  miles  south  and  two  miles  west  of  Neosho  Falls,  on  the  east  line  of 
Everett  to'Vimship,  and  has  since  developed  a  fine  farm,  on  which  he  has 
erected  a  nice  home,  good  barns  and  outbixildings  and  has  planted  a  nice 
orchard  and  a  grove,  which  surrounds  his  residence  and  protects  it  from  the 
hot  rays  of  the  summer  sun.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock 
raising  and  all  that  he  has  is  the  outcome  of  his  close  application  to  business, 
his  industry,  capable  management  and  honorable  dealings. 

After  he  had  been  in  Kansas  for  a  year  Mr.  Trout  returned  to  Illinois 
and  was  there  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza  Skinner,  a  native  of  Douglas 
County,  that  state,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  March  26,  1877.  Her 
father,  James  Skinner,  was  killed  by  lightning  in  Anderson  County,  Kas., 
in  1868,  but  her  mother  is  still  living  in  La  Salle  County,  Illinois.  Unto 
Mr.   and  Mrs.   Trout  have  been  born  ten  children:     Alice,   the  wife  of 


WOODSON  CODNTIES,  KANSAS.  669 

^Y alter  Dersham.  who  resides  in  this  locality;  Harvey,  Clara,  Wiley,  John, 
Kay,  Glenn,  Edith  and  Urvin.  It  is  rather  remarkable,  and  a  fact  for 
congratulation,  that  in  so  large  a  family  no  deaths  have  occurred. 
With  the  exception  of  the  eldest  daughter  all  the  children  are  still  with 
their  parents.  In  politics  Mr.  Trout  is  a  Republican  and  by  his  ballot 
supports  the  men  and  measures  of  the  party,  but  has  had  neither  time  nor 
inclination  to  hold  office  himself,  his  attention  being  fully  occupied  with  his 
business  affairs,  which  have  resulted  prosperously  so  that  he  is  now  one 
01  the  substantial  farmers  of  his  adopted  county. 


PETEE  SMITH. 

The  horologe  of  time  has  marked  off  a  long  period  since  Peter  Smith 
first  came  to  Woodfon  County,  and  thirty-six  years  have  been  added  to  the 
cycle  of  the  centuries  since  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  his  present  farm  on 
section  twenty-two,  township  twenty-five,  range  sixteen.  He  has  become 
a  successful  farmer  and  stockman,  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  four  hundred 
acres  of  the  rich  land  of  Southeastern  Kansas. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Prussia,  near  the  little  village  of  Drosam, 
March  26,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Pe'^er  Smith,  Sr.,  a  farmer,  who  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Germany.  His  widow  married  Peter  Yogem,  who  brought 
the  family  to  the  United  States  in  1842,  locating  in  Wisconsin  near  the 
town  of  Hartford,  where  he  and  his  wife  spent  their  remaining  days.  The 
children  of  her  first  marriage  were  Margaret,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Henry  Soras  and  died  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  Peter.  By  the  second 
r.arriage  there  are  also  three  children,  Anna,  who  Tiiarried  Tom  Shoe ; 
Susie  and  Mary. 

Peter  Smith  of  this  review  spent  the  first  eight  years  of  his  life  in 
the  fatherland  and  then  accompanied  the  family  on  the  long  voyage  across 
the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world.  Reared  in  Wisconsin  he  there  remained 
until  nineteen  years  of  age,  after  which  he  spent  two  years  engaged  in 
farm  work  in  Putnam  County,  111.  He  then  came  to  Kansas,  attracted  to 
the  state  by  the  report  that  land  could  be  obtained  here  at  a  nominal 
price.  One  of  the  pioneers  of  Woodson  County,  he  settled  first  in  Everett 
township,  where  he  secured  a  homestead,  and  in  1865  he  came  to  his  present 
farm  which  has  been  his  place  of  abode  continuously  since.  He  has  trans- 
formed the  wild  land  into  richly  cultivated  fields  and  the  track  of  the 
shining  plow  has  been  followed  by  fields  of  grain  that,  ripening  under  the 
hot  summer  sun,  has  yielded  abundant  harvests,  bringing  him  a  good  profit 
for  his  labors.  His  four  hundred  acres  of  land  now  constitutes  a  valuable 
pioperty  improved  with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences,  sup- 
plied with  good  machinery  and  substantial  buildings  and  giving  him  a 
good  relurn  for  his  labors. 

Mr.   Smith  has  been  twice  married.     In  Woodson   County  in   1859 


'^7'J  HISTORY    OF   ALLEX    AXIJ 

he  wedded  Henrietta  Steffen.  who  died  in  1879,  leaving  the  following 
children:  Frank,  of  AVoodfjon  County;  Charles,  of  Osage  County,  Kas.": 
Henry  and  John,  both  of  Woodson  County;  Matilda,  wife  of  Edward 
Kinmonth,  of  Kansas  City,  JMo. ;  Augusta,  wife  of  Frank  Englebright,  of 
Woodson  County;  Louise,  wife  of  John  Schoepflin,  of  AVoodson  County, 
Kas.,  and  Mary.  For  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Smith  chose  Catherine  Beer, 
whom  he  wedded  in  1880.  The  children  of  this  union  are  Annie,  Peter, 
Kebecea  and  Fannie.  Prior  to  the  time  when  she  became  the  wife  of  our 
subject  Mrs.  Smith  had  married  John  Richard,  now  deceased,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  Fred,  of  Woodson  County;  Maggie,  wife 
cf  George  Smith,  of  Tola;  Samuel,  of  AToodson  County;  Rosa,  wife  of 
Charles  Smith ;  Lydia,  wife  of  Bert  AA'agner,  of  Buffalo,  Kas.,  and  Walter, 
who  is  living  in  AA'oodson  County. 

Mr.  Smith's  labors  as  an  agriculturist  have  never  been  interrupted 
since  coming  to  Kansas  save  by  his  service  in  th^  Civil  war.  AATien  the 
destruction  of  the  Union  was  threatened  by  the  rebellion  in  the  South  he 
.joined  the  Second  Regiment  of  Kansas  Cavalry  under  Colonel  Cloud,  and 
became  a  member  of  Company  C,  commanded  by  Captain  Barker.  This 
regiment  served  in  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  parti- 
cipating in  the  battles  of  Prairie  Grove,  the  capture  of  Fort  Smith,  Flat 
Rock,  Kentucky  and  Flat  Rock.  Ark.  At  the  last  named  he  was  taken 
prisoner  and  sent  to  Tyler,  Tex.,  where  he  was  incarcerated  for  nine 
months  or  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  returned  to  Kansas  with  an 
hcnorable  record  as  a  defender  of  the  Union.  In  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  of  citizenship  he  has  always  been  as  true  and  faithful  as  when  he 
followed  the  starry  banner  upon  the  battle  fields  of  the  South.  He  gave 
his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party  until  188-—'  when  new  issues 
having  arisen  he  became  a  supporter  of  the  Greenback  party  and  is  now 
allied  with  the  People's  party.  He  does  all  in  his  power  for  the  normal 
growth  and  progress  of  tl:e  county  along  substantial  and  beneficial  lines, 
and  his  life  is  in  harmony  with  his  professions  as  a  member  of  the  Church 
cf  God.  A  farm  hand  for  several  years  after  his  arrival  in  Kansas,  he 
new  stands  upon  the  plane  of  affluence  and  not  only  deserves  recognition  as 
a  successful  man,  but  as  one  whose  success  has  been  so  worthily  achieved 
that  his  business  record  is  deserving  of  emulation. 


CHARLES  F.  HARDER. 

CHARLES  F.  HARDER,  of  Yates  Center,  was  born  in  the  village 
cf.  Jagzow,  Kreis,  Anklam,  Germany,  November  18,  1844.  His  father, 
Charles  H.  Harder,  was  also  a  native  of  the  same  country  and  in  early 
life  was  a  shepherd  but  afterward  became  proprietor  of  a  hotel.  He 
spent  eight  years  in  Kansas  in  the  latter  portion  of  his  life  and  died  in 
1883,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.    In  his  family  were  thirteen  children,  those 


"WOODSON    COXTNTIES,   KANSAS.  67 1 

5DuW  111  the  United  States  being  ^Yilliam,  of  Hilton,  Oregon;  Ferdinand,  a 
TPsident  of  Portland,  Oregon ;  Albert,  of  Ida,  Kas. ;  Henrietta,  the  wife  of 
August  Meyer,  of  Lak-e  Vi«w,  la.,  and  Charles  F. 

The  subject  of  thi-s  sketch  acquired  a  good  education  in  the  schools 
•■of  Germany,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  left  home,  starting  out 
to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world.  Believing  that  oetter  opportunities 
were  afforded  young  men  in  America,  he  sailed  for  the  tJnited  States  in 
1864,  and  located  first  in  Livingston  County,  111.,  where  he  remained  until 
"Coming  to  Kansas  in  February,  18G9.  Taking  up  his  abode  in  Woodson 
County  he  was  at  first  employed  'by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  but  after- 
ward secured  a  homestead  of  his  own  which  be  owned  until  the  time  of 
his  marriage,  when  he  disposed  of  that  .property  and  removed  to  his  wife 's 
farm.  He  has  since  engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock  and  grain  and  in  his 
pastures  are  seen  good  grades  of  cattle,  horses  and  togs,  while  his  fields  give 
promise  of  bounteous  harvests. 

In  September,  1869,  Mr.  Harder  was  united  in  mai'riage  to  Mrs. 
'Theresa  Stockebrand,  a  daughter  of  Marquis  Brockmann.  whose  family 
numbered  five  children,  only  two  of  whom  came  to  the  United  States.  Her 
people  resided  in  the  city  of  Kiel,  in  Sclileswig-HolEtein,  Germany.  Mrs. 
Harder  was  first  married  to  August  Stockebrand,  a  brother  of  William  and 
Ernest  Stockelirand,  and  ty  her  first  union  she  had  five  children.  August, 
TMary,  tlie  wife  of  Louis  Brodmann ;  Henry ;  Annie,  wife  of  John  Donner- 
Ijerg,  and  Emil.  All  are  residents  of  Woodson  County.  Five  children 
praee  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harder,  namely:  Augusta,  the  wife  of 
William  Lauber;  Martlia,  wife  of  Henry  Kruger;  Franz  and  Lizzie,  at 
Iiome,  and  Pauline,  wife  of  William  Toedman. 

Since  becoming  an  American  citizen  Mr.  Harder  has  supported  the 
Eepubliean  party  when  questions  of  state  and  national  importance  have 
teen  involved,  but  at  local  elections,  where  no  issue  is  before  the  people, 
sometimes  votes  independently.  He  is  a  local  preacher  and  a  member  of 
the  Evangelical  association  with  which  his  family  are  also  connected.  For 
inore  than  thirty  years  he  has  resided  in  Woodson  County  and  is  thor- 
oughly identified  with  his  region,  its  interests  and  upbuilding,  ever  lend- 
ing his  aid  to  all  measures  for  the  public  good.  From  the  little  Germaii 
l:ome  he  came  to  America,  and  in  the  land  of  the  free  he  found  the  op- 
portunity he  sougbt  to  work  his  way  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence. 


HENRY  H.  McCORMlCK. 

Among  those  who  have  been  called  to  public  service  in  Woodson 
County  is  Henry  H.  McCormicTi,  who  for  tM'O  terms  filled  the  ofSee  of 
county  clerk,  being  one  of  the  most  capable  officials  that  ever  occupied  the 
position.  He  is  now  a  leading  representative  of  commercial  interests  in 
Yates  Center,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  hardware  business.     Since  1868 


(5/^  HlSl'OriY    Oh"    ALLEJ?J"  A\\u 

h_-  has  been  a  resident  of  this  portion  of  the  state,  having  come  to  Kausaf': 
iKini  Morgan  County,  Ilh.  where  he  was  boril  on  the  29th  of  August,  1851. 
His  grandfather,   James  MeCormielc,   was  bf)rn   in  Kentucky  ana  'was  a; 
descendant  of  one  of  Ihe  old   families   of   Vu-ginia.     He'  had  a  brother 
\>'ho  served  in  the  I\Iexican  war, 

James  William  iMeCormick,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in; 
1817,  in  Kentucky,  where  he  spent  his  boyhood  days.  He  afterward  be- 
came a  reddent  of  AEaysville,  0..  and  removed  thence  to  Morgan  County, 
111.,  at  an  early  period  in  its  development.'  He  followed  farming  and  the- 
milling  business  in  that  state.  In  1868  he  removed  to  Kansas'  and 
settled  on  a  homestead  in  Owl  Creek  township,  AVoodson  County, 
where  he  resided  until  a  ieM'  years  before  his  death. 

'Sir.  AlcCormick  entertained  sympathy  for  the  Union  cause,  and  was; 
an  outspoken  abolitionist  but  was  too  old  and  infirm  to  join  the  army.  Al- 
though his  educational  advantages  in  youth  were  limited,  he  was  a  man; 
cf  strong  convictions  and  outspoken  in  defense  of  everything  in  which  he 
believed.  He  kept  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day  and  was  thus- 
enabled  to  support  his  position  by  intelligent  argument.  His  death  oc-- 
curred  in  lola,  Kas.,  in  1895,  when  he  had  attained  a  ripe  old  age.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Ruth  Rannels,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  iMr.  Rannels,  of  Paris,  Kentucky,  t/nto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  MeCormick 
were  born  five  children :  James  AV.  C.  of  Arkansas ;  Carrie,  widow 
of  Nathan  Kinney,  of  lola ;  Henry  H. ;  Ralph  L..  of  Morgan;  County,  111. ; 
and  Sarah  A.,  wife  of  H.  E.  Van  Deman,  of  Parksley,  "Virginia. 

Henry  H.  :\IcCormick  was  seventeen  years  of  age  when  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  Kansas.  He  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools,  afterward  studied  in  the  Geneva  academy,  and  completed  his  course 
in  the  State  Agricultural  College  of  Kansas.  He  subsequently  engaged  in' 
leaching  school  for  four  years,  Completing  his  educatio-nal  labors  at  (reneva. 
He  then  engaged  in  farming  and  dealing  in  cattle,  making  a  specialty  of 
Short  Horn  cattle.  His  attention  was  devoted  to  fartn  wOrfe  until  the  fall 
of  1891  when  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  position  of  county  clerk  ta 
«-hich  he  had  been  elected  November  of  that  year.  He  filled  the  position 
so  acceptably  that  he  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term,  and  when  the 
time  expired  he  retired  from  office  with  a  mOst  creditable  record. 

Mr.  McCormiek  afterward  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  as  the 
successor  of  W.  A.  SnOver.  He  conducted  the  business  in  Yates  Center 
three  years  and  then  removed  to  Chanute,  Kas.,  where  he  carried  on 
businss  in  the  same  line  for  a  year.  He  then  disposed  of  his  store  and  re- 
turned to  AYoodson  County,  erecting  in  Yates  Center  the  McCormick  block, 
in  which  he  is  no-iv  conducting  a  hardware  store,  enjoying  a  large  and  well 
merited  patronage. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  1881,  Mr.  ]\IcCormick  was  united  in  marriage 
to  J\liss  Jennie  DeWitt,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  G.  DeWitt,  of  Allen  County, 


"wObDSON   'COUNTrES,    KANSAS,  t'73 

■ane  of  the  early  settlers  and  prominent  citizens  of  that  portion  of  the  state. 
Unto  Mr.and  Mrs.MeC'orinick  haTe  been  horn  the  following  named  ehiklren  : 

Tlorenee  A.,  Lewis  S.,  John  Knox,  Nellie  C,  Myrtle  M.,  Vera  Irene  anS 
Henrietta.  The  family  is  one  widely  and  favorably  knoMTi  in  the  com- 
niunity.  Mr.  MeCormiek  has  an  extensive  aeqiiaintanee  and  is  recognized 
as  a  local  kader  in  the  rants  of  the  Republican  party,  doing  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  its  orow^li  and  insure  its  success.     His  private  life  and 

his  public  career  arc-alike  commendable  and  many  are  the  friends  of  Henry 

"H.  McCormick. 


■RICHARD   KIMBELL. 

RICHARD  KlMBELL,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the  breeding  and  sale 
-cf  fine  horses  in  Yates  Center,  was  horn  in  Oxfordshire,  England,  April 
19,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Richard  and  Emma  Freeman  IGmbell,  hoth  of 
"whom  spent  their  entire  lives  in  England  and  are  now  deceased.  The  father 
'was  a  farmer  Idj^  occupation.  In  their  family  were  four  children,  our  sub- 
ject being  th-e  only  son.  Two  of  the  number  remained  in  England  hut  one 
■sister,  Mrs.  "Wilkes,  is  now  living  in  Wildomar,  Cal.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife  the  father  was  again  married,  and  by  that  union  there  were  seveii 
children,  one  of  wliom  is  In  the  United  State;— Mrs.  Clarke,  of  Los 
Angeles,  Cal. 

Upon  the  family  homestead  In  England,  Richard  Uimbell,  of  this 
'sketch  spent  his  youth.  He  acquired  a  good  English  education  and  at  the 
^ge  of  twenty-five  years  be  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  native  land  prepara- 
tory to  hecomlng  a  resident  of  America.  Sailing  from  Liverpool  on  a  west- 
ward bound  vessel  he  landed  at  New  York  city  and  thence  made  his  Way  to 
~Kane  County,  111.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  In  1877  he  came  on  a 
■prospecting  tour  to  Kansas  and  Ijcing  pleased  with  the  country  and  its 
"prospects  he  decided  to  locate  in  this  state.  Accordingly  he  arrived  in 
^vVoodson  County,  in  February,  1878,  locating  in  Liberty  township,  where 
he  rented  land  for  thirteen  years.  He  then  purchased  property  and  con- 
tinued farming  and  stock  raising  until  1900  when  he  sold  his  farm  and 
'came  to  Yates  Center.  Here  he  is  engaged  in  handling  fine  horses,  of  which 
he  is  an  excellent  judge,  so  that  he  makes  judicious  purchases,  and  in 
consequence  ready  sales  as  he  places  his  horses  upon  the  market.  His 
husiness  methods  will  merit  tlie  closest  inspection,  and  his  well  known 
probity  has  been  an  important  factor  in  his  success.  He  has  excellent 
accommodations  in  the  way  of  stables  for  his  horses  in  Yates  Center, 
and  the  Ijuaine:^  which  he  has  carrried  on  for  some  3'ears  is  proving 
profitable. 

Ere  leaving  England,  Mr.  Kimbell  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Harriet  Louise  Hartley,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Caroline  Hartley,  late 
Pi'  Stratford  on  Avon  "Warwickshire.     Their  children  are :     Ed-ward  R.,  a 


674  HlSlORy    OP    ALLKX    Ai\j; 

farmer  of  "Woodson  Comity,  who  married  Louisa  B.  Smith;  Harry  BT.,  of 
Yates  Center;  Caroline  E..  wife  of  Carl  Keynolds,  of  Savonburg,  Kas.,  and 
Fannie  L.  -\Ir.  Kimbell  usually  vote:-  with  the  Democratic  party  but  is  not 
jireatly  interested  in  politics.  He  is  now  a  Past  Master  Mason,  and  is  also' 
a  valuM  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  and  the  Order  of 
Red  i\[en.  The  hope  which  led  him  to  come  to  the  United  States  has  been 
realized  in  his  increased  fortune  and  he  has  found  here  a  pleasant  home  and' 
friends  of  worth  whom  he  prizes,  while  at 'the  same  time  his  friendship  is 
greatly  prized  by  them  ^ 


ALBERT  SCHNEL!.. 

ALBERT  SCHXELL,  deceased,  was  one  of  the' suhsta'ntial  citizens  and' 
enterprising  farmers  of  AA^'oodson  County,  and  his  death,  whieh  occurred 
in  1900,  was  the  occasion  of  deep  and  widespread  regret,  for  such  citi- 
zens the  community  can  ill  afford  to  lose.  His  was  an  honorable  and  up- 
right citizen  and  thus  his  memoir  merits  a  leading  place  in  this  volume. 

Albert  Schnell  was  a  native  of  Germany,  born  jNIarch  15,  1849,  and  a 
son  of  Henry  Schnell,  who  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  the- 
inother  of  our  object,  aUd  brother.  John.  The  surviving  members  of  that 
family  are  all  residents  of  Du  Bois  county,  Indiana. 

.During  his  youth  Albert  Schnell  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  new 
\\'orid  and  was  reared  in  Du  Kois  County,  Indiana.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  his  ilative  tongue,  and  before  attaining  his  majority  he  left 
home  in  order  to  earn  his  awn  living  as  a  farm  hand.  He  was  employed 
in  tliat  way  for  a  number  of  years,  but  after  his  marriage  rented  land  and 
began  farming  oh  his  own  aeeomit.  It  was  on  the  27th  day"  of  February, 
1872,  that  he  was  .joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Lucy  Sawyers,  a  daughter  of 
James  SaA\Ters  of  Scott  County,  Illinois,  hut  formerly  ^  of  Tennessee', 
Her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rachel  Davis,  and  by  her 
marriage  to  i\Ir.  !-'awvers  she  had  two  daughters  and  a  son,  the  latter  being 
Joseph  Sawyers,  of  Scott  County,  while  the  sister  of  Mrs.  Schnell  is  A^ge- 
line  Sawyers.  There  were,  however,  som;e  half  brothers  and  sisters,  three 
of  whom  are  yet  living.  ^  ^ 

Mr  and  Mrs.  Schnell  began  their  domestic  life  At  OxviLe  bcotl 
County,  Illinois,  renting  the  Sawyers'  farm  for  six  years,  after_  whicn 
they  eame  to  Kansas,  settling  in  Center  township,  Woodson  County,  m  1?  eb- 
ruary  1878  Here  Mr.  Schnell  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  and  began 
its  cultivation  and  improvement.  Sis  resources  then  were  quite  limitel, 
but  as  the  years  passed  his  labors  brought  to  him  a  good  fiimncial  return, 
and  he  Increased  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  by  the  additional  purchase 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  He  engaged  m  the  raising  of  gram 
and  stock  and  placed  his  farm  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  also 
in^S<  many  excellent  improvements  in  the  way  of  buildings,  and  ^vhile  ar 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  675 

a  niiglibor's  barn  raising  on  the  18th  of  'Slay,  1900,  he  was  killed  by  a 
falling  beam,  his  death  coming  as  a  great  shock,  and  an  irreparable  loss  to 
his  family. 

Four  children  had  been  born  nnto  Air.  and  Mrs.  Schnell,  namely: 
Rachel,  the  wife  of  Filmore  Withers,  of  Yates  Center,  Kas. ;  Mary,  John 
and  James,  who  are  still  with  their  mother,  the  family  yet  occupying  the 
old  homestead  left  them  by  their  father.  ]Mr.  Fchnell  was  well  Imowri  a?  a 
staunch  Eepubliean,  attended  many  of  the  conventions  of  his  party  and  did 
iiji  in  his  power  to  secure  the  adoption  of  its  principles.  In  business  he 
was  energetic,  reliable  and  progressive,  and  in  all  dealings  was  the  soul  of 
honor.  His  prosperity  resulted  from  his  persistency  of  purpose,  his  in- 
defatigable industry  and  his  honesty,  and  the  untarnished  name  which  he 
left  to  his  family  is  more  desirable  than  the  wealth  of  the  millionaire. 


DAVID  PHILLIPS. 

Through  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  David  Phillips  has  resided  in 
Southeastern  Kansas.  AATien  a  young  man  he  came  to  Woodson  County, 
and  as  the  county  has  grown,  developed  and  improved  he  has  given  his  aid 
and  co-operation  to  the  movements  which  have  advanced  the  general  wel- 
fare and  promoted  the  public  prosperity  and  progress.  He  has  been  identi- 
fied with  its  farming  and  industrial  interests  and  in  public  office  has  mani- 
fested his  loyalty  to  the  public  good  by  the  faithful  manner  in  which  he 
has  discharged  the  duties  devolving  upon  him.  Such  in  general  has  been 
his  life  work,  but  it  is  a  pleasure  to  enter  into  a  more  detailed  account  of  his 
career,  knowing  that  it  will  be  received  with  interest  by  his  many  friends 
aud  acquaintances  throughout  this  portion  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Phillips  was  born  in  Sussex  County,  New  Jersey,  March  2,  1846. 
His  grandfather,  James  Phillips,  was  probably  born  in  the  same  state  and 
was  of  English  lineage.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer,  and  he  died  about 
1865,  at  a  very  advanced  age.  His  son,  Charles  L.  Phillips,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Sussex  County,  New  Jersey,  in  1807,  and  there 
spent  his  entire  life,  dying  in  1875.  He  married  Anne  Gillespie,  who  was 
of  Scotch  lineage,  and  died  in  1900,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  Her 
mother  was  a  member  of  the  Dunnings  family,  prominent  in  Revolutionary 
times.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phillips  became  the  parents  of  eleven  childen, 
namely:  Miranda,  deceased,  wife  of  John  M.  Danolds;  George  W.,  who 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war  and  is  now  postmaster  at  Branchville, 
New  Jersey ;  David ;  Elmira  and  Henry,  who  are  living  in  Sussex  County, 
New  Jersey;  Andrew,  of  Morristown,  that  state;  Louise,  wife  of  Julius 
Clark,  of  Leonia,  New  Jersey;  Jessie,  who  died  in  that  state;  Belle,  wife  of 
William  DeM'"itt,  of  Sussex  County;  Carrie,  wife  of  E.  Hopkins,  of  New- 
ark. New  Jersey,  and  Charles,  of  South  Branch,  New  Jersey. 

David  Phillips  was  reared  to  farm  life  and  pursued  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  in  the  Beemer  high  schools,   after 


676  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    ANI5 

which  he  continued  his  studies  in  Claverick,  New  York,  on  the  Hudson 
river,  and  at  New  Alilford,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age  when  in  1867  he  left  his  home  in  the  East  in  order  to  try  his  fortune 
beyond  the  Mississippi,  and  in'  April  of  that  year  he  arrived  in  ^Yoodfon 
County,  locating  in  Owl  Creek  township  with  his  cousin.  James  W.  Phillips. 
He  afterward  purchased  land  on  the  creek  and  there  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  his  removal  to  Neosho  Falls  to  assume  the  duties  of  sheriff 
of  Woodson  County  to  which  office  he  was  elected  in  1869.  Previous  to 
this  time  he  had  taught  two  terms  of  school,  one  in  Neosho  Falls,  being  the 
last  teacher  to  conduct  the  school  alone.  He  was  installed  as  sheritif  and 
capably  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  for  one  term,  after  which  he 
served  as  under  sheriff  for  Wm.  Cozine  while  the  county  seat  was  located  at 
Defiance.  Upon  leaving  the  sheriff's  office  he  became  a  teacher  and  mer- 
chant in  Defiance,  and  in  1887  he  engaged  in  the  dairy  business,  which  he 
has  since  followed.  In  1893  he  removed  from  his  farm  on  the  old  town 
site  of  Defiance  and  took  up  his  abode  at  Yates  Center. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  1878.  Mr.  Phillips  was  married  to  Emma  Austin, 
who  came  to  Wooason  County  in  1877  from  Cortland,  N.  Y.  She  was 
born  there  in  1846,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Alvah  Austin.  The  only  sur- 
viving child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phillips  is  a  son,  "Wendell,  who  was  born 
December  5,  1875.  The  family  are  Episcopalians  in  their  religious  faith, 
and  in  his  political  belief  Mr.  Phillips  is  a  Republican.  He  was  formerly 
a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks  of  his  party  in  Owl  Creek  township,  served 
there  as  trustee,  and  has  always  kept  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the 
day,  political  and  otherwise.  He  is  now  accounted  one  of  the  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  Yates  Center,  a  man  whom  to  know  is  to  respect. 


FRANK  H.  BERNDSEN. 

FRANK  H.  BERNDSEN,  who  for  twenty  years  has  followed  farm- 
ing in  Owl  Creek  township,  Woodson  County,  was  born  in  Holland, 
September  26,  1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Herman  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Sherman) 
Berndsen,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  father  died  in 
1854.  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1853,  when 
also  thirty-five  years  of  age.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
but  only  two  are  now  living,  the  younger  being  Mrs.  Mary  Iming,  of 
Illinois. 

Frank  H.  Berndsen  was  brought  to  America  by  his  parents  in  1847, 
when  only  three  years  of  age,  the  family  locating  in  Illinois,  where  he 
was  reared  and  educated.  He  learned  to  speak,  read  and  write  both  the 
English  and  Germany  languages,  and  in  early  life  became  familiar  with 
the  work  of  the  farm.  In  1865,  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  responded 
to  the  call  of  his  adopted  country  for  aid,  enlisting  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany F,  One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Illinois  Infantry  with  which  he  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war. 


WOODSON  COUNTIEI),  KANSAS.  677 

Aitei'  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  he  returned  to  his  home  and 
uith  the  money  he  had  saved  in  the  army  he  began  merchandising  in 
Lamiansville,  111.,  where  he  carried  on  business  for  ten  years.  That  gave 
him  his  start  in  life  and  since  then  he  has  steadily  advanced  on  the  high 
road  of  prosperity.  In  1881  he  came  to  Kansas  and  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie  land  upon  which  he  now  resides,  the  place 
being  located  a  mile  south  and  one  mile  west  of  Piqua,  in  Owl  Creek  town- 
ship. The  land  is  rich  and  productive  and  everything  upon  the  farm  is  in 
good  condition.  In  addition  to  the  raising  of  grain  he  engaged  in  stock 
raising,  'making  a  specialty  of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs,  and  for  these  he 
finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  market. 

While  in  Illinois,  Mr.  Berndsen  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Mary 
Stroad,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  after  they  had  resided  in  Kansas  for 
eight  years  she  was  called  to  her  final  rest,  dying  ou  the  5th  of  September, 
1886,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years,  leaving  to  the  care  of  the  husband  their 
six  children,  namely:  Harman  H.,  Benjamin  H.,  John  H.,  Frank  H., 
Fred  J.,  and  Anna  E.  On  the  13th  of  September,  1887,  Mr.  Berndsen  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Gesina  Heidothing,  a  native  of 
G'ermany,  a  widow  with  one  daughter,  Agnes  Eixler.  They  are  well 
known  in  the  community  where  they  reside  and  are  highly  esteemed  by 
their  friends.  Mr.  Berndsen  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  views  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  association,  in  ■^\-hich  he  carries 
one  thousand  dollars  insurance,  while  two  of  his  sons  each  carry  a  liMe 
amount.  He  has  found  Kansas  not  only  a  pleasant  place  of  residence  but 
a  profitable  field  of  labor,  giving  a  free  return  for  unflagging  industry 
when  guided  by  sound  business  judgment. 


THOMAS  T.  DAVIS. 

In  business  circles  in  Yates  Center  the  name  of  Thomas  T.  Davis  is  a 
familiar  one,  for  through  fifteen  years  he  has  been  proprietor  of  a  meat 
market  here  and  is  accounted  one  of  the  reliable  merchants  of  the  place. 
He  was  born  in  Wales,  July  20,  1862,  and  when  three  years  of  age  was 
brought  to  America  by  his  father,  who  with  his  family  left  Wales  for  the 
new  world  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Braidwood,  Will  County,  111.,  where 
he  yet  makes  his  home.  He  is  a  coal  miner  by  occupation.  He  married 
Ann  Gwynn,  and  unto  them  were  born  the  following  named:  Thomas 
T. ;  Mary  A. ;  Margaret,. of  Braidwood,  111.,  Mary  A.,  wife  of  Thomas  Huf- 
ford,  of  Holdridge,  Nebraska;  Elizabeth  and  William,  of  Braidwood. 

Mr.  Davis,  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in  his  parents '  home  in  Braidwood 
and  attended  the  public  schools  there,  acquiring  a  good  common  school' 
education  that  well  fitted  him  for  the  practical  duties  of  business  life. 
When  about  fourteen  years  of  age  he  began  earning  his  own  living  as  a 
farm  hand,  being  thus  employed  until  eighteen  years  of   age   when   he 


67S  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AND 

began  worldng  in  a  meat  market  in  Braidwood.  His  first  independent 
venture  was  the  opening  of  his  market  in  Yates  Center.  He  came  here 
in  August,  1886  and  purchased  the  meat  market  belonging  to  (i.  W.  Stewart 
and  once  the  property  of  the  firm  of  Taylor  &  Stewart.  Since  that  time 
he  has  carried  on  business  with  ever  increasing  success.  He  at  first  had  but 
limited  capital,  but  his  trade  constantly  grew  and  his  earnest  desire  to 
p'ease,  his  courteous  treatment,  his  reasonable  prices  and  his  honorable 
dealing  have  secured  to  him  a  continuance  of  the  liberal  patronage  which 
was  soon  accorded  him. 

Mr.  Davis  was  married  in  Yates  Center,  November  29,1889  to  Miss 
Hester,  daughter  of  Enoch  McB.  Xewcom,  of  Garden  City,  Kas..  but 
formerly  of  Tennessee.  Mr.  and  ilrs.  Davis  now  have  two  living  children, 
AA'illiam  T.  and  Leoti.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican, 
having  been  reared  in  that  faith  by  his  father,  who  warmly  espoused  the 
party.  Mr.  Davis  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Yates 
Center  and  made  a  commendable  record  as  a  city  official.  Socially  he  is 
identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  is  now  past  chancellor 
of  Yates  Center  lodge.  As  a  business  man.  citizen  and  public  officer  he 
takes  high  rank.  He  is  a  man  of  pleasing  personality,  sympathetic  and 
helpful,  and  his  friends  are  many  and  steadfast. 


LOGAN  W.  WRIGHT. 

LOGAN  W.  WRIGHT  was  born  in  Pettis  County,  Mo.,  on  the  19th 
of  January,  1863,  a  son  of  Thomas  J.,  born  in  Ky..  January  8,  1840,  and 
Martha  (a_.mbree)  Wright,  born  March  4,  1839.  They  were  married  May 
18,  1856  in  Cooper  County  Missouri.  Mr.  Wright  died"  March  13,  1873,  and 
his  widow  is  now  living  in  Los  Angeles  county,  California. 

Of  their  six  children,  Logan  W.  AVright  is  the  second  in  order  of 
birth.  On  his  father's  farm  he  followed  the  plow,  assisted  in  the  planting 
and  also  aided  in  harvesting  the  crops  when  the  summer's  sun  had  ripened 
the  grain.  The  educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed  were  those  afforded 
by  the  common  schools.  In  1882  he  came  to  Woodson  County,  locating  on 
a  farm,  and  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  which  has  since  elapsed 
he  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  although  for  a  brief  period  he  was 
connected  ^viih  mercantile  interests  in  lola. 

On  the  12th  of  September,  1880,  Mr.  Wright  was  joined  in  wedlock 
tc  Miss  Mary  Purcell,  who  was  born  in  Benton  County,  Missouri,  February 
4,  1865,  and  is  the  only  daughter  of  J.  M.  and  Lucinda  Purcell.  now  of 
Piqua,  Kas.  The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm 
where  they  resided  until  1889.  In  that  year  they  removed  to  lola,  where 
ilr.  Wright  became  interested  in  the  grocery  business  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Munger  &  Wright.  After  about  four  months  he  purchased  his  part- 
ner's interest  and  conducted  the  enterprise  alone  for  a  short  time,  when 


""vVOOD.SON  'COUNTIES,   KANSAS.  6;C) 

-lie  sold  out  to  the  firm  of  Purcell  &  Son.  During  this  period  Mrs.  AYright 
^carried  on  a  millinery  Isusiness  in  lola,  but  after  a  year  her  health  having 
failed  she  was  compelled  to  sell  1  er  stock,  and  they  returned  to  the  farm. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  have  one  child,  Lillie,  an  interesting  young  lady 
of  eighteen  years,  who  is  now  in  fchool,  and  will  soon  complete  her  educa- 
tion. Their  home  is  pleasantly  situated  two  miles  West  of  Piqua,  M'here 
Mr.  Wright  is  now  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  eighty 
acres  of  well  improved  land,  and  to  its  further  development  he  is  giving  his 
-attention,  the  place  yieklinu'  a  good  competenee  in  return  for  his  labors. 


PRANK  H.  WRIGHT. 

One  of  the  enterprising,  practical  and  intelligent  young  farmers  of 
Woodson  County  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  begins  this  review.  He 
was  born  in  Blanchester.  Clinton  Coimty,  0..  on  the  31st  of  May,  1866,  a 
son  of  John  M.  and  Elizabeth  (McAdams)  Wright,  tlie  former  a  native  of 
the  Buckeye  state,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Indiana.  The  father's 
'death  occurred  in  Ohio,  in  1876,  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of  sixty- 
three  years,  nine  months  and  twenty-seven  days,  but  the  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  her  home  being  in  Morrowtown.  0. 

Their  only  child  is  Frank  H.  Wright.  As  his  parents  were  in  limited 
■financial  resources,  he  had  to  begin  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  when  ten 
years  of  age  and  has  since  been  dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  efforts. 
He  worked  at  wliatever  he  could  get  to  do  until  fifteen  years  of  age  when 
he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  learn  the  millwright's  trade.  He  had 
to  furnish  his  own  tools  and  carried  the  hod  for  a  time  in  order  to  get  the 
money  with  Avhieh  to  malie  the  purchase.  Possessing  considerable  natural 
'mechanical  ingenuity  and  applying  himself  closely  to  his  work,  he  soon' 
"mastered  the  Ijusiness,  became  an  expert  in  that  line  and  after  two  years 
was  made  foreman.  Since  that  time  he  has  had  no  difficulty  in  command- 
ing good  positions  and  high  wages  in  that  line.  He  has  constructed  mills 
in  about  twenty  different  f-tates  of  the  Union,  including  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Iowa  and  Kansas.  The  last  work  of  the  kind  which  he  did  was  in  putting 
hi  the  machinery  of  the  lola  Brick  Plant,  No.  2. 

Mr,  Wright  also  learned  the  miller's  trade  and  at  one  time  was  half 
OM'ner  in  a  large  flouring  mill  in  Indiana.  In  1890  he  came  to  Kansas  and 
purchased  an  interest  in  a  mill  owned  by  D.  AY.  Finney,  at  Neosho  Falls, 
hut  after  a  year  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Warsaw,  Indiana,  where  he 
■entered  a  drafting  office.  Again  in  189-3,  however,  he  came  to  Neosho  Falls 
and  operated  Colonel  Parsons'  mill.  He  became  one  of  the  best  draughts- 
man in  1hat  service  and  commanded  large  wages,  but  becoming  tired  of 
Ihat  life  he  concluded  to  try  farming,  and  in  1895  purchased  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  acres  of  heavy  timber  land,  three  miles  above  the  Falls  on 
the  river  bank.    Not  a  tree  had  been  cut  or  a  furrow  turned  at  the  time 


6Ho  rifSi'bRi'  Of'  AtLfix  .\^u' 

he  came  into  possession  of  the  place,  but  by  indefatigable  energy  and  dose' 
aittention  to  businesc,  he  has  transformed  the  place  into  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  the  valley.  Already  he  has  cleared  one  hundred  and  ten  acres, 
whieli  he  has  under  cultivation.  He  has  previously  raised  corn  and  po- 
tatoes, but  now  as  the  stump;;  have  been  cleared  from  many  of  the  fields- 
he  will  utilize  the  land  for  wheat  raising.  He  has  employed  as  many  as 
seventy- live  men  in  a  single  day  in  cutting  timber  and  preparing  the  land 
for  the  plow,  giving  careful  direction  and  supervision  to"  their  labors.  Many 
good  positions  have  been  otfered  him  in  the  line  of  architect  work  and 
.-.etting  up  machinery,  but  all  of  these  he  has  declined,  having  resolved  lo 
iiive  his  undivided  attention  to  the  work  of  the  farm. 

Mr.  AYright  was  married  in  Alarion  County,  Indiana  in  1888,  to  Miss 
Eliza  Winslow,  a  native  of  Grant  County,  Indiana,  and  a  most  estimable- 
jady.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  one  child,  Hugh  M.,  born  De- 
ticijibf-r  1^3.  1890.  In  his  political  vifAvs  Sir.  \A'rip;ht  is  a  Republican,  and 
M'hile  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day  he  has  never  been  an 
aspirant  for  office.  His  businers  claims  his  undivided  attention,  and  his 
fine  farm  is  a  substantial  monument  of  his  enterprise  and  thrift.  Few  men 
starting  in  life  at  the  tender  age  of  ten  years  and  receiving  no  assistance- 
whatever  as  the  decades  have  passed  have  achieved  as  creditable  success  as- 
Alr.  Wright  has  done. 


(iEORGE  MEKTZER, 

The  veteran  soldier  who  risked  his  life  in  defense  of  the  flag,  all 
things  el'e  being  equal,  takes  high  rank  as  a  citizen.  This  may  be  partly 
because  of  the  quality  of  the  patriotism  of  the  American  public,  but  there 
is  another  reasoii  for  the  pre-eminence  of  the  veteran.  The  man  who  has 
the  form  of  character  to  win  distinction  as  a  faithful  defender  of  his 
oountry  possesses  the  resourceful  perseverance  So  necessary  to  success  in 
other  fields,  and  this  is  abundantly  verified  in  the  life  of  George  Mentzer, 
who  loyally  followed  the  starry  banner  during  the  Civil  war  and  is  now 
one  of  the  enterprising  and  prosperous  agriculturists  orf  Woodson  county, 
where  he  has  made  his  home  since  1869. 

A  native  of  Stowe.  iMassachusetts,  he  was  born  June  12,  1838,  and  is: 
f;  son  of  Phillip  A.  and  Oriuda  (Miles)  iMentzer.  The  father,  a  native 
of  Germany,  died  in  ilassachusetts  in  1844,  and  his  widow  was  buried  by 
the  side  of  her  husband  on  the  old  home  place  in  the  Bay  state.  They  had 
ton  children,  but  only  three  are  liow  living:  Rufus,  of  Ft.  Mcrrgan,  Colo- 
rado; INIrs.  Sarah  A.  Green,  of  Boston.  Massachusetts,  and  George  of  this 
review.  ,.     , 

The  last  named  was  reared  in  his  native  village  until  sixteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  emigrated  to  Illinois  and  became  a  farm  hand,  being 
employed  in  that  capacity  for  about  two  years.    He  then  went  to  Chicago, 


■V\*OODSdN    COUNtlES.   KANSAS.  68t 

"where  lie  secured  a  situation  as  clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  also  acting  as  as- 
sistant in  a  butclierino;  establishment.  Upon  leavin.ii-  the  city  he  returned  to 
Massachusetts  to  visit  his  mother  and  while  tbere  h-e  learned  the  trade  of 
a  comb  maker,  the  combs  being  manufactured  from  the  horns  of  cattle. 
"He  also  improved  his  literary  education  by  attending  school.  He  Avas  still 
in  his  native  state  when  tlie  Civil  war  broke  out  and  there  he  enlisted  as  a 
member  of  companj^  C.  Twenty-fourth  Massachus'etts  infantry,  which  was 
sent  to  Annapolis  and  on  to  TSIortli  Carolina  and  thence  to  South  Carolina, 
being  discliarged  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Virginia.  Among  the  important 
engagements  in  wliieh  lie  participated  were  the  battles  of  Roanoke  Is- 
land, Newberne,  AVhite  Hall  (ioldsboro,  Kingston,  Bermuda  Hundred 
Tind  Pe'-erfburg.  He  did  duty  in  front  of  the  Rebel  fort  wliich  was  blown 
up  by  a  Pennsylvania  regiment.  In  all  of  his  three  years'  service  he  was 
never  wounded,  but  was  always  found  at  liis  post  of  duty  faithfully  de- 
fending the  starry  banner — the  emblem  of  an  undivided  union. 

When  tbe  war  was  ended  Mr.  Mentzer  returned  to  Mas?aehusetts  and 
spent  the  succeeding  winter  in  Boston,  after  wbieh  he  turned  his  attention 
to  farming.  He  then  again  made  his  way  to  Illinois,  where,  prior  to  the 
war,  he  had  aided  in  establishing  the  first  hotel  in  Kewaunee.  He  re- 
mained a  resident  of  Henry  county  and  was  engaged  in  the  butchering 
business  until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Woodson  county,  Kansas,  settling  on 
section  six.  Center  township,  where  he  has  fince  made  his  home,  his  labors 
being  given  to  the  improvement  of  his  farm.  He  now  has  a  rich  tract  of 
h:nd.  the  alluvial  soil  yielding  good  harvests  for  the  work  bestowed  upon 
it. 

In  Henry  county,  Illinois,  Mr.  Mentzer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
l^lmeline  Minniek,  a  daughter  of  John  Minnick,  a  Pennsylvania  German, 
vho  had  a  family  of  five  daughters  and  one  son.  The  wedding  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Mentzer  was  celebrated  on  the  1st  of  January,  1867.  and  they  are 
now  the  parents  of  eight  children,  as  follows :  Charles  0.,  who  married 
Xettie  Wells:  John  F..  who  married  Anna  Wells;  Susie  May;  Henry  A.; 
Phillip  E.,  who  is  now  a  student  of  the  S+ate  Agricultural  College  of  Kan- 
sas; Ernest  E. ;  Clara  E.  and  Clarence  A.  Although  the  Mentzer  family 
have  usually  been  Republicans,  George  Mentzer  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  the  Democratic  nominee  in  1860.  and  is  now  a  Prohibitionist.  He 
believes  most  f?rmly  in  the  abolishment  of  the  liquor  traffic  through  acts 
of  legislation,  and  he  is  the  type  of  citizens  who  support  all  measures  to 
Tidvance  the  moral  welfare  of  the  community. 


GEORGE  GROGMAN. 

The  history  of  mankind  is  replete  vdth  illustrations  of  the  fact  that 
it  is  only  under  the  pressure  of  adversity  and  the  stimulus  of  opposition 
that  tlie  best  and  strongest  in  men  is  brought  out  and  developed.       Per- 


682  ffrS'FORV    OF   all£x    a,\D~ 

haps  the  hiLtory  of  no  peoph^  so  forcibly  impresses  one  with  this  truth  as"- 
tho  annals  of  our  own  republic.  If  anything  can  inspire  the  youth  of  our 
country  to  perwisteut,  honest  and  laudable  endeavor  it  should  be  the  lifir 
reeord  of  sr.ch  men  as  he  of  whom  w-e  write.  Thrown  upon  his  own  re- 
soureos  at  the  early  age  of  twelve  years  he  has  since  depended  entirely 
upon  his  individual  labor  for  whatever  he  has  had  or  enjoyed  in  life, 
and  now  in  return  for  his  diligf  nee  and  enterprise  he  is  enjoying  not  only 
the  ma'erial  reward  but  also  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  those  among 
vhom  he  has  lived  and  worked.  As  proprietor  of  a  hardware  establish- 
iiunt  in  Piqua  and  as  postmaster  of  the  town,  he  is  well  known  to  the 
citizens  of  Woodfon  county. 

Mr.  Grogman  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  on  the  14th  of  November, 
1P30,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  Grogman,  who  in  18.52,  started  with  his  family 
for  the  United  States  On  the  Atlantic  the  wife  and  mother  died,  leaving' 
five  children,  three  of  whom  are  yet  living— Henry,  who  is  married  and 
lives  in  Piqua ;  John  W.  and  George,  also  of  the  same  place.  Landing  at 
Xew  York  the  father  and  his  children  continued  their  journey  across  the 
country  until  they  arrived  in  Glinton  county,  Illinois,  where  Mr.  Grog- 
man died  a  few  years  latei'. 

In  Clinton  county,  Illinois  and  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  the  subject  of 
this  review  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  Having  no  one  tO' 
assist  him  his  advantages  were  necessarily  limited,  but  he  was  ambitious- 
t,;  learn  and  while  clerking  in  stores  in  St.  Louis  through  the  day,  he  de- 
voted his  evenings  to  study  in  night  schools.  For  thirteen  years  he  held 
the  position  of  foreman  of  the  registry  division  in  the  St.  Louis  post- 
office  and  then  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health.  He  thus  had  in  charge 
one  of  the  most  important  divisions  of  the  postal  service,  and  his  long  con- 
tinuation in  the  po:  ition  proves  conclusively  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  his' 
extreme  faithfulness. 

In  1888  Mr.  Grogman  came  to  Piqua,  Kansas,  and  purchased  of  John 
J.  Harrison  a  hardware  and  implement  bufiness,  which  he  has  since  con- 
ducted. He  also  buys  grains  and  seeds,  and  both  branches  of  the  enter- 
prise are  proving  profitable.  His  business  methods  are  such  as  to  increase 
his  patronage  and  his  trade  has  steadily  grown.  Difficulties  and  obstacles 
in  his  path  have  seemed  but  to  serve  as  an  impetus  for  renewed  effort  and 
his  determined,  resolute  will  has  stood  him  instead  of  capital. 

In  St.  Louis,  ilissouri,  on  the  I7th.  of  November,  1874,  Mr.  Grogman 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Carie  Spoeri,  and  unto  them  have  been  born 
eight  children:  Helen,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Spiegelhalter,  of  St.  Louis; 
William  "E.,  of  Humboldt,  Kansas;  Frank;  Julia,  who  is  living  in  St. 
Louis ;  Dora ;  Lulu ;  Ollie  and  Florence.  The  family  have  a  wide_  acquaint- 
ance in  Piqua  and  the  members  of  the  household  occupy  an  enviable  posi- 
tion in  social  circles.  In  his  political  views  Mv.  Grogman  has  always 
been  a  stalwart  Republican,  attends  county  conventions  and  is  active  in 
the  work  of  the  party.    For  the  past  ten  years  he  has  continuously  served 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  683 

as  postmaster  of  Piqua,  his  experience  in  St.  Louis  well  qualifying  him  for 
the  position  which  he  is  now  so  acceptably  filling.  Trustworthy  in  public 
offiee  and  reliable  in  business  he  enjoys  public  confidnee  in  a  high  degree 
and  the  warm  personal  regard  of  many  friends. 


EDWARD  GEUBBS. 

A  life  of  indefatigable  industry  has  brought  to  Edward  Grubbs  the 
competence  which  now  classes  him  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  Wood- 
son county.  He  was  born  in  Dearborn  county,  Indiana,  on  the  10th  of 
December,  1832,  and  represents  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  state.  His 
father,  John  M.  Grubbs,  was  also  born  there,  and  the  grandfather.  Ea- 
vard  Grubbs,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  whence  he  removed  to  the 
Hoosier  state  during  the  period  of  its  primitive  development.  There  he 
reared  his  family  and  after  arriving  at  years  of  maturity,  John  M.  Grubbs 
married  Eliza  Lunger,  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  In  1854  he  removed  to 
Iowa,  but  after  a  year  returnd  to  Indiana.  While  upon  the  trip  he  w"s 
taken  ill  and  died  £Oon  after  reaching  his  old  home,  passing  away  in  1856, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  His  wife  died  in  1858.  Eleven  children, 
all  sons,  were  born  unto  them,  the  subject  of  this  review  being  the  second 
in  order  of  birth. 

Edward  Grubbs  was  reared  in  Indiana  and  acquired  a  common- 
school  education.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  the  journey  of  life 
he  chose  Miss  Susan  Brown,  their  marriage  being  celebrated  September  10, 
1851.  She  is  a  native  of  North  Carolina.  Her  parents  died  when  she 
was  very  small,  so  she  never  learned  anything  of  the  family  history.  She 
was  taken  to  Ohio  by  a  family  named  Tuttle  and  afterward  went  to  live 
with  a  family  by  the  name  of  Bonham  with  whom  she  remained  until  she 
attained  to  womanhood. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grubbs  secured  employment  on 
y  farm,  the  former  working  in  the  fields,  the  latter  performing  the  duties 
of  the  household.  After  a  year  thus  passed  they  went  to  live  with  his 
grandfather,  Edward  Griibbs,  with  whom  they  remained  a  year,  when  our 
subject  rented  a  farm  in  Ohio,  operating  it  for  two  years.  In  1854  he  re- 
moved to  Iowa,  and  in  1859  went  to  Pike's  Peak,  Colorado,  to  engage  in 
mining,  but  not  finding  that  a  profitable  venture  he  returned  to  Iowa  in 
July  of  the  same  year,  continuing  to  make  the  Hawkeye  state  the  place 
of  his  abode  until  1860.  In  that  year  he  again  went  to  Indiana  and  for  a 
year  worked  as  a  farm  hand,  after  which  he  leased  and  operated  a  farm  for 
five  years,  but  believing  he  could  improve  his  financial  condition  in  the 
west  where  lands  were  cheaper,  he  went  to  Bates  county,  Missouri,  in  1868, 
working  there  by  the  month  for  a  year  and  a  half. 

In  the  fall  of  1869  Mr.  Grubbs  came  to  Woodson  county  and  se- 
cured a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  on  Cherry  creek.     For  fourteen  years 


684  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

he  cultivated  the  fields  and  improved  the  place  also  engaged  in  stock- 
raising.  He  then  traded  that  farm  for  some  timber  land  on  the  Neosho 
river,  one  mile  northwest  of  Neosho  Falls,  where  he  now  owns  a  valuable 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres.  The  rich,  alluvial  soil  pro- 
duces excellent  crops  in  return  for  his  cultivation,  and  his  wheat  and 
cornfields  form  a  most  attractive  feature  in  the  landscape.  He  raises 
about  thirty-five  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre.  Upon  the  place  is  a  good 
residence,  substantial  barn  and  other  modern  improvements,  and  every- 
thing about  the  place  indicates  thrift  and  progress.  At  one  time  he  was 
in  debt  two  thousand  dollars,  but  l:e  raised  corn,  cleared  ofE  the  indebted- 
ness through  the  sale  of  that  product  and  is  now  in  very  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grubbs  have  been  born  reven  children,  namely: 
Bailey  G.,  who  is  now  living  in  Oklahoma  territory;  Eliza,  wife  of  J.  D. 
Keweomb,  of  Oklahoma;  Ward  Beecher,  who  is  living  in  Cherokee  county; 
Mrs.  Pearl  Jones,  who  resides  in  Neosho  Palls :  Emma  Stovall.  who  died  in 
r)klahoma,  leaving  five  children ;  Lusetta  and  Laura,  who  died  in  infancy. 
If  the  parents  both  survive  until  September,  1901,  they  will  .celebrate 
the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  marriage.  They  are  people  of  genuine 
worth,  of  high  moral  character  and  are  justly  entitled  to  the  esteem  in 
which  they  are  held.  Years  of  earnest  labor,  eventually  crowned  with 
prosperity — such  is  the  epitome  of  the  life  of  Edward  Grubbs.  and  in 
this  respect  his  career  is  certainly  worthy  of  emulation. 


WILLIAM  KEES. 

WILLIAM  KEES,  a  well  known  representative  of  the  farming  inter- 
ests of  Woodson  county,  residing  in  Neosho  Palls  township,  was  iDorn  in 
Washing  county.  Pennsylvania,  Pebruary  4,  1833,  and  has  the  distinction 
of  being  descended  from  two  Revolutionary  heroes,  both  his  paternal  and 
maternal  grandfather  having  served  in  the  war  of  independence.  The 
former  owned  the  land  upon  which  the  to'wn  of  McKeesport,  Pennsyl- 
vania, was  built,  and  the  place  was  named  in  his  honor.  David  Kees,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  the  state  and  there  resided 
vntil  1858,  when  he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he  spent  the  residue  of  his 
days.  He  was  called  to  his  final  rest  in  1895,  when  he  had  attained  the 
very  venerable  age  of  ninety-two  years.  His  wife  had  passed  away  in  1888, 
when  eighty-four  years  of  age.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children, 
four  of  whom  are  yet  living :  David  Jr.,  surgeon  of  the  Civil  war ;  Wil- 
liam; John,  a  druggist  in  Creston,  la.,  and  Catherine,  of  Agency,  la. 

William  Kees,  the  second  in  order  of  birth  pursued  Ms  education  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  state  and  resided  with  his  parents  until  they 
were  called  to  the  home  beyond.  He  accompanied  them  to  Iowa  in  1858 
and  cared  for  them  throughout  their  declining  years,  rendering  them  filial 


WOODSON  codntie:;,  kansas.  6S5 

clevotion  in  return  for  what  they  had  done  for  him  in  youth.  He  was 
Karried  in  1871  to  Miss  Emily  McKeown,  a  native  of  Bradley  county, 
Tennessee,  born  in  1847.  Her  father,  I.  L.  McKeown,  was  a  native  of 
North  Carolina  and  married  Matilda  Reynolds,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
lennessee,  to  which  state  her  husband  had  removed  in  early  manhood. 
They  had  three  children:  Sarah  A.;  Mrs.  Kees,  and  Livonia  Watkins, 
who  is  now  living  in  Agency,  Iowa.  The  father,  who  was  born  in  1818,  is 
still  living  in  Agency  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  making  his  home 
with  his  daughter.  His  wife  died  in  1895,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one 
years.  They  had  been  residents  of  Iowa  since  1865  .  Mr.  McKeown  served 
for  three  years  in  the  Union  army  with  a  Missouri  regiment  and  was  on 
v)ne  occasion  badly  hurt  by  being  thrown  from  his  horse  in  battle. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kees  continued  to  reside  on  the 
old  homestead  farm  in  Iowa  until  after  the  death  of  his  parents.  When 
the  father  passed  away  our  subject  inherited  one  of  his  farms.  His  own 
health  having  become  impaired  his  physician  advised  him  to  seek  a  change 
0/  climata  where  he  would  not  have  to  undergo  the  rigorous  winters  of 
Iowa  and  accordingly  he  came  to  Kansas,  settling  upon  the  farm  which 
is  now  his  home.  He  sold  his  property  in  Iowa  and  purchased  here  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  pleasantly  and  conveniently  situated 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Piqua.  His  health  has  greatly  im- 
proved and  in  his  business  affairs  he  has  prospered,  his  time  being  given 
te  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  The  fields  are  well  tilled  and  bring 
lO  him  a  good  financial  return  for  his  labors,  and  the  pasture  lands  af- 
ford excellent  grazing  opportunities  for  stock. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kees  has  been  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren: Lois,  now  the  wife  of  Albert  Bailey,  of  Allen  county;  Arthur  and 
Ethyl,  who  are  at  home  with  their  parents.  The  son  has  charge  of  the 
farm  thus  relieving  his  father  of  much  care  and  responsibility.  The 
family  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  county  and  the  parents  and  chil- 
dren enjoy  the  high  esteem  of  many  friends.  Mr.  Kees  is  a  Democrat 
m  his  political  affiliations  and  the  support  which  he  gives  to  the  party 
arises  from  a  belief  in  its  principles  and  not  from  a  hope  of  the  rewards 
of  office  holding. 


MICHAEL  REEDY. 

The  late  Michael  Reedy,  whom,  as  a  citizen  and  gentleman,  all  Wood- 
son county  was  pleased  to  honor,  was  one  of  the  historic  characters  of  the 
county  which  he  helped  to  settle  and  where  he  spent  nearly  thirty-five 
years  of  his  useful  and  honorable  life.  Although  of  humble  origin  and 
with  discouragements  and  adversities  surrounding  him  in  early  life  he  was 
born  to  surmount  them  and  to  lead  in  the  march  of  progress  and  not  only 
"to  be  but  to  do"  in  the  acts  of  men. 


686  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

It  has  been  said  that  IMiehael  Keedy  came  to  Woodson  county  shod 
\\'ith  one  boot  and  one  shoe.  If  this  is  true  he  was  even  fortunate  then, 
for  he  walked  from  Kansas  City  to  Woodson  county  in  consequence  of  his 
great  poverty.  It  is  indicative  of  his  character  to  state  that  what  he  was 
sc-eking  was  the  opportunity  to  build  a  home  and  win  an  honorable  exist- 
ence for  his  family  by  the  sweat  of  his  face.  It  was  in  June,  1857,  that  he 
reached  his  destination,  tiled  on  his  homestead  in  section  seventeen  and 
thereby  began  his  civil  connection  with  the  affairs  of  Woodson  county. 
He  was  directed  by  a  countryman  of  his  native  land  to  the  Owl  Creek 
settlements,  upon  reaching  Wyandotte  with  his  family,  and  he  left  the 
latter  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kaw  river  while  he  should  be  absent  on  his 
long  lonely  and  important  journey. 

Michael  Reedy  was  born  in  County  Clare,  Ireland,  in  1834.  In 
1847  his  father  Michael  Reedy,  brought  his  family  to  America  and  stopped 
for  a  time  in  Steuben  County.  New  York.  He  worked  at  common  labor 
about  Campbelltown  for  many  years  and  late  in  life  went  with  his  children 
into  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  and  there  died.  His  five  sons  and  two 
daughters  were :  John,  of  Tiskilwa,  111. ;  Mary,  deceased,  who  married 
Michael  O'Brien,  an  old  citizen  of  Woodson  county;  Michael,  our  sub- 
ject ;  Thomas,  who  died  in  Ottawa,  111. ;  Ellen,  who  became  the  wife  of 
John  Elmendorf  and  resides  in  Humboldt,  Kansas;  James,  died  in  Tis- 
kilwa, 111.,  and  William,  died  in  same  place. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Reedy  occurred,  first,  at  Campbelltown.  New 
York.  His  wife  was  Mary  Whalen,  born  in  County  Limerick,  Ireland. 
She  shared  her  husband's  hardships  and  was  an  invaluable  aid  and  sup- 
port in  his  pioneer  years  in  Woodson  eoun+y.  She  bore  him  ten  children 
and  died  in  February,  1876.  The  children  surviving  are:  Ella,  widow 
05"  Michael  Crahan;  Elizabeth;  Willam:  James;  Mary,  wife  of  Thomas 
Landers;  Kate,  wife  of  John  Smith  and  Michael.  In  April  1877  Mr. 
Reedy  married  Ella,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  end  Johanna  (Kissane)  Col- 
lins. The  parents  were  both  boi'n  in  Ireland  and  their  chldren  were: 
Mike,  Dan,  Tim,  Thomas,  William,  Mary,  Kate.  Margaret,  Johanna,  and 
r]lla.  By  his  second  marriage  Mr.  Reedy  was  the  father  of  three  children, 
surviving:    Thomas.  John  and  Myrtle. 

^\Tien  Michael  Reedy  undertook  to  establish  himself  as  a  settler  in 
Woodson  county  none,  perhaps,  did  so  with  greater  financial  embarrass- 
ments that  he.  He  possessed  the  proverbial  poor  man's  "ox  team"  and 
Tvith  it  and  the  most  primitive  accompaniments,  he  began  the  work  of 
improving  and  developing  a  Kansas  farm.  His  success  was  at  first  some- 
what varied  but  as  nature  became  subdued  the  soil  yielded  abundantly  to 
his  industrious  touch  and  he  made  rapid  strides  toward  financial  inde- 
pendence. Periodically  he  annexed,  by  purchase,  tract  after  tract  of 
land  until  his  domain  was  nearer  the  area  of  an  old  English  estate  than 
a  Kansas  farm.  He  was  ever  and  always  a  man  of  business.  His  industry 
was  as  marked  Avhen  in  the  enjoyment  of  affluence  as  when  he  was  pushed 


WOODSON    COUISTIES,    K'ASTSAS.  '6S7 

silong  by  the  demands  of  necessity.  His  success  never  "turned  his  head." 
Irle  was  the  same  common,  approachable  and  sympathizing  farmer  in  the 
leight  of  his  achievements  as  wh^n  a  modest  tiller  of  the  soil  in  the  early 
•days  of  Kansas.  He  took  an  interest  in  things  political  as  well  as  material, 
.and  was  one  of  the  chiefs  of  Democraeyin  Woodson  county  for  many  years. 
TJewas  named  for  county  commissioner  and  was  elected,  as  a  Democrat,  in 
1865.  He  served  one  term  and  acquitted  himself  with  honor  to  the  county 
and  with  credit  to  himself.  In  1871  he  was  one  of  three  candidates  for  the 
legislature  and  was  defeated  by  a  pmall  plurality. 

Mike  Reedy  became  a  permanent  settler  in  Woodson  county  in  185S 
and  from  that  date  until  his  death,  January  13,  1892,  he  was  a  loyal, 
'devoted  and  God-fearing  American.  He  loved  Kansas,  her  institutions 
and  her  people.  He  reared  his  family  well  and  taught  them  to  practice 
industry  and  to  love  virtue  and  honor.  His  life  was  not  full  of  years  but 
was  filled  with  good  deeds,  when  it  was  ended,  and  none  that  knew  him  but 
regretted  his  taking  away. 


LOUIS  C.  NEIMANN 

LOUIS  C.  iSIlEMANN,  who  is  engaged  in  general  merchandising  and 
"■n  shipping  and  dealing  in  grain  at  Piqiia,  Kansas,  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
■Missouri,  November  6,  1861.  His  father,  Frederick  A.  Niemann,  was  a 
iiative  of  Prussia  and  on  coming  to  America  engaged  in  merchandising  in 
St.  Louis  in  wliieh  city  he  passed  his  remaining  years.  His  widow,  nee 
Johanna  Lemke,  is  the  wife  of  BenjamJn  Koetter  resides  in  Clinton  county, 
Illinois.  Her  children  are:  Julius;  Louis  C. ;  Lizzie,  wife  of  Joseph 
Kreimer,  Maggie,  wife  of  George  Kubn ;  Annie,  wife  of  George  Dulle,  and 
'Teresa,  widow  of  Christian  Dummert,  of   Clinton   county,   Illinois. 

Louis  C.  Niemann  spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  with  his 
mother  and  went  then  to  live  with  an  uncle,  H.  H.  Heimann,  at  Aviston, 
111.  He  remained  with  that  relati^'^  until  he  had  attained  his  majority  after 
which  he  started  out  on  an  independent  career.  In  1884  he  came  to  Wood- 
•son  county,  Kansas,  and  located  in  Piqua,  joined  in  forming  the  firm  of 
Markus  and  Niemann  which  was  succeeded  by  the  firm  of  Niemann  and 
Grogman.  At  present  Mr.  Niemann  is  conducting  his  business  alone  and 
is  enjoying  a  prosperous  era.  He  makes  extensive  purchases  and  his  ship- 
ments of  grain  and  produce  are  large  and  contribute  much  toward  his 
merited  success. 

May  18.  1886,  Mr.  Niemann  was  married  in  Humboldt,  Kansas,  to 
Maggie  Santen,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Annie  Santen,  and  unto  them  have 
been  born  five  children,  Annie  and  Frances,  alone  surviving.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Niemann  are  well  known  in  the  Piqua  community  and  their  circle  of 
friends  is  enlarging  as  the  number  of  their  acquaintances  increase. 

Mr.  Niemann   gives  his  undivided  attention  to  his  business  affairs, 


6«''^  H'IST'ORV    Ui^"  ALL£J^'  A.\u 

imowingr  that  persistent  purpose  and  diligencf  form  the  bans  of  prospenVr 
and  by  adherence  to  eorreet  business  principles,  he  is  providing  well  for  his; 
IVimily  and  is  gaining  a  comfortable  compelence  which  classes  him  among.' 
tl.e  wp]l-to-do  citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 


WILLIAM  F.  AIARFLE. 

WlLLIAiM  F.  MARPLE,  who  follows  farming  in  AVoodson  county^ 
owning  and  operating  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  Land  in  Center 
tt.wnship,  was  born  in  Ohio  county,  AAVst  Virginia,  on  the  26tH.  of  June, 
1833.  His  father,  David  Marple,  was  born  in  Frederick  county  Virginia^ 
and  was  of  English  lineage,  his  ancestors,  however,  having  resided  in  the- 
Old  Dominion  through  many  generations.  David  Marpk  followed  farm- 
ing as  a  life  occupation.  He  married  Elizabeth  Watkins,  who  is  still  living' 
aL  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years,  her  home  being  in  Bureau  county,  Illinois.. 
In  their  family  were  eight  children  ,five  of  whom  are  yet  living,  our  sub- 
jfct  being  the  eldest. 

Upon  a  farm  AVilliam  F.  Alarple  was  reared,  and  through  the  sum- 
mer season  he  Avorked  in  the  fields  while  in  the  winter  months  he  pursued 
his  education  in  the  district  schools.  He  was  in  California  from  1853  until 
lb56,  cro.'sing  the  plains  from  Omaha,  Nebraska,  but  returning  by  the 
water  route  to  New  York.  "While  on  the  Pacific  coast  he  engaged  in  min- 
ing and  had  many  intei-*sting  experiences  but  obtained  little  gold.  In 
1864  he  went  to  Montana,  where  he  engaged  in  prospecting,  remaining^ 
there  for  eighteen  months.  With  the  exception  of  those  two  intervals: 
passed  in  the  west  and  northwest,  he  resided  during  the  years  of  his  man- 
hood in  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  until  his  removal  to  Woodson  county  in 
1S7'2.  He  brought  with  him  a  team,  wagon  and  a  few  cows,  together  with 
his  household  effects,  and  locating  on  a  tract  of  land  he  began  farming. 
During  ten  years  of  his  residence  in  the  county  he  engaged  in  the  hard- 
ware business,  chiefly  in  Yatt  s  Center,  and  in  1890  he  took  up  his  abode  on 
.section  eight,  township  twenty-five,  range  fifteen,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  He  has  here  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which  is  now 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

In  1859,  in  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  ilr.  Marple  was  married  to  Miss 
Sarah  F.  Dutro.  a  daughter  of  Weorge  Dutro,  and  their  children  are:  Eva, 
wife  of  E.  M.  Kirkbridge,  of  Sedalia,  Colorado ;  Annie,  wife  of  Fred  Shenk, 
01  Yates  Center;  Emma,  wife  of  F.  E.  Wharton,  also  of  Yates  Center; 
Frank,  who  is  living  in  the  same  place ;  Joseph  R. ;  Andrew  G,,  and  Edna, 
who  are  still  with  their  parents.  Air.  Marple  has  the  home  farm  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  He  is  a  very  thrifty  agriculturist,  recognizing 
the  fact  that  diligence  is  the  foundation  of  all  prosperity.  In  politics  he 
has  been  a  Republican  since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  John  C. 
Fremont  and  his  faithful  and  capable  manner  of  discharging  his  duties  of 
citizenship  renders  him  one  of  the  valued  residents  of  the  community. 


■WOOttiON    tdUTftlES,   KANSAS.  6S9 

^  JAMES  M.  PURCELL. 

'JAMES  M.  PURCELL,  whose  beautiful  home  in  Piqua  stands  as  a, 
Jtnonument  to  the  enterprise,  industry  and  business  ability  of  the  owner,  is 
•now  actively  connected  with  commercial  interests  of  the  oily  as  a  dealer  in 
3iay  and  grain.  IJe  is  also  a  representative  of  its  real  estate  interests,  and 
through  the  promotion  of  his  own  industries  he  has  also  advanced  the 
'general  welfare,  for  the  prosperity  of  every  town  and  city  depends  upon 
its  commercial  activity.  An  honored  man  and  a  leading  and  influential 
icitizen,  he  well  deserves  mention  among  the  representative  residents  of 
Woodson  county. 

For  nineteen  years  he  has  made  his  home  in  this  section  of  Kansas, 
scorning  hither  from  Missouri.     He  was  born  in  Marion  county,   IRinois, 

>on  the  26th  of  October.  1842.     His  grandfather Purcell,  was  of 

Irish  lineage  and  some  of  his  sons  served  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  and 
i.'  the  Indian  warfare  for  they  were  early  settlers  of  the  Mississippi  val- 
ley when  the  red  men  still  held  partial  dominion  in  the  middle  portion 
<of  the  country.  Andrew  Purcell,  the  fatlier  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Indiana,  near  Vincennes,  and  became  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Indiana  and  Illinois,  hut  died  near  Perry, 
'Oklahoma,  on  the  15th.  of  November,  1900,  at  th-e  age  of  eighty-nine 
years.  While  in  central  IMissouri,  he  served  for  some  time  as  a  mail  con- 
(■.  actor.  In  ante  helium  days  he  was  a  staunch  Whig,  and  when  the  Re- 
publican par+y  was  organized  he  became  one  of  its  most  loyal  PTipporters. 
icontinuing  to  advocate  its  principles  until  his  demise.  He  wedded  Mary 
Fiay,  whose  fatlier  was  from  Kentuclo'-  Mrs.  Purcell  died  in  Piqua,  Kari- 
sas,  July  3,  1890,  at  the  ase  of  seventy-five  vears.  Her  children  were : 
Angeline,  deceased  wife  of  Marion  Rives;  James  J\l. :  Sarah,  wife  of  W.  J\I. 
Robinson,  of  Oklahoma;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  Andrew  Johnson,  of  Oklahoma; 
'Oeorge.  of  Sedalia,  Missouri. 

James  M.  Purcell  spent  the  first  eight  years  of  his  life  in  the  state 
iti '  his  nativity  and  then  accompanied  his  father  on  his  removal  from  Illi- 
nois to  Fort  Madison,  Iowa.  In  1853  the  family  went  to  Benton  county, 
Missouri,  and  subsequently  Mr.  Purcell  was  a  resident  of  Pettis  county, 
that  state.  Sis  educational  privileges  were  somewhat  limited,  but  in  the 
iDroader  scliool  of  experience  he  has  learned  many  important  lessons  of 
great  practical  value  in  the  lousiness  world.  Entering  upon  an  inde- 
pendent career  lie  bega:n  farming  on  a  small  scale,  but  gradually  extended 
the  field  of  his  operations.  In  1882  he  came  to  AYoodson  county,  locating 
two  miles  west  of  Piqua.  He  purchased  almost  a  section  of  land  here, 
and  throughout  the  entire  period  of  his  residence  in  Kansas  has  engaged 
in  the  stock  business,  the  enterprise  bringing  to  him  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
■erss.  Ar  his  financial  resources  have  increased  he  has  added  to  his  origi- 
nal purchase  until  he  now  owns  eleven  hundred  and  eighty-seven  acres, 
about  half  of  which  is  devoted  to  the  raising  of  hay.  For  six  years  hie 
has  been  extensively  engaged  in  shipping  and  dealing  in  hay,  and  was  the 


6ga  HisvoRV  oio'  allen  aKj") 

oigaiiiier  uf  the  Purcell  Hay  &  Grain  company,  of  Piqua,  doing  a  large' 
business  in  handling  that  product.  He  also  owns  much  property  in  Piqua,. 
inelnding  both  impjoved  and  unimproved  property  and  deals  in  real  estate, 
jnaking'  judicious  investments  and  profitable  sales.  His  business  policy  has: 
ever  been  such  that  pure.haseis  in  any  line  of  his  business  become  constant 
patrons. 

On  tl:e  29th.  of  January,  1863,  Sir.  Purcell  was  united  in  marriage  tv 
Misr,  Luoindn  J.  Ferguson,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  S.  Ferguson,  who  was  a 
Kentucky  farmer  and  married  a  Pennsylvania  lady — Maria  Wolf.  They 
became  the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom  two  are  now  living:  Mrs, 
Fxircell  and  John,  the  latter  now  a  resident  of  Benton  county,  Missouri. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Sirs.  Purcell  have  been  born  the  following  named:  Mary, 
now  the  wife  of  Logan  Wright;  Shelley,  who  ,  marriea  and  resides 
in  Hannibal,  Missouri ;  George,  who  wedded  Mary  Long ;  James,  of  Piqua, 
and  J.  B. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mi-.  PurceU's  patriotism  prompted  his  en- 
fifctment  in  the  Union  army,  and  in  February,  1862.  he  joined  CiDiapany 
E,  of  the  Seventh  Misi-ouri  State  Militia.  He  aided  in  recruiting  the 
company  and  after  serving  for  six  months  was  honorably  discharged  on 
account  of  physical  disability.  After  recovering  his  health  he  re-enlisted 
as  a  member  of  company  I,  Forty-fifth  Missouri  infantry,  under  Colonel 
AVeir,  of  Boonville.  The  regiment  operated  against  Price  in  Missouri  and 
later  went  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  Mr.  Purcell  was  engaged  in 
guard  duty.  At  Jefferson,  Missouri,  he  very  narrowly  e.seaped  being 
wounded  or  killed,  having  a  boot  heel  and  a  button  from  his  coat  shot 
away.  He  continued  at  the  front  Until  the  war  was  over,  when,  the  country 
no  longer  needing  his  services,  he  returned  to  his  home.  He  now  belongs 
to  the  Grand  Army  Post,  at  Neosho  Falls,  also  to  the  Fraternal  Aid 
Association  and  to  the  Methodist  Protestant  church,  being  class  leader  of 
the  Congregation.  As  a  citizen  he  is  loyal  to  every  measure  which  he  be- 
lieves will  prove  of  general  good  and  does  everything  in  his  power  to 
benefit  his  city.  In  business  he  is  most  straightforward  and  reliable,  fol- 
Ii.wing  upright  principles  not  because  he  b'^l'-eves  that  honesty  is  the 
best  policy,  but  because  he  believes  in  doing  right  for  right's  sake.  Hw 
is  certainly  a  man  of  firm  purpose  and  nothing  can  deter  him  from  follow- 
ing what  he  thinks  is  the  correct  courfe.  Among  his  friends  and  family  he 
is  considerate,  social  and  kindly  and  his  home  is  not  only  one  of  the  finest 
in  Piqtia,  but  also  one  of  the  most  hospitable, 


WILLIAM  RE;BDY 

AYlLLIAJNI  KEEDY,  of  the  firm  of  Lauber  and  Reedy,  general  mer- 
chants in  Yates  Center,  Kansas,  is  a  son  of  the  late  Hon.  Michael  Reedy 
and  was  born  in  Woodson  county  December  8,  1860,    He  represents  one  of 


WOODSON  countie:;,  kansas.  6c  i 

the  prominent  and  pioneer  families  of  the  county  for  his  father  made  the 
preliminary  arrangements  for  his  permanent  settlement  here  in  June,  1857. 
(See  history  of  Michael  Eeedy.)  The  days  of  his  youth  and  early  man- 
hood were  passed  amid  rural  surroundings  and  in  the  free  and  healthful 
atmosphere  of  the  farm.  His  education  was  confined  to  attendance  upon 
the  country  school  with  one  term  at  the  Boys'  &'chool  in  St.  Paul,  Kan- 
sas. His  initial  eiforts  were  put  forth,  on  taking  up  the  responsibilities 
of  real  and  serious  life  toward  the  promotion  of  the  affairs  of  his  father's 
large  estate  and  a  decade  measured  the  time  passed  in  rural  pursuits  after 
attaining  his  majority.  July  22,  1892,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Demo- 
crats and  Peoples'  party  of  his  county  for  clerk  of  the  district  court  and 
at  the  November  elec.tion  was  chosen  by  the  people  by  a  majority  of  six 
votes.  In  1894  he  was  renominated  and  was  re-elected  this  time  increasing 
his  majority  one  vote.  He  carried  his  home  township  by  eighty  majority 
each  election  and  his  candidacy  was  suiBciently  strong  throughout  the 
county  to  overcome  the  Republican  majority  which  was  well  known  to 
the  county  in  those  days.  The  four  years  he  served  as  a  public  officer 
marked  Mr.  Reedy  as  a  faithful  and  competent  official.  He  gained  an  ex- 
perience and  an  acquaintance  which  has  served  him  in  good  stead  as  a 
private  citizen. 

Mr.  Reedy  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  with  Wm.  H.  Lauber  on  re- 
turning to  civil  life  and  their  brief  experience  in  this  venture  netted 
them  a  profit  reasonable  and  commensurate  with  an  earnest  and  honorable 
effort.  In  1898  the  same  firm  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  the 
county  £'eat  and  in  1901  it  dissolved  partnership,  Mr.  Reedy  retiring. 

June  22,  1892.  Mr.  Reedy  was  married  to  Julia  E.  Feeney,  a  daughter 
of  Martin  and  B,ridget  (Connell)  Feeney,  well  known  farmers  of  Wood- 
son county.  The  issue  of  this  union  is  a  son,  John  Martin  Reedy,  born 
November  3,  1893. 

As  a  business  man  and  as  a  citizen  Mr.  Reedy  is  regarded  highly  in 
Woodson  county.  He  has  spent  every  year  of  his  life  within  the  borders 
o;'  his  native  county  and  it  is  with  pride  that  the  old  citizens  have  watched 
h's  onward  and  upward  business  and  social  trend.  His  business  methods 
are  honorable,  his  views  on  moral  questions  are  liberal  and  in  his  political 
affiliations  and  adherence  he  is  as  Democratic  as  modern  Democracy  can 
make  one. 


THEODORE  M.  SLACK. 

A  inelf-made  man  who  has  been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes  and 
hiR  buJlded  wisely  and  well  is  Theodore  Slack,  who  foUows  farming  one 
mile  north  of  Piqua,  in  Neosho  Falls  township,  "Woodson  county.  A  native 
of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Henry  county,  that  state,  March  1,  1847,  a  son 
of  Philip  and  Catherine  (AYoolet)  Slack,  the  former  a  native  of  New  York 


692  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

unci  ili(-  latter  of  jMaryland.  "When  a  young  man  the  father  went  to  Ohio, 
He  was  a  mason  by  trade  but  in  the  Buckeye  state  he  turned  his  attention 
TO  i'anning,  following  his  trade  only  after  work  of  the  farm  was  over  for 
the  season.  In  1866  he  removed  to  Illinois,  and  in  1884  came  to  Kansas, 
settling  in  Woodson  county  on  a  farm  north  of  Piqua,  where  his  death  oc- 
v-nriBd  in  18R4,  when  he  was  seventy-five  years  of  age.  His  wife  still  sur- 
vives, b'm  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  two 
sons,  the  brother  of  our  subject  being  James  Slack. 

Tiipodore  M.  Slack,  of  this  review,  came  to  Illinois  with  his  father  in 
1^66  arid  remained  with  him  until  twenty- four  years  of  age,  when  he 
siarted  out  upon  an  independent  business  career.  For  ten  years  he  en- 
gaged in  the  operation  of  rented  land,  came  to  Ottawa,  Kansas,  in  1880, 
and  to  Woodson  county  in  1883.  and  then  made  his  first  purchase,  be- 
coming owner  of  a  tract  of  eighty  acres.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has 
added  to  this  and  his  landed  possessions  now  aggregate  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  He  began  with  a  tract  of  raw  prairie,  which  he  has  culti- 
vated and  improved  until  it  is  one  of  the  most  productive  farms  of  this 
portion  of  the  state.  He  has  a  good  residence  on  the  place  and  has  erected 
f.  very  large  barn  in  which  he  can  store  a  large  amoiint  of  hay  and  which 
affords  ample  shelter  for  his  stock.  He  handles  horses,  mules  and  cattle 
and  realizes  a  good  profit  from  his  sales  of  stock.  His  corn  and  wheat 
crops  also  bring  to  him  good  returns  and  a  bearing  orchard  keeps  his  table 
well  supplied  with  fruits  in  season. 

In  Illinois  Mr.  Slack  was  united  in  marriage  to  MIfs  Amanda  Beeler,  a 
native  of  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Vinton  R.  and  Mary  (Ross)  Beeler. 
Tier  father  was  born  in  Maryland  but  when  a  young  man  went  to  Illinois 
where  he  met  and  married  Miss  Eoss,  a  native  of  that  state.  Unto  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  have  been  born  six  children :  Mary  C,  M'ife  of  Benjamin 
Draper,  a  resident  of  Woodson ;  Elmer,  at  home ;  John,  who  married  Mary 
Heath  and  resides  in  Allen  coimty;  Charles,  George  and  Arthur,  who  are 
^ho  under  the  parental  roof.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Slack  is  a  Re- 
publican and  is  a  wide-awake  and  progessive  citizen,  interested  in  all  that 
effects  the  progress  and  prosperity  of  his  township,  county,  state  and 
nation.  He  is  a  very  energetic  farmer,  reliable  in  all  business  transactions. 
With  the  exception  of  a  small  amount  of  money  which  his  wife  inherited 
from  her  father  he  has  made  through  his  own.  efforts  all  that  he  now  pos- 
sesses. Instead  of  being  content  with  conditions  as  they  are,  he  is  always 
seeking  to  improve  his  farm  and  his  progressive  methods  and  untiring  labor 
have  made  his  place  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  desirable  in  the 
country. 


HARVEY  W.  FERREE. 

The  qualities  of  character  which  command  respect  and  esteem  were 
strong  within  Harvey  W.  Ferree  and  therefore  his  death  was  the  occa- 


WOODSON  COUNTIE!!,  KANSAS.  •  693 

sion  of  deep  regret  in  the  community  in  Avhich  he  lived.  He  became  a  resi- 
dent of  "Woodson  county  in  1879,  locating  first  on  a  farm  six  miles  east  of 
Yates  Center  but  after  six  months  he  took  up  his  abode  in  the  same  town- 
ship, southeast  of  the  county  seat,  on  section  three,  township  twenty-six, 
range  sixteen.  He  came  to  Kansas  for  the  purpose  of  securing  cheap  land 
and  thus  more  readily  obtaining  a  good  home,  making  his  way  to  this  state 
from  Adams  county,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Feerree  was  born  in  Richfield  township,  that  county,  December  7, 
1854,  and  Avas  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  G.  Ferree  who  in  early  life  was  a 
farmer  but  afterward  became  a  minister.  He  went  to  Illinois  at  an  early 
day  and  spent  his  active  life  in  Adams  and  Pike  counties.  For  three 
years  he  was  in  the  Union  army  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  as  captain 
and  chaplain  in  a  regiment  of  Missouri  volunteers.  He  died  in  1898,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  He  was  descended  from  an  old  Pennsylvania 
family  of  French  lineage.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage, M-as  Almira  Cleveland  and  was  a  representative  of  a  New  York 
family.  Her  children  were  Harvey  W.  and  Wesley  Lincoln,  the  latter  a 
resident  of  Bureau  county,  Illinois. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  our  subject  we  note  that  he 
spent  his  early  life  upon  the  home  farm  and  pursued  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  with  later  opportunities  for  preparing  for  business  life  as 
a  student  in  the  Gem  City  Business '  College,  of  Quincy,  Illinois.  After 
li'aving  that  institution  he  entered  the  serivce  of  the  Wabash  Railroad 
Company  as  relief  man  and  afterward  secured  a  position  with  the  firm  of 
Jansren  &  Company,  of  Quincy,  Illinois,  with  whom  he  remained  for  a 
year.  He  was  afterward  in  a  partnership  for  a  brief  period,  and  in  1879 
he  came  to  Kansas,  devoting  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1884,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Humboldt  and  became  bookkeeper 
for  Harry  Bragg,  the  well  known  hardware  merchant,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained in  that  important  capacity  until  his  death. 

On  the  28th.  of  February,  1876,  Mr.  Ferree  was  united  in  marriage, 
ill  Quincy,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Josie  Hughes,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  David  W. 
Hughes,  a  native  of  Ohio,  now  residing  in  Vandalia,  Missouri.  He  wedded 
Mary  E.  Easterday  and  Mrs.  Ferree  is  their  only  child.  She  was  born 
December  23,  1850,  and  by  her  marriage  became  the  mother  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Marvin  E.,  born  December  31.  1877;  George  W.,  who 
was  born  January  31,  1880,  and  wedded  Mary  Beckett;  Margaret,  born 
June  15,  1882 ;  Mary  A.,  born  October  30,  1884 ;  Leon  J.,  born  September 
29.  1887 ;  Ray  and  May,  born  May  1,  1890,  and  David  H.,  born  August  5, 
1892. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Ferree  was  a  Republican  but  took  no 
part  in  political  work,  aside  from  voting  for  the  candidates  of  his  choice, 
his  time  being  fully  occupied  with  his  business  affairs.  His  reliability,  and 
his  fathfulness  in  every  walk  of  public  and  private  life  won  him  the  friend- 
ship of  many,  the  regard  of  all,  and  his  death,  which  occurred  November 
28,  1895,  was  deeply  and  widely  mourned. 


694  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

JOHN  LIGHT. 

JOHN  LIGHT,  who  is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Woodson 
county  and  is  one  of  the  honorable  patriots  of  the  Civil  war,  was  born 
iii  Germany,  June  5,  1832.  His  father,  John  Light,  was  also  a  native  of 
that  country  and  there  married  Lizzie  Aleidendal,  who  died  in  Germany 
in  1861  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  The  father  crossed  the  Atlantic 
in  1862,  locating  first  in  Chicago  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years.  He  has  two  sons  and  one  daughter  living:  Prederika,  who  makes 
her  home  in  Cook  county,  Wilhelm  and  John,  of  this  review. 

The  last  named  resided  in  the  fatherland  until  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
acquired  his  education  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  his  country.  Be- 
lieving that  the  New  World  would  furnish  better  opportunities  to  a  young 
man  impatient  for  advancement,  he  then  crossed  the  briny  aeep  in  the  fall 
of  1855,  locating  in  Chicago.  Soon  afterward  he  secured  a  situation  as  a 
larm  hand  and  was  thus  employed  in  Illinois  for  two  years.  In  1857  he 
came  with  Godfrey  Weide  to  Kansas  and  through  the  succeeding  year  re- 
sided near  Leroy,  in  Coffey  county.  In  1858  he  came  to  Woodson  county 
\vith  ten  dollars  and  purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  on 
Turkey  creek.  Here  he  has  made  his  home  continuously  for  forty-two 
years,  and  in  connection  with  farming,  is  engaged  extensively  in  the  rais- 
ing of  sheep  and  cattle.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  however,  he  put 
aside  all  personal  considerations  to  aid  his  country  in  the  struggle  to 
preserve  the  union,  joining  company  G,  of  the  Fifth  Kansas  volunteer  cav- 
alry. He  remained  at  the  front  as  a  loyal  soldier  for  three  years  and  two 
months,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Helena,  Pine  Bluii.  and  Little 
Rock,  together  with  many  other  engagements  of  lesser  importance.  He 
then  received  an  honorable  dieeharge  at  Leavenworth  in  1864  and  returned 
tc  his  home  in  Woodson  county. 

Mr.  Light  kept  bachelor's  hall  till  1871,  at  which  time  he  was  married 
tu  Miss  Minnie  Miller,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  America  in  1867 
ai;d  resided  in  Iowa  until  1870,  when  she  came  to  Woodson  county.  Her 
death  occurred  in  1877,  and  a  husband  and  three  children  were  left  to 
mourn  her  loss ;  the  latter  being,  Ed,  Bertha  and  Willie  Light.  For  seven 
years  subsequently  to  his  wife's  death,  Mr.  Light  remained  unmarried,  but 
iL  1884  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Elizabeth  Klinkinburg,  a  native  of  Ger- 
njany,  who  came  to  America  in  1882  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Kan- 
sas.    They  now  have  two  children,  namely:     Emil  and  ±i'rederick. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Light  is  a  Republican  and  has  tilled 
the  office  of  treasurer  of  his  township.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  the  suc- 
cess of  the  party,  but  has  never  aspired  to  official  honors  and  emoluments, 
content  to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business  affairs  in  which  he 
has  met  with  signal  success.  He  is  familiar  with  the  history  of  Kansas 
from  its  territorial  days;  has  lived  through  the  periods  of  hard  times 
—the  drouth  of  1860 ;  the  period  of  the  Civil  war,  and  through  the  grass- 
hopper scourge  from  1868  until  1873,  but  with  marked  perfeverence  he 


WOOOSON    COtlN'TIES,  KANSAS.  695 

Sias  continued  his  labors  and  success  has  crowned  his  efforts.  As  one  of  the 
■tonorable  pioneers  and  leading  farmers  of  Woodson  county,  he  certainly 
-■JeEerves  mention  in  this  volume. 


:p^red  h.  conger,. 

Nature  has  .provided  bountifully  in  all  sections  of  the  Country  op- 
.portunities  for  the  acquirement  of  Avealth  by  men  who  have  the  deter- 
mination and  -energy  to  labor  with  determined  purpose.  Kansas  is  pre- 
<<;minently  an  agricultural  state ;  its  broad  prairies  afford  excellent  oppor- 
tunity, the  rifih  land  serving  as  fields  and  meadows  while  the  verdant  pas- 
tures make  stock-raising  a  protitaMe  industry.  It  is  along  the  latter  line 
.particularly  that  Mr.  Conger  has  won  his  prosperity.  He  is  one  of  the 
Itading  stock- raisers  in  southeastern  Kansas  and  his  herd  of  shorthorn  cat- 
tle is  unsurpassed. 

Mr.  Conger  was  born  in  Gaksburg.  Knox  county,  Illinois,  on  the  1st 
'•oi'  April,  1859,  a  son  of  Laurin  C.  and  Amanda  (Hasbrook)  Conger,  both 
natives  of  New  York.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  and 
tumdled  large  herds  oi  «attle.  In  an  early  day  he  removed  to  Galesburg, 
Illinois,  becoming  one  of  its  early  settlrrs,  and  he  witnessed  its  development 
from  a  mere  hamlet  to  a  thriving  and  prosperous  city  of  large  dimensions. 
In  the  spring  of  1875  he  went  to  Carroll  county.  Missouri,  and  was  engaged 
IT'  the  stock  business  in  that  state  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1893, 
Y'hen  he  was  seventy-three  years  of  age.  His  wife  passed  away  in  1889,  at 
tiie  age  of  sixty-five.  They  left  two  sons,  one  of  whom  is  Seth  B.  Conger, 
now  of  Galesburg.  Illinois. 

Fred  H.  Conger  pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and 
c(  mple'-ed  it  bj'  his  graduation  in  Avalon  College,  in  Livingston  County, 
Missouri.  He  was  reared  to  farm  life  and  assisted  in  the  labors  of  field  and 
meadow  on  his  father's  farm  until  his  marriage,  in  1882.  In  the  fall 
of  1883  he  removed  to  Chillicothe.  Mo.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  dry  goods 
business  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Stevens,  Conger  &  Butts,  the  connection 
being  maintained  for  ten  years— an  era  of  prosperity  in  his  business  career. 
Wishing,  however,  to  seek  a  new  location  and  enjoy  the  sunny  clime  of 
the  Pacific  slope  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  store  and  removed  to  Los 
Angeles,  Cal.,  where  he  condiicted  a  fruit  farm  and  carried  on  business 
lis  a  dealer  in  buggies.  He  was  there  located  for  two  and  a  half  years,  on 
the  expiration  of  which  period  he  disposed  of  his  property  and  being  con- 
vinced of  the  superiority  of  Kansas  over  many  other  portions  of  the 
country  he  came  to  Woodson  County  in  1895,  settling  in  Yates  Center, 
v/here  he  has  one  of  the  most  delightful  residences  in  the  city.  It  is  well 
located  in  the  central  portion  of  the  town  and  is  a  very  attractive  home. 
Mr.  Conger  has  also  purchased  a  large  ranch  of  eleven  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,   four  miles,  northwest   of  Yates   Center,   oh   Owl   Creek,   where  he 


hdiidles  a  large  number  of  cattle  annually,  only  shipping  such  stock  as  He 
has  himself  fed.  He  also  has  a  very  valuable  herd  of  registered  Short 
Horn  cattle,  equal  to  any  to  be  found  in  the  Sunflower  state.  He  has  greatly 
improved  his  ranch  by  iW  election  of  large  and  substantial  buildings  and 
rn.w  has  one  of  the  best  tquipped  ranches  in  the  county.  Afier  his  mar- 
riage, when  he  embarked  i&  the  dry  goods  business  he  had  only  a  limited- 
capital,  but  in  commercial  .lines  he  laid  the  foundation  for  his  present  pros- 
perity, which  has  come  to  him  with  the  passing  years  as  the  reward  of  his 
eiiterjirise,  unflagging  industry  and  straight-forward  business  methods. 
He  now  has  extensive  realty  possessions  in  V\'oodson  County  and  is  ranked^ 
smong  the  men  of  aff'luencf  in  this  part  of  tbe  state. 

On  the  2(Jth  of  December,  1882,  ^Ir.  Conger  was  united  in  marriage 
ic  jMiss  Anna  t^unby,  of  Chillicothe,  ]Mo..  a  daughter  of  W.  E  and  Susan- 
V.  Gunby.  of  that  city.  They  have  but  two  children,  Marguerite  and 
Lauren,  both  of  wiiom  are  students  in  the  schools  of  Yates  Center.  The- 
(  onger  household  is  noted  for  its  pleasing  social  functions,  and  our  sub- 
icct  and  his  wife  occupy  a  very  enviable  position  in-  social-  circles.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican. - 


GEORGE  H.  XOTEMAN. 

Among  the  prosperous  farmers  and  stoek  raisers  of  Everett  township,^ 
Woodson  County  is  numbered,  George  H.  Noteman,  who  has  been  the  ar- 
chitect of  his  own  fortunes  and  has  builded  a  substantial  structure. 
Thrown  upon  his  own  re;  ources  at  an  early  age',  resolution,  perseverance- 
and  above  all  earnest  labor  have  enabled  hiin  to  conquer  fate  and  advance 
steadily  to  the  plane  of  affluence.  Born  in  Otsegff  County,  New  York,  ok 
the  27th  of  June,  1830,  he  is  a  son  of  (^Jeorge  and  Mary  (Adams)  Noteman, 
both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state.  The  father  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and  the  mother  passed  away  when  eighty- 
eight  years  of  age.  They  had  three  children,  of  whom  two  are  now  living  r 
Thomas  C,  a  resident  of  Illinois  and  George  H. 

The  latter  remained  in  Xcav  York  until  twelve  years  of  age  and  thenf 
entered  the  employ  of  a  man  with  whom  he  went  to  Illinois  and  who  M'as  to 
pay  him  ten  dollars  per  month  in  compensation  for  his  services.  After  ten 
raonths.  however,  his  employer  turned  him  off  and  would  not  pay  him  a 
cent,  cheating  him  out  of  the  entire  amount.  On  foot  he  then  started  back 
to  New  York.  He  was  arrayed  in  a  pair  of  trousers,  a  shirt,  sealskin  cap  and 
a  heavy  pair  of  boots,  and  the  time  was  the  month  of  August,  1859.  On 
the  way  he  was  taken  ill  with  chills,  but  he  pressed  on  though  foot-sore 
a;-id  weary,  walking  the  entire  distance  back  to  his  old  home. 

Mr.  Noteman  then  continued  in  the  east  until  1860,  when  he  went 
to  Wisconsin,  and  the  following  year  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
E-  L.  Burdick,  a  native  of  New  York.    He  lived  in  the  Badger  state  for 


"VOdDSON    COTNTIES,  KANSAS.  697 

tt\VD  years  and  about  that  time  entered  the  servi-ce  of  his  country.  Feeling 
p,  his  duty  to  support  the  T^Jnion  cause,  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  of  tlie 
'Twenty-third  Illinois  Infantry  and  remained  at  the  front  for  two  years, 
-displaying  his  bravery  on  a  number  of  the  fields  of  carnage.  On  leaving 
Ills  Wisconsin  home  he  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  forty  acres  of 
"land,  whi-eh  he  operated  for  five  years,  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Illinois. 
The  year  1874  witnefsed  his  arrival  in  Kansas.  He  first  settled  in  Ottawa, 
iut  after  five  years  he  returned  to  Illinois,  remaining  upon  his  father's 
farm  for  fifteen  years. 

Again  Mr.  Noteman  came  to  Kansas  m  1895,  and  this  time  he  located 
ill  Wo6dson  County,  purchasing  two  hundred  and  for1y  acres  of  rich  farm- 
ing land  which  he  at  once  began  to  operate.  In  connection  with  the  raising 
>of  cereals  lie  bas  also  followed  stock  raising,  his  place  being  well  adapted 
for  this.  He  began  with  some  good  grades  of  Herefords,  Short  Horn  and 
Durham  cattle  au'd  now  lias  as  fine  a  herd  as  can  be  found  In  Southeastern 
Kansas.  His  stock  is  always  in  good  condition,  fat  and  ready  for  the 
"market  and  always  commands  good  prices.  There  is  a  small  creek  running 
through  his  place  on  the  north  and  west  of  his  barn  and  feed  lots,  and  a 
^rove  alfo  afi'ords  shelter  for  his  stock.  Tlie  farm  is  pleasantly  located  two 
"miles  weft  of  Neosho  Falls  on  the  east  line  of  Everett  township,  and 
through  the  labors  and  improvements  of  Mr.  Noteman  has  liecome  a  very 
valuable  property  . 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  horn  four  children,  of  whom 
three  sons  are  now  living :  Charles  P.,  who  resides  upon  a  farm  near  his 
"father,  o"wais  farm  of  160,  acres ;  George  C.  who  is  connected  with  the 
Tjusiness  of  manufacturing  and  handling  steel  wire  in  Cleveland,  0. ;  and 
"Norman  L.,  who  is  now  located  in  Detroit,  Michigan.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Noteman  is  a  Eepublican.  He  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the 
■•(lay.  but  lias  never  Ijeen  an  aspirant  for  political  office,  as  his  attention  is 
fully  occupied  by  his  biisiness  affairs,  whereby  he  has  demonstrated  the 
"power  of  Integrity  and  industry  in  acquiring  prosperity. 


OEORGE  HILL. 

Wealth  does  not  always  command  respect  for  its  possessor  for  the 
American  people  are  very  apt  to  take  into  consideration  the  manner  in 
"which  the  fortune  has  been  won  and  to  pass  judgment  upon  the  business 
Methods  whicli  have  been  followed  in  the  acquirement  of  success.  The 
Teeord  of  George  Hill,  liowever,  is  one  which  will  bear  the  closest  inves- 
tigation, and  in  Southeastern  Kansas  no  man  is  more  worthy  of  eon- 
'fidence  and  esteem  than  tlie  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  re- 
"view  as  his  career  has  ever  been  in  harmony  with  the  strictest  ethics 
K)l'  industrial  and  commercial  life.  He  came  to  this  portion  of  the  state 
in   1869,  from  Dane   County,  Wisconsin,   where  he  had  resided  for  ten 


6yS  UiSTORV   OF    .iLLEN    A^iTy 

vcars.  He  went  to  the  Badger  state  with  his  father,  Johc  Hill,  from 
Norfolk,  England,  wheie  lie  was  borjj.  May  19,  1843.  The  father  died 
m  Dane  Conniy,  in  1899.  at  the  age  of  eighty-thiee  years.  His  wife,  who- 
bote  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Cooper,  passed  away  many  years  previous^ 
leaving  three  children,  of  whom  two  are  yet  living— G.  and  Annie,  the- 
latter  the  wife  of  John  Barber,  of  Denver,  Col. 

George  Hill  was  a  litJe  lad  at  the  time  the  ocean  voyage  was  made- 
tl'at  brought  the  family  to  the  new  world.  This  was  in  1854,  and  from 
tl.at  time  until  the  inaiiguration  of  the  Civil  war  he  remained  in  Dane 
C(unty.  Aroused  by  the  attempt  of  the  J-'outh  to  overthrow  the 'Union, 
he  offered  his,  services  to  the  government  and  enlisted  as  a  member  of 
Company  G,  Second  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry  as  a  private.  His 
regiment  formed  part  of  the  famous  "Iron  Brigade,"  composed  of  a 
-Michigan  and  an  Indiana  Regiment,  in  addition  to  the  Second  and  Third 
AVisconsin  regiments.  j\Ir.  Hill  participated  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull 
Run,  July  21,  1861,  and  was  there  wounded,  his  injuries  neeessita.ling  his 
retirement  from  active  service  for  a  short  time.  He  was  not  again  with 
hip  regiment' until  the  spring  of  1862,  when  McClellan  began  his  advance 
asrainst  Richmond.  Mr.  Hill  was  also  wounded  in  the  second  battle  of 
Full  Run  and  later  was  wounded  in  the  first  day  of  the  engagement  at 
''ettysburg.  He  was  in  some  of  the  preliminary  fightin;;  leading  up  tO' 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  and  then  after  three  years  of  faithful 
'service,  was  mustered  out  with  his  regiment  in  1864. 

Opon  returning  to  the  North  Mr.  Hill  began  work  at  the  carpenter's 
trade.  In  1867  he  went  to  Topeka,  Kas.,  and  in  1869  came  South  to- 
Woodson  Count}'.  He  soon  afterward  secured  a  claim  in  Woodson 
County,  upon  which  he  resided  some  years,  when  he  located  upon  sec- 
tion twenty-nine,  Belmont  township,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
His  landed  possessions  now  aggregate  twelve  hundred  acres  of  land. 
When  he  came  to  this  portion  of  the  state  his  cash  capital  was  only  seven 
dollars  and  a  half,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  work  of 
fdrming  and  also  extended  the  field  of  his  labors  by  raising  and  dealing- 
in  stock.  In  both  branches  of  his  business  he  has  prospered,  and  his 
business  methods  have  ever  been  most  straight-forward  and  honorable. 
His  stock  dealings  have  been  very  extensive,  and  he  is  now  numbered 
among  the  leading  stockmen  and  agriculturists  in  this  part  of  the  Sun- 
flower state. 

On  the  9th  of  June,  1872,  in  Wilson  County,  Mr.  Hill  was  joined  in 
v.edlock  to  Miss  Lieu  Rhodes,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Rhodes,  who  came 
to  Kansas  from  Illinois.  Their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Sadie,  now  the  wife  of  Stanford  Eagle;  John,  who 
n,arried  Effie  Rowten:  Bei:sie,  wife  of  Silas  Lance;  Ina  and  George,  who 
are  yet  at  home.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Hill  is  a  Republican  and  has 
served  as  trustee  of  Belmont  township,  but  official  honors  have  had  little 
a1  traction  to  him,  his  time  being  largely  occupied  with  his  business  in- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  699 

tcrests,  in  which  capable  management  and  persistency  of  purpose  have 
played  an  important  part,  enabling  him  to  advance  steadily  upward  until 
he  stands  on  a  commanding  position  on  the  heights  of  aifluenee. 


OLIVER  EASLEY. 

More  than  a  third  of  a  century  has  passed  since  Oliver  Basley  came 
to  Woodson  County,  entering  a  tract  of  land  from  the  government  in  Owl 
Creek  townshp.  He  now  resides  in  Belmont  township  and  as  the  result 
of  his  long  years  of  identification  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  this 
part  of  the  state  he  is  the  possessor  of  a  valuable  and  highly  improved 
tract  of  land. 

Mr.  Easley  has  always  resided  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  the 
enterprising  spirit  which  has  promoted  the  rapid  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  country  has  been  manifest  in  his  business 
career.  He  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  Illinois,  April  15,  1839,  and  is 
;i  son  of  Isaac  Easley.  a  millwright  by  trade,  who  settled  in  Illinois 
rcany  years  before  the  birth  of  our  subject,  having  gone  to  that  state  from 
Preeport,  0.  His  birth  occurred,  however,  in  Virginia.  Becoming  a 
pioneer  settler  of  Illinois,  he  there  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death 
occurring  in  lulton  County  about  1860,  when  he  was  fifty-five  years  of 
age.  He  was  one  of  four  brothers,  the  others  being  John,  Thomas  and 
Siephen,  and  all  resided  in  Fulton  County,  at  Ipava,  a  place  which  was 
formerly  known  as  Easleytown.  Isaac  Easley  was  joined  in  wedlock  to 
Miss  Mary  Norris,  who  died  at  a  comparatively  early  age.  In  the 
family  were  ten  children,  and  those  who  reached  mature  years  and 
reared  families  of  their  own  were :  Albert ;  Oscar,  now  deceased ;  Eliza, 
who  married  William  Knock;  Edith,  deceased  wife  of  Isaac  McCarty; 
fJrs.  Mary  A.  Dougherty,  and  Frank,  of  Woodson   County. 

The  home  farm  was  the  scene  of  the  labors  and  joys  of  Oliver 
Easley  in  his  youth.  His  educational  privileges  were  somewhat  limited, 
but  his  training  in  the  work  of  the  fields  was  not  meager.  After  reach- 
ing man's  estate  he  married  Miss  Emma  E.  Stafford,  the  wedding  being 
celebrated  on  the  20th  of  September,  1860.  The  lady  is  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Stafl:ord,  who  removed  to  Illinois,  from  Providence,  Rhode 
Island,  and  had  four  children ;  Eliza,  deceased  wife  of  Samuel  Larkin ; 
Oebrge,  a  resident  of  Quincy,  Illinois;  William,  who  is  living  in  Ver- 
mont, Illinois,  and  Mrs.  Easley. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  coi\tinued  to  reside  in  the  Prairie  state 
until  1865,  when  they  came  to  Kansas,  locating  first  in  Bourbon  County, 
where  they  remained  for  a  year  and  then  removed  to  Vernon  County.  Mo., 
when,  in  1867,  they  came  to  Woodson  County.  Kansas.  In  1875  Mr. 
Easley  located  on  West  Buffalo  creek,  owning  land  on  sections  twenty- 
eight  and  thirty-three,  township  twenty-six,  range  fifteen.     His  farming 


yOO  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

interests  are  profitably  eondiieted  and  his  place,  neat  and  thrift}'  in  ap- 
pearance, indicates  the  supervision  of  a  careful  and  progressive  owner. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Easley  was  blessed  with  seven  children: 
Chester,  who  married  Linnie  Cowan  and  is  living  in  \Vilson  County, 
Kansas;  Annie,  wife  of  Frank  Powell,  also  of  Wilson  County;  Osro, 
of  the  same  county,  who  married  Annie  Surprise ;  Clarence ;  Wil- 
liam, of  Topeka,  Kas.,  who  married  Selecta  Dick;  Sarah,  wife  of  Frank 
Thorn,  of  Liberal,  Kas.,  and  Ethel,  who  completes  the  family.  The 
members  of  the  household  have  uniformly  commanded  the  respect  of 
those  with  M'hom  they  have  come  in  contact  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Easley 
enjoy  the  warm  friendship  of  their  neighbors  and  of  a  large  circle  of 
acquaintances.  In  early  days  the  Easleys  were  AYhigs  and  when  that 
party  passed  out  of  existence  and  the  new  Republican  party  was  formed 
they  became  supporters  of  that  organization.  Oliver  Easley  has  by  his 
ballot  indicated  the  same  political  preference,  and  while  he  is  not  an 
active  politician  or  an  ofiRce  seeker,  he  never  fails  to  attend  the  elec- 
tions and  thus  siipport  his  political  principles  and  the  men  who  represent 
them.  He  has  eontriouted  in  a  quiet  but  effective  way  to  the  general 
progress  and  upbuilding  of  Woodson  County  during  the  thirty-four 
years  of  his  residence  here  and  is  one  of  its  worthy  citizens. 


JOHN  C.  CULVER. 

Among  the  strong  earnest  men  whose  depth  of  character  and  fidelity 
to  duty  win  the  respect  and  awaken  the  admiration  of  all  with  whom 
they  come  in  contact  is  numbered  John  C.  Culver,  the  capable,  efficient 
and  trustworthy  treasurer  of  AVoodson  County.  As  a  citizen  he  has  borne 
himself  above  reproach  and  as  a  friend  and  neighbor  he  enjoys  the  good 
will  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  is  associated. 

Mr.  Culver  was  born  September  27,  1860,  his  parents  being  Charles 
and  Bertha  (Van  Loon)  Culver.  The  father  was  born  in  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania,  in  the  year  1815,  and  was  reared  in  the  Empire  state, 
A'.-here  he  was  married  prior  to  his  emigration  westward.  On  leaving 
New  York  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Porter  County,  Indiana,  and  was  a 
resident  of  Valparaiso  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  and  the  suc- 
ceeding year  located  in  Woodson  County,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
davs,  his  death  occurring  in  Perry  township  in  1893.  In  his  family  were 
ten  children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely :  Mrs.  Amanda  E.  Wass. 
of  Tates  Center;  Elijah  C,  of  Boone,  la.,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
war;  Mrs.  Nettie  T.  Green,  of  Wichita,  Kas.;  George  B.,  who  is  living 
in  Chanute,  this  state;  J.  Grant,  whose  home  is  in  Atchison,  Kas.;  Mrs. 
Sarah  Stradley,  of  Des  Moines,  la. ;  Mrs.  Jennie  Holt,  of  Woodson  County; 
Mrs.  Mary  Berry,  of  INIinneapolis,  Minn.;  John  C.  and  Willard  A.,  who 
are  residents  of  Woodson  County. 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  7OI 

John  C.  Culver  was  only  twelve  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  and  their  family  to  Woodson  County.  His  early  educational 
privileges  were  supplemented  by  study  in  this  locality  ,and  in  the  State 
Normal  school  at  Emporia,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  188:i 
Through  tlie  succeeding  decade  he  was  identified  with  the  educational  in- 
terests of  the  county,  and  his  successful  work  as  a  teacher  was  folloM'ed 
by  one  term's  service  as  county  superintendent.  For  seven  years  he 
was  cashier  and  bookkeeper  in  the  Yates  Center  bank  and  through  that 
business  connection  exteaded  his  acquaintance,  making  many  friends  by 
his  uniform  courtesy  to  the  patrons  of  the  institution.  He  is  now  ex- 
tensively interested  in  fanning  and  stock  raising,  being  the  owner  of  a 
valuable  tract  of  land  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  twelve  miles  south- 
east of  Yates  Center.  In  1897  he  was  elected  treasurer  of  Woodson 
County  and  filled  the  office  so  acceptably  that  he  was  re-elected  for  a 
second  term  in  1889.  To  fill  the  position  one  must  have  strong  business 
ability,  clerical  accuracy  and  withal  must  be  a  man  of  unquestioned 
iLtegrity.  In  all  of  these  particulars  Mr.  Culver  is  M-ell  qualified  for 
the  office  which  he  is  now  so  acceptably  filling. 

In  1885  Mr.  Culver  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Cora  JcAvett, 
\"ho  gave  him  one  son,  Carl.  In  May,  1895,  he  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Belle  Tacket,  daughter  of  Mrs.  H.  Waymire,  of 
Yates  Center.  They,  too,  have  one  son,  Herbert  M.  Mr.  C.  is  justly 
proud  of  his  two  sons.  Mr.  Culver  is  a  man  of  genuine  worth,  entirely 
free  from  ostentation  or  display.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
order,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  the  Eed  Men,  and  is  an  ex- 
emplary representative  of  those  organizations  which  are  based  upon 
beneficence  and  the  brotherhood  of  man.  His  political  support  is  given  the 
Republican  party,  ubt  when  a  candidate  for  office  he  received  a  vote  far  in 
excess  of  his  party's,  strength  for  men  of  different  political  faith  de- 
p<  sited  their  ballots  for  John  C.  Culver,  having  faith  in  his  unimpeachable 
biL.'iness  methods.  His  name  stands  as  a  synonym  for  fidelity  to  duty  as 
no  trust  reposed  in  him  has  ever  been  uetrayed. 


HAKRISON  C.  ROLLINS. 

HARRISON  C.  ROLLINS,  who  is  engaged  in  the  loan  business  in 
Yates  Center,  Kas.,  is  a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  spent  his  early  boyhood 
under  the  parental  roof  until  his  removal  to  Kansas  whither  he  came  in 
1882.  For  three  years  he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  Wyandotte 
County  and  made  some  money  in  the  venture.  In  1886,  however,  be 
removed  to  Yates  Center  and  entered  into  relations  with  J.  C.  Gray  in 
the  real  estate  and  loan  business,  this  connection  being  maintained  until 
1887  when  he  succeeded  Mr.  Gray  in  the  business,  and  has  since  car- 
r]ed  on  operations  along  that  line  alone.     He  has  won  a  profitable  busi- 


702  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

iicss,  and  is  ever  found  reliable  and  trustworthy  in  all  transactions.  His 
political  support  is  given  the  Democracy.  In  189.3  he  was  appointed  by 
Grover  Cleveland  to  the  position  of  postmaster  at  Yates  Center  in  which 
capacity  he  capably  served  for  four  years,  since  which  time  his  attention 
has  been  closely  devoted  to  his  business  affairs  in  which  he  is  meeting  with 
good  succe^R. 


HENRY  CLA\  HURT. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  Henry  C.  Hurt  was  born  in  Menard  County, 
February  28,  1842,  a  son  of  John  M.  Hurt,  a  pioneer  of  Sangamon 
County,  Illinois.     The  latter  was  born  in  Carter  County,  Kentucky,  and 

v.as  a  son   of Hurt,   also   the   father  of  ex-treasurer   R.   A. 

Hurt,  of  "Woodson  County,  Kansas.  He  removed  from  Warren  County, 
Kentucky,  to  Illinois,  taking  up  his  abode  near  Springfield.  A  lawyer 
by  profession,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  after  his  marriage,  and  on  the 
day  of  his  admission  he  had  twelve  cases  for  trial.  No  dreary  novitiate 
awaited  him.  From  the  beginning  he  was  successful,  and  in  the  early 
days  in  Illinois  was  the  associate  of  such  distinguished  juristF  Rnd  states- 
men as  Governor  Richard  Yates,  Sr.,  William  Herrington,  William  Butler, 
Colonel  Williams  and  Abraham  Lincoln,  all  then  practitioners  in  the 
courts  of  Illinois;  Mr.  Hiirt  became  quite  prominent  in  political  affairs 
in  Menard  County  and  for  many  years  was  almost  continuously  in  office. 
He  served  through  a  long  period  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  was  also 
county  sheriff.  During  the  Civil  war  he  was  a  strong  supporter  of  the 
I'nion  cause  and  his  first  experience  with  army  life  came  in  1862  when 
with  Governor  Yates  and  others  he  went  to  Fort  Donelson  to  assist  the 
v.'ounded  after  the  battle  at  that  place.  This  experience  and  the  scenes 
upon  the  battlefield  so  aroused  his  patriotism  that  he  returned  to  lUino" 
ai  d  raised  a  company  for  service  which  was  mustered  in  as  Company  K. 
One  Hundred  and  Sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  elected 
i):ajor  of  the  regiment  and  was  afterward  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
colonel.  The  One  Hundred  and  Sixth  formed  a  part  of  General  Steele's 
army,  with  which  Colonel  Hurt  was  in  active  duty  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  just  as  the  army  was  going  into  winter  quarters  at  Pine 
Bluff,  Ark.  Thus  he  gave  his  life  in  defense  of  the  Union,  of  which  he 
was  a  most  zealous  and  loyal  advocate.  In  his  early  political  convic- 
tions he  was  a  Whig  and  aftervi-ard  joined  the  Know  Nothing  party. 
T.hen  the  Republican  party  was  formed  to  prevent  the  further  extension  of 
flavery  he  joined  its  ranks 

Colonel  Hurt  was  united  in  marriage  to  Margaret  Boyd,  wh.o  was 
bcrn  in  Baltimore  County,  Maryland,  and  died  in  Illinois  in  1900,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Boyd,  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  Menard  County,  Hlinois,  and  by  her  marriage  she 


TvOOJDSON    COUN'rlHS,    KANSAS. 


/'J.i 


"bicame  the  mother  of  nine  children:  Henry  C,  of  this  review;  Mary, 
"wife  of  E.  F.  Glascock,  of  Menard  County;  William,  of  Kingfisher,  Okla- 
homa; Anna,  wife  of  Thomas  Tirnier,  of  Emporia.  Kansas;  Charles,  whr. 
is  living  in  Omaha,  Nehraska;  David  and  George,  who  are  living  in 
3Menard  County,  Illinois;  liaura,  wife  of  William  Turner,  also  of  that 
<'ounty,  -and  Joseph,  who  makes  his  hom'e  in  Menard  County. 

Mr  Hurt,  the  well  kncma  agriculturist  of  Center  township,  Wood- 
son County,  was  horn  in  Athens,  Illinois,  and  in  his  hoyhood  and  youth  his 
time  was  quite  equally  divided  hetween  the  farm  and  town  life,  the 
'family  living  in  Athens  and  Petersburg  at  different  tinjer.  He  acquired 
a  fair  English  education  and  in  his  youth  worked  upon  the  home  farm 
'.so  that  practical  experience  well  fitted  him  for  similar  duties  in  later 
years.  He  was  married  September  15,  1863,  to  Caroline  Eankin,  a 
•daughter  of  W.  L.  Eankin,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  became  a  cattle- 
man and  farmer  of  Illinois.  He  wedded  Mary  Ellen  Sudduth.  who  dird 
ID  1857,  leaving  four  children:  Thomas  J.,  of  Nebraska;  Benjamin,  whr^ 
■died  at  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  vs-hile  serving  in  the  Union  army  during 
the  Civil  war;  Lee.  of  NorthA\'e£tern  Iowa,  and  Mrs.  Hurt,  who  was 
horn  November  14,  1844.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hurt  have  but  two  children, 
John  M.,  who  was  born  October  16,  1865,  married  Cora  Walker  and  nov 
resides  on  the  old  homestead,  and  William  is  living  in  Terre  Haii''. 
Indiana. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Hurt  remained  in  Illinois  until  1872,  when  '■ 
removed   with   hi«   family   to   Page   County,    la.,    and   in    1880   he    0="' 
to  Woodson   County,   where   he  engaged  in   the  land  business   for   foul- 
years.     He  purchased   a  tract   of  land   on   section   twenty-six,    townr'    . 
twenty-five,  range  fifteen,  where  he  now  owns  three  hundred  and  twe-'  , 
acres  of  land,  and  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  he  now  devotes  his  ti- 
and   attention  with   excellent   success.     He   likewise   handles   cattle, 
his   business   is    annually  bringing   to  him    good    returns— the   sure    re- 
v:ard  of  earnest  labor.     The  political  situation  of  the  conntry  is  a  matter 
of  interest  to  him— as  it  should  be  to  every  true  American  citizen- and 
he  indicates  his  preference  by  voting  for  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Hepubliean  party,  which  he  has  supported  since  casting  his  first  presi- 
•dential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.     He  has  never  sought  office, 
however,  his  husiners  affairs  claiming  his  consideration  and  time. 


ALEXANDER  W.  MARKHAM. 

The  futility  of  effort  is  manifest  in  the  business  world.  It  is  said 
that  ninety-five  per  cent  of  the  men  in  business  meet  with  failure  and 
the  caufe  of  this  is  not  so  much  lack  of  industry  or  of  close  application 
as  of  sound  business  judgment.  When  labor  is  directed  by  keen  business 
riiscernment  it  never  fails  to  win  prosperity,  and  a  proof  of  this  is  founa  an 


704  H'iS'I'ORV    of    ALLfiN    aICjT 

the  life  record  of  Alexander  AY.  ^Markham,  who  came  to  this  county  in  T87i^" 
m  veiy  limited  ciieumstanees  but  is  to-day  numbered  among  the  men> 
tf   affluence   in  his   community. 

Mr.  ilarliham  removed  to  Kansas  from  Johnson  County,  ^lissouri,. 
\'here  he  was  born  January  8,  1842,  a  son  of  Charles  Alarkham.  His  pater- 
fial  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  his  grandmother  was  a  native 
ol  England,  and  on  coming  to  America  located  in  Aladison  County,  Ken- 
tucky. He  had  a  family  of  six  sons,  namely:  Hiram,  Tira,  John  T.,  Reu- 
btn,  Charles  and  Elijah.  The  first  two  remained  in  Kentueky  but  the 
others  removed  to  Johnson  County,  ^Missouri,  at  an  early  epoch  in  its- 
development.  Charles  ilarkham  was  born  in  the  Blue  Grass  state  about 
1822  and  was  a  life-long  farmer,  following  his  chosen  pursuit  ■with. 
good  success.  During  the  Civil  war  he  was  an  advocate  of  the  Union 
cause,  although  his  brothers  sympathized  with  the  South  and  some  of 
them  had  sons  in  the  Confederate  service.  His  death  occurred  in  Johnson 
C(  unty,  Missouri,  July  26,  1877.  In  early  manhood  he  married  Sarah 
Andrews,  who  died  in  the  spring  of  1900.  Their  children  are  Nancy 
J.,  who  is  the  widow  of  Thomas  Palmer  and  resides  in  Barry  County, 
Missouri ;  Alexander  W. ;  Henry,  of  Johnson  County,  Missotiri ;  George-, 
of  Barry  County,  that  state;  and  Robert  who  is  also  living  in  the 
same  county. 

Mr.  JMarkham  of  this  review  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the 
county  of  his  nativity  and  obtained  a  country  school  education.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1862,  he  entered  the  Union  army,  becoming  a  member  of  Battery 
L,  Second  Missoviri  Light  Artillery,  with  which  he  served  for  eighteen 
months,  spending  the  entire  time  in  his  native  state.  On  the  4th  of 
January,  1864,  he  again  offered  his  services  to  his  country  and  was  as- 
signed to  Battery  L,  Second  Missouri  Volunteers,  with  which  he  served 
in  Missouri  until  the  war  ended  ,when  the  company  was  sent  to  the 
Powder  River  country,  in  Montana,  in  order  to  fight  the  Indians.  There 
Mr.  jMarkham  remained  for  seven  months  when  the  order  came  to  be 
n.ustered  out,  having  been  a  member  of  the  army  for  four  years  and  six 
months. 

Upon  his  return  home  he  engaged  in  farming  but  was  afflicted 
with  rheumatism  for  a  year,  having  incurred  the  disease  while  in  the 
northwest  protecting  the  border  against  the  Red  men.  Hoping  that  his 
rheumatism  might  be  cured  in  a  warmer  climate  he  came  to  Southern 
Kansas  and  has  since  resided  in  Woodson  County.  He  arrived  on  the 
15th  of  April,  1872,  and  purchased  of  a  Mr.  Clark  a  claim  comprising 
the  north  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  twenty-two,  township 
twenty-five,  range  sixteen.  He  moved  his  family  into  a  small  log  cabin  in 
\<-hich  there  was  no  board  floor,  and  has  witnessed  all  the  changes'which 
have  occurred  in  the  county  during  more  than  twenty-eight  years.  He 
has  made  farming  his  life  work  and  his  diligence,  persistence  and  good 
i^anagement  have  made  him  the  owner  of  a  valuable  property. 


"vCOODSOTS'    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  705 

'Mr.  Mai'kham  was  married  in  Warrensburg,  Missouri,  March  27, 
1864,  to  Susan  AVade,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  J\I.  Wade,  one  of  the  first 
cottiers  of  Johnson  County,  Missouri,  who  came  from  Virginia.  He  w-edded 
3Viary  Tomblin,  formerly  of  Pennsylvania,  and  their  children  were :  Mrs. 
JWarkham,  who  M'as  born  October  24,  1845 ;  John,  deceased. ;  Joseph,  of 
•Johnson  County,  Missouri ;  Martha,  wife  of  Nicholas  Rogers,  of  Kansas 
City ;  Sarah  wife  of  William  Eaton,  of  Oklahoma ;  James,  of  Kansas 
'City,  Missouri.  The  father  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  and  laying 
cf  brick  and  did  much  of  the  early  hrick  work  in  AVarrensburg,  Missouri. 
He  died  in  1895,  at  th-e  age  of  eighty-one'  years.  The  marriage  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Markham  has  been  blessed  with  nine  children:  Charles,  who 
'died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years ;  James  B.,  who  passed  away  at  the 
'age  of  two  years ;  Mary  C,  wife  of  Walter  J.  Cox,  of  lola,  Kansas,  by 
whom  she  has  two  children :  Eva  and  Nona ;  William  L.,  of  Thomas, 
'Oklahoma;  John  K.,  Yates  Center,  Woodson  County:  George  K.,  who 
is  living  in  Allen  County :  Henry  E..  a  telegraph  operator  in  Wilson  County, 
Kansas;  Anna  and  Martha,  who  are  still  with  their  parents. 

On  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Markham  became  a  stalwart  sup- 
piTter  of  the  Eepuhlican  party  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  local 
leaders,  although  he  is  not  an  aspirant  for  office.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
hold  membership  in  the  Center  Ridge  Baptist  church,  in  which  he  is  hold- 
ing the  office  of  deacon.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  tie  work  of  the 
•church  and  is  a  Citizen  whose  devotion  to  the  piiblic  good  is  above  ques- 
tion and  who  has  ever  been  found  where  duty  and  obligation  have  called 
him,  whether  fighting  for  his  country  or  in  the  walks  of  business  and  pri- 
Tate  life. 

William  L.  Markham  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Leonard  by  whom 
.=ihe  has   twin  boys,   Freddie   and   Eddie. 

George  K.  Markham  was  ttiarri-ed  to  -Miss  Nellie  Kilby. 


HERMANN  PUHLHAGE. 

A  quiet  hut  steadfast  persistence  marks  the  German  race  and  has  been 
■Ji  potent  element  in  winning  success  for  its  representatives.  This  na- 
tional trait  is  manifest  in  the  career  of  Hermann  Fuhlhage,  now  a  well 
known  and  progressive  farmer  of  Belmont  township,  who  has  made  his 
home  in  Woodson  County  since  1867.  He  was  born  in  the  village  of  Hase- 
h(  ek,  Lippe-Detmold,  Germany,  February  16,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Her- 
mann and  Dorothy  (Ricks)  Fuhlhage.  Te  former  was  a  farmer  by 
weupation  and  his  forefathers  had  resided  in  that  locality  for  many  genera- 
tions previously.  He  had  seven  children,  namely:  Wilhelmina,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Cyrus  Houseman  and  died  in  Germany;  Lena,  who 
married  Conrad  Tasche  and  also  died  in  the  fatherland;  Fritz,  who  de- 
parted this  life  in  Germany;  Charlotte,  who  married  Ernest  Obermeyer 


fo6'  HIS'rORV  Of"  ALLIiN    Aa'l) 

and  died  in  (Jeniianv;  August,  who  died  in  AVisconsin;  Henuaun,  and  WiT- 
liam,  who  is  living  in  Woodson  County. 

Hermann  Fuhlhage  attended  school  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  and' 
when  a  youth  of  seventeen  he  began  working  at  the  brickmaker 's  trade 
vvhioh  he  followed  in  several  German  states,  being  identified  with  that  line- 
lit  enterprise  for  ten  j^ears.  In  that  time  he  had  managed  to  save  a  fe^w^ 
hundred  dollars,  but  believing  that  better  business  opportunities  were- 
afforded  in  the  new  world  he  resolved  to  seek  his  fortune  in  America.- 
.^ccordingly  he  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends,  and  in  April,  1867,. 
Sailed  from  Bremen  to  New  York,  "K'here  he  landed  after  a  voyage  of  thir- 
teen days.  His  destination  was  Kansas  for  he  had  friends  li-dng  in  this; 
ei'Unty,  and  in  due  time  he  arrived  at  his  journey's  end.  He  took  up  his 
abode  on  Cherry  creek  in  Everett  township,  secured  a  homestead  of  eighty 
arres  and  for  fourteen  years  there  resided,  during  which  period  he  de- 
veloped a  fine  farm.  In  1881  he  came  to  Belmont  to"wnship  where  he  pur- 
chased the  southwest  quarter  of  section  thirty-one.  Continually  he  has' 
added  to  his  landed  possessions  as  his  financial  resources  have  increased 
until  to-day  he  owns  almost  one  thousand  acres,  in  five-  different  farms  on 
\vhich  he  keeps  large  herds  of  cattle  and  other  stock. 

Mr.  Fuhlhage  was  not  married  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  and  for 
two  years  af+er  his  arrival  he  kept  bachelor's  hall.  On  the  28th  of  June, 
1 869,  he  wedded  Bertha  Pribbernow,  a  niece  of  the  late  Christian  Pribber- 
n..w,  of  Owl  Creek  township.  Both  of  her  parents  died  m  Germany.  Her 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Bertha  Buz,  whose  eight  children 
"vew  to  maturity  but  only  three  are  now  living,  one  brother  of  Mrs.. 
i'uhlhage's.  Charles  Pribbernow,  being  a  resident  of  Wisconsin.  Ten 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fuhlhage:  "Wilhelmina,  wife  of 
J.  AY  H.  Pyke.  of  Yates  Center ;  August,  who  married  Myrta  Doebert  and 
:=.  living  in  Woodson  County;  Charles,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years;  Henry,  Emma,  Frank,  Emil  and  Clara,  all  of  whom  are  at  home, 
ai'd  two  who  have  departed  this  life. 

Mr.  Fuhlhage  is  a  Republican  and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Grant  in  1868.  He  served  for  four  years  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and 
for  twenty  years  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board.  The  cause  of 
education  has  found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  the  cause  of  justice  an  able 
exponent,  and  in  all  life's  relation  he  eom.mai3ds  confidence  and  respect 
by  his  fidelity  to  duty- 


ISAAC  J.  CAMAC. 

ISAAC  JESSE  CAMAC,  who  is  engaged  in  the  harness  business  in 

Yates  Center,  is  a  representative  of  that  class  of  men  who  form  the  bulwark 

of  the  nation— men  who  in  the  active  business  affairs  of  life  are  energetic 

and  progressive,  who  are  loyal  to  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  are  faithful 


WOODSON  countie;;,  kansas.  707 

10  the  obligations  of  home  and  social  life.  He  has  made  his  home  in 
Kansas  since  1871,  coming  to  this  state  from  Illinois.  He  was  born, 
luiwever,  in  Randolph  County,  North  Carolina,  November  19,  1846,  a  son  of 
Dixon  Camac,  a  farmer,  who  died  in  Ottawa,  Kas.,  in  March,  1889,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  He  too  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and 
was  of  English  descent.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  was  a  Democrat. 
He  married  Nancy  Gaddis,  who  died  in  Windsor,  Illinois,  in  1865,  and  is 
survived  by  five  of  her  eight  children,  namely:  Martha,  wife  of  J.  B. 
Holmes,  of  Stafford,  Kas. ;  Rebecca,  wife  of  Harvey  Rodgers,  of  Ottawa, 
Kas. ;  Isaac  J.,  who  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  in  the  family ;  Maggie, 

wife  of  Lewis  Heshman,  of  Ottawa,  and  Dovie    Ann,    wife    of 

Dey,  of  Franklin  County,  Kas. 

Mr.  Camac  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in  Illinois  and  was 
reared  as  a  farmer  boy  until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  began  learning' 
the  trade  of  a  harness  maker  and  saddler,  serving  an  apprejiticeship  in 
^Yindsor,  Illinois,  after  which  he  was  employed  as  a  journeyman  foi'  two 
years.  He  then  spent  four  years  as  a  farmer,  half  of  that  time  being 
passed  in  Putnam  County,  Missouri,  the  other  half  in  Franklin  County, 
Kansas.  He  removed  from  Shelby  County,  Illinois,  to  Franklin  County, 
and  on  his  retirement  from  agricultural  fields  he  began  business  in  Ottawa 
as  a  dealer  in  harness  and  saddlery.  In  1884  he  removed  to  Eminence 
township,  Woodson  County,  where  he  farmed  seven  years  and  then  came  to 
Yates  Center  in  1891.  Here  he  purchased  the  harness  and  saddlery  establish- 
ment fonnerly  owned  by  Fred  Wachtman,  and  has  since  been  sole  pro- 
prietor. He  enjoys  a  large  and  lucrative  patronage,  having  been  well 
equipped  by  previous  experience  for  the  business  when  he  began  opera- 
tions at  this  place.  He  carries  a  large  and  well  selected  stock  of  goods 
STich  as  is  found  in  a  first  class  establishment  of  the  kind  and  his  business 
is  constantly  growing  in  volume  and  importance. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1868,  in  Windsor,  Illinois,  Mr.  Camac  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Victoria  York,  a  daughter  of  John  York,  a  native  of 
North  Carolina.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade  and  spent  his  last  days 
in  Ottawa,  Kas.  In  his  family  were  four  children,  of  whom  three  are 
yet  living.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Camac  have  been  born  eight  children : 
Cora,  wife  of  W.  M.  Patterson,  of  Rose,  Kas. ;  John,  a  farmer  of  Woodson 
County ;  Nettie,  wife  of  W.  M.  Hartshorn,  of  Ottawa,  Kas. ;  Isaac  J.,  Jr. ; 
May,  a  teacher  in  Woodson  County ;  Winnie,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the 
high  school  of  Yates  Center;  Blanche  and  Katie.  The  family  is  one  of 
prominence  in  the  community,  the  members  of  the  household  occupying  an 
enviable  position  in  social  circles.  Mr.  Camac  cast  his  first  presidential 
\ote  in  1876,  supporting  R.  B.  Hayes,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been 
a  stalwart  Republican,  heartily  endorsing  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
party.  He  belongs  to  the  subordinate  lodge  and  the  Rebekah  depart- 
ment of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  also  holds  membership 
with  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security.     In  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  he 


708  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

has  filled  all  of  the  chairs  and  has  served  as  representative  to  the  <ivand 
Indge.  Such  in  brief  is  the  life  history  of  one  who  has  been  an  energetic 
and  straight- foiward  business  man  and  has  walked  worthily  in  all  life's 
relations,  thereby  commanding  uniform  respect. 


PLEASANT  J\I.  RHODES. 

Farming  and  stock  raising  claim  the  attention  of  Pleasant  M.  Rhodes, 
who  resides  in  Everett  township,  Woodson  County  and  who  is  now  classed 
pmong  the  well-to-do  citizens  of  the  community,  a  position  which  he  oc- 
cupies as  the  direct  result  of  his  individual  efforts  in  the  active  affairs 
Ox  life.  He  was  born  in  McLain  County,  Illinois,  November  10,  1838,  a 
■son  of  James  S.  and  Elizabeth  (Adams)  Rhodes,  the  former  a  native  of 
Ohio  and  the  latter  of  Kentucky.  The  father  removed  to  Illinois,  living 
there  with  the  first  six  families  who  located  in  the  county.  ■  The  Indians 
roamed  in  large  numbers  over  the  prairie,  and  the  land  was  in  its  primi- 
tive condition,  little  indication  being  given  of  the  development  and  progress 
\'.'hich  were  so  soon  to  bring  wonderful  transformation.  In  1855  Dr. 
Rhodes  removed  with  his  family  to  Iowa  and  there  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine.  He  also  carried  on  farm  work  and  engaged  in  preaching 
the  gospel  as  a  minister  of  the  Christian  church.  He  led  a  very  active,  use- 
ful and  honorable  life,  and  died  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years, 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  living 
iii  Winterset,  la.,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years. 

Mr.  Rhodes  of  this  review  is  one  of  a  family  of  eight  children,  six  of 
whom  are  yet  living.  He  spent  his  youth  upon  a  farm  and  in  town,  and 
pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  supplemented  bya  high-school 
coirrse.  Up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  remained  with  his  parents,  but 
in  1861  completed  his  arrangements  for  a  home  of  his  own  by  winning 
as  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  the  journey  of  life  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth 
Clark,  a  native  of  Ohio.  The  yoimg  couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon 
a  rented  farm  which  Mr.  Rhodes  operated  until  August,  1862,  when  his 
patriotic  spirit  prompted  his  enlistment  in  the  Union  army.  He  joined 
company  A,  Thirty-ninth  Iowa  infantry  and  served  for  three  years  as  a 
private  soldier,  participating  in  several  important  engagements,  including 
the  battle  of  Polk's  Crossroads,  Sugar  Valley,  Small  Creek  and  the  four 
days'  engagement  at  Kingston,  North  Carolina,  together  with  many  others 
01  lesser  importance.  At  Shady  Grove,  Tennessee  he  was  captured,  but  soon 
afterward  was  paroled  and  sent  to  St.  Louis  ,  Missouri,  to  await  exchange. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Rhodes  returned  to  his  home,  and  for  several 
years  continued  the  cultivation  of  rented  land  until  he  had  acquired  capi- 
tal sufficient  to  enable  him  to  purchaseproperty.  He  then  bought  laud  and 
was  engaged  in  the  cattle  commission  business  for  a  number  of  years  with 
excellent  success,  following  that  pursuit  in  Iowa  until  1897,  when  he  sold 


WOdDSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  709 

his  property  there  in  order  to  seek  a  milder  climate,  hoping  to  benefit 
his  wife's  health  thereby.  With  his  family  he  spent  one  year  in  eastern 
Oregon,  after  which  he  came  to  Kansas  and  purchased  four  hundred  acres 
of  prairie  land  about  seven  miles  east  and  north  of  Yates  Center,  where  he 
has  erecled  an  attractive  residence  and  built  a  good  barn.  He  has  also 
added  other  substantial  improvements  and  now  has  his  entire  farm  under 
fence.  He  has  led  a  very  busy,  active  and  useful  life,  idleness  and  indolence 
having  no  part  in  his  nature.  His  reputation  as  an  auctioneer  is  equal  to 
that  of  any  man  in  the  county.  He  has  engaged  in  that  business  for 
twenty  years  and  has  cried  as  many  sales  as  any  one  of  his  age.  He  is  well 
known  as  an  auctioneer  in  many  counties  in  Iowa,  as  well  as  in  southeast- 
ern Kansas.  Since  locating  in  this  state,  has  resumed  stock  dealing  and 
expects  to  handle  all  of  the  stock  which  his  farm  can  support. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rhodes  have  been  born  five  children,  namely : 
('arpenter  E.,  who  follows  farming  near  his  father's  home;  Mrs.  Mary  Etta 
Blohm.  a  widow,  who  with  her  children,  Edna,  Willie  and  Donald,  aged  re- 
spectively fourteen,  twelve  and  eight  years  and  now  in  school,  is  living 
■with  her  father ;  William  Estell,  at  home ;  Lillian  May  Grout,  in  Madison 
County,  Iowa  and  Myrtle  Edith,  who  is  still  with  her  parents.  The  fainily 
is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community  and  the  members  of  the  household 
have  many  friends,  which  is  an  indication  of  their  sterling  worth.  Mr. 
Rhodes  is  a  stalwart  Republican  in  politics  and  has  done  considerable  cam- 
paign M'ork  in  Iowa,  laboring  earnestly  for  the  interests  of  the  party.  While 
in  that  state  he  served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  to  those  who  are  at  all 
familiar  with  his  upright  career  it  is  needless  to  say  that  his  duties  were 
faithfully  discharged. 


DAVID  ASKREN. 

One  of  the  honored  pioneer  settlers  of  AYoodson  County  is  David 
j\skren,  who  for  forty-two  years  has  resided  within  its  borders.  Pew  of  the 
irsidents  of  this  portion  of  the  state  can  claim  as  long  continuous  connec- 
tion with  it.  Great  changes  have  occurred  in  this  period  as  the  w^ork  of 
improvement  and  progress  has  been  carried  on,  transforming  the  raw 
prairie  into  fertile  farms,  replacing  cabin  homes  with  commodious  dwellings 
aad  adding  the  commercial  and  industrial  interests  and  the  evidences  of 
civilization  known  to  "the  older  east.  Mr.  Askren  can  relate  many  interesting 
incidents  of  pioneer  days  when  they  coped  with  the  hardships  and  trials 
or  frontier  life  to  make  homes  in  the  west,  and  no  history  of  this  portion 
of  the  state  would  be  complete  without  the  record  of  his  life. 

He  was  born  in  Logan  County.  Ohio,  January  1,  1831.  His  father, 
Isaac  Askren,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  but  in  boyhood  removed  to 
Ohio  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood  and  married.  Miss  Elizabeth  Spry, 
a  native  of  Maryland,  becoming  his  wife.     In  1853  he  removed  with  his 


7IO  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXD 

fumily  to  Iowa,  where  his  remaining  days  were  devoted  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, his  death  occurring  in  1892,  when  he  was  seventy  years  of  age.  His 
v'ife  died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  £eventy-six.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  but  only  three  are  now  living— David,  who  is  the  eldest,  and 
Isaac  and  Mary,  who  are  residents  of  Iowa.  One  of  the  sons,  John,  died 
in  the  army  during  the  Civil  war  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  in  lola, 
Kansas. 

Reared  to  farm  work  and  educated  in  the  common  schools,  thus 
passed  the  boyhood  days  of  David  Askren  and  when  he  had  become  a  man 
he  married  Miss  Charlotte  Alexander,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  on  the 
13th.  of  February,  1855.  The  lady  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  The  young 
duple  began  their  domestic  life  in  Ohio  but  in  1859  came  to  Kansas  and 
Mr.  Askren  pre-empted  the  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  upon  which 
he  has  resided  for  more  than  forty  years.  He  has  remained  in  the  Sun- 
jlower  state  through  the  period  when  the  commonwealth  was  infested  by 
grasshoppers  and  suffered  from  drouths,  and  though  these  entailed  great 
hardships  upon  the  settlers  never  but  once  did  he  become  discouraged  and 
v.'ish  to  leave  Kansas.  During  the  great  drouth  of  1860  he  determined  to 
return  to  Ohio,  and  several  years  later  when  he  had  saved  money  enough 
be  started  with  his  family  for  their  old  home.  They  traveled  by  wagon 
as  far  as  Illinois.  There  on  account  of  illness  Mr.  Askren  left  his  family 
and  proceeded  alone  to  the  Buckeye  state,  but  had  been  there  only  a  short 
time  when  he  became  homesick  for  Kansas.  However,  He  wrote  his  wife 
that  she  might  come  on  to  Ohio  and  they  would  fell  their  Kansas  farm  and 
make  a  home  in  their  native  state,  but  she  replied  that  she  was  as  near 
Ohio  then  as  she  ever  wanted  to  be ;  tha*^  she  desired  to  return'to  Kansas 
and  that  the  children  were  crying  to  go  back.  Mr.  Askren  says  that  he 
never  in  his  life  received  a  letter  which  was  as  welcome  and  which  did  him 
as  much  good.  Accordingly  he  rejoined  his  family  and  they  returnerl  to 
Kansas,  where  he  has  since  remained  and  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous,  eon- 
tended  farmers  and  valued  citizens  of  Woodson  County. 

After  forty-five  years  of  happy  married  life  he  was  separated  from  his 
wife  by  death.  She  passed  away  on  the  old  homestead  October  17,  1899. 
,'-!t  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and  all  of  their  four  children  have  departed 
this  life  with  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Charlotte  Klinkinburg,  who  is  now  liv- 
ing with  her  father,  acting  as  his  housekeeper  in  his  declining  days.  They 
are  the  only  surviving  memjDers  of  the  family  and  the  relation  between 
tiiem  is  accordingly  very  near  and  dear.  Mr.  Askren  has  been  called  upon 
to  fill  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust  in  his  township  and  county.  He 
ha?;  been  township  trustee  and  justice  of  the  peace  and  was  the  second 
county  assessor  after  the  organization  of  the  county.  His  duties  were  ever 
faithfully  performed  and  over  bis  public  record  there  falls  no  shadow  of 
wrong,  while  his  private  life  v.  alike  above  reproach.  In  his  political  views 
he  is  now  a  Prohibitionist,  warmly  advocating  temperance  principles, 
morality  and  all  movements  that  tend  to  uplift  mankind. 


'\Y001)SON    CCfXTliiS,   KANSAS.  7  IT 


T.  A.  MITCHELL. 


'On  a  farm  in  Liberty  township,  Woodson  County,  T.  A.  Mitchell  is 
engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock,  and  his  activity  in  business  has  brought 
liim  a  comfortable  competence.  He  was  born  in  Washington  County,  In- 
-diana,  July  26,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Elisha  Mitchell,  a  native  of  Indiana. 
JVlr.  Mitchell  has  records  tracing  their  family  history  to  a  Robert  Mitchell 
■born  in  Scotland,  October  S,  1740.  Elieha,  after  attaining  years  of 
maturity,  wooed  and  wedded  Miss  Lydia  Colglazier,  a  native  of  the 
Hoosier  state,  whose  people  had  emigrated  to  Indiana  in  1812,  settling  in 
"the  midst  of  the  woods  when  the  Indians  in  motley  garb  still  stalked  through 
the  forest.  The  father  of  our  subject  wa^  a  miller  by  trade  but  spent  part 
■'Or  his  time  on  a  farm  and  by  following  such  pursuits  provided  for  his 
family,  which  included  his  wife  and  ten  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet 
living.  His  death  occurred  in  18:i4.  when  he  was  forty-six  years  of  aga 
His  wife  aire  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty-six,  her  death  occurring  in 
1867. 

T.  A.  Mitchell  \ras  the  seventh  of  their  family  and  was  reared  upon  a 
farm  where  the  work  of  the  fields  early  became  familiar  to  him  through 
practical  experience.  His  preliminary  education,  acquired  in  the  common 
schools,  was  supplemented  by  study  in  the  Paola  Normal  school  of  In- 
diana, and  three  years  he  engaged  in  teaching,  two  years  in  Indiana  and 
••one  in  the  district  of  bis  present  home..  In  the  spring  of  1877,  he  came  to 
Kansas,  settling  first  in  Neosho  Falls,  where  he  made  his  home  for  a  year. 
He  afterwards  purchased  tA\'o  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  unimproved  land 
ten  miles  north  of  Yates  Center,  where  he  has  developed  an  excellent  stock 
fiirm.  He  engages  in  the  raising  of  grain  and  stock,  and  his  good  crops 
and  sales  of  cattle  are  profitable  sources  of  i*evenue.  He  is  also  one  of 
the  stockholders  and  directors  of  the  creamery  at  Neosho  Falls  where  he  de- 
livers his  cream.  Mr.  Mitchell  has  given  much  time  and  attention  to  dairy- 
ing, having  purchased  the  first  centrifugal  cream  separator  used  in  Wood- 
5on  County. 

On  the  22d.  of  April,  1880,  Mr.  Mitchell  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss 
l:imma  Williams,  a  native  of  Howard  County,  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of 
li'.  Henry  Williams,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  married  Harriet  C.  Ellis,  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  whence  in  her  girlhood  she  removed  to  the  Hoosier 
■state.  The  doctor  successfully  practiced  for  many  years  in  Russiaville,  In- 
diana and  also  engaged  in  merchandising  in  the  same  town.  He  died  in 
1871,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1884,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-eight.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children  Mrs.  Mitchell's 
parents,  being  in  a  position  favorable,  gave  her  excellent  opportunities  to 
■acquire  an  education,  of  which  she  made  good  use  by  qualifying  herself 
for  any  position  she  might  desire.  She  engaged  in  teaching  previous  to 
her  marriage,  having  taught  the  year  before  her  marriage  in  Severy,  Green- 
Wood  County,  Kansas.  She,  by  her  marriage,  has  become  the  mother  of 
two  sons  and  three  daughters.     Stella,  the  eldest,  died  in  infancy.     The 


7'I2  liTSTORY   Of  ALifix-J   AiSJ3' 

rtlhers  aie  Florence,  who  is  a  graduate' of  high  school  of  Neosho  Falls  and! 
is  now  teaching  her  first  teim  of  Echod  in-  her  home  district  in  Woodson 
County;  Thomas,  E.  Carl  and  Harriet,  all  orf  whom  have  completed  the- 
'roiirse  of  study  in  the  common^ schools. 

Voting  wi.h  the  Dejnocraey,  iMr.  IMitoliell,  thus  expresses  his  political 
helief.  but  he  has  never  been  an  office  seeker,  believing  that  his  business  will 
I.e  attenc'ed  by  bCiter  result>  if  he  confines  his  attention  solely  to  the  occu- 
pation wliioli  he  has  chosen  as  his  life  -wovk  and  which  i^  returning  to  hinr. 
M  good  financial  reward. 


.MICHAEL  HEFPErN". 

The  Emerald  Isle— the  land  of  beautiful  lakes  and  Verdant  hills,  the' 
eountry  of  war,  romance  and  history— was  the  birtliplaee  of  Michael  Hef-- 
fern,  who  on  the  '2'2d.  of  September,  1835,  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light 
cf  day  in  tbe  parish  of  £)unhill.  County  Waterford,  Ireland.  His  father. 
Patrick  Heffern,  married  Bridget  Carol,  and  both  were  natives  of  Ireland' 
where  they  resided  tiiitil  1850  when  they  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to- 
Americ^l,  locating  first  in  New'  York.  After  a  short  time,  however,  they  re- 
juoved  to  Illinois,  settling  in  LaSalle  County,  where  they  spent  their  re- 
inainirig  days,  the  father  passing  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  while 
the  mother  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

Michael  Heffern  was  a  lad  of  fourteen  years  when  he'  came  With  his 
I'arents  to  the' New  World.  In  Illinois  he  -rt'orked  on  the  ra;iIroad  as  a  teai 
s'ler  for  three  years  and  then  rented  a  tract  of  land,  after  -vPhieh  he'  en- 
gaged in  farming  there  for  ei^ht  years.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on 
the  journey  of  life  he  chose  Miss  Ellen  Vaughn,  a  native  of  Ireland,  the 
H'edding  being  celebrated  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  Angust  26,  1855.  He 
continued  his  agricultural  pursuits  in  Illinois  until  1867  when  he  came 
to  Kansas  and  purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  raw  land  in  Owl 
Creek  township.  AA^oodsOn  County,  eight  miles  east  of  Tates  Center  on  the 
north  fork  of  Owl  creek.  There  for  the  first  time  he  began  farming  on  land 
\'.  hich  was  his  own  property.  He  has  since  made  valuable  improvements 
until  he  now  has  one  of  the  best  farms  on  the  Creek,  and  to  his  landed  pos- 
sessions  he  has  added  until  he  now  has  nine  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  all 
improved,  ■while  three  hiind'ed  acres  is  under  eultivation,  the  otbr 
pa.«ture  and  meadow  land.  For  a  short  time  after  coming  to  Kansas  Mr. 
Heffern  worked  on  the  railroad  as  a  contractor  but  has  since  devoted  his 
entire  time  to  his  farm  Work  and  has  long  since  been  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  county.  He  feeds  all  of  his  grain  to  his 
Stock  and  each  winter  ships  about  two  car  loads  of  cattle  to  the  city 
markets. 

Eight  children  have  been  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heffern,  of  whom 
six  are  yet  living,  as  follovs's:    Mary,  the  wife  of  Tim  Collins;  Johanna, 


v*00"DSON    COmsi'TlES.    KAlvTSAS. 


7»J 


M'ffe  of  Thomas  MeGanon,  of  Humboldt ;  Margaret,  wife  of  Charley  Feneyi 
"Lizzie,  wife  of  Vincent  Gallagher,  now  of  Colorado ;  Josie.  wife  of  Ven 
Ijcssen,  of  Woodson  County,  and  Thomas,  wTio  resides  upon  the  home  farm 
with  his  father.  He  married  TVIie:s  Minnie  Cornell  and  has  two  children, 
Michael  and  Mary. 

In  Tils  political  affiliations  Mr.  Heffern  is  a  Democrat  and  belongs  to 
t'lat  substantial  class  of  citizens  who  give  an  earnest  support  to  measures 
"for  the  public  good  but  are  not  carried  away  l)y  fads  or  unpractical 
schemes.  He  Is  a  self-made  mati  who  witliout  any  extraordinary  family  or 
pecuniary  advantages  at  the  commencement  of  life  has  battled  earnestly  and 
•euerge'"ically,  and  by  indomitable  courage  and  integrity  has  achieved 
"both  eharac'^er  and  fortune,  wirming  a  victory  in  the  business  world  which 
"is  as  creditable  as  enviable^ 


ALEXANDER   HAMILTON. 

"Woodson  County  figures  as  one  of  the  most  attractive,  progrefsive  an3 
prosperous  divisions  of  the  state  of  Kansas,  justly  claiming  a  high  order  of 
>eitizenship  and  a  spirit  of  enterprise  which  is  certain  to  conserve  consecutive 
'development  and  marked  advancement  in  tlie  material  upbuilding  of  this 
fection.  The  county  bas  been  signally  favored  in  the  class  of  men  who  have 
^controlled  its  affairs,  and  in  tbis  connection  the  subject  of  this  review  de- 
mands representation  as  one  who  has  served  the  county  faithfully  and  well 
in  positions  of  distinct  trust  and  repsonsibilitj^  Moreover  he  has  been  one  of 
the  most  extensive  stocl?  dealers  and  leading  business  men  of  southeastern 
Xansas,  and  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  th«  commonwealth,  having 
■come  to  the  state  in  its  territorial  days. 

Mr.  Hamilton  wa?'  born  in  Gallatin  County.  Kentucky,  September  12, 
1832.  His  father,  John  0.  Hamilton,  was  also  a  native  of  that  state  and 
there,  married  Miss  Hannab  Gregg,  whose  birth  occurred  in  the  same  lo- 
'tality.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  of  whom  onr  subject  was 
the  second  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  at- 
tended the  common  schools  until  sixteen  years  of  age  when  he  went  to  Cov- 
ing ton  College  and  later  became  a  student  in  Western  Collegiate  Institute 
;it  Patriot,  Indiana.  He  was  afterward  graduated  in  a  business  college  in 
^Tarietta.  Ohio,  and  later  in  a  law  college  in  Louisville.  When  eighteen 
years  of  age  he  went  to  Tennessee,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for 
Iwo  years  after  which  lie  returned  to  his  old  Kentucky  home  and  took  up 
the  study  of  law.  being  admit+ed  to  the  bar  in  1854. 

The  following  year  Mr.  Hamilton  came  to  Kansas,  locating  first  in 
Ijeavenworth.  whence  he  went  to  Council  Bluffs,  la.,  but  not  liking  that  place 
he  returned  to  Missouri,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Clinton  County.  Soon  the 
border  war  came  on  and  he  was  appointed  captain  of  a  company  and  saw 
some  arduous  and  dangerous  service.    With  his  company  he  came  to  Kan- 


/'i4'  ii'rsi'bkY  oi'  Attix  asd 

sas,  where  lie  met  Gov.  Geary  with  whom  he  held  a  consultation.  Captair/ 
fiamil.on,  wishing  to  make  his  home  in  Kansas,  siirrendered  his  command 
and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  Sunflower  state,  which  has  since  been  his- 
place  of  residence.  Not  long  afterward  the  Civil  war  M'as  inaugurated  and 
for  a  time  he  was  connec  ed  with  the  home  guards.  He  afterward  entered 
ti'.e  emplfiy  of  the  government  as  wagon  master  and  later  received  an  ap- 
poinlnient  as  sutler,  being  thus  associated  -with  the  army  for  a  number  of 
months.  He  was  next  appointed  to  buy  cattle  for  the  Indians  and  can 
ri-late  many  hair-breadth  escapes  which  he  had  while  in  the  United  State:^ 
service  among  the  red  men. 

^ili-.  Hamilton  first  settled  in  Leroy,  Coffey  County,  and  began  the 
piactice  of  law  before  tbe  county  \\'as  organized.  He  attended  the  legisla- 
tuie  of  1857,  succeeded  in  having  the  county  established  and  was  appointed 
liy  the  a-  sembly  to  the  offices  of  county  clerk  and  register  of  deeds.  He  pur- 
chased a  large  body  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Leroy.  and  at  the  same  time 
conducted  a  large  general  mercantile  store,  so  that  he  was  kept  very  busy  in 
managing  his  agiicultural  and  commercial  affairs,  in  addition  to  his  law 
pi'actice  and  the  discharge  of  his  official  diities. 

On  the  22d.  of  February,  1858,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  married  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  Coffey  County  until  1875,  when  he  sold  his  land  there 
and  came  to  his  present  home  in  Woodson  County,  purchasing  six  hundred 
and  forty  acre;-  on  Cherry  creek  in  Everett  township,  where  he  has  since 
developed  a  very  fine  and  highly  improved  farm.  He  has  purchased  and 
sold  more  cattle  than  any  other  stock  dealer  in  the  county,  handling 
thousands  of  head,  but  in  late  years,  on  account  of  his  advanced  age,  he 
has  largely  retired  from  that  business,  feeding  only  a  small  number  of  cat- 
tle. He  has  recently  purchased  property  in  Leroy,  including  a  part  of  his 
.)!d  homestead. 

The  lady  who  for  forty-three  years  has  traveled  life's  journey  by  his 
f-ide  as  his  faithful  wife  and  belpm.ate  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Jane 
Scott,  and  she  is  the  oldest  lady  member  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association 
of  Coffey,  Allen  and  AVoodson  Counties.  She  is  a  daughter  of  General 
John  B.  Scott,  who  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  when  a  small  boy  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Bloomington,  Illinois.  There  he 
was  reared  and  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Anna  Davis,  of 
New  York.  In  an  early  day  he  went  to  Iowa  as  a  trader  with  the  Indians, 
and  in  1849  came  with  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  to  Kansas.  The  red  men 
i'A  that  time  owed  him  twenty  thousand  dollars  and  he  came  to  collect  it. 
He  settled  at  Leroy  where  he  was  appointed  ma.jor  general  of  the  Kansas 
Home  Guards.  His  death  occurred  in  1873,  when  he  was  fifty-seven  years 
0^'  age.  His  first  -wife  died  during  the  early  girlhood  of  Mrs.  Hamilton  and 
he  afterward  married  again.  His  second  wife  died  in  1880.  General 
Scott  was  the  founder  of  Leroy  and  was  Indian  agent  for  many  years,  both 
ia  Iowa  and  Kansas. 

Fnto  Air.  and  Airs.  Hamilton  have  been  born  fourteen  children,  of 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  715 

whom  tAN-elve  are  now  living :  Mrs.  T.  W.  Plummer  and  Mrs.  Fred  Pearl, 
both  of  Yates  Center;  John  0.,  of  Vernon;  Charles  C,  a  twin  brother  of 
John  and  a  farmer  by  occupation ;  Mrs.  Ed  Vetito,  of  Yates  Center ;  Alex. 
O.,  who  aids  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm;  Gus  R.,  who  served  with  the 
Twentieth  Kansas  regiment  in  the  Philippines  and  is  now  in  Vernon ;  Her- 
bert, a  barber  in  Yates  Center ;  Clarence  P.,  who  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Twentieth  Kansas  regiment  and  is  now  in  Joliet.  Illinois ;  Grace,  who  is  in 
business  in  Yates  Center,  is  wife  of  Eber  Holiday ;  S.  Wallace,  who  is  also 
iu  the  county  seat,  and  Nellie  at  home.  Alice,  the  third  child,  died  at  the 
age  of  three  years,  and  Stanley  died  at  one  year  old. 

Mr.  Hamilton  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs,  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  his  community  and  has  held  several  local  offices. 
He  was  the  first  postmaster  of  Vernon,  has  filled  the  position  of  justice  of 
the  peace  and  for  two  years  was  a  sheriff  of  Woodsn  County.  His  popularity 
in  the  community  is  unmistakable  not  only  on  account  of  his  fidelity  to 
duty  in  public  office,  but  also  because  of  his  honorable  business  career,  his 
fidelity  to  manly  principles  and  his  reliability  in  private  life.  During  the 
long  yesrs  of  his  residence  in  Kansas  he  has  left  the  impress  of  his  indivi- 
duality for  good  upon  the  communities  with  which  he  has  been  connected 
and  he  feels  just  pride  in  the  splendid  advancement  made  by  his  adopted 
.state. 


JAMES  W.  MACLASKEY. 

The  Maclaskey  home  is  a  fine  residence,  built  in  modern  architeetural 
style  and  standing  on  an  eminence  which  commands  a  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  for  miles  in  any  direction.  Forest  trees  surround  the 
house,  ■which  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  valuable  farm  of  nine  hundred  and 
fifty-nine  acres,  all  the  property  of  our  subject  and  all  acquired  since  he 
came  to  Kansas.  A  proof  of  the  advantages  which  the  state  furnishes  to 
her  citizens  cannot  better  be  given  than  in  the  life  records  of  such  men  as 
Mr.  Maclaskey  who  have  won  fortune  by  earnest  and  well  directed  effort 
since  locating  within  her  borders. 

As  one  of  the  leading  citizens,  early  settlers  and  prominent  agricul- 
turists James  W.  Maclaskey  certainly  deserves  representation  in  this 
volume.  He  was  born  in  Pike  County,  Illinois,  August  14,  1849,  a  son  of 
Oeorge  and  Barbara  (Sweet)  Maclaskey,  both  natives  of  New  York,  al- 
though they  were  married  in  Illinois.  "V^Tien  a  young  man  the  father  went 
■•"0  the  Prairie  state  and  there  followed  farming  for  many  years.  In  1881  he 
made  a  visit  to  Nebraska,  where  he  was  taken  ill  and  died,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one  years.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  living  with  her 
S(jns  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  -at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years. 

When  James  W.  Maclaskey  was  seven  years  of  age  his  parents  removed 
to  Adams  County,  Illinois,  -where  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  remaining  un- 


7t6  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

cier  the  parental  roof  until  be  had  attained  the  age  of  twenty-seven.  His 
education  was  obtained  in  the  eominon  f;chools.  In  connection  with  his 
brother  he  owned  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Adams 
County.  Ere  leaving  Illinois  he  was  married,  on  the  4th  of  November, 
1869,  to  JMiss  P'arah  E.  McCarl,  a  native  of  Pike  County,  that  state,  and 
a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Dorcas  (Likes*)  McCarl,  the  former  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  Mr.  JMcCarl  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-eight  years,  but  his  wife  is  still  living  in  Illinois,  and  has  attained  the 
age  of  seventy-one.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  as  follows : 
Alexander,  of  Oregon ;  Mrs.  Bethana  Myers ;  Mrs.  Lizzie  Maclaskey ;  Isaiah 
and  Calvin  JNIeCarl,  all  of  Illinois,  and  Airs.  Sarah  E.  Maclaskey,  of  Wood- 
sun  County,  Kansas.  Mr.  and  j\Irs.  jMaclaskey  began  their  domestic  life  in 
tlieir  native  state  but  in  1880  came  to  Kansas.  In  1876.  prior  to  his  com- 
ing to  Kansas,  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Woodson 
County,  nineteen  miles  northwest  of  Yates  Center,  and  since  that  time  he 
has  added  to  his  possessioiis  until  he  now  is  owner  of  the  valuable  property 
described  above.  Recently  he  removed  his  residence  to  a  place  two  miles 
north  of  where  he  fo  long  resided.  His  farm  is  one  of  the  most  desirable 
ill  this  portion  of  the  county.  He  is  engaged  in  stock-raising  and  has  some 
very  fine  grades  of  shorthorn  and  Hereford  cattle,  which  find  a  ready  sale 
on  the  market.  He  had  only  a  team  and  wagon  at  the  time  of  his  marriage, 
and  he  has  made  practically  all  that  he  has  since  coming  to  Kansas.  He  is 
now  one  of  the  wealthy  farmers  of  the  community  and  his  property  is  a 
monument  to  his  enterprise  and  thrift. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClaskey  has  been  liles;ed  with  eight 
children,  namely:  William  L..  now  a  stenographer  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri; 
Lizzie  A.,  at  home:  Alford,  who  is  living  in  Gridley,  Kansas;  Charles  A., 
who  is  married  and  resides  in  Woodson  county;  James  A.  and  Samuel  R., 
who  are  with  their  parents,  and  George  W..  who  died  October  16,  1884,  at 
the  age  of  ten  years  and  seven  months,  and  Floyd  E.,  the  youngest  at  home. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Maclaskey  is  a  Democrat.  He  has  filled  the  office 
cf  trustee  of  his  township  and  is  now  serving  as  its  treasurer,  proving  a 
competent  and  faithful  officer.  A  quarter  of  a  century  has  passed  since  he 
ciime  to  Kansas,  and  through  the  entire  period  he  has  so  lived  as  to  win 
the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  con- 
tact. His  success  has  been  worthily  won  along  the  lines  of  honorable  effort 
so  that  the  most  envious  cannot  grudge  him  his  prosperity,  and  his  upright 
e^-ample  and  successful  career  should  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  to 
others. 


SANPORD  G.  PARIS. 

On  the  roster  of  county  officials  in  Woodson  County  appears  the  name 
of  Sanford  G.  Paris  among  those  who  are  serving  as  county  commissioners. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  717 

His  labors  in  behalf  of  the  county  have  been  productive  of  good  and  indi- 
.  eate  his  loyalty  to  the  best  interests  of  ciiizeuship.  As  an  enterprising, 
practical  and  progressive  farmer  of  Center  township  he  is  also  widely 
laiown,  and  as  a  representative  of  the  political  and  agricultural  interests 
of  this  portion  of  the  state  he  well  deserves  mention  in  the  history  of 
Woodson  County. 

A  native  of  Putnam  County,  Indiana,  Mr.  Paris  was  born  on  the  10th. 
o''  December,  1847,  a  son  of  Allen  and  Elizabeth  (Youngman)  Paris.  The 
father  was  born  in  1818,  near  Covington,  Kentucky,  and  during  his  boyhood 
days  went  to  the  Hoosier  state  ,where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  was  mar- 
ried. His  wife  was  also  born  in  Kentucky  and  was  a  daughter  of  Jesse 
Youngman.  The  father  of  our  subject  followed  farming  and  shoemak- 
ing  throughout  his  entire  life.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  recognized 
as  one  of  the  active  local  workers  in  his  party.  In  October,  1883,  he  was 
killed  by  the  falling  of  a  limb,  but  is  still  survived  by  his  widow,  who  yet 
resides  in  Putnam  County.  Her  children  are :  Agnes,  of  Putnam  County ; 
George,  who  died  in  1863 ;  Melissa,  wife  of  W.  F.  Butler,  of  Putnam 
County;  Charles,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war  and  died  in  1890,  in 
Putnam  County  leaving  a  family;  Sanford  G. ;  Alice,  wife  of 'James  Ruark, 
of  Putnam  County,  and  Viola,  wife  of  G.  H.  Hamm,  of  the  same  county. 

The  sehooh  privileges  of  Sanford  G.  Paris  were  somewhat  limited.  He 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  upon  the  home  farm  and  his  time 
\'-as  largely  occupied  with  the  labors  of  the  field.  Since  attaining  his 
I'.iajority  he  has  devoted  five  years  to  the  coopering  trade,  and  -was  also 
employed  in  a  rolling  mill  in  Greencastle,  Indiana.  Upon  leaving  that 
position  he  resumed  farming,  which  he  has  since  followed.  In  August,  1881, 
he  arrived  in  Woodson  County  and  first  located  in  Toronto  township, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  operation  of  rented  land  for  four  years.  With 
money  he  had  then  saved  from  his  earnings  he  purchased  two  hundred  acres 
of  land  in  Center  township,  upon  which  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or 
an  improvement  been  made,  but  since  1885  a  great  transformation  has 
been  wrought  in  tlie  appearance  of  the  property,  which  is  now  one  of  the 
line  farms  of  the  county,  supplied  with  substantial  buildings  and  all 
iLodern  conveniences  and  accessories. 

Ere  leaving  his  native  county  Mr.  Paris  was  married,  in  1868,  to  Miss 
i\Iary  Wheeling,  a  daughter  of  Augustus  Wheeling,  who  belonged  to  an  old 
Ohio  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paris  now  have  eight  children:  Grace  E., 
vife  of  M.  P.  Davis,  of  Hutchinson,  Kansas ;  Walter,  a  blacksmith  of  Rose, 
Kansas,  who  married  Sarah  Reagan;  Lillie,  deceased;  Herbert,  Myrtle, 
i\^abel,  Glenn  and  Ross,  who  are  still  with  their  parents. 

Since  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Paris  has  been  an  earnest  advocate 
of  Republican  principles  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  furthering  the  wel- 
fare of  the  party  in  the  community  in  which  he  resides.  On  that  ticket  he 
was  elected  county  commissioner,  in  November,  1900,  to  represent  the  second 
district,  which  he  carried  by  a  majority  of  two  hundred  and  nine.     He  is 


7l8  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

now  filling  that  office  and  discharges  his  duties  with  the  same  promptness 
and  practical  spirit  which  characterizes  his  management  of  his  farming  in- 
terests. 


W   P.  KINYOX. 

Y\'.  P.  KIXYDX  is  a  prominent  farmer  of  Liberty  township,  "Woodson 
County.  His  life  has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one  and  now  he  is  living  some- 
what retired  from  the  more  arduous  duties  of  the  farm,  which  have  been  as- 
sumed by  his  son,  ]Mr.  Kinyon  being  thus  relieved  of  the  liarder  work  inci- 
dent to  agricultural  life.  He  is  a  native  of  Bradford  County,  Pennsylvania, 
born  June  3,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Pardon  and  Sallie  (Eggleston)  Kinyon, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Empire  state.  The  father  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  when  a  young  man  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death  which  occurred  in  1856, 
(\-hen  he  was  fifty-five  years  of  age.  His  widow  survived  him  for  nearly 
half  a  century  and  passed  away  in  Kansas  when  almost  ninety  years  of  age. 
They  had  four  children,  but  only  two  are  now  living— W.  P.  and  Mrs. 
Xancy  Warner. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm 
life  for  W.  P.  Kinyon  in  his  youth.  He  attended  the  common  schools  near 
his  home  and  in  the  summer  aided  in  the  work  of  plowing,  planting  and 
harvesting.  He  was  married  in  1857  and  then  began  farming  on  his  own 
account,  being  thus  engaged  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when 
feeling  that  his  duty  was  to  the  Union,  he  enlisted  in  the  fall  of  1861,  being 
assigned  to  the  Tenth  Xew  York  cavalry  with  which  he  went  to  the  front  to 
protect  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  the  emblem  of  the  undivided  nation.  He 
was  only  permitted  to  remain  in  the  south  for  nine  months,  ill  health  com- 
pelling his  discharge. 

Mr.  Kinyon  then  returned  to  his  home  and  family  and  in  the  fall  of 
1864  removed  to  Minnesota,  where  he  purchased  a  small  farm,  making  hi:: 
home  thereon  until  1879— the  year  of  his  arrival  in  Kansas.  Settling  in 
linn  County  he  there  rented  a  farm  which  he  operated  for  two  years  when 
le  came  to  Woodson  County  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
on  Duck  creek,  twelve  miles  north  of  Yates  Center,  where  he  has  made  one 
of  the  most  desirable  home?;  in  the  township.  His  farm  in  every  depart- 
ment indicates  neatness,  thrift  and  careful  supervision.  Among  its  leading 
features  is  a  nice  re.?idence,  a  good  barn  and  fine  orchard  on  the  bank  of 
the  creek.  He  has  a  beautiful  lawn  of  blue  grass  and  in  every  particular 
the  farm  is  modern  and  indica+es  the  supervision  of  a  progressive  owner. 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1857,  in  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Kinyon  married 
Miss  Lydia  M.  Wheeler,  a  native  of  Tioga  County,  that  state,  and  a  daughter 
of  Moses  and  Cynthia  (Walker)  Wheeler.  Her  father  was  born  Septem- 
ber 10,  1810,  and  died  on  the  1st.  of  July,  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven 


"WODlDSON   CODN'riES,    KA'NSAS.  71Q 

years,  while  his  wife,  whose  birth  occurred  in  1812,  was  called  to  her  final 
rt'St  in  1880.  at  the  ape  of  sixty-eight  years.  Tkey  were  the  parents  of 
six  children,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living:  Mrs.  Julia  S.  Potts,  Mrs. 
Lydia  M.  Kinyon,  Mrs.  Ijottie  M.  I/awrence  and  Mrs,  Laura  Oberhotzer. 
'Those  deceased  are  Mrs.  Jan«  Curtis  and  Mr.  Morris  Wheeler.  The  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinyon  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  five  children, 
of  whom  three  survive:  Clarence  M.,  who  is  living  on  a  farm  near  his 
father;  Edmund  (i..  Avho  i.^  an  editor  and  until  recently  was  part  owner 
■of  the  Woodson  County  Advocate  and  Wilbur  M.,  who  is  mentioned 
later  on.  Frank  E.  died  in  Minnesota  and  Merton  A.  passed  away  in 
Oklahoma.  Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of  W.  P.  Kinyon— a  man  whom 
to  know  IS  to  respect  and  honor  for  his  life  has  ever  been  actuated  by 
honorable  principles  and  worthy  motives. 

Wilbur  M.  Kinyon,  the  youngest  son  was  born  in  Minnesota,  No- 
vember 8.  1874,  and  came  to  Kansas-;  with  his  parents  in  1879.  He  was 
then  a  small  boy  and  was  therefore  reared  and  educated  in  Woodson 
County.  He  has  always  lived  with  hip  father  and  mother  and  renders 
them  filial  care  and  devotion  which  adds  much  to  the  happiness  of  the 
■eA'ening  of  life  for  them.  He  has  taken  charge  of  the  home  farm,  thus 
relieving  his  father  of  responsihility  and  labor,  and  in  addition  he  owns 
-and  operates  eighty  acres  of  land  which  adjoins  the  old  homestead.  He 
is  engaged  in  stock-raising,  handling  all  of  the  stock  which  the  farms 
~>^-ill  support,  and  in  this  venture  is  meeting  with   gratifying  sueceiss. 

Wilbur  M.  Kinyon  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mi;  s  Mary  E.  E'ller, 
-n  native  of  the  Sunfiower  state  and  a  daughter  of  J.  E.  and  Mary  B. 
Etter,  both  residents  of  Woodson  County.  They  are  well  known  young 
people  of  the  -community  and  have  many  warm  friends  in  the  county,  the 
hospitality  of  many  of  the  best  homes  being  extended  to  them.  Mr.  Kin- 
yon is  a  young  man  of  excellent  business  ability  and  executive  force  and 
his  labors  are  being  attended  Avith  prosperity. 


NAPOLEON  B.  BUCK. 

NAPOLEON  B.  BUCK  ^Aras  born  in  Payette  County,  Indiana,  Fel5- 
ruary  19,  1837,  and  was  a  son  of  Harmon  Buck.  At  an  early  age  he  went 
to  MeLain  County,  Illinois,  where  he  secured  employment  as  a  farm 
hand  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  print- 
ing trade  in  the  office  of  the  Bloomington  Pantagraph,  from  which  time 
until  his  death  he  was  connected  with  the  printing  business,  either  as 
journeyman  or  journalist.  He  held  an  important  position  on  the  New  York 
Tribune  while  its  editor,  Horace  Greeley,  was  in  the  zenith  of  his  fame  and 
power.  In  1882  he  came  to  the  west,  locating  in  Yates  Centr,  where  he  be- 
came associated  with  R.  R.  Wells  in  the  publication  of  the  Yates  Center  Ar-^ 
gus.  A  few  months  later,  purchsing  the  interest  of  his  partner  he  gained 
fuU  control  of  the  paper.     After  a  year  or  more  had  passed  he  sold  the 


Ai-Lius  and  removt-d  to  Kansas  City,  where  he  remained  for  about  a  year;. 
but  in  the  summer  of  lb86  he  returned  to  Yates  Center,  puchasing  a  half 
intert^st  in  tlie  News  and  later  becoming  the  possessor  of  the  controlinfi' 
interest.  He  ablj'  eoiiducted  that  paper  until  September,  1888,  when  he 
r-;(  Id  out  and  i-aiiK^  to  Toionto,  he  and  his  younges.t  son  taking  charge  of 
the  Kepubli'?;in,  to  the  publication  of  which  he  devoted  his  energies  until 
the  afternoon  preceding  his  death. 

Napoleon  B.  Buck  was  married  in  N\'w  Yoik  eity,  August  25,  1863, 
to  Margarei:  JMayne,  and  unto  them  were  born  five  children:  Edward,. 
wlio  is  connected  with  the  Alamogordo  (N.  M.)  News;  Charles  A., 
Laura,  wife  of  Jacob  E.  Taylor,  of  Yates  Center;  Mabel  A.,  who  died  in 
ir.fancy,  and  Lida  A.,  wife  of  R.  L.  ilaxson,  of  Toronto,  Kansas. 

The  father  of  this  family  was  one  of  the  valued  residents  of  Wood- 
son County.  As  a  citizen  he  was  always  ac'^uated  by  the  principles  of 
loyality  and  patriotism  and  as  a  neighbor  he  was  respected  for  his  chari- 
table and  benevolent  spirit.  As  an  editor  and  publisher  he  considered 
his.  businers  interests  from  the  beginning  to  be  identical  with  every  enter' 
prise  in  the  city  and  his  trenchant  pen  was  always  ready  to  indite  words 
of  counsel  and  suggestions  for  the  material  interest  of  the  community.  Al- 
ways brave  under  discouraiiements  a'nd  hopeful  under  reverses,  his  ex- 
ample and  influence  have  induced  tho.se  around  him  to  stand  without 
wavering  in  the  battle  of  life.  On  all  questions  of  public  policy,  either 
political  or  moral,  after  due  deliberation  he  took  a  firm  stand  and  was 
persistent  in  the  advocacy  of  what  he  con.sidered  to  be  right  and  just  and 
for  the  best  intere.rt  of  all. 

Charles  A.  Buck  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  October  27,  1866; 
was  educated  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  from  early  ycfuth  has  Been  con- 
nected with  the  newspaper  business,  which  he  mastered  both  in  principle 
and  detail.  He  has  been  employed  in  newspaper  offices  in  Evansville, 
Indiana,  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Cleveland.  Ohio;  New  York  city,  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee.  St.  Louis,  Topeka.  Denver,  Los  Angeles.  San  Francisco, 
San  Digo  and  Tueson  and  published  the  Mail  in  Winslow,  Arizona, 
a-nd  the  Review  in  San  Bernardino.  After  the  death  of  his  father  in  1894 
he  returned  to  Toronto,  Kansas,  and  associated  with  his  mother,  con- 
tinued the  publication  of  the  Republican,  which,  under  their  manage- 
U'.ent  has  taken  high  rank  among  the  newspapers  in  this  portion  of  the 
state.  He  is  also  servirlg  as  postmaster,  to  which  position  he  was  ap- 
pointed in  April,  1897,  entering  upon  the  duties  of  the  office  on  the  17th. 
of  that  month.  And  in  April,  1898,  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  mother 
who  still  conducts  the  office. 

in  April.  1896,  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  Mr.  Buck  was  married  ta 
Miss  Allie  Hodgeman,  a  daughter  Frances  E.  Hodgeman,  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  and  in  Toronto  they  have  many  friends  who  gladly  extend  to  them 
the  hospitality  of  their  homes. 


"wODlDSON    CblTNTlES,    KAWSAS. 


SAMUEL  H.   HOGUELAND 


'Carlisle  has  said,  "Biography  is  by  nature  the  most  universally  profi- 
"ii'dble,  universally  pleasant  of  all  things,"  and  in  the  life  record  of  such 
:men  as  Mr.  Hogueland  there  is  certainly  a  lesson  of  value.  To  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review  there  has  come  the  attainment  of  a  distinguished  posi- 
tion in  connection  with  the  suhstantial  upbuilding  of  Woodson  County, 
^nd  his  efforts  ha^-e  been  so  discerningly  directed  along  well  defined  lines 
that  he  seems  to  lia\'e  reached  at  any  one  point  of  progress  the  fuM 
"measure  of  his  possibilities  for  accomplishment  at  that  point.  A  man 
'of  distinctive  and  forceful  individuality  and  most  mature  judgment,  hfe 
has  left  and  is  leaving  his  impress  upon  the  county  of  his  home,  contrib- 
uting in  very  large  measure  to  its  improvement  and  progress.  Within  the 
last  five  years  perhaps  no  other  one  citizen  has  aided  more  largely  in  the 
growth  and  development  of  this  portion  of  the  state.  He  is  now  acting 
as  immigration  agent  for  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  company  and  is 
one  of  the  leading  real  estate  men  of  southeastern  Kansas. 

Mr.  Hogueland  was  born  in  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  April  10,  -1850, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  B.  Hogueland  a  resident  of  Yates  Center.  In 
•early  life  our  subject  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Brown 
■County,  Indiana,  where  he  was  reared.  He  acquired  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion, completing  the  work  of  the  junior  year,  but  laid  aside  his  text 
bcote  when  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Kansas, 
the  family  .removing  to  the  Sunfiower  utate.  Here  he  entered  upon  his  busi- 
ness career,  learning  the  harness-maker's  trade  with  G.  W.  Fender,  of 
iSTeosho  Falls,  where  he  was  engaged  in  this  husiness  for  fifteen  years. 
He  then  embarked  in  the  real  i  state  })usiness,  heginning  operations  along 
that  line  in  Keosho  Falls,  but  transferring  his  headquarters  to  Yates 
'Center  in  1873.  Here  he  has  conducted  many  important  transactions 
■.and  for  thie  past  four  years  he  has  been  identified  with  the  Missouri  Pa- 
'cific  Railway  and  with -the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  company  as  immi- 
gration agent.  His  business  in  this  line  has  assumed  innnense  propor- 
tions and  Mr.  Hogueland  has  been  intrumental  in  a  large  iQeasure  in  pro- 
moting the  recent  rapid  settlement  and  development  of  the  county. 
Hundreds  of  eastern  people  have  heen  induced  hy  him  to  visit  Kansas 
and  a  large  percentage  of  them  have  made  investments  in  Kansas  real 
estate.  Land  in  the  vicinity  of  Yates  Center  has  arisen  in  value  five  dol- 
lars per  acre  because  of  his  modern  methods  of  handling  the  immigra- 
tion business.  All  tlirough  Iowa  and  Illinois  he  has  also  established  of- 
fices and  placed  men  of  business  ability  in  them  as  representatives  of  his 
work.  Mr.  Hogueland  is  a  gentleman  of  heen  discrimination,  splendid 
executive  force  and  capable  management.  He  readily  grasps  the  situa- 
tion, recognizes  the  points  of  business  that  contribute  to  success  and  is 
determined  in  the  execution  of  his  well  formulated  plans,  and  moreover 
"W'hile  his  labors  have  proven  of  individual  profi.t  they  have  also  con- 
tributed in  large  measure  to  the  general  prosperity  of  the  communities 


722  HISTOU^    Oi-'    ALLKN    AjNIj 

with  which  he  is  iclentiiled.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  business  men  11/ 
Vates  Center  in  the  development  of  the  gas  taelds  of  this  locality,  and  has-^ 
been  one  of  the  heaviest  contributors  to  the  fund  secured  in  order  to  sink 
uells  and  de' ermine  upon  the  gas  supply  in  this  region. 

Air.  Hogueland  was  united  in  marriage  in  Neosho  Falls,  in  April,. 
187.5,  to  Miss  Frances  Biddison.  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Biddison,  Unto' 
dieni  have  been  bom  the  following  children:  Ernest  H.,  who  is  reading' 
Irw  in  Topeka  v.ith  the  firm  of  Rossington,  Smith  &  Histed,  is  a  graduate' 
of  the  schools  of  Yates  Center  and  for  three  years  was  a  student  in  Wash-- 
bui'n  College  so  tha'  he  has  a  broad  general  knoM'ledge  to  serve  as  a 
foundation  upon  which  to  rear  the  superstructure  of  his  professional 
learning.  Cora,  the  daughter,  is  a  graduate  of  the  schools  of  Yates 
Center  and  is  now  filling  a  position  as  stenographer  and  typewriter. 
She  is  also  a  bonded  abstract  auent  of  Woodson  county.  The  family 
is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community,  its  representatives  occupying 
high  positions  in  the  social  circles.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr. 
Hogueland  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  has  supported  each  year  the 
Candidates  of  the  party  since  easting  his  first  vote  for  General  U.  S. 
(irant.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic,  Odd  Fellows  and 
Knights  of  Pythias  orders,  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  Masonic  grand 
lodge  and  has  filled  all  of  the  offices  in  the  local  Masonic  and  Odd  Fel- 
lows societies. 

Mr.  Hogueland  makes  his  home  in  Yates  Center,  but  the  "boundaries 
of  the  town  are  too  limited  for  the  capabilities  of  such  a  man.  He  is 
a  man  of  the  stc^te— a  typical  representative  of  the  American  spirit 
which  M'ithin  the  past  century  has  achieved  a  work  that  at  once  arouses 
the  admiration  and  astonishment  of  the  world.  M^'oodson  County  is 
fortunate  that  he  has  allied  his  interests  with  hers.  The  marvelous 
development  of  the  AY  est  is  due  to  such  men,  M'hose  indomitable  energy 
and  progressive  spirit  have  overcome  all  obstacles  and  reached  the  goal 
of  success.  He  is  not  so  abnormally  developed  as  to  be  called  a  genius, 
but  he  is  one  of  the  strongest  because  one  of  the  best  balanced,  most 
even  and  self -masterful  of  men,  and  he  has  acted  his  part  so  well  in  botli 
public  and  private  life  that  Yates  Center  has  been  enriched  by  his  ex- 
ample, his  character  and  his  labo'r. 


HIRAM  JEFFRIE'S. 

For  nineteen  years  Hiram  Jeffries  has  resided  upon  the  farm  ifl 
Center  tOAvnship,  AA'oodson  County,  which  he  now  occupies.  This  covers 
the  whole  period  of  his  residence  in  Kansas.  Throughout  the  entire 
time  he  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits  and  his  place— one  of  the  best 
improved  in  the  township— is  an  evidence  of  an  active,  busy  and  useful 
career. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  723 

Mr.  Jeffries  was  born  in  Faj^e'rte  County,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  1st 
of  August,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Darlington  Jeffries,  who  was  born  in 
Faj'ette  County,  Pa.,  in  1801,  and  was  reared  in  the  same  county.  The 
grandfather,  William  Jeffries,  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  after  his  marriage  removed  to  Payette  County,  M'here  he 
died  May  21,  1848,  aged  88  years.  His  first  wife  was  Ann  Woodward, 
who  bore  him  Joseph,  Rebecca,  William,  Hannah,  Taylor,  Ann,  Mifflin, 
Elizabeth  and  Mary  A.  His  second  wife  was  Martha  Mendenhall,  whose 
children  were  Jane,  Darlington,  Esther  and  Martha  M. 

Darlington  Jeffries  remained  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  until  1867, 
when  he  removed  to  McDonough  County,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his 
remaining  days,  dying  in  1886.  He  followed  farming  throughout  his 
entire  life.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  INIiller,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  M^illiam  Miller.  By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother 
of  fifteen  children :  Eebecca  M,  wife  of  Eli  Woodward,  of  McDonough 
Coun+y.  Illinoisj  William  M,  of  Payette  County,  Pennsylvania :  Lewis, 
of  McDonough  County,  Illinois ;  Hiram ;  Robert,  who  is  living  in  Ne- 
braska;  Matilda,  wife  of  George  Moore,  of  Payette  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania; Lydia,  deceased  wife  of  Joseph  Hezlett;  Warwick  AV.,  of  Den- 
ver, Colorado ;  Mrs.  Rachel  Wright,  of  Chicago,  Illinois ;  Aaron,  of  Cal- 
ifornia ;  Oliver,  deceased ;  I  ewton,  of  Hancock  County,  Illinois ;  Eliza- 
beth, widow  of  "William  Granger,  of  Hancock  County,  Illinois;  Ester 
A.,  wife  of  David  Miner,  of  California,  and  Mary,  deceased. 

Under  the  parental  roof,  Mr.  Jeffries  spent  the  days  of  his  minority 
and  to  the  common  school  system  of  the  country  he  is  indebted  for  the 
educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed.  Practical  experience  in  the 
work  of  the  farm  had  well  qualified  him  for  the  duties  of  agriculture, 
when  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account,  and  throughout  his  active 
business  career  he  has  succersfully  engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil. 
When  he  started  out  upon  an  independent  career,  he  had  only  a  span 
oi  horses,  two  cows  and  tM'O  hogs.  Located  in  LaSalle  County,  Illinois, 
he  there  remained  for  one  year  and  in  1864  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Mc- 
Donough county,  that  state,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  1882, 
when  he  came  to  Kansas.  He  then  took  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm 
which  is  still  his  home,  purchasing  a  half  section  of  land,  which  he  has 
transformed  into  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  attractive  farms  in  Center 
township. 

In  Payette  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  Pebruary,  1861,  Mr.  Jeffries 
was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Combs,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Combs,  and 
unto  them  have  been  born  the  following  named :  Lou  Emma,  who  mar- 
ried Clara  Pullington ;  William,  who  married  Ida  Kemler;  Joseph,  de- 
ceased; Sarah,  widow  of  Horace  Normington,  and  John,  of  Jasper 
County,   Missouri. 

In  early  life,  the  father  of  our  subject  was  a  Whig  and  when  the 
Republican  party  was  formed  became  one  of  the  stalwart  supporters  of 


724  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

that  organization.  Reared  in  that  political  faith,  and  sanctioning  the 
principles  of  Republicanism  with  his  mature  judgment,  Mr.  Jeffries  has 
ever  continued  to  cast  his  ballot  for  its  men  and  measures.  He  lias 
served  as  treasurer  of  the  school  board,  but  other^vise  has  never  hela 
office.  The  family  attend  the  Baptist  church  and  ilr  Jeffries  withr 
holds  his  support  from  no  movement  or  measure  which  has  for  its  object 
the  good  of  the  community.  He  is  justl.y  regarded  as  a  valuable  citizen 
and  as  a  most  progressive,  enterprising  and  practical  farmer  whose  well 
directed  efforts  have  been  the  means  of  bringing  to  him  gratifying  pros- 
perity. 


JOSEPH  F.  BAYLESS. 

This  well  known  citizen  of  AVoodson  County  is  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive sheep  raisers  in  Kansas  and  has  been  largely  interested  in  im- 
proving the  grade  of  stock  raised  in  the  state.  His  efforts  have  there- 
fore been  of  piiblic  benefit  for  the  improvement  of  stock  adds  to  its  mar- 
ket value  and  the  wealth  of  the  agricultural  class  is  augmented  thereby. 
The  rich  meadow  lands  of  southeastern  Kansas  provide  excellent  oppor- 
tunities to  the  stock-raiser,  and  this  industry  has  become  a  most  impor- 
tant one  in  the  commercial  interests  of  Woodson  County. 

Mr.  Bayless,  who  I'esides  in  Center  township,  arrived  in  the  county 
on  the  24th  of  September,  1881,  coming  from  Jasper  County,  Iowa.  He 
is,  however,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Bea- 
ver County,  on  the  1st  of  June,  1836.  His  father,  Nathan  J.  Bayless, 
was  born  in  Cecil  County,  Maryland,  in  1796,  but  was  reared  in  the 
Keystone  state  and  throughout  his  business  career  carried  on  farming. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Booth,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  unto  them  were 
born  seven  children :  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  George  Billingsley, 
and  after  his  death  married  Alexander  McCalla,  but  is  now  deceased ; 
Lydia,  deceased  wife  of  JoTin  Billingsley;  Sam^^el,  who  has  also  passed 
away;  Cassander;  Hannah,  wife  of  John  McCalla,  a  resident  of  Salem, 
Ohio;  Elizabeth,  deceased,  and  Nathan  J.  The  father  of  this  family 
departed  this  life  on  the  26th  of  December,  1869,  and  the  mother  passed 
away  April  27,  1863,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Joseph  F.  Bayless,  we  present 
to  our  readers  the  record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
Woodson  County.  Educated  in  the  district  schools,  he  began  his  busi- 
Et-ss  career  as  a  general  farmer  and  stock  raiser  before  attaining  his 
majority.  On  the  11th  of  October,  1860,  when  twenty-four  years  of  age, 
he  secured  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmeet  for  life's  journey  by  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Esther  P.  Duff,  a  daughter  of  WiUiam  Duff,  who 
resided  in  western  Pennsylvania  and  was  of  Irish  descent.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Esther  Caughey  and  her  parents  were  of  Scotch 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  725 

extraction.  Mr.  Duff  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  His  child- 
ren were:  Sarah  A.,  widow  of  David  Wallace,  of  New  Concord,  Ohio; 
Eleanor,  deceased  wife  of  Archibald  McNair,  of  Mercer  County,  Penn- 
sylvania;  Samuel  C,  who  is  living  in  Beaver  County;  Mary  and  Eliza 
J.,  who  have  passed  away,  and  Mrs.  Bayless. 

For  ten  years  after  his  marriage,  the  subject  of  this  review,  re- 
mained in  his  native  state  and  then  removed  with  family  to  Bates  County, 
Missouri,  settling  upon  a  farm  which  he  made  his  home  for  about  five 
years.  He  then  went  to  Jasper  County,  Iowa,  where  he  spent  a  similar 
period,  and  on  the  24th  of  September,  1881,  he  arrived  in  Woodson 
County.  Here  he  located  on  section  fourteen,  township  twenty-five, 
range  fourteen  and  owns  three-fourths  of  the  section.  His  land  is  di- 
vided into  fields  for  cultivation  and  into  pastures  to  afford  grazing  for 
the  stock.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  sheep  and  his  opinion 
is  regarded  as  authority  on  that  subject  in-  this  portion  of  the  country. 
He  'also  has  some  fine  grades  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs,  and  in  his  fields 
he  produces  rich  crops.  He  takes  a  commendable  pride  in  keeping  every- 
thing about  the  place  in  first-class  condition,  and  fields  and  buildings  all 
indicate  his  careful  supervision  and  progressive  methods  of  farming. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bayless  has  been  blessed  with  five  child- 
rm:  Lillie  E.,  wife  of  B.  F.  Graham,  of  Whitman  County,  Washington; 
Stanton  W.,  of  Lake  Charles,  Louisiana;  Laura  M..  wife  of  William  Mc- 
Daniel,  of  Okanogan  County,  Washington;  Adelaide  C,  wife  of  Herbert 
P.  Lewis,  of  Ashcroft,  British  Columbia,  and  Jessie  G.,  a  graduate  of 
the  Kansas  Agricultural  College,  of  the  class  of  1898.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bayle5;s  have  many  friends  in  their  adopted  county,  and  during  the 
twenty  years  of  his  residence  here,  Mr.  Bayless  has  been  accoimted  one 
of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  community,  not  alone  on  account  of 
the  success  he  has  achieved  in  business  but  also  because  of  his  fidelity  and 
loyalty  as  a  citizen  and  his  earnest  support  of  all  that  he  believes  will 
promote  the  general  good. 


JOHN  HARDING. 

COLONEL  HARDING,  for  thus  he  is  known  among  his  friends, 
i>  a  leading  farmer  of  Woodson  County  and  an  honored  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war  whose  loyalty  to  the  Union  cause  was  manifest  by  his  bravery 
on  many  a  battlefield  of  the  South.  He  was  born  in  Luzerne  County, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  14th  of  August,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  Hard- 
ing, a  native  of  Exeter,  Luzerne  County,  born  in  1802.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  John  Harding,  Sr.,  was  the  sole  survivor  of  the  Indian 
massacre  in  the  Wyoming  valley.  A  native  of  Massachusetts,  he  became 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Luzerne  County  and  there  bore  his  part  in 
reclaiming  the  wild  land  for  purposes  of  civilization.     He  made  farm- 


726  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

iiig  his  life  work,  following  that  arduous  task  amid  the  forests  of  his 
adopted  state.  He  married  a  Aliss  Jenkins,  and  in  their  pioneer  home 
they  reared  their  large  family,  of  whom  Henry  Harding  was  the 
youngest. 

The  father  of  our  subject  also  became  a  farmer  and  was  very  suc- 
cessful, leaving  a  valuable  estate  at  his  death.  He  supported  the  "Whig 
party  and  was  recognized  as  a  local  political  leader,  his  opinions  carry- 
ing weight  in  the  councils  of  his  party.  He  was  always  a  great  student 
of  the  Bible  and  had  a  firm  belief  in  the  life  beyond  the  grave  and  that 
he  should  enjoy  that  life.  He  married  Sarah  Montanye,  who  died  in 
1889,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  Their  children  were :  Henry  M., 
assistant  judge  of  the  circuit  court  and  a  resident  of  Wyoming  County, 
Pennsylvania;  Isaac,  who  is  living  in  the  Yosemite  valley  of  California; 
John,  of  this  review;  Amy.  wife  of  Clinton  DeWitt,  of  Pittston,  Pennsyl- 
vania ;  Fannie,  wife  of  Jerry  Worral,  of  San  Francisco,  California ; 
Mahala  B.,  widow  of  Punderson  Miller,  of  Tunkhannock,  Pennsylvania; 
Lucy,  wife  of  William  Weatherbee,  of  Exeter,  Pennsylvania  ;  M.  Adelia, 
wife  of  Dr.  M.  H.  Everett,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska. 

In  his  early  boyhood  John  Harding  was  a  student  in  the  country 
schools  and  later  attended  the  AVyoming  !~'eminary  of  the  Wyoming 
Valley,  completing  his  education  in  the  New  York  Conference  Seminaiy. 
He  left  that  institution  to  go  to  Lee  County,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged 
in  teaching  at  intervals  for  several  years.  He  resided  in  Wyoming  town- 
ship, Lee  County,  and  there  remained  for  twenty-six  years,  devoting  his 
time  to  educational  work  and  merchandising.  In  1859  he  returned  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  again  followed  teaching  at  intervals  also  spend- 
ing some   time   as   a   salesman   in   mercantile   establishments. 

In  1863  Mr.  Harding  was  employed  with  an  engineering  corps  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  the  following  year  he  returned  to  Luzerne 
County,  where  he  was  drafted  for  service.  He  paid  three  hundred 
dollars  commutation  money,  and  immediately  afterward  was  commis- 
sioned second  lieutenant  in  the  recruiting  service.  He  recruited  seventy- 
two  men,  had  them  mustered  in  and  was  then  commissioned  first 
lieutenant  of  Company  G,  Two  Hundred  and  Tenth  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  with  which  command  he  joined  the  Fifth  Corps  on  the 
15th  of  September,  under  General  Meade.  Lieutenant  Harding  parti- 
cipated in  the  battle  of  South  Side  Railroad,  October  28,  1864,  and 
of  Hatcher's  Run,  in  February,  1865.  At  the  latter  he  was  shot 
through  the  right  elbow.  On  the  ISth  of  May.  1865,  he  received  an 
honorable  discharge,  and  was  mustered  out  under  general  order,  No.  82. 
and  special  order.  No.  238.  He  participated  in  the  Grand  Review  in 
AVashington  and  then  returned  to  his  home  in  Luzerne  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  last  of  May,  1865. 

The  following  fall  Mr.  Harding  returned  to  Wyoming  township,  Lee 
Countv.  Illinois. where  he  .was  engaged  in  general  merchandising,  and  in 


"X<?OOt)"SON   tOtfN'riES,    KANSAS.  727 

■^he  lumber  business,  following  those  pursuits  until  1884,  when  he  was 
'induced  to  come  West  where  land  could  be  obtained  cheaper.  Making 
laii>  way  to  Woodson  County,  Kansas,  he  purchased  section  fifteen.  Center 
township,  and  has  since  devoted  his  attention  to  the  raising  and  shipping 
*-of  stock.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  representatives  of  the  business  in  this 
part  of  the  state  and  through  the  prosecution  of  his  labors  is  winning 
:.ii  high  degree  of  prosperity. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1867,  Colonel  Harding  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Minnie  T.  Bostic,  a  daughter  of  William  Bostie,  who  was 
^originally  from  Carliste,  Pennsylvania.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Susan  L.  Atkinson,  and  their  only  child  is  Mrs.  Harding,  who  by 
her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  seven  children :  Affa  E.,  wife 
'of  Oscar  Pullington,  of  Yates  Center;  Harry,  at  home;  Ethel  A.,  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Kansas  State  Normal  school ;  Mabel  P.,  wife  of  W.  A.  Taylor, 
'cl  McPherson,  Ksnras;  Minnie  D.,  James  T.  and  John  M.,  who  are  with 
their  parents. 

In  his  political  views  Colonel  Harding  has  always  been  a  stalwart, 
►enthusiastic  Repu~blican,  very  zealous  in  support  of  the  party.  He  cast 
his  first  vote  for  Winfield  Fcott.  his  second  for  John  C.  Fremont  and 
■since  that  time  has  never  failed  to  vote  for  each  Republican  candidate 
for  the  presidency.  He  is  a  leading  citizen,  influential  in  the  ranks  of  his 
party,  and  is  ever  ready  to  give  his  co-operation  and  aid  to  measures 
which  have  for  their  object  the  general  good.  He  is  to-day  as  true  to 
liis  duties  of  citizenship  as  when  he  followed  the  starry  banner  through 
"the  South, 


ERNEST  LINDER. 

Mr.  Linder's  residence  on  Owl  creek  antedates  that  of  any  other 
resident  now  living  along  that  stream.  The  history  of  Woodson  County 
in  pioneer  days  is  therefore  very  familiar  to  him  as  well  as  that  of  the 
later  progress  and  development.  He  arrived  here  on  the  13th  of'  April, 
1857,  and  through  the  passing  years  has  been  a  representative  of  the 
"agricultural  interests  of  this  portion   of  the  state. 

Ernest  Linder  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  October  31,  1827,  and 
was  a  son  of  Jacob  Linder,  also  a  native  of  that  country.  He  was  a 
^tone  mason  by  trade  and  spent  his  early  life  in  Carlsruhe,  where  he 
married  Barbara  Stobber.  Coming  to  this  country  he  spent  the  last  four 
years  of  his  life  in  Owl  Creek  township,  Woodson  County,  where  he 
idled  in  1870.  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  the  following  year.  Their  children  were :  Ernest,  of  this  review ; 
August,  who  died  in  Preeport,  Illinois,  in  1896;  Frank,  who  also  died 
In  Freeport;  Louise,  who  died  in  1862;  Christina,  a  twin  sister  of  Louise, 
and  now  a  widow  of  Richard  Perdel,  of  Allen  County,  Kansas,  and  Caro- 


7'2S  rflSTOftV  Of'    ALLEN    A'NIT 

I'ue,  wife  of  Martin   Kern,   of  Allen   County. 

Throughout  the  period  of  his  minority  Ernest  Linder  remained  ir» 
the  fatherland  and  there  learned  the  stone  mason's  trade.  Deciding  tc 
emigrate  to  America  in  185'2.  he  sailed  from  Havre,  France,  landing  in- 
Xew  York  after  forty-eight  days  spent  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Atlantic, 
lie  made  the  journey  with  the  other  members  of  the  family,  and  after 
nacliing  the  shores  of  the  new  world  they  continued  their  westward- 
.journey  across  the  country  to  AViseonsin  and  later  went  to  Stephensom 
County,  Illinois,  where  our  subject  remained  until  1857,  working  at  his- 
tiade.  He  then  came  to  Kansas,  his  trip  resulting  from  accounts  which 
he  read  in  a  paper  published  at  Osawatomie  and  which  advocated  the- 
principles  and  plans  of  John  Brown,  the  celebrated  abolitionist. 

In  company  with  his  brother  August,  Mr.  Linder  went  by  rail  to 
>^t.  Louis,  Mo.,  thence  by  boat  to  Kansas  City  and  from  that  place  by 
stage  to  Lawrence,  Kas.,  where  they  stopped  for  a  short  reconnaissance. 
On  learning  something  about  the  country  and  its  opportunities,  they 
started  on  foot  for  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  state,  spending  the- 
first  night  in  Ohio  City,  near  where  the  city  of  Ottawa  is  now  located. 
The  second  night  was  passed  in  the  home  of  an  old  bachelor  west  of  the 
site  of  Carnett,  and  the  next  day  they  proceeded  along  the  Indian  trail 
to  Leroy,  which  was  then  a  small  village.  On  the  fourth  morning  they 
crossed  the  Neosho  river,  continuing  on  their  way  to  Cherry  creek,  and 
in  that  locality  for  some  months  they  made  their  home  with  John  Cole- 
man. The  brothers  at  once  began  searching  for  good  claims  and  Mr. 
Linder  of  this  review  entered  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  thirty- 
three,  township  twenty-five,  range  seventeen.  He  then  began  the  erec- 
tion of  a  rude  cabin,  followed  by  the  work  of  clearing  and  improving  his 
land,  iipon  which  he  has  resided  continuously  since,  transforming  the 
wild  tract  into  a  richly  cultivated  farm,  where  well  tilled  fields  give 
promise  of  bounteous  harvests,  and  buildings  and  fences,  all  in  good 
repair,  indicate  the  careful  supervision  of  a  painstaking  owner. 

Since  coming  to  the  county  Mr.  Linder  has  followed  farming  with 
the  exception  of  the  time  of  his  service  in  the  Union  army.  In  1862  he 
enlisted  in  Cdmijany  F,  Ninth  Kansas  Cavalry.  The  regiment  spent  its 
time  largely  in  Kansas  and  Missouri  during  the  first  two  years  and  the 
loSt  year  in  Arkansas,  being  finally  mustered  out  at  Duvalls  Bluflf,  that 
state.  The  only  battle  in  which  Mr.  Linder  participated  was  that  of 
Newtonia  in  1862,  for  the  regiment  was  largely  engaged  in  checking 
the  operation  of  the  bushwackers. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1865,  in  Stephenson  County,  Illinois,  Mr. 
Linder  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Julia  Boyer,  who  was  born  in 
Carbon  County,  Pennsylvania,  August  1.  1843,  a  daughter  of  John 
Boyer,  who  died  in  Owl  Creek  township,  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
C'ght  years.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Fenstermacher, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  as  follows:     John;  Owen; 


IvOOTDBOK   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  7 20 

'Caroline,  widow  of  Henry  Boardner ;  Lizzie,  deceai^ed  wife  of  John  Gufen- 
ther;  Frances,  who  married  Lou  Knights;  Emma,  wife  of  Charles  Waltbh 
-Aaron  and  Sylvester,  in  Stephenson  County,  Illinois,  and  Mi-s.  Linder. 
"With  the  exception  of  thore  otherwise  designated  all  of  the  mem"bers  of 
this  family  have  been  or  are  residents  of  Iowa.  The  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Linder  has  been  blessed  with  five  children :  Alice,  wife  of  August 
'Stockebrand,  of  AYoodson  County;  Prank  Edward,  who  married  Katie 
'Strauss  and  also  resides  in  Woodson  County ;  Laura,  at  home ;  Louisa, 
wife  of  Nicliolas  Bennett,  of  the  same  county,  and  Sara'h,  who  completes 
the  family.  Mr.  Linder  and  his  family  have  long  been  connected  with 
the  Evangelical  cliureh  and  are  worthy  people  of  the  community,  win- 
umg  friends  by  their  true  worth.  Mr.  Linder  has  been  an  important 
'factor  in  the  progress  and  development  of  the  county,  and  his  name  is 
v^r.rolled  high  on  the  record  of  its  honnred  pioneers. 


WILLIAM  HARTWIG. 

A  brilliant  example  of  a  self-made  American  citizen,  his  record  ex- 
•emplifying  the  progress  that  an  ambitious  foreigner  can  make  in  this 
■country  of  unbounded  opportunities,  is  shown  in  the  ease  of  William 
Llartwig,  one  of  the  leading  German-American  citizens  of  Kansas.  His 
singular  success  is  due  to  his  own  energy  and  the  high  ideal  which  his 
laudable  amlDition  placed  TDefore  him.  Success  in  any  walk  of  life  is  an 
indication  of  earnest  endeavor  and  persevering^  effort— characteristics 
which  our  subject  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree. 

Mr.  Hartwig  is  numbered  among  the  honored  pioneers  of  Woodson 
County  wliere  lie  located  in  1858,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Owl  Creek 
township  in  1863.  He  was  born  in  the  village  of  Pummean,  Prussia, 
'October  9.  1840,  and  was  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Kansas 
with  his  father,  Gottlieb  Hartwig.  His  active  business  life  has  all  been 
passed  in  this  county.  When  the  country  became  involved  in  war  over 
the  attempt  at  secession  made  by  some  of  the  Southern  states,  he  enlisted 
under  the  starry  banner  of  the  tlnion,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1862,  join- 
ing Company  P.  Ninth  Kansas  Infantry,  at  lola,  under  Captain  B.  P. 
Goss.  He  served  all  the  time  in  Missouri,  Kas.,  and  Arkansas,  taking 
part  in  few  engagements,  the  most  important  being  at  Prairie  Grove, 
Arkansas.  He  remained  in  the  army,  however,  for  tbree  years,  and  was 
then  honorably  discharged,  without  having  been  wounded  or  taken 
piisoner. 

Upon  his  return  to  Woodson  County,  Mr.  Hartwig  resumed  farm- 
ing. He  was  married  here  on  the  9th  of  December,  1869,  to  Bertha 
Shultz,  a  daughter  of  Christian  Shultz,  a  German  by  birth,  then  residing 
in  Woodson  County.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartwig  have  been  born  the  fol- 
lowing children :     Henry  A.,  of  Rochester,  New  York,  who  is  with  the 


f:^0  HISTbli'i'    Ob'  ALLfijJ    AXD' 

Kochestir,  Buffalo  &  Pittsburg  railroad;  JWatilda,  wife  of  Luke  BectetlV 
r,r  Woodson  <'miuty;  Amelia,  wife  of  Edward  ymith,  of  the  same  county p 
Mary,  iliniiie,  Charles.  Nellie,  Elsie,  Freddie  and  Lillie,  all  yet  at  home^ 
The  family  residence  is  a  very  comfortable  one  situated  in  the  midst 
of  an  extensive  farm  on  section  twenty-nine.  Owl  Creek  township.  Mr. 
Hartwig  now  owns  six  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  of  which  five  hun- 
ilred  and  eifthty  acres  is  comprised  within  the  home  farm  and  is  a  rich 
and  arable  tract.-  None  of  the  modern  accessories  and  improvements  arc 
lacking. upon  this  desirable  place,  good  buildings,  well  kept  fences,  mod- 
ern machinery  and  well  tilled  fields  all  indicating  to  the  passer-by  the 
thrift  and  en+erprise  of  the  owner,  whose  progressive  spirit  and  inde- 
fatigable labors  have  won  him  a  creditable  position  among  the  leading 
aiid  repre  entative  farmers  of  the  township.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republi- 
can and  has  served  as  township  trustee  and  township  clerk,  capably  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  both  positions.  He  represents  the  best  class  of 
nur  Ci'erman- American  citizens,  reliable  in  business,  steadfast  of  purpose, 
faithful  in  friendship  and  loyal  to  our  Republican  institutions,  thus  in- 
Hicating  his  strong  love  for  the  land  of  his  adoption-. 


PROTAS  BLITME. 

Under  circumstances  which  would  have  utterly  discouraged  and  dis- 
heartened a  man  of  less  resolute  spirit  and  earnest  purpose  rrotas  Blumc 
has  v.'oi'ktd  his  way  upward  to  success.  At  times  fate  has  seemed  to  be 
adverse  and  obstacles  and  difficulties  have  barred  his  path,  but  perse- 
verance and  energy  have  conquered  all,  and  to-day  Mr.  Blume  is  living  in 
honorable  retirement  in  a  pleasant  residence  in  YateS  Center,  his  toil  in 
former  years  having  brought  to  him  a  competence  which  now  supplies 
him  with  all  the  necessities  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  If  more 
young  men  followed  his  example,  the  word  "failure"  would  appear  less 
frequently  in  connection  with  biographical  history. 

Mr.  Blume  was  born  in  Strasburg,  Germany,  May  6,  1832,  and 
fl.'ere  spent  the  first  ten  years  of  his  life,  after  which  he  came  to 
America  with  his  father,  Joseph  Blue,  in  1842.  They  landed  in 
New  York  City  and  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  0.,  where  the  father  died 
of  cholera  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  His  wife  had  died  in  Germany 
prior  to  his  emigration  to  the  new  world.  Our  subject,  then  a  young 
boy,  engaged  as  an  apprentice  to  learn  the  tailor's  trade  and  was  em- 
ployed in  Cincinnati  for  five  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  Moorfield, 
Indiana,  where  he  secured  a  situation  as  a  farm  hand,  working  by  the 
month. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  the  .journey  of  life  he  chose  Miss 
Christiana  McKinzie,  who  Avas  born  in  Switzerland  County,  Indiana,  in 
1823,  and  was  of  Scotch  lineage.     Their  marriage  was  celebrated  on  the 


WOODSON  COUNTIEii,  KANSAS.  73 1 

]9lli  of  January,  1858,  and  ilr.  Blume  continued  farming  in  the  Hoosier 
Slate  until  1862,  when  feeling  that  his  country  needed  his  services  he 
enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Fortieth  Indiana  Infantry  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Nashville  ana  Franklin.  In  the  latter  he  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  back  of  the  head  and  for  a  long  time  lay  ill  in 
the  hospital,  after  which  he  was  discharged  on  accouet  of  his  injury,  after 
serving  for  nineteen  months.  '  '^ 

Mr.  Blume  then  returned  to  Indiana  and  as  soon  as  he  was  able  he 
and  his  wife  removed  to  Madison  County,  that  state,  where  he  used'  the 
money  which  he  had  raved  in  the  army  to  make  partial  payment  upon 
a  farm.  To  make  the  purchase  he  incurred  an  indebtedness  of  five  hun- 
dred and  sixty-three  dollars.  He  labored  hard  and  at  length  acquired  the 
money  with  which  to  make  full  payment.  On  the  2d  of  December,  1867, 
therefore,  he  started  for  the  recorder's  office  with  the  money,  but  the 
man  to  whom  he  owed  it  failed  to  meet  him.  He  then  started  to  return 
and  while  crossing  a  bridge  he  was  attacked  by  highwaymen,  knocked 
senseless  and  the  money  taken  from  him.  the  robbers  making  their  escape. 
This  was  such  a  discouragement  that  Mr.  Blume  resolved  to  lose  what 
he  had  already  paid  on  the  farm  and  go  to  Kansas  where  he  could  obtain 
land  from  the  government.  Accordingly,  in  the  spring  of  1868,  he  ar- 
rived in  Humboldt,  Kas.,  with  only  a  dollar  and  f^ixty-five  cents'  in  his 
pocket.  The  next  day  he  began  work  for  William  Lassman  at  hauling 
sand.  After  three  months  he  filed  a  claim  to  one  hundred '  and '  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Eminence  township,  Woodson  County.         '      '      '.      ' 

Since  that  time  Mr.  Blume  has  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  has  made  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  .county.  He.  has 
s;nce  taken  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  of  land  each  for  two  of  his  sons, 
and  his  home  farm  comprises  two  hundred  and 'forty  acres— a  valii'able 
tiact  on  which  is  a  fine  . residence  and  three  large  barns' togetlier  with 
)"any  other  improvements.  The  cattle  barn  will  accommodate  sixty-five 
head"  of  cattle,  and  he  has  ,two  barns  for  the  horses,  together  with  cow 
pens  and  other  builclings,  somewhat  resembling  a  little  village.  On  the 
place  is  a  fine  grove  of  maples,  containing  ten  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
trees  in  rows  four  feet  apart  in  one  direction,  six  feet  in  the  other.  At 
the  well  there  are  also  nineteen  trees,  which  were  planted  by  his  wife, 
who  pulled  up  the  switches  and  carried  them  home,  planting  them  in 
Ibeir  present  location.  They  are  now  two  feet  thick  and  one  hundred 
feet  in  height  and  stand  as  monuments  to  Mrs.  Blume.  As  the  years 
have  passed  Mr.  Blume  has  met  with  a  high  degree  of  success  in  his  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising  operations,  and  with  a  handsome  competence  suf- 
ficient to  supply  his  wants  throughout  the  evening  of  life  he  has  retired 
to  Yates  Center  where  he  is  happily  and  quietly  living  with  the  wife  who 
through  more  than  forty  years  has  been  his  faithful  and  devoted  com- 
panion on  life's  journey.  They  took  up  their  abode  in  the  city  No- 
vember 15.  1897— the  only  removal  they  have  made  since  coming  to 
Woodson   County. 


732  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

The  marriage  of  JMi-.  and  Mrs.  Blume  was  blessed  with  five  children: 
■Joseph  D.,  who  resides  upon  the  home  farm;  Andrew  J.,  who  is  Jiving  on 
one  of  his  father's  farms  near  Buffalo;  Jarvis  Amos,  who  is  now  a  prac- 
ticing attorney  of  Chicago,  where  he  has  made  his  home  for  eight  years; 
Anna,  wife  of  D.  M.  Corley,  and  John  H.  The  daughter  was  born  in 
1S62  and  died  February  18,  1895,  leaving  a  daughter  in  Basin,  Mon- 
tana, while  the  youngest  son,  born  August  28,  1865,  died  June  6,  1877. 
i:^ueh  in  brief  is  the  his'ory  of  Protas  Blume— a  man  whose  industrious 
and  upright  life  has  ever  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his 
fc-llow  men.  A  resolute  spirit  has  been  the  dominating  element  in  his 
success  and  has  brought  him  prosperity  which  is  indeed  enviable  and 
equally  as  well  deserved. 


WILLIAM  -E.  HOGUELAND. 

Few,  if  any  residents  of  Yates  Center  are  more  widely,  and  cer- 
tainly none  are  more  honorably  known  than  William  E.  Hogueland,  the 
present  postmaster,  whose  worth  as  a  man,  as  a  citizen  and  as  a  public 
official  have  gained  for  him  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact.  His  reputation  in  the  line  of  his 
profession — the  law— is  not  of  restricted  order  and  he  has  won  many 
notable  forensic  combats  n^  the  bar  where  his  opponents  have  been  men 
of  acknowledged  skill  and  ability. 

It  is  therefore  a  matter  of  gratification  to  the  biographer  to  touch 
upon  the  more  salient  features  in  the  life  history  of  Mr.  Hogueland,  who 
was  born  in  Nashville,  Indiana,  on  the  3d  of  October,  1859.  He  is  a 
grandson  of  John  Hogueland.  whose  ancestors  came  from  Holland  to 
America  and  settled  in  the  old  Dutch  colony  of  New  York.  William 
B.  Hogueland,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Philadelphia  on 
the  site  of  the  present  campus  of  Girard  college,  in  the  year  1823  and 
after  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Cordelia  Barnes,  who  was 
born  in  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  in  1832.  They  are  still  living  and  their 
children  are :  Samuel  H. ;  Mary,  who  is  the  widow  of  W.  A.  Atchison 
ai.d  is  in  the  Indian  school  servicee  at  Flandru,  South  Dakota;  Flora, 
wife  of  M.  C.  Bidwell,  of  Norborne,  Missouri,  and  William  Edward,  of 
this  review. 

When  a  lad  of  ten  years  William  E.  Hogueland  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Kansas,  the  family  locating  in  Neosho  Falls, 
where  he  continued  his  education,  being  graduated  in  the  high  school. 
When  only  sixteen  years  of  age  he  began  reading  law,  and  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  before  Judge  Talcott.  Throughout 
the  years  of  his  practice  he  has  resided  in  Woodson  County.  In  January, 
1888,  he  formed  a  law  partnership  with  the  Hon.  G.  R.  Stephenson  at 
Yates  Center,  Kansas,  which  relationship  was  maintained  until  January, 


eSL-"*-^ 


-< 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  733 

lfc97.  The  connection  was  then  dissolved  by  mutual  consent  and  Mr. 
Hogueland  entered  into  partnership  with  Hon.  G.  H.  Lamb.  Since  his 
admission  to  the  bar  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  practice  and  has 
been  retained  either  as  counsel  for  the  plaintiff  or  defendant  in  every 
important  ease  tried  in  the  courts  of  the  county.  His  practice  extends 
throughout  Southeastern  Kansas  and  is  of  a  distinctively  representa- 
tive character  .  He  has  especially  prepared  himself  as  a  counselor  and 
has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  best  informed  and  safest  counselors 
i;  the  district.  He  has  much  natural  ability  but  is  Avithal  a  hard  student 
and  is  never  contented  until  he  has  mastered  every  detail  of  his  cases. 
He  believes  in  the  maxim  "there  is  no  excellence  without  labor,"  and 
follows  it  closely.  He  is  never  surprised  by  some  unexpected  discovery 
by  an  opposing  lawyer,  for  in  his  mind  he  weighs  every  point  and  forti- 
fies himself  as  well  for  the  defense  as  for  the  attack.  He  is  not  an 
orator  to  the  extent  of  Ewaying  juries  by  his  eloquence,  and  for  this 
reason  he  has  been  accorded  more  fame  fis  a  counselor  than  as  an  advo- 
cate, and  yet  there  are  few  lawyers  who  win  a  larger  percentage  of  their 
cases  before  either  judge   or  jury  than   does  Mr.   Hogueland. 

On  the  22d  of  July,  1887,  Mr.  Hogueland  was  united  in  marriage 
te  Mirs  Mattie  R.  Foster,  of  Slater,  Missouri,  and  untothem  two  Children 
h£ve  been  born,  Frank  F.,  and  Alice  B.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land and  became  an  early  harness  and  trunk  manufacturter  of  Racine, 
Wisconsin.  ,  ' , 

When  only  twenty-one  years  of  age  Mr.  Hogueland  was  elected  clerk 
of  the  district  court  of  Woodson  County,  in  the  year  1880,  and  served 
in  that  capacity  for  eight  years,  which  '<\'as  the  only  political  office  he  had 
filled  up  to  the  time  of  the  election  of  President  MelKinley,  when  he  asked 
and  received  the  appointment  of  postmaster  of  Yates  Center,  Kansas,  in 
which  capacity  he  is  now  acceptably  serving.  He  has  always  been  an 
advocate  of  Republican  principles,  devoting  his  time  and  money  for  the 
success  of  the  party  in  whose  principles  he  so  tirmly  believes.  He  has 
served  for  a  number  of  years  on  the  various  county  committees  and  is 
new  chairman  of  the  fourteenth  senatorial  district  committee.  Mr. 
Hogueland 's  life  has  certainly  been  a  successful  one  and  for  this  he  de- 
serves great  credit.  By  determined  purpose,  and  in  the  face  of  grave 
difficulties  he  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  to  a  position  of  prom- 
inence and  honor  among  his  fellow  townsmen  and  enjoys  the  well-earned 
distinction  of  being  what  the  public  calls  "a  self-made  man." 


ABNER  YA'i'ES. 

To  have  attained  to  the  extreme  fullness  of  years  and  to  have  had 
one's  ken  broadened  to  a  comprehension  of  all  that  has  been  accomp- 
lished within  the  flight  of  many  days,  is  of  itself  sufficient  to  render  con- 


734  PIISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AXD 

sonant  a  detailed  consideration  of  such  a  life  in  a  work  of  this  order,  but 
ill  the  career  of  Mr.  Yates  there  are  more  pertinent,  more  distinguishing 
elements.  His  name  is  inseparably  associated  with  the  history  of  Kansas 
as  the  founder  of  Yates  Center,  and  as  long  as  the  city  endures  it  will 
be  a  monument  to  his  progressive  spirit.  No  shadows  darken  any  period 
of  his  long,  honorable  and  eventful  life,  and  now  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  years  he  receive.;  the  veneration  and  respect  ever  accorded  to  one  who 
has  walked  upright  before  his  fellow  men,  commanding  respect  not  only 
by  reason  of  a  successful  and  prosperous  career  but  also  by  his  unfalter- 
ing devotion  to  duty  in  every  relation  of  life.  Such  is  the  history  of 
Abner  Yates. 

A  native  of  Gallatin  County,  Kentucky,  he  was  born  August  4,  1819, 
and  is  a  son  of  Henry  Yates,  a  native  of  Caroline  County,  Virginia,  and 
a  grandson  of  Abner  Yates,  Sr.  The  former  was  married  in  the  Old 
Dominion  to  Miss  Millicent  Yates,  his  cousin,  and  in  an  early  day  they 
emigrated  to  Kentucky,  where  -the  father  became  prominent  in  the  work 
of  early  development.  He  laid  out  the  town  of  Warsaw  and  there  carried 
on  merchandising  until  his  removal  to  Illinois  in  the  year  1831.  For  a 
lime  he  resided  in  Springfield,  the  capital  city,  and  then  founded  the 
tcwn  of  Berlin,  in  Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  w'here  he  conducted  a 
general  mercantile  establishment.  His  enterprise  resulted  greatly  to  the 
beiiefit  of  the  place,  and  he  was  recognized  as  a  leading  factor  in  the 
progress  and  advancemnt  of  the  town  until  his  death.  He  had  a  large 
family,  one  of  whom  was  Governor  Richard  Yates,  Sr.,  of  Illinois  who 
was  the  youngest  member  of  the  thirty-second  congress  of  the  United 
S'ates,  was  afterward  elected  to  the  same  office  and  in  1860  was  elected  chief 
executive  of  Illinois,  and  is  known  in  history  as  the  ' '  war  governor ' '  of  that 
commonwealth.  He  was  a  most  active  supporter  of  the  Union,  and  the 
day  following  the  attack  op  Fort  Sumter  took  military  possession  of 
Cairo,  Illinois,  which  he  garrisoned  with  troops.  It  is  his  son  and  the 
nephew  of  our  sub.iect,  Eichard  Yates,  Jr.,  who  is  the  present  chief  execu- 
tive of  Illinois.         -  -  '■       ' 

A.bner  Yates  was  reared  in  his  parent's  home  and  through  the  period 
of  his  youth  became  familiar  with  biisiness  methods  and  measures 
through  practical  experience  in  his  father's  store.  After  attaining  his 
majority  he  was  admitted  to  a  partnership  in  the  business  and  his  en- 
terprise, sound  judgment  and  the  progressive  spirit  of  youth  added 
largely  to  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  In  1851  he  removed  to  Morgan 
County,  Illinois,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  1883.  In  the  mean- 
time he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  and  his  close  application  to 
business,  keen  discriminating  mind  and  unflagging  industry  enable  him 
to  acquire  a  handsome  competence.  He  judiously  invested  some  of  his 
capital  in  realty  and  became  the  owner  of  section  eleven.  Center  town- 
ship, Woodson  bounty,  Kansas.  In  1875  he  was  induced  to  plat  a  town 
site,  having  been  given  assurance  that  if  he  would  do  so  the  new  town 


"vvODDSON    COUNTIKS,   KANSAS.  735 

^'3hould  become  the  county  se;)t.     He  therefore  platted  orwj  hundred  and 
:sixty  acres— the   southwest  quarter  of  th«  section— and   it   was   decided 
that  the  newly  established  town  should  be  made  the  seat  of  justice  for  the 
■county.     Frank   Butler   insisted   that   th^   place   should   he   called  Yates 
Center  and  therefore  in  honor  of  the  founder  the  city  was  named.     Its 
.growth  has  been  pleading  and  continuous,  aided  largely  by   the  efforts 
of  Mr.  Yates  who  donated  many  tots  to  persons  desiring  to  improve  them. 
The  first  house  in  the  town  was  owned  by  G.  W.  Wille  who  moved  the 
building  to  th<'  to\vn  site  frnm   Kalida.     Mr.  Yates  also  moved  a  tmall 
T)uilding  from  Kalida  and  located  it  upon  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
^square  where  Frank  Butler's  phannacv  now  stands,  and  this  served  as 
the  first  court  houre.     In  1883  Mr.  Yates  permanently  took  up  his  abode 
in  the  city  which  bea'^s  his  name  and-  has  contributed  to  all  measures  for 
its  upbiTJlding  and  co-operated  in  many  movements  for  the  general  wel- 
fare. 

The  home  life  of  Mr.  Yates  has  been  very  pleasant,  and  his  family  is 
■one  which  does  honor  to  an  untarnished  name.  On  the  7th  of  August, 
1851,  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  IMiss  Mary 
Geers,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Geers,  natives  of  Virginia,  who 
removed  to  Kentucky  and  from' Lexington,  that  state,  to  Illinois.  Two 
■children  were  born  unto  IMr.  and  Mrs.  Yates :  Mary  M.,  the  wife  of 
■John  B.  Dobins,  of  Yates  Center,  and  William  H.,  who  has  charge  of 
the  annual  report  department  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state,  at 
T^pringfield.  Illinois.  Mr.  Yates  cast  hip  first  presidential  vote  in  1840, 
when  he  supported  William  Henry  Harrison  for  the  pi-esidency.  On 
the  dissolution  of  the  Whig  party  he  became  a  Republican,  and  voted 
for  the  first  candidate  of  the  party  in  1856.  He  has  since  never  wavered 
in  his  allegiance  to  itp  principles,  although  he  has  never  sought  or  desired 
the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  office.  In  three  states  the  name  of 
Yates  is  recorded  in  history  as  that  of  the  founder  of  a  town,  and  the 
pi'osperous  and  thriving  city  of  Yates  Center,  which  owes  its  origin  and 
r:nch  of  its  later  advancement  to  our  sub.iect,  is  a  fitting  monument  to 
the  life  and  lahors  of  one  who  in  the  busy  walks  of  commerce  has  ever 
borne  himself  with  signal  honor  and  dignity,  awakening  uniform  regard 
hy  his  upright  career. 


CHARLES  H.  WEIDE. 

One  of  tlie  wealthiest  residents  of  North  township  and  the  largest 
•dealer  in  sheep  and  cattle  is  Charles  S.  Weide.  The  native  born  Ameri- 
■can  citizen  who  wins  success  in  life  unaided  is  certainly  deserving  of 
■commendation,  but  the  man  of  foreign  birth  accomplishes  a  still  greater 
work  as  he  has  to  overcome  greater  disadvantages,  being  handicapped  by 
a  lack  of  knowledge  concerning  the  language  and  the  customs  of  the  peo- 


7,i6  fll^sfOKY'  OF    ALLJiN    AXs'jJ 

pie  among  whom  he  easts  his  lot.  Air,  Weide,  as  his  name  indicates  fs  of 
German  birth,  but  in  America  he  has  found  the  opportunities  wuich  he- 
sought  for  a  f-:uccessful  business  career.  He  was  born  in  the  fatherland^ 
Auiiust  4,  ]i:'47.  his  parents  being  Godfrey  and  Lottie  (Mockerott) 
AVtide,  who  weie  na'.ives  of  Germany  and  were  there  reared  and  married. 
In  18.54  they  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  woi'ld  and  located  in  Cook 
Gounty,  Illinois,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming,  but  not  being  sat- 
isfied with  that  portion  of  the  country  and  wishing  to  make  his  home  in 
a  locality  wlieie  he  could  secure  more  land  and  a  larger  range  for  stock, 
he  came  to  Kansas  in  1858,  After  a  year  spent  in  Coffey  County  he 
eame  to  Woodson  County  in  1859,  setttling  on  Turkey  Creek,  twelve 
miles  northwest  of  Yates  Center,  where  he  engaged  in  raising  both 
sheep  and  cattle.  He  was  also  the  owner  of  a  very  large  tract  of 
land  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1899,  when  he 
had  attained  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years  and  six  months.  His  wife  had 
pasred  away  about  1875.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children: 
Charles  H. ;  Minnie,   Fritz  and  William. 

Charles  H.  Weide,  the  eldest,  was  a  lad  of  seven  summers  when  the 
parents  came  to  the  new  world,  and  when  a  youth  of  twelve  he  beeaipp  a 
resident  of  Kansas.  He  has  resided  in  Woodson  County  for  more  than 
forty-two  years  and  has  always  been  connected  with  its  farming  and 
stock  raising  interests.  He  remained  with  his  father  until  his  marriage, 
when  he  began  dealing  in  stock,  and  since  that  time  he  has  devoted  much 
of  his  time  to  the  raising  of  cattle  and  sheep  until  his  efforts  in  this  line 
have  become  more  extensive  than  those  of  any  other  one  man  in  the 
township.  He  thoroughly  understands  the  business,  having  received 
practical  training  under  the  direction  of  his  father  in  his  youth.  He  has 
always  made  a  close  study  of  the  needs  of  farm  animals,  and  his  opinions 
on  thir;  subject  are  accepted  as  authority  in  the  community.  As  his' 
financial  resources  have  increased  he  has  made  judicious  investments  of 
his  capital  in  real  estate,  and  he  now  owns  twelve  hundred  acres  of  land. 
He  keeps  on  hand  an  average  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle 
and  about  five  hundred  .'-heep.  These  he  shelters  in  a  large  barn  built  for 
the  purpose,  with  room  for  feed  above  and  for  the  sheep  belov.  He  also 
has  water  troughs  through  the  barn  and  the  yard,  and  he  has  the  barn 
so  arranged  that  he  can  separate  from  the  rest  of  the  flock  any  sheep 
which  need  special  attention.  In  both  branches  of  his  stock  raising  busi- 
ness he  has  met  with  a  high  degree  of  success.  In  January,  1901,  Ms 
cattle  sales  amounted  to  eighteen  hundred  dollars,  his  sheep  brought  him 
nine  hundred  dollars,  and  his  hogs  five  hundred  dollars.  He  sells  to 
some  extent  in  almost  every  month  in  the  year  when  the  prices  suit  him. 
His  farm  is  one  of  the  best  located  in  AVoodson  County.  In  addition  to 
the  larse  barns  and  cattle  sheds,  which  are  surrounded  with  a  fine  grove 
of  timber  on  Turkey  creek  he  has  a  commodious  residence,  comfortably 


TvOODSON  COtTNTlE;'),  KANSAS.  737 

ancl  tastefully  furnished  and  all  the  modern  conveniences  and  accessories 
are  there  found. 

In  1873  Was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Weide  and  Miss  Minnie 
Upperman,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  eame  to  Kansas  in  1873  and  was 
soon  afterward  married.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  eleven  child- 
ren, namely:  Eddie.  Charles,  Albert,  Martha,  Hatlie,  Emil,  Emma, 
Lillie,  Edie,  Alice  and  Leonard.  Throiigh  his  long  residence  in  Wood- 
son -County,  Mr.  Weide  has  become  well  known  to  a  large  majority  of 
its  citizens  and  his  -extensive  operations  in  land  and  stock  have  caused 
his  reputation  as  a  succe.^sful  and  reliable  business  man  to  extend  beyond 
the  borders  of  the  county.  His  life  certainly  illustrates  the  possibilities 
that  Kansas  offers  to  her  citizens  who  are  energetic  and  are  not  afraid  of 
Inbor,  for  these  elements  in  his  character  have  brought  to  him  pros- 
perity. 


MADISON  FRAME. 

In  pioneer  days  in  Southeastern  Kansas,  Rev.  Madison  Frame  came 
to  Woodson  County,  loiiating  within  its  borders  in  1869,  and  through 
ti.e  intervening  years  he  has  not  only  been  closely  connected  with  its  agri- 
'eultural  interests  but  has  exerted  widespread  influence  in  behalf  of  all  that 
tends  to  uplift  man  and  make  the  world  better. 

A  native  of  Tennesree,  he  was  born  in  Sevier  County,  October  17. 
1836,  and  is  a  son  of  Archibald  and  Mary  (Howard)  J'rame.  The 
father  died  during  tbe  early  boyhood  of  our  'subject,  who  was  the 
y(.ungest  of  the  six  children,  namely :  Nancy,  wife  of  William  Phillips, 
:;i  resident  of  Arkansas,  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Rogers .  Barbara,  wife 
i-f  William  Low,  of  Tennessee;  Martha,  who  married  a  Confederate  sol- 
dier and  is  now  deceased ;  Elizabeth,  who  became  the  wife  of  Henry 
Hawk  and  died  leaving  a  family  in  Tennessee,  and  John  who  also  passed 
away,  survived  Ljy  his  family,  residing  at  Mossy  Creek,  Tennessee. 

The  advantages  and  privileges  which  Madison  Frame  enjoyed  in  his 
yc.uth  were  limited,  for  at  an  early  age  he  had  to  provide  for  his  own 
support.  At  the  aa;e  of  fourteen  years  he  left  home,  and  with  his  brother- 
in-law,  William  Phillips,  went  to  Moniteau  County,  Missouri,  where  he 
became  a  farmer  and  made  his  home  until  1861.  In  that  year  he  re- 
moved to  Arkansas,  but  the  following  year  returned  to  Moniteau  County, 
where  he  enlis+ed  in  the  Fifth  Missoiiri  Cavalry,  becoming  a  member  of 
Company  P.  His  regiment  belonged  to  the  Army  of  the  AA^est  and  served 
under  General  McNeal  and  Colonel  Sigel,  the  latter  a  half  brother  of 
General  Sigel.  The  regiment  was  on  duty  in  Missouri,  guarding  trains 
and  fighting  bushwackers.  Mr.  Frame  was  thus  engaged  for  more  than 
three  years,  but  was  never  wounded  or  captured,  although  he  was  al- 
vays  found  at  his  post  of  duty,  no  matter  how  arduous  the  task  devolv- 


73'8  msl-o&\'  Ob'  aclen  AXir 

ing  uiDon  liiiu. 

After  leceiving  an  honorable  discharge  Mr.  Frame  resumed  farni- 
Hig  in  ;\Iiss:ouri  and  subsi'quently  took  np  his  residence  in  BentoiK 
tounty,  Arkansas,  wheie  he  purchased  a  farm  upon  which  he  remained- 
for  two  years.  About  that  time  he  was  married,  for  ou  the  13th  of 
January,  1887,  he  was  jointd  in  wedlock  to  Aliss  Mary  A.  Radcliff,  a- 
'laughter  of  J.  C.  Radcliff,  of  Morgan  County,  Missouri. 

In  1869,  Rev.  Frame  brought  his  young  wife  to  Woodson  County- 
He  was  in  comforiable  circumstances  when  he  arrived  in  Kansas,  having 
Sciyed  some  of  his  army  pay  with  which  he  had  made  a  start  in  business; 
life.  He  purchased  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  section 
thirty-one,  tofrnship  twenty-six,  ran^e  fifteen,  and  since  that  time  he  has 
iriade  his  home  thereon,  developing  the  land  into  a  valuable  farm.  An 
additional  purchase  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  has  made  him  the 
owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  on  his  place  are  seen  all  the 
evidence  of  thrift  and  labor.  Good  buildings,  the  latest  improved  ma- 
chinery, highly  cultivated  fields  and  good  grades  of  stock  all  attest  the- 
eiiterprising  spirit  of  a  practical  agriculturist. 

In  early  days  in  the  county  Rev.  Frame  took  an  active  part  in  poli- 
tical atfairs,  attended  the  county  conventions  and  did  much  to  promote- 
the  growth  of  the  Republican  party,  with  which  he  has  been  affiliated 
since  its  organisation.  A  member  of  the  Baptist  church  he  was  one  of 
the  first  representatives  of  that  denomination  in  this  portion  of  the  state, 
and  for  twenty  years  he  served  the  Bethel  Baptist  church  as  its  pastor, 
laboring  earnestly  and  untiringly  for  the  growth  of  the  eongregationf 
and  the  spread  of  its  influence.  On  various  occasions  he  represented  the 
church  as  delegate  at  its  §tate  conventions  and  along  all  lines  of  religious' 
activity  he  has  been  found  as  an  active  and  efficient  co-operator.  Wher- 
ever he  is  known  his  upright  life  and  fidelity,  to  duty  have  commende<J 
iijm  to  the  confidence  and  respect  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  as- 
roeiated,  and  as  the  years  have  passed  the  circle  of  his  acquaintance  and 
friendship  has  been  continually  increased. 


NATHAN  S.  MACOt/BRlE. 

fhe  rich  land  of  Kansas  which  only  a  few  decades  ago  was  un- 
claimed by  settlers  and  was  the  hunting  ground  of  the  Indians  is  now 
divided  into  fine  farms  which,  in  fertility,  productiveness  and  improve- 
ments are  not  surpassed  m  any  state  in  the  Union.  One  of  these  is  no\r 
the  property  of  Nathan  S.  Macoubrie,  who  owns  and  operates  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  eight  miles  northwest  of  Tates  Center. 

He  was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ohio,  November  27,  1848,  and  is 
of  Irish  lineage.  His  father,  Arthur  Macoubrie,  vras  a  native  of  County 
Down,  Ireland,  and  on  leaving  that  country  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic 


WOODSON    COUNTIES.  KANSAS.  739 

to  the  new  \vorld.  In  this  countiy  he  wedded  Mary  Fife,  a  native  of  Gal- 
lia County,  Ohio.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade  and  was  an  industrious  and 
energetic  man.  His  death  occurred  in  Warren  County,  Ohio,  in  1853, 
when  he  was  seventy-nine  years  of  age,  and  his  wife,  surviving  him 
for  twenty  years,  passed  away  in  1871,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  Their  son, 
Nathan  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Ohio  and  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  accompanied  his  mother  and  two  brothers  to  Carroll 
County,  Missouri.  There  Avere  nine  children  in  the  family,  but  only  three 
are  now  living,  namely:  James  R.,  who  is  living  in  Carroll  County; 
Arthur  E.,  a  resident  of  Olathe,  Kas.,  where  he  is  editor  and  propjrietor 
oC  the  Olathe  Tribune,  and  Nathan  S. 

The  last  named  resided  wi^'h  his  mother  and  engaged  in  the  opera- 
tion of  rented  land  until  his  marriage  when  he  went  to  a  home  of  his 
own,  beginning  his  domestic  life  in  Missouri,  where  he  remained  until 
1S83  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  settling  in  Woodson  County.  Here  he 
devoted  his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  rented  land  until  1895  when 
v.'ith  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through  his  own  diligence,  persever- 
ance and  economy,  he  purchased  the  tract  of  land  which  he  now  owns. 
He  has  since  made  excellent  improvements  upon  his  place,  including  the 
erection  of  a  pretty  and  commodious  residence  which  he  has  just  com- 
pleted. There  is  also  a  large  barn  and  other  necessary  outbuildings  upon 
the  place  and  he  has  about  fifty  head  of  cattle,  making  a  specialty  of  the 
laising  and  feeding  of  stock.  His  fields  are  also  well  cultivated,  and  the 
products  of  his  farm  are  annually  bringing  to  him  a  desirable  income, 
lu  connection  with  his  farming  interests  Mr.  Macoubrie  has  been  iden- 
tified with  journalism  in  this  county.  He  established  and  named  the 
Yates  Center  Advocate  and  was  proprietor  of  the  paper  for  seven  years, 
after  which  he  Eold  it  to  E.  F.  Hudson,  who  still  continues  its  publi- 
cation. 

Mr.  Macoubrie  has  been  twice  married.  On  the  28th  of  February. 
1872,  was  celebrated  his  marriage  to  Miss  Elvira  Surber,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  who  died  in  1894,  leaving  seven  children,  namely:  Mrs.  Emma 
Dingle ;  Mrs.  Lizzie  Simpson,  Carrie  F.,  Willie  A.,  Clarence,  Pearlie 
and  Minnie.  After  the  death  of .  his  first  wife  Mr.  Macoubrie  wedded 
Mis.s  Lenna  Dingle,  the  marriage  occurring  September  16,  1896.  She 
is  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County,  Missouri,  and  a  daughter  of  John  "R'.  and 
I'fary  J.  Dingle,  both  natives  of  Indiana.  Mr.  Macoubrie  has  never  been 
an  aspirant  for  public  office.  He  served  as  treasurer  of  his  township  for 
oiie  term  during  which  he  sustained  a  loss  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  through  the  failure  of  the  bank  in  which  he  had  made  deposit  of 
the  public  money.  He  is  a  progressive  and  public-spirited  citizen,  and 
his  sterling  worth,  widely  recognized,  has  won  him  many  friends. 


740  HISTORY    OF    A.LLEN    AND 

CLARENCE  M.  KINYON. 

In  the  year  in  which  he  attained  his  majority  Clarence  M.  Kinyon 
li.-ime  to  Woodson  Coi;nty  and  throughout  his  entire  business  career  has 
been  identified  with  its  agricultural  interests.  He  is  now  one  of  the 
popular  young-  farmers  of  Liberty  township  and  his  labors  annually 
bring  to  him  a  good  income. 

Mr.  Kinyon  is  numbered  among  the  residents  of  Kansas  that  Penn- 
sylvania has  furnished  to  the  ^-'untlower  state.  He  was  born  in  Brad- 
ford County.  Pennsylvania.  June  24.  1858,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of  "W, 
P.  and  Lydia  N.  Kinyon.  AVhen  a  little  lad  of  six  summers  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Minnesota,  where  he  was 
reared  upon  a  farm  and  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  ac- 
quired his  education.  When  the  family  came  to  Kansas  in  1879  they 
located  in  Linn  County  and  resided  there  till  1883  when  they  became 
i-esidents  of  Woodson  County.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until  his  marriage, 
which  event  was  celebrated  on  the  24th  of  June,  1891,  the  lady  of  his 
clioice  being  Miss  Daisy  A.  Bales,  of  Liberty  township.  She  was  born 
in  Randolph  County,  Indialia.  on  the  3d  of  December,  1872,  and  in  1884 
came  to  Kansas  with  her  parents,  John  R.  and  Samantha  Bales,  who 
now  reside  in  the  vicinity  of  their  daughter's  home.  They  also  have  a 
son,  Walter  M.  Bales,  who  is  yet  with  his  parents.  The  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinyon  is  graced  with  two  children :  Keith  E.,  born 
November  29,  1894,  and  Vesta  U..  born  March  23,  1898. 

The  farm  upon  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinyon  reside  was  purchased 
by  our  subject  and  comprises  one  hiindred  and  twenty-five  acres  situated 
eight  miles  north  and  three  miles  west  of  Yates  Center.  It  was  a  tract 
of  wild  prairie  when  he  took  up  his  abode  there. and  began  to  lay  the 
foundation  for  his  present  prosperity.  He  erected  a  handsome  residence 
and  built  a  large  barn,  al^o  added  other  necessary  improvements.  The 
land  is  undulatinff  and  productive  and  gives  a  rich  yield  in  return  for 
the  care  and  cultivation  bestowed  upon  it.  He  has  also  a  fine  young 
orchard  of  five  acres  which  is  now  in  bearing  condition :  the  latest  im- 
proved machinery  facilitates  his  farm  work  and  in  every  particular  the 
place  is  modern,  indicating  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  owner.  Neat- 
ress  is  also  one  of  the  salient  characteristics  of  the  place  and  its  orderli- 
ness is  ftiost  commendable.  Mr.  Kinyon  raises  good  crops  and  also 
handles  what  stock  his  farm  will  support.  His  life  has  been  one  of 
untiring  industry  and  with  but  little  assistance  all  that  he  now  pos- 
sesses has  been  acquired  through  his  own  efforts.  His  fellow  townsmen, 
recognizing  his  worth  and  ability,  have  several  times  called  Kim  to  public 
office.  He  was  elected  and  served  for  two  terms  as  township  trustee 
of  liberty  township  and  also  two  terms  as  township  clerk,  and  in  both 
positions  performed  his  duties  in  a  capable  and  trustworthy  manner. 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  74 1 

martIn  smith. 

i\lARTIN  X.  SMITH  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  on  the 
twenty-fourth  day  of  July,  1864.  His  father,  Jacob  Smith,  was  also  a 
rative  of  the  Buckeye  state.  After  attaining  years  of  maturity  he 
wedded  Louisa  Bader,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  America  when 
thirteen  years  of  age  in  company  -with  friends  of  her  father.  In  the 
year  1873,  Mr.  Smith  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Wellsville,  Franklin 
County,  where  he  and  his  wife  are  still  living,  both  having  attained  the 
age  of  64  years.  They  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely :  John ; 
A.  Salome,  wife  of  Albert  Hilderbrant,  who  is  living  in  Colorado;  Mar- 
tin N. ;  Alice,  wife  of  George  Schultz,  who  makes  his  home  in  Topeka, 
and  Hattie  wife  of  Charles  Watt. 

Martin  N.  Smith  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  when  with  his  parents  he 
came  to  Kansas.  He  remained  with  them  until  the  time  of  his  marriage, 
and  in  the  interim  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  In  18—, 
he  wedded  Miss  Ida  V.  Mummert,  a  native  of  Illinois,  who  came  to  Kan- 
sas vvdth  her  parents  when  a  little  girl.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Smith 
was  employed  in  a  livery  barn  owned  by  his  father,  being  thus  engaged 
for  two  years,  after  which  he  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  followed  farming  for  two  years,  and  then  secured  a  situation 
on  the  Crotty  ranch,  where  he  remained  for  seven  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  came  to  Woodson  County  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  on  Turkey  creek,  ten  miles  northwest  of  Yates  Center, 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  farming.  He  has  a  very  desirable  and  val- 
uable tract  of  land  bordering  the  creek.  Part  of  his  farm  is  bottom  land, 
on  which  is  timber  enough  to  supply  all  the  wood  needed  on  the  premises. 
He  has  erected  a  new  residence  and  has  made  improvements  upon  the 
place  until  he  now  has  one  of  the  most  desirable  farm  properties  in 
this  portion  of  the  country. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children,  liarl,  who  was  born  on  the  28th  of  June,  1888;  Phonnie,  both 
July  the  12th,  1891  and  died  at  the  age  of  five  years,  January  17, 
1896 ;  Wade  who  was  born  June  2,  1894.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of 
Crotty  council,  5157,  M.  W.  A.  He  is  a  self-made  man,  whose  strong  pur- 
pose and  determination  in  life  have  enabled  him  to  win  prosperity,  and 
the  farm  which  he  now  possesses  is  a  monument  to  his  thrift  and  en- 
terprise. 


THOMAS  WAMSLEY. 

THOMAS  WAMSLEY  is  engaged  in  farming  on  section  seven,  Bel- 
mont township,  AVoodson  County,  where  he  has  made  his  home  for 
thirty-one  years,  and  his  residence  in  the  county  covers  a  period  of  thirty- 
four  years.     Great  have  been  the  changes  which  have  occurred  in  this 


742  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

time,  the  indicaticns  and  evidences  of  pioneer  life  being  replaced  by  all 
the  improvements,  industries  and  accessories  of  civilization  known  to  the 
older  east.  ISir.  AVamsley  raay  well  be  proud  to  have  been  identified  with 
the  county  through  all  this  eia  of  transformation,  and  Southeastern  Kan- 
sas on  the  other  hand  may  be  glad  to  number  him  among  her  citizens 
for  he  has  ever  been  true  to  her  interests.  He  came  from  Douglas 
County,  Illinois,  making  the  journey  by  rail  to  Kansas  City  and  by 
stage  from  there  to  Humboldt  in  the  year  1867.  He  first  located  on  sec- 
ti(jn  thirty-one,  township  twenty-six,  range  fifteen,  Woodson  County,  but 
after  three  years  came  to  his  present  home,  where  for  thirty  years  he  has 
c.irried  on  agricultural  pursuits. 

Mr.  Wamsley  was  born  in  Decatur  County,  Indiana,  January  29, 
1843,  and  is  a  son  of  William  AVamsley,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  re- 
sided for  a  time  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio  and  then  moved  to 
Indiana  about  1828.  His  death  occurred  in  Tuscola,  Illinois,  when  he 
was  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  He  made  the  journey  to  America  with 
his  parents,  but  both  the  father  and  mother  died  during  the  voyage, 
leaving  four  children,  all  of  whom  married  and  left  families  in  Ohio  save 
Mrs.  Colwell,  whose  children  reside  in  Warwick .  County,  Indiana.  Wil- 
liam Wamsley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Anna  Conklen,  who  died 
leaving  eleven  children  who  reached  j^ears  of  maturity.  Those  now  living 
are :  James,  of  Evansville,  Indiana ;  Thomas ;  Sarah,  wife  of  Myron 
Hunt,  of  AA^ellington,  Kansas,  and  Clementine,  wife  of  John  !-'ain,  of  San 
Francisco,  California. 

Amid  rural  scenes  Thomas  Wamsley  was  reared,  spending  his  youth 
upon  the  home  farm.  The  first  important  step  which  he  took  in  life  was 
in  the  line  of  military  sei-vice,  for  with  patriotic  spirit  aroused  he  offered 
his  services  to  the  government  in  1861  and  became  a  member  of  Company 
D,  Twenty-first  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  engaged  in  the  cam- 
paign against  Price  in  Southwestern  Missouri  until  after  the  battle  of 
Pea  Ridge,  Arkansas,  when  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Tennessee  to  rein- 
force Buell  at  Shiloh.  xVfter  the  battle  the  troops  followed  Bragg  to 
Louisville.  Kentucky,  and  participated  in  the  engagements  at  Stone 
rn-er  and  Chickamauga.  At  the  latter  Mr.  Wamsley  was  captured,  Sep- 
tember 20,  1863,  and  with  four  thousand  others  was  taken  to  Richmond, 
'^^irginia.  He  was  fent  thence  to  Danville  and  afterward  to  Anderson- 
ville  and  finally  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  where  he  remained  during 
the  seige.  From  that  point  the  prisoners  were  sent  to  Florence,  South 
Carolina,  where  our  subject  was  held  until  parolled  and  returned  to 
Annapolis.  He  was  in  prison  nearly  fifteen  months,  and  experienced  the 
UKual  hardships  and  sufferings  borne  by  the  boys  in  blue  in  Southern 
prison  pens.  He  was  a  loyal  and  faithful  soldier,  always  found  at  his 
pest  of  duty,  whether  on  the  picket  line  or  the  firing  line. 

Upon  returning  to  the  North,  Mr.  Wamsley  was  connected  with 
farming  interests  in  Douglas  County,  Illinois,  until  coming  to  Kansas. 


WOODSON  COUNTIE!;,   KANSAS.  7'43 

~H.e  was  not  married  until  after  his  arrival  here,  and  in  Humboldt,  De- 
i-cember  12,  1869  he  led  to  the  marriage  altar  i\liss  Emma  AVilson,   ■who 
■dJed  in   1882,   leaving   four   children:     Anna,   wif-i   of   Carl    Strand,    of 
Woodson.  County ;  James ;  AYalter,  of  "Woodson  County ;  and  Milton.     In 
October,  1888  Mr.  Wanisley  war;  again  married,   Elizabeth,   daughter  of 
Christman  Leibert  becoming  his  wife.     Her  father  died  in  Germany.     By 
this  marriage  there  is  one  daughter,  Eva,  wife  of  Elmer  (jilger,  of  Gor- 
don. Nebraska.     Mr.  "Wamsley  gives  liis  political  support  to  the  Republi- 
cr.n   party  and  believes  firmly  in   its   printsiples   but   has   never   been   a 
■campaign  worker,  nor  lias  he  Sought  office,  but  as  a  private  citizen  quietly 
aiid  loyally  performs  his  duty,   commanding  uniform  respect  by  reason 
'of  his  genuine  worth. 


"ROBERT  A.  HURT. 

ROBERT  A.  HURT,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in 
Tates  Center  and  hiis  been  largeh^  instrumental  in  the  upbuilding  of 
the  city  by  inducing  many  rosidenl-s  to  locate  here,  has  made  his  home  in 
\'^  oodson  County  since  1871,  at  which  time  he  became  identified  with 
^agricultural  interests  in  Southeastern  Kansas.  He  is  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, his  l)irth  having  occurred  in  Warren  County,  that  state,  on  the 
18th  of  Septemljer.  1821.  He  was  a  farmer's  son  and  with  his  father, 
■John  Hurt,  removed  to  Illinois.  The  latter  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  born 
in  1773,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Hurt.  Sr.,  vcho  died  in  Surrey  County, 
Ts^orth  Carolina,  on  the  Yodldn  river.  From  that  locality  his  son  John 
rom.oved  to  Kentucky  in  1818.  and  in  1830  went  with  his  family  to 
"Sangamon  County,  Illinois.  Some  years  afterward,  however,  he  returned 
to  the  Blue  Grass  state,  where  he  spent  his  last  d_ays.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Cochran,  also  died  in  Kentucky  . 

Robert  A.  Hurt  is  the  youngest  of  their  nine  children  and  is  the 
•only  surviving  meml^er  of  the  family.  He  was  a  young  boy  when  his 
parents  removed  to  Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  where  he  was  reared 
to  manhood  and  pursued  his  education  after  the  manner  of  the  old-time 
^subscription  schools  found  on  the  frontier.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a 
~\TOolen  manufacturer  and  in  connection  with  his  brother  afterward  es- 
tablished a  mill  at  Athens,  Illinois,  where  he  carried  on  business  for  ten 
years  with  good  success.  He  then  embarked  in  merchandising  in  Ha- 
vanna,  on  the  Illinois  river,  and  also  engaged  in  buying  grain  during 
his  two  year's  residence  there.  Suffering  loss  by  fire,  he  next  removed 
to  a  rented  farm  )mt  afterward  purchased  a  tract  of  land  on  Crane 
week,  in  Mason  County.  Illinois,  operating  and  improving  the  same  until 
1860,  when  he  sold  that  property  and  resumed  merchandising  in  Mason 
City,  Illinois.  Subsequently  he  followed  the  same  line  of  business  in 
Elkhart,  Indiana,  whence  he  removed  to  Kansas. 


744  HiSl"bRY    OF    ALLdW  ANjj 

The  year  1871  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Hurt  in  Woodson  Coimty,- 
Here  he  located  on  a  farm  in  Toronto  township  and  engaged  in  its  eulti-- 
vation  until  1875.  when  he  was  elected  county  treasurer.  In  October  of 
the  following  year  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  office  and  by  re- 
el (ction  served  for  two  terms,  being  a  most  capable  and  trustworthy 
effidal.  Upon  his  retirement  from  office  he  turned  his  attention  to  the' 
Efial  estate  busines.'s  in  which  he  has  since  engaged.  He  has  located  many 
people  in  Yates  Center  and  Woodson  County,  where  his  principal  busi- 
ness has  been  done,  and  has  thus  contributed  in  valued  measure  to  the' 
growth  and  upbuilding  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country. 

On  the  17th  of  February,  1842,  Mr.  Httrt  was  united  in  marriage  to 
^liss  ilary  A.  Dimond,  a  daughter  of  Jesse  C.  Dimotid,  and  their  children 
are  as  follows:  Emily  J.,  wife  of  A.  J.  Morris,  of  Toronto;  Mary  F.,  wife 
of  Dr.  Charles  Orendortf,  of  Allen  County ;  May  A.  Sherman,  of  Yates; 
Center;  and  John  C,  who  is  also  living  in  the  county  seat. 

j\lr.  Hurt  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  foi-  William  Henry  Harrison^ 
the  candidate  of  the  Whig-  party,  in  1840 ;  afterward  voted  far  Clay, 
Taylor  and  Scott;  and  in  1856  supported  White,  of  Tennessee,  who  ran- 
on  the  iTnion  ticket.  In  1860  he  cast  his  ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln, 
V^-hom  he  had  known  personally,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been>  an  earnestJ 
Republican, 


JOHN  ELLIOTT. 

JOEfN  Fll10T1\  who  is  now  serving  as  trustee  of  Eminence  town- 
ship, and  who  has  been  numbered  among  the  agriculturists  of  WoodsoH 
County  for  eleven  years,  is  a  native  son  of  the  Sunflower  state,  his  birth 
haviilg  occurred  in  Miami  County,  April  8,  186?.  His  father,  John 
Elliott,  came  to  Kansas  about  186?'  from  Bates  County,  Missouri  where  he 
had  entered  a  tract  of  land  from  the  government  in  18£^6.  He  was  a 
native  of  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  born  in  1825  and  remained  on  the' 
Emerald  Isle  until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he  resolved  to  try  his 
fortune  in  America,  believing  that  better  opportunities  for  advancement 
were  afforded  in  this  country  than  in  the  more  thickly  populated  dislricta 
of  Ireland.  As  far  back  as  the  ancestral  history  is  known  the  Elliotts 
were  farmers,  and  the  father  of  our  subject  followed  the  same  pursuit. 
He  had  only  money  enough  to  bring  him  tO  the  new  world,  and  after 
ri^aching  the  tJnited  States  he  was  employed  as  a  wage  earner  in  a  tan 
yard.  Later  he  worked  upon  a  farm  and  finally  seefured  land  of  his  own 
ill  Missouri,  becoming  owner  of  a  claim  in  Bates  County,  that  state,  m 
1856  There  he  edntmued  to  reside  for  six  years,  when  in  1862  he  came 
to  Kansas,  taking' up  bis  abode  in  Miami  County,  where  he  purchased 
■A  farm  upon  which  he  has  since  made  his  home,  his  labors  in  the  passing 
years  bringing  to  him  a  comfortable  competence. 


■^OTD'DSDK  COTJirrrES,    KANSAS.  '745 

'In  Will  County,  Illinois,  John  Elliott.  Sr.,  \\'as  united  in  marriage 
'10  Miss  Ann  McClintoek,  also  a  native  of  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  and 
unto  them  \verel)orn  the  following  children:  Thomas  R.,  who  is  now  ifi 
Jackson  County,  Kansas;  John,  whose  name  begins  this  review;  Mary  J., 
wife  of  George  B.  Baxter,  of  Miami  County,  Kansas;  Annie  Elliott,  who 
is  at  home ;  Josepli,  who  is  living  in  th«  same  county,  where  his  brother 
'Charles,  the  next  of  the  family,  also  resides;  and  Frank,  who  is  upon 
the  old  homestead. 

On  the  old  home  farm  John  Elliott  of  this  review  spent  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  as  age  and  strength  permitted  he  aided  in 
the  work  of  the  fields  and  meadows  from  the  tim-e  of  early  spring  plant- 
ing until  harvests  were  garnered  in  the  autumn.  In  the  district  school 
lie  acquired  his  education,  and  reading  keeps  him  a  well  informed  man. 
'On  the  1st  of  March,  1888,  he  married  Miss  Orpha  Haines  and  thus 
secured  a  worthy  companion  and  helpmate  for  the  journey  of  life.  The 
ledy  is  a  native  of  Madiron  County,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  John  W. 
;and  Mary  A.  (SwofEord)  Haines,  in  whose  family  were  the  following :  Samuel 
J,,  of  Central  City,  Nehraska;  Nora  B.,  widow  of  John  Pickerell ;  Mrs. 
JClliott;  and  Robert,  of  Decatur  County,  Kansas.  The  father  died  in 
1888,  but  the  mother  is  still  living.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elliott 
has  been  Talessed  with  five  children :  Clarencp ;  Mary  M.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  six  years ;  Wallace,  Howard  and  Homer  who  are  with  their 
parents. 

In  1890,  tlie  second  year  following  his  marriage,  Mr.  Elliott  removed 
to  Woodson  County  and  located  on  section  2,  Eminence  township,  where 
he  owns  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land,  to  the  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement  of  which  he  is  now  devoting  his  time  and  energies 
with  good  results.  The  practical  experience  of  his  boyhood  well  fitted 
him  for  the  lahors  of  manhood,  and  he  is  now  regarded  as  an  enterprising 
■progressive  agriculturist.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Hepublican.  His 
"father  heeame  a  supporter  of  that  party  on  its  organization  and  as  the  sons 
attained  man's  ■estate  they,  too,  espoused  Republican  principles.  His  fel- 
low townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth  and  ability,  elected  Mr.  Elliott  to 
the  position  of  township  trustee  in  1899  and  he  filled  the  office  so  ac- 
'ccptably  that  in  1900  he  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term,  ;and  therefore 
is  the  present  incumbent. 


JOSHUA  J.  PUCKETT. 

The  prosperity  of  a  county  depends  upon  the  aggregate  industry  of 
its  individual  citizens.  Mr.  Puckett  is  one  who  contributes  his  full  share 
to  the  general  activity,  heing  a  worthy  representative  of  the  agricultural 
interests  of  the  community.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Southern  Kan- 
sas for  thirty  years,  but  has  made  his  home  in  Woodson   County  only 


746  HISTORY    OF    ALLfiN    A.Mj 

Since  187IJ.     Forty-five  years,  however,  have  elapsul  since  he  arrivecf  ii, 
Ihe  Sunflower  state,  yeary  in  which  great  changes  have  been  wrought. 

He  is  ckseeuded   from  Virginian  ancestry.     His  grandfather,  Lewis- 
Puekeit,  was  a  native   of  the   Old  Dominion,   and  William   Puckett,   the- 
father  of  our  subject  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in  the  same 
slate,  in   l&i!0.     ^Nfti-r   attaining   his  majority  he  removed  to  Kentucky, 
but  v>-as  married  in  Virginia  to  IMiss  L/ouisa  Corel,  a  daughter  of  Williarn 
C'oi-el,  a_i;/abinet  maker  ^lio  spent  his  active  life  in  the  Old  Dominion  and 
died  in  Jackson  County,  Missouri.    In  the  year  1854,  William  Puckett,  ac- 
companied by  his  family  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Wyandotte  County, 
where  he  remained  until   1871   when  he  went  ta  Wilson  County.     There- 
he  spent  the  residue  of  his  days,   passing  away  in  1886,  when  sixty-six 
years  of  age.    His  widow  still  survives  him.     She  is  the  wife  of  A.  J.  Roe- 
and  i-esides  with  the  t-ubject  of  this  review.     Her  children,  born  of  the 
fiist  marriage,  are:     Henry,   who  was  a  member  of  the  Twelfth  Kansas 
Infantry  and  died  in   1863,  while  loyally  serving  as  a  defender  of  the- 
[Jnion ;    Joshua    J. ;    John,    who    served    in    the    Twenty-second  Kansas- 
State  Militia ;  Emetine,  deceased  wife  of  James  Forbes ;  Rebecca,  Avidow 
01  Joseph   Williamson,  of  Woodson  County;  Charles  J.,  who  is  living  in 
Wilron  County,  Kansas;    William  C,  of  Woodson  County;  Oliver  F.,  a 
i-esident  of  W'oodson  County;  !-herman,  who  makes  his  home  in  the  same- 
county;  Lewis,  of  Allen  County,  and  Louisa,  who  completes  the  family .- 

Joshua  J.  Puckett  was  born  in  Kentucky,  June  20,  1845,  and  was 
therefore  a  lad  of  eleven  years  when  the  family  came  to  Kansas— therr 
a  territory  which  was  to  play  an  important  part  in  national  affairs  be- 
fore its  admission  to  the  tfnion.  He  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  lads  of  the  period  and  pursued  his  education  in  the  common; 
;  chools.  He  was  seventeen  years  of  age  when  he  joined  Company  A,. 
Twelfth  Kansas  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Adams,  and  went  to  the  front 
to  do  service  for  the  Union  cause.  He  was  in  the  army  for  a  year  and 
participated  in  the  movements  of  his  regiment  in  Southern  ^Missouri 
and  Northern  Arkansas,  taking  part  in  the  engagements  of  Prairie  Grove, 
Lone  Jack  and  Independence.  Company  A  met  the  guerrillas  under 
Ouantrell  on  many  occasions,  and  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  Kaw  river 
at  Lawrence  diiring  the  raid  and  massacre.  He  was  wounded  o-n  Wea 
creek,  Miami  County.  Kansas,  being  shot  through  the  left  leg,  and  this 
necessitated  his  retirement  from  the  service.  The  duties  that  devolved 
upon  him  as  a  member  of  the  Twelfth  Kansas  Infantry  were  faithfully 
and  ably  performed,  and  his  record  as  a  soldier  is  commendatory. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1879,  Mr.  Puckett  was  married  in  Woodson 
County  to  Miss  Phebe  A.  Taylor,  a  daughter  of  AVilliam  R.  Taylor,  who 
came  to  Kansas  from  Tennessee.  He  married  Sarah  Hunter  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  seven  children.  Six  diildren  graced  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Puckett :  Omega,  Azalia,  Curtis,  Ransom,  Alta  and  Jay,  and 
the  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken.    In  ante  bellum  days  the  Pucketts 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  747 

v.ere  adherents  of  the  Whig  cause  and  on  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party  .ioined  its  ranks,  but  although  Mr.  Puckett  of  this  review  was  not 
then  a  vo'er,  he  joined  the  party  when  he  attained  his  majority,  voting 
for  A.  Lincoln  for  his  first  vote,  and  has  since  been  one  of  its  advocates. 
He  has  served  as  treasurer  of  Belmont  township,  but  does  not  aspire  to 
political  honor,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  to  his  nusiness  pursuits 
M'hich  bring  him  more  satisfactory  financial  returns. 


JOHN  WORTH  EAGLE. 

JOHN  AA^..  EAGLE  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  farmers  of  Emi- 
nence township.  Woodson  County,  where  he  located  in  1869,  taking  up 
his  abode  upon  a  farm  on  section  2S,  but  for  twenty-one  yeai-s  he  has 
resided  upon  a  valuable  farm  on  section  30,  of  the  same  township,  his 
country  seat  being  one  of  the  attractive  and  desirable  farming  properties 
in  this  portion  of  the  state.  He  came  to  Kansas  from  Ashland  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  born  August  16,  1847.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Thomas  Eagle,  was  a  native  of  Southern  Ohio  and  his  people  were  from 
Virginia.  They  followed  farming  pursuits  and  were  ordinarily  success- 
ful. The  family  is  of  English  lineage,  the  grandfather  being  a  third 
cousin  to  old  John  Bull.  John  Eagle,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  also 
a  native  of  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  and  died  upon  the  farm  where  his 
birth  occurred,  being  sixty-five  years  of  age  when  called  to  his  final  rest. 

John  Eagle  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Ohio,  but  for  ten 
years  was  a  resident  of  California.  He  made  his  way  to  the  Pacific 
coast  in  1850  and  during  the  succeeding  decade  was  engaged  in  prospect- 
ing .over  the  state.  He  married  Jane  Haughey,  a  daughter  of  Robert 
Haughey,  who  was  of  German  lineage,  but  the  family  was  founded  in 
America  at  a  very  early  period  in  the  development  of  this  country  and 
its  representatives  through  many  generations  were  identified  with  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  Mrs.  Eagle  died  at  the  home  of  her  son,  J.  W.,  in 
1899,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- four  years.  Her  children  were  as 
follows :  Robert  P.,  who  is  now  living  in  San  Francisco,  California ; 
Thomas,  who  makes  his  home  in  Topeka,  Kansas ;  Martha,  wife  of  W.  M. 
Zimmerman,  of  Ashland  County,  now  deceased;  Mary  E.,  who  became 
the  wife  of  L.  Potter,  and  after  his  death  married  E.  P.  L.  Dowe,  now 
cf  Oklahoma;  and  George  B.,  who  died  while  serving  in  the  Union  army. 

The  other  member  of  the  family  is  J.  W.  Eagle,  whose  name  in- 
troduces this  record.  After  acquiring  a  common  school  education  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming  upon  the  old  homestead  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account.  Boarding  a  westward-bound  train  he  then  came  to  Kansas, 
leaving  the  cars  at  Ottawa,  whence  he  proceeded  by  wagon  to  Woodson 
County,  arriving  here  in  1869.     This  was  at  an  early  period  in  the  de- 


74''^  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

v-elopment  of  the  eoimty  when  much  of  the  land  was  in  its  primitive  con- 
dition and  the  work  of  progress  seemed  scarcely  begun.  Mr.  Eagle  se- 
cured a  tract  of  railroad  land  which  he  improved  somewhat  and  then 
sold,  after  which  he  pnrchafed  the  farm  belonging  to  his  brother.  Tiobert 
l\,  and  lias  since  made  the  Eagle  Gap  farm  one  of  the  finest  in  this  por- 
1:on  of  the  county.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on 
section  19,  Eminence  township  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  on 
section  30. 

In  April,  1868.  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Eagle  and  Miss  Matilda 
Maurer.  a  daughter  of  Heorge  Maurer,  who  died  in  the  Federal  army 
during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  Her  people  resided  at  one  time  in  Ohio, 
but  came  from  Pennsylvania-German  stock.  Mrs.  Eagle  was  born  in  ash- 
land  County,  Ohio,  in  1852,  and  by  her  marriage  became  the  mother  of 
three  children :  Jennie,  now  the  wife  of  David  Hall,  of  Woodson  County ; 
Albert,  of  the  same  county  and  Cyrus  P.  In  the  early  days  the  members 
ol  the  Eagle  family  were  Democrats,  but  the  present  generation  re- 
nounce the  political  faith  of  their  forefathers  and  Mr.  Eagle  of  this  re- 
view has  throughout  his  entire  life  been  a  staunch  Republican.  He  has 
never  sought  oi^ce  but  has  given  his  attention  to  his  farm  work  and  now 
^   ;  :. ::  "   ':■"  ;i   r-      i  '"-.-Fble  property. 


WILLIS  P.  DICKERSON. 

WILLIS  PAINTER  DICKERSON,.  a  well  known  business  man 
of  Toronto,  occupying  the  position  of  cashier  in  the  Toronto  bank,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Woodson  County  since  1876.  His  father  was  John  M. 
Dickerson,  who  served  as  quartermaster  of  the  State  Soldiers'  Home  at 
Dodge  City,  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Coshocton  County,  Ohio,  in  1839, 
and  was  reared  in  that  countj'  and  in  Franklin  County  of  his  native 
state.  He  was  a  miller's  son.  his  father  being  Thomas  Dickerson  who. 
tliroughout  his  life,  devoted  his  energies  to  the  milling  business.  John 
Vl.  Dickerson  was  the  second  child  in  his  family.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  the  father  of  our  subject  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
aid,  enlisting  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  in- 
fantry, in  which  he  held  the  rank  of  lieutenant.  Before  the  expiration 
of  his  term  he  was  honorably  discharged  on  account  of  disability,  but  to- 
ward the  close  of  the  war  he  re-enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Ninty- 
First  Ohio  Volunteer  infantry  and  manifested  his  loyalty  to  the  govern- 
ment by  faithful  service  in  the  south.  Several  lines  of  business  have 
claimed  his  attention.  He  has  followed  farming,  milling  and  merchan- 
dizing. In  1870  he  came  to  Kansas  and  located  two  miles  west  of  Carlyle 
\<'here  he  resided  until  1876  when  he  came  with  his  family  to  Woodson 
County.  For  two  years  he  conducted  a  grocery  in  Toronto  and  on  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  accepted  the  position  of  quartermaster  in 


WOODSON    COUNTIES.  KANSAS.  749 

the  State  Soldiers'  Home  at  Dodge  (Jity,  Kansas.  Mr.  Dickerson  was 
married  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  in  1859,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Painter,  a 
daughter  of  Willis  Painter,  and  grand-daughter  of  Samuel  Painter  Sr., 
who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  .settlers  of  the  Buckeye  state,  removing  from 
Virginia  to  Ohio.  The  children  of  John  M.  and  Sarah  E.  Dickerson  are 
as  follows :  Willis  of  this  review ;  Hiram  T.,  who  is  living  in  Toronto ; 
Thomas  J.,  also  of  Toronto;  Leah  J.,  the  wife  of  E.  C.  Snyder,  of  Cen- 
terville,  Kansas,  and  Mamie,  the  wife  of  E.  W.  Harris  also  of  Center- 
ville. 

In  taking  up  the  history  of  AVillis  Painter  Dickerson  we  present  to' 
our  readers  the  life  record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
Woodson  County,  where  he  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He 
was  born  November  7,  1861,  and  in  1876,  when  fourteen  years  of  age, 
be  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Kansas,  the  family  lo- 
Cflting  in  Toronto  township,  where  he  remained  until  1880.  He  pursued 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  Ohio,  then  in  Allen  and  Woodson  Counties 
this  state,  also  spending  a  few  months  in  the  Kansas  University.  It  was 
his  intention  to  pursue  the  entire  course,  but  circumstances  prevented  his 
carrying  out  the  plan.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  business  and  his 
first  independent  venture  was  teaching.  He  followed  that  profession  for 
nx  years  in  Woodson  County  and  was  known  as  a  most  capable  educator, 
having  the  ability  to  impart  readily  to  others  his  knowledge  of  the  studies 
pursued  in  the  public  schools.  For  two  years  he  Avas  proprietor  of  the 
Toronto  Eegister,  which  has  since  been  merged  into  the  Toronto  Republi- 
can. He  established  the  former  paper  and  made  of  it  a  creditable  jour- 
nal, winning  a  liberal  and  well  deserved  patronage.  His  fellow  towns- 
men recognizing  his  worth  and  ability,  and  his  fidelity  to  the  duties  of 
citizenship,  elected  him  to  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  the  district  court  of 
Woodson  County  in  the  year  1888,  and  he  served  for  two  terms.  In 
1892  he  ambarked  in  the  banking  business  and  is  now  cashier  of  the  To- 
ronto Bank,  the  success  of  which  is  due  in  no  small  degree  to  his  enter- 
prising efforts,  his  keen  discernment  and  his  sound  judgment.  He  also 
o\\'ns  the  Toronto  Rolling  Mills  and  is  interested  in  the  Toronto  Gas  & 
Mining  Company,  of  which  he  is  treasurer  and  director. 

On  the  25th.  of  September,  1886,  Mr.  Dickerson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage in  Toronto,  Kansas,  to  Miss  Kate  L.  Lockard,  a  daughter  of  Martin 
B.  Lockard,  of  Fort  Scott,  Kansas.  They  now  have  three  children : 
Freda,  Nellie  E.  and  Howard  W.  Socially  Mr.  Dickerson  is  a  master 
^Jason  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  brethren  of  the  fraternity.  In 
polities  he  is  a  Republican,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  public  of- 
fice have  had  no  attraction  for  him,  his  support  being  given  to  the  party 
because  he  believes  in  its  principles  and  not  because  he  hopes  for  official 
reward.  His  advancement  in  the  business  world  is  due  to  his  own  ef- 
forts, for  a  determined  purpose,  energy  and  keen  discernment  have  enabled 
him  to  work  his  way  steadily  upward. 


750  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

JOHN  T.  BAYER. 

JOHN  T.  BAYER  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  Woodson 
County.  He  was  born  in  New  York  city,  on  the  21st.  of  Jiily,  1865,  a  son 
of  John  H.  and  Dorothea  (Teleke)  Bayer.  The  father  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany,  in  April,  1836.  and  in  1850,  when  fourteen  years  of  age, 
crossed  the  briny  deep  to  the  United  States,  locating  first  in  New  York. 
He  afterward  spent  one  year  in  South  Carolina  and  subsequently  resided 
in  Connecticut,  but  finally  returned  to  New  York  city,  where  he  engaged 
ir:  the  butchering  business.  Success  attended  his  efforts  there,  for  when 
he  returned  to  the  metropolis  his  capital  consisted  of  only  four  dollars 
and  when  he  came  from  the  Empire  state  to  Kansas  he  brought  with  him 
a  sum  of  money  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  purchase  a  good  farm  in  Owl 
Creek  township  , where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  being  now  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  thrifty  farmers  and  enterprising  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. His  wife  is  also  a  native  of  Germany,  her  birth  place  being  in 
the  province  of  Hanover.  Unto  them  have  been  born  four  children,  as 
follows:  Frederick  H. ;  John  T. ;  Rebecca 'E.,  widow  of  Willianj  H.  Lep- 
mann  and  a  resident  of  Santa  Anna,  California,  and  Gusta  H.,  wife  of 
W.  H.  Stockebrand. 

Brought  to  AA^oodson  County  during  his  infariey,  Mr.  Bayer  has 
throughout  his  entire  life  been  identified  with  agricultural  pursuits  here. 
He  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm  when  not  attending  school,  his  educa- 
tion being  acquired  in  the  district  schools  near  his  home  and  in  the  Port 
Scott  Normal.  He  remained  at  home  until  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  and 
tlien  completed  his  arrangements  for  a  home  of  his  own  by  his  marriage 
to  Miss  Carrie  J.  Shotts,  a  daughter  of  D.  T.  Shotts.  of  Owl  Creek  town- 
ship, Woodson  County.  The  wedding  was  celebrated  on  the  14th.  of 
June,  1893,  and  their  home  has  been  blessed  with  the  presence  of  three 
children :  Theodore  L.  and  Frederick  H.,  twins,  and  Dorothy.  The 
little  ones  add  life  and  sunshine  to  the  household  and  contribute  much 
to  the  happiness  of  the  parents.  Like  his  father  Mr.  Bayer  is  a  stalwart 
Republican,  having  supported  the  party  since  casting  his  first  presitJeii- 
tial  vote  for  Benjamin  Harrison  in  1888.  For  a  period  of  six  years  he 
has  served  as  clerk  of  the  school  board,  and  is  a  warm  friend  of  educa- 
tion, doing  what  he  can  for  the  advancement  of  the  schools.  He  is  a  man 
of  diligence,  not  afraid  of  work,  and  has  found  that  industry  is  the  essen- 
tial basis  of  all  success. 


LEVI  ROBBINS. 

LEVI  ROBBINS  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  landowners  in  Wood- 
son County,  his  realty  holdings  comprising  twenty-three  hundred  acres. 
He  has  made  very  judicious  investments  of  the  capital  which  he  has  ac- 
quired through  his  ovni  efforts,  and  his  broad  fields  are  now  the  visible 


"WOODSON  cacnsTrfiS,  Kansas.  75t 

sa,ii9  substantial  evid€nee  of  a  useful,  active  and  honorable  career. 

Mr.  Eobbins  eame  to  Kansas  in  April,  1870,  from  Porter  Couii'fjs 
-Indiana,  where  his  birth  occurred  on  the  31st.  of  March,  1848.  His 
father,  S.  P.  Robbins,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  removed  from 
Ohio  to  the  Hoosier  state  and  from  Massachusetts  to  Ohio.  He  became 
'■one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  Porter  County,  Indiana, 
was  recognized  as  a  leadei-  in  public  affairs,  and  for  many  years  served 
:as  county  commissioner.  His  opinions  carried  weight  in  public  councils 
and  his  efforts  -contributed  in  no  small  measure  to  the  growth  and  ad- 
vancement of  the  community  in  which  he  resided.  He  was  single  wheii 
lie  went  to  Indiana,  and  there,  in  1835,  be  married  Caroline  Coe,  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  whose  father  was  from  Connecticut.  Thus  rhe  was,,  like  her 
husband,  a  representative  of  an  old  New  England  family,  his  ancestors 
liaving  come  from  old  England  to  America  prior  to  the  war  of  the  ReV- 
oiution.  Mr.  Robbins  died  in  1889,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  and  his 
wife  died  in  Indiana,  October  19,  1898,  at  the  age  of  eiglity-three.  Their 
■children  were:  Amos,  who  died  in  Indiana;  Levi;  James  B.,  who  also 
'died  in  the  Hoosier  state ;  Lewis  H.,  of  Porter  County,  Indiana,  and  Joseph 
I).,  of  Mills  Connty,   Iowa. 

Levi  Rol)bins  secured  a  common  school  education  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  hoyhood's  home  and  received  praetical  training  in  tlie  work 
■<i  the  farm.  About  the  time  he  attained  his  majority  the  father  turned 
over  to  his  sons  the  ear*  of  the  home  farm  and  he  became  an  active 
"factor  in  its  management  and  operation.  Believing  that  he  would  have 
l)etter  opportunities  in  the  Aves'^  be  came  to  Kansas  in  April,  1870,  mak- 
ing the  journey  westward  hy  rail,  and  after  reaching  Woodson  County  he 
purchased  tliree  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  section  four,  town- 
-ship  twenty-six,  range  sixteen.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began  the 
•development  of  his  farm  and  soon  wrought  a  great  change  in  its  appear- 
ance, its  wild  lands  being  transformed  into  richly  cultivated  fields.  Soon 
the  golden  grain  filled  his  barns  and  sheds  and  the  sales  of  his  products 
annually  increased  liis  financial  resources.  He  then  made  ntller  pur- 
chases, judiciously  investing,  his  capital  in  farm  property  until  he  is  now 
-one  of  the  most  extensive  land  owners  of  southeastern  Kansas.  He  re- 
sided at  liis  first  location  until  January,  1900,  when  he  removed  to  his 
present  home  on  section  eighteen,  erecting  here  a  handsome  residence — 
one  of  the  most  modern  in  the  township,  supplied  with  all  the  latest  im- 
provements and  equipments  that  add  to  the  comfort  and  enjoyment  of 
life.  Throughout  the  years  of  his  residence  in  the  county  he  has  en- 
gaged in  tlie  raising,  feeding  and  shipment  of  stock,  and  in  his  pastures 
are  found  the  best  grades  of  eattle,  liorses  and  hogs.  All  this  is  but  an 
indication  of  the  unflagging  industry  which  has  ever  been  numbered 
among  his  strongest  characteristics. 

On  the  10th.  of  December,  1873,  in  Woodson  County,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  which  united  the  destinies  of  Mr.  Robbins  and  Miss  Mary 


7S2'  rilSl-ORV    O^    ALLEN'  ANjj 

Beott,  a  daughter  of  Elijah  Scott,  of  :\lissouri.  Seven  children  graut- 
their  union:  Lillian,  Charles  D.,  James  C,  Frank,  Je>se,  Pleasant  and^ 
Riley.  The  family  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  county,  and  the- 
members  of  the  household  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  social  circles 
in  which  they  move.  Mr.  Robbins  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Republi- 
can party.  His  grandfather  was  one  of  the  officers'  of  the  underground 
railroad  in  ante  bellum  days  and  with  the  organization  of  the  party  the- 
Robbins  became  its  supporters.  The  mature  judgment  of  otir  subject  has- 
sanctioned  its  policy  and  principles  and  thus  his  ballot  is  cast  for  its  can- 
didates. Such  in  brief  is  the  life  history  of  one  of  the  popular  citizens- 
and  successful  farnicrs  of  Eminence  township— a  splendid  financier  of 
excellent  executive  ability  and  marked  enterprise  combined  with  excel- 
lent business  judgment.  He  has  practically  turned  over  the  manage- 
ment of  the  old  home  farm  of  1,6U0  acres  to  the  three  oldest  sons  who  are- 
rapidly  acquiring  a  reputation:  as  sueeessful  farmers  and  business  mem 
and  who  enjoy  a  finaneia.l  reputation  second  to  none  in  the  county. 


JOHN  EISENBARl-.. 

A  u'reat  trdnsfoVmation  in  appearances,  concfitionS'  and  improve- 
jjients  has  bten  made  in  Woodson  County  since  John  Eisenbart  took  up 
his  abode  within  its  borders  to  become  identified  with  its  agricultural  in- 
terests. Which  yet  claim  his  attention.  He  was  born  in^  Luzerne  County,. 
Pennsylvania,  May  2.  1850,  a  son  of  Mathias  and  Eve  (Pahlen)  Eisen- 
bart, both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  They  were  of  German  birth  an(J 
the  father  Was  a  coal  miner.  They  had  four  children,  but  only  two  are 
now  living :  John  and  Margaret,  the  latter  now  the  wife  of  Peter  Kauff- 
man,  of  Humboldt. 

Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Eisenbart  of  this  review  has  been 
familiar  with  the  work  of  the  farfii.  His  educational  privileges  were 
Imiited  and  his  youth  was  largely  a  period  of  toil.  In  1856  he  left  Penn- 
sylvania and  spent  one  year  near  Kankakee,  Illinois.  In  1858  he 
j  lined  a  small  company  en  route  for  Kansas  and  was  reared  upon  the 
Moerer  place  in  Everett  township,  working  in  the  fields  and  meadows 
from  the  time  of  early  spring  planting  until  the  harvests  were  garnered 
in  the  late  autumn.  He  chose  as  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's 
journey  jNIiss  Helena  Koppers,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Koppers  Sr.  and 
Johanna  Pranken.  lier  father  was  born  m  the  Rhenish  province  of  the 
Kingdom  of  Priissia  in  Europe,  and  in  1872  became  a  resident  of  Kan- 
sas, where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  passing  away  in  1897,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two  years  Sis  children  are:  Mrs.  Eisenbart:  Mrs.  Her- 
man Tholen,  of  Humboldt,  Kansas;  Mrs.  B.  H.  Achter,  of  Humboldt; 
Anton,  also  of  Humbolt;  Minnie,  of  Yates  Center;  John,  of  Woodson 
County;  Henry  and  Martha. 


TvOODSON  COUNTik;;,  KA'^JSAS.  755 

'riie  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.   Ei;  enbart  was  celebrated  April  IS, 
"1875,  and  they  began  their  domestic  life  upon  their  present  farm  on  Sec- 
tion ten,  Owl  Creek  township,   where  he  secured   a   homestead  claim  of 
■eighty  acres.     Later  he   purchased  an   additional   ti'fiet   of   one  hundred 
-and  sixty  acres  and  lias  developed  -a  voiy  fine  farm,  improved  with  all 
modern  aecessorres  and  conveniences.     All  the  buildings  and  accessories 
upon  the  pla'ce  stan-d  there  as  momiments  of  his  labor  and  his  enterprise. 
'The  first  home  was  a  rude  house  built  of     native     lumber,     and  snakes 
fometimes  made  it  their  hiding  place  and  toads  their  rendezvous,  but  such 
■conditions  have  long  sinee  been  done  away  with  and  the  farm  is  now  one 
■<>i  the  most  attractive  and  desirable  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eisenbart  have  been  born  nine  children :  ]Mary, 
now  the  wife  of  "Will  0  'Donnell.  of  Woodson  County ;  Henry,  John,  Will, 
•Johanna,  MizaTjeth,  Albert,  Clara  and  Edward,  all  of  whom  are  still 
with  their  parents.  Prom  the  time  he  attained  his  ma.jority  down  to  the 
"present  Mr.  Eisenbart  has  been  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy  and  has 
■served  as  a  member  of  tlie  school  iDoard,  although  he  has  never  been  a 
politician  in  the  sense  of  ofSce  seeking.  He  feels  justly  proud  of  the 
•changes  that  have  been  wrought  in  the  county  since  his  arrival,  the  great 
'Strides  of  civilization  and  the  onward  "march  of  progrers.  placing  the 
M3ounty  on  a  par  wi'th  any  in  this  great  commonwealth.  He  might  also 
\iell  feel  proud  of  the  advancement  he  has  made,  having  worked  his  way 
"Tipward  from  a  humble  financial  position  to  a  place  among  the  snstantial 
•and   weTl-to-do   agriculturists   of   the    community. 


WALTER  J.  AGNEW. 

WALTER  J.  AGNEW  \k  a  young  man  of  enterprising  spirit,  pro- 
gressive, energetic  and  wide-awake  to  possibilities  in  business  and  to  the 
'opportunities  of  life  in  general.  He  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons 
■of  Kansas  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  leading  families  of  this 
^portion  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Anderson  County,  November  8, 
1866,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  honored  citizen  of  Center  township,  Wood- 
son County— William  Agnew— who  was  born  in  County  L)own,  Ireland, 
near  the  city  of  Belfast,  Eebruary  iS9,  1832.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years 
Tic  was  left  an  orphan.  In  his  father's  family  there  were  six  children,  of 
whom  tlie  surviving  members  are :  Joseph,  a  resident  of  Rice  County. 
Kansas ;  Mary,  widow  of  Fred  Brown,  of  Montreal,  Canada,  and  Jennie, 
who  is  living  in  Glasgow,  Scotland.  After  the  death  of  his  parents  Wil- 
liam Agnew  resided  with  a  Mr.  MofPett,  his  maternal  uncle,  until  six- 
teen years  of  age.  when  lie  resolved  to  try  his  fortune  in  America.  He 
er.me  alone  to  this  country  and  during  his  early  residence  in  the  United 
■States  remained  in  New  York.  He  afterward  became  a  farm  hand  in 
i'ennsylvania  and  later  m  Ohio  and     thus  he  acquired  a   start  in  life. 


7S4  HlbTORY    Oh'  ALLKN    AKiJ 

Kainins  tlie  nueltn.s  of  the  handsome  competence  which  he  afterward'  sec- 
(juired. 

Upon  his  return  to  America  after  a  visit  to  the  Emerald  Isle  in  185-,. 
Mr.    A. Knew   at   once   cairie   to   Kansas,      locating     at   Garnett,    Andersorr= 
eounty.     Not  long  afterward  he  was   followed  By  the   lady  whom   he- 
wedded— Miss  Mary  Jane   Gregg— and  after  their  marriage  they  settled 
upon  a  homer:ttad  claim  in  that  county,  Mr.  Agnew  giving-  his  attention 
t'.  the  improvement  of  his  property  and  the  cultivation  of  his  fields  until 
after  tie  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  offered  his  services  to- 
fhe  government,  enlisting  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  Twelfth  Kansas  in- 
fantry.    His  command  rerved  in  Arkansas  and  Missouri  and  he  remained 
in  the  army  for  three  and  a  half  years  loyally  aiding  his  adopted  coun- 
try in  her  struggle  to  preserve  the  Union.    He  was  mostly  engaged  in  guard 
duty  but   participated   in   a   number   of   skirmishes     and   minor   engage- 
ments.     When  hortilities  had  ceased  and  the  country  no  longer  needed 
his  aid  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his  home  in 
Anderson  County,  where  he  continued  his  farming  operations  until  1871, 
when  he   remoVed  to   Franklin   County.     In   187.3   he   came   to  "Woodson 
County  and  purchased  a  quarter  section  of  land  on  Owl  creek.     The  land 
w-as  in  its  primitive  condition  as  shaped  by  the  hand  of  nature,  and  with' 
his  usual  energy  and  resolute  purpose  he  began  the  development  and  im- 
provement of  the  fields,  which  he  transformed  into  rich  tracts.     At  the- 
time  of  his  death  he  had  made  the  farm  one  of  the  most  productive  and 
attractive  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Agnew  was  a  stalwart  Republican  and  his- 
fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  ability  called  him  to  the  office  of  town- 
ship  trustee,  in  which  he  served  for  several  terms.  He  was  prommelif  in; 
/('cal  political  circles  and  Vv-as  usually  a  delegate  to  the  county  conven- 
tions of  his  party  where  his  opinions  carried  weight,  as  his  judgment 
was  known  to  be  sound  and  reliable.  He  died  December  I9lh.,  1891,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  on  the  20th.  of  February,  1896.  Their  children 
were :  "William  F.,  of  Woodson  County ;  AValter  Jr. ;  Elizabeth  J;  and 
Kofa  M. 

"^A^alter  J.  Agne^v  secured  his  preliminary  education  in  the  district 
schools  and  supplemented  it  by  study  in  Sanders'  Normal,  at  Fort  Scott, 
Kansas.  He  was  trained  to  the  work  of  the  farm  in  his  youth,  and  on 
attaining  his  rnajority  became  associated  with  his  father  in  business.  He 
lias  always  resided  on  the  old  homestead  farm,  and  continued  his  busi- 
ness connection  with  his  father  until  the  Tatter's  death.  He  has  since 
managed  the  property  and  the  well  tilled  fields  and  thrifty  appearance 
(if  tbe  place  indicates  his  careful  supervision  and  commendable  business 
metbods. 

On  the  29th.  of  December,  1897,  Mr.  Agnew  was  married  to  Miss 
Anna  E.  Bigelow,  a  daughter  of  Edwin  "W.  and  Margaret  (McGavran) 
Bif;■elo^r.  whri  came  to  Kansas  in  February,  1882,  from  Dupont,  Indiana. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  755 

Her  father  was  born  in  Clinton  County,  New  York,  and  died  in  AYoodson 
County,  Kansas,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  His  children  are:  Edwin  T., 
of  Smithfield,  Nebraska;  Eay,  wife  of  G.  W.  Simpson,  of  Council  Grove, 
Kansas;  William  M.,  of  Hoyt,  this  state;  L.  C,  of  Beckhan,  Oklahoma; 
Charles  H.,  of  Elwood,  Nebraska ;  Mrs.  Agnew,  and  Nelson  L.  and  Mar- 
garet, both  of  Woodson  County.  One  child  graces  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Agnew,  Clarence  Eugene,  who  was  born  April  8,  1899,  and  is  the 
i:ght  and  joy  of  the  household.  The  Republican  party  receives  the  en- 
dorsement of  Walter  Agnew  through  his  ballot  at  the  polls,  and  he  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  isnues  of  the  day,  but  does  not  seek  office,  as  his  time 
^s  occupied  with  his  farming  interests,  whereby  he  is  acquiring  a  gratify- 
ing measure  of  success.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  iii  the  com- 
munity, honored  and  respected  for  the  possession  of  qualities  of  sterling 
worth. 


MELVIN  E.  HUNT. 

No  more  capable  officer  has  ever  filled  the  position  of  sheriff  in 
Woodson  County  than  Melvin  Ellison  Hunt  who  for  two  terms  acted  in 
tliat  capacity,  discharging  his  duties  without  fear  or  favor.  He  is  now 
extensively  engaged  in  dealing  in  stock  and  is  accounted  one  of  the  en- 
terprising and  prosperous  business  men  of  Yates  Center. 

A  native  of  the  neighboring  state  of  Missouri,  Mr.  Hunt  was  born 
in  Schuyler  County,  on  the  2d.  of  April,  1852,  a  son  of  Jesse  Hunt,  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  that  locality,  who  was  descended  from  a  prominent 
family  of  Virginia.  One  of  his  brothers  went  to  Idaho  at  a  very  early 
lay  and  there  reared  his  family  including  a  son  who  is  now  governor  of 
that  state.  Jesse  Hunt  was  born  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  about  1816, 
and  in  1842  removed  to  Schuyler  County,  Missouri,  where  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days,  following  the  dual  pursuit  of  farming  and  stock  raising. 
He  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  his  new  home,  however,  for  his  death 
occurred  in  1854.  In  Tennessee  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha 
Vj.  Hale,  who  died  in  Schuyler  County,  Missouri,  in  1886.  Her  father, 
William  Hale,  was  one  of  the  most  extensive  slaveholders  of  eastern 
Tennessee.  He  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  had  several  sons  and 
daughters,  the  most  of  whom  E>pent  their  lives  in  Tennessee  and  Ken- 
t'ickv.  TTnto  Jesre  and  Martha  (Hale)  Hunt  were  born  the  following 
children :  James,  who  died  in  Jasper  Coiinty,  Missouri ;  Elizabeth,  de- 
ceased wife  of  Wesley  Bedifer,  her  death  occurring  in  Dallas  County, 
Missouri;  Hulet,  who  died  in  Schuyler  County,  Missouri;  Martha,  the 
wife  of  William  McVey,  of  that  county;  Minerva,  wife  of  J.  B.  Mud, 
of  the  same  county;  Jesse,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 

located  in .  Missouri;  Melvin  E.,  of  this  sketch,  and  George,  who 

is  living  in  Woodson  County. 


756  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

Melvin  E.  Hunt  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads.  His 
educational  privileges  were  limited  and  experience  has  been  his  most  ef- 
ficient teacher,  her  lessons  proving  of  value  to  him  in  the  practical  affairs 
of  life.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  started  out  to  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world,  working  on  ranches  and  farms,  first  in  Missouri  and 
later  in  Clay  County,  Texas.  Returning  to  the  former  state  he  then  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock-raising  on  his  own  account,  and  in  1884  he 
came  to  Woodson  County,  arriving  in  the  month  of  March.  He  first  lo- 
cated in  Liberty  township,  where  he  engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock  and 
grain,  following  those  purruits  until  elected  to  the  office  of  county 
sheriff,  when  he  removed  to  Yates  Center.  In  1895  he  defeated  the  Re- 
publican candidate  for  that  office  by  three  hundred  and  seventy-five 
votes,  and  in  1897  he  was  again  elected  by  an  increased  majority,  a  fact 
which  clearly  indicates  that  his  duties  had  been  discharged  most  accepta- 
bly, promptly  and  faithfully.  His  record  on  retiring  from  office  was  as 
spotless  as  when  he  entered  it  and  four  years  of  creditable  service  were 
added  to  his  life's  history.  On  the  1st.  of  January,  1900,  he  retired  from 
office  and  resumed  his  former  businers  of  dealing  in  stock,  of  which  he  is 
such  an  excellent  judge  that  his  labors  have  been  crowned  with  a  very 
gratifying  degree  of  success. 

Mr.  Hunt  was  married  in  Schuyler  County,  Missouri,  March  8,  1872, 
to  Cordelia  V.  Huff,  a  daughter  of  George  Huff,  who  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  his  active  business  career  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Rock 
Island,  Illinois.  After  his  death  his  widow  married  Charles  Shaw.  By 
her  first  marriage  she  had  two  children— Mrs.  Hunt  and  George,  the 
latter  a  resident  of  Pratt  County,  Kansas.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt 
have  been  born  three  children :  WiUard  E..  who  married  Blanche  Hyde 
and  is  now  with  the  Atchison  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company; 
Charles,  of  Tates  Center,  and  Marvin,  who  is  still  with  his  parents. 

In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Hunt  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight  of  Pythias 
and  an  Odd  Fellow  and  in  the  last  named  organization  has  taken  all 
the  degrees.  He  has  been  a  staunch  Democrat  in  politics  since  casting  his 
first  presidential  vote  for  Samuel  J.  Tilden  and  has  always  taken  a  deep 
and  abiding  interest  in  the  success  of  his  party  and  in  the  promotion  of 
public  interests  intended  for  the  general  good. 


HON.  JOHN  H.  BAYER. 

In  no  other  phase  of  life  can  a  man  better  demonstrate  his  fealty  to 
his  country  and  his  loyalty  to  its  interests  than  in  the  political  arena, 
for  therein  is  invested  the  vitality  of  a  nation's  power,  the  mainspring 
of  its  internal  machinery  and  the  keynote  to  its  progress  and  prosperity. 
Among  the  patriotic  citizens  of  Woodson  County  who  have  been  closely 
identified  mth  the  Kepublican  party  through  many  years  none  is  better 


Z/^^'^*^ 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  757 

known  or  more  highly  appreciated  than  the  Hon.  John  H.  Bayer,  who  has 
twice  been  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  general  assembly  and 
has  filled  other  official  positions.  He  believes  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every 
American  citizen  to  give  his  time  and  attention  to  public  interests  and  to 
assist,  as  far  as  it  lies  in  his  power  to  do  so,  in  promoting  those  measures 
and  movements  which  promote  the  general  good,  and  thus  he  has  long 
been  an  active  factor  in  the  ranks  of  his  party  in  Woodson  County. 

Mr.  Bayer,  moreover,  is  a  very  successful,  enterprising  and  progres- 
sive business  man,  connected  with  the  agricultural  and  stock-raising  in- 
terests of  Woodson  County.  His  landed  possessions  are  quite  extensive 
and  his  home  farm  is  one  of  the  best  improved  properties  in  this  section 
of  the  state. 

It  is  the  province  of  the  biographist  to  trace  his  career  through 
successful  phases  down  to  the  present  day  and  therefore  we  note  that  his 
birthplace  was  in  the  province  of  Hanover,  Germany,  his  natal  day  be- 
ing April  14,  1836.  His  father,  John  A.  Bayer,  was  a  wagonmaker,  who 
was  born  in  Saxony,  the  family  home  having  been  near  Leipsic  through 
many  generations.  Becoming  a  resident  of  Hanover,  he  there  spent  this 
remaining  days,  dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  when  our  subject 
was  a  youth  of  only  thirteen  years.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Sophia  Wiettege  and  died  in  1847,  leaving  two  children,  John  A.  and 
John  H.  By,  a  former  marriage  the  father  had  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom,  Annie,  is  the  wife  of  Conrad  Herder,  of  Woodson 
County. 

■^^Iien  only  eight  years  of  age  John  H.  Bayer,  of  this  review,  began 
to  earn  his  own  livelihood.  In  the  summer  he  worked  hard  and  in  the 
winter  season  he  attended  school.  He  secured  in  advance  the  money 
necessary  to  pay  his  passage  to  America,  and  in  1851  he  sailed  from 
Bremen  on  the  Humboldt  which  safely  reached  the  harbor  of  New  York. 
Mr.  Bayer  landed  in  the  New  World  with  less  than  a  half  dollar  in 
money  and  that  was  !=tolen  from  him,  so  that  he  began  life  in  America 
absolutely  penniless.  Money,  however,  cannot  make  success  altogether. 
It  requires  determination,  energy  and  hard  work  and  in  those  qualities 
Mr.  Bayer  was  rich.  He  entered  the  employ  of  his  brother-in-law  in  the 
butchering  business  and  remained  in  New  York  until  July,  1854,  when  he 
went  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  where  he  clerked  in  a  grocery  store. 
In  1856.  however,  he  returned  to  New  York  and  sailed  for  England  to 
visit  his  brother  Godfried  Bayer.  For  six  months  he  remained  in  that 
country  arid  then  returned  to  the  United  States.  For  four  years  he  was 
in  the  employ  of  Asa  T.  Child,  a  farmer  at  Woodstock,  Connecticut,  and 
upon  leaving  that  position  he  embarked  in  the  butcher  business  on 
his  own  account  in  New  York,  in  1860,  successfully  conducting  the  enter- 
prise until  1865. 

In  the  fall  of  that  year  Mr.  Bayer  arrived  in  Woodson  County  and 
located  on  section  twenty-three,  township  twenty-five,  range  sixteen.     He 


758  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

has  become  one  of  the  leading  and  successful  farmers  and  cattle  raisers 
of  the  county  and  is  now  making  a  specialty  of  short  horn  thoroughbred 
cattle,  having  £ome  very  valuable  stock.  His  home  farm  comprises  five 
hundred  and  two  and  a  half  acres  of  land,  all  in  one  body,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  this  he  owns  other  farming  land  in  the  county.  His  investments 
have  been  judiciously  made  and  he  is  now  in  possession  of  very  desirable 
realty 'which  is  constantly  increasing  in  value. 

Before  leaving  the  east  Mr.  BaySr  was  married  in  April,  1862,  to 
Miss  Dorothea  Teleke,  also  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany.  She  died  in  1876 
and  is  survived  by  four  of  her  seven  children.  In  September,  1877,  Mr. 
Bayer  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Augusta  Staub,  a 
daughter  of  Frederick  Steffen.  who  died  in  Prussia.  In  1858  Mrs.  Bayer 
came  to  Kansas  and  since  1877  has  resided  in  Woodson  County. 

Mr.  Bayer  became  familiar  with  American  politics  while  residing 
in  the  fourth  ward  of  New  York  city  the  methods  of  the  Democracy 
there  disgusted  him  and  he  allied  his  interests  with  the  Republican  party, 
casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  since  sup- 
porting its  candidates.  He  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  political 
afifairs  in  Woodson  County  and  his  loyalty  to  the  party  and  his  fitness 
for  public  office  has  won  him  political  honors.  In  1877  and  again  in  1880 
lie  was  elected  county  commissioner,  and  at  the  latter  election  received 
the  unanimous  vote  of  his  township,  a  fact  which  indicates  high  standing 
where  he  is  best  known.  During  the  second  term  he  was  chairman  of 
the  board  and  made  a  record  for  honesty  and  fairness  that  has  never  been 
surpasred  by  any  incumbent  in  the  office.  In  1890  Mr.  Bayer  was  chosen 
by  the  Republicans  to  represent  the  district  in  the  state  legislature  and 
was  elected,  but  was  unseated  by  a  Populist  house.  His  fellow  citizens 
at  the  next  election  again  placed  his  name  on  the  ticket  and  he  received 
a  pronouncd  majority.  He  served  on  eight  committees,  was  one  of  the 
working  members  of  the  assembly  and  succeeding  in  securing  the  pas- 
sage of  a  bill  for  the  establishment  of  a  park  in  Neosho  Falls.  He  is 
identified  with  two  organizations  indicating  his  interest  in  fine  stock— 
the  Improved  Stock  Breeders'  Association  of  Kansas  and  the  Central 
Short  Horn  Breeders'  Association  of  the  United  States.  His  religious 
belief  is  indicated  by  his  membership  in  the  Lutheran  church.  He  has 
led  a  busy,  useful  and  honorable  life,  and  over  his  public  career  and 
private  record  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong. 


ALFRED  A.  KECK. 

ALFRED  A.  KECK  is  an  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  an  en- 
terprising agriculturist  and  merchant,  and  a  leading  and  influential  citi- 
zen of  North  to-\vnship.  Woodson  County,  who  in  every  relation  in  life 
has  been  found  true  to  duty,  whether  that  duty  has  been  armed  resist- 


\voO'DSO"Sf  Counties,  kansas.  ^^g 

ranee  to  the  foe  of  the  Union  or  the  more  quiet  labors  connected  with  the 
support  of  his  family  and  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  obligations  to  his 
st'ountry  in  times  of  peace. 

Mr.  Keck  was  born  in  Davis  County,  Indiana,  March  2,  1837.  His 
father,  Philip  Keck,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  inarried  Orpha 
Kutch,  a  native  of  Indiana ;  parents  both  dead.  He  had  gone  to  the 
latter  state  with  his  parents  when  a  youth  of  thirteen  years  and  there  he 
spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  1857,  when  he  M'as 
forty- three  years  of  age,  his  wife  long  surviving  him,  passing  away  in 
1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  Of  their  family  of  eight  children, 
■■six  are  yet  living:  Alfred  A.,  John,  Christian,  Nelson.  AVilson  and 
Levrinda.     The  daughter  is  now  the  wife  of  Elmer  M^alker. 

Upon  a  farm  Alfred  A,  Keck  was  reared  and  in  the  labors  of  field 
-and  meadow  he  assisted  throughout  the  period  of  his  youth.  As  is  the 
usual  maanner  of  young  men  when  they  start  out  in  life  for  themselves 
he  sought  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  the  journey,  and  on  the  4th.  of 
June,  1857,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha  McCarter,  a  native  of 
Indiana.  Her  father,  Moses  McCarter.  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  and 
^pedded  Miss  Sarah  Ketchum,  a  Kentucky  lady  and  in  an  early  day  re- 
moved to  Indiana,  where  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCarter  f^pent  their  last 
days.  They  had  eight  children,  hut  only  three  survive,  namely :  Mrs. 
T\eck,  William  and  Mrs.  Nancy  Leggerwood. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keck  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  rented  farm 
■and  he  continued  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  until  the  country  became  in- 
volved in  war,  when  with  patriotic  spirit  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government,  enlis+ing  as  a  member  of  company  B,  I^'ifteenth  Indiana  in- 
fantry, on  the  14th.  of  June,  1861,  responding  to  the  first  call  for  troops 
to  serve  for  three  years.  On  account  of  disability  he  was  discharged 
■September  25,  1861,  but  the  following  year,  he  again  joined  the  army, 
becoming  a  member  on  the  1st.  of  September,  1862.  At  the  second  en- 
rollment he  was  made  a  member  of  company  I,  Twenty-seventh  Regi- 
ment of  Indiana  Volunteers,  and  with  that  command  served  until  almost 
the  close  of  the  war.  heing  honorably  difcharged  on  the  25th.  of  March, 
1865.  He  saw  some  hard  service  and  participated  in  a  number  of  hotly 
contested  battles,  including  the  engagements  of  Antietam,  Chancellors- 
ville,  Gettysburg,  Resaca,  Dallas,  Peach  Tree  Creek  and  other.':.  At  the 
battle  of  Antietam  he  Avas  wounded  in  the  legs,  was  shot  through  the  left 
arm  in  a  skirmish  in  front  of  Atlanta  and  received  a  slight  scalp  wound 
by  the  bursting  of  a  bomb  shell  at  Kenesaw  mountain. 

When  the  war  was  ended  Mr.  Keck  returned  to  his  wife  and  two 
■children,  whom  he  had  left  in  order  to  do  battle  for  the  Union,  and  once 
more  resumed  his  labors  on  the  home  farm.  He  remained  in  Indiana 
until  October,  1882,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  taking  up  his  abode  at  his 
present  place  of  residence  in  North  township,  Woodson  County,  where 
he  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  twelve  and  a  half  miles 


JbO  HTsl'bRf   Ot?   ALLEN    A.'CO 

tiortliw<'st  of  Yates  C'^nter.  Here  he  engaged  in  general  farming  anJ 
stock-raising,  mailing  a  specialty  of  the  sheep  industry,  and  continued*, 
in  the  stock  business  until  1887.  In  that  year  he  was  elected  and  assumed 
the  duties  of  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Woodson  County,  in  which  capacity  he 
served  for  two  terms  in  a  roost  acceptable  and  creditable  manner.  Om 
his  retirement  from  office  he  returned  to  his  farm,  and  has  since  super- 
vised its  cultivation  and  improvement.  In  1894  he  was  appointed  post- 
master  of  Keck,  which  position  he  still  holds  in  the  present  year,  1901.- 
Purchasing  a  small  stock  of  goods  he  lias  since  engaged  in  general  mer- 
lihandising  in  conection  with  the  management  of  the  post  office,  and  his- 
grocery  sales  now  amount  to  about  three  thousand  dollars  annually, 

iTnto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keck  have  been  born  seven  children,  all  yet  liv- 
i-ug,  namely:  John  P.  and  Wilson  E.,  who  are  now  residing  in  Indiana; 
William  T.,  in  Chicago.  Illinois ;  S.  Grant,  who  is  in  business  in  Yates 
Center;  Hester  A.,  wife  of  A.  J.  Smith,  of  Oklahoma;  Donna  C,  -witer 
6.  J.  Colman,  of  Kansas  City,  MissoTiri,  and  Herschel  A.,  at  home,  his 
time  being  devoted  to  the  cultivatioTi  of  his  father's  farm.  The  family 
residence  is  a  beautiful  home  situated  on  an  eminence  which  commands 
an  excellent  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  A  fine  grove  of  native- 
forest  trees  surrounds  the  place  and  the  Keek  dwelling  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  attractive  features  of  the  landscape  in  this  part  of  the 
County. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Keck  has  always  been  a  Republican,  un- 
wavering in  support  of  the  principles  of  the  party,  and  on  that  ticket  he 
has  been  elected  to  the  offices  which  he  has  so  acceptably  filled.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  office  o'f  sheriff  he  has  served  foT  two  terms  as  township  trustee 
and  for  two  terms  has  been  justice  of  the  peace  of  North  to"wnship.  He 
has  been  re-elected  to  every  office -in  which  he  has  served — a  fact  which  is 
unmistakable  evidence  of  his  capability  and  trustworthiness.  Honorable 
in  business,  reliable  in  office  and  faithful  in  friendship,  his  record  in 
private  life  equals  in  fidelity  his  career  as  a  soldier  when  he  wore  the  blue 
uniform  of  the  nation  and  fou<iht  to  sustain  the  central  government. 


THOMAS  W.  PLtJMMER. 

THOMAS  AV.  PLUMMER,  whose  business  activities  have  largely 
connected  him  with  the  substantial  improvement  and  upbuilding  of  the 
v.est,  has  for  sixteen  years  engaged  in  handling  real  estate  in  Yates  Cen- 
ter and  is  one  of  the  well  known  and  reliable  business  men  of  the  city.  He 
is  a  native  Of  Lincolnshire,  England,  born  July  8,  1839,  but  since  early 
youth  has  been  a  resident  of  this  republic.  His  father,  John  B.  Plum- 
mer,  was  also  a  native  of  the  "Merrie  Isle"  and  there  married  Mary  E. 
Wilkinson.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  in  1846  he  came  -fl-ith 
his   family  to  the   United   States,     locating     in   Milwaukee,     Wisconsin, 


TX'OODHO^'    COUKTiES,    KXlN'SA'S.  '761 

^\'}iere  he  resided  until  1859,  when  he  went  to  Prairi«  du  Chien,  -that 
.-slate,  there  spending  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  1890, 
"when  he  had  reached  the  ripe  age  of  four  score  years.  In  his  family 
"were  sixteen  children,  nine  of  M'hom  are  yet  living:  Emma,  now  Mrs. 
'Shipman,  a  widow,  of  New  York  eity;  Thomas  "W.,  of  this  review;  Johti 
~W..  who  resides  in  Wilmington,  North  Carolina :  Mary,  wife  of  Dr. 
Stiger,  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wisconsin;  Ellen,  Vrie  of  George  M.  Rising, 
^of  Minneapolis,  Mnnesota :  Edward,  of  Augusta,  Wisconsin;  Harry  W., 
of  San  Francisco,  California,  and  Sarah  W.,  wife  of  M.  J.  Scanlon,  of 
llinneapolis,  Minnesota,  and  John  W.  Plununer,  of  Wilmington,  North 
'Carolina. 

Thomas  W.  Plumnrer  was  but  s:even  years  of  age  when  he  bade 
adieu  to  the  land  of  his  l)irtli  and  came  with  "his  parents  to  the  new 
"world.  He  pursued  a  comm.on  school  education  in  Wisconsin  and  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years  left  the  parental  home,  going  into  the  pineries 
where  he  was  engaged  in  cutting,  sawing  and  hauling  logs  for  two  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to  Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  and 
worked  on  the  construction  of  the  Milwaukee  &  Grand  Haven  Railroad 
for  two  years,  acting  as  time-keeper  and  book-keeper  for  tthe  contractor. 
In  the  meantime  his  'parents  had  removed  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wiscon- 
sin, and  he  there  .joined  them,  being  at  that  place  at  the  time  of  the 
inauguration  of  the  Civil  war.  Pie  had  watched  with  interest  the  dis- 
turbance in  th-e  South  and  the  growth  of  the  spirit  of  rebel)  ion/ ancl 
resolved  that  'if  an  attempt  at  secession  was  made  he  would  strike  a 
Tdjow  for  the  defense  of  the  Union.  Accordingly,  in  April,  1861,  he 
•eiilisted  in  Company  C,  Sixth  AYisconsin  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Lys- 
ander  Cutler,  and  was  mustered  into  service  at  Madison,  Wisconsin,  on 
the  16th  of  July,  the  regiment  being  attached  to  the  Army  Of  the  Poto- 
~mac  at  Wasliington.  wliere  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1862,  with 
MeClellan's  forces.  He  then  went  South  with  General  McDowell 's  army 
"and  was  in  the  engagements  at  Slaughter  Mine  and  Gainesville,  was  also 
in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  Prederieks- 
I)urg,  Fitzhugh  Crossing,  Cliancellorsville,  Mine  Run  and  the  Wilder- 
ness, after  which  Iiis  company  went  up  the  James  river  to  Petersburg. 
Mr.  Plummer  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  at  Arlington  Heights 
v.-as  made  first  lieutenant  and  was  promoted  captain  on  the  Potomac 
river  just  before  the  engagement  at  Chaneellorsville,  while"  in  1864  he.  was 
"breveted  major  and  commanded  his  regiment  a  part  of  the  time. 

Ma.ior  Plummer  left  the  army  on  the  l6th  day  of  July,  1864,  and 
returned  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wisconsin,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
siock  business  for  some  time.  His  residence  in  that  city  covered  alto- 
^xther  an  aggregate  of  fourteen  years.  On  lea"dng  there  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  "nnion  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  then  constructing  its 
line,  being  eniployed  as  bridge  foreman.  He  followed  the  line  out  to 
Ogden,  Utah,  ^nd  then  returned  to  do  bridge  work,   in  the  capacity  of 


702  HfSTORY    Of    ALLEN    AXJJ 

foi-emau,  on  the  St.  Paul  &  Duluth  Railroad,  being  thus  engaged  for- 
more  than  a  year.  He  next  went  to  the  Red  River  of  the  North  and  for 
a  time  followed  the  business  of  trading  with  the  Indians,  after  whiclt 
l:e  r-nnie  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Woodson  County,  where  he  carried  on; 
iVirming  until  1876.  That  year  witnessed  his  removal  to  Texas  and  lo- 
Ci'ting  near  Dallas,  he  furnished  wood  and  ties,  under  contract  to  the- 
T.  &  F.  R.  R.  Co.  and  Co  ton  Belt  Railroad  Company.  In  1881  he- 
returned  to  Woodson  County,  where  he  again  engaged  in  farming  for 
two  years  and  then  sold  his  land  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Yates  Center, 
\v'heie  for  sixteen  years  he  ha.=;  conducted  real  estate  transactions,  hand- 
ling some  valuable  property.  He  has  a  comp;'ehensive  knowledge  of 
realty  values  and  of  favorable  locations,  and  is  thus  competent  to  advise- 
his  clients  to  their  best  advantage.- 

]\Ia,]'or  Plummer  was  married  in  Woodson  County  in  December,  1878, 
to  Miss  Mary  P".  Hamilton,  daughter  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  and  their 
children  are  Bernard  W.,  Mary  Lenore  and  Claire  S.  The  Major  was; 
reared  in  tie  Democratic  faith,  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas  and  was  a  Democrat  until  1901.  Socially  he  is  iden-- 
tified  vnih  the  Order  of  Red  Men  and  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the- 
republic,  and  as  a  citizen  he  is  as  loyal  to  his  comitry  and  her  bes 
interests  as  when  the  tocsin  of  war  sounded  and  he  went  to  the  front 
as  one  of  the  boys  in  blue,  to  return  with  the  rank  of  ma.jor  as  the- 
recognition   of  three  .year's  faithful  and  loyal  service. 


SARYEY  StTRPRlSE. 

HARVEY  SURPRISE,  who  is  engaged  in  general  farming  in  Em- 
inence township,  came  to  AA^oodson  County  in  the  spring  of  1870  and 
purchased  a  claim  on  AVest  Buffalo  creek,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  Plis  father,  Peter  Surprise,  was  born  in  Canada,  in  August, 
1793,  and  after  an  active  business  career  is  still  living  at  the  remarka- 
ble age  of  one  huiidred  and  seven  years.  In  1819  he  removed  to  the 
si  ate  of  New  York  and  the  next  year  went  westward  to  Chicago.  In 
1836  he  removed  to  Lake  County,  Indiana,  which  was  his  place  of  abode 
for  a  long  period.  He  married  Rosanna  Taylor,  and  fourteen  children 
were  born  unto  them,  nine  of  whom  reached  years  of  maturity.  Sarah, 
the  oldest,  is  the  deceased  wife  of  Steward  Stillson;  Elizabeth,  married 
a  Mr.  Coe  and  after  his  death,  wedded  a  Mr.  Harding;  Harvey  is  the 
third  of  the  family;  Henry,  Oliver  and  William,  whose  births  occurred 
in  the  order  mentioned,  are  all  residents  of  Lake  County,  Ind.,  La-vina  is  the 
wife  of  Leander  Vaudecai,  of  Woodson  County;  Melvina,  t-=«'in  sister 
to  Lavina,  is  the  deceased  M'if  e  of  William  Wheeler ;  Armina  is  the 
wife  of  James  Rosenbower.  of  Lake  County,  Indiana ;  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  died  in  childhood. 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  763 

Harvey  Surprise,  was  born  December  25,  1835,  in  New  York,  and 
the  following  year  the  family  removed  to  Lake  County,  Indiana,  where 
he  was  rtared  and  made  his  home  until  1852,  when  he  crossed  the  plains 
to  California,  where  he  engaged  in  prospecting,  spending  four  years  on 
the  Pacific  coast.  In  1854,  he  started  to  return  on  the  steamer  "Yankee 
Blake"  which  ran  on  a  rock  off  the  coast  about  one  hundred  and  eighty 
miles  south  of  San  Francisco.  With  others,  Mr.  Surprise  was  picked  up 
by  a  coast  boat  and  taken  back  to  San  Francisco,  after  which  he  remain- 
ed for  two  years  longer  in  California  in  order  to  recuperate  from  his 
losses  sustained  in  the  wreck.  Finally  by  ship  he  made  his  way  to  New 
York,  crossing  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  After  his  return  home  he  was 
employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  but  when  he  felt  that  the 
duty  to  his  country  was  stronger  than  any  other  life,  he  put  aside  all 
business  and  personal  considerations,  enlisting  August  10,  1862,  as  a 
member  of  Company  I,  Seventy-third  Indiana  Infantry,  being  mustered 
in  at  South  Bend.  The  regiment  was  first  ordered  to  Kentucky,  where 
i!^  received  the  guns  and  then  went  to  Lexington.  Mr.  Surprise  first  met 
the  enemy  in  this  locality  but  the  first  regular  engagement  in  which  he 
participated  wa<-  at  Perryville,  Kentucky  and  later  he  took  part  in  the 
engagement  at  Murfreeboro,  Tennessee.  In  tthe  spring  of  1863  his 
regiment  started  on  a  raid  under  Colonel  Straight,  going  as  far  as 
Rome,  Georgia,  before  captured  by  General  Forest  and- his  men.  Mr.  Sur- 
prise was  parolled  at  Home  but  was  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels  until 
exchanged  at  City  Point,  Virginia.  He  then  returned  to  Indiana  .and 
after  a  ten  days'  furlough  aided  in  the  capture  of  General  IMorgan  in 
Ohio.  Subsequently  he  guarded  prisoners  in  Indianapolis  until  the  fall 
election  of  1863,  when  the  regiment  was  E:ent  to  Nashville  to  do  guard 
duty.  The  following  spring  they  were  ordered  to  Decatur.  Alabama, 
■\-here  *hey  were  engaged  in  fighting  bushwackers.  On  the  8th  of  July, 
1865,  Mr.  Surprise  received  an  honorable  discharge  at  Indianapolis. 

Through  the  summer  he  followed  farming  in  Indiana  and  in  the 
fall  of  that  year  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Coffej'  county,  where  he 
resided  until  the  spring  of  1870,  when  he  removed  to  AYoodson  County. 
He  owns  land  in  sections  twenty-eight,  twenty-six  and  thirty-five,  Emi- 
nenc  township  and  a  tract  in  Belmont  township,  the  whole  aggregating 
two  hundred  and  eighty  acres.  His  farming  interests  are  well  con- 
ducted and  his  labors  bring  to  him  a  good  financial  return. 

Mr.  Surprise  has  been  twice  married.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1859, 
he  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Juliet  Burch,  who  died  in  1874,  leaving 
the  following  children :  Rose,  now  the  wife  of  John  Homan,  of  South 
Omaha,  Nebraska :  Henry,  of  Woodson  County,  and  Peter,  of  Okla- 
homa. On  the  3d  of  February.  1875,  Mr.  Surprise  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Mary  Chapell,  a  daughter  of  Miranda 
(Read)  Chapell  by  her  first  marriage,  who  came  to  Kansas  from  Otsego 
County,  New  York,  in  the  spring  of  1870  and  here  spent  her  remaining 


764  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AXT") 

days.  The  children  of  ^\m.  Chapell  were :  George,  of  Neosho  County. 
Kansas;  Dwight,  who  is  also  living  in  that  county;  Charles,  of  Q.  Okla- 
homa, and  Nellie,  wife  of  Joseph  Rininger.  The  father  of  this  family 
was  born  in  Chenango  County.  New  York,  Peptemter  26,  1813,  and  hi" 
M'ife  in  Brookfield,  that  state,  July  1,  1824.  Both  have  now  passed 
away.  The  children  of  the  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Surprise  are:  Anna, 
wife  of  Osro  Easley,  of  Eest,  Kansas;  Nellie,  wife  of  George  Reagon,  of 
"Woodson  County;  Moses  N.,  Lovisa,  Lillie  P.  and  Juliet,  who  are  with 
their  parents. 

Mr.  Surprise  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  '-Whig  party  of  which 
his  father  was  a  supporter  and  on  attaining  his  majority  he  became  a 
Republican  and  has  never  wavered  in  his  allegiance  to  the  party  or  to 
any  cause  which  he  believes  to  be  right  and  .just,  displaying  the  same 
fidelity  which  he  manifested  when  he  fought  in  defense  of  the  Union 
on  the  battle  tields  of  the  South.  Woodson  County  gained  a  valuable 
citizen  when  he  cast  in  his  lot  wth  her  residents  and  throughout  the 
community  his  worth  is  indicated  bv  the  hia'h  regard  in  which  he  is 
held. 


FRANK  J.  DUMOND. 

FRANK  J.  DUJMOND,  of  Rose,  is  the  eldest  son  and  child  of  the 
late  John  W.  Dumond,  an  honored  pioneer  of  Woodson  County,  who 
located  a  claim  in  Eminence  township  in  1866,  only  five  years  after 
the  admission  of  the  state  into  the  Union  and  while  this  portion  of  Kan- 
sas was  still  largely  unimproved.     Here  he  died  about  seven  years  later. 

The  siibject  of  this  review  was  born  October  20,  1867,  and  his  home 
has  been  within  the  confines  of  Woodson  County  continuously  since. 
He  was  reared  on  the  farm  owned  by  the  family  and  attended  the 
common  schools,  acquiring  a  good  English  education.  After  attaining 
his  majority  he  engaged  in  farming  for  ten  years,  finding  that  a  profita- 
ble labor.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  1896.  when  he  began  dealing  in 
hay  at  Rose,  and  during  the  past  five  years  he  has  done  much  of  the 
shipping  of  this  commodity  at  this  point.  His  business  affords  a  good 
market  to  the  hay  producers  of  this  section  of  the  county  as  well  as 
brings  to  him  a  good  financial  return.  He  attends  strictly  to  his  busi- 
ness and  his  close  application  and  energy  have  gained  for  him  a  place 
among  the  prosperous  business  men  of  the  region. 

On  the  25th  of  January,  1890,  Mr.  Dumond  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Cora  E.  Thorpe,  who  died  in  August,  1893,  leaving  one  child, 
Gertrude  M.  In  May,  1900,  he  was  again  married,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Miss  Jane  A.  Gregg,  a  daiighter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Auld) 
Gregg.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  and  many  friends  in  Rose  and  through- 
out Woodson  County.     In  his  social  relations  Mr.   Dumond  is  a   repre- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  765 

sentative  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  .America  and  of  the  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen.  Having  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  county  his  his- 
tory is  a  familiar  one  to  his  fellow  townsmen,  and  that  he  has  their 
high  regard  is  an  evidence  that  his  career  has  been  dominated  by  prin- 
ciples and  practices  which  command  respect. 


ENOCH  T.  THOMPSON. 

ENOCH  T.  THOMPSON,  a  weU  known  and  highly  esteemed  resi- 
dent of  Toronto,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the  furniture  business,  was  born 
in  Madison  County,  Ohio,  on  the  13th  of  May,  1836.  His  father,  Daniel 
Thompson,  was  born  in  Morgantown,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  His  father  was  John  Thompson  who 
v.-ith  his  family  removed  to  Madison  County,  Ohio,  in  the  year  1812.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  then  single.  He  made  a  sash  for  the  first  glass 
vindow  used  in  London,  Madison  County,  and  was  an  active  factor  in 
business  there  for  many  years.  His  death  occurred  in  1873  when  he 
was  sevety-nine  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Dorothy  Thomas,  was  a  daughter  of  Enoch  Thomas,  who  removed  from 
Virginia  to  Ohio  and  there  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  passing  away 
in  1849.  The  mother  of  our  subject  survived  her  husband  seven  years 
and  died  in  1880.  Their  children  were :  Elizabeth,  the  deceased  wife  of 
Daniel  Freeman,  who  at  her  death  left  one  son,  J.  C.  Freeman,  James, 
who  died  in  1878 ;  Sarah,  the  deceased  wife  of  Edward  Stutson ;  Char- 
lotte, the  widow  of  E.  W.  Ogilvie ;  Dorothy,  the  deceased  wife  of  Uriah 
Wilbur;  Enoch  T.,  of  this  review;  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Taggart,  whose  hus- 
band i.s  deceased  and  who  resides  in  Topeka,  Kas. 

Enoch  T.  Thompson  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  aided  in  the 
development  of  the  fields  and  in  the  operation  of  a  saw  mill.  He  also 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  displaying  considerable  mechanical  in- 
genuity in  the  use  of  tools.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  jour- 
ney he  chose  Miss  Mary  C.  Settle  and  his  choice  was  ratified  by  marriage 
on  the  26th  of  December,  1861.  The  lady  was  a  daughter  of  Meredith 
Settle  who  removed  from  Virginia  to  Ohio.  In  the  year  1876  Mr.  Thomp- 
son left  his  home  in  the  Buckeye  state  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Allen 
County,  Kansas.  Since  the  fall  of  1880  he  has  made  his  home  in  Wood- 
son County,  first  locating  three  miles  north  of  Toronto  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  three  years.  He  then  removed  to  the  city  where 
he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  until  1886,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  furniture  business,  as  the  siiccessor  of  Martin  Lock- 
ard.  He  carries  a  large  and  well  selected  stock  of  furniture  and  un- 
dertaker's goods  to  meet  the  varying  tastes  of  his  patrons.  His  business 
policy  is  one  which  awakens  the  commendation  and  confidence  of  all, 
and  his  reasonable  prices,  his  uniform  courtesy  and  his  fair  dealing  have 


766  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    ANI> 

won  him  a  very  large  patronage,  and  he  is  now  enjoying  a  gratifying 
success.     He  is  also  interested  in  the  Toronto  G'as  &  Mining  Company. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Airs.  Thompson  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children :  Viola,  the  eldest,  is  now  the  wife  of  Eev.  N.  L.  Vezie,  of  lola. 
James  married  Miss  Clara  Baker  and  Edward  married  Miss  Elsie  Sam- 
ple. The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  1884,  and  in  1886,  Mr.  Thomp. 
son  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Alary  G.  Heagy,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  Starratt.  By  the  second  marriage  there  are  two  children: 
E.   GertTOde  and  John. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Thompson  manifested  his  loyalty 
to  the  Union  by  enlisting  in  February,  1865,  when  27  years  of  age,  becom- 
ing a  member  of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-first  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  He  saw  service  in  the  Shenandoah  valley  where  he  was 
located  with  his  regiment  at  the  time  of  General  Lee's  surrender.  On 
the  27th  of  August,  1865,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  re- 
turned to  his  home.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  has  since  been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Republican  prin- 
ciples, but  he  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  political  office,  giving  his 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs  whereby  he  has  advanced  stead- 
ily on  the  road  to  prosperity. 


WILLIAM  C.  WILLE. 

A  representative  of  the  real  estate  interests  of  Yates  Center  ana 
Voodson  County,  A\"illiam  C.  Wille  has  contributed  in  lurge  measure  to 
Hie  growth,  improvement  and  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the  Sun- 
liower  state.  Possesfed  of  fine  commercial  ability,  aided  by  the  exercise 
of  sound  judgment  and  indomitable  energy,  he  has  not  only  won  success 
for  himself  but  has  aided  materially  in  the  growth  and  prosperity  of 
the  city.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  since  the  spring  of  1874, 
coming  to  the  state  from  Iowa.  He  is,  however,  a  native  of  Chicago, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  born  February  13,  185^  His  father,  Henry  Wille, 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany  in  1795  and  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1848,  locating  near  Chicago.  He  engaged  in  farming  in  Cook  County, 
Illinois  until  1855  when  he  removed  to  Linn  County,  Iowa,  coming  thence 
to  Woodson  County.  Here  he  spent  his  last  years,  passing  away  in  1887. 
He  was  first  married  in  Germany  and  by  that  union  had  two  children. 
Henry  and  George,  residents  of  Linn  County,  Iowa  and  Yates  Center, 
respectively.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Caro- 
line Fusterman,  and  died  in  Wichita,  Kansas,  in  July,  1897.  The  child- 
ren of  the  second  marriage,  seven  now  living  are  William  C. ;  Aaron,  who 
is  living  in  Northeastern  Nebraska ;  Louis,  of  Red  Oak,  Iowa ;  and  Callie, 
svife  of  Supterintendent  Tracy,  of  the  Fort  Scott  &  Wichita  railroad. 

Wlien  about  five  years  of  age  Mr.  Wille  accompanied  his  parents  on 


WOODSON    COU^^TffiS,    KAXSAS.  76; 

tlTeir  removal  to  Iowa  where  he  was  educated  in  the- public  schools  and 
worked  upon  his  father's  farm.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  started  out 
in  life  on  his  own  account,  and  in  the  spring  of  1874  came  to  Woodson 
i'oun-y,  locating  first  in  Kalida,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business. 
In  1879  he  removed  to  Toronto,  where  for  eleven  j^ears  he  was  engaged  in 
the  conduct  of  a  harnecs  and  saddlery  store.  Coming  to  Yat€s  Center, 
he  is  now  oae  of  the  most  prominent  representatives  of  th€  rea-1  estate 
business  in  the  city.  A  casual  observer  can  form  no  conception  of  the 
important  position  held  by  the  active,  enterprising  agent,  devoted,  to  the 
work  of  buying  and  selling  real  estate,  establishing  values  and  otherwise 
stimulating  property  holders  to  the  great  improvements  it  lies  within 
their  power  to  make.  Mr.  Wille  is  one  of  this  class  and  the  judicious 
principles  which  he  upholds  in  his  transactions,  the  care  with  which  he 
investigate  points  eo'iiH-e'ed  theiewiib,  a'C  si  curing  io  him  a  large  and 
well  dererved  patronage. 

In  188j^Mr.  Wille  was  married  to  Miss  JMargaret  Stewart,  a  daughter 
of  William  Ste\('art.  of  Yates  Center,  and  formerly  from  Southern  Ohio. 
They  have  two  children,  Jessie  and  Calvin  Stewart.  In  his  political  affil- 
jvitions  Mr.  Wille  has  always  Deen  a  Republican,  and  in  1889  was  elected 
county  treasurer  which  position  he  filled  so  acceptably  that  he  was  re- 
elected in  1891  and  therefore  filled  the  office  for  four  years.  For  two 
years  he  was  deputy  county  clerk  and  has  also  been  deputy  register  of 
deeds,  wliile  for  twelve  years  he  has  been  a  notary  public.  Socially  he  is 
a  representative  of  the  Macnnic  fraternity  and  is  also  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  society  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge.  He  is  influential  in 
political  and  fraternal  circles  and  is  widely  recognized  as  a  diligent,  en- 
terprising and  progressive  businers  man. 


WILLIAM  J.  MITCHELL. 

The  laws  of  nature  have  provided  that  labor  always  brings  change, 
that  effort  is  always  followed  by  result,  and  therefore  when  labor  is  well 
directed  and  efi'ort  carefully  planned  the  outcome  is  most  desirable.  Toil 
thus  becomes  a  marketable  commodity  of  value  and  brings,  in  measure,  that 
for  which  every  business  man  is  seeking — wealth.  William  J.  Mitchell 
lb  of  the  class  of  representative  farmers  whose  energies  have  been  so  prose- 
cuted along  well  defined  lines  of  activity  that  he  is  now  in  possession  of  a 
handsome  competence,  being  the  owner  of  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Wood- 
son county. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Adams  County,  March  30,  1841,  a  son 
rf  William  and  Nancy  (Johns)  Mitchell,  also  natives  of  the  Buckeye  state. 
The  father  devoted  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  died  in  Ohio  in 
1885,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife  departed  this  life  many 
years  previously,  being  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  forty- 


;6.S  HISTORY    OF'  ALIlhX    A.^tr 

three.  TLi  y  weie  t!;e  parents  of  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  are  yet 
living,  William  .].  being  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  He  spent  his  youth  oib 
the  old  home:tead  farm  in  Ohio  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  began  learning 
the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  followed  in  his  native  state  until  twenty-six 
years  of  age.  In  1S68  lip  removed  to  Livingston  County,  Illinois,  where  he' 
was  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  smithy  until  1881,  when  he  came  to  Kansa;-, 
^et■ling  in  Coffey  Couiity.  There  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  upon 
V  hieh  he  resided  for  three  years,  when  he  sold  that  property  and  came  to 
Woodson  County.  Here  he  has  made  his  home  continuously  since.  He 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  North  township  and  in 
connection  with  blacksmithing  carried  on  farming.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources increased  he  added  to  his  property  until  his  landed  possessions  now 
aggregate  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres.  A  good  house  and  barn  are 
among  the  features  of  the  place  and  neatness  and  thrift  characterize  the 
fi'rm  in  every  department.  In  connection  with  blacksmithing  and  the  pro- 
duction of  grain  he  has  also  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in  rais- 
iiig  cattle  for  the  market  and  now  has  a  lai'ge  herd  upon  his  place.  His  farm 
is  pleasantly  and  conveniently  situated  thirteen  miles  northwest  of  the 
eounty  seat  and  he  has  postoflfice  facilities  at  Keck. 

In  1865  Mr.  Mitchell  was  united  in  marriage  to  iliss  Maria  Carlisle,  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  a  daughter  of  John  and  Miriam  (Vincenhaler)  Carlisle, 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  the  mother  of  Ohio  and  both  died  in 
the  Buckeye  state.  iTnto  Mr.  and  ;\Irs.  Mitchell  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren :  Silvia,  wife  of  J.  T.  Parkinson,  who  is  residing  in  Port  Orchard, 
AVashington ;  Ora.  wife  of  J.  F*.  Miller ;  Effie,  a  teacher  of  Woodson  County, 
and  Maude,  who  is  also  engaged  in  teaching  in  this  county.  They  have  alsa 
lost  two  children— i-'amuel,  who  died  in  Illinois  at  the  age  of  twelve  years, 
and  Harman,  who  died  in  the  same  state  when  nine  years  of  age. 

;\Ir.  Mitchell  exercises  his  right  of  franchif e  in  support  of  the  men  and 
measures  of  Democracy  and  by  hif  fellow  townsmen  has  been  elected  to  pub- 
lic office.  He  served  for  one  term  as  township  trustee,  and  at  this  writing  is 
capably  filling  the  position  of  township  treasurer.  No  trust  reposed  in  hira 
has  ever  been  betrayed  in  the  slighte.'it  degree,  and  in  all  walks  of  life  he 
is  known  as  a  man  of  honor  and  reliability. 


WILLIAM  P.  TAYLOR. 

Real  estate  business  is  a  most  important  factor  in  the  material  pros- 
perity of  a  community.  A  casual  observer  can  form  no  conception  of  the 
important  position  held  by  the  active,  enterprising  agent,  devoted  to  the 
wrrk  of  buying  and  selling  real  estate,  establishing  values  and  otherwise 
stimiilating  property  holders  to  the  greatest  improvements  it  lies  in  their 
power  to  make.  Mr.  Taylor  is  one  of  this  class.  The  .judicious  principles 
which  he  upholds  in  Ijis  transactions,  the  care  with  which  he  investigates 


;(j(,ints  connected  therewith,  are  recuring  for  him  a  large  and  well  deserved 
patronage,  and  the  firm  of  AV.  P.  Taylor  &  Son  is  now  a  prominent  on^  ih 
this  line  in  Yates  Center. 

William  P.  Taylor  was  born  in  Payette  County,  Ohio,  near  Washing- 
ton Courthouse,  March  9,  1839.  His  father,  William  R.  Taylor,  was  born 
near  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  in  1798,  and  throughout  his  active  business  life 
carried  on  farming.  He  passed  away  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six 
years.  In  his  political  views  he  was  a  war  Democrat  and  always  supported 
the  principles  of  the  Democracj%  but  two  of  his  sons,  who  served  in  the 
Union  army  became  Republicans.  The  mother  of  Our  subject  bore  the 
naiden  name  of  Mary  Hoppas  and  was  of  German  birth,  a  daughter  of 
John  Hoppas,  who  was  also  a  native  of  the  fatherland  as  was  his  wife.  Mrs. 
Taylor  died  some  time  prior  to  her  husband's  death,  pasring  away  in  1851. 
Her  children  were  Nancy,  deceased  wife  of  Jacob  Drook ;  Robert,  who  has 
also  departed  this  life ;  Mary  J.,  deceased  wife  of  William  Ebright ;  John  H.. 
oj  Williamsfield.  Illinois:  Samuel  S..  of  Neosho,  Mirpouri;  Rosetta,  wife 
■of  Eli  Reece,  of  Clifton.  Illinois;  Isaac  B.,  who  died  in  Indiana;  Willam  P. 
-and  Jacob  A.,  both  of  Woodson  County. 

In  his  youth  and  early  manhood  Mr.  Taylor  was  identified  with  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  was  only  about  two  years  of  age  when  his  parents  re- 
moved from  Fayette  County,  Ohio,  to  Grant  County,  Indiana,  and  there 
I'p  wfis  reared,  early  becoming  familiar  viath  the  duties  and  labors  of  the 
f  elds,  for  the  family  resided  upon  a  farm.  While  working  for  an  uncle  in 
Jay  County,  Indiana,  he  offered  his  services  to  the  country  as  a  defender  of 
II1C  Union,  enlisting  as  a  member  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Indiana  bat^'ery, 
"'hich  was  attached  to  the  Twenty-third  corps  of  the  army  of  the  Ohio. 
With  his  command  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Marborn,  Kentucky, 
I'owden.  Tennessee,  the  peiffe  of  Knoxville  and  the  seige  of  Atlanta  and 
the  Atlanta  campaign.  After  the  fall  of  the  city  his  battery  went  with 
("-enerals  Schofield  and  Thomas  in  pursuit  of  Hood  and  thus  he  participated 
in  the  engagements  at  Franklin  and  Nashville.  He  then  went  to  Louisville, 
Ken+uckv-  where  the  battery  was  divided  among  four  forts  and  there 
held  until  August  5.  1865.  when  the  war  having  ended  Mr.  Taylor  was 
mustered  out.  On  many  a  hotly  contested  field  he  has  displayed  his  loyalty 
and  his  bravery,  and  to  his  home  he  returned  with  a  most  creditable  mili- 
tary record. 

Once  more  in  the  north  he  began  farming  in  Lake  County,  Indiana, 
and  the  following  year  was  there  married.  He  continued  agricultural  pur- 
suits there  until  1869.  when  on  the  11th.  of  October,  he  started  for  Wood- 
son County,  Kansas,  driving  across  the  country  and  reaching  his  destination 
on  the  14th.  of  November.  He  located  first  in  Belmont  toMTiship,  where  he 
followed  farming  and  stock  raising  until  the  spring  of  1875,  He  then  went 
to  Defiance,  and  a  year  later  removed  to  Yates  Center  and  erected  the  fifth 
building  here— the  Commercial  Hotel,  which  he  conducted  successfully  for 
seven  years.     For  two  years  he  engaged  in  merchandising  with  his  son. 


/■70  Hi^TbSY    OK    aLLKX    A.S'O 

Jacob  I'.,  after  which  he  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  four  years,  and 
since  that  time  he  has  been  connected  with  the  real  estate  business  as- 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  W.  P  Taylor  &  Sou.  Prosperity  has  at- 
tended his  efforts,  and  the  important  transactions  which  he  has  conducted 
have  binugh'^  to  him  a  good  return  and  at  the  same  time  have  been  of  value- 
in  improving  and  upbuildins^  the  city.  They  also  conduct  a  loan  business. 
In  ihe  year  18'y'i.  in  Lai  e  County.  Indiana,  Mr.  Taylor  was  united  in- 
marriage  to  iMi;s  IMatilda  Sievert,  a  daughter  of  Adolph  Sievert,  and  they 
now  have  four  children  :  Jacob  E..  who  is  associated  with  his  father  in  busi- 
litss.  and  who  married  Laura,  daughter  of  Editor  Buck,  deceased;  Gussie; 
William  A.,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  ]\li'^;souri  Pacifie  Railroad  Company 
and  wedded  Mabel  Harding,  and  Certrude,  who  completes  the  family. 
There  is  one  grandchild,  Perine  Taylor,  born  to  Jacob  Taylor  and  his  wife. 
Mr.  Taylor  of  this  review  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln and  has  since  supported  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  belonss  to  the  .Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  has  taken  the  de- 
gi-ee  of  Master  Mai^on  and  is  connected  with  the  Triple  Tie.  Through 
almost  a  third  of  a  century  he  has  resided  in  "Woodson  County  and  has 
wa+ehed  with  a  deep  and  abiding  interest  its  progress  and  improvement, 
.".harins  in  the  work  of  advancement  as  opportunity  has  offered,  and  findingr 
in  its  business  opening  the  field  of  lahor  which  he  sought,  thereby  provid- 
ing for  his  family  a  conifor'^able  competence. 


JAMES  L.  MARTIN. 

As  a  worthy  representative  of  an  honored  pioneer  family  of  southeast- 
ern Kansas,  as  a  capable  and  faithful  public  official  and  as  a  leading  and  re- 
liable business  man  of  Yates  Center.  James  L.  jNIartin  is  deserving  of  men- 
tion in  this  volume,  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  perpetuate  the.  life  records 
of  thope  who  have  contributed  to  the  growth,  improvement  and  stability  of 
this  section  of  the  Sunflower  state.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the  well  known 
firm  of  Martin  &  Orendorff,  of  Yates  Center,  and  is  a  recognized  leader  in 
his  line  of  commercial  activity  in  the  county  seat. 

The  Jlartin  family  is  of  English  lineage  and  was  founded  in  America 
by  Richard  Martin,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub.ieet.  who  with  three  of  his 
sons  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Canada.  His  children  were  James,  Isaac, 
Jonathan,  Freeman,  William.  Ezra  and  Anson,  all  of  whom  resided  in 
the  TTnited  States,  were  married  and  reared  families.  Of  this  number  Wil- 
liam INIartin  now  resides  in  Fort  Scott,  Kansas.  Freeman  Martin,  the  father 
of  our  rub.iect,  was  married  in  Ogle  County,  Illinois,  in  1847  to  Matilda 
Cox,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Cox,  and  in  1866 
thev  came  to  Kansas  locating  in  Osage  toAvnship,  Allen  County,  when  not 
a  single  house  stood  between  their  home  and  the  residence  of  Judge  Brown 
on  Rock  creek,  cast  of  Io|a.    ^Ir.  ]\Iartin  secured  a  homestead  claim  and  re- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES.  KANSAS.  771 

sided  on  the  Osage  until  1885,  when  he  removed  to  Osborn  County,  Kansas, 
where  he  remained  for  four  years.  In  1892  he  removed  to  Bronson,  Kansas, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  October,  1899,  when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of 
age.  His  wife  passed  away  in  the  same  city  in  July,  1899,  so  that  after 
traveling  life's  journey  together  for  fifty-two  years  they  were  not  long 
j:':parated  in  death.  They  had  six  children  :  Albert  E.,  of  Bronson,  Kansas ; 
James  L.,  John  M.,  also  of  Bronson ;  Lucena  M.,  wife  of  Tillman  Birnbaum 
of  lola;  Harriet  C,  wife  of  Dr.  Albert  Allen,  of  Ottawa,  Kansas,  and 
Fannie  T..  who  resided  in  Bronson. 

Mr.  Martin,  whose  name  begins  this  recoi'd,  was  born  in  Ogle  County, 
Illinois,  April  2,  1859,  and  was  therefore  only  about  seven  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  southeastern  Kansas.  He  pursued  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  and  when  sixteen  years  of  age  entered 
upon  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  in  Osborn,  Kansas.  He  subse- 
quently entered  the  employ  of  J.  Bishop,  of  Neosho  Falls,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained as  a  most  competent  and  trusted  salesman  for  fourteen  years,  after 
which  he  was  elected  to  the  position  of  register  of  deeds  of  Woodson  County 
in  1895,  for  a  term  of  two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  was 
again  chosen  to  the  office  and  in  1900  he  retired  from  office  as  he  had  entered 
it— with  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  his  constituents  and  the  public  gen- 
erally. He  then  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Martin  &  Orendorff,  deal- 
ers in  dry  goods  and  clothing  at  Yates  Center,  and  is  now  enjoying  a  good 
and  growing  trade,  having  the  best  equipped  establishment  of  the  kind  in 
the  city. 

On  the  5th.  of  September,  1880,  Mr.  Martin  was  joined  in  wedlock,  in 
Osborn,  Kansas,  to  Miss  Jesse  A.  Crampton,  a  daughter  of  Charles  W. 
Crampton,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  He  became  a  resident  of  Troy,  New 
York,  and  was  married  there  to  Mary  J.  Harris.  The  children  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Martin  are  three  in  number :  Mary  E.,  Charles  F.  and  Edgar  P., 
all  yet  with  their  parents.  Like  the  other  members  of  the  family  Mr. 
?iJartin  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  views  and  socially  he  is  connected 
v-ith  the  Masons,  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
He  is  a  gentleman  of  good  habits,  upright  principles  and  manly  conduct, 
who  in  the  quiet  but  useful  and  essential  walks  of  business  life  has  gained 
the  respect  of  his  fellow  men  and  won  the  friendship  of  many  by  reason  of 
his  genuine  but  unostentatious  worth. 


CYRUS  B.  GOODALE. 

In  the  period  of  twenty- three  years  in  which  Cyrus  B.  Goodale  has 
resided  in  Woodson  County  he  has  worked  his  way  upward  from  a  humble 
financial  position  to  one  of  affluence  and  is  today  enrolled  among  the  well- 
lo-do  and  progressive  agriculturists  of  the  community.  His  home  is  in  Lib- 
erty township  where  he  has  a  valuable  farm  property  supplied  with  all 
modern  improvements  and  accessories. 


772  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AM' 

Air.  G'oodale  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Kane 
Coimty,  that  state,  September  14,  1856.  His  father,  John  AV.  Goodale  is 
a  native  of  New  York,  while  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Erackett.  is  a  native  of  Vermont.  In  the  year  1840  John  Goodale  removed 
to  Illinois  and  secured  a  claim  long  before  the  land  came  into  market.  In- 
dians were  still  in  the  neighborhood  and  the  locality  in  which  he  settled 
was  still  a  frontier  region  giving  little  promise  of  the  wonderful  develop- 
ment soon  to  occur.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit 
to  some  extent  but  always  lived  upon  his  farm  where  he  could  raise  cattle 
and  hogs  and  thus  add  to  his  income  by  the  rale  of  his  stock.  He  and  his 
wife  are  now  living  retired  in  Aurora,  Illinois  at  the  ages  of  seventy-six 
and  sixty-six  years  rerpectively.  They  had  nine  children,  of  whom  all  are 
living,  namely:  Frank,  Don,  Cyrus  B.,  Emma,  Mrs.  Katie  Boon,  Mrs. 
Lizzie  Hadden ;  Mrs.  Ella  Robbins,  Webb  and  Burt,  all  of  whom  are  resi- 
dcnts  either  of  Illinois  or  Dakota,  vs-ith  the  exception  of  our  subject. 

Cyrus  B.  Goodale  spent  his  youth  upon  the  homestead  farm  in  Illinois, 
acquiring  a  common  school  education  and  working  in  the  fields  as  his  age 
and  strength  would  permit.  When  a  young  man  of  seventeen  years  he  be- 
gan working  at  the  carpenter's  bench  under  the  direction  of  his  father  and 
to  farming  and  building  devoted  his  energies  until  after  he  attained  his  ma- 
j(  rity  when  desiring  to  remove  to  a  district  where  he  could  more  easily  se- 
cure a  farm  of  his  own,  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1878.  Locating  in  Woodson 
County  he  followed  carpentering  and  also  operated  a  tract  of  rented  land 
until  his  labors  had  brought  to  him  a  sum  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  pur- 
chase a  tract  of  eighty  acres  three  miles  west  and  three  miles  north  of  Yates 
Center. 

Mr.  Goodale  further  completed  his  arrangements  for  a  home  by  his 
marriap^e  to  Miss  Caj-rie  Collmore,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  July  16, 
1881.  The  lady  is  a  native  of  the  Green  Mountain  state  and  came  to  Kan- 
sas in  1877  with  her  parents,  Elijah  and  Farah  Collmore.  The  young 
couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm  and  with  characteristic  en- 
CTCfy  he  began  the  work  of  improvement,  his  labors  making  a  great  trans- 
fvTmation  in  the  appearance  of  the  place.  He  has  erected  a  handsome 
re-;idence  and  had  added  all  the  accessories  needed  to  make  this  one  of  the 
njost  attractive  and  desirable  farm  properties  of  the  locality.  He  has  also 
( xtended  the  boundaries  of  the  place  and  now  has  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  He  handles  such  stock  as  his  farm  will  support  and  is  in  his  agri- 
cultiiral  labors  meeting  with  good  success.  He  also  has  other  business  in- 
terests, being  agent  for  the  Page  Woven  Wire  Pence  and  of  the  Cooperative 
Insurance  Company,  of  Topeka.  Kansas,  of  which  he  is  also  one  of  the  di- 
rector?. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodale  has  been  blessed  \^'ith  five  children, 
as  follows  :  Lola  E.,  Grant  L.,  Lillie  M.,  Prank  B.  and  John  0.  and  the  family 
circle  yet  remains  unbroken.  In  his  political  affiliations  Air.  Goodale  is  iden- 
tified with  the  People's  party  and  has  .served  as  trustee  of  his  township  for 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  773 

one  term.  There  is  great  difference  in  his  financial  condition  at  the  present 
time  from  what  is  was  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  for  he  arrived  in  Woodson 
County  with  a  capital  of  tAvo  hundred  dollars,  and  all  that  he  now  posses- 
ses has  heen  acquired  since,  indicating  that  his  life  here  has  been  char- 
acterized by  unflagging  industry. 


FRANK  W.  BUTLER. 

PRANK  W.  BUTLER,  who  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Yates 
Center,  was  born  in  Bloomington,  Illinois,  on  the  31st.  of  July,  1868.  His 
father,  Charles  B.  Butler,  was  for  some  years  a  very  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizen  of  Kansas.  His  birth  occurred  in  Martinsville,  Indiana,  and 
he  pursued  his  preliminary  education  in  the  common  schools,  after  which  he 
became  a  student  of  the  State  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  where 
he  was  graduated  in  law.  Subsequently  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  in  Bloomington,  Illinois,  for  a  time.  In  1869  he  came  to  Kansas  and 
devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  attention  to  the  live  stock  business,  which 
he  followed  with  success.  For  two  years  he  resided  in  Leroy,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  merchandising.  He  served  in  both  the  house  of  representatives 
and  the  senate  of  the  Kansas  legislature  and  left  the  impress  of  his  individ- 
uality upon  the  laws  of  the  state.  He  was  a  recognized  leader  in  public 
thought  and  action  and  his  political  labors  were  of  benefit  and  value  to 
the  community  which  he  represented.  He  married  Ann  C.  Depew,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  four  children,  but  our  subject  is  the  only  one 
now  living.  He  has  a  half  sister,  however,  Mrs.  Clara  Mathews,  of  Yates 
Center.  His  mother  died  in  Bloomington,  Illinois  in  1881,  when  only 
thirty-nine  years  of  age,  and  his  father  passed  away  in  Colorado  in  1876, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-seven  years. 

Mr.  Butler,  of  this  review,  spent  the  great  part  of  his  youth  in  his 
native  city  and  in  Leroy,  Kansas.  He  was  prepared  for  business  life  by 
the  educational  training  of  the  public  schools  and  a  course  in  the  Kansas 
State  University,  where  he  pursued  a  course  in  civil  engineering.  He  came 
to.  Yates  Center  in  1883  and  has  since  made  his  home  in  this  city.  He 
entered  upon  his  business  career  as  a  salesman  in  the  drug  store  owned 
by  Mr.  Waymire,  where  he  remained  for  four  years  during  which  time  he 
mastered  the  business,  both  in  principle  and  detail.  He  then  opened  a 
store  of  his  own  and  is  jiow  enjoying  a  good  patronage. 

Mr.  Butler  was  married  in  Cameron,  Missouri,  March  3,  1893,  to  Miss 
Stella  Ruggles.  and  they  have  a  pleasant  home  in  Yates  Center.  Mr.  But- 
ler's father  wa.s  a  Democrat  but  he  has  never  taken  a  prominent  part  in 
public  affairs,  other  interests  claiming  his  attention.  He  is  identified  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  high  priest  of 
Royal  Arch  Chapter,  No.  56.  He  is  also  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  belongs 
to  Alpha  Xi  Chapter  of  the  Sigma  Chi  fraternity,  a  college  fraternity. 


774  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

In  military  circles  in  Kansas  he  is  quite  prominent,  being  the  captain  of 
Company  L,  1st  Regiment  of  the  Kansas  National  Guard,  which  was  organ- 
ised and  mustered  in  November  17,  1899. 


JOHN  KINGAN. 

JOHN  KINGAN,  who  is  successfully  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
in  Toronto,  is  a  native  of  Peterboro,  Canada,  his  birth  having  occurred 
on  the  11th  of  March,  1853.  His  father,  Robert  Kingan,  was  a  hardware 
merchant  of  that,  town,  and  married  Jane  Jeffrey,  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
^:  udrew  Jeffrey,  of  Coburg,  Ont.  Both  parents  have  died  in  their  Peter- 
boro home  since  their  son  John  came  to  Toronto.  They  had  ten  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living.  The  Kingans  are  of  Scotch  lineage,  the  family 
having  come  to  America  from  Glasgow,  Scotland,  M'here  the  father  was 
bcrn.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  school  teacher  there  and  had 
a  large  family  of  ten  children.  Two  came  to  this  country,  Robert  and 
Gordon,  the  latter  becoming  a  wholesale  grocer  of  Montreal,  of  the  firm  of 
Kingan  &  Kinloch.  Of  that  family  there  is  one  surviving  sister,  Mrs. 
Cubbin,  who  is  now  living  near  London,  England,  and  has  passed  the 
ninety-sixth  milestone  on  life's  journey.  Robert  G.  Kingan,  a  brother  of 
our  subject,  is  a  hardware  merchant  of  Peterboro,  Canada.  Prank  is  man- 
ager of  an  electric  light  and  power  company  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Michi- 
gan. Fred  is  an  electrician  and  the  sisters  are  now  living  in  Peterboro, 
Canada. 

John  Kingan,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  spent  the  days  of  his  youth 
iu  the  place  of  his  nativity,  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools, 
and  entered  upon  his  business  career  as  an  assistant  to  his  father  in  the 
hardware  store.  There  he  remained  for  four  years,  after  which  he  spent 
five  years  in  Montreal  in  the  wholesale  hardware  business.  On  leaving 
that  city  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  for  about  a  year  was  engaged 
in  the  grain  business  west  of  Chicago  on  the  Chicago  &  Iowa  railroad.  He 
afterward  spent  two  years  in  Chicago  engaged  in  different  occupations  and 
then  came  to  Kansas,  arriving  in  this  state  in  1879.  He  first  settled  at 
Mound  Valley  in  Labette  County,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  lumber 
and  grain  business  for  eight  years.  He  came  to  Toronto  from  Emporia, 
Kansas,  where  he  was  connected  with  the  lumber  trade  for  two  years  as 
representative  of  the  firm  of  S.  A.  Brown  &  Company.  On  arriving  in 
this  city  he  bought  the  lumber  business  of  S.  A.  Brown,  and  now  has  a 
well  equipped  yard  and  is  carrying  on  a  successful  trade,  his  patronage 
steadily  increasing  owing  to  his  well-directed  efforts,  his  obliging  manner 
and  unquestioned  honesty. 

In  Mound  Valley,  Kansas,  in  September,  1881,  Mr.  Kingan  was  joined 
in  wedlock  to  Ida  C.  Hobbs.  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Hobbs,  who  was  a  farmer 
in  that  locality.    They  now  have  but  two  children,  Fred  and  Jennie.    Etta, 


"WOGDBON  COUnTIE;!,  KANSXS.  775 

aiieir  eldest  daughter  age  13,  died  in  April,  1899.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Kingan 
:is  connected  with  the  Workmen  and  the  Select  Knights.  He  entered  upOn 
3iis  business  career  with  some  little  financial  aid  and  has  worked  his  waj^ 
:upward  through  determined  purpose  and  resolute  will  and  has  advanced 
far  on  the  road  to  prosperity. 


DEWITT  C.  BENNET^r. 

DE^ATrT  C.  BENNETT,  who  is  residing  upon  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  va  Everett  township,  Woodson  County  is  numbered  among 
the  practical  and  progressive  agriculturists  of  the  community,  and  is  one 
•of  the  honoz-ed  veterans  of  the  Civil  war  M'ho  for  four  and  a  half  years 
loyally  defended  the  starry  banner — the  symbol  of  an  iindivided  Union. 

He  ■was  born  near  the  famous  Otsego  lake,  in  Otsego  County,  New 
York,  on  the  16th  of  July,  1840.  His  parents,  Elifsha  B.  and  Hannah 
(Pierce)  Dennett,  were  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state,  and  the  father 
there  died  in  1854,  while  the  mother  passed  away  in  Illinois,  in  1872, 
■vvhen  sixty-eight  years  of  age.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
lour  of  whom  are  yet  living,  Dewitt  C.  Bennett  being  the  youngest  of  the 
"fiimily.  He  resided  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  until  1856.  When  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  left  the  great  old  farm  house  on  the  hill  side  with  its 
■garrets  holding  the  uniform  his  father  had  worn  in  the  militia  at  the  time 
•of  the  Mexican  war  and  accoutrements  his  forefathers  in  the  war  of  1812  and 
•also  in  the  Eevolution  and  started  Avestward  to  make  his  o~wn  way  in  the 
"world,  unaided  by  pecuniary  advantages  or  influential  friends.  Going  to  Il- 
linois he  was  there  employed  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  and  at  the  age  of 
17  years  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Linn  County.  This  was  about  the 
time  of  the  trouble  between  INIifsouri  and  Kansas,  known  as  the  border  ruf- 
fian war  and  thus  early  Mr.  Bennett  became  familiar  with  the  hardships  and 
horrors  of  war.  For  some  time  he  was  with  John  Brown  and  General  Mont- 
gomery, aiding  in  defending  the  west  side  of  the  line.  He  also  experienced 
many  of  the  difficulties  and  trials  of  pioneer  life  during  his  nearly  three 
years'  stay  in  the  Sunflower  state. 

In  1860  Mr.  Bennett  returned  to  Illinois,  White  County.  The  slavery 
■Cjuestion  and  the  right  of  secession  had  precipitated  the  country  into  Civil 
war  he  put  aside  all  personal  considerations,  and  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
Forty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry,  in  October,  1861.  He  served  for  more  than 
four  years  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Port  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  the  seige  of  Vicksburg.  Island  No.  10,  the  battle  of  Mobile 
and  many  other  engagements.  When  hostilities  had  ceased  the  Forty-sixth 
Illinois  was  rent  to  follow  the  enemy  on  an  expedition  through  Texas  and 
up  the  Rio  Grande  river,  so  that  he  was  in  the  ser-viee  for  many  months 
pfter  actual  hostilities  had  ended.  In  1866  he  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge, having  given  four  and  a  half  years  of  his  young  manhood  to  his 


fT6  flYS'rOfiV    Oh"  ALLEN    AisD 

eountry.  His  was  an  honorable  record.  He  always  fearlessly  and'  faitE- 
fully  discharged  his  duties,  and  to  such  of  the  boys  in  blue  the  eountry 
HWPs  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  can  never  be  repaid. 

On  being  mustered  out  Mr.  Bennett  returned  to  his  home  and  then; 
s])ent  a  portion  of  tie  next  tv>-o  years  in  Wisconsin  and  Iowa,  but  in  De- 
ecmber,  1868  was  married  to  Alits  Mary  J.  Adams,  of  DeKalb,  Illinois, 
V>'hen  he  decided  to  return  to  his  first  love,  "beautiful  sunny  Kansas,"' 
which  resolution  he  carried  into  effect  in  the  spring  of  1870,  he  located  in; 
Everett  township,  Woodson  County,  where  he  secured  a  homestead  claim, 
of  eighty  ac-rei;;,  on  which  he  resided  for  twenty  years,  making  many  im- 
provements on  the  place.  He  then  sold  the  property  in  order  to  find 
bi'oader  scope  for  his  labors,  and  he  and  his  wife  purchased  his  present 
farjii  of  two  hundred  and  .forty  acres,  on  which  he  has  a  goffd  residence; 
substantial  barn  and  all  modern  equipments  and  accessories  found  upon  a; 
model  farm  of  the  new  century.  He  also  engages  in  raising  as  nrach  stock 
as  his  farm  will  support,  and  his  labors  are  bringing  to  hfm  a  richly- 
merited  income. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bennett  have  living  nine  children :  Georgia  A.,  wife  of 
Fred  Richards;  also  Eugene,  Frank  D.,  AUie,  Elva,  Coral,  Jesse,  Hazel  and 
Jennie,  all  of  whom  are  still  under  parental  roof.  Mr.  Bennett  belongs 
to Post,  No.  145,  6.  A.  R.,  at  Yates  Center,  and  in  his  poli- 
tical affiliations  he  is  a  Republican,  unswerving  in  his  advocacy  of  the 
principles  of  the  party.  His  army  service  is  but  an  example  of  the  loyalty 
which  has  ever  characterized  his  entire  life  in  its  every  relation,  and  whieli 
has  made  him  one  of  the  valued  residents  of  his  adopted  county. 


J.  A.  ROSS. 

J.  A.  ROSS,  one  of  the  extensive  land  owners  of  Woodson  County, 
iiow  largely  engaged  in  the  growing  of  hay.  was  born  in  Bureau  County, 
Illinois,  February  18,  1855.  His  father,  Andrew  Ross,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
in  18^3,  and  in  1842  removed  to  Bureau  County,  where  he  yel  makes  his 
home.  There  he  married  Miss  Hannah  Randall,  who  died  in  1856,  leaving 
five  children:  George,  yet  a  resident  of  Bureau  County;  Sarah  J.,  wife  of 
\V.  S.  Mayliall;  Margaret,  wife  of  Milton  Maston,  of  Iowa;  Mary,  wife 
of  John  Walter,  of  Bureau  County;  and  J.  A.  of  this  review.  After  the 
death  of  his  first  wife  the  father  married  again,  his  second  union  being 
with  P'alina  Ireland.  Their  union  vs'as  blessed  with  three  children:  Frank, 
of  Iowa,  Eliza  and  Julia. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  the  county  of  this  nativity  J.  A.  Ross  spent 
the  period  of  youth  and  childhood,  devoting  a  portion  of  his  time  to  the 
acquirement  of  an  education  in  the  common  schools,  to  work  upon  the  farm 
and  to  the  pleasures  in  which  boys  of  the  period  indulged.  When  youth 
\\R%  passed  he  there  carried  on  farming  until  1881,  when  he  sought  a 


TvOiJoscx  c(.)r^"rniS.   kaxsas.  777 

Tiome  in  Kansas,  coming  to  "Woodson  County.  He  located  on  the  north- 
=\vest  quarter  of  section  «ight,  Perry  township,  and  there  resided  until 
1883,  when  he  came  to  his  present  homfi.  He  now  owns  720  acres 
^of  valuable  land,  largely  meadows,  devoted  to  the  raising  of  hay,  of 
which  product  he  yearly  gathers  large  crops  and  makes  extensive  ship- 
ments. In  1900  he  began  extenrive  improvements  on  his  farm  and  now  has 
a  commodious  and  attractive  residence,  large  barn  and  other  substantial 
outbuildings  for  tlie  care  of  hay  and  stocTj,  and  all  of  the  modern  accessories 
and  conveniences  found  upon  a  model  farm  of  the  new  century. 

On  tlie  11th  of  July,  1883,  "Mr.  Ross  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss 
'Grace  Brett,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  three  children:  Myrtle,  who 
died  in  infancy;  Vera,  who  was  born  January  25,  1886;  and  Ethel,  born 
December  9,  1888.  The  family  are  well  known  in  the  community  and 
represent  the  best  class  of  farming  people.  Mr.  Rciss  was  reared  in  the 
iaith  of  the  Republican  party  and  by  his  ballot  has  always  supported  its 
"men  and  measures. 


ABRAM  F.  DARST. 

Tliere  is  *ver  an  element  of  interest  attaching  to  the  history  of  a  seli- 
i5iade  man,  one  who  starts  out  in  life  empty-handed  and  wrests  fortune 
^rom  an  adverse  fate.  Obstacles  and  difficulties  are  encountered,  but  to  the 
man  of  resolute  purpose  these  but  call  for  renew-ed  effort  and  serve  as 
■stepping  stones  to  something  higher.  The  life  record  of  Mr.  l)arst  stands  in 
■exemplifieatioti  of  what  may  be  accomplished  in  this  free  land  of  ours, 
where  the  man  of  ambition  and  determination  is  unhampered  by  caste  or 
•class.  He  is  numbered  among  the  pioneers  of  Woodson  County,  and 
Tor  more  than  tliirty  years  ha.s  contributed  to  tlie  material  advance- 
ment and  substantial  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  tlie  state.  He  is  an 
honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  and  the  same  loyalty  which  he  mani- 
fested on  southern  liattlefields  is  now  manifest  in  his  faithful  performance 
of  the  duties  of  eitizensliip.  Such  qualities  render  consonant  a  detailed  ac- 
'count  of  his  life  in  this  volume. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Meigs  County,  on  the  6th  of  June, 
1839,  and  is  of  German  lineage,  the  first  representatives  of  the  family  in 
America  having  come  from  the  Fatherland  to  the  new  world.  John  Darst, 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  died  in  1849,  at  the  extreme  old  age  of 
ninety-three  years.  Abram  Darst,  Sr.,  the  father,  was  born  in  Ohio  in 
1803,  and  died  in  Vinton  County,  that  state,  in  1852.  He  married  Nancy 
Read,  whose  death  occurred  in  Lake  County,  Indiana,  in  1875.  This 
worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  ten  children :  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Joseph 
Marshall,  of  Ruskin,  Nebraska;  Sarah  A.,  widow  of  Francis  Andrews  and 
a  resident  of  Iowa;  Thomas  L.,  of  Wheatland,  Wyoming;  James  S.,  of 
Doniphan  County,  Kansas :  Maria  L.,  who  married  John  M.  Fuller,  and  is 


7';S  HISTORY    01-'"  ALLKN"  AAi!; 

new  deceased;  Abram  F.,  of  this  review;  Elizabeth,  deceased  wife  of  Wil^ 
liam  Buckley:  Jonathan  J.,  who  has  also  passed  away:  Addie  A.,  the- 
widow  of  D.  V.  Dow,  and  a  resident  of  Woodson  County,  and  Joseph  J.,  of 
the  same  county .- 

Abram  F.  Dars"  spent  the  first  sixteen  years  of  his  fife  in  the  state  of" 
kis  nativity  and  then  became  a  resident  of  Lake  County,  Indiana,  in 
1855.  There  he  remained  until  his  removal  to  Kansas,  and  in  the  mean- 
time he  had  become  familiar  with  the  work  of  the  farm  through  practical' 
experience  in  the  fields.  "When  the  country  became  inrolved  in-  Civil  war,. 
Le  resolved  to'  strike  a  blow  in  defense  of  the  "Union,  enlisting  on  the  23d' 
of  June,  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Twentieth  Indiana  Infantry, 
He  was  mastered  ih  at  Lafayette,  that  state,  and  on  the  Northern  Central 
railroad  proceeded  with  his  command  from  Pittsburg  to  Baltimore,  and' 
flora  there  to  Fort  llatteras,  North  Carolina.  The  winter  was  passed  at 
Fortress  ]\Ionroe,  and  in  the  spring  he  witnessed  the  famous  naval  battle 
Lie^.ween  the  Merrimac  and  the  Monitor.  The  regiment  afterward  proceeded 
Tr  Norfolk  and  .joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  White  House  Landing, 
Mr.  Darst  participated  in  the  seven  day's  tight  and  then  .joined  Pope  on 
ll^e  Rappahannock,  taking  part  under  his  command  in  the  second  battle  of 
Bull  Run.  For  a  time  he  was  left  at  Washington  on  account  of  disability, 
and  after  rejoining  his  regiment  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Frederickburg, 
He  was  also  in  the  Gettysburg  campaign  and  was  wounded,  being  shot 
through  the  left  thigh.  He  joined  his  regiment  again  at  Fort  Schuyler, 
New  York,  whi^^her  it  had  gone  to  quell  the  draft  riot,  and  upon  leaving 
that  state  the  Twentieth  Indiana  returned  to  the  Rappahannock,  taking 
part  in  the  eng-agement  at  CbanceTlorsville  soon  afterward.  Mr.  Darst  re- 
enlisted  and  received  a  thirty  days'  furlough,  on  the  expiration  of  which 
time  he  rejoined  his  command  at  Brandy  fetation,  later  taking  part  in  the 
Richmond  campaign  under  General  Grant.  On  the  6th  of  May,  1864,  in 
the  battle  of  the  AA'ilderness  he  was  shot  in  the  right  leg  belo^A)  the  knee, 
the  ball  entering  between  the  two  bones,  where  it  lodged.  It  therefore 
had  to  be  cut  out  and  gangrene  set  in.  which  necessitated  Mr.  Darst  re- 
maining in  the  hospital  for  nearly  a  year.  It  was  1873  before  his  wound 
ceased  to  discharge,'  and  it  still  troubles  him  to  this  day._  Discharged  from 
the  service  he  returned  to  his  home,  conscious  of  having  performed  his 
duty  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  Union  and  for  the  honor  of  the  old  flag 
which  now  floats  so  prOudly  over  every  portion  of  the  nation. 

In  the  year  following  the  close  of  the  war,  on  the  22d  of  February, 
1866,  Mr.  Darst  -n'as  united  in  marriage  in  Lake  County,  Indiana,  to  Miss 
Funice,  daughter  of  J'ackson  and  Amy  (Cutright)  Dumond.  and  the  same 
year  started  with  his  bride  for  Kansas,  accompanied  by  Henry  Peters,  J. 
H.  Hale,  Jofepb  Barker  and  J.  W.  Dumond,  together  with  their  respective 
families.  They  arrived  at  Humboldt  on  the  4th  of  July  and  secured  claims 
in  Eminence  township,  Woodson  County,  on  the  east  branch  of  West  Buf- 
falo creek.     That  summer  all  erected  homes,  each  twelve  by  sixteen  feet 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  779 

and  one  story  in  height,  built  of  cottonwood  and  sycamore  lumber,  manu- 
factured at  Huijjboldt  and  for  which  they  paid  twenty-five  and  thirty  dol- 
lurs  per  thousand.  With  characteristic  energy  Mr.  Darst  began  the  de- 
velopment of  his  land  and  continued  its  cultivation  until  January,  1897.  He 
added  eighty  acres  to  his  first  tract  and  devoted  his  time  to  the  raising 
of  grain  and  stock,  both  branches  of  his  business  proving  profitable  so  that 
in  the  course  of  years  he  acquired  a  handsome  competence  which  now  enables 
him  to  live  retired,  enjoying  rest  from  the  more  arduous  duties  of  business 
life. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Darst  was  blessed  with  twb  daughters. 
Myrtle,  the  elder,  is  the  widow  of  Lawrence  0.  Heffelfinger  and  has  two 
children,  Lillie  and  Neva.  Nellie,  the  younger  daughter,  is  the  wife  of 
&'  T.  White,  of  Buffalo,  Kansas,  and  has  one  child,  Frank  AA^hite.  Al- 
though reared  in  the  Democratic  faith,  for  his  father  was  a  supporter  of 
that  party,  Mr.  Darst  of  this  review  has  always  been  a  stalwart  Eeifubliean 
and  warmly  espouses  the  principles  of  the  party.  He  belongs  to  Woodson 
Post,  No.  185,  G.  A.  R.,  and  has  frequently  attended  the  state  encamp- 
nients,  finding  pleasure  in  recalling  the  scenes  of  army  life  upon  the  tented 
field  or  the  firing  line  amid  those  who  have  shared  in  similar  experiences. 
His  interest  in  everything  which  affects  the  welfare  of  the  people  and  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  county  ifi  deep  and  abiding  and  as  a  citizen 
l.e  has  the  respect  of  all  who  have  knowledge  of  his  straightforward  busi- 
ness methods  and  his  uprightness  of  character. 


ERNEST  STOCKEBRAND. 

ERNEST  STOCKEBRAND  is  numbered  among  the  extensive  land 
owners  of  Woodson  County,  and  makes  his  home  in  Center  township,  where 
he  has  resided  for  forty-three  consecutive  years.  He  has  met  the  hard- 
ships and  trials  of  pioneer  life  in  this  county  and  aided  in  laying  broad  and 
deep  the  foundation  for  its  present  development  and  progress.  He  belongs 
to  that  class  of  representative  German-American  citizens,  who,  loyal  to 
their  adopted  land,  aid  in  promoting  the  general  progress  while  advancing 
tJieir  individual  prosperity. 

Mr.  Stockebrand  was  born  January  27,  1828  in  Lippe,  Detmold,  a 
small  dukedom  of  Westphalia,  Germany,  at  the  ancestral  home,  which  had 
been  in  possession  of  the  family  for  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  years. 
His  father,  Adolph  Stockebrand,  followed  farming  there  and  married 
Justina  Meyerjohn,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children,  namely :  Adolph  and 
August,  who  have  passed  away ;  Prederica,  deceased  wife  of  Adolph  Beyer ; 
AVilhelmina,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Klaas  and  died  at  Freeport, 
Illinois ;  Couradina  married  to  August  Toedman ;  Ernest,  of  this  review ; 
Louisa,  wife  of  August  Lauber,  and  William. 

In  accordance  with  the  laws  of  his  native  land  Ernest  Stockebrand 


7^0  HISTOKY    (_)F    ALLEN    AXn 

pursued  Ms  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years  he  took  passage 
on  a  westward  bound  vesrel  that  weighed  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Bremen 
aud  sailed  for  New  York.  He  had  some  relatives  living  in  Freeport,  Illi- 
nois, and  went  to  that  place,  but  after  a  very  short  time  he  sought  a  home 
in  Woodson  County,  which  offered  its  rich  but  wild  lands  to  the  settlers 
who  would  register  a  claim  therefor  with  the  government.  He  became 
the  owner  of  a  quarter  section  on  section  one.  Center  township,  and  with 
charae'eristic  energy  began  the  development  of  a  farm.  As  the  years  passed 
and  his  financial  resources  increased  he  extended  its  boundaries  until  he 
became  the  owner  of  fifteen  hundred  acres,  being  therefore  numbered  among 
the  extensive  land  holders  of  Woodson  County.  His  realty  is  an  evidence 
01  an  active  business  career.  Continued  effort,  resolute  will,  determined 
purpose  and  careful  management  have  enabled  him  to  work  his  way  steadily 
upward  until  he  to-day  stands  on  the  plane  of  atfluence. 

In  1860  Mr.  Stockebrand  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Stange, 
who  became  a  resident  of  this  locality  in  that  year.  Their  children  are 
Ernest,  Charles,  Julius,  Louisa,  wife  of  Gustav  Weide;  Mary,  wife  of 
Vrilliam.  Weide,  Justina,  Pa\ilina,  and  Anna.  Mr.  Stockebrand  has  been 
deeply  interested  in  politics  since  becoming  an  American  citizen  and  is  an 
earnest  Republican.  He  voted  for  the  free  state  constitution,  and  the  first 
political  speech  made  in  Woodson  County  was  delivered  by  a  Mr.  Perry  in 
iais  home.  He  has  labored  to  promote  all  measures  for  the  public  good,  and 
i-  a  man  of  worth  in  his  community. 


AVILLIAM  STANCE. 

Through  almost  three  decades  AAllliam  Stange  has  resided  upon  the 
farm  which  is  now  his  home,  so  that  he  is  numbered  among  the  pioneer 
farmers  of  Owl  Creek  township,  Woodson  County.  He  was  bom  in  the 
province  of  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  Christian  Stange. 
The  paternal  grandfather  was  a  teacher,  but  his  son  Christian  became 
a  carpenter  and  cabinet  maker.  Emigrating  to  the  new  world  he  spent  his 
remaining  days  in  the  United  States,  his  death  occurring  in  1859.  his  inter- 
ment being  in  Cherry  Creek  cemetery  in  Woodson  County.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Henrietta  Meyer,  and  at  her  death  was  laid  by  the 
side  of  her  husband.  Their  children  were:  Henry,  deceased;  William; 
Sophie,  the  wife  of  Paul  Jaeger,  of  Cornwall,  New  York :  John,  deceased ; 
Catherine,  deceased  wife  of  Fred  Ostermeyer;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Ernest 
Stockebrand;  Caroline,  deceased  wife  of  Henry  Dicks;  Margaret,  wife  of 
William  Lange,  of  Hay  Creek,  Minn.,  and  Christian,  of  Woodson  County. 

In  his  youth  William  Stange  learned  the  trade  of  carpentering  and 
cabinet  making  under  his  father's  direction,  and  was  employed  along  those 
lines  in  Germany  until  1852.  when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  spent 
five  years  in  the  state  of  New  York  and  was  largely  engaged  in  the  manu- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES.   KANSAS.  7S1 

factuve  of  brick  molds.  In  1S57  he  left  the  Empire  state  with  a  capital  of 
about  five  hundred  dollars  and  started  out  to  seek  a  home  in  the  west. 
He  spent  two  months  in  Chicago  and  then  seeing  an  advertisement  in  the 
paper  which  led  him  to  come  to  Kansas,  he  made  his  way  to  Woodson 
County  with  his  brother  Henry,  locating  first  on  Cherry  creek,  where 
he  secured  a  preemption  claim.  He  has  since  remained  a  permanent  resi- 
dent of  Woodson  County,  and  in  1872  he  took  up  his  abode  on  section  six- 
teen, township  twenty-five,  range  sixteen,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
In  his  labors  he  has  won  prosperity  and  is  now  the  owner  of  four  hundrd 
acres  of  valuable  land  in  a  body,  all  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
well  improved  buildings,  fences  and  well  tilled  fields  are  all  unmistak- 
able evidence  of  the  enterprise  and  thrift  of  the  owner,  whose  unflagging 
industry  had  enabled  him  to  gain  a  place  among  the  men  of  affluence  in 
the  county. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1868,  in  Woodson  County,  Mr.  Stange  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Mies  Augusta  Pribbernow,  a  daughter  of  Christian  Pribber- 
now,  who  settled  in  Owl  Creek  township  in  1867,  coming  to  this  country 
from  Prussia.  His  wife  was  in  her  maidenhood,  Annie  S.  Busz,  and  like 
her  husband  she  has  passed  away.  In  their  family  were  seven  children,  six 
of  whom  are  yet  living.  Two  children  have  been  born  unto  Mr.  aftd  Mrs. 
Stange:  William  C.  and  Henry  Carl,  both  of  whom  are  residents  of 
Woodson  County. 

Mr.  Stange  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1860  and  remained  a  supporter  of  the  party  until  1900,  when  he  left  its 
ranks  owing  to  the  fact  that  he  could  not  endorse  the  expansionist  policy 
of  the  present  administration.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Evangelical  church.  His  hope  of  bettering  his  financial  condition  in  the 
west  has  been  more  than  realized  for  here  he  has  not  only  found  a  good 
b.-me,  but  has  gained  a  very  desirable  competence  and  has  won  many  warm 
friends  among  the  class  of  people  who  have  regard  for  uprightness  and 
honor. 


DAVID  T.  SHOTTS. 

Almost  a  quarter  of  4  century  has  passed  since  David  T.  Shotts  took 
up  his  abode  in  Owl  Creek  township,  Woodson  County,  since  which  time  he 
has  carried  on  farming  in  this  portion  of  the  state  and  is  classed  among 
the  enterprising  practical  and  Avide-awake  agriculturists.  He  is  a  native 
of  Chillicothe,  Ross  County,  Ohio,  born  January  2,  1843,  and  belongs  to  an 
old  Pennsylvania  family.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Jacob  Shotts,  was 
of  German  lineage  and  was  born  in  the  Keystone  state  where  he  married  a 
Miss  Toops.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Ohio,  following  farming  in  Ross 
County  until  his  death.  In  his  political  views  he  was  a  Democrat.  He 
vas  the  father  of  eight  children,  three  of  whom  are  yet  living.     To  his 


782  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

family  belonged  Laniel  Shotts,  the  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  also  a 
native  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  where  he  spent  his  entire  life,  passing  away 
in  1849.  He  married  Phoebe  Bishop,  who  also  died  in  the  '40s.  They  were 
the  parents  of  four  children :  Rufus,  of  Fayette,  County,  Ohio ;  David  F. ; 
Jacob,  of  Champaign  County,  Illinois,  and  Peter,  who  is  also  living  in  that 
state. 

Before  he  was  ten  years  of  age  Mr.  Shotts  of  this  review  went  to  live 
with  his  paternal  grandfather  and  in  his  youth  he  procured  a  common  school 
education.  He  assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  his  grandfather's  farm  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  when  feeling  that  his  country  needed  his 
rervices  he  joined  Company  A,  Eighteenth  Ohio  Infantry,  July  21,  1861. 
The  regiment  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Stanley,  and  was  attached  to 
the  Second  Brigade.  Second  Division  of  the  Fourteen  Army  Corps.  He 
first  met  the  Rebels  at  Bowling  Green.  Kentucky,  and  the  first  regular 
engagement  in  which  he  participated  was  at  Stone  river.  He  afterward 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Chickamauga,  Nashville  and  Chattanooga,  after 
which  the  regiment  wen  to  Augusta,  Georgia,  where  Mr.  Shotts  ■vC'as  dis- 
charged. He  entered  the  service  as  a  private  but  when  mustered  out  held 
the  rank  of  sergeant. 

Mr.  Shotts  then  returned  to  his  native  county,  and  the  following  year, 

1865,  removed  to  Champaign  County,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  thir- 
teen years,  following  the  occupation  of  farming.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  came  to  Kansas  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Woodson 
County.  He  located  on  section  twenty-seven,  township  twenty-five,  range 
sixteen.  He  had  visited  the  state  the  previous  year  and  in  February, 
1878,  took  up  his  permanent  abode  here,  settling  on  the  farm  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  Here  he  owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  and  in  addition  has  eighty  acres  on  section  twenty-one,  Owl  Creek 
township. 

While  residing  in  Champaign  County,  Illinois,  Mr.  Shotts  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mifs  Rebecca  Bell,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  on  the 
17th  of  August,  1871.  Her  parents  were  Thomas  and  Berilla  (McAllister) 
Bell,  who  removed  to  the  Prairie  state  from  Warren  County,  Indiana,  in 

1866.  Her  father  was  born  in  Pike  County,  Ohio,  and  died  in  Champaign 
County,  Illinois  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  His  widow 
still  resides  in  that  county,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  Mrs.  Shotts 
is  their  eldest  child,  and  the  other  members  of  the  family  are :  Charles,  of 
Champaign  County ;  Lavina.  wife  of  Jesse  Stout,  of  the  same  county ;  Oliver, 
Famuel  and  Frank,  all  of  Champaign  County.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shotts 
have  been  born  six  children,  namely:  Carrie,  wife  of  Theodore  Bayer; 
Samuel,  Lavina,  Clinton,  Eugene  and  Ada,  who  are  still  with  their  parents, 
the  family  circle  yet  remaining  unbroken  by  the  hand  of  death. 

Although  reared  in  the  Democratic  faith  by  his  grandfather.  Mr. 
Shotts  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  has  since 
been  an  advocate  of  the  Republican  party.    He  has  never  been  an  active 


"WOV3T)SON    COL'NTlES,    KANSAS.  7S3 

g)61itical  worker,  however,  for  his  farm  labors  have  fullj'  occupied  his  -at- 
:tention  and  providing  for  his  family  through  agricultural  pursuits  has 
been  a  matter  of  greater  interest  and  importance  to  him  than  the  honors 
-of  public  ofHee.  He  has  made  his  farm  to  bloom  and  blossom  as  the  rose, 
■adding  substantial  buildings,  the  latest  improved  machinery  and  modern 
•  accessories,  while  in  his  tields  the  work  of  cultivation  has  brought  forth  rich 
;fruits. 


STANFORD  fiAGLfi. 

STAKFORB  ^AGLE,  who  owns  and  operates  a  good  farm  of  onfe 
liu'ndred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Belmont  township,  is  a  native  son  of 
Woodson  County  and  a  representative  of  one  of  its  pioneer  families.  His 
lather.  Thomas  J.  Eagle,  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  here  in  1869. 
He  was  horn  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  in  1843  and  ^vas  a  son  of  John 
Tilagle  and  a  brother  of  Wortli  Eagle,  of  Woodson  County.  Thomas  J. 
ICagle  was  a  young  man  when  the  Civil  war  was  inaugurated  and  with  pa- 
triotic spirit  he  responded  to  the  president's  call  for  aid,  enlisting  in  a 
regiment  of  Ohio  volunteers.  He  wns  afterward  transferred  to  another 
I'egiment  and /served  as  a  private  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities  and  the 
nleclaration  of  peace,  the  Stars  and  Stripes  having  been  victoriously  planted 
in  the  capital  of  the  southern  Confederacy.  In  the  fall  of  1869,  Mr.  Eagle 
•came  to  Woodson  County  and  settled  in  Eminence  township,  where  he  se- 
■cured  a  traet  of  wild  land  which  he  improved,  transforming  it  into  a  very 
valuable  farm,  supplied  M'ith  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences  such 
as  are  found  upon  the  model  farms  of  the  t'wentieth  century.  In  1896, 
however,  he  put  aside  agricultural  piirsuits  and  removed  to  Topeka,  Kansas, 
"where  he  is  now  residing,  filling  the  position  of  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  Adventist  ehureh.  He  married  Rebecca  Jane  Kahl,  a  sister  of  Samuel 
Kahl,  of  Woodson  County,  and  by  this  union  were  born  five  children,  as 
follows:  Stanford,  of  this  review;  Oliver,  of  Wilson  County,  Kansas; 
Ai'thur,  who  is  living  in  Neosho  Countj'.  this  state ;  Daisy,  wife  of  Walter 
Jefferson,  and  Fay,  who  is  in  Union  college,  at  College  View,  Nebraska. 

Standford  Eagle  \ras  horn  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  May  29,  1867, 
and  was  only  two  yeara  of  age  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Woodson 
County,  where  he  was  reared  amid  the  scenes  of  rural  life,  bearing  his 
share  in  the  work  of  the  farm  as  he  became  old  enough  to  handle  the  plow 
and  manage  the  other  implements  of  agriculture.  His  preliminary  educa- 
tion, acquired  in  the  common  schools,  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the 
Central  Business  College,  of  Pedalia,  ^..issouri,  after  which  he  began  farm- 
iiig.  For  some  time  he  rented  and  operated  his  father's  land  and  thereby 
he  acquired  the  capital  with  which  to  purchase  his  present  farm,  of  which 
he  became  the  owner  in  1900,  buying  the  property  of  Jacob  Strock.  The 
place  comprised  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  the  southwest 


7''S4  lliS'ltlfiV    OF'  ALLEiV    AJ<0 

t(Liartei'  ul  section  twenty-seven,  township  twenty-six,  range  fifteen  and  is 
a  monument  to  the  enterprise  and  labors  of  the  owner  who  acquired  it 
through  his  own  efforts. 

ilr.  Eagle  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Yates  Center,  December  11,  1893, 
to  Sadie,  a  daughter  of  Geo.  Hill,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Woodson 
bounty,  and  unto  them  liave  been  born  two  children,  Kyle  and  Aviee.  Long 
residents  of  the  county,  i\lr.  and  Mrs.  Eagle  have  a  wide  acquaintance  and 
a  large  circle  of  friends  among  the  better  class  of  people.  In  his  political 
pieferenets  he  is  a  Republican,  his  views  Deing  in  harmony  with  the  politi- 
ea]  faith  of  the  family.  I^lr.  Eagle  has  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  and 
]irogress  of  this  portion  of  the  state  through  thirty-two  years'  residence' 
lure,  and  is  .justly  afconnted  one  of  the  worthy  early  settlers  o±  Woodson; 
County, 


JEFFERSON  HUFF. 

On  the  roll  of  successful  farmers  and  stock  raisers  in  Woodson  County 
i^ppears  the  name  of  Jefferson  Huif,  whose  agricultural  interests  are  ex- 
tensive and  profitaole.  His  life  history  began  in  Ferry  County,  Indiana, 
r.n  the  23d  of  July,  1838.  His  father,  William  Huff,  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  in  early  life  learned  the  cooper's  trade.  He  married  Miss 
Jennie  Taylor,  also  a  native  of  the  Blue  Grass  state,  and  about  1830  he 
removed  to  Indiana,  where  he  made  his  home  until  1839  and  then  went 
to  Arkansas.  His  death  there  occurred  February  7.  1841,  when  he  was 
forty-seven  years  of  age.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1867  when  she,  too, 
departed  this  life,  being  then  fifty-seven  years  of  age.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  two  children,  but  Our  subject  is  now  the  only  survivor  of  the 
family. 

Jefferson  Huff  was  only  a  year  old  when  taken  by  his  parents  to  Ar- 
kansas where  he  remained  until  after  the  father's  death  when  the  mother 
returned  with  him  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Richland  County  where  she  re- 
mained for  eleven  years.  In  1852  she  went  with  her  son  to  Perry  County, 
Indiana.  She  gave  him  a  good  common  school  education,  and  he  remained 
with  her  until  his  marriage  when  he  established  a  home  of  his  own  and 
his  mother  then  lived  with  him  until  her  death.  They  were  never  sep- 
arated until  she  was  called  to  the  home  beyond. 

It  was  on  the  3d  of  May,  1860,  that  Mr.  Huff  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  E.  Howard,  a  native  of  Du  Bois  County,  Indiana.  No- 
vember 9th,  1881,  he  reached  Woodson  County,  Kansas,  settling  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  county,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  then  pur- 
chafed  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  raw  land  in  Toronto  township,  lo- 
Ccited  thereon  and  has  developed  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county. 
There  is  a  fine  grove  of  native  forest  trees  surrounding  his  residence  and 
bsrns,  presenting  a  most  beautiful  appearance.    His  hedge  fences  are  cut 


t\'0(Tnsox  co-L'xTrK;;.  kax'sas.  7>"3 

llc.-w  and  are  always  w^ll  trimmed  and  the  farm  has  every  indication  of 
"thrift,  neatness  and  comfort.  It  comprises  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  oS 
Tich  land,  and  in  addition  to  the  sale  of  his  grain  crops  Mr.  Huff  annually 
places  on  the  market  hay  which  brings  him  a  return  of  about  five  hundred 
dollars.  He  also  handles  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  annually, 
:and  in  the  various  departments  of  his  farm  work  is  meeting  vrith  verj' 
gratifying  prosperity. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huff  has  been  blessed  with  nine  children, 
namely:  George  Monroe..  Elizabeth  Adeline,  Andrew  Jiilius,  Charles  "Wm., 
T3ettie  Loretta,  Margaret  Rosetta,  Mary  Louisa,  Ellen  Ann,  and  Katie  Lee. 
Andrew  J.  was  elected  to  tlie  office  of  district  clerk  in  1896  and  served 
in  that  office  for  four  years.  Mr.  Huff  has  filled  the  position  of  treasurer 
^of  Toronto  township,  and  is  recognized  as  a  wide-awake  progressive  and 
piiblie-rpiri^ed  citizen.  He  belongs  to  Wooo.son  lodge.  No.  121,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  the  warm  regard  of  his  brethren  of  the  fraternity  is  expended  him,  while 
.in  ail  life's  relations  he  is  esteemed  for  his  genuine  worth. 


PRED  A.  DierMOND. 

One  of  the  native  sons  of  Woodcon  County,  who  has  been  an  eye  wit- 
ness of  tire  growth  and  progress  of  this  section  of  the  state  from  an  early 
period  in  its  development  is  Fred  A.  Dumond,  a  progressive  farmer  of 
F.minence  township.  He  was  born  on  the  family  homestead,  November  26, 
1872,  and  is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Adaline  (Darst)  Dumond,  pioneer 
settlers  of  the  community.  The  father  was  born  in  Seneca  County.  Ohio, 
in  1838,  and  was  a  son  of  Jackson  Dumond.  He  came  to  AVoodson  County 
at  the  beginning  of  the  '70s,  loca+ing  in  Eminence  township,  where  he 
sccin-ed  a  claim.  Witli  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  development  and. 
continued  its  cultivation  until  his  death,  which  occurred  October  24,  1873. 

John  W.  Dumond  was  married  in  Lake  County,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Ada- 
line  Darst,  who  was  born  in  Benton  County.  Ohio,  December  7,  1846,  a 
daughter  of  Abraham  Darft.  By  this  marriage  three  sons  were  born — 
Frank,  Edward  and  Fred  A.  After  the  death  of  her  first  husband,  Mrs. 
Dumond,  on  Christmas  day  of  1874,  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Daniel  V. 
Dow,  who  was  born  in  Addison  County,  Vermont,  in  1832,  and  died  in 
Woodson  County.  Kansas,  in  July,  1885.  When  a  young  man  he  left  Ver- 
mont and  started  in  a  fouthwesterly  direction.  For  a  few  years  he  resided  in 
Texas,  whence  he  was  forced  to  flee  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion on  account  of  his  sympathy  with  the  North.  He  made  his  way  to 
the  Union  lines  and  enlisted  in  the  First  Arkansas  Infantry,  but  was  soon 
transferred  to  the  hospital  corps  as  hospital  steward,  serving  in  that  de- 
partment until  honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

Mr.  Dow  then  returned  to  Vermont  but  had  been  in  the  west  too  long 
to  remain  satisfied  with  the  slower  and  more  conservative  methods  of  the 


7.S6  HISTORY    Of'    ALLEN    A.N'JJ 

east  and  aceurdingly  he  eauie  to  Kansas,  securiilg  a  claim  in  townsfifp' 
t  .vcnty-five,  range  fifteen,  in  ^Yoodson  Cffunty.  He  became  one  of  the- 
veil  known  and  valued  re  idents  of  the  county  and  was  a  successful  farmer. 
In  an  early  day  he  held  the  ofBce  of  county  surveyor  and  laid  out  the 
town  of  Toronto,  also  did  much  of  the  work  of  that  character  in  the  vicinitj^ 
i)l  Neosho  Falls.  He  served  as  trustee  of  his  township  and  always  gave  a 
loyal  and  unfaltering  support  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  in- 
Avhich  he  most  firmly  believed.  Unto  Sir.  and  Mrs.  Dow  were  born  two- 
ehildren,  Susie  A.,  wife  of  Forest  Ruehlen,  by  whom  she  has  one  child, 
Rrnest;  and  Esfella  C,  who  is  with  her  mother.  "When  Mrs.  Dow  came  to* 
Woodson  County,  in  1866,  Indians  were  still  in  the  neighborhood,  but 
fommitted  no  depredation  and  wei  e  usually  friendly  to  the  settlers.  They 
Camped  among  the  farms  and  roamed  to  and  fro  over  the  country  on  visits^ 
lo  neighboring  tribes. 

Fred  A.  Dumond,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  has  spent  hi»- 
entire  life  in  Woodson  County.  He  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  for' 
though  his  father  died  during  his  early  infancy  he  remained  M'ith  his' 
step-father  and  was  trained  to  the  practical  work  of  the  fields  and  meadows^ 
through  the  summer  months  while  in  the  winter  season  he  pursued  his  edu- 
cation  in  the  district  schools.  "When  he  began  business  on  his  awn  account 
it  was  along  the  line  to  which  he  had  been  reared  and  he  is  now  successfully 
farming  on  section  twelve,  township  twenty-six,  range  fifteen,  where  he- 
owns  and  operates  two  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  the  greater  part  of 
which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  is  also  engaged  in  dealing  in 
hay,  which  is  a  good  source  of  revenue  and  largely  increases  his  financial 
resources. 

On  the  3lRt  of  December,  1899,  Mr.  Dumoud  was  united  in  marriage- 
1(1  Miss  Alice,  daughter  of  Samuel  Kahl.  one  of  the  early  si3ttlers  of  Emi- 
jience  township,  and  they  have  now  a  little  daughter,  Esther  May,  who 
is  the  life  and  light  of  the  household.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dumo'nd  have  many 
friends  in  his  native  county  and  he  is  justly  classed  among  the  progressive 
young  farmers,  whose  well  directed  labors  bring  to  them  creditable  suecess. 


CBiAUNC"^  W.  LANKTON. 

The  subject  of  this  review  is  a  self-made  man  who  without  any  extra- 
(I'  dinary  family  or  pecuniary  advantages  at  the  commencement  of  life  has 
battled  earnestly  and  energetically,  and  by  indomitable  courage  and  in- 
tegrity has  achieved  botli  character  and  fortune.  By  sheer  force  of  -will  and 
untiring  etfort  he  has  worked  his  Avay  upward  and  is  numbered  among  the 
practical  farmers  of  Everett  township,  "Woodson  County. 

ilr.  Lankton  was  born  in  Allegany  County,  New  York,  April  27,  1834, 
his  parents  being  Joel  and  Sarah  (Fvans)  Lankton.  _  The  father  was  bom 
in  the  "Empire  state  in  1799  and  became  a  local  minister  in  the  Methodist 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,   KANSAS.  7S7 

Episcopal  church,  preaching  for  many  years.  He  was  also  a  carpenter  by 
trade  and  while  not  in  the  pulpit  worked  at  the  bench.  In  1839  he  re- 
moved to  Morgan  County,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his 
death  occurring  in  1855,  when  he  was  fifty-five  years  of  age.  His  wife 
passed  away  many  years  before,  being  called  to  her  final  rest  in  J841,  when 
thirty-six  years  of  age. 

Chauncy  Lankton,  their  sixth  child,  was  a  little  lad  of  five  summers 
when  his  parents  went  to  Illinois.  Schools  in  the  west  were  very  primitive  at 
that  time  and  his  educational  privileges  were  necessarily  limited.  At  an 
early  age  he  began  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade  under  the  direction  of 
his  father  and  followed  that  pursuit  throughout  a  long  period.  He  was 
married  in  Illinois  and  there  remained  until  1879  when  with  his  family,  he 
came  to  Kansas,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  two 
miles  north  and  one  mile  west  of  the  present  site  of  Vernon,  in  the  fall  of 
tJiat  year.  The  improvements  on  the  place  were  meager,  but  with  char- 
acteristic energy  he  began  the  development  of  his  farm  and  has  since 
ei-eeted  a  good  residence  and  a  large  barn,  has  planted  a  fine  orchard  and 
has  everything  in  good  condition,  the  place  being  particularly  neat  in  ap- 
pearance. They  did  not  have  three  hundred  dollars  when  they  came  here, 
and  through  their  energetic  efforts  they  have  advanced  until  they  are  now 
the  possessors  of  a  handsome  competence,  sufficient  to  provide  them  with  all 
the  necessaries  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

In  1857  Mr.  Lankton  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rhoda  Rhea,  who 
was  born  in  Illinois,  while  her  parents  were  natives  of  Kentucky,  removing 
to  the  former  state  at  an  early  day.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lankton  became  the 
parents  of  three  children:  Fletcher  H.,  who  is  a  printer  by  trade  and  is 
now  foreman  of  the  Daily  Drovers  Telegram  office,  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri ; 
Adda  L..  wife  of  C.  B.  Norton,  a  resident  farmer  of  Everett  township,  and 
Lydia,  wife  of  R.  E.  Dickinson,  now  the  owner  and  proprietor  of  a  harness 
shop  in  Leroy,  Kansas.  The  family  are  well  known,  and  their  friends  and 
acquaintances  in  Woodson  County  are  many.  Mr.  Lankton  is  independent 
in  his  political  views,  voting  for  the  men  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for 
office  without  regard  to  the  party  affiliation  of  candidates.  Such  is  the  life 
record  of  one  of  the  enterprising  agriculturists  of  Woodson  County,  whose 
place  in  business  circles  is  the  reward  of  his  own  honorable  labors. 


CLAUS  PETERS. 

CLAUS  PETERS  has  fuUy  tested  the  opportunities  which  America 
offers  to  her  citizens  for  he  came  to  this  country  empty-handed  and  by  dili- 
gence and  enterprise  has  risen  to  a  position  among  the  leading,  influential 
and  successful  farmers  of  Woodson  County,  his  home  being  on  section 
fourteen.  Owl  Creek  tOAvnship.  He  was  born  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  Ger- 
many, June  3,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  Peters,  a  farmer,  whose  ancestors 


788  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

tor  many  generations  had  been  farming  people  of  Sehleswig-Holstein.  He 
wedded  Mary  Rogers  and  both  parents  spent  their  entire  lives  in  the  father- 
h;nd.  Their  children  were:  George,  who  died  in  the  old  country;  John, 
who  also  died  in  Germany;  Glaus,  and  Christiana,  W'ho  when  last  heard 
from  was  living  in  the  fatherland. 

In  early  life  Glaus  Peters  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  served 
for  a  year  and  a  quarter  in  the  Danish  army.  In  1866  he  determined  to 
come  to  America,  hoping  thereby  to  improve  his  financial  condition.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  S.eptember  of  that  year,  he  took  ship  at  Hamburg  for  New 
York  and  from  the  coast  proceeded  westward  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  He 
was  a  poor  mechanic  looking  for  a  home  and  he  put  up  a  little  frame  house, 
twelve  by  fourteen  feet,  after  which  he  worked  by  the  day  in  order  to  get  the 
funds  necessary  to  carry  on  the  work  of  development  upon  the  claim  which 
he  had  entered.  The  early  years  of  laborious  effort,  however,  were  the 
forerunner  of  a  more  prosperous  period.  On  the  7th  of  September,  1867, 
Mr.  Peters  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Maggie  Kose,  who  was  born  in 
Sehleswig-Holstein.  She  died  November  18,  1899.  The  children  of  this 
marriage  were:  Mary,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  Maggie, 
^\■ife  of  August  Goedeke.  of  Oklahoma,  and  Henry,  born  September  7,  1875. 

In  connection  with  general  farming  Mr.  Peters  and  his  son  have 
handled  cattle  and  hogs  and  have  found  this  a  profitable  industry.  They  now 
own  four  hundred  and  five  acres  of  valuable  land  on  sections,  fourteen, 
nineteen  and  twenty-three,  and  the  farm  is  well  improved  with  all  modern 
accessories  and  with  substantial  buildings. 

Mr.  Peters  takes  little  part  in  campaign  or  political  work  of  any  de- 
si  ription  aside  from  casting  his  vote  for  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Lutheran  and  has  served  as 
one  of  the  officers  of  the  church.  He  has  also  rendered  financial  aid  to  the 
building  of  St.  Paul's  Lutheran  church  on  Owl  creek,  and  has  done  much 
for  the  upbuilding  of  the  church  and  the  spread  of  Christian  truths  as 
taught  by  that  denomination.  His  life  has  indeed  been  a  busy,  useful  and 
honorable  one,  and  this  record  is  such  a  one  as  to  justify  the  confidence 
and  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  friends  and  neighbors. 


JOSEPH  J.  ALLEN. 

From  the  age  of  sixteen  years  Joseph  J.  Allen  has  depended  upon  his 
own  resources  for  a  livelihood,  and  that  to-day  he  is  numbered  among  the 
v,ell-to-do  agriculturists  of  Woodson  County  is  due  to  his  energy,  careful 
management  and  untiring  labor.  He  was  born  in  Venango  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, upon  a  farm  in  Irwin  township,  his  natal  day  being  July  31,  1847. 
The  family  is  of  Scotch  lineage  and  was  founded  on  American  soil  by  James 
Allen,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  who  came  from  the  land  of  hills  and 
heather  to  the  new  world  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  upon  a  farm 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  789 

ill  Veuango  Countj',  Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  soldier  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution, loyally  aiding  the  colonies  in  the  struggle  for  independence  until  the 
British  army  was  driven  from  the  land.  He  reared  a  family  of  four  sons 
and  three  daughters,  as  follows :  Robert ;  Joseph  A. ;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Patrick  Davidson;  Nancy,  wife  of  Jesse  Carroll;  Margaret,  the  wife  of 
James  Osborn;  William  and  James. 

Of  this  family  William  Allen  was  the  father  of  our  subject.  Also  a 
native  of  Venango  County,  Pennsylvania,  he  was  born  in  1813  and  spent 
his  entire  life  in  that  locality.  He  married  Miss  Martha  Simcox,  also  a 
native  of  the  Keystone  state.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
was  numbered  among  the  heroes  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Allen 
passed  away  "in  1862,  but  his  widow  is  still  living  at  the  venerable  age  of 
eighty-four  years,  her  home  being  still  in  Venango  County,  Pennsylvania. 
This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  four  children :  Mary,  the  wife  of 
J.  A.  Glen,  a  resident  of  the  old  home  county  in  Pennsylvania ;  James  P., 
who  is  also  living  in  the  same  county ;  Ellen  A.,  wife  of  Kerr  Graham,  de- 
ceased, and  a  resident  of  Cripple  Creek,  Colorado,  and  Joseph  J. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Joseph  J.  Allen  we  present  to 
our  readers  the  life  record  of  one  who  owes  advancement  entirely  to  his  own 
well  directed  efforts.  He  was  reared  in  Venango  County  amid  the  oil  fields 
0°  Pennsylvania,  and  in  the  schools  near  his  home  acquired  his  education, 
not  yet  sixteen  years  of  age  when  he  began  to  earn  his  livelihood  by  hoeing 
corn  and  through  many  years  his  career  has  been  one  of  activity  in  the 
busy  places  of  life.  For  ten  years  he  was  employed  in  the  oil  country  and 
then  turned  his  attention  to  merchandising  which  he  followed  for  twelve 
years  in  Mechaniscsvlle,  Pennsylvania,  meeting  with  gratifying  success  in 
the  undertaking.  Favorable  reports  of  Kansas  and  its  opportunities  caused 
him  to  leave  the  east  and  seek  a  home  in  the  Sunflower  state,  so  .that  in 
18—  he  located  on  section  Ave,  Center  township,  Woodson  County,  owning 
the  northern  half  of  the  section.  His  farming  interests  have  been  well 
conducted  and  the  arable  land,  highly  cultivated,  has  yielded  to  him  an 
excellent  return  for  his  labor. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1876,  Mr.  Allen  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Lizzie  A.,  daughter  of  Abram  Hunsberger.  Her  father  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  now  resides  in  Barkeyville.  His 
life  has  been  devoted  to  mercantile  business.  He  married  Miss  Catherine 
Barkey,  and  unto  them  were  born  nine  children,  namely:  Lizzie  A. ;  Mary, 
who  died  in  childhood;  Nancy,  the  wife  of  F.  B.  Sterrett.  of  Venango 
County,  Pennsylvania;  Sarah  J.,  wife  of  L.  Loucks,  of  Westmoreland 
County,  Pennsylvania ;  Henrietta,  wife  of  E.  Loucks  of  Allegheny  County, 
Pennsjrlvania;  William  H. ;  Charles  Forney,  of  Venango  County;  Maggie 
M.,  wife  of  Frank  Stowe,  of  Tennessee,  and  Mrs.  Allen.  Unto  our  sub- 
.ieet  and  his  wife  have  been  born  two  children,  Ollie  M.,  wife  of  Drum- 
mond  S.  Bell,  of  Woodson  County,  and  Florence  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
ten  years. 


790  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Allen  is  a  Republican  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  local  politics.  For  six  years  he  has  served  as  clerk  of  the 
board  of  Center  township,  and  his  long  continuation  in  the  office  stands  in 
unmistakable  evidence  of  his  fidelity  to  duty.  He  belongs  to  the  ^NlethodiF't 
Episcopal  church  and  is  a  representative  of  that  class  of  citizens  who  sup- 
port all  progressive  measnrts  for  the  general  good  and  thus  promote  the 
welfare  of  the  entire  communitv. 


JOHN  PRINGLE. 

It  is  always  of  interest  to  review  the  history  of  a  successful  man.  It  is 
the  nature  of  man  to  rejoice  in  victory,  and  he  who  has  conquered  fate  and 
fortune  may  well  be  proud  of  the  fact.  John  Pringle  is  now  one  of  the 
well  known  and  well-to-do  agriculturists  of  Woodson  County,  his  home 
being  in  Eminence  township,  but  when  he  came  to  the  county  he  was  in 
limited  circumstances  and  all  that  he  has  since  achieved  is  attributable 
to  his- own  efforts.  A  native  of  Scotland  he  was  born  in  Dairy,  Ayrshire, 
May  26,  1844,  a  son  of  Andrew  Pringle,  a  farmer,  whose  ancestors  had 
resided  in  the  county  of  Ayr  through  many  generations  and  had  there 
been  interested  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil.  On  the  maternal  side  Mr.  Pringle 
IS  a  repre  :entative  of  the  well  known  Parker  family  of  Scotland.  The 
parents  of  our  subject  had  four  children  who  reached  mature  years,  namely : 
James,  John,  Robert  and  Andrew.  The  last  named  is  now  deceased,  and 
Jt.mes  is  a  resident  of  Scotland,  while  Robert  is  living  in  Arizona. 

John  Pringle  was  reared  in  the  land  of  hills  and  heather  and  ac- 
(juired  a  common  school  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  years  he  bade 
adieu  to  home,  friends  and  native  country  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
United  States.  His  brothers,  Robert  and  Andrew,  had  previously  come  to 
the  new  world,  the  former  being  located  in  Kansas,  while  the  latter  was  a 
resident  of  Texas.  In  1871  John  Pringle  arrived  in  Woodson  County  and 
secured  a  claim  in  Perry  township  on  section  eight,  township  twenty-six, 
range  sixteen.  He  was  then  in  limited  financial  circumstances,  but  he  found 
that  success  rewarded  earnest  and  persistent  effort.  He  possessed  good 
health,  a  strong  constitution  and  a  laudable  ambition,  and  with  these  to 
aid  him  in  the  place  of  capital  he  began  life  in  Kansas.  Prom  the  beginning 
ST.ccess  has  attended  his  efforts.  His  home  is  now  on  the  southwestern 
quarter  of  section  twenty-four.  Eminence  township,  and  in  addition  to  this 
he  owns  land  on  section  twenty-five,  of  the  same  township,  and  eleven  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  in  Belmont  township.  For  ten  years  he  vras  identi- 
fied with  the  stock  raising  interests  of  Gila  County,  Arizona,  where  he 
still  has  interests. 

In  AVoodson  County,-  in  November,  1882,  Mr.  Pringle  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Emma  Launders,  a  daughter  of  Wm.  Launders,  who  was 
I  orn  in  Illinois.    Their  marriage  haS  been  blessed  with  the  following  child- 


VOODSDN  COUNTIEIJ,   KANSAS.  79I 

7ren:  Elizabeth,  Jnnet,  Emma.  Andrew,  Margaret,  Robena,  Wm.  and  James. 
Mr.  Pringle  is  not  actively  interested  in  politics,  pi ef erring  to  give  Ms 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  His  resolution  and  his  deter- 
mined purpose,  combined  wth  unflagging  industry,  have  formed  the  rounds 
•of  the  ladder  on  which  he  has  climbed  to  prosperity.  His  many  admirable 
<|uaJities.  his  genial  manner  and  his  sterling  worth  have  also  made  him 
popular,  and  few  .eiti;^ens  of  the  community  have  more  friends  than  John 
PrifErie. 


AlNIOS  ^YR■IGHT. 

The  name  of  Amos  Wright  is  inseparably  connected  "with  the  bu.sincss 
history  of  Keosho  Palls  for  he  is  a  very  prominent  faf+"or  in  the  industrial 
;and  commercial  activity  of  the  city,  and  his  life  history  cannot  fail  to  prove 
of  interest  as  he  is  numbered  amo^ig  the  class  of  honored  self-made  men 
\>ho  owe  their  prosperity  and  advancement  entirely  to  their  own  efforts. 
His  record  should  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  and  encouragment  to 
•others  showing,  as  it  does,  what  may  be  accomplished  through  determined 
•tffort,  resolut*  will  and  .^-ound  business  judgment. 

Mr.  Wright  was  born  on  the  29th.  of  March,  1852,  in  TUinois,  and  is  a 
^on  of  Amos  and  Sarah  Wrii'ht.  The  fatnor  died  during  the  early  boyhood 
-0'  our  subject,  who  was  the  ninth  in  a  family  of  eleven  children.  He  re- 
mained at  home  with  his  mother  and  assisted  in  providing  for  her  support 
as  well  as  his  ovm.  They  lived  upon  a  farm,  where  the  children  were 
reared,  and  owing  to  the  limited  family  finances  which  necessitated  his  re- 
maining upon  the  farm,  Amos  Wright  of  this  review  had  but  limited  fchool 
T>rivileges.  In  1869  he  became  a  resident  of  Kansas,  locating  near  lola.  in 
Allen  County.  His  mother  died  December  26,  1899,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
wght  years. 

On  the  1st.  of  July,  1875,  Mr.  M^'right  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  C.  Roui^'h,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  they  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  rented  farm,  our  subject  continuing  to  operate  rented  land  until 
.1890.  when  with  capital  acquired  through  his  industry  and  economy  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  In  1895,  however,  he  sold  that 
property  and  came  to  Neosho  Palls,  where  he  built  a  sawmill  and  began  the 
manufacture  of  lumber.  Subsequently  he  established  a  cider  mill  and  mo- 
lasses factory,  both  of  which  he  still  operates,  doing  therein  a  business 
amounting  to  six  thousand  dollars  annually  In  July,  1900,  he  established 
his  lumber  yard  with  a  stock  worth  eight  thousand  dollars,  and  now  has  one 
wf  the  best  equipped  yards  in  Woodson  County,  having  large  sheds  and  a 
fine  office  and  all  modern  accessories  for  carrying  on  the  enterprise.  During 
the  first  six  months  his  sales  amounted  to  eight  thousand  dollars  and  his  pat- 
ronage is  constantly  increasing.  Mr.  Wright  is  certainly  a  man  of  very  re- 
sourceful business  ability,  for  in  addition  to  the  concerns  already  mentioned 


7"92'  Ill's fuiJv''  o^  ALLfiA'  .-cjro 

he  is  conducting  a  largt-  farm,  raising  hogs,  cattle,  corn,  wheat  and"  oats  ats 
nu  extensive  scale. 

Unto  ilr.  and  ?»lrs.  Wright  have  been  born  three  children,  all  residents- 
n1  Neosho  Palls  :  Robert  A. ;  Sara:h  E.,  wife  of  Fi-ank  L.  Best,  and  Williant' 
II.  Th^  sons  are  also  married.  The  members  of  the  family  are  well  known-- 
und  highly  esteemed.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Wright  has  always  beea 
a  Republican  and  has  served  as  tOM-nship  derk.  but  the  honors  and  emolu- 
ments of  office  have  had  little  attraction  for  him.  He  is  identified  with  a- 
number  of  civic  societies,  including  the  Masonic,  the  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Knights  of  Pj^thias,  the  Jlodern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for  what  he- 
lias  accomplished,  and  his  i\orth  as  a  man  a,nd  citizen  are  widely  asknowl- 
f'dgp. 


fraisTk  hayb; 

One  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Woodson  County,  numbered  among: 
file  later  arrivals,  but  now  actively  connected  vnth  agricultural  interests,  is 
Frank  Hays,  who  owns  and  operates  more  than  five  hundred  acres  of  land. 
He  is  a  native  of  Macon  County,  Illinois,  boTn  September  19,  1856,  being^ 
the  only  son  of  John  and  Hannah  (Parker)  Hays.  His  father  was  born  in- 
Pennsylvania,  whence  he  removed  to  Ohio,  later  to  Indiana,  and  finally  to- 
ilacon  County,  Illinois,  tvhere  he  took  up  his  abode  about  1840,  He  was 
twice  married  and  the  children  by  the  first  union  are :  Ebenezer,  of  Madi- 
son County,  Iowa ;  Thomas,  also  of  the  same  county  ^  Cynthia,  vdie  of  Isaac 
Skillman  of  Oregon,  and  four  who  passed  away.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife  the  father  married  Hannah  Farker,  who  is  still  living  in  Macon 
County,  Illinois.  By  her  first  marriage  to  Hezekiah  Hays,  a  brother  of 
her  second  husband,  she  had  three  sons :  Vincent  T.,  of  Macon  County,  Illi- 
nois ;  Hezekiah,  who  is  living  in  tbe  same  locality,  and  James  F,  of  Madison 
County,  Iowa. 

Throughout  his  life  Frank  Hays  has  resided  upon  a  farm.  He  ac- 
quired a  eommon-.'?ehool  education  and  was  well  trained  in  the  work  of 
plowing,  planting  and  harvesting.  On  the  19th.  of  January,  1876,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Julia,  daughter  of  Alexander  Brett  ,and  a  sister  of 
Oscar  C.  Brett,  of  Humboldt,  Kansas.  Tliey  now  have  four  living  children  r 
Iva,  wife  of  Asa  Nourse,  of  Woodson  Cotinty;  Ray,  Ira  and  Irl.  Roy,  the 
third  child,  died  at  the  age  of  one  year. 

On  the  l7tb.  of  March,  1880,  Mr.  Hays  disposed  of  his  interests  in 
riinois,,  and  severing  the  connections  which  bound  him  to  his  old  home  came 
to  tVoodson  County,  where  he  first  located  on  the  old  D.  P.  Durning  farm, 
on  the  county  line.  He  aftervi'ard  purchased  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
s^xty  acres  on  section  three.  Perry  township,  becoming  the  owner  in  1883 
and  taking  up  his  abode  there  in  1886.    He  has  since  added  to  the  original 


•^DUDSON    COUNTrES.    KANSAS.  '793 

tract  until  he  now  owns  five  hundred  and  seventy  acres,  controlling  the  en- 
■iire  amount  himself.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  business  ability  and  execu- 
tive force,  fully  capable  of  managing  his  extensive  property  interests.  He 
votes  with  the  Democracy,  but  takes  no  active  part  in  politics  as  his  time 
Is  occupied  with  his  duties  as  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  He  has  practically 
made  all  that  he  now  possesses  since  coming  to  Kansas,  a  fact  which  indi- 
cates that  he  has  led  a  very  busy,  ac''ive  and  useful  career,  and  proving 
the  potency  of  energy  and  diligence  in -achieving  success. 


SAMUEL  KAHL. 

SAMtJEL  KAHL  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  finest  farms  of  Woodsoia 
County,  and  the  place  is  a  monument  to  his  enterprise,  thrift  and  indomi- 
ttible  perseverance.  It  is  located  on  section  thirty-one.  Eminence  town- 
ship, where  stan-ds  a  commodious  and  modern  residence,  in  the  rear  of  which 
are  seen  substantial  harns  and  outbuildings  that  in  turn  are  surrounded 
-with  well  tilled  fields. 

Mr.  Kahl  was  born  in  Prantlin  Cotinty,  Pennsylvania,  April  9,  1844, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  Kahl  and  a  grandson  of  Jacob  Kahl,  who  was  borii 
:ii)  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeentli  century  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
iof  1812.  His  children  were  Adam,  John.  Peter  and  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, together  with  two  daugliters,  Kebecea  and  Hannah.  William  Kahl 
was  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Pennsylvania,  wlience  in  1852  he  removed 
to  Ohio,  where  he  died  at  tlie  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  He  became  one 
■•of  the  well  known  and  prominent  citizens  and  successful  farmers  of  Ash- 
land County,  that  state.  In  early  life  he  supported  the  Whig  party  and  on 
its  dissolution  heeame  a  Republican,  but  was  never  an  office  seeker.  He 
married  Sarah  Bittinger,  a  daughter  of  Jacoh  Bittinger,.  a  blacksmith  and 
farmer,  who  was  also  numbered  among  the  defenders  of  his  country  in  the 
~n-ar  of  1812.  Mrs.  Kalil  passed  away  in  1889.  Her  children  were  Samuel-, 
Rebecca,  wife  of  T.  J.  Eagle,  of  Topeka,  Kansas;  Sarah,  wife  of  John 
Springer,  of  Ashland  County,  and  Christiana,  wife  of  Emanuel  Treace,  of 
Ashland  County,  Ohio,  also  Jacob  Kahl,  of  Ashland  County,  Ohio. 

The  educational  privileges  granted  to  Samuel  Kahl  of  this  review  were 
father  meager.  For  some  time  before  he  attained  his  majority  he  earned  his 
■own  living,  working  by  the  month  as  farm  hand  in  Ohio.  In  1867  he  mar- 
Tied  Rebecca  Baron,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Baron,  of  Ohio,  and  in  April, 
1869,  they  came  l)y  rail  to  Woodson  County,  unloading  their  goods  at  Neo- 
slio  Falls.  Soon  afterward  Mr.  Kahl  selected  the  farm  upon  which  he  has 
Blade  iis  home  continuously  since,  on  section  thirty-one,  township  twenty- 
six,  range  sixteen,  of  the  Osage  creek  lands.  There  have  been  times  since 
v.'hen  drouth,  flood  and  pestilence  scourged  the  land  and  it  seemed  that  he 
■would  have  to  give  up  the  attempt  to  make  a  home  here,  but  he  had  no  money 
with  which  to  pay  the  expenses  of  a  return  journey  to  his  old  home,  and 


794  H'IS'TOKY    UK    ALLliN     A\iJ 

Kiuumouing-  all  his  courage  and  fortitude  to  meet  the  conditions,  he  laborea 
oil  and  in  course  of  time  the  farm  yielded  abundantly.  He  now  yearly  harv- 
ests large  crops  and  also  adds  materially  to  his  income  by  the  sale  of  cattle,. 
for  through  a  number  of  years  he  has  bten  engaged  in  raising, -feeding  and 
shipping  stoek  and  has  considerable  local  prominence  in  this  direetion.  He- 
keeps  on  hand  high  grades  of  cattle  and  has  done  much  to  improve  the- 
stock  raistd  in  the  county,  his  labors  thus  proving  of  great  practical  bene- 
fit for  he  who  introduces  a  better  grade  of  cattle  thereby  adds  to  their 
n.arket  value  and  thus  indirectly  promotes  the  general  prosperity.  His 
ranch  noM'  comprises  five  hundred  and  forty  acres  and  he  personally  superin- 
tends the  operation  and  conduct  of  his  farm,  which  in  all  its  departments 
i-'idica^es  the  careful  mpervision  of  a  progressive  owner. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kahl  has  been  blessed  with  three  children : 
Ida  M.,  wife  of  Frank  Parsons;  Alice,  wife  of  Fred  Dumond,  of  Woodson 
County,  and  Inez,  at  home.  Sir.  Kahl  is  one  of  the  leading  advocates  of  the 
Republican  party  in  this  locality,  having  staunchly  upheld  its  principles  and 
policy  since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  U.  S.  Grant  in  1868.  He- 
manifested  his  loyalty  as  a  citizen  of  the  Union  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war, 
enlisting  in  1864  as  a  member  of  the  Ninety-sixth  Ohio  volunteers,  and 
\'.-heri  that  regiment  was  consolidated  with  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
third  regiment  of  Ohio,  his  enlistment  was  construed  as  being  with  the- 
latter.  The  command  did  duty  at  Petersburg  and  Richmond  and  aided  in 
the  capture  and  destruction  of  the  AVeldon  Railroad.  After  six  months' 
service  he  was  honorably  discharged.  He  has  always  been  as  true  and 
loyal  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  In  times  of  peace  as  when  he  followed 
the  ptarry  banner  of  the  nation  through  the  south.  His  forceful  indivi- 
duality has  left  its  impress  for  good  upon  Woodfon  CoTinty,  and  it  is  -vdth 
pleasure  that  we  present  his  record  to  our  readers. 


SAM0EL  L.  PATTERSON. 

Woodson  County  is  very  fortunate  in  having  for  her  officials  men  of 
liigh  character  and  genuine  worth,  capable  in  business,  prompt  in  action 
and  reliable  and  trustworthy  in  the  performance  of  duty.  On  the  roster  ap- 
pears the  name  of  Samuel  Patterson,  who  is  now  serving  as  county  sheriff, 
and  who  well  deserves  mention  in  this  volume  as  one  of  the  leading  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  southeastern  Kansas. 

Mr.  Patterscin  is  a  native  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  where  his  birth 
occurred  July  8,  1865.  The  family  is  of  Irish  descent  and  was  established 
on  American  soil  by  the  grandfather  Patterson,  who  in  the  year  1839 
bi-ought  his  family  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Pittsburg,  where  he 
spent  the  residue  of  his  days.  He  was  a  harness-maker  by  trade,  and  by 
following  that  pursuit  provided  for  his  family.  John  F.  Patterson,  the 
fcither  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1835,  and  was  therefore 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  795 

only  four  years  of  age  -when  an  ocean  vessel  brought  the  family  to  the  New 
World.  He  was  reared  in  the  Keystone  state  and  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war  he  manifested  his  loyalty  to  the  government  by  joining  the  Seventy- 
eighth  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  volunteers  with  which  he  served  for  three 
years,  meeting  the  enemy  on  many  a  southern  battlefield.  He  married 
Josephine  Cox  and  in  1871  came  with  his  family  to  Kansas,  locating  in  An- 
derson County,  where  he  made  his  home  until  1888,  when  he  came  to  Wood- 
son County,  spending  his  last  days  in  Toronto  township,  his  death  occurring 
in  1896.  His  wife  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1898.  Their  children 
were:  George,  of  Arkansas;  John,  who  was  the  first  marshal  of  Yates  Cen- 
ter, and  died  in  Woodcon  County ;  Mary,  wife  of  James  Wilkins,  of  Web- 
ster County,  Missouri ;  SamuelL.,  of  this  sketch ;  Susan,  wife  of  Murray 
Goff,  of  Denver.  Colorado;  Robert,  of  Woodson  County;  Alexander,  of  Illi- 
nois ;  Mathew,  who  is  also  living  in  this  county,  and  Emma,  wife  of  Charles 
?\ewt"on,  of  Mason  City,  Illinois. 

Throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life  Samuel  Patterson  has  resided 
Id  Kansas  and  is  imbued  with  the  true  western  spirit  of  progress  and  en- 
terpri.'-e.  He  came  to  Woodf:on  County  when  twenty-two  years  of  age  and 
for  one  year  was  engaged  in  clerking  for  E.  B.  Rail,  of  Toronto.  He  then 
embarked  in  merchandising  on  his  own  account  ,and  after  nearly  a  year 
traded  his  store  for  a  farm  in  Barton  County,  Missouri,  operating  the 
same  for  about  twelve  months,  when  he  resumed  merchandising  at  lantha, 
Missouri.  Four  months  later,  however,  financial  reverses  overtook  him  and 
he  turned  his  attention  to  blacksmithing,  which  he  there  learned  and  fol- 
lowed during  his  two  years'  residence  in  lantha.  Going  to  Toronto  he 
built  a  shop  and  there  worked  at  his  trade  until  July,  1899,  when  he  was, 
called  to  public  office. 

The  political  faith  of  the  Pattersons  is  Republican,  and  like  the  other 
11. embers  of  the  family  our  subject  allied  his' interests  with  the  "Grand  Old 
Party."  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Benjamin  Harrison  in  1888. 
"While  residing  in  Toronto  he  was  elected  and  served  as  city  marshal,  and 
tbat  service  proved  an  excellent  training  school  for  his  present  official  duties. 
Ill  1899  he  had  three  competitors  for  the  nomination  for  sheriff,  but  he  was 
the  fortunate  candidate  and  won  the  election  by  eleven  votes,  thus  be- 
coming the  successor  of  M.  E.  Hunt. 

In  January,  1888,  in  Woodson  County,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Patterson  and  Miss  Verda  Ledgerwood,  a  daughter  of  S.  M.  Ledger- 
v:ood,  of  Lamar,  Missouri,  but  formerly  of  Dubois  County.  Indiana.  Their 
children  are  Francis,  Feme  and  Pearl.  Socially  Mr.  Patterson  is  connected 
v/ith  several  fraternal  organizations.  He  belongs  to  the  lodge  and  Rebekah 
department  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  also  identified 
tJirough  membership  relations  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica. Fearless  in  the  discharge  of  his  public  duties,  showing  no  favor  in  the 
performance  of  the  tasks  which  devolve  upon  him,  he  is  a  faithful  custo- 


796  HISTORV    OF    ALLEN    AND 

dian  of  the  public  peace  and  of  the  law,  and  has  made  an  enviable  record  in 
office. 


ABRAHAM  B.  MILLER. 

ABRAHAM  B.  MILLER,  one  of  the  veterans  of  the  Civil  war,  and 
an  upright,  honorable  citizen  of  Everett  township,  Woodson  County,  was 
born  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio,  on  the  21st.  of  December,  1839,  a  son  of 
Benjamin  and  Susana  (Yoder)  Miller,  both  natives  of  Lancaster  County, 
Pennsylvania.  When  a  young  man  the  father  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming.  He  was  accidentally  killed  in  1840,  by  a  falling  tree, 
but  his  wife  still  survives  him  and  is  living  in  Indiana  at  the  very  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-eight  years. 

Of  the  three  surviving  children  born  to  his  parents  Abraham  Miller  is 
the  second  in  order  of  birth.  He  resided  in  the  Buckeye  state  until  four- 
teen years  of  age  and  then  accompanied  his  mother  on  her  removal  to 
Howard  County,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  until  the  country  became  in- 
volved in  Civil  war  over  the  slavery  question  and  the  attempted  secession 
ol'  the  southern  states.  Prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  he  enlisted  at 
the  president's  call  for  three  hundred  thousand  men,  joining  company  E, 
Eleventh  Indiana  cavalry,  with  which  command  he  participated  in  some 
of  the  most  hotly  contested  engagements  of  the  war.  including  the  battles  of 
Nashville  and  Tuscumbia,  Tennessee,  the  latter  occurring  on  Christmas  day 
[if  1864.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  but  was  soon  afterward  promoted  to  the 
rpnk  of  first  sergeant  of  his  company. 

After  receiving  an  honorable  dis'charge  from  the  service  Mr.  MiUer  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Indiana,  and  on  the  4th.  of  November,  1865,  was 
I'nited  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Raray,  a  native  of  Franklin  County, 
Ohio,  born  November  22.  1844.  Her  parents,  Daniel  and  Melvina  (Searfos) 
Raray,  removed  to  Indiana  in  1844,  and  her  father  is  still  living  at  the 
age  of  eighty-five  years  ,but  his  wife  passed  away  in  1875,  at  the  age  of 
forty- two.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Miller 
is  the  second,,  and  five  of  the  family  are  yet  living. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Miller  began  his  domestic  life  upon  a  rented 
ffirm  which  he  operated  until  1868,  when  he  came  to  Woodson  County,  se- 
curing a  farm  on  Cherry  creek.  He  called  his  homestead  Miller's  Grove  and 
established  a  postofBce  there  to  which  he  gave  the  same  name.  For  six  years 
Lr  served  as  the  postmaster.  For  seven  years  he  resided  upon  the  farm,  but 
on  account  of  the  grasshoppers  he  sold  the  property  and  returned  to  In- 
diana, where  he  continued  through  the  twelve  succeeding  years,  when  on  ac- 
count of  his  health  he  went  to  Arkansas,  spending  six  years  in  that  state.- 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to  Woodson  County  in  1892, 
purchasing  eighty  acres  of  rich  land,  comprising  one  of  the  most  attractive 
of  the  smaller  farms  of  Everett  township,  its  location  being  two  miles  north- 
west of  Vernon. 


WOODSON   COUNTIKS,  KANSAS.  797 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  has  been  blessed  with  eight  children, 
tamely :  William  0.,  who  is  living  in  Parsons,  Kansas ;  Tudie,  who  became 
the  wife  of  James  Ledbetter,  and  died  in  1896 ;  Abraham  L.,  who  is  the 
railroad  agent  at  Lyndon,  Kansas ;  Fred,  who  is  in  the  railroad  employ  at 
Parsons;  Daniel  B.,  located  in  Hailey,  Idaho;  Carl,  who  is  located  in 
riailey,  Idaho;  Jesse  and  Chester,  twins,  at  home,  and  Grace,  the  only 
daughter,  a  beautiful  young  lady  who  is  living  with  her  parents.  The 
family  have  a  Avide  acquaintance  in  the  community  and  the  hospitality  of 
the  best  homes  is  extended  to  them.  In  political  affiliations  Mr.  Miller  is  a 
Kepublican. 


GEORGE  W.  McGILL. 

GEORGE  W.  McGILL  is  numbered  among  the  worthy  citizens  that  the 
Keystone  sta'e  has  furnished  to  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Allegheny  County, 
Pennsylvania,  July  6,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  the  well  known  Thomas  McGill, 
who  settled  in  Woodson  County  in  1876.  When  our  subject  was  about  ten 
years  of  age  he  accompanied  his  parents  from  his  native  state  to  LaSalle 
County,  Illinois,  and  resided  there  for  twenty  years  .  He  pursued  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  on  attaining  his  ma- 
iority  started  out  upon  an  independent  business  career,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  resources.  As  a  companion 
and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Jennie  Harlan,  the  wedding 
being  celebrated  in  LaSalle  County,  October  21,  1868. 

The  lady  is  a  daughter  of  Arthur  Harlan,  and  Thankful  (Thrasher) 
Harlan,  and  was  born  in  Putnam  County,  Illinois,  September  16,  1850, 
Arthur  Harlan  was  born  near  Connersville,  Indiana,  in  1829,  and  his  wife 
vvfis  a  native  of  the  Empire  state.  Arthur  Harlan  spent  his  last  days 
in  Belle  Blaine,  Iowa,  where  he  died  in  the  year  1889.  He  was  the  father 
0"  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Belle,  wife  of  Thomas  Mc- 
(iill.  of  Rock  Island,  Illinois ;  Jennie,  wife  of  our  subject;  Monroe,  of  Eagle 
Grove,  Iowa ;  Ernest,  who  is  living  in  Davenport,  Iowa ;  Sadie,  wife  of 
Clinton  McCormick,  of  Belle  Plaine.  Iowa,  and  Aaron,  who  is  a  resident  of 
Clinton.  Iowa.  Melissa,  who  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth,  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGill  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  Illinois, 
and  there  remained  for  about  eight  years,  on  the  expiration  of  which  period 
tl'cy  came  to  Kansas  and  have  since  been  residents  of  Woodson  County, 
being  located  at  the  present  time  upon  a  farm  on  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  two,  township  twenty-six,  range  sixteen.  Mr.  McGill  gives  his 
attention  exclusively  to  general  farming  and  is  a  man  of  diligence,  _  per- 
severance and  good  business  management  and  judgment.  His  political 
preference  is  indicated  by  the  ballot  which  he  always  deposits  on  election 
clay  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  Democracy,  but  the  honors  and 


79^  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    ANT) 

emoluments  of  office  have  no  attraction  for  him,  his  farm  work  claiming 
all  of  his  time.  He  finds  thereby  that  he  can  gain  a  good  return  for  his 
investment  and  is  accordingly  clasred  among  the  substantial  agriculturists 
ot  the  enmmunit}-. 


FERDINAND  H.  SPENCER. 

A  well  known  and  respected  farmer  of  Liberty  township,  Woodson 
County,  Ferdinand  H.  Spencer,  was  born  in  Monmouth  County,  New  Jer- 
sey, May  22,  1888,  and  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  seven 
children,  born  to  John  L.  and  Elizabeth  (Tantum)  Spencer.  The  father  was 
ii  native  of  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  after  residing  in  New  Jersey 
for  some  time  removed  to  Illinois  in  1839,  there  following  the  occupation 
of  farming  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1867,  when  he  was  sixty- 
seven  years  of  age.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1872,  and  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  Of  their  children  five  are  yet  living,  namely : 
Mrs.  Hettie  M.  Dey,  now  of  Morrisonville.  Illinois ;  William  T.,  who  is  living 
in  Jerseyville,  Illinois;  Martha  R.,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Ferdinand  H., 
and  Samuel  H.,  of  Yates  Center. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  only  a  year  old  when  taken  by  his 
parents  to  Illinois,  and  with  them  he  remained  until  they  there  were  called 
to  the  home  beyond.  He  was  reared  amid  the  scenes  of  rural  life,  spending 
his  time  in  mastering  the  branches  of  English  learning  taught  in  the  com- 
mon schools  or  in  working  in  the  fields.  On  the  16th.  of  February,  1871, 
he  was  joined  in  wedlock  .to  Miss  Sarah  R.  Parsell,  who  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  on  the  17th.  of  January,  1850,  her  parents  being  Peter  and  Eliza- 
beth M.  (Smalley)  Parsell,  both  natives  of  New  Jersey.  In  1864  they  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  where  the  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1890,  when  he  was  sixty-five  years  of  age. 
His  widow  still  survives  him  at  the  age  of  seventy- four,  and  is  now  living  in 
Jerseyville,  Illinois.  Their  family  numbered  nine  children,  as  follows : 
Margaret  S. ;  Sarah  R. ;  Isaac  S. ;  Jeremiah;  James  S. ;  Sophia  S.,  wife  of 
James  Nugent,  and  Peter  R.,  all  in  Illinois;  John  R.,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri; 
O'ivei-  P.,  of  Jerseyville.  Illinois,  and  Margaret  S.  The  first  named  became 
the  wife  of  Thomas  Herdman,  but  both  died  in  Neosho  Falls,  his  death  oc- 
curring December  3,  1880,  and  her  death  March  23,  1900. 

The  year  1879  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Spencer  in  the  Sunflower 
state.  He  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Liberty  to-wn- 
ship,  Woodson  County,  on  which  he  now  resides,  the  farm  being  con- 
veniently located  four  miles  directly  north  of  Yates  Center.  He  has 
wrought  a  great  transformation  in  his  land,  making  many  excellent  im- 
provements thereon,  and  the  boundaries  of  the  farm  he  has  extended  until 
it  now  comprises  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  His  attractive  residence 
s  •  ands  in  the  midst  of  a  nice  grove  of  evergreen  and  forest  trees,  and  in  the 


^u'OOlJSUN    COCiXTlKS.     KANSAS.  799 

sn>ar  is  a  good  barn  and  other  substantial  outbuildings,  which  stand  -as 
.monuments  to  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  th«  owner. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer  has  been  blessed  with  six  children, 
namely:  Elizabeth  T.,  a  highly  educated  young  lady,  who  is  a  graduate 
■-of  the  State  Normal  School,  at  Emporia,  Kansas,  and  is  now  teaching  in 
the  city  school  of  Kansas  City,  Kanras ;  Walter  H.,  a  graduate  of  the  Agri- 
'Cidtural  College,  at  Manhattan.  Kansas;  Lila  R..  a  graduate  of  the  Statfe 
Normal  School,  of  Emporia,  of  the  class  of  1901 ;  H.  Scott,  who  is  now  teach- 
ing in  the  country  schools;  J.  Oliver,  who  is  attending  high  school  in  Yates 
Center,  and  Sophia  B.,  who  is  also  a  student  in  the  high  school.  Mr, 
Spencer  has  provided  liis  children  with  excellent  educational  privileges, 
thus  giving  tliem  sometliing  which  can  never  be  taken  from  them  and  which 
admirably  fits  tliem  for  the  practical  duties  of  life. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Spencer  is  a  Democrat  and  cast  liis  first  presi- 
dential vote  for  S'^ephen  A.  Douglas  in  1860.  In  his  business  affairs  he  has 
lieen  very  successful,  for  thougli  he  had  neither  wealth  or  influential  friends 
to  aid  him  at  the  outset  of  his  business  career  he  is  now  in  control  of  a 
valuable  farm  which  he  owns,  and  which  annually  brings  to  him  a  good 
■finaneial  return  on  liis  investment. 


HON.  GEORGE  D.  CARPENTEH. 

The  late  George  D.  Carpenter  whose  active  and  honorable  business 
career  of  many  years  M'as  closed  suddenly  in  death,  July  20,  1885,  Avas 
horn  in  Chenango  County,  New  York,  July  6,  1838.  He  received  his  early 
"education  at  Binghampton  Academy,  came  to  LaSalle  County,  Illinois,  in 
early  manliood  and  devoted  himself  to  teaching  school  until  the  outbreak  of 
the  Rbellion.  He  enlisted  in  the  S'eventy-second  Illinois  Volunteer 
infantry,  and  was  afterward  commissioned  captain  of  Company  C, 
"Sixty-sixth  United  Sta-^es  Colored  troops  and,  without  shrinking 
from  duty,  partook  of  the  dangers,  priyations  and  hardships  of  the  Yazoo 
Expedition,  participating  in  the  engagements  at  Pt.  Pemperton.  Grand 
Gulf.  Champion  Hill,  Big  Black,  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  was  in 
■command  of  the  first  Black  River  Arkansas  Expedition,  and  after  the  war 
"vvas  ended  he  commanded  the  military  posts  at  Biloxi  and  Pass  Christian, 
Mississippi,  until  mustered  out  of  service  in  the  spring  of  1866. 

Mr.  Carpenter's  identity  with  Woodson  County  dates  from  1870  when 
he  located  in  Liberty  township.  By  dint  of  untiring  energy  and  good  man- 
a,gement  lie  developed  into  one  of  the  leading  stock  farmers  in  the  county. 
Four  years  after  his  advent  to  the  county,  as  a  recognition  of  his  splendid 
business  qualities  and  manly  worth  he  was  chosen  hy  the  voters  of  his 
county  to  be  clerk  of  the  court,  which  office  he  filled  six  years.  Upon  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  office  he  returned  to  his  country  home  and  herds. 
When  the  First  National  Bank  of  Yates   Center  was  organized  he  was 


SOO  HIST"Ok\    Of-'  ALLKJS;    A.Nu 


e'tcted  its  president,  which  position  again  called  him  from  the  farm  to  a: 
rwudence  in  the  county  seat.  In  his  connection  with  the  bank  Mr.  Carpen- 
ter  exhibited  rare  business  traits  and  the  stability  and  integrity  of  the  in- 
stitution was  due  in  a  great  measure  to  his  personal  worth  and  credit. 
In-  his  death  the  institution  suffered  a  serious  loss. 

In  April,  1869,  Air.  Carpenter  married  Miss  Laura  Seovel.  Their  four 
eiaughteis  are  Dora  E.  Bioelow,  Mabel  L.  Wamsley,  Edna  A.  and  Jessie  C. 
Carpenter. 

George  D.  Carpenter  was  a  man  warm,  tender  and  devoted  to  his 
friends,  broad  in  his  views  and  possessed  of  the  most  generous  impulses. 
He  was  a  representative  Mason,  was  a  Sir  Knight,  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a 
Workman.  Never  in  the  history  of  the  county  was'  a  larger  concourse  of 
its  citizens  assembled  as  a  convention  of  sorrow  and  never  in  the  history  of 
Any  community  did  a  citizen  deserve  more  the  attention  paid  him  when  dead 
riian  he  upon  whose  casket  friends  showered  tears  and  tiowers  upon  this; 
sad  occasion-. 


REV.  0.  P.  AUGUSTINE'. 

REV  0.  P.  AUGUSTINE,  who  for  eighteen  years  has  s-erved  as  post' 
master  of  Coloma  an-d  is  a  well  known  representative  of  the  business  inter- 
ests of  this  locality  as  well  as  of  the  work  of  the  church,  was  born  in  Stark 
County,  Ohia,  October  1.  1824.  His  parents,  John  and  Margaret 
(AVishard)  Augustine,  were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  In  early  life  the 
father  largely  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  political  interests  and  ta 
military  service.  He  was  one  of  the  loyal  defenders  of  his  country  in  the 
ivar  of  1812,  was  made  a  brigadier-general  and  served  throughout  the  Black 
Hawk  -Ivar.  A  recognized  leader  in  public  thought  and  opinion,  his 
views  carried  weight  in  political  Circles  and  in  1840  he  was  chosen  a  presi- 
dential elector,  casting  his  ballot  for  William  Henry  Harrison.  His  high 
standing  iii  the  public  regard  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  for  twenty-one 
years  he  represented  his  district  in  the  state  legislature.  He  was  also* 
sheriff  of  his  county  for  four  years.  He  resided  in  Ohio  from  1807  antil 
1852  when  he  removed  to  Illinois,  where  his  remaining  days  were  passed, 
his  time  being  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  died  in  1871,  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-two  years,  and  his  wife  departed  this  life  in  1845, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-one  .  This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren. 

0.  P.  Augustine,  however,  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  family.  He  re- 
ceived a  common-school  education  and  was  reared  to  rural  life,  assisting 
ill  the  labors  of  the  farm  from  his  early  boyhood.  AYhen  he  had  reached 
adult  age  he  was  married  in  Ohio,  November  7,  1844,  to  Miss  Agnes  A. 
Webb.  In  1852  they  removed  to  Illinois,  where  Mr.  Augustine  purchased 
aiid  operated  a  farm,  coming  thence  to  AA'oodson  County,  in  1871,    Here  he 


•WDDDBON  COITN'TTE:;.   KANSAS.  SOT 

5)urcliased  two  claims  of  80  aci  es  each,  five  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Yat«S 
Center,  and  is  now  in  partnership  under  the  firm  name  of  0.  P.  &  0.  W. 
Augustine,  dealers  in  stock  and  farming  and  are  doing  a  good  business,  mak- 
-ing  large  purchases  and  sales. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Augustine  were  born  four  children :  Mary  Agnes, 
who  died  in  infancy :  John  Wesley,  now  in  Oklahoma  ;  Elizabeth.  J.,  at  home, 
and  Oliver  "W.,  who  has  charge  of  the  farm.  The  family  is  one  of  promi- 
nc-nee  in  the  community  and  the  members  of  the  household  merit  and  receive 
the  high  regard  of  friends  and  neighbors.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Augus- 
tine is  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  filled  the  office  of  coroner  of  Woodron 
County  for  six  years  and  through  long  periods  has  served  in  th'e  townsbip 
■offices.  Eighteen  years  ago  he  was  appointed  postmaf.ter  of  Coloma  and  has 
since  occupied  that  position,  discbargmg  his  duties  in  all  these  offices  with 
due  regard  to  the  trust  repored  in  bim  and  with  promptness  and  dispatch. 
Tor  thirty  years  he  has  been  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  in  1895  be  engaged  in  preaching  in  Oklahoma.  Plis  religous  faith  and 
belief  are  the  actuating  motive  of  his  life  and  guide  him  in  all  his  relations 
■^vith  bis  fellow  men. 


GEORGE  W.  NAYLOR. 

Among  the  extensive  landowners  and  leading  agriculturists  of  A¥ood- 
■son  County  is  numbered  George  W.  Naylor,  whose  successful  career  is  one 
V.  orthy  of  the  bigbtjst  commendation  for  all  tbat  he  has  is  the  outcome  of  his 
persistent  effort,  guided  by  sound  business  judgment  and  characteristed  by 
^unfaltering  honesty  in  trade  transactions.  Respect  and  admiration  are  un- 
ci-nsciously  accorded  sucb  a  man  and  are  a  just  tribute  to  his  ability  and 
worth. 

Mr.  Naylor  was  born  in  Monroe  County,  Ohio,  May  3.  1849.  His  father, 
F-'amuel,  Naylor,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  there  married  Anna  Al- 
bright, wbo  was  born  in  the  same  state.  About  1848  tbey  removed  to  Ohio, 
"where  the  father  followed  his  trade  of  wagon-making  for  a  time  but  later 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.  In  1856  he  went  with  bis  family  to  Illi- 
Tiois,  and  in  1869  came  to  Kansas  settling  in  Woodson  County.  He  and  his 
wife  are  now  living  in  Yates  Center,  at  the  ages  of  seventy-three  and  seventy- 
Sve  years  respectively.  They  were  tbe  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom 
<^'Oorge  W.  was  tbe  second  in  order  of  birth. 

Mr.  Naylor  of  the  review  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  childhood  and 
youth  in  Illinois,  and  in  1869  came  to  Kansas  with  his  parents,  remaining 
with  them  until  he  had  attained  his  ma.iority  when  he  homesteaded  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  Liberty  township  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  for  his 
present  prosperity.  For  six  years  he  resided  upon  that  place  and  then  sold 
the  property  after  which  he  removed  to  Toronto  township  and  purchased 
■eigbty  acres  where  be  now  resides.    As  his  financial  resources  have  increased 


SOJ  K'iSVbRY'  Ol'    ALLEIN    A.'^i'f 

and  favorable  oppoi'tunity  has  offered  he  has  made  judicious  investilififliti?> 
ill  real  ysta'e  until  he  now  owns  nine  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable' 
f'arruing  land,  situated  on  Brazel  creek,  six  and  a  half  mile  •  north  of  Toronto, 
where  he  is  exlensivoly  engaged  in  the  production  of  grain  and  the  raising' 
of  i-a;tlf  and  other  stock.  He  has  one  of  the  best  equipped  farms  in  the 
county.  Tl:e  creek  which  crosses  his  land,  is  skirtfd  with  timber  on  both 
uimkti  thus  furnishing  Both  water,  shade  and  shelter  for  the  stock,  and  in  ad- 
dition 1o  the  creek  he  has  living  springs  on  every  quarter  section,  thus  hav- 
ing a  nevei'-failing  wattr  supply.  He  has  pipes  laid  from  the  springs  to-' 
large  tanks  that  aie  always  full  of  clear  water,  whether  the  ■winds  blow  or' 
jiot.  There  are  large  barns  and  sheds  for  the  protection  of  grain  and  stock 
^nd  there  is  one  large  shed  wall,  built  of  stone,  ninety  feet  long  and  roofed 
in  with  shingles  so  that  he  can  safely  house  all  his  stock.  He  keeps  on  hand 
fibout  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  the  ;  ame  number  of  hogs  and  ships- 
his  own  stock  as  fast  as  it  is  in  condition  for  the  market. 

In  1872  i\Ir.  Naylor  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alice  Miller,  a 
jiative  of  Illinois,  who  came  to  Kansas  in  her  early  girlhood'.  For  almost 
thirty  year;'  she  has  traveled  life's  journey  by  her  husband's  side  and  has- 
been  indeed  of  valuable  assistance  to  him  as  well  as  a  devoted'  companion. 
They  have  a  nice  home  and  their  delight  is  to  entertain  their  friends.  Mr. 
Naylor  has  been  successful  in  his  business  career  for  he  s+arted  out  in  life- 
with  only  his  homestead  farm  of  eighty  acres  and  a  team  of  horses  and  today 
lie  is  one  of  the  most  properous  and  prominent  agriculturists  of  the  com- 
inunity.  He  has  served  for  three  terms  as  township  trustee  of  Liberty  town- 
ship and  in  his  political  views  is  a  staunch  Republican,  but  has  no  time  for 
public  office,  his  extensive  business  interests  claiming  his  attention  and 
bringing  to  him  splendid  success. 


LOVEL  P.  PEMBERTON. 

LOVEL  P.  PEMBERTON.  who  is  widely  and  favorably  kncw^n  in; 
Woodson  Countv.  where  he  is  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock-raising, 
took  up  his  abode  in  Liberty  township,  that  county,  in  1878  and  throughout 
the  intervening  period  has  tigured  in  connection  with  the  advaneemept  of 
agricultural  interests  in  this  portion  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Pemberton  is  a  native  of  Hamilton  County,  Missouri,  born  August 
7.  1845.  and  is  of  English  descent.  I'he  family  was  founded  in  America  by 
the  great-grandfather  of  our  sub.ject,  who  was  born  in  England  and 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  thie  New  World.  Representatives  of  the  name  have 
since  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  the  war  of  1812  and  in  the  Black 
Hawk  war.  and  in  civil  life  have  they  afeo  displayed  their  loyalty  to  their 

country.  X-         »  T7- 

William  Pemberton,  our  sub.ject's  grandfather,  was  a  native  ot  Vir- 
ginia, 'ivhence  he  removed  to  Kentucky,  but  spent  his  last  days  in  Paris,  Ten- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES.  KANSAS.  S03 

Dcssee.  John  Pemberton,  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Adair  County, 
Kentucky.  He  accompanied  his  parents  to  Paris,  Tennessee,  and  when 
Twenty-one  years  of  age  came  into  the  new  state  of  Missouri  and  entered 
land  in  Caldwell  County.  He  passed  the  remainder  of  his  long  life  there, 
dying  in  the  year  1900  at  ninety  years  of  age.  He  lived  sixty-two  years  upon 
Ihe  family  homestead  of  a  half  section  and  was  surely  one  of  the  "land- 
marks" of  the  county.  He  married  Clarissa  Wilson,  a  daughter  of  William 
Wilson,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the  state  of  Mississippi  and  who  died 
in  1856.  For  his  second  wife  the  father  married  Delilah  Bogan.  The  chil- 
dren of  his  first  marriage  were:  Carroll,  of  Caldwell  County,  Missouri; 
John  H.,  who  died  in  Shawntetown,  Kansas,  just  after  the  Rebellion,  he 
having  been  a  soldier  therein;  Alfred  W.,  who  went  to  California  in  1866 
and  has  not  since  been  heard  from ;  Arminta,  deceased  wife  of  G.  B.  Hill ; 
Rebecca  A.,  wife  of  William  C.  Clevenger,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri; 
Love]  P.;  Thomas,  of  Caldwell  County,  Missouri;  Chas.  M.,  of  Englewood, 
Kansas,  and  Genevra  E.,  who  married  T.  P.  Toner,  of  Livingston  County, 
Missouri.  A.  C.  Pemberton  is  a  child  of  the  second  marriage  of  John 
Pemberton. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm 
life  for  Lovel  P.  Pemberton  in  his  youth  until  the  Civil  war  came  on  and 
he  joined  the  Eleventh  Missouri  cavalry  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years.  He 
enlisted  at  Breckenridge,  Missouri,  and  was  mustered  in  at  St.  Joseph.  The 
regiment,  under  command  of  Col.  Wm.  D.  Wood,  served  in  the  western  divi- 
sion Seventh  Army  corps.  In  1864  an  engagement  on  White  river  was  par- 
ticipated in  by  the  regiment  and  known  as  "the  19  of  February."  Mr. 
I'c-mberton  also  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Ashland  Station  and  in  many 
smaller  engagements  and  skirmishes  in  the  southwest,  and  served  from  1863 
to  the  close  of  the  war.  In  August  1865  he  arrived  home  and  resumed  the 
work  of  the  farm.  He  remained  in  Missouri  until  1878  when  he  deserted  it 
to  make  his  home  on  the  prairies  of  Kansas. 

In  Caldwell  County,  Missouri,  on  the  24th.  of  September,  1874,  Mr. 
Pemberton  was  united  in  marriage  to  Jane  A.  Broure.  a  daughter  of  Michael 
Brouse  who  was  a  native  of  Canada  and  who  married  Ann  Cook.  Their 
union  produced  eleven  children  ten  of  whom  survive.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pemberton  have  been  born  six  children,  namely.  John  H.,  express  messen- 
ger on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad;  Arthur  L.,  of  Wyoming;  Claude,  of 
Va<-es  Center  who  married  Bertha  Lambrun ;  Herbert  L. ;  Audley  B.,  and 
Iva  I. 

For  thirteen  years  after  coming  to  Woodson  County,  Mr.  Pemberton 
made  his  home  in  Liberty  township  and  then  located  upon  section  thirty- 
one,  township  twenty-five,  range  fifteen,  Belmont  township.  Here  he  is 
now  the  owner  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  in  connection  with  the 
cultivation  of  the  fields  and  the  raising  of  crops  he  has  devoted  considerable 
attention  to  stock-raising  and  feeding.    His  estate  is  a  valuable  property, 


S04  HISTORY    OF    \LLEN    AND 

supplied  with  convenient  farm  improvements  and  is  an  ideal  place  for  the 
handling  of  stock. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Pemberton  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  without  am- 
bition in  politics  and  is  seeking  nothing  beyond  the  opportunty  to  devote 
his  time  and  talents  to  his  immediate  business. 


HENRY  MASSOTH. 

^In  a  pleasant  home  in  Piqua,  Kansas,  Henry  Massoth  is  now  living  re- 
tired from  the  more  arduous  eai'es  of  business  life,  having  through  former 
years  of  activity  and  industry  gained  a  substantial  competence  which  now 
provides  him  with  all  of  the  necessities  and  nrany  of  the^  luxuries  of  life. 

Mr.  Massoth  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  on  the  2d.  of  June,  1842, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Christiana  (Ovoch)  Massoth,  who  were  also  natives 
oJ'  the  same  country,  whence  they  crossed  the  briny  deep  to  the  United  States 
it'  1854.  The  father  died  of  cholera  in  less  than  a  month  after  landing  on 
the  shores  of  America.  The  family  took  up  their  abode  in  Lake  County, 
Iirdiana,  and  the  mother  survived  her  husband  until  1874,  when  she  too 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  six 
children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely:  Henry;  Frank,  a  resident 
of  Indiana ;  Peter  B.,  of  Nebraska,  and  Katie. 

Mr.  Massoth  of  this  review  is  the  eldest  of -the  surviving  members  of  the 
family.  He  resided  Tipon  the  home  farm  with  his  mother  until  after  the 
inuagirration  of  the  Civil  war'  when  feeling  that  his  chief  duty  was  to- 
ward his  country,  he  enlisted  on  the  1st  of  July,  1862,  as  a  member  of  com- 
pany A,  Seventy-third  Indiana  Volunteer  infantry,  remaining  at  the  front 
until  after  the  close  of  the  war,  when  in  July,  1865,  he  received  an  honorable 
discharge.  He  was  iir  the  battle  of  Perryville  and  several  lesser  engagements 
aird  was  captured  at  Day  Camp,  Alabama,  but  after  being  held  for  two 
weeks  by  the  Eebels  he  was  exchanged.  He  was  never  wounded  although 
twice  hit  by  spent  balls  that  did  not  pierce  the  skin.  He  was  a  loyal  soldier, 
who  gallantly  defended  the  old  flag  until  hostilities  ceased. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Massoth  resumed  his  old  occupation  of  farming.  He 
was  married  on  the  19th.  of  September,  1865,  to  Miss  Mary  Kline,  also  a 
native  of  Prussia,  and  they  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  rented  farm.  It 
^yns  in  this  way  that  he  continued  to  carry  on  agricultural  pursuits  while  in 
Indiana.  Thinking  that  he  might  acquire  a  farm  where  land  was  cheaper, 
in  1870  he  came  to  "Woodson  County  and  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  Plum  creek,  eight  miles  east  of  Yates  Center.  He  now  has  a  valua- 
ble farm  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  well  improved  land,  together 
with  town  property  in  Piqua.  When  he  arrived  in  Kansas  he  had  only 
three  hundred  dollars  in  money,  a  wagon  and  a  team,  but  with  this  as  a 
start  he  allied  himself  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  county  and 
found  that  the  rich  soil  would  yield  to  him  an  excellent  return  for  his  care 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  805 

and  labor.  As  the  years  passed  and  he  placed  his  fields  under  cultivation 
his  income  was  annually  increased  and  his  stock-raising  interests  also 
brought  to  him  handsome  financial  returns.  He  has  made  nearly  all  that  he 
possesses  ;-ince  coming  to  Kansas,  and  now  he  is  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Massoth  have  been  born  ten  children :  Kate,  wife 
of  Peter  Hellinghouse,  of  Muskogee  Indian  Territory;  Lena,  wife  of  J. 
Klein;  George  and  Henry,  who  are  upon  the  home  farm;  Mary,  who  is  with 
her  sisler  in  the  territory;  Anna,  who  is  on  the  farm  with  her  brothers; 
Hannah,  who  is  with  her  parents  in  Piqua ;  Frank,  -John  and  Willie,  also  at 
home. 

The  political  principles  of  the  Democracy  are  supported  by  Mr.  Massoth 
at  the  ballot  box  and  he  is  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  party.  He  has  served  as 
treasurer  of  his  township  and  has  been  one  of  the  school  directors  of  his 
district  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  an  excellent  example  of  the  self-made 
American  citizen  and  a  grand  exemplification  of  the  progress  that  an  am- 
bitions foreigner  can  make  in  this  country  of  unbounded  opportunities. 


JOHN  W.  QUICK. 

Long  years  of  earnest  labor  certainly  earn  a  rest  and  retirement  from 
business  cares  and  this  has  been  vouchsafed  to  John  W.  Quick,  who  has 
now  put  aside  the  more  arduous  duties  of  the  farm  and  is  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He  is,  however,  serving  his  fellow  townsmen  in 
public  office,  for  recognizing  his  ability  and  trustworthiness,  they  elected 
him  to  the  position  of  county  commissioner  and  for  two  terms  he  has  been 
the  incumbent  in  the  office,  representing  the  first  district  upon  the  board. 
This  shows  his  standing  among  fellow  men  who  entertain  for  him  high  re- 
gard by  reason  of  his  upright  life. 

Mr.  Quick  was  born  in  AVarren  County,  Indiana,  on  the  8th.  of  March, 
183.3.  His  father,  James  Quick,  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  1803,  and 
when  only  twelve  years  of  age  he  accompanied  his  father  on  his  removal  to 
Ohio,  where  he  attained  early  manhood.  He  then  went  to  Indiana  and  in 
tl;at  state  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Goodwin,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
who  died  about  1845.  The  father  is  still  living  in  Illinois  and  has  reached 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-eight  years. 

John  W.  Quick  of  this  review  was  only  twelve  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  mother 's  death.  He  then  returned  from  Davis  County,  Iowa,  to 
Indiana  in  order  to  make  his  home  with  an  uncle  there,  but  from  that  time 
he  was  self-supporting.  He  worked  for  twenty-five  cents  per  day,  which 
then  seemed  quite  a  munificent  sum.  He  acquired  only  a  common-school 
education,  but  through  experience,  observation  and  reading  he  has  become 
a  man  of  good  practical  knowledge.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  the 
.iourney  of  life  he  chore  Miss  Rachel  Jones,  the  wedding  being  celebrated 
January  20,  1853.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,  April  21, 1833,  a  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Rachel  (Slaughter)  Jones,  the  latter  of  New  Jersey. 


806  HISTORY    OF    ALLEX    AXU 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Quick  began  to  learn  the  miller's  trade  and 
r(  mained  in  the  employ  of  one  firm  at  Williamsport,  Indiana,  for  six  years. 
He  afterward  was  connected  with  other  milling  establishments  for  a  number 
of  years,  but  finally  abandoned  the  business  in  order  to  engage  in  farming 
and  rented  a  tract  of  land  which  he  operated  for  three  years.  In  1869  he 
came  to  Kansas  and  secured  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  upon  which  he  has 
since  resided.  He  first  erected  a  small  house  upon  his  claim  and  then  be- 
gan contracting  for  grade  work  on  the  railroads.  He  followed  that  pursuit 
for  four  years  and  then  took  up  the  work  of  the  farm.  He  is  to-day  the 
owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land,  all  improved. 
There  is  a  nice  grove  surrounding  his  house  and  barn  and  everything  about 
ine  place  is  in  good  shape.  He  has  made  everything  that  he  has  upon  his 
farm  thi'ough  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  and  the  raising  of  sheep,  and 
having  gained  a  handsome  competence  he  is  now  living  retired,  his  land 
being  rented. 

In  his  political  views  ]\Ir.  Quick  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  has  served 
for  one  term  as  township  trustee  of  Everett  township.  In  1887  he  was 
elected  county  commissioner  and  filled  that  position  for  three  years.  Again 
m  1898  he  was  elee'-ed  to  the  same  ofiice,  so  that  he  is  the  present  incumbent. 
He  gives  careful  attention  to  his  official  duties  and  his  administration  is 
practical  and  progressive,  showing  that  he  has  the  best  interest  of  the 
county  at  heart. 


JOSEPH  PARKS. 

Joseph  Parks,  whose  residence  in  Kansas  dates  from  1868,  is  now  the 
owner  of  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Neosho  Palls  town- 
ship. The  place  is  surrounded  by  well-kept  hedge  fences  and  a  large  resi- 
dence stands  in  the  midst  of  a  maple  grove  so  that  the  house  is  seen  through 
the  vista  of  the  trees  and  makes  an  attractive  feature  in  the  landscape. 

Mr,  Parks,  its  owner  and  occupant,  was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ohio, 
November  6,  1833,  a  son  of  James  and  Grisella  (McjNIeen)  Parks,  both  of 
\'-hom  were  natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  father  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Ohio.  His  home  was  erected  in  1800,  and  in  1803  he  built  a  barn 
which  is  still  standing.  He  died  in  Ohio,  in  1836,  and  his  wife,  surviving 
him  until  1848,  passed  away  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  Of  their  family 
of  seven  children  only  two  are  now  living,  the  sister  being  Mrs.  Martha 
Hayden,  the  wife  of  John  Hayden,  of  Joliet,  Illinois. 

Our  subject,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  was  the  only  son.  He  ac- 
quired an  academic  education  and  in  1854  went  to  Des  Moines  County,  Iowa, 
where  he  remained  until  1860.  He  was  married  there  to  Miss  ft'arah  E. 
Colby.  They  subsequently  removed  to  Chicago,  Illinois  where 
Mr.  Parks  was  engaged  in  the  provision  business  till  1868,  when  he 
came  to  Kansas.    Arriving  in  this  state  he  first  located  at  Leavenworth,  and 


"\vorjDSo'N  cofiX'TiK:;,  'k.vn.sas  Soy- 

■^xas  tliei-e  in  the  employ  of  the  same  firm  with  which  he  had  been  connected 
in  Chicago.  He  aided  in  packing  the  first  cattle  ever  thus  prepared  for  the 
market  in  this  state.  Well  pleaded  with  the  country,  the  climate  and  the 
people,  he  decided  to  remain  in  Kansas  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Woodson 
County,  purchasing  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  two  miles  south 
of  Neosho  Falls.  To  this  place  he  removed  with  his  family  in  1869,  and 
erected  a  commodious  lesidcnce.  Mr.  Parks  has  given  considerable  atten- 
t]on  to  the  raising  of  stock,  and  has  resided  continuously  upon  his  farm  with 
the  exception  of  a  period  of  four  years  ,during  which  time  he  resided  with 
his  family  in  Indianapolis.  Indiana,  in  order  that  his  children  might  en- 
ioy  better  educational  privileges.  During  that  time  Mr.  Parks  worked  for 
his  old  employers  in  the  packing  house,  but  after  four  years  he  returned  to 
his  Kansas  home  and  resumed  his  farming  operations,  his  labors  being 
crowned  with  a  merited  degree  of  success. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parks  has  been  blessed  with  four  chil- 
-dren :  Prank,  who  resides  upon  a  farm  near  his  father ;  Nellie  and  Edward, 
:ii  home,  and  Belle,  wife  of  Charles  Williams,  of  Arkansas.  Socially  Mr. 
Parks  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Neosho  Palls,  and  in  politics 
he  is  a  stalwart  Eepublican.  For  four  years  he  served  as  trustee  of  Neosho 
township,  proving  a  capable  officer.  His  life  indicates  the  power  of  indiistry 
in  the  business  world,  for  without  influential  friends  or  pecuniary  ad- 
^■antages  to  aid  him  he  has  steadily  worked  his  -^vay  upward  and  now  stands 
■among  the  men  of  affluence  iu  his  adopted  county. 


CHAKLES  P.  DIVER. 

The  life  of  Charles  P.  Diver  has  not  been  one  of  unvarying  monotony, 
circumscribed  by  the  narrow  confines  of  a  certain  locality,  where  habits  of 
thought,  action  and  life  scarcely  change  with  the  passing  years.  He  has 
traveled  over  much  of  the  globe,  has  visited  many  foreign  ports  and  is 
largely  acquainted  with  the  beauties  of  his  native  land.  He  is  a  man  of 
broad  mind,  having  that  knowledge  and  culture  which  only  travel  can  bring, 
and  in  southeastern  Kansas  he  ranks  among  the  representative  citizens. 

Mr.  Diver  was  born  in  Philadelphia.  Pennsylvania,  December  16,  1849 
and  is  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Charles  P.  Diver,  also  a  native  of  Philadelphia. 
The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  sub.ject  both  died  when  about  eighty  years 
of  age,  the  maternal  grandparents  at  the  age  of  ninety-nine,  so  that  he  comes 
from  long-lived  ancestry.  After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  the  Rev. 
Charles  P.  Diver  wedded  Miss  Mary  Hestem,  of  Chester  Valley,  Pennsyl- 
vania. She  belonged  to  a  wealthy  family,  her  father  being  interested  in  one 
0+'  the  extensive  banking  institutions  of  Philadelphia,  in  connection  with  be- 
ing the  proprietor  of  a  large  flouring  mill.  For  many  years  Rev.  Diver 
engaged  in  preaching  in  Philadelphia,  and  his  labors  in  behalf  of  Christian- 
ilv  were  very  effective.    He  died  October  14,  1884,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 


XoS  H'lSi'bkV    Oh    ALLEN    A.nTj'J 

years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  many  y<3ais  previocis.  They  were  the  pai'- 
flits  of  five  children :  Joseph,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war  and  diei 
aj'ter  his  return  from  the  army:  AValter,  Enphemia  and  ilary,  who  reside  in; 
/'hihidelphfa,  and  Charles  F". 

Tl  e  last  named  is  the  fourth  child  of  the  family.  He  remained  at  home- 
tajtil  foui-teen  ytars  of  age  and  then  enlisted  in  the  American  navy,  serving' 
tor  five  years.  He  was  firf  t  on  the  Sabian  gunboat  and  was  then  transferred 
to  the  Hartford  under  Admiral  Bell.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Fort 
Fjsher,  where  his  lieutenant  was  killed,  Mr.  Diver  standing  by  his  side  at 
1he  time  he  was  shot.  He  has  visited  most  of  the  ports  of  the  world,  has 
sailed  in  the  China  sea  and  visited  Manila  long  before  Admiral  Dewey  en- 
tered that  hay.  He  learned  much  of  the  various  countries  on  the  globe,  of 
their  peoples  and  customs,  his  experience  proving  a  good  school. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  navy,  ilr;  Diver  returned  to'ITiiladelphia, 
where  he  was  engaged  irt  merchandising  for  about  four  years,  when  hewent 
to  Illinois,  carrying  on  general  merchandising  in  a  small  town  called  Fox 
Station.  There  he  also  remained  for  four  years.  In  1878  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  rentinn"  land  fox  four  years,  after 
which  he  riurchased  three  hundred  and  thirty  acres  upon  which  he  now 
I'csides.  This  is  fine  bottom  land  and  he  has  developed  and  improved  one 
of  the  finest  fruit  farms  in  Woodson  Coun+y.  On  the  place  he  has  a  com- 
modious and  attractive  residence  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  lawn  of  blue- 
grass  and  shaded  with  stately  trees.  In  connection  with  general  and  fruit 
fai-ming.  he  also  engages  in  the  raising  of  stock  to  some  extent. 

While  in  Illinois,  Mr.  Diver  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Cook, 
of  Chieao-o,  daughter  pf  Dr.  J.  A,  and  Mary  (Harris)  Cook.  The  wedding- 
was  celebrated  November  22,  1878.  After  residing  upon  their  Kansas  farm 
tor  'fime  years  ^Ir.  Diver  removed  with  his  family  to  Fort  Scott  in  order  ta- 
educate  his  children  and  later  returned  to  Philadelphia  in  order  that  they 
might  enjoy  educational  facilities  in  that  city,  where  about  a  year  was 
passed.  On  account  of  failing  health,  he  was  advised  by  his  physician  to 
go  to  Colorado,  where  he  was  engaged  in  manufacturing  during  his  four 
years'  stay  in  that  state,  meeting  with  excellent  success  in  his  undertakings. 
The  climate  there,  however,  did  ncit  agree  with  him,  and  he  once  more  took: 
up  his  abode  upon  his  Kansas  farm,  where  he  is  still  living  in  very  com- 
f(  rtable  circumstances,  his  pleasant  and  attractive  home  being  supplied  with 
all  modern  conveniences  and  accessories. 

Unto  yir.  and  Mrs.  Diver  have  been  born  eight  children,  namely: 
Walter,  who  is  connected  with  Roland's  book  store,  of  Lawrence,  Kansas; 
D wight,  Effel,  Charles.  Lawrence,  Warren,  Dorothy  and  Anna,  all  yet  at 
h(  me.  The  family  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Woodson  County,  and 
the  circle  of  their  friends  is  extensive.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Diver  is 
n  Republican,  but  aside  from  voting  for  the  candidates  of  the  party  he  takes 
nr  active  interest  in  politics  as  a  worker  in  campaigns  or  as  an  aspirant  for 
office.    In  his  business  he  has  ever  carried  forward  to  successful  completion 


"vvOb'DSON    COUNn^IES.    KANSAS.  809 

■p.vhatever  he  has  undertaken,  and  hirs  life  stands  as  an  exemplification  of  the 
'potency  of  indnstry,  persistency  and  honest}'  in  the  active  affairs  of  life. 


GEORGE  K.  FOOTE. 

GEORGE  K.  FOOTE,  one  of  the  reliable,  practical  and-  progressive 
^business  men  of  Yates  Center,  was  born  in  Henry  County,  Kentucky,  on 
T:lie  9th  of  September,  1849,  a  son  of  Kirchelow  and  Barbara  (Boyd)  Foote, 
tlie  former  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  the  latter  of  Virginia.  The  tilling  of 
■xhn  soil  and  the  raising  of  crops  occupied  the  father 's  attention  throughout 
.tiis  business  career,  and  in  Kentucky,  in  1878  he  departed  this  life,  being 
then  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  Hif;  M'ife  survived  him  until  1885  and  was 
-jailed  to  the  home  beyond  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  They  were  the 
-parents  of  four  children,  namely:  ]\lrs.  Julia  Stark,  of  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky; Mrs.  Harriet  Force,  of  Heniy  County,  that  state;  George  K.,  and 
Mrs.  Alice  Downing,  of  Frankford.  Indiana. 

George  K.  Foote,  the  only  son,  was  reared  on  the  homestead  farm,  and 
u;  the  common  schools  of  the  neighhorhood  he  mastered  the  branches  of 
learning  which  form  the  basis  of  all  Icnowledg'e.  He  remained  with  his 
parents  and  assisted  in  the  operation  of  the  farm  until  twenty-seven  years 
oi'  age,  when  he  was  married.  On  the  19th  of  October,  1875,  he  wedded 
j\Iiss  Elliott  AVoodFide,  a  native  of  Henry  County,  Kentucky,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  B.  Woodside.  Avho  was  born  in  that  county,  August  22,  1822. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  when  a  yoxingman  engaged  in 
teaching  for  a  number  of  years.  On  the  8th  of  February,  1849,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Marian  May  Thompson,  a  native  of  Henry  County. 
In  185.3  they  removed  to  Miss^'ouri,  but  after  four  years  returned  to  Ken- 
tvcky,  continuing  there  until  1871  when  they  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in 
■Eminence  township,  Woodson  County.  There  the  father  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  1899  when  he  and  his  wife  removed  to  Yates  Center,  where  his 
tteath  occurred.  January  21,  1900,  when  he  was  seventy-seven  years  of  age. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children :  Elliott,  wife  of  Mr.  Foote ;  William 
"B.  and  0..  who  are  living  in  Cowley  County,  Kansas;  Richard  W.,  of  Au- 
gusta, this  state;  Forrest,  now  in  Colorado  Springs,  and  Mamie,  at  home 
with  her  mother,  in  Yates  Center.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foote  has 
■been  blessed  with  three  children :     Leon,  Minnie  and  Tecora,  all  at  home. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Foote  rentipd  a  farm  in  Kentucl^y  for  four 
•years,  during  which  time,  as  the  result  of  his  hard  labor,  he  accumulated 
'five  hundred  dollars  which  he  brought  with  him  to  Kansas  in  1879,_ invest- 
ing it  in  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Eminence  township  Woodson  County.  The 
ti-act  was  raw  prairie,  entirely  destitute  of  improvement,  but  with  char- 
acteristic energy  he  began  its  development  and  soon  transformed  it  into  pro- 
'dnetive  fields.  He  also  added  to  the  farm  as  he  found  opportunity  until  it 
snow  comprises  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land.    He  erected  thereon  a 


Sio 


HISl'bKV   OF    ALCEJ.'    ASu 


ommodious  le.sidence,  well  arranged  and  built  in  modern  style.  He  afso- 
built  a  large  barn  and  the  neceEsary  outbuildings,  planted  a  fine  orchard 
and  a  grorve  of  forest  trees,  which  surrounds  his  house  and  barn,  bestowing 
a  grateful  shade  in  summer.  In  addi'tion  to  the  development  of  the  fields  he 
engaged  in  raising  cattle  and  became  one  of  the  leading  cattle  men  of  his 
township.  He  continued  his  farming  and  stock  raising  operations  until  the 
spring  of  1901,  when  he  purchased  property  in  Yates  Center,  removed  fo' 
the  city  and  is  now  engaged  in  business  there  in  connection  with  his  son, 
a.-,  a  dealer  in  feed  and  coal. 

In  his  political  views  j\Ir.  Foote  is  a  Democrat  who'  manifests  his  poli- 
teal  preference  by  support  of  its  candidates  at  the  polls.  He  has  never 
sought  office  for  himself  as  his  time  has  been  fully  occupied  with  business- 
interests  that  have  brought  to  him  a  handsome  competence,  making  him  one 
or  the  prosperous  citizens  of  southeastern  Kansas.  He  still  owns,  and  now 
rents  the  farm  upon  which  he  acquired  his  capital  and  which  was  the  scene 
of  his  honorable  and  useful  labor  for  many  years. 


'rHOiNlAS  HOUSTON   DAVIDSON, 

THOAIAS  HOUSTON  DAVIDSON  was  born  near  New  Castle,  Pa., 
February  2, 1816,  died  at  Kalida  Farm,  Woodson  County,  Kansas,  February 
2,  1889. 

His  father,  James  Davidson,  was  in  early  life  a  surveyor,  but  after- 
wards became  a  prosperous  farmer  and  sheep  raiser  in  "Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  the  early  part  of  the  century.  He  was  one  of  the  stalwart,  sub- 
slantial  and  patriotic  citizens  of  the  Republic.  He  served  as  captain  in  the 
"-ar  "of  1812. 

In  a  large  family  of  children.  Thomas  H.  Davidson  was,  after  the 
education  of  that  period,  prepared  for  mercantile  life.  He  successfully  con- 
ducted general  merchandise  ventures  at  Enon  Valley,  New  Brighton  and 
Jamestown,  Pa.  He  was  located  at  the  last  named  place  when  the  the  news? 
of  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter  was  flashed  throughout  the  country.  He  was 
fired  wi-'h  a  patriotic  zeal  to  emulate  his  father  and  to  offer  his  services  as 
a  volunteer  on  the  first  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  troops.  Two  things, 
however,  pi'evented  this:  he  was  a  few  months  past  the  "age  limit"  of 
forty-five  years,  and  in  addition  to  this  fact  he  could  not,  in  the  early  days 
of  the  war.  have  passed  the  rigid  physical  examination  then  required^ 
While  he  was  a  hale  and  robust  man  all  his  life,  with  a  splendid  constitu- 
tion, still  in  his  younger  days,  while  assisting  at  a  "barn  raising"  he  had, 
in  his  effort  to  prevent  a  serious  accident  which  threatened  to  result  in  in- 
h^ry  and  even  death  to  several  persons,  thrown  himself  into  the  breach,  and, 
1,y  an  exhibition  of  physical  strength  which  seemed  almost  increditable  at 
the  time,  received  all  the  injury  himself,  escaping  with  a  broken  leg  and  a 
slight  rupture.     The  latter  injury,  though    apparently    insignificant,    re- 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  8rl 

mained  with  him  throughout  the  balance  of  his  days,  and,  thoiigh  it  gave 
him  no  special  inconvenience,  it  was  sufBcient,  nevertheless,  to  catch  tte 
attention  of  the  medical  examiner,  and,  when  taken  in  connection  with 
his  age,  bar  him  from  enlistment  in  the  volunteer  army. 

So  persistent  was  he,  however,  that  he  made  a  trip  to  Washington,  sought 
and  obtained  a  personal  interview  wilh  President  Lincoln,  convinced  him  of 
his  physical  soundness  and  his  physical  endurance,  and  received  a  promise 
fiom  the  President  that  he  would  make  an  exception  in  his  case  and  assign 
him  to  a  captaincy  at  an  early  date.  This,  however,  never  came  about, 
aiid  the  war  came  to  conclusion  without  his  having  seen  service,  except  as  a 
iBember  of  the  ' '  Home  Guard. ' ' 

In  1866,  with  the  return  of  peace,  Mr.  Davidson  was  siezed  with  a 
desire  to  escape  from  the  close  confinement  of  the  store  room,  and  naturally, 
in  common  with  many  o+her  men  at  that  time,  turned  his  face  toward  the 
rising  young  commonwealth  of  Kan'-as.  He  disposed  of  his  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  Jamestown  and,  with  his  family,  resolved  to  become  a  pioneer  in  the 
(.■evelopment  of  the  border  state. 

He  arrived  in  Kansas  on  the  second  day  of  August,  1866,  and  im- 
mediately purchased  a  farm  near  Ft.  Scott,  in  Bourbon  County.  Here  he 
r(-f  ided  for  four  years.  During  this  time  he  was  actively  engaged  in  farm- 
iiig.  A  few  weeks  after  his  arrival  came  the  great  "grasshopper  raid"  so 
memorable  in  the  early  history  of  the  state.  This  did  not  discourage  him, 
however,  and  while  the  state  was  recovering  from  the  effects  of  this  "dis- 
astrous visitation,"  he  and  his  son  James  resolved  to  "file  on"  some  suit- 
able government  land  within  easy  reach  of  the  farm  at  Ft.  Scott. 

They  carried  out  this  resolve  in  the  winter  of  1866-1867,  the  son  tak- 
ing what  is  now  the  eai't  half  of  the  present  town  site  of  Girard,  the  present 
county  seat  of  Crawford  County :  the  father  taking  the  claim  adjoining  this 
n-;;  the  south.  A  town  company  from  Ft.  Scott  "jumped"  the  son's  claim 
and  laid  out  the  town  of  Girard.  Then  followed  the  contest  so  famous  in 
that  section  of  the  state,  between  the  railroad  land  grants  and  the  settlers, 
which  ended  so  disastrously  to  so  many  of  the  Crawford  County  settlers,  the 
Davidsons  among  the  number. 

After  having  spent  much  time  and  money  on  the  improvement  of  these 
claims  and  then  losing  them,  Mr.  Davidson  resolved  to  seek  a  location,  and 
an  opportunity  for  investment  farther  west  in  the  state.  After  prospecting 
for  a  location'  for  some  time,  he  moved  with  his  family  to  the  little  town 
of  Chellis,  in  Woodson  County.  This  was  in  the  spring  of  1870.  In  Sep- 
tember of  that  year  he  purchased  a  controlling  interest  in  the  town  site  of 
Chellis  and  on  September  24  changed  its  name  to  Kalida— a  Greek  word, 
meaning  beautiful— certainly  a  most  appropriate  name— for  a  more 
beautiful  site  for  village,  town  or  city  it  would  be  impossible  to  find  in  any 
state  in  the  Union. 

Here  he  lived  for  nearly  a  third  of  a  century,  to  the  date  of  his  death 
in  1889.    Besides  his  town  interests  he  became  a  stock  raiser  of  great  mag- 


8l2  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    ANIi 

nitude  and  was  known  far  and  wide  as  a  most  successful  trainer  of  oxen, 
through  skill  which  he  had  acquired  when  a  boy  on  his  father's  farm  in 
Western  Pennsylvania.  Many  a  yoke  of  oxen  trained  by  him  became  com- 
petitors of  the  "iron  horse"  in  the  "freighting  business"  on  the  Western 
plains. 

His  chief  ambition  in  the  early  days  of  his  settlement  of  Woodson 
County  was  directed  toward  the  improvement  of  Kalida.  He  "laid  off" 
iTore  town  lots,  broadened  its  streets,  and  laid  the  foundation  for  a  met- 
ropolis, had  not  fortune  ruled  to  the  contrary.  In  1873  Woodson  County 
became  involved  in  a  "county  seat  war,"  with  Kalida  as  the  strongest  con- 
testant in  tlie  field.  Kalida  won.  but  within  less  than  four  months  a  new 
election  changed  the  location  to  Defiance,  three  miles  east  of  Kalida. 

Mr.  Davidson  always  stoutly  insisted  that  there  were  enough  illegal 
votes  cast  in  the  election  of  February,  1874,  to  entitle  Kalida  to  a  majority 
r.f  the  bona  fide  votes  of  the  county,  if  the  same  could  be  determined.  Many 
prominent  citizens  shared  his  views.  He  may  have  had  some  knowledge  of 
"irregularities"  on  election  day,  and  naturally  sought  some  explanation  for 
the  defeat  of  Kalida,  but  the  fact  remains  that  the  figures  at  this  day,  as 
shown  by  the  official  election  returns,  would  hardly  warrant,  necessarily, 
the  conclusion  which  he  drew.  In  the  election  of  November  3,  1873,  the 
vote  was  as  follows:  Kalida,  530;  Defiance,  506;  total,  1,036;  majority 
for  Kalida,  24.  In  the  election  in  question— that  of  February  23.  1874— 
the  vote  was  Kalida,  491;  Defiance,  643;  total,  1,134;  a  majority  for  De- 
fiance of  152.  In  this  election  it  appears  that  Kalida  was  49  votes  under 
her  previous  vote  and  Defiance  137  votes  above.  The  total  vote  east  at 
the  second  election  was  but  102  votes  above  that  of  the  first.  However, 
whether  irregularities  existed  or  not,  after  that  second  election  both  Kalida 
and  Defiance  were  short-lived  towns. 

The  following  year  Kalida  dropped  out  of  the  fight,  and  a  contest 
among  the  villages  of  Defiance,  Neosho  Falls  and  Yates  Center  (the  latter 
loca+ed  in  the  geographical  center  of  the  county)  took  place,  in  which  none 
of  the  places  received  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast,  the  vote  being  as  follows : 
Neosho  Falls,  301 ;  Defiance,  235  ;  Yates  Center,  335  ;  total,  871.  This  neces- 
sHated  a  final  election  in  September  1876.  in  which  Yates  Center  was  the 
^^etor  receiving  488  votes  to  Neosho  Falls,  426,  the  total  vote  cast  being  914. 
Thus  ended  Woodson  County's  "county  seat  war,"  and  with  it  ended 
the  dream  of  Kalida,  "The  Beautiful." 

One  year  later  both  Defiance  and  Kalida  were  moved  bodily  to  Yates 
Center,  but  Kalida  still  lives  in  the  name  "Kalida  Farm,"  now  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  prairie  farms  of  the  Sunflower  state,  made  so  by  the 
persistent  and  indomitable  energy  of  its  owner.  Thomas  H.  Davidson.  He 
had  nothing  of  the  "sour"  in  his  disposition-;  he  yielded  gracefully  to  the 
popular  will  and  went  incessantly  to  work  to  develop  a  beautiful  farm  on 
the  ruins  of  his  town. 

There  are  a  few  men  in  a  county  whom  practically  everybody  Imows. 


WOODSON    COUNTIKS,    KANSAS.  Si  3 

Thomas  H.  Davidson  was  one  of  these.  He  took  a  commendable  interest  in 
human  affairs,  and  his  Republicanism,  and  his  support  of  "this  or  thai'' 
\rhich  was  known  to  be  of  good  report,  were  markedly  ^^•ell  known.  Dur- 
ij_  g  the  life  time  of  Kalida  he  encoiiraged  its  churches,  its  schools  and  public 
enterprises  by  substantial  service  and  aid.  He  served  for  years  as  a  member 
of  the  school  board  of  the  Kalida  school  district,  and  was  an  elder  in  the 
United  Presbyterian  church  from  the  date  of  its  organization  in  Pittsburg, 
Pa.,  in  the  50  "s  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  the  promoter  of  the 
Woodson  County  "Advocate,"  published  at  Kalida.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  honored  .and  respected  justices  of  the  peace  Woodson  County  ever  had. 
His  knowledge  of  law  was  something  remarkable,  and  especially  so  since  he 
had  acquired  it  by  self  education.  He  could  have  prepared  himself  and 
plead  a  case  before  any  court  in  the  country.  He  was  a  director  of  the 
Charter  Company  of  the  Ft.  Scott  &  Wichita  railroad  of  the  early  70 's.  He 
was  a  splendid  scholar,  a  deep  thinker,  and  a  diverse  reader.  He  was  what 
even  in  this  day  would  be  s\vled  a  highly  cultivated  and  educated  gentle- 
man. Mathematics  was  his  special  delight,  and  what  to  many  were  problems 
of  difficulty,  to  him  weie  but  self  evident  truths.  Up  to  the  hour  of  his 
death  he  took  an  active  interest  in  everything  which  tended  to  the  public 
good.  He  brought  to  Kansas  in  cash  -what  even  today  -would  be  called  a 
small  fortune  .and  sacrificed  it  all  in  the  interest  of  the  public  enterprises  in 
which  he  put  his  heart  and  soul.  When  he  died  he  was  in  but  comfortable 
circumstances  so  far  as  this  world's  goods  were  concerned,  but  in  good  deeds, 
lofty  thoughts,  kind  acts  and  high  ideals,  he  bequeathed  to  his  family  and 
the  community  in  which  he  lived  a  rich  inheritance.  He  ever  frowned  on 
evil  and  encouraged  good,  and  in  memory  he  lives  today  as  a  splendid 
type  of  our  Scotch-American  citizenship— an  ideal  type  of  those  rugged 
pioneer  days  when  the  foundation  of  our  commonwealth  was  laying  broad 
and  deep. 

Mr.  Davidson  married  Miss  Anna  M.  Mehard,  and  his  widow  now  oc- 
cupies the  Davidson  homestead  in  Woodson  County.  The  Mehards  were 
also  among  the  early  families  of  Pennsylvania.  James  Mehard,  Mrs.  David- 
srn's  father,  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  married  Christian  Orr,  who 
here  him  nine  children.  Of  this  family,  Mrs.  Davidson  is  the  sole  survivor. 
In  the  Mehard  family  were  found  successful  farmers,  able  ministers,  a 
mechanic,  and  a  college  professor. 

The  union  of  Thomas  H.  and  Anna  (Mehard)  Davidson  produced  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  survive  and  are  residents  of  Kansas :  James,  the  ac- 
tive head  of  the  family  in  Woodson  County;  Marguerite;  Elizabeth,  a 
teacher  in  the  Topeka  High  School;  AA^m.  M.,  Superintendent  City  Schools, 
Topeka,  Kansas,  and  Samuel,  who  represents  the  Columbus  Buggy  Com- 
pany ar;  a  traveling  salesman.  James  Davidson,  the  oldest  son,  has  passed 
an  active  life  in  Woodson  County,  and  is  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of 
the  state.  While  he  is  a  farmer,"  still  his  success  in  other  directions  as  well 
has  brought  to  his  efforts  ample  reward.    He  is  the  planner  and  .projector  of 


8 14  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

the  massive  architectural  attractions  for  which  the  Davidson  homestead  is 
i;oted  far  and  wide. 


WILLIAM  LYTLE. 

A  commodious  and  attractive  residence  standing  in  the  midst  of  fine 
forest  trees  is  the  home  of  William  Lytle.  It  is  located  on  the  bank  of 
Cedar  creek  in  Toronto  township,  Woodi;on  County,  and  in  its  neat  and 
tiirifty  appearance  the  farm  indicates  the  careful  superintendence  of  a  pro- 
gressive owner. 

A  native  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana,  Mr.  Lytle  was  born  November 
6,  1845,  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Toles)  Lytle,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Virginia.  When  young  people  his  parents  removed  to  Indiana  and  were 
ijjarried  in  that  state,  with  whose  history  they  were  familar  at  an  early 
period  in  the  development  and  improvement  of  that  portion  of  the  country. 
Mrs.  Lytle  died  in  Indiana,  when  sixty  years  of  age,  and  Mr.  Lytle,  long 
surviving  her,  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  They  were  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  William  being  the  eighth  in  order  of  birth.  With 
his  parents  he  remained  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  in  the  meantime 
life  attended  the  common  schools.  He  then  went  to  Warren  County,  Iowa, 
where  he  worked  in  a  brick  yard  for  two  years,  and  in  1868  he  came  to 
Kansas,  settling  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Woodson  County,  where  he 
homesteaded  eighty  acres  of  land,  giving  his  attention  to  its  improvement. 

Having  thus  made  preparations  for  a  home  of  his  own  Mr.  Lytle  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Burger  on  the  17th  of  January,  1871, 
and  found  a  faithful  companion  for  life's  journey.  She  is  a  native  of 
Iowa,  an  accomplished  lady  who  came  to  Kansas  with  her  brother,  Dr. 
Burger,  and  for  four  years  prior  to  her  marriage  she  engaged  in  teaching 
school  in  Woodson  County.  They  have  never  had  any  children,  but  have 
lived  happily  together  for  thirty  years,  their  mutual  love  and  confidence 
ir<  creasing  as  the  years  have  gone  by. 

After  Mr.  Lytle  had  secured  his  title  to  his  homestead  he  sold  the 
property  and  came  to  Toronto  township,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  where  he  now  resides,  seven  miles  northeast  of  Toronto  on 
Cedar  creek,  where  he  has  made  a  good  home,  his  beautiful  residence  proving 
one  of  the  most  charming  features  in  the  landscape.  He  was  at  one  time 
Quite  extensively  engaged  in  the  stock  business,  but  failing  health  in  later 
years  has  prevented  him  from  handling  the  large  number  of  cattle  which 
annually  claimed  his  attention  at  an  earlier  period.  In  1896  he  was  elected 
county  commissioner  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  three  years  as  a  capable 
and  trustworthy  officer.  He  has  also. served  as  clerk  of  Perry  township. 
Siarting  out  in  life  for  himself  when  a  boy  of  eighteen  years,  dependent 
entirely  upon  his  own  resources,  he  has  labored  energetically  and  per- 
sistently and  has  always  been  enabled  to  provide  his  wife  with  a  good 


"\v^00i")ri0N  couNTrK;;.  KANSAS.  815 

"lioiiie  and  surrounds  her  now  with  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries 
K)i'  life.  His  has  bten  an  honorable  success,  and  today  he  is  one  of  the  highly 
•rf  speeted  citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 


WILLIAM  1\L  WEIDE. 

Few  of  the  native  sons  of  Woodson  County  can  claim  forty  years'' 
n-esidence  within  its  borders,  but  William  M.  Weide  was  born  here  in  pioneer 
times,  his  natal  day  being  Mareh  23,  1861,  and  from  that  time  to  the 
present  he  has  continued  his  home  within  the  borders  of  the  county— a 
worthy  representative  of  its  farming  and  stock  raising  interests.  He  is 
■the  youngest  of  the  four  children  of  Godfrey  Weide.  who  came  to  America 
from  Germany  in  1857,  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Woodson  County— during 
the  territorial  days  of  Kansas.  Upon  the  home  faTm  our  subject  was  born 
and  reared  and  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  aiforded  him  the  educa- 
tional privileges  which  he  enjoyed  in  his  youth.  He  lived  with  his  parents 
xmtil  twenty-three  years  of  age  when  he  was  mari-ied. 

That  important  event  in  his  life  occurred  in  1884,  the  lady  of  his 
■choiee  being  Miss  Thersa  Bauersfeld,  a  native  of  Germany  who,  in  her 
.girlhood,  was  brought  from  the  fatherland  to  the  new  world  in  1880,  the 
f<  mily  settling  in  Woodson  County,  Mr.  Weide  had  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  at  the  time  of  his  marriage,  and  upon  the  farm  the  young  couple 
licgan  their  domestic  life.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has  increased  his 
acreage  until  he  now  owns  a  valuable  tract  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
-divided  into  fields  which  are  richlj^  cultivated  and  into  pastures  ■rt'hich  are 
well  stocked.  He  has  about  eighty  head  of  cattle  and  horses  sufficient  to 
■do  the  farm  work,  and  before  many  .years  shall  have  passed  he  will  be 
accounted  one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock  raiters  of  this  part  of  the 
State.  He  has  already  gained  a  position  in  agricultural  circles  which  is  en- 
viable, and  the  years  are  continually  adding  to  his  prosperity  as  the  direct 
result  of  carefully  directed  labor. 

There  are  seven  children  in  the  household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weide, 
namely:  Elmer,  Albert,  Arthiir,  Amanda,  Wallace.  Martha  and  Freddie, 
all  of  whom  are  yet  under  parental  roof,  the  family  circle  being  unbroken 
by  the  hand  of  death.  Mr.  Weide  has  never  figured  in  politics,  preferring 
to  devote  his  attention  in  undivided  manner  to  his  business  interests,  which 
have  been  eo  conducted  as  to  bring  to  him  a  ready  financial  reward. 


JOSEPH  N.  SHANNON. 

Man's  success  is  not  reckoned  entirely  from  the  amount  of  real  and 
personal  property  which  he  has  acquired,  as  he  is  also  judged  by  the  use 
he  makes  of  his  wealth  and  the  manner  in  which  it  has  been  gained.    These 


^10  FTIsroRV    OF  ALLKN    AND 

fiiiee  (leineuts  enter  into  tlie  judgiiient  which  the  public  passes  upon 
L'veiy  citizen,  and  in  the  case  of  :\Jr.  Shannon  the  judgment  which  has 
been  given  is  a  veiy  favorable  one.  He  is  held  in  the  highest  regard  by 
all  who  know  liiiii  for  his  career  has  ever  been  in  harmony  with  sterling 
principles,  and  his  public  and  private  career  are  alike  above  reproach.  He 
);-  now  residing  in  the  town  of  Vernon,  which  is  a  monument  to  his  enter- 
prise and  progres-.sive  spirit,  for  he  was  its  founder. 

A  native  of  Wyth  County,  Virginia,  he  was  born  July  7,  1849,  and  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Matilda  (Brown)  Shannon,  both  natives  of  the  Old 
Dominion,  the  latter  born  in  Wyth  County.  Thos.  Shannon  was  a  mer- 
cliant  and  farmer  who  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  on  an  extensive  scale, 
but  his  farm  lay  in  that  region  over  which  the  contending  armies  in  the  Civil 
war  passed,  and  the  place  was  left  in  ruins.  Selling  the  land,  he  was  forced 
to  take  his  pay  in  Confederate  money,  which  became  worthless,  and  he  thus 
lost  the  earnings  of  many  years.  In  1865  he  removed  his  family  to  Attica, 
Fountain  County,  Indiana,  arriving  there  with  only  money  enough  to  pur- 
chase a  cow.  He  had  Been  one  of  the  leading  influential  citizens  of  the 
community  in  which  he  resided  in  the  South.  For  many  years  he  served 
a«  juytice  of  the  peace  and.  as  chief  justice  of  the  board  of  justices,  he  had  to 
attend  all  the  courts  of  the  county  and  officiate  therein.  After  removing  to 
ludiana  he  lived  in  Fountain  County  for  eight  years  and,  in  1873  came  to 
Kansas,  and  pas-^ed  his  remaining  years  with  his  son  Joseph  on  the  farm. 
ivAv  partially  the  townsite  of  Vernon.  Here  he  died  in  1874,  at  the  age 
of  58  years,  his  wife  passing  away  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three. 
They  wei-e  the  parents  of  five  children,  three  of  whom  yet  survive,  namely  .- 
Joseph,  George  and  JMrs.  Mary  Bates,  the  last  two  named  now  living  in 
.Vnacortes,  Washington. 

Joseph  N.  Shannon  was  the  third  member  of  the  family.  He  attended 
the  common  schools  and  later  pursued  a  high  school  course  in  Attica,  In- 
diana, after  which  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  two  years.  He  then 
came  to  Kansas  with  his  parents  and  purchased  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  from  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railroad  Company.  He 
still  owns  this  valuable  property.  For  two  years  after  his  arrival  in 
AVoodFon  County  he  engaged  in  teaching  school,  and  then  returned  to  In- 
diana for  his  bride.  There  on  the  10th  of  January,  1876,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Aliss  Sarah  il.  Claypool,  of  Foun+ain  County.  Through  the 
five  succeeding  years  he  was  identified  with  the  educational  interests  of  this 
county  and  then  entered  into  partnership  with  A.  Van  Slike,  under  the  firm 
■  name  of  Van  Slike  &  Shannon,  dealers  in  hardware  in  Yates  Center.  For 
four  years  they  successfully  carried  on  business  and  then  Mr.  Shannon  re- 
turned to  the  farm.  In  1886  he  laid  off  the  towTi  of  Vernon  and  embarked  in 
general  merchandising,  building  up  a  large  trade  which  necessitates  his 
cari'ving  an  extensive  stock  of  goods.  His  patronage  has  steadily  increased, 
and  hi^'  sales  bring  to  him  a  very  gratifying  income.  He  also  began  dealing 
in  hay  nnd  the  two  lines  of  business  bring  him  in  thirty-five  thousand  clol- 


■WOODSON    CODNTIES,    KANSAS-  S'l '/ 

8ars  annually.  In  addition  he  owns  sixteen  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  near  Vernon,  of  which  he  has  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
under  cultivation,  whik  the  remainder  is  pasture  and  meadow  land.  He 
liandles  large  numbers  of  cattle,  horses  and  mules,  buying,  feeding  and 
shipping,  and  this  forms  an  important  branch  of  his  businesES.  Mr.  Shan- 
non's labors  have  not  only  proven  of  great  benefit  to  himself  but  have  been 
of  value  to  the  farming  community  around  Vernon,  furnishing  a  market  for 
produce  and  stock.  He  has  won  the  distinction  of  being  what  the  public 
•eiills  "a  self-made  man."  He  came  to  Kansas  with  little  capital  and  with 
axi  invalid  father  and  mother  to  support,  but  with  undaunted  courage  he 
undertook  the  task  and  has  found  that  industry  and  determination  can 
•successfully  cope  with  an  adverse  fate  and  in  the  end  gather  the  rich 
treasures  of  success. 

The  home  of  Mr,  and  JMrs.  Shannon  has  been  blessed  with  six  children, 
as  follo\re:  Myra  E.,  wife  of  "\A"iHiam  H.  Roberts,  of  Perry,  Oklahoma: 
Arthur  C,  Thomas  W.,  who  is  operating  his  father's  farm;  Nehon  C,  who 
is  clerking  in  his  father's  store;  Mary  E.  and  Harold  E.,  at  home.  Al- 
though he  has  led  a  very  busy  life,  i\Ir.  Shannon  has  always  found  time 
tr  devote  to  the  higher,  holier  duties  of  life  affecting  the  welfare 
(.1  man.  Long  a  faithful  member  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  he  has 
been  particularly  active  in  Sunday  school  work,  realizing  the  importance  of 
training  the  young.  He  hap  therefore  taken  a  deep  interest  in  establishing 
and  conducting  Sunday  schools  tliroughout  the  county,  organizing  many 
■schools  at  one  time  making  Woodson  County  the  banner  county  in  this 
respect  in  Kansas.  He  was  influential  in  organizing  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
clmrch  in  Vernon,  and  the  house  of  worship  was  erected  largely  with  funds 
which  he  provided  for  the  purpose.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. The  measure  of  his  work  in  the  world  cannot  be  estimated  until 
his  influence  had  ceased  to  be  felt  in  the  lives  of  those  with  whom  he  has 
come  in  contact,  but  it  is  well  known  that  he  has  been  a  potent  factor  in 
business,  and  in  the  material  prosperity  of  the  county,  and  that  his  labors 
hare  been  a  source  of  inspiration  and  encouragement  to  many  in  the  lin'e 
vt  moral  progress. 


JACOB  PRY. 

A  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  thirty-two 
Eminence  township  is  the  property  of  Jacob  Fry  and  is  an  indication  of 
the  manner  in  which  he  spends  his  days,  his  time  being  occupied  vnth  the 
labors  of  field  and  meadow.  He  came  to  "Woodson  County  in  1879  from 
Berks  County,  Pennsylvania,  which  was  the  place  of  his  birth.  There  he 
first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  September  20,  1845.  His  grand- 
father. Jacob  Fry,  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  Keystone  state  and  died 
when  our  subject  was  a  small  boy.    The  latter  is  a  son  of  Henry  Pry  who 


8l8  Hl'stOKV'  OlJ'  ALLhN     AaIj 

v,as  reaied  in  Berk'-  County,  the  family  home  being  a  short  distance  nortli- 
ecist  of  Reading.  The  father  was  a  lalDorer  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  his 
native  state,  dying  in  1876,  when  he  had  reached  the  very  advanced  age- 
Oi  ninety-three  years.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Moser, 
and  was  a  daughtc=r  of  Charles;  Moser.  Both  the  Alosers  and  the  Prys  M-ere- 
Pennsylvania-Germans,  the  respective  families  being  founded  in  the  Key- 
si  one  state  at  an  early  day.  ?,Irs.  Fry  passed  away  prior  to  her  husband's 
demise,  her  death  occurring  in  1873.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents' 
of  the  following  children:  Betsy,  deceased  wife  of  M.  Otthias;  Polly,  wha 
i.~  the  widow  of  Christian  Lang  and  resides  in  Penn-sylvania ;  Catherine,  wife- 
o:-  CharlcK  Ridenour  of  Burks  county;  Sarah,  deceased  wife 
qt  Ephraim  Long;  Hannah,  who  is  the  widow  of  John  AYise  and  resides  in' 
Philadelphia;  Charles,  of  Jlissouri ;  ilatilda,  deceased  wife  of  Louis  Dona- 
man  ;  Jacob,  of  this  review ;  Caroline,  A\'ho  has  passed  away,  and  Rebecca, 
wife  of  Alfred  Oswald,  of  Yates  Center. 

Jacob  Fiy.  whose  name  begins  this  record  spent  his  early  youth  in  his 
native  county,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  began  work  in  the  rolling' 
mill.  He  remained  with  one  company  for  eighteen  years  and  learned  roll- 
ing and  puddling,  becoming  an  expert  in  those  lines.  He  then  left  the  iron 
fields  and  spent  two  years  as  a  farm  hand  in  Huntington  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, after  which  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1879,  took  up  his  abode  'upon  his- 
f-irm  in  "Woodson  County,  and  has  i^ince  given  it  his  attention. 

While  in  Pennsylvania,  iii  1862.  Mr.  Frye  was  .joined  in  wedlock  to- 
Miss  Amanda  Webb,  of  Merztown,  and  their  marriage  was  blessed  with 
the  following  children :  Ella,  who  became  the  wife  of  David  Hicks,  of 
Colfax,  Washington,  but  is  now  deceased;  Charles;  Daniel;  Matilda,  'vrife- 
of  John  OwenK.  and  Susie  wife  of  Otto  Brett,  of  Chanute,  Kansas;  Mary, 
wife  of  David  Hicks,  of  Yates  Center;  Frank,  Louise  and  Henry,  who  are 
s'^ill  under  the  pare^ntal  roof.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Fry  is  a  Democrat, 
but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  His  life  has  been  one  of  marked  in- 
dustry and  to  this  he  owes  his  prosperity.  Dependent  upon  his  own  re- 
srurces  from  the  early  age  of  twelve  years  he  has  worked  his  vray  con- 
tinuously upward,  overcoming  all  obstacles  by  determined  purpose  and  reso- 
lute will. 


ENSIGN  MORSE. 

Few  of  the  farmers  of  Perry  township,  Woodson  Cotlnty,  have  so  long 
resided  in  this  locality  as  Ensign  MorF:e.  who  came  in  1869  and  has  since 
b(en  identified  ^\'ith  agricultural  interests  in  this  community.  He  is  there- 
fore numbered  among  the  pioneer  settlers  and  has  witnessed  the  changes 
which  have  been  wrought  so  rapidly  as  to  make  the  transformation  seem 
almost  phenomenal. 

Mr.  i\Iorse  is  a  native  of  New  York,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Oswego 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  819 

County,  iu  the  town  of  Hastings,  July  3,  1835.  The  family  were  originally 
from  Connecticut.  His  grandfather,  Benjamin  Morse,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
war  of  1812,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  active  life  in  "Windsor  County, 
Vermont.  In  1833  the  family  was  founded  in  New  York.  Daniel  Morse, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Windsor  County,  Vermont  and,  be- 
coming an  agriculturist,  followed  the  tilling  of  the  soil  for  a  livelihood  until 
his  labors  were  ended  in  death  in  Allen  County,  Kansas,  in  1880.  In  the 
Empire  state  he  married  Christine  Mosier,  who  died  in  Oswego  County,  New 
York,  in  1850.  The  children  of  this  marriage  were :  Hepsibeth,  deceased 
wife  of  James  McKee;  Freeman,  who  died  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan; 
Wearham,  of  Oswego  County,  New  York,  and  Ensign. 

The  last  named  was  reared  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  He  then  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  but  followed  it 
for  only  a  short  time  when  he  began  work  on  the  New  York  &  Erie  canal  as  a 
driver  on  the  tow-path.  He  was  promoted  to  a  position  in  which  he  was  re- 
sponsible for  the  operation  of  the  craft  and  was  given  fifteen  dollars  per 
month  and  later  twenty  dollars.  Prom  his  wages  he  managed  to  save 
ei]oiigh  to  engage  in  the  same  line  of  business  on  his  own  account,  pur- 
chasing a  half  intere^^t  in  a  small  boat  called  the  Austria.  The  investment 
proved  profitable  and  subsequently  he  became  half  owner  of  a  larger  boat, 
the  Manchester,  which  he  operated  until  1868.  when  he  disposed  of  that 
business. 

The  following  year  Mr.  Morse  came  to  Kansas  on  a  prospecting  tour. 
He  started  on  the  12th  of  July  and,  being  pleased  with  the  country,  in 
August  he  purchased  a  claim  from  John  Hanks,  a  cousin  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, who,  although  a  man  of  means,  had  "taken  it  up"  and  built  a  small 
shanty  upon  it.  Into  this  Mr.  Morse  moved  his  family.  He  entered  and 
proved  up  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  thirty- four.  Perry  town- 
ship, and  his  home  is  now  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  same  section. 
For  about  ten  years  after  coming  to  the  county  he  had  difficulty  in  meet- 
iiig  his  expenses,  for  crops  were  poor,  advantages  few  and  railroad  i^cilities 
did  not  offer  ready  acees"  to  market.  As  time  passed,  however,  his  financial 
resources  increased  and  today  he  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  three 
hundred  and  eighty  acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  About  1871  Messrs.  Morse,  Sharp,  Dana  and  Eedfield  were 
the  only  men  who  owned  deeded  land  in  school  district  No.  21.  The  "home- 
steaders" voted  bonds  to  the  value  of  a  thousand  dollars  to  build  a  school 
house,  and  Mr.  Morse,  owning  a  half  section  of  the  deeded  land,  was  assessed 
one-half  the  taxes  necessary  to  support  the  school.  This  tax  he  was  not  able 
to  stand  long  and  he  was  forced  to  sell  his  half  section,  but  as  the  years  have 
passed  he  has  prospered  and  his  labors  have  brought  to  him  a  rich  return. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1861,  in  Oswego  County,  New  York,  Mr.  Morse 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha,  a  daughter  of  George  White,  who 
had  formerly  resided  in  Onondago  County.  He  married  Margaret  Rice  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  five  daughters  and  a  son:     Mary,  now  the 


820  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

widow  of  Jacob  Kilts,  of  Oswego  County,  New  York ;  Chloe,  wife  of  Barney 
Kilts,  also  of  Oswego  County;  ^Martha;  Elizabeth,  of  Sioux  Falls,  South 
Dakota,  \dfe  of  Cas:sius  Brown;  d'eorge  of  Oswego  County,  and  Lois,  widow 
of  Richard  Clapp,  of  I-'ioux  Falls.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morse 
has  been  blessed  with  six  children  :  Milo,  who  died  when  seven  years  of  age  ; 
Bertram  D.,  born-  May  11,  1869 ;  Alphonso.  who  died  in  1898,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-tive  years ;  Minnie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five ;  Manzel  E.,  who  de- 
parted this  life  when  four  ytars  of  age.  and  Jessie,  who  was  born  September 
20,  1S78,  and  is  the  wife  of  George  L.  McCarter.  of  Wilson  County,  Kansas. 
In  politics  the  early  jNIorses  were  Democrats  but  their  views  on  the 
slavery  questicm  led  them  to  espouse  the  cause  of  the  Abolition  party,  and 
later  to  join  the  Republican  party,  of  which  Mr.  Morse  of  this  review  was 
an  advocate  until  the  Streeter  campaign,  when  he  joined  the  Union  Labor 
foi'ces  and  since  that  time  he  has  allied  himself  with  the  Populist  party.  He 
has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  constable  of  Perry  township  and  has 
e\er  been  found  a  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizen,  willing  to  co-operate  in 
any  movement  for  the  general  good.  The  power  of  diligence  and  persistency 
in  the  active  affairs  of  life  is  indicated  by  his  career  for  those  qualities  have 
enabled  him  to  rise  from  a  humble  financial  position  to  one  of  affluence. 


FREDERICK  KLUCKHUHN. 

The  fatherland  has  been  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  citizenship  of 
America  and  the  sons  of  Germany  do  credit  to  their  native  land  and  to 
their  adopted  country.  As  his  name  indicates,  Mr.  Kluckhuhn  was  born 
m  Germany,  having  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light' of  day  in  Lippe-Det- 
mold.  September  21.  1827,  his  parents  being  Court  and  Louisa  (Littleman) 
Kluckhuhn.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  lived  and  died  in 
Germany,  where  his  wife  also  spent  her  entire  life.  They  reared  three  child- 
ren to  maturity,  namely :  Frederick ;  Ernest,  who  died  in  Woodson  County 
in  1891,  and  Wilhelmina,  who  married  Adolph  Stark  of  Lippe-Detmold. 

In  the  schools  of  his  native  land  Mr.  Kluckhuhn  of  this  review  pur- 
sued his  education  and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  became  a  member 
ot  the  German  army,  serving  for  one  year.  In  early  life  he  learned  the 
brick  maker's  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  for  twenty-six  years  before 
coming  to  America,  being  master  of  a  brick  yard  for  a  long  period.  He  was 
also  married  in  the  fatherland,  oji  the  1st  of  April,  1863,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Sophia  Bergman,  a  daughter  of  Frederick  Bergman. 

In  1870  they  sailed  for  the  new  world,  making  the  voyage  from  Bre- 
men to  Baltimore,  whence  Mr.  Kluckhuhn  proceeded  across  the  country  to 
Woodfon  County,  where  he  joined  the  German  settlement  residing  on  Owl 
creek.  For  twelve  years  he  resided  in  Center  township  and  then  removed, 
to  Belmont  township  where  he  has  since  lived,  his  home  being  on  section 
fourteen,  where  he  has  five  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres  of  land. 


WOODSON  countie:;,  kansas.  ,S2i 

In  Kansas  Mr.  .and  Mrs.  Kluckhuhn  have  reared  their  family  of  five 
children,  namely :  Julia,  wife  of  August  Fell,  of  Toronto  township,  AYood- 
son  County;  Augusta;  Mary,  wife  of  Noah  Rogers,  also  of  the  same 
county ;  Frederick  and  Martha,  who  are  still  with  their  parents.  Our  sub- 
iect  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  German  Evangelical  church.  In  America  he 
has  found  the  business  opportunities  he  sought  and  has  never  had  occasion 
Xi;  regret  leaving  the  little  German  home  across  the  sea  to  identify  himself 
with  this  republic.  His  labor  has  been  Rewarded  with  competence,  and  his 
worth  is  recognized  and  acknowledged  in  the  warm  regard  of  the  many 
t;  iends  he  has  made  in  his-  adopted  county. 


GEORGE  W.  ROGERS. 

\Yell  known  to  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances  in  AA'oodson  County  as  a 
valued  citizen,  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  and  as  an  enterprising 
farmer,  George  W.  Rogers  well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume  and 
we  herewith  present  his  record  to  our  readers.  He  was  born  in  Shelby 
County,  Illinois,  October  13,  1839,  and  represents  an  old  southern  family. 
His  grandfather,  Thomas  Rogers,  resided  in  Tennessee,  but  at  an  early  day 
removed  to  Indiana,  taking  up  his  abode  there  about  1823.  He  married 
Sooky  Jennings,  and  unto  them  were  born  five  sons  a,nd  three  daughters, 
of  whom  Andrew  J.,  William  and  Josiah  all  reared  families  in  Illinois, 
while  James  and  Thomas  reared  families  in  this  state.  The  daughters  were 
Patsy,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Daniels  and  at  her  death  left  five 
children,  residents  of  Missouri  and  Kansas;  Fannie,  who  became  Mrs.  Fan- 
ning, later  Mrs.  Phillips  and  after  the  death  of  her  second  husband  mar- 
ried Jonas  Daniels,  her  last  days  being  passed  in  Missouri,  and  Millie,  who 
became  the  M'ife  of  Cyrus  Daniels.  She  was  a  second  time  married  and  died 
in  Illinois. 

AndrcAv  J.  Rogers,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  near  Beards- 
tr.wn,  Illinois,  and  was  a  farmer  and  blacksmith.  He  died  in  Missouri  in 
1896.  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Nancy  Sherrill,  departed  this  life  in  Illinois.  Their  children  were :  Francis, 
who  entered  the.  Rebel  army  and  lost  his  life  in  the  service ;  Martha  J., 
widow  of  Henry  Thomas  and  a  resident  of  the  Chickasaw  Nation  of  the  In- 
dian Territory;  James,  who  died  in  the  army;  George  W. ;  William  A.,  of 
Chico,  Texas ;  Mary,  wife  of  William  Daniels,  also  of  the  Chickasaw  Nation ; 
Louisa,  widow  of  James  Thomas,  of  Chico,  Texas;  Nancy,  wife  of  Jacob 
Painter,  of  Wilson  County,  Kansas. 

George  W.  Rogers  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Illinois  and  Missouri, 
his  father  removing  to  Laclede  County,  Missouri,  in  1853.  There  he  re- 
sided for  six  years  and  with  some  members  of  the  family  he  came  to  Kansas, 
locating  first  "in  Belmont  township,  Woodson  County,  upon  section  twenty- 
tliree.    This  was  in  the  year  1859.    In  August,  1861,  he  enlisted  at  Leaven- 


822  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

worth,  Kaniras,  in  company  E,  Fifth  Kansas  cavalry  under  Colonel  Powell 
Clayton.  The  regiment  was  attached  to  the  western  department  and  saw 
service  in  jMissouri,  Arkansas,  Tennessee,  JNIississippi  and  Louisiana.  He 
I)artieipated  in  the  battles  of  Pine  Bluff  and  Helena  and  in  many  lesser  en- 
gagements, first  meeting  the  enemy  in  battle  at  Dry  AYood  creek,  near  Fort 
Fort.  In  1864  he  re-enlisted  at  St.  Charles.  Arkansas,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  reaching  home  on  the  17th.  of  July,  1865. 

After  his  return  home  i\Ir.  Eogers  secured  a  homestead — a  place  now 
owned  by  Reuben  Aloore — and  since  that  time  has  resided  within  the 
boundaries  of  Belmont  township.  He  is  the  owner  of  the  south  half  of 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  fourteen  and  the  north  half  of  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  twenty-three  Belmont  township,  where  he  carries  on 
farming  operations  and  finds  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  a  profitable  labor. 

On  the  31st.  of  May,  1866,  I\'Ir.  Rogers  was  married  in  Wilson  County, 
Kansas,  to  Mifs  Julia  A.  Daniels,  a  daughter  of  Reuben  Daniels,  who  was 
born  in  Shelby  County,  Illinois,  and  wedded  Mary  A.  McGuire,  of  Tennes- 
see. They  had  six  children  :  AYilliam,  John,  Jarett  and  Alcy,  now  deceased ; 
Mrs.  James  AYicks.  Mrs.  Rogers  and  Jemina,  who  has  also  passed  away. 
Mrs.  Rogers  was  born  March  4,  1844,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become 
ihe  mother  of  five  children,  namely :  Noah,  who  wedded  Mary  Kluekhuhn 
and  is  living  in  Woodson  County ;  Charles,  who  married  HattieDupuy  and 
is  living  in  AA^oodson  County;  Maggie,  AVarren  and  Willard,  who  are  still 
at  home.  ' 

Mr.  Rogers  believes  sincerely  in  Republican  principles  and  has  been 
honored  with  several  public  offices  to  which  he  has  been  elected  as  a  Re- 
publican. He  has  served  as  township  trustee  and  treasurer,  also  township 
clerk  and  as  clerk  and  treasurer  of  the  school  board.  On  the  field  of  battle 
he  was  a  fearless  and  loyal  soldier  and  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he  is  as 
true  and  faithful  to  his  honest  convictions  and  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him. 


ADOLPH  TOEDMAN. 

ADOLPH  TOEDMAN,  one  of  the  leading  stock-raisers  of  Woodson 
County,  was  born  in  Lippe-Detmold,  Germany,  March  24,  1855,  and  has 
bten  a  resident  of  southeastern  Kansas  since  the  age  of  eleven  years.  His 
father,  Adolph  Toedman,  Sr.,  was  also  a  native  of  Lippe-Detmold,  born  in 
1823,  and  there  he  married  Louisa  Goedeke.  In  his  native  land  he  accumu- 
lated some  property  and  on  coming  to  America  was  enabled  to  gain  a  good 
fiart  in  business  life  and  thus  provide  for  the  support  of  his  wife  and  their 
six  children.  He  arrived  in  Woodson  County  in  1866  and  settled  on  Owl 
creek,  four  miles  east  of  Yates  Center.  He  made  improvements  upon  a  tract 
of  land  of  eighty  acres  on  section  eight,  Center  township,  which  tract  is  still 
in  possession  of  the  family.  He  made  his  home  in  that  neighborhood 
throughout  his  remaining  days  and  in  addition  to  the  development  and  culti- 


bv  t-l.=r:ry  Tci.ybr-  J-   Oh 


•^vOODSON    C0LTNTI2S,    KANSAS.  S2\ 

"vfition  of  his  land  he  engaged  extensively  and  successfully  in  raising  sheep, 
-cattle  and  horses.  This  proved  a  profitable  enterprise  and  his  stock 
brought  good  prices  on  the  market.  As  his  financial  resources  were  aug- 
Kiented  he  added  to  his  land  and  by  judicious  investments  eventually  be- 
>c;  me  the  owner  of  eleven  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  was  a  man  of  ex- 
■cellent  business  and  executive  ability,  his  judgment  being  rarely  at  fault, 
-and  his  success  stands  in  unmistakable  evidence  of  his  well  directed  labors 
and  keen  discrimination,  as  well  as  his  consecutive  endeavor. 

In  1882  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife  and  a  decade 
Inter  he  passed  away,  leaving  to  his  family  a  valuable  estate.  Their  children 
are  Adolph ;  Henry,  of  Woodson  County,  born  in  1858 ;  Louisa,  the  wife 
•of  Luther  C.  Baker,  of  Allen  County,  Kansas;  Fred,  Ernest  J.  and  William, 
sVi  oi  Woodson  County. 

Adolph  Toedman,  the  eldest  of  the  family  and  the  immediate  subject 
el  this  review,  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  Woodson  County.  He  was 
reared  amid  the  wild  rcenes  of  the  frontier  and  acquired  his  education  in  the 
Toedman  school  house.  For  nearly  five  years  he  was  employed  as  a  farm 
hand  in  the  county  and  then  joined  his  father  and  brothers  in  business— the 
-association  with  the  latter  being  since  continued.  They  have  carried  on 
farming  and  stock-raising  and  the  cattle,  horses  and  sheep  seen  in  their 
stables  and  pastures  indicate  a  thriving  and  prosperous  business.  Already 
the  possessors  of  a  fine  property,  they  are  continually  adding  thereto,  and 
they  belong  to  the  class  of  enterprising,  active  and  energetic  men  who  pro- 
mote the  general  welfare  as  well  as  individual  property  and  advance  the 
public  good.  They  give  their  political  support  to  the  Republican  party 
and  the  subject  of  this  review  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in  political 
questions,  althougli  office  holding  has  no  attraction  for  him.  His  church 
agricultural  circles  where  his  word  is  regarded  as  strictly  trustworthy,  this 
relationship  is  with  the  Evangelical  denomination.  He  is  widely  known  in 
liiiving  been  proved  through  years  of  an  honorable  business  career. 


HENRY  H.  WINTER. 

HENRY  H.  AVINTER  is  an  example  of  the  self-made  American  citi- 
zen. His  history  is  an  exemplification  of  the  progress  that  an  ambitious 
man  can  make  in  a  country  of  unbounded  opportunities.  His  singular  suc- 
cess is  due  to  his  own  energy  and  the  high  ideal  which  his  laudable  am- 
bition placed  before  him.  Success  in  any  walk  of  life  is  an  indication  of 
henest  endeavor  and  persevering  effort,  characteristics  that  Mr.  Winter  pos- 
sesses in  an  eminent  degree.  He  is  entirely  free  from  ostentation  and  dis- 
play, and  though  he  is  now  numbered  among  the  most  substantial  citizens  of 
V^Joodson  County,  he  is  a  man  of  the  people  and  the  humblest  person  of  up- 
right character  may  claim  him  as  a  friend. 

Henry  H.  AYinter  was  born  in  York,  Pennsylvania,  March  21,  1846. 


^124  KISTORV    OF    ALLEN    AKn 

Kis  grandfathei'  wa.s  John  AYinler  who  died  in  early  manhood.  The  na-- 
tionalily  of  the  family  is  uncertain  for  the  family  records  were  not  pre- 
served and  the  naiin'  is  found  among  many  people,  including  the  English,. 
( .  ermans  and  ^  eotch,  and  even  among  the  Latin  races.  Henry  Winter,  the- 
father  of  our  siibjee\  was  born  in  York,  Pennsylvania,  in  1816  and  fol- 
I'jwcd  farming  and  blacksmithing.  He  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  place- 
'"if  his  birth,  his  death  occurring  in  1891.  He  was  one  of  the  prominent  men 
and  worthy  citizens  of  his  community.  He  married  Miss  Catherine  Dietz, 
who  died  in  York,  in  1882.  Of  their  six  children  five  are  yet  living  in  the- 
vicinity  of  the  old  homestead,  namely:  Isaiah;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of 
•Joseph  Stauffer;  Jacob;  Mary  A.,  the  wife  of  Henry  ]\Iatthews,  and  Leah, 
1be  wife  of  Joseph  Loyd. 

Mr.  AVinter,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  was  the  third  in  order 
of  birth,  and  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  the  Keystone  state  he  was  reared. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  the  York  high  school  and  for  a  time  he  was  a  student 
ir.  the  normal  school  at  Alillersville,  Pennsylvania.  AVhtn  twenty-two  years 
of  age  he  began  teaching  and  after  following  that  profession  for  six  years 
he  joined  an  engineering  corps  in  the  employ  of  the  Peach  Bottom  Narrow 
<^auge  Railroad  Company,  but  the  financial  panic  which  spread  over  the 
ijountry  in- 1873  put  an  end  to  all  railroad  work  and  Mr.  Winter  then  fol- 
lowed Horace  Greeley's  advice  to  young  men  and  came  to  the  west.  He  first 
took  up  his  abode  in  Stephenson  County.  Illinois.  He  had  no  capital,  but 
possessed  great  energy,  a  strong  constitution  and  a  resolute  spirit,  and  he 
set  to  work  to  wrest  fortune  from  the  hands  of  an  adverse  fate.  At  first  he 
followed  teaching  there  and  later  embarked  in  the  lumber  trade  on  his 
own  account,  borrowing  the  capital  with  which  to  purchase  a  yard.  That  en- 
terprise proved  successful  and  he  was  soon  enabled  to  pay  off  all  indebted- 
neES.  For  seven  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  in  Atlantic,  Iowa, 
and  then  disposed  of  his  interests  there  and  came  to  Woodson  County,  Kan- 
sas, where  for  a  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  and  followed 
farming  to  some  extent.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  this  county  since  1883 
and  in  l885  succeeded  the  firm  of  Dickerson  &  Opdyke,  in  the  banking 
business  in  Yates  Center.  In  1887  he  assumed  active  control  of  the  bank 
and  has  since  built  up  one  of  the  strongest  institutions  in  this  portion  of  the 
slate.  The  safe,  reliable  policy  which  he  has  followed  has  been  the  means 
of  largely  increasing  the  business  which  is  transacted  over  his  counters 
vmd  the  bank  is  therefore  able  to  annually  declare  a  good  dividend. 

While  residing  in  Stephenson  County,  Illinois,  Mr.  Winter  was  mar- 
ried on  the  5th.  of  October,  1875,  to  Miss  Flora  Sabin,  a  daughter  of  Ralph 
Sabin,  and  they  now  have  four  daughters :  Clara,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the 
musical  department  of  tbe  Kansas  State  University;  Alice  and  Blanche,  of 
the  Yates  Center  high  school,  and  Frances,  who  is  still  pursuing  her  s-tudies. 
Mr.  AYinter  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Democracy  with  which  party  his 
people  have  always  been  allied  until  within  a  decade.  But  since  the  princi- 
ple'  advocated  by  William  Jennings  Bryan  have  been  incorporated  into  the 


■WOODSON    CaUNTlES.  KaKSaS.  82'i 

Iiemoeratic  platform,  Ilemy  H.  "Winter  has  given  his  support  to  the  Repub. 
lican  partj"-.  The  quality  which  ^^-ins  ilr.  Winter 's  friendship  and  admira- 
tion is  uprightness  of  eharac'er.  He  is  easily  approachable,  showing  great 
courtesy  to  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  He  never  acts  except 
from  honest  motives  and  in  all  his  varied  relations  in  business  affairs  and 
ID  social  life  be  maintains  a  character  and  standing  that  have  impressed 
all  with  his  sincere  and  manly  purpose  to  do  by  others  as  he  would  have 
«thers  do  lay  him. 


■JOHN  P.  ARx\LSTRON(^. 

JOHN  F.  ARMSTROXC;,  of  Toronto,  has' been  a  resident  of  Woodson 
County  for  fifteen  years,  and  is  extensively  ■engaged  in  dealing  in  cattle  and 
hfgs.  A  native  of  Gibson  County,  Indiana,  he  was  born  October  11,  1852. 
and  is  a  son  of  William  Armstrong,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  who  removed 
f'om  Vanderburg  County  to  Cibson  County  about  1^50.  He  was  born  in 
1822,  and  spent  liis  entire  life  in  southern  Indiana,  where  he  was  extensively 
engaged  in  farming,  his  well-directed  efforts  bringing  to  him  a  comfortable 
fcompetence.  He  married  Emily  Smith  and  unto  them  were  born  five  chil- 
dren who  are  yet  living.  In  addition  to  Mr.  Armstrong  of  this  review 
they  are  William,  a  resident  of  Cibson  County;  Warwick;  James,  and 
Pinkney,  who  are  also  residents  of  that  county.  The  father  of  this  family 
died  in  1878,  but  the  mother  is  still  living  and  yet  resides  in  Gibson  County. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm 
life  for  Mr.  Armstrong  in  his  youth.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until 
twenty  years  of  age  and  through  practical  experience  became  familiar  vsith 
the  work  of  field  and  meadow.  He  then  left  Indiana  in  the  year  1881,  and 
n.aking  his  way  westward  took  up  his  abode  on  the  Verdigris  river  in  Wood- 
son County,  Kansas,  where  he  carried  on  farming  on  an  extensive  scale.  He 
next  cam.e  to  Toronto  and  began  buying  and  shipping  stock,  which  line  of 
business  has  since  occupied  his  attention.  He  raises,  feeds  and  trades  in 
cattle  and  hogs,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  live  stock  dealers  of  this  part  of 
the  county,  his  shipments  being  extensive. 

In  Gibson  County,  Indiana,  Mr.  Armstrong  was  united  in  married 
t(  Miss  Lueinda  Mauk,  and  unto  them  were  born  four  children :  Frank, 
who  married  Alice  Jones  and  is  associated  in  business  with  his  father; 
Nora,  Delia  and  Dick,  at  home.  Mr.  Armstrong  is  independent  in  politics. 
He  has  taken  the  Master  degree  in  Masoni'y  and  is  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  possesses  the  enterprising,  progressive 
bi;siness  spirit  of  the  west  and  his  diligent  efforts  have  enabled  him  to  ad- 
vance steadily  on  the  road  of  prosperity  so  that  he  is  now  numbered  among 
the  substantial  citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 


^26  HtSrORV    OF    ALLEN    ANH' 

JORDAN  W.  MASOX. 

The  sub.j(fct  of  this  revii  w  is  a  well  known  Inisiuess  man  of  Yates  Cen- 
ter and  an  enterprising  and  popiilar  liveryman  of  that  city.  He  is  one  of 
those  young  men  who  eanie  to  Kansas  from  the  east  less  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  ago  with  his  labor  as  his  capital  and  who  has  been  persistently  and 
continuously  the  companion  of  hard  work  during  his  residence  in  Woodson 
County.  Re  became  familiar  with  it  first  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Illinois 
and  when  he  was  left  at  the  l:ead  of  a  large  family,  and  responsible  for 
tin'ir  vrelfare  to  years  of  accountability,  industry  was  the  shield  which  pro- 
moted them  and  the  benefactor  which  provided  them  with  the  wants  of  life. 
Though  his  years  number  a  half  century  no  lers  than  two  score  of  them 
span  the  period  of  his  life's  work. 

Jordan  W.  j\Iason  was  born  Octoner  5.  1850.  Samuel  Mason,  his  father,. 
was  a  farmer  residing  near  Miflinville,  Pennsylvania,  to  which  point  he 
11  oved  from  about  Alors.eton.  New  Jersey.  He  was  born  at  the  latter  place- 
in  1818,  moved  from  there  to  I\Iitlinville,  thence  to  Kendall  County,  Illinois, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  There  were  six  children  in  his 
father's  family,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  one  surviving.  He  grew 
to  manhood  about  Miflinville  and  was  there  married  to  Katie  Eckroth 
v'hose  death  occurred  in  Kendall  County,  Illinois.  Their  children  were : 
Jordan  AY.;  James;  Libbie,  wife  of  Nathan  Colthirst,  of  Remington  In- 
diana, and  Lewis  E.,  John  M.,  Samuel  E.  and  Lavina  M.,  of  Kendall  County, 
Illinois. 

Our  subject  secured  very  meager  Fchool  advantages  in  the  district 
schools  and,  when  he  became  a  man,  Avork  was  about  all  he  knew.  In  the- 
fall  of  1877  he  came  out  to  Kansas  and  secured  a  half  section  of  new  land 
in  Owl  Creek  township,  preparatory  to  his  removal  hence  in  the  spring. 
The  next  year  he  unloaded  his  effects  at  Neosho  Falls  with  Charles  Diver 
ai.d  "Ren"  Thurber.  took  possession  of  his  piece  of  prairie  and  proceeded 
10  make  a  farm  of  it.  He  resided  there  Pome  years  when  he  took  up  his  resi- 
d(-nce  in  Yates  Center  and  engaged  in  the  butcher  business.  Changes  in 
business  were  apparently  rapid  from  this  time  on  for  some  years,  from 
butcher  to  farmer,  teamf-ter,  freighter  from  Humboldt  to  Yates  Center,  and 
f:nally  .jobbing  about  from  one  thing  to  another  that  would  yield  a  legitimate 
dollar.  "When  work  was  scarce  it  he  couldn't  get  his  price  for  doing  work  he 
took  the  other  man's  and  thus  established  a  reputation  for  industry  and  re- 
liability. November  20,  1893,  he  began  the  livery  business  with  a  stock 
o2  six  ponies,  four  sets  of  old  harness,  three  buggies  and  a  spring  wagon. 
His  business  methods  were  legitimate  and,  patronage  sought  him  and  pros- 
perity followed  in  its  wake.  AYith  success  in  business  came  an  enlarge- 
ment of  his  accommodations  and  expansion  of  stock  and  equipments  to 
meet  the  needs  of  a  well-ordered  livery. 

Air.  Mason  was  married  in  AYoodson  County.  Kansas,  December  24, 
1882,  to  Emily  Brodman,  a  lady  of  German  birth  and  parentage.  She  was 
born  in  1864  and  was  brought  to  the  United  States  by  a  widowed  mother, 


WOODSON    COUNTIES.   KANSAS.  827 

Mrs.  Victoria  Brodman,  who  died  in  Yates  Center  in  1889.    Mr.  and  Mrs. 
]\iason's  only  child  is  a  daughter,  Cecil. 


JOSEPH  B.  JACKSON. 

JOSEPH  B.  JACKSON,  a  farmer  and  dairyman  of  Woodson  County, 
exemplifies  in  his  life  the  typical  western  spirit  of  progress  and  enter- 
prise which  has  led  to  the  rapid  advancement  of  this  section  of  the  country, 
nn  advancement  so  great  that  it  has  awakened  the  astonishment  and  ad- 
nii  ration  of  the  world.  Mr.  Jackson  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in 
the  Mississippi  valley.  He  was  born  in  McHenry  County,  Illinois,  on  the 
4th.  of  November,  1844.  His  father,  George  Jackson,  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land,, and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  New 
World,  locating  first  in  Delaware.  He  married  Miss  Maria  Hill,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  and  on  leaving  the  east  made  his  way  to  Port  Dearborn,  which 
stood  upon  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Chicago.  There  was  nothing  but 
a  trading  post  at  the  time  on  the  land  now  covered  by  the  metropolis  and 
Mr.  Jackson  became  the  owner  of  a  number  of  lots  in  the  small  town, 
gaining  possession  of  them  through  a  trade.  Upon  the  property  now  stand 
valuable  buildings,  ten  or  more  stories  in  height,  and  the  land  is  valued  at 
hundreds  of  thourands  of  dollars.  Mr.  Jackson,  however,  made  his  way  into 
the  interior  of  the  state,  locating  in  McHenry  County,  where  he  spent  his 
remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 
His  widow  still  survives  and  is  now  living  in  McHenry  County,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-five  years.  This  worthy  couple  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children  and  three  of  the  sons  volunteered  for  service  in  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion. (3eorge  loft  his  life  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga.  Wilber  and 
Joseph  B.  were  members  of  the  Elgin  Battery  of  Light  Artillery. 

Joseph  B.  Jackson  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  farm  in  McHenry 
Count3^  and  the  public  schools  afforded  him  his  educational  privileges. 
When  the  question  of  slavery  brought  on  sectional  differences  between  the 
north  and  the  south  and  the  country  became  involved  in  Civil  war  he 
.ioined  the  Elgin  Battery  and  served  for  eighteen  months,  participating  in 
the  engagements  at  Newburn,  Five  Forks  and  Strawberry  Plains.  He  also 
spent  some  time  in  front  of  Knoxville,  and  when  the  war  ended  received  an 
honorable  discharge,  in  August,  1865,  being  not  then  tM-enty-one  years  of 
age. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  Mr.  Jackson  spent  three  winters  in  the 
pineries  of  Wisconsin  and  during  the  summer  months  engaged  in  farming 
\i-pon  rented  land.  In  1868  he  was  married,  and.  in  1870  came  with  his 
family  to  Kansas,  renting  a  tract  of  land  on  the  eastern  line  of  Woodson 
County.  He  there  resided  for  three  years,  after  which  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  prairie  land  on  which  he  has  since  made  his  home,  having  in  the 
meantime  e"tended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  until  it  now  comprises  two 


828  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

hundred  and  forty  aci'es.  The  place  is  divided  into  fields  of  convenient  size 
that  are  highly  cultivated,  the  rich  alluvial  soil  yielding  excellent  crops.  A 
substantial  residence,  two  good  barns  and  many  of  the  modern  improve- 
ments go  to  make  his  farm  one  of  the  best  in  the  county.  Mr.  Jackson  is 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business,  keeping  on  hand  about  thirty  head  of  cows 
for  this  purpose.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  creamery  at  Neosho  Falls, 
where  he  disposes  of  his  dairy  products.  He  got  his  start  in  business  with 
a  capital  of  three  hundred  dollars  which  he  saved  during  his  service  in  the 
army.  He  has,  however,  met  with  some  reverres.  Since  coming  to  Kansas 
a  fire  destroyed  his  home,  together  with  all  its  contents,  including  clothing 
and  provisions,  but  with  resolute  spirit  he  set  to  woi'k  to  retrieve  his  lo:  t 
possessions,  and  is  now  one  of  the  well-to-do  ci+izens  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Jackson  has  been  twice  married.  In  1868.  he  wedded  Alfaretta 
Brown,  who  died  in  1879.  leavins  him  with  four  children,  namely:  Frank 
B.,  now  of  Erie,  Kansas ;  Julia  M.,  wife  of  David  Henry,  who  is  living  nv 
farm  in  AYoodson  County;  Ora  A.,  wife  of  Frank  Wilson,  of  Neosho  Falls, 
and  Harry  Elmer,  who  is  operating  his  father's  farm  and  also  material' v 
assists  in  the  care  of  the  stock.  In  1880  Mr.  Jackson  was  again  married, 
hi.'  second  union  being  withMiss  Susan  Boley.  a  native  of  Illinois,  who  came 
to  Kansas  in  1879.  The  children  of  this  union  are:  "Walter,  Edward  and 
May  Edna.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a  Republican  and  socially 
he  is  connected  with  the  Grand  Army  Post  at  Neosho  Falls.  The  brave 
and  loyal  spirit  which  he  manifested  on  southern  battlefields  has  always 
been  one  of  his  marked  characteristics,  and  has  gained  for  him  the  confidence 
and  good  will  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  associated. 


FREDERICK  L.  ARNOLD. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  "Woodson  County  is  Frederick  L.  Arnold, 
and  through  the  long  years  of  residence  here,  he  has  been  numbered  among 
the  honorable  citizens  and  representative  farmers.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Randolph  County,  Indiana,  on  the  5th.  of  September,  1838.  His  father, 
Lewis  Arnold,  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and  the  mother  of  our  sub- 
if>ct.  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Lucas,  was  a  native  of  Clinton 
County.  Ohio.  As  a  life  work,  the  father  followed  farming,  and  his  death 
occurred  in  the  Buckeye  state  in  November,  1856,  when  he  was  sixty  years 
of  age.  His  wife  survived  him  many  years  and  passed  away  in  1885  at  the 
age  of  seventy.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  of  whom  seven  are 
now  living,  as  follows:  "William;  Lewis;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Abraham 
Thompson  ;  Sarah,  wife  of  John  Carver ;  Frederick  L.,  and  John. 

Upon  his  father's  death,  Frederick  L.  Arnold  went  to  Illinois,  locating 
in  Logan  County,  where  he  resided  with  his  brother-in-law,  and  there 
worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  being  thus  engaged  until  after  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.    His  patriotic  spirit  was  thus  aroused,  and  on  the 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  829 

12th.  of  August,  1861,  lie  enlisted  as  a  member  of  company  B,  Second  Eeg- 
iment  of  Illinois  cavalry.  He  was  later  transferred  to  company  D  of  the 
same  regiment,  and  served  until  the  third  of  January,  1866.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson  and  Shiloh  and  in  all  the  engagements 
in  which  his  regiment  took  part.  He  was  ever  found  at  his  post  of  duty, 
faithfully  defending  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  the  emblem  of  the  Union.  At 
the  close  of  hostilities,  he  was  sent  to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  where  he  re- 
mained for  almost  a  year  after  the  war  had  ended. 

On  receiving  an  honorable  discharge,  Mr.  Arnold  returned  to  Illinois, 
and  in  June,  1866,  came  to  Woodson  County,  Kansas,  locating  on  Turkey 
creek,  five  miles  west  of  his  present  home.  In  the  spring  of  1870  he  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  where  he  is  now  living,  ten 
miles  northwest  of  Yates  Center,  and  has  here  developed  a  very  fine  farm. 
Assisted  by  his  son,  he  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising. 
They  feed  some  cattle  and  raise  a  large  number  of  hogs,  and  this  branch 
of    their    buriness    brings    to    them    a    good    income. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1868,  Mr.  Arnold  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock to  Miss  Helen  S.  Miller,  a  native  of  Darke  County,  Ohio,  who  came  to 
Kansas  in  18.59 ;  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  E.  Miller.  Mr.  and 
Airs.  Arnold  had  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  yet  living ;  Dora  E.,  who 
i:-  acting  as  her  father's  housekeepe*;  Warren  F.,  at  home,  and  Nellie  M., 
v,;ife  of  George  W.  Mainfield,  who  is  living  on  a  part  of  the  father's  farm. 
Mrs.  Arnold,  who  was  born  October  9th.,  1848,  died  August  8th.,  1898,  after 
a  happy  married  life  of  thirty  years. 

Mr.  Arnold  has  frequently  been  called  to  public  offices.  He  has  served 
Ihe  people  of  his  township  as  trustee  for  six  years,  and  has  also  been  treas- 
uier  and  clerk  of  the  township  for  a  number  of  years,  while  almost  con- 
tmuously  he  has  served  on  the  school  board.  The  cause  of  education  has 
found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  in  all  his  public  offices  he  has  discharged 
his  duty  with  marked  promptness  and  fidelity.  His  life  illustrates  the 
power  of  industry  and  integrity  in  business  affairs.  When  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas, he  had  only  the  money  he  had  saved  during  the  time  he  spent  in  the 
army.  Investing  this  in  land,  he  is  to-day  the  owner  of  one  of  the  fine 
ferms  of  his  adopted  county.  Indolence  is  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature,  and 
his  untiring  labor  and  perseverance  have  enabled  him  to  overcome  all  dif- 
ficulties and  work  his  way  to  success. 


ALBERT  D.  COE. 

One  of  the  enterprising  young  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Liberty 
tf.wnship,  Woodson  Cfounty,  is  Albert  D.  Coe,  who  was  born  in  Livingston 
County,  Illinois,  on  the  6th.  of  May,  1873,  the  second  son  of  Albert  and 
Farsina  Coe.  He  remained  in  Illinois  until  eight  years  of  age  and  then 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Kansas  in  1881.     He  ac- 


830  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

quired  a  knowledge  of  the  common  English  branches  of  learning  in  the 
district  schools  and  afterward  entered  the  high  school  of  Yates  Center, 
\i.'hile  la'er  he  spent  two  j'ears  in  the  Agricultural  College,  at  Manhattaa. 
Kansas,  pursuing  the  scientific  course.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  his 
father  gave  him  eighty  acres  of  land  upon  which  he  has  erected  a  nice  home 
and  is  now  comfortably  situated  in  life,  devoting  his  energies  to  the  improve- 
ment of  his  land  and  to  the  raising  of  stock.  He  now  has  forty  head  of  cat  - 
tie.  He  is  also  connected  with  his  father  and  brothers  in  the  raising  of  hay, 
carrying  on  the  business  quite  extensively  and  securing  a  good  income  as 
the  reward  of  their  labor  when  the  hay  is  placed  upon  the  market. 

On  the  31st.  of  INIarch,  1898,  Mr.  Coe  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mabel  T.  Eose,  a  native  of  Toronto.  Canada,  born  November  24.  1874,  and  a 
daughter  of  Amzi  and  Lottie  Rose.  During  her  early  girlhood  her  parents 
came  to  Kansas,  and  her  father  is  now  engaged  in  business  in  Garnett, 
ilii;r  state.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mry.  Coe  has  been  blessed  with  one 
child,  Ruth  M.,  who  was  born  May  23,  1900.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
i.  oc  ie  a  Republican,  but  office  seeking  has  no  attraction  for  him,  as  he  pi  i' 
fers  to  increase  his  income  through  the  legitimate  channels  of  business,  and 
his  future  wil.l  undoubtedly  be  a  successful  one. 


JAMES  M.  PARK. 

JAMES  M.  PARK,  who  since  1873  has  resided  upon  his  farm  in  Lib- 
erty township,  Woodson  County,  six  miles  from  Yates  Center,  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  the  Mississippi  valley  and  the  enterprising,  progressive 
spirit  of  the  Avest  which  has  wrought  the  wonderful  development  of  this 
si'Ction  of  the  countrj'  is  manifest  in  our  subject.  He  was  born  iu  Pulton 
County,  Illinois,  April  24,  1839,  a  son  of  Aaron  and  Jane  Park.  The  father 
^^•as  a  native  of  South  Carolina  and  when  a  young  man  went  to  Illinois,  where 
he  was  married  and  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  1846. 
In  his  family  were  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely :  John 
AV,.  a  resident  of  Yates  Center ;  William  J.,  of  Iowa ;  Nancy  A.,  wife  of  M. 
C.  McDonald ;  Mary  Kelley  and  Elizabeth  AUen. 

In  the  state  of  his  nativity  James  M.  Park  was  reared  and  educated, 
and  the  events  of  his  boyhood  were  of  no  very  important  nature  tip  to 
the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  but  when  the  country  became  engaged  in  hostili- 
ties over  the  attempt  at  secession  of  some  of  the  southern  states,  his  patriotic 
spirit  was  aroused  and  although  he  was  not  in  v.ery  robust  health  he  en- 
listed in  1862  as  a  member  of  company  H,  Sixty-third  Illinois  infantry, 
tie  participated  in  the  battles  of  Vicksburg,  Jackson  and  Missionary 
Ridge,  and  at  the  last  named  was  slightly  wounded.  At  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  service  he  was  honorably  discharged  in  1864. 

On  the  11th.  day  of  February  of  that  year  Mr.  Park  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Aliss  Lueinda  ]\Iarple,  a  native  of  Bureau  County,   Illinois, 


WOODSON  COUNTIES.   KANSAS.  K^l 

Iborn  September  4,  1843.  Her  father,  David  Mai'plf,  was  a  native  of  West 
Virginia,  while  her  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  AVat- 
kins,  M'as  a  native  of  Ohio,  in  which  state  the  parents  were  married.  In  an 
€arly  day  in  the  history  of  Illinois  they  removed  to  that  state,  where  the 
father  died  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him  and  is  yet  living  on  the  old  homestead  at  the  very  advanced  age 
of  eighty-eight  years.  For  sixty  years  they  had  traveled  life's  journey  to- 
gether when  separated  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Marple.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eleven  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living :  William ;  Joseph,  who  re- 
sides in  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  Richard:  Mrs.  Park,  and  Sarah  J.,  wife  of 
■"J'homas  Maston,  of  Illinois. 

In  1866,  two  years  after  their  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Park  removed 
to  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  a  farm,  but  in  1868  he  sold  that  property  and 
returned  to  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  the  operation  of  rented  land  until 
1873,  when  he  came  with  his  family  to  Woodson  County  and  purchased 
eighty  acres  in  Liberty  township,  six  miles  north  of  Yates  Center.  Here 
he  has  a  nice  home,  which  he  erected,  and  many  substantial  improvements 
on  the  place  stand  as  monuments  to  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner. 
The  home  has  been  blessed  with  five  children :  Ola.  now  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Wood,  of  lola ;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Fred  Park,  of  Yates  Center ;  Grace,  wife 
(  r  Judson  Newton;  Richard,  who  is  married  and  lives  on  the  home  farm,  and 
Yrilliam,  who  is  yet  with  his  parents.  Mr.  Park  exercifes  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party,  bu.t  does 
r.ot  seek  office,  his  farming  interests  claiming  and  receiving  all  of  his  at- 
tention. In  return  they  yield  to  him  a  g'ood  incom-e  and  he  is  thus  enabled 
1(1  provide  comfortably  for  his  family. 


CHARLES  0.  MENTZER. 

Almost  the  entire  life  of  Charles  0.  Mentzer  has  been  passed  in  Wood- 
son County  for  he  came  here  when  only  two  years  of  age  with  his  parents, 
and  throughout  the  period  of  his  youth  and  manhood  he  has  been  connected 
•  with  its  agricultural  and  stock-raising  interests.  He  was  born  in  Kewanee, 
Henry  County,  Illinois,  the  eldest  son  of  George  and  Emma  Mentzer,  who 
in  1871  left  the  prairie  state  for  the  Sunflower  state,  taking  up  their  abode 
in  Woodson  County,  five  miles  northwest  of  Yates  Center,  where  our  sub- 
ieet  has  since  resided  with  the  exception  of  one  year  which  he  spent  in  Illi- 
nois. In  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  he  was  educated  and  his  training 
at  farm  work  was  received  under  the  direction  of  his  father  and  was  of 
tl-at  practical  nature  which  well  fitted  him  for  carrying  on  the  duties  which 
now  engross  his  attention.  In  1891  he  went  to  his  native  county  on  a  visit 
and  remained  for  about  twelve  months,  after  which  he  returned  to  Wood- 
son County,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  stock-raising. 
After  his  marriage  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account  in  North  town- 


N32  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

sliip  wlienj  his  father  owns  a  large  body  of  land,  and  now  his  place  is  well 
;-,tocked  with  cattle  and  horses  to  the  raising  and  sale  of  which  he  is  de- 
vrr.in^^  his  energies,  finding  this  a  profitable  source  of  revenue. 

On  the  18th  of  October,  1893,  Jlr.  ilentzer  was  joined  in  wedlock  to^ 
iliss  Nettie  Y\'e]ls,  one  of  Kansas'  native  daughters,  her  parents  bein;^' 
Thurston  and  Saloma  AVells.  Five  children  have  come  to  bless  their  uniou,. 
Lamely:  Gladys,  Paul  and  Paulina;  twins,  George  and  Herbert.  Mrs. 
Mentzer'g  father  was  a  native  of  New  York  and  when  a  young  man  went 
to  Iowa,  where  he  married  Miss  Saloma  Crandall,  a  native  of  Ohio.  They 
afterward  removed  to  Kansas  in  1870,  where  Sir.  AA^ells  made  his  home- 
until  death  in  June  3,  1893.  Of  his  seven  children  four  are  yet  livinsi- 
Frank;  William,  a  resident  of  Iowa;  Anna,  wife  of  Fred  Mentzer,  and 
Nettie,  wife  of  our  subject.  All  are  residents  of  Woodson  County,  except 
William. 

Mr.  Mentzer  of  this  review  is  a  Prohibitionist  in  his  political  prefer- 
ences, but  as  that  party  seldom  has  a  ticket  in  the  field  at  local  elections 
h'»  supports  the  candidates  whom  he  regards  as  best  qualified  for  office.  Long 
residence  in  Woodson  County  has  made  him  familiar  with  its  history  from 
an  early  day  and  his  upright  career  during  this  period  has  gained  him  a 
position  among'  the  leading  and  representative  young  farmers  of  the  com- 
munity. 


WILLIAM  B.  BOATMAN. 

F'ive  mile''  north  of  Yates  Center,  in  Liberty  township,  AVoodson 
County,  stands  an  attractive  farm  residence  which  is  the  home  of  William  B, 
Boatman.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  native  forest  trees  and  around 
■t  spread  the  broad  fields  of  srain  and  the  verdant  meadows  which  ai'c 
l.ds  property  and  indicate  that  his  life  is  one  of  active  usefulness. 

1\h\  Boatman  was  born  in  Lehigh  County,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  18th.  of 
October,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  AVilliam  and  Fleanor  (Callahan)  Boatcan. 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Keystone  state,  where  they  remained  until 
1858,  when  they  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Livingston  county ._  The 
father  had  been  proprietor  of  a  hotel  in  Pennsylvania  and  engaged  in  '.he 
^ame  line  of  business  in  the  west,  conducting  a  first  class  hostelry  tmtil  his 
death,  in  1891,when  he  was  seventy-three  years  of  age.  His  wife  had 
previously  passed  away,  dying  in  1888.  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years._  'Pl^-y 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom  three  are  yet  living:  William  B., 
Stephen  and  ]\Irs.  Nancy  Bostlin. 

Our  subject,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  was  seven  years  of  age  when 
bis  parents  removed  to  Livingston  County,  Illinois,  where  he  gained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools.  He  followed  coal  mining  from  the  time  he 
was  old  enough  to  work  in  the  mines  until  his  marriage,  after  which  he 
re  nted  a  tract  of  land  and  began  farming.    He  devoted  his  attention  to  the 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  833 

cultivation  of  the  fields  in  Illinois  for  four  years,  but  believing  that  Jie 
might  sooner  secure  a  farm  nf  his  own  in  Kansa.«  he  came  to  Woodson 
I'ounty  in  1882  and  purchase '1  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie 
■five  miles  north  of  Yates  Center,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  ]  fe 
has  transformed  the  place  into  a  valuable  property  and  is  now  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  stoek-ra.iser.  His  fields  yield  to  him  a  good  return  and  indicate 
10  the  passer-by  the  careful  supervision  of  the  operator.  He  is  also  en- 
gaged in  the  hay  business  annually  putting  up  large  quantities  of  that 
product.  He  also  buys  and  ships  hay  and  his  operations  in  that  line  are  both 
extensive  and  profitable.  Everytliing  about  his  place  is  kept  in  exc-llent 
■condition,  the  buildings  are  never  found  out  of  repair,  and  the  oMtire. 
plsce  indicates  the  ownership  of  a  progressive  and  practical  farnit^i-. 

In  March,  1878,  in  Livingston  County,  Illinois,  Mr.  Boatman  married 
Miss  Annie  Clark,  a  native  of  that  state  and  a  daughter  of  Ephraim  and 
Mildred  (Jones)  Clark,  who  were  also  born  in  Illinois  and  are  yet  residents 
oi  Livingston  County,  the  father  being  now  eighty-two  years  of  age,  while 
Ids  wife  lias  reached  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  They  had  five  children :  Tal- 
tert,  Annie,  Frank,  Faron  and  Coe,  the  last  named  now  in  Liberty  township, 
Woodson  County.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boatman  has  been  blessed 
with  two  children,  but  Roy,  the  elder,  died  at  the  age  of  six  years.  Clark, 
now  a  youth  of  sixteen,  is  a+  home  with  his  parents.  INIr.  Boatman  is  a 
r.'ember  of  the  M.  W.  A.  camp  at  Yates  Center,  and  in  his  political  affilia- 
tions is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker,  preferring  to  devote 
his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs,  in  -ivliich  he  has  met  with 
ci'editable  and  gratifying  prosperity. 


BENJAMIN  PITMAN. 

One  of  the  substantial  farmers  and  respected  citizens  of  Everett  town- 
ship and  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war  is  Benjamin  Pitman,  who  claims  Penn- 
sylvania as  the  state  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  there,  in  Ful- 
ttn  County,  January  23,  18.30.  He  is  the  fourth  in  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren whose  parents  were  Benjamin  and  Margaret  (Ross)  Pitman,  both  of 
Vi'hom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade 
ai)d  in  1849  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Whiteside  County,  where  he  fol- 
f.  Aved  his  chosen  vocation  and  also  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in"  1875,  when  he  was  seventy-seven  years  of  age.  His  wife  died 
long  previously,  passing  away  in  1840. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  only  ten  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
h]s  mother's  death,  and  soon  afterward  he  began  to  earn  his  own  liveli- 
hood. Pie  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  until  nineteen  years  of  age  when 
l;e  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  devoting  his  energies:  to  that  work  until 
1865,  when  he  enlisted  in  company  D,  Ninety-second  Illinois  infantry,  in 
which  he  served  for  four  months  and  fifteen  days.    He  participated  in  the 


*3"4'  triSTbRV    OF    ALLKX    A.VD 

l.attle  of  Atkins,  South  Carolina,  and  was  wounded  in  the  fore  finger  and  the- 
side  by  a  gunshot.  He  was  then  discharged  on  account  of. disability  and  re- 
turned home,  and  for  two  years  he  was  under  the  physician's  care  before 
being  able  to  resume  work. 

In  the  spring  of  1876  Mr.  Pitman  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Dickin- 
son County,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  farm  land  and 
five  tovra  lots  in  Abilene.  ?Ie  improved  his  property  and  made  his  home- 
1'^  that  county  until  18f4,  vrhen  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Woodson  County. 
Here  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie  land  on 
Chen  y  creek,_  where  he  now  has  a  fine  farm,  the  wild  tract  having  been 
transformed  into  richly  produdive  fields.  The  place  is  improved  with 
c  large  residence,  substantial  barn  and  all  the  necessary  outbuildings 
for  the  care  of  grain  and  stock  and  the  farm  is  noAv  valuable  and  attractive. 
There  is  good  bottom  land  and  timber  tracts  and  the  place  is  well  watered. 
L'ldustry  ha='  been  the  keynote  of  ^Ir.  Pitman's  success.  His  life  has  been 
a  busy  one,  in  which  idleriess  has  had  no  part  and  his  untirins  labor  has 
bi-ought  him  a  handsome  competence. 


I.  T.  SUMMERS. 

I.  T.  SUMEliS,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Everett  township  and 
was  formerly  identified  with  industrial  interests  of  Woodson  County  for  a 
Eumber  of  years,  was  born  in  Richie  County,  West  Virginia,  September  18, 
1847,  a  son  of  Elias  S.  and  Miranda  (Wilson)  Summers,  also  natives  of 
the  same  sta^-e.  The  father  spent  his  entire  life  in  West  Virginia  where  he 
d'ed  in  1889.  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  His  wife  is  still  living  at  an 
advanced  age.  In  their  family  were  twelve  children,  of  whom  six  are  yet 
living. 

'Sir.  Sufnmers  of  this  biographical  notice  was  reared  on  the  old  home- 
stead farm  and  his  educational  privileges  were  quite  limited  for  at  the  time 
when  he  naturally  would  have  been  in  school  he  was  engaged  in  protecting 
Ins  southern  home  from  the  raids  of  bushwhackers,  for  the  Civil  war  was  in 
pi  ogress  and  he  was  employed  by  the  state  to  act  as  a  state  guard  or  scout 
to  protect  the  property  of  the  Union  citizens.  After  a  year  spent  in  that 
way  he  enlisted  in  company  E,  Sixth  West  Virginia  volunteer  infantry,  in 
October,  1864,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  dutywas  mostly 
in  hunting  and  driving  out  the  bushwackers,  but  his  service  was  none  the  less 
arduous  or  dangerous  and  he  had  many  narrow  escapes  from  death,  wounds 
and  capture. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Summers  returned  to  his  home  and  began  to  learn 
the  stone  mason's  trade,  which  he  followed  throughout  the  period  of  his 
residence  in  his  native  state.  In  1873  he  came  to  the  west,  knowing  that  he 
could  secure  a  home  sooner  by  coming  to  a  new  country.  Accordingly  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  Woodson  County,  Kansas,  where  he  continued  to 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  835 

Moik  at  the  stoue  mason's  trade  until  1898.  He  was  a  good  workman  and 
ylways  had  employment,  so  that  as  the  result  of  his  industry  and  economy 
h..  was  enabled  to  gain  capital  sufficient  to  purchase  his  present  farm,  a 
fine  and  well  developed  tract  of  eighty  acres,  located  on  Cherry  creek,, 
one  mile  south  of  Vernon,  in  Everett  township.  It  is  all  bottom  land  and 
never  fails  to  produce  a  good  crop.  He  has  a  large  barn,  other  substantial 
outbuildings  and  a  comfortable  refidence,  in  fact  all  the  modern  equip- 
ments of  a  model  farm  of  the  twentieth  century  are  found  upon  his  place. 
When  he  arrived  in  Woodson  County  he  had  only  eight  dollars,  so  that 
all  he  now  possesses  has  been  acquired  since  coming  to  the  Sunflower  state, 
a  fact  which  indicates  that  his  life  has  been  a  busy  one,  characterized  by 
ii  defati gable  industry.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  and  uncompromising  Re- 
publican, and  socially  he  is  a  member  of  Tuscan  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Neosho  Falls. 


WILLIAM  O'GILVIE. 

WILLIAM  O'GILVIE,  who  follows  farming  in  Toronto  township, 
where  he  owns  and  cultivates  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  was 
born  in  Madison  County.  Ohio,  on  the  19th.  of  May,  1847.  His  father, 
EJisha  O'Gilvie.  Avas  a  native  of  Virginia  and  married  Charlotte  Thompson, 
who  was  born  in  the  Buckeye  state.  For  many  years  he  engaged  in  mer- 
cliandising  in  Ohio  and  was  also  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  In  1883  he  came 
t\'  Kansas,  settling  in  Toronto,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  which  oc- 
curred in  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  His  wife  is  still  living 
ill  Toronto,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 

On  the  home  farm  in  his  native  state  William  O'Gilvie  was  reared  and 
in  the  common  schools  mastered  the  branches  of  English  learning  usually 
taught  in  such  institutions.  At  the  age  of  twenty- two  he  left  home  and 
was  married,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  April  15,  1869,  Miss  Margaret 
Hunter  becoming  his  wife.  Her  parents  were  Charles  and  Martha  (Fitzger- 
ald) Hunter  and  both  were  natives  of  Virginia  but  spent  their  last  days 
in  Ohio.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  O'Gilvie  have  been  born  five  children:  Ed, 
Walter  and  Ezra,  all  residing  upon  farms  of  their  own  in  Oklahoma ;  John 
who  is  operating  his  father's  farm,  and  Minnie,  the  only  daughter,  also  with 
her  parents. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  O'Gilvie  rented  land  and  began  farming  in  Ohio 
on  his  own  account.  For  fourteen  years  he  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
si:its  thus,  and  then  tiring  of  operating  rented  property  he  resolved  to 
remove  to  a  district  where  he  could  secure  a  farm  of  his  own.  Kansas  was 
his  choice  of  a  location,  and  in  1882  he  came  to  Woodson  County  where  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land  in  Toronto  township, 
seven  miles  north  of  the  town  of  Toronto,  and  there  he  and  his  wife  began 
life  in  the  west,  determinedto  gain  advancement  if  it  could  be  won  through 


836  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

earnest  effort.  He  soon  had  his  farm  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
well  stocked  with  cattle,  and  to-day  he  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
acres  of  rich  land  on  Cedar  creek.  A  comfortable  residence,  good  barn 
and  richly  cultivated  fields  are  among  the  leading  features  of  the  place  and 
he  keeps  on  hand  about  fifty  head  of  cattle  and  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
head  of  hogs,  together  with  such  a  number  of  horses  as  are  needed  to  operate 
the  farm. 

In  1891  Mr.  O'Gilvie  met  with  a  very  sad  accident— his  team  running 
away  and  throwing  him  out  of  the  wagon  thus  crippling  him  for  life.  After 
his  recovery  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  in  Toronto,  conducting 
the  store  while  his  wife  superintends  the  operation  of  the  farm.  For  five 
years  he  was  engaged  in  commercial  pursuits  and  then  sold  his  store  since 
which  time  his  entire  attention  has  been  given  to  his  farming  interests. 
"In  America  labor  is  king"  and  it  is  the  only  sovereignty  which  our  liberty- 
loving  people  acknowledge  but  they  never  fail  to  accord  due  respect  to  the 
man  who  has  conquered  fate  and  won  advancement  through  his  own  effort. 
Thus  I\[r.  O'G'ilvie  receives  in  large  measure  the  re.<:pect  and  esteem  of  his 
fellowmen  at  the  same  time  he  is  enjoying  the  rich  fruits  of  his  diligence. 


WILLIAM  F.  AGNEW. 

WILLIAjM  FRAZER  AGNEW  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  Kansas, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Anderson  County,  on  the  8th  of  December, 
1862.  His  father,  William  Agnew,  Sr.,  no«-  deceased,  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Woodson  County,  whither  he  came  in  1873.  identifying  his  inter- 
ests with  those  of  the  agricultural  community  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 

Our  subject  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his  life  in  the  county  of 
his  nativity  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  to  AVoodson  County,  where 
he  was  reared,  the  family  residing  upon  the  middle  branch  of  Owl  creek. 
The  district  school  afforded  him  his  educationaj  privileges,  and  he  acquired 
a  good  knowledge  of  the  common  English  branches  of  learning  which  pre- 
pare one  for  the  practical  duties  of  life.  He  has  always  followed  farming 
and  stock-raising  and  is  now  classed  among  the  prosperous  representatives 
■)i  that  class  of  people.  His  farm  is  located  on  Section  31,  Eminence 
township,  where  he  owns  and  operates  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
rich  land,  which  yields  abundant  harvests.  Nature  is  usually  bountiful  in 
her  gifts,  restoring  many  hundred  fold  the  seeds  planted  in  the  ground,  and 
the  labors  of  Mr.  Agnew  are  crowned  with  a  rich  reward. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  1895,  Mr.  Agnew  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Lizzie  Funston,  a  daughter  of  John  Funston,  of  Yates  Center.  She  is 
a  native  of  Illiaois,  born  in  1866,  and  by  her  marriage  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  three  interesting  little  children,  namely:  William  Maynard, 
Boyd  Funston  and  Annabel.  Mr.  Agnew  takes  a  deep  interest  In  political 
affairs,  as  every  true  American  citizen  should  do,  and  gives  his  support  to 


WOODSON  COUNTIE!).  KANSAS.  837 

the  Republican  party.  Having  long  resided  in  AVoodson  County  he  is 
widely  and  favorably  known,  and  that  those  who  have  known  him  from  boy- 
hood are  numbered  among  his  warmest  friends  is  an  indication  that  his  life- 
history  has  been  an  honorab,le  and  upright  one. 


LEVI  SMITH. 

Among  those  who  wore  the  blue  in  defense  of  the  Union  during  the 
Civil  -war  Levi  Smith  was  numbered  and  to-day  is  as  true  and  loyal  to  his 
duties  of  citizenship  as  when  he  followed  the  Stars  and  Stripes  upon  the 
battlefields  of  the  south.  Thus  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  valued  resi- 
dents of  Woodson  County,  well  worthy  of  representation  in  its  history. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Scott  County,  Illinois,  May  2,  1843,  and  is  the 
third  son  in  a  family  of  eleven  children  whose  parents  were  John  and  Sarah 
A.  (Downey)  Smith,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio  and  the  latter  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  before  his  marriage 
went  to  Illinois,  casting  in  his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  who  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  that  state.  There  he  remained 
until  his  death  which  occurred  in  1881,  when  he  was  sixty  years  of  age.  His 
wife  still  survives  him  and  is  living  upon  the  old  homestead  in  Illinois,  at 
the  venerable  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  Of  their  children  six  are  yet 
living. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Levi  Smith  we  present  to  our 
readers  the  record  of  one  who  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  been  a  well 
known  resident  of  Woodson  County.  He  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  received 
his  education  in  the  country  schools,  and  worked  in  the  fields  until  the  9th. 
of  August,  1862,  when  with  his  patriotic  spirit  aroused  by  the  continued 
opposition  and  rebellion  in  the  south,  he  offered  his  services  to  the  govern- 
ment, joining  company  I.  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  Illinois  infantry. 
After  two  years  and  ten  months  of  arduous  and  fearless  service  as  a  de- 
fender of  the  Union  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  June  8,  1865.  He 
Avas  in  many  hard  fought  battles,  participated  in  the  campaign  from  Resaca, 
Georgia,  to  Atlanta,  went  with  Sherman  on  the  memorable  march  to  the 
sea,  which  proved  that  the  Confederacy  was  but  an  empty  shell,  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Marietta  and  was  in  many  other  engagements  and  skirmishes 
0.'  that  campaign.  He  was  never  captured  or  wounded  although  several 
times  his  clothes  were  pierced  with  bullets  and  his  haversack  and  canteen 
were  shot  away.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge in  Washington  and  was  mustered  out  in  Chicago,  Illinois. 

He  then  returned  to  his  home  and  spent  one  year  as  guard  on  the 
bridge  across  the  Illinois  river.  In  the  fall  of  1876  he  came  to  Kansas  and 
engaged  in  farming  upon  rented  land  until  1884,  when  with  the  money 
v.'hich  he  had  saved  from  his  earnings  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land 
one  mile  west  of  Vernon,  where  he  has  since  made  a  good  home  for  himself 


83^  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

aLd  family.  His  possessions  are  a  monument  to  his  enterprise  and  worth, 
and  are  the  visible  evidence  of  his  labor  and  his  economy,  for  all  that  he  has 
is  the  reward  of  his  individual  eft'ort. 

Mr.  Smith  has  been  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  Miss  Mary  E. 
Harris,  who  only  survived  their  marriage  five  years,  and  at  her  death  left 
two  little  children :  Allie,  now  the  wife  of  Will  Farris,  a  resident  of  Idaho, 
and  Charles  E..  who  is  also  living  in  the  same  state.  On  the  20th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1879,  Mr,  Smith  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  iliss  Lavisa  Adams,  a  native 
OjT  Bloomington,  Illinois,  born  August  22,  1854.  Her  father,  Jeremiah 
Adams,  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  after  reaching  mature  years  wedded 
Elizabeth  Robinson.  He  died  when  Mrs.  Smith  was  only  about  a  year  old 
and  her  mother  afterward  became  the  wife  of  Edward  Summerfield,  who  re- 
moved with  the  family  to  Kansas  in  1866.  AVoodson  County  was  then  but 
sparsely  settled  and  they  were  forced  to  live  in  true  frontier  style.  They 
had  to  pound  their  meal  in  a  mortar— for  the  nearest  mill  was  at  lola,  Allen 
County— and  other  primitive  methods  of  life  formed  part  of  their  pioneer 
experience.  Mrs.  Summerfield  passed  away  in  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one  years.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  been  born  five  children :  Mrs. 
Carrie  D.  Porter,  who  died  August  2,  1900,  leaving  a  little  son,  Eoscoe  C. 
Porter,  who  is  now  a  bright  little  boy  of  fourteen  months  living  with  his 
grandparents,  Dora  E.,  Newton  L.,  Roy  A.  and  Elza  0.,  who  are  ftill  at 
home. 

Socially  Mr.  Smith  is  connected  with  Woodson  Post,  No.  185,  G.  A.  R., 
and  thus  continues  his  comradeship  with  the  boys  in  blue.  During  his  long 
rpsidence  in  AA^'oodson  Coun+y  he  has  ever  commanded  the  respect  of  his  fel- 
low citizens  by  reason  of  his  genuine  worth,  and  by  all  who  know  him  he  is 
appreciated  for  his  commendable  qualities. 


FREDERICK  FREVERT. 

In  the  pioneer  epoch  of  the  history  of  AA^oodson  County,  Frederick  Fre- 
vert  came  to  Kansas  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Owl  Creek  township  among  its 
first  settlers.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  his  birth  having  occurred  near 
1  ippe-Detmold,  November  14,  1828.  His  father,  Conrad  Frevert,  was  a 
farmer  there,  his  ancestors  having  lived  in  that  locality  from  time  imme- 
morial. He  married  Sophia  Bohlman.  and  unto  them  were  born  five  child- 
ren, namely:  Conrad,  of  Columbus,  Indiana;  Wilhelmina,  who  is  yet  in 
Germany;  Frederick;  Henrietta,  deceased,  and  Henry,  who  is  also  in  the 
fatherland. 

Mr.  Frevert  of  this  review  spent  his  early  boyhood  in  herding  cows, 
and  in  his  youth  he  was  employed  by  a  paper  manufacturer  and  a  brick 
maker.  For  a  year  and  a  half  he  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  German  army 
and  according  to  the  law  of  the  country  would  have  had  to  remain  in  the 
armj''  for  five  years  had  he  not  come  to  America.    An  officer,  who  was  his 


TvOODSOX    CODNTIES,    KANSAS.  S35 

ifriend,  secured  him  a  pasK  to  Bremen  and  there  he  took  passage  on  a  west- 
"ward-bound  vessel,  which  in  1852  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York.  Landing  at  the  metropolis  he  thence  made  his  way  to  Lake  County, 
Indiana,  where  he  spent  a  year  and  a  half  as  a  farm  hand,  during  seven 
^months  of  the  time  receiving  only  seven  dollars  per  month,  although  he  did 
rpore  work  than  most  farm  hands  who  are  now  paid  three  times  that  amount. 
He  worked  on  the  railroad  for  three  years  at  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  day 
■and  about  that  time  he  met  the  lady  whom  he  married,  Miss  Minnie  War- 
wick becoming  his  wife  in  1856.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Warwick,  a 
Prussian,  who  brought  his  family  to  the  United  States  in  1848  and  located  in 
Lee  County,  Illinois,  wlu^re  he  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six  years. 
He  weaded  Mary  Rit:  se,  who  was  born  in  Thuringia,  near  the  Black  Forest, 
and  died  in  1854.  at  the  age  of  fifty- four  yi  ais.  She  had  five  children,  the 
three  now  living  being:  Mrs.  Frevert;  Ernest,  of  Lee  County,  Illinois,  and 
TMrs.  Hannah  Miller,  also  of  that  county. 

At  the  time  of  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frevert  loaded  their  house- 
hold effects  into  a  wagon  and  bringing  with  them  some  eows  and  chickens 
.:.tarted  for  Kansas.  They  were  several  weeks  upon  the  road,  finally  crossing 
the  Missouri  river  into  Kansas,  at  Leavenworth^  on  the  4th  of  July.  1838. 
Their  journey  was  continued  to  Neosho  Palls,  which  contained  one  store  in  a 
log  cabin,  this  being  the  trading  point  for  most  of  the  settlers  along  Owl 
creek.  Mr.  Frevert  secured  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
on  section  two,  there  locating  a  Black  Ha;wk  land  warrant.  He  also  took  up 
a  homestead  claim  and  as  time  passed  he  purchased  other  tracts,  becoming 
the  owner  of  extensive  and  valuable  realty,  portions  of  which  he  has  since 
given  to  his  children. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frevert  have  been  born  the  following :  Frederick ;  Wil- 
liam, of  Humboldt,  Kansas ;  Louisa,  who  became  the  wife  of  August  Koenig 
and  died  in  1881,  leaving  a  daughter.  IMary,  who  has  married  August  Kirch- 
hoff,  of  Woodson  County;  Annie,  wife  of  William  Bowser,  of  Elk  County, 
Kansas ;  Mary,  wife  of  Robert  Kemerer,  of  Yates  Center ;  Verilla  who  mar- 
ried Thomas  Bell,  of  AYoodson  County :  Matilda,  wife  of  Henry  Stockebrand, 
■of  Yates  Center ;  Martha,  wife  of  Emil  Stockebrand.  of  this  County ;  Rosa, 
wife  of  Frank  S'-ockebrand;  Frederick,  who  married  Clara  Henderson,  and  - 
Henry  who  wedded  Flora  Dnrby.  Both  Fred  and  Henry  reside  near  the 
old  family  homestead. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Frevert  voted  for  the  presidential  candidates  of  the 
Democracy  but  when  Abraham  Lincoln  was  nominated  he  cast  his  ballot 
with  the  Republican  party  with  which  he  was  allied  for  a  number  of  years, 
but  for  some  time  he  has  been  a  Prohibitionist.  He  belongs  to  the  German 
Evangelical  Association  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
church.  They  are  people  of  sterling  worth  and  .are  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneers  of  the  county  in  which  they  have  so  long  made  their  home. 
Mr.  Frevert  has  more  than  realized  his  anticipations  of  gaining  a  good  home 
in  the  new  world.    He  has  prospered  in  his  undertakings  by  improving  his 


^[O  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

op;)orl  unities  and  his  valuable  property  is  an  indication  of  the  busy  and 
U'-ffnl  lifn  he  Las  led. 


WILLIAIU  M.  PxVTTERSOX. 

WlLLlAxM  il.  PATTERSON,  who  is  engaged  in  dealing  in  and  ship- 
ping hay,  his  home  being  in  Rose,  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  Wood- 
son County,  where  his  father  William  AY.  Patterson,  located  at  an  early  day. 
The  aneeatry  of  the  family  can  be  traced  back  to  Alexander  Patterson,  the 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  who  was  one  of  ten  brothers  that  left  their 
home  on  the  Emerald  Isle  and  came  to  America,  thus  founding  many 
branches  of  Pattersons  in  various  sections  of  the  country.  James  Patterson, 
the  grandfather,  removed  from  Virginia  to  Meigs  County,  Tennessee,  and 
there  followed  farming  and  blacksmithing.  He  served  his  country  in  the 
war  of  1812  and  two  of  his  sons  were  defenders  of  the  Union  during  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion.  The  grandfather  spent  his  last  days  in  Fayetteville, 
A  rkansas,  and  at  his  death  left  a  large  family  of  sons  and  daughters. 

William  AY.  Patterson,  the  father  of  our  sub.ject,  was  born  in  Meigs 
County,  Tennessee,  in  1824,  and  there  was  reared,  but  at  length  was  forced 
to  flee  from  his  native  state  on  account  of  his  Union  sentiments.  He  accord- 
ingly took  up  his  residence  in  Kansas,  becoming  a  well  known  farmer  of 
\Yoodson  County.  He  married  Martha  J.  Claiborne,  a  daughter  of  Jubal 
C'laiborne,  of  Knox  County,  Tennessee,  and  once  the  owner  of  the  farm  upon 
\'-hich  the  city  of  Knoxville  was  built.  jMr.  Patterson  carried  on  farming  in 
V'oodson  County,  meeting  with  good  success,  until  his  death^  which  occurred 
in  1893,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1898.  Their  children  were  as  follows: 
Charlotte  who  became  the  wife  of  Henry  Peters,  both  now  deceased;  Emma, 
wife  of  J.  H.  Flower;  ilary,  wife  of  James  P.  Kelley;  Katie,  wife  of  B.  C. 
Parmele,  of  Newton,  Kansas,  and  AA'illiam  M. 

The  subject  of  this  review  v;as  born  in  Paveshiek  County,  Iowa, 
March  17,  1863,  and  as  the  family  came  to  AA^'oodson  County  in  1866,  he  has 
practically  spent  his  entire  life  here.  In  his  youth  he  assisted  in  the  work  of 
the  home  farm  and  attended  the  district  schools,  and  later  he  engaged  in 
teaching  school  at  intervals  until  his  marriage,  being  accounted  a  successful 
and  capable  educator.  Since  1893  he  has  in  connection  with  farming  and 
stock  raising  been  engaged  in  dealing  in  and  shipping  hay  from  Rose  and 
als(j  from  Buffalo,  Roper  and  Yates  Center.  His  business  has  constantly  in- 
creased in  volume  until  it  is  now  quite  extensive,  and  his  annual  sales  are 
a  very  desirable  source  of  income.  He  possesses  good  executive  and  business 
ability  and  above  all  that  untiring  industry  which  form  the  foundation  of 
all  prosperitj'.  Beginning  life  as  an  assistant  to  his  father  and  upon  the 
home  farm  his  continued  success  has  made  him  the  owner  of  686  acres  of 
land,  and  the  operator  or  controller  of  2,800  acres. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  1886,  Air.  Patterson  married   Miss    Cora 


■WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  '84'! 

Camac,  daughter  of  I.  J.  Camac,  of  Yates  Center,  and  thej''  have 
aioe  child,  Earle  T.,  who  was  born  on  the  19th  of  July,  1889. 
In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Patterson  is  a  Eepublican  who 
warmly  espouses  the  principles  of  the  party.  He  has  served  as  township" 
!clerk,  has  been  postmaster  of  Rose,  and  always  attends  the  township  con- 
ventions, white  to  the  county  conventions  he  has  also  been  sent  as  a  dele- 
gate. Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of  a  well  known  resident  of  AYoodson 
'County,  a  man  who  has  the  happy  faculty  of  winning-  friends  and  of  draw- 
ir^g  them  closer  to  him  as  the  years  pass  by,  this  making  him  a  popular  and 
Talued  resident  of  the  community. 


WILLIAM  B.  STINES. 

Forty-two  years  have  passed  since  "William  B.  Stines  came  to  Woodson 
Ciunty  and  through  this  long  period  he  has  been  prominently  identified  with 
its  educational  and  professional  interests  as  a  teacher  and  member  of  the 
tar.  His  labors  have  ever  thus  been  in  the  service  of  his  fellow  men,  and 
Lis  record  is  one  well  worthy  of  commendation. 

Mr.  Stines  is  a  native  of  IMercer  County,  New  Jerfey,  born  May  14, 
1835.  His  ancestry  was  represented  in  the  Eevolutionary  war  by  those 
who  loyally  aided  in  the  struggle  for  independence.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, Obediah  Stines,  was  born  in  17(12  and  died  in  1839.  His  son,  John 
Stines,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  January  29,  1803, 
and  was  there  reared  to  manhood.  He  married  Abigail  Blake,  and  in  1839 
h.e  started  westward  with  his  family,  making  his  Avay  across  the  Allegheny 
mountains  by  wagon  to  Darke  County,  Ohio,  where  he  settled  and  for  a 
t'me  engaged  in  farming.  Later,  however,  he  decided  to  seek  a  home  else- 
v/here  and  while  on  his  way  to  Illinois  in  search  of  a  new  location,  he  was 
tfiken  ill  and  died  near  Cambridge  City,  Indiana,  in  1852.  His  wife  sur- 
■s'ived  him  until  1875,  and  passed  away  in  Randolph  County,  Indiana,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-seven  years.  Their  children  were  as  follows:  Margaret,  the 
widow  of  B.  P.  Smith  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana :  William  B. ;  Abigail, 
the  widow  of  Samuel  Gregg,  of  Preble  County,  Ohio  ;  Lucina,  wife  of  James 
Gordon,  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana;  B,  M,,  who  is  also  living  in  that 
County:  and  Jane,  wife  of  James  Rockliill,  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana, 

As  his  parents  were  in  rather  limited  financial  circumstances  they  could 
give  him  little  in  life  except  an  education,  but  knowledge  is  the  basis  of  all 
advancement  and  his  mental  training  proved  a  stepping  stone  to  his  rise  in 
life.  When  only  nineteen  years  of  age  he  began  teaching  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  followed  that  profession  with  excellent  success,  having  the 
ability  of  imparting  knowledge  in  such  a  clear  and  concise  manner  that  it 
never  failed  to  leave  its  impress  upon  the  minds  of  his  pupils.  On  leaving 
Indiana  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Illinois,  and  from  Logan  County, 
that  state,  came  to  Kansas,  settling  in  Coffey  County,  in  1858.    The  follow- 


■4-  Hl.sroRV    OF    ALLEN    AND 

iiig  year  he  eaiiii-  to  Woodson  County  and  took  up  his  abode  in  what  is  no^r 
Xoith  township,  where  in  the  fall  of  1860  he  pre-empted  a  homestead.  He- 
continued  his  educational  labors  in  this  county  from  1861  until  1879,  his 
fiist  school  lein<;  in  district  Xo.  2,  in  North  township.  He  was  county  su- 
ijerintendent  at  the  time  and  numbered  the  districts.  Xo.  2  was  eleven  by 
1'ourteen  miles  in  extent  and  contained  only  three  farms  paying  taxes.  In 
Ins  school  work  I\Ir.  Stine  ■  was  veiy  successful  and  many  of  the  now  success- 
ful men  of  the  county  are  indebted  to  him  for  early  instruction  which  he 
^ave  them.  Hi  held  the  office  of  county  superintendent  two  terms  and  dur- 
ing that  period  laDored  untiiringly  and  effectively  for  the  improvement  of 
the  school  system  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 

In  1865,  ^ir.  Stines  took  up  the  study  of  law.  reading  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Alexander  Stewart,  of  Leroy.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  before 
Judge  AVatson  and  he  and  Judge  f.  B.  Graves  entered  their  first  suit  to- 
gether at  Xc-osho  Falls,  it  being  a  civil  suit  involving  a  replevin  of  some- 
cattle.  He  served  for  one  term  as  county  attorney  and  at  the  bar  has 
I'andled  considerable  important  litigation  in  which  he  has  demonstrated  his 
'rmiliarity  with  the  principles  of  jurisprudence  and  his  thorough  under- 
standing of  the  points  bearing  on  his  cases. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1&60,  Mr.  Stines  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Louisa  Morgan,  by  whom  he  had  three  children  yet  living:  Mary,  the  wife 
of  AA'arren  Miller :  Flora  B.,  wife  of  D.  J.  Chambers,  and  R.  Grant.  All  are 
residents  of  AA'oodson  County.  On  the  28th  of  May,  1871,  Mr.  Stines  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Elgiva  Miller,  a  daughter  of 
Russell  Morgan,  and  a  sister  of  his  first  wife.  The  father  came  originally 
from  Clay  County,  Indiana.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Bryan.  There  is  but  one 
child  of  the  second  marriage  Ethelyn.  now  the  wife  of  J.  G.  Ward,  of  Cha- 
nute,  Kansas.  On  the  14th  of  May,  1882,  Mr.  Stines  was  joined  in  wedlock 
to  Miss  Laura  Farnam.  a  daughter  of  Asa  Farnam,  who  was  captain  of  Com- 
pany E,  Ninety-fifth  Illinois  Infantry  during  the  Civil  war  and  died  in  Chi- 
cago, March  18,  1892.  He  was  born  in  Geneseo  County,  New  York,  and 
married  Almeda  Smith,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Airs.  Stines  have  been  born  two  daughters,  Almeda  A.  and  Edna  M. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Stines  has  always  been  a  stalwart  Republi- 
can, giving  an  inflexible  support  to  the  principles  and  policy  of  the  party. 
In  addition  to  the  offices  which  he  has  filled  in  the  line  of  his  professions, 
he-  has  served  for  four  years  as  county  surveyor.  He  is  heartily  in  sympathy 
with  temperance  work,  believing  in  the  abolishment  of  the  saloons,  but  is  not 
a  "third  party"  man.  He  co-operates  in  all  movements  for  the  general  good, 
and  has  lived  an  upright,  honorable  life,  above  reproach.  His  record  will 
hear  the  closest  scrutiny  for  he  has  ever  been  a  man  who  has  stood  "four 
s'luare  to  every  wind  that  blows." 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  843 

SUMNER  C.  HOLCOMB. 

Kansas  lias  always  been  distinguished  for  the  high  rank  of  her  bench 
and  bar.  Perhaps  none  of  the  newer  states  ean  justly  boast  of  abler  jurists 
and  attorneys.  Many  of  them  have  been  men  of  national  fame,  and  among 
those  whose  lives  have  been  passed  on  a  quieter  plane  there  is  scarcely  a 
town  or  city  in  the  state  but  can  boast  of  one  or  more  lawyers  capable  of 
crossing  swords  in  forensic  combat  with  any  of  the  distinguished  legal  lights 
of  the  United  States.  While  the  growth  and  development  of  the  state  in 
the  last  half  a  century  has  been  most  marvelous,  viewed  from  any  stand- 
point, yet  of  no  class  of  her  citizenship  has  she  greater  reason  for  just  pride 
than  her  judges  and  attorneys.  In  Mr.  Holcomb  we  find  united  many  of 
the  rare  qualities  which  go  to  make  up  the  successful  lawyer.  He  possesses 
perhaps  few  of  those  dazzling,  meteoric  qualities  which  have  sometimes 
flashed, along  the  legal  horizon,  riveting  the  gaze  and  blinding  the  vision  for 
a  moment,  then  di.':appearing,  leaving  little  or  no  trace  behind,  but  rather 
has  those  solid  and  more  substantial  qualities  which  shine  with  a  constant 
luster,  shedding  light  in  the  dark  places  with  steadiness  and  continuity.  His 
niind  is  analytical,  logical  and  inductive.  With  a  thorough  and  comprehen- 
sive knowledge  of  fundamental  principles  of  law,  he  combines  a  familiarity 
with  statutory  law  and  a  sober,  clear  judgment,  which  makes  him  a  formid- 
able adversary  in  legal  combat. 

Mr.  Holcomb  was  born  in  Gallia  County,  Ohio,  January  7,  1857,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  ,E.  Holcomb.  The  grandfather,  Samuel  R.  Holcomb,  was 
btrn  in  New  York  and  served  his  country  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  thus 
b(  coming  known  as  General  Holcomb.  He  became  a  resident  of  Ohio,  made 
farming  his  life  work,  and  died  in  1867,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one 
years.  John  E.  Holcomb  was  born  in  the  Buckeye  state  in  1817,  became 
a  merchant  of  Gallia,  and  during  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  served  as 
pi  ovost  marshal.  In  1865  he  left  Ohio  for  Missouri,  and  spent  his  remain- 
ing days  in  the  latter  state,  d3dng  in  Butler,  Missouri,  in  1889.  In  politics 
he  was  a  staunch  Republican.  He  wedded  Mary  Matthews,  who  was  born  in 
Gallia  County,  Ohio,  and  died  in  1894.  Their  children  are:  P.  H.,  a 
lawyer  of  Bates  County,  Missouri ;  A.  T.,  an  attorney  of  Portsmouth,  Ohio  ; 
Eliza,  wife  of  Richard  Wilcox,  of  Bates  County,  Missouri;  Sarah,  wife  of 
John  Bybee,  of  Cass  County,  Missouri;  Charles  M.,  of  Greenwood  County, 
Kahsas,  and  Sumner. 

The  last  named  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  when  his  parents  removed  to 
^lissouri.  He  acquired  a  good  English  education  in  the  schools  of  Butler, 
that  state,  and  there  took  up  the  study  of  law  under  the  direction  of  his 
brother,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  before  Judge  Foster  P,  Wright,  in  1880. 
He  began  practice  there,  remaining  a  member  of  the  bar  of  Butler  for  three 
years  after  which  he  came  to  W^oodson  County,  settling  in  Toronto  in  1885. 
There  he  continuously  engaged  in  practice  until  elected  to  the  office  of 
county  attoriiey.  His  reputation  as  a  lawyer  of  ability  has  been  won  and 
Ktrengthened  in  his  conduct  of  many  important  cases.     He  is  regarded  by 


844  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

his  fellow  members  of  the  bar  as  a  eonseientious  and  painstaking  attorney 
whose  thoroughness  is  manifest  in  all  litigation  with  which  he  is  connected. 
He  practices  in  all  the  state  courts  in  a  general  way  and  has  a  large  client- 
age. In  1898  he  was  elected  county  attorney  on  a  Fusion  ticket,  and  in 
IPOO  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democracy,  winning  the  election  by  a  ma- 
jtrity  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine,  although  McKinley  carried  the 
county  by  three  hundred  votes.  Such  an  election  is  unmistakable  evidence 
01  his  popularity  and  his  high  standing  among  those  who  know  him  be^t. 
In  Woodson  County,  in  August,  1892,  Mr.  Holcomb  was  joined  in  wed- 
lick  to  Miss  Margaret  Truman,  a  daughter  of  Jehu  Truman,  who  came 
fiom  Virginia  to  Kansas.  They  now  have  two  children,  Lydia  G.  and 
Sumner  C,  Jr.  Mr.  Holcomb  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Red  Men  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
General  James  A.  Garfield  in  1880,  but  left  the  Republican  party  in  1892. 
He  has  never  taken  a  particularly  active  part  in  politics,  and  his  election 
to  the  office  of  county  attorney  has  come  to  him  as  a  merited  tribute  to  his 
ability.  In  demeanor  he  is  quiet  and  unostentatious,  in  manner  is  pleasant 
and  genial — an  approachable  gentleman  who  enjoys  the  friendship  of  a  se- 
lect circle  of  acquaintances. 


ADAM  KELLER. 

ADAM  KELLER,  who  follows  farming  in  Everett  township.  Wood- 
sen  County,  was  born  in  vandotte  County,  Ohio,  September  26.  1845. 
His  father,  Adam  Keller,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Berks  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  married  Elizabeth  Stahl,  who  was  also  born  in  the  Keystone 
st&te,  whence  they  removed  to  Ohio  in  1834.  The  father  had  visited  Wy- 
andot County  the  year  previous  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  ninety 
arres  of  land  in  the  green  forest,  making  the  journey  to  and  from  Pennsyl- 
vania on  foot.  The  following  year  he  brought  his  family  to  his  new  home, 
arriving  at  his  destination  with  a  cash  capital  of  fifty  cents.  In  1848  his 
wife  died,  leaving  to  his  care  their  eight  small  children.  He  was  after- 
ward married  twice,  and  was  the  father  of  twenty  children.  Five  of  the 
children  of  the  first  marriage  are  still  living,  and  nine  of  the  other  mar- 
riage. Mr.  KeUer  died  on  his  farm  in  Wyandot  County,  Ohio,  in  1883, 
when  reventy-two  years  of  age,  and  his  widow  is  still  living  on  the  old 
hf-mestead  there. 

Adam  Keller  of  this  revie^w  was  the  seventh  child  of  the  first  mar- 
riage. He  remained  with  his  father  until  he  had  attained  his  majority  and 
then  went  to  Iowa  to  visit  his  brother.  He  spent  several  years  in  Iowa, 
Minnesota,  Wisconsin  and  Illinois,  working  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand, 
ard  then  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  employed  for  two  years  by  his 
father.  There  on  the  18th  of  September,  1872,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Parish,  a  native  of  Hancock  County,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Archi- 


WOODSON  COUNTIE!).  KANSAS.  845 

bald  and  Elizabelli  ((Joidon)  I'arish,  oth  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
Buckeye  state.  The  father  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years, 
but  the  mother  died  on  the  5th  of  June,  1883,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two.  They 
were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  yet  survive,  Mrs.  Keller 
being  the  third  in  order  of  birth. 

The  wedding  journey  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keller  consisted  of  their  trip 
to  Woodson  County,  arriving  in  Neosho  Falls  on  the  21st  of  September, 
1872.  Our  subject  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  the  southern  part  of 
Everett  township,  and  there  remained  for  two  years  after  which  he  went 
t:j  Allen  County,  renting  and  operating  a  farm  in  the  river  bottoms  for 
a  year.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased  eighty  acres  on 
Cherry  creek  in  the  southern  portion  of  Everett  township,  seven  miles 
northeast  of  Yates  Center,  where  he  now  owns  and  operates  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  His  home  occupies  a  beautiful  location,  sur- 
rounded by  a  grove  of  fore.;t  trees,  while  a  fine  orchard  yields  its  fruits 
i;i  season,  and  the  fields  bring  forth  rich  harvests  of  golden  grain.  There 
is  a  large  red  barn  and  white  house  and  other  substantial  outbuildings, 
ai  d  Mr.  Keller  is  successfully  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keller  have  never  had  any  children  of  their  own,  but 
lii  ve  reared  an  adopted  son,  Harry  Keller,  who  came  to  them  when  six 
years  of  age,  and  is  now  a  youth  of  fourteen.  Their  friends  and  ac- 
(|uaintances  in  the  community  are  many,  for  their  genuine  worth  attracts 
to  them  the  sincere  regard  of  those  who  care  for  the  qualities  which  in 
I'-'cry  land  and  clime  command  re;:pect.  Mr.  Keller  votes  with  the  Re- 
pi  blican  party,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have  never  had  a 
strong  enough  attraction  for  him  to  induce  him  to  sacrifice  his  business  in- 
ir"ests  to  seek  office,  and  in  his  farm  work  he  has  found  a  good  financial 
return. 


JOHN  0.  ii/lMILTON, 

JOHN  0.  HAMILTON  is  one  of  the  enterprising,  wide-awake  young 
bi:siness  men  of  Vernon,  where  he  is  conducting  a  grocery  store  and  also 
dealing  in  hay.  His  entire  life  has  teen  passed  in  Kansas,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Leroy,  Coffey  County,  January  28,  1864.  Ho  and  his  twin 
b]'other.  Charles  C,  are  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  twelve  children  born 
unto  Alexander  and  Jane  Hamilton.  When  our  subject  was  two  years 
old  the  father  sold  his  business  interests  in  Leroy  and  removed  to  Wood- 
son County,  purchasing  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Everett  township,  near 
wliere  the  town  of  Vernon  is  now  located.  Thus  John  0.  Hamilton  was 
reared  upon  a  farm  and  early  became  familiar  with  the  methods  of  in- 
s1  ruction  in  the  common  schools,  where  he  acquired  his  education.  He 
also  spent  one  term  in  the  school  of  Neosho  Palls.    At  home  he  was  trained 


846  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

11  the  work  of  haudling  cattle  and  soon  became  an  excellent  judge  of 
stock.  When  he  was  a  youth  of  fifteen  he  began  driving  cattle  for  his 
ft-ther  from  the  Indian  Territory,  and  from  other  parts  of  Kansas,  his  time 
being  thus  occupied  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age. 

On  account  of  failing  health  ]Mr.  Hamilton  then  went  to  Colorado, 
where  he  worked  on  a  cattle  ranch  for  a  year,  when  he  returned  to  his 
home  in  Kansas  and  thence  made  his  way  to  Marceline,  Missouri,  being 
ti'ere  engaged  in  conducting  a  grocery  store  for  a  year  and  a  half.  On  the 
e.vpiration  of  that  period  he  once  more  came  to  Woodson  County  and  here 
on  the  30th  of  January,  1889  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Mor- 
g!,n,  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  Morgan,  now  of  lola. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Hamilton  followed  farming  for  four  years  and 
then  purchased  property  in  Vernon,  on  which  he  built  a  good  barn,  resi- 
dence and  store.  He  has  since  conducted  a  grocery  store,  of  Tvhich  his 
wife  is  in  charge,  while  his  attention  is  given  to  the  hay  business.  He  buys 
and  ships  may  quite  extensively  and  his  sales  in  both  branches  of  his  en- 
terprise now  amount  to  six  thousand  dollars  annually.  His  trade  is  stead- 
ily increasing,  and  it  is  safe  to  predict  that  a  still  more  brilliant  success 
av.'aits  him.  He  is  yet  a  young  man,  full  of  energy,  determination  and 
laudable  ambition,  and  his  labors  cannot  fail  to  bring  prosperity. 

Mr.  Hamilton  is  a  member  of  Vernon  Council,  No.  7690,  M.  W.  A., 
apd  in  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Vernon 
under  President  Cleveland's  second  administration  and  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity for  four  years  with  entire  satisfaction  to  all  the  patrons  of  the  of- 
fice. As  a  public-spirited  citizen  and  business  man  he  is  numbered  among 
the  valued  residents  of  the  community,  and  is  held  in  high  regard  by  all 
with  whom  he  is  asfociated. 


WILLIAM  WILKINSON. 

Although  a  native  of  one  of  the  eastern  states,  Mr.  Wilkinson  was 
reared  in  the  west  and  is  imbued  with  the  true  western  spirit  of  progress 
and  enterprise— a  spirit  which  has  wrought  the  wonderful  development  of 
the  ^lississippi  valley  carrying  forward  the  work  of  progress  so  rapidly 
flat  it  is  commonly  referred  to  as  "magical."  Mr.  Wilkinson  first  opened 
hi.s  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in  Schuylkill  County,  Pennsylvania,  July  9, 
1834,  and  is  of  Irish  lineage.  His  father,  William  Wilkinson,  Sr.,  was  born 
in  County  Derry,  Ireland,  but  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century 
c?me  to  America  on  a  British  war  vessel  which  had  just  been  engaged 
in  the  war  of  1812.  that  had  ended  only  a  short  time  previous.  Ere  leav- 
ing the  Emerald  Isle  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ann  JIcDougal 
and  one  child  was  born  to  them  ere  they  came  to  the  United  States. 

On  reaching  the  new  world  ]\Ir.  Wilkinson  located  in  Philadelphia, 
where  he  conducted  a  small  cloth  factory  until  1840,  when  accompanied 


TvooDsoN  coiiNTih;;,  k.vnsas.  84^ 

by  his  family  he  went  to  Illinois,  locating  upon  a  farm  on  which  he  li\^d 
over  thirty  years,  then  moved  to  Farmington,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his 
remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-four 
jears.  His  children  were:  Mary,  deceased  wife  of  Thomas  Bell;  Samuel, 
who  has  also  passed  away;  Annie,  deceased  wife  of  Henry  Rogers;  John 
of  Fulton  County,  Illinois,  and  AYilliam,  of  this  review.  All  were  mar- 
ried and  reared  families  of  their  own.  G'corge  who  was  killed  near  At- 
lanta, during  th-e  Civil  war;  Elizabeth  died  in  1893,  and  Rebecca,  who  still 
lives  on  the  home  place. 

In  the  city  of  his  oirth  William  Wilkinson  spent  the  first  six  years  of 
his  life  and  then  accompHnied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Fulton 
County,  Illinois,  where  he  was  reared  upon  a  farm.  He  spent  the  winter 
month  in  the  district  schools  near  his  home,  and  in  the  summer  followed  the 
plow  and  the  harrow  and  aided  in  threshing  and  harvesting  the  crops. 
When  he  began  life  on  his  own  accoun,t  he  took  up  the  calling  to  which 
he  had  been  reared,  devoting  his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits  until  his 
•enlistment  in  the  army.  He  first  visited  Kansas  in  1860.  on  a  prospect- 
ing tour,  and  being  pleased  with  the  state  he  returned  for  his  family  whoni 
be  brought  to  the  state  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  making  a  location  on  a 
farm  south  of^Fort  Seott.  The  crops  puffered  from  a  drouth  the  follow- 
ing year,  and  without  harvesting  the  little  grain  which  he  had  succeed- 
■e-J  in  raising  he  returned  to  Illinoi's. 

In  1862  Mr.  Wilkinson  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  as  a  member  of 
Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Third  Illinois  Infantry,  under  Colonel 
Dickerman.  His  regiment  belonged  to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  and 
was  first  under  fire  at  Jackson,  after  which  it  participated  in  the  Vicks- 
burg  and  Memphis  campaigns.  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  also  in  the  Atlanta 
■campaign  until  after  the  capture  of  the  city,  when  he  resigned  his  com- 
mission as  first  lieutenant  and  returned  to  his  home.  He  had  enlisted 
as  a  private,  had  been  elected  by  the  company  to  the  office  of  sergeant,  was 
afterward  promoted  to  orderly  sergeant,  then  to  second  lieutenant  and 
finally  to  first  lieutenant,  at  Scottsboro,  Alabama. 

Upon  his  return  home  Mr.  Wilkinson  engaged  in  merchandising  at 
J'armington,  Illinois,  following  that  business  until  1871.  when  he  returned 
to  the  farm,  which  line  of  labor  claimed  his  attention  until  his  retirement 
t3  private  life  in  1897.  In  1882  he  again  came  to  Kansas,  locating  iipon  a 
farm  in  Owl  Creek  township,  Woodson  County,  where  he  successfully  cul- 
tivated the  fields  until  1897.  He  then  removed  to  Yates  Center  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home,  resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his 
former  toil.  Industry  and  perseverance  have  been  the  salient  features  of 
his  career  and  have  brought  to  him  a  very  desirable  competence. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  1857,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Wilkinson  and 
Miss  Sarah  M.  Simpson,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Cordner) 
Simpson,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ireland,  the  former  of  County 
Tyrone  and  the  latter  of  County  Derry.    On  coming  to  America  the  father 


.S4S  HSS'tQH\-    oe    ALLKN    Ai<u 

kcated  ill  Phialdelphia,  Penu.sylvaiiia,  and  in  1835  removed  tlienee  to  Tl- 
linois,  where  he  died  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years.  He  had  seveir 
children  who  reached  adult  age :  Annie,  wile  of  H.  R.  Rose,  a  resi- 
dent of  Avon  Illinois;  I\Iargaiet,  deceased  wife  of  Howard  Sebree ;  Wil- 
liam, of  Fort  Scott,  Kansas;  James,  who  died  in  the  army;  John,  of 
I'ariuinsiton,  111.,  Mary,  wife  of  Blake  Barrowf:,  and  ilrs.  Wilkinson. 

Unto  our  subject  and  hi?,  wife  have  been  born  two  children — Fred 
and  xinnie  Si.  The  former  was  born  November  23  ,1858,  was  principally 
nartd  upon  a  farm  and  acquired  a  high  sehool  education.  He  is  now 
half  proprietor  and  edi*or  of  the  Yates  Center  Advocate.  He  was  married 
in  xVvon,  Illinois,  to  ilinnie  Ransom,  and  his  children  are  Clarence  and 
Leon.  In  his  political  views  William  Wilkinson  is  a  Republican  and 
since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Fremont  he  has 
lAver  failed  to  vote  at  a  presidential  election  but  once  .  The  Wilkinsons 
are  all  Episcopalians  and  our  sub.ject  is  of  that  religious  faith,  although 
his  wife  was  raired  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  a  pleasant  home  in 
Yates  Center  this  worthy  couple  are  now  residing,  surrounded  with  the 
domforts  which  go  to  make  life  worth  the  living  and  which  have  been  pro- 
cured through  the  earii(;i-;t  and  indefatigable  labors  of  Mr.  Wilkinson  in 
i'ormer  years. 


ROBERT  B.  LEEDY, 

the  eonx'eu^us  of  public  opinion  places  Mr.  Leedy  among  the  popular 
citizens  as  well  as  enterprising  and  prosperous  farmers  of  Woodson  county.. 
He  is  so  well  known  in  this  portion  of  Kansas  that  he  needs  no  introduction 
to  the  readers  of  this  volume,  most  of  whom  are  well  acquainted  with  his. 
useful  and  upright  career.  He  was  born  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  March 
22,  1847,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  that 
state,  his  paternal  grandfather  having  located  there  in  1811,  only  a  few 
years  after  the  admissioTi  of  the  state  into  the  Union.  Samuel  Leedy,  the 
father  of  our  sub.iect,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  and  there 
married  Margaret  Whitnah,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  of  Scotch  parent- 
age. He  lived  and  died  in  Ohio,  passing  away  in  1853,  when  he  had 
reached  the  thirty-sixth  milestone  on  life's  ionrney.  His  wife  still  survives 
him  and  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years  is  yet  living  in  Ohio.  This  worthy 
couple  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living; 
namely:  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Robinson,  who  is  living  in  Ohio;  Mrs.  Virginia 
Hays.'a  resident  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas;  Robert  B. ;  John  W.,  who  was  at 
one  time  governor  of  Kansas  and  is  now  living  in  Seattle,  Washington ;  and 
H.  C,  who  is  a  resident  of  Burlington,  Kansas. 

Robert  B.  Leedy  was  reared  in  Ohio,  working  upon  the  farm  in  sum- 
mer and  doing  chores  for  his  board  while  he  attended  school  in  winter, 
until  1864,  when  at  the  early  age  of  seventeen  years  he  enlisted  in  his 


■WOODSON.  COtTNTraS.   KANSAS.  649 

^country's  iervice  as  a  member  of  company  D,  One  Hundi'cd  and  Sixty-third 
'Ohio  infantry,  which  became  a  part  of  General  Butler's  command.  He 
was  at  City  Point  when  that  place  was  besieged  by  the  rebels.  He  remained 
'4it  the  front  until  the  term  of  liis  enlistment  had  expired  when  he  returned 
to  his  Ohio  home  and  became  a  student  at  the  Bellville  high  school,  thus 
tilting  himself  for  a  business  career,  aftej-  which  he  secured  a  position  in 
Ibe  employ  of  the  firm  of  J.  J.  Cover  &  Company  of  Johnsville.  For  two 
years  he  engaged  in  clerking,  and  in  1868  he  went  to  Indiana,  where  he 
stayed  one  year  and  moved  then  to  Illinois,  following  farming  through  the 
•summer  mt)nths,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  engaged  in  teaching  school, 
soon  demonstrating  his  ability  to  impart  with  clearness  and  readiness  to 
^Others  the  kaowledge  he  had  acquired.  He  saved  much  of  his  earnings  and 
\''as  thus  enabled  at  a  later  date  to  purchase  a  farm. 

In  the  year  1884  Mr.  Leeuy  came  to  Kansas,  arriving  in  Neosho  Falls 
-on  the  10th  of  December.  He  purchased  a  farm  of  one  Inmdred  and  sixty 
acres  two  miles  west  and  a  half  mile  north  of  the  town,  and  has  since  madt' 
liis  home  upon  this  place.  He  has  a  tract  of  rich  bo'tom  land,  raises  fine 
crops  of  corn,  wheat  and  potatoes,  and  also  keeps  some  stock.  A  pleasant 
residence  and  good  barn  stand  near  the  Neosho  river  and  no  accessory  of 
the  model  farm  of  the  present  day  is  lacking. 

While  in  Illinois,  on  the  7th  of  f.'eptember,  1876.  Mr.  Leedy  was  joined 
in  wedlock  to  Miss  Julie*"  Newport,  a  native  of  Montgomery  county,  that 
state,  and  their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with  six  children,  all  of  whom 
«ire  yet  living,  namely:  Mary  Virginia,  at  home;  Margaret  -Juliet,  who  is 
1<  aching  in  the  home  district :  Oliver  0.,  who  is  in  school ;  Robert  Franklin, 
Edna  and  Eugene  Newport,  who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  The 
members  of  the  household  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  social  circles 
in  which  they  move  and  their  friends  are  many.  Socially  Mr.  Leedy  is 
■connected  with  Woodson  lodge  No.  78,  K.  P.,  at  Neosho  Falls,  and  with 
B.  1".  C.oss  Post.  C  A.  R.,  of  the  same  place.  He  cast  his  first  preslJentifP 
vote  in  1868  for  U.  S.  Grant.  v,'hen  in  Indiana  and  for  some  time  advoca^-erl 
the  principles  of  the  republican  party,  but  is  now  a  populist.  He  has 
been  quite  prominent  in  public  affairs-.,  and  in  1891  he  was  elected  on  the 
populist  ticket  to  represent  Woodson  coimty  in  the  state  legislature,  whi  re 
hi-  proved  a  capable  member,  givins  an  earnest  support  to  all  measuiis 
"s^  hich  in  his  judgment  seemed  calculated  to  serve  the  ends  of  public  g  )0(1 
••and  advancement. 


JAMES  P.  KELLEY. 

JAMES  P.  KELLEY,  who  is  now  occupying  the  position  of  county 
clerk  in  Yates  Center,  was  for  some  years  identified  with  the  building  in- 
terests of  this  city  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Woodson  County  for  thirty 
years— years  in  which  great  changes  have  been  wrought  as  civilization 


'iS'-'  FiISTOR\    OJ;-'  ALLEX    ASV 

has  advanced  westward,  leaving  in  her  wake  all  the  improvements  known  to 
the  longer-settled  east.  Mr.  Kelley  has  ever  manifested  a  commendable 
iioterest  in  everylhing  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  county  and  his  fellow 
citizens,  recognizing  his  v/oi'th  and  ability,  have  called  him  to  the  office 
whii-'h  he  is  now  .creditably  filling. 

Almost  half  the  width  of  the  continent  separates  his  present  resi- 
c'cnce  from  the  place  of  his  birth,  for  he  is  a  native  of  Fayette  County, 
Pennsylvania,  born  :\Ia\-  12,  1845.  The  family  is  of  Irish  lineage  and 
was  planted  on  American  soil  by  Alexander  Kelley,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  who  came  from  Cork,  Ireland,  to  the  New  AYorld  and  took  up 
his  abode  in  the  Keystone  state  wheie  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  leav- 
ing a  large  family.  One  of  the  numl^er,  George  Kelley,  was  the  father  of 
our  subject.  He  too,  was  a  native  of  Fayette  County,  born  in  the  year  1806, 
?ind  in  1848  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Stark  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  finding  his  time  fully  occupied  with  the 
labors  of  the  farm,  whereby  he  provided  for  his  wife  and  children.  He 
married  ?*Iargaret  Sholes  and  they  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  of 
v.'hom  James  P.  is  the  youngest.  After  the  death  of  the  mother  the  father 
v.'as  again  married,  and  by  the  second  union  had  three  children. 

James  P.  Kelley  was  only  three  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied  his 
father  to  Stark  County.  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared,  acquiring  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  and  working  on  the  farm  through  the  period  of  his 
youth  He  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  school  and  also  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade,  to  which  he  has  devoted  many  years  of  his  .active  busi- 
ness career.  In  1865  he  removed  from  Stark  County,  Ohio,  to  Hancock 
County,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  until  coming  to  Kansas  in  1870.  He 
Ircated  in  wha^  was  then  Owl  Creek  township,  but  is  now  Eminence  town- 
s-hip, AA''oodson  County,  and  secured  a  claim,  which  he  at  once  began  to 
improve,  for  the  land  was  in  its  primitive  condition,  not  a  furrow  having 
been  turned  hitherto.  He  made  the  journey  to  this  state  with  a  company  of 
people,  'onie  of  whom  are  yet  residing  in  Woodson  County,  and  like  him 
have  aided  in  reclaiming  the  wild  land  for  purposes  of  civilization.  His 
training  at  farm  labor  in  his  youth  proved  to  him  a  vahiable  experience 
when  he  began  the  work  of  cultivating  bis  fields  here.  He  continued  the 
operation  of  his  farm  until  1889,  when  he  became  a  resident  of  the  county 
sfat,  again  resuming  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  Evidences  of  his  skill 
and  ability  in  that  direction  are  seen  in  some  of  the  most  substantial  and 
attractive  buildings  of  the  city.  In  1899.  however,  he  was  elected  to  the 
position  of  county  clerk  and  the  duties  of  the  office  now  claim  his  undivided 
attention. 

In  May,  1872,  Mr.  Kelley  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Patterson,  a 
daughter  of  AY.  AY.  Patterson,  a  farmer  of  AYoodson  County  who  came  to 
the  Sunflower  state  from  Tennessee.  Their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with 
two  children.  Ell  or  a  and  Crystal,  the  former  now  the  wife  of  W.  R.  David- 
son, of  Sedgwick  County,  Kansas.    Although  his  father  was  a  Democrat  and 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  85 1 

he  was  accordingly  reared  in  that  political  faith,  JNIr.  Kelley  has  always 
been  a  Republican,  unwavering  in  support  of  the  principles  of  the  party 
or  progress,  and  on  that  ticket  he  was  chosen  to  the  position  which  he  is 
now  filling.  As  a  citizen  he  is  honorable,  prompt  and  faithful  to  every 
engagement,  and  as  a  man  he  has  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  classes, 
of  all  creeds  and  political  proclivities. 


S.  R.  SHAW. 

Farming  and  stock-raising  claim  the  attention  of  many  enterprising 
and  successful  business  men  of  Woodson  County,  among  which  number 
if.  accounted  S.  R.  Shaw,  of  Everett  township.  He  was  born  in  Fulton 
County,  Illinois,  January  1,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Kelso) 
Shaw,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio  and  the  latter  of  Indiana.  About  the 
year  1831  the  father  went  to  Illinois,  settling  in  the  midst  of  the  green 
forest,  where  he  developed  a  farm  upon  which  he  made  his  home  until  1868 
—the  date  of  his  removal  to  Schuyler  County,  Missouri,  where  his  remain- 
ing days  were  passed,  his  death  occurring  January  20,  1890,  when  he  had 
attained  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  eleven  months  and  twenty-four 
days.  He  would  have  reached  the  eightieth  anniversary  of  his  birth 
had  he  lived  seven  days  longer.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  makes- 
her  home  in  Schuyler  County  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years. 

S.  R.  Shaw  is  the  eldest  of  their  six  children.  He  received  a 
good  common-school  education,  qualifying  him  for  the  duties  of  practical 
business  life,  and  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  remaining  with  his  parents 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  the  fall  of  1878  he  came  to  Kansas,  mak- 
ing the  journey  by  wagon  and  team  to  Coffey  County,  where  he  rented  a 
t''act  of  land  and  began  farming  on  his  own  account.  As  a  companion 
and  helpmate  on  the  journey  of  life  he  chose  Miss  Eleanor  Redfern,  a  native 
of  Ohio  and  a  daughter  of  Austin  N.  and  Mary  Jane  (Leach)  Redfern, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio.  Thev  came  to  Kansas  from  Schuyler 
County,  Missouri,  in  the  spring  of  1878,  settling  in  Coffey  County,  where 
Mr.  Redfern  died  in  June,  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  his  wife 
being  called  to  her  final  rest  in  March,  1897,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 
They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living,  Mrs. 
Shaw  being  the  youngest.  The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  was 
celebrated  on  the  14th.  of  November,  1878,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  five  sons  and  a  daughter :  Wesley  0.,  Roland  M.,  G.  Hurst,  Lawrence 
A .,  Glenn  and  Alice  B.,  the  last  named  being  a  little  maiden  of  six  summers. 

Mr.  Shaw  continued  to  engage  in  the  operation  of  rented  land  until 
1884,  when  with  the  money  he  had  been  able  to  save  from  his  earnings  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  the  western  portion 
of  Everett  township,  AVoodson  County.  In  1895,  hoM'ever,  he  sold  that 
property  and  again  rented  land  for  three  years.    In  the  meantime  he  was 


852  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

extensively  engaged  in  raising  and  handling  cattle  and  hogs.  In  1897  he 
purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  land  where  he  now  resides,  his  home  being 
pleasantly  and  conveniently  situated  less  than  a  mile  west  of  Vernon. 
Here  he  has  a  good  residence  and  has  erected  a  large  barn  and  is  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock-dealing,  raising,  buying  and  feeding  and 
shipping  hogs  ancl  cattle.  He  feeds  about  one  hundred  head  of  hogs 
and  about  the  same  number  of  cattle  each  year  and  thus  furnishes  a  good 
market  for  the  farmers  of  the  community  for  their  grain  and  stock.  He 
has  been  wonderfully  successful  dnce  he  "irae  to  Kansas  for  all  he  now  has 
i'  the  acquirement  of  his  labor  in  this  state,  and  is  the  well  merited  reward 
oi  his  diligence  and  perseverance. 

Mr.  Shaw  votes  with  the  Democracy,  but  has  never  been  an  active  poli- 
tician and  especially  has  never  soiight  office,  but  withoiit  solicitation  on  his 
I)art  his  fellow  townsmen  elected  him  to  the  position  of  trustee  of  Everett 
township  in  which  he  is  now  serving  his  second  term,  his  reliability  and 
fidelity  winning  him  re-election. 


ANDREW.  J.  HUFF. 

The  lives  of  some  men  stand  out  in  bold  relief  as  examples  of  what 
may  be  accomplished  by  perseverance,  industry  and  a  steady  determina- 
tion to  succeed  and  make  a  place  for  themselves  among  their  fellow  men. 
Success  rarely  comes  to  him  who  labors  not  for  it.  This  line  of  thought  is 
suggested  as  we  review  the  life  record  of  Mr.  Huff,  who  for  some  years 
Avas  a  well  known  educator  of  AYoodson  County  and  is  now  ex-clerk  of  the 
district  court. 

He  was  born  in  Dubois  County,  Indiana.  December  8,  1866,  and  is  a 
sen  of  Jefferson  Huff,  who  now  resides  in  Toronto  township,  where  he  is 
successfully  engaged  in  farming,  carrying  on  operations  on  an  extensive 
scale.  He  has  large  tracts  of  land  under  cultivation,  and  is  raising  and 
feeding  stock  in  large  numbers. 

Andrew  J.  Huff  spent  the  first  fifteen  years  of  his  life  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity,  and  during  that  time  acquired  a  common-school  education 
and  was  trained  to  farm  work,  early  becoming  familiar  with  all  the  duties 
and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  arrived  in  south- 
eastern Kansas  in  1881  and  took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  in  Toronto 
township  where  he  remained  until  called  to  public  office.  In  the  meantime 
he  had  supplemented  his  early  educational  privileges  by  study  in  the  Fort 
Scott  Normal,  of  Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  and  had  engaged  in  teaching  for 
ten  years  in  the  district  schools  and  in  the  city  of  Toronto.  His  labors  in 
that  direction  gave  uniform  satisfaction  and  largely  promoted  intellectual 
activity.  He  continually  strove  to  improve  the  methods  of  teachings  and  his 
work  was  effective  and  beneficial. 

The  Huffs  have  ever  been  Republicans,  iTufaltering  in  support  of  the 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  853 

principles  and  measures  of  the  party,  and  in  1888,  Andrew  J.  Huff  cast  his 
first  presidential  vote,  depositing  his  ballot  for  General  Benjamin  Harri- 
son. In  1894  he  was  nominated  for  the  position  of  district  clerk,  but  met 
defeat  by  seven  votes.  In  1896,  however,  he  received  the  unanimous  sup- 
pert  of  the  party  as  a  candidate  for  that  office  and  at  the  polls  was  given 
a  majority  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-three.  He  filled  the  position  so 
capably  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1898  by  the  increased  majority  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty-nine,  so  that  he  was  retained  in  the  office  for  four  years. 
Socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows  society,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
ui  the  fraternity  as  well  as  in  other  walks  of  life  where  his  genial  manner 
and  sterling  qualities  pass  current  as  a  readily  accepted  medium  of  ex- 
change for  the  merited  regard  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men. 


SILAS  L.  NAYLOR. 

jN^o  man  is  better  known  in  this  part  of  Kansas,  nor  has  a  better  record 
lur  honesty  and  faithful  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  than  Silas  L. 
Naylor,  who  has  never  wavered  in  his  support  of  the  political  organization 
vhich  has  ever  championed  reform  and  progress.  On  its  ticket  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  county  recorder  in  1899  and  his  incumbency  is 
one  which  reflects  credit  upon  the  party  and  is  proving  entirely  satisfactory 
l.j  his  constituents. 

A  native  of  Rock  Island  County,  Illinois,  he  was  born  January  12,  1860, 
and  is  of  Swiss  lineage.  A  representative  of  the  family  left  the  land  of  the 
Alps  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  New  World,  selling  his  time  for  his  passage 
to  some  English  Quakers.  The  name  was  then  spelled  Warehler,  but  as 
he  was  not  able  to  speak  his  name  so  that  the  Quaker  family  could  readily 
comprehend  it  they  called  him  Nailer,  and  thus  the  family  has  been  known 
1o  the  present  time.  Pour  generations  of  the  Naylors  have  resided  in  Penn- 
sylvania. Samuel  Naylor,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  near  Harris- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  in  1827,  and  now  resides  in  Yates  Center,  having  almost 
reached  the  seventy-fifth  milestone  on  life's  journey.  His  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Ann  Albert,  and  by  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother 
0.''  nine  children,  of  whom  seven  are  yet  living,  all  residents  of  Woodson 
County  with  the  exception  of  Samuel  H.  Naylor,  who  is  now  living  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Silas  L.  Naylor  was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth  in  his  parents' 
family,  and  spent  the  first  nine  years  of  his  life  upon  his  father's  farm  in 
Rock  Island  County,  Illinois.  He  then  came  to  Woodson  County  in  the 
year  1869  and  for  eight  years  was  a  resident  of  Liberty  township.  Since 
that  time  he  has  resided  at  intervals  in  the  city  of  Yates  Center,  the  re- 
mainder of  the  time  upon  a  farm.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  and  without  having  the  advantage  of  a  high  school  course  he  fitted 
himself  for  passing  an  examination     which     won  for  him  a  first  grade 


,S54  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

teaehei/  's  certificate.  For  eleven  years  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  in  Wood- 
son County  and  was  classed  among  the  successful  educators  in  this  part  of 
the  state.  He  has  not  only  acquired  comprehensive  knowledge,  but  has  the 
ability  to  impart  it  clearly  and  readily  to  others,  his  instruction  never  fail- 
ing to  impress  the  minds  of  the  students.  At  the  present  time  his  atten- 
tion is  given  entirely  to  his  official  duties.  He  has  not  a  blood  relation  who 
js^  not  a  Republican,  staunch  and  true,  and  in  1899  he  became  the  candidate 
of  that  party  for  the  ofBce  of  recorder  of  Woodson  County.  He  won  the 
election  by  two  hundred  and  thirty-two  vote:;,  succeeding  J.  L.  Martin  in 
the  office.  In  the  discharge  of  the  tasks  which  devolve  upon  him  he  is 
prompt  and  notably  reliably,  and  during  his  incumbency  the  public  trust 
has  never  been  betrayed  in  the  slightest  degree. 

On  the  27th.  of  ilay,  1883,  j\lr.  Naylnr  was  ignited  in  man-iage  to 
Miss  Maggie  M.  Taylor,  a  daughter  of  Heorge  W.  Taylor,  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation. He  came  to  Woodson  County  from  Iowa,  but  had  formerly  re- 
sided in  Ohio.  Four  children  grace  the  union  of  J\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Naylor,  as 
follows:  Edith  L.,  Claude  H.,  Muriel  A.  and  Johnnie  L.,  all  of  whom 
f'l-e  still  under  the  parental  roof  excepting  the  latter  who  died  June  30th., 
1900.  The  parents  have  many  friends  in  the  community.  Mr.  Naylor  is 
very  widely  known  on  account  of  his  connection  with  educational  inter- 
efts,  as  well  as  the  active  part  which  he  has  taken  in  political  affairs, 
and  wherever  he  is  known  he  is  held  in  high  regard  by  reason  of  his  sterling 
riualities  of  character  which  have  won  him  advancement  in  professional  life. 
He  is  a  man  of  marked  individuality  and  strong  character  and  is  accounted 
one  of  the  valued  residents  of  the  county  seat. 


CHARLES  H.  LANDES. 

Among  the  young  men  of  Yates  Center  whose  prominence  in  public 
affairs  and  ability  in  business  life  have  won  for  them  a  position  among 
leading  citizens  of  twice  their  years  is  Charles  H.  Landes,  an  enterprising 
and  successful  grocer  .  His  keen  discrimination,  sound  judgment,  relia- 
bility and  energy  well  qualify  him  for  the  management  of  mercantile 
iiiterests  and  his  opinions  carry  weight  in  regard  to  many  movements  and 
measures  relative  to  the  general  welfare. 

Mr.  Landes  was  born  in  Woodson  County,  on  the  7th.  of  November, 
1 8fi4.  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Isaac  S.  Landes,  anTionored  pioneer  of  this  .'sec- 
tion of  the  state,  long  connected  with  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  born 
in  Kentucky  in  1836.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  was  of  Virginian 
yiarentage.  It  was  in  the  fall  of  1859  that  Isaac  S.  Landes  came  to  Kansas, 
locating  in  Center  township,  Woodson  County.  He  came  from  Auburn. 
Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  leaving  his  home  in  August  of  that  year, 
with  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  wagon  into  which  he  loaded  his  household  effects. 
With  his  wife  and  child  he  then  started  westward,  concluding  the  trip  in 


wOODSON    CODI^TIEi.    KANSAS.  S5> 

iotir  weeks.  On  reaching  Woodson  County  he  homestt  aded  a  claim  on  fee- 
rlion  twenty-five,  township  tw-enty-four,  range  fifteen,  and  began  the  actual 
work  of  cultivating  and  improving  a  farm.  In  the  fall  of  his  arrival  he 
■erected  a  cabin  containing  one  room  and  split  the  rails  with  which  to 
fence  fifteen  acres  of  land.  His  first  crop  was  one  of  sod  corn,  which 
.yielded  him  only  one  load  of  fodder  for  that  was  the  year  of  the  excessive 
-drought— 1860.  In  his  effort  to  save  the  fodder  his  oxen  became  frightened, 
ran  away  and  scattered  the  load  over  the  priarie. 

During  the  period  of  hard  times  which  followed  the  drought,  Mr. 
liandes  provided  for  his  family  by  doing  butchering  for  the  Germans  on 
Owl  creek  and  by  freighting,  and  in  those  ways  he  earned  many  an  honest 
■dollar  which  aided  in  tiding  him  over  the  period  of  financial  depression 
iu  this  part  of  the  state.  Game  was  also  plentiful,  and  not  a  great  distance 
41  way  buffalo  could  be  secured.  Mr.  Landes  thus  killed  enough  game 
to  supply  the  table  with  meat,  and  as  the  years  passed  his  farm  became 
productive  and  his  crops  materially  increased  his  income.  He  became 
one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  his  community  and  was  widely  known  as 
a  reliable  business  man.  During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  he  belonged 
to  the  Kansas  State  militia  and  for  about  a  month  was  engaged  in  an 
-attempt  to  check  the  Rebel  General  Price  on  his  raid  against  Fort  Scott 
He  participated  in  the  famous  run  from  Moonlight's  men  who  were  thought 
to  be  Price's  men,  and  five  miles  were  covered  before  Colonel  Moonlight 
■could  call  the  fieeing  troops  back.  Mr.  Landes  also  took  an  active  part  in 
political  affairs  during  pioneer  days  in  M''ood£on  County  and  was  well 
known  for  his  support  of  Republican  principles  even  when  it  wa.s  quite 
■unpopular  to  belong  to  the  new  party. 

Mrs.  Isaac  Landes,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Christina  Shutt  and  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Shirtt.  who  is  still  a  resi- 
■dent  of  S'angamon  County.  Illinois,  where  he  has  made  his  home  since 
early  pioneer  days.  Unto  JNIr.  and  Mrs.  Landes  were  born  the  following 
named:  Sallie,  who  became  the  wife  of  J.  M.  Wolfer  (and  after  his 
death  wedded  Frank  McGinnis)  died  leaving  one  child,  Godfrey  McGinnis; 
Frank,  the  second  of  the  family,  is  also  deceased ;  Charles  H.  is  the  next 
younger;  Daniel  E.  has  also  passed  away:  Hale  is  living  in  Yates  Center; 
Ollie  is  the  wife  of  Guy  Myers,  of  AYichita.  Kansas ;  Jesfie  is  the  deceased 
wife  of  F.  M.  Finley,  and  Davis  completes  the  family. 

Charles  H.  Landes  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  his  native  county. 
His  boyhood  days  were  passed  upon  the  home  farm  and  the  sun  shown 
down  upon  many  a  field  as  he  followed  the  plow  and  planted  the  grain 
that  brought  rich  harvests  in  the  autumn.  He  pursued  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  and  later  was  a  student  in  the  Kansas  State 
Normal  School.  For  three  years  he  resided  in  Kiowa  County,  during  the 
early  period  of  its  development,  and  for  two  years  of  that  time  he  was 
agent  at  Brenham  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company. 
In  October.  1896,  he  opened  a  srocery  store  in  Yates  Center  where  he  has 


85*^  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 


s 


since  carri<;d  on  business.  He  has  a  carefully  selected  but  complete  stock  of 
laple  and  fancy  groceries  and  the  business  policy  is  such  as  to  make  those 
who  once  patronize  him  his  constant  patrons.  His  dealings  are  honorable- 
and  his  consideration  and  desire  to  please  have  won  him  continually  increas- 
iiiS  success. 

On  the  21st.  of  October.  1886,  j\lr.  Landes  was  united  in  marriage  to- 
.Miss  Bertha  Punston,  a  daughter  of  John  L.  Funston,-  of  Yates  Center, 
originally  from  Ohio.  Her  death  occurred  April  21,  1895,  and  three  chil- 
dren were  left  to  mourn  her  loss— Herbert  Koss,  Charles  Harrison  and 
Ruth  Irene,  who  reside  in  Yates  Center  with  their  father.  With  a  full 
realization  of  the  obligations  and  duties  of  citizenship  Mr.  Landes  has 
given  close  thought  to  the  cpestions  affecting  the  general  welfare  and 
his  mature  deliberation  sanctions  tbe  policy  and  principles  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  therefore  gives  to  it  his  earnest  support  and  is  a  worker 
in  its  ranks  in  Woodson  County.  For  one  year  he  was  chairman  of  the- 
county  committee  and  was  its  youngest  member.  His  ability  as  an  or- 
ganizer, his  tact  in  harmonizing  the  working  forces  and  his  keen  discern- 
ment, enabling  him  to  manage  all  affairs  etfectively,  have  made  him  a  leader 
ir;  Republican  ranks.  He  co-operates  in  all  measures  for  the  general  good 
and  for  advancement  alonu-  substantial  lines  of  progress,  and  is  an  esteemed 
rq-iresentativp  of  nnf  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of  his  county. 


FRED  HARTAVIG. 

Almost  forty-three  years  have  come  and  gone  since  Fred  Hartwig  ar- 
rived in  Woodson  County.  Casting  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers,  be- 
took up  the  work  of  making  a  home  for  himself  and  at  the  same  time 
bore  his  full  share  in  the  labor  ofprogress  and  development  in  this  section 
of  the  state.  He  aided  in  reclaiming  the  wild  land  for  purposes  of  civiliza- 
t^on  and  in  promoting  the  work  of  advancement  along  substantial  and 
beneficial  lines.  Throughout  the  decades  he  has  been  accounted  one  of  the 
valued  and  reliable  citizens  of  the  community. 

j\Ir.  Hartwig  was  born  in  Prummern,  Prussia,  on  the  8th.  of  August, 
1850.  and  is  a  sou  of  Gottlieb  and  ^linnie  (Pribbernow)  Hartwig,  the 
latter  a  sister  of  Chri^■tian  Pribbernow,  formerly  a  resident  of  Owl  Creek 
township,  AVoodson  County.  About  the  year  1856  the  parents  with  their 
children  bade  adieu  to  the  fatherland  and  crossed  the  briny  deep  to  the 
New  World,  taking  up  their  abode  in  Kane  County,  Illinois,  where  they 
made  their  home  for  a  year  and  then  came  to  Kansas,  settling  in  Woodfon 
County.  The  father  was  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Humboldt.  How- 
i-ver,  the  family  first  located  near  Leroy,  Coffey  County,  and  in  1863 
removed  to  the  German  settlement  on  Owl  creek.  The  father  resides  in 
Humboldt,  Kansas,  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  1878.  Their  chil- 
dren were :    AYilliam ;  Charles,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Ninth  Kansas  Regi- 


WOODSON  CODNTIES,  KANSAS.  857 

auent  in  the  Civil  war  and  died  at  Fort  Scott;  Amelia,  who  died  in  1863 
Pred;  Bertha,  who  was  the  wife  of  Martin  Henrichs  and  died  in  1890,  aiid 
-Henry,  who  died  in  1885. 

The  subject  of  this  review  is  therefore  the  only  surviving;  member 
of  the  family.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  and  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  throughout  the  period  of  his  minority.  In 
October,  1873,  in  Woodson  County,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Maiy 
Smith,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Smith,  who  came  to  Kansas  from  Ohio,  where 
h':  was  born.  Nine  children  have  been  born  unto  our  subject  and  his 
wife:  Louise,  now  the  wife  of  James  Leonard,  of  Woodson  County;  Wil- 
liam, who  married  Grace  A\^aymer  and  is  living  in  Woodson  County-, 
Bertha,  wife  of  INTarion  Beckett,  of  Woodson  County:  Augusta,  the  wife 
•of  Harry  Peters,  of  Rose,  Kansas ;  John,  Pearl,  Clara,  Florence  and  Hazel, 
all  at  home. 

Mr.  Hartwig  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Democracy,  voting  for 
Its  men  and  measures,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office,  preferring 
to  give  his  time  and  attention  to  his  farming  operation,  which  he  carries 
on  with  success.  His  practical  experience  well  fitted  him  for  the  conduct 
of  business  on  his  own  account,  and  throughout  his  active  career  he  has 
"been  identified  with  agricultural  interests,  deriving  his  income  from  the 
products  of  the  fields. 


ALBERT  J.  JONES. 

In  the  legal  profession,  which  embraces  many  of  the  most  brilliant 
minds  of  the  nation,  it  is  difficult  to  win  a  name  and  place  of  prominence. 
Many  aspire,  but  few  attain.  In  commercial  life  one  may  start  out  on  a 
more  (levated  plane  than  others;  he  may  enter  into  a  business  already  es- 
tablished and  carry  it  still  further  forward,  but  this  is  not  true  in  the 
case  of  the  lawyer.  He  miist  commence  at  the  initial  point,  must  plead  and 
win  li's  first  ease  and  work  bis  way  upward  by  ability,  gaining  his  I'cpiiui- 
tion  ;'nd  success  by  merit.  Persons  do  not  place  their  legal  business  in  un- 
ski  led  hands :  it  is  the  miin  of  power  before  judge  or  jury  who  comman.Ts 
pii'-'V'fl  patronage.  Of  this  class  Mr.  Jones  is  an  illustrious  type.  He  began 
"s  all  I  thers  do  in  the  practice  of  law.  and  his  present  promiuonoe  has 
cnme  to  him  as  the  reward  of  earnest  endeavor,  fidelity  to  trust  an,'  recog- 
niyfd  a'-i-.lity. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  Warren  Coiinty.  Indiana,  June  10,  1857,  and  is 
V  son  of  William  Jones,  a  farmer,"  who  became  a  resident  of  Indiana  in  his 
boyhood.  William  Jones  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1827  and  after  arriving  at 
years  of  ma+urity  he  married  Martha  S.  Tyler,  a  daughter  of  Parker  Tyler, 
who  removed  from  Massachusetts  to  the  Hoosier  state.  In  1866  William 
Jfnes  left  Indiana  and  came  to  the  west,  settling  near  ttarnett,  Kansas, 
whence  he  afterward  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Geneva,  Kansas.     At  the 


S5,S  HlSl'uk?    OR  ALLKa'    ai-jd 

present  time  he  is  residing  in  Yates  Center.  His  childnn  are:  Anna  A.^ 
wife  of  Thomas  L.  ^lix.  who  resides  near  Osborn,  jNIissouri;  Albert  J.; 
Eva  L.,  wife  of  William  Harned,  of  Crawford  County,  Kansas,  and  Wilber 
S.,  of  AYellston,  Oklahoma. 

Since  1869  Mr.  Jones  of  this  review  has  resided  in  southeastern  Kan- 
sas. He  attended  the  common  schools  and  then  pursued  a  full  course  in  the* 
State  Normal,  at  Emporia,  where  he  was  graduated.  He  met  the  expenses  of 
hii-j  normal  course  by  teaching  and  for  thirteen  years  he  followed  that  pro- 
fession, becoming  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  capable  instructors 
in  this  portion  of  the  state.  He  was  principal  of  the  schools  of  Kinsley  for 
one  year,  of  Toronto  for  a  similar  "period  and  of  Neosho  Falls  for  three- 
years.  Prominent  and  successful  in  educational  work,  he  conducted  several- 
teachers'  institutes,  has  been  a  member  of  the  county  examining  board  for 
fight  years  and  has  also  been  president  of  the  County  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion. 

jlr.  Jones  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1890,  and  has  steadily  advanced 
in  his  profession,  having  long  since  left  the  ranks  of  the  many  to  stand 
among  the  successful  few.  A  local  .journal  said  of  him  :  "Among  the  legal 
fraternity  in  this  .judicial  district  no  one  is  more  favorably  known  than  A. 
■I.  Jones.  His  private  and  professional  career  has  been  such  as  to  inspire 
the  fullest  confidence  in  his  trus'-worthiness  and  ability.  His  practice  is  a 
general  one  and  a  specialty  is  made  of  probate  law,  in  which,  from  wide- 
experience  he  is  highly  proficient.  He  has  practiced  in  the  appellate  and 
supreme  courts  in  the  United  States  courts  and  in  the  departments  at 
iVashington.  An  important  feature  of  his  practice  is  the  drawing  up  of 
papers  and  correct  legal  counsel  in  which  his  marked  ability  is  recognized."' 

A  s^-aunch  and  reliable  Republican  Mr.  Jones  labors  zealously  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  his  party.  He  has  been  called  to  various  public 
offices,  wherein  he  has  demonstrated  his  public-spirit  by  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  duty.  For  two  terms  he  has  held  the  office  of  probate  judge 
and  for  one  term  he  was  county  attorney.  In  the  first  named  office,  every 
one  of  his  decisions  which  were  appealed  were  affirmed  by  the  higher 
courts,  and  as  county  attorney  his  work  was  equally  as  thorough,  reflecting 
credit  upon  himself  and  his  constituents.  At  the  present  time  h'e  is  serving 
as  city  clerk  and  as  ci+y  attorney  of  Yates  Cen'^er.  He  has  also  been 
chajrman  of  the  Republican  county  central  committee,  and  at  all  times 
is  active  in  the  interests  of  his  party. 

On  the  12th.  of  September,  1882,  Mr.  Jones  wedded  IMiss  Minnie  B. 
Smith,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  N.  J.  M.  Smith  and  Sarah  J.  Smith,  who  came 
to  the  west  from  Virginia.  Mrs.  Jones  is  one  of  a  family  of  six  children,  and 
by  her  marriage  she  has  two  children :  Zelle  JM.,  born  June  14,  1892,  and 
Doris,  born  INIarch  Ifi.  1 896.  In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Jones  is  a  Knight  of 
Pythias  and  an  Odd  Fellow.  He  is  aho  identified  with  the  military  in- 
tpipc;+R  of  the  state,  being  second  lieutenant  of  company  L,  First  Regiment 
of  the  Kansas  National  Guard,  appointed  by  Governor  Stanley.    He  is  one 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,.  KANSAS.  S59 

of  the  crack  marksmen  of  the  company,  as  his  score  at  target  practice  re- 
veals. In  a  summary  of  the  life  record  of  JMr.  Jones  these  qualities  stand 
conspicuously  forth:  Fidelity  to  his  clients'  interests  in  the  profession  of 
the  law ;  promptness  in  the  discharge  of  official  duties ;  correctness  in 
military  tactics  and  absolute  obedience  to  military  regulations;  loyally 
fraternal  principles  and  devotion  to  family  and  friends. 


G.  A.  LAUDE. 

For  almost  twenty  years  G.  A.  Laude  has  resided  in  Perry  township, 
Woodson  County,  upon  the  farm  which  is  yet  his  home,  and  has  become 
one  of  the  leading  stock  dealers  of  the  community,  doing  a  large  business. 
He  is  a  western  man  by  birth  and  throughout  his  life  has  been  in  touch  with 
the  progressive  and  determined  spirit  of, this  section  of  the  country.  He 
was  born  near  Dubuque.  Iowa,  October  13,  1860,  a  son  of  G.  F.  Laude,  a 
native  of  JMontbellaird,  France,  who  when  thirty-flve  years  of  age  came 
to  the  United  States,  first  locating  in  Oswego  County,  New  York,  where  he 
remained  until  the  early  '50s,  when  he  emigrated  westward,  taking  up  his 
abode  in  Dubuque  County,  Iowa.  His  mother  was  born  in  Germany  and 
at  six  years  of  age,  with  her  parents,  came  to  the  United  States  locating  in 
Oswego  County,  New  York.  The  father  of  our  subject  died  in  1875,  and  his 
m.other  passed  away  in  April,  1893,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  Mr. 
Iiaude  has  one  brother,  Chas.  A.,  of  Kansas  City,  and  two  sisters,  Mrs.  J. 
B.  Vanter  and  Mrs.  Carrie  L.  Turner,  both  of  Girard,  Kansas;  also  a  niece 
Ella  L.  Houck,  whose  parents  died  when  she  was  two  years  old  and  who  has 
since  lived  with  his  family. 

Upon  a  farm  in  Moniteau  County,  Missouri,  Gus  Laude  was  raised, 
there  spending  fifteen  years.  He  attended  the  graded  schools  of  California, 
that  state,  except  two  years,  which  was  spent  in  a  German  school.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  started  out  upon  his  business  career  by  dealing  in  horses 
and  mules  on  a  small  scale,  but  has  since  followed  that  pursuit  and  is  now 
one  of  the  most  extensive  representatives  of  the  business  in  Woodson 
County,  dealing  exclusively  in  Mules,  buying  and  selling  first  class  stock 
at  any  time.  On  coming  to  this  county  in  1882  he  located  on  the  farm  where 
he  has  resided  continuously  since  with  the  exception  of  a  brief  period  spent 
in  merchandising  in  Lockwood,  Missouri.  He  purchased  here  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  raw  land  on  sections  eighteen  and  nineteen,  Perry  town- 
ship and  his  labors  were  at  once  directed  toward  its  development  and  culti- 
vation. Nature  is  bountiful  in  her  gifts  and  in  return  for  the  care  bestowed 
upon  the  fields  yielded  to  him  good  harvests,  so  that  he  sained  therefrom  a 
comfortable  competence,  largely  increased  by  his  sales  of  horses  and  mules. 

In  California,  Missouri,  on  the  16th  of  April,  1884,  wjis  performed  a 
wedding  ceremony  which  united  the,  destinies  of  Mr.  Laude  and  Miss  Ettie 
]\ieyer,  "a  daughter  of  G.  H.  Meyer,  who  came  from  Germany  to  the  United 


86o  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

States  when  a  small  boy.  The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  has 
been  blessed  with  one  daughter,  Florence;  and  six  sons;  Hilmer,  Martin, 
Herbert,  Chester,  Clay  and  Ernest.  In  political  affiliatijns  the  Laudes  were 
originally  Republicans  and  our  subject  supported  that  party  until  1888, 
when  he  voted  for  Streator,  since  which  time  he  has  been  active  in  support 
of  the  People's  party.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  sixth  Missouri  District  Populist  Central  Committee  and 
uf:ed  his  position  to  aid  in  securing  the  election  of  DeArmond  to  congress. 
Since  coming  to  Woodson  County  he  has  also  done  everything  in  his  power 
to  promote  the  cause  of  the  party  he  espouses.  The  cause  of  education  finds 
in  him  a  warm  friend  and  his  labors  in  behalf  of  the  schools  have  been 
practical  and  effective.  He  has  frequently  written  for  the  press  on  this  and 
o1her  subjects.  He  is  a  member  and  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  United 
Brethren  church  at  Maple  Grove,  and  is  ever  found  on  the  side  of  progress, 
reform  and  improvement  in  all  walks  of  life. 


GEORGE  R.  STEPHENSON. 

In  no  profession  is  there  a  career  more  open  to  talent  than  in  that  of 
the  law,  and  in  no  field  of  endeavor  is  there  demanded  a  more  careful  prep- 
aration, a  more  thorough  appreciation  of  the  absolute  ethics  of  life,  or  of 
the  underlying  principles  which  form  the  basis  of  all  human  rights  and 
privileges.  Unflagging  application  and  intuitive  wisdom  and  a  determina- 
tion to  fully  utilize  the  means  at  hand,  are  the  concomitants  which  insure 
personal  success  and  prestige  in  this  great  profession  which  stands  as  the 
stern  conservator  of  justice;  and  it  is  one  which  none  should  enter  without 
a  recognition  of  the  obstacles  to  be  overcome  and  the  battles  to  be  won, 
for  success  does  nOt  perch  on  the  falchion  of  every  person  who  enters  the 
competitive  fray,  but  comes  only  as  the  direct  result  of  capability.  Posses- 
sing all  the  requisite  qualities  of  the  able  lawyer,  George  R.  Stephenson  is 
new  an  honored  and  prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  Woodson  County,  re- 
siding in  Yates  Center. 

A  native  of  Geauga  County,  Ohio,  Mr.  Stephenson  was  born  in  1851, 
and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  colonial  families.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  the  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Stephenson,  was  a  descendant  of  one 
oJ  the  members  of  the  "Boston  tea  party."  James  E.  Stephenson,  the' father 
or  our  subject,  was  born  on  Staten  Island,  New  York,  in  1819,  and  in  1825, 
v,-fcen  a  child  ,became  a  resident  of  Geauga  County,  Ohio.  He  now  resides 
in  Chardon,  that  state.  He  followed  merchandising  during  much  of  his  ac- 
tive business  career,  but  after  attaining  the  age  of  fifty-five  years  he  studied 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  becoming  a  successful  legal  practitioner. 
During  the  war  he  served  as  a  draft  commissioner.  His  M'ife,  Lavinlia 
Stephenson,  was  born  in  Geauga  County,  Ohio,  in  1819,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  Lebbeus  Norton,  who  located  in  that  county  at  a  very  early  day.    He  was 


WOODSON  CODNTIEf).  KANSAS.  86  T 

a  native  of  Killingsworth,  Connecticut,  born  in  1788.  Unto  Mr.  and  IMrs. 
yteplienson  were  born  four  children:  James  P.,  a  minister  of  the  gospel 
who  is  now  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Baptist  College,  in  Des  Moines, 
Iowa ;  Herbert  N.,  who  is  now  connected  with  a  banking  house  in  Minnea- 
polis, Minnesota;  George  R.,  and  Charles  F.,  who  resides  in  Chardon,  Ohio. 

In  the  schools  of  his  native  state  Mr.  Stephenson  of  this  review  ac- 
quired his  education  and  later  studied  law  in  the  office  of  his  father.  Ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  he  practiced  for  one  year  in  Chardon  before  coming  to 
Kansas,  but  since  July  18,  1879,  he  has  resided  in  Yates  Center,  and  has 
won  distinction  as  an  attorney  in  the  county  seat,  nor  is  his  reputation 
limited  by  the  confines  of  Woodson  County  for  he  is  one  of  the  recognized 
leaders  among  the  legal  fraternity  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  his  re- 
markable success  in  the  higher  courts  has  demonstrated  his  ability  as  a 
pleader  and  given  evidence  of  his  profound  knowledge  of  the  law.  He  is 
noted  as  a  lawmaker  and  in  the  celebrated  case  of  Brig'gs  versus  the  Chicago, 
Kansas  &  "Western  Railroad  Company  he  established  a  precedent  that  when 
railways  acquire  a  right  of  way  over  mortgaged  land  by  deed  from  the 
owner  of  the  fee  and  the  same  is  sold  under  the  mortgage,  the  sale  in- 
cludes all  improvements  placed  on  said  property  by  the  said  railroad  com- 
pany prior  to  the  sale. 

While  a  strong  Republican  at  all  times  and  active  in  the  interests  of 
his  party,  Mr.  Stephenson's  legal  ability  and  integrity  were  such  as  to 
overcome  all  political  prejudice  and  he  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace 
by  Governor  Glick  which  is  an  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  esteem  in  which 
he  is  held  regardles"  of  his  political  affiliations.  In  1893  he  was  appointed 
receiver  of  the  Woodson  State  Bank.  The  fact  that  his  bond  for  fifty 
thousand  dollars  was  readily  signed  by  fifty  sureties  in  a  time  of  universal 
financial  distress  showed  clearly  the  confidence  reposed  in  his  business  in- 
tegrity. In  his  practice  he  is  particularly  prominent  and  fortunate,  fortu- 
nate because  of  his  pronounced  ability,  his  thorough  understanding  of  the 
principles  of  jurisprudence  and  the  correctness  with  which  he  applies  the 
li)w  to  the  points  in  litigation. 

In  December,  1878,  Mr.  Stephenson  married  Miss  Maria  L.  Peter,  a 
daughter  of  Edward  Peter,  of  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio.  She  died  in  Sep- 
tember, 1887,  leaving  three  children:  Bertha  S.,  James  E.  and  Oliver  H. 
In  October,  1888  Mr.  Stephenson  was  again  married,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Mrs.  Laura  Carpenter,  widow  of  George  D.  Carpenter,  who  was 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Woodson  County  in  the  early  epoch  of  her 
history.  The  second  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Emporia,  Kansas,  and 
has  been  blessed  with  one  son,  George  E. 

In  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  Stephensons  were  Whigs, 
but  since  1856  representatives  of  the  name  have  supported  Republican  prin- 
ciples and  since  casting  his  first  vote  for  General  Grant  our  subject  has  de- 
posited a  ballot  for  each  presidential  nominee  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
now  gives  the  greater  part  of  his  time  to  his  legal  practice  which  extends 


862  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

to  all  the  courts  of  the  state  and  is  of  a  distinctively  representative  char- 
acter and  involves  many  important  interests.  He  is  a  man  of  unquestioned 
honesty  of  purpose,  despising  all  unworthy  means  to  secure  success  in  any 
undertaking  or  for  any  purpose,  or  to  promote  his  own  advancement  in  any 
direction,  whether  political  or  otherwise. 


J.  H.  STICKER. 

J.  H.  STICHER,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Yates  Cen- 
ter, has  been  a  resident  of  AVoodson  County  since  August,  1871.  He  was 
born  in  Brunswick,  Germany,  on  the  27th.  of  November,  1846.  His  father 
was  a  mnufacturer  of  liarometers  and  thermometers  and  his  trade  ex- 
tended over  the  greater  part  of  the  German  empire.  He  had  four  sons 
and  four  daughters,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  review  is  the  eldest.  The 
one  living  brother  is  Frederick,  who  resides  at  Cairo,  Illinois.  One  sister, 
Mrs.  Dora  Kassebaum,  is  living  in  Clay  County,  Kansas. 

During  his  boyhood  Mr.  Sticher  of  this  review  acquired  a  good  educa- 
tion in  Germany.  He  was  a  student  in  the  high  school  when  he  was  in- 
duced to  come  to  the  United  States  in  1863.  Making  preparations  to  leave 
friends  and  native  land,  he  sailed  across  the  broad  Atlantic  and  arrived 
at  New  York  city  on  the  1st.  of  March  of  that  year,  making  his  way  thence 
t.i  Cairo,  Illinois,  where  he  learned  the  baker's  and  confectioner's  trade. 
He  was  in  Alemphis,  Tennessee,  in  1866  and  the  year .1867  was  spent  in  St. 
Louis,  Missouri.  In  1868  he  became  a  resident  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
where  he  resided  for  two  years  following  his  chosen  occupation.  From  that 
place  he  came  to  AVoodson  County  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Neosho  Falls, 
where  for  ten  years  he  conducted  a  grocery  and  confectionery  business.  He 
was  associated  with  C.  B.  Graves  and  H.  D.  Dickson  in  a  social  way  at 
Neosho  Falls.  Through  their  influence  he  was  induced  to  take  up  the  study 
of  law.  He  began  his  reading  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Dickson  and 
when  he  had  mastered  many  of  the  principles  of  .jurirprudence  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  Burlington,  Kansas,  in  the  fall  of  1880,  before  Judge 
Payton.  Soon  afterward  he  embarked  in  practice  and  his  first  case  involved 
the  ownership  of  a  calf  and  settled  a  disputed  point  concerning  property. 
In  the  fall  of  1888  he  was  elected  county  attorney  in  which  capacity  he 
served  for  two  years.  He  was  then  nominated  for  re-election  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  but  o^ving  to  the  political  revolution  movement  he  was  de- 
feated. By  appointment,  he  has  served  as  city  attorney  and  city  clerk  of 
Yates  Center  for  four  years  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  justice 
ef  the  peace.  He  has  a  large  practice  of  a  representative  character  and  his 
mental  qualities,  natural  and  acquired  ability,  have  made  him  a  leading 
member  of  the  AYoodson  County  bar. 

On  the  11th.  of  September,  1871,  Mr.  Sticher  was  united  in  marriage 
ti.  iliss  Katie  Dulinsky,  whose  father  was  a  Polish  Prussian  and  was  killed 


■WaODBON    COUNTIES.   KANSAS.  'SC'j, 

?i  1  Quantrell's  raid  at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  in  1863.  tJnto  our  subject  and  Ms 
wife  have  been  born  the  following  named:  Charles  H.,  who  is  with  the 
^Missouri  Pacific  Eailroad  Company  as  telegraph  operator,  and  married  Ger- 
trude "VVeckely;  Henry  C,  a  printer,  and  Dora.  Mr.  Sticher  is  a  Eoyal 
.x\rch  Mason.  For  thirty  years  lie  has  been  a  member  of  the  fraternity  and 
has  occupied  nearl}^  all  of  the  official  poations  in  the  lodge  and  chapter. 
He  is  well  informed  on  the  tenets  of  the  order  and  his  record  is  that  he  is 
■«ne  of  the  most  proficient  Masons  in  southern  Kansas, 


s.  CtRant  keck. 

Among ,  the  younger  business  m«n  of  Yates  Center  is  numbered  S, 
-Grant  Keck,  a  member  of  the  well  known  mercantile  firm  of  Keek  &  Young. 
He  was  born  in  Loogootee,  Martin  County,  Indiana,  on  the  30th  of  May, 
1868,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  A.  and  Jane  Keck.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
■our  subject  fl'as  Philip  Keck,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  founded  the  family 
in  the  United  jStates.  His  son,  A.  A.  Kex;k,  was  born  in  Martin  County, 
Ind.,  in  1838,  and  married  Miss  Jane  McArter.  In  1880  he  came  with  his 
family  to  AYoodson  County  and  was  afterward  elected  and  served  as  sheriff 
•here. 

S.  Grant  Keck,  his  fourth  child,  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the  home 
■farm,  working  in  the  field  from  the  time  of  early  spring  planting  until 
;after  the  crops  Avere  gathered  in  the  autumn.  The  public  schools  afforded 
him  his  educational  privileges  in  addition  to  two  years  in  the  Kansas  Normal 
-College  at  Ft.  Scott,  and  when  his  school  days  were  ended  he  followed 
farming  for  seven  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  Toronto,  in  October, 
1899,  and  was  there  engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  also  dealing  in  hay. 
It  1900  he  came  to  Yates  Cen+er  and  has  since  carried  on  business  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Keek  &  Young,  the  partnership  having  heen  formed 
in  1898. 

In  October,  1892,  in  Yates  Center,  Mr.  Keck  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  May  Baker,  a  daughter  of  B.  P.  Baker,  of  this  place.  Two  children 
■grace  their  union :  Cecil  B.  and  Charles.  The  parents  enjoy  the  warm 
regard  of  many  friends  and  their  own  home  is  celebrated  for  its  hospitality. 
"Socially  Mr.  Keck  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and 
he  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  RepuMican  party,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to 
■devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  in  which  be  is  meeting  with 
tcreditable  success. 


JOSEPPI  A.  HALE. 

Pew  of  the  residents  of  Woodson  County  have  so  long  resided  within* 
.its  borders  as  Joseph  Allen  Hale  who  came  hither  in  July  1866.    His  name 


.S6-f  FrisroKY  of  allen  aint? 

hi  asscifiateci  with  progress  along  intellectual,  social,  moral  and  material 
Unes,  As  a  worthy  citizen  he  is  widely  acknowledged  by  all  who  know 
him.  He  was  born  in  Maine,  November  15,  1836,  his  parents  being  Aaron 
and  Hannah  (Kenney)  Hale,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree 
state.  His  grandfather.  Dr.  Hale,  resided  in  the  city  of  New  Sharron^ 
Franklin  County,  Alaine,  and  the  family  were  probably  residents  of  that 
state  at  the  time  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  The  Kenneys  were  also  a 
prominent  family  then-  at  an  early  date  and  Charles  Kenney,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Subsequently  he 
it'moved  to  Lake  County,  Indiana,  where  he  died  in  1857.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Deborah  Rollins.  Aaron  Hale,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
.ject.  was  born  in  1810  and  died  in  1898.  His  youth  was  spent  upon  a  farm 
and  when  he  had  attained  to  years  of  maturity  he  married  Miss  Hannah 
Kenney,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  about  1830.  In  1837  he  left  the 
:tate  of  his  nativity  and  with  his  family  removed  to  a  farm  in  Lake  County, 
Indiana.  The  land  on  which  he  settled  was  then  wild  and  unimproved,  but 
his  labors  in  the  course  of  years  wrought  a  great  transformation  and  the 
place  became  a  very  attractive  and  valuable  one.  In  his  family  were  ten 
children :  Deborah,  -sdio  became  the  wife  of  Richard  Fuller,  by  whom  she 
h,id  a  large  family,  but  is  now  deceased;  Joseph  of  this  review;  Laura 
,\nn,  the  wife  of  Philander  Hart,  of  AVoodson  County;  Holbrook,  who 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  while  sei'ving  his  country  as  a  member  of 
the  Ninth  Indiana  infantry;  James  E.,  a  contractor  and  builder,  who 
served  in  the  Seventy-third  Indiana  infantiy  and  now  resides  in  Chicago  j 
Jerry  M.,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Indiana 
infantry  and  is  now  living  in  Lowell,  Indiana ;  Charles,  a  practicing  phy- 
sician of  Revenna,  Nebraska ;  Nettie,  the  wife  of  Charles  Henderson,  of 
Chicago;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Clinton  Shupe,  also  of  Chicago,  and  Hannah, 
who  is  the  wife  of  M^illiam  Bigbee,  a  resident  of  Clearwater,  Kansas. 

Upon  the  home.'tead  farm  in  Lake  County,  Indiana.  Mr.  Hale  of  this 
review  was  reared  and  in  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  he  acquired  his 
education.  He  was  married  in  Lake  County  on  the  11th.  of  December,  1861, 
1o  Miss  Julia  MeCann,  a  daughter  of  Aaron  jMcCann,  who  was  a  farmer  of 
that  locality  whither  he  had  removed  from  New  York;  Mrs.  Hale  was 
born  in  Alichigan,  September  28,  1842,  and  by  her  marriage  became  the 
inother  of  the  following  named  children:  James  H..  the  eldest,  who  is  a 
resident  of  Pawnee,  Oklahoma,  and  wedded  Mary  AVright.  He  served  as  a 
representative  to  the  lower  house  of  legislature,  being  a  member  of  the 
session  of  1887-8.  Jennie  L.  is  the  wife  of  George  Bideau,  of  Buifalo, 
where  he  occupies  the  position  as  principal  of  the  public  schools;  Charles 
A.,  who  is  cashier  of  the  Commercial  State  Bank  at  Yates  Center,  and  mar- 
ried Clara  Hisey;  Clarence  Hale,  who  married  Olive  Cullison.  and  is  now 
with  the  firm  of  Lewis  &  Son,  hardware  merchants  of  Garnett,  Kansas, 
.with  whom  he  has  been  associated  in  business  since  1899.  Joseph  A.  Hale 
'came  to  the  west  in  1866  in  company  with  a  colony  of  half  dozen  families. 


WOOrrSON    CO-UNTIES.  KANSAS.  '865 

He  l)elievecl  that  he  might  better  his  condition  in  a  state  where  the  settlers 
were  not  so  numerous  and  he  secured  a  claim  seven  miles  south  of  Yates 
■Center.  AA'ith  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment of  his  land  and  as  the  years  passed  he  added  to  his  property  until  his 
farm  comprised  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  constituting  a  very  valuahk 
tract.  In  1897,  however,  he  left  the  farm,  taking  up  his  ahode  in  Yates 
'Center  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  is  now  vice  jsresident  of  the  Com- 
mercial State  Bank  and  also  a  member  of  its  board  of  directors.  His  ac- 
tivity in  former  years  in  the  line  of  agricultural  pursuits  brought  to  him 
<i  handsome  competence  that  now  enables  him  to  live  practically  retired  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  well  deserved  rest.  Although  he  was  reared  in  the 
Democratic  faith,  he  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and 
has  since  been  a  stalwart  Republican.  Since  1862  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Freewill  Baptist  cluirch  and  in  1880  began  preaching  as  a  minister  of 
that  denomination.  His  influence- has  ever  been  given  in  support  of  meas- 
ures calculated  to  prove  of  general  good  and  to  uplift  his  fellow  men.  In 
all  life's  relations  he  has  been  true  to  honorable  principles  and  to  every 
trust  reposed  in  him.  And  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact 
entertain  for  him  the  highest  regard  by  reason  of  his  genuine  worth  ■'' 
character. 


CHARLES  S.  SAFERITE. 

Few  of  the  residents  of  AVoodson  County  have  been  longer  connected 
v.'ith  this  portion  of  the  ptate  than  Charles  S.  Saferite,  who  has  made  his 
home  in  this  locality  for  forty-two  years.  He  was  but  a  babe  when  brought 
t'j  Kansas  by  his  parents,  his  hirth  having  occurred  in  Hendricks  County, 
Indiana,  October  22,  1858.  His  father,  Afa  Saferite,  was  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  and  when  a  young  man  emigrated  to  Indiana,  where  he  met 
and  married  Miss  Nancy  Berryman,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  was  familiar 
with  several  lines  of  mechanical  work,  being  a  miller,  millwright,  carpenter 
and  cabinet-maker  and  his  efficiency  in  those  directions  enabled  him  to 
provide  well  for  his  family.  In  1859.  he  came  with  wife  and  children  to 
Kansas,  settling  first  in  Leroy  where  he  lived  for  12  years.  O.n  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  removed  to  Neosho  Palls,  where  he  died  in  1884,  at 
the  age  of  54  years.  His  wife  still  survives  him,  and  is  living  in  Neosho 
P'^alls,  at  the  age  of  ^ixty  years. 

Charles  S.  Saferite  is  the  second  child  and  eldest  son  in  their  family 
of  six  children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living.  He  was  only  a  year  old  when 
brought  to  Kansas,  where  he  has  since  resided,  being  one  of  the  honored 
pioneers  of  AA'oodson  County.  He  acquired  a  common  school  education  and 
from  the  age  of  13  yeai's  was  reared  upon  a  farm.  He  remained  with  his 
parents  until  twenty  years  of  age  and  then  went  to  Colorado,  where  he 
spent  a  year  in  viewing  the  state,  after  which  he  returned  to  Woodson 
County. 


i-:'66  MrsroE?  of  allex  and 

On  the  10th  of  February,  18S0,  ilr.  Saferite  was  united  in  marriagt? 
to  ^liss  Susan  ;\IcDaniel,  and  then  rented  a  farm  which  he  continued  to' 
cultivate  for  four  years.  AYith  the  money  he  had  acquired  through  the 
rales  of  crops  in  that  time,  he  then  purchased  one  hundred  acres  of  timber 
land  on  the  bank  of  the  river  a  mile  above  Neosho  Falls,  and  by  untiring 
labor  and  capable  management  transformed  it  into  a  very  desirable  farm. 
He  began  raising  potatoes  and  corn  and  now  has  in  cultivation  upon  that 
farm  seventy  acres  of  land.  In  1896  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  forty 
acri^s  a  half  mile  ea  :t  of  his  first  place,  and  therefore  today  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  rich  bottom  land  which  never  fails  to  yield  a  crop. 
He  plan'is'corn,  wheat  and  potatoes  and  annually  gathers  good  harvests. 
He  is  also  successfully  engaged  in  raising  hogs.  When  he  started  upon 
an  independent  business  career  he  had  only  thirty-five  dollars  and  a  mule 
team ;  today  he  owns  a  very  fine  farm  and  is  accounted  one  of  the  well-to-do- 
r'itizens  of  the  community. 

The  lady  who  now  bears  the  name  of  ^Irs.  Saferite  is  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia and  in  1869,  she  accompanied  her  mother  to  Illinois,  whence  they 
came  to  Kansas  in  1875.  Her  father,  Alford  JMcDaniel,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia  and  was  killed  in  the  Civil  war  at  the  battle  of  Sharpsbiirg,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1862.  after  serving  for  one  year.  The  mother  afterward  removed 
westward  with  her  children  and  died  in  AYoodson  County  in  1880.  Mrs. 
Saferite  was  a  maiden  of  six+een  summers  when  she  came  to  Kansas  and 
here  she  has  jince  resided.  By  her  marriage,  she  has  become  the  mother  of 
nine  children:  Ira  Asa,  Jennie  May,  Lee  Alford,  Iva  Etta,  Ray  George, 
Ada  Ellen.  Roy  Charles,  Ida  Susan  and  Ola  Malinda.  The  family  circle 
yet  remains  unbroken  by  the  hand  of  death,  and  the  children  are  all  under 
the  parental  roof. 

ilr.  Saferite  is  a  member  of  the  ^Modern  AYoodmen  of  America,  the 
A.ncient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  the  National  Aid  Association  and  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Knights  of  Pythias,  all  of  Neoslio 
Falls'.  In  his  political  sentiments  he  is  a  Freesilver  Republican.  There 
have  been  no  exciting  chapters  in  his  career,  biit  a  steadfa-^tness  of  purpose 
has  enabled  him  to  overcome  all  dilBeulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path  and 
advance  steadily  toward  the  goal  of  prosperity.  His  example  in  this  respect 
1';  certainly  a  commendable  one,  for  the  course  he  has  followed  has  ever  been 
in  harmony  with  upright  business  principles.  As  a  pioneer  settler  he  also 
deserves  mention  in  this  volume  for  he  has  witnessed  the  growth  and  devel- 
opment of  the  county  from  the  primitive  period,  has  seen  the  great  trans- 
formation wrought  as  the  district  has  been  settled  by  a  thriving  and  con- 
tented people  and  has  felt  a  commendable  pride  in  its  advancement. 


CLINTON  A.  AVOODRUFP. 

American  history  has  a  new  chapter  in  its  war  record,  for  in  the 
Closing  years  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  supremacy  of  American  arms 


WOODSON    COCNTIES,    KANSAS.  867 

was  established  in  the  West  Indies  and  in  the  Philippines,  and  one  of  the 
old  powers  of  Europe  and  the  insurgents  of  the  Orient  had  to  acknowledge 
the  supremacy  of  the  progress,  might  and  civilization  of  the  great  republic 
of  the  new  world.  Among  thore  who  fought  to  sustain  the  dignity  of  the 
stars  and  stripes  in  the  Philippines,  was  numbered  Clintoh  A.  Woodrufl^, 
who  is  now  capably  serving  as  clerk  of  the  district  court  in  AYoodson 
county. 

He  was  born  in  this  county,  August  29,  1874,  a  son  of  Abraham  T. 
Woodriiff,  one  of  the  well  known  and  prominent  farmers  of  the  community. 
He  came  to  Woodson  County  in  1869,  locating  in  Center  township,  on  sec- 
tion thirty,  township  twenty-five,  range  sixteen,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
In  addition  to  agricultural  pursuits  he  has  also  followed  carpentering.  He 
came  to  the  West  from  Paulding,  Ohio,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  that 
state  in  1833.  He  acquired  a  meager  education,  served  an  apprenticeship 
to  the  carpen'^er's  trade  and  for  several  years  was  engaged  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  Ohio  rta'"e  canal  as  a  mechanic.  He  was  married  in  Ohio 
to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Kretzsinger.  of  Pennsylvania-German  stock,  and  in  1869, 
he  came  across  the  country  to  Kansas  with  his  family.  There  are  nine 
children:  Charles  H.,  a  resident  of  Columbus,  Ohio;  John  P.,  of  Kendal- 
ville,  Indiana;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  J.  Ragle,  of  lola,  Kansas;  James  P.,  of 
Woodson  County ;  Albert,  of  Geneva,  Kansas ;  Will  A.,  also  of  lola ;  Clin- 
ton A. ;    Hattie  M.,  and  Frank. 

Reared  in  his  native  county,  Clinton  A.  Woodruff  attended  the  common 
schools  and  in  1894  entered  the  Kansas  State  Normal,  where  he  spent 
nearly  two  years.  He  had  intended  to  engage  in  teaching,  but  circumstances 
caused  him  to  change  his  plans.  In  May,  1898,  he  enlisted  in  Leroy,  Kansas, 
as  a  member  of  Company  E.  Twentieth  Kansas  Volunteers,  for  service  in 
the  Spanish  American  war.  The  regiment  went  into  camp  at  Topeka,  and 
H'ence  was  ordered  to  San  Francisco,  where  it  remained  for  several  months, 
leaving  port  in  October  for  the  Philippines  and  arriving  at  Manilla  Bay 
on  the  30th  of  November,  the  voyage  being  made  on  the  Indiana.  jNIr. 
Woodruff  participated  in  all  the  engagements  with  his  command  from  the 
time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  trouble  on  the  4th  of  February  until  the  last 
engagement  of  the  regiment  at  San  Fernando.  The  troops  were  then 
ordered  back  to  Manilla  about  the  26th  of  June,,  and  on  board  the  transport 
Tartar,  returned  to  San  Francisco,  by  -vvay  of  Hong  Kong  and  Tokahama. 
In  October  the  Tartar  reached  the  Golden  Gate,  and  on  the  2d  of  November 
the  Twentie'"h  arrived  in  Topeka  to  there  meet  with  a  noted  reception.  Mr. 
Woodrutf  was  honorably  discharged  at  San  Francisco,  and  arrived  at  home 
on  the  3d  of  November,  1899. 

He  devoted  his  time  to  the  work  of  the  farm  until  the  25th  of  June, 
]  900,  when  he  was  nominated  for  the  position  of  clerk  of  the  district  court, 
aiTd  beino'  elected  by  a  handsome  majority  of  three  hundred  and  eighteen, 
he  entered  upon  his  duties  January  14,  1901,  so  that  he  is  the  present 
incumbent.  He  is  a  young  man  of  sterling  worth,  reliable,  faithful  and  popu- 
lar, and  will  no  doubt  prove  a  most  efficient  officer. 


868  HISTORY    OF   ALLEN    AND 

LOMANDO  P.  PIERCE. 

That  Mr.  Pierce  is  numbered  among  the  upbuilders  of  the  county  is 
indicated  by  the  fact  that  one  of  its  thriving  villages  has  been  named  in 
his  honor.  Th&  town  of  Lomando  practically  is  a  monument  to  his  enter- 
prising spirit  and  its  commercial  activity  has  been  largely  brought  about 
through  his  efforts'. 

Almost  half  the  wealth  of  the  continent  now  separates  Mr.  Pierce 
from  his  birthplace,  for  he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in 
Lierryville,  Sullivan  County,  New  York,  March  20,  ly.i2.  His  father, 
Robert  H.  Pierce,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  when  a  young  man  went 
tf'  N(  w  York,  v.'here  he  met  and  married  Amy  E.  Matthew^-,  a  native  of  the 
Empire  state.  In  1856  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Ottawa,  Illinois, 
where  he  worked  at  the  trades  of  a  miller  and  millwright,  following  those 
pursuits  from  early  manhood  until  1884  when  he  removed  to  Kansas,  taking 
up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  which  he  purchased,  six  miles  east  of  Yates  Center. 
There  he  died  in  June,  1889,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years,  while  his  wife, 
who  still  survives  him,  now  resides  with  her  son,  our  sub.iect,  in  the  to\^•n 
of  Lomando. 

Lomando  P.  Pierce  was  only  eight  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Joliet,  Will  County,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  for  about 
20  years.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  entered  the  employ  of  S.  0.  Simons,  a  grocery  merchant,  in 
whose  store  he  remained  as  bookkeeper  and  manager  for  seven  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  accepted  the  position  of  bookkeeper  with 
the  Watkins  &  Ashley  AA'^ire  Company,  and  three  years  later  he  went  to 
St.  Louis.  Missouri,  with  the  Stephens  Yrire  Fence  Company,  in  the  Kame 
capacity.  He  had  been  with  that  firm  for  only  nine  months  when  it  failed, 
after  which  he  .joined  his  father  in  Kansas  and  for  ten  years  engaged  in 
the  operation  of  his  father's  farm.  In  1895  he  established  a  station  on  the 
Santa  Fe  railroad  and  it  bears  his  name.  He  conducts  here  a  grocery 
store,  also  deals  in  coal  and  buys  and  ships  hay,  carrying  on  an  extensive 
biisiness  in  that  product,  shipping  from  two  to  three  hundred  carloads 
of  hay  annually.  His  other  business  interests  are  also  profitable  and  he 
now  enjoys  a  good  income  from  his  investments  and  his  laborf. 

On  the  17th  of  February.  1880.  ^Ir.  Pierce  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Addah  Fellows,  who  was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  they  now  have 
two  children,  Frank  and  Florence,  The  family  are  widely  known  in  the 
community  and  the  members  of  the  household  occupy  enviable  positions  in 
social  circles,  Mr.  Pierce  is  an  advocate  of  Republican  principles  and 
expresses  his  preference  through  his  ballot.  He  is  now  serving  as  post- 
master of  Lomando,  having  been  appointed  in  1885.  His  business  success 
is  very  commendable  for  along  the  lines  of  legitimate  trade  he  has  gained 
his  prosperity,  having  strict  regard  for  the  ethics  of  commercial  life. 
Regarded  as  a  citizen  he  belongs  to  that  public  spirited,  useful  and  helpful 
type  of  men  whose  ambition  and  desires  are  centered  and  directed  in  those 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  869 

eliannels  through  which  flows  the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number,  and 
i!:  is  therefore  consistent  with  the  purpose  and  plan  of  this  work  that  his 
ri-cord  be  given  among  the  representative  men  of  his  county. 


ADAM  P.  BRENNER. 

ADAJNl  F.  BRENNER,  who  follows  farming  in  Neosho  Palls  town- 
ship, Woodson  County,  was  Ixirn  in  Cambria  County,  Pennsylvania,  on 
the  8th  of  April,  184:3.  His  father,  .John  F.  Brenner,  was  a  native  of 
Prussia,  and  was  married  in  that  country  ere  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  new  world  in  1840.  He  located  in  the  Keystone  state  and  there  reared 
his  family  of  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living. 

The  eldest  surviving  member  of  the  family  is  Adam  P.  Brenner  who 
spent  his  youth  in  his  native  state  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools, 
after  which  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  until  the 
inauguration  of  the  Civil  war.  He  was  married  on  the  22d  of  March,  1863, 
io  Miss  Ester  Croyler,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  on  the  26th  of  Feb- 
ruary. 1864,  he  bade  adieu  to  his  bride  and  enlisted  in  the  service  of  his 
country,  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Fifty-fourth  Pennsylvania  Infantry. 
He  participated  in  many  hard  fought  battles,  including  the  engagement 
of  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  on  the  15th  of  May,  1864,  New  Market,  AYin- 
chester,  September  19 ;  Fisher  Hill,  September  22 ;  Cedar  Creek,  October 
19 ;  Petersburg,  April  2,  1865,  and  the  battle  of  High  Bridge,  in  Virginia, 
where  he  was  captured  just  three  days  before  the  surrender  of  General 
Lee.  He  was  never  wounded  by  a  gun  shot  but  was  badly  injured  in  an 
engagement  and  yet  suffers  therefrom.  On  the  31st  of  May,  1865,  the 
war  having  ended,  he  was  mus'ered  out  and  returned  to  his  home. 

Resuming  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  Mr.  Brenner  followed  that 
pursuit  until  1871.  On  the  9th  of  October,  1865,  he  arrived  in  Kansas 
City,  Kansas,  and  in  1870  he  came  to  Woodson  County,  where  he  pur- 
chased eight  hundred  acres  of  land  on  Turkey  creek,  remaining  there  for 
22  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  his  present  farm, 
H  half  mile  north  of  Neosho  Falls,  purchasing  one  hundred  acres  of  rich 
bottom  land,  on  which  he  is  now  extensively  engaged  in  raising  wheat  and 
corn.  He  also  handles  hogs  and  to  them  feeds  all  of  his  corn  crop.  He 
has  made  most  of  the  improvements  upon  his  place,  has  erected  two  large 
c>nd  substantial  barns  and  has  added  all  the  accessories  which  are  today 
regarded  as  necessary  to  a  first-class  farm. 

The  home  of  J\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Brenner  has  been  blessed  with  twelve 
children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living;  Fred  and  George,  who  are  residents 
cf  Tola,  Kansas;  Henry,  at  home;  Clara,  wife  of  Charles  Garrett,  of 
Wi,odson  Countj';  Belle  and  Minnie,  who  are  still  with  their  parents. 
Sarah  Jane  and  Lizzie  have  passed  away.  In  his  political  affiliation,  Mr. 
a3rcnner  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  says  he  votes  as  he  shot.     He  eer- 


870  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

tainly  was  a  loyal  soldier  and  is  no  less  faithful  to  his  duties  of  citizenship 
in  times  of  peace.  Political  preferment  however,  he  does  not  covet,  and  his 
attention  has  been  given  to  his  business  affairs  in  a  way  that  brings  him 
a  splendid  return  for  his  labors.  Although  he  came  to  Kansas  with  little 
capital  he  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  "Woodson  County,  a  good 
property  being  the  substantial  evidence  of  his  labor. 


DAVID  H.  HENRY. 

A  veteran  of  two  wars,  an  enterprising  farmer  and  breeder  of  fine 
stock  and  one  of  the  reliable  citizens  of  AVoodson  County,  David  H.  Henry 
certainly  merits  mention  among  the  leading  men  of  this  portion  of  the 
state.  He  was  born  in  Tioga  county,  Pennsylvania,  November  29,  1827, 
and  has  therefore  passed  the- Psalmist 's  span  of  three  score  years  and  ten 
but  is  still  actively  concerned  with  the  affairs  of  business  life.  His  father, 
David  Henry,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  married  Lucinda 
Ellis,  who  was  born  in  Vermont.  When  a  young  man  he  removed  to  the 
Keystone  state,  where  he  followed  farming  and  also  worked  at  the  mill- 
wright's trade.  However,  during  the  greater  part  of  his  residence  in  Penn- 
sylvania he  gave  his  undivided  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
passed  away  about  1845  and  his  wife  died  about  1841.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  but  only  two  are  now  living— David  H.  and  a 
sister. 

Mr.  Henry,  of  this  review,  was  the  youngest  of  the  family.  He  was 
educated  in  the  Wellsboro  Academy,  at  AVellsboro,  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
reared  to  the  work  of  the  farm,  plowing  and  planting  the  fields  in  the 
early  springtime,  and  harvesting  the  crops  in  the  summer  and  autumn. 
He  worked  at  home  until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Mexican  war,  when 
his  patriotic  spirit  prompted  his  enlistment  and  he  joined  the  army.  He 
saw  hard  service  under  the  command  of  General  "Winfield  Scott  and  par- 
ticipated in  five  battles,  being  wounded  in  tie  knee  at  the  engagement  of 
San  Juan  de  Ulloa.  He  was  then  sent  to  the  hospital  in  New  Orleans. 
The  term  of  his  service  covered  almost  two  years. 

After  his  1  eturn  home  Mr.  Henry  made  the  acqiiaintance  of  Miss  Hariiet 
Fairchild,  of  Canada,  who  was  then  visiting  in  Pennsylvania,  and  on  the 
3d  of  June.  1852,  they  were  married.  After  his  father's  death,  Mr.  Henry 
and  his  eldest  brother  purchased  the  old  homestead,  consisting  of  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  which  he  operated  until  1854,  when 
h.'  sold  his  interest  in  the  farm  and  removed  to  Illinois,  purchasing  there 
a  small  tract  of  land  which  he  continued  to  cultivate  until  the  sectional 
differences  between  the  North  and  the  South  involved  the  country  in  civil 
war.  He  was  a  Mexican  veteran  in  who^e  heart  the  fires  of  patriotism 
yet  burned  brightly.  He  could  not  stand  to  see  the  flag  of  his  country 
assailed  so  when  the  first  call  for  three  year's  men  was  made  in  1861,  he 


'WOODSON    CtTtTN'TIHS,    KANSAS.  '^fl 

^wnt  forth  to  do  battle  for  the  Union,  enlisting  in  Company  I,  Twenty- 
third  Illinois  Infantry,  with  -which  he  was  sent  to  Lexington,  Missouri. 
His  command  there  met  a  body  of  the  enemy  by  whom  they  were  defeated 
-and  captured  and  then  sent  to  Chicago  for  exchange.  Subsequently,  Mr. 
Henry  was  sent  to  the  Eastern  army  and  participated  in  a  number  of 
battles,  including  the  engagements  of  Fisher  Hill,  Virginia,  Cedar  Creek, 
Cold  Harbor  and  one  year's  service  in  front  of  Petersburg.  He  many 
times  narrowly  escaped  being  wounded  or  killed,  on  one  occasion  a  minnie 
ball  passing  between  the  sole  of  his  shoe  and  his  foot.  In  August,  1865,  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his  home,  again  having 
made  a  creditable  military  record  as  a  defender  of  his  country. 

Mr.  Henry  remained  in  Illinois  until  1869,  when  he  came  with  his 
family  to  Kansas,  settling  three  miles  northwest  of  where  Piqua  is  now 
located  and  four  mile?  south  of  Neosho  Falls.  He  secured  a  homestea...' 
-of  eighty  acres  and  purchased  an  additional  eighty-acre  tract,  so  that  he 
no-w  has  a  good  farm  of  a  quarter  section.  It  is  fine  land  and  he  is  suc- 
'cessfully  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  making  a  specialty 
-of  Polled  Angus  and  Galloway  cattle,  of  which  he  has  some  very  fine  speci- 
mens. He  has  done  not  a  little  to  improve  the  grade  of  stock  raised  in  the 
-community. 

In  1874,  Mr.  Henry  wa?  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years.  Seven  children  were  born  to 
them  and  ^vei-e  left  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a  devoted  mother.  These  are 
Lewis  R.,  at  hom.e ;  Celia,  wife  of  W.  S.  Cape,  of  Missouri;  Alice,  at 
home ;  David  L.,  who  is  living  on  a  farm  in  this  neighborhood ;  Lenora ; 
Willamet,  and  Lucinda,  wife  of  R.  L.  Dunton,  of  Neosho  Falls.  The 
family  is  one  well  known  in  this  locality  for  the  sterling  worth  of  its 
individual  members.  Mr.  Henry  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Neosho  Falls  township  for  about  sixteen  years,  proving  a  most  reliable 
officer  as  neither  fear  nor  favor  can  deter  him  from  the  even  handed 
administration  of  justice. 


A.  J.  BEAM. 

A.  J.  BEA]\L  who  is  numbered  among  the  prosperous,  practical  an(i 
progressive  farmers  of  AVoodson  County,  was  born  in  Wayne  County, 
Kew  Yorls,  July  5,  1833.  His  father,  John  S.  Beam,  was  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  born  in  Chopee,  July  3,  1807.  Having  arrived  at  years 
'oi  maturity  he  wedded  Margaret  DeLong,  and  they  became  the  parents 
■of  seven  children,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living,  namely:  Jacob,  Malissa, 
Hannah  and  A.  J.  The  father  parsed  away  January  30,  1884,  and  his 
-wife  died  March  1,  1880,  at  the  age  of  seVenty-^ve  years. 

A.  J.  Beam  pursued  a  common  school  education  in  New  York,  and 
remained  with  his  parents  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.     He  after- 


?7^  ftlSTOKV    OF   ALLEN    ASD 

ward  learned  the  carpenter  .s  trade  ,and  for  two  years  followed  that  pur- 
suit in  Michigan,  after  which  he  returned  to  his  old  home  on  a  visit. 
His  next  place  of  lesidence  was  Galesburg,  Illinois,  where  he  was  employed 
for  some  time  at  carpentering,  and  later  he  worked  at  his  trade  in  Winfield^ 
Henry  County,  Iowa,  following  that  vocation  eontinuoasly  until  1884, 
when  l:e  came  to  Kansas,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  representative 
of  aurieultural  interests. 

After  residing  in  Iowa  fur  some  time  :Mr.  Beam  formed  the  acquain- 
tance of  Miss  Maiy  E,  Harkness,  and  on  the  16th  of  June,  1857,  they 
were  married.  The  lady  was  born  in  Delaware  county.  New  York,  June 
16,  1838,  and  they  have  traveled  life's  journey  together  for  forty- four 
year;-.  Her  parents  were  James  B.  and  Margaret  (Fleming)  Harkness,  the 
former  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Cam- 
bridge, New  York.  Mrs.  Beam  is  of  Irish  and  Scotch  lineage.  Her 
maternal  great-great-grandfather,  George  T.  Fleming,  was  killed  in  the  now 
renowned  battle  of  Colloden,  Scotland,  wliich  was  the  last  battle  in  which 
Pi-ince  Charles  Edward  Stuart  fought.  James  Fleming,  her  great-grand- 
fi-ther  Avas  in  London  the  day  on  which  King  George  was  crowned  monarch 
nl  England.  George  Fleming,  her  grandfather,  was  the  founder  of  the  family 
in  Ami  rica.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1795,  and  located  in  Washington 
C'ounty,  New  York,  whence  he  removed  to  Albany  in  1807.  He  married 
Margaret  Darrah.  a  native  of  Mulligan,  Ireland.  Both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  grandfather  of  Mr.  Beam  also  lived  in  America  in  colonial  days 
and  fought  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  A  gun  that  was  carried  by  the  for- 
mer in  the  struggle  for  indeiiendence  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family. 
On  leaving  their  native  state  Jame  ■  B.  Harkness  and  his  wife  removed  to 
Iowa,  where  they  resided  from  1852  until  called  to  their  final  home.  The 
father  died  ]March  '21,  1880.  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and  his 
wife  passed  away  January  24.  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  They 
were  the  parent;'  of  six  children,  four  of  whom  survive,  namely:  Mary  E., 
Edwin.  George  and  Margaret. 

Mrs.  Beam,  who  is  the  eldest  of  this  family,  successfully  engaged  in 
t«-aching  sehoel  in  Iowa,  both  before  and  after  her  marriage.  She  was  well 
qualiiied  for  this  calling,  having  acquired  an  excellent  education,  completed 
by  two  years'  study  in  Howe's  Academy  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa.  She  be- 
gan teaching  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  was  widely  recognized  as  an 
efficient  instructor.  She  is  a  lady  of  superior  culture  and  refinement  and 
well  deserves  the  high  regard  in  which  she  is  uniformly  held.  Unto  Mr. 
and  'Sb'H.  Beam  have  been  born  nine  children:  Elwood,  who  is  living  in 
PorJ  Angeles.  Washington;  Edwin,  who  resides  upon  his  father's  farm; 
Charles,  who  is  now  in  the  Klondike;  Gertrude,  wife  of  John  Webb,  of 
Pratt  County;  Ida,-  wife  of  Elmer  Jones,  of  lola ;  Jennie,  wife  of  Albert 
Florence,  of  Yates  Center;  Stella,  a  milliner  of  Chanute ;  Lulu,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  teaching,  and  La'ura,  a  student  in  the  high  school  at  Neosho  Falls. 

In  1884  ;Mr.  Beam  removed  his  family  to  Woodson  County,  Kansas,  and 


WDOTDSON    COUNTrES.    RA1\S.\S.  '873 

i.,  Ti'ow  living  on  a  farm  of  ninety  acres  situated  a  mile  and  a  half  south 
5of  Neosho  Falls.  The  place  is  very  attractive  in  appearance  and  is  cer- 
tainly one  of  the  most  desirable  farms  in  the  locality.  To  tlie  north  of 
the  house  is  a  large  maple  grove  of  about  five  acres  which  makes  an  ex- 
cellent wind  break.  The  residence  is  also  fairrounded  by  a  beautiful  maple 
grove,  and  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences  can  be  found  upon 
the  farm.  The  improvements  are  as  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  and  thrift 
'of  the  owner.  He  has  erected  the  buildings  which  have  been  constructed  in 
tlie  old  style  with  heavy  timbers  morticed  in.  In  his  business  affairs  Mr. 
Beam  has  been  successful,  winning  the  prosperity  which  comes  as  the  re- 
ward of  persistent,  (rarnest  effort  when  guided  by  sound  judgment  and 
supplemented  l\v  honorable  dealing.  While  residing  in  Iowm  he  served 
51S  sheritf  of  Henry  county.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Millard 
lillmore  and  since  tlie  organization  of  the  Eepublican  party  has  been  one  of 
its  stalwart  advocates,  believing  that  its  principles  contain  the  best  elements 
of  good  government.  As  a  citizen  he  is  public-spirited  and  reliable,  and  in 
every  relation  of  life  he  is  loiown  for  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  genuine 
ivorth  of  character. 


GEORGE  AY.  CAMPBELL. 

GEORGE  W.  CAlMPBELL,  who  owns  and  operates  a  farm  in  North 
township,  Woodson  County,  was  born  in  Cook  County,  Illinois,  December 
■20.  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  Sidney  and  Betsy  (iMcClara)  Campbell,  both 
natives  of  New  York.  The  father  devoted  his  life  to  farming  operations; 
He  went  to  Illinois  in  1838,  locating  in  Cook  County  when  Chicago  was 
a  small  village.  He  therefore  witnessed  its  marvelous  growth  and  develop- 
ment as  it  attained  to  the  second  position  among  the  cities  of  the  Union. 
Mr.  Campbell  died  in  Cook  County  in  1891,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-five 
years,  and  his  vriie  passed  away  in  1886,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  ,«ix  of  whom  are  living.  Two  of 
til  sir  sons  laid  down  their  lives  on  the  altar  of  their  country  in  the  Civil 
war,  one  of  them  never  being  heard  from  after  he  entered  the  battle. 

George  W.  Campbell  was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth  in  the  family. 
He  attended  tbe  common  schools  of  his  native  county  and  when  a  young 
man  he  resolved  to  go  west  where  he  could  obtain  land  at  cheaper  rates 
tlian  he  could  in  Illinois.  Accordingly,  in  1878,  he  made  his  way  to  Wood- 
son County,  Kansas,  and  for  one  year  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm 
hand  after  which  he  purchased  one  bundred  and  sixty  acres  of  ravf  land 
and  began  the  development  of  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  makes  his  home, 
although  its  boundaries  have  since  been  extended  until  it  now  comprises  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres.  It  is  a  very  fertile  and  productive  tract,  located 
about  fourteen  miles  northwest  of  Yates  Center.  He  remained  upon  his 
farm  until  the  Oklahoma  district  was  opened  for  settlement,  when  he  went 


■S/'-f  HISTORY    OF  ALLEN    Ai\u 

to  that  country,  remaining  for  a  year.  Not  being  pleased  with  the  terri' 
i(  ry,  h(i'.v(  ver,  he  returned  to  Woodson  county  where  he  has  since  made  his- 
home,  devotini,'  his  time  to  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  He  has  a 
large  herd  of  cattle  and  also  many  mules,  and  in  both  branches  of  his  busi- 
ness he  is  meeting  with  prosperity. 

After  purchasing  his  land  and  making  preparations  for  a  home  of 
hifi  own,  Mr.  Campbell  desired  to  have  a  companion  with  whom  to  share 
his  new  possessions,  and  in  1880  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza 
Miller.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  two  sons,  Sidney  and  Ira,  both 
at  home  and  assis'^^ing  their  father  in  the  operation  of  the  farm.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell is  no'iv  a  prosperous  agriculturist  and  his  success  is  entirely  attribu- 
•Jable  to  his  own  efforts,  for  all  that  he  posses;  es  has  been  acquired  since- 
his  arrival  in  Kanras.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican  and  has 
filled  several  offices  of  trust  in  his  township,  called  to  these  positions  by 
the  vote  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  among  whom  he  is  a  popular  and  re- 
spected eitizeii. 


LEWIS  KLICK. 

For  almost  thirty  years  Lewis  Klick  has  resided  in  Woodson  County 
and  although  he  had  very  limi'ed  capital  at  the  time  of  his  arrival  he  i? 
now  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  and  stock  growers  of  this  portion  of  the 
state.  He  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  January  3,  1842,  of  German 
parentage,  bein"'  a  son  of  Nicholas  and  Mary  B.  (Huber)  Klick,  who  were 
natives  of  the  fatherland,  although  their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  this- 
fountry.  They  located  in  Ohio  where  Mr.  Klick  followed  his  trade  of 
shoe  making  for  many  years.  In  1863  he  removed  to  Noble  County,  Indiana, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  while  his  wife  passed 
,i-ivay  in  December,  1899.  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Of  their  thirteen  children  Mr.  Klick  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 
He  spent  his  youth  upon  his  father's  farm  and  in  the  common  schools  ac- 
((uired  his  elementary  education  which  was  supplemented  by  one  term's 
study  in  Fredericksburg  Seminary,  after  which  he  became  a  student  in  the 
Ch-eensburg  Seminary.  In  1862  he  went  to  Noble  County,  Indiana,  where  .he 
engaued  in  teaching  school.  In  1865  he  started  for  California,  going  by  way 
of  the  isthmus  of  Panama,  and  M-hile  in  the  Golden  state  he  was  employed 
by  the  month  on  a  farm.  He  remained  for  five  years,  returning  to  In- 
diana in  1870.  There  he  resided  for  a  number  of  years  and  in  April,  1872, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Moore,  a  native  of  Ohio. 

In  May  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Klick  started  with  his  bride  for  Kansas 
and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  southeastern  part  of  AVoodson  county,  where 
he  purchased  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres,  there  carrying  on  farming  until 
1885.  He  then  sold  that  property  and  removed  to  Toronto  township, 
settling  on  Cedar  crtek,  six  miles  northeast  of  the  town  of  Toronto.     He 


WOODSON    COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  875 

purchased  four  hundred  acres  of  land  and  now  has  one  of  the  nicest  farms 
in  the  township.  He  keeps  annually  about  seventy- five  head  of  the  best 
graded  cattle  in  the  county  and  sells  his  stock  to  the  local  buyers.  After 
coming  to  Kansas  he  taught  for  one  term  in  the  district  school  but  has  since 
i;iven  his  undivided  attention  to  his  farming  and  stock-raising  interests, 
save  when  called  to  public  duty  by  the  vote  of  the  people  who  have  one 
time  elected  him  township  trustee. 

In  1881  Mr.  Klick  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  first  wife, 
V  ho  died  on  the  10th.  of  January  of  that  year,  leaving  three  children — 
•Jennie  M.,  Laura  A.  and  Harvey  L.  In  1892  Mr.  Klick  was  again  mar- 
ried, his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Palmer,  who  had  one  son, 
John  Palmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Klick  have  one  daughter,  Lizzie  B.,  a  young 
liidy  at  home.  Mr.  Klick  vote  swith  the  Democracy  and  while  he  keeps  well 
informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day  he  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office, 
preferring  that  his  time  shall  be  given  uninterruptedly  to  his  business- affairs 
whereby  he  has  gained  a  competency  sufficient  to  supply  his  needs  when 
the  evening  of  life  shall  come  and  labor  proves  wearisome. 


RBNIHOLD  C.  SUPPE. 

RENIHOLD  C.  SUPPE,  a  self-made  man,  whose  diligence  and  enter- 
prise have  been  the  salient  features  in  bringing  to  him  success,  now  follows 
farming  in  North  township,  AA^'oodson  County.  He  was  born  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  August  12,  1859,  and  is  the  son  of  Predericl^  and  Johanna  (Prolich) 
Suppe.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Prussia,  and  the  mother  of  Saxony, 
(jermany,  and  in  their  native  land  they  were  married,  coming  thence  to 
Ihe  New  AYorld  in  1854.  Crossing  the  Atlantic  they  landed  at  New  York 
and  there  Mr.  Suppe  was  greeted  with  the  news  that  the  ship  on  which  he 
had  rent  his  household  goods  had  been  wrecked  in  a  storm  and  had  sunk  in 
the  sea.  He  and  his  wife  were  therefore  left  without  anything,  losing  all 
of  their  household  effects  and  fifty  dollars  in  money.  In  1858  Mr.  Suppe 
removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  in  that  year  worked  at  the  carpenters'  trade, 
which  he  followed  continuously  until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil 
war  in  1861.  His  patriotic  spirit  prompted  his  enlistment  and  he  became 
a  member  of  the  Seventh  Ohio  infantry,  with  which  he  remained  for  three 
years,  participating  in  many  hotly  contested  battles,  including  the  engage- 
ments at  Antietam,  the  Wilderness,  Missionary  Ridge  and  the  Vicksburg 
campaign.  When  the  war  was  ended  he  returned  to  Cincinnati  and  worked 
m  railroad  shops  until  1868,  when  he  removed  to  Saline  County,  Missouri, 
where  he  is  still  residing  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  1898  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living,  namely:  Mary; 
Renihold  C. ;  William  and  Bertha. 

]\Ir.  Suppe,  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of  this  review,  learned  the 


876  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

carpenter's  trade  under  the  direction  of  liis  father  in  his  lioyhood  days,  be- 
coming a  <;ood  worlcman.  He  was  married  on  the  5th.  of  September,  1883, 
to  JMiss  Elizabeth  Kaul,  who  has  been  to  him  a  faithful  companion  and  help- 
mate on  the  journey  of  life.  They  were  schoolmates  in  childhood  and  there 
firmed  a  friendship  which  ripened  into  love  as  the  years  passed  by.  The 
lady  is  a  daughter  of  Peter  Klaul,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  wedded  Mary 
Reidenback,  who  was  also  born  in  the  fatherland.  Thej^  came  to  America 
in  1855  when  young  people  and  were  married  in  this  country.  They 
tl'cn  took  up  their  abode  in  AVisconsin,  and  later  moved  to  Missouri  where 
they  farmed  about  30  years  and  in  the  spring  of  1884  they  settled  in  Jack- 
son County,  Kansas,  where  he  bought  420  acres  of  land,  cultivating  it  with 
sL.ceess.  where  they  are  still  living,  ]\lr.  Kaul  beint;'  sixty-nine  years  of 
i\'Ae.  while  1-is  wife  is  seventy-one.  They  had  seven  children;  Jacob;  Carl; 
Charles;  Lizzie  and  Alary,  twins;  John,  Lena  and  Peter. 

After  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Airs.  Suppe,  they  began  their  domestic 
lite  upon  a  farm  in  Alissouri,  which  he  operated  for  two  years,  and  in  1885, 
he  located  in  Jackson  County,  Kansas,  where  he  rented  a  tract  of  land 
ai.d,  in  connection  with  its  cultivation,  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  In 
1894  he  came  to  Woodson  County  and  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  partially  improved,  and  situated  twelve  miles  northwest 
of  Yates  Center.  He  handles  what  cattle  and  horses  his  farm  will  support 
and  is  engaged  in  the  production  of  such  cereals  as  are  best  adapted  to 
this  climate.  He  has  good  crops  and  his  labors  are  crowned  with  a  gratifying 
degree  of  success.  He  made  his  start  in  life  by  working  by  the  month  for 
twelve  and  one-half  dollars;  to-day  he  is  the  owrer  of  a  valuable  farm 
property,  and  is  numbered  among  the  successfiil  agriculturists  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Suppe  have  been  born  six  children,  namely :  Gertie, 
Fred.  Carl,  Ida,  Raymond  and  Esther,  all  of  whom  are  yet  under  the 
parental  roof.  The  household  is  noted  for  its  hospitality  and  good  cheer, 
and  the  members  of  the  family  have  many  friends  in  the  community.  In 
his  political  views  Mr.  Suppe  is  a  Republican  and  has  always  taken  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  politics.  In  the  fall  of  1900  he  was  elected  township  trustee 
for  a  term  of  two  years  and  has  served  on  the  school  board  for  a  number  of 
years,  dispatching  his  official  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  His  life 
has  been  a  busy  and  upright  one,  and  throughout  his  active  and  honorable 
career,  he  has  en.joyed  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men. 


G.  H.  LAMB. 

HON.  G.  H.  LAMB,  late  state  senator  for  the  Fourteenth  district,  com- 
prising the  counties  of  Allen  and  Woodson,  was  born  in  Fountain  County, 
Indiana,  February  22,  1858.  His  father  was  a  Union  soldier  and  fell  on 
the  field  of  battle.    Thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  the  tender  age  of  ten 


WOODSON  COUNTIE!!,  KANSAS.  87 7 

years,  Mv.  Lamb's  early  youth  was  one  of  penury  and  toil  and  hardship. 
From  the  beginning,  however,  he  was  full  of  courage  and  ambition,  and 
however  hard  he  may  have  worked  through  the  day  he  nearly  always  found 
seme  time  to  devote  to  study  in  the  evening.  In  this  way  he  fitted  himself 
for  the  profession  of  a  teacher  which  he  followed  for  several  years  in  his 
native  state.  In  1883  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  first  in  \Yilson  County 
where  he  taught  school  for  a  few  years,  afterwards  removing  to  Toronto, 
Voodson  County,  where  for  three  years  he  was  principal  of  the  city  schools. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  employed  his  leisure  in  the  study  of  law  to  such 
good  purpose  that  in  1889  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  at  once  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  the  profession  which  he  has  since  followed  with  most 
gratifying  success.  An  ardent  republican,  an  eloquent  speaker,  it  was  but 
natural  that  Senator  Lamb  should  drift  into  politics.  He  was  the  candidate 
of  his  party  for  county  attorney  in  1892  and  was  elected,  succeeding  him- 
self in  the  same  office  in  1894.  In  1896  he  was  nominated  by  acclamation 
for  the  office  of  state  senator  and  was  one  of  the  ten  Republicans  elected 
ii  the  Kansas  senate  in  that  year.  In  that  body  he  advanced  at  once  to  a 
position  of  leadership,  and  although  in  the  minority,  wielded  a  commanding 
influence  during  the  two  sessions  of  the  legislature  through  which  he  served. 
Indeed  so  good  was  the  record  he  made  that  in  1898  his  county  presented  his 
rirjme  as  a  candidate  for  congress,  and  while  he  failed  of  the  nomination, 
he  came  out  of  the  contest  one  of  the  recognized  leaders  of  his  party  in  the 
district  and  state. 

As  an  evidence  of  this  recognition  Senator  Lamb  was  nominated  by 
acclamation  as  a  presidential  elector  in  1900  and  was  a  potent  factor  in 
M'inning  the  victory  which  restored  Kansas  to  the  republican  column. 
AA'hen  the  electoral  college  met  he  was  secretary  of  the  Kansas  electors, 
and  thus  made  out  the  returns  which  showed  that  Kansas  had  cast  her  vote 
for  McKinley  and  Roosevelt. 

Senator  Lamb  is  a  memoer  of  the  Masonic,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  Knights  of 
Pylhias,  S.  K.  and  L.  andA.  0.  U.  W.  orders,  and  while  he  maintains  high 
standing  in  all  of  them,  he  has  been  especially  honored  by  the  last  named 
having  been  elected  Grand  Master  Workman  at  the  1901  session  of  the  Grand 
lodge. 

Mr.  Lamb  was  married  at  Boswell,  Jrienton  County,  Indiana,  March  6, 
1881,  to  Miss  Bessie  Shipp,  a  cultured,  educated  and  accomplished  woman, 
whose  sympathy,  comfort  and  active  efSort  have  contributed  much  toward 
the,  successful  career  of  her  husband.  To  them  have  been  born  four  sons 
and  three  daughters,  all  living.  Mr.  Lamb  and  his  family  are  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  church,  and  while  he  has  never  been  regularly  en- 
gaged in  the  ministry,  yet  he  often  fills  the  pulpit  of  the  church  in  a  most 
acceptable  manner. 

Since  1897  Mr.  Lamb  has  been  in  partnership  with  Mv.  AY.  E.  Hogue- 
land  in  the  practice  of  law,  and  the  firm  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  strongest 
in  the  Seventh  Judicial  district. 


S/S  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

A  life  of  achievement  such  as  is  here  briefly  recorded  is  its  own  best 
eulogy.  Here  in  this  new  western  country  it  is  the  rule  rather  than  the 
exception  that  the  men  now  occupying  poKitions  of  power  and  influence 
have  fought  their  own  way  up  from  obscurity  and  poverty.  Senator  Lamb's 
career  is  therefore  not  exceptional.  But  it  is  on  that  account  none  the  less 
honorable  and  distinguif:hed.  To  begin  the  hard  battle  single-handed 
while  a  mere  child  and  to  achieve  leadership  in  a  learned  profession  and  in 
.1  great  party_  before  the  meridian  of  life  is  reached,  is  a  record  that  any 
man  may  well  hand  down  to  his  children  with  pride. 

Fine  physical  strength,  unquenchable  courage  and  hope,  strong  in- 
lilligenee,  great  decision  of  character,  fluent  and  forceful  oratory,  unques- 
ticned  integritj',  unwearying  diligence  and  pertinacity— these  are  the  quali- 
ties that  have  won  friends  fortune  and  fame  for  G.  H.  Lamb,  and  that 
veil  entitle  him  to  a  place  in  this  history. 


JOHN  W.  LEWIS. 

Among  the  influential  and  leading  men  of  Woodson  County  is  John  W. 
Lewis,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  J.  AA^.  Lewis  &  Son.  He  is  a  native 
of  Henry  County,  Tennessee,  born  February  11,  1836.  His  father,  Simpson 
Lewis,  was  born  and  reared  in  Virginia,  made  farming  his  life  work  and 
died  in  Tennessee,  in  1839.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy 
Patterson,  survived  him  until  1849  and  passed  away  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Patterson,  who  removed  to  Perry  County, 
Illinois,  in  an  early  day  and  subf-equently  resided  in  Collinsville,  that 
state..  Virginia  was  the  place  of  his  birth  and  when  he  left  the  Old  Dominion 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  in  the  year  1844. 

Our  subject  has  no  sisters  and  but  one  brother,  Porter  M.  Lewis,  whose 
place  of  location  is  unknown.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  John  W.  Lewis  was 
left  an  orphan  and  for  a  year  thereafter  he  resided  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
after  wliich  he  went  to  Columbia,  Illinois,  and  there  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade  with  a  JMr.  Prather.  He  was  employed  in  that  capacity  until  1852. 
The  following  winter  he  purchased  cattle  intending  to  cross  the  plains 
with  Moore  &  Sterett,  but  failed  to  make  the  contemplated  journey  and  in 
the  summer  of  1853  became  a  farm  hand.  The  following  year  he  went  to 
McLean  County.  Illinois,  where  he  worked  by  the  month  on  a  farm.  In  1855 
he  made  a  trip  to  Iowa,  but  in  1856  again  followed  farming  in  the  employ 
o.r  others  until  the  17th.  of  August,  1856,  when  he  secured  a  breaking  team 
and  outfit  with  which  to  break  sod.  This  was  his  first  independent  venture 
and  it  proved  a  profitable  one,  gaining  him  a  good  start  on  the  road  to 
fortune. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Lewis  rented  a  farm  for  two  years  and  then 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  of  the  Illinois  Central  Eailroad  Co.,  at  once  begin- 
ning its  development  and  improvement.     He  successfully  carried  on  agri- 


scultural  pursuits  for  a  number  of  years,  becoming  the  owner  of  valuable 
farming  property.  In  1871,  however,  he  rented  his  farm  and  began  dealing 
-ir;  agricultural  implements  in  Bloomington,  Illinois,  where  he  remained 
until  the  spring  of  1876,  when  he  disposed  of  his  property  interests  in 
McLean  county  and  -^vent  to  Union  county,  Iowa.  There  he  engaged  in  the 
furniture  and  undertaking  business,  also  dealt  in  coal  and  lumber;  his 
enterprise  and  eareful  management  annually  adding  to  his  capital.  In 
the  winter  of  1884  he  disposed  of  his  business  there  and  came  to  Yates 
(/enter,  where  he  purchased  the  hardware  stock  of  Mr.  BroAver,  and  has 
*ince  ca.rried  on  business  along  that  line.  In  the  summer  of  1884  he  erected 
his  present  business  block,  which  he  has  ivell  stocked  with  a  complete  line 
-of  shelf  and  heavy  hardware,  also  large  di  aler  in  buggies  and  agricultural 
implements.  His  business  policy  and  methods  are  strictly  honorable  and 
lie  therefore  enjoys  an  enviable  reputati  m  in  trade  circles.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  has  also  engaged  extensively  in  dealing  in  cattle  and  he  is  also 
the  owner  of  sixteen  hundred  aeies  of  land,  two  miles  west  and  one  mile 
■south  of  the  town  of  Yates  Center.  His  business  interests  are  of  a  varied 
liature.  are  extensive  and  important  and  plainly  indicate  his  superior  ability 
.and  executive  force.  Since  coming  to  Kansas  he  has  admitted  his  son, 
George  A.  Lewis,  to  a  partnership  in  the  business  and  still  later  Charley 
TC.  Lewis  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  and  is  now  managing  the  branch 
store  in  Garnett,  Kansas. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1858,  Mr.  Lewis  married  Catherine  Merwin, 
daughter  of  Asher  Merwin,  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  Columbia  county, 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  She  was  born  in  1840,  and  by  her  marriage  to 
Mr.  Lewis  they  have  become  the  parents  of  the  following:  George  A.,  who 
is  with  his  father  in  business ;  Ida  M.,  wife  of  John  C.  Letts  of  St.  -Joseph, 
Missouri ;  and  Charley  E. 

Mr.  Lewis  is  one  of  the  active  political  workers  of  "Woodson  county. 
He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860,  and  has 
-since  voted  for  each  candidate  at  the  head  of  tlie  republican  ticket,  only 
two  of  whom  have  ever  met  defeat  in  all  these  years.  His  sons  are  also 
suppoi'ters  of  the  same  party.  He  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the 
success  of  his  party,  and  has  served  as  delegate  to  various  county  and  state 
eonventions.  where  his  opinion  carries  weight  in  republican  councils.  The 
family  attend  the  Methodist  church  and  are  prominent  people  of  the  com- 
munity. Although  many  years  of  prosperity  in  business  lie  behind  Mr. 
Lewis  hiis  career  has  not  been  one  of  uninterrupted  success,  and  all  that  he 
lias  acquired  is  the  direct  result  of  his  own  efforts.  Labor  has  been  the 
keynote  of  his  advancement  and  his  life  stands  in  evidence  of  the  oppor- 
tunities which  America  affords  to  her. citizens,  whose  ambition  and  strong 
j-urpose  are  not  hampered  by  barriers  of  caste  or  cla.^R, 


HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AXTj 


AVILLIA]\I  LOCKARD. 


V\  AI.  LOCKAKD,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  fa 
Vates  Center,  Iia.s  ,  pent  almost  his  entire  life  in  Woodson  county,  having: 
come  hithtr  with  his  lather,  Martin  Lockard,  when  but  four  years  of  age. 
He  was  born  in  KeJtleby,  Canada,  on  the  30th  of  August,  1865,  His  father 
was  also  a  native  of  Canada,  born  in  1834.  and  after  arriving  at  years 
of  maturity  he  married  Sarah  Lemon,  who  was  born  in  the  same  country. 
They  came  to  Kansas  in  1870,  locating  in  Toronto,  but  are  now  residents 
of  Fort  Scott.  Tl;ey  have  four  living  children,  Kate,  wife  of  W.  P. 
Dickerson  of  Toronto,  this  state;  Carrie,  wife  of  J.  N,  Stout,  a  resident  of 
Xeosho  FaDs;  William,  of  this  review;  and  Maud,  wife  o^  John  Swearin- 
aen  of  Mfi'ichester,  Michigan. 

Reared  in  AVo,)ds<.ii  county,  William  Lockard  acquired  his  education 
in  Toronto,  and  after  putting  aside  1he  work  of  the  schoolroom  he  began 
learning  the  wagonmaker's  trade  with  his  father,  following  that  pursuit 
Vor  seven  years.  In  February,  1899,  he  came  to  Yates  Center  and  suc- 
ceeded H.  H.  McCormick  as  proprietor  of  the  corner  hardware  store, 
which  he  has  since  conducted,  and  his  unabating  energy,  keen  discrimina- 
tion and  reliable  business  methods  have  enabled  him  to  maintain  a  place 
in  the  foremost  rank  among  the  leading  and  enterprising  business  men  of 
his  adopted  city. 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1887,  Air.  Lockard  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Anna  Morris,  daughter  of  A,  H.  Morris,  formerly  a  resident  of 
Illinois,  whence  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1872.  They  now  have  two  children, 
Harold  and  Andrey.  In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Lockard  is  an  O'dd  Fellow, 
also  identified  with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  in  his 
political  affiliations  he  is  a  stalwart  republican.  Numbered  among  the 
early  settlers  of  AA'oodson  county,  through  almost  a  third  of  a  century  he 
has  been  an  eye  witness  of  its  development,  for  as  the  years  have  gone  by 
he  has  seen  great  changes  wrought,  the  environments  of  pioneer  life  giving 
way  to  all  the  comforts  of  civilization,  as  churches  and  school  houses  have 
been  built,  business  enterprises  established  and  homes  founded.  He  has 
i-upported  all  measures  for  the  public  good,  and  among  the  friends  who 
have  so  long  known  him  he  is  held  in  the  warmest  esteem. 


COLONt^L  DAJNIEL  M.  RAY. 

COL.  DANIEL  AI.  RAY,  one  of  the  honored  veterans  of  the  Civil  war^ 
who  won  his  title  through  valiant  service  in  defense  of  the  Union,  has 
been  a  resident  of  AA'oodson  county  since  1870.  In  September  of  that  year 
he  arrived  in  this  portion  of  Kansas  and  secured  a  homestead  in  Everett 
to-wu^hip.  Since  that  time  he  has  taken  an  interest  in  everything  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  and  development  of  the  county  along  substantial 
lines  ok  improvement,  and  through  his  active  labors  he  has  left  the  impress 
of  his  individuality  upon  its  history. 


■woonsoN  caiiJiTiEs.  kansas.  S8i 

A  native  of  Yancy  county,  North  Carolina,  Colonel  Ray  was  born  on 
'die  27th  of  JMarcli,  1838.  He  is  a  farmer's  son  and  was  reared  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads.  Sis  father,  Thomas  "\Y.  Ray,  was  also  a. 
aiative  of  North  Carolina  and  throughout  his  long  life  devoted  his  attention 
to  agricultural  purauits.  The  grandfatlrer,  Hiram  Ray,  was  a  native  of  the 
trreen  Isle  of  Erin,  whence  he  eiossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world,  taking 
tip  his  abode  in  the  old  North  state.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the 
maiden  nanre  of  Hannah  Cart-er  and  was  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Carter,  an 
"Englishman.  The  colonel  is  the  eldest  child  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  Ray, 
the  others  being:  Hiram,  now  deceased;  James  M.,  of  Newport,  Tennessee; 
Edward  Wm.,  of  North  Carolina ;  Angus,  of  Texas ;  and  Mrs.  Laura 
Buckner  of  North  Carolina. 

The  educational  privileges  which  Colonel  Ray  enjoyed  were  th"="^ 
afforded  in  the  country  schools  of  North  Carolina,  in  the  academy  at  Dand- 
ridge,  Tennessee,  and  at  Burnsville,  North  Carolina.  Thus  well  equipped 
for  life's  practical  duties,  by  a  good  education,  he  started  out  to  earn  his 
■own  living  when  tw.enty-one  years  of  age,  having  previous  to  this  time 
assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm.  He  engaged  in  teaching  school  for 
about  three  years  and  then  went  to  Tennessee  where  he  was  living  at  the 
time  of  the  infmguration  of  the  Civil  AVar.  Although  a  soiithern  man 
by  birth  and  training,  he  believed  that  the  government  at  Washington  was 
£upi'-"ie  and  that  no  state  had  a  right  to  withdraw  from  the  Union.  Thus 
it  ^<■as  Ihat  when  some  of  the  southern  states  attempted  to  secede  he  joined 
the  Union  forces,  becoming  a  member  of  the  Third  Tennessee  Infantry,  at 
Camp  Dick  Robinson,  at  Crab  Orchard,  Kentucky.  He  was  commissioned 
<ii(jut;'nt  of  the  regiment  and  served  with  that  command  for  six  months, 
"'.■heii  he  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  Second  Tennessee  Cavalry.  His 
-.  ,:■  ment  started  for  tbe  field  of  action  from  Cumberland  Gap  and  was 
A-\'h  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  After  the  battle  of  Stone  river  Colonel 
T?.<iy  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Second  and  Third  Division  of  thj 
f 'rivalry,  and  refused  a  brevet,  preferring  to  be  colonel  with  a  reputa^loll 
■•atber  than  a  general  without  one.  On  many  a  battlefiield  his  own  bravm-y 
iusr.^red  his  men  to  deeds  of  valor  and  he  made  for  himself  a  most  cred  ^■ 
i.blr  .nilitary  record  as  a  defender  of  the  stars  and  stripes  which  now  floa: 
so  \  roudly  over  the  nation.  He  served  until  1864  when,  on  accnint  of  fail- 
ing health,  he  was  obliged  to  resign.  Although  often  in  the  thickest  of  the 
fight,  he  was  never  wounded,  but  the  rigors  and  hardships  of  war  under- 
mined his  constitution.  He  participated  in  the  hotly  contested  engage- 
ments at  Stone  river,  Chickamauga,  relief  of  Knoxville,  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign and  the  capture  of  the  city,  the  battles  of  Franklin,  Nashville  and 
Jonesboro. 

After  resigning  Colonel  Ray  returned  to  his  home  and  family  in  Ten- 
nessee. He  had  been  married  in  Burnsville,  North  Carolina,  on  the  26th 
o.'r  March,  1854,  to  Miss  Louise  Farris,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Farris,  who 
belonged  to  an  old  Kentucky  family.     They  have  one  son,  Philip  S.,  born 


SS2  HIST.ORY'  OF   ALLEN    .-iNl'j 

Decemb(n'  2'2,  l>sf;4,  who  is  llo^v  engaged  with  his  father  in  the  real  esta:c- 
business.  He  married  iliss  Laura  Heizer,  a  daughter  of  J.  AY.  Heizer  of 
Eldorado,  Kanf.as. 

In  1866  Colonel  Kay  removed  v.-ith  his  family  to  Iroquois  county, 
iJlinois.  where  be  engaged  in  farming  until  1870,  when  he  eame  to  Woodson 
riiunty,  Kansas,  locating  here  in  the  month  of  September.  Upon  the  home- 
stead in  l]vi;rett  township,  which  he  secured,  he  resided  for  twelve  years, 
placing  the  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  thus  transforming 
it  into  one  of  the  fine  farms  in  the  community.  In  1882  he  sold  the 
property  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Yates  Center,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  merchandising  for  a  year.  He  afterwaid  held  the  office  of  county  sur- 
veyor foT  twelve  ytars  and  has  probably  found  and  located  more  corner 
stones  than  any  other  man  in  the  county.  In  1875  he  laid  out  the  city  of 
Yates  Center  on  Section  11,  Township  25  and  Range  15,  and  for  the  past 
eighteen  y.-'ars  he  has  been  an  active  factor  in  its  development  and 
progress.  As  a  real  estate  dealer  he  is  a  man  of  compTchensive  knowledge 
of  land  values  and  locations  and  is  thus  enabled  to  aid  his  clients  in  making 
.judicious  investm.ents.  He  sustains  an  unassailable  reputation  as  a  business 
tnan,  his  honesty  being  proverbial.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Grand' 
Anny  of  the  Republic  and  the  A.  0.  V.  AV.  His  has  been  a  creditable 
record  in  all  life's  relations  and  no  resident  of  l^ates  Ceilter  more  richly 
'l(-serves  the  resaril  of  his  fellow  townsmen  than  Colonel  Daniel  ]\I.  Ray. 


ORPHEUS  S.  AVOODAYARD. 

■  ORPHEUS  S.  VrOODY^ARD,  who  is  practically  living  a  retired  life  in 
Keosho  Falls,  has  met  with  creditable  success  in  business,  his  honorable 
i;fiveer  having  gained  for  him  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
been  a.ssociated.  He  was  born  in  Erie  coiinty,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  1st 
of  May,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Ebenezer  AA^oodward,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  New  York  on  the  loth  of  April,  1804.  A>hen  a  young  man  the  father 
vent  to  Pennsylvania  and  was  there  married  to  Aliss  Cornelia  Prindle,  who 
•i\'as  born  in  Erie  county,  Maj^  31,  1814.  Through  the  greater  part  of  his 
business  career  he  carried  on  •  agricultural  pursuits.  The  wife  died 
December  17,  1855,  at  the  age  of  forty-one  years,  and  in  1876  he  went  to 
California  where  his  death  occurred  July  25,  1882,  when  he  was  seventy- 
eight  years  of  age.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
five  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely :  Augustus  G.,  a  resident  of  Tulare, 
California ;  Airs.  Caroline  Keller,  a  resident  of  Oregon ;  Mary,  the  wife 
ol'  Robert  Cowden,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead  in  Pennsylvania; 
Afrs.  Georgia  Desmond  of  Santa  Paula,  Cal.,  and  0.  S.,  of  this  review. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Mr.  AA^oodward  we  present  to  our 
n  iiders  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  AA^oodson  county.  In  this  com- 
iiiimi^y,  not  to  know  him  is  to  argue  one's  self  unknown.     No  event  of 


WOODSON  COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  8S3 

ispeeial  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  him  in 
his  youth.  He  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  in  Pennsylvania,  and  pur- 
sued his  studies  in  the  country  schools,  completing  his  education  in  the 
Academy  of  "VVaterford,  Pennsylvania.  After  leaving  that  institution  he 
engaged  in  teaching  for  four  years  in  the  public  schools  and  was  then 
chosen  principal  of  the  Northwestern  Normal  School  of  Pennsylvania,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  for  a  year  and  a  half.  When  the  war  broke  out 
he  put  aside  all  personal  considerations,  for  his  patriotic  spirit  was  aroused 
bj-  the  attempt  of  the  south  to  overthrow  the  Union.  He  therefore  enlisted 
as  a  private  in  McLain's  Erie  regiment  on  the  16th  of  April,  1861,  and 
served  for  three  months.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned 
home  and  again  entered  his  country's  service  in  September,  1861,  at  which 
t:-me  he  was  assigned  to  Company  D,  of  the  Eighty-third  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  and  was  chosen  captain,  serving  in  that  capacity 
lintil  18(53.  when  on  the  8th  of  July  he  wns  promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel, 
and  subsequently  brevet  brigadier  general  for  gallant  and  meritorious  ser- 
vices. He  participated  in  many  battles  and  skirmishes,  among  which  were 
+he  important  engagements  at  Antietam,  Chancellorsville,  Gain's.  Mills, 
>,lalvern  Hill,  Pair  Oaks,  Mine  Run,  Gettysburg,  Rappahannock  Station, 
where  he  commanded  the  corps  skirmishers,  and  the  Wilderness.  He  was  in 
e\ery  battle  in  which  his  regiment  was  engaged  except  at  Second  Bull  Run 
and  Fredericksburg.  Colonel  "Woodward  was  wounded  through  the  left 
aT-m  at  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill  and  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  he 
lost  his  right  leg,  sustaining  injuries  which  necessitated  its  amputation 
above  the  knee.  He  was  never  captured  and  on  many  an  occasion  his  own 
personal  valor  inspired  his  men,  his  bravery  proving  an  important  factor 
in  winning  the  day.  His  was  a  noble  record  of  which  he  has  every  reason 
^^  be  proud. 

When  the  war  was  over  Colonel  Woodward  returned  home  to  his 
young  wife,  whom  he  married  in  the  interim  between  his  first  and  second 
enlistments.  It  was  on  the  9th  of  September,  1861,  that  Miss  Marietta 
Himrod  of  Waterford,  Pennsylvania,  became  his  wife.  She  is  a  daughter 
ot'  David  and  Abigail  Himrod.  Their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with 
three  children :  Anna,  who  is  at  home ;  Kate,  the  wife  of  G.  F.  Clark,  now 
of  Pewaukee,  Wisconsin ;  and  Alice",  the  wife  of  J.  S.  McDonald,  jr.,  who 
resides  in  Chicago.  Mrs.  Woodward  died  April  11,  1887,  and  is  buried  in 
Neosho  Falls  cemetery. 

Colonel  AVoodward  has  ever  been  prominent  in  public  at¥airs.  Imme- 
diately after  his  return  from  the  war  in  1865  he  became  a  recognized  leader 
in  political  circles  in  Pennsylvania  and  served  in  the  house  of  representa- 
tives through  the  session  of  1865-6.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  and  did  much  towards  shaping  the  legislature  of  his 
state  in  the  epoch  which  followed  the  Civil  war.  In  April,  1868,  he  arrived 
in  Kansas  and  AVoodson  county  gained  thereby  a  valued  citizen.  He  pur- 
chased a  farm  and  continued  its  cultivation  until  1871,  when  he  removed 


884  HISTORY    OF    A.LLEN    AND 

to  Neojho  Palls  and  embarked  in  the  hardware  business,  continuing  in  that 
enterprise  for  twelve  years.  He  has  Deen  very  successful  in  his  business 
transactions  and  today  owns  five  hundred  aciifs  of  valuable  land  in  Wood- 
son county,  all  improved  and  bringing  to  him  a  handsome  income.  He  had 
not  been  long  in  Kansas  when  his  ability  for  leadership  gained  him  promi- 
nence in  the  republican  ranks  of  this  state,  and  in  1888,  he  was  elected  to 
the  senate  where  he  served  for  four  years,  representing  Woodson  and  Allen 
counties.  He  has  ever  been  a  stalwart  republican  and  his  services  in  office 
hf.ve  won  for  him  the  highest  commendation  and  have  demonstrated  beyond 
doubt  his  fidelity  to  the  be't  interests  of  his  constituents. 

Mr.  Woodward  holds  membershii^  in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging 
lO  Neosho  Falls  lodge,  and  also  in  the  6.  A.  R.  He  has  a  very  pleasant  home 
presided  over  by  JMisn  Anna  Woodward  and  celebrated  for  its  gracious 
linspitality  which  is  enjoyed  by  a  very  extensive  circle  of  friends.  The 
colonel's  career  illustrates  the  possibilities  that  are  open  in  this  country  to 
earnest  and  persevering  young  men  who  have  the  courage  of  their  convic- 
tions and  are  determined  to  be  the  architects  of  their  own  fortunes.  When 
judged,  by  what  he  has  accomplished,,  his  right  to  a  first  place  amoiig  the 
representative  citizens  of  Neosho  Falls  cannot  be  questioned.  He  has  ever 
been  true  and  loyal  to  principle  and  in  the  legislative  halls  of  two  states, 
as  well  as  upon  the  battle  fields  of  the  south,  he  has  manifested  his  love  for 
the  old  flag  and  the  cause  which  it  represents. 


ALBERT  B.  MANN. 

ALBERT  B.  MANN  of  Toroiito  has  for  thirty  years  been  a  resident  of 
Woodson  county.  He  was  born  in  Sidney,  Shelby  county.  Ohio,  October 
10.  1839.  His  father,  Albert  Mann,  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  born 
0)1  the  1ft  of  May,  1813,  and  was  a  son  of  Alexander  Mann,  who  came  to 
New  Hampshire  from  Ireland  while  a  boy.  He  was  a  highly  educated 
gentleman  who  became  a  leading  and  influential  citizen  of  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Captain 
Joseph  Parker,  who  commanded  the  company  that  drew  the  first  fire  at  the 
battle  of  Lexington.  Albert  Mann,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  married 
in  Boston,  Massachuset+s.  to  Miss  Mary  Harvey.  He  died  in  Wichita. 
Kansas,  December  11,  1874,  and  his  wife  parsed  away  in  Chicago,  on  the 
20th  of  August,  1877.  He  had  been  educated  in  the  common  schools  and 
in  an  academy,  and  afterward  pursued  a  course  of  medicine,  practicing  his 
profession  in  Lexington,  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  and  later  in  Knoxville, 
Illinois.  In  1873  he  came  to  Kansas,  and  in  the  Sunflower  state  spent  his 
remaining  days.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  whig,  afterward  an  advocate  of 
the  freesoil  party  and  later,  when  the  republican  party  sprang  into  exist- 
ence, he  joined  its  ranks.  The  children  of  ]\Ir.  and  INIrs.  Mann  -were  as 
follows :    A.  B.,  of  this  review,  is  the  eldest ;  Harvey  of  Springfield,  Illinois, 


WOODSON   COUNTIES,    KANSAS.  885 

M-as  a  member  of  the  Twenty-sixth  Volunteer  Infantry.  During  the  Civil 
war  he  served  as  hospital  steward  until  April,  1864,  when  he  was  made 
assistant  surgeon  and  in  March,  1865,  was  appointed  surgeon.  On  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment  he  joined  the  United  States  regular 
army  as  assistant  surgeon  and  was  stationed  in  the  department  of  the 
Platte  until  May,  1867,  when  he  was  ordered  to  Vielraburg,  Mississippi.  He 
served  in  Arkansas  and  in  Mississippi  until  1869  when  he  came  to  Toronto, 
Kansas,  and  here  practiced  his  profession  while  waiting  for  an  assignment. 
He  was  next  ordered  to  Fort  Stephenson,  Dakota,  and  afterward  to  Collins- 
ville.  South  Carolina.  He  accompanied  General  Custer's  command  to  the 
"i'ellowstone  and  Black  Hills  country  and  was  severely  wounded  in  an 
engagement  with  the  Indians  at  the  Grand  river  agency  in  Dakota.  In 
1876  he  located  in  Chicago,  turning  his  attention  to  the  practice  of  medicine. 
Afterward  he  eame  to  Toronto  where  he  resided  until  1896.  During  the 
Spanish-Cuban  war  was  surgeon  of  an  immune  regiment  and  in  charge  of 
general  hospital  at  Key  West,  and  since  that  time  has  been  a  resident  of 
Springfield,  Illinois.  Mary  A.,  the  third  member  of  the  family,  is  the  wife 
of  Captain  Samuel  AVest,  a  resident  of  Boulder,  Colorado.  George  is  a 
practicing  dentist  at  AVaco,  Texas.  Hiram  is  living  in  Phoenix,  Arizona. 
Mrs.  Laura  Barker,  the  youngest  member  of  the  family,  makes  her  home 
in  Toronto. 

Albert  Buchanan  Mann,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  pursued 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  began 
teaching.  He  followed  that  business  for  three  years  and  during  two  years 
of  the  lime  was  employed  in  the  graded  schools  of  Knoxsville,  Illinois.  He 
had  resided  for  ten  years  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  before  leaving  the 
Bucl^ye  state  for  Illinois,  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  On  abandoning  teaching 
lie  joined  the  army,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  E,  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  the  spring  of  1864. 
He  was  at  the  front  five  months  when  his  health  failed  and  he  was  there- 
fore discharged.  Returning  to  Illinois  he  engaged  in  merchandising  at 
linoxville,  carrying  on  a  dry  goods  establishment  throughout  a  period  of 
six  years.  In  April,  1870,  he  came  to  Toronto,  bringing  with  him  a  stock 
of  goods  which  he  disposed  of  to  the  residents  of  Woodson  county,  and  the 
following  year  he  located  upon  his  farm. 

On  the  19th  of  December,  1867,  in  Knoxville,  Illinois,  Mr.  Mann  was 
rjiited  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha  H.  Arms,  whose  father,  Henry  Arms, 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Knox  county,  Illinois,  removing  to  that 
place  from  Massachusetts.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
three  children:  George  Albert,  born  September  11,  1868;  Harry,  born 
October  5,  1870;  and  William  H.,  who  was  born  January  9,  1872,  and 
married  Miss  Lena  Dearland. 

No  one  has  reafon  to  question  Mr.  Mann's  political  position  for  it  is 
well  known  that  he  is  a  stalwart  republican,  having  supported  that  party 
since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860,  and 


886  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    AND 

his  last  vote  was  cast  for  President  McKinlej'  in  1900.  In  1874  he  was 
ejected  to  the  Kansas  legislature  and  served  in  that  body  the  following 
year.  He  has  twice  been  trustee  of  Toronto  township  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Toronto  school  board.  He  has  attended  republican  conventions  and 
does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  his 
party,  realizing  fully  the  responsibilities  and  obligations  of  citizenship. 
He  holds  membership  in  thePresbj'terian  .church  in  whicli  lie  has  served  as 
elder,  and  all  worthy  movements  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow  men  and  sub- 
stantial divelopment  of  his  county  receive  his  support. 


JACOB  iM.  STOUT. 

JACOB  N.  STOUT,  postmaster  of  Neosho  Falls,  editor  and  proprietor 
o^'  the  Neosho  Falls  Post,  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Illinois,  June  11,  1853. 
His  father  was  Samuel  G.  Stout,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  his  mother 
was  Lucinda  Julian,  also  born  in  North  Carolina.  The  parents  moved  up 
into  Indiana  and  later  on  into  Illinois,  where  they  resided  till  1868,  when 
they  came  on  to  Kansas.  They  settled  in  Bourbon  county,  where  they 
resided  three  years.  In  1871  they  made  their  final  change  of  location,  going 
into  Woodson  county,  where  the  father  died  in  1882  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years.    His  widow  survives  him  and  is  a  resident  of  Yates  Center,  Kansas. 

Jacob  N.  Stout  was  one  of  a  family  of  eight  children.  He  was  fifteen 
years  of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Kansas.  He  was  brought 
up  on  the  farm  and  was  a  pupil  of  the  district  school.  In  1880  he  entered 
the  State  University  of  Kansas  and  spent  one  year  there.  The  next  year 
he  entered  the  State  Normal  School  of  Kansas  and  finished  a  course  there, 
with  graduation,  in  1882.  He  engaged  in  teaching  at  once,  as  principal  of 
the  Howard  city  schools.  He  remained  there  a  year  and  entered  the  schools 
at  Neosho  Falls  in  a  like  capacity  and  remained  two  years.  The  fall  of 
1886  he  took  charge  of  the  schools  at  Kinsley,  Kansas,  and  closed  his  career 
as  an  educator  with  that  year's  work.  He  purchased  the  Neosho  Falls  Post 
iu  1$85  and  he  went  from  the  school  room  to  the  editorial  chair.  He  has 
remained  in  control  of  the  Post  since  it  first  came  into  his  hands  and  has 
devoted  all  his  energies  to  its  proper  editing;-  and  publication.  The  Post 
is  a  newspaper  with  strong  republican  proclivities  and  an  advocate  of  the 
interests  of  Neosho  Falls  and  AYoodson  county.  Its  publisher  has  performed 
■^vhatever  duties,  in  his  town,  that  devolved  upon  him  as  a  citizen  and  official, 
and  was  appointed  by  Governor  Humphrey  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Regents  of  the  Kansas  State  Normal  School,  where  he  served  two  yearr.. 
April  23.  1898,  Mr.  Stout  was  appointed  postmaster  of  his  town  for  a  term 
of  four  years.  He  is  clerk  of  the  city  board  of  education  and  is  one  of  the 
' '  school  men ' '  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Stout  was  married  in  1878  to  Miss  Emma  Higsinbotham,  who  died 
within  a  few  months  afterward.     In  188'6  he  was  again  married  to  Miss 


~\''0O"USON    COUNTIES,  KANSAS.  '387 

-i\nn-etta  Michner,  which  marriage  \vas  fruitful,  and  productive  of    two 
tlaughters,  Grace  and  Marie.     Mrs.  Stout  -died  in  1893  and  for  his  third 

wife  Mr.  Stout  married  Mrs.  Carrie.  (Lockard)   Shears  of  Lincoln,  Neb.,  a 
•daughter  of  M.  B.  Lockard  of  Fort  Scott, 

Being  interested  in  fraterniti&s.  Mr.  Stout  has  become  a  member  of 

some  of  the  prominent  ones.    He  is  a  Mason,  a  Red  Man,  a  ^Yoodman,  and 
'One  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security. 


HENRY  SCHLICHTlNG. 

That  Henry  Schliehting  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  representative 
citizens  of  Yates  Center  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  in  1900  he  was  re- 
-elected to  the  office  of  mayor  of  the  city  without  opposition,  and  certainly 
the  choice,  was  wisely  made  for  he  is  a  practical  business  man,  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  town  and  his  devotion  to  the  public  good 
■is  above  question. 

A  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  Mr.  Schliehting  was  born  on  the  18th 
ot  September,  1856,  and  Avhen  only  two  years  old  was  brought  to  America 
■world  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Calhoun  county,  Illinois.  There  he  engaged 
in  farming  until  his  death,  wliich  occurred  in  186.5.  when  he  was  forty  years 
■of  age.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Isabel  Heinsom.  She  is  now 
.TMrs.  Wintien  and  resides  in  Crawford  county,  Kansas.  The  children  of 
her  first  marriage  were:  Henry;  Gasha,  wife  of  John  Fredrick,  of  Craw- 
lord  county,  Kansas;  John,  and  Harman  C,  also  of  the  same  county. 

Henry  Schliehting  spent  his  yoiith  and  early  manhood  on  the  home 
farm  and  entered  upon  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  Hamburg,  Calhoun 
scounty,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  a  year.  In  1880  he  came  to  Hepler, 
■Crawford  county,  Kansas,  and  engaged  in  clerking  for  John  Viets,  remain- 
ing in  his  employ  for  about  ten  years,  after  which  he  embarked  in  business 
h\  his  father,  Clause  Schliehting,  who  witli  his  family  emigrated  to  the  new 
■on  his  own  account,  as  a  partner  of  his  former  employer,  Mr.  Viets.  This 
association  was  continued  until  1893,  when  it  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Schliehting 
■going  to  T\''eir  City,  Kansas,  where  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  a  store  belong- 
ing to  a  coal  mining  company.  In  1895  he  entered  the  employ  of  Davis  & 
Company,  hay  and  grain  dealers  at  Fort  Scott,  and  the  same  year  was  sent 
Iiy  them  to  Yates  Center  to  manage  their  business  here.  He  also  carries 
on  business  for  himself  as  a  dealer  in  coal,  flour  and  mill  feed  and  enjoys  a 
good  trade  in  that  line,  his  patronage  steadily  increasing  as  time  passes. 

On  the  7th  of  December,  1884,  in  Crawford  county,  Kansas.  Mr. 
"ochlichting  was  united  in  marriage  to  Misf.  Rebecca  Alice  Johnson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  David  Johnson,  who  came  from  Pennsjdvania  to  the  west.  Mrs. 
■Schliehting  was  born  in  Iowa.  December  7,  1861,  and  hy  her  marriage  has 
hecome  the  mother  of  four  children :  Melissa,  Edith,  David  C,  Florence  A. 
and  Henry  G.    The  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  is  extended  to  the  family 


-SttS'  FiTSTORY    Op    ALLEN    Ai^rC.^ 

and  their  many  friends  may  always  be  sure  of  a  cordial  and  friendly  greef- 
ing  in  the  Schlichting  residence.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Schlichting: 
ha::  been  a  stalwart  republican  since  easting  his  first  vote  for  James  A,. 
Garfield,  and  since  coming  to  Yates  Center  he  has  been  honored  with  various- 
public  offices  of  trust.  In  1897  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  city  council, 
was  re-elected  in  18!!8,  and  in  1899  was  chosen  by  popular  vote  mayor  of 
the  city.  He  tilled  the  office  s;o  capably  that  in  1900  he  was  re-elected— a", 
fitting  recognitio-n  of  his  ability  and  fidelity  and  an  unmistakable  evidence 
ot  his  personal  popularity  and  worth  for  he  had  no  opponent.  He  has 
secured  many  needed  improvements  and  reforms  and  has  promoted  the 
welfare  of  the  city  along  various  lines.  In  Masonry  he  has  attained  the 
I'i'.yal  Arch  de<;rees,  a,nd  has  filled  most  of  the  offices  in  lodge  and  chapter. 


J.  H.  FRY. 


Marked  progress  has  been  made  in  business  methods  alon^  the  various; 
fines  in  which  men  find  opportunity  to  exercise  their  talents,  and  agriculture 
has  kept  pace  with  the  general  advancement.  Among  the  progressive,  prac-- 
tical  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  AA'oodson  county  who  have  won  success 
is  J.  H.  Fry,  who  wa.s  born  in  Warsaw,  Illinois,  on  the  19th  of  December, 
1849.  His  father,  Solomon  Fry,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  during^ 
his  boyhood  accompanied' his  parents  on  their  removal  to  the  Prairie  state 
where  he  learned  the  mason's  trade  which  he  followed  for  some  time.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  House,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  resided 
in  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  until  after  the  sectional  differences  between  the 
■]or>  an.l  fouth  involved  the  country  in  Civil  war.  He  then  joined  the 
rveat  nvmy  M-hieh  was  formed  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  enlisting 
js  a  pr'vate  with  Company  D,  Seventy-eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  with  which 
hr  £.  I'ved  for  three  years,  participating  in  all  the  battles  in  which  his  regi- 
men I  engaged.  He  was  very  fortunate  in  that  he  was  never  wounded 
nor  captured  and  was  never  absent  from  duty  for  a  single  daJ^  After  his 
;v!u;'n  from  the  army  he  removed  to  Kansas  in  1869,  locating  on  a  farm  ia 
Linn  county,  where  he  made  his  home  until  1886  when  he  became  a  resident 
of  Carthage,  JNIisfDuri,  where  he  still  resides.  His  wife  died  many  years 
ago. 

J.  H.  Fry  was  the  eldest  of  their  four  children  and  was  reared  in 
TIaneoek  county,  Illinois  , spending  his  youth  upon  the  homestead  farm. 
He  acquired  an  academic  education  and  afterward  prepared  for  the  prac- 
tical duties  of  business  life  by  learning  the  mason's  trade  with  his  father. 
When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  left  to  care  for  the  three  younger  children 
and  supported  them  by  his  work.  He  has  ever  been  a  man  of  marked  in- 
dustry and  his  diligence  and  perseverance  formed  an  example  well  worthy 
(if  emulation.  On  the  23d  of  January,  1873,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Sarah  E.  Buckley,  a  native  of  Xew  Jersey,  who  had  removed  to  Illinois 


■VfOO'D^ON    CDtnsiTrES,    KANSAS.  ^889 

^\YithTier  parents,  Joel  T.  and  Salinda  (Wilson)  Buckley.  Her  father  was 
■  an  attorney  at  law  and  at  one  time  a  nominee  for  governor  of  Illinois  on 
the  prohibition  ticket. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Fry  rented  a  farm  in  La  Salle  county  and 
began  dealing  in  stock.  Success  attended  his  efforts,  and  in  seven  years' 
time  he  was  able  to  buy  a  good  farm,  owning  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
^of  well  improved  land  on  which  he  raised  cattle,  shipping  them  to  the 
city  market.  He  lived  upon  his  farm  until  1897  and  then  j:old  the  property 
for  seventy-five  dollars  per  acre,  after  which  he  came  to  Kansas  and  pur- 
'Chased  two  hundred  and  eighty-eight  acres  in  Allen  county,  three  and  one- 
lialf  miles  southwest  of  Neosho  Falls.  Here  he  has  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising  and  has  at  the  present  time  about  two  hundred 
Tiead  of  cattle;  and  feeding  about  one  hundred  head  each  winter.  In  1900 
he  received  nineteen  hundred  dollars  for  hogs  of  his  own  raising.  In  the 
iall  of  1899.  in  accordance  with  the  advice  of  his  physician,  he  removed  to 
Is'eosho  Falls  and  to  some  extent  has  laid  aside  business  cares,  but  drives 
iDack  and  forth  to  the  farm  in  order  to  superintend  its  management. 

Unto  OTir  subject  and  his  wiie  have  been  born  three  children :  R. 
Thurston,  now  twenty-five  years  of  age ;  Ora  L.,  an  estimable  young  lady 
at  home,  and  Adisa  V.,  the  wife  of  Jesse  Everett,  now  of  Streator,  Illinois. 
T\'Ir.  Fry  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  the  lodge  at 
Neosho  Falls  and  to  the  Royal  Arch  chapter  at  Yates  Center.  He  also  be- 
longs to  Neosho  Falls  camp  No.  3S83,  M.  AY.  A.,-  and  to  the  order  of  the 
"Red  Men  and  Elks  at  Tola.  He  has  Ijeen  an  active  worker  in  the  ranks  of 
the  repuTjlican  party  since  attaining  his  ma.jority  and  is  unfaltering  in  his 
■support  of  its  principles.  In  the  spring  of  1900  he  was  elected  mayor  of 
Neosho  Falls  and  has  filled  minor  offices  in  the  county  in  which  he  lived  in 
Illinois.  He  is  now  discharging  his  duties  in  a  manner  highly  commenda- 
tory, his  administration  being  business-like  and  progressive.  He  exercises 
liis  official  prerogatives  in  support  of  the  public  good  and  has  secured  a 
number  of  needed  reforms  and  improvements.  He  is  a  popular  citizen, 
'es+eemed  for  liis  fidelity  to  duty  as  well  as  for  his  social  qualities  and  for 
his  business  succcs.  He  is  a  man  of  forceful  character,  strong  individuality 
ard  genuine  worth,  and  as  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Woodson  county  he 
is  numbered. 


WILLIAM  STOCKEBRAND. 

WNL.  STOCKEBRAND  is  numbered  among  the  prominent  and  influen- 
tial citizens  of  Woodson  county,  and  has  a  wide  acquaintance  among  leading 
men  of  tlie  state  for  he  represented  his  county  in  the  legislature  and  served 
•on  a  number  of  important  committees.  Called  to  office  by  popular  vote  his 
•election  was  an  indication  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  towns- 
men and  well  did  he  discharge  the  duties  that  devolved  upon  him.    Forty- 


8go  tfLsroRT   OF  allsk  asd 

three  ytars  have  passed  since  he  Ciiiiic  to  AVoodsoii  coi;nty,  the  date  of  hfs 
arrival  being  1857. 

ilr.  Stoekebrand  was  born  in  Lippe  Detmold,  Germany,  August 
11,  1S38,  and  was  a  son  of  Adolpli  Stoekebrand,  a  farmer  of  that 
Q'T.vAvy.  He  spent  the  first  twenty-two  years  of  his  life  in  the  fatherland' 
and  then  fv(jssed  the  Atlantic,  coming  to  Kansas  in  company  with  his 
biotlier.  with  Angust  T.nuber  and  August  Toedman.  They  traveled  west- 
ward by  rail  to  Jeffei  son  City,  ilissouri,  and  by  boat  to  Kan.'^as  City,  where 
they  hired  a  team  to  haul  them  to  Lawi-ence,  Kansas.  At  the  last  named 
place  they  purchased  an  ox  team  and  with  that  continued  their  journey  to 
Vroodson  county.  There  were  practically  no  roads  south  of  Toy  creek  iu 
Franklin  county,  and  they  made  their  way  aero  s  the  prairies  with  little 
to  guide  them  on  their  journey.  They  were  all  young  men  looking  for 
homes  and  they  found  in  Kansas  *he  opportunity  they  sought.  An  acquaint- 
iViice,  Ernest  Tjin'.^er.  had  prec-dtd  them  and  was  living  on  Ovrl  creek.  They 
feiade  their  way  to  his  home  and  there  started  out  to  seek  locations  for 
thempelves  in  the  timber  belt.  Mr.  Stoekebrand  of  this  review  secured  the- 
southwest  quarter  of  Section  1,  Township  25,  Range  15,  and  has  resided 
on  this  tract  for  forty-three  years,  devoting  his  time  to  farming  and  stock 
rairing.  His  success  enabled  him  to  increase  his  landed  possessions  until 
he  was  the  owner  of  twelve  hundred  acres,  of  which  he  has  since  given 
four  hundred  acres  to  his  children. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  S'-ockebrand  enlisted  in  the  fall  of 
1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  F,  Ninth  Kansas  Cavalry,  and  after  one 
year  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  disability.  His  service  was  given 
chiefly  in  fighting  bushwhackers  in  ^Missouri  and  the  Indian  Territory.  He 
had  become  a  republican  on  the  organization  of  the  party  and  has  always 
civen  to  it  his  stalwart  support,  taking  an  active  interest  in  county  politics 
and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success 
of  the  party.  When  the  populist  movement  began  to  spread  Woodton 
county  became  a  strong  populistie  center  and  the  republican  majority  was 
reduced  from  several  hundred  to  almost  zero,  but  when  ilr.  Stoekebrand 
became  the  republican  candidate  for  the  state  legislature  in  his  district  in 
1895.  he  received  the  very  flattering  majority  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine— this  vote  indicating  in  an  unmistakable  manner  his  popularity  as  a 
citizen  and  the  trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen.  While  serving 
iv.  the  house  he  was  a  member  of  the  committees  on  the  re-apportionment  of 
judicial  district,  on  forestry,  labor  and  woman's  rights.  He  was  interested 
in  a  measure  whereby  it  was  proposed  to  force  all  railroad  companies  to 
build  and  maintain  fences  along  farm  lots  and  pastures,  through  which 
hosft  could  not  make  their  way,  but  the  bill  failed  to  pass.  He  also  endeav- 
ored to  secure  the  passage  of  a  bill  to  protect  prosecuting  witnesses  from 
intimidation  or  fear  of  harm  from  a  guilty  party,  but  this  also  failed.  He 
gave  an  earnest  support  to  every  measure  which  he  believed  Avould  prove 
of  public  liood,  and  the  record  of  his  official  service  is  one  without  blemish. 


WOODSON  countik;;,  Kansas.  891 

On  the  31st  of  January,  1863,  in  Coffey  county,  Kansas,  Mr.  Stocke- 
brand  married  Minnie  Steffen,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Louisa  (Pribernow) 
Steffen.  They  have  -oven  children  :  AVilliam,  of  Woodson  county ;  Matilda, 
wife  of  Prrd  \\  eide  of  the  same  county;  George  and  Frank,  both  of 
Woodson  county ;  Louisa,  wife  of  William  Fuhlhagen ;  Emma  and  Rudolph. 
The  parents  hold  membership  in  the  German  Evangelical  church.  Mr. 
R^ockebrnnd  is  numbe-ed  among  the  honored  pioneers  of  Woodson  county. 
r>uring  the  first  fall  of  his  residence  in  the  county,  while  out  hunting 
ca'tle  he  wa"  shot  through  the  elbow  and  left  arm  by  an  Indian  who  sud- 
denly appeared  upon  his  path  fifteen  feet  from  him  and  fired  upon  him. 
r.'reat  changes  have  occurred  since  that  day  and  through  all  Mr.  Stoeke- 
bvand  hnp  aided  in  the  work  of  development  and  progress,  bearing  his  part 
in  every  movement  for  the  public  good. 


CHARLES  D.  YOUNG. 

There  is  every  degree  of  satisfaction  and  profit  in  scanning  the  life 
hirtory  of  one  who  has  attained  a  high  degree  of  success  as  the  diametrical 
result  of  his  own  efforts,  who  has  had  the  mentality  to  direct  his  endeavors 
toward  the  desired  ends  and  the  singleness  and  steadfastness  of  purpose 
which  have  given  due  value  to  each  consecutive  detail  of  effort.  As  a  dis- 
tinc'^ive  type  of  the  self-made  man  we  can  refer  with  signal  propriety  to  the 
gentleman  whose  name  form^  the  caption  of  this  paragraph.  He  is  one  of 
the  native  sons  of  Woodson  county  and  is  yet  a  young  man,  but  has  already 
attained  prosperity  and  the  firm  of  Keck  &  Young,  of  which  he  is  the 
junior  member,  is  operating  extensively  in  hay  at  Yates  Center  and  at 
many  other  pointr. 

Charles  Dee  Young  was  born  in  Liberty  township,  Woodson  county, 
on  the  7th  of  October,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Young,  who  came  to  the 
county  about  1870.  A  native  of  Germ.any,  he  was  born  in  Hanover,  in 
18'36,  and  when  twenty-one  years  of  ase  sailed  for  the  United  States.  For 
a  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  rawmill  business  in  the  state  of  New  York, 
following  that  pursuit  until  the  Civil  war  broke  out  when  he  rented  his 
property  and  joined  the  army.  He  sacrificed  his  business  interests  to  his 
country,  as  so  many  others  did,  for  while  at  the  front  he  lost  the  sawmill. 
As  a  member  of  Company  H,  Fifty-sixth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  he 
joined  the  army  and  for  four  years  and  three  months  fought  for  the 
supremacy  of  the  Union.  When  the  war  was  over  he  received  an  honorable 
discharge  and  with  a  most  creditable  military  record  returned  to  the 
north. 

John  Young  afterward  spent  some  time  in  New  Jersey  and  later  re- 
moved to  Iowa,  going  thence  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  which  was  his  place 
of  residence  just  prior  to  his  removal  to  Kansas.  He  drove  into  Woodson 
county  with  a  team  and  secured  a  claim  in  Liberty  township,  immediately 


892  HISTORY    OF    ALLEN    ANJi 

btginninf;'  the  work  of  improvement.  In  1880  he  purchased  a  large  tract 
of  land  which  is  now  the  Yonng  homestead— one  of  the  finest  farms  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  Mrs.  Young,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Lucy  Miller.  The  parents  were  married  in  Davenport, 
Iowa,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  four  children :  Charles  D..  Albert, 
v/ho  is  living  in  Colorado;  AVill.  who  is  ena<i<',ed  in  teaching  in  that  state, 
and  Elmer. 

Mr.  Young  of  tlii"  review  spen^  the  first  twenty-one  years  of  his 
life  upon  the  home  farm.  He  .supplcmen'ed  his  early  educational  priv- 
i.'eges  by  study  in  the  '^'tate  ^agricultural  College  and  in  Bethel  College, 
in  Newton,  Kansas.  For  three  yesirs  1  e  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  state  and  then  turned  his  at'ention  to  farming  which 
occupation  be  diligenlly  piiKued  until  January.  1899.  when  he  left  the 
farm  and  located  in  Yates  Center,  where  he  joined  S.  G.  Keck,  in  the  hay 
business,  thus  establishing  the  present  well  known  firm  of  Keck  &  Young. 
They  have  warehouses  at  Ya'es  Center,  Bate  ;ville  and  Toronto,  Kansas, 
and  m.akos  shipments  from  six  or  move  staiions.  Their  busines"  is  cons- 
lantly  srowing  in  volinne  and  has  al'eadv  venched  extensive  proportions. 
Ar'  this  is  an  excellent  agricultural  district  and  the  verdant  meadows  yield 
fine  crops  of  hay,  the  business  of  tbe  fii'm  affords  a  good  market  to  the 
farmers  and  the  material  prosperity  of  the  community,  as  well  as  of  the 
firm,  is  thereby  increased. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1807,  Mr.  Young  wa"  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Viola  Baker,  a  daughter  of  Baxter  P  Baker,  of  AVoodson  county.  Having 
always  resided  in  Woodson  County,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  have  a  wide 
aeriuain'anee.  and  possessing  those  rterling  qualities  which  ever  awaken 
regard,  they  have  gained  many  warm  friends.  In  his  political  views  M,r. 
Young  is  a  Democrat,  earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  party  principles  and  of 
reform  movements,  while  socially  he  is  connected  wi'h  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity. 


THOMAS  M.  HERDMAX. 

THOMAS  M.  HERDMAN  was  born  in  Jersey  county,  Illinois,  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1868.  and  i"  of  Scotch-Irish  lincnse.  His  father,  Thomas  M. 
Herdman,  Sr.,  was  born  in  county  Antrim,  Ireland,  and  about  1845,.  bid- 
ding adieu  to  the  Emerald  Isle,  sailed  for  the  United  States.  Landing  in 
New  York,  he  there  remained  until  the  great  gold  excitement  in  California 
attracted  to  the  Pacific  coast,  men  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  when 
he  joined  the  Argonauts  bound  for  that  state.  He  was  very  successful 
in  his  mining  ventures  there  and  remained  in  California  for  five  years 
i'fter  which  he  returned  to  New  York.  In  IS'il  he  removeel  to  Illinois, 
where  he  met  and  married  Miss  Margaret  Parcell,  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
born  near  Boundbrook.     In  1870,  Mr.  Herdman  came  with  his  wife  and 


WOODSON  countie:;.  Kansas.  893 

chi"ldien  to  Kansas,  settling  two  miles  north  of  the  present  site  of  Piqua. 
He  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  plowed  and  planted 
till  fields  and  soon  had  a  highly  improved  farm  on  which  he  resided  ur.lil 
b^s  (!i/ath.  which  occurred  in  1880,  when  he  was  forty-nine  years  of  age. 
His  ;\'ife  survived  him  until  March,  1900,  when  she  parsed  away  at  1he 
auo  of  fifty-two  3-eais.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  sevi'n 
chiliben. 

Thomas  1\I.  Tlcdman,  whose  name  begins  this  record,  was  the  second 
i;T  order  of  birth,  and  was  about  two  years  old  when  brought  by  his  par- 
(";fs  I0  tl'is  rtate.  TIc"(  he  was  reared  and  educated,  attending  the  dis- 
1riet  schools  throuoh  the  winter  months  and  assisting  in  the  work  of  the 
home  fa"m  thronih  ^he  summer  seas:on.  He  is  now  living  on  the  old  home- 
s'(  ad  and  is  enaaced  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  The  heirs  have  one 
hundred  and  sixty  ac'CF:  of  land,  which  is  yet  undivided. 

On  the  2d  of  Deeemher,  1891,  Thoman  Herdman  was  united  in  mar- 
r.airo  to  Miss  Dellah  Addleman.  who  was  born  in  Venango  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  came  with  her  parents  to  Kansas  in  1887.  She  is  the  daugh- 
1c  ■  nf  Pobert  and  Rn'-bn-i  ''Hoffman)  Addloman.  both  of  whom  are  natives 
oi'  the  Keystone  r'^a+e.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herdman  now  have  two  children: 
r.loyd  and  Helen  a^ed  respee*"ivelv  six  and  three  vears,  and  their  presence 
adds  sunshine  and  happiness  to  the  home.  Mr.  Herdman  holds  member- 
ship with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Ame-iea.  He  is  one  of  the  industrious 
young  farmers  of  Woodson  County,  and  if  he  continues  in  his  present  indus- 
tiions  and  honorable  course  will  in  a  few  years  be  ranked  with  the  wealthy 
r''-'ic''l''nris''s  of  ■'he  eommunitv. 


GEORGE  H.  LYNN. 

(^EORT.'E  H.  LYNX,  who  carries  on  farming  and  stock  raising  in 
Neosho  Falh-  township,  Woodson  county,  is  numbered  among  the  native 
sons  of  Illinois",  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Moultrie  County,  October  6, 
1P55.  His  father.  Sim,on  Ivrn.  vv-as  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  wedded 
Marcia  A.  Stevens,  who  was  also  born  in  that  state.  In  1854,  he  went  to 
lUinoir.,  and  ten  yrars  later  came  to  Kansas,  arriving  in  Woodson  County 
■^•^  the  15th  of  Sep"  ember,  1864.  He  settled  on  the  Len  Fuqua  farm,  a 
mile  and  a  half  east  of  Neosho  Falls  , where  his  son  George  is  now  living, 
ar,d  there  his  life's  labors  wer_e  ended  in  death  in  1888,  v/hen  he  was 
M^venty-one  years  of  age.  His  wife  died  August  1,  1882,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-two  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  six 
are  .yet  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Belinda  Levett  of  Neosho  Falls;  Adaline, 
wife  of  O.  B.  Miller,  a  resident  of  Hutchinson.  Kansas;  Belle,  wife  of 
T'eorce  Odell  of  Oklahoma  ;  J.  A. ;  George  H.,  and  James  W. 

George  H.  Lynn  was  a  lad  of  only  nine  summers  when,  in  1864,  his 
parents  came  to  Kansas,  and  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth   on   the 


894  HISTORY    OF    AI.LEN    AND 

farm  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  His  preliminary  mental  discipline 
was  received  in  the  district  schools  and  he  was  also  a  student  in  Geneva 
Academy.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  they  passed  away,  rendering 
them  filial  care  and  dcvo^'ion  in  their  declining  years. 

Mr.  Lynn  has  been  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  jMiss  Jennie  Lee,  a 
distant  relative  of  General  Eobert  E.  Lee.  She  died  in  1886,  leaving  two 
children,  Earl  and  Perry  Lee.  The  latter  is  now  living  with  his  maternal 
grandmother  in  Topeka,  Kansas,  having  been  reared  by  her.  while  Earl  is  at 
home  with  his  father.  J\Ir.  Lynn  was  again  married  in  1891,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Lula  Odell,  who  wa-^  born  in  Illinois,  and  in  1888 
came  to  Kansas  with  her  pa^en^s.  James  H.  and  Phoebe  Odell.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lynn  now  have  four  children :   Elvyn.  Floyd,  Gleyn  and  Gladys. 

Mr.  Lynn  secured  his  start  in  the  buriness  world  on  a  capital  of 
three  dollars.  The  father  gave  to  each  of  his  children  that  sum  of  money, 
and  Mr.  Lynn  and  his  sister,  combined  their  finances,  purchased  a  calf 
for  six  dollars.  This  was  the  beginning  of  his  stock  raising  interests.  With- 
in three  years  they  had  twenty-one  head  of  cattle,  and  Mr.  Lynn  has  long 
been  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  stock  raisers  of  Woodson  County 
Upon  his  father's  death  he  purchased  of  the  o'her  heirs  their  interests  in 
the  old  homestead,  which  he  has  since  occupied.  He  here  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-seven  acres  of  fine  farming  land,  both  timber  and  prairie, 
and  upon  the  place  are  some  splendid  never  failing  springs. 
He  has  indeed,  one  of  the  fine  stock  farms  of  southeastern  Kansas.  He 
raises  registered  Poland  China  hogs  and  sells  many  of  these  for  breeding 
purposes.  His  horses  and  cattle  are  of  excellent  grades,  and  his  annual 
sales  of  stock  bring  him  a  good  profit.  His  barn  is  built  on  the  side  of  a 
hill,  thus  having  excellent  drainage,  and  in  his  feed  lot  is  nice  timber,  mak- 
ing good  shelter  for  his  stock.  The  farm  residence  was  erected  in  1860  of 
native  walnut  lumber  which  was  cut  in  the  sawmill  owned  by  L_.  L.  North- 
ri^p.  An  air  of  neatness,  thrift  and  affluence  pervades  the  place  and  Mr. 
Iiynn  is  accounted  one  of  the  substantial  agriculturists  and  stock  raisers 
of  his  adopted  county.  Socialh'  Mr.  Lynn  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  belonging  to  Neosho  Falls  Camp.  He  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican 
party,  believing  that  its  principles  are  best  calculated  to  promote  good 
government  and  secure  the  wealth  of  the  nation. 


INDEX 

PART  I 
ALLEN  COUNTY,  KANSAS 


PAGE 


37 

Bench  and  Bar 

59 

Churches  and  Schools 

62 

Criminal  Record 

96 

Elsmore 

48 

Election  Returns  and  Other-  Statistics 

33 

First  Things 

69 

Geneva 

95 

Gas- 

91 

Humboldt 

41 

Humboldt  Lawyers 

73 

lola 

TOLA    CHURCHES 

80 

American  M.  E. 

77 

Baptist,  First 

80 

Baptist,  Second 

79 

Catholic 

78 

Methodist 

78 

Presbyterian 

79 

Reformed 

78 

United  Brethren 

5 

l/ocatiou  and  Natural  Features 

31 

Land  Titles 

95 

LaHarpe 

82 

Moran 

56 

Natural  Gas 

6 

Natural  Resources 

lOLA   NEWSPAPERS 

80 

lola  Register 

80 

Allen  County  Courant 

lola  Farmers  Friend 
Allen  Cuonty  Herald 
Western  Sentinel 
lola  Daily  News 
lola  Daily  Record 
Population  and  Wealth 
341         Reminiscence  of  an  Old  Settler 
88         Savonburg 
54         Swedish  Settlement 
8         Territorial  Period 
25         Thirty-five  Years  of  Peace 
38         Valentine's  Recollections 
2 1         War  Period 


BIOGRAPHIES 


PAGE      371 
52448 
269 

376 
48-487 
194 
276 
312 
186 
191 

113 
308 
419 

459 
256 
489 
48 
298 
504 
531 
245 
387 
427 

563 
226 
122 
334 
341 
52 
530 
466 

51 
561 

482 

384 
57 
428 
199 
300 
306 
400 

235 
182 
268 

543 
229 


Ard,  N.  L. 
Aoers,  N.  F. 
Adams,  H.  B. 
Adams,  W.  M. 
Alexander,  W.  E. 
Amos,  G.  A. 
Anderson,  J.  R. 
Anderson,  T.  T. 
Andrews,  W.  H. 
Armel,  Jno.  H. 
Arnett,  J.  D. 
Arnold,  E.  W. 
Ashbrook,  J.  M. 
Ausherraan,  C.  C. 

Bacon,  Geo.  H. 
Baland,  Chas. 
Bale,  Jno.  W. 
Barber,  E.  A. 
Barker,  Jesse 
Barnett,  W.  T. 
Barnhart,  Adam 
Barnholt,  Claus 
Bartels,  W.  L. 
Barth,  C.  F.  J. 
Beahm,  J.  H. 
Beatty,  J.  C. 
Beeman.  A.  M. 
Beck,  A.  W. 
Bennett,  Zar  E. 
Benton,  C.  E. 
Bird,  Wm. 
Blakely,  H.  E. 
Bogle,  A.  C. 
Booe,  J.  M. 
Bostwick,  D.  W. 
Boulson,    Dr.  C.  H. 
Boyd, J.  K. 
Bragg,  Harry 
Brandenberg,  S    D. 
Braucher,  Wm. 
Brett,  O.  C. 
Brown,  A.  W.  J. 
Brown,   Dr.    H.    A. 
Brown,  Geo.  M. 
Brown,  Jno.  M. 
Brown,  W.  M. 
Browning  Mrs.  M  M 


PAGE      1 1  I 

545 
182 

45 
203 
246 
390 

45 

433 
423 
446 

311 
329 
43 
561 
259 
525 
258 
382 
146 
323 
234 
131 
218 
281 
330 
255 
327 
473 
368 

570 
440 
320 
468 

563 
104 

333 

343 

51 

408 

528 

273 
238 
152 
291 
360 


Bruner,  Elias 
Buck,  L.  D. 
Buchanan,  Wm. 
Burleigh,  H.  M. 
Burtis,  H.  M. 
Busley,  Henry 
Butler,  Joshua 
Byrne,  Thos.  L. 

Cain,  Edward 
Campbell,  A.  H. 
Campbell,  A.  L. 
Campbell,  W.  T. 
Carman,  H.  H. 
Cates,  J.  B.  F. 
Cation,  Thos.,  Tv. 
Cecil,  S.  G. 
Chastain,  Dr.  W.  D. 
Choguill,  W.  A. 
Chollette,  Mrs.  M.  J 
Christian,  J.  D. 
Christy.  J.  L. 
Claiborne,  R.  R. 
Coe,  I.  S. 
Coffman.  J.  H. 
Colborn,  J.  F. ,  Tola, 
Cope,  Dr.  Benj. 
Capelin,  R.  S. 
Cornell,  John 
Courtney,   Dr.  John 
Courtney,  U.  R. 
Cowan,  W.  A. 
Cox,  W.  D. 
Crowell,  E.  I. 
Cunningham  Alfred 
Cunningham,    Wm. 
Cunningham,  R.  M. 
Curtis,  E.  D. 

Daniels,  C.  W. 
Davidson,  B.  O. 
Davis,  Brothers 
Davis,  Wm. 
Davis,  Wm. 
Daniels,  A.  L. 
Daughters,  W.  T. 
Deal,  Margaret  C. 
Decker,  J.' P. 


BIOGRAPHIES 


PAGE    502  Decker,  M.  L. 

497  DeClute,  C.  H. 

247  Delaplaine,  E.  P. 

176  Delaplaine,  J.  W. 

340  Dennev,  F.  S. 

392  DeWitt,  G. 

335  Dickey,  Jno.  P. 

453  Donoho,  L.  T. 

50  Donoho,  M.  H. 
412  Donnan,'  W.  J. 
168  Dornbergh.Dr.  A.  h 
321  Downs,  S.  K. 
565  Downs,  C.  L,. 
264  Drake,  J.  W. 
386  Drake,  Rev.  L.  I. 
127  Duncan,  J.  P. 

129  Duncan,  L,.  W. 
291  Durning,  D.  P. 

297  Ebert,  Henry 

379  Edson,  C.  M. 

130  Edwards,  J.  W. 
284  Eldridge,  G.  T. 
552  Ellis,  G.  W. 
458  Englehardt,  Gus 
432  Enos,  W.  E. 
359  Ericson,  E.  D. 
453  Ericson,  Joseph 
431  Ericson,  Jacob 
156  Evans,  John  M. 
i6g  Evans,  W.  J. 
192  Evans,  S.    H. 
399  Evans,  H.  T. 
509  Ewing,  H.  A. 

374  Feeley,  Martin 

275  Fergus,  J.  B. 

541  Finley,  James 

501  Fisher.  Geo.   W. 

51  Fisher,  J.  H. 
200  Fisher,   Mrs.   N.   E. 
290  Fitzpatrick,    T.    M. 
495  Ford,  Mrs.  Mary 
445  Fowler,  H.  P. 
318  Fox,  Geo.  G. 
537  Francis,  Jno. 
452  Freed,  Daniel 
271  Freeman,  Geo. 


PAGE  204 
439 
355 
519 
540 
463 

579 
5t6 

378 
105 
442 

394 

348 

42 

142 

557 

569 

42 

52 

377 

343 

249 

252 

253 
127 
490 
342 

425 
144 
267 
393 
527 
150 
322 
265 
284 
383 
303 
467 
260 
380 
479 
567 
230 

395 
109 


Frevert,  F.  W. 
Funk,  Mrs.  A.  t,. 
Fulton,  Dr.  A.  J. 
Fuaston,    Frederick 
Funston,  E.  H. 
Furneaux,  W.  J. 

Gants,  Jno.  H. 
Gard,  G.  R,    , 
Gard,  S.  A. 
Gardner,  J.  H. 
Gay,  Ephraim 
Gay,  Frank 
Garrett,  1,.  A. 
Gilbert,  Eli 
Gilbert,  E.  G- 
Givler,  Henry 
Goodner,  Jacob 
Goodwin,  Jno.  R. 
Gordon,  Jno.  C. 
Goyette,  Frank 
Grim,  Jno. 
Gwillim,  Jno. 
Gwillim,  Wm. 

Hackney  &  Son 
Hall,  C.  W. 
Hall,  W.  T. 
Hamm,  J.  W. 
Hankins,  Nimrod 
Harris,  Geo. 
Harris,  T.  B. 
Hartman,  W.  M. 
Hayes,  J.  P. 
Hays,  Jno.  B. 
Heck,  Mis.  E. 
Heim,  Conrad 
Helle,  C.  F. 
Henderson,  H.  E. 
Hess,  G.  W. 
Hildebrant,  G.  D. 
Hite,  Edward 
Hobart,  Harmon 
Hogan,  Thos. 
Hokanson,  Peter 
Holmes,  N.  T. 
Holtz,  J.  C. 
Horton,  F.  J. 


BIOGR. 

A.PHIES 

A.GE     485 

Horville,  Daniel 

PAGE      222 

Lacey,  M.  L. 

"       523 

Hosley,  J.  I,. 

"          204 

Lacey,  E.  D. 

"       479 

Hottenstein,  J.  0. 

"         423 

Ladd,  Jacob  H. 

'■       346 

Houser,  Chas. 

"       554 

Ladd,  L.  0. 

"       514 

Huck,  W.  J. 

189 

Lambeth.  Dr.  G.  B. 

"       362 

Huff,  lycwis,  Jr. 

48 

Larimer.  W.  T. 

"       559 

Huffmire,  W.  W. 

248 

Laury,  Jno.  W. 

"       5IO 

Hunter,  Orlander 

"       316 

Lehman,  Jno.  S. 

"       305 

Leitzbach,  E.  H. 

"          2^0 

Ihrig,  W.  J. 

"       160 

•  Lent,  Robinson 

"       429 

Ingels,  Marion 

"        148 

Lieurauce,  Hiram 

"           26l 

Innian,  A.  D. 

'■       556 

Ling,  W.  H. 

"       513 

Ireland,  Jno.  E. 

231 

Linquist,  P.  M. 

"        331 

Irwin,  S.  M. 

551 

List,  G.  H. 

"        222 

Isaac,  A.  B. 

"       364 

Littlejohn,  Dr.  Wm 

352 

Lockhart,  J.  W. 

124 

Jackson,  Frank 

179 

Longstreth,  B.  A. 

"       472 

Jacobson,  P.  C. 

521 

Japhet,  C.  A. 

"       337 

Mabie,  Mrs.   C.  _M. 

"        117 

Jay,  Elisha 

"        185 

Manbeck,  Jno. 

"        215 

Jewell,  Dr.  J.  E. 

210 

Mapes,  G.  G. 

481 

Jewell,  W.  D. 

"        '47 

Martin,  Dr.  C.  S. 

"        219 

Jones,  W.  N. 

170 

Mattock,  W.  M. 

"        299 

Jones,    Mrs.    Jennie 

125 

Mattoon,  J.  M. 

"       432 

Jones,  J.  E. 

280 

McCarley,  Jay 

"       470 

Jordan,  A.  W. 

"       366 

McClung,  A.  J. 

410 

McDonald,  J.  M. 

"        161 

Keith,  C.  B. 

51 

McDonald,    W.    G. 

196 

Keith,  C.  P. 

549 

McDowell, W.  H. 

"        288 

Kellam,    Dr.  S.    H. 

443 

McElroy,  W.  T. 

116 

Kellev,  I.  D. 

302 

McGrew,  W.  P. 

"        118 

Kelley,  W.  B. 

351 

McKaughan,  James 

"       441 

Kennedy,  Wm 

344 

McKinley,  Geo. 

"       358 

Kenyon, J.  G. 

174 

McLaughlin,  Geo 

"          47 

Keplinger,  L.  W. 

496 

McNiel,  C.  W. 

"        195 

Kern,  M.  F. 

477 

Mendenhaft,    L-   D. 

"        249 

Kerr,  W.  A. 

135 

Meichant,   Wm 

"        165 

Kerr,  Obed 

"       240 

Meredith,  Geo. 

140 

Kettle,  Fred 

220 

Merrill,  G.  L. 

"        102 

Keyser,  Benj, 

"       405 

Miller,  H.  M. 

"        202 

Kinne,  L,.  B. 

"       228 

Mills,  C.  K. 

"        568 

Kitzmiller,  T.  I. 

"       508 

Miner,  E.  P. 

287 

Klotzbach,  Simon 

"       512 

Mitchell,   Miss  C. 

51 

Knight,  R.  H. 

"       457 

Moffitt,  W.  W. 

"       336 

Knowlton,  C.  L,. 

107 

Moon,  Geo.  W. 

166 

Knox,  S.  M. 

"       437 

Mooney^  F.  C. , 

"        251 

Kohler,  A.  C. 

"       416 

Mull,  C.  G. 

"        517 

Kuder,  J.  H. 

"       372 

Myers,  H.A. 

BIOGRAPHIES 


PAGE    353  Nash,  D.  T. 

"        273  Nelson,  Robert 

278  Nelson,  G.  M. 

"       172  Nelson,  Chas. 

''       272  Nigh,  Frank 

"        151  Northrup,  L,ewis  L. 

"       137  Noithrup,  Levi  L. 

415  Northrup,  D.  P. 

213  Norton,  J.  C. 

"       365  Nynian,  Jno.  O. 

460  Nyman,  C.  W. 

"       455  O'Brien.  Isaac  N. 

187  O'Brien,  Joel  M. 

241  Ohlfest,  Carl 

"       319  Ohlfest,  Jno.  N. 

"        225  Olmstead,  Harvey 

555  Otten,  Chas. 

"        257  Overholt,  Wm 

"        142  Palmer,  I,.  F. 

356  Parsons,  L. 

[16  Patterson,  I.  E. 

100  Pearson,  L,.  B. 

"        307  Peerv,  Jas. 

506  Pees',  J.   B. 

333  Pickell,  W.  J. 

"       369  Pinkston,  L. 

43  Porter,  J.  Q.  A. 

239  Powell,  J.  E. 

"       337  Price,  E.  C. 

"       450  Price,  W   J. 

476  Raish,  Jno. 

128  Randolph,  I.  F. 

465  Rannells,   Dr.  C.  S. 

"        III  Remsberg,  E.  C. 

392  Reno,  J.  T. 

"       361  Reynolds,  Carl  A. 

289  Rice,  C.  h. 

"       357  Rice,  H.  F. 

266  Richards,  Dr.  F. 

"  50  Richards,  J.  H. 

406  Richards,  W.  H. 

''        375  Richardson,    H.    A. 

"       402  Richeson,Jno   A. 

413  Ritter  Bros. 

447  Roberts,  T.  W. 

"       523  Robinson,  David 


PAGE  422 
208 
141 

143 
"  285 
"  398 
542 
411 
181 
446 
462 

154 
"    303 

■'    558 
420 

52 

577 
435 
546 
49' 
"  538 
263 

32,S 

314 
189 
286 

50 
"        389 

49 
304 
252 
296 
250 
500 

46 
212 
363 
369 
273 

"        572 

547 

■'       325 

"       339 

"      .296 

532 

488 

150 


Robinson,  Gay  lord 
Rogers,  H.  C. 
Rogers,  S.  G. 
Roll,  J.  W. 
Ro,se,  J.  P. 
Root,  Franklin 
Root,  W.  H. 
Ruble,  S.  P. 
Rumbel,  W.  J. 
Rundquist,  J.  A. 
Runyan,  J.  H. 

Sapp, J.  N. 
Savage,  Jno.  W. 
Scantlin,  J.  A. 
Schlinimer,  Jno. 
Scott,  A.  C. 
Scott,  C.  F. 
Scott,  D.  H. 
Scott,  Harmon 
Scott,  Jno.  W. 
See,  R.  W. 
Shannon,  T.  B. 
Shelby,  Jno. 
Shellman,  Mrs.  C  H 
Shivelv,  N.  J. 
Sickly,  M.  F. 
Simpson,  C.  M. 
Simpson,  Jas. 
Slavens,  W.  H. 
Sleeth,  Ad'ii.son 
Sloan,  W.  E. 
Smith,  B.  S. 
Smith,  C.  W. 
Smith,  David 
Smith,  G.  P. 
Smith,  H.  B. 
Smith,  Jno.  H. 
Smith,  O.  H. 
Smith,  W.  R. 
Sneeringer,  V.  A. 
Snivelv,  E. 
Spicer^  J.  H 
Stewart,  C.  A. 
Stewart,  O.  H. 
Stewart,  S.  J. 
Stillwell,  Leander 
Stotler,  Perry 


BIOGRAPHIES 


PAGE      145 
242 
578^ 
163 

455 

52 
434 
417 
499 
522 
119 
187 

173 
518 
475 
41 
243 
574 
315 
183 
114 

243 

120 
216 
298 
254 


Stout,  W.  T. 
Stover,  h.  P. 
Strickler,  J.  C. 
Strong,  J.  C. 
Swanson,  Jno. 

Talcott,  H.  W. 
Tanner,  F.  P. 
Taylor,  A.  L,- 
Taylor,  Jas. 
Thomas,  H.  E. 
Thomas,  L,.  C. 
Thompson,  C.  C. 
Thompson,  Newton 
Thompson,  R.  L. 
Thuney,  Joseph 
Thurston,  Orlin 
Tobey,  E.  H. 
Townsend,  Jas. 
Tredway,  J.  T. 
Trego,  E.  W. 
Turner,  J.  S. 
Turner,  Wm 

Vannuys,  J.  H. 
Varner,  S.  C. 
Wallace,  J.  M. 
Wallis,  B.  L. 


PAGE  293 
308 
233 
309 
548 
125 

44 
256 
221 

396 
206 

403 
197 

458 
478 
484 
317 
471 
162 
349 
134 
155 

464 
345 
193 


Ward  Richard 
Wedin,  A. 
Weith  S.  H. 
Wert,  E.  N. 
Whitaker,  C.  L. 
White,  R.  F. 
Whitney  H.  C. 
Wilhite,  S.  B. 
Willett,  E.  N. 
Williams,  H.  W. 
Williamson,  J.  M. 
Wilson,  Fiances 
Wilson  Jas. 
Wilson  J.  S. 
Wisborg,  A.  P. 
Wishard,  L.  H. 
Wood  A.  M. 
Wood  Jno.  T. 
Woodin  J.  C. 
Works,  R.  M. 
Wright  A.  E. 
Wright  A.  M. 

Youug  G.  H. 
Young  J.  M. 
Young  W.  F. 

451         Zimmermati,  Robt. 


PART  II 
WOODSON  COUNTY,  KANSAS 


PAGE  579 

Woodson  County 

'     589 

Bench  and  Bar 

'     626 

Biographies 

'     582 

Early  Settlers 

'     618 

Medical  Profession 

'     610 

Neosho  Falls 

'     594 

Public  Schools 

'     599 

Politics  and  Election  Returns 

'     586 

Railroads,  Towns,  etc. 

'     608 

Toronto 

'    -685 

Woodson  County  in  War 

'     587 

Woodson  County  Newspapers 

BIOGRAPHIES 


PAGE  753 
836 
788 
825 
828 
709 
800 

635 
647 

724 
871 

775 
676 

730 
832 
662 
869 
719 
773 

873 
706 

799 
637 
829 

695 
641 
630 
700 

777 
677 
810 
748 
807 
764 

785 
640 

727 

783 
699 

752 

744 

692 


Agnew,  W.  J. 
Agnew,  W.  F. 
Allen,  J.  J. 
Armstrong,   John 
Arnold,  F.  L. 
Askren,  David 
Augustine,  O.  P. 

Baker,  B.  P. 
Bauersfeld,  C.  H. 
Bayer,  F.  H. 
Bayer,  J.  H. 
Bayer,  J.  F. 
Bayless,  J.  F. 
Beam,  A.  J. 
Bennett,  D.  C. 
Berndsen,  F.  H. 
Blume,  Protas 
Boatman,  W.  B. 
Bradford,  H.  E. 
Brenner,  A.  F. 
Buck,  N.  B. 
Butler,  F.  W. 

Campbell,  G.  W. 
Camac,  Isaac  J. 
Carpenter,  G.  D. 
Coe,  Albert 
Coe,  A.  D. 
Conger,  F.  H. 
Cope,  S.  J. 
Cox,  Geo.  W. 
Culver,  J.  G. 

Darst,  A.  F. 
Davis,  T.  T. 
Davidson,  T.  H. 
Dickerson,  W.  P. 
Diver,  C.  F. 
Dumond,  F.  J. 
Dumond,  Fred  A. 
Dutro,  James 

Eagle,  J.  Worth 
Eagle,  Stanford 
Easley,  Oliver 
Eisenbart,  John 
Elliott,  John 

Ferree,  W.  H. 


PAGE   737 

Frame,  Madison 

"       838 

Frevert,  Frederick 

"       809 

Foote,  Geo.  K. 

"       817 

Fry,  Jacob 

"     888 

Fry,  J.  H. 

"     705 

Fuhlhage,    Hermann 

"      661 

Gailey,   David 

"     771 

Goodale,  C.  B. 

"     681 

Grogman,  Geo. 

"      683 

Grubbs,  Edward 

"     863 

Hale,  J.  A. 

"      713 

Hamilton,  Alexander 

"     745 

Hamilton,  J.  0. 

"     670 

Harder,  C.  F. 

"     725 

Harding,  John 

"     856 

Hartwig,  Fred 

"     729 

Hartwig,  William 

"     792 

Hays,  Frank 

"     712 

Heffeni,  Michael 

•'     870 

Henry,  D.  H. 

"     892 

Herd  man,  T.  H. 

"     697 

Hill,  George 

"     721 

Hogueland,  S.  H. 

"     732 

Hogueland,  W.  E. 

"     843 

Holcomb,  S.  C. 

"     852 

Huff,  A.  J. 

"     784 

Huff,  Jefferson 

"     755 

Hunt,  M.  E. 

"     702 

Hurt,  H.  C. 

■■     743 

Hurt,  R.  A. 

"     666 

Inge,  D.  R. 

"     827 

Jackson,  Joseph  B. 

"     722 

Jeffries,  Hiram 

"     658 

Jones,  Reuben 

"     857 

jQnes,  Albert  J. 

"     793 

Kahl,  Samuel 

"     758 

Keck,  A.  A.       •' 

"     863 

Keck,  S.  Grant 

"     684 

Kees,  Wm. 

"     844 

Keller,  Adam 

-/'     849 

Kelley,  J.  P. 

"     673 

Kimbell,  R. 

"     718 

Kinyon,  W.  P. 

"     740 

Kinyon,  C.  M. 

"     744 

Kingan,  John 

BIOGRAPHIES 


PAGE   874 
820 

876 
786 
854 
859 
629 
642 
848 
878 
727 
694 
880 
814 
893- 


738 

70-, 
683 
770 
826 
626 
804 
634 

797 
671 
680 
631 
796 
711 
767 
656 
818 

653 
801 

853 
687 
696 

835 
658 

648 
716 
659 


Klick,  Lewis 
Kluckhuhn,  Fred'k 

Lamb,  Hon.  G.  H. 
Lanktoii,  C    W. 
Landes,  C.  H. 
Laude,  G.  A. 
Lauber,  August 
Lee,  Dr.  G.  W, 
Leedy,  R.  B. 
Lewis,  J.  W. 
Linder,  E 
Li.s?ht,  John 
Lockard,  Wm. 
Lytle,  Wm. 
Lynn,  G.  H. 

Mann,  A.  B. 
Macoubrie,  M.  S. 
Macla.skey,  J.  W. 
iMarkham,  A.  W. 
Marple,  W.  F. 
Martin,  J.  L. 
Mason,  J.  W. 
Maxson,  Dr.    D.    W. 
Massoth,  Henrv 
McGill.  C.  F. 
McGill,  G.  W. 
McCorniick,  H.  H. 
Mentzer,  Geo. 
Mentzer,  C.  O. 
Miller,  A.  B. 
Mitchell,  T.  A. 
Mitchell,  W.  J. 
Moerer,  George- 
Morse,  Ensign 

Navlor,  E.  W. 
Naylor,  G.  W. 
Naylor,  Silas  L. 
Neimann,  L.  C. 
Noteman,  G.  H. 

O'Gilvie,  William 
Old,  H.  E. 

Parrish,  Malen 
Paris,  S.  G. 
Parsons,  W.  L- 


PAGE  806 

' '  830 

"  794 

"  840 

"  802 

"  7'?7 

"  683 

"  833 

"  760 

"  638 

"  790 

"  650 

"  745 

V  689 

"  805 

"  880 

"  685 

"  690 

"  627 

"  708 

"  750 

"  821 

"  701 

"  776 

"  865 

"  643 

"  632 

"  887 

"  &74 

"  851 

"  815 

"  655 

"  781 

"  649 

"  691 

"  669 

"  837 

"  798 

"  780 

"  664 

"  860 

"  862 

"  841 

"  779 

"  889 

"  886 


Parks,  Joseph 
Park,  James  M. 
Patterson,  S.  L. 
Patterson. 'W;  M. 
Pemberton,  L    P. 
Peters,  Clans 
Phillips,  David 
Pitman,  Benj. 
Phimmer,  T    W. 
Porter,  S.  E. 
Pringle,  John 
Pribbernow,  C.  F. 
Puckett,  J.  J. 
Purcell,  J.   M. 

Quick,  John  W. 

Ray,  D.  M. 
Reedy,  Micliael 
Reedy,  William 
Reid.  Tho^.  L- 
Rhodes,  P.  M. 
Robbins,   Levi 
Rogers,  G.  W. 
Rollins,  H.  C. 
Ross,  J.  A. 

Saferite,   C.  S. 
Seaton,  John  A. 
Scbaede,   Fred'k 
Schlichting,  Henry 
Schnell,  Albert 
Shaw,  S.  R. 
Shannon,  J.  N. 
Shenck, John 
Shotts,  D.  T. 
Sicka,  Wenzel 
Slack,  T.  M. 
Smith,  Peter 
Smith,  Levi 
Spencer,  F.  H. 
Strange,  William 
Strange,  Christian 
Stephenson,  G.  R. 
Sticher,  J.  H. 
Stines,  W.  B. 
Stockebrand,  E. 
Stockebrand,  Wm. 
Stout,  J.  N. 


BIOGRAPHIRH 


633  Stoll,  George 

875  Suppe,  R.  C. 
834     _    Summers,  I.  T. 

762  Surprise,  Harvey 

768  Taylor,  W.  P. 

765  Thompson,  E.  T. 

822  Toedman,  Adolph 

668  Trout,  G.  W. 

651  Trueblood,  H.  S. 

665  Walters,  John  H. 

741  Wamsley,  Thos. 

735  Weide.  C.  H. 


8r5  Weide,  W.  M. 

766  Wille,  W.  C. 

846  Wilkinson,  William 

823  Winter,  H.  H. 

866  Woodruff,  C.  A. 

882  Woodward,  O.  S. 

646  Wright,  S.  H. 

■675  Wright,  F.  H. 

678  Wright,  L.  W. 

791  Wright,  Amos 

733  Yates,  Abner 

891  Young,  C.  B.