Skip to main content

Full text of "Genealogical and biographical record of north-eastern Kansas"

See other formats 


GENEALOGICAL  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL 


RECORD 


NORTH-EASTERN  KANSAS 


ILlvUSTRAXED 


THK  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
CHICAGO 

1900 


PRKKACB. 


HL'T  of  the  depths  of  liis  mature  wisdom  Carlyle  wrote,  "Historv  is  the 
essence  of  inmimerable  biographies."  Believing  this  to  be  the  fact. 
■ 1  tliere  is  no  necessity  of  advancing  any  furtiier  reason  for  the  compila- 
tion of  such  a  w(jrk  as  this,  if  reliable  history  is  to  be  the  ultimate  object. 

The  section  of  Kansas  oimprised  within  the  limits  of  this  volume  has  sus- 
tained within  its  confines  men  wlio  have  been  prominent  in  the  history  of  the 
State,  and  exx-n  tb.e  nation  for  half  a  century.  Tlie  annals  teem  with  the  rec- 
ords of  strong  and  noble  manhood,  and, as  Sumner  has  said  :"Tbe  true  grand- 
eur of  nation?  is  mjliose  (qualities  which  constitute  the  greatness  of  the  individ- 
__ua[."  The  final  causes  which  shape  the  fortunes  of  individuals  and  tlic  destinies 
of  States  are  often  the  same.  They  are  usually  remote  and  obscure,  and  their  in- 
fluence scarcely  percei\-ed  until  manifestly  declared  In-  results.  That  nation  is 
the  greatest  which  produces  the  greatest  and  most  manly  men  and  faithful 
women  ;  and  the  intrinsic  safety  of  a  community  depends  not  so  much  upon 
methods  as  upon  that  true  and  normal  de\-elo])ment  fri)m  the  deep  resources  of 
which  proceeds  all  that  is  precious  and  permanent  in  life.  But  such  a  result  may 
not  consciously  be  contemplated  by  the  actors  in  the  great  social  drama.  Pur- 
suing each  his  personal  good  l)y  exalted  means,  they  work  out  as  a  l<-.gical  result. 

Tiie  elements  of  success  in  life  consist  in  both  innate  capacity  and  deter- 
mination to  e.xcel.  Where  either  is  wanting,  failure  is  almost  certain  in  the 
outcome.  The  study  of  a  successful  life,  therefore,  serves  both  as  a  source  of 
information  and  as  a  stimulus  and  encouragement  to  those  who  have  the 
capacity.  As  an  important  lesson  in  this  connection  we  may  appropriately  quote 
_^X-&iig-fellow,  who  said  :  "W'e  judge  oursehes  liy  what  we  feel  capable  of  doing, 
while  we  judge  others  by  what  they  have  already  done."  A  faithful  personal 
history  is  an  illustration  of  the  truth  of  this  observation. 

In  this  biographical  history  the  editorial  staff,  as  well  as  the  publishers, 
have  fully  realized  the  magnitude  of  the  task.  In  the  collection  of  the  material 
there  has  been  a  constant  aim  to  discriminate  carefully  in  regard  to  the  selec- 


4  PREFACE. 

tion  of  subjects.  Tliose  ^vllo  have  been  prominent  factors  in  the  puI)Hc,  social 
and  industrial  development  of  the  counties  have  been  given  due  recognition 
as  far  as  it  has  been  possil:)le  to  secure  the  requisite  data.  Names  worthy  of 
perpetuation  liere.  it  is  true,  have  in  several  instances  been  omitted,  either  on 
account  of  tlie  apathy  of  those  concerned  or  the  inability  of  the  compilers  to 
secure  tlie  information  necessary  for  a  symmetrical  sketch;  but  even  more  pains 
lia\e  Ijeen  taken  to  secure  accuracy  than  were  promised  in  the  prospectus. 
Works  of  this  nature,  therefore,  are  more  relia1)le  and  complete  than  are  tlic 
"standard"  iiistories  of  a  conntrv. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


iinide:x. 


Abell,  Peter  T.,  45. 
Adams,  Henry  S.,  256. 
Adains,  James  H..  374. 
Adams,  Walter.!.,  101. 
Alber..;,  Charles  M.,  474. 
Albers,  Herman  G.,  550. 
Albers,  John,  435. 
Alexander.  Wallace  C.  333. 
Alkire,  William  W.,  71. 
Allaman,Georg-e  W.,  88. 
Allison,  J.  B..  523. 
Anderson,  Nels,  628. 
Anderson,  Oliver  M.,  612. 
Andrews,  Rollin  T.,  144. 
Armstrong-,  James  D.,  118. 
Armstrongs,  Thomas,  495. 
Arthur,  Samuel,  302. 
Ashcraft,  John  J.,  86. 
Avery,  Edwin,  198. 

Bailey,  Monroe,  189. 
Baker,  David,  211. 
Baldwin,  James  W.,  459. 
Barrows,  William  F.,  406. 
Barry,  John  H.,  695. 
Bartlow,  Oliver  M.,  320. 
Batsell,  John  C,  390. 
Baxter.  John,  540. 
Baxter,  Thomas  T.,660. 
Bauer.  V'.,  741. 
Beathard,  Thomas  M.,  271. 
Bell,  William  H.,  677. 
Belts,  James  W.,  72'i. 
Benjamin,  Miller  J.,  396. 
Berkley,  Elias.  514. 
Berlin,  Joseph  H.,399. 
Berry,  Alexander,  444. 
Bertwell.  William  H.,261. 
Bierer,  Everhard,  160. 
Bird,  George,  554. 
Bishop,  Lucius  H.,  299. 
Bliss,  Joseph  L.,  344. 
Blocker,  Clemens,  252. 
Blodget,  Georg-eM.,  S77. 
Boder,  Henry.  Jr.,  325. 
Bohannon,  Thomas  J.,  291. 
Bond,  James,  216. 
Bouton,  Eli  F.,  89. 
Brant,  Walter  R.,  312. 
Braun,  Anton,  470. 
Brenner,  N.  G.,  414. 
Brigg-s.  Isaac,  496. 
Brigham,  James  H.,  720. 
Brittain,  Joseph,  415. 
Brown,  Eugene  C.  83. 
Brown,  John  P.,  46. 
Brown,  William  S.,  625. 
Brown,  Zachariah,  135. 
Browning,  Alonzo  P.,  542. 
Brownlee,  John  W.,  405. 


Buck,  Robert  B.,  673. 
Bunker,  George  M.,  667. 
Burger,  Harry  D.,  226. 
Butler,  Charles  P.,  307. 
Buttron,  Henry,  637. 
Byrne,  Patrick,  250. 

Calioon,  J.  A..  343. 
Cahoon,  W.  W.,  343. 
Cain,  Alfred  D..  53. 
Cain,  John  M..  60. 
Cain,  William  S..  64. 
Campbell,  Alexander  X.,  376. 
Campbell,  Amos,  358. 
Campbell,  James  A..  304. 
Campbell,  Lucius  W.,  493. 
Canter,  W.  J.,  664. 
Carolan,  Thomas,  247, 
Castle,  Elizur  S.,449. 
Cawley,  B.  M.,676. 
Chamberlin,  John  C.,94. 
Chappie,  William,  460. 
Chase,  Lewis  K.,  529. 
Chill,  Alfred,  657. 
Cirtwell,  A.  D.,  105. 
Clark,  William  L.,  712. 
Cloyes,  Marshall  J.,  6.56. 
Cochrane,  W.  W.,  48. 
Coleman,  Chester,  729. 
Coleman,  Nathan,  180. 
Colley,  William  H.  H.,  473. 
Collins,  D.  W.,  675. 
Collin.«,  John,  243. 
Compton.  C.  M.,  671. 
Cook,  Charles  E.,  507. 
Cornelison,  Edward  R.,  112. 
Cortelyou,  Luther,  96. 
Cox,  j".  N.,  133. 
Crandall,  J.  F.,208. 
Craven,  Peter,  104. 
Crockett,  A.  B.,  242. 
Cronin,  Jeremiah  J.,  490. 
Crouch,  William  H.,  143. 
Culver.  Joseph  W.,  87. 
Curtis,  William  H.  H.,  '152. 

Dailey,  William  M..  289. 
Davis.  George  M.,  284. 
Davis,  Thomas,  259. 
Deaver,  Henry  J.,  338. 
Deckard,  Joseph  H.,  747. 
Delaney,  Andrew  O.,  454. 
Delaney.  Dennis  P.,  589. 
Denton,  George,  441. 
Denton,  John  H.,  484. 
Denton,  Joseph,  462. 
Denton,  William,  487. 
Dickens,  Albert  B.,  482. 
Dickersofi,  F.  W.,  132. 
Dickinson,  Luther,  693. 


INDEX. 


Diesbacri,  Henry,  608. 
Uixoii,  David,  623. 
Driiry,  Arthur  S.,  572. 

Eckel,  John,  255. 
Kgre,  Edward  A..  553. 
E^-lin,  Thomas,  519. 
Elliott.  John,  263. 
Ellis,  G.  H  ,  387. 
Ennelken,  John,  531. 
Erick!-on,  Edward  N.,  662. 
Erwin,  F.  H.,  505. 
EvaiKN  Franklin,  254. 
Eylar,  Aroti  R.,  475. 
Eylur,  James  M.,  708. 

Farnsworth.  Dallas  E.,  566. 
Feriru-,o",  Thoina<  J.,  592. 
Fi-her,  .loUn  K..  217. 
FitziK.trick,  Dav:d  T.,  6!1. 
FUtclKr,  Jes  c,  176. 
Flickinf:.  r,  a.  C,  .58. 
F..I.-rh   ;i.  Williat.',  ^-31. 
Ford,  Frai  klir,  26H. 
For   cro.ik,  w  .  H.,  'Oi. 
Foster,  Cas^iu~  G.,  206. 
Fowler.  Darius  E.,  103, 
Fox.  Jared  C,  SO. 
Fn.ble,  Thoniav.2'15. 
Fre.  Ian  '.  Jam   s  H.,  293. 
Freelaiid,  Ja.i.e-  P.,  >.8. 
Fni.k.Dav.d  M.,  134. 
Funk,  Jolm  N.,  ISl. 

G.,r-ide,  JamesH.,2  8. 

Gil.M.,  ,  J.  c..b,  169 

'i'  1  '    I'ir.  Alex.iiKl   r,740. 


:    i-M  rir<' 

\V.,  5'. 

'•:■■:.  A.'e: 

;:er-,  6-3. 

t; 

r.l..ii    .1.   A. 

,  ('..  Mr. 

Gr 

al.l.,  J,-e,, 

ill  II  ,  4-l.>. 

Gr 

p,  742. 

Gr 

al.a".n7\\M'ii 

ilini.  61'. 

<;r 

n   y.  Jume    M  ,403. 

Gr 

ave-.Juhn 

,80. 

Gr 

■ern,  Charles  E..  397. 

Gretrg-,  J.inie- 

..6S8. 

Gr 

VL'^r,  John, 

276. 

Gr 

iffiM,  Erne- 

t  C,  \S<^. 

Gr 

illin.  Rich:, 

rd  G.,  3J2. 

II; 

irgolin,  Jo.. 

epli,  2:0. 

H: 

iffaman.  G. 

•orfre  v.,  42.= 

Hale,  John  R 

..215. 

H. 

.11,  Dnr;,nd  C,  432. 

H; 

.llintr.  Au- 

u-t,  472. 

H. 

.lli.^t.'.  Fra. 

n<.  .-7(1. 

Ham,  M;nor( 

li'le-pie.  77. 

H; 

nnnor,  J  .11 

A  n  .  31^. 

11: 

in-2,  Michji 

K-t.  2x0. 

II 

.n  z,J..h.i. 

174. 

H, 

.rdintr.  C.  J 

■.,  .^50. 

Harper,  Jame 

•SP..59. 

H; 

irper,  John 

T.,  565. 

H: 

irper,  Thoti 

na-  M.,4SS. 

Harpster.J.  F.,5S7. 

Harrinfrton,  Eldred,  546. 
Harring-ton,  Grant  W.,  85. 
Hart,  Nancy  J.,  511. 
Hart,  H.  W.,  497. 
Hartman,  Frederick,   172. 
Hartman,  Robert  D.,  171. 
H  irtnian,  William  M..  419. 
Hdtch,  James  H.,  504. 
Hauber,  William,  380. 
Hawk,  Andrew,  293.  ' 
Hawk,  Daniel  W.,  292. 
Huzlett,  J.  B..  501. 
Ht-astan.  Benjamin  F.,  750. 
Heeney,  Ed.,  560. 
Heiniann,  Timotheus,  458. 
Heinekeu,  William  L.,  124. 
Henderson,  George  M.,  296. 
Herold,  A.  P.,  13  . 
Herrick,  Samuel  J.,  237. 
Hess,  William,  634. 
Hetherington,  Webster  W.,  21. 
Hotheriny^ton,  William,  19. 
Hu:kiiiai),  Thomas  15.,  669. 
llildebrand,  Jo.scph,  374. 
Hill,  Daniel,  377. 
IliUyer,  David,  521. 
Hiskey,  Solomon,  610. 
Hissong-,  M.,  678. 
Holcomb,  Stephen  A.,  362. 
HMli^tor,  Samuel,  569. 
H  Mint-ll.  Honrv  W.,  156. 
Ho.niell,  TlioniasC,  330. 
Howard,  Joseph  W.,  485, 
Howe.  Edg-ar  W.,  739. 
Howell,  Amos  A.,  i:0. 
Howell,  Nathaniel  E.,  722. 
Hoyt,  Fred,  489. 
Hudg-ens,  J.\W.,224. 
Hulintrs,  Cincinnatus  B.,  579. 
Hunter,  John,  576. 
Hunter,  James  W.,  476. 
Hiilchins,  Charle.=  D.,  56. 

Ido,  Judson  W.,  602, 
In-alls.  John  J.,  11. 
Irwin,  A.  B.,  599. 

Jenning-s,  Enos  S.,  609. 
Jenson,  James,  456. 
Johns  n,  George  H.  T.,  640. 
J   hn  01,  John  A..  327. 
J    h    son,  John  P.,  647. 
J   luison,  Richard,  222. 
J.nes,  James  R.,  436. 
Jones,  Owen,  70S. 
Joyce,  Martin,  685. 

Keckler,  Peter,  466. 
Kelley,  E.G.,  551. 
Kenyon,  Clark  M.,  715. 
Kenyon,  Frank  W.,  717. 
Kessler,  Georgfe  E.,  703. 
Killey,  Philip,  285. 
Kimberlin,  Nathaniel,  148. 
Kinder,  Alex,  384. 
King-,  Samuel  E,,  713. 
King,  Samuel  S.,  659. 


"kid^b^OT 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  ii 

a  delegate  from  Kansas  to  the  national  Republican  conventions  of  i860,  1868, 
1872  and  1880,  a  member  of  the  national  Republican  committee  from  1868  to 
1884  and  secretary  of  that  body  from  1880  to  1884.  He  was  one  of  the  vice- 
l)residents  of  the  United  States  centennial  commission  and  took  an  active 
interest  in  that  great  exposition  in  1876. 

Colonel  Martin  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Kansas  Magazine 
Company,  a  member  of  the  State  Historical  Society,  of  which  he  was  president 
one  term,  and  was  president  of  the  State  Editorial  &  Publishers  Association 
in  1878.  In  the  last  mentioned  year  he  was  elected  by  both  houses  of  congress 
on  the  board  of  managers  of  the  National  Soldiers'  Home,  was  re-elected  in 
1882  and  in  1886  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  the  second  vice-president 
of  that  association.  He  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  of  Atchison  in  1865  and 
was  the  third  postmaster  of  that  place,  an  office  which  he  held  for  twelve  years. 

Colonel  Martin  was  elected  governor  of  Kansas  in  1884  and  re-elected  in 
1886.  At  the  close  of  his  second  gubernatorial  term  he  resumed  control  of  the 
Champion,  of  which  he  was  sole  proprietor,  and  up  to  a  few  weeks  previous 
to  his  death  was  at  his  desk  daily,  writing  and  supervising  the  affairs  of  his 
business.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  character,  brimful  of  energy,  forceful  in 
his  writing  and  public-spirited  in  every  way.  He  was  very  popular  and  made 
friends  without  any  effort,  his  death  being  felt  as  a  personal  bereavement  as 
well  as  a  severe  loss  to  the  public  at  large. 

On  June  15,  1871,  Colonel  Martin  was  married  to  Miss  Ida  Challiss, 
daughter  of  Dr.  W.  L.  Challiss,  of  Atchison,  who.  with  six  children,  Ruth, 
Grace,  Ethel,  Faith.  Paul  and  Harres,  survive  him.  Evan  C.  Martin,  one 
of  the  children,  died  September  4,  1892.  No  name  has  figured  more  con- 
spicuously or  honorably  in  connection  with  the  history  of  Kansas  than  that 
of  John  A.  Martin.  He  was  connected  with  the  public  progress  along  business 
and  political  lines,  his  efforts  were  potent  in  advancing  charitable  and  benev- 
olent work,  and  upon  the  battle-fields  of  the  south  he  displayed  personal  bravery 
and  heroism  that  inspired  the  men  whom  he  commanded  to  deeds  of  valor. 
Certainly  the  life  of  no  citizen  of  this  commonwealth  has  been  more  varied  in 
service,  more  firm  in  principle,  more  blameless  in  conduct  and  more  stainless 
in  reputation. 


JOHN  J.  INGALLS. 


John  J.  Ingalls  is  without  doubt  the  most  distinguished  statesman,  the 
most  brilliant  orator  and  the  most  fluent  and  versatile  writer  that  the  state  of 
Kansas  has  ever  produced.  No  citizen  of  Kansas  has  ever  represented  this 
commonwealth  so  ably  in  the  deliberative  councils  and  in  the  legislative  forum 


12  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  the  repul)lic,  or  received  such  lionoral)le  recognition  from  his  fellow  citizens 
in  the  state  and  in  the  nation  as  has  the  man  whose  eventful  life,  distinguished 
public  services  and  peculiar  personal  characteristics  it  is  the  purpose  of  this 
essay  briefly  to  trace  and  portray. 

The  professional  and  political  career  of  John  J.  Ingalls  is  contemporaneous 
with  the  entire  history  of  the  state  of  Kansas  and  is  closely  identified  with  the 
industrial  development  and  the  political  vicissitudes  of  the  same,  while  for 
over  two  decades  he  has  been  one  of  the  ablest,  most  jx^pular,  most  unique  and 
most  influential  figures  identified  with  the  political  affairs,  the  economic  ques- 
tions and  the  social  problems  of  the  entire  American  nation. 

Ex-Senator  Ingalls  is  the  direct  descendant  of  two  noted  Puritan  families, 
coming  on  both  his  father's  side  and  his  mother's  "from  an  unbroken  strain 
of  Puritan  blood  without  any  intermixture."  His  original  ancestor  on  his 
father's  side  was  Edmund  Ingalls,  who  with  his  brother  Francis  came  over 
from  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1628,  and  founded  the  city  of  Lynn,  Massachu- 
setts. His  father  was  Elias  T.  Ingalls,  of  Haverhill,  Massachusetts, 
who  was  characterized  as  "a  typical  New  Englander. — aristocratic,  aus- 
tere, devout,  scholarly — successful  in  business  and  respected  by  all."  Mehit- 
abel  Ingalls,  a  first  cousin  of  Elias  T.  Ingalls,  was  President  Garfield's 
grandmother.  On  his  mother's  side  Mr.  Ingalls  is  related  to  the  noted  Chase 
family,  of  which  the  late  Chief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase  was  a  prominent 
member.  The  original  member  of  this  family  was  Aquila  Chase,  who  came  to 
America  in  1630  and  settled  in  New  Hampshire.  His  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Eliza  Chase,  is  still  living,  at  Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

John  James  Ingalls  was  born  at  Middleton,  Essex  county,  Massachu- 
setts, December  29,  1833.  He  was  the  oldest  of  nine  children  and  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  until  he  was  sixteen,  after  which  time  he  continued  his 
studies  preparatory  for  college  under  a  private  tutor.  His  literary  genius  had 
begun  to  manifest  itself  before  he  left  the  public  schools  and  his  "earliest 
intellectual  activity  found  expression  in  verse."  He  entered  Williams  College, 
at  Williamstown,  Massachusetts,  in  September,  1851,  of  which  institution  Dr. 
Mark  Hopkins,  at  this  time  in  the  prime  of  his  remarkable  intellectual 
activity,  was  then  president.  After  his  graduation  at  college,  in  1855.  Mr. 
Ingalls  entered  upon  the  study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  his  native 
county  of  Essex  in  1857.  The  bold  and  fearless  character  of  the  statesman  and 
the  politician  had  begun  to  be  foreshadowed  in  the  college  student,  especially 
toward  the  close  of  his  academic  career.  Into  his  graduating  oration  he  incor- 
porated views  that  were  objectionable  to  the  faculty  and  which  were  cut  out 
when  the  authorities  revised  his  commencement  production.  When  he  came 
to  deliver  it,  however,  he  spoke  it  as  originally  written,  for  which  offense  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  13 

diploma  was  withheld  until  1864,  after  he  had  begun  to  make  a  name  for  him- 
self in  the  west.  Twenty  years  after  granting  him  his  first  diploma  his 
aluia  mater  honored  him  and  itself  by  conferring  upon  him  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Laws. 

Mr.  Ingalls  emigrated  to  Kansas  in  the  fall  of  1858  and  took  up  his  abode 
r.t  Sumner,  where  he  began  the  practice  of  law,  but  moved  to  Atchison  and 
opened  his  law  office  in  that  town.  Meanwhile  the  future  statesman  had 
entered  upon  his  political  career  and  was  winning  rapid  promotion.  In  1859 
he  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  Wyandotte  constitutional  convention.  In  i860 
he  was  the  secretary  of  the  territorial  council.  In  1861  he  was  the  secretary 
of  the  state  senate.  In  1862  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  senate  from 
Atchison  county.  Changing  his  activities  from  the  political  to  the  military 
field,  he  served  as  major,  lieutenant-colonel  and  judge  advocate  of  Kansas  vol- 
unteers from  1863  to  1S65.  In  1862  and  again  in  1864  he  also  ran  as  candidate 
for  lieutenant-governor  on  what  was  then  known  as  the  Union  State  ticket  in 
revolt  against  the  arrogant  assumptions  of  such  tyrannical  political  dema- 
gogues as  "Jim"  Lane  and  his  followers,  whose  overthrow  was  not  accom- 
plished until  1866.  For  this  course  Mr.  Ingalls  was  accused  of  being  disloyal 
to  his  party,  but  the  circumstances  seem  to  have  made  his  attitude  not  only 
justifiable  but  praiseworthy  as  well. 

"For  eight  years  after  the  war,"  writes  J.  \Y.  D.  Anderson,  "Mr.  Ingalls 
devoted  himself  to  newspaper  and  general  literary  work:. indeed,  it  was  as  a 
literary  man  that  he  first  made  a  state  reputation.  \\q  learned  to  know  and 
admire  the  classical  style,  the  incisive  method,  the  wealth  of  words  and  the  full- 
ness of  information  which  have  since  made  him  so  noted  as  an  orator.  Much  of 
this  literary  work  was  in  praise  in  Kansas,  and,  as  a  genuine  affection  is  nearly 
always  returned  in  kind,  Kansas  soon  came  to  love  and  to  delight  to  do  him 
honor."  For  three  years  he  was  the  editor  of  the  Atchison  Champion  and  sub- 
sequently won  national  reputation  by  a  series  of  brilliant  magazine  articles 
upon  themes  of  western  life  and  ad\'enture,  the  most  noted  of  which  were 
entitled  "Catfish  Aristocracy,"  "Bluegrass,"  "Regis  Loisel  and  Cleveland, 
the  Last  of  the  Jayhawkers." 

It  is  also  of  interest  to  note  in  this  connection  that  Mr.  Ingalls  suggested 
the  original  design  for  the  great  seal  of  Kansas  upon  the  admission  of  the  state 
into  the  Union,  together  with  the  motto,  "Ad  astra  per  aspcra"  (To  the  stars 
through  difficulties).  Unfortunately,  however,  the  simplicity  and  beauty  of 
his  original  design  were  marred  by  the  committee  to  whom  it  was  submitted 
for  adoption.  The  history  of  this  emblematic  device  can  best  be  given  in 
ex-Senator  Ingalls"  own  characteristic  words  : 

"I  was  secretary  of  the  Kansas  state  senate  at  its  first  session  after  our 
admission  in  186 1.    A  joint  committee  was  appointed  to  present  a  design  for 


14  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  great  seal  of  the  state  and  I  suggested  a  sketch  embracing  a  single  star 
rising  from  the  clouds  at  the  base  of  a  field,  with  the  constellation  (representing 
the  number  of  states  then  in  the  Union)  above,  accompanied  by  the  motto, 
"Ad  astra  per  aspcra."  If  you  will  examine  the  seal  as  it  now  exists  you  will 
see  that  my  idea  was  adopted,  but  in  addition  thereto*  the  committee  incor- 
porated a  mountain  scene,  a  river  view,  a  herd  of  buffalo  chased  by  Indians  on 
horseback,  a  log  cabin  with  a  settler  plowing  in  the  foreground,  together  with 
a  number  of  other  incongruous,  allegorical  and  metaphorical  augmentations 
which  destroyed  the  beauty  and  simplicity  of  my  design. 

"The  clouds  at  the  base  were  intended  to  represent  the  perils  and  troubles 
of  our  territorial  history;  the  star  emerging  therefrom,  the  new  state;  the 
constellation,  like  that  on  the  flag,  the  Union,  to  which,  after  a  stormy  struggle, 
it  had  been  admitted." 

The  first  election  of  Mr.  Ingalls  to  the  national  senate  in  1873  came  almost 
as  a  surprise  to  himself  and  his  friends.  Senator  S.  C.  Pomeroy  was  a  candi- 
date for  re-election,  but  he  was  suspected  of  dishonesty  by  some  of  the  members 
of  the  state  legislature.  His  support,  however,  was  so  strong  that  there  was 
no  hope  of  defeating  him  and  the  opposition  in  his  party  had  not  even  united 
on  a  candidate.  On  the  day  that  the  houses  met  in  joint  session  State  Senator 
York  secured  the  floor,  accused  Senator  Pomeroy  of  bribery,  exposed  the  fact 
that  he  had  offered  to  himself  (State  Senator  York)  seven  thousand  dollars  for 
his  vote  and  carried  the  money  to  the  presiding  officer's  desk,  requesting  that  it 
be  used  in  prosecuting  the  offender.  This  sensation  at  once  turned  the  tide 
away  from  Pomeroy,  and  Mr.  Ingalls,  who  was  in  Tojieka  to  argue  a  case  be- 
fore the  supreme  court  and  who  had  received  but  one  vote  in  caucus  the  day 
before  at  once  became  a  favorite  candidate  and  was  elected  upon  the  first  ballot. 

Ex-Senator  Ingalls"  career  in  the  upper  chamber  of  congress  is  so  well 
known  that  it  may  be  readily  passed  in  review  in  this  sketch.  His  record  was 
so  satisfactory  to  his  constituents  that  he  was  returned  to  his  seat  in  1870  and 
again  in  1885.  In  1887,  after  the  death  of  Vice  President  Hendricks,  he  was 
unanimously  elected  president  pro  tempore  of  the  senate,  and  this  election  was 
later,  by  a  special  rule  which  has  since  been  followed,  made  permanent  until  the 
inauguration  of  a  new  vice-president,  or  until,  in  case  the  vice-president  is  liv- 
ing, the  senate  should  have  changed  its  political  complexion.  While  Senator 
Irigalls,  therefore,  was  the  president  of  the  senate  he  enjoyed  all  the  honor, 
dignity  and  distinction  pertaining  to  the  oflice  of  vice-president  of  the  United 
States,  and  his  family  was  accorded  all  the  precedence  and  recognition  belong- 
ing to  this  position. 

His  public  utterances  upon  the  floor  of  the  senate  were  invariably  marked 
by  strong  partisan  bias,  and  his  political  opponents  were  frequently  made  to 
wince  under  his  caustic  and  penetrating  criticism  and  his  flood  of  withering 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  15 

sarcasm ;  but  yet  his  speeches  were,  at  the  same  time,  always  characterized  by 
a  certain  distinct  individuahty  and  independence  that  marked  the  quality  of 
their  style  and  thought  as  being  peculiarly  his  own.  When,  however,  he 'was 
elevated  to  the  office  of  acting  vice-president  he  at  once  rose  to  the  full  measure 
and  dignity  of  the  high  position  to  which  his  fellow  senators  had  chosen  him, 
and  as  the  president  of  the  senate  he  performed  the  functions  of  that  office  with 
unusual  grace  and  with  absolute  impartiality. 

The  defeat  of  the  famous  "force  bill."  which  Speaker  Reed  had  pushed 
with  characteristic  dispatch  through  the  house,  was  attributed  by  many  of  his 
party  colleagues  to  Senator  Ingalls.  When  he  was  requested  to  lend  his  aid  as 
presiding  officer  to  force  the  bill  through  the  senate,  he  peremptorily  refused  to 
play  this  role,  and  sharply  rebuked  those  who  w^ere  attempting  to  resort  to 
tactics  not  in  keeping  with  the  dignity  of  the  senate. 

As  a  mark  of  their  high  respect  and  of  their  appreciation  of  his  uniformly 
calm,  impartial  and  judicial  attitude  as  their  presiding  officer,  the  senators, 
upon  his  retirement  as  the  president  of  the  senate,  presented  him  with  the  clock 
that  had  counted  time  for  the  senate  from  1852  to  1890,  which  memento  now 
adorns  the  wall  above  the  landing  of  the  stairway  in  the  spacious  hall  of  the 
ex-Senator's  residence,  while  upon  the  wall  of  his  library,  artistically  engrossed 
and  appropriately  framed,  is  found  the  original  copy  of  the  following  resolu- 
tion, upon  which  comment  would  be  superfluous: 

'•Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  senate  are  due,  and  are  hereby  tendered, 
to  Hon.  John  J.  Ingalls,  a  senator  from  the  state  of  Kansas,  for  the  eminently 
courteous,  dignified,  able  and  absolutely  impartial  manner  in  which  he  has  pre- 
sided over  the  deliberations  and  performed  the  duties  of  president  /to  tempore 
of  the  senate. 

"Attest :  Anson  G.  McCook, 

"Secretary." 
Mr.  Ingalls  first  won  national  fame  as  an  orator  while  serving  in  the  senate 
and  many  of  his  forensic  efforts  upon  the  floor  of  that  body  will  never  be  for- 
gotten. Whenever  it  was  announced  that  the  eloquent  senator  from  Kansas 
was  to  make  a  speech  the  galleries  and  corridors  of  the  senate  chamber  were 
always  crowded,  and  those  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  hear  him  ne\'er  came 
in  vain.  His  speeches  on  "The  Race  Problem"  and  "The  Financial  Question," 
his  eulogies  on  Senator  Hill,  of  Georgia,  and  on  Congressman  Burnes,  of  Mis- 
souri, and  his  debates  with  Senators  Voorhees  and  Blackburn  are  among  his 
best  known  oratorical  efforts  in  the  senate. 

Concerning  his  well  known  reply  to  Senator  Voorhees  it  is  worthy  of  men- 
tion that  ex-Senator  Ingalls  regards  it  as  the  least  creditable  of  all  his  per- 
formances, though  it  is  undoubtedly  the  best  remembered  of  all  his  public  utter- 
ances, and  he  regrets  that  the  occasion  made  such  a  speech  in  the  senate  neces- 


i6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

sary.  He  also  claims  that  his  criticisms  of  McClellan  and  Hancock  had  refer- 
ence not  to  their  military  records  hnt  to  their  political  attitudes,  and  that  his 
remarks  were  perverted  by  his  political  opponents  for  the  purpose  of  placing 
him  in  a  very  disagreeable  position. 

His  command  of  language  is  remarkable  and  his  sparkling  wealth  of 
words  seems  to  come  to  him  as  easily  and  as  naturally  as  the  poverty  of  lan- 
guage is  a  prevailing  characteristic  of  most  of  his  fellow  beings.  He  is  equally 
fluent  in  conversation,  upon  the  platform  or  with  his  pen.  As  a  public  speaker, 
however,  Mr.  Ingalls'  powers  of  expression  seem  to  have  attained  their  highest 
range  and  their  highest  development.  He  is,  moreover,  a  scholar,  a  philo- 
sophical thinker  and  a  close  student  of  our  social  and  political  problems,  as  well 
as  an  orator  and  rhetorician.  Many  of  his  oratorical  productions,  viewed  in 
the  light  of  their  magnificent  and  forcible  style,  as  also  with  reference  to  their 
thought  content,  may  indeed  be  termed  "classical."  A  characteristic  passage, 
taken  from  the  introduction  to  his  eulogy  on  Congressman  Burnes-,  is  here 
in.serted  for  the  sake  of  illustration : 

"In  the  democracy  of  the  dead  all  men  at  last  are  equal.  There  is  neither 
rank,  station  nor  prerogative  in  the  republic  of  the  grave.  At  this  fatal  thresh- 
old the  philosopher  ceases  to  be  wise  and  the  song  of  the  poet  is  silent.  Di\-es 
relinquishes  his  millions  and  Lazarus  his  rags.  The  poor  man  is  as  rich  as  the 
richest  and  the  rich  man  is  as  poor  as  the  pauper.  The  creditor  loses  his  usury 
and  the  debtor  is  acquitted  of  his  obligation.  There  the  proud  man  surrenders 
his  dignities,  the  politician  his  honors,  the  worldling  his  pleasures,  the  invalid 
needs  no  physician,  and  the  laborer  rests  from  unrequited  toil.  Here  at  last  is 
Nature's  final  decree  in  equity.  The  wrongs  of  time  are  redressed,  injustice  is 
expiated,  the  irony  of  fate  is  refuted,  the  unequal  distribution  of  wealth,  honor, 
capacity,  pleasure  and  opportunity,  which  makes  life  so  cruel  and  inexplicable  a 
tragedy,  ceases  in  the  realm  of  death.  The  strongest  there  has  no  supremacy, 
and  the  weakest  needs  no  defense.  The  mightiest  captain  succumbs  to  the 
invincible  ad\ersary  who  disarms  alike  the  \ictor  and  the  vanquished." 

In  a  similar  compact,  epigrammatic  style,  is  his  oft  quoted  estimate  of 
Lincoln : 

"Abraham  Lincoln,  the  greatest  leader  of  all,  had  the  humblest  origin  and 
scantiest  scholarship.  Yet  he  surpassed  all  orators  in  eloquence,  all  diplomat- 
ists in  wisdom,  all  statesmen  in  foresight,  and  the  most  ambitious  in  fame." 

When  Senator  Ingalls  fell  a  victim  to  the  Populist  upheaval  in  Kansas,  in 
1 89 1,  and  was  obliged,  much  to  the  regret  of  the  country  at  large,  to  yield  his 
seat  in  the  senate  to  Mr.  Peffer.  his  political  adversaries  took  delight  to  refer  to 
him  by  his  self-api)lied  title  of  "a  statesman  without  a  job."  In  this  respect, 
however,  their  expectations  were  not  realized,  for  the  man  of  genius  and  intlus- 
try  is  never  out  of  employment.     They  failed  to  recognize  that  a  statesman 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


17 


must  not  necessarily  hold  public  office  in  order  to  be  either  successfully  or 
advantageously  employed,  and  that  if  his  services  as  a  public  man  have  been  of 
consequence,  men  will  not  likely  let  his  talent  remain  unemployed  as  a  private 
citizen.  Upon  his  retirement  from  public  life  Mr.  Ingalls  had  a  number  of 
exceedingly  tempting  offers — both  in  the  east  and  in  the  west — to  accept  the 
editorship  of  prominent  newspapers,  all  of  which  he  declined,  mainly  because 
their  acceptance  would  require  him  to  transfer  his  family  and  his  citizenship 
out  of  his  adopted  state. 

After  his  return  from  his  trip  to  Europe,  his  library,  his  pen  and  the  lec- 
ture platform  have  profitably  occupied  his  time  and  talents,  and  a  number  of 
timely  articles  upon  the  principal  economic,  political  and  social  questions  of  the 
period  ha\-e  appeared  from  his  pen  in  the  leading  periodicals  of  the  country, 
ilis  essays  are  always  in  great  demand,  are  said  to  command  higher  prices  than 
those  of  any  other  man  in  America,  with  the  exception  of  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes  and  James  Russell  Lowell,  and  are  not  only  intensely  interesting  but 
highly  instructive  as  well.  They  do  not  express  ideas  merely  struck  off  at  ran- 
dom, but  embody  the  valuable  results  and  conclusions  of  years  of  faithful  study 
and  ripe  experience. 

Mr.  Ingalls  has  also  been  in  great  demand  as  a  popular  platform  lecturer 
since  retiring  from  the  senate,  his  services  in  this  capacity  commanding  the  very 
highest  prices,  and  as  a  lecturer  and  orator  he  has  probably  only  two  peers  on 
the  American  platform — Depew  and  Watterson.  This  field  of  activity  opened 
to  him  spontaneously,  unsought  by  himself,  and  contrary  to  the  usual  experi- 
ence of  the  successful  orator,  it  is,  strange  to  say,  absolutely  distasteful  to  him. 
"Oak  Ridge,"  located  on  a  slightly  wooded  elevation  overlooking  the  city 
of  Atchison  from  the  southwest,  is  the  name  given  to  Mr.  Ingalls'  beautiful  and 
cultured  home.  He  is  the  father  of  eleven  children,  seven  of  whom— three 
sons  and  four  daughters — are  still  living.  Mrs.  Ingalls,  to  whom  the  Senator 
has  always  been  a  hero,  has  been  to  him  a  most  loyal  wife  and  helpful  com- 
panion, and  is,  moreover,  a  most  faithful  and  devoted  mother  to  her  family  and 
an  ideal  housekeeper  in  the  management  of  her  home  and  in  the  education  and 
control  of  her  children.  By  the  salutary  power  and  influence  that  Mrs.  Ingalls 
is  so  constantly  exerting  over  her  family,  the  domestic  side  of  Senator  Ingalls' 
home,  in  spite  of  his  long  career  in  public  life,  has  not  suffered  in  the  least.  His 
home  is  a  cheerful  and  happy  one,  in  which  the  higher  literary  and  artistic  tastes 
and  the  nobler  ideas  of  life  are  assiduously  cultivated,  and  in  which  the  bond 
of  affection  is  sincere  and  strong. 

The  final  history  of  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  the  final 
estimate  of  the  character  and  achievements  of  the  leadfng  public  men  of  this 
period,  will  not  be  written  during  the  life-time  of  the  present  generation,  and 
they  may  not  be  written  until  a  number  of  generations  shall  have  passed  away; 


18  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

but  whenever  the  final  account  shAll  liave  been  formulated,  and  whenever  the 
final  estimate  of  the  most  distinguished  statesmen  and  foremost  leaders  of  this 
epoch  shall  have  been  made,  the  name  and  fame  of  John  J.  Ingalls  will  occupy 
a  unique  and  conspicuous  place  among  the  list  of  illustrious  Americans  of  this 
eventful  age  who  loved  their  country  most  and  served  her  interests  best. 

[The  above  sketch  was  largely  copied  from  a  biographical  record  prepared 
LyG.  H.  Meixell.] 


DAVID  MARTIN. 


High  on  the  roll  of  Kansas'  eminent  jurists  appears  the  name  of  David 
Martin,  who  has  occupied  the  position  of  chief  justice  of  the  state.  He  was 
recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the  commonwealth,  and  was  one  of 
the  best  judges  who  ever  occupied  a  seat  upon  the  bench.  The  legal  profession 
demands  a  high  order  of  ability,  and  the  judiciary,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say. 
requires  not  only  ability  but  the  rare  combination  of  talent,  learning,  tact  and 
industry.  The  successful  lawyer  and  the  competent  judge  must  be  a  man  of 
well  balanced  intellect  and  comprehensive  general  information,  thoroughly 
frmiliar  with  the  law  and  practice,  possessed  of  an  analytical  mind,  and  a  self- 
control  that  will  enable  him  to  lose  his  individuality,  his  personal  feelings,  his 
prejudices  and  the  peculiarities  of  disposition  in  the  dignity,  impartiality  and 
equity  of  the  ofiice  to  which  life,  property,  right  and  liberty  must  look  for  pro- 
tection. In  all  of  these  particulars  Judge  Martin  was  well  qualified,  and  in  his 
official  career  he  honored  the  state  which  honored  him  by  elevation  to  its  highest 
tribunal. 

The  Judge  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Ohio.  October  i6.  1839,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Eliza  (Halliday)  ]Martin.  The  father  was  a  native  of  London, 
Fngland,  and  when  very  young  came  to  the  United  States.  He  was  married 
and  located  in  New  York  city,  and  subsequently  moved  from  that  place  to 
Clark  ciiunty,  where  he  made  his  home  from  1S37  until  his  death.  Eliza  Halli- 
day, whom  he  married,  was  btirn  at  Lisburn.  near  Belfast,  Ireland.  His  son 
David  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  county  of  his  nativity,  where  he  acquired 
a  good  education  which  served  as  a  foundation  upon  which  he  reared  the  super- 
structure of  professional  knowledge.  Determined  to  enter  the  legal  profes- 
sion, he  became  a  student  in  the  law  office  of  Honorable  J.  Warren  Keifer  at 
Si)ringfield,  Ohio,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  before  the  supreme  court  at 
Columbus  in  1866.  In  May  of  the  following  year  he  came  to  Atchison,  where 
he  opened  a  law  office  and  engaged  in  general  practice.  Gradually  his  business 
grew  in  volume  and  importance  as  he  demonstrated  his  ability  to  successfully 
handle  the  important  litigated  interests  entrusted  to  his  care.     It  was  not  long 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  19 

before  he  had  taken  rank  among  the  leading  lawyers  of  his  adopted  city,  and  he 
was  elected  as  judge  of  the  second  judicial  district  in  1880  and  again  in  1884, 
without  opposition;  but  he  resigned  in  April,  1887,  and  resumed  the  practice  of 
the  law  and  continued  in  the  practice  until  April,  1895.  when  he  was  appointed 
to  the  office  of  chief  justice  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resignation  of 
Chief  Justice  Horton.  In  the  following  fall  he  was  elected  on  the  Republican 
ticket  by  the  handsome  majority  of  over  eighty-two  thousand,  and  served  until 
January,  1897.  He  took  to  the  bench  a  mind  well  stored  with  legal  lore,  a 
large  experience  gathered  from  years  of  extensive  and  important  practice,  a 
character  that  was  an  assurance  that  the  duties  of  the  high  office  would  be  faith- 
fully administered,  and  a  general  natural  fitness  for  the  position  that  few  men 
possess. 

On  the  expiration  of  his  term  Judge  Martin  removed  his  law  office  to 
Topeka,  Kansas,  but  retained  his  home  in  Atchison,  where  he  has  a  comfortable 
residence,  modern  in  all  its  appointments.  On  the  5th  of  January,  1882,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Lissa  Kibby,  the  second  daughter  of  William  B.  and  Anna 
L.  Kibby,  and  a  representative  of  a  prominent  old  family  of  Atchison.  It  was 
in  1858  that  her  father  came  to  this  county  from  Pennsylvania,  and  here  his 
death  occurred  on  the  14th  of  May,  1869.  Her  mother,  however,  long  sur- 
vived, passing  away  March  11,  1899.  The  Judge  and  his  wife  have  a  large 
circle  of  friends  in  the  city  which  has  so  long  been  their  home,  and  their  high 
position  in  social  circles  is  an  indication  of  their  intellectual  and  many  genial 
qualities.  As  a  lawyer  and  judge,  the  subject  of  this  review  ranks  among  the 
foremost,  and  no  history  of  Atchison  would  be  complete  without  the  record  of 
his  life. 


WILLIAM  HETHERIXGTON. 

As  a  representative  of  the  class  of  substantial  builders  of  a  great  common- 
wealth who  served  faithfully  and  long  in  the  enterprising  west,  we  present  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  a  pioneer  of  the  Sunflower  state  and  nobly  did 
his  duty  in  establishing  and  promoting  the  material  interests,  legal  status  and 
moral  welfare  of  his  community,  and  exerted  a  great  influence  throughout  his 
community  in  financial  circles.  His  prominence  was  the  result  of  his  upright 
life  and  fitness  for  leadership,  and  through  his  well  directed  and  honorable 
cft'orts  he  gained  most  gratifying  success. 

Mr.  Hetherington  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  the  town  of  Milton,  on  the  loth  of  May,  1821.  There  he  spent  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth,  acquiring  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  Having 
arrived  at  the  years  of  maturity,  he  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Pine  Grove, 


20  PIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

rcnnsvlvaiiia.  to  Miss  Annie  M.  Strimphfler,  who  was  born  in  W'omelsdorf, 
I;erks  count V.  Pennsylvania,  September  24,  1S27.  Their  marriage  occurred 
oil  the  oth  of  May.  1S48,  and  they  became  residents  of  Pottsville,  Pennsylvania, 
where  Mr.  Hetherington  engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  flouring-mill.  They 
l;ad  three  children,  namely:  Mrs.  B.  P.  Waggener,  Webster  Wirt  and  C.  S. 
Hetherington.  In  1859  they  removed  to  Atchison,  where  occurred  the  birth  of 
the  youngest  child,  Mrs.  William  A.  Otis. 

On  coming  to  the  west,  Mr.  Hetherington  first  located  in  St.  Louis,  subse- 
quently went  to  Kansas  City  and  later  to  Leavenworth,  where  he  purchased  a 
bankrupt  stock  of  gootls  and  hauled  them  by  wagon  to  Atchison,  arriving  in 
that  city  in  1S59.  The  same  year  he  established  the  Exchange  Bank,  absorbing 
the  Kansas  \"alley  Bank,  wliich  had  Ijeen  organized  se\eral  years  and  was 
owiied  by  Robert  L.  Pease.  When  Mr.  Hetherington  came  into  possession  of 
the  latter  it  was  located  in  a  basement  at  the  comer  of  Third  and  Commercial 
streets.  In  a  few  months  he  removed  to  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  ofiSce 
of  the  water  works,  and  while  there  engaged  in  business  an  attempt  was  made 
to  rob  tlie  bank  by  Cleveland,  the  notorious  outlaw,  who,  however,  was  fright- 
ened away  by  some  freighters  who  were  working  around  the  stable  near  by. 
At  a  later  date  Mr.  Hetherington  erected  a  fine  bank  building  at  the  northwest 
comer  of  Fourth  and  Commercial  streets.  That  was  then  considered  "away 
out  on  the  prairie."  but  tlie  present  home  of  the  Exchange  National  Bank, 
erected  in  1S85.  is  situated  still  two  blocks  further  west  and  is  yet  in  the  heart 
C'f  the  business  center  of  the  town.  From  the  organization  of  the  bank  until 
h.is  death.  Mr.  Hetherington  was  its  president  and  made  it  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial financial  institutions  of  the  state.  In  its  management  he  was  conserva- 
tive, and  in  the  control  of  its  business  was  at  all  times  so  reliable  and  honorable 
that  he  won  the  unqualifieti  confidence  of  the  public  and  secured  a  large  share 
of  the  public's  business.  The  institution  \\-as  merged  into  a  national  bank  in 
iS8j,  anil  with  the  }%assing  years  its  success  was  augmented,  the  last  annual 
statement  l^ing  the  Ix-st  ever  made, 

Mr.  Hetherington  was  a  man  of  resourceful  business  ability  and  did  not 
confine  his  eflforts  alone  to  linking,  Througli  the  investments  he  made  in 
builings  he  Ix^ame  a  leading  factor  in  the  material  advancement  of  the  city,  and 
Bt  all  times  was  a  lil^ral  supjv>rter  of  the  moA-ements  and  measures  which  he 
believed  would  prove  a  public  Ivnefit.  He  Ix^re  a  marked  influence  on  public 
thought  and  movement,  for  his  judgnueni  was  largely  unbiased  and  his  opinions 
were  given  only  after  due  ci^nsideratiitn  of  the  subject  under  discussion.  He 
was  a  Democrat  at  a  time  when  sectional  bitterness  was  at  its  height,  yet  he 
did  much  to  maintain  jieace  ainong  the  ci->nttnding  factions,  for  he  always 
ad\-ocated  a  nxMlerate  c<.nir,se  anvl  laK^reil  tor  jieace.  He  \\-as  never  a  bitter 
I^artisan,  and  his  conserv-ative  course  w\-vn  him  the  respect  of  the  public  in  an 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  21 

unusual  degree.  His  oratorical  abilitj-  made  him  a  popular  public  speaker  and 
his  addresses  are  still  quoted  as  fine  examples  of  eloquence  and  good  sense. 
In  an  early  day  he  served  as  mayor  of  the  cit}%  and  labored  for  reform  and 
progress  along  many  lines.  None  questioned  his  deep  interest  in  the  citj-'s 
good  nor  his  unselfish  efforts  in  behalf  of  his  fellow  men.  .\n  innate  sense  of 
high  culture  was  one  of  his  marked  attributes  and  he  possessed  a  refined  nature 
that  tolerated  nothing  coarse  or  low.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school, 
always  courteous  and  kindly,  and  the  circle  of  his  friends  was  almost  co-exten- 
sive with  his  acquaintances.  His  home  life  was  especially  pleasant  and  har- 
monious. 

His  death  occurred  in  1890,  three  years  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  to 
whom  he  was  most  fondly  attached.  Mrs.  Hetherington  was  a  lady  of  a  beau- 
tiful character  and  endeared  herself  to  many  friends.  One  who  knew  her  well 
said  of  her  that  she  was  "a  woman  of  superior  intelligence,  of  intense  affection, 
of  great  kindness  and  of  unwear\-ing  devotion  to  her  family."  Her  charming 
simplicity  of  manner:  her  amiable,  charitable  disposition,  which  was  never  at 
any  time  during  her  long  life  betrayed  into  an  imkind  word  toward  any  human 
being;  her  patience  and  tenderness,  manifested  in  a  thousand  ways  towards 
those  she  so  dearly  loved,  and  to  whom  she  was  so  ardently  attached,  and  for 
\\hose  comfort  and  welfare  she  counted  no  sacrifice  too  great,  no  labor  too  irk- 
some :  her  sweetness  and  buoyancy  of  spirit ;  her  radiant  face :  her  wifeh".  moth- 
erly, womanly  worth,  expressed  in  one  continuous  series  of  self-denials,  her 
v.holesome  devoutness.  existing  now  only  in  memory,  and  embalmed  in  the 
tenderest  recollections, — are  the  priceless  legacy  left  to  her  husband  and 
children. 


WEBSTER  WIRT  HETHERIXGTOX. 

From  the  beginning  of  his  active  career  almost,  until  the  time  of  his  death, 
^Ir.  Hetherington  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished,  capable  and  honored 
business  men  of  Atchison,  and  his  name  figures  conspicuously  in  connection 
with  the  banking  interests  of  the  cit}-.  All  who  knew  him  esteemed  him  highly 
for  his  sterling  worth,  for  at  all  times  he  was  true  to  manly  principles  and  to 
straightforward  business  methods.  His  career  was  a  busy  and  useful  one,  in 
which  he  not  only  achieved  success  for  himself  but  also  promoted  the  prosperity 
of  the  cit\-  with  which  he  was  identified.  It  is  the  enterprise  and  character  of 
the  citizen  that  enrich  and  ennoble  the  commonwealth.  From  individual  enter- 
terprise  have  sprung  all  the  splendor  and  importance  of  this  great  west,  and 
Mr.  Hetherington  was  one  of  those  who  contributed  to  the  material  progress 
and  substantial  improvement  of  Atchison. 


22  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  he  was  born  in  Pottsville,  December  19.  iS^o, 
and  was  tiie  eldest  son  of  William  and  Annie  M.  (Strimphler)  Hetherington. 
He  acquired  his  education  in  Gambier  College,  in  Ohio,  and  left  that  institution 
in  order  to  enter  the  Exchange  National  Bank  at  Atchison,  of  which  his  father 
was  the  founder  and  for  many  years  the  president.  He  was  only  eight  years 
of  age  when  he  arrived  in  this  city,  and  when  his  literary  education  was  com- 
j'leted  he  was  made  cashier,  and  for  many  years  was  an  active  factor  in  main- 
taining the  high  reputation  which  the  bank  always  enjoyed.  Upon  his  father's 
death,  in  1890,  he  was  elected  to  the  presidency,  and  occupied  that  position 
until  his  own  death,  on  the  28th  of  January.  1892.  He  formed  his  plans  read- 
ily, was  determined  in  their  execution  and  made  but  few  mistakes.  He  pos- 
sessed keen  discernment  and  sound  judgment,  and  had  much  of  that  dignified 
bearing  which  marked  his  father.  His  gentlemanly  manner  and  uniform 
courtesy  attracted  attention  everywhere  and  won  him  respect  in  all  classes  of 
society.  He  was  widely  known  in  financial  circles,  and  enjoyed  an  esi)ecially 
valuable  acquaintance  among  the  financiers  of  New  York,  with  whom  he  had 
many  transactions  in  western  securities.  When  the  Rock  Island  road  built  its 
Kansas  and  Nebraska  extension.  Mr.  Hetherington  made  arrangements  to 
purchase  all  the  municipal  bonds  it  received  from  the  counties  and  townships 
through  which  it  passed.  The  deal  was  successful,  and  won  him  the  confidence 
of  the  New  York  brokers  through  whom  he  sold  the  bonds.  In  1889  lie 
received  from  W.  P.  Rice,  of  New  York,  ten  thousand  dollars  in  cash  and  also 
traveling  expenses  for  himself  and  wife  on  a  tour  in  Europe,  in  payment  of 
his  services  in  going  to  London  and  assisting  ]\Ir.  Rice  in  interesting  English 
capitalists  in  American  enterprises.  Through  the  judicious  management  of 
his  extensive  business  interests  he  won  a  handsome  fortune. 

On  the  1 8th  of  November,  1875,  ^^r.  Hetherington  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Lillie  Miller,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Dr.  John  G.  and  Anna  B. 
(Bennett)  Miller,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  Doctor 
was  a  prominent  physician  and  for  many  years  followed  his  profession  in 
Atchison,  where  he  was  well  known.  Mrs.  Hetherington  is  a  lady  of  culture 
and  refinement  and  with  her  family  she  occupies  one  of  the  most  elegant  homes 
in  this  locality.  By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  five  children,  two 
sons  and  three  daughters,  namely :  Ruthanna.  at  home ;  Mary  Louise,  who  is 
a  student  in  a  private  school  in  New  York  city :  ^^■ebster  Wirt,  who  is  a  stu- 
dent in  a  military  college  in  :\Iichigan ;  Gail  and  Harry  Hale. 

Mr.  Hetherington  always  displayed  a  genuine  public  spirit  in  all  measures 
and  movements  for  the  public  good.  He  was  firm  in  his  convictions,  yet  had 
due  consideration  for  the  rights  and  opinions  of  others.  He  bore  an  unassail- 
able reputation  and  inspired  personal  friendship  of  great  strength,  and  had  the 
happy  faculty  of  drawing  his  friends  closer  to  him  as  the  years  passed  by. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOCICAL  RECORD.  23 


BALIE  PEYTON  WAGGEXER. 

Hon.  Balie  Peyton  Waggener  lias  been  called  the  "favorite  son"  of  Atchi- 
son, Kansas,  and  certainly  no  one  of  the  citizens  is  more  widely  known  or  more 
popular.  His  prominent  position  as  general  attorney  of  the  Missouri  Pacific 
Railway  Company  brings  him  in  contact  with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men, 
while  his  own  extensive  law  practice  has  made  him  acquainted  with  people  all 
over  the  state. 

Mr.  Waggener  was  born  near  Platte  City,  Platte  county.  Missouri,  July 
18,  1847,  ^"<i  is  ^  son  of  Peyton  R.  and  Bressias  S.  (Willis)  Waggener.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  an  early  settler  of  Missouri.  His  grand- 
father, Thomas  Waggener,  also  born  in  Virginia,  held  a  major's  commission  in 
the  war  of  1812,  while  his  great-grandfather,  James  Waggener,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  was  awarded  a  medal  of  honor  for  heroic  deeds 
of  valor.  The  great-great-grandfather  came  over  from  England  wth  Gov- 
ernor Spotsford.  On  the  mother's  side  the  family  was  connected  with  the  Gar- 
netts,  one  of  the  first  families  of  V^irginia. 

Peyton  R.  Waggener  was  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1856,  clerk  of  the 
county  court  of  Platte  county.  His  wife,  who  is  still  living  and  makes  her 
home  in  Atchison,  is  now  in  her  seventy-eighth  year  and  is  in  the  enjoyment 
of  all  her  faculties. 

Balie  P.  Waggener  spent  his  boyhood  on  the  farm  and  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  Platte  City.  He  was  the  second  of  four  children 
and  after  the  death  of  his  father  assisted  his  mother  in  the  care  of  the  property 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  when  he  came  to  Atchison  and  entered  the  law 
office  of  A.  G.  Otis  and  George  W.  Click  as  a  student.  He  was  a  bright  youth 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  June  10,  1867.  In  1870  Mr.  Waggener  and 
Albert  H.  Horton  formed  a  law  partnership,  which  continued  until  January  i, 
1877,  when  Mr.  Horton  became,  by  appointment,  chief  justice  of  the  supreme 
court.  The  same  year  Mr.  Waggener  and  Aaron  S.  Everest  formed  a  partner- 
ship and  then  the  former  became  known  as  a  corporation  lawyer.  This  firm 
were  attorneys  for  the  Gould  interests  and  they  engineered  the  various  deals 
which  enabled  the  Missouri  Pacific  to  obtain  a  foothold  in  the  west.  Mr. 
Waggener,  being  young,  energetic  and  ambitious,  rose  rapidly  in  his  pro- 
fession and  along  in  the  '80s  the  Missouri  Pacific  appointed  him  to  be  its  gen- 
eral attorney  for  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  which  position  he  still  holds. 

About  that  time  Mr.  Everest  retired  from  the  firm  and  James  W.  Orr 
became  the  partner  of  J^Ir.  ^\'aggener.  In  1888  David  Martin  became  a  part- 
ner, resigning  from  the  judgeship  of  the  Atchison  county  district  court.  He 
retired  in  1894  and  the  following  year  was  appointed  to  the  chief  justiceship 


24  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

on  the  resignation  of  Albert  H.  Horton.  The  firm  is  now  Waggener,  Horton 
&  Orr. 

In  addition  to  his  duties  as  an  attorney  Mr.  Waggener  is  interested  in 
banking  and  on  the  death  of  W.  W.  Hetherington  was  made  president  of  the 
Exchange  National  Bank,  one  of  the  strong  financial  institutions  of  Kansas, 
and  devotes  considerable  of  his  time  to  its  interests.  He  has  also  found  time  to 
take  a  hand  in  politics  and  in  1872  ran  for  attorney-general  on  the  Greeley 
ticket,  which  was  defeated  by  something-  like  thirty  thousand  majority.  In 
1876  he  was  chairman  of  the  convention  that  nominated  John  Martin  for  gov- 
ernor, and  in  1880  was  chairman  of  the  Democratic  congressional  committee 
of  the  first  district.  He  has  been  a  delegate  in  most  of  the  Democratic  state 
and  several  of  the  important  county  conventions  and  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leaders  of  the  party.  He  has  served  the  city  of  Atchison  twice  as  mayor 
and  once  as  city  attorney.  If  he  had  chosen  a  political  career  Mr.  Waggener 
would  have  won  success  through  his  gift  as  an  orator.  In  the  early  part  of  his 
professional  life  he  was  famous  as  a  speaker  and  lecturer,  audiences  and  juries 
alike  falling  captive  to  his  brilliant  addresses.  Of  late  years  he  has  confined 
his  public  speaking  to  the  court  room,  greatly  to  the  regret  of  his  friends  and 
admirers. 

As  a  citizen  ]\Ir.  Waggener  takes  first  rank  in  Atchison.  He  spends  his 
money  freely  and  aids  every  movement  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  town.  His 
name  is  on  the  list  of  every  charity  and  the  individual  poor  never  appeal  to  him 
in  vain.  He  is  public-spirited  and  through  his  efforts  Atchison  secured  an 
electric  car  system. 

Mr.  Waggener  owns  a  handsome  residence  on  North  Fourth  street,  which, 
besides  being  replete  with  every  comfort  and  luxury  that  wealth  can  give, 
shows  evidence  of  cultured  taste  and  refinement.  The  third  story  is  entirely 
devoted  to  books  and  contains  the  most  extensive  private  law  library  in  the 
United  States,  comprising  fifteen  thousand  volumes.  Among  these  will  be 
found  all  the  state  and  territorial  reports,  and  for  some  of  the  old  southern 
reports  he  paid  as  high  as  three  hundred  dollars  per  volume. 

In  his  busy  office  down  town,  where  a  dozen  people  are  employed,  Mr. 
Waggener  finds  plenty  of  work,  but  in  this  he  delights  and  is  never  so  happy  as 
when  his  hands  are  full.  He  also  has  branch  offices  in  Topeka  and  in  Lincoln, 
Nebraska.  With  all  his  numerous  duties  he  is  a  great  "home  man,"  and  his 
wife  and  children  have  ever  held  the  uppermost  place  in  his  thoughts. 

Mr.  Waggener  was  married,  in  1869,  to  Miss  Emma  Hetherington,  a 
daughter  of  the  late  William  Hetherington,  an  Atchison  pioneer.  They  have 
two  children,  William  P.  and  Mabel  L.  (Mrs.  R.  K.  Smith),  the  latter  residing 
in  St.  Joseph.  W.  P.  Waggener  is  a  young  man  of  exceptional  ability.  He 
v^as  admitted  to  the  bar  when  nineteen  years  old  and  was  married  when  he  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  25 

twenty-two.  He  is  general  attorney  of  the  Kansas  City  Northwestern  Rail- 
road Company  and  one  of  the  assistant  attorneys  of  the  Missouri  Pacific.  He 
also  has  charge  of  his  father's  private  business  and  is  the  latter's  inseparable 
cc'mpanion  and  trusted  confidant. 

A  genial  gentleman,  a  man  of  irreproachable  character,  just  in  his  deal- 
ings with  everyone  and  a  loyal  citizen,  Air.  W'aggener  is  eminently  deserving 
of  the  success  which  has  come  to  him. 


ROBERT  L.  PEASE. 


]\Iore  than  forty  years  have  passed  since  this  gentleman  came  to  Atchison 
and  almost  continually  throughout  this  long  period  he  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  the  city.  His  life  record  proves  the 
truth  of  the  saying  that  success  is  not  a  matter  of  genius,  but  is  the  outcome  of 
earnest  purpose  and  indefatigable  effort.  He  started  upon  his  business  career 
with  no  capital,  and  yet  to-day  he  is  numbered  among  the  wealthy  men  of  his 
adopted  city.  His  career  has  ever  been  one  which  has  gained  for  him  honor 
and  respect,  and  no  history  of  Atchison  would  be  complete  without  the  record 
of  his  life. 

A  native  of  Connecticut,  JMr.  Pease  was  born  in  Soniers  November  10, 
1832.  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Amersha  (Arnold)  Pease.  Pie  is  descended 
from  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  honorable  families  of  New  England.  His 
ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  Robert  Pease,  who  emigrated  from  England  to 
America  in  1630.  locating  at  Salem,  Massachusetts.  The  line  of  descent  is 
through  James.  Robert,  Robert,  Robert,  Robert,  Oliver,  Robert  and  Robert. 
The  paternal  grandfather  was  Oliver  Pease,  and  his  son  Robert  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  in  1808,  and  became  a  prosperous  farmer  of  the  Charter  Oak 
state.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  wedded  Miss  Arnold,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Amelia  (Pomeroy)  Arnold,  the  latter  a  descendant  of  an 
old  English  family. 

Robert  L.  Pease,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  spent  the  first  eight- 
een years  of  his  life  in  his  native  town,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools 
and  also  pursued  his  education  in  Ellington  Academy.  In  1850  he  removed  to 
New  Jersey,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  three  terms,  and  in 
March,  1857,  he  came  to  Atchison,  Kansas.  Believing  that  better  oppor- 
tunities awaited  young  men  in  the  rapidly  growing  west  he  made  his  way  to 
this  city,  and  his  name  has  since  figured  conspicuously  in  connection  with  many 
interests  which  have  led  to  the  substantial  development  and  material  improve- 
inent  of  Atchison.     In  1858  he  was  elected  city  register  and  with  S.  C.  Pom- 


26  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

eroy,  then  mayor,  signed  the  first  bonds  issued  by  the4:ity  of  Atchison  in  aid  of 
the  Atchison  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad,  and  the  following  year  became  agent  for 
several  fire  insurance  companies.  In  1859  was  held  the  first  state  election  in 
Kansas. 

At  that  time  Mr.  Pease's  name  appeared  upon  the  Democratic  ticket  as  a 
candidate  for  state  treasurer,  but  his  party,  being  in  the  minority,  suffered 
defeat,  Mr.  Pease  sharing  the  defeat  of  his  party.  During  those  trying  days 
when  the  question  whether  Kansas  should  become  a  free  or  slave  state  was 
uppermost,  Mr.  Pease  stood  firm  in  favor  of  making  it  a  free  state.  In  politics 
he  has  ever  remained  true  to  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  while 
he  has  contributed  much  to  the.  success  of  his  party  he  has  ne\-er  been  classed 
as  a  politician. 

He  was  identified  with  the  early  organization  and  history  of  railroads 
eventually  constructed  and  leading  out  of  Atchison.  In  i860  he  was  elected 
cashier  of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Kansas  and  was  connected  therewith  until 
1866,  when  the  institution  was  closed.  He  disposed  of  the  assets  of  the  bank 
to  William  Hetherington,  the  founder  of  the  Exchange  National  Bank  of 
Atchison,  and  with  the  latter  institution  he  became  connected  and  is  miw  its 
honored  vice-president.  In  December,  1861,  he  was  appointed  one  iif  the  trus- 
tees of  the  Overland  Central  Express  C(ini])any  to  secure  the  amount  which  the 
company  owed  Benjamin  Holladay  ;iiul  ii|)LTate(l  the  same  as  manager  for  a 
number  of  months.  The  following  year  the  property  was  sold  at  public  auction. 
Mr.  Holladay  being  the  purchaser,  and  business  was  then  carried  on  as  the 
Overland  Stage  Line.  In  the  fall  of  1862,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Holladay,  Mr. 
Pease  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  to  take  charge  of  the  office  which  controlled 
the  lines  between  Denver  and  Salt  Lake,  Denver  and  Central  City  and  Denver 
and  South  Park.  In  1864,  howe\er,  he  returned  to  Atchison,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  continually  since,  with  the  exception  of  occasional  residences 
for  a  few  months  in  New  York  city.  In  1873  he  became  associated  with  the 
late  James  W.  Parker  in  the  business  of  carrying  the  United  States  mails,  and 
the  association  with  Mr.  Parker  continued  until  1886.  Mr.  Pease  thereafter 
became  associated  with  his  brothers  in  the  business  of  carrying  the  L'nited 
States  mails  and  continued  with  them  until  1897,  when  he  retired. 

On  the  loth  of  October,  1878.  Mr.  Pease  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs. 
A.  V.  Skidmore.  iicc  Van  Atta,  formerly  a  resident  of  Kentucky.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pease  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles,  and  their  home  is  cele- 
brated for  its  hospitality,  which  is  enjoyed  by  many  of  the  best  people  in  Atchi- 
son and  this  section  of  the  state.  His  life  has  been  one  of  activity  and  his 
success  has  been  due  to  the  ability  with  which  he  has  recognized  the  oppor- 
tunities of  the  moment.  He  has  depended  on  the  present  and  not  the  future 
for  his  advancement,  and  through  a  long  and  honorable  business  career  he  has 


.y,.  •#,  ^ 


(/.    c>=^^y 


(^a^n^  u.' 


U  J^.  c^ 


O^rvi  U/k      ^.     U^dZ^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  27 

steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  gaining  a  capital  that  numbers  him  among 
the  wealthy  men  of  the  state,  and  at  the  same  time  winning  the  high  regard  of 
all  by  his  straightforward  dealing  and  his  irreproachable  methods. 


ALFRED  G.  OTIS. 


Alfred  G.  Otis  was  born  in  Cortland  county,  New  York,  December  13, 
1827,  being  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Caroline  A.  Otis.  \\'hile  a  mere  boy  his 
father  removed  to  Barry  county,  in  the  then  new  state  of  Michigan,  and 
engaged  extensively  in  farming.  His  son  Alfred,  with  other  members  of  the 
family,  was  thus  reared  upon  a  farm  and  shared  all  the  labors  and  hardships 
of  pioneer  life.  At  the  age  of  twenty  Mr.  Otis  resolved  to  enter  upon  a  pro- 
fessional career  and  determined,  as  the  first  step,  to  obtain  a  thorough  classical 
education.  As  the  father  was  burdened  with  the  care  of  a  large  famil}',  the 
son  set  about  the  task  of  acquiring  his  education  unaided.  His  first  studies 
in  Latin  and  Greek  were  commenced  in  the  e\-ening  upon  the  farm  after  the 
day's  work  w^as  done.  Afterward,  by  teaching,  he  acquired  means  to  prosecute 
his  studies  at  the  Kalamazoo  branch  of  the  State  University.  Entering  the 
university  at  Ann  Arbor,  as  a  sophomore,  in  1849,  ^^^  ^^'^^  graduated  in  regular 
course  in  1852.  He  then  went  south  to  Mississippi,  where  he  taught  school 
and  studied  law  at  the  same  time.  From  there  he  entered  the  Louisville  Law 
School,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1854,  after  which  he  began  practice  in  that 
city.  In  October,  1855,  he  removed  to  Atchison,  Kansas,  where  he  has  resided 
continuously  since.  He  engaged  at  once  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession 
and  for  several  years  was  extensively  connected  with  the  land  litigation  which 
about  that  time  sprang  up  in  the  new  territory,  and  in  which  he  took  a  leading 
and  important  part.  In  1 860  Judge  Otis,  then  in  full  practice,  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Hon.  George  W.  Glick,  a  lawyer  of  about  his  own  age,  who  had 
recently  arrived  in  Atchison  from  Ohio.  This  partnership  continued  until 
1873  and  the  firm  did  their  share  of  the  legal  business  of  the  state,  both  in 
srate  and  federal  courts  and  before  the  United  States  land  office.  They  were 
the  regularly  employed  attorneys  of  the  Central  Branch,  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road, from  1865  during  the  whole  of  this  period,  and  after  the  dissolution  of 
the  firm,  in  1873,  J"dge  Otis  retained  the  same  position  until  he  was  elected 
to  the  bench  in  1876.  During  this  period,  though  in  the  full  tide  of  actual 
business  and  professional  labor,  he  yet  found  time  to  actively  aid  the  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  denomination  he  was  a  member,  being  the  warm  personal 
friend  of  Bishop  Vail,  the  Episcopal  bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Kansas. 

Judge  Otis  was  also  prominently  identified  with  the  business  and  railroad 
enterprise  of  northern  Kansas,  Atchison  being  then  as  now  the  commercial 


28  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

center  for  that  section  of  tlie  state.  In  1876  Jndge  Otis,  tliough  a  prominent 
Democrat,  was  elected  district  judge  of  the  second  judicial  district,  then  largely 
Republican,  his  majority  over  his  opponent  being  several  hundred.  He  ser\ed 
his  term  of  four  years  to  the  general  satisfaction  of  the  people  and  the  bar, 
but  declined  a  renomination.  At  the  close  of  his  term  resolutions  of  esteem 
and  respect  were  adopted  by  the  bar  of  each  county  of  the  district  and  were 
at  their  request  spread  upon  the  records  of  the  court.  At  Atchison,  the  home 
of  Judge  Otis,  the  closing  of  his  term  was  made  an  occasion  of  especial  interest 
by  the  lawyers  generally  of  the  district. 

Among  others.  Judge  Nathan  Price,  one  of  his  predecessors  upon  the 
bench,  Hon.  G.  W.  Glick,  his  former  law  partner  and  subsequently  the  governor 
of  the  state,  Colonel  A.  S.  Everest,  a  well  known  and  noted  attorney,  Hon.  R. 
P.  Waggener,  his  former  law  student,  and  Judge  David  Martin,  who  succeeded 
him  upon  the  bench,  took  prominent  part.  The  following  resolutions  were 
unanimously  adopted  by  the  bar : 

"W'here.as,  the  Hon.  Alfred  G.  Otis,  of  the  second  judicial  district  of 
Kansas,  who  has  so  faithfully  and  ably  served  as  judge  of  said  court  for  the 
past  four  years,  is  now  about  to  retire  from  the  bench,  and  is  about  to  adjourn 
this  court  for  the  last  time,  and 

"Whereas,  It  is  in  accordance  with  the  sentiment  of  the  bar  here 
assembled,  appreciating  the  high  character  and  integrity  which  has  marked  his 
judicial  labors,  to  give  expression  in  an  appropriate  manner  of  the  regard  in 
which  he  is  held  by  the  members  of  the  bar,  therefore  be  it 

"Resolved.  That  it  is  with  sincere  regret  that  we  are  called  upon  to  sever 
our  official  relations  with  one  who  has  so  justly  and  so  ably  performed  all  the 
duties  of  the  high  and  honorable  office  of  judge  of  this  district,  and  who,  in 
the  administration  of  the  judicial  powers  and  duties  imposed  upon  him,  has, 
without  exception,  exhibited  that  thorough  learning,  careful  research,  clear 
and  vigorous  reasoning  and  integrity  of  purpose  that  always  command  the 
respect  and  admiration  of  the  bar. 

"Resolved.  That  in  the  performance  of  the  manifold  and  arduous  duties 
which  necessarily  attach  to  a  judicial  office,  his  whole  object  and  aim  has 
seemed  to  be  to  administer  the  law  as  he  found  it,  without  fear,  favor  or 
partiality,  seeking  only  to  reach  the  ends  of  justice  by  a  strict  adherence  to 
those  fundamental principlesof  the  law  that  govern  and  control  all  civil  coiiduct. 

"Resolved,  That  during  the  four  years  of  our  official  intercourse  with 
Judge  Otis,  he  has  at  all  times  shown  a  just  appreciation  of  the  proper  rela- 
tions between  bench  and  bar,  and  we  do  hereby  tender  him  our  kindest  and! 
best  wishes  for  his  future  welfare  and  prosperity. 

"Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  records  of  this 
court,  and  that  copies  be  sent  to  each  of  the  city  papers  for  publication." 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  29 

These  were  followed  b}-  various  addresses  from  the  members  of  the  bar, 
and  among  tiiem  the  Hon.  B.  P.  Weggener  made  the  following  very  happy 
address : 

"May  it  please  your  Honor :  It  affords  great  pleasure  for  me  to  publicly 
express  my  unqualified  concurrence  in  the  sentiments  of  the  resolutions  that 
have  been  presented  to  you  by  the  members  of  the  bar. 

"The  circumstances  surrounding  your  elevation  from  that  bar,  which  you 
had  so  long  honored,  to  the  liench  of  this  district,  were  such  as  to  impress  upon 
your  mind  that  you  carried  with  you  the  respect  and  confidence  of  your  fellow 
citizens,  with  whom  and  among  whom  for  so  long  a  time  you  had  lived  and 
mingled,  and  as  you  are  now  about  to  close  your  judicial  career,  I  think  I 
express  the  sentiments  of  not  only  each  member  of  the  bar,  but  of  the  citizens 
of  the  district,  that  you  have  in  no  manner  betrayed  the  trust  reposed  in  you 
by  them,  and  that  you  will  transfer  the  judicial  ermine  unstained  and  untainted 
to  your  successor  in  office. 

"You,  sir,  can  retire  to  the  shades  of  private  life  with  the  satisfaction  of 
knowing  that  your  judicial  integrity  has  never  been  questioned,  or  your  hon- 
esty of  purpose  ever  made  an  issue  between  parties  litigant. 

"In  our  zeal  for  the  cause  of  our  clients  w^e  may  have  differed  from  you 
upon  the  interpretations  of  those  rules  of  action  so  often  invoked  in  further- 
ance of  justice,  yet  we  have  uniformly  accepted  the  result  as  the  opinion  of  an 
unbiased,  intelligent  and  impartial  judge. 

"In  thus  giving  expression  to  my  sentiments  upon  this  occasion  I  am  actu- 
ated by  a  feeling  to  me  more  sacred  than  that  feeling  of  respect  which  the  law- 
yer has  for  the  court.  Whatever,  sir,  I  am  to-day,  whatever  success  I  have 
attained  at  the  bar  and  in  the  practice  of  my  profession,  I  attribute  to  an  attempt 
to  follow  your  precepts  and  emulate  your  example,  and  to  the  helping  hand 
that  you  extended  to  me  in  my  youth  in  the  hour  of  adversity  and  misfortune. 
Without  friends,  without  money,  without  education,  you  took  me  from  the  cold 
charities  of  the  world  and  by  kindness  and  the  exhibition  of  the  impulses  of  a 
generous  heart  you  planted  in  my  vefy  existence  an  ambition  to  achieve  suc- 
cess, and  by  words  of  encouragement  inspired  me  with  hope  that  although  not 
reared  in  the  lap  of  luxury  I  might  overcome  the  obstacles  of  life  and  gather 
richer  sheaves  in  the  great  field  of  human  actions  before  me  than  had  blessed 
my  labors  in  early  life;  and  when  promoted  to  the  bench  I  felt  that  those 
c,ualities  of  heart  and  mind  that  adorned  your  private  life  and  commanded  for 
you  the  admiration  of  your  neighbors  and  fellow  citizens  would  pre-eminently 
characterize  your  administration  of  justice  in  the  courts  of  the  several  counties 
of  this  judicial  district ;  and  while  we  regret  your  retirement  from  the  bench 
we  congratulate  ourselves  upon  the  fact  that  your  successor  in  oflice  is  a 
gentleman  of  great  moral  worth  and  intellectual  culture,  and  one  whom  we  all 


30  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

know  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree  that  enlarged  experience  and  those  quali- 
fications so  necessary  and  requisite  to  the  purity  and  dignity  of  the  judiciary." 

This  was  followed  by  many  other  addresses  and  then  by  a  response  from 
Judge  Otis,  in  which,  after  thanking  the  bar  for  their  kind  words,  he  discussed 
at  some  length  and  very  frankly  the  defects  in  the  legal  procedure  of  the  state 
which  had  come  under  his  notice  during  his  term  of  office,  and  suggested 
\  arious  remedies  therefor,  many  of  which  were  adopted  by  the  legislature  at 
its  next  session  shortly  thereafter. 

Judge  David  Martin,  his  successor,  then  took  the  oath  of  office,  admin- 
istered by  Judge  Otis,  and,  on  being  formally  introduced  to  the  bar,  made  the 
following  response: 

"May  it  please  the  court  and  the  gentlemen  of  the  bar :  It  is  not  meet 
that  he  who  girdeth  on  the  harness  of  a  public  servant  should  himself  boast  of 
what  lie  expects  to  accomplish.  But  he  that  putteth  of¥  may  well  speak  of 
A\  hat  he  has  actually  done,  and  his  words  of  advice  and  counsel  to  his  associates 
will  be  treasured  up  and  pondered  well  by  the  wise  and  thoughtful. 

"Our  learned  and  honored  friend  and  brother  has  crowned  a  long,  active 
and  highly  successful  professional  career  with  four  years  of  hard  judicial 
labor  to  the  general  acceptance  and  satisfaction  of  the  bar  and  the  people  of 
the  second  judicial  district.  His  extensive  research,  profound  learning  and 
great  experience  as  a  lawyer  eminently  fitted  him  for  the  arduous  and  respon- 
sible duties  of  the  judgeship.  We  have  had  the  benefit  of  his  judicial  labors 
and  have  now  listened  to  his  parting  words  of  advice  and  counsel  from  the 
bench,  in  which  I,  for  one.  have  been  greatly  interested,  for  they  have  been 
v.i  'apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver.'  There  may  well  be  general  regret  of 
his  parting,  for  he  who  is  to  come  in  the  room  of  Judge  Otis  cannot  reasonably 
hope  for  the  same  measure  of  success.  I  trust,  however,  that  he  may  not  prove 
unworthy  of  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  of  the  district  who  have 
called  him  to  the  place  by  a  imanimous  vote,  and  that  when  his  career  as  a 
judge  is  ended  he  may  also  merit  the  commendation  which  we  now  so  fittingly 
bestow  upon  Judge  Otis:    'Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant.'  " 

The  following  were  the  comments  of  the  leading  city  papers.  In  the 
/ttchison  Daily  Champion,  of  January  7,  1881,  was  this  article: 

"The  respect  and  confidence  in  which  Judge  Otis  is  held  by  the  members 
of  the  profession  is  testified  to  by  the  complimentary  resolutions  adopted  by 
the  bar  of  this  county  yesterday  and  by  the  legal  fraternities  -of  other  counties 
in  the  district  during  the  past  few  weeks.  He  has  made  an  able,  impartial 
judge  and  his  thorough  integrity  has  never  been  questioned. 

"The  Judge  made  the  bar  meeting  yesterday  the  occasion  for  some  very 
plain  talk  on  the  methods  of  our  jurisprudence  and  the  defects  of  our  laws. 
The  criticisms  he  makes  and  the  reforms  he  urges  have  been  suggested  by  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  31 

long  and  valuable  experience  as  a  practicing  attorney  and  a  judicial  officer  and 
will  commend  themselves  to  the  approval  of  all  intelligent  people.  We  are 
glad  Judge  Otis  has  embraced  this  opportunity  to  give  the  public  the  benefit 
of  his  observation  and  experience  in  the  practical  workings  of  our  judicial 
system.  If  any  one,  not  of  the  legal  guild,  had  said  what  he  does,  his  opinions 
would  have  been  pooh-poohed  by  the  legal  fraternity  as  the  thoughtless  vapor- 
ings  of  a  busybody  who  did  not  know  anything  whatever  about  that  great 
science,  the  law.  Coming  from  a  lawyer  of  high  repute,  and  a  judge  of  con- 
ceded honesty  and  ability,  these  criticisms  cannot  be  ignored  by  the  profession 
and  will  be  o"ladly  appr(_i\-ed  jjy  the  people. 

"There  is  no  question  of  the  fact  that  there  is  growing  up  in  the  public 
mind  a  profound  distrust  of  our  judicial  system  as  a  means  of  righting  wrongs 
and  dispensing  equal  and  exact  justice.  The  laws  of  Kansas  appear  to  have 
been  especially  devised,  in  some  parts,  to  protect  criminals,  to  prevent  the 
administration  of  justice,  to  promote  vexatious  and  expensive  delays  and  to 
furnish  stead}'  business  for  the  lawyers.  Rich  and  poor  sufifer  alike  from  these 
intolerable  methods  and  only  criminals  and  those  notoriously  in  the  wrong  are 
benefited  by  them,  A  premium  is  put  upon  ignorance  and  general  depravity 
in  the  jury  box,  civil  causes  drag  their  slow  length  along  through  weary  and 
anxious  years,  while  the  costs  increase  and  multiply  until  a  final  decision  is 
inevitable  ruin  to  both  parties  litigant;  unscrupulous  lawyers  learn  to  depend 
for  success  upon  artifice  and  fraud  and  chicanery,  rather  than  upon  legal  learn- 
ing and  ability:  the  vilest  criminals  go  unwhipped  of  justice  through  the  inter- 
vention of  cobweb  technicalities  that  should  never  be  permitted  to  deface  and 
disgrace  the  operation  of  a  judicial  system,  and,  as  the  natural  sequence  of  such 
resulting  evils,  the  public  mind,  which  ought  to  be  inspired  with  a  high  respect 
for  courts,  regards  them  with  almost  universal  distrust,  if  not  with  absolute 
abhorrence, 

"Judge  Otis  frankly  acknowledges  all  this,  cites  special  causes  why  the 
public  ought  to  regard  our  system  of  jurisprudence  with  suspicion  and  points 
out  changes  and  reforms,  by  means  of  which  the  law  can  be  restored  to  the 
high  place  it  ought  to  occupy  in  a  civilized  and  intelligent  commonwealth. 
His  suggestions  are  not  only  wise,  but  timely.  The  legislature  is  soon  to 
assemble  and  it  ought  to  be  able  to  correct  some  of  the  evils  complained  of  by 
intelligent  legislation.  The  others  must  be  corrected  by  the  firm  action  of  our 
judicial  officers,  who  ought  to  be  assisted  in  any  efforts  they  may  make  to  this 
•end  by  all  the  reputable  and  honorable  members  of  the  legal  fraternity." 

The  Athcison  Patriot,  of  January  7,  1881,  after  sketching  the  proceedings 
at  length,  closed  as  follows : 

"In  conclusion,  the  Patriot  would  add  its  mite  to  the  kindly  words  that 
were  addressed  to  Judge  Otis  this  morning,    A  grave  and  dignified  judge  and 


32  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

able  and  skillful  jurist,  well  versed  in  the  law,  familiar  with  the  practice, 
scrutinizingly  just  in  all  things,  he  has  been  a  judge  whose  record  will  long  be 
pointed  to  as  the  bright  example  of  an  honest,  upright  judge,  against  whose 
untarnished  name  there  stands  not  one  breath  of  suspicion,  save  that  of  an  hon- 
ored and  trusted  official." 

Among  others,  the  following  letters  were  received,  cummenting  upon  the 
address : 

"State  of  Kansas,  Senate  Chamber. 
"ToPEKA,  January  17,   1881. 
"Judge  Otis. 

"Dear  Sir :  I  have  read  with  great  pleasure  your  address  delivered  to  the 
bar  in  Atchison.  I  am  satisfied  that  most  of  your  suggestions  will  become 
established  law.  I  thank  you  for  the  pleasure  the  perusal  of  your  address  has 
given  me.  Respectfullv, 

"E.  A.  Ware." 

Hon.  T.  ]\I.  Cooley,  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  state  of  Michigan 
and  professor  of  law  at  the  Michigan  University,  wrote  the  following  letter : 

"Ann  Arbor.  Februarv  2,  1881. 
"IIoji.  A.  G.  Otis. 

"My  Dear  Sir:  I  have  read  with  much  pleasure  your  address  on  legal 
reform,  made  on  laying  down  your  robes  of  judicial  office.  In  the  main  I  con- 
cur in  what  you  say  and  regret  that  your  views  do  not  generally  prevail.  The 
time  has  come.  I  think,  when  unanimity  should  not  be  demanded  in  the  verdict 
of  juries.  There  has  never  been  much  good  reason  for  requiring  it;  jurors 
have  been  suffered  to  act  freely,  and  it  is  now  counted  upon  as  likely  to  afford 
immunity  to  wrong  doing  in  such  cases  as  public  opinion  naturally  divides 
upon.  There  is  less  reason  for  requiring  jurors  to  agree  than  for  making  the 
same  demand  upon  judges,  for  judges  are  presumably  more  fitted  by  their 
training  to  draw  the  proper  conclusions  from  the  evidence,  and  they  have 
better  opportunities  for  examining  it  with  deliberation  and  care. 

"I  also  agree  that  your  statutes  of  1859,  respecting  the  dis(|ualifications 
of  jurors,  is  a  great  improvement  on  the  common  law,  as  it  is  g-enerally  admin- 
istered. We  have  a  similar  statute  in  this  state,  but  we  have  held  independent 
of  the  statutes  that  the  rule  would  be  substantially  the  same. 

"Many  other  things  in  your  address  give  me  pleasure,  but  I  have  not  time 
to  notice  them.    \\'ishing  you  every  happiness  in  your  retirement,  I  am 

"Very  truly  yours, 

"T.    M.    COOLEY." 

Hon.  John  F.  Dillon,  formerly  United  States  circuit  judge  for  the  seventh 
judicial  distric'    which  included  Kansas,  made  the  following  response: 

"716  Madi.son  Avenue,  New  York,  February  4,  1881. 

"My  Dear  Judge :     I  must  give  you  my  thanks  for  a  printed  copy  of  the 

proceedings  of  the  bar  on  your  retirement.    It  gave  me  sincere  pleasure  to  read 

it.     I  personally  knew  almost  every  person  who  spoke  and  it  brought  'the  light 

of  other  days  an  mud  me.'     It  must  have  been  a  great  satisfaction  to  you  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  33 

your  family  and  friends  to  have  had  sucli  an  impressive  testimonial  to  the 
worth  of  your  services  and  the  high  esteem  in  which  you  are  held  hy  those  who 
have  known  you  longest  and  best.  I  was  especially  interested  in  your  practical 
suggestions  for  improving  and  amending  the  law  and  its  administration. 
Some  of  your  views  ought  to  be  adopted  by  the  legislature  and  I  hope  they  will 
be.  It  too  often  happens  that  matters  that  most  need  attention  fail  to  get  it.  T 
have  not  time  now  to  enter  into  the  subject  further  than  to  say  that  no  one 
more  fully  appreciates  the  value  of  your  observations  than  I  do,  and  I  agree  in 
almost  all  j'ou  say  in  your  address  and  in  your  letter.  I  trust  ynu  will  enjoy 
your  well-earned  leisure.  For  myself  I  do  not  regret  my  own  retirement  from 
the  bench ;  but  leisure  still  eludes  me,  for  I  find  myself  about  the  busiest  man  I 
have  met  with  in  this  busy  city,  ^^'ith  my  best  wishes  for  your  future,  I  am  as 
ever.  Very  truly  yours, 

"John  F.  Dillon. 
"Hon  A.  G.  Otis." 

The  following  comment  was  made  by  the  New  York  Churchman : 
"  'Legal  Reform'  is  the  title  of  the  address  delivered  by  Judge  A.  G.  Otis, 
of  Atchison,  Kansas,  on  the  occasion  of  his  retirement  from  the  bench.  It  is 
largely  devoted  to  reforms  which  have  only  a  local  interest,  but  parts  of  it  are 
of  general  concern  to  all  litigants  and  to  their  counsel  as  well.  It  is  plain  and 
practical  and  is  elocjuent  with  the  logic  of  facts.  The  Judge  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  put  on  his  gloves  in  handling  many  of  the  evils  that  have  grown 
up  around  the  courts  of  law  in  Kansas  and  elsewhere,  and  we  are  sure  his 
words  will  have  weight  in  bringing  about  their  removal.  He  discusses  the 
jury  system  with  great  i>ower  and  sets  forth  its  folly  in  requiring  the  absolute 
unanimity  of  twelve  men,  and  seems  to  think,  if  it  is  to  be  continued,  we  shall 
have  to  go  back  to  the  time  of  Blackstone,  when  juries  were  compelled  to 
agree,  and  who  says,  if  they  do  not,  'the  judges  are  not  bound  to  wait  for 
them,  but  may  carry  them  around  the  circuit,  from  town  to  town,  in  a  cart.' 
Judge  Otis  would  have  the  infallibility  of  the  twelfth  man  entirely  removed. 
The  selection  of  jurors,  too,  he  thinks,  may  be  modified  greatly  to  the 
jidvantage  of  all  parties,  and  that  impressions,  opinions  and  belief  about  cur- 
rent e\ents  should  no  longer  disc|ualify  a  juryman.  We  need  in  our  juries 
intelligence  and  not  ignorance.  We  were  especially  interested  in  that  part  of 
the  Judge's  address  which  speaks  of  the  law's  interminable  delays.  He  tells 
of  one  case,  in\-olving  the  title  tn)  some  land,  which  was  continued  in  the 
courts  until  it  outlived  all  the  parties  in  interest  and  the  professional  life  of  all 
who  were  engaged  in  it,  and  was  finally  ended  by  an  almost  arbitrary  act  of 
judicial  power !  The  title  to  a  p'g  was  contested  until  the  costs  run  up  to 
seven  hundred  dullars,  and  a  similar  case  of  a  calf  went  from  court  to  court 
until,  after  multiplying  costs  it  was  finally  settled  by  the  attorneys  themselves! 
These  delays,  the  Judge  well  says,  make  inequality  in  the  laws,  and  the  right 
of  appeal  needs  to  be  further  restricted  and  the  bill  of  costs  limited  by  positive 


34  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

enactment.  We  are  glad  to  liear  sucli  sentiments  accompanied  by  practical 
suggestions  from  tlie  bench.  Law  is  itself  an  evil  and  should  be  freed,  as 
much  as  may  be,  from  the  evils  that  have  grown  up  around  it." 

The  following  communication  was  also  written  by  one  of  the  sovereigns 
of  Kansas  to  the  Topeka  Commonwealth : 

"l.\w  and  jl"ijici.\rv  reform. 

'■AIcPiiER.sox,  Kaxs.\.s,  January  25. 
"To  the  Editor  of  the  Coiniiioiiiccaltli : 

"I  am  so  forcibly  impressed  with  the  addresses  of  Colonel  .A.  S.  E\erest 
and  Judge  A.  G.  Otis,  which  were  recently  published  in  your  paper,  that  I  can 
scarcely  forbear  saying  something  about  them.  Indeed,  they  are  such  remark- 
able illustrations  of  the  progressive  genius  of  man  as  to  deserve  more  than  a 
passing  glance.  They  do  not  call  for  a  sudden  and  startling  revolution  in 
moral  and  legal  ethics,  but  they  certainly  do  suggest  some  very  wholesome  and 
wise  reformatory  changes  in  our  laws  in  the  civil  code  and  in  the  judiciary  of 
the  state.  It  is  needless  for  me  to  review  their  addresses  in  detail  or  at  length, 
but  I  must  commend  them  to  the  careful  and  considerate  attention  of  the 
legislature,  particularly  to  the  younger  and  less  experienced  members,  to  the 
'conservatives'  and  to  that  class  of  men  whose  fervent  zeal  for  'retrenchment 
and  reform'  lead  them  into  the  ridiculous  pastime  of  pursuing  shadows  and 
leaving  the  substance  to  decay.  Perhaps  Colonel  Everest  and  Judge  Otis  did 
not  intentionally  deliver  and  publish  their  significant  speeches  for  the  edifica- 
tion of  the  legislature ;  undoubtedly  they  did  not,  for  their  speeches  are  as  well 
calculated  for  the  enlightenment  of  the  common  people  as  for  those  'old 
Romans'  who  wrap  their  togas  about  them  and  wax  warm  in  parliamentary 
conflicts !  But  there  is  a  happy  coincidence  in  the  delivery  of  these  addresses 
and  the  session  of  that  august  assembly.  Certainly  the  people  should  not  have 
cause  for  reproving  their  representatives,  lest  they  reprove  themselves.  But 
I  do  not  intend  any  reflection  upon  that  body,  for,  as  a  whole,  it  is  good  ;  it  has 
some  bright  and  able  minds,  and  yet  all  of  them  will  do  well  to  listen  to  the 
words  of  men  whose  experience  and  training  renders  them  capable  of  speaking 
as  with  authority  in  the  important  concerns  of  civil  society — the  laws  and  the 
courts  and  the  machinery  of  justice.  Indeed,  upon  reading  the  able  addresses 
referred  to,  one  wonders  if  the  scenes  and  influences  of  that  high  court  of 
chancery  of  our  old  mother  country,  and  of  which  Dickens  wrote  in  such 
splendid  strains  of  honest  indignation,  will  be  repeated  on  American  soil — in 
Kan.sas  and  over  Kansas  homes !  Look  upon  your  little  ones  at  home ;  think 
of  Jarndyce  and  Jarndyce ;  reflect  upon  the  suggestions  of  Judge  Otis  and 
nerve  yourself  for  the  change  that  must  come!  If  the  present  legislature  will 
commence  the  inauguration  of  a  new  era  of  jurisprudence,  posterity  will 
applaud  their  acts.  Of  course,  these  things  require  time  and  calm  deliberation 
rnd  wise  counsel,  rather  than  excited  and  hostile  debate.  But  they  must  be 
debated  and  the  time  must  not  flag  too  much.  I  commend  those  acldresses  to 
the  press  of  the  state  and  hope  that  every  newspaper  will  publish  them,  and 
that  they  will  reach  and  be  read  in  every  office  and  at  every  fireside,  for  by  those 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  35 

signs  the  people  shall  go  peacefully  over  the  ruffled  seas  of  life,  finding  plenty 
of  quiet  harbors  wherein  they  can  moor  their  ships  for  rest  and  enjoy  the 
blessings  they  have  heaped  upon  themselves." 

After  his  retirement  from  the  bench  Judge  Otis  took  an  active  part  in 
the  management  of  the  Atchison  Savings  Bank,  then  one  of  the  leading  banks 
of  the  city,  and  of  which  he  had  long  been  president.  This,  with  the  care  of  his 
own  private  business,  engrossed  for  some  years  his  time  and  attention.  He 
was.  however,  for  six  years  a  regent  of  the  University  of  Kansas  and  took  an 
active  part  in  its  control.  At  the  dedication  of  Snow  Hall.  November  iC, 
1887,  the  following  is  an  outline  of  his  address: 

SXOW  HALL  DEDICATEt). 

Interesting  exercises  at  the  Kansas  State  University.  Judge  Otis,  chair- 
man of  the  l)uilding  committee  of  the  board  of  regents,  delivers  an  exhaustive 
review  of  the  institution's  past.  Remarks  by  Chancellor  Lippincott  and  Pro- 
fessor Snow  and  ( Governor  Martin — History  of  the  new  structure.  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  Xcixenilier  iTi.  This  lias  l_ieen  a  red-letter  day  in  the  history  of  the 
State  Unixersity.  the  hall  of  natural  history,  recently  completed,  being  formally 
turned  over  to  the  university  and  dedicated  to  the  purposes  for  which  it  was 
constructed.  At  ten  o'clock  this  morning  a  large  audience,  composing  state 
officials  and  members  of  the  legislature,  the  board  of  regents  and  the  university 
faculty,  invited  guests  from  dift'erent  parts  of  the  state  and  from  Lawrence, 
students  and  citizens,  gathered  in  the  spacious  hall  of  the  main  university  build- 
ing and  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Chancellor  Lippincott,  who  pre- 
sided. The  exercises  were  opened  by  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Post,  of  Leaven- 
worth, in  which  the  university,  its  oflicers  and  students  and  the  purpose  for- 
which  the  assembly  had  gathered  were  suitably  commemorated. 

The  chancellor,  in  a  few  well-chosen  words,  introduced  the  Hon.  A.  G. 
Otis,  of  Atchison,  tiie  chainuan  of  the  building  committee  of  the  board:  of 
regents.  In  a  very  graceful  speech  he  re\iewed  the  advances  which  had  been 
made  in  the  work  in  the  past  four  years,  during  which  the  present  board  had 
been  in  office.  The  services  of  the  day  had  a  peculiar  value  to  the  board  of 
regents.  The  building  they  were  about  to  dedicate  was  the  evidence  of  the  con- 
tinued confidence  of  the  people  in  the  administration  of  the  university  and  in 
the  work  which  it  had  undertaken  to  accomplish. 

MAKING  A  UNIVERSITY. 

"Four  years  ago."  the  Judge  continued,  "the  bi:>ard,  in  reviewing  the 
history  of  the  institution,  had  determined  that  if  the  state  meant  to  endow  a 
mere  preparatnr}-  scln"}]  or  college  in  the  ordinary  sense  it  had  expended'  far 
too  much  :  if  a  uni\ersity  in  the  fullest  and  best  sense  of  the  term,  far  too  little. 
But  it  was  clearly  manifested  that  nothing  less  than  a  university  in  the  fullest 
sense  of  the  term  had  been  intended,  and  they  had  resolutely  set  themselves  to 
the  work  which  the  founders  had  planned,  to  make  the  L'niversity  of  Kansas  an 


36  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

educational  center  ni  tlie  west,  like  those  of  Ann  Arbor  and  Wisconsin  for  the 
north  and  northwest.  The  people  of  the  state  have,  through  their  legislatures, 
cheerfully  responiled  to  the  call.  In  1883  the  chemistry  building  had  been  pro- 
vided and  fully  equipped  for  the  pursuit  of  that  important  branch  of  science. 
Next  the  law  department  had  been  endowed  and  under  the  charge  of  an  able 
jurist  gave  opportunities  for  young  men  preparing  for  the  bar  quite  equal  to 
those  they  could  find  even  at  long  distances  from  their  homes.  Then  the 
department  of  pharmacy  had  been  established  under  the  care  of  an  eminent  and 
distinguished  professor  and  cordially  adopted  and  provided  for  by  the  state. 
And  now  the  department  of  natural  history,  which  has  been  from  the  beginning 
the  special  care  of  the  eminent  professor  whose  honored  name  it  was  to  bear, 
was  to  receive  the  beautiful  and  spacious  structure  which  has  been  prepared 
for  displaying  its  cabinets  and  the  carrying  out  of  its  works." 


COXTIXl'IXG  THE  GOOD  WORK. 

"The  future  of  the  institution  was."  the  speaker  said,  "assured,  yet  there 
would  be  no  relaxation  in  their  efforts  to  carry  on  and  complete  the  work." 
He  referred  to  the  plans  for  the  future  and  made  special  allusion  to  the  addi- 
tional facilities  for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  ladv  students.  The 
university  had  always  recognized  their  right  to  an  equal  share  with  their 
brothers  to  all  the  privileges  of  a  state  education,  and  was  now  considering 
plans  by  which  they  could  more  readily  and  widely  avail  themselves  of  its 
ad\-antages.  A  residence  for  the  chancellor  on  the  university  grounds  was  also 
needed,  in  order  that  he  might  give  his  personal  and  constant  supervision  to  the 
work  and  property  under  his  charge. 

The  speech  of  the  Judge  was  frequently  interrupted  by  applause,  and  he 
was  roundly  cheered  as  he  closed  with  an  elo(|uent  reference  to  the  cause  in 
which  they  were  engaged. 

On  the  22d  of  April.  1887.  was  the  "silver  wedding"  day  of  Alfred  G. 
Otis  and  Amelia  J.  Otis,  and  was  thus  described  by  the  local  papers  :  "Twenty- 
five  years  of  married  life — moving  along  happily,  with  children  growing  up, 
an  honor  to  their  parents  and  friends^is  what  is  not  accorded  to  every  one  in 
this  whirling,  changeable  world.  Yet  that  has  been  the  experience  of  Judge 
and  Mrs.  A.  G.  Otis.  Twenty-five  years  ago  yesterday  they  were  united  in 
marriage  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  and  soon  thereafter  came  to  Atchison, 
where  they  ha\e  since  resided  and  their  career  has  been  one  of  uninterrupted 
prosperity.  As  a  lawyer,  as  a  judge,  as  a  banker,  Judge  Otis  is  known  and 
respected,  not  only  throughout  the  state,  but  the  west,  and  his  high  reputation 
has  been  the  work  of  his  own  hands.  He  has  been  honored  with  official  posi- 
tions by  the  people  and  has  fulfilled  them  faithfully.  He  has  had  the  perfect 
confidence  of  all,  because  he  has  shown  himself  worthy  of  it.  Mrs.  Ot's  has 
grown  up  with  the  society  of  Atchison  and  has  recognized  in  the  fullest 
sense,  her  obligations  to  it.  As  a  friend,  a  neighbor,  a  true  Christ'an  lady, 
she  has  won  the  love  and  regard. of  a  very  large  circle  of  friends  and  actiua  nt- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  A^^D  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  37 

ances.  It  must,  indeed,  have  been  a  source  of  pleasure  to  the  two,  wiiose  lives 
had  been  passed  together  so  happily,  to  see  around  them  not  only  the  children 
who  had  so  faithfully  obeyed  the  command  'Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,' 
but  hundreds  of  friends  with  whom  the  best  years  of  their  life  had  been  passed. 

"The  occasion  was  not  one  of  ostentatious  display;  no  presents  were 
expected ;  it  was  a  sincere  tribute  to  Judge  and  Mrs.  Otis  by  friends  who  had 
known  them  long  and  welj.  To  say  that  the  spacious  rooms  of  the  family 
mansion  were  crowded  would  but  feebly  express  the  idea.  And  yet  all  received 
that  kindly,  cordial  welcome  and  kind  attention  that  ever  distinguishes  genuine 
h.dspitality,  and  the  hours  passed  most  happily  with  social  converse  and  pleas- 
ant reminiscences  of  the  old  times  in  Atchison.  It  was  a  real  reunion  of 
friends  and  neighbors  who  had  lived  together  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
Among  those  present  was  ex-Go\ernor  Glick,  Judge  Otis"  former  law  partner, 
and  his  estimable  lady, 

"In  bidding  goodnight  to  the  host  and  hostess  and  the  children  who  had 
been  born  and  reared  under  their  roof,  each  guest  expressed  the  wish  tliat 
Judge  and  Mrs.  Otis  might  live  to  celebrate  their  golden  wedding  as  happily 
and  that  no  shadow  might  fall  across  their  household  in  the  intervening  years." 

The  following  old  settlers'  day  address  calls  to  mind  many  of  the  old  times 
in  the  early  history  of  Atchison.     Judge  Otis  spoke  substantially  as  follows : 

"In  looking  over  the  past,  the  history  of  Kansas  would  seem  to  divide 
itself  naturally  into  three  divisions — before  the  war,  during  the  war  and  since 
the  war, — infancy,  youth  and  manhood.  This  refers  not  merely  to  its  people 
f.nd  population,  but  also  to  its  diversified  interests,  its  commercial  develop-- 
ment  and  the  political  and  moral  progress  of  the  state.  Under  the  act  of  1854 
Kansas  became  a  territory  and  treaties  then  and  soon  afterward  made  opened 
it  up  for  settlement.  The  appearance  of  the  country  at  that  time,  in  its  unde- 
veloped and  primitive  state,  before  civilization  and  settlement  had  changed  its 
general  features,  presents  a  marked  contrast  to  the  subsequent  development  of 
the  state.  Like  the  photographs  of  a  man  taken  at  different  periods  of  his  life, 
the  changes  that  took  place  as  it  passed  from  one  condition  to  another  were 
marked  and  interesting. 

"Its  first  appearance  was  primitive  and  rude.  Its  second  period  began  to 
show  signs  of  wonderful  progress  in  every  particular.  Its  third  period,  since 
the  war,  showed  still  greater  progress — the  most  wonderful  in  its  entire  his- 
tory—changes almost  magical,  railroads,  towns  and  cities  springing  into  being, 
cattle  on  a  thousand  hills  took  the  place  of  deer  and  bufifalo.  The  plow  and 
the  scythe,  the  school  and  the  church  began  to  assert  themselves  and  demon- 
strate their  beneficent  power. 

"It  seems  to  me  proper  and  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  this  occasion  to 


38  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

fieal  in  reminiscences  and  tlie  expression  of  personal  observation,  and  this  is 
what  I  propose  to  do." 

At  this  point  Judge  Otis  described  liis  arrival  in  Kansas,  at  Leaven- 
worth, in  October,  1855,  and  the  appearance  of  the  city  at  the  time.  Con- 
tinuing, he  six)ke  at  length  of  a  number  of  the  early  settlers,  John  Bennett, 
George  T.  Challis,  Samuel  Dixon.  Henry  Adams,  L.  Yocum,  Heber  Taylor, 
P.  B.  Wilcox,  P.  T.  Abell,  Mayhew,  Haskell,  Newman,  Jackson,  Wade,  Eli 
C.  Mason,  Senator  Pomeroy,  Dr.  Alderson,  John  A.  ]Martin,  Dr.  Stringfellow, 
John  M.  Crowell,  John  M.  Price,  George  W.  Glick,  I.  S.  Parker,  Major  Grimes, 
Dr.  Grimes,  Thomas  Wise,  Cheesborough  Kelly,  Benton,  William  Hethering- 
ton  and  others,  a  long  list  and  many  of  them  now  dead. 

Then  he  added:  "In  conclusion,  old  settlers,  let  me  say,  Kansas  is  our 
future  home.  It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  we  have  lived  here,  had 
such  joyous  friendships.  Here  with  our  families  gathered  around  us  we  shall 
spend  the  balance  of  our  days,  and  departing  do  so  without  regrets,  grateful 
that  we  have  been  permitted  to  live  and  die  here." 

Judge  Otis  spoke  extemporaneously  and  to  the  delight  of  his  auditors. 

The  following  sketch  discloses  something  of  the  early  pioneer  days  of 
Judge  Otis'  life:- 

"Hon.  Alfred  G.  Otis  is  another  man  who  came  to  Atchison  unheralded 
and  poor,  and  who  has  earned  both  fame  and  fortune  and  one  of  whom  Atchi- 
son and  her  people  are  i^roud.  Judge  Otis  is  a  native  of  Michigan,  but  came 
to  this  section  from  Louisville,  Kentucky.  His  capital  stock  was  a  copy  of 
Blackstone,  a  genial  temperament  and  abundance  of  brain.  His  devotion  to  the 
interest  of  his  clients  was  proverbial  and  herein  was  the  foundation  of  his 
future  eminence.  He  was  a, great  student  and  many  were  the  times  that  the 
writer  found  him  in  the  small  hours  of  the  morning  endeavoring  to  unravel 
intricacies  of  law  prol)lems.  No  hour  was  too  early  or  none  too  late,  nor  no 
journey  too  arduous  when  the  interests  of  his  patrons  were  involved;  his  time 
was  their  own,  and  right  well  did  he  champion  their  fortunes. 

"We  remember,  with  great  pleasure,  many  instances  of  unselfish  devoT 
tion.  When  the  alarm  was  sounded  on  a  memorable  occasion  in  1856  that  the 
interests  of  the  Atchison  steam  ferry  were  in  jeopardy,  how  quickly  he  mounted 
his  horse  and  sped  to  Louis  Burns,  at  Weston,  and  how  successfully  he  man- 
aged the  complications.  This  and  many  other  instances  of  like  character  are 
to  his  credit,  but  none  stand  out  in  such  bold  relief  and  none  more  pronounced 
than  his  efforts  on  behalf  of  the  pre-emptors  of  this  section.  The  land  ofifice 
opened  at  Doniphan,  but  after  a  brief  career  was  moved  to  Topeka.  His  fre- 
quent trips  to  Doniphan  and  his  journeys  to  Topeka,  on  a  horse,  and  his  camp- 
ing on  the  ground  with  a  blanket  before  a  log,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river, 
in  the  interest  of  a  pre-emption  right  to  a  valuable  tract  adjoining  the  city,  will 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  39 

never  be  forgotten,  and  are  called  up  afresh  as  we  wander  back  to  those  early 
days  and  think  of  the  struggles  and  privations  of  this  young  attorney  in  the 
battle  for  future  greatness. 

"Judge  Otis'  studious  and  painstaking  disposition,  his  struggles  and  devo- 
tion, had  their  reward.  He  was  successful  in  the  practice  of  law,  far  beyond 
the  average,  and  as  the  most  capable  man  of  the  time  was  elected,  some  twelve 
years  since,  as  judge  of  the  district  court,  which  position  he  held  with  great 
distinction  for  several  years.  The  old  Otis  house  was  named  in  his  honor,  and 
many  other  marks  of  appreciation  of  the  man  are  recorded.  In  late  years  he 
became  wearied  of  the  law  and  having  earned  large  wealth  has  devoted  his 
time  to  the  care  of  his  estate  and  the  management  of  the  Atchison  Savings 
Bank,  of  which  he  is  and  has  been  president  many  years.  Such,  in  brief,  is 
Judge  Alfred  G.  Otis,  and  it  is  the  wish  of  the  Champion  that  he  may  live  long 
to  enjoy  his  well  earned  reputation  and  wealth  and  the  respect  of  his.  fellow 
citizens." 

In  1 89 1,  when  about  sixty-four  years  of  age,  Judge  Otis'  health  became 
very  much  impaired,  not  so  much  from  any  acute  disease  as  from  a  general 
breaking  down  of  the  system,  and  it  seemed  for  a  time  that  he  had  reached  the 
period  of  life  when  the  grasshopper  becomes  a  burden,  but  eminent  physicians 
who  were  consulted,  notably  those  of  the  Johns  Hopkins  University,  assured 
the  family  that  such  incidents  were  common  to  men  of  about  that  age,  between 
sixty  and  seventy,  that  nature  was  tired  and  must  have  rest,  and  prescribed 
absolute  freedom  from  all  care  and  all  responsibility  as  an  absolute  essential 
to  recovery.  This  course  was  follovved  and  for  over  two  years  the  charge  of 
all  business  affairs  and  family  interests  wholly  devolved  upon  Mrs.  Otis  and 
their  son,  William  A.,  who  managed  everything  with  singular  prudence  and 
care.  At  the  end  of  that  time  Judge  Otis  recovered  his  health  and  strength, 
both  of  body  and  mind,  fully  and  perfectly,  and  resumed  the  care  of  his  own 
aflfairs  with  vigor  and  strength  apparently  as  complete  as  in  his  younger  days. 
But  he  realizes  fully,  to  use  his  own  language,  that  he  has  passed  the  three- 
score and  ten  and  that  the  autumn  leaves  are  thick  about  him.  His  old  com- 
rades have  nearly  all  gone  over  the  range  and  he  is  now  the  oldest  settler  of 
the  city. 

In  1862  Judge  Otis  was  married  to  Miss  Amelia  Harres,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  they  have  a  family  of  five  children,  still  living:  Amy,  Mark  E.,  Pearl, 
Theodore  and  Carl.  The  family  were  in  all  eight  children,  two — Grace  and 
Harrison  G. — having  died  in  infancy.  The  eldest,  William  A.  Otis,  was  for 
a  long  time  an  active  member  and  officer  of  the  Syms  Grocery  Company,  of 
Atchison,  but  his  health  failing  him  he  found  it  necessary  to  seek  the  climate 
of  Colorado,  where  he  died  August  8,  1899.  Amy  Otis  was  married,  in  1895, 
to  Edwin  S.  Earhart,  an  active  lawyer  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  where  they  are 


40  BIOGRAPHICAL  ASD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

living.  Mark  E.  Otis  is  engaged  in  active  Inisiness  in  New  York  City.  The 
remaining  three  are  still  a  part  of  the  home  circle,  where  all  reside  in  a  beaiiti'- 
ful  residence  overlooking  the  Missouri  river  and  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  trees 
of  Judge  Otis'  own  planting  and  where  he  brought  his  wife  in  1862. 

Of  tile  same  family  Judge  Otis  has  one  brother,  Charles  E.,  who  for  the 
past  nine  years  has  been  the  district  judge  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  and  another 
lirother.  George  L.  Otis,  now  deceased,  was  for  a  long  time  one  of  the  leading 
pioneer  lawyers  of  Minnesota,  and  at  one  time  the  mayor  of  St.  Paul.  Ephraim 
A.,  another  brother,  is  a  well  known  lawyer  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  another, 
Isaac  N.,  now  deceased,  was  formerly  a  devoted  minister  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  at   Boulder,  Colorado. 

The  father  of  this  family,  Isaac  Otis,  died  in  1S54.  The  mother,  Caroline 
A.  Otis,  who  often  visited  Atchison,  died  in  1SS3.  The  following  testimonial 
of  this  estimable  lady  was  published  by  the  local  press  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan, 
at  the  time  of  her  demise : 

"The  death  of  Mrs.  Otis,  in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  her  age,  deserves 
more  than  the  passing  notice  usually  given  to  those  who  for  years  ha\-e  been 
ab.sent  from  our  circle  of  social  or  business  activity.  I  am  sure  the  Telegraph 
will  permit  a  friend  and  neighbor  of  this  early  pioneer  and  most  estimable  lady 
to  recount  for  the  gratification  of  her  few  remaining  old  friends  and  her  many 
liewer  ones,  the  salient  points  of  her  history  and  to  feebly  portray  her  admiralilc 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart. 

"Caroline  Curtiss  was  born  August  20.  180S.  In  1826,  when  she  was 
eighteen  years  of  age,  she  married  Isaac  Otis,  at  Homer,  Cortland  county, 
New  York,  where  they  lived  six  years.  In  the  spring  of  1834  they  came  to 
Michigan  and  for  two  years  lived  in  Calhoun  county,  but  made  permanent 
settlement,  in  1836,  near  Prairieville,  Barry  county.  Here  her  husband  died 
of  an  accidental  injury  March  12,  1853,  leaving  to  his  widow  the  care  of  eleven 
children. 

"Except,  as  one  by  one  the  older  sons  pushed  out  into  the  world  fur  fame 
and  fortune,  she,  with  her  family,  continued  to  reside  on  the  homestead  until 
J 87 1,  when,  with  three  daughters  and  two  sons,  she  removed  to  Kalamazoo. 
For  nearly  twelve  years  this  has  been  her  home.  Like  the  Roman  Cornelia,  her 
chief  pride  was  in  her  motherhood  and  in  her  children.  She  was  the  mother 
of  thirteen,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy  and  eleven,  eight  sons  and  three 
daughters,  lived  to  maturity.  Within  the  last  three  years  two  of  these  eight 
sons  have  died — Curtiss,  well  known  here  a  few  years  ago  in  business  circles, 
and  Newton,  a  rising  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  near  Denver,  Col- 
orado. Her  oldest  son.  Judge  Alfred  G.  Otis,  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  Atchi- 
son, Kansas.  Judge  Ephraim  Otis  and  her  youngest  son,  Arthur,  are  well 
known  residents  and  lawyers  of  Chicago.     George  and  Charles  Otis  are  old 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  41 

and  wealthy  residents  and  lawyers  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  Stephen  Otis,  for 
a  while  a  resident  here,  now  li\es,  a  farmer,  near  Battle  Creek,  Michigan. 
The  three  daughters,  Mary,  Louise  and  Lilly,  well  known  in  r)ur  social,  educa- 
tional and  literary  circles,  have  remained  with  their  mother.  For  the  past 
seventeen  years  this  venerable  lady  has  been  an  invalid,  most  of  the  time  unable 
to  leave  her  home,  much  of  the  time  dependent  on  her  daughters  for  the  simplest 
offices,  and  all  the  time  a  great  but  patient  sufferer.  She  died  at  her  home  in 
this  village  March  12,  the  day  before  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  her  hus- 
band's death. 

"I\Irs.  Otis  was  a  woman  ui  marked  characteristics.  Superior  in  intellect 
and  moral  attributes,  devoted  to  her  family  and  scrupuously  observant  of 
every  duty,  she  had.  also,  an  energy  and  persistency  of  purpose  which  impressed 
her  qualities  on  her  children,  made  her  services  invaluable  to  her  neighbors  in 
the  straits  and  emergencies  of  pioneer  life  and  her  friendship  a  pleasure  and  a 
blessing  to  all  on  whom  she  bestowed  it.  Over  these  solid  and  fundamental 
elements  of  character  was  thrown  a  charm  and  dignity  of  manner,  warmed  by 
an  unaffected  kindness  of  heart  that  made  all  feel  in  her  presence  that  she  was, 
in  the  best  sense,  a  noble  woman  and  a  true  lady.  All  who,  during  her  years  of 
illness,  have  been  admitted  to  her  chamber  of  suffering  will  bear  witness  to  the 
sweet  patience  and  resignation  with  which  she  bore  her  afflictions. 

"Burns'  epitaph  on  iiis  father  declares,  'His  failing  leaned  to  virtue's  side,' 
and  so  her  greatest  trouble  in  life  came  from  her  strongest  and  truest  traits, — 
her  mother  love  and  her  conscientiousness.  Her  physical  infirmities  antl  her 
real  troubles  she  patiently  bore,  l)ut  the  excess  of  these  two  noble  traits  caused 
her  a  constant  fear  lest  harm  happen  her  children  or  she  do  something  wrong, 

"Those  of  her  old  neighbors  of  the  pioneer  days  who  are  yet  alive  will 
tenderly  remember  her  neighborly  sympathy  and  her  practical  kindness:  the 
older  members  of  the  Presljyterian  church  at  Gull  Corners,  of  which  she  and 
her  husband  were  early  members,  will  bear  testimony  to  her  purity  of  life,  kind- 
ness of  heart  and  helpfulness  of  spirit,  and  all  who  knew  her  well,  especially 
her  children,  who  'rise  up  to  call  her  blessed,'  find  in  her  life  and  character  a 
striking  exemplification  of  Solomon's  picture  of  the  'virtuous  woman,'  'Her 
own  works  praise  her  in  the  gates.'  " 

This  sketch  would  be  wholly  incomplete  without  mention  of  Mrs.  Maria 
Harres,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  A.  G.  Otis,  who  resided  in  Atchison  with  her 
daughter  and  was  a  member  of  the  household  from  1865  until  1896,  the  time 
cf  her  death.  She  was  then  in  her  one  hundredth  year.  She  was  a  lady  of 
sterling  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  but  of  singular  sweetness  of  disposition. 

Judge  Otis  always  claimed  that  she  reversed  completely  the  traditions 
about  mothers-in-law,  for  he  has  no  recollection  of  an  unkind  word  between 
him  and  his  mother-in-law  during  the  entire  period  of  over  thirty  years.     In 


42  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

her  ninety-ninth  year  she  attended  at  Trinity  churcli,  in  Atchison,  llie  wedding 
of  her  granddaughter,  Amy  Otis.  Tlie  following  tribute  to  her  memory  \\as 
paid  liy  tlie  local  press  at  the  time  of  her  death : 

"Mrs.  ISIaria  G.  Harres,  who  was  in  the  one  hundredth  year  of  her  age, 
died  at  twelve  o'clock  last  night,  at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  ;\Irs.  A.  G.  Otis. 
Mrs.  Harres  was  born  in  Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  ^Vugust  2,  1797.  She 
was  married  early  in  life  to  Gephard  Harres,  residing  afterward  in  Philadelphia. 
In  1863  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harres  came  to  Atchison  on  a  visit,  and  Mr.  Harres 
died  while  here.  His  remains  were  taken  to  Philadelphia  for  Ijurial  in  Laurel 
Hill  cemetery.  Mrs.  Harres  never  ceased  to  grieve  for  her  husband,  and  at 
her  often  expressed  desire,  her  remains  will  be  laid  to  rest  beside  those  of  ]\Ir. 
Harres  at  Laurel  Hill.  Li  1865  Mrs.  Harres  came  to  Atchison  to  live  with  her 
daughters,  Mrs.  W.  L.  Challis  and  Mrs.  Otis,  and  has  since  resided  here,  hon- 
ored and  beloN-ed  by  all.  Of  eight  children,  only  the  two  mentioned  have  sur- 
vived her.  i\Irs.  Harres  represented  iive  generations,  Mrs.  John  A.  IMartin 
being  her  granddaughter.  Mrs.  Harres  not  only  enjoyed  an  unusually  long 
life,  but  it  was  particularly  free  from  care.  Her  health  was  always  good  until 
the  beginning  of  her  fatal  illness  eight  weeks  ago,  and  her  faculties  were  clear 
until  the  end.  The  burial  services  will  be  held  at  Trinity  church  at  4  p.  m., 
Friday,  September  i8th,  to  which  all  friends  are  invited  without  further  notice. 
After  the  ser\'ices  the  remains  will  be  conveyed  to  Philadelphia  at  once. 
Friends  are  asked  not  to  send  llowers." 


HON.  JOHN  SEATON. 

One  of  the  most  popular,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  useful,  citizens  of 
Atchison  is  the  man  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  and  who  is  the  proprietor  of 
the  largest  foundry  in  the  state  of  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
June  1 1,  1834,  but  when  he  was  three  weeks  old  the  family  removed  to  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  and  there  his  boyhood  days  were  spent.  His  parents  were 
John  M.  and  Elizabeth  (Jones)  Seaton.  the  former  born  in  \"irginia  and  the 
latter  in  X'ermont.  The  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war  and  was 
killed  at  the  storming  of  the  heights  of  Cerro  Gordo. 

At  the  time  of  his  father's  death  Mr.  Seaton  was  about  ele\en  years  old. 
He  was  fifteen  years  old  when  he  began  learning  the  trade  of  a  machinist,  and 
a  few  years  later  was  working  as  a  journeyman  in  St.  Louis.  Missouri.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two,  although  his  entire  capital  ciMisisted  of  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents,  he  started  a  foundry  at  Alton.  Illinois.  Pluck  and  perseverance 
won  success,  the  enterprise  prospered,  and  when  he  removed  to  Atchison  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  43 

1872  he  had  fifty  men  in  his  employ.  When  the  Ci\-il  war  broke  out  ]\Ir.  Sea- 
ton  enlisted  and  was  made  captain  of  Company  B,  in  tlie  Twenty-second  lUi- 
nois  Vokmteers,  and  was  under  General  Grant  when  he  fought  his  first  battle 
at  Belmont.  Captain  Seaton  was  in  command  of  the  skirmish  line  that  opened 
that  engagement,  and  one  of  the  most  precious  of  his  possessions  to-day  is  the 
letter  recei\'ed  from  the  famous  commander,  commending  him  for  the  efficient 
manner  in  which  he  performed  the  task. 

Six  months  before  Mr.  Seaton  came  to  Atchison  the  city  had  voted  ten 
thousand  dollars  in  bonds  to  any  man  who  would  establish  a  foundry.  He 
accepted  the  offer  and  the  result  has  been  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  the  com- 
munity. He  has  a  large  and  finely  equipped  plant  and  does  work  all  over  the 
west.  He  gives  employment  to  over  two  hundred  men  and  works  for  their 
interest  as  w'ell  as  his  own,  retaining  the  full  force  even  through  dull  seasons 
and  periods  of  financial  depression.  He  understands  his  business  thoroughly, 
and  no  slighted  or  imperfect  work  is  ever  allowed  to  go  out  of  the  establishment. 
This  has  given  him  a  prestige,  and  no  foundry  stands  higher  with  architects  and 
builders.  He  does  general  architectural  work,  and  in  addition  makes  locomotive 
wheels,  smoke-stacks,  steam  cylinders,  car  stoves,  etc.,  for  the  Santa  Fe,  Mis- 
souri Pacific  and  Fort  Scott  &  Gulf  roads.  His  works  cover  an  area  of  seven 
hundred  by  four  hundred  feet,  and  his  business  amounts  to  a  quarter  of  a 
million  annually. 

In  1857  Mr.  Seaton  was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte  E.  Tuthill,  of  Alton, 
and  five  children  have  been  born  to  them.  Of  these,  Lillie  M.,  is  the  wife  of 
George  Hendrickson  and  lives  in  Muscotah,  Kansas;  Mary  E.  married  Dr. 
William  H.  Condit,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri ;  John  C.  is  now  manager  of  his 
father's  business;  Nellie  T.  married  Theodore  Byram,  a  farmer  of  Atchison 
county,  Kansas;  and  George  L.  is  assistant  manager  of  his  father's  theater. 
John  C.  Seaton  was  born  in  Alton,  Illinois,  in  1861.  He  is  a  man  of  first- 
class  business  ability,  and  has  been  of  the  greatest  assistance  to  his  father  in 
his  work.  He  was  married,  in  1889,  to  Miss  Lillie  Burtis,  of  Independence, 
Missouri. 

Mr.  Seaton  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  is  so  popular  with  all  classes  that 
he  has  been  elected  five  times  to  the  state  legislature,  and  is  holding  that  posi- 
tion at  present.  He  is  a  member  of  John  A.  Martin  Post,  No.  93,  G.  A.  R., 
the  Loyal  Legion  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Socially,  Mr.  Seaton  is  a 
genial,  unassuming  gentleman,  who  is  proud  of  his  war  record,  of  the  fact  that 
he  has  secured  wealth  and  honor  by  his  own  unaided  efiforts  and  by  a  life  of 
undoubted  integrity,  and  who  is  not  ashamed  of  the  time  when  he  worked  at 
his  trade  as  do  the  men  now  under  him.  Although  having  reached  an  age 
when  he  might  well  retire  and  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  industry,  his  activity  is 
still  unlimited,  and  he  takes  pleasure  in  seeing  that  everything  is  conducted 


44  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

properly  thrnugliutit  his  wrirks.  As  a  citizen  Mr.  Seaton  has  done  much  for 
Atchison,  and  it  was  through  liis  enterprise  and  liberality  that  his  handsome 
theater  was  built.     lie  has  a  very  pleasant  and  commodious  residence. 


HON.  GEORGE  STORCH. 

For  more  than  three  decades  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Hon.  George 
Storch.  has  lieen  identified  with  Atchison.  Kansas,  figuring  in  its  business  and 
political  circles,  and  occupying  a  high  place  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

^Ir.  Storch  is  a  native  of  Bavaria.  Germany,  and  was  born  February  22, 
1835.  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Margaret  Storch,  who  lived  and  died  in  Ger- 
many. His  father  being  a  farmer.  George  was  reared  to  farm  life,  and  received 
the  usual  educational  advantages  extended  by  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
land,  attentling  the  same  until  his  sixteenth  year.  In  1853  he  emigrated  to 
the  United  States,  making  the  voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel  from  Bremen  to  New 
Orleans,  at  uhich  port  he  landed  after  ten  weeks  on  the  ocean.  From  New 
Orleans  he  went  by  steamboat  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  thence  to  Casco,  in 
that  state,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  In  the  spring  of  1859  he  came  to 
Atchison,  Kansas.  At  that  time,  however,  he  remained  only  a  brief  period. 
Going  to  Kennekuk.  Kansas,  he  opened  a  general  store  and  was  engaged  in 
merchandising  at  that  place  until  1867,  when  he  disposed  of  his  stock 
and  store.  Since  that  year  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Atchison.  Here  he 
embarked  in  the  real-estate  and  banking  business.  He  was  one  of  the  leading 
organizers  of  and  chief  stockholders  in  the  German  Savings  Bank,  of  which 
he  was  elected  president.  He  ser\-ed  as  president  of  this  bank  until  its  stock 
was  purchased  by  the  L'uiteil  States  National  Bank,  and  of  this  bank  also  he 
was  made  president,  and  filled  the  oftice  until  the  concern  went  voluntarily 
into  liquiilation.  Since  then  he  has  devoted  his  time  chiefly  to  the  real-estate 
business,  dealing  in  both  city  and  farm  property,  and  handling  annually  a  large 
amount  of  business. 

Mr.  Storch's  i)olitical  career  has  covered  a  number  of  years  and  includes 
valued  service  in  various  ofticial  capacities.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  it 
is  at  the  hands  of  this  jiarty  that  he  has  received  his  official  honors.  He  was 
couiUy  commissioner  two  terms;  four  years  was  a  member  of  the  school 
board,  one  term  of  which  he  was  president;  and  was  a  member  of  the  Atchison 
city  council,  being  president  of  the  council  one  year.  Three  terms  he  served 
as  city  treasurer.  In  1864  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  as  a  repre- 
ientative  from  his  district,  and  again,  in  1875.  he  was  honored  with  the  same 
office.  During  his  last  term  in  the  legislature  he  was  a  member  of  the  ways 
and  means  committee. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  45 

Mr.  Storcli  was  married,  in  1859.  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Fox,  a  native  of 
E\an>\'ille,  Imliana,  and  a  daughter  of  Jolm  Fox  and  his  wife  EHzabeth.  The 
chil(hcn  of  this  union  are  two,  a  daughter  and  son,  Louisa  J.  and  George  H., 
tlie  latter  being  now  associated  in  the  real-estate  business  with  his  father. 
The  (laughter  is  the  wife  of  Oscar  Lips,  of  Atchison,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Charles  Lips. 


COLONEL  PETER  T.  ABELL. 

As  the  founder  of  the  city  of  Atchison,  and  the  most  faithful  promoter  of 
her  interests.  Colonel  Abell  will  always  be  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  history 
of  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Bardstown,  Kentucky,  July  29,  1813.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  an  infant,  leaving  him  to  the  care  of  his  mother,  who  was  a 
woman  of  fine  character  and  vigorous  intellect.  He  was  early  placed  under 
the  tutelage  of  Rev.  Father  Robert  Abell,  long  and  favorably  known  as  a  pio- 
neer of  the  Catholic  faith  in  Kentucky,  and  who  at  a  ripe  old  age  survives  his 
former  pupil. 

When  only  twenty  years  old  young  Abell  went  to  Missouri  and  engaged 
in  merchandizing  in  the  old  town  of  Keytesville,  Chariton  county.  His  capital 
was  limited,  but  he  was  industrious  and  full  of  energy  and  soon  built  up  a  good 
trade,  which  afforded  him  a  comfortable  income.  Li  1835  he  was  married  to 
Miss  E.  M.  Cabell,  who,  with  six  children,  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home 
in  Atchison. 

In  1836  Colonel  Abell  united  with  the  Methodist  church  South,  and  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  life  was  a  consistent  and  active  member  of  that  organ- 
ization. About  that  time  he  began  the  study  of  law,  and  after  a  careful  course 
of  reading  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  soon  won  distinction  in  the  profes- 
sion, and  for  many  years  ranked  among  the  leading  attorneys  of  Missouri, 
being  employed  on  some  of  the  most  important  cases  ever  tried  in  the  courts  of 
that  state. 

Colonel  Abell  was  one  of  the  party  that  selected  the  site  of  Atchison,  in 
1854,  and  shortly  afterward  removed  to  the  little  village,  which  has  since 
grown  into  a  beautiful  and  prosperous  city.  From  the  first  he  was  at  the  head 
of  all  efforts  for  the  promotion  of  the  interests  of  the  town,  and  his  steadfast 
devotion  to  those  movements  was  recognized  by  its  inhabitants.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  convictions,  and  his  judgment  was  remarkably  correct.  His 
resources  in  the  prosecution  of  any  object  he  had  in  view  were  as  fruitful  as 
his  energy  was  intense,  and  his  eft'orts  therefore  were  rarely  unsuccessful.  He 
won  the  hearty  respect  of  all  classes  of  the  people,  because  they  knew  that  his 
devotion  to  the  city  and  his  intelligent  comprehension  of  the  best  means  of 


46  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

promoting  its  cle\'eiopment  were  alii-ce  to  he  (Icpciulecl  on  under  all  circum- 
stances. His  sincerity  and  honesty  were  never  doubted,  and  the  people  trusted 
him  as  they  did  few  other  men,  for  their  confidence  was  never  abused.  At 
home  or  abroad  he  was  always  at  work  for  Atchison,  and  the  services  that  he 
rendered  were  as  valuable  as  they  were  constant.  His  fidelity  to  the  town  was 
something  that  neither  position,  money,  nor  anything  else  could  affect.  He 
would  not  even  accept  a  lucrative  position  in  the  employment  of  Mr.  Joy  with- 
out stipulating  that  if  ever  the  interest  of  that  gentleman  and  Atchison  con- 
flicted he  was  to  be  counted  for  Atchison. 

Colonel  Abell  was  a  strong  and  convincing  speaker  and  a  very  pleasant 
converser.  His  fund  of  information  was  large  and  varied,  and  while  his  educa- 
tion w-as  far  from  being  a  thorough  one,  his  studious  habits,  close  observation 
and  clear,  comprehensive  mind  made  up  for  all  deficiencies  in  his  early  instruc- 
tion. He  was  a  thoroughly  western  man  in  all  his  sympathies,  and  took  a 
pride  in  assisting  in  the  growth  and  development  of  this  favored  section  of  the 
Union. 

Colonel  Abell  was  the  president  of  the  original  town  company  and  of  the 
first  railroad  company  that  extended  a  line  to  Atchison,  and  was  also  the  presi- 
dent of  several  other  large  and  important  organizations.  He  died  January 
1 6,  1874,  while  still  in  the  height  of  his  usefulness,  and  was  sincerely  mourned 
by  the  communitv  for  whom  he  had  done  so  much. 


JOHX  P.  BROWN. 


'Tis  an  age  of  progress,  when  vast  commercial  transactions  involving 
millions  of  dollars  depend  upon  rapid  transportation.  The  revolution  in  busi- 
ness that  the  past  half  a  century,  or  even  less,  has  witnessed,  has  been  brought 
about  by  the  means  of  the  railroads,  and  one  of  the  prominent  representatives 
of  railroad  building  in  the  west  was  John  P.  Brown.  As  a  railroad  contractor, 
Mr.  Brown  has  gained  a  position  among  the  most  prominent  business  men  of 
the  west  and  to-day  he  is  numbered  among  the  retired  capitalists  of  Atchison. 
His  history  has  been  so  closely  identified  with  the  upbuilding  of  this  section  of 
the  Union  that  no  history  of  northeastern  Kansas  would  be  com])lete  without 
the  record  of  his  life. 

His  native  country  is  Ireland,  being  born  in  county  W'estmeath  in  1829, 
a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Daulton)  Brown.  Pie  obtained  but  a  meager  educa- 
tion, but  has  improved  his  opportunities  and  made  a  success  in  whatever  he  has 
undertaken.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  came  to  the  United  States.  After 
the  death  of  his  father,  his  mother  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  about  1890, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  47 

and  died  in  Troy,  Xev\-  York,  in  1898.  Mr.  Brown  spent  a  short  time  in  Xew 
York,  then  went  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained  a  year  or  so,  and  from 
there  remoA-ed  north,  to  Pittsbtirg,  Pennsylvania.  There  he  was  employed 
by  two  civil  engineers,  W.  W.  Wright  and  C.  P.  B.  Jeffries,  who  were  engaged 
in  surveying  the  line  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  between  Philadelphia  and 
Pittsburg,  with  headquarters  at  Greensburg.  He  continued  in  that  work  until 
1853,  when  he  returned  to  Pittsburg  and  went  into  business  for  himself,  taking 
contracts  on  the  Connersville  Railroad,  and  subsequently  on  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio,  with  headquarters  at  West  Newton. 

In  1856  i\Ir.  Brown  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  took  a  contract  on 
the  Iron  Mountain  road,  running  from  St.  Louis  to  Pilot  Knob.  This  work 
lasted  until  1858,  and  the  following  year  he  came  to  Atchison,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  His  first  contract  here  was  on  the  "central  branch"  of 
the  L'nion  Pacific,  and  subsecjuently  he  was  engaged  on  the  Missouri  Pacific, 
from  Atchison  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  the  Atchison  &  Nebraska  road, 
from  Atchison  to  the  Nebraska  state  line,  a  distance  of  forty  miles.  On  the 
completion  of  the  last  mentioned  contract,  Mr.  Brown  retired  from  the  rail- 
road business  and  has  since  devoted  his  time  to  looking  after  his  property  inter- 
ests, he  being  the  owner  of  a  dozen  or  more  fine  farms,  business  houses  and 
residences. 

]\Ir.  Brown  is  a  public-spirited  man  and  has  done  much  toward  the  devel- 
opment of  the  city,  where  he  has  so  long  resided.  He  is  interested  in  both  the 
electric  and  gaslight  plants,  and,  since  the  consolidation,  is  one  of  the  stock- 
holders in  the  Atchison  Street  Railway  Company.  He  is  liberal  and  always 
ready  to  contribute  to  any  enterprise  which  is  calculated  to  benefit  the  com- 
munity. 

In  1854  yir.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Wagner,  who 
was  born  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania.  Of  this  union  seven  chil- 
dren were  born,  as  follows:  Alexander  M.,  deceased;  John  H..  a  pharma- 
cist; Charles  A.,  employed  in  the  freight  department  of  the  Burlington  &  Mis- 
souri Railroad;  Nellie,  the  wife  of  W.  F.  Donald,  a  prominent  dry-goods  mer- 
chant of  Atchison;  W.  Frank,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Sarah,  the  wife  of 
Samuel  F.  StoII,  one  of  the  leading  druggists  of  Atchison ;  and  Alice,  who  is 
.'•till  at  home. 

Politically.  ]\Ir.  Brown  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  works  in  a  quiet  way 
for  the  success  of  his  party,  but  has  never  sought  ofiice.  His  undoubted  integ- 
rity, high  sense  of  honor  and  his  superior  judgment  and  foresight  have  all 
contributed  to  the  accumulation  of  a  large  fortune,  and  his  career  furnishes 
an  excellent  example  to  young  men  who,  like  him,  must  start  at  the  bottom  of 
the  ladder  and  make  their  way  step  by  step  to  the  top  round  of  success. 

Although  he  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy  years,  he  is  stalwart,  vigor- 


48  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ous,  well  preserved  physically,  mentally  and  innrally.  He  has  so  deported 
himself  that  he  not  only  has  the  good  will  hnt  the  respect  and  love  of  the  entire 
community  in  which  he  dwells.  He  is  an  honorable  man  whose  reputation  is 
above  reproach,  and  his  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond.  He  is  a  progressive 
man  who  has  always  sought  to  enlighten  and  elevate  the  people  among  whom 
he  has  lived ;  he  is  a  liberal  and  generous  man.  to  which  fact  the  community 
at  large  will  testify;  he  is  a  philosophic  man,  for  he  has  succeeded  in  getting 
the  best  out  of  life  that  was  in  it.  His  contact  with  his  fellow  men  has  broad- 
ened his  nature  and  his  views,  if  such  were  possible;  and  hale,  hearty,  erect 
and  -.'igorous  at  three-score  years  and  ten,  his  faculties  undimmed,  his  phys- 
ique lint  little  impaired  by  age,  many  years  of  usefulness  yet  seem  before  him. 
Such  men  are  rare,  and  the  world  is  not  slow  to  appreciate  them.  It  is  safe  to 
say  that  no  man  in  .Vtchison  has  more  or  warmer  friends  than  J(jhn  P.  Brown. 


W.  W.  COCHR.\XE. 


Ur.  Cochrane,  for  many  years  a  well-known  and  influential  citizen  of 
Atchison,  was  born  in  Owen  county.  Kentucky,  in  1820,  and  was  of  Scotch 
and  English  parentage.  His  father  was  a  physician  and  practiced  from  181 2 
until  1850  in  Lexington  and  Louisville,  Kentucky.  Familiar  with  the  science 
of  medicine  from  boyhood,  it  is  not  strange  that  W.  \\.  Cochrane  became 
interested  in  the  subject  and  determined  to  make  it  his  life  work.  He  prepared 
for  his  chosen  calling  in  the  Louisville  Medical  College,  in  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1848.  He  afterward  practiced  in  Louisville  and  in  Mississippi  until 
1859.  when  he  came  to  Atchison,  and  for  many  years  was  a  leading  physician 
of  this  city.  He  spent  his  last  years  in  retirement,  gradually  putting  aside  his 
active  cares  on  account  of  his  advanced  age.  He  was  one  of  the  first  members 
of  the  Kansas  Medical  Society,  joining  that  body  in  1862,  and  from  1868  until 
1872  he  was  its  honored  president.  From  that  date  until  1890  he  was  annu- 
ally elected  treasurer,  a  fact  which  indicates  his  high  standing  in  the  ranks  of 
his  profession.  His  skill  and  ability  as  a  medical  practitioner  was  marked 
and  gained  him  high  prestige.  He  had  deep  human  sympathy,  and  would 
never  refuse  to  make  a  call  e\-cn  thnugh  he  knew  he  would  receive  no  compen- 
sation for  his  services. 

In  1862  the  Doctor  wedded  Miss  Mary  D.  Stuart,  at  Palmyra,  Missouri, 
and  to  them  were  born  three  children,  who  are  now  living.  The  Doctor  was 
a  high-minded,  honorable  gentleman  of  the  old  school ;  at  all  times  courteous 
and  affable,  yet  firm  and  steadfast  in  his  convictions.  Those  who  knew  him 
best  loved  him  most  and  understood  and  appreciated  his  splendid  traits  of  char- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  49 

acter.  No  history  of  the  medical  fraternity  of  this  city  would  be  complete 
without  a  record  of  his  life,  for  through  long  years  he  was  one  of  its  leading 
and  most  honored  representatives. 


WILLIAM  C.  McPIKE. 

The  senior  member  of  McPike  &  Fox,  wholesale  druggists  of  x\tchison, 
was  born  in  Lawrenceburg,  Indiana,  March  7,  1836.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Lydia  J.  (Guest)  McPike,  the  former  born  in  1795,  not  far  from  Wheeling, 
Virginia.  His  paternal  grandfather,  James  McPike,  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land who  emigrated  to  this  country  and  took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 
On  his  mother's  side  Mr.  McPike's  grandfather  was  Captain  Moses  Guest, 
who  was  of  English  descent  and  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  New 
Jersey. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  passed  his  youth  and  early  school  days  in 
Alton,  Illinois,  where  his  father's  family  were  well  and  favorably  known. 
While  living  in  Alton  he  was  for  a  short  time  a  clerk  in  a  drug  store,  then 
entered  the  employ  of  W.  A.  Horton  &  Company,  wholesale  druggists,  re- 
maining with  them  until  1863.  when  he  went  to  Philadelphia  and  became  a 
student  in  the  College  of  Pharmacy,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1866. 
In  the  same  year  Mr.  McPike  came  to  Atchison  and  established  the  firm  of 
McPike  &  Allen,  carrying  on  a  retail  drug  store.  This  partnership  con- 
tinued for  ten  years,  when  the  business  was  changed  to  wholesale  and  the  new 
firm  of  McPike  &  Fox  was  formed. 

This  firm  does  a  very  large  business  not  only  in  .Vtchison  and  the  sur- 
rounding country,  but  through  the  state  and  also  in  Nebraska,  ^Missouri, 
Colorado,  Oklahoma,  New  Mexico,  and  as  far  west  as  California.  They 
keep  from  twelve  to  fifteen  traveling  men  on  the  road  and  are  the  largest 
wholesale  druggists  next  to  St.  Louis.  They  occupy  their  own  buildings  in 
Atchison,  having  one  four  stories  high,  45x100  feet,  and  an  adjoining  one  of 
the  same  height,  22^4x150  feet.  Besides  these  they  have  a  warehouse  45x100 
feet,  where  oils,  paints  and  chemicals  are  stored.  They  have  fifty  employees, 
most  of  whom  have  been  with  them  over  ten  years,  and  among  their  patrons 
are  many  who  ha\-e  done  business  with  them  ever  since  they  began.  Their 
continued  and  rapid  growth,  and  consequent  financial  success,  is  the  result  of 
imtiring  energy  and  perseverance,  coupled  with  an  observance  of  the  Golden 
Rule  and  the  admirable  system  which  pervades  the  entire  establishment. 

In  1863  Mr.  ilcPike  was  married  to  Miss  Kate  Avis,  of  Alton,  a  daughter 
of  Captain  Samuel  Avis,  of  that  city.    Five  children  have  been  born  to  them : 


50  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mary;  Bertha  AL,  the  wife  of  Judge  W.  T.  Bland,  of  Atchison;  Blanche  and 
Genevieve,  both  of  whoni  v.ere  educated  at  Monticello  Seminary,  Godfrey, 

Illinois:  and  A\-is.  at  home. 


TARED  C.  FOX. 


That  the  plenitude  of  satiety  is  seldom  attained  in  the  affairs  of  life  is 
to  be  considered  as  a  most  grateful  and  beneficial  deprivation,  for  ^vhere 
ambition  is  satisfied  and  every  ultimate  aim  realized — if  such  is  possible — 
there  must  follow  individual  apathy.  Effort  will  cease,  accomplishment  be 
prostrate  and  creative  talent  waste  its  energies  in  supine  activity.  The  men 
who  have  pushed  forward  the  wheels  of  progress  have  been  those  to  whom 
satiety  lay  ever  in  the  future,  and  they  have  labored  continuously  and  have 
not  failed  to  find  in  each  transition  stage  an  incentive  for  further  effort.  As 
a  result  of  ambition  to  make  the  most  of  opportunities  and  gain  a  prominent 
place  in  business  circles,  Jared  C.  Fox  is  steadily  working  his  way  upward, 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the  firm  of  McPike  &  Fox,  wholesale  druggists  of 
Atchison,  Kansas.  They  are  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  leading  stores  in  their 
line  west  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  their  trade  is  steadily  increasing. 

]\Ir.  Fox  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Monroe  county,  New  York,  October  30,  1841 ;  and  his  parents  were  Jared 
W'.  and  Mary  (Copeland)  Fox.  The  family  is  of  English  lineage,  and  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Jacob  Fox.  The  maternal  grandfather.  Jona- 
than Copeland,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  held  a  colonel's  com- 
mission. Jared  Fox,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  devoted  his  life  to 
the  ministry.  He  died  in  Kansas  in  1896  and  his  wife  passed  away  several 
years  previously. 

In  presenting  to  our  readers  the  life  record  of  him  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch,  we  know  that  his  history  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest,  for  it 
demonstrates  and  illustrates  the  possibilities  that  lie  before  young  men  of 
energy  and  determination.  He  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  New  York,  attend- 
ing the  district  schools  near  his  home,  and  afterward  continued  his  studies  in 
^^'al worth  Academy,  in  Wayne  county.  In  i860  he  determined  to  try  his 
fortune  in  the  West,  and  came  to  Kansas.  For  a  time  he  occupied  a  position 
as  a  clerk  in  Valley  Falls,  at  a  salary  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a  year. 
He  remained  there  until  1862,  and  in  the  spring  of  that  year  came  to  Atchi- 
son, where  he  accepted  the  position  of  salesman  in  the  dry-goods  store  of  W. 
C.  Smith  &  Son,  where  he  continued  for  several  months.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  moved  to  Rolla,  Missouri,  where  he  acted  as  quarter- 
master's clerk  under  E.  B.  Grimes,  who  was  filling  the  position  of  quarter- 
master in  the  regular  army. 


1 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  51 

In  the  fall  of  1868  our  subject  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  McPike 
&  Allen,  wholesale  druggists  of  Atchison,  and  when  yir.  Allen  retired  the 
firm  name  was  changed  to  McPike  &  Fox.  They  carry  a  very  large  line  of 
goods,  their  house  being  one  of  the  most  extensive  of  the  kind  west  of  the 
Missouri  ri\er.  Their  patronage  comes  from  many  western  cities  and  they 
are  well  represented  on  the  road  by  a  large  and  efficient  corps  of  traveling 
salesmen.  The  quality  of  goods  which  they  carry,  together  with  their  well- 
known  reliability  in  trade  circles,  insures  to  them  a  continuation  of  profitable 
business. 

In  December,  1868,  ^Ir.  Fox  was  united  in  marriage  to  !Miss  X'irginia 
A.  Tortat,  of  Atchison,  and  to  them  have  been  born  five  children,  namely: 
Tared  C.  Jr.,  who  is  the  manager  of  the  Frank  Howard  ^Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, of  Atchison;  Edith,  the  wife  of  W".  A.  Jackson,  a  prominent  attorney 
of  Atchison ;  Henry  Irving,  who  is  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  firm  of  ]\Ic- 
Pike  &  Fox,  with  headquarters  at  Hutchinson,  Kansas ;  William  Tortat,  also 
employed  by  McPike  &  Fox;  and  Florence,  at  home.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Fox  is  a  gold  Democrat  and  served  for  several  years  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education,  during  which  time  the  school  interests  of  the  city  were 
greatly  advanced.  He  is  also  the  president  of  the  Western  Wholesale  Drug- 
gists' Association,  and  the  honor  conferred  upon  him  by  his  election  is  well 
merited. 

A  prominent  member  of  the  ]\Iasonic  fraternity,  he  belongs  to  Wash- 
ington Lodge,  Xo.  I,  F.  &  A.  ]M. ;  to  the  chapter,  to  Atchison  Commandery, 
K.  T.,  and  to  the  Mystic  Shrine.  His  attention  has  been  given  very  closely 
to  business,  however,  and  he  has  met  with  most  creditable  success.  He  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  able  merchants  of  Atchison,  and  his  diligence, 
indomitable  energy  and  perseverance  have  won  him  the  prosperity  that  num- 
bers him  among  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  his  adopted  state,  nor  has  he 
advanced  his  individual  interests  alone,  for  he  has  done  much  toward  promot- 
ing the  general  welfare  by  encouraging  trade  and  commerce  and  by  support- 
ing all  measures  and  movements  which  are  calculated  to  prove  a  public  benefit. 
In  manner  he  is  cordial  and  genial,  and  has  won  a  host  of  warm  friends  in 
the  state  where  he  now  makes  his  home. 


D.    C.    XEWCO:\IB. 


Among  the  prominent  merchants  of  Atchison  none  hold  a  higher  place 
in  the  esteem  of  its  citizens  than  ^Ir.  Newcomb.  He  is  the  proprietor' of  one 
of  the  largest  and  best  stocked  stores  in  the  state,  and  carries  on  an  importing, 
jobbing  and  retail  business  in  dry  goods,  carpets,  furnishings,  boots  and  shoes. 


52  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

He  occupies  ;i  tine  brick  Imildiiii;-  wliicli  lie  erected  in  1888.  It  is  45x135  feet, 
three  stories  and  Ijasenicnt,  and  is  litted  with  passenger  elevators,  electric  light, 
steam  heat  and  every  other  modern  convenience.  The  trade  of  this  house  is 
very  extensive,  and  its  patrons  always  feel  assured  that  they  are  being  fairly 
dealt  with  and  getting  the  best  goods  for  the  least  money. 

Mr.  Newcomb  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Fayston.  Washington  county,  \^er- 
mont,  July  13,  1836.  Hosea  Newcomb,  his  father,  was  born  in  Swansea, 
New  Hampshire,  in  1803.  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  as  was  his  father, 
William  Newcomb.  The  mother,  whose  fnaiden  name  was  Harriet  Bixby, 
was  of  German  descent,  born  in  Roxbury,  Massachusetts,  in  1805.  The 
Newcombs  are  descendants  of  Francis  Newcomb  and  his  two  brothers,  who 
emigrated  from  England  to  America  in  1635.  at  the  age  of  thirty,  with  wife 
Rachel,  in  ship  Planter.  He  was  one  of  three  brothers  who  came  o\er  to- 
gether and  of  whom  Francis  Newcomb  settled  in  Massachusetts. 

Hosea  Newcomb  located  in  Sumner,  Kansas,  in  1859,  and  was  post- 
master there  twelve  or  fourteen  years.  The  town  is  out  of  existence  now. 
He  returned  to  Vermont  in  1873  and  died  there  in  1889,  in  his  eighty-seventh 
year.  His  widow  still  lives  in  that  state  and  is  now  in  her  ninety-fifth  year, 
and  is  in  full  possession  of  all  her  faculties.  She  is  the  mother  of  five  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  living:  Dan,  who  is  a  physician  and  resides  in 
Ocean  Springs,  Mississippi,  on  the  (nilf  of  Mexicn.  He  came  to  Atchison 
some  time  before  his  brother,  D.  C.  and  was  the  first  free-state  registrar  of 
deeds  of  Atchison  county.  Lydia  is  the  wife  of  Nathaniel  Shephard  and  lives 
in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  D.  C,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  first 
eighteen  years  of  his  life  D.  C.  Newcomb  spent  in  his  native  place,  where  he 
attended  the  public  schools.  Later  he  was  a  student  in  Newbury  Seminary, 
and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  began  clerking  in  Johnson.  Vermont,  after- 
ward in  Montpelier.  In  the  winter  of  1857  he  came  \\'est  spending  some 
months  in  Wisconsin,  and  on  ]\Iarch  8.  1858.  came  to  Sumner,  Kansas,  and 
from  there  to  Atchison.  The  latter  place  was  in  its  infancy  at  that  time  and 
gave  no  promise  of  becoming  the  prosperous  and  important  city  that  it  now  is. 
Sumner  seemed  to  be  the  better  place  of  the  two,  but  Mr.  Newcomb  decided 
that  the  location  of  Atchison  as  a  business  point  was  far  superior  and  con- 
cluded to  try  his  fortune  here.  The  following  year  he  became  deputy  for 
his  brother  Dan  in  the  register-of-deeds  office,  where  he  remained  for  some 
three  years.  He  then  took  a  clerkshii)  in  one  of  the  stores  in  Atchison.  One 
of  his  fellow  clerks  was  Samuel  Card,  and  in  1864  these  two  formed  a  part- 
nership under  the  firm  name  of  Card  &  Newcomb.  which  continued  until  1869. 
when  Mr.  Card  died.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Newcomb  has  carried  on  merchan- 
dising alone,  enlarging  his  quarters  as  his  business  has  increased,  and  now 
being  finely  establislied  as  has  been  mentioned. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  53 

In  1866  j\Ir.  Xewcomb  was  married  to  x\nna  E.  Bowman,  a  daughter  of 
Captain  George  W.  Bowman,  at  one  time  a  steamboat  captain  and  afterward 
a  merchant  of  Atchison.  He  was  formerly  from  Brownsville,  Pennsylvania. 
Mr.  and  Mrs  Newcomb  have  two  children :  Hattie  INIay,  who  married  Lieu- 
tenant Harry  A.  Smith.  U.  S.  A.,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  a  son  of 
Henry  T.  Smith,  one  of  the  early  merchants  of  Atchison.  At  the  present 
time  Lieutenant  Smith  is  at  Santiago,  Cuba ;  he  held  the  rank  of  major  of  the 
Twenty-first  Kansas  Volunteers  in  the  Spanish  war;  George  Edgar,  the  only 
son  of  Mr.  Newcomb,  is  in  business  with  his  father.  He  was  born  at  Atchi- 
son, March  19,  1869.  and  was  educated  in  the  Northwestern  L'niversity,  at 
Evanston,  Illinois.  He  is  progressive  in  his  ideas  and,  like  his  father,  full  of 
enterprise  and  awake  to  every  opportunity  for  increasing  their  business.  He 
was  married  in  October,  1895,  to  Miss  Dorothy  Jones,  of  Waupun,  Wisconsin. 

Mr.  Newcomb  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  is  always  ready  to  use  his 
influence  in  forwarding  the  interests  of  his  party,  but  has  never  been  a  poli- 
tician in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  term.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
consistent  and  useful  meml)ers  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which 
he  has  filled  the  ofifices  of  trustee,  steward  and  class-leader,  in  which  work  he 
has  ever  taken  a  deep  interest.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  general  conference 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  which  met  in  Omaha.  Nebraska,  in  1892, 
and  at  Chicago  in  1900.  and  was  president  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  of  Atchison  for  three  years. 

For  the  past  fifteen  years  Air.  Newcomb  has  been  vice-president  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Atchison,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders,  and 
ever  since  a  director.  He  occupies  a  large  and  very  handsome  residence  at 
704  North  Fourth  street,  and  his  home  is  a  most  delightful  one,  where  hos- 
pitality and  good  will  abound.  His  success  in  life  has  been  won  by  hard 
work  and  strict  business  integrity,  and  is  well  deserved. 


GEORGE   W.   CLICK. 

Whate\'er  else  may  be  said  of  the  legal  fraternity,  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
members  of  the  bar  have  been  more  prominent  actors  in  public  affairs 
than  any  other  class.  This  is  but  the  natural  result  of  causes  which  are 
manifest  and  reciuire  no  explanation.  The  ability  and  training  which  qualify 
one  to  practice  law\  also  qualifies  him  in  many  respects  for  duties  which  lie 
outside  the  strict  path  of  his  profession  and  which  touch  the  general  interests 
of  society.  Holding  marked  precedence  among  the  meml>ers  of  the  bar  of 
Atchison  county  Mr.  Click  practiced  law  for  many  years  and  later  was  called 


54  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

to  pul)lic  life  by  the  vote  of  the  people.  As  the  ninth  governor  of  the  state  his 
name  is  inseparably  connected  with  the  history  of  the  commonwealth  and  at 
the  present  time  lie  is  serving  as  United  States  pension  agent  of  the  district 
comprising  Kansas.  Missoin-i,  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  Oklahoma  and  Indian 
Territ.M-y.' 

]Mr.  Click  was  born  in  r'airlield  comity,  Ohio,  July  4-  ^^^7-  'ii«l  \vhen  he 
was  four  years  old  his  father's  family  removed  to  a  farm  near  Fremont  in  the 
same  state.  There  he  attended  a  country  school  held  in  what  is  known  as 
'•Click's  schoolhouse."  and  wlien  nineteen  years  of  age  taught  in  the  same  place. 
He  subsequently  l)ecame  a  student  in  the  Dioclesian  Institute  in  Fremont,  which 
was  founded  liy  Dr.  Dio  Lewis  who  afterwards  became  famous  for  his  \  icws 
in  regard  to  health  reform.  Later  he  attended  the  Central  College  of  Ohio,  but 
did  not  finish  the  course. 

Air.  Click.  Sr.,  was  a  thoroughly  well-informed  and  practical  agricul- 
turist and  acquired  a  competence  as  a  result  of  his  labors.  His  son  was 
equally  fond  of  the  calling  and  would  doubtless  have  been  as  successful  in  that 
line  as  his  father,  had  not  an  accident  by  which  his  feet  were  severely  injured 
in  a  threshing  machine  apparently  put  an  end  to  all  active  work.  Fortunately 
liis  fears  were  not  realized  and  he  entirely  recovered  his  original  strength  and 
use  of  his  limbs:  To  this  day,  however,  his  love  for  country  life  continues, 
and  as  long  as  his  father  lived  on  the  farm  he  spent  his  summers  there,  assisting 
in  the  haying  and  harvesting. 

W'hile  under  the  apprehension  that  he  would  be  a  cripple  for  life,  Mr. 
Click  determined  to  take  up  law  as  a  profession  and  began  his  studies,  in  1849, 
in  the  oftice  of  Buckland  &  Hayes,  of  Fremont,  the  latter  member  of  the  firm 
lieing  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  who  afterward  became  president  of  the  United 
States.  Two  years  later  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Cincinnati,  passing  an 
examination  with  the  graduating  class  of  the  Cincinnati  Law  School.  After 
eight  years  of  successful  practice  in  Fremont,  I\Ir.  Click  came  to  AtchiscHvilL- 
June,  1859,  and  the  following  January  formed  a  partnership  with  Hon.  A. 
G.  Otis,  \vhich  continued  as  long  as  he  practiced  law.  At  the  bar  he  w^on 
marked  prestige  by  reason  of  his  thorough  understanding  of  law  in  its  various 
departments  and  his  devotion  to  his  clients'  interests.  He  prepared  his  cases 
with  precision  and  exactness,  studied  the  question  at  issue  from  every  possible 
standpoint,  and  was  thus  ready  to  meet  not  only  the  expected  but  also  the 
unexpected,  which  happens  quite  as  frequently  in  the  courts  as  out  of  them. 
In  187 J  he  tm-neil  his  attention  to  the  less  arduous  duties  of  the  farm,  but 
maintained  his  residence  in  Atchison.  He  was  the  owner  of  a  valuable  tract 
of  land  of  six  hundretl  and  forty  acres,  four  miles  west  of  the  city,  and  there 
lie  successfully  carried  on  stock  raising,  making  a  specialty  of  the  breeding 
of  Bates  short-horneil  cattle.   A  number  of  times  he  has  paid  as  high  as  one 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  55 

tlioiisand  dollars  for  a  single  animal,  and  among  stock  dealers  he  obtained  a 
wide  reputation,  shipping  cattle  to  ^Michigan,  Iowa,  Nebraska,  Missouri,  New 
Mexico,  Colorado  and  other  western  points.  j\lr.  Click  has  also  been  connected 
with  the  railroad  interests  of  the  state  and  was  the  first  president  of  the  Atchi- 
son &  Nebraska  roadj  which,  under  his  direction,  was  constructed  to  the 
jtate  line. 

For  many  years  he  has  been  a  prominent  factor  in  the  public  life  of  the 
state  and  his  course,  which  has  ever  been  marked  by  a  patriotic  spirit,  is  one 
over  which  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong.  Mr.  Click  has  serxed  nine  terms 
in  the  Kansas  legislature — a  longer  recofdThan  any  other  citizen  nf  tlic  state — - 
and  was  once  county  commissioner  and  once  county  auditor.  While  holding 
tlie  latter  office  in  1882,  he  was  elected  governor  by  nine  thousand  plurality  over 
John  P._St_JxJiivwho  had  been  elected  two  years  before  by  about  fifty-five 
thousand.  In  1884  he  was  renominated  for  governor  by  the  Democrats,  but 
was  defeated  by  John  A.  Martin,  although  he  ran  sijileea_thausautl  ahead  of 
lils_licket.  He  was  npminated-fef— gOYeainr  nine  years  after  coming  to 
Kansas,  but  the  Republicans  were  in  full  command  of  the  situation  at  that 
time  and  he  was  defeated.  In  1885  he  was  appointed  pension  agent,  serving 
four  years,  and  again  in_iSc)3,  both  times  without  solicitation  on  his  part. 

Mr.  Click  has  been  a  Mason  thirty-six  years,  being  one  of  the  original 
organizers  of  the  Kniglits  Templar  Commandery  and  Royal  Arch  Chapter 
in  Atchison.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  everything  calculated 
to  develop  the  resources  of  the  county  and  state  and  is  one  of  the  most  valuable 
citizens  in  Kansas. 


THOMAS  M.  WALKER. 

There  is  in  the  anxious  and  laborious  struggle  for  an  honorable  competence 
and  the  solid  career  of  the  business  or  the  professional  man  fighting  the  every- 
day battle  of  life,  but  little  to  attract  the  idle  reader  in  search  of  a  sensa- 
tional 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  won  not  only  wealth,  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  Atchison,  is  Thomas  M.  Walker,  banker,  capitalist  and  owner  of  extensive 
landed  interests. 

Mr.  Walker  was  born  in  Owen  county,  Kentucky,  in  1848,  and  is  a  son 


56  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  Delville  and  Lucinda  Walker.  He  spent  his  bciyliood  da\s  under  the 
parental  roof  and  was  educated  by  a  private  teacher.  Entering  upon  his  Inisi- 
ness  career,  he  devoted  his  energies  to  various  pursuits  until  1879,  when  he 
located  in  Alton,  Osborne  county.  Kansas,  where  he  engaged  in  general 
merchandising,  in  which  he  continued  until  1884.  doing  a  very  large  and 
profitable  business.  In  that  year  he  embarked  in  the  banking  business,  by 
founding  the  Alton  Bank,  of  Alton.  Kansas.  Subsequently  he  purchased  the 
First  National  Bank  at  Osborne,  Kansas,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in  busi- 
ness. He  was  made  president  of  the  institution,  and  under  his  direction  it 
has  become  one  of  the  leading  financial  concerns  in  that  part  of  the  state. 
Conservative,  yet  progressive,  business  methods  are  followed,  and  the  relia- 
bility of  the  president  and  stockholders  insures  a  liberal  patronage.  As  his 
financial  resources  have  increased,  Mr.  Walker  has  placed  his  money  in  the 
safest  of  all  investments — real  estate — and  has  extensive  property  interests 
in  Osborne  county.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  very  large  cattle  ranch  there  and 
also  has  one  in  Graham  county,  Kansas.  The  latter  is  supplied  with  water 
by  six  small  and  deep  lakes,  while  Eagle  creek  flows  through  his  Osborne 
county  ranch.  The  large  herds  of  cattle  which  he  raises  place  him  among 
the  leading  stock  dealers  of  the  state.  He  is  also  interested  in  other  Graham 
county  lands,  and  so  manages  his  extensive  business  interests  that  his  capital 
is  annually  augmented. 

In  1882  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Walker  and  I\Iiss  Carrie 
Nixon,  of  Chicago,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Matilda  (McCunnell)  Nixon. 
Mrs.  Walker  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Chicago,  and  is  a  lady  of  cul- 
ture and  refinement  and  also  possesses  good  business  qualifications.  Two 
children  grace  their  union — Thomas  Delville.  who  is  a  student  in  a  pri\-atc 
school  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  and  Henrie  O.,  who  is  a  student  at  a  private 
school  of  Atchison.  Mrs.  Walker  takes  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs  and 
is  a  lady  of  strong  intellectual  and  scholarly  attainments.  That  Mr.  Walker 
has  attained  to  prominent  jjosition  in  financial  circles  is  due  to  his  keen  dis- 
cernment and  his  sound  judgment,  which  is  rarely,  if  ever,  at  fault.  His 
laudable  ambition  has  prumjjted  him  to  put  forth  earnest  effort  in  his  busi- 
ness career,  and  he  has  w  m  a  well-deserved  success. 


CHARLES  D.  HUTCHINS. 

No  city,  no  matter  how  great  her  natural  resources,  ever  arose  to  any 
degree  of  prosperity  that  did  not  owe  the  credit  of  her  position  to  the  men 
within  her  limits,  their  ability  to  develop  these  resources  and  create  new  enter- 
prises.    To  those  who  have  faith  in  her  future,  whr.  rontrilnite  substantiallv 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  57 

toward  lier  prosperity  by  investing  capital  and  identifying  tliemselves  in 
every  possiljle  manner  with  her  interests,  tlie  (|uestion  of  faikire  is  not  only 
improbable  but  even  impossible.  For  many  years  Mr.  Hutchins  has  been 
numbered  among  the  most  prominent  real  estate  dealers  in  Atchison.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  agents  to  locate  in  the  city,  and  has  carried  on  extensive 
operations.  His  business  interests  are,  therefore,  very  closely  interwoven 
with  the  history  of  Atchison,  while  his  knowledge  of  locations  and  valu- 
ations is  of  vast  benefit  to  purchasers.  He  is  also  a  well-known  insurance 
agent,  and  finds  in  this  line  of  his  business  a  profitable  source  of  income. 

Mr.  Hutchins  is  a  son  of  Timothy  B.  and  Sarah  F.  (Mellen)  Hutchins, 
and  was  born  at  Xorthampton,  Hampshire  county,  Massachusetts.  His  father 
was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising in  Xorthampton.  A  man  of  superior  intelligence  and  strong  will 
power,  his  influence  was  felt  in  the  public  life  of  his  town.  He  was  a  strong 
abolitionist  and  was  very  loyal  to  the  faith  of  that  party.  His  wife  was  a 
native  of  Prescott,  Massachusetts,  and  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old 
Puritan  families.  She  possessed  many  excellent  traits  of  character,  was  a 
faithful  and  active  Christian,  a  devoted  mother  and  a  most  estimable  lady. 

Charles  D.  Hutchins  acquired  his  education  in  the  conmion  and  high 
schools  of  his  native  place,  and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had 
attained  his  nineteenth  year,  when  his  father  gave  him  his  time  and  allowed 
him  to  start  out  in  business  for  himself.  He  had  but  limited  means,  but 
possessed  a  vast  amount  of  courage,  pei'severance  and  a  strong  determination 
to  succeed.  His  first  venture  was  in  the  oil  fields  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
remained  for  four  years.  His  health  then  failing,  he  was  obliged  to  put  aside 
his  business  cares  during  the  succeeding  three  years.  In  1882  he  came  to 
Atchison,  and,  being  pleased  with  the  city,  he  decided  to  make  it  his  perma- 
nent home.  Renting  an  office,  he  began  dealing  in  real  estate,  handling  city 
property  principalh%  He  purchased  land  and  erected  thereon  good  dwellings, 
after  which  he  offered  them  for  sale.  Thus  he  has  been  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  upbuilding  of  Atchison,  and  many  of  the  pleasant  honiis  of  the 
town  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise.  He  has  also  become 
a  representative  of  several  safe  and  reliable  insurance  companies,  and  so  much 
confidence  have  they  in  his  judgment  that  he  is  often  called  on  to  pass  upon 
the  losses  of  fires. 

On  the  I2th  of  November,  i860,  Mr.  Hutchins  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Anna  S.  Fordham,  of  Sag  Harbor,  New  York,  in  whose  place  she 
was  born  and  reared.  Her  father,  James  Fordham,  a  man  of  sterling  qual- 
ities, was  an  old  and  well-known  sea  captain,  and  teloved  by  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance. He  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 
One  child  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hutchins.  A.  Edna,  who  is  the  wife 


58  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of   O.  C.  Morgan,  of  Atcliison,  and    lias    two    cliildren.  Hazel    and    Roscoe 
Conkling. 

Mr.  Hutchins  is  a  strong  adherent  of  the  Republican  party,  and  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  had  never  sought  office  for  him- 
self, but  takes  an  active  interest  in  securing  the  election  of  his  friends  who 
are  candidates  on  the  l\e])ublican  ticket.  A  man  of  strong  convictions,  he 
is  always  positive  in  his  views  and  always  found  on  the  side  of  law  and  order. 
He  holds  membership  in  no  religious  denomination,  but  is  a  liberal  contributor 
to  the  church  and  is  charitable  to  the  poor.  As  a  citizen  he  is  ever  ready 
to  aid  the  projects  which  are  conducive  to  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  community,  and  is  justly  proud  of  the  marked  advancement  which  has 
been  made  in  Atchison  in  the  past  few  years,  and  to  which  he  has  contributed 
in  no  small  measure.  At  all  times  Mr.  Hutchins  carries  about  with  him  one 
hundred  dollars  in  gold  for  the  purpose  of  defraying  his  funeral  expenses — 
a  custom  he  has  followed  since  1847.  He  has  made  perhaps  the  only  complete 
collection  of  historical  envelopes  in  this  country,  most  of  these  being  gathered 
during  the  Civil  war  and  bearing  all  kinds  of  emblems  and  inscrijjtions.  They 
have  been  securely  placed  in  a  scrap-book,  and  he  has  refused  the  offer  of  a 
handsome  sum  of  money  for  them.  In  1893  ^^^  erected  the  fine  residence 
which  he  now  occupies  and  which  is  complete  in  every  respect.  He  is  a  man 
of  domestic  tastes,  finding  his  greatest  delight  in  entertaining  his  friends 
at  his  own  fireside.  .  A  gentleman  of  scholarly  attainments,  of  marked 
courtesy  and  of  genial  disposition,  he  is  very  companionable,  antl  has  gained 
many  friends  throughout  the  community. 


S.  C.  FLICKINGER. 


The  tilling  of  the  soil  has  occupied  the  attention  of  man  since  the  crea- 
tion of  the  world,  although  great  changes  have  occurred  in  the  methods  of 
this  work.  Mr.  Flickinger  is  accounted  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  pro- 
gressive agriculturists  of  Brown  county,  and  is  to-day  the  uwner  of  one  of 
the  best  farms  of  Morrill  township.  He  was  born  September  13,  1866,  in 
Ohio,  his  parents  being  William  M.  and  Catherine  (Peck)  Flickinger,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  which  locality 
they  were  married.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Samuel  Flickinger,  was  a 
native  of  the  Keystone  state,  was  of  German  lineage,  and  was  a  Dunkard  in 
religious  faith.  His  children  were:  Catherine,  married  C.  (I.  Lint;  William: 
Sally  married  U.  Arnold:  Sanuicl  II.,  of  Nebraska;  Eliza  married  D.  'M. 
I-'ike;  Susan,  deceased,  married  D.  Foss,  and  Elizabeth  married  J.  ^^^  Peck. 

William  M.  Flickinger,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  burn  ]\Iarch  6.  1835. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  59 

removed  to- Ohio  in  1865,  purchased  a  farm,  and  there  remained  until  1868. 
when  he  became  a  resident  and  the  owner  of  a  farm  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois. 
There  he  resided  until  1881,  when  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas.  He  pur- 
chased two  farms  in  Morrill  township  and  also  a  half-section  of  prairie  land, 
taking  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  the  home  of  our  subject. 
He  made  good  improvements  there,  erected  a  large  residence  and  substantial 
barns  and  outbuildings,  and  added  all  the  accessories  and  conveniences  known 
to  farm  life  at  the  present  day.  In  connection  with  the  cultivation  of  the 
fields  he  also  handled  short-horn  cattle.  In  1890,  however,  he  sold  his  farms 
to  two  of  his  sons,  but  he  still  owns  the  tract  of  prairie  land.  In  1890  he  re- 
moved to  McPherson,  Kansas,  where  he  has  since  lived  retired,  enjoying  a 
rest  which  he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves.  He  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried. His  first  wife  was  Catherine  Peck,  whom,  he  married  March,  1859.  Her 
parents  were  Jonas  and  Fannie  Saylor  Peck,  and  the  father  of  Jonas  was 
Jacob  Peck,  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  were  members  of  the  Dunkard 
church.  Their  children  were :  Barbara,  who  became  Mrs.  Hinebaw ;  Cather- 
ine, the  mother  of  our  subject;  Jeremiah,  of  Waterloo,  Iowa;  Mrs.  Sally 
Hershberger;  Mrs.  Mary  Hershberger;  Mrs.  Matilda  Forney,  who  after  her 
first  husband's  death  became  the  wife  of  Daniel  Kingery ;  Mrs.  Hattie  Kimmell ; 
Mrs.  Eliza  Miller;  Susan,  who  became  the  second  wife  of  Mr.  Flickinger;  and 
Mrs,  Caroline  Kline.  By  his  first  marriage  William  ]\I.  Flickinger  had  five 
children:  Lavina,  born  June  22,  i860,  died  January  9,  1863;  Calvin  W.. 
born  July  18,  1862,  a  merchant  of  Morrill;  Anna,  born  March  5,  1864,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years ;  S.  C,  of  this  review,  and  Mrs.  Harriet 
Potter,  of  Wilsey,  Kansas,  born  January  17,  1871.  The  mother  died  July  13, 
1872.  She  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Dunkard  church  and  her  many  excel- 
lent qualities  endeared  her  to  a  large  circle  of  friends.  The  following  year  Mr. 
Flickinger  married  Susan  Peck,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife,  and  they  had  three 
children:  Joseph  J.,  born  October  21,  1874,  a  farmer;  Ada,  born  July  9, 
1878,  who  died  January  i,  1894;  and  Delta  A.,  born  July  12,  1889. 

S.  C.  Flickinger,  whose  name  from  the  caption  of  this  review,  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  various  removals,  eventually  becoming  a  resident 
of  Kansas.  He  was  reared  to  farm  pursuits  and  educated  in  the  common 
schools,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof  until  his  marriage,  when  he  pur- 
chased the  old  homestead,  upon  which  he  resided  for  five  years.  He  then 
removed  to  Illinois,  but  after  two  years  returned  and  has  since  maintained 
his  residence  upon  the  old  home  farm.  He  is  now  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  also  raises  some  stock.  His  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance  and  indi- 
cates his  careful  supervision. 

In  1890  Mr.  Flickinger  wedded  Ella  Livingood,  a  cultured  lady  who 
was  born  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  July  31.  1S68,  her  parents  being  Abraham 


6o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  Fanny  (Myers)  Livingood,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
Tliey  removed  to  Illinois,  where  the  father  carried  on  farming  for  some  years 
but  afterward  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Millersville,  where  he  died  in 
February,  1890.  His  wife  yet  survives  him  and  makes  her  home  in  Millers- 
ville. Her  father  was  Henry  ;Myers.  a  farmer  and  a  Dunkard  preacher,  but 
spent  his  last  days  in  the  home  of  his  daughter  in  Falls  City,  Nebraska.  His 
children  were:  Sally  Livingood,  Mrs.  Mary  Lichty,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Har- 
ringtiin.  Hannah,  wife  of  U.  Miller:  Mrs.  Lydia  S.  Saylor;  Mrs.  Kate  Nedro, 
Philip,  who  died  in  Falls  City,  leaving  a  wife  and  children:  Henry,  of  Millers- 
\\\\t.  Illinois :  and  Joseph,  who  with  his  family  made  a  tour  of  the  Holy  Land 
and  died  at  Jerusalem  in  1898.  The  Livingood  children  by  the  father's  first 
marriage  were :  Zachariah,  a  minister  of  the  Progressive  Dunkard  church 
and  a  merchant  of  Lanark,  Illinois ;  Joseph,  a  grain  dealer  of  Seattle,  Wash- 
ington:  Mary,  wife  of  H.  \\'alker;  David,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years:  Lincoln,  a  farmer  of  Illinois:  Anna,  wife  of  W.  ^filler,  of  Milledge- 
\-iIle.  IlHnois:  Ella,  now  Airs.  Flickinger:  Samuel,  a  merchant  of  ]\Iilledge\-ille, 
Illinois:  and  Edward,  of  Colfax,  Washington.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Progressive  Brethren  church. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flickinger  has  been  blessed  with  one  inter- 
esting little  son,  Edgar,  who  was  born  April  24,  1894.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flick- 
inger are  members  of  the  Progressive  Dunkard  church  and  he  is  connected  with 
the  Jklodern  Woodmen  of  America.  Reared  in  the  political  faith  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  he  was  identified  therewith  for  some  years,  Ijut  is  now  giving 
his  support  to  the  People's  party.  He  filled  the  ofifice  of  township  trustee  for 
two  terms,  discharging  his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He  is  known 
as  one  of  the  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizens  of  the  community  and 
withholds  his  support  from  no  measure  which  he  believes  will  prove  of  public 
benefit. 


JOHN  M.  CAIN. 


The  gentleman  here  named  figured  conspicuously  for  many  3^ears  in  con- 
nection with  the  material  interests  of  Atchison  that  contributed  to  the  upbuild- 
ing and  prosperity  of  the  city.  He  was  a  man  of  marked  force  of  character, 
determined,  purposeful  and  energetic,  and  at  all  times  his  honorable  dealings 
commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact. He  came  to  the  -west  wlien  a  young  man,  and  as  opportunity  offered 
he  steadily  enlarged  his  field  of  labor  until  his  name  became  known  throughout 
tlic  country  in  connection  with  extensive  milling  interests  in  this  city.  His 
reputation  in  industrial  circles  was  above  (luestion,  and  to  his  family  he  left 


[ 

1. 

^It'^ 

1 

^^^^^ 

^^ 

ii'!n(ii^MM?:^r                                   f 

i. 

WW 

if^ .  '^    <ycu^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  6i 

not  only  a  comfortable  competence  but  also  an  untarnished  name  which  is 
rather  to  be  chosen  than  great  riches. 

Mr.  Cain  was  born  July  30,  1839,  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  his  father  being 
John  W.  Cain,  also  a  ]\Ianxman.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ann 
Mylchreest  and  died  in  the  Isle  of  ]\Ian.  In  1856  the  father  crossed  the  At- 
lantic to  the  Xew  \\"orld.  and  taking  up  his  residence  in  Atchison,  Kansas, 
spent  his  last  days  here  and  his  remains  were  interred  in  Mt.  Vernon 
cemetery.  At  the  time  when  public  feeling  ran  very  high  in  Kansas  on  the 
question  of  the  introduction  of  slavery,  Mr.  Cain  was  a  free-soil  man  and 
supported  the  principles  in  which  he  believed  regardless  of  the  threats  of  vio- 
lence made  by  the  pro-slavery  party.  He  was  extremely  just  in  everything, 
and  his  fellow  townsmen  chose  him  for  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  for  a  number  of  years,  in  a  most  creditable  way. 

From  his  native  isle  John  M.  Cain,  whose  name  introduces  this  review, 
spent  his  boyhood  days  and  to  its  school  system  he  is  indebted  for  the  educa- 
tional privileges  which  he  received.  In  November,  1856,  he  crossed  the  briny 
deep  to  the  new  world,  making  his  way  at  once  to  Kansas.  In  Mount  Pleasant 
township  he  pre-empted  a  tract  of  land  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming. 
but  the  city  seemed  to  ofifer  him  a  wider  field  of  labor,  and  in  1872  he  removed 
to  Atchison,  becoming  connected  with  the  grain  trade  in  this  place.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  he  had  offered  his  services  to  the  government  and  had 
defended  the  stars  and  stripes  upon  the  field  of  battle  as  a  captain  of  Company 
G,  Eighty-third  United  States  Colored  Infantry.  He  was  always  found  at 
his  post  of  duty,  laboring  earnestly  to  support  the  government  of  the  Union, 
and  when  hostilities  had  ceased  and  the  flag  of  the  Union  had  been  planted 
in  the  capital  of  the  southern  Confederacy,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge 
and  was  muetered  out  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  in  November,  1865.  He  took 
part  in  all  the  battles  in  which  his  command  engaged,  and  not  only  gave  the 
orders  to  his  men  but  led  them  in  many  a  gallant  charge.  His  company 
originally  numbered  one  hundred,  of  whom  twenty  were  killed  in  action  and 
forty  were  lost  through  disease  and  other  casualties.  In  1868  Mr.  Cain 
again  entered  his  country's  service,  and  held  the  office  of  first  lieutenant  of 
one  of  the  companies  of  the  Eighteenth  Kansas  Infantry,  a  regiment  raised 
for  frontier  service  against  the  Indians. 

After  locating  in  Atchison  ]Mr.  Cain  steadily  worked  his  way  upward 
to  a  position  in  the  foremost  ranks  of  the  business  men  of  the  city.  He  joined 
his  brother,  A.  D.  Cain,  in  the  grain  business,  and  as  a  result  of  their  capable 
management  their  trade  steadily  increased  in  volume  and  importance.  They 
erected  large  mills  and  elevators,  and  were  potent  factors  in  making  Atchison 
one  of  the  leading  milling  centers  of  the  United  States.  As  the  business  de- 
veloped and  improvements  were  made  in  accordance  with  the  progressive  spirit 


62  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  the  times,  tlie  Cain  Brotliers  not  only  followed  in  the  progressive  movements 
but  were  leaders  therein.  They  were  among  the  first  to  make  a  specialty  of 
hard-wheat  milling,  recognizing  long  ago  the  incoming  tide  of  public  favor 
for  that  cereal.  They  devoted  their  time  and  attention  exclusively  to  the  best 
methods  of  treating  and  reducing  hard  wheats  and  evolved  a  system  quite 
unexcelled  either  in  this  country  or  in  Hungary,  in  which  land  hard-wheat 
milling  is  a  very  important  industry.  Their  processes  were  unique  in  some 
respects  and  were  certainly  original,  but  above  all  they  were  practical  and 
paying.  The  standard  of  flour  which  they  put  upon  the  market  commanded 
the  highest  prices,  and  certain  brands  won  reputation  not  only  in  this  country 
but  in  Europe  as  well.  They  secured  a  good  market  for  their  trade  in  London, 
and  the  Cain  l)rands  of  flour  are  now  used  extensively  throughout  the  entire 
country.  J.  M.  Cane  became  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Cain  Brothers, 
of  Elevator  B,  of  Atchison,  and  under  his  management  the  immense  and 
constantly  growing  business  in  grain  and  flax  seed  was  built  up.  Later, 
going  out  of  the  elevator  business,  he  engaged  exclusively  in  milling,  together 
with  banking.  '  hi  1897  fire  destroyed  the  mill  and  bank  at  one  and  the  same 
time,  involving  heavy  losses,  and  the  trouble  had  a  very  depressing  influence 
upon  the  health  of  Mr.  Cain.  He  was  a  man  of  unfailing  energy,  of  strong 
purpose  and  unflagging  resolution,  and  whatever  he  undertook  he  carried 
forward  to  successful  completion.  His  ambition  was  guided  by  sound  judg- 
ment and  by  most  honorable  business  principles,  and  so  worthy  was  his  suc- 
cess won  that  the  most  envious  could  not  grudge  him  his  prosperity. 

Onthe  13th  of  May,  1878,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Cain  and  Miss 
Lucy  Neerman,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Frank  and  Isabel  (Rust)  Neerman. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  four  sons  and- two  daughters,  namely:  Eva, 
Ralph,  Florence,  John  Milton,  William  O.  and  Alfred  A. :  and  the  family  is 
one  of  prominence  in  the  community,  members  of  the  household  occupying 
leading  positions  in  local  circles. 

Mr.  Cain  took  considerable  interest  in  political  affairs,  kept  well  in- 
formed on  the  issues  of  the  day  and  gave  a  stanch  and  steadfast  support  to 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  yet  was  never  an  aspirant  for  office. 
He  held  membership  in  the  Grand  Army  Post  of  Atchison,  and  was  a  valued 
representative  of  the  order,  through  which  he  maintained  pleasant  relations 
with  his  old  army  comrades  of  the  "blue."  He  was,  however,  a  man  of  do- 
mestic tastes,  whose  greatest  interests  centered  in  his  family,  and  he  could  not 
do  too  much  to  promote  their  happiness  and  enhance  their  welfare.  Death 
came  to  him  on  the  5th  of  December.  1897,  and  the  community  thereby  lost 
one  of  its  most  valued  and  representative  men.  Mrs.  Cain  and  her  children 
still  reside  in  Atchison,  and  enjoy  the  warm  friendship  and  regard  of  a  large 
circle  of  acquaintances. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  63 


ALFRED  D.  CAIN. 

Alfred  Daniel  Cain,  the  youngest  son  of  John  W.  and  Ann  Mylchreest 
Cain,  was  born  May  11,  1845,  ^t  Castletown,  Isle  of  ]\Ian.  There  in  the 
grim  shadow  of  ancient  Castle  Rushen,  among  the  hills  and  dales  of  the 
beautiful  island  or  on  the  sea  with  the  fishing  smacks  antl  luggers,  his  early 
boyhood  and  youth  was  spent.  He  received  the  liest  nf  educational  advantages 
— a  privilege  of  which  he  has  made  full  use,  as  those  who  know  him  can 
testify.  His  alma  inatcr  was  King  William's,  a  celebrated  institution  of  learn- 
ing on  the  island. 

After  graduation,  his  first  business  venture  was  in  the  drug  trade.  In 
the  year  1866  he  emigrated  to  Kansas,  where  his  father,  John  V\'.,  and 
brothers,  William  S.  and  John  M.,  preceded  him  some  years.  He  settled  with 
them  in  Atchison  county  on  a  farm  and  followed  agriculture  five  years.  In 
connection  with  his  brother,  John  M.  Cain,  he  established  a  grocery  business 
in  the  city  of  Atchison  during  1872,  which  they  continued  till  1877,  and  then 
embarked  in  the  grain  trade  under  the  firm  name  of  Cain  Brothers.  The 
business  was  very  successful  and  soon  they  built  up  one  of  the  largest  grain- 
handling  firms  in  the  state.  During  1883,  in  connection  with  his  brother, 
John  M.  Cain,  and  R.  H.  Hanthorn,  they  built  the  Model  Flour  Mill,  the 
first  complete  roller  flour-mill  west  of  the  Mississippi  river.  The  firm  pros- 
pered and  from  then  until  his  demise  he  was  actively  connected  with  the  mill- 
ing business.  In  1890  he  acquired  an  interest  in  the  Central  Mills,  operated  by 
the  Cain  Mill  Company,  of  which  himself  and  John  M.  Cain  were  the  owners. 
Later  on  he  procured  practically  all  the  stock  and  the  plant  is  now  being  oper- 
ated under  the  management  of  his  sons,  Douglas  M.  and  Victor  A.  Cain.  The 
plant  is  a  fine  one  of  eight  hundred  barrels  capacity  per  day.  The  mills  with 
which  Mr.  Cain  was  connected  were  the  first  to  commence  the  exportation 
of  Kansas  hard-wheat  flour  to  Great  Britain  and  Europe.  The  trade  was 
difficult  to  establish,  but  that  it  was  a  great  boon  to  this  state  is  evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  millions  of  barrels  are  now  exported  annually  where  the  raw 
product  was  formerly  sent. 

On  the  1 6th  day  of  April,  1868,  Mr.  Cain  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mary  A.  Molyneux,  of  Douglas,  Isle  of  Man,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary 
Ann  (Walters)  Molyneux.  Ten  children  were  born  of  their  union,  namely: 
Eleanor,  the  wife  of  Dr.  W.  A.  McKelvy,  of  Atchison;  Emma  M.,  Douglas 
:M.,  Alfred  E.,  deceased:  Alona  O.,  Victor  A.,  Herbert  S.,  Arthur  S..  Ruth  C. 
and  John  ^^^  The  family  occupy  the  Cain  homestead  and  are  held  in  high 
esteem.  In  the  midst  of  his  prime,  Mr.  Cane  was  stricken  down  and  after 
a  hard  battle  of  manv  months  was  called  to  his  final  rest  January  27,  1898. 


64  BIOGRAPHICAL  AX D  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mr.  Cain  was  never  an  active  factor  in  political  affairs,  although  he  was 
well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  and  as  a  citizen  he  was 
loyal  in  the  support  of  wliat  he  believed  would  pro\e  of  public  benefit.  He 
■was  a  man  of  domestic  tastes  and  sterling  qualities :  his  reputation  during  his 
career  was  unsullied  and  his  history  is  the  record  of  a  useful  life. 


WILLIAM  S.  CAIX. 


In  this  enlightened  age  when  men  of  industry,  energy  and  merit  are  rap- 
idly pushing  their  way  to  the  front,  those  who  by  their  individual  efforts  iiave 
won  favor  and  fortune,  may  properly  claim  recognition.  Years  ago,  when 
the  west  w-as  entering  upon  this  era  of  growth  and  development  and  Kansas 
was  laying  its  foundation  for  future  prosperity,  there  came  hither  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  men  poor  but  honest,  and  with  spirited  independence  and 
a  determination  to  succeed  that  justly  entitled  them  to  representation  in  the 
history  of  the  great  west.  Among  this  class  is  numbered  William  S.  Cain. 
He  was  born  in  Castletown,  Isle  of  Man,  April  17,  1836,  and  is  the  eldest 
son  of  John  W.  Cain,  whose  birth  also  occurred  there,  and  who  married  Ann 
Mylchreest,  of  Ballamoda.  In  1856  John  W.  Cain  came  to  America,  taking 
up  his  residence  in  Atchison,  Kansas,  where  he  died  in  1888,  his  remains  being 
interred  in  Mount  Vernon  cemetery.  John  \\'illiam  Cain  was  originally  a 
free-soil  man  and  advocated  that  doctrine  when  it  was  dangerous  to  do  so, 
but  was  always  firm  and  fearless  in  support  of  his  honest  convictions  and  noth- 
ing could  turn  him  from  the  course  which  he  believed  to  be  right.  He  served 
for  a  number  of  years  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  discharged  his  duties  with 
marked  fairness  and  impartiality. 

Mr.  W.  S.  Cain  spent  the  first  si.xteen  years  of  his  life  in  his  nati\-e  isle, 
and  during  that  time  attended  private  schools.  He  then  left  home,  going  to 
Melbourne,  Australia,  where  he  was  a  gold  miner  from  September,  1852,  until 
December,  1854,  when  he  returned  to  the  Isle  of  Man.  In  July,  1855.  he  came 
to  tlie  United  States  and  went  to  Mineral  Point.  \\'isconsin,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  land  and  engaged  in  farming.  The  following  year  his  father 
and  brother  John,  who  had  just  come  to  this  country,  joined  him  and  they  all 
moved  to  .\tchison,  Kansas,  where  the  family  permanently  located.  Each  of 
the  sons  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  from  the  government 
and  began  the  development  and  improvement  of  the  farm.  \\'.  S.  Cain  con- 
tinued to  farm  until  1861,  when  he  responded  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  first  call  for 
troops  to  aid  in  suppressing  the  rebellion  in  the  south,  and  later  joined  Com- 
pany C,  Eighth  Kansas  Infantry,  under  command    of    Captain    James    M. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  65 

Graham  and  Colonel  Jolm  A.  Martin.  For  meritorious  service  he  was  suc- 
cessively promoted  to  be  sergeant,  orderly  sergeant,  and  sergeant  major,  of 
the  Eighth  Kansas,  and  commissioned  by  the  governor  of  Kansas  as  second 
lieutenant.  In  August.  1863.  after  a  rigid  examination  before  a  board  of 
generals,  Mr.  Cain  was  appointed  first  lieutenant  of  Company  H,  in  the 
Twelfth  Regiment,  United  States  Colored  Infantry.  On  the  organization  of 
that  regiment  he  was  appointed  adjutant,  and  in  1864  he  was  commissioned 
by  order  of  President  Lincoln  as  captain  of  Company  C.  Twelfth  United 
States  Colored  Infantry,  with  which  rank  he  ser\-ed  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  participated  in  many  engagements,  raids  and  skirmishes,  and  displayed 
marked  bravery  on  the  field  of  battle,  while  at  all  times  he  was  loyal  to  the  old 
fiag  and  the  cause  it  represented. 

.After  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  Mr.  Cain  retiu'ued  to  Kansas 
where  he  resumed  farming,  which  he  continued  until  1875.  In  that  year  he 
remo\ed  to  Atchison,  where  he  opened  a  general  mercantile  establishment 
\\hich  he  has  since  continued.  He  now  has  a  large  store  and  enjoys  an  ex- 
tensive patronage.  His  success  in  business  is  an  indication  of  the  honorable 
business  methods  which  he  follows.  He  displays  marked  energy  in  the  man- 
agement of  his  commercial  affairs;  his  sound  judgment  and  reliable  business 
methods  having  secured  him  a  large  and  profitable  trade. 

In  1864  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Cain  and  Miss  Ann  Cowley, 
a  daughter  of  Charles  Cowley,  of  Brown  county,  Kansas.  She  was  born  on 
the  Isle  of  Man  and  came  to  this  state  iluring  her  early  girlhood,  here  remain- 
ing until  her  death  in  1870.  In  1871  yiv.  Cain  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  ]\Iiss  Susan  Adaline  Crouch,  eldest  daughter  of  David 
Crouch,  of  Pierce  Junction.  Brown  county,  Kansas.  Four  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union,  of  whom  three  are  living,  namely :  Elizabeth  M. ;  Cora 
J.,  who  is  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Atchison;  and  John  W.,  a  grain 
dealer,  of  Lancaster,  Kansas.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  com- 
munity, and  to  the  members  of  the  household  is  extended  the  hospitality  of 
many  of  the  best  homes  of  Atchison.  Mr.  Cain  has  long  been  an  active  factor 
in  political  circles,  and  in  1865  was  elected  to  represent  the  eighth  district  of 
Kansas  in  the  state  legislature,  where  he  ser^•ed  on  the  ways  and  means,  cur- 
rency, printing  and  other  important  committees.  In  1896  he  was  the  Fusion 
nominee  for  representative  from  the  city  of  Atchison.  He  has  served  on  the 
Republican  central  committee,  and  his  opinions  always  carry  weight  in  the 
councils  of  his  party.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  E.  C.  Johnson  Post. 
No.  336,  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  is  a  past  commander.  Religiously  he  and  all 
his  family  are  Protestant  Episcopalians.  In  the  discharge  of  all  his  duties 
of  citizenship  he  manifests  the  same  loyalty  which  marked  his  course  upon 


66  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  battlefields  of  the  south.  He  is  a  broad-minded  man,  possessed  of  a  wide 
field  of  general  information,  and  is  not  only  practical  Imt  aljove  all  is  progres- 
si\-e  in  his  methods. 


HOX.  RAXSO^I  ABXER  VAN  WIXKLE. 

WithfHit  question,  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record  is  one 
of  the  best  known  and  most  honored  of  the  founders  of  Atchison  county, 
Kansas.  He  is  one  of  the  sterling  pioneers,  his  arrival  here  dating  back  to 
1855,  ^■\'^''  since  which  year  he  has  been  active  in  the  promotion  of  everything 
of  benefit  to  this  region.  His  accounts  of  the  early  days  here  and  the 
experiences  of  himself  and  old  associates  when  Kansas  lay  on  the  western 
frontier  line  are  replete  with  interest,  and,  could  they  be  presented  in  detail, 
would  command  the  attention  of  everyone  who  takes  jjride  in  the  growth  and 
progress  of  this  state  during  the  past  half-century.  The  Van  Winkle  family 
is  of  Knickerbocker  stock  of  New  Jersey  and  New  York,  and  for  generations 
it  has  been  noted  for  patriotism  and  every  good  quality  found  in  loyal  citizens. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  JMicajah  Van  Winkle,  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina. He  was  a  son  of  Abraham  Van  Winkle,  who  was  a  brother  of  John 
Van  Winkle,  who  served  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Michael  Van  Winkle 
and  his  son  John  took  an  active  part  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  Shelby.  Micajah  Van  Winkle  married  Maryi 
Phillips,  a  native  of  Culpeper  county,  Virginia,  and  a^  daughter  of  Cornelius 
Phillips,  whose  father  was  a  wealthy  planter.  Ten  children  were  born  to  the 
worthy  couple,  namely:  Ransom  A.,  Alfred  P.,  Thomas  J.,  Elizabeth, 
Theresa.  Jesse,  Rhoda  Anne,  Ephraim  L.,  John  S.  and  Mattie  D.  Their 
father  by  occupation  was  a  farmer.  Pie  died  in  Jasper  county,  Iowa,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven.  His  wife  died  in  the  same  county,  aged  seventy-four, 
in  the  same  year.  They  were  both  members  of  the  ^lethodist  church  and  were 
beloved  by  a  large  circle  of  life-long  friends. 

The  birth  of  Ransom  A.  Van  Winkle  occurred  on  November  25,  1818, 
in  Wayne  county,  Kentucky,  and  in  that  state  he  resided  until  eighteen  years 
of  age,  at  which  age  he  received  an  appointment  from  President  Jackson  as 
cadet  to  W'est  Point,  where  he  remained  two  years.  Becoming  greatly  afflicted 
with  rheumatism,  he  resigned  his  position  there  and  went  to  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois, where  he  resided  about  five  years.  In  1843  Mr.  Van  Winkle  married, 
in  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  Louisa,  daughter  of  Newton  Cloud,  who  was  a 
native  of  Xorth  Carolina.  ^Irs.  Ym\  Winkle  died  four  months  after  her  mar- 
riage.    IMr.  Van  Winkle  returned  to  Kentucky  and  remained  a  widower  fcjur 


wMr.  ■  ^sm^MmMMM^m 


M 


^-^ 


^l^^H^T_^      ^  ^Aie,^r7^7^0r,€^ 


;2^2^^^  -^.U^o 


^'^■i'iti^-e^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  67 

years,  when  he  was  married  to  ^lary  S.  Cravens,  of  Russell  count}',  Kentucky, 
on  Novemher  10,  1847.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Dr.  and  Virginia  B.  (Smith) 
Cravens.  Three  children,  girls,  were  born  to  them,  but  none  of  them  survived 
their  birth  twenty- four  hours..  They  adopted  two  boys,  whom  they  raised 
to  maturity.  John  Fielder  is  a  citizen  of  Indiana  and  Charles  Castelline  is  a 
citizen  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 

In  1849  R-  A.  Van  Winkle  moved  to  St.  Joseph,  Buchanan  county,  ^lis- 
souri,  in  which  county  he  resided  six  years,  then  came  to  Kansas,  in  1855,  but 
did  not  bring  his  family  until  two  years  later,  1857,  since  which  time  Arring- 
ton,  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  has  been  their  permanent  home.  He  acted 
as  commissioner  of  this  county  nine  years,  was  justice  of  the  peace 
sixteen  years  and  postmaster  for  fourteen  3'ears.  In  1861  ]\Ir.  \'an  \Mnkle 
was  honored  by  his  friends  electing  him  to  the  Kansas  legislature,  and  served 
to  the  full  satisfaction  of  his  constituency  during  the  stormy  days  of  the  early 
years  of  the  civil  war,  from  1861  to  1863.  Politically  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  Republican  party  since  its  organization  until  the  last  four  years. 
Fraternally  he  has  been  a  notable  figure  in  the  Masonic  order  for  about  fifty 
years.  He  has  assisted  in  the  organization  of  three  lodges  of  that  order,  one 
in  Missouri  and  two  in  Kansas.  He  is  at  present  identified  with  the  ]Muscotah 
Lodge,  No.  116,  F.  &  A.  M. 


JAAIES  GRANVILLE  MORROW. 

The  specific  history  of  the  west  was  made  by  the  pioneers;  it  was 
emblazoned  on  the  forest  trees  by  the  strength  of  sturdy  arms  and  the  gleam- 
ing ax  and  written  on  the  surface  of  the  earth  by  the  track  of  the  primitive ' 
plow.  These  were  strong  men  and  true,  who  came  to  found  the  empire  of  the 
west — hardy  settlers  who  founded  their  rude  domiciles  and  made  the  track- 
less prairie  yield  its  tribute.  People  of  the  present  end-of-the-century  period 
can  scarcely  realize  the  struggles  and  dangers  which  attended  the  early  settlers, 
the  heroism  and  self-sacrifice  of  lives  passed  upon  the  borders  of  civilization, 
the  hardships  endured,  the  difficulties  overcome.  These  tales  of  the  early 
days  read  almost  like  a  romance  to  those  who  have  known  only  the  modern 
prosperity  and  convenience.  James  Granville  Morrow  was  one  who,  more 
than  forty-five  years  ago.  came  to  Kansas,  and  is  to-day  the  oldest  resident  of 
Atchison.  He  lived  through  the  troublous  times  during  the  great  contest 
between  the  pro-slavery  and  free-soil  people.  Railroads  had  not  been  built 
the  state  had  not  even  been  opened  up  for  settlement  at  the  time  of  his  arrival; 
all  was  wild.  gi\'ing  little  promise  of  the  wonderful  changes  soon  to  occur, — 
changes  whicii  he  has  helped  to  bring  about  by  taking  a  prominent  and  active 


68  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

part  ill  tlie  work  of  progress  whicli  has  placed  the  Sunllower  state  upon  a  par 
with  many  of  the  older  states  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

Mr.  Morrow  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Wayne  county,  Kentucky,  June  27, 
1827,  his  parents  being  Jeremiah  and  Lydia  (Holder)  Morrow.  The  family 
is  of  Scotch  origin,  having  emigrated  from  Scotland  to  America  at  an  early 
period  in  the  history  of  the  republic.  John  Morrow,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  Jeremiah  Morrow  was  also  born  in  that 
state,  in  1802,  at  an  early  day  removing  to  Kentucky,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming.  He  married  Miss  Holder  and  their  farm  in  \\'ayne  county  was 
the  scene  of  all  the  boyhood  experiences  which  came  to  the  subject  of  this 
review.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  Granville  Morrow  was  sent  to  a  select  school, 
but  continued  to  make  his  home  with  his  parents  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  when  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  dealt 
quite  extensively  in  horses,  which  he  drove  from  Kentucky  to  Atlanta. 
Georgia,  there  being  no  railroad  at  that  time.  He  was  also  associated  with  his 
brothers  in  raising,  purchasing  and  selling  hogs,  which  they  drove  four  hun- 
dred miles  into  Georgia,  where  they  were  sold  to  planters.  Sometimes  a  single 
planter  ^\•ould  buy  fi\'e  hundred  head  and  the  price  ranged  from  eight  to  nine 
dollars  per  hundred  pounds,  live  weight.  Sometimes  the  Morrow-  brothers 
drove  thirteen  thousand  head,  traveling  only  seven  miles  a  day,  and  to  that 
business  our  subject  gave  his  time  and  attention  until  1850. 

In  1854  Mr.  Morrow  arrived  in  Kansas  and  purchased  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land  on  the  Kansas  side  of  the  river.  He  arrived  in  the  state 
two  months  before  it  was  opened  for  settlement  and  began  working  for  George 
M.  Million,  operating  the  ferry.  There  was  only  one  man  living  on  the  town 
site  of  Atchison  at  the  time.  In  the  spring  of  1855  Mr.  Morrow  began  oper- 
ating a  ferry  by  horse  power  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  operated  a 
side-wheel  steam  ferry,  which  had  been  brought  here  from  Brownsville,  Penn- 
sylvania. In  1857  he  became  captain  of  the  steam  ferry  Ida,  later  running  the 
steam  ferry  Pomeroy,  after  which  he  went  to  Brownsville,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  built  the  transfer  boat  William  Osborne,  remaining  there  eight 
months  while  the  work  was  in  progress.  \\'ith  this  exception  he  has  never 
been  away  from  Atchison  for  more  than  a  month  at  a  time  in  fort3--five 
years.  When  he  brought  the  William  Osborne  to  Atchison  it  was  loaded  with 
three  hundred  tons  of  rails  for  the  Central  Branch  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road. This  boat  also  conveyed  across  the  river  the  first  locomotives  used  on 
that  road  after  its  construction.  Altogether  Captain  Morrow  was  connected 
with  navigation  on  the  Missouri  for  fifteen  years,  thus  winning  the  title  by 
which  he  is  widely  known. 

His  life  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  actix'ity  and  energy.  In  i86g  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  operating  land  in  the  Missouri  bottom  just 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  69 

opposite  the  city  of  Atcliison.  He  now  owns  over  twelve  hundred  acres  of 
rich  land  adjoining  East  Atchison  on  the  south  and  has  never  yet  failed  to 
raise  a  crop.  He  also  owns  two  valuable  farms  on  the  Atchison  side  of  the 
river.  He  has  been  particularly  successful  in  raising  wheat,  some  years  pro- 
ducing thousands  of  bushels;  in  this  way  he  has  gained  the  greater  part  of 
his  capital.  Although  he  has  passed  the  Psalmist's  span  of  three  score  years 
and  ten,  he  is  still  actively  connected  with  business  interests.  Indolence  and 
idleness  are  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature,  and  his  activity  should  put  to  shame 
many  a  younger  man  who  has  grown  tired  of  the  burdens  and  responsibilities 
of  business  life  and  would  relegate  to  others  the  duties  that  he  should  perform. 
In  1888  Mr.  Morrow  became  financially  interested  in  the  transfer  business, 
and  eventually,  by  purchasing  the  interests  of  his  partners,  became  sole  pro- 
prietor. He  owns  several  good  teams,  employs  a  number  of  reliable  men,  and 
in  this  way  is  doing  a  good  business. 

In  1874  Mr.  Morrow  was  united  in  marriage  to  Sarah  J.  George,  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  J.  J.  George,  of  Cass  county,  ^Missouri,  and  they  now  have  three 
children:  Delia  B.,  James  George  and  Xadine.  The  family  have  a  beautiful 
residence  in  Atchison  and  the  members  of  the  household  have  many  friends. 
Mr.  Morrow,  however,  is  better  known  to'  the  early  settlers  than  to  the  later 
citizens  of  Atchison,  so  closely  is  his  time  given  to  his  business,  in  which  he 
has  met  with  such  creditable  success.  He  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the 
commercial  interests  which  have  contributed  to  the  upbuilding  and  improve- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  state,  and  as  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Kan- 
sas his  name  is  enduringly  inscribed  on  its  history. 


TACOE  .MEISXER. 


One  of  the  prominent  early  settlers  and  representative  farmers  in  Nemaha 
county,  living  on  section  31,  Berwick  township,  is  Jacob  Meisner,  who  was 
born  in  the  province  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  on  the  24th  of  August, 
183 1.  He  remained  in  the  fatherland  until  twenty  years  of  age,  his  boyhood 
days  being  spent  on  a  farm.  In  the  common  schools  he  acquired  his  educa- 
tion and  a  short  time  prior  to  attaining  his  majority  he  left  his  native  land 
for  the  new  world,  hoping  to  benefit  his  financial  condition  in  the  land  of  the 
free.  From  New  York  city  he  made  his  way  to  Buffalo,  and  in  that  city  and 
in  Lancaster  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  serving  a  two-years  apprentice- 
ship. In  Genesee  county.  New  York,  he  also  worked  at  the  trade  for  a  year 
and  in  July,  1S55,  he  came  west,  establishing  a  home  in  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  followed  blacksmithing,  working  by  the  day  for  some  time. 


70  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mr.  ^leisner  was  married  tliere,  on  the  4th  of  July,  1858,  to  Barbara 
Bachman,  a  native  of  Clermany.  They  began  tlieir  domestic  Hfe  in  Kane 
county,  and  Mr.  Meisner  provided  for  their  maintenance  by  following  his 
chosen  vocation  until  August,  1S61,  when,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism, 
he  responded  to  his  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  as  a  private  in  the  Fifty- 
second  Illinois-  Infantry.  He  served  until  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
when  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital,  where  he  remained  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty-four  days.  He  was  struck  by  a  rebel  bullet  on  April  6,  1862,  and  it  was 
almost  six  months  later  when  he  received  an  honorable  discharge,  being  no 
longer  able  for  field  service.  He  then  returned  to  his  home  and  family  in  Illi- 
nois, where  he  continued  until  September,  1865,  when  he  started  for  Kansas, 
his  destination  being  Nemaha  county.  Mr.  Meisner  had  visited  this  locality 
in  1859  and  had  made  a  claim,  securing  from  the  government  the  land  upon 
which  he  now  resides,  obtaining  the  same  through  a  land  warrant.  In  1865 
he  made  a  permanent  location,  being  one  of  the  first  to  establish  a  home  in  the 
county.  Building  a  smithy  in  Seneca  he  carried  on  the  blacksmith's  trade 
there  until  1872,  when  he  located  on  his  farm,  which  up  to  that  time  was  a 
tract  of  unimproved  prairie.  He  built  a  little  log  cabin,  14x12  feet,  about  the 
time  he  became  the  owner  of  the  farm,  and  in  1872  he  erected  a  stone  residence, 
two  stories  in  height.  On  May  17,  1896.  the  house  and  all  the  buildings  upon 
the  farm  were  destroyed  in  a  cyclone,  and  sixteen  head  of  cattle,  fifty-seven 
head  of  hogs,  five  cows  and  five  calves,  together  with  other  stock,  were  killed. 
Three  lives  were  lost — Mr.  Meisner's  wife,  the  hired  girl,  Hattie  Baehni,  and 
a  neighbor,  Mr.  W.  C.  Machamer,  who  was  visiting.  The  loss  of  property 
amounted  to  over  seven  thousand  dollars,  which  included  twelve  hundred 
bushels  of  wheat  and  four  thousand  bushels  of  corn  and  oats.  Such  a  loss 
would  have  completely  discouraged  many  a  man  of  less  resolute  spirit  and 
determination,  but  with  renewed  energy  Mr.  Meisner  began  the  work  of 
replacing  his  lost  possessions.  All  that  he  had  were  the  clothes  that  he  wore. 
In  time,  however,  he  commanded  a  small  capital  and  this  he  invested  in 
improvements,  erecting  good  buildings  and  fences  and  all  the  accessories  and 
conveniences  of  a  model  farm.  At  one  time  he  was  the  owner  of  twelve  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  but  sold  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  this  to  his 
son.  His  untiring  perseverance  and  capable  management,  combined  with 
splendid  business  and  executive  ability,  have  been  the  factors  in  his  success, 
which  is  indeed  creditable  and  gratifying. 

By  his  marriage  to  Miss  Barbara  Bachman  i\Ir.  Meisner  had  a  family  of 
three  sons, — C.  J.,  who  now  resides  in  Nemaha  county;  John,  who  is  living 
in  Washington  township,  Nemaha  county;  and  Thomas  Jefferson,  who  is  liv- 
ing on  the  homestead  farm.  The  last  named  wedded  Minnie  Baehni,  and  they 
now  have  three  children,  Anna,  Glen  and  Andrew  Jackson.     The  eldest  son 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  71 

married  Rosa  Minger,  and  they  have  a  family  of  eight  sons  and  two  daughters. 
John,  the  second  son,  wedded  Ida  Baehni,  and  their  children  are  Estella,  Clara 
and  Hiram.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Meisner,  of  this  review,  chose  Miss 
Susan  Blauer,  a  native  of  Switzerland,  and  they  have  six  children ;  George 
W.,  who  married  Mattie  Frye;  Herman;  Jacob,  his  twin  brother,  who  wedded 
Margaret  Werren;  Minnie,  who  is  at  home;  and  Margaret  and  Charles,  who 
also  are  twins. 

Mr.  Meisner  had  about  five  hundred  dollars  when  he  landed  in  Buffalo, 
New  York,  and  what  he  has  acquired  is  the  result  of  his  own  efforts.  He 
'wbrked  for  six  years  at  thirty-six  dollars  per  year,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
second  year  he  had  a  capital  of  seventeen  dollars  and  a  half.  Next  year 
he  made  ten  dollars  per  month.  Out  of  that  amount  he  saved  enough  to  take 
him  to  Illinois,  and  when  he  arrived  in  Kane  county  he  was  the  possessor  of 
a  capital  of  twenty  dollars.  Since  coming  to  Kansas  he  has  met  obstacles  and 
difficulties,  but  he  has  steadily  advanced  on  the  road  to  prosperity,  and  is  now- 
one  of  the  most  extensive  land-owners  and  prosperous  farmers  in  Nemaha 
county.  In  1858  he  gave  his  political  support  to  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was 
then  a  candidate  for  the  United  States  Senate  against  Douglas.  In  i860  he 
voted  for  Lincoln  for  president  and  continued  to  support  the  Republican 
candidates  until  after  the  election  of  Garfield,  in  1880.  Since  that  time  he 
has  usually  voted  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  at  local  elections  he  supports  the 
men  whom  he  regards  as  best  qualified  for  office,  regardless  of  party  affilia- 
tions. He  and  his  three  sons  by  his  first  marriage  are  Masons.  He  belongs 
to  Sabetha  Lodge,  No.  162,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  brethren 
of  the  fraternity.  In  his  life  he  exemplifies  the  beneficent  principles  of  the 
order.  He  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for  the  success  he  has  achie^■ed,  and 
his  life  il'ustrates  the  possibilities  that  lie  before  yuiiug  men  of  ambition,  reso- 
lution, and  unfailing  energy. 


WILLIAM  W.  ALKIRE. 

William  W.  Alkire,  who  resides  at  424  Monroe  street,  Topeka,  Kansas, 
is  a  retired  farmer.  For  more  than  forty  years  he  has  been  identified  with  this 
state,  and  most  of  that  time  has  been  actively  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Doniphan  county,  his  retirement  dating  from  1890.  A  review  of  his  life, 
briefly  given,  is  as  follo.ws  : 

William  W.  Alkire  was  born  in  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  July  26,  1836, 
a  son  of  pioneers  of  that  county.  His  parents,  Harmonas  and  Matilda  (Mc- 
Lammore)  Alkire,  were  natives  of  Kentucky,  from  which  state  they  moved  to 
Ohio,  and  eight  years  later  came  from  there  to  Sangamon  county,  Illinois, 


72  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

where  they  spent  the  rest  of  their  Hves  and  died.  The  father  was  born  in  1804, 
and  lived  to  tlie  advanced  age  of  ninety-four  years.  He  was  of  German  de- 
scent. Tlie  mother  of  our  suljject  was  of  Scotch  and  EngHsh  parentage,  lier 
motlier  having  Ijeen  laorn  in  England  and  her  father  in  Scotland. 

In  his  nati\-e  county  William  W.  Alkire  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools.  He  remained 
a  member  of  the  home  circle  and  gave  assistance  to  the  farm  work  until  he 
reached  his  majority,  when  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
In  1867  he  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and  bought  of  G.  Lightfoot 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  choice  land.  He  remodeled  the  buildings 
on  this  place,  built  new  ones  and  made  other  improvements,  keeping  pace  with 
the  times  and  devoting  his  earnest  efforts  to  farming  and  stock  raising,  with 
the  result  that  is  always  sure  to  follow  persistent,  well-directed  effort  in  any 
line — success.  He  raised  large  numbers  of  cattle  and  hogs,  annually  shipping 
to  market  from  one  to  three  car  loads  of  stock.  Later  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  more,  thus  increasing  his  farm  to  four  hundred  acres.  He  remained  on 
his  farm,  actively  conducting  its  operations,  until  1890,  when  he  turned  it 
over  to  his  two  sons  and  moved  to  Topeka,  where,  as  already  recorded,  he 
has  since  lived  retired. 

Mr.  Alkire  was  married,  in  1862,  io  INIiss  Judith  Spaulding  Lightfoot, 
daughter  of  Goodrich  Lightfoot.  of  Sangamon  county,  Illinois.  I\Irs.  Alkire 
is  a  native  of  Alaliama,  whence,  when  xtry  young,  she  was  taken  by  her 
parents  to  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  where  her  father  became  a  prosperous 
and  highly  respected  citizen.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alkire  have  three  sons,  namely: 
Herbert  Lee,  a  practicing  physician  of  Topeka,  is  a  graduate  of  Jefferson  Med- 
ical College,  Pennsylvania ;  Emmett  Young,  who  occupies  the  family  home- 
stead ;  and  William  Arthur,  also  on  the  home  farm. 

Air.  Alkire  has  always  shown  himself  to  be  a  public-spiritetl  citizen,  and  at 
different  times  has  filled  local  office.  He  has  for  many  years  been  a  Mason, 
having  membership  in  Troy  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  Both  he  and  his  wife  belong 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


LAFOREST  R.  WHITTIER. 

The  surname  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir  at  once  recalls  to  the  mind  of 
the  American  patriot  the  gentle  poet  whose  pen  wielded  an  incalculable  influ- 
ence toward  the  downfall  of  slavery.  Indeed,  the  gentleman  of  whom  we 
write  comes  of  the  same  New  England  family  as  did  John  G.  Whittier,  and 
drew  from  the  same  fountainhead  an  undying  hatred  for  the  enslavement  of 
any  part  of  the  human  race.     His  history  and  his  loyalty  to  his  country,  botli 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  73 

in   peace  and   in   war,  will   be  of   interest  to  his   many  friends  here  and  else- 
where. 

His  father.  Philetus  \Miittier,  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  born  in  1808.  When  he  had  arrived  at  manhood  he  married 
Sophia  A.  Wilkins,  whose  birth  had  occurred  at  Danbury,  in  the  same  state, 
September  23,  1819.  Six  children  were  born  to  this  worthy  couple,  namely: 
Flora,  now  of  Canton.  Illinois;  Melissa,  of  Davenport.  Iowa;  Warren  and 
Rosetta,  deceased ;  Ida.  of  Canton,  Illinois,  and  Laforest.  of  Effingham,  Kan- 
sas. In  1853  the  father  removed  to  Canton,  Illinois,  and  a  few  years  later 
death  cut  short  his  career.  He  was  a  radical  Republican  and  an  ardent  aboli- 
tionist. He  lost  his  devoted  wife  in  1856,  at  Canton,  Illinois,  and  on  May 
16.  1862.  he  followed  her  to  the  better  land.  They  were  members  of  the 
Alethodist  church,  and  were  earnest  exponents  of  the  noble  faith  which  they 
professed. 

Laforest  R.  \\'hittier  was  born  near  Newport.  New  Hampshire.  Novem- 
ber 22.  1850,  and  thus  was  only  six  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  mother's 
death,  while,  from  the  age  of  twelve  years,  he  had  to  make  his  own  way  in 
the  world,  unaided  by  either  parent.  The  great  Civil  war,  which  was  in 
progress  during  the  years  when  he  sliould  have  paid  the  most  earnest  atten- 
tion to  his  studies,  interrupted  them  noticeably,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for 
his  youth  he  would  have  enlisted  early  in  the  war.  However,  he  volunteered 
as  a  soldier  in  the  ranks  of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Regi- 
ment of  Illinois  Infantry,  on  the  9th  of  February,  1865.  With  his  comrades 
he  left  Camp  Butler,  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  immediately,  and  was  transported 
to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  the  hard-pressed  Union  forces  were  in  sad  need 
of  reinforcements.  Thence  later  he  went  to  Dalton,  Georgia,  and  to  Rome  and 
Columbus,  in  the  same  state.  Returning  to  Nashville,  he  soon  afterward  was 
sent  back  to  Camp  Butler,  as  the  war  had  been  terminated,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  on  the  ist  of  February.  1866.  He  had  suffered  the  hardships 
incident  to  army  hfe,  but,  in  spite  of  his  youth,  had  borne  them  with  fortitude, 
and  often  received  the  commendation  of  his  superior  officers. 

For  a  few  years  after  his  return  to  Illinois  Mr.  ^^'hittier  was  engaged  in 
business  at  Bushnell.  meeting  with  fair  success.  In  1884  he  came  to  Kansas, 
settling  in  Norton  county,  and  in  1893  he  purchased  his  present  homestead 
(formerly  kiTown  as  the  "Piggott  Farm"),  in  Benton  township.  It  comprises 
one  hundred  and  sixty-three  acres,  all  of  which  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  improved  with  a  comfortable  house,  barn  and  farm  buildings. 
Adding  to  the  beauty  and  \-alue  of  the  jilace  are  the  fine  orchard  and  groves  of 
well-kept  shade  trees. 

On  December  29,  1870,  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Whittier  and  Caroline  D. 
Van  Doren  was  solemnized  in  Raritan,  Illinois.     She  was  born  at  Fairview, 


74  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Fulton  anility.  Illinois,  July  2J.  1851,  one  of  the  seven  children  of  William 
and  Mary  .Muiiscn  \'an  Doren.  The  father,  who  \vas  born  and  educated  in 
New  York  city,  came  of  an  old  Holland  Dutch  family,  and  for  years  he  was 
prominent  in  the  business  world  as  a  hotel  keeper  in  New  York  city.  His 
two  sons  are  George,  of  Illinois,  and  Charles,  of  Leland,  Kansas.  Susan  and 
Sarah  and  Annie  reside  in  Illinois.  Steyphen  (deceased)  completes  the  family. 
Nine  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whittier,  namely :  Albert  L. ;  Mary, 
E.,  wife  of  Samuel  Lockwood,  of  Brush  Creek,  Atchison  county;  Emma  May, 
who  died  when  nine  years  old;  Flora  Bell,  wife  of  James  lies,  of  Everest, 
Kansas:  Ida  Ordelle,  Charles  Philetus,  Susie  E.,  William  ].,  Sarah  Ellen  and 
Carrie  Ethel.  Mrs.  Samuel  Lockwood  has  one  son,  Samuel  Laforest.  and 
Mrs.  James  lies  has  two  sons,  Barry  J.  and  \\'.  Edgar. 

The  boys  wdio  wore  the  blue  have  ever  been  sincerely  loved  by  Mr. 
Whittier.  who  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  post  at  Effingham.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  being  identified  with  the  Effing- 
ham lodge.  With  his  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  along  life's  journey 
he  holds  membership  in  the  Christian  churcli. 


McCLELLAN  KLINGMAN. 

McClellan  Klingman  was  born  at  Lebanon,  Monroe  county,  Ohio,  Janu- 
ary 25,  1862,  and  died  May  15,  1899,  at  Effingham,  Kansas,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-seven  years,  three  months  and  nineteen  days.  He  was  an  enterprising 
citizen,  a  public-spirited  ami  progressi\-e  man,  a  true  and  loyal  friend,  a 
devoted  husband  and  father,  and  his  loss  was  deeply  mourned  throughout  the 
community.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  1870,  being  at  the  time  but  eight  years 
of  age.  His  home  during  boyhood  was  near  the  present  site  of  the  city  of 
Winfield,  and,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  work  in  the  office  of  the 
Monitor,  of  Winfield,  the  paper  being  then  edited  by  J.  Conklin.  He  applied 
himself  diligently  to  mastering  the  printer's  art,  and,  having  gained  a  good 
knowdedge  of  the  business,  he  went  from  W'infield  to  Topeka,  where  he  secured 
first  a  position  on  the  Topeka  Capital,  and  later  on  the  Commonwealth,  and 
last  in  the  state  printing  office.  He  was  also  employed  by  George  W.  Crane 
&  Company  for  some  time,  and  later  conducted  a  job  printing  establishment 
of  his  own  jn  Topeka  for  several  years.  He  established  and  edited  the  first 
paper  in  Meriden,  Kansas,  and  was  at  one  time  the  editor  of  the  Muscotah 
Record.  At  one  time  he  also  held  the  position  of  foreman  for  the  firm  of  D. 
Caldwell  &  Company,  at  Atchison.  Subseciuently  he  spent  some  time  in  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri,  and  from  that  city  came  to  Effingham,  in  April,   1894. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  75 

Here  he  purcliased  tlie  Effingham  World,  Ijut  immediately  changed  its  name 
to  The  New  Leaf,  which  journal  he  successfully  and  capably  edited  and  pub- 
lished until  his  death.  Through  the  columns  of  his  paper  he  advocated  all 
measures  which  he  believed  would  prove  a  public  good,  being  especially  active 
in  support  of  everything  that  would  promote  the  upbuilding  and  advance- 
ment of  the  moral  and  intellectual  status  of  the  community. 

i\Ir.  Klingman  was  married  in  Florence,  Kansas,  on  August  18,  1883, 
the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Ina  L.  Sweet.  Their  union  was  blessed  with 
four  children,  all  daughters,  of  whom  three  are  yet  living.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  Mr.  Klingman  was  serving  as  the  postmaster  of  Effingham,  and  in 
the  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  office  discharged  his  duties  with  fidelity 
and  promptness.  He  was  true  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him  in  all  life's  rela- 
tions, and  had  many  excellent  qualities  which  endeared  him  to  his  fellow  men. 
Since  his  death  Mrs.  Klingman  has  held  the  position  of  postmistress  at  Effing- 
ham, and  has  continued  to  publish  The  New  Leaf. 


HON.  HENRY  A.  SMITH. 

Among  the  prominent  citizens  of  Brown  county  is  Hon.  Henry  A. 
Smith,  who  for  two  terms  represented  his  district  in  the  state  legislature,  and 
upon  the  battle-fields  of  the  south  loyally  "represented"  the  Union  cause.  It 
is  a  well-attested  maxim  that  the  greatness  of  the  state  lies  not  in  its  machinery 
of  government,  nor  even  in  its  institutions,  but  in  the  sterling  qualities  of  its 
individual  citizens,  and  their  capacity  for  high  and  unselfish  effort  and  their 
devotion  to  the  public  good.  Most  loyal  in  his  support  of  every  measure 
which  he  believed  would  promote  the  welfare,  the  prosperity  and  upbuilding 
of  the  commonwealth,  Mr.  Smith  therefore  deserves  mention  among  the  citi- 
zens of  Kansas  who  have  been  an  honor  to  the  state  by  which  they  have  been 
honored. 

He  was  born  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  April  13,  1845.  His  father,  Robert 
Smith,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old 
southern  families.  His  birth  occurred  March  25,  1818,  and  he  was  the  son 
of  James  and  ]\Iargaret  (Davis)  Smith.  They,  too.  were  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  the  former  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  18 12.  In  1834  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Fulton  county,  Illinois,  where  they  remained  for 
a  year,  when  they  went  to  Peoria  county,  same  state.  Robert  Smith,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  a  lad  of  fifteen  years  when  his  parents  took  up  their 
abode  in  this  state,  and  he  aided  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm 
until  he  attained  his  majority,  when  he  was  married,  in  Peoria  county,  to  Miss 


je  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

]\Iatilda  Hogg,  a  daughter  of  Joliii  W.  Hogg  and  a  cousin  of  Etrick  Shep- 
herd. Her  father  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  in  that  country  wedded  Miss 
Sarah  B.  Cowan,  wliose  birth  occurred  in  London.  In  1836  they  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Xew  World,  taking  up  their  abode  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois. 
Later  they  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  where  Mr.  Hogg  died,  in  1862. 
They  had  fi\'e  children,  namely:  John  F.,  who  died  in  1898  and  was  a  soldier 
during  the  Mexican  war:  Sarah  M.  and  Isabella  H.,  both  deceased;  Mrs. 
Smith  and  Ellen  A.  Unto  Robert  Smith  and  his  wife  were  born  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  three  are  now  living,  namely :  Sarah  M.,  wife  of  Joseph  H. 
McClurg,  of  Turin,  Reno  county,  Kansas;  Henry  A.,  of  this  review;  and  Mrs. 
Rosa  M.  Kinder.  Those  who  have  passed  away  are  Celestia  E.,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  ten  years;  Leonard  M.,  Robert  Eugene,  Joseph  Newton,  John  W. 
and  James  F.  The  father  died  January  25,  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy- four 
years.  He  was  an  early  settler  in  northeastern  Kansas,  and  was  a  man  popular 
among  his  friends  and  neighbors.  His  early  political  support  was  given  to 
the  Whig  party,  and  after  its  dissolution  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new 
Republican  party,  which  he  supported  through  his  remaining  days.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Henry  Askew  Smith  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  when,  with  hfs  father, 
he  came  to  Kansas.  He  is  indebted  to  the  public-school  system  for  the  educa- 
tional privileges  which  he  enjoyed.  During  the  Civil  war  he  entered  his 
country's  service,  enlisting  on  July  26,  1862,  in  response  to  President  Lin- 
coln's call  for  three  hundred  thousand  men.  He  became  a  member  of  Company 
H,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  T. 
M.  Bowen,  a  well-known  and  gallant  officer,  who  later  was  elected  United 
States  senator  from  Colorado ;  and  the  commander  of  the  company  was  Cap- 
tain O.  H.  McCauley,  now  of  Denver.  The  regiment  was  stationed  in  south- 
ern Missouri.  Arkansas  and  Texas,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Smith 
was  honorably  discharged,  July  28,  1865. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Brown  county,  he  remained  there  until  1S68, 
when  he  went  west,  engaging  in  the  freighting  business.  In  1871  he  returned 
in  Brown  county,  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  valuable  farms 
in  this  section  of  the  state.  The  property  comprises  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Mission  township,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  Upon  the  place  are  two  fine  orchards  and  some  natural 
timber.  The  farm  is  well  watered  by  a  stream  which  flows  through  it,  and 
the  residence  is  a  modern  one,  surrounded  by  a  well-kept  and  beautiful  lawn. 
Everything  about  the  place  is  neat  in  appearance,  and  indicates  the  careful 
supervision  and  progressive  spirit  of  the  owner. 

At  Salt  Lake  City.  Utah,  on  June  24,  1869,  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Anna  B.  Grow,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Grow,  of  Salt  Lake 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  77 

City.  They  had  one  child,  Celestia  Fortella.  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
months.  In  1872  the  mother  was  called  to  her  final  rest,  and,  on  July  4,  1874, 
Mr.  Smith  was  again  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Mary  A.  Cornelius, 
a  native  of  Illinois  and  a  daughter  of  G.  H.  and  Eleanor  J.  (Morris)  Cor- 
nelius. Her  father  died  in  the  United  States  service  at  Quincy,  Illinois.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Smith  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  namely:  Bertha  E., 
the  wife  of  Charles  Miller,  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  Kansas; 
Bertie  M.,  now  the  wife  of  Fred  Hoffman,  of  Hiawatha;  Algernon  B.,  Har- 
old T.,  Kenneth  ^^■..  Muriel  A.,  Hazel  M.  and  Leslie  McKinley. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  General  Grant  Mr.  Smith 
has  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party.  He  keeps  well 
informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day,  and  is  therefore  able  to  uphold  his  position 
by  intelligent  argument.  He  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth 
and  secure  the  success  of  the  party,  and  his  labors  have  been  very  effective. 
For  twenty-seven  years  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and 
the  cause  of  education  has  found  in  him  a  warm  friend  whose  eft'orts  have 
resulted  in  ad\ancing  the  standard  of  the  schools  in  this  locality.  In  1897 
he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  and  so  capably  served  his  county  that 
he  was  re-elected  on  the  expiration  of  his  first  term.  He  has  given  careful 
and  earnest  consideration  to  all  questions  coming  up  for  attention,  and  his 
public  record  has  been  a  satisfactory  and  honorable  one.  For  some  time  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Hiawatha,  and  he  and  his  family 
are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  church.  Their  home  is  noted  for  its 
hospitality,  the  members  occupying  enviable  positions  in  social  circles.  As 
an  agriculturist,  a  citizen  and  public  official  Mr.  Smith  has  won  the  confidence 
and  support  of  those  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact,  and  no  history  of 
Brown  county  would  be  complete  without  the  record  of  his  life. 


MAJOR  GILLESPIE  HAM. 

This  well-known  resident  of  Hiawatha,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Fleming 
county,  Kentucky,  near  the  town  of  Flemingsburg,  October  16,  1848,  and  on 
the  paternal  side  is  of  Scotch-Irish  and  German  lineage.  His  parents  were 
Malcom  and  Nancy  A.  (Conrad)  Ham,  both  natives  of  Kentucky,  the  former 
born  in  1821  and  the  latter  in  1820.  The  grandfather,  John  Ham,  was  a 
native  of  Greenbrier  county,  Virginia,  and  married  a  Miss  Woods,  whose 
father  attained  the  very  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  four  years.  Malcom 
Ham  served  in  Company  D,  Thirtieth  Kansas  Infantry,  during  the  war  1861-5. 

Major  Gillespie  Ham  was,  for  the  first  eighteen  months  of  his  life,  in  the 


7S  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

county  of  liis  nati\-ity.  and  then  was  taken  Ijv  liis  parents  on  tlieir  removal  to 
Indiana,  where  they  remained  until  1856,  at  which  time  they  took  up  their 
abode  in  Missouri.  In  March,  1857,  they  came  to  Atchison  county,  Kansas, 
the  father  pre-empting  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  Brush  creek. 
The  tract  was  wild  and  unimproved,  not  a  furrow  having  been  turned  or  a 
rod  of  fence  built ;  but,  with  characteristic  energy,  he  began  the  cultivation  of 
his  fields,  and  in  the  course  of  time  developed  an  excellent  farm,  upon  which 
he  continued  to  make  his  home  until  1883,  when  he  sold  the  property  and 
removed  to  Smith  county,  Kansas.  In  1885  l^^  came  to  Hiawatha,  where  he 
spent  the  last  years  of  his  life,  his  death  occurring  in  February,  1889.  His 
wife  died  on  the  old  farm  on  Brush  creek  in  1858.  In  their  family  were  five 
children,  namely:  Major  G. ;  James  H.,  who  is  living  in  Saguache,  Colorado; 
William  R.,  a  resident  of  Oklahoma,  and  one  sister  and  an  infant  brother,  who 
are  now  deceased.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Eliza  A.  Hartly,  who  now 
resides  at  Saguache.  Colorado.  Of  this  marriage  there  were  these  children: 
Mary  ]\I.,  Odell  G.,  William  H.,  Joseph  H.,  Elsie  E.  and  Annie. 

Air.  Ham,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  attended  the  district 
schools  of  Atchison  county,  and  was  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier 
life.  After  mastering  the  rudimentary  branches  of  learning,  he  became  a 
student  in  the  State  Normal,  at  Emporia,  Kansas,  and  when  he  had  acquired 
a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  those  branches  of  learning  which  are  taught 
in  our  higher  educational  institutions  he  began  teaching  in  Atchison  county. 
In  1882  he  moved  to  Brown  (bounty,  Kansas,  and  continued  that  work  until 
1885,  when  he  was  elected  registrar  of  deeds,  in  which  office  he  served  four 
years,  having  been  re-elected  on  the  Republican  ticket.  On  the  expiration  of 
his  term  he  was  appointed  to  take  the  census  and  ascertain  the  mortgage 
indebtedness  on  homes  and  farms,  his  territory  covering  the  seven  counties 
of  Brown,  Jefferson,  Doniphan,  Nemaha,  Jackson,  Wyandotte  and  Johnson. 

When  that  task  was  completed  he  began  dealing  in  real  estate,  handling 
farm  and  city,  property,  and  in  1895  he  extended  the  field  of  his  operations 
by  becoming  the  possessor  of  a  set  of  abstract  records.  He  is  also  title  and 
loan  agent,  and  occupies  the  position  of  notary  public.  It  would  be  difficult  to 
find  in  Brown  county  a  man  who  is  better  informed  concerning  real  estate 
values  and  ownerships  than  is  ]\Ir.  Ham,  who  is  now  controlling  an  extensive 
business  in  his  line  and  meeting  with  the  success  which  he  well  deserves. 

In  1875  Mr.  Ham  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Kessler,  of 
Atchison  county,  Kansas,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Nancy  J.  (Wyley)  Kess- 
ler. Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  four  children :  Nancy  A. ;  William 
Burton,  who  is  a  pressman  in  the  World  ofiice:  Harry,  who  is  engaged  in 
blacksmithing,  and  Edmond  Norman,  who  is  yet  in  school.  The  family  have 
a  very  pleasant  home  in  Hiawatha,  and  the  members  of  the  household  occupy 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  79 

enviable  positions  in  social  circles.  !Mr.  Ham  has  always  given  his  political 
support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  in  addition  to  the  offices  already  men- 
tioned he  has  twice  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council — ^in  1889-90  and  in 
1898-9.  He  exercises  his  official  prerogative  in  support  of  all  measures 
which  he  believes  will  prove  a  public  benefit,  and  he  is  classed  among  the 
representative  and  public-spirited  men  of  the  community,  whose  efforts  have 
been  potent  elements  in  advancing  its  welfare.  He  served  in  Company  K,  of 
the  Second  Colorado  Cavalry,  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion. 


CHARLES  KNABB. 


Charles  Knabb,  the  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Hiawatha 
and  a  prominent  farmer  and  cattle  feeder  of  Hiawatha  township.  Brown 
county,  ranks  among  the  most  successful  and  prominent  business  men  of  this 
locality  and  has  met  with  a  very  gratifying  degree  of  success,  owing  to  his 
well  directed  efforts,  his  energy  and  capable  management.  He  was  born  in 
Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  near  the  city  of  Reading,  August  31,  1836,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Knouse)  Knabb,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  His  grandfather  was  Paul  Knabb,  whose 
ancestors  emigrated  from  Prussia  to  America  and  were  among  the  pioneers 
of  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  becoming  well-to-do  farmers  of  that  section. 
The  father  of  our  subject  also  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

Judge  Knabb,  of  this  review,  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  county  of 
his  nativity  and  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  district  schools,  sup- 
plementing it  by  six  months'  study  in  an  academy.  He  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  removed  to  Iowa,  but 
after  six  months  he  made  his  way  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  As  his  capital 
was  exhausted  he  began  teaming  and  took  contracts  for  that  work.  Subse- 
quently he  crossed  the  plains,  driving  ten  teams  through  to  the  Colorado  gold 
fields  at  a  time  when  bands  of  Indians  were  numerous  on  the  plains  and  mani- 
fested a  very  unfriendly  feeling  toward  the  white  settlers.  Mr.  Knabb  and  his 
party  had  some  thrilling  experiences,  but  reached  their  destination  in  safety. 
For  five  years  he  continued  freighting,  mostly  on  his  own  account,  and  in 
September,  1868,  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  and  purchased  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Robinson  township,  on  Wolf  creek.  This 
stream  at  that  time  was  heavily  skirted  with  timber,  and  his  farm  therefore 
afforded  a  most  admirable  location  for  feeding  cattle  and  hogs,  to  which  indus- 
try Mr.  Knabb  has  given  much  attention.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
most  successful  feeders  of  Hiawatha  township  and  ships  from  one  to  five  car- 


8o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

loads  of  stock  annuall\-.  His  home  farm  now  cnmprises  six  hundred  and 
eighty  acres,  but  as  the  years  have  passed  and  his  financial  resources  increased 
he  has  invested  in  other  land  until  his  realty  possessions  now  aggregate  two 
thousand  acres.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Knabb  was  one  of  the  leading 
stockholders  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Hiawatha  and  in  1894  was  elected 
its  president,  which  office  he  has  since  held.  His  sound  judgment  in  business 
affairs  has  proved  a  potent  element  in  its  success  and  his  efforts  have  been 
crowned  with  prosperity.  Under  his  leadership  the  bank  has  won  and  main- 
tained a  high  reputation,  being  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  substantial 
financial  institutions  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

In  1865  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Knabb  and  Miss  Sarah  Gechter, 
of  Berks  county.  Pennsylvania,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Rebecca  (Schiffert) 
Gechter.  They  now  have  one  son  and  one  daughter:  \\'illiam  A.,  who  is  the 
assistant  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Hiawatha,  and  Cora  E.,  the 
wife  of  Dr.  George  C.  McKnight,  a  practicing  physician  of  Hiawatha.  The 
parents  are  members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  that  city  and  Mr. 
Knablo  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  for  a  number  of  years. 
For  three  years  he  filled  the  office  of  trustee  of  Hiawatha  township  and  has 
also  served  as  a  county  commissioner,  being  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the 
resignation  of  N.  F.  Leslie.  He  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Republican 
party  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  its  success  and  welfare.  Few  lives  furnish 
so  striking  an  example  of  the  wise  application  of  sound  business  principles  and 
safe  conservatism  as  does  his.  The  story  of  his  success  is  short  and  simple,  con- 
taining no  exciting  chapters,  but  in  this  lies  one  of  the  most  valuable  secrets 
of  the  great  prosperity  it  records,  and  his  private  and  business  life  are  preg- 
nant with  interest  and  incentive,  no  matter  how  lacking  in  dramatic  action. — 
the  record  of  a  nol)le  life  consistent  with  itself  in  every  particular. 


JOHN  GRAVES. 


The  period  (if  development  in  any  section  of  the  country  is  always 
attended  by  hardships  which  must  be  borne  by  men  of  sturdy  spirit  and 
determination,  who  overcome  all  obstacles  with  resolute  purpose  and  industry. 
As  civilization  advances  the  difficulties  of  early  times  give  way  to  the  com- 
forts and  conveniences  of  the  present,  but  the  foundation  of  prosperity  and 
progress  is  laid  in  the  early  days  by  the  pioneer  and  to  him  the  county  owes 
a  debt  of  gratitude.  Among  this  number  in  Atchison  county  is  John  Graves, 
whose  connection  with  northeastern  Kansas  covers  a  period  of  forty-five  years. 
He  was  born  in  east  Tennessee  November  27,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  Anthony 


y^TLX.^M^  yfriA^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  8i 

Graves,  who  was  also  born  in  the  same  state.    Tlie  grandfather.  Jolin  Gra\-es, 

was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  was  of  German  lineage;  he  was  reared, 

however,  in  Tennessee,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  he  married  Sarah  Sharp. 

Anthony  Graves  was  twice  married.     He  first  married  Julia  Bloodsaw,  who  _  fb.tsi^i^cri^ 

bore  him  four  children,  namely :     Nancy  and  Elizabeth,  who  are  living,  and 

Hugh  and  Rebecca,  who  have  passed  away.     The  mother  dying,  the  father 

afterward  married  Martha  Lower,  by  whom  he  had  eleven  children,  namely : 

John;  Sarah;  Mary,  deceased;  Rose;  Jake;  Henry,  who  died  in  Marysville. 

Missouri,  in  1899;  Martha;  James;  Catherine;  William,  deceased;  and  Lutitia. 

The  father's  death  occurred  in  Missouri  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of 

eighty-two  years,  and  the  mother  passed  away  aged  nearly  eighty-three  years. 

Both  were  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  people  of  sterling  worth. 

In  the  state  of  his  nativity  John  Graves  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his 
life,  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Missouri.  He  was 
the  eldest  son  at  home  and  as  the  father  was  in  limited  circumstances  he  had 
to  aid  in  the  development  of  the  farm,  and  therefore  received  very  limited 
school  privileges.  He.  however,  early  learned  the  lessons  of  thrift  and  indus- 
try that  are  so  necessary  to  success  in  life,  and  became  familiar  with  all  the 
duties  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  remained  at  home  until 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  after  which  he  was  married,  in  Buchanan  county,  INIis- 
souri,  February  10.  1850,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Landrum,  a  daughter  of  Edward 
and  Priscilla  Landrum,  both  of  whom  died  in  Atchison  county,  Kansas, 
where  they  settled  in  1855,  in  Benton  township.  Mrs.  Graves  has  a  brother, 
William,  \\ho  is  living  in  Benton  township,  Atchison  county,  and  a  sister, 
]\Irs.  T.  F.  Cook,  of  Effingham.  The  young  couple  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  farm  in  Missouri,  renting  land,  but  five  years  later  settled  on  his 
present  farm,  he  building  a  log  cabin  with  a  "clap-board"  roof,  the  only 
expense  attached  to  the  construction  of  the  building  being  fifty  cents  which  he 
paid  for  nails.  In  that  primitive  pioneer  home  they  lived  for  five  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  it  was  replaced  by  a  more  commodious  and  modern  resi- 
dence. In  his  business  undertakings  Mr.  Graves  prospered,  and  from  time 
to  time  added  to  his  property  until  the  old  homestead  numbered  about  three 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  acres  of  rich  land.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  eight 
hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Pottawatomie  county  and  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Jefferson  county,  making  a  total  of  one  thousand,  three  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  acres.  His  home  farm  is  a  valuable  one,  well  stocked  with  a  high 
grade  of  cattle  and  horses  and  his  extensive  realty  holdings  bring  to  him  a 
handsome  income. 

Lhito  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graves  were  born  three  children:  James  Marion, 
now  a  prominent  farmer  in  Benton  township,  married  for  his  first  wife  Lou 
Mosier,  and  to  them  were  born  three  children,  namelv:     Mary,  AVilliam  and 


82  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Edward.  The  mother  of  these  cliil(h-en  died  in  1896,  and  in  1899  he  married 
Callie  Richmond.  Henry  Lower  Gra\es,  tlie  second  son,  married  Anna 
Carson,  and  is  farming  in  Missouri.  AI.  Anna  is  the  wife  of  J.  R.  Stockwell, 
of  Jefferson  county,  Kansas,  and  has  four  children :  Roy,  Ora,  Ira  and  Una. 
January  26,  1900,  Mrs.  Graves  was  called  away  in  death.  She  was  a  Christian 
and  excellent  woman. 

Mr.  Graves  has  now  reached  the  Psalmist's  span  of  three  score  years  and 
ten,  but  largely  possesses  the  figure  of  a  man  in  his  prime.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  early  life,  at  which  time  he  had  not  only  no  capital  but  had  incurred 
an  indebtedness  of  fifty  dollars.  Industry,  economy  and  perseverance  have 
been  the  salient  features  in  his  success  and  have  made  him  one  of  the  largest 
land  owners  of  the  county.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  For  over  fifty 
years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  for  much  of  that  time 
has  served  as  elder.  His  life  is  upright  and  his  career  has  ever  been  char- 
acterized by  the  strictest  honesty  and  the  most  careful  fidelity  to  duty. 


LELAND  E.  TUPPER. 

A  man  of  ripe  scholarship  and  marked  executive  ability,  whose  life  has 
been  consecrated  to  the  work  of  promoting  intellectual  and  moral  advance- 
ment, there  is  a  particular  propriety  in  here  directing  attention  to  the  life  his- 
tory of  Leland  Ellis  Tupper,  who  is  the  president  of  Hiawatha  Academy. 
His  reputation  is  not  of  a  restricted  order  and  his  power  as  a  teacher  and 
preacher  is  widely  recognized,  having  been  exerted  in  the  spirit  of  the  deepest 
luiman  sympathy  and  tender  solicitude. 

Mr.  Tupper  was  born  in  Bakersfield,  Vermont,  March  2,  1856,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jackson  and  Caroline  (Parkhurst)  Tupper.  On  the  paternal  side 
the  ancestry  of  the  family  can  be  traced  back  to  1660,  when  representatives 
of  the  name  left  their  English  homes  and  sailed  for  America.  Mr.  Tupper, 
of  this  review,  is  of  the  eighth  generation  from  the  original  Americaiii 
ancestors.  His  great-grandfather  was  a  sailor  on  the  Atlantic  and  his  grand- 
father, Thomas  Tupper,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  resided  for  many  years 
on  Cape  Cod.  Jackson  Tupper,  the  father,  was  born  in  Vermont,  in  1819,- 
and  he  there  married  ]\Iiss  Parkhurst,  who  also  was  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  state,  a  daughter  of  Levi  Parkhurst  and  Laken  Leland  Parkhurst. 

Rev.  Leland  E.  Tupper,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  spent  his 
youth  in  Vermont  and  supplemented  his  preliminary  education  by  a  course 
in  the  high  school  and  by  study  in  Barre  Academy,  where  he  prepared  for 
college  under  the  noted  Dr.  Jacob  Shedd  Spaulding.     He  then  entered  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  83 

University  of  Vermont,  in  wliich  institution  he  was  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1880.  His  Hfe  work  has  been  that  of  an  educator  and  preacher,  and  on  the 
completion  of  his  college  work  he  became  the  principal  of  the  Craftsbury 
Acadeni}',  in  Craftsbury,  Vermont,  where  he  remained  for  four  years.  He 
was  afterward  the  president  of  Essex  Classical  Institute  for  two  years,  and  on 
the  expiration  of  that  period  accepted  the  pastorate  of  the  Congregational 
church  in  Post  Mill,  Vermont,  where  he  remained  until  February,  1887,  when 
he  accepted  a  position  as  teacher.  Under  the  direction  of  the  American  ]\Iis- 
sionary  Association  he  went  to  Williamsburg,  Kentucky,  where  he  remained 
for  five  years.  During  that  time  he  also  did  considerable  service  in  the  pulpit. 
In  1882  he  came  to  Hiawatha,  Kansas,  and  has  since  been  the  principal  of  the 
Hiawatha  xA.cademy,  one  of  the  leading  educational  institutions  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  state.  Under  his  direction  its  standard  has  been  greatly  raised 
and  the  various  work  done  in  the  school  enables  its  graduates  to  enter  any 
of  the  more  advanced  colleges  in  the  United  States. 

In  the  year  of  his  arri\-al  in  Hiawatha  Rev.  Tupper  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Alice  Crane,  of  Northfield,  Vermont,  who  was  born  and  reared 
in  that  place,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Sarah  (Denny)  Crane.  They 
now  have  one  child,  Lelia  Evelyn,  who  is  now  seven  years  of  age.  Their 
beautiful  home  on  Kickapoo  street  is  of  modern  architectural  design  and  is 
attractive  both  in  external  and  internal  appearance  and  is  celebrated  for  the 
gracious  hospitality  uniformly  exhibited  there.  ]\Ir.  Tupper  has  devoted 
his  life  to  two  of  the  most  beneficent  and  humane  callings  to  which  men  ever 
direct  their  energies,  and  his  influence  over  the  lives  of  others  is  most  marked 
and  beneficial.  As  a  speaker  he  is  forceful  and  eloquent  and  his  every 
utterance  rings  with  sincerity  and  conviction.  A  master  of  rhetoric,  he  is 
enabled  to  present  his  views  in  such  a  way  as  to  entertain  as  well  as  instruct 
his  hearers,  and  his  earnest  and  impartial  words  reveal  the  deep  fervor  with 
which  he  is  imbued  in  presenting  the  divine  truths,  which  are  thus  made  to 
appeal  more  strongly  to  those  he  addresses.  His  mind,  carefully  disciplined, 
intellectual  and  of  broad  ken,  his  deep  perception  and  quick  and  lively  syni- 
path}-,  make  him  a  power  in  his  field  of  labor. 


EUGEXE  C.  BROWN. 

Eugene  C.  Brown  is  one  of  the  highlv  esteemed  citizens  of  Robinson, 
Brown  county,  and  for  many  years  has  been  actively  identified  with  its  busi- 
ness interests  and  with  the  substantial  growth  and  development  of  this  section 
of  the  state.    He  was  born  in  Cayuga  county.  New  York,  ]\Iay  16,  1853,  and  is 


84  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

a  son  of  William  Brown  and  a  grandson  of  John  Brown.  The  former  removed 
from  Cayuga  county.  New  York,  to  Branch  county,  Michigan,  where  he  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  married  Harmony  Connor,  a 
daughter  of  John  Connor,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Mahnlon,  who  is  living  in  Coldwater,  Michigan ;  Matilda,  wife  of  E. 
A.  Horton,  of  Shoshone,  Idaho;  Agnes,  deceased  wife  of  George  Wheadon; 
Noah  F.,  who  has  also  passed  away;  Miriam,  wife  of  N.  S.  Wood;  George 
C,  of  ]\IcMinnville.  Tennessee;  Lucy,  wife  of  Herman  G.  Wolf,  of  Constan- 
tine,  Michigan :  Sarah,  wife  of  M.  N.  Peck,  of  Robinson;  Emma  G..  deceased 
wife  of  M.  P.  Rush,  of  Robins(5n ;  and  Eugene  C.  The  father  of  this  family 
died  in  Branch  county,  Michigan,  in  1872.  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 

Eugene  C.  Brown  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  Wol- 
verine state,  assisting  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  so  that  he  early  became 
familiar  with  the  labors  and  duties  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  It 
was.  therefore,  natural  that  he  should  make  farming  his  life  work,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1 87 1  he  removed  from  Michigan  to  Kansas,  taking  up  his  abode  in 
Brown  county,  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land.  In  1874  he  engaged  in 
the  purchase  and  sale  of  all  kinds  of  farm  produce :  this  branch  of  his  business 
proving  the  most  profitable  led  him  to  abandon  farming  altogether.  In  1880 
he  established  a  store  in  Robinson,  entering  into  partnership  with  M.  P.  Rush, 
as  dealers  in  general  merchandise.  That  firm  continued  in  existence  until 
]\Iay.  1892,  when  it  was  terminated  by  mutual  consent.  In  June,  of  the  same 
year,  Mr.  Brown  opened  his  store  at  his  present  location,  and  he  is  to-day  the 
oldest  as  well  as  leading  general  merchant  of  Robinson.  His  success,  how- 
ever, has  not  been  won  without  great  effort,  and  he  has  met  with  financial 
re\erses.  Twice  has  his  store  been  destroyed  by  fire,  the  earnings  of  years 
ha\ing  gone  up  in  smoke  in  less  than  an  hour.  ]\Iany  a  man  of  less  resolute 
purpose  would  ha\-e  been  discouraged,  but  with  renewed  effort  he  again  began 
business,  having  the  unlimited  confidence  of  the  public  and  of  the  merchants 
with  whom  he  dealt.  He  now  has  a  large  and  well  appointed  store  and 
receives  a  very  liberal  patronage,  resulting  from  his  fair  dealing,  his  reason- 
able prices  and  his  earnest  desire  to  please  his  patrons. 

On  the  19th  of  September,  1888,  Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Emma,  daughter  of  William  Heffner,  a  well-known  contractor  and  builder, 
who  located  in  Robinson  at  an  early  day.  Prior  to  her  marriage  Mrs.  Brown 
was  a  very  successful  teacher  and  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement.  One  son 
has  been  born  of  their  union,  William  Eugene,  whose  birth  occurred  December 
5.  1890.    i\Irs.  Brown  died  May  25,  1895. 

IVIr.  Brown  has  been  connected  with  the  military  interests  of  the  state, 
ha\-ing  been  appointed  by  Governor  Martin  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  B, 
Third  Regiment  of  the  Kansas  National  Guards,  in  1885.    Prior  to  that  time 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  85 

he  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Glick  as  second  lieutenant  of  the  same 
company.  In  all  his  duties  of  citizenship  he  has  been  most  faithful  and  reli- 
able, and  in  military,  political  and  business  circles  he  commands  and  enjoys 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men  in  an  unusual  degree.  He  belongs 
to  that  class  of  representative  Americans  who  promote  the  general  prosperity 
while  laboring  for  individual  success,  and  his  pleasant  demeanor  and  sterling 
worth  have  gained  him  manv  friends. 


GRANT  W.  HARRINGTON. 

In  connection  with  journalistic  interests  of  northeastern  Kansas  Grant 
^V.  Harrington  deserves  mention.  He  is  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Kansas  Democrat  and  has  made  the  paper  a  credit  to  the  profession  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  Mr.  Harrington  was  born  in  Walworth  county.  Wiscon- 
sin. June  5,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Eldred  and  Amorette  (Powers)  Harring- 
ton. He  was  educated  in  the  Kansas  State  University  at  Lawrence,  being 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1887  on  the  completion  of  the  collegiate  course. 
Subsequently  he  entered  the  law  department,  in  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1889,  being  class  representative  on  both  occasions.  In  1890  he  came  to 
Hiawatha  and  entered  into  partnership  with  W.  D.  Webb,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Webb  &  Harrington,  for  the  practice  of  law,  and  was  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  bar  of  Brown  county  until  he  purchased  his  interest  in  the  Demo- 
crat and  took  charge  of  the  paper,  which  is  now  a  six-column,  eight-page 
journal,  neatly  printed.  On  the  loth  of  December,  1881,  S.  R.  and  J.  M. 
Wharton  began  the  publication  of  the  Weekly  Messenger  at  Hiawatha,  and 
on  the  5th  of  September,  1883,  George  T.  Williams  began  the  publication  (jf 
the  Kansas  Democrat.  Those  two  papers  were  consolidated  under  the  name 
of  the  Democrat  January  26.  1884,  under  the  management  of  the  firm  of 
Williams  &  Bowman.  The  latter  soon  retirerl,  however,  Mr.  Williams  remain- 
ing the  sole  proprietor  until  March  20.  1890.  when  he  sold  the  publication  to 
B.  F.  Hildebrand.  On  the  5th  i)f  July,  189-'.  .Mr.  Hildebrand  was  succeeded 
in  the  ownership  by  Grant  W.  and  \\'ynn  P.  Harrington,  but  the  latter  retired 
in  1894,  leaving  Grant  W.  Harrington  as  the  sole  owner.  In  June,  1895.  he 
bought  the  Hiawatha  Journal,  then  owned  by  B.  F.  Hildebrand,  and  consol- 
idated it  with  the  Democrat,  which  he  has  made  one  of  the'  leading  papers  of 
this  section  of  the  state.  It  is  outspoken  on  all  topics  of  interest  and  earnest 
in  its  advocacy  of  all  progressive  and  reformatory  measures.  Its  editorials 
are  well  written  and  are  fair  and  impartial. 

For  the  past  four  years  Mr.  Harrington  has  been  a  member  of  the  Pep- 


86  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ulist  state  central  committee  and  the  chairman  of  tlie  PopnHst  county  com- 
mittee. He  was  the  commander  of  the  Kansas  division  of  the  Sons  of  Vet- 
erans in  1896  and  1897,  and  the  year  preceding  was  the  judge  advocate  gen- 
eral on  the  staff  of  \\'illiam  E.  Bundy,  of  Ohio.  For  the  past  nine  years  he 
has  been  a  delegate  to  the  national  encampment  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans  and 
is  a  \-ery  prominent  representative  of  that  order.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  the  lodge,  Royal  Arch  chapter  and  the  com- 
mandery  at  Hiawatha,  and  to  Abdallah  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shriners  at 
Leavenworth.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  marked  courtesy,  genial  disposition  and 
agreeable  manner  and  makes  friends  wherever  he  goes,  and  has  a  very  wide 
circle  of  acquaintances  in  this  section  of  the  state. 


JOHN  J.  ASHCRAFT. 

There  is  very  particular  satisfaction  in  referring  to  the  life  history  of  the 
gentleman  whose  name  initiates  this  review,  since  his  mind  bears  the  impress 
of  the  historic  annals  of  the  state  of  Kansas  from  the  early  pioneer  days,  and 
from  the  fact  that  he  has  been  a  loyal  son  of  the  Republic  and  a  representative 
citizen  of  Atchison  county.  He  was  born  in  Hodgensville,  Kentucky,  in  1838, 
and  is  a  son  of  Gediah  and  Barbara  (Miller)  Ashcraft,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Kentucky,  where  they  spent  their  childhood  days  and  were  married. 
The  father  was  of  Scotch  and  Irish  lineage,  while  the  mother  was  descended 
from  an  old  German  family  that  was  early  founded  in  North  Carolina.  In 
1852  the  parents  of  our  subject  removed  from  Kentucky  to  Missouri,  and  in 
1856  came  to  Kansas,  locating  upon  a  claim  in  Mt.  Pleasant  township,  Atchi- 
son county,  where  the  father  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
purchasing  the  same  at  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre  when  it  came  into  mar- 
ket. This  property  he  improved,  continuing  to  reside  thereon  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  1810.  His  wife  died  in  1894.  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  her  birth 
liaving  occurred  in  iSt6.  They  had  a  family  of  twelve  children,  four  of  whom 
are  living",  three  sons  and  A  daughter.  These  are:  Abram;  Mary  E.,  wife  of 
Benjamin  B.  Curtis;  James  \\'.,  who  is  living  in  Joplin.  Missouri;  and  John  J. 

Mr.  Ashcraft,  of  this  review,  acquired  his  education  in  private  schools 
in  Kentucky  and  Kansas.  He  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  various 
removals  and  resided  with  them  on  the  old  homestead  in  Atchison  county 
until  June,  1862,  when  he  crossed  the  plains  to  Idaho  and  was  engaged  in 
placer  mining  near  Idaho  City  until  the  summer  of  1866,  when  he  returned  and 
engaged  in  farming  with  his  brother,  Abram,  until  1881,  when  he  purchased 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  87 

his  present  farm,  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich  land  in 
Shannon  township,  Atchison  county.  He  is  one  of  the  successful  cattle  dealers 
of  his  neighborhood.  He  raises  stock  on  an  extensive  scale.  His  farm  is  well 
imi^roved  with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences,  and  he  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  this  locality.  His  business  methods  are 
systematic,  his  dealings  straightforward  and  honorable  and  his  labors  are 
prosecuted  with  energy  and  perseverance.  Such  qualities  always  insure  suc- 
cess and  ha\-e  broug'     to  him  a  well  deser\'ed  competence. 


JOSEPH  \V.  CULVER. 

Prominent  among  the  agriculturists  of  Benton  township,  Atchison  county, 
is  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He  is  a  descendant  of  one  of 
three  brothers  by  the  name  of  Culver,  who,  in  1740,  left  their  home  in  Wales 
and  came  to  America,  locating  in  Long  Island,  New  York.  Joseph  Culver, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  for  independence,  and  was 
with  the  heroic  band  of  patriots  who  spent  that  memorable  winter  at  Valley 
Forge,  under  the  command  of  General  Washington.  His  wife  came  from  the 
old  English  family  of  Root  and  five  sons  were  born  to  the  worthy  couple.  One 
of  them,  William,  father  of  J.  W.  Culver,  was  a  native  of  Cayuga  county,  New- 
York,  where  he  wedded  Susan  Kirby,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  a  direct 
descenilnnt  1  if  the  White  family  who,  as  is  well  known,  were  among  the  passen- 
gers (in  the  world-famous  Mayflower.  In  1840  William  Culver,  with  his  wife 
and  children,  removed  to  Ohio  and  ten  years  later  they  located  in  Knox  county, 
Illinois.  The  father  died  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty  years,  at  his  home  in  Knox- 
ville.  He  was  a  Republican,  politically,  and  his  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church.  Their  eldest  child,  Caroline  Ross,  resides  in  Farmington, 
Illinois,  and  Cynthia  Jane  Chapin  makes  her  home  in  Knoxville,  Illinois.  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  ^filler  departed  this  life  in  August,  1899,  at  Nortonville,  Kansas. 
William  E.  Culver  is  a  respected  citizen  of  Wataga,  Illinois. 

Joseph  W.  Culver  was  born  in  Erie  county.  New  York,  October  23,  1834. 
He  was  six  years  old  when  his  parents  removed  to  the  Buckeye  state,  where 
most  of  his  education  was  obtained  in  the  common  schools  near  Akron.  Then, 
for  several  years,  he  dwelt  in  Illinois,  but  returned  to  New  York  to  wed  the 
lady  of  his  choice,  and  for  three  years  subsequent  to  his  marriage  lived  in  the 
"oil  regions"  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1866  they  came  to  Illinois,  and  at  the  close 
of  another  period  of  three  years  settled  in  Kansas.  Here  Mr.  Culver  purchased 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  all  situated  in  Benton  township. 
L'nder  his  judicious  mana'g'ement  the  place  has  constantly  increased  in  value 


88  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

until  it  is  now  considered  one  of  the  most  desiraljle  liomesteads  in  this  section. 
For  years  Mr.  Culver  has  been  one  of  the  most  extensive  dealers  in  live  stock 
in  this  township  and,  in  order  to  meet  the  requirements  of  that  business,  erected 
large  barns  and  made  other  improvements.  A  substantial  modern  house  stands 
upon  a  pleasant  site  and  everything  about  the  place  bespeaks  the  constant  care 
of  the  thrifty  proprietor. 

In  January,  1863.  Mr.  Culver  married  Reliecca  Sherman,  in  Erie  county, 
New  York.  She  was  born  in  that  county,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Mercy 
(Pickens)  Sherman,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  Mrs.  Culver,  who  was  a 
lady  of  many  lovable  qualities,  died  in  August,  1880.  She  left  three  children 
to  mourn  her  loss,  namely:  George  E.,  who  is  an  enterprising  young  farmer 
of  this  township;  William,  now  twenty-three  years  of  age  and  living  at  home; 
and  Maud  Babcock,  adopted  by  O.  W.  Babcock,  of  Nortonville,  Kansas.  In 
1883  'Sir.  Culver  married  Mrs.  C.  S.  Burdick,  of  this  county.  She  was  born 
and  reared  to  v/omanhood  in  Potter  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage  to  our  subject  was  the  widow  of  Elmer  Burdick.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Reynolds. 

Politically  Mr.  Culver  is  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party,  and  ever 
since  depositing  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Lincoln  has  been  loyal  to  his 
party.  His  influence  and  means  are  always  confidently  relied  upon  for  the  pro- 
motion of  enterprises  which  make  for  morality,  justice  and  good  government, 
and  his  ujiright.  manly  course  in  life  should  be  emulated  by  the  rising  gen- 
eration. 


GEORGE  \V.  ALLAMAX,  M.  D. 

Specialization  is  becoming  very  frequent  in  professional  life.  Gaining 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  science,  a  man  often 
devotes  his  efYorts  thereafter  to  attaining  perfection  along  a  certain  line,  and 
thus  gains  remarkable  power  in  that  department  of  the  jjrofession  to  which  he 
gives  his  energies.  Such  has  been  the  case  with  Dr.  Allaman.  who  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Dr.  Allaman  Hospital  Company  in  .Atchison,  Kansas.  He  has 
few  peers  in  the  treatment  of  cancerous  diseases  in  the  entire  country  and  his 
well  earned  fame  has  spread  al)road  throughout  many  sections  of  the  Union, 
so  that  his  patients  come  from  far  and  near  to  benefit  In-  his  superior  knowl- 
edge along  this  line. 

The  Doctoi-  is  a  native  of  Liwa.  his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  city  of 
Cedar  Rapids  on  the  _Mst  of  December.  ]86_'.  his  parents  being  Rev.  J.  T. 
and  A.  B.  (  Bedell). Allaman.  He  spent  his  youth  in  Iowa.  Minnesota  and 
Missouri,  pursuing  his  literary  education  in  the  schools  of  Toledo,  Iowa,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  89 

Avalon,  Alissoiiri.  Determined  to  make  tlie  practice  of  medicine  liis  life  work, 
he  entered  upon  a  course  of  study  under  tlie  direction  of  Dr.  Giger,  of  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri,  and  suhsequently  entered  Ensworth  Medical  College,  of 
St.  Joseph,  ^Missouri,  in  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1892.  In  order 
to  further  perfect  himself  in  his  chosen  calling  he  took  a  post-graduate  course 
in  the  Xew  York  Medical  College,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1892.  He 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Carroll  county,  Missouri,  and  in  1895 
came  to  Atchison,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  practice,  making  a  specialty 
of  the  treatment  of  cancers.  His  patronage  is  very  extensive,  many  of  his 
patients  coming  from  long  distances  to  secure  the  benefit  of  his  skill.  He 
established  the  Dr.  Allaman  Hospital  Company,  of  which  he  is  now  president, 
and  has  made  the  institution  one  of  the  leading  enterprises  of  the  kind  in  this 
section  of  the  country.  The  Doctor  has  i^erformed  some  very  wonderful 
cures,  and  his  remarkable  skill  has  gained  not  only  the  gratitude  of  his 
patients,  but  the  high  commendation  of  his  professional  brethren. 

In  1884  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Allaman  and  Miss  Ida 
McGill,  a  native  of  Missouri,  and  they  have  many  warm  friends  in  the  com- 
munity where  they  reside  and  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  in  Atchi- 
son. The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  State  Medical  Society  of  Missouri  and 
also  of  the  Grand  River  Medical  Society.  His  knowledge  of  the  science  of 
medicine  is  very  comprehensive  and  thorough,  and  he  keeps  abreast  of  the 
discoveries  and  theories  which  indicate  the  marked  progress  that  is  being  made 
by  the  profession.  A  man  of  broad  human  sympathy,  his  genial  manner  and 
kindly  disposition  form  an  important  element  in  his  success  when  added  to  his 
thorough  understanding  of  the  department  of  medical  practice  which  he  makes 
his  specialty. 

Dr.  Allaman  is  past  deputy  grand  master  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  holds  membership  in  Friendship  Lodge,  No.  5,  of  Atchison, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state  of  Kansas.  He  is  also  an 
active  member  of  Golden  Cross,  No.  7,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  of  several 
other  fraternal  societies.  In  politics  the  Doctor  is  an  active  worker  in  the 
Democratic  party  and  has  Ijorne  prominent  parts  in  county,  district  and  state 
conventions  and   campaigns. 


ELI  F.  BOUTON. 


A  detailed  history  of  no  resident  of  Nemaha  county  would  probably  give 
a  more  accurate  record  of  the  condition  of  affairs  in  this  locality  in  pioneer  days 
than  that  of  Mr.  Bouton,  who  is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers.  For  many 
years  he  experienced  difficulties  and  hardships  in  his  attempt  to  establish  a 


90  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

home  in  this  section  of  tlie  conntry,  I.jut  determination,  perseverance  and 
unflagging  industry  enabled  him  to  overcome  these  and  to-day  he  is  accounted 
one  of  the  prosperous  agricuhurists  of  Berwick  township.  He  was  born  in 
Virgil,  Cortland  county.  New  York,  April  8,  1833.  The  ancestry  of  the 
family  can  lie  traced  back  to  John  Bouton,  who  landed  in  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, in  1635,  when  twenty  years  of  age,  and  became  the  progenitor  of  the 
family  in  America.  Nathanael  Bouton,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born  at  Power's  Ridge,  in  1778.  and  was  wedded,  on  the  22d  of  May,  1801, 
to  Rachel  Stevens.  After  her  death  he  married  her  sister,  Lydia  Stevens,  and 
removed  to  Virgil,  Cortland  county.  New  York.  By  his  first  marriage  he 
had  four  children  :  James,  Nathan,  Louis  and  William,  the  last  two  being 
twins.  The  children  of  the  second  marriage  were  Rachel.  Da\id.  ^Milbe  Joseph 
and  Nathanael. 

Nathan  Bouton.  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  A'irgil,  New  York, 
July  27,  1802,  and  was  a  farmer  and  school  teacher.  A  recognized  leader  in 
the  community  in  which  he  made  his  home,  he  served  as  town  supervisor  and 
was  also  a  member  of  the  legislature  in  Albany,  New^  York,  in  1857.  The  cause 
of  temperance  found  in  him  an  ardent  advocate  and  he  believed  most  firmly 
in  the  instruction  of  young  people  in  the  bible.  During  twenty-five  years  he 
served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  and  he  was  only  twice  absent 
in  that  quarter  of  a  century.  He  possessed  considerable  literary  ability  and 
wrote  the  first  article  in  favor  of  the  construction  of  the  New  York  &  Erie 
Railroad,  of  which  his  father  was  the  projector.  For  thirty-five  years  he  served 
as  a  sur\'eyor  and  in  that  manner  became  widely  known  throughout  the  county. 
He  married  Miss  Mary  Gee,  a  native  of  New^  York,  her  parents  being  early 
settlers  of  Virgil,  that  state.  Her  father  was  of  English  descent  and  her 
mother  of  German  lineage.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bouton  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren: Louisa,  born  January  20,  1825,  and  died  in  Virgil  March  11,  1846; 
James,  born  October  i,  1826;  Samantha,  born  in  Virgil  November  28,  1828; 
Andrew,  born  April  10,  1831 ;  Eli  F,,  born  April  8,  1833;  William,  born  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1836:  Lewis,  born  May  26,  1838;  and  Charles,  born  December  19, 
1 84 1.  The  mother  died  in  Virgil  March  7,  1842,  and  the  father  afterward 
married  Emma  Robinson,  by  whom  he  had  two  children.  The  elder,  Emma  ]M., 
born  in  \'irgil  August  24,  1843,  is  now  the  wife  of  Charles  J.  Drew,  mayor  of 
Topeka,  Kansas.  Edward  B.,  the  younger,  was  born  in  Virgil  June  12,  1846, 
and  was  married,  in  1888,  to  Julia  Lacy.  They  now  reside  in  Witchita,  Kan- 
sas. For  his  third  wife  Nathan  Bouton  married  Emma  Hubbard,  about  1847. 
Eli  F.  Bouton,  of  this  review,  was  the  fifth  child  and  third  son  of  his 
father's  first  marriage  and  was  reared  in  his  native  county,  attending  the  com- 
mon schools  through  the  winter  months  and  working  on  the  farm  in  the  sum- 
mer.    He  spent  one  term  in  the  Courtlandville  Acadenn-  and  one  term  at 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  91 

Homer  Academy,  and  wlieii  twenty  years  of  age  his  father  gave  him  his  time, 
after  which  he  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  for  thirteen  dollars  per  month. 
In  the  winter  he  taught  school  for  fifteen  dollars  per  month  and  in  the  year 
prior  to  his  twenty-first  birthday  he  saved  a  hundred  dollars.  His  father  then 
wrote  for  him  to  come  home  and  he  worked  on  the  old  homestead  for  twelve 
dollars  per  month,  teaching  school  through  the  winter  for  si.xteen  dollars  per 
month,  the  session  continuing  through  a  half-day  on  Saturday.  Going  to 
Steuben  county,  New  York,  he  attended  the  Troupsburg  Academy,  and  later 
taught  for  four  months  in  Prattsburg,  New  York,  receiving  twenty  dollars 
per  month  for  his  services.  He  also  taught  three  other  schools  in  that  locality 
and  further  perfected  his  own  education  by  study  in  the  Prattsburg  Academy. 
On  the  7th  of  March,  i860,  Mr.  Bouton  married  Miss  Fanny  Waldo,  and  on 
the  8th  of  April,  of  that  year,  arrived  in  Nemaha  county.  Kansas.  It  was  not 
until  the  following  year  that  the  state  was  admitted  to  the  Union.  He  first 
rented  a  partially  improved  farm  in  what  was  then  Rock  Creek  township,  but 
is  now  Berwick  township.  He  operated  this  place  on  shares  and,  as  it  was  the 
year  of  the  big  drouth,  obtained  only  a  small  crop.  Corn  brought  seventy-five 
cents  a  bushel  and  by  close  economy  he  was  enabled  to  meet  his  expenses.  In 
i860  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  raw  prairie  land  on  section  30,  Berwick 
township,  but  he  built  his  first  home  in  Albany  in  the  spring  of  1861.  His 
father  sent  him  twenty-five  dollars  which  he  invested  in  the  lumber.  Not 
having  a  team,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Edgar  Cone,  who  owned  a 
team  and  was  a  carpenter.  He  hauled  the  lumber  from  White  Cloud,  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty-five  miles,  and  built  a  two- room  house,  16x20,  and  for  his  pay 
owned  and  occupied  one-half  of  the  house.  It  was  the  third  house  in  the  vil- 
lage. There  he  lived  until  August,  1861.  The  little  house  was  set  up  on 
blocks  and  was  made  of  boards  sixteen  feet  long,  cut  in  two  twice.  The  roof 
was  also  of  boards.  There  were  two  doors  and  two  windows  and  a  partition 
divided  the  house  into  two  apartments.  The  money  sent  to  Mr.  Bouton  by  his 
father  covered  the  entire  money  cost  of  the  house.  He  added  to  his  income 
by  digging  a  well,  working  for  seventy-five  cents  per  day  and  boarded  himself. 
He  also  worked  at  Albany  in  the  spring  of  i860  for  seventy-five  cents  per  day, 
digging  a  cellar,  and  willingly  accepted  any  other  employment  that  would 
yield  him  an  honorable  living.  After  a  time  he  removed  from  Albany  to  a 
farm  three  miles  southwest  of  Sabetha,  remaining  there  only  a  short  time. 
The  house  he  built  not  being  fit  to  winter  in,  he  sold  it  in  the  fall  of  1861  and 
went  to  live  with  P.  W.  Seaman,  and  for  his  services  received  a  bushel  of  wheat 
per  day.  In  this  way  he  earned  about  thirty  bushels  and  thereby  his  larder 
was  somewhat  improved.  He  also  had  two  cows  and  two  calves  and  the  milk 
supply  of  the  family  was  a  valued  addition.  He  chopped  wood  in  the  forests 
for  Mr.  Seaman,  having  to  go  ten  miles  to  his  work,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 


92  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

forest  cut  saw-logs,  which  he  hanled  to  tlie  mill,  four  miles  distant.  In  the 
spring  of  1862  he  l)egan  working  on  the  farm  on  shares,  his  services  to  be 
rewarded  witli  one-fourth  of  the  crops. 

Feeling  that  his  duty  was  to  his  country,  however,  on  the  3d  of  September, 
1862,  ]\Ir.  Bouton  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Volunteer 
Infantry,  as  a  private.  His  wife  and  family  remained  on  the  farm  until  spring. 
Later  they  returned  to  her  home  in  Prattsburg,  New  York.  Mr.  Bouton  was 
with  the  army  on  the  frontier  under  General  Blunt.  The  company  was 
formed  by  several  enlistments  under  command  of  W.  S.  Blackburn,  of  Mar- 
shall countv,  Daniel  Auld,  of  the  same  county,  and  ]Mr.  Hensell,  of  Nemaha 
countv.  Mr.  Bouton  enlisted  under  the  last  named  and  he  and  his  comrades 
reported  at  Atchison,  where  the  regiment  was  organized.  These  three  different 
detachments  of  men  were  then  consolidated  to  form  Company  G,  Mr.  Black- 
burn being  made  captain,  Mr.  Hensell,  first  lieutenant,  and  Mr.  Auld,  second 
lieutenant.  Our  subject  was  made  commissary  sergeant  and  after  remaining 
at  Atchison  until  the  20th  of  September,  was  mustered  in  with  his  company 
and  went  to  the  front.  By  steamer  they  proceeded  to  Leavenworth,  where  they 
were  furnished  mules,  wagons  and  other  necessary  supplies,  with  which  they 
proceeded  to  Fort  Scott,  Kansas.  Mr.  Bouton  remained  with  his  regiment 
until  July,  1864.  when  he  was  detached  to  serve  as  lieutenant  of  Company  E, 
First  Kansas  Colored  Regiment,  with  which  command  he  continued  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  on  the  3d  of  October,  1865.  He  was  then  mustered  out  and 
received  an  honorable  discharge  at  Pine  Bluff,  Arkansas,  He  made  his  way 
homeward  by  boat,  stopping  at  Memphis  and  St.  Louis,  and  he  was  twenty-six' 
days  on  the  river.  Six  men  died  during  the  trip  up  the  ^Mississippi  and  four 
were  buried  in  tlie  sands  along  the  way. 

]Mr.  Bouton  went  to  New  York  for  his  family  and  with  them  again 
returned  to  Kansas.  He  located  on  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  35,  Ber- 
wick township,  and  for  a  time  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  his  farm,  but  sold 
that  property  after  building  a  house,  at  a  cost  of  five  hundred  dollars.  While 
on  that  farm,  in  1867,  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife.  By 
their  union  were  born  three  children :  Rosa,  the  elder,  is  a  native  of  Nemaha 
county  and  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal  School  of  Nebraska.  She  has 
taught  in  the  schools  of  Sabetha,  Kansas,  and,  having  made  a  specialty  of  the 
study  of  chemistry  in  the  State  University  of  Nebraska,  she  is  now  one  of  the 
professors  in  that  institution.  Henry  W.  was  born  m  Nemaha  county  June 
II,  1863,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal  School  of  Nebraska  and  for 
a  time  engaged  in  teaching.  He  is  now  engaged  in  fruit  raising  at  Webster, 
Texas.  Lewis,  the  youngest  child,  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Bouton  was  again 
married,  March  18,  1868,  his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Nancy  J.  (Slaw- 
sen)  Graham,  widow  of  John  L.  Graham,  who  was  killed  in  the  war  in  1863. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  93 

By  the  second  marriage  there  is  one  daughter.  ^Mary  L.,  who  is  still  with  her 
parents. 

Mr.  Bouton  now  devotes  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business  affairs  and 
is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  tifty-four  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land.  He 
carries  on  general  farming  and  his  well-tilled  fields  indicate  to  the  passers  by 
his  careful  supervision.  He  is  a  stanch  advocate  of  temperance  principles, 
has  always  favored  the  prohibition  of  the  licjuor  traffic  and  voted  for  the  first 
prohibition  amendment  in  New  York  in  1854.  He  cast  his  first  vote  in  New  York 
and  has  for  many  years  been  allied  with  the  Republican  party,  exercising  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  that  party.  In  1869 
and  1870  he  was  county  commissioner  of  Nemaha  county,  has  also  been  clerk 
of  the  school  district  and  for  four  years  was  justice  of  the  peace.  In  all  of  these 
offices  he  has  discharged  his  duty  with  promptness  and  fidelity,  winning  high 
commendation.  He  is  a  member  of  Sabetha  Post,  No.  175,  G.  A.  R.,  and  has 
filled  many  of  the  offices.  Holding  membership  in  the  Congregational  church 
at  Sabetha,  he  has  labored  earnestly  for  its  success  for  many  years.  He  has 
been  deacon  for  twenty  years  and  is  also  its  treasurer.  He  contributed  liberally 
to  the  building  fund  for  the  house  of  worship  and  at  all  times  has  done  what- 
ever he  could  for  the  welfare  and  ad\-ancement  of  the  church.  As  a  citizen 
he  is  public-spirited  and  withholds  his  advocacy  from  no  measure  which  is 
calculated  to  secure  advancement  along  educational,  social,  material  and  moral 
lines.  In  his  business  career  he  has  met  with  obstacles  and  difficulties  which 
would  undoubtedly  have  discouraged  many  a  man  of  less  resolute  spirit,  but 
with  determined  purpose  he  has  steadily  pushed  forward  and  to-day  is  one  of 
the  wealthy  and  influential  citizens  of  his  communitv. 


BENJAMIN  D.  ZIAOIERMAN. 

Atchison,  Kansas,  has  its  full  share  of  up-to-date,  enterprising  business 
men,  and  occupying  a  representative  position  among  them  is  Benjamin  D. 
Zimmerman,  a  dealer  in  queensware. 

Air.  Zimmerman  was  born  in  Lehigh  county.  Pennsylvania,  near  Seips- 
town.  July  5,  1857,  son  (jf  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Leiby)  Zimmerman,  both 
natives  of  that  county.  His  father  was  born  January  6,  1822,  and  his  mother 
July  II,  1829.  Daniel  Zimmerman  is  now  eighty  years  of  age  and  a  resident 
of  Lehigh  county,  Pennsyhania ;  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Zimmerman,  born  in 
Lehigh  county,  Pennsyh-ania,  April  2,  1797,  died  July  17.  1842;  the  latter  was 
a  son  of  George  ^^^  Zimmerman,  born  August  24,  1745,  died  October  5, 
1823;  and  his  father,  whose  gi\-en  name  cannot  be  recalled,  was  a  German 


94  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  the  progenitor  of  the  family  in  America  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  Eliz- 
abeth Leiby  was  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Leiby,  born  November  5,  1797,  and  died 
November  9,  1858.  He  was  a  son  of  Daniel  Leiby,  born  December  8,  1772, 
and  died  June  28,  1855.  The  Leiby  family  is  also  of  German  origin  and  early 
settled  in  Pennsylvania. 

Benjamin  D.  Zimmerman  passed  his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm 
in  Lehigh  county,  doing  such  work  as  he  could  on  the  farm  in  summer  and  in 
winter  attending  the  district  schools  near  his  home.  Li  early  manhood  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  at  which  he  worked  in  Pennsylvania  for  five 
years.  In  1879  he  came  west  to  Kansas,  thinking  the  opportunities  for  a  young 
man  to  get  on  in  the  world  were  better  here  than  in  the  east.  He  located  at 
Atchison  and  here  he  continued  work  at  his  trade  for  seven  years.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  he  purchased  the  crockery  stock  of  Regnier  &  Shoup,  and  has  since 
successfully  conducted  business  at  their  old  stand.  Pie  carries  a  full  line  of 
queensware,  counts  among  his  customers  the  leading  people  of  the  city  and  sur- 
rounding country,  and  is  well  established  in  a  pi-osperous  business. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  is  a  man  of  family.  He  was  married,  in  1881,  to  Miss 
]\Iary  Jane  Schall,  a  native  of  Northampton  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage  a  resident  of  Atchison.  They  have  two  children,  Flossie 
P.  and  Raymond  P. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  local  affairs,  and 
in  1896  and  1897  served  as  a  member  of  the  Atchison  city  council.  Pie  is  also 
an  active  church  worker,  he  and  his  wife  being  identified  with  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  several 
other  fraternal  societies. 


JOHN  C.  CHA^IBERLIN. 

The  story,  brief  and  imperfect  though  it  may  be,  of  the  struggles  and 
triumphs  of  a  self-made  man  is  always  interesting  reading.  It  is  instructive, 
too,  and  encouraging  to  readers  of  a  younger  generation  who  may  have  just 
embarked  or  are  on  the  point  of  embarking  in  life  for  themselves.  Kansas 
presents  many  edifying  examples  of  this  kind  and  Brown  county  has  furnished 
its  quota  of  them.  A  number  of  the  self-made  men  of  Brown  county  are 
referred  to  at  more  or  less  length  in  these  pages,  and  few  of  them  have  given 
evidence  of  higher  excellence  as  citizens  and  as  farmers  or  men  of  affairs  than 
the  man  whose  name  is  above. 

John  C.  Chamberlin,  of  Washington  township.  Brown  county,  was  born 
in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania.  April  15,  1841,  being  a  son  of  Isaac 
Chamberlin,  of  English  descent,  who  was  born  in  the  same  state  in  1819  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  95 

dial  there  in  1864.  Isaac  was  a  son  of  Jesse  Chamberlin,  one  of  three  brothers 
who  settled  in  Connecticut,  New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  respectively.  Isaac 
Chamberlin  married  Mary  Myers,  of  German  antecedents,  who  died  about 
1885.  Her  children  were  Mary,  widow  of  William  Watson,  of  Columbus, 
Ohio;  John  C. ;  Samuel,  of  Decatur  county,  Iowa;  Isaac,  of  Marion  county, 
Ohio;  David,  deceased,  of  Columbus,  Ohio;  George,  of  Galloway,  Ohio; 
Sophia,  who  married  a  Mr.  Gaskell  and  went  to  Indian  territory. 

The  boyhood  of  John  C.  Chamberlin  was  full  of  the  sternest  realities. 
He  had  little  time  for  recreation  and  his  environments  were  ^uch  that  he  had 
few  boy  companions.  Yet  he  would  ha\-e  had  to  be  something  different  from 
the  spirited  boy  he  was  if  he  was  not  to  have  extracted  some  sport  from  his 
unfavoring  circumstances.  He  was  "put  out"  by  his  father  at  twelve  years  of 
age  to  work  for  a  farmer  for  one  dollar  a  month  and  board,  and  when  he  had 
finished  the  season  of  nine  months  his  father  hauled  home,  as  his  wages,  twelve 
bushels  of  potatoes  and  two  barrels  of  flour  and  took  the  boy  along  and  put 
him  to  school  for  the  winter.  The  next  summer  he  worked  for  the  same  man 
for  two  dollars  a  month  and  the  following  summer  for  three  dollars  and  a  half 
a  month.  In  the  fall  of  the  last  season  he  was  put  to  work  in  a  mill  at  four 
dollars  a  month  and  was  thus  employed  through  the  succeeding  winter.  The 
following  winter  he  worked  for  his  board  and  went  to  school.  Such  inter- 
mittent attendance  at  school  was  continued  until  young  Chamberlin  was  well 
toward  twenty  years  of  age,  and  constituted  the  extent  of  his  opportunity  for 
getting  an  education. 

In  August,  1862,  when  he  was  a  little  past  twenty-one,  John  C.  Chamber- 
lain was  carrying  a  hod  on  a  brick  building  in  course  of  erection  in  a  Pennsyl- 
vania town,  when  the  news  of  McClellan's  disaster  and  the  call  for  troops 
for  nine  months  reached  his  ears.  He  dropped  the  hod  and  told  the  man  in 
charge  of  the  work  that  he  was  going  to  enlist.  He  was  mustered  into  the 
One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry, 
at  Harrisburg,  and  went  to  Alexandia.  Virginia,  with  his  regiment.  He  had 
been  in  the  service  only  three  weeks  wlien  the  battle  of  Antietam  was  fought. 
This  engagement  furnished  a  splendid  illustration  of  what  real  war  was,  and 
the  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Pennsylvania  was  properly  initiated  and 
received  its  baptism  of  fire  and  blood.  Two  months  later  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, another  heavy  engagement,  was  fought,  and  by  the  time  it  was 
over  the  survivors  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  were  behaving  like 
veterans.  The  battle  of  Chancellorsville  was  the  last  one  fought  before  Mr. 
Chamberlin's  term  of  enlistment  expired :  antl,  upon  the  expiration  of  that 
time,  having  seen  and  participated  in  what  proved  to  be  three  of  the  greatest 
battles  of  the  war,  he  retired,  to  give  some  other  loyal  citizen  a  chance  to 
display  his  patriotism. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  97 

The  father  died  in  Middlesex  county.  New  Jersey.  He  was  a  supporter  of  the 
Democracy  and  both  he  and  his  \\\it  were  memljers  of  the  German  Reformed 
churcli. 

Luther  Cortelyou  was  educated  in  the  pubhc  schools  of  his  native  state, 
in  Rutger's  College,  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  and  in  Eastman's  Busi- 
ness College  in  Poughkeepsie,  New  York.  He  purchased  an  old  southern 
plantation  in  Maryland,  on  which  he  resided  for  twelve  years,  selling  that 
property  on  his  removal  to  Kansas.  He  was  married,  in  New  Jersey,  in  1876, 
to  Miss  Gertrude  Stelle,  of  ^Middlesex  county,  New  Jersey,  a  daughter  of 
Peter  and  Sarah  E.  Stelle.  Four  children  grace  their  union,  all  sons :  Luther, 
Jr.,  who  was  graduated  in  the  Atchison  county  high  school  and  is  now  clerk- 
ing in  his  father's  office ;  Stelle  is  a  student  in  the  Atchison  county  high  school ; 
Peter  J.  and  Frank  M.,  the  last  two  being  at  home. 

Mr.  Cortelyou  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Democratic  party  and  was  its  candidate  for  county  treas- 
urer in  1896.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  for  the  Muscotah 
schools  and  has  given  active  support  to  many  measures  for  the  public  good. 
He  was  elected  mayor  of  Muscotah  in  April,  1900.  He  was  an  organizer 
of  the  Kansas  Grain  Dealers'  Association,  organized  in  December,  1896,  and 
has  continuously  been  a  member  of  its  board  of  directors,  and  for  the  last  two 
years  has  held  the  position  of  president  of  the  association.  Socially  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  lodge  and  is  past  master  of  Muscotah  Lodge,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  In  the  affairs  of  life  he  has  won  creditable  success  by  his  well 
directed  efforts.  Li  manner  he  is  modest  and  unassuming,  but  his  genial  dis- 
position and  estimable  qualities  ha\-e  gained  to  him  high  regard. 


GEORGE  W.  ULSH. 


Among  the  well-known  characters  and  old  residents  of  Brown  county  the 
name  which  heads  this  biography  stands  out  with  conspicuous  prominence. 
He  became  connected  with  the  citizenship  of  the  county  at  a  time  when  patri- 
otic and  loyal  men  were  at  a  premium  over  a  large  portion  of  our  country, 
and  when  to  openly  advocate  sentiments  in  opposition  to  the  established  social 
customs,  and  attack  the  one  reigning  evil  social  institution  of  our  country, 
the  finish  of  which  was  already  begun,  was  to  endanger  and  put  in  jeopardy 
both  property  and  life.  In  1861  the  "opposition"  to  human  slavery  and  advo- 
cates of  the  principle  met  in  open  rebellion.  The  war  spirit  extended  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  Kansas  was  strongly  impregnated 
with  it  as  any  oih.er  spot  north  of  the  "line,"  and  one's  settlement  here  from  the 


98  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

middle  "50s  to  the  middle  '60s,  with  the  hope  of  escaping  trouble,  was  filled 
with  dire  forebodings.  Yet  there  was  a  considerable  immigration  here,  and 
it  was  in  the  middle  of  this  decade  that  our  subject  entered  the  state. 

George  W.  Ulsh  was  born  in  Marion  county,  Ohio,  February  3,  1833. 
His  father,  Jacob  Ulsh,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  was  a  farmer  who  married  and 
became  the  head  of  a  family.  Of  fifteen  children,  eight  of  whom  reared  families, 
George  is  the  sole  survivor.  At  sixteen  years  of  age  the  latter  quit  the  farm  and 
began  his  apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter  and  joiner's  trade.  He  made  that  his 
business  for  more  than  ten  years,  and  came  to  Kansas  partly  as  an  excuse  to  get 
away  from  it.  He  spent  the  first  year  in  Kansas  on  the  Gephart  farm  in 
Doniphan  county,  and  in  1861  purchased  a  farm  in  sections  23,  2  and  18.  He 
resided  there  six  years  and,  selling  out,  bought  a  quarter  on  "Bunn's  Branch," 
upon  which  he  has  passed  the  remaining  active  years  of  his  life.  He  has  been 
one  of  the  successful  tillers  of  the  soil,  for  more  than  a  generation  following 
threshing  as  well  as  farming,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  chief  promoters  of 
modern  development.  But  his  life  work  is  finished.  It  only  remains  for  him 
to  pass  his  remaining  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  well  and  profitably  spent 
life.  His  legitimate  and  rightful  successors  have  each  assumed  the  role  of 
"house-holders,"  and  are  carrying  on  the  work  where  their  father  laid  the 
foundation  wisely  and  well. 

On  August  17,  1854,  Mr.  Ulsh  married  Mary  J.  Harper,  whose  father 
was  Thomas  Harper  and  whose  mother  was  j\Iary  J.  Mouser.  The  children  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ulsh  are  John  C. ;  Thomas,  deceased,  married  Rachel  Moose; 
Silas  M. ;  Alta,  wife  of  Lincoln  Cole;  Aura,  wife  of  Edward  Shanks,  and  Fred 
W.  Ulsh. 

Mr.  Ulsh  became  a  Republican  early  in  the  history  of  that  party,  and  has 
maintained  his  fealty  to  his  party  ever  since.  He  has  been  designated  by  the 
voters  of  his  road  district  as  overseer  times  without  number,  and  the  manner 
in  which  he  has  done  his  duty  and  the  efficiency  of  his  work  is  best  testified 
to  by  the  condition  of  the  public  highways  under  his  jurisdiction. 


JAMES  PERRY  FREELAND. 

All  of  the  vicissitudes  which  made  pioneer  life  in  Kansas  memorable  were 
experienced  by  James  Perry  Freeland,  who  has  lived  in  Washington  town- 
ship, Brown  county,  Kansas,  since  1859,  and  has  aided  and  watched  with 
jealous  interest  the  wonderful  development  of  his  county  and  state.  Perhaps 
no  one  has  devoted  himself  more  industriously  and  intelligently  to  the  busi- 
ness of  general  farming  and  stock  raising  than  has  Mr.   Freeland,  whose 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  99 

success  has  been  marked  at  every  stage  of  his  career,  and  those  who  wondered 
in  pioneer  days  whether  he  was  really  making  a  living  viewed  his  rapid 
strides  in  the  direction  of  wealth  with  supreme  satisfaction.  '•Jim" 
Freeland  has  always  been  popular  with  his  neighbors.  In  the  early  davs 
when  they  needed  neighborly  encouragement  and  attentions  he  could  be 
depended  upon,  and  when  he  grew  prosperous  and  was  able  to  help  more 
liberally  any  need  of  assistance  had  only  to  be  announced  and  it  was  supplied 
by  him.  In  addition  to  his  original  pre-emption,  his  present  homestead,  [Mr. 
Freeland  owns  three  quarter-sections  of  land  and  also  seventy  acres.  Upon 
different  tracts  he  is  locating  his  children  as  they  decide  to  leave  the  parental 
roof. 

Some  details  of  the  busy,  useful  and  eventful  life  of  Mr.  Freeland  must 
of  necessity  be  included  in  this  volume.  He  was  born  in  Mannington,  Marion 
count}'.  West  Virginia,  June  2,  1832.  His  father,  Thomas  Freeland,  was  born 
in  the  same  county  in  1800  and  died  in  1844.  The  Freelands  entered  the  state 
of  Virginia  at  a  very  early  day.  Elijah  Freeland,  the  paternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  born  near  Harpers  Ferry,  now  West  Virginia  soil,  and  was 
descended  from  ante-Revolutionary  French  stock.  Thomas  Freeland  married 
Margaret  Pritchard,  who  was  born  in  France.  Their  children'  were :  Amy, 
who  is  dead;  Rebecca,  who  lives  in  West  Virginia  and  is  the  wife  of 
Nehemiah  Glo\-er;  James  P.;  Hannah  and  May,  both  dead;  William,  of  West 
Virginia;  John,  of  jMarion,  Ohio;  and  Thomas,  of  West  Virginia.  Jane,  wife 
of  William  Roby,  a  half-sister  of  those  mentioned,  lives  in  Marion  county, 
^^'est  A^irginia. 

James  P.  Freeland  never  attended  a  free  school.  The  subscription  school 
furnished  him  with  all  the  knowledge  he  ever  acquired  from  the  old  school 
master  of  the  day  school.  He  paid  his  board  and  what  other  expenses  were 
necessary  to  attend  a  night  school,  when  well  along  in  his  teens,  and  with  this 
scant  equipment  he  sallied  forth  to  battle  with  the  world  and  was  successful. 
After  his  fourteenth  year  he  learned  stone  cutting  and  found  employment 
at  bridge  building  and  for  a  number  of  years  that  was  his  business.  He  came 
west  by  way  of  the  Missouri  river  from  St.  Louis.  Reaching  Buchanan 
county,  Missouri,  he  gave  the  only  dollar  he  possessed  to  a  local  lodge  of 
Good  Templars  to  become  a  member  of  the  order.  He  lived  in  Missouri  from 
1856  until  the  spring  of  1859,  and  \yhile  there  was  married  to  ]\Iiss  United 
States  America  Beltcher,  a  native  of  Clay  county,  [Missouri,  who  has  borne 
him  children  named  as  follows:  Jasper  P.  (dead)  ;  John  T. ;  IMary  (dead), 
who  married  Oliver  Gechter;  James  (dead)  ;  James  W.,  one  of  the  prominent 
young  farmers  of  Brown  county;  and  Jilatthew  Freeland. 

March  12,  1859,  soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Freeland  settled  on  the 
west  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  on  a  piece  of  wild  and  some- 
L.ofC. 


100  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

what  rough  government  property.  He  managed  to  eke  out  an  existence,  meet- 
ing the  requirements  for  obtaining  title  to  his  pre-emption,  upon  which  he 
Hved  until  the  end  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  purchased  and  moved  onto  his 
present  home.  His  first  residence  was  a  14x12  log  hut,  with  a  five  and  a  half- 
foot  "overhead,"  which  served  the  family  as  sitting  room,  bed  room,  kitchen 
and  parlor  until  the  general  era  of  prosperity  following  the  war  permitted  the 
erection  of  a  modern  residence  five  3^ears  later. 

Mr.  Freeland  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  twice  elected  county  commis- 
sioner, first  in  1884  and  again  in  1887.  He  was  instrumental  in  securing  and 
purchasing  the  first  iron  bridges  for  the  county  and  in  replacing  the  stoves 
in  the  county  court  house  with  the  more  modern  and  efficient  furnace.  He 
lias  always  been  a  warm  friend  of  public  schools  and  has  been  thirty-two  years 
on  the  school  board  in  his  district.  He  hired  the  first  teacher  in  the  district 
and  the  last  one  to  date  and  made  the  first  report  of  the  district  on  the  tax  levy 
for  school  purposes.     He  is  a  IMason  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias. 


EDWIN  LA^VREXCE  MILLER. 

Edwin  Lawrence  IMiller  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Seneca,  and 
is  also  interested  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  the  county.  He  is  a  native  of 
Xorth  Carolina,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Kinston,  Lenoir  county,  on 
]\Iay  25,  1863.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  A.  R.  and  Delia  M.  (Henry)  Miller.  The 
Miller  family  are  of  German-Swiss  lineage,  whose  representatives  sailed  for 
America  in  1710,  being  pioneer  settlers  in  Xorth  Carolina.  A  settlement  was 
made  at  the  junction  of  the  Xeuse  and  Trent  rivers,  and  the  town  was  called 
X'ew  Berne.  The  colony  experienced  the  rigors  of  those  times,  and  came  near 
being  annihilated  in  the  Indian  uprising  in  eastern  North  Carolina  in  171 1. 
Since  that  time  the  Miller  family  have  been  connected  with  the  business  inter- 
ests of  the  Old  X^orth  state.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  X'orth  Car- 
olina. May  8,  1830,  and  for  many  years  devoted  his  energies  to  the  work  of 
his  profession — dentistry.  He  married  !Miss  Henry,  a  native  of  Vermont, 
who  died  in  Kinston,  North  Carolina  in  1884.  She  had  three  brothers  in 
the  Union  army,  and  her  husband  and  his  three  brothers  were  in  the  Confed- 
erate army.  The  Henry  family  were  of  English  lineage,  being  founded  in 
America  in  1634  by  ancestors  who  settled  in  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Milier  has 
two  sisters  living,  ]\Irs.  George  S.  Luce,  of  ^^'isconsin,  and  j\Irs.  H.  O.  Hyatt, 
at  the  old  home  in  Xorth  Carolina.  E.  L.  Miller  acquired  his  preliminary 
education  in  the  private  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  subsequently  pursued 
his  studies  one  year  in  the  Boston  University  Law  School,  of  Massachusetts. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.         loi 

After  leaving  that  place  he  matriculated  in  Columbia  College,  of  Xew  York 
city,  and  prepared  for  the  bar  by  a  course  in  the  law  department,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1888.  Soon  afterward  he  came  to  Seneca.  Kansas,  and 
opened  a  law  office.  Here,  in  connection  with  his  chosen  profession,  he  has 
become  interested  in  farm  lands  as  an  investment,  and  devotes  much  thought 
to  agriculture.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  considerable  valuable  property,  includ- 
ing several  fine  farms  in  Xemaha  county.  In  1900  he  established  the  Rural 
Kansan.  He  still  carries  on  his  law  practice,  and  is  well  versed  in  the  princi- 
ples of  jurisprudence.  His  arguments  are  logical  and  forceful.  His  campaign 
work,  both  speech-making  and  as  a  worker  and  adviser,  has  placed  him  among 
the  influential  Democrats  of  Kansas. 

On  January  27,  1892,  Mr.  ]\Iiller  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
E.  Ball,  of  Greensboro,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  R.  Ball,  a  Metho- 
dist Protestant  minister,  who  was  a  descendant  of  the  brother  of  Mary  Ball, 
the  mother  of  George  W'ashington.  They  have  three  children  living:  Edwin 
Lawrence,  Delia  Maria  and  Thomas  Richard  Roscoe.  In  his  political  views 
]\Ir.  Miller  is  a  stalwart  Democrat.  He  has  served  as  city  attorney  and  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council,  and  was  a  candidate  of  the  party  for  state  senator  in 
1896.  The  district  was  hopelessly  Republican,  but  Mr.  Miller  failed  by  less 
than  two  hundred  of  an  election,  a  smaller  majority  than  had  ever  before  been 
registered  against  a  Democrat  in  the  district.  He  was  a  contestant  in  the 
Democratic  convention  for  the  nomination  for  congress  in  the  first  Kansas 
district  in  1900,  but  was  defeated  b}'  ex-Governor  George  W.  Glick,  who 
received  the  nomination  after  a  close,  but  friendly,  contest. 

Mr.  Miller  is  a  man  of  genial  manner  and  unfailing  courtesy,  and  in  the 
community  where  he  resides  enjoys  the  warm  friendship  of  a  large  circle  of 
acquaintances,  and  is  known  for  his  energy  in  building  and  improving  the 
county  and  for  his  enterprise  generally  as  a  useful  citizen. 


WALTER  J.  ADA.MS. 

Intelligence  of  a  high  order,  ample  education  and  splendid  business  ability 
win  in  the  conduct  of  the  enterprises  of  the  country  or  village  man  of  affairs 
as  surely  as  they  do  in  the  management  of  the  interests  of  his  contemporary 
in  the  city.  This  fact  is  amply  illustrated  in  the  labors  of  such  men  as  Walter 
J.  Adams,  of  Everest,  Brown  county,  Kansas,  an  account  of  whose  busy, 
studious,  progressive,  useful  and  successful  career  forms  a  fitting  portion  of 
this  work. 

Walter  J.  Adams,  son  of  the  late  Augustus  C.  Adams,  of  \\"ashington 


102  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

township,  and  a  well  known  contractor,  farmer,  lawyer  and  bnsiness  man, 
^vas  born  in  Springfield,  Union  county.  New  Jersey,  February  i,  1864.  He 
was  taken  to  Kansas  the  following  year  and  was  reared  in  Brown  county. 
His  early  education  was  gained  in  the  district  school  and  he  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade  in  his  youth.  He  began  his  business  career  as  a  contractor  in 
1 88 1,  following  that  line  of  enterprise  exclusively,  successfully  and  cjuite  exten- 
sively until  1890.  He  built  many,  if  not  all,  of  the  best  structures  that  have 
gone  up  in  the  country  surrounding  Everest  within  the  past  fifteen  or  more 
years;  work  which  has  identified  him  conspicuously  with  the  development  of 
his  county.  Meantime  he  was  deciding  to  enter  upon  a  professional  career  and 
he  gave  some  time  to  study.  He  spent  two  years  in  the  Holton,  Kansas, 
Campbell  University,  and  then  entered  the  Northern  Indiana  Law  School  at 
Valparaiso,  Indiana.  Mr.  Adams  holds  certificates  of  admission  to  practice 
in  the  circuit  courts  of  Indiana,  in  the  United  States  district  court  of  Indiana 
and  in  the  supreme  court  of  that  state.  He  located  in  Indiana  and  had  begun  to 
achieve  success  as  a  lawyer  when  the  confinement  incident  to  his  profession 
was  found  to  be  injurious  to  his  health  and  he  gave  up  the  practice  of  law, 
temporarily  at  least.  Returning  to  Kansas  lie  resumed  contracting  and 
engaged  in  farming,  making  a  success  of  both.  He  was  married,  in  1892,  to 
Anna  Olson,  daughter  of  Harold  Olson.  Their  children  are :  Lawrence  H., 
]\Iarcus  A.,  Lillian  E.,  Ethel  W.  and  Ruth  C. 

Augustus  C.  Adams,  Mr.  Adam's  father,  was  born  in  Saxony,  in  1833, 
a  son  of  a  magistrate,  and  came  ta  the  United  States  in  1851.  He  secured  a 
place  with  Spangler,  the  hatter,  in  Newark,  for  whom  he  worked  the  first  year 
at  six  dollars  a  month  to  learn  the  trade.  He  became  a  fine  workman  and  was 
employed  as  a  hatter  at  good  wages,  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  day,  until 
1865,  when  he  went  to  Brown  county,  Kansas.  He  bought  a  farm  in  section 
II,  Washington  township,  and  from  that  time  until  his  death,  in  1895,  fol- 
lowed farming.  He  was  married,  in  Germany,  to  Martha  C.  Wentzel,  who 
died  in  1882,  at  the  age  of  forty-three.  Their  children  are:  Carrie  C,  wife 
of  John  Q.  Page,  of  Everest ;  Edward  P.,  who  is  a  stone  mason  and  is  married 
to  Josie  McGeorge;  Walter  J.;  Josephine  M.,  wife  of  Henry  M.  Sawyer; 
Augustus  C,  a  foreman  with  the  Rock  Island  Railway  Company  at  Trenton, 
]\Iissouri,  who  married  Ella  Streeter;  Henry  K.,  an  engineer  on  the  Rock 
Island  Railway,  who  married  Julia  Crane;  Franklin  D.,  United  States  district 
court  reporter  at  Miami,  Indian  territory;  John  V.,  employed  by  the  Rock 
Island  Railway  Company  as  a  fireman,  who  married  Louie  Stanley;  Robert 
Clinton,  a  stenographer  with  Gardner  Lathrop,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri ;  and 
Sanford  C,  a  Rock  Island  Railway  fireman,  who  married  Anna  Black.  Mr. 
Adams  has  a  fine  library  and  is  a  devoted  student.  He  possesses  an  active 
and  fertile  mind  and  is  a  good  talker.   He  is  a  member  of  the  Uniform  Rank 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.         103 

of  the  Knights  of  Pytliias.  One  of  the  active  young  RepubHcans  of  Brown 
county,  he  is  a  member  of  the  central  committee  and  his  efforts  conduce 
materiahy  to  the  success  of  his  party  in  tlie  county. 


DARIUS  E.  FO^^'LER. 

Darius  E.  Fowler  is  now  actively  associated  with  the  industrial  interests 
of  the  community  as  a  farmer,  residing  upon  his  farm  two  miles  east  of 
Hiawatha.  His  birth  occurred  in  the  far-off  state  of  Maine,  Somerset  county 
being  the  place  of  his  nativity,  and  February  27,  1836,  his  natal  day.  His 
parents  were  Charles  and  Eunice  (Emery)  Fowler,  natives  of  Maine.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  a  son  of  John  Fowler,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  England.  The  maternal'grandfather,  Levi  Emery,  was  a  native 
of  Massachusetts  and  married  a  Miss  Ireland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fowler  were 
the  parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Sarah,  wife  of  James  Cleveland,  now 
a  resident  of  Kansas;  Eunice  E.,  widow  of  Albert  Leighton,  of  Maine;  Rose, 
who  is  the  widow  of  Mr.  Parker,  and  is  now  living  in  Maine;  Darius  E.,  who 
is  the  only  son  of  the  family;  and  Eliza  F.,  wife  of  Charles  Holbrook,  who 
resides  at  Norridgewock,  Maine. 

The  subject  of  this  review  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life  in  the 
Pine  Tree  state,  pursuing  his  education  in  the  district  schools.  During  the 
summer  months  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  following 
the  plow  from  the  time  he  was  old  enough  to  make  a  straight  furrow.  The 
opportunities  offered  in  the  Golden  state,  however,  attracted  him,  and  in  1855 
he  went  to  California  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  route.  Hoping  to  gain  a  for- 
tune in  the  mines  he  began  his  search  for  gold,  but  after  eighteen  months,  on 
account  of  ill  health,  returned  to  Maine,  where  he  remained  until  1857.  The 
broader  opportunities  of  the  west,  however,  attracted  him  to  the  prairies  of 
Kansas,  and  making  his  way  to  Hiawatha  he  engaged  in  various  pursuits,  and 
later  turned  his  attention  to  agriculture,  pre-empting  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Brown  county,  near  Hiawatha.  After  the  inauguration  of 
hostilities  between  the  north  and  the  south  he  responded  to  the  call  of  the  gov- 
ernment at  \\'ashington  and  enlisted,  in  1861,  with  the  boys  in  blue  of  Com- 
pany C,  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  under  command  of  Colonel  Jennison.  They 
remained  for  some  time  in  camp  at  Fort  Leavenworth  and  were  then  sent 
south,  participating  in  the  battle  of  Corinth  and  in  many  important  engage- 
ments with  the  division  to  which  they  were  attached.  Mr.  Fowler  contiiiued 
faithfully  at  the  front  until  the  fall  of  1864,  when,  on  the  expiration  of  his 
three-years  term  of  service,  he  was  honorably  discharged,  at  that  time  holding 


104  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  rank  of  sergeant  of  his  company.  On  returning  from  miHtary  hfe  he  again 
came  to  Brown  county.  In  1894  he  purchased  from  Dr.  Seaburn  the  farm  of 
one  Iiundred  and  sixty  acres,  where  lie  now  resides. 

In  1872  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  our  subject  and  Xliss  Fannie 
■DooHttle,  who  was  born  in  Oneida  county.  New  York,  and  in  1859  removed 
to  Kansas  with  her  father,  Hiram  DooHttle,  and  his  family.  The  marriage 
of  I\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Fowler  has  been  blessed  with  four  children :  Lulu  E.,  grad- 
uate of  Ottawa  University,  Everett  ~Sl..  who  is  also  a  graduate  of  the  Ottawa 
University;  Lillian  E.,  a  student  in  Ottawa:  and  Charles  V.  In  his  political 
views  j\Ir.  Fowler  is  a  pronounced  Republican.  unswer\ing  in  the  support  of 
the  principles  of  the  party  that  perpetuated  the  Union  during  the  Civil  war 
and  that  has  ever  been  the  champion  of  progress  and  reform.  He  and  his  wife 
and  family  hold  membership  in  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Hiawatha  and  enjoy 
the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 


PETER  CRAVEN. 


An  important  element  in  the  national  civilization  has  been  the  repre- 
sentatives from  the  Emerald  Isle.  The  versatility,  enterprise  and  industry 
of  the  Irish  people  make  them  valued  residents  of  a  community,  and  it  is  these 
qualities  which  have  given  Mr.  Craven  a  place  among  the  leading  farmers 
of  Nemaha  county.  He  resides  on  section  6,  Clear  Creek  township,  his  home 
being  far  from  the  place  of  his  birth,  which  occurred  in  county  Meath,  Ireland, 
His  parents  were  Owen  and  Marietta  (Fox)  Craven,  and  the  former  spent  his 
entire  life  on  the  Emerald  Isle.  After  the  death  of  her  husband,  however, 
Mrs.  Craven  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  made  her  way  direct  to  Kansas.  In  her 
family  were  eight  children,  namely :  John ;  Ann,  who  is  now  deceased ;  Rich- 
ard; Rose,  who  has  also  passed  away;  Sylvester;  Michael;  Owen,  deceased, 
and  Peter.  Those  who  are  still  living  are  identified  with  the  farming  inter- 
ests of  Nemaha  county. 

Mr.  Craven,  of  this  review,  remained  in  Ireland  until  after  his  father's 
death,  when  he  accompanied  his  mother  on  her  emigration  to  the  new  world. 
The  duties  and  pleasures  of  boyhood  occupied  his  time  through  the  years  of 
his  minority.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Ellen 
Glynn,  who  was  born  in  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  1858,  and  there  spent  her 
girlhood  days.  The  marriage  of  IMr.  and  ^^Irs.  Craven  was  celebrated  in  1874. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  eight  children,  namely:  Mary,  Owen, 
Anna,  Margaret,  William,  Theresa,  Raymond  and  Bernard.  Mrs.  Craven's 
parents  were  Patrick  and  Ellen  (Brown)  Glynn.     The  former  was  bom  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         105 

Ireland  in  1814  and  in  1853  came  to  America,  taking  up  his  residence  in  Indi- 
ana, wlience  lie  came  to  Nemaha  county.  His  wife  was  born  on  the  Emerald 
Isle,  in  1826,  and  is  still  living  in  Kansas.  They  are  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren,— Anna;  Mike  and  Katie,  deceased;  Ellen;  Rose,  who  has  also  passed 
away;  Patrick;  William;  Maggie;  Katie;  and  Lizzie,  deceased.  The  living 
members  of  the  family  are  all  in  Nemaha  county.  After  his  marriage  Mr. 
Craven  rented  a  farm  for  two  or  three  years  and  then,  with  the  capital  which 
he  had  acquired  by  his  own  industry,  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  having  since  made  it  his  home.  He  is  now  one  of 
the  prominent  stock  dealers  of  the  county,  raising  large  numbers  of  cattle  and 
hogs.  His  sales  are  extensive  and  bring  to  him  an  excellent  income.  He  has 
served  as  school  director,  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Democratic  party 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church.  His  life  shows  that  success  results 
not  from  talents  or  influence,  but  from  earnest  and  persistent  effort,  and  his 
example  should  serve  to  encourage  those  who  have  to  start  out  on  life's  journey 
empty  handed. 


A.  D.  CIRTWELL. 


One  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Effingham,  Atchison  county,  A.  D. 
Cirtwell  is  justly  entitled  to  a  place  in  the  annals  of  this  county,  in  which  he 
has  so  long  made  his  home.  In  times  of  peace  and  of  war  he  has  been  intensely 
patriotic,  doing  everything  within  his  power  to  uphold  and  strengthen  his 
state  and  country.  He  has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  youngest,  if, 
indeed,  not  the  youngest,  soldier  of  the  Civil  war  now  living  in  Kansas,  as  he 
was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment. 

The  only  son  of  his  parents,  R.  N.  and  Susan  (Burns)  Cirtwell.  our  sub- 
ject was  born  in  Jefferson  county.  New  York,  October  7,  1850.  The  mother, 
who  was  a  most  estimable  lady,  and  an  earnest  member  of  the  Christian  church, 
died  in  1885.  The  father  departed  this  life  in  1896.  He  was  a  sterling  citizen, 
an  able  business  man,  and  was  active  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party. 

The  education  of  A.  D.  Cirtwell  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  state,  but  his  studies  were  interrupted  materially  by  the  great  Civil  war 
and  the  grave  issues  at  stake.  Though  he  was  but  fourteen  and  a  half  years 
old  when  the  war  closed,  his  father  had  much  difficulty  for  some  time  in 
restraininp-  the  youth  from  volunteering  his  services  on  behalf  of  the  Union, 
and  finally,  in  1864,  the  young  patriot  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Eighty-sixth 
New  York  Infantry,  his  commanding  officer  being  Colonel  Winslow.  While 
in  the  service  he  was  wounded  and  was  honorably  discharged  December  18, 
1865. 


io6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

When  he  was  twenty  years  of  age  A.  D.  Cirtwell  came  to  the  west,  follow- 
ing the  advice  of  Horace  Greeley,  of  his  own  great  state.  Ever  since  that  year, 
1870,  he  has  made  his  home  in  Kansas,  and  has  suffered,  with  her,  the  vicissi- 
tudes which  destiny  has  had  in  store  during  the  past  three  decades.  He  has 
lived  in  Effingham  for  eighteen  years,  and  is  engaged  in  the  buying  and  selling 
of  horses,  always  keeping  a  number  of  high-bred  roadsters  and  saddle  animals 
on  hand.  Integrity  and  justice  mark  all  of  his  transactions  and  his  word  is 
considered  as  good  as  his  bond.  Of  a  genial,  friendly  disposition  he  readily 
wins  the  regard  and  genuine  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact  and 
few  of  our  citizens  are  more  widely  known  or  more  popular. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Cirtwell  and  Katherine  Shorey  was  solemnized  in 
New  York,  in  1871.  She  is  a  daughter  of  George  Shorey  and  Katherine 
Shorey,  both  deceased.  Mrs.  Cirtwell,  who  is  a  lady  of  excellent  educational 
and  social  attainments,  has  become  the  mother  of  three  children :  Susan 
Charlotte,  wife  of  Arthur  F.  Wallace,  of  Muscotah,  Atchison  county,  Kansas ; 
Charles  Hubert,  who  married  Stella  Stepp,  a  daughter  of  W.  W.  Stepp,  and 
now  resides  in  Effingham,  Atchison  county,  Kansas ;  and  Fred,  a  graduate  of 
the  Topeka  ( Kansas)  Business  College,  and  now  private  secretary  to  the  prin- 
cipal in  the  Atchison  county  high  school. 

As  might  be  expected  Mr.  Cirtwell  has  a  warm  place  in  his  heart  for  the 
comrades  who  fought  for  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  has  long  been  an  honored 
member  of  Effingham  Post,  No.  276,  G.  A.  R,  He  also  belongs  to  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  Politically  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  taking  an 
active  interest  in  its  success.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 


CHARLES  LINLEY. 


Charles  Linley,  county  treasurer  of  Atchison  county  and  a  resident  of 
the  county  seat,  was  born  in  that  city,  which  is  still  his  home,  July  10,  1867, 
His  father.  Dr.  J.  M.  Linley,  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  leading  physicians 
of  Atchison  and  has  secured  a  very  liberal  patronage  as  a  member  of  the  medi- 
cal fraternity,  his  skill  and  ability  winning  him  prestige  among  medical  prac- 
titioners in  this  part  of  the  state.  He  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  as  is  his  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  A.  Hubbard. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Charles  Linley  spent  his  boyhood  days  and  when 
he  had  mastered  the  rudimentary  branches  of  learning  he  entered  the  high 
school,  and  still  later  continued  his  education  in  the  State  University  at  Law- 
rence, Kansas,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  through  several  terms.  Thus 
well  equipped  with  broad  knowledge  for  the  practical  and  responsible  duties 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         107 

of  life,  he  entered  the  First  National  Bank  of  Atchison,  where  he  was  employed 
in  various  capacities  for  seven  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
accepted  the  position  of  deputy  treasurer,  under  J.  C.  McCully,  and  was  con- 
tinued in  the  position  under  William  Bowman,  Mr.  McCuUy's  successor.  In 
the  fall  of  1899  he  was  elected  to  the  office,  and  his  long  experience  as  deputy 
well  qualified  him  for  the  able  discharge  of  the  responsible  duties  devolving 
upon  him. 

In  June.  1890,  Mr.  Linley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Maria  Riddell, 
of  Atchison,  and  to  them  has  been  born  a  son,  Robert.  In  his  political  affilia- 
tions Mr.  Linley  has  always  been  a  Republican,  firm  in  support  of  the  principles 
of  the  party.  He  has  served  for  two  years  as  a  member  of  the  school  board  of 
Atchison,  and  for  three  years  has  been  secretary  of  the  Republican  central  com- 
mittee. He  has  also  served  on  the  county  central  committee  and  does  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party,  whose  plat- 
form, he  believes,  embodies  the  best  elements  of  good  government. 


THOMAS  BEXTOX  SMITH. 

A  public-spirited  citizen  of  Grasshopper  township,  Atchison  county,  is 
Thomas  Benton  Smith,  who  takes  commendable  interest  in  everything  per- 
taining to  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  this  region.  He  has  held  several 
local  offices  and  has  used  his  influence  on  behalf  of  new  industries,  good  gov- 
ernment, schools  and  impro\ements  of  all  kinds  befitting  an  enterprising  com- 
munity in  these  last  days  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

His  father.  William  J-  Smith,  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Pennsylvania, 
his  native  state.  There  he  married  Lucinda  Barkley,  whose  father  was  a 
soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  serving  under  the  leadership  of  the  gallant  General 
Greene.  Only  four  of  the  children  born  to  W.  J.  Smith  and  wife  now  survive, 
namely :  Mrs.  Margaret  Pugh,  of  Indiana :  Alvah,  who  is  a  hero  of  the  Civil 
war,  having  served  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
now  resides  in  Franklin  county,  Kansas ;  Mrs.  Lucinda  Spangler,  of  Edward, 
Oklahoma,  and  Thomas  Benton.  Isaac  is  deceased;  Joseph  died  in  1880,  and 
William  R.  passed  away  at  his  home  in  Bureau  county,  Illinois.  The  mother 
departed  this  life  in  1864,  when  sixty-two  years  of  age,  and  the  father  fol- 
lowed her  to  the  silent  land  in  the  spring  of  1869. 

The  birth  of  Thomas  Benton  Smith  occurred  August  16.  1843,  i"  Grant 
county.  Indiana,  and  was  eight  years  of  age  when  the  family  removed  to 
Bureau  county,  Illinois.  There  he  attended  the  public  schools  and  for  some 
time  pursued  his  higher  studies  in  the  Dover  (Illinois)  Academy.  The  dread 
Civil  war  then  came  on  and  at  the  second  call  of  Lincoln  for  volunteers  he 


io8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

enlisted  in  Company  B,  Ninety-third  Illinois  Infantry,  nnder  command  of 
Captain  Holden  Putnam  and  Colonel  J.  N.  Hopkins.  During  his  army  life  Mr. 
Smith  took  part  in  a  number  of  decisive  or  important  battles  and  campaigns, 
among  others,  those  of  Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  Dalton,  Georgia.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1S64,  while  serving  in  General  McPherson's  corps,  he  was  present  at  the 
battle  of  Champion  Hills,  sustaining  a  severe  wound  in  the  left  shoulder.  At 
the  close  of  his  service  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his 
old  home  in  Illinois. 

In  January,  1866,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Smith  and  Mary  Wood- 
ruff, who  is  a  native  of  New  York  and  is  a  daughter  of  Nathan  and  Delia 
Woodruff.  Of  the  nine  children  who  blessed  the  union  of  our  subject  and  wife, 
three  have  been  called  to  the  better  land.  Charles  E.  is  engaged  in  the  grain 
business  at  Effingham,  and  Albert  .\.  is  associated  wicl;  him.  the  brothers  run- 
ning a  large  elevator  and  being  considered  young  men  of  exceptional  ability 
and  enterprise.  Thomas  Benton,  Jr.,  is  a  student  at  the  county  high  school. 
Alice  IMay  is  the  wife  of  M.  E.  Bevan,  of  this  township;  and  Blanche  is  the 
wife  of  Harry  Reece,  al.so  of  this  locality.  Angie  is  at  home  with  her  parents; 
Grace  died  in  her  third  year ;  Goldie  was  seven  at  the  time  of  her  death ;  Lottie, 
wife  of  W.  D.  Beven,  is  also  deceased.  To  his  children  Mr.  Smith  has  given 
good  educational  advantages.  Charles  E.,  who  attended  Campbell  Uni- 
versity at  Holton.  Kansas,  subsequently  taught  school  for  several  terms. 

In  his  political  faith  Mr.  Smith  is  an  uncompromising  Republican.  He 
has  served  his  fellow  citizens  as  township  trustee  for  some  four  years  and  was  a 
high-school  trustee  for  two  years.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  McFarland  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  Muscotah,  and  is  identified  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  Religiously  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  Congregationalists,  ac- 
tively interested  in  the  spreading  of  the  gosi^el  of  righteousness,  peace  and 
good  will  toward  mankind.  For  many  years  Mr.  Smith  has  lived  in  Atchi- 
son county,  Kansas,  during  this  period  having  owned  and  cultivated  the  valu- 
able homestead  where  he  may  be  found  to-da}'.  It  comprises  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  well  improved  with  commodious  barns  and  buildings.  The 
family  residence  is  an  attractive  hbme-Iike  place,  and  is  furnished  in  excellent 
taste.  Good  judgment  and  enterprise  have  characterized  all  the  undertak- 
ings of  Mr.  Smith  and  success  is  his  to-day  as  a  result  of  industry  and 
diligence. 

A^IOS  H.  RAASCH. 

Amos  H.  Raasch,  who  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  progressive 
farmers  of  Atchison  county,  and  whose  home  is  on  section  27,  Kapioma  town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  Wisconsin.    His  birth  took  place  June  13,  1866,  at  Dodge 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.         109 

City,  a  point  about  ten  miles  from  Waterton.  His  father.  Rev.  William 
Raasch.  was  a  minister  in  the  Baptist  church,  and  died  in  May,  1888,  mourned 
by  a  large  circle  of  sincere  friends.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served  with  the 
Seventeenth  Wisconsin  Infantry  as  chaplain,  and,  during  his  long  and  arduous 
campaigning  in  the  south,  bravely  stood  at  his  post  of  duty,  encouraging  his 
comrades 'and  proving  himself  a  true  and  reliable  friend  to  every  one 
who  wore  the  blue  uniform.  He  took  part  in  the  operations  at  A^icksburg, 
under  the  leadership  of  General  Grant,  and  participated  in  numerous  other 
hard-fought  battles.  At  last  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Confederates  and  for 
two  interminable  weeks  languished  in  Libby  prison.  In  1869  he  removed  with 
his  family  to  Kansas  and  located  upon  a  farm  in  Kapioma  township.  There 
his  wido\\-  yet  makes  her  home,  the  farm  being  managed  by  her  son-in-law, 
Mr.  \'itch.  William  Raasch  and  wife  were  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
namelv :  Gustavus,  of  Higg\-ille.  Missouri ;  August,  a  resident  of  Wichita 
countv,  Oklahoma ;  Rev.  William  F..  who  is  the  pastor  of  a  church  not  far  from 
Rochester,  New  York;  Amos  H. ;  Henry,  a  citizen  of  Oklahoma;  Ida.  wife  of 
George  Lovelace,  of  this  township;  Huldah,  wife  of  Peter  Vitch,  previously 
referred  to  as  carrying  on  the  old  homestead  of  our  subject's  father ;  and 
Martlia.  wife  of  William  Lovelace,  of  this  locality. 

When  the  family  settled  in  Kansas.  Amos  H.  Raasch  was  a  child  of  four 
years.  and  here  he  received  his  education  and  training  as  a  farmer.  Being 
ambitious  and  wide-awake,  he  has  made  the  best  of  his  opportunities,  and  has 
accumulated  a  competency  within  the  past  few  years.  He  now  owns  one  hun- 
dred ar.d  five  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  placed  under  cultivation.  One  of  the 
most  desirable  features  of  his  homestead  is  his  large,  well-kept  orchard,  and 
each  season  he  raises  a  fine  variety  of  berries  and  small  fruits. 

As  his  honored  father  did  for  many  years,  Mr.  Raasch  upholds  the  plat- 
form and  policy  of  the  Republican  party.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he 
is  not  desirous  of  holding  public  office,  his  neighbors  and  friends  have  often 
urged  him  to  do  so.  to  which  he  has  consented  in  a  few  instances,  acquitting 
himself  with  distinction.  Among  other  minor  positions  which  he  has  filled 
are  those  of  constable  and  justice  of  the  peace.  Both  lie  and  his  wife  are  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Second  Advent  Christian  church,  at  Muscotah,  he  serv- 
ing as  a  deacon  in  the  official  board. 

Ever  since  his  marriage,  in  1887,  Mr.  Raasch  has  found  a  true  companion 
and  helpmate  in  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Eliza  Armstrong.  She  was 
born  in- Winnebago  county.  Illinois,  not  far  from  Rockford.  and  is  one  of  the 
six  children  of  James  and  Margaret  Armstrong,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland. 
The  father  departed  this  life  in  this  state  a  few  years  ago,  but  the  mother  sur- 
vives. Ellen,  the  elder  sister  of  Mrs.  Raasch,  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Xiblo, 
whose  sketch  is  printed  upon  another  page  of  this  volume;  and  Maria  is  the 


no  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

wife  of  W.  W.  Franklyn,  of  Doniphan  county,  Kansas.  The  brothers  are 
Thomas,  of  tiiis  township;  James;  and  John,  who  died  when  in  his  eight- 
eenth year.  Three  cliildren  bless  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Raasch  namely : 
Margaret,  who  is  ten  years  old;  Thomas  A.,  now  in  his  eighth  year;  and  Ger- 
trude Fay,  a  babe  of  seven  months.  The  famiy  have  a  very  attractive  home, 
where  the  evidences  of  culture  and  tate  abound,  and  where  their  friends  de- 
hght  to  share  the  generous  hospitality  of  the  happy  household. 


EZRA  BATES  STEWARD. 

• 

Too  much  credit  cannot  be  given  to  the  pioneers  who  suffered  hardships 
that  words  poorly  portray,  and.  as  has  often  been  said  of  the  founders  of  this 
great  nation,  "they  builded  better  than  they  knew."  Kansas,  whose  early  days 
were  especially  troublous,  was  blessed  with  a  host  of  brave,  hardy  souls,  who 
never  faltered  in  the  great  work  of  making  this  one  of  the  foremost  trans- 
Mississippi  states.  Among  this  honored  band  of  patriots  is  enrolled  the  name 
of  Steward,  and  below  is  subjoined  a  review  of  the  lives  of  our  subject  and 
his  father,  both  prominent  in  Atchison  county. 

They  come  from  good  old  New  England  stock,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  E.  B.  Steward  having  been  Captain  Ezra  Steward,  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  state.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  1855,  accompanied  by  his  family,  and 
from  that  time  to  the  present  they  have  been  closely  identified  with  the  progress 
of  this  section  of  the  Union.  William,  father  of  E.  B.  Steward,  was  born  in 
Ohio  and  reared  and  educated  in  Indiana.  For  many  years  he  was  sheriff 
in  Jasper  county,  and  held  an  influential  place  in  the  community.  While  living 
in  the  Hoosier  state  he  married  Sarah  Yeoman,  daughter  of  Stephen  Yeoman, 
who  died  in  Indiana.  She  was  a  native  of  Indiana  and  grew  to  womanhood 
there.  In  1855  William  Steward  came  across  the  plains  with  a  team  and 
■wagon,  and  passed  through  Atchison  when  that  town  comprised  but  four 
houses.  He  took  up  his  abode  in  the  northwestern  part  of  section  13,  Kapioma 
township,  and  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  there,  dying  when  forty-two 
years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  died  in  1874,  was  in  her  forty-eighth  year.  Both 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  They  had  but  one  son  and  one  daugh- 
ter, Hannah,  wife  of  James  Thomas,  of  this  township. 

Ezra  Bates  Steward  was  born  in  Jasper  county, Indiana. in  1847.  ^\  ''in  he 
was  seven  years  of  age  he  came  to  this  county,  and  here  he  attended  the  district 
schools,  which,  as  might  be  expected,  were  of  very  poor  quality,  as  compared 
with  those  of  the  present  day.  It  was,  moreover,  his  privilege  to  be  a  student 
in  the  Monrovia  school  for  one  year.  Only  a  few  houses  could  be  seen  in  the 
course  of  a  long   day's  ride  through  the  county,  everything   being  wild  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         in 

desolate,  bearing  little  promise  of  the  brilliant  future  in  store  for  it.  On  his 
father's  farm  he  mastered  agriculture  in  its  various  details.  As  a  result  of 
this  industry  and  good  business  principles  he  now  owns  one  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  well-improved  land  in  Kapioma  township.  A  comfortable  house  and 
barns,  as  well  as  other  accessories  of  a  modern  homestead,  are  upon  the  place. 
Mr.  Steward  also  owns  a  house  and  lot  in  Muscotah,  and  a  house  and  two  lots 
in  Effingham,  and  a  house  and  two  lots  in  Horton,  Kansas. 

In  the  centennial  year  Mr.  Steward  married  Jettah  Streeter,  a  native  of 
Illinois.  She  was  educated  in  the  higher  branches  of  the  Leavenworth  Normal 
School,  and  was  a  popular  and  successful  teacher  prior  to  her  marriage.  Her 
father,  the  Rev.  William  H.  Streeter,  was  an  earnest  worker  in  the  Methodist 
denomination.  He  was  born  and  educated  in  Albany,  New  York,  and  after 
living  in  Illinois  for  some  time  came  to  Kansas  in  1870,  locating  in  Nemaha 
county.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Hannah  \'an  DeCar  before  her  marriage.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  six  survive.  Hattie  Adams  is  a 
resident  of  Rockford,  Illinois;  Harvey  Streeter  lives  in  Holton,  Kansas;  Frank 
makes  his  home  in  Muscotah,  Kansas;  j\Irs.  Minnie  Bradley  lives  in  this  town- 
ship, and  Charles  lives  in  Effingham.  The  four  children  of  our  subject  and 
wife  are:  Mabel  S.,  wife  of  Lloyd  Petree,  of  Effingham;  William  E.,  Virgil 
Leroy  and  Bertha  H. 

Politically  Mr.  Steward  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served  for  several  terms 
as  a  member  of  the  local  school  board.  He  is  a  loyal  member  of  the  Advent 
Christian  church,  and  not  only  works  in  the  church  and  Sunday  school,  but  also 
sings  in  the  choir  and  aids  in  every  department. 


WILLIAM  E.  MILLER,  M.  D. 

Since  1894  Dr.  Miller  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Muscotah.  and  the  liberal  patronage  which  he  receives  is  an  evidence  of  his 
skill  and  ability.  His  devotion  to  his  profession  is  very  marked,  and  he  gains 
from  the  faithful  performance  of  each  day's  duties  inspiration  and  courage 
for  the  labors  of  the  succeeding  one. 

The  Doctor  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Hanover, 
Jo  Daviess  county,  on  January  14,  i860.  His  father  was  one  of  the  first  school 
teachers  in  that  county,  and  the  family  are  therefore  identified  with  the  pioneer 
interests  of  the  Prairie  state.  Joseph  G.  ^Miller,  the  Doctor's  father,  was  mar- 
ried in  early  manhood  to  Miss  Margaret  McClellan,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  four  children.  The  mother,  who  was  an  earnest  Christian  woman 
and  had  a  large  circle  of  friends,  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1884,  and  the 
father  still  resides  in  Hanover,  Illinois. 


112  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

The  Doctor  attended  the  public  schools  of  Illinois  until  eighteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  came  to  Kansas.  He  attended  school  at  the  Kansas  State  Agricul- 
tural College,  taught  schrtjl  and  then  went  to  Colorado.  After  entering  uix)n  his 
business  career  he  was  employed  in  various  lines,  being  at  one  time  connected 
with  the  steel  works  in  Pueblo,  Colorado.  Subsequently  he  went  to  Beattie, 
Kansas,  where  he  was  superintendent  of  the  large  stone  quarries.  He  became 
a  student  of  medicine  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Pennington,  of  Beattie,  a 
physician  of  broad  experience  and  accurate  knowledge.  Subsequently  he 
entered  the  Ensworth  College,  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  on  the  completion 
of  the  regular  course  was  graduated  in  that  institution  in  the  class  of  1891.  For 
the  past  nine  years  he  has  devoted  his  attention  exclusively  to  his  professional 
duties.  He  first  opened  an  office  in  Huron,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  until 
his  removal  to  Muscotah.  in  1894.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  G.  Thomas, 
a  native  of  California  and  a  daughter  of  George  G.  Thomas,  of  Brusl..  Creek, 
Kansas.  During  her  early  girlhood  she  was  brought  to  this  state,  where  she 
was  reared  and  educated.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  now  have  an  interesting 
little  daughter,  Josephine  A. 

Socially  Dr.  Miller  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  is  a  Master  Mason,  belonging  to  Huron  Lodge.  In  his  political  views 
he  is  a  Republican,  while  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  and  enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  friends.  The 
Doctor  has  well  earned  the  honorable  title  of  self-made  man,  for  he  owes 
his  present  position  in  life  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  He  earned  the  money 
w'hich  enabled  him  to  pursue  his  professional  education,  and  then  entered  upon 
his  life  work,  in  which  advancement  must  result  from  his  marked  ability.  He 
now  occupies  a  leading  position  among  the  successful  practitioners  of  Atchison 
county,  and  is  steadily  advancing  toward  perfection. 


EDWARD  R.  CORXELISOX. 

One  of  the  first  settlers  of  Brown  county  was  E.  R.  Cornelison,  who 
came  to  the  county  some  years  prior  to  the  admission  of  Kansas  to  the  Union. 
He  has  witnessed  the  entire  growth  and  development  of  this  section  of  the 
state,  has  seen  its  wild  lands  claimed  by  pioneers  who  have  borne  the  hard- 
ships and  trials  of  the  frontier  in  order  to  settle  on  homes  of  their  own,  has 
w-atched  the  introduction  of  business  enterprises  and  the  establishment  of 
towns  and  villages,  and  has  e\-er  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  progress  and 
improvement,  giving  his  encouragement  and  ofttimes  material  support  to  the 
measures  and  movements  which  ha\-e  contributed  *to  the  general  prosperity. 


ldc^^iVuLjiJ><rU<-^^ ' 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         113 

For  many  years  he  was  actively  connected  with  the  agricultural  interests  of 
the  county,  but  is  now  living  retired  in  a  pleasant  home  in  Reserve,  where 
he  is  surrounded  by  the  comforts  of  life  which  he  has  secured  through  his 
own  well  directed  efforts. 

Mr.  Cornelison  was  born  in  Madison  county.  Kentucky.  January  8. 
1826,  of  German  lineage.  The  family  was  founded  in  America  in  colonial 
days  and  the  grandfather,  Edward  Cornelison.  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
loyally  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  after  which  he  settled  on  the  frontier 
of  Kentucky,  where  he  improved  a  farm  and  reared  his  famil}'.  He  mar- 
ried Susan  Skinner,  a  native  of  Georgia,  and  their  children  were  John. 
Richard,  William,  Thomas,  Eli,  Andrew,  Jane  and  Malinda.  The  family 
were  strict  members  of  the  Baptist  church.  Some  of  the  children  were  born 
in  North  Carolina,  but  the  younger  members  were  natives  of  Kentucky. 

Andrew  Cornelison.  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  Blue 
Grass  state,  and  was  there  married  and  reared  his  family.  He  wedded  Mar- 
garet Boggs,  a  daughter  of  John  Boggs,  of  Delaware,  one  of  the  heroes  of 
the  war  for  independence.  After  the  colonies  had  gained  their  liberty  he 
emigrated  to  Kentucky,  where  he  died.  His  children  were  Margaret.  Robert. 
John,  Benjamin  and  Mrs.  Hannah  Turley.  After  their  marriage  the  par- 
ents of  our  subject  took  up  their  abode  in  Kentucky,  where  the  father  carried 
on  farming  and  stock  raising  until  1848.  when  he  removed  to  Missouri,  spend- 
ing the  residue  of  his  days  upon  a  farm  in  that  state.  In  kis  family  were  ten 
children:  Robert,  who  died  in  Kentucky,  in  1897:  Thomas,  who  died  in  the 
same  state;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Gillespie,  who  died  one  year  after  her  marriage; 
E.  R.,  whose  name  begins  this  record ;  John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years;  Hannah  N.,  who  was  three  times  married,  her  first  husband  being 
Mr.  Boggs,  her  second  Mr.  Shunk  and  her  thir^  Mr.  Davison:  Cordelia  M., 
the  wife  of  T.  Gillespie:  William,  who  died' in  Kansas,  leaving  a  family;  Mrs. 
Susan  C.  Davison,  who  married  for  her  second  husband  John  Crisler;  and 
Mrs.  Margaret  Hare. 

Born  and  reared  in  Kentucky.  E.  R.  Cornelison  is  indebted  to  the  com- 
mon-school system  of  that  state  for  the  educational  privileges  which  he 
enjoyed.  He  was  married  there  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Gillespie,  who  was  born 
May  5,  1830,  a  daughter  of  Wilson  and  IMary  (Gentry)  Gillespie,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  early  settlers  of  Kentucky.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  and  slave  owner  and  died  in  Kentucky.  His  family  numbered 
the  following:  James;  Nancy,  now  Mrs.  Hart,  of  Brown  county;  Elizabeth, 
the  wife  of  our  subject;  Thomas;  Mrs.  Sally  A.  Coffman:  Henry,  of  Brown 
county:  Jefferson  and  Mrs.  Mary  McKinney.  Ivlrs.  Gillespie  married  for 
her  second  husband  Rohert  Boggs,  by  whom  she  had  one  son,  Robert. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Cornelison  removed  to  Andrew  county.  Mis- 


114  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

souri,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1855.  In  1854  he  came  to  Brown 
county,  Kansas,  and  located  a  claim,  which  had  not  been  surveyed.  Tlie  fol- 
lowing year  he  moved  his  family  to  their  new  home  and  immediately  began 
improving  his  land.  His  claim  was  located  on  Walnut  creek  and  contained 
the  best  timber  strip  in  the  county.  He  built  a  cabin,  made  rails  for 
fencing,  and  for  two  years  was  the  only  settler  in  that  locality.  Then  the 
emigrants  from  the  east  began  to  arrive,  the  land  was  rapidly  claimed  and  the 
work  of  civilization  was  carried  steadily  forward.  For  two  years  after  his 
arrival  Mr.  Cornelison  had  to  go  to  Missouri  for  mill  products  and  other 
supplies.  After  a  time,  however,  he  raised  grain  of  his  own  and  had  a  home 
market.  There  was  only  a  narrow  strip  of  land  between  his  farm  and  the 
Indian  reservation,  but  the  red  men  were  friendly,  occasioning  no  trouble 
to  the  settlers.  They  belonged  to  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribes.  When  the  land 
was  surveyed  and  came  into  market  Mr.  Cornelison  entered  his  claim,  which 
by  that  time,  1857,  had  been  transformed  into  a  nice  little  farm.  All  the  set- 
tlers at  first  located  along  the  creek,  but  as  the  population  increased  claims 
were  made  on  the  high  prairie.  He  has  witnessed  the  entire  growth  and 
development  of  the  county  and  taken  a  deep  interest  in  its  progress.  Hiawatha 
at  that  time  was  not  known  and  other  flourishing  towns  of  the  present  day 
then  "had  no  existence.  About  1870  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  was  built 
and  the  town  of  Reserve  was  platted  by  Mr.  Clark,  of  Covington.  Kentucky, 
its  location  being  a  mile  west  of  Mr.  Cornelison's  farm.  In  his  business 
ventures  he  has  prospered.  He  borrowed  two  hundred  dollars  with  which  to 
enable  him  to  lay  the  foundations  for  his  present  success.  With  this  small 
capital  he  undertook  the  work  of  improvement  and  in  the  course  of  time  his 
well  tilled  fields  yielded  to  him  abundant  harvests.  As  his  financial  resources 
increased  he  added  to  his  property  until  he  became  the  owner  of  eight  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  acres  of  valuable  land,  contained  within,  two  farms,  which 
are  splendidly  improved  with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences.  He 
has  made  a  specialty  of  stock  raising,  feeding  his  farm  products  to  his  stock. 
He  has  also  been  interested  in  commercial  affairs  in  Reserve,  has  purchased 
grain  for  some  time  and  he  and  his  son,  Robert,  are  the  owners  of  the  elevator 
and  ship  grain  on  an  extensive  scale,  thus  adding  materially  to  his  income. 
About  1894  Mr.  Cornelison  built  a  commodious  and  tasteful  residence 
in  Reserve  and  has  since  made  his  home  there,  having  retired  from  farm  life, 
giving  his  attention  now  only  to  the  control  of  his  property  interests.  The 
year  after  their  removal  to  the  town  the  mother  died,  being  called  to  her 
final  rest  October  21,  1895.  She  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Christian 
church  and  was  held  in  high  regard  by  her  neighbors  and  friends,  while  by 
her  family  she  was  greatly  beloved,  having  ever  been  a  faithful  and  loving 
wife  and  mother.     She  had  four  children :    John  Frank,  of  Reserve ;  Robert, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         115 

who  is  in  the  grain  business;  Henry,  who  died  at  tlie  age  of  twentv-tliree; 
and  William,  who  is  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Fairfield. 

Like  his  wife  Mr.  Cornelison  is  also  a  member  of  the  Christian  church, 
interested  in  its  welfare  and  growth.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  a  Demo- 
crat and  for  six  years  served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  after  which  he  resigned, 
caring  nothing  for  political  preferment.  He  desired  rather  to  give  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  his  business  affairs,  in  which  he  has  met  with  signal  suc- 
cess. His  business  has  always  been  carried  on  along  legitimate  lines  and  with 
strict  regard  to  commercial  ethics,  and  thus  he  has  not  only  gained  prosperity 
but  has  also  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow^  men. 


ALBERT  PERRY. 


Few,  if  any,  of  our  American  families  can  trace  their  ancestral  history 
further  back  through  the  chronicles  of  the  dim  and  mysterious  past  through 
a  more  honorable  lineage  than  the  Perry  family.  It  was  in  the  year  of  1653 
that  three  brothers — Benjamin,  Edward  and  Samuel — left  the  little  rock- 
ribbed  country  of  Wales  to  seek  a  home  beyond  the  Atlantic  in  the  new  coun- 
try which  was  just  being  opened  up  to  the  influences  of  civilization.  Many 
of  their  descendants  have  been  prominent  in  connection  with  the  events  which 
form  the  history  of  the  nation.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Jones 
Perry,  a  native  of  New  England  who  loyally  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
army  for  three  years.  To  the  same  family  belongs  the  distinguished  com- 
modore Oliver  H.  Perry,  whose  immortal  words,  "We  have  met  the  enemy 
and  they  are  ours,"  have  become  the  slogan  in  naval  circles  and  an  inspira- 
tion to  all  whose  service  connects  them  with  the  sea.  Amos  Perry,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  a  physician  and  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  thus  devoting 
his  life  to  two  of  the  most  notable  callings  to  which  men  direct  their  energies. 
He  married  Patience  Cheney,  and  both  were  natives  of  New  York,  the  former 
born  in  1795,  and  the  latter  in  1798.  The  lady  was  a  daughter  of  William 
Cheney,  who  was  of  English  descent  and  w'ho  became  a  soldier  in  the  Col- 
onial army  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  at  the  early  age  of  fourteen  years. 
His  father,  Ebenezer  Cheney,  also  served  three  years  in  the  Revolutionary 
war. 

Albert  Perry,  who  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Troy,  Kansas,  was 
born  near  Canandaigua,  Ontario  county,  New  York,  June  18,  1830,  and  is 
one  of  the  ten  children  born  to  his  parents,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living 
and  are  scattered  through  the  different  states  of  the  Union.  He  was  very 
young  when  the  family  removed  from  New  York  to  the  Western  Reserve, 


ii6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Ohio,  locating  in  x\slitabula  county.  There  he  passed  his  early  boyhood, 
attending  the  district  school  until  old  enough  to  enter  Chester  Academy.  He 
afterward  was  a  student  at  Oberlin  College  and  completed  his  studies  at 
Cleveland  University.  When  at  the  academy  at  Chester,  Ohio,  he  was  a 
classmate  of  James  A.  Garfield,  later  the  president  of  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Perry  began  the  study  of  law  with  John  Hutchins.  ex-member 
of  congress,  of  Warren,  Ohio,  as  his  preceptor,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
at  Columbus,  that  state,  before  the  supreme  court.  He  followed  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Warren  for  two  years,  and  in  1857  came  to  Kansas,  first 
settling  at  Doniphan,  where  the  land  office  was  then  located,  and  remained 
there  eighteen  months,  during  which  time  nearly  all  the  land  in  northeastern 
Kansas  was  pre-empted.  He  then  removed  to  Troy,  the  county  seat  of 
Doniphan  county,  where  he  opened  a  law  ofiice  and  carried  on  a  general  law 
business  until  1896.  Mr.  Perry  practiced  in  all  the  courts  in  Kansas,  state 
and  federal,  and  is  said  to  have  tried  more  cases  than  any  other  member  of 
the  Doniphan  county  bar.  He  is  a  man  of  high  principles,  cool-headed,  just 
in  his  dealings  with  men,  and  has  always  had  the  confidence  of  the  people, 
His  success  as  a  lawyer  is  due  to  these  traits  as  well  as  to  his  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  his  profession.  With  a  keenly  analytical  mind,  his  broad  knowledge 
of  law  enabled  him  to  apply  to  the  point  in  litigation  the  principles  of  juris- 
prudence which  bore  most  closely  upon  it,  citing  authority  and  precedent  until 
the  strength  of  his  case  was  clearly  seen  by  judge  and  jury.  His  deductions 
were  logical  and  the  force  of  his  arguments  was  shown  in  the  many  verdicts, 
favorable  to  his  clients,  which  he  won.. 

He  is  an  indefatigable  worker.  His  practice  has  been  general  and  he  is 
proficient  in  every  department  of  the  law.  The  litigation  with  which  he  has 
been  connected  is  of  a  very  important  character ;  he  has  met  in  forensic  com- 
bat many  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of  Kansas,  and  in  the  legal  arena  has  again 
and  again  won  the  victor's  laurels  over  competitors  of  marked  ability.  He 
is  quick  to  note  his  opportunity,  and  he  is  most  happy  in  his  choice  of  language. 

In  i860  Mr.  Perry  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mildred  LeUmd,  of 
Troy,  Kansas.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Cyrus  and  Sarah  A.  (Howard) 
Leland,  the  former  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College  and  a  prominent  citizen 
of  Troy.  Three  children  have  been  born  of  this  marriage:  Allen  L.,  an 
attorney  at  law,  of  Troy:  Warren,  a  physician  in  Fairbury,  Nebraska;  and 
Mabel,  the  wife  of  Dr.  W.  B.  Campbell,  of  Troy. 

Politically  Mr.  Perry  is  a  Democrat  and  was  one  of  the  presidential  electors 
in  1896.  He  was  for  some  time  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Kansas  state 
penitentiary.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  Troy  Lodge.  No.  55,  F.  &  A.  M. 
Although  retired  from  active  work  Mr.  Perry  superintendents  the  manage- 
ment of  a  fine  farm,  which  he  owns  near  Truy. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


CALEB  A.  WOODWORTH. 

On  the'pages  of  Kansas  hision-  the  name  of  Major  Caleb  A.  Woodworth 
stands  conspicuously  forth  as  one  of  the  prominent  pioneers  who  opened  up  to 
civilization  the  region  comprised  within  the  northeastern  part  of  this  common- 
wealth. He  is  numbered  among  the  early  frontier  settlers  who  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  great  prosperity  and  progress  of  Atchison  county,  and  is  equally 
distinguished  in  military  and  political  circles.  The  history  of  this  section  of 
the  commonwealth  would  be  incomplete  without  the  record  of  Major  Wood- 
worth,  whose  labors  have  largely  promoted  the  material,  educational  and  moral 
welfare  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

The  Major  was  born  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pennsylvania,  April  14,  1838,  and 
is  a  son  of  Caleb  Woodworth,  a  native  of  Tyre,  New  York,  whose  father,  also 
named  Caleb,  was  a  captain  of  artillery  under  General  Scott  in  the  war  of 
1812.  Gresham  \\'oodworth,  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a 
colonel  in  the  Continental  army  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  Saratoga.  The  family  were  of  English  origin,  the  original 
American  ancestors  coming  from  the  Isle  of  Man  to  the  new  world  at  an  early 
period  in  its  upbuilding.  Caleb  Woodworth,  Sr.,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  married  Miss  Ellen  Gordon,  whose  home 
was  in  Goshen,  New  York,  a  daughter  of  Cornelius  Gordon,  who  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  lineage.  He  was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle,  but  at  an  early  day 
came  to  America,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Virginia.  Mr.  Woodworth  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy- four  years,  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  December,  1898, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  Both  were  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  and  the  former  was  a  loyal  adherent  of  the  Odd  Fellows' 
society.  In  their  family  were  five  children :  Caleb  A.,  Gilbert  M.,  who  came 
to  Kansas  at  an  early  day  and  enlisted  in  the  Kansas  regiment,  in  which  he 
served  three  years.  He  first  became  corporal  and  then  sergeant,  and  later  was 
captain  of  a  company  of  the  Fourth  Arkansas  Infantry.  In  1864  lie  was  made 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Twelfth  Kansas  Militia.  In  political  life  he  was  also 
prominent,  serving  as  state  senator  in  Colorado.  He  died  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  September  8,  1899,  leaving  a  son,  Charles  G.,  who  is  now  resid- 
ing in  Onanga,  Oklahoma.  Ben  F.,  the  next  of  the  family,  is  a  resident  of 
Downs.  Oklahoma.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served  for  three  years,  being 
part  of  the  time  bugler  of  Company  A,  Fifth  Kansas  Infantry,  while  during 
the  remainder  of  the  time  he  was  a  captain  in  the  Fourth  Regiment  of  Kansas 
Volunteers.  David  G.,  who  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  member  of  the  state 
militia,  r£sides  in  Atchison  county;  Sarah  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  B.  A. 
Colville  and  died  in  Muscotah,  Kansas,  leaving  one  son,  Frank  Coh'ille,  who 
became  a  physician  and  recently  died  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 


ii8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Major  Woodwortli  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Virginia,  and  acquired  his 
educated  in  tlie  schools  there.  In  1857  he  accompanied  his  father  and  the 
family  to  Kansas.  They  located  at  Muscotah,  where  the  Major  remained 
until  1861,  when  he  responded  to  the  country's  callfor  troops,  enlisting  in 
Company  B,  Fourth  Kansas  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  for  nine  months. 
On  April  19,  1862,  he  was  mustered  out,  but  soon  afterward  re-enlisted  for 
three  years  in  Company  F,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Infantry,  in  which  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  major.  He  served  under  Generals  Blount,  Schofield, 
Steele  and  Reynolds. 

Since  his  return  Major  Woodworth  has  been  called  upon  to  perform  other 
service  for  the  people  of  his  state.  In  1876  he  was  elected  to  the  senate,  where 
he  served  for  four  years,  and  in  1892  he  was  chosen  to  represent  the  third  Kan- 
sas district  in  the  lower  house  of  the  legislature.  He  was  also  superintendent 
of  the  Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home. 

In  June,  1867,  Mr.  Woodworth  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Margaret 
Shaw,  of  Valley  Falls,  Jefferson  county.  Kansas,  a  native  of  Akron,  Ohio,  and 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Louisa  Shaw,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio. 
Three  children  have  been  born  of  this  union :  Xora,  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
E.  M.  Wilcox,  of  Muscotah,  and  has  three  sons  :  Herbert,  Moses  C.  and  Frank ; 
Ed.  S.,  who  married  Sarah  Surr  and  has  a  daughter,  Margaret;  Jennie,  the 
youngest,  is  at  home.  The  Major  has  given  his  children  excellent  educational 
advantages,  thus  preparing  them  for  the  practical  and  responsible  duties  of 
hfe.  Mrs.  Wilcox  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Holton,  Kansas,  and  Ed 
Woodworth  is  a  graduate  of  the  high  school  of  Atchison. 


JAMES  D.  ARMSTRONG. 

James  Davis  Armstrong,  who  is  widely  known  throughout  northeastern 
Kansas  as  one  of  its  pioneers,  is  a  sterling  representative  of  an  honored  south- 
ern family,  prominently  identified  with  the  founding  and  maintenance  of  this 
government.  His  great-grandfather,  James  Armstrong,  was  one  of  three 
brothers  who  came  to  America  from  the  northern  part  of  Ireland,  and,  during 
the  war  of  the  Revolution  valiantly  fought  for  the  rights  of  his  adopted 
country.  James  Armstrong,  Jr.,  took  part  in  two  of  the  early  Indian  wars, 
served  under  General  Jackson  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  and  was  a  personal 
friend  of  General  Sam  Houston.  The  wife  of  James  Armstrong,  Jr.,  was  a 
Miss  Lanier,  of  Virginia. 

Their  son,  Joshua  Davis,  was  the  father  of  James  Davis  Armstrong.  He 
Avas  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  at  an  early  day  came  to  Missouri.     In  1849, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         119 

wliile  on  his  way  to  California,  he  succumbed  to  an  attack  of  cholera,  dying 
when  but  thirty-five  years  of  age.  He  left  a  widow,  formerly  Elizabeth  Cog- 
dill,  and  four  children.  Her  grandfather,  William  Cogdill,  Sr.,  was  kidnaped 
by  a  body  of  British  soldiers,  in  1755.  and  was  forced  to  fight  under  the  leader- 
ship of  General  Braddock.  He  was  wounded  in  the  heel,  but  managed  to 
escape.  James  Davis  Armstrong  was  the  eldest  of  the  five  children  born  to 
Joshua  and  Elizabeth  Armstrong.  A  brother,  George  Washington,  the  young- 
est, died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  months,  and  Robert  was  four  years  old  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Nichols  resides  at  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  and  Mrs. 
Mary  McKinney  li\'es  at  Capay,  California.  The  mother  departed  this  life  in 
1855.  She  is  a  lovable,  Christian  woman,  a  devoted  member  of  the  Dis- 
ciples' church,  having  been  baptized  by  the  Rev,  Duke  Young,  of  Andrew 
county, Missouri.  The  father  was  connected  with  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  in  his  political  faith  was  a  Jackson  Democrat. 

The  birth  of  James  Davis  Armstrong  occurred  in  Andrew  county,  Mis- 
souri, September  2,  1840.  He  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  but  man- 
aged to  obtain  a  good  education,  and  under  the  wise  guidance  of  his  devout 
mother  laid  the  foundation  of  a  life  of  future  usefulness.  Having  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  he  worked  at  that  calling  for  some  time  in  Atchison,  being 
in  the  employ  of  Thomas  Rhea,  in  1859.  In  company  with  the  Rev.  Pardee 
Butler,  a  noted  pioneer  minister  of  the  Christian  church,  he  made  one  journey 
to  Denver,  and,  at  other  times,  was  associated  with  celebrated  frontier  person- 
ages. In  the  centennial  year  he  went  to  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  business  for  about  three  years,  and  accumulated  some  of  the  capital 
which  he  subsequently  invested  in  land.  It  was  in  1881  that  he  purchased  his 
present  homestead  in  Grasshopper  township — a  portion  of  the  farm  formerly 
having  been  the  property  of  Jacob  Reece.  The  place  comprises  four  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land,  much  of  it  being  under  cultivation,  while  fifty-five  acres 
are  included  in  the  exceptionally  fine  orchard,  in  which  the  owner  takes  just 
pride.  The  pleasant  farm  house  stands  upon  a  good  site  and  everything  about 
the  place  shows  the  watchful  care  of  the  business-like  proprietor. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Armstrong  and  Laura  McCubbin  took  place  in  the 
Baptist  church  at  Atchison  in  1872,  the  ceremony  being  performed  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Gunn.  Mrs.  Armstrong  was  born  at  Buchanan,  Missouri,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  R.  S.  McCubbin,  one  of  the  pioneer  merchants  of  Atchison.  He 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  to  himself  and  wife,  nee  Anna  Reece,  five  chil- 
dren were  born,  namely:  Laura;  Robert  D.,  whose  home  is  near  Muscotah, 
Kansas;  Nora  Florence,  of  California;  Belle  Tryon,  of  Sacramento,  Cali- 
fornia ;  and  Eva  Cline,  deceased,  and  formerly  of  this  county.  The  father  is 
at  present  living  at  Guthrie,  Oklahoma. 

The  eldest  child  of  our  subject  and  wife,  Robert  Francis,  born  in  1876, 


I20  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

married  Ethel  Benjamin  (daughter  of  Airs.  M.  Benjamin,  of  Effingham),  and' 
has  one  son,  Earl  James.  James  Albert,  second  son  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  1880.  Leota  Pearl,  born  in  1883,  and  now  a  student  at  the  Atchison  county 
high  school,  is  especially  proficient  in  music.  Bessie  Laurene,  living  at  home, 
is  now  in  her  fifteenth  year.  Anna,  the  first-born,  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  ■ 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Armstrong  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
South.  Thirty-five  years  ago  he  became  connected  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, joining  the  Atchison  Lodge,  No.  5,  F.  &  A.  M.  In  politics  he  is  an 
uncompromising  Democrat.  In  public  and  in  domestic  circles,  his  life  has 
been  characterized  by  unselfish  de\'Otion  to  the  interests  of  others  and  every- 
body honors  and  respects  him. 


CAPTAIN  AMOS  A.  HOWELL. 

Captain  Howell  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  of  the  early  residents 
of  Atchison  and  may  be  said  to  have  taken  an  active  part  in  the  opening  up 
and  development  of  this  section  of  the  west,  as  for  many  years  he  was  engaged 
in  piloting  the  long  trains  of  wagons  which,  before  railroads  were  built,  were 
the  only  means  of  conveying  the  necessaries  of  life  across  the  plains.  As  a 
"freighter"  Captain  Howell  has  seen  many  exciting  as  well  as  amusing  inci- 
dents, and  the  account  of  his  experiences  in  this  capacity,  as  given  in  an  issue 
of  the  Atchison  Globe  and  which  is  appended  to  this  sketch,  will  prove  inter- 
esting to  our  readers. 

Captain  Howell  was  born  in  Uniontown,  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania, 
December  26,  1824.  His  father.  Seth  Howell,  a  native  of  Trenton,  New  Jer- 
sey, was  a  bricklayer  by  trade,  but  for  many  years  kept  a  hotel  at  Union- 
town.  He  was  of  Welsh  descent.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Eliza 
Turnpaugh,  was  born  near  Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  was  a  member  of  a 
well  known  German  family.     Both  parents  died  in  Uniontown. 

Amos  A.  Howell  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  at  Madi- 
son College  at  Uniontown,  and  on  leaving  school  became  his  father's  assistant 
in  the  hotel  business,  being  also  employed  three  years  in  carrying  the  mails 
between  Uniontown  and  Clarksburg,  Virginia.  Li  1844  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Esther  A.  McBurney,  of  East  Liberty,  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania, 
daughter  of  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  that  county. 

In  1856  Captain  Howell  came  to  Atchison,  bringing  his  family  all  the 
long  distance  from  Pennsylvania  in  wagons.  He  spent  the  following  winter 
in  the  town,  and  the  ensuing  spring  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  what  is  now  Grasshopper  township,  Atchison  county,  and  settled  upon  it. 
From  time  to  time  he  has  added  to  this  property  until  now  his  farm  comprises 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         121 

four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  choice,  well  improved  land,  upon  which  are 
a  good  dwelling  house,  two  excellent  barns  and  other  outbuildings.  He  saw 
many  hardships  and  privations  in  the  early  days,  but  being  energetic,  perse- 
vering and  hopeful,  all  obstacles  were  finally  conc]uered.  To-day  he  is  enjoy- 
ing the  results  of  years  of  hard  work.  He  raises  fine  cattle  and  horses  and 
also  some  hogs,  and  has  been  very  successful  in  all  his  business  enterprises. 

Captain  Howell  moved  from  his  farm  into  the  city  in  1892  and  engaged 
in  the  ice  business,  in  which  he  is  employed  at  this  writing.  He  leases  a  part 
of  his  farm,  retaining  the  management  of  the  remainder.  Mrs.  Howell  died 
on  the  farmstead  in  1888,  leaving  four  children, — two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters. Of  these  Nathan  C.  is  a  farmer  in  Grasshopper  township,  Atchison 
county;  ]Mary  H.  married  Franklin  Lewis  and  resides  in  southern  Kansas; 
Charles  A.  is  a  farmer  in  the  above  named  township;  Sabina  married  Joshua 
Page  and  is  deceased. 

Politically  Captain  Howell  has  always  voted  with  the  Democratic  party. 
For  some  time  he  was  a  member  of  tl>e  school  board  and  trustee  of  the  town- 
ship. Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  by  all  who  know  him  and  is  a  most  interesting  conversationalist,  his 
reminiscences  of  the  early  times  being  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  those  who 
are  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  opportunity  to  hear  them  related.  He  can 
also  tell  stories  of  long  ago  in  the  eastern  states  and  of  his  grandfather,  Philip 
Howell,  who  was  among  the  first  to  run  a  ferry  across  the  Delaware  river 
at  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  which  became  a  famous  crossing  for  travelers  on  their 
way  to  Philadelphia.  ^ 

The  Atchison  Globe's  account  of  the  early  experiences  of  Captain  Howell, 
already  referred  to,  is  here  appended : 

"Amos  A.  Howell,  who  is  now  in  the  ice  business  in  Atchison,  was  one 
of  the  plains  freighters  who  distinguished  Atchison  in  the  early  days.  He 
ran  twenty-seven  wagons,  with  six  yoke  of  oxen  to  each  wagon.  An  extra 
herd  of  oxen  was  taken  along,  known  as  a  'cavvy,'  to  'spell'  the  others  and 
take  the  places  of  those  that  gave  out.  Altogether  he  owned  four  hundred 
head  of  work  oxen.  The  oxen  were  expected  to  pick  up  their  living  on  the 
way,  but  when  mules  were  used  in  winter  it  was  necessary  to  carry  grain  for 
them.  Thirty  men  were  necessary  in  a  train  of  twenty-seven  wagons  pulled 
by  oxen.    Mr.  Howell  was  his  own  wagon  boss,  assisted  by  his  son,  Nat. 

"In  those  days  there  was  a  government  regulation  that  all  trains  should 
be  held  at  Fort  Kearney  until  a  hundred  armed  men  had  collected.  Then  a 
captain  was  elected,  who  was  commissioned  by  the  government  and  had 
absolute  charge  of  the  train  while  it  was  passing  through  the  Indian  country. 
Mr.  Howell  frequently  occupied  the  position  of  captain,  being  well  known  on 
the  plains. 


122  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

"On  one  occasion,  while  he  was  captain,  he  halted  at  Cottonwood,  on  the 
Platte,  as  the  Indians  were  ver}-  bad  and  soldiers  were  expected  to  go  through 
with  the  train.  But  none  came,  and  finally  Mr.  Howell  unloaded  five  wagons, 
filled  them  with  armed  men  and  started  out.  Almost  in  sight  of  Cottonwood 
a  gang  of  gaily  painted  Indians  attacked  the  train,  supposing  it  was  a  little 
outfit;  but  when  the  Indians  came  within  range  the  'Whisky  Bills'  and  'Poker 
Petes'  in  the  covered  wagons  began  dropping  the  Indians  off  their  ponies  and 
there  was  a  very  pretty  fight,  in  which  the  Indians  were  badly  worsted. 

"Mr.  Howell  says  the  Indians  ne^'er  attacked  wagon  trains  except  very 
early  in  the  morning  or  late  in  the  evening.  The  favorite  sport  of  the  Indians, 
however,  was  to  run  off  the  stock  after  the  train  had  gone  into  camp  at  night, 
and  they  always  had  one  way  of  doing  it,  which  Mr.  Howell  finally  learned. 
The  Indians  are  no  wiser  than  white  men,  for  they  say  that  white  men  always 
fail  in  business  the  same  way  and  act  the  same  way  when  they  have  a  fire. 
An  Indian  would  ride  up  on  a  high  point  and  look  around  a  while.  This 
would  always  be  in  the  evening,  when  the  train  was  near  a  camping  place. 
Then  the  Indian  would  disappear  and  come  back  presently  with  another  Indian 
wrapped  in  his  blanket  and  riding  the  same  pony.  One  Indian  then  would 
drop  off  into  the  grass  and  the  rider  would  go  back  after  another  one;  the 
Indians  were  collecting  an  ambush,  thinking  the  freighters  would  never  think 
of  it. 

"Mr.  Howell  had  in  his  employ  as  driver  an  Atchison  man  named 
'Whisky  Bill,'  who  was  particularly  clever  at  hating  Indians,  and  whenever 
an  ambush  was  preparing  'Whisky  Bill"  would  select  four  or  five  other  men 
equally  clever  and  go  after  the  Indians.  He  often  killed  and  scalped  as  many 
as  four  in  one  ambush  and  sold  the  scalps  in  Denver  to  the  Jews  for  a  suit 
of  clothes  each.  The  Jews  bought  them  as  relics  and  disposed  of  them  in  the 
east.  The  killing  of  Indians  in  this  manner  was  according  to  government 
orders  and  strictly  legitimate.  Another  driver  in  Howell's  train  was  an  Atchi- 
son man  named  Rube  Dugan.  He  was  a  great  roper  and  used  to  take  a  horse 
when  in  sight  of  a  buffalo  herd  and  go  out  after  calves,  which  made  tender 
meat.  Riding  into  the  herd  he  would  lasso  a  calf,  fasten  the  rope  to  the  ground 
with  a  stake  and  then  go  on  after  another  one  before  the  herd  got  away.  He 
caught  several  calves  in  this  way  for  Ben  Holladay,  who  took  them  east.  Mr. 
Howell  remembers  once  that  this  side  of  Fort  Kearney  it  was  necessary  to  stop 
the  train  to  let  a  herd  of  buffalo  pass.  The  men  always  had  fresh  buffald 
meat  in  addition  to  their  bacon,  beans,  dried  apples,  rice  and  fried  bread. 

"There  was  a  cook  with  the  train  who  drove  the  mess  wagon,  but  he  did 
not  do  any  other  work.  Every  driver  had  to  take  his  turn  getting  wood  and 
water  for  the  cook  and  in  herding  the  cattie  at  noon,  but  the  night  herder  did 
nothing  else  and  slept  in  the  mess  wagon  during  the  day.     Occasionally  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         123 

would  waken  about  noon  and  hunt  along  the  road.  The  cattle  fed  at  nio'ht 
until  ten  or  eleven  o'clock,  when  they  would  lie  down  until  two  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  night  herder  would  lie  down  by  the  side  of  a  reliable  old  ox  and 
sleep,  too,  being  awakened  when  the  ox  got  up  to  feed.  The  oxen  were  driven 
into  the  wagon  corral  about  daylight  and  yoked.  Every  wagon  had  its 
specified  place  in  the  train  and  kept  it  during  an  entire  trip.  The  wagons  were 
always  left  in  a  circle  at  night,  forming  a  corral.  Into  this  corral  the  cattle 
were  driven  while  being  yoked.  In  case  of  an  attack  the  cattle  were  inside  the 
corral  and  the  men  fought  under  the  wagons.  The  teams  started  at  daylight 
and  stopped  at  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  until  after  two  or  three,  then  they  would 
start  out  and  travel  until  dark.  Mr.  Howell  always  rested  on  Sunday,  making 
an  average  of  a  hundred  miles  a  week  with  his  ox  teams.  When  the  train 
started  out  each  man  was  given  ten  pounds  of  sugar,  which  was  to  last  him 
to  Denver.  On  the  first  Sunday  the  men  would  make  lemonade  of  sugar  and 
vinegar  and  do  without  sugar  the  rest  of  the  trip. 

"Mr.  Howell  saw  the  attack  on  George  W.  Howe's  train  on  the  Little 
Blue,  when  George  Constable,  the  wagon  boss,  was  killed,  and  the  entire  train 
burned.  Constable  was  an  Atchison  man.  Howell's  train  was  corraled  and  he 
could  not  go  to  Howe's  assistance. 

"Mr.  Howell  came  to  Atchison  county  in  1856,  by  wagon,  from  Fayette 
county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  born  December  26,  1824.  Althouo-h 
seventy  years  old,  he  is  stout  and  vigorous,  getting  up  every  mornino-  at  four 
o'clock  to  go  to  work.  His  plains  experience  did  him  good.  He  still  owns 
the  claim  he  took  up  in  Grasshopper  township  and  has  since  acquired  three 
ether  quarter-sections  beside  it." 


HENRY  MYERS. 


The  fitting  reward  of  a  well-spent  life  is  an  honored  retirement  from 
labor,  such  as  Mr.  Myers  is  now  enjoying.  One  of  the  fine  farms  of  Shannon 
township,  Atchison  county,  is  an  indication  of  his  labors  in  former  years,  for 
the  valuable  property  on  which  he  now  resides  was  secured  entirely  through 
his  earnest,  consecutive  and  honorable  efforts. 

Mr.  Myers  is  a  native  of  the  Fatherland,  his  birth  ha\ing  occurred  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  on  June  25,  1829.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of  the 
same  country.  The  mother  was  a  Miss  Myers  before  her  marriage,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  Myers.  In  1835  the  family  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  landing 
at  New  York  city  after  a  voyage  of  eight  weeks.  They  went  direct  to  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  and  after  spending  the  succeeding  winter  there,  removed  to  Jackson 


124  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

county,  Indiana,  wliere  they  remained  until  1849.  Tlie  mother's  death  occurred 
in  that  county  in  1840. 

In  1841  Henry  Myers,  of  this  review,  became  a  student  in  one  of  the 
primitive  schools  of  Indiana, — a  log  building,  supplied  with  crude  furniture. 
There  he  became  familiar  with  the  elementary  branches  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, pursuing  his  studies  through  the  winter  months,  while  in  the  summer 
season  he  followed  the  plow,  planted  the  crops  and  then  assisted  in  gathering 
the  harvests  'in  the  autumn.  In  1850  he  started  westward,  taking  up  his  abode 
in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  was  engaged  in  teaming  for  a  time.  He  did 
much  hauling  for  millers  in  that  locality,  and  E^lso  transported  supplies  for 
farmers  to  the  Arkansas  river. 

In  1852  Mr.  Myers  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lititia  Hardsick,  of 
Missouri,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cottonwood  shingles. 
In  1867  he  removed  to  Kansas  and  purchased  a  farm  of  A.  J.  Gore,  in  Shan- 
non township,  then  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  to  it  he 
added  from  time  to  time  until  within  its  boundaries  were  comprised  seven 
hundred  and  twenty  acres.  He  erected  upon  the  farm  a  good  dwelling,  sub- 
stantial barns,  sheds  and  out-buildings,  and  became  one  of  the  prosperous 
agriculturists  of  the  community.  He  was  very  successful  as  a  wheat  raiser 
and  also  in  raising  cattle  and  hogs,  frequently  feeding  and  fattening  cattle  for 
the  market.  He  was  very  industrious  and  energetic,  and  these  qualities  brought 
him  a  handsome  competence.  He  continued  the  operation  of  his  farm  until 
1897,  since  which  time  it  has  been  controlled  by  his  sons. 

On  November  5,  1896,  Mr.  Myers  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
his  wife,  who  was  a  most  estimable  lady,  greatly  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
her  family.  Mr.  Myers  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  is  now  in  possession  of  a  competence,  which,  in  the  later 
vears  of  his  life,  supplies  him  with  comforts  and  luxuries.  Mr.  Myers  has 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  his  career  has  been  an  honorable  and  upright 
one,  and  that  it  has  not  been  without  the  financial  reward  which  should  ever 
attend  well-directed  labor. 


WILLIAM  L.  HEINEKEN. 

William  L.  Heineken,  a  prosperous  and  influential  farmer  of  Atchison 
county,  resides  upon  a  well  improved  homestead  situated  on  section  22,  Benton 
township.  He  is  a  native  of  Louisiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  October  10, 
1847.  His  family  name  was  originally  spelled  Langeheineken,  but  on  account 
of  the  difficulty  of  writing  and  pronouncing  such  a  long  name  the  first  syllable 
was  dropped. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         125 

Tlie  family  of  which  he  is  a  sterhng  representative  is  an  old  and  honored 
one  in  Germany,  his  grandfather,  a  native  of  Hamburg,  being  reared  and 
educated  in  that  country.  For  a  wife  he  cl>3se  a  lady  of  Portuguese  birth, whose 
family  were  wealthy  and  influential,  but  whose  estates  were  confiscated  by  the 
crown  because  of  their  too  openly  sympathizing  with  the  revolutionary  party 
during  the  Carlos  war.  Our  subject's  father,  Augustus  Heineken,  was  born 
in  Hamburg,  and  when  he  arrived  at  the  proper  age  entered  the  military  serv- 
ice of  his  fatherland,  serving  for  three  years.  Later  he  embarked  in  merchan- 
dising, in  which  pursuit  he  met  with  success.  He  married  Carolina  Schrader, 
of  a  prominent  Brunswick  (Germany)  family.  In  1846  the  young  couple 
came  to  America,  locating  at  first  in  Baltimore,  and  subsequently  settling  in 
New  Orleans.  Of  their  three  children  Theodore,  deceased,  left  a  widow  and 
two  daughters,  and  Helena,  deceased,  became  the  wife  of  William  Sherrill. 
The  father  died  when  in  his  sixty-fifth  year  and  the  mother,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  church,  died  when  in  her  sixty-fourth  year. 

William  L.  Heineken  came  to  Kansas  in  1857,  when  he  was  a  lad  of  ten 
years,  and  for  one  year  worked  on  a  farm  in  Atchison  county  and  for  four 
years  worked  on  a  farm  in  Doniphan  county,  working  for  his  father.  He 
attended  district  schools  during  this  time  and  then  took  a  course  in  Bush's 
Commercial  College  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  He  was  engaged  in  farming  in 
A\'yandotte  county,  Kansas,  up  to  1872,  when  he  went  to  Cowley  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  at  Winfield  for  one  year.  Relinquish- 
ing the  hotel  he  then  farmed  in  Cowley  county  till  the  spring  of  1884.  when 
he  purchased  his  present  homestead.  There  are  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  the  place  and  the  improvements  include  a  commodious  house,  barns,  fences, 
windmill  and  other  necessary  attributes  of  a  desirable  modern  country  home. 
The  farm  is  near  Nortonville  and  only  five  miles  from  Effingham. 

In  1872  Mr.  Heineken  married  Mary  Helm,  in  Wyandotte  county,  Kan- 
sas. She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  Helm,  and  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. Ten  children,  seven  of  the  number  sons,  have  blessed  the  union  of  our 
subject  and  wife,  namely:  Edward,  a  student  at  the  Effingham  high  school; 
Carrie,  wife  of  A.  Matthews;  Nora,  Chester,  Elsie,  Theodore,  Arthur,  Walter, 
Harry  and  Ernest. 

Mr.  Heineken  is  a  self-made  man,  owing  to  his  own  indefatigable  efforts 
the  competence  which  he  now  enjoys.  He  is  a  man  of  upright  principles  and 
one  of  his  highest  ambitions  is  to  provide  all  of  his  children  with  a  good,  practi- 
cal education.  For  twenty-two  years  he  has  officiated  as  a  school  director,  mani- 
festing the  great  interest  which  he  takes  in  the  matter  of  proper  educational 
facilities  for  the  young.  Socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Knights  and  Ladies 
of  Security.  In  politics  he  is  a  Populist,  loyally  upholding  the  policy  of  the 
party  which  he  believes  to  be  the  best  for  the  common  good. 


:26  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


CHARLES  EDWIN  KNUDSON. 

Necessity  is  said  to  be  the  mother  of  about  every  useful  invention.  To 
recognize  the  necessity  for  a  machine  or  process  for  a  given  scientific  or 
mechanical  purpose,  one  must  be  intimately  acquainted  with  the  present 
methods  for  the  work  involved  and  their  shortcomings.  Edison,  the  great 
wizard  in  the  realm  of  electricity,  gained  his  first  experience  of  that  mysterious 
force  as  a  telegrapher;  railroad  men  have  been  the  most  prolific  originators 
of  railroad  inventions  and  farmers  have  produced  many  inventions  adapted  to 
their  own  uses.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the  latter  class  of  inventions 
in  recent  years  is  that  of  Charles  Edwin  Knudson,  of  Washington  township, 
Brown  countv,  Kansas,  for  taking  the  corn  crop  off  the  ground ;  an  in\ention 
which  has  been  developed  to  the  verge  of  absolute  success  and  which  will 
doubtless  soon  meet  the  expectations  of  Mr.  Knudson  and  his  friends. 

Charles  Edwin  Knudson  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  progressive, 
prosperous  and  favorably  knOwn  families  of  Brown  county,  and  was  born 
where  he  now  lives,  in  Washington  township,  December  29,  1873,  ^  son  of 
Ulrick  Knudson,  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  independent  farmers  and 
strong  unswerving  Republicans  in  that  part  of  the  county.  Ulrick  Knudson 
was  born  in  Valders,  Norway,  February  14,  1837,  one  of  the  ten  children  of 
Knud  Knudson,  six  of  whom  are  living :  Ole,  in  Manitowoc  county,  Wiscon- 
sin ;  Annie,  widow  of  Gulick  Gigstad,  Atchison  county:  Mary,  wife  of  Ole 
Dovre,  of  Valders,  Norway;  Ulrick;  Benedick,  one  of  the  wealthy  farmers  of 
Brown  county:  and  Julia,  wife  of  Nels  Nelson,  of  Lyon  county,  Minnesota. 
Ulrick  Knudson  left  Norway  in  April,  1857,  sailing  on  the  Gaugerolf  from 
Bergen  to  Quebec.  He  reached  Manitowoc,  Wisconsin,  July  4,  following, 
and  came  to  Kansas  soon  afterward.  In  1861  he  drove  across  the  plains  to 
Colorado,  thus  employed  en  route  for  bis  board  and  transportation,  and  v.virked 
in  the  mines  about  Gregory  for  nearly  four  years.  He  returned  to  Kansas 
with  six  hundred  dollars  and  with  this  began  his  career  in  Brown  county.  His 
progress  has  been  constant  and  his  accumulations  steady.  He  has  improved 
his  present  home  farm,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  state,  most  substantially  and 
elegantly.  He  married  Bertha  Strand  in  1870.  Their  children  are:  Charles 
E.,  Rosa  E.,  Annie  M.,  Edward  O.,  Benhard,  Julius  A.,  Clara  A.  and  Henry 
Adolph. 

Charles  E.  Knudson  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  and  was  educated 
in  the  district  school.  He  decided  to  engage  in  railroading  when  well  tuward 
his  twentieth  year,  and  went  to  Sedalia,  Missouri,  where  he  learned  telegraphy. 
After  completing  his  course  he  became  operator  at  Rennick.  Missouri,  and  was 
there  when  the  order  of  railway  telegraphers  called  a  strike  on  the  system  on 
which  he  was  employed.    Not  being  a  member  of  the  union  and  not  having  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  127 

experience  required  to  join  it,  he  though  it  expedient  to  quit  the  service.  He 
returned  to  Kansas,  expecting  to  get  a  position  with  the  Rock  Island  Railway 
Company,  but  liis  father  made  him  a  good  proposition  to  engage  in  farming, 
whicli  lie  accepted. 

Mr.  Knudson's  reputation  as  an  inventor  extends  throughout  Brown  and 
adjoining  counties,  and  the  people  generally,  who  recognize  the  utility  of  his 
machine,  believe  he  will  speedily  make  it  completely  successful.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  revolved  in  his  mind  an  idea  that  a  machine  could  be  made  that 
would  take  the  corn  crop  off  the  ground  more  cheaply  than  it  can  be  harvested 
by  the  present  method :  and  then,  with  characteristic  energy,  he  imposed  upon 
himself  and  undertook  the  task  of  planning  such  a  machine  and  bringing  it 
into  existence.  His  first  device  consisted  of  a  binder-wheel  with  its  canvas 
and  rollers  in  such  a  position  that  they  could  be  attached  to  the  rear  of  a 
wagon.  The  process  was  to  snap  the  corn  and  load  it  into  a  hopper  of  the 
machine  above  the  husking  rolls.  As  the  wagon  and  machine  were  drawn  over 
the  field  the  latter  did  its  work  fairly  well  and  elevated  the  corn  into  the 
wagon.  It  was  found,  however,  to  require  too  much  work  to  keep  the  hopper 
filled  to  admit  of  the  profitable  operation  of  the  machine.  The  original  idea 
was  therefore  abandoned. 

In  1897  Mr.  Knudson  called  many  farmers  of  his  own  nationality 
together  and  explained  to  them  what  he  proposed  to  do  and  what  he  had 
accomplished.  His  process,  as  then  planned  for  taking  corn  off  the  stalk, 
seemed  so  plausible  that  a  company,  called  the  "Farmer's  Aid  Association," 
was  formed,  which  raised  enough  money  to  enable  Mr.  Knudson  to  go  to 
Washington  in  person  and  patent  his  invention.  The  conditions  of  the  public 
donations,  which  constituted  the  fund,  were  that  if  the  machine  should  prove 
a  success  the  subscribers  were  to  be  reimbursed  in  double  the  amount  of  their 
subscription  :  but  if  the  invention  turned  out  impracticable  tb:  money  given  was 
to  be  considered  an  absolute  donation.  The  ofticers  of  the  association  were 
Rev.  B.  .A.  Sand,  president.  John  Thorson,  secretary,  and  H.  C.  Olson,  treas- 
urer. Besides  these  gentlemen,  the  other  members  of  the  association  were 
B.  and  U.  Knudson,  H.  J.  Peterson,  L.  Severtson,  K.  G.  Gigstad,  Eli  Turkel- 
son  and  Jacob  Knudson.  In  1898  Mr.  Knudson  raised  more  money  with  which 
to  build  an  experimental  machine,  by  agreeing  to  a  division  of  the  proceeds 
of  the  sale  of  the  first  one  hundred  machines  in  case  it  should  prove  a  success, 
pro  rata,  as  per  each  subscription ;  but  if  the  machine  should  not  prove  a  success 
the  amounts  contributed  were  not  to  be  returned  to  the  subscribers.  He 
took  his  drawings  and  went  to  St.  Joseph.  Missouri,  where  for  four  months 
he  was  engaged  in  the  construction  of  the  machine.  It  was  tested  in  the 
fall  of  1899  and  was  found  to  be  nearer  the  thing  desired  than  the  first 
invention,  one  of  its  principal  deficiencies  being  the  skipping  of  the"down 


128  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ears."  Mr.  Knudson  is  now  planning  to  apply  new  principles  to  the  construc- 
tion of  some  of  the  working  parts  of  the  machine  and  confidently  expects,  ere 
long,  to  overcome  all  obstacles  to  its  perfect  operation. 

Mr.  Knudson  was  married,  in  December,  1896,  to  Ella  M.  Anderson, 
daughter  of  Gilbert  Anderson,  of  Scandia,  Kansas.  Their  children  are : 
Charles  U.  Gilmore,  born  in  1897:  Esther  Olivia  Beatrice,  born  in  1899,  and 
Luther  Arlington,  born  in  1899.  Mr.  Knudson  is,  like  his  father,  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  has  served  on  the  county  central  committee.  He  resembles 
his  father  also  in  his  public-spirited  encouragement  of  all  measures  having  for 
their  object  the  advancement  of  the  general  good.  Though  not  caring  for 
office  for  himself,  he  is  an  active  and  intelligent  party  worker  and  wields  con- 
siderable political  influence  in  a  local  way. 


PETER  McOUAID. 


Peter  McOuaid,  now  deceased,  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  prominent 
pioneer  settler  of  Nemaha  county  and  in  his  death  the  community  lost  one  of 
its  valuable  citizens.  He  was  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle  and  in  his  life  man- 
ifested many  of  the  sterling  characteristics  of  his  race.  His  birth  occurred 
April  8,  1830.  In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  land  he  pursued  his  educa- 
tion until  eighteen  years  of  age,  acquiring  an  excellent  knowledge  that  well 
fitted  him  for  the  practical  and  responsible  duties  of  life.  He  was  only  ele\en 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death.  In  1848  he  came  to  America, 
locating  in  New  York  where  he  was  first  employed  in  a  drug  store.  Later  he 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for  some  time.  He  traveled 
to  a  considerable  extent  iti  Canada,  also  visited  the  Mississippi  valley  and  went 
as  far  west  as  the  Black  Hills,  stopping  at  many  intermediate  points  on  his 
journey.  In  1858  he  arrived  in  Nemaha  county,  locating  at  Farmington, 
where  he  established  a  blacksmith  shop.  It  was  after  that  that  he  visited  the 
Black  Hills,  remaining  for  about  a  year  and  then  returning  to  Nemaha  county, 
where  he  resumed  work  at  his  trade,  conducting  his  smithy  at  Seneca  through- 
out a  long  period.  His  working  ability  ultimately  led  to  his  election  to  public 
ofifice  and  in  1869  he  was  chosen  on  an  independent  ticket  to  the  position  of 
register  of  deeds.  He  was  also  one  of  the  county  trustees  before  the  county 
was  divided  into  townships.  In  1871  he  located  upon  a  farm,  where  his  widow 
now  resides, — then  a  tract  of  raw  land  with  no  improvements.  He  carried 
on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  until  his  death  and  was  very  successful 
in  his  operations,  making  a  comfortable  competence. 

In  1865  Mr.  McQuaid  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Draney, 


.^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  129 

who  was  born  in  Canada  May  8,  1842.  and  now  resides  on  section  28,  Nemaha 
township.  Her  father.  Hugh  Draney.  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  who,  when 
a  young  man,  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Canada,  where  he  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming.  In  1856  he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  his  last  days  were  spent. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  Conley,  was  born  and  reared 
in  Ireland,  going  to  Canada  while  in  lier  maidenhood,  where  she  was  married. 
The  year  following  her  husband's  death  she  came  to  Nemaha  county,  where 
she  remained  until  called,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years,  to  the  home  beyond. 
She  was  the  mother  of  seven  children.  Mrs.  McQuaid,  the  only  daughter, 
was  about  fifteen  years  of  age  when  she  came  to  Nemaha  county,  in  1857. 
The  greater  part  of  her  education  was  obtained  in  Canada,  but  here  she  pur- 
sued her  studies  for  a  time  in  a  sod  school  house,  having  one  door  and  one 
window.  She  is  to-day  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  county  and  one  of  its 
most  highly  esteemed  ladies.  Her  home  farm  comprises  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  and  in  addition  she  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  located 
in  other  sections  of  the  country.  By  her  marriage  Mrs.  McOuaid  became  the 
mother  of  ten  children,  all  born  in  Nemaha  county,  namely :  Anna,  wife  of 
Max  Novak,  of  Nemaha  county ;  Lizzie,  deceased ;  Hugh,  who  has  also  passed 
away ;  Peter  and  James,  who  carry  on  the  home  farm ;  Jerome,  who  wedded 
Ida  Hang,  of  Nemaha  county;  Mary,  wife  of  John  M.  Smith,  of  Clear  Creek 
township,  Nemaha  county ;  an  infant,  deceased ;  Alice,  who  is  attending  school 
in  Atchison.  Kansas :  and  Katie,  at  home.  All  are  members  of  St.  Mary's 
Catholic  church  at  St.  Benedict.  After  his  removal  to  the  farm  Mr.  McQuaid 
served  as  trustee  of  his  township  and  in  public  afifairs  affecting  the  progress 
and  prosperity  of  the  community  he  took  an  active  and  helpful  interest.  He, 
too,  was  one  of  the  prominent  members  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  and 
assisted  greatly  in  its  work.  His  kindly  manner  and  genial  disposition  made 
him  very  popular  and  he  was  widely  and  favorably  known  in  his  adopted 
county.  He  died  August  2/,  1894,  and  his  memory  is  cherished  by  his  many 
friends  as  well  as  by  his  immediate  family.  Mrs.  McOuaid  still  occupies  the 
old  homestead  farm  and  enjoys  the  respect  of  all  who  know  her. 


NOBLE  F.  LESLIE. 


Capably  administering  the  business  of  the  postoffice.  Noble  Festus  Leslie 
holds  high  rank  among  the  leading  citizens  of  Robinson,  being  also  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  the  town  in  connection  with  the  publishing  of 
tlie  Robinson  Index.  He  was  born  in  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  February  26, 
1842,  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  nine  children.    His  father  was  James  Leslie,  who 


130  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

located  in  tliat  county  in  1828,  and  there  died  in  1873,  ^t  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years.  He  was  born  in  Bradford  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  the  youngest 
of  the  family  of  eleven  sons  born  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage.  James  Leslie  mar- 
ried Julia  A.  Giddings,  whose  father  was  an  own  cousin  of  the  famous  Joshua 
Giddings.  of  northern  Ohio.  Mrs.  Leslie  died  in  1882,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-seven  years.  Their  children  were  Parthenia.  James  G.,  Mary  J.,  Clarissa, 
Noble  F.,  Adaline  O.,  John,  Newton  and  Milton  B.  Of  these  are  now  living: 
James  G.,  Ogle  county,  Illinois;  Mary  J.  Marvin,  Youngstown,  O. ;  Milton  B. 
and  Adaline  O.,  Hubbard.  Ohio,  and  the  subject  of  tb!s  sketch. 

Mr.  Leslie,  whose  name  introduces  the  initial  paragraph  of  this  review, 
remained  on  his  father's  farm  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  responded 
to  his  country's  call  for  troops  to  aid  in  crushing  out  the  rebellion  in  its  incip- 
iency.  It  was  on  April  26,  1861,  that  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  in  Company 
C,  Tenth  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  under  Colonel  McClintock.  He  was  mus- 
tered into  the  state  service  at  Pittsburg,  and  into  the  federal  service  at  Har- 
risburg.  Pennsylvania,  on  July  20.  Under  this  enlistment  he  was  with  General 
McClellan's  army  on  the  Peninsular  campaign,  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull 
Run  under  General  Pope,  in  the  battle  of  Antietam  with  General  McClellan, 
with  General  Burnside  at  Fredericksburg  and  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness, 
and  in  the  siege  of  Petersburg  under  Generals  Grant  and  Meade,  where  on 
August  19,  1864,  he  was  taken  prisoner.  Just  prior  to  this  event  he  re-enlisted 
as  a  member  of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Ninetieth  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers.  He  was  on  the  Weldon  railroad,  three  and  a  half  miles  from 
Petersburg,  when  captured  by  the  rebels,  and  from  that  point  was  taken  first 
to  Libby  prison,  at  Richmond,  and  afterward  to  Belle  Isle,  where  he  remained 
forty-five  days.  On  October  10,  1864,  he  was  placed  with  others  in  a  stockade 
prison  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  and  on  February  22,  1865,  was  paroled, 
reaching  the  Federal  lines  at  Wilmington  March  22.  He  suffered  all  the 
hardships  and  trials  incident  to  life  in  those  loathsome  prison  pens  of  the 
south.  Stories  of  their  experiences  have  not  been  exaggerated,  as  Mr.  Leslie 
knows  from  personal  participation  therein. 

On  being  released  from  prison  he  was  sent  to  the  parole  camp  at  Annap- 
olis, Maryland,  and  was  granted  a  furlough.  Immediately  afterward  he 
started  home,  but  owing  to  ill  health  and  the  closing  of  the  war,  he  never 
re-entered  the  service.  He  was  a  valiant  soldier,  fearless  and  brave,  and  it  is 
to  the  lo3'alty  of  such  men  that  the  nation  owes  her  preservation. 

After  the  close  of  hostilities  Mr.  Leslie  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where 
he  pursued  a  course  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College,  defraying  the 
expenses  with  funds  which  he  had  saved  from  his  pay  as  a  soldier.  His  first 
position  was  as  bookkeeper  and  weigher  of  a  coal  concern  at  Hubbard,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years,  after  which  he  went  to  Ogle  county,    Illi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  131 

nois,  and  liaving  successfully  passed  the  teacher's  examination,  engaged  in 
teaching  school.  Later  he  was  employed  as  one  of  the  instructors  in  the  Rock 
River  Seminary,  and  at  the  same  time  he  further  prosecuted  his  own  studies, 
thus  preparing  himself  for  more  advanced  work  in  the  profession.  He  remained 
with  that  institution  for  three  years,  and  then  came  to  Kansas  in  response  to 
the  solicitation  of  a  friend  who  was  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Seneca. 
Here  he  became  connected  with  the  educational  work  in  Nemaha  county,  and 
was  later  principal  of  the  Hiawatha  schools.  Subsequently  Mr.  Leslie  turned 
his  attention  to  the  railroad  business,  representing  the  Grand  Island  road  as 
their  third  agent  at  Robinson,  but  he  abandoned  that  work  in  1879  and  began 
dealing  in  lumber,  hardware  and  grain.  For  a  number  of  years  he  met  with 
satisfactory  prosperity,  doing  the  greater  part  of  the  business  in  that  line  in  the 
town,  but  in  1881  he  lost  heavily  through  fire.  This,  however,  was  partly  cov- 
ered bv  insurance,  and  in  time  he  recuperated  his  losses  and  was  again  doing 
profitable  business  when  a  second  fire  destroyed  all  that  he  had,  forcing  him 
to  retire  from  business.  It  is  test  periods  in  the  lives  of  men  that  indicate  their 
true  characters.  At  this  crisis  Mr.  Leslie  did  not  fail ;  when  many  a  man  of 
less  resolute  spirit  would  have  been  discouraged,  he  made  the  best  of  the 
advantages  still  left  to  him,  and  thus  gained  the  admiration  and  respect  of  all 
who  knew  him.  Having  some  knowledge  of  the  carpenter's  trade,  he  secured 
a  few  tools  and  went  to  work,  spending  three  years  in  the  employ  of  the  Rock 
Island  Railroad  Company  building  bridges.  He  also  did  much  contract  work 
around  Robinson.  On  May  4,  1898,  he  was  appointed  postmaster,  taking  pos- 
session on  June  8  following.  He  is  now  administering  the  affairs  of  the 
office  in  the  best  manner  that  could  be  wished :  prompt,  thoroughly  reliable, 
energetic  and  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him.  In  company  with  his  son  he  is 
also  the  publisher  of  the  Robinson  Index,  which  they  purchased  February  i, 
1899,  it  being  the  first  permanent  paper  in  the  town.  The  Robinson  Record 
was  the  first  journal  issued  in  the  village,  and  with  that  Mr.  Leslie  was  also 
connected. 

At  an  early  day  the  members  of  the  Leslie  family  were  all  identified  with 
the  Democratic  party,  and  even  the  brother  of  our  subject  espoused  the  cause 
of  that  political  organization,  but  when  in  the  army  Mr.  Leslie,  of  this  review, 
became  imbued  with  Republican  principles  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Rutherford 
B.  Hayes  for  governor  of  Ohio.  He  has  always  been  prominent  in  the  councils 
of  the  Republican  party  in  Brown  county,  and  his  fellow-townsmen,  recogniz- 
ing his  worth  and  ability,  have  frequently  called  him  to  public  office.  He  was 
elected  county  commissioner,  being  a  member  of  the  board  just  after  the  defal- 
cation of  the  county  treasurer,  and  as  the  other  two  members  were  on  the  bond 
of  the  defaulter,  it  fell  to  Mr.  Leslie  to  manage  the  settlement  of  the  affair 
for  the  county.     In  the  fall  of  1879  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature,  rep- 


132  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

resenting  the  seventy-first  district.  He  served  on  tlie  committees  on  education, 
enrolled  bills,  assessment  and  taxation,  and  during  the  session  supported  the 
first  prohibition  law  ever  enacted  in  the  state.  On  April  9.  1873,  Mr.  Leslie 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Delphina  P.  Nichols,  whose  father.  Andrew 
Nichols,  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel  and  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war.  Their  two 
children  are  Harry  M..  editor  of  the  Robinson  Index,  born  January  i,  1874, 
and  Britomarte,  born  February  4.  1878.  In  all  life's  relations  Mr.  Leslie  has 
commanded  the  respect  of  his  fellow-men.  In  business  he  is  upright,  reliable, 
honorable  and  in  all  places  and  under  all  circumstances  is  loyal  to  truth,  honor 
and  right,  justly  regarding  his  self-respect  and  the  deserved  esteem  of  his  fel- 
low-men infinitely  more  valuable  than  wealth,  fame  or  position. 


F.  W.  DICKERSON. 


A  well  known  principal  of  the  public  schools  of  Efifingham  is  Professor 
F.  W".  Dickerson.  who  has  occupied  his  present  position  since  September,  1898. 
He  is  yet  a  young  man,  but  has  won  marked  prestige  amon<y  the  representa- 
tives of  educational  interests  of  his  county  and  in  the  state.  It  requires 
peculiar  ability  to  become  successful  as  a  teacher:  many  men  who  have  broad 
knowledge  cannot  impart  their  information  clearly  and  ably  to  others,  while 
there  are  some  who  are  incompetent  to  maintain  the  discipline  so  necessary 
in  schools ;  but  Professor  Dickerson  fully  meets  all  these  requirements  and  has 
gained  a  very  enviable  reputation  in  his  chosen  calling. 

He  was  born  at  Flushing.  Belmont  county.  Ohio,  April  19,  1875,  and  is 
a  son  of  J.  C.  Dickerson,  a  tailor  by  trade,  who,  during  the  Civil  war,  served 
his  country  as  a  member  of  the  Iowa  Infantry.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Harris,  who  died  during  the  early  boyhood  of  our  subject,  who  was  then 
reared  in  the  family  of  H.  Howell.  In  the  public  schools  he  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education,  which  was  supplemented  by  study  in  the  Campbell  Uni- 
versity at  Holton.  Kansas.  He  first  engaged  in  teaching  school  near  McLouth, 
and  in  1894  he  was  offered  the  principalship  of  the  McLouth  schools,  where 
he  remained  until  September,  1898,  when  he  accepted  the  position  of  super- 
intendent of  the  Effingham  schools.  He  has  been  untiring  and  unremitting 
in  his  efforts  to  further  and  strengthen  the  splendid  reputation  of  the  schools 
and  his  corps  of  teachers  co-operate  with  him  in  striving  to  attain  perfection 
along  educational  lines.  He  has  few  superiors  among  the  teachers  of  the  state 
and  was  both  popular  and  successful  in  the  school  room,  for  he  has  the  rare 
and  happy  faculty  of  being  able  to  impart  instruction  in  a  clear  and  pleasing 
manner,  thus  creating  among  his  pupils  much  enthusiasm  and  a  desire  for 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  133 

original  investigation.  His  reputation  as  a  teacher  extends  far  and  wide,  and 
recently  he  received  an  offer  from  Colonel  Cowden,  of  the  United  Brethren 
Sunday  School  Association,  to  go  to  Porto  Rico  and  engage  in  school  work 
in  that  island  at  a  large  salary. 

Professor  Dickerson  possesses  marked  musical  talent,  which  he  has  largely 
cultivated  and  therefore  improved.  When  only  seventeen  years  of  age  he  organ- 
ized and  was  leader  of  the  McGregor  band  of  Ohio.  He  is  now  leader  of  the 
Effingham  military  band  and  of  the  Effingham  orchestra,  and  is  the  possessor 
of  a  fine  tenor  voice,  which  qualities  render  him  a  valuable  acquisition  to  all 
social  functions  as  well  as  in  church  circles.  He  is  a  member  and  chorister 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  not  only  a  recognized  leader  in  the  social  work 
of  the  church  there,  but  is  also  a  worker  in  the  Epworth  League.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican,  unswerving  in  his  support  of  the  principles  of  the  party. 
He  is  very  successful  in  his  chosen  life  work,  owing  to  his  marked  ability,  is 
popular  in  social  circles  and  highly  esteemed  in  all  life's  relations,  for  he  is 
ever  the  advocate  of  progress,  reform  and  culture. 


J.  N.  COX. 


In  the  history  of  the  officials  of  Atchison  county  J.  N.  Co.x  well  deserves 
mention,  for  he  is  now  efficiently  serving  as  district  clerk  of  the  county.  He 
is  a  western  man,  possessed  of  the  enterprising  spirit  which  dominates  this 
section  of  the  country  and  has  led  to  its  wonderful  development.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Platte  county,  Missouri,  in  October,  1856,  his  parents  being  J.  D. 
and  Elizabeth  (Martin)  Cox.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  John  Cox,  and 
his  maternal  grandfather  was  Henson  Martin.  Both  were  natives  of  Indiana, 
and  at  an  early  period  in  the  development  of  Missouri  purchased  land  in  Platte 
county,  and  there  spent  their  remaining  days.  In  1861  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject removed  from  Platte  county  to  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  taking  up  his 
abode  in  Mt.  Pleasant  township,  where  he  engaged  in  general  farming. 

J.  N.  Cox  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the  family  homestead,  devoting  his 
time  to  the  duties  and  pleasures  which  usually  occupy  the  youth  of  the  present 
generation.  He  pursued  his  education  in  the  district  schools  until  his  seven- 
teenth year,  after  which  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  Monroe  Institute,  of 
Atchison.  Subsequently  he  engaged  in  clerking  for  a  time  and  gained  a  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  mercantile  methods  that  well  fitted  him  for  the  successful 
conduct  of  a  business,  when  he  determined  to  engage  in  merchandising  on  b.s 
own  account.  In  1884  he  opened  a  general  store  in  Cummings,  Kansas,  and 
conducted  it  until  1888,  when  he  sold  out.    In  that  year  he  was  elected  trustee 


134  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  his  township.  In  1892  he  was  elected  clerk  of  tlie  district  court,  and  has 
since  held  the  office  by  re-election,  his  present  term  continuing  until  January 
4,  1900.  His  long  service  well  indicates  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  the  confidence 
reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen. 

In  1888  Mr.  Cox  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ella  Kennish,  of  Center 
township.  Atchison  county,  a  daughter  of  R.  Kennish.  Three  children  have 
been  born  of  this  union — George  D.,  Edward  K.  and  Robert  J.  The  hospitality 
of  their  pleasant  home  is  extended  to  their  many  friends,  for  they  have  a  wide 
acquaintance  in  Atchison  county. 


DAVID  H.  FUNK. 


A  highly  cultivated  and  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-seven 
acres  on  section  27,  Oilman  township,  Nemaha  county,  is  the  property  of  David 
H.  Funk,  who  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  his  community. 
The  glory  of  our  American  republic  is  that  it  offers  boundless  opportunities 
to  young  men  of  determination  and  ambition  and  the  majority  of  our  public 
citizens  are  those  who  have  won  the  title  of  "self-made."  Such  a  one  is  Mr. 
Funk,  and  the  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  our  readers,  for  he  is 
widely  and  favorably  known  in  his  community.  His  birth  occurred  in  Put- 
nam county,  Ohio.  September  30,  1844,  and  he  is  the  third  in  a  family  of  seven 
children  whose  parents  were  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Hampshire)  Funk.  His 
toyhood  days  were  spent  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  the  public  schools 
of  the  neighborhood  afforded  him  his  educational  privileges.  He  was  trained 
to  habits  of  industry  and  economy,  working  with  his  father  until  about  twenty 
years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  business  for  himself.  During  the  Civil 
war,  however,  he  put  aside  his  personal  considerations  and  responded  to  his 
country's  call,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
iirst  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  one  hundred  days.  He.  however,  remained 
at  the  front  for  four  months  and  then  received  an  honorable  discharge,  after 
which  he  returned  to  his  home. 

Mr.  Funk  began  farming  on  rented  land,  and  as  a  companion  and  help- 
meet in  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Sarah  L.  Guffy,  a  native  of  Putnam  county 
and  a  daughter  of  Aquilla  and  Jerusha  Guffy,  who  were  also  natives  of  Ohio. 
The  wedding  as  celebrated  in  August,  1863,  and  the  young  couple  took  up  their 
abode  upon  a  farm  in  Putnam  county,  Ohio,  where  they  remained  until  their 
removal  to  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  in  1868.  In  the  following  February, 
Mr.  Funk  purchased  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home.  A  little  log  cabin,  12x14 
feet,  was  the  only  improvement  upon  the  place  and  therein  they  began  life  in  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  135 

west  in  true  pioneer  style.  The  following  fall  our  subject  erected  a  small  frame 
residence,  16x22  feet,  and  since  that  time  he  has  continued  the  work  of  progress 
and  improvement  until  he  is  to-day  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  valuable  and 
attractive  farms  of  his  township.  In  addition  to  the  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
seven  acres  of  land  which  he  owns  in  Nemaha  county,  he  has  two  hundred  acres 
in  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  and  is  successfully  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  in  stock  and  grain  dealing. 

Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Funk:  Frank,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Portland,  Oregon; 
Carl,  who  is  a  graduate  of  a  commercial  college  and  is  now  assisting  his 
father  in  business ;  Ralph,  who  is  a  student  in  a  medical  college  in  Kansas  City ; 
and  Chester  and  Charlotte,  who  are  still  with  their  parents  and  attending  the 
district  schools.  With  the  exception  of  the  eldest  son,  all  are  natives  of 
Nemaha  county.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Funk  is  independent,  supporting 
the  man  rather  than  the  party.  For  almost  a  third  of  a  century  he  has  wit- 
nessed the  development  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  has  aided  in  its  growth 
and  progress,  contributing  in  many  substantial  ways  to  its  advancement  along 
material  and  social  lines.  When  we  consider  the  fact  that  he  came  to  Kansas 
with  a  capital  of  only  about  seven  hundred  dollars  and  note  that  to-day  he  is 
one  of  the  most  substantial  farmers  in  Nemaha  county,  his  success  seems  most 
marvelous,  yet  it  all  has  been  obtained  along  legitimate  lines  and  his  career  has 
been  a  most  honorable  one. 


ZACHARIAH  BROWN. 

One  of  the  retired  farmers  of  Brown  county,  who  in  former  years  of  toil 
accumulated  a  competence  sufficient  to  enable  them  to  put  aside  business  cares, 
is  Zachariah  Brown,  of  Reserve.  A  native  of  Maryland  he  was  born  in  Car- 
roll county  on  May  17,  1825,  and  is  of  English  and  Irish  descent.  His  grand- 
father, Benjamin  Brown,  was  a  native  of  England,  and,  on  coming  to 
America,  took  up  his  abode  in  Maryland,  where  he  became  the  owner  of  a 
plantation  and  a  number  of  slaves.  In  his  family  were  three  sons,  Vachel, 
Benjamin  and  Joshua.  The  first  named  was  the  father  of  our  subject.  He, 
too.  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  there  spent  his  entire  life,  becoming  a  promi- 
nent farmer  and  nurseryman  of  Carroll  county.  He  operates  his  land  by  the  aid 
of  his  slaves,  and  acquired  a  comfortable  competence.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Sarah  Fagan,  was  also  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Baptist  church.  This  worthy  couple  became  the  parents 
of  ten  children  :  Joshua,  a  railroad  man,  who  built  and  controlled  a  road  from 
the  Relay  House  to  Annapolis ;  Susan,  wife  of  V.  Todd ;  Henry,  a  farmer ;  Mrs. 


136  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Sarah  Chester ;  Vachel,  who  was  connected  with  railroad  business  in  early  life, 
but  afterward  followed  farming;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Crow,  whose  husband  was  a 
miller  in  western  Pennsylvania ;  Benedict,  a  school  teacher,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five  years ;  Upton,  a  farmer  of  Galva,  Illinois ;  Zachariah ;  and  Mrs. 
Urith  Cochran.  Of  this  family  only  Upton  and  Zachariah  are  now  living. 
The  father  died  in  Maryland  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years,  the 
mother  when  sixty-two  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Brown,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  obtained  his  education 
in  the  subscription  schools  of  his  native  state  and  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  a  short  time  before  obtaining  his  majority,  when  he  secured  a  clerk- 
ship in  a  store  near  his  home.  While  thus  employed  he  was  married,  and  soon 
after  he  began  work  on  the  railroad.  Later  he  engaged  in  merchandising  on 
his  own  account,  conducting  his  store  in  Maryland  until  1864,  when  he  sold 
out  and  made  a  prospecting  tour  in  the  west.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he 
removed  to  Missouri,  locating  in  Johnson  county.  He  purchased  a  farm  near 
Warrensburg  and  continued  its  development  and  cultivation  for  a  few  years, 
after  which  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  in  1871.  Here  he  bought  a 
tract  of  raw  land  from  Major  Morrill,  comprising  eighty  acres  adjoining  the 
Indian  reserve.  He  built  a  small  cottonwood  house  and  fenced  the  place  with 
Cottonwood  lumber,  all  of  which  he  hauled  from  the  Missouri  river.  He  broke 
his  own  land,  followed  that  labor  with  the  planting  of  crops  and  soon  garnered 
rich  harvests  as  the  result  of  his  toil  and  endeavor.  In  1874  grasshoppers 
destroyed  everything  that  was  grown  in  this  section  of  Kansas;  but,  with  that 
exception,  he  has  usually  harvested  good  crops  and  has  been  generally  successful 
in  his  efforts.  From  time  to  time  he  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  by 
additional  purchase  until  it  comprised  two  hundred  and  eighty-four  acres,  the 
greater  part  of  which  he  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  also 
chafed    n  fVKK  ra  .-,  iig  a.ni  m  leedmg  stock  for  the  market. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married,  in  1848,  to  Miss  Lucinda  Hyatt,  who  was  born  in 
Hyattstown,  Maryland,  in  1829,  a  daughter  of  Asa  Hyatt,  also  a  native  of  that 
state.  He  was  proprietor  of  a  hotel  at  Hyattstown,  Montgomery  county, 
Maryland,  and  was  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  his  community.  He  filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  some 
time  and  was  always  known  as  "  'Squire  Hyatt."  He  married  a  Miss  Phillips, 
and  to  them  were  born  the  following  children :  Levi,  who  was  a  merchant 
and  constable  in  early  life,  who  died  in  Columbus,  Missouri ;  Ellen ;  Mrs.  David 
Zeigler;  Mrs.  Anna  Welch;  and  Mrs.  Lucinda  Brown.  Unto  our  subject  and 
his  wife  were  born  nine  children,  namely:  Florence,  wife  of  J.  Hart;  Mrs. 
Mary  Kincaid;  Mrs.  Ana  Cramer;  Quintus,  who  is  agent  for  the  Missouri 
Pacific  Railroad  Company  and  also  proprietor  of  a  drug  store  in  Eagle,- 
Nebraska;  Jessie,  wife  of  Oliver  Print;  Asa,  who  is  proprietor  of  a  drug  store 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  137 

in  Nebraska;  Grace,  at  home;  and  Mrs.  Effie  Tackley,  who  is  acting  as  her 
father's  housekeeper.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in  1886,  mourned  by  many 
friends.  She  was  a  faithful  and  active  member  of  the  Christian  church,  to 
which  Mr.  Brown  also  belongs,  serving  as  one  of  its  elders.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Democrat  until  1896,  when  the  attitude  of  that  party  on  the  money  question 
led  him  to  give  his  support  to  President  McKinley.  In  1899  he  retired  from 
active  business  life,  rented  his  farm  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Reserve,  where 
he  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  a  well-spent  life.  His  honesty  and  fairness 
in  all  trade  transactions  have  ever  been  above  question,  and  his  genial  manner 
;ind  true  worth  of  character  have  made  him  a  valued  and  representative  citizen 
of  Brown  county. 


A.  P.  HEROLD. 


Periiaps  no  profession  or  line  of  business  so  clearly  indicates  the  status  of 
a  town  as  its  newspapers.  They  reveal  in  degree  its  progressive  spirit,  its 
ambitious  desires  and  capability  for  accomplishment,  and  in  turn  an  enterpris- 
ing journal  is  a  source  of  inspiration,  securing  support  to  measures  calculated 
for  the  public  good  by  its  power  in  influencing  public  opinion.  Mr.  Herold  is- 
now  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Seneca  Courier  Democrat,  the  leading  Demo- 
cratic paper  of  Nemaha  county,  and  in  this  section  he  is  an  important  factor 
in  promoting  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  town.  He  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Birkenfelck,  Germany,  on  the  14th  of  March,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and 
Margaret  (Kelner)  Herold.  In  November,  1846,  the  family  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  the  United  States,  sailing  from  the  port  of  Bremen  and  reaching 
the  harbor  of  New  York  after  a  voyage  of  thirty-eight  days.  From  the  metrop- 
olis they  proceeded  westward  to  Buffalo,  where  they  remained  until  1854,  and 
then  went  to  Iowa,  settling  upon  a  farm  in  Winneshiek  county,  where  the 
father  died  in  1889.  The  mother  surviving  him  two  years,  passed  away  in 
1891. 

Andrew  P.  Herold  was  a  lad  of  ten  summers  when  he  left  the  Fatherland. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  spent  four  years  in  school,  and  in  Erie  county,  New 
York,  he  further  pursued  his  education.  He  also  learned  the  carpenter's  trade 
there  and  worked  with  his  father  until  1859,  when  he  removed  to  Iowa.  He 
was  soon  afterward  married  to  Miss  Wilhehnina  Kropp,  of  Minnesota,  but  a 
native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents,  John  and 
Antonie  (Keider)  Kropp.  The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  in  Win- 
neshiek county,  Iowa,  where  they  remained  until  1870, — the  year  of  their 
arrival  in  Kansas.  Settling  upon  a  farm  in  Nemaha  county,  Mr.  Herold 
devoted  his  energies  to  farming  and  stock-raising  for  seven  years  and  then 


I3S  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXP  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

removeil  t.>  Sonoca.  accciiting  a  clerkship  in  the  hardware  store  of  Robert  Nel- 
son. On  April  3.  1804,  '1*^  ^^•^^  appointed  postniaster  by  President  Cleveland, 
holding  that  office  for  four  years.  He  purchased  the  Seneca  Courier  Demo- 
crat, in  1S85,  one  of  the  old  journals  of  the  county.  The  paper  had  been 
establisheil  in  1S69.  and  throughout  the  intervening  years  had  been  an  imiwrt- 
ant  factor  in  uphokling  the  interests  of  the  county  and  promoting  its  welfare. 
Under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Herokl.  who  is  assisted  by  his  son.  it  has  become  a 
wide-awake  journal,  entertaining  and  instructive,  and  has  secured  a  large  cir- 
culation. Its  editorials  are  fluent  and  forceful,  and  while  setting  forth  the 
writer's  views  are  not  unpleasantly  aggressive. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herold  have  a  family  of  five  children :  Charles  H..  who  is 
engaged  in  the  insurance  business :  Edward,  foreman  of  the  Courier  Democrat 
office:  Philip  M. ;  Otto  H..  who  is  employed  as  a  bookkeeper  in  Kansas  City, 
^lissouri :  and  George  J.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  Democrat  office.  The  family 
have  a  wide  acquaintance  m  Seneca,  and  the  members  of  the  household  occupy 
leading  jxisitions  in  social  circles.  Mr.  Herold  takes  an  active  interest  in  local, 
county  and  state  jx^litics.  ami  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growtli  and 
insure  the  success  of  Deniocracv. 


WILLIAM  F.  TROUGHTOX. 

William  F.  Troughton,  a  physician  and  surgeon  successfully  engaged  in 
practice  in  Seneca,  was  lx>rn  in  England,  in  the  northern  lake  district.  May  5, 
1837.  His  father.  Robert  Troughton,  was  also  a  native  of  the  same  country 
and  in  early  life  followed  the  builder's  trade.  He  married  Hannah  Thorn- 
burrow,  also  a  native  of  England,  and  in  that  country  their  son,  ^^'iIliam  F., 
was  reared.  He  obtained  his  preliminary  education  in  the  schools  near  his 
home,  later  pursued  his  studies  in  Lonilon  and  was  graduatetl  from  St.  Thomas 
College  in  the  spring  of  1865.  In  the  same  year  he  came  to  the  United  States, 
landing  at  Xew  York,  whence  he  made  his  way  direct  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
In  the  spring  of  1866  he  went  south,  opening  an  office  in  Memphis.  Tennessee, 
where  he  engaged  in  practice  for  two  years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  removed  to  Houston,  Texas,  where  he  had  charge  of  a  hospital  dur- 
ing the  epidemic  of  yellow  fever  in  that  city.  He  then  returned  to  Memphis, 
Tennessee,  and  in  1S69  lie  went  to  southern  Illinois,  locating  in  Carbondale, 
where  he  conducted  a  successful  practice  until  1872,  when  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  Wetmore.  Xemaha  county,  Kansas.  In  1878  he  came  to  Seneca,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  Although  conducting  a  general  practice,  he  has 
made  a  specialty  of  the  treatment  of  cancerous  diseases  and  has  been  partic- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


139 


ularly  successful  in  this  line.  He  does  not  use  the  knife  in  his  practice,  and  has 
treated  cases  of  cancer  over  twenty  years  ago  and  since  that  time  there  has 
been  no  indication  of  a  return  of  the  disease.  The  Doctor  is  well  versed  in  the 
science  of  medicine  and  keeps  well  abreast  with  the  progress  which  is  con- 
tinually being  made  by  the  medical  fraternity. 

In  1863  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Troughton  and  Miss  Anne 
Davyes.  of  Westmoreland,  England,  a  daughter  of  Parker  Davyes.  The\" 
now  have  five  children,  namely :  Davyes ;  Hannah,  wife  of  Horace  Freger,  of 
Gainesville,  Texas ;  Thomas  D. ;  Helen  M.  and  Eden  Kent. ,  The  Doctor  is 
a  member  of  Wetmore  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also  of  the  American  Order 
of  United  Workmen.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  and  by  President 
Cleveland  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Seneca  in  1887,  but  has  never  been  a 
politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking,  preferring  that  his  time  shall  be  given 
more  closely  to  his  business  interests.  His  large  practice  makes  heavy  demands 
upon  his  time  and  is  an  indication  of  the  confidence  which  the  public  have  in 
his  skill  and  ability. 


CHARLES  OSTRAXDER. 

Charles  Ostrander,  one  of  the  extensive  cattle  feeders  and  dealers  of  north- 
eastern Kansas,  residing  in  Seneca,  was  born  on  the  bank  of  the  Hudson  river 
in  Albany  county.  New  York,  December  25,  1845.  His  parents  were  Peter 
and  Margaret  (Strafford)  Ostrander.  representatives  of  old  families  of  the 
Empire  state.  The  paternal  grandfather  was  born  in  New  York  and  there 
married  a  Miss  Westfall.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Charles,  was  a  native 
of  New  York  and  a  son  of  George  Straflford,  who  was  born  on  the  river  Rhine 
in  Germany.  The  Ostranders,  however,  were  of  Dutch  lineage  and  the  great- 
great-grandfather  was  Peter  Ostrander.  The  great-grandfather  also  bore  the 
name  of  Peter  Ostrander  and  was  a  native  of  Albany  county.  New  York. 

Charles  Ostrander,  of  this  review,  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth  of  a 
family  of  six  brothers,  the  others  being  Samuel,  John,  Peter,  Martin  and  Ira. 
He  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the  home  farm  and  pursued  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  near  his  home.  In  the  ninth  year  of  his  age  he  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Kankakee,  Illinois,  where  he  entered  the  com- 
mon schools  and  through  the  summer  months  he  assisted  his  father  in  the 
work  of  the  home  farm.  There  the  latter  died  in  1868.  while  the  mother's 
death  occurred  in  Shawnee  county,  Kansas,  in  1885.  she  having  removed  to 
that  place  after  the  death  of  her  husband.  Three  years  before  his  father's 
death  Charles  Ostrander  began  to  earn  his  own  living,  entering  upon  an  inde- 
pendent business  career  as  a  dealer  in  live  stock.    In  1866  he  came  to  Kansas, 


140  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

after  disposing  of  his  interests  in  Illinois.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  he  made 
his  way  to  Nebraska,  where  he  began  work  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  as 
a  contractor  and  subsequently  became  interested  with  J.  H.  Wilson,  one  of  the 
prominent  and  active  business  men  of  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  in  farming  and 
cattle  raising.  The  firm  met  with  quite  a  high  degree  of  success,  but  after  a 
time  the  partnership  was  dissolved  and  I\Ir.  Ostrander  began  dealing  in  stock 
on  his  own  account.  His  present  farm  comprises  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  choice  land  and  is  improved  with  a  substantial  residence,  good  barns,  gran- 
aries and  other  necessary  outbuildings,  together  with  cattle  pens  and  feeding 
lots.  He  is  now  considered  one  of  the  most  successful  as  well  as  extensive 
cattle  dealers  in  this  township,  feeding  from  three  hundred  and  fifty  to  five 
hundred  head  of  cattle  annually.  He  makes  his  shipments  to  Kansas  City 
and  Chicago  markets,  and  his  extensive  dealings  bring  to  him  an  excellent 
income. 

In  1872  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Ostrander  and  Miss  Carrie 
Edwards,  of  Pawnee  City,  Nebraska.  She  was  bom  in  McLean  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  is  a  daughter  of  William  Edwards.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become 
the  mother  of  two  children,  Gertrude,  and  Jessie,  deceased.  Mr.  Ostrander 
is  a  Populist  in  his  political  affiliations,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office, 
preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests.  His  career 
has  not  been  one  of  unbroken  success,  for  he  has  met  difficulties  and  obstacles, 
but  his  resolute  purpose  has  enabled  him  to  overcome  these  and  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence.  To-day  he  is  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  cattle  dealers  in  his  section  of  the  state  and  his  competence  is 
certainly  well  merited. 


MICHAEL  SCHMITT. 

Michael  Schmitt  is  one  of  the  veterans  of  the  Civil  war  who,  upon  southern 
battlefields,  loyally  defended  the  old  flag  and  the  cause  it  represented,  and 
to-day  he  is  a  loyal  citizen  who  does  what  he  can  to  promote  the  welfare  of 
the  community  and  aid  in  its  substantial  progress  and  improvement. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  he  was  born  in  Madison  county  April  9,  1845,  his 
parents  being  John  and  Margaret  Schmitt.  They  were  natives  of  Bavaria, 
born  on  the  Rhine  in  Germany.  The  father  was  a  member  of  a  very  prominent 
and  influential  family  of  that  country  and  received  exceptional  educational 
privileges.  Emigratin<T  to  America,  he  located  in  a  German  settlement  in  Illi- 
nois, purchasing  forty  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  remained  until  the  spring  of 
1855.  He  then  came  to  Kansas,  making  the  journey  with  an  ox  team.  He 
located  in  Brown  county,  where  he  purchased  a  squatter's  claim  on  Walnut 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  141 

creek  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  also  located  another  claim  of  one 
hundred  and  sixt)^  acres  in  the  name  of  a  mute  brother,  who  had  accompanied 
him  from  the  old  country.  Thus  he  became  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  and  when  the  land  came  into  market  he  purchased  it  from  the 
government.  The  tract  he  transformed  into  a  fine  farm,  making  permanent 
impro\ements  thereon.  \Vhen  he  came  to  the  county  there  were  but  few 
permanent  settlers.  The  land  along  the  creeks  had  been  claimed  by  squatters, 
who  had  thus  taken  possession  expecting  to  sell  it  to  permanent  settlers  as  the 
country  became  more  thickly  settled.  Mr.  Sclimitt's  claim  had  some  good 
timber  upon  it  and  a  rude  squatter's  cabin,  which  was  built  near  the  creek. 
He  removed  this  to  another  part  of  the  farm,  reconstructed  it,  and  occupied  it 
until  he  could  replace  it  with  a  better  residence.  In  the  course  of  time  he  had 
a  large  and  valuable  farm  under  cultivation,  carrying  on  his  work  on  a  more 
extensive  scale  than  any  other  pioneer  of  that  early  day.  He  also  engaged  in 
stock  raising,  feeding  his  farm  products  to  his  horses,  cattle  and  hogs.  He 
made  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  corn,  and  when  the  drouth  of  i860  came  he 
was  better  prepared  to  meet  it  than  most  of  the  settlers  of  the  neighborhood ; 
he  and  his  family,  therefore,  did  not  want  for  food.  His  home  was  near 
Padonia  and  the  Indian  reserve  and  there  were  many  red  men  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, but  they  showed  a  friendly  disposition  and  occasioned  no  trouble.  Many 
hardships  and  trials  were  to  be  endured  by  the  settlers,  such  as  are  incident  to 
pioneer  life.  They  had  to  go  long  distances  to  mill  and  their  supplies  were 
purchased  at  Iowa  Point.  Game,  including  deer  and  turkey,  was  quite  plenti- 
ful and  furnished  niany  a  meal  for  the  settlers.  As  the  years  passed  and  the 
country  became  more  thickly  settled,  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  the 
older  east  were  introduced,  and  the  Schmitt  farm  became  one  of  the  best  in  the 
neighborhood.  Mr.  Schmitt  was  a  bright-minded,  intelligent  man,  who  had 
been  educated  for  the  priesthood,  but,  never  entering  the  church,  he  devoted 
his  attention  to  other  work.  He  reared  his  family  in  that  faith,  but  later  they 
all  became  Protestants.  In  an  early  day  he  contributed  five  hundred  dollars 
toward  the  building  of  the  Catholic  church  at  Rulo,  and  gave  very  generously 
of  his  means  toward  promoting  the  work  of  the  organization.  In  politics 
he  was  originally  a  Democrat,  but  afterward  became  a  Whig,  and  on  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Republican  party  he  joined  its  ranks.  About  1867  he  sold  his 
farm  and  began  merchandising  in  Padonia,  carrying  on  a  general  store.  After 
a  few  years  he  removed  his  stock  to  Rulo,  Nebraska,  where  he  carried  on  busi- 
ness for  several  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Padonia.  There  he 
again  engaged  in  merchandising  for  some  time,  but  at  length  disposed  of  his 
stock  at  auction  and  returned  to  his  farm  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days. 
He  was  a  man  of  many  virtues,  charitable  to  the  needy,  kind  to  all,  and  in  his 
business  dealings  ever  honorable  and  straightforward.     His  standard  of  integ- 


142  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

rity  and  morality  was  very  high  and  he  thus  won  the  admiration,  confidence 
and  respect  of  the  entire  community. 

His  first  wife  died  during  the  early  boyhood  of  her  son,  Michael,  and  the 
history  of  her  family  is  not  known.  By  their  marriage  there  were  six  ch'ldren  : 
Valentine;  John,  a  wealthy  resident  of  Illinois;  Henry,  who  served  in  the 
Second  Nebraska  Cavalry  and  died  on  his  farm  in  Kansas;  Mary,  wife  of 
J.  Gider;  Adam,  who  served  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  and  is  a  prominent 
farmer  of  Brown  county;  and  Michael,  of  this  review.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife  the  father  married  Margaret  Okerson,  who,  by  a  former  marriage, 
had  three  children,  who  were  reared  by  Mr.  Schmitt  and  went  by  his  name. 
They  were  William;  Isaac,  who  served  in  the  Civil  war  and  died  after  his 
return  home;  and  Rosa,  wife  of  J.  Smith.  By  his  second  marriage  Mr. 
Schmitt  had  four  children:  George;  Fred,  a  resident  of  Salem,  Nebraska; 
Jacob,  a  farmer  of  Brown  county,  and  Lewis,  of  Salem,  Nebraska.  After 
the  death  of  his  second  wife  the  father  married  Mrs.  Ordway,  who  had  chil- 
dren by  her  first  marriage,  and  to  them  was  born  a  son,  Charles,  who  was  a 
stenographer,  and  while  in  charge  of  an  office  was  shot  and  killed  by  robbers. 
The  next  wife  of  John  Schmitt  w-as  Fanny  Williams  and  they  had  three  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom  died  in  childhood.  The  others  were  Joseph,  of  Nebraska, 
and  Mrs.  Anna  Nicodemus. 

Michael  Schmitt  was  a  lad  of  twelve  years  when,  with  his  father,  he  cam; 
to  Kansas.  He  aided  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  and  improving  new 
land  and  to  his  father  gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  1862,  when  he 
responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  for  nine  months.  He  was 
sent  on  the  Dakota  expedition  against  the  Indians  and  served  for  about  a  year, 
after  which  he  received  an  honorable  discharge.  Later  he  re-enlisted  in  the 
Seventh  Kansas  Volunteer  Cavalry,  which  was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee,  and  with  that  command  he  saw  some  hard  service,  continuing  at  the 
front  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  never  received  a  furlough  and  during  the 
greater  part  of  that  time  was  in  active  duty,  serving  as  scout  and  participating 
in  some  important  battles.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  sent  to  Fort  Leaven- 
worth, thence  to  Fort  Kearny  and  after  a  short  time  returned  to  Leavenworth, 
where  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  was  paid  off.  The  country  no 
longer  needing  his  services,  Mr.  Schmitt  returned  home  and  resumed  farming. 
In  1867  he  was  married  and  rented  a  farm,  which  he  operated  until  able  to  pur- 
chase a  tract  of  land.  He  then  continued  upon  his  own  farm  until  1896,  carry- 
ing on  the  cultivation  of  grain  and  the  raising  of  stock.  In  the  year  men- 
tioned he  retired  to  private  life,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Padonia.  The  lady 
whom  he  wedded,  in  1867,  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Cassidy,  who  was  born  in  east 
Tennessee  and  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Sarah  (Nelson)  Cassidy,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  that  state.     The  paternal  grandfather  was  Adam 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  14.3 

Cassidy,  a  farmer,  and  Henry  Cassidy  followed  the  same  pursuit.  The  latter 
was  killed  while  serving  in  the  Confederate  army  in  Georgia.  His  wife  also 
died  in  Georgia.  Adam  Cassidy  fled  from  his  home  during  the  war,  took 
up  his  abode  in  Indiana,  later  removed  to  Missouri,  and  subsequently  went  to 
Oregon.  He  was  a  consistent  Methodist  in  religious  faith.  His  children  were : 
William,  George,  Robert,  Henry,  father  of  Mrs.  Schmitt,  Abarilla.  Caroline 
and  Matthew.  Mrs.  Schmitt  was  left  an  orphan  in  early  life  and  lived  with 
her  grandfather,  Adam  Cassidy,  accompanying  him  on  his  various  removals. 
She  removed  from  Missouri  to  Kansas  with  the  family  of.  Mr.  Massa  and 
located  near  Fairview.  where  she  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Schmitt, 
whom  she  married.  Their  children  are  :  Adam,  who  is  farming  the  old  home- 
stead ;  Margaret,  wife  of  H.  Sherrer;  Thomas,  a  farmer;  Mattie,  wife  of  J. 
Combs ;  Henry,  a  farmer ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Boyce ;  and  Eva,  Lucy  and  James, 
at  home.  Mrs.  Schmitt  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  Mr.  Schmitt 
belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  Post  of  Hiawatha.  For  forty-five  years  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  Brown  county  and  has,  therefore,  witnessed  its  entire  growth 
and  development,  having  come  to  northeastern  Kansas  when  Indians  still  lived 
in  the  neighborhood,  when  the  wild  land  was  still  in  its  primitive  condition  and 
the  work  of  progress  and  civilization  seemed  scarcely  begun.  His  life  has 
been  one  of  industry  and  enterprise,  and  his  possessions  to-day  stand  as  monu- 
ments to  his  thrift  and  capable  management. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  CROUCH. 

The  farmer  is  the  dependence  of  the  country.  The  politicians  figure  on  the 
farmer  and  the  towns  are  built  up  and  are  supported  by  him.  By  the  farm  is 
meant  an  aggregate  of  farmers  and  the  word  has  come  to  stand  for  the  com- 
posite industry,  honesty  and  patriotism  of  nearly  the  whole  United  States 
outside  of  the  towns.  No  class  is  better  than  the  individuals  who  constitute 
it.  Hence  the  average  farmer  is  a  man  to  be  respected  and  reckoned  with.  The 
Kansas  farmer  is  the  peer  of  any  of  his  brethren  east  or  west.  It  is  a  relief 
to  turn  from  detailing  the  exploits  of  pioneers  and  the  doings  of  politicians 
and  leading  men  to  the  consideration  of  people  like  the  Crouches,  a  family  of 
which  William  Henry  Crouch  is  a  worthy  representative. 

William  Henry  Crouch,  of  Everest,  Washington  township,  Brown  county, 
Kansas,  is  one  of  the  younger  generation  of  successful  farmers,  whose  life 
has  been  one  of  exemplary  conduct,  active  industry  and  prosperous  application 
to  business.  He  was  born  in  Knox  county,  Illinois,  May  9,  1859.  His  father, 
the  late  David  Crouch,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  Ohio,  in  1820,  and 
died  near  Everest  in  1888,  was  twice  married,  the  first  time  to  Ann  Ewing 


144  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  the  second  time  to  Elizabeth  Patterson.  By  the  first  marriage  the  chil- 
dren were:  Robert  E.,  dead;  Susan  A.,  who  is  Mrs.  William  S.  Cain,  of 
Atchison;  Mitchell,  of  Atchison;  and  Winfield  S.,  who  is  dead.  His  second 
wife  became  the  mother  of  William  H. ;  Jane,  wife  of  Frank  Perry,  Canadian 
county,  Oklahoma;  John  M.,  a  prosperous  young  farmer  of  Brown  county; 
Thomas,  who  is  dead ;  and  Elmer  D.  Crouch,  who  is  on  the  homestead  and 
who  is  not  less  prominent  than  his  worthy  brothers.  The  Crouches  of  Brown 
county,  Kansas,  descended  from  Scotch  ancestry.  Their  paternal  grandfather, 
Daniel  Crouch,  was  born  in  the  Queen's  dominions  and  spoke  the  Gaelic 
tongue.  He  settled  in  the  United  States  and  died  in  Jefferson  county,  Oliio, 
after  having  reared  a  family  of  seven  or  eight  children. 

David  Crouch  brought  his  family  to  Brown  county  in  1874.  He  located 
on  a  section  joining  Everest  and  became  a  well-known  and  prosperous  farmer. 
He  died  there  after  fourteen  years'  residence  among  the  people  of  Washington 
township  and  was  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  He  lived  an  upright 
life  and  instilled  into  the  lives  of  his  children  those  excellent  traits  that  char- 
acterize honorable  men  and  women. 

William  H.  Crouch  secured  a  district  school  education,  chiefly  in  Illinois. 
He  learned  the  art  of  successful  farming  from  his  father,  and  when  he  under- 
took the  battle  of  life  independently  it  was  at  this  calling.  He  was  not  born 
with  a  golden  spoon  in  his  mouth,  nor  was  he  left  with  such  a  legacy  as  a  farm, 
clear  and  ready  for  his  hand.  He  rented  land  for  a  few  years  and  some  twenty 
years  ago  felt  himself  able  to  undertake  the  purchase  of  a  farm.  He  chose 
the  tract  which  is  now  his  home,  almost  adjoining  the  village  of  Everest,  and 
few  men  in  that  part  of  the  count}'  have  managed  their  aft'airs.  purely  agri- 
cultural, so  as  to  place  themselves  more  at  ease  than  has  the  su!)ject  of  this 
sketch.  Mr.  Crouch  is  one  of  the  many  faithful  and  trustworthy  men  of  his 
township.  Content  to  carve  out  his  own  destiny  in  the  field  of  agriculture, 
he  has  permitted  others  the  same  privilege  and  has  met  conditions  as  they 
appeared  without  grumbling  or  bickerings.  He  has  a  certain  belief  in  lines 
of  public  policy,  but  respects  others  who  hold  views  opposite  to  his  own.  For 
himself  he  has  no  interest  in  the  matter  of  public  office.  He  is  identified  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  being  chancellor  of  Everest  Lodge,  and  is  not  married. 


:  ~  ROLLIN  T.  ANDREWS. 

Senator  Rollin  T.  Andrews,  of  Pardee,  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  has 
achieved  an  enviable  record  during  his  brief  legislative  career.  He  did  not 
seek  the  position ;  it  was  a  clear  case  of  the  place  seeking  the  man,  and  he  has 


/ji    /^yV^z^^^^l^^'^'-u^t/^'O-^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         145 

in  every  way  proven  himself  the  man  for  tlie  place.  In  the  legitimate  sense 
of  the  term  he  is  a  self-made  man.  The  statement  that  a  man  is  self-made 
does  not  necessarily  imply  that  he  began  his  active  career  in  life  without  edu- 
cation or  social  prestige.  That  was  no  doubt  true  of  many  men  some  genera- 
tions ago,  but  conditions  have  changed,  and  the  man  of  education  who  suc- 
ceeds today  has  to  win  out  against  the  competition  of  other  men  not  less 
efficiently  equipped  for  the  fight. 

Rollin  T.  Andrews  was  born  near  Wyanet,  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  March 
II,  i860,  a  son  of  Thomas  W.  and  Emeline  (Smith)  Andrews.  His  father, 
Thomas  W.  Andrews,  a  native  of  Mount  Gilead,  Ohio,  Avas  a  student  at 
Horace  Mann's  college  in  northern  Ohio.  Later  he  was  a  printer,  but  in  course 
of  time  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  was  in  the  volunteer 
service  of  the  United  States  army  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  died 
from  disease  contracted  while  in  tiie  discharge  of  his  duties  as  a  soldier,  in 
May,  1866,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six.  His  untimely  removal  terminated  a  life 
full  of  brilliant  possibilities. 

Thomas  W.  Andrews'  father  came  directly  to  Ohio  from  Scotland,  where 
the  history  of  the  Andrews  family  may  be  traced  for  many  generations. 

Mrs.  Emeline  (Smith)  Andrews,  wido'w  of  Thomas  W.  Andrews,  lives 
in  Galesburg,  Illinois.  Her  children  are  Senator  Rollin  T.  Andrews ;  Cornelia, 
wife  of  George  W.  Williams,  of  LeRoy,  Ohio;  and  Arthur  and  Ernest 
Andrews,  of  Galesburg.  Isaac  Smith,  whose  daughter  became  the  w-ife  of 
Thomas  W.  Andrews  and  the  mother  of  Senator  Andrews,  emigrated  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Kane  county.  Illinois,  in  1832,  and  later  removed  to  Bureau 
county,  that  state. 

Senator  Andrews  spent  his  boyhood  at  Abingdon.  Illinois,  where  he 
gained  his  primary  education  and  prepared  for  a  collegiate  course.  He  v/as 
for  three  years  a  student  at  Abingdon  College,  and  for  one  year  a  student  at 
Oskaloosa,  Iowa.  He  finished  his  classical  studies  at  Drake  University,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  which  institution  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Ph.  B.  He 
taught  school  in  Illinois  three  years  during  his  college  career,  and  for  one 
year  succeeding  his  graduation  from  Drake  University  he  was  employed  in 
the  same  way  in  Iowa.    He  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  Dunshee  in  1886. 

In  1888  Senator  Andrews  bought  a  farm  in  southwest  Missouri,  and 
became  active  and  successful  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil.  There  he  remained  until 
1 89 1,  when  he  went  to  Atchison  county  and  assumed  charge  of  the  Dunshee 
homestead,  near  Pardee.  This  property  had  belonged  to  his  father-in-law. 
Professor  Norman  Dunshee,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Kansas,  who  located 
near  Pardee  as  early  as  1858  and  became  conspicuous  in  Atchison  county. 

Professor  Dunshee  was  a  native  of  the  state  of  Ohio.  He  was  educated 
at  Western  Reserve  College,  and  was  an  associate  teacher  in  Hiram  College, 


146  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Hiram,  Ohio,  with  ex-President  James  A.  Garfield,  and  left  that  institution  to 
remove  to  Kansas,  where  he  was  a  farmer  until  1871,  when  he  accepted  the 
chair  of  mathematics  in  Oskaloosa  College,  at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa.  In  1878  he 
acceptetl  a  similar  position  with  the  college  at  Ahingdon.  Illinois.  In  1880  he 
took  the  chair  of  ancient  languages  at  Drake  University,  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
and  he  held  that  professorship  in  that  institution  at  his  death  in  1890.  He  was 
married  at  Hiram.  Ohio,  to  Miss  Calesta  O.  Carleton,  wl.'.)  died  at  the  home  of 
Senator  Andrews,  in  Fehruary.  1899.  Their  two  children  are  Josie,  wife  of 
Dr.  E.  C.  Scott,  of  Maxwell.  Iowa,  and  Mrs,  Senator  Andrews,  of  Pardee, 
Atchison  county,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Andrews  is  a  graduate  of  Oskaloosa  College, 
Iowa,  and  for  tnc  years  taught  languages  at  Drake  University,  Des  Moines, 
Iowa. 

Senator  Andrews  has  not  been  by  training  a  politician,  and  it  ma}-  be 
truly  said  that,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term,  he  is  not  a  politician  at  all. 
He  was  recognized  as  a  man  of  broad  views  and  much  patriotism,  who  would 
make  a  model  representative  of  the  people,  and  was  urged  to  become  a  candi- 
date for  his  present  high  office  by  prominent  men  of  his  party.  A  vacancy  had 
occurred,  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Senator  W'alleck.  of  the  second  district, 
comprising  the  counties  of  Atchison  and  Jackson,  and  Mr.  Andrews  secured 
the  nomination  as  candidate  to  fill  the  vacancy.  The  opposing  candidate  was 
ex-Governor  George  W.  Glick.  whom  he  defeated  at  the  polls  by  more  than 
six  hundred  votes. 

Senator  Amlrews  was  one  of  the  active  Republican  members  of  the  upper 
bouse  during  the  last  session  of  the  Kansas  legislature.  He  was  placed  on  the 
committees  on  fees  and  salaries,  education,  cities  of  the  first  class  and  military 
affairs,  and  was  made  chairman  of  the  committee  on  revision  of  the  journal. 
He  was  the  author  of  many  measures  of  local  importance,  notable  of  wliich 
were  the  act  known  as  the  bridge  bills,  which  facilitated  the  collection  of  taxes 
from  toll-bridge  companies,  and  the  act  prohibiting  a  mayor  or  councilman 
from  acting  as  attorney  in  cases  adverse  to  the  interests  of  the  city  they  serve 
in  their  official  capacities. 

The  family  of  Senator  Andrews  consists  of  himself,  his  wife  and  four 
adopted  children.  Julia.  Marvel.  Andrew  and  Arthur,  whom  they  are  rearing 
and  educating  with  all  the  care  and  attention  to  detail  that  they  would  have 
bestowed  on  their  own  children,  had  their  union  been  blessed  with  any.  Sen- 
ator Andrews  is  a  whole-souled  man,  who  loves  mankind  and  counts  no  effort 
too  great  that  promises  to  subserve  the  public  interests.  He  is  active  and  lib- 
eral in  support  of  all  such  measures  in  a  pulilic  way,  and  in  pri\-ate  life  has 
proven  himself  the  true  and  helpful  friend  of  more  than  one  man  whose 
needs  made  the  ministration  of  a  "friend  indeed"  particularly  timely  and 
grateful. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         147 

TAVXER  B.  PIERCE. 

The  same  qualities  of  self-reliance  and  self-dependence  which  are  the 
leading  characteristics  of  successful  pioneers  in  new  countries  are  conspicuous 
in  the  intellectual  constitution  of  the  volunteer  soldier.  Hence,  in  our  Civil 
war,  many  of  our  best  soldiers  were  men  who  were  then  living  or  had  in  the 
past  lived  the  hardy  life  of  pioneers.  The  same  ability  that  made  many  of  these 
men  leaders  among  their  fellows  in  the  organization  of  townships  and  counties, 
in  the  establishment  of  justice  and  in  the  planting  of  good  and  useful  business 
enterprises,  made  tl.-^m  leaders  of  men  on  the  battlefields  of  the  south.  To  the 
army  of  our  country  Kansas  contributed  many  such  pioneer  soldiers.  Some 
of  them  were  not  only  soldiers,  but  sons  of  soldiers.  One  of  this  class  who 
rose  to  distinction  was  Major  Tavner  B.  Pierce,  who,  since  the  war,  has  been 
in  the  foremost  rank  of  those  who  have  struggled  to  make  Kansas  the  garden 
spot  of  America  and  the  free  home  of  men  and  women  with  brains  and  heart 
to  recognize  liberty  and  love  it. 

Tavner  B.  Pierce,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Brown  county  and  a  sub- 
stantial farmer  and  worthy  citizen  of  Washington  township,  was  born  in 
Sangamon  county.  Illinois,  January  30,  1840.  He  was  a  son  of  Charles  R. 
Pierce,  a  pioneer  of  Sangamon  countv.  who  went  there  from  Tennessee,  where 
he  was  born  in  1805.  He  was  an  active  and  prosperous  farmer  until  late  in 
life,  when  he  retired  and  passed  some  years  in  Leavenworth.  Kansas.  He  died 
in  Springfield,  Illinois,  in  1887,  and  his  body  lies  in  the  cemetery  at  Richland, 
Illinois.  He  was  an  Indian  fighter  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  which  Abraham 
Lincoln  did  his  historic  military  service.  He  took  an  active  part  in  county 
politics  and  before  the  war  was  a  Douglas  Democrat.  His  wife  was  ^liss 
]\Ialinda  Anderson,  a  Tennessee  lady.  She  died  in  i88g.  Their  children  were : 
Caroline,  who  resides  in  Broken  Bow,  Nebraska,  and  is  the  wife  of  John 
Willis:  Tennessee,  who  was  married  first  to  Thomas  Shoemaker,  one  of  the 
pioneer  politicians  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  again  to  Abram  Brown,  and 
lives  in  Kansas  City,  ^lissouri ;  George,  who  is  dead,  married  Miss  Virginia 
Hall,  of  Athens.  Menard  county,  Illinois;  Isaac  C,  of  Marshall  county,  Kan- 
sas; Henry,  of  Springfield,  Illinois;  Oliver  P.,  of  Cowley  county,  Kansas; 
Tavner  B. ;  Clinton  \\..  of  Fort  Worth,  Texas;  Casarilla,  who  lives  at  Rock 
Island.  Illinois,  and  is  married  to  E.  J.  Searle ;  Annie,  wife  of  James  Cunning- 
ham, of  Oklahoma  City,  Oklahoma;  and  Wyckliff,  who  is  dead. 

After  due  attendance  at  the  public  schools  Tavner  B.  Pierce  spent  one  year 
in  college  at  Jacksonville.  Illinois.  The  war  coming  on  he  went  into  the  serv- 
ice in  November,  1861.  in  the  Tenth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer  Cavalry, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Barrett.  His  regiment  was  in  the  Seventh  Army 
Corps,  under  General   Steele,  and  operated  in  the  western  department.     It 


148  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

participated  in  the  battles  of  Prairie  Grove,  Pea  Ridge,  Arkansas  Post  and 
Cotton  Plant  and  wound  up  its  service  in  Texas,  where  it  went  to  maintain 
federal  authority  and  guard  government  property  surrendered  or  captured 
from  the  Confederate  forces  in  that  state.  Mr.  Pierce  was  mustered  out  at 
San  Antonio,  Texas,  in  the  fall  of  1865  and  was  discharged  at  Springfield, 
Illinois,  in  December,  of  the  same  year.  He  entered  the  army  as  a  private  and 
served  four  years  and  four  months  and  was  promoted  through  all  the  grades  to 
major. 

Mr.  Pierce  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  as  soon  as  he  laid  down 
his  soldier  trappings,  and  was  a  farmer  in  Illinois  for  two  years.  In  the  fall 
of  1867  he  went  to  Kansas  and  purchased  a  quarter-section  of  land  in  Brown 
county,  part  of  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  brought  enough  funds 
with  him  to  maintain  him  through  a  season  and  to  pay  for  his  land,  believing 
that  after  the  first  year  the  farm  would  be  self-supporting.  The  first  two  years 
the  drouth  and  the  grasshoppers  kept  early  Kansans  guessing  as  to  where 
they  would  eventually  land  in  a  financial  way  and  some  pretty  trying  times 
were  endured,  but  in  1868  Major  Pierce  brought  his  bride  out  to  Kansas  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  managed  to  make  their  expenses  equal  their  income.  He 
brought  the  wild  sod  under  the  plow  and  planted  orchard  and  forest  trees, 
which  now  render  theirs  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  near  Everest.  Pros- 
perity came  as  time  passed  and  Mr.  Pierce  added  another  quarter-section  of 
land  to  his  homestead  and  upon  this  the  Rock  Island  Railway  Company  located 
its  station  and  named  it  Pierce  Junction,  in  honor  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Pierce  married,  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  in  1868,  Mary  Fowler,  an 
orphan  girl.  Their  son.  Albert  T.  Pierce,  agent  of  the  Rock  Island  Railway 
Company  at  Pierce  Junction,  is  their  only  child.  He  is  married  to  Miss  Mabel 
Pomeroy.  Mr.  Pierce  is  one  of  the  well-known  Republicans  of  Brown  county. 
His  face  is  a  familiar  one  at  conventions  of  his  party  and  he  has  served  on  the 
township  board,  of  which  he  has  been  treasurer. 


NATHANIEL  KIMBERLIN. 

There  have  been  pioneers  in  Kansas,  as  elsewhere.  Many  of  them  have 
been  pioneers  in  a  general  sense  or  in  certain  neighborhoods.  A  few  have 
been  the  forerunners  of  civilization  in  a  stricter  sense.  They  were  the  first 
to  locate  within  a  larger  radius  round  about  their  cabins  and  were  long  without 
permanent  neighbors  and  were  practically  "old  residents"  by  the  time  the 
country  was  generally  settled.  Nathaniel  Kimberlin  located  in  what  is  now 
Washington  township.  Brown  county,  Kansas,  in  April,  1855,  before  the  sec- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         149 

tion  lines  had  been  surveyed  and  when  the  boundaries  of  any  claim  were 
largely  a  matter  of  guessing.  By  common  consent  he  is  accorded  the  title  of 
sole  survivor  of  the  "old  timers." 

The  family  of  Kimberlin  is  of  German  origin.  Three  brothers  named 
Daniel.  Abram  and  John  Kimberlin  came  to  America  from  the  fatherland  at 
an  early  date,  and  from  them  are  descended  the  somewhat  numerous  Kim- 
berlins  living  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States  at  this  time.  John  Kim- 
berlin, grandfather  of  Nathaniel,  was  born  in  Virginia  and  spent  most  of  his 
active  life  in  Kentucky,  but  died  at  Golconda,  Illinois.  John  Kimberlin,  sou 
of  the  John  Kimberlin  just  mentioned  and  father  of  Nathaniel  Kimberlin, 
was  born  in  Henry  county,  Kentucky,  in  1806,  and  was  a  cabinetmaker  by 
trade.  He  died  in  1888,  aged  about  eighty-two  years,  at  Alsee  Mountain, 
Oregon.  His  wife  was  Missouri  McClain,  daughter  of  John  McClain,  who 
came  of  old  Virginia  stock.  She  died  in  i860,  having  borne  her  husband  chil- 
dren named  as  follows:  Nathaniel;  Elizabeth,  who  married  James  Haines 
and  died  at  Lafayette,  Oregon ;  Martha  and  Henry,  both  of  whom  are  dead ; 
James,  who  died  at  Portland,  Oregon,  leaving  a  family ;  Fannie,  who  is  the  wife 
of  James  Hegge  and  lives  at  Portland,  Oregon ;  and  Christopher,  a  resident  of 
Hillsboro,  Oregon. 

Born  in  Henry  county,  Kentucky,  August  22,  1826,  Nathaniel  Kimberlin 
was  taken  to  Daviess  county  in  his  native  state  in  1836,  when  he  was  about 
ten  years  old,  and  there  he  was  educated  in  subscription  schools  and  brought 
up  as  a  farmer's  boy-of-all-work.  He  spent  the  years  from  1849  to  1855  in 
Buchanan  county,  Missouri ;  then,  in  search  of  a  claim,  expecting  to  endure  the 
hardships  and  trials  incident  to  making  a  home  in  such  a  new  and  wild  country, 
he  came  to  Kansas.  For  forty-five  years  he  has  gone  about  his  every-day 
duties  in  the  neighborhood  where  he  settled,  compelling  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  has  not  amassed  great  wealth,  but  has  been 
an  intelligent,  industrious  and  prosperous  tiller  of  the  soil. 

Mr.  Kimberlin  has  many  interesting  reminiscences  of  the  pioneer  days. 
Game  was  plentiful  and  was  a  help  in  providing  the  families  of  the  pioneers 
with  food.  The  Kickapoo  and  Potowatomie  Indians,  then  concentrated,  at  the 
old  mission  at  Iowa  Point,  were  roaming  through  that  part  of  the  county, 
usually  to  and  from  Oskalosa,  but  their  presence  caused  the  pioneers  no  trouble, 
for  they  were  peaceably  inclined.  Not  long  after  Mr.  Kimberlin's  location  in 
Brown  county  they  were  removed  to  a  distant  reservation,  and  probably  some 
of  them  never  set  eyes  on  their  old  hunting  ground  afterward.  Later,  espe- 
cially during  the  war,  white  marauders  were  more  troublesome.  Bush- 
whackers and  jayhawkers  in  turn  levied  tribute  on  the  struggling  farmers  for 
sustenance.  At  one  time  Mr.  Kimberlin  and  John  Adams  Johnson,  his  brother- 
in-law  and  neighbor,  were  informed  that  a  so-called  "committee"  would  look 


150  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

over  tlieir  possessions  with  a  view  to  ascertaining  if  the  two  farmers  possessed 
anything  that  could  be  turned  to  use  by  the  outlaws.  It  was  a  case  in  which 
"a  word  to  the  wise"  was  all  sufficient.  Messrs.  Kimberlin  and  Johnson  met 
the  committee  with  a  fusilade  of  bullets  and  the  gang  dispersed,  leaving  some 
of  their  horses,  which  they  never  afterward  claimed,  and  splotches  of  blood 
on  the  scene  of  the  affray  which  might  have  been  spilled  in  a  better  cause. 

Mr.  Kimberlin  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  the  Democratic  candi- 
date of  1848.  For  some  years  he  was  clerk  of  the  township  board  of  Wash- 
ington township.  He  is  not  a  stickler  for  party  allegiance  in  township  or 
county  affairs,  preferring  to  choose  local  officials  strictly  on  the  personal  merits 
of  the  candidates  and  their  fitness  for  the  responsibilities  they  would  assume. 
His  standin!^  as  a  citizen  is  deservedly  high  and  his  public  spirit,  often  put  to 
the  test,  has  always  been  found  adequate  to  any  demand  upon  it. 

Mr.  Kimberlin  was  married,  in  Daviess  county,  Kentucky,  in  1848,  to 
Elizabeth  Johnson,  a  sister  of  John  A.  Johnson,  of  Everest,  Brown  county, 
Kansas.  Mrs.  Kimberlin  died  in  1865.  leaving  children  named  as  follows: 
Leroy,  of  La  Fayette,  Oregon,  who  married  Miranda  Smith;  Martha,  wife  of 
John  Greer,  of  Brown  county,  Kansas;  Elizabeth,  who  lives  with  her  father; 
and  Aurilla,  wife  of  James  Savage,  of  Brown  county,  Kansas.  In  1872  Mr. 
Kimberlin  returned  to  Daviess  county,  Kentucky,  and  married  Mary  Yewell, 
who  died  without  issue  in  1890. 


JOHN  SLY 


Now  well  advanced  in  years  Mr.  Sly  is  numbered  among  the  valued  and 
venerable  citizens  of  Nemaha  county,  making  his  home  in  Seneca.  His  life 
has  been  one  of  active  usefulness  and  one  commanding  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
has  lived  retired,  enjoying  a  well  earned  rest,  his  needs  being  supplied  by  the 
comfortable  competence  which  he  acquired  through  his  well  directed  labors  in 
former  years. 

Mr.  Sly  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Montgomery  county  December  29,  1826.  The  family  is  of  Scotch  lineage  and 
was  founded  in  America  by  his  grandfather.  Robert  Sly,  who  left  the  land  of 
hills  and  heather  to  seek  a  home  in  the  new  world.  He  located  in  eastern  New 
York,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  His  son,  Israel,  was  born 
in  New  York  and  made  farming  his  life  work.  He  wedded  Rachel  Van  Ness, 
also  a  native  of  New  York  and  of  Holland  descent,  her  father  having  been  born 
in  Holland.    In  1827  Izerd  Sly  removed  with  his  family  to  Erie  county,  New 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         151 

York,  whence  he  went  to  Oliio,  and  in  1850  removed  to  Indiana,  wliere  he  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  His  wife  passed  away  wlien  ahout  seventy 
years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  thirteen  children,  eleven  of  whom  reached 
mature  years,  namely:  Eliza,  Willard,  Seneca,  John.  Philena,  Lucy,  Cath- 
erine, Gilbert,  Dav.id,  Minnie  and  Russell.  Mr.  Sly,  of  this  review,  has  seen 
none  of  his  brothers  and  sisters  since  1855.  He  is  the  fourth  child  and  third 
son  of  the  family  and  was  about  a  year  old  when  his  parents  removed  from  his 
native  state  to  Erie  county.  New  York,  where  he  remained  until  twenty-two 
years  of  age.  During  his  youth  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  through  the  summer  months  assisted  in  the 
work  of  the  farm.  He  was  married  there,  in  1850,  to  Miss  Mary  Hammond, 
who  was  born  in  Montgomery  county.  New  York,  where  she  spent  the  first 
five  years  of  her  life,  after  which  she  was  taken  by  her  parents  to  Erie  county. 
Her  father,  Benoni  G.  Hammond,  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  state  and  was  a 
farmer  and  teacher,  who  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years.  Paul 
Hammond,  his  father,  was  a  son  of  an  Englishman.  Mrs.  Sly's  mother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Ruth  Lobdell  and  was  born  in  Connecticut,  of  English 
parentage.  Mrs.  Sly  is  the  tenth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  reached  mature  years. 

After  their  marriage  our  subject  and  his  wife  located  in  Erie  county.  New 
York,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1855,  when  he  went  with  his  family 
to  Iowa,  establishing  a  home  in  Delaware  county,  whence  he  came  direct  to 
Nemaha  county  in  the  spring  of  1857.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  this 
locality.  He  took  up  his  abode  on  Turkey  creek  in  what  is  now  Nemaha  town- 
ship, building  a  square  log  house,  16x16  feet,  and  in  that  cabin  home  he  expe- 
rienced the  usual  hardships  and  privations  of  pioneer  life;  but  his  labors  at  length 
overcame  all  obstacles  and  he  became  the  possessor  of  a  valuable  property. 
His  farm  comprised  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which  he  continued 
to  cultivate  and  improve  for  twenty-one  years.  By  additional  purchase  he 
added  eighty  acres  to  the  place  there  residing  until  1878,  when  he  came  to 
Seneca.  In  the  meantime  he  had  erected  large  and  substantial  buildings  upon 
his  place,  including  a  good  residence  and  the  necessary  outbuildings.  On  com- 
ing to  the  city  he  purchased  two  blocks  in  the  northwestern  part  of  town  and 
erected  a  stone  residence,  in  which  he  has  since  made  his  home,  living  retired 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sly  have  a  family  of  three  living  children :  Philo  P.,  who 
is  now  a  resident  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska;  Catherine  E.,  wife  of  E.  H.  Street, 
by  whom  she  has  three  children;  and  Ruth  A.,  wife  of  John  B.  Moriarty,  who 
resides  two  miles  west  of  Seneca.  They  have  a  family  of  seven  children.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sly  have  also  lost  three  children,  who  died  in  early  life.  The  parents 
are  prominent  and  consistent  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in 


152  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

which  they  take  an  active  part.  Mr.  Sly  served  as  trustee  for  many  years  and 
has  ever  been  a  strong  advocate  of  temperance  and  Christianity,  doing  all  in 
his  power  to  promote  the  growth  of  both  interests.  In  politics  he  may  be 
termed  a  Republican  Prohibitionist  and  at  the  same  time  he  is  an  advocate  of 
the  free  coinage  of  silver.  He  has  given  a  close  study  to  political  questions 
concerning  the  welfare  of  the  nation,  and  his  opinions  are  the  result  of  mature 
deliberation.  His  wife,  who  has  been  to  him  a  faithful  companion  and  help- 
meet through  many  years,  was  one  of  the  first  school  teachers  in  Nemaha  town- 
ship, conducting  a  school  in  a  log  house,  where  she  had  a  membership  of  twenty 
pupils.  For  her  services  she  received  forty  dollars  per  month  and  her  labors 
were  continued  through  seven  months.  She  is  a  well  educated  lady,  having 
attended  Mrs.  Willard's  Female  Seminary,  of  Troy,  New  York.  She  was 
engaged  in  teaching  for  ten  years  in  the  Empire  state  and  for  one  year  in 
Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sly  are  now  well  advanced  in  life,  but  maintain  an 
active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  community  and  have  always  given  their 
support  to  everything  pertaining  to  public  progress  along  material,  intellectual 
and  moral  lines.  Their  well  spent  lives  have  won  uniform  respect  and  it  is 
with  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  that  the  biographer  records  the  history  of  this 
worthy  couple. 


HENRY    S.  LITLE. 


For  a  period  of  thirty-one  years  Mr.  Litle  has  been  a  resident  of  Brown 
county  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  farmers  of 
Mission  township.  He  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  Jan- 
uary i8,  1826,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Litle,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Dela- 
ware. The  father,  however,  was  reared  in  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  and 
by  occupation  was  a  fuller  of  cloths,  and  subsequently  engaged  in  farming. 
He  married  Miss  Mary  Ann  Patterson,  who  was  born  in  the  north  of  Ireland 
and  was  twelve  years  old  when  she  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents, 
James  and  Martha  (Hamilton)  Patterson,  natives  of  Londonderry,  Ireland. 
William  Litle  and  his  wife  spent  almost  their  entire  married  life  in  Washing- 
ton county,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  father  was  a  fuller  and  draper  of  cloth,  and 
following  that  pursuit  he  gained  the  capital  that  enabled  him  to  provide  for  his 
family.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely :  James ;  Henry  S. ;  Alexander ; 
William;  Robert;  Martha,  now  deceased;  Mrs.  Isabella  Moore;  Mrs.  Jane 
Litle ;  Mrs.  Kate  McCreary ;  and  Carpenter,  who  died  in  infancy.  The  mother 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years  and  the  father  passed  away  at  the  ripe  old 
age  of  ninety-two  years. 


"  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  153 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  to  habits  of  industry,  being  taught 
that  labor  is  the  key  that  unlocks  the  portals  of  success.  The  educational  priv- 
ileges which  he  enjoyed  were  those  afforded  by  the  common  schools,  yet 
experience  in  the  practical  affairs  of  life  has  added  greatly  to  his  knowledge. 
He  remained  on  the  old  homestead  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  learned 
the  cabinetmaker's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  many  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried, September  30,  1851,  to  Aliss  Amanda  Moore,  who  has  been  to  him  a 
faithful  companion  and  helpmeet  on  the  journey  of  life  for  near  fifty  years. 
She  was  born  in  Maysville,  Kentucky,  July  2,  1835,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Moore,  whose  birth  occurred  in  the  Empire  state.  The  father  was 
reared  and  educated  in  New  York  and,  when  a  young  man,  removed  to  Mays- 
ville, Kentucky,  where  he  married  Miss  Maria  Bolinger,  a  native  of  Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  John  H.  Bolinger,  who  was  of  German 
parentage.  Mr.  and  j\Irs.  Moore  had  a  family  of  seven  children,  namely: 
Mrs.  Caroline  Wise,  John  Henry,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Walz,  Susan  E.,  Frazier, 
Charles,  deceased,  \\'i!liam  and  Mrs.  Litle.  The  father  of  tliis  family  died 
of  cholera,  in  1835.  when  forty-one  years  of  age.  He  was  a  wagonmaker 
by  trade  and  an  industrious  and  energetic  man.  His  political  support  was 
given  to  the  Whig  party.  His  wife  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years  at  the 
home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Litle.  She  was  a  lady  of  many  excellent  qualities, 
which  endeared  her  to  all  with  whom  she  came  in  contact.  Mrs.  Litle  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Maysville.  Kentucky,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become 
the  mother  of  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  namely:  Mary  Susan,  wife  of  J. 
C.  Swartz,  of  Bearden,  Indian  territory;  William,  a  resident  of  Washington 
county,  Kansas;  James  B.,  who  is  living  in  Powhattan,  Kansas;  Benjamin 
M.,  of  Nemaha  county;  Maria  Belle,  wife  of  Charles  Humbard,  of  Bement, 
Oklahoma;  Jennie,  wife  of  W.  A.  Elliott,  of  Hiawatha,  Kansas;  Katie,  who 
died  in  childhood;  Stewart  H.,  of  Washington  county,  Kansas;  Anna  A.  and 
Alex  H.,  both  at  home. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Litle  resided  in  Maysville,  Kentucky, 
for  a  year  and  then  removed  to  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  furniture  and  cabinetmaking  business  and  in  the  manufacture 
of  furniture.  In  1867  he  sought  a  home  in  Kansas  and  two  years  later  he  pur- 
chased the  land  upon  which  he  now  resides.  It  was  on  part  of  the  Kickapoo 
Indian  reservation  and  was  a  wild  tract,  which  he  has  since  improved,  makin.5 
it  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county.  His  home  is  a  beautiful  and  com- 
modious residence,  which  stands  on  a  natural  building  site  and  is  surrounded 
by  stately  shade  and  ornamental  trees.  Its  furnishings  are  tasteful  and  the 
household  is  noted  for  its  gracious  hospitality.  Upon  the  place  is  a  large 
orchard,  good  barns  and  sheds  for  the  care  of  grain  and  stock,  a  modern  wind- 
mill, corncribs  and  feed  lots,  in  fact  the  farm  is  splendidly  equipped  and  man- 
10 


IS4 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


aged,  well-kept  fences  divide  it  into  fields  for  cultivation  and  for  meadow  land, 
and  the  crops  annually  bring  to  him  a  good  income.  Mr.  Litle  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  most  enterprising  farmers  of  the  community,  his  worth  as  a  citi- 
zen being  well  known.  In  politics  he  is  a  Populist,  but  in  no  sense  is  an  office 
seeker,  the  only  position  he  has  filled  being  that  of  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  The  cause  of  education  has  found  in  him  a  warm  friend  who  did 
everything  in  his  power  to  promote  its  interests.  He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church  and  in  their  daily  life  exemplify  their  religious 
beliefs.  As  a  self-made  man  who  has  been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes, 
Mr.  Litle  has  builded  wisely  and  well  and  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for 
what  he  has  accomplished. 


ABIJAH  WELLS. 


Out  of  the  depths  of  his  mature  wisdom  Carlyle  has  said  "History  is  the 
essence  of  innumerable  biographies,"  and  Macaulay  says  "The  history  of  a 
nation  is  best  told  in  the  lives  of  its  people."  It  is,  therefore,  fitting  that  the 
record  of  the  eminent  and  distingiu!slied  men  of  northeastern  Kansas  should 
find  a  place  in  this  volume,  and  to  this  number  belongs  Hon.  Abijah  Wells, 
of  Seneca,  who  is  now  serving  as  judge  of  the  Kansas  court  of  appeals.  He 
is  a  most  able  jurist,  familiar  with  the  long  line  of  decisions  which  are  passed 
by  the  constituted  federal  po\vers  by  which  the  constitution  has  been 
expounded.  The  limitations  which  are  imposed  by  the  constitution  upon  the 
federal  powers  are  well  understood  by  him,  and  he  is  at  home  in  all  depart- 
ments of  law  from  the  minutire  in  practice  to  the  greater  topics  wherein  is 
involved  the  consideration  of  the  ethics  and  philosophy  of  jurisprudence  and 
the  higher  concerns  of  public  policy. 

Judge  Wells  was  born  in  Susquehanna  county,  Pennsylvania,  June  12, 
1840,  and  is  a  son  of  William  R.  and  Betsy  K.  (Skinner)  Wells,  both  of  whom 
were  born  and  reared  in  Orange  county,  New  York.  They  were  married,  in 
Susquehanna  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  June  2,  1832,  and  in  1845  emigrated 
westward,  locating  in  La  Salle  county.  Illinois.  In  the  year  1856  they  removed 
to  Kansas,  taking  up  their  abode  on  Illinois  creek,  Nemaha  county,  where 
they  resided  for  about  nine  years.  Coming  to  Seneca  on  June  22,  1882,  they 
celebrated  their  golden  wedding.  Many  friends  and  relatives  gathered  together 
on  that  occasion  to  express  their  respect  and  love  for  the  couple  who  had 
reached  the  fiftieth  milestone  of  their  married  life  and  many  suitable  gifts  were 
bestowed  in  token  of  the  regard  in  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells  were  held  by 
those  who  knew  them. 

Judge  Wells  was  only  five  years  of  age  when  his  parents  left  the  Key- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         155 

stone  state  to  become  residents  of  La  Salle  county,  Illinois.  He  began  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  that  locality  and  completed  his  literary  course  in  the 
Kansas  Agricultural  College.  He  entered  upon  his  business  career  in  the 
capacity  of  teacher  in  1863,  and  was  thus  connected  with  the  educational  inter- 
ests of  northeastern  Kansas  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  was  elected  clerk  of  the  district  court  and  after  serving  one  term  was 
chosen  registrar  of  deeds,  to  which  position  he  was  re-elected.  On  his 
retirement  from  that  office  he  was  chosen  superintendent  of  instruction,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  from  1875  ""*•'  1881.  When  only  twenty-three  years 
of  age  he  began  the  study  of  aw,  and  in  1876  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
Nemaha  county.  During  the  early  part  of  the  year  1881  Mr.  Wells  was  editor 
and  proprietor  of  the  Seneca  Tribune,  making  it  a  stanch  Republican  journal, 
which  he  afterward  sold  to  Governor  A.  J.  Felt  and  he  is  the  present  owner 
and  editor.  He  has  always  been  an  unfaltering  Republican  in  his  political 
faith  and  has  labored  earnestly  and  effectively  to  promote  the  wefare  of  the 
party.  As  the  years  passed  his  practice  at  the  bar  grew  in  volume  and  import- 
ance. As  a  lawyer  he  is  felicitous,  clear  in  argument,  thoroughly  in  earnest, 
full  of  the  vigor  of  conviction,  never  abusive  of  adversaries,  imbued  with 
highest  courtesy  and  yet  a  foe  worthy  of  the  steel  of  the  most  able  opponent. 
To  an  understanding  of  uncommon  acuteness  antl  vigor  he  added  a  thorough 
and  conscientious  preparatory  training  and  in  his  practice  he  exemplifies  all  the 
higher  elements  of  the  truly  great  lawyer.  In  the  fall  of  1896  he  was  elected 
as  judge  of  the  Kansas  court  of  appeals,  eastern  division,  northern  depart- 
ment. He  is  constantly  inspired  by  an  innate  love  of  justice  and  invariably 
seeks  to  present  his  decisions  in  the  strong,  clear  light  of  common  reason  and 
sound  logical  principles.  He  is  the  peer  of  the  ablest  members  of  this  court, 
and  his  decisions  have  awakened  the  highest  admiration  and  respect  of  the 
profession  throughout  the  state. 

Judge  Wells  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Loretta  C.  Williams,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  six  children,  all  natives  of  Nemaha  county.  Two  of  his 
sons,  Frank  and  Ira  K.,  are  among  the  prominent  young  lawyers  of 
Seneca,  and  were  at  the  time  when  he  was  elected  to  the  bench  associated  with 
him  under  the  firm  name  of  Wells  &  Wells  and  still  retain  the  name  and  busi- 
ness of  the  firm.  In  his  religious  views  the  Judge  is  connected  with  the 
Universalist  church,  holding  membership  with  that  organization  in  Seneca. 
He  belongs  to  Nemaha  Lodge,  No.  19.  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  a  Knight  Templar 
Mason,  prominent  in  that  ancient  and  benevolent  fraternity.  His  interest  in 
the  growth,  welfare  and  advancement  of  his  town  and  county  is  deep  and  abid- 
ing and  his  efforts  have  been  signally  successful  in  promoting  many  move- 
ments which  have  contributed  to  the  welfare  of  the  city  along  social,  educa- 
tional, material  and  moral  lines.    His  name  is  now  deeply  engraved  on  the  his- 


156  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

tory  of  jurisprudence  in  Kansas  and  by  his  judicial  career  he  has  sustained  the 
high  reputation  that  has  ever  been  borne  by  tlie  court  of  appeals  in  this  com- 
monwealth. 


HENRY  W.  HOXXELL. 

One  of  the  early  settlers  of  Mission  township  was  Henry  W.  Honnell, 
who  located  in  Brown  county  in  1856,  four  years  before  the  admission  of  the 
state  into  the  Union.  The  entire  region  was  almost  in  its  primitive  condition, 
the  settlements  were  few  and  much  of  the  land  was  still  unclaimed  and  unde- 
veloped. Mr.  Honnell  is  a  native  of  Greene  county,  Pennsylvania,  his  birth 
having  occurred  there  on  April  12,  1833,  his  father  being  William  Honnell, 
a  farmer,  who  married  Miss  Ellen  Wilson,  a  lady  of  German  lineage,  who 
died  May  30,  1869.  Removing  westward  the  family  located  near  Sidney, 
Shelby  county,  Ohio,  where  the  father  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  Both 
parents  were  members  of  the  United  Brethren  church  and  were  people  of  the 
highest  respectability.  In  their  family  were  twelve  children  namely :  Archi- 
bald, who  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  his  death  resulting  from  an  accident; 
Morris ;  Eli ;  William,  who  served  as  a  captain  during  the  Civil  war  and  died 
at  Everest,  Kansas;  Jesse,  a  physician  and  surgeon  who  died  at  Beaver  Dam, 
Allen  county,  Ohio ;  Henry ;  Thomas,  a  captain  in  the  Union  army  during  the 
Civil  war;  Francis,  a  soldier  who  died  in  Andersonville  prison  during  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion ;  Maria ;  Catherine ;  Cynthia ;  and  Martha. 

Henry  W.  Honnell  was  the  seventh  son  of  the  family  and  was  reared  on 
the  old  home  farm.  He  attended  the  public  schools  and.  with  his  brother 
William,  came  to  the  west,  locating  in  Mission  township,  where  the  town  of 
Horton  now  stands.  He  has  lived  in  this  locality  for  forty-four  years  and  is 
one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  state.  He  was  married  at  the  Indian 
mission  by  his  brother,  the  Rev.  William  Honnell,  to  Miss  Miranda  J. 
Moore,  a  native  of  Monroe  county,  Kentucky,  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Moore, 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Brown  county.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Elizabeth  Spencer,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  Spencer,  who  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  years. 
Mr.  Moore  came  to  Brown  county  in  1856  and  resided  here  for  many  years, 
but  died  in  Kentucky,  while  visiting  in  the  state.  He  was  then  seventy- 
seven  years  of  age,  and  his  wife  passed  away  when  seventy-two  years  of  age. 
Both  were  consistent  members  of  the  Christian  church,  and  in  his  political 
views  he  was  a  Republican.  In  their  family  were  six  children,  namely :  Joel ; 
John ;  Jonathan ;  Polly  A. ;  Elizabeth  and  Mrs.  Honnell. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Honnell  has  been  born  six  children,  four  of  whom  are 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         157 

yet  living,  namely:     Mary  Ella,  wife  of  E.  H.  Keller,  and  the  first  child  born  / 

in  Mission  township,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  1858;  William  R.,  an  Indian  ' 

commissioner  and  president  of  the  Horton  Bank;  U.  G.,  proprietor  of  the 
Telephone  Exchange,  at  Horton,  Kansas,  and  Lizzie,  wife  of  S.  R.  Farmer,  of 
Mission  township. 

Throughout  his  entire  business  career,  Mr.  Honnell  has  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  is  today  the  owner  of  a  valuable  property  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  good  land,  all  of  which  is  carefully  cultivated  and 
kept  in  good  condition.  All  modern  accessories  and  improvements  are  found 
upon  his  place  and  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indicates  the  careful  and 
practical  supervision  of  tlie  owner.  Mr.  Honnell  has  been  active  in  every 
good  cause  which  tends  toward  the  improvement  of  the  country  along  ma- 
terial, social,  intellectual  and  moral  lines,  and  lends  his  encouragement  to  all 
enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  promote  the  general  prosperity.  In  poli- 
tics, he  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never  sought  office,  pre- 
ferring that  his  time  and  energies  shall  be  given  to  bus  business  afifairs,  in 
which  he  has  met  with  creditable  success.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Presb>-terian  church  and  Mr.  Honnell  is  serving  as  one  of  its  elders. 
During  his  long  residence  in  the  county  he  has  witnessed  many  changes  and 
iimprovements  and  at  all  times  has  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  progress  and 
advancement.  He  well  deserves  mention  among  the  honorable  business  men, 
loyal  citizens  and  leading  pioneers  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  with  pleas- 
ure we  present  the  record  of  his  life  to  our  readers. 


E.  S.  UHL,  D.  D.  S. 


Among  the  capable  and  successful  practicing  dentists  of  northeastern 
Kansas  is  Dr.  Uhl,  who  located  in  Horton  in  1888  and  has  steadily  ad\anced 
to  a  foremost  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  profession.  A  native  of  Millersburg, 
Ohio,  he  was  born  June  28,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  I.  B.  Uhl,  who  is  now  resid- 
ing in  Johnson  county,  Kansas.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Maggie  Moore,  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  j^ears,  leaving  two  children,  W. 
A.,  a  physician  and  surgeon  residing  in  Johnson  county,  Kansas,  and  E.  S., 
of  this  review.  The  father  was  an  educator  and  farmer,  supporting  his 
family  by  following  the  dual  occupation. 

Dr.  Uhl  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of  John- 
son county,  Kansas,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  began  teaching.  He  began 
the  study  of  dentistry  in  Olathe,  Kansas,  and  completed  his  course  in  the 
dental  department  of  the  Northwestern  University  at  Chicago,  taking  the 
post-graduate  course  in  that  institution  with  the  class  of  1895.     In  1888  he 


158  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

came  to  Horton  and  has  enjoyed  a  steadily  increasing  patronage.  He  keeps 
well  abreast  with  the  most  improved  methods  of  dentistry  and  is  a  constant 
student,  and  his  knowledge  is  indeed  comprehensive  and  accurate.  He  is 
enabled  to  do  the  most  expert  work  and  his  capability  insures  him  creditable 
success. 

In  1886,  in  Lawrence,  Kansas,  Dr.  Uhl  was  united  in  marriage  to  j\Iiss 
Frances  Osborne,  a  daughter  of  W.  J.  Osborne,  who  is  now  pastor  of  the 
Methodist  church  at  Rosedale,  Kansas.  She  is  a  lady  of  innate  culture  and 
refinement  and  of  superior  education,  having  been  a  student  in  Baldwin 
University.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  several  fraternal  societies,  and  is  an 
officer  in  Horton  Lodge,  No.  326,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  while  his  wife  belongs  to 
the  Eastern  Star  of  the  same  society.  Both  the  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Uhl  are  un- 
tiring workers  in  the  Methodist  church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  trustee  and 
choir  leader,  while  his  wife  acts  as  organist.  He  has  also  been  a'leader  of  the 
Horton  band  for  eight  years  and  is  a  member  of  the  C.  R.  L  &  P.  Band,  h's 
musical  talent  well  fitting  him  for  his  prominent  connection  with  such  inter- 
ests. His  unfailing  courtesy,  genial  manner  and  affable  disposition  have 
gained  him  the  regard  and  friendship  of  those  with  whom  he  has  met  in  busi- 
ness, church  and  social  life,  and  as  one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens 
of  Horton  he  well  deserves  mention  in  this  volume. 


JULIUS  KUHN. 


Fortunate  is  the  man  who  has  back  of  him  an  ancestry  honorable  and 
distinguished,  and  happy  is  he  whose  lines  of  life  are  cast  in  harmony  there- 
with. In  character  and  in  talents  Mr.  Kuhn  is  a  worthy  scion  of  his  race. 
The  family  of  which  he  is  a  descendant  had  many  distinguished  members  in 
Germany  and  in  his  life  he  has  shown  the  same  ability  which  has  character- 
ized many  of  them.  The  sturdy  German  element  in  our  great  common- 
wealth has  been  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  furthering  the  com- 
mercial and  material  advancement  of  the  country,  for  this  is  an  element 
signally  appreciative  of  practical  values  and  also  of  that  higher  intellectuality 
which  transcends  all  provincial  confines.  Well  may  any  person  take  pride  in 
tracing  his  lineage  to  such  a  source  and  this  Mr.  Kuhn  can  do. 

He  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  May  10,  1831,  his  parents  being 
G.  J.  and  Julia  (Gulden)  Kuhn,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  country.  Our 
subject  acquired  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  the  Fatherland  and  on 
leaving  school  obtained  a  clerkship  in  a  store,  receiving  forty  dollars  a  year  in 
compensation  for  his  services.     He  was  thus  employed  till  he  attained  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         159 

majority,  when  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  America,  crossing  the  At- 
lantic in  a  saiHng  vessel  in  1854,  landing  in  New  York,  and  here  was  em- 
ployed in  architectural  work  three  years,  after  which  he  went  to  Connecticut, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  as  a  hired  hand  for  two  and  one-half  years, 
doing  this  that  he  might  learn  English.  In  1859  he  came  west,  locating  first 
in  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  variously  employed.  On  the  28th  of  February,  i860, 
he  arrived  in  Atchison,  Kansas,  where  he  opened  a  retail  grocery  store  and 
soon  built  up  a  prosperous  business.  In  1878  he  began  selling  to  the  whole- 
sale trade  and  success  attended  the  new  enterprise  so  that  he  was  soon  in  con- 
trol of  one  of  the  most  extensive  patronages  in  his  line.  The  volume  of  his 
business  constantly  increasing  he  furnished  employment  to  a  large  force  of 
men  and  made  extensive  shipments  of  his  goods.  At  length  he  determined  to 
retire  from  business  and  sold  his  stock  to  local  parties  for  one  hundretl  thou- 
sand dollars.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Atchison  Savings  Bank,  but  is  not  now  actively  connected  with  any  business 
interests,  his  time  being  given  only  to  the  management  of  his  various  prop- 
erty interests  in  Atchison. 

Mr.  Kuhn  has  been  twice  married.  His  second  wife  was  in  her  maiden- 
hood Miss  Ann  Gladfelder,  of  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  to  them  were  born  two 
sons,  Julius  O..  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  public  schools  of  Atchison,  and  Gus- 
tave  A.,  who  is  still  a  student.  Mr.  Kuhn  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for 
his  success  in  life.  His  hope  of  benefitting  his  financial  condition  in  this 
country  was  certainlynot  disappointed,  for  here  he  has  madecontinued  advance- 
ment on  the  road  to  success  and  today  is  numbered  among  the  capitalists  of 
his  adopted  city.  All  that  he  has  has  been  acquired  through  his  own  energy 
and  resolute  purpose,  and  his  life  stands  in  exemplification  of  the  opportunities 
that  are  offered  young  men  in  this  republic  where  energy  and  ambition  are 
not  hampered  by  caste  or  class. 


ERNEST  C.  GRIFFIN. 

One  of  the  younger  members  of  the  Atchison  bar  is  Ernest  C.  Gritifin, 
who  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Atchison  county,  his  birth  having 
occurred  upon  a  farm  in  Walnut  township  July  9,  1873.  His  father,  Charles 
T.  Griffin,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Atclxson,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  December 
18,  1848.  and  came  to  Kansas  with  his  parents,  Samuel  P.  and  Eliza  (Saun- 
ders) Griffin,  who  now  reside  in  Center  township,  Atchison  county,  upon  a 
farm,  and  are  numbered  among  the  prosperous  agriculturists  of  the  commun- 
ity.    Charles  T.  Griffin  was  reared  to  manhood  on  the  family  homestead  in 


i6o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

that  township,  and,  having  acquired  his  prehminary  education  in  the  pubhc 
schools,  entered  Alfred  University,  in  New  York,  where  he  Completed 
his  literary  course.  Determining  to  engage  in  the  practice  of  law  as  a  life 
work  he  began  preparation  for  the  bar,  and  after  a  thorough  and  compre- 
hensive study  was  admitted,  in  1872.  Opening  an  office  in  Atchison,  he  soon 
secured  a  large  and  distinctly  representative  clientage  and  in  1875  he  was 
elected  county  attorney.  In  1878  he  formed  a  partnership  with  John  C. 
Tomlinson  and  the  firm  took  rank  among  the  leading  lawyers  of  this  section 
of  the  state.  In  1884  Mr.  Griffin  was  elected  city  attorney  and  has  ably  con- 
ducted all  the  litigated  interests  that  come  to  him  through  his  office,  winning 
the  commendation  of  the  general  public  as  well  as  of  the  bar.  His  knowledge 
of  law  is  accurate  and  profound  and  embraces  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
almost  every  department  of  jurisprudence.  This  enables  him  to  base  his  argu- 
ments upon  sound  judicial  principles  and  before  court  and  jury  he  is  both 
logical  and  convincing  in  his  presentation  of  the  cause.  In  1872  he  was  nom- 
inated by  the  Democrats  as  a  candidate  for  state  senator  and  the  same  fall 
his  father  was  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket  to  the  house,  so  that  they  served 
in  the  same  sessions.  In  1870  Charles  Griffin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Addie  Elder,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Eliler,  a  farmer  of  Virginia,  and  to  them 
were  born  the  following  children:    Edward  C,  Grace  and  Ernest  C. 

The  last  named  obtained  his  education  in  the  city  schools  of  Atchison 
and  in  Nortonville,  Kansas.  Determining  to  follow  in  the  professional  foot- 
steps of  his  father,  he  read  law  with  John  C.  Tomlinson  and  W.  T.  Bland, 
the  latter  since  district  judge.  In  1895  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  began 
practice  in  Atchison.  He  served  as  police  judge  of  the  city  and  is  one  of  the 
rising  young  attorneys  of  this  section  of  the  state,  deserving  of  high  recogni- 
tion as  an  able  member  of  the  profession  which  he  has  chosen.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  strong  mentality,  of  marked  force  of  character  and  of  laudable  ambi- 
tion, whose  friends  predict  for  him  a  successful  future. 


EVERHARD  BIERER. 

The  profession  of  the  law,  when  clothed  with  its  true  dignity,  purity 
and  strength,  must  rank  first  among  the  callings  of  man,  for  law  rules  the 
universe.  The  work  of  the  legal  profession  is  to  formulate,  to  harmonize, 
to  adjust  and  to  administer  those  rules  and  principles  that  underlie  and  perme- 
ate the  government  and  society  and  control  the  varied  relations  of  man.  As 
thus  viewed  there  attaches  to  the  legal  profession  a  nobleness  that  cannot  but 
be  reflected  in  the  life  of  the  true  lawyer,  who,  conscious  of  the  greatness  of 


ro 


iC>  drcjwLj^cL    iii  CA.(Z^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         i6i 

the  profession,  and  honest  in  the  pursuit  of  his  purpose,  embraces  the  rich- 
ness of  learning,  the  profoundness  of  wisdom,  the  firmness  of  integrity  and 
the  purity  of  morals,  together  with  the  graces  of  modesty,  courtesy  and  the 
general  amenities  of  life.  Colonel  Bierer  is  a  most  worthy  representative 
of  the  legal  profession,  and  has  attained  a  distinguished  position  in  connec- 
tion with  the  bar  of  Kansas. 

Descended  from  pure  German  lineage,  the  orthography  of  the  name  in 
tire  Fatherland  being  Behrers.  but  has  been  changed  to  the  present  form  in 
America.  The  Bierers  were  a  worthy  and  influential  family  in  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany,  where  they  held  various  honorable  positions  in  connection 
with  the  civil  and  military  service  of  the  state.  George  Bierer,  a  grand  uncle 
of  the  Colonel,  commanded  a  regiment  in  the  Austrian  army  during  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  was  created  a  baron  for  distinguished  mili- 
tary service,  particularly  at  the  siege  of  Belgrade,  Servia,  in  1788-9.  The 
parents  of  our  subject.  Everhard  and  Catherine  Margaretta  (Ruckenbrodt) 
Bierer,  were  both  natives  of  Wurtemberg,  the  former  born  at  \Vindsheim, 
January  6,  1795,  and  the  latter  at  Malmsheim,  October  28,  1798.  Emigrat- 
ing with  their  respective  parents  to  America  in  1804,  the  families  located  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  reared  and  married. 
They  resided  at  Uniontown.  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  the  mother 
died  July  15,  1858,  while  the  father  passed  away  August  2,  1876.  They 
were  both  members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 

Everhard  Bierer  was  born  in  Uniontown,  Pennsylvania,  January  9, 
1827.  He  acquired  a  liberal  education  in  private  schools  and  in  Madison 
College  of  his  native  town,  where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1845, 
having  completed  a  special  course  embracing  the  higher  mathematics,  nat- 
ural and  mental  science.  Latin  and  English  literature.  On  leaving  college 
he  became  a  student  in  the  law  office  of  Joshua  B.  Howell,  who  was  after- 
ward colonel  of  the  Eighty-fifth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  was  killed 
before  Richmond  in  1864.  Mr.  Bierer  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  March, 
1848.  After  two  years  spent  in  traveling  through  the  west  and  in  some 
desultory  literary  and  educational  work,  he  returned  to  his  native  town  and 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  successfully  followed 
until  April  23,  1861.  A  few  days  previously  the  Civil  war  had  been  inaug- 
urated by  the  southern  troops  who  fired  upon  Fort  Sumter,  and,  prompted  by 
the  spirit  of  patriotism,  he  offered  his  service  to  the  government,  raised  a 
company  of  volunteers,  and  became  captain  of  Company  F,  Eleventh  Penn- 
sylvania Reserve  Corps.  He  ser\ed  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Dranes\ille,  :Mechanicsville  and  Gaines'  Hill,  being 
captured  with  his  command  at  the  last  named  place  on  the  27th  of  June,  1862, 
and  taken  to  Libby  prison,  where  he  remained  until  the  14th  of  the  following 


1 62  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Aii^iift.  wlien  he  was  exclianged.  Six  days  afterward  he  was  granted  a 
twentv-davs  leave  of  absence,  on  account  of  sickness,  and  went  home;  but 
learning  by  telegram  of  the  impending  battle  of  Bull  Run,  he  returned  to  the 
army  and  joined  his  command  on  the  day  of  the  engagement,  on  the  30th  of 
August.  He  led  his  company  a  few  days  afterward  in  the  battle  of  South 
^Mountain,  Maryland,  where  he  was  severely  wounded  in  the  left  arm,  the 
ball  passing  through  the  elbow  joint  and  lodging  in  the  forearm,  from  which 
it  was  not  extracted  until  the  25th  of  the  following  November.  Having 
become  convalescent,  on  the  24th  of  October  he  was  appointed  commandant 
of  Camp  Curtin,  in  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  with  tb2  rank  of  colonel,  and 
while  there  stationed  organized  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-first,  One 
Hundred  and  Seventy-second,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-third,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Seventy-sixth,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-seventh  and  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Seventy-eighth  Regiments  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
on  the  iSth  of  November  he  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  One  Hundred 
an  Seventy-first.  He  ser\ed  in  various  sections  of  southeastern  Virginia  and 
in  North  Carolina,  where  he  was  placed  in  temporary  command  of  the  military 
district  of  the  Pamlico,  and  was  also  on  several  different  occasions  in  command 
of  General  Price's  division,  Eighteenth  Army  Corps,  Major-General  J.  G. 
Foster  commanding.  He  participated  in  the  engagement  at  Blounts  Creek, 
near  Washington.  North  Carolina,  April  7,  1863,  commanding  a  brigade  under 
General  F.  B.  Spinola.  Spinola's  forces  were  obliged  to  retire  before  supe- 
rior numbers  under  the  rebel  General  Hill.  To  Colonel  Bierer  was  assigned 
the  command  of  the  rear  guard;  the  duty  was  critical,  the  enemy  crowding 
upon  him  in  heavy  force.  Nearly  the  entire  night,  in  the  midst  of  intense 
darkness,  through  pine  forests  and  cypress  swamps,  the  march  was  continued, 
until  he  finally  succeeded  in  bringing  off  the  column,  with  the  trains  and  all 
the  wounded.  On  the  ist  of  July,  1863,  Colonel  Bierer  returned  with  his  reg- 
iment to  \'irgina  and  went  with  General  Dix  on  his  expedition  to  Richmond. 
The  expedition  marched  from  White  House  Landing  to  within  eight  or  ten 
miles  of  Richmond,  and,  after  some  skirmishing  with  the  rebels.  General  Dix 
ordered  its  return  to  Fortress  Monroe.  With  his  regiment  Colonel  Bierer 
went  on  to  Washington  and  thence  to  Harper's  Ferry,  where  he  joined  Gen- 
eral Meade,  and  on  the  7th  of  that  month  was  given  a  permanent  brigade  com- 
mand and  assigned  to  duty  as  military  commandant  of  the  district  of  the 
Monocacy,  with  headquarters  at  Frederick  City,  Maryland.  On  the  26th  of 
September,  1863,  he  was  mustered  out  of  service,  the  regiment's  term  of 
enlistment  having  expired  on  the  8th  of  the  previous  August.  During  Jan- 
uary, February  and  March  of  1864,  Colonel  Bierer  served  in  the  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps,  but  not  liking  that  service  he  resigned  his  command  and  per- 
manently retired  from  the  army. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         163 

In  October,  1865,  the  Colonel  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Kansas, 
locating  on  a  beautiful  farm  a  mile  east  of  Hiawatha,  in  Brown  county.  He 
then  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  rec- 
ognized as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Brown  county  bar.  Much  of  the  important 
litigation  tried  in  the  courts  of  this  district  was  intrusted  to  his  care,  and  his 
arguments  before  court  and  jury  were  forceful,  logical  and  convincing.  He 
excited  the  surprise  and  admiration  of  his  contemporaries  by  the  thoroughness 
with  which  he  prepared  his  cases  and  by  his  ability  to  meet  the  acquirements 
of  the  opposing  counsel.  The  field  of  his  business  labors  also  embraces  con- 
nection with  the  banking  interests  of  the  city,  and  his  counsel  and  judgment 
in  financial  affairs  proved  a  marked  element  in  the  success  of  the  institution 
which  he  represents.  He  was  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Hia- 
watha for  two  years  and  is  now  one  of  the  stockholders  in  that  institution. 

In  his  political  views  the  Colonel  was  originally  a  Democrat  and  for  many 
years  was  a  prominent  factor  in  political  circles.  As  the  nominee  of  his  party, 
in  1850,  he  was  elected  the  first  district  attorney  of  Fayette  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  held  that  office  three  years.  Believing,  however,  that  the  Demo- 
cratic party  had  become  the  mere  propagandist  of  slavery,  he  became  a  Repub- 
lican in  1856,  and  led  the  forlorn  hope  for  Fremont,  in  Fayette  county,  which 
was  the  very  Gibraltar  of  Democracy,  and  four  years  later  he  had  the  satis- 
faction of  seeing  the  county  carried  for  Lincoln  by  a  majority  vote  of  one  in 
a  poll  of  about  ten  thousand.  He  was  one  of  the  electors  of  the  Lincoln 
college,  in  1864,  to  represent  Pennsylvania.  After  coming  to  Kansas  his  fit- 
ness for  leadership  also  led  to  his  selection  for  political  service  and  in  1868  he 
was  chosen  to  represent  Brown  county  in  the  state  legislature,  as  a  nominee 
of  the  Republican  party.  In  1868  he  voted  for  General  Grant,  but  with  con- 
siderable reluctance,  as  he  could  not  endorse  the  reconstruction  and  financial 
policy  of  the  party,  and  in  1869  he  renounced  all  connection  with  that  political 
organization.  His  vote  in  1872  was  cast  for  Greeley,  and  in  1876  for  Tilden, 
whom  he  considered  honestly  elected  and  favored  putting  him  in  the  presi- 
dential chair  by  force  of  arms,  if  necessary,  until  the  electoral  commission 
scheme  prevented  any  such  measure.  In  1891  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Harrison  a  member  of  the  annual  board  of  visitors  to  the  United  States 
National  Naval  Academy,  at  Annapolis. 

Colonel  Bierer  has  long  been  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows'  society, 
having  become  a  member  of  Fort  Necessity  Lodge,  No.  254.  I.  O.  O.  F., 
in  Uniontown,  Pennsylvania,  in  February,  1852.  He  subsequently  joined  the 
encampment  and  served  as  district  deputy  grand  patriarch  of  the  order  ni 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  is  still  a  member,  both  of  the  grand  lodge  and  of  the 
grand  encampment.  He  was  also  made  a  Mason,  in  Uniontown,  in  1864, 
and  is  at  present  affiliated  with  Hiawatha  Lodge,  No.  35,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.     The 


i64  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Colonel  is  quite  liberal  in  his  religious  opinions  and  beliefs,  which  are  peculiarly 
his  own.  He  accepts  the  inspiration  of  the  moral  and  religious  teachings  of 
scripture  and  divine  sonship,  the  pre-existence  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  efficacy  of 
His  example  for  purposes  of  redemption,  and  a  condition  of  future  rewards 
and  punishments ;  denies  the  inspiration  of  the  historical  records  and  the  cere- 
monial and  civil  laws  of  the  Jews,  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  vicarious  sacri- 
fice and  eternal  punishment :  accepts  a  salvation  by  conduct,  not  belief,  and  in 
the  family  of  the  Great  Father  includes  all  who  act  according  to  their  highest 
conceptions  of  right.  Colonel  Bierer  has  been  a  very  careful  student  of  both 
Old  and  New  Testament  writings,  and  his  present  views  are  the  result  of  a 
thorough  acquaintance  with  scripture  and  an  extensi\e  knowledge  of  ecclesi- 
astical history  and  polemics. 

On  the  8th  of  April,  1852.  in  Brownville.  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania. 
Colonel  Bierer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Ellen  Smouse,  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Elizabeth  (Troutman)  Smouse.  She  is  a  lady  of  extensive  family  con- 
nections in  Allegany  county,  Maryland,  and  in  Bradford  and  Somerset  coun- 
ties, Pennsylvania.  Her  maternal  great-grandfather  and  paternal  great- 
grandfather were  both  Revolutionary  soldiers.  Eight  children  have  been  born 
unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bierer,  six  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  eldest  son  is 
Everhard,  a  graduate  of  the  Kansas  University,  and  now  chief  clerk  in  the  law 
department  in  the  office  of  the  assistant  attorney-general,  in  Washington, 
District  of  Columbia :  Samuel  E.  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bierer  &  Shadel, 
merchants  of  Hiawatha ;  Daniel  is  a  stock  dealer  of  southern  Kansas :  Andrew 
Gregg  Curtin  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bierer  &  Dale,  of  Guthrie,  Oklahoma; 
John  W.  is  living  in  Barber  county.  Kansas,  on  a  ranch :  Bion  is  a  lieutenant 
in  the  United  States  navy  and  served  on  the  monitor  Puritan  in  the  late 
Spanish-American  war,  and  is  now  at  Manila ;  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  James 
L.  Shadel,  who  is  engaged  in  merchandising  with  her  brother  in  Hiawatha ; 
and  Anna  C.  is  the  wife  of  John  Bokaye,  of  Horton,  Kansas. 

Colonel  Bierer  is  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance,  about  five  feet  ten 
inches  in  height.  His  manly  characteristics  are  strongly  marked.  He  has 
always  been  an  extensive  reader  and  close  observer,  and,  being  of  social  dis- 
position, is  a  most  instructive  as  well  as  entertaining  companion.  As  a  youth 
he  was  ambitious  of  public  distinction  and  fond  of  oratory,  and  his  choice  of 
the  legal  profession  was  largely  determined  by  the  opportunity  it  afforded  for 
the  gratification  for  such  tastes.  He  is  a  man  of  incorruptible  integrity,  strong 
practical  judgment,  with  a  good  knowledge  of  men  and  events  and  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  live  issues  of  state  and  national  politics.  At  the  bar  and 
in  business  life  he  has  manifested  excellent  ability.  His  home  is  a  beautiful 
residence,  situated  in  the  city  of  Hiawatha,  in  Brown  county,  Kansas.  He 
has  passed  the  seventy-third  milestone  on  the  journey  of  life,  and  in  the  evening 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         165 

of  his  career  he  is  surrounded  by  many  comforts  that  he  has  gained  through  his 
own  efforts.  At  all  times  he  has  been  loyal  to  truth  and  right,  faithful  to  the 
interests  which  he  believes  will  prove  a  public  good,  and  loyal  to  every  measure 
to  which  he  gives  his  support.  In  matters  of  great  public  moment  he  has  a 
mind  above  all  personal  considerations. 


JAMES  J.  KXEPP. 

James  J.  Knepp  is  interested  both  in  farming  and  banking  in  Nemaha 
county  and  is  one  of  the  reliable  business  men  whose  consecutive  efforts  and 
honorable  dealmg  have  secured  to  him  the  public  confidence.  His  labors  have 
also  been  crowned  with  a  high  degree  of  prosperity  and  he  is.'  therefore,  num- 
bered among  the  substantial  residents  of  the  community.  The  history  of  every 
locality  is  formed  largely  of  the  records  of  its  leading  business  men,  their 
connection  with  the  industrial  and  commercial  interests  being  the  chief  element 
in  the  progress  and  upbuilding  of  the  localities'  with  which  they  are  connected. 
It  is  thus  that  "history  has  become  the  essence  of  the  innumerable  biog- 
raphies," as  Carlyle  has  said,  and  that  "tl:«a  history  of  a  nation  is  best  told 
in  the  lives  of  its  representative  citizens." 

Mr.  Knepp  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Mifflin  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  Alarch  19,  1846.  On  both  the  paternal 
and  maternal  sides  he  is  of  German  lineage.  His  father,  William  Knepp,  was 
born  in  Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1823,  and  was  a  son  of  Henry  Knepp. 
Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Miss  Sophia  Peters,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Union  county,  Pennsylvania.  In  1870  they  removed  to 
Miami  county,  Kansas,  where  the  father  died  in  1890,  the  mother  passing 
away  in  1889,  in  her  sixty-third  year. 

James  J.  Knepp,  of  this  review,  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Pennsylvania 
and  in  Michigan,  having  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  latter  state  in  1863. 
The  family  took  up  their  abode  in  White  Pigeon  and  Mr.  Knepp  remained  a 
resident  of  that  town  until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Kansas.  Locating  in  Doni- 
phan county,  near  Highland,  he  secured  a  farm  west  of  the  village  and  there 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock  raising,  meeting  with  good  success 
as  a  dealer  in  stock.  In  1881  he  removed  to  Richmond  township,  Nemaha 
county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm,  continuing  its  cultivation  for  several 
years,  at  the  same  time  feeding  and  shipping  cattle.  On  leaving  that  place 
he  removed  to  his  present  farm,  which  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  in  Mitchell  township.  Here  he  erected  one  of  the  finest  dwellings  in 
the  locality  and  has  built  good  barns  and  outbuildings  to  shelter  the  grain 


i66  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  stock.  He  is  a  very  practical,  yet  progressive,  farmer  and  a  sagacious 
stock  dealer,  being  an  excellent  judge  of  the  cattle  which  he  buys.  His 
methods  of  feeding  and  shipping  made  the  stock  valuable  upon  the  market 
and  he  thus  commands  good  prices  in  Kansas  City,  which  is  the  principal  ship- 
ping point.  His  labors,  however  have  not  been  confined  to  this  line.  In 
1892  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Citizens'  State  Bank,  of  Seneca,  and 
since  that  time  has  served  as  its  vice-president. 

In  1867  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Knepp  and  Miss  Amelia  L.  Benfer, 
a  sister  of  Hugh  H.  Benfer,  a  prominent  retired  farmer  of  Hiawatha,  Kansas. 
The  lady  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of  Elias  and  Sarah 
(Young)  Benfer.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  five  children: 
Cora  wife  of  B.  F.  Stickney;  Ida  M.,  wife  of  Theador  Diffenderfer;  \\'illiam 
H. ;  Jay  B. ;  and  Charles  E.,  who  is  cashier  of  the  Linscat  Bank,  in  old  INIexico. 

Socially  Mr.  Knepp  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity, 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men and  enjoys  the  high  regard  of  the  brethren  of  those  organizations. 


GEORGE  SCHMITT. 


George  Schmitt,  an  industrious  and  enterprising  farmer  of  Brown  county, 
living  in  Hamlin  township,  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Illinois,  January  2, 
1847,  ^^'s  parents  being  John  and  Margaret  Schmitt,  who  were  married  in 
that  state.  Both  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  father  was  reared  in  Bavaria, 
on  the  Rhine,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  families 
of  the  locality.  He  received  excellent  educational  privileges  and  in  his  native 
land  was  married,  his  wife  being  a  native  of  Hessen,  Germany.  Crossing 
the  Atlantic  to  America  they  took  up  their  residence  in  Madison  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  the  father  had  a  small  farm.  His  first  wife  died,  leaving  four 
children,  who  were  born  in  the  fatherland,  namely:  Mary,  the  wife  of  J. 
Guider ;  John,  Adam  and  Mike.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Schmitt 
wedded  Margaret  Smith,  who  also  was  born  in  Germany,  and  they  had  four 
children, — George,  Fred,  Jacob  and  Lewis.  The  second  wife  died  in  Brown 
county,  Kansas,  in  1861,  and  Mr.  Schmitt  afterward  wedded  Miss  Ordway, 
by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Charles.  After  she  was  called  to  her  final  rest  Mr. 
Schmitt  was  a  fourth  tmie  married  and  by  that  union  he  had  two  children, — 
Joseph  and  Anna.  He  was  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  withhold- 
ing his  support  from  no  measure  which  he  believed  would  prove  a  public  good. 
He  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Kansas,  followed  farming  to  some  extent 
and  also  conducted  a  mercantile  establishment.    He  was  widely  and  favorably 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


167 


known  and  by  his  sterlinsr  worth  he  commanded  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
all  with  whom  he  was  brought  in  contact.  His  standard  of  integrity  and 
morahty  was  higli  and  he  lost  no  opportunity  of  doing  good.  Heliad  been 
educated  for  the  priesthood,  but  never  entered  the  church,  although  he  always 
adhered  to  its  faith  and  died  a  firm  believer  in  the  Christian  religion.  His 
death  occurred  in  1874,  on  what  is  known  as  the  Snow  farm  in  Brown  county. 
George  Schmitt,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  born  in  Madison 
county,  Illinois,  and  was  eight  years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Kansas.  The  family  settled  on  Walnut  creek,  in  Brown  county,  where  he 
aided  his  father  in  clearing  and  improving  a  farm.  He  attended  the  common 
schools  until  fifteen  years  of  age  and  then,  putting  aside  his  text  books,  he  left 
home  and  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  for  about  fifteen  years.  In  1871  he 
went  to  Colorado  and  upon  his  return  to  the  Mississippi  valley  spent  some 
time  in  southern  Kansas.  On  leaving  that  section  of  the  state  he  went  to 
Missouri,where  he  was  employed  in  making  railroad  lies  for  about  nine  months. 
Later  he  made  a  visit  to  his  old  home  in  Illinois  and  then  removed  to  Nebraska, 
where  he  was  employed  upon  a  farm  until  his  return  to  Brown  county.  Here 
he  secured  employment  on  a  railroad,  but  about  1882  went  to  Colorado,  where 
he  engaged  in  prospecting  for  mining  property.  He  also  engaged  in  chopping 
cord  wood  and  later  turned  his  attention  to  mining,  discovering  some  gold  and 
silver  bearing  quartz.  From  this  he  secured  a  good  return  of  the  metal  and 
met  with  a  fair  degree  of  prosperity.  He  continued  his  residence  in  Colorado 
for  about  eleven  years,  when,  in  1897,  he  returned  to  Brown  county,  where  he 
has  since  remained.  He  has  resolved  to  devote  his  energies  to  the  farm.  He 
has  ever  lived  a  pure  and  upright  life,  following  as  closely  as  possible  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  honored  father,  whose  example  was  certainly  well  worthy  of 


emulation. 


CYRUS  SHINN. 


In  the  death  of  the  honored  subject  of  this  memoir  there  passed  away 
another  member  of  that  little  group  of  distinctively  representative  business  men 
who  were  the  pioneers  in  the  inauguration  and  building  up  of  the  chief  indus- 
tries of  this  section  of  the  country.  His  name  is  familiar  to  the  residents  of 
the  city  of  Oneida  to  whose  development  he  contributed  so  conspicuously.  He 
was  identified  with  the  town  from  the  beginning,  in  fact  was  its  founder.  He 
early  had  the  sagacity  and  prescience  to  discern  the  eminence  which  the  future 
had  in  store  for  this  great  and  growing  country,  and  acting  in  accordance 
with  the  dictates  of  his  faith  and  judgment  he  garnered  in  the  fullness  of  time 
the  generous  harvest  which  is  the  just  recompense  of  indomitable  industry. 


i68  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

spotless  integrity  and  marvelous  enterprise.  Few  lives  furnish  so  striking  an 
example  of  the  wise  application  of  sound  principles  and  safe  conservatism  as 
does  his.  The  story  of  his  success  is  short  and  simple,  containing  no  exciting 
chapters,  but  in  it  lies  one  of  the  most  valuable  secrets  of  the  great  prosperity 
which  it  records  and  his  private  and  business  life  are  pregnant  with  interest 
and  incentive  no  matter  how  lacking  in  dramatic  action, — the  record  of  a  noble 
life,  consistent  with  itself  and  its  possibilities  in  every  particular. 

Colonel  Shinn  was  born  in  Harrison  county.  West  Virginia,  on  the  7th 
of  March,  1825.  His  father,  Samson  Shinn,  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace 
in  Knox  county,  Illinois,  to  which  county  he  removed  in  1835.  His  wife,  Mrs. 
Edith,  was  also  a  native  of  West  \'irginia  and  the  Colonel  was  the  sec- 
ond in  a  family  of  six  children.  He  was  ten  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Knox  county,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his  youth  pursuing  his  edu- 
cation in  Knox  College.  He  began  farming  in  that  locality,  but  for  many  years 
was  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  at  Oilman,  Illinois,  being  largely  instru- 
mental in  the  upbuilding  of  the  town.  He  also  became  the  first  real  estate 
agent  of  Kansas  and  had  charge  of  various  land  excursions  throughout  Kansas 
and  Nebraska,  which  resulted  in  bringing  many  settlers  to  this  section  of  the 
country.  In  1876  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  on  the  site  of  the  present  town 
of  Oneida.  In  1878  he  laid  out  the  city  and  from  that  time  until  his  death  was 
an  active  factor  in  its  upbuilding  and  progress.  He  was  elected  its  second 
mayor  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  place  along  social, 
material  and  moral  lines. 

Mr.  Shinn  was  twice  married.  On  the  7th  of  January,  1856,  he  wedded 
Miss  Martha  J.  Reeder,  and  to  them  was  born  one  child.  The  mother  died  in 
1872,  and  on  the  22d  of  June,  1882,  Mr.  Shinn  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Rachel  Schureman,  who  was  born  October  8,  1839,  in  Somer- 
set county.  New  Jersey.  Her  father,  Jonathan  Schureman,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  state  and  was  a  mason  by  trade.  In  1850  he  emigrated  westward, 
locating  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  wdiere  he  made  his  home  for  three  years. 
Subsequently  he  removed  to  Tazewell  county,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming.  Ultimately  he  sold  his  first  purchase  there  and  took  up  his  abode 
at  another  point  in  the  same  county,  Green  Valley,  where  he  lived  retired  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was  seventy-two  years  of  age.  He  was  of 
German  descent.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Keziah  Lawler, 
was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  lived  to  be  about  seventy-two  years  of 
age.  In  their  family  were  five  children,  of  whom  ^Mrs.  Shinn  was  the  eldest. 
She  became  a  resident  of  Illinois  when  about  ten  years  of  age  and  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  there. 

During  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Shinn  acted  as  recruiting  agent  at  Peoria,  Illi- 
nois, and  thus  won  the  title  of  colonel,  by  which  he  was  generally  known.  After 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  169 

his  arrival  in  Nemaha  county  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business  and  in  this  way  contributed  in  a  large  measure  to  the  substantial 
improvement  of  Oneida  and  the  surrounding  country.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  was  an  intiexible  ad\ocate  of  the  temperance  cause  and  did  much  to  pro- 
mote its  interests  here.  He  was  also  a  friend  of  the  public-school  system  and 
of  good  government,  and  withheld  his  support  from  no  movement  or  measure 
which  he  believed  would  promote  the  general  welfare  or  the  public  prosperity. 
His  business  dealings  were  so  ably  managed  that  he  won  a  comfortable  com- 
petence and  the  most  envious  could  not  grudge  him  his  success  so  honorably 
was  it  gained.  He  died  October  4,  1898,  at  his  home  in  Oneida.  His  death 
was  mourned  throughout  the  community,  for  his  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances was  very  extensive  and  all  who  knew  him  esteemed  him  for  his  sterling 
worth. 


JACOB  GIBSON. 


The  life  of  Jacob  Gibson  flowed  along  quietly  and  without  many  great 
events,  but  he  nobly  performed  his  part  toward  his  family  and  the  several 
communities  in  which  he  dwelt,  and  his  place  could  only  with  dilificulty  be 
filled  by  any  one  else.  He  reached  his  seventy-seventh  year,  1900,  when  he 
could  look  back  along  the  pathway  he  had  traveled  with  few  regrets,  and  justly 
feel  that  the  world  was  the  better  for  his  sojourn  here. 

A  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Wiley)  Gibson,  our  subject  was  born  June 
6,  1823,  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania.  His  father,  of  Scotch-Irish  descent, 
also  was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His 
mother  was  of  a  Scotch  family.  The  only  sister  of  our  subject,  Mary,  is 
deceased. 

The  boyhood  and  early  manhood  of  Jacob  Gibson  was  spent  in  his  native 
state,  where  he  learned  the  trades  of  blacksmithing  and  wheelwright.  In  these 
Imes  of  business  he  was  actively  employed  for  many  years,  accumulating  suf- 
ficient means  to  purchase  a  fine,  homestead  when  he  came  to  the  west.  It  was 
in  1865  that  he  moved  to  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  where  he  continued  to  dwell 
tor  some  six  years,  at  the  end  of  which  period  he  located  in  Kapioma  town- 
ship, Atchison  county.  The  farm  contained  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
arable  land,  most  of  which  was  under  high  cultivation,  yielding  abundant 
harvests.    On  the  place  stood  a  comfortable  residence  and  barns. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Gibson  and  Leah  High  was  celebrated  in  August, 
185 1,  in  Clearfield  county,  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Gibson's  parents,  John  and 
Sarah  High,  were  of  German  extraction.  Eleven  children  were  born  to  our 
subject  and  wife,  namely:     Alary  Johnstone.  John,  George  W.,  Susan  Hunn, 


170  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

A.  Lincoln.  Philip,  Emma  Huston.  Lizzie  Cathcart.  Lillie  Brooks.  D.  William 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Six  of  the  number  have  been  engaged  in  teach- 
ing, but  at  the  present  time  onlv  D.  W.  is  so  employed.  A.  Lincoln  died  when 
twenty-nine  vears  of  age.  All  of  the  children  received  as  good  educational 
advantages  as  it  was  in  their  parents'  power  to  afiford  them.  The  father  had 
been  for  years  a  member  of  the  local  school  board.  In  his  political  belief  he 
was  a  Republican.  He  was,  as  are  his  wife  and  children,  connected  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Arrington,  in  which  he  was  a  trustee  and  a 
zealous  worker  in  the  Sunday  school.  His  death  took  place  March  i6.  1900, 
and  was  the  occasion  of  sincere  mourning  among  many  friends. 


AUGUSTUS  W.  MYERS. 

It  has  assuredly  l)een  not  uninteresting  to  observe  in  the  series  of  bio- 
graphical sketches  appearing  in  this  volume  the  varying  nationality,  origin  and 
early  environment  of  men  who  have  made  their  way  to  positions  of  prominence 
and  success.  Mr.  Myers  is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens  that  Germany  has  fur- 
nished to  Kansas,  and  belongs  to  that  class  of  self-made  men  who  have  reached 
the  plane  of  affluence  through  well  directed  effort,  unflagging  industry  and 
unabating  perseverance. 

He  was  born  in  Lintze,  Germany,  October  28,  1824.  his  parents  being 
Frederick  and  Louisa  Myers,  both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of  Germany. 
In  1837  they  came  to  the  L'nited  States,  crossing  the  Atantic  to  New  York 
city  and  thus  making  their  way  direct  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  they  spent 
the  succeeding  winter.  In  the  spring  of  1838  they  removed  to  Jackson  county, 
Indiana,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising.  In  1850 
they  took  up  their  residence  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 

Augustus  W.  Myers  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  various  removals 
up  to  that  time.  In  the  year  1850  he  married  Miss  Huldah  Snyder,  of 
Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  a  daughter  of  Edward  Snyder,  and  they  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  that  state,  which  continued  to  be  their  home 
until  1877,  In  that  year  Mr.  Myers  went  with  his  family  to  Stockton,  Cali- 
fornia, but  after  a  short  time  he  returned  eastward  locating  in  Atchison 
county,  where  he  purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  land  in  Shannon  town- 
ship. He  is  interested  with  his  brother,  Fred,  in  the  cattle  business  in  Cali- 
fornia and  also  has  property  interests  in  Los  Angeles.  After  residing  for 
some  time  in  Shannon  township  he  came  to  Atchison,  where  he  now  makes 
his  home,  his  time  and  energies  being  devoted  to  the  management  and  carrying 
on  of  his  extensive  property  interests.  He  still  owns  the  old  homestead  and  has 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  171 

made  judicious  investments  in  other  realty,  from  which  he  derives  a  handsome 
income. 

Air.  and  Mrs.  Myers  have  ten  children,  seven  sons  and  three  daughters, 
namely  :  Herman  K. ;  Edward  S. ;  Laura  E.,  wife  of  William  Clem,  a  farmer; 
John;  William  H. ;  Winslow;  Charles  W. ;  Dora  S.,  wife  of  William  Segner; 
Frederick,  at  home;  and  Ray  H.,  who  is  still  at  his  parental  home.  Mr.  Myers 
started  out  in  life  for  himself  empty-handed,  nor  Ixid  he  the  influence  of 
wealthy  friends  to  aid  him.  He  placed  his  dependence  on  the  more  substantial 
qualities  of  industry  and  enterprise,  and  his  sound  judgment  in  business  mat- 
ters has  always  been  a  potent  element  in  his  prosperity.  To-day  he  is  numbered 
among  the  capitalists  of  Atchison,  his  earnest  labors  having  been  crowned  with 
a  high  degree  of  success.  Such  a  life  indicates  the  glory  of  the  American 
republic,  for  it  is  only  in  this  land  that  caste  and  class  do  not  hamper  genius, 
labor  and  native  talent. 


ROBERT  DAVIS  HARTMAN. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  son  of  a  pioneer  and  has  himself  lived 
for  years  the  wild  life  of  the  plains  which  will  have  an  interest  more  and  more 
romantic  as  it  recedes  into  the  past  and  the  impossibility  of  its  repetition  any- 
where in  America  becomes  more  and  more  apparent.  H'e  has  been  a  soldier 
also,  and  as  such  had  a  taste  of  Indian  warfare.  If  his  experience  has  been  a 
remarkably  fortunate  one  in  some  respects  that  fact  should  not  detract  from  the 
credit  due  one  who  shrank  from  no  responsibility  and  always  faced  the  future 
with  a  bold  front,  willing  to  take  his  full  share  of  any  ills  it  might  hold. 

Robert  Davis  Hartman  is  one  of  the  six  children  of  Jonathan  Hartman, 
some  account  of  whose  life  is  included  in  a  biographical  sketch  of  William 
Morris  Hartman,  a  son  of  Jonathan  and  brother  of  Robert  Davis  Hartman, 
which  has  a  place  in  this  work.  These  children  were  named  thus  in  the  order 
of  their  birth:  Frederick,  Robert  Davis,  W'illiam  Morris.  Richard  M.,  Alice 
and  Mary.  The  two  daughters  are  dead.  Richard  M.  married  Maud 
Brannan  and  lives  on  his  father's  old  homestead. 

Robert  Davis  Hartman  was  born  at  Platte  City,  Missouri,  November  26, 
1848,  and  grew  up  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  near  Parnell,  Atch- 
ison county,  Kansas.  He  remained  in  that  neighborhood  until  he  was  six- 
teen years  old  and  then  went  to  Atchison  and  entered  the  employment  of  John 
Bradford,  a  well  known  freighter,  as  a  "bull-whacker,"  as  drivers  of  ox  teams 
were  called  in  the  vernacular  of  the  west  in  those  days.  Later  he  was  a  driver 
for  William  McPherson,  of  Atchison,  and  for  Gray  &  Faulkner,  of  Leaven- 
worth. In  1865  he  went  in  the  same  service  for  Lord  Brothers,  of  Denver, 
Colorado. 


172  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mr.  Hartman  made  fi\-e  trips  across  the  plains  and  did  much  arduous 
work  and  experienced  some  memorable  hardships,  but  his  experience  was  pe- 
culiar in  one  way.  He  states  that  his  career  was  perhaps  less  exciting  and 
noteworthy  than  that  of  any  other  plainsman  of  his  time.  His  wagon  train 
never  encountered  a  live  Indian  during  his  several  years  of  "whacking,"  while 
trains  in  front  of  him  and  trains  behind  him  were  completely  wiped  out,  the 
men  being  killed  and  scalped,  the  wagons  burned  and  the  cattle  and  portable 
valuables  run  off.  After  leaving  the  service  of  Lord  Brothers,  Mr.  Hart- 
man  came  home  and  remained  for  a  time  on  the  farm. 

In  1867  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Army  for  service  against  the  In- 
dians and  was  a  member  of  Company  D,  Eighteenth  Regiment  Kansas  Vol- 
unteers, and  was  in  Major  Moore's  battalion.  The  historic  fight  at  Prairie 
Dog  creek,  with  the  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes,  put  an  end  to  hostilities  and 
the  Eighteenth  Regiment  returned  to  Fort  Harker  and  Mr.  Hartman  was 
there  mustered  out,  after  four  months"  service.  In  1868  his  desire  for  the 
excitement  of  frontier  life  reasserted  itself  and  he  went  to  Colorado  and  re- 
entered the  service  of  Lord  Brothers. 

He  remained  in  Colorado  for  se\'en  years  as  a  cowboy  and  ranchman, 
and  then,  having  accumulated  an  amount  sufficient  to  establish  himself  as  a 
farmer  at  home,  he  returned  to  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  and  bought  a  farm 
in  Mount  Pleasant  t-ownship.  He  has  met  with  satisfactory  success  and  has 
become  known  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  his  vicinity.  He  was  married, 
in  1870,  to  Mattie  A.,  a  daughter  of  M.  L.  Williams,  who  came  to  Kansas 
from  Canton,  Missouri,  and  they  have  children  named  Adda,  Robert,  Henry, 
Peter,  James,  William,  Edna,  Davis,  Belle,  Christine  and  Sam.  James  and 
Peter  are  twins. 


FREDERICK  HARTMAN. 

On  the  roster  of  the  county  officials  of  Atchison  county  appears  the  name 
of  Frederick  Hartman,  who  is  faithfully  discharging  the  duties  of  sheriff  in 
a  most  capable  manner.  Upon  the  battle-fields  of  the  south  through  the  Civil 
war  he  manifested  his  loyalty  to  the  government,  and  at  all  times  he  is  a  pub- 
lic-spirited and  progressive  man,  advocating  whatever  tends  to  promote  law, 
order,  reform  and  progress  in  the  material  development  and  commercial  wel- 
fare of  the  community. 

Mr.  Hartman  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Franklin  county,  Indiana,  December 
7,  1844,  his  parents  being  Jonathan  and  Christina  (Wolking)  Hartman.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Henry  Hartman,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  of 
German  lineage.    Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Miss  Alice 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         173 

Case  and  tliey  were  living  in  Indiana  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  Jonathan 
Hartman.  on  the  22(1  of  January.  1822.  The  latter  became  a  carpenter  and 
builder  and  in  1846  removed  to  Missouri,  locating  in  Platte  county.  In  1857 
he  removed  with  his  family  to  Atchison  and  afterward  went  to  Fort  Williams, 
but  soon  took  up  his  abode  in  Mount  Pleasant  township,  Atchison  county,  where 
he  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  transforming  it  into  a 
richly  cultivated  farm,  upon  which  he  still  makes  his  home.  He  married  Miss 
Wolking.  a  daughter  of  Frederick  Wolking  and  a  native  of  Holland.  When 
a  little  maiden  of  seven  summers  she  came  with  her  parents  to  America,  the 
family  locating  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Her  death  occurred  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Mount  Pleasant  township,  Atchison  county,  in  1878.  Eight  children 
were  born  to  the  parents  of  our  subject,  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely: 
Henry,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war;  Frederick:  Robert  D.,  a  farmer  on 
the  old  homestead ;  Wiliam  Morris ;  James  S.,  who  follows  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  Atchison  county;  Alice,  the  wife  of  Elija  Esham,  is  now  deceased; 
Mary :  and  Richard  M.,  who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  with  his  father. 

Frederick  Hartman,  of  this  review,  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
remo\al  to  Platte  county  and  with  them  came  to  Atchison  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  completed  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  was  early  trained 
to  habits  of  industry  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  continued  until  eighteen 
years  of  age.  when  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in 
1862  as  a  member  of  Company  F,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Infantry,  Captain  Hays 
commanding  the  company  and  Colonel  Bowman  the  regiment.  He  took  part 
in  a  number  of  important  engagements,  including  the  battles  of  Prairie  Grove, 
Arkansas,  and  Kane's  Hill,  and  faithfully  followed  the  old  flag  until  mustered 
out  on  the  25th  of  July,  1865. 

With  an  honorable  war  record  Mr.  Hartman  returned  to  the  farm  in 
Atchison  county  and  soon  after  was  married  to  Miss  Cynthia  Parnell,  of  Mount 
Pleasant  township.  She  was  born  near  De  Kalb.  Missouri,  and  is  the  daughter 
of  Andrew  and  Mariah  Parnell.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartman  have  eight  children, 
namely :  Henrietta,  deceased ;  Hannah,  the  wife  of  James  Iddings,  of  Atchi- 
son :  Dora,  deceased ;  Jonathan ;  Jessie ;  and  May  Florence,  Bertie  B.  and 
Frederick,  at  home. 

Mr.  Hartman  is  the  owner  of  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Mount  Pleasant  township  and  the  rental  therefrom  materially  increases 
his  income.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  does  all  in  his  power  to 
promote  the  growth  and  secure  the  success  of  his  party.  He  has  served  as  a 
trustee  of  Mount  Pleasant  tow-nship  and  was  justice  of  the  peace  there  for  one 
term.  In  1880  he  was  elected  county  commissioner  and  re-elected  in  1883, 
serving  for  six  consecutive  years.  He  has  been  twice  elected  sheriff,  first  in 
1895  ^"<J  again  in  1898,  so  that  he  is  the  present  incumbent.    He  is  prompt  and 


174  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

reliable  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties,  and  in  various  public  offices  which  he 
has  filled  has  ever  won  and  merited  the  confidence  and  commendation  of  his 
fellow  men.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  Washington  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M., 
the  Fraternal  Aid  Association  and  E.  C.  Johnson  Post,  G.  A.  R. 


JOHN  HAXSZ. 

John  Hansz  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Nemaha  township, 
Nemaha  county.  His  home  is  situated  on  section  35,  where  he  has  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  good  land,  all  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
improved  with  the  various  accessories  and  conveniences  known  to  the  modern 
farm.  A  native  of  France  he  was  born  in  the  province  of  Alsace,  which  now 
belongs  to  Germany,  August  17,  1840.  His  father,  George  Hansz,  was  also 
born  in  that  locality  and  died  when  about  fifty-five  years  of  age.  As  a  means 
of  livelihood  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  His  wife,  who  was  in 
her  maidenhood  Mary  Richard,  was  also  born  in  Alsace,  and  died  in  Illinois, 
at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-two  years.  In  their  family  there  were  nine  chil- 
dren, but  only  four  are  now  living, — Jacob,  ]\Iichael,  John  and  Mary.  The  last 
named  is  now  the  wife  of  Louis  Bolder,  of  Illinois. 

Mr.  Hansz,  of  this  review,  is  the  eighth  child  and  youngest  son  and  he 
spent  the  first  fifteen  years  of  his  life  in  the  place  of  his  nativity,  where  he  pur- 
sued his  education  in  the  common  schools,  working  on  the  farm  in  the  summer 
months.  He  came  to  America  in  1856  and  for  four  years  resided  in  the  Empire 
state,  where  he  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  became  a  resident  of  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was 
employed  by  the  month  on  a  farm  for  four  years,  after  which  he  operated  a 
rented  farm  for  two  years.  In  1866  he  arrived  in  Nemaha  county,  Kansas, 
when  the  state  had  been  admitted  to  the  Union  only  five  years,  and  the  work 
of  progress  was  scarcely  begun  in  the  northeastern  section.  Mr.  Hansz  rented 
a  tract  of  land  on  Nemaha  creek  and  there  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for 
two  years,  when,  with  the  capital  he  had  acquired,  he  purchased  eighty  acres, 
upon  which  he  now  resides.  There  were  no  improvements  on  the  place  at  the 
time,  but  his  labors  soon  wrought  a  great  change  in  the  appearance  of  his  farm. 
He  first  built  a  small  residence  and  then  went  into  the  fields,  where  the  work 
of  plowing  and  planting  at  length  brought  the  reward  of  good  harvests.  As 
time  has  passed  and  his  financial  resources  have  increased  he  has  extended  the 
boundaries  of  his  farm  until  it  now  comprises  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres, 
all  of  which  is  fenceil  and  under  cultivation.  H6  carries  on  stock  raising  in 
connection  with  general  farming  and  finds  in  both  branches  of  the  business  a 
profitable  source  of  income. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  175 

In  1866,  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hansz 
and  Miss  Harriet  George,  a  native  of  Nassau,  Germany,  who  at  the  age  of  four 
years  was  brought  to  America  by  her  parents  and  reared  in  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois.  Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hansz,  namely :  Carrie, 
the  wife  of  Elwood  Mclntire,  a  farmer  and  teacher  of  Norton  county,  Kan- 
sas; Emma,  the  wife  of  William  Ifft,  a  resident  of  Walkerville,  Montana; 
Sarah,  a  graduate  of  the  Centralia  high  school  and  now  a  successful  teacher ; 
Henry  and  William,  at  home ;  Ella,  deceased,  and  Lester,  who  completes  the 
family.    All  are  natives  of  Nemaha  county. 

Mr.  Hansz  came  to  America  with  a  limited  capital  of  but  ten  dollars,  yet 
he  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  and  is  to-day  the  possessor  of  a  very 
fine  farm.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  has  held  a  number  of  local 
oiifices,  discharging  his  duty  with  promptness  and  fidelity,  and  in  his  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Lutheran.  He  has  given  the  closest  attention  to  business  and  at 
all  times  has  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men. 


CHARLES  C.  PINCKNEY. 

The  broad  prairies  of  northeastern  Kansas  have  aiiforded  excellent  oppor- 
tunity to  the  farmers  and  stock  dealers  and  many  have  availed  themselves  of 
this  opportunity  to  successfully  engage  in  the  lines  of  business  mentioned. 
Among  the  number  is  Mr.  Pinckney,  who  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial 
and  progressive  farmers  and  stock  dealers  of  his  community.  He  was  born  in 
Mount  Morris,  Ogle  county,  Illinois,  on  the  ist  of  February,  1846,  and  is  a  son 
of  Daniel  J.  and  Margaret  C.  (Hitt)  Pinckney.  The  father  is  a  native  of 
Ithaca,  New  York,  and  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Washington  county, 
Maryland.  William  Pinckney,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  also  a  native  of 
the  Empire  state,  and  on  the  maternal  side  the  grandfather  was  Samuel  Hitt, 
an  uncle  of  Senator  Hitt,  of  Illinois,  and  a  relative  of  the  late  Colonel  Hitt,  of 
Ottawa,  that  state. 

Charles  C.  Pinckney  spent  his  early  life  in  Ogle  county,  Illinois,  and  to 
the  public-school  system  he  is  indebted  for  the  early  educational  privileges 
which  he  received.  Subsequently  he  pursued  his  studies  in  Mount  Morris  Col- 
lege, a  Methodist  school,  and  on  laying  aside  his  text  books  he  returned  to  the 
farm  and  assisted  his  father,  his  time  being  thus  occupied  until  his  twenty- 
fourth  year.  His  father  was  a  man  of  high  literary  attainments  and  strong 
.mentality  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  successful  teacher.  In  his  nine- 
teenth year  he  became  the  founder  of  the  Mount  Morris  Colleee,  and  lived 
to  see  it  become  one  of  the  prosperous'institutions  of  the  community.     He  was 


1/6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND' GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

also  prominent  in  public  affairs  and  was  three  times  chosen  to  represent  his 
district  in  the  state  legislature.  In  politics  he  was  a  pronounced  Republican, 
unwavering  in  his  support  of  the  principles  of  that  party.  He  died  in  June, 
1883,  and  his  wife,  who  still  survives  him.  makes  her  home  in  Chicago.  In 
their  family  were  four  children :  Thyetta.  the  wife  of  George  Gilson,  of  Chi- 
cago; Ida  F.,  the  wife  of  Edward  Butt,  a  resident  of  Kansas;  Meritt  W.,  a 
prominent  attorney  of  Chicago ;  and  Charles,  of  this  review. 

The  last  named  continued  his  residence  in  Ogle  county,  Illinois,  until  the 
spring  of  1883.  and  he  was  there  engaged  in  handling  and  feeding  cattle  and 
other  stock.  He  then  came  to  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  and  about  a  year  later 
purchased  his  present  farm,  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich 
land,  which  is  pleasantly  located  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Seneca,  in  Mitchell 
township.  It  is  one  of  the  model  farms  of  the  comtminity,  being  improved  with 
a  pleasant  residence,  good  barns  and  all  necessary  outbuildings.  He  deals  in 
stock  of  a  high  grade,  part  of  which  is  thoroughbred,  and  he  makes  a  specialty 
of  short  horn  cattle.  His  business  efforts,  however,  have  not  been  confined 
to  one  line,  for  he  is  connected  with  the  banking  interests,  being  a  stockholder 
and  a  director  in  the  First  National  Bank  and  a  stockholder  in  the  National 
Bank,  of  Seneca. 

On  the  nth  of  January.  1870,  Mr.  Pinckney  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Clarissa  Ohr.  of  Iowa.  She  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Maryland, 
of  which  county  her  parents  also  were  both  natives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pinck- 
ney now  Lave  t!>ree  children, — Pitt  Pierre,  Ella  F.  and  Ima.  Mr.  Pinckney 
has  served  fifteen  years  as  a  trustee  of  his  township,  a  fact  which  well  indicates 
his  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of  duty.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  is  a  past  master  of  the  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen  and  a  member  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security. 
Mrs.  Pinckney  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church.  Both  are  widely 
and  favorably  known  in  Seneca.  They  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  and  ha\-e  a  \cry  extensive  circle  of  acquaintances  in  the  community. 


TESSE  FLETCHER. 


The  president  of  the  Powhattan  Bank,  Mr.  Fletcher  is  now  prominently 
identified  with  financial  interests  in  his  section  of  Brown  county,  and  for  many 
years  has  been  an  active  factor  in  agricultural  circles.  Faithfulness  to  duty 
and  strict  adherence  to  a  fixed  purpose  in  life  will  do  more  to  advance  a  man's 
interests  than  wealth  or  adventitious  circumstances.  The  successful  men  of 
the  day  are  they  who  have  planned  their  own  ad\-ancement  and  have  accom- 


JC^^  ^/^    £^^i^  ^A^^^Le^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         177 

plished  it  in  spite  of  many  obstacles  and  with  a  certainty  that  could  have  been 
attained  only  through  their  own  efforts.  This  class  of  men  has  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative in  Mr.  Fletcher,  who  began  life  amid  unfavoring  circumstances  on 
a  Virginia  farm  but  has  attained  a  position  of  distinction  in  connection  with 
the  business  affairs  of  northeastern  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Lee  county,  \'ir- 
ginia,  December  28,  1835,  '"^^^  parents  being  John  G.  and  Mary  (Randolph) 
Fletcher,  both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion,  in  which  state 
they  were  married.  At  an  early  day.  about  1830.  the  Fletcher  and  Randolph 
families  removed  to  Illinois,  locating  near  Springfield,  where  the  Randolphs 
remained,  but  the  Fletchers  afterward  returned  to  Virginia.  But  little  is 
known  concerning  the  history  of  the  Randolph  family,  other  than  the  Illinois 
branch.  Mrs.  Fletcher  had  two  sisters  who  remained  in  Virginia,  Mrs.  Lovey 
Muncey  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Fitts. 

The  Fletchers  were  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  John  G.  Fletcher  was  a 
carpenter  and  stone  mason  and  possessed  much  natural  mechanical  ability, 
but  chose  to  make  farming  his  life  work.  He  did  not  favor  slavery,  but 
through  kindness  he  purchased  and  cared  for  one  slave.  He  carried  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  and  also  did  some  work  along  mechanical  lines.  In 
politics  he  was  a  stanch  Democrat  and  his  religious  connection  was  with  the 
Missionary  Baptist  church,  of  which  he  was  a  leading  member  and  deacon. 
He  enjoyed  the  unqualified  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow  men,  his  life 
being  ever  upright  and  honorable.  He  died  about  1878,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four  years,  and  his  wife,  after  remaining  upon  the  old  homestead  for  several 
years  thereafter,  went  to  make  her  home  with  a  daughter.  There  she  died 
about  1891.  at  a  very  advanced  age. 

The  children  of  John  G.  and  Mary  (Randolph)  Fletcher  are:  Mrs. 
Betsey  W'olfenbarger :  David,  a  resident  of  Kentucky;  George,  of  Texas; 
Patsey,  wife  of  J.  Welch;  Mrs.  Lovey  Herald;  Frankie,  wife  of  S.  \\'elch; 
John,  of  Virginia:  Susie,  wife  of  D.  King:  Jane,  wife  of  J.  Bartley:  Will- 
oughby,  of  Texas;  Jesse:  Van  Buren,  deceased:  Sally;  Ellen;  James  B.,  of 
Texas ;  and  Valentine,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years.  Jesse,  Willoughby, 
Bishop  and  John  all  served  for  over  three  years  in  the  Confederate  army.  John 
was  the  only  one  who  sustained  an  injury,  being  slightly  wounded  in  one 
engagement.  The  parents  were  both  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and 
reared  a  numerous  family,  of  which  they  have  every  reason  to  be  proud. 

Mr.  Fletcher,  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of  this  article,  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  life 
for  himself,  following  farming — the  occupation  to  which  he  had  been  reared. 
Later  he  bought  a  farm  and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  was  married.  He 
then  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  April,  1862,  when,  true  to  his  loved 
Southland,  he  entered  the  Confederate  service  as  a  member  of  the  Fiftieth 


1/8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Virginia  Volunteer  Infantry,  which  joined  the  Army  of  the  Poto'mac.  He 
served  on  detached  and  guard  duty  for  some  time  and  the  first  regular  battle 
in  which  he  participated  was  at  Chancellorsville,  where  the  Confederate  troops 
were  victorious.  His  brigade  remained  there  to  bury  the  dead  and  attend  to 
other  such  duties  as  follow  a  battle.  There  Mr.  Fletcher  was  taken  ill  and  sent 
to  the  hospital,  where  he  remained  for  about  three  months.  When  again  able 
for  duty  he  joined  the  First  Tennessee  Cavalry,  did  some  service  between  the 
armies  and  from  there  went  to  North  Carolina  on  recruiting  service.  After 
returning  to  the  Shenandoah  valley  he  participated  in  the  battle  of  Piedmont, 
and  then  remained  in  the  valley  until  October,  1864,  when  he  went  to  east 
Tennessee,  where  he  found  his  original  company  and  colonel.  Permission  was 
given  him  to  join  that  command,  with  which  he  remained  until  the  close  of 
hostilities.  He  participated  in  many  skirmishes,  but  no  pitched  battles.  He 
was  in  southwestern  Virginia  at  the  time  of  Lee's  surrender,  and  went  with 
his  regiment  to  Cumberland  Gap,  where  they  surrendered,  giving  up  all  their 
equipments  and  horses. 

Mr.  Fletcher  was  then  only  twenty  miles  from  home.  He  at  once 
returned  to  his  family  and  resumed  the  work  of  the  farm.  His  wife  had  one 
horse,  and  his  farm  implements  were  few.  Soon  he  sold  his  little  farm  in 
eastern  Tennessee  and  returned  to  Virginia,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  the  spring  of  1868,  when  he  emigrated  westward,  traveling  by 
team  to  Louisville  and  then  by  boat  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  whence  he  made 
his  way  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas.  When  he  reached  St.  Joseph  he  had 
one  hundred  and  forty  dollars  in  money  and  his  team  and  wagon,  together 
with  some  household  goods.  He  rented  a  house  and  land  near  Troy  and  that 
year  raised  some  produce.  The  following  year  he  operated  a  rented  farm  and 
then  purchased  eighty  acres  of  railroad  land,  on  which  he  had  to  pay  twelve 
per  cent,  interest,  one  year's  interest  in  advance.  The  condition  of  the  pur- 
chase was  that  he  should  pay  for  the  property  in  ten  years.  In  1870  he  took 
up  his  abode  thereon.  Soon  a  year's  interest — sixty-four  dollars — was  due, 
but  he  only  had  thirty-five  dollars.  However,  he  borrowed  the  remainder, 
and  built  a  small  house.  14x16  feet.  He  broke  sixteen  acres  of  the  land,  and 
also  engaged  in  raising  cattle  and  hogs.  With  determined  purpose  he  began 
the  work  of  improving  his  property  and  his  indomitable  industry  has  enabled 
him  to  overcome  all  obstacles.  He  was  successful  in  his  stock-raising  ventures, 
as  well  as  in  farming,  and  after  a  time  he  added  to  his  farm  another  eighty- 
acre  tract.  He  has  also  aided  his  sons  in  securing  homes.  His  own  farm  he 
has  placed  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation,  making  very  superior 
improvements  upon  it.  For  some  years  he  has  loaned  money  and  in  1897  he 
aided  in  organizing  the  bank  in  Powhattan,  in  which  he  has  since  held  stock. 
The  bank  was  first  capitalized  for  six  thousand  dollars,  but  in  January,  1899, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  179 

this  amount  was  increased  to  ten  thousand.  On  the  organization  of  the  bank 
Mr.  Fletcher  was  chosen  its  president  and  has  since  held  that  position,  S.  M. 
Adams  being  vice-president  and  Fred  E.  Graham,  cashier.  Under  the  capable 
management  of  the  president  and  the  other  officers  this  has  become  one  of 
the  solid  financial  institutions  of  the  county.  Mr.  Fletcher  is  a  very  capable 
financier,  of  keen  discernment  and  sound  judgment,  and  in  financial  circles  he 
sustains  an  unassailable  reputation. 

Mr.  Fletcher  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ellen  Bartly.  a  lady  of  intel- 
ligence, who  had  gained  many  friends  in  the  community.  She  was  born  in 
Lee  county.  Virginia,  June  18,  1833,  and  to  her  husband  she  has  proven  a 
faithful  wife  and  helpmeet.  Her  parents  were  James  and  Sarah  (Speak) 
Bartly,  the  former  a  native  of  Greene  county,Tennessee,and  the  latter  of  Wash- 
ington county,  Virginia.  Their  respective  parents  were  early  settlers  of  Lee 
county.  James  Bartly  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  though  a  resident  of 
the  south  never  owned  slaves.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig  until  the  dissolution 
of  that  party,  when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party.  During  the 
war  he  was  a  strong  advocate  of  the  Union  cause.  He  sufifered  heavy  losses 
from  the  bushwhackers  and  the  foraging  parties  of  the  armies,  who  carried 
ofif  his  farm  produce  and  his  stock.  He  resided  upon  the  old  Virginia  home- 
stead for  fifty-one  years,  and  after  his  children  were  grown  and  married  he 
came  to  Kansas,  arriving  in  1883.  He  built  a  house  on  his  son's  land  and 
there  resided  until  the  death  of  his  wife,  and  then  resided  with  his  children 
until  his  death,  in  1893.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
church.  This  worthy  couple  reared  a  family  of  ten  children :  Eliza,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Jonathan  Haines,  who  died  in  Virginia;  Nicholas  S.,  a 
farmer  of  Kansas;  Ellen,  wife  of  our  subject;  John,  now  of  Tennessee; 
Francis  and  William  R.,  who  are  living  in  this  state;  Nancy,  wife  of  J.  C. 
Thomas;  Emeline,  wife  of  A.  H.  Thomas;  Fanny,  wife  of  George  Bales;  and 
S.  P.,  a  resident  farmer  of  Brown  county. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fletcher  was  blessed  with  nine  children, 
but  six  died  in  early  childhood.  Those  still  living  are:  Gelanah,  wife  of  E. 
A.  Bender,  a  farmer  of  Jackson  county,  Kansas ;  Thomas  J.,  who  follows  farm- 
ing near  the  old  homestead;  and  Willoughby  R.,  also  an  agriculturist  of  the 
same  township.  The  Fletcher  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community. 
Its  members  are  widely  and  favorably  known  and  enjoy  the  friendship  and 
regard  of  all  with  whom  they  come  in  contact.  Li  his  fraternal  relations  Mr. 
Fletcher  is  a  Mason  and  in  politics  a  Democrat,  having  supported  the  prin- 
ciples of  that  party  since  attaining  his  majority.  A  life  characterized  by 
indomitable  energy  and  industry  and  by  unswerving  fidelity  to  honor  in  busi- 
ness affairs  as  well  as  in  private  life,  he  certainly  deserves  mention  among  the 
leading  residents  of  Brown  county. 


i8o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

NATHAN  COLEMAN. 

Nathan  Coleman  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Nemaha  county  and 
prior  to  his  death  resided  on  section  22.  Oilman  township.  He  was  loyal  to 
truth  and  right  in  all  life's  relations  and  in  his  death  the  community  lost  one 
of  its  best  citizens.  His  birth  occurred  in  Orange  county.  New  York,  on  the 
1st  of  May,  1827,  and  there  his  boyhood  days  were  passed,  the  common  schools 
affording  him  his  educational  privileges.  He  worked  on  the  farm  owned  by  his 
father,  Abner  Coleman,  who  also  was  a  native  of  Orange  county,  New  York, 
in  which  locality  he  died  when  his  son,  Nathan,  was  about  ten  years  of  age. 
In  early  manhood  he  had  married  Orpha  Goldsmith,  who  was  also  born  in 
Orange  county,  and  at  her  husband's  death  she  was  left  with  five  young  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  three  daughters,  Nathan  Coleman,  of  this  review,  being  the 
third  in  order  of  birth.  He  remained  in  the  Empire  state  throughout  his 
minority  and  in  Orange  county,  in  1851.  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jane 
S.  Hulse.  They  located  in  New  York,  whence  they  removed  to  Knox  county, 
Illinois,  in  1855.  taking  up  their  residence  in  Galesburg,  where  Mr.  Coleman 
engaged  in  dairying  for  six  years.  They  then  removed  to  a  farm  and  in  1871 
they  came  to  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  establishing  their  horne  upon  a  tract  of 
unimproved  land  in  Oilman  township.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began 
the  development  of  the  place  and  as  the  years  passed  added  all  the  improve- 
ments and  accessories  of  the  model  farm,  so  that  his  property  became  one  of  the 
most  attractive  and  desirable  in  the  neighborhood.  He  continued  his  active 
connection  with  farming  interests  until  his  death,  which  occurred  October  29, 
1896.  when  he  was  sixty-eight  years  of  age.  His  widow,  Mrs.  Jane  Serget 
(Hulse)  Coleman,  was  born  in  Orange  county,  New  York,  November  21, 
1825.  and  was  of  English  lineage.  The  ancestry  of  the  family  can  be  traced 
-back  to  three  brothers  who  came  from  England  to  America  and  established 
a  home  in  the  Empire  state.  One  of  these  was  the  great-grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Coleman.  Her  father,  M.  T.  Hulse.  was  bom  and  reared  in  Orange  county, 
New' York,  and  married  Dolly  Stewart,  who  spent  her  entire  life  in  that  state, 
dying  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years.  Mr.  Hulse  lived  for  eighty-two  years 
upon  one  farm  and  passed  the  ninetieth  milestone  on  life's  journev.  In  the 
family  of  this  worthy  couple  were  five  children,  three  daughters  and  two  sons, 
all  of  whom  reached  years  of  maturity.  They  were :  Jane :  Chauncey,  now 
deceased ;  Dolly,  Lewis  and  Emma,  who  have  also  passed  away.  By  her  mar- 
riage Mrs.  Coleman  became  the  mother  of  four  children :  Stewart,  who  mar- 
ried Loura  Reeder  and  resides  on  section  21,  Oilman  township,  Nemaha 
county ;  Thomas,  who  married  Frances  \Yeir  and  is  running  a  farm  in  Oilman 
township ;  Orpha,  at  home ;  and  Jennie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years.  Mrs. 
Coleman  and  her  daughter,  Orpha,  occupy  the  eld  homestead  on  section  22, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  i8i 

Gilman  township,  and  the  well  developed  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
yields  to  them  a  good  income. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Coleman  was  a  Republican  and  to  the  ques- 
tions of  the  day  he  gave  earnest  and  careful  consideration.  The  cause  of  tem- 
perance found  in  him  a  warnl  friend  and  he  further  promoted  its  interest 
through  his  membership  with  the  Good  Templars  Society  when  in  Illinois. 
His  life  was  ever  honorable  and  upright  and  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  secure 
the  advancement  of  his  county  along  material,  social  and  moral  lines.  He 
was  numbered  among  its  early  settlers  and  was  a  prominent  representative 
of  its  agricultural  interests.  He  aided  in  locating  the  town  of  Oneida  and  gave 
to  it  its  name.  Its  growth  was  largely  due  to  his  efforts  and  he  made  it  a  stock- 
shipping  center,  erecting  the  first  shipping  yards  at  that  place.  He  was  exten- 
sively engaged  in  stock  dealing  for  a  number  of  years  and  found  that  branch 
of  business  a  profitable  source  of  income.  He  did  the  grading  for  the  first  rail- 
road switch  in  Oneida  and  left  the  impress  of  his  strong  individuality  upon  its 
public  life.  He  was  very  progressive  and  public-spirited  and  continual 
advancement  characterized  his  work  along  all  lines.  He  organized  the  Farm- 
ers' Institute,  was  president  of  the  same  for  five  years  and  did  all  in  his  power 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  farmers  in  this  section  of  the  state.  The  cause 
of  education  found  in  him  a  warm  friend  and  as  a  member  of  the  school  board 
for  many  years  he  was  enabled  to  greatly  promote  its  interests  in  Nemaha 
county.  His  life  was  indeed  a  busy,  useful  and  honorable  one,  and  as  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  northeastern  Kansas  he  aided  in  laying  the  foundation  for 
the  present  prosperity  of  Nemaha  county. 


JOHN  N.  FUNK. 


Among  the  worthy  citizens  that  Ohio  has  furnished  to  Nemaha  county 
is  John  N.  Funk,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Fairfield  county,  of  the  Buckeye 
state.  November  6,  1840.  His  father,  Henry  Funk,  was  a  native  of  Rocking- 
ham county,  Virginia,  and  when  a  young  man  removed  to  Fairfield  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  owned  and  cultivated  a  farm.  He  married  Elizabeth  Hamp- 
shire, a  native  of  Perry  county,  Ohio,  and  of  English  descent.  In  1841  he 
removed  to  Putnam  county,  where  lie  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death 
occurring  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  His  wife  sur- 
vives him  and  is  in  her  eighty-third  year;  two  of  their  seven  children  are 
deceased.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Funk  was  a  stalwart  Republican,  unswerv- 
ing in  his  allegiance  to  the  principles  of  the  party.  He  belonged  to  the  New 
Light  church  and  his  honesty  and  integrity  in  all  the  affairs  of  life  commended 


1 82  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

him  to  the  confidence  of  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  The  Funk  family- 
is  of  German  lineage  and  was  founded  in  Pennsylvania  by  five  brothers  of  the 
name.  Christ  Funk,  one  of  the  number  and  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
removed  to  Virginia,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  John  N.  Funk  we  present  to  our 
readers  tlie  record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Nemaha 
county.  He  was  the  second  child  and  son  in  his  parents'  family  and  was  only 
about  three  months  old  when  taken  to  Putnam  county,  Ohio.  There  he  was 
reared,  spending  his  boyhood  days  in  a  manner  not  unlike  that  of  most  farmers' 
lads  of  the  period.  Through  the  summer  months  he  worked  in  the  fields  and 
during  the  winter  season  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  for  three 
months.  His  father  was  given  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  his  marriage, 
which  occurred  in  October,  i860,  Miss  Magdalene  Brenemen  becoming  his 
wife.  She,  too,  was  of  Geruian  lineage  and  was  born  and  reared  in  Fair- 
field county,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Funk  began  their  domestic  life  on  the  farm 
in  Putnam  county,  where  they  remained  until  1869.  when  they  came  direct  to 
Nemaha  county,  Kansas.  The  following  year  they  located  upon  the  farm 
which  is  still  their  home.  There  were  no  improvements  upon  the  place  and  in 
order  to  provide  shelter  for  his  family  Mr.  Funk  erected  a  little  cabin,  14x20 
feet.  From  morning  until  evening  he  worked  in  the  fields,  placing  the  wild 
land  under  the  plow,  planting  crops  and  in  the  autumn  garnering  the  harvests. 
He  built  fences,  erected  substantial  buildings  and  secured  all  other  modern 
accessories  and  improvements.  He  also  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm 
until  his  landed  possessions  now  aggregate  three  hundred  and  thirty-two  acres. 
In  connection  with  general  farming  he  has  also  engaged  in  feeding  and  selling 
stock. 

Seven  chiklren — four  daughters  and  three  sons — have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Funk:  Abraham  L.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  Chi- 
cago; Elizabeth  A.,  the  wife  of  O.  L.  Schmidt,  of  Seneca,  Kansas;  Lydia  M., 
the  wife  of  Ed  Sohn,  a  farmer  of  Oilman  township;  and  Sarah  C,  James  E., 
Eva  O.  and  Frederick  W.,  all  at  home.  The  first  three  children  were  born  in 
the  Buckeye  state,  but  the  others  are  all  natives  of  Nemaha  county. 

In  ante  helium  days  Mr.  Funk  gave  close  attention  to  the  political  situation 
of  the  country  and  the  attitude  of  the  south  in  regard  to  slavery  and  secession, 
and  when  the  Republican  party  was  formed  he  became  one  of  its  stalwart 
advocates.  After  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war  he  manifested  his  loyalty 
to  the  Union  by  enlisting  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Ohio 
Infantry,  with  which  he  served  for  one  hundred  days.  He  had  four  brothers 
who  also  '"wore  the  blue"  in  defense  of  the  stars  and  stripes.  He  has  ever 
exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Republican  party  and  on  that  ticket  he  has  been  elected  to  several  local  offices, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  183 

including  that  of  road  supervisor  and  school  director.  In  his  business  under- 
takings he  has  prospered  and  has  acquired  his  property  as  the  result  of  care- 
fully executed  labor  along  well  defined  lines  of  business  principle. 


A.  F.  MOORE. 


A.  F.  Moore  occupies  an  enviable  position  in  the  financial  circles  of  north- 
eastern Kansas,  being  the  vice-president  of  the  Horton  Bank,  one  of  the  reliable 
financial  institutions  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  is  also  a  prominent  stock 
man  in  Mission  township,  Brown  county. 

He  was  born  in  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  near  Carrollton,  on  the  13th  of 
February,  1839,  and  is  a  representative  of  a  highly  respected  family.  His 
father,  William  Moore,  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  was  of  ScOtch-Irish 
lineage  and  represented  a  family  of  Protestant  faith.  Having  come  to  the 
new  world  he  was  married,  in  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  to  Mrs.  Jane  Stewart, 
who  was  born  in  Washington  county.  Pennsylvania,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Levina  Danley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  became  the  parents  of  four  children: 
W.  J.,  who  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  citizen  of  Brown  count}-  and  at 
one  time  the  owner  of  the  Lodianna  farm  near  Horton,  now  owned  by  John 
Brownlee.  is  a  resident  of  Houston,  Texas;  A.  F.  is  the  next  of  the  family; 
Jonathan  died  in  1869,  leaving  a  widow,  who  has  since  died,  and  one  child, 
Lilian,  who  is  now  in  Colorado;  and  David  died  in  Mission  township.  Brown 
county,  leaving  a  widow,  who  resides  in  Kansas  City,  and  five  children.  One 
of  his  sons,  John,  is  the  superintendent  of  the  county  poor  farm.  The  father, 
William  Moore,  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years.  His  political  support  was 
given  the  ^\'hig  party  until  its  dissolution,  when  he  joined  the  Republican 
party.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  his  wife  belonged  to 
the  Presbyterian  church.  Long  surviving  her  husband,  she  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 

A.  F.  Moore,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  but  a  small  lad 
when,  in  1850,  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  westward,  the 
family  locating  in  Fulton  county,  Illinois.  The  country  was  then  new  and 
sparsely  settled.  He  secured  a  good  education  and  afterward  spent  some  years 
as  a  traveling  salesman,  representing  a  general  hardware  and  implement  firm 
in  Illinois,  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Kentucky.  He  was  married,  October  16,  1866, 
in  Monmouth,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Brownlee,  who  was  born,  reared  and 
educated  in  Marion  county,  Ohio,  and  became  a  successful  and  popular  teacher. 
Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  three  children :  Frances  E.,  the 
wife  of  Philip  Ozman,  of  Straight  creek.  Jackson  county;  W.  A.,  who  is  now 
in  Wyoming:  and  Maud  M.,  at  home. 


1 84  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

For  some  years  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  resided  in  Ful- 
ton county,  Illinois,  and  in  1867  came  to  Kansas.  Mr.  Moore  now  owns  a 
valuable  farm  of  four  hundred  acres  in  Mission  township,  Brown  county,  and 
raises  a  high  grade  of  cattle  and  horses.  He  has  one  hundred  and  forty  head 
of  cattle  and  twenty  horses,  and  in  the  careful  and  honorable  conduct  of  his 
business  affairs  he  has  won  creditable  success.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
supporting  the  party  since  casting  his  first  vote  for  Lincoln  in  i860.  On  that 
ticket  he  was  elected  county  commissioner  for  a  three  years'  term  and  served 
as  chairman  of  the  board,  winning  high  commendation  by  the  able  manner  in 
which  he  discharged  his  duties.  He  was  also  township  road  overseer  for  fifteen 
years.  Honored  and  respected  throughout  the  community,  he  is  popular  among 
its  citizens  and  in  this  volume  he  well  deserves  mention. 


ABRAHAM  LEIGH.  M.  D. 

Professional  advancement  is  proverbially  slow ;  it  results  from  the  acquire- 
ment of  knowledge  and  the  application  of  scientific  principles  to  the  affairs  of 
life.  Great  thoroughness  and  accuracy  are  elements  in  the  acquisition  of  pro- 
fessional wisdom,  and  these  cannot  be  gained  in  a  moment,  but  must  be  dili- 
gently sought  after.  Earnest  study  and  close  api:>lication,  combined  with 
strong  mentality,  have  secured  Dr.  Leigh  a  prominent  place  among  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  medical  fraternity  in  northeastern  Kansas.  He  is  now 
located  in  Hiawatha,  where  he  is  making  a  specialty  of  the  treatment  of  dis- 
eases of  the  eye,  ear,  throat  and  nose,  and  in  this  branch  he  has  gained  marked 
prestige. 

The  Doctor  is  a  native  of  the  west,  and  the  western  spirit  of  enterprise 
and  progress  has  found  exemplification  in  his  business  life.  He  was  born  in 
Holt  county,  Missouri,  January  12,  1849.  ^""^  '*  the  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Jona- 
than Leigh,  a  prominent  retired  physician  of  this  state,  who  was  born  in 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  on  the  24th  of  September,  181 7,  and  was  a  son  of 
George  W.  Leigh,  who  married  a  Miss  Wilmouth.  They  removed  with  their 
family  to  Illinois  in  1825,  and  in  the  Prairie  state  Dr.  Jonathan  Leigh  was 
reared  to  manhood  and  acquired  a  good  English  education  in  the  public  schools. 
Sulisequently  he  became  a  student  in  the  literary  department  of  St.  Joseph 
Uni\ersity  and  later  took  up  the  study  of  medicine,  and  was  graduated  in  the 
medical  department  of  the  same  institution  with  the  class  of  1845.  H!e  began 
practice  in  Oregon,  Missouri,  and  in  1856  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  High- 
land. Doniphan  county,  where  he  conducted  a  successful  practice  for  nineteen 
years.     In  the  spring  of  1873  'i^  removed  with  his  family  to  Hiawatha,  and 


J.^MA^/^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         185 

was  an  active  member  of  the  medical  profession  of  that  place  until  1890,  when 
he  retired  to  private  life,  turning  over  his  business  to  his  two  sons.  In  1845 
Dr.  Jonathan  Leigh  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Salina  E.  Brown,  of  Mis- 
souri, and  to  them  were  born  four  children,  namely:  Lucinda,  widow  of 
D.  D.  L.  Gebhart:  Abraham:  E.  J.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine; Ollie,  wife  of  C.  W.  Connor,  of  ^Metropolis,  Illinois;  and  Adelia,  wife 
of  J.  J.  Baird.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  called  to  the  home  beyond,  and 
in  1866  the  Doctor  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mary  R. 
(Baird)  Irvin,  of  Highland,  Kansas,  widow  of  Samuel  Irvm.  Dr.  Leigh 
was  for  many  years  a  prominent  representative  of  the  medical  profession  in 
this  state,  and  for  a  long  period  occupied  the  position  of  physician  to  the  old 
Indian  mission  in  Doniphan  county,  near  Highland.  He  was  also  a  physician 
to  the  Kickapoo  mission  in  Brown  county.  He  has  a  very  wide  acquaintance 
in  this  section  of  the  state  and  is  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him,  for  his  life 
has  been  very  honorable  and  upright,  commanding  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact.  His  son,  E.  J.  Leigh, 
is  a  graduate  of  Rush  Metlical  College,  of  Chicago,  of  the  class  of  1883, 
and  is  now  engaged  in  active  practice  in  Hiawatha. 

Abraham  Leigh,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Kansas  and  was  educated  in  Highland  University, 
in  Doniphan  county,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  six  years  and  won  the 
degree  of  master  of  arts.  On  leaving  school  he  engaged  in  clerking  in  his 
father's  store,  a  general  mercantile  establishment,  and  there  remained  for 
seven  years.  Subsequently  he  accepted  a  position  as  foreman  in  a  jobbing 
house  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  continued  for  two  and  a  half  years 
with  the  firm  of  Penneck  &  Loving,  wholesale  druggists.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  returned  to  Highland  and  began  reading  medicine  under  the 
direction  of  his  father.  He  attended  his  first  course  of  lectures  in  the  Physi- 
cians &  Surgeons'  College,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  later  took  a  course  of  lec- 
tures in  Rush  Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  in  which  institution  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1874.  He  opened  an  office  in  Highland,  where  he 
practiced  for  eight  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  Chicago,  continuing  in 
that  city  for  three  years.  In  December,  1885,  however,  he  returned  to  Kansas 
and  has  since  conducted  a  successful  practice  in  Hiawatha,  making  a  specialty 
of  the  treatment  of  the  diseases  of  the  eye  and  ear  and  surgical  diseases.  He 
is  particularly  well  informed  in  this  department  of  the  medical  sciences  and 
keeps  abreast  of  the  times  along  the  lines  of  progress  in  surgical  and  medical' 
practice.  His  thorough  understanding  of  pathological  anatomy,  combined  with 
his  accurate  knowledge  of  the  use  of  medical  properties  and  his  skill  in  handling 
the  delicate  instruments  used  in  operative  surgery  of  this  class,  have  won  him 
a  high  reputation  and  gained  for  him  a  very  liberal  patronage. 


1 86  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  1876  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Leigh  and  Miss  Nancy  G. 
Bailey,  of  Highland,  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Nancy  (Gardner)  Bailey.  They 
now  have  two  children,  a  daughter  and  a  son :  Bessie  is  professor  of  elocu- 
tion and  modern  history  in  Troy,  Missouri,  and  Warren  is  a  student  in  the 
Hiawatha  Academy.  Theirs  is  one  of  the  most  pleasant  and  attractive  homes 
in  Hiawatha  and  its  hospitality  is  extended  to  many  friends. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  the  lodge, 
chapter  and  commandery,  and  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  grand  lodge.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Doniphan  and  Brown 
Counties  Medical  Societies,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Microscopical 
Society,  of  London,  England.  He  has  inscribed  his  name  high  on  the  roll 
of  medical  specialists  in  Kansas  and  his  career  has  been  at  once  brillant  and 
honorable. 


WILLL\M  H.  RYHERD. 

\\'illiam  H.  Ryherd,  one  of  the  prominent  and  well-known  citizens  of 
Atchison  county,  claims  Missouri  as  the  state  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Buchanan  county  on  the  ist  of  January,  1852.  His  father,  San- 
ford  Ryherd,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  his  parents  w-ere  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  belonged  to  old  and  representative  families  of  that  state.  Remov- 
ing to  Kentucky,  the  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  and  educated  in  the 
Blue  Grass  state.  He  was  one  of  ten  children,  but  of  this  once  numerous 
family  Ellis  is  the  only  one  now  living,  his  home  being  on  a  farm  near  Leaven- 
worth, Kansas.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  Sanford  Ryherd  was 
married  to  Miss  Anna  Davison,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Tennessee.  Three 
children  blessed  their  union :  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Gray,  who  is  now  living  near 
St.  Joseph,  Mrs.  Frank  Smith  and  William.  The  parents  died  during  the 
boyhood  of  our  subject,  he  being  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  three  years.  He 
spent  a  part  of  his  youth  in  the  family  of  Rev.  Joel  Moore,  a  Christian  min- 
ister, who  made  a  good  home  for  the  orphan  lad  and  sent  him  to  school.  He 
pursued  his  education  in  the  district  schools  of  Kennekuk,  Atchison  county, 
and  his  friend  and  benefactor,  Rev.  Moore,  died  when  our  subject  was  only 
eleven  years  of  age.  He  then  made  his  home  with  his  uncle  on  a  farm  near 
Leavenworth.  His  time  was  then  largely  devoted  to  the  work  of  field  and 
meadow  and  his  school  privileges  were  necessarily  limited.  He  was  married, 
March  10,  1878,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Todd,  in  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Kenne- 
kuk, to  Miss  Catherine  A.  Jones.  The  wedding  attendance  was  one  of  the 
largest  ever  held  in  the  town.  Mrs.  Ryherd  was  one  of  the  popular  young 
ladies  of  Kennekuk.  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Iowa,  near  Winterset,  June 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  187 

13.  1855.  and  her  father,  Owen  Jones,  became  one  of  the  prominent  residents 
of  Brown  county,  Kansas.  During  her  girlhood  she  was  a  student  in  the 
schools  of  Atchison  and  at  one  time  was  a  very  capable  and  popular  teacher  of 
the  county. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ryherd  removed  to  Butler  county, 
Kansas,  where  they  lived  for  four  years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period 
returned  to  Atchison  county,  in  1882.  They  settled  upon  their  present  farm, 
which  comprises  four  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  valuable  land,  constituting 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  Grasshopper  township.  In  1897  Mr.  Rvherd  erected 
a  modern  residence,  at  a  cost  of  one  thousand  dollars.  There  is  a  large  and 
substantial  barn  upon  the  place  and  comfortable  sheds  for  the  stock.  He  raises 
and  feeds  a  large  amount  of  stock  and  that  branch  of  his  business  adds 
materially  to  his  income.  His  business  affairs  have  been  attended  with  success 
and  he  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  the  neighborhood. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ryherd  have  been  born  seven  children,  six  of  whom 
are  now  living,  namely :  Mabel,  the  wife  of  Raleigh  Bartlow,  who  belongs  to 
one  of  the  old  families  of  Brown  county ;  Roland,  a  student  in  the  high  school 
at  Everest,  Kansas;  Bessie  M.,  Birdie  E.  and  Linwood,  who  are  all  attendino- 
school;  and  Dorothy,  who  is  the  "baby"  of  the  household  and  completes  the 
family.  One  child,  Anna  Maud,  who  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth,  died  at 
the  age  of  six  months. 

In  politics  Mr.  Ryherd  is  a  Republican  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the 
growth  and  success  of  his  party,  yet  has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  He 
attends  the  service  of  the  Methodist  church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member. 
A  typical  self-made  man,  he  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age  and  by  honest 
industry  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  to  a  plane  of  affluence,  his  labors 
being  ablv  supplemented  by  the  encouragement  and  assistance  of  his  wife. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ryherd  are  very  popular  and  their  many  friends  delight  to  enjoy 
the  hospitality  of  the  pleasant  home. 


WILLIAM  KOELZER. 

William  Koelzer  is  the  '"village  blacksmith"  of  St.  Benedict.  Excellent 
■workmanship  has  secured  to  him  a  liberal  patronage  and  he  is  now  enjoying  a 
g-ood  trade.  Numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Nemaha  county,  he  was  born 
in  Richmond  township  February  5,  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  J.  P.  and  Margaret 
Koelzer.  In  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  he  pursued  his  education  until 
seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  put  aside  his  text  books  and  began  learning 
the  blacksmith's  trade  at  Seneca,  serving  a  three-years  apprenticeship.    On  the 


1 88  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

expiration  of  that  period  lie  went  to  Kansas  City,  where  he  also  worked  as  an 
apprentice  for  a  year,  returning  then  to  his  home.  He  continued  his  residence 
upon  the  farm  for  about  six  years,  but  in  1898  estabhshed  a  smithy  at  St.  Bene- 
dict. He  has  recently  built  a  good  residence  and  shop  in  that  village,  where  he 
intends  to  make  his  permanent  home.  He  has  a  thorough  understanding  of 
the  business  and  his  diligence  and  enterprise,  combined  with  his  superior  work- 
manship, have  secured  to  him  a  liberal  patronage.  He  also  carries  on  general 
farming,  superintending  his  mother's  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
On  the  1st  of  September,  1897,  Mr.  Koelzer  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Agnes  Novak,  a  native  of  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  and  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Agnes  Novak,  early  settlers  of  the  county  and  well-known  residents 
of  Richmond  township.  Mrs.  Koelzer  is  the  eldest  of  their  eight  children  and 
was  reared  and  educated  in  this  county,  attending  the  Seneca  schools.  By  her 
marriage  she  has  one  daughter,  Anastasia,  who  was  born  in  Richmond  town- 
ship. They  are  highly  esteemed  people  of  the  community  and  have  a  large 
circle  of  warm  friends. 


JOSEPH  KOCH. 

Numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Nemaha  county,  Joseph  Koch  was 
born  in  Richmond  township  on  the  29th  of  November,  1859,  and  like  many 
of  the  residents  of  this  locality  is  of  German  lineage.  His  father,  John  Koch, 
was  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  in  which  land  he  remained  until  forty-five 
years  of  age,  when  he  sold  his  farm  there  and  came  to  the  new  world,  estab- 
lishing a  home  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained  until  1857.  He  then  came 
to  what  is  now  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  locating  on  Wildcat  creek,  where  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars. The  entire  tract  was  in  its  primitive  condition  and  not  a  furrow  had 
been  turned  or  an  improvement  made  upon  the  quarter-section  of  prairie  which 
came  into  possession  of  Mr.  Koch.  However,  he  devoted  his  energies  untir-> 
ingly  to  the  work  of  cultivation  and  became  the  owner  of  valuable  property, 
upon  which  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was  about 
eighty  years  of  age.  Being  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  county  he  witnessed 
much  of  its  growth.  He  also  aided  in  building  four  churches  in  St.  Benedict 
and  was  actively  connected  with  other  measures  which  led  to  the  substantial 
improvement  of  this  section  of  the  state,  so  that  in  his  death  the  community 
lost  one  of  its  valued  citizens,  as  well  as  one  of  its  honored  pioneers.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  Maria  Wilbert  and  is  also  a  native  of  Prussia, 
Germany,  whence  she  came  to  America  with  her  husband.  She  is  still  residing 
on  the  old  homestead,  one  of  the  honored  early  pioneer  women  left  to  tell  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  189 

tale  of  life  when  Nemaha  county  was  situated  on  the  wild  western  frontier. 
In  the  family  were  ten  children.  Mr.  Koch  being  the  ninth  in  order  of  birth  and 
the  youngest  now  living. 

He  was  reared  in  his  native  township  on  the  old  homestead  farm,  attended 
the  schools  of  St.  Benedict  for  about  two  months  during  the  winter  season 
and  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm, 
early  becoming  familiar  with  all  the  duties  connected  with  the  development  of 
the  fields.  On  the  6th  of  June,  1882,  he  married  Miss  Sophia  Novak,  who  was 
born  in  Ostrer.  Germany,  and  was  ten  years  of  age  when  she  came  to  America 
with  her  parents,  Joseph  and  Sophia  Novak.  They  were  early  settlers  in 
Nemaha  county  and  still  reside  on  section  8.  Richmond  township.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Koch  began  their  domestic  life  on  section  7,  Riciimond  township,  where 
they  lived  until  1894,  when  he  erected  their  present  residence  on  section  19. 
They  have  a  very  comfortable  eight-room  house  standing  in  the  midst  of  a 
fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  six  acres,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. Mr.  Koch  carries  on  general  farming  and  his  indefatigable  labors 
have  been  crowned  with  a  well  merited  degree  of  success.  His  marriage  has 
been  blessed  with  five  children, — Lucy,  Anna,  Eddie,  May  and  Minnie.  All 
are  natives  of  Richmond  township,  Nemaha  county. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Koch  is  a  Republican  and  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  has  held  a  number  of  minor  offices  in  his  town- 
ship, discharging  his  duties  in  a  prompt  and  faithful  manner.  He  and  his 
family  are  communicants  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  and  he  assisted  liber- 
ally in  the  erection  of  the  house  of  worship  at  St.  Benedict.  He  has  always 
resided  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  the  fact  that  many  of  his  friends  are 
numbered  among  those  who  have  known  him  from  boyhood  is  an  indication  of 
his  sterling  worth  and  his  well  spent  life. 


MONROE  BAILEY. 


The  ancestral  history  of  Mr.  Bailey  is  one  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud, 
for  he  is  descended  from  good  old  Revolutionary  stock.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, Elijah  Bailey,  won  the  title  of  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  in 
which  he  served  for  seven  years,  loyally  aiding  in  the  struggle  which  gave  birth 
to  the  nation.  He  participated  in  many  important  engagements  and  was 
present  at  the  execution  of  Major  Andre,  the  noted  English  spy  to  whom 
Benedict  Arnold  deli\-ered  the  papers  which  were  to  betray  his  country.  Elijah 
Bailey  was  a  wheelwright  by  trade  and  erected  the  first  mill  at  Ticonderoga 


igo  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Falls.  Subsequently  he  built  five  other  mills  and  was  thus  actively  identified 
with  the  industrial  interests  of  the  community  in  which  he  made  his  home.  He 
had  three  sons  and  five  daughters.  One  of  this  number,  Justice,  was  a  wheel- 
wright and  lived  to  be  about  eighty-eight  years  of  age.  Elijah  was  a  farmer 
and  reached  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  The  other  son  was  Joshua  Bailey, 
the  father  of  our  subject.  All  were  reared  in  Essex  county,  New  York.  The 
daughters  were  Sophronia,  Miranda,  Betsy,  Susan  and  Susie.  All  lived  to 
advanced  age,  the  youngest  being  seventy  years  old  at  the  time  of  death.  They 
were  married  and  reared  families  of  their  own  and  are  buried  with  their  hus- 
bands in  the  old  cemetery  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois. 

Joshua  Bailey  was  born  in  Vermont  and  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade. 
When  young  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Essex  county,  New  York,  where 
he  spent  his  youth.  In  connection  with  blacksmithing  he  carried  on  farming 
and  his  life  was  a  long,  active  and  useful  one,  his  death  occurring  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  He  married  Lydia  Kenyon,  a  native  of 
Cambridge,  Washington  county.  New  York,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
seven  years.  Her  father,  Davis  Kenyon,  was  also  for  seven  years  a  member 
of  the  colonial  army  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  He  aided  in  capturing 
General  Cornwallis  and  was  on  duty  in  many  of  the  important  battles  which 
established  the  independence  of  the  nation.  The  Kenyon  family  were  of  Eng- 
lish descent  and  at  an  early  day  was  founded  in  Rhode  Island.  To  Joshua  and 
Lydia  (Kenyon)  Bailey  were  born  five  children,  four  sons  and  a  daughter, 
of  whom  Monroe  is  the  eldest;  the  others  are  Ansel,  and  Elijah,  who  resides 
in  Mount  Carroll,  Illinois;  Ira  L.,  in  Everett,  Washington,  and  Ddany,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  years.  After  the  death  of  the  first  wife  the  father 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Electa  Brown,  a  widow. 

Monroe  Bailey  was  born  in  Warren  county.  New  York,  March  24.  1818, 
and  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  that  locality,  living  there  until  eighteen  years 
of  age.  He  pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and  gained  a  fair 
knowledge  of  the  English  branches  of  learning,  so  that  he  was  fitted  for  life's 
practical  duties.  He  worked  at  farming,  blacksmithing  and  teaming  and  was 
thus  early  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
he  removed  with  his  father  to  Yates  county.  New  York.  In  the  year  1838 
he  went  to  Illinois,  locating  in  what  was  then  Jo  Daviess  county,  but  is  now 
Carroll  county.  He  secured  a  farm  from  the  government  and  made  the  first 
furrow  upon  that  rich  tract  of  wild  prairie  which  he  transformed  into  fertile 
fields. 

Mr.  Bailey  was  married  on  the  30th  of  August,  1848,  to  Miss  Nancy  Jane 
Melendy,  who  was  born  in  Jefifersonville,  Vermont,  July  11,  1825.  Her 
father,  Josiah  Newell  Melendy,  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  a  farmer 
and  shoemaker  by  trade.     He  lived  to  be  seventy  years  of  age  and  at  his  death 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         191 

his  community  mourned  the  loss  of  one  of  its  valued  citizens.  His  father, 
Nathanael  F.  Melendy,  was  of  Englisli  descent.  Mrs.  Bailey's  mother,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Lucy  Arbuckle,  was  born  in  Amherst.  New 
Hampshire.  Her  father,  John  Arbuckle,  who  was  of  English  lineage,  was 
numbered  among  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution.  Mrs.  Bailey  was  the  eldest 
daughter  and  third  child  of  the  father's  family  and  was  reared  in  the  county 
of  her  nativity.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  six  children. 
The  eldest.  Oscar,  is  an  invalid.  Willis  J.,  a  very  prominent  citizen,  is  now 
a  member  (at  large)  of  congress  and  was  born  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  in 
1854.  He  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  there  and  after  acquiring  his 
preliminary  education  in  the  common  schools  pursued  his  studies  in  the  high 
school  of  Mount  Carroll  and  in  the  Champaign  University,  of  Illinois.  Early 
taking  a  decided  interest  in  political  affairs,  his  ability  for  leadership  made  hm 
prominent  in  Republican  circles  and  in  1894  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature 
and  in  1898  chosen  to  represent  his  state  in  congress.  Ernest,  the  next  son, 
is  a  farmer  and  stock  and  grain  dealer  at  Baileyville;  Marion  is  the  wife  of 
Dr.  Charles  M.  Cafferty,  who  is  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Baileyville. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  also  have  an  adopted  daughter,  a  niece  of  Mr.  Bailey, 
Hortense  Kennedy,  whom  they  made  a  member  of  their  family  when  she  was 
was  only  three  weeks  old.  She  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  E.  Lennon,  of  Bowdle, 
South  Dakota. 

In  Carroll  county,  Illinois.  Mr.  Bailey  secured  a  tract  of  land  of  the  gov- 
ernment and  developed  an  excellent  farm,  which  he  successfully  cultivated 
until  1879,  when  he  came  to  Nemaha  county,  Kansas.  Since  that  time  he 
has  resided  upon  his  present  farm  in  Marion  township.  His  first  home  was 
a  small  cabin,  12x16  feet,  and  was  situated  on  a  frontier  region,  his  nearest 
neighbor  being  a  mile  away.  He  now  has  a  well-improved  stock  farm  of  six 
hundred  and  fifty  acres.  His  highly  cultivated  fields  and  improved  property  in- 
dicate his  practical  and  progressive  spirit.  The  town  of  Baileyville  was  named 
in  his  honor,  and  this  fact  indicates  that  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  and 
progressive  residents  of  the  community. 

While  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  in  1840,  Mr.  Bailey  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential vote  for  General  Harrison,  and  continued  to  supijort  the  principles 
of  the  Whig  party  until  its  dissolution.  He  aided  in  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party  in  that  county  and  has,  since  that  time,  been  earnest  and 
untiring  in  his  advocacy  of  the  party  principles  and  platform.  He  was  very 
prominent  in  public  affairs  in  Illinois,  and  superintendent  of  the  first  fairs  held 
in  the  county  and  president  of  the  Fair  Association  and  aided  in  laying  out 
many  of  the  roads  in  the  county.  He  has  also  been  instrumental  in  building 
goods  roads  in  Nemaha  county  and  at  all  times  is  active  in  his  support  of  all 
measures  which  he  believes  will  prove  a  public  benefit. 


(92  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


HON.  EDMUND  N.  MORRILL. 

More  than  forty-three  years  have  passed  since  the  Hon.  Edmund  N. 
Morrill  came  to  Kansas,  and  through  the  intervening  period  his  name  has 
figured  conspicuously  in  connection  with  the  annals  of  the  commonwealth. 
He  has  been  prominent  in  the  business  aiYairs  of  the  state,  his  name  being 
widely  known  in  banking  circles,  while  in  public  life  he  has  ])een  an  important 
element  in  moulding  the  policy  of  Kansas.  It  is  a  well  attested  fact  that  the 
greatness  of  the  state  lies  not  in  its  machinery  of  gcnernment  nor  even  in  its 
institutions,  but  in  the  sterling  cjualities  of  its  individual  citizens  and 
their  capacity  for  high  and  unselfish  effort  and  their  devotion  to  the  public 
good.  The  goal  toward  which  Major  Morrill  aimed  during  his  many  years 
of  toil  and  endeavor  is  that  which  is  attained  only  by  such  as  have  by  patriotism 
and  wise  counsel  given  to  the  world  the  impetus  toward  the  good ;  such  having 
the  right  and  title  to  have  their  names  enduringly  inscribed  on  the  bright  pages 
of  history.  The  highest  honors  within  the  gift  of  the  people  have  been  con- 
ferred upon  him,  and  in  all  public  relations  he  has  commanded  universal  respect 
ever  placing  the  state  and  national  welfare  before  partisanship  and  the  best 
interests  of  his  fellow  men  before  self-aggrandizement. 

Major  Morrill  was  born  in  W'estbrook,  Cumberland  county,  Maine, 
on  the  1 2th  of  February,  1834,  which  was  the  birthday  of  President  Lincoln. 
He  is  of  English  lineage,  the  Morrill  family  having  been  founded  in  America 
by  three  brothers  of  that  name  who  emigrated  from  England  in  1620  and 
thereby  became  pioneer  settlers  of  the  new  world.  His  father,  Rufus  Morrill, 
was  born  in  Maine,  in  1796,  and  was  a  tanner  and  currier  by  trade,  which 
business  he  followed  for  many  years.  He  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  selectmen 
of  the  town  and  was  an  influential  citizen.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Webb,  a 
native  of  Maine,  and  also  of  English  descent.  Her  father  was  Edward  Webb, 
one  of  the  valiant  soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Edmund  N.  Morrill  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  his  native  town  and 
acquired  his  education  there,  pursuing  his  studies  in  \^'estbrook  Seminary. 
He  afterward  learned  the  tanner's  trade  and  subsequently  became  identified 
with  educational  interests,  serving  as  supervisor  of  the  schools  of  Westbrook 
for  one  year.  In  1856  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  the 
town  for  a  term  of  three  years,  but  at  the  end  of  one  year  resigned  to  go  to 
Kansas,  and  while  serving  in  that  capacity  he  examined  and  granted  a  teach- 
er's certificate  to  a  young  and  healthy  looking  man,  named  Thomas  B.  Reed, 
who  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  congress  and  the  honorable  speaker  of 
the  house  of  representatives.  Early  in  1857,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
Mr.  Morrill  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Brown  county,  a  few  miles  west  of 
Hiawatha,  where,  in  connection  with  other  parties  from  Maine,  he  founded 


^ 


c^ 


,^z^^^-2'2-<^-d.<:_. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  193 

the  town  wliich  they  called  Hamlin,  in  honor  of  one  of  Maine's  United  States 
senators,  subsequently  vice-president  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Morrill 
secured  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  when  the  land  came  into 
market  purchased  the  tract  from  the  government  at  the  usual  price  of  one 
dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  acre,  and  there  purchased  a  saw  mill  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  natixe  lumber,  successfully  operating  the  mill 
for  four  months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  rebuilt 
and  operated  it  for  three  years. 

At  the  outbreak  of  iht  Civil  war  Mr.  Morrill  became  a  pronounced  Union 
man  and  October  5,  1861.  believing  that  his  duty  was  at  the  front,  he  enlisted 
as  a  private  in  Company  C.  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  under  command  of 
Colonel  Jenneson.  On  the  loth  of  October,  of  the  same  year,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  sergeant  and  on  the  9th  of  August  following  he  was  com- 
missioned commissary  of  subsistence  at  Rienzi.  Mississippi,  by  President  Lin- 
coln. He  was  with  General  Grant  at  Corinth  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  serv- 
ice he  held  the  rank  of  major  by  brevet.  He  was  mustered  out  on  general 
order  October  26.  1865.  and  returned  home  with  an  honorable  military  record, 
for  he  had  ever  been  faithful  to  the  duties  imposed  upon  him  and  lov'al  to  the 
old  flag. 

Returning  to  Hiawatha,  Kansas,  Major  RIorrill  was  appointed  to  fill  a 
vacancy  in  the  position  of  clerk  of  Brown  county  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
was  elected  to  the  ofiice,  in  which  he  ser\-ed  for  three  terms.  This,  however, 
was  not  the  beginning  of  his  public  service,  for  in  October,  1857,  he  had  been 
chosen  a  member  of  the  territorial  legislature,  the  first  free  state  legislature  of 
Kansas.  While  a  member  of  that  body  he  submitted  the  able  report  in  favor 
of  forming  a  state  comprising  a  great  portion  of  the  present  state  of  Kansas 
and  that  portion  of  Nebraska  south  of  the  Platte  river,  but  the  scheme  failed 
because  there  were  too  many  ambitious  politicians  and  towns  in  both  terri- 
tories. In  1858  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  under  the  Lecomp- 
ton  constitution.  Again  in  the  fall  of  1872  he  was  chosen  to  represent  his  dis- 
trict in  the  senate  chamber  of  the  state,  being  elected  a  member  of  the  upper 
house,  where  he  served  until  1874.  In  1876  he  was  re-elected  and  served  until 
1881.  He  was  chosen  speaker,  pro  tern.,  of  the  senate  and  served  on  the  ways 
and  means  committee,  the  most  important  committee  in  that  body.  In  1882 
he  was  nominated  on  the  Republican  ticket  and  elected  to  congress  as  one  of 
the  four  members  from  the  state  at  large,  and  in  1884,  1886  and  1888  he  was 
re-elected  as  a  member  of  the  first  district.  In  1890  he  declined  re-election, 
preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  his  business  interests.  As  a  member  of 
congress  he  was  industrious  and  laborious,  and  for  several  terms  was  a  lead- 
ing workmg  member  of  the  pensions  committee,  and  during  his  last  term  was 


194  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

chairman  of  the  committee  on  invahd  pensions.  In  that  capacity  he  intro- 
duced what  is  known  as  the  dependent  pension  and  disabihty  act,  which  has 
proven  a  great  blessing  to  many  old  soldiers.  In  1891  he  was  selected  by  con- 
gress as  a  member  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  National  Home  for  Dis- 
abled Volunteer  Soldiers.  His  party  nominated  him  for  governor  and  he  was 
elected  in  November,  1894,  receiving  the  unanimous  support  of  his  party. 
His  administration  was  progressive  and  under  his  leadership  many  needed 
reforms  were  secured.  Again  in  1896  he  received  the  unanimous  support  of 
the  Republicans  of  Kansas,  but  was  defeated  by  the  Populist  party. 

During  all  these  years  j\Ir.  Morrill  was  prominently  connected  with  the 
business  interests  of  Hiawatha  and  also  extended  the  field  of  his  labors  in  the 
other  districts.  In  1871,  in  company  with  W.  B.  Barnett  and  C.  H.  Janes,  he 
organized  a  bank  in  Hiawatha,  the  firm  conducting  business  under  the  name 
of  the  Barnett-Morrill  Company.  In  1886  the  business  was  incorporated  as 
the  State  Bank  and  Mr.  Morrill  was  made  president,  which  position  he  has 
since  filled  with  marked  ability.  The  high  reputation  which  the  bank  enjoys 
is  largely  due  to  his  efforts,  his  conservative  and  honorable  methods  com- 
mending the  institution  to  the  confidence  and  regard  of  all.  He  was  also  presi- 
dent of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Leavenworth.  Kansas,  and  a  member  of 
its  directorate,  and  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Inter- 
national Bank  of  Kansas  City. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1862,  Mr.  Morrill  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Brettun,  of  Leavenworth,  daughter  of  William  H.  Brettun. 
She  died  in  September,  1868,  and  on  Christmas  day  of  1869  the  Major  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Caroline  J.  Nash,  of  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  in  which  place  she  was  born  and  educated.  By  this  marriage 
there  are  three  children,  namely:  Susan  B.,  wife  of  Cornelius  Baker,  of 
Rochester,  New  York,  by  whom  she  has  two  children,  Dorothy  and  Helen. 
Grace  W'.,  wife  of  Charles  Dixon,  of  Junction  City,  Kansas,  president  of  the 
Dixon  Livestock  Commission  Company,  of  Kansas  City,  by  whom  she  has  two 
children,  Edmund  M.  and  Carolyn;  and  Frank  N.,  who  was  graduated  in 
Harvard  College  with  the  class  of  1898,  and  will  complete  the  law  course  in 
that  institution  with  the  class  of  1900. 

Major  ^Morrill  is  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Hiawatha  Academy 
and  the  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  friend.  He  is  prominent  in  Masonic 
circles,  has  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree  and  has  been  connected  with 
the  fraternity  for  thirty-six  years.  His  honorable,  straightforward  conduct 
and  his  incorruptible  integrity  in  all  the  walks  of  life  has  commanded  universal 
respect  and  confidence.  He  has  gained  an  eminent  position  in  business  and 
political  circles  by  reason  of  his  fitness  for  leadership,  his  fidelity  to  trusts 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         195 

reposed  in  him,  and  his  record  is  one  over  which  there  falls  no  shadow  of 
wTong.  A  mind  carefully  disciplined,  analytical  and  of  broad  ken,  his  deep 
perception,  sound  judgment  make  him  a  power  in  any  field  of  labor  where  he 
is  found. 


JOHN  P.  KOELZER. 

John  P.  Koelzer,  deceased,  was  for  many  years  an  enterprising  farmer  of 
Xemaha  county  and  in  his  death  the  community  lost  one  of  its  best  citizens. 
He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  that  land  and 
for  three  and  a  half  years  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Prussian  army.  On  emi- 
grating to  the  United  States  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Wisconsin  and  in  1854 
came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Nemaha  county.  There  he  secured  government 
land  and  developed  a  farm,  upon  which  his  widow  is  now  residing.  He  erected 
substantial  buildings,  including  a  good  residence  and  barns,  divided  his  fields 
into  convenient  size  by  well  kept  fences,  planted  orchards  and  made  all  the 
other  improvements  found  on  a  model  farm,  his  energies  being  devoted  to  its 
further  development  and  cultivation  until  his  death,  which  occurred  October 
18,  1886.  He  married  Mary  Margaret  Wink,  who  was  born  in  Prussia,  Ger- 
many, June  9,  1837.  Her  father,  George  Wink,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
locality  and  by  occupation  was  a  farmer.  In  1847  h^  came  to  the  United 
States,  taking  up  his  abode  on  a  farm  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  years.  He  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  Prussian  army  about  three 
years.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Becker  and  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  but  her  death  occurred  in  Wisconsin,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 
This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  three  of  whom  are  now 
living.  Mrs.  Koelzer  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  the  family  and  was  a 
maiden  of  nine  summers  when  she  came  with  her  parents  to  the  new  w'orld. 
Her  childhood  days  were  passed  in  the  Badger  state  and  there  she  was  married, 
in  1850.  Four  years  later  she  accompanied  her  husband  to  Nemaha  county, 
Kansas,  becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  community.  Thirteen 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Koelzer :  Joseph,  who  is  now  living  in 
Richmond  township,  Nemaha  county;  Peter,  deceased;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Alexander  Tiehen,  of  Nebraska ;  Sophronia.  the  wife  of  Pierce  Haug,  of  Rich- 
mond township ;  George,  who  is  living  in  Oklahoma  territory ;  Eliza,  the  wife 
of  Cornelius  Hugo,  of  Nebraska ;  Henry,  also  of  Oklahoma  territory ;  Andrew, 
of  Lindsay,  Texas ;  Lena,  the  wife  of  John  Broxterman,  of  Richmond  town- 
ship; William,  of  St.  Benedict;  Philena  the  wife  of  John  Haug;  Ann  Cath- 
erine; and  Lawrence,  who  is  now  deceased.  The  two  eldest.  John  and  Peter, 
were  born  in  Wisconsin,  but  the  others  are  natives  of  Nemaha  county,  Kansas. 


196  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Coming  to  Nemaha  county  in  pioneer  clays.  Mr.  Koelzer  took  an  active  part 
in  the  work  of  development  and  improvement  in  his  locality  and  was  a  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  citizen.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat  and  in  religious 
belief  was  a  Catholic.  He  aided  in  building  the  first  church  in  St.  Benedict, 
as  well  as  the  second  and  third  churches.  Through  his  well  directed  efforts 
he  accumulated  a  comfortable  competence,  becoming  the  owner  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land.  One-half  of  this  was  divided  among  his  chil- 
dren, the  other  half  going  to  his  widow.  INIrs.  Koelzer  still  resides  upon  her 
farm  and  is  one  of  the  highly  esteemed  pioneer  ladies  of  the  county,  whose 
growth  and  upbuilding  she  has  witnessed. 


JAMES  \\'EEKS. 

James  Weeks,  one  of  the  practical  and  enterprising  farmers  of  Nemaha 
county,  makes  his  home  on  section  36,  in  Clear  Creek  township.  A  native 
of  England,  his  birth  occurred  in  Kent,  in  1822,  his  father  being  Thomas 
Weeks.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  labors  and  resources.  He 
worked  at  any  employment  which  he  could  secure  for  a  period  of  ten  years 
and  then  resolved  to  seek  a  home  beyond  the  Atlantic,  having  received  favor- 
able reports  concerning  the  privileges  and  advantages  afforded  to  young  men 
in  the  new  world.  Accordingly  he  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends  and 
crossed  the  briny  deep  to  Canada,  where  he  continued  to  reside  for  five  years, 
his  time  and  energy  being  devoted  to  work  in  a  saw-mill.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  wliere  he  was  employed  in  the  lead 
mines  for  sixteen  years.  He  then  came  to  Nemaha  county,  where  he  secured 
a  tract  of  eighty  acres  of  land  and  began  farming.  During  his  first  two  years' 
residence  here  his  crops  were  destroyed  by  grasshoppers,  and  it  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  he  made  his  expenses,:  but  his  resolute  spirit  enabled  him 
to  persevere  in  his  work  and  fate  was  more  favorable  in  the  third  year,  good 
crops  resulting  from  his  planting.  As  time  has  passed  his  accumulations 
have  been  augmented  and  he  is  to-day  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  which  is  well  improved.  His  residence,  erected  in 
1889.  stands  as  a  monument  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise.  This  is  supple- 
mented by  substantial  barns  and  outlniiklings.  and  in  appearance  the  farm  is 
neat  and  thrifty,  indicating  the  careful  supervision  and  progressive  spirit  of 
the  owner. 

Mr.  Weeks  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Harriet  Pekin.  a  native  of 
Canton.  England.     The  wedding  was  celebrated  in  that  country,  and  Mrs. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  197 

Weeks  was  about  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  they  came  to  the  new  world. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  ten  children :  William,  Emily,  deceased, 
Charity,  James,  Leonard,  George,  Albert,  Julia,  deceased,  Lettie  and  Alice. 
Two  of  the  daughters  are  now  married,  and  George,  James  and  William  are 
married  and  livmg  in  homes  of  their  own. 

Mr.  Weeks  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and 
-measures  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues 
of  the  day,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  office.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends.  Mr.  Weeks  has  never  yet  had  to  regret  his  determination 
to  seek  a  home  in  America.  He  has  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  the  republic, 
has  profited  by  the  opportunities  it  has  afforded  and  is  to-day  the  possessor  of 
one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Nemaha  county  where  he  lives  in  the  midst  of  many 
warm  friends. 


J.  P.  H.  KOCH. 


J.  P.  H.  Koch  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Nemaha  county, 
his  property  comprising  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  highly  improved  land 
on  section  13,  Marion  township.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  Decem- 
ber 21,  1843,  aiT^  li's  father,  John  Koch,  was  also  a  native  of  the  same  locality. 
Having  arrived  at  the  age  of  maturity  he  married  Anna  Mary  Wilberg,  and 
in  1854  he  brought  his  family  to  the  new  world,  establishing  his  home  in 
Wisconsin.  Three  years  later  he  emigrated  to  Kansas,  becoming  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  Nemaha  county.  Here  he  took  up  government  land  and  es- 
tablished a  fine  farm,  being  identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
community  until  his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was  seventy-nine  years 
of  age.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  and  aided 
in  building  three  houses  of  worship  at  St.  Benedict.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him  and  now  resides  in  Richmond  township.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children,  nine  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

Mr.  Koch,  the  third  child,  was  about  ten  years  of  age  when  he  came  with 
his  father  to  America  and  was  a  lad  of  twelve  summers  when  he  arrived  in 
Nemaha  county.  At  the  age  of  five  years  he  began  his  education  in  the 
Fatherland  and  further  continued  his  studies  in  Wisconsin  and  in  Kansas, 
but  the  schools  of  that  period  in  Nemaha  county  were  not  equal  to  those  of 
the  present  time  and  his  advantages  were  therefore  somewhat  limited.  He 
remained  with  his  father  until  thirty  years  of  age.  assisting  in  the  operations 
Di  the  home  farm.  In  1875  ^^  ^^'^s  wedded  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Harpau,  a  native 
of    Germany.      After  their  marriage  they  located  in  Richmond    township. 


198  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Nemaha  county,  where  Mr.  Koch  engaged  in  general  farming  until  1S97. 
Their  home  was  blessed  with  eight  children  who  are  yet  li\ing,  namely: 
John,  Frank,  Peter,  Mary  Irena.  Joseph,  Clements,  Eddie  and  Lizzie.  The 
eldest  child  died  when  about  five  months  old.  All  were  born  in  Nemaha 
county  and  the  family  are  well  and  favorably  known  in  the  community. 

Mr.  Koch  is  to-day  the  owner  of  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
all  of  which  has  been  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  through  his  own 
efforts.  His  home  is  a  large  and  commodious  modern  residence  and  in  keep- 
ing with  this  are  the  fine  outbuildings.  The  barn  is  50x36  feet,  with  a  six- 
teen-foot shed  on  each  side,  and  other  substantial  improvements  indicate  the 
progressive  spirit  and  enterprise  of  the  owner  who  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  in  the  community.  He  and  his  family  are  members 
of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  of  St.  Benedict  and  he  has  contributed  to  the 
building  fund  of  four  churches  there.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  but  has 
never  sought  or  desired  public  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  energies 
to  his  business  interests. 


EDWIN  AVERY. 


Few  indeed  were  the  white  settlers  in  Nemaha  county  when  Edwin 
Avery  arrived  within  its  borders,  and  he  is  numbered  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers who  laid  the  foundation  for  the  business  prosperity  and  progress  of  the 
community.  He  lived  here  when  the  greater  part  of  the  land  was  still  in  its 
primitive  condition,  the  prairies  not  having  been  cultivated  or  utilized  for 
purposes  of  civilization,  and  many  hardships  and  trials  incident  to  establishing 
a  home  on  the  frontier  were  experienced  by  him,  and  he  also  was  a  witness 
and  participant  in  the  troublous  events  which  preceded  the  civil  war,  when 
party  feeling  ran  very  high  and  it  was  often  unsafe  to  give  candid  or  unmis- 
takable expressions  to  any  political  opinions.  At  all  times  Mr.  Avery  has 
manifested  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  and  development  of  the  county,  and 
well  does  he  deserve  mention  among  its  representative  citizens. 

A  native  of  Ohio  his  birth  occurred  in  Summit  county,  on  the  6th  of 
April.  1836.  His  father,  James  C.  Avery,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  a 
son  of  James  Avery,  Sr.,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Leyden,  New  York.  He 
was  of  Scotch  descent  and  died  in  New  Orleans,  in  1844.  James  C.  Avery, 
having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  married  Ruth  C.  Coleman,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  who  removed  to  the  Buckeye  state  when  eleven  years  of  age. 
Four  children  were  born  of  their  union,  all  of  whom  reached  adult  age.  Her 
father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  by  means  of  the  tilling  of  the  soil  sup- 
ported his  family.     He  died  in  New  Orleans,  in  1844.  but  his  widow  is  still 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         199 

living,  and  now  makes  her  home  in  Baileyville,  Kansas,  at  tlie  age  of  eighty- 
two  years. 

Edwin  Avery,  of  this  review,  and  the  eldest  child,  was  reared  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity  until  fifteen  years  of  age.  and  during  that  period  devoted  his 
time  to  the  duties  of  the  school-room  and  the  work  of  the  home  farm.  He 
then  accompanied  his  mother  on  her  removal  to  Vermilion  county,  Illinois, 
and  in  that  county  he  was  married,  on  the  14th  of  October,  1858,  to  Julia  A. 
Stark,  a  native  of  Vermilion  county.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Kentucky. 
Mrs.  Avery  died  in  April,  1878,  leaving  three  children, — Stanton,  !Myron 
and  Millie.  Mr.  Avery  afterward  wedded  Emily  \\'illiams,  and  for  his  third 
wife  he  chose  Susan  M.  Osb.ton,  their  wedding  being  celebrated  in  1895. 

In  1858,  on  leaving  Illinois,  Mr.  Avery  came  direct  to  Nemaha  county, 
and  the  following  year  secured  the  tract  of  land  which  constitutes  his  present 
farm.  However,  he  resided  for  five  years  in  Nemaha  township,  and  on  the 
expiration  of  that  period  came  to  Rock  Creek  township,  where  he  has  since 
remained.  At  one  time  his  farm  comprised  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
rich  land,  but  at  a  later  date  he  sold  one-half  of  it  to  his  son.  Throughout 
his  business  career  he  has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  and  by  close  appli- 
cation and  unremitting  industry  he  has  accumulated  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence. He  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church  and  his  life  has  ever 
been  honorable  and  upright.  In  ante  helium  days  he  gave  close  attention 
to  the  slavery  question  and  became  a  pronounced  abolitionist,  fearlessly  sup- 
porting his  views  at  a  time  when  it  required  great  personal  courage  to  advo- 
cate the  abolishment  of  that  evil.  In  i860  he  supported  Abraham  Lincoln, 
and  has  never  failed  to  vote  for  the  Republican  candidates  since  that  time. 
He  has  held  a  number  of  local  offices,  having  served  as  township  treasurer, 
road  overseer  and  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and  in  all  these  has  discharged 
his  duties  in  a  prompt  and  creditable  manner.  His  life  has  been  quietly  yet 
honorably  passed,  and  no  one  is  more  worthy  of  representation  in  this  volume 
than  this  honored  pioneer,  Edwin  .Avery. 


JOSEPH  RETTELE. 


Through  long  years  Joseph  Rettele  has  been  a  resident  of  Nemaha  county, 
and  has  not  only  witnessed  its  development  and  improvement  but  has  aided 
in  the  work  of  progress,  at  all  times  manifesting  a  public-spirited  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  general  welfare.  He  was  born  in  Manitowoc 
county,  Wisconsin,  March  22,  1856.  and  is  of  German  lineage.  His  father, 
Louis  Rettele,  was  a  native  of  Baden,  Germanv.  and  came  to  America  when 


200  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

only  eight  years  of  age,  in  company  with  his  parents,  the  family  first  locating 
in  New  York,  near  Rochester.  Subsequently  they  removed  to  Wisconsin, 
taking  up  their  abode  near  Milwaukee,  where  the  father  secured  land  and 
engaged  in  farming.  There  Louis  Rettele  was  reared,  and  having  attained 
his  majority  he  secured  a  claim,  upon  which  he  lived  until  1867,  when  he  came 
to  Nemaha  county,  Kansas.  In  this  locality  he  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  12,  1899.  He  was  one  of  the  well- 
known  settlers  of  the  county  and  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Catholic 
church.  He  wedded  Mary  Magdalene  Koelzer,  a  native  of  Germany,  who 
came  to  America  in  early  life  and  died  in  May,  1881.  In  the  family  of  this 
worthy  couple  were  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living, — Joseph; 
Mary  M.,  widow  of  Michael  Kongs,  and  a  resident  of  Richmond  township; 
Peter  J.,  of  St.  Benedict;  and  William,  who  was  an  ordained  priest  and  died 
in  New  Mexico,  October  3,  1885. 

Joseph  Rettele,  the  subject  of  this  review,  the  second  child  of  the  family, 
when  eleven  years  of  age.  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Nemaha 
county,  and  in  the  schools  of  this  locality  and  of  Wisconsin  pursued  his  educa- 
tion. The  old  log  schoolhouse  in  which  he  conned  his  lessons  in  St.  Benedict 
is  yet  standing.  To  the  work  of  the  farm  he  largely  devoted  his  energies 
through  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  to  his  father  he  g-ave  the  benefit  of  hi§ 
services  until  the  latter's  death.  In  Richmond  township,  on  the  i8th  of 
November,  1879,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Rettele  and  Miss  Mary  A. 
Stein,  who  was  born  in  Richmond  township,  Nemaha  county,  January  8, 
1862.  Her  father,  Mathias  Stein,  was  born  in  Germany,  but  during  his  boy- 
hood came  to  the  new  world,  making  his  way  first  to  Iowa,  whence  he  came  to 
Kansas  about  i860.  He  married  Elizabeth  Daltrub,  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  during  her  girlhood  she  crossed  the  briny  deep.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stein  died  in  Kansas,  the  mother  on  the  24th  of  May,  1883,  the  father  on  the 
24th  of  May,  1 89 1.  They  had  ten  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Rettele  is  the  eld- 
est. She  was  born  and  reared  in  Richmond  township,  and  by  her  marriage  she 
has  become  the  mother  of  eight  children,  all  born  on  the  farm  which  is  now 
their  home,  namely :  Louis,  AVilliam,  Peter,  Lizzie,  Annie,  Frank,  Benedict 
and  Catherine. 

Mr.  Rettele  is  the  owner  of  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land, 
all  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing and  also  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  hogs.  When  he  came  to  his  present 
home  there  was  not  an  improvement  upon  the  place,  but  as  the  years  passed 
he  added  buildings,  fences  and  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences,  and  he 
is  now  the  owner  of  a  very  attractive  and  valuable  property.  His  political 
support  is  given  the  Democracy,  and  he  has.  held  the  offices  of  township  clerk 
and  constable.     He  has  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         20 1 

cause  of  education  has  found  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  withholds  his  aid  and 
co-operation  from  no  movement  calculated  to  prove  a  public  benefit,  yet  withal 
he  is  practical,  believing  in  the  judicious  expenditure  of  money  for  improve- 
ment. He  well  may  be  call.ed  a  self-made  man,  his  efforts  having  resulted  in 
the  acquirement  of  a  comfortable  competence. 


MICHAEL  ROGERS. 


The  late  Michael  Rogers,  who  resided  on  section  21,  in  Xemaha  town- 
ship. Nemaha  county,  was  a  representative  of  the  Irish  element  in  our  national 
civilization, — an  element  which  is  signally  appreciative  of  the  enterprise  of 
the  new  world  and  which  has  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the  work  of 
public  improvement  and  progress.  He  was  born  in  County  Meath,  Leinster, 
Ireland,  in  September,  1823,  and  spent  the  first  twenty  years  of  his  life  in  that 
locality.  Bidding  adieu  to  home  and  friends  he  sailed  for  America,  in  1846, 
landing  at  New  York  city,  whence  he  made  his  way  to  North  Carolina  and 
from  there  to  Maryland,  remaining  in  the  latter  state  for  three  years.  Subse- 
quently he  spent  a  year  in  Virginia  and  in  1852  he  went  to  California,  attracted 
by  the  discovery  of  gold  on  the  Pacific  slope.  The  journey  was  made  by  water 
and  across  the  isthmus  of  Panama  where  he  boarded  a  steamer  for  San  Fran- 
cisco. Making  his  way  to  the  mines  he  continued  his  search  for  the  precious 
metal  for  six  years,  working  a  part  of  the  time  for  himself  and  also  a  part  of 
the  time  in  the  employ  of  others.  He  met  with  good  success  in  his  under- 
takings and  on  leaving  California  he  returned  by  way  of  the  Panama  route  to 
New  York  city  and  thence  came  across  the  country  to  Kansas,  arriving  in 
Nemaha  county  in  1858.  He  was  one  of  the  first  residents  in  this  locality 
and  purchased  a  quit-claim  deed,  thus  becoming  the  owner  of  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  resides.  Erecting  a  log  cabin  he  began  life  in  Kansas  in  true 
pioneer  style  and  experienced  many  of  the  hardships  and  difficulties  incident 
to  the  settlement  of  the  frontier.  His  wild  land  he  transformed  into  richly  culti- 
vated fields  and  as  his  financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  the  property 
until  his  landed  possessions  aggregate  fifteen  hundred  acres,  much  of  which  he 
finally  divided  among  his  children.  He  made  a  specialty  of  stock-raising  and 
feeding,  having  finally  one  hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle  and  two  hundred 
and  eighty  head  of  hogs  upon  his  farm. 

In  California,  in  1858,  Mr.  Rogers  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary- 
Curry,  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  Emerald  Isle. 
She  died  in  April,  1887,  leaving  four  children:  Thomas,  a  leading  agricult- 
urist of  Nemaha  township;  Michael,  who  was  born  November  18,  1861,  iii 


202  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Neniaha  township,  and  is  now  cultivating  tlie  homestead  farm  where  he  now 
resides  with  his  wife,  wlio  bore  the  maitlen  name  of  Ahce  Flaherty,  and  by 
whom  he  liad  one  ciiild,  Mary;  Edward,  who  was  born  in  Nemaha  townshiij 
and  is  now  residing  on  a  farm  there;  and  Mary,  wife  of  John  Madden,  of 
Nemaha  townsliip.  Mr.  Rogers  was  a  member  of  St.  Mary's  Cathohc  church 
at  St.  Benedict  and  aided  in  erecting  all  of  the  four  churches  of  that  place. 
He  served  as  a  member  of  the  church  committee  and  took  a  very  prominent 
part  in  its  work.  He  came  to  America  a  poor  boy,  having  neither  wealth  nor 
influential  friends  to  aid  him  in  his  new  home,  but  steadily  he  worked  his  way 
upward,  depending  upon  the  reliable  qualities  of  industry,  enterprise  and  busi- 
ness sagacity.  His  business  interests  were  always  honorably  conducted,  and 
his  efforts  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a  handsome  competence.  He  died 
January  19,  1900,  leaving  a  vacancy  difficult  to  fill. 


CHARLES    H.  STALLBAUMER. 

Charles  H.  Stallbaumer,  who  carries  on  general  farming  on  sec- 
tion 16,  Richmond  township,  Nemaha  county,  was  born  on  the  3d  of  Jan- 
uary, 1862,  in  the  township  which  is  still  his  home.  His  father,  John  Martin 
Stallbaumer.  was  born  in  \\'urtemberg.  Germany,  and  when  a  young  man 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  making  his  way  direct  to  Missouri.  From 
that  state  he  removed  to  Richmond  township,  Nemaha  county,  and  after  his 
marriage  he  locatetl  on  a  farm,  where  he  continued  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  August  24.  1881.  A  communicant  of  the  Catholic  church,  he  aide  i 
in  organizing  the  congregation  of  St.  Benedict.  In  politics  he  was  a  liberal 
Democrat,  who  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board,  yet  was  never  an  aspir- 
ant for  political  honors.  His  wife  was,  in  her  maidenhood.  Miss  Mary  H. 
Van  Brook,  a  native  of  Holland.  She  came  to  Kansas  when  a  maiden  of 
fourteen  summers,  and  is  still  living  in  this  state.  Her  eight  children  were 
all  born  in  Richmond  township,  and  with  one  exception  all  are  yet  residents 
of  Nemaha  county,  and  six  of  the  number  are  living  near  the  old  home :  Rosa, 
the  eldest  daughter,  is  now  deceased ;  John  is  living  on  section  32,  Richmond 
township;  Albertina  M.  is  the  wife  of  Henry  A.  Welp,  who  cultivates  land  on 
section  17,  Richmond  township;  Ida  M.  is  the  wife  of  James  Carlin,  who  is 
living  on  section  27.  Nemaha  township ;  Anna  S.  is  the  wife  of  Peter  J.  Ret- 
tele,  whose  home  is  on  section  8,  Richmond  township;  and  W.  E.  and  J.  G. 
reside  with  their  mother  on  section  19,  of  the  same  township. 

Charles  Henry  Stallbaumer  obtained  his  preliminary  education  in  a  little 
log  schoolhouse  on  section  8,  Richmond  township,  but  his  school  privileges 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         203 

were  quite  limited,  as  at  the  early  age  of  fourteen  years  he  was  obliged  to  put 
aside  his  text-books  and  assume  the  management  of  the  home  farm,  his  father 
having  died.  As  soon  as  old  enough  to  handle  a  plow  he  began  work  in  the 
fields,  and  the  various  duties  connected  with  the  raising  of  grain  were  familiar 
to  him.  In  his  youth  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  and  to  his  mother  he  gave 
his  wages  until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  was  married  in  Richmond  town- 
ship to  Anna  M.  Schneider,  who  was  born  in  Waukesha  county,  Wisconsin. 
At  the  age  of  two  she  was  taken  to  Nebraska,  and  when  twelve  years  of  age 
she  came  to  Nemaha  county  with  her  parents,  Matthew  and  Elizabeth  (Birk- 
hauser)  Schneider,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  father, 
however,  came  to  this  country  when  only  five  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Stallbaumer 
is  the  second  in  their  family  of  eight  children,  and  by  her  marriage  she  has 
five  living  children,  Claude.  Veronica,  Lawrence,  Aloysius  and  Rudolph. 
One  child.  Eugene,  died  in  early  life. 

Mr.  Stallbaumer  is  the  owner  of  seventy-nine  acres  of  rich  land,  which 
he  has  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  the  many  improvements 
on  his  farm  indicate  his  care  and  attention.  For  three  terms  he  served  as  trus- 
tee of  Richmond  township,  and  in  1898  he  was  elected  the  county  commis- 
sioner for  the  third  district,  which  position  he  is  now  filling,  his  incumbency 
coxering  a  period  of  three  years.  A  prominent  member  of  the  Catholic 
church,  he  is  now  serving  as  the  president  of  the  St.  Joseph  society.  He  rep- 
resents one  of  the  oldest  families  of  Nemaha  county,  the  name  having  long 
been  interwoven  with  the  history  of  agricultural  interests  in  this  locality.  He 
has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  northeastern  Kansas,  and  as  a  result  of  his  genial 
manner  and  sterling  worth  his  friends  are  legion. 


CHRISTIAN   H.  STEINMEIR. 

Christian  H.  Steinmeir  is  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  Richmond 
township,  Nemaha  county,  who  at  all  times  is  loyal  to  duty  and  to  right. 
During  the  civil  war  he  manifested  his  fidelity  to  his  country  by  entering  the 
Union  army  and  protecting  the  starry  banner  upon  the  battle-fields  of  the  south. 
In  days  of  peace  he  quietly  performs  his  business  labors  and  is  accounted  one 
of  the  substantial  farmers  of  Richmond  township,  his  home  being  on  sec- 
tion 14. 

Mr.  Steinmeir  was  born  in  Hancock  county,  Indiana,  June  21,  1841.  In 
that  county  his  grandfather,  Christian  Steinmeir,  took  up  his  abode  in  pioneer 
days,  entering  land  from  the  government,  for  which  he  paid  a  dollar  and  a 
quarter  per  acre.     The  wild  tract  he  transformed  into  an  excellent  farm,  and 


204  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

in  Hancock  county  he  made  his  home  until  his  death.  Christian  Steinmeir, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  and  when  thir- 
teen years  of  age  came  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States,  location  being 
made  in  Indiana,  where  he  was  reared.  In  his  youth  he  worked  on  the  old 
national  road,  at  fifty  cents  per  day,  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  construction 
of  the  canal.  In  1864  he  left  the  Hoosier  state,  coming  to  Kansas,  where  he 
took  up  his  abode  on  Nemaha  creek,  buying  a  partially  improved  farm.  With 
a  team  of  horses  he  started  for  Mexico  in  1874,  and  after  reaching  his  desti- 
nation sold  his  team  and  was  murdered  there  for  his  money,  when  about  fifty 
years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Christena  Shildmier, 
was  a  native  of  Prussia  and  was  also  about  thirteen  years  of  age  when  she  came 
with  her  parents  to  America.  The  family  located  in  Hancock  county,  where 
she  was  married.  She  died  in  the  Hoosier  state  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven 
years,  leaving  four  children,  namely:  Christian  H.,  of  this  review;  Mary, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Hartener,  of  Seneca;  William,  who  is  living  in  the  state 
of  Washington;  and  Benjamin,  of  Colorado. 

Mr.  Steinmeir,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  was  reared  in  the 
county  of  his  nativity  and  to  its  public-school  system  is  indebted  for  the  edu- 
cational privileges  which  he  received.  He  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm 
until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war,  when,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of 
patriotism,  he  responded  to  his  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  Company 
F,  Eleventh  Indiana  Infantry,  known  as  the  Indiana  Zouaves  and  commanded 
by  Colonel  Lew  Wallace.  It  was  on  the  20th  of  July,  1861,  that  he  joined  the 
service  and  on  the  31st  of  August,  1864,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge, 
having  for  three  years  loyally  aided  in  the  defense  of  the  Union  cause.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Port  Gibson,  Champion 
Hills  and  the  entire  Vicksburg  campaign.  The  day  before  the  surrender  of  the 
city  he  was  taken  ill  and  sent  to  the  regimental  hospital.  At  Fort  Donelson 
he  was  struck  by  a  piece  of  shell  and  was  forced  to  remain  in  the  hospital  for 
ten  days,  while  at  Port  Gibson  he  was  struck  by  a  piece  of  rail,  which  knocked 
him  down.  The  last  battle  in  which  he  participated  was  at  Hulltown,  Vir- 
ginia, and  he  was  mustered  out  at  Harper's  Ferry,  receiving  his  pay  at  Indian- 
apolis, Indiana. 

With  an  honorable  war  record  Mr.  Steinmeir  returned  to  his  home  in  Han- 
cock county,  where  he  remained  for  about  a  month,  when  he  came  to  Nemaha 
county,  Kansas.  During  the  first  year  of  his  residence  here  he  operated  a 
threshing  machine  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  connected  with  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  lived  with  his  father  and  sister  until  his  marriage,  which  occurred 
on  the  19th  of  December,  1867,  Miss  Christena  Koch  becoming  his  wife.  She 
was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  August  17,  1848,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John 
Koch,  a  native  of  Prussia,  who  came  to  Nemaha  county  in  1857.    After  their 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         205 

marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Steinmeir  located  on  a  farm  on  Harris  creek,  two 
miles  east  of  their  present  home,  and  after  living  there  for  a  year  our  subject 
erected  his  present  residence  on  section  14.  Richmond  township.  Here  he 
has  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-nine  and  a  half  acres,  all  of  wjhich  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  first  few  years  after  his  arrival  in 
Nemaha  county  he  engaged  in  threshing  and  freighting,  but  more  recently  he 
has  given  his  energies  entirely  to  general  farming,  and  the  neat  and  attractive 
appearance  of  his  place  indicates  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  agri- 
culturists of  his  community. 

Mr.  Steinmeir  has  had  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living, 
namely :  Anna,  the  wife  of  Harry  D.  Burger,  of  Richmond  township,  Nemaha 
countv.  Benjamin,  who  assists  in  the  operation  of  his  father's  farm;  William, 
Chris.  Louis,  George,  Mary  and  Esther.  The  deceased  are  Johnie,  Eddie 
and  Walter.    All  were  born  in  Nemaha  county. 

IMr.  Steinmeir  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  is 
a  progressive  citizen  who  withholds  his  support  from  no  measure  calculated  to 
prove  of  benefit  to  the  community  along  political,  social,  material  and  moral 
lines.  He  is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  this  community  and  has, 
therefore,  watched  the  greater  part  of  northeastern  Kansas  in  its  rapid  progress, 
in  which  he  feels  a  just  pride.  In  all  possible  ways  he  has  contributed  toward 
its  advancement  and  is  to-day  as  true  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  as  when  he 
aided  in  establishing  the  supremacy  of  the  Union  by  active  service  upon 
southern  battlefields. 


HENRY  SCHAFER. 


The  German  element  in  our  national  civilization  has  been  a  very  important 
factor,  the  sterling  qualities  of  the  Teutonic  race  making  its  representatives 
in  America  valued  citizens  of  the  republic.  Henry  Schafer  in  his  business 
career  manifests  the  reliability  and  perseverance  which  are  numbered  among 
the  sterling  traits  of  his  people  and  to-day  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  success- 
ful farmers  of  Gilman  township,  Nemaha  county,  where  he  resides  upon  a  val- 
uable farm  located  on  section  31. 

Born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  on  the  14th  of  January,  1840,  he  was  reared 
in  the  place  of  his  nativity,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  enlisted  in  the  Prus- 
sian army  and  served  for  three  years.  For  six  months  he  participated  in  the 
war  of  1866  and  took  part  in  a  number  of  engagements,  including  the  battles 
which  occurred  on  the  28th  of  June  and  on  the  3d  of  July  of  that  year.  In 
1867  he  came  to  America,  making  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he 
remained  for  three  years,  working  by  the  month  during  much  of  the  time. 


2o6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

During  the  last  year  of  his  residence  in  that  locality,  however,  he  operated  a 
rented  farm.  In  1870  he  came  to  Nemaha  county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm 
in  Richmond  township,  now  Oilman  township.  In  1872,  however,  he  sold  that 
property  and  bought  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides.  All  the  improve- 
ments upon  the  place  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise.  He 
has  erected  a  substantial  residence,  good  barns  and  outbuildings,  and  fences, 
which  divide  his  land  into  fields  of  convenient  size.  To  the  original  purchase 
of  eighty  acres  he  added  a  quarter-section  of  land  in  1880  and  now  has  a 
valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  all.  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. The  rich  pasture  land  of  this  section  of  the  state  affords  excellent 
opportunity  to  the  stock  raiser  and  Mr.  Schafer  keeps  a  number  of  head  of 
cattle  for  sale. 

In  1872,  in  Nemaha  county,  occurred  his  marriage  to  Miss  Nellie  Hem- 
merbach,  a  native  of  Prussia,  who  came  to  America  when  four  years  of  age, 
the  family  locating  in  Wisconsin.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schafer  have  been  born 
seven  daughters,  namely:  Anna,  the  wife  of  Frank  Pflance;  Mary,  the  wife 
of  Henry  Seimer;  Lizzie,  the  wife  of  Clements  Wichman;  Katie,  Barbara, 
Phemie  and  Teressa.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community 
and  its  members  occupy  a  leading  position  in  social  circles.  They  are  com- 
municants of  the  Catholic  church  at  Seneca  and  in  his  political  views  Mr. 
Schafer  is  a  Democrat  and  has  held  a  number  of  local  offices.  He  is  a  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  man,  who  gives  an  active  support  to  all  measures  cal- 
culated to  advance  the  general  welfare,  and  in  his  business  career  he  has  met 
with  a  well  merited  success,  so  that  he  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his 
determination  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new  world. 


HON.  CASSIUS  G.  FOSTER. 

Judge  Foster  was  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  legal  circles  of  Kansas,  being 
for  twenty-five  years  United  States  judge  for  the  district  of  Kansas.  He  was 
perhaps  the  youngest  man  ever  appointed  to  the  federal  bench,  having  attained 
only  his  thirty-seventh  year  when  he  received  his  commission  from  President 
Grant. 

Judge  Foster  was  born  in  1837,  in  Webster,  IMonroe  county.  New  York, 
and  in  May,  1859,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Batavia,  New  York,  whence  he 
moved  soon  afterward  to  Atchison,  Kansas.  There  he  was  first  associated  with 
the  firm  of  Foster  Glenn,  but  in  a  short  time  this  partnership  was  dissolved 
and  he  started  out  by  himself.  He  built  up  a  lucrative  practice  and  by  1873 
was  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  bar  of  Kansas.     The  people  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  207 

Atchison  appreciated  his  ability  and  elected  him  a  member  of  the  state  senate 
and  afterward  the  mayor  of  the  city.  In  March,  1874,  he  was  named  for  the 
Kansas  federal  judgship  by  President  U.  S.  Grant,  who  was  then  serving  his 
second  term. 

In  187S  he  was  married  to  Miss  .Vngie  V.  Ludington,  of  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  who  was  born  in  Massachusetts.  Of  this  union  two  daughters  were 
born.  In  March,  1879.  the  family  removed  to  Topeka,  where  the  death  of 
Judge  Foster  took  place  June  21,  1899,  after  several  j'ears  of  failing  health. 
Although  almost  continually  an  invalid  for  some  time  previous  to  his  death, 
he  persisted  in  attending  to  his  official  duties  until  a  special  act  of  congress 
was  passed,  in  January,  1898,  retiring  him  on  full  pay.  In  February,  of  that 
year,  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Judge  Hoch. 

Judge  Foster  had  an  eventful  career  in  Kansas,  a  prominent  episode  in 
which  was  the  contest  between  himself  and  Joseph  K.  Hudson,  the  editor  of 
the  Topeka  Capital,  which  covered  a  period  of  several  years  and  involved 
many  stanch  friends  of  both  combatants.  The  cause  of  the  trouble  was  the 
difference  of  views  on  the  liquor  question.  Judge  Foster  being  an  anti-Pro- 
hibitionist and  Mr.  Hudson  a  champion  of  the  liquor  law\  Both  the  men 
wielded  pens  that  were  masterly  and  personalities  and  invectives  were  not 
spared.  In  political  and  legal  lines  the  controversy  was  carried  on  until  after 
1895,  when  it  came  to  an  end  by  Mr.  Hudson  retiring  from  the  control  of  the 
Capital  and  Judge  Foster  going  abroad  for  his  health. 

The  independence  of  thought  and  action  which  was  a  striking  character- 
istic of  Judge  Foster  was  shown  in  an  impressive  manner  when  he  stumped  the 
state  against  the  Republican  party  in  1890-91.  Although  always  affiliating 
with  that  party  he  opposed  the  mixing  of  prohibition  and  politics,  and  when 
this  question  was  made  a  state  issue  by  insetting  it  as  a  plank  in  the  platform 
he  took  the  stump  against  the  ticket. 

Judge  Foster  was  known  as  a  fair  and  upright  judge  and  a  lawyer  of  rare 
attainments.  As  the  interpreter  of  the  complex  law^s  of  this  country  involved 
m  the  tedious  litigations  which  appear  in  the  federal  court,  he  attained  an 
enviable  reputation  in  the  United  States.  His  decisions  were  seldom  reversed 
by  the  United  States  courts  superior  to  the  one  over  wdiich  he  presided.  He 
was  the  judge  of  the  trial  of  some  of  the  most  famous  cases  in  the  history  of 
American  jurisprudence  and  at  all  times  was  noted  for  his  fairness  and  integ- 
rity. He  was  conscientious  and  honorable  and  a  sympathizer  with  the  unfor- 
tunate. Of  all  things  he  most  despised  the  tricks  of  the  profession  and  merci- 
lessly scored  the  lawyer  who  departed  from  the  prescribetl  rules  of  practice  and 
decorum.  He  was  firm  in  his  convictions  and  undaunted  in  their  defense.  An 
ardent  student  and  a  hard  worker,  he  took  the  utmost  pains  in  every  case  before 
hnn,  to  ransack  the  authorities,  to    weigh    the    evidence    and  to  rise  above 


2o8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

prejudices  and  environments  in  his  decisions.    No  man  in  his  position  ever  was 
more  respected  and  honored  than  he. 

Judge  Foster  left  a  fortune  of  a  quarter  of  a  milhon  dollars  to  his  wife 
and  daughters,  who  occupy  a  handsome  home  in  Topeka. 


T.  F.  CRANDALL. 


J.  F.  Crandall,  a  prominent  and  influential  farmer  of  Brown  county  and 
who  has  lived  in  this  section  of  the  state  since  an  early  period  of  its  develop- 
ment, was  born  in  Floyd  county.  Indiana,  October  ii.  1846.  His  parents, 
Joseph  and  Eliza  J.  (Jones)  Crandall,  were  both  natives  of  Indiana,  but  the 
Crandalls  originally  lived  in  New  York  and  were  of  Scotch  descent.  The 
father  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  in  early  life,  but 
afterward  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  a  plain,  unpretentious  man,  yet  his 
sterling  worth  won  him  the  respect  of  all.  Of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
he  was  a  consistent  member  and  served  as  class  leader.  His  father  had  been 
twice  married  and  by  the  first  union  had  nine  children :  Ira,  Daniel,  Obediah 
and  Rachel ;  names  of  the  rest  forgotten.  Joseph  was  the  seventh  child  of  the 
second  marriage,  the  others  being  William,  James,  Floyd,  z\ndrew,  Nancy 
J.,  Elizabeth,  Rachel  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

Joseph  Crandall  married  Miss  Eliza  J.  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  James 
Jones,  of  England,  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  whose  fam- 
ily numbered  eight  children,  namely  :  Asa ;  Benjamin,  who  served  as  a  captain 
in  the  Mexican  war  and  a  colonel  in  the  Civil  war;  John;  Joseph;  Mrs.  Sally 
Filler ;  Mrs.  Sophia  McGee ;  Eliza  J.  and  Elizabeth.  Unto  Joseph  and  Eliza 
J.  (Jones)  Crandall  were  born  five  children:  John  W.,  a  resident  of  Jeffer- 
sonville,  Indiana ;  James  F. ;  Benjamin  A.,  deceased ;  Mrs.  Mary  S.  Dewees, 
and  Joseph  A.,  a  resident  of  New  Albany.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr. 
Crandall  married  Elizabeth  Jones,  her  sister.  There  were  three  children  by 
that  union :  Eva,  Cordia  and  Julia.  The  parents  are  deceased.  The  father 
was  a  leading  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  died  in  May,  1897. 

J.  F.  Crandall,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  under  the 
parental  roof  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of 
patriotism,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Thirty-eighth  Indiana  Infantry,  in 
February,  1864.  His  command  was  attached  to  the  Fourteenth  Army  Corps 
or  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and  saw  very  hard  service.  Mr.  Crandall 
participated  in  nine  hotly  contested  engagements  and  at  the  battle  of  Jonesville 
his  company  was  reduced  to  nine  men.  He  was  very  fortunate  in  that  he  was 
never  wounded  or  captured.    At  the  time  of  Lee's  surrender  he  was  with  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         209 

regiment  in  North  Carolina  and  participated  in  the  last  battle  of  the  war.  in 
Bentonville,  that  state.  He  was  also  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march  to 
the  sea  and  participated  in  the  grand  review  at  Washington, — the  greatest 
military  pageant  ever  seen  on  the  western  hemisphere.  From  the  capital  city 
the  regiment  was  sent  to  Indianapolis,  where  the  members  were  mustered  out, 
receiving  an  honorable  discharge.  At  that  time  he  held  the  rank  of  corporal. 
Returning  to  his  home  Mr.  Crandall  was  engaged  in  farming  until  1867,  when 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Priscilla  Strother,  who  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Indi- 
ana, April  12,  1847,  «!  daughter  of  \Mlliam  and  Hannah  (Hale)  Strother. 
The  mother  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  the  father  ws  born  in  Indiana  and  was 
of  German  descent.  He  made  farming  his  life  work  and  died  in  early  man- 
hood. His  brothers  and  sisters  were  John,  Olmstead,  Elias,  Jacob  and  Mrs. 
Matilda  Romley.  All  were  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mrs.  Strother 
was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Hale,  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  who  removed  to  New  Orleans, 
where  his  last  days  were  spent.  His  children  were  Samuel,  Isaac,  William  F., 
Mrs.  Sarah  Barnett,  Mrs.  Delia  A.  Maholland  and  Mrs.  Hannah  Strother. 
The  members  of  this  family  were  Methodists  and  Presbyterians  in  religious 
faith. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Crandall,  of  this  review,  began  farming  in  Indi- 
ana, \vhere  he  lived  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  and 
purchased  a  tract  of  raw  prairie  land.  The  same  year  he  shipped  his  goods  to 
this  place  and  early  the  following  year  removed  his  family,  arriving  in  Janu- 
ary. 1 87 1.  He  has  made  permanent  and  good  improvements  upon  his  place 
and  has  added  to  his  land  until  the  old  homestead  comprises  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  while  in  Washington  county,  Kansas,  he  also  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  and  has  property  in  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz.  He  has 
carried  on  general  farming  and  has  raised,  fed  and  purchased  stock.  His 
dual  occupation  has  engaged  his  entire  time  and  attention  and  by  his  careful 
management  and  keen  discernment  in  business  affairs  he  has  acquired  a  \ery 
desirable  competence. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crandall  have  five  children :  Leona  M.,  who  was  born 
November  19,  1868,  the  wife  of  F.  Hamilton,  a  carpenter;  Joseph  F.,  born 
September  13,  1870,  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Missouri;  Florence  H.,  born 
February  18,  1873,  the  wife  of  Rev.  H.  Bassett;  Leonard  G.,  born  December 
4,  1877,  now  engaged  as  a  salesman  in  a  store;  and  Mabel  G.,  who  was  born 
April  27,  1880.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crandall  are  leading  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  class  leader,  as  chairman  of  the 
board  of  trustees  and  of  the  board  of  stewards.  He  keeps  well  informed  on 
the  issues  of  the  day,  is  deeply  interested  in  public  questions  and  is  a  stanch 
Republican  in  his  political  views.  He  has  filled  a  number  of  township  ofiices. 
including  that  of  treasurer.     Mr.  Crandall  was  among  the  first  settlers  on  the 


2IO  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

high  prairies  in  his  neighhorhood  and  can  relate  many  interesting  instances 
in  pioneer  hfe,  when  the  greater  part  of  the  country  was  in  its  priniiti\'e  con- 
dition. He  has  witnessed  its  wonderful  progress  and  development  and  at  all 
times  has  contributed  toward  its  upbuilding  as  far  as  lay  in  his  power.  His 
own  record  is  a  creditable  one,  showmg  that  rest  rewards  indefatigable  labor 
when  directed  by  sound  judgment.  Not  afraid  of  work  he  has,  by  his  energy 
and  honorable  dealing,  accumulated  a  comfortable  competence  and  is  held  in 
uniform  respect  for  his  sterling  worth. 


MICHAEL  HANSZ. 


Michael  Hansz  resides  on  section  35,  Nemaha  township,  Nemaha  county, 
where  he  owns  and  operates  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  is  one 
of  the  worthy  citizens  that  France  has  furnished  to  the  new  world,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Alsace  on  the  24th  of  January,  1835.  In  the  land  of  his 
birth  he  remained  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  spending  his  boyhood  days  upon 
a  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the  schools  near  his  home.  Determining  to  try 
his  fortune  in  the  United  States  he  made  arrangements  for  the  voyage  and 
landed  in  New  York  on  Christmas  night  of  1852.  For  three  years  he  remained 
in  the  Empire  state,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and  in  1852 
he  went  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  by 
the  month,  continuing  in  the  Prairie  state  until  1858.  That  year  witnessed 
his  arrival  in  Nemaha  county,  where  he  secured  a  claim  of  government  land 
(his  present  farm),  but  the  highly  cultivated  tract  now  bears  little  resemblance 
to  the  property  when  it  first  came  into  his  possession.  He  was  sixty  dollars 
in  debt  \vhen  he  landed  in  the  eastern  metropolis  and  had  to  borrow  money  in 
order  to  get  to  Buffalo,  New  York.  There  he  worked  three  months  for  his 
board  and  for  the  year  he  received  only  six  dollars  in  compensation  for  his 
services.  It,  therefore,  required  his  first  year's  earnings  to  repay  the  money 
which  he  had  borrowed  in  order  to  meet  the  expense  of  the  voyage  to  this 
country.  The  next  year  he  received  seventy-two  dollars,  with  which  he  paid 
off  his  indebtedness  and  purchased  some  clothes.  He  then  emigrated  west- 
ward and  during  his  residence  in  Illinois  he  saved  two  hundred  dollars  from 
his  salary  as  a  farm  hand.  This  he  invested  in  land  in  Kansas  and  upon  his 
farm  he  erected  a  little  board  cabin,  14x16  feet,  making  it  his  home  during  the 
early  years  in  which  he  placed  his  land  under  cultivation  and  made  the  begin- 
ning of  a  good  farm.  He  has  divided  the  place  into  fields  of  convenient  size 
by  well  kept  fences,  and  as  the  result  of  his  excellent  methods  of  cultivation 
he  has  secured  good  profits,  which  has  brought  to  him  an  excellent  financial 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         2 1 1 

return.  He  now  owns  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  altogether,  his  property 
interests  causing  him  to  be  numbered  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  Mr.  Hansz  chose  Alar- 
garet  Sturmer,  a  native  of  Germany.  Their  wedding  w-as  celebrated  on  the 
2ist  of  December,  1861.  and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with  six  children, — 
Louisa,  George.  Mary,  Alvina,  Rosa  and  Eddie.  Mr.  Hansz  exercises  his  right 
of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Democratic  party,  but 
has  never  sought  office,  preferring  to  give  his  attention  to  his  business  interests. 
The  only  sure  road  to  success  is  that  of  labor  and  when  guided  by  sound  judg- 
ment it  a-lways  leads  to  the  goal  of  prosperity.  It  has  been  in  this  manner  tJiat 
Mr.  Hansz  has  overcome  difficulties  and  obstacles,  steadily  advancing  to  a 
place  among  the  substantial  and  representative  citizens  of  Nemaha  county. 


LIEUTENANT  DAVID  BAKER. 

One  of  the  men  who  have  figured  conspicuously  in  the  de\'elopment  of  the 
western  country  is  Lieutenant  David  Baker.  He  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  born 
in  Tippecanoe  county  July  7,  1833,  near  the  town  of  Dayton.  He  is  the  son  of 
William  and  Hannah  Baker,  the  former  being  of  English  extraction. 

The  first  of  the  family  to  make  their  home  in  America  was  Thomas  Baker, 
a  colonel  in  the  English  army,  who  resigned  that  position  to  come  to  the 
colonies,  settling  on  Long  Island,  while  it  was  yet  in  the  possession  of  the 
Dutch.  William  Baker  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  emigrated  to  Ohio,  set- 
tling in  Butler  county  in  1800;  he  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  In  1827 
he  moved  to  Indiana,  being  among  the  pioneers  of  Tippecanoe  county.  There 
he  opened  a  farm  in  the  timber  and  endured  the  hardships  and  privations 
attaching  to  the  settlement  of  a  new  country.  He  was  a  man  closely  associated 
with  religion  and  a  class-leader  in  the  L'nited  Brethren  church,  and  his  house 
for  a  number  of  years  was  used  to  hold  service  in.  His  death  occurred  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1844. 

He  was  married  twice.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  six  children.  One  son, 
Robert  (deceased),  lived  in  Dayton,  Indiana,  and  the  other.  Thomas  (also 
deceased),  was  the  proprietor  of  the  Grand  Hotel  in  Indianapolis.  Mary  Ann 
was  married  to  Moses  Graft,  a  prosperous  farmer  who  had  a  large  family. 
Rachel  married  a  well-known  physician — Dr.  D.  H.  Grouse,  of  Dayton — and 
is  now  deceased.  Two  of  her  children  are  living,  one  of  whom  is  Rev.  M.  V. 
Grouse,  an  able  clergyman  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  but  now  superintendent 
of  the  Childrens'  Home  at  Cincinnati.  The  other  two  children  of  William 
Baker  died  when  young. 


2  12  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

His  second  marriage  was  to  Hannah  Moore,  a  native  of  this  country,  but 
of  Irish  parentage.  William  Moore,  her  father,  was  in  the  war  of  1812  and  in 
General  Hull's  surrender,  was  paroled,  but  in  a  short  time  returned  to  the 
army  and  fought  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Hannah  Moore  Baker  was  the 
mother  of  six  children,  three  of  her  sons  being  farmers. — Abner  is  near  Rush- 
ville,  Missouri,  Josiah,  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  Samuel,  in  Kansas.  The 
youngest,  George  W..  died  in  infancy.  Her  only  daughter,  Martha  Jane,  mar- 
ried Dr.  J.  A.  Wood,  who  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  resident  of  Atchison 
county,  Kansas,  but  after  the  war  located  at  Monticello,  Indiana,  at  which 
place  she  died  in  1878.  leaving  five  children.  After  the  death  of  her  husband 
Mrs.  Baker  married  Henry  Goble  and  removed  to  Clinton  county,,  Indiana. 
She  was  a  pious  woman  and  a  faithful  adherent  of  the  United  Brethren 
church.  Her  death  occurred  in  1851,  in  the  full  triumph  of  her  faith,  her  last 
words  being  "Glory!  Glory!"  She  opened  her  eyes  once  more  to  behold  her 
son.  David,  for  whom  she  had  seemed  to  be  waiting  for  hours  just  at  the  door 
of  death,  then  she  sank  peacefully  away. 

The  education  of  David  Baker  and  his  brothers  was  limited,  owing  to 
the  poor  school  facilities  in  Indiana  at  that  early  day.  His  chief  amusements 
while  pursuing  the  routine  of  the  farmer  boy  were  those  of  hunting  and  fish- 
ing. When  fourteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Dayton  to  learn  the  carpenter's 
trade  of  his  brother,  Robert,  serving  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years.  He 
afterward  followed  the  trade  the  same  length  of  time  in  Lafayette,  Indiana. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1855,  he  married  Margaret  J.  Alexander,  who  lived 
only  until  the  following  year,  June  20,  when  she  left  an  infant  daughter, 
Alfaretta  Jane,  who  died  a  few  months  later.  She  was  a  religious  and  edu- 
cated lady,  fond  of  literature  and  especially  of  poetry. 

A  few  months  after  this  Mr.  Baker  came  to  Kansas,  arriving  in  Atchison 
county  September  19,  1857.  He  purchased  a  share  in  the  Summertown  Com- 
pany and  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  near  Lancaster,  ten 
miles  west  of  Atchison.  He  left  Kansas  December  5,  in  company  with  thir- 
teen others,  in  a  skiff  and  rowed  to  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  where  they  took 
the  cars,  he  returning  to  Indiana. 

On  March  9,  1858.  Mr.  Baker  was  married  to  Rebecca  Foresman,  a 
daughter  of  John  Foresman,  who  was  a  pioneer  of  Indiana.  Returning  to  Kan- 
sas with  his  wife,  he  arrived  at  Sumner  April  29,  and  there  worked  at  his 
trade  two  years.  In  1858-9  he  served  as  a  township  collector  and  treasurer 
and  in  1859-60  was  the  marshal  of  the  town  of  Sumner,  an  unenviable  position 
at  that  day  owing  to  the  border  element,  and  in  many  instances  he  had  some  of 
the  most  noted  outlaws  to  deal  with.  Being  a  free-state  man  he  took  an  active 
part  in  the  affairs  of  the  time  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  first  Republican  county 
convention.     His  life  is  replete  with  incidents  too  numerous  to  mention,  but 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         213 

A.  D.  Richardson,  the  author  of  "Beyond  the  Mississippi,"  who  was  a  per- 
sonal friend  of  his,  has  pictured  the  scenes  of  those  times  to  perfection. 

In  1 86 1  Mr.  Baker  began  to  open  his  farm,  but  as  tlie  war  of  the  Rebel- 
lion was  fully  under  way  he  entered  the  military  service,  being  mustered  in  as 
a  volunteer  private  soldier  in  Company  G,  Eighth  Kansas  Infantry,  November 
II,  1861,  and  on  the  14th  was  ordered  to  Lawrence,  Kansas,  to  drill.  While 
there,  November  21,  1 861,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  sergeant  of  the 
company.  From  December  20,  1861,  until  January  16,  1862,  the  regiment  was 
guarding  the  border.  Three  companies,  A,  D  and  G,  were  ordered  to  Fort 
Kearney,  where  they  arrived  on  March  12  and  remained  until  April  15,  when 
Company  G  was  detached  and  sent  to  Scott's  Bluffs  on  the  overland  route  to 
quell  the  Indian  troubles.  On  May  28  the  company  was  ordered  to  Fort 
Laramie,  where  they  remained  on  garrison  duty  until  January  15.  1863,  when 
they  were  ordered  to  join  the  regiment  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  marching  from 
Fort  Laramie  to  Fort  Leavenworth  and  going  thence  by  rail  and  water  to 
Nashville. 

In  that  city  they  assisted  the  regiment  on  provost  duty  in  the  city  until 
June  7,  1863,  when  all  the  companies  wei-e  ordered  to  Murfreesboro,  that  state, 
where  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Third  Brigade  of  the  First  Division  of 
the  Twentieth  Army  Corps,  and  on  June  24  marched  under  General  Rosecrans 
to  Tullahoma,  then  to  Winchester  and  Stephenson,  Alabama,  and  across  the 
river  to  skirmish  with  the  enemy.  While  at  Winchester,  July  25,  1863,  Mr. 
Baker  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  of  Company  G,  but  as  it  was  then 
below  the  minimum  number  he  was  not  mustered  on  his  commission.  On 
September  9  he  received  a  commission  as  first  lieutenant,  but  was  again  not 
mustered,  as  the  army  was  on  the  move,  but  acted  as  first  lieutenant  in  his  com- 
pany. September  19,  1863,  he  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga, 
where  he  was  severely  wounded  in  the  left  leg  and  taken  jirisoner,  and  he  lay 
four  days  on  the  field  without  any  attention.  His  leg  was  amputated  by  a  sur- 
geon of  the  United  States  army,  who  also  was  a  prisoner.  After  twelve  days 
he  was  paroled  and  sent  through  the  lines  and  was  taken  to  the  officers'  hos- 
pital at  Chattanooga,  where  he  remained  until  sent  to  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
November  10,  1863. 

November  30,  1863.  he  received  a  leave  of  absence  for  thirty  days  to  visit 
his  wife  and  friends  at  Lafayette,  Indiana,  after  which  he  returned  and  made 
application  to  be  mustered  in  on  his  commission,  which  was  granted  by  the 
war  department,  and  he  was  accordingly  mustered  November  21,  1864,  to  date 
from  September  9,  1863.  He  was  then  ordered  to  report  to  Major  A.  W. 
Gazzona,  commanding  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  at  Nashville.  He  was 
detailed  for  duty  with  a  detachment  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-eighth  and 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Companies  of  the  Second  Battalion  of  the  Vet- 


214  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

eran  Reserve  Corps  at  General  Hospital  No.  19,  on  tlie  12th  of  January,  1865. 
He  was  relieved  and  ordered  to  report  to  Captain  J.  H.  Meyer  at  the  Cum- 
berland hospital  January  18,  1865.  He  assumed  command  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fiftv-fourth  Company  of  the  Second  Battalion  of  the  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  and  in  addition  had  command  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
second  Company  of  the  same  battalion.  May  31,  1865,  he  was  relieved  from 
duty  at  the  hospital  and  assigned  to  duty  as  acting  assistant  quartermaster 
and  acting  commissary  of  subsistence  of  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps.  June 
27.  1865,  he  also  assumed  the  duties  of  acting  assistant  adjutant  of  the  corps. 
He  served  on  general  court-martial  duty  for  some  time  and  continued  in  his 
duties  for  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  until  the  close  of  the  war.     December 

11,  1865,  he  left  Nashville  and  returned  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where 
he  was  mustered  out  January  10,  1866.  He  is  deserving  of  special  mention  and 
the  commendation  of  all  true  patriots  for  the  active  part  he  took  in  quelling  the 
rebellion,  and  Mrs.  Baker  also  is  to  be  complimented  as  a  woman  who  shared 
the  hardships  of  camp  life  with  her  husband.  With  two  children  she  accom- 
panied him  to  Fort  Laramie.  At  this  place  was  born  their  third  child  Novem- 
ber 24.  1862,  a  son  whom  they  named  Robert  Laramie,  in  honor  of  his  birth- 
place. ^^^^en  her  husband  was  sent  to  Nashville  she  accompanied  him  as  far  as 
St.  Louis  and  from  there  went  to  her  parents  in  Indiana,  where  she  remained 
about  one  year.  W'hile  there  Robert  Laramie  died,  his  sickness  beginning 
on  the  evening  of  his  father's  return  on  leave  of  absence  after  being  wounded, 
and  his  death  occurred  six  weeks  later,  February  12,  1864.  Mrs.  Baker  then 
went  south  with  her  husband  and  was  an  eye  witness  of  the  battle  of  Nashville 
and  remained  with  Mr.  Baker  to  the  close  of  the  war. 

Her  two  eldest  children  were  born  in  Sumner,  Kansas. — Addie  L.,  March 

12,  1859,  and  Solon  Byrd,  September  8,  i860.  The  others  were  all  born  in 
Atchison:  Mary  Eldora,  April  4,  1867;  Edwin  M..  February  5,  1869;  Eva 
Hortense,  January  24,  1870;  David  H.,  January  30,  1873;  Estella,  July  13. 
1876;  Ruth,  March  30,  1878;  and  Blanche.  January  28,  1881.  Addie  L.  was 
married,  December  15,  1880,  to  William  Carlyle,  one  of  Atchison's  well-known 
business  men. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Lieutenant  Baker  returned  to  Kansas,  locating  in 
Atchison  and  entering  the  drug  business  in  company  with  Dr.  Horn,  but  lost 
his  whole  stock  by  fire  in  1868.    At  present  he  is  living  retired. 

In  religion  Mr.  Baker  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Politically 
he  is  a  strong  Republican  and  in  1871  was  elected  by  that  party  to  the  office 
of  county  treasurer,  and  he  discharges  the  duties  of  that  position  with  great 
credit  to  hmiself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He  was  a  prominent 
candidate  for  the  following  term,  but  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority.  In 
1874  he  was  also  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  state  treasurer,  but  finally  with- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         215 

drew  in  favor  of  one  of  his  opponents.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  leading 
a  quiet  Hfe,  tiie  surroundings  of  his  home  and  happy  family  indicating  com- 
fort and  ])rosperity. 


JOHN   R.   HALE. 


Among  the  successful  and  enterprising  farmers  of  Doniphan  county  is 
tliis  gentleman,  who  owns  and  cultivates  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  good 
land  in  Wolf  River  township.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Sandusky  county.  Ohio,  March  29,  1841.  His  father, 
William  Hale,  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England,  in  1805,  and  on  coming  to 
the  United  States  took  up  his  abode  in  Ohio.  He  had  no  capital,  but  was 
industrious  and  energetic  and  as  the  result  of  his  well  directed  efforts  he 
acquired  a  good  farm.  As  a  companion  in  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Sarah 
Chalise,  who  was  born  in  Devonshire,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing named  children :  John  R. ;  Mary ;  ^^■  illiam.  deceased ;  Erastus,  who  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Ohio;  Adelia,  who  has  passed  away;  and 
Mariah,  wife  of  Thomas  Potter.  The  father  was  called  to  his  final  rest  in 
Ohio  in  1882. 

The  duties  and  pleasures  which  usually  occupy  the  time  of  most  farmers' 
sons  engrossed  the  attention  of  John  R.  Hale  during  the  days  of  his  youth. 
He  attended  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  followed  the  plow  through  the 
summer  months  and  in  the  winter  seasons  he  pursued  his  studies,  acquiring  a 
fair  English  education.  In  July,  1863,  when  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he 
responded  to  his  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  the  First  Ohio  Heavy 
Artillery,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  C.  G.  Hawley.  The  command  was 
assigned  to  General  Thomas"  army  and  did  garrison  duty  most  of  the  time. 
After  two  years'  service  Mr.  Hale  was  mustered  out  at  Knoxville,  Tennessee, 
and  honorably  discharged  at  Camp  Dennison,  Ohio.  In  1868  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas, purchasing  a  farm  in  Brown  county,  but  as  his  capital  was  limited  he  did 
not  operate  his  land  the  first  year,  but  remained  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Snyder, 
a  nurseryman.  The  next  year  he  began  to  plow  and  plant  his  own  tract  and 
for  a  time  he  kept  house  alone.  His  home  was  furnished  with  chairs,  tables 
and  other  furniture  of  his  own  manufacture,  but  in  time  this  was  replaced  by 
the  more  modern  articles  secured  from  the  extensive  factories  which  now  send 
their  productions  to  all  sections  of  the  country.  In  1880  Mr.  Hale  took  up  his 
alx)de  in  Doniphan  county,  v  here  he  now  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved  with  all  the  modern 
accessories  and  conveniences. 

In  December,  1874,  was  celebrated  his  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Benfer, 


2i6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

daughter  of  Elias  Benfer,  and  they  now  have  a  daugliter,  Maude,  born  in 
December,  1879.  In  politics  Mr.  Hale  is  a  Republican  and  gives  his  hearty 
support  to  the  men  and  measures  of  his  party,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired 

office. 


JAMES  BOND. 


James  Bond,  who  is  engaged  in  general  farming  in  Mission  township, 
is  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres  of  valuable  land.  He  pur- 
chased a  part  of  this  property  in  1876  and  has  since  resided  upon  the  farm,  his 
labors  having  transformed  it  into  a  very  valuable  tract.  A  very  energetic  and 
industrious  man,  he  owes  his  prosperity  entirely  to  his  own  labor  and  his  suc- 
cess is  certainly  well  deserved.  His  residence  in  Brown  county  dates  from 
1867.  He  was  born  in  Somersetshire,  England,  about  sixty-four  years  ago 
and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Bond.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Wiltshire,  England, 
and  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He  married  Miss  Ruth  Banks,  also  a  native  of 
Wiltshire  and  a  daughter  of  John  Banks,  a  farmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bond 
became  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely  :  Elizabeth ;  James ;  Mary,  now 
deceased ;  John  and  Anne.  The  father  died  in  England  and,  when  iourteen 
years  of  age,  Mr.  Bond,  of  this  review,  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  carpenter's 
trade,  and  just  before  completing  his  time  he  shipped  in  the  English  navy  as 
a  carpenter  and  in  this  capacity  he  followed  the  sea  for  nine  years,  visiting  all 
ports  of  the  world.  About  1863  he  came  to  this  country  and  found  employ- 
ment at  his  trade  in  the  oil  fields  of  Pennsylvania,  being  among  the  first  at 
Pithole,  and  later  was  located  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Subsequently  he  came  to 
Kansas  and  located  in  Brown  county  and  settled  upon  his  present  farm  in  1 876. 
He  here  purchased  one  hundred  and  forty-six  acres  of  land,  known  as  the 
William  Hite  farm,  and  as  his  financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  his 
property  by  the  purchase  of  an  eighty-acre  tract,  one-half  mile  south  of  that 
farm,  so  that  his  landed  possessions  now  aggregate  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  acres.  His  fields  are  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation  and  he  is  the 
owner  of  one  of  the  best  farms  in  his  township;  all  the  modern  accessories  and 
improvements  are  there  to  be  found,  together  with  high  grades  of  stock, 
excellent  farm  machinery  and  good  buildings.  His  labors  have  been  attended 
with  success  and  well  does  he  merit  his  prosperity,  for  it  has  been  honestly  won 
and  is  the  crown  of  continuous  and  well  directed  labor. 

In  April,  1879,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Bond  and  Miss  Eleanor 
Cowley,  the  wedding  taking  place  in  Hiawatha,  Kansas.  The  lady  is  of  good 
family,  her  parents  being  Hugh  and  Jane  (Kelley)  Crowley,  who  had  a  family 
of  seven  children,  namely :     William,  now  deceased ;  Anne,  Jane,  Tom,  Mrs. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         217 

Eleanor  Bond,  Catherine  and  Mary.  The  father  died  in  Robinson  township, 
Brown  county,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  and  Mrs.  Cowley  died  in  1899, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Bond  is  a  Democrat, 
but  seeks  not  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  office,  although  he  keeps  well 
informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the 
Methodist  church  and  are  deeply  interested  in  its  growth  and  progress.  Mr. 
Bond  deserves  to  rank  high  among  the  county's  influential  self-made  men,  for 
he  is  a  worthy  and  enterprising  citizen,  frauk  and  genial  in  manner,  honorable 
and  upright  in  all  his  business  dealings. 


JOHN  K.  FISHER. 

This  gentleman's  history  is  one  replete  with  interest,  including  as  it  does 
a  war  record,  life  on  the  frontier  and  identity  in  various  ways  with  a  prosperous 
western  town,  and  were  it  written  in  detail  would  make  a  volume  of  interesting 
reading.  In  this  connection,  however,  only  a  succinct  review  can  be  pre- 
sented. 

John  K.  Fisher  was  born  in  Dauphin  county,  Pennsylvania,  near  the  city 
of  Harrisburg,  December  26,  1824,  of  German  descent.  His  people  for  several 
generations  lived  and  died  in  the  Keystone  state.  Henry  Fisher,  his  father, 
was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  that  state,  August  12,  1793,  son  of  George 
Fisher,  whose  birth  occurred  there  in  1752.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was 
before  marriage  Miss  Lydia  Keller.  Her  birth  occurred  in  Lancaster  county 
October  i,  1800,  and  she  was  a  daughter  of  Joel  Keller.  Both  the  Fishers  and 
the  Kellers  were  well-to-do  farmers. 

John  K.  Fisher  passed  his  boyhood  days  in  his  native  county,  receiving 
his  early  education  there.  Later  he  attended  school  in  Lancaster  county  and 
completed  his  studies  with  a  course  in  the  Harrisburg  Academy.  After  leav- 
ing the  academy  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk  and  subsequently  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  for  himself  at  a  place  called  Uniontown,  in  Fayette  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  until  1864.  In  1862  he  recruited  a  company 
of  cavalry,  known  as  the  Sixteenth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  and  on  the  organi- 
zation of  the  same  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant.  When  the  regiment 
was  organized  he  was  elected  captain,  under  Colonel  J.  I.  Gregg,  who  was 
the  commander  of  the  regiment.  They  were  ordered  to  Antietam,  Maryland, 
where  the  regiment  was  held  as  a  reserve.  Later  it  was  ordered  to  different 
points  in  Virginia  and  finally  to  Gettysburg,  in  which  memorable  battle  it 
took  part.  It  was  also  a  participant  in  the  action  at  Fredericksburg  and  in 
other  smaller  engagements,  some  thirty  in  all.  Twice  he  was  wounded,  in  the 
battle  of  Shepherdstown,  Virginia.     The  first  wound  was  through  the  right 


218  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXP  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

liip.  'rwentv  inimites  later  lie  was  shot  tlirouoh  the  chest,  the  bullet  passing 
through  his  left  lung,  ami  he  was  then  carried  to  the  field  hospital.  Later  he 
was  sent  to  Harrisburg.  Pennsylvania,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  travel 
went  home,  having  received  an  honorable  discharge  in  December,  1863.  At 
that  time  a  major's  commission  awaited  him.  as  a  rewartl  for  valiant  and  dar- 
ing service,  but  he  was  imt  physically  able  to  continue  in  the  service  longer 
and  accordingly  returned  to  his  home  in  Fayette  county. 

In  18(14  Mr.  Fisher  came  to  Atchison  county.  Kansas,  and  took  a  claim  to 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  what  was  then  called  Grasshopper 
lownshij)  (now  Delaware  township),  which  he  improved  and  where  he  resided 
for  three  years.  It  was  during  that  time  that  his  political  career  began.  In 
1866  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  on  the  Republican  ticket  and  served 
acceptably  as  a  member  of  that  honored  body.  In  1867  he  was  appointed 
internal  revenue  inspector  for  the  state  of  Kansas  and  while  acting  in  that 
capacity  was  occasionally  sent  to  Nebraska.  From  1867  to  1873  he  served  as 
a  United  States  assessor,  under  the  administrations  of  Johnson  and  Grant. 
In  1869  he  moved  from  his  farm  above  referred  to  and  took  up  his  abode  in 
Atchison,  where  he  purchased  a  home  and  has  since  resided.  In  1S70  he  estab- 
lished an  insurance  agency,  which  he  has  continued  to  the  present.  In  addition 
to  extensive  operations  in  real  estate  and  insurance  he  also  does  a  large 
amount  of  pension  business,  and  he  has  for  his  patrons  in  all  his  lines  of  busi- 
ness many  of  the  leading  people  of  the  county.  From  1872  to  1874  he  had  as 
an  associate  L.  F.  Cochran,  who  is  now  a  member  of  congress,  representing 
the  fourth  district  of  Missouri. 

Mr.  Fisher  was  married.  August  25.  1846.  to  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Shepler, 
of  Cumberland  county.  Pennsylvania,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Julia  (McCaus- 
land)  Shepler.  Mr.  Shepler  was  of  a  Pennsylvania  family  and  by  trade  a 
millwright.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  have  had  seven  children,  namely:  Harvey, 
deceased;  Emma,  the  wife  of  A.  H.  Decker,  of  Chicago;  Lydia,  the  wife  of 
Thomas  M.  Gray,  of  Atchison,  Kansas;  Mary,  the  wife  of  John  A.  Rossi,  of 
Atchison;  Alice  C.  wife  of  John  B.  Elwood,  of  New  York  city:  John  H..  a 
conductor  on  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad ;  and  Julia,  the  wife  of  Frank  Rice  and 
residing  in  New  Orleans. 

In  his  early  life  Mr.  Fisher  gave  his  political  support  to  the  Whig  party 
and  since  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party, he  has  afifiliated  with  it. 
For  several  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  school  board,  a  portion  of  the  time 
serving  as  its  president,  and  two  years  was  a  member  of  the  Atchison  city  coun- 
cil, of  which  body  also  he  served  as  president.  He  was  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  John  A.  Martin  Post.  No.  93.  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  has  the  honor 
to  be  a  past  commander,  and  he  also  maintains  a  membership  in  the  Loyal 
Lesfion.  a  military  association  of  officers  of  the  Civil  war. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.         219 

JOSEPH  C.  McCULLY. 

This  gentleman  is  a  member  of  that  Httle  group  of  distinctively  repre- 
sentative business  men  who  were  the  pioneers  in  incorporating  and  building  up 
the  chief  industries  of  the  western  states.  His  name  is  familiar  not  alone  to 
the  residents  of  the  city  to  whose  development  he  has  contributed  so  conspic- 
uously but  also  to  all  who  have  been  in  the  least  intimately  informed  as  to  the 
history-  of  northeastern  Kansas.  He  has  contributed  to  its  material  progress 
and  prosperity  to  a  great  degree.  He  early  had  the  sagacity  and  prescience  to 
discern  the  eminence  which  the  future  had  in  store  for  this  great  and  grow- 
ing country,  and,  acting  in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of  his  faith  and  judg- 
ment, he  has  gathered,  in  the  fullness  of  time,  the  generous  harvest  which  is 
the  just  recompense  of  indomitable  industry,  spotless  integrity  and  marvelous 
enterprise.  Few  lives  furnish  so  striking  an  example  of  the  wise  application 
of  sound  principles  and  safe  conservatism  as  does  his.  The  story  of  his  success 
is  short  and  simple,  containing  no  exciting  chapters,  but  in  it  lies  one  of  the 
most  \aluable  secrets  of  the  great  prosperity  which  it  records,  and  his  private 
and  business  life  are  pregnant  with  interest  and  incentive  no  matter  how  lack- 
ing in  dramatic  action, — the  record  of  a  noble  life,  consistent  with  itself  and 
its  possibilities  in  every  particular. 

Joseph  C.  McCully  was  born  in  Burlington  county,  Xew  Jersey,  near  the 
village  of  Westfield,  September  i,  1827.  His  father,  Samuel  McCully,  was 
also  a  native  of  that  state  and  married  Sarah  Loveland,  who  was  born  near 
Little  Lake  Harbor,  Xew  Jersey,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Loveland.  The 
McCully  family  is  of  Scotch  origin,  the  ancestors  having  lived  in  the  western 
section  of  that  country  of  hills  and  heather.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a 
wheelwright  by  trade  and  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  carriages.  He 
died  in  the  village  of  Hartford,  Xew  Jersey,  in  1853.  and  his  wife  passed  away 
in  1856,  in  her  fifty-third  year. 

Joseph  C.  McCully  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Hartford,  where  he  attended 
school  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  completing  his  education  in  a  select 
Quaker  school.  He  then  learned  the  trade  of  carriagemaking  under  his  father, 
and  when  he  had  mastered  the  business  he  came  to  the  west  in  order  to  tn,' 
his  fortune  on  the  frontier  hoping  thereby  to  benefit  his  financial  condition. 

Arriving  in  Atchison  in  3ilay.  1857,  Mr.  McCully  secured  a  claim  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  but  after  two  years  disposed  of  his  land  and  returned 
to  the  citv.  Here,  in  1859,  he  opened  a  carriage  shop  and  is  now  extensively 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  carriages,  buggies  and  other  light  vehicles.  In 
the  early  days  he  also  manufactured  heavy  wagons  used  by  freighters  in 
crossing  the  plains.  He  now  employs  a  large  force  of  workmen  and  occupies 
a  factory  45x80  feet,  two  stories  in  height.     There  are  different  departments 


220  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

for  the  iiaintins;.  wchkI  wovk  .'iiul  iron  work,  and  a  force  of  from  seven  to  ten 
workmen  are  employed.  He  turns  out  an  excellent  grade  of  carriages  and  the 
output  of  the  factory  is  very  large.  Since  1881  business  has  been  carried  under 
the  firm  name  of  McCuUy  Brothers  and  the  enterprise  is  accounted  one  of  the 
leading  business  interests  of  the  city. 

In  1S62  Mr.  McCully  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rose  Griffey,  then 
a  resident  of  Atchison,  but  formerly  of  Kentucky.  Their  marriage  occurred 
during  the  troublous  times  of  the  Civil  war.  Mr.  McCully  was  then  an  advo- 
cate "of  Republican  principles  and  believed  in  a  free-soil  state.  He  became  a 
member  of  the  Eighteenth  Kansas  ]Militia  and  during  the  war  went  with  it  to 
pursue  the  rebel  general.  Price. 

Mr.  McCully  has  taken  an  active  part  in  public  affairs  and  for  two  years 
was  a  member  of  the  city  council.  In  1862  he  was  elected  the  treasurer  of 
Atchison  county  and  served  for  four  years,  discharging  his  duties  with  marked 
fidelity  and  ability.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  His  efforts  in  business  have  been  crowned  with  a  desirable  suc- 
cess and  in  addition  to  his  carriage  factory  he  owns  considerable  property  in 
Atchison.  His  efforts  have  been  directed  along  well-defined  lines  of  labor 
and  his  investments  have  been  so  judiciously  made  that  he  has  derived  there- 
from a  handsome  competence.  In  all  life's  relations  he  has  been  honorable 
and  upright,  and  he  stands  to-day  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  citizens 
of  Atchison,  esteemed  in  social,  political  and  business  circles. 


JOSEPH  HAEGELIN. 

Joseph  Haegelin,  deceased,  was  a  member  of  the  well-known  brewing  firm 
of  Ziebold  &  Haegelin  at  Atchison,  Kansas.  He  died  at  his  residence  in  that 
city  January  25,  1893,  ^^  the  age  of  forty-six  years,  ten  months  and  twelve 
days,  after  an  illness  of  only  ten  days. 

Mr.  Haegelin  was  born  in  Gurner.  amt  Staufen.  Baden,  Germany,  in  the 
year  1846,  March  14.  He  learned  the  brewer's  trade  at  Ettenheim,  Baden, 
beginning  an  apprenticeship  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  In  May,  1867,  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  coming  immediately  west,  and  for  two  years  was  employed 
by  H.  Nunning,  now  deceased,  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  He  left  that  city  in 
1869  to  accept  a  position  as  foreman  for  Frank  Young,  who  was  at  that  time 
a  leading  brewer  of  Atchison  and  with  wdiom  he  continued  until  1871,  when 
with  Herman  Ziebold,  he  bought  the  brewery  of  A.  Stern".  This  partnership 
continued  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Ziebold  and  ever  since  that  time  the  business 
has  been  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Ziebold  &  Haegelin. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         221 

Tlie  youngr  firm  immediately  improved  the  old  brewery  plant  and  erected 
a  new  brewery,  with  every  modern  improvement  then  known  to  the  trade.  They 
were  very  successful  and  later,  when  Kansas  adopted  prohibition,  the  firm 
became  famous  throughout  the  country  by  the  persistence  with  which  they 
fought  that  law  through  every  stage  and  phase  of  litigation  up  to  and  through 
the  United  States  supreme  court,  where  the  case  was  finally  decided  against 
them.  Mr.  Ziebold,  an  active  and  energetic  man,  died  at  Atchison  July  20, 
1891. 

Mr.  Haegelin  attended  the  conventions  of  the  National  Brewers'  Asso- 
ciation, of  which  he  was  a  member,  to  the  last  time  it  was  held  at  Washington, 
after  which  he  took  a  pleasure  trip  to  his  old  home  in  Germany, — one  of  the 
very  few  recreations  in  which  he  indulged  during  his  busy  career.  At  his 
death  he  left  a  widow  and  eight  children,  the  eldest  being  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  the  youngest  si.x  years  old.  His  estate  is  valued  at  twenty  thousand 
dollars. 

Mr.  Haegelin  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  business  abilitw  and  his 
course  since  Kansas  adopted  prohibition  shows  his  steadfastness  of  purpose  and 
strength  of  will.  All  his  business  transactions  were  characterized  by  straight- 
forwardness and  the  strictest  honesty  while  his  free-handed  benevolence  and 
his  pre-eminent  social  instincts  brought  to  him  the  regard  and  esteem  of  all 
classes  of  society.  He  was  easily  in  the  front  rank  of  the  most  prominent  Ger- 
man-.\merican  citizens  of  Kansas. 


A.  W.  PRETZEL. 


A.  W.  Pretzel,  wholesale  dealer  in  wines,  liquors  and  beers,  at  708  to  716 
Kansas  avenue,  Atchison,  Kansas,  has  been  in  business  at  this  location  since 
1875,  having  begun  on  a  small  scale  and  worked  his  way  along  until  he  has 
attained  to  his  present  financial  standing. 

Mr.  Pretzel,  as  his  name  indicates,  is  a  German.  He  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1847,  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
land,  attending  until  his  thirteenth  year,  when,  in  i860,  he  came  to  the  United 
States.  For  five  years  after  his  arrival  in  this  country  he  was  variously 
employed  at  different  places.  In  1868  he  came  to  Atchison,  Kansas,  and 
secured  employment  as  a  section  hand  on  the  railroad.  His  prompt  and  faith- 
ful service  in  this  humble  place  soon  gained  him  promotion  and  he  was  placed 
m  charge  of  track-laying.  On  leaving  the  railroad  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  a  Mr.  Berkhardt.  under  the  firm  name  of  Berkhardt  &  Pretzel,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  soda  water    and  carbonated  drinks,  this  business 


222  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

association  continuing  until  1875,  when  it  was  dissolved.  That  year  Mr.  Pretzel 
engaged  in  business  by  himself,  in  a  small  way,  as  already  stated,  and  as  pros- 
perity came  his  way  he  increased  the  capacity  of  his  plant  from  time  to  time, 
putting  in  new  machinery  as  needed  until  his  establishment  has  reached  its 
present  size.  He  erected  the  brick  building  he  occupies.  His  trade  now 
extends  over  the  states  of  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  Missouri  and  Indian  Terri- 
tory, and  he  furnishes  employment  to  a  large  force  of  men.  As  compared 
with  other  bottling  works,  his  is  the  most  extensive  in  this  part  of  Kansas. 

]\Ir.  Pretzel  has  a  wife  and  two  daughters,  one  of  the  daughters,  Pauline, 
being  now  Mrs.  W.  T.  Snider.  Mr.  Snider  is  the  bookkeeper  in  the  A.  W. 
Pretzel  establishment  and  is  a  thorough  and  practical  business  man.  Mrs. 
Pretzel  was  formerly  Miss  Caroline  Fess,  and  she,  too,  is  a  native  of  Germany. 


RICHARD  JOHNSON. 

Richard  Johnson  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  and  prominent  farmers  of 
Richmond  township,  Neinaha  county,  Kansas,  and  his  well  directed  efforts 
have  brought  to  him  success  which  is  both  creditable  and  enviable.  He  has 
been  connected  with  many  of  the  pioneer  localities  of  the  west  and  has  seen 
the  wonderful  development  of  this  section  of  the  country,  which  but  a  few 
years  ago  was  the  haunt  of  the  red  race, — the  homes  of  the  white  settlers  being 
mdeed  few  and  far  between.  In  the  county  which  is  now  his  home  Mr.  Johnson 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  promoting  the  progress  and  advancement  which 
has  led  to  the  prosperity  of  to-day,  and  is  one  of  the  honored  early  settlers  who 
certainly  is  deserving  of  mention  in  this  volume. 

A  native  of  Montgomery  county,  Indiana,  he  was  born  on  the  29th  of 
April.  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Ebenezer  Johnson,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Mary- 
land. When  a  young  man  the  father  removed  to  Kentucky.  He  was  left  an 
orphan  when  aliout  fourteen  years  of  age  and  from  that  time  on  he  depended 
entirely  upon  his  own  resources.  In  the  Blue  Grass  state  he  married  Lucy 
Tandy,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Kentucky.  About  1832  they  removed  to 
]\Iontgomery  county,  Indiana,  and  thence  to  Illinois,  where  they  remained 
until  1840,  the  year  of  their  emigration  to  Iowa.  Locating  in  Keokuk  county, 
of  the  last  named  state,  Mr.  Johnson  secured  a  quarter-section  of  government 
land,  which  he  transformed  into  a  good  farm,  continuing  its  culti\-ation  until 
1847,  when  he  removed  to  Missouri.  Subsequently,  however,  he  returned 
to  Iowa,  establishing  a  home  in  Mahaska  county,  where  he  remained  until  his 
children  were  grown.  They  then  removed  to  Colorado,  where  he  died  in 
1877,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  3-ears,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  1801.     His 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         223 

wife  died  in  the  winter  of  1847.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
and  se\en  of  the  number  reached  years  of  maturity,  but  only  three  arc  now 
living-. 

Richartl  Johnson,  the  fourth  chikl  antl  second  son.  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  various  removals,  but  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in 
Mahaska  county.  Iowa.  In  early  life  he  attended  the  subscriptioti  schools, 
but  after  the  family  established  a  home  in  Iowa  he  pursued  his  studies  in  the 
public  schools.  He  remained  with  his  father  until  nineteen  years  of  age  and 
was  early  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy,  which  have  proved  of 
important  use  to  him  in  the  active  affairs  of  life.  On  leaving  home  he  mar- 
ried Eliza  Xettler,  a  native  of  Vermont,  who  was  reared,  however,  in  Ohio. 
In  1849  she  came  with  her  parents  to  Iowa,  where  she  formed  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Mr.  Johnson. 

In  1854  our  subject  crossed  the  plains,  making  his  way  over  the  Mis- 
souri river  at- the  present  site  of  Omaha,  although  at  that  time  there  was  not 
a  single  house  at  the  place.  The  journey  was  made  with  ox  teams,  and  after 
four  months  and  twelve  days  spent  upon  the  way  the  party  arrived  at  Grizzly 
Flats,  Eldorado  county,  California,  where  Mr.  Johnson  engaged  in  mining 
for  three  years.  He  then  removed  to  the  seashore,  establishing  a  home  in 
Sonoma  county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  dairying.  He  followed 
that  business  for  two  years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  went  to  San 
Francisco,  where  he  boarded  a  steamer  bound  for  Havana.  Cuba.  From  the 
latter  place  he  made  his  way  to  New  Orleans,  thence  up  the  ri\cr  to  Keokuk. 
Iowa,  and  on  to  Mahaska  county,  where  he  secured  an  outtit  with  which  he 
came  to  Kansas.  His  first  home  was  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  and  from 
that  point  he  returned  to  Missouri  to  spend -the  winter.  In  the  spring  of  i860 
he  went  to  Colorado,  visiting  Denver  when  it  contained  only  about  five  houses 
After  a  short  time,  however,  he  returned  to  Kansas,  and  on  the  19th  of  July, 
i860,  purchased  a  farm  in  Nemaha  township.  Nemaha  county.  It  was  then 
a  tract  of  unimproved  land,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  de\elop- 
ment  and  continued  its  cultivation  for  eleven  years.  He  then  sold  that  prop- 
erty and  purchased  his  present  farm,  which  is  one  of  the  oldest  developed 
farms  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  has  made  here  a  very  pleasant  home 
and  has  continuously  resided  in  Nemaha  county,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year  which  the  family  passed  in  California  on  account  of  his  health.  He  is 
to-day  the  owner  of  eight  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  and,  in  connection 
with  the  culti\-ation  of  cereals  best  adapted  to  this  climate,  he  feeds  from  two 
to  three  car-loads  of  cattle  annually,  which  he  himself  markets  in  tlie  city. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  been  born  four  children,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters :  Pierce,  who  was  born  in  Iowa  and  is  now  living  in  Nemaha 
county:  Irvin.  who  was  born  in  California  and  now  assists  his  father  in  the 


224  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

operation  of  tlie  home  farm:  Lydia  M.,  the  wife  of  Howard  Thomson,  of 
Nemaha ;  and  Ella,  wife  of  Frank  Zimmerman.  In  the  affairs  of  the  county- 
Mr.  Johnson  has  taken  an  active  interest,  and  his  worth  and  ability  have  fre- 
quently occasioned  liis  selection  for  public  office.  In  1869  he  was  elected  to 
the  state  legislature,  for  two  years  served  as  county  commissioner,  for  two 
years  as  sheriff  and  for  twenty  years  as  school  director.  In  all  these  offices 
he  has  discharged  his  duties  with  marked  ability  and  fidelity,  laboring  earnestly 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  community.  His  political  support  is  given  the 
Democracy,  and  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  Since  1864 
he  has  been  connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  became  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  first  lodge  in  Nemaha  county.  He  was  also  at  one  time  connected 
with  the  Royal  Arch  chapter.  His  sterling  characteristics  have  been  such 
as  to  enable  him  to  make  the  most  of  opportunities,  to  conquer  obstacles  and 
to  work  his  way  steadily  upward  to  the  plane  of  affluence.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  substantial  citizens  of  Nemaha  county,  and  his  possessions  are  a  monu- 
ment to  his  thrift  and  enterprise. 


JAMES  W.  HUDGENS. 

Among  the  well-known  and  respected  early  settlers  of  Brown  county  is 
the  subject  of  this  review,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  the  community  for 
twenty-two  years,  during  which  period  he  has  been  actively  identified  with  the 
agricultural  interests  and  at  the  same  time  has  given  an  earnest  support  to  all 
measures  calculated  to  prove  of  public  lienefit.  Daniel  Hudgens,  the  progen- 
itor of  the  Hudgens  family  of  America  and  the  great-grandfather  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  memoir,  came  to  America  from  Ireland  prior  to  the  war  of  the 
Revolution  and  ser\ecl  in  the  American  army.  He  settled  in  Virginia,  where, 
it  is  presumed,  he  died.    He  had  seven  children. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  November  5,  1852, 
and  is  a  representative  of  a  pioneer  family  of  that  state.  His  father,  John 
Hudgens,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and,  having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity, 
married  Miss  Nancy  Duff,  who  was  also  a  native  of  the  Blue  Grass  state  and 
belonged  to  an  old  Virginia  family,  celebrated  for  bravery,  industry  and 
honesty.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hudgens  removed  to  Missouri  in  the  '40s.  and  there 
the  mother  died  in  Andrew  county,  at  the  age  of  forty  years.  The  father, 
surviving  her,  passed  away  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  He  was  a  man  of 
considerable  local  prominence  and  a  very  successful  stock  dealer.  His  politi- 
cal support  was  given  to  the  Democracy,  and  he  took  an  active  interest  in 
everything  calculated  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party. 
One  of  his  brothers.  Prince  L.  Hudgens,  of  Savannah,  Missouri,  a  prominent 


:^ 


2^^>X7 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  225 

lawyer  and  a  Christian  preacher,  who  had  large  land  interests  in  Kansas,  had 
an  office  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  was  a  very  prominent  factor  in  the  po- 
litical life  of  that  city  for  many  years,  and  his  ability  made  him  a  recognized 
leader  in  moulding  public  thought  and  opinion.  In  his  religious  belief  John 
Hudgens  was  a  Christian,  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the  Baptist  church.  Their 
fidelity  to  duty  in  all  life's  relations  won  them  the  respect  of  many  friends, 
and  they  were  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  community  in  which  they 
made  their  home.  They  had  a  family  of  four  children,  namely :  James  W. ; 
Mrs.  Nancy  J.  Hatch,  of  California;  Letitia  and  Prince  L.,  of  Missouri. 

James  W.  Hudgens  was  reared  on  the  old  home  farm  in  Andrew  county, 
and,  as  soon  as  old  enough  to  handle  the  plow,  began  work  in  the  fields. 
While  his  father  informed  him  in  farm  work,  his  mother  instilled  into  his 
mind  habits  of  honesty  and  economy.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  by  study  at  home,  his  extensive  reading  having  added  ma- 
terially to  his  knowledge.  During  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  no  schools 
were  conducted  in  Missouri,  and  he  was  thus  thrown  upon  his  own  resources 
for  his  education.  In  1870  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  on  Wolf  creek,  and 
in  1878  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  his  present  farm  in  Mission  township. 
Brown  county.  His  land  was  then  wild,  but  with  determined  purpose  he  be- 
gan its  development,  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  one  of  the  best  farm  proper- 
ties in  the  community.  Twenty  acres  of  his  land  has  been  laid  out  in  town 
lots,  making  a  valuable  addition  to  the  town  of  Baker.  He  still  has  on  his 
farm  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  acres,  which  is  highly  cultivated  and  im- 
proved. A  comfortable  frame  residence  stands  upon  the  natural  building  site 
and  is  surrounded  witli  l)eautiful  trees,  and  an  orchard  yields  its  fruit  in  sea- 
son. Barns  and  outbuildings  furnish  shelter  for  grain  and  stock,  and  well- 
tilled  fields  and  verdant  meadows  add  to  the  attractive  appearance  of  the 
liome. 

Mr.  Hudgens  was  married  to  Miss  Susan  Meisenheimer,  who  was  born 
in  Brown  county  and  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Frances  (Wonderly)  Meis- 
enheimer. Nine  children  were  born  of  this  union,  namely :  John  L. ;  Lilly,  wife 
of  Henry  Bartholomew,  of  Oklahoma;  J.  W.,  who  is  still  on  the  home  farm; 
Daniel,  also  of  Oklahoma;  Susie,  wife  of  Edward  Landsing.  of  Baker,  Kansas; 
Polly,  Grover,  Frances  and  Mason.  Mrs.  Hudgens  died  December  21,  1890, 
and  on  October  28.  1894,  Mr.  Hudgens  was  married  to  Mrs.  Mary  Hopkins, 
fiee  Mary  Switzer,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Susan  (Fry)  Switzer,  who 
resided  in  Virginia  and  natives  of  the  same  state.  The  great-grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Hudgens  settled  in  Virginia  at  a  very  early  date  from  Switzerland. 

Mr.  Hudgens  gives  his  political  to  the  Democracy,  and  keeps  well 
informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  is  a  licensed  exhorter  and  preacher  in 
the  Reorganized  Church  of  Latter  Day  Saints.     He  has  traveled  extensively 


226  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

through  Kansas,  promulgating  the  doctrines  of  the  church  in  which  he  is  a 
very  active  worker.  He  was  appointed  by  the  general  conference  of  that  church 
to  labor  in  this  circuit.  His  work  has  been  vei'y  effective.  He  is  an  earnest 
and  eloquent  speaker,  his  arguments  in  pleading  having  largely  promoted  the 
interest  of  the  cause.  The  many  excellent  qualities  which  he  shows  forth  in 
his  daily  life  have  gained  him  high  regard,  and  he  is  well  worthy  of  represent- 
ation in  the  history  of  Brown  county. 


HARRY  D.  BURGER. 


Harry  D.  Burger  is  a  western  man  by  birth,  training  and  preference,  and 
in  his  career  has  manifested  the  true  western  spirit  of  progress  and  enterprise 
which  have  contributed  in  such  a  large  measure  to  the  wonderful  development, 
growth  and  advancement  of  this  section  of  the  country  lying  west  of  the  Miss- 
issippi river.  He  now  resides  on  section  lo,  Richmond  township,  Nemaha 
county,  where  he  owns  and  manages  a  valuable  farm.  His  birth  occurred 
in  Allamakee  county,  Iowa,  on  the  29th  of  March.  1864,  his  parents  being 
M.  M.  and  Mary  Emily  (Scoville)  Burger.  The  father  was  a  native  of  New 
York  and  was  reared  in  that  state  and  Pennsylvania.  About  1853  he  emi- 
grated westward,  locating  in  Allamakee  county,  Iowa,  where  in  the  early  pio- 
neer days  he  improved  a  good  farm.  In  1865  he  went  to  Jefferson  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  fruit-growing  through  the  succeed- 
ing six  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Nemaha  county, 
Kansas,  establishing  his  home  in  Richmond  township,  where  he  died  in  1892, 
■in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  his  age.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he 
ga\e  his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party.  His  wife  was  a  native  of 
the  Green  Mountain  state,  and  during  her  girlhood  accompanied  her  parents 
to  Pennsylvania,  where  she  was  married.  She  was  called  to  her  final  rest 
in  1887,  when  she  had  attained  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  This  worthy 
couple  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  six  daughters  and  a  son,  namely: 
Emma,  the  wife  of  M.  H.  Allison,  of  Nemaha  township;  Ida,  the  -wife  of 
Calvin  Shepherd,  of  Oregon ;  Clara,  the  wife  of  M.  N.  Taylor,  of  Frankfort, 
Kansas;  Lissa.  the  wife  of  Dr.  A.  Snyder,  of  Seneca;  Ella,  the  wife  of  I.  P. 
Johnson,  of  Goff,  Nemaha  county;  Minnie,  the  wife  of  Henry  Zimmerman, 
of  Seneca ;  and  Harry  D. 

Mr.  Burger,  of  this  review,  is  the  only  son.  He  was  about  six  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Nemaha  county  and  in  the  district  schools 
near  his  home  and  the  public  schools  of  Seneca  he  obtained  his  education, 
remaining  with  his  parents  until  their  death.     On  the  27th  of  June,    1889, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  227 

lie  married  Anna  Steinmeir,  a  dangliter  of  C.  H.  Steinmeir.  She  was  born 
in  Nemaha  county  and,  like  her  husband,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Seneca.  Five  daughters  grace  their  union, — Gladys,  Lola,  Leslie,  Emily 
and  Christina. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Burger  located  on  his  present  farm,  where  he 
has  since  engaged  in  feeding  and  buying  cattle.  He  feeds  all  the  hay  which 
he  raises  and  he  ships  his  cattle  to  the  market,  where  their  excellent  condition 
commands  a  good  price.  His  farm  comprises  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  land, 
all  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  He  now  has  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
head  of  cattle  upon  his  farm, "Seventy-two  of  which  he  is  at  present  preparing 
for  the  market.  In  his  business  efforts  he  has  been  very  successful  and  has 
prosecuted  his  labors  with  such  diligence  that  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leading  stock  dealers  of  his  community.  His  political  support  is  given  the 
Republican  party  and  he  is  now  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace.  He  has  also 
filled  the  offices  of  township  trustee  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  Republican 
leaders  of  the  community.  In  manner  he  is  genial  and  courteous  and  thus  has 
gained  the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances,  while  his  business 
dealings,  which  at  all  times  would  bear  the  closest  investigation,  have  gained 
for  him  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  brought 
in  contact. 


HEXRY  MONROE. 


The  arcliitect  of  his  own  fortunes,  Henry  Monroe  has  budded,  wisely  and 
well  upon  the  solid  foundation  of  unremitting  industry  and  capable  manage- 
ment. To-day  the  possessor  of  a  handsome  competence,  he  is  living  retired 
in  the  enjoyment  of  a  rest  which  he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves. 
He  was  born  in  county  Down,  Ireland,  July  12,  1823,  a  son  of  Robert  and 
Margaret  (Grasey)  Monroe.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  spent  their  entire  lives  on  the  Emerald  Isle.  Their  chil- 
dren were:  William,  a  soldier,  who  died  in  China;  Henry,  of  this  review; 
Elizabeth ;  and  John,  who  is  living  in  Ireland.  The  father  was  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  the  mother  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Henry  Monroe  is  the  only  one  of  the  family  that  sought  a  home  in  Amer- 
ica. He  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  and  obtained  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Ireland.  Believing  that  he  might  better  his  financial  conditions 
in  the  new  world,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1848,  landing  at  New  York.  His 
capital  was  very  limited  and  it  was  necessary  that  he  soon  secure  employ- 
ment. He  made  his  way  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  the  first  work  that  he  did 
was  whitewashing  two  barns  and  digging  a  ditch  for  Judge  Osmond.     Later 


228  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

he  went  to  Lorain  county,  that  state,  where  he  was  empToyed  as  a  farm  hand 
for  four  months,  when  he  returned  to  Cleveland  and  was  again  in  the  service 
of  Judge  Osmond  for  two  months.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went 
to  Mississippi,  where  he  engaged  in  chopping  wood  through  the  winter, 
returning  to  Evansville,  Indiana,  in  the  spring.  There  he  was  employed  by 
the  month  for  a  year  and  a  half,  after  which  he  removed  to  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois. There  he  engaged  in  teaming,  having  two  carts  and  horses,  which  he 
used  in  the  work  of  constructing  the  Springfield  &  Alton  Railroad.  When 
that  work  was  completed  he  went  to  Bloomington,  where  he  was  similarly 
engaged  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  for  a  time.  On  selling  out  he 
removed  to  Iowa,  locating  in  Poweshiek  county.  He  had  saved  his  earnings 
and  in  the  Hawkeye  state  he  entered  eighty  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  built 
a  cabin.  He  also  fenced  twenty  acres  and  placed  it  under  cultivation  and  in 
addition  was  employed  on  the  construction  of  the  Rock  Island  Railroad.  Later 
he  engaged  in  breaking  prairie,  but  in  the  spring  of  1836  he  sold  his  property, 
preparatory  to  coming  to  Kansas. 

With  an  ox  team  he  removed  to  the  Sunflower  state  and  located  on  Grass- 
hopper creek,  where  he  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  with 
Mexican  war  land  warrants  which  he  had  bought.  After  building  a  log  cabin 
he  began  the  work  of  developing  the  farm.  There  were  few  settlers  in  the 
county  at  the  time  and  they  were  located  along  the  creeks.  They  had  to  go  to 
the  river  to  buv  all  supplies  and  money  was  very  scarce.  .  Mr.  Monroe  broke 
his  land  and  soon  good  har\'ests  rewarded  his  labors.  He  had  no  trouble  with 
Indians  or  border  rufiians,  neighbors  were  friendly  and  the  pioneer  life  was 
not  unmixed  with  many  pleasures  as  well  as  hardships.  Soon  after  his  arrival 
Mr.  Monroe  purchased  three  yoke  of  oxen,  used  in  breaking  prairie,  also 
bought  two  cows  and  soon  began  raising  hogs  and  cattle.  He  worked  hard, 
expended  his  money  judiciously  and  each  year  augmented  his  capital  by  his 
well  directed  efforts.  He  added  to  his  landed  possessions  until  he  had  four- 
teen hundred  acres,  but  since  that  time  he  has  sold  portions  of  it  and  given 
some  of  it  to  his  children,  but  still  retains  four  hundred  and  eight  acres.  He 
erected  a  comfortable  residence  and  substantial  outbuildings,  and  in  addition 
to  the  raising  of  grain  was  successfully  engaged  in  raising  cattle,  which  he 
shipped  direct  to  the  markets  of  Chicago  and  Buffalo,  as  well  as  selling  to  the 
local  trade.  Both  branches  of  his  business  proved  profitable  and  his  unre- 
mitting labor  thus  brought  to  him  a  handsome  competence. 

In  addition  to  his  farming  operations  Mr.  Monroe  became  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Fairview  State  Bank,  which  was  capitalized  for  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  He  has  since  been  one  of  its  stockholders  and  directors 
and  he  has  also  loaned  money  privately  for  a  number  of  years,  taking  good 
mortgage  securities.     In  1891  he  built  a  pleasant  residence  in  Fairview  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  229 

has  since  lived  retired  in  tlie  town,  liis  attention  being  given  only  to  the  control 
of  his  investments. 

In  1855  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Monroe  and  Miss  Mary  Loughlin, 
who  was  born  in  Indiana,  in  1837,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Gordon) 
Loughlin,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Ohio, 
of  Irish  parentage.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  and  removed  to  Iowa  in  1854. 
Purchasing  land  in  Poweshiek  county,  he  made  his  home  there  until  1856, 
when  he  came  to  Kansas,  pre-empted  land  and  improved  a  farm  upon  which 
he  remained  until  his  death.  His  wife  passed  away  in  1878  and  he  died  in 
January,  1894.  Both  were  members  of  the  Catholic  church.  Their  children 
are:  Thomas,  uow  in  Colorado;  Mary,  the  wife  of  our  subject;  Mrs.  Cath- 
erine Clark,  of  California;  Matthew,  of  Colorado;  and  Mrs.  Martha  Jonnix. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Monroe  seven  children  have  been  born,  but  Robert,  the 
eldest,  died,  leaving  one  child ;  Emma  is  the  wnfe  of  S.  P.  Jones,  a  farmer  of 
Brown  county;  William  is  an  agriculturist;  Cicely  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
O'Rork;  Eliza-is  the  wife  of  William  Skinner;  Harley  is  living  on  the  home- 
stead; and  Josephine  is  now  Mrs.  Yearling,  of  St.  Louis. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Monroe  voted  the  Free-soil  ticket  and  afterward  sup- 
ported Lincoln.  Later  he  voted  for  Cleveland,  but  of  recent  years  has  again 
given  his  support  to  the  Republican  party.  He  has  never  aspired  to  office, 
preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business  interests,  in  which 
he  has  met  with  a  high  degree  of  success.  He  is  an  excdlent  financier  and  his 
honorable  business  methods  have  contributed  in  large  measure  to  his  success, 
of  which  he  has  every  reason  to  be  proud. 


S.  R.  WTLLEY. 


One  of  the  old  families  of  Xew  England  that  through  many  generations 
have  resided  in  that  portion  of  our  country  is  the  Willey  family,  to  which 
the  subject  of  this  review  belongs,  and  his  birth  occurred  in  the  Green  Moun- 
tain state.  Born  at  Wheelock,  Caledonia  county,  Vermont,  March  9,  1827, 
he  was  a  son  of  Stephen  W.  and  Judith  (Richardson)  Willey,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Vermont,  in  which  state  their  marriage  was  celebrated.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Stephen  Willey,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  and  was 
descended  from  English  ancestry.  Through  the  various  generations  the  fam- 
ily were  tillers  of  the  soil.  In  religious  belief  the  grandparents  were  Freewill 
Baptists.  They  reared  six  children,  namely:  Josiah;  Micajah;  Stephen; 
Peggy,  the  wife  of  J.  Engles ;  Lucina,  who  became  Mrs.  Slifield ;  and  Mrs. 
Sally  Fairbrother. 

Stephen  Willey,  the  father  of  our  subject,  spent  his  boyhood  days  under 


2  30  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  parental  roof,  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm  and  by  the  terms  of  his 
father's  will  became  the  possessor  of  the  old  homestead,  whereon  he  reared 
his  family  and  died.  His  wife  survived  him  for  a  few  years,  but  also  spent 
her  last  days  on  the  old  home  farm.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Richard- 
son, of  New  Hampshire,  who  followed  farming  throughout  his  entire  life. 
Mr.  Richardson's  children  were  Jonathan,  Joseph.  Bradbury,  Sayrles,  Mal- 
achi,  Judith  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Nelson.  The  Richardson  family  were  also  con- 
nected with  the  Freewill  Baptist  church.  Judith  Richardson  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  Mr.  Willey  and  throughout  their  remaining  days  they  remained 
upon  the  old  home  farm.  As  a  young  man  he  engaged  in  teaching  music  and 
was  the  leader  of  the  band.  He  possessed  considerable  musical  talent  and  his 
services  in  that  direction  were  much  in  demand.  By  his  marriage  he  became 
the  father  of  four  children,  namely:  S.  R.,  of  this  review;  George  F. ;  Brad- 
bury; and  Luella.  who  became  the  wife  of  R.  Walton  and  after  his  death 
married  George  Harriman. 

S.  R.  Willey  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  living  in  Kansas.  Until 
eighteen  years  of  age  he  remained  upon  the  old  home  farm  and  followed  the 
plow  through  the  summer  months,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  pursued  his 
education  in  the  common  schools.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  began 
learning  the  blacksmith's  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  for  fourteen  years. 
In  1852  he  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Lancaster,  New  Hampshire,  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Raines,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson.  New  Hampshire,  August  13, 
1832.  Her  great-grandmother  was  a  noble  and  brave  woman  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent,  who  lived  near  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
fort  which  she  defended  against  a  strong  force  of  Indians  when  the  men  of 
family  were  at  work  in  the  field.  She  li\ed  to  the  ripe  old  age  of  one  hundred 
and  one  years. 

Mrs.  Willey's  parents,  Samuel  and  Louisa  (Miller)  Raines,  were  both 
natives  of  the  "old"  Granite  state.  Her  father  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade, 
but  afterward  became  a  foundryman  and  lumber  manufacturer  at  Lancaster, 
New  Hampshire.  He  died  in  Rochester,  that  state,  and  his  wife  died  on  board 
a  steamer  while  returning  to  her  home  in  North  Carolina.  Both  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  church.  In  their  family  were  eight  children :  \\'ebster 
M.;  John;  Joseph;  Jonas;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  our  subject;  Louisa,  the  wife 
of  C.  \Mlley;  Emma,  the  wife  of  J.  Appleby;  and  Mrs.  Clara  Sanburn.  The 
paternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Willey  was  Henry  Raines,  a  New  Hampsliire 
farmer,  whose  children  were  Nathaniel,  James.  Harris,  Henry,  Abby  and 
Sally.  The  maternal  grandfather's  children  were  Jonathan,  a  seafaring  man; 
Mark,  who  operated  a  factory;  ]\Iary,  Ruth,  Eliza  and  Louisa. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  \\'\\\ty,  of  this  re\-iew,  took  up  his  abode  in  Lan- 
caster. New  Hampshire,  where  he  remained  for  nine  years.     On  the  e.xpira- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  231 

tion  of  that  period  he  removed  to  Wheelock,  Vermont,  where  he  followed 
farming  for  seven  years.  He  then  went  to  Delaware,  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade  for  two  years,  after  which  he  came  by  rail  to  Kansas  and  worked 
a  rented  farm  near  Troy  for  a  year.  He  next  purchased  a  tract  of  raw  land  on 
which  he  made  some  improvements,  but  after  six  years  sold  that  property 
and  came  to  Brown  county.  Here  he  purchased  a  quarter-section  of  land, 
upon  which  there  were  no  improvements.  He  built  a  barn  in  which  to  live 
until  a  dwelling  house  could  be  erected.  At  Iowa  Point  he  purchasetl  a  car- 
load of  lumber,  which  he  had  shipped  to  Falls  City,  whence  he  brought  it  by 
team  to  the  farm.  This  was  used  in  the  erection  of  the  house  and  in  building 
fences.  Mr.  W'illey  broke  his  own  prairie  and  soon  made  his  farm  a  profitable 
investment,  placing  the  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  also 
raised  and  fed  stock  and  for  several  years  after  coming  to  the  west  he  taught 
band  music,  but  his  attention  has  been  given  mostly  to  general  farming,  and 
with  the  skill,  enterprise  and  adaptability  of  the  true  New  Engander  has 
carried  forward  his  work  to  successful  completion.  He  is  to-day  the  owner 
of  nearly  six  hundred  acres  of  very  valuable  land  and  is  accounted  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  and  energetic  farmers  of  his  neighborhood. 

In  all  his  work  Mr.  Willey  has  been  ably  assisted  by  his  estimable  wife, 
who  has  indeed  proved  a  helpmeet  to  him.  They  have  also  reared  their  chil- 
dren to  habits  of  industry  and  economy  and  to  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that 
in  union  there  is  strength.  To  this  end  they  have  all  worked  together  and 
have  thereby  secured  the  valuable  property  which  now  crowns  their  efforts 
and  Mr.  Willey  is  recognized  as  an  excellent  financier. 

The  children  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  are  Charles,  born  August  4,  1853  '> 
James  I.,  born  June  8,  1859:  Mary  E..  born  July  27,  1867,  and  is  the  wife  of 
George  M.  Poperwell ;  and  George  E.,  born  January  17,  1870.  Two  of  the 
children  are  married  and  reside  near  the  old  homestead,  while  the  other  two 
are  still  with  their  parents.  Three  of  the  children  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist church  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willey  have  reared  a  family  of  which  they 
may  well  be  proud.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  filled  some  local 
offices,  including  that  of  school  director.  He  is  recognized  as  a  broad-minded 
man,  intelligent,  enterprising  and  pul.ilic-spirited,  and  those  who  know  him 
esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling  worth. 


SALATHIEL  THOMPSON. 

An  extensive  farmer  and  stock  dealer,  Mr.  Thompson  owns  and  oper- 
ates a  valuable  tract  of  land  in  Walnut  township.  Brown  county.  His  farm 
adjoins  the  village  of  Fairview  and  thus  he  is  afforded  excellent  shipping 


232  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

facilities.  The  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  of  his  place,  with  its  substantial 
buildings,  well-tilled  felds  and  verdant  pastures,  indicates  to  the  passer-by 
his  careful  supervision  and  stands  in  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  fact  that 
the  owner  is  at  once  practical  and  progressive  in  his  methods  of  farming. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  in  Noble  county,  Ohio,  February  2,  1844,  his 
parents  being  John  and  Hannah  Thompson,  also  natives  of  the  Buckeye  state. 
The  former  was  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Susanna  (Frame)  Thompson,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Scotch  descent.  At  an  early  period  in  the  develop- 
ment of  that  state  they  became  residents  of  Ohio  and  there  reared  their 
eleven  children,  namely:  Thomas,  Polly,  James,  Betsy,  William,  Susanna, 
Eleazer,  Jacob,  Robert,  Eleanor  and  John.  Of  these  Robert  was  a  minister 
of  the  Congregational  church. 

John  Thompson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
Noble  county,  and  after  his  marriage  he  moved  to  Greene  county,  Indiana, 
in  1854.  There  he  purchased  land  and  improved  a  farm,  conducting  the 
same  until  1872,  when  he  sold  that  property  and  removed  to  Nemaha 
county,  Kansas.  In  that  locality  he  purchased  a  tract  of  raw  land,  which 
he  cultivated  and  improved,  transforming  it  into  a  valuable  farm,  upon 
which  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  1888.  In  early 
life  he  gave  his  political  support  to  the  Whig,  Freesoil  and  Abolition  parties, 
and,  as  this  indicates,  was  opposed  to  the  institution  of  slavery.  When  the 
Republican  party  was  formed  to  prevent  the  further  extension  of  slavery  he 
joined  its  ranks  and  was  one  of  its  most  inflexible  adherents.  For  many 
years  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church,  he  was  also  one  of  its 
ministers,  and  by  precept  and  example  advocated  the  cause  of  Christianity. 
He  never  aspired  to  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  the  work  of 
the  farm,  in  which  he  met  with  good  success.  ,  His  wife,  surviving  him,  died 
in  1893.  Their  children  were  Marinda,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years; 
Salathiel,  of  this  review;  Ruth  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of  N.  Walker,  and 
died  leaving  two  children;  Jacob,  a  farmer  of  Kansas;  Josephus,  who  is 
living  in  Oklahoma;  and  Dorinda,  the  wife  of  Samuel  Stall,  a  farmer. 

Mr.  Thompson,  whose  name  begins  this  record,  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  Greene  county,  Indiana,  and  remained  on  the  home  farm  until 
eighteen  years  of  age.  After  the  inauguration  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Ninety-seventh  Indiana  Infantry,  under  Colonel 
Robert  F.  Catterson,  the  regiment  being  assigned  to  the  Fifteenth  Army 
Corps.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Terre  Haute  and  went  into  camp  at  Indian- 
apolis, after  which  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  duty  with  the  Western 
Department.  He  was  in  active  service  at  Vicksburg,  Chattanooga,  Mission 
Ridge,  Lookout  Mountain,  and  went  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march 
to  the  sea.     Throughout  the  term  of  his  enlistment  he  remained  with  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         233 

armv,  never  receiving  a  furlough,  but  always  remaining  loyally  at  his  post, 
faithfully  performing  the  work  assigned  to  him.  He  was  detailed  as  a  regu- 
lar forager,  and  with  six  comrades  thus  engaged  he  was  captured  and  started 
oii  the  way  to  Richmond,  but  on  the  march  he  succeeded  in  making  his  escape 
after  twelve  days  spent  on  the  way.  The  date  of  his  enlistment  was  x\ugustj 
1862,  and  of  his  discharge,  June,  1865,  Lee  having  surrendered  in  the  mean- 
time and  thus  virtually  ending  the  war.  Returning  from  Raleigh,  North 
Carolina,  to  Indianapolis,  he  there  recei\ed  an  honorable  discharge  and  was 
paid  off. 

Returning  to  Greene  county,  that  state,  Mr.  Thompson  was  married 
there,  in  1866,  and  located  on  a  farm,  following  the  plow  through  the  sum- 
mer months,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  engaged  in  school  teaching.  In 
1 87 1  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  on  rented  land  in  Nemaha  county,  where 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1874,  when  he  turned  his  attention 
to  merchandising  in  Sabetha.  In  1878,  however,  he  exchanged  his  mercan- 
tile stock  for  a  farm  in  Brown  county,  and  he  has  since  made  his  home  in 
this  locality.  He  has  built  upon  his  place  a  commodious  residence  and  large 
barns  and  outbuildings,  and  has  made  his  present  farm  his  place  of  abode 
since  1893,  Here,  in  connection  w-ith  the  cultivation  of  the  fields,  he  has 
engaged  in  raising,  buying  and  shipping  stock,  making  a  specialty  of  cattle. 
Fairview  furnishes  him  an  excellent  shipping  point  and  annually  many  head 
of  cattle  are  sent  from  his  farm  over  the  road. 

Mr.  Thompson  has  been  twice  married.  In  1866  he  wedded  Miss 
Rebecca  Morrison,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  removed  from  that  state  to  Indiana 
with  her  parents,  James  and  Tabitha  Morrison.  Her  father  died  during  her 
early  girlhood.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  were  born  two  children: 
Cora,  the  wife  of  H.  Gillilan;  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  J.  King.  The  mother 
died  in  1888.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church  and  a  most 
estimable  lady.  In  February,  1890,  Mr.  Thompson  was  again  married,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Mary  E.  Black.  She  was  born  in  Indiana,  July 
II,  i860,  a  daughter  of  Elza  and  Anna  (Corwin)  Black,  both  natives  of 
Ohio,  whence  they  went  to  Indiana  in  1857.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war  the  father  entered  the  army,  holding  a  commission  in  a  cavalry  regiment. 
By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter.  After  his  death  the  widow  became  the  wife  of 
a  Mr.  Carpenter,  of  Lake  county,  Illinois,  where  they  now  live.  The  chil- 
dren of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Black  are:  Mrs.  Emma  Coontz;  Summerville,  wife 
of  John  Wooderd,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Monroe  county,  Indiana;  Mary 
E.,  the  wife  of  our  subject;  Ida,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  E.  Gaston,, 
and  died  leaving  four  children ;  and  Ethel,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Spates,  a  railroad 
man  of  St.  Louis.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  have  been  born  six 
children:     Leah,  who  is  attending  school  at  Ottawa;  Lloyd,  who  is  also  in 


234  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

school  at  Ottawa;  Ernst,  at  home;  Ralph,,  who  died  at  the  age  of  a  year  and 
a  half;  Edith,  at  home;  and  Nor\-ille  J.,  who  was  born  November  15,  1898. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  are 
people  of  the  higliest  respectability.  In  1883  Mr.  Brown  was  elected  the 
sheriff  of  Brown  county  and  served  for  one  term,  after  which  he  returned  to 
the  farm.  He  has  filled  various  township  offices,  including  those  of  trustee 
and  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in  all  these  different  positions  has  discharged 
his  duties  most  promptly  and  efficiently.  The  Republican  party  finds  in  him 
a  stalwart  advocate  who  takes  an  active  interest  in  its  work  and  attends  the 
county  and  state  conventions.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention  which 
nominated  C.  Curtis  for  congress,  and  at  all  times  labors  for  the  growth 
and  success  of  the  party.  Mr.  Thompson  withholds  his  support  from  no 
movement  for  the  public  good  and  has  contributed  to  the  general  welfare  in 
no  small  degree.  He  was  a  stockholder  in  the  town  company  which  located 
Fairview,  and  in  many  ways  he  has  promoted  public  progress,  being 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  the  community. 


EDWARD  D.  SPANGLER. 

On  the  list  of  the  enterprising  and  prominent  farmers  of  Morrill  town- 
ship, Brown  county,  appears  the  name  of  Edward  D.  Spangler.  He  is  num- 
bered among  the  worthy  citizens  that  Pennsylvania  has  furnished  to  tlie 
Sunflower  state,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Johnstown,  Cambria  county, 
Pennsylvania,  January  8,  1838.  He  was  reared,  however,  in  Somerset  county, 
in  the  Keystone  state,  to  which  place  he  went  with  his  parents,  Daniel  and 
Charlotte  (Mowre)  Spangler. 

The  paternal  grandfather.  Christian  Spangler,  was  a  farmer  of  Somerset 
county  and  was  of  German  lineage,  his  ancestors  having  come  to  the  new 
world  in  colonial  days.  The  first  of  the  name  to  seek  a  home  in  the  new  world 
were  Abraham  and  Christian  Spangler  and  others  whose  names  are  unknown. 
Two  of  the  number  settled  in  Maryland  and  one  in  Pennsylvania,  and  from 
the  latter  branch  is  descended  Edward  D.  Spangler.  His  father  was  reared 
in  Somerset  county  and  there  spent  his  entire  life,  his  death  occurring  June 
6,  1850.  He  was  one  of  seven  children,  the  others  being  Henry,  John, 
Michal,  Samuel,  Joseph,  Susan  and  Sarah.  The  last  named  became  the  wife 
of  Dan  Kesler  and  died  in  Wisconsin  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  Daniel 
Spangler  learned  the  tailor's  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  as  a  life  occupa- 
tion. He  wedded  Charlotte  Mowre,  whose  death  occurred  in  1842.  They 
Avere  the  parents  of  but  four  children :     Edward  D. ;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  W. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         235 

Wiggins;  and  two  who  died  in  infancy.  The  sister  and  her  husband  came  to 
Kansas,  but  after  the  grasshoppers  destroyed  their  crops  they  returned  to 
Ilhnois,  where  they  are  yet  living. 

Mr.  Spangler  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age  and  when  about  ten 
years  old  was  bound  out  to  a  farmer  of  the  neighborhood.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  he  went  to  live  with  an  uncle,  but  soon  afterward  returned  to  the 
man  with  whom  he  had  formerly  resided,  there  remaining  until  he  had  attained 
his  majority.  Subsequently  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  for  some  time 
Emigrating  westward  he  located  in  Illinois,  but  after  two  years  returned  to 
Pennsylvania  and  in  October.  1862,  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops 
becoming  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirtv-third  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  which  was  attached  to  the  eastern  department  of  the  army  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Antietam,  Chancellorsxille  and  Fredericksbur- 
and  was  detailed  to  go  as  a  guard  to  an  ammunition  train.  He  was  nev^r 
wounded  or  captured  and  on  the  expiration  of  his  nine-months  term  he  was 
mustered  out,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  at  Harrisburg.  Pennsylvania 
He  then  returned  to  Somerset  county,  where,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  vear  he 
was  married. 

In  1864  Mr.  Spangler  removed  to  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  where  durin- 
the  first  year  of  his  residence  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  montlf 
He  then  rented  land,  which  he  continued  to  operate  until  the  fall  of  1870 
when  he  went  to  Falls  City.  Nebraska.  Later  he  came  to  Brown  county  and 
purchased  a  tract  of  unimproved  land,  upon  which  he  located  in  1871  Here 
he  erected  a  residence  and  fenced  his  land  with  wire.  He  broke  his  own 
ground,  planted  crops  and  soon  good  harvests  rewarded  his  labors.  His  life 
has  been  a  quiet  yet  useful  and  honorable  one.  in  which  he  has  successfully 
carried  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  worked  hard,  has  dealt 
honestly  with  all  men  and  his  efforts  have  been  crowned  with  a  merited 
degree  of  prosperity.  He  may  well  be  proud  of  his  success  and  his  life  should 
serv-e  to  encourage  others  who  are  forced  to  begin  their  business  career  empty- 

and  t'o  d      I  "^^^-  "P°"  ^''  ^'™  ^*^°^  ^"^  P^™^"^"t  improvements 

and  o-day  he  is  enjoying  the  fruits  of  a  well  spent  life  in  a  pleasant  and 
attractive  home,  five  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Merrill 

In  the  autumn  of  1862  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Spangler 

a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey.  She  was  born  April  2 
1839.  m  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and' 
Sa  y  (Shrock)  Lentz,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Somerset  co mty  The 
tatl^r  was  a  mechanic  and  died  in  Pennsylvania.     He  was  one  of  four  ch" 

t  "o'e  n"  '  ^'S'""'  °'  ^'"°=  '^'■^-  ^-'^y  Swain;  and  E^e,  i 
VN.te  of  E.  Clingerman.     His  brothers  were  his  seniors  and  his  sisters  we  e 


2  36  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

younger  than  himself.  His  wife  was  the  second  of  five  children,  the  others 
being:  Jacob;  Polly;  Kate,  the  wife  of  William  Enfield;  and  Elizabeth  I., 
now  Mrs.  Brown.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lentz  were  born  ten  children :  Cyrus; 
Joseph;  Caroline,  who  married  E.  Hostetter  and  after  his  death  became  Mrs. 
Wolford;  Mrs.  Spangler;  John;  Sarah,  wife  of  William  Brown;  Felan ;  Mrs. 
Amanda  Forick;  Mary,  wife  of  N.  Ringler;  Edward;  Milton  and  Mrs.  Eliza 
Walls.     The  parents  were  members  of  the  Dunkard  church. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spangler  has  been  blessed  with  eight 
children :  Daniel,  now  a  resident  of  Houston,  Texas ;  Albert,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty-three  years;  Dallas;  Wilson,  who  is  the  principal  of  the 
high  schol  at  Longmont,  Colorado,  where  he  has  followed  teaching  for  eleven 
years;  Milton,  of  Arizona;  John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Mary, 
wife  of  Harry  Barker;  Norman,  a  teacher;  and  Jesse,  at  home.  The  family 
is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community  and  the  members  of  the  household 
enjoy  the  hospitality  of  many  of  the  best  homes  in  this  section  of  the  county. 
The  parents  are  members  of  the  German  Baptist  or  Dunkard  church.  In 
politics  Mr.  Spangler  is  independent,  preferring  to  cast  his  ballot  with  the  men 
and  measures  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  office,  regardless  of  party 
affiliations.  He  has  several  times  been  called  to  local  official  positions  and  his 
sterling  worth  and  ability  have  made  him  acceptable  in  discharging  his  duties. 


D.  F.  PENDLETON. 


A  member  of  the  dental  fraternity  of  Horton  since  1892,  Dr.  Pendle- 
ton has  attained  a  high  degree  of  success  in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession. He  was  born  in  Trimble  county,  Kentucky,  on  the  22d  of  August, 
i860,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  J.  Pendleton,  deceased.  The  latter  was  born  and 
educated  in  Kentucky,  and  was  married  there  to  Miss  Taylor,  who  is  now 
living  in  Missouri.  Dr.  Pendleton  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in 
the  public  schools,  and  with  a  broad  general  knowledge  to  serve  as  a  founda- 
tion upon  which  to  rear  the  superstructure  of  professional  learning,  he  took 
up  the  study  of  dentistry  in  the  Kansas  Dental  College  in  Kansas  City,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1882.  Since  his  arrival  in 
Horton,  in  1892,  he  has  followed  his  profession  with  exceptional  success. 
He  is  well-read  in  the  science  of  dentistry  and  the  leading  journals  keep  him 
in  touch  with  the  advancement  which  is  continually  being  made  in  dentistry. 
His  unflagging  energy  and  close  application,  together  with  his  marked  skill 
in  handling  the  delicate  instruments  used  in  the  profession,  have  enabled  him 
to  gain  a  foremost  place  among  its  followers  in  Brown  county. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         237 

The  Doctor  was  married  in  Kansas  City,  in  1891,  to  Miss  Madge  Cum- 
mins, of  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  a  young  lady  of  fine  culture  and  good 
education.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  two  children,  Gail  Cummins 
and  Juliene  Bailey.  In  his  political  views  the  Doctor  is  a  Democrat  who 
keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
several  fraternal  orders,  including  the  Masonic  and  Knights  of  Pythias 
lodges,  having  attained  the  degree  of  the  Uniform  Rank  in  the  latter.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  both  enjoy  the  high  regard  of 
many  friends  in  Horton,  where  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  is  extended 
to  them. 


SAMUEL  JOXES  HERRICK,  M.  D. 

The  physician,  if  he  be  able  and  reliable,  is  never  without  honor  in  his 
own  country.  He  lives  nearer  to  the  people  than  any  one  else.  The  physi- 
cian whose  name  is  above  is  not  only  an  able  family  practitioner  and  highly 
esteemed  citizen,  but  he  fills  the  important  and  responsible  office  of  coroner 
of  his  county.  Dr.  Samuel  Jones  Herrick,  of  Everest,  Brown  county,  Kan- 
sas, whose  name  and  reputation  as  a  physician  have  within  a  few  years 
become  widely  and  favorably  known,  cast  his  fortunes  with  this  county 
April  17,  1892.  He  went  to  the  town  soon  after  leaving  college,  confident 
of  his  strength  in  his  chosen  profession  and  in  the  full  vigor  of  a  man 
approaching  middle  life.  He  met  with  a  ready  welcome  at  the  hands  of 
an  appreciative  people  and  his  professional  and  social  qualities  have 
strengthened  the  confidence  and  solidified  the  friendship  extended  to  him 
on  his  arrival. 

Dr.  Herrick  is  a  New  Hampshire  man.  His  birth  occurred  at  Lynde- 
boro,  Hillsboro  county.  May  2,  1862.  His  lineage  extends  back  into 
Colonial  history  so  far  that  it  almost  seems  to  have  originated  in  New 
England.  The  earliest  account  of  the  family  would  probably  reveal  its  con- 
nection with  one  of  the  Massachusetts  colonies.  Colonel  Edward  Herrick, 
whose  commission,  bearing  the  signature  of  John  Hancock,  is  still  in  pos- 
session of  a  member  of  the  family,  went  into  New  Hampshire  and  built  a 
mill  at  Barnes'  Falls  while  the  Georges  were  yet  exercising  "the  divine  right 
of  kings"  over  less  than  two  million  liberty-loving  colonists.  Colonel  Her- 
rick was  the  great-grandfather  of  Dr.  Herrick.  One  of  his  several  sons 
was  Israel  Herrick,  Dr.  Herrick's  grandfather,  who  grew  up  near  the  old 
mill  below  whose  dam  he  chiseled  his  name  in  stone  ninety  years  ago.  The 
inscription  was  plainly  visible  when  Dr.  Herrick  made  his  first  visit  to  the 
historic  spot  in  1899. 


238  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Israel  Herrick  was  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College,  practiced  medicine 
in  and  about  Barnes'  Falls  nearly  half  a  century  and  voted  the  first  Abolition 
ticket  ever  cast  in  his  precinct.  He  was  twice  married,  and  his  third  child, 
William  J.  Herrick,  Dr.  Herrick's  father,  was  born  in  1827  and  died  in  1892. 
He  was  a  graduate  in  medicine,  but  preferred  the  career  of  a  farmer  to  the 
exactions  of  a  physician  and  practiced  only  a  short  time.  In  1868  he  came 
as  far  west  as  Chicago  and  two  years  later  removed  to  Carroll  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  railroad  land  and  undertook  the  making 
of  a  farm.  In  this  he  succeeded,  for  he  remained  on  that  spot  and  was  con- 
nected with  that  vocation  as  long  as  he  lived.  During  the  Civil  war  he  was 
a  gun  captain  in  the  heavy  artillery  and  was  stationed  at  Fort  Constitution, 
in  New  Hampshire.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican  until  the  Greeley 
movement  swept  over  the  country,  when  he  supported  the  great  editor  for 
the  presidency.     After  that  he  was  a  Democrat. 

William  J-  Herrick  married  Cliloe  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Jones, 
a  New  Hampshire  farmer,  born  in  that  state.  Mrs.  Jones  was  a  Miss  Good- 
win. The  Herrick  children  were:  Charles  I.,  of  Carroll  county,  Missouri; 
Emma  E.,  the  wife  of  Horace  Wrightman,  of  the  same  county  and  state; 
Dr.  Samuel  J. ;  and  Alice,  now  Mrs.  William  R.  Phillips,  of  Livingston 
county,  Missouri.  Dr.  Herrick  received  the  rudiments  of  a  good  English 
education  in  the  country  schools.  He  chose  the  medical  profession  early 
in  his  youth  and  only  awaited  the  coming  of  a  favorable  opportunity  to  begin 
his  preparation  for  it.  He  went  to  Braymer,  a  small  place  in  Caldwell 
county,  Missouri,  and  entered  a  drug  store  as  the  first  step  toward  the  acqui- 
sition of  his  medical  education.  He  read  medicine  under  the  instruction  of 
Dr.  C.  C.  Leeper,  but  his  preceptor  was  Dr.  Jacob  Geiger,  of  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri.  He  attended  lectures  in  the  Marion  Sims  College,  St.  Louis,  and 
also  in  the  Ensworth  Medical  College,  at  St.  Joseph,  graduating  at  that  in- 
stitution in  1892.  He  practiced  in  and  around  Braymer  for  a  short  time 
and  located  in  Everest,  Kansas,  where  his  success  has  been  noteworthy. 

Dr.  Herrick  was  married,  August  7,  1883,  in  Carroll  county,  Missouri, 
to  Emma  E.  Welker.  Mrs.  Herrick's  father  was  a  veritable  old  Missourian. 
He  used  to  tell  the  boys  he  "killed  the  first  skunk  ever  killed  in  Missouri  and 
was  there  before  the  moon  was  completed."  He  probably  never  intended 
that  this  statement  should  be  taken  literally,  but  he  was  certainly  among  the 
pioneers  there,  going  to  the  state  from  Ohio.  Dr.  Herrick  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  several  of  the  prominent  insurance  orders, 
being  the  medical  examiner  in  some  of  the  latter  organizations.  He  is  now 
completing  his  fourth  year  as  the  coroner  of  Brown  county.  A  man  of  much 
public  spirit,  he  has  a  prominent  part  in  every  movement  which  his  judgment 
commends  as  tending  to  the  general  good.     A    genial  man    of    fine    social 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         239 

qualities,  he  has  many  friends,  some  of  them  being  the  most  prominent 
people  of  Brown  and  adjoining  counties.  He  is  a  member  of  several  medi- 
cal societies  and  has  contributed  to  the  literature  of  his  profession.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Herrick  have  two  children,  named  Myrta  and  Leah. 


A.  C.  PRICE,  M.  D. 


The  world  instinctively  pays  deference  to  the  man  whose  success  has 
been  worthily  achieved  and  who  has  gained  a  high  reputation  in  his  chosen 
calling  by  merit.  This  Dr.  Price  has  done,  and,  as  the  result  of  forty  years' 
connection  with  the  medical  profession^  in  which  period  he  has  displayed 
marked  skill  and  ability,  he  is  to-day  accorded  a  foremost  place  in  the  ranks 
of  the  medical  fraternity  of  northeastern  Kansas.  Greater  than  in  almost 
any  line  of  work  is  the  responsibility  that  rests  upon  the  physician.  The 
issues  of  life  and  death  are  in  his  hands;  a  false  prescription,  an  unskilled 
operation,  may  take  from  man  that  which  he  prizes  above  all  else — life.  The 
physician's  power  must  be  his  own:  not  by  purchase,  by  gift  or  by  influence 
can  he  gain  it.  He  must  commence  at  the  very  beginning,  learning  the  very 
rudiments  of  medicine  and  surgery,  completing  his  knowledge  by  close 
study,  earnest  application,  and  gain  a  reputation  by  merit.  This  Dr.  Price 
has  done  and  therefore  has  won  high  standing  as  a  representative  of  the 
calling  to  which  he  devotes  his  energies. 

Dr.  Price  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  Virginia  families  that  for  many 
generations  resided  in  the  Old  Dominion.  He  was  born  there  in  1834,  and 
attended  the  University  of  Virginia,  completing  his  course  in  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  of  Philadelphia,  which  is  noted  for  the  many  prominent 
and  succesful  men  who  claim  it  as  their  alma  mater.  During  the  Civil  war 
he  served  as  a  surgeon  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  his  marked  skill,  care 
and  tenderness  won  him  the  love  of  all  the  gallant  soldiers  to  whom  he  ad- 
ministered. When  hostilities  had  ceased  he  returned  to  Kentucky,  where 
for  many  years  he  successfully  practiced  medicine.  In  1886  he  came  to 
northeastern  Kansas,  locating  in  Nehama  county,  where  he  spent  one  year. 
Smce  1887  lie  has  made  his  home  in  Horton,  where  he  is  well  known  as  a 
successful  practitioner. 

The  Doctor  was  married,  in  Virginia,  to  Miss  Walker,  a  lady  of  culture 
and  refinement,  belonging  to  one  of  the  prominent  families  of  that  state. 
Her  father  was  General  Charles  Walker,  of  the  United  States  Army.  The 
Doctor  has  had  nine  children,  namely:  William,  an  attorney-at-law,  now 
hvnag  m  Lincoln,  Nebraska;  Lou,  who  is  employed  as  clerk  in  the  office  of 


240  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company ;  Robie  Lee,  now  Mrs.  White,  of 
Hiawatha,  Kansas;  Walker,  who  was  a  young  man  of  great  prominence  in 
journalistic  circles  and  died  in  Colorado  in  1899;  Mildred,  who  is  living 
in  Colorado  Springs;  Richard,  a  railroad  man  residing  in  Topeka;  and 
Bessie  and  Robert,  who  are  still  with  their  father,  Mrs.  Price  having  died 
some  years  ago.  The  Doctor  has  a  pleasant  home  in  Horton  in  which  he 
intends  to  spend  his  declining  years.  He  has  the  courteous  manner  of  the 
old  Virginia  gentleman,  a  genial  hospitality  and  frank  and  cordial  disposi- 
tion, qualities  which  have  endeared  him  to  his  many  friends  in  the  community 
in  which  he  has  resided. 


THEODORE  THOMAS. 

Theodore  Thomas  is  a  native  of  Union  county.  Pennsylvania,  his  birth 
having  occurred  near  Lewisburg  on  the  9th  of  September,  1841.  His  father, 
Archibald  Thomas,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  paternal  grandfather. 
Captain  John  Thomas,  was  a  native  of  England.  ser>-ing  in  the  war  of  1812. 
Reared  in  the  Keystone  state  Archibald  Thomas  there  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Benner,  who  was  born  in  Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  state.  Nine  children  graced  this  mar- 
riage, four  sons  and  five  daughters,  as  follows :  Caroline  and  Charles,  who  are 
now  deceased;  Mrs.  Jane  Magee,  who  is  living  in  Highland,  Kansas;  Eliza- 
beth, deceased ;  Allen,  who  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war  and  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Troy,  Kansas ;  John,  a  resident  of  Highland,  Kansas ;  Theodore ;  Mrs. 
Addie  Close,  and  Scott,  who,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  enlisted  in  the  Union 
army  during  the  Civil  war  and  is  now  living  at  Highland,  Kansas.  The  father 
of  this  family  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  followed  that  pursuit  in  order 
to  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  himself  and  children.  He  voted  with  the 
Republican  party,  of  which  he  was  a  very  zealous  advocate,  and  served  as  county 
sheriff,  treasurer,  register  and  recorder,  discharging  his  duties  with  faithful- 
ness and  fairness.  His  sons  have  all  followed  in  his  political  footsteps  and  are 
advocates  of  Republican  principles.  He  died  in  Sandusky  county,  Ohio,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-two  years,  and  his  wife's  death  occurred  in  Iowa  township, 
Doniphan  county,  Kansas.     Both  were  members  of  the  Reformed  church. 

Theodore  Thomas,  whose  name  introduces  this  re\iew,  was  reared  in 
Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools. 
Deeply  interested  in  the  questions  of  slavery  and  of  secession,  he  resolved  that 
if  the  south  attempted  to  overthrow  the  Union  he  would  strike  a  blow  for  its 
defense.  Accordingly,  in  1861.  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  B, 
Fourth   Pennsylvania    Infantry,    under   command    of    Captain    Chamberlain 


<^^^^^^>^^     CX^^T^^^^Z^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         241 

During  his  service  he  contracted  black  cHpIitlieria  and  was  very  ill  for  some 
time,  in  fact  his  tliroat  was  permanently  injured,  and  so  greatly  was  his  health 
afifected  that  he  was  discharged  after  eighteen  months'  service.  When  he  had 
somewhat  recovered  he  re-enlisted  as  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
ninth  Ohio  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  for  one  hundred  days.  He  belonged 
to  Company  B,  and  with  his  command  was  stationed  at  Fort  Ethan  Allen  in 
the  Shenandoah  valley.  \'irginia.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  received 
an  honorable  discharge  at  Cleveland.  Ohio,  in  October,  1864,  and  returned 
to  his  home  in  Sandusky  county.  Ohio. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  a  painter  by  trade  and  followed  that  occupation  for  fif- 
teen years,  during  which  time,  through  his  industry  and  economy,  he  acquired 
capital  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  purchase  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  four  miles  east  of  Hiawatha,  Kansas.  He  became  the  owner  of  that 
property  in  1888.  but  sold  it  in  1894,  and  purchased  his  present  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Mission  township.  Brown  county.  This 
property,  known  as  the  old  Wright  farm,  is  well  located  and  is  all  capable  of 
cultivation.  There  is  a  substantial  residence  upon  the  place,  which  stands  on 
a  fine  natural  building  site. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  were  born  six  children,  of  whom  three  are 
yet  living:  Lydia,  wife  of  William  Xeibling.  of  ^lission  township.  Brown 
county;  Lillie  May  and  Harland  Theodore.  They  also  lost  three  children, 
Charles,  Addie  and  Gertrude.  Charles  was  five  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  The  greatest  loss  of  Mr.  Thomas'  life  was  occasioned  by  the  demise 
of  his  beloved  wife  on  January  28,  1892.  She  was  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
the  home  and  family,  was  an  earnest  and  trusted  friend  and  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church.  Mr.  Thomas  gave  his  political  support  to  the 
Republican  party  and  is  a  valued  and  earnest  member  of  Robinson  Post.  G.  A. 
R.  He  also  has  membership  relations  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  is  true  and  faithful  to  the  benevolent  and  charitable  teachings  of  that 
fraternity.  Throughout  his  life  he  has  been  ever  true  to  the  trusts  reposed  in 
him  and  at  all  times  has  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow 
men. 


W.  CAMERON  SMITH. 

W.  Cameron  Smith,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Horton,  Kan- 
sas, was  born  in  Canada  and  is  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Andrew  A.  Smith,  now 
deceased,  who  for  many  years  was  a  prominent  minister  of  a  leading  denomina- 
tion. Of  Scottish  parentage,  he  was  a  relative  of  Sir  Adam  Smith,  who  was 
knighted  by  Queen  Victoria  on  account  of  efficient  services  which  he  rendered 


242  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

to  his  country.  Rev.  A.  A.  Smith  married  Miss  Martha  Blackstock,  who  is 
now  Hving  in  Ontario.  Mr.  Smith,  of  this  review,  was  one  of  their  four  sur- 
viving children,  namely :  Cameron  S. ;  Robert  Wallace  Bruce,  who  is  a  physi- 
cian and  is  a  medical  officer  at  Orchard  House,  a  large  insane  asylum  at  Hamil- 
ton, Ontario ;  Flintoft,  of  Horton ;  and  a  sister. 

After  obtaining  his  preliminary  education  in  the  public  schools  and  Col- 
legiate Institute,  Mr.  Smith,  of  this  review,  afterward  passed  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Queens  College  of  Kingston,  Canada,  to  the  Law  Society  of  Upper 
Canada  and  graduated  at  Osgoode  Hall,  Toronto,  Canada,  some  time  before 
coming  to  this  country.  Since  1895  he  has  made  his  home  in  Horton  and  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  chosen  profession.  He  has  been  for  a  time  associated 
with  his  brother,  Flintoft,  and  has  gained  considerabe  prominence  as  a  lawyer 
who  is  well  versed  in  his  profession,  his  knowledge  of  the  science  of  juris- 
prudence being  comprehensive  and  accurate.  He  has  been  connected  with 
some  important  litigation  heard  in  the  courts  of  the  district,  and  his  devotion 
to  his  clients"  interests  is  proverbial.  Politically  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  socially  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Many  admirable  qualities  endear  him  to  his 
fellow  men,  for  he  is  affable,  courteous  and  considerate.  He  has  quite  a  wide 
acquaintance  in  Horton  and  is  rapidly  working  his  way  upward  to  a  foremost 
place  among  the  practitioners  of  the  county. 


A.  B.  CROCKETT. 


A  practitioner  at  the  bar  of  Brown  county,  now  living  in  Horton,  Mr. 
Crockett  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his  birth  having  occurred  near  Green  Springs, 
Seneca  county,  August  24,  1864.  The  Crocketts  are  of  Scotch  lineage  and 
Josiah  Crockett,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Maine,  whence  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Ohio  when  a  lad  of  eleven  years.  Having  arrived 
at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Miss  Harriet  Beymer,  a  daughter  of  Arthur 
Beymer.  His  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  during  the  Civil  war 
aided  in  the  defense  of  the  Union,  but  was  killed  in  an  accident  in  Ohio  when 
fifty-eight  years  of  age.  He  held  membership  in  the  Methodist  church.  His 
widow  still  survives  him  and  is  a  resident  of  the  Buckeye  state.  In  the  family 
of  this  worthy  couple  were  five  children,  four  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely': 
Stella,  Elbert,  James,  Arthur  B.  and  Walter. 

Mr.  Crockett  was  early  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy  and 
taught  to  realize  the  value  of  a  good  education.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
near  his  home  and  at  the  Clyde  high  school,  and  was  graduated  in  the  Adel- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         243 

bert  College  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  in 
Toledo,  and  with  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  science  of  jurisprudence 
l>e  has  won  a  creditable  position  in  the  ranks  of  the  legal  fraternitv  in  north- 
eastern Kansas.  He  located  in  Horton  on  the  4th  of  April.  1888.  and  has 
since  been  recognized  as  a  lawyer  of  ability,  whose  years  of  experience  and 
uninterrupted  devotion  to  his  profession  have  won  him  a  place  in  the  front 
ranks  of  Brown  county's  leading  attorneys. 

Mr.  Crockett  was  married,  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  on  the  25th  of  September 
1889.  to  Miss  Myra  Almond,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Almond,  who  died  in 
Tennessee.  The  lady  was  reared  and  educatecf  in  Clyde,  Ohio,  and  is  a  woman 
of  culture  and  education,  wtose  many  excellencies  of  character  have  gained 
her  warm  regard.  They  have  one  daughter,  Emily  Irene,  now  a  little  maiden 
of  three  summers.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Crockett  is  a  Republican  and  is 
recognized  as  a  leading  and  influential  representative  of  the  party,  whose  con- 
ventions he  frequently  attends  as  a  delegate.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  he  and  his  wife  are  consistent  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  Mrs.  Crockett  is  an  indefatigable 
worker.  As  a  citizen  Mr.  Crockett  is  public-spirited,  manifesting  a  commend- 
able interest  in  everything  that  tends  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  community. 
His  personal  characteristics  are  such  as  to  gain  to  him  the  regard  of  all  classes 
and  he  is  known  as  a  loval  citizen  and  a  reliable  friend. 


JOHN  COLLINS. 


John  Collins,  the  accommodating  and  popular  postmaster  of  Horton,  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position  February  8,  1898.  and  has  since  discharged 
bis  duties  in  a  manner  that  has  awakened  high  commendation  from  the  depart- 
ment, owing  to  his  promptness,  reliability  and  unfailing  courtesy  and  energy 
to  increase  and  build  up  the  office  to  a  higher  standard.  He  is  a  native  of  Broome 
county.  New  York,  his  birth  having  occurred  near  Binghamton.  April  9,  1843. 
His  father,  Thomas  Collins,  is  also  a  native  of  the  Empire  state  and  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  He  married  Miss  Rhoda  Lewis,  and  by  their  union 
were  born  nine  children, — five  sons  and  four  daughters.  Three  sons  were  loyal 
soldiers  of  tlw  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war,  namely :  Owen,  a  member 
of  the  Seventh  Illinois  Cavalry;  George  W.,  who  was  a  member  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Graham  county, 
Kansas;  and  John,  of  this  review.  The  father  died  at  Canada  Corners,  west 
of  Geneva,  in  Kane  county.  Illinois,  when  sixty-eight  years  of  age.  He  was  a 
Republican  in  his  political  views  and  was  a  citizen  of  sterling  worth.     His  wife 


244  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

was  born  in  New  York,  in  1809,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Lewis,  a  Meth- 
odist circuit  rider,  and  is  resiiHng  with  our  subject,  aged  ninety-one  years. 

\\'hen  John  Colhns  was  a  lad  of  six  years  the  family  left  their  home  in 
New  York  and  removed  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  becoming  pioneer  settlers 
of  that  locality.  He  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  district  schools 
and  later  attended  school  in  Elgin,  Illinois,  and  became  a  student  of  the  Bryant 
&  Stratton's  Business  College.  In  1862,  at  the  president's  call  for  volunteers, 
he  joined  the  army,  enlisting  in  July  as  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  assigned  to  Company  I  as  a  ser- 
geant, under  the  command  of  Captain  F.  Raymond  and  Colonel  John  Van 
Arnan.  He  served  for  three  years,  took  part  in  a  number  of  important  battles 
and  skirmishes,  including  the  engagements  at  Chickasaw  Bluff,  Arkansas  Post, 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  Mission  Ridge,  siege  of  Atlanta,  Sherman's  march  to  the 
sea.  Bentonville,  etc.  He  was  wounded  in  an  engagement  near  Kenesaw  moun- 
tain and  after  three  years'  faithful  service  he  was  mustered  out  at  Camp  Fry, 
Chicago,  returning  thence  to  his  home  in  Kane  county,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Collins  began  business  in  Blackberry,  Illinois,  as  a  representative  of 
the  McCormick  Reaper  Company,  and  in  1873  he  went  to  Council  Bluffs, 
Iowa,  as  a  general  agent  for  that  company,  remaining  in  Iowa  five  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  embarked  in  the 
grocery  and  dry-goods  business  at  Batavia,  Illinois,  whence  he  came  to  Brown 
county,  Kansas,  in  1889. 

Mr.  Collins  was  married,  in  1870,  at  Elgin,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Chapman,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Chapman,  of  Plato,  Illinois.  She  belonged  to 
one  of  the  best  families  of  that  locality  and  was  educated  in  the  Elgin  Academy. 
Air.  Chapman  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Thirty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry  in  the  Civil 
war  and  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  his  county.  Two  children  have  been 
born  of  their  marriage :  Samuel  C,  who  is  now  a  machinist  in  the  North- 
western Railroad  shops  in  Chicago,  and  Earl  N.,  the  manager  for  his  father's 
furniture  store. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Collins  is  a  Republican  and  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  issues  of  the  day  and  is  therefore  able  to  give  an  intelligent  support  to 
the  party  of  his  choice.  He  is  recognized  as  a  leader  in  its  ranks  and  during 
the  past  three  years  has  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  county,  congressional,  state, 
etc.,  conventions.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  with 
which  he  has  afifiliated  since  1865,  when  he  joined  the  craft  in  Illinois.  He  was 
at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  Post  at  Batavia,  Illinois,  and 
is  now  a  member  of  Black  Eagle  Post  at  Horton,  Kansas.  He  is  ever  faith- 
ful to  the  duties  of  citizenship,  whether  on  the  tented  field  or  in  the  walks 
of  private  life,  and  in  Brown  county  he  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  man  of  ster- 
ling worth. 


:  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         245 

B.  S.  STEWART,  M.  D. 

Devoting  his  time  and  energies  to  the  most  humane  profession  to  whicli 
man  ever  gives  his  attention,  Dr.  Stewart  has  gained  a  Hberal  and  remunera- 
tive patronage  in  Horton.  and  his  skill  has  won  him  prominence  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  medical  fraternity.  He  was  born  in  Boyd  countv.  Kentucky, 
.August  18,  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  Sanford  and  Nancy  (Harmon)  Stewart.  Tlie 
father  was  born  in  Kentucky,  but  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  honored  families  of  the  Old  Dominton  Thev 
became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters  and  on 
leaving  Kentucky  they  took  up  their  abode  in  Missouri,  both  the  father  and 
mother  spending  their  last  days  in  Clay  county,  that  state.  Their  dauohter 
Mary,  is  an  author  of  well-known  ability  and  has  been  a  successful  and  promi- 
nent teacher  for  years,  having  for  some  time  been  a  member  of  the  faculty  of 
the  State  Normal  School  at  VVarrensburg,  Missouri. 

Dr.  Stewart  supplemented  his  preliminary  education  acquired  in  the  com- 
mon schools  by  an  academic  course  and  was  graduated  in  Cedar  Falls  Iowa 
m  the  class  of  1880.  Determining  to  become  a  member  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession, he  began  familiarizing  himself  with  its  standard  text  books  and  medi- 
cal treatises  in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Barron,  a  prominent 
and  well-known  physician  of  Vionia,  Missouri.  Later  he  entered  the  St 
Joseph  Medical  College  and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  188 -  He  spent  the 
summer  of  1883  in  Iowa,  but  returned  to  Platte  county,  Missouri,  where  he 
made  his  home  for  two  years.  In  1886  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas  and 
tor  some  years  occupied  the  position  of  principal  of  the  schools  of  Everest 
being  widely  recognized  as  a  competent  and  successful  educator  During  hii 
incumbency  he  raised  the  standard  of  the  Everest  schools  and  largely  pro 
moted  their  efficiency.  In  1893  he  located  in  Netawaka,  Kansas,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  until  1899,  when  he  came  to  Horton.  He 
IS  the  government  physician  for  the  Kickapoo  Indians  on  their  reservation 
adjoining  Horton,  and  is  also  the  attendant  of  the  Indian  pupils  in  the  mission 
school  near  the  city.  A  well-informed  physician,  he  has  kept  abreast  with  the 
progress  of  the  times  and  in  touch  with  the  latest  discoveries  and  theories  con- 
nected with  the  science  of  medicine. 

The  Doctor  was  married,  in  Everest,  Brown  countv,  in  1888,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Miss  Cora  Denny,  a  lady  of  education' and  culture,  who  was 
graduated  in  the  Normal  College  in  Iowa.  The  Doctor  exercises  his  right 
of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
socially  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the  Fraternal 
Aid  and  the  Masonic  lodge.  Both  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  he  advocates  reform  along  intellectual,  moral 


246  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  temperance  lines,  supporting  all  measures  and  movements  which  he  believes 
will  promote  the  welfare  of  the  race.  His  broad  humanitarian  views  are  man- 
ifested in  his  will,  which  is  characterized  by  well  bestowed  charities. 


J.  N.  TRIMBLE. 


Actively  associated  with  the  building  interests  of  Horton,  Mr.  Trimble 
is  numbered  among  the  leading  contractors  and  builders  in  this  section  of  the 
county,  and  through  the  exercise  of  his  skill  and  ability  he  has  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  the  material  development  and  improvement  of  his  adopted 
city.  As  he  is  well  known  in  this  locality  he  has  many  friends  and  the  history 
of  his  life  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  He  was  born 
near  London,  Canada,  forty-three  years  ago,  his  parents  being  George  and 
Susan  (Westover)  Trimble,  both  of  whom  were  of  English  lineage.  The 
father  was  the  proprietor  of  a  saw  mill  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
lumber  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  In  the  family  were  five  children,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters. 

During  his  youth  Mr.  Trimble  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
from  Canada  to  Berrien  county.  Michigan,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood. 
He  aided  his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  saw-mill,  mastering  the  business 
both  in  detail  and  principle,  becoming  an  expert  workman  and  an  excellent 
judge  of  lumber.  This  proved  an  excellent  introduction  to  his  present  line  of 
business.  He  followed  the  carpenter's  trade  in  Michigan  and  on  leaving  the 
Badger  state  removed  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  where  he  followed  the  same  pur- 
suit for  some  time,  being  employed  in  the  construction  of  some  very  large  pri- 
vate and  public  buildings  of  this  city.  He  there  remained  for  seven  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  aided  in  building  the  Paxton  Hotel  and  other  leading  struc- 
tures of  Omaha.  In  1883  he  came  to  Horton,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home,  and  in  the  interval  has  succeeded  in  securing  a  large  patronage.  Many 
of  the  leading  business  houses  and  private  residences  stand  as  monuments  to 
his  thrift  and  enterprise.  His  thorough  understanding  of  carpentering  and 
knowledge  of  the  value  of  lumber,  as  well  as  his  capability  in  directing  the 
labors  of  his  employes,  contributes  to  his  success  as  a  contractor  and  makes 
his  labor  satisfactory  to  those  who  engage  him  for  his  services.  In  this  way 
he  has  secured  a  very  liberal  patronage  and  his  business  has  become  \ery 
profitable. 

Mr.  Trimble  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Omaha,  Nebraska,  to  Miss  Sarah 
Sutton,  of  that  city,  who  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Iowa.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  four  children :    Lester,  Albert,  James  and  Harry.     Mr. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         247 

Trimble  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  affiliations,  and  socially  he  is  connected 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Horton.  His  genial  manner 
is  an  indication  of  his  social  and  kindly  disposition  and  it  has  won  to  him  the 
friendship  of  many  of  his  acquaintances. 


THOMAS  CAROLAN. 

From  an  early  period  in  the  development  and  settlement  of  Nemaha 
county  Thomas  Carolan  has  been  a  resident  of  the  community,  his  home  being 
on  section  27,  Nemaha  township.  A  native  of  county  Meath,  Ireland,  his  birth 
occurred  on  the  15th  of  December,  1819.  His  father,  James  Carolan,  also  a 
native  of  that  county,  went  to  sea  at  an  early  age  and  for  many  years  com- 
manded a  ship  of  his  own,  which  sailed  from  England  to  ports  on  the  other 
side  of  the  water.  For  a  considerable  period  he  was  connected  with  a  company 
engaged  in  the  fishing  trade  and  for  twenty  years  he  followed  the  sea.  At 
length  he  engaged  in  merchandising  at  New  Orleans  and  about  1848  he  made 
his  way  up  the  Mississippi  river  to  Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness. He  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  war  in  Iowa  and  for  many  years  was  a 
well-known  resident  of  that  state.  His  death  occurred  when  he  had  attained 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-four  years.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Catherine  Murphy  and  she,  too,  was  a  native  of  county  Meath  and  lived  to 
be  about  fifty  years  of  age.  By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  tliree 
children,  who  reached  mature  years. 

Mr.  Carolan,  the  only  son,  was  eleven  years  of  age  when,  with  his  par- 
ents, he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America.  He  was  reared  in  Louisiana  and 
obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  Crescent  city.  In  1840  he 
engaged  in  military  service  with  General  Houston,  of  Texas,  and  in  1846  he 
participated  in  the  Mexican  war.  He  was  wounded  while  trying  to  save  Gen- 
eral Hunter,  receiving  a  spear  thrust  in  the  wrist.  He  was  also  wounded  in 
the  shoulder  by  a  bullet,  but  recovered  from  his  injuries.  He  entered  the 
service  under  the  name  of  James  Carolan  and  for  two  years  fought  in  defense 
of  his  adopted  country. 

In  1854  Mr.  Carolan  removed  to  Clinton  county,  Iowa,  and  three  years 
later  came  to  Nemaha  county  in  company  with  James  Gregg.  Here  he  secured 
a  claim  from  the  government  and  began  the  development  of  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  resides.  Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  improvement 
made,  the  wild  prairie  grass  covering  everything.  He  soon  began  the  work  of 
following  the  plow,  however,  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  a  very  valuable  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  under  a  high 


248  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

state  of  cultivation.  His  labors  have  been  untiring  and  the  work  of  cultivat- 
ing the  fields  has  resulted  in  bringing  to  him  a  comfortable  competence. 

In  Louisiana  Mr.  Carolan  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Deigein, 
also  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  died  February  20,  1900,  where  her  girlhood  days 
were  passed.  Three  children  grace  their  marriage:  James,  who  is  living  in 
Nemaha  township ;  Thomas,  also  a  resident  of  the  same  township ;  and  Mary, 
at  home. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Carolan  gave  his  political  support  to  the  Whig  party 
and  now  usually  votes  for  the  Republican  candidates,  but  is  not  strictly  partisan 
and  does  not  consider  himself  bound  by  any  political  ties.  For  forty-three 
years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Nemaha  county  and  few  are  the  settlers  who 
antedate  his  arrival  here.  He  has  witnessed  the  greater  part  of  the  develop- 
ment and  growth  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  can  relate  many  interesting 
events  concerning  its  pioneer  history.  At  all  times  he  has  been  true  to  his 
duties  of  citizenship,  manifesting  a  commendable  and  helpful  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  general  welfare.  He  is  one  of  the  early  valued  settlers 
and  well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume  and  with  pleasure  we  present 
the  history  of  his  life  to  our  readers. 

We  should  add  with  reference  to  the  son,  James,  that  he  was  born  August 
8,  1856,  in  Clinton  county,  Iowa,  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  brought 
up  a  farmer.  In  1888  he  settled  upon  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  adjoin- 
ing the  paternal  homestead.  He  married  Ida  May,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  (Van  Brook)  Stallbaumer,  and  his  children  are  Mary  Ida,  Edward  J., 
Nora  Ellen,  Tressa  Elizabeth,  Alvan  Matthias  and  Emmit  Thomas. 

In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Democrat  and  in  public  station  he  has  filled 
the  offices  of  township  clerk,  school  director,  etc.,  holding  the  latter  office  nt 
present,  and  he  is  a  member  of  St.  Mary's  church.  Catholic,  at  St.  Benedict. 


FRANKLIN  P.  LONBERGER. 

The  business  interests  of  Willis  are  well  represented  by  Mr.  Lonberger, 
who  is  now  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in  dealing  in  grain  and  stock. 
He  came  to  this  town  in  1887,  and,  beginning  operations  on  a  small  scale,  he 
has  steadily  increased  his  sales  until  he  now  handles  large  quantities  of  grain  an- 
nually. This  is  undoubtedly  largely  due  to  his  honorable  business  methods,  as 
well  as  to  his  untiring  industry.  He  was  born  in  Center  county,  Pennsylvania, 
November  21,  1852,  and  is  a  member  of  the  family  that  has  long  been  identified 
with  the  Keystone  state.  His  ancestors  were  Pennsylvania  Dutch.  The 
progenitor  of  the  Center  county  Lonbergers  was  George  Lonberger,  who  at  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         249 

Aery  earl\-  date  come  from  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  settled  in  Center  county 
and  died  in  Bellefonte,  the  county  seat  of  Center  county.  Industry  and  in- 
tegrity were  numbered  among  the  chief  characteristics  of  those  who  bore  the 
name  of  Lonberger.  His  parents  were  George  W.  and  Elizabeth  Lon- 
berger.  The  father  was  born  November  4,  18 17,  on  a  small  farm,  where 
occurred  the  birth  of  our  subject,  and  there  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  His 
wife  died  in  1861,  leaving  ten  children,  si.x  sons  and  four  daughters,  as  follows : 
Augustus,  a  resident  of  Lincoln  Centre,  Kansas;  George  J.,  of  Pennsylvania; 
John  H.,  who  also  resides  at  Lincoln  Centre;  Frankhn  P.,  of  this  review; 
Thomas  M.  and  Hiram  B. ;  Mary,  who  married  J.  D.  Miller ;  Ella,  widow  of 
Rev.  J.  K.  Miller ;  Alice,  who  married  Samuel  Wait,  and  Henrietta,  who  died 
in  infancy.  Mr.  Lonberger  married  for  his  second  wife  Mary  Flory,  by 
whom  he  has  had  three  children :  Oscar,  of  Pennsylvania ;  Elizabeth,  widow 
of  Robert  Murray,  and  Fanny,  who  died  in  infancy.  The  father  is  a  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead,  w^here  his  birth  occurred. 
Li  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  a  worthy  and  valued  citizen,  who  enjoys 
the  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 

Franklin  P.  Lonberger  was  reared  under  the  parental  roof,  and  was  early 
trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy.  He  began  work  in  the  fields  as  soon 
as  old  enough  to  handle  the  plow.  Through  the  winter  months  he  pursued  his 
education  in  the  public  schools,  and  later  he  attended  an  academy  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. At  an  early  age  he  began  teaching,  being  thus  employed  in  Pennsylvania 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  The  year  1876  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Kansas, 
at  which  time  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Doniphan  county,  where  he  successfully 
engaged  in  teaching,  becoming  one  of  the  most  popular  educators  of  this  local- 
ity. For  some  time  he  engaged  in  farming  in  Wolf  River  township,  Doniphan 
county,  and  in  1887  came  to  Willis  and  began  dealing  in  grain  and  stock. 
Gradually  his  business  has  grown,  and  year  by  year  his  capital  has  been  aug- 
mented. He  is  the  owner  of  a  splendidly  equipped  elevator  plant  and  handles 
a  large  quantity  of  grain,  having  sold  three  hundred  thousand  bushels  in  a  sea- 
son. He  has  applied  himself  diligently  to  his  business,  and  his  fair  and  honor- 
able dealings  have  secured  to  him  the  confidence  of  his  patrons,  and  thereby 
he  has  won  their  business  support. 

Mr.  Lonberger  was  married  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  in  1880,  to  Miss 
Myra  F.  Devine,  a  daughter  of  Charles  N.  and  A.  J.  (Davidson)  Devine,  of 
Doniphan  county,  where  Mrs.  Lonberger  was  born.  By  her  marriage  she  has 
become  the  mother  of  five  children,  namely:  Carrie  E.,  George  Noble,  Kitty 
A.,  Frank  M.  and  Winifred.  Mr.  Lonberger  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  does  all  in 
his  power  to  promote  the  interests  of  his  party  and  secure  the  election  of  his 
friends.    He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  village  council,  yet  has  never  been 

16 


2  50  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

an  active  politician  in  the  sense  of  ottice-seeking.  He  keeps  well  informed  on 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  both  politically  and  otlierwise,  and  is  a 
valued  member  of  the  jSIodern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
genial  and  companionable  of  men,  and  very  popular  with  all  classes.  His  suc- 
cess is  well  mcriteil,  having  been  the  outcome  of  earnest  and  continued 
endeavor,  guided  by  sound  judgment. 


PATRICK  BYRNE. 


For  tliirty  years  Mr.  Byrne  has  been  a  resident  of  Nemaha  county  and  has 
been  identified  with  its  progress,  particularly  along  agricultural  and  stock 
raising  lines.  He  now  makes  his  home  on  section  30.  Nemaha  township, 
where  he  owns  a  valuable  property  that  has  been  acquired  entirely  through  his 
own  labors.  A  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  he  was  born  on  the  22d  of  April, 
1841,  and  was  only  eleven  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  America  with  his 
parents,  Michael  and  Margaret  (Dotherty)  Byrne.  They,  too.  were  natives 
of  the  same  locality  and  on  crossing  the  Atlantic  they  took  up  their  residence 
sixty  miles  southwest  of  St.  Louis  in  \\'ashington  county,  Missouri.  The 
father  died  there  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years  and  the  mother's  death  occurred 
in  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  when  she  had  reached  the  age  of  si.xty-seven  years. 
In  their  family  were  seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living. 

Patrick  Byrne,  the  eldest  son,  was  reared  in  Washington  county,  Mis- 
souri, between  the  ages  of  eleven  and  twenty  years.  He  then  left  the  parental 
home  and  began  work  in  the  employ  of  the  government  in  St.  Louis.  Sub- 
sequently he  went  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  spent  three  years  as  an  employe 
of  the  gas  works  of  that  city,  after  which  he  returned  to  Wyoming,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  1870, — the  year  of  his  arrival  in  Nemaha  county.  Here 
he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  James  Taylor.  There  were  no  improvements 
upon  it  at  the  time  and  the  substantial  buildings  which  now  adorn  the  place 
stand  as  monuments  to  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  present  owner.  The 
well  kept  fences  divide  the  farm  into  fields  of  convenient  size  and  an  orchard 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy  trees,  all  planted  by  Mr.  Byrne,  yields  its  fruits 
in  season,  and  not  only  furnish  many  a  delicacy  for  the  table  but  also  add 
materially  to  his  income.  His  first  house  was  a  small  building,  but  he  has  added 
to  it  until  he  now  has  a  very  comfortable  and  commodious  residence  of  eight 
rooms.  Good  barns  and  other  outbuildings  add  to  the  value  and  attractive 
appearance  of  the  place  and  in  extent  his  farm  is  eight  hundred  acres,  for.  as 
his  financial  resources  increased,  he  has  enlarged  its  boundaries  tmtil  it  now 
comprises  considerably  more  than  a  section  of  land.     He  makes  a  specialty  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.        251 

feeding  stock,  the  rich  meadows  furnishing-  excellent  pasturage  for  success- 
fully conducting  such  a  business.  He  now  has  over  one  hundred  head  of  cattle 
upon  his  farm  and  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  hogs  and  annually  ships 
three  car-loads  of  cattle. 

In  1873  Mr.  Byrne  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Annie  Glynn,  who  was 
born  in  England  and  is  of  Irish  lineage.  She  was  not  two  years  of  age  when 
she  was  brought  to  America.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother 
of  thirteen  children:  Mary  Ellen,  the  wife  of  Louis  W'enzell,  a  prominent 
farmer;  Agnes,  the  wife  of  Ed  Koegan,  of  Clear  Creek  township.  Nemaha 
county;  Tresse,  the  wife  of  Pat  Bynam.  an  employee  of  the  Northwestern  Rail- 
road Company;  Michael,  deceased;  Margaret:  Frank:  Elizabeth;  William; 
Rosa  May,  deceased  ;  Cora  and  Alice,  twins :  Thomas,  deceased :  and  Johnnie. 
All  were  born  on  the  farm  whichi-  is  now  the  home  of  the  parents.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Byrne  are  prominent  members  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  at  St.  Ben- 
edict and  contributed  liberally  to  the  building  fund  at  the  time  of  the  erection 
of  the  large  church  edifice  in  which  the  congregation  now  worship.  Mr.  Byrne 
is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  views,  but  is  not  active  in  the  work  of  the  party, 
preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  the  further  development  and  cultivation 
of  the  home  farm,  wherefrom  he  secures  a  good  income. 


JONATHAN  MARKLEY. 

Upon  one  of  the  well-improved  farms  of  Oilman  township.  Nemaha 
county,  Jonathan  Markley  makes  his  home.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  April  21, 
1847,  ^^^  ^t  the  age  of  eight  years  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
to  Iowa.  Two  years  later  the  family  located  in  Nemaha  county.  The  father, 
Thomas  Markley,  was  numbered  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this  section  of 
the  state  and  was  identified  with  its  agricultural  pursuits  until  he  had  attained 
a  ripe  old  age,  when  his  life's  labors  were  ended.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Henderson,  was  born  in  Ohio  and  also  died  in  Nemaha 
county.  In  their  family  were  four  children,  namely  :  Jonathan,  James,  Lavina 
and  Jacob,  but  the  daughter  is  now  deceased. 

Amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  frontier  Jonathan  Markley  was  reared,  early 
becoming  familiar  with  the  hardships,  labors  and  experiences  which  fall  to  the 
lot  of  the  pioneer  settlers.  He  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  new 
land  and  transforming  the  uncultivated  prairie  into  fertile  fields.  With  his 
parents  he  continued  until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  July  3.  1862,  Miss 
Jane  Neil  becoming  his  wife.  She  was  born  in  Missouri  February  2,  1853, 
and  when  five  years  of  age  was  brought  to  Kansas  by  her  parents,  Daniel  and 


2  52  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Nancy  (Edward)  Neil.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  throughout 
his  business  career  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  his  death  occurring  in 
Nemaha  county  in  1892.  His  wife  was  born  in  Indiana,  where  she  was  reared 
and  married.  She  became  the  mother  of  seven  children,  namely :  William, 
John,  Mary,  Lidia,  Catherine,  Daniel  and  Jane. 

Leaving  Nemaha  county  Mr.  Markley  removed  to  Graham  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  entered  a  claim  and  carried  on  farming  for  four  years,  but  in 
1 88 1  he  returned  to  this  county  and  established  his  present  home  on  section 
27,  Oilman  township.  Here  he  now  has  a  farm  of  fifty  acres  and  is  accounted 
one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  the  community.  He  has  known  what  hard- 
ships and  trials  mean,  however,  for  in  the  early  days  of  civilization  the  family 
was  forced  to  subsist  on  corn  bread  for  a  year,  for  the  grasshoppers  destroyed 
their  crops.  He  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Democracy.  In  manner  he 
is  quiet  and  unostentatious,  but  is  genial  and  companionable,  and  his  life  has 
been  so  ordered  that  his  influence  has  told  for  good  in  the  community  where 
he  has  long  resided. 


!  CLEMENS  BLOCKER. 

While  "the  race  is  not  always  to  the  swift  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong," 
the  invariable  law  of  destiny  has  accorded  to  tireless  energy,  industry  and 
ability  a  successful  career.  The  truth  of  this  assertion  is  abundantly  verified 
in  the  life  of  Mr.  Blocker,  an  enterprising  farmer  and  postmaster  at  St.  Bene- 
dict. A  native  of  Germany,  he  was  born  in  Oldenburg  on  the  14th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1852,  his  parents  being  Francis  Joseph  and  Mary  Agnes  (Klosterman) 
Blocker.  They,  too,  were  natives  of  Germany  and  the  mother  died  in  that 
country.  The  father,  however,  came  to  America  about  1882,  making  his  way 
direct  to  Nemaha  county,  where  he  died  the  same  year  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
six  years. 

Clemens  Blocker  is  the  thirteenth  in  order  of  birth  in  his  family  of  four- 
teen children,  but  only  three  are  now  living.  He  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth 
in  the  land  of  his  nativity  and  in  1870  sailed  to  the  new  world,  coming  at 
once  to  Kansas.  He  began  work  for  his  brother  in  a  general  store  in  Seneca, 
remaining  with  him  for  two  years,  after  which  he  went  to  Dubuque  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month  for  a  year.  Sub- 
sequently he  conducted  a  saloon  in  that  county  for  about  nine  months  and 
then  sold  out.  Wishing  to  gain  a  better  education  than  had  hitherto  been 
accorded  him,  he  attended  school  and  prepared  himself  for  teaching,  which 
profession  he  followed  for  three  years  in  Delaware  county,  Iowa,  and  for  four 
years  in  Dubuque  county.     In  1884  he  returned  to  Nemaha  county  and  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         253 

made  the  first  postmaster  at  St.  Benedict.  He  afterward  established  a  httle 
store  tliere  and  carried  on  general  merchandising,  constantly  enlarging  his- 
stock  to  meet  the  growing  demands  of  his  trade.  He  carried  a  stock  valued  at 
seven  thousand  dollars  and  for  a  number  of  years  enjoyed  a  very  liberal  patron- 
age. In  1897,  however,  he  sold  his  store  in  order  to  give  his  attention  more 
exclusively  to  farming.  In  1893  he  purchased  sixty  acres  of  land  and  in  1899 
bought  an  additional  tract  of  forty  acres.  The  greater  part  of  this  lies  within 
the  village  limits  of  St.  Benedict:  in  fact  Mr,  Blocker  owned  the  town  site  and 
still  has  in  his  possession  most  of  the  property  of  the  village.  He  has  erected 
a  number  of  residences  there  and  has  contributed  more  largely  than  any  one 
else  to  the  substantial  improvement  and  upbuilding  of  the  place.  In  connection 
with  his  farming  interests  he  is  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  fine  stock,  making 
a  specialty  of  red  polled  cattle. 

On  the  19th  of  September,  1883,  in  Iowa,  Mr.  Blocker  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Anna  Hoefler,  a  native  of  Dubuque  county.  They  now  ha\e 
five  children :  Clara  Dora.  Anna  Ahnes.  Mary  Katherina,  Clemens  John  and 
Veronica  Frederick.  All  were  born  in  St.  Benedict  and  the  parents  and  chil- 
dren attend  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church.  In  the  business  affairs  of  life  Mr. 
Blocker  has  won  creditable  success,  his  energy  instead  of  fortune  sustaining 
him  in  the  commencement  of  his  business  career.  His  well  directed  efiforts 
brought  to  him  a  handsome  pecuniary  reward  and  an  upright,  honorable  life 
has  gained  to  Ixm  the  warm  regard  of  an  extensive  circle  of  friends.  - 


HERMAN  MENGWASSER. 

Herman  Mengwasser,  the  rector  of  the  Catholic  church  of  St.  Benedict. 
Kansas,  was  born  in  Weckhoven  on  the  Rhine,  in  Germany,  November  13. 
1855.  His  father,  John  Mengwasser,  was  a  native  of  the  same  locality  and  was 
a  farmer  and  butcher.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years  and  his  grand- 
father, Peter  Mengwasser,  was  a  native  of  the  same  locality,  passing  away  at 
the  age  of  eighty-four  years,  while  the  great-grandfather,  Henry  Mengwasser, 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Adelheid  Kueven  and  was  a  native  of  the  village  of  Holzheim.  Ger- 
many. She  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years  and  her  father,  John  Peter  Kueven, 
passed  away  when  eighty-fi\e  years  of  age. 

The  Rev.  Herman  Mengwasser  is  the  seventh  of  the  family  of  tiiirteen 
children.  He  pursued  his  preliminary  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
land  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  after  which  he  spent  a  year  at  work  and  then 
entered  the  College  of  Neuss,  where  he  graduated  in  1877.     Subsequently  he 


254  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

matriculated  in  the  University  of  Louvain,  in  Belgium,  where  he  spent  a  year, 
after  which  he  came  to  America,  in  February,  1878.  He  then  joined  th?  order 
of  St.  Benedict  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  devoted  the  next  five  years  of  his  life 
to  study.  On  the  31st  of  July,  1883,  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  by 
Bishop  Fink,  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  was  a  professor  in  Atchison  Col- 
lege until  1888,  when  he  was  appointed  the  pastor  of  St.  Peter's  Catholic 
church,  in  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  There  he  remained  until  1890,  when  he  went 
to  Europe,  spending  seven  months  abroad.  In  1891  he  became  the  business 
manager  of  St.  Benedict  College,  in  Atchison,  and  in  July,  1892,  was  appointed 
the  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  church  at  St.  Benedict,  where  he  has  now  been  located 
for  eight  years.  His  labors  have  been  very  effective,  resulting  in  the  steady 
growth  and  improvement  of  the  church,  and  he  has  greatly  endeared  himself 
to  bis  people,  to  whom  he  is  indeed  and  in  truth  a  father. 


FRANKLIN  EVANS. 


On  the  roll  of  the  "boys  in  blue"  who  fought  for  the  preservation  of  the 
Union  and  kept  the  country  intact  appears  the  name  of  Franklin  Evans.  He 
is  now  a  well-known  resident  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  where  he 
has  resided  since  1878.  He  was  born  in  Pike  county.  Indiana,  on  the  22d  of 
June,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Dennis  Evans,  whose  birth  occurred  in  France.  The 
father  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  land  of  his  nativity  and  when  a  young 
man  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world,  taking  up  his  abode  in  the  Hoosier 
state.  He  was  married,  in  Evansville,  Pike  county,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  to 
Julia  Grisson,  a  native  of  Gibson  county,  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Thomas  and  Polly  (Vinn)  Grisson,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Indiana 
and  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  began  their  domestic  life  in  Pike 
county,  where  the  father  died  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-three  years,  leaving 
his  widow  and  one  son,  Franklin,  their  only  child.  In  politics  Mr.  Evans  was 
a  Whig. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  and  educated  in  Indiana  and  Illi- 
nois. During  his  youth  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  in  those  states  and  was 
trained  to  habits  of  industry,  economy  and  honesty,  and  these  have  proved 
important  factors  in  his  successful  career  in  later  life.  The  educational  priv- 
ileges which  he  received  in  the  common  schools  were  greatly  supplemented 
by  lessons  learned  in  the  schools  of  experience.  For  some  years  he  resided  in 
Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  and  when  President  Lincoln  issued  his  call  for 
three  hundred  thousand  men  he  offered  his  services  to  the  Union,  enlisting  in 
August,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         255 

Illinois  Infantry.  He  served  with  that  command  for  eighteen  months,  during 
which  time  he  underwent  many  sufferings.  He  was  ill  with  fe\er  and  rheu- 
matism, hearing  and  eyesight  were  greatly  affected  and  indeed  so  serious  was 
the  trouble  with  his  eyes  that  some  years  ago  he  lost  his  eyesight  entirely  and 
has  since  been  totally  blind.  Such  were  some  of  the  great  sacrifices  which  the 
soldier  made  in  order  'to  defend  the  Union,  and  their  names  should  ever  be 
engraved  on  the  pages  of  history  and  the  country  should  ever  be  mindful  of 
the  debt  of  gratitude  which  it  owes  to  them. 

For  some  years  after  the  war  Mr.  Evans  resided  in  Logan  county.  Illi- 
nois. In  1870  he  married  Ellen  Whittaker,  a  lady  of  intelligence  and  culture, 
who  has  been  to  him  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmeet  through  many  years. 
She  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  spent  her  girlhood  in  Mason  and  Tazewell  counties 
in  Illinois,  there  obtaining  her  education.  Her  parents  were  Samuel  and  Ann 
(Tettle)  Whittaker.  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio.  They  had  a  family 
of  four  children,  of  whom  two  are  living :  Charles,  now  a  resident  of  Mason 
county,  Illinois,  and  Mrs.  Evans,  of  this  review. 

In  1878  Mr.  Evans  left  Illinois  and  came  to  Brown  county.  Kansas,  w  here 
he  now  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  which  is  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  and  is  improved  with  all  modern  conveniences  and  accessories. 
Rich  meadow  lands  and  well-tilled  fields,  a  good  residence,  substantial  barns 
and  outbuildinp-s  and  an  orchard  add  to  the  value  and  attractive  appearance  of 
the  place  and  stand  in  exemplification  of  the  fact  that  the  owner  is  a  proeressive 
and  enterprising  agriculturist.  The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  had  been 
blessed  w^th  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely :  Hattie, 
Leatha,  Jackson,  Bessie,  Sherman,  Alta.  Nettie,  Gladys  and  Elmer.  Those 
deceased  are  Julia  A.,  who  died  in  1871 ;  Maud,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years ;  and  Beulah,  who  died  when  seven  weeks  old. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Evans  is  a  Republican,  having  been  a  stanch 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  that  partv  since  attaining  his  majority.  He  has, 
however,  never  sought  or  desired  public  preferment.  Socially  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Grand  Army  post,  of  Hiawatha,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Evangelical  church.  Frank  and  genial  in  manner,  he  is  a  progressive  citi- 
zen and  an  honest  man  whom  to  know  is  to  respect  and  honor. 


JOHN  ECKEL. 


Among  the  farmers  of  Nemaha  county  whose  enterprising  efforts  have 
enabled  them  to  reach  the  goal  of  prosperity  is  John  Eckel,  who  resides  on 
section  6,  Richmond  township,  and  who  has  been  a  resident  of  this  locality 


256  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

for  thirty  years.  He  was  born  in  Vejvanov,  Germany,  October  5.  1845,  ^""^^ 
there  spent  his  boyhood  days,  devoting  his  energies  to  mining  and  the  study 
of  music.  In  1869  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  America,  liaving 
received  very  favorable  reports  of  the  privileges  and  advantages  there  afforded 
young  men.  Accordingly  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  after  three  months 
passed  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  he  came  to  Nemaha  county,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  His  capital  was  very  limited  at  the  time  and  that  his  career 
has  been  one  of  industry  and  enterprise  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  is  tn-day 
the  possessor  of  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  seventeen  acres,  which  is  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  yields  to  him  rich  returns  for  his  labor. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  1871,  Mr.  Eckel  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Seneca, 
Kansas,  to  Miss  Josephine  Hangel,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  America 
in  1869.  They  have  four  children:  Mary,  the  wife  of  Henry  Fangman,  of 
Nemaha  township,  Sophia.  Frank  and  Joe, — all  natives  of  this  locality.  Mr. 
Eckel  and  his  family  attend  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  at  St.  Benedict  and  he 
has  aided  in  building  the  house  of  worship  and  other  church  institutions  at 
that  place.  His  life  has  been  quietly  passed,  yet  he  manifests  in  his  career 
those  sterling  qualities  which  everywhere  command  the  respect  of  all. 


HENRY  S.  ADAMS. 


Henry  S.  Adams  is  one  of  our  well  known,  intelligent  and  enterprising 
citizens  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  who  during  the  civil  war  loyally 
aided  in  defense  of  the  Union,  and  since  that  time,  through  days  of  peace,  he 
has  been  most  earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  all  measures  that  he  believes  calcu- 
lated to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  county,  state  and  nation.  He  was  born  in 
Parke  county,  Indiana,  May  2.  1836.  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  Adams,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Pulaski  county.  Kentucky,  on  the  14th  of  February,  1809, 
and  was  raised  in  Rockcastle  county.  Kentucky.  The  Adams  family  is  of 
English  lineage  and  was  foimded  in  America  in  early  colonial  clays  by  ances- 
tors who  settled  at  or  near  Jamestown.  Virginia.  The  members  of  the 
family  were  Whigs  and  loyal  patriots  who  suffered  much  at  the  hands  of  the 
Tories  during  the  time  of  the  Revolution. 

The  grandfather,  William  Adams,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee.  Daniel 
Adams,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared  in  Rockcastle  county,  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  remained  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  at  which  time  he 
removed  to  Parke  county,  Indiana,  to  work  on  the  National  pike  which  was 
lacing  built  from  Washington.  D.  C.,  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He  was  married, 
in  July,  1835,  i"  Parke  county,  to  Miss  Mary  Beauchamp,  whose  birth  oc- 


0   lX.c^^L<i^^^^<£^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  257 

curred  in  or  near  Richmond,  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  September  8.  18 17. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Beauchamp,  who  was  born  on  tlie  eastern 
Maryland  shore,  September  6,  1776.  His  ancestors  came  originally  from 
France  and  first  settled  on  the  east  shore  of  Maryland,  and  later  moved  to 
Guilford,  North  Carolina.  Henry  Beauchamp  married  Miss  Catherine  Mc- 
Lain.  who  was  born  in  Cumberland  county  September  16,  1784,  and  died 
October  24,  1866,  at  Andrews,  Indiana.     Her  parents  were  Scotch. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  February  14.  1809,  and  died  at  Kappa, 
Howard  county,  Indiana,  on  July  19,  1898. 

He  had  made  farming  his  life  work;  in  politics  was  a  Democrat  and  in 
religious  belief  was  a  Baptist.  His  wife  passed  away  April  2,  1847,  leaving  a 
family  of  four  children,  the  eldest  I^eing  Henry  S.,  of  this  review.  The  sec- 
ond is  Phoebe,  wife  of  G.  W.  Davis,  of  Baker,  Kansas :  J.  H.  is  a  resident  of 
Powhattan,  Kansas,  where  he  has  served  as  postmaster  and  during  the  civil 
war  he  was  among  the  boys  in  blue ;  and  John  O.  was  also  one  of  the  honored 
veterans  of  the  civil  war  who  served  with  the  Fourth  Indiana  Cavalry  and  died 
several  years  ago,  in  Huntington  county,  Indiana,  leaving  a  widow  and  two 
children.  After  the  death  of  the  mother  of  this  family  the  father  married 
Indiana  Hart,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters,  namely :  Mrs.  Elizabeth  House,  deceased  ;  Thomas,  who  is  living 
in  Polk  county,  Iowa;  Mrs.  Harry  Vernon,  of  Cass  county,  Indiana;  Mrs, 
Orinda  Griffith,  of  Kappa,  Howard  county.  Indiana;  and  Wesley,  deceased. 

Henry  S.  Adams  ,  of  this  review,  spent  his  early  life  in  Parke,  Hunting- 
ton and  Cass  counties,  of  Indiana,  and  soon  became  familiar  with  the  duties 
and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  worked  in  the  fields 
through  the  summer  months  and  in  the  winter  season  pursued  his  education 
in  the  public  schools.  In  1855  he  removed  to  Clarke  county,  Iowa,  and  in 
1857  went  to  Leavenworth.  Kansas,  where  he  secured  a  situation  as  driver  of 
a  government  team  in  the  ser\-ice  of  Levi  \\'ilson  and  Col.  Joe  Johnston. 
This  was  engaged  in  making  transfers  for  the  government  and  belonged  to 
the  government  supply  train.  Colonel  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  and  Colonel 
Canby  were  with  the  train.  Our  subject  drove  a  six-mule  team  across  the 
plains  on  the  way  to  Salt  Lake.  They  spent  the  winter  at  Fort  Bridger  and 
experienced  considerable  difficulty  in  making  the  journey.  Their  rations  were 
rather  scanty,  consisting  of  ten  ounces  of  flour  and  rice  and  no  salt.  A  tough 
old  oxen  would  furnish  beef,  but  the  meat  did  not  prove  very  nutritious,  owing 
to  the  age  of  the  animal.  On  the  return  trip  the  government  team  brought  back 
the  baggage.  The  men  purchased  ponies  and  thus  rode  back  to  Leavenworth. 
Kansas.  On  the  ist  of  September,  1858,  Mr.  Adams  was  discharged  from 
the  government  employ  and  returned  to  Indiana.  During  the  civil  war, 
however,  he  responded  to  the  call  for  troops,  enlisting  on  the  24th  of  October, 


2  58  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

1861.  as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Forty-seventh  Indiana  Infantry,  under 
command  of  Captain  Wintrode.  He  serve  for  three  years  and  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Champion  Hills,  where  he  was  wounded  in  May,  1863,  a  minie 
ball  striking  his  right  eye  and  destroying  it.  He  was  also  taken  prisoner,  but 
was  paroled  by  General  Joe  Johnston.  After  remaining  in  a  St.  Louis  hospi- 
tal for  a  time  he  was  sent  to  a  parole  camp  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  where  he 
had  charge  of  a  ward  for  several  months.  After  a  long  and  faithful  service 
of  three  years  and  six  weeks  he  was  honoraby  discharged  with  the  rank  of 
corporal. 

Mr.  Adams  then  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Indiana.  On  the  nth  of 
March,  i860,  prior  to  the  war,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Small,  a  lady 
of  good  family,  who  has  been  to  him  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  on 
life's  journey  for  forty  years.  She  was  born  at  Jonesborough.  Grant  county, 
Indiana.  December  13,  1842.  Her  father  was  Jonas  B.  Small,  born  near 
Newport,  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  February  18,  1822,  died  near  Antioch 
(now  Andrews),  Huntington  county,  Indiana,  March  22,  1863.  Her  mother, 
Matilda  (Beauchamp)  Small,  was  born  near  Dublin,  Wayne  county,  Indiana, 
October  17.  1824,  and  died  near  Andrews,  Indiana,  January  17,  1880.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Russ  Beauchamp.  who  resided  in  North  Carolina  and  was  of 
Quaker  faith.  ^Irs.  Adams'  maternal  grandmother  was  Hannah  (Lamb) 
Beauchamp.  daughter  of  Josiah  and  Namon  (Underbill)  Lamb,  of  New- 
castle. Indiana.  The  paternal  grandfather  was  Joshua  Small,  born  in  Pas- 
quotank county.  North  Carolina,  March  3,  1797,  and  died  at  Jonesborough, 
Grant  county.  Indiana,  April  2t,,  1861.  He  married  Jane  Bowen,  who  was 
born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  September  22,  1803,  and  died  in  Dallas 
count}',  Iowa,  November  29,  1858.  The  great-grandfather  of  Mrs.  Adams 
was  Joseph  Small,  born  in  Pasquotank  county.  North  Carolina.  April  26, 
1767,  and  died  in  Highland  county,  Ohio,  August  28,  1814.  He  married 
Clarkey  Parisho,  who  lived  to  an  advanced  age  and  died  in  Grant  county, 
Indiana.  The  great-great-grandfather  was  Obediah  Small,  of  Welsh  de- 
scent, who  married  Lydia  Bundy.  They  lived  in  Pasquotank  county.  North 
Carolina,  where  all  his  children  were  born.  Nothing  further  of  his  life  is 
known  by  his  descendants.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Adams  died  at  the  age  of 
forty-one  years,  leaving  seven  children,  namely :  Mrs.  Mary  Adams ;  Mrs. 
Hannah  Rayl,  deceased;  Rev.  Curtis  B.,  a  minister  of  the  gospel  of  the 
United  Brethren  church  and  a  \eteran  of  the  Civil  war,  who  served  with  the 
One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Indiana  Infantry,  and  is  now  living  at  Farm- 
land, Indiana;  William  P..  of  Andrews.  Indiana;  Mrs.  Melissa  Sheidler,  of 
Smith  county,  Kansas;  and  Luther,  of  Denver,  Colorado.  The  mother  of 
this  family  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years,  surviving  her  husband  for  some 
time.     During  his  business  career  James  Small  followed  merchandising  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  259 

milling.     In  politics  he  was  a  Republican  and  in  religious  faith  in  early  life 
was  a  Quaker,  but  later  joined  the  United  Brethren  church. 

In  1865  Mr.  Adams,  of  this  review,  removed  with  his  familv  to  Dallas 
county.  Iowa,  taking  up  his  abode  near  Adeil,  where  he  remained  for  four 
years,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  establishing  his  home  in  Doniphan  county. 
Later  he  journeyed  southward  in  a  "prairie  schooner"  to  Texas,  but  retraced 
his  steps  as  far  as  the  Indian  territory,  and  there  spent  one  year  in  the  Creek 
Nation  reservation.  In  1871  he  returned  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years  when  he  went  to  Jewell  county,  this  state, 
and  secured  a  claim,  upon  which  he  made  his  home  for  three  years.  He  at 
one  time  went  on  a  prospecting  tour  through  Arkansas  and  ]\Iissouri,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Doniphan  county  and  the  following  year  came  to  his 
present  farm  in  Mission  township.  Brown  county.  Here  he  has  one  hundred 
and  eighty-six  acres  of  good  land,  the  place  being  transformed  into  rich  and 
fertile  fields.  He  has  also  a  good  residence,  substantial  barn,  verdant  pastures, 
an  orchard  and  a  grove.  E\-erything  about  the  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in 
appearance  and  indicates  the  careful  supervision  of  a  progressive  and  practi- 
cal agriculturist.  This  home  is  pleasantly  situated  about  two  miles  from  Pow- 
hattan,  and  in  addition  to  this  property  Mr.  Adams  owns  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  in  Sherman  county,  Kansas.  He  and  his  wife  have  a  fam- 
ily of  five  children  who  are  still  living,  namely :  Olive  May.  wife  of  J.  B. 
McConnell,  of  Wheeling.  West  Virginia;  Daniel,  who  married  Amanda 
McCrery,  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  Kansas;  Anna,  wife  of  Nel- 
son Walters,  of  Mission  township;  Alvin  L.,  who  married  Miss  Grace  Bogue, 
the  same  township;  and  J.  H.,  who  married  Miss  Susie  Van  \'leit.  wb.o  is  liv- 
ing on  the  home  farm.  They  also  lost  two  children:  Mai  tin  L.,  who  was 
born  in  June,  1861,  and  died  August  13,  1885;  and  Mary  Matilda,  who  was 
the  wife  of  William  Beauchamp,  and  died  in  Mission  township,  in  1895. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Adams  is  a  Republican  who  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  issues  of  the  day  and  gives  an  earnest  and  effective  support  to  the  party. 
He  has  served  as  township  treasurer  and  was  postmaster  at  Emitt  when  there 
was  an  office  there.  His  life  is  actuated  by  honorable  principles  and  by  fidel- 
ity to  every  duty.  He  is  an  intelligent,  well-read,  affable  and  genial  farmer, 
recognized  as  one  of  the  popular  citizens  of  his  township  and  county. 


THOMAS  DAVIS. 


An  honorable  military  record,  as  well  as  a  creditable  career  in  private 
life,  has  made  Mr.  Davis  well  worthy  of  representation  in  the  history  of  his 
adopted  state.     Born  in  Wyoming  county,   Pennsylvania,    on    the   nth  of 


26o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

August,  1846,  he  is  a  son  of  Adolph  Davis,  who  also  was  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  state.  His  people,  however,  were  natives  of  New  York  and  were 
of  Welsh  descent.  Adolph  Davis  became  an  attorney  of  marked  ability, 
and  was  well  informed  not  only  on  matters  of  the  law,  but  on  all  questions 
of  general  interest.  He  made  his  home  upon  a  farm  during  the  greater  part 
of  his  life,  and  in  early  manhood  he  married  Miss  Sallie  Ellis,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of  Jesse  Ellis.  They  had  one  child,  the  subject 
of  this  review.  The  father  died  in  the  prime  of  life  and  the  mother  after- 
ward married  a  Mr.  Baker,  by  whom  she  had  eight  children. 

Thomas  Davis  was  reared  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  in  its  public 
schools  acquired  his  preliminar}'  education,  which  was  supplemented  by  study  in 
the  high  school  and  academy  at  Montrose.  Susquehanna  county.  Pennsylvania. 
When  only  seventeen  years  of  age  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid, 
and,  joining  the  "blue,"  went  to  the  front  in  March,  1864.  as  a  member  of 
Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, under  the  command  of  Captain  John  L.  Guile.  His  first  active  ex- 
perience on  the  field  was  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  on  the  5th,  6th  and 
7th  of  May,  1864.  It  was  one  of  the  most  hotly-contested  engagements  of 
the  war,  and  the  losses  on  both  sides  were  very  heavy.  Two  days  later  he 
participated  in  the  engagement  of  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  where  th« 
Union  loss  was  again  terrible.  He  was  there  wounded  by  a  grape  shot, 
which  pierced  the  elbow  of  his  left  arm  and  almost  tore  away  the  lower  part 
of  that  member.  On  account  of  injuries  he  was  sent  to  Harwood  Hospital, 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  subsequently  was  transferred  to  the  hospital  in 
Little  York,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  until  honorably  discharged 
from  service,  on  the  23d  of  December,  1864.  He  returned  to  \\'yoming 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  subsequently  was  a  student  of  Montrose. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1869,  Mr.  Davis  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Jennie  O.  Crawford,  who  was  born  in  Wyoming  county,  Pennsylvania, 
and  has  proved  to  her  husband  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmeet  on  life's 
journey.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  Crawford,  who  had  two  brothers  in 
the  Civil  war,  Charles  having  laid  down  his  Hfe  on  the  altar  of  his  country, 
while  Alpheus  lost  his  right  arm  during  the  war.  John  Crawford  married 
Miss  Orinda  Harvey,  who  was  born  in  the  Empire  state,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  eight  children:  Wesley,  Schuyler,  Mrs.  Davis,  Rosetta, 
Betsy.  Allen.  Esther  and  Lucia.  The  father  died  in  Wyoming  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  the 
same  county  when  she  had  reached  the  psalmist's  age  of  three-score  years 
and  ten. 

Thomas  Davis  and  his  family  removed  to  Smith  county,  Kansas,  in 
1880,  locating  in  Smith  Center,  where  they  lived  ten  years.     In   1890  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  261 

went  to  Superior,  Nebraska,  where  he  remained  until  1892,  wlien  he  went 
with  his  family  to  Logan  county,  taking  up  a  homestead  at  Russell  Springs, 
where  they  remained  until  1896.  They  then  came  to  Willis  and  have  since 
been  esteemed  residents  of  this  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  have  four  living 
children  and  one  deceased,  namely:  Mary,  the  wife  of  Gilbert  Torsen,  of 
Kansas  City,  Kansas;  Emma,  the  wife  of  J.  D.  Massman,  of  Smith  Center, 
Kansas;  Ida,  the  deceased  wife  of  William  Peck,  of  Smith  Center;  Charles, 
who  is  living  in  Wyoming;  and  John  J.,  attending  school. 

Mr.  Davis  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  and 
socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  attend  the  services  of  the  Methodist  church,  of  which  she  is  a  member, 
and  in  Willis  they  have  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances.  Mr. 
Davis  is  a  man  of  broad  general  intelligence,  courteous  and  affable  in  man- 
ner, and  wherever  he  is  known  he  is  honorably  respected. 


WILLIAM  H.  BERTWELL. 

The  year  1857  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Bertwell  in  Brown  county, 
and  he  is  therefore  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  who  have  seen  the 
entire  growth  and  development  of  this  locality.  He  has  seen  wild  land 
transformed  into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  while  towns  and  villages  have 
sprung  up  with  all  the  industrial  interests  and  improvements  known  to  the 
older  East.  Mr.  Bertwell  has  taken  deep  pride  in  the  progress  of  the 
county,  has  borne  his  part  in  its  development,  and  has  aided  in  laying  broad 
and  deep  the  foundation  of  its  present  prosperity. 

A  native  of  New  Hampshire,  he  was  born  in  Carroll  county,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1843,  and  is  the  son  of  John  Bertwell,  a  native  of  England,  who  came 
with  his  parents  to  this  country  when  four  years  of  age.  He  was  reared 
in  the  old  Granite  state  and  was  one  of  a  family  of  seven  children,  namely : 
William  H.  Elizabeth,  John,  Eugene,  Alvin,  Fremont  and  Mary.  In  1855 
the  parents  emigrated  westward,  taking  up  their  abode  in  Howard  county, 
Iowa.  Two  years  later  they  removed  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  establishing 
a  home  in  Robinson  township,  but  subsequently  they  took  up  their  abode  in 
Doniphan  county.  They  were  among  the  pioneers  of  northeastern  Kansas 
and  experienced  the  usual  hardships,  trials  and  pleasures  of  frontier  life. 
During  the  Civil  war  the  father  joined  the  Thirteenth  Kansas  Infantry  and 
served  for  two  or  three  years.  He  was  wounded  by  a  saber  cut,  and  on  the 
expiration  of  his  term  he  returned  to  his  family  and  resumed  farming  opera- 


262  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

tions.  For  some  time  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  and  also  conducted 
a  mill  at  Crete.  Nebraska.  He  died  in  Oklahoma  at  the  age  of  si.xty-nine 
years,  and  was  buried  at  Pleasant  Hill,  where  his  wife  had  previously  been 
interred.  The  mother  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty-one.  Both  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  were  consistent  Christian  people. 

William  H.  Bertwell,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  a  lad  of 
thirteen  years  with  his  parents  left  Iowa  for  Kansas.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm,  per- 
forming such  tasks  as  usually  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  oldest  son  on  the  farm. 
Prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism  he,  too,  entered  the  country's  service  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war,  enlisting  on  the  i8th  of  November,  1861,  as  a  member  of 
Company  D,  Second  Kansas  Cavalry,  in  which  he  served  until  January  14, 
1865.  He  participated  in  a  large  number  of  important  engagements  and 
had  three  horses  killed  or  wounded,  but  he  escaped  uninjured  and  was  thus 
enabled  at  all  times  to  faithfully  perform  his  duty,  whether  in  the  midst  of 
battle  or  upon  the  picket  line.  After  the  war.  with  an  honorable  military 
record,  Mr.  Bertwell  returned  to  Brown  county,  in  1865,  and  in  1867  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Margaret  Eudora  Stites,  who  was  born  in  Ripley, 
Indiana,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  M.  and  Sarah  (Round)  Stites,  who 
came  to  Kansas  in  1859,  locating  in  Robinson,  Brown  county.  Mrs.  Stites 
died  in  1881,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years,  and  the  father,  surviving  her 
some  time,  passed  away  in  October,  1895,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
Their  family  numbered  six  children,  namely:  Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Bertwell; 
Henry  Franklin,  who  married  Florence  Van  Hook;  Eliza  Celestine,  who 
married  E.  Terrell;  Ezekiel  Foster,  who  married  Mollie  Perkey;  Martha 
Calista,  who  married  W.  Jensen;  and  Mary  J.,  who  married  E.  B.  Gatchell. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bertwell  has  been  blessed  with  four  children, 
who  are  yet  living,  namely:  D.  Lucinda,  the  wife  of  Ralph  Aichinger,  of 
Horton — had  two  children,  Ortho,  killed  by  train,  and  Dora;  Swift  Clar- 
ence, at  home;  Kate  Myrtle  and  Charles  Henry.  They  have  also  lost  four 
children,  namely:  Sarah,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  George  Al- 
bert, who  died  when  fourteen  months  old;  Enos  Franklin,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  two;  and  Olive  Belle,  who  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Wheeler  and 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  leaving  two  children.  Vera  and  George 
Henry  Wheeler,  who  reside  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bertwell. 

In  March,  1884,  Mr.  Bertwell  located  upon  his  present  farm  in  Mission 
township.  It  was  owned  by  James  Shortridge  until  his  purchase  and  com- 
prised one  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  of  rich  antl  arable  land,  conveniently 
located  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  Willis.  The  residence  is  a  model  one. 
having  been  erected  in  1891  at  a  cost  of  four  thousand  dollars.  There  are 
other  excellent  improvements   upon   the    place,    and    the    highly-cultivated 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         263 

fields  give  promise  of  golden  Iiarvests  and  indicate  the  energetic  labors  of  the 
owner      In  h.s  pohtical  views  Mr.  Bertwell  is  a  RepubHcan.  but  lias  never 
sought  or  des.red  the  honors  or  emokm.ents  of  public  office.     He  and  h 
w.fe  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church,  in  which  for    some    years    he    la 
served  as  deacon  and  trustee.     He  is  also  a  member  of  Horton  Post    G  T 

Ina  12'^T^T  ^"""'''  "^'""'  ^'  ^'^'  '^"'■"^^  °"  agricultural  pursuits 
and  has  found  no  mcent.ve  to  lead  other  than  an  honest  and  upright  life  ever 
regardn,g  honesty  as  the  best  policy.  His  straightforward  dealmgs  and  his 
close  apphcat.on  to  business  have  gained  him  a  comfortable  competence  and 
he  IS  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  his  communitv     ' 


JOHX  ELLIOTT. 

For  thirty-one  years  Mr.  Elliott  has  been  a  resident  of  Brown  county 
and  .s  therefore  numbered  among  its  early  settlers,  for  the  time  of  his  arrival 
was  at  the  pioneer  period  of  its  development.  He  was  born  in  Union 
county.  OH.o.  May  ..  1835.  his  father  being  John  Elliott,  Sr.  His  grand- 
ather.  Alex  Elhott.  was  of  Scotch  descent  and  a  soldier  in  the  ^^^r  of 
I«i2-i4,  who  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Union  county,  Ohio  He 
died  soon  after  his  removal  to  that  state,  being  the  first  white  man  buried  in 
f"  ""f'^'^^'-';-^-  .  J°'"^  Elliott.  Sr..  was  the  father  of  our  subject  and 
one  of  the  early  residents  of  Union  county  who  aided  in  its  early  improve- 

r  t'"o,  ''T"";-  ,  ""'  "'''"''  ^'''  ^°"'^^  ^^^-^'  ^  -^'ve  of  aarl 
county.   Olno.     Her   father  was  John   ^Vood,   who   was  one  of  the   Revo- 

e  tl^rin  olr'f  ^'"V'""";''  "'^^  ■"  ^'^  ^"-"^^'^  ^°^  independence,  and 
settled  m  Oh,o  from  Pennsylvania.     Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Elliott    Sr 
were  born  twelve  children,  five  sons  and  seven  daughters    namelv  ■     Will- 

Xi:  'i\  ;*^t'^;  ^r-  ''^"'^^  ''^''-^  ^-^"^^^  Minerva;'Luc!X 
n  ant       H  ^°^-=  '^°""'  "'°  ""^  '  "'''^^''  ^^  ^'^  Eighteenth  Ohio 

Infantry  dunng  the  Civil  war  and  served  with  General  BueL  Frank-  and 
Alfred,  who  died  m  childhood.  The  father  of  these  children  passed  w  y 
m  October.  1898  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  ninetv-one  years.  During  the 
ToTr  ;^;'^-'^'^"  "'^  '"^  ^"^'■^'^^    --^  ^--t-i    to    farming^    I, 

rat  o  'tirV'  ,  •'  """  '"  ''"°'"'°"  °'  ''''  ^'^'y'  -^-"  '-  i°--'  the 
A  imn  o    fi,       '  /  '"''■•     '"  "''^""^  '^^'■^^  '^^  ^^'^^  ^  Universalist. 

heahh  °jl.f".P^'--"^'.fPP--nce.  tall  and  straight,  and  possessed  good 
health.     His  widow  ,s  still  living,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years 

John  Elliott,   the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Union  countv 


264  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Ohio,  but  during  his  early  childhood  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  De  Kalb 
county,  Illinois,  where  the  family  made  a  settlement.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  and  during  his  youth  assisted  in  the  operation  of  the  home 
farm.  In  Union  county,  Ohio,  he  married  Miss  Clarissa  Ford,  a  daughter 
of  Lory  Ford,  and  a  lady  of  superior  intelligence  and  of  good  family.  Her 
father  was  born  in  Perry  county,  Ohio,  in  1811,  and  was  a  son  of  Chauncey 
Ford,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  was  one  of  three  brothers  who  removed 
from  the  Charter  Oak  state  to  Ohio  and  became  early  settlers  of  Perry 
county.  They  made  their  way  down  the  Ohio  river  in  a  canoe  and  then 
crossed  the  country  to  their  destination  in  a  rude  cart,  often  having  to  cut 
their  way  through  the  woods.  They  took  up  a  claim  in  the  wilderness  and 
built  a  log  cabin.  One  of  the  brothers  was  killed  by  the  Indians  while  they 
were  making  a  trip  to  the  market  to  secure  salt.  The  red  men  decoyed  him 
into  the  woods  by  imitating  the  call  of  a  wild  turkey  and  then  killed  him. 
The  son,  Chauncey  Ford,  resides  on  the  old  homestead. 

Lory  Ford,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Elliott,  was  reared  on  the  old  home  farm 
and  aided  in  the  arduous  task  of  clearing  it  for  cultivation.  He  wedded 
Miss  Helen  Miller,  who  was  born  in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ford  became 
the  parents  of  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  namely:  Philarua 
Smith,  a  resident  of  Ohio;  Mrs.  Elliott;  Minerva;  Mary,  who  is  living  in 
Tennessee;  Franklin,  of  Union  township,  Brown  county,  Kansas;  Chauncey, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Jennie  and  Lora,  who  are  living  in  Ohio;  John  Syl- 
vester, deceased;  and  Hyram  J.,  of  Mission  township.  The  mother  of  these 
children  died  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  but  Mr.  Ford  is  still 
living,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order  for  more  than  half  a  century. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elliott  were  born  eight  children :  Sylba  and 
Raymond  E.,  both  deceased;  Frank;  Ella;  Lou,  a  resident  of  Union  town- 
ship; Kittie,  the  wife  of  Adam  Robinson,  of  Union  township;  Millie,  who 
was  a  popular  and  successful  teacher,  but  is  now  the  wife  of  Charles  Gregg, 
of  Mission  township;  and  Ada,  wife  of  Robert  Yates,  of  Graham  county, 
Kansas.  Mrs.  Yates  had  also  taught  school  before  her  marriage.  Two  of 
the  children,  Ellsworth  and  Dale,  died  in  early  life.  The  mother  of  these 
children  died  February  15,  1899,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  She  was  an 
earnest  Christian  woman,  a  faithful  wife,  a  loving  mother  and  kind  friend. 
Her  death  was  the  greatest  blow  which  Mr.  Elliott  ever  received.  He  is  the 
owner  of  eighty  acres  of  fine  farming  land,  which  is  carefully  cultivated  and 
improved,  with  a  good  house  and  substantial  outbuildings.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town, 
being  highly  esteemed  for  his  sterling  worth. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         265 
MANASSAH   PARKS. 

In  the  death  of  Manassah  Parks,  in  1883,  Mission  township  and  Brown 
county  lost  one  of  their  vakied  and  representative  citizens.  He  was  born  in 
Ohio  in  1839  and  was  reared  in  Iowa,  his  father,  David  J.  Parks,  having 
removed  with  his  family  to  the  Hawkeye  state  at  an  early  period  in  its  pio- 
neer development.  There,  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  western  frontier, 
Mr.  Parks  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth,  experiencing  all  the  hardships  and 
difficulties  of  pioneer  life.  He  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  neighborhood  and  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  early  be- 
coming familiar  with  all  the  duties  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  farmer  boys.  This 
proved  an  excellent  training  for  his  own  business  career  and  made  him  a 
capable  and  successful  agriculturist.  In  1861  he  chose  as  a  companion  and 
helpmeet  of  life's  journey  Miss  Elizabeth  Hartley,  their  marriage  being- 
celebrated  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  near  De  Kalb.  The  lady  was  born 
in  Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  in  1838,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  Hartley, 
who  resided  for  many  years  at  Holton,  Jackson  county,  Kansas.  He  was 
born  in  1812  and  died  in  1899,  while  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one  years.  In  their  family  were  the  following  children,  namely: 
Amanda,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Parks;  Robert,  who  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
war;  Barbara;  Sarah;  Clark;  Taylor;  Serelda;  and  Margaret. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parks  came  to  Kansas,  establishing 
a  home  five  miles  from  Horton,  in  Jackson  county.  During  the  Civil  war 
Mr.  Parks  responded  to  the  call  for  troops,  feeling  that  he  might  benefit  his 
country,  and  enlisted  in  1862,  joining  Company  B,  Eleventh  Kansas  In- 
fantry, with  which  he  served  three  years  as  a  loyal  defender  of  the  Union. 
His  command  was  engaged  in  following  the  Price  raiders  and  checking 
their  movements  west  of  the  Mississippi.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  war 
the  Eleventh  Kansas  was  stationed  in  western  Colorado  to  suppress  the  In- 
dian troubles,  and,  although  their  services  came  not  so  much  to  the  public 
notice  as  that  of  the  troops  in  the  East,  it  was  often  no  less  arduous  and 
dangerous. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Parks  returned  to  his  home  and  family  in  Jackson 
county.  Four  children  were  born  to  him  and  his  wife,  namely:  James 
Leonard,  who  wedded  Miss  Alice  Snooks  and  resides  upon  a  farm  adjoining 
the  homestead;  Robert  Clark,  an  enterprising  young  farmer  who  cultivates 
the  home  farm  for  his  mother;  Minnie  May,  who  died  in  1898,  in  her  twenty- 
seventh  year;  and  David  Elmer.  Mr.  Parks  continued  to  own  and  manage 
his  farm  in  Jackson  county  until  1882,  when  he  purchased  one  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  Mission  township.  Brown  county.  He  was  not  long  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  his  new  home,  however,  for  he  died  in  1883,  at  the  age  of 


266  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

forty-four  years.  It  seemed  very  sad  that  lie  should  thus  be  cut  off  in  the 
prime  of  life,  but  he  left  to  his  family  an  untarnished  name.  A  member 
of  the  IMethodist  church,  he  was  recognized  as  an  earnest  and  upright 
Christian  gentleman  whose  life  was  in  harmony  with  his  professions.  He 
exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Republican  party  and  had  a  just  appreciation  of  the  duties  and  obligations 
of  citizenship.  At  all  times  he  was  as  true  and  loyal  to  his  country  as  when 
he  followed  the  stars  and  stripes  in  the  rebel  territory.  He  left  his  family 
in  comfortable  circumstances  and  Mrs.  Parks  and  her  two  younger  sons  are 
still  living  on  the  old  homestead,  where  they  have  a  pleasant  residence  and 
a  property  that  returns  to  them  a  good  income.  They  have  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance in  the  community  and  are  highly  esteemed. 


T.    M.     WHITE. 


Mr.  White  is  a  native  of  the  Sunflower  state,  his  birth  ha\-ing  occurred 
in  Lancaster  township,  Atchison  county,  on  the  2d  of  June,  1858.  His 
father,  Robert  White,  is  now  residing  in  Horton.  He  was  born  in  Zanes- 
ville,  Ohio,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in  Indiana  and  Missouri.  Having 
arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he  was  married  in  the  latter  state  to  Miss  Maria 
Miller,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  in  1857  they  remo\ed  to  Kansas,  locating 
in  Lancaster  township,  Atchison  county,  where  the  father  resided  until  1892, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Horton.  He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
this  section  of  the  state  and  experienced  the  usual  hardships  and  privations 
which  fall  to  the  lot  of  those  who  establish  homes  on  the  frontier.  The 
country  was  very  sparsely  settled  and  one  had  to  journey  many  miles  in  order 
to  obtain  the  necessary  household  supplies.  Throughout  his  acti\e  business 
career  he  followed  farming,  but  is  now  living  retired.  He  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert 
White  were  born  eight  children,  namely:  John  A.,  of  Atchison;  Asenath, 
who  is  living  in  Xemaha  county;  A.  J.,  of  Benton  township,  who  ser\-ed  as 
a  member  of  the  legislature  and  was  recently  appointed  census  enumerator 
of  this  district;  T.  M.,  of  this  review;  James  W.,  of  Nemaha  county;  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Anderson,  of  Atchison,  Kansas;  H.  C,  who  resides  in  Hugo, 
Colorado,  and  is  serving  as  county  treasurer  there;  and  Frank,  who  is  serv- 
ing as  a  reporter  on  the  Denver  Times,  at  Denver,  Colorado. 

Mr.  White,  of  this  review,  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  farm  and 
received    such    educational    privileges   as    the    schools   of   the    neighborhood 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  267 

afforded.  Wlien  twenty-seven  years  of  age  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah 
A.  Denton,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  George  B.  Denton,  of  Den- 
tonvilie.  Doniphan  county.  Kansas.  The  young  couple  took  up  their  abode 
ni  Huron,  where  Mr.  \\-hite  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  about 
SIX  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  Mr.  White  purchased  the  prop- 
erty known  as  the  McFadden  farm,  one  mile  from  Willis  and  four  miles 
from  Horton.  This  property  he  has  improved  until  it  is  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  the  locality,  the  land  being  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  vield- 
mg  to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute  for  the  care  and  cultivation  bestowed 'upon 
It.  Their  home  has  been  blessed  with  seven  children,  namely :  Edna  E.,  Marcia 
M.,  Marshall  R.,  Francis  W.,  Irene,  Jessie  A.  and  Agnes  Marie. 

As  every  true  American  should  do,  Mr.  White  takes  a  deep  interest  in 
the  political  affairs  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  votes 
with  the  Republican  party,  and  is  now  acceptably  serving  his  township  in  the 
office  of  treasurer.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  faithful  adherent  of  Ma- 
sonry, and  is  a  zealous  and  exemplary  member  of  Horton  Lodge.  No.  326.  F. 
&  A.  M.  He  holds  a  high  place  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  men  who  have 
honored  him  with  various  positions  of  public  trust.  Social  qualities  and  gen- 
uine worth  have  attracted  to  him  many  friends  and  those  who  esteem  him 
highly  are  many. 


CHARLES  WRIGHT. 

Charles  Wright,  deceased,  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Brown  county, 
where  he  died  September  26.  1894.  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was 
born  in  Canada  on  the  loth  of  June.  1858.  and  is  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Catherine 
(Baxter)  ^^'right.  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  that  country.  In  1870  the 
parents  came  to  Kansas  and  settled  in  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  where 
the  mother  died  in  1892,  but  the  father  is  now  living  in  Los  x\ngeles.  Cali- 
fornia. In  their  family  were  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters, 
namely:  Charles;  Eli;  Emma,  deceased;  Peter;  Hiram;  Lewis,  of  Brown 
county;  Lyman,  Martha.  Mary  and  Marticia. 

Charles  Wright  spent  the  first  twelve  years  of  his  life  in  the  land  of  his 
nativity  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  the  Sunflower 
state.  He  completed  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Mission  Center, 
Brown  county,  and  was  reared  to  the  work  of  the  farm,  early  becoming  familiar 
-vvith  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  agriculturists.  On  the  15th  of 
April.  1885,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lou  Elliott,  who  was  born  in 
Union  county.  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Clarissa  (Ford)  Elliott,  of  Brown 
county.     After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Wright  took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  two 


268  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  a  half  miles  from  Willis.  This  place  was  originally  known  as  the  Sam 
Houston  farm  and  is  certainly  very  conveniently  located.  He  carefully  culti- 
vates his  fields,  keeping  everything  upon  the  place  in  good  condition.  His 
labors  resulted  in  securing  good  crops,  which  brought  to  him  a  gratifying 
income,  and  he  prosecuted  his  work  in  an  energetic  and  persevering  manner, 
continuing  his  farming  operations  until  his  death,  which  was  the  result  of  an 
accident.  He  left  a  widow  and  five  children,  namely :  Chester  C. ;  Lory 
E. ;  George  L.,  who  was  born  in  May,  1890,  and  died  November  7,  1894;  Inez 
M.  and  Alvin  R.  It  was  not  long  after  the  father's  death,  however,  until  the 
third  son  passed  away,  when  a  little  lad  of  four  years. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Wright  was  a  stanch  Republican  and  ke])t  well 
informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day,  earnestly  advocating  the  principles  of  his 
party.  In  his  business  dealings  he  was  honorable  and  upright ;  in  manner 
was  quiet  and  unostentatious,  but  was  a  firm  friend,  a  loving  and  devoted 
husband  and  father,  and  a  man  of  irreproachable  moral  character  who  enjoys 
the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all  who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Wright  and  her 
children  still  occupy  the  farm  which  was  left  to  her  by  her  husband.  She  is 
a  member  and  attends  the  services  of  the  Methodist  church  in  Willis,  and  in 
Mission  township  she  has  a  large  circle  of  friends,  while  the  hospitality  of  the 
best  homes  is  extended  to  her. 


FRANKLIN  FORD. 


Among  those  loyal  sons  of  the  nation  who  at  the  country's  call  for  troops 
joined  the  "blue"  and  went  to  the  south  to  aid  in  the  defense  of  the  Union, 
was  Franklin  Ford,  who  to-day  is  a  valued  representative  citizen  of  Mission 
township.  Brown  county,  as  true  and  loyal  to  duty  as  when  he  followed  the 
starry  banner  upon  southern  Ijattle  fields.  He  was  born  in  Perry  county,  Ohio, 
April  20,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Lory  Ford.  His  father  was  a  representative 
of  one  of  the  old  New  England  families  that  was  established  in  Ohio  in  early 
pioneer  days.  His  birth  occurred  in  Perry  county,  in  181 1,  and  he  is  now 
living  in  Brown  county,  Kansas,  having  almost  attained  the  ninetieth  mile- 
stone on  life's  journey.  His  father,  Chauncey  Ford,  was  born  in  Connecticut, 
about  1775,  and  was  one  of  three  brothers  who  went  down  the  Ohio  river 
in  a  canoe,  establishing  a  home  in  Perry  county.  It  was  necessary  to  cut 
their  path  through  the  wilderness  a  part  of  the  way,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
dense  forest  Chauncey  Ford  made  a  claim  and  built  a  log  cabin.  He  never 
received  any  deed  to  his  land,  for  the  claim,  if  not  the  first,  was  one  of  the  first, 
made  in  the  county.     The  right  to  the  title,  however,  has  never  been  disputed 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  269 

and  the  old  homestead  is  now  owned  by  a  son  of  Chauncey  Ford.  Life  amid 
dx,se  p,oneer  surround„.gs  was  often  fraught  with  dangers,  and  in  fact  t . 
Ford  famdy  suffered  from  the  treachery  of  the  Indians.  One  of  the  th  ee 
brothers  was  decoyed  mto  the  woods  by  a  turkey  call  made  by  the  members  of 
the  red  race  and  was  then  killed  by  the  Indians. 

On  the  old  family  homestead  in  Ohio.  Lory  Ford  was  reared    a,id  after 
arr,.ng  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Miss  Hester  Miller,  who  bon 

m  Musk„,gum  Oh,o,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  earliest  families  of  Per  y 
coun  y.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ford  ten  children  were  born,  fiye  sons  and  fiye 
daughters,  namely:  Philarua  Smith,  now  residing  in  Ohio;  Clarissa  Elliott 
who  d.ed  na  February,  1899,  in  Mission  township,  Brown  county;  Mmerva' 
Mrs.  Ford;  Mary  E..  Mrs.  Johnson,  who  is  hving  in  Tennessee;  Franklin ' 
Chauncey  who  d.ed  m  infancy;  Jennie,  who  is  Hying  in  Ohio;  Lory,  also  a  res- 
idem  of  Oh.o;  John  Sylvester,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years'and  Hiram 
I,  a  resident  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county.  The  parents  resided  in 
Perry  county,  Oh.o,  until  1849,  when  they  removed  to  Marysville.  Ohio  The 
mother,  who  was  a  consistent  and  faithful  member  of  the  Lutheran  church 

,1; V"  '^^1',^*  "^'  '^'  °^  ''-^'^"^''^  ^^^''-  "^'^^  ^^^her  came  to  Kansas  in 
1888.  and  although  now  eighty-eight  years  of  age  his  mental  and  Physical 
faculties  are  unimpaired.  He  gi^•es  his  political  support  to  the  Republican 
party,  and  for  over  fifty  years  has  been  an  active  and  zealous  Mason 

Franklin  Ford  was  a  lad  of  seven  years  when  his  parents  removed  from 
Perry  county,  to  Cnion  county.  Ohio,  where  he  pursued  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  through  the  winter  months,  while  in  the  summer  season  he 
aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field  and  meadow  on  his  father's  farm.  At  the  a^^e 
of  eighteen  years,  at  President  Lincoln's  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  troops, 
he  enlisted  for  three  years,  as  a  member  of  Company  F.  Thirteenth  Ohio  In- 
fantry, joining  the  regiment  at  Maryville,  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Smith  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hawkins  and  Captain  Slocum.  He  was  first  under 
nre  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  subsequently  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Perryville.  Kentucky  and  Stone  River  and  Chickamauga.  At  Missionary 
Rdge  he  was  with  General  \N'ood-s  command,  but  later  was  with  General 
Sherman  in  the  campaign  from  Cleveland,  Tennessee.  He  took  part  in  the 
e      im    r;;  ,     \-  "'  '^'"^'  "°P^'C'n-ch,  where  the  Federal   forces 

^ent  into  battle  eight  thousand  strong,  and  after  two  and  a  half  hours  lost 
sixteen  hundred  and  forty  men.     He  was  honorably  discharged  at  Louisville, 

rou'T  ''■  r'""  T  ■■'"■'  '"^'  °"'  "^°"^'^  °^  •^^'■^^  '^'^'''^'^  '"  the  enemy's 
country.  Always  found  at  his  post  of  duty,  he  made  for  himself  a  most  cred- 
itable military  record,  of  which  he  may  be  justly  proud 

After  his  discharge  Mr.  Ford  returned  to  Union  county.  Ohio,  where,  in 
1864.  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emily  L.  Mears,  a  lady  of  culture  and  innate 


270  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

refinement,  who  for  some  years  was  a  popular  and  capable  teacher.  Slie  was 
born  in  Hartford,  Licking  county,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Timothy  V.  Mears, 
who  was  born  in  Chittenden  county,  Vermont,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Ste- 
phen Mears,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Her  father  married  Miss 
Dorcas  Carpenter,  a  daughter  of  Aaron  Carpenter,  and  a  native  of  Vermont.  - 
Slie,  too,  was  a  capable  educator,  and  by  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother 
of  four  children,  namely :  Hiram  B.,  who  served  as  a  member  of  the  Tl-.irty- 
third  Ohio  Infantry  during  the  Civil  war,  and  now  resides  in  Bungo,  Minne- 
sota ;  Mrs.  Hannah  Hutchinson,  who  is  now  residing  in  Ohio,  and  is  a  widow, 
her  husband  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war ;  Mrs.  Ford ;  and  Lucian 
H.,  a  resident  of  Joplin,  Missouri.  The  parents  are  both  deceased.  The 
father  was  a  mechanic  by  trade  and  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years. 
His  political  support  was  given  the  Republican  party.  He  and  his  wife  were 
consistent  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  earnest  Christian  people. 
She  died  January  i,  1892,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  he  dying  four  days 
later,  January  5,  1892. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Ford  resided  in  Union  county,  Ohio,  until  1868, 
when  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Madison  county,  Iowa,  locating  near 
Winterset.  The  following  year  he  came  to  Atchison  county.  Kansas,  and 
in  1870  located  on  his  present  farm  in  Mission  township.  Brown  county. 
The  land  was  new  and  the  country  but  sparsely  settled,  but  he  erected  a  cotton- 
wood  shanty,  when  there  were  no  houses  within  sight  of  his  home.  He  was 
at  that  time  the  owner  of  sixty-seven  acres,  to  which  he  afterward  added 
a  tract  of  one  hundred  acres,  so  that  he  is  now  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty-seven  acres,  all  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  farm, 
adjoining  the  corporation  limits  of  the  town  of  Willis,  is  also  well  stocked 
with  a  high  grade  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs,  and  there  is  a  large  orchard  on  the 
place.     The  residence  is  a  modern  one,  furnished  in  good  taste. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ford  now  have  four  children:  John  Howard,  who  married 
Miss  Anna  Shortridge  and  resides  in  Willis ;  Leona.  the  wife  of  R.  'M.  Figley, 
of  Mission  township,  Brown  county;  Minnie  S.,  the  wife  of  J.  F.  McMillan, 
of  Jackson  county ;  Jennie,  who  was  a  twin  sister  of  Mrs.  McMillan,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  months;  and  Ethel,  at  home.  There  are  also  six  grand- 
children: Dulcie  lola  and  Harry  F.  are  the  children  of  John  Howard  Ford, 
while  Angeline  and  Gertrude  are  daughters  of  Mrs.  Figley,  and  Nellie  and 
George  Franklin  are  the  children  of  Mrs.  McMillan. 

Mr.  Ford  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Republican 
party  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  of  the  day,  although  he  has 
never  sought  or  desired  political  preferment.  Both  he  and  his  wife  attend 
the  services  of  the  Methodist  church  and  are  well  known  people  of  the  C(  immu- 
nity, esteemed  for  their  sterling  worth. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


THOMAS  M.  BEATHARD. 


271 


Among  those  who  responded  to  tbe  roll  call  upon  the  battlefields  of  the 
south  and  aided  in  defending  the  starry  banner  which  stood  as  the  emblem  of 
the  Union  is  Thomas  U.  Beathard.  now  an  esteemed  resident  of  Mission  town- 
ship. Brown  county.  He  was  born  in  Union  county,  Ohio,  five  miles  west  of 
Richwood,  on  the  22d  of  January,  1843.  and  is  a  son  of  William  Beathard,  also 
a  native  of  Union  county.  The  grandfather,  William  Beathar<I.  Sr  was  born 
m  Maryland  and  was  of  Dutch  lineage.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared 
in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  was  married  there  to  Miss  Dorothy  Wasson, 
a  native  of  Ohio  and  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Wasson,  who  was  of  Irish 
Imeage.  They  became  tiie  parents  of  six  children,  namely :  Mary,  Jane  and 
Margaret,  who  are  deceased;  Charles,  of  Delaware  county,  Ohio:  Roxanna 
deceased;  and  Keziah,  who  is  living  in  Marion  county,  Ohio.  The  parents 
both  died  in  Clayborn  township.  Union  county,  Ohio,  and  were  about  seventy 
years  of  age  when  called  to  their  final  rest. 

Mr.  Beathard,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  on  the 
home  farm  and  the  lessons  of  industry  and  integrity  which  he  learned  in  youth 
have  colored  his  entire  career.  He  studied  with  interest  the  questions  which 
culminated  in  the  Civil  war.  and  when  President  Lincoln  isued  his  call' for 
seventy-five  thousand  troops  he  became  a  member  of  Company  I.  Thirteenth 
Ohio  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Roberts.  He  was  first  under 
fire  at  the  battle  of  Gaulev  Bridge,  \\^est  Virginia,  and  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh 
was  wounded  in  the  ankle,  being  disabled  for  six  months  on  account  of  the 
injury  here  received.  For  some  time  he  was  confined  in  the  hospital  and  was 
then  sent  to  his  home  in  Ohio.  In  1863  he  re-enlisted  as  a  veteran  in  the  Thirtv- 
hrst  Ohio  Infantry  and  served  with  that  regiment  until  the  close  of  the  war 
He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Ringgold,  Georgia,  and  was  with  General  Sher- 
man on  his  march  to  the  sea  and  thence  to  Richmond,  and  he  participated  in 
the  grand  review  in  Washington,  D.  C,  where  "'wave  after  wave  of  bayonet- 
crested  blue  passed  by  the  stand  on  which  the  president  watched  the  victorious 
army.  He  was  then  honorably  discharged  at  Louisville,  Kentuckv.  ■  and 
returned  to  his  home. 

Mr.  Beathard  maintained  his  residence  in  Ohio  for  some  years  and  in 
Union  county,  on  the  15th  of  March,  1871,  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret 
Cusic,  a  lady  of  intelligence  and  good  family,  her  parents  being  John  and 
Catherine  (Cremer)  Cusic.  They  had  seven  children  and  six  of  the  number 
reached  the  years  of  maturity,  namely :  Mary  Elizabeth  and  Susanna,  who  are 
now  deceased;  Margaret,  the  wife  of  our  subject:  William,  who  is  living  in 
South  Horton,  Kansas;  Albert,  who  is  living  in  Nebraska;  and  Israel,  who 
makes  his  home  south  of  Horton. 


272  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  1873  ^^^-  Beathard  and  his  family  removed  to  Kansas,  locatine  on  tlie 
farm  which  lie  had  purchased  in  1871.  It  was  then  a  tract  of  wild  laiul.  Init  is 
now  a  highly  improved  property,  comprising  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
rich  and  aral)le  land.  It  is  worth  sixty  dollars  an  acre  and  is  pleasantly  situated 
one  and  three-fourth  miles  from  \\'illis  and  three  and  a  quarter  miles  from 
Horton.  The  residence,  of  modern  style  of  architecture,  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  twelve  hundred  dollars,  and  on  the  place  is  a  large  barn  and  other  sub- 
stantial outbuildings.  jSIr.  Beathard  is  assisted  in  the  care  of  tlie  place  liy  his 
son.  Orville  \V..  who  was  born  January  13,  1877,  upon  this  farm.  The  older 
son.  Charles,  died  in  infancy. 

Politically  ]\lr.  Beathard  is  a  Republican,  having  loyally  supported  that 
party  since  casting  his  first  presitlential  vote  for  Lincoln.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  post  and  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the  Presby- 
terian church  in  Horton.  They  are  well  and  favorablv  known  in  the  com- 
munity and  Mr.  Beathard  is  a  man  whose  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond,  his 
integrity  being  ever  above  question. 


J.  H.  MOVER 


Among  the  veterans  of  the  civil  war  now  resitlmg  in  Brown  county,  is 
J.  H.  Moyer,  a  valued  citizen  of  Walnut  township,  where  he  is  extensively  and 
successfully  engaged  in  farming.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  small-fruit  grow- 
ers in  this  section  of  the  state,  and  his  well-cultivated  fields  and  gardens  indi- 
cate his  careful  supervision  and  his  progressive  and  practical  methods,  both  in 
agriculture  and  horticulture.  He  was  born  in  Center  county,  Pennsyhania. 
February  22.  1839,  and  upon  the  home  farm  was  reared.  His  parents  were 
Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Behler)  Moyer,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  former 
was  born  January  9,  1810,  and  was  a  son  of  Michael  Moyer,  who  was 
reared  in  Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  descended  from  German 
ancestry.  The  grandfather,  Michael  ^Moyer.  was  a  member  of  the  German 
Reformed  church  and  was  a  man  of  high  moral  character,  widely  known 
for  his  inflexible  integrity  and  his  fidelity  to  temperance  principles.  His 
chidren  were:  John  H.,  who  died  on  the  homestead  farm;  Mary,  wife  of 
Jacob  Fishburn;  Michael,  who  cUed  in  Pennsylvania:  George,  who  died  in 
Center  county,  that  state ;  Samuel,  the  father  of  our  subject ;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  Felix  Burkholder.  and  Solomon,  teacher  and  musician,  both  of  whom  died 
in  Pennsylvania :  and  Catherine,  wife  of  D.  Dubbs. 

Samuel  Moyer,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  wedded  Elizabeth  Behler.  Her 
father  was  drafted  for  service  in  the  war  of  1812  and  had  to  report  at  Balti- 


/  /^  /%^ify..JL^^_ 


^.tta^Ul^   C^.    /^, 


,^z^.c4^  ^.  ^^^c^..e^ 


T 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  CEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.         273 

more.  Maryland.  To  reach  that  point  he  traveled  on  foot  from  Lebanon 
county,  Pennsylvania,  but  before  arriving  at  his  destination  the  war  ended. 
On  the  return  trip  he  was  taken  ill  and  was  buried  at  the  place  of  his  death, 
for  there  was  no  means  of  public  transportation  wherewith  his  body  could  be 
returned  to  his  former  home.  Mrs.  Moyer  was  his  only  child.  She  was 
reared  by  her  motlier,  and  after  the  daughter  married  the  mother  made  her 
home  with  her.  She  was  a  strict  Lutheran  in  religious  belief  and  a  consist- 
ent Christian  woman.  She  survived  her  daughter  and  with  the  family 
removed  to  Illinois,  where  she  died  in  1868.  After  the  marriage  of  ]Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Moyer  they  took  up  their  abode  in  Center  county.  Pennsylvania,  upon  a 
farm  owned  by  his  father,  and  there  all  of  their  children  were  born.  In  1863 
they  removed  to  Stephenson  county.  Illinois,  where  Mr.  Moyer  purchased  a 
farm,  becoming  one  of  the  prominent  agriculturists  of  that  locality.  In  1884, 
however,  he  sold  his  property  and  removed  to  Hiawatha,  Kansas,  where  he 
built  a  residence,  living  retired  there  until  his  death.  December  28.  1893.  He 
was  a  consistent  member  of  the  German  Reformed  church  and  always  took 
an  active  interest  in  its  work.  Throughout  his  business  career  he  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits,  seeking  to  make  an. honest  and  good  living  for  his  fam- 
ily. His  well-directed  efforts  and  unflagging  industrv  enabled  him  to  secure 
a  comfortable  competence,  and  therefore  his  last  days  were  spent  in  retirement. 
His  integrity  in  all  matters  of  business  was  above  question,  and  in  all  life's 
relations  he  was  true  to  duty  and  right.  In  politics  he  was  a  strong  Aboli- 
tionist in  ante  bclliim  days  and  gave  his  support  to  the  ^M^ig  party  until  the 
Republican  party  was  formed  to  prevent  the  further  extension  of  slavery, 
when  he  joined  its  ranks.  He  was  very  charitable,  withholding  not  the  hand 
of  assistance  from  the  poor  and  needy.  For  many  years  he  acted  as  elder  in 
his  church  and  superintendent  in  the  Sunday-school,  and  he  brought  up  his 
children  in  the  fear  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  His  wife  died  in  1867. 
and  for  twenty-six  years  he  remained  a  widower,  his  daughter  acting  as  his 
housekeeper.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Moyer  were  born  fifteen  children : 
Philip  C,  a  farmer  of  Illinois:  Xancy.  who  became  the  wife  of  Daniel  Hock- 
man,  and  died,  leaving  ten  children:  ^lichael,  of  Iowa;  Elizabeth  Machamer, 
of  Saljetha,  Kansas;  John  H.,  of  this  review;  Priscilla,  now  the  wife  of  Ste- 
ven Beader,  of  Vermont;  Catherine,  wife  of  George  St.  Clair,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania; Mary,  widow  of  Samuel  Grose,  and  a  resident  of  Illinois;  Sarah, 
wife  of  F.  Unangst;  Leah,  wife  of  B.  F.  Swarts.  a  carpenter  and  contractor 
of  Hiawatha;  Lena,  wife  of  IMando  Loveland,  of  Freeport,  Illinois;  Harriet 
E..  who  acted  as  housekeeper  for  her  father  and  is  now  doing  missionary 
work  in  the  forests  of  Wisconsin,  meeting  her  own  expenses;  Lucetta.  wife 
of  J.  Askey;  Rachel  and  Daniel.  Daniel  was  married,  but  both  he  and  his 
sister  are  now  deceased ;  and  Samuel  died,  aged  eighteen  months. 


274  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

J.  H.  Moyer,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  February,  1862,  when  he  was  married  and  located  on  the  farm  with 
his  father,  being  employed  by  him  at  ten  dollars  per  month.  The  following 
August  he  enlisted  for  three  years'  service  or  during  the  war,  as  a  member  of 
Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  under 
Colonel  Beaver,  the  regiment  being  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
with  the  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps,  under  General  Burnside.  Their 
special  duty  was  to  guard  the  railroads  and  other  points  of  communication 
west  and  north  of  Baltimore.  They  marched  to  Fredericksburg,  but  were  too 
late  to  participate  in  that  fight,  so  went  into  winter  quarters,  and  their  first 
battle  was  at  Chancellorsville  the  following  year.  At  that  point  Mr.  Moyer 
was  wounded  in  the  left  side  of  the  face,  and  this  has  left  him  subject  to 
apoplexy.  In  four  companies  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  were  killed  and 
wounded.  It  was  a  most  hotly  contested  battle,  but  the  Union  forces  were 
driven  back.  Later  the  regiment  of  which  Mr.  Moyer  was  a  member  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  his  command  being  stationed  in  a  wheat  field 
during  the  hot  fighting.  They  then  followed  the  enemy  to  Virginia  and  during 
the  fall  of  1863  participated  in  many  skirmishes.  The  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-eighth  Pennsylvania  was  armed  with  Spencer  rifles,  and  being  well 
equipped  and  drilled  was  called  into  action  more  than  many  other  regiments 
of  the  command.  During  his  service  Mr.  Moyer  was  detailed  for  various 
duties.  For  a  time  he  served  as  one  of  the  buglers  for  the  ambulance  train 
and  when  relieved  of  that  duty  was  detailed  as  stretcher  bearer.  During  the 
l>attle  of  the  Wilderness  he  acted  in  that  capacity  and  continued  to  serve  in 
tliat  way  until  the  fall  of  1864,  thus  participating  in  the  engagements  at  Poe 
river,  Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor,  Reams  Station  and  Gravel  Run.  In  the 
fall  of  1864  he  was  returned  to  his  company  and  made  quartermaster,  with 
which  rank  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  received  an  honorable 
discharge.  \\'hile  sleeping  under  a  tree  shortly  after  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville he  suffered  an  attack  of  apoplexy  from  the  effect  of  his  wound  and  was 
carried  to  the  hospital,  but  remained  only  a  short  time.  When  Lee  surrendered 
he  was  at  Appomattox  and  held  some  conversation  with  the  rebel  troops.  A 
few  days  later,  with  his  command,  he  started  on  the  march  for  Washington, 
there  remaining  until  the  grand  review  in  that  city.  His  regiment,  however, 
was  stationed  on  the  Virginia  side  of  the  river  and  at  Alexandria  was  mus- 
tered out  and  transported  to  Camp  Curtin,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  recei\ed 
an  honorable  discharge  and  was  paid  off. 

Mr.  Moyer  then  visited  in  Center,  Dauphin,  Clearfield  and  Lebanon  coun- 
ties and  afterward  took  his  wife  to  Illinois,  where  he  joined  his  father  and  the 
family.  He  was  again  employed  by  his  father  by  the  month  and  remained  in 
the  Prairie  state  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Brown 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  275 

county.  Here  lie  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie  land 
and  began  tlie  development  of  his  farm.  He  was  the  fourth  of  the  family  to 
locate  in  this  state.  He  brought  with  him  three  horses,  one  cow,  two  pigs,  a 
wagon,  some  farming  implements  and  household  goods  and  a  small  amount  of 
money.  The  last  he  invested  in  land,  going  in  debt  for  the  remainder,  which 
was  to  be  paid  in  eight  years.  After  hastily  erecting  a  small  frame  residence 
he  installed  his  family  therein  and  began  breaking  prairie.  He  did  some  farm- 
ing for  others  in  order  to  pay  for  his  building  material  and  he  hauled  his  lum- 
ber from  the  Missouri  river.  Energetically  he  carried  on  his  work  and  as  the 
years  passed  his  capital  was  steadily  increased  until  at  the  present  time  he  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial  agriculturists  of  the  community.  He  has 
raised  enough  stock  to  support  his  farm,  but  has  given  his  attention  largely  to 
the  cultivating  of  grain  and  fruit.  In  1876  his  table,  sheds,  two  horses  and 
farm  machinery  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  as  he  had  no  insurance  this  was  a 
total  loss.  With  renewed  energy,  however,  he  set  to  work  to  retrieve  his  pos- 
sessions and  altogether  his  career  has  been  a  prosperous  one.  He  raises  some 
garden  vegetables  for  the  market  and  has  a  very  extensive  orchard,  but  makes 
a  specialty  of  the  growing  of  small  fruits.  His  principal  crop  is  blackberries, 
and  in  one  season  on  a  third  of  an  acre  he  picked  seventy-one  bushels  of  berries. 
He  has  a  plum  orchard  of  four  hundred  trees  and  his  sale  of  fruit  materially 
increases  his  income.  He  has  made  a  close  study  of  the  best  methods  of  fruit 
culture  and  his  opinions  on  horticultural  subjects  are  largely  received  as 
authority  in  the  community.  He  now  has  one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in 
Walnut  township.  His  home  is  a  large  and  commodious  two-story  residence, 
built  in  an  attractive  style  of  architecture  and  supplied  with  all  modern  con- 
veniences. In  the  rear  stands  large  and  substantial  outbuildings,  and  these  in 
turn  are  surrounded  by  well  tilled  fields  and  gardens,  four  of  the  fields  being 
divided  by  well  kept  hedge  fences,  with  lanes  running  to  the  center  of  the  farm. 
In  addition  to  his  farming  interests  Mr.  Moyer  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the 
National  Bank  of  Hiawatha. 

In  1862  Mr.  Moyer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Louisa  A.  Siechrist, 
who  was  born  in  Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania,  November  4,  1837.  She 
was  a  lady  of  intelligence  and  culture,  and  to  her  husband  proved  a  faithful 
companion  and  helpmate.  Her  parents  were  farming  people  of  Pennsylvania 
and  were  of  German  descent.  In  religious  belief  they  were  Lutherans,  and  they 
spent  their  last  days  in  Lebanon  county  of  the  Keystone  state.  Their  children 
were:  Daniel  E.,  a  farmer  of  that  county;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  James  M.  Ross, 
of  Pennsylvania;  and  Mrs.  Moyer,  who  was  the  eldest  child.  Unto  our  subject 
and  his  wife  have  been  born  the  following  children:  Samuel  B.,  a  minister 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  now  located  in  Edgar,  Nebraska,  married  Miss 
Jean  Thompson,  of  Irving,  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  and  they  have  two  sons, 


276  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Samuel  P.  and  Francis  H. :  John  E.,  an  electrician  of  Philadelphia,  was  mar- 
ried in  that  state  to  Ellen  Mulrenen.  and  they  ha\'e  four  children  John  H., 
Mariem,  Louisa  and  Francis  William:  James  R..  a  successful  teacher,  was 
married  in  Brown  county  to  Miss  Susie  Rubert  and  they  ha\-e  one  child.  James 
H. ;  Ida  M.  is  her  father's  housekeeper  and  her  devotion  to  him  and  his  wel- 
fare has  made  her  greatly  beloved ;  Franklin  VV.  is  how  pursuing  a  theological 
course  in  preparation  for  the  work  of  the  ministry  of  the  Evangelical  church ; 
Daniel  G.  is  operating  the  homestead ;  Louisa  E.  is  a  student  of  Washburn 
College,  of  Topeka.  Kansas ;  Martha  M.  is  a  student  in  the  Pennsylvania  hos- 
pital of  Philadelphia ;  Henry  H.  is  serving  as  a  member  of  Company  H  in 
the  Thirty-second  United  States  Lifantry  Regiment  in  the  Philippine  islands; 
and  Ella  K.  is  a  student  in  Washburn  College,  of  Topeka.  Kansas,  and  pos- 
sesses superior  musical  ability,  which  ranks  her  among  the  most  talented  musi- 
cians of  the  state. 

The  mother  of  this  family  was  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  and 
her  Christian  character  endeared  her  to  all  who  knew  her.  In  early  life  she  was 
a  Lutheran,  but  afterward  became  a  consistent  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  in  that  faith  she  and  her  husband  reared  their  children.  Together 
they  labored  for  many  years  to  make  a  home  and  ultimately  they  became  the 
possessors  of  the  finest  country  seat  in  the  county.  The  large  and  commodious 
residence  and  its  furnishings  gave  evidence  of  the  refined  tastes  of  the  owners. 
One  large  room  was  especially  devoted  to  art  and  was  adorned  with  beautiful 
potted  plants  and  flowers,  in  which  Mrs.  Moyer  took  great  pride  and  pleasure, 
spending  many  hours  in  caring  for  them.  On  the  29th  of  October,  1895,  she 
stepi^ed  into  this  beautiful  room  and  when  among  her  plants  death  claimed 
her.  her  demise  being  occasioned  by  heart  failure.  Her  six  sons  acted  as  pall 
bearers  and  in  the  cemetery  she  was  laid  to  rest.  She  was  known  as  a  loving 
and  indulgent  mother,  a  tender,  and  faithful  wife  and  a  loyal  friend.  Her 
daughter.  Ida,  now  cares  for  the  flowers  and  in  as  far  as  possible  takes  her 
mother's  place  in  the  household,  carefully  superintending  its  varied  interests. 
The  children  were  all  afiforded  good  educational  advantages,  all  have  become 
church  memlaers  and  are  now  useful  citizens.  Mr.  Moyer  is  one  of  the  hon- 
ored and  esteemed  residents  of  Brown  county,  and  no  history  of  this  section 
of  the  state  would  be  complete  without  the  record  of  his  life. 


JOHN  GREGG 


Among  the  well  known  citizens  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  is 
John  Gregg,  who  is  regarded  as  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  giving 
a  loyal  support  to  every  measure  which  he  believes  will  prove  of  general  good. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  277 

The  same  loyal  spirit  was  manifested  by  him  when  the  country  was  engaged  in 
civil  war,  for  at  the  call  for  troops  he  "donned  the  blue"  and  is  now  numbered 
among  the  valued  heroes  who  aided  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 

Mr.  Gregg  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Washing- 
ton county,  on  the  loth  of  October,  1830.  His  father,  John  Gregg,  Sr.,  was 
a  native  of  Sullivan  county,  Tennessee,  and  served  "as  a  soldier  in  the  Indian 
war  under  Colonel  ]\Iarsten  Clark.  His  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his 
worth  and  ability,  frequently  called  him  to  public  office,  and  he  served  in  many 
minor  township  offices,  and  as  one  of  the  justices  of  the  peace.  He  was  called 
upon  to  administer  several  estates,  a  fact  which  indicated  that  he  was  regarded 
as  a  reliable  business  man. 

He  married  Miss  Julia  King,  also  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  they  removed 
to  Washington  county,  Indiana,  where  for  many  years  they  made  their  home. 
By  occupation  the  father  was  a  farmer  and  followed  that  pursuit  throughout 
his  active  business  life.  His  political  support  was  given  the  Whig  party. 
His  death  occurred  in  Indiana  when  he  was  sixty-three  years  of  age,  about 
1848,  after  which  his  widow  went  to  Illinois,  where  she  died  in  the  spring  of 
1865.  In  their  family  were  nine  children,  namely:  Harvey,  who  had  a  son 
John,  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Second  Illinois,  was  taken  prisoner, 
confined  in  Libby  prison,  and  died  shortly  after  his  discharge;  James, 
Mrs.  John  Adams,  Nathan,  William,  Mrs.  Eliza  Sicloff,  Rachel  and  Amanda, 
both  dying  in  infancy,  and  Samuel,  who  died  in  the  service  at  Duvall's  Bluff, 
Arkansas,  in  1864,  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  His  nephew,  John  O.  Adams,  was  also  a  member  of  the  same 
regiment,  and  died  in  the  service  at  Duvall's  Bluff.  Nathan  Gregg  had  two 
sons  in  the  army  who  laid  down  their  lives  on  the  altar  of  their  country,  James 
being  a  member  of  the  Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Volunteers,  and  W^illiam,  who 
belonged  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Regiment. 

John  Gregg,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  in  Washing- 
ton county,  Indiana,  and  aided  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  farm,  following  the 
plow  and  harvesting  the  crops  through  the  spring  and  summer  months, 
while  in  the  winter  season  he  attended  the  public  schools.  He  first  visited 
Kansas  in  1858,  coming  to  Brown  county,  but  later  he  returned  to  Illinois, 
where  he  has  lived  at  the  time  when  hostilities  were  inaugurated  between  the 
north  and  the  south.  His  patriotic  spirit  prompted  his  enlistment,  and  in 
August,  1861,  he  joined  the  Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  under  Colonel 
White,  of  Chicago,  and  Captain  J.  A.  Jordan.  He  was  first  under  fire  at  the 
battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  Arkansas,  where  he  received  three  distinct  wounds,  and 
was  in  hospital  at  Caseville,  Missouri,  two  months.  Later  he  participated  in 
a  number  of  important  engagements  and  skirmishes.  He  took  part  in  the  cap- 
ture of  Fort  Blakely,  and  was  with  General  Banks  at  Yellow  Bayou.     His 


2/8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

company  remained  in  the  south,  doing  service  in  Alabama  and  Texas  most  of 
the  time.  It  was  not  until  some  months  after  the  close  of  the  war  that  he  was 
di:5chargc(l,  receiving  his  pai)ers  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  in  May.  1866. 

Mr.  Gregg  then  returned  to  his  home  in  that  state,  where  he  remained 
until  1868.  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  near  Kennekuk.  In  1870  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  Mission  township,  settling  upon  his  present  farm,  two 
miles  from  Willis.  He  has  here  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  which  is  carefully  cultivated,  and  the  farm  is  well  stocked  with  a  high 
grade  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs.  The  residence  is  a  modern  one,  and  near  by 
stands  large  barns  and  other  good  farm  buildings.  He  also  owns  an  arable 
tract  of  land  in  Nemaha  county,  near  Centralia.  His  methods  of  farming  are 
progressive,  and  understanding  fully  the  science  of  rotating  crops  he  is  enabled 
always  to  secure  good  returns  for  his  labor. 

In  January,  1867,  at  Aledo,  Mercer  county,  Illinois,  was  celebrated  the. 
marriage  of  Mr.  Gregg  and  Miss  Lucinda  C.  Sterns,  who  has  proved  to  her 
husband  an  excellent  companion  and  helpmate.  She  was  born  near  Spring- 
field, Clark  county,  Ohio,  October  30,  1842,  and  is  a  daughter  of  C.  B.  Sterns, 
a  native  of  Pennsjlvania,  Her  father  was  reared  in  the  Keystone  state,  and 
having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  wedded  Miss  Sophronia  Kimbal,  a 
native  of  Vermont.  He  was  a  W  hig  in  his  political  affiliations,  and  he  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  In  his  family  were  four  children :  Jasper,  of 
Muscatine  county,  Iowa;  Lucinda,  the  wife  of  our  subject;  Mrs.  Cynthia  Beed- 
ing,  of  Rock  Island  county,  Illinois;  and  Mrs.  Helen  Venable,  of  La  Junta, 
Colorado.  The  mother  is  still  living,  making  her  home  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Gregg.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  now  have  two  children,  Frank  B.  and 
Charles  L.  The  elder  son  is  living  in  Olathe,  Johnson  county,  Kansas.  He 
married  Miss  Olive  Harpster,  a  daughter  of  J.  D.  Harpster,  and  they  have 
three  children — Nellie  May,  Albert  B.  and  Charles  Wesley.  The  younger  son, 
Charles  L.  Gregg,  is  living  on  the  home  farm.  He  wedded  Miss  Millie  Elliott, 
a  daughter  of  John  Elliott,  of  Browij  county,  and  they  have  three  little 
daughters,  Geneva,  Edna  and  Ruth. 

In  his  political  affiliations  our  subject  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  has  filled 
the  office  of  township  treasurer.  His  word  is  as  good  as  any  bond  that  ever 
was  solemnized  by  signature  and  seal,  and  those  who  know  him  esteem  him 
highly  for  his  sterling  worth. 


ROBERT  WAUGH. 


Among  the  more  recent  arrivals  in  Brown  county  who  have  taken  a  prom- 
inent place  in  the  ranks  of  the  leading  farmers  and  representative  citizens  of 
the  community  is  Robert  Waugh,  who  came  to  Mission  township  in  1888  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


279 


pucl  s  d  the  Judge  Clayton  farm,  a  fine  old  country  seat.  Previous  to  his 
arrual  here  he  was  m  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  twenty-one 

IZl'  u'  '';  V''"\^  °^-^'"'''''  '"'  ^''■"^  '^^^-'"^  "^^"'■'■^'J  "^^'-  Toronto,  in 
1823.  H>s  father.  \V,lham  Waugh.  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  after 
arruang  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Miss  Pevy  McDale.  also  born  in 
the  land  of  h.lls  and  heather.  Having  become  residents  of  Canada  they 
reared  the.r  son  Robert  in  Toronto,  where  he  learned  the  machinist's 'trade 
Later  he  found  employment  in  the  McQueen  Locomotive  \Vorks  at  Schenec- 
ady,  New  York.  While  employed  there  he  was  selected  to  deliver  the  fir  t 
two  locomot,ves  placed  on  the  Great  Western  Railroad.  Subsequentlv  he 
was  made  the  ch.ef  engineer  of  the  steamer  Chief  Justice  Waite,  runnm-. 
between  Toronto   Canada,  and  Lewiston.  New  York.     This  position  he  filled 

&BZn\  7  '"  ""•''"'  '  P°"''°"  •"  ''''  ^''°P^  °f  *'-  Niagara  Falls 
&  Bufifalo  Radroad,  now  a  part  of  the  New  York  Central 

Li  1854  he  removed  to  Chicago  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Rock  Isla.id 
Railroad  Company  as  engineer,  his  run  being  from  Chicago  to  Rock  Island 
and  th.s  pos,t.on  he  filled  for  fifteen  years,  when  he  accepted  the  position  of 
foreman  m  the  Rock  Island  shops  in  Chicago.  In  1885  he  was  deprived  of  his 
position  on  account  of  his  acti^•ity  in  the  Society  of  Locomotive  Engineers  and 
h.s  behet  m  unions.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  &  Milwauk  e 
Railroad  Company,  and  in  1867  he  removed  to  Grand  Island,  Nebraska  w  ere 
he  secured  a  situation  with  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  whose  lines 
were  extended  to  Ogden.  Utah.  For  twenty-one  3-ears  he  was  the  foreman 
of  he  shops  ot  that  road  at  Grand  Island  and  for  two  years  was  employed  at 
Rollms,\\yommg,  in  the  same  capacity.  His  long  service  indicates  that  he 
^v'as  capable,  aithful  and  trustworthy  employee.  He  is  a  charter  member 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  and  has  been  verv  acti^■e  in  pro- 
moting Its  works  and  welfare  through  nearly  four  decades.  He  also  joined  the 
Trades  Association.  He  owned  a  fine  farm  near  Grand  Island,  Nebraska 
which  IS  now  included  within  the  city  limits. 

As  before  stated.  Mr.  Wnugh  arrived  in  Kansas  in  1888  and  purchased 
the  Judge  Clayton  farm,  which  consisted  of  eighty  acres,  to  which  he  has 
added  until  he  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  one  section,  besides 
a  va  uable  tract  of  timber,  consisting  of  twenty-fise  acres,  which  is  located  in 
another  section.  His  residence  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  twenty-five  hundred 
dollars  and  the  barn  was  built  at  a  cost  of  thirteen  hundred  dollars  E^•er^- 
thmg  about  the  place  is  kept  in  excellent  condition.  There  is  a  modern  wind- 
mill, good  farm  buildings  and  all  the  accessories  and  improvements  that  indi- 
cate progress  and  enterprise.  In  addition  to  the  cultixation  of  his  fields  Mr 
Waugh  raises  a  high  grade  of  Short-horn  cattle  and  is  one  of  the  most  success- 
tul  breeders  of  cattle  in  his  township. 


28o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  1S63,  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  Mr.  Waugh  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A. 
Clark,  a  native  of  New  York.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  the  following 
children:  Willie,  an  engineer  and  machinist  who  was  foreman  of  the  shops 
at  Salt  Lake  City  for  a  number  of  years,  but  is  now  in  Kansas  City ;  Mamie, 
at  home ;  Sadie,  the  wife  of  William  Hampton,  of  Atchison,  Kansas ;  and  Oda, 
a  teacher  in  the  Willis  school.  Mrs.  Waugh,  the  mother  of  these  children, 
died  at  Grand  Island  in  1880,  and  Mr.  Waugh  has  since  married  Miss  Anna 
James,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Canada.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a 
Democrat  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  His  seventy- 
six  years  rest  lightly  upon  him  ancj^he  displays  the  vigor  and  activity  of  a  man 
yet  in  his  prime.  He  is  six  feet  high,  well  proportioned  and  in  his  younger 
days  he  excelled  in  athletic  feats.  His  systematic  physical  exercise  doubtless 
led  to  the  excellent  preservation  of  his  health  to  the  present  time.  Financially 
and  socially  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  and  popular  men  of  the  town- 
ship, and  he  and  his  family  have  hosts  of  warm  friends  here. 


JACOB  REASOXER. 


Jacob  Reasoner,  deceased,  was  for  some  years  connected  with  the  agri- 
cultural interests  of  Brown  county  and  was  known  as  an  enterprising,  ener- 
getic business  man,  whose  success  resulted  from  his  own  efforts.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  on  the  15th  of  January,  1839.  His 
father.  Dr.  Jacob  S.  Reasoner,  was  a  very  prominent  physician,  who  practiced 
for  some  time  in  Muskingum  county,  but  afterward  removed  to  Jackson 
county,  Ohio.  There  he  remained  for  a  number  of  years,  subsequently  going 
to  Osborne  county,  Kansas.  This  was  in  1882.  He  there  located  on  a  farm 
and  in  November,  1884,  while  visiting  in  Brown  county,  his  death  occurred. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy  Hill,  remained  with  her  son, 
Jacob,  until  her  death  in  1885.  Both  were  consistent  members  of  the  Baptist 
church.  Their  children  were  Sarah  and  Rebecca,  twins,  the  former  now  Mrs. 
Trussell.  and  the  latter  the  wife  of  T.  B.  Dickason  ;  Mary  L.,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; Mrs.  Henrietta  Cunningham;  Stephen,  who  died  leaving  a  family; 
Calvin,  a  prominent  lecturer  of  Georgia,  whose  daughter,  Elsie,  has  been 
appointed  a  commissioner  to  the  Paris  exposition,  representing  the  associated 
press;  Jacob;  Milton,  who  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Reserve  until  his 
death ;  Mrs.  Adrianna  Miller,  of  Ohio ;  Mrs.  Candace  L.  French ;  Noah,  who 
was  a  soldier  with  General  Custer's  force  and  has  not  been  heard  from  since 
the  massacre. 

Jacob  Reasoner  was  reared  in  Adamsville,  Muskingum  county.  Ohio, 
pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  in  early  life  engaged  in  teaching. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         281 

He  accompanied  his  fatlier  on  the  removal  to  Jackson  county  and  was  a  student 
in  the  State  University  at  Athens,  Ohio,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
he  enlisted  in  the  Civil  war,  becoming  a  member  of  what  was  afterward  called 
the  famous  Thirty-sixth  Ohio  Infantry.  He  enlisted  as  a  private,  but  meritor- 
ious conduct  won  him  promotion  from  time  to  time  and  he  thus  became  first 
lieutenant,  captain  ami  adjutant,  serving  in  the  latter  capacity  at  the  ending 
of  the  war.  He  was  in  all  the  hotly  contested  battles  in  which  the  famous 
Thirty-sixth  was  engaged.  At  length  the  companies  of  that  regiment  became 
so  decimated  that  the  command  was  consolidated  with  the  Thirty-fourth  Ohio, 
the  regiment  number — the  Thirty-sixth — being  still  retained.  Mr.  Reasoner 
never  misseil  a  battle  in  which  his  regiment  participated  and  was  always  found 
with  his  command  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  loyally  defending  the  old  flag 
and  the  cause  it  represented.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Lewisburg, 
South  Mountam,  Antietam,  Hoover's  Gap,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge, 
Cloyd  Mountain,  Kernstown,  Berryville,  Opequan,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar 
Creek,  and  was  never  taken  prisoner.  He  served  for  four  years,  or  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at  Wheeling,  West  Virginia.  At 
that  time  he  received  an  honorable  discharge,  and,  with  a  military  record  of 
which  he  could  justly  be  proud,  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Jackson  county, 
Ohio. 

In  1866  Mr.  Reasoner  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  M.  Staley, 
who  was  born  in  Botetourt,  Virginia,- January  2,  1846,  and  is  a  lady  of  intel- 
ligence and  culture.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ada  Liza  (Tolley)  Staley. 
Her  parents  were  natives  of  Virginia,  in  which  state  they  were  married  and 
were  of  German  descent.  The  father  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  followed 
that  occupation  in  the  Old  Dominion  until  his  death  in  1853.  In  1856  the 
family  moved  to  Ohio.  On  the  maternal  side  of  the  familv  Mrs.  Reasoner  was 
descended  from  prominent  people  from  Virginia.  C.  V.  Tolley,  of  Virginia, 
was  a  farmer  and  slave  owner,  who  served  in  the  war  of  18 12,  holding  the 
rank  of  lieutenant,  and  in  recognition  of  his  service  he  was  granted  a  land 
warrant.  He  had  a  brother,  Joseph,  who  served  in  the  Mexican  war.  C.  V. 
Tolley  married  Miss  Mary  B.  Hensley,  also  a  native  of  Virginia,  whose  mother 
belonged  to  the  prominent  Hancock  family,  of  Richmond,  that  state.  Mr. 
Tolley  was  a  tobacco  planter  and  owned  a  number  of  slaves.  The  children 
born  of  this  union  were  James  M.,  who  served  in  the  Confederate  army  during 
the  Civil  war  and  married  Harriet  Openchain ;  Ada  Liza,  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Reasoner;  Sarah  A.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Bierly;  Samuel  D.,  who 
wedded  Elsie  Graddy  and  was  a  strong  Union  man  during  the  Civil  war,  serv- 
ing in  the  Twenty-seventh  Ohio  Infantry;  Amanda  J.,  who  became -the  wife 
of  Samuel  Bierly;  William  H.,  who  wedded  Eunice  M.  Grover;  Margaret; 
and  Whitfield  A.,  who  wedded  Sarah  C.  Badgley. 


282  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Unto  John  and  Ada  Liza  Staley  were  born  four  cliildren :  Mary  A.  E., 
who  became  the  wife  of  David  Gall :  Sarah  M.,  tlie  wife  of  Mr.  Reasoner ;  Mar- 
cus L.,  a  resident  of  Hiawatha.  Kansas,  who  wedded  Lotta  Stiles;  and  John 
W.,  who  died  in  California.  Mrs.  Ada  Liza  Staley  was  next  married  to 
Riply  McCarley,  of  Ohio.  One  daughter  was  born  of  this  union,  Joan,  who 
is  married  to  Perry  Stiles.  The  latter  are  residents  of  Fernwood.  Mississippi. 
Mrs.  Staley  made  her  home  with  her  daughter.  Sarah,  for  twenty-five  years 
and  died  January  lo,  1900,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  She  was  born 
in  Rockbridge  county,  Virginia,  and  during  the  greater  part  of  her  life  was  a 
faithful  and  consistent  member  of  the  Christian  church. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Reasoner  engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  sawmill 
and  carried  on  the  lumber  business.  He  also  followed  school  teaching  to  some 
extent,  but  subsequently  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  in  1869  came 
to  Kansas,  locating  in  Brown  county  upon  a  tract  of  wild  land  on  section  22, 
Hamlin  township.  There  he  established  a  farm,  which  he  operated  until  1883, 
when  he  sold  that  property  and  engaged  in  general  merchandising  and  in  the 
lumber  business  in  Reserve.  Mr.  Reasoner  lost  very  heavily  in  a  cyclone  that 
destroyed  Reserve  on  May  17,  1896,  crippling  him  financially.  He  was  con- 
nected with  commercial  interests  until  a  short  time  prior  to  his  death,  when 
he  closed  out  his  business  afTairs.  While  upon  the  farm  he  devoted  his  ener- 
gies to  the  cultivation  of  grain  and  the  raising  of  stock,  and  in  both  lines  of 
his  business  was  successful.  He  prospered  in  all  his  \'entures,  made  judicious 
investments  in  property  and  left  to  his  family  a  good  estate. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reasoner  became  the  parents  of  six  children :  Frederick 
K.,  an  agent  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  who  married  Miss 
Cora  M.  Carr,  and  they  have  two  children.  Helen  and  Margaret ;  Bertha,  the 
wife  of  Arthur  H.  Beamguard,  who  have  one  child,  Ralph  R. ;  Charles  H., 
who  served  with  Company  A,  Twentieth  Kansas  Infantry,  in  the  Philippines, 
and  is  now  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Highland  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Beamguard,  Reasoner  &  Company :  Alden  E.,  John  Chandos  and  Alice  M.,  wlio 
are  at  home  with  their  mother  in  Reserve,  Kansas. 

The  father  of  these  children  died  June  2,  1899,  and  his  death  was  widely 
and  deeply  mourned.  He  was  a  leading  and  influential  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  attended  its  conventions,  kept  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the 
day  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its  growth  and  insure  its  success,  yet 
never  sought  office.  He  held  a  few  minor  township  offices,  but  preferred  to 
give  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business  interests.  In  the  Masonic  fraternity 
he  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree,  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Christian  church  and  by  his  well  spent  life  and  many  virtues  commanded  the 
respect  and  regard  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  always  strictly  honorable 
and  just  in  his  business  dealings  and  in  his  home  and  among  his  friends  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         283 

genial  and  kindly.  Mrs.  Reasoner  is  also  a  faithful  member  of  the  Christian 
church  and  has  taught  her  children  habits  of  industry  and  honesty  so  that  they 
have  become  leading  and  responsible  members  of  society.  The  family  occupy 
a  leading  place  in  public  affairs  and  well  deserve  mention  in  this  volume. 


BENJAMIN  F.  SNYDER. 

Among  the  honored  citizens  of  Effingham,  Kansas,  is  the  well-known 
gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch,  Benjamin  F.  Snyder,  ex-probate 
judge  of  Atchison  county,  Kansas.  Judge  Snyder  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born 
near  Canal  Dover  in  Tuscarawas  county,  December  31,  1843.  ^  son  of  Rezin 
A.  and  Susan  (Helwig)  Snyder,  the  former  a  native  of  Maryland  and  the 
latter  of  Pennsylvania.  Rezin  A.  Snyder  and  his  wife  went  to  Ohio  in  early 
life,  settling  among  the  pioneers  of  Tuscarawas  county,  and  on  a  farm  in  that 
county  they  spent  many  years,  she  dying  there.  He  afterward  married  and 
moved  to  Holmes  county,  but  some  t\\enty  years  later  remo\-ed  to  W'ayne 
county  and  died  there.  In  his  boyhood  Benjamin  F.  attended  the  district 
schools  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  farm  work.  He  was  seventeen  when 
the  civil  war  came  on.  Patriotism,  which  has  always  been  a  strong  element  in 
his  make-up.  showed  itself  at  that  early  age,  and  when  the  call  was  made  for 
volunteers  to  put  down  the  rebellion  he  was  among  the  first  to  enlist.  As  a 
member  of  Company  E,  Sixteenth  Ohio  \'olunteer  Infantry,  he  went  to  the 
front,  his  command  being  assigned  to  the  Department  of  the  Gulf.  General 
Sherman  commanding  the  forces.  Young  Snyder  was  a  participant  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg  in  1863,  the  capture  of  Mobile  and  the  engagement  at 
Jackson,  Mississippi,  besides  other  smaller  actions.  He  remained  in  the  ser- 
vice until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged,  being  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service  in  September  1865. 

On  his  return  home  from  the  army  Mr.  Snyder  engaged  in  farming  at 
his  old  home  in  Ohio,  and  for  two  years  devoted  his  energies  to  farming  and 
stock-raising  there.  That  year  he  came  west  and  settled  in  Center  township, 
Atchison  county,  Kansas,  where  he  has  had  farming  interests  ever  since.  He 
is  now  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  fine  land  just  outside  the  corporate  limits 
of  Eftingham.  the  buildings  on  which  were  erected  by  him.  and  on  this  place 
he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising. 

Judge  Snyder  has  always  been  a  Republican  and  has  a  political  career 
that  covers  a  number  of  years.  He  was  three  times  elected  and  served  as  trustee 
of  Center  township.  Under  President  Harrison's  administration  he  was 
appointed  postmaster  of  Effingham,  which  ofiice  he  filled  acceptably  until  he 


284  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

resigned  in  order  to  accept  the  office  of  probate  judge.  This  latter  office  he 
tilled  three  terms,  serving  in  all  six  years  and  retiring  in  January,  1899.  Since 
then  he  has  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  his  farm  and  other  private  affairs. 
Like  most  veterans  of  the  Civil  war,  Judge  Snyder  maintains  membership 
in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  being  identified  with  Effingham  Post,  No. 
276.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  W'orkmen,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Lutheran  church. 

He  was  married,  in  1871,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Wallick,  a  daughter  of  Benja- 
min and  Mary  Wallick,  her  family  having  come  to  Atchison  county,  Kansas, 
in  pioneer  days.  Her  father  is  now  well  advanced  in  years  and  is  still  a  resi- 
dent of  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  have  five  children,  namely:  Effie 
May,  wife  of  Charles  Ellis,  of  Atchison  county;  Mabel,  Homer  R.  and  Mearl 
J.  and  Earl  G.,  twins. 


GEORGE  M.  DAVIS. 

George  M.  Davis  is  a  wide-awake,  progressive  citizen  of  Hiawatha,  who 
is  now  holding  the  office  of  registrar  of  deeds.  A  native  of  the  Green  Mountain 
state,  he  was  born  in  Windsor  county,  on  the  nth  of  March,  1867,  and  is  the 
second  son  of  Milton  and  Lucy  (Lawlor)  Davis,  both  natives  of  Vermont. 
Li  1868  the  family  removed  to  Kansas,  and  after  a  short  residence  in  Jackson 
county  took  up  their  abode  in  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  upon  a  farm 
three  miles  west  of  Horton,  where  the  parents  still  reside. 

George  M.  Davis  was  a  mere  lad  when  brought  to  Kansas.  He  attended 
the  district  schools  and  later  pursued  his  education  in  the  Lawrence  Business 
College  and  in  Campbell  University  at  Holton.  On  putting  aside  his  text 
books  he  returned  home  to  assist  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  farm,  and  was 
connected  with  agricultural  pursuits  until  the  fall  of  1897,  when  he  was  elected 
registrar  of  deeds  of  Brown  county  on  the  Republican  ticket,  assuming  the  du- 
duties  of  the  office  on  the  loth  of  January,  1898.  The  following  year  he  was 
re-elected  by  a  very  large  majority,  a  fact  which  indicated  that  his  service  in 
his  first  term  was  efficient  and  reliable. 

In  1890  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Davis  and  Miss  Maggie  Spencer, 
of  Brown  county,  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Nancy  J.  (Wolf)  Spencer. 
Three  children  grace  this  union,  a  son  and  two  daughters,  namely :  Melvina, 
Sherman  and  Irene.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  member  of  the  Indepehdent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  an  active  and  enterprising  business 
man,  and  his  fellow  townsmen  recognizing  his  worth,  called  him  to  office.  In 
the  discharge  of  his  duties  he  has  shown  that  the  trust  reposed  in  him  has  never 
been  betrayed,  and  those  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact  entertain 
for  him  the  highest  regard. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         285 


PHILIP  KILLEY. 

One  of  the  ablest  and  best  known  business  men  of  Atchison  county,  is 
Philip  Killey,  a  lumber  dealer  of  Effigham.  To  a  student  of  biography  there 
is  nothing  more  interesting  than  to  examine  the  life  history  of  self-made 
men  and  to  detect  the  elements  of  character  which  have  enabled  them  to  pass 
on  the  highway  of  life  many  of  the  companions  of  their  youth  who  in  the  out- 
set of  their  career  were  more  advantageously  equi])ped  and  endowed.  The 
subject  of  this  review  has  through  his  own  efforts  obtained  an  honorable  posi- 
tion and  marked  prestige  among  the  men  of  his  adopted  county,  and  it  must 
be  said  that  with  signal  conspicuousness  he  is  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes, 
and  his  success  amply  justifies  the  application  of  the  somewhat  hackneyed  but 
most  expressive  title,  "a  self-made  man." 

Mr.  Killey  was  born  August  i,  1845,  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  where  his  par- 
ents, Philip  and  Catherine  (Quirk)  Killey.  were  also  natives,  married  and 
spent  their  lives.  He  obtained  a  good  common  school  education  in  his  native 
land  and  then  worked  for  several  years  as  clerk  in  a  general  store  in  Ramsey, 
on  that  island.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  went  to  Australia,  and  spent  four 
years  in  gold  mining  in  Ballarat.  In  1871  he  returned  home,  where  he  spent 
a  year.  During  that  time  be  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  C.  Lace,  a  daughter  of 
Enos  and  Catherine  (Clucas)  Lace. 

In  1872  Mr.  Killey  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  wife,  locating  at 
Atchison,  Kansas,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grain  business,  in  which  he  re- 
mained six  years.  He  was  very  successful  in  his  enterprise  and  continued  in 
this  line  until  1879,  when  he  was  appointed  grain  inspector  for  Atchison 
county  by  the  board  of  trade,  and  subsequenty  grain  inspector  for  the  state. 
He  held  these  two  offices  for  nineteen  years,  fulfilling  his  duties  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  concerned.  In  1897,  after  retiring  from  official  business,  Mr. 
Killey  bought  the  interest  of  Gilbert  Campbell  in  the  lumber  firm  of  Campbell 
&  Walker  at  Effingham,  the  name  being  then  changed  to  Walker  &  Killey, 
and  in  October,  1899,  ^^  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Walker  and  became  the 
sole  proprietor.  He  deals  extensively  in  lumber  and  building  materials  and  has 
large  yards  and  does  a  large  volume  of  business,  having  j-ards  at  Netawaka, 
where  the  business  is  done  under  the  name  of  Netawaka  Lumber  Company,  and 
managed  by  Percy  L.  Killey,  a  son  of  Mr.  Killey..  Their  business  methods 
are  reliable  and  their  earnest  desire  to  please  their  patrons  has  secured  to  them 
gratifying  success. 

In  1879  Mrs.  Killey  died,  leaving  two  children,  Florence  and  Percy  Lace, 
the  latter  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at  Netawaka,  Kansas,  as  mentioned 
above.  Mr.  Killey  was  again  married  in  1884,  his  second  wife  being  Catha- 
rine Lace,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife.     He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres. 


286  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

seven  miles  west  of  Atcliison,  which  is  under  good  cultivation.  Personally 
Mr.  Killey  is  a  man  of  fine,  pleasant  manners  and  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow 
citizens.  He  has  proved  himself  in  all  the  relations  of  life  an  earnest,  honest, 
upright  man  and  a  citizen  of  whom  any  community  might  justly  be  proud. 


JOHN  W.  WILSON. 


John  W.  Wilson,  the  principal  of  the  Atchison  County  High  School  at 
Effingham,  Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  dates  his  birth  in  Bureau  county, 
July  22,  1864.  He  traces  his  ancestry  on  both  his  paternal  side  and  his  mater- 
nal to  Scotland.  His  parents  were  David  Gorsich  Wilson  and  Lona  ncc  Max- 
well. The  latter  was  a  native  of  Indiana  and  a  daughter  of  William  Maxwell, 
whose  first  American  ancestors  came  to  this  country  from  Scotland  at  an  early 
day,  their  descendants  being  now  scattered  throughout  the  states.  John  Wil- 
son, the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio, 
His  remote  ancestor  was  a  Scotch-Irishman  who  came  to  this  country  and  set- 
tled in  Maryland,  and  it  was  in  that  state  that  the  great-grandfather  of  John  W. 
was  born,  and  wdience  he  removed  when  a  young  man  to  Pennsylvania.  John 
Wilson,  the  grandfather,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  army,  and  fought 
bravely  for  independence. 

In  1869  the  Wilson  family  removed  from  Illinois  to  Kansas,  and  settled  in 
Benton  county,  John  W.  at  that  time  being  a  child  of  five  years.  He  is  the 
eldest  child  in  a  family  of  eight  children — six  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely  : 
John  W.,  Olive,  Frank,  Emmet,  Carrie,  Edward,  Bert  A.  and  Fred.  In  the  dis- 
tricts schools  our  subject  received  his  early  education.  Then  he  took  a  course  in 
Drake  University  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  where  he  graduated  in  1890,  after 
which  he  entered  the  State  Normal  School  in  order  to  take  a  special  training  for 
educational  work.  While  obtaining  his  education  he  taught  school  at  inter- 
vals, and  in  1893  '^^  accepted  a  position  as  assistant  principal  in  the  Atchison 
County  High  School,  which  place  he  filled  vmtil  1896,  when  he  was  ])romoted 
to  his  present  position,  that  of  principal,  which  he  has  since  filled  most  accept- 
ably. He  has  a  corps  of  competent,  well  selected  teachers  as  assistants  who 
co-operate  with  him  in  doing  faithful,  efficient  work.  Pupils  graduating 

at  this  school  are  admitted  to  the  regular  collegiate  course  in  other  institutions 
on  diploma. 

Professor  Wilson  was  married  ,  in  1892.  to  Miss  Katie  Coe.  of  Iowa, 
daughter  of  Josiah  and  Jessie  (Kinnis)  Coe.  They  have  two  children,  Mildred 
C.  and  Donald  M. 

Both  Mr.   Wilson  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         287 

He  also  is  identified  with  the  F.  &  A.  M.  and  the  M.  W.  of  A.,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Kansas  Academy  of  Science.  As  a  teacher,  a  citizen  and  a  Christian 
gentleman  he  stands  high  in  the  estimation  of  the  people  of  Effingham,  among 
whom  he  has  spent  some  of  the  best  years  of  his  life. 


WILSON  M.  WALKER. 

Wilson  M.  \\'alker.  the  cashier  of  the  State  Bank  of  Effingham,  was  born 
in  the  village  of  Shelocta,  Indiana  comity,  Pennsylvania.  January  31,  1849,  ^ 
son  of  Alexander  and  Martha  (Speedy)  Walker,  both  natives  of  the  Keystone 
state.  Alexander  Walker  was  a  carpenter  and  builder,  which  trade  he  fol- 
lowed for  a  period  of  thirty  years.  His  father  was  Robert  Walker,  who  also 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Of  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  we 
record  that  his  name  was  Hugh  M.  Speedy,  and  that  he  was  of  Scotch  descent, 
the  family  having  been  transplanted  in  this  country  several  generations  ago. 

Wilson  M.  Walker  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in  his  native 
state  and  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
he  commenced  clerking  in  a  general  store,  an  occupation  in  which  he  was  en- 
gaged two  years.  In  1868  he  came  west  to  the  state  of  Kansas,  stopping  first 
in  the  village  of  Effingham,  and  soon  afterward  locating  upon  a  farm  a  mile 
and  a  half  southwest  of  the  town.  He  improved  and  placed  under  cultivation 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  carried  on  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  successfully  until  1892,  when  he  left  the  farm  and  came  to  town.  Here 
he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  in  partnership  with  Gilbert  Campbell,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Campbell  &  Walker,  an  association  which  continued  until 
1897.  Air.  Campbell  was  succeeded  by  P.  Killey,  and  the  firm  became  Walker 
&  Killey.  With  extensive  yards  and  sheds  and  carrying  a  large  stock  of  lumber 
and  all  kinds  of  builders'  material,  they  did  a  large  and  constantly  increasing 
business,  but  in  the  fall  of  1899  Mr.  Walker  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Killey,  and 
became  cashier  of  the  State  Bank.  Mr.  Walker  has  accumulated  considerable 
property,  and  has  various  interests.  He  first  served  as  the  vice-president  of  the 
State  Bank  of  Effingham  for  several  years,  and  was  then  made  its  cashier. 
He  owns  and  occupies  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  city. 

Air.  Walker  has  always  taken  an  interest  in  public  affairs.  In  1888, 
while  living  on  his  farm,  he  was  elected  as  a  Republican  to  represent  his  county 
in  the  state  legislature,  and  served  through  the  session  of  1889,  being  a  member 
of  several  important  committees,  including  that  on  ways  and  means.  He  is 
prominent  in  Alasonic  circles,  being  a  member  of  both  Washington  Chapter 
and  Washington  Commandery  at  Atchison. 


288  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

He  was  married,  in  1875,  to  Miss  Lavina  Green,  of  Atchison  county,  Kan- 
sas, who  had  come  here  from  her  native  state,  Ohio.  She  is  a  daugliter  of 
Mark  and  Lucy  J.  (Richards)  Green.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  have  two  chil- 
dren, a  daughter  and  son.  Martha  and  Mark  A,,  both  at  liome. 


JAMES  H.  GARSIDE. 

Mr.  Garside  is  the  local  freight  agent  for  the  Santa  Fe  and  the  Rock  Island 
Railroads  at  Atchison,  and  is  perhaps  the  best  known  business  man  in  the  city, 
his  duties  in  connection  with  the  above  mentioned  position  bringing  him  into 
contact  with  merchants,  farmers,  grain  dealers  and  shippers  of  all  classes 
of  freight  during  the  eight  years  in  which  he  has  held  the  post.  His  uniform 
courtesy  and  obliging  manner  have  won  him  high  regard,  and  his  hfe  record 
W'ell  deserves  a  place  in  this  volume. 

Mr.  Garside  was  born  in  Canton,  Fulton  county.  Illinois.  January  26, 
1848.  His  parents  were  Joshua  and  Anna  (Cox)  Garside.  and  his  father,  a 
native  of  England,  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1836.  He  became  a 
member  of  the  banking  firm  of  Maple,  Stipp  &  Garside,  at  Canton,  and  sub- 
sequently went  to  Nebraska  City  to  open  a  bank  for  S.  F.  Nuckolls.  In  1864 
the  family  removed  to  Atchison  and  the  father  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  A.  S.  Parker  &  Company,  forwarding  agents  and  also  agents  for  the  Star  Line 
of  steamers  plying  between  St.  Louis  and  St.  Joseph.  Later  the  firm  became 
Garside  tSc  Son,  and  did  an  extensive  business  in  forwarding  freight  to  Denver, 
Salt  Lake  and  Montana.  There  was  at  time  a  large  number  of  boats  plying  the 
river  and  a  vast  amount  of  grain  was  shipped  by  them ;  a  single  boat  sometimes 
took  on  from  three  to  ten  thousand  bushels  of  grain  in  sacks  and  lay  at  the  levee 
two  or  three  days  in  loading. 

James  H.  Garside  is  the  eldest  of  nine  children,  two  sons  and  seven  daugh- 
ters. He  was  educated  at  the  public  schools  of  Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  and 
in  the  high  school  in  Atchison.  He  was  for  many  years  in  business  with  his 
father  as  mentioned  above.  Prior  to  the  completion  of  the  bridge  at  Atchison 
a  transfer  boat  named  "Wm.Osborn"  was  used  in  transferring  cars  for  the  Cen- 
tral Branch  and  Santa  Fe  lines,  and  Mr.  Garside  had  charge  of  that  business.  At 
the  completion  of  the  bridge  he  was  with  the  Hamilton  &  Flint  Transfer  Com- 
pany, which  transferred  freight  with  teams  from  one  side  of  the  river  to  the 
other.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  Santa  Fe  road  in  1881,  which  position  he 
now  occupies.  Prior  to  his  engagement  with  the  Santa  Fe,  he  was  an  agent  for 
the  Continental  Fast  Freight  line,  the  Commercial  Express  line  and  the  Star 
Union  line. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         289 

In  1872  Mr.  Garside  was  married,  to  Miss  Mattie  H.  Preston,  of  Canton, 
Illinois.     They  have  one  son,  named  for  his  grandfather,  William  Preston. 

Mr.  Garside  is  a  member  of  Washington  Lodge,  No.  5,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  Washington  Commandery  and  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  education  for  the  past  twelve  years.  He  is  one  of  the  char- 
ter members  of  the  Atchison  Flambeau  Club  and  also  of  the  Atchison  Gun 
Club.  He  belongs  to  the  Congregational  church,  of  which  he  is  one  of  the 
trustees.  He  is  a  very  busy  man  but  is  genial  in  his  disposition,  accommo- 
dating and  courteous  in  his  dealings  with  the  public,  and  is  much  esteemed 
by  all  who  know  him. 

WILLIAM  M.  DAILEY. 

William  M.  Dailey,  head  miller  for  the  Blair  iMilling  Company,  Atchison. 
Kansas,  is — to  use  a  well  worn  but  expressive  phrase — the  right  man  in  the 
right  place.  A  brief  sketch  of  his  life  with  reference  to  his  ancestry  is  as 
follows : 

William  M.  Dailey  was  born  in  Joliet,  Illinois,  June  5,  1858.  a  son  of  John 
and  Ellen  (Griffin)  Dailey,  and  the  oldest  of  their  family  of  seven  children. — 
four  sons  and  three  daughters, — all  of  whom  are  living  except  one  daughter. 
The  living  daughters  are  married,  Jennie  being  now  the  wife  of  John  Walsh, 
of  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  Mattie  wife  of  William  Sutton,  of  Michigan.  The 
parents,  both  natives  of  Ireland,  were  brought  to  the  United  States  in  child- 
hood and  were  reared  in  Illinois.  John  Dailey  was  for  a  number  of  years  a 
locomotive  engineer  on  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  and  later  spent  some  years 
in  freighting  on  the  plains.  He  and  his  wife  are  still  living  and  he  is  now 
retired,  their  home  being  in  .\tchison,  Kansas,  to  which  place  they  moved  in 
1859,  when  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  in  his  infancy. 

At  Atchison.  William  M.  was  reared  and  educated,  in  his  youth  attending 
the  common  schools.  Leaving  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Blair  Milling  Company,  beginning  work  at  the  very  bottom 
of  the  ladder  and  working  his  way  up,  step  by  step,  until  he  reached  his  present 
position,  that  of  head  miller.  He  has  been  identified  with  this  company  ever 
since  with  the  exception  of  three  years,  1890  to  1893,  when  he  was  in  North 
Dakota,  Wisconsin  and  Colorado.  It  was  in  1883  that  he  became  the  head 
miller,  and  that  he  has  held  this  position  for  so  long  a  time  in  this,  the  largest, 
milling  establishment  in  Atchison,  is  ample  evidence  of  his  faithfulness  and 
efficiency. 

Mr.  Dailey  was  married,  in  1891,  to  Miss  Agnes  Thomas,  of  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Thomas.  They  have  two  sons, — William  F.  and 
Walter  Milton. 


290  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mr.  Dailey  has  always  shown  an  interest  in  public  affairs,  especially  those 
of  a  local  nature,  and  while  he  has  never  asked  for  official  favors  he  was  in 
1896  elected  a  member  of  the  Atchison  city  council  to  represent  the  first  ward. 
This  position  he  filled  until  1899.  He  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  Golden 
Cross  Lodge,  No.  7,  Knights  of  Pythias. 


WILLIAM  S.  WALLACE,  M.  D. 

The  flourishing  town  of  Effingham,  Atchison  county,  has  attracted  to  its 
hospitable  borders  many  a  young  man  of  ambition  and  enterprise,  as  well  as 
numerous  wealthy  and  retired  business  men  and  capitalists.  The  reason  for 
this  is  obvious :  it  is  because  of  the  manifest  destiny  of  the  place  one  day 
to  rank  among  the  most  populous  and  progressive  cities  of  the  great  state 
of  Kansas.  Believing  thoroughly  in  its  future  of  promise,  these  citizens 
neglect  no  opportunity  to  advance  the  new  era,  and  their  patriotism  should  find 
a  responsive  echo  in  every  heart.  Among  those  who  have  cast  in  their  fortunes 
with  us  during  the  past  decade  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  appears  at  the 
commencement  of  this  sketch  of  his  life. 

Dr.  W.  S.  Wallace  is  a  native  of  Washington  county,  Iowa,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  near  the  town  of  Washington,  August  21,  1869.  His  father, 
W^illiam  A.  Wallace,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  whence  he  removed,  in  his 
early  manhood,  to  Iowa,  and  there  met  and  married  Maggie  A.  White,  a  popu- 
lar and  successful  teacher  of  Washington  county.  They  became  the  parents 
of  three  sons  and  four  (laughters,  and  to  each  they  gave  excellent  educational 
advantages  and  home  training.  The  father  was  one  of  the  brave  soldier  boys 
of  the  Federal  army  during  the  civil  war,  and  for  four  years  faithfully  fought 
and  suffered  in  the  defense  of  the  Union.  He  first  enlisted  as  a  private  of  the 
Seventh  Iowa  Regiment  of  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  later  was  a  sergeant  in  the 
Nineteenth  Iowa  Infantry. 

In  his  boyhood  and  youth,  Dr.  Wallace  was  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  state,  and  there  laid  the  foundations  of  his  future  knowledge. 
Deciding  that  the  healing  art  should  be  his  life's  work,  he  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine  under  the  tutelage  of  Dr.  C.  D.  Werley,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  later 
entered  Jefferson  Medical  College  at  Philadelphia.  In  that  celebrated  institu- 
tion he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1893,  ^"^^  ^^  once  entered 
upon  his  labors  as  a  physician  and  surgeon.  But  little  more  than  seven  years 
have  passed  since  he  opened  an  office  in  Effingham,  but  success  has  attended  him 
from  the  first,  and  to-day  he  possesses  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  public. 
Extremely  conscientious  and  painstaking  in  the  treatment  of  each  case  com- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  291 

mitted  to  his  skill,  he  never  fails  to  win  the  esteem  of  the  patient  nor  to  clieer 
and  encourage  each  member  of  the  afflicted  familj'  whom  he  is  called  to  visit. 
In  1893,  the  year  in  which  the  Doctor  embarked  upon  his  professional 
career,  another  event,  none  the  less  important,  transpired,  at  Reading,  Penn- 
sylvania, as  his  marriage  to  Miss  Dora  Gouker  was  solemnized.  The  young 
couple's  attractive  home  is  brightened  now  by  the  presence  of  their  two  little 
sons,  who  are  named  respectively  William  Earl  and  Paul  G.  The  Doctor  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America. 


THOMAS  J.  BOHANNON. 

America,  above  all  countries,  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  her  aggressive, 
wide-awake  bu-siness  men, — men  who  have  made  their  way  through  all  kinds 
of  reverses  and  difficulties  to  positions  of  honor  and  influence,  in  the  meantime 
being  developed  and  strengthened  by  the  very  obstacles  which  they  ha\'e  had 
to  overcome.  Thus  it  has  been  in  the  case  of  Thomas  J.  Bohannon,  one  of  the 
best  known  citizens  of  Atchison  county,  and  his  numerous  friends  will  take 
pleasure  in  perusing  the  following  record  of  his  life. 

He  comes  of  good  old  southern  stock,  his  father,  John  Bohannon,  being 
a  native  of  eastern  Tennessee,  in  which  state  he  married  Telitha  Foust.  Subse- 
quently to  that  event  he  removed  to  Indiana,  where  he  remained  four  years, 
and  then  continued  his  journeyings  to  Illinois,  and  finally  reached  Buchanan 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  Politically  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  religiously  both  he  and  his  beloved 
wife  were  members  of  the  Christian  church.  She  was  called  to  her  reward 
when  in  her  seventy-eighth  year.  Of  their  eleven  children  eight  now  survive, 
five  of  the  number  being  residents  of  Kansas,  one  of  Iowa,  and  one  of  Missouri. 

Thomas  J.  Bohannon  was  born  on  the  parental  homestead  in  Buchanan 
county,  Missouri,  May  29,  1846.  In  his  boyhood  his  educational  advantages 
were  limited  to  such  as  the  district  schools  afforded,  but  in  later  years  he 
increased  his  knowledge  by  reading  and  observation.  In  1871  he  came  to 
this  county  and  located  upon  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  situated  in  Benton  town- 
ship. He  is  yet  living  on  that  place,  but.  as  the  years  have  rolled  away,  he  has 
invested  in  more  land  from  time  to  time  until  he  now  owns  four  hundred  and 
eighty-seven  acres.  His  home  place  is  a  model  one.  being  supplied  with  good 
buildings,  a  windmill,  a  grove,  and  other  accessories  of  a  desirable  country 
home  of  the  period. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Bohannon  is  independent,  reserving  to  himsel: 
the  right  of  absolute  freedom  from  party  ties,  and  voting  as  he  deems  best  at 


292  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

any  given  election.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  school  board,  and  takes  a 
commendable  interest  in  the  promotion  of  educational  affairs.  Both  he  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church,  being  workers  in  the  Sun- 
day-school, and  at  present  he  is  serving  in  the  capacity  of  an  elder.  In  per- 
sonal appearance  he  is  tall  and  commanding,  being  six  feet  in  height  and 
weighing  twf)  hundred  and  thirty-five  pounds. 

When  he  was  twenty-four  years  of  age,  Mr.  Bohannon  married  Alice  E. 
Dittemore.adaughterof  Michael  and  Grizzillar  Dittemore.  Six  children  blessed 
the  union  of  our  subject  and  wife,  namely :  Abbie  Ivy,  who  died  in  her  fif- 
teenth year;  Fannie,  who  married  F.  R.  Schurman,  of  Lancaster  township: 
Robert  Gaines,  who  wedded  Kate  Mummert,  and  also  resides  in  Lancaster 
township ;  Telitha  Cuma ;  Anna  Ethel ;  and  Roy,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  months. 


DANIEL  W.  HAWK. 


Fully  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  Daniel  W.  Hawk  came  to  Atchison 
county,  and  during  this  period,  which  has  been  so  important  in  the  history  of 
this  progressive  state,  he  has  been  active  in  the  promotion  of  all  enterprises 
calculated  to  prove  of  permanent  benefit  to  his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  the  agricultural  class,  to  whose  labors,  more  than  all  others, 
should  be  attributed  the  wealth  and  importance  of  this  state,  now  one  of  the 
foremost  in  the  Union. 

Daniel  W.  Hawk  is  one  of  ten  children  whose  parents  were  Leonard 
and  Margaret  (Ridenouer)  Hawk.  Both  of  his  grandfathers  were  valiant 
soldiers  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  one  of  our  subject's  brothers,  William  Hawk, 
fought  and  suffered  in  our  late  civil  war  and  is  now  living  in  Ohio.  He 
enlisted  in  Company  K,  Twenty-fourth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  participated 
in  some  of  the  most  important  campaigns  of  the  war,  and  at  the  battle  of  Mur- 
freesboro,  Tennessee,  January  i,  1863,  was  severely  wounded.  Of  the  children 
of  Leonard  Hawk  and  wife,  John,  David,  Jonathan  and  Abraham  are 
deceased,  as  also  is  the  youngest  of  the  family.  Mrs.  Sarah  DeCamp.  Mrs. 
Barbara  Need  and  Samuel  Hawk  live  in  Ohio,  the  state  of  their  nativity. 
Andrew,  of  Atchison  county,  is  represented  upon  another  page  of  this  volume. 
Leonard  Hawk,  the  father  of  these  children,  was  honored  by  all  who  knew  him 
as  an  upright  citizen,  a  kind  neighbor  and  a  devoted  husband  and  father.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  German  Reformed  church.  Death  claimed 
him  when  he  was  in  his  seventy-sixth  year,  while  the  wife  lived  to  attain  her 
eighty-sixth  year. 

The  birth  of  Daniel  \\'.  Hawk  took  place  June  15,  1834,  in  Coshocton 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.        293 

county.  Ohio.  Reared  on  a  farm,  he  became  proficient  in  all  branches  of  agri- 
culture, and  in  1869  removed  to  Grinnell,  Iowa.  After  spending  five  years  in 
that  place  he  came  to  Kansas,  and  has  since  been  actively  engaged  in  farming 
in  Atchison  county.  Success  crowned  his  energetic  labors  to  make  a  liveli- 
hood and  to  lay  aside  a  competence  for  advancing  years,  and  to-day  he  is  one 
of  the  wealthy  farmers  of  his  locality.  His  property  comprises  five  hundred 
and  ten  acres  of  well  cultivated  land,  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  being- 
situated  in  Benton  township,  while  the  remainder  is  across  the  line  in  Grass- 
hopper township.  A  flourishing  grove  and  orchard  add  to  the  desirability 
of  the  homestead,  which  is  otherwise  improved  with  a  modern  house  and  com- 
modious barns  and  other  buildings. 

Soon  after  reaching  his  majority,  Mr.  Hawk  married  Sarah  DeCamp, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Hewitt)  DeCamp,  both  of  whom  departed 
this  life  at  their  homes  in  Ohio.  Mrs.  Hawk's  brother,  Samuel,  who  died  in 
Oregon,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Union  army  during  the  civil  war.  Of  the  eight 
children  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  one  son,  Leonard,  nineteen  years  of  age, 
and  a  daughter,  Edith,  aged  twenty-one  years,  died  the  same  night.  Francis, 
the  eldest  son,  is  a  successful  farmer  of  Grasshopper  township ;  Noble  is  engaged 
in  farming  in  Benton  township;  Harvey  is  a  farmer  of  Center  township,  and 
Royal  Grant  carries  on  a  farm  in  Mitchell  county,  Kansas;  Emma,  the  eldest 
daughter,  is  the  widow  of  Robert  McPhilimy,  of  Effingham,  and  Mary  Maud 
is  the  wife  of  Carl  Stever,  of  this  township.  In  1884  the  mother  of  these  chil- 
dren was  called  to  the  better  land. 

In  his  political  attitude  Mr.  Hawk  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  his  party.  Religiously  he  is  a  Lutheran,  and  contributes  liberally 
toward  the  support  of  that  denomination.  Though  now  approaching  the 
evening  of  life,  lie  enjoys  excellent  health  and  bids  fair  to  witness  many 
another  year  of  happiness  and  prosperity. 


ANDREW  HAWK. 


The  history  of  the  prominent  citizens  and  influential  residents  of  Atchison 
county  would  be  incomplete  should  the  Hawk  family  be  omitted.  They  have 
borne  an  important  part  in  the  development  of  this  now  flourishing  county  and 
at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances  have  stood  for  good  government, 
Schools  and  churches,  improvements  of  various  kinds  and  everything  consti- 
tuting modern  civilization. 

Andrew  Hawk,  of  Benton  township,  is  one  of  the  sons  of  the  good  old 
Buckeye  state,  his  birth  having  taken  place  February  4,  1825,  in  Carroll  county. 


294  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Ohio.  His  parents,  Leonard  and  Margaret  (Ridenower)  Hawk,  were  life-long 
agriculturists,  upright  and  respected  by  all  of  their  acquaintances.  They  were 
members  of  the  German  Reformed  church  and  lived  in  perfect  harmony  witli 
their  professions.  The  father  gave  his  support  to  the  old  Whig  party,  and  fa\'- 
ored  all  measures  which  he  believed  were  calculated  to  benefit  the  majority  of 
our  people.  His  long  and  useful  life  came  to  an  end  when  he  was  in  his  seven- 
ty-sixth year ;  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him,  was  eighty-six  years  old  when 
she  received  the  summons  to  lay  aside  her  earthly  burdens.  Of  their  ten  chil- 
dren three — -John  David,  Jonathan  and  Abraham — are  deceased  :  Abraham  died 
when  fourteen  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Barbara  Need  and  Samuel  are  residents  of 
Ohio,  Daniel  W.,  of  this  township,  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Will- 
iam, now  of  Ohio,  was  a  brave  soldier  who  wore  the  blue  durring  the  war  of  the 
Rebellion.  He  served  as  a  private  of  Company  K,  Twenty-fourth  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  Tennes- 
see, January  i,  1863.  Mrs.  Sarah  DeCamp  was  the  wife  of  Samuel  DeCamp, 
a  soldier  of  the  civil  war,  and  their  deaths  took  place  in  Oregon. 

In  his  boyhood  Andrew  Hawk  attended  tiie  common  schools,  in  company 
with  his  brothers  and  sisters,  and  early  learned  lessons  of  industry  and  perse- 
verance which  proved  the  basis  of  his  later  success.  Some  twelve  years  ago 
he  came  to  Atchison  county  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Benton  township. 
Briefly  summing  up  the  results  of  the  years  of  persistent  effort  and  labor  on  his 
part  since  that  time,  it  may  be  said  that  he  now  owns  about  five  hundred  acres 
of  valuable  farm  land,  most  of  which  is  under  constant  cultivation,  producing 
abundant  harvests.  His  home  is  a  beautiful  one.  surrounded  with  modern  con- 
veniences and  many  of  the  so-called  luxuries  of  life.  Large  barns  and  farm 
buildings  stand  on  the  homestead  and  everything  about  the  place  is  kept  in  a 
thrifty,  painstaking  style. 

As  a  husband  and  father  Mr.  Hawk's  record  is  above  reproach,  and  his 
children  cannot  but  feel  that  he  has  ever  been  to  them  a  kind,  considerate  parent. 
He  was  first  married,  in  Ohio,  soon  after  attaining  his  majority,  to  Mary  J. 
Walters,  who  was  a  native  of  Guernsey  county  and  daughter  of  George  N. 
and  Mary  (Thompson)  Walters.  She  died  in  1863,  leaving  four  children, 
namely:  Mrs.  Mary  Mizer  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Zinchorn.  of  Ohio;  Mrs. 
Rachel  McFarland,  of  this  county;  and  Mrs.  Talitha  Draper,  also  of  Ohio.  In 
1865  Mr.  Hawk  married  Lavina  Landers,  also  of  Ohio,  and  eight  children 
blessed  their  union.  William  S.,  the  eldest,  and  Charles,  the  fifth  of  the  family, 
are  residents  of  Effingham,  the  latter  being  the  deputy  postmaster  there. 
Howard  Allen  and  Edward  live  in  this  township.  Arvilla  is  the  wife  of  Her- 
bert Harris,  of  Horton,  Kansas.  Rutherford  Hayes,  Celina  and  JJm  are  at 
home.  All  have  received,  or  are  receiving,  a  good  education  and  proper  train- 
ing for  the  serious  duties  and  responsibilities  of  life. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         295 

THOMAS  FRABLE. 

One  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Atchison  county  is  Thomas  Frable.  whose 
history  has  been  closely  associated  with  that  of  this  portion  of  Kansas  for  the 
past  forty  years.  During^  this  time  he  has  been  a  witness  of  remarkable  changes 
for  the  better  and  has  been  an  interested  and  active  worker  for  the  causes  of 
education,  good  government  and  progress  along  all  lines. 

The  birth  of  Thomas  Frable  took  place  in  Westmoreland  county.  Penn- 
sylvania, March  22,  1832.  His  father,  who  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  died 
when  our  subject  was  a  child  of  but  four  years.  The  mother  survived  him 
many  years  and  married  a  second  time.  Thomas  Frable  was  one  of  two  chil- 
dren, and  his  brother,  Solomon,  is  at  present  a  resident  of  Sumner  county, 
Kansas. 

As  his  mother  was  left  without  much  means,  Thomas  Frable  became  a 
member  of  the  family  of  James  Ouinn,  who,  on  the  whole,  was  kind  to  the  lad, 
though  he  was  not  "generous  to  a  fault"  and  did  not  spoil  the  child  with  over- 
much attention  and  affection.  However,  he  was  allowed  to  attend  school  a 
few  months  each  winter  and  managed  to  obtain  a  fair  education.  Upon  reach- 
ing his  majority,  according  to  agreement,  Mr.  Frable  was  given  a  horse,  saddle 
and  bridle. 

At  the  age  of  thirty  years  Thomas  Frable  married  Rebecca  Graham,  a 
daughter  of  Richard  and  Nancy  Graham,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
Mrs.  Frable  has  two  brothers  living,  namely:  Robert,  who  still  makes  his 
home  in  the  Keystone  state ;  and  William,  a  well-known  citizen  of  this  town- 
ship. Five  children  were  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  but  four  of  the  num- 
ber have  been  summoned  to  the  silent  land.  Harry  M.,  a  thrifty  young  farmer 
of  Benton  township,  owns  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  situated 
on  section  10.  Clara  became  the  wife  of  John  Blankenship  and  died  at  the  ao-e 
of  twenty-seven  years.     The  other  children  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Frable  came  to  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  in  1859,  then  a  single  man. 
Here  he  met  and  married  Rebecca  Graham,  who  had  came  to  the  county  in  the 
same  year  with  her  parents.  For  one  year  after  his  marriage  he  freighted 
across  the  great  plains  and  for  the  next  two  years  broke  prairie  lands.  Back  in 
the  east,  as  a  farm  hand  at  ten  dollars  per  month,  he  had  saved  enough  money 
to  buy  a  tract  of  land  and  with  this  he  purchased  a  tract,  selecting  what  he 
deemed  to  be  an  excellent  piece  of  proi)erty.  He  located  upon  an  eighty-acre 
tract  in  Benton  township  and  the  house  which  he  erected  was  one  of  the  first 
built  in  the  township.  As  the  years  passed  he  made  substantial  improvements 
and  gradually  added  to  his  original  farm,  his  present  place  comprising  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres.  Besides  the  large  barns,  windmill,  fences  and  other 
necessary  features  of  a  modern,  well  equipped  homestead,  he  built  a  beautiful 


296  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

residence  in  1893,  at  a  cost  of  over  two  thousand  dollars.  It  is  situated  on  an 
attractive  spot  and  is  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  grove  of  trees,  which  are  noted 
far  and  near.  Thus,  as  has  been  seen,  Mr.  Frable  has  literally  been  the  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortunes,  for,  commencing  with  almost  nothing  in  the  way  of 
capital,  he  has  perseveringly  labored  toward  the  goal  of  success  and  now,  as 
the  shadows  of  his  life  lengthen,  he  is  in  possession  of  an  assured  competence. 
In  his  political  belief  he  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  led  a  quiet  life  and  has  had 
no  desire  to  occupy  public  positions.  The  sincere  respect  and  confidence  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated  are  bestowed  upon  him. 


GEORGE  M.  HENDERSON. 

Among  the  well-known  and  representative  citizens  of  Benton  township, 
Atchison  county,  is  George  M.  Henderson,  whose  residence  in  this  county 
covers  a  period  of  thirty-two  years.  He  is  a  descendant  of  an  old  Scotch  fam- 
ily who  originally  spelled  their  name  Hendson,  and  for  a  number  of  genera- 
tions his  ancestors  have  been  numbered  among  the  inhabitants  of  this  country. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  John  Henderson,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  whose 
wife  came  of  an  old  Pennsylvania  German  family.  He  removed  from  Virginia 
to  east  Tennessee  and  resided  there  several  years,  rearing  his  children  there, 
and  his  wife  died  there.  When  the  father  of  our  subject  came  to  Missouri  the 
grandfather  came  with  him  and  his  death  occurred  in  Platte  county,  that  state. 
At  an  early  day  our  subject's  parents  removed  to  Jackson  county,  Missouri, 
and  later  to  Platte  county,  and  in  1855  the  family  came  to  Leavenworth  county, 
Kansas,  and  in  1867  to  Atchison  county,  locating  upon  a  farm  in  what  is  now 
Benton  township,  and  here  they  continued  to  dwell,  respected  and  loved  until 
claimed  by  death.  Both  attained  a  ripe  age.  the  father  dying  in  October,  1888, 
when  in  his  eighty-sixth  year,  and  the  mother  in  August,  1892,  when  eighty- 
two  years  old.  She  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  the 
influence  of  her  life,  not  only  upon  her  children  and  immediate  friends  but  also 
upon  all  others  who  knew  her,  was  ennobling  and  incalculable.  Mr.  Hender- 
son was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Their  names  were  Joseph  and  Han- 
nah (McCoy)  Henderson.  He  was  born  and  reared  in  Tennessee,  in  which 
state  his  marriage  was  celebrated.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  McCoy,  a 
native  of  North  Carolina.  Six  sons  and  three  daughters  blessed  the  union  of 
Joseph  Henderson  and  wife.  Their  eldest  born,  James,  now  a  resident  of  Cali- 
fornia, served  as  a  captain  of  Kansas  state  militiamen  durine  -the  Civil  war. 
The  other  children  were:     Mary  Ann,  whose  first  husband  w^s  a  Mr.  Cook; 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         297 

he  was  a  pro-slavery  man  and  was  killed  during  the  troubles  of  1856;  she  after- 
ward married  a  Mr.  Edwards,  but  is  now  a  widow,  residing  near  Effingham ; 
Sarah  J.,  the  next  in  order  of  birth,  married  Milton  Freeland  and  is  now  a 
widow  residing  in  Topeka,  Kansas ;  William,  deceased ;  John,  who  is  a  resident 
of  California ;  Gilbert,  deceased  ;  Joseph,  of  Effingham ;  George  M. ;  and  Nancy 
M.,  the  wife  of  John  Ryan,  of  Benton  township. 

The  birth  of  George  M.  Henderson  took  place  in  Platte  county,  Missouri, 
June  5,  1844,  and  since  he  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  he  has  lived  in  northeastern 
Kansas.  In  commencing  the  battle  of  life  he  had  no  capital  save  a  strong  con- 
stitution and  a  brave  spirit,  but  not  many  years  of  his  independent  career  had 
been  passed  ere  he  had  amassed  a  snug  little  property  and  was  on  the  high  road 
to  success.  In  1878  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Benton  township  and 
to  this  tract  he  subsequently  added  another  eighty  acres,  placing  the  whole 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  making  substantial  improvements.  A 
windmill  assures  an  abundance  of  water  for  the  household  and  live  stock  on 
the  farm,  a  modern  house,  good  barns  and  other  improvements  adding  to  the 
value  and  desirability  of  the  homestead.  Mr.  Henderson  is  a  practical,  thor- 
ough farmer  and  business  man  and  enjoys  the  respect  of  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  neighbors. 

On  the  anniversary  of  Washington's  birth,  in  1872,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Henderson  and  Amelia  J.,  a  daughter  of  Parson  and  Ruth 
Ellen  (Shrites)  Stockwell,  natives  of  Indiana  and  Kentucky,  respectively.  The 
Stockwell  family  removed  to  Ray  county,  Missouri,  and  there  the  father  died. 
His  widow  afterward  removed  to  Platte  county,  Missouri,  afterward  married 
•and  now  resides  in  Nortonville,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Henderson,  who  was  born  in 
Indiana,  has  two  brothers,— John  W.  and  James— now  living  in  Jefferson 
county,  Kansas.  The  latter  married  Miss  Anna  Graves,  of  Atchison  county. 
Irene,  the  only  sister  of  Mrs.  Henderson,  married  J.  Davis,  died  in  Jefferson 
county  and  was  placed  at  rest  in  Pleasant  Grove  cemetery.  Parson  Stockwell 
departed  this  life  several  years  ago  and  his  widow  afterward  became  the  wife 
of  J.  Walace  and  mother  of  Anna,  Mrs.  Ed  Sharp,  Lulu  Kelley  and  Thomas 
Wallace. 

Two  sons  and  four  daughters  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hender- 
son, namely :  William,  James  A.,  Josie  May,  Luella,  Etta  Belle  and  Ivy  Anna. 
James  A.  was  married  a  few  years  ago  to  Estella  Hurshman  and  is  a  promising 
young  farmer  of  Benton  township. 

Like  his  father  before  him,  Mr.  Henderson  has  been  in  favor  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  platform  until  within  the  past  few  years,  when  he  has  given  his 
support  to  the  People's  party.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Masonic 
order.  Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church 
and  are  noted  for  their  liberality  and  generosity. 


298  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

JAMES  H.  FREELAND. 

One  of  the  native-born  sons  of  Kansas,  James  H.  Freeland,  of  Benton 
township,  Atchison  county,  has  always  taken  special  interest  and  pride  in  the 
state  which  was  passing  through  such  a  fiery  ordeal  during  his  early  years,  and 
which,  as  the  years  have  rolled  by,  has  steadily  advanced  in  wealth  and  pros- 
perity until  it  now  ranks  with  the  leading  trans-Mississippi  states. 

His  birth  took  place  on  Christmas  day,  1856,  in  Leavenworth  county, 
Kansas.  His  father,  James  Milton  Freeland,  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  whence 
he  removed  to  Kansas  at  an  early  day,  casting  in  his  lot  with  the  state  which 
was  destined  to  become  a  battle  ground  for"  contending  factions  during  the 
terrible  years  leading  up  to  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  His  wife  was  Miss  Sallie 
Henderson  prior  to  their  marriage,  her  parents  being  Joseph  and  Hannah 
(McCoy)  Henderson.  Eight  children  were  born  to  James  M.  Freeland  and 
wife,  namely:  William  R..  who  lives  in  Benton  township;  James  H.,  of  this 
sketch;  John  F.,  also  of  this  township;  Ida  Marlatte,  of  Topeka;  Joseph  L., 
the  circuit  clerk  of  Platte  county,  Missouri ;  Jesse  L.,  of  Atchison  county; 
Anna,  deceased,  the  wife  of  William  A.  Landrum ;  and  Mrs.  Hannah  Thomas, 
of  Topeka.  The  father,  who  was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  convictions,  died 
when  only  fifty-two  years  of  age.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Christian  church  and  possessed  the  love  and  friendship  of  all  who  knew  them. 
Mrs.  Freeland  is  now  making  her  home  with  her  daughter.  Mrs.  Thomas,  of 
Topeka. 

When  he  was  ten  years  of  age  James  H.  Freeland  came  to  this  county 
with  his  parents  and  in  the  public  schools  he  obtained  a  liberal  education.  He 
early  learned  agriculture  and  gradually  has  forged  to  the  front  until,  at  this 
writing,  he  is  the  owner  of  a  homestead  comprising  a  quarter-section  of  well- 
cultivated  land,  which  is  rendered  especially  valuable  by  reason  of  a  small 
creek  which  flows  through  it  and  because  of  the  fine  orchard  on  the  place.  Sub- 
stantial farm  buildings  stand  upon  a  good  site,  the  barn  being  32x48 
feet  in  dimensions.  The  residence  of  the  family  is  comfortable  and  furnished 
in  a  manner  plainly  bespeaking  the  excellent  tastes  of  the  inmates.  In  all  of 
his  undertakings  Mr.  Freeland  has  been  upright  and  just  and  success  has  come 
to  him  as  the  result  of  long  continued,  painstaking  industry. 

In  1880  the  marriage  of  our  subject  and  Mary  Ettie  Bonnel,  a  native  of 
Missouri,  was  celebrated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  Bonnel,  a  prominent 
old  settler  of  this  county,  his  homestead  of  eighty  acres  having  been  situated 
in  the  western  part  of  this  township.  To  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freeland 
five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  were  born,  namely :  James  Fred- 
erick, William  Henry,  Mary  Ettie.  Sidney  Everett  and  Edna  Pearl. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Freeland  takes  the  interest  which  everv  American 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         299 

citizen  should  and  reserves  to  himself  the  right  of  voting  as  he  deems  best 
without  regard  to  party  ties.  Both  lie  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian church.  All  worthy  religious  enterprises  and  benevolent  organizations 
receive  his  sympathy  and  financial  support  as  far  as  he  has  the  ability,  and  the 
respect  and  high  esteem  of  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances  are  accorded  him 
in  an  enviable  degree. 


LUCIUS  H.  BISHOP. 


Success  comes  as  the  legitimate  result  of  well  applied  energy,  unflagging 
determination  and  perseverance  in  a  course  of  action  when  once  decided  upon. 
She  smiles  not  upon  the  idler  or  dreamer  and  only  the  man  who  has  hardly 
and  justly  won  her  favor  does  she  deign  to  crown.  In  tracing  the  history  of 
Lucius  H.  Bishop  it  is  plainly  seen  that  the  prosperity  which  he  enjoys  has  been 
won  by  the  commendable  qualities  above  mentioned,  together  with  many 
others,  which  have  won  him  the  high  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 

The  Bishops  were  prominent  early  settlers  of  Vermont  and  were  noted 
for  patriotism  and  devotion  to  duty.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
served  in  the  colonial  army  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  Levi  Bishop 
fought  in  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain.  The  latter,  who  was  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  Green  Mountain  state  and  in  his  youth  learned 
the  trade  of  blacksmith,  following  that  calling  for  many  years.  For  a  wife 
he  chose  Sarah  Higgins,  a  daughter  of  William  Higgins,  and  seven  children 
blessed  their  marriage,  namely:  Helen  E.,  who  for  many  years  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  teaching  and  now  makes  her  home  with  our  subject ;  Lucius 
H. ;  Sarah,  deceased ;  Levi,  Jr.,  who  served  in  the  Mexican  war  and  now  resides 
at  Fort  Worth,  Texas;  Edward  D.,  of  Charles  City,  Iowa;  R.  Waite,  of  Hud- 
son, Wisconsin ;  and  Jasen  Steele,  who  is  a  leading  real  estate  man  of  Olean, 
New  York.  The  parents  both  died  in  the  east  and  were  buried  at  Fillmore, 
New  York.  The  father  was  sixty-five  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
Avhile  the  mother  was  in  her  eighty-eighth  year  when  called  to  the  better  land. 
Politically  he  was  affiliated  with  the  Whig  party  and  religiously  both  he  and 
his  wife  were  L'niversalists. 

The  birth  of  Lucius  H.  Bishop  occurred  January  6,  1824,  at  East  Ran- 
dolph. X'ermont.  He  received  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools  and  with 
his  father  mastered  the  blacksmith's  trade.  It  was  not  until  he  was  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age  that  he  concluded  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the  west  and  with 
his  young  wife  came'to  Kansas.  Settling  in  Leavenworth  at  first  he  remained 
Ihere  for  some  time  and  at  last  came  to  his  present  home  in  Center  township. 
He  has  been  a  witness  of  great  changes  in  this  state  and  section  of  the  Union 


300 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


and  has  performed  his  full  share  toward  the  advancement  of  civiHzatioii  and 
prosperity.  His  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  well-watered 
land,  suitable  for  the  raising  of  all  kinds  of  crops  common  to  this  region.  The 
improvements  upon  the  place,  including  a  modern  house  and  large  barns, 
render  this  one  of  the  most  desirable  homesteads  in  the  county. 

Educational  matters  receive  his  earnest  attention  and  as  fully  as  his  time 
and  means  would  permit  he  has  given  evidence  of  his  interest  in  this  important 
feature  of  modern  civilization.  He  has  served  as  a  school  director,  as  county 
supervisor  and  as  justice  of  the  peace.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat  and  aims 
to  keep  thoroughly  abreast  of  the  times  in  his  knowledge  of  the  great  issues. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Bishop,  in  1851,  was  one  of  the  most  important 
steps  of  his  life.  The  lady  of  his  choice  was  Betsy  M.  Wilson,  a  native  of 
Chautaucjua  county,  New  York,  and  daughter  of  Alexander  Wilson.  She  has 
proved  a  loyal  counselor  and  companion,  sharing  his  joys  and  sorrows  and 
cheering  him  at  all  times  with  her  broad,  helpful  views  of  life.  Frank  Wilson, 
their  eldest  son,  resides  upon  an  eighty-acre  farm,  situated  on  section  7,  this 
township.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Olie  Harton,  who  bore  him  two  sons,. 
Earnest  and  Carl,  and  then  passed  away  in  death.  For  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Bishop  married  May  Scott,  of  Thayer,  Iowa.  Willis  Bishop,  the  younger  son 
of  our  subject,  is  an  enterprising  young  farmer,  owning  a  homestead  of  eighty 
acres  on  section  7,  not  far  from  that  of  his  elder  brother.  His  wife  formerly 
was  Anna  Donovan,  of  this  township,  and  they  have  two  daughters.  Amelia  and 
Sada,  twins,  are  the  only  daughters  born  to  L.  H.  Bishop  and  wife.  Amelia 
is  the  wife  of  Charles  Taliaferro,  of  Benton  township,  and  the  mother  of  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  Sada  became  the  wife  of  Hugh  Gillen,  of  Benton 
township.  Both  Mrs.  Taliaferro  and  Mrs.  Gillen  were  successful  teachers  in 
the  local  schools  prior  to  their  marriages. 


CHARLES  G.  WHEELER.      . 

From  his  earliest  recollections  Charles  G.  Wheeler,  a  popular  and  widely 
k-nown  citizen  of  Center  township,  Atchison  county,  has  been  identified  with 
this  section  of  the  state,  its  development  and  increasing  prosperity.  At  various 
times  he  has  been  honored  with  local  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  and, 
as  is  well  known,  he  has  always  discharged  the  duties  devolving  upon  him  with 
fidelity  and  excellent  judgment. 

His  father,  Joshua  Wheeler,  was  born  in  the  town  of  OIney,  Buchingham- 
shire,  England,  February  22,  1827,  a  son  of  George  R.  Wheeler,  who  was  a 
watchmaker  by  trade.     At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  Joshua  WMieeler  bade 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  301 

adieu  to  the  land  of  his  birth  and  sailed  for  the  United  States,  where  he 
believed  that  better  opportunities  awaited  him,  and  so  it  proved.  Arriving 
here  he  spent  several  years  in  New  Jersey,  after  which  he  went  to  Illinois, 
where  he  married  Maria  Reynolds,  who  also  was  born  in  Olney,  England,  and 
v.honi  he  had  known  from  childhood..  She  came  to  this  country  to  marry  him. 
In  1857  the  young  couple  came  to  Kansas,  purchasing  a  claim  in  this  town- 
ship, and  there  they  erected  a  log  cabin  and  proceeded  to  improve  their  prop- 
erty. They  suffered  numerous  privations  and  the  hardships  incident  to  pioneer 
life  and  in  addition  thereto  the  struggle  between  the  slavery  and  anti-slavery 
factions  on  this  border  rendered  the  lives  of  the  settlers  insecure.  Feeling 
waxing  more  intense  men  arrayed  themselves  upon  one  side  or  the  other,  and 
Mr.  \Vheeler  took  a  prominent  part  for  the  Union.  For  many  years  he  was 
an  important  figure  in  local  politics,  being  a  stalwart  Republican  after  that 
party's  organization,  and  being  chosen  by  his  neighbors  and  friends  as  their 
representative  in  the  state  senate.  His  useful  life,  spanning  nearly  the  allotted 
three-score  and  ten  years  of  the  Psalmist,  came  to  a  peaceful  close  in  1896. 
Possessing  a  fine  physique  and  weighing  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds, 
he  commanded  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him  and  by  his  frank,  genial  man- 
ner readily  won  friends.  His  widow,  who  was  a  true  helpmate  throughout  his 
early  struggles  and  later  perplexities,  survives  him  and  still  remains  on  the 
old  homestead,  now  being  in  her  seventy-eighth  year.  Two  of  her  children 
died  in  infancy  and  were  buried  in  Illinois,  and  Addie.  now  Mrs.  L.  F.  Ran- 
dolph, resides  in  Xortonville,  Kansas. 

Charles  G.  Wheeler  was  born  at  Farmington,  Illinois,  March  18,  1854, 
raid  ever  since  he  was  three  years  of  age  he  has  lived  in  Kansas.  His  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  here  and  on  the  old  homestead  he  early 
learned  to  make  himself  generally  useful.  After  attaining  his  majority  he 
commenced  the  struggle  for  an  independent  livelihood  and  has  succeeded  so 
well  that  he  now  owns  three  hundred  acres  in  Center  township.  This  prop- 
erty is  kept  under  fine  cultivation  and  yields  abundant  crops  in  return  for  the 
judiciously  expended  labors  of  the  owner.  He  has  made  substantial  improve- 
ments, including  a  pleasant  modern  residence  and  other  commodious  farm 
buildings. 

In  1881  Mr.  Wheeler  married  Augusta  Stillman.  who  was  born  in  Albion, 
Wisconsin.  She  was  educated  and  reared  in  Illinois  and  her  parents.  Nelson 
and  Rose  (Burdick)  Stillman,  now  live  in  Nortonville,  Kansas.  Five  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  AVheeler,  namely:  Mabel  E..  who  is 
attending  the  high  school  at  Nortonville;  Vernette  A.,  Edwin  L.,  Helen  B.  and 
Ernest  R.    The  family  attend  the  Seventh  Day  Baptist  church  near  their  home. 

In  his  political  opinions  Mr.  Wheeler  is  a  Republican.  For  five  years  he 
served  as  the  township  treasurer  and  at  present  he  is  acting  in  the  capacity  of 


302  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

trustee  of  the  county  high  scliool.  He  belongs  to  several  fraternal  organiza- 
tions, including  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Royal  Neighbors. 
He  is  well  posted  on  all  of  the  leading  topics  of  the  day. 


SAMUEL  ARTHUR. 


Samuel  Arthur,  an  influential  citizen  of  Center  township,  Atchison 
county,  is  a  native  of  Blair  county,  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  having  occurred 
August  22,  1826.  He  comes  of  hardy  stock,  several  of  his  ancestors  having 
been  noted  for  longevity.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Arthur,  was  a 
native  of  England,  but  was  a  mere  child  when  he  came  to  America.  Enlisting 
with  the  colonial  patriots,  he  fought  for  some  time  with  the  brave  little  army 
commanded  by  Washington,  and  during  his  service  received  wounds  in  the 
shoulder  and  thigh.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  four  years,  pass- 
ing away  in  his  sleep,  without  previous  illness,  and  was  buried  in  Bedford 
county,  Penns3'lvania. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Joseph  Arthur,  a  native  of  Bucks  county, 
Pennsylvania.  There  he  grew  to  maturity,  when  he  married  Elizabeth  Zim- 
merman, daughter  of  Abraham  Zimmerman,  of  Dutch  ancestry.  Eight  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Joseph  Arthur  and  wife,  namely:  Abraham,  who  died  at 
Bushnell,  Illinois,  in  1898;  Samuel;  Daniel,  of  this  township;  John,  of  Smith 
county,  Kansas ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Lawrence,  of  Linn  county,  Kansas ;  George, 
of  Champaign  county,  Illinois ;  Mrs.  Barbara  Snapp;  and  Elaah,  deceased.  The 
father  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  and  was  employed  at  that  calling  to  some 
extent,  but  farming  was  his  chief  occupation  in  life.  Politically  he  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat. Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  The 
mother  died  in  Illinois  when  seventy-five  years  of  age  and  the  father  was 
nearly  ninety  at  death,  his  exact  age  being  eighty-nine  years,  eleven  months 
and  thirteen  days. 

Samuel  Arthur  received  a  public-school  education  in  his  native  state  and 
before  reaching  his  majority  he  had  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  black- 
smith's trade  of  some  five  years  and  has  been  employed  also  in  a  woolen  fac- 
tory. Desiring  to  see  something  of  the  west,  then  opening  to  civilization,  he 
went  to  Illinois,  and  in  1858  he  made  the  hazardous  journey  across  the  plains 
by  ox  team  to  Pike's  Peak.  In  1871  he  settled  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  located  in  this  township,  only  five  acres  of  which  property  was 
improved.  To  the  cultivation  of  his  new  farm  Mr.  Arthur  gave  his  earnest 
attention  for  years,  with  the  result  that  to-day  his  homestead,  comprising  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  is  considered  one  of  the  best  in  the  county.    Beautiful- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         303 

shade  trees  and  a  fine  orciiard,  a  windmill,  substantial  barns  and  other  build- 
ings make  the  farm  a  model  one  in  every  respect.  A  high  grade  of  live  stock 
is  keipt,  the  owner  deriving  a  good  income  from  this  source  alone. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Arthur  and  Sarah  Hageman  was  celebrated  in 
Quay.  Illinois,  in  1851.  Mrs.  Arthur  was  born  in  Holmes  county,  Ohio,  and 
reared  and  educated  in  Wayne  county,  that  state.  Her  parents  were  Adam- 
and  Barbara  Hageman,  the  former  born  in  1802  and  died  near  Monrovia,  Kan- 
sas, in  1887.  All  of  the  fourteen  children  of  our  subject  and  wife  have  reached 
their  majority  and  possess,  in  addition  to  that  priceless  boon,  good  health  and 
strong  constitutions,  excellent  education  and  thorough  preparation  for  the 
active  duties  of  life.  They  are  named  as  follows:  Elizabeth  Hostler;  Mrs. 
Amanda  Hollen,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  William  A.,  of  Center  township;. 
Mrs.  Flora  Isham,  of  Nemaha  county.  Kansas ;  Mrs.  Ida  Dochow,  of  Decatur 
county.  Kansas;  Chester,  a  blacksmith,  of  Pardee;  Daniel,  of  Arrington; 
:Mrs.  Belle  Elliott,  of  Atchison ;  Mrs.  Cyntha  Fletcher  and  Mrs.  Susie  Metz, 
also  of  Atchison;  Walter  and  Joseph  E.,  of  Pardee;  and  Hattie  and  Herbert, 
who  are  at  home.  Our  subject  has  thirty-seven  grandchildren  and  three 
great-grandchildren,  of  whom  he  is  naturally  very  proud.  Though  now  in  his 
seventy-fourth  year  he  is  strong  and  active,  possessing  good  health  of  mind 
and  body.  With  the  other  members  of  his  family  he  attends  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  church.  Politically  he  uses  his  franchise  in  behalf  of  the 
Democratic  party.  To  his  posterity  he  will  leave  the  heritage  of  a  blameless 
record — of  a  life  replete  with  deeds  of  kindness  and  sympathy. 


JAMES  C.  LOWER. 

Success  comes  not  to  the  man  who  idly  waits  with  folded  arms  and  rarely 
to  one  who  does  not  put  forth  his  most  earnest  efforts,  and  thus,  in  a  measure 
at  least,  success  must  always  be  an  indication  of  merit,  of  persistent,  able, 
effort.  Thus  we  find  it  in  the  case  of  J.  C.  Lower,  one  of  the  representative 
farmers  of  Atchison  county,  which  boasts  a  host  of  the  most  progressive  agri- 
culturists in  the  Union. 

He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah  Ann  (Sandy)  Lower,  natives  of  Ten- 
nessee and  Indiana,  respectively.  They  removed  to  Buchanan  county,  Mis- 
souri, at  an  early  day  and  were  identified  with  the  farmers  of  that  locality  until 
death  claimed  them.  The  father,  who  died  in  1895,  was  seventy-six  years  of 
age,  and  the  mother,  who  died  in  1890,  was  sixty-eight  years  of  age.  They 
were  members  of  the  Christian  church,  the  father  holding  the  office  of  an  elder 
for  years.     They  were  the  parents  of  six  daughters  and  four  sons,  namely: 


304  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Louisa.  Sarah.  Mary  Ellen.  Martha  Eveline.  Anna.  Lilly,  John  W'..  James  C. 
Isaac  N.  and  Henry  M. 

James  C.  Lower  was  born  in  Buchanan  county.  Missouri,  September  i, 
1853.  In  his  boyhood  he  early  learned  to  be  of  great  service  to  his  father  in 
the  management  of  the  farm,  and  during  a  portion  of  each  year  attended  the 
district  schools.  Being  industrious  and  ambitious  to  make  a  name  and  place 
for  himself,  he  soon  accumulated  a  little  capital  and  as  the  years  passed  it 
became  evident  that  he  would  not  be  left  behind  in  the  race  which  he  was  mak- 
ing with  other  young  men  of  his  age.  In  1878  he  came  to  Lancaster  township 
and  purchased  some  wild  land,  which  he  proceeded  to  reduce  to  a  state  of  culti- 
vation. To-day  he  is  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight  acres,  two 
acres  having  been  contributed  by  him  to  the  public  schools.  Large  barns  and 
farm  buildings,  shade  trees  and  a  well-kept  barn-yard  and  lawn  speak  louder 
than  words  of  the  care  exercised  by  the  enterprising  proprietor.  A  few  years 
ago  he  went  to  Oklahoma,  where  he  remained  for  some  time,  and  as  a  result 
he  now  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  splendid  farm  land  there,  it 
being  located  in  Kingfisher  county. 

For  a  score  of  years  Mr.  Lower  has  found  an  alile  and  de\-oted  helpmate 
in  the  person  of  his  estimable  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Talitha  J.  Potter. 
Their  marriage  was  solemnized  March  17,  1880,  at  the  home  of  her  father, 
Tinsley  Potter,  a  pioneer  of  this  county  now  residing  in  Effingham.  Mrs. 
Lower  was  reared  to  womanhood  in  Benton  township  and  by  her  marriage 
lias  become  the  mother  of  five  children.  Claude  Curtis,  aged  seventeen  years, 
is  a  student  at  the  county  high  school  at  Effingham,  as  is  his  sister.  Erna 
Adeline.    Ada  F..  Lillie  and  Ray  are  at  home. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Lower  was  an  efficient  member  of  the  school  board, 
manifesting  the  deep  interest  which  he  takes  in  the  important  subject  of  educa- 
tion for  the  young.  Politically  he  follows  in  his  father's  footsteps,  being 
identified  with  the  Democratic  party.  His  means  and  influence  are  used  for  the 
good  of  his  fellow  men  and  the  local  Christian  church  has  no  more  loyal, 
generous  member. 


JAMES  A.  CAMPBELL. 

Brown  county  is  one  of  the  most  attractive,  progressive  and  prosperous 
divisions  of  the, state  of  Kansas,  justly  claiming  a  high  order  of  citizenship 
and  a  spirit  of  enterprise  which  tends  to  conserve  continuous  development  and 
marked  advancement  in  the  material  upbuilding  of  this  section.  The  county 
has  been  and  is  signally  favored  in  the  class  of  men  who  have  controlled  its 
business  affairs  and  in  this  connection  the  subject  of  this  review  demands  rep- 


JAMES  A.  CAMPBELL 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  305 

resentation  as  one  who  has  been  prominent  in  commercial  circles.  He  is  now 
a  well-known  druggist  of  Hiawatha  and  for  many  years  has  been  engaged  in 
this  line  of  business  in  northeastern  Kansas. 

James  A.  Campbell  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Lee  county,  Iowa,  on  tiie  ist 
of  October,  1842,  and  is  of  Scotch  lineage,  as  the  family  name  well  indicates. 
His  more  immediate  ancestors,  however,  resided  in  the  mountainous  regions 
of  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee  and  were  related  to  Colonel  Campbell,  one  of 
the  important  leaders  of  the  patriot  mountaineers  who  swooped  down  upon  the 
British  and  Tories  and  inflicted  upon  them  the  crushing  defeat  at  King's 
mountain  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  \\'illiam  A.  Campbell,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  the  eastern  part  of  Tennessee,  where  he  married  Mary 
P.  Mason,  and  early  in  the  '40s  they  removed  to  the  west,  becoming  pioneer 
settlers  of  Lee  county,  Iowa,  but  soon  afterward  taking  up  their  abode  in 
Henry  county,  that  state,  where  their  last  days  were  spent.  They  had  five  chil- 
dren, all  boys,  namely:  Joseph  P.,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  becoming  a 
physician  and  druggist  of  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  where  he  died  in  the  fall  of  1867; 
James  A.  is  the  next  younger;  Archibald  S.,  born  in 'Henry  county,  Iowa,  and 
died  in  Highland,  Kansas,  in  April,  1886;  Jasper,  born  in  Henry  county,  Iowa, 
and  died  in  the  fall  of  1864  of  wounds  received  in  the  United  States  service; 
and  William  A.,  also  born  in  Henry  county  and  died  in  December,  1890. 

James  A.  Campbell,  of  this  review,  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  early  age  of 
thirteen  years,  at  which  time  his  mother  died.  Five  years  previously  his 
father  had  passed  away  and  when  thus  left  alone  the  children  found  homes 
wherever  they  could, — generally  with  farmers.  In  his  youth  he  attended 
school  as  opportunities  offered  during  the  three  months  of  winter,  and  on 
evenings,  mornings  and  Sundays  he  would  feed  and  attend  to  stock,  chop 
wood  and  perform  such  other  labors  as  his  strength  enabled  him  to  execute. 
During  the  summer  months  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  fields  and  was  thus 
employed  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when,  desirous  of  securing  a  better  edu- 
cation he  entered  Mount  Pleasant  (Iowa)  Academy  in  the  fall  of  i860.  That 
winter  the  slavery  agitation  was  at  its  highest  and  in  the  spring  of  1861  the 
Civil  war  was  inaugurated  by  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumter.  Mr.  Campbell 
then  put  astde  his  text  books  to  enlist  in  Company  E,  of  the  First  Regiment  of 
Iowa  Cavalry,  and  was  mustered  into  the  service  June  13,  1861.  After  his 
term  had  expired  he  re-enlisted  and  continued  at  the  front  until  honorably 
discliarged  March  16,  1866.  He  participated  in  most  of  the  battles  west  of 
the  Mississippi  and  in  many  of  those  east  of  the  river,  besides  engaging  in 
numerous  raids  and  scouts.  He  served  under  such  distinguished  leaders  as 
Generals  Grant,  Steele,  Davidson,  Sheridan,  Custer  and  Pleasanton  and  was 
several  times  promoted  for  meritorious  conduct.  He  was  never  wounded, 
although  he  had  three  horses  shot  under  him. 


3o6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  1867.  liis  oldest  brother  having  died,  James  A.  Campbell  sncceeded 
him  in  the  drug-  business  at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  but  the  following  fall  sold  his 
interest  in  the  store  to  his  partner  and  became  a  traveling  representative  for  a 
wholesale  drug  house  in  Chicagb.  with  which  he  continued  until  the  fall  of 
1871,  when  he  came  to  Severance.  Kansas,  and  established  a  drug  store  in 
connection  with  his  brother,  Archibald,  whose  interest  he  afterward  pur- 
chased. He  then  conducted  the  enterprise  alone,  with  one  brief  interruption, 
until  June,  1891,  when  he  took  in  Dr.  C.  F.  McCormick  as  a  partner  and 
afterward  sold  out  to  him.  on  July  i,  1899,  and  purchased  the  interest  of 
Grant  Cullimore  in  the  drug  business  of  Pyle  &  Cullimore,  of  Hiawatha, 
Kansas.  They  have  a  well-appointed  store,  completely  stocked  with  everything 
found  in  a  first-class  establishment  of  the  kind,  and  their  patronage  is  large 
and  well  deserved.  Mr.  Campbell  has  not  only  enlisted  in  the  drug  business 
in  Hiawatha,  but  he  has  purchased  a  fine  residence,  moved  his  family  into  it 
and  became  a  bona  fide  resident  of  the  city.  He  still  owns  his  Severance  prop- 
erty and  owns  a  thousand  good  acres  of  Kansas  land. 

Mr.  Campbell  has  been  twice  married.  On  the  24th  of  June,  1868,  he 
married  Miss  Belle  J.  Fletcher,  who  died  April  3,  1869,  and  on  the  24th  of 
December,  1874,  he  married  Miss  MaryE.  Scott,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  had  been  engaged  in  teaching  in  Kansas.  Four  children  have  been  born 
to  them:    William  T.,  Blanche  M.,  James  A.,  Jr.,  and  Mary  Belle. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Campbell  is  a  Republican  and  while  resid- 
ing in  Severance  held  a  number  of  public  offices.  He  was  elected  the  mayor 
of  the  town  and  for  many  years  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  of  Wolf  River 
township.  He  was  also  the  postmaster  at  Severance  from  June,  1889,  until 
November,  1892,  when  he  resigned,  having  been  elected  to  represent  his  dis- 
trict in  the  legislature.  For  that  office  he  received  a  majority  of  ten  hundred 
and  fifty,  running  far  ahead  of  his  ticket,  and  was  a  member  of  what  will 
henceforth  be  known  as  the  memorable  legislature  of  1893,  he  having,  not- 
withstanding his  immense  majority,  been  one  of  those  whose  seats  were  dis- 
puted. He  was  again  nominated  and  elected  in  1894  and  served  during  the 
session  of  1895.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  political  affairs  and 
labors  earnestly  to  secure  the  adoption  of  the  principles  in  which  he  so  firmly 
believes.  Mr.  Campbell  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  secret 
society  men  in  the  state.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  of 
the  Encampment;  not  only  has  he  filled  all  the  chairs  in  the  subordinate  and 
grand  lodges,  but  he  is  also  a  past  grand  master  and  a  past  grand  representative. 
As  a  Freemason  he  is  a  member  of  Severance  Lodge,  No.  313 ;  Troy  Chapter, 
No.  16,  R.  A.  Mi,  and  of  Hiawatha  Commandery,  No.  13,  K.  T.,  and  is  a  past 
chancellor  of  Severance  Lodge,  No.  21 1,  K.  of  P.,  and  past  post  commander  of 
Severance  Post,  No.  191,  G.  A.  R. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  307 

As  a  public  officer  lie  has  been  encouraging,  obliging  and  thoroughly 
capable,  and  these  facts  have  not  lacked  recognition  on  the  part  of  the  people 
who  have  accorded  them  due  consideration.  His  popularity  in  the  community 
is  unmistakable  and  he  is  clearly  entitled  to  consideration  in  this  work  as  one 
of  the  representative  citizens  of  northeastern  Kansas. 


CHARLES  P.  BUTLER. 

Charles  Pardee  Butler,  the  proprietor  of  Cedar  Hill  farm,  in  Center  town- 
ship, Atchison  county,  is  acknowledged  by  all  to  be  one  of  the  progressive 
agriculturists  of  this  locality.  His  extensive  business  transactions  have  made 
his  name  a  familiar  one  to  people  throughout  this  section  of  the  west.  Lideed 
the  Butlers  have  borne  a  representative  part  in  the  history  of  Kansas  and 
always  have  been  noted  for  the  active  interest  which  they  have  taken  in  all 
movements  for  the  uplifting  of  humanity. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Rev.  Pardee  Butler,  came  here  in  pioneer  days 
and,  being  a  strong  abolitionist,  the  influence  which  he  exerted  on  behalf  of 
the  slave  cannot  justly  be  estimated.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  on  that  subject  as 
in  all  others  his  opinions  carried  great  weight  with  the  public,  and  his  noble, 
self-sacrificing  Christian  life  commanded  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him, 
even  of  those  who  were  bitterly  opposed  to  him  politically.  For  many  years 
he  carried  on  a  farm  in  this  county  and  there  he  reared  three  of  his  children 
to  maturity,  training  them  in  upright  principles  and  in  loyalty  toward  God  and 
their  fellow  men.  Four  of  his  children  have  been  called  to  the  better  land  and 
those  who  survive  are:  Charles  P. ;  George  C,  a  resident  of  Pardee,  Atchison 
county;  and  Rosetta  B..  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Z.  S.  Hastings,  of  Effingham, 
Kansas. 

The  birth  of  Charles  Pardee  Butler  occurred  upon  the  parental  home- 
stead in  this  county  April  10,  1858.  His  boyhood  passed  uneventfully,  his  time 
being  occupied  in  the  work  and  plaj'  and  study  common  to  country  lads.  After 
completing  his  district-school  education  he  had  the  privilege  of  attending 
Drake  University,  where  he  pursued  the  higher  branches  of  learning.  Return- 
ing then  to  his  old  home  he  resumed  the  calling  for  \\\nc\\  he  has  always  had  a 
special  aptitude,  farming  and  stock  raising. 

Cedar  Hill  farm,  the  fine  property  now  owned  b)'  j\Ir.  Butler,  comprises 
four  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  land,  all  in  one  body.  A  specialty  is 
made  of  high  grade  coach  horses  and  red  polled  cattle,  a  fine  variety  being 
kept  for  sale  at  all  times.  Large,  well-built  barns  afiford  ample  accommodation 
for  the  stock  and  crops  and  other  improvements  add  to  the  \alue  of  the  place. 


3o8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

The  marriage  of  Charles  P.  Butler  and  Miss  Mary  M.  Wright,  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  S.  F.  Wright,  a  minister  of  the  Christian  church,  was  solemnized 
in  the  village  of  Pardee,  Kansas,  on  the  4th  of  January,  1893.  Mrs.  Butler, 
who  possesses  qualities  which  endear  her  to  every  one,  was  reared  to  woman- 
hood in  an  ideal  home,  her  parents,  Rev.  S.  F.  and  Charlotte  (Rule)  Wright, 
natives  of  Illinois  and  Scotland,  respectively,  having  been  noble  Christian 
people,  whose  lofty  principles  were  inherited  bv  their  children. 

In  the  prime  of  life  Mr.  Butler  carries  into  all  of  his  undertakings  an 
enthusiasm  and  strength  of  purpose  which  rarely  fails  to  bring  success.  Broad 
and  liberal  in  his  views  and  frank  and  genial  in  manner,  he  is  one  of  the  most 
popular  citizens  of  his  community.  His  ballot  is  deposited  in  favor  of  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party  and  for  three  terms  he  acted  in  the 
capacity  of  township  treasurer.  The  Christian  church  of  Farmington  has  no 
more  earnest  worker  and  member  and  for  years  he  has  been  specially  interested 
in  the  Sunday  school  department,  and  his  wife  and  family  are  communicants 
of  the  church.  They  have  four  children,  viz. :  Sumner  F.,  Sybil,  Maud  and 
Oliver,  and  they  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Matie. 


HENRY  McLENON. 


Doubly  entitled  to  representation  in  the  roll  of  honor  of  his  state  and 
country  is  Henry  McLenon,  a  venerable  citizen  of  Benton  township,  for  he  not 
only  made  a  brave  fight  as  a  pioneer  but,  moreover,  for  three  years  gallantly 
served  in  the  defense  of  the  Union  during  the  C'wW  war.  He  has  had  the 
pleasure  of  beholding  the  transformation  of  these  wild,  uncultivated  wastes 
into  beautiful  farms,  of  seeing  flourishing  villages,  schools  and  churches  dot 
the  landscape  and  well-kept,  convenient  public  highways  replace  the  irregular 
trails  and  unbroken  prairie  of  less  than  half  a  century  ago.  In  all  of  these 
greats  works  of  civilization  he  has  nobly  done  his  part  and  no  one  in  his  com- 
munity is  more  highly  regarded. 

A  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Cunningham)  McLenon,  our  subject 
was  born  in  the  neighborhood  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  182 1.  He  had  but  one 
brother.  Daniel,  and  his  only  sister,  Jane,  has  passed  to  her  reward.  In  his 
youth  Henry  McLenon  learned  the  weaver's  trade  and  for  several  years  he 
worked  at  the  loom.  At  length  he  decided  to  come  to  the  United  States  and, 
in  1851,  he  bade  adieu  to  the  land  of  his  birth.  At  Manchester,  England,  he 
and  his  family  took  passage  for  the  United  States,  where  they  arrived  after  a 
tedious  voyage  of  nearly  four  weeks.  At  first  they  located  in  Ohio,  there  mak- 
ing their  home  until  1857,  when  they  came  to  Kansas.     Mrs.  McLenon,  whose 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         309 

maiden  name  was  Mary  Ann  Dillon,  departed  this  life  when  sixty-four  years 
of  age.  Their  four  children  are  George  O.,  William  H..  Mrs.  Ellen  Graham, 
and  Mrs.  Jennie  Faukhaull.  After  the  death  of  his  first  w-ife  Mr.  McLenon 
married  Belle  Boatwright,  and  three  children  have  blessed  their  union,  namely : 
Henry  L.,  Charles  Stewart  Parnell  and  lunnia. 

As  just  stated,  Mr.  McLenon  and  family  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  pioners 
of  northeastern  Kansas  forty-three  years  ago.  He  now  owns  a  fine  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  improved  with  substantial  house  and  buildings 
and  other  accessories  of  a  model  modern  country  home.  One  of  the  most 
attractive'  features  of  the  place  is  the  splendid  orchard  and  a  fine  grove  of 
black  walnut  and  maple  trees.  Mr.  McLenon  possesses  good  taste,  and  has 
indulged  his  inborn  love  of  trees  and  shrubbery  to  the  great  improvement  of 
his  farm.  In  all  of  his  business  relations  his  course  has  been  marked  by 
justice  and  sterling  integrity,  and  all  of  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances  speak 
of  him  in  high  terms  of  praise.  Although  nearing  four-score  years,  he  is 
strong  and  vigorous,  giving  promise  of  many  years  of  usefulness  and  happiness. 

When  the  land  of  his  love  and  adoption  was  passing  through  the  fiery 
ordeal  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  McLenon  volunteered  his  services,  and 
enlisted  in  Company  D,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Infantry.  From  September,  1862, 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  ever  at  his  post  of  duty,  watchful  and  faith- 
ful to  the  least  of  his  tasks  as  well  as  to  the  greatest.  At  one  time,  while 
engaged  in  a  skirmish  with  some  of  General  Price's  troopers,  he  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  and  very  nearly  lost  his  life.  He  is  a  loyal  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  belonging  to  Lancaster  Post.  Politically  he 
is  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party. 


JOHN  MURRAY. 


For  nearly  thirty  years  John  Murray  has  been  a  resident  of  Lancaster 
township,  Atchison  county,  and  during  this  period  no  one  here  has  been  moro 
thoroughly  interested  in  the  development  of  northeastern  Kansas.  First  of 
al.1  he  is  a  patriot  and  comes  from  a  family  of  patriots.  Among  his  near 
relatives  the  records  show  at  least  five  of  his  name  who  have  offered  their  lives 
to  this,  their  beloved,  country.  His  father's  brother  was  a  hero  of  the  war  of 
1812  and  our  subject  and  three  of  his  brothers  fought  for  the  preservation  of 
.the  Union  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  one  of  the  brothers  giving  his  life  to 
the  cause.  The  same  public  spirit  and  loyalty  to  state  and  native  land  which 
characterized  them  has  ever  been  manifested,  both  in  peace  and  in  war,  by  the 
subject  of  this  article. 


3IO  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Robert  Murray,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Washington 
county.  Pennsylvania,  his  parents  being  Neal  and  Mary  Ann  (Brown)  Murray. 
In  his  youth  Robert  Murray  learned  the  trade  of  stone  mason,  which  calHng 
he  pursued  during  his  active  life.  He  chose  for  a  wife  Miss  Jane  Anderson, 
a  native  of  the  same  state  and  a  daughter  of  Francis  Anderson.  Politically 
Mr.  Murray  was  affiliated  with  the  Whig  party,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church.  He  was  summoned  to  his  reward 
at  his  old  home  in  the  Keystone  state  when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of  age, 
and  his  wife  was  seventy  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  death.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  Four  of  the  sons,  as  stated  above,  were 
soldiers  in  the  Union  army.  Robert,  who  enlisted  as  a  member  of  the  Si.xty- 
third  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  was  killed  while  on  duty  at  a  fort  in  Petersburg, 
Virginia.  Neal,  who  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Fourteenth  Iowa  Infantry,  later, 
on  account  of  sickness,  resigned,  returned  home  ,  raised  another  company  and 
as  first  lieutenant  went  out  again  in  the  Twenty-second  Iowa  Infantry.  He 
is  now  living  in  Jasper,  Iowa.  Joseph  E..  who  served  with  the  Fourteenth 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  resides  in  Varona,  Pennsylvania.  Francis  has  been  in 
the  employ  of  the  United  States  government  on  a  boat  running  on  the  Ohio 
river.  Mrs.  Margaret  Glenn,  the  only  surviving  daughter  of  Robert  Murray, 
lives  at  Holton,  Kansas. 

The  birth  of  John  Murray  took  place  in  .Mlegheny  county,  Pennsylvania, 
October  i,  1831.  In  his  native  state  he  learned  the  millwright's  trade  and  in 
1854  came  to  the  west,  settling  in  Jasper  county.  Iowa.  In  i860  he  crossed 
the  plains  to  Pike's  Peak.  Colorado,  and  was  there  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  for  about  two  years.  Returning  to  Iowa  he  enlisted  in  the  Ninth  Iowa 
Cavalry,  luider  the  command  of  Captain  O.  C.  Howe.  After  serving  with 
fidelity  and  marked  bravery  at  iiis  post  of  duty  for  three  years  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  in  February,  1866.  Subsequently 
he  returned  to  the  Keystone  state,  where  he  continued  to  make  his  home  for 
nine  years.  In  1875  he  came  to  Kansas  and  located  upon  his  present  home- 
stead in  Lancaster  township.  He  has  made  good  improvements  upon  the  farm 
and  has  placed  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Murray  and  Letitia  Callender  was  solemnized  in 
Jasper  county,  Iowa,  in  1861.  She  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Sarah  Callender.  Of  the  eigiit  chiKlren  liorn  to  our  sul)ject 
and  wife  four  are  living.  James  Grant  is  a  niemiier  of  tlie  firm  of  Murray 
Brothers,  dealers  in  wood  and  coal.  He  was  first  married  to  Lou  Da\id,  who 
died,  leaving  two  children,  John  and  Bertha,  and  later  he  wedded  Fannie 
Stoner;  Frank  G.,  who  was  also  connected  with  the  firm  of  Murray  Brothers, 
married  Ida  Haney,  and  their  children  are  named,  respectively,  John,  Minnie 
and  Paul,  and  he  died  March  24,  1900;  Ora  Jane,  who  became  the  wife  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         311 

John  Cormode;  Ellen  M.,  wife  of  H.  M.  Hawk,  of  Center  township,  was 
engaged  in  teaching  before  her  marriage ;  and  Maggie  May.  the  yonngest  of 
the  family,  lives  at  home.  Four  of  our  subject's  children  have  passed  to  the 
better  land,  namely:  Frank  G.,  R.  Simpson.  Thomas  Edgar  and  Joseph  B. 
In  his  political  faith  Mr.  Murray  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He  has  served 
his  community  as  township  trustee  for  some  time  and  was  the  township 
assessor  for  a  period  of  three  years.  One  of  the  charter  members  of  Jack  Judy 
Post,  No.  275,  G.  A.  R..  he  has  acted  in  the  capacity  of  adjutant  and  post  com- 
mander. With  his  wife  and  two  of  his  children  he  belongs  to  the  United 
Presbvterian  church. 


GEORGE  McLENOX. 

The  beautiful  Emerald  Isle  has  furnished  to  the  United  States  thousands 
of  her  best  Protestant  sons  and  daughters  and  among  these  is  numbered  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  His  birth  occurred  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  city  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  July  3,  1850,  and  he  was  a  small  boy  when  he  was 
brought  to  this  country.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  McLenon,  of  whom  mention  is 
made  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  In  his  boyhood  he  attended  the  public  schools 
and  at  an  early  age  his  judicious  father  began  training  him  in  the  duties  of 
the  agriculturist,  and  ere  he  had  reached  maturity  he  was  fully  competent  to 
manage  a  farm.  After  his  marriage  he  settled  upon  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  of 
wild  land  and,  aided  by  his  wife,  he  has  prospered  in  his  undertakings.  When 
he  had  reduced  his  land  to  the  proper  condition  for  cultivation  he  proceeded  to 
improve  the  place,  and  in  the  course  of  time  was  enabled  to  add  to  his  original 
purchase  other  property  adjoining  it.  At  this  writing  he  owns  four  hundred 
acres,  on  which  abundant  crops  are  raised  each  season.  The  commodious 
house  and  barns,  the  fine  orchard  and  groves  all  add  materially  to  the  beauty 
and  desirability  of  the  homestead,  which  is  considered  to  be  one  of  the  most 
valuable  in  the  neighborhood, — in  the  county,  in  fact.  Keeping  a  large  num- 
ber of  horses  and  other  live  stock.  Mr.  McLenon  feeds  all  of  the  grain  and  hay 
raised  on  his  farm  and  deri\es  a  good  income  from  the  cattle  and  hogs  which 
he  sells  annually. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  McLenon  and  Jennie  M.  Glenn,  of  this  township, 
took  place  in  1881.  She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  is  the  only  daughter  of 
A.  \\'.  Glenn,  one  of  the  respected  early  settlers  in  Atchison  county.  He  and 
his  estimable  wife,  who  was  Miss  Maggie  Murray  in  her  girlhood,  reside  in 
Holton,  Jackson  county,  Kansas.  They  ha\'e  four  sons,  all  of  whom  are 
successful  young  men  with  bright  prospects  before  them. 

The  two  sons  of  Mr.  McLenon,  Henry  Alexander  and  William  Xeal,  aged 


312  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

eighteen  and  fifteen  years,  respectively,  are  of  much  assistance  to  liiin  in  the 
general  work  of  his  large  farm.  In  accordance  with  their  parents'  earnest 
wishes  they  are  paying  strict  attention  to  the  task  of  gaining  a  liberal  educa- 
tion and  this,  together  with  their  systematic  home  training,  will  render  them 
competent  to  enter  upon  the  battle  of  life  and  to  win  the  same  measure  of 
success  which  has  crowned  their  father's  efforts.  For  twenty-two  years  the 
senior  McLenon  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  local  school  board,  a  fact  which 
eloquently  tells  of  the  deep  interest  he  feels  in  the  education  of  the  young. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  socially  he  belongs  to  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America.  With  his  wife  and  sons  he  attends  the  Presbyterian  church 
at  Lancaster.  He  is  an  elder  and  is  an  active  and  valued  worker  in  the  Sun- 
day school.  Briefly,  it  may  be  said,  and  truly,  that  he  occupies  a  position  in 
the  community  that  could  not  easily  be  filled,  for  his  influence  and  means  are 
ever  on  the  side  of  morality  and  everything  which  is  of  permanent  benefit  to  his 
fellow  men. 


WALTER  R.  BRAXT. 


Walter  Robert  Brant,  deceased,  was  an  enterprising  and  successful 
farmer  of  Robinson  township.  Brown  county.  By  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1896,  the  community  lost  one  of  its  valued  and  representative  citizens. 
His  father,  William  Brant,  was  born  in  Nassau,  Germany,  in  1823.  Having 
arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  wedded  Sarah  Schoen,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Alsace-Lorraine.  Their  marriage,  however,  took  place  in  Huron  county, 
Ohio,  where  the  father  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  many  years.  On 
leaving  the  Buckeye  state  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Brown  county,  where 
he  and  his  wife  are  still  living.  This  worthy  couple  became  the  parents  of 
three  children:  Walter  R. ;  Mary,  the  wife  of  George  Morley,  of  Highland, 
Kansas;  and  Addie,  the  wife  of  Fred  Pierce,  of  Missouri. 

Walter  R.  Brant  was  born  in  Huron  county,  Ohio,  February  3,  1859,  and 
pursued  his  education  in  the  country  schools  of  that  locality.  He  then  began 
work  as  a  farm  hand  in  Ohio  and  was  thus  employed  until  his  removal  to 
Kansas,  about  the  time  when  he  attained  his  majority.  He  also  worked  as  a 
farm  hand  in  this  state  for  a  time,  until  he  was  enabled  to  begin  farming  for 
himself.  When  he  had  acquired  some  capital  he  purchased  a  quarter-section 
of  land  in  Brown  county  and  successfully  carried  on  farming  until  the  time 
of  his  death.  He  was  industrious  and  energetic  and  his  business  ability  enabled 
him  to  acquire  a  handsome  competence.  In  1895  he  erected  in  Robinson  a 
modern  and  commodious  residence,  which  is  now  occupied  by  his  parents  and 
his  widow. 


^htiy ^^  '^!^^t^,q^^iZc«..>^.^^^^^*p^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  313 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1886,  Mr.  Brant  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Lizzie  Streib,  a  daughter  of  George  Streib,  who  was  one  of  the  leading  farm- 
ers of  Wolf  River  township,  Doniphan  county.  Four  children  blessed  their 
union,  but  George,  the  eldest,  is  now  deceased.  The  others  are  Myrtie,  who 
was  born  in  1888;  John,  born  in  1891 ;  and  Mary,  born  in  1895. 

Mr.  Brant  was  a  man  of  strong  purpose  and  of  great  activity  in  business.. 
Indolence  and  idleness  were  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and  it  seemed  that 
he  could  not  do  too  much  to  promote  the  welfare  and  enhance  the  happiness 
of  his  family.  For  several  months  prior  to  his  death  he  suffered  from  stomach 
trouble  and  on  the  6th  of  April,  1896,  his  life's  labors  were  ended.  He  had 
the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him  and  his  death  was  therefore  deeply  mourned. 
Mrs.  Brant  with  her  children  and  her  parents  occupy  their  pleasant  home  in 
Robinson,  highly  esteemed  by  her  many  friends  there. 


WILLIAM  H.  McLENON. 

William  H.  McLenon,  one  of  the  prominent  agriculturists  of  Lancaster 
township,  Atchison  county,  has  risen  to  this  distinction  within  the  past  few 
years  and  deserves  great  credit  for  his  enterprise  and  general  good  citizenship. 
His  neighbors  and  friends,  many  of  whom  have  known  him  since  he  was  a 
child,  repose  high  confidence  in  him,  knowing  that  he  never  betrays  a  trust 
and  always  strives  to  do  the  right.  He  may  justly  be  termed  a  self-made 
man,  for  his  possessions,  all  of  which  have  been  acquired  within  the  past  score 
of  years,  have  come  to  him  by  his  own  industry  and  correct  business  methods 
and  his  example  is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Henry  McLenon,  of  whom  a  biography  is  given  in 
this  volume.  The  birth  of  William  H.  McLenon  occurred  in  Ohio  in  1854. 
He  was  less  than  three  years  old  when  he  was  brought  to  this  county  and  in 
his  boyhood  he  attended  the  district  schools  of  this  locality.  In  his  studies  he 
made  commendable  progress  and  for  several  terms  he  was  successfully  engaged 
in  teaching  in  this  county.  At  the  age  of  twenty-six  years  he  was  married  and 
brought  his  bride  to  his  humble,  though  comfortable  home.  The  previous 
year  he  had  purchased  a  tract  of  wild  land,  some  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  and  vi'ithin  a  few  years  he  instituted  numerous  important  changes  upon 
the  place.  Later  he  bought  more  land  and  now  his  homestead  comprises  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres,  all  under  good  cultivation.  A  beautiful  grove  and 
orchard,  well-kept  house  and  barn  and  other  improvements  render  this  one 
of  the  most  attractive  country  homes  in  the  county. 

In  1880  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  McLenon  and  Mary  E.  Potter,  a 


314  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

daughter  of  Tinsley  Potter,  wliose  biography  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
Mrs.  McLenon  was  born  and  grew  to  womanliood  in  this  county,  receiving  a 
liberal  education.  Two  children  bless  the  union  of  our  subject  and  wife, 
namely :  Elsie  M.  and  Edna  R.  The  parents  are  members  and  active  workers 
in  the  Christian  church,  Mr.  McLenon  being  an  elder  and  teacher  in  the  Sunday 
school.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern  NV'oodmen  of  America 
and  politically  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican. 


HENRY  L.  WHITAKER. 

Henry  L.  Whitaker,  respected  and  honored  as  one  of  the  sterling  early 
settlers  of  Atchison  county,  now  makes  his  home  in  the  thriving  town  of  Lan- 
caster, wdiere  he  has  identified  himself  with  all  of  its  enterprises.  Great 
changes  have  taken  place  in  this  section  of  the  west  since  he  first  beheld  it  and 
as  the  years  have  rolled  aw^ay  he  has  energetically  sought  to  perform  his  duty 
as  a  citizen  and  patriot. 

The  birth  of  H.  L.  Whitaker  took  place  in  ALissachusetts  July  24.  1838. 
His  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  and  his  father.  Lyman 
Whitaker,  a  successful  merchant,  died  in  1852,  aged  forty  years.  He  left  Mrs. 
Emeline  Whitaker  and  three  children, — Henry  L.,  B.  F.  and  Fred.  Subse- 
quently the  mother  went  to  Illinois  with  her  sons,  whom  she  reared  with  loving 
care  and  wisdom.  For  a  number  of  years  she  taught  school  and,  being  a 
woman  of  good  education  and  genuine  business  ability,  made  a  success  of  the 
undertaking.  Being  the  eldest  son  much  of  the  responsibility  of  the  family  fell 
to  our  subject  in  his  youth.  His  brothers  both  enlisted  as  orderly  sergeants 
in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war, — B.  F.  in  the  Tenth  Kansas  Infantry, 
who  was  subsequently  promoted  to  a  captaincy,  and  is  a  resident  of  Washington 
at  the  present  time ;  and  Fred  also  lives  in  the  west. 

After  completing  his  education  in  the  common  schools  Henry  L.  Whitaker 
obtained  a  position  in  a  machine  shop  with  Foster  &  Merriam.  The  western 
fever,  which  had  such  a  strong  hold  over  the  public  during  the  '50s,  took  posses- 
sion of  the  young,  ambitious  man,  and  when  an  opportunity  presented  itself 
whereby  he  might  remove  with  his  own  team  with  Rev.  Pardee  Butler  to  this 
state  he  gladly  accepted  it.  Accordingly  he  made  the  long,  tedious  journey  from 
Mount  Sterling,  Illinois,  across  the  state  of  Missouri,  arriving  here  in  Decem- 
ber, 1856.  Later  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  in  1857  again  came  to  Kansas, 
in  order  to  secure  a  claim  of  land  for  his  widowed  mother.  .He  had  some 
trouble  in  doing  this,  as  "claim-jumpers"  were  numerous  and  everything  here 
was  in  an  extremely  unsettled  condition.     The  so-called   "border  ruffians" 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  315 

were  rampant,  and  for  several  years  the  feeling  between  the  slavery  supporters 
and  the  abolitionists  was  intense.  Locating  in  Atchison  county  as  a  permanent 
resident,  Mr.  Whitaker  began  the  improvement  of  his  land  and  for  about  a 
quarter  of  a  century  gave  his  exclusive  attention  to  agriculture.  As  the  result 
of  his  labors  he  now  owns  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  improved 
Avith  well-built  house  and  barns  and  other  needful  accessories  of  a  model  coun- 
try place  of  the  period. 

In  1881  Mr.  Whitaker  resolved  to  enter  the  mercantile  field  of  enterprise 
and  for  the  ensuing  nine  years  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  running  a 
hardware  store  in  Atchison.  In  1890  he  removed  his  stock  to  Lancaster  and, 
in  partnership  with  his  son,  Harry,  opened  a  hardware  store  there,  where  he 
is  yet  a  resident  and  business  man.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican, 
actively  interested  and  fully  posted,  in  the  great  issues  of  the  day.  He  has 
served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  twelve  years  and  for  a  number  of  terms 
held  the  office  of  township  trustee.  Socially  he  belongs  to  Lancaster  Lodge. 
^^o-  355-  I-  O.  O.  F.  Denver  and  Laramie  City  were  small  mining  camps 
when  he  first  visited  them  and  the  progress  which  the  entire  west  has  made 
within  a  few  decades  appears  marvelous  to  him,  as  to  every  one  who  has  so 
closely  watched  its  development. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Whitaker  and  Harriet  Merriam,  a  daughter  of 
Salmon  Merriam,  occurred  in  Warren  county,  Illinois,  in  1857.  She  was 
born  in  Meriden,  Connecticut,  and  is  the  mother  of  nine  children,  namely: 
Lyman,  of  Grand  Junction,  Colorado;  Frank,  of  Nortonville,  Kansas;  Emma, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Tate,  of  Pardee,  Kansas;  May,  the  wife  of  H.  Berry,  of 
Lancaster,  Kansas ;  Joseph,  who  is  managing  the  homestead ;  Harry,  a  partner 
in  the  hardware  business;  Hattie,  the  wife  of  Frank  Hursh.  of  Blackwell, 
Oklahoma ;  John  Todd,  who  carries  on  a  farm  in  Center  township ;  and  Salmon 
Arthur,  also  a  member  of  the  hardware  firm.  Mrs.  Whitaker,  like  her 
husband,  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  her  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church. 


PETER  N.  MULLER. 

Peter  N.  Muller,  as  his  name  implies,  is  of  German  extraction  and  pos- 
sesses the  fine,  stable  qualities  of  his  sterling  Teutonic  ancestors.  In  the  prime 
of  manhood  he  brings  to  bear  upon  all  of  his  undertakings  a  strong  purpose 
to  succeed  and  that  genuine  ability  that  rarely  fails  of  attaining  its  goal.  Loyal 
to  the  land  of  his  birth  and  active  in  the  support  of  its  government  and  insti- 
tutions, he  is  a  model  of  American  patriotism  and  is  well  deserving  of  a  place 
in  the  annals  of  Atchison,  his  native  county. 


3i6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

His  father,  Peter  Muller,  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  tlie  United 
States  when  a  yoiuig  man,  beHeving  that  lie  might  have  better  opportnnities 
for  making  a  liveHhood  and  position  here  than  in  the  more  crowded  centers 
of  European  civilization.  Fortune  brought  him  to  Kansas  and  in  Atchison 
county  he  was  employed  by  the  government  as  a  teamster  on  the  plains.  He 
married  Lizzie  Xewton.  a  native  of  Iowa,  and  four  children  were  born  to 
them :  One  who  died  in  infancy ;  Jane,  now  living  in  \\'inchester,  Kansas ; 
^Irs.  Dora  Brosig,  of  Holton,  Kansas;  and  Peter  N.,  of  this  sketch. 

He  was  born  January  4,  1871,  and  was  a  small  child  when  death  deprived 
him  of  his  mother's  loving  care.  Consequently  he  was  reared  in  the  household 
of  John  Wagner,  the  administrator  of  the  Muller  estate.  \\'hen  he  had  reached 
a  suitable  age  he  commenced  attending  the  district  schools  and  managed  to 
gain  a  liberal  business  education.  For  some  time  after  leaving  school  he  was 
employed  as  a  farm  hand.  By  diligence  and  economy  he  laid  aside  a  portion 
of  his  earnings  and  at  length  invested  the  amount  in  a  farm.  He  now  owns  a 
quarter-section  of  land  in  Benton  township  and  is  constantly  making  improve- 
ments upon  the  place,  which  has  many  natural  advantages. 

Ever  since  he  attained  his  majority  ]Mr.  Muller  has  given  liis  ballot  to 
the  nominees  of  the  Republican  party,  as  he  firmly  believes  in  its  policy.  In  all 
of  his  labors  and  trials  and  joys  he  finds  an  earnest  helpmate  and  friend  in  the 
person  of  his  wife,  whose  destinies  were  united  with  his  own  on  the  8th  of 
^larcli,  1899.  Her  maiden  name  was  Tillie  M.  Stewart  and  her  former  home 
was  Effingham,  where  she  was  reared,  receiving  good  educational  advantages. 


MARK  D.  SXYDER. 


This  gentleman  is  a  well-known  agriculturist  of  Atchison  county,  living  in 
Benton  township,  where  he  owns  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Its  well  tilled  fields,  excel- 
lent improvements  and  substantial  buildings  all  indicate  the  careful  super- 
vision of  the  owner  and  class  him  among  the  practical  and  progressive  farmers 
of  this  section  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Snyder  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  the  county,  born  November  2, 
1858.  His  father  was  Hon.  S.  J.  H.  Snyder,  who  through  the  early  period  of 
Kansas'  development  was  a  leading  actor  in  the  events  which  form  the  history 
of  the  commonwealth.  He  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Maryland.  Feb- 
ruary 7,  181 2,  and  died  in  Monrovia,  Atchison  county,  November  28,  1873, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years  and  nine  months.  In  1820  he  accompanied  his 
father  on  the  removal  to  Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio,  where  he  pursued  his  edu- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  317 

cation.  He  spent  three  montlis  during  tliree  winters  in  the  district  scliools  and 
about  two  weeks  in  a  graded  school  in  Canton.  Ohio,  making  nine  months  and 
a  half  in  all;  but  broad  experiences  in  the  affairs  of  life,  an  observing  eye  and 
a  retentive  memory-  made  him  a  well  informed  man.  Between  1830  and  1833, 
almost  entirely  unaided  he  cleared  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
heavily  timbered  land.  In  1838  he  married  Susan  Winkelpleck,  purchased  a 
tract  of  timber  land  and  continued  its  cultivation  until  1848.  On  the  morning 
of  the  thirty-sixth  anniversary  of  his  birth  his  wife  died,  leaving  him  with 
three  small  children.  To  escape  from  his  crushing  grief  he  sold  all  he  had, 
placed  his  children  with  families  in  the  neighborhood  and  traveled  four  thou- 
sand miles,  mostly  on  foot.  Later  he  secured  a  helpmeet  for  himself  and  a 
mother  for  his  children  through  his  marriage  to  Eliza  Fisher.  He  followed 
nine  of  his  children  to  the  grave,  while  seven  survived  him,  and  thus  his  lot  was 
one  intermingled  with  sadness.  In  1852  he  removed  to  Indiana  and  in  1854 
took  up  his  abode  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas. 

From  that  time  until  his  death  Mr.  Snyder  was  a  resident  of  the  Sun- 
flower state  and  experienced  all  the  trials,  hardships  and  dangers  shared  by 
those  who  opposed  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  the  territor}'.  On  the 
morning  of  the  4th  of  May,  1854.  he  made  the  first  legal  claim  ever  entered 
in  Kansas,  comprising  the  land  upon  which  the  southern  part  of  the  city  of 
Leavenworth  now  stands,  and  then  returned  to  Indiana  for  his  family.  When 
he  again  arrived  in  this  state  he  found  his  claim  gone  and  the  border  ruffians 
in  possession  of  the  entire  country!  He  was  driven  from  the  polls  at  the  first 
election  held  in  the  territory  on  account  of  his  free-soil  principles.  Two  other 
claims  which  he  bought  were  wrested  from  him  by  a  pro-slavery  squatter 
court,  his  life  was  threatened  and  he  sought  refuge  in  an  unsettled  part  of  the 
state,  where  the  towai  of  Monrovia  is  now  located.  He  was  elected  to  the  first 
"free-state"  legislature,  but  was  indicted  for  treason  and  taken  captive  by  the 
South  Carolinians.  It  was  a  time  when  no  man  with  free-state  views  could 
secure  justice,  but  as  the  years  passed  law  and  order  resumed  their  reign  and 
justice  was  once  more  enthroned.  In  1862  Mr.  Snyder  was  elected  to  the 
legislature  and  subsequently  served  for  two  terms  in  the  house  and  one  in  the 
senate,  filline  the  positions  with  distinction  and  leaving  the  impress  of  his 
strong  character  and  love  of  right  upon  the  legislation  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Snyder  was  a  devoted  Christian  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
first  Lutheran  church  organization  in  the  state. — at  Monrovia. — of  which  he 
remained  a  faithful  member  until  his  death.  He  was  enthusiastic  in  the  Sun- 
day school  cause  and  his  love  for  children  caused  him  to  have  great  influence 
over  them  in  leading  them  to  a  knowledge  of  truth  and  of  Christianity.  He 
wrote  two  very  interesting  Sunday  school  books. — "The  Lost  Children"  and 
"Scenes  in  the  Far  A\'est."  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  \\as  engaged  in  the 


3iS  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

preparation  of  a  work  entitled  "The  Evidences  of  Cliristianity."  His  influence 
was  ever  in  behalf  of  the  betterment  of  mankind  and  liis  Cliristianity  was  of 
that  practical  kind  which  introdnces  lielpfnlness,  kindness  and  forbearance  into 
our  daily  lives.  To  his  family  he  left  the  priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished 
name.  The  chiklren  who  survived  him  were:  ^^Irs.  Anna  Berntlt,  now  of 
Mexico :  John  H..  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  San  Diego.  Cali- 
fornia ;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  D.  H.  Dunn,  of  Atchison  county :  Marcus  D. ;  Cora 
E.  Shiflet.  of  Atchison  county;  Susan,  deceased  wife  of  A.  Keck,  licr  deatli 
having  occurred  in  Trinidad.  Colorado;  and  Mrs.  Angie  Conley.  who  died  in 
Leavenworth.  Kansas.  Mrs.  Snyder  died  August  30,  1895.  ^^  '''^^  ''^t>  of 
sixty-seven  years.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  a  most 
estimable  ladv. 

M.  D.  Snyder,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  liorn.  reared  and 
educated  in  Atchison  county.  He  was  only  fifteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  father's  death,  after  which  he  remained  with  his  mother,  assisting  in  the 
work  of  the  farm.  He  was  married  November  30.  1881.  to  Miss  Helen  M. 
Maxfield.  of  Atchison,  who  was  born  in  Henry  county.  Illinois,  a  daughter 
of  David  and  Anna  (Freeze)  Maxfield.  Her  mother  died  when  Mrs.  Snyder 
was  only  nine  years  of  age.  leaving  seven  children.  Her  father  now  resides 
in  Kansas  City,  Kansas.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Elsie  Ann,  who  is  now  a  student  in  the  higli  school;  John  H.. 
Mark  B.  and  Mildred  Auburn,  who  are  also  in  school. 

The  family  resides  upon  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Atchison  countv  and 
the  property  has  been  acquired  entirely  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Snyder, 
whose  life  has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one  and  whose  success  in  business  is  the 
merited  reward  of  his  own  labors.  He  gi\es  his  }X)litical  support  to  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office.  He  and  his  family 
attend  the  services  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen. 


HON.  JOHN  B.  HAMXER. 

The  Hon,  John  Benton  Hamner  is  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of 
Atchison  county,  where  he  has  resided  almost  forty-five  years.  In  his  early 
manhood  he  passed  through  the  hardships  and  untold  privations  of  the  fron- 
tiersman and  fully  realizes  what  it  means  to  locate  in  a  wild,  undevelopetl 
region,  to  contend  with  the  obstacles  placed  in  the  way  of  success  by  nature, 
who  yields  her  untlisputed  sway  most  grudgingly  and  smiles  only  upon  those 
of  the  utmost  hardihood  and  bravery  of  spirit. 

Mr.  Hamner  was  fortunately  endowed  with  a  liberal  supply  of  pluck 
and  enterprise,  as  well  as  with  a  strong,  rugged  constitution,  well  calculated  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         319 

withstand  trials  which  fall  to  the  pioneer's  lot.  His  grandfather,  James  Ham- 
ner,  who  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  that 
state,  and  his  father,  John  Hamner,  was  one  of  the  forerunners  of  civilization 
in  Missouri.  The  grandfather  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  born  and  reared  in  Kentucky,  there  marrying 
Matilda  Sprowl.  a  native  of  Tennessee.  They  moved  to  Indiana,  where  they 
lived  for  some  time,  and  in  1845  located  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri.  Five 
years  later  they  purchased  a  farm  in  the  same  county,  the  site  of  the  now  thriv- 
ing city  of  St.  Joseph.  Subsequently  they  crossed  the  Missouri  river  and 
thenceforward  were  identified  with  the  development  of  Atchison  county.  The 
father  died  in  1861  at  Mann's  Grove,  Kansas,  and  Is  survived  by  his  wife,  who 
is  seventy-eifrht  years  of  age.  Politically  he  was  a  Democrat  and  religiously 
both  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  South. 

The  brothers  and  sisters  of  our  subject  were  named  as  follows :  Mrs. 
Margaret  Jane  Howard ;  Thomas  Franklin ;  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  White,  whose 
home  is  near  Fort  Scott.  Indian  territory;  William  B..  of  California;  Mrs. 
Julia  Ann  Peebles,  of  Jefferson  county,  Kansas ;  Mrs.  Nancy  Catherine  Wal- 
ters, of  Kansas  City ;  and  A.  Lincoln,  who  was  born  on  the  day  that  President 
Lincoln  first  took  the  oath  as  chief  executive  of  the  United  States. 

The  birth  of  John  Benton  Hamner  took  place  near  Columbus,  Bartholo- 
mew county.  Indiana,  July  5,  1842,  and  was  reared  as  a  farmer's  boy,  early 
learning  the  lessons  of  industry  which  have  been  of  paramount  imi»rtance  in 
his  mature  years.  He  was  thirteen  years  old  when,  on  the  5th  of  June,  1855, 
he  came  to  Atchison  countN-,  which  he  has  since  looked  upon  as  his  home.  As 
may  be  expected,  his  educational  opportunities  at  that  day  were  extremely 
meager,  though  for  some  time  he  attended  a  district  school  in  Missouri  and 
also  for  a  few  months  after  coming  to  Kansas.  As  every  student  of  history 
knows,  eastern  Kansas  was  a  battle-field  of  contending  factions  prior  to  and 
during  the  Civil  war,  and  Mr.  Hamner  distinctly  remembers  numerous  occur- 
rences fraught  with  intense  danger  and  interest  to  friends  or  acquaintances  of 
his  in  that  stormy  period.  He  was  a  witness  of  the  placing  of  the  Rev.  Parde;i 
Butler,  a  noted  anti-slavery  agitator,  upon  a  frail  raft  which  was  launched  upon 
the  torrents  of  the  Missouri  river  by  a  mob  of  people  at  Atchison. 

In  his  young  manhood  Mr.  Hamner  traveled  extensively  throughout  the 
west  and  made  three  trips  across  the  plains.  He  visited  Salt  Lake  City,  Vir- 
ginia City.  Denver  and  other  points  when  they  were  tiny  mining  camps,  and 
on  one  occasion.  June  10,  1863.  he  was  with  a  train  which  was  intercepted  by 
a  band  of  Indians  near  Denver.  After  a  brave  resistance  on  the  part  of  the 
white  men  the  latter  made  their  escape,  glad  to  save  their  lives,  and  the  red- 
skins were  the  richer  by  some  twenty  head  of  horses,  eighteen  mules  and 
property  valued  at  about  five  thousand  dollars. 


320  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

More  than  a  score  of  years  ago  Mr.  Hamner  purchased  his  present  home- 
stead, the  land  then  being  wild.  He  has  since  reduced  it  to  cultivation,  plant- 
ing twenty  acres  of  it  with  orchards,  while  the  remainder,  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  is  kept  for  the  raising  of  crops  and  for  pasture  land.  Good 
improvements  and  farm  buildings  make  this  one  of  the  best  farms  in  Kapioma 
township.  Industry  and  well-applied  business  principles  have  wrought  out 
success  for  the  proprietor,  who  is  deservedly  popular  with  all  who  know  him. 

His  marriage  took  place  in  the  Centennial  year,  his  bride  being  Sarah 
Ann  Hale,  a  native  of  Louisiana,  Lawrence  county,  Kentucky.  Her  parents, 
Ira  and  Rebecca  (Goodwin)  Hale,  were  both  also  of  the  Blue  Grass  state. 
They  came  to  Atchison  county  in  1854,  took  up  a  claim  here  and  were  among 
the  first  settlers  of  this  county.  He  built  a  saw-mill,  where  was  cut  the  lumber 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  first  house  erected  on  the  site  of  Atchison. 
Mr.  Hale  died  in  El  Dorado,  Butler  county,  Kansas,  in  1886,  having  survived 
his  wife  about  twenty  years,  as  her  death  took  place  September  3,  1866.  She 
left  six  children  to  mourn  her  loss  and  three  of  the  number  have  joined  her 
in  the  better  land.  James  E.  Hale  now  resides  in  Neosho,  Wilson  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  Londilla  is  the  wife  of  J.  A.  Hubbard,  of  Arrington,  Kansas. 

Of  the  eight  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamner,  one  died  in  infancy. 
Walter,  now  living  in  Pueblo,  Colorado,  lost  his  wife,  and  their  two  children, 
Arthur  and  Mildred,  are  with  their  grandparents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamner.  The 
younger  children  of  this  worthy  couple  are  named  Wayne,  Florence,  Wallace, 
Mark,  Belle  and  George. 

Our  subject  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  are 
sincere  friends  to  the  causes  of  religion  and  education.  In  1889  Mr.  Hamner 
was  chosen  by  his  fellow  citizens  to  represent  Kapioma  township  as  a  trustee, 
and  also  in  1890,  and  well  did  he  meet  the  obligation  thus  imposed.  He  has 
ever  been  faithful  to  the  interests  of  the  majority,  as  he  believes,  and  possesses 
the  respect  of  even  his  political  opponents. 


OLIVER  M.  BARTLO\\\ 

For  the  past  seventeen  years  Oliver  M.  Bartlow  engaged  in  the  livery 
business  at  Everest,  in  1882  and  in  1895  came  to  Horton,  as  the  proprietor  of 
a  livery  and  feed  stable,  and  his' close  application,  energy  and  straightforward 
dealing  has  secured  to  him  a  liberal  patronage  and  made  him  one  of  the  pros- 
perous men  of  the  town.  He  was  born  in  Campbell  county,  Kentucky,  in  1855, 
a  son  of  Raleigh  D.  Bartlow,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Campbell  county,  Ken- 
tucky.    Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  the  father  married  Miss  Eliza- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         321 

beth  Carmack.  and  afterward  removed  to  Brown  county,  Kansas.  His  wife 
died  in  1861,  but  he  long  survived  her.  passing  away  in  March,  1897,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven  years.  PoHtically  he  was  a  Repubhcan  and  in  his 
rehgious  behef  was  a  Methodist,  long  connected  with  a  church  of  that  denomi- 
nation. In  his  family  were  six  children,  namely:  Granville  M.,  Minerva, 
Mildred,  Eliza,  Oliver  M.  and  Sarah. 

Upon  the  old  home  farm  the  subject  of  this  review  was  reared,  and 
through  the  summer  months  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  fields,  while  after 
the  crops  were  harvested  in  the  autumn  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  he  married,  at 
Pierce  Junction,  Brown  county,  Kansas,  Miss  Anna  Fowler,  a  native  of  Ohio 
and  a  daughter  of  J.  Fowler,  who  died  in  the  Buckeye  state.  Three  children 
have  graced  their  union,  namely :     Oliver  Tabner,  George  C.  and  Goldie  M. 

Since  1886  Mr.  Bartlow  has  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Horton. 
He  keeps  a  large  line  of  stylish  turnouts  and  a  stable  of  good  horses.  His 
wide  experience  in  business,  together  with  his  energy,  courteous  manner  and 
Avell  known  reliability  have  made  his  livery  stable  popular  with  many  and  he 
is  justly  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  enterprising  business  men  of  the  city. 
He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Republican  party,  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day  and  is  very 
earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  the  principles  of  his  party.  He  is  also  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Modern  Woodmen's  society. 


CHARLES  M.  RATHBURN. 

One  of  the  best  known  and  most  popular  railroad  men  in  Kansas  is  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  and  who  is  the  superintendent  of  all 
the  Missouri  Pacific  lines  north  of  Kansas  City,  and  formerly  the  general 
superintendent  of  the  Kansas  City,  Wyandotte  &  Northern,  with  headquarters 
in  Atchison. 

Charles  M.  Rathburn  was  born  August  24,  1846,  in  Lower  Horton, 
Nova  Scotia,  where  his  mother,  who  was  a  Boston  woman,  was  visiting  her 
husband's  relatives.  His  parents  w-ere  William  and  Margaret  Fuller  Rath- 
burn,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  of  English  descent.  He 
was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  working  in  summer  and  attending  school  in  the 
winter  until  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  when  he  went  to  Woburn,  Massachu- 
setts, a  suburb  of  Boston,  and  began  work  in  his  stepfather's  carriage  factory 
as  a  blacksmith's  helper.  He  remained  there  until  the  commencement  of  the 
Civil  war,  when,  although  only  a  mere  lad  of  sixteen,  he  enlisted  in  the  Twelfth 


322  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Massachusetts  Infantry,  of  which  regiment  a  son  of  Daniel  Webster  was  tlie 
colonel.  The  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  he' 
served  for  nearly  three  years  as  a  private,  at  the  end  of  that  time  becoming  a 
hospital  steward  of  the  regular  army,  a  position  for  which  he  had  fitted  him- 
self by  special  study.  He  did  service  in  this  capacity  in  Virginia,  in  Chicago 
and  in  Columbus.  Ohio. 

When  his  duties  as  a  soldier  were  ended  lie  went  into  the  employ  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Company,  at  Aurora,  Illinois,  acting 
at  various  times  as  timekeeper  in  the  shops,  clerk  in  the  store  and  car  depart- 
ments, car  repairer  and  car  builder  and  chief  clerk  of  the  track  department. 
From  1874  to  1878  he  was  the  auditor  of  the  National  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, with  headquarters  at  Chicago.  In  1878  he  removed  to  Topeka  and  was 
the  chief  clerk  of  the  transportation  department  of  the  Santa  Fe  for  three 
years.  He  was  then  appointed  assistant  superintendent  and  later  superin- 
tendent, with  headquarters  at  La  Junta,  Colorado.  He  came  to  Atchison  in 
1888  from  Santa  Fe  and  has  since  occupied  his  present  position.  He  is  also 
the  president  of  the  Atchison  Union  Depot  &  Railroad  Company.  He  has 
about  nine  hundred  miles  of  road  to  look  after  and  performs  his  onerous  duties 
with  accuracy  and  dispatch.  To  fill  acceptably  such  a  responsible  office  as  that 
which  Mr.  Rathburn  holds  requires  keen  perception,  ripe  judgment,  a  cool 
head,  strong  will  and  untiring  energy.  It  is  to  the  possession  of  these  qualities 
that  his  steady  advancement  is  due,  while  his  genial  manner  and  considerate 
treatment  of  others  has  made  him  a  host  of  warm  friends. 


RICHARD  G.  GRIFFIN. 

Forty-one  years  have  passed  since  Mr.  Griffin  came  to  Kansas  and  mar- 
velous have  been  the  changes  which  have  occurred  in  the  commonwealth  since 
that  time.  Kansas  had  not  then  taken  on  statehood  and  was  still  under  terri- 
torial rule.  With  the  growth  and  development  of  the  northeastern  portion 
of  the  state  Mr.  Griffin  has  been  actively  identified  and  at  all  times  has  been 
found  a  loyal  and  progressive  citizen,  true  to  the  interests  of  the  community 
with  which  he  is  connected.  He  was  born  sixty-seven  years  ago  in  Franklin 
county,  Vermont,  a  son  of  William  Griffin,  whose  birth  occurred  in  the  same 
county.  The  grandfather  was  David  Griffin,  of  Irish  lineage.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jane  Miller.  She,  too,  was  born  in  the 
Green  Mountain  state  and  was  of  French  lineage.  She  died  in  her  native 
state  in  1847,  after  which  the  father  removed  to  Scranton,  Greene  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.    He  served  as  a  soldier 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  323 

in  the  Civil  war,  being  a  member  of  the  Twelfth  Illinois  Infantry.  By  occupa- 
tion he  was  a  farmer,  following  that  pursuit  in  order  to  support  his  family, 
which  included  his  wife  and  five  children,  namely:  Richard,  of  this  review; 
Levi,  now  deceased ;  Charles,  William  and  Louise.  There  was  also  one  other 
child,  who  died  in  early  life.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  the  father  was  a 
second  time  married  and  had  one  child  by  that  union. 

Richard  G.  Griffin,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  in  the 
Green  Mountain  state  and  in  early  life  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he 
followed  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  east.  In  1857  he  emigrated  westward, 
hoping  to  benefit  his  financial  condition  in  a  region  less  thickly  settled,  believ- 
ing that  the  opportunities  there  afforded  would  be  superior  to  those  in  the 
east.  For  two  years  he  resided  in  Illinois  and  in  1859  he  came  to  Kansas, 
locating  in  Brown  county.  During  the  Civil  war  he  responded  to  the  country's 
call  for  troops,  enlisting,  in  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  Eighth  Kansas 
Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865.  He  was 
at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  much  of  the  time  and  on  the  expiration  of  the  three- 
year  term  he  veteranized  and  served  for  a  time  with  the  First  Veteran  Regi- 
ment of  the  United  States  Engineers.  He  was  also  on  detached  duty  for  a 
time  and  did  valuable  work  for  his  country  by  building  pontoon  bridges,  over 
w^hich  the  army  was  transported.  With  an  honorable  record  for  loyalty  and 
faithfulness  he  returned  to  his  home  when  the  war  was  over  and  the  country 
no  longer  needed  his  services. 

Mr.  Griffin  has  since  resided  in  Brown  county  and  has  been  actively 
interested  in  its  upbuilding  and  development.  He  married  Mrs.  Loey  Rounds, 
who  was  born  in  Indiana  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Terrill.  She  had  nine 
children  by  her  first  marriage  and  by  her  second  union  had  one  son.  Charles 
Griffin,  who  lives  on  a  farm  in  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  near  Muscotah.  The 
mother,  who  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
died  in  May,  1896.  On  the  loth  of  June,  1897,  Mr.  Griffin  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Molly  Seymour,  a  widow  of  Rev.  R.  H.  Sey- 
mour, who  was  a  gallant  officer  in  the  civil  war  and  a  well  known  pioneer 
preacher  in  Kansas.  Mrs.  Griffin  was  born  in  New  Albany,  Indiana,  a  daugh- 
ter of  S.  C.  Ramsey,  also  one  of  the  loyal  defenders  of  the  Union  during  the 
civil  war.  He  now  lives  in  DesMoines,  Iowa,  but  the  mother  has  passed  away, 
having  died  in  Fremont  county,  Iowa,  in  November,  1880.  Mrs.  Griffin  was 
reared  in  the  Hawkeye  state  and  acquired  her  education  in  its  public  schools. 
When  she  had  attained  to  womanhood  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
Thomas  Simpson,  by  whom  she  had  two  children :  Mrs.  Lotta  McGinnis,  of 
Powhattan,  Kansas;  and  George,  of  Joplin,  Missouri.  At  Alma,  Kansas,  Mrs. 
Simpson  became  the  wife  of  Rev.  R.  H.  Seymour,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  to  them  were  born  two  children, — Bessie  May  and 


324  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Horatio;  but  the  latter  is  now  deceased.  The  father  died  April  27,  1885,  i^i 
Sumner  county,  Kansas,  since  which  time  Mrs.  Seymour  has  become  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Griffin.  They  own  and  occupy  a  good  farm  of  forty  acres  in  Hiawatha 
township,  Brown  county.  The  place  is  improved  with  a  good  residence,  an 
orchard,  substantial  outliuildings  and  all  the  accessories  of  a  model  farm.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Griffin  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  the  former  is 
a  Republican  in  politics.  They  enjoy  the  high  regard  of  many  friends,  being 
both  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  community. 


JOHN  P.  TROM PETER. 

Among  the  worthy  citizens  of  Brown  county  of  German  birth  is  John  P. 
Trompeter,  and  he  possesses  many  of  those  characteristics  which  have  made 
his  countrymen  a  valuable  addition  to  our  nationality.  He  was  born  in  Mach, 
b.  Coeln,  CJermany,  on  the  21st  of  July.  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary 
Trompeter.  nati\es  of  the  same  village.  On  leaving  the  Fatherland  they 
crossed  the  .\tlantic  to  the  new  world  and  took  up  their  abode  in  LaSalle county, 
Illinois,  where  they  made  a  good  home.  They  became  residents  of  Peru  and 
there  it  was  that  John  P.  Trompeter  grew  to  manhood.  The  mother  died 
in  LaSalle  county,  in  the  faith  of  the  Catholic  church,  in  which  she  had  been 
reared  and  of  which  she  was  a  consistent  communicant.  Her  death  occurred 
at  the  age  of  fifty-four,  and  the  father  passed  away  in  Kansas,  when  eighty- 
four  years  of  age.  He,  too,  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  in 
politics  was  a  Democrat.  He  made  farming  his  life  occupation  and  his  well 
known  industry  and  honest  success  placed  him  among  the  reliable  citizens  of 
the  community  in  which  he  resided. 

John  P.  Trompeter  was  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  nine  sons  and  one 
daughter,  and  two  of  the  sons  were  soldiers  of  the  Union  during  the  civil  war, 
namely :  John  and  Frank,  the  latter  having  been  a  member  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fourth  Regiment  of  Illinois  \'olunteers.  He  is  now  living  in 
Illinois. 

Mr.  Trompeter,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  was  a  lad  of  ten 
years  when  his  parents  left  Germany  and  made  the  voyage  across  the  Atlantic 
to  the  new  world.  He  was  reared  in  La  Salle  county.  Illinois,  and  for  some 
years  worked  in  a  flouring  mill.  He  had  begun  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Germany  and  afterward  attended  night  school  in  Peru.  In  his  home  he 
was  taught  lessons  of  honesty  and  industry  and  these  have  been  salient  features 
in  his  career  in  later  life.  In  touch  with  libert}'  and  with  a  spirit  of  patriotism 
he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops  in  1862,  enlisting  at  the  time 
President  Lincoln  asked  for  three  hundred  thousand  men  to  aid  in  crushinc: 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         325 

the  rebellion  of  the  south.  He  joined  the  "boys  in  blue"-  of  the  One  Hunilred 
and  Fourth  Illinois  Infantry  under  the  command  of  Captain  Palmer  and  Col- 
onel Moore,  and  participated  in  a  number  of  very  important  engagements, 
including  the  battles  of  Murfreesboro,  Hartsville  and  others.  He  was  taken 
prisoner,  but  was  afterward  paroled  and  exchanged,  being  stationed  at  Camp 
Douglas,  Chicago,  for  some  time  prior  to  his  exchange.  When  he  agaiii 
enlisted  he  became  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  Illinois 
Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Lyon,  and  was  stationed  for  some 
time  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  received  an 
honorable :discharge  and  returned  to  La  Salle  county,  Illinois,  where  he  lived 
until  1878,  the  year  of  his  arrival  in  Brown  county,  Kansas.  Here  he  has  since 
made  his  home  and  throughout  the  greater  part  of  this  time  has  been  num- 
bered among  the  successful  agriculturists  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Trompeter  was  married  in  LaSalle  county,  Illinois,  in  1865.  to  Miss 
Mary  Klein,  a  native  of  Germany  and  a  daughter  of  Sebastian  and  Eva  Klein, 
also  natives  of  Germany.  Her  parents  died  in  LaSalle  county,  however,  and 
there  Mrs.  Trompeter  spent  much  of  her  early  life.  By  her  marriage  she 
has  become  the  mother  of  fourteen  children:  Frances,  now  Mrs.  Winters- 
deidt;  George;  Lizzie;  Katie;  Willie;  Rose;  Minnie;  Oscar;  Louisa;  Ernest; 
Peter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  Robert,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  years;  Eva,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years;  and  Otis, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year.  The  family  reside  upon  a  fine  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  It  has  all  of  the  characteristics  of  a  model 
farm  of  the  twentieth  century,  being  improved  with  a  good  residence,  sub- 
stantial barn,  a  large  orchard  and  well-tilled  fields.  To  its  cultivation 
Air.  Trompeter  devotes  his  time  and  energies  and  the  fields  yield  to  him  good 
crops,  whereby  his  income  is  largely  augumented.  He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Catholic  church  and  are  representative  people  of  the  community. 
Air.  Trompeter  is  a  progressive  and  public-spirited  citizen  who  withholds 
his  support  from  no  measure  which  he  believes  will  prove  of  general  good. 
He  is  a  self-made  man  whose  advancements  in  life  has  come  through  his 
own  well-directed  efforts,  and  he  certainly  deserves  great  credit  from  the 
fact  that  he  has  gained  a  leading  jMsition  among  the  farmers  of  his  neigh- 
borhood. 


HENRY  BODER,  Jr. 


This  gentleman  is  one  whose  success  in  life  may  be  ascribed  to  positive, 
determined  pursuit  of  business  and  to  the  fact  that  he  is  a  man  of  honesty  and 
integrity.  He  is  the  president  of  the  Bank  of  Troy.  Kansas,  one  of  the  most 
reliable  institutions  in  the  state  and  worthy  the  entire  confidence  of  the  public 


326  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

which  is  so  freely  accorded  to  him.  It  was  organized  in  1870  by  Louis  and 
Henry  Boder,  Jr.,  and  was  conducted  under  tlie  firm  name  of  Boder  Brothers 
until  1 89 1,  when  it  was  reorganized  as  the  Bank  of  Troy,  and  Henry  Boder, 
Jr.,  was  made  its  president,  which  office  he  still  holds.  The  capital  stock  is 
thirty  thousand  dollars  and  a  large  general  banking  business  is  carried  on. 

Henry  Boder,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  near  Mount  Eaton, 
January  28,  1837,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Annie  (Perne)  Boder,  the  former  a 
native  of  Switzerland  and  the  latter  of  France.  His  parents  removed  to  New 
Orleans  in  1840,  to  St.  Louis  in  1842,  and  to  St.  Joseph  in  1844.  At  the  latter 
place  the  father  died  February  18,  1888,  and  the  mother  July  3,  1854.  His 
brother,  Louis  Boder,  is  now  the  president  of  the  Merchants'  Bank  at  St. 
Joseph.  Missouri,  and  is  a  prosperous  and  esteemed  citizen. 

The  subject  of  this  review  obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  St.  Joseph,  and  at  a  select  school,  and  was  si.xteen  years  of  age  when,  in  1853, 
he  was  appointed  assistant  to  the  postmaster,  Charles  Dutzschky,  of  St. 
Joseph,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  was  next  employed  in  the 
county  clerk's  office  under  Milton  H.  Wash,  and  in  May,  1857,  came  to  Troy 
to  work  in  the  office  of  James  R.  Whitehead,  then  county  clerk,  expecting  to 
remain  only  a  few  weeks,  Mr.  Whitehead,  however,  having  been  appointed 
clerk  of  the  United  States  district  court  by  Judge  Lecompte,  and  not  wishing  to 
give  up  the  county  clerk's  office,  appointed  Mr.  Boder  his  deputy  to  serve  out 
his  term.  The  latter  was  afterwards  elected  to  the  office  in  1859,  and  in 
accordance  with  the  territorial  laws  he  also  discharged  the  duties  of  registrar 
of  deeds  and  clerk  of  the  probate  court.  Subsequently  Mr.  Boder  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  district  court,  under  the  state  constitution,  which  position  he  held 
until  1865. 

In  the  latter  year  Mr.  Boder  engagal  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Troy, 
which  he  continued  until  1870,  when  he  organized  the  bank  in  connection  with 
his  brother  Louis,  as  has  been  stated.  Mr.  Boder  is  known  as  one  of  the  most 
careful  and  prudent  business  men  in  the  state,  never  speculating  or  indulging 
in  doubtful  enterprises.  There  has  never  been  a  run  on  the  bank,  for  depositors 
are  confident  that  their  money  is  safe  and  ready  for  them  when  they  need  it. 

Mr.  Boder  was  married,  in  1863,  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Zimmerman,  of  Doni- 
phan county,  a  daughter  of  George  T.  Zimmerman,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Kansas.  Two  children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  Anna  L.,  the  wife  of  L. 
L.  Strong,  of  St,  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  Henry  L.  The  saddest  event  in  the 
life  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boder  was  the  death  of  their  only  son,  Henry  L.,  Janu- 
ary 16,  1899.  He  was  a  young  man  of  unusual  ability  and  great  promise,  and 
his  loss  was  a  severe  blow  to  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  born  in  Troy,  October 
29,  1865,  and  his  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  Troy  schools.  He 
subsequently  spent  two  years  in  the  State  University,  at  Lawrence,  and  after- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         327 

ward  attended  Ritner's  Commercial  College  at  St.  Joseph.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  years  he  was  made  the  cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Troy,  which  responsible 
position  lie  held  until  his  death.  On  the  ist  of  November,  1891,  he  and  others 
organized  the  Wathena  State  Bank,  of  which  he  was  made  the  vice-president, 
and  on  the  ist  of  November,  1892,  he  and  others  organized  the  Everest  State 
Bank,  of  which  also  he  was  the  vice-president  until  May  2^,,  1893,  when  he 
retired  from  the  concern.  He  was  a  most  etificient  officer,  an  active,  capable 
business  man,  well  and  favorably  known  and  had  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  He 
was  married,  October  10,  1889,  to  Miss  Etta  V.  Hutchinson,  a  lady  of  most 
estimable  character  and  a  daughter  of  Captain  Perry  Hutchinson,  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  and  leading  business  men  of  Marysville,  Kansas.  Henry  L. 
Boder  was  a  member  of  Troy  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Troy  City  Lodge,  L  O.  O.  F., 
also  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Knights  of  Maccabees. 

Mr.  Boder  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  is  always  ready  to  work  in  the 
interest  of  the  party.  For  a  number  of  years  he  served  as  mayor  of  the  city, 
and  his  administration  was  highly  commendatory.  He  is  a  member  of  Troy 
Lodge,  No,  55,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the  blue  lodge. 
Personally  Mr.  Boder  is  one  of  the  most  genial  of  men,  and  although  his  time 
is  fully  occupied  by  the  details  of  his  large  business  interests  he  always  finds 
time  and  opportunity  to  devote  to  those  of  his  friends  whose  calls  are  of  a 
purely  social  character.  He  is  a  thorough  exemplification  of  the  typical 
American  business  man  and  gentleman. 


JOHN  A.  JOHNSON. 


Besides  the  experiences  of  the  pioneer,  John  Adams  Johnson,  an  early  set- 
tler, worthy  citizen  and  retired  farmer  of  Brown  county.  Kansas,  living  quietly 
at  Everest,  Washington  township,  in  the  closing  years  of  his  life,  has  had  the 
exciting  and  various  experiences  of  the  California  gold-seeker  and  those  of  a 
prospector  for  a  home  in  Texas  \\'hen  Texas  was  popularly  supposed  to  be 
just  a  little  beyond  the  limits  of  civilization.  Following  is  a  brief  account  of 
his  career,  which  has  been  both  busy  and  useful,  and  has  not  been  without 
material  rewards  of  honesty  and  persistent  endeavor. 

John  Adams  Johnson  was  born  in  Shelby  county,  Kentucky,  February  19, 
1825.  a  son  of  Henry  Johnson,  who  was  born  at  Baltimore,  Maryland,  in 
1777,  and  died  in  Daviess  county,  Kentucky,  in  1840.  aged  sixty-three  years, 
and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  White,  who  died  in  Kentucky  in  1872,  aged  seventy- 
seven.  Besides  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  youngest  child,  their 
children  were  William,  who  is  dead;  Elizabeth,  who  was  the  wife  of  Nathaniel 


328  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Kimberlin  and  died  in  1865  ;  and  Joel  and  Thomas,  both  of  whom  also  are  dead.- 
Henry  Johnson  was  a  shoemaker  and  had  a  brother  who  was  a  sea  captain. 

In  1827,  when  he  was  two  years  old,  John  Adams  Johnson  was  taken  to 
Daviess  cotinty,  Kentucky,  where  he  grew  up  and  received  a  limited  school- 
book  education.  At  that  time  Daviess  county  was  about  as  wild  as  Brown 
county,  Kansas,  was  thirty-three  years  later,  and  Mr.  Johnson  was  conse- 
quently experienced  somewhat  in  frontier  life  before  he  reached  Kansas.  He 
left  Kentucky  in  1843,  "^  company  with  Rev.  George  Pickel,  a  Baptist  preacher, 
and  went  to  Texas.  They  traveled  over  that  state,  stopped  at  Dallas,  con- 
taining then  only  one  house,  tried  farming  and  remained  in  that  state  two ' 
years.  He  returned  to  his  native  state  and  remained  until  1849,  when  he  went 
to  Buchanan  county,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Johnson  volunteered  his  service  in  the  Mexican  war,  but  his  com- 
pany was  not  accepted  by  the  government  and  he  spent  the  year  1849  farming 
in  Missouri.  In  the  spring  of  1850  he  joined  an  overland  expedition  for 
California.  His  party  of  twenty-three  men  left  the  Missouri  river  at  Atchi- 
son and  after  traveling  with  a  train  a  few  days  found  it  too  slow  and  struck 
out  boldly  for  the  land  of  the  setting  sun  alone.  Ninety-seven  days  after 
leaving  Atchison,  without  interruption  from  any  source,  their  little  train  of 
five  wagons  reached  Placerville,  California,  then  known  by  the  somewhat 
ominous  name  of  "Hangtown."  Their  first  winter  was  spent  in  the  mines 
at  Dry  Creek,  but  the  following  spring  they  went  to  the  Merced  river  country 
and  there  Mr.  Johnson  remained  until  the  fall  of  185 1.  He  then  went  north 
to  Downieville  on  the  Yuba  river  and  spent  the  winter  in  the  mines,  and  in 
the  spring  flumed  the  river  at  Wambold's  Bar.  He  next  went  into  Santa 
Rosa  valley  and  farmed  there  two  years.  He  raised  small  grain  and  was  fairly 
rewarded  for  his  labors.  The  attraction  of  the  mines  was  too  strong  for  him, 
however,  and  so  he  went  into  the  placer  diggings  at  Evansville  and  washed  out 
a  good  profit.     His  his  gold-digging  career  ended. 

To  return  to  the  east  Mr.  Johnson  embarked  at  San  Francisco  for  the 
isthmus  of  Panama;  and  he  crossed  the  isthmus,  embarked  again  and  was  in 
New  Orleans  three  weeks  after  he  left  California.  He  then  came  to  Kansas 
and  then  went  to  his  old  home  in  Daviess  county,  Kentucky,  and  after  remain- 
ing some  time  with  his  relatives  returned  to  Kansas.  He  bought  a  pre-emption 
in  Washington  township.  Brown  county,  in  1858,  and  was  identified  with  the 
agricultural  interests  of  this  section  until  his  retirement  to  Everest  in  1891. 
He  passed  through  the  bushwhacking  and  jayhawking  days  without  serious 
loss  and  with  only  one  encounter  with  the  marauders.  Upon  one  occasion 
he  and  his  neighbor,  "Nat."  Kimberlin,  his  brother-in-law,  the  only  one  of 
the  old-timers  left,  were  notified  that  they  were  to  be  investigated  to  deter- 
mine whether  or  not  they  had  property  on  their  premises  with  which  they 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         329 

could  part  for  the  benefit  of  the  visitors.  The  two  pioneers  knew  well  what 
this  meant  and  got  their  fuses  in  order  for  the  meeting.  The  robbers  came, 
the  fuses  barked  and  the  meeting  was  over.  The  next  morning  there  were 
strange  horses  tied  to  the  fence  and  there  was  gore  on  the  ground,  but  nobody 
cared  to  claim  either  the  horses  or  the  blood. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  in  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  in  1S68,  to  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Thomas,  the  widow  of  John  Thomas.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  a  daughter 
of  William  Ruddick,  a  farmer,  and  was  the  mother  of  three  children  by  her  first 
husband,  a  New  York  gentleman :  Delia,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Blackety,  of 
Brown  county,  Kansas;  Maggie,  the  w'ife  of  W.  W.  Price,  of  Huron,  Kansas; 
and  Georgie,  who  married  Robert  Bastian.  There  are  two  surviving  Bastian 
children:  Charles  Bastian,  of  Everest,  Brown  county,  Kansas;  and  John 
Bastian,  of  Arkansas.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  Sullivan  county,  New  York, 
in  June,  1S26. 


O.  L.  VINYARD. 


O.  L.  Vinyard  is  the  manager  for  A.  C.  Davis  &  Company,  grain  dealers 
at  Horton,  and  is  a  representative  business  man  whose  executive  ability  and 
keen  discernment  have  contributed  in  a  large  measure  to  the  success  of  the  firm 
which  he  represents.  He  is  a  native  of  Linn  county,  Iowa,  where  his  birth 
occurred  some  fifty  years  ago.  His  parents  were  W'illiam  and  Sarah  (Car- 
roll) Vinyard.  The  parents  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  became  early  set- 
tlers of  the  territory  of  Iowa,  his  people  having  established  a  home  in  Linn 
county  in  pioneer  days.  In  1856  he  arrived  in  Marion  county,  Iowa,  and 
served  as  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Baptist  University  at  Pella,  that  state.  His 
political  support  was  given  the  Republican  party  and  he  was  a  wide-awake 
and  influential  citizen.  His  death  occurred  at  the  age  sixty-four  years, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  when  seventy-four  years  of  age.  They  had  eight 
children, — four  sons  and  four  daughters.  Two  of  the  sons  were  soldiers  in 
the  civil  war,  Thomas  J.  having  been  a  member  of  the  Eighth  low^a  Infantry 
in  the  early  part  of  the  struggle,  and  on  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  from 
that  regiment  he  re-enlisted  in 'the  Thirty-third  Iowa  Infantry  and  remained 
at  the  front  for  three  years.  He  now  resides  at  Cripple  Creek,  Colorado. 
Lamech  C.  was  a  member  of  the  Fourth  Iowa  Cavalry  and  is  now  deceased- 

O.  L.  Vinyard,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  the  Pella  University,  and,  with  a  comprehensive  knowl- 
edge to  aid  him  in  meeting  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties,  he  entered 
upon  his  business  career.  For  fifteen  or  twenty  years  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  grain  business  and  is  now  the  manager  for  A.  C.  Davis  «&  Company,  of 


330  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Horton.  Tlie  firm  is  well  known  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and  has  a  very 
large  plant  in  Topeka  and  smaller  ones  in  other  towns.  The  elevator  was 
built  in  Horton  during  the  winter  of  1888-9  '^"d  '^  situated  by  the  Rock  Island 
Railroad  tracks.  It  is  about  forty-five  feet  in  height  and  has  a  capacity  of 
fifteen  tliousand  bushels  of  grain.  It  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  rich  farming 
section  of  Brown  county  and  Mr.  Vinyard  has  shipped  as  high  as  one  hundred 
thousand  bushels  of  grain  in  a  season.  He  has  had  charge  of  the  elevator  in 
that  place  since  its  completion  in  1889  and  has  carried  on  a  large  and  success- 
ful business  which  has  added  considerably  to  the  income  of  the  firm  which 
he  represents.  It  has  also  proved  a  benefit  to  the  community,  furnishing  an 
excellent  market  to  the  grain  producers  in  that  section  of  Brown  county. 

In  1874,  in  Otley,  Iowa.  Mr.  Vinyard  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  R. 
Keeler,  a  daughter  of  \V.  B.  Keeler,  of  that  town.  By  their  union  have  been 
born  two  children,  Cora  and  Gertrude, — the  latter  now  the  wife  of  Mr.  Hare, 
of  Salida,  Colorado.  The  mother  died  November  3,  1886,  in  Pueblo,  Colo- 
rado, and  two  years  later,  on  the  20th  of  November.  1888,  Mr.  Vinyard  married 
Miss  Mary  Sneck,  of  South  Bend,  Indiana.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  five  children,  namely:  Leola,  Clyde.  \'erna,  Dorothy  and  Frances 
Elizabeth. 

Mr.  Vinyard  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Republican  party,  and  although  he  has  never  aspired  to  public 
office  he  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  questions  of  the  day  and  in  the  success 
of  the  political  organization  with  which  he  affiliates.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  having  joined  the  order  in  Monroe,  Iowa,  in  1879.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  \\'orkmen.  His  home  -is  a 
pleasant  residence  on  East  Front  street,  erected  in  the  summer  of  1879,  and 
the  Vinyard  household  is  noted  for  its  hospitality.  Mr.  Vinyard  is  frank 
and  genial  in  manner  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  enterprising  and  substan- 
tial business  men  of  Horton. 


THOMAS  C.  HONNELL. 

Thomas  Corwin  Honnell,  a  retired  grain  jnerchant  and  farmer,  Everest, 
Kansas,  has  acquitted  himself  well  as  a  citizen,  a  man  of  affairs  and  a  soldier. 
He  is  not  on  the  pension  roll  at  Washington,  for  the  reason  that  he  considers 
that  the  United  States  government,  having  given  him  the  best  country  on  earth 
to  live  in  and  having  in  other  ways  shown  its  appreciation  of  his  service,  is 
under  no  further  obligation  to  him.  His  attitude  in  this  respect  is  referred 
to  at  the  outset  for  the  reason  that  it  affords  more  than  a  suggestion  of  his 
independent  and  ])atriotic  character.     He  has  faith  in  the  humanity  of  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


331 


country,  the  security  of  its  flag  and  the  invincibihty  of  its  defenders,  and 
beHeves  the  work  which  America  is  destined  to  accompHsh  is  nothing  less  than 
the  Hberation  of  the  oppressed,  the  civilization  of  the  world  and  the  establish- 
ment and  maintenance  of  universal  peace. 

Mr.  Honnell  is  a  native  of  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  and  was  born  July  6, 
1 340,  and  was  named  in  honor  of  Hon.  Thomas  Corwin,  the  great  lawyer  and 
political  orator  of  whom  William  Honnell,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  a  great  admirer.  William  Honnell  was  born  in  Greene  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1797,  an  only  son  of  William  Honnell,  a  German  emigrant, 
and  in  1835  located  in  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1853.  He  mar- 
ried, about  1824,  Ellen  ^\'ilson,  whose  father  came  over  from  England  to 
make  a  home  in  the  United  States.  Ellen  (Wilson)  Honnell  was  born  in 
1802  and  died  in  1869.  She  was  the  mother  of  eight  sons  and  two  daughters, 
of  whom  the  following  survive :  Morris,  of  Sidney,  Ohio ;  Eli,  of  Port  Jeffer- 
son, Ohio;  Henry,  of  Horton,  Kansas;  Thomas  C. ;  and  Martha,  the  wife  of 
George  A.  McNeil,  of  Centralia.  Kansas. 

Thomas  C.  Honnell's  early  years  were  passed  at  his  country  home  with 
such  surroundings  as  the  moderate  farmer  of  that  time  provided  for  his  off'- 
spring  and  with  the  common  school  as  his  source  of  education.  His  final 
instruction  was  obtained  within  the  walls  of  a  town  school  and  in  his  seven- 
teenth year  he  terminated  his  career  as  a  pupil,  but  not  as  a  student.  School - 
teaching  offered  some  inducement  to  Mr.  Honnell,  as  the  means  of  providing 
him  with  an  income  fairly  commensurate  with  his  abilities,  and  he  adopted 
this  as  his  calling.  He  worked  in  the  ranks  of  the  profession  for  eighteen 
years  and  was  one  of' the  successful  and  capable  teachers  of  his  county.  He 
qualified  himself  for  better  and  higher  work  as  the  exigencies  of  the  times 
demanded,  and  was  anything  but  a  plodder  in  the  early  days  of  teaching  as  a 
profession. 

Mr.  Honnell's  career  as  a  teacher  was  interrupted  by  the  outbreak  of  the 
Rebellion.  His  intense  loyalty  and  enthusiasm  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union 
led  to  him  to  enlist  at  the  first  call  for  troops  in  1861.  He  was  mustered  into 
Company  C,  Fifteenth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  at  Columbus,  and 
went  into  Virginia,  now  West  Virginia,  under  General  Rosecrans,  where  the 
battles  of  Philippi,  Rich  Mountain  and  Cheat  Mountain  were  fought  before 
the  expiration  of  his  hundred-day  enlistment.  He  re-enlisted  in  the  Ninety- 
ninth  Regiment,  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  years  and  veteranized  for 
the  remainder  of  the  war  at  the  expiration  of  that  term  of  service.  He  was 
discharged  July  17,  1865.  The  Ninety-ninth  Regiment  served  with  General 
Sherman  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Stone 
River  and  Chickamauga,  the  siege  of  Atlanta  and  the  fighting  at  Franklin  and 


332  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Nashville,  and  then,  at  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  joined  Sherman's  com- 
mand on  his  return  north  from  Savannah,  Georgia.  The  regiment  was  at 
Goldsboro,  North  Carolina,  when  Johnston  surrendered,  and  did  garrison  duty 
from  that  event  until  it  was  discharged.  Mr.  Honnell  enlisted  in  three-months 
service  as  a  private.  Under  this  and  later  enlistments  he  was  promoted  through 
the  various  grades  to  a  captaincy  and  was  mustered  out  with  the  rank  i.if  cap- 
lain  on  the  staff  of  General  Schofield.  He  receixeil  a  wc;)und  in  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga,  September  19,  1863,  the  day  that  General  Garfield  made  his 
famous  ride,  but  was  not  long  absent  from  duty. 

Mr.  Honnell  returned  to  Ohio  and  lived  in  his  native  county  until  he  emi- 
grated to  Kansas.  He  arrived  in  Atchison,  February  17,  1870,  en  route  for 
Brown  county,  to  which  he  had  been  recommended  to  come  by  his  brother 
Henry.  He  bought  a  quarter-section  of  land  in  Grasshopper  township,  Atchi- 
son county,  and  undertook  its  slow  but  substantial  improvement.  His  success 
as  a  farmer  has  been  one  of  constant  progression.  His  industry  has  been 
amply  rewarded.  As  fast  as  he  found  himself  able  to  do  so  he  bought  adjoin- 
ing quarter-sections  until  his  farm  now  contains  six  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  be  cultivated  a  Kansas  farm.  Upon  the  con- 
struction of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway  and  the  location  of  a  station  ac 
Everest,  he  decided  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  grain  trade  of  that  section. 

He  built  one  of  the  first  houses  in  the  village  and  engaged  in  the  grain 
and  stock  Inisiness,  buying  and  shipping  both  extensively.  He  has  been  asso- 
ciated in  business  there  with  Henry  Fluke,  of  Horton,  W.  ^V.  Price,  of  Huron, 
and  with  S.  Peterson,  of  Everest.  His  career  has  been  marked  by,  perhaps, 
even  greater  success  than  he  anticipated,  and  although  he  has  faced  an  occa- 
sional disaster  he  left  the  grain  office  in  October,  1899,  and  retired  to  the  privacy 
of  domestic  life,  satisfied  and  with  ample  provisions  for  his  future  needs. 
He  has  been  prominently  connected  with  e\ery  enterprise  proposed  for  the  good 
of  Everest,  has  been  useful  in  its  public  councils  and  wielded  a  pronounced 
influence  for  its  moral  and  material  welfare. 

November  15,  1865.  Mr.  Honnell  married  Sarah  E.  Tuley,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  B.  Tuley.  who  was  a  prominent  farmer  of  Shelby  county, Ohio, and  from 
New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Honnell  was  born  in  1843.  Her  two  children  are  :  Frank, 
who  is  married  to  Belle  Robins  and  is  running  the  Honnell  farm  in  Atchison 
county,  and  Maud,  the  wife  of  Hiram  M.  Means,  who  is  the  principal  of  the 
Everest  schools.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Honnell's  two  grandchildren  are  Kenneth 
Honnell  and  Earl  Means.  Wanting  no  ofiice,  Mr.  Honnell  is  a  working  poli- 
tician who  believes  that  the  prevalence  of  the  principles  of  his  party  will  benefit 
the  public  more  than  any  other  policy,  and  he  exerts  an  influence  wliich  is 
recognized  and  appreciated. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         333 

WALLACE  C.  ALEXANDER. 

The  phenomenal  development  of  Kansas  in  all  lines  of  industry  brought 
within  its  borders  a  class  of  shrewd  and  substantial  business  men  who  have 
well  upheld  its  honor  and  advanced  its  material  interests.  Of  this  class  the 
gentleman  whose  name  is  above  is  a  prominent  and  favorably  known  reprent- 
ative.  Wallace  C.  Alexander,  of  Everest,  Washington  township.  Brown 
county.  Kansas,  has  been  more  or  less  intimately  identified  with  the  counties 
of  Atchison  and  Brown  for  the  past  twenty-nine  years.  For  a  diizen  years  or 
more  he  has  been  connected  with  the  lumber  trade  of  Brown  and  Doniphan 
counties  and  he  has  thus  been  brought  into  personal  contact  with  the  leaders 
in  business  and  politics  and  public  men  generally. 

Born  at  Waukesha,  Wisconsin,  August  30,  1851.  Wallace  C.  Alexander 
secured  the  public-school  training  there  and  remained  at  his  parental  home 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  old.  He  attended  Carroll  College  two  years,  and 
upon  leaving  school  came  to  Kansas.  He  stopped  a  short  time  at  Topeka  and 
Washington  and  finally  located  at  Muscotah,  and  at  all  the  places  named  he 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  later  found  employment  in  the  express 
business  as  a  messenger  for  the  Adams  Express  Company  in  Missouri,  Kan- 
sas, Colorado  and  New  Mexico,  and  later  was  agent  for  the  Pacific  Express 
Company  in  Texas.  Retiring  from  the  express  service  he  went  to  Scandia, 
Kansas,  and  entered  the  lumber  trade  as  an  employee  of  Howell  Brothers  and 
was  later  at  Blue  Hill,  Nebraska,  in  the  same  business  for  Howell  Brothers. 
From  Blue  Hill  Mr.  Alexander  went  to  Everest.  Kansas,  reaching  that  place 
July  21,  1886.  In  1888  he  acquired  an  interest  in  the  lumber  yard  at  Everest 
with  Mr.  Noll,  the  firm  of  Alexander  &  Noll  doing  Inisiness  until  1891,  when 
Mr.  Alexander  became  the  sole  proprietor.  He  has  established  branch  yards 
at  Leonardville  and  Purcell  and'  his  commercial  influence  extends  over  a  large 
section  of  the  "garden  spot"  of  Kansas. 

Mr.  Alexander  is  a  son  of  Charles  Alexander,  who  was  born  in  Ram- 
burg,  Wiltshire,  England,  November  4,  1824,  and  came  to  Waukesha,  Wis- 
consin, in  1845.  He  came  to  the  United  States  fully  equipped  to  make  a  living 
as  a  saddler  of  the  old  school.  He  married  Mary  A.  Harrison,  whose  father, 
Abram  Harrison,  came  to  the  United  States  from  Liverpool,  England.  Charles 
Alexander  died  in  1865.  His  children  were  Priscilla,  of  Milwaukee,  Wiscon- 
sin, the  wife  of  F.  C.  Maynard ;  Wallace  C. ;  Melissa,  who  married  Martin 
Winsor  and  is  dead ;  Chalnissa,  widow  of  Benjamin  Bonnell,  who  resides  in 
Frankfort,  Kansas :  Irene,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Allison,  of  Muscotah,  Kansas ;  Luella, 
the  wife  of  Orlo  Olden,  of  Muscotah;  Julia,  who  married  the  late  Rev.  L.  N. 
Rogers  and  lives  in  Muscotah.  The  widow  of  Charles  Alexander  married  H. 
B.  Dana  and  is  a  second  time  a  widow.     A  son,  Giles  C.  Dana,  of  Frisco, 


334  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

New  Mexico,  was  born  of  this  union.  Mrs.  Dana  lives  at  Muscotah, 
Kansas. 

Wallace  C.  Alexander  was  married,  in  Everest,  in  1888.  to  Mrs.  Ellen  L. 
Way.  Mrs.  Alexander's  father  was  a  Mr.  Dewey,  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, whose  ancestors  were  from  Massachusetts.  They  are  of  the  same  stock 
and  possess  the  same  ancestral  history  as  the  family  recently  made  famous  by 
the  achievements  of  the  great  admiral.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander  are  the  par- 
ents of  a  son.  George  W.  Alexander,  born  in  1890. 

Since  identifying  himself  with  Everest  Mr.  Alexander  has  rendered  him- 
self one  of  its  useful  men.  His  whole  make-up  forbids  his  following  in  the 
wake  of  any  movement  of  progress  and  he  fights  in  the  lead  either  for  or 
against.  He  is  a  man  of  marked  intelligence,  good  judgment  and  far-sighted- 
ness and  this  combination  has  for  a  basis  the  strictest  honesty.  He  has  served 
five  terms  on  the  township  board  as  treasurer,  and  though  a  partisan  Republican 
in  politics  he  is  for  the  best  interests  of  his  town  and  his  township,  regard- 
less of  political  consequences.  He  is  a  Christian  gentleman,  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  one  of  its  strongest  supporters  and  main- 
tainers.  His  work  as  the  superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school  is  well  known 
and  is  not  less  enthusiastic  than  his  church  work. 


ISAAC  F.  MARTINDALE. 

Among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Brown  county  is  numbered  Mr.  Martindale, 
of  this  review,  who  arrived  in  this  locality  early  in  the  year  1857.  He  was 
born  in  Hancock  county,  Indiana,  December  6,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  Will- 
iam Martindale,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1805,  but  reared  in  Kentucky, 
near  Maysville.  In  the  latter  state  he  married  Mary  Bridges,  who  was  born  in 
1806,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Bridges.  By  occupation  William  Martindale  was 
a  farmer  and  to  some  extent  he  dealt  in  live  stock,  which  he  drove  into  the 
Cincinnati  markets.  From  Kentucky  he  removed  to  Hancock  county.  Indiana, 
and  during  the  old  training  days  of  the  militia  in  that  state  he  served  as  the 
captain  of  a  company.  He  was  reared  in  the  Democratic  faith.  belie\ing  firmly 
in  the  principles  of  the  party,  and  by  the  Democracy  he  was  frequentlv  elected 
a  justice  of  the  peace.  His  children  were  Angeline,  the  wife  of  John  Barrett, 
of  Hancock  county,  Indiana;  Calvin  F.,  also  a  resident  of  that  county;  Isaac 
Fairchild ;  Caroline,  who  married  William  Taylor,  of  Hancock  county,  Indiana ; 
and  James  K.  P. 

After  \\'illiam  Martindale  had  removed  to  Hancock  county,  Indiana,  he 
was  there  joined  by  his  father,  Thomas  Martindale,  and  his  wife.     The  latter 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         335 

died  in  Hancock  county,  but  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  spent  his  last  days 
in  North  Carohna.  Their  children  were  WiHiam;  Isaac;  Alston;  Mary,  the 
wife  of  James  Tague;  Nellie,  the  wife  of  George  Reeves;  Annie,  the  wife  of 
Richard  Guynan ;  and  Sarah,  the  wife  of  William  Wynn. 

Isaac  F.  I\lartindale,  of  this  review,  received  but  limited  educational  priv- 
ileges, for  during  his  boyhood  his  time  was  largely  occupied  with  the  work 
of  the  farm.  He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he  attained  his 
majority.  His  father  gave  him  a  horse,  saddle  and  bridle  and  he  began  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account.  He  also  operated  a  thresher  and  in  both  lines  of  busi- 
ness made  some  money.  In  September,  1856,  he  left  Greenfield,  Indiana,  on 
his  first  trip  to  the  west  and  spent  the  succeeding  autumn  and  winter  in  Iowa 
with  his  uncle.  Jesse  Bridges.  He  had  expected  to  locate  in  the  Hawkeye  state, 
but  the  length  of  the  winters  and  the  severity  of  the  climate  decided  him  to 
seek  a  location  farther  south.  With  a  cousin  he  made  the  trip  by  stage  to  St. 
Joseph  and  spent  the  remainder  of  the  winter  at  Iowa  Point,  Kansas. 

In  March  he  came  to  Brown  county  and  noted  the  prairies  covered  with  a 
thin  growth  of  grass.  He  was  told  that  nothing  would  grow  in  this  locality 
and  he  would  have  to  go  farther  west,  but  he  believed  that  luxuriant  crops  of 
grass  indicated  that  other  things  could  be  cultivated  and  accordingly  located 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  There  he  built  a  cabin,  making  it  his 
home  until  the  following  year,  when  he  sold  the  claim  to  a  party  from  Park- 
ville,  Missouri,  who  was  in  search  of  a  location  for  a  town  and  upon  the  place 
built  the  village  of  Robinson.  Mr.  Martindale  then  pre-empted  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  20,  township  3,  range  18,  and  still  owns  the 
tract.  When  he  left  Indiana  he  had  a  capital  of  about  three  or  four  hundred 
dollars, — not  a  very  large  amount  with  which  to  purchase  land  and  establish 
a  home  in  a  new  country,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  work  that 
lay  before  him,  and  as  the  result  of  his  enterprise,  economy  and  ability  he 
became  the  owner  of  the  most  valuable  farm  property  in  this  section  of  the 
state.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served  with  the  militia  in  Captain  Swazey's 
company,  but  with  the  exception  of  that  period  he  has  always  devoted  his 
energies  exclusively  to  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  the  land  and  to  the 
raising,  feeding  and  shipping  of  stock.  As  his  financial  resources  have 
increased  he  has  extended  the  boundaries  of  the  farm  until  it  now  comprises 
three  hundred  and  eighty-five  acres  and  he  also  owns  property  in  Robinson. 

On  the  24th  of  March,  1859,  Mr.  Martindale  was  married  to  Lucinda 
Abshire,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  at  the  home  of  the  bride,  who  is  a 
daughter  of  Abraham  Abshire,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of 
Lee  county,  Virginia.  He  became  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Brown  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  for  many  years  was  identified  with  agricultural  interests.  He  wedded 
Rebecca  Hughes,  who  died  in  September,   1857,  and  his  death  occurred  in 


336  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

1875.  Their  children  were  John,  now  of  Sumner  county,  Kansas;  Isaac, 
deceased ;  Mrs.  Mary  Sykes,  also  deceased ;  Elizabeth,  the  widow  of  Robert 
Lewis;  Amelia,  the  wife  of  John  H.  Maxwell,  deceased;  Mrs.  Martindale; 
and  Alexander,  who  is  living  in  Oklahoma.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife 
have  been  born  seven  children :  Alice,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Glover,  of  Garfield 
county,  Colorado ;  James  A. ;  Calvin,  who  married  Myrtle  Nellins  and  resides 
in  Robinson;  Cora,  the  wife  of  John  Proctor,  of  Willis,  Kansas;  Amelia,  the 
wife  of  William  Snyder,  of  Robinson;  Isaac  F.,  who  wedded  Ida  Conkle:  and 
William,  who  is  also  a  resident  of  Robinson. 

Mr.  Martindale  was  reared  as  a  Democrat,  but  soon  after  coming  to 
Kansas  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  Republican  party  and  has  since  been 
one  of  the  zealous  advocates  of  its  principles.  He  has  served  as  constalMe, 
justice  of  the  peace  and  committeman  of  the  township,  discharging  his  various 
duties  witl:  promptness  and  faithfulness  and  deserves  great  credit  for  his  suc- 
cess in  life,  which  has  been  achieved  through  determined  and  honorable  effort. 
As  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Brown  county  he  has  witnessed  much  of  its  growth 
and  development,  has  seen  the  wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful  homes 
and  farms  and  its  villages  grow  into  thriving  towns.  He  has  watched  with 
interest  the  changes  that  have  occurred  and  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  promot- 
ing all  measures  for  the  public  good. 


WILLIAM  H.  WRIGHT. 

The  long  period  of  thirty-one  years  has  passed  since  William  H.  W^right 
came  to  northeastern  Kansas  and  in  the  marvelous  progress  which  has  been 
made  in  this  section  of  the  state  he  takes  just  pride.  His  progressive  spirit 
has  prompted  him  to  aid  in  the  promotion  of  many  enterprises  for  the  public 
good,  thus  largely  contributing  to  the  present  prosperity  and  high  standing  of 
Nemaha  county.  He  owns  to-day  and  operates  a  valuable  farm  of  six  hundred 
and  five  acres,  his  residence  being  situated  on  section  26,  Gilman  township. 

Mr.  Wright  is  a  native  of  England,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Shrop- 
shire on  the  23d  of  August,  1844.  His  father.  Charles  Wright,  was  born  in 
the  same  county  in  April,  1809.  at  the  foot  of  Snead's  Hill,  where  the  family 
lived  for  more  than  two  centuries.  In  1846  he  came  to  America  for  the  pur- 
pose of  ascertaining  whether  the  laws  and  conditions  of  this  country  were 
better  adapted  for  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  his  family  than  those 
of  the  mother  country.  That  he  was  not  disappointed  in  this  beautiful  land  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  in  1854  he  returned  to  England  and  in  March,  1835, 
again  arri\-ed  in  the  United  States,  taking  up  his  residence  upon  a  farm  in 


^ 


Cj;       ^ffM^'r^^t^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         337 

Trimble  township,  Athens  county,  Ohio.  There  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1864,  after  which  he  traveled  lor  a  number  of  years,  having-  in  the 
meantime  sokl  his  farm.  He  finally  located  at  Chester,  Meigs  county.  Ohio, 
where  he  died  January  i,  1892.  He  was  married,  in  England,  to  Sarah  Davis, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Shropshire  July  3,  1812,  and  who  is  still  living,  at  the 
venerable  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren,— two  sons  and  six  daughters, — four  of  whom  died  in  childhood,  but  the 
others  are  all  yet  living. 

Mr.  \\'right,  of  this  review,  the  eldest  son  of  six  children,  was  about 
ten  years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  America,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  entering  upon  an  independent  business  career.  Five  times  he 
attempted  to  enlist  in  the  Union  army  before  his  father  would  consent  to  his 
going  to  the  front ;  ultimately,  however,  he  became  a  member  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Forty-first  Ohio  National  Guard,  which  went  to  the  front  for  one  hun- 
dred days.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge and  was  mustered  out  at  Gallipolis,  Ohio.  He  then  returned  to  his 
home.  Ha\-ing  but  thirty-fi\-e  cents  he  made  the  entire  distance  on  foot. 
Immediately,  howe\-er,  he  began  work  upon  a  tract  of  land  which  he  had  pur- 
chased before  entering  the  army  and  was  connected  with  the  agricultural 
interests  of  Athens  county.  Ohio,  until  1869,  when  he  sold  his  property  there 
and  came  to  Nemaha  county.  Since  that  time  he  has  carried  on  farming 
operations  at  the  place  where  he  now  lives  and  has  improved  the  entire  farm  of 
six  hundred  acres,  which  was  a  tract  of  original  prairie  when  he  took  up  his 
abode  thereon.  His  nearest  neighbor  on  the  east  was  six  and  a  half  miles 
distant  and  the  greater  part  of  the  land  in  this  section  of  the  county  was  still 
in  its  primitive  condition.  He  now  owns  and  cultivates  over  eleven  hundred 
acres. 

In  1869,  in  Nemaha  county,  Mr.  \\'right  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Louisa  J,  Taylor,  who  was  born  in  McDonough  county,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Everline  Taylor,  To  them  have  been  born  eight  children,  seven  of 
whom  are  now  living:  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Wilbur  Baker,  of  Oilman  town- 
ship, Nemaha  county;  Alice,  the  wife  of  Reuben  Guild,  a  prosperous  farmer 
of  Washington  county.  Kansas:  Laura,  the  wife  of  Frank  Bird,  of  Gilman 
township,  Nemaha  county;  John  Charles,  who  is  assisting  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  home  farm;  William  A.,  deceased;  and  Grace  Ollie  and  Edith,  who  are 
still  with  their  parents.     The  children  were  all  born  in  Nemaha  county. 

In  his  politics  Mr.  Wright  is  a  Democrat  and  for  some  years  he  held  the 
position  of  postmaster  at  Oneida,  but  resigned  that  office  in  order  to  give  a 
more  undivided  attention  to  his  farming  interests.  Socially  he  is  connected 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  has  filled  all  the  ofiices  in  the  camp.  He 
maintains  pleasant  relationship  with  his  old  army  comrades  through  his  mem- 


338  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

bership  in  the  Grand  Army  Post  at  Oneida,  Kansas.  While  a  resident  of  that 
place  he  was  further  connected  with  its  interests  through  his  relationship  with 
the  bank,  serving  on  its  board  of  directors.  His  business  career  has  been 
crowned  with  a  high  degree  of  success  and  his  prosperity  is  the  result  of  his 
own  efforts.  Industry  and  perseverance  are  numbered  among  his  chief  char- 
acteristics and  it  is  these  qualities  that  have  enabled  him  to  wrest  fortune  from 
the  hands  of  an  adverse  fate.  His  career  has  at  all  times  and  under  all  cir- 
cumstances been  honorable  and  straightforward,  gaining  him  the  unqualified 
regard  of  his  fellow  men.  In  this  history  he  well  deserves  mention  among 
the  representative  residents  of  Nemaha  county. 


HENRY  J.  DEAVER,  M.  D. 

Prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war  two  brothers  left  their  home  in  Wales, 
preferring  to  take  chances  in  America  than  to  give  the  best  years  of  their  lives 
to  the  military  service  in  their  native  country.  Their  names  were  John  and 
Abraham  De  Vere.  One  located  in  Maryland  and  the  other  in  Virginia.  For 
some  reason  an  "a"  was  added  to  the  name,  but  the  name  was  Devere. 
Whether  divided  or  not  the  present  generation  cannot  tell.  John  De  Vere, 
who  spelt  his  name  "Dever,"  settled  in  Virginia  and  his  descendants  are  now 
found  on  the  Ohio  river  in  Scioto  county,  one  of  them  being  Judge  Dever,  of 
Portsmouth,  Ohio,  and  many  representatives  of  the  two  brothers  are  now 
located  in  Maryland,  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio. 

Abraham  De  Vere  and  his  descendants,  with  whom  this  memoir  tleals, 
settled  on  the  Potomac  river  at  or  near  Middletown  valley,  Maryland.  His 
two  sons,  Levi  and  Ruben,  were  the  pioneers  and  founders  of  the  Deaver  fam- 
ily of  Ohio.  .They,  descending  from  Revolutionary  stock,  were  entitled  to  the 
land  bounties  given  to  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution.  These  two  sons  located 
land,  in  1808,  in  the  Muskingum  valley.  The  next  spri^ig  they  returned  to  the 
valley  and  on  reaching  there  they  found  the  Indians  were  making  such  incur- 
sions they  turned  aside  and  went  over  into  what  is  now  the  neighborhood  of 
Deavertown  and  remained.  In  1825,  having  purchased  the  section  where 
Deavertown  is  now  situated,  they  laid  out  the  town  of  Deavertown,  calling  it 
New  Market. 

Four  years  later  Abraham  Deaver  followed  his  two  sons  to  Ohio  and 
located  New  Zanesville.  The  children  of  Abraham  were  Levi,  Ruben,  Sarah, 
Walter,  Susan,  Henry,  Eli,  James,  Nancy,  Abraham,  Bazil  and  Benjamin.  The 
remains  of  Abraham  Deaver  and  his  wife,  Nancy,  iicc  Lincoln,  supposed  to  be 
a  sister  of  the  father  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  were  buried  in  the  little  burying 
ground  of  the  Christian  church  at  Deavertown,  Ohio. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  339 

Dr.  Henry  J.  Deaver,  the  subject  of  tliis  biography,  is  a  direct  descendant 
of  Abraham  De  Vere  (Deaver),  who  was  his  great-great-grandfather,  his 
great-grandfather  being  Ruben  and  his  grandfather  Henry  Tihnan  Deaver. 
The  last  mentioned  married  a  Miss  Pearl,  who  died  in  1857.  leaving  the  follow- 
ing children:  Frank  F. ;  Martha,  the  wife  of  William  Appleman;  Minerva, 
who  married  John  Weiner;  and  Mollie,  the  wife  of  John  Potts.  The  father  of 
these  children  was  again  married  and  had  the  following  children:  Emma, 
the  wife  of  Perley  Wilson,  of  Columbus,  Ohio;  Sadie,  the  wife  of  Philip  Ben- 
nett, of  Perry  county,  Ohio;  Mrs.  Louisa  Thompson,  of  Deavertown,  Ohio; 
and  Tillie,  deceased.  During  the  Civil  war  Henry  T.  Deaver  joined  the  Union 
army  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chattanooga.  He  had  six  brothers  who 
also  fought  in  defense  of  the  Union. 

Frank  F.  Deaver,  the  Doctor's  father,  learned,  during  his  youth,  the 
blacksmith's  trade  in  Perry  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  June  6,  1846, 
and  after  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  was  married  to  Matilda  E.  Brown,  a 
daughter  of  Barney  Brown,  who  removed  from  New  Jersey  to  the  Buckeye 
state.  Mrs.  Deaver  died  October  5,  1876,  and  was  buried  in  Deavertown. 
The  father  afterward  married  Clara  Wheeler,  of  Muskingum  county,  Ohio, 
and  in  1886  he  came  to  Kansas,  his  home  being  now  in  Sabetha.  Kansas.  His 
children  are :  Henry  J.,  of  this  review ;  William  B.,  who  married  Annie  Lichty 
and  is  working  with  his  father  in  the  blacksmith  shop;  Mary  E.,  the  wife  of 
Professor  St.  Clair,  of  Sabetha;  Rilla,  the  wife  of  Edward  ^^'arfel,  of  Morrill, 
Kansas;  Annie  L.,  the  deceased  wife  of  Dwight  Geer;  Jesse,  a  farmer  of 
Brown  county;  Frances  T.,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching  in  Brown  county;  Ora, 
who  married  Miss  Conrad,  of  Sabetha ;  and  Harvey,  attending  school.  The 
last  two  are  children  of  the  second  marriage. 

The  Doctor  claims  the  state  of  Ohio  as  the  place  of  his  nativity,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Chapel  Hill.  Perry  county,  on  the  15th  of  April.  1866, 
and  was  a  resident  of  Deavertown,  Ohio,  at  the  time  he  obtained  his  majority. 
In  his  early  life  he  attended  the  common  schools  near  his  home  and  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade  of  his  father,  but  as  he  neared  man's  estate  he  became  pos- 
sessed with  the  desire  to  enter  professional  life,  and  as  a  step  to  this  end  he 
entered  the  National  Normal  University  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  and  prepared 
himself  for  teaching  and  taught  his  first  school  in  his  native  state.  For  four 
years  he  was  also  connected  with  the  educational  interests  of  Brown  county 
and  for  one  term  engaged  in  teaching  near  Reynolds,  Nebraska.  With  the  view 
of  making  the  practice  of  medicine  his  life  work  he  began  the  study  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  Ames,  of  Reynolds,  Nebraska,  and  later  continued  his  reading 
with  Dr.  W.  A.  Haynes,  of  Sabetha,  Kansas,  matriculating  in  the  Starling 
Medical  College,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  an  institution  of  the  regular  school,  and 
was  graduated  in  1892,  having  the  honor  of  being  secretary  of  his  class,  which 


340  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

numbered  fifty-eight  members.  Returning  to  Sabetha  he  opened  an  office,  but 
ere  two  years  had  passed  he  located  in  Robinson,  on  the  ist  of  July,  1893,  '1"^ 
has  since  been  a  valued  and  successful  representative  of  the  medical  fraternity 
in  this  place.  He  belongs  to  the  Doniphan  County  Medical  Society,  to  the 
Doniphan  aiid  Brown  Counties  Aledical  Society,  to  the  Northeastern 
Kansas  Medical  Association  and  the  Kansas  State  Medical  Association,  and 
by  the  last  named  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  American  Medical  Association 
at  Columbus.  Ohio,  in  June,  1899.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  National  Asso- 
ciation and  his  connection  with  those  different  societies  has  kept  him  in  touch 
with  the  marked  progress  made  by  the  profession.  He  is  well  vei-sed  in  the 
science  of  medicine,  is  very  careful  in  the  diagnosis  of  a  case  and  in  the  prose- 
cution of  his  professional  labors  he  has  met  with  excellent  success  as  the  result 
of  his  ability,  which  is  acknowledged  by  the  profession  as  well  as  by  the  gen- 
eral public. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1892,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Deaver  and 
Miss  Dora  E.  Dilts,  a  daughter  of  James  Dilts,  a  farmer  of  Muskingum  county, 
Ohio.  Their  children  are  Carol  F.  and  Ray  E.  The  Doctor  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  to  the  Knights  and  Ladies 
of  Security,  and  of  the  last  two  he  is  physician.  He  is  also  the  medical  exam- 
iner for  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  for  the  New  York  and  North- 
western Life  Lisurance  Companies,  the  Masonic  Mutual  Benefit  Association 
and  the  Kansas  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company.  He  was  reared  in  the 
political  faith  of  the  Republican  party,  has  always  believed  in  its  tenets  and 
has  given  his  ballot  in  support  of  its  men  and  measures.  He  has  frequently 
been  a  delegate  to  the  local  conventions  and  in  1899  was  elected  county  coroner, 
a  position  he  is  now  filling.  He  has  a  commendable  regard  for  the  ethics  of 
professional  life  and  his  standing  in  the  profession  and  his  large  practice  are 
an  unmistakable  evidence  of  his  ability. 


ADAM  SCHMITT. 


Adam  Schmitt,  who  is  carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Walnut  town- 
ship. Brown  county,  was  born  in  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois.  March  19,  1843. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret  Schmitt.  the  former  a  native  of  Germany, 
who  came  to  America  with  a  mute  brother  and  settled  in  Illinois.  With  the 
capital  which  he  brought  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  and  devoted  his 
energies  to  its  cultivation  until  the  spring  of  1855,  when  he  removed  to  Kan- 
sas with  an  ox  team.  Locating  in  Brown  county,  he  purchased  a  squatter's 
claim  and  when  the  land  came  into  market  he  entered  it  from  the  government. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


341 


He  also  took  another  quarter-section,  in  his  brother's  name,  and  thus  had  tln-ee 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  wiiich  he  impro\-ed,  de\eloping  it  into  a  fine  farm. 
Throughout  his  remaining  daj's  he  continued  its  cnlti\ation  and  tlie  well-tilled 
fields  yielded  to  him  a  golden  reward  for  the  care  and  labor  he  had  bestowed 
upon  them.  His  land  bordered  on  \\'alnut  creek  and  it  has  some  good  timber 
along  its  banks.  His  first  little  cabin  home  stood  by  the  side  of  the  creek ; 
later  he  moved  that  and  constructed  another  cabin,  in  which  he  made  his  home 
until  he  was  able  to  replace  it  Avith  a  commodious  and  substantial  residence. 
He  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  successful  farmers  of  the 
community,  and  in  addition  to  the  cultivation  (if  his  land  he  raised  stock, 
feeding  the  products  of  his  farm  to  his  horses,  cattle  and  hogs.  He  was  a 
large  corn  raiser  and  when  the  drouth  and  famine  came  in  i860  he  was  better 
prepared  to  meet  it  than  most  of  his  neighbors. 

In  the  early  days  Indians  were  numerous,  but  were  friendly,  occasioning 
no  trouble  to  the  settlers,  although  they  often  begged.  The  pioneers  had  to 
go  long  distances  to  mill,  securing  their  breadstuffs  and  other  food  supplies 
at  Iowa  Point.  Game  was  plentiful  and  ]\Ir.  Schmitt  killed  wild  turkeys  and 
deer,  thus  supplying  the  table  with  meat  on  many  an  occasion.  He  was  a 
highly  educated  man,  of  broad  and  liberal  views,  was  educated  for  the  priest- 
hood, but  never  entered  the  ministry,  although  he  reared  his  family  in  the 
faith  of  the  church.  He  first  exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
Democratic  party,  but  later  became  a  Whig  and  afterward  a  Republican. 

About  1867  he  sold  his  farm  and  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Padonia, 
carrrying  a  large  stock  of  dry  goods,  groceries  and  medicines.  After  a  few 
years  he  removed  his  stock  to  N^ebraska,  where  he  conducted  his  store  for  a 
number  of  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  again  became  a  merchant  in  Padonia. 
Some  years  later  he  disposed  of  his  stock  at  auction  and  retired  to  the  farm 
upon  which  he  spent  his  last  days.  He  was  a  very  charitable  man,  giving 
liberally  of  his  means  to  the  poor  and  needy  and  making  generous  contribu- 
tions to  the  church.  He  gave  five  hundred  dollars  toward  building  the  church 
at  Rulo  and  was  numbered  among  the  prominent  and  representative  men  of 
his  county,  having  a  high  standard  of  integrity  and  honor.  His  wife  died 
during  the  early  boyhood  of  our  subject. 

In  their  family  were  the  following  children :  \'alentine.  who  went  to 
California  in  1849,  after  which  all  traces  of  him  were  lost;  Jolin.  who  went  to 
'California  and  after  making  considerable  money  returned  to  Illinois,  where  he 
is  now  a  wealthy  citizen :  Henry,  who  served  in  the  Second  Nebraska  Cavalry 
during  the  Civil  war  and  after  his  return  died  on  the  old  home  farm  in  Kansas; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  J.  Grider;  and  Adam  and  Michael,  of  Fredonia.  After  the 
death  of  the  mother  the  father  married  Margaret  Okeson.  who  had  three  chil- 
dren by  her  first  marriage;     William,  who  served  in  the  Union  army  during 


342  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  Civil  war,  dying  soon  after  his  return ;  Isaac,  who  served  in  the  army  and 
died  after  receiving  liis  discharge ;  and  Margaret,  the  wife  of  J.  Smith.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schmitt  were  born  four  cliildren :  George;  Fred,  of  Salem, 
Nebraska;  Jacob,  a  farmer  of  this  county;  and  Lewis,  also  of  Salem.  After 
the  death  of  his  second  wife  Mr.  Schmitt  married  Mrs.  Ordway,  who  had 
children  by  her  first  marriage.  They  became  the  parents  of  a  son.  Charles, 
who  became  a  stenographer  and  while  in  charge  of  the  office  in  which  he  was 
employed  he  was  killed  by  burglars.  Mr.  Schmitt's  next  wife  was  Fanny 
Williams,  by  whom  he  had  three  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  childhood. 
The  others  are  Joseph,  of  Nebraska,  and  Mrs.  Anna  Nicodemus. 

Adam  Schmitt,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  to  habits  of 
industry  and  honesty  upon  the  home  farm  and  pursued  his  education  in  the  sub- 
scription schools  of  this  state.  He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  the 
fall  of  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  at 
Highlands.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Lea\'enworth,  the  regiment  being  assigned 
to  the  western  department,  and  participated  in  many  hotly  contested  engage- 
ments under  various  generals,  including  the  battle  of  Lexington,  Missouri, 
under  Colonel  Mulligan.  He  also  took  part  in  many  skirmishes,  went  on 
several  reconnoitering  expeditions  and  experienced  all  the  hardships  of  war.  ' 
He  was  in  the  battle  of  Corinth  and  other  engagements  and  served  as  bugler 
in  his  company,  but  was  never  wounded  or  captured.  After  two  and  a  half 
years  of  service  he  re-enlisted  and  obtained  a  thirty-days  furlough,  which  he 
spent  at  home  visiting  his  people.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  rejoined 
liis  command  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  At  the  time  of  General 
Lee's  surrender  he  was  at  Cape  Girardeau  and  was  sent  by  boat  to  Omaha  and 
from  there  to  Fort  Kearney,  but  after  a  short  time  his  command  was  relieved 
by  another  regiment  and  Mr.  Schmitt  and  his  comrades  were  sent  back  to  Fort 
Leavenworth,  where  they  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  were  mus- 
tered out. 

For  some  years  after  his  return  home  our  subject  worked  at  whatever 
he  could  get  to  do  that  would  yield  him  an  honest  living.  After  some  years 
he  purchased  and  improved  a  farm  and  later  traded  that  property  for  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides.  In  December,  1878,  he  married  Miss  Polly  Hamp- 
ton, who  was  born  in  Virginia  and  with  her  parents  removed  to  Illinois,  thence 
to  Missouri  and  later  to  Kansas.  Her  father  was  Elisha  T.  Hampton,  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  served  for  three  years  in  the  Federal  army  during  the  civil  war. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Republican  and  his  death  occurred  in  Brown  county. 
where  he  had  engaged  in  farming  for  some  years.  His  wife  still  survives  him. 
In  their  family  were  seven  children  :  Joseph  ;  Mrs.  Nancy  Tate ;  Adam ;  Eliz- 
abeth, the  wife  of  J.  Schmitt:  Elsia.  the  wife  of  J.  Frymire;  Emma,  the  wife 
of  C.  Nicols;  and  Julia,  the  wife  of  R.  Huttleson. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         343 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs'.  Schmitt  have  been  born  nine  children :  Thomas, 
Laura  B.,  Jessie,  Richard,  Minnie,  EUa.  Lena.  Walter  and  Clarence.  The 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  and  the  children  are  all  yet  under  the 
parental  roof.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Evangelical  church  and  in 
politics  Mr.  Schmitt  is  a  Republican,  earnestly  advocating  the  principles  of  the 
party,  yet  never  seeking  office.  His  life  has  been  one  of  industrious  and  honest 
toil  and  his  position  stands  as  a  monument  to  his  well-directed  efforts. 


J.  A.  CAHOON. 


For  forty-fi\-e  years  J.  A.  Cahoon  has  been  a  resident  of  Atchison  county 
and  is  therefore  numbered  among  its  pioneer  settlers.  He  was  born  in  Ashe 
county.  North  Carolina,  on  the  9th  of  April,  1842.  and  with  his  father  removed 
to  Missouri  in  1844.  For  eleven  years  he  was  a  resident  of  that  state  and 
thence  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Atchison  county,  where  he  has  since  resided. 

He  arrived  here  when  the  greater  part  of  the  land  was  still  in  its  primitive 
condition,  when  the  work  of  improvement  and  progress  was  yet  in  the  fut-ure. 
He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  material  advancement  of  the 
county  and  in  many  ways  has  aided  in  its  growth  and  upbuilding.  He  was 
married,  August  19,  1864,  to  Mrs.  Rachel  Eskridge,  but  prior  to  that  time 
he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  in  1861,  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  for  three  years. 
On  the  22d  of  February,  1865,  he  re-enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  D, 
Tenth  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  out  September  15,  1865, 
at  Montgomery,  Alabama.  He  was  in  the  militia  for  two  years  and  was  on 
the  famous  Price  raid.  In  1885  he  was  the  postmaster  of  Effingham  and  filled 
that  position  until  1890.  He  makes  his  home  in  that  city,  where  he  is  esteemed 
for  his  genuine  worth. 


W.  W.  CAHOON. 


Among  the  native  sons  of  northeastern  Kansas  is  W.  \\\  Cahoon.  who 
was  born  in  Atchison  county  on  the  13th  of  April,  1869.  His  early  child- 
hood days  were  spent  upon  a  farm  fi\e  miles  north  of  Effingham,  but  in  1874 
he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  the  city  and  in  the  public  schools 
he  obtained  his  education.  In  1889,  when  twenty  years  of  age,  he  purchased 
the  Effingham  Times  and  was  its  publisher  and  editor  until  1891,  when  he 
sold  that  journal.  The  following  year  he  estalilished  the  Oneida  World, 
which  he  edited  for  nine  montlis.     In  1893  ^^^  began  the  publication  of  the 


344  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Effingham  World,  but  sold  that  three  months  afterward,  and  in  1S94  he  began 
uork  as  foreman  on  the  Effingham  New  Leaf,  in  which  capacity  he  has  since 
served.  He  also  holds  the  position  of  business  manager  in  connection  with 
that  journal  and  the  success  which  has  attended  the  enterprise  is  due  in  large 
measure  to  his  enterprising  efforts.  He  thoroughly  understands  the  news- 
paper business  in  all  its  departments  and  is  very  competent  and  reliable  in  the 
conduct  of  the  paper  with  wdiich  he  is  associated. 

Mr.  Gaboon  was  married,  December  7,  1898,  to  Miss  Clara  C.  Snyder,  of 
Effingham.  They  have  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances  in  this  city  and  enjoy 
the  hospitality  of  its  best  homes. 


JOSEPH  LYMAN  BLISS. 

It  has  been  left  to  modern  civilization  to  perpetuate  by  written  recortl  the 
lives  of  those  who  have  been  prominent  factors  in  the  upbuilding  of  towns, 
cities  and  countries.  Deeds  of  battle  have  been  the  theme  of  song  and  poetry 
from  the  earliest  ages,  but  the  man  who  quietly  remained  in  the  ranks  of  busi- 
ness, performing  each  day's  duties  as  they  came  to  him.  promoting  the  general 
prosperity  through  his  individual  efforts  was  unnoticed  by  the  singer,  the 
poet  and  the  historian.  Yet  the  growth  of  the  community  is  due  to  its  repre- 
sentative, energetic  business  men.  It  was  to  this  latter  class  that  Mr.  Bliss 
belonged  and  at  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Atchison  April  4,  1895.  the  city 
lost  one  of  its  most  valued  residents. 

Mr.  Bliss  was  born  in  Royalston,  Massachusetts.  October  16.  1835,  and 
was  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Lyman)  Bliss,  who  were  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts. Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  youth  in  the  old  Bay  state,  where  he 
acquired  the  greater  part  of  his  education,  first  attending  the  public  schools 
and  later  pursuing  his  studies  in  Worcester.  I^Iassachusetts.  The  rapidly 
developing  west,  with  its  limitless  opportunities,  attracted  him.  Leaving  the 
Atlantic  coast  he  made  his  way  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  learned  the  jewelry 
business.  L'pon  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  tendered  his  service  to  the 
government  and  w-as  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Wisconsin  Cavalry  and  remaineil 
in  the  service  three  years.  For  considerable  time  he  was  steward  of  the 
hospital  at  New-  Orleans,  under  General  Butler.  Upon  the  close  of  the  war  he 
returned  to  Massachusetts.  In  1865  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  at  Atchison. 
where  he  soon  after  formed  a  partnership  with  George  Willis,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Willis  &  Bliss,  jewelers.  From  the  beginning  the  enterprise  prospered 
and  their  trade  steadily  increased.  This  partnership  was  maintained  until 
1872,  when  Mr.  Bliss  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Willis  and  continued  in 
business  alone  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1895.     He  had  a  large,  well-ap- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  345 

pointed  store,  stocked  with  everything  found  in  a  first-class  jeweh-y  store,  and 
enjoyed  the  leading  trade  in  this  line  in  the  city. 

In  1873  Mr.  Bliss  and  Miss  Carrie  Pierce,  of  Chesterfield,  New  Hamp- 
shire, in  which  state  she  was  born,  reared  and  educated,  were  joined  in  wed- 
lock. One  daughter  graced  their  union,  Caroline  Gale,  a  student  in  Salem 
Academy,  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Bliss  was  a  man  of  domestic  tastes  and  found 
his  greatest  pleasure  at  his  own  fireside.  In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Atchison,  also  of  the  subordinate 
lodge  and  encampment  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  also 
the  G.  A.  R.  In  his  public  and  private  life  he  was  actuated  by  high  principles, 
was  ever  faithful  to  the  trusts  reposed  in  him  and  with  him  friendship  was 
inviolable.  Since  her  husband's  death  Mrs.  Bliss  has  conducted  the  store, 
employing  efticient  help  to  aid  in  the  conduct  of  the  business.  She  jxjssesses 
excellent  business  qualifications,  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  who  pre- 
sides with  gracious  hospitality  in  her  home  and  occupies  a  very  prominent 
position  in  social  circles. 


JOHN  I.  SMITH. 


John  I.  Smith,  one  of  the  prominent  and  representative  farmers  of  Brown 
county,  is  numbered  among  the  worthy  citizens  that  Pennsylvania  has  fur- 
nished to  the  Sunflower  state.  He  was  born  in  Somerset  county  April  14, 
1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Polly  (Knepper)  Smith,  who  also  are  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  where  they  were  married.  Her  parents  were  John  and  Eliza- 
beth Knepper,  residents  of  the  Keystone  state,  where  they  spent  their  entire 
lives.  Their  children  were:  Louis,  Solomon,  David,  John,  Parenia,  Sally, 
Elizabeth,  Susan,  Polly  and  Rebecca.  The  family  were  Dunkards  in  religious 
faith. 

Jacob  Smith,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  removed  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days. 
His  children  were :  Simon ;  Joseph,  a  soldier  of  the  Mexican  war,  who  after- 
ward went  to  Canada ;  George,  who  was  a  member  of  the  army  and  died  in 
the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Dayton,  Ohio ;  Elizabeth,  Susan  and  Jacob  J. 

The  last  named  was  reared  in  Pennsylvania  and  there  wedded  Polly 
Knepper.  He  owned  and  operated  a  woolen  mill  in  the  Keystone  state,  but 
It  was  burned  down  prior  to  his  emigration  westward.  In  1856  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Carroll  county.  There  he  purchased 
land  and  carried  on  farming  until  1874,  when  he  sold  the  property  and  came 
to  Brown  county,  Kansas.  Here  he  purchased  and  improved  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  making  his  home  thereon  for  many  j^ears,  but  for  a 


346  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

few  years  prior  to  his  death  he  Hved  in  Morrill.  In  his  agricultural  pursuits  he 
was  quite  successful.  He  was  a  man  of  bright  mind,  of  sterling  integrity  and 
honor  and  through  his  belief  in  the  goodness  of  others  he  frequently  suffered 
losses.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican.  He  died  in  1891.  but  his  wife  yet 
resides  in  Morrill.  They  were  members  of  the  German  Baptist  church  and 
reared  six  children :  John  I. ;  James,  who  served  in  the  Civil  war ;  Ellen,  the 
wife  of  B.  Haldeman;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  J.  Burnworth;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  J.  Mickey ;  and  Alvaro,  a  farmer. 

J.  I.  Smith,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  accompanied  his  parents 
to  Illinois  and  was  there  reared  to  manhood.  He  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  his  marriage,  in  1864,  after  which  he  settled  on  rented  land  until  he 
purchased  a  farm  of  his  own.  Not  being  able  to  meet  the  payments  on  this  he 
afterward  again  rented  land  and  in  1876  came  to  Kansas.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  children  and  they  brought  with  them  some  of  their 
household  goods.  After  renting  a  farm  here  for  three  years  Mr.  Smith  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  wild  land  of  Major  Morrill.  He  built  a  small  frame 
house  and  bought  material  for  building  fences.  He  paid  for  this  by  labor. 
His  capable  management  and  excellent  executive  ability  have  enabled  him  to 
work  his  way  steadily  upward  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  quarter- 
section  of  land.  He  has  remodeled  his  home,  which  is  now  a  commodious,  two- 
story  frame  residence.  Near  by  is  a  good  barn  and  outbuildings  and  a  well- 
kept  orchard  yields  its  fruit  in  season.  He  has  also  been  enabled  to  aid  his 
children  in  securing  homes  and  his  success  has  come  through  well-directed 
efforts  at  farming  and  stock  raising. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  1864.  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Adeline  Meyers,  who  was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  April  24. 
1843.  a  daughter  of  Elder  Martin  and  Sally  (Witt)  Meyers,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her  father  was  a  minister  and  farmer  and 
served  his  county  as  surveyor.  In  1863  he  removed  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Carroll  county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  upon  which  he  made  his  home  unt'l 
1882,  when  he  came  to  Kansas.  He  died  in  1895,  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him.  After  coming  to  this  state  a  cataract  on  the  left  eye  destroyed  his  sight 
and  for  seven  years  he  was  blind,  but  an  operation  removed  the  cataract  and 
his  sight  was  thereby  restored.  He  engaged  both  in  preaching  and  farming 
and  his  influence  for  good  in  the  community  was  most  marked.  While  in 
Pennsylvania  he  had  ;ils<)  taught  school  in  both  the  German  and  English 
tongues.  A  well-in  formed  man,  his  education  was  largely  acquired  through 
his  own  efforts  outside  of  the  school  room.  His  honesty  was  proverbial  and  at 
all  times  he  was  loyal  to  truth  and  right.  His  political  support  was  given  the 
Republican  party,  but  he  was  never  an  aspirant  for  office.  His  wife  survived 
him  until  August,  1898.     His  brothers  and  sisters  were  Henry,  Michael.  John, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  347 

Benjamin,  Samuel,  Jacob,  Nancy,  Susan,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah.  He  was  the 
youngest.  By  his  marriage  he  became  the  father  of  fifteen  children,  namely : 
Mary,  the  wife  of  P.  Blough;  William,  a  resident  of  Morrill;  Elizabeth,  the 
wife  of  S.  Flickinger ;  Adeline,  the  wife  of  John  I.  Smith;  Elias,  of  Falls  City, 
Nebraska;  Lydia.  the  wife  of  M.  Whipkey;  Harriet,  the  wife  of  J.  E. 
Springer;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  George  W.  Springer;  Martin,  a  farmer;  Rebecca, 
now  Mrs.  Fisher;  George,  who  followed  farming,  but  is  now  deceased; 
Michael,  a  twin  brother  of  George,  now  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Morrill ; 
David,  also  a  merchant  of  Morrill ;  Anna,  the  wife  of  H.  Beard ;  and  Susan, 
the  wife  of  William  Sliffer.  All  of  the  children  reached  mature  years  and 
George  and  Anna  are  the  only  ones  now  deceased. 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  eight  in  number:  John  J.  A., 
born  September  23.  1866:  Samuel  J.  B.,  born  January  29,  1870.  of  Oklahoma; 
Martin  A.  B.,  born  September  7,  1872;  William  H.  L.,  born  March  28,  1875, 
of  South  Dakota;  Benjamin  A.  C.,  born  February  2,  1882;  Elizabeth  S.  E., 
July  16.  1885;  Chester  A.  A.,  March  4,  1888;  and  Edward  E.  E.,  July  14, 
1890.  The  first  four  named  are  married.  John  resided  upon  a  farm  and  was 
killed  May  17,  1896,  in  the  memorable  cyclone  that  swept  over  this  section  of 
Kansas.  Their  house  and  barn  were  destroyed  and  the  wife  afterward  for- 
sook her  three  children,  two  daughters  and  a  son,  namely :  Letta  V.,  June  and 
Ervin.  She  put  them  in  an  orphans'  home  in  Omaha,  but  since  that  time 
homes  have  been  found  for  them  in  private  families.  Mr.  Smith  gives  his 
political  support  to  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party  and  has 
filled  various  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  was  the  township  treasurer  for 
three  terms,  has  been  a  trustee,  also  the  clerk  for  many  years  and  has  filled 
other  local  positions  in  a  most  creditable  and  acceptable  manner.  He  was 
reared  in  the  Dunkard  church,  but  is  not  connected  with  any  religious  organi- 
zation at  the  present  time.  His  standard  of  morality,  however,  is  high  and 
his  honesty  is  above  question.  All  who  know  him  esteem  him  for  his  sterling 
worth  and  his  circle  of  friends  is  extensive,  including  many  of  the  best  people 
of  Brown  countv. 


JOSEPH  KIRK 


With  the  development  of  the  farming  interests  of  Brown  county.  Joseph 
Kirk  has  been  actively  identified,  and  that  he  is  to-day  numbered  among  the 
most  substantial  citizens  of  the  community  is  a  fact  that  is  attributable  to  his 
own  enterprising  efforts  and  capable  management.  He  was  born  in  Giles 
county,  \'irginia,  November  21,  1824,  and  his  boyhood  days  were  spent  upon 
the  home  farm,  while  in  the  subscription  schools  he  obtained  his  education. 


348  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

His  parents,  Lewis  and  Margaret  (Holstetter)  Kirk,  were  both  natives  of  the 
Old  Dominion,  in  which  state  they  were  married.  The  father  was  of  Scotch 
descent,  the  mother  of  German  hneage.  They  made  their  home  upon  a  farm 
in  Virginia  until  1829,  when  they  removed  to  Ross  county,  Ohio,  the  father 
being  employed  in  the  iron  works  there.  In  1859  they  came  to  Kansas,  making 
their  home  with  their  son,  Joseph.  The  mother  died  in  1865  and  the  father 
passed  away  in  1879,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years.  Both  were 
members  of  the  Christian  church  and  were  people  of  charitable  and  benevolent 
purpose  and  gave  freely  of  their  means  to  the  poor  and  needy.  The  father 
was  originally  a  Whig,  but  afterward  became  a  Republican.  He  took  an  active 
interest  in  the  educational  affairs  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  advance  the  wel- 
fare of  the  schools.  In  his  family  w^ere  three  sons :  Joseph ;  Absalom,  who 
died  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio;  and  David,  who  remained  in  Virginia. 

Joseph  Kirk  was  a  child  of  only  four  summers  when  the  family  left  Vir- 
ginia and  removed  to  Ohio.  During  his  boyhood  he  aided  his  father  in  chop- 
ping wood  about  the  iron  works  and  his  youth  was  one  of  toil.  On  attaining 
his  majority  he  began  business  for  himself  and,  removing  to  Illinois,  was 
employed  as  a  farm  hand  for  two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  acted  as  an  engineer.  The  following  year  he  emi- 
grated to  Iowa  and  was  employed  as  an  engineer  in  a  woolen  mill  and  saw- 
mill at  Oskaloosa  for  a  year.  Later  he  operated  an  engine  in  another  county 
for  two  years  and  in  1856  came  to  Kansas  on  a  prospecting  tour.  After  spend- 
ing some  time  in  this  state  he  returned  to  Iowa  and  in  1858  started  to  Salt 
Lake.  Going  to  Nebraska  City,  however,  he  proceeded  thence  to  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  and  near  there  secured  a  position  as  engineer  in  a  saw-mill.  The 
same  year  he  came  to  Brown  county  and  filed  a  claim  of  land,  upon  which  he 
now  resides.  In  1859  he  entered  it  from  the  government  and  began  improving 
it.  He  has  lived  here  since  and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  tract 
of  two  hundred  and  forty-two  acres,  peasantly  located  near  the  town  of 
Morrill. 

His  nearest  neighljor  was  three  miles  distant  at  the  time  of  his  arrival. 
Little  farming  was  being  done  in  the  county  at  that  time,  few  roads  had  been 
laid  out  and  the  settlers  could  ride  across  the  prairie  in  any  direction  without 
trespassing  upon  another's  property.  Hiawatha,  the  county  seat,  had  been 
located,  but  contained  only  two  houses  and  the  nearest  market  was  Iowa 
Point.  Like  all  early  settlers  Mr.  Kirk  had  no  money,  having  everything  to 
make  and  nothing  to  lose.  Soon,  however,  he  had  some  of  his  land  broken 
and  he  increased  his  capital  by  working  for  the  Morrill  saw-mill.  In  this  way 
he  earned  enough  lumber  to  build  a  shanty  and  also  to  buy  some  posts  and 
Cottonwood  lumber  for  fencing.  After  a  year  he  began  farming  in  earnest 
and  prosperity  has  come  to  him  as  time  has  passed.     He  has  met  with  many 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         349 

hardships  and  difficulties  and  passed  through  the  year  of  great  drought,  when 
general  distress  prevailed.  This  was  in  i860  and  his  crop  was  only  four  bushels 
of  potatoes.  Major  Morrill  was  chosen  as  the  proper  man  to  receive  the  sup- 
plies sent  from  other  states  and  he  detailed  Mr.  Kirk  to  distribute  the  same 
for  his  township.  Mr.  Kirk  found  distress  everywhere.  The  people  were  too 
poor  to  go  away  and  had  to  make  the  best  of  their  hard  conditions.  For  some 
years  afterward  crops  were  excellent  until  1875,  when  the  grasshoppers 
destroyed  everything  that  had  been  raised.  Many  of  the  settlers,  however, 
who  at  that  time  were  almost  destitute,  have  become  prosperous  citizens  of  the 
community.  Mr.  Kirk  has,  by  indomitable  perseverance  and  energy,  acquired 
a  handsome  competence  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  prosperous  farmers  in 
the  community.  He  has  witnessed  the  entire  development  of  the  county,  has 
seen  the  introduction  of  railroads,  telegraph  and  telephone,  while  thriving 
towns  and  villages  have  been  established  and  the  work  of  progress  has  been 
steadily  continued.  It  was  through  his  efforts  that  the  petition  was  circulated 
resulting  in  the  establishment  of  the  postoffice  at  Morrill.  He  gave  the  name 
to  the  town  and  aided  in  building  a  platform  on  which  the  mail  could  be 
thrown  from  the  train.  '  He  organized  the  county,  borrowed  money  and  built 
the  first  house  and  store  in  the  town.  He  was  connected  with  the  store  for  a 
few  years,  until  Morrill  had  become  a  prosperous  and  thriving  village  and 
other  stores  and  business  enterprises  were  established.  He  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Farmers'  Alliance  and  the  Grange,  and  became  one  of  the  organi- 
zers and  stockholders  of  the  bank.  He  was  also  instrumental  in  placing  the 
mill  in  operation  at  Morrill  and  has  aided  in  establishing  all  enterprises  in  that 
country. 

As  the  years  have  passed  he  was  actively  concerned  with  the  enterprise 
and  progress  of  this  locality.  He  has  also  successfully  conducted  his  private 
business  interests  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  this  com- 
munity. He  bought  land  from  time  to  time  until  his  homestead  now  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  forty-two  acres.  This  is  improved  with  a  commodious 
two-story  residence,  a  large  barn  and  other  necessary  outbuildings,  none  of  the 
accessories  and  conveniences  of  the  model  farm  being  lacking.  In  connection 
with  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  he  has  successfully  carried  on  stock  raising 
and  has  found  it  a  profitable  source  of  income.  His  home  is  pleasantly  located 
two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Morrill. 

In  1878  Mr.  Kirk  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Louisa  Stofer,  the 
widow  of  Oliver  Stofer.  She  was  born  in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  in  1844,  and 
by  her  first  marriage  had  one  child.  Halden  L.,  who  is  now  married.  Mrs. 
Kirk  is  a  daughter  of  M.  and  Mary  (Kenyon)  Glimps,  the  former  a  native  of 
New  Jersey  and  the  latter  of  New  York.  The  father  was  of  German  descent. 
made  farming  his  life  work  and  died  in  Iowa.    The  mother  was  a  member  of 


350  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  Society  of  Friends  or  Quakers.  This  worthy  couple  had  nine  children: 
Nathaniel,  Sallie  A.,  Benjamin  F.,  David,  Louisa,  Elizabeth  A.,  M.  C,  Mary 
and  Harriet.  Elizabeth  A.  is  the  wife  of  L.  Snell,  of  Kansas,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  Mrs.  Kirk,  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  living  in  this  state. 
Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  two  daughters:  Maude  E.,  the 
wife  of  H.  Scott,  and  Josephine,  at  home.  The  mother  and  daughters  are 
members  of  the  Christian  church.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Kirk  was  for- 
merly a  stanch  Republican,  but  strongly  favors  free  silver  and  will  vote  for 
the  party  that  advocates  that  monetary  system.  After  long  and  active  years 
of  a  honorable  business  career  Mr.  Kirk  is  accounted  to-day  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  northeastern  Kansas,  and  his  example  in  many  respects  is 
well  worthy  of  emulation,  showing  what  can  be  accomplished  through  resolute 
purpose  and  keen  discrimination  in  business  affairs. 


C.  J.  HARDING. 


C.  J.  Harding  is  a  native  of  the  Lone  Star  state,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Williamson  county,  Texas,  December  25,  1853.  His  parents  were  Thomas 
and  Margaret  (Robinson)  Harding,  the  forner  of  Lancashire,  England,  and 
the  latter  of  Butler  county,  Ohio.  The  paternal  grandfather  was  James  Hard- 
ing, a  native  of  England  and  a  cabinetmaker  and  carpenter  by  trade.  In  fact 
he  possessed  excellent  mechanical  ability  and  could  do  any  kind  of  wood  work. 
His  last  days  were  spent  in  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  died  when  well  advanced 
in  years.  In  religious  faith  he  was  an  Episcopalian.  In  his  family  were  six 
children:  Mary  E.,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Powell;  Ann,  the  wife  of  James  Ramsey; 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Waldron ;  Mrs.  Ellen  Powell ;  Thomas ;  and  William,  a  farmer. 

Having  come  to  America  with  his  parents,  Thomas  Harding  was  married, 
in  Tazewell  county,  Illinois,  to  Margaret  Robinson,  daughter  of  James  Robin- 
son, a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  was  a  cooper 
by  trade  and  also  followed  farming.  In  1835  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Tazewell  county,  Illinois,  where  he  took  up  land  and  improved  a 
farm  and  there  lived  for  many  years.  He  died  while  visiting  in  Missouri.  His 
children  were:  Margaret,  the  mother  of  our  subject;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
George  Anderson:  and  M.  G.,  a  farmer  living  near  Carthage,  Missouri.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  Harding  began  their  domestic  life  in  Illinois,  remaining' 
upon  a  farm  in  Tazewell  county  until  1848,  when  they  removed  to  Arkansas 
and  four  years  later  to  Texas.  They  lived  in  Hays  and  Williamson  counties, 
where  the  father  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising  until  1857,  when  antici- 
pating the  war,  he  returned  by  team  to  Tazewell  county,  Illinois.    While  there 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         351 

he  engag-ed  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  in  the  manufacture  of  sorghum 
molasses. 

In  1866  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Hamhn  town- 
ship. Brown  count3^  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  on  which  was  a  log 
cabin  and  a  few  trees.  The  tract  comprised  eiglity  acres,  of  which  about  forty 
acres  had  been  broken.  Later  he  added  to  this  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
the  homestead  comprised  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  in  addition  he  had 
two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  elsewhere  in  the  township.  All  was  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  as  a  result  of  his  well-directed  efforts  at  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  he  acquired  a  handsome  competence.  Honesty 
characterized  all  his  business  dealings  and  his  reputation  in  trade  circles  was 
above  question.  Although  he  came  to  the  county  in  limited  circumstances  he 
left  to  his  children  a  good  estate.  His  political  support  was  given  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  died  September  i,  1897,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy-six 
years  and  nine  months.  His  wife  still  survives  him  and  is  living  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Hamlin  township.  She  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  their  family  were  five  children,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Nancy 
Cruse;  C.  J. ;  Lawrence,  who  died  in  childhood;  R.  J.,  who  is  living  on  the  old 
homestead ;  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  T.  Reed. 

Mr.  Harding,  of  this  review,  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  various 
removals  until  they  ultimately  arrived  in  Brown  county,  where  he  was  reared 
to  manhood,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
He  was  then  married,  in  1878,  to  Miss  Anna  Tilley,  a  lady  of  intelligence,  who 
was  born  in  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  April  17,  1861,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Chloe  ( Larkin)  Tilley,  the  former  a  native  of  Rhode  Island  and  the  latter 
of  New  York,  the  marriage  being  celebrated  in  the  first  named  state.  The 
father  was  a  cabinetmaker  by  trade  and  on  leaving  the  east  removed  with  his 
family  to  Iowa.  In  1857  he  went  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  after- 
ward to  Monrovia.  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
and  worked  at  his  trade.  In  1865  he  removed  to  Brown  county,  where  he 
followed  farming  until  1880,  when  he  began  bridge  building  in  the  employ  of 
a  railroad  company.  During  the  war  he  joined  a  regiment  of  Kansas  cavalry, 
raised  to  intercept  the  progress  of  Price.  While  engaged  in  bridge  building 
he  fell  from  a  bridge  and  was  injured.  He  was  sent  to  a  hospital  in  Sedalia, 
Missouri,  and  there  died  September  18,  1882.  His  wife  survived  him  until 
January  28,  1891.  when  she.  too,  was  called  to  her  final  rest.  She  had  been 
left  an  orphan  at  a  very  early  age.  her  parents  having  died  of  consumption. 
She  had  but  one  brother  and  no  sisters,  her  brother,  Samuel,  having  been  a 
resident  of  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  where  he  died.  He  was  a  patentee  of 
improved  attachments  of  the  Wheeler  &  Wilson  sewing  machine  and  acted 
as  the  overseer  of  their  factory  for  many  years.    Later  he  went  to  South  Amer- 


352  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ica  in  the  interest  of  a  plow  factory,  spending  two  years  on  that  continent.  He 
then  returned  to  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  where  his  death  occurred.  He  reared 
an  interesting  family  of  six  children,  all  of  whom  are  in  New  York,  their  busi- 
ness interests  being  along  mechanical  lines.  Mrs.  Tilley  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church  and  by  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  four  children :  . 
Anna,  now  Mrs.  Harding:  George,  of  Oklahoma;  Emma,  now  Mrs.  Storn- 
braker;  and  Mrs.  Mary  Banister,  who  by  a  first  marriage  had  one  child  and  by 
her  second  marriage  four  children. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Harding  purchased  land  in  Nebraska  and 
improved  a  farm,  which  he  sold  in  1879.  He  then  came  to  Brown  county, 
where  he  purchased  unimproved  land,  from  which  he  developed  a  farm.  He  is 
now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  property  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  on  which 
he  has  built  a  commodious  two-story  frame  residence,  a  large  barn  and  sub- 
stantial outbuildings.  He  has  also  planted  a  good  orchard  and  grove  and  has 
made  permanent  improvements  upon  his  place,  so  that  it  is  now  one  of  the 
most  desirable  farms  in  this  section  of  the  county,  his  home  being  conveniently 
located  about  two  miles  southwest  of  Morrill.  He  has  given  to  his  business  his 
strict  attention,  carrying  on  stock  raising  in  connection  with  general  farming. 
The  stock  he  feeds  and  sells  to  the  home  market  and  his  income  therefrom  is 
materially  increased.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Bank,  of 
Morrill. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harding  have  been  born  five  children:  Roy  C,  born 
February  25.  1880;  Clara,  born  December  2,  1881 :  Lulu,  born  December  17, 
1884;  Edgar  T.,  born  October  20,  1892:  and  Emma  J.,  born  June  29.  1895. 
Mr.  Harding  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
belong  to  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security.  Mrs.  Harding  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Missionary  Baptist  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  but  has  never  sought  office.  During  the 
years  of  his  residence  here  his  career  has  been  attended  with  prosperity  and, 
though  many  obstacles  and  difficulties  have  been  in  his  path,  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward,  reaching  a  position  of  affluence.  Industry  has  been 
the  keynote  to  his  success  and  his  life  history  should  serve  to  encourage  others 
who  are  forced  to  start  out  in  life  for  themselves  empty-handed. 


ALLEN  W.  LICHTY. 


The  Lichty  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  representative  had  its  origin 
in  Switzerland,  the  original  American  ancestors  being  John  Lichty,  who  came 
from  the  land  of  the  Alps  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  new  world  in  colonial 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         353 

clays.  He  settled  north  of  Baltimore,  IMar_ylancI,  and  reared  the  following 
cliildren:  Jacoh,  born  in  1791 :  Snsanna,  in  1794;  Hannah,  in  1796;  John, 
in  1798;  Samuel,  in  1800;  Daniel,  in  1802;  David,  in  1804;  Magdalena,  in 
1807;  Elizabeth,  in  1809;  Joseph,  in  1813;  Christian,  in  1815;  and  Daniel,  in 
1818. 

Christian  Lichty,  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  became  one  of 
the  first  settlers  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsyh-ania,  and  there  established  a  farm 
which  is  yet  in  possession  of  his  descendants.  This  land  was  crossed  by  the 
famous  Pennsylvania  coal  belt.  That  fact  was  not  known  when  it  came  into 
the  possession  of  Christian  Lichty,  but  a  rich  sixteen-foot  vein  was  afterward 
discovered  and  the  operation  of  the  mines  proved  a  great  source  of  income  to 
the  owners.  Christian  Lichty  became  widely  and  favorably  known  in  his 
adopted  county.  The  family  has  always  been  one  of  prominence  in  that  locality. 
Representatives  of  the  name  have  since  emigrated  westward  to  Ohio,  Illinois, 
Iowa  and  Kansas,  but  Jacob  Lichty,  a  son  of  Christian  and  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  Keystone  state,  where  he  was  known 
as  an  honest,  industrious  and  unpretentious  farmer  whose  sterling  worth 
commanded  the  respect  of  his  friends  and  neighbors.  His  children  were 
John  C. :  Jacob ;  Daniel ;  Emmanuel ;  Lena,  the  wife  of  Jacob  Myers ;  and  Joseph 
C.  For  n:any  generations  the  family  ha\e  been  connected  with  the  Dunk- 
ard  church. 

Joseph  C.  Lichty,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born,  reared  and  mar- 
ried in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  Miss  Anna  Miller  becoming  his  wife. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Abram  Miller,  a  farmer  of  Somerset  county  who  was  of 
German  lineage  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  Pennsylvania.  His  children  were 
John ;  Jonas ;  Jacob ;  Daniel ;  Peter ;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  John  Myers ;  ]\Irs. 
J,  Fike  and  Anna.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  C.  Lichty  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  farm  in  Somerset  county  and  there  they  spent  their  remaining  days, 
his  attention  being  devoted  entirely  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Democrat,  and  he  held  the  office  of  jury  commissioner,  but  never  aspired 
to  political  preferment.  His  children  were  John  M.  and  Hiram  J.,  who  became 
pioneers  of  Iowa ;  Mary,  the  wife  of  D.  S.  Miller ;  William  H.,  of  Iowa ;  Louisa, 
the  wife  of  E.  Berkley;  Sevilla,  who  died  in  childhood;  Allen  W.;  Samuel  J., 
of  Iowa;  and  Joseph  and  Ella,  who  died  in  childhood. 

Allen  W.  Lichty,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  was  born  in  Somerset 
county,  Pennsylvania,  April  3,  1850,  and  upon  the  home  farm  spent  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  enjoying  such  educational  privileges  as  were  afforded 
by  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  In  the  summer  months  he 
aided  in  the  work  of  the  fields  and  meadows,  remaining  with  his  parents  until 
eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  emigrated  westward  to  Iowa  and  there  began 
the  battle  of  life  for  himself.     After  four  years  spent  in  the  Hawkeye  state, 


354  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.- 

he  removed  to  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  where,  in  November,  1870,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Evaline  Saylor,  who  was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, December  9,  1851.  She  is  a  lady  of  intelligence  and  culture,  a  daughter 
of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Whipkey)  Saylor,  natives  of  Somerset  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, the  former  born  July  13,  1820,  and  the  latter  in  January,  1831.  The 
paternal  grandfather.  Christian  Lichty,  was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1793,  and  died  in  1870.  His  children  were  Abraham :  Emmanuel ; 
Mrs.  Eliza  Musselman;  and  Mrs.  Lydia  Shock. 

Jonathan  Saylor,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Lichty,  made  farming  his  life  work. 
He  married  Mary  Whipkey,  a  daughter  of  John  Whipkey,  who  was  born  in 
Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1804,  and  died  in  1870.  Mr.  Saylor  had 
been  married  previously,  his  first  union  having  been  with  Miss  Catherine 
Miller,  by  whom  he  had  four  children, — Simon,  William,  Ephraim  and  Sarah ; 
but  Simon  is  the  only  one  who  reached  mature  years.  He  is  a  retired  farmer  liv- 
ing in  Falls  City,  Nebraska.  By  his  second  marriage,  Mr.  Saylor  had  four 
children  :  Evaline,  the  wife  of  our  subject ;  Milton,  of  Carroll  county,  Illinois : 
Allen  W.,  of  Nemaha  county,  Kansas;  and  Harvey,  a  practicing  physician  of 
Fairview,  Kansas.  The  family  were  Dunkards  and  in  later  life  joined  the 
Progressive  branch  of  that  organization.  The  father  died  on  September  4. 
1893,  'i"tl  the  mother  December  9,  1898. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Lichty  returned  to  his  Pennsylvania 
home,  where  they  remained  for  one  year  and  then  removed  to  Illinois.  In 
1872  they  went  to  Falls  City,  Nebraska,  and  Mr.  Lichty  rented  a  farm,  which 
he  operated  for  one  year,  thence  coming  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  in  the  fall 
of  1873.  He  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  upon  which  he  resides.  It  was 
then  a  tract  of  unimproved  prairie,  upon  which  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned 
or  an  improvement  made.  He  immediately  built  a  stable,  in  which  he  lived 
until  the  completion  of  a  small  residence.  The  first  year  he  succeeded  in  hav- 
ing some  of  his  land  broken  and  fenced  and  soon  his  farm  became  a  paying 
property.  He  has  since  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  his  fields  and  in  feeding 
and  selling  stock,  making  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  hogs,  and  his  efforts 
have  been  very  successful,  and  he  has  added  to  his  farm  an  eighty-acre  tract, 
so  that  he  is  now  the  possessor  of  a  valuable  property,  comprising  a  quarter- 
section  of  land.  His  home  is  a  large  two-story  frame  residence,  and  this  is 
supplemented  by  a  large  barn  and  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  the  stock, 
and  a  good  lawn  and  a  beautiful  grove  add"  to  the  attractiveness  to  the  place.  The 
farm  is  pleasantly  located  six  miles  northwest  of  Alorrill,  thus  enabling  him  to 
obtain  the  comforts  of  town  life. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lichty  has  been  blessed  with  eleven  chil- 
dren:  Anna  M.,  born  October  14,  1871,  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania, 
is  the  wife  of  W.  D.  Deaver,  of  Sabetha,  Kansas;  Sarah  J.,  born  November 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  355 

13,  1873,  is  the  wife  of  Daniel  Sargent,  a  jeweler  of  Falls  City,  Nebraska; 
John  C,  born  June  8.  1875 ;  Joseph  C,  born  April  6,  1877,  is  employed  in  the 
bank  of  Sabetha;  Cordia  M.,  born  May  i,  1879,  is  the  wife  of  E.  Lanning, 
a  farmer;  Edward,  who  was  born  June  28,  1881,  and  is  a  student  in  Falls 
City,  Nebraska ;  Lulu  Lodella  and  Lela  Luella,  twins,  who  were  born  Decem- 
ber 16,  1886,  but  the  latter  died  on  July  11,  1887;  Homer,  born  February  14. 
1888;  and  Nora  L.,  March  i,  1892.  Mr.  Lichty  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Progressive  Dunkard  church,  and  socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen,  and  was  reared  in  the  political  faith  of  the  Democratic 
party,  but  since  the  organization  of  the  People's  party  he  has  been  one  of  its 
advocates.  Although  his  party  is  in  the  minority  in  his  township  his  sterling 
wortli  and  ability  have  occasioned  his  election  for  the  ofifice  of  township  trus- 
tee, in  which  he  served  for  three  terms.  He  is  now  filling  his  second  term  of 
county  commissioner  and  has  creditably  served  in  various  township  offices, 
in  which  his  fidelity  to  duty  has  won  him  high  commendation.  Indolence  and 
idleness  are  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and  his  resolute  purpose  and  unflag- 
ging industry  have  been  the  means  of  winning  him  a  place  among  the  substan- 
tial farmers  of  the  neighborhood.  As  such  he  well  deserves  mention  in  this 
volume,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  this  sketch  for  the  perusal  of  the 
readers  of  northeastern  Kansas. 


JACOB  LICHTY. 


Jacob  Lichty  is  extensively  engaged  in  feeding  and  shipping  cattle  and  his 
large  business  interests  have  brought  to  him  a  comfortable  competence.  He 
resides  in  Morrill  township,  where  he  owns  a  valuable  tract  of  land,  having 
been  a  resident  of  this  county  for  thirty  years.  He  was  born  in  Somerset 
county,  Pennsylvania,  December  6,  1848,  his  parents  being  Jonathan  and  Susan 
(Miller)  Lichty,  of  Pennsylvania,  His  paternal  grandparents  were  Jacob  and 
Barbara  (Myers)  Lichtv  and  the  former  was  a  son  of  Christian  Lichty  and  a 
grandson  of  John  Lichty,  The  last  named  was  a  native  of  Switzerland  and 
became  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America,  establishing  his  home  near  Balti- 
more, Maryland,  in  colonial  days. 

His  son.  Christian,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Somerset  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  there  located,  establishing  a  farm,  which  lies  in  the  center  of  the 
great  coal  region  of  Pennsylvania,  The  coal  vein  on  the  place  was  fifteen 
feet  deep  and  the  yield  added  greatly  to  the  prosperity  of  the  owners.  The 
farm  has  always  been  retained  in  the  possession  of  the  descendants  of  Chris- 
tian Lichty,  who  died  upon  that  place,  leaving  the  property  to  his  children. 


356  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  his  family  were  the  following:  Jacob,  born  in  1791 ;  Susanna,  in  1794; 
Anna,  in  1796;  John,  in  1798;  Samuel,  in  1800;  Daniel,  in  1802;  David,  in 
1804;  Magdalena,  in  1807;  Elizabeth,  in  1809;  Joseph,  in  1813;  and  Daniel, 
in  1818.  Of  this  family,  Jacob,  the  first  named  and  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  and  reared  in  Pennsylvania  and  wedded  Barbara  Myers,  by 
whom  he  had  eight  children:  Jonathan,  born  February  17,  1818;  Mrs.  Mary 
Oben,  in  January,  1821 ;  Mrs.  Susan  Kelso,  in  1826;  Abraham,  in  1829;  Anna, 
who  was  born  May  10,  1831,  and  died  in  childhood;  Mrs.  Lidia  Livingood, 
born  in  1834,  Samuel,  in  1836,  and  John,  in  1842.  The  two  last  named  died 
in  childhood. 

Jonathan  Lichty,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  was  reared  to  farm  pursuits  in  Somerset  county,  that  state.  His 
educational  privileges  were  somewhat  limited,  but  by  industry  and  perseverance 
he  acquired  a  good  education  and  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits.  He  also  became  a  Dunkard  preacher,  in  which  faith  he  has  been 
reared,  all  of  the  original  members  of  the  family  being  representatives  of  that 
faith.  In  1863  Jonathan  Lichty  removed  to  Lee  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  woolen  factory  and  in  merchandising  until  1870. 
In  that  year  he  removed  to  Kansas,  locating  upon  a  farm  which  is  now  the 
home  of  our  subject.  Here  he  improved  a  quarter-section  of  land,  giving 
his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  grain  and  to  stock  dealing,  meeting  with 
creditable  success  in  his  business.  He  was  one  of  the  first  Dunkard  preachers 
in  this  part  of  Kansas  and  lived  to  see  the  church  flourish.  His  death  occurred 
March  7.  1881,  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him  eighteen  years,  passed  away 
July  18,  1899.  They  had  but  two  children  :  Anna,  who  was  born  in  October, 
1845,  ^"<i  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  A.  Saylor,  and  Jacob,  of  this  review.  The 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Longmiller)  Lichty  and  a  grand- 
daughter of  Henry  Miller,  a  resident  of  Somerset  county.  Pennsylvania,  and  of 
Swiss  lineage.  Daniel  Miller  was  a  wagonmaker  and  farmer  known  through- 
out this  community  as  an  intelligent  and  substantial  citizen,  who  enjoyed  the 
high  regard  of  many  friends.  He  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Dunkard 
church  and  his  children  were  also  church  members,  becoming  identified  with 
the  Episcopal  and  Baptist  faiths.  In  the  family  were  eleven  sons  and  daugh- 
ters:  Rachel,  the  wife  of  Daniel  Lichty;  Jacob;  Gabriel;  Josiah;  Lydia,  the 
wife  of  P.  Myers,  the  founder  of  Myersdale,  Pennsylvania;  Daniel;  Ephraim, 
who  has  served  as  postmaster  of  his  town  for  over  fifty  years,  a  record 
unparalleled  in  the  country  and  the  oldest  continuous  postmaster  in  the  United 
States;  Mannasa,  a  civil  engineer;  Susan,  mother  of  our  subject;  Mrs.  Mary 
Myers  and  Mrs.  Magdalene  Saylor.  Michael  Myers  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1762  and  made  farming  his  life  work.  His  wife  was  born  in  1775  and 
both  died  in  Pennsylvania.     In  their  family  were  eleven  children:     Jacob; 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND-  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         357 

Barbara;  Henry;  Susan,  the  wife  of  Jonathan  Kimble;  Ehzabeth,  the  wife  of 
Daniel  Lichty ;  Samuel ;  Michael ;  Abram ;  John ;  Anna,  the  wife  of  D.  Livin- 
good;  and  Martin. 

Jacob  Lichty,  whose  name  introduces  this  re\iew,  spent  his  early  boyhood 
days  on  the  home  farm  in  Pennsylvania.  After  the  removal  of  the  family  to 
Illinois  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  store  and  woolen  factory.  His  educa- 
tional privileges  were  those  afforded  by  the  common  schools.  In  1870  he 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Kansas,  a  location  being  made  in  Morrill  town- 
ship. Here  he  aided  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  and  in  caring  for  the  stock. 
He  was  married  in  1877,  but  remained  upon  the  old  homestead,  acting  as  his 
father's  assistant  in  business.  He  cared  for  his  parents  in  their  old  age  and 
when  they  were  called  to  their  final  rest  tenderly  laid  them  away  in  a  beautiful 
cemetery  in  the  neighborhood.  By  his  father's  will  he  became  the  possessor  of 
the  old  homestead,  upon  which  he  has  resided  continuously  since  his  arrival  in 
Kansas.  He  still  carries  on  general  farming  and  is  one  of  the  most  extensive 
cattle  dealers  in  the  county.  As  his  financial  resources  have  increased  he  has 
made  judicious  investments  in  real  estate  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  five  well- 
improved  farms,  comprising  more  than  seven  hundred  acres,  together  with  a 
cattle  ranch  in  Nebraska.  Although  he  has  prospered  his  career  has  not  always 
been  one  of  continuous  success.  In  1896  he  suffered  considerable  loss,  his 
farm  l3'ing  in  the  path  of  the  cyclone  which  swept  over  this  section  of  the  coun- 
try, destroying  his  residence,  barns  and  outbuildings,  and  totally  demolish- 
ing his  orchard.  Everything  was  carried  away  by  the  force  of  the  wind, 
leaving  the  family  not  even  a  change  of  clothing ;  many  relics,  prized  on  account 
of  their  value  as  heirlooms,  were  also  destroyed.  The  family  had  taken  refuge 
in  a  cellar  and  were  thus  uninjured.  With  characteristic  energy,  Mr.  Lichty 
began  the  work  of  retrieving  his  lost  possessions  and  the  farm  is  now  improved 
with  new  and  commodious  buildings,  everything  being  replaced  except  the 
trees,  for  time  must  aid  man  in  making  up  for  this  loss. 

Mr.  Lichty  was  married,  in  1877,  to  Miss  Emma  Heikes,  who  was  born 
in  Sandusky  county.  Ohio,  September  18,  1857,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Lydia  (Borman)  Heikes,  the  former  born  in  Snyder  county,  Pennsylvania, 
June  23,  1826,  the  latter  in  Juniata  county,  that  state,  March  17,  1832. 
The  parental  grandfather  was  Jacob  Heiks,  also  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
the  maternal  grandparents  were  John  and  Anna  (Showers)  Borman,  also 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  All  were  of  German  lineage  and  both  the  Heikes 
and  Borman  families  were  connected  with  the  Lutheran  church.  The  paternal 
grandparents  died  in  Pennsylvania,  but  the  maternal  grandparents  spent  their 
last  days  in  Ohio.  The  brothers  and  sisters  of  Jacob  Heikes  were  John; 
George ;  William ;  Peggy ;  Elizabeth ;  Susan,  the  wife  of  J.  Bowman,  of  Brown 
county,  Kansas ;  David ;  Mollie,  the  wife  of  D.  Young ;  Anna,  the  wife  of  D. 


358  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Kochenhour;  Frederick;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  A.  Chne;  Katie,  now  Mrs.  Kleck; 
Mrs.  Polly  Grose ;  and  Jacob.  The  brothers  and  sisters  of  Mrs.  Heikps  were 
Elias;  Levi;  Tobias;  Mrs.  Adeline  Bates:  John;  Mrs.  Mary  Frederick;  Mrs. 
Sarah  Richards;  William,  who  died  in  the  civil  war;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of 
William  Frederick;  and  Mrs.  Susana  Bates. 

Jacob  Heikes  and  Lydia  Bowman  were  married  in  Mifflin  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  resided  upon  a  rented  farm  there  until  1856,  when  they  removed 
to  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  where  Mr.  Heikes  purchased  a  farm,  running  it  until 
1865.  He  then  sold  out  and  removed  to  Richardson  county,  Nebraska,  where 
he  purchased  wild  prairie  land,  which  he  transformed  into  a  rich  tract.  In 
1 87 1,  however,  he  sold  that  property  and  bought  a  farm  in  Brown  county, 
Kansas,  upon  which  he  lived  until  his  retirement  to  private  life.  After  putting 
aside  business  cares  he  made  his  home  in  Morrill,  from  1885  until  his  death, 
^vhich  occurred  November  18,  1896.  His  wife  still  survives  him  and  is  now 
living  in  Morrill.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heikes  are  Henry;  Emma, 
the  wife  of  Jacob  Lichty;  Ella,  the  wife  of  J.  Heikes;  Milton;  Samuel;  Ira; 
Addie,  the  wife  of  C.  W.  Flickinger,  a  merchant  of  Morrill ;  Anna,  the  wife  of 
William  Haldman;  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  S.  Miller.  The  family  are  con- 
nected with  the  Dunkard  church. 

Nine  interesting  children  have  blessed  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lichty 
and  all  are  yet  at  their  parental  home,  namely:  Nora,  born  May  25,  1878; 
Jonathan  J.,  February  24,  1880;  David,  May  31,  1881 ;  Ezra,  May  5,  1883; 
Lewis.  May  19,  1885;  Millard,  May  23,  1888;  Geneva,  January  20,  1892; 
Florence,  March  10,  1895;  and  Warren  Dewey,  May  4,  1898. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lichty  are  members  of  the  Progressive  Dunkard  church 
and  take  an  active  interest  in  its  work.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  in  politics  is  a  stanch  Republican,  taking  an  active  interest  in  the 
welfare  and  success  of  the  party.  He  has  filled  the  office  of  county  commis- 
sioner and  is  president  of  the  Farmers'  Insurance  Company  of  this  and  adjoin- 
ing counties.  His  life  has  been  an  active  and  useful  one  and  his  prosperity 
has  resulted  from  capable  management  and  untiring  industry. 


AMOS  CAMPBELL. 


Ohio  has  furnished  to  the  Sunflower  state  many  of  its  esteemed  and  valued 
citizens,  which  number  includes  Mr.  Campbell,  who  is  carrying  on  farming  in 
Mission  township,  Brown  county,  where  he  owns  and  operates  one  hundred 
and  fifty-four  acres  of  rich  land.  This  farm  is  valued  at  ten  thousand  dollars 
and  is  conveniently  situated  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  village  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


359 


Willis.  Many  excellent  improvements  are  found  on  his  place,  including  a 
fine  residence  and  a  substantial  barn  42x42  feet,  under  which  is  an  excellent 
rock  basement.  There  is  a  large  orchard,  and  the  fields  are  carefully  cultivated^ 
giving  promise  of  abundant  harvests.  The  work  of  the  farm  is  carried  on 
along  progressive  lines  and  the  neat  appearance  of  the  place  indicates  the  care- 
ful supervision  of  the  owner  whose  methodical  habits  and  practical  methods 
have  made  him  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  the  communitv. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  born  near  New  Hope.  Brown  county,  Ohio.  September 
17,  1 84 1,  and  is  of  Scotch  descent.  The  ancestry  can  be  traced  back  over  two 
hundred  years  to  one  of  the  strong  Highland  clans  of  Scotland.  The  father. 
Hugh  M.  Campbell,  married  Miss  Margaret  Bunner,  a  native  of  Ohio  and 
a  daughter  of  John  Bunner,  who  was  of  German  lineage.  Six  children 
have  blest  their  marriage,  those  living  being:  Amos:  Mary  Jane;  John, 
who  was  a  soldier  in  the  civil  war  and  died  in  Indiana ;  Lindsey,  of  Indiana ; 
and  Emeline;  and  the  deceased  being  a  daughter  who  died  in  childhood. 
Three  of  the  sons  were  valiant  Union  soldiers  in  the  war  of  the  Reliel- 
lion,  John  and  Lindsey  becoming  members  of  the  Fifty-third  Indiana  In- 
fantry. The  mother  of  these  children  died  in  Spencer  county,  Indiana, 
in  1852,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  and  the  father's  death  occurretl  the 
same  year,  when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  forty-one  years.  By  trade  he  was 
a  blacksmith,  and  politically  he  was  a  Democrat,  advocating  the  political  prin- 
ciples promulgated  by  Jackson. 

A  resident  of  the  Hoosicr  state  from  his  eighth  year,  Amos  Campbell,  of 
this  review,  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  there,  which  he  followed  for  a  long 
period.  He  manifested  his  loyalty  to  the  government  during  the  ci\il  war 
when,  on  the  29th  of  October,  1861,  he  offered  his  services  to  the  Union  and 
joined  the  boys  in  "blue"  of  Independent  Company  E,  Ohio  Cavalry,  with 
which  he  served  for  three  years.  He  participated  in  the  memorable  sieges  of 
Corinth  and  Vicksburg  and  was  in  the  battles  of  Burnt  Hickory,  New  Hope 
Church,  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain  and  Atlanta,  being  present  at  the  capitula- 
tion of  that  city.  After  it  surrendered  he  returned  to  Chattanooga.  Tennes- 
see, where  he  was  honorably  discharged,  on  the  28th  of  October,  1864,  after 
serving  for  three  years. 

Mr.  Campbell  then  returned  to  Brovvn  county.  Ohio,  where  he  worked  at 
blacksmithing  for  some  years.  In  1875  he  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss 
]\Iary  E.  Tinsley,  who  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Eliza  S.  (Taylor)  Tinsley.  early  settlers  of  Illinois.  Her  mother  is  now- 
living  in  Mission  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  now  have  a  daughter, 
Margaret  E.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Robertson.  Before  her  marriage 
she  was  a  popular  and  successful  teacher.  She  now  has  two  sons, — Paul 
Llewellyn  and  Ben  Campbell.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  lost  their  only  son, 


36o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Amos  Llewellyn,  who  was  born  February  i,  1886,  and  died  March  4,  1892, 
his  death  being  a  great  blow  to  the  family. 

The  subject  of  this  review  has  long  been  a  resident  of  Brown  county  and 
has  given  an  active  support  to  many  measures  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party  but  has  never  aspired  to  public  office.  He  and 
his  wife  and  daughter  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church,  in  which  he  is 
serving  as  steward.  His  life  is  in  harmony  with  his  professions  and  both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  are  widely  known  in  Brown  county,  where  they  enjoy 
the  friendship  of  many  acquaintances. 


S.  W.  MYERS. 


S.  W.  Myers  is  one  of  the  well-known  citizens  of  Powhattan  township, 
Brown  county,  and  is  also  one  of  the  veterans  of  the  civil  war.  He  came  to 
Kansas  in  1871  and  has  been  a  resident  of  this  county  since  1892.  Ohio  is 
his  native  state,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Sandusky  county,  on  the  3d  of 
September,  1843, — the  same  year  in  which  President  McKinley  was  born.  His 
father,  Samuel  Myers,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  of  German 
descent.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Sarah  Lefier,  who 
also  was  born  in  the  Keystone  state  and  was  of  German  lineage.  They  were 
reared  in  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  and  their  marriage  took  place  in  Wayne 
county  of  the  latter  state.  They  became  the  parents  of  four  sons  and  six 
daughters  :  Catherine ;  Rebecca ;  John,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  civil  war ; 
Sarah ;  Samuel  W. ;  Mary  Ellen ;  Amanda ;  Hannah ;  Francis  and  William. 
Of  these  children  John  was  a  soldier  in  the  civil  war.  He  served  with  the 
Twenty-eighth  Iowa  Infantry  and  laid  down  his  life  upon  the  altar  of  his 
country.  In  1855  the  family  left  Ohio,  removing  westward  to  Toledo,  Iowa, 
where  they  were  among  the  first  settlers.  In  1870  the  parents  took  up  their 
abode  in  Smith  county,  Kansas,  near  Smith's  Center,  and  there  the  father  died, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  He  was  a  farmer  and  carpenter,  following 
both  pursuits,  and  in  his  political  views  was  a  Republican.  His  wife  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  and,  like  her  husband,  was  a  con- 
sistent and  faithful  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 

Samuel  W.  Myers  was  a  lad  of  twelve  years  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  from  Ohio  to  Iowa.  He  was  reared  among  the  wild 
scenes  of  a  pioneer  farm  and  early  became  familiar  with  the  arduous  task  of 
clearing,  developing  and  improving  land.  Habits  of  industry  and  honesty 
were  instilled  among  the  children  of  the  household,  and  in  the  common  schools 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         361 

of  the  neighborhood  they  were  made  famihar  with  the  elementary  branches 
of  English  learning.  Experience  and  observation,  however,  have  largely 
added  to  Mr.  Myers'  knowledge  and  he  is  now  a  well-informed  man.  Prompted 
by  a  spirit  of  patriotism  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid  in  1862,  en- 
listing as  a  member  of  Company  F,  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Iowa  Volunteers, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  John  Staley  and  Colonel  William  E.  Miller. 
He  participated  in  a  number  of  important  engagements,  including  the  battles 
of  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hills  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  On  the  24th 
of  October,  1863,  he  was  captured  by  General  Dick  Taylor's  troops  and  was 
held  at  Alexandria  for  two  months,  after  which  he  was  exchanged.  He  once 
sustained  a  gunshot  wound,  but  usually  was  found  at  his  post  of  duty.  Other 
engagements  in  which  he  participated  were  those  at  Sabine  Cross  Roads,  Jack- 
son, Mississippi,  Opequan,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek.  Fearlessly  he  fol- 
lowed the  old  flag  into  the  thickest  of  the  fights  and  when  the  war  was  over  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge  at  Savannah,  Georgia,  on  the  31st  of  July, 
1865.  He  was  paid  off  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  then  returned  to  his  home 
in  Tama  county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  187 1. 

Mr.  Myers  was  married  in  Toledo,  Iowa,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1865, 
to  Miss  Emma  A.  Donalson,  who  prior  to  her  marriage  was  a  successful  teacher. 
She  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  the  Hawkeye  state,  her  parents  being 
Andrew  and  Roxanna  (Morton)  Donalson,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio  and 
the  latter  of  Vermont.  Her  parents  had  eleven  children,  and  two  of  their 
sons  were  soldiers  in  the  civil  war:  Irenius,  who  was  a  member  of  the 
Twenty-fourth  Iowa  Infantry  and  is  now  in  Oklahoma;  and  Tiberius,  who 
belonged  to  the  same  regiment  and  is  now  living  in  the  state  of  Washington. 
The  record  of  the  Donalson  family  is  as  follows :  Eusebius,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years;  Zilpha  L. ;  Irenius;  Tiberius;  Moletta  Louise;  Melissa; 
Mila  Ann;  Mary  Velina;  Orson;  Marana  A.  and  Watson  N.  The  parents 
both  died  in  Tama  county,  Iowa,  the  mother  at  the  age  of  sixty-three,  the 
father  when  seventy-five  years  of  age.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
in  politics  was  a  Republican.  He  belonged  to  the  Freewill  Baptist  church  and 
was  a  citizen  of  sterling  worth,  true  to  every  manly  principle. 

In  the  year  1871  ]\Ir.  Myers  came  to  Kansas,  taking  up  his  residence  in 
Smith  county,  where  he  secured  a  homestead  upon  which  he  lived  until  1889. 
He  then  removed  to  Dundy  county,  Nebraska,  where  he  remained  until  1892, 
when  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas.  Here  he  has  since  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  his  progressive  methods  and  well-directed  labors  have  secured  to  him 
a  comfortable  competence.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers  has  been 
blessed  with  nine  children :  Mrs.  Elsie  Hollaner ;  Mrs.  Effie  Hennon ;  Will- 
iam S. ;  Mrs.  Josephine  Faulkender ;  S.  Edwin,  who  was  a  meml>er  of  Company 
D,  Twenty-second  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry,  tluring  the  Spanish-American 


362  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

war  and  served  until  honorably  discharged,  being  stationed  at  Camp  Alger  and 
Camp  Meade.  Pennsylvania :  Mrs.  Addie  Woodward  ;  Mrs.  Ella  Myers ;  Harry 
Jay;  and  Albert,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 

Mr.  Myers  holds  membership  with  the  Grantl  Army  of  the  Republic  and 
takes  great  delight  in  the  re-unions  of  his  old  army  comrades,  in  which  stories 
of  the  camp  fire  and  of  field  are  related.  He  is  known  as  a  worthy  citizen  of 
the  community  and  an  enterprising  agriculturist,  and  he  and  his  family  are 
respected  by  all  who  know  them. 


STEPHEN  A.  HOLCOMB, 

Stephen  A.  Holcomb  has  been  a  very  active  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of 
Powhattan  and  his  labors  have  been  very  efifective  in  promoting  its  interests 
along  social,  material,  educational  and  moral  lines.  He  was  at  one  lime  exten- 
sively engaged  in  dealing  in  grain,  lumber  and  coal,  is  the  owner  of  consider- 
able real  estate  and  is  carrying  on  his  business  interests  with  signal  success. 

A  native  of  the  Hawkeye  state,  he  was  born  near  Ottumwa,  Wapello 
county.  July  24,  1847,  'i"fl  '^  a  son  of  Zephaniah  Holcomb.  The  grandfather 
of  our  subject  was  Stephen  Holcomb.  who  was  a  native  of  New  England  and 
of  English  descent.  The  family  was  representative  in  the  early  wars  of  the 
country  and  its  members  have  always  been  noted  for  loyalty  to  the  government. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  the  county  of  his  nativity 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  Emigrating  westward  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  Wapello  county,  becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers. 
He  there  secured  a  government  claim  and  began  the  development  of  a  farm. 
He  was  married,  in  Van  Buren  county,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Rebecca  Blackford,  a 
native  of  Indiana  and  a  daughter  of  John  Blackford,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Maryland.  The  parents  of  our  subject  resided  in  Iowa  until  1864,  when  they 
came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  establishing  a  home  on  the  present  site  of 
Robinson;  in  fact  the  town  was  laid  out  on  their  farm.  The  father  has  fol- 
lowed agricultural  pursuits  throughout  his  entire  life  and  is  still  living  at  the 
old  homestead  in  Brown  county.  In  politics  he  has  been  a  stanch  Republican 
ever  since  the  organization  of  the  party  and  in  religious  faith  is  a  United 
Brethren.  In  his  family  were  seven  children,  two  sons  and  five  daughters, 
namely:  Stephen  A.,  of  this  review;  Mrs.  Anna  Roup,  of  Robinson,  Kan- 
sas; Mrs.  Mary  Wade,  of  Robinson;  T.  W.,  also  living  in  Robinson;  Mrs. 
Jane  Parsons,  of  Lawrence,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Laura  Harnorse,  of  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri ;  and  Mrs.  Maggie  Wallace,  of  Robinson,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Holcomb,  of  this  review,  was  reared  on  the  old  home  farm  in  Iowa 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         363 

and  was  early  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy,  wliich  have  proved 
to  him  of  great  vakie  in  his  business  career.  Lessons  "of  honesty  and  relia- 
bihty  were  also  early  instilled  into  his  mind  and  have  largely  colored  his  later 
life.  His  intellectual  development  was  directed  in  the  public  schools,  where 
he  acquired  a  fair  English  education.  He  is  numbered  among  the  soldier  boys 
of  the  Civil  war,  for,  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  responded  to  his  coun- 
try's call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  February,  1863,  as  a  member  of  Company 
E.  Seventh  Iowa  Cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Captain  J.  B.  Davids ;  later 
he  was  under  the  command  of  Captain  J.  P.  Norris.  The  regiment  made  an 
excellent  record  for  gallant  service  on  the  field  and  on  scouting  expeditions. 
Their  work  lay  west  of  the  Missouri  river.  For  a  time  they  were  stationed  on 
the  wild  plains  of  western  Kansas,  in  order  to  suppress  any  uprising  of  hostile 
Indians,  and  later  they  were  located  at  Fort  Ellsworth,  at  Fort  Laramie,  Cot- 
tonwood Springs  and  Fort  Riley.  Mr.  Holcomb  was  faithful  to  the  post  of 
duty,  discharging  every  task  allotted  to  him,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  he  was 
honorably  discharged.  He  then  returned  to  his  father's  home  in  Robinson, 
Brown  county,  and  has  since  been  acti\ely  identified  with  the  business  interests 
of  this  locality. 

On  the  29th  of  March,  1871.  Mr.  Holcomb  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Annie  Richardson,  a  lady  of  intelligence  and  of  good  family,  who  is  well- 
known  as  a  most  estimable  woman.  She  was  born  in  England,  her  parents 
being  Joseph  and  Mary  Richardson.  Her  father  is  now  deceased,  but  her 
mother  is  still  living.  In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holcomb  were  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  survive:  Samuel,  a  leading  and  prominent  merchant 
of  Powhattan,  who  is  now  numbered  among  the  prominent  business  men  of 
Brown  county;  George,  of  Sheridan  county,  Kansas;  Daisy,  William,  Florence 
and  Frank.  They  also  lost  two  children :  John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six 
years,  and  Cora,  at  the  age  of  two.  Mrs.  Holcomb  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  December  7,  1898.  She  was  to  htr  husband  a  faithful  companion  and 
helpmeet,  to  her  children  a  loving  mother  and  to  her  neighbors  a  true  friend. 
Thus  her  death  occasioned  sincere  grief  to  those  in  their  community. 

l\Ir.  Holcomb  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  adjacent  to  the  town  of  Powhattan.  Of  this,  forty  acres  ha\e  been 
laid  out  in  town  lots  and  thus  its  value  increased.  He  has  very  extensive 
realty  interests,  including  the  ownership  of  a  brick  store  30x70  feet.  This  is 
one  of  the  best  buildings  in  the  town.  .Mr.  Holcomb  also  owns  the  hotel  and 
SIX  or  eight  other  leading  buildings,  which  have  contributed  to  the  material 
miprcyement  of  the  place.  He  erected  the  elevator  here  and  carried  on  an 
extensive  trade  as  a  dealer  in  grain,  lumber  and  coal  for  nine  years.  Through- 
out his  life  Mr.  Holcomb  has  been  a  Republican  and  has  served  as  a  justice 
of  the  peace.    He  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 


364  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

lows  and  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church,  taking  an  active  interest  in 
all  those  measures  pertaining  to  the  improvement  and  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity, and  his  efforts  have  been  very  effective  in  securing  public  progress 
along  material,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  lines. 


JOSEPH  N.  WYATT. 

Among  those  who  have  been  active  in  promoting  the  substantial  improve- 
ment of  northeastern  Kansas  is  Joseph  N.  Wyatt,  who  came  to  the  state  in 
i860,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Brown  county.  He  is  now  living  in  Powhattan 
township,  devoting  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  born  in 
Cass  county,  Illinois,  near  Jacksonville,  on  the  22d  of  November,  1842.  His 
father,  George  Wyatt,  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  old 
families  of  that  state.  Removing  northward,  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Cass 
county,  Illinois,  among  its  pioneer  settlers,  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war,  in  1832.  He  married  Harriet  Compton,  who  was  born  in 
New  Jersey,  a  representative  of  an  old  New  England  family.  The  Wyatts 
came  to  Kansas  in  i860  and  cast  in  their  lot  among  the  early  pioneers  of 
Brown  county.  They  had  ten  children,  namely:  Frances,  now  deceased; 
Mrs.  Sarah  Crews ;  Joseph  N. ;  Walter,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Eighth  Kan- 
sas Infantry  during  the  civil  war  and  died  in  Chautauqua  county,  Kansas,  in 
1895 ;  ^^■'S-  Maggie  Ordway;  John,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Sixteenth  Kan- 
sas Infantry  and  died  in  Brown  county,  in  1866;  Mary  and  Julia,  who  are  also 
deceased;  and  Albert  and  George,  who  have  passed  away.  The  parents  lived 
in  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  for  three  years,  and  in  1863  came  to  Brown 
county,  where  the  mother  died  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  The  father  afterward 
returned  to  Cass  county,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his  last  days,  passing  away 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  followed  that 
pursuit  throughout  his  entire  business  career.  He  and  his  sons  were  support- 
ers of  the  Republican  party,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Metli- 
odist  Episcopal  church.  They  were  honest,  industrious  people  of  the  h.ighest 
respectability,  and  wherever  they  went  won  many  warm  friends. 

Joseph  N.  Wyatt  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  state 
of  his  nativity,  coming  to  Kansas  with  his  parents  in  i860.  He  was  reared 
to  the  labors  of  the  farm  and  early  trained  to  habits  of  industry,  economy  and 
honesty,  which  have  proved  important  factors  in  his  later  life.  During  the 
civil  war,  while  yet  in  his  'teens,  he  responded  to  the  country's  call,  enlisting 
in  September,  1863,  when  President  Lincoln  asked  for  three  hundred  thousand 
men  to  aid  in  suppressing  the  rebellion  in  the  South.  He  joined  the  boys  in 
blue  of  Company  G,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Infantry,  under  tlie  command  of  Cap- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  365 

tain  Blackburn  and  Colonel  Bowen.  He  remained  at  the  front  until  the  close 
of  the  war  and  participated  in  many  notable  engagements  and  skirmishes,  in- 
cluding the  battle  of  Prairie  Grove,  Arkansas.  He  was  in  the  engagements 
with  General  Price  and  General  Marmaduke's  troops  and  was  in  much  of  the 
active  service  in  Missouri  and  Kansas.  With  an  excellent  war  record  for 
loyalty,  fearlessness  and  capability,  Mr.  Wyatt  returned  to  his  home  at  the 
close  of  the  war  and  has  since  engaged  in  farming  here. 

He  rented  farms  until  1882,  when  he  came  to  his  present  home.  He  has 
a  good  property  here,  his  residence  occupying  a  natural  building  site,  while 
near  by  are  good  barns,  yards  and  pastures,  furnishing  shelter  and  feed  for 
stock.  An  excellent  orchard  yields  its  fruit  in  season  and  the  fields  are  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  in- 
dicating the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner,  who  is  justly  accounted  one  of 
the  enterprising  farmers  of  his  community. 

In  1867  Mr.  Wyatt  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Burg,  who 
has  been  to  her  husband  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmeet.  She  was  born 
in  Michigan  and  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Maria  (Thortonburg)  Burg, 
the  former  a  native  of  Germany  and  the  latter  born  on  Grand  Island,  in  the 
St.  Lawrence  river.  Her  father  died  in  Michigan,  leaving  two  children,  one 
of  whom  is  now  deceased.  The  mother  is  still  living  and  is  the  wife  of  Har- 
vey Nichols,  one  of  the  veterans  of  the  civil  war,  now  living  in  Brown  county, 
Kansas.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wyatt  have  been  born  six  children,  namely: 
Charles  H.,  of  Colorado;  Arloa,  the  wife  of  S.  Thornton,  of  Powhattan  town- 
ship, Brown  county;  Nelson  N. ;  Mary  J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years; 
Elmer,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years ;  and  Elsie,  who  died  when  three 
years  old. 

Mr.  W'yatt  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  affiliations  and  keeps  well  in- 
formed on  the  issues  of  the  day,  but  has  never  aspired  to  public  office,  his  atten- 
tion being  fully  occupied  by  his  farming  interests.  He  belongs  to  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  and  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the  Christian 
church.  He  is  an  honorable  and  upright  business  man,  frank  and  jovial  in 
manner  and  possesses  those  sterling  qualities  of  character  which  everywhere 
command  respect. 


A.   J.   MAYER. 

A.  J.  Mayer,  one  of  the  well-known  citizens  of  Brown  county,  Kansas, 
was  born  near  Lexington,  Kentucky.  July  i,  1848.  His  father,  John  Mayer, 
also  a  native  of  that  state,  was  of  French  descent.  The  mother  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Martha  Chambers.  About  1853  the  family  moved  to  Jo 
Daviess  county,  Illinois,  and  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  that  section 


366  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  the  state.  There  tlie  father  of  our  subject  died,  but  the  mother  is  still  living, 
her  home  now  being  in  Leon,  Decatur  county,  Iowa.  In  their  family  were 
five  sons  and  five  daughters. 

A.  J.  Mayer,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  a  youth  of  only 
five  years  when  he  went  to  Jo  Daviess  county,  and  there  he  was  reared  upon  a 
farm,  receiving  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  worked  in  the  fields 
through  the  summer  months  and  familiarized  himself  with  the  elementary 
branches  of  English  learning  during  the  winter.  During  the  Civil  war  he  loy- 
ally responded  to  the  call  for  aid,  joining  the  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry,  in 
which  he  served  until  hostilities  had  ended  and  peace  was  declared.  After  the 
war  he  came  to  Kansas  and  for  some  time  located  in  the  western  portion  of  this 
state,  also  in  the  Indian  Territory,  and  in  Texas,  where  he  was  employed  as 
a  cowboy  for  some  years.  Ultimately  he  located  in  Brown  county,  Kansas, 
in  1874,  and  was  married  in  Hiawatha  the  same  year  to  Miss  Matilda  La 
Croix,  who  was  born  at  Havre,  France,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in  Illinois 
and  Missouri.  Priort  o  her  marriage  she  was  accounted  one  of  the  most 
capable  teachers  of  Brown  county,  Kansas.  Her  parents  were  John  and  Jane 
La  Croix,  also  natives  of  France.  By  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mayer 
five  children  have  been  born :  ThadJ  who  is  living  in  Grand  Junction,  Colo- 
rado ;  Carrie,  a  resident  of  Powhattan ;  and  Nellie,  Tony  and  Daisy,  at  home. 

After  reading  law  in  the  office  "and  under  the  direction  of  Ryan  &  Stew- 
art, in  Hiawatha,  Kansas,  Mr.  Mayer  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Jefferson 
county  in  1897.  He  had  previously  practiced  law  in  the  justice  courts  for 
many  years.  He  is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  in  the 
real  estate  business  at  Valley  Falls,  where  he  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  Mayer  &  Fulton.  He  is  a  close  student  of  the  principles  of  jurisprudence 
and  prepares  his  cases  with  great  thoroughness  and  precision,  qualities  which 
have  enabled  him  to  gain  success  at  the  bar.  He  is  also  one  of  the  leading 
real  estate  dealers  of  the  county  and  has  for  sale  a  number  of  excellent  farms 
in  northeastern  Kansas.  He  is  one  of  the  best  informed  men  on  land  values 
in  the  county,  for  his  long  term  of  residence  in  Kansas  and  his  extended  ex- 
perience as  a  farmer  in  Brown  county  has  made  him  an  excellent  judge  of  land. 
He  prosecutes  his  business  affairs  with  diligence  and  enterprise  and  his  labors 
have  brought  to  him  creditable  financial  returns. 


WILLIAM  J.  WILSON. 

William  J.  Wilson  resides  upon  a  well-developed  farm  in  Powhattan 
township.  Brown  county,  and  is  numbered  among  the  honored  veterans  of  the 
late  war,  who  at  the  call  for  troops  joined  the  boys  in  blue  and  with  undaunted 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         367 

bravery  fought  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  until  supremacy  was  estab- 
lished and  the  Hag  was  planted  in  the  capital  of  the  Southern  confederacy. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  born  in  Lawrence  county,  Ohio,  June  27,  1846,  on  a  farm 
which  his  grandfather  secured  as  a  claim  from  the  government.  It  was 
located  on  Syms  Run,  in  Union  township,  that  county.  His  father,  Samuel 
S.  Wilson,  was  born  on  the  same  farm  and  was  a  son  of  William  Wilson,  a 
native  of  Virginia,  who  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  181 2.  In  recognition 
of  his  services  he  received  a  land  warrant,  which  he  located  in  Ohio,  thus  be- 
coming the  owner  of  the  farm  upon  which  our  subject  was  born.  Samuel  S. 
Wilson,  having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  married  Malinda  Hefner,  who 
was  born  in  Virginia  and  was  reared  in  Ohio,  her  father,  Jacob  Hefner,  being 
a  resident  of  the  former  state.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  were  born  nine 
children,  namely:  William  J.,  Catherine,  Sarah  F.,  Samuel  L.,  Ira  (de- 
ceased), Isaac,  a  minister  of  the  Christian  church  and  a  well-known  lecturer; 
and  the  rest  died  in  infancy.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven  years,  and  their  father  passed  away  when  fifty-three  years  of  age. 
He  made  farming  his  life  work,  following  that  pursuit  throughout  his  entire 
career.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  afterward  a  Republican,  and  in 
religious  belief  both  he  and  his  wife  were  Methodists. 

Mr.  Wilson,  of  this  review,  was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Ohio, 
aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  field  and  meadow  through  the  summer  months, 
while  in  the  winter  season  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools. 
He  was  married  in  Lawrence  county,  Ohio,  on  the  8th  of  April,  1867,  to  Miss 
ijarah  C.  Chapin,  a  capable  teacher  and  a  representative  of  a  good  family.  Her 
parents  were  Nathan  and  Zela  (Booth)  Chapin,  the  former  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  They  had  five  children,  namely :  Mrs.  Sarah 
Wilson;  John,  of  Muncie,  Indiana;  David  and  James,  now  deceased;  and 
Oliver,  who  is  living  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Their  father  carried  on  agricult- 
ural pursuits  and  was  an  enterprising  business  man.  He  voted  with  the  Re- 
publican party  and  his  religious  views  were  in  harmony  with  the  doctrines  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

William  J.  Wilson,  the  subject  of  this  review,  resided  in  Ohio  until  1869, 
when  he  removed  to  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  locating  near  Muncie.  There 
he  lived  for  seven  years,  when  he  went  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and  in 
1882  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Brown  county.  In  1886  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Nemaha  county,  where  he  continued  for  nine  years,  when  he  located 
in  Powhattan  township,  this  county.  Here  he  has  since  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  his  well-improved  fields  have  brought  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in 
return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  has  bestowed  upon  them.  He  has  made  a 
good  home  for  himself  and  family  and  now  has  one  of  the  desirable  properties 
of  the  neighborhood. 


368  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  have  been-  born  five  children,  namely: 
Samuel  Nathan,  who  is  married  and  lives  near  his  father;  Ed  K. :  jMattie,  of 
Horton,  Kansas,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Wetmore  high  school  and  a  success- 
ful teacher;  Chester  and  Sarah  C.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the 
community,  the  members  of  the  household  occupying  a  high  position  in  social 
circles. 

During  the  civil  war  Mr.  Wilson  enlisted  twice  and  served  in  three  dif- 
ferent companies.  He  joined  the  army  in  May,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany D,  Ninety-first  Ohio  Infantry,  with  wdiich  he  served  until  the  3d  of  July 
following,  when  he  suffered  an  attack  of  typhoid  fever  and  was  sent  home, 
being  afterward  discharged  from  the  service.  On  the  14th  of  July,  1863, 
however,  he  enlisted  in  the  Forty-fifth  Mounted  Infantry,  from  which  he  was 
discharged  on  the  24th  of  November,  1864.  He  then  joined  the  Sharpshooters 
and  did  duty  in  Kentucky.  He  served  as  guard  at  General  Thomas'  head- 
quarters and  at  one  time  also  acted  as  an  escort  guard  for  General  Thomas  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee.  He  was  finally  discharged  from  the  service  on  the  19th 
of  July,  1 865, with  a  most  honorable  military  record.  He  is  now  a  member 
Sif  Goff  Post,  No.  411,  G.  A.  R.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Methodist  church 
and  is  a  man  of  ste^-ling  purpose  whose  life  has  been  honorable,  upright  and 
commendable. 


WILLIAM   D.   RIFE. 

William  D.  Rife  is  one  of  the  well-known  early  settlers  of  Brown  county 
and  is  an  enterprising  and  successful  man  whose  residence  here  dates  from 
1869.  He  was  born  near  Gettysburg,  in  Adams  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  the 
26th  of  January.  1841,  and  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  state, 
of  German  descent.  His  grandfather,  David  Rife,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  the  father,  Andrew  Rife,  was  a  native  of  Adams  county,  in  which  place 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  Stewart,  also  a  native  of  Adams  county  and  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  They  had  six  children,  namely :  Lavina,  now  deceased ;  William 
D. ;  Jane,  who  also  has  passed  away ;  Rebecca,  Alexander  and  John.  Their 
father  died  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years.  He  was  a  stone-mason  by  trade  and  in  connection  with  that  business 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming  in  order  to  support  his  family.  In  poli- 
tics he  was  a  Whig  until  the  dissolution  of  the  party,  wdien  he  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  Republican  party  and  continued  to  follow  its  banners  until  his  con- 
nection with  the  affairs  of  life  was  terminated.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a 
Lutheran.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  living  in  Latrobe.  Pennsyl- 
vania, at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         369 

William  D.  Rife  spent  the  first  se\en  years  of  his  life  in  the  county  of  his 
nativity,  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Westmoreland 
county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  reared  upon  a  farm.  His  time  was 
largely  occupied  with  the  duties  of  field  and  meadow,  for  he  was  early  trained 
in  the  habits  of  industry  and  economy — a  training  which  ably  fitted  him  for 
life's  practical  duties  in  later  years.  The  public-school  system  of  the  state 
afforded  him  his  educational  privileges.  He  remained  at  home  until  after 
the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war,  when,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  he 
responded  to  his  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  Company  I  of  the 
Eleventh  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Reserves.  He  was  in  the  seven-days 
fight  at  Gaines'  Hill  and  was  there  taken  prisoner,  but  was  afterward  ex- 
changed. Later  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  engaged  in  farming  until 
1869.  when  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  Sunflower  state.  Making 
his  way  westward,  he  took  up  his  abode  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  Hiawatha, 
where  he  lived  for  six  years.  He  then  exchanged  his  property  there  for  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Powhattan  township.  Brown  county,  and 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  lived  upon  his  present  farm,  which  is  now  one 
of  the  best  improved  in  the  township.  His  home  is  situated  upon  a  natural 
building  site  and  near  by  is  a  beautiful  grove.  An  orchard  also  adds  to  the 
value  and  attractive  appearance  of  the  place,  and  among  the  other  improve- 
ments are  large  barns  and  other  necessary  outbuildings.  The  straight  fur- 
rows across  the  fields  are  an  indication  of  coming  harvests,  and  everything 
about  the  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance  and  kept  in  first-class  con- 
dition.    A  barn  recently  erected  is  38x40  feet,  with  eighteen-foot  posts. 

On  the  23d  of  March,  1865,  Mr.  Rife  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Kate  Wilt,  a  lady  from  a  good  family,  who  has  been  to  her  husband  a  faithful 
companion  and  helpmeet  on  life's  journey.  She  was  born  in  Somerset 
county,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  28th  of  Feburary,  1846,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Michael  and  Susan  (Barret)  Wilt,  the  former  of  German  descent.  They  had 
a  family  of  twelve  children,  five  sons  and  seven  daughters,  and  four  of  their 
sons  were  loyal  defenders  of  the  Union  during  the  Civil  war.  Noah  died  in 
the  war,  Michael  is  now  living  in  Pennsylvania,  Reuben  was  killed  at  An- 
tietam  and  Cyrus  is  living  in  the  Keystone  state.  The  other  son  was  David, 
and  the  daughters  were  Caroline,  now  deceased ;  Margaret,  Rachel,  Isabelle' 
Elizabeth,  Mary,  Kate  and  May.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  at  the  age 
of  forty-four  years  and  the  father  when  se\-enty-two  years  of  age.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  blacksmith,  was  a  Republican  in  political  afliliations  and  a  Meth- 
odist in  his  religious  faith. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rife  has  been  blessed  with  ten  children, 
namely :     Mrs.  Carrie  Stratton ;  Stewart,  a  blacksmith  of  Powhattan,  Kansas ; 


370  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mrs.  Nettie  Fry;  Mrs.  Emma  Hogan;  George,  also  of  Powliattan;  Harry,  of 
Fairview ;  Jesse,  Myrtle,  Cordie  and  Lloyd. 

Mr.  Rife  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  suppqrt  of  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  preferring 
to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs,  and  in  the  public  station 
has  served  only  on  the  school  board.  He  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic  and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  is  a 
man  of  sterling  worth  and  strictest  integrity  whose  word  is  as  good  as  his 
bond.  His  life  has  been  upright  and  honorable  and  his  unflagging  industry 
has  brought  to  him  the  success  which  he  now  enjoys.  He  well  deserves  men- 
tion among  the  honored  pioneers  of  Brown  county,  for  few  have  longer  re- 
sided within  its  borders  than  William  D.  Rife. 


SAMUEL  V.  POSTON. 

Samuel  V.  Poston  is  one  of  the  prominent  pioneer  settlers  of  Brown 
county,  his  residence  here  covering  a  period  of  almost  a  third  of  a  century, 
during  which  time  he  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  public  develop- 
ment, progress  and  improvement.  He  was  born  in  Athens  county,  Ohio,  near 
the  city  of  Athens,  on  the  24th  of  December,  1847.  His  father,  Elias  Poston, 
was  a  well-known  citizen  of  Brown  county  for  many  years.  He  was  a  native 
of  Virginia  and  the  son  of  James  Poston,  who  also  was  born  in  the  Old  Domin- 
ion and  is  of  Irish  lineage.  The  father  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  181 2. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native  state  and  in  Ohio.  In  the 
latter  he  married  Miss  Amanda  Harrold,  who  was  born  in  Athens  county, 
Ohio,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Asbury  Harrold,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
died  in  the  Buckeye  state.  He  was  a  coal  operator  and  farmer  and  became  a 
very  prominent  and  influential  citizen  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poston  became  the  parents  of  eight  children:  John  W.,  who 
is  now  living  in  Powhattan  township.  Brown  county,  Kansas ;  Mary,  the  wife 
of  Ed  McKellup,  of  Seneca,  Kansas;  William,  of  Jackson  county;  Henry,  who 
served  four  years  in  the  Eighty-seventh  Indiana  Infantry  during  the  civil  war 
and  is  now  living  in  Netawaka  township,  Jackson  county,  Kansas ;  Samuel  V. ; 
Elizabeth,  the  widow  of  C.  Osborn ;  Mrs.  Emma  Baker,  a  widow,  living  in  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri;  and  Josephine,  the  wife  of  William  Morford,  of  Jackson 
county,  Kansas. 

The  Poston  family  removed  from  Ohio  to  Laporte  county,  Indiana,  where 
they  lived  until  1869.  when  they  came  to  Brown  county.  Kansas,  settling  upon 
a  farm  in  Powhattan  township,  where  they  lived  until  called  to  their  final 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  37  x 

rest.    The  father  ,he,l  at  tl:e  age  of  seventy-seven  years  and  the  mother  passed 
M^Ldi  t  f'^"'  °\^'f  ^>r'^-  >--■     She  was  a  consistent  men.,  "r  o    t  e 
Me  hodust  Ep,scopal  church,  but  the  father  was  liberal  in  his  religious  view 
Bo  h  were  honorable  and  respected  people  and  reared  a  family  of  whonrthev 
had  every  reason  to  be  proud.  ^  "^- 

Samuel  V.  Poston   of  this  review,  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  when  he  went 
o  Laporte  county,  Ind.ana.     He  was  reared  upon  the  old  Hoosier  lorn 
stead,  where  he  was  taught  to  chop  wood  and  clear  land,  to  be  honest  and 
.ndustno         He  acquired  a  good  education  in  the  public 'schools  Z^ 
tmie  of  the  cvd  war  he  made  se^•eral  attempts  to  enlist,  but  was  refused  on 

E,ghty-seyenth  Indiana  Infantry,  serving  under  command  of  Captain  Vern 
He  parfopated  m  the  battles  of  Chickamauga.  Buzzards'  Roost.  New  HoTe 
Church,  Burnt  H,ckory.  the  sieges  of  Atlanta  and  Savannah.  Jonesboro  and  I 

patant^-  '  '"''T''  '"  '"  ''''''  '''''''''  ^'^^  ^^^  -'^"rated  mi  i  a  y 
pageant  ever  seen  on  the  western  hemisphere.  He  was  wounded  in  the  ri^h^ 
e.  by  a  gunshot,  but  otherwise  escaped  injury  and  was  honorably  dis  har^ 

blelirbllrhr ""^■'  ''-'  '''  — ^  ''  '-  •—  -•--  ^ad 

iSfi/^';  ^°f "  "''"  ''i"™'^  '°  ^"'  '^°"^"  '"  ^"^'^"^'  ^^•h^'-^  '^^  remained  until 
1868,  when  he  came  to  Powhattan  township.  Brown  county.  Kansas.  He  wa 
marned.  on  the  31st  of  December,  of  that  year,  to  Miss  Nancy  Gubb.  a  lal 

hepmeet.  She  was  born  near  Greencastle,  Putnam  county,  Indiana,  a  daugh- 
of  G  rL  Charlotte  (Webb)  Gubb.    Her  father  was  born  in  Delaware, 

of  German  parentage,  and  was  married,  in  Putnam  county.  Indiana,  to  Miss 
r  hh  '  "  ^^",^^"^^■-  °f  I-"^-'l<y-  They  came  to  Kansas  in  1858.  Mr 
Gubb  was  an  Aboht.on.st  and  a  warm  personal  friend  of  John  Brown  who 
o  ten  v.s,ted  at  h.s  home,  bringing  with  him  negro  slaves  ihom  he  was  on^ 
S"  :>^  on  the:r  way  to  freedom.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gubb  were  members  of  I 
Chr.t,an  church  and  the  latter  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years,  the  former 

Brown  ct  '  °"^>\°*  -^^-^  -""ty'  Kansas;  Mrs.  Rachel  N  wton.  of 
the  wife  o"fT^  ';  V  t'  "'^^  °'  ^^"'■^-  P°^^°"'  ''  J-"^-"  -""tv;  Nancv. 
Powh  ttan  t      "7   '7°^^°"^  J---'  -J-  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  m 

The  f  nilv  :7  T    " '"'"  ^'^^^'"  "^'  '  "^'^^"^  °^  ^^^^^--'^--  Kansas, 

ine  tamil>  uas  one  of  prommence  in  the  community 

L  nto  Mr.  and  Airs.  Poston.  of  this  review,  have  bee.i  born  three  children  • 
Jan.es,  who  marr.ed  Mary  Peterson  and  resides  in  Jackson  county;  C  C,  X 


372  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

married  Marie  Anderson  and  is  living  in  Jackson  county ;  and  Edna,  who  is 
the  wife  of  George  Hoenshell,  of  Brown  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poston  reside 
upon  an  excellent  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  is  kept  in  first-class  condition  and  improved  with  all  modern  acces- 
sories. He  raises  corn  on  a  very  extensive  scale,  producing  from  thirty  to 
fifty  thousand  bushels  annually.  He  also  keeps  on  hand  a  high  grade  of 
horses,  cattle,  mules  and  hogs,  and  runs  his  farm  by  progressive  methods.  He 
is  both  systematic  and  energetic  and  his  labors  have  brought  to  him  a  most 
desirable  competence.  He  and  his  wife  are  genial  and  hospitable  people  and 
have  a  very  large  circle  of  warm  friends  and  enjoy  the  high  regard  of  all  with 
whom  they  are  brought  in  contact. 


MARION  WALTERS. 

Marion  Walters  was  one  of  the  well-known  and  honored  citizens  of  Mis- 
sion township.  Brown  county,  and  was  a  veteran  of  the  Ci\il  war,  who  for 
three  years  loyally  aided  in  defending  the  Union.  He  came  to  Brown  county 
in  1872  and  has  since  made  his  home  here,  so  that  in  the  passing  years  his 
townsmen  have  had  ample  opportunity  to  judge  of  his  work,  and  that  they 
accorded  him  their  respect  is  an  indication  of  his  well-spent  life. 

Mr.  Walters  was  born  in  Fulton  county,  Illinois,  June  21,  1842,  and  is  a 
son  of  Peter  Walters,  a  native  of  Tennessee.  His  paternal  grandfather  also 
was  born  and  reared  in  Tennessee.  The  former,  when  a  young  man,  removed 
to  Illinois,  which  was  then  a  wild,  unimproved  region.  He  was  married,  in 
Fulton  county,  that  state,  to  Miss  Tina  Roberts,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  the  following  children,  namely :  William ;  Eliza- 
betli ;  Marion;  Adaline;  Joseph,  who  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war  and 
is  now  living  in  Table  Grove,  Illinois:  Nancy,  Robert,  Martha,  John,  Mary, 
George  and  Lucy.  The  father  of  our  subject  died  at  the  age  of  se\enty-three 
years.  He  had  made  farming  his  life  work  and  was  an  industrious  citizen, 
whose  success  was  the  reward  of  his  labor.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church  and  they  died  in  Illinois  when  about  seventy  years 
of  age,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  then:. 

Amid  the  refining  influences  of  a  good  home,  where  Christian  principles 
were  exemplified  in  daily  conduct,  Marion  Walters  was  reared.  He  spent  his 
boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm  and  through  the  winter  months  pursued 
his  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  watched  with  interest  the  progress  of 
events  in  the  south  prior  to  the  civil  war  and  resolved  that  if  an  attempt  was 
made  to  overthrow  the  Union  he  would  strike  a  blow  in  its  defense.    Accord- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  373 

ingiy.  wlien  President  Lincoln  issued  his  call  for  three  hundred  thousand  men 
in  iS6_',  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Third  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Van  Devender  and  Colonel  F. 
Babcock.  He  participated  in  a  number  of  most  important  engagements  of  the 
long  conflict,  including  the  battle  of  Black  River  and  Jackson,  Mississippi, 
and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  In  the  last  named  the  regiment  was  actively 
engaged  against  General  Joe  Johnston  and  his  Confederate  troops.  Later  the 
One  Hundred  and  Third  Illinois  was  under  fire  at  Mission  Ridge,  at  Knox- 
ville,  through  the  Atlanta  campaign,  at  New  Hope  Church  and  at  Burnt 
Hickory.  Mr.  Walters  also  jjarticipated  in  the  battle  in  which  General 
McPherson  was  killed,  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  afterward  marched 
against  Savannah  and  through  the  Carolinas,  participating  in  the  engage- 
ment at  Raleigh  and  Bentonville.  With  his  regiment  he  then  went  to  Rich- 
mond and  on  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  participated  in  the  grand  review, 
the  most  celebrated  military  pageant  ever  seen  in  the  western  hemisphere.  He 
was  in  twenty-seven  battles,  besides  numerous  skirmishes.  At  Mission  Ridge 
he  was  wounded,  being  shot  in  the  left  leg.  From  November  until  the  follow- 
inPf  February  he  remained  in  the  hospital  and  then  rejoined  his  regiment.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  he  was  honorably  discharged,  having  made  a  good  record 
as  a  brave  and  gallant  soldier. 

Upon  his  return  to  Illinois  Mr.  Walters  engaged  in  farming  in  Fulton 
county  and  has  since  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was 
married,  in  1866,  to  Miss  Theresa  Harwidel,  who  was  born  in  Germany  and 
when  a  maiden  of  twelve  summers  accompanied  her  parents  on  their  emigra- 
tion to  Pennsylvania,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Savilla  Harwidel,  both  natives  of  the  fatherland.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Walters  have  been  born  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  living, 
namely:  Christina,  the  wife  of  George  W.  Trum,  a  well-known  citizen  of 
Horton,  Kansas;  Alice,  the  wife  of  George  Renaker,  of  Brown  county;  John 
Elmer,  also  of  Brown  county;  Ernest,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years; 
Joseph,  Robert  and  Linneus. 

Mr.  Walters  came  to  Brown  county  in  1872.  locating  upon  his  present 
farm  of  eighty  acres.  He  has  a  very  large  and  comfortable  residence  here, 
together  with  good  barns,  orchards,  verdant  meadows  and  well-tilled  fields.' 
The  property  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  farms  in  the  community  and  the 
owner  is  recognized  as  an  enterprising  and  progressive  agriculturist.  What- 
ever success  he  has  achieved  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efiforts,  for  he  had  no 
influential  friends  or  wealth  to  aid  him  on  starting  out  in  life.  In  politics  he 
IS  a  Democrat  and  has  served  as  a  road  supervisor  and  justice  of  the  peace. 
His  life  has  been  quietly  passed,  yet  his  career  has  been  a  useful  and  honorable 
one,  commanding  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him. 


374  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  ] 

REV.  J.   HILDEBRAND. 

Rev.  J.  Hildebrand  is  the  able  and  honored  priest  in  charge  of  St.  Leo's 
church  in  Horton,  Kansas,  and  his  labors  have  been  effective  in  promoting  the 
welfare  of  that  religious  organization.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  his  birth 
having  occurred  on  the  i8th  of  January,  1870.  in  the  fatherland.  His  parents 
were  devoted  members  of  the  Catholic  church  and  early  dedicated  their  son 
to  its  work.  Father  Hildebrand,  of  this  review,  supplemented  his  preliminary 
education  by  study  in  an  American  college  at  Louvain,  Belgium.  He  was 
ordained  to  the  priesthood  in  1894  and  his  first  parochial  charge  was  at 
Neodesha,  Wilson  county,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He 
was  then  given  charge  of  St.  Dominick's  church  at  Holton.  Kansas,  and  in 
1898  took  charge  of  St.  Leo's  church  in  Horton.  The  house  of  worship  is  a 
large  three-story  edifice,  erected  at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand  dollars,  upon 
which  three  thousand  dollars  have  already  been  expended.  The  church  was 
organized  under  the  direction  of  Father  A.  W.  Jennings,  who  had  charge  of 
the  parish  for  three  years  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  T.  H.  Kinsella,  who 
was  its  pastor  from  1892  until  1895.  Father  Meehan  remained  in  charge  from 
1895  until  1898,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Father  Hildebrand.  The  building 
contains,  in  addition  to  the  large  chapel,  two  large  and  comfortable  school 
rooms,  in  which  the  sessions  of  the  parochial  school  are  held,  being  conducted 
in  connection  with  the  church  work  and  under  the  guidance  of  the  St.  Joseph 
Sisters.  The  school  now  has  an  enrollment  of  forty  pupils.  The  membership 
of  the  church  represents  seventy  families  and  in  its  various  departments  the 
society  is  in  good  working  order.  Father  Hildebrand  is  untiring  in  his  efforts 
to  promote  the  cause  of  Catholicism  and  as  a  financier  his  ability  is  unques- 
tioned. He  enjoys  the  high  regard  of  his  parishioners  and  is  favorably  known 
throughout  the  community. 


JAMES  H.  ADAMS. 


James  H.  Adams  dates  his  residence  in  Brown  county  from  1881  and  his 
connection  with  the  public  affairs  of  Powhattan  and  of  Mission  townships 
has  made  him  one  of  the  valued  and  representative  citizens  of  the  community. 
A  native  of  Lidiana,  Mr.  Adams  was  born  in  Parke  county  on  the  i8th  of 
March,  1842.  His  father,  Daniel  Adams,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born 
February  14,  1809.  The  grandfather,  William  Adams,  claimed  Tennessee  as 
the  state  of  his  nativity  and  was  a  representative  of  an  old  Virginia  family, 
whose  ancestors  came  from  England,  locating  in  Jamestown,  Virginia,  prior 
to  the  Revolutionary  war.    Representatives  of  the  name  were  Whigs  in  their 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         375 

political  views  and  during  the  Revolution  they  bore  many  hardships  inflicted 
by  the  Tories.  Patriotic  and  earnest,  they  defended  the  cause  of  independence 
and  hesitated  not  in  upholding  their  lionest  convictions. 

Daniel  .\dams  was  reared  in  Kentucky  and  when  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
one  years  removed  to  Parke  county.  Indiana,  where  he  worked  on  the  national 
pike  road,  then  being  built  from  Washington,  D.  C.  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
In  July,  1835,  he  was  married,  in  Parke  county,  to  Miss  Mary  Beauchamp, 
whose  birth  occurred  September  8.  181 7,  in  Richmond,  Wayne  county,  Indi- 
ana. She  died  September  2,  1847.  leaving  a  family  who  greatly  mourned  her 
loss.  Her  father.  Henry  Beauchamp,  was  born  in  Maryland  September  6. 
1776.  and  is  descended  from  French  ancestry  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America  in  colonial  days,  taking  up  their  abode  at  Guilford,  North  Carolina. 
He  married  Miss  Catherine  McLain.  who  was  of  Scotch  descent.  Her  birth 
occurred  September  16,  1784,  and  her  death  in  1866.  Daniel  and  Mary 
Adams  had  four  children,  namely:  Henry  S. :  Phoebe  E.,  the  wife  of  G.  W. 
Davis,  of  Baker,  Kansas;  James  H. ;  and  John  Z.,  now  deceased,  who  served 
as  a  member  of  the  Fourth  Indiana  Cavalry  during  the  civil  war.  He  died 
at  Antioch  (now  Andrews),  Huntington  county,  Indiana,  leaving  a  widow 
and  two  children.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  the  father  of  this  family 
married  Mrs.  Indiann  Hart,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children,  two  sons 
and  three  daughters,  namely :  Mrs.  Elizabeth  House,  deceased ;  Thomas,  of 
Levi,  Polk  county,  Iowa;  Mrs.  Mary  Vernon,  of  Cass  county,  Indiana;  Mrs. 
Orinda  Grifiith,  of  Kappa,  Howard  county,  Indiana;  and  Wesley,  deceased. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  following  that  pursuit  was  enabled 
to  support  his  family.  He  lived  an  honorable  and  upright  life  and  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig  until  the 
dissolution  of  that  party,  when  he  became  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy.  He 
died  in  Kappa,  Howard  county,  Indiana,  July  19.  1898,  at  the  age  of  ninety 
years. 

James  H.  Adams,  the  subject  of  this  review,  was  reared  in  the  countie? 
of  Howard  and  Cass  in  Indiana,  obtaining  his  education  in  the  district  schools 
there.  He  conned  his  lessons  while  sitting  on  a  slab  seat,  and  a  heavy  slab, 
mounted  upon  pins  in  the  wall,  served  for  a  desk.  All  of  the  furnishings  and 
everything  connected  with  the  school  were- of  the  most  primitive  type,  but  the 
scholars  were  required  to  thoroughly  master  the  "three  R's."  Mr.  Adams 
assisted  in  the  cultivation  and  development  of  the  home  farm  during  his  youth 
and  after  the  inauguration  of  the  civil  war  he  responded  to  the  country's  call 
for  troops  and,  with  patriotic  ardor,  enlisted  at  Andrews,  Indiana,  on  the 
24th  of  October,  1861,  under  Captain  Wintrode,  for  three  years'  service.  He 
became  a  member  of  the  Forty-seventh  Regiment  of  Indiana  Volunteers  and 
with  his  command  went  to  the  south,  where  he  participated  in  several  import- 


3/6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ant  engagements.  He  took  part  in  the  siege  of  V^icksburg,  under  General 
Grant,  and  was  present  at  the  time  of  its  surrender,  on  the  4th  of  July,  1863, 
when  the  stars  and  stripes  were  planted  over  that  city.  He  was  also  in  the 
battle  of  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana.  He  was  very  fortunate  in  that  he  was  never 
wounded  or  ill,  and  with  the  rank  of  sergeant  of  his  company  he  was  honorably 
discharged  at  Baton  Rouge  on  the  23d  of  October.  1S65,  after  which  he 
returned  to  his  home  in  Indiana. 

For  about  eighteen  months  Mr.  Adams  was  employed  in  the  lumber 
camps  at  Osceola,  Michigan.  He  was  married,  October  i,  1867,  in  Hunting- 
ton county,  Indiana,  to  Miss  M.  E.  Randolph,  who  was  reared  and  educated 
in  the  Hoosier  state  and  is  a  daughter  of  Rhodes  and  M.  E.  (Fish)  Randolph, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Indiana.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
fi\e  cliildren,  namely:  Schuyler,  now  of  Bloomington,  Illinois;  Ina  May,  the 
wife  of  C.  Zimmerman,  of  Powhattan,  Kansas;  Ora  R.,  a  railroad  man  now  in 
the  employ  of  the  Santa  Fe  Company  and  residing  at  Wellington,  Kansas; 
Charles  H.,  a  clerk  in  L.  B.  Perkheiser's  general  mercantile  store;  and  Mary 
Emma,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten  months. 

Upon  his  removal  to  Brown  county,  in  1881.  Mr.  Adams  took  up  his 
abode  upon  a  farm  in  Mission  township,  eight  miles  southwest  of  Hiawatha, 
and  since  1889  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Powhattan,  where  he  is  now  accept- 
ably serving  as  the  police  judge.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican and  on  the  29th  of  October,  1890,  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Powhat- 
tan. in  which  position  he  served  until  February,  1894,  proving  a  genial  and 
accommodating  public  officer.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  in  its  welfare  and  progress  take  considerable 
interest.  In  civil  and  military  life  he  has  demonstrated  his  loyalty  to  duty,  and 
at  all  times  his  career  has  been  that  of  a  man  who  holds  that  the  deserved 
respect  of  his  fellow  men  is  preferable  to  wealth. 


ALEX  X.  CAMPBELL.  M.  D. 

Dr.  Campbell  is  now  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery  in  Horton,  Kansas.  He  has  for  nearly  thirty  years  resided  west  of 
the  Mississippi  river,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Strathroy,  Canada,  on  the 
17th  of  April,  1847.  His  father,  Alexander  Campbell,  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  married  Miss  Jennet  McArthur,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Inverness,  Scotland,  and  to  them  were  born  seven  children, 
namely :  John,  Dougald,  Archie,  Alex,  Margaret,  Nancy  and  Jessie.  All  of 
the  children  are  still  living.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  years  and 
the  mother  died  in  her  eighty-first  year. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         377 

Dr.  Campl)ell,  of  tliis  review,  acquired  a  good  education  in  his  youth, 
his  preliminary  privileges  being  supplemented  by  study  in  a  college  in  Macon 
City,  Missouri,  and  in  the  State  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.  He 
took  up  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  W. 
B.  Lensey,  a  practicing  physician  and  surgeon  of  his  native  town,  who  had 
obtained  his  professional  training  in  the  universities  of  Edinburg  and  London. 
After  his  graduation  in  the  Michigan  University,  in  the  class  of  1876,  Dr. 
Campbell  located  at  Jamesport,  Missouri,  where  he  remained  until  1887,  when 
he  came  to  Horton.  He  has  been  particularly  successful  in  the  practice  of 
medicine,  in  which  his  efforts  have  been  attended  with  excellent  results.  He 
has  built  up  a  very  large  practice  and  has  not  only  gained  therefrom  a  com- 
fortable competence,  but  has  won  the  confidence  of  the  general  public,  while 
the  profession  accords  him  a  leading  place  in  its  ranks.  Ambitious  of  attain- 
ing a  high  degree  of  excellence,  he  has  always  been  a  close  reader  of  the  medi- 
cal literature  of  the  day  and  is  well  informed  concerning  the  discoveries  of  the 
science  and  the  improved  methods  of  leading  practitioners  throughout  the 
world.  His  practice  extends  to  adjacent  towns  and  villages  and  is  now  very 
large. 

The  Doctor  was  married,  in  Gallatin,  Missouri,  to  Miss  Fanny  Nichols, 
who  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Missouri,  and  is  a  daughter  of  B.  F.  and 
Elizabeth  Nichols.  She  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  who  presides 
with  gracious  hospitality  over  her  pleasant  home.  To  the  Doctor  and  his  wife 
has  been  born  a  daughter.  Bessie.  Although  the  demands  of  his  profession  are 
such  as  to  largely  occupy  his  time  he  yet  finds  opportunity  to  discharge  his 
social  obligations  and  is  an  honored  and  valued  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  Masonic  fraternities.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  an 
advocate  of  the  Bryan  policy.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 
In  manner  the  Doctor  is  pleasant  and  unassuming  and  is  regarded  as  a  popular 
and  highly  respected  citizen. 


DANIEL  HILL. 


Daniel  Hill,  one  of  the  old  and  trusted  engineers  on  the  Rock  Island  Rail- 
road, with  which  he  has  been  connected  for  twenty-six  and  a  half  years,  was 
born  in  Hornellsville,  New  York,  in  1851.  His  father.  John  Hill,  was  for 
more  than  forty  years  a  railroad  engineer  and  was  employed  on  the  old  Erie 
Railroad  until  1856.  when  he  removed  to  Chicago  and  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Donohue 
and  four  children  were  born  of  their  union,  namely:    John;  Agnes;  Mary  A., 


378  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

who  died  in  Chicago;  and  Daniel,  who  makes  his  home  in  that  city.  The 
mother  of  these  children  still  survives,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  and 
resides  in  Horton,  and  the  father  passed  away  in  Englewood,  Illinois,  on  the 
9th  of  September,    1898. 

Daniel  Hill,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  obtained  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  and  when  sixteen  years  of  age  entered  upon  his  busi- 
ness career  as  an  employee  of  the  railroad  company.  When  twenty  years  of 
age  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  engineer  and  has  since  served  in  that 
capacity.  On  his  first  run  he  was  in  charge  of  a  switch  engine  on  the  C.  R.  I.  & 
P.  Railroad.  For  thirty-two  years  he  has  been  following  the  respectable  call- 
ing of  the  railroad  engineer  and  for  twenty-six  and  a  half  years  has  been 
connected  in  that  capacity  with  the  Rock  Island  Railroad.  He  is  most  capable, 
careful  and  competent,  discharging  his  duties  in  a  manner  that  is  highly  com- 
mendable and  trustworthy.  His  long  service  has  been  particularly  free  from 
accident,  and  the  reputation  which  he  has  made  is  one  of  which  he  may  be  justly 
proud. 

Mr.  Hill  was  married,  in  Newton,  Jasper  county,  Iowa,  in  1872.  to  Miss 
Emma  K.  Stone,  a  native  of  Hollidaysburg,  Blair  county,  Pennsyh-ania,  and 
a  daughter  of  Washington  and  Nancy  Jane  Stone.  Her  father  is  now  deceased. 
Mrs.  Hill  was  reared  and  educated  in  her  native  town  and  by  her  marriage  she 
has  been  the  mother  of  seven  children:  William  J.,  a  mechanic:  Nellie  B., 
Ethel,  June,  Harry  O.,  Charles  D.  and  Helen  M, 

The  Democratic  party  finds  in  Mr.  Hill  a  stanch  and  earnest  advocate. 
but  he  has  never  had  time  nor  inclination  to  seek  public  office.  For  over 
twenty-six  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Engineers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association. 
In  manner  he  is  frank  and  jo\-ial  and  has  the  happy  faculty  of  makin"-  and 
retaining  friends. 


JACOB    MEISENHEIMER. 

Since  an  early  period  of  the  development  of  Brown  county  Mr.  Meisen- 
heimer  has  been  identified  with  its  agricultural  interests  and  is  now  one  of 
the  enterprising  and  successful  farmers  of  Hiawatha  township.  Great  changes 
have  occurred  during  his  residence  here,  for  at  the  time  of  his  arrival  the 
greater  part  of  the  land  was  still  in  its  primitive  condition  and  the  sites  of 
now  thriving  towns  and  villages  were  unmarked  by  a  single  residence.  The 
work  of  progress  and  improvement  has  been  energetically  prosecuted  by  the 
worthy  pioneers  who  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  the  present  prosperity  of  the 
coimty. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  379 

Mr.  Meisenheimer,  as  one  of  the  early  settlers,  well  deserves  mention  in 
this  volume.  He  was  born  in  Germany  in  January,  1827,  his  parents  being 
Martin  and  Mary  (Hewalt)  Meisenheimer.  In  1835  they  left  the  Father- 
land and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States,  landing  in  New  York, 
whence  they  made  their  way  to  Richland  county,  Ohio,  settling  upon  a  farm 
near  Mansfield.  In  1842  the  family  moved  to  Andrew  county,  Missouri, 
where  the  father  carried  on  farming  and  where  the  mother's  death  occurred. 

Jacob  Meisenheimer  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic  and  remained  with  them  until  1850,  when,  attracted  by  the  discovery 
of  gold  in  California,  he  joined  a  party  and  crossed  the  plains  to  that  coast. 
They  had  some  thrilling  experiences  on  the  journey,  but  at  length  reached  the 
Golden  state  in  safety  and  Mr.  Meisenheimer  made  his  way  to  the  mines, 
where  he  met  with  a  fair  degree  of  success,  continuing  his  search  for  gold  on 
the  American  river  for  six  years.  In  1856  he  returned  to  Kansas  and  located 
in  Brown  county,  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Hia- 
watha township.  He  bulit  thereon  a  log  cabin  and  in  the  spring  of  1857  he 
-was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Susan  Moser,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Moser. 
They  began  their  domestic  life  in  the  little  log  house,  where  they  met  with  the 
usual  experiences  of  those  who  settle  on  the  frontier.  Their  nearest  neigh- 
bors were  long  distances  away,  but  there  was  a  friendly  spirit  that  existed 
in  the  pioneer  settlements  that  is  unknown  to-day.  The  latch-string  always 
hung  out  and  sociability  and  helpfulness  were  most  marked.  Mr.  Meisenheimer 
continued  his  labors  and  in  the  early  days  worked  from  dawn  until  dark,  plac- 
ing his  land  under  cultivation.  Success  attended  his  efforts  and  as  his  finan- 
cial resources  increased  he  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  by  the  addi- 
tional purchase  of  land  until  he  became  the  owner  of  eight  hundred  acres.  He 
has  made  a  specialty  of  raising  corn  and  wheat  and  also  raised  cattle  and  hogs. 
His  practical  and  progressive  methods  of  farming  resulted  most  satisfactorily 
and  he  thus  acquired  a  handsome  competence.  As  the  years  passed  he  made 
constant  improvements  upon  his  place,  including  the  planting  of  an  excellent 
orchard.  In  1870  he  erected  a  commodious  brick  residence  and  at  other  times 
built  good  barns,  outbuildings,  sheds  and  windmill — in  fact,  added  all  the 
accessories  and  conveniences  of  the  model  farm. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meisenheimer  were  born  twehe  children,  six  sons 
and  six  daughters,  nine  of  whom  reached  the  age  of  maturity,  namely: 
Sarah,  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Diesbach;  Martin,  a  farmer;  Frank  T.,  who 
resides  in  Brown  county,  this  state;  Jacob  C..  who  is  carrying  on  agricultural 
pursuits;  Lizzie,  the  wife  of  John  Babb;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Goodrich; 
Ora.  the  wife  of  Herbert  Jenkins,  of  Severance;  Aaron,  at  home;  and 
Roilyn.     Mrs.  Meisenheimer,  who  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Evangelical 


38o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

church  and  a  faithful  and  loving  wife  and  mother,  died  on  the  12th  of  No- 
vember, 1898. 

In  politics  jMr.  Meishenheimer  is  a  Republican  and  is  a  model  citizen  who 
supports  all  measures  for  the  public  good,  but  does  not  concern  himself  un- 
necessarily with  public  affairs.  His  ballot  indicates  his  preference  for  certain 
men  and  measures,  but  he  has  never  sought  political  preferment  for  himself, 
desiring  rather  to  give  his  time  and  attention  to  business  in  which  he  has  met 
Avith  most  creditable  success.  Great  changes  have  come  since  the  days  when 
he  lived  in  the  little  log  cabin  and  was  surrounded  by  pioneer  people  and  cus- 
toms. Among  the  sports  enjoyed  by  the  early  settlers  at  that  time  was  hunt- 
ing, for  deer  and  wolves"  were  still  seen  along  Wolf  creek,  and  Mr.  Meisen- 
heimer  kept  five  or  six  good  hounds  for  the  hunt.  To-day  he  has  valuable 
farming  property,  situated  in  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  districts  of  the 
Union  and  his  labors  are  crowned  with  the  financial  return  w'hich  should  ever 
attend  earnest  and  continuous  effort. 


W'lLLIAAI  HAUBER. 

William  Hauber  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Clark  county  on  the  31st  of  October,  1838.  His  parents,  Frederick  and  Bar- 
bara (Fiechterj  Hauber,  were  both  natives  of  Baden,  Germany,  w^here  they 
spent  their  youth  and  were  married.  In  1835  they  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
new  world,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  after  a  voyage  of  forty  days.  Thence 
they  proceeded  up  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  rivers,  taking  up  their  abode  in 
Jeffersonville,  Indiana,  but  in  1840  removed  to  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  and 
in  1857  became  residents  of  Brown  county,  Kansas.  The  father  pre-empted 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Hiawatha  township  and  continued  its 
cultivation  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1887,  when  he  was  seventy- 
seven  years  of  age.  His  birth  occurred  in  1810.  His  first  wife  died  in  Mis- 
souri in  1848,  and  he  afterward  married  Catherine  Hoffman. 

William  Hauber,  of  this  review,  was  only  two  years  of  age  when  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  and  since  his  nineteenth  year  he 
has  resided  in  Kansas.  He  has  therefore  been  a  witness  of  much  of  the  won- 
derful progress  that  has  been  characteristic  in  the  development  of  this  section 
of  the  commonwealth  and  has  given  an  active  support  to  the  many  measures, 
which  he  believed  to  be  for  the  public  good.  When  the  country  became  in- 
volved in  civil  war  he  joined  the  Union  army  in  August,  1862,  and  was 
assigned  to  Company  E,  Thirty-fifth  Missouri  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Samuel 
A.  Foster.     The  regiment  was  ordered  to  Arkansas  and  participated  in  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         381 

battle  of  Arkansas  Post  and  Duvall's  Bluff.  Later  he  took  part  in  the  sieges 
of  Fort  Pemberton  and  Vicksburg  and  the  battle  of  Helena,  Arkansas,  after 
which  it  was  ordered  to  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  where  Mr.  Hauber  remained 
until  June,  1865,  when,  the  war  having  ended,  he  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge. His  two  brothers.  John  and  Charles,  who  were  members  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Kansas  Infantry,  died  while  in  the  service. 

After  being  mustered  out,  Mr.  Hauber,  of  this  review,  returned  to  Brown 
county,  Kansas,  and  began  farming.  In  1868  he  purchased  railroad  lands 
to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  acres  and  began  to  improve  the  property, 
transforming  the  wild  tract  into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  He  added  to  his 
farms  in  Hiawatha  and  Mission  townships  from  time  to  time  until  his  landed 
possessions  aggregated  three  hundred  and  eight  acres,  which  constitutes  one 
of  the  valuable  farming  properties  of  the  locality.  He  has  made  excellent  un- 
provements  upon  the  place,  including  the  erection  of  a  beautiful  residence  and 
splendid  barns  and  outbuildings.  He  is  also  engaged  in  the  raising  of  hogs 
and  cattle,  and  in  both  branches  of  his  business  has  met  with  good  success, 
for  he  conducts  his  business  with  energy  and  in  a  most  capable  manner. 

In  1870  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hauber  and  Miss  Lizzie  Maylott, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Catherine  (Meishenheimer)  Maylott,  of  a  prominent 
old  family  of  Brown  county.  They  now  have  seven  children,  all  sons, 
namely:  John  F.,  George  E.,  Martin  H.,  Daniel  C,  Oscar.  Walter  B.  and 
Charles  L.  Mr.  Hauber  is  a  member  of  Hiawatha  Post,  Xo.  130,  G.  A.  R., 
and  his  faithful  service  when  he  "wore  the  blue"  was  but  an  indication  of  the 
fidelity  which  has  characterized  his  discharge  of  all  the  duties  of  citizenship 
that  devolved  upon  him.  He  is  known  as  an  industrious,  honorable  repre- 
sentative of  the  agricultural  interests  of  Brown  county,  and  one  of  the  most 
respected  adopted  sons  of  the  United  States. 


JOHN  OUIXCY  PAGE. 

In  Everest,  Brown  county,  Kansas,  the  name  of  Page  is  synonymous 
with  good  citizenship  and  with  fealty  to  the  Republican  party.  The  pioneer 
of  this  name  in  the  county  was  John  Page,  who  brought  his  son,  John  Q. 
Page,  an  infant,  to  this  part  of  the  state  in  June,  1856. 

John  Page  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Virginia  in  1813.  and  it  is  pre- 
sumed that  Alexander  Page,  his  father  and  the  grandfather  of  John  Quincy 
Page,  was  born  in  the  Old  Dominion  also.  Alexander  Page,  who  died  in 
Brown  county,  Kansas,  in  1859.  aged  eighty-three  years,  emigrated  from 
Virginia  when  his  children  were  young  and  passed  the  active  years  of  his  life 


382  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

on  a  farm  in  Illinois.  John  Page,  the  third  of  his  four  children,  in  the  order 
of  birth,  who  married  Martha  Gullet,  who  bore  him  children  as  follows:  jane, 
now  dead,  who  married  B.  A.  Williams ;  William,  a  resident  of  Brown  county, 
Kansas;  Delilah,  who  died  young;  J.  E.,  of  Everest;  Alexander,  of  Horton, 
Kansas;  Mary,  who  is  dead;  E.  S.,  who  lives  in  Eldorado,  Kansas;  and  John 
Ouincy.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  in  i860,  and  Mr.  Page  took  for 
his  second  wife  Phebe  Carter,  and  they  had  a  daughter,  Matilda,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  Thomas  Roberts,  of  Chicago,  Illinois. 

John  Page  located  on  a  farm  in  Washington  township  immediately  after 
his  arrival  in  Brown  county,  and  for  thirty-five  years  successfully  performed 
the  duties  of  a  farmer,  which  were  interrupted  somewhat  during  the  last  few 
years  of  that  period  by  that  fatal  illness,  consumption.  In  company  with  his 
son,  John  Q.  Page,  he  went  to  the  Rocky  mountains  in  1881,  in  the  hope  of 
improving  his  health ;  but  death  overtook  him  at  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico,  be- 
fore he  reached  home  again.  He  was  elected  the  tax  collector  of  Brown 
county  in  1858  and  served  in  that  ofiice  four  years.  He  was  a  well-to-do 
farmer  and  a  man  of  high  character  who  had  a  firm  place  in  the  respect  of  his 
fellow  citizens. 

John  O.  Page  was  born  at  Maquon,  Illinois,  February  14,  1856,  and  ac- 
quired a  common-school  education  in  the  district  school.  His  absence  of  two 
years  following  the  death  of  his  father  has  been  his  only  absence  from  the 
county  that  in  any  way  resembled  permanency.  Upon  his  return,  in  1883, 
he  married  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  saw  an  opportunity  to  change  his 
business  without  loss  to  himself  some  ten  years  ago  and  has  followed  his  in- 
clinations and  engaged  in  the  harness  business  in  Everett.  He  has  always 
done  a  local  worker's  and  humble  voter's  part  in  advancing  the  cause  of  the 
Republican  party  and  has  been  content  to  accept  such  reward  for  party 
faithfulness  as  came  to  him  through  the  agency  of  friends.  Mr.  Page  was 
elected  the  treasurer  of  Washington  township  and  served  in  that  office  six 
years,  and  April  15,  1897,  was  commissioned  the  postmaster  of  Everest,  suc- 
ceeding the  late  John  Lyons. 

Mr.  Page  was  married  to  Carrie  Adams,  a  daughter  of  A.  C.  Adams,  a 
citizen  of  Brown  county,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  The  children  of  this 
union  were:  Henry  (dead),  Josephine,  Irena  (dead),  Delia,  John  Boyd, 
Archie  and  Claudia  C.  Mr.  Page  is  past  consul  of  Everest  Camp,  No.  1409, 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  was  brought  to  the  vicinity  at  so  tender 
an  age  that  he  has  no  recollection  of  any  previous  place  of  residence,  and  con- 
sequently he  feels  the  same  local  interest  as  an  actual  son  of  the  soil.  He  pos- 
sesses a  degree  of  public  spirit  that  has  made  him  a  very  helpful  and  useful 
citizen,  and  his  solicitude  for  the  advancement  of  all  important  public  interests 
of  Brown  county  is  well  known. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         383 

XERXES  K.  STOUT. 

For  almost  fortv  years  Mr.  Stout  has  been  a  resident  of  Troy.  Kansas, 
prominently  identified  with  both  its  professional  and  horticultural  interests. 
During  the  first  half  of  his  residence  here  he  was  connected  with  the  bar  and 
on  his  retirement  turned  his  attention  to  the  growing  of  fruit. 

Mr.  Stout  was  born  in  Hardin  county,  Kentucky,  near  Big  Springs,  De- 
cember 10,  1824,  and  is  a  son  of  Walter  J.  and  Elizabeth  (Perdy)  Stout,  both 
natives  of  Kentucky.  The  grandfather,  Aaron  Stout,  was  born  in  New  Jer- 
sey and  removed  to  Kentucky  when  a  lad.  In  April,  1844,  Mr.  Stout's  parents 
went  to  Andrew  county,  :Missouri,  and  settled  on  a  farm,  the  father  dying  in 
1885,  at  Downs,  Kansas. 

Xerxes  K.  Stout  was  educated  in  a  private  school  at  Big  Springs,  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  twenty  years  old  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Mis- 
souri. He  worked  on  the  farm  and  taught  school  for  one  year  in  Andrew 
county,  then  began  the  study  of  law,  with  Samuel  Jones,  a  prominent  attor- 
ney, as  his  preceptor,  of  Savannah,  Missouri.  In  1854  he  came  to  Doniphan 
county,  Kansas,  and  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Iowa 
Point,  from  which  place  he  removed  to  Troy  in  1862,  and  opened  a  law  office, 
devoting  his  time  to  general  law  practice  until  1885.  Before  court  and  jury 
he  was  a  logical  debater,  a  forceful  reasoner  and  his  arguments  never  failed  to 
qarry  weight  and  seldom  failed  to  convince.  He  was  well  versed  in  the 
various  branches  of  jurisprudence  and  his  comprehensive  knowledge  led  to 
success  in  many  an  important  trial. 

Since  retiring  from  the  law  Mr.  Stout  has  turned  his  attention  to  his 
farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  a  part  of  which  is  in  the  corporate  limits  of  Troy, 
and  upon  which  he  has  a  fine  bearing  orchard,  principally  of  apple  trees. 
These  have  produced  some  of  the  best  apple  crops  ever  raised  in  Doniphan 
county.  He  takes  great  pride  in  his  fruit  growing,  finding  in  it  a  happy 
diversion  from  the  cares  of  business  life. 

In  1850  Mr.  Stout  was  married  to  J^Iiss  Martha  Cobb,  of  Platte  county, 
ilissouri,  a  daughter  of  Pharoe  and  Martha  (Todd)  Cobb,  formerly  of 
Knox  county.  Tennessee.  Her  death  occurred  in  March,  1900.  Mr.  Stout 
i£  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics  and  has  held  some  important  offices.  In  1857 
he  was  a  member  of  the  territorial  legislature  and  in  the  same  year  .vas  the 
postmaster  of  Iowa  Point.  In  1865  he  was  elected  the  county  attorney  of 
Doniphan  county  and  was  re-elected  at  the  close  of  his  term,  serving  in  all 
four  years.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  in  1874,  an  extra 
session  of  which  was  held  for  the  relief  of  settlers  whose  crops  had  been 
destroyed  by  grasshoppers. 

Mr.  Stout  is  a  member  of  Troy  Lodge,  Xo.  55.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  Troy 


384  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Lodge,  No.  38,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Both  he  and  his  wife  for  thirty  years  were  vahied 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  cliurch  of  Troy,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he 
served  as  trustee  of  that  1:)ody.  In  all  good  works  this  estimable  couple  gave 
substantial  aid  and  sympathy  antl  ha\e  e\-er  used  their  influence  in  behalf  of 
religion  and  morality.  They  ha\e  a  pleasant  home,  to  which  their  friends 
are  alwavs  wecome. 


ALEX  KINDER. 


Alex  Kinder,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  brave  men  who,  at  the  call  for  aid 
offered  their  services  to  the  government  and  upon  the  altar  of  their  country 
laid  down  their  lives  in  defense  of  the  Union.  He  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  the 
land  which  has  furnished  so  many  valiant  soldiers  and  intrepid  heroes  to  the 
Union  cause.  His  birth  occurred  about  1820,  and  he  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
lineage.  During  his  boyhood  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America  with  his 
father,  Samuel  Kinder,  who  became  a  farmer  of  Illinois,  and  during  his  youth 
the  subject  of  this  review  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  in  the  Prairie 
state.  Through  the  summer  months  he  followed  the  plow  and  aided  in  har,-r 
vesting  the  crops,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  pursued  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  In  1851  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Millie  White,  a  native  of  Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  a  daughter  of 
Isleof  and  Sarah  White,  who  had  a  family  of  six  children.  Her  mother  died 
when  she  was  quite  young.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinder  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  farm  in  Illinois,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children,  namely:  John, 
who  is  now  li\ing  in  ^Mission  township, Brown  county. :  K.  C,  who  is  a  resident 
of  Fort  W'ortli,  Texas;  Mary,  wife  of  John  Lorimer,  a  merchant  of  Willis, 
Kansas;  and  ]\Iartha.  wife  of  Frederick  Hoyt,  of  Mission  tiiwnship.  Brown 
county. 

During  the  epoch  which  followed  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinder 
the  question  of  the  extension  of  slavery  into  the  territories  was  of  the  greatest 
possible  moment  and  led  to  the  creation  of  a  new  party,  formed  to  prevent 
its  further  extension.  Mr.  Kinder  watched  with  interest  the  progress  of 
events  in  the  South,  noted  the  threats  which  were  made  to  secede  in  the  event 
of  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  to  the  presidency,  and  after  the  inaugura- 
tion of  the  war  he  responded  to  the  call  for  three  hundred  thousand  troops 
in  1862,  which  patriotic  spirit  prompted  his  enlisting  as  one  of  the  defenders 
of  the  Union,  and  he  became  a  member  of  Company  E,  Se\'entv-seventh  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  Donning  the  blue  he  marched  to  the  front  with  the  members 
of  his  regiment  and  was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty  until  he  laid  down 
his  life  on  the  altar  of  his  countrv,  his  death  occurring  at  Milliken's  Bend, 


ALEX  KINDER 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         385 

Mississippi,  on  the  loth  of  March,  1863,  when  he  was  forty-three  years  of 
age.  Such  men  deserve  ever  to  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  for  wliat 
they  have  done,  and  as  long  as  this  country  continues  people  will  be  thrilled 
by  the  story  of  the  bravery  and  sacrifice  of  the  noble  sons  of  the  Union  who 
went  to  the  South  and  gave  up  their  lives  in  order  that  the  national  govern- 
ment might  be  upheld. 

Left  with  the  care  of  five  little  children,  ]Mrs.  Kinder  deserves  great 
credit  for  the  excellent  work  which  she  accomplished  in  rearing  her  family.  Pier 
daughters  are  now  married  and  her  sons  are  successful  business  men.  In  1S77 
she  moved  from  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  to  Kansas,  taking  up  her  abode  in 
Brown  county.  Here  she  owns  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  acres, 
which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved,  being  supplied 
with  excellent  modern  buildings,  including  a  good  residence  and  substantial 
outbuildings.  Everything  about  the  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance 
and  forms  a  good  home  for  the  mother  who  so  bravely  and  ably  cared  for  her 
family  when  deprived  of  her  husband's  protection  and  guidance.  Mrs.  Kin- 
der is  a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church  and  is  a  lad}-  whose  many 
excellent  qualities  have  won  her  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  she  has  been 
brought  in  contact. 

J.  A.  Kinder,  her  son,  who  has  charge  of  the  old  homestead,  was  born 
in  Illinois,  in  1856.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  in  1887  he 
married  Miss  Rosa  Smith,  daughter  of  Robert  Smith,  deceased,  who  was  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Brown  county.  She  is  also  a  sister  of  Hon.  Henry 
A.  Smith,  of  this  county,  and  is  a  lady  of  refinement  and  culture  who  pre- 
sides with  gracious  hospitality  over  her  pleasant  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinder 
have  one  child,  Vernon  Ray,  who  is  now  ele\en  years  of  age.  The  parents 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  take  an  active  interest  in  its  wel- 
fare and  growth.  In  politics  Mr.  Kinder  is  a  Republican.  He  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  progressive  and  enterprising  citizens  of  his  township,  and  mani- 
fests a  deep  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  its  welfare  and  progress 
along  social,  educational,  material  and  moral  lines. 


MATTHIAS  NOLL. 


This  well-known  and  popular  pharmacist  of  Atchison,  Kansas,  was  born 
in  Weston,  Missouri.  July  23,  1858,  a  son  of  German  parents.  His  father 
and  mother,  Matthias  and  Grace  (Kurtz)  Noll,  were  natives  of  Germany, 
the  father  of  Horb  and  the  mother  of  Herlingen,  both  in  the  province  of 
Wurtemberg.     The  father,  then  a  single  man,  came  to  America  in  1848.  land- 


386  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ing  at  Xew  Orleans,  where  he  took  a  boat  for  St.  Louis,  but  in  the  same  year 
went  to  Weston,  Missouri,  where  he  found  employment,  and  later  engaged 
in  wagon  and  carriage  making  for  himself.  Here  he  became  acquainted  with 
and  married  Grace  Kurtz,  the  wedding  taking  place  in  1850,  and  they  now 
reside  in  Weston,  Missouri,  he  being  seventy-four  years  of  age  and  she  seventy- 
six.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  children — three  daughters  and  one 
son — all  married  and  settled  in  life,  viz. :  Victoria.  Augusta,  Matthias  and 
Mary. 

The  younger  Matthias  Noll  was  reared  and  received  his  early  training  in 
his  native  town,  attending  both  its  common  and  high  schools.  Later  he  took 
a  course  in  the  Christian  Brothers  College  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  after  which 
he  commenced  his  business  career  as  a  clerk.  He  served  three  and  a  half  years 
as  an  apprentice  to  the  drug  business  under  Fred  Scheibe,  one  of  the  most 
competent  druggists  of  St.  Joseph,  and  was  one  year  in  the  employ  of  the 
Samuel  O.  Smith  Drug  Company  of  that  place.  Then,  in  order  to  still  further 
prepare  himself  for  his  chosen  work,  he  went  to  Ann  Arbor  and  entered  the 
University  of  Michigan,  where  he  took  a  course  in  pharmacy  and  graduated  in 
1 88 1.  Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  took  charge  of  a  store  in  St. 
Joseph,  but  a  few  months  later  came  to  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  from  1881  to 
1884  clerked  for  Augustus  Lang.  On  Mr.  Lang's  going  to  California  in  1884, 
Mr.  Noll  became  a  partner  in  the  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Lang  & 
Noll,  and  was  thus  associated  one  year.  At  the  end  of  that  time  Mr.  Noll 
purchased  his  partner's  interest  and  became  the  sole  proprietor  of  the  estab- 
lishment which  he  has  since  successfully  conducted. 

Mr.  Noll  was  married,  in  1885,  to  Miss  Bertha  Forbriger,  a  daughter  of 
Robert  Forbriger,  and  they  have  one  son,  Robert  M. 

Mr.  Noll  has  always  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  everything  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of  his  city  and  stands  high  as  a  public-spirited,  enterprising 
citizen.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Mount  Vernon  Cemetery  Association  and  a 
stockholder  also  in  the  Oak  Hill  Cemetery  Association.  In  1884  he  was  the 
secretary  of  tlie  Atchison  board  of  education.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the  Sons  of 
Herman.  Also  he  is  a  member  of  numerous  organizations  which  are  con- 
nected with  his  profession,  and  in  them  centers  his  chief  interest.  He  has 
been  the  president  of  the  Kansas  State  Pharmaceutical  Association,  and  was 
at  one  time  a  member  of  the  state  examining  board,  is  the  secretary  of  the 
Atchison  Home  Retail  Druggists'  Association  and  is  a  member  of  the  Amer- 
ican Pharmaceutical  Association.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  at 
present  a  member  of  the  Atchison  city  council.  In  1899  Noll  postoffice  was 
established  on  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  six  miles  south  of  Atchison,  the 
office  being  named  in  honor  of  Mr.  Noll. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         387 

G.  H.  ELLIS. 

A  native  of  England,  G.  H.  Ellis  was  born  in  Lincolnshire  on  the  13th 
of  IMarch,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Matthew  J.  Ellis,  who  was  born  in  the 
same  shire  and  for  over  forty  years  was  a  snccessful  practicing  physician  and 
surgeon.  He  married  Frances  Groves,  also  a  native  of  Lincolnshire.  The 
Doctor  was  a  typical  English  gentleman  of  means,  fond  of  out-door  sports  and 
always  kept  his  horses  and  hounds  ready  for  the  hunt.  In  1853,  however,  he 
determined  to  seek  a  home  in  America  and  with  his  family  crossed  the  Atlantic, 
arriving  in  the  new  world  after  a  perilous  voyage  of  six  weeks  on  the  vessel 
Golconda.  Several  severe  storms  were  encountered,  the  mast  of  the  ship  was 
lost  and  the  vessel  sprang  a  leak  which  necessitated  the  working  of  the  pumps 
night  and  day.  The  passengers  were  thus  pressed  into  service,  but  ultimately 
all  danger  was  averted  and  they  reached  the  harbor  of  New  Orleans  in  safety, 
being  tugged  in  by  two  steamers,  one  being  on  either  side  of  the  Golconda. 
Dr.  Ellis  went  by  boat  up.  river  as  far  as  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  then  he  and  his  fam- 
ily secured  teams  and  an  outfit  to  take  them  on  their  westward  journev  across 
the  plains,  but  before  leaving  the  Hawkeye  state  the  mother  died.  The  father 
and  children,  however,  continued  on  their  way  to  Utah,  where  they  remained 
for  some  time,  after  which  they  went  to  Idaho  and  finally  to  California.  There 
the  father's  death  occurred,  in  1861,  when  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
one  years.  In  the  family  were  eleven  children,  but  six  daughters  died  in  Eng- 
land during  their  early  girlhood.  William  died  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  years:  Joseph  died  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years.  He  was  \ery  successful  financially  and  left  to  his 
widow  and  daughter.  Miss  Anna  Ellis,  a  very  comfortable  competence. 

G.  H.  Ellis,  of  this  review,  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  when  the  fam- 
ily crossed  the  briny  deep  to  the  new  world.  He  acquired  in  the  schools  of 
England  a  limited  education.  For  some  years  he  was  located  in  Idaho,  where 
he  engaged  in  trading.  He  spent  five  years  on  a  cattle  ranch  in  California 
and  one  year  in  Utah,  after  which  he  started  eastward  across  the  plains,  mak- 
ing the  journey  on  horseback  and  leading  a  pack  horse.  Subsequently  he  made 
two  other  trips  across  the  plains,  once  with  a  six-yoke  ox  team  to  Denver  and 
later  with  a  six-mule  team.  In  1867  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Doniphan  county, 
Kansas,  locating  on  a  farm  near  Syracuse,  now  called  Denton.  There  he 
remained  for  six  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased  a 
farm  in  Lancaster  township,  near  Huron.  For  a  number  of  years  he  devoted 
his  time  to  the  cultivation  and  development  of  that  property  and  in  1892  came 
to  Efiingham  in  order  to  secure  better  educational  advantages  for  his  children. 
He  there  owns  a  valuable  farm  property,  however ;  his  place  near  Huron  con- 
tains one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 


388  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

vation  and  improved  with  a  substantial  modern  residence  and  other  excellent 
farm  buildings.  He  also  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Grasshopper  town- 
ship, near  Muscotah,  Atchison  county. 

On  the  i.^th  of  March.  1870.  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Ellis  and 
Miss  Rosline  M.  Hopkins,  a  representative  of  a  good  family  and  a  lady  of 
culture  and  education.  She  was  born  in  Clinton  township,  Elkhart  county, 
Indiana,  about  eight  miles  from  Goshen,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  M.  and 
Sally  (Chivington)  Hopkins.  In  their  family  were  five  children,  of  whom 
three  are  now  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Rippey,  of  Severance,  Kansas:  A.  H.. 
who  is  living  in  Indiana,  and  Mrs.  Ellis,  who  for  a  number  of  years  was  a 
successful  and  proficient  teacher  of  music.  The  father  died  in  Indiana  in  1861. 
He  was  a  stanch  Republican  in  his  political  views  and  a  great  admirer  of 
Abraham  Lincoln.  During  the  election  of  i860  it  was  greatly  due  to  his 
efforts  that  his  township  gave  a  majority  to  Lincoln,  for  he  secured  a  spring 
wagon  and  traveled  all  day  long,  bringing  Lincoln  voters  to  the  polls.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  lived  to  be  well 
along  in  years,  she  dying  several  years  after  him. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellis  has  been  blest  with  eight  children 
and  the  two  oldest  are  twins,  namely :  Charles  Henry  and  James  IMadison, 
the  former,  who  is  now  a  stockman  of  Effingham,  married  a  daughter  of  Judge 
B.  F.  Snyder,  of  that  place,  while  the  latter,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  D.  C.  New- 
comb  at  Atchison,  married  Miss  Eva  Preston,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Preston,  also 
of  Efiingham.  and  they  have  two  children, — Lawrence  Preston  and  Clarence; 
Carrie,  the  wife  of  James  Dare,  of  Severance,  and  they  have  two  children; 
George  \V.  is  unmarried ;  Frances  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Hettic,  who  resides 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Lancaster  township,  Atchison  county,  and  has  two 
children:  Emma  J.  graduated  in  the  class  of  1900  at  the  county  high  school, 
completing  a  general  course  and  a  course  in  music ;  Cora  is  a  student  in  the 
high  school ;  and  Sallie,  who  completes  the  family,  is  pursuing  her  education  in 
the  common  schools. 

Mr.  Ellis  has  made  two  trips  to  England  and  has  therefore  five  times 
crossed  the  ocean  and  he  has  also  spent  considerable  time  in  Texas.  He  has 
thereby  gained  a  knowledge  and  experience  which  only  travel  can  bring.  He 
votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  while  residing  in  Doniphan  county  held 
z.  number  of  public  offices.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  and  Christian  churches  of  Effingham,  and  for  the  latter  Miss  Emma 
J.  Ellis  is  organist.  They  are  all  earnest  Christian  people,  taking  an  active 
part  in  the  work  of  the  church,  the  Sunday  school,  the  Christian  Endeavor 
Society  and  the  Epworth  League.  Mr.  Ellis  led  an  active  and  useful  life  during 
his  residence  upon  the  farm  and  his  capable  management  accumulated  a  hand- 
some competence  which,  together  with  his  income  which  he  receives  for  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         3S9 

property,  enables  him  to  live  retired.  He  has  watched  with  interest  the  develop- 
ment and  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  has  ever  borne  his  part  in 
the  work  of  advancement,  so  that  he  well  deserves  mention  among  the  hon- 
ored pioneers. 


TINSLEY  POTTER. 


During  a  residence  of  more  than  two-score  years  in  Atchison  county,  Kan- 
sas, Tinsley  Potter  has  not  only  witnessed,  but  has  also  been  a  material  factor 
in  the  great  and  important  changes  which  have  taken  place  here.  He  comes 
of  a  fine  old  Virginia  family  and  his  father,  Thomas  Potter,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  that  state,  was  a  hero  of  the  war  of  1812.  Once,  when  fighting 
some  of  Tecumseh"s  forces,  he  narrowly  escaped  death,  his  horse  being  shot 
under  him.  Following  the  stream  of  emigration  toward  Kentucky,  he  there 
met  and  married  a  lady  of  that  state.  Miss  Seliah  Jackson.  Their  union  was 
solemnized  in  Lincoln  county  and  eleven  children  came  to  bless  their  home, 
namely  :  Xancy,  William,  Frances,  Joseph,  Ephraim,  Moses,  Tinsley.  Marion, 
George,  Andrew  and  James  Henry.  The  father  lived  to  be  seventy-seven 
years  of  age,  his  death  occurring  in  Kansas,  and  the  mother  departed  this  life 
when  in  her  sixty-eighth  year. 

The  birth  of  Tinsley  Potter  took  place  in  the  old  homestead  in  Lincoln 
county,  Kentucky,  December  15,  1826.  He  was  reared  on  farms  in  Missouri, 
chiefly,  and  attended  the  district  schools.  In  1854  he  came  to  Kansas  and 
located  upon  a  quarter-section  of  land  on  section  2,  Benton  township,  being 
the  first  settler  of  that  township.  As  an  agriculturist  he  has  made  a  success 
and,  besides  providing  well  for  his  family  and  meeting  all  of  the  duties  of 
citizenship,  he  has  accumulated  a  competence  for  his  declining  days.  Li  addi- 
tion to  his  valuable  homestead,  on  which  stands  a  commodious  modern  resi- 
dence, he  owns  a  fine  tract  of  some  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in 
Oklahoma.  In  his  political  convictions  he  is  a  Populist,  as  are  so  many  of  the 
residents  of  Kansas  and  other  western  states.  A  sincere  friend  to  education, 
he  formerly  acted  in  the  capacity  of  school  treasurer  for  ten  years  and  did 
much  for  the  cause  in  this  locality. 

For  forty-four  years  Mr.  Potter  has  had  a  faithful  helpmate  with  whom 
to  share  his  joys  and  sorrows.  April  24,  1856,  his  marriage  to  Susan  Anne 
Bohannon  was  celebrated,  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri.  She  is  one  of  the 
eleven  children  of  John  and  Talitha  (Foust)  Bohannon,  both  of  whom  died 
in  Buchanan  county,  the  former  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  and  the  latter  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  whence 
he  remo\-ed  to  Indiana  and  later  to  the  vicinity  of  Chicago,   Illinois,  and 


390  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

finally  to  Missouri.  Mrs.  Potter  was  born  in  Fountain,  Indiana.  Feliruary  ii, 
1S33.  and  passed  her  girlhood  in  Missouri.  She  had  four  brothers  and  five  sis- 
ters, namely:  Margaret,  Elizabeth,  Martha,  Gaines,  Talitha,  Thomas,  Mary, 
William  and  John.  Mrs.  Potter  was  the  third  one  of  the  family  of  children. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tinsley  Potter  have  four  surviving  children.  Talitha,  who 
before  her  marriage  was  a  successful  teacher,  is  now  the  wife  of  James  Lower, 
of  Lancaster  township,  and  their  children  are  named  respectively:  Claude, 
Erna,  Ada,  Lillie  and  Ray.  Mary  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  William  McLenon, 
of  Lancaster  township,  and  the  mother  of  two  little  girls,  Elsie  and  Edna, 
also  taught  school  successfully  prior  to  her  marriage.  Ella  Florence  is  the 
wife  of  John  Searles,  of  Lancaster  township,  and  John  B.  Potter,  a  prosperous 
farmer  of  Benton  township,  wedded  Delia  Killingsworth,  of  Jackson  county, 
Kansas,  and  has  one  child.  Lelia.  Two  of  the  children  of  our  subject  and  wife 
died  in  infancy.  Two  others  are  Alice,  who  died  when  in  her  seventh  year, 
and  Madora  was  blossoming  into  noble  womanhood  when  death  called  her  to 
the  better  land,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter  are 
earnest  members  of  the  Effingham  Christian  church  and  are  beloved  and 
looked  up  to  by  the  entire  community. 


JOHN  C.  BATSELL,  M.  D. 

No  one  is  more  genuinely  deserving  of  credit  than  is  the  pioneer  physi^ 
cian,  and  none  of  the  inhabitants  of  Atchison  county  more  thoroughly  know, 
from  actual  experience,  what  it  meant  to  cast  in  one's  fortunes  with  this  sec- 
tion of  Kansas  two-score  or  more  years  ago.  In  ante  helium  days,  when  Kan- 
sas was  the  great  bone  of  contention  between  the  north  and  south,  this  north- 
eastern county  was  a  favorite  battle  ground  for  the  contending  factions,  and 
besides  many  outrages  were  committed  by  border  ruffians  in  the  name  of  the 
abolitionists  or  by  the  slavery  element.  Dr.  Batsell,  whose  services  were  in 
demand  far  and  near,  risked  his  life  upon  many  an  occasion,  but  "fortune 
favors  the  brave"  and  he  passed  through  those  stormy  years  unharmed.  Well 
do  the  pioneers  remember  the  innumerable  kindnesses  and  cordial  hospitality 
which  they  enjoyed  under  the  shelter  of  his  roof,  and  all  agree  that  the  annals 
of  Atchison  county  could  not  be  accurately  written  if  his  history  and  connec- 
tion with  its  development  should  be  omitted. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  John  Batsell,  was  a  native  of 
Nelson  county,  Kentucky,  though  the  greater  part  of  his  life  was  spent  in  Vir- 
ginia. He  had  a  daughter  and  four  sons,  one  of  the  latter  being  Thomas,  the 
father  of  our  subject.     His  birthplace  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  famous 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         391 

Culpeper  Court  House,  Virginia.  For  a  wife  he  cliose  Keziah  Noll,  a  lady  of 
German  extraction,  and  together  they  resided  in  Marion  county,  Kentucky, 
until  death  separated  them.  The  father  departed  this  life  when  he  was  sixty 
years  of  age  and  the  mother  reached  three-score  and  ten  years.  They  were 
highly  respected  citizens  and  de\xnit  members  of  the  Baptist  church.  They 
were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  namely :  Eliza,  Nancy,  Susan,  Catherine, 
Keziah,  Matilda,  Felix,  James,  of  Grayson  county,  Texas,  Thomas,  deceased, 
and  John  Cotton. 

The  birth  of  the  last  mentioned  took  place  on  the  old  homestead  in  Marion 
county,  Kentucky,  March  16,  1818.  As  a  child  he  had  but  limited  educa- 
tional advantages,  but  he  was  naturally  studious  and  many  a  night,  after  the 
hard  work  of  the  day  was  completed,  he  spent  hours  by  the  dim  candle  light 
endeavoring  to  fathom  the  mysteries  of  knowledge.  Talent  asserting  itself 
he  left  home  at  fifteen  years  of  age  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and  at- 
last  he  reached  the  goal  of  his  youthful  ambition, — an  opportunity  to  study 
medicine.  His  preceptor  was  Dr.  John  L.  Fleece,  of  Bradfordville,  Kentucky, 
a  physician  of  high  standing  and  a  graduate  of  Lexington  College,  Ken- 
tucky. In  1848  he  went  to  Valeene.  Indiana,  where  he  practiced  until  the  fall 
of  1855. 

In  1855  Dr.  Batsell  set  out  for  the  west,  where  he  believed  that  he  might 
find  his  medical  services  in  requisition.  For  a  few  months  he  remained  in 
DeKalb,  Missouri,  whence,  by  crossing  the  river,  he  came  to  Atchison  county 
and  located  a  claim,  on  which  he  built  a  log  house  and  made  other  improve- 
ments. The  date  of  his  settlement  in  Benton  township  is  April,  1856,  and  for 
some  time  afterward  his  house  was  the  only  onein  this  township  on  the  line  of 
the  old  Atchison  road.  Years  elapsed  ere  good  road's  were  instituted  and  his 
long  rides  throughout  this  region,  to  the  distant  homes  of  suffering  and  in  the 
most  inclement  weather,  were  borne  with  heroic  patience.  Not  the  least  of  his 
troubles,  at  intervals,  was  the  difficulty  in  procuring  the  drugs  and  medicines 
which  he  required  in  his  practice.  The  nearest  point  at  which  these  supplies 
could  be  procured  was  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, — a  long  distance,  over  rough  and 
sometimes  almost  impassable  trails.  He  had  many  strange  and  unpleasant 
experiences  with  the  border  rufiians  and  outlaws  during  the  several  years 
immediately  preceding  and  including  the  war  and  reconstruction,  but  his  sin- 
cerity and  the  nobleness  of  his  vocation  made  even  the  most  degraded  respect 
him.  The  manly  dignity  which  he  always  manifested  and  the  real  interest 
which  he  felt  toward  every  one  in  sickness  won  for  him  the  love  and  admira- 
tion of  the  entire  community. 

Leaving  his  home,  family  and  practice  Dr.  Batsell  enlisted  to  fight  for 
the  stars  and  stripes  during  the  war  and  served  as  a  member  of  Company  D, 
Thirteenth  Regiment  of  Kansas  Volunteers.     He  was  sworn  in  as  first  lieu- 


392  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

tenant  of  his  company  and  four  months  later  was  reHeved  on  account  of  bad 
lieahh  and  was  honorably  discharged  on  account  of  physical  disability.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  Effingham  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  always  has  been  an 
acti\e  worker  in  that  organization.  Since  the  founding  of  the  Republican 
party  he  has  been  one  of  its  most  enthusiastic  advocates  and  in  the  winter  of 
1863-4  he  had  the  honor  of  being  a  delegate  of  this  district  to  the  "war"  legis- 
lature of  the  state.  Thus,  in  numerous  ways,  the  Doctor  has  come  before 
the  public  and  few  residents  of  this  county  are  more  generally  known  or 
honored. 

In  his  noble  pioneer  work  and  efforts  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  human- 
ity the  Doctor  found  an  able  and  loving  assistant  in  his  wife,  who  cheered  and 
inspired  him.  It  was  on  the  22d  of  October,  1840,  that  the  marriage  of  our 
subject  and  Ann  Hazlewood  was  solemnized  in  Campbellsville,  Kentucky.  Her 
father,  Reuben  Hazlewood,  was  of  English  descent  and  was  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  181 2.  He  wedded  Miss  Jane  Ray,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  of  their 
six  children  five  lived  to  maturity^  namely :  Gates  and  Lee,  both  now  deceased  ; 
John  R.,  a  physician  at  Grayson,  Texas;  Mrs.  Jeter  and  Mrs.  Batsell. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Batsell  have  had  nine  children,  four  of  the  number  surviv- 
ing at  the  present  time,  and  besides  they  are  the  proud  grandparents  of  seven 
grandchildren  and  one  great-grandchild.  Missouri  is  the  wife  of  T.  C.  Bennie, 
of  Lancaster  township,  Atchison  county;  Josephine  is  the  wife  of  William 
Taylor,  who  is  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  in  Wyoming;  Cora  is  Mrs.  John 
Pratley,  of  Wyoming;  Lee  is  employed  by  the  wholesale  house  of  Tootle, 
Wheeler  &  Matter,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri;  Thomas;  Ann,  the  wife  of  A. 
Meidler,  died  in  Butler  county,  Kansas ;  Mrs.  Kate  Taylor  died  in  Wyoming ; 
and  three  children  died  in  infancy. 

Great  changes  have  taken  place  here  within  the  recollection  of  Dr.  Bat- 
sell and  as  he  has  transformed  his  tract  of  prairie  into  the  fertile  homestead 
of  to-day,  with  its  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  so  others  have  reclaimed  the 
country,  developing  it  even  beyond  their  sanguine  expectations.  In  January, 
1900,  the  residence  on  his  farm  burned  and  since  then  he  has  resided  in  the 
town  of  Effingham. 


JOSEPH  G.,WOLVERTON. 

Joseph  G.  Wolverton,  the  pioneer  merchant  of  the  thriving  town  of 
Effingham,  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  possesses  the  enterprise  and  business 
energy  of  his  industrious  ancestors,  and  much  of  the  progress  of  this  place  may 
be  justlv  attributed  to  the  patriotic  spirit  he  maintains  toward  the  spot  with 
which  his  fortunes  are  identified.    In  war  and  peace  alike  he  has  proved  him- 


"~  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         393 

self  wortliy  of  liis  birthright  as  a  citizen  of  this  grand  repubHc  and  in  all  life's 
varied  relations  he  has  been  faithful  to  the  high  principles  which  were  incul- 
cated in  him  in  childhood. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Job  Wolverton,  a  native  of 
England,  came  to  the  United  States  at  an  early  day  and  located  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  dwelt  until  his  death.  His  son,  Thomas,  the  father  of  Joseph 
G.  Wolverton,  was  born  in  the  Keystone  state  and  married  a  Philadelphia  lady, 
Catherine  Scout.  Subsequently  the  young  couple  resided  in  the  Quaker  city  for 
some  years  and  in  1836  they  became  farmers  of  Crawford  county,  Ohio.  Later 
they  removed  to  Lee  county.  Illinois,  where  the  devoted  wife  and  mother  was 
summoned  to  her  reward.  She  was  sixty-four  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her 
death  and  was  survived  by  her  husband  and  father,  who  lived  to  attain  the 
three-quarter-century  mark.  His  demise  occurred  in  Washington  county, 
Kansas.  In  his  early  manhood  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  for  some  years, 
and  throughout  life  he  kept  abreast  of  the  times  by  reading  and  study.  For 
years  he  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  in  politics  he  favored  the 
Democratic  party.  Religiously  he  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
but  his  wife  was  connected  with  the  Methodist  church.  Nine  children  blessed 
their  union,  those  besides  our  subject  being  Lovinah  and  Mary  Ann,  deceased; 
Jesse,  who  was  a  private  in  Company  C,  Seventh  Illinois  Cavalry,  during  the 
civil  war  and  now  resides  in  AVashington  county,  Kansas;  Crispin,  who  died 
in  infancy;  E.  K.,  who,  like  his  elder  brother,  Jesse,  was  a  hero  of  Company 

C,  Seventh  Illinois  Cavalry,  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  and  now  owns  a 
fine  fruit  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  in  Washington  county;  Hiram,  of  Mitchell 
county,  this  state;  Thomas  J.,  of  Marshall  county,  this  state;  and  William  S., 
a  farmer  of  South  Dakota. 

Joseph  G.  Wolverton  was  born  in  Hunterdon  county,  New  Jersey,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1826.  He  was  about  ten  years  of  age  when  the  family  removed  to 
the  west,  where,  surrounded  by  the  somewhat  primitive  conditions  of  frontier 
life,  he  grew  to  hardy  manhood.  The  deficiencies  of  his  education  were  more 
than  compensated  by  the  splendid  home  influences  which  he  enjoyed  and  the 
experience  of  later  years  has  given  him  more  than  an  ordinary  fund  of  useful 
knowledge. 

Li  November,  1851,  Mr.  Wolverton  was  married,  in  Wyandot  county, 
Ohio,  to  Sarah  AI.  Leslie,  a  native  of  that  state  and  a  daughter  of  Alexander 
and  Sarah  (Zarn)  Leslie.  The  father  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  while  the 
mother  was  of  German  extraction.  Six  children  were  born  to  our  subject  and 
wife,  but  four  of  the  number  are  deceased.  Lillie  May  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years  and  J.  E.  D.  in  infancy.  Celia  R.  first  married  Joseph  Mesigh  and  had 
two  sons — Francis  L.  and  George  W.;  and  later  she  became  the  wife  of  W. 

D,  Whetsell  and  afterward  died.    Emma  Alwilda,  who  was  the  wife  of  S.  H. 


394  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Stoner,  died  and  left  one  child,  Claude.  Orilla  first  married  D.  R.  Jewel  and 
by  him  had  a  dauj^hter,  Edna  May:  she  afterward  became  the  wife  of  T.  H. 
Johns,  of  Effingham.  Myron  T.,  the  only  surviving  son  of  our  subject,  is  a 
farmer  in  South  Dakota  and  has  seven  children,  namely:  James  15.,  Liliie 
May,  Sarah  M.,  Joseph  G..  Eva,  Lotta  and  Walter  Leslie. 

During  the  progress  of  the  civil  war  Mr.  Wolverton  enlisted  in  the 
defense  of  his  country,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  C,  Seventh  Illinois 
Cavalry.  He  served  from  March,  1865,  until  November  4,  of  the  same 
year,  under  tiie  command  of  Captain  D.  S.  Porter  and  Colonel  Graham. 
Most  of  this  period  was  spent  in  Mississippi,  Alabama  and  Tennessee.  After 
being  honorably  discharged  at  Camp  Butler  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Lee 
county  and  was  there  engaged  in  farming  for  several  years.  In  1881  he  came 
to  Effingham,  arriving  here  on  the  2d  of  November,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  actively  occupied  in  all  kinds  of  local  enterprises.  He  erected  the  sub- 
stantial store  building  which  he  uses  now  for  his  stock  of  merchandise,  and 
year  by  year  has  increased  the  volume  of  his  business  by  fair  treatment  of  his 
cu.stomers  and  strict  attention  to  their  needs  and  wishes. 

Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  neglects  no  opportunity  of  advancing 
the  interests  of  that  party,  to  whose  guidance  of  the  ship  of  state  he  believes 
the  prosperity  of  this  country  may  be  justly  attributed.  Socially  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Effingham  Post,  No.  276,  (i.  A.  R.  Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
devoted  members  of  the  Christian  church,  giving  liberally  of  their  means  to 
the  spread  of  the  gospel. 


HENRY  CLAY  SNYDER. 

For  almost  a  third  of  a  century  H.  C.  Snyder  has  been  a  resident  i)f 
Atchison  county  and  is  therefore  one  of  the  leading  pioneers  of  the  locality. 
He  resides  in  Effingham,  where  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance,  and  throughout 
the  community  he  is  well  known,  enj~7---"<tjjie  high  regard  of  many  friends. 
A  native  of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Canal  Dover,  Tuscarawas  county,  on  the 
3d  of  August,  1832,  and  is  a  .son  of  Rezin  .\.  Snyder,  a  native  of  Maryland. 
The  grandfather  was  Henry  Snyder  and  the  great-grandfather  Jacob  Snyder, 
both  natives  of  Maryland.  Henry  Snyder  married  Miss  Catharine  Keplinger 
and  they  became  the  ]iarents  of  se\-cn  children,  three  sons  and  four  daugliters. 
Henry  Snyder,  died  in  ( )liio  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  Adams  county. 
Indiana. 

R.  A.  Snyder,  the  father  of  our  subject,  removed  with  his  jiarents  from 
Maryland  to  the  Buckeye  state  during  his  early  boyhood  and  luwing  arrived 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         395 

at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married,  in  Ohio,  to  Miss  Catherine  Kohr,  a 
daughter  of  Christian  and  Susan  (Thomas)  Kolir.  Four  children  were  born 
of  this  union :  EHas,  a  resident  of  Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio ;  Henry  C. ; 
Christian,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years ;  and  Jacob,  who  died  in  Effing- 
ham, leaving  a  widow  and  four  children.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty-five  years  and  the  father  afterward  married  again,  having 
nine  children  by  the  second  marriage,  one  of  whom  is  Benjamin  F.  Snyder, 
of  Atchison  county.  The  father  had  a  third  wife,  by  whom  he  had  no  chil- 
dren. He  was  a  Republican  in  his  political  views  and  religiously  was  con- 
nected with  the  Lutheran  church.  He  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  farm- 
ing until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of  si.xty-three  years,  in  Wayne 
county,  Ohio. 

Henry  Clay  Snyder  was  reared  in  Ohio,  attended  the  public  schools  and 
aided  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm.  In  early  life  he  also  learned  the  black- 
smith's trade,  which  he  followed  for  some  years.  He  was  always  a  capable 
workman  with  tools  as  well  as  an  enterprising  and  practical  agriculturist.  On 
the  28th  of  December,  1854.  he  was  married,  near  Canal  Dover,  Ohio,  to  Aliss 
Caroline  Mason,  who  was  born  July  28,  1836.  in  the  Buckeye  state,  and  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Ashland  county.  Her  father,  James  Mason,  was  born 
in  Ohio  and  was  a  son  of  an  English  soldier,  who  at  one  time  was  stationed 
in  Canada.  James  .Mason  was  married,  in  Ashland,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Susan 
Clayburg,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Susan  (Liphart)  Clayburg.  As  a  means 
of  livelihood  he  conducted  a  hotel,  following  that  pursuit  throughout  his  busi- 
ness career.  He  gave  his  political  support  to  Democracy,  and  in  religious  belief 
he  was  a  Lutheran,  his  family  all  being  members  of  a  church  of  that  denomi- 
nation. His  death  occurred  in  Farmington,  Illinois,  when  he  had  attained  the 
age  of  sixty-eight  years.  Mr.  Snyder  removed  to  Kansas  in  1868,  locating 
near  Monrovia.  Afterward  he  located  a  farm  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
southwest  from  Effingham  and  there  for  twenty-eight  years  Mr.  Snyder  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  placed  his  land  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  his  industry,  enterprise  and  capable  management 
brought  to  him  very  creditable  success.  It  was  thus  that  he  won  a  handsome 
competence  that  now  enables  him  to  live  retired.  He  was  long  numbered 
among  the  most  progressive  farmers  of  the  community  and  his  present  rest  is 
therefore  well  merited.  In  1896  he  removed  to  Effingham,  where  he  owns 
one  of  the  most  attractive,  substantial  and  commodious  residences  in  the 
town. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  has  been  blest  with  eleven  chiUlren, 
seven  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely:  James  R.,  who  is  married  and  has 
three  children  and  makes  his  home  in  Center  township,  Atchison  county ; 
George  M.,  a  contractor  and  builder  of  Effingham,  who  has  one  child;  Mary, 


396  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

tlie  wife  of  J.  N.  Brown,  of  Dryden,  Michigan,  by  wlioni  slie  has  two  children; 
Charles,  a  resident  of  Benton  township,  who  is  married  and  has  seven  children : 
Harry,  a  pump  manufacturer  of  Effingham,  who  is  married  and  has  one  child ; 
Jessie,  the  wife  of  M.  Xoffsinger,  of  Benton  township,  by  whom  she  has  three 
■  children ;  Joseph,  who  is  living  in  Benton  township,  is  married  and  has  four 
children;  Frank,  a  carpenter  living  at  home;  Walter  S.,  a  mechanic;  Clara, 
the  wife  of  W.  W.  Cahoon,  of  Effingham;  and  Gertrude,  wTio  is  a  student  of 
music  in  Bethany  College  at  Topeka,  Kansas.  All  of  the  family  have  marked 
musical  talent  and  are  able  to  perform  creditably  on  the  violin,  piano  and  sev- 
eral other  musical  instruments.  Several  of  the  sons  are  members  of  the 
Effingham  Military  Band  and  of  the  orchestra  and  they  also  have  a  band  com- 
posed entirely  of  their  own  family.  One  of  the  sons,  Walter  S..  joined  the 
Twenty-second  Kansas  Infantry  during  the  Spanish-American  war  and  served 
as  a  member  of  the  band. 

In  politics  Mr.  Snyder  is  a  Republican  and  has  served  as  a  trustee  of 
Kapioma  township  and  also  of  Benton  township.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  their  lives  have  been  honorable  and 
upright  and  gained  to  them  the  high  regard  of  many  friends.  Mr.  Snyder 
has  now  reached  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years  and  is  a  well-preserved  man 
showing  that  his  energies  have  been  well  directed,  and  his  kindly  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  others  has  gained  him  the  good  will  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come 
in  contact.  He  well  deserves  mention  in  the  history  of  the  county  with  which 
he  has  been  so  long  identified. 


MILLER.  J.   BENJAMIN. 

M.  J.  Benjamin,  a  popular  business  man  of  Effingham,  Atchison  county, 
may  justly  lay  claim  to  being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  section  of  Kansas. 
He  is  a  native  of  Michigan,  his  birth  occurring  there  in  1841.  His  father, 
James  Benjamin,  was  born  in  Ohio,  but,  going  to  Michigan  in  early  manhood, 
continued  to  make  his  home  there  until  his  death.  During  the  great  Civil  war 
he  offered  his  services  to  his  country  and  served  for  three  years  in  a  regiment 
of  Michigan  infantry,  participating  in  some  of  the  hardest  campaigns  of  that 
fierce  strife,  and  in  one  engagement  being  wounded.  He  married  Sarah  Mil- 
ler and  they  had  six  children.  A  son  died  when  young,  and  the  others  are 
M.  J.,  of  this  sketch ;  Seth  L.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Atchison, 
Kansas;  Emory,  of  Effingham;  Daniel,  also  of  this  place;  and  Ida  Tickner, 
of  Atchison. 

Coming  to  Effingham  in  1881,  after  a  residence  of  some  thirteen  years 
in  this  county,  M.  J.  Benjamin  engaged  in  the  livery  business.     He  has  con- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         397 

tinned  to  devote  his  attention  to  this  calhng  and  enjoys  a  Hberal  share  of  the 
patronage  of  this  locahty.  His  place  of  business  is  on  Howard  avenue,  where 
he  owns  a  large  barn  30x100  feet  in  dimensions.  Ample  accommodations  are 
here  found  for  the  fine  line  of  modern  carriages  and  road-carts  which  he  always 
keeps  on  hand,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  he  runs  a  flourishing  sale  stable  in  con- 
nection. Integrity  and  a  genunie  desire  to  meet  the  wishes  of  the  public  have 
resulted  in  his  own  financial  success  and  position  of  influence  in  the  com- 
munity. In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican,  and  though  he  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  success  of  the  party  in  whose  policy  he  is  a  firm  be- 
lie\-er.  he  has  no  desire  to  occupy  public  positions  of  emolument  or  responsi- 
bility. 

Prior  to  leaving  his  native  state  Mr.  Benjamin  married  Miss  Mary  Burt, 
who  has  been  a  loyal  helpmeet  to  him  in  the  vicissitudes  of  their  life  in  the 
West.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  of  whom  the  eldest,  John,  is 
engaged  in  business  in  Omaha,  Nebraska.  The  eldest  daughter,  Mrs.  Belle 
Ballsinger,  a  resident  of  Effingham,  is  a  lady  of  genuine  artistic  ability.  Nel- 
lie, the  youngest  daughter,  married  Albert  Durest,  who  is  a  business  part- 
ner of  Mr.  Benjamin.  Religiously  Mr.  Benjamin  is  a  Lutheran  and  Mrs. 
Benjamin  is  a  Presbyterian.  They  contribute  liberally  to  the  maintenance  of 
their  churches  and  are  among  the  respected  citizens  of  Effingham. 


CHARLES  E.  GREEN. 

When  a  man  has  through  active  and  honorable  effort  won  success  in  the 
business  affairs  of  life  and  then  has  put  aside  arduous  cares,  all  agree  that  his 
rest  is  well  merited.  Mr.  Green  is  now  living  retired  in  Effingham,  having 
through  his  own  labors  acquired  a  handsome  competence.  His  residence  in 
Kansas  dates  from  1879.  and  his  course  during  the  intervening  period  has  been 
such  as  to  win  him  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  who 
regard  him  as  one  of  the  representative  men  of  Atchison  county. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  Mr.  Green  was  born  in  Washington  county,  on  the  30th 
of  September,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of  Mark  Green.  He  is  descended  from  good 
old  Revolutionary  stock,  his  great-grandfather  having  served  under  Washing- 
ton in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  The  spirit  of  loyalty  which  has  ever  charac- 
terized the  family  is  also  manifested  in  his  grandfather,  who  took  part  in  the 
second  war  with  England,  and  in  the  civil  strife  the  subject  of  this  review 
"donned  the  blue"  in  defense  of  the  Union.  His  father,  Mark  Green,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Washington  county,  Ohio,  and  there  grew  to  manhood.  Having  attained 
his  majority  he  wedded  Lucy  Richards,  a  native  of  New  York,  and  a  daugh- 


398  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ter  of  L.  Richards.  They  became  the  parents  of  five  children  :  Charles,  of  this 
review;  Ellen  E.,  the  wife  of  Hon.  B.  F.  Wallack,  formerly  United  States  sen- 
ator from  Kansas;  Mary  A.,  the  wife  of  James  A.  Henry,  of  Athens  county, 
Ohio;  Lavina.  the  wife  of  W.  W.  Walker,  of  Et^ngham,  and  John  M.,  now 
deceased.  The  father  of  these  children  was  a  stalwart  Republican  in  politics. 
He  had  previous  to  the  organization  of  the  party  been  a  stanch  ad\ocate  of 
abolition  principles,  and  when  a  new  political  organization  came  into  the  field 
to  prevent  the  further  extension  of  slavery  he  at  once  joined  its  ranks.  Dur- 
ing the  civil  war  he  ser\ed  from  1861  to  1863  in  the  general  assembly 
and  took  an  important  part  in  framing  the  legislation  of  that  period.  Per- 
sonally he  was  a  man  of  fine  physique,  over  six  feet  in  height,  and  weighing 
two  hundred  and  thirty  pounds.  He  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  and 
in  his  death  the  community  mourned  the  loss  of  one  of  its  valued  citizens. 
His  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-one,  dying  in  the  faith  of  the  Meth- 
odist church,  of  which  she  was  a  consistent  member. 

Charles  E.  Green,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  in  the 
Buckeye  state  and  acquired  a  good  English  education  in  the  public  schools. 
When  the  country  became  involved  in  civil  war  he  responded  to  the  call  for 
troops,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  enlisting  in  1864,  as  a  member  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Forty-eighth  Ohio  Infantry,  and  was  assigned  to  Company 
F,  commanded  by  Captain  D.  J.  Richards,  while  Colonel  Moore  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  regiment.  He  entered  the  army  as  a  private,  but  was  mustered 
out  in  April,  1865,  with  the  rank  of  first  sergeant,  having  participated  in  sev- 
eral engagements. 

On  leaving  the  army  Mr.  Green  operated  a  saw-mill  in  Sedalia,  Missouri, 
until  1868.  He  was  for  some  time  engaged  in  the  milling  and  lumbering- 
business  in  Henry  county,  Missouri.  In  1869  he  returned  to  Marietta,  Wash- 
ington county,  Ohio,  where  he  was  also  in  the  milling  and  lumbering  business, 
until  1879.  He  then  came  to  Kansas  and  located  on  a  farm  five  miles  south  of 
Effingham,  where  he  farmed  up  to  1894,  when  he  retired  from  the  farm  and 
moved  into  Effingham,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  fire  insurance  business, 
and  holds  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace. 

Mr.  Green  married  Miss  Sarah  J.  Turner,  a  lady  of  education  and  natural 
refinement,  who  before  her  marriage  was  a  successful  school-teacher.  Her 
father  was  George  Turner.  Four  children  grace  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Green:  Minnie  C,  a  graduate  of  the  Kansas  State  Normal,  and  now  a  member 
of  the  faculty  of  the  Atchison  high  school ;  Laura,  a  successful  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  Effingham ;  Lucy  T.,  the  wife  of  Fred  Mayor,  of  Eagle,  Col- 
orado, and  John  M.  The  family  are  well  known  in  social  circles,  where  the 
members  of  the  household  occupy  high  positions.  The  parents  and  children 
belong  to  the  Methodist  church,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green  are  connected  with 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  399 

tlie  Grand  Amy  of  the  Repiibilc  and  its  auxiliary,  tiie  Woman's  Relief  Corps. 
He  is  a  leading  member  of  Effingham  Post,  No.  276,  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, and  has  been  an  officer  in  the  lodge  for  the  past  two  years,  while  his 
wife  is  the  treasurer  oi  the  Relief  Corps.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, while  she  is  connected  with  the  Eastern  Star  lodge.  In  politics  a  stal- 
wart Republican,  he  has  served  for  some  years  as  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and 
has  frequently  been  a  delegate  to  county  and  state  conventions.  Public- 
spirited  and  progressive,  he  gives  his  active  co-operation  to  all  movements 
tending  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  community  along  educational,  social  and 
moral  lines. 


JOSEPH  H.  BERLIN. 

This  gentleman  stands  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  leading  business  indus- 
tries of  Atchison,  for  the  Berlin  Grocery  &  Milling  Company  is  in  control  of 
an  extensive  enterprise,  which  contributes  not  only  to  the  individual  prosperity 
of  the  stockholders  but  also  to  the  welfare  of  the  community  through  the  chan- 
nel of  commercial  activity,  whereon  depends  all  material  progress  and  advance- 
ment in  city  life.  Mr.  Berlin  was  born  in  Northampton  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, December  17,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Harriet  ( Savits)  Ber- 
lin. His  grandfather,  Isaac  Berlin,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  and  was  of  German  descent.  He  married  a  Miss  Henbach, 
a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  Pennsylvania.  Samuel  Berlin 
was  born  in  Northampton  county,  in  the  village  of  BerliuN-ille,  which  was 
named  in  honor  of  the  family.  His  wife  was  born  in  1820,  and  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  Swartz.  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Berlin  became  the  parents  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, six  sons  and  five  daughters,  and  with  the  exception  of  one  daughter  all 
,grew  to  years  of  maturity,  while  nine  of  the  family  are  still  li\-ing.  One 
sister  resides  in  Pennsylvania,  four  of  the  members  of  the  family  are  living 
in  Kansas,  and  four  are  residents  of  Ohio. 

Joseph  H.  Berlin  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  county  of  his  nativity,  and. 
was  a  student  in  the  old  Swartz  Hill  Academy  until  his  fifteenth  year.  He 
then  entered  upon  his  business  career  in  a  general  store  in  Morristown,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  spent  eleven  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
began  business  for  himself  in  Peter sville,  where  he  remained  several  years, 
after  which  he  conducted  a  store  in  Cherryville  for  a  few  years.  He  was  quite 
successful  in  his  endeavors  there  until  -the  failure  of  Jay  Cooke  &  Company, 
in  1873,  when  he  closed  out  his  business.  After  settling  up  his  affairs  he 
came  to  the  West,  locating  in  Atchison,  where  he  embarked  in  the  wholesale 
grocery  business,  and  at  the  same  time  handled  tobacco  on  an  extensive  scale, 


400  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

but  later  he  abandoned  tliat  branch  of  the  trade.  He  has  gradually  extended 
the  field  of  his  operations  until  he  now  controls  one  of  the  leading  enterprises 
in  the  northeastern  section  of  the  state.  In  1885  he  purchased  the  Kansas 
Spice  Mill,  which  he  converted  into  a  grain  mill.  This  is  supplied  with  the 
roller  system  and  has  a  capacity  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  in  twenty- 
four  hours.  At  the  present  time  he  does  an  extensive  business  in  roasting  and 
selling  coffee.  In  1894  he  removed  his  wholesale  grocery  house  to  its  pres- 
ent location,  and  in  that  line  has  a  very  liberal  patronage,  his  goods  being 
shipped  to  various  points  in  Kansas  and  otiier  western  states.  In  1897  the 
Berlin  Grocery  &  ^Milling-  Company  was  organized  and  incorporated  with  J.  H. 
Berlin  as  president. 

In  i860  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Berlin  and  Miss  Sarah  A.  King,  a 
native  of  Northampton  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  fourth  daughter  of 
John  and  Sabina  (Rudolf)  King.  They  now  have  three  children:  Alvin  C, 
Elmer  U.  and  Adelaide  R.,  all  at  home.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  church,  witii  which  they  united  on  its  organization  in 
July,  1875.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Berlin  has  served  as  one  of  its  trustees,  is  a 
most  liberal  contributor  to  its  support  and  has  acted  as  the  superintendent  and 
a  teacher  of  the  Sunday  schol.  His  Christian  belief  is  exemplified  in  his  busi- 
ness integrity  and  in  his  relations  with  his  fellow  men,  and  in  social,  business 
and  church  circles  he  ranks  deservedly  high. 


MARION   S.   \\'ATSON. 

One  of  the  enterprising  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Reserve  is  Marion 
S.  Watson,  who  is  now  efficiently  serving  as  postmaster  there.  He  is  also 
numbered  among  the  representative  farmers  of  the  neighborhood,  having  for 
some  years  been  actively  identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  this 
locality,  and  is  proprietor  of  the  Quarry  Hill  Poultry  and  Fruit  Farm.  He 
was  born  in  Fulton  county,  Illinois,  February  11,  1847,  and  in  the  common 
schools  near  the  old  homestead  obtained  his  education.  His  parents  were 
Ebenezer  and  Cassandra  (Gould)  Watson,  the  former  a  native  of  Gorham, 
Maine,  and  the  latter  of  Ohio,  their  marriage  having  been  celebrated  in  the 
Buckeye  state.  The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were  John  and 
Mary  (Webster)  Watson,  the  latter  a  relative  of  Daniel  Webster,  while  the 
former  was  a  son  of  Ebenezer  Watson,  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  was  of  English  descent.  After  the  establishment  of  American  independ- 
ence he  located  near  Gorham,  Maine.  He  was  the  father  of  seven  sons.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  attained  an  advanced  age  and,  dying  about  the  same  time,  were 


"^^.  lT^^-^^^^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOClCAL  RECORD.         401 

buried  in  one  grave  in  the  cemetery  near  Gorham.  Their  son,  Jtihn  Watson, 
was  reared  in  Maine,  and  after  his  marriage  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  opened 
a  distillery  and  also  engaged  in  farming.  Later  he  removed  to  Fulton  county. 
Illinois,  becoming  one  of  its  pioneer  settlers.  There  he  entered  land  from  the 
government  and  improved  a  farm,  upon  which  he  remained  until  old  age, 
when  he  sold  that  property  and  made  his  home  with  the  father  of  our  subject, 
at  Perry.  Pike  county,  Illinois,  his  death  there  occurring.  In  politics  he  was  a 
stanch  Democrat,  but  never  aspired  to  office.  His  wife  survived  him  and  also 
died  at  the  home  of  her  son  in  Pike  county.  In  their  family  were  three  chil- 
dren :  Ebenezer,  the  father  of  our  subject;  Mary,  wife  of  Asa  Button ;  and  Mrs. 
Ahira  Gould.  The  parents  and  children  were  all  members  of  the  Christian 
churcli.  and  John  A\'atson  held  membership  relations  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity. 

Ebenezer  \\'atson.  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Maine,  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Ohio,  and  with  his  father  came  to  Illinois.  During  his 
youth  he  was  a  student  in  the  same  school  which  U.  S.  Grant  attended.  He 
was  married  in  Ohio  and  afterward  engaged  in  farming,  which  pursuit  he  fol- 
lowed in  connection  with  carpentering.  In  1850  he  took  up  his  abode  upon 
a  farm  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  in  connection  with  the  tilling  of  the  soil, 
engaged  in  contracting  and  building.  His  death  occurred  August  22,  1886, 
and  his  wife,  who  preceded  him  to  the  home  beyond,  passed  away  July  9,  1870. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Gould,  a  native  of  New  England,  and  a  soldier 
of  the  war  of  181 2.  When  his  country  became  involved  in  hostilities  with 
Mexico  he  again  joined  the  army,  and  at  the  time  of  the  civil  war  he  offered 
his  services  to  the  Union  but  was  rejected  on  account  of  his  advanced  age. 
He  died  near  Astoria,  Illinois,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-four  years.  Prior 
to  the  war  he  was  a  stanch  abolitionist  in  principles.  His  children,  seven  in 
number,  were:  Cassandra,  Mrs.  Rachel  Vanderment,  Mrs.  Caroline  Merrill, 
Mrs.  Oletha  Clark,  Mrs.  Lucetta  Curry;  Clinton,  deceased;  and  Mrs.  Susie 
Bradbury.  All  were  church  members.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eben- 
ezer Watson  were:  Mrs.  Almina  Swango,  Mrs.  Lucy  Gold,  Daniel,  who 
served  in  the  civil  war  and  died  soon  after  his  return;  Marion  S.,  Mrs.  Amer- 
ica Clark,  and  James  C,  a  druggist  of  Hiawatha.  This  family  was  also  con- 
nected with  the  Christian  church. 

Marion  S.  Watson  was  reared  in  Illinois,  remaining  under  the  parental 
roof  until  his  marriage,  in  1866,  to  Miss  Hester  A.  Beaver,  an  intelligent  and 
cultured  lady  who  was  born  in  Fulton  county,  Illinois,  March  8,  1845.  Her 
parents  were  Levi  and  Sarah  (Timmons)  Beaver,  both  natives  of  Penh- 
syhama.  They  became  early  settlers  of  Illinois,  where  the  father  followed 
farmmg,  and  in  1876  they  removed  to  Nebraska,  where  he  purchased  a  tract 
of  land  near  Seward.     There  he  spent  his  remaining  days.     He  was  a  man  of 


402  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

many  virtues,  cliaritable  and  benevolent,  and  commanded  the  respect  of  all 
\vho  knew  him.  In  his  family  were  nine  children,  namely :  Elias,  of  Falls  City, 
Nebraska:  Mrs.  Matilda  Carpenter,  Mrs.  Jane  Allison,  Mary,  who  was  the  first 
wife  of  Mr.  Allison,  now  her  sister's  husband ;  Lydia,  wife  of  Hon.  J.  R. 
Dowty :  Frank,  of  Nebraska ;  Hester,  wife  of  our  subject ;  Levi,  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
\\'alters. 

In  1872  Mr.  Watson  left  Illinois,  and  located  in  Richardson  county,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  engaged  in  farming.  In  1878  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating 
in  Brown  county,  near  Reserve.  He  purchased  a  tract  of  raw  prairie  land, 
erected  a  small  house,  had  some  of  his  land  fenced  and  broken,  and  in  the  course 
of  time  gathered  abundant  harvests  in  return  for  his  labor.  It  was  not  long 
before  his  farm  yielded  him  good  financial  returns.  There  is  also  a  stone 
quarry  on  his  land,  from  which  he  has  sold  large  quantities  of  stone.  He  con- 
tinued to  successfully  operate  his  farm,  and  later  purchased  another  tract 
of  land,  so  that  he  now  owns  two  hlundred  and  fifty  acres,  all  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  His  career,  however,  has  not  been  one  of  continuous  prosper- 
ity, for  he  has  met  with  some  misfortunes.  The  cyclone  of  1896  did  immense 
damage  upon  his  place,  destroying  seven  buildings  and  ruining  his  fine,  large 
commercial  orchard.  There  was  no  insurance  upon  this  place,  thus  causing  a 
total  loss ;  but  with  characteristic  energy  he  set  to  work  to  retrieve  his  posses- 
sions, and  by  careful  management  he  has  gained  a  place  among  the  enterpris- 
ing and  prosperous  farmers  of  his  neighborhood.  He  has  given  considerable 
attention  to  raising  fine  hogs  and  is  an  excellent  judge  of  them.  Of  late  years 
he  has  also  engaged  in  raising  fine  fowls  and  has  made  extensive  shipments  of 
these  to  all  parts  of  the  country.  He  is  also  engaged  in  horticultural  pursuits 
on  quite  an  extensive  scale,  and  these  branches  of  his  business  have  yielded  to 
him  excellent  financial  returns. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  have  been  born  seven  children:  Mary  M., 
now  Mrs.  Syster;  Frank  L.,  a  well  known  and  talented  artist  of  California; 
Mrs.  Nellie  I.  Willard ;  Daniel,  who  is  operating  the  homestead  farm ;  Fannie, 
a  twin  sister  of  Daniel,  and  the  wife  of  Rev.  W.  F.  Schulze,  a  minister  of  the 
Moravian  church:  Jessie  M.,  who  is  deputy  postmaster;  Melvin  D.,  at  school, 
and  Ella  Grace,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Watson  is  a  very  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  and  has  con- 
tributed in  no  small  degree  to  the  progress  and  welfare  of  the  community. 
It  was  through  his  efforts  that  the  town  of  Reserve  was  laid  out  and  he  has 
always  aided  in  its  upbuilding.  In  politics  he  is  recognized  as  a  leading  and 
influental  member  of  the  Republican  party,  attends  its  conventions,  and  does 
all  in  his  power  to  insure  its  success.  He  has  filled  many  offices,  and  has  been 
school  director,  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  ten  years,  was  township  clerk,  and 
by  President  McKinley  was  appointed  to  the  position  of  postmaster  of  Reserve 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  405 

He  is  also  a  leading  member  of  the  Farmers  Institute,  and  his  dose  study  of 
questions  respecting  different  departments  of  farm  work  has  gained  him  a 
broad  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  subject  and  made  him  very  efficient 
along  those  lines.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church 
and  enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  their  many  friends  throughout  the  community. 
Mr.  Watson  is  truly  a  self-made  man,  for  the  success  which  has  come  to  him 
is  the  result  of  his  own  eft'orts. 


JAMES  M.  GRANEY. 


Through  long  years  of  connection  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  Ne- 
maha county,  James  M.  Graney  succeeded  in  gaining  a  \-ery  comfortable  com- 
petence, and  thus  was  enabled  to  leave  to  his  family  at  his  death  a  valuable 
property.  He  also  left  to  them  that  good  name  which  is  rather  to  be  chosen 
than  great  riches,  for  his  career  was  ever  straightforward  and  honorable. 
He  was  born  in  county  Galway,  Ireland,  and  came  to  America  in  1848,  locat- 
ing in  New  York.  There  he  was  employed  by  the  government  and  was  sent 
as  a  teamster  to  the  West,  in  which  capacity  he  participated  in  the  Ute  war,  in 
1857.  He  first  became  the  owner  of  a  farm  in  i860,  when  he  purchased  a 
tract  of  wild  land  in  Richmond  township,  Nemaha  county.  He  still,  however, 
continued  to  work  as  a  teamster  for  the  government  in  the  civil  war,  after 
which  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  development  of  his  farm,  transforming  the 
wild  prairie  into  richly  cultivated  fields.  He  married  Miss  Ann  Daly,  and 
in  a  log  cabin  in  Nemaha  county  they  began  their  domestic  life.  There  Mr. 
Graney  successfully  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  a  number  of  years, 
becoming  the  owner  of  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.  He  was  ac- 
counted one  of  the  most  practical  and  progressive  agriculturists  of  the  com- 
munity, and  in  the  work  of  general  progress  and  improvement  he  took  an 
active  interest,  withholding  his  support  from  no  measure  or  movement  which 
he  believed  would  prove  of  benefit  to  the  community.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  held  the  ofifice  of  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in  his  political  affiliations  he 
was  a  Democrat.  His  death  occurred  on  the  21st  of  January,  1899,  and  the 
community  thereby  lost  one  of  its  valued  representatives. 

His  widow,  who  is  still  residing  on  the  old  homestead,  was  born  in  county 
Longford,  Ireland,  on  the  22d  of  March,  1829.  Her  father,  Bernard  Doyle, 
was  a  native  of  that  county,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy  years,  and  his  wife  died  in  the  Emerald  Isle  when  sixty-five  years  of 
age.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Bridget  Scolly,  and  was  also  born  in 
Longford  county.     In  their  family  were  nine  children,  of  whom  two  died  in 


404  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

childhood,  while  all  have  now  passed  away  with  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Graney. 
She  came  to  America  in  1848,  landing  in  New  Orleans,  where  she  made  her 
home  for  six  years.  In  that  city  she  became  the  wife  of  Jeremiah  Daly  in 
1854,  and  two  weeks  later  they  removed  to  Texas,  where  Mr.  Daly  engaged  in 
teaching  school  for  two  years.  He  then  joined  the  army  and  went  to  Florida, 
but  after  a  short  time  was  transferred  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  where  he  was 
stationed  with  his  command  from  1857  until  i860.  He  then  removed  with  his 
family  to  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  locating  on  a  farm  in  Nemaha  tmvnship. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daly, :  Mary,  John  and  Anna. 
The  first  named  was  born  in  Bastrop,  Texas,  April  4,  1855,  and  was  a  little 
maiden  of  five  summers  when  brought  by  her  parents  to  this  state.  She  pur- 
sued her  education  in  the  Atchison  convent  and  also  in  the  public  schools,  and 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  began  teaching,  which  profession  she  has  since  fol- 
lowed with  the  e.xception  of  a  period  of  three  years.  During  the  greater  part 
of  this  time  she  has  been  connected  with  educational  work  in  Namaha  county, 
but  for  a  time  was  located  at  Seneca.  She  is  now  teaching  in  Kelly,  and  is  rec- 
ognized as  one  as  one  of  the  most  successful  educators  in  that  locality.  She  was 
married  in  1879  to  Milton  Todd,/ who  is  a  teacher  in  the  Seneca  high  school  and 
for  four  years  was  the  county  superintendent  of  Nemaha  county.  He  holds 
a  life  diploma  from  the  state  of  Kansas,  being  one  of  the  first  twelve  to  whom 
such  a  diploma  was  granted.  He  was  born  in  Canada  September  9,  1844, 
and  pursued  his  education  in  Jefferson  College,  of  Michigan,  in  the  Normal 
School  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  at  Holton.  His  wife  also  was  a  student 
in  the  Normal  School  at  Leavenworth.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  a  very  prominent  Mason,  having 
attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree  of  the  York  rite,  and  the  thirty-second 
degree  of  the  Scottish  rite.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  widely  and  favorably 
known  and  occupy  a  very  enviable  position  in  social  circles,  where  true  worth 
and  inteligence  are  received  as  the  passports  into  good  society.  They  now  have 
three  children :  George  Emerson,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Seneca  high  school 
and  is  now  a  student  in  the  State  University  at  Lawrence,  Kansas;  Marie, 
who  is  now  teaching  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  will  graduate  in  the 
Seneca  high  school  in  the  class  of  1901 :  and  Paul  Edward,  attending  school  in 
Seneca. 

In  1864  Mrs.  Daly  became  the  wife  of  James  Graney,  and  their  union  was 
blessed  with  five  children.  Rosa  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  Agnes  is  the 
wife  of  John  Keegan,  of  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  by  whom  she  has  three 
children — Lillie.  Jay  and  Milton.  Jay  was  born  in  Nemaha  county,  Novem- 
ber 26,  1868,  and  was  reared  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  He  married 
IMaggie  Baker,  a  nati\'e  of  this  county,  and  they  had  two  children — James, 
deceased,  and  Edward.     He  operates  his  mother's  farm  and  is  accounted  one 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  405 

of  the  leading  and  enterprising  farmers  of  the  community ;  Ellen  was  born  in 
Nemaha  township,  and  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Hartmann,  of  Washington  town- 
ship, Nemaha  county,  by  whom  she  has  two  children — James  and  Winifred; 
and  Edward  died  at  the  age  of  ten  years. 

The  Graney  family  is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Nemaha 
county,  and  its  representatives  enjoy  the  warm  frienship  of  a  large  circle  of 
acquaintances.  Mrs.  Graney  occupies  the  home  farm,  and  owns  one  hundred 
and  fifty-one  acres  and  a  life  interest  in  eighty-nine  acres.  The  son  Jay  has  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and  Mrs.  Keegan  has  forty  acres.  At 
one  time  Mr.  Graney  owned  the  entire  four  hundred  acres,  but  he  sold  eighty 
acres  of  this  to  his  son  Jay.  He  placed  the  farm  ufider  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, making  it  a  valuable  property,  and  although  it  is  now  divided  into  three 
different  tracts  it  is  still  well  improved  by  the  present  owners.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Catholic  church  at  St.  Benedict,  and  Mrs.  Graney  con- 
tributed liberally  to  the  building  of  the  house  of  worship  there. 


JOHN  W.  BROWNLEE. 

John  W.  Brownlee  is  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Mission  township, 
having  been  a  resident  of  this  locality  since  1880.  He  is  numbered  among 
the  native  sons  of  the  Buckeye  state,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Morrow 
county,  December  17,  1851.  His  father,  Archibald  Brownlee,  was  born  in 
Ohio  county,  Virginia,  and  was  a  son  of  Hugh  Brownlee.  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Scotland.  The  father  wedded  Miss  Rachel  Danley.  a  native  of  Washing- 
ton county,  Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Danley,  who  was  of  Scotch 
lineage.  For  many  years  the  parents  resided  in  Ohio  but  in  1892  came  to 
Kansas,  where  the  father  died  the  following  year,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
two.  He  was  an  ardent  Abolitionist  and  during  slavery  days  aided  many  a 
negro  on  his  way  to  freedom,  his  home  being  a  station  on  what  was  known 
as  the  underground  railroad.  Through  that  system  many  of  the  abused  ne- 
groes of  the  south,  after  making  their  way  across  the  river  to  Ohio,  were 
enabled  to  proceed  on  their  way  to  Canada.  Mr.  Brownlee  often  had  ten  or 
twelve  slaves  in  his  home  at  one  time.  He  was  always  a  friend  of  liberty, 
right  and  order,  and  was  a  consistent  and  faithful  member  of  the  United 
Presbyterian  church.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  living  with 
her  son,  John  W.,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years,  being  one  of  the  oldest  ladies 
of  the  county.  Although  well  advanced  in  life  she  enjoys  good  health,  and 
her  mental  and  pliysical  faculties  are  unimpaired.  This  worthy  couple  were 
tlie  parents  of  twelve  children,  two  sons  and  ten  daughters,  namely :     Agnes ; 


406  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Hugh,  who  served  in  the  Sixty-fourth  Ohio  Infantry  during  tlie  ci\il  war; 
Lavina,  Mattie,  Margaret,  Sarah,  EHzabeth,  Josephine,  Rebecca,  John  W., 
Helen  and  Frances. 

Mr.  Brownlee.  wliose  name  introduces  the  initial  jiaragraph  of  this  record, 
was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  pursued  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools.  Subsequently  he  was  a  student  in  Ibelia  College,  of  which  his  father 
was  a  trustee.  He  remained  at  home  until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  assist- 
ing in  the  operation  of  the  farm,  and  in  May,  1877,  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Emma  Scott,  a  lady  of  intelligence  and  a  good  family  who  has  proved 
to  her  husband  a  faithful  helpmate.  She  was  born  in  Wells  county,  Indiana, 
but  was  reared  and  educated  in  Ohio,  her  parents  being  John  and  Mary  (Oz- 
mun)  Scott.  With  their  family  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brownlee  left  their  old  home  in 
Ohio  in  1880  and  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  where  our  subject  purchased 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  upon  which  the  town  of  East  Horton 
or  Horton  Heights  is  now  located.  He  divided  this  and  sold  a  portion  of  it 
for  town  lots,  and  in  1887  he  extended  his  own  landed  possessions  by  the  pur- 
chase of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  known  as  the  Lodiania  farm,  one  of 
best  developed  and  improved  farms  of  the  county.  His  place  is  stocked  with 
a  high  grade  of  horses,  cattle  and  sheep,  the  fields  are  well  tilled,  and  all  modern 
accessories  and  conveniences  are  there  to  be  found. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brownlee  has  been  blessed  with  four  interest- 
ing children, — Ethel,  Pearl,  Clark  R.  and  John  Ainsley.  Mrs.  Brownlee  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  politics  Mr.  Brownlee  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  gives  a  loyal  and  unwavering  support  to  the  principles  of  the  party. 
In  personal  appearance  he  is  a  man  of  fine  physique,  in  manner  is  frank  and 
genial,  and  is  enterprising  and  progressive.  His  social  and  personal  qualities 
are  such  as  to  commend  him  to  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all,  and  he  justly 
deserves  mention  among  the  representative  citizens  of  Brown  county. 


CAPTAIN  WILLIAAI  F.  BARRO\\'S. 

Captain  W.  F.  Barrows,  the  superintendent  of  the  Atchison  union  depot, 
Atchison,  Kansas,  has  been  in  railroad  service  probably  longer  than  any  other 
man  in  the  state,  and  has  a  record  for  promptness  and  fidelity  of  which  he  has 
just  reason  to  be  proud. 

W.  F.  Barrows  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  born  in  Free- 
town, in  December,  1834,  a  son  of  Davis  J.  and  Eliza  (Strobridge)  Barrows, 
both  natives  of  that  state.  His  grandfather  was  Thomas  Barrows,  a  mem- 
ber of  one  of  the  early  families  of  New  England.     The  Strobridges  also  were 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         407 

among  the  early  settlers  there.  In  his  nati\e  place  \V.  F.  Barrows  passed 
his  youthful  days  and  attended  the  common  schools.  Later  he  was  a  student 
in  the  academy  at  Middlebury.  Massachusetts.  On  leaving  the  academy  he 
began  his  railroad  career  as  an  employee  of  the  Cape  Cod  Railroad,  with  which 
he  remained  five  years,  until  1852.  In  March  of  that  year  he  came  west  and 
was  employed  by  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad,  with  which  he  was  con- 
nected until  after  the  completion  of  the  road.  Afterward  he  was  on  the  Mis- 
souri river  and  the  Omaha,  and  was  clerk  and  captain  on  the  railroad  packet 
line.  Next  he  was  with  the  Kansas  City.  St.  Joseph  &  Council  Bluffs,  with 
which  he  remained  until  after  it  became  a  part  of  the  Burlington  system.  He 
had  his  headquarters  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  until  1881,  when  he  came  to 
Atchison,  Kansas,  and  accepted  the  position  which  he  has  since  filled,  that  of 
superintendent  of  the  Atchison  union  depot. 

Mr.  Barrows  is  a  man  of  a  family,  and  his  sons,  following  in  his  footsteps, 
are  engaged  in  railroad  business.  He  was  married  in  March,  1845,  to  Miss 
Josephine  Andros,  of  Massachusetts,  born  and  reared  in  the  same  place  Mr. 
Barrows  was,  they  having  been  schoolmates  from  childhood.  They  have  two 
sons  and  a  daughter,  namely:  Benedict  A.,  the  paymaster  on  the  Burlington 
route:  William  F.,  Jr.,  a  district  ticket  agent:  and  Margaret  L.,  at  home. 

Captain  Barrows  has  long  been  identified  with  the  Masonic  order,  ha\ing 
been  made  a  Mason  in  Cape  Cod. 


JOHN  M.  PRICE. 

The  profession  of  the  law.  when  clothed  with  its  true  dignity  and  purity 
and  strength,  must  rank  first  among  the  callings  of  men,  for  law  rules  the  uni- 
verse. The  work  of  the  legal  profession  is  to  formulate,  to  harmonize,  to  reg- 
ulate, to  adjust,  to  administer  those  rules  and  principles  that  underlie  and  per- 
meate all  government  and  society  and  control  the  varied  relations  of  men.  As 
thus  viewed,  there  attaches  to  the  legal  profession  a  nobleness  that  cannot  be 
reflected  in  the  life  of  the  true  lawyer,  who,  conscious  of  the  greatness  of  his 
proiession,  and  honest  in  the  pursuit  of  his  purpose,  embraces  the  richness  of 
learning,  the  profoundness  of  wisdom,  the  firmness  of  integrity  and  the  purity 
of  morals,  together  with  the  graces  of  modesty,  courtesy  and  the  general 
amenities  of  life.  One  of  the  most  distinguished  members  of  the  Kansas  bar 
was  John  M.  Price,  who  for  forty  years  practiced  at  Atchison. 

Mr.  Price  was  born  in  Richmond,  Madison  county,  Kentucky,  in  October, 
1829,  a  son  of  Thomas  S.  and  Sarah  (Jarman)  Price.  The  paternal  grand- 
father was  Moses  M.  Price,  and  his  maternal  grandfather  was  John  Jarman, 


4o8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  to  our  subject  was  given  the  Christian  name  of  both  of  those  gentlemen. 
The  former  married  Catherine  Broadus,  and  the  latter  wedded  Elizabeth 
Broadus,  the  two  being  distant  relatives.  Moses  M.  Price  and  his  wife  were 
both  natives  of  Virginia,  but  with  their  respective  parents  they  removed  to 
Madison  county,  Kentucky,  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and 
later  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  having  in  the  meantime  married,  removed 
with  his  family  to  the  adjoining  county  of  Estill.  He  was  the  father  of  ten 
children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  being  Thomas 
S.  Price. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  Madison  county,  Kentucky,  and 
in  1828  was  married  there  to  Sarah  Jarman,  who  was  the  youngest  in  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  two  tlaughters,  children  of  John  and  Elizaljeth 
(Broadus)  Jarman.  After  his  marriage  Thomas  S.  Price  returned  with 
his  bride  to  his  farm  in  Estill  county,  Kentucky,  and  there  three  chiklren 
were  born  to  them :  Thomas  E.,  John  M.,  and  Mary  W.  After  the  birth, 
of  the  daughter  in  1835,  the  mother  never  fully  recovered  her  health  and 
gradually  failed  until  the  following  year,  when  she  died  at  the  home  of 
her  parents  in  Madison  county.  In  1838  Mr.  Price  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Combs,  of  Clark  county,  Ken- 
tucky. In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  removed  with  his  family  to  ^Missouri, 
locating  first  in  Johnson  county,  whence  he  removed  to  Pettis  county, 
near  the  present  site  of  Sedalia.  There  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1845, 
wdien  he  returned  to  Estill  county,  Kentuck}'.  His  daughter  Mary  was 
married,  in  1852,  to  Thomas  B.  Jarman.  She  was  at  that  time  living  with 
her  uncle,  C.  B.  Jarman,  in  Richmond,  Kentucky,  and  her  husband,  who  was 
of  the  same  name,  is  a  distant  relative.  In  1853  Thomas  E.  Price,  the  brother 
of  our  subject,  married  a  daughter  of  Moses  Henry,  in  Estill  county,  and  in  the 
fall  of  that  year  Thomas  S.  Price,  the  father,  with  his  wife  and  children,  ac- 
companied by  Thomas  E.  and  his  wife,  started  for  Texas.  While  cii  route 
Thomas  E.  and  his  wife  were  taken  ill  with  the  cholera  at  Shreveport,  Louis- 
iana, and  both  died  there  in  December,  1853.  The  father,  Thomas  S.  Price, 
made  his  home  in  various  places  in  northern  Texas  until  the  spring  of  1857, 
when  his  death  occurred,  in  Mount  Pleasant,  Titus  county,  that  state.  His 
wife  and  their  children  are  still  living  in  Texas. 

John  M.  Price,  of  this  review,  accompanied  his  father  to  Missouri,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1844  returned  with  him  to  Kentucky,  to  visit  relatives,  but 
concluding  to  remain  there  he  lived  with  an  uncle,  Morgan  M.  Price,  assisting 
him  in  the  work  of  the  farm  until  the  following  winter,  when  he  attended  school 
in  Irvine,  the  county  seat  of  Estill  county.  In  1845  ^"<i  1846  he  was  employed 
in  the  dry-goods  store  of  Thomas  D.  Chiles,  then  doing  business  in  Irvine,  but 
now  deceased.     In  the  fall  of  1847  ■'^i'-  Price  gave  up  his  clerkship  in  order  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         409 

accept  a  proffered  home  with  Colonel  Walter  Chiles,  a  prominent  lawyer  and 
politician  of  Mount  Sterling,  Kentucky,  whose  first  wife  was  Jane  Price,  an 
aunt  of  our  subject.  Here  the  latter  attended  school  during  the  fall  and  win- 
ter of  1847,  ^"<-l  "■•  '^1''^  spring  of  1848  he  accepted  a  clerical  position  in  the 
office  of  the  county  clerk  of  Montgomery  county. 

During  that  year  he  attended  to  his  services  in  the  county  clerk's  office 
through  the  day,  and  in  the  evening  he  read  law  in  the  office  of  Colonel  Chiles, 
in  whose  family  he  continued  to  live  and  who  gave  him  a  home  and  instructions 
in  the  law  free  of  charge.  For  his  labors  during  the  day  he  received  sufficient 
compensation  wnth  which  to  purchase  his  clothes  and  to  provide  himself  with 
necessary  spending  money.  Under  the  able  instruction  of  his  preceptor  and 
as  the  result  of  his  close  attention  to  his  legal  studies,  Mr.  Price  was  able 
to  pass  a  satisfactory  examination  in  March,  1848,  at  which  time  he  obtained 
his  license  to  practice  law.  He  was  then  only  nineteen  years  of  age.  He  im- 
mediately returned  to  his  former  home  in  Irvine,  where  he  opened  a  law 
office  and  soon  secured  a  fair  practice  for  one  so  young  and  without  previ- 
ous experience.  At  the  first  general  election  under  the  new  constitution  of 
Kentucky,  in  1S51,  he  was  elected  the  county  attorney  for  Estill  county,  and 
during  his  four-years  term  performed  the  duties  of  the  office  so  acceptably  and 
faithfully  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1855,  without  opposition,  continuing  to 
serve  in  that  capacity  until  he  resigned,  in  July,  1858,  in  order  to  remove  to 
Kansas.  After  seeking  a  location  in  this  state  he  determined  on  Atchison  as 
his  future  home,  and  took  up  his  abode  here  on  the  first  of  September. 

Kansas  was  then  a  territory,  and  throughout  the  period  of  its  marked  de- 
velopment and  progress  through  the  past  forty-one  years,  Mr.  Price  has  been  an 
active  factor  in  promoting  its  interests  and  welfare.  On  his  arrival  in  Atch- 
ison he  opened  an  office  and  entered  almost  at  once  upon  an  extensixe  and 
lucrative  practice.  His  fitness  for  leadership  also  gained  him  prominence  in 
political  circles.  When  the  Republican  party  was  organized  in  Atchison  county, 
in  the  fall  of  1858,  he  at  once  identified  himself  therewith,  and  has  never 
ceased  to  be  a  zealous  and  consistent  advocate  of  the  principles  which  it  in- 
dorses. He  has  been  elected  a  delegate  to  every  Republican  county  conven- 
tion for  the  past  twenty  years,  and  to  many  state  conventions  and  has  always 
abided  by  the  actions  of  such  bodies  and  heartily  supported  their  nominees. 
Many  positions  of  honor  and  public  trust  have  been  conferred  upon  him,  and 
in  all  he  has  discharged  his  duties  with  conspicuous  ability  and  fidelity.  In 
1859,  when  A.  G.  Otis,  now  judge  of  the  district  court,  resigned  the  office 
of  county  attorney,  he  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  b)'  the  board  of 
county  commissioners,  and  thus  served  until  Kansas  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  when  he  was  nominated  and  elected  by  the  people  at  the  first  general 
election  under  the  constitution  of  the  state.     In  1861  he  was  elected  the  police 


4IO  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

judge  of  the  city  and  re-elected  in  1862  and  1863.  In  1864  l^e  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  city  council,  and  by  re-election  served  in  that  office  for  three 
consecutive  years.  In  1867,  by  popular  ballot  and  without  opposition,  he  was 
chosen  the  mayor  of  Atchison,  the  unanimous  support  given  him  being  an 
indication  of  his  popularity  and  an  evidence  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him 
by  his  fellow  townsmen. 

In  the  fall  of  1866  he  was  elected  state  senator  from  Atchison  county, 
for  a  two-years  term,  and  while  thus  serving,  in  1867,  was  appointed  by  Gov- 
ernor S.  J.  Crawford  one  of  the  commissioners  to  revise  the  general  laws  of 
the  state,  his  colleagues  being  Hon.  Samuel  A.  Riggs,  of  Lawrence,  and  Hon. 
James  McCahon,  of  Leavenworth,  the  latter  now  deceased.  Mr.  Price  was 
the  chairman  of  the  commission,  which  performed  its  labors  during  the  sum- 
mer and  fall  of  1867,  and  submitted  a  printed  report  of  the  entire  revision  to 
the  legislature  of  1868,  on  the  first  day  of  the  session.  This  revision  was 
adopted  by  the  legislature  with  but  little  amendment  and  the  general  statutes 
of  1868  were  printed  and  published  during  that  year  under  the  supervision  of 
the  commissioners.  This  work  was  deservedly  popular  with  the  bench  and 
the  bar  of  the  state.  On  account  of  his  legal  attainments  and  his  familiarity 
with  legislation  and  the  general  laws  of  the  state,  Mr.  Price  was  made  the  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  judiciary  in  the  session  of  the  senate  in  1868. 

In  1870  he  was  again  elected  to  the  state  senate  for  two  years,  ser\-ing  in 
that  body  during  the  sessions  of  1871  and  1872,  and  on  its  organization  was 
elected  president,  in  which  capacity  he  presided  over  its  deliberations  in  the 
absence  of  the  lieutenant-governor.  In  the  fall  of  1872  he  was  a  candidate 
before  the  Republican  state  convention  for  governor.  So  confident  were  his 
friends  that  he  woud  be  nominated  on  the  first  ballot  that  he  made  no  canvass 
of  any  part  of  the  state,  but  remained  at  home  attending  to  his  legal  business. 
This  over-confidence,  however,  proved  his  defeat.  ^Vhen  the  con\ention  met 
Mr.  Price  found  that  he  had  five  competitors,  some  of  whom  made  an  active 
canvass  of  the  state,  and  when  the  preferences  of  the  delegates  were  ascertained 
it  appeared  that  he  lacked  eight  votes  of  having  a  sufficient  number  to  give  him 
the  nomination  over  the  combined  strength  of  his  five  competitors.  He  was  a 
leading  candidate  in  the  conventions  on  every  ballot  until  the  tenth  and  last 
one,  when  all  the  opposing  candidates  united  on  Thomas  A.  Osborne,  and  thus 
gave  him  the  nomination.  In  the  memorable  contest  for  L'nited  States  senator 
in  1873,  culminating  in  the  betrayal  and  exposure  of  Senator  S.  C.  Pomeroy, 
by  A.  M.  York,  then  a  member  of  the  state  senate,  Mr.  Price's  friends  pre- 
sented him  as  a  candidate  before  the  anti-Pomeroy  caucus.  The  principal 
candidates  for  the  caucus  nomination  were  John  M.  Price,  John  J.  Ingalls,  Dr. 
C.  A.  Logan,  William  A.  Phillips,  D.  P.  Lowe  and  James  M.  Harvey.  The 
caucus  balloted  nearly  all  night  previous  to  the  day  of  election.     For  the  first 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         411 

nineteen  ballots  Mr.  Price  was  the  leading  candidate,  lacking  at  times  only  three 
votes  of  the  nomination.  After  nineteen  ballots  Logan's  vote  was  transferred 
to  Ingalls  and  thus  the  contest  was  ended.  In  view  of  the  York-Pomeroy 
expose  before  the  joint  convention  on  the  following  day,  Mr.  Ingalls  was 
elected  by  a  unanimous  vote.  In  1892  he  was  again  elected  to  the  state  senate, 
and  served  his  county  in  that  capacity  in  the  memorable  session  of  1893  and 
again  in  1895. 

On  the  loth  of  January,  1854,  in  Irvine,  Kentucky,  John  M.  Price  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Eliza  Jarman  Park,  the  only  daughter  of  Elihu  and  Mary 
Park,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  at  the  home  of  the  bride  by  Stephen 
Noland,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  South.  Mrs.  Price  was  born  in 
Irvine,  August  22,  1832,  and  of  this  union  five  children  have  been  born:  Mollie 
F.,  born  in  Irvine,  October  12,  1854,  was  married  January  10,  1876,  to  Charles 
B.  Singleton,  a  farmer  of  Platte  county,  Missouri,  but  now  of  Atchison,  Kan- 
sas, and  they  now  have  a  daughter,  born  in  September,  1878;  and  Nannie  B., 
born  in  Irvine  August  28,  1856,  was  married  January  10,  1878,  to  F.  L.  Van- 
dergrift,  formerly  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  but  now  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  The 
other  children  of  our  subject  are  John  M.,  deceased,  John  M.,  Jr.,  and  Eliza 
P.  Mr.  Price  was  one  of  the  distinguished  Masons  of  Kansas,  and  has  served 
as  the  grand  high  priest  of  the  Grand  Royal  Arch  Chapter  of  Kansas,  and  was 
the  secretary  of  that  body.  He  was  the  president  of  the  council  of  the  Holy 
Order  of  High  Priesthood,  and  was  the  grand  treasurer  of  the  Grand  Council 
of  Royal  and  Select  Masters  of  the  state;  also  the  president  of  the  Kansas 
Masons'  Protective  Association.  In  October,  1878,  he  attained  the  thirty- 
second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite  and  was  a  member  of  Medina  Temple,  No. 
31,  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  also  of  Shiloh 
Conclave,  No.  i ,  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross  of  Constantine,  Knights  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  and  Knights  of  St,  John  the  Evangelist.  He  served  for  one  term 
as  the  grand  master  of  the  most  worthy  grand  lodge  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  and  was  twice  elected  a  grand  representative  to  the  grand 
lodge  of  the  United  States.  He  served  one  term  as  the  grand  chancellor  of 
the  grand  lodge,  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  of  Kansas  was  the  supreme 
representative  to  the  supreme  lodge  of  the  world  for  four  years.  He  was  the 
grand  master  workman  of  the  grand  lodge  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  of  Kansas,  was  a  member  of  the  grand  lodge  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  served  as  grand  assistant  director,  and  has  been  the  president  of  the 
Atchison  lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid.  Almost  from  the 
beginning  of  his  residence  in  Kansas  he  was  accorded  a  place  among  the  most 
prominent  men  in  political,  professional  and  fraternal  circles.  For  years  a 
distinguished  member  of  the  bar.  honored  and  respected  in  every  class  of 
society,  he  has  long  been  a  leader  in  thought  and  movement  in  the  public  life 


412  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  the  state,  and  all  who  knew  him  had  fur  him  the  highest  admiration  for  his 
good  qualities  of  heart  and  mind. 

Since  the  foregoing  sketch  was  compiled  we  have  to  record  the  sad  event 
that  on  the  19th  day  of  October,  1898,  John  M.  Price  died  at  his  home  in  the 
city  of  Atchison;  surrounded  by  wife  and  children,  he  passed  away  without 
pain  or  struggle.  With  his  death  passed  away  one  of  the  noblest,  grandest 
men  that  his  state  will  ever  see. 


A.  A.  PYLES. 


One  of  the  self-made  men  of  Brown  county,  whose  history  stands  in  exem- 
plification of  the  possibilities  that  lie  before  those  of  determined  purpose  and 
of  unflagging  industry,  Mr.  Pyles  is  now  numbered  among  the  substantial 
farmers  of  Brown  county,  owning,  occupying  and  operating  a  valuable  farm 
in  Morrill  township. 

He  w-as  born  in  ^Monroe  county.  West  Virginia,  March  22,  1847,  ^"cl  is 
a  representatives  of  old  southern  families.  His  parents,  George  I.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Arnott)  Pyles,  were  both  natives  of  Virginia,  and  the  former  was  a  son 
of  Jacob  and  Sarah  (Baker)  Pyles.  The  grandfather  was  of  English  descent, 
the  wife  of  German  lineage,  and  both  were  reared  in  the  Old  Dominion, 
the  latter  at  Hagerstown.  Jacob  Pyles  made  farming  his  life  work,  was  a 
Methodist  in  religious  faith  and  died  in  the  state  of  his  nativity.  His  children 
were  George  I.,  Allen,  who  was  a  commissioned  officer  in  the  Confederate  army 
during  the  Civil  war;  John  W.,  who  also  was  a  Confederate  soldier;  Mary,  the 
wife  of  George  McCoy;  Ellen,  the  wife  of  H.  Arnott,  and  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  L.  Spangler.  Elizabeth  and  Ellen  are  the  only  ones  now  living,  and  they 
reside  in  West  Virginia. 

The  Arnott  family  was  of  Scotch  origin.  The  great-grandfather  Arnott 
never  received  any  school  privileges  and  could  not  read  or  write  until  after  his 
marriage,  when  his  wife  instructed  him  in  those  branches  of  learning.  He 
then  eagerly  availed  himself  of  every  opportunity  to  add  to  his  knowledge,  and 
became  an  intelligent  and  prominent  man.  Henry  Arnott,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  West  Virginia,  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  was  one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  that  com- 
munity. He  had  fifteen  children:  William,  Joshua,  a  minister  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church:  Caliph;  Henry;  Zachariah,  who  was  a  colonel  in  the 
Confederate  army ;  Addison,  who  studied  for  the  ministry  and  became  a  captain 
in  the  Confederate  army,  his  death  occurring  during  the  service;  Jesse,  who 
was  a  lieutenant  in  the  southern  army;  John,  a  private,  who  also  died  in  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         413 

service:  Rebecca,  the  wife  of  J.  Mann;  Elizabeth,  the  motlier  of  our  subject; 
Nancy,  the  wife  of  William  W'ickle;  Mary,  the  wife  of  R.  Smith;  Sarah,  the 
wife  of  A.  B.  McNeer,  becoming  the  mother  of  several  sons  who  entered  the 
ministry;  Lucinda,  the  wife  of  Andrew  Baker,  and  Caroline,  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Ellison.     The  children  named  above  were  of  two  marriages. 

The  Pyles  and  Arnott  families  became  united  through  the  marriage  of 
George  I.  Pyles  and  Elizabeth  Arnott.  The  former  was  reared  to  manhood 
on  the  old  homestead  farm,  and  there  began  farming  on  his  own  account.  In 
addition  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields,  he  at  one  time  operated  a  tannery,  but 
after  a  short  period  sold  his  interest  in  that  enterprise,  and  soon  joined  the 
militia.  He  did  some  important  service  for  the  Confederate  army  in  a  private 
capacity,  and  later  became  a  regularly  enlisted  soldier,  participating  in  the 
battle  of  Winchester,  where  he  was  captured,  being  taken  to  the  military  prison 
at  Point  Lookout.  After  being  incarcerated  for  four  months  he  died  in  prison 
and  was  buried  there.  His  widow  remained  at  home  and  conducted  the  farm 
until  her  children  were  grown  and  had  gone  to  homes  of  their  own.  The 
old  homestead  property  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  heirs.  Coming  to  Kan- 
sas to  visit  her  sons,  the  mother  died  at  the  home  of  her  son,  A.  A.  Pyles. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pyles  were  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  people 
of  the  highest  respectability.  They  had  nine  children :  Henry  M.,  who  served 
for  three  years  in  the  Confederate  army;  Sarah,  the  twin  sister  of  Henry; 
Addison  A.;  John  \V.,  of  West  Virginia;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  A.  Hutchinson; 
Margaret,  the  wife  of  Richard  McXeer;  Martha,  the  wife  of  J.  P.  Fisher; 
Emma  R.,  the  wife  of  R.  W.  Hill,  and  George  W..  a  farmer  of  Brown  county, 
Kansas. 

Mr  Pyles,  of  this  re\-iew,  pursued  his  education  in  the  subscription  schools 
near  his  home,  and  was  reared  upon  the  farm,  his  attention  being  divided  be- 
tween his  studies  and  the  duties  of  the  fields.  x\t  the  age  of  seventeen  he  re- 
sponded to  the  call  of  his  loved  southland  and  joined  the  Confederate  army, 
becoming  a  member  of  Wallace's  Reserves,  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Wallace,  in  August,  1864.  He  continued  at  the  front  until  he  was  taken  ill, 
w'hen  he  received  a  furlough  and  was  at  home  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
spent  the  pre\'ious  winter  between  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  but  took  part 
in  no  pitched  battles.  When  his  military  service  was  ended  Mr.  Pyles  assisted 
his  mother  in  the  care  of  the  old  home  farm,  attended  school  to  some  extent  and 
also  engaged  in  teaching.  In  October,  1873,  he  came  to  Kansas,  and  for  one 
year  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  in  Doniphan  county. 

Mr.  Pyles  then  came  to  Brown  county,  where  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand 
until  1877,  when  he  was  married  and  rented  a  farm.  In  1879  l^^  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land,  upon  which  was  a  small  house,  while  some  of  the  land 
was  under  culti\'ation.     He  cultivated  that  farm  until  the  spring  of   1882, 


414  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

when  lie  purchased  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  unim- 
proved prairie  conveniently  situated  a  mile  east  of  Morrill.  He  has  made 
many  substantial  and  excellent  improvements,  has  erected  a  commodious 
dwelling  and  substantial  outbuildings  for  the  care  and  shelter  of  grain  and 
stock  and  has  added  other  modern  conveniences  and  accessories  which  contrib- 
ute to  the  ease  and  perfection  of  farm  work.  There  is  also  a  good  orchard 
upon  the  place.  In  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  grain  he  raises  stock  and  buys 
and  feeds  cattle  and  hogs,  feeding  all  the  products  of  the  farm. 

In  1877  Air.  Pyles  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ellen  M.  Belts,  a  repre- 
sentative of  an  honored  pioneer  family  of  Kansas.  They  now  have  six  chil- 
dren: William  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  Mary  A.,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Charles  A.  and  Grace  E.,  at  home;  Robert  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
eight  years;  and  Edna  W.,  who  completes  the  family.  The  wife  and  mother 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  October  3,  1899.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist church  and  a  lady  whose  many  excellent  traits  of  character  endeared  her 
to  all  who  knew  her.  Mr.  Pyles  also  belongs  to  the  same  church,  and  in  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican.  He  has  made  all  that  he  has  since  his  arrival  in  Kan- 
sas, and  as  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune,  he  has  builded  wisely  and  well. 
When  determinatidn  is  guided  by  sound  judgment  and  industry  is  supple- 
mented by  perseverance,  prosperity  becomes  the  logical  sequence  of  effort,  a 
truth  which  has  been  verified  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Pjies. 


X.  G.  BRENNER. 


There  are  some  men  in  every  community  who  appear  to  have  been  born  to 
succeed,  but  their  success  is  not  a  matter  of  chance.  They  are  born  with  those 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart  which  naturally  lead  to  success.  Men  who  make 
vigorous  and  judicious  use  of  these  talents  are  the  successful  ones,  and  of  this 
class  Mr.  Brenner  is  a  representative.  He  is  the  president  and  general  man- 
ager of  the  Jacob  Brenner  Wine  Company,  of  Doniphan,  and  one  of  the  enter- 
prising citizens  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Brenner  was  born  forty-five  years  ago.  His  father,  Jacob  Brenner, 
now  deceased,  was  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  born  January  12,  1816,  and 
was  a  son  of  a  winemaker.  He  secured  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  land  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years  was  married  to  Miss  Barbara 
Ranfert,  also  a  native  of  Bavaria.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
of  whom  four  are  now  living,  namely :  Mrs.  Margaret  B.  Brandner,  of  Atchi- 
son ;  Adam,  a  resident  of  Doniphan ;  Mrs.  Mary  Mosbacher,  of  Council  Blufifs, 
Iowa;  and  N.  G.,  of  this  review.    In  i860  the  family  came  to  Doniphan  county 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         415 

and  in  1S63  tlie  fatlier  planted  a  small  vineyard  and  established  a  winery.  By 
his  first  vintage  he  made  a  hundred  gallons  of  wine,  which  brought  him  such 
returns  that  he  was  encouraged  to  enlarge  his  vineyard  until  it  now  produces 
thirty  thousand  gallons  annually.  The  father  died  February  5,  1891,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five  years,  and  the  business  has  since  been  carried  on  by  his  sons. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat  and  was  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  support  of 
the  church.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  living  at  the  old  home, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years. 

Mr.  Brenner,  whose  name  introduces  this  re\iew,  was  reared  on  the  old 
family  homestead,  pursued  his  preliminary  education  in  the  public  schools  and 
completed  a  course  in  a  commercial  college  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He  is  a 
man  of  excellent  business  ability  and  has  secured  for  the  company  a  lucrative 
tratle.  The  Brenner  Wine  Company  was  organized  in  1893  and  since  that 
time  our  subject  has  been  the  manager  and  president.  Their  goods  are  shipped 
into  nearly  every  state  in  the  Union  and  their  excellence  has  secured  for  them 
an  enviable  reputation.  On  the  farm  there  is  over  thirty  acres  of  small  fruit 
and  the  winery  has  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  thousand  gallons,  while  the 
building  is  valued  at  six  thousand  dollars.  As  a  business  man  Mr.  Brenner  is 
systematic  and  thorough  and  is  a  most  capable  salesman,  his  pleasant  and 
accommodating  manner  winning  him  the  friendship  and  support  of  many.  His 
enterprise  is  unfailing  and  he  is  quick  to  adopt  all  methods  that  improve  the 
quality  of  his  wines,  and  therefore  finds  for  them  a  ready  sale  on  the  market 
and  the  growth  of.  the  business  is  an  indication  of  his  marked  industry  and 
capability  in  that  line. 

,  J  4 

JOSEPH  BRITTAIN. 

Joseph  Brittain  was  born  in  the  state  of  Indiana,  sixty-seven  years  ago 
and  is  a  son  of  John  S.  Brittain,  who  was  of  English  ancestry.  After  arriving 
at  years  of  maturity  the  father  married  Miss  Mary  Russell,  a  native  of  Indiana, 
and  after  residing  in  that  state  for  a  time  they  removed  to  Buchanan  county, 
Missouri,  in  1837.  There  the  father  died,  at  the  age  of  forty  years,  while  the 
mother,  long  surviving  him,  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 
They  were  both  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  w'ere  people  of  high 
respectability.  In  their  family  were  seven  children,  namely :  William,  who 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  civil  war  and  is  now  living  in  Osborne  county,  Kan- 
sas; James,  Joseph,  Mary,  Wilson,  George,  John  and  Elam. 

Joseph  Brittain,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  was  reared  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Missouri  and  on  attaining  his  majority  was  married,  in 
Buchanan  county,  that  state,  to  Miss  Mary  Folwell.  who  died  in  1859,  leaving 
a  daughter,  Mary,  who  is  now  residing  near  Cedarville,  Smith  county,  Kan- 


4i6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

sas.  The  motlier  was  a  memljer  of  the  Methodist  church  and  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian woman,  who  won  the  love  of  all  who  knew  her.  For  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Brittain  chose  Miss  Levitha  J.  Barnes,  and  to  this  couple  were  born  three  chil- 
dren :  William  Aaron,  who  is  residing  near  Formosa,  Jewell  county,  Kansas ; 
John  F.,  of  Harper  county,  Kansas ;  and  Mrs.  Mattie  Murphy,  also  of  Harper 
county.  Mrs.  Levitha  Brittain.  who  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Christian 
church,  died  a  few  years  after  her  marriage,  and  on  the  24th  of  April,  1875, 
Mr.  Brittain  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Mrs.  Emily  Murphy,  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana and  for  some  years  a  resident  of  Gentry  county,  Missouri.  Her  parents 
were  Solomon  and  Mary  (Reid)  Graybill,  both  now  deceased.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children  :  Alvira ;  William,  who  was  a  soldier  during  the  civil 
war  and  is  now  deceased ;  John,  who  also  was  a  member  of  the  army  and  has 
passed  away;  Mary,  Emily,  George  and  Dan.  Mr.  Graybill  died  at  the  age 
of  fifty-two  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years. 
Their  daughter,  Emily,  was  married,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  to  James 
Murphy,  who  died  in  1861,  lea\'ing  a  son,  Luther  Murphy,  who  is  now  in 
Harper  county,  Kansas.  After  the  death  of  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Murphy 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Brittain,  and  liy  this  marriage  there  are  two  sons : 
James,  a  young  man  of  twenty-three  years,  and  Joseph,  who  is  now  in  his 
twentieth  year. 

Mr.  Brittain  has  a  valuable  farm  in  Doniphan  county,  where  he  has  resided 
since  1863.  His  land  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  the  \'arious 
improvements  upon  the  place  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise. 
He  carefully  manages  the  fields  and  derives  therefrom  excellent  harvests  and 
in  all  his  business  dealings  he  is  honorable  and  straightforward,  thus  winning 
the  confidence  and  good  will  of  those  with  whom  he  is  brought  in  contact.  In 
politics  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and  keeps  well  informed  on 
the  issues  of  the  day.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  Severance  Lodge,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  its  work.  He  and  his  wife,  together  with 
their  eldest  son,  are  consistent  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  the  family 
is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community,  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  of  Wayne  and  other  townships. 


PHILIP  S.  MITCHELL.  M.  D. 

Each  calling  or  business,  if  honorable,  has  its  place  in  the  scheme  of 
human  existence,  constituting  a  part  of  the  plan  whereby  life's  methods  are 
pursued  and  man  reaches  his  ultimate  destiny.  "All  are  needed  by  each  one," 
wrote  Emerson.     The  importance  of  a  business,  however,  is  largely  determined 


p.  S.  MITCHELL 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.        417 

Ijy  its  usefulness.  So  dependent  is  man  upDn  his  fellow  man  that  the  worth  of 
the  individual  is  largely  reckoned  by  what  he  has  done  for  humanity.  There 
is  no  class  to  whom  greater  gratitude  is  due  than  to  those  self-sacrificing, 
noble-minded  men  whose  life  work  has  been  the  alleviation  of  the  burden  of 
suffering  that  rests  on  the  world,  thus  lengthening  the  span  of  human  existence. 
One  of  the  leading  representatives  of  the  medical  fraternity  in  Atchison  is 
Dr.  Philip  S.  Mitchell,  who  has  been  an  active  practitioner  in  this  city  for 
seventeen  years.  He  was  born  in  Salem,  Livingston  county,  Kentucky,  Febru- 
ary 7,  1854,  and  on  the  paternal  side  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  His  grand- 
father was  William  Mitchell  and  his  father  was  James  Mitchell.  The  latter 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  married  Miss 
Nancy  Ann  Hutson,  a  daughter  of  John  Hutson,  who  was  born  in  Germany. 

The  Doctor  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  was 
sent  to  a  select  school.  After  acquiring  a  good  English  education  he  engaged 
in  teaching,  which  profession  he  followed  between  the  ages  of  seventeen  and 
twenty-seven  years.  During  that  time  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine, 
completing  a  course  of  reading  in  Salem,  Kentucky,  after  which  he  entered  the 
Kentucky  School  of  Medicine,  where  he  pursued  his  first  course  of  lectures. 
In  his  native  state  he  engaged  in  practice  until  1S82,  when  he  came  to  Kansas, 
locating  in  Cummings.  There  he  remained  until  1887,  when  he  came  to 
Atchison,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  general  practice.  He  is  now  well 
established  in  his  profession,  doing  a  large  business.  He  is  a  close  student  of 
the  science  of  medicine  and  keeps  thoroughly  in  touch  with  the  progress 
that  is  continually  advancing  toward  perfection.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  human 
sympathies  without  which  success  can  never  be  gained  in  his  chosen  calling. 
His  knowledge,  too,  is  broad  and  comprehensive,  and  he  is  therefore  deserving 
of  the  success  which  has  attended  his  efforts. 

In  1879  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Mitchell  and  Miss  Mary  M. 
Ramage,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Ramage.  They  had  been  schoolmates 
together  and  the  friendship  thus  formed  ripened  into  love  as  the  years  passed. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  six  children:  Ora  B.,  Judge  T.,  Wade  C, 
Ollie  Pearl,  Gracie  F.  and  Bertha  May. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Kansas  Medical  Society,  the 
Kansas  State  Medical  Society,  the  American  Medical  Association  and  the 
Atchison  Medical  Society.  In  1885  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Atchi- 
son board  of  pension  examiners,  and  in  1896  he  was  house  surgeon  in  the 
Kentucky  School  of  Medicine  Hospital.  In  1897  he  went  abroad  and  visited 
all  of  the  principal  hospitals  of  England,  gaining  an  extended  knowledge  of  the 
methods  there  pursued  in  the  treatment  of  the  sick.  He  has  recently  estab- 
lished a  private  infirmary  in  Atchison  of  the  style  of  those  in  the  east,  and  this 
is  now  largely  occupied  by  patients  who  hearing  of  his  skill  and  ability  have 


41 8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

come  to  him  for  treatment.  He  was  the  first  pliysician  in  tliis  section  of  the 
state  to  use  the  X-ray  in  surgery,  and  liis  efTorts  in  that  direction  have  been 
attended  with  excellent  success.  He  ranks  among  the  most  prominent  repre- 
sentatives of  his  calling  in  this  section  of  Kansas,  and  the  liberal  patronage 
accorded  him  is  well  merited.  The  success  which  has  come  to  him  hai 
enabled  him  to  make  investments  in  property  and  he  is  to-day  the  owner  of  a 
fine  fruit  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  not  far  from  the  city.  This  is  largely 
planted  to  apples,  and  is  one  of  the  valued  properties  of  the  kind  in  the  commu- 
nity. For  four  years  the  Doctor  was  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Atchison 
and  served  as  its  president.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  enjoys  the  high  regard  of  all  those 
with  whom  business  and  social  connections  have  brought  him  in  contact. 
He  is  also  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  Macca- 
bees, National  Reserve,  Mutual  Protective  League,  and  a  member  of  other 
fraternal  insurance  societies.  He  has  a  just  appreciation  of  the  importance 
of  his  profession,  and  his  devotion  to  the  demands  which  is  made  upon 
him  has  resulted  in  gaining  him  marked  prestige  in  connection  with  the  medical 
fraternity  of  northeastern  Kansas. 


JOHN  W.  SANDY. 


For  a  quarter  of  a  century  John  Sandy,  of  Wayne  township,  has  been  one 
of  the  respected  citizens  of  Doniphan  county.  He  was  born  in  Owen  county, 
Indiana,  May  3,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  Sandy,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Raleigh,  North  Carolina.  Having  arrived  at  the  age  of  maturity,  Henry 
Sandy  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Corson,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  was 
of  Irish  lineage.  They  had  ten  children, — five  sons  and  five  daughters, — of 
whom  six  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  namely:  Sarah  Ann,  now 
deceased ;  Mary ;  Emeline,  who  has  also  passed  away  ;  Adaline ;  Margaret  and 
John.  In  the  fall  of  1842  the  family  removed  to  Missouri,  making  the  journey 
with  horses  and  wagon.  They  took  up  their  abode  on  the  banks  of  Contrary 
creek,  about  ten  miles  south  of  St.  Joseph,  making  there  one  of  the  first  settle- 
ments in  that  county.  For  many  years  they  were  residents  of  that  locality  and 
enjoyed  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  them.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
six  years,  and  the  mother,  sur\'iving  him  some  time,  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight.  Both  were  members  of  the  Christian  church,  with  which 
Mr.  Sandy  united  more  than  forty  years  before  his  death.  By  trade  he  was 
a  carpenter,  but  he  owned  and  cultivated  a  farm  in  Missouri,  and  was  accounted 
one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  in  his  community. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         4'9 

John  W.  Sandv  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  in  Missouri  and  in  tlie  dis- 
trict schools  pursued  his  education.  During  the  summer  months  he  aided  in 
the  labors  of  the  farm  and  to  his  father  gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until 
he  attained  man's  estate.  After  the  inauguration  of  the  civil  war  he  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  September,  1864,  as  a  member  of 
Company  G,  Forty-third  Missouri  "Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  Oscar 
Kercum,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  Colonel  Hardin.  After  serving  for 
some  months  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  returned 
to  his  home  in  that  state. 

Before  going  into  the  war  Mr.  Sandy  was  married,  having  in  March. 
1861,  wedded  Miss  Louise  J.  Lower,  a  native  of  Jackson,  Missouri,  and  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Rebecca  (Nash)  Lower,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Tennessee.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  and  died  in  Missouri,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  In  his  political  faith  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious 
belief  he  was  a  Baptist,  holding  membership  in  the  church  of  that  denomina- 
tion for  many  years.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sandy  have  been  born  thirteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  are  now  living,  namely :  Henry.  James,  Mary  H.,  Will- 
iam, John.  Lulu.  George  and  Ella  V.  Of  the  five  who  have  passed  away,  four 
died  in  infancy  and  Isaac  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years. 

In  1873  Mr.  Sandy  came  to  Doniphan  county  and  purchased  a  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  is  now  one  of  the  best  in  the  township. 
In  1898  he  erected  thereon  a  commodious  and  substantial  modern  residence. 
On  the  place  are  seen  good  outbuildings  and  these  are  surrounded  by  well-tilled 
fields  giving  promise  of  abundant  harvests.  He  follows  very  progressive 
methods  in  the  management  of  his  farm  and  is  at  all  times  practical  and  enter- 
prising. On  matters  of  public  moment  he  keeps  well  informed  and  has  a  com- 
prehensive knowledge  of  the  political  issues  of  the  day,  which  enables  him  to 
cast  an  intelligent  ballot  for  the  party  of  his  choice, — the  Republican.  He  is  a 
member  of  Kennedy  Post.  No.  292,  G.  A.  R.,  and  of  the  Masonic  lodge 
at  Troy.  He  and  his  family  attend  the  Christian  church  and  their  circle  of 
friends  in  the  community  is  extensive.  Mr.  Sandy  gives  the  greater  part  of 
his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests  and  has  met  with  cretlitable 
success  in  his  farming  operations. 


WILLIAM  MORRIS  HARTMAN. 

This  is  a  brief  record  of  the  life  of  a  son  of  a  pioneer  in  Kansas,  who  as 
a  child  was  himself  a  pioneer  and  who  has  a  vivid  recollection  of  many  things 
accounts  of  which  have  been  handed  down  to  the  present  generation  in  the 


420  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

history  of  the  "border  times."  Some  of  these  reminiscences  will  be  more 
appropriately  referred  to  in  the  part  of  this  sketch  dealing  directly  with  the 
career  of  Jonathan  Hartman,  father  of  its  immediate  subject.  The  life,  in 
Kansas,  of  Jonathan  Hartman,  now  an  old  man  living  in  retirement  in  the 
consciousness  of  days  well  spent,  may  be  said  to  co\er  the  entire  period  of  the 
history  of  modern  Kansas,  and  no  one  has  watched  the  development  of  the 
state  with  keener  interest  than  he. 

William  Morris  Hartman  was  born  in  Platte  City,  Missouri,  November 
7,  1 85 1,  a  son  of  Jonathan  Hartman,  one  of  the  real  pioneers  of  Atchison 
county.  Jonathan  Hartman  was  a  native  of  Franklin  county,  Indiana,  born 
in  1 82 1,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Elsie  (Thorp)  Hartman.  Henry  Hartman  was 
born  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  bis  father  and  his  father's  brother, 
both  from  Germany,  settled  about  the  time  of  the  American  revolution. 

\Vhen  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  Henry  Hartman  sought  his  fortune 
in  Indiana,  where  he  located  and  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Black,  who  died 
leaving  children  as  follows:  Levi,  who  died  in  Indiana  in  1886:  Abram.  who 
died  at  Platte  City,  Missouri,  in  1883 :  and  James,  who  died  in  Calaveras  coun- 
ty, California,  in  1879.  By  Elsie  Thorp,  his  second  wife,  he  had  children 
named  thus:  Jonathan;  Nancy,  who  married  Davis  Johnson  and  is  dead; 
William,  who  died  at  Platte  City,  Missouri,  in  1878;  Hannah,  who  married 
R.  M.  Johnson  and  is  dead;  Elvina,  who  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  B.  F.  Johnson,  of 
Everest,  Kansas;  and  Milton  Hartman,  who  gave  his  life  for  the  southern  Con- 
federacy. 

Some  time  in  the  '40s  Jonathan  Hartman  moved  into  Platte  county,  Jilis- 
souri,  then  a  pro-slavery  hot-bed,  where  bis  patience  and  his  patriotism  were 
both  many  times  severely  tried.  In  1854  he  took  his  family  to  Port  ^^"illiam, 
an  old  and  in  those  days  prominent  point  on  the  Missouri  river.  While  a  resi- 
dent there  he  was  a  witness  of  many  of  the  scenes  enacted  in  "border  times" 
which  gave  rise  to  the  name  "bleeding  Kansas,"  and  knew  and  was  know!i 
by  many  of  the  leaders  on  both  sides  of  the  controversy  then  being  waged  on 
the  frontier  over  the  slavery  question.  His  patriotism  was  deeply  grounded 
and  incorruptible.  Born  in  a  free  state,  he  was  a  "free-state"  man,  and  he 
honored  the  flag  of  freedom  and  encouraged  its  defenders  with  his  advice  and 
with  his  active  help.  He  bad  no  sympathy  for  men  who  were  deaf  to  treason- 
able utterances  and  blind  to  treasonable  actions.  He  was  not  one  to  shield  a 
traitorous  hand,  and  when  his  brother  Milton  announced  his  determination  to 
"fight  for  the  southern  Confederacy  or  see  the  whole  thing-  sink  to  hell,"  he 
was  wounded  beyond  description.  When  the  war  began  he  ga\e  two  sons  to 
the  service  of  the  Union  cause,  one  of  whom  never  returned. 

William  Morris  Hartman  was  five  years  old  when  his  father  removed 
from  Port  William  to  Mount  Pleasant  township,  Atchison  county.     He  gained 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         421 

a  primary  educatiun  in  the  tlistrict  scliool  near  his  home  and  was  a  member  of 
his  father's  liousehokl  until  after  lie  was  thirty-one  years  old.  He  located 
on  his  present  farm  in  1884,  and  though  not  one  of  the  largest  farmers  in  his 
vicinity  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  successful  ones.  He  is  a  stanch 
Republican. 

April  4.  1884,  William  Morris  Hartman  married  Florence  A.  Good,  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  Good,  who  came  to  Atchison  county  from  Buffalo,  New- 
York,  and  was  the  father  of  ten  children  by  his  marriage  to  Sophia  Myer. 
William  Morris  and  Florence  A.  (Good)  Hartman  have  children  named  Robert 
M.,  Nelson,  Marie.  Willia  and  Florence  A.  Their  family  is  an  interesting 
one  and  their  friends  are  numerous  throughout  their  part  of  the  county.  Mrs. 
Hartman  is  a  woman  of  many  accomplishments  and  the  most  substantial  vir- 
tues, and  sympathizes  with  her  husband  in  his  encouragement  of  all  good  works 
for  the  public  benefit.     Their  home  is  well  known  for  its  hearty  hospitality. 


GEORGE  W.  THAYER. 

Since  1875  ^^i"-  Thayer  has  been  a  resident  of  Doniphan  county,  coming  to 
Kansas  from  Indiana.  He  is,  however,  a  native  of  New  England,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Orange  county,  Vermont,  on  the  23d  of  April,  1825.  His 
father,  Zenas  Thayer,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  his  father  was  a  soldier 
in  the  war  of  181 2.  In  the  Green  Mountain  state  Zenas  Thayer  was  reared, 
and  having  attained  his  majority  he  married  Sallie  Burridge,  a  representative 
of  an  old  New  England  family.  By  this  union  were  born  twelve  children, 
five  sons  and  seven  daughters.  The  father  gave  his  political  support  in  early 
life  to  the  Whig  party  and  in  the  ante  Iniliiiii  days  was  a  stanch  abolitionist, 
so  that  when  the  Republican  party  was  formed  to  prevent  the  further  e.xtension 
of  slavery  he  joined  its  ranks  and  continued  to  follow  its  banners  until  his 
death.  He  held  membership  in  the  Baptist  church  and  served  as  one  of  its 
deacons,  and  passed  away  at  his  old  home  in  Vermont  when  sixty  years  of 
age,  and  his  wife  also  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

George  W.  Thayer  w^as  reared  on  the  old  home  farm  and  the  duties  and 
labors  of  field  and  meadow  early  became  familiar  to  him.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  and  when  not  engaged  with  his  lessons  performed  such  service 
as  he  was  capable  of  on  the  homestead  place.  Subsequently  he  engaged  in  the 
boot  and  shoe  business  in  Massachusetts,  being  connected  with  that  enterprise 
for  five  years.  In  1857  he  removed  to  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  where  he  con- 
ducted a  boot  and  shoe  and  clothing  store,  and  in  September,  1862,  he 
responded  to  President  Lincoln's  call  for  three  hundred  thousand  men  to  aid  in 


422  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  suppression  of  the  rebellion  and  was  assigned  to  Company  G.  Forty-eighth 
Indiana  Infantry,  under  Captain  Main  and  Colonel  Eddy,  of  South  Bend, 
Indiana.  He  participated  in  a  number  of  battles,  including  the  engagements 
at  Cairo,  Illinois,  Fort  Donelson,  Corinth,  Blue  Ridge,  the  seven  days'  battle 
before  Vicksburg.  the  memorable  engagement  at  Gettysburg  and  the  siege  of 
Atlanta.  He  was  in  forty  engagements  altogether  and  for  meritorious  con- 
duct was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain.  He  held  that  position  when  mus- 
tered out  and  with  a  most  honorable  military  record  he  returned  to  his  home. 

When  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  was  ended  Mr.  Thayer  resumed  his  mer- 
cantile operations  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  until  his 
removal  to  Kansas  in  1875.  In  1877  he  was  married,  in  Rock  Island,  Illinois, 
to  Mrs.  Sarah  (Rought)  Wright,  the  widow  of  Joseph  Wright,  who  died 
during  the  civil  war,  after  two  years'  service  with  Company  G.  Forty-eighth 
Indiana  Infantry.  He  left  two  children,  Etta  and  Joseph  Wright,  and  by  her 
second  marriage  Mrs.  Thayer  has  two  children,  Burt  G.  and  Frank,  the  latter 
now  at  home,  while  the  former  is  a  teacher  in  Emporia,  Kansas. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  John  C.  Fremont  Mr.  Thayer 
lias  given  his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  has  kept  well  informed 
on  the  issues  of  the  day  and  has  done  all  in  his  power  to  insure  the  success  of 
Republican  principles.  There  are  usually  test  periods  in  the  lives  of  all  peo- 
ple and  this  came  to  many  men  during  the  progress  of  the  civil  war,  when  strife 
waged  high  and  the  bullets  of  the  enemy  were  falling  thick  and  fast.  Men 
showed  the  metal  of  which  they  were  composed  by  the  manner  in  which  they 
braved  danger  in  defense  of  the  Union.  At  this  time  Mr.  Thayer  demonstrated 
his  loyalty  and  his  fearlessness  and  in  a  more  quiet  way  these  characteristics 
have  been  shown  throughout  his  later  career.  He  is  accounted  one  of  the  rep- 
resentati\e  men  of  Doniphan  county  and  on  the  pages  of  its  history  he  well 
deserves  mention. 


JOHN  KIRBY. 


The  history  of  pioneer  life  has  long  survived  in  interest  the  tales  of  battle 
and  of  life  on  the  tented  field.  Without  the  roar  of  cannon  and  musketry  or 
the  inspiring  notes  of  fife  and  drum,  hosts  no  less  brave  and  determined  have 
gone  forth  to  the  wilderness  to  reclaim  it  for  the  purposes  of  civilization  and 
have  fought  the  battle  of  clearing  and  cultivating  the  wild  land,  cutting  roads 
through  the  trackless  forests  and  making  each  yield  such  elements  as  can  be 
utilized  for  man.  This  is  an  arduous  labor  and  one  to  which  is  due  recogni- 
tion and  commendation,  and  therefore  in  preparing  a  history  of  northeastern 
Kansas  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  introduce  the  life  records  of  such  worthy 
pioneers  as  John  Kirby,  whose  identification  with  the  state  antedates  its  admis- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  423 

sion  to  tlie  Union.  He  now  resides  in  \\'ayne  township.  Doniphan  comity. 
and  is  one  of  the  progressive  citizens  and  prosperous  farmers  of  the  community. 

A  native  of  England,  Mr.  Kirby  was  born  in  Yorkshire  April  30.  1840. 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (Nickolson)  Kirby.  His  father  was  a 
brick  and  tilemaker  by  trade  and  died  on  the  ocean  in  1855.  '"  crossing  the 
Atlantic  to  America.  He  was  then  fifty-eight  years  of  age.  The  mother  of 
John  Kirby  continued  her  journey  and  became  a  resident  of  Center  township. 
Doniphan  county,  where  she  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  Both  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  li\-ed  consistent  Christian  lives.  In  their 
family  were  seven  children,  namely:  Jonah,  deceased;  William,  a  resident 
of  Wayne  township,  Doniphan  county :  Bessie,  who  is  in  England :  Thomas, 
of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri ;  John :  James,  deceased :  and  Mrs.  Hannah  Smith, 
who  resides  in  Colorado. 

John  Kirby  was  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  when  he  crossed  the  briny  deep 
and  with  the  family  became  a  resident  of  Kansas.  In  his  youth  he  learned  the 
trade  of  brick  and  tile  making  and  followed  that  pursuit  for  some  time,  but 
after  the  inauguration  of  the  civil  war,  when  President  Lincoln  issued  his  call 
for  three  hundred  thousand  men,  he  felt  that  his  duty  was  at  the  front,  and  on 
the  20th  of  September,  1862,  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Thirteenth 
Kansas  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Thomas  M.  Bowen  and  Captain  Hovercross. 
He  served  until  Tune,  1865,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Leaven- 
worth, Kansas,  having  in  the  meantime  participated  in  a  number  of  engage- 
ments, including  those  at  Cane  Hill.  Elm  Spring  and  Prairie  Grove.  His 
regiment  was  a  member  of  the  Seventh  Division  under  General  Blunt  and  for 
much  of  the  time  was  stationed  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Kirliy  returnetl  to  his  home  in  Center  township,  Doni- 
phan county.  In  the  meantime  he  had  married,  in  June,  1864,  in  Van  Buren, 
Arkansas,  Miss  Elizabeth  Jane  Morris  becoming  his  wife.  She  was  born  in 
Tennessee,  a  daughter  of  Zanus  and  Mary  Ann  (Roney)  Morris,  who  had 
five  children,  namely :  Margaret,  Nancy,  Charles  Henry.  Elizabeth  Jane  and 
Emeline.  Mrs.  Kirby  also  has  a  half  brother.  John,  who  resides  in  Tennessee. 
Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  six  living  children :  William  J.,  who  aids  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm:  Leslie  a  resident  of  Atchison;  L.  L.,  at  home; 
Mary  Belle ;  Hurbert  E.  and  Anna  E.  They  also  had  five  children  who  died 
in  infancy. 

Mr.  Kirby  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party  and  socially 
he  is  connected  with  Kennedy  Post,  G.  A.  R..  of  Troy,  while  his  wife  belongs 
to  the  Methodist  church  in  Doniphan.  In  manner  he  is  frank  and  genial  and 
his  social  qualities  have  gained  to  him  the  warm  regard  of  many  friends.  He 
is  to-day  as  true  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  as  when  he  followed  the  stars  and 
stripes  on  the  battle  fields  of  the  south. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


JOSEPH  C.  REA. 

The  contest  between  the  friends  and  opponents  of  slavery  from  1854  to 
i860  centered  in  Kansas  and  party  feehng  ran  very  high.  Tlie  discussion  of 
this  question  led  to  civil  strife  throughout  the  nation  and  the  loyal  sons  of  the 
Sunflower  state  responded  quickly  to  the  call  for  troops  and  did  effective  serv- 
ice in  maintaining  the  supremacy  of  the  Union.  On  the  long  roll  of  soldiers 
from  Kansas  appears  the  name  of  Joseph  C.  Rea  and  in  days  of  peace  he  is  just 
as  loyal  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  and  to  the  general  good  as  when  he  fol- 
lowed the  stars  and  stripes  to  the  scene  of  conflict  in  the  south. 

A  native  of  New  Jersey,  he  was  born  in  Hunterdon  county  on  the  1 2th 
of  December,  1841.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Alexander  Rea,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  war  of  181 2  and  married  Miss  Mary  Stires,  a  lady  of  French  descent. 
George  Rea,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  Hunterdon  county, 
New  Jersey,  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  that  state.  Having  arrived  at 
years  of  maturity  he  wedded  Miss  Clara  Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin 
Johnson,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Her  father  was  of  Eng- 
lish birth  and  died  at  the  extreme  old  age  of  one  hundred  years.  His  wife 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Van  Fleet,  and  she  was  still  older  at  the  time  of 
her  demise,  which  occurred  after  she  had  passed  her  one  hundred  and  third 
year.  George  and  Clara  Rea  became  the  parents  of  nine  children,  namely : 
William ;  John ;  Mary  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  John  Otton,  of  Troy ;  Joseph  C. ; 
Emma;  Lott;  Samuel,  of  Great  Bend.  Kansas;  Mrs.  Amanda  Drynple  and  Mrs. 
Alice  Gano.  The  father  of  these  children  died  in  New  Jersey  at  the  age  of 
sixtv-eight  years.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat  and  religiously  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  Baptist  church,  in  which  he  served  as  a  deacon  for  many  years. 
The  mother  is  still  living  in  New  Jersey,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 

Joseph  C.  Rea  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  state,  his  boyhood 
days  being  quietly  passed,  but  when  the  civil  war  was  inaugurated  he  was 
roused  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism  and  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Thirty-first  New 
Jersey  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  for  nine  months  and  twenty-six  days. 
During  that  time  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fredericksburg,  Antietam 
and  Gettysburg  and  was  under  the  command  of  Captain  Woodward  D.  Holt. 
After  leaving  the  service  he  spent  five  years  in  the  far  west,  visiting  California 
and  Colorado,  returning  home  in  1871. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  of  that  year,  Mr.  Rea  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Adalaide  Stevenson,  who  was  reared  and  educated  in  Ouakerstown, 
New  Jersey,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Stevenson,  who  was  born  in  Hunterdon 
county,  that  state.  He  was  a  son  of  Arthur  and  Martha  Stevenson  and  was 
reared  in  New  Jersey,  where  he  wedded  Miss  Lucinda  Metier.  To  this  couple 
were  born  eleven  children,  namely:     Thisbe;  Mrs.  Martha  Trimmer;  Mrs. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         425 

Rea;  James  K.,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  civil  war;  Mrs.  May  Sinclair;  Albert 
C. ;  Hiram  D. ;  Wesley,  deceased ;  Edward  and  Mrs.  Wilhelmina  Dilley.  The 
father  of  this  family  died  at  the  age  of  forty-one  years.  He  was  a  moulder  by 
trade  and  followed  that  occupation  in  order  to  secure  a  livelihood.  He  enter- 
tained large,  liberal  views  and  lived  an  honorable  and  upright  life.  His  wife 
died  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years.  She  was  a  representative  of  an  old  eastern 
family,  her  maternal  grandparents  being  Abraham  and  Thisbe  (Brittain) 
Metier.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rea  have  two  children :  Alice,  at  home,  and  Bertha, 
wife  of  Rich  Willis,  of  Wayne  township,  Doniphan  county. 

For  a  third  of  a  century  Mr.  Rea  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm,  hav- 
ing located  there  in  1866.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  of 
which  seventy-five  acres  is  included  within  his  extensive  orchards.  He  is  one 
of  the  leading  fruit  growers  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  the  remainder  of 
his  land  is  highly  cultivated.  His  residence  is  a  modern  and  substantial  one 
and  everything  about  the  place  indicates  the  progressive  and  enterprising  spirit 
of  the  owner.  For  twenty-three  years  he  has  been  a  Master  Mason  and  is  now 
connected  with  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Troy.  His  life  has  been  well  spent  and 
its  activity  and  energy  have  enabled  him  to  become  the  possessor  of  a  com- 
fortable home  and  a  handsome  competence. 


HON.  GEORGE  V.  HAGAMAN. 

Since  1867  Mr.  Hagaman  has  been  a  resident  of  Doniphan  county  and  lias 
figured  conspicuously  in  business  and  political  circles  as  a  representative  citizen 
whose  devotion  to  the  public  good  is  above  question.  He  is  now  successfully 
carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Wayne  township  and  at  the  same  time  is 
prominent  in  political  circles.  A  native  of  West  Virginia,  he  was  born  in 
Berkeley  county  on  the  6th  of  May,  1845,  the  same  year  in  which  Texas  was 
admitted  into  the  Union.  His  father,  M.  Hagaman,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
and  was  of  German  lineage.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Couchman,  who  was  born  in  West  Virginia  and  was  also  of 
German  descent.  During  the  early  boyhood  of  our  subject  they  removed  to 
Indiana  and  for  many  years  Mr.  Hagaman  has  been  a  resident  of  Doniphan 
county,  his  home  being  now  in  Highland.  He  is  seventy-nine  years  of  age 
and  is  one  of  the  respected  and  honored  old  settlers  of  the  community.  His 
wife  died  in  December,  1861.  She  was  a  lady  of  many  excellent  qualities,  who 
reared  her  children  with  conscientious  regard  to  their  future  welfare,  instill- 
ing into  their  minds  lessons  of  industry  and  honor,  which  have  proved  of 
incalculable  benefit  to  them  in  later  life.  In  their  family  were  five  children, 
namely:     George  V.,  of  this  review,  Mary,  Joseph,  Ella  and  Nettie. 


426  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Hon.  George  V.  Hagaman.  whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  was  onlv  four 
years  of  age  when  the  family  removed  to  Indiana  and  accordingly  he  spent  his 
youth  on  a  farm  in  the  Hoosier  state,  where  he  early  became  familiar  with  all 
the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  obtained  his 
literary  education  in  the  public  chools  and  added  to  his  knowledge  by  practical 
experience  in  the  affairs  of  life.  During  the  civil  war  he  joined  the  Union 
army  as  a  member  of  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
iirst  Indiana  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until  the  stars  and  stripes  were 
victoriously  planted  on  the  capitol  of  the  Confederacy.  He  then  receix^d  an 
honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his  home. 

In  1867  Mr.  Hagaman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  ]\I.  W'vn- 
■coop,  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  who  has  proved  to  her  husband  a  faitli- 
ful  companion  and  helpmeet  on  the  journey  of  life.  She  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  was  reared  and  educated  in  Indiana  and  is  a  daughter  of  David  Wvn- 
coop,  a  prominent  and  well-to-do  citizen  of  Atchison.  She  has  two  brothers, 
who  are  leading  and  popular  citizens  of  Wayne  township,  Doniphan  county, 
where  they  enjoy  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know  them.  Unto  our 
subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  six  children:  Cora  May.  Maud,  Pearl 
and  three  sons  who  died  in  childhood. 

In  1867  Mr.  Hagaman  came  to  Doniphan  county  and  is  here  the  owner  of 
a  very  valuable  farm,  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  rich  and 
arable  land.  By  well-kept  fences  it  is  divided  into  pasture  and  meadow  land 
and  fields  for  cultivation.  There  is  a  good  residence  upon  the  place,  large 
barns  and  cribs  and  other  necessary  outbuildings.  Water  is  supplied  to  the 
place  through  the  motive  power  of  a  windmill.  There  is  an  excellent  orchard 
and  a  beautiful  grove,  all  which  add  to  the  value  and  attractiveness  of  the 
place.  He  raises  good  crops  and  keeps  on  hand  a  large  number  of  cattle  for 
dairy  purposes,  being  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  creamery  at  Bendena. 
His  business  is  carried  on  along  lines  of  progress  and  advancement  and  he  is 
accounted  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  successful  agriculturists  of  his  com- 
munity. He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party  and  is  active  and  zealous  in  his  advocacy  of  the 
principles  and  in  support  of  his  friends  who  seek  office.  His  own  worth  and 
ability  have  frequently  led  to  his  selection  for  political  honors.  He  has  served 
in  different  township  offices  and  in  1880  and  1881  represented  his  district  in 
the  state  legislature,  where  he  gave  a  loyal  and  conscientious  support  to  all 
measures  which  he  believes  to  be  of  public  benefit.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  in  that  fraternity,  as  in  all  other 
walks  of  life,  enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of  those  with  whom  he  is  asso- 
ciated. His  success  may  be  attributed  entirely  to  his  own  efforts  and  is  there- 
fore well  merited. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  427 

RODGER  MORLEY. 

One  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Wolf  River  township  whose  identifica- 
tion with  Doniphan  county  dates  from  an  early  period  in  her  history  is  Rodger 
Morley,  and  he  helongs  to  the  class  of  Irish-American  citizens  who  sought 
homes  in  tiie  new  world  and  by  determined  purpose  have  gained  prestige  in 
business  circles.  He  was  born  in  county  Mayo,  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  in  1826. 
and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Ann  (Conner)  Morley.  Their  children  were :  John. 
Mary.  Michael,  Bridget,  Honore  and  Rodger.  The  last  named  received  a  very 
limited  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  land,  but  much  of  his  knowledge 
has  been  gained  through  practical  experience  in  the  affairs  of  life.  In  1845  he 
left  the  land  of  his  birth  and  went  to  England,  where  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand 
for  five  years.  Through  his  industry  and  economy  he  accumulated  a  small 
amount  of  money,  which  he  determined  to  use  in  paying  his  passage  to  the 
United  States.  In  company  with  eight  others,  among  whom  was  Thomas 
Lj'ons,  of  Severance,  he  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  the  Josie  Bradley,  bound  for 
New  Orleans,  and  after  a  voyage  of  forty-four  days  arrived  in  the  Crescent 
city.  There  he  accepted  whatever  he  could  get  to  do  that  would  yield  him  an 
honest  living,  and  for  a  time  worked  on  the  levee  and  later  at  ditch  digging. 
When  three  months  had  passed  he  proceeded  northward  by  way  of  a  Missis- 
sippi boat  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  upon  reaching  the  latter  place  began  work  iu 
a  stone  quarry.  Subsequently  he  was  employed  in  a  brick  yard  and  afterward 
was  connected  with  the  work  of  those  who  laid  brick.  However,  he  preferred 
farm  work  to  these  pursuits  and  thus  sought  a  position  as  a  farm  hand  in 
Warren  county,  Ohio.  After  a  time  lie  and  his  friend,  Mr.  Lyons,  decided  to 
make  their  way  westward  and  by  boat  came  from  Cincinnati  to  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  thence  to  Doniphan  county,  where  they  arrived  on  the  4th  of 
April,  1858. 

Here  Mr.  Morley  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section 
32,  Wolf  River  township,  and  erected  a  little  log  cabin,  into  which  he  moved 
his  family.  He  had  but  little  capital,  but  possessed  unbounded  energy  and 
determination.  He  experienced  all  the  hardships  and  difficulties  of  establish- 
ing a  home  on  the  frontier,  but  as  the  years  passed  he  o\-ercame  all  the  obstacles 
in  his  path,  and  as  his  financial  resources  increased  he  made  judicious  iu\est- 
ments  in  real  estate  until  he  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  substantial 
farmers  in  Doniphan  county.  His  labors  have  been  energetically  prosecuted 
and  his  practical  and  progressive  methods  have  secured  to  him  good  crops, 
from  which  he  derives  a  desirable  income. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1852,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Morley 
anil  Miss  Margaret  Kilkenny.  After  residing  for  eight  years  in  Ohio  they 
came  to  Kansas,  where  Mrs.  Morley  died,  in  June.  1895.     The  children  born 


428  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

to  this  union  are :  John  M.,  of  Wolf  River  townsiiip,  Doniphan  county ;  James, 
a  trustee  of  Union  township;  Annie,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Devereux;  Catherine; 
Margaret,  the  wife  of  John  Devereux;  Nora,  the  wife  of  Martin  Joye;  Mary, 
the  wife  of  John  Gallagher;  and  Rodger.  During  the  civil  war  Mr.  ^lorley 
was  a  member  of  the  state  militia,  and  while  stationed  at  Elwood  was  under 
the  command  of  Patrick  Kerwan,  William  Orem  and  Colonel  Cyrus  Leland. 
He  has  always  been  a  Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations  and  in  religious 
belief  is  a  consistent  Roman  Catholic.  His  hope  of  bettering  his  financial  con- 
dition in  the  new  world  has  been  more  than  realized,  for  here  he  has  gained 
not  only  a  handsome  competence,  but  has  also  secured  a  very  pleasant  home, 
and  won  many  warm  friends  who  admire  him  for  what  he  has  accomplished 
in  an  acti\e  and  honorable  business  career. 


GEORGE  T.  ZLMMERMAN. 

This  early  settler  of  Doniphan  county,  who,  with  his  wife,  came  to  Kan- 
sas in  pioneer  times,  deserves  a  notice  in  a  historical  work  of  this  kind  as  one  of 
the  hardy  pioneers  of  the  western  country  which  has  since  shown  such  mar- 
velous resources  and  has  been  so  rapidly  developed. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  was  born  November  28,  1806,  iu  Frederick  county, 
Maryland,  the  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  Zimmerman.  He  received  a  com- 
mon-school education.  He  remained  upon  his  father's  farm  until  his  marriage, 
in  April,  1837,  to  Miss  Ann  Elizabeth  McNair,  of  the  same  county  and  state 
as  himself.  Soon  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zimmerman  removed  to 
Ohio  and  later  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  They  did  not  remain  long  in  the  latter 
place  and  next  came  to  Doniphan  county,  where  Mr.  Zimmerman  pre-empted 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  west  of  Troy,  upon  which  he  settled  and 
made  his  home  until  his  death,  on  his  seventy-first  birthday,  November  28, 
1877. 

Mrs.  Zimmerman  is  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Lavinia  (Scott)  McNair. 
Her  father  was  a  farmer  and  the  owner  of  four  hundred  acres  of  land,  on  a 
part  of  which  the  memorable  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  fought.  She  attended 
the  district  schools  of  her  home  place,  walking  two  and  a  half  miles  every  day 
to  reach  the  school  house.  Coniing  to  the  primitive  west  at  such  an  early  day, 
she  endured,  with  her  husband,  the  many  hardships  and  inconveniences  of 
pioneer  life,  but  they  were  borne  cheerfully  and  willingly,  with  the  end  always 
in  view,  that  of  securing  a  home  and  competency  for  themselves  and  their 
family.  Five  children  were  born  to  this  estimable  couple :  Anna  E..  who  mar- 
ried Henry  Boder,  Jr.,  a  prominent  banker  of  Troy,  whose  sketch  will  be 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         429 

found  on  aiiotlier  page;  Ellen,  who  is  the  wife  of  C.  C.  Camp,  a  wealthy  banker 
and  fruit  grower  of  Troy:  John  C,  engaged  in  the  insurance  business  in  Troy; 
Maryland  Scott,  who  married  Clement  Pope,  of  Center  township;  and  Milton 
is  married,  has  six  children  and  lives  on  the  old  homestead. 

]\Irs.  Zimmerman,  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  moved  into  Troy, 
where  she  now  li\-es,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  well-preserved,  active  and  full 
of  life.  She  keeps  house  and  attends  to  all  its  cares  herself,  besides  doing  an 
immense  amount  of  beautiful  needlework  in  the  way  of  quilts  and  other  articles, 
most  of  which  are  bestowed  upon  her  grandchildren  and  friends.  She  has 
for  sixty  years  been  a  consistent  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  is 
beloved  by  all  who  know  her. 


SOL.  MILLER. 


Perhaps  no  resident  of  Kansas  was  ever  better  known  or  more  widely 
appreciated  than  Mr.  Miller,  who  for  many  years  was  the  editor  of  the  Troy 
Chief  and  earned  the  reputation  of  a  brilliant  newspaper  man  as  well  as  a  loyal- 
citizen  and  a  public  official  of  more  than  ordinary  ability.  From  a  lengthy 
article  in  a  historical  edition  of  the  Chief,  published  in  1893  and  w'ritten  in  Mr. 
Miller's  unequalled  vein  of  humor,  we  have  culled  a  few  of  the  principal  parts 
in  regard  to  his  life,  which  came  to  a  close  April  17,  1897,  and  deprived  his  fam- 
ily of  a  devoted  husband  and  loving  father,  as  well  as  the  community  of  a  valu- 
able worker  for  the  best  interests  of  the  city  and  county. 

Mr.  Miller  combined  in  his  character  the  best  traits  of  the  German  and 
Welsh  stock  on  the  one  side  and  of  his  Holland  Dutch  and  Scotch  ancestors 
on  the  other.  As  he  says,  "We  figure  it  out  that  from  the  Germans  we 
inherited  those  sturdy  qualities  which  manifest  themselves  in  an  abiding  love 
for  apple  dumplings  and  buttermilk;  from  the  Welsh  we  get  the  "el'  that  is  in 
us;  from  the  Holland  Dutch  the  winning  way  that  causes  so  many  people  to 
'damn'  us,  and  from  the  Scotch  our  blather  and  foggy  ideas."  His  great- 
grandfather on  the  paternal  side  was  one  of  the  pioneer  German  settlers  in 
Pennsylvania,  whofinally  settled  in  what  is  now  Rockingham  county,  Virginia, 
where  the  grandfather,  Frederick  Miller,  was  born  in  1760.  When  eighteen 
years  of  age  the  latter  joined  the  Continental  army  and  served  during  the  last 
half  of  the  war.  He  was  in  Washington's  army  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis 
at  Yorktown.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  married  a  lady  named  Sharp,  from 
near  Christiansburg,  in  Montgomery  county,  Pennsylvania,  who  was  of  Welsh 
descent.  They  first  made  their  home  in  Tennessee  and  from  there  went,  in  the 
fall  of  1803,  to  Ohio,  and  after  living  for  a  short  time  at  Lebanon  located  a 
claim  on  Twin  creek,  near  the  present  town  of  \\'est  Alexandria,  to  which  he 


430  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

removed  early  in  the  spring  of  1804,  being  among  the  very  first  settlers  in  that 
part  of  the  country.     He  died  on  his  farm  there  in  1835. 

John  Miller,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Anderson  county, 
Tennessee,  September  19,  1800,  and  on  March  4,  1824,  was  married  to  Miss 
Dicey  Runyon.  A  few  years  after  he,  in  1830.  went  to  what  was  called  the 
Wabash  country  and  settled  in  the  new  town  of  Lafayette,  Tippecanoe  county. 
He  was,  however,  attacked  with  the  prevailing  disease  called  milksickness, 
which  left  him  an  invalid  all  that  fall  and  winter  and  nearly  proved  fatal.  In 
the  spring  he  decided  to  go  back  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1836,  when, 
the  pioneer  fe\er  being  again  strongly  upon  him,  he  made  a  trip  to  the  "St. 
Joe."  as  northern  Indiana  was  called,  and  entered  a  quarter-section  of  land  in 
Elkhart  county.  He  intended  soon  to  move  upon  the  place,  but  affairs  so  hap- 
pened that  he  never  went  and  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  West  Alex- 
andria, where  he  died  August  4,  1876. 

The  Runyon  family  were  among  the  early  Dutch  settlers  of  New  Jersey. 
Our  subject's  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Michael  Runyon.  who  was  born  in 
New  Jersey  a  few  years  before  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  When 
he  was  a  small  lad  his  father  removed  to  Guilford  Court  House.  Michael 
Runyon  married  a  lady  by  the  name  of  Blackford,  who  was  born  in  Rocking- 
ham county,  Virginia,  and  was  of  Scotch  descent.  They  also  were  fond  of  new 
countries  and  new  scenes  and  about  1800,  or  some  time  previous,  settled  in 
Kentucky,  in  Barren  county,  near  Glasgow.  About  1835  Mr.  Runyon  emi- 
grated to  Ohio  and  took  a  claim  in  the  western  part  of  Preble  county,  a  few 
miles  southwest  of  Eaton,  and  there  Dicey  Runyon  Miller  was  born  September 
29,  1806.     She  lived  to  a  good  old  age  and  died  September  19,  1884. 

Sol.  Miller  was  born  at  Lafayette,  Indiana,  January  22,  1831.  His  early 
life  was  full  of  boyish  adventures,  many  of  which  he  describes  in  a  most  amus- 
ing manner.  His  father  was  a  carpenter  and  endeavored  to  bring  the  boy  up 
to  follow  the  same  occupation,  but  his  taste  ran  in  a  literary  direction  and  his 
dearest  wish  was  to  learn  to  print  newspapers.  For  a  time  no  opportunity- 
offered,  but  at  last  he  found  a  place  in  the  Gazette  office  at  Germantown,  Ohio. 
Here  he  was  indentured  for  four  years  for  board  and  clothes,  with  an  extra 
"freedom  suit"  at  the  close  of  his  apprenticeship.  He  began  his  work  there  on 
January  28.  1848.  and  in  July.  1852,  in  connection  with  a  fellow  apprentice, 
he  bought  the  office,  giving  his  note  and  a  bill  of  sale  on  the  office  for  the  first 
payment.  He  made  the  paper  Whig  in  politics  and  warmly  supported  General 
Winfield  Scott  for  president,  "at  the  close  of  the  campaign  being,"  he  says, 
"greatly  surprised  to  find  that  our  influence  had  not  elected  Scott — in  fact, 
otherwise  and  other  contrary,  he  was  hardly  in  the  race  at  all."  Added  to  this 
disappointment  was  the  discovery  that  the  paper  was  not  half  paying,  and  the 
climax  came  when  in  a  month  or  so  the  building  in  which  the  office  was  took 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         431 

fire  and  all  the  contents  were  destroyed,  soon  after  which  Air.  Miller's  partner 
absconded  with  all  the  collections  which  he  had  made  for  the  firm ! 

In  1857  Mr.  Miller  w^as  married  to  Miss  Mary  Kaucher  and  the  follow- 
ing year,  indulging  the  pioneer  propensity  which  was  transmitted  from  both 
sides  of  the  family,  found  his  way  to  Kansas,  which  was  then  in  the  formative 
stage.  During  his  career  in  Kansas  Mr.  Miller  always  held  a  prominent  place 
in  the  public  eye.  He  was  elected  to  the  legislature  five  times,  once  to  the 
house  and  four  times  to  the  senate,  and  ditl  much  hard  and  valuable  work  for 
his  constituents.  As  an  editor  he  was  ever  bold  and  fearless  in  his  utterances, 
positive  in  his  convictions  and  sparing  no  one  whom  he  deemed  deserved 
censure.  At  the  same  time  his  sense  of  humor  was  so  irrepressible  and  his 
good  will  so  unbounded  that  even  those  who  opposed  his  ideas  in  politics  and 
other  lines  could  but  feel  friendly  toward  him  as  a  man.  He  was  one  of 
nature's  noblemen  and  one  of  the  few  who  see  a  silver  lining  to  every  cloud 
and  extracts  from  every  event  of  life  something  to  be  thankful  for  and  to  be 
merry  over. 

Mr.  Miller's  son,  W.  K.  Miller,  who  was  born  in  White  Cloud,  Kansas, 
July  3,  1869,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  management  of  the  Troy  Chief. 


WILLIAM  FOLSCHEA. 

Center  township,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  includes  among  its  pros- 
perous and  enterprising  farmers  and  stock  dealers  the  German-American  citi- 
zen whose  name  introduces  this  sketch,  William  Folschea. 

Mr.  Folschea  was  born  in  Westphalia,  Germany,  March  i,  1830,  a  son  of 
Moritz  and  Maria  (Fleshmair)  Folschea,  both  natives  of  that  place.  William 
received  the  usual  common-school  education  afforded  in  his  native  land,  attend- 
ing school  up  to  the  time  he  was  fourteen.  From  that  age  he  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  farming,  remaining  in  Germany  until  1872,  when,  thinking  to  better  his 
condition  by  emigration  to  America,  he  took  passage  on  the  steamer  Leipsic 
for  Baltimore,  at  which  port  he  landed  in  due  time.  From  Baltimore  he  came 
west  to  Chicago,  thence  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  remained  a  year,  and 
from  the  latter  place  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  arriving  here  October 
25,  1873.  On  his  arrival  here  he  rented  a  farm  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county,  not  far  from  the  Missouri  river,  and  farmed  rented  land  until  1878. 
That  year  he  made  his  first  land  purchase,  eighty  acres  on  section  t,t,.  Center 
township,  and  soon  after  bought  eighty  acres  adjoining  it,  making  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  and  to  this  he  at  different  times  added  two  more  adjoin- 
ing eighties,  making  a  section  in  one  body.     But  he  did  not  stop  at  this.     He 


43=  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

bought  on  another  section  fift\-  acres  more,  making  a  total  of  three  hundred 
and  seventv-  acres.  He  has  remodeled  some  of  the  buildings  on  his  farm  and 
built  others  and  made  various  improvements  until  now  his  farm  is  one  of  the 
valuable  ones  in  the  localit\-.  In  the  accumulation  of  his  land  he  paid  part 
cash  and  went  in  debt  for  the  rest,  never  venturing  too  far  and  always  meet- 
ing liis  pa>Tnents  promptly,  thus  keeping  his  credit  frood.  Among  his  chief 
interests  are  his  stock.  For  years  he  has  been  an  extensive  feeder  of  cattle 
and  hogs,  keeping  only  the  best  grades  and  making  money  at  the  business. 

In  his  native  land,  in  1854.  Mr.  Folschea  married  Miss  Fredericka  Holl- 
marm.  also  a  native  of  Germany,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  as 
follows:  Harr\-  F..  William.  Louisa  and  Sophrona.  all  at  home  and  giving 
harmonious  assistance  to  their  parents. 

In  national  politics  Mr.  Folschea  has  always  supported  the  Republican 
party  since  he  has  had  a  vote  in  this  countn,-.  but  in  local  elections  liis  vote  is 
cast  independently.  He  has  ever  so  conducted  himself  and  his  affairs  that  he 
has  won  and  maintained  the  high  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has  in  any  way 
been  associated. 


DUR.AXD  C.  H.\LL. 


A  wealthy  and  representative  citizen  of  Atchison  county  was  Durand  C. 
Hall,  deceased,  who  was  the  proprietor  of  Orchard  Hill  farm,  which  beyond 
question  is  one  of  tlie  most  attractive  and  valuable  homesteads  in  the  coui  ly 
or  state.  Mr.  Hall  made  his  home  in  this  locality  for  over  thirtv"  years,  was 
active  and  zealous  in  its  upbuilding  and  advancement  and  was  looked  up  t  j 
and  consulted  in  all  important  affairs  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity.    He  located  on  his  farm  in  Center  township  in  the  spring  of  i86q. 

At  a  verj-  early  day  in  the  histors-  of  Ohio,  seven  brothers  by  the  name 
of  Hall  became  permanent  residents  of  Portage  countv-.  going  there  from  their 
former  home  in  A'ermont.  One  of  the  number  was  Benjamin,  the  grand- 
father of  Durand  C.  HalL  In  the  Buckeye  state  occurred  the  birth  of  \\'illiam 
Hall,  the  father  of  our  subject.  He  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until 
late  in  life,  and  attained  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  During  the 
stormy  years  prior  to  and  including  the  civil  war  period,  he  was  a  strong  aboli- 
tionist. Religiously  he  was  a  Congregationalist.  Four  children  were  bom  to 
himself  and  his  first  wife,  whose  naiden  name  was  Maria  Law.  James  P.,  the 
eldest,  now  resides  in  San  Diego  county.  California:  Eliza,  who  received  an 
excellent  education  at  Oberliri  College,  and  for  some  time  was  successfully 
engaged  in  teaching  in  the  Chicago  public  schools,  is  deceased:  and  Lucy, 
who  is  the  wife  of  I.  P.  Griswold.  of  Lexington.  Nebraska,  a  soldier  of  the  late 


D.  C.  HALL 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  433 

civil  wor.  After  the  deatli  of  his  first  wife.  W'ilham  Hah  married  Betliia 
Pahiier,  of  Catskill,  New  York,  and  their  only  son,  Newton  H.,  now  hving 
in  Ohio,  was  in  the  Union  service  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  Helen  M., 
the  eldest  daugliter.  became  the  wife  of  Henry  Wilcox,  now  of  Saratoga,  New- 
York ;  and  Anna,  the  younger,  is  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Shurart,  of  Oberlin. 
Ohio. 

Durand  C.  Hall  was  born  in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  June  17,  1834,  and 
early  learned  the  lessons  of  industry  and  thrift,  which  are  the  essentials  to  suc- 
cess in  any  vocation.  Reverses,  came  to  him.  as  to  everyone,  but  he  never 
faltered  in  his  course  and  at  length  his  persistence  and  well  applied  business 
methods  brought  to  him  the  prosperity  which  he  had  justly  earned.  He  be- 
came the  owner  of  one  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped  farms  in  Atchison 
county,  comprising  six  hundred  and  sevent3--five  acres,  all  in  one  tract,  and 
situated  near  the  town  of  Farmington.  On  the  place  stands  a  substantial  barn 
which  is  reputed  to  be  the  largest  one  in  the  county,  as  it  is  80x64  feet  in 
dimensions,  has  a  basement  affording  accommodations  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  head  of  live  stock,  and  a  capacity  of  two  hundred  tons  of  hay  and  grain. 
For  several  years  Mr.  Hall  was  especially  successful  as  a  stock-raiser,  keeping 
a  high  grade  of  Hereford  cattle,  among  other  varieties. 

Mr.  Hall  was  twice  married.  March  11.  1858,  he  married  Ellen  M. 
Underwood,  who  was  born  in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  April  21,  1835,  and  she 
died  September  9,  1871.  in  Atchison  county.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Albert, 
who  was  a  personal  and  warm  friend  of  James  A.  Garfield  and  aided  in  nomi- 
nating and  electing  him  to  the  legislature,  and  her  mother  came  from  the  well- 
known  Moulton  family,  of  Ohio.  Mr.  Hall's  first  wife  was  a  lady  of  good 
education,  educated  at  Hiram  College,  Hiram.  Ohio,  and  had  an  acquaintance 
with  Garfield,  who  attended  with  her  this  college.  "Sir.  Hall's  first  wife  bore 
him  the  following  children  :  Inez  M.,  who  married  B.  C.  Achenbach,  of  Clinton 
county,  Pennsylvania;  Albert  S.,  single;  John  H..  deceased;  Herbert  D.,  of 
Atchison  county;  and  Mary  E.,  who  married  Edward  R.  Stacey.  of  Atchison 
county.     The  son,  Albert  S.,  is  now  at  the  old  homestead. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  1873,  the  marriage  of  D.  C.  Hall  and  Susan,  a 
daughter  of  Salmon  and  Manerva  (Rice)  Merriam,  was  solemnized.  Mrs. 
Hall,  who  was  born  at  Meriden.  Connecticut,  had  seven  brothers  and  sisters, 
namely:  Sylvia  M..  of  Durham.  Connecticut;  Ezekiel.  who  served  in  the 
Union  army  during  the  civil  war  and  now  resides  at  Hartford.  Connecticut ; 
Lydia,  the  wife  of  Ira  Doolittle.  of  Harper  county,  Kansas ;  Sarah,  the  deceased 
Avife  of  W.  Pritchard  ;  Harriet,  the  wife  of  H.  L.  Whitaker.  of  Lancaster  town- 
ship, Atchison  county;  Mary,  the  wife  of  R.  Higley  of  Pardee;  and  Asaph, 
of  South  Acton,  Massachusetts.  Salmon  Merriam  departed  this  life  wdien  in 
his  fifty-eighth  year,  and  his  wife  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.     They  were 


434  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

members  of  the  Congregational  church.  By  Mr.  Hall's  second  marriage  but 
one  child  was  born,  namely,  Susa  E.,  the  wife  of  Frank  M.  Linscott,  of  Hol- 
ton,  Kansas. 

In  1877  Air.  Hall  constructed  a  comfortable  residence,  provided  with  the 
comforts  and  accessories  of  a  model  home.  Fraternally  he  was  a  Mason, 
having  joined  that  order  in  Ohio  when  a  young  man.  Courteous  and  kindly 
to  every  one,  he  readily  made  friends  and  his  honorable  course  m  life  com- 
mends itself  to  the  emulation  of  the  young.  His  death  occurred  Mav  27, 
1900. 


WILLIAM  F.  MYERS. 

William  F.  Myers,  whose  name  appears  on  the  roll  of  Doniphan  county 
farmers,  was  born  in  Buchanan  county.  Missouri,  April  17,  1853.  His  father, 
Henry  Ah'ers,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  and  in  1834,  when  a  little  lad 
of  five  summers,  was  brought  to  America  by  his  father,  Frederick  Myers,  who 
made  his  first  location  in  Indiana.  Not  long  afterward,  however,  he  took  his 
family  to  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his 
death  occurring  at  his  home  near  St.  Joseph.  Henry  Myers  was  reared  and 
educated  in  Buchanan  county  and  after  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  mar- 
ried Litha  Hartsock.  At  an  early  period  in  the  development  of  Atchison  county 
they  came  to  this  locality,  Mr.  Myers  making  a  settlement  in  Shannon  town- 
ship. His  wife  died  in  September,  1895.  Their  children  are:  William  T. ; 
Mary,  deceased,  the  wife  of  Herman  Clye;  John,  of  Atchison  county;  and 
Henry  B.,  now  deceased. 

Upon  the  parental  homestead  in  Atchison  county  William  F.  Myers  spent 
his  youth.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Kansas  since  1867  and  is  indebted  to  the 
common  "district"  school  for  the  educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed. 
Through  the  summer  months  he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  home  farm  and 
remained  with  his  father  until  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  About  that  time  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  in  Doniphan  county  and  has  since  been  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  agricultural  interests  here.  He  now  operates  a  half-section 
of  land  and  the  fields  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  yielding  to  him 
good  harvest  as  a  reward  for  his  labor.  He  is  very  practical  in  his  methods 
of  farming  and  is  never  slow  to  adopt  improved  methods. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-eight  Mr.  Myers  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  Grace,  who  died  leaving  a  son,  Frederick.  His  present  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Dora  Cotter  and  was  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cotter, 
of  Bendena.  Six  children  grace  the  union  of  Mr.  Myers  and  his  wife,  namely  : 
Henry,  Nellie,  William,  John,  Irene  and  lone,  the  last  two  being  twins.     The 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         435 

family  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  this  locality  and  tlieir  circle  of  friends  is 
extensive.  In  his  poHtical  atifiliations  Mr.  Myers  is  a  Democrat,  but  has  neither 
time  nor  inclination  for  pubhc  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  his 
farming  interests,  which  are  characterized  by  unremitting  industry. 


JOHN  ALBERS. 


John  Albers  is  one  of  tlie  extensive  farmers  of  Doniphan  county,  liis  home 
being  near  Bendena.  He  was  born  in  Oldenburg,  Jever,  Germany,  August 
21,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Adde  Meenen  Albers,  a  well-to-do  farmer,  who  was 
born  in  the  same  locality  and  married  Maria  Hendrichs ;  she  died  before  the 
emigration  of  the  family  to  America.  In  1850  the  father  brought  his  children 
to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Doddridge  county,  Virginia,  now  West  Vir- 
ginia. He  there  purchased  land  and  engaged  in  farming,  becoming  a  pros- 
perous and  influential  citizen.  His  death  occurred  some  years  ago.  His  chil- 
dren by  his  first  marriage  were:  John;  Albert,  a  resident  of  Rush  county, 
Kansas;  Gerhardt,  who  is  the  owner  of  a  sheep  ranch  near  Dillon,  Kansas; 
Margaret,  the  wife  of  John  Gabel,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
John  Finster,  of  West  Virginia;  and  Anne  Lucenia.  the  wife  of  M.  E.  Rick- 
lifs,  of  Doniphan  county.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Albers  was 
again  married,  and  the  children  of  the  second  union  were  Christopher,  George, 
Catherine,  Sophia,  Caroline.  Ellen,  Julia  and  Emma.  Julia  resides  with  her 
husband  in  Iowa  and  the  other  children  are  living  in  West  Virginia. 

In  the  schools  of  the  fatherland  John  Albers  obtained  his  education  and 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  came  to  the  United  States.  At  that  time  there 
was  a  rumor  of  foreign  war  in  Germany  and  that  fact  hastened  his  departure. 
He  sailed  from  Bremen  on  a  vessel  bound  for  New  York  and  after  a  long 
voyage  of  forty-nine  days  anchor  was  dropped  in  the  American  harbor.  Mr. 
Albers  made  his  way  to  Cumberland,  Maryland,  where  he  spent  the  succeeding 
winter.  When  his  father  and  the  others  of  the  family  came  to  the  new  world 
he  accompanied  them  to  Doddridge  county,  Virginia,  remaining  under  the 
parental  roof  until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  began  work  in  the  neighbor- 
hood as  a  farm  hand.  In  1857  he  started  westward,  in  company  with  his 
brother,  Albert,  taking  passage  on  a  vessel  at  St.  Mary's  on  the  Ohio  river  and 
following-  the  water  route  to  Kansas  City.  From  that  point  he  directed  his 
steps  intd  the  farming  districts  and  secured  work  in  Cass  county.  Missouri,  in 
a  sawmill.  While  employed  there  he  suffered  an  attack  of  fever  and  ague  and 
believing  the  climate  unhealthful  he  made  his  way  to  Elwood,  Kansas,  where 
he  spent  a  winter  in  chopping  wood.    In  the  spring  he  and  his  brother  went  to 


436  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  Republican  river  country,  but  soon  afterward  returned  to  Doniplian  county, 
and  in  the  year  1861  engaged  in  farming  in  the  Elwood  valley. 

The  following  spring  John  Albers  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Virginia 
and  was  married,  and  then  brought  his  bride  to  the  Sunflower  state,  locating 
near  Brenner,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  a  year.  The  following  spring  he 
purchased  forty  acres  of  land  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  t,t,.  Wolf 
River  township,  paying  therefor  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  He  also  bought 
a  house  that  stood  near  the  bank  of  the  Missouri  river,  whose  destruction  was 
eminent.  This  he  moved  to  his  farm  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  began 
keeping  house  in  his  own  home.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began  the 
development  of  his  land  and  soon  discovering  what  products  were  best  adapted 
to  this  latitude  he  secured  from  his  fields  abundant  harvests.  Year  by  vear 
his  success  has  been  augmented  and  in  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  grain  he 
has  secured  a  desirable  profit  from  stock  raising  and  feeding,  which  business  he 
has  followed  for  the  past  thirty-five  years.  From  time  to  time  he  has  added  to 
his  property  by  the  additional  purchase  of  adjoining  lands  and  althoueh  he  has 
given  to  five  of  his  children  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  fortv  acres  he  still 
has  three  quarter-sections  of  land,  together  with  an  eighty-acre  farm.  He  is 
accounted  one  of  the  most  prosperous  agriculturists  of  the  community  and  yet 
his  success  has  been  won  along  legitimate  lines,  being  the  outcome  of  inde- 
fatigable industry  and  unfaltering  purpose. 

Mr.  Albers  has  been  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  Caroline,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  Ladwig,  who  was  a  school  teacher  in  Germany  and  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1852,  locating  in  Doddridge  county,  Virginia.  Ten  years 
later  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Kansas.  Five  children  were  born  unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Albers  :  Charles  M. ;  Florence,  the  wife  of  J,  M.  Fisher:  Herman,  Albert 
and  John.  The  mother  of  these  children  departed  this  life  in  1873  and  the 
following  year  Mr.  Albers  wedded  Rosa  Holzhey  and  their  children  are  Will- 
iam, Eddie,  Bertha,  Ernest,  George  and  Ruth. 

During  the  civil  war  Mr.  Albers  was  a  member  of  the  state  militia  and 
was  with  Colonel  Tracy's  command  at  Kansas  City  on  the  expedition  against 
Price.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  frequently  was  seen  at 
county  conventions  at  an  earlier  day,  but  now  takes  no  active  part  in  political 
work.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Lutheran.  His  life  at  all  times  has  been  hon- 
orable and  upriglit,  faithful  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  and  loyal  in  friendship. 


JAMES  ROLAND  JONES. 
When  the  pioneer  settlers  were  performing  the  arduous  task  of  reclaim- 
ing the  wild  lands  of  Doniphan  county  the  Jones  family,  of  which  our  subject 
is  a  representative,  came  to  northeastern  Kansas,  and  he  whose  name  intro- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  437 

duces  this  brief  sketch  has  spent  ahnost  his  entire  hfe  upon  the  farm  wliich  is 
now  his  home.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  agricuUurists 
of  Wayne  township  and  tlie  lea(Hng  breeder  of  and  dealer  in  Aberdeen  and 
Angus  cattle.  He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  community  and  it  is  there- 
fore with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  the  record  of  his  career. 

His  father.  Charles  Jones,  who  is  now  living  retired  in  Atchison,  was 
born  in  Cheshire,  England,  belonging  to  an  old  family  of  that  country.  His 
birth  occurred  in  181 6  and  his  wife  was  born  there  ten  years  later.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  he  left  his  native  land  for  the  United  States  and  located  in  Madison 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  carpentering,  which  trade  he  had  learned 
before  his  departure  for  the  new  world.  He  had  heard  of  the  op])ortunities 
offered  young  men  in  America  and  wished  to  secure  a  comfortable  home  and 
competence  here.  He  was  successful  almost  from  the  beginning  and  as  the 
years  passed  extended  the  field  of  his  labors  to  include  contracting  and  build- 
ing. He  also  conducted  a  furniture  and  undertaking  business  in  Ohio,  where 
he  resided  until  after  the  close  of  the  civil  war,  when  he  brought  his  family  to 
Doniphan  county,  Kansas.  The  second  year  after  his  arrival  he  purchased  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  17,  Wayne  township,  then  a  wild  and  unim- 
proved tract  of  land,  upon  which  he  at  once  began  the  work  of  cultivation. 
Here  prosperity  also  attended  his  well-directed  efforts  and  as  a  result  of  his 
farming  ventures  he  acquired  a  handsome  competence  which  now  enables  him 
to  live  retired,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  His  home  is  in  Atchison, 
where  he  has  many  friends,  and  throughout  northeastern  Kansas  he  is  widely 
and  favorably  known. 

It  was  on  the  3d  of  August,  1845,  that  J\Ir.  Jones  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Eliza  Meadowcroft,  who  was  born  in  Lancashire,  England.  Their  chil- 
dren are:  Mary,  who  was  born  May  5,  1846,  and  is  the  wife  of  John  Hagg, 
of  Wayne  township,  by  whom  she  has  two  children, — Charles  and  Edith; 
George,  who  was  born  June  29,  1849,  married  Annie  Stanles  and  resides  in 
Sumner  county,  Kansas;  Charles  W.,  born  May  7,  1851,  married  Agnes  Wat- 
terson  and  is  the  city  ticket  agent  for  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company  at 
Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Salem,  born  May  12,  1854,  married  Annie  Lloyd  and 
resides  in  Doniphan  county;  Libbie,  born  October  2^,  1859,  is  the  wife  of 
Alexander  Henderson  and  resides  in  Leavenworth,  Kansas;  Edward,  born 
July  23,  1 86 1,  married  Agnes  Steele  and  is  a  farmer  of  Wayne  township, 
Doniphan  county;  Rev.  Henry,  born  January  28,  1863,  married  Irene  M. 
Moore  and  is  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Lena,  Illinois ;  James  R.,  born 
October  13,  1865,  is  the  next  in  order  of  birth ;  and  Rev.  John  M.,  born  Novem- 
ber 12,  1867,  is  connected  with  the  ministry  in  Atchison.  He  married  Frances 
Harding. 

James  R.  Jones  has  spent  nearly  his  entire  life  upon  the  farm  he  now 


438  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

owns.  Before  he  was  a  year  old  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  from  Madison 
county,  Ohio,  to  Doniphan  county  and  in  the  pubhc  schools  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education,  which  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  university  at 
Ottawa,  Kansas.  Upon  the  old  homestead  he  early  became  familiar  with  the 
duties  of  farmer  and  stock  raiser  and  it  was  those  pursuits  which  claimed  his 
attention  after  attaining  his  majority.  One  by  one  his  older  brothers  and  sis- 
ters left  the  farm,  but  he  remained  at  home  and  is  now  the  owner  of  the  old 
place.  He  is  very  practical  and  successful  in  the  operation  of  his  land  and  is 
also  prosperous  as  a  breeder  of  Aberdeen  and  Angus  cattle,  to  which  enter- 
prise he  has  recently  given  much  of  his  time  and  attention. 

In  October,  1893,  Mr.  Jones  married  Margaret  Steele,  who  died  in  March, 
1898,  leaving  a  little  daughter,  Alice  E.  May  30,  1900,  he  married  Hattie 
May  Archer,  a  daughter  of  William  J.  Archer.  As  a  family  and  as  individuals 
the  Jones  representatives  have  been  prominent  in  church  work.  The  father 
was  one  of  the  founders  and  prominent  supporters  of  the  little  church  near  his 
farm  and  for  many  years  served  as  deacon.  James  R.  Jones  is  likewise  active 
in  advancing  the  work  and  interests  of  the  church  and  is  now  serving  as  the 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school.  His  life  has  in  a  manner  been  quiet  and 
uneventful,  but  it  is  a  record  of  one  who  has  ever  been  true  to  his  church,  to 
himself,  to  his  family,  to  his  friends  and  his  country,  and  such  a  history 
always  contains  lessons  that  may  be  profitably  followed  by  a  younger  genera- 
tion. 


KLAUS  HEREFORD  CATTLE  COMPANY. 

This  company  consists  of  Fred,  Joseph  and  John  Klaus.  Fred  Klaus  is 
one  of  the  young  and  enterprising  farmers  and  stock  dealers  of  AVayne  town- 
ship. Doniphan  county,  and  throughout  his  life  he  has  been  identified  with 
agricultural  pursuits.  His  father,  Jacob  Klaus,  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1829, 
and  came  to  the  United  States  when  still  single.  He  located  first  in  New  York, 
where  he  worked  at  manual  labor  for  a  year  and  then  again  started  westward, 
going  to  Tazewell  county,  Illinois.  For  a  few  3'ears  he  remained  in  that  local- 
ity and  finally  became  a  permanent  settler  of  McLean  county,  same  state, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  for  some  time.  He  was  married  there  to  Miss 
Mary  Widman.  and  met  with  creditable  success  as  an  agriculturist  in  Illinois, 
but  owing  to  the  rapid  advancement  in  land  values  there  he  decided  to  take  up 
his  abode  in  Kansas,  where  the  population  was  not  so  congested  and  prices 
were  accordingly  lower.  He  therefore  traded  his  McLean  county  farm  for 
land  in  Doniphan  county  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Wayne  township  in  1875. 
continuing  the  active  management  of  his  farm  until  his  eldest  son  arrived  at 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         439 

an  age  that  made  him  capable  of  assuming  the  management.  Jacob  Klaus  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife  on  the  ist  of  January.  1889.  She 
died  leaving  the  following  named  children :  Kate,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Greg- 
ory, of  Wayne  township:  Fred,  of  this  review;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Fred  Car- 
penter, of  Denver.  Colorado;  Joseph  and  John. 

Fred  Klaus  was  born  in  McLean  county.  Illinois.  November  8,  1866.  and 
received  such  educational  advantages  as  are  usually  afforded  farmers'  sons. 
He  was  reared  amidst  rural  scenes  and  has  always  been  identified  with  the 
interests  and  work  of  the  farm.  After  attaining  his  majoritv  he  assumed  the 
management  of  his  father's  property  and  to  stock  raising  he  has  given  consid- 
erable attention.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  breeding  of  Hereford  cattle, 
owning  the  registered  bull  Columbus  23d.  registered  number  91.370,  a  half 
brother  of  Dale,  from  the  Benton  Goffart  herd.  Columbus  is  from  the  Funk- 
houser  herd  at  Plattsburg,  Missouri.  Mr.  Klaus  has  also  four  registered  cows 
from  the  Scott,  March  and  Funkhouser  herds,  and  is  meeting  with  good 
success  as  a  dealer  in  cattle.  He  also  feeds  and  ships  beef  cattle,  and  the 
animals  from  his  pastures  command  a  good  market  price. 

Joseph  Klaus  was  born  in  1874,  and  John  in  1877,  both  in  Illinois.  Tlie 
Klaus  family  have  been  prominent  in  Doniphan  county  in  connection  with 
the  cultivation  of  land  and  the  raising  of  stock.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  came  to  Kansas,  about  twenty  years  ago,  the  property  of  the  family 
consisted  of  only  eighty  acres,  but  through  the  combined  efforts  of  father  and 
sons  their  real  estate  holdings  now  aggregate  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
Fred  Klaus,  of  this  review,  is  a  very  industrious  and  energetic  young  man, 
thoroughly  trustworthy  in  all  his  business  dealings  and  commanding  univer- 
sal respect  for  his  well-spent  life. 


WILLIAM  \\'.  \^■OOD^^'ORTH. 

William  W.  Woodworth.  deceased,  was  born  in  Essex.  England,  in  1S19, 
and  died  in  Doniphan  county.  Kansas,  July  20,  1899.  In  his  native  land  ^Ir. 
Woodworth  spent  the  first  seventeen  years  of  his  life,  receiving  there  a  com- 
mon-school education.  At  seventeen,  thinking  to  better  his  condition  in  life 
and  find  broader  opportunities  for  advancement,  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  landing  at  New  York  city  after  an  ocean  voyage  of  eight  weeks.  From 
there  he  went  direct  to  Syracuse  and  thence  to  Utica.  New  York,  at  the  latter 
place  finding  employment,  on  a  farm,  where  he  worked  by  the  month.  While 
there  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  and  subsequently  married  Miss  Lucy 
Stephens,  their  marriage  occurring  in  1850.     JNIrs.  Woodworth  is  a  daughter 


440  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  Warren  and  Lucy  (Bump)  Stephens,  was  born  in  New  York  state  in  1836, 
and  was  at  the  age  of  ten  years  left  an  orphan  by  the  deatli  of  her  motlier.  She 
was  educated  at  Utica. 

After  their  marriage  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Woodworth  moved  to  Delaware 
county.  Iowa,  where  they  remained  until  the  spring  of  1862  and  whence  at  that 
time  they  moved  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas.  Here  Mr.  Woodworth  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  located  one  mile  east  of  the  village  of  Troy,  and 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  He  erected  a  comfortable 
dwelling,  good  barns  and  other  farm  buildings,  planted  a  small  orchard,  and 
here  spent  the  rest  of  his  days.  He  was  a  well  posted  man,  broad  and  liberal 
in  his  views ;  politically,  was  a  Republican  and  religiously  an  Episcopalian,  being 
a  member  of  the  church  of  England.  For  years  he  was  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  was  buried  with  all  the  honors  of  that 
order.  Mrs.  Woodworth  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of 
Troy.  She  still  resides  at  the  farm  above  referred  to  and  with  hired  help 
carries  on  its  operations.  She  has  two  daughters  and  four  grandchildren. 
One  of  the  daughters,  ^Martha,  is  the  wife  of  John  Maquilan  and  resides  in 
Colorado;  the  other,  Emma,  married  Benjamin  Tool  and  is  a  resident  of  Bill- 
ings, Montana, 


GEORGE  T.  WOOD. 


George  T.  Wood,  a  fruit-grower  residing  near  Troy,  Kansas,  was  born 
in  sunny  California,  January  i,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  N.  B.  and  Evalyn  W. 
(Riddle)  Wood.  N.  B.  Wood  was  born  in  Boone  county,  Missouri,  Febru- 
ary 17,  1829,  and  died  in  Troy,  Kansas,  July  29,  1885.  He  was  a  son  of 
Jesse  and  Sarah  (Murphy)  Wood,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky,  where  he 
lived  and  died ;  his  wife  a  native  of  Tennessee.  At  an  early  age  N.  B.  W^ood 
lost  both  parents,  being  four  years  old  when  his  mother  died,  and  eight  at  the 
time  of  his  father's  death.  He  was  then  taken  to  the  home  of  his  uncle,  Louis 
Wood,  of  Clay  county,  Missouri,  where  his  school  days  were  spent. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  started  out  in  life  dependent  upon  his  own 
resources.  He  was  married,  in  1849,  to  Miss  Evalyn  W'.  Riddle,  a  native  of 
Kentucky  and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  a  resident  of  Andrew  county, 
Missouri,  to  which  place  she  had  removed  with  her  parents  when  a  young  girl. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  N.  and  Gilly  Riddle.  After  their  marriage 
N.  B.  Wood  and  wife  settled  at  Savannah,  Missouri,  where  they  remained  until 
1852,  when  they  joined  the  throng  of  emigration  to  California,  but  shortly 
afterward  returned  to  Missouri.  Again,  in  1857,  they  went  to  California, 
this  time  spending  eleven  years  in  the  Golden  state,  and  in  1869  again  return- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         441 

ing  to  Missouri.  The  same  year  they  moved  to  Kansas  and  bought  seventy- 
five  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  corporate  limits  of  Troy.  This  tract  of  land 
Mr.  Wood  planted  to  apple  trees.  He  was  among  the  first  to  set  out  an  orchard 
in  this  vicinity,  and  in  his  pioneer  efforts  his  neighbors  tried  to  discourage 
him,  telling  him  he  would  never  li\e  to  realize  anything  from  his  planting. 
They,  however,  were  mistaken,  for  he  lived  to  sell  thousands  of  dollars' 
worth  of  fruit  from  his  orchard.  He  and  his  wife  became  the  parents  of  the 
following  named  children:  Eva,  the  wife  of  Walter  Johnson;  George  T.,. 
whose  name  introduces  this  sketch ;  Gilly,  the  wife  of  Edward  F.  Hanna ;  Anna, 
the  wife  of  Ross  Sturgis ;  and  Miss  Dixie  Wood,  who  resides  with  her  mother. 
About  five  years  ago  the  old  homestead  burned  down,  but  was  immediately 
rebuilt  by  Mrs.  Evalyn  Wood,  the  mother,  who  still  occupies  it. 

George  T.  \Vood  accompanied  his  parents  in  the  various  moves  made  by 
them  as  stated  above,  and  was  in  his  'teens  at  the  time  they  located  in  Doni- 
phan county,  Kansas.  Here  he  attended  the  district  school  anl  lent  efficient 
assistance  in  the  work  on  the  new  orchard  farm.  When  a  young  man  he  read 
law  in  the  oftice  of  his  father,  N.  B.  Wood,  and  was  duly  admitted  to  the  bar, 
after  which  a  partnership  was  formed  under  the  firm  name  of  Ryan  &  Wood, 
wliich  continued  until  1893.  That  year  Mr.  Wood  turned  his  attention  to 
farming  and  fruit-growing,  making  a  specialty  of  apples,  and  in  this  business 
he  is  very  successful. 

Mr.  Wood  was  married  in  December,  1895,  to  Miss  Georgia  Gates,  a  resi- 
dent of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Elijah  Gates,  a  man 
prominent  in  state  affairs.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Wood  is  identified  with  Troy 
Lodge,  No.  55,  A.  F,  &  A.  M.,  and  also  the  Commandery  of  Knight  Templars, 
of  which  his  father  also  was  a  member. 


GEORGE  DENTON. 


The  ability  which  raises  men  from  the  ranks  of  the  poor  and  toiling  to  the 
position  of  landed  proprietors  and  enables  them  to  take  leading  places  in  the 
financial  world,  is  such  as  is  possessed  by  the  subject  of  this  notice.  A  for- 
eigner by  birth,  an  American  to  his  heart's  core,  George  Denton,  president  of 
the  bank  of  Denton,  a  prominent  and  successful  farmer  and  one  of  the  central 
figures  in  the  business  of  the  country  surrounding  Denton,  is  the  eldest  repres- 
sentative  of  a  large,  popular  and  influential  family  who  have  identified  them- 
selves with  the  growth  and  development  of  Doniphan  county  at  different  dates 
since  the  civil  war  period. 

Mr.  Denton,  who  is  by  training  and  education  first  of  all  a  farmer,  was 


442  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

born  at  Welton,  Lincolnshire.  England,  Febrnary  2.  1828.  In  the  early  ages 
history  reveals  the  Franks  as  the  rnling  and  prevailing  race  in  the  north  of 
England,  while  the  Danes  predominated  in  the  southern  portion.  The  ances- 
tors of  William  Denton,  Mr.  Denton's  father,  came  out  of  the  former  country, 
and  the  ancestors  of  Mary  Welboume,  his  mother,  seem  to  have  emanated  from 
the  latter.  No  accurate  and  positive  record  of  the  lineage  and  history  of  these 
early  heads  of  families  having  been  made,  the  reader  must  be  content  with  the 
history  of  the  Dentons  with  William  and  his  wife  as  a  beginning.  It  may  be 
stated,  however,  on  good  authority  that  William  Denton's  father,  also  named 
William,  was  a  shepherd  and  farm  laborer.  It  is  said  that  this  first  William 
Denton  had  three  sons, — William,  already  mentioned,  and  John  and  Jonathan. 
Of  these  William,  born  about  1809,  married  Mary  Welbourne  and  had  thirteen 
children,  named  as  follows:  George;  Annie,  who  married  George  Hinch- 
cliffand  is  now  dead,  leaving  eight  children;  John,  of  Goff,  Kansas;  William; 
Mary,  who  married  Samuel  Chaney  and  is  now  dead;  Benjamin,  who  died  in 
military  service  during  the  civil  war;  Jonathan,  dead;  Michael,  who  served 
through  the  civil  war ;  Moses,  dead  ;  James,  Solomon,  Isaac  and  Jacob.  These 
children  were  born  and  received  their  early  education  near  Welton.  in  Lincoln- 
shire, England.  The  schools  there  at  the  time  were  inadequate,  but  they  were 
better  than  none,  and  William  Denton  and  his  good  wife  impressed  upon  their 
children  such  principles  as  promote  integrity,  industry  and  good  citizenship. 
The  father  is  buried  in  England  and  the  mother  sleeps  in  Ridge  Prairie  ceme- 
tary  at  Denton.  Doniphan  county,  Kansas. 

George  Denton  undertook  the  battle  of  life  at  an  early  age,  pressed  by  the 
need  that  he  should  aid  to  supply  the  needs  of  a  large  family  of  younger  chil- 
dren. His  environments  had  been  entirely  rural  and  the  duties  of  the  farm 
were  all  that  demanded  his  attention.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  hired  to  a 
neighbor  for  six  months  at  a  salary  of  one  pound  and  ten  shillings  and  board. 
Afterward  he  was  employed  by  the  year  by  different  persons,  with  some  of 
whom  he  remained  two  and  three  years  with  wages  increasing  gradually  to 
twelve  pounds  a  year,  finishing  his  series  of  years  of  wage-working  as  a  farm 
foreman  at  twenty  pounds  a  year. 

In  March,  1855,  Mr.  Denton  gathered  together  his  resources  with  the 
determination  of  coming  to  the  United  States,  where  opportunities  for  individ- 
ual advancement  were  as  open  to  the  poor  as  to  the  rich.  He  embarked  his 
family  aboard  the  sailer  Progress,  at  Liverpool,  and.  after  some  very  slight 
delay  occasioned  by  the  breaking  of  a  mast,  reached  New  York,  after  a  voyage 
■of  thirty-four  days. 

He  went  at  once  to  Morrow  county.  Ohio,  where  he  had  relatives.  To- 
gether, he  and  his  wife  had  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  money, 
not  a  sufficient  sum  to  justify  them  in  engaging  in  any  business,  and  they  laid 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         443 

it  aside  and  he  hired  to  a  farmer  for  sixteen  dollars  a  month  for  the  summer 
and  thirteen  dollars  a  month  for  the  winter.  The  next  year,  in  company  with 
a  friend,  with  the  aid  of  some  borrowed  money,  he  bought  forty-four  acres 
of  land,  at  twenty-five  dollars  an  acre,  which  Mr.  Denton  began  to  cultivate. 
He  became  the  sole  owner  of  the  property  in  a  few  years,  by  purchase,  and  in 
1 86 1  bought  forty-one  acres  more,  at  thirty  dollars  an  acre.  Just  after  the  war 
he  bought  twenty-three  acres  more,  at  thirty-five  dollars  an  acre.  He  paid  for 
and  improved  all  his  land,  and  in  1873.  the  year  he  came  to  Kansas,  he  had 
advanced  from  the  position  of  hired  man,  in  1855,  to  the  ownership  of  a  well- 
improved  one-hundred-and-eight-acre  farm. 

Mr.  Denton  had  friends  in  Kansas,  who  liad  sougiit  the  west  at  an  early 
day  and  who  induced  him  to  join  them  by  sending  him  encouraging  reports  as 
to  the  climate,  the  soil  and  the  crops.  Soon  after  arriving  in  Doniphan  county, 
he  bought  the  Underwood  farm,  once  the  site  of  the  Underwood  postoffice. 
He  resumed  there  the  business  of  farming  and  combined  with  it,  as  oppor- 
tunity arose  and  his  property  permitted,  the  feeding  and  shipping  of  stock. 
Upon  the  organization  of  the  bank  of  Denton  in  1894,  Mr.  Denton  was  chosen 
its  president  and  has  since  been  identified  with  the  active  management  of  its 
affairs.  He  is  universally  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful  of  men.  His 
ready  grasp  of  situations  and  conditions  and  his  guarded  manner  and  con- 
servative methods  in  transacting  business  bring  to  him  and  his  institution  the 
confidence  of  financiers  and  the  unreserved  patronage  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Denton  came  to  the  United  States  about  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the  Republican  party  and  his  political  affiliations  are  all  in  that  direction. 
Political  conditions  may  be  said  to  have  had  something  to  do  with  his  coming 
to  America.  There  was  something  about  the  spirit  of  a  monarchy,  limited 
tiiough  it  was,  that  did  not  fit  his  nature ;  hence  his  expatriation.  He  has  never 
acted  in  a  manner  that  would  brand  him  as  a  politician,  and  he  claims  to  be 
nothing  more  than  a  plain  citizen  with  the  welfare  of  his  country  and  his  com- 
munity at  heart.  He  has  served  Union  township  as  its  treasurer  and  has 
amply  demonstrated  his  peculiar  fitness  for  the  office.  Mr.  Denton  was  mar- 
ried in  1854,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years,  to  Eliza,  a  daughter  of  George 
Topliss.  Their  children  are:  Louisa,  the  wife  of  James  Miller;  Ellen,  the 
wife  of  Aaron  Long;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Miller  White;. Martha,  who  married 
H.  C.  Miller;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Edward  F.  Heeney;  and  William  G.  Den- 
ton, whose  wife  was  Maud  Miller. 

Never,  throughout  his  long  and  active  life,  has  Mr.  Denton  been  a  *.nan 
of  impulses.  His  success  has  always  been  won  by  methods  entirely  legitimate. 
He  has  always  acted  on  the  principle  that  the  future  was  before  him  and  that 
in  that  future  he  had  ample  time  to  consider  all  things.  His  habits  have  been 
temperate  and  his  morals  unimpeached.     Although  not  holding  a  membership 


444  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

in  any  religions  both-,  his  leanings  are  toward  old-fashioned  Methodism  and 
he  has  given  liberally  of  his  means  to  the  support  of  different  churches.  His 
life  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  has  been  one  of  even  tenor,  without  excit- 
ing events  except  the  mild  and  healthful  excitement  incident  to  achieving 
gratifying  success  and  winning  the  plaudits  of  the  business  world  and  the  con- 
fidence and  good  will  of  his  fellow  citizens.  For  some  time  he  has  shown  an 
inclination  toward  retirement  from  active  affairs,  but  an  estate  of  four  hun- 
dred acres,  with  other  interests  requiring  personal  oversight,  make  his  serv- 
ices yet  indispensable,  and  it  will  never  be  said  that  he  has  retired. 


ALEXANDER  BERRY. 

The  name  which  heads  this  sketch  belonged  to  one  of  Doniphan 
county's  early  pioneers  whose  death  was  the  result  of  exjxisure  in  the  army 
during  the  civil  war.  Alexander  Berry  was  born  in  Tennessee,  in  1820,  and 
died  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  April  13,  1865.  Francis  P.  Berry,  his 
father,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  March  5,  1788,  who  settled  in  Tennessee 
in  which  state  he  was  married.  He  served  in  the  war  of  181 2.  From  Ten- 
nessee he  moved  to  Illinois  and  finally  died  in  that  state,  near  Alton.  After  his 
death  his  widow  moved  to  Missouri,  where  she  passed  the  remainder  of  her 
life. 

Alexander  Berry  accompanied  his  parents  to  Illinois  and  to  Missouri, 
and  remained  in  Missouri  until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Kansas  and  located  in 
Doniphan  county.  Here  Mr.  Berry  pre-empted  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  upon  which  he  and  his  family  settled  and  went  earnestly 
to  work  to  make  a  home  and  improve  a  farm,  and  were  progressing  in  the 
work  when  the  great  civil  war  came  on,  and  he  and  his  two  sons  left  the  farm 
to  join  the  Union  ranks  and  fight  for  the  protection  of  the  national  honor. 
Mrs.  Berry,  like  many  another  brave  woman,  remained  on  their  claim,  and 
with  the  aid  of  the  other  children,  carried  on  the  farming  as  well  as  she  could ; 
and  after  the  war  and  the  death  of  her  husband  she  continued  on  the  farm 
and  remained  on  it  until  her  death.  It  is  now  well  improved  and  highly  cul- 
tivated, among  the  improvements  being  an  apple  orchard  of  forty  acres  contain- 
ing no  less  than  two  thousand  trees.  The  youngest  son,  John,  resided  with 
his  mother  and  had  charge  of  the  operations. 

It  was  in  1861,  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  war,  that  Alexander  Berry 
enrolled  his  name  among  the  Kansas  volunteers.  He  was  a  member  of  Com- 
pany A,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry,  of  which  regiment  Colonel 
Bowen  was  in  command.     After  a  faithful  service  of  two  and  a  half  years 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         445 

Mr.  Berry  received  a  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  and  mustered  out  of  the  service.  During  his  service  he  has  been 
commissioned  second  lieutenant  and  has  participated  in  the  battle  of  Prairie 
Grove  and  several  smaller  engagements.  His  two  sons  who  were  in  the  army 
were  Francis  and  William.  Each  served  three  years  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time  were  honorably  discharged. 

Mr.  Berry  was  married,  in  1841,  in  Missouri,  to  Miss  Phoebe  Birchfield 
who  was  born  in  Taney  county,  Missouri,  February  8,  1835,  ^"^  ^'^d  January 
6,  1900.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Rebecca  (Hamilton)  Birchfield. 
After  their  marriage  they  settled  on  a  farm  not  far  from  Springfield,  Missouri, 
where  they  resided  until  1857,  when,  as  already  stated,  they  came  to  Doniphan 
county,  Kansas,  and  established  the  present  home  in  Center  township.  Mrs. 
Berry's  grandchildren  now  number  forty.  She  died  January  6,  1900.  One 
son,  William,  is  deceased.  The  living  members  of  her  family  are  as  follows : 
Margaret,  now  Mrs.  William  Privett;  Delia  M.,  who  became  the  wife  of  E. 
Monroe;  Hester,  the  wife  of  Myron  Steele;  Anna  B.,  the  wife  of  Eugene 
Brown,  son  of  Justice  Brown  of  Troy ;  Francis,  a  farmer ;  Chesley  H.  and  John. 

John  Berry,  who  as  above  stated  conducts  the  home  farm,  is  an  enterpris- 
ing, up-to-date  young  farmer,  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  He  is 
identified  with  Troy  Lodge,  No.  55.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Troy  Chapter,  No.  16, 
R.  A.  M. 


JOSEPH  H.  GRABLE. 

Engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Wathena,  Dr.  Grable  has  been 
numbered  among  the  most  successful  representatives  of  the  profession  in 
Doniphan  county  since  1895.  He  was  born  near  Dearborn,  Missouri,  on  the 
25th  of  January,  1869,  and  is  a  son  of  Enoch  Grable,  who  devoted  his  energies 
to  farming  near  Dearborn,  but  was  a  native  of  Platte  county,  Missouri.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  E.  Stanley,  and  was  born  and  reared  near 
Dearborn.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four 
daughters,  and  in  that  household,  carefully  reared  by  his  parents,  Dr.  Grable 
spent  his  boyhood  days,  the  public  schools  affording  him  his  opportunities 
for  acquiring  a  literary  education.  Determining  to  make  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine his  life  work,  he  began  preparation  for  that  calling  under  the  direction  of 
Dr.  Heddeus,  and  subsequently  matriculated  in  Ensworth  College,  at  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  pursued  a  thorough  course  of  study  and  was  grad- 
uated in  the  class  of  1895.  He  then  located  in  ^Vathena,  where  he  has  since 
remained  with  the  exception  of  a  few  months  spent  in  ^\'iIlow  Brook,  Buchanan 
comitv,  Missouri. 


446  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

The  Doctor  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  is  a 
firm  advocate  of  its  principles.  He  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  of  the  latter  is  medical 
examiner.  He  possesses  great  energy  and  this  is  directed  along  the  lines  of 
professional  advancement.  He  has  been  a  close  student  of  his  profession 
since  determining  to  make  the  practice  of  medicine  his  chosen  calling,  and  his 
capability  and  skill  have  gained  him  a  liberal  patronage,  while  his  successes 
in  practice  have  won  him  a  leading  position  among  the  representatives  of  the 
profession  through  this  section  of  the  state.  He  is  yet  a  young  man,  and  those 
who  know  him  feel  no  hesitation  in  predicting  that  his  future  will  be  one  of 
continued  progress  and  success. 


JOHN  OTTEN.. 

For  over  thirty  years  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  John  Often,  has  been 
identified  with  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and  as  a  retired  farmer  is  now 
occupying  one  of  the  attractive  homes  of  Troy,  to  which  place  he  moved  a  few 
years  ago. 

Mr.  Otten  is  a  native  of  Holland.  He  was  born  April  19,  1829,  a  son  of 
John  B.,  and  Alida  Otten;  and  in  his  native  land  spent  the  first  fifteen  years  of 
his  life,  receiving  there  a  common  school  education.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he 
embarked  in  a  sailing  vessel  for  New  Orleans,  had  a  stormy  voyage  of  eighty- 
two  days,  and  finally  landed  in  safety  at  his  destination.  From  New  Orleans 
he  came  up  the  Mississippi  river  by  boat  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  from  that 
place  made  his  way  to  Galena,  Illinois,  where  he  was  employed  in  the  lead 
mines.  Three  years  of  his  stay  in  Galena  he  was  in  charge  of  the  mines. 
In  1869,  with  two  of  his  brothers.  Christian  and  Benjamin,  he  came 
to  Kansas  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  to  which  they 
subsequently  added  by  purchase  until  their  farm  comprised  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  which  they  have  since  owned  and  operated  jointly,  carrying 
on  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  making  a  specialty  of  breeding  fine 
horses,  heavy  draft,  French  coach  and  Norman,  in  which  enterprise  they  have 
been  quite  successful.  Their  farm  is  nicely  located,  well  improved  and  under 
excellent  cultivation,  and  is  ranked  with  the  model  farms  of  the  neighborhood. 
It  is  under  the  management  o  Mr.  Otten's  son-in-law,  A.  R.  Spencer.  Mr.  Otten 
is  the  owner  of  a  handsome  residence  close  to  Troy.  The  grounds  surrounding 
it  comprise  four  acres,  beautified  by  shade  trees,  shrubbery,  and  so  forth,  the 
whole  making  a  most  complete  and  delightful  home. 

John  Otten  has  been  twice  married.     July  4,  1859,  he  wedded  Rachel 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  447 

Morgan,  of  Wisconsin,  a  daughter  of  Enos  Morgan.  She  died  in  1865, 
leaving  five  children,  namely:  Lida  A.,  the  wife  of  Charles  Parker;  Cassie  K., 
deceased,  who  married  and  died  leaving  six  children;  John  E.,  a  resident  of 
Colorado;  William  D.,  also  of  Colorado,  is  in  railroad  employ;  and  Oscar  A., 
in  the  employ  of  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company.  The  present  Mrs. 
Otten  was  before  marriage  Miss  Mary  E.  Rea  and  was  formery  a  resident  of 
New  Jersey. 

Mr.  Otten  has  always  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party,  and  while  re- 
siding on  his  farm  he  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  school  board. 


WILLIAM  H.  LEONARD. 

Troy,  Kansas,  includes  among  its  respected  citizens  William  H.  Leonard, 
who  has  spent  his  active  life  in  railroading  and  contracting  as  a  house  and  sign 
paniter.  Mr.  Leonard  is  a  "Hoosier"  by  birth.  He  was  born  in  Vienna, 
Scott  county,  Indiana,  January  8,  1841,  second  in  the  family  of  five  children 
of  William  G.  and  Elizabeth  Ann  (Howard)  Leonard,  the  former  a  native 
of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  the  latter  of  Vermont.  Mrs.  Leonard  when 
quite  small  removed  with  her  parents  from  the  Green  Mountain  state  to 
southern  Indiana,  and  it  was  there  that  she  made  the  acquaintance  of  and  mar- 
ried William  G.  Leonard.  He  died  in  Indiana,  in  1851,  and  in  1871  his 
widow  moved  with  her  family  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where  her  death 
occurred  in  1877.  Her  surviving  children  are  Silas  W.  and  Robert  P.,  of  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri;  Dorothy  Ann,  who  married  and  removed  to  Denver,  Col- 
orado, where  she  still  resides ;  and  William  H. 

William  H.  Leonard  passed  his  boyhood  days  in  his  native  state,  receiving 
his  early  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  later  for  two  terms  being  a  pupil 
in  a  private  school.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  Company.  K,  Fifth  United  States 
regulars,  and  served  all  through  the  war  until  the  surrender  of  General  Lee. 
Among  the  numerous  engagements  in  which  he  was  a  participant  were  those 
of  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  Antietam,  Gettysburg  and  all  the  engagements  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  October  27,  1865,  he  was  honorably  discharged  and 
immediately  afterward  returned  to  his  home  at  Jeffersonville,  Indiana.  He 
had  learned  the  trade  of  painter  before  the  war,  and  after  his  return  from  the 
army  he  secured  employment  in  the  railroad  shops  at  Jeffersonville.  In  1869 
he  came  west  to  Kansas,  and  located  at  Troy,  where  he  soon  found  employ- 
ment at  his  trade.  Afterward  he  became  clerk  at  a  water  station  on  the 
railroad,  and  he  continued  in  railroad  emplo}^  at  Troy  until  the  spring  of  1899, 
when  he  retired  from  active  life. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  449 

was  to  build  a  log  house,  14x16  feet,  covered  with  clapboards,  its  location  being 
on  Mosquito  creek.  Here  he  kept  "bachelor's  hall"  for  a  number  of  years, 
doing  his  own  cooking  and  house  work  and  entertaining  in  as  gracious  a  man- 
ner as  possible  the  friends  and  strangers  who  came  to  his  cabin.  As  the  years 
passed  by  and  prosperity  attended  his  efforts  his  farm  assumed  a  dift'erent 
aspect.  The  cabin  gave  place  to  a  better  home  and  a  fine  orchard  of  his  own 
planting  came  into  bearing.  To-day  his  farm  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  ones 
in  this  locality.  Among  its  attractions  is  a  fine  walnut  grove  on  the  creek 
bottom.  His  fields  are  well  cultivated,  and  among  his  stock  is  a  fine  herd  of 
Jersey  cattle. 

Mr.  McHamner  was  married,  in  1872,  to  Miss  Lurinda  Stone,  of  Doni- 
phan county,  Kansas.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Polly  (Parker)  Cox.  pio- 
neers of  this  county,  who  came  here  from  Missouri  in  1854.  Mrs.  McHammer 
was  born  in  Indiana  in  1833.  By  her  first  husband  she  has  one  son,  Frank  E. 
Stone.  She  has  no  children  by  her  second  marriage.  When  Troy  was  platted 
she  did  the  cooking  for  the  men  who  did  the  work.  In  forty-seven  years  she 
has  changed  residence  but  once,  and  that  was  from  an  adjoining  farm  to  her 
present  place. 

Politically,  Mr.  McHamner  has  always  given  his  support  to  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  He  is  a  member  of  Troy  Lodge,  No.  55.  F.  &  A.  M.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  have  many  pleasant  reminiscences  connected  with  their  early  life 
here  and  are  familiar  with  every  phase  of  pioneering  in  this  county. 


ELIZUR  S.  CA.5TLE. 


Elizur  Spelmon  Castle,  deceased,  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  best 
known  men  of  Doniphan  county,  Kansas.  He  was  born  at  Clinton  Furnace, 
Greenup  county,  Kentucky,  March  27,  1839.  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  was 
taken  by  his  parents  to  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  where  the  family  home  was 
established  and  where  they  lived  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  then 
went  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  he  was  engaged  in  various  occupations 
until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  With  love  of  country  uppermost  in  his 
nature,  young  Castle  asserted  his  patriotism  by  offering  his  services  to  the 
L'nion  and  fighting  bravely  for  the  protection  of  the  national  honor.  He 
recruited  the  Fifth  Missouri  Ca\-alry  and  was  commissioned  a  first  lieutenant. 
This  position  he  resigned  and  was  transferred  to  the  Eighty-eighth  IMissouri 
Cavalry,  in  which  he  was  commissioned  captain  of  a  company.  In  1864  he 
was  promoted  as  major  of  that  regiment,  in  which  rank  he  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged,,  and  returned  home  with 
a  record  in  which  his  descendants  have  just  reason  to  take  pride. 


450  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Castle  engaged  in  farming  in  northern  Missouri,  for  a 
few  years,  until  1869,  when  he  moved  to  Vernou  county,  that  state,  and  made 
It  his  home  until  1874.  In  1875  he  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  northwest  of  Troy.  On  this  farm  he  planted  fifty-five  acres 
to  apple  orchard,  remodeled  the  residence  and  made  other  improvements,  and 
here  he  passed  the  rest  of  his  life  and  died,  his  death  occurring  March  9,  1898. 
He  was  a  pronounced  Republican,  as  was  his  father  before  him,  and  was 
always  interested  in  public  affairs,  casting  his  influence  with  whatever  move- 
ment or  measure  he  believed  to  be  for  the  general  welfare  of  his  locality 
Three  times  he  was  elected  and  served  as  the  county  surveyor  of  Doniphan 
county.  The  duties  of  the  office  took  him  into  all  parts  of  the  county  and 
brought  him  in  contact  with  many  of  its  people,  and  throughout  the  county 
he  was  as  highly  esteemed  as  he  was  well  known. 

Mr.  Castle  was  married  and  had  six  children.  Mrs.  Castle,  who  sur- 
vives him,  was  formerly  Miss  Breckenridge,  of  Andrew  county,  Missouri. 
She  was  born  in  St.  Clair  county,  that  state,  April  13,  1841,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Eliza  (Post)  Breckenridge,  who  had  moved  from  Kentucky  to  Mis- 
souri. Her  grandfather  Post  was  a  native  of  Vermont.  His  paternal  great- 
grandfather, George  Castle,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  181 2.  The  children 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Castle  are  as  follows :  Hattie  E.,  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Troy;  Robert  B.,  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Hagenbach  &  Castle,  gen- 
eral merchants  of  Troy;  Bessie  J.,  a  teacher  in  the  Highland  public  schools; 
Frank  B.,  engaged  in  business  at  Robinson,  Kansas;  and  Eva  E.  and  Mer- 
nie  L. 


CHRISTIAN  O.  TURKLESON. 

Kansas  is  pre-eminently  an  agricultural  state  and  its  rich  products  furnish 
an  important  part  of  the  food  supply  of  the  country.  Agriculture  is  the  most 
ancient  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  honorable  vocations  to  which  man  can 
direct  his  energies,  and  in  the  majority  of  cases  where  men  have  become 
prominent  in  other  walks  of  life,  it  is  found  that  their  early  years  were  spent 
upon  the  farm.  Mr.  Turkleson,  of  this  review,  is  one  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  in  Wolf  River  township,  Doniphan  county, 
and  by  his  well-directed  efforts  he  has  become  the  possessor  of  a  very  valuable 
property.  He  pre-empted  a  claim  here  in  1857,  on  section  21,  township  3, 
range  20,  and  since  that  time  he  has  devoted  his  energies  to  the  tilling  of  the 
soil,  meeting  with  a  very  creditable  success. 

As  his  name  indicates,  Mr.  Turkleson  is  a  native  of  Norway,  his  birth 
having  occurred  near  Christiansand  in  the  southern  section  of  the  Scandinav- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  451 

ian  peninsula,  November  18,  1832.  His  father,  Osul  Turkleson,  came  with 
his  family  to  the  United  States  in  1850,  locating  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri, 
but  in  1852  went  to  Wisconsin,  his  death  occurring  in  Manitowoc,  that  state, 
in  1874,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His  wife  was  Isgar  Christiansen,  and 
her  death  occ-urred  in  Norway.  Their  children  were  as  follows :  Turkic, 
deceased;  Christian  O. ;  Syvert,  deceased;  and  Martha,  who  became  the  wife 
of  S.  Halverson,  but  both  she  and  her  husband  died  in  Wisconsin. 

Mr.  Turkleson,  of  this  review,  came  to  Kansas  from  Buchanan  county, 
Missouri.  His  residence  in  that  state  did  not  identify  him  with,  or  awaken  his 
sympathies  for,  the  evils  of  the  time  leading  up  to  the  civil  war;  and  when  the 
strife  between  the  North  and  the  South  was  inaugurated  he  chose  the  side  of 
the  Union  and  enlisted  in  the  Federal  army,  becoming  a  member  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Kansas  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Tom  Bowen.  He 
was  mustered  in  at  Atchison  and  mustered  out  at  Leavenworth.  His  ser\ice 
was  on  the  border  and  he  was  engaged  in  only  two  battles  that  are  mentioned 
in  history — Cain  Hill  and  Prairie  Grove ;  but  was  in  many  smaller  conflicts 
with  bands  of  the  enemy,  and  these  frequently  required  as  great  bravery  and 
daring  as  was  demanded  from  those  who  took  part  in  the  larger  engagements 
of  the  war.  He  was  at  the  front  for  almost  three  years  and  then  received  an 
honorable  discharge. 

Mr.  Turkleson  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  throughout  his  entire  life  has 
been  connected  with  agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  devoted  his  energies  so 
untiringly  to  the  work  of  the  field  that  he  has  gained  the  confidence  and  respect 
of  his  fellow  men,  and  at  the  same  time  has  won  a  high  degree  of  prosperity. 
As  his  financial  resources  increased  he  has  added  to  his  property  from  time  to 
time  until  he  now  has  four  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres  of  valuable  land  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  supplied  with  all  the  modern  improvements  and 
accessories  of  the  model  farm.  His  life  has  been  characterized  by  unremitting 
industry  and  in  that  respect  his  example  is  certainly  well  worthy  of  emulation. 

Mr.  Turkleson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rachel  D.  Speak,  and 
their  children  are  Lea,  the  wife  of  John  Hobbs,  of  Doniphan  county;  Mary  C, 
Oscar;  Elizabeth,  a  graduate  of  the  Kansas  State  Normal,  and  now  one  of 
the  successful  teachers  in  Doniphan  county;  Esther;  Clarence  R..who  is  now 
in  the  senior  year  in  the  Kansas  State  Normal ;  and  John. 

Mr.  Turkleson  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  Republican  leaders  in  this 
township  and  has  been  honored  with  a  number  of  local  offices.  He  served 
one  term  as  county  commissioner,  retiring  from  office  in  1888.  He  was  asso- 
ciated on  the  board  with  Cyrus  Leland  and  Peter  Manville,  and  during  their 
incumbency  they  procured  a  successful  settlement  of  the  memorable  county- 
bond  compromise  proposition.  Mr.  Turkleson  has  been  three  times  elected 
township  treasurer,  and  his  services  as  a  member  of  the  school  board  covers  a 


452  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

period  of  twenty  years.  His  fidelity  to  duty  is  most  marked,  and  in  tliese 
offices  he  has  been  ever  faithful  to  the  trust  and  confidence  reposed  in  him. 
His  residence  in  Doniphan  county  covers  a  period  of  more  than  forty-two 
years,  during  which  time  he  has  witnessed  almost  its  entire  development  and 
has  seen  its  wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  and  in  com- 
mercial, industrial,  educational  and  material  lines  the  work  of  progress  which 
has  been  carried  forward.  All  measures  for  the  advancement  and  good  of  the 
community  have  received  his  endorsement,  and  among  the  honored  benefactors 
of  the  countv  he  well  deserves  mention. 


WILLIAM  H.  H.  CURTIS. 

Among  the  representatives  of  the  bar  at  Severance  is  this  well-known 
attorney,  whose  position  as  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  is  due  to  indefatigable 
effort  and  close  application  to  his  business.  Advancement  in  no  profession 
depends  so  largely  upon  individual  merit  as  it  does  in  the  law.  Wealth  or 
influential  friends  avail  not,  for  progress  at  the  bar  is  made  by  earnest  pur- 
pose, accurate  knowledge  and  the  correct  application  of  legal  principles  to 
the  points  in  litigation.  Mr.  Curtis  is  accorded  an  enviable  position  among 
the  members  of  the  legal  fraternity  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  his  adopted  county. 

Often  the  name  of  a  man  indicates  the  time  of  his  birth,  and  such  is  the 
case  with  our  subject,  who  was  born  in  1840.  at  the  time  the  old  hero  of  Tippe- 
canoe was  a  presidential  candidate,  and  thus  he  came  by  his  name  of  William 
Henry  Harrison  Curtis.  He  was  born  in  Adams  county,  near  Quincy.  and 
came  to  Doniphan  county,  in  1854.  .  When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  a  law 
student  in  Atchison  and  with  patriotic  ardor  he  responded  to  the  call  for  troops, 
enlisting  in  Company  K,  First  Kansas  Regiment,  May  30,  1861.  For  three 
years  he  faithfully  followed  the  old  flag  and  aided  in  the  defense  of  the  Union, 
until  June.  1864.  when  he  received  an  honorable  discharge. 

On  leavinp  the  army  Mr.  Curtis  could  not  at  once  resume  his  studies,  for 
his  eyesight  had  been  impaired  by  a  wound  he  had  received  in  the  head.  It 
was  necessary  that  he  should  provide  for  his  own  support  and  at  once  he 
engaged  in  any  honorable  work  which  offered.  His  path  was  not  then  strewn 
with  roses  exclusively :  indeed  the  thorns  were  more  numerous  than  the  roses. 
A  resolute  will,  however,  enabled  him  to  overcome  these,  and  by  industry  and 
economy  he  was  at  length  enabled  to  purchase  an  interest  in  a  mill  in  Doniphan 
county.  This  was  later  swept  away  by  the  washing  out  of  the  river  bank. 
Subsequently  Mr.  Curtis  devoted  his  energies  to  various  business  interests,  but 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         453 

is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Severance  and  has  a  distincti\ely 
representative  cHentage.  He  has  been  connected  with  much  of  the  important 
litigation  tried  in  the  courts  of  the  district  and  has  won  some  notaljJe  victories. 
He  throws  himself  easily  and  naturally  into  the  argument  and  has  an  excellent 
reputation  among  lawyers  for  his  wide  research  and  provident  care  with  which 
he  prepares  his  cases. 

In  October,  1872,  Mr.  Curtis  \'\as  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Fanny  Leon- 
hard,  of  Harrisburg.  Pennsylvania.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the 
Republican  party  and  he  has  taken  quite  an  active  interest  in  its  work.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Republican  convention  in  1882  and  opposed  the  nomination 
of  St.  John  for  a  third  term.  He  has  been  twice  elected  the  mayor  of  Sever- 
ance and  twice  the  treasurer  of  Wolf  River  township,  and  his  faithfulness  to 
duty  in  those  positions  has  won  him  high  commendation. 


JOHN  M.  ^lORLEY. 


In  modern  ages,  and  to  a  large  extent  in  the  past,  banks  have  constituted 
a  vital  part  of  organized  society,  and  governments,  both  monarchical  and 
republican,  have  depended  upon  them  for  material  aid  in  times  of  depression 
and  trouble.  Their  influence  has  extended  over  the  entire  world,  and  their  pros- 
perity has  been  the  barometer  which  has  unfalteringly  indicated  the  financial 
status  of  all  nations.  Of  this  important  branch  of  business  Mr.  Morley  is  a 
worthy  representative.  He  is  now  carrying  on  business  in  that  line  in  Sever- 
ance, and  has  made  his  institution  one  of  the  most  reliable  financial  concerns 
in  this  section  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Morley  was  born  in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  November  23,  1852,  and  is 
a  son  of  Roger  and  Margaret  (Kilkenny)  Morley,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Ireland.  In  1857  the  family  removed  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  set- 
tling upon  a  farm  in  Wolf  River  township,  where  they  experienced  all  the  hard- 
ships and  trials  incident  to  life  on  the  frontier.  The  father  is  still  living  upon 
that  farm,  which  he  has  transformed  into  a  valuable  and  productive  tract  of 
.land.  His  wife  died  June  22,,  1896,  but  he  is  still  a  well  preserved  old 
gentleman. 

John  M.  Morley  spent  his  youth  upon  the  farm  in  Doniphan  county,  for 
he  was  only  five  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to  this  state. 
He  attended  the  district  schools,  and  having  acquired  a  good  preliminary  edu- 
cation there  he  supplemented  it  by  a  course  in  St.  Benedict  College,  in  Atchison, 
Kansas,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  two  years.  On  leaving  that  institution 
he  accepted  a  position  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  store  in  Severance,  Kansas,  owned 


454  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

by  John  T.  Kirwan.  This  was  in  1872.  The  period  of  his  clerkship  covered 
seven  years.  He  then  became  the  assistant  cashier  in  the  bank,  and  in  1890 
started  in  business  on  his  own  account,  forming  a  partnership  with  J.  A. 
Dillon,  under  the  firm  name  of  Dillon  &  Morley,  proprietors  of  a  general  store 
at  Severance.  This  connection  \vas  continued  until  March,  1891,  when  Mr. 
Morley  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner,  and  in  August,  1892,  he  founded  the 
Bank  of  Severance.  Since  that  time  he  has  engaged  in  a  general  banking 
business,  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  solid  financial  institutions  of 
Doniphan  county.  The  capital  stock  is  fifteen  thousand  dollars  and  there  is  a 
surplus  of  twelve  hundred.  He  conducts  business  along  progressive  but  safe 
lines,  and  his  honorable  methods  insure  the  confidence  and  support  of  the  public, 
while  his  keen  discrimination  and  enterprise  are  the  qualities  that  have  brought 
to  him  a  well  merited  success. 


ANDREW  O.  DELANEY. 

A  representative  of  one  of  the  early  families  of  Doniphan  county,  Mr. 
Delaney  is  now  prominently  connected  with  the  business  interests  of  Leona 
as  the  cashier  of  the  Farmers'  Bank.  His  father,  John  Delaney,  spent  his  early 
life  in  New  Jersey,  where  he  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  stock  broker.  He 
afterward  emigrated  to  Kansas,  taking  up  his  residence  in  Burr  Oak  township, 
Doniphan  county,  as  early  as  1853.  There  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1870, 
when  he  moved  to  Wolf  River  township  and  spent  there  the  remaining  years 
of  his  active  life.  A  marked  degree  of  prosperity  attended  his  efforts  and  his 
activity  in  business  and  capable  management  brought  to  him  a  creditable  and 
gratifying  success.  He  was  a  worthy  and  esteemed  citizen  of  Doniphan 
county,  where  he  died  in  1891,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catharine  Redmond,  also  passed  away  in  1891. 
Their  children  are  Edward,  who  is  living  in  Burchard,  Nebraska ;  Mary,  now 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Hamilton,  of  Bendena,  Kansas;  Kate,  who  is  a  widow  of  John 
Lyons  and  resides  at  Everest,  Kansas ;  D.  P. ;  Annie,  who  married  William  B. 
Deveroux;  Andrew  O.,  and  John,  deceased. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farm  lads  Andrew  O.  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth,  remaining  with  his  father  until  attaining  his  majority.  He 
assisted  in  the  labors  of  the  field  and  meadow  and  in  the  harvesting  of  the  crops 
when  the  summer  months  had  ripened  the  grain  that  was  planted  in  the  early 
spring.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  Christian  Brothers'  College  in  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri,  and  when  he  left  the  old  homestead  it  was  to  accept  a  posi- 
tion with  the  firm  of  Delaney  &  Lyons  in  their  general  store  at  Severance,  the 
senior  partner  being  his  brother.     There  he  gained  some  practical  business 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         455 

experience  tliat  prepared  liim  for  an  independent  career,  and  in  April,  1895, 
he  aided  in  organizing  tlie  Farmers'  Bank  of  Leona,  of  which  he  has  since 
been  the  cashier.  On  its  organization  the  institution  was  capitahzed  for  five 
thousand  dollars,  and  now  has  a  surplus  of  two  thousand  dollars.  From  its 
inception  a  successful  business  has  been  carried  on  and  the  list  of  its  stockhold- 
ers is  a  guarantee  of  the  trustworthiness  of  the  institution.  The  officers  are 
J.  D.  Hazen,  president;  George  Kimmel,  vice-president:  and  A.  O.  Delaney. 
cashier.  These  gentleman,  together  with  Ole  Larson  and  P.  M.  Leonard. 
constifute  the  board  of  directors. 

On  the  19th  of  November,  1894,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Delaney 
and  Miss  Elizabeth  Fenton,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Fenton,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Doniphan  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Delaney  now  have  two  children, 
Elizabeth  and  Andrew.  The  former  is  a  well-known  Republican  and  his 
family  have  been  identified  with  the  political  interests  of  Doniphan  county  for 
some  years,  and  its  members  have  merited  the  stamp  of  approval  in  their 
several  political  acts.  Our  subject  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  however, 
preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business  interests,  in  which 
he  has  met  with  good  success.  The  present  creditable  standing  of  the  bank 
is  largely  due  to  his  efforts,  and  naught  can  be  said  against  his  business  meth- 
ods, and  none  is  so  honorable,  prompt  and  reliable  as  he  in  all  financial 
transactions. 


THOMAS  M.  HARPER. 

The  Harper  family  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  Wolf  River  town- 
ship, Doniphan  county,  in  the  days  when  this  was  a  frontier  locality.  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  name  came  to  the  west  and  have  aided  in  the  development 
which  has  brought  about  the  present  progress.  The  experiences  and  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life  were  endured  by  them,  as  also  the  difficulties  brought 
about  by  the  troublous  times  which  preceded  the  civil  war.  It  was  near  the 
close  of  the  sectional  strife  between  the  north  and  the  south  that  Thomas  ^L 
Harper  was  born,  his  natal  day  being  January  12,  1865.  His  parents  are 
J.  P.  and  Jane  (Cowger)  Harper.  The  mother,  at  her  death,  left  the  fol- 
lowing children :  Thomas  M. ;  James,  of  Brown  county,  Kansas ;  Rufus ; 
John;  Susan,  the  wife  of  J.  K.  Craig,  of  Oklahoma;  ]\linnie,  the  wife  of  J. 
O.  Brownell,  of  Doniphan  county,  and  Chester. 

The  family  homestead  was  located  near  Leona,  and  there  the  subject  of 
this  review  remained  through  his  minority.  He  assisted  in  the  work  of  the 
home  farm,  following  the  plow  through  the  spring  months  and  later  aided 
in  harvesting  the  crops  in  the  autumn.     He  obtained  a  good  education  in 


456  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  schools  of  Leona,  and  then  continued  his  connection  with  the  agricultural 
purusuits  until  his  attention  was  directed  into  the  channel  of  business  w'here  he 
is  now  found.  In  1895  the  firm  of  J.  P.  Harper  &  Son  succeeded  the  Henry 
Goatsworth  Company  in  the  lumber  and  coal  business  in  Leona,  and  are  now  at 
the  head  of  a  paying  enterprise.  They  have  a  liberal  patronage,  which  has 
been  secured  through  their  honorable  dealing,  their  resolute  purpose  and  un- 
flagging energy. 

On  the  13th  of  October,  1887,  Mr.  Harper  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mollie  L.  Rake,  a  daughter  of  Fred  Rake,  a  resident  farmer  of  Brown  county. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  one  daughter,  Jessie,  who  was  born  No- 
vember 25,  1889. 

Mr.  Harper  is  one  of  the  stanch  Republicans  of  Wolf  River  township, 
and  his  fellow  citizens,  recognizing  his  ability,  have  called  him  to  public  office, 
wherein  he  has  served  in  a  most  capable  manner.  He  was  twice  eected  town- 
ship clerk,  his  second  term  expiring  in  1895.  He  has  frequently  been  chosen 
as  a  delegate  to  the  county  conventions  of  his  party  and  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  enthusiastic  Republicans  of  the  precinct.  A  leading  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows  societ}',  he  has  filled  all  the  chairs  in  the  local  lodge  and  is  now 
past  consul  in  Camp  No.  3033,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  His  busi- 
ness methods  won  him  the  confidence,  goodwill  and  patronage  of  the  public 
and  he  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  in  the  community  where  he  has  made  his 
home  throughout  his  entire  life. 


JAMES  JENSON. 


Mr.  Jenson  is  a  leading  citizen  and  business  roan  of  Leona,  Doniphan 
county,  who  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  been  an  integral  factor 
in  the  promotion  of  the  agricultural  and  commercial  interests  of  northeastern 
Kansas,  where  he  owns  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land.  He 
was  born  in  Falster,  Denmark,  July  15,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  the  venerable 
Lars  Jenson,  yet  a  resident  of  Doniphan  county.  The  father  was  born  in 
Denmark,  January  27,  1821,  and  married  Bodel  Christina,  who  died  in  1891, 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  In  their  family  were  three  children :  James,  Mrs. 
Maggie  Hanson  and  Andrew. 

During  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  James  Jenson  attended  school,  ac- 
quiring a  good  practical  education  to  fit  him  for  the  duties  of  life.  On  the 
2d  of  May,  1866,  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  took  passage  for  New  York 
on  the  ill-fated  cholera  steamer,  Peruvian,  an  English  vessel  which  carried 
a  large  number  of  Scandinavian  emigrants.     The  cholera  broke  out  among 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         457 

the  passengers  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  of  them  died  at  sea.  A 
few  of  those  who  made  that  voyage  and  were  victims  of  the  dread  disease 
are  now  residents  of  Brown  and  Doniphan  counties.  Mr.  Jenson  and  a  friend 
of  his  suffered  an  attack  of  cholera  and  at  a  certain  stage  of  their  sickness 
the  physician  denied  them  water  and  it  seemed  as  if  they  would  die  of  thirst. 
In  some  of  the  worst  cases  artificial  warmth  had  been  supplied  by  bottles 
of  hot  water  and  one  of  these  bottles  lay  within  a  few  feet  of  Mr.  Jenson, 
having  been  used  to  supply  warmth  to  a  man  who  was  then  lying  dead.  When 
the  watch  was  absent  Mr.  Jenson  rose  from  his  bed,  slipped  the  bottle  of 
water  from  the  corpse  and  he  and  his  friend  drank  the  contents.  Mr.  Jen- 
son feels  that  his  life  was  saved  thereby;  at  least  he  recovered  from  his  ill- 
ness, and  when  the  Peruvian  reached  New  York  he  landed  in  the  eastern 
metropolis.  The  vessel,  however,  was  forced  to  lay  at  anchor  there  until 
the  17th  of  Juy  before  her  passengers  were  allowed  to  disembark.  He  con- 
tinued his  way  westward  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  secured  employ- 
ment on  a  farm  owned  by  Peter  Nelson.  For  several  years  he  was  employed 
as  a  fann  hand  in  that  locality  and  it  was  not  until  his  removal  to  Brown 
county  that  he  became  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  his  own.  In  1880  he  made  his 
first  purchase  of  land,  comprising  a  quarter-section.  As  his  financial  resources 
increased  he  added  to  the  property  until  he  is  to-day  the  owner  of  four  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  a  very  valuable  and  highly  cultivated  tract.  He  has 
not  only  carried  on  farming  extensively,  but  has  also  engaged  in  stock  ship- 
ping, having  for  sixteen  years  been  the  largest  stock  shipper  in  Leona.  Since 
March,  1894,  he  has  engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  grain  at  Leona,  as  the 
successor  of  T.  P.  Gordon. 

On  the  8th  of  November,  1883,  Mr.  Jenson  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Doniphan  county,  to  Miss  Annie  Saxton,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  P.  Saxton, 
of  that  county.  She  was  born  in  1858  and  by  her  marriage  has  five  children, 
namely:  Lloyd,  Mary,  Hiram,  Ida  and  Esther.  1 

At  one  time  Mr.  Jenson  was  an  active  worker  in  the  Republican  ranks 
of  Brown  county,  but  since  his  connection  with  the  business  affairs  in  Doni- 
phan county  he  has  devoted  his  energies  more  exclusively  to  the  manage- 
ment of  his  commercial  interests.  Socially,  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a 
Mason,  being  a  past  master  in  Robinson  Lodge,  No.  159,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
In  tlie  latter  fraternity  he  belongs  to  the  blue  lodge,  Hiawatha  Chapter  and 
Hiawatha  Commandery. 

Man's  success  is  not  measured  by  the  heights  at  which  he  is  found,  but 
by  the  distance  he  has  climbed.  Mr.  Jenson  started  in  life  amid  very  humble 
surroundings,  but  possessing  the  strong  determination  which  enabled  him 
to  overcome  difficulties  and  obstacles;  therefore  he  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward  and  is  now  numbered  among  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  his 


458  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

adopted  country.  His  life  exemplifies  the  American  spirit  of  progress  and 
should  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  to  young  men  whose  early  oppor- 
tunities are  limited  and  whose  advancement  must  depend  upon  their  own 
efforts. 


TIMOTHEUS  HEIMANN. 

One  of  the  most  extensive  land-owners  of  Nemaha  county.  j\lr.  Heimann, 
resides  on  section  4,  Richmond  township,  where  he  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising.  In  the  legitimate  channels  of  trade  he  has  won  a 
handsome  success  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  wealthy  residents  of  his  neighbor- 
hood. His  prosperity  has  resulted  entirely  from  his  own  well-directed  and 
honorable  efforts,  his  perse\'erance  and  capable  management  bringing  to  him 
that  prosperity  wliich  is  the  coveted  goal  of  every  one  who  enters  upon  a  busi- 
ness career. 

Mr.  Heimann  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Illinois,  on  the  24th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1847,  and  is  of  German  lineage.  The  father,  B.  H.  Heimann,  was  born 
in  Germany  and  came  to  America  about  1832,  locating  on  a  farm  in  Clinton 
county,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  dying  during  the  early  boyhood 
of  his  son  Timotheus.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Menke 
and  was  also  a  native  of  Germany.  She  died  in  Illinois,  of  cholera,  about  a 
week  before  the  father  died.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  sons  who  grew 
to  manhood. 

Mr.  Heimann,  of  this  review,  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth,  was  left  an  orphan 
when  two  years  of  age.  He  resided  with  his  brother  until  about  seventeen 
years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  working  by  the  month 
in  a  general  store.  Subsequently  he  engaged  in  business  with  his  brother, 
their  partnership  continuing  for  four  years.  On  the  -expiration  of  that  period 
he  sold  his  interest  and  came  to  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  bringing  with  him 
capital  sufficient  to  purchase  eighty  acres  of  land.  The  tract  which  he  bought 
was  improved  with  a  little  house,  in  which  he  took  up  his  abode  and  for  two  or 
three  years  thereafter  he  devoted  his  energies  to  the  cultivation  of  his  land. 
He  also  added  to  it  a  forty-acre  tract  and  in  1880  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  on  section  4,  Richmond  township,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
paid  eighty  dollars  down  upon  the  property  and  arranged  to  make  yearly  pay- 
ments until  the  indebtedness  should  be  discharged.  About  1881  he  sold  his 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  section  16  and  built  a  small  house 
tipon  his  land  on  section  4,  and  as  his  financial  resources  have  increased  he  has 
extended  the  boundaries  of  the  farm  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  sixteen  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land.     In  1896  he  erected  his  present  resi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         459 

dence,  at  a  cost  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  and  about  1885  he  built  a  good  barn, 
30x60  feet,  with  a  west  L  50x60  feet.  He  has  also  made  substantial  improve- 
ments upon  his  other  farms  and  therefrom  derives  a  good  income,  his  land 
being  divided  into  six  farms,  five  of  which  he  rents.  He  has  engaged  extensively 
in  raising  stock  and  now  has  upon  his  place  three  hundred  head  of  cattle, 
twenty  head  of  horses  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  hogs. 

In  Clinton  county,  Illinois,  Mr.  Heimann  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen 
Otke.  a  native  of  that  county  and  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Bernadina  (We- 
berg)  Otke.  who  were  natives  of  Germany  and  early  settled  in  Clinton  county. 
Both  are  now  deceased.  They  are  the  parents  of  eight  children,  who  grew  to 
manhood  and  womanhood.  Mrs.  Heinmann,  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth,  was 
reared  and  educated  in  her  native  county.  By  her  marriage  she  has  been  the 
mother  of  seven  children :  Henry,  Kate,  George,  Nora,  John  B.,  Joseph  and 
Timotheus. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Heimann  is  an  independent  Democrat,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  office,  preferring  to  give  his  time  and  attention  to 
his  business  affairs.  He  is  very  practical  in  his  management  of  business  and  at 
the  same  time  follows  progressive  methods.  Everything  about  his  place  is 
neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  his  buildings  and  fences  are  kept  in  good  repair, 
the  latest  improved  machinery  aids  him  in  cultivating  the  fields  and  a  glance 
indicates  to  the  passerby  that  the  owner  must  be  one  of  the  leading  and  repre- 
sentative farmers  of  the  community,  a  position  which  is  accorded  him  bv  all 
who  know  him. 


JAMES  W.  BALDWIN. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  James  W.  Baldwin,  is  one  of  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and  is  now  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Troy. 
By  birth  he  is  an  Englishman,  commencing  his  life  in  the  village  of  Lutch- 
moreth,  Hartfordshire.  fifteen  miles  from  the  streets  of  London,  April  25,  1828, 
l;is  parents  being  James  and  Martha  Baldwin,  both  natives  of  that  country. 
His  father's  death  occurred  also  in  that  country. 

James  W.  spent  his  early  boyhood  days  at  his  native  place  until  he  was 
nine  years  old  and  at  that  early  age  went  to  sea.  He  spent  twelve  years  at 
sea,  a  part  of  the  time  on  merchant  vessels  and  a  part  of  the  time  on  a  man- 
of-war,  the  United  States  brig  Perry.  During  this  period  he  visited  various 
places  and  was  in  numerous  ports  of  the  United  States.  On  leaving  the  water 
he  took  up  his  abode  in  \\'est  Virginia,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  Company  as  a  watchman  at  the  tunnel  known  as 
Glover  Gap,  and  was  thus  occupied  for  five  years.    In  1856  he  moved  to  Doni- 


460  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

phan  county,  Kansas,  and  selected  a  location  in  Center  township,  northeast  of 
Troy,  where  he  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  to  the  improve- 
ment and  cultivation  of  which  he  devoted  his  energies.  Subsequently  he  sold 
eighty  acres  of  this  tract,  but  he  still  owns  the  other  eighty  and  besides  has  a 
comfortable  home  in  Troy.  He  conducted  his  farming  operations  successfully 
until  1898,  when  he  retired  from  active  life  and  moved  to  Troy. 

In  the  dark  days  of  the  civil  war  Mr.  Baldwin  proved  his  devotion  to  the 
country  of  his  adoption  by  enlisting  his  services  in  defense  of  the  "stars  and 
stripes"  and  fighting  to  maintain  their  honor.  It  was  in  1861,  as  a  member  of 
Company  F.  Tenth  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry,  that  he  entered  the  army, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Weir,  and  ser\ed  faithfully  for  three  years, 
taking  part  in  nearly  all  the  actions  in  which  his  regiment  was  engaged.  He 
was  prostrated  at  the  battle  of  Dry  wood,  September,  1861,  and  was  sent  to  the 
hospital,  whence  he  was  given  a  thirty-days  furlough,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
he  rejoined  his  regiment.  After  three  years'  service  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged. ^M^ile  he  escaped  wounds  and  prison,  the  exposure  and  hardship  of 
army  life  wrecked  his  health  and  it  was  some  time  after  his  return  home  before 
he  recovered. 

Mr.  Baldwin  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Malissa  Ann  Brookover,  died  in  1862.  By  her  he  had  one  son,  James  Bald- 
win, who  is  now  engaged  in  farming  in  Doniphan  county.  In  1863  Mr.  Bald- 
win married  Miss  Matilda  Field,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  (Tucker) 
Field.  Mrs.  Baldwin  was  born  in  Scioto  county,  Ohio.  December  17,  1824, 
removed  with  her  parents  to  Iowa  in  1854  and  to  Kansas  in  1859,  their  settle- 
ment being  in  Doniphan  county,  where  her  father  died  in  1861,  at  the  age  of 
sixty  years.  He  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  his  wife  of  Pennsylvania.  By 
his  present  wife  Mr.  Baldwin  has  two  sons :  William,  a  carpenter  living  in 
Troy,  and  Artie  S.,  who  has  charge  of  the  farming  operations  at  the  home 
place.  Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  member  of  Kennedy  Post,  No.  292,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
politically  is  a  Republican. 


WILLIAM  CHAPPLE. 

Although  of  foreign  birth,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  has  long  been  a  resi- 
dent of  America  and  for  over  forty  years  has  been  identified  with  Doniphan 
county,  Kansas,  where  he  is  well-known  as  a  breeder  of  short-horn  cattle. 

He  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England,  June  13,  1824,  of  English  parents,, 
John  and  Anna  (Atwill)  Chappie,  both  of  whom  died  in  their  native  land. 
His  father  a  farmer,  William  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the  farm  and  had 
the  advantages  of  a  common-school  education,  attending  school  up  to  the  time 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  461 

he  was  sixteen.  From  that  time  until  lie  was  twenty-one  he  assisted  his  father 
in  the  farm  work  and  then  learned  the  trade  of  stone  cutter,  which  he  followed 
until  he  was  thirty. 

In  1849,  thinking  to  improve  his  condition  in  life  by  emigration  to  Amer- 
ica, he  took  passage  in  a  sailing  vessel  for  New  York,  and  after  a  vpyage  of 
twenty-eight  days  landed  at  that  port.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  secured  employ- 
ment in  the  navy  yard,  cutting  stone  on  the  dry  dock.  From  there  he  went  to 
Virginia  and  for  eighteen  months  was  employed  on  the  canal  locks.  Novem- 
ber, 1856,  found  him  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade 
two  years.  At  the  same  time  he  located  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Doniphan  county,  two  miles  west  of  Troy,  where  he  settled  his  family 
in  1857  and  in  1859  he  commenced  farming.  He  was  fairly  successful  in  his 
operations  from  the  first  and  as  he  was  prospered  bought  more  land  and  drifted 
into  the  breeding  of  fine  short-horn  cattle.  In  the  stock  business  he  has  mafte 
a  decided  success.  Cattle  and  hogs,  however,  have  been  his  specialty.  For 
years  he  has  handled  a  large  number  of  fine  cattle,  registered  stock  of  the  best 
families,  selling  and  shipping  to  various  points  in  this  and  adjoining  states  for 
breeding  purposes.  In  1898  he  turned  his  farm  and  stock  business  over  to  his 
son  and  is  now  practically  retired  from  active  life.  His  farm  comprises  three 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine  land,  well  improved  and  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  and  in  its  broad  pastures  are  to-day  some  of  the  finest  stock  in  the 
country. 

Mr.  Chappie's  married  life  covers  a  period  of  nearly  fifty  years.  He  was 
married,  December  19.  1850,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Croft,  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
second  daughter  of  William  and  Emily  Croft.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chappie  have  the 
following  named  children:  Emily,  the  wife  of  John  Williams;  Mary  W.,  the 
Avife  of  Albert  Gillman ;  John  W. ;  William  H. ;  George  W. :  Richard  T. ;  Ellen 
N.,  the  wife  of  Richard  Mears;  Anna  L.,  the  wife  of  Charles  Penn ;  and  Edwin 
A.,  who  married  Sarah  B.  Taylor.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chappie  have  twenty-three 
grandchildren  and  four  great-grandchildren. 

Essentially  loyal  and  patriotic,  Mr.  Chappie  was  not  one  to  refuse  to  answer 
to  the  call  of  his  adopted  country  for  volunteers  to  defend  the  national  honor. 
He  enlisted  in  1862  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  went  to  the  front  under  the  commands  of  Captain  Samuel 
Flickinger  and  Colonel  Thomas  Bowen.  He  was  with  the  forces  that  operated 
in  the  southwest  and  among  the  engagements  in  which  he  participated  were 
those  at  Camden  and  Marks'  Mills.  At  the  later  place  he  was  captured,  was 
taken  to  Texas  and  held  prisoner  for  thirteen  months,  after  which  he  was 
exchanged.  Receiving  an  honorable  discharge  in  1865.  he  returned  to  his  home 
and  family  in  Kansas. 

Mr.  Chappie  has  never  sought  official  honors,  but  was  elected  and  serxed  as 


462  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

assessor  of  Center  township.  He  has  long  been  identified  with  the  Masonic 
order  and  maintains  membership  in  both  the  lodge  and  chapter  at  Troy.  He 
and  his  wife  are  consistent  members  of  the  Christian  church. 


JOSEPH  DEXTON. 

English  blood  has  in  all  periods  of  our  national  histor_v  tended  to  good 
citizenship.  An  example  of  this  fact  would  not  be  sought  for  in  vain  in  Union 
township,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where  men  of  the  family  of  Denton  are 
among  the  leaders  in  business  and  in  politics  and  in  all  public  affairs.  The 
early  history  of  this  family,  so  far  as  it  is  obtainable,  will  be  found  in  the  bio- 
graphical sketch  of  George  Denton  in  this  work. 

Joseph  Denton  has  been  identified  with  the  history  of  Doniphan  county 
since  1877.  His  father,  John  Denton,  one  of  three  brothers, — William,  John 
and  Jonathan, — was  born  at  Bardney,  Lincolnshire,  England,  in  1809,  and 
died  there  in  1897,  aged  eighty-eight.  He  married  Mary  A.  Pickwell,  and 
Joseph  Denton,  their  eldest  child,  was  born  at  Bardney  January  29,  1838.  Mrs. 
Denton  also  died  in  England. 

The  youthful  associations  and  environments  of  Joseph  Denton  were 
entirely  rural  and  he  naturally  fell  into  the  ways  of  the  workingman  while  lie 
was  still  little  more  than  a  boy.  He  learned  to  follow  the  plow,  to  tend  the 
sheep  and  to  keep  the  birds  from  the  wheat  fields.  He  was  a  wage-earner  by 
the  year  for  ten  years,  his  wages  ranging  from  four  to  sixteen  pounds  and 
board  per  annum.  When  he  left  England  in  1865  he  had  saved  up  about  sev- 
enty pounds.  This  amount  he  brought  to  the  United  States  with  him  and  't 
formed  the  nucleus  around  which  he  has  gathered  other  sums  annually  for  the 
past  thirty-four  years. 

Sailing  from  Liverpool  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  aboard  the  City 
of  Manchester,  an  Inman  line  steamer,  Mr.  Denton  landed  at  Castle  Garden 
after  eighteen  days.  Going  direct  to  Chicago  he  secured  employment  there  at 
the  Lill  brewery.  He  remained  with  that  concern  until  its  plant  was  destroyed 
by  the  great  Chicago  fire  of  1871.  He  continued  in  the  service  of  the  same 
people  until  his  departure  for  Kansas,  July  5,  1880,  when  he  purchased  his 
pi-esent  farm,  upon  which  he  has  since  lived  and  achieved  a  business  success 
and  reared  his  family.  His  premises  show  plainly  his  handiwork.  The  well- 
kept  appearance  of  his  farm,  the  arrangement  and  character  of  its  improve- 
ments and  the  productiveness  of  its  soil  all  testify  to  the  industry,  the  system 
and  the  taste  of  its  owner. 

Mr.  Denton  is  a  Republican  and  has  served  as  the  overseer  of  the  roads  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         463 

his  district.  Tliough  not  an  office  seeker  he  is  active  in  poHtical  work,  for  he 
believes  that  the  triumph  of  his  party  will  serve  the  interests  of  the  whole  peo- 
ple more  completely  and  beneficently  than  the  prevalence  of  any  other  political 
principles.  In  local  politics  his  influence  is  recognized  and  appreciated  by  his 
fellow  citizens.  He  has  demonstrated  that  he  possesses  a  good  degree  of  pub- 
lic spirit  and  is  considered  an  enterprising  and  useful  citizen  who  has  the 
welfare  of  the  community  at  heart  and  is  always  ready  to  advance  it  by  any 
means  at  his  command.  As  a  neighbor  he  has  always  tried  to  emulate  the 
good  Samaritan  so  far  as  has  been  consistent  with  a  proper  care  for  his  own 
interests,  and  those  who  have  sought  and  deserved  his  friendly  offices  have  not 
been  turned  away. 

Mr.  Denton  was  married,  in  England,  to  Mary  Bailey,  who  died  in  Chi- 
cago in  the  fall  of  1866,  leaving  two  children :  William,  a  barber  of  Chicago, 
and  Emily,  wife  of  William  Bowlby,  of  Allen  county,  Kansas.  Mr.  Denton's 
second  wife  was  Lucy  Markham.whom  he  married  in  May,  1868.  She  was  born 
in  Lincolnshire,  England.  The  only  child  of  this  union  is  Mary  H.,  the  wife  of 
A.  B.  Swartz. 


EDWARD  T.  REESE. 

There  is  no  story  more  edifying  than  the  story  of  a  successful  man  who 
has  gained  places  of  responsibility  by  persevering  labor  and  strict  fidelity  to 
every  duty  that  has  devolved  upon  him.  Such  a  man  is  Edward  T.  Reese, 
the  mayor  of  the  village  of  Denton,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  merchant  and 
section  foreman  for  the  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railway  Company. 

Born  October  8.  1853,  at  Caseyville,  Illinois,  Mr.  Reese  is  a  son  of  Evan 
and  Christiana  (Spicer)  Reese.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Monmouthshire, 
Wales,  born  in  1822,  and  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years.  His 
mother  was  born  in  \\'ales  also,  in  1827.  They  have  another  son,  William  E. 
Reese,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  Evan  Reese  brought  his  family  to  Kansas  in 
i860  and  settled  on  a  farm  a  mile  south  of  Troy,  where  he  lived  until  his  retire- 
ment from  active  life  and  removal  to  the  town  mentioned. 

Edward  T.  Reese  gained  a  limited  education  in  the  public  schools  and  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  married  and  engaged  in  railroading.  He  began  his 
railroad  career  in  the  service  of  the  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island  Railroad  Com- 
pany at  Troy  as  section  man  under  foreman  Tom  Casey,  and  remained  with 
that  company  fifteen  years,  twelve  years  of  the  time  as  foreman.  He  was  first 
placed  in  charge  of  the  Severance  section,  but  was  later  transferred  and  had 
the  Troy  section  in  charge  for  ten  years.  In  the  summer  of  1887  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railroad  Company  and  has 


464  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

been  foreman  at  \\'athena.  Pawnee,  Powhattan  and  at  Bellville,  in  charge  of  an 
extra  gang  and  in  the  Horton  yards.  He  was  for  a  short  time  a  foreman  in 
tlie  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway  Company  at  Rogers  and  Papillion  and 
in  the  Omaha  yards.  In  the  fall  of  1899  he  returned  to  the  service  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railway  Company  as  foreman  of  the  Denton  sec- 
tion. Recently  Mr.  Reese  bought  the  stock  of  general  merchandise  of  L.  D. 
Priester,  of  Denton,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Mrs.  Reese  is  conducting  a 
successful  and  increasing  trade. 

Edward  T.  Reese  was  married.  December  10.  1871.  to  Mattie  Kretzer. 
who  died  without  issue,  and  afterward  he  married  Mrs.  Mollie  Hinchslifif.  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Adams,  of  Jefferson  county,  Kansas.  ]\Irs.  Reese's  chil- 
dren are  Mabel  and  Harry  Hinchslift'.  One  of  the  prominent  Republicans  of 
his  township,  Mr.  Reese  has  served  Denton  two  years  as  a  member  of  the  vil- 
lage council,  and  in  the  spring  of  1898  was  elected  the  mayor  and  was  re-elected 
in  the  following  spring. 


DELOS  E.  MILLER. 


Delos  E.  Miller,  the  proprietor  of  the  Miller  Hotel.  Atchison.  Kansas,  is 
a  native  of  Portage  county,  Ohio,  born  March  9,  1843.  on  the  same  farm  on 
which  his  father  was  born,  his  parents  being  A.  D.  and  ^lalissa  J.  (George) 
Miller.  Both  the  paternal  and  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  were  pio- 
neer settlers  of  the  same  neighborhood  in  Portage  county,  and  it  was  there  that 
the  mother  of  Delos  E.  was  born.  Her  father  was  William  George.  A.  D.  IMiller 
was  by  trade  a  shoemaker,  which  he  followed  for  a  number  of  years.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  passed  their  lives  and  died  in  Portage  county. 

Delos  E.  Miller  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm,  attending 
the  common  schools  in  winter,  and  in  early  manhood  came  west  to  Kansas. 
In  Shawnee  county,  this  state,  September  4,  1862.  he  enlisted,  and  was  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  September  18, 
1862,  as  a  private  of  Company  H.  Eleventh  Regiment  Kansas  Volunteers, 
under  Captain  Joel  Huntoon  and  Colonel  Thomas  Ewing,  Jr.,  to  serve  three 
years  or  during  the  war. 

The  regiment  having  been  armed,  he  moved  with  it  October  4.  1862.  from 
Fort  Leavenworth  to  Fort  Scott,  arrived  there  October  9,  and  waited  for  sup- 
plies until  the  15th;  from  there  moved  to  Pea  Ridge,  as  guard  to  an  ammuni- 
tion and  supply  train:  reaching  there  October  19,  he  was  assigned  by  General 
Schofield  to  the  Third  Brigade,  First  Division,  Army  of  the  Frontier,  moving 
on  the  night  of  the  20th.  under  comtnand  of  General  Blunt,  to  Bentonville, 
Arkansas;  on  the  night  of  the  21st  to  old  Fort  Wayne,  attacking  at  daylight 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         465 

on  October  22.  and  routing,  tliree  tliousand  reljels  under  tlie  command  of  Gen- 
eral Cooper. 

Mr.  Miller  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Cane  Hill,  where  his  regiment  led 
charge,  routing  the  enemy  and  pursuing  them  six  miles  to  where  the  battle 
of  Boston  Mountain  was  fought,  followed  by  the  battle  of  Prairie  Grove,  Ar- 
kansas, where  he  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  left  hip  by  a  gunshot.  A  few  days 
after  the  battle  of  Prairie  Grove,  the  Eleventh  Kansas  marched  south,  down  the 
Cove  creek  road,  in  pursuit  of  Hindman's  rebel  forces  toward  Fort  Smith. 
The  first  twentv  miles  of  this  road  led  through  a  gorge  of  the  Boston  moun- 
tains anil  crossed  Cove  creek  road  forty  times  in  this  gorge,  it  being  a  very 
swift  mountain  stream,  through  which  the  men  had  to  wade,  often  waist  deep, 
in  the  cold  winter  weather  of  the  last  days  of  December,  finally  reaching  the 
Arkansas  river  at  Van  Buren  in. time  to  attack  and  capture  a  portion  of  the 
rear  guard  of  the  rebel  army.  After  the  fall  of  Fort  Smith,  the  regiment 
returned  to  Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  where,  as  a  reward  for  its  gallantry  and  bravery, 
on  the  order  of  General  Schofield  it  was  changed  to  a  regiment  of  cavalry,  and 
spent  the  summer  of  1863  in  almost  daily  skirmishes  with  bushwhackers  and 
guerrillas  who  were  under  Ouantrell,  until  he  was  driven  from  the  sand  hills 
of  Missouri  to  Texas. 

In  the  spring  of  1864  it  headed  ofif  the  rebel  cavalry  raid  on  the  Kansas 
border,  which  was  under  the  command  of  General  Joseph  Shelby.  He  took 
part  in  all  the  seventeen  engagements  fought  during  Price's  invasion  of  Mis- 
souri. After  the  Price  raid  he  was  sent  with  his  regiment  to  guard  the  over- 
land stage  route  through  western  Kansas,  Colorado  and  Wyoming,  during 
which  time  he  took  part  in  the  two  battles  of  Platte  Bridge,  June  3  and  July 
26,  and  of  the  Sand  Hills  July  29,  30,  1865.  Company  H,  to  which  he  be- 
longed, was  detached  from  the  regiment  in  the  early  spring  of  1865,  and  with 
other  troops,  under  the  command  of  General  Thomas  Moonlight,  formed  the 
central  division  of  General  Sully's  expedition  against  hostile  Indians  to  the 
Big  Horn  and  Wind  River  mountains,  on  which  the  train  of  supplies  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Indians  and  the  soldiers  fed  on  rose-buds  and  roots  to  keep  from 
starving  on  their  return  to  Fort  Laramie. 

Mr.  Miller  was  discharged  with  his  regiment  September  13,  1865,  at  Fort 
Leavenworth,  on  a  special  order  of  the  war  department,  on  account  of  the 
expiration  of  the  term  of  enlistment.  He  is  a  member  of  John  A.  Martin 
Post,  No.  93,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Atchison,  Department  of  Kansas. 

At  the  close  of  his  army  service,  in  1865,  Mr.  Miller  engaged  in  the  hotel 
business  as  the  proprietor  of  the  old  Seneca  Hotel  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas. 
Afterward  he  conducted  the  Holden,  at  Holden,  Missouri,  for  a  time  and  went 
thence  to  Lawrence,  this  state,  where  he  also  engaged  in  the  hotel  business. 
His  next  move  was  to  Atchison  and  he  has  ever  since  been  in  the  same  line  of 


466  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

business.  For  a  short  time  he  kept  a  restaurant,  then  he  bought  the  Byrani 
hotel,  which  he  conducted  five  years,  and  after  tliat  estabhshed  himself  in  what 
has  since  been  known  as  the  Miller  hotel,  which  he  has  since  owned. 

Mr.  Miller  was  married,  December  21,  1868,  to  Miss  Mary  Johnson  of 
Pleasant  Hill,  Missouri.  Mrs.  Miller  was  born  in  Liverpool,  England,  was 
brought  to  this  country  in  infancy,  and  was  reared  chiefly  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, moving  from  there  to  Pleasant  Hill,  Missouri,  with  her  parents,  and  at 
that  place  was  married.  They  have  two  children,  Katherine  and  Louise,  the 
former  the  wife  of  H.  H.  Summers,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska;  the  latter  the  wife 
of  Henry  Bush,  the  manager  of  the  Byram  hotel,  at  Atchison. 

Mr.  Miller  is  a  Republican,  and  has  several  times  served  as  a  member  of 
the  city  council  of  Atchison.  He  is  identified  with  numerous  fraternal  organ- 
izations. He  is  a  member  of  Atchison  Lodge,  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Washing- 
ton Chapter.  No.  i,  R.  A.  M. ;  Washington  Commandery,  No.  2,  Knight  Temp- 
lars ;  Mystic  Shrine :  Friendship  Lodge,  No.  5.  L  O.  O.  F. ;  Hesperian  Encamp- 
ment ;  Knights  of  the  Maccabees ;  Golden  Cross,  K.  of  P. ;  and  Improved  Order 
of  Red  Men. 


PETER  KECKLER. 


Peter  Keckler,  a  farmer  residing  near  Troy,  Kansas,  furnishes  one  of  the 
many  illustrations  in  America  of  the  poor  boy  starting  out  in  life  without 
financial  aid  and  through  his  own  industry  and  good  management  providing 
himself  and  family  with  a  home  and  comfortable  competency. 

Mr.  Keckler  is  a  native  of  Pennsvlvania.  He  was  born  September  15, 
1848,  in  Adams  county,  two  miles  from  where  was  afterward  fought  the  noted 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  His  parents,  Chester  and  Martha  ( McDaniel )  Keckler, 
were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His  father,  a  farmer,  died  in  Dickinson 
county,  Kansas,  in  1881.     His  wife  had  died  in  1868  in  Pennsylvania. 

It  was  on  a  Pennsylvania  farm  that  Peter  Keckler  passed  his  bovhood 
days,  rendering  such  assistance  as  he  could  in  the  farm  work  during  the  sum- 
mer months  and  in  winter  attending  the  district  schools.  He  was  engaged  in 
farming  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age,  when  he  turned  his  attention 
to  railroading  and  for  three  years  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  came  west  to  Illinois  and  worked  on 
a  farm  for  seventeen  years.  He  then  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and 
bought  the  Jacob  Zimmerman  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  on  which 
he  has  since  been  engaged  in  general  farming,  making  a  specialty  of  fruit 
raising  and  dairying.  He  has  sixty-two  acres  of  his  farm  devoted  to  orchard, 
including  a  variety  of  choice  fruits,  from  which  he  realizes  handsomely.     His 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         467 

dairy  comprises  a  number  of  fine  cows,  the  milk  product  being  taken  to  the 
Troy  creamery,  in  wliich  enterprise  j\Ir.  Keckler  is  a  stockholder.  In  Mr. 
Keckler"s  make-up  are  found  that  push  and  energy,  coupled  with  intelligent 
management,  which  are  so  necessary  to  the  successful  farmer  of  to-day,  and 
his  farm  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  model  ones  of  the  neighborhood. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  Keckler  married  Miss  Matilda  Miner,  of  Illinois,  and  a 
daughter  of  Addison  Miner,  Esq.  Two  sons  and  one  daughter  are  the  fruits 
of  their  union,  namely:  Susan,  Frank  and  Walter.  Mr.  Keckler  has  been 
identified  with  Oddfellowship  for  a  period  of  twenty-six  years,  and  is  now  :i 
member  in  good  standing  of  Troy  Lodge,  No.  t,8,  I.  O.  O.  F. 


JOHN  MOREHEAD. 

Ohio  lias  furnished  to  the  western  states  many  of  their  most  substantial 
citizens — men  who  have  in  the  various  walks  of  life  contributed  their  part 
toward  the  development  of  the  localities  in  which  they  have  settled.  Among 
the  citizens  of  Doniphan  county.  Kansas,  who  look  back  to  the  Buckeye  state 
as  the  place  of  their  birth  is  John  Morehead,  a  farmer  and  fruit  grower  located 
near  Troy.  He  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  near  Baltimore.  January 
21,  1824,  a  son  of  Calvin  and  Susanna  (Good)  Morehead.  both  natives  of 
Ohio.  His  paternal  grandparents  were  John  and  Susan  (Porter)  Morehead, 
who  moved  from  Maryland  to  Ohio  at  an  early  day,  settling  first  in  Fairfield 
county  and  changing  their  residence  to  Putnam  county.  Calvin  Morehead 
and  family  also  moved  to  Putnam  county,  where  they  lived  for  some  years  and 
whence  they  went  over  into  Indiana  and  located  in  Grant  county.  There  he 
and  his  wife  died. 

John  Morehead.  the  direct  subject  of  this  sketch,  spent  his  boyhootl  in 
Putnam  county.  Ohio,  working  on  the  farm  in  summer  and  in  winter  attend- 
ing the  public  schools.  He  was  seventeen  at  the  time  the  family  moved  to 
Grant  county.  Indiana,  and  for  a  short  time  he  attended  school  there.  He 
remained  on  the  home  farm  until  he  reached  his  majority,  started  out  in  life 
for  himself,  and,  as  did  his  forefathers  in  their  youth,  turned  his  face  west- 
ward. Spending  four  years  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  he  came,  in  August. 
1857,  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and  here  bought  a  claim  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land,  settled  on  it  and  at  once  devoted  his  energies  to  its  culti- 
vation and  improvement,  in  time  building  a  good  house,  barn.  etc.  On  this 
place  he  lived  for  forty  years.  In  1897  he  turned  it  over  to  his  sons,  at  the 
same  time  buying  the  Frank  Page  farm  near  the  corporate  limits  of  Troy  and 
moving  to  it.    This  place  comprises  eighty-nine  acres,  has  a  fine  apple  orchard 


468  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  one  tlioiisaiul  trees  and  is  one  of  tlie  most  desirable  fruit  farms  in  tlie 
locality. 

Mr.  Morehcad's  married  life  covers  half  a  century.  His  ten  children, 
married  and  scattered,  are  occupying  useful  positions  in  life  and  his  grandchil- 
dren at  this  writing  number  thirty.  In  ^Vabash  county.  Indiana,  in  1849,  lie 
wedded  Miss  Mary  Ann  Slover.  a  native  of  Butler  county,  Ohio,  who  had 
moved  with  her  parents  to  Wabash  county,  where  she  resided  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage.  Their  children  in  order  of  marriage  are  as  follows:  Calvin 
A.,  William  S.,  John  E.,  George  O.,  Joseph  C,  Debby  A.,  Sarah  E.,  Herman 
L..  Mary  E.  and  Charles  M. 

Mr.  Morehead  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Troy  creamery  and  he  was  for  a 
number  of  years  a  member  of  the  school  board  and  the  treasurer  of  the  saine. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbvterian  church. 


MARTIN  L.  ZIMMERMAN,  M.  D. 

Martin  L.  Zimmerman,  a  farmer  and  practicing  physician,  occupies  a 
pleasant  rural  home  on  section  26,  Center  township,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas, 
his  postoffice  address  being  Troy,  and  claims  Maryland  as  his  native  state. 
He  was  bom  in  Frederick  county,  near  Creagerstown,  April  29,  184 1.  a  son  of 
John  P,  and  Sophia  (Eichbelberger)  Zimmerman,  both  natives  of  that  county. 
In  1855  the  family  came  west  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  the  same  year 
removed  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where  ^Ir.  Zimmerman  pre-empted  a 
claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  for  which  he  paid  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  per  acre.  This  was  the  family  home  while  the  parents  lived  and  here 
the  mother  died,  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  and  the  father  the  follow- 
ing year,  at  the  same  age.  He  was  a  strong  Republican  and  anti-sla\ery  man 
and  was  well  known  and  much  respected  in  the  community  in  which  he  li\ed. 
They  had  four  sons,  namely :    James  L.,  John  C,  Jacob  N.  and  IMartin  L. 

Martin  L.  Zimmerman  spent  his  youth  in  Maryland,  receiving  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools.  Some  time  after  coming  to  Kansas  he  began 
reading  medicine  and  subsequently  he  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  pursued  the  regular  course  and  in 
1880  received  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  his  system  of  medicine  being  the  eclectic. 
He  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  at  the  same 
time  has  carried  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  maintaining  his  home 
upon  his  farm. 

August  17,  1869,  Dr.  Zimmerman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  ^lary 
E.  \\'hite,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chase  officiating.     Mrs.  Zimmerman  was  born  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         469 

Jimtown.  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  in  1850,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Matilda  (Ethrington)  White,  and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  a  resident 
of  Monroe  county,  Kansas,  where  her  father  was  tlie  president  of  a  bank.  She 
was  educated  in  the  common  scliools  and  at  St.  Mary's  Convent  at  Louisville, 
Kentucky.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zimmerman  have  been  born  four  children,  of 
whom  two  died  in  infancy,  and  one,  Helen  White  Zimmerman.  August  22, 
1897.  The  only  one  living  is  John  Patterson  Zimmerman,  a  promising  young- 
man  who  was  educated  at  Onaga  and  at  the  State  Normal  School  of  Kansas. 


NICHOLAS  L.  NELSON. 

Nicholas  L.  Nelson,  one  of  the  most  extensi\-e  farmers  and  stock  raisers 
of  Wolf  River  township,  attained  his  majority  in  Doniphan  county  and  is 
widely  known  as  a  leading  representative  of  its  agricultural  interests.  He  was 
born  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  November  13.  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  Lewis 
Nelson,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Lillesand,  Norway,  in  1822.  When  about 
twenty  years  of  age  the  father  left  "the  land  of  the  midnight  sun"  to  seek  a 
home  across  the  broad  Atlantic,  and  almost  immediately  after  landing  in  Amer- 
ica he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Mexican  war,  becoming  a  member  of  an  Ore- 
gon battalion.  He  was  stationed  on  the  frontier  to  aid  in  defense  against  the 
Indians  and  when  hostilities  had  ceased  he  went  to  Missouri,  locating  in 
Buchanan  county,  near  St.  Joseph,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until 
the  year  1857.  He  then  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Doniphan 
county  and  aided  in  reclaiming  the  wild  land.  He  and  his  family  experienced 
all  the  hardships  and  difficulties  incident  to  a  life  on  the  frontier,  but  he  pros- 
ecuted his  labors  with  great  energy  and  soon  became  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
farm.  He  died  in  1866  and  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  Steanson  cem- 
etery. He  was  married,  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  to  Gurine  Nelson,  who  still 
survives  him  and  makes  her  home  in  Troy,  Kansas.  In  order  of  birth  their 
children  are  as  follows :  Amelia,  the  wife  of  Guttorm  Steanson,  a  worthy 
pioneer  citizen  of  Mercy,  Kansas;  Nicholas  L. ;  Julia,  the  wife  of  E.  N.  Erick- 
son ;  Oscar ;  Maggie,  the  wife  of  B.  O.  Running,  the  proprietor  of  the  A.  B. 
C.  Laundry  in  Atchison;  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  Milton  Zimmerman,  of  Doni- 
phan county. 

Nicholas  L.  Nelson  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm — the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  28,  Wolf  River  township — and  acquired  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  neighborhood.  He  left  the  paternal  roof  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years  and  began  farming  a  tract  of  land  near  Leona,  where  he 
resided  for  six  years.     About  1879  he  purchased  his  present  home  and  has 


470  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

transformed  the  land  into  rich  and  highly  culti\ated  fields,  which  yield  to  him 
a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  them.  He 
successfully  carries  on  general  farming  and  is  also  prospering  in  his  extensive 
stock-dealing  interests,  making  a  specialty  of  cattle  and  hogs. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married,  in  Doniphan  county,  in  November,  1872.  Miss 
Lena  Running  becoming  his  wife.  Her  fatiier  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Running  Valley,  Wisconsin,  and  a  representative  of  an  old  Norwegian  fam- 
ily. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  have  been  born  the  following  children :  Grace, 
who  died  in  February,  1898,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years;  Jessie,  ivho 
died  in  September,  1899,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years:  Ella,  Ray,  Norma,  Cyril 
and  Bernice. 

Mr.  Nelson  has  served  as  township  committeeman  for  the  Republican 
party  a  number  of  years  and  is  a  most  active  advocate  of  all  measures  that  pro- 
mote the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  that  political  organization.  He  has 
served  as  township  treasurer,  discharging  the  duties  with  marked  prominence 
and  fidelity. 


ANTON  BRAUN. 


The  genial  and  accommodating  postmaster  of  Doniphan  is  Anton  Braun, 
who  was  appointed  to  his  present  position  in  October,  1897.  He  has  for  some 
years  been  connected  with  the  mercantile  interests  of  this  place  and  is  one  of 
the  worthy  citizens  that  Germany  has  furnished  to  Kansas.  He  was  born  in 
Bavaria  on  the  7th  of  July,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Apolonia  (Bauer) 
Braun.  The  parents  died  in  Germany  when  our  subject  was  about  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  when  a  young  man  he  came  to  the  new  world,  making  his 
way  to  Kansas,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  Adam  Brenner,  acting  as  the 
foreman  of  his  vineyard  for  some  years.  Subsequently,  with  the  capital  which 
lie  had  acquired  through  his  own  efforts,  he  embarked  in  merchandising  and 
for  many  years  has  been  a  leading  representative  of  commercial  interests  in 
Doniphan.  He  has  to-day  a  well-stocked  general  store,  supplied  with  every- 
thing found  in  his  line,  and  as  the  result  of  his  straightforward  dealing  and 
resolute  purpose  he  has  acquired  a  very  liberal  patronage.  He  also  owns  a  well- 
cultivated  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-fi\e  acres  located  near  Doniphan, 
and  his  income  is  materially  increased  by  the  returns  from  that  property. 

In  1876  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Braun  and  Miss  Mary  Biebel.  who 
was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Biebel. 
Both  parents  are  now  deceased,  the  father  having  dejiarted  this  life  in  Ger- 
many, while  the  mother's  death  occurred  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  Unto  ^.Ir. 
and  Mrs.  Braun  have  been  born  five  children :  Mrs.  Kate  McCoy,  who  is  liv- 
ing in  Doniphan  county ;  John,  Andrew,  Anna  and  Mamie. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         471 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Braun  is  a  Republican  and  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  active  workers  in  the  ranks  of  the  party  in  this  locality.  He  has  served 
for  five  years  as  a  member  of  the  central  committee  from  his  township  and  his 
efforts  are  directed  along  lines  which  contribute  to  the  success  and  growth  of 
his  party.  He  is  also  a  member  of  several  fraternal  societies  and  is  accounted 
one  of  the  representative  men  of  the  community,  enjoying  the  respect  of  peo- 
ple of  all  classes. 


ISAAC  MARTIX. 


For  thirty-five  years  Mr.  Martin  has  been  a  resident  of  Doniphan  county, 
and  since  1892  has  occupied  his  present  fine  farm  in  Wayne  township.  His 
agricultural  methods  are  in  accord  with  the  most  progressive  ideas,  and  his 
well-tilled  fields  indicate  to  the  passerby  the  careful  supervision  of  the  enter- 
prising owner.  He  has  always  resided  in  the  west,  being  a  native  of  Clay 
county.  Missouri,  where  his  birth  occurred  September  5,  1832.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Isaac  Martin,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  that  state. 

His  father,  John  Martin,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  during  his  boy- 
hood accompanied  his  parents  to  the  west.'  During  the  Mexican  war  he 
entered  the  service  and  loyally  aided  in  defending  the  rights  of  the  United 
States.  He  married  Miss  Sarah  Harrington,  also  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  a  daughter  of  William  Harrington,  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  war. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Georgia,  but  for  many  years  resided  in  Kentucky 
and  North  Carolina,  spending  his  last  days,  however,  in  Missouri,  where  he 
died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-seven.  To  John  and  Sarah  Martin  were 
born  six  children,  five  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely :  William  H.,  Isaac,  Mary 
Ann,  Miles  B.,  Frank  and  Richard.  All  of  the  sons  enlisted  in  the  army 
during  the  Civil  war,  and  Richard  died  of  wounds  received  in  battle.  The 
father,  who  was  born  in  1807,  died  in  Missouri,  in  1865,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
seven  years,  and  the  mother  died  during  the  early  boyhood  of  her  son  Isaac. 
In  politics  Mr.  Martin  was  a  Democrat  prior  to  the  civil  war,  when  he  became 
a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  casting  his  ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  consistent  members  of  the  Christian  church. 

Mr.  Martin,  of  this  review,  was  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  pioneer 
life.  In  1836  the  family  took  up  their  abode  about  ten  miles  from  St.  Joseph, 
which  at  that  time  was  a  trading  post,  containing  but  one  dwelling.  He  had 
but  little  opportunity  to  secure  a  literary  education,  but  early  learned  lessons 
of  industry,  honesty  and  perseverance  upon  the  home  farm;  and  the  habits 
thus  formed  in  youth  have  proved  of  great  benefit  to  him  in  his  business 
career.     In  1849  lie  left  Missouri,  and  with  General  Fremont's  party  aided 


472  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

in  building  a  fort  in  Arizona.  He  visited  California,  Mexico  and  Arizona, 
and  during  his  stay  in  the  wild  western  districts  had  many  thrilling  experi- 
ences. The  plains  and  forests  were  the  haunts  of  wild  beasts  and  wilder 
men,  for  the  Indians  were  thickly  scattered  throughout  that  section  of  the 
country.  In  1852,  however,  he  returned  to  his  home,  and  the  same  year 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Agee,  a  native  of  Indiana  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Agee,  who  died  in  Missouri  in  1865.  Eight  children  were 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  namely:  James,  Martha,  Anna,  Viola,  Belle, 
Alice,  Cora  and  Percy. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Martin  engaged  in  farming,  but  when  the  civil 
war  broke  out  he  put  aside  all  personal  considerations  and  joined  the  Twenty- 
fifth  Missouri  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  four  years.  He  was  made  a 
corporal  of  his  company  and  on  the  field  of  battle  he  displayed  great  bravery. 
His  family  was  noted  for  courage  and  loyalty  and  four  of  his  brothers  and 
his  father  fought  to  sustain  the  Union.  With  an  honorable  military  record 
Mr.  Martin  returned  to  his  home  and  again  took  up  the  pursuits  of  civil 
life.  Since  1892  he  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm  and  is  to-day  one 
of  the  successful  and  leading  agriculturists  of  Wayne  township,  Doniphan 
county.  He  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  which  stood  by  the  Union 
during  the  civil  war,  and  which  has  ever  advocated  progress  and  reform 
along  all  lines.  For  over  thirty  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  true  to  its  teachings  and  faithful  to  whatever  he  believes  to  be 
right.  All  who  know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling  worth,  and  he 
enjoys  the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


AUGUST  HALLING. 


August  Hailing  belongs  to  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Wayne  town- 
ship, Doniphan  county,  his  father,  Lambert  Hailing,  having  taken  up  his 
abode  there  at  an  early  period  in  the  development  of  northeastern  Kansas. 
On  the  family  homestead  our  subject  was  born.  May  2,  1869,  and  has  here 
spent  his  entire  life.  He  is  one  of  eight  children,  and  in  common  with  h;s 
brothers  and  sisters  he  attended  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
acquiring  there  a  fair  English  education  that  fitted  him  for  the  practical  duties 
of  life.  From  an  early  age  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  becom- 
ing familiar  with  the  labors  of  the  field  and  meadow.  Since  carrying  on 
business  for  himself  his  success  has  been  marked  and  positive.  He  owns  a 
half  interest  in  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Wayne  township 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.        473 

and  is  extensively  engaged  in  stock  raising,  having  a  large  herd  of  cattle  upon 
a  farm  near  Leona. 

Mr.  Hailing  was  married  in  Doniphan  county,  May  12,  1896,  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Miss  Ellen  Gronniger,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Bernard 
Gronniger,  of  Union  township,  Doniphan  county,  and  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  locality.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr. 
Hailing  is  a  Democrat,  but  seeks  not  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public 
office.  He  is  noted  for  his  intense  industry  and  honest  citizenship  and  in  this 
volume  well  deserves  mention. 


WILLIAM  H.  H.  COLLEY. 

Since  1873  Mr.  Colley  has  been  a  resident  of  Kansas.  He  is,  however, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  West  Portsmouth,  in  the  Buck- 
eye state,  on  the  15th  of  October,  1844.  He  is  descended  from  good  old 
Revolutionary  stock,  his  grandfather,  John  Colley,  having  been  one  of  the 
heroes  in  the  war  for  independence.  Abel  Colley,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  married  Miss  Catherine  Spencer,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  Spencer.  By  this  union  ten  children  were  born,  namely:  Allen, 
Sam,  Julia,  Sarah,  William  H.  H.,  Jane,  James,  George,  William  M.  and 
Mary.  The  family  has  always  been  noted  for  its  loyalty,  and  during  the 
civil  war  three  of  the  sons  served  in  the  Union  army,  Allen  being  a  member 
of  the  Thirty-ninth  Ohio  Infantry,  while  Sam  served  for  thirteen  months 
in  the  Fifty-sixth  Ohio  Infantry.  The  former  is  still  living  in  the  Buckeye 
state,  but  the  latter  died  in  Doniphan  county  in  1865,  leaving  a  family.  The 
father,  Abel  Colley,  spent  his  last  days  in  Ohio,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  March,  1894,  at  the  age  of  eighty- four  years. 

William  H.  H.  Colley  obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools, 
and  was  only  nineteen  years  of  age  when  he  enlisted  in  his  country's  service, 
becoming  a  member  of  Company  I,  Thirty-ninth  Ohio  Infantry,  under  the 
commands  of  Captain  Pitinger  and  Colonel  Webber.  He  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war  and  was  honorably  discharged  at  Camp  Dennison,  on  the 
loth  of  July,  1865.  His  company  was  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  First 
Division,  and  was  for  some  time  stationed  at  Ringgold,  Georgia,  under  the 
command  of  General  Stearnes.  Mr.  Colley  was  always  found  at  his  post 
of  duty,  loyally  defending  the  cause  represented  by  the  old  flag,  and  when 
the  war  was  over  and  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Ohio,  with  an  honorable 
military  record. 

On  the   1 8th  of  February,   1873,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  our 


474 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


subject  ami  Miss  Nancy  Martin,  a  native  of  Indiana  and  a  daughter  of  Glen 
and  Agatha  Martin.  Her  father  died  in  Missouri  and  her  mother  passed 
away  in  Indiana.  Mr.  and  "Mrs.  Colley  now  have  two  children:  Julia,  the 
wife  of  A.  D.  Miller,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  by  whom  she  has  three  chil- 
dren, Ethel  N.,  Arthur  Lloyd  and  Alvin  Manford;  and  Harrison,  who  was 
born  November  6,  1875,  and  is  living  with  his  parents.  The  children  have 
both  been  provided  with  good  educational  privileges  and  the  daughter  was  a 
successful  teacher  prior  to  her  marriage. 

In  1873  Mr.  Colley  came  to  Kansas  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of 
Doniphan  township.  He  is  now  cultivating  a  good  farm  in  Wayne  township, 
and  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  and  progressive  agriculturists  of  his  com- 
munity. His  political  support  is  given  the  Republican  party,  and  he  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  Wa- 
tiiena  Post,  G.  A.  R.  As  a  citizen  he  is  active  in  the  advocacy  of  all  meas- 
ures for  the  public  good  and  is  to-day  as  loyal  and  true  as  when  he  followed 
the  stars  and  stripes  upon  the  battle  fields  of  the  south.  His  manner  is 
pleasant  and  cordial  and  this  has  rendered  him  a  popular  citizen,  bringing 
him  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 


CHARLES  M.  ALBERS. 

Charles  M.  Albers  is  one  of  the  progressive  and  prominent  young  farmers 
of  Wolf  River  township,  Doniphan  county,  his  home  being  near  Bendena.  He 
was  born  near  Brenner  station  on  the  9th  of  October,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  Albers,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Oldenburg,  Germany.  When  a  youth  of 
fifteen  the  father  came  to  the  United  States  and  spent  his  minority  in  \'irginia, 
where  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  died.  In  the  Old  Dominion  John  Albers 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Caroline  Ladwig  and  five  children  were  born  of  their 
union,  Charles  M.  being  the  eldest.  The  mother  died  in  1873  and  Mr.  Albers 
afterward  married  Rosa  Holzhey,  by  whom  he  had  six  children. 

Charles  M.  Albers  spent  his  boyhood  on  a  farm  near  Bendena  and  secured 
his  education  in  the  country  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  At  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-two he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  renting  the  Archer  farm, 
which  he  operated  with  a  span  of  mules  given  him  by  his  father  and  the  farm 
implements  absolutely  necessary  in  tilling  the  land.  For  three  years  he  rented 
land  and  then  purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  on  section  36.  Wolf 
River  township.  This  was  in  1888  and  through  the  intervening  years  he  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  making  of  his  place  one  of  the  most 
<lesirable  and  attractive  country  homes  in  the  locality.     Not  only  does  he  culti- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         47 S 

vate  his  land,  but  also  gives  much  attention  to  improving  and  beautifying  the 
place  and  he  has  erected  thereon  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  township. 
His  labors  are  so  capably  directed  and  so  earnestly  prosecuted  that  success  in 
gratifying  measures  has  come  to  him  and  he  is  now  accounted  one  of  the  lead- 
ing agriculturists  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Albers  was  married,  November  28,  1888,  to  Elizabeth  Voelker.  a 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Christine  Voelker,  of  Atchison.  Her  father  was 
twice  married  and  by  the  first  union  ha'd  three  children  and  by  the  last  six  sons 
and  daughters.  Two  sons  and  two  dauHiters  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Albers,  namely  :  Frank  C.  Arthur  J..  Dora  A.  and  Gertrude  E.  In  his  politi- 
cal views  Mr.  Albers  is  a  Republican,  stanch  and  firm  in  the  support  of  the 
principles  of  the  party,  yet  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have  no  attrac- 
tions for  him,  as  he  prefers  to  devote  his  energies  to  his  business  interests. 


ARON  RANDOLPH  EYLAR. 

The  self-made  man  is  very  much  in  evidence  in  Kansas,  a  state  in  the 
making  and  development  of  which  "many  men  of  many  minds"  have  had 
a  part.  Doniphan  county  has  had  its  full  proportion  of  these  hustling,  use- 
ful and  successful  citizens  and  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  them  is  the 
man  whose  name  is  the  title  of  this  notice. 

Aron  Randolph  Eylar,  a  successful  farmer  of  Union  township,  Doni- 
phan county,  Kansas,  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Eylar,  whose  memory  is  revered 
by  the  old  residents  of  Winchester,  Adams  county,  Ohio,  and  a  younger 
brother  of  James  Monroe  Eylar,  a  biographical  sketch  of  whom  is  presented 
in  this  work.  Joseph  Eylar  was  born  near  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  in  1786, 
and  died  at  Winchester,  Ohio,  in  1851,  aged  sixty-five  years.  He  was  a 
soldier  in  defense  of  his  country  in  our  last  war  with  England.  In  1818  he 
located  at  Winchester,  Ohio,  where  he  put  a  tannery  in  operation  and  rose 
to  business  and  political  prominence.  He  was  a  leader  of  the  local  Democracy 
and  served  with  distinction  as  an  associate  justice  of  the  judicial  district  of 
which  Adams  county  formed  a  part.  Joseph  Eylar's  father,  with  his  brother, 
John,  came  early  from  Germany  to  Maryland,  where  he  founded  a  home. 
His  mother  was  a  Miss  Rosemiller,  a  member  of  a  family  conspicuous  in  the 
American  Revolution,  and  they  are  both  buried  in  the  old  graveyard  in  Fin- 
castle,  Ohio. 

On  his  mother's  side,  Aron  Randolph  Eylar,  who  was  born  in  Adams 
county,  Ohio,  March  21,  1847,  is  connected  with  the  Fen  tons.  Elizabeth 
Fenton,  his  mother,  was  a  daughter  of  John  Fenton,  born  in  Kentucky,  whose 


476  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

father  was  Jerry  Fenton.  The  last  named  went  into  Ohio,  about  tlie  time 
it  became  a  state  and  died  there  on  his  new  farm  soon  after  his  settlement. 
The  children  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Fenton)  Eylar  were:  Samuel,  who 
lives  near  Oklahoma  City,  Oklahoma;  James  M.,  of  Union  township,  Doni- 
phan county,  Kansas;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  F.  T.  Liggett,  of  Ripley,  Ohio; 
Emeline,  who  married  Albertus  McMeekin,  of  Columbus,  Ohio;  Aron 
Randolph,  of  Union  township,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and  Charles, 
of  Oklahoma.  For  his  second  wife  Joseph  Eylar  married  Elizabeth  Fenton, 
a  relative  of  his  first  wife.  Of  their  nine  children  not  one  survives.  Three 
of  their  daughters  left  families.  These  were:  Ruth,  who  married  Colonel 
J.  R.  Cockrell;  Mary,  who  married  Richard  Moore,  and  Sallie  Ann,  who 
married  Samuel  McNown. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  began  the  stern  battle  of  life  for  himself  be- 
fore he  attained  his  majority.  He  worked  two  years  on  a  farm  by  the  month 
and  after  that  was  profitably  employed  until  the  spring  of  1873,  when  he 
went  to  Kansas  and  located  in  Doniphan  county.  His  means  were  limited 
and  for  nine  years  he  worked  rented  land  in  Wolf  River  township.  In  1882 
he  removed  to  Union  township  and  bought  a  farm  of  seventy  acres  on  Wolf 
river  of  Thomas  Robbins.  He  has  since  added  thirty  acres  to  the  place,  mak- 
ing it  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  and  he  has  so  assiduously  devoted  himself 
to  its  development  and  improvement  that  he  now  has  a  productive  and  at- 
tractive country  place  and  a  home  which,  considering  its  location  and  en- 
vironments, is  a  model  from  every  point  of  view. 

Mr.  Eylar  is  a  Democrat  and  a  citizen  of  much  public  spirit.  He  was 
married,  December  17,  1872,  to  Miss  Matilda  Horner,  a  daughter  of  Ephraim 
Horner.  Mr.  Horner  was  from  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  and  his  wife  was 
Drusilla  Swearingen,  who  bore  him  children  as  follows :  Matilda ;  Nancy,  who 
is  dead;  William  L.,  of  Highland  county,  Ohio;  John  T.,  of  Adams  county, 
same  state;  Calvin  E.,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  Laura,  wife  of  Richard 
Lenter,  of  Adams  county,  already  mentioned.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Eylar  are  named  Calvin  Leroy,  Lydia  Elizabeth  and  Alfred  Louis. 


JAMES  W.  HUNTER. 

There  is  a  class  of  the  younger  farmers  of  Kansas  who,  though  they  did 
not  come  into  the  state  early  enough  to  entitle  them  to  a  place  on  the  roll  of 
its  pioneers,  came  early  enough  to  the  localities  where  they  took  up  govern- 
ment land  to  have  pioneer  experiences  under  conditions  somewhat  more  favor- 
able than  those  which  obtained  in  the  "early  days.  The  progressive  citizen 
whose  name  is  above  is  a  conspicuous  representative  of  the  class  mentioned. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  ^77 

James  W.  Hunter,  a  well-known  farmer  of  Union  townsliip,  Doniphan 
county,  was  born  in  Carroll  county.  Ohio,  July  i.  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Catherine  (West)  Hunter.  John  Hunter  was  a  son  of  James  Hunter, 
an  Irishman,  whose  four  sons  and  tiiree  daughters  came  to  America  and  some 
of  them  lived  in  Ohio  and  others  in  Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton county,  Pennsylvania,  but  went  to  Ohio  in  1831  and  became  a  successful 
farmer  there.  He  died  in  1890  at  an  advanced  age.  Catherine  West,  who  mar- 
ried John  Hunter,  was  a  daugliter  of  James  West,  a  native  of  Scotland. 

The  children  of  John  and  Catherine  (West)  Hunter  were:  James  W. ; 
Douglas  H.,  of  Carroll  county,  Ohio ;  Margaret ;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Reed,  of  Elizabeth.  Colorado :  Nettie,  who  married  Richard  Close,  also  of 
Elizabeth ;  and  William,  of  Carroll  county.  Ohio.  By  an  earlier  marriage,  to 
]\Iary  Aber,  he  has  a  son  and  a  daughter,  twins,  named  Mary  A.  and  John  K. 
The  former  is  married  and  lives  in  Washington.  D.  C.  while  the  latter  lives 
in  Carroll  county.  Ohio. 

James  W.  Hunter,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  spent  the  years 
of  his  boyhood  and  the  early  years  of  his  manhood  on  a  farm  in  Ohio  and  had 
fair  opportunities  for  acquiring  an  education,  which  he  says  he  did  not  improve 
\ery  well.  He  possessed  marked  mechanical  ability,  however,  and  was  inclined 
to  the  trade  of  carpenter,  of  which  he  gained  a  practical  knowledge.  He 
remained  in  his  Ohio  home  until  he  was  twenty-four  years  old  and  then,  in 
1884.  obeying  Horace  Greeley's  oft-repeated  advice  to  "go  west,  young  man, 
go  west."  emigrated  to  Kansas  and  for  two  years  made  his  headquarters  at 
Atchison,  where  he  applied  for  and  secured  work  in  the  bridge-building  depart- 
ment of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company.  He  was  in  the 
service  of  that  company  until,  in  1886.  he  visited  western  and  southern  Kan- 
sas and  took  up  a  government  land  claim  in  Kiowa  county.  In  order  to  hold  this 
land  he  lived  on  it  three  years,  keeping  "bachelor's  hall"  two  years  or  longer 
and  as  the  head  of  a  family  for  some  months  succeeding  his  marriage.  In  1889 
Mr.  Hunter  went  to  Horton,  Kansas,  and  worked  a  few  months  in  the  Chicago, 
Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railway  Company's  shops.  Before  the  end  of  that  year, 
however,  he  removed  to  Doniphan  county  and  located  in  Union  township,  near 
Denton,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  general  farming  and  has  shown 
himself  to  be  a  man  of  ability  adapted  to  the  work  in  hand  and  a  citizen  of  much 
helpful  public  spirit.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  though  he  is  not  an 
aspirant  for  office  he  devotes  some  attention  to  practical  politics,  because  he 
believes  that  he  should  do  so  in  order  to  do  his  duty  as  a  citizen  and  because  he 
firmly  believes  that  only  by  the  supremacy  of  his  party  and  the  prevalence  of 
its  policy  can  the  best  interests  of  the  people  be  advanced. 

While  "holding  down"  his  pre-emption  in  Kiowa  county  Mr.  Hunter  met 
Miss  Mamie  Blair,  who  was  proving  up  another  claim  not  far  distant  from  his. 


478  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Their  interests  were  to  some  extent  mutual  and  they  had  tastes  in  common, 
and  their  acquaintance  led  to  their  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in  Decem- 
ber, 1888.  John  L.  Blair,  Mrs.  Hunter's  father,  married  Miss  Amanda  Meeker 
and  had  three  children:  Mamie  (Mrs.  Hunter),  who  was  born  in  1864, 
Alexander  and  Kate.  He  came  to  Doniphan  county  from  Pennsylvania  in 
1858  and  became  prominent  as  a  farmer  and  was  a  leading  citizen  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  February,  1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter  have  childreji 
named  Katie.  John  B.  and  Annie.  Mrs.  Hunter,  who  is  a  devoted  wife  and 
mother,  is  a  lady  of  many  accomplisliments  and  very  popular  in  good  society. 


WILLIAM  GILLEN. 


All  civilized  lands  have  furnished  their  representative  men  to  America, 
and  the  Emerald  Isle  has  supplied  her  full  quota  of  reliable  citizens  who 
have  become  identified  with  American  institutions  and  have  aided  in  the  de- 
velopment and  substantial  upbuilding  which  have  placed  this  country  on  a 
par  with  the  old  powers  of  Europe.  Mr.  Gillen  was  born  in  Ireland,  in 
county  Antrim,  on  the  19th  of  May,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander  Gillen, 
who  was  of  Scotch  lineage.  During  the  last  Irish  rebellion  members  of  the 
family  suffered  death  and  their  property  was  confiscated.  Paddy  Boyd, 
one  of  the  great-grandfathers  of  our  subject  and  a  great-granduncle  of 
President  McKinley  were  hanged  in  Ireland,  near  the  same  spot,  for  their 
participation  in  the  rebellion  against  the  authority  of  the  British.  Their  es- 
tates went  to  enrich  the  crown,  while  the  remains  of  these  martyred  men 
were  laid  to  rest,  the  former  in  Armagh  and  the  latter  at  Derry  Keighon. 
On  the  maternal  side  Mr.  Gillen,  of  this  review,  is  descended  from  the  O'Neals, 
of  Shayne's  Castle,  and  they  were  descended  from  Shonie  Rue  O'Neal,  one 
of  the  old  kings  of  Ulster.  Alexander  Gillen  was  the  father  of  the  follow- 
ing children,  namely:  Hugh,  who  is  living  in  Oklahoma;  Betty,  the  wife  of 
Hugh  McMullen,  of  Effingham,  Kansas;  Neal,  who  died  leaving  a  family 
at  Nortonville,  this  state;  Mrs.  Jane  Gillen,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and 
Alexander,  who  died  leaving  a  daughter,  who  is  now  living  near  Los  Angeles, 
California,  and  another  who  resides  in  Honolulu. 

William  Gillen  acquired  a  common-school  education,  but  in  his  later 
life  has  improved  his  opportunities  and  probably  throughout  the  county  in 
which  he  makes  his  home  there  could  be  found  not  one  so  well  informed  on 
the  history  of  his  native  land.  He  spent  his  childhood  and  youth  in  the 
Emerald  Isle  and  after  attaining  his  majority  wedded  Miss  Elizabeth  Gillen. 
Their  marriage  occurred   March    11,    1863,   and   ten   days   afterward   they 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         479 

boarded  a  westward-bound  steamer  which  brought  them  to  the  United 
States.  For  a  short  time  they  were  residents  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
and  also  spent  a  few  months  in  Norristown,  where  their  first  child  was  born, 
March  23,  1864.  Upon  leaving  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Gillen  made  his  way 
westward  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  then  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  and  soon 
after  took  up  his  abode  on  a  farm  in  Doniphan  county.  His  time  has  since 
been  given  to  the  work  of  plowing,  planting  and  harvesting,  and  he  has  be- 
come the  owner  of  a  good  property. 

Of  the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gillen  we  make  the  following  observa- 
tions :  Alexander  C,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  ten  months; 
John  L.,  of  Farmington,  Kansas,  who  wedded  Jennie  Donahue  and  has  two 
children — Marie  and  Dorothy;  Hugh  X.,  of  Effingham,  married  Sadie 
Bishop;  Elizabeth  A.  is  the  next  of  the  family;  Margaret  E.  is  the  wiie  of 
John  E.  Murray,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Central  Branch  Railroad  Com- 
pany at  Wetmore,  Kansas;  William  M.,  of  Union  township,  married  Eva 
Doran  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  insurance  business,  but  during  President 
Cleveland's  first  administration  served  as  the  postmaster  of  Dentonville;  Marie 
L.  is  the  wife  of  Albert  Albers,  of  Wayne  township,  and  they  have  a  son, 
Robert ;  Jennie  O.,  Samuel  J.  T.  and  James  Arthur  are  the  younger  members 
of  the  family. 

Mr.  Gillen  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  principles  of  Democracy  and 
also  of  the  expansion  idea,  believing  that  we  should  retain  possession  of  the 
colonies  and  islands  acquired  in  the  recent  war  with  Spain.  For  a  cjuarter 
of  a  century  he  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  discharging  his  duties 
w-ith  impartiality.  He  came  to  America  with  the  hope  of  bettering  his  finan- 
cial condition  and  has  not  only  gained  a  good  home,  but  has  also  won  warm 
friends  who  esteem  him  very  highly  for  his  sterling  worth. 


JOHN  SWARTZ. 


There  are  men  in  Kansas  surrounded  by  all  evidences  of  comfort  and 
competency,  men  who  can  stand  on  the  porches  of  their  own  houses  and  con- 
template many  broad  acres  that  are  their  own,  who  can  look  back  through  a 
comparatively  brief  period  to  the  days  of  small  things.  Those  Doniphan 
county  farmers  whose  lives  there  date  back  to  "war  times"  are  on  the  list  of  old 
settlers,  and  are  respected  as  pioneers  who  have  much  valuable  local  history  in 
their  mental  storehouses.  Of  this  class  is  John  Swartz.  who  came  into  the 
county  almost  forty  years  ago  and  has  had  a  part  in  bringing  about  its  develop- 
ment and  has  profited  materially  thereby.    An  account  of  his  early  settlement 


48o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  experiences  and  of  his  later  successful  life  will  be  found  interesting  by 
any  one  who  has  thought  much  of  what  the  people  of  Kansas  owe  to  those  who 
were  pioneers  within  her  borders. 

John  Swartz,  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Unimi  townsliip,  Doniphan 
county,  was  born  May  27,  1837,  in  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania,  a  son  of 
Christian  Swartz,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  the  United  States  early 
in  life  and  was  a  laborer  at  such  work  as  his  hands  found  to  do.  For  a  time 
he  pounded  up  rock  on  the  national  pike  during  its  construction  from  Baltimore 
west.  He  finally  located  in  Westmoreland  county.  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
succeeded  so  admirably  as  a  farmer  that  it  would  seem  that  he  must  have  been 
exceptionally  adapted  to  that  vocation.  Later  he  was  one  of  the  well-to-do 
men  of  Fayette  county  in  the  same  state.  He  married  Elizabeth  Zeitlinger  and 
both  are  buried  in  the  county  last  named.  The  children  of  Christian  and  Eliz- 
abeth Swartz  were :  Susan,  the  wife  of  Hugh  Laughlin.  of  Fayette  county, 
Pennsylvania;  John:  Christian,  now  dead,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Union 
army  during  the  civil  war;  Elizabeth,  who  lives  on  the  old  Pennsylvania  home- 
stead ;  Joseph,  who  also  lives  at  the  old  home :  and  James,  of  W'ewoka,  Indian 
Territory. 

In  i860  John  Swartz  came  west  to  Kansas,  taking  boat  at  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  and  making  the  trips  to  Kansas  entirely  by  water  and  located  in 
Doniphan  county.  Later  he  moved  to  Atchison  county,  where  he  remained 
eighteen  months,  and  then  returned  to  Doniphan,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
While  a  resident  of  Atchison  county  he  made  a  few  trips  across  the  plains, 
freighting  from  Atchison  to  Denver.  He  belonged  to  the  poorer  class  of  set- 
tlers and  his  cash  was  exceedingly  limited.  He  managed  to  get  enough  money 
together  to  make  the  proper  payments  on  his  first  real  estate  purchase  and  at  the 
same  time  "keep  the  wolf  away  from  the  door"  of  his  household.  During  the 
first  few  years  of  their  life  in  Kansas  his  family  had  few  luxuries.  At  times 
it  was  considered  that  a  family  who  had  an  abundance  of  the  necessaries  of 
life  was  exceedingly  fortunate,  yet,  now  that  the  pioneer  days  and  their  experi- 
ences have  passed  into  history,  the  old  settlers  make  many  cheerful,  even  amus- 
ing, references  to  them.  As  Mr.  Swartz  prospered  in  the  years  following  the 
early  settlements  he  enlarged  his  undertakings,  adding  to  farming  the  feeding 
and  handling  of  stock.  This  he  is  still  engaged  in,  and  with  his  four  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  land  to  look  after  and  cultivate  he  is  a  busy  man. 

Mr.  Swartz  belonged  to  Colonel  Treat's  regiment  of  state  militia  and  was 
at  Kansas  City  during  the  civil  war,  when  General  Price  made  his  sortie  in  that 
direction,  and  is  a  living  witness  of  the  shameful  behavior  of  that  "dress- 
parade"  officer  on  that  occasion,  when  he  refused  to  put  the  regiment  under 
federal  authority  by  crossing  the  state  line  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy.  Mr. 
Swartz  is  a  Republican  and  takes  an  active  part  in  county  politics,  attending 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         481 

conventions  as  a  delegate,  in  which  capacity  he  aided  in  the  nomination  of 
Governor  Stanley  at  Hntchinson  in  1898.  He  served  Union  township  as  its 
first  treasurer  and  has  been  for  twenty-five  years  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
He  is  enthusiastic  in  his  support  of  the  new  idea  of  national  expansion  and  has 
no  patience  with  those  who  he  claims  seek  to  put  stumbling  blocks  in  the  way 
of  our  progress  as  a  people  and  retard  the  advancement  of  freedom  and  civili- 
zation. He  gives  some  of  his  time  to  political  work,  because  he  believes  he 
owes  such  labor  to  his  fellow  men,  but  has  never  sought  office  for  himself  and 
has  accepted  it  only  at  the  urgent  solicitation  of  his  townsmen.  As  a  man  of 
affairs  he  has  demonstrated  that  he  possesses  ability  of  a  high  order.  He  has 
had  much  to  do  with  many  matters  of  importance  and  was  called  to  the  vice- 
presidency  of  the  Bank  of  Huron,  a  position  which  he  has  filled  with  great  credit 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 

Mr.  Swartz  was  first  married,  in  February,  i860,  to  Margaret  Blair,  a 
daughter  of  Alec  Blair,  whose  son,  John  L.  Blair,  was  one  of  the  early  and 
successful  farmers  of  Doniphan  county.  Mrs.  Swartz  died  in  1875  and  in 
1877  Mr.  Swartz  went  to  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  married  Mary 
Krepps.  Mr.  Swartz's  children  are:  Christian,  of  Brown  county,  Kansas, 
who  married  Jennie  Eylar  and  has  two  children,  named  John  and  James; 
Alexander  B.,  who  married  Polly  Denton  and  has  a  daughter,  Lucy,  and  lives 
on  the  homestead;  James;  Lizzie;  and  Ida.  the  wife  of  John  Steele,  of  De 
Kalb,  Missouri,  whose  children  are  Oliver  and  an  infant. 


JOSEPH  J.  REICHENBERGER. 

Joseph  J.  Reichenberger  was  born  in  Doniphan  county  March  25,  1864, 
and  is  a  son  of  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  of  northeastern  Kansas,  the 
late  Peter  Reichenberger.  The  ancestry  of  the  family  can  be  traced  back 
through  many  generations  in  Germany.  It  is  believed  that  the  first  Reichen- 
berger to  enter  Germany  from  Bohemia,  their  ancient  home,  was  the  son  of  a 
nobleman.  Paul  Reichenberger,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  spent  the  last 
years  of  his  life  as  a  merchant  in  Steinach,  Bavaria.  He  married  .\nna  Kafer, 
a  Swiss  lady,  and  died  in  1843.  Their  children  were  Peter,  who  was  born  April 
3,  1830;  Teresa,  Margaret,  Johanna  and  Joseph.  Peter  Reichenberger  secured 
a  good  common-school  education  and  was  a  man  of  very  strong  mentality,  who 
would  probably  have  attained  an  eminent  position  in  life  had  he  been  afforded 
educational  advantages  of  a  superior  order.  He  was  married,  in  New  York 
city,  August  17.  1852,  four  years  after  his  arrival  in  the  United  States,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Barbara  Loerscher,  from  the  village  of  Orendorf, 
Prussia,     Her  mother  was  Margaret  Carl,  who  had  six  children. 


482  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Peter  Reichenberger  resided  in  New  York  for  ten  years.  In  his  youth  he 
learned  the  cabinetmaker's  trade  and  thus  gained  a  good  start  in  business  Hfe. 
He  brought  with  him  to  Kansas,  in  1858,  a  small  capital,  which  he  had  acquired 
as  the  result  of  his  efforts  at  his  trade,  and,  locating  in  Doniphan,  he  opened 
a  cabinet  shop  and  furniture  store,  soon  securing  a  very  extensive  patronage, 
which  enabled  him  to  gain  a  handsome  financial  return.  When  he  had  acquired 
a  comfortable  competence  he  retired  from  that  branch  of  business  and  invested 
his  money  in  land.  From  that  time  forward  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
and  from  time  to  time  added  to  his  property  until  he  was  the  owner  of  twelve 
hundred  acres  in  Doniphan  and  Brown  counties.  This  fact  indicates  his  busi- 
ness ability,  his  capable  management  and  his  sound  judgment.  In  politics  he 
was  a  Republican  and  was  a  Catholic  in  religious  belief.  All  who  knew  him 
respected  him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  honored  him  for  his  faithfulness  to 
duty. 

The  children  of  Peter  and  Barbara  Reichenberger,  who  now  survive,  are 
Alphonso,  a  prominent  farmer  and  active  politician  of  Sedgwick  county,  Kan- 
sas, who  married  Barbara  Mosher;  Nicholas,  who  married  Kate  Hess  and  is 
living  in  Reno  county,  Kansas ;  Maggie ;  Joseph ;  Peter,  who  carries  on  farm- 
ing in  Sedgwick  county  and  married  Rosa  Libel ;  and  Benedict,  at  home,  Brown 
county,  Kansas. 

Joseph  J.  Reichenberger.  of  this  review,  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm 
and  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  Since  attaining  his 
majority  he  has  resided  on  Independence  creek,  where  he  owns  a  good  tract 
of  land.  He  is  now  one  of  the  extensive  and  successful  grain  and  stock  raisers 
of  this  section  of  the  state,  prosecuting  his  labors  with  diligence  and  enter- 
prise. He  owns  a  half-section  of  land  admirabl)'  adapted  to  the  uses  to  which 
it  is  put  and  his  capable  management  has  brought  to  him  a  desirable  pros- 
perity. For  eight  years  after  attaining  his  majority  he  obtained  a  thresher 
and  was  widely  known  in  farming  communities  in  that  capacity.  His  success 
is  the  reward  of  his  earnest  labor  and  in  all  matters  of  business  he  is  thor- 
oughly reliable.  He  represents  a  family  that  has  been  long  and  honorably 
connected  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  Doniphan  county  and  has- brought 
not  the  least  shadow  of  reproach  upon  their  untarnished  name. 


ALBERT  B.  DICKENS. 

One  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock  dealers  of  Wolf  River  township, 
Albert  B.  Dickens,  has  been  prominently  associated  with  the  farming  inter- 
ests near  Bendena  for  the  past  eighteen  years.      His  ancestors  through  many 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  4S3 

generations  were  connected  with  agricultural  interests  in  the  east,  and  he  was 
reared  upon  a  farm  in  New  York,  although  his  early  manhood  was  spent 
roaming  the  mountains  and  on  the  plains  of  the  west.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Schuyler  county,  New  York,  December  31,  1841,  and  he  is  of  English  de- 
scent, his  grandfather  having  been  a  native  of  the  "merrie  isle."Samuel 
Dickens,  his  father,  was  probably  born  in  the  state  of  Delaware,  followed 
farming  throughout  his  entire  life  and  died  in  Schuyler  county,  New  York, 
in  1853,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  He  married  Abigail  Updyke,  a  lady 
of  German  lineage,  whose  death  occurred  in  Schuyler  county,  New  York, 
in  1883.  Their  children  were:  Lewis,  a  farmer  of  Schuyler  county;  Henry, 
who  died  leaving  a  family  in  Pennsylvania;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Ward  Wilkins, 
a  resident  of  Ovid,  New  York,  and  Julia,  the  wife  of  George  Bailey,  of  Mis- 
souri. 

In  his  youth  Albert  B.  Dickens  worked  on  the  farm  through  the  summer 
months,  and  after  harvests  were  garnered  in  the  autumn  was  allowed  the 
privilege  of  attending  the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  During  the 
first  year  of  the  war  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1862  a  strong  feeling  of  patriotism  prompted  his  enlistment, 
and  at  Havana,  New  York,  he  was  enrolled  among  the  "boys  in  blue"  of 
Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  New  York  Infantry,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Van  Valkenburg.  This  regiment  was  at  first  attached  to 
the  Twelfth  Army  Corps,  and  afterward  became  a  part  of  the  Twentieth 
Corps  by  the  consolidation  of  the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps.  Mr. 
Dickens  was  mustered  in  at  Elmira,  New  York,  and,  by  the  way  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  went  to  the  front.  His  first  field  service  was  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  from  which  point  the  regiment  marched 
to  the  battle  field  of  Antietam.  Following  that  engagement  the  army  was 
stationed  at  Belleplain,  on  the  Potomac,  and  later  participated  in  the  engage- 
ments at  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Lookout  Mountain  and  in  the  almost 
continuous  fighting  of  the  Atlanta  campaign  down  to  Dallas,  where  Mr. 
Dickens  received  a  gunshot  wound  in  the  leg.  This  incapacitated  him  for 
further  field  service,  but  he  was  transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  and 
it  was  not  until  after  his  regiment  was  discharged  that  he  was  mustered  out. 
He  was  very  loyal  and  true  to  the  old  fiag  and  the  cause  it  represented, 
and  his  valor  was  manifest  on  many  a  southern  battlefield. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Dickens  returned  to  his  home  in  the  Empire  state, 
where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1866,  when  he  came  west,  locating  in 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  He  possessed  health,  industry  and  ambition,  but  had 
little  capital  beyond  what  was  needed  to  bring  him  to  the  Missouri  valley. 
In  a  short  time,  however,  he  secured  work  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  who  was 
operating  a  saw-mill  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  remained  with  him  through 


484  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  summer :  he  then  secured  a  span  of  horses  with  wliich  he  conveyed 
a  load  of  passengers  across  the  plains  to  Colorado.  He  was  quick  to  note 
the  opportunities  for  a  teamster  in  that  region  and  followed  the  business 
for  some  time,  engaging  in  freighting  through  the  mountainous  country 
around  Denver  and  Cheyenne.  For  thirteen  years  he  enjoyed  an  excellent 
patronage  and  from  his  well-earned  capital  saved  a  sufficient  sum  to  purchase 
a  farm.  Accordingly  he  invested  in  land  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  in 
1881,  becoming  the  owner  of  a  quarter-section,  upon  which  his  beautiful  home 
is  now  located.  He  has  since  devoted  his  energies  to  general  farming  and  is 
also  one  of  the  leading  cattle  dealers  in  the  vicinity  of  Bendena,  feeding  from 
eighty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  head  each  winter.  His  success  as  a  farmer 
has  been  marked  and  his  prosperity  is  indicated  in  his  increased  real  estate 
holdings,  his  farm  now  comprising  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  arable 
and  valuable  land. 

Mr.  Dickens  was  married  in  Doniphan  county,  in  1881,  to  Mamie  Otten, 
a  lady  of  German  parentage.  Their  children  are:  Charles,  William  L., 
Hattie,  Helen,  Edna  and  Mildred. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Dickens  is  a  Republican  and  keeps  well  in- 
formed on  the  issues  of  the  day,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  political 
honors,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business  interests. 
His  industry  is  probably  his  most  salient  characteristic  and  has  been  the  most 
potent  element  in  securing  to  him  prosperity. 


JOHN  HENRY  DENTON. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  younger  brother  of  Joseph  Denton,  a 
biographical  sketch  of  whom  appears  in  these  pages,  and  was  the  third  in  the 
order  of  birth  of  the  children  of  John  and  Mary  A.  (Pickwell)  Denton,  who 
were  named  as  follows :  Joseph ;  Rebecca,  who  is  dead ;  John  H. ;  Anna,  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Toyne,  of  Carroll,  Iowa;  Charles;  Mary  and  Betsey,  both 
of  whom  are  dead,  and  William,  who  remains  in  England.  His  parents  both 
died  in  their  native  land,  his  father  in  1897,  aged  eighty-eight  years.  Much 
information  of  interest  concerning  the  early  history  of  the  Denton  family 
will  be  found  in  the  notice  of  George  Denton,  which  has  a  place  in  this  work. 

John  Denton  grew  up  in  the  country,  learning  how  to  perform  the  labor 
of  a  shepherd  and  farmer.  The  circumstances  of  the  family  compelled  him 
to  engage  early  as  a  wage  earner  in  the  work  to  which  he  had  been  reared. 
He  received  fifty  shillings  for  his  first  year's  work  and  rose  gradually  in  worth 
to  his  employer  until  he  received  seventeen  pounds  for  his  last  year's  service 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         485 

as  a  wage  earner.  He  remained  in  England  until  his  twenty-seventh  year 
and  spent  fourteen  years  of  the  time  as  a  hired  man.  He  sailed  on  the  City 
of  Brooklyn  for  New  York,  1870.  He  went  from  the  eastern  metropolis  to 
Chicago  and  was  employed  in  that  city  in  Lill's  hrewery  until  the  great 
Chicago  fire  of  the  following  year  destroyed  that  institution.  He  then  went 
to  Morrow  county,  Ohio,  and  lived  there  until  1875,  cutting  wood,  digging 
ditches,  farming  and  performing  the  functions  of  a  man  of  all  work.  He 
came  to  Doniphan  county  in  the  year  last  mentioned  and  rented  land  for  a 
time  and  engaged  in  farming.  When  he  finally  purchased  a  home  it  was 
the  one  upon  which  he  resides,  not  the  largest,  hut  one  of  the  most  attractive 
about  Denton. 

Mr.  Denton's  beginning  in  Doniphan  county  was  on  a  small  scale.  He 
did  not  grasp  for  the  large  matters  and  consequently  overreach  himself,  but 
was  content  to  accumulate  slowly  but  surely.  He  has  devoted  himself  chiefly 
to  the  growing  of  grain  and  whatever  he  is  and  has  gained  resulted  from  his 
well-directed  personal  effort  and  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  safe  men  of  his 
community,  against  whom  no  adverse  criticism  can  be  made.  He  has  gone 
about  his  own  affairs  with  the  greatest  steadiness  and  regularity  and  has 
no  interest  in  politics  other  than  to  see  the  best  men  chosen  to  public  office. 
In  national  matters  he  allies  himself  with  the  Republican  party,  believing 
that  the  greatest  good  to  our  country  has  come  under  the  administration  of 
that  party's  policy.  Mr.  Denton  was  married  at  Bardney,  Lincolnshire,  Eng- 
land, in  1870,  to  Eliza,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Denton.  Their  children  are: 
Betsey,  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Thayer;  Maria,  the  wife  of  Charles  Campian, 
of  Willis ;  Lillie,  dead ;  Herbert,  Arthur,  Albert  and  Nellie. 


JOSEPH  W.  HOWARD. 

A  representative  of  the  farming  and  stock-shipping  interests  of  Doniphan 
county,  Mr.  Howard  makes  his  home  in  Wolf  River  township  and  has  long 
been  a  resident  of  this  locality.  He  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Illinois,  Feb- 
ruary 8.  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  Abraham  Howard,  whose  birth  occurred  near 
Zanesville,  Ohio,  in  the  year  1821.  He  was  of  English  descent  and  is  a  son  of 
George  Howard,  who  married  Rachel  Waggy,  a  daughter  of  Philip  Waggy, 
a  citizen  of  Ross  county,  Ohio.  In  the  year  1844  Abraham  Howard  removed 
to  Adams  county,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occur- 
ring on  the  2d  of  April,  1899.  His  wife  still  survives  him  and  has  now  reached 
the  age  of  seventy-two.    Their  children  are:    Joseph  W. ;  Melissa,  the  wife  of 


486  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

William  Schwab,  of  Doniphan  county;  Philip  L..  who  is  also  living  in  Doni- 
phan county;  William  C.  a  resident  of  Argonia.  Sumner  county,  Kansas; 
Clare,  the  wife  of  Arthur  Carter,  of  Plainfield,  Illinois;  and  Harley,  who  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead  near  Plainfield. 

Joseph  W.  Howard  spent  his  boyhood  days  under  the  parental  roof, 
remaining  at  home  until  he  had  attained  his  twenty-fourth  year.  During  the 
winter  seasons  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  acquired  a 
fair  English  knowledge.  Upon  the  home  farm  he  learned  lessons  of  industry 
and  perseverance,  which  have  proven  of  great  value  to  him  in  his  active  busi- 
ness career.  In  1874  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  renting  a  farm  near  his 
father's  home  and  engaging  in  the  raising  of  grain.  He  resided  for  three  years 
in  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  and  in  1880  determined  to  come  to  Kansas,  hoping 
to  benefit  his  financial  condition  by  his  removal  to  the  less  thickly  settled  dis- 
trict. With  his  teams,  farm  implements  and  household  effects  he  arrived  in 
Doniphan  county  on  the  23d  of  January,  1888,  making  a  location  in  the  vicinity 
of  Bendena.  He  followed  farming  as  his  main  occupation  until  the  Rock 
Island  Railroad  was  built  through  this  section  of  the  state,  when  he  began 
dealing  in  live  stock,  shipping  his  first  loads  of  stock  even  before  the  yards 
were  constructed  at  Bendena.  In  1883  he  purchased  his  present  home,  compris- 
ing the  northwest  quarter  of  section  4,  range  20,  Wolf  River  township.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  valuable  tracts  of  farm  land  in  the  county  and  its  richly  culti- 
vated fields  yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute,  wiiile  its  verdant  meadows  afford 
e.xcellent  pasture  for  the  stock. 

Mr.  Howard's  home  is  presided  over  by  an  estimable  lady,  who  has  many 
friends  in  this  locality.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mattie  Congrove  and 
IS  a  daughter  of  Elias  Congrove,  of  Pomeroy,  Ohio.  The  wedding  was  cele- 
brated September  i,  1872,  and  six  children  came  to  bless  their  union:  Lulu, 
who  is  now  the  wife  of  Herman  G.  Albers;  Roy  Howard,  who  was  born  in 
1882;  and  four  dying  in  infancy.  Mr.  Howard  is  an  active  factor  in  local 
politics. 

He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Democratic  party  and  has  always  advo- 
cated its  principles.  He  was  its  candidate  for  representative  to  the  legislature 
in  the  fall  of  1892  and  contested  the  election  of  the  Republican  postmaster 
before  the  "rump  house,"  presided  over  by  J.  M.  Dunsmore.  He  won  the  con- 
test and  participated  in  the  proceedings  of  that  body  until  its  dissolution  by 
Judge  Horton.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  force  of  character,  of  earnest  purpose 
and  unflinching  in  support  of  his  honest  convictions,  and  by  his  fellow  towns- 
men is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  reliable  citizens  of  the  community.  He  has 
met  with  creditable  success  in  his  business  affairs  and  his  marked  energy  and 
enterprise  have  made  him  well  worthy  of  the  prosperity  that  has  come  to 
him. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  487 

WILLIAM  DENTON. 

There  is  not  a  more  interesting  family  connected  with  the  history  of 
Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  than  the  Denton  family,  different  members  of 
which  are  referred  to  somewhat  at  length  in  these  pages.  In  a  biographical 
sketch  of  George  Denton,  the  eldest  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Welbourn) 
Denton,  which  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  work,  the  early  history  of  the 
family  is  referred  to.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  na- 
tivity of  the  children  of  William  and  Mary  (Welbourn)  Denton,  and  is  the 
third  William  Denton  in  his  family  in  direct  line  of  descent. 

William  Denton,  who  was  a  pioneer  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  is  a 
prosperous  farmer  and  prominent  representative  of  that  worthy  family  in 
honor  of  whom  the  village  of  Denton  was  named.  He  was  born  at  Welton, 
Lincolnshire,  England,  January  17,  1831,  and  obtained  a  fair  education  in 
the  schools  then  common  to  pupils  of  his  station.  At  the  youthful  age  of 
thirteen  years  he  began  the  actual  struggle  of  life.  His  term  of  service  was 
by  the  year,  his  labor  was  on  a  farm  and  his  compensation  was  two  pounds. 
As  he  gained  strength  and  experience,  his  wages  were  increased  accordingly, 
and  when  he  entered  his  eighth  year  as  a  farm  laborer  he  was  drawing  twelve 
pounds  a  year  and  board.  As  he  approached  his  majority  he  permitted  him- 
self to  think  seriously  of  leaving  the  old  world  with  its  plodding  customs 
and  poor  opportunities  for  labor,  for  the  new  world  and  its  push  and  rush, 
where  men  are  equal  in  civil  rights  and  merit  wins. 

He  sailed  from  Liverpool,  in  1852,  on  the  Kossuth,  and  landed  in  New 
York  seven  weeks  and  four  days  after  his  embarkation.  One  incident  of  the  - 
journey  is  worthy  of  mention  as  showing  the  streak  of  economy,  with  its  at- 
tendant good  results,  that  had  been  made  a  part  of  him  by  years  of  work  and 
self-denial.  Many  passengers,  having  as  they  thought  provisions  of  their  own 
with  them  sufficient  for  the  voyage,  fell  into  the  custom  of  throwing  away  the 
food  allotted  to  them  by  the  vessel  commissary.  This  piece  of  criminal  extrava- 
gance young  Denton  could  not  endure,  and  he  procured  a  gunny  sack  for  the 
reception  of  this  food  that  it  might  serve  some  good  purpose.  When  one  would 
declare,  "I  don't  want  these  crackers,  or  this  or  that,"  Mr.  Denton  would  say, 
"Throw  it  into  the  sack."  The  vessel  was  becalmed,  made  no  progress  and  was 
consequently  delayed  some  weeks  in  reaching  New  York.  Some  of  the  pas- 
sengers ate  all  their  own  food  and  such  full  rations  as  the  ship  could  supply 
and  finally  had  to  rely  upon  the  young  Englishman's  gunny  sack  to  dispel  their 
hunger. 

Mr.  Denton,  who  was  bound  for  Morrow  county,  Ohio,  stopped  at  Cale- 
donia two  years,  worked  at  odd  jobs,  including  livery  stable  and  farm  work, 
but  believed  he  was  not  yet  far  enough  west.     He  longed  for  the  gold  fields 


488  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  the  Pacific  and  in  1854  left  New  York  harbor  for  San  Francisco.  He 
crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  partially  by  rail  and  partially  on  foot  and 
when  he  reached  the  city  of  the  Golden  Gate  he  had  but  two  dollars  and  fifty 
cents  remaining.  Upon  looking  about  for  work  he  found  a  scythe  waiting 
his  acceptance  and  with  it  he  earned,  at  hay  harvest,  forty-five  dollars  a  month. 
At  the  end  of  a  month  he  made  a  demand  on  his  employer,  one  Green,  for 
his  wages,  and  hurried  away  to  the  gold  diggings  on  the  Yuba  river.  He 
hung  around  Barton's  Bar  a  month  before  getting  work  and  was  then  em- 
ployed to  help  flume  the  river  and  placed  on  the  pay  roll  at  four  dollars  a 
day  for  the  summer.  The  following  winter  he  went  into  the  timber  to  the 
Union  saw-mills  and  remained  with  the  concern  two  or  three  years,  cutting 
logs  and  doing  such  other  labor  as  is  needed  round  a  mill.  Later  for  two  years 
he  was  employed  at  a  mill  near  Coloma.  He  then  went  to  farming  in  the 
Sacramento  valley  at  fifty  dollars  a  month.  The  second  year  he  rented 
one  hundred  acres  from  his  employer  and  sowed  it  to  small  grain.  This 
proved  to  be  one  of  his  best  ventures.  He  sold  his  crop  the  following  year 
and  returned  by  the  water  route  to  New  York.  He  reached  that  city  just 
after  the  draft  riot  had  been  quelled  and  while  cannon  were  still  visible  on 
street  corners. 

Going  back  to  Ohio  Mr.  Denton  bought  a  small  farm  and  held  it  two 
years.  He  then  sold  it  and  came  to  Kansas,  reaching  Doniphan  county  in 
June,  1865,  after  a  long  trip  by  boat  from  Cincinnati  to  Atchison.  His  first 
investment  was  the  purchase  of  a  forty-acre  corn  crop  on  Wolf  river.  He 
afterward  bought  a  small  farm  on  that  stream  and  lived  on  it  until 
1867,  when  he  came  to  his  present  home  near  the  village  of  Denton,  a  part 
of  which  is  included  in  the  town  site.  To  his  original  purchase  of  a  quarter- 
section,  Mr.  Denton  has  added  another  of  the  same  acreage  and  the  whole  farm 
is  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  the  county.  He  has  developed  into  one  of  the 
most  successful  grain  raisers  and  general  farmers  in  Union  township  and 
has  been  reasonably  successful  at  handling  stock,  though  his  operations  in 
that  way  have  been  comparatively  small.  Mr.  Denton  has  for  ten  years  been 
township  treasurer. 

Mr.  Denton  was  married,  in  1864,  to  Margaret  Chaney,  a  daughter  of 
James  Chaney  and  a  native  of  Bureau  county,  Illinois.  James  Chaney's 
parents  lived  in  Georgetown,  District  of  Columbia,  where  he  was  born  about 
1787:  both  died  when  he  was  four  years  old.  He  fell  into  the  hands  of  a 
Virginian,  a  Mr.  White,  who  taught  him  the  trade  of  cabinetmaker  and  with 
whom  he  remained  until,  in  the  seventeenth  year  of  his  age,  his  master  was 
intolerably  abusive  to  him  and  he  ran  away  before  he  had  completed  the 
term  for  which  he  was  bound,  and  went  to  New  Orleans.  There  he  enlisted 
for  service  in  the  Mexican  war  and  he  did  soldier's  duty  until  he  was  dis- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  489 

charged.  He  then  came  up  the  Mississippi  river  and  on  up  the  Missouri 
river  to  St.  Joseph,  then  an  outpost  of  civihzation.  He  drifted  about  the 
west  for  a  time,  but  finally  settled  in  Clark  county,  Ohio.  Later  he  moved 
to  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  there.  He  was 
twice  married,  first  to  Sophia  Layton,  by  whom  there  is  no  surviving  issue, 
and  secondly  to  Clarissa  Marple,  who  bore  him  ten  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Denton  was  the  second  born.  Her  brothers  are :  Samuel  Chaney,  of  Hastings, 
Nebraska;  James  S.  and  George  Chaney,  a  farmer  and  a  merchant,  respect- 
ively, of  Denton,  Kansas,  and  prominent  and  successful  business  men,  both 
of  whom  were  Federal  soldiers  in  the  civil  war  and  did  their  duty  well  and 
fearlessly;  John  Chaney,  of  Marysville,  Kansas;  David  and  Richard  Chaney, 
of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  Her  sisters  are:  Ruth,  the  wife  of  William 
Heller,  of  Bedford,  Iowa,  and  Clarissa,  the  wife  of  Oliver  Heator,  of  Denton, 
Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Denton  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Daisy,  a  young 
lady  of  much  promise,  born  in  Doniphan  county,  eighteen  years  ago.  The 
family  afiiliates  with  the  United  Brethren  church. 


FRED  HOYT. 


On  the  roll  of  the  farmers  of  Mission  township,  Brown  county,  appears 
the  name  of  Fred  Hoyt,  who  was  also  classified  among  the  honored  pioneers, 
dating  his  residence  here  from  1858 — a  very  early  period  in  the  development 
of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  was  a  lad  of  only  five  years  at  the  time  of  his 
arrival.  His  birth  occurred  in  Lagrange,  Maine,  in  1853.  His  father,  Daniel 
Hoyt,  now  deceased,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Brown  county.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Sandwich,  New  Hampshire,  May  6,  1813,  his  parents  being  Sol- 
omon and  Sarah  (Rogers)  Hoyt,  who  had  a  family  of  seven  children.  The 
parents  were  of  good  old  English  stock  and  early  taught  their  son  habits  of 
industry  and  honesty.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he  was  married, 
in  Penobscot  county,  Maine,  to  Miss  Maria  Osgood,  who  was  born,  reared 
and  educated  in  the  Pine  Tree  state.  In  1857  he  removed  with  his  family 
to  Wisconsin,  where  they  remained  for  a  year,  coming  to  Brown  county,  Kan- 
sas, in  1858.  They  located  on  section  14,  Mission  township,  where  they  re- 
sided for  many  years.  Afterward  the  father  and  two  of  his  sons  purchased 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  13,  and  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  24, 
Mission  township,  constituting  a  valuable  property  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres.  The  parents  both  died  on  the  old  home  farm,  the  mother  in  1895,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years,  the  father  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  eighty- four 
years.     In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  reared 


490  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

in  the  Quaker  faith.  Tliey  had  a  family  of  five  children,  namely :  Elmer,  who 
has  been  a  resident  of  Dickerson  county.  Kansas,  since  1889;  Fred,  the  subject 
of  this  review;  Almira,  who  became  the  wife  of  B.  F.  McCoy,  and  died  in 
1881  ;  and  two  who  died  in  childhood. 

Fred  Hoyt  was  reared  amidst  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier  life  in  Brown 
county.  He  pursued  his  education  here  in  the  public  schools,  and  froni  the 
time  of  early  planting  in  the  spring  until  crops  were  harvested  in  the  autumn 
assisted  in  the  work  of  field  and  meadow.  In  April,  1883,  in  Hiawatha,  Kan- 
sas, he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha  Kinder,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Illinois  and  was  a  daughter  of  Alexander  Kinder,  who  joined  the 
Union  army  during  the  civil  war  and  died  in  the  service.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoyt 
now  have  one  child,  Del  fern,  who  was  born  October  7,  1890. 

The  home  of  the  family  is  a  modern  and  tasteful  residence  which  was 
erected  in  1884,  and  stands  on  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  well  tilled  fields  yielding 
to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute  for  the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  them. 
.He  also  keeps  on  hand  a  high  grade  of  short-horn  cattle,  horses  and  hogs,  and 
his  stock-raising  interests  add  materially  to  his  income.  His  business  affairs 
are  well  managed  and  have  brought  him  a  creditable  success.  He  takes  an 
active  interest  in  politics  and  keeps  well  informed  concerning  the  issues  of  the 
day,  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  yet  has  never  sought  or  desired  office. 
Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is 
deservedly  popular  among  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  and  de- 
serves mention  among  the  honored  early  settlers  of  the  county. 


JEREMIAH  J.  CRONIN. 

Jeremiah  J.  Cronin,  of  Wolf  River  township,  has  been  identified  with  the 
interests  of  Doniphan  county  since  an  early  period  in  its  development.  By 
memory  he  can  recall  the  days  when  the  greater  part  of  the  land  was  still  in 
its  primitive  condition,  when  the  site  of  the  now  flourishing  towns  and  villages 
was  barren  prairie  and  when  this  section  of  the  country  was  regarded  as  on  the 
very  border  of  civilization.  Throughout  the  intervening  years  which  have 
passed  since  his  arri\-al  he  has  watched  with  interest  the  progress  that  has  been 
made  and  has  willingly  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  ad\-ancement  and  im- 
provement. 

A  native  of  Troy,  New  York,  he  was  born  on  the  17th  of  September. 
1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Ellen  ( Hurley)  Cronin,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  county  Cork,  Ireland.     On  the  Emerald  Isle  they  spent  their  child- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  491 

hood  days  and  were  married,  after  whicli  tliey  came  to  the  United  States,  locat- 
ing in  Troy,  New  York.  The  fatlier  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  and  died  in  1893, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-three  years.  In  his  family  w^ere  the  following 
named:  Cornelius,  now  deceased;  Daniel  J.,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York;  Ellen, 
the  wife  of  Joseph  C.  Clark,  of  Elizabethtown,  Colorado;  Jeremiah  J. ;  Dennis 
J.,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Thirteenth  Kansas  Infantry  during  the  civil  war 
and  now  resides  in  the  Soldiers'  Home  at  Leavenworth;  and  John  J.,  an  em- 
ployee of  the  Waldorf-Astoria  hotel  in  New  York  city. 

Jeremiah  J.  Cronin  spent  the  first  seventeen  years  of  his  life  in  the  city 
of  his  birth,  and  soon  afterward,  joining  his  brother-in-law,  Joseph  C.  Clark, 
came  with  him  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas.  In  the  fall  of  1858,  in  company 
with  two  others,  he  made  preparations  for  going  to  the  mines  of  the  west. 
They  secured  a  team,  provisions,  and  miners'  paraphernalia  and  started  across 
the  plains  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  In  what  is  now  Colorado  they  joined  a 
train  in  charge  of  Sam  Mechant,  an  old  Indian  trader,  with  whom  they  went 
to  California  Crossing.  The  little  trio  then  left  the  party  and  established  their 
headquarters  at  St.  Brain's  Fort,  from  which  point  they  would  make  excur- 
sions into  the  country  on  hunting  and  prospecting  expeditions.  They  passed 
the  winter  in  that  untamed  region,  signed  the  petition  to  congress  fcr  the  or- 
ganization of  the  territory  of  Colorado,  and  in  the  summer  of  1859  returned  to 
Doniphan  county,  not  having  seen  a  white  woman  while  in  the  mountains. 

On  again  reaching  the  Mississippi  valley  Mr.  Cronin  sought  and  ob- 
tained a  position  in  a  livery  stable  in  St.  Joseph,  where  he  remained  until  the 
spring  of  1859,  when  he  again  came  to  Doniphan  county.  During  the  three 
succeeding  years  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1862  entered  the  government 
service  as  a  teamster,  being  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  with  which 
he  traveled  through  southwestern  Missouri  and  Tennessee.  During  his  two 
years  with  that  command  he  was  never  taken  prisoner,  but  near  Memphis, 
Tennessee,  he  narrowly  escaped  capture. 

On  leaving  the  army  Mr.  Cronin  returned  to  the  farm  and  rented  land  in 
Doniphan  county  until  1867,  when  he  purchased  a  small  farm,  becoming  a 
permanent  resident  of  northeastern  Kansas.  He  has  since  devoted  his  ener- 
gies exclusively  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  his  efforts  have  been  followed 
by  very  satisfactory  results.  He  has  prosecuted  his  labors  with  diligence 
and  enterprise,  and  as  his  financial  resources  have  increased  he  has  extended 
the  boundaries  of  his  farm,  and  is  today  the  owner  of  three  farms  besides  the 
original  tract,  aggregating  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  acres,  including  the 
rich  Cummings  Hooper's  place.  His  well  tilled  fields,  substantial  buildings  and 
the  neat  appearance  of  his  place  all  indicate  his  careful  supervision,  and  the 
passer  by  would  at  once  designate  him  as  a  successful  and  representative  farmer 
of  the  neighborhood. 


492  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

On  the  i6th  of  January,  1868,  Mr.  Cronin  was  happily  married  to  Miss 
Jeanette  L.  Follette,  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Juha  (Turner)  Follette.  Her 
father  was  an  early  settler  of  Williams  county,  Ohio,  and  his  death  occurred  in 
Doniphan  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cronin  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  Wolf 
River  township,  and  enjoy  the  high  regard  of  many  friends. 


WILLIAM  T.  WOOD. 


William  T.  Wood  was  extensively  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Wolf  River  township  and  his  business  methods  are  practical  and  progressive 
and  systematic.  He  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  west,  and  the  spirit  of 
progress  which  dominates  this  region  is  manifested  in  his  business  career. 
Born  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  on  the  29th  of  September,  1840,  he  is  a 
son  of  John  Wood,  who  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Doniphan  county. 
His  grandfather,  Jerry  Wood,  was  of  English  birth,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  America,  becoming  a  resident  of  Bedford,  Virginia,  where  the  birth  of 
John  Wood  occurred. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  the  later  removed  with  his  family  from  Missouri 
to  Doniphan  county,  being  one  of  the  first  white  men  to  make  a  permanent 
settlement  here.  He  pre-empted  a  tract  of  land  about  three  and  a  half  miles 
from  St.  Joseph,  about  the  time  that  Missouri  was  admitted  into  the  Union, 
and  again  secured  a  government  claim  on  coming  to  Doniphan  county,  thus 
becoming  owner  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  15,  Wolf  River  township. 
He  was  a  wide-awake,  energetic  and  prosperous  farmer,  meeting  with  marked 
success  and  accumulating  extensive  land  possessions,  so  that  he  was  enabled 
to  aid  all  his  children  in  starting  out  in  life  by  giving  to  them  desirable  farms. 
He  died  on  the  old  homestead  that  he  pre-empted,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four 
years,  and  the  community  lost  thereby  one  of  its  valued  citizens.  In  early- 
manhood  he  had  married  Miss  Nancy  Carter,  and  her  death  occurred  in  Doni- 
phan county,  in  1878,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety-one  years.  Their  children 
were  John  P.,  who  died  in  Siskiyou  county,  California;  Mary,  the  deceased 
wife  of  Hugh  Robertson;  Margaret,  the  deceased  wife  of  George  M.  Bromley; 
Leslie,  deceased;  and  Catharine,  the  wife  of  Laborn  Jackson,  of  Atchison 
county. 

No  event  of  special  importance  to  our  subject  occurred  during  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  which  was  spent  upon  his  father's  farm,  and  in  attending  the  district 
schools,  but  hardly  had  he  attained  his  majority,  when  the  civil  war  was- 
inaugurated  and  with  patriotic  spirit  he  responded  to  the  call  fof  troops,  enlist- 
ing in  Company  F,  Fifth  Kansas  Cavalry,  under  Colonel  Clayton.     He  was. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         493 

with  that  regiment  for  eighteen  montlis.  during  which  time  he  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Morristown,  Osceola  and  Locust  Grove.  Subsequently  he  was 
transferred  to  Company  K,  Tenth  Kansas  Infantry,  and  made  sergeant  of  the 
company.  This  command  was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 
and  with  it  he  participated  in  the  last  battle  of  Franklin,  Tennessee,  took 
part  in  the  engagement  at  Nashville,  where  Hooil's  army  was  almost  anni- 
hilated, and  later  he  aided  in  the  capture  of  Spanish  Fort  and  Fort  Blakely. 
He  veteranized  at  Alton,  Illinois,  and  when  the  war  was  over  was  mustered 
out  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He  never  received  a  wound,  although  he  partici- 
pated in  many  hotly  contested  engagements,  being  ever  found  at  his  post  of 
duty,  whether  on  the  field  of  battle  or  on  the  picket  lines. 

With  an  honorable  war  record  Mr.  Wood  returned  to  Doniphan  county, 
and  soon  after  began  farming  for  himself.  He  purchased  the  northeast  quar- 
ter of  section  i6,  Wolf  River  township,  and  this  proved  the  nucleus  of  his 
present  fine  farm,  which  now  comprises  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich 
and  arable  land  under  a  high  state  of  cidtivation.  In  October,  1865.  he  chose 
as  a  companion  and  helpmeet  on  life's  journey,  Miss  Abbie  Literil,  a  native  of 
Kentucky.  Their  marriage  was  blessed  with  eight  children,  namely:  John 
P.,  who  married  Lula  Wykert  and  resides  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri ;  Annie,  the 
wife  of  Augustus  Davis,  of  Sumner  county,  Kansas;  Nancy,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Chase,  of  Doniphan  county;  William  H..  George  C,  Ida,  Hugh  and  Lula, 
all  with  their  parents.  In  politics  Mr.  \\'ood  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  un- 
swerving in  the  support  of  the  principles  of  the  party,  yet  has  never  sought 
office.  He  is  ever  true  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  and  to  those  of  private  life. 
Actively  identified  with  agricultural  pursuits,  he  is  numbered  among  the 
representative  farmers  of  Doniphan  county  and  is  respected  by  all  who  know 
him. 


LUCIUS  W.  CAMPBELL. 

This  gentleman  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Doniphan  county,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Wolf  River  township,  July  2,  1868.  His  father,  Charles 
Campbell,  was  born  in  Jefferson  county.  New  York,  in  January,  1839,  and  is 
a  son  of  William  Campbell.  His  father  was  a  Scotchman  and  his  mother  was 
a  native  of  Wales.  Coming  to  America,  the  great-grandparents  of  our  sub- 
ject took  up  their  abode  in  New  York,  where  William  Campbell  was  born. 
Charles  Campbell  became  a  resident  of  Kansas  in  1861,  locating  at  Palermo. 
He  began  working  by  the  month  for  Alby  Saxton,  of  St.  Joseph,  who  owned 
a  farm  in  Washington  township,  and  thus  he  gained  a  start.  He  supplemented 
his  wages  in  winter  with  money  secured  as  a  trapper  and  hunter,  and  as  the 


494  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

result  of  his  industry  and  economy  he  secured  a  small  capital  which  enabled  him 
to  engage  in  business  for  himself.  He  was  prominently  connected  with  the 
history  of  pioneer  life  in  the  west,  for  at  an  early  day  he  had  become  one  of  the 
frontier  settlers  of  Wisconsin,  having  emigrated  from  New  York  to  the  Badger 
state  with  his  parents  in  1842.  In  1858  he  came  to  the  west  with  a  freight 
concern  as  night  herder,  and  crossed  the  plains  a  number  of  times  during  his 
three  years'  connection  with  the  freighting  train.  Finally  he  decided  to 
locate  in  Salem  county,  Kansas,  and  there  secured  a  claim,  but  not  long  after- 
ward he  abandoned  it  preparatory  to  removing  to  Doniphan  county.  Here, 
after  several  years'  hard  labor  in  the  service  of  others,  he  purchased  a  farm 
in  1867,  becoming  the  owner  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  34,  Wolf 
River  township,  east  of  Bendena.  There  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  devot- 
ing his  time  and  energy  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields,  which  yielded  to  him 
a  good  return.  His  efforts  were  crowned  with  a  gratifying  degree  of  success, 
and  he  became  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  the  community.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Republican  for  many  years,  but  becoming  dissatisfied  with  that  party 
he  joined  the  People's  party  on  its  organization.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Ida  M.  Emmons,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with  the  following 
children:  Charles  A.,  now  deceased;  L.  W.,  of  this  review;  George,  who  has 
also  passed  away;  Mary  M.,  the  wife  of  Frank  Elliott,  the  publisher  of  the 
Troy  Times;  Hattie  C,  the  wife  of  George  Pope;  Ida  and  John  E.  The 
father  of  these  children  was  called  to  his  final  rest  June  16,  1898. 

LuciusW.  Campbell  spent  his  youth  upon  his  father's  farm  and  early  began 
work  in  the  fields,  following  the  plow  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  hold  the 
handles.  From  early  spring  until  the  crops  were  harvested  in  the  autumn  he 
assisted  in  the  work  of  the  fields,  and  then  entered  the  district  school,  where 
he  pursued  his  studies  through  the  winter  months.  He  continued  at  home 
until  1890  and  then  began  general  merchandising,  in  connection  with  E. 
Morgan,  under  the  firm  name  of  Morgan  &  Campbell.  Nine  months  later 
he  withdrew  from  the  business  to  accept  the  position  of  cashier  in  the  Doniphan 
State  Bank.  After  a  year  there  passed  he  became  "short  stop"  in  the  Troy 
Club  of  the  Kansas  State  League,  which  club  won  the  pennant  in  the  season  of 
1895.  I"  August,  1896,  he  opened  a  general  store  in  Bendena,  which  he  has 
since  conducted. 

On  the  i6th  of  November,  1898,  Mr.  Campbell  wedded  Miss  Annie  E. 
Pope,  daughter  of  Clement  Pope,  the  first  operator  of  the  St.  Joseph  &  Grand 
Island  Railroad  Company  at  Troy.  Later  her  father  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  in  that  city,  but  for  some  years  past  has  devoted  his  energies  to  farm- 
ing in  Wolf  River  township. 

Mr.  Campbell  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Democrac)',  and  on  one 
occasion  received  its  nomination  for  the  office  of  couiity  clerk.     He  is  now 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         495 

serving  as  a  member  of  the  school  board.  In  liis  business  he  has  met  with 
creditable  success,  and  now  has  a  large  and  well-stocked  store,  carrying  every- 
thing demanded  by  a  general  country  trade.  His  earnest  desire  to  please  his 
patrons,  his  reasonable  prices,  and  his  honesty  of  purpose  have  brought  to  him 
a  liberal  support. 


THOMAS  ARMSTRONG. 

Thomas  Armstrong,  the  enterprising  proprietor  of  the  Deer  Valley  stock 
farm,  in  Kapioma  township,  Atchison  county,  like  many  other  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  this  section  of  Kansas,  is  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  A 
son  of  James  and  Margary  (Laston)  Armstrong,  he  was  born  July  17,  1861, 
and  when  he  was  two  years  of  age  the  parents  brought  him  to  the  United 
States.  They  located  near  Rockford,  Illinois,  and  two  years  later  came  to 
Kansas,  taking  up  their  abode  upon  a  farm  northwest  of  Huron,  Atchison 
county.  There  the  father  died,  leaving  a  widow  and  six  children.  Of  the 
latter,  Ellen  is  the  wife  of  S.  L.  Niblo,  of  Benton  township:  Eliza  is  the  wife 
of  Amos  H.  Raash,  of  this  township;  and  Maria  is  Mrs.  W.  W.  Franklyn,  of 
Doniphan  county,  Kansas.  James  manages  the  old  family  homestead ;  John 
died  when  seventeen  years  old.  The  parents  were  regular  in  their  attendance 
at  the  services  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  were  honorable  in  all  their  deal- 
ings, winning  the  love  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  them. 

As  Thomas  Armstrong  was  but  five  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  this 
state,  his  early  associations  are  almost  entirely  connected  with  this  locality, 
and  he  takes  deep  interest  in  whatever  affects  its  prosperity.  In  his  boyhood 
he  attended  the  old  Huron  school,  in  district  No.  44,  and  managed  to  secure 
a  practical  education.  He  early  mastered  farming  in  its  various  departments, 
and,  briefly  summing  up  the  years  during  which  he  has  arduously  labored  to 
acquire  a  competence,  it  may  be  said  that  he  now  is  numbered  among  the 
wealthy  and  representative  agriculturists  of  this  region.  His  valuable  farm, 
which  takes  its  name  from  the  beautiful  park  in  which  roam  a  small  herd  of 
deer,  is  situated  in  the  southwestern  part  of  section  27,  and  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  section  28.  Kapioma  township.  The  place  comprises  three  hundred 
acres  of  well  cultivated  land,  well  stocked  and  supplied  with  a  windmill  and 
all  modern  conveniences.  A  number  of  Angora  goats,  valued  for  their  soft, 
long,  silky  wool,  are  a  special  pride  of  Mr.  Armstrong,  and  have  great  interest 
for  the  visitor.  The  buildings  on  the  place  are  of  modern  design  and  substan- 
tial construction,  and  are  kept  in  excellent  repair.  Everything  about  the  home- 
stead is  neat  and  attractive,  showing  the  constant  attention  bestowed  upon  even 
the  smallest  details  by  the  enterprising  owner. 


496  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  1893  Mr.  Armstrong  married  Carrie  Senn,  daughter  of  the  late  Fred- 
rick Senn.  She  is  a  native  of  Arrington,  and  was  educated  in  the  pulslic 
schools  of  that  town.  Two  daughters  and  a  son  have  been  born  to  our  subject 
and  wife,  namely.  Rosa,  Ellen  and  James. 

Politically,  Mr.  Armstrong  is  a  Republican,  as  was  his  father  before  him. 
He  is  a  commissioner  on  the  roads  of  his  district,  and.  being  active  and  aggres- 
sive in  the  cause  of  progress,  is  frequently  called  upon  to  use  his  means  and 
influence  for  the  benefit  of  the  public. 


ISAAC  BRIGGS. 


Among  the  early  settlers  who  bore  a  prominent  part  in  the  work  of  public 
progress  and  development,  and  who  ha\e  now  passed  to  their  rewartl,  is  Isaac 
Briggs,  who  resided  upon  section  20,  Gilman  township.  He  was  a  native  of 
West  Virginia,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  city  of  Wheeling,  on  Septem- 
ber 28,  1832.  His  father.  Henry  Briggs.  was.  also  born  in  the  same  locality 
and  was  of  French  and  German  extraction.  He  devoted  his  energies  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  For  his  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose 
Miss  Sarah  Enochs,  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion.  Our  subject  was  their 
second  child  in  a  family  of  five  sons  and  two  daughters.  He  was  reared  in 
his  native  county  and  was  indebted  to  the  public  school  system  for  the  educa- 
tional privileges  he  received.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  removed  to  \'er- 
milion  county,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  there  he  was  mar- 
ried, on  August  2,  1857,  to  Sarah  I.  Courtney.  They  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  farm  in  Vermilion  county,  where  they  remained  until  1880,  the 
year  of  their  arrival  in  Nemaha  county.  Kansas.  Here  they  settled  on  section 
2.  Gilman  township,  their  land  being  wild  and  unimproved.  To  the  original 
purchase  Mr.  Briggs  added  until  he  became  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  valuable  property,  whose  well  dxavelojjed  fields  and  splendid 
buildings  indicated  to  the  passerby  his  careful  supervision  and  progressive 
business  methods.  During  the  last  three  years  of  his  life  he  rented  his  farm 
and  carried  on  the  lumber  business  in  Oneida,  to  which  place  he  removed  in 
1893.  His  well  directed  efforts,  honorable  dealing  and  reasonable  prices 
secured  to  him  a  liberal  patronage,  and  his  income  was  likewise  increased  by 
the  annual  dividends  from  the  Bank  of  Oneida,  in  which  he  was  one  of  the 
stockholders. 

His  wife  was  born  in  Trumbull  county,  Ohio.  September  8.  1836.  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  Courtney.  Her  paternal  grandfather,  Robert 
Courtney,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  on  crossing  the  Atlantic  to  the  New 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         497 

World  took  up  liis  abode  in  Virginia,  but  died  in  Ohio.  His  son,  Robert 
Courtney,  Jr.,  was  born  in  the  Emerald  Isle  and  accompanied  his  parents  to 
the  New  World,  removing  from  Virginia  to  the  Buckeye  state  about  1820. 
He  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  enlisting  as  a  private,  but  winning  promotion 
to  the  rank  of  lieutenant  and  afterward  to  that  of  captain.  His  death  occurred 
in  1856.  His  wife  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  1794,  and  was  reared  in  that  state, 
dying  in  1859.  She  was  of  English  lineage,  her  mother  Anna  George,  having 
been  a  native  of  England.  Mrs.  Briggs  is  the  eleventh  in  order  of  birth  in  a 
family  of  twelve  children.  She  was  a  maiden  of  nine  summers  when  taken  to 
Illinois,  and  was  reared  in  ^^ermilion  county,  attending  the  common  schools. 
By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  nine  children:  Melissa  Jane, 
now  deceased;  William  H.,  who  resides  on  section  16,  Oilman  township; 
John  T.,  of  Marshall  county,  Kansas;  Mary  S.,  deceased;  Cora  B.,  wife 
of  George  Gilmore,  of  Nemaha  county;  James  C,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  in  Oneida;  Charles  C,  deceased;  Harry  F.,  who  is  living 
on  the  old  homestead  on  section  20,  Gilman  township,  and  Dora  M.,  wife  of 
Brete  Hanson,  of  Washington  county,  Kansas. 

Mrs.  Briggs  still  retains  the  ownership  of  the  old  homestead  in  Gilman 
township  and  of  the  lumber  business  in  Oneida.  Her  husband  died  January 
23,  1898,  and  the  community  thereby  lost  one  of  its  best  citizens.  He  was 
a  well  known  and  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
doing  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its  welfare.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican. 
giving  an  unswerving  allegiance  to  the  principles  of  that  party.  Genial  and 
courteous  in  manner,  he  had  the  happy  faculty  of  winning  friends  and  of 
drawing  them  closer  to  him  as  the  years  passed  by.  His  strict  regard  for 
the  ethics  of  commercial  life,  his  fidelity  to  duty  in  every  relation  and  his 
genuine  worth  enabled  him  to  leave  to  his  family  and  untarnished  name. 


H.  W.  HART. 


Few  are  the  pioneer  settlers  of  northeastern  Kansas  who  are  also  numbered 
among  the  native  sons  of  the  state,  yet  Mr.  Hart  is  one  who  may  thus  be  classi- 
fied. He  is  now  successfully  and  extensively  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
near  Reserve,  Brown  county,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  honored 
pioneer  families  of  this  locality.  His  birth  occurred  in  the  township  which  is 
still  his  home,  on  March  8,  1858.  His  parents  were  Thomas  and  Nancy  J. 
(Gillespie)  Hart.  The  former  was  born  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  February 
24,  1823.  and  with  his  parents,  ^Villiam  and  Priscilla  Hart,  removed  to  Mis- 
souri, when  eleven  years  of  age.     He  became  a  prominent  farmer  and  slave 


498  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

owner  in  Missouri.  He  was  a  tanner  by  trade  and  had  followed  that  pursuit 
in  Ohio,  but  after  his  removal  to  the  west  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits, 
raising  the  various  cereals  adapted  to  this  climate,  together  with  tobacco  and 
stock.  He  was  well  and  favorably  known  in  Missouri  and  spent  his  last  days 
in  Andrew  county,  that  state,  where  both  he  and  his  wife  died.  They  were  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Missionary  Baptist  church.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children :  Lyman,  who  went  to  California  at  an  early  day  and  died  on  the 
Pacific  coast;  Harrison,  a  farmer;  Eliza  J.,  now  Mrs.  Van  Buskirk;  Thomas, 
the  father  of  our  subject ;  John,  an  extensive  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Mis- 
souri ;  Abner,  who  was  accidentally  killed  in  that  state ;  Jackson,  who  was  mar- 
ried in  Missouri,  but  has  reared  his  family  in  California,  where  he  has  become 
a  wealthy  man;  William,  who  died  in  Oregon;  Mrs.  Margaret  A.  Wells;  and 
Benjamin,  a  wealthy  resident  of  Montana. 

Thomas  Hart  accompanied  his  parents  to  Missouri  when  only  eleven 
years  of  age  and  was  reared  to  manhood  in  that  state,  remaining  under  the 
parental  roof  until  his  marriage.  He  then  began  farming  on  his  own'account 
and,  in  1850,  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  where  he  engaged  in  mining. 
He  had  been  in  that  state  but  a  short  time,  when  he  contracted  mountain  fever 
and  was  obliged  to  leave  the  mines.  The  following  season  he  started  home 
by  way  of  the  Isthmus  route,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  whence  he  made  his 
way  up  the  Mississippi  river  and  across  the  country  to  his  Missouri  home. 
There  he  joined  his  family  and  resumed  farming.  In  1856  he  came  to  Kansas 
and  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Brown  county,  where 
he  began  the  struggle  to  establish  a  home  and  secure  a  competence  in  this  new 
Eldorado.  After  a  successful  career  of  nearly  forty  years,  he  was  called  to 
his  final  rest,  dying  December  13.  1895.  Like  most  of  the  pioneers,  he  came 
to  Kansas  empty-handed,  but  by  determined  purpose  and  unflagging  industry 
and  with  the  assistance  of  his  good  wife,  he  steadily  worked  his  way  upward 
to  affluence.  Acquiring  a  handsome  property,  he  was  enabled  to  leave  homes 
for  all  his  children.  His  pioneer  cabin  was  visited  by  all  the  wayfarers  who 
came  to  this  section  of  the  county.  His  wife  was  always  equal  to  the  occasion 
and  often  entertained  over  night  from  eight  to  twelve  travelers  in  their  little 
house  of  one  room.  At  the  time  of  their  arrival  in  Brown  county,  there  were 
but  few  permanent  settlers  and  those  lived  along  the  creeks,  the  high  prairies 
being  yet  unclaimed.  Ten  miles  to  the  eastwarcl  of  the  little  home  there  was 
not  a  single  house  and  mail  and  supplies  were  obtained  at  Iowa  Point,  to  which 
Mr.  Hart  would  make  trips  with  his  ox  team.  The  neighbors  would  take 
turns  in  doing  the  marketing  for  all  those  who  lived  in  their  vicinity,  each  one 
making  the  purchases  for  all  the  others.  The  reservation  of  the  Sac  and  Fox 
Indians  was  not  far  distant  and  many  of  the  red  men  visited  the  pioneer  homes, 
but  manifested  a  friendly  manner.     As  the  years  passed  Mr.  Hart  placed  more 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  499 

and  more  of  his  land  under  cultivation  and  became  quite  well  known  as  an 
extensive  stock-raiser,  his  business  interests  along  that  line  being  very  large. 
As  opportunities  offered,  he  made  judicious  investments  in  property  and  at  one 
time  owned  one  thousand  acres  included  within  his  homestead  and  adjacent 
farms.  He  also  had  a  half-section  of  land  in  Nemaha  county.  He  placed 
his  home  farm  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  made  it  one  of  the  best 
country  seats  in  the  neighborhood.  A  broad-minded  and  intelligent  man,  he 
was  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  among  the  pioneer  settlers  and  his  advice 
was  often  sought,  his  opinion  being  regarded  as  final.  His  honor  and  integ- 
rity were  above  reproach  and  he  commanded  universal  respect.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  were  members  of  the  Christian  church  and  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  while  in  politics  he  was  identified  with  the  Democratic 
party. 

Thomas  Hart  married  Miss  Nancy  J.  Gillespie,  an  intelligent  lady  who 
was  born  in  Kentucky,  October  2,  1827,  and  represented  one  of  the  honored 
early  families  of  that  state.  Her  parents,  William  and  Mary  (Gentry)  Gill- 
espie, were  both  natives  of  Virginia  and  became  pioneer  farmers  of  Kentucky, 
where  the  father  conducted  a  farm  and  hotel,  three  miles  from  Richmond.  He 
operated  his  land  with  the  aid  of  negro  slaves  and  was  a  prominent  and  influ- 
ential planter  of  his  community.  He  and  his  wife  were  consistent  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  in  that  faith  he  died  in  1837.  His  brothers 
and  sisters  were  Susan :  Mary ;  Lewis,  who  was  an  extensive  farmer  and  slave 
owner  of  Kentucky :  and  Washineton,  who  located  in  Illinois.  After  the  death 
of  the  father,  the  mother  married  Robert  Boggs  and  removed  to  Missouri. 
where  they  both  died.  They  had  one  son,  Robert,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky. 
The  children  of  Wilson  and  Mary  (Gentry)  Gillespie  were  James;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  E.  R.  Cornelison;  Nancy  J.,  mother  of  our  subject;  Sally  A., 
who  became  Mrs.  Coft'man ;  Henry ;  Jefferson  ;  and  Mary,  wife  of  J.  McKinney. 
The  children  of  the  Hart  family  are  William,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Brown 
county;  Thomas  J.,  a  miner  and  stockdealer;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  R.  Stewart; 
Jackson,  of  Brown  county;  Harvey,  a  farmer;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  J.  Davis; 
and  Perry,  who  is  a  liveryman  and  farmer  of  Reserve. 

H.  W.  Hart  was  one  of  the  first  children  of  his  family  born  in  Kan- 
sas and  here  he  has  since  remaineil.  his  present  home  being  near  his  birthplace. 
He  was  reared  to  farm  pursuits  and  in  the  common  schools  obtained  his  pre- 
liminary education,  which  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  commercial  col- 
lege at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  He  assisted  his  father  in  the  care  of  the  home 
farm  and  the  stock  until  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  when  he  was  married 
and  took  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm  where  he  yet  resides.  He  had  purchased 
here  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  and  upon  the  farm  he  has  since  made 
substantial  improvements,  while  the  boundaries  of  his  place  he  has  extended 


500  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

by  additional  purchases  until  he  now  owns  four  hundred  acres,  all  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  erected  thereon  a  commodious,  two-story 
frame  residence,  supplied  with  all  modern  conveniences.  There  is  a  good 
orchard,  a  large  barn  and  outbuildings  and  all  modern  accessories.  He  car- 
ries on  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  buying,  feeding  and  shipping  cattle 
and  hogs.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  carrying  forward  the  work  inaugu- 
rated by  his  father  and  is  to-day  numbered  among  the  prosperous  resident-i 
of  his  community. 

In  1884  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hart  and  Miss  Martha  E. 
Copeland,  who  was  born  in  Buchanan  county.  Missouri,  July  24,  1863.  Her 
father,  M.  Copeland,  removed  from  North  Carolina  to  Missouri  at  an  early 
day  and  there  married  Susan,  a  daughter  of  M.  Miller,  of  Missouri.  He  car- 
ried on  farming  in  that  state  until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating 
in  Irving  township.  Brown  coimty,  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  raw  land, 
on  which  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made.  \Vith 
characteristic  energy,  he  began  its  development  and  also  began  feeding  stock, 
meeting  with  a  fair  degree  of  success  in  his  undertakings.  He  was  a  leading 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  one  of  its  leading  workers  and 
was  instrumental  in  organizing  the  Methodist  church  at  Mount  Pleasant,  where 
he  served  as  class  leader  for  many  years.  He  did  all  in  his  power  to  promote 
the  growth  and  influence  of  the  church  and  is  a  broad-minded  man  of  many 
virtues,  having  great  charity  for  all  of  God's  creatures.  His  standard  of 
morality  and  integrity  is  very  high.  In  1893  he  retired  from  the  farm  and 
removed  to  Hiawatha,  where  he  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  a  well-spent  life. 
His  first  wife  died  in  Missouri  in  1869,  and  soon  afterward  he  married  again, 
his  second  wife  being  still  his  companion  in  life's  journey.  The  children  of 
the  first  marriage  are  Mrs.  Eliza  Howard ;  David,  who  engaged  in  the  com- 
mission business  in  Kansas  City,  but  returned  to  his  home,  where  he  died  soon 
afterward:  Mrs.  Celia  Mathers;  Mrs.  Callie  Burlin;  Eli,  a  farmer;  Edward, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  commission  business  in  Kansas  City;  Mrs.  Hart;  ]\Irs. 
Elizabeth  Lewis:  and  Mrs.  Lou  Cassell.  The  parents  were  both  members  of 
the  Methodist  church.  By  the  second  marriage  there  were  four  children: 
Joseph,  who  is  operating  the  homestead  farm;  Mrs.  Nellie  Parker:  Leonard. 
a  farmer ;  and  Edna,  at  home. 

Two  children  grace  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife,  Lucretia  \\'., 
born  August  24.  1885,  and  Regina  E.,  born  January  24,  1893.  The  parents 
are  devoted  members  of  the  Christian  church.  Mr.  Hart  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge  of  Hiawatha  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  of  Reserve.  He 
is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Fair  Association  of  Brown  county.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democratand  has  filled  theofficeof  township  clerk  for  two  terms, 
but  neither  seeks  nor  desires  political  preferment.     In  his  church  he  has  served 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         501 

as  deacon  for  fifteen  years  and,  as  indicated  in  tlie  foregoing  record  of  his  life, 
he  takes  a  deep  interest  in  everything  calculated  to  benefit  the  community 
along  social,  moral,  material  and  intellectual  lines. 


J.  B.  HAZLETT. 


J.  B.  Hazlett  is  the  well-known  proprietor  of  the  Willis  Livery,  Sale  & 
Feed  stables,  located  opposite  the  Hotel  Willis,  in  the  town  of  the  same  name. 
He  has  conducted  his  business  in  this  place  since  1888  and  has  had  twenty- 
five  years  of  experience  as  a  liveryman,  so  that  he  thoroughly  understands 
the  demands  of  the  public  and  makes  ample  arrangements  to  meet  them.  Mr. 
Hazlett  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  having  been  born  in  that  state  some  forty  years 
ago,  his  parents  being  James  and  Phoebe  (Eagle)  Hazlett.  The  paternal 
grandfather  of  Mr.  Hazlett  was  David  Hazlett,  who  was  born  at  Chambers- 
burg.  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania.  By  occupation  he  was  a  blacksmith  and 
in  his  political  convictions  an  old-line  Whig.  He  married  Jane  Maxwell,  who 
was  born  in  Beachleyville,  Wayne  county,  Ohio.  She  was  a  God-fearing,  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Their  children  were  as  follows: 
William,  Ruben,  John,  James  M.,  Johana,  Eliza  and  Polly. 

The  maternal  grandfather  was  George  Eagle,  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1 81 2  and  by  occupation  a  farmer  and  shoemaker.  He  married  ]\largrett 
Jackson.    They  raised  a  family  of  seven  boys  and  one  daughter. 

James  M.  Hazlett,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  December  25.  1830, 
and  married  Miss  Phoebe  J.  Eagle,  who  was  born  November  14,  1837,  in 
Wayne  county,  Ohio.  In  1869  he  came  to  Kansas  and  was  engaged  in  the 
livery  business.  His  family  consisted  of  three  children :  Mina,  wife  of  Henry 
Burbank,  a  merchant;  J.  B.,  of  this  review;  and  Mrs.  Edith  Lapham,  of  Hor- 
ton,  Kansas.  Our  subject  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  this 
state.  No  events  of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  usual  routine  of 
his  life  during  his  minority,  but  after  arriving  at  inan's  estate  he  was  married, 
in  Muscotah,  Kansas,  to  Miss  Bernie  G.  Jackson,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Platte  county.  ]\Iissouri. 

Throughout  his  business  career  Mr.  Hazlett  has  conducted  a  livery  barn 
and  in  188S  he  began  operations  in  that  line  in  Willis,  his  barn  here  being 
60x64  feet,  and  contains  many  new  and  stylish  turnouts.  A  large  number  of 
good  horses  are  kept  on  hand  and  Mr.  Hazlett's  earnest  desire  to  please  his 
patrons,  combined  with  honorable  dealing,  have  secured  to  him  a  liberal  patron- 
age. He  is  meeting  with  creditable  success  in  his  undertakings  and  certainly 
merits  the  prosperity  which  has  come  to  him.     He  votes  with  the  Republican 


502  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

party  and  is  a  progressive  citizen  wiio  takes  commendable  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  and  advancement  of  the  community.  He  is 
kind  and  accommodating  in  manner,  frank  and  genial  in  disposition  and  is  one 
of  the  popular  business  men  of  \\'iilis. 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  SANDERS. 

Kansas  is  the  home  of  self-made  men.  It  is  peculiarly  the  home  of  men 
of  brain  and  patriotism  who  sought  broader  liberties  and  opportunities  than 
were  theirs  in  their  former  environments.  It  was  a  fact  worthy  of  note  that 
the  agricultural  population  of  Kansas  is  a  peculiarly  enlightened  and  intelligent 
one.  Atchison  county  has  many  prominent  self-made  men  among  her  farmers, 
and  among  them  no. one  has  a  more  satisfactory  standing  in  the  community 
than  the  man  whose  name  heads  this  biography. 

Benjamin  Franklin  Sanders  is  a  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Graham) 
Sanders  and  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Missouri,  August  8,  1833.  His 
father,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  moved  to  Missouri  while  yet  comparatively 
young  and  there  settled  and  married  Miss  Graham,  and  died  there  before  the 
family  went  to  Kansas.  His  widow  died  in  Atchison  county,  Kansas.  The 
family  of  Sanders  is  of  Scotch  descent,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  being  an  early  settler  in  Kentucky.  The  Grahams,  originally 
Scotch,  also  located  early  in  Virginia,  where  members  of  the  family  have  been 
prominent  in  different  ways. 

The  children  of  George  and  Elizabeth  ( ( Iraham  )  Sanders  were  as  follows  : 
Nancy,  who  married  William  McQuillan  and  after  his  death  William  Burns, 
and  lives  in  Bates  county,  Missouri;  Benjamin  Franklin;  Robert,  who  is  dead; 
Oliver,  who  lives  in  Jewell  count3^  Kansas ;  and  Lydia,  wife  of  Frederick  Wil- 
ming,  of  Atchison  county,  Kansas.  Schools  were  few  and  poor  where  Benjamin 
Franklin  Sanders  lived  when  he  was  a  boy,  and  he  never  in  his  life  passed  three 
months  within  the  walls  of  a  school-house.  At  twelve  years  of  age  he  was 
obliged  to  take  up  the  battle  for  existence  on  his  own  account.  His  father 
apprenticed  him  to  James  Verden,  a  carriage  and  wagon  maker  at  St.  Louis, 
to  learn  the  carriagemaker's  trade,  where  he  also  attended  night  school. 

Mr.  Sanders  remained  at  St.  Louis  about  twelve  years.  He  went  to  Kan- 
sas first  in  1856,  but  after  a  brief  but  comprehensive  survey  of  the  existing  local 
conditions  returned  to  St.  Louis,  well  pleased  with  the  country  and  the  pros- 
pects it  held  out  to  him.  In  the  spring  of  1857  he  proceeded  to  Kansas  by 
boat,  prepared  to  make  his  home  there.  He  opened  a  shop  and  began  work- 
ing at  his  trade  at  Monrovia,  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  and  was  in  business 


/3 ,^^-AM.uL^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


503 


tliere  with  more  or  less  success  for  two  years.  He  tlien  gave  his  attention  to 
farming. 

Taking  up  a  claim  about  ten  miles  from  any  settlement,  Mr.  Sanders  got 
ready  to  locate  there  and  was  about  to  do  so  when  it  occurred  to  him  that  the 
country  about  his  place  might  never  be  settled  and  he  determined  to  relinquish 
the  claim  in  favor  of  another,  nearer  civilization.  He  found  an  eighty-acre 
claim  more  favorably  located  and  pre-empted  it  and  upon  it  began  his  success- 
ful career  as  a  farmer.  In  i860  be  bought  property,  which  was  the  nucleus 
of  his  present  holdings,  that  comprise  four  hundred  acres  of  good  farming- 
land. 

Mr.  Santlers  has  devoted  himself  to  general  farming,  the  production  of 
grain  and  the  raising  of  hogs  and  other  stock,  and  by  careful  attention  to  busi- 
ness and  the  exercise  of  good  judgment  has  achieved  a  noteworthy  success. 
He  is  a  life-long  abolitionist  and  has  been  a  Republican  since  the  organization 
of  the  party.  His  public  spirit  is  recognized  and  his  interest  in  all  movements 
tending  to  the  enhancement  of  the  welfare  of  the  people  of  his  township,  county 
and  state  has  made  him  a  useful  citizen.  He  has  served  his  fellow  citizens  two 
terms  as  trustee  of  his  township  and  one  term  as  township  treasurer. 

During  the  historic  period  popularly  referred  to  as  "border  times"  Mr. 
Sanders  had  a  part  in  some  of  the  stirring  events  which  took  place  in  his  part 
of  the  state.  In  the  civil  war  he  was  a  member  of  Captain  Whittaker's  com- 
pany of  Colonel  McOuigg's  regiment  of  the  Kansas  state  militia.  The  regi- 
ment participated  in  the  battle  of  Little  Blue,  east  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
and  was  effectively  in  evidence  at  other  times  when  there  was  business  to  be 
attended  to  with  the  bushwhacking  enemy.  After  good  and  faithful  service 
Mr.  Sanders  was  honorably  discharged  as  fourth  sergeant  of  his  company  at 
Fort  Leavenworth  in  1864. 

In  1859  Mr.  Sanders  married  Miss  Margaret  Ramsey,  who  came  to 
Atchison  county,  Kansas,  from  Putnam  county,  Ohio.  In  1855.  with  John 
Ramsey,  who  became  one  of  the  influential  men  of  pioneer  days  and  in  the  day.s 
before  and  during  the  war,  our  subject  had  a  conspicuous  part  in  maintaining 
law  and  order  and  in  establishing  justice  in  "bleeding  Kansas."  Mrs.  Sanders 
died  in  1868,  having  borne  her  husband  children  named  Ira  (of  Eftingham, 
Atchison  county).  Bertha  (Mrs.  C.  G.  Moore,  now  dead),  William,  and 
"little  Joey"  (dead).  Mr.  Sanders  married  for  his  second  wife  Elizabeth 
(Ramsey)  Keirns,  a  sister  of  his  deceased  wife  and  the  widow  of  Rufus  Keirns. 
Following  are  the  names  'of  the  children  bv  this  marriage :  Henry  R. :  Etta, 
wife  of  Charles  Brown,  of  Pardee:  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  Jr..  who  died  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years.  Mrs.  Sanders"  surviving  child  by  her  former  mar- 
riage is  Joseph  A.  Keirns,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Center  township.  The  fam- 
ily of  Sanders  and  those  with  which  it  has  intermarried  are  all  well  known  and 


504  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

different  members  of  them  have  been  prominent  in  one  way  or  another.  Mr. 
Sanders,  now  just  past  the  prime  of  Hfe  but  still  hale  and  vigorous,  is  in  a  posi- 
tion to  take  life  easy  during  his  declining  years  and  his  numerous  friends  con- 
cur in  the  opinion  that  his  success  is  well  deserved.  His  home,  as  directed  by 
Mrs.  Sanders,  is  one  in  which  good  cheer  and  hospitality  reign  supreme.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  have  been  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  for  over 
thirty  years.  He  has  been  a  class  leader  and  steward  and  has  been  superintend- 
ent of  the  Sunday  school  for  more  than  fifteen  years. 


JAMES  H.  HATCH. 

In  modern  times,  and  to  a  large  extent  in  the  past,  banks  have  constituted 
a  vital  part  of  the  organized  society,  and  governments,  both  monarchical  and 
popular,  have  depended  upon  them  for  material  aid  in  times  of  depression  and 
trouble.  Their  influence  has  extended  over  the  entire  world  and  their  pros- 
perity has  been  the  barometer  which  has  unfalteringly  indicated  the  financial 
status  of  all  nations.  Of  this  important  branch  of  business  James  H.  Hatch  is 
a  worthy  representative,  being  the  present  vice-president  of  the  National 
Bank  of  Seneca. 

Mr.  Hatch  is  a  native  of  the  far-off  Pine  Tree  state,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  the  town  of  Perkins,  Lincoln  county,  Maine,  on  July  19,  1828,  his 
parents  being  Paul  and  Jane  (White)  Hatch.  The  ancestry  of  the  family  can 
be  traced  back  to  England,  whence  Thomas  Hatch  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
new  world  on  the  sailing  vessel  Mary  &  John  in  1630,  only  ten  years  after  the 
landing  of  the  Pilgrims  on  Plymouth  Rock.  He  settled  in  Dorchester,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  for  many  generations  the  family  was  represented  in  the  old  Bay 
state.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Paul  Hatch,  was  born  in  Massachusetts 
and  married  Miss  Phinea.  Their  son,  Paul  Hatch,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Falmouth, 
Massachusetts,  in  1876,  and  lived  to  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-seven  years. 
He  was  a  farmer  and  lumber  merchant.  His  wife  was  born  in  Sagadahoc, 
Maine,  in  1810,  and  was  married  in  her  seventeenth  year.  Her  father,  John 
White,  was  a  resident  of  Bowdoinham,  Maine,  and  wedded  Elizabeth  Thorn, 
whose  father  was  an  English  officer  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 

James  H.  Hatch,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  spent  the  first  eight- 
een years  of  his  life  in  Maine,  where  he  was  afforded  the  privileges  of  a  com- 
mon-school education.  Later  he  became  a  student  in  the  home  academy  and 
on  putting  aside  his  text  books  he  went  to  sea,  spending  three  years  on  the 
water.  In  1850,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  he  made  his 
way  to  the  Pacific  slope  around  Cape  Horn  as  second  officer  of  the  vessel, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  505 

uhere  he  remained  for  a  number  of  years.  He  built  a  saw-mill  at  the  foot- 
hills in  Mariposa  county  and  entered  into  partnership  with  a  Mr.  White,  under 
the  firm  name  of  White  &  Hatch.  There  they  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
lumber  for  a  period  of  twenty-three  years,  the  enterprise  being  continued  with 
a  fair  degree  of  success.  In  1873,  however,  Mr.  Hatch  left  the  Golden  state 
and  came  to  Kansas,  establishing  a  home  in  Seneca,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business.  In  1882  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  State  Bank  of  Seneca, 
which  was  afterward  merged  into  the  National  Bank,  and  since  its  organiza- 
tion he  has  been  vice-president.  He  continued  in  the  lumber  business,  how- 
ever, until  1898,  when  he  sold  out.  His  active  connection  with  commercial 
pursuits  extended  over  many  years  and  brought  to  him  a  handsome  com- 
petence. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  1859,  Mr.  Hatch  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Sarah  Drusilla  Tallman,  of  Maine,  in  which  state  she  was  born  and 
reared.  Four  children  graced  their  union:  Minnie  L.,  at  home;  Nellie  J., 
now  the  wife  of  Henry  Stephenson,  a  farmer  of  Nemaha  county;  Elizabeth 
J.,  wife  of  William  Anticks,  a  resident  of  Chicago;  and  Lester  Paul,  who  is 
a  student  in  the  high  school  of  Seneca.  The  family  have  a  pleasant  home  in 
Seneca  and  in  addition  to  this  property  Mr.  Hatch  is  the  owner  of  a  good  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  is  rented  and  which  adds  materially 
to  his  income.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Seneca  Lodge,  No.  39,  F.  & 
A.  M.  He  belongs  to  the  school  board  and  for  several  years  has  been  its  treas- 
urer. He  is  a  man  of  fine  social  as  well  as  business  qualities*  and  stands  high 
as  a  citizen.  He  has  witnessed  the  marvelous  development  of  the  western  sec- 
tion of  this  country  and  can  relate  many  interesting  incidents  of  pioneer  life  in 
California  when  that  state  was  largely  settled  by  miners.  Since  coming  to  Kan- 
sas he  has  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
his  community  and  has  withheld  his  support  from  no  measure  which  he  believes 
will  prove  a  public  good.  His  official  record  is  creditable,  his  business  record 
honorable  and  at  all  times  he  has  merited  the  confidence  and  respect  which  is 
given  him. 


F.  H.  ERWIN,  M.  D. 


F.  H.  Erwin,  a  successful  practitioner  and  surgeon  of  Hamlin,  was  born 
in  York  county.  South  Carolina,  May  12,  i860.  The  Erwin  family  is  of 
Scotch  descent  and  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  F.  A.  Erwin,  of  South 
Carolina,  an  extensive,  prominent  and  enterprising  planter  and  slave  owner. 
He  was,  however,  opposed  to  selling  his  slaves  and  was  a  leading  and  influen- 
tial citizen.     Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Presbvterian  church 


506  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  died  in  South  Carolina.  Their  ciiddren  were  Captain  F.  A.,  who  was 
killed  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and  James  A.,  the  father  of  our  subject.  The 
latter  was  born  and  reared  in  South  Carolina,  where  he  conducted  a  large 
plantation  by  the  aid  of  negro  slaves.  During  the  civil  war  he  joined  the  Con- 
federate army  as  a  private  and  after  three  years  returned  home  to  find  that  his 
slaves  had  all  been  freed,  but  none  of  them  had  left  tlie  old  i)lantation.  This 
is  a  fact  which  speaks  well  in  praise  of  his  treatment  of  them.  He  ne\'er  sold 
his  slaves,  was  always  kind  and  just  to  them  and  receixed  in  return  their 
■devoted  service.  At  one  time  the  Erwin  family  were  very  prominent  and 
wealthy  in  South  Carolina,  but  they  lost  the  greater  part  of  their  money 
through  the  purchase  of  Confederate  bonds.  The  father  died  July  26,  1891. 
He  was  an  elder  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor.  His  wife  yet  survives  him  and  is  now  living  at  Rock  Hill, 
South  Carolina,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  Her  parents  were  Samuel  G.  and 
Margaret  (Love)  Hemphill,  natives  of  South  Carolina.  Her  father,  a  planter 
of  prominence,  served  as  commissioner  of  York  county  and  was  a  leading 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  his  family  were  four  children  :  Mar- 
garet Agness,  wife  of  R.  Lindsey;  Emma  J.:  Martha,  who  died  at  about  the 
age  of  twenty-four  years;  and  Robert,  Avho  was  killed  in  Petersburg  during 
the  civil  war.  Unto  James  A.  and  Emma  (Hemphill)  Erwin  were  born 
seven  children:  Margaret  L.,  wife  of  R.  V.  Blake:  F.  H..  of  this  review; 
Carrie;  Robert  A.,  of  Rock  Hill,  South  Carolina;  Samuel  H..  who  died  at  the 
age  of  three  years;  Mattie,  who  died  in  infancy:  and  Agnes,  wife  of  W.  Mar- 
shall, of  Greenville,  South  Carolina. 

Dr.  Erwin,  the  well-known  practitioner  of  Hamlin,  was  born  in  York 
county,  South  Carolina,  May  12,  i860,* and  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his 
father's  farm  there.  In  the  common  schools  he  acquired  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation, which  was  supplemented  by  study  in  King's  Mountain  Military  Col- 
lege in  North  Carolina,  where  he  was  graduated.  He  began  the  study  of 
medicine  under  T.  C.  Crawford  as  preceptor  in  Rock  Hill,  South  Carolina. 
and  in  1879  he  became  a  student  in  the  Hospital  College  of  Medicine  in  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky.  In  February,  1882,  he  was  graduated,  after  which  he  returned 
to  South  Ciarolina,  where  he  practiced  medicine  for  six  months.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  again  went  to  Louisville,  where  he  practiced  his  profes- 
sion until  March,  1883,  \vhen  he  came  to  Hamlin.  A  few  years  later  he 
returned  to  his  native  state,  where  he  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his  pro- 
fession for  a  year,  but  on  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  again  arrived  in  Brown 
■county,  Kansas,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  \Miile  in  Louisville  he 
took  a  special  course  in  the  hospital  on  physical  diagnosis  and  his  knowledge  of 
the  science  of  medicine  is  now  accurate  and  profound.  He  keeps  fully  abreast 
■of  the  progress  of  the  times  through  his  perusal  of  the  best  medical  literature 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


507 


of  the  day  and  in  his  practice  his  success  lias  demonstrated  liis  skill  and  ability. 
He  has  performed  some  very  delicate  and  intricate  operations,  which  have 
awakened  favorable  comment  of  the  profession  as  well  as  by  the  public.  He 
IS  now  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Grand  Island  Railroad. 

On  November  15.  1881.  Dr.  Erwin  was  married,  in  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Betty  Oglesby,  who  was  born  in  that  state 
in  1864  and  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  intelligence.  Her  family  were  Captain 
B.  A.  and  Mary  E.  Oglesby.  Her  mother  was  a  niece  of  Zachariah  Taylor 
and  was  a  widow  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to  Captain  Oglesby.  He  was 
a  steamboat  captain  for  many  years,  running  from  Cincinnati  to  New  Orleans, 
and  was  a  prominent  and  well-known  citizen.  He  was  also  recognized  as  a 
valuable  and  leading  worker  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  His  death  occurred 
in  Kentucky  about  1870  and  many  friends  mourned  his  loss,  for  he  was 
respected  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  widow  still  survives  him 
and  is  living  in  Louisville  at  a  ripe  old  age.  Their  children  were  Hattie ;  Joei 
a  practicing  physician :  Richard  T.,  a  bookkeeper ;  Betty,  wife  of  Dr.  Erwin ; 
and  Dr.  B.  O.,  who  is  practicing  in  Louisville,  Kentucky. 

Unto  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Erwin  have  been  born  four  children :  Mattie  Hemp- 
hill, born  January  2,  1883,  died  August  21,  1883;  Gena,  who  was  born  March 
20,  1885;  Bessie,  born  November  28,  1886;  and  James,  born  March  4,  1890. 
The  Doctor  is  a  prominent  Mason,  having  taken  the  lodge  and  chapter  degrees. 
He  is  also  past  grand  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  presi- 
dent of  the  lodge  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security.  His  wife  hold.s 
membership  in  the  Christian  church  and  they  enjoy  the  high  regard  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances.  Dr.  Erwin  also  belongs  to  the  Alumni 
Association  of  the  University  of  Kentucky,  to  the  Brown  and  Doniphan  county 
Medical  Associations  and  to  the  Northwestern  Kansas  Medical  Association. 
Professional  advancement  is  proverbially  slow  and  comes  as  the  direct  result 
of  continued  effort.  Dr.  Erwin  occupies  a  leading  position  in  the  medical 
fraternity  and  as  the  result  of  his  close  application,  his  earnest  study  and  his 
devotion  to  duty  enjoys  a  reputation  which  many  an  older  practitioner  might 
well  envy. 


CHARLES  EDWIN  COOK. 

None  of  the  inhabitants  of  Benton  township,  Atchison  county,  are  more 
highly  respected  than  is  this  worthy  pioneer,  who  has  spent  his  entire  mature 
life  in  Kansas,  actively  associated  with  her  upbuilding  and  development.  He 
is  a  sterling  representative  of  one  of  the  prominent  old  New  England  families 
and  exemplifies  in  his  own  life  many  of  the  notable  characteristics  of  his 
sturdy  forefathers. 


5o8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

His  great-grandfather,  Joseph  Cook,  Sr.,  was  born  February  3,  1735, 
and  was  married  November  18,  1756,  to  Liicretia,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin 
Post.  She  was  the  granddaughter  of  the  poet,  Wordsworth,  and  was  related 
to  the  Longfellows,  of  the  United  States.  To  the  union  of  Joseph  Cook  and 
wife  nine  children  were  born,  of  whom  the  eldest,  Joseph  Cook,  Jr.,  was  born 
in  Connecticut,  December  18,  1762.  The  death  of  Joseph  Cook,  Sr.,  oc- 
curred May  9,  1821.  Upon  arriving  at  maturity,  Joseph  Cook,  Jr.,  who  had 
passed  his  youth  in  his  native  state,  chose  for  his  wife  Mercy  Gillett,  who  was 
of  English  descent. 

One  of  the  children  of  this  worthy  couple  was  Norman,  whose  birth 
occurred  October  2,  1792.  During  the  war  of  181 2  he  fought  as  a  trooper 
in  the  American  army.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Permelia  Francis, 
was  born  in  1799.  Five  children  were  born  to  them,  namely:  Mrs.  Julia  A. 
Harris,  of  Windsor,  Vermont;  J.  W.,  who  died  in  1870,  at  Wathena,  Kan- 
sas; James  Martin  and  George,  deceased,  and  Charles  Edwin,  of  this  sketch. 
The  parents  both  died  at  their  old  home  in  Harrington,  Connecticut,  the 
father  on  December  17,  1862,  and  the  mother  in  December,  1843.  In  his 
early  life  Norman  Cook  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith,  but  his  chief  occu- 
pation was  agriculture,  in  which  he  was  very  successful. 

Charles  Edwin  Cook  was  born  at  Harrington,  Connecticut,  February 
22,  1835,  and  until  he  arrived  at  his  majority  he  continued  to  dwell  with 
or  near  his  parents.  In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  he  had  ac- 
quired an  excellent  education  and  early  formed  the  desire  to  come  to  the 
great  and  promising  west.  In  1857  he  located  in  Wathena,  Doniphan  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  resided  until  the  spring  of  1878,  when  he  came  to  Benton 
township,  Atchison  county.  Here  he  purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  fine  land,  to  the  improvement  of  which  he  has  devoted  himself  ever  since. 
He  now  has  the  place  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  resides  in  a  pleasant 
modern  house  and  has,  erected  large  barns  for  the  accommodation  of  his 
crops  and  live  stock.  Not  the  least  attractive  feature  of  his  farm  is  the 
splendid  groves  of  trees,  in  which  he  takes  just  pride. 

In  1865  Mr.  Cook  married  Miss  Eliza  Stevans,  a  native  of  Ohio  and 
daughter  of  Curtis  and  Sarah  Stevans.  Mrs.  Cook  died  in  the  fall  of  1874, 
leaving  one  son,  George  W.,  now  a  civil  engineer  in  New  York  city.  On 
the  8th  of  June,  1876,  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Cook  and  Miss  Rusha  A.  Very, 
a  successful  teacher,  was  solemnized.  She  was  born  in  Floyd  county,  Indiana, 
a  daughter  of  Martin  and  Eliza  (Graham)  Very,  the  former  a  native  of  Brat- 
tleboro,  Vermont,  and  the  latter  of  Floyd  county,  Indiana.  They  were  mar- 
ried near  Albany,  Floyd  county,  Indiana,  and  became  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  namely:  John  K.,  M.  C,  William  Girard,  Martin  Luther,  Ruby  E., 
Mary  L.,  Rush  A.,  Florence  A.  and  Martha  A.     After  the  death  of  his  first 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         509 

wife  Martin  Very  married  again.  Julia  Graliam,  and  had  seven  children  :  Emily 
P..  Charles  F.,  Lida  A.,  Nathaniel  L.,  William  Guest,  Frank  F.  and 
Edward  N.  By  occupation  the  father  was  a  miller  and  for  many  years  car- 
ried on  a  mill  and  farm  in  Floyd  county.  In  his  political  faith  he  was  a  Re- 
publican. At  the  time  of  his  death,  which  event  took  place  in  1870,  he  was 
in  his  sixty-fourth  year.  To  the  union  of  Charles  E.  Cook  and  wife  five 
children  were  born.  Their  only  daughter  died  in  infancy  and  their  sons,  all 
of  whom  reside  at  home,  are  named  respectively:  Edwin  M.,  Norman  W., 
James  M.  and  Lewis  G. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Cook  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never 
been  an  aspirant  to  public  office.  With  the  other  members  of  his  family  he 
attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  is  identified  with  the  membership. 
He  contributes  liberally  to  the  cause  of  religion  and  education  and  is  promi- 
nent in  the  local  affairs  of  his  community. 


JAMES  PAXTON  HARPER. 

Among  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Doniphan  county  is  numbered  this  gen- 
tleman, who  at  an  early  day  took  up  his  abode  in  Kansas  before  the  admission 
of  the  state  into  the  Union  and  when  the  work  of  civilization  was  yet  in  its 
infancy  here.  Much  of  the  land  was  still  in  its  primitive  condition  and  the 
now  thriving  towns  and  cities  were  then  unfounded.  To-day  Mr.  Harper  is 
an  important  factor  in  conducting  one  of  the  leading  mercantile  establish- 
ments which  contributes  to  the  commercial  activity  and  prosperity  of  Doni- 
phan county,  being  a  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  J.  P.  Harper  &  Son,  deal- 
ers in  lumber  and  coal  in  Leona. 

A  native  of  Hendricks  county,  Indiana,  he  was  born  on  the  2d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1834.  and  is  a  son  of  Jesse  and  Mary  A.  (Clifton)  Harper.  The  father 
was  born  in  Kentucky  February  2,  181 3.  and  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia. In  1844  they  emigrated  to  Nodaway  county.  Missouri,  where  the  father 
died.  The  children  in  his  family  were :  J.  Paxton :  Frances  M.,  who  died  in 
Doniphan  county  in  1868;  and  John  T. 

James  Paxton  Harper  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in  Nodaway 
county,  Missouri,  and  is  indebted  to  the  country  schools  for  the  educational 
privileges  he  enjoyed,  his  advantages  in  that  direction,  however,  being  some- 
what limited,  but  reading  and  the  experiences  in  the  practical  affairs  of  life 
have  brought  to  him  broad  knowledge.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  1854  when 
twenty-one  years  of  age  and  pre-empted  a  claim.  Not  a  furrow  had  been 
turned  or  an  improvement  made  on  the  place,  but  with  characteristic  energy 


5IO  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

he  began  its  development,  and  his  farming  operations  have  been  interrupted 
only  by  his  service  in  the  civil  war.  He  was  a  member  of  Company  I,  Seventh 
Kansas  Cavalry,  in  which  he  enlisted  on  the  28th  of  October,  1861.  He 
served  under  Colonels  Jennison,  Lee  and  Herrick,  in  the  order  named,  and 
Lieutenant-Colonels  Anthony  and  Malone  were  also  in  command  at  different 
times.  The  regiment  was  a  part  of  the  Sixth  Army  Corps  and  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Rienzi,  the  only  engagement  in  which  Mr.  Harper  took  part. 
He  was  discharged  in  the  spring  of  1863  and  upon  his  return  to  Kansas  again 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  the  raising  of  cattle. 

On  the  14th  of  April,  1864,  Mr.  Harper  married  Barbara  J.  Coweer,  and 
to  them  were  born  a  number  of  sons  and  daughters,  as  follows :  Thomas  M., 
James  G.,  Rufus  G.,  John  W.,  C.  L.,  Mary  S.  and  Minnie  M.  The  mother 
died  April  4,  1880,  and  Mr.  Harper  wedded  Polly  Morgan  in  1884.  Their 
children  are  Anna,  Myrtle.  Raymond  P.,  Ernest,  Miles,  Hazel  and  Decorah. 

Mr.  Harper  is  an  honored  and  reliable  Republican  of  Wolf  River  town- 
ship and  his  attendance  as  a  delegate  to  the  conventions  has  been  frequent. 
His  faith  in  his  party  has  been  consistent  and  he  has  never  felt  the  necessity 
of  working  against  any  measure  in  the  state  or  national  platforms  as  a  rebuke 
to  the  party's  misdoings.  He  strongly  favors  the  extension  idea,  believing 
in  the  excellencies  of  the  islands  which  have  come  to  us  through  the  Spanish- 
American  war.  As  a  business  man  he  is  energetic  and  thoroughly  reliable, 
and  in  addition  to  his  general  farming  and  stock  raising  interests  he  is  asso- 
ciated with  his  son  in  the  conduct  of  a  lumber  and  coal  business,  which  is 
bringing  to  them  a  good  income,  for  they  have  secured  a  liberal  patronage 
along  that  line. 


SAMUEL  L.  NIBLO. 


This  well  and  favorably  known  citizen  of  Benton  township  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  having  been  one  of  the  youngest  enlisted  soldiers  of  the  civil 
war,  as  he  was  less  than  fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  offered  his  services 
and  even  his  life  also  if  need  be  to  the  country  of  his  devotion.  It  was  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1863.  that  he  became  a  private  of  the  Eleventh  Illinois  Cavalry,  under 
Colonel  Robert  G.  Ingersoll,  and  he  continued  faithfully  at  his  post,  in  spite 
of  his  extreme  youth,  suffering  the  hardships  of  some  very  severe  campaigns 
with  a  bravery  and  fortitude  well  worthy  of  veterans. 

The  birth  of  Samuel  L.  Niblo  took  place  May  2,  1849,  in  Ireland.  His 
parents,  James  and  Margaret  Niblo,  who  were  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  were 
Protestants  in  religion  and  were  intelligent  and  upright,  having  the  respect 
of  all  who  knew  them.     They  concluded  to  come  to  America,  where  they 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         5 1 1 

believed  tlieir  children  would  have  better  advantages,  and  accordingly  the 
family  crossed  the  ocean  in  1858.  The  following  year  a  great  calamity  over- 
took them,  as  the  wife  and  mother  died,  leaving  nine  children,  comparative 
strangers  in  the  United  States.  In  order  of  birth  they  were  named  as  follows : 
Alec;  Robert;  Maria;  Mrs.  Jane  Kerr,  now  of  Fordham,  New  York;  John; 
Sarah  Ann ;  William,  of  Australia ;  James,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  ci\il  war 
and  now  resides  in  New  York  City ;  and  Samuel  L. 

Our  subject  was  two  years  of  age  when  he  left  the  shores  of  his  native 
land  and  was  only  ten  years  old  when  death  deprived  him  of  his  loving 
father's  care.  In  i860  he  came  west  as  far  as  Illinois  and  for  some  time 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Rockford.  Then  followed  his  meritorious  army 
service  and,  after  he  had  been  granted  an  honorable  discharge,  he  returned  to 
Rockford.  In  1878  he  came  to  Atchison  county  and  located  upon  a  farm  near 
Huron.  In  February,  1883.  he  settled  upon  his  present  homestead  in  Kapioma 
township,  four  miles  south  of  Effingham.  Here  he  has  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  arable  land,  which  annually  produces  large  crops  in  return  fur  the 
labor  expended. 

Mr.  Niblo  and  Ellen  Armstrong  were  married  in  1879.  Her  parents  also 
were  natives  of  Ireland  and  her  brothers  and  sisters  are:  Thomas,  of  this 
township;  Mrs.  Eliza  Raach,  of  this  locality;  Mrs.  Franklyn,  of  Doniphan 
county,  Kansas;  James  and  John,  the  latter  deceased.  The  parents,  James 
and  Margaret  Armstrong,  were  early  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Huron  and 
there  the  father  died  several  years  ago.  Of  the  six  children  born  to  our  subject 
and  wife  two  are  deceased  and  the  others,  who  are  at  home,  are  named  respect- 
ively A.  M..  John  G.,  Ella  M.  and  Jennie  M. 

Yet  in  the  prime  of  life,  Mr.  Niblo  is  zealous  in  the  promotion  of  enter- 
prises which  seem  calculated  to  benefit  his  community  and  is  equally  energetic 
in  the  management  of  all  affairs  entrusted  to  him.  Politically  he  uses  his 
franchise  on  behalf  of  the  Republican  party.  When  a  resident  of  Illinois,  Mr. 
Niblo  joined  the  Masonic  order  and  in  addition  to  this  he  is  identified  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  Effingham  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  while  his 
wife's  social  abilities  make  her  a  great  favorite. 


MRS.  NANCY  J.  HART. 

The  pioneer  ladies  are  just  as  worthy  of  mention  in  the  history  of  a 
community  as  are  the  husbands  and  fathers  who  reclaimed  the  wild  lands  and 
laid  the  foundations  for  the  development  and  improvement  of  the  country. 
Their  work,  though  of  a  cjuieter  nature,  has  been  of  a  no  less  important  char- 


512  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

acter,  being  a  needed  supplement  to  that  performed  by  the  men.  Among 
these  worthy  pioneer  women  who  merit  and  enjoy  the  respect  of  all  who 
know  them  is  Mrs.  Hart,  who  is  now  living  on  her  homestead  two  miles 
southeast  of  Reserve.  She  was  born  October  2,  1827,  and  is  the  widow  of 
Thomas  Hart,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  February 
24,  1826.  When  eleven  years  of  age  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  An- 
drew county,  Missouri,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  was  a  son 
of  William  and  Priscilla  Hart.  His  father  was  a  tanner  by  trade  and  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  in  the  Buckeye  state,  but  after  his  removal  to  Missouri 
he  carried  on  general  farming,  operating  his  land  with  the  aid  of  slave  labor. 
He  made  a  specialty  of  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  and  also  raised  stock  on 
quite  an  extensive  scale,  and  was  a  prominent  farmer,  widely  and  favorably 
known  for  his  sterling  worth,  his  integrity  being  above  question.  He  died 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  where  his  wife  also 
passed  away.  They  both  were  members  of  the  Missionary  Baptist  church. 
In  their  family  were  ten  children,  as  follows:  Lyman,  who  went  to  Cali- 
fornia in  an  early  day  and  died  in  that  state;  Harrisoil,  a  farmer;  Eliza,  who 
became  Mrs.  Van  Buskirk;  Thomas,  of  this  review;  John,  an  extensive  farmer 
and  fruit  raiser  of  Missouri ;  Abner,  who  was  accidentally  killed  in  Missouri ; 
Jackson,  who  was  married  in  Missouri,  but  is  now  a  resident  of  California; 
William,  who  died  in  Oregon;  Mrs.  Margaret  A.  Wells,  and  Benjamin,  a 
wealthy  resident  of  Montana. 

Thomas  Hart  spent  his  boyhood  days  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Mis- 
souri, and  early  became  familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the 
lot  of  the  agriculturist,  so  that  he  was  well  fitted  by  practical  experience 
for  his  own  business  career.  To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his  serv- 
ices until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  in  1847.  He  wedded  Miss  Nancy 
J.  Gillespie,  a  cultured  and  intelligent  lady,  who  was  born  October  2,  1827, 
and  belonged  to  an  honored  Kentucky  family,  her  parents  being  Wilson 
and  Mary  (Gentry)  Gillespie,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Virginia  and 
became  pioneer  settlers  of  Kentucky.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  and  also  con- 
ducted a  hotel  three  miles  from  Richmond,  Kentucky,  where  he  died  in  1837. 
He  was  the  owner  of  a  number  of  slaves,  by  whose  labor  the  farm  was  culti- 
vated. His  home  was  noted  for  its  generous  southern  hospitality  and  he  was 
widely  and  favorably  known  throughout  his  section  of  the  county.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  were  Presbyterians  in  their  religious  faith.  His  brothers 
and  sisters  were  Susan;  Mary;  Lewis,  an  extensive  farmer  and  slave  owner, 
and  Washington,  who  took  up  his  abode  in  Illinois.  Mrs.  Gillespie  survived 
her  husband  for  some  years  and  after  marrying  again  removed  to  Missouri. 
Her  second  husband  was  Robert  Boggs  and  by  their  union  they  had  one 
child,  Robert,  who  is  now  living  in  Kentucky.     The  children  of  William 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         513 

and  Mary  (Gentry)  Gillespie  were:  James;  Nancy  J.,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  E.  R.  Cornelison;  Thomas;  IMrs.  Sally  A. 
Coffman :  Henry :  Jefferson,  and  Mary,  wife  of  J.  I\I.  McKinney. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  began  their  domestic  life  in  Missouri,  where  they 
remained  until  1856,  when  Mr.  Hart,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California,  made  his  way  across  the  plains  to  the  Pacific  slope.  While  in 
the  west  he  engaged  in  mining,  but  his  health  was  poor  and  the  following  year 
he  started  home  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  route,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  whence 
he  made  his  way  up  the  Mississippi  river  to  his  home  in  Missouri,  where  he 
joined  his  family.  In  1856  he  came  with  his  wife  and  children  to  Brown  county. 
Kansas,  where  he  located  land,  pre-empting  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
This  he  improved,  transforming  the  wild  tract  into  richly  cultivated  fields, 
whose  generous  harvests  annually  augmented  his  capital.  He  was  an  enter- 
prising man,  an  excellent  financier,  and  though  he  and  his  wife  experienced 
many  hardships  and  privations  in  the  early  days  they  lived  to  enjoy  all  the 
comforts  of  life  in  later  years — comforts  which  came  to  them  as  the  result 
of  their  united  and  earnest  toil.  In  the  early  days  their  home  was  hospitably 
opened  to  all  the  wayfaring  men  and  early  settlers  who  were  in  search  of 
homes  in  this  new  country.  The  first  settlements  were  made  along  the  creeks 
where  there  was  timber,  and  the  high  prairie  was  all  open,  not  a  fence  ob- 
structing the  progress  of  those  who  wished  to  ride  across  the  country.  To 
the  east  of  the  Hart  home  there  was  not  a  settler  for  ten  miles.  They  had 
to  go  for  mail  and  supplies  to  Iowa  Point,  making  trips  by  ox-teams,  and  one 
neighbor  would  usually  do  the  marketing  for  the  entire  neighborhood.  Al- 
though the  Indians  were  numerous  they  were  friendly  and  in  time  they  trav- 
eled farther  westward.  Mr.  Hart  gave  his  attention  to  general  farming 
and  to  stock  raising  and  feeding.  His  work  was  of  a  primitive  nature  in 
the  beginning.  He  hauled  material  for  a  small  frame  house  from  the  Missouri 
river  and  fenced  his  place  with  rails,  but  later  planted  a  hedge  fence.  He 
worked  hard  in  order  to  gain  a  start,  but  as  the  years  passed  by  he  prospered 
and  added  to  his  property  until  he  became  the  owner  of  one  thousand  acres 
of  land  in  Brown  county  and  a  half-section  in  Nemaha  county.  The  old 
homestead  he  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  for  each  of  his 
children  he  provided  a  home,  and  to  his  wife  he  left  a  good  property.  He  was 
among  the  most  extensive  and  prominent  landowners  of  this  locality  and 
was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity  and  honor,  who  commanded  the  respect  of 
the  entire  community.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat,  but  never  sought  or 
desired  political  preferment. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  was  blessed  with  the  following  named 
children:  William,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Brown  county;  Thomas  J.,  a  lead- 
ing agriculturist  and  stock  raiser:  Mary  J.,  wife  of  R.  Stewart:  Margaret 


514  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

A.,  who  died  in  childhood;  Jackson,  who  is  successfully  operating  a  farm; 
Harvey,  also  a  well  known  and  substantial  farmer  of  Brown  county;  Robert, 
who  died  in  childhood:  Sadie  E..  wife  of  J.  Davis,  and  Perry  F..  who  is 
engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Reserve  and  is  the  owner  of  the  old  home- 
stead. 

Mr.  Hart  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Christian  church,  to  which 
his  widow  also  belongs.  He  was  likewise  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  in  his  life  he  exemplified  the  true  Christian  spirit  and  the  benevo- 
lent principle  of  the  craft.  In  business  circles  he  enjoyed  an  unassailable 
reputation.  He  won  success  through  honorable  methods  and  was  very  gen- 
erous with  his  children  in  giving  them  good  homes,  thus  enabling  them  to 
make  a  start  in  life.  For  almost  a  half-century  he  and  his  wife  traveled 
life's  journey  togetlier.  sharing  with  each  other  its  joys  and  sorrows,  its 
adversity  and  prosperity,  their  mutual  love  and  confidence  increasing  with 
the  passing  years,  but  on  December  13,  1895,  they  were  separated  by  the 
hand  of  death,  Mr.  Hart  passing  to  the  home  prepared  for  the  righteous. 
Mrs.  Hart  has  reached  the  allotted  Psalmist's  span  of  three  score  and  ten, 
and  now  in  the  evening  of  life  receives  the  love,  veneration  and  respect  of  all 
who  know  her. 


ELIAS  BERKLEY. 


In  the  great  competitive  struggle  of  life  there  are  many  men.  who.  lay 
resolute  purpose  and  exercise  of  natural  capabilities  have  worked  their  way 
steadily  upward,  reaching  the  goal  of  prosperity  before  others  who  started 
out  before  their  entrance  into  business  affairs.  The  analyzation  of  such  a  life 
history  is  always  of  interest,  showing  the  expedients  that  have  enabled  the 
successful  one  to  advance  in  the  face  of  opposition  and  to  wrest  fortune  from 
the  hands  of  an  adverse  fate.  Mr.  Berkley  is  one  who  owes  his  prosperity 
entirely  to  his  own  well-directed  efforts.  He  is  now  the  cashier  and  the 
leading  stockholder  in  the  Hamlin  Bank  and  is  also  prominently  connected 
with  the  farming  interests  of  Brown  county. 

He  was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania.  October  i.  1829.  and 
education  in  the  common  schools.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Rebecca 
(Schrock)  Berkley,  both  of  whom  were  nati\es  of  Pennsylvania,  in  which 
state  they  spent  their  entire  lives.  The  paternal  grandparents,  John  and 
Elizabeth  Berkley,  were  also  born  in  the  Keystone  state  and  the  Berkleys 
are  of  German  lineage.  The  grandfather  was  a  deacon  in  the  Dunkard 
church,  was  a  good  financier  and  an  intelligent  and  enterprising  man.  In 
his  family  were  ten  children,  namely:  Jonathan,  John,   Solomon,  Ludwig, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


5'5 


Samuel,  Catherine,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  Susan  and  Jacob,  the  last  named  beino- 
the  father  of  our  subject.  After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  married 
Rebecca  Schrock,  a  granddaughter  of  Christian  Schrock,  a  successful  farmer 
of  Pennsylvania,  in  which  state  he  spent  his  entire  life.  He,  too,  was  con- 
nected with  the  religious  organization  known  as  the  Dunkards.  In  his  fam- 
ily were  eight  children,  namely:  Jacob,  George,  John,  David,  Susan,  Re- 
becca, Hannah  and  Sarah.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Berkley  took  up  their  abode  upon 
a  farm  in  the  Keystone  state  and  the  father  of  our  subject,  in  connection  with 
the  operation  of  his  land,  also  engaged  in  milling,  devoting  his  attention 
to  those  pursuits  until  his  death.  He  was  a  capable  business  man  and  ac- 
quired a  comfortable  competence.  His  wife,  surviving  him  for  some  time, 
died  March,  1897,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Four  children  graced  the 
union  of  this  worthy  couple:  Susan,  wife  of  J.Miller;  Elias:  Israel,  who  died 
in  Pennsylvania,  leaving  a  large  family;  Sarah,  wife  of  C.  J.  Hefly,  of  Lincoln, 
Nebraska. 

Elias  Berkley  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  October  14,  1841, 
when  occurred  a  very  important  event  in  his  life  history — his  marriage  to 
Miss  Ann  Miller,  who  was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  Mav 
12,  1 83 1,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  time-honored  families  of 
that  state.  Her  parents,  Joseph  and  Catherine  (Livingood)  Miller,  wer« 
both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  where  they  spent  their  entire  lives,  the  father 
following  farming  as  his  chief  occupation.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Omish  church.  Their  children  were :  Christian ;  Jacob :  Jonathan  ; 
Joseph;  Gillian:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  A.  Saylor;  Barbara,  wife  of  E.  Lichty; 
Mary,  wife  of  D.  Miller;  Susan,  wife  of  A.  Walker;  Catherine,  who  became 
Mrs.  Horner,  and  after  the  death  of  her  first  husband  married  J.  Kelso;  and 
Anna,  wife  of  our  subject. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Berkley  located  on  the  old  homestead  farm  which 
he  purchased  and  continued  its  cultivation  until  1866,  when  he  removed  to 
Lee  county,  Illinois,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  six  years.  He  then  came 
to  Kansas  and  has  since  made  his  home  in  Brown  county.  He  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  on  which  he  made  a  small  payment,  built  a  little 
home  and  fenced  his  land  with  wire.  That  was  a  primitive  period  of 
the  development  of  the  county.'  The  settlers  lived  along  the  creeks  and 
much  of  the  land  was  as  yet  uncultivated.  Hamlin  contained  only  three 
houses  and  Hiawatha  was  only  a  small  village.  Mr.  Berkley  became  identi- 
fied with  the  work  of  progress  and  improvement  and  soon  transformed 
his  own  land  into  a  richly  cultivated  tract.  In  addition  to  the  raising  of 
grain  he  began  dealing  in  stock,  feeding  all  the  products  of  his  farm.  As  his 
financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  his  property  until  he  became  the 
owner  of  a  large  tract  of  four    hundred    acres,    and    now    has  one  of  the 


5i6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

best  improved  farms  in  the  county.  In  18S9  he  aided  in  organizing  the 
Hamlin  Bank,  of  which  he  served  as  president  until  January,  1897,  when  he 
resigned  and  accepted  the  cashiership.  He  is  practically  the  sole  manager  of 
the  bank  and  his  foresight  and  marked  business  and  executive  ability  have 
made  it  one  of  the  reliable  institutions  of  northeastern  Kansas.  In  1895 
he  retired  from  business  and  built  a  commodious  residence  in  Hamlin,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home,  his  time  being  occupied  with  the  banking  busi- 
ness and  with  the  control  of  his  real  estate  in\estments,  his  farm  being 
rented. 

Unto  ;Mr.  and  Mrs.  Berkley  have  been  born  eleven  children :  Cyrus  AI., 
a  grain  dealer;  Gillian  F.,  a  farmer;  James  H. ;  Grant  and  Charles,  who  carry 
on  agricultural  pursuits;  Ross  C,  who  is  assistant  cashier  of  the  bank;  Hen- 
rietta, wife  of  E.  C.  Blanchard;  Anna,  wife  of  N.  P.  Egean;  Orpha,  wife 
of  Professor  H.  H.  Springer;  Josie,  wife  of  T.  Gibbs,  and  Mrs.  IMinnie 
Shawliss.  The  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by  the  hand  of  death  and 
the  children  are  all  well  settled  near  their  parents'  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Berkley  are  members  of  the  Progressive  Dunkard  church 
and  he  has  served  as  deacon.  He  is  also  a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks  of 
the  Republican  party,  exerts  his  influence  in  its  behalf  and  gives  to  it  his 
earnest  support.  He  attends  both  county  and  state  conventions  and  has  served 
for  three  terms  as  township  trustee.  He  was  also  commissioner  for  two  tenns 
and  served  as  chairman  of  the  board  and  for  eighteen  years  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board.  He  was  also  assessor  for  a  number  of  years  and 
president  of  the  Farmers'  Fire  Insurance  Company.  In  all  life's  relations 
his  sterling  worth  has  commended  him  to  the  confidence  and  regard  of  those 
with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact.  His  worth  is  widely  recognized 
and  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  \-alued  citizens  of  the  community  by  reason 
of  the  aid  and  encouragement  which  he  gives  to  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
public  welfare  and  progress. 


W.  P.  LAIR. 


W.  P.  Lair,  whose  residence  in  Brown  county  covers  a  period  of  more 
than  two  decades,  is  a  well-known  and  progressive  farmer.  He  was  born 
in  Stanford,  Lincoln  county.  Kentucky,  on  the  3d  of  ;May.  1848.  and  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  a  good  family.  His  father.  Enoch  G.  Lair,  was  born  in  Russell 
county.  Kentucky,  and  was  a  son  of  \\'illiam  Lair,  also  a  native  of  the  Blue 
Grass  state.  The  family  is  of  German  ancestry  and  representatives  of  the 
name  served  in  the  early  wars  of  this  country.  After  arriving  at  years  of 
maturity  Enoch  G.  Lair  married  Miss  Lucy  Stapp.  a  lady  whose  excellent 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


517 


home  trainins:  and  influences  have  niatle  her  a  woman  of  culture  and  refine- 
ment. She  was  reared  and  educated  in  Kentucky  and  is  a  daugliter  of  Joseph 
Stapp,  who  was  of  Irish  Hneage.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lair  have  been  born 
five  children,  namely:  Walter  P.;  J.  C,  a  resident  of  Pittsburg-,  Pennsyl- 
vania, employed  as  a  stationary  engineer  at  the  Crescent  Tube  \\'orks ;  Mrs. 
Caroline  Bragg,  a  widow,  now  living  in  Mexico ;  Millard,  a  resident  of  Iowa ; 
and  Mattie,  a  popular  and  successful  teacher  in  Hamburg,  Iowa.  The  father, 
leaving  Kentucky,  removed  to  Gentry  county,  Missouri,  where  he  resided  for 
seven  years.  In  1865  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Fremont  county.  Iowa,  hear 
Sidney,  where  he  improved  a  good  farm,  making  it  his  home  until  his  retire- 
ment from  active  business  life.  He  then  located  in  Hamburg,  Iowa,  where  he 
is  now  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  good  health  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years. 
The  mother  died  in  1879,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years.  They  were  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church  and  honored  and  respected  citizens,  who  enjoyed 
the  regard  of  all  who  knew  them. 

W.  P.  Lair,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  on  the  home 
farms  in  Missouri  and  Iowa  and  was  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  econ- 
omy, which  proved  a  good  foundation  for  his  success  in  later  life.  He  acquired 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  states  mentioned  and  in  the  academic 
and  high  schools  at  ^Macon,  Missouri.  He  continued  his  residence  in  Iowa 
until  1879,  when  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  and  settled  upon  a  part 
of  his  present  farm,  then  a  tract  of  wild  land.  He  turned  the  first  furrow  and 
placed  the  entire  land  under  cultivation.  He  also  extended  the  boundaries  of 
the  place  by  additional  purchases  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm 
in  Brown  county,  comprising  three  hundred  and  eighty-five  acres.  It  is  well 
adapted  to  farming  and  stock  raising  purposes  and  the  well-tilled  fields  give 
promise  of  rich  and  large  harvests,  while  in  the  pastures  are  seen  good  grades 
of  cattle  and  horses.  A  commodious  residence,  built  in  modern  style  of 
architecture,  stands  upon  a  naturally  beautiful  site  and  in  the  rear  are  large 
barns  and  other  substantial  outbuildings  for  the  care  and  shelter  of  the  grain 
and  stock.  There  is  also  a  good  orchard  which  yields  its  fruit  in  season  and 
the  home  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently  located  about  three  miles  from  Horton. 

In  1874  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Lair  and  Miss  M.  E.  \\'oodward. 
who  to  her  husband  has  been  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmeet.  She  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  but  acquired  her  education  in  Hamburg,  Iowa.  Her  par- 
ents were  Silas  and  Jane  (Calvin)  Woodward,  both  now  deceased,  the  father 
having  passed  away  February  28,  1898,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  while 
his  wife's  death  occurred  August  11,  1864.  They  had  a  family  of  fire  chil- 
dren :  Margaret,  wife  of  Samuel  White,  of  Hamburg.  Iowa ;  Almeda  J.,  wife 
of  W.  H.  Millard,  of  Cherokee,  Iowa;  John  C,  a  resident  of  Hamburg,  that 
state;  Mrs.  Lair;  and  Caroline,  wife  of  J.  H.  Davis,  of  Gresham,  Nebraska. 


5i8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lair  now  liave  a  family  of  three  children :  Ada  Lee,  who 
was  graduated  in  the  Hiawatha  College  with  the  class  of  1895.  now  the  wife 
of  R.  P.  Waller,  of  Hiawatha:  Junius  C. :  and  Howell  P.,  who  is  a  student 
in  the  high  school  of  Horton.  Mr.  Lair  and  his  family  attend  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Horton,  of  which  they  are  members,  and  in  its  work  he  takes  an 
active  interest.  He  is  an  intelligent  and  enterprising  citizen,  who  favors  edu- 
cational, religious  and  temperance  principles,  in  fact,  gives  his  support  to 
every  measure  which  tends  to  the  betterment  of  mankind.  In  manner  he  is 
frank  and  genial  and  in  business  dealings  is  straightforward  and  honorable, 
and  at  all  times  his  sterling  worth  awakens  the  atlmiration  and  respect  of  his 
fellow  men. 


B.  F.  OLSON. 


B.  F.  Olson,  who  is  ser\ing  as  township  trustee  and  assessor  of  Mission 
township,  has  been  a  resident  of  Brown  county  for  over  thirty  years.  He  was 
born  in  Norway  and  is  the  son  of  a  farmer.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  a 
little  lad,  leaving  three  children :  Mrs.  Betty  G.  Anderson,  who  is  now  li\ing 
in  Washington  township.  Brown  county;  B.  F..  of  this  review ;  and  a  daughter 
who  died  in  Norway.  The  father  afterward  married  a  second  time  and 
brought  his  family  to  the  United  States,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Wisconsin, 
■where  he  died  when  the  subject  of  this  review  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years. 

Since  that  time  B.  F.  Olson  has  depended  entire!}^  upon  his  own  resources. 
Throughout  his  early  years  he  earned  his  livelihood  by  working  as  a  farm 
hand.  He  came  to  Kansas  with  his  stepmother  in  1870  and  later  found  a 
home  with  George  Fiechter,  a  prominent,  well-known  and  successful  agricult- 
urist of  Brown  county,  with  whom  he  made  his  home  for  some  years  as 
a  most  trusted  and  faithful  employee.  When  he  had  acquired  sufficient  capital 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Barton  county,  which  property  he  after- 
ward sold  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Brown  county,  half  a  mile  south  of  his 
present  home.  This  he  traded  for  forty  acres  of  his  present  farm,  to  which 
he  afterward  added  another  forty-acre  tract.  He  now  owns  two  hundred 
acres,  two  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Baker.  His  farm  is  well  watered  from  a 
pond  fed  by  springs  and  the  place  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Mr. 
Olson  is  successfully  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising  and  is 
classified  among  the  most  prosperous  agriculturists  of  this  locality. 

Li  December,  1886,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Olson  to  Miss  Ida 
Husted,  of  Robinson  township,  a  native  of  Iowa  and  reared  in  Brown  county, 
Kansas.  Her  father,  Marcus  Husted,  was  a  soldier  in  the  civil  war  who 
served  as  a  member  of  the  Iowa  cavalry.    He  died  about  ten  rears  ago,  but  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         519 

widow  is  now  living  in  Robinson  township.  Brown  county.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Olson  have  two  children,  Carrie  and  Oscar  G. 

Mr.  Olson  is  an  earnest  Populist  in  his  political  affiliations  and  has  served 
his  party  in  various  official  positions.  He  was  for  some  years  a  member  of 
the  school  board  and  is  now  township  trustee  and  assessor,  having  been  elected 
by  a  large  majority.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen,  tak- 
ing an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  camp  at  Baker.  In  religi(ius  lielief  he  is 
a  Lutheran,  having  for  some  years  been  a  member  of  the  church.  Although 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  eleven  years  as  a  poor  orphan 
boy.  he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  overcoming  all  obstacles  and 
difficulties  by  earnest  purpose  and  resolute  will,  and  he  has  gained  a  place 
among  the  prominent  farmers  of  Iiis  adopted  county  and  enjoys  the  high  regard 
of  his  fellow  men. 


THOMAS  EGLIX. 


Mr.  Eglin,  of  this  review,  has  reached  the  seventy-eighth  milestone  on 
life's  journey  and  now  in  the  evening  of  his  career  is  enjoying  the  fruits  of 
former  toil  and  the  respect  which  is  ever  accorded  sterling  worth.  His  has 
been  an  active,  useful  and  honorable  life  and  in  a]l  its  relations  his  fidelity  to 
duty  and  conscientious  purpose  have  awakened  the  esteem  and  confidence  of 
those  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact. 

A  native  of  Xew  Jersey,  Mr.  Eglin  was  born  in  Boonton.  Morris  county, 
on  June  7,  1822,  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Miller)  Eglin.  the  former  a  native 
of  the  Empire  state,  the  latter  of  New  Jersey.  The  paternal  grandfather  also 
bore  the  name  of  John  Eglin.  He,  too.  was  born  in  New  York  and  was  of 
German  lineage.  He  made  farming  his  life  work  and  continued  his  residence 
in  the  state  of  his  nativity  until  called  to  the  home  beyond.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  w  ere  earnest  Christian  people,  probably  members  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  Mr.  Eglin  was  a  great  advocate  of  the  work  done  by  the  American  Tract 
Society.  In  their  family  were  eleven  children,  namely:  Cornelius,  Bartholo- 
mew. Jacob,  Thomas.  John.  Silas,  Ivlrs.  Nancy  Avery,  Mrs.  Katie  A.  Anibal, 
Mary,  wife  of  H.  \Velch,  Mrs.  Angelica  Mason  and  Peter. 

John  Eglin.  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared  in  New  York  Init  in 
early  manhood  went  to  New  Jersey,  where  he  married  Sarah  Miller,  daughter 
of  John  Miller,  a  farmer  of  New  Jersey,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in  tliat  state. 
She  was  the  sixth  in  a  family  of  nine  children,  the  others  being:  Alexander, 
Stephen,  David.  Obediah,  Aaron,  Mrs.  Ann  Tuttle.  Mrs.  Phoebe  D.  Peer  and 
Mrs.  Betsy  Pierson.  After  his  marriage  John  Eglin  took  up  his  residence  in 
New  Jersey,  where  he  worked  at  the  hatter's  trade  until  his  death,  which 


520  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

occurred  in  August,  1828.  His  wife  long  survived  him  and  kept  most  of  her 
children  together  until  they  were  grown.  In  old  age  she  went  to  Illinois, 
where  she  joined  her  son,  Thomas,  with  whom  she  lived  until  her  death,  which 
occurred  about  1862.  She  was  a  consistent  Christian  woman,  who  did  her 
whole  duty  by  her  children,  who  tenderly  cherish  her  memory.  She  had  one 
son  and  four  daughters:  Mrs.  Catherine  E.  Smith,  of  New  York  city; 
Thomas;  Mrs.  Ann  E.  Blanchard,  of  Hamlin,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Margaret  D. 
Barbour,  deceased,  as  is  her  husband ;  and  Mrs.  Julia  McMuter,  also  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  only  six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
father's  death.  He  then  went  to  live  with  a  great-uncle  in  New  York  and 
was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  that  state,  remaining  until  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity. In  1 85 1  he  was  married  and  went  to  New  York  city,  where  he  resided 
for  four  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  Illinois,  locating  on  rented  land  in 
Kane  county.  He  worked  by  the  month  for  ten  years  and  then,  in  1865, 
removed  by  team  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Brown  county,  where  he  soon  after- 
ward purchased  eight  acres  of  land,  constituting  a  part  of  his  present  farm. 
For  this  he  paid  two  dollars  and  a  quarter  per  acre.  He  was  the  first  settler 
on  the  high  prairie  in  this  neighborhood,  when  there  was  not  a  house  in  sight. 
He  paid  for  his  land,  bought  Cottonwood  lumber,  erected  a  house,  and  also 
got  some  timber  with  which  he  made  a  rail  fence.  When  those  improvements- 
were  completed  he  found  that  his  money  was  all  gone  and  for  some  time  the 
family  lived  in  very  plain  style  until  the  farm  began  to  yield  good  returns  for 
the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  it.  As  the  years  have  passed  by  prosperity 
has  come  to  IMr.  Eglin.  From  time  to  time  he  added  to  his  land  until  he  now 
has  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  constituting  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of 
the  neighborhood.  He  has  upon  the  place  a  fine  grove,  which  furnishes  all 
the  wood  and  timber  needed.  He  has  also  planted  an  orchard,  which  is  now 
in  good  bearing  condition,  has  erected  a  stone  dwelling  and  large  barns  and 
outbuildings  and  upon  the  place  are  found  all  the  modern  accessories  and  con- 
veniences of  the  model  farm.  In  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  the  cereals  best 
lidapted  to  this  climate,  he  has  also  raised  stock,  feeding  cattle,  hogs  and 
horses.  He  is  now  practically  living  retired,  having  relegated  the  care  of  his 
farm  to  his  son.  while  he  is  enjoying  a  well-merited  rest  from  arduous  labor. 

In  1 85 1  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Eglin  and  Miss  Cordelia 
Quick,  who  was  born  in  New  York  January  22,  1822,  and  to  her  husband  has 
proven  a  most  faithful  companion  and  helpmate.  Her  parents  were  Robert  and 
Mary  (Van)  Quick,  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents were  Elijah  and  Mary  (Van)  Quick,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  farm- 
ing people.  In  religious  faith  they  were  Baptists.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children :  Firman,  Elijah,  Morris,  Gordon,  Robert,  John,  Mrs.  Nancy  Dis- 
brow  and  Mrs.  Charlotte  Willoby.     Robert  Van  Quick,  the  father  of  Mrs. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         521 

Eglin,  was  a  shoemaker  and  followed  that  trade  in  connection  with  farming. 
During  the  war  of  181 2  he  joined  the  army.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church  and  died  in  the  Empire  state.  They  had  a  family 
of  thirteen  children,  as  follows :  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Willoby,  Mrs.  Rachel  Toppy, 
Calvin,  Mrs.  Lucinda  Humphrey,  Mrs.  Hannah  Lewis,  Micajah,  Cordelia, 
Elijah,  John,  Edwnn,  Morris  J.,  Luther  and  Mrs.  Adalaide  Howe.  All  the 
children  lived  to  mature  years  with  the  exception  of  Morris,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  months. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eglin  was  born  but  one  child,  Nathan  P.,  whose  birth 
occurred  February  2,  1858.  He  married  Anna  E.  Berkley,  daughter  of  E. 
Berkley,  and  they  have  one  child,  Minnie,  born  in  September.  1887.  Nathan 
Eglin  has  charge  of  the  old  homestead  farm  and  resides  upon  the  other  farm 
belonging  to  his  father.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eglin  are  both  members  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Baptist  church,  of  Hamlin,  and  have  lived  consistent  Christian  lives, 
worthy  of  emulation.  If  they  are  spared  until  October  22,  1901,  they  will 
celebrate  their  fiftieth  wedding  anniversary.  Mr.  Eglin  is  a  stanch  advocate 
of  Republican  principles,  but  reserves  his  right  to  support  the  man  whom  he 
thinks  best  qualified  for  office,  regardless  of  party  affiliations.  He  has  held 
some  minor  township  offices,  but  has  always  preferred  to  give  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  business  affairs.  Industry  has  been  the  keynote  to  his  success 
and  his  life  record  shows  what  can  be  accomplished  through  determined  pur- 
pose and  energy. 


DAVID  HILLYER. 


One  of  Brown  county's  well-known  and  enterprising  farmers  is  David 
Hillyer.  who  is  living  near  Hiawatha,  but  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons 
of  the  Buckeye  state.  His  birth  occurred  in  Mahoning  county,  Ohio,  January 
24,  1840,  his  parents  being  John  J.  and  Eliza  (Morris)  Hillyer.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  John  Hillyer,  was  a  native  of  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  a 
larmer  by  occupation.  On  leaving  the  "Keystone  state  he  removed  to  Ohio 
and  later  to  Canada,  and  subsequently  took  up  his  residence  in  Whiteside 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  died.  In  politics  he  was  a  \Miig.  His  children  were 
Lucius;  Toman;  John  J.;  Sarah,  wife  of  J.  Vance;  Ezra,  David  and  Joseph. 

John  J.  Hillyer,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and 
accompanied  his  i^arents  on  their  removal  to  Ohio,  w'here  he  was  married. 
Later  he  went  to  Illinois,  where  he  purchased  raw  land  and  improved  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  reared  his  family.  His  wife  died  in  Illinois,  in  1862,  and 
after  his  children  were  married  he  came  to  Kansas,  making  his  home  among 
those  who  had  settled  in  that  state.     He  died  in  Brown  county  August  ii-. 


522  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

1896,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  His  children  were  Anna,  wife  of  A. 
Kramer;  David;  Mary,  wife  of  H.  Detweiler;  Sarah,  wife  of  F.  Fry;  Emma; 
John  M.,  a  prominent  farmer,  and  Anthony. 

Mr.  Hillyer.  of  this  review,  remained  with  his  parents  until  after  he  liad 
attained  his  majority  and  in  the  common  schools  near  his  home  he  was  indebted 
for  the  educational  privileges  which  were  accorded  him.  In  1861  he  was  mar- 
ried and  rented  a  farm,  devoting  his  energies  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields 
imtil  August,  1862,  when,  feeling  that  his  country  needed  his  services,  he 
joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  B,  Seventy-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  for 
three  years.  His  regiment  was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 
General  Post  being  brigade  commander  of  the  First  Brigade,  Fourth  Army 
Corps.  The  regiment  was  afterward  attached  to  the  Fourteenth  Army  Corps. 
Mr.  Hillyer  saw  some  hard  service,  participating  in  many  skirmishes  and  in 
all  the  battles  of  the  regiment.  He  had  many  narrow  escapes,  yet  was  never 
wounded  or  captured,  though  he  was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty  until 
honorably  discharged  in  July,  1865.  At  the  time  of  Lee's  surrender  the  regi- 
ment was  in  east  Tennessee  and  then  marched  to  Nashville,  where  it  was  mus- 
tered out,  the  troops  proceeding  thence  to  Chicago,  where  they  received  an 
honorable  discharge  and  were  paid. 

Mr.  Hillyer  then  returned  to  his  home  and  family  and  resumed  farming. 
In  1867,  however,  he  removed  westward,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Nebraska, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  In  i86q  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas, 
purchasing  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  lives.  He  has  made  all  the  improve- 
ments here  since  the  time  when  he  built  his  first  log  cabin ;  his  tract  of  timber 
land  he  fenced  and  soon  placed  it  in  an  arable  condition.  At  the  time  of 
his  arrival  there  were  few  settlers  in  the  neighborhood,  but  within  two  years 
all  of  the  land  had  been  claimed.  In  1874  the  grasshopper  plague  occurred, 
those  insects  destroying  almost  everything  that  was  raised  in  this  locality,  caus- 
ing much  loss  and  hardship  to  the  settlers.  With  determined  purpose  anrl 
unflagging  energy,  however,  Mr.  Hillyer  continued  to  work  the  farm  and  in 
time  success  crowned  his  efforts.  He  purchased  another  quarter-section  of 
land  and  has  aided  his  children  in  securing  homes.  He  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  and  his  labors  have  been  attended  by  financial 
success. 

In  1861  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hillyer  and  Miss  Lydia  A.  Camp- 
bell, who  was  born  in  Cortland  county,  New  York,  February  23,  1840,  a 
daughter  of  Alanson  and  Mary  (Benjamin)  Campbell,  of  New  York.  The 
father  was  a  cabinetmaker  and  with  his  family  removed  to  Illinois,  locating 
in  Dixon,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  factory.  Later  he  resided  at  Lyndon, 
"Whiteside  county,  and  in  1871  he  came  to  Kansas,  establishing  his  home  at 
White  Cloud,  where  his  wife  died  in  1871.     In  1873  he  returned  to  Illinois 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  523 

and  died  in  Dixon  in  187S.  He  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  church.  His  cliildren  were  Mrs.  Diana  Warren,  of  Dixon :  Alfred 
B..  also  of  Dixon ;  Lydia  A. ;  Mrs.  Melissa  Bowman ;  Alvina.  wife  of  H.  Hedg- 
lon;  Lncina,  wife  of  C.  Wilcox;  and  Sally,  wife  of  D.  Sealy. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hillyer  has  been  blessed  with  three  children : 
Florence  was  born  December  2.  1861,  and  is  the  wife  of  J.  R.  Patterson; 
Alford  A.  was  born  August  24.  1866,  and  is  engaged  in  farming;  and  Maud 
was  born  April  14,  1876.  Mrs.  Hillyer  and  her  children  are  all  members  of 
the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Hillyer  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  post  of  Hia- 
watha and  as  a  citizen  is  as  true  to-day  to  the  duties  of  citizenship  as  when  he 
followed  the  stars  and  stripes  on  the  battle  fields  of  the  south.  His  business 
career  is  creditable  and  has  brought  to  him  well  merited  success,  so  that  he 
is  now  one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  the  community. 


J.  B.  ALLISOX. 

A  well-known,  practical  and  representative  farmer  of  Walnut  township. 
Brown  county,  Mr.  Allison  has  for  some  time  resided  in  this  section  of  the 
state  and  has  been  an  active  factor  in  public  affairs  as  well  as  in  agricultural 
circles.  He  was  born  in  McDonough  county,  Illinois.  October  9,  1836,  his 
parents  being  George  and  Margaret  (McCandless)  Allison,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  which  state  they  were 
married.  The  father  was  a  son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Haynes)  Allison 
and  his  grandfather  was  James  Allison,  who  wedded  a  Miss  McFadden. 
He  was  among  the  first  settlers  of  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  re- 
moving to  that  locality  from  Maryland.  He  took  up  a  tomahawk  claim,  or 
a  tract  of  land  six  miles  square.  The  settlers  built  block  houses  and  oc- 
casionally were  compelled  to  fight  Indians  while  improving  their  farms. 
James  Allison  continued  in  possession  of  this  tract  of  land  and  as  the  coun- 
try became  more  thickly  settled  his  property  rose  in  value  and  made  him  a 
wealthy  resident  of  the  county.  William  Allison  was  born  and  reared  on 
his  father's  farm  in  \\'ashington  county,  Pennsylvania,  was  married  in  that 
section  of  the  state  and  in  1833  removed  to  McDonough  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  purchased  large  tracts  of  land.  There  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  be- 
coming one  of  the  extensive  agriculturists  and  prominent  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
In  their  family  were  nine  children :  Ann,  wife  of  M.  Henton ;  James,  of  Penn- 
sylvania; Josiah,  who  died  in  Illinois;  Thomas,  who  died  in  Iowa;  George, 
the  father  of  our  subject;  Andrew  and  Harmon,  who  died  in  Illinois;  Mary, 


524  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD, 

wife  of  W.  J.  Mellon,  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Dr.  Nutting.  George  Allison, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Pennsylvania  and  in  that 
state  married  Miss  Margaret  McCandless.  In  Illinois  he  improved  a  farm, 
upon  which  lie  made  his  home  until  1854,  and  while  a  resident  of  that  state 
he  maintained  a  depot  of  the  underground  railroad.  He  then  removed  to 
Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa,  remaining  there  three  years.  In  1857  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Nebraska,  where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for  a  time. 
Selling  out,  he  purchased  raw  land  and  improved  a  farm,  which  he  cultivated 
until  1 86 1.  In  that  year  he  sold  his  property  in  Nebraska  and  removed  to 
Kansas,  locating  in  Doniphan  county,  where  he  rented  a  farm  until  1863, 
when  he  came  to  Brown  county.  Here  he  purchased  some  land,  upon  which 
a  few  improvements  had  been  made,  and  continued  its  further  cultivation  and 
development  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1868.  In  politics 
he  was  an  Abolitionist  in  ante  bclluin  days,  and  was  one  of  nine  in  his  county 
who  voted  for  James  G.  Birney,  the  Abolitionist  candidate  for  president,  the 
vote  being  five  Allisons  and  four  Blaziers.  On  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  he  became  one  of  its  supporters.  His  first  wife,  Margaret  McCand- 
less, was  a  daughter  of  William  McCandless,  of  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania, 
who  became  a  farmer  of  McDonough  county,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his 
last  days.  His  children  were  Harj^er;  Margaret;  Mrs.  Jane  Woods;  William, 
who  was  killed  in  the  late  Rebellion,  and  Sarah,  w'ife  of  A.  D.  McBride. 
The  parents  of  this  family  were  both  Presbyterians  in  religious  faith.  Unto 
George  and  Margaret  (McCandless)  Allison  were  born  six  children,  namely: 
J.  B.  McCandless,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years;  Margaret  L.,  wife 
of  J.  N.  Anderson;  William,  who  died  in  infancy;  Josiah,  who  was  killed 
at  Memphis,  while  serving  his  country  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion;  Mary  H., 
wife  of  A.  L.  Matthews,  and  Sarah,  wife  of  George  W.  Warner. 

J.  B.  Allison  removed  with  his  parents  to  Iowa,  Nebraska  and  Kansas. 
From  the  age  of  three  years  he  has  been  a  cripple,  having  lost  the  use  of  his 
limbs.  During  his  boyhood  he  learned  to  do  some  kinds  of  work,  including 
that  of  broom-making,  to  which  he  has  devoted  many  hours.  When  a  young 
man  he  engaged  in  teaching  school,  following  that  profession  in  Iowa,  Ne- 
braska and  Kansas.  After  taking  up  his  abode  in  Brown  county  he  was 
elected  registrar  of  deeds  and  removed  to  Hiawatha,  holding  the  ofiice  for 
three  terms  or  six  years.  In  the  meantime  he  purchased  the  farm  upon  which 
he  now  resides,  and  on  his  retirement  from  office,  he  gave  to  it  his  personal 
supervision.  He  has  filled  many  township  offices,  including  that  of  trustee, 
to  which  position  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term.  He  has  always  been  an 
advocate  of  Republican  principles  and  has  done  all  in  his  power  to  promote 
the  growth  and  secure  the  success  of  his  party.  Aside  from  office-holding, 
his  attention  has  been  given  to  general   farming  and   stock   raising.      He 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  525 

has  raised  corn  and  fed  stock  and  his  sales  have  materially  increased  his 
income. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1882,  Mr.  Allison  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mrs.  Martitia  Crooks,  a  widow  of  J.  J.  Crooks.  By  that  marriage  she  had 
one  child,  who  died  in  infancy.  She  is  a  daughter  of  J.  W.  and  Paulina 
(Winters)  Tunnell,  the  former  a  native  of  Hawkins  county,  Tennessee,  the 
latter  of  Illinois.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  married 
Miss  Winters,  of  Grundy  county,  Missouri,  and  in  that  state  her  death  oc- 
curred in  1862.  He  afterward  removed  to  western  Kansas,  where  he  is  still 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  While  in  Missouri  he  served  as  county 
judge  and  justice  of  the  peace.  Prior  to  the  civil  war  he  was  a  stanch  Abo- 
litionist and  his  home  was  a  station  on  the  underground  railroad.  In  this 
way  he  aided  many  a  poor  negro  on  his  way  to  freedom.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  the  family  of  this 
worthy  couple  were  six  children  :  Elizabeth,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years ; 
Nannie,  wife  of  H.  T.  Knight:  Mrs.  Allison;  John  F.,  who  died  in  Kansas; 
Mary  T.,  wife  of  W.  H.  Jordan,  and  Henry  E.,  of  Illinois. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allison  have  been  born  one  son,  James  M.,  whose  birth 
occurred  August  17,  1884,  and  who  is  now  attending  school.  Our  subject 
and  his  wife  are  both  members  of  the  Congregational  church  and  enjoy  the 
warm  regard  of  many  friends  in  the  community.  He  certainly  deserves- 
great  credit  for  his  success  in  life,  for  his  physical  disability  has  proved  a 
handicap  such  as  few  men  have  to  overcome,  ^\"ith  determined  purpose, 
however,  he  has  worked  his  way  upward  and  is  now  the  owner  of  one  of  the 
fine  farms  of  Walnut  township. 


FLINTOFT  SMITH. 


For  twelve  years  Mr.  Smith  has  been  a  resident  of  Horton  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Brown  county  bar.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  on  the  27th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1863,  a  son  of  Rev.  A.  A.  Smith,  now  deceased,  who  was  for  many  years 
a  Methodist  minister.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born,  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Scotland,  and  after  crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  Miss  Martha  Blackstock,  a  native  of  Canada,  to  whom  he 
was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  wedlock.  Unto  them  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely :  Cameron,  who  is  an  attorney-at- 
law,  associated  in  business  with  his  brother  in  Horton;  Bruce,  a  physician 
and  surgeon,  engaged  in  practice  in  Hamilton,  Ontario ;  Ella  and  Flintoft. 
The  mother  also  survives  and  is  living  at  the  old  home  in  Canada. 


526  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mr.  Smith,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  provided  with  ex- 
cellent educational  advantages  in  his  youth  and  profited  by  those  afforded 
in  Victoria  College.  In  1887  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  New  York,  and 
has  since  successfully  engaged  in  practicing,  having  first  opened  an  office  in 
the  Empire  state,  whence  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1888,  locating  in  Horton, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  has  for  twelve  years  been  associated 
in  the  practice  of  law  with  W.  F.  Means,  who  in  1890  was  elected  county 
attorney,  and  accordingly  removed  to  Hiawatha  and  the  firm  have  since  had 
an  office  in  each  city.  With  marked  natural  aptitude  for  the  profession, 
combined  with  habits  of  close  study  and  application,  he  has  become  one  of 
the  leading  attorneys  of  this  section  and  his  legal  acumen  and  sound  judg- 
ment have  commanded  the  respect  of  his  fellow  practitioners. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  New  York,  to  Miss  Lottie  Sours,  of  Wayne 
county,  that  state.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Smith  is  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican and  an  active  worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  party,  doing  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  its  growth  and  insure  its  success.  Socially  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge.  He  belongs 
to  a  class  of  representative  American  citizens,  enterprising,  ambitious,  ener- 
getic, yet  considerate  of  the  rights  of  others,  and  loyal  to  all  duties  of  citizen- 
ship. 


LUKE  LEE. 


Extensive  corporations,  like  railroad  companies,  demand  the  utmost  fidel- 
ity and  trustworthiness  on  the  part  of  their  employees  and  long  continuance 
in  their  service  is  an  indication  of  fidelity  and  ability  on  the  part  of  one  thus 
connected  with  any  large  business  concern.  Mr.  Lee  is  a  popular  and  reliable 
engineer  on  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  and  since  October,  1887.  has  been  a 
resident  of  Horton,  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Durham,  England,  February 
II,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Lee.  His  father  was  superintendent  of 
the  coal  mines  there.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Anne  Thompson  and  in  1848, 
with  his  wife  and  children,  crossed  the  Atantic  to  America,  taking  up  his  abode 
in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  His  wife  died  in  Henderson,  Kentucky,  at  the 
age  of  forty-two  years,  leaving  a  family  of  five  children,  namely:  Luke; 
Robert,  who  is  superintendent  of  coal  mines  in  Illinois;  William,  who  for  a 
number  of  years  was  a  bookkeeper  in  the  employ  of  the  Coal  Valley  Mining 
Company,  died  in  1888;  Mrs.  Hannah  Haddick,  of  Sherrard,  Illinois,  and 
John,  who  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  civil  war  and  now  resides  in  Illinois. 
The  father  died  in  that  state,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  a  man  of  highest  respectability. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  527 

Mr.  Lee,  of  this  review,  obtained  a  common-school  education,  but  after 
the  age  of  ten  years,  pursued  his  studies  in  night  schools,  for  in  the  daytime 
he  worked  in  the  coal  mines.  His  first  railroad  experience  was  in  running 
an  engine  on  the  Sawmill  Run  Railroad  in  1863,  in  Allegheny  county.  In 
1879  he  went  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  until  1887,  when  he  came 
to  Brown  county,  Kansas. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  1854,  in  Cannelton,  Indiana,  Mr.  Lee  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Irwin,  who  proved  to  her  husband  a  faithful 
helpmeet.  She  was  a  native  of  Durham,  England,  and  a  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Elizabeth  (Wilson)  Irwin,  both  of  whom  died  in  America.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lee  became  the  parents  of  four  children :  Mary  Ann,  Elizabeth,  John  and 
Katherine.  The  son  has  for  more  than  three  years  occupied  a  position  as 
machinist  in  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  shops  at  Horton.  The  mother  of 
this  family  died  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  forty-two 
years.  She  was  a  faithful  wife  and  a  devoted  mother  and  her  loss  has  been 
greatly  mourned  by  her  family  as  well  as  by  all  who  know  her.  Both  Mr. 
Lee  and  his  son  are  Republicans  in  their  political  preferences  and  are  members 
of  Horton  Lodge,  No.  326,  F.  &  A.  M.  Mr.  Lee  has  a  very  pleasant  resi- 
dence on  Forence  street,  nicely  furnished  and  presided  over  by  his  daughters. 
He  exercises  the  greatest  care  and  persistence  in  his  work  and  has  become 
one  of  the  most  trusted  employees  on  the  Rock  Island  Railroad.  In  manner 
he  is  courteous  and  obliging  and  has  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends. 


GEORGE  H.  NORTON. 

George  H.  Norton,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Hiawatha  township. 
Brown  county,  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York  May  19.  1849,  ^"d  is  a 
son  of  Henry  H.  and  Hannah  (Dibell)  Norton,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  the  Empire  state.  The  grandfather,  Dennis  Norton,  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land. He  married  Eunice  Wright  and  reared  a  large  family.  The  grand- 
father on  the  maternal  side  was  John  Dibell.  Mrs.  Norton  was  born  in  1823, 
is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  with  our  subject. 

In  a  family  of  four  children  George  H.  Norton  was  the  second  in  order 
of  birth.  He  was  born  in  New  York  in  1857,  his  father  pre-empting  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Hiawatha  township.  Brown  county,  in  the 
spring  of  1857.  thus  becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  as  well  as  progres- 
sive farmers  of  the  community.  By  additional  purchases  he  extended  the 
bounds  of  his  farm  until  it  comprised  two  hundred  acres,  which  he  continued 
to  cultivate  and  improve  until  his  death  in  1866.    George  H.  Norton  acquired 


528  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  greater  part  of  liis  preliminary  education  in  Kansas,  attending  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  through  the  winter  months,  while  in  the  summer 
season  he  assisted  his  father  upon  the  home  farm  until  his  death.  Mr.  Norton 
is  still  residing  upon  the  old  homestead  and  is  engaged  in  general  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  not  only  raising  the  cereals  best  adapted  to  this  climate,  but 
also  making  a  specialty  of  the  breeding  of  fine  hogs,  in  which  business  he  has 
met  with  creditable  success. 

On  March  26,  1878,  Mr.  Norton  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lou- 
ellah  J.  White,  a  daughter  of  L.  T.  and  Minerva  White.  The  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norton  has  been  blest  with  four  children:  Nora  E.,  Walter 
L.  (deceased).  Beryl  L.  and  Florence  L.  In  politics  Mr.  Norton  is  a  stanch 
Republican  and  has  served  as  a  trustee  of  Hiawatha  township  and  a  member 
of  the  school  board  for  sixteen  years.  The  cause  of  education  has  found  in 
him  a  warm  friend,  as  he  has  earnestly  promoted  the  interest  of  the  schools  in 
this  locality.  He  takes  quite  an  interest  in  the  local  and  county  politics  and 
is  well  informed  on  the  subjects  of  general  interest,  both  political  and  other- 
wise. Socially  he  is  a  member  of  Hiawatha  Lodge,  No.  35.  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
enjoying  the  warm  regard  of  his  brethren  of  the  fraternity.  His  life  has 
been  a  useful  one  and  thereby  he  has  come  to  be  regarded  as  among  the  sub- 
stantial and  representati\'e  farmers  of  this  community. 


ARCHIBALD  McGAUHEY,  M.  D. 

Dr.  McGauhej  is  one  of  the  more  recent  acquisitions  to  the  medical 
fraternity  of  Robinson,  but  in  him  we  find  one  who  has  attained  distinction 
in  the  line  of  his  profession,  who  has  been  an  earnest  and  discriminating 
student,  and  who  holds  a  place  of  assured  relative  precedence  among  the  med- 
ical practitioners  of  his  adopted  county.  He  is  a  successful  physician  of  north- 
eastern Kansas  and  has  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 

The  Doctor  was  born  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  November  8,  1870, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  McGauhey,  now  deceased.  The  father  was  born  in 
North  Carolina,  in  1809,  and  in  1846  emigrated  to  Missouri,  pre-empting 
a  claim  in  Buchanan  county,  where  he  successfully  carried  on  farming  for 
many  years.  His  labors  in  that  direction,  however,  were  interrupted  by  a  visit 
to  California,  crossing  the  plains  with  the  Argonauts,  who  sought  the  golden 
fleece  in  1849.  It  was  his  intention  to  engage  in  mining,  but  such  excellent 
wages  were  paid  those  who  swung  the  scythe  in  the  hay  fields  that  he  aljandoned 
his  plan  of  entering  the  mines  in  order  to  work  in  the  fields.  After  a  year 
and  a  half  spent  on  the  Pacific  slope,  however,  he  returned  home.  During 
the  Mexican  war  he  had  some  experience  in  army  life  as  a  teamster,  but 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  529 

during  the  greater  part  of  his  career  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  be- 
coming one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Buchanan  county,  Missouri.  He 
has  one  brother,  Thomas  McGauhey,  who  also  lived  in  Buchanan  county. 
They  were  sons  of  Archibald  McGauhey,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  reared  a 
large  family.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza- 
beth Williams,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Lewis  L.  Williams,  of  Kentucky,  in 
which  state  her  birth  occurred.  She  now  resides  in  Buchanan  county,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  there.  Her  children 
are:  Joseph  H.,  of  White  Cloud,  Kansas;  George  W.,  of  Agency,  Missouri; 
and  Dr.  McGauhey,  of  this  review. 

The  Doctor  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life  upon  a  farm,  and 
then  became  a  student  in  the  University  of  Missouri,  with  the  expectation  of 
preparing  for  professional  life.  A  year  later  he  matriculated  in  the  Ains- 
worth  Medical  College,  of  St.  Joseph,  but  completed  his  medical  course  in 
the  University  of  Louisville,  with  the  class  of  1893.  He  began  his  profes- 
sional career  in  Cosby,  Missouri,  and  in  1894  opened  an  office  in  Hollenburg, 
Kansas,  where  he  remained  until  his  removal  to  Robinson,  in  June,  1898. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Doniphan  and  Brown  County  Medical  Society,  and 
of  the  Railway  Surgeons'  Society  of  the  Grand  Island  Road. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1893,  the  Doctor  was  married,  in  Andrew  county, 
Missouri,  to  Maggie  Miller,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Mary  (Vestel)  Miller, 
the  former  a  farmer  of  that  locality.  One  child  has  been  born  of  this  union, 
Esther,  whose  birth  occurred  May  15,  1895.  The  success  which  has 
attended  the  professional  efforts  of  Dr.  McGauhey  is  but  a  natural  sequence, 
for  his  position  soon  became  assured  as  an  able  physician,  a  man  of  sterling 
integrity,  and  one  devoted  to  his  profession  and  to  the  interests  and  welfare 
of  those  to  whom  he  ministered.  He  possesses  marked  judgment  and  dis- 
cernment in  the  diagnosing  of  disease,  and  is  particularly  successful  in  antici- 
pating the  issue  of  complications,  seldom  making  mistakes  and  never  exag- 
gerating or  minimizing  the  disease  in  rendering  his  decisions  in  regard 
thereto.  He  is  a  physician  of  great  fraternal  delicacy,  and  no  man  ever 
observed  more  closely  the  ethics  of  the  unwritten  professional  code  or  showed 
more  careful  courtesy  to  his  fellow  practitioners  than  does  Dr.  McGauhey. 


LEWIS  K.  CHASE. 


Lewis  K.  Chase,  whose  residence  in  Brown  county  covers  a  period  of 
twenty-five  years,  was  born  in  Grafton  county,  New  Hampshire,  September 
3,  1830,  a  son  of  William  S.  Chase,  who  was  born  February  22,  1797.     John 


530  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Chase,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  August  26,  1769,  and  married 
Prudence  Stark  April  14  1796.  She  was  born  September  12.  1776.  and  died 
September  29,  1852,  and  he  died  February  22,  1863.  Wilham  S.  Chase  was 
a  farmer  and  shoemaker  and  after  attaining  man's  estate  wedded  Lavinia  Ken- 
drick,  who  was  born  in  New  Hampsliire  and  was  a  daughter  of  John  Kendrick. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  five  cliildren  :  Julia  Ann,  born  February  2,  1825  ; 
William  C,  August  10,  1827;  John  Stillman,  March  21,  1829;  Lewis  K.,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1831 ;  and  Asa  P.,  born  January  9,  1837,  is  the  only  one  now  living. 

William  C.  Chase,  Sr.,  died  July  28,  1882,  and  his  wife  died  September 
18,  1873.  The  father  followed  farming  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 
He  gave  his  political  support  to  the  Democracy  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were 
consistent  members  of  the  Congregational  church.  John  Kendrick,  the  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  was  born  March  6,  1769,  married.  March  i,  1892,  Kezia 
Preble,  who  was  born  May  i,  1767.  He  died  January  i,  i860,  and  she 
October  9,  1858. 

Lewis  K.  Chase  was  reared  on  the  old  home  farm  near  Piermont,  New 
Hampshire,  in  the  Connecticut  valley,  and  to  the  public  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood he  is  indebted  for  his  educational  privileges  which  he  received.  He 
was  married  in  Piermont,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Ruby  Woodward,  who  was  born 
and  educated  at  Farley,  Vermont.  Her  parents  were  Asa  and  Rhoda  (Rust) 
Woodward.  He  was  a  son  of  Asa  and  Elethea  (Kingsley)  Woodward,  who 
were  for  some  time  the  owners  of  land  on  which  Saratoga  Springs,  New 
York,  is  now  located.  Asa  and  Rhoda  Woodward  had  eleven  children,  six 
of  whom  reached  the  years  of  maturity,  namely:  Lucius,  Maria,  Harriet, 
Alpheus.  Albert,  Ovis.  Philura,  Philena,  Ruby,  Malvina  and  one  dying  in 
infancy.  Their  parents  were  consistent  Christian  people  who  held  member- 
ship in  the  Methodist  church.  The  father  followed  agricultural  pursuits  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  his  life  and  also  engaged  in  conducting  a  hotel.  He 
was  called  to  his  final  rest  October  9,  1865,  and  his  wife  passed  away  August 
12,  1842. 

Mr.  Chase  and  his  family  remained  in  the  east  until  1866,  when  they 
removed  to  Missouri,  where  he  successfully  conducted  a  hotel  for  ten  years, 
after  which  he  came  to  Brown  county,  Kansas.  Here  he  was  also  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  hotel  until  1878,  when  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  His  land  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
he  has  a  large  orchard  upon  the  place,  together  with  a  comfortable  residence 
and  all  the  necessary  outbuildings.  Their  home  is  celebrated  for  its  hos- 
pitality and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chase  enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  many  friends. 
They  have  had  two  children,  but  Elmer  Chase  died  January  12,  1885,  at 
the  age  of  twenty- four  years.  William  A.  Chase  was  born  October  20,  1871, 
and  was  married  January  25,  1894,  at  Willis,  Brown  county,  to  Miss  Dell, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         531 

a  daughter  of  W .  W.  Loofborron,  of  Willis.     They  have  two  children — Ed- 
ward Everett  and  Ruby  Hazel. 

Mr.  Chase  is  an  exemplary  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  which  he 
joined  in  Fillmore,  Missouri,  many  years  ago.  He  also  belongs  to  the  order 
of  Knights  of  Pythias  and  his  son  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the  Republican  party,  but 
he  has  never  aspired  to  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  afifairs,  in  which  he  has  met  with  creditable  success.  All  that  he 
possesses  has  come  to  him  through  his  own  efforts  and  he  is  accounted  one 
of  the  most  energetic  and  capable  as  well  as  prosperous  farmers  of  his  com- 
munity. 


JOHN    EXGELKEN. 


John  Engelken,  one  of  the  enterprising  and  practical  farmers  of  Rich- 
mond township,  Nemaha  county,  residing  on  section  5,  was  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  on  the  20th  of  February,  1844,  and  is  the  eldest  of  six  children  of 
Bernard  and  Mary  (Cooper)  Engelken,  natives  of  Germany.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  in  1854,  bidding  adieu  to  friends  and  coun- 
try, he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  New  World,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Jo 
Daviess  county,  Illinois,  where  he  secured  government  land  at  a  dollar  and  a 
quarter  per  acre.  He  improved  a  farm  there,  making  it  his  home  until  1881, 
when  he  came  to  Kansas.  He  died  at  the  home  of  our  subject,  September 
28,  1897,  and  his  widow  is  now  living  with  her  son  John,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-nine years. 

]\Ir.  Engelken,  of  this  review,  was  a  lad  of  six  summers  when  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  the  New  World.  He  began  his  education  in  the  father- 
land, but  completed  his  studies  in  the  district  schools  of  Jo  Daviess  county, 
Illinois.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he  was  married,  in  Dorches- 
ter, Allamakee  county,  Iowa,  May  28,  1872,  to  Mary  Schulte,  who  was  born 
in  Davenport,  Iowa,  October  30,  1855,  her  parents  being  John  B.  and  Mary 
Schulte.  who  were  natives  of  Hanover,  Germany,  whence  they  came  to 
America  in  early  life.  The  mother  died  when  Mrs.  Engelken  was  about 
eight  years  of  age,  and  her  father  passed  away  when  seventy-nine  years  of 
age.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  nine  children,  namely: 
Mary,  the  wife  of  Bernard  Rottinghouse,  of  Nemaha  county;  Margaret, 
the  wife  of  Henry  Rethmann,  of  Nemaha  township,  Nemaha  county,  Kan- 
sas; Ellen;  Kate;  Bernard,  deceased;  Elizabeth,  Henry,  Nora  and  Otilda. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Engelken  located  in  Allamakee  county,  Iowa, 
where  he  engaged  in  general  farming  until  1881,  when  he  came  to  Nemaha 


532  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

county,  Kansas.  Here  he  purchased  a  tract  of  wild  prairie  land,  which  he 
has  transformed  into  an  excellent  farm,  making  all  of  the  improvements  upon 
the  place.  He  first  built  a  barn,  and  in  that  the  family  lived  through  the 
summer,  when  a  substantial  residence  was  erected.  In  1897  1^^  t)uilt  a  very 
large  barn,  and  these,  with  the  other  improvements  upon  the  place,  stand  as 
monuments  to  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner.  Mr.  Engelken  has  two 
hundred  and  forty-two  acres,  all  under  cultivation,  and  his  diligence  has 
resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a  handsome  competence.  His  political  support 
is  given  to  the  Democratic  party.  For  more  than  ten  years  he  has  served  as 
the  school  clerk.  He  is  a  prominent  member  and  one  of  the  officers  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  church,  and  aided  in  building  the  house  of  worship.  His 
life  has  been  quietly  passed,  yet  has  been  characterized  by  fidelity  to  every 
duty.     Such  a  career  is  worthy  of  emulation. 


JOHN  T.    KIRWAN. 


In  1889  Severance  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  this  gentleman, 
who  passed  away  on  the  30th  of  May,  but  he  left  the  impress  of  his  individu- 
ality upon  the  public  life  of  the  town.  He  was  instrumental  in  founding 
upon  a  safe  basis  some  of  the  leading  business  concerns.  He  was  born  in 
Ireland  and  possessed  many  of  the  characteristics  of  his  race.  In  his  char- 
acter were  found  those  sterling  qualities  which  have  e\er  marked  the  true 
type  of  the  Irish  nation, — continuous  industry,  in\-incilile  spirit,  sturdy  loy- 
alty and  unwavering  honor.  Mr.  Kirwan's  birth  occurred  on  the  31st  of 
May,  1834,  in  the  county  of  Wexford,  Ireland,  and  his  father^  James  Kirwan, 
was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle  in  1808.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  matur- 
ity the  latter  married  Ann  Sinnott,  who  was  born  in  Ireland  in  18 10.  Cross- 
ing the  Atlantic  to  America,  they  spent  their  last  days  in  Doniphan  county, 
Kansas,  where  the  mother's  death  occurred  February  25,  1880. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  land, 
and  in  1855  sought  a  home  in  the  New  World.  Three  years  later  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  Doniphan  county,  and  for  more  than  thirty  years  was  identi- 
fied with  its  interests.  He  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  dry-goods  store,  and  was 
a  prominent  factor  in  commercial  circles.  In  1884,  however,  he  opened  a 
private  bank  and  continued  it  until  his  death.  He  made  a  close  study  of  the 
banking  business  and  conducted  the  affairs  of  the  institution  upon  safe  prin- 
ciples and  along  conservative  lines.  His  well-known  integrity  and  executive 
force  gained  for  the  bank  a  reputation  for  ability  that  won  it  a  liberal  patronage. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  1872,  John  T.  Kirwan  was  united  in  marriage  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         533 

Miss  Ellen  Burns,  who  was  born  in  Nelson  county,  Kentucky,  July  23,  1854, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  F.  and  Mary  (Adams)  Burns,  Five  children  were  born 
of  the  union  of  our  subject  and  wife,  namely:  Zula,  Vincent  J.,  Oliver, 
Osmund  and  Claudia,  the  last  three  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  elder  son  is 
now  occupying  the  position  of  assistant  cashier  in  the  Bank  of  Severance, 
w^here  he  displays  many  of  the  qualities  which  made  his  father  so  successful 
in  business. 

j\Ir.  Kirwan  was  prominently  identified  with  the  political  interests  of  the 
county,  and  for  four  years  served  as  the  county  clerk.  He  served  as  the 
mayor  for  three  terms,  and  administered  the  affairs  of  the  office  in  a  manner 
that  produced  many  needed  changes,  reforms  and  improvements.  He  was. 
at  all  times  loyal  to  his  duties  of  citizenship,  and  during  the  civil  war  he  man- 
ifested his  patriotic  spirit  by  responding  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlist- 
ing in  Company  E,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  from 
1 86 1  until  1865.  With  an  honorable  military  record  he  returned  to  his  home 
and  took  up  the  duties  of  civil  life  and  carved  his  name  upon  the  records  of  the 
history  of  his  adopted  county.  In  his  religious  connection  he  was  a  Catholic, 
and  his  wife  is  also  a  communicant  of  the  same  church.  She  is  a  cultured  lady, 
now  occupying  the  old  homestead,  and  is  both  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
Severance. 


JACOB  WARD. 


Jacob  Ward  is  numliered  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Doniphan  county 
of  1856,  and  is  a  highly  esteemed  resident  of  the  community  in  which  he 
makes  his  home.  He  was  born  in  Knox  county,  Ohio,  on  the  7th  of  May, 
1834,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Ward,  who  was  probably  born  in  Mt.  Vernon, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  one  of  the  early  teamsters  and  draymen.  The  father  died 
in  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  in  1837,  when  about  thirty-five  years  of  age. 
He  wedded  Mary  Smith  and  died  in  1 894,  and  the  children  of  their  union  were : 
Benjamin,  who  went  to  California  in  the  early  days  of  the  gold  excitement 
there,  but  since  1856  has  not  been  heard  from;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Peter  Messer; 
Smith,  of  Fayette  county,  Indiana ;  Jacob ;  and  George,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Fayette  county. 

Jacob  Ward  received  but  limited  privileges  or  advantages  in  youth.  He 
was  not  able  to  attend  school  after  attaining  his  sixteenth  year,  at  which  time 
he  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  and  has  since  depended  upon  his  own 
labors  for  all  that  he  has  enjoyed  or  acquired  in  life.  The  first  money  he 
earned  was  at  corn-husking,  for  which  he  was  paid  twelve  and  a  half  cents  per 
day.     He  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  in  1856,  a  young  man  of  twenty- 


534  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

two  years,  without  money  or  influence,  in  searcli  of  work.  Entering  tlie 
employment  of  J.  P.  Jolinson.  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  tlie  community, 
he  continued  in  his  service  four  years  and  then  removed  to  Brown  county, 
where  lie  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  Henry  Uisli.  He  continued  as  a  wage 
worker  until  ahout  the  close  of  the  civil  war  when,  having  accumulated  a  small 
capital,  he  purchased  two  span  of  horses  and  began  teaming.  He  broke 
prairie  at  four  dollars  per  acre,  hauled  wood  and  did  other  work  in  his  line 
until  his  retirement  from  business,  in  1890.  During  the  first  ten  years  of  his 
residence  in  Kansas  he  spent  money  freely,  as  young  men  are  apt  to  do.  and 
then,  with  the  realization  of  the  more  serious  side  of  life,  he  began  the  acquire- 
ment of  property,  purchasing  land  in  Robinson,  which  he  improved.  His  labors 
there  led  to  the  upbuilding  of  that  section  of  the  \illage.  and  thus  he  has  not 
only  provided  for  himself  but  has  contributed  to  the  material  welfare  of  his 
town.  He  has  now  a  very  comfortable  competence,  which  has  come  to  him 
entirely  through  legitimate  channels  of  trade.  His  family  were  all  Republicans 
in  political  belief,  but  he  supports  the  Democracy.  In  northeastern  Kansas 
he  is  well  known,  and  is  one  of  the  industrious,  energetic  and  progressive  men 
of  this  section  of  the  state  and  well  deserves  representation  in  its  history. 


GEORGE  M.  SNYDER. 

George  M.  Snyder  is  justly  accounted  one  of  the  most  progressive  and 
patriotic  citizens  of  Efifingham.  whose  interests  he  ever  seeks  to  promote. 
Since  his  early  years  his  life  has  been  intimately  associated  with  this  portion 
of  the  enterprising  state  of  Kansas,  in  whose  possibilities  for  yet  greater  tri- 
umphs he  is  an  earnest  believer. 

Born  October  i.  1857.  in  Winfield.  Ohio.  George  M.  Snyder  is  a  son  of 
H.  C.  and  Caroline  F.  (Mason)  Snyder,  likewise  natives  of  the  Buckeye  state. 
The  father  removed  with  his  family  to  Atchison  county.  Kansas,  in  1868.  anrl 
located  at  Monrovia.  All  of  his  seven  sons  and  six  daughters  are  living,  the 
elder  ones  being  respected  citizens  and  heads  of  families.  He  was  a  pioneer 
m  this  county,  and  nobly  endured  the  hardships  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  the 
frontiersman.  Improving  a  large  farm  in  which  labors  he  was  assisted  by 
his  sons,  he  provided  his  children  with  good  educations  and  qualified  them  for 
their  future  struggle  for  a  livelihood.  The  respect  and  admiration  of  all  wh(^ 
have  been  associated  with  him.  in  business  or  society,  is  his.  in  unstinted 
measure. 

When  a  lad  of  eleven  years,  G.  M.  Snyder  left  his  native  state  and  became 
a  permanent  resident  of  Kansas,  with  the  other  members  of  the  parental  family. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         535 

After  he  had  completed  the  course  of  study  laid  down  in  tlie  public  schools 
here,  he  attended  the  Atchison  Institute,  and  prepared  himself  as  a  teacher. 
Subsequently  he  had  charge  of  a  school  for  about  a  year,  but.  not  desiring  to 
devote  his  entire  life  to  that  calling,  he  selected  another  pursuit,  and  served 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  builder's  trade,  with  Mr.  McNeal,  of  Effingham. 
Thorough  and  painstaking  in  everything  which  he  attempts,  he  soon  became 
one  of  the  leaders  in  his  line  of  business  in  this  locality.  Many  of  the 
finest  and  most  substantial  public  buildings  and  private  residences  in  Effing- 
ham and  vicinity  were  erected  by  him,  and  built  upon  plans  and  designs 
of  his  own  making.  Among  others,  the  Effingham  Catholic  church,  which 
is  a  handsome  structure,  and  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  finest  houses  of 
worship  in  this  portion  of  the  state,  stands  as  proof  of  his  skill.  Unlike  many 
contractors  and  builders,  he  takes  a  personal  interest  in  his  work  anil,  in  every 
instance,  strives  to  meet  the  needs  and  wishes  of  his  patrons. 

Socially,  Mr.  Snyder  ranks  as  high  as  he  does  in  commercial  circles. 
The  only  fraternal  organization  with  which  he  is  identified  is  that  of  the  United 
Workmen,  his  membership  being  in  Effingham  Lodge.  No.  48.  A  man  of 
genuine  public  spirit,  he  has  not  neglected  the  official  duties  to  which  he  has 
been  called,  and  as  township  clerk,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for  two  years, 
and  as  a  member  of  the  school  board,  he  distinguishes  himself  by  his  fidelity 
and  ability.     Politically,  he  is  an  ardent  Republican. 

In  June,  1888,  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Snyder  and  Daisy  Stetler,  a  daughter 
of  John  A.  Stetler,  of  Effingham,  was  celebrated.  Mrs.  Snyder  received 
good  educational  advantages  in  the  public  schools  of  this  place,  and  is  a  valued 
worker  in  the  Methodist  church.  The  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder, 
born  December  26,  1890,  was  christened  John  Dean.  He  is  a  liright,  promis- 
ing little  lad,  a  great  favorite  with  his  teachers  and  all  who  know  him. 


JOHN  H.  LANGE. 


One  of  the  extensive  farmers  of  Brown  county  is  John  Henry  Lange,  who 
belongs  to  the  class  of  German-American  citizens  whose  energy  and  enter- 
prise make  him  a  valuable  addition  to  any  community.  A  native  of  Hessen. 
Germany,  he  is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Anna  M.  (Werner)  Lange,  who  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  America  and  became  residents  of  Illinois.  The  father  died 
in  Springfield,  that  state,  and  the  mother's  death  occurred  in  Menard  county. 
Their  children  were  John  H. ;  Justus,  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  living  in  Em- 
poria, Kansas;  Martha,  widow  of  Dietrich  Grube,  of  Springfield,  Illinois; 
Lizzie,  wife  of  V.  Morwitz,  and  a  resident  of  Springfield  ;  Frank,  deceased  ;  and 
Lena,  wife  of  Charles  Hosdick.  of  Springfield. 


536  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

John  Henry  Lange  spent  his  early  boyhood  days  in  the  Fatherland  and 
in  1852  accompanied  his  parents  in  their  emigration  to  the  new  world.  A  lo- 
cation was  first  made  in  New  Jersey,  but  later  he  went  with  his  family  to 
-Menard  county,  Illinois,  where  he  aided  in  the  development  and  cultivation 
of  the  home  farm.  He  was  thus  engaged  at  the  time  of  the  inauguration  of 
the  civil  war.  In  response  to  the  country's  call  for  troops  he  donned  the  blue 
and  became  a  member  of  Company  I,  Thirty-second  Illinois  Infantry,  under 
command  of  Colonel  John  Logan,  and  was  mustered  into  the  service  at  Camp 
Butler  and  from  there  went  to  Bird  Point,  Missouri,  and  later  to  Tennessee, 
participating  in  the  movements  that  resulted  in  the  battles  of  Forts  Henry  and 
Donelson.  He  also  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  was  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  battle  of  Corinth.  The  regiment  next  went  to  Grand  Junction,  Tenn- 
essee, and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Lamar.'  From  La  Grange  the  Thirty- 
second  Illinois  started  for  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  but  on  arriving  at  a  spot 
near,  they  learned  of  the  capture  of  the  Federal  supplies  by  the  rebels  and  were 
sent  to  Lumpkins'  Mill,  where  the  regiment  were  encamped  two  months.  Leav- 
ing that  place  with  Vicksburg  as  the  objective  point  they  embarked  on  a  trans- 
port at  Memphis,  passed  below  the  city  of  Vicksburg  and  landed  at  ^Varren- 
ton.  The  Thirty-second  Illinois  held  a  "position  on  the  left  of  the  army  at 
Vicksburg  and  after  the  siege  and  surrender  went  to  Jackson  and  Scranton  and 
participated  in  the  Meridian  campaign.  The  regiment  was  afterwards  sta- 
tioned at  Big  Black  river  and  while  there  Mr.  Lange  w-as  granted  a  furlough 
of  thirty  days,  which  he  spent  at  home.  LIpon  his  return  to  the  field  he  was 
placed  upon  detached  service  in  the  commissary  department  and  was  thus 
engaged  until  the  end  of  the  war.  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  March 
30,  1865. 

For  six  months  thereafter  Mr.  Lange  continued  at  the  family  home  in 
Menard  county,  Illinois,  and  then  came  to  Kansas,  having  received  favorable 
reports  from  his  brother  concerning  the  opportunities  afforded  in  this  state. 
His  first  work  on  reaching  the  county  was  fence-building  in  the  employ  of 
Conrad  Halberstadt.  his  future  father-in-law.  On  the  ist  of  the  following 
February  he  wedded  the  daughter,  Caroline  Halberstadt,  and  their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  nine  children,  namelv :  Justus  H..  who  married  Sarah 
Jenkins  and  resides  near  Robinson  ;  Lena ;  Adam,  who  married  Lucinda  Moffit 
and  resides  in  Brown  county;  Caroline,  wife  of  Homer  Truax;  John'C. ;  Mary 
E.,  wife  of  E.  H.  Douglas;  George  W. ;  Cora  L.  and  Walter  E. 

Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Lange  has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  on  his 
own  account  and  as  his  financial  resources  have  increased  he  has  added  to  his 
property  interests  until  he  now  owns  very  extensive  realty  holdings.  He  owns 
six  hundred  and  eighty  acres  and  his  farm  is  conveniently  and  pleasantly  located 
in  Robinson  township,  not  far  from  the  village  of  that  name.     He  is  one  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         537 

the  earnest  and  ardent  Republicans  of  Brown  county  and  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  township  central  committee.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  his  life  has  ever  been  in  harmony  with  his  professions, 
commanding  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men.  His  business  career 
has  been  characterized  by  energy  and  honorable  dealing  and  his  duties  of  citi- 
zenship have  ever  been  discharged  with  the  same  loyalty  which  he  manifested 
when  on  southern  battle  fields  he  followed  the  stars  and  stripes. 


C.  E.  WHITE. 


During  the  past  twelve  years  this  gentleman  has  been  actively  connected 
with  the  business  interests  of  Effingham,  as  a  dealer  in  harness,  leather  goods 
and  vehicles  of  all  descriptions,  and  has  secured  a  very  large  patronage  for  a 
town  the  size  of  the  one  in  which  he  makes  his  home.  Mr.  White  is  a  native 
of  the  Sunflower  state,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  Iowa  Point,  Doniphan 
county,  October  7,  1865,  his  parents  being  John  and  Christena  (Heastan) 
White.  His  father  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  died  in  Vernon,  Missouri, 
during  the  boyhood  of  our  subject. 

The  latter  attended  the  public  schools  in  his  youth,  and  while  in  his  mi- 
nority learned  the  harnessmaker's  trade,  which  he  has  since  followed.  His 
close  application  and  diligence  made  him  an  excellent  workman,  and  his  goods, 
therefore,  find  ready  sale  upon  the  market.  Coming  to  Eftingham  in  1887, 
he  opened  a  harness-making  establishement,  and  now  occupies  a  two-story 
building,  40x40  feet,  the  first  floor  being  used  as  his  store  and  warehouse, 
while  the  upper  story  has  been  converted  into  a  pleasant  suite  of  rooms  in 
which  the  family  reside.  He  carries  a  large  line  of  carriages,  buggies  and 
other  vehicles,  together  with  harness  and  farm  machinery  of  every  sort. 
Throughout  the  surrounding  country  he  has  a  liberal  patronage,  his  trade  being 
exceptionally  large  for  a  town  the  size  of  Eftingham.  His  business  methods 
are  honorable,  his  courtesy  unfailing,  and  thus  he  has  secured  the  public 
support. 

Mr.  White  was  marrieil,  July  12,  1893,  ^  ^liss  Delia  Stetler,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  John  Stetler,  of  Atchison  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
White  are  now  the  happy  parents  of  two  sons,  Donald  and  Herold.  In  his 
political  views  our  subject  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  issues  that  divide  the  parties.  He  has  served  in  several  township 
offices,  and  in  1896  was  elected  mayor  of  Efirngham,  while  at  the  present  time 
he  is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  city  council.  As  an  official  he  is  slow  in 
encouraging  questionable  enterprises,  never  giving  his  vote  until  the  matter 


538  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

has  been  well  considered,  thus  frequently  bringing  about  the  results  of  a  great 
saving  of  the  city's  money,  while  every  substantial  improvement  at  once  calls 
forth  his  full  sanction  and  aid.  His  effective  work  has  been  felt  and  acknowl- 
egded  by  the  community  and  has  invariablv  met  with  appropriation.  Socially 
he  is  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  and  he  and  his  wife  attend  the 
Methodist  church,  of  which  Mrs.  White  is  a  member.  He  is  very  popular  in 
both  business  and  social  circles,  and  his  courteous  manner  and  upright  life 
have  gained  him  a  high  degree  of  public  confidence  and  esteem. 


J.  F.  PRESTON,  M.  D. 

One  of  the  successful  and  prominent  physicians  of  Atchison  county  is  Dr. 
Preston,  of  Efiingham,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  at  this 
place  since  1880.  He  was  born  in  Platte  county,  Missouri,  January  20,  1849, 
and  is  a  son  of  Morgan  Preston,  who  was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  The 
father  was  educated  in  the  university  at  Louisville.  The  characteristics  of  his 
parentage  were  shown  in  the  happy  blendino-  of  the  versatility  of  the  wit  and 
genius  in  the  land  of  the  shamrock  and  the  shrewd  economy  and  forethought 
of  that  of  the  thistle.  He  married  Miss  Nancy  Evans,  daughter  of  Colonel 
John  Evans,  a  loyal  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  a  resident  of  New  Orleans. 
Nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  were  born  of  this  union.  The 
father  died  in  Leavenworth  county,  Kansas,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 
He  gave  his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
were  members  of  the  Christian  church.  Mrs.  Preston  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years. 

Doctor  Preston,  whose  name  begins  this  review,  was  educated  in  Platte 
City,  Missouri,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  began  teaching.  Later  he  took 
up  the  study  of  medicine,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  A.  J.  Chase,  of  Leaven- 
worth, a  well-known  physician  of  that  place.  In  1873,  having  gained  a  broad 
and  accurate  knowledge  of  the  medical  science,  Dr.  Preston  began  practice  in 
Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  until  his  removal  to  Effingham, 
in  1880. 

In  1875  was  celebrated  the  Doctor's  mariage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Sutton, 
daughter  of  Henry  Clay  Sutton,  who  died  in  California  in  1893,  '^t  the  age  of 
seventy-three  years,  while  Mrs.  Sutton  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years. 
Seven  children  have  been  born  to  the  Doctor  and  his  wife,  but  one  daughter 
died  in  infancy.  The  living  are :  Eva  May,  Luella,  Lucien  F.,  Otis,  Tiffany 
and  W.  Scott. 

Doctor  Preston  exercises  the  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  men  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  539 

measures  of  tlie  Repulilican  party  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  its  success,  yet 
has  never  sought  poHtical  preferment  for  himself.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  with  which  he  became  identified  on  joining  the  lodge  in  Muscotah. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  also  of  the  Modern 
\\'oodmen  of  America,  and  is  a  consistent  member  and  faithful  worker  in  the 
Christian  church.  Of  fine  physique,  well  developed  mind  and  genial  manner, 
he  has  the  friendship  of  many  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact  and  the 
respect  of  all.  The  success  which  has  attended  his  efforts  is  but  a  natural 
sequence,  for  his  position  has  become  assured  as  an  able  physician.  He  is  a 
man  of  sterling  integrity,  and  one  devoted  to  his  profession  and  to  the  interests 
and  welfare  of  those  to  whom  he  ministers. 


P.  R.  MOORE. 


Absolute  capability  often  exists  in  specific  instances,  but  is  never  brought 
into  the  clear  light  of  the  utilitarian  and  practical  life.  Hope  is  of  the  valley, 
while  effort  stands  upon  the  mountain  top;  so  that  personal  advancement 
comes  not  to  the  one  who  hopes  alone,  but  to  the  one  whose  hope  and  faith 
are  those  of  action.  Thus  is  determined  the  full  measure  of  success  to  one  who 
has  struggled  under  disadvantageous  circumstances,  and  the  prostrate  medi- 
ocrity to  another  whose  ability  has  been  as  great  and  opportunities  wider. 
Then  he  may  well  hold  in  high  regard  the  results  of  individual  effort  and 
personal  accomplishment,  for  cause  and  effect  here  maintain  their  functions  in 
full  force.  Doctor  Moore  is  one  who.  through  his  close  study  and  application 
to  business,  has  won  marked  prestige  in  his  chosen  calling.  His  residence  in 
Efiingham  dates  from  1888,  and  for  more  than  twenty-six  years  he  has  made 
his  home  in  Atchison  county. 

The  Doctor  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Hendricks 
county,  July  23,  1845.  His  father.  Smith  G.  Moore,  was  a  representative  of 
an  old  eastern  family  that  furnished  to  the  Union  many  of  the  loyal  soldiers 
in  the  colonial  army  duing  the  Revolutionary  war.  Smith  Moore  was  born 
in  Salem,  North  Carolina,  and  for  many  years  was  a  successful  practicing 
physician.  He  married  Miss  Elsbeth  Garrett,  and  in  1857  came  with  his 
family  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Pardee.  Atchison  county,  v.here  they  lived 
for  five  years.  In  186 J  they  returned  to  Adams  county.  Illinois,  where 
the  father  died  ten  years  later,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  He  was  an  elder 
in  the  Christian  church,  his  membership  with  that  denomination  covering  a 
period  of  more  than  forty  years.  His  life  was  ever  upright  and  honorable, 
commanding  the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  in  his  pro- 


540  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

fession  he  won  distinction  as  a  successful  practitioner.  His  political  support 
was  given  the  Republican  party,  and  he  was  at  all  times  true  to  the  cause  in 
which  he  believed.  His  wife  still  survives  him,  and  is  now  living  in  Pardee, 
Kansas,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 

Dr.  P.  R.  Moore,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  public  schools,  and  later  was  a  student  in  the  Chris- 
tian College  at  Abingdon,  Illinois.  Determining  to  make  the  practice  of  med- 
icine his  life  work  he  entered  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  in  which  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1876.  For  some  years  he  practiced  in  Nortonville, 
Kansas,  and  in  1888  came  to  Elifingham,  where  he  has  since  met  with  credita- 
ble success. 

In  1867,  in  Adams  county,  Illinois,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Moore  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Acklam,  a  native  of  England,  and  a  daughter  of 
Wilbur  Acklam,  now  deceased.  Unto  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
four  children:  Edgar,  who  is  living  in  Nortonville,  Kansas;  Smith,  a  resident 
of  Effingham;  Alice  A.,  and  Orville,  at  home.  The  Doctor  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Christian  church,  in  which  he  has  been 
trustee  for  some  years.  He  has  practiced  medicine  for  many  years  with  the 
earnestness  and  dignity  that  belong  to  the  profession,  and  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  latest  discoveries  that  indicate  the  continued  progress  in  the  science  of 
medicine.  In  personal  appearance  he  is  prepossessing,  of  pleasing  manner 
and  address,  genial  and  courteous,  and  at  all  times  honored  and  esteemed  both 
professionally  and  socially. 


JOHN  BAXTER. 


Upon  a  well  developed  farm  in  iVlission  township  resides  John  Baxter,  who 
is  numbered  among  the  enterprising,  practical  and  progressive  agriculturists 
of  his  community.  His  birth  occurred  in  Schuyler  county,  Illinois,  on  the 
23rd  of  June,  1867.  His  father,  James  Henry  Baxter,  now  deceased,  was 
born  near  Carrollton,  in  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  February  24,  1843.  He  was  a 
son  of  John  Baxter,  also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state  and  a  representative  of 
an  old  New  England  family.  He  married  Miss  Ellen  Moore,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Ireland  and  who  came  to  America  with  her  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Henry  Moore,  when  three  years  of  age.  She  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Ohio.  The  Moores  were  of  an  old  Scotch-Irish  family  of  Protestant  faith. 
John  and  Ellen  Baxter  had  a  family  of  ten  children,  namely :  Mary,  deceased 
wife  of  \V.  J.  Moore,  who  was  once  a  prominent  resident  of  Mission  township. 
Brown  county,  but  now  resides  in  Texas;  Andrew,  a  resident  of  Atchison 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         541 

county,  Kansas;  J.  Henry,  father  of  our  subject;  Thomas  T.,  a  prominent  cit- 
izen of  Mission  township.  Brown  county ;  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Wood,  of  Kansas 
City;  Mrs.  Catherine  James,  of  Ohio;  Mrs.  Maggie  Hackenbury,  of  Schuyler 
county,  Ilhnois;  Mrs.  Hattie' Dorset,  of  Sumner  county,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Emma 
Henderson,  who  is  living  in  southeastern  Kansas;  Belle,  wife  of  Rev.  H.  Mail, 
a  Methodist  minister  now  living  in  Colorado. 

In  1S54  John  Ba.xter  and  his  family  left  their  Ohio  home  and  took  up 
their  abode  in  Schuyler  county,  Illinois,  where  they  \\y&\  for  many  years.  In 
1873  tl^e  father  came  to  Kansas  and  in  Mission  ti.wnship  purchased  a  farm 
upon  which  he  resided  until  1892,  when  he  sold  that  property  to  his  son 
Thomas  and  removed  to  Grasshopper  township.  Atchison  county.  He  is  now 
e'ghty-three  years  of  age  but  is  still  strong  and  enjoying  good  health.  Polit- 
ically he  is  a  Republican  and  socially,  a  Mason,  being  an  active  advocate  of  the 
lodge.  His  wife  died  in  April,  1897,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  She  was 
a  member  of  the  iMethodist  church  and  an  earnest  Christian  lady. 

James  Henry  Baxter,  the  father  of  our  suljject,  was  a  lad  of  ele\-en  years 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Schuyler  county.  Illinois.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  through 
the  period  of  his  youth.  In  1861  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid, 
enlisting  with  the  First  Illinois  Regulars  and  later  joined  the  Twelfth  Kansas 
Infantry  at  Kansas  City.  He  was  a  brave  soldier,  true  to  the  cause  which  he 
espoused  and  during  his  service  he  had  several  narrow  escapes  from  death. 
At  one  time  a  bullet  was  shot  through  his  hat,  but  he  was  ne\er  wounded  and 
in  safety  returned  to  his  home  in  Schuyler  county,  Illinois.  There  he  was 
married  on  the  20th  of  September,  i860,  to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Clothier,  who  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Lewis  county,  \\^est  Virginia.  Her  father  now 
resides  at  Alma,  Waubansee  county,  Kansas,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  In 
1868  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Baxter  came  to  Kansas,  settling  on  the  farm  now- 
owned  by  our  subject.  The  land  was  then  in  its  primitive  condition  and 
Brown  county  was  sparsely  settled.  Mr.  Baxter,  however,  began  the  work  of 
improving  his  property  and  there  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1883, 
when  he  removed  to  Willis  and  embarked  in  the  hardware  and  implement  busi- 
ness in  partnership  with  John  Goodwin.  His  death  occurred  the  following 
year,  1884,  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of  forty-one  years.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  short  period  of  his  connection  with  mercantile  interests  in  Willis,  he 
made  farming  his  life  work.  In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Republican  who  be- 
lieved most  firmly  in  the  pinciples  of  the  party.  Of  fine  personal  appearance, 
he  was  about  six  feet  in  height  and  weighed  two  hundred  and  twenty  pounds. 
He  was  genial  in  manner,  honorable  in  all  business  dealings  and  won  the  con- 
fidence and  good  will  of  all  those  with  \\hom  he  came  in  contact.  His  death 
was  deeply  and  widely  mourned.     His  widow  sur\ived  him  only  three  years. 


542  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

passing  awav  in  1887.  when  in  her  forty- fourth  year.  She  was  a  member  of 
the  Aletliodist  churcli  and  was  a  consistent  and  zealous  Christian  woman. 
This  wortliy  couple  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely:  John,  of  this 
review ;  Charles,  who  is  the  principal  of  schools  of  Willis ;  Effie,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  si.xteen  years;  Leonard,  who  is  living  in  this  township;  and  Gertrude, 
wife  of  E.  L.  Dodge,  also  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county. 

John  Baxter,  the  subject  of  this  review,  was  the  eldest  child  and  was  an 
infant  at  the  t'me  of  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Kansas.  He  pursued  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  aided  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  farm, 
performing  such  tasks  as  usually  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  eldest  son.  He  was  early 
trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy  and  these  have  proved  to  him  of 
great  benefit  in  his  later  career.  He  was  for  three  years  a  farmer  in  Sumner 
county,  Kansas.  Totlay  he  owns  one  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land 
in  Mission  township,  two  miles  southeast  of  Willis.  His  farm  is  carefully 
cultivated  and  well  stocked  and  the  residence  is  a  modern  one,  in  fact  all  of  the 
improvements  on  the  place,  together  with  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indi- 
cate the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner  who  is  a  progressive  agriculturist. 

On  October  17,  1889,  in  Wellington,  Sumner  county,  Mr.  Baxter  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nell  Hedrick,  who  was  born,  reared  and  educated 
in  Adams  county,  Illinois.  Her  father,  Solomon  Hedrick,  was  a  native  of 
North  Carolina  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eveline  Buffington,  is  a  native  of  Illinois.  Airs. 
Baxter  was  the  youngest  of  eleven  children,  the  others  being  Lavina.  James, 
John,  Joseph.  George,  Mary  Ellen,  Isaac,  deceased,  William,  Elizabeth  and 
Walter.  Three  children  grace  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baxter,  namely: 
Pearl  May,  James  Henry  and  Lena.  In  politics  Mr.  Baxter  is  a  stanch, Re- 
publican thus  following  in  the  political  footsteps  of  his  father  and  grandfather. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Both  are  highly  esteemed 
people  whose  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  is  extensive  as  they  enjoy  the 
hospitality  of  the  best  homes  in  th-'s  locality  and  in  the  history  of  northeastern 
Kansas  thev  well  deserve  mention. 


ALOXZO  P.  BROWNING. 

Alonzo  P.  Browning,  well  known  as  a  representative  farmer  of  Brown 
county,  was  born  May  28,  1830,  in  Genesee  county,  New  York,  his  parents  being 
John  L.  and  Lucy  ( Tillottson )  Browning.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island  and  the  mother  of  Connecticut.  The  paternal  grandfather.  Joshua 
Browning,  was  bnrn  in  New  England  and  was  of  German  lineage.     His  cliil- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  543 

dren  were :     William ;  Xatlianiel ;  Juhn  L. ;  Nancy,  wife  of •  Richardson, 

a  merchant  of  Buffalo;  and  Mary.  John  L.  Browning  was  reared  to  man- 
hood in  New  England  and  after  his  marriage  took  up  his  abode  on  the  Holland 
purchase  in  New  York  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days  as  a  farmer  and 
stock  dealer.  He  wedded  Lucy  Tillottson  and  they  became  the  parents  of  six 
children:  ]\Irs.  Elizabeth  Herlbut;  John  T.,  an  attorney  at  Moline,  Illinois, 
who  has  served  in  the  legislature  of  that  state  and  is  a  very  prominent  and 
influential  man  ;  Alonzo  P. ;  Lucy  A. ;  Nancy  A. ;  and  Lewis,  who  was  formerly 
a  teacher  but  is  now  a  merchant  in  Norwich,  Connecticut. 

Alonzo  P.  Browning  was  reared  in  the  Empire  state  upon  the  home  farm 
and  early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of 
the  agriculturist.  In  early  manhood  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  and 
made  his  way  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  married,  in  1859,  to  Miss  Julia  Kinney, 
who  was  born  in  Vermont,  December  6,  1832,  on  her  father's  farm  in  Middle- 
boro.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Browning  are  as  follows:  William 
H.,  born  i860,  a  teacher  residing  on  the  Pacific  coast;  Edward  W.,  born  1861, 
a  farmer  of  Brown  county,  Kansas;  Gertrude,  born  1863,  wife  of  J.  A.  Smith, 
a  merchant  of  Lincoln  Centre,  Kansas;  Walter  R.,  born  December  23,  1866, 
clerk  at  Padonia,  Kansas,  and  Arthur  K.,  born  October  6,  1875,  at  home. 
Her  parents  were  D.  B.  and  Betsy  (Matthews)  Kinney.  Her  grandfather, 
Joseph  Kinney,  was  of  English  descent  and  her  maternal  grandfather,  D.  B. 
MrilLiiews,  was  a  survevor  in  the  employ  of  the  government  and  surveyed 
nearly  all  of  the  land  near  Middleboro.  His  children  were :  D.  B.,  the  father 
of  Mrs.  Browning;  Kendrick;  Sarah;  Alfred  and  Charles.  D.  B.  Kinney 
was  born  on  an  island  in  Lake  Champlain,  where  some  of  the  family  yet  reside. 
Later  in  life  he  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits. 
His  children  were :  Mary,  who  became  Mrs.  West  and  after  the  death  of  her 
first  husband  married  Mr.  Rodes;  Mrs.  Browning;  Henry,  of  Omaha;  Rose; 
Mrs.  Sarah  Stel)bins;  Mrs.  Lucy  Robbins,  whose  husband  is  a  minister  of  the 
Congregational  church  in  South  Dakota ;  and  Edward,  a  civil  engineer  of  Min- 
nesota. Rose  was  a  home  missionary  for  many  years  and  during  the  ci\-il  war 
went  to  the  soutli,  ministering  to  the  sick  and  wounded.  Later  she  was  a 
missionary  to  the  Caroline  Islands  for  seven  years.  Her  health  failed  her  and 
she  is  now  in  Denver,  Colorado,  hoping  there  to  regain  her  lost  strength.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church. 

In  1S60  Alonzo  P.  Browning  removed  to  southwestern  Iowa  and  the  same 
year  came  to  Kansas,  where  he  purchased  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides, 
taking  up  his  abode  here  in  1861.  It  was  a  tract  of  raw  prairie,  only  ten  acres 
having  been  broken.  He  fenced  the  place  with  cottonwood  lumljer  and  wire, 
dividing  his  land  into  fields  of  convenient  size,  and  soon  placed  the  greater  part 
of  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.     When  he  came  to  Kansas  in  i860 


544  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

everything  was  suffering  from  drought  and  he  had  no  trouble  to  buy  a  claim. 
In  1874  the  grasshoppers  damaged  all  the  crops,  but  these  obstacles  did  not 
discourage  him  and  with  characteristic  energy  he  carried  on  his  work,  meeting 
with  success.  His  stock  consisted  first  of  an  ox  team  and  one  cow  and  his 
household  effects  were  all  loaded  in  one  wagon.  xAs  the  years  have  gone  by, 
however,  he  has  secured  good  machinery  and  to  his  home  he  has  added  many 
of  the  comforts  and  conveniences  known  to  the  older  east.  The  farm  has  been 
made  to  bloom  and  blossom  as  the  rose  and  he  has  become  one  of  the  extensive 
and  prosperous  agriculturists  and  stock  dealers  of  the  neighborhood.  His 
farm,  too,  was  in  the  path  of  the  cyclone  of  1896  and  in  a  few  moments  it 
destroyed  the  work  of  years,  his  home  and  orchard,  shade  and  ornamental 
trees,  fences  and  barns  all  being  demolished.  However,  the  family  escaped 
unhurt.  Thus  from  time  to  time  fate  has  seemed  to  interpose  in  his  successful 
career,  but  he  has  pressed  forward  in  the  face  of  obstacles  and  difficulties  and 
has  at  length  triumphed  over  all  disadvantages,  being  to-day  one  of  the  pros- 
perous and  enterprising  agriculturists  of  the  community.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Congregational  church  and  take  an  active  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  In  politics  he  was  formerly 
a  Republican  but  now  usually  ballots  with  the  Prohibition  party,  although 
he  does  not  hold  himself  bound  by  party  ties,  feeling  free  to  support  whom- 
soever he  pleases  regardless  of  political  affiliations.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Browning 
have  many  warm  friends  in  the  communit}'  and  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the 
best  homes  in  their  neighborhood. 


J.  A.  SYMNS. 


Sunny  Slope  farm  is  one  of  the  most  desiraljle  country  seats  in  Doni- 
phan county.  It  is  pleasantly  located  in  Wayne  township,  near  the  town  of 
Brenner,  and  comprises  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of 
land.  It  became  the  property  of  J.  A.  Symns  in  1875.  and  since  that  time 
he  has  carried  on  the  work  of  cultivation  and  improvement  until  he  is  to-day 
the  owner  of  one  of  the  model  farms  of  the  community.  In  1890  he  erected 
thereon  a  beautiful  residence,  at  a  cost  of  six  thousand  dollars.  This  is  one 
of  the  finest  homes  in  the  county,  and  in  keeping  therewith  are  substantial  barns 
and  commodious  outbuildings,  furnishing  shelter  to  grain  and  stock.  The 
owner  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of  cattle,  and  his  business  interests 
are  so  ably  conducted  that  a  good  income  naturally  rewards  his  labors.  The 
beautiful  home,  well-tilled  fields  and  substantial  improvements  of  the  Sunny 
Slope  farm  are  an  indication  of  the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner,  who  is 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         545 

accounted  one  of  the  most  practical  and  progressive  agriculturists  of  nortli- 
eastern  Kansas.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  this  section  of  the  state  since  Octo- 
ber, 1865,  and  those  who  have  known  him  longest  are  among  his  best  friends. 
— a  fact  which  indicates  an  honorable  career. 

Mr.  Symns  is  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Monroe  county,  on  the  22d  of  January.  1839.  He  is  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage 
and  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  Ireland.  His  father,  John  Symns,  was  born 
on  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  after  crossing  the  Atlantic  married  Elizabeth  Peters, 
a  native  of  Peterstown,  West  Virginia,  which  place  was  named  in  honor  of 
the  family  of  which  she  was  a  representative.  Her  father.  Christian  Peters, 
was  a  West  Virginia  planter.  John  Symns  also  owned  a  plantation  in  that 
state,  although  by  trade  he  was  a  carpenter  and  wheelwright.  In  politics  he 
was  a  \Vhig  and  had  great  admiration  for  Henry  Clay  and  the  policy  advocated 
by  that  statesman.  He  belonged  to  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  eighty-five  years,  on  the  old  family  homestead.  His  wife,  also  a  con- 
sistent Christian  and  a  member  of  the  church,  passed  away  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
seven  years.  In  the  family  of  tliis  worthy  couple  were  eight  children, — five 
sons  and  three  daughters:  Mrs.  Catherine  Lucas,  deceased;  George  W.,  who 
has  departed  this  life;  Mrs.  Margaret  Shumate,  who  also  has  passed  away; 
William  P.;  A.  B.,  a  wholesale  merchant  of  Atchison;  Joe;  Samuel,  who  runs 
the  old  farm  in  West  ^'irginia;  and  ]\lary  E.,  who  has  been  called  to  her  final 
rest. 

Upon  his  father's  farm  J.  A.  Symns  spent  his  boyhood  days,  the  primi- 
tive district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  affording  him  his  educational  privi- 
leges. In  early  life  he  followed  farming,  and  when  the  civil  war  broke  out  he 
put  aside  all  personal  considerations  and  fought  in  defense  of  his  lo\-ed  south- 
land, in  accordance  with  the  training  which  he  had  known  and  honored 
from  boyhood.  He  served  for  three  years  and  ten  months.  He  participated  in  the 
battles  of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  and  on  one  occasion  his 
horse  was  shot  under  him,  but  he  was  not  wounded. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Symns  engaged  in  clerking  for  A.  B.  Symns.  a  whole- 
sale grocer,  and  in  1869  came  to  Doniphan  county,  where  six  years  later  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm.  Sunny  Slope.  He  has  since  devoted  his  energies  to 
agricultural  pursuits  — with  what  result  may  be  ascertained  from  a  glance  at 
the  attractive  home.  He  was  married  on  the  20th  of  May,  1869,  in  Doniphan 
county,  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Shanks,  a  latly  of  refinement  and  culture  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  F.  A.  Shanks,  for  some  years  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Symns  have  had  five  children,  namely:  John,  whose  home  is  at 
Straight  Creek,  in  Jackson  county,  Kansas;  Mary  J.,  the  wife  of  T.  L.  White, 
of  Befoit,  Kansas;  C.  M..  at  home;  Gertrude,  who  is  a  student  in  Bethany  Col- 
lege, of  Missouri;  and  Nellie,  who  is  yet  with  her  parents.     Mrs.  Symns  is 


546  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Air.  Symns  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  is  recognized  as  a  leader  in  the  ranks  of  his  locahty  and  does  all 
in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  Democratic  prin- 
ciples. As  a  citizen  he  is  loyal  to  what  he  believes  to  be  for  the  public  good, 
and  in  business  life  his  honesty  has  gained  him  widespread  confidence. 


ELDRED  HARRINGTON. 

Xo  man  in  Brown  county  is  better  known  or  more  favorably  regarded 
than  Eldred  Harrington,  of  the  town  of  Baker.  For  more  than  a  third  of  a 
century  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Brown  county  and  prominently  identified 
with  its  business,  political  and  social  interests.  He  is  a  native  of  Walworth 
county,  Wisconsin,  and  was  born  October  23,  1842.  His  father,  Perry  G.  Har- 
rington, was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Walworth  county  coming  there  in 
territorial  days. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  earlv  became 
acquainted  with  the  arduous  task  of  the  cultivation  of  the  land  in  a  frontier 
settlement.  He  received  the  advantages  of  the  public  school  of  those  days 
which  were  later  supplemented  by  a  course  in  Milton  Academy.  Like  many 
other  young  men  of  his  age  he  dropped  his  school  work  to  answer  his  country's 
call  for  \-olunteers  and  enlisted  in  Battery  L,  of  the  First  Wisconsin  Heavy 
Artillery,  and  ser\-ed  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  until  hostilities  had  ceased 
Receiving  an  honorable  discharge  he  returned  to  Walworth  county,  where  he 
resided  until  1868,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  settling  on  a  raw  prairie  farm 
seven  miles  south  of  Hiawatha.  This  land  was  a  part  of  the  Kickapoo  Reserve 
and  had  just  been  thrown  open  for  settlement  and  Mr.  Harrington  was  the 
first  man  to  locate  in  this  neighborhood.  Here  he  resided  until  1882,  when 
the  town  of  Baker  was  laid  out.  He  then  moved  to  Baker  and  commenced  to 
deal  in  grain  and  live  stock.  Soon  afterwards  he  added  a  lumber  yard  and 
coal  yard  to  his  business.  Here  he  easily  held  prestige  as  the  leading  business 
man  of  the  town. 

Air.  Harrington  owns  two  fine  farms  near  Baker,  consisting  of  six  hundred 
acres  of  choice  land,  well  improved  with  good  houses,  barns,  orchards  and 
other  conveniences.  He  raises  cattle  and  hogs  extensively  on  these  farms. 
Much  of  the  land  is  in  grass  and  every  year  he  feeds  from  one  to  two  hundred 
head  of  cattle  and  several  car  loads  of  hogs. 

Mr.  Harrington  was  married,  in  1864,  in  Walworth  county,  Wisconsin. 
to  Miss  Amorette  Powers,  a  daughter  of  Soldon  Powers,  also  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  that  county.     Four  children  have  been  born  to  them:     Grant 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  547 

W.,  who  is  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Democrat  at  Hiawatha ;  Wynne  P., 
a  successtnl  stock  raiser  of  Grove  county,  Kansas;  Jessie  O.  and  Roscoe  E., 
who  are  still  at  home  with  their  parents.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  the  community,  its  members  occupying  a  leading  position  in  social  circles. 

Mr.  Harrington  has  always  been  a  Democrat.  His  first  vote  was  cast 
while  still  in  the  service  of  his  country  and  was  for  George  B.  McCIellan  for 
president.  In  1874  when  the  Reform  movement  swept  over  Kansas.  Mr.  Har- 
rington was  chosen  a  delegate  from  Brown  county  to  the  state  convention. 
Here  he  was  made  the  nominee  of  the  Reform  party  for  lieutenant-governor. 
He  made  an  active  canvass  of  the  state,  winning  for  himself  the  reputation  of 
being  the  best  campa'gn  orator  on  the  ticket. 

In  1884  he  was  the  Democratic  nominee  for  state  senator  in  the  district 
composed  of  the  counties  of  Doniphan  and  Brown  count'es,  against  Sol  Miller, 
the  Republican  nominee.  In  this  race  he  polled  eight  hundred  and  fifty  votes 
more  than  did  the  head  of  the  ticket,  Mr.  Cleveland.  Two  years  later  he  v,a£ 
the  nominee  of  his  party  for  the  legislature  in  Brown  county,  and  again  led 
his  ticket  by  a  handsome  vote,  but  the  Republican  majority  in  the  district  was 
too  strong  to  be  overcome. 

ilr.  Harrington  has  always  been  recognized  as  a  public  spirited  citizen. 
He  has  been  identified  with  the  county  fair  association  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century.  For  six  years,  from  1890  to  1895,  he  was  the  president  of  the 
association.  He  has  represented  the  county  many  times  at  the  meetings  of  the 
state  board  of  agriculture  and  has  been  vice-president  of  that  association. 
He  also  helped  to  organize  the  Farmers'  Institute  in  Brown  county  and  has 
been  president  of  that  institution. 

iMr.  Harrington  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  at  Baker  and  of 
Hiawatha  Post,  No.  130, of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  A  public-spirited, 
progressive  citizen,  a  reliable  business  man  and  an  earnest  Christian  gentleman, 
he  ranks  among  the  leading  residents  of  Brown  county  arid  his  name  is  enrolled 
on  the  list  of  those  whose  efforts  have  been  most  effective  in  the  development 
and  progress  of  this  section  of  the  state. 


WILLIAM  J.  RITEXOUR. 

Upon  one  of  the  finest  farms  of  Doniphan  county  William  J.  Ritenour  is 
carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  rich  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  improved  with 
all  the  accessories  and  comeniences  of  the  model  farm.  There  are  substan- 
tial buildings  upon  the  pl?.ce,  which  indicate  the  thrift  and  careful  supervision 


548  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  the  owner,  while  the  richly  cultivated  fields  give  promise  of  abundant  har- 
vests. Athough  Mr.  Ritenour  is  now  numbered  among  the  well-to-do  citi- 
zens of  the  county,  he  was  at  one  time  a  poor  boy,  and  had  no  special  advantages 
of  education.  His  unremitting  diligence,  guided  by  practical  good  sense,  has 
been  the  foundation  on  which  he  has  builded  his  present  prosperity. 

Mr.  Ritenour  was  born  in  Shenandoah  county,  Virginia,  December  17, 
1830,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  state,  his  grand- 
father having  removed  to  the  Old  Dominion  from  Maryland  in  early  manhood. 
John  Ritenour,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  also  born  in  Shenandoah  county, 
and  served  his  country  in  the  war  of  1812.  His  time  was  devoted  to  the 
occupation  of  farming.  He  traced  his  ancestry  back  to  German  stock,  and 
in  the 'Fatherland  the  name  was  originally  Ridenour,  but  in  colonial  days  rep- 
resentatives of  the  name  came  to  the  new  world  and  the  change  in  orthography 
was  eventually  made  to  the  present  form.  John  Ritenour  married  Mary  Gol- 
aday,  and  their  children  were:  Eliza,  who  married  Washington  W'each,  and 
after  his  death  became  the  wife  of  Andrew  Ross,  and  died  in  \"irginia :  Elias 
died  in  that  state;  Jonathan  died  in  the  Old  Dominion;  William  J.  is  the  next 
of  the  family;  Isaac  died  in  \'irginia:  J.  H.,  and  Milton  resides  in  tliat  state. 

^Villiam  J.  Ritenour  was  reared  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm,  and  in 
the  district  schools  received  the  bare  rudiments  of  an  education,  becoming 
familiar  with  elementary  branches, — reading,  writing  and  arithmetic.  On 
attaining  his  majority  he  began  learning  the  blacksmith's  trade  under  the 
direction  of  his  brother  Isaac,  serving  a  three-years  apprenticesh'p,  and  later 
he  worked  as  a  journeyman  for  a  time.  Believing  that  the  West  offered  better 
opportunities  to  those  who  were  ambitious  to  seek  advancement,  he  left  his 
home  and  in  the  fall  of  1856  started  for  Kansas.  The  party  with  which  he 
traveled  took  passage  on  a  vessel  at  Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  and  followed 
the  water  course  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  On  the  nineteenth  of  November  of 
that  year  Mr.  Ritenour  arrived  in  Doniphan  county,  locat'ng  first  at  Iowa 
Point.  There  he  established  a  smithy  and  conducted  business  until  a  short  time 
prior  to  the  civil  war,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  began  farming  on  a  small  scale,  but  steadily  he  increased  his  landed  pos- 
sessions as  his  financial  resources  were  augmented,  and  today  within  the  boun- 
daries of  his  farm  are  comprised  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  rich  and 
productive  land. 

During  the  civil  war  iMr.  Ritenour  was  a  member  of  the  state  militia, 
ready  to  respond  at  any  time  to  the  call  for  aid  from  the  government.  He  has 
been  identified  with  the  progress  of  modern  times  and  is  a  public-spirited  cit- 
izen, who  gives  his  co-operation  to  many  movements  for  the  public  good.  His 
political  support  is  given  the  Republican  part}-,  Init  he  has  never  sought  or 
desired  political  preferment. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  549 

On  the  17th  of  December,  1858,  he  was  married  in  Holt  county,  Mis- 
souri, to  Sarah  A.,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Heastan,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Kan- 
sas. The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ritenour  are :  Ellen,  the  wife  of  George 
Corbet:  Annie,  the  wife  of  Edward  Lancaster;  William,  Minerva,  Etta,  the 
wife  of  Jerry  Kimmel,  and  Lottie.  The  family  is  well  known  in  this  section 
of  Doniphan  county,  and  their  friends  in  the  community  are  many.  The 
business  career  of  our  subject  has  been  a  successful  one,  and  his  prosperity  is 
well  merited,  being  reward  of  his  earnest  effort. 


XATHAXIEL  W.  STRAHAX. 

With  the  business  interests  of  Leona  Mr.  Strahan  is  connected  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  lirni  of  Gregg  Brothers,  grain  merchants  of  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri. He  is  descended  from  one  of  the  old  colonial  families',  and  among  his 
ancestors  were  those  who  fought  for  the  independence  of  the  nation  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  His  great-grandfather  aided  in  establishing  the  republic 
through  the  force  of  arms,  and  for  many  generations  the  Strahans  have  been 
closely  allied  with  Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  taking  an  active  part  in  the 
events  which  have  formed  its  history  and  contributed  to  its  upbuilding.  Na- 
thaniel Strahan,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  spent  his  entire  life  upon  a  farm 
in  that  county,  where  occurred  the  birth  of  Robert  Strahan,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  in  the  year  1797.  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Ohio,  and  died  in 
Carey,  that  state,  in  1863.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine 
Shields,  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  Shields,  who  came  to  Lliited  States 
from  Ireland  but  was  of  Scotch  birth.  He  was  an  uncle  of  Sir  William 
Thompson,  the  noted  electrician  of  Edinburg.  L'nto  Robert  and  Catherine 
Strahan  were  born  the  following  children :  ]Mary,  who  resides  in  Ri\^erside, 
California,  and  is  the  wife  of  Daniel  Bursk;  Margaret,  who  became  the 
wife  of  George  Smith  and  died,  leaving  a  family  in  Troy,  Kansas;  Harrison, 
deceased ;  Caroline,  the  wife  of  L.  Rickenbach,  of  Leona,  Kansas ;  and  James 
T.,  an  engineer  running  on  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  from  Fort  Madison,  Iowa, 
■  to  Chicago. 

The  subject  of  this  review,  X.  W.  Strahan,  was  born  in  Union  county, 
Pennsylvania,  April  28,  1844,  and  in  his  youth  his  time  was  devoted  to  the 
work  of  the  home  farm  and  the  duties  of  the  school-room.  In  August,  1862, 
he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  in  order  to  defend  the  nation  which  his  ancestors 
had  helped  to  establish.  It  was  in  Lewisburg,  Pennsylvania,  that  he  joined 
Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  under  the 
command. of  Colonel  Allenbach,  the  regiment  forming  a  part  of  the  Third  Di- 


550  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

vision,  Fifth  Army  Corps,  or  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Mr.  Strahaii  entered 
the  service  for  nine  months,  and  during  that  time  participated  in  the  hattle  of 
Fredericksburg.  Upon  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  he  re-enhsted  in  the 
signal  corps  of  the  regular  army  and  served  in  the  Depart.nent  of  the  Gulf, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Marston  at  New  Orleans,  Louisiana.  There 
he  remained  until  honorably  discharged,  seven  months  later,  on  account  of 
illness. 

About  the  time  the  war  commenced  Mr.  Strahan  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade,  and  after  his  return  from  the  south  he  followed  that  pursuit  for  some 
time.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  the  'sixties,  and  worked  at  carpentering  in  High- 
land, Troy,  and  in  other  places  in  Doniphan  county,  until  1881,  when  he  ac- 
cepted a  clerkship  in  the  service  of  L.  Rickenbach,  a  merchant  of  Leona,  since 
which  time  he  has  made  his  home  in  the  village.  Subsec]uently  he  became 
identified  with  the  grain  trade  at  this  point,  and  for  the  past  four  years  has 
represented  Gregg  Brothers,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  He  is  a  man  of  enter- 
prise and  keen  discrimination,  and  these  important  elements  in  success  have 
brought  him  a  comfortable  competence. 

On  the  2ist  of  May,  1881,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Strahan  and 
Miss  Mary  Cullinan,  a  daughter  of  William  Cullinan,  who  was  born  in  Ireland. 
They  npw  have  two  children,  Robert  and  Harold,  aged  seventeen  and  thirteen 
years,  respectively. 

Our  subject  is  a  consistent  Republican,  unswer\-ing  in  his  support  of  the 
principles  of  the  party,  and  has  served  as  township  trustee.  He  is  often  seen 
as  a  delegate  in  the  county  conventions  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote 
the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  the  party.  The  cjualities  which  made 
him  a  good  soldier  have  made  h.'m  a  good  citizen,  and  he  is  numbered  among 
the  representative  men  of  the  town  in  which  he  makes  his  home. 


HERMAN  G.  ALBERS. 

Herman  Gerhard  Albers  was  born  on  the  i8th  of  March,  1868,  on  the  old 
family  homestead  that  was  located  where  the  village  of  Bendena  now  stands. 
The  original  residence  occupied  by  the  family  was  removed  to  that  place  from 
Elwood,  Kansas,  nearly  forty  years  ago,  a  fact  which  classes  the  representa- 
tive named  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  community.  The  subject  of  this 
review  spent  his  boyhood  and  early  manhood  under  the  parental  roof,  and 
having  acquired  a  good  common-school  education,  near  his  home,  supplemented 
his  preliminary  knowledge  by  a  course  of  study  in  Midland  College,  at  Atchi- 
son.    He  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  and  gave  to  the  familv  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         551 

benefit  of  his  service  until  the  fall  of  1890,  when  he  began  the  culti\ation  of 
the  Archer  place,  then  owned  by  his  father. 

In  October,  1894,  at  his  father's  reqnest.  he  went  to  the  West  and  spent 
the  winter  in  Montana.  His  uncle,  Gerhard  Albers,  is  a  wealthy  ranchman 
living  near  Dillon,  Montana,  and  it  v.as  with  him  that  he  remained  during  his 
stay  in  the  Rockies.  This  was  a  novel"  and  interesting  experience  to  Mr. 
Albers,  for  his  life  up  to  that  time  had  been  spent  upon  the  plains  and  the  moun- 
tain scenery  was  entirely  new  to  him.  Travel  always  enlarges  one's  experi- 
ence, increases  his  information  and  renders  him  better  equipped  for  every  duty 
of  life.  Accordingly  Mr.  Albers  returned  well  fitted  to  take  up  the  duties  of 
farming  in  Doniphan  county.  He  reached  his  home  in  February,  1895,  and 
the  following  season  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Effingham,  Atchison 
county,  but  on  the  ist  of  March,  1896,  removed  to  his  present  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  comprising  the  north  half  of  the  southweft  quarter 
and  the  south  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  i,  township  3,  range  19, 
in  Wolf  River  township.  Here  he  extended  the  field  of  his  labor  by  engaging 
in  the  cattle  business,  and  both  as  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  is  meeting  with 
prosperity. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  1896,  Mr.  Albers  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Lulu,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Howard,  who  came  to  Doniphan  county  in  1880. 
She  was  born  October  16,  1874,  and  with  her  brother  Roy  constitutes  her 
father's  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albers  are  well  known  in  the  community  where 
they  reside  and  have  many  warm  friends.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
exercises  the  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  that  he 
believes  will  prove  beneficial  to  the  public,  yet  never  seeks  office  for  himself. 
He  is  a  progressive  and  practical  young  farmer  of  Doniphan  county,  well 
worthy  of  mention  among  the  leading  citizens  of  his  CQmmunitv. 


E.  C.  KELLEY. 


On  the  roll  of  residents  of  Doniphan  county  who  during  the  civil  war 
"wore  the  blue"  in  defense  of  their  country  and  loyally  aided  in  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  rebellion  of  the  south,  is  E.  C.  Kelley,  a  well-known  and  highly- 
respected  citizen  of  Elwood,  whose  life  history  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest 
to  many  of  our  readers,  for  he  is  both  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  part 
of  the  state.  A  native  of  Michigan,  he  was  born  in  Lenawee  county,  Febru- 
ary 6,  1 84 1,  and  is  a  son  of  L.  Kelley,  a  native  of  Dennis,  Massachusetts.  The 
grandfather,  John  Kelley.  was  born  in  a  Quaker  settlement  at  Sydney,  Maine. 
L.  Kelley  took  up  his  abode  in  Michigan  in  1838,  in  a  region  which  at  that  time 


552  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

was  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  union 
being  with  Miss  Deborah  Estes,  and  to  them  were  born  six  children,  namely : 
Ben,  Rufus,  John,  Content,  Mary  J.  and  Sarah.  For  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Kelley  chose  Miss  Lydia  Hoxsie,  who  was  born  in  Cayuga  county.  New  York, 
a  daughter  of  John  Hoxsie,  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  By  their  union  three 
children  were  born,  namely :  Edwin  C,  Allan  and  Betsey  Ann.  The  father 
died  near  Adrian,  Michigan,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  His  life 
was  an  honorable  and  upright  one  in  harmony  with  his  belief  as  a  member 
of  the  Society  of  Friends.  In  anti-slavery  days  he  was  a  stanch  abolitionist 
and  when  the  Republican  party  was  formed  to  prevent  the  extension  of  slavery 
he  joined  its  ranks  and  continued  to  follow  its  banner  throughout  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  His  wife,  who  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Society 
of  Friends,  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Edwin  C.  Kelley  was  reared  in  Michigan  and  attended  the  public  schools. 
During  the  civil  war  he  enlisted  in  Comnanv  G,  Fourth  Michigan  Infantry, 
on  the  6th  of  February,  1862,  being  on  that  day  just  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
He  took  part  in  some  of  the  most  memorable  engagements  of  the  war,  includ- 
ing the  siege  of  Yorktown,  Fredericksburg,  the  seven-days  battle  of  the  wilder- 
ness, the  engagement  at  Richmond,  Gaines'  Mills,  White  Oak  Springs,  Mal- 
vern Hill  and  Gettysburg.  During  his  service  he  spent  some  months  in  the 
hospitals  of  Maryland  and  when  honorably  discharged  returned  to  his  home 
in  Adrian.  He  was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty,  faithfully  defending  the 
cause  represented  by  the  old  flag,  and  upon  the  battle  fields  of  the  south  he 
bravely  labored  to  preserve  the  Union. 

In  1867  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Kelley  and  Miss  Edy  Potter,  who 
was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan.  Her  father,  Jere- 
miah Potter,  was  a  native  of  Herkimer  county,  New  York,  and  was  of  New 
England  lineage.  Flis  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy  Johnson, 
was  born  in  Oswego  county.  New  York,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Andrew  John- 
son. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter  became  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  but  three 
died  in  childhood.  Those  who  reached  the  age  of  maturity  were  Corydon, 
Demetra,  Morton,  Josephine,  Homer,  Mrs.  Edy  Kelley,  Morell  and  Cora.  The 
father  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  eighty-four.  Both  were  members  of  the  Universalist  church  and  he 
was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations.  Mrs.  Kelley  successfully  engaged 
in  teaching  for  some  time  previous  to  ther  marriage  and  is  a  lady  of  culture 
and  broad  general  information.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been 
born  fi\e  children :  Lola,  who  is  an  artist  of  superior  talent  and  a  successful 
art  teacher:  Bennie,  Florence  and  Edwina.  One  child.  Alma,  the  second  of 
the  family,  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years. 

Mr.  Kelley  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  but  has 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         553 

never  sought  or  desired  office,  content  to  support  the  principles  he  believes  by 
his  ballot  without  seeking  for  reward  through  official  preferment.  He  belongs 
to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  in  Gratiot  county,  Michigan.  His  identi- 
fication with  Kansas  dates  from  1886,  at  which  time  he  located  in  Ellis  county, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years.  For  the  last  ten  years  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Doniphan  county  and  is  one  of  the  honored  and  prosperous  citizens 
within  its  borders.  All  who  know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling 
worth,  for  his  loyal  service  on  the  battle  fields  of  the  south  was  but  an  indica- 
tion of  the  fidelity  which  characterized  his  entire  career. 


EDWARD  A.  EGE. 


Edward  A.  Ege  owns  and  superintends  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  acres  in  Wayne  township,  Doniphan  county,  the  place  being  pleasantly 
located  about  four  and  a  half  miles  from  Brenner  and  nine  miles  from  Atchi- 
son. Markets  are  thus  of  easy  access  and  it  is  therefore  not  difficult  to  obtain 
all  the  conveniences  and  privileges  of  town  life.  The  farm  is  one  of  the  best 
properties  in  the  locality,  its  fields  being  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
while  modern  accessories  and  improvements  indicate  the  careful  sui>ervision 
and  progressive  spirit  of  the  owner,  who  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  successful 
farmers  of  his  community. 

Mr.  Ege  is  a  native  of  Carroll  county,  Maryland,  where  his  birth  occurred 
on  the  5th  of  April,  1840.  His  father.  Colonel  Andrew  G.  Ege,  was  a  soldier 
and  officer  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  the  grandfather,  Michael  Ege,  was  also  a 
soldier  in  the  service  of  his  country.  The  Colonel  was  born  and  reared  in 
Pennsylvania  and  married  Miss  Margaret  Ann  McKaleb,  a  lady  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent  and  a  daughter  of  Major  McKaleb,  of  Maryland,  an  officer  in 
the  war  of  181 2.  In  1854  Colonel  Ege  brought  his  family  to  the  west,  journey- 
ing by  steamboat  and  stage  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  entered  into  part- 
nersliip  in  the  real  estate  business  with  General  Jefferson  Thompson,  of  Con- 
federate fame.  He  became  very  successful  in  that  line  of  business  and  was  at 
one  time  the  owner  of  over  eight  thousand  acres  of  land  and  other  valuable 
property.  \\'hen  the  war  came  on  the  land  depreciated  greatly  in  value  and 
taxes  were  very  high  and  this  led  him  to  dispose  of  much  of  his  property.  He 
was  a  genial  and  jovial  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  interested  in  outdoor 
sports,  and  he  always  kept  his  riding  horses  and  hounds  ready  for  the  hunt. 
The  circle  of  his  friends  was  very  extensive  and  his  home  was  celebrated  for 
its  hospitality.  His  death  occurred  in  Highland,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas, 
when   seventy-seven   years   of   age  and   his   wife   passed   away   when   only 


554  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

thirty-eight  years  of  age.  In  politics  lie  was  a  supporter  of  the  Democ- 
racy and  both  he  and  iiis  wife  were  consistent  members  of  tlie  Presbyterian 
church.  In  their  family  were  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living: 
John  M.,  a  resident  of  Oklahoma  Territory;  Andrew  G.,  who  went  to  Fort 
Worth,  Texas,  in  1858,  as  a  printer,  and  is  now  residing  on  a  ranch  in  the 
Lone  Star  state;  Ed,  of  this  review;  Mrs.  Mary  Jane  Rodgers,  who  died 
in  Maryland;  and  William,  who  was  killed  by  accitlent  November  i,  1884, 
leaving  a  widow  and  three  children. 

E.  A.  Ege  was  a  lad  of  fifteen  years  when  his  father  came  to  the  west. 
He  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  Maryland  and  in  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  and  during  his  youth  assisted  his  father  in  business.  In  1859  he  went 
west  with  an  ox  team,  remaining  from  home  two  years.  During  the  war  he 
was  in  the  Confederate  service,  under  General  Price,  for  eight  months,  and 
was  for  some  time  employed  as  the  government  teamster  at  Fort  Bridger,  on 
the  North  Platte  river.  Since  his  marriage,  however,  he  has  devoted  his  time 
and  energies  to  farming  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  valuable 
tracts  of  land  in  this  locality. 

In  1867  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Ege  and  Miss  Mary  A.  Mul- 
doon,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  New  York,  a  daughter  of  E.  Muldoon,  of 
Atchison,  an  ex-county  commissioner.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ege  became  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  namely:  Charles  A.,  of  Chickasha,  Indian  Terri- 
tory; Mary  A,,  the  wife  of  Charles  Swinford,  of  Doniphan  county;  Etta  G., 
who  is  in  Atchison;  John  J.,  at  home;  and  three  children  who  died  in  infancy. 
After  the  death  of  his  brother  William,  he  took  his  brother's  two  younger  chil- 
dren— Chloe  and  Thommy — to  raise  and  educate  and  they  are  still  in  his 
family.  Mrs.  Ege  was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  iSth  of  September,  1889, 
at  forty-one  years  of  age.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  a 
most  estimable  lady,  whose  many  excellent  qualities  gained  her  the  regard 
of  her  friends.  In  business  Mr.  Ege  is  noted  for  his  industry  and  careful 
management,  in  social  life  for  his  genial  and  courteous  manner  and  as  a  citi- 
zen for  his  loyalty  to  and  support  of  all  measures  which  he  believes  will  prove 
a  public  benefit.  He  well  deserves  mention  among  the  representative  men  of 
Doniphan  county,  where  he  has  resided  for  almost  a  half-century. 


GEORGE  BIRD. 


Among  the  early  settlers  of  Wolf  River  township,  Doniphan  county,  was 
"George  Bird,  who  came  to  Kansas  in  the  early  days  of  the  development  of  the 
state.  He  has  since  been  identified  with  the  farming  interests  of  this  localitv 
and  to-day  is  the  owner  of  a  very  valuable  and  productive  tract  of  land.   His 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         555 

birth  occurred  in  the  far-off  state  of  Connecticut.  He  first  opened  liis  eyes  to 
tlie  light  of  day  in  Sahsinu-y.  Litchfield  county,  November  6,  1834,  and  is 
descended  from  New  England  ancestors,  who  were  residents  of  that  part  of 
the  country  before  the  war  for  independence.  Representati\'es  of  the  name 
were  participants  in  the  great  struggle  which  gave  freedom  to  the  nation.  Isaac 
Bird  was  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  and  James  Bird,  the  father,  rem(5ved 
from  New  England — the  ancestral  home — -to  Broome  county.  New  York, 
where  he  spent  his  last  days,  his  death  occurring  in  1865.  During  the  war  of 
1812  he  served  as  quartermaster  in  Colonel  Hubbard's  regiment.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Susan  Dauchy  and  by  their  marriage  they  became  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  three  of  whom  yet  survive :  Sarah,  the  widow  of 
Joseph  Woodrufif,  a  resident  of  Broome  county.  New  York;  Marion,  the  widow 
of  Myron  Langdon,  a  resident  of  Steuben  county.  New  York;  and  George. 

The  last  named  secured  a  fair  education  in  the  country  schools  and  early 
became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agri- 
culturist, but  in  early  manhood  he  left  the  plow  and  learned  the  plasterer's  and 
mason's  trades  in  Broome  county.  At  the  time  when  a  great  tide  of  human 
immigration  bore  many  settlers  to  Kansas,  he  left  the  Empire  state  and  mak- 
ing his  way  westward  to  St.  Louis  came  by  boat  from  that  city  to  Doniphan 
county.  It  was  in  the  year  1858  that  he  arrived  in  the  Sunflower  state,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  Locating  in  Highland,  he  followed  the  mason's 
trade  for  a  number  of  years,  but  at  the  time  of  the  civil  war  he  put  aside  the 
trowel  and  shouldered  the  rifle,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  C  (under 
Captain  Jenkins),  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  under  Colonel  Jennison.  He 
enlisted  in  September,  1861,  as  a  musician,  was  mustered  in  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth and  served  in  southwest  Missouri  during  much  of  his  term.  The  first 
engagement  in  which  he  participated  was  the  battle  of  Little  Blue,  near  Kansas 
City,  where  a  company  of  bushwhackers  had  gathered  in  rendezvous.  He  also 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Corinth,  Mississippi,  and  was  with  his  regiment  in 
Alabama.  Tennessee  and  Mississippi,  making  raids  and  destroying  rebel  prop- 
erty. The  Seventh  Kansas  led  the  advance  toward  Vicksburg  and  operated  in 
their  usual  manner  around  the  outskirts  of  that  place.  Mr.  Bird  was  in  the 
army  exactly  four  years  and  his  loyalty  to  the  cause  he  espoused  made  his 
military  record  an  honorable  one. 

After  his  return  home  ]\Ir.  Bird  resumed  work  at  the  mason's  trade  and 
followed  it  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  for  a  number  of  years,  but  for  fifteen 
years  past  he  has  devoted  his  attention  exclusively  to  farming.  He  pre-empted 
a  quarter-section  of  land  in  section  i,  Robinson  township.  Brown  county,  soon 
after  his  arrival  in  the  state,  but  disposed  of  it  many  years  ago  and  is  to-day 
the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  section  14.  Wolf  River  township, 
Doniphan  county,  which  is  now  a  very  desirable  and  attractive  farm. 


5  56  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1867,  Mr.  Bird  married  Miss  Emma  Davison, 
daugliter  of  Henry  and  Annie  (Young)  Davison,  who  came  to  Kansas  in  1864. 
Their  surviving  children  are :  Mrs.  Dehlah  Miller,  a  widow ;  Mrs.  Amanda 
Devine,  also  a  widow ;  John  and  Mrs.  Bird,  all  residents  of  Doniphan  county. 
Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  five  children :  Virgil,  a  musi- 
cian, who  was  born  September  3,  1869,  and  resides  in  Nemaha  county;  Wil- 
ber,  born  July  30,  1872;  Effie  May,  February  15,  1877;  Stella  Irene,  Decem- 
ber 28,  1881 ;  and  George  E..  February  i,  1S85. 

Mr.  Bird  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  views  and  affiliations,  frequently 
serving  as  a  delegate  to  the  conventions  of  his  party,  and  is  a  stanch  advocate 
of  the  policy  that  President  McKinley  has  followed  in  dealing  with  the  expan- 
sion question,  for  he  believes  that  the  republic  has  the  ability  to  care  for  and 
capably  govern  her  newly  acquired  colonies.  In  his  business  he  is  meeting 
with  creditable  success,  devoting  his  energies  entirely  to  farming.  He  follows 
progressive  methods,  is  practical  and  enterprising,  and  the  neatness  of  his 
place  indicates  the  careful  inspection  and  supervision  of  the  owner. 


AUGUST  ^tOUIRGUIES. 

In  connection  with  the  public  offices  in  Wathena  appears  the  name  of 
August  Mouirguies,  who  is  now  serving  as  the  police  judge,  a  position  to 
which  he  was  elected  in  April,  1899.  His  service  has  been  creditable  to  him- 
self and  satisfactory  to  his  constituents,  for  he  is  fair  and  impartial  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty  and  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him.  A  representative 
citizen  of  the  community,  he  well  deserves  mention  in  this  volume  and  it  is 
with  pleasure  that  we  present  his  record  to  our  readers,  knowing  that  among 
them  are  many  who  are  numbered  among  his  friends. 

Judge  Mouirguies  was  born  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  in  1854,  and  is  a 
son  of  August  Mouirguies,  who  was  born  in  France  and  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  land.  When  a  young  man  he  came  to  the  United  States 
and  was  married  in  St.  Charles.  Missouri,  to  Miss  Mary  Polarday,  a  lady  of 
F"rench  lineage.  In  1844  they  removed  from  St.  Charles  to  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri, but  afterward  returned  to  the  former  place.  The  mother  died  during 
the  early  boyhood  of  our  .subject,  leaving  a  family  of  five  children,  namely: 
Clementine,  who  is  living  in  San  Francisco,  California;  Emma,  who  died  in 
that  state;  Henry,  a  resident  of  Chico,  California;  May,  who  makes  her  home 
in  Oroville,  California;  and  August.  The  father  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  in  1854.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years  and  the  community  mourned  the  loss  of  one 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         557 

of  its  highly  respected  citizens.  His  pohtical  support  was  given  to  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  he  took  a  deep  interest  in  its  growth  and  success,  yet  was  never 
an  aspirant  for  oiifice. 

August  Mouifguies,  wliose  name  introduces  tliis  review,  pursued  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  and  came  with  his  parents  to  this  county  in  pioneer 
days.  He  acted  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store,  which  was  one  of  the  first  mer- 
cantile establishments  in  this  locality,  and  later  he  engaged  in  merchandising 
on  his  own  account,  following  that  pursuit  for  twelve  years  with  good  suc- 
cess. He  now  owns  the  store,  fronting  on  Alain  street,  in  St.  Joseph.  Missouri, 
and  a  good  farm  near  Wathena.  comprising  eighty  acres  of  highly  cultivated 
land.  These  properties  yield  to  him  a  good  income  and  are  creditable  posses- 
sions, for  they  have  been  acquired  through  his  own  well-directed  efforts. 

In  1881  Mr.  Mouirguies  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Zeiser.  of 
Wathena,  who  was  born  in  St.  Charles,  Missouri,  and  is  a  daughter  of  I. 
Zeiser.  of  this  place.  They  now  have  four  children  :  Clara.  Emma,  Edna  and 
Charles. 

In  his  political  views  the  Judge  is  independent  of  party  ties,  preferring 
to  support  the  men  and  measures  which  he  thinks  best  calculated  to  advance 
the  general  good.  He  has  served  in  several  oflRces.  including  that  of  a  mem- 
ber of  the  town  council,  and  in  April.  1899.  was  elected  police  judge  bv  a 
good  majority.  In  the  discharge  of  his  duties  he  has  won  high  commenda- 
tion and  throughout  his  public  service  in  this  and  other  offices  he  has  been 
most  true  and  faithful  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him.  He  possesses  more  than 
ordinary  business  ability,  is  progressive  and  enterprising  and  has  the  respect 
of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact. 


T.  F.  HARPSTER. 


This  gentleman  is  now  serving  for  the  fourth  term  as  the  mayor  of 
Wathena  and  his  administration  has  been  at  once  progressive,  reformatory 
and  practical.  His  name  is  so  closely  connected  with  the  social,  intellectual, 
material  and  moral  development  of  the  town  that  the  history  of  Wathena 
would  be  incomplete  without  the  record  of  his  life.  He  came  to  this  place  in 
1891  and  through  the  intervening  years  he  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  all 
measures  tending  toward  the  public  good. 

Mr.  Harpster  is  a  native  of  the  P'uckeye  state.  In  one  of  his  witty  after- 
dinner  speeches  Chauncey  Depew  said :  "Some  men  achieve  greatness,  some 
men  are  born  great  and  some  men  are  born  in  Ohio."  The  last  statement  is 
applicable  to  Mr.  Harpster.  whose  birth  occurred  in  Sandusky  county  on  the 


558  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

i6th  of  April,  1S62.  He  was  reared  and  educated  there,  his  prehminary  edu- 
cational privileges  heing  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  State  Normal  School 
at  Ada,  Ohio.  In  1S83  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Doniphan  county,  where 
he  has  since  remained.  He  accepted  the  position  of  cashier  in  the  bank  at 
Severance  and  acceptably  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  until  1891,  when 
he  came  to  W'athena  and  organized  the  Wathena  State  Bank,  of  which  he  is 
the  cashier.  The  president  of  the  institution  is  John  A.  C.  Jordan  and  the 
vice-president  is  O.  C.  Jones.  The  bank  is  one  of  the  most  popular  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  county  and  the  volume  of  its  business  has  reached  extensive  pro- 
portions. Its  high  standing  is  largely  attributable  to  the  untiring  efforts  of 
its  cashier,  who  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  banking  business  in  all  its 
departments  and  conducts  the  enterprise  in  a  conservative  and  reliable  manner. 

While  residing  in  Severance  Mr.  Harpster  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Bertha  Robb,  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  whose  father.  Captain 
George  H.  Robb,  is  one  of  the  popular  and  well-known  citizens  of  Severance. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  one  child,  Ruth  Marie,  a  little  maiden  of 
six  summers.  Their  home  is  celebrated  for  its  hospitality  and  their  circle  of 
friends  is  very  extensive. 

While  comparatively  a  young  man  Mr.  Harpster  has  gained  a  most 
enviable  reputation  for  excellent  business  and  e.xecutive  ability,  and  in  this,  as 
in  other  regards,  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Wathena.  His 
efforts  ha\'e  not  been  confined  to  one  line  but  have  been  extended  to  various 
enterprises  and  industries,  and  his  counsel  has  proved  a  potent  element  in  the 
successful  conduct  of  the  concerns  with  which  he  is  associated.  He  is  now 
the  president  and  treasurer  of  the  Black  Mountain  Mining  &  Investment  Com- 
pany, of  Black  Mountain,  Colorado,  a  company  which  was  incorporated  in 
1897  with  a  capital  stock  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  He  was  also  an 
organizer  and  is  vice-president  of  the  bank  at  Denton    Doniphan  county. 

Although  activel}-  associated  with  these  various  interests  he  yet  finds  time 
for  social  and  literary  work,  and  his  influence  has  been  most  marked  in  pro- 
moting the  intellectual  status  of  the  community.  He  is  an  ofiicer  in  the 
Wathena  Midsummer  Society,  organized  in  1899,  and  he  is  a  much  valued 
member.  Socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  order,  belonging  to  the 
blue  lodge  of  Wathena.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  heartily  indorses  all  societies 
which  have  for  their  aim  mutual  benefit  and  helpfulness.  He  is  a  prominent 
worker  in  the  orders  with  which  he  holds  membership  and  is  therefore  num- 
bered among  their  valued  representatives.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a 
Republican  and  for  the  fourth  term  is  serving  as  the  mayor  of  the  town.  He 
handles  the  reins  of  city  government  with  great  care  and  gives  a  conscientious 
and  loyal  support  to  all  measures  which  he  believes  will  prove  a  public  benefit 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  559 

to  tlie  community  or  will  advance  its  welfare  along  any  lines  that  may  con- 
tribute to  its  upbuilding  and  prosperity.  He  occupies  an  eminent  position  in 
social  and  business  circles  and  enjoys  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  brought  in  contact.  In  his  business  career  he  has  attained  more  than 
an  ordinary  degree  of  success,  but  this  has  been  won  through  the  legitimate 
channels  of  commercial  activity.  His  keen  discernment,  sound  judgment  and 
ability  to  form  his  plans  readily  and  to  execute  them  with  determination  have 
brought  to  him  prosperity  that  he  well  merits. 


FRED  UKELE. 


Through  thirty  years  Mr.  Ukele  has  been  identified  with  the  agricultural 
interests  of  Nemaha  county  and  now  resides  on  section  28,  Berwick  township, 
where  his  fine  farm  indicates  his  careful  supervision  and  his  progressive  spirit. 
His  careful  prosecution  of  his  business  affairs  has  brought  him  creditable  suc- 
cess and  he  is  to-day  numbered  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  his  com- 
munity. 

A  native  of  Michigan,  Mr.  Ukele  was  born  in  Washtenaw  county  on  the 
I2th  of  April,  1842.  His  father,  Christian  Ukele.  was  a  native  of  Germany 
and  on  crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America,  in  181 7,  took  up  his  abode  in  Wash- 
tenaw county,  where  he  made  farming  his  life  work.  He  was,  however,  a 
baker  by  trade,  although  in  this  land  he  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  His  death  occurred  when  he  was  about  fifty-eight  years  of  age.  In 
the  '30s  he  went  to  Chicago,  which  was  then  but  little  more  than  a  frog  pond. 
It  was  his  intention  to  engage  in  the  bakery  business  in  the  future  metropolis, 
but  death  ended  his  labors  there  before  he  had  actively  become  connected 
with  business  interests.     In  his  family  were  eight  children. 

Fred  Ukele.  the  subject  of  this  review,  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  and 
was  reared  in  the  county  of  his  nativity,  where  he  remained  until  1861.  In 
that  year  he  went  to  Henry  county,  Illinois,  where  he  enlisted  in  Company 
I,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  served  in  1864-5,  tnitil 
the  war  closed,  when  he  received  an  honorable  discharge.  He  was  very  loyal 
to  duty  and  faithfully  fought  to  protect  the  cause  represented  by  the  flag. 

Returning  to  Henry  county  when  his  services  were  no  longer  needed  in 
the  field  of  battle,  he  began  to  work  at  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  carried 
on  in  that  locality  for  three  and  a  half  years.  Thinking,  however,  to  better 
his  financial  condition  in  the  less  thickly  settled  districts  in  the  west,  he  chose 
Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  as  the  scene  of  his  future  labors  and  he  made  his  way 
to  the  Sunflower  state,  purchasing  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resiiles.     It 


56o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

was  then  a  tract  of  wild  prairie,  on  wliicli  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or  any 
improvement  made,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  development. 
He  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  township  and  he  has  made  his  farm  one  of 
the  most  valuable  and  attractive  properties.  He  owns  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land,  all  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation, and  the  various  improvements  on  the  place  indicate  the  activity  and 
enterprise  which  have  cliaracterized  his  business  career.  In  connection  with 
general  farming  he  is  also  engaged  in  stock  raising  and  now  has  upon  his 
farm  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle  which  he  is  preparing  for  the 
market. 

In  1873,  while  Mr.  Ukele  was  chopping  wood,  a  tree  about  two  feet  thick 
fell  across  his  right  side,  crippling  him  for  life.  Notwithstanding  this  accident, 
however,  he  has  continued  to  superintend  his  farm  and  has  through  his  well- 
directed  efiforts  became  the  possessor  of  a  handsome  competence. 

In  1864,  in  Geneseo,  Illinois,  Mr.  Ukele  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Christie  Oleson.  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  came  to  America  in  early  girlhood 
and  was  reared  in  Henry  county,  Illinois.  Two  children  have  been  born  of 
their  union :  Edward,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Henry  county,  Illinois,  and 
Sylvan,  who  was  born  in  Nemaha  county,  Kansas.  The  family  is  well  known 
in  the  community  and  its  representatives  occupy  a  leading  position  in  social 
circles.  Mr.  Ukele  is  a  man  of  pronounced  political  opinions,  unswerving  in 
his  support  of  the  Republican  party  and  on  that  ticket  he  has  been  elected  to 
a  number  of  township  offices,  wherein  he  has  discharged  his  duties  with 
promptness  and  fidelity.  He  holds  membership  in  the  Baptist  church  and  is 
one  of  its  deacons.  His  life  has  been  well  spent  and  while  his  business  affairs 
have  gained  him  a  handsome  property  his  straightforward  dealing  has  won 
him  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men. 


ED.  HEENEY, 


To  this  gentleman  has  been  entrusted  the  management  of  the  municipal 
afifairs  of  Severance  and  he  is  now  capably  serving  as  the  mayor  of  the  city. 
Other  official  positions  have  also  been  accorded  him  in  recognition  of  his 
worth  and  ability  and  he  is  now  representing  his  district  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture. Patriotism  is  one  of  his  marked  characteristics  and  though  he  is  always 
loyal  to  the  party  which  he  represents  he  places  country  above  everything  else, 
and  exercises  his  official  prerogatives  in  advancing  all  measures  and  move- 
ments which  he  believes  will  prove  of  the  greatest  good  to  the  greate.-t  num- 
ber. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         561 

Mr.  Heeiiey  is  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Old  Castle.  Ireland,  in  1852.  He  was  only  two  years  of  age,  however,  when 
brought  by  his  parents,  Edwin  and  Rosa  (Little)  Heeney,  to  America.  They 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  New  Orleans  and  thence  proceeded  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  they  remained  for  thirteen  years.  Later  they  spent  a  short  time  in 
Butler  county,  Ohio,  and  in  1870  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  taking 
up  their  abode  in  a  town  in  W^olf  River  township,  where  the  father  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  retirement  from  the  active  cares  and  duties 
of  business  life.  He  was  born  in  1798  and  is  still  living  at  the  very  advanced 
age  of  one  hundred  and  two  years.  His  wife  passed  away  in  Doniphan 
county  in  1873. 

Ed.  Heeney,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Ohio  and  in  the  Christian  Brothers'  College,  of  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  which  institution  he  entered  after  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Kan- 
sas. He  there  pursued  his  studies  until  a  short  time  before  graduation,  when 
he  put  aside  the  duties  of  the  student  for  those  of  the  teacher,  being  for  ten 
years  connected  with  the  educational  interests  of  Doniphan  county  in  the 
capacity  of  teacher.  In  1878  he  was  elected  county  superintendent  of  schools 
for  a  term  of  two  years. 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period,  in  1880,  he  embarked  in  business  on  his 
own  account  as  a  dealer  in  hardware,  stoves,  implements  and  furniture.  He 
carries  a  large  and  complete  stock  and  occupies  a  double  store,  60x100  feet. 
This  is  well  equipped  with  everything  found  in  the  lines  designated  and  the 
attractive  arrangement  of  the  store,  his  honorable  dealing  and  his  desire  to 
please  his  patrons  have  secured  for  him  a  large  and  lucrative  business.  Aside 
from  his  business  enterprises  he  is  largely  interested  in  farming,  investing  his 
surplus  money  in  Doniphan  county  farms.  He  now  owns  and  operates  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  half  way  between  Highland  and  Severance, 
on  the  telephone  line,  and  directs  its  operation  every  morning  by  telephone. 
He  also  operates  in  the  same  manner  three  hundred  acres  in  a  well-stocked 
ranch  south  of  Severance  four  miles,  all  of  which  is  stocked  with  thorough- 
bred short-horn  cattle.  He  is  not  only  successful  as  a  merchant,  but  also  directs 
his  farms  and  ranches  in  the  same  successful  manner. 

In  1882  Mr.  Heeney  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  F.  Hampson, 
of  Troy,  Kansas,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  F.  Hampson,  who  for  many  years  was 
a  prominent  citizen  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  but  is  now  deceased.  This 
union  has  been  blest  with  three  children, — Edith,  Edward  and  Georgia. — but 
the  mother  died  in  1893.  Theirs  is  a  beautiful  home,  built  in  a  modern  style 
of  architecture,  and  its  neat  and  tasteful  furnishings  indicate  the  cultured 
tastes  of  the  inmates.  It  is  the  center  of  a  leading  social  circle  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  household  enjoy  the  high  regard  of  many  friends. 


562  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mr.  Heeney  is  a  stanch  advocate  of  Republican  principles  and  realizes 
very  fully  the  responsibilities  and  duties  of  citizenship  and  in  1898  was  elected 
to  represent  his  district  in  the  general  assembly  and  is  now  serving  on  several 
important  committees,  including  those  on  railroads,  printing,  corporations  and 
labor.  To  the  questions  which  come  up  for  settlement  he  gives  his  earnest  con- 
sideration and  his  opinions  are  the  result  of  mature  deliberation  and  indicate 
the  patriotic  spirit  which  ever  prompts  the  discharge  of  his  public  duties.  His 
political  career  and  his  private  life  are  alike  above  reproach  and  in  business 
circles  he  maintains  a  most  enviable  reputation  for  honorable  dealing,  and  his 
career  illustrates  the  possibilities  that  are  open  in  this  country  to  earnest,  per- 
severing young  men  who  have  the  courage  of  their  convictions  and  are  deter- 
mined to  be  the  architects  of  their  own  future.  To  judge  from  what  he  has 
accomplished,  his  right  to  a  first  place  among  the  citizens  of  Severance  can 
not  be  questioned. 


JACOB  STRIEB. 


Jacob  Strieb,  one  of  the  progressive  and  practical  farmers  of  Wolf  River 
township,  Doniphan  county,  was  born  in  Hamilton,  Ohio,  August  20,  1854, 
and  soon  afterward  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Henry  county,  Indiana.  His 
father,  George  Strieb,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  in  the  year  1829.  and 
died  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  April  15,  1892.  He  left  the  fatherland 
about  the  time  he  obtained  his  majority  and  on  crossing  the  ocean  to  the  new 
world  took  up  his  residence  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  There  he  found  work  in  a 
slaughter  house,  subsequently  was  employed  in  a  stone  quarry  and  later  had 
the  position  of  pilot  on  the  Cincinnati  &  Albany  canal.  About  this  time  his 
betrothed,  Elizabeth  Stadler,  came  from  her  home  in  Germany  to  meet  him 
and  they  were  married.  Just  prior  to  the  civil  war  they  removed  to  Indiana, 
establishing  their  home  near  Newcastle.  For  some  years  Mr.  George  Strieb 
worked  as  a  laborer,  securing  employment  in  any  way  that  he  could  that 
would  yield  him  an  honest  living.  He  managed  to  save  some  money,  how- 
ever, and  just  before  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war  he  invested  his  savings  of 
years  in  a  small  farm  in  Henry  county,  with  the  idea  that  his  capital  would  be 
safer  in  real  estate  than  in  state  bank  script.  Since  that  time  he  has  devoted 
his  energies  to  agricultural  interests.  Success  attended  his  efforts  and  with 
a  few  thousand  dollars  which  he  had  accumulated  he  came  to  Doniphan  county 
and  purchased  land.  Later  he  added  to  his  property  and  when  he  died  he  was 
worth  not  less  than  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  He  was  the  father  of  two 
sons  and  two  daughters :  Jacob,  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Mary,  who  resides 
in  Reading.  Pennsylvania,  and  is  the  wife  of  John  Roth;  Lizzie,  the  wife  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         563 

Walter  Brant,  of  Robinson,  Kansas:  and  Jolm  G.,  one  of  tlie  substantial  young 
farmers  of  Leona. 

Jacob  Strieb  was  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  when  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  Doniphan  county.  He  received  only  a  limited  education  in  the  district 
schools  and  throughout  his  business  career  has  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  scorns  not  that  righteous  labor  which  is  an  indespensable  element  in 
success.  He  is  energetic,  persevering  and  reliable,  and  these  cjualities  have 
brought  him  a  handsome  competence.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has 
increased  his  possessions.  He  began  life  with  a  forty-acre  farm  and  now  has 
two  hundred  acres  in  Doniphan  county,  eighty  acres  near  Hiawatha,  a  half- 
section  in  Rooks  county,  Kansas,  and  has  just  completed  a  residence  in  Hia- 
watha at  a  cost  of  five  thousand  dollars.  There  he  intends  to  make  his  future 
home. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  1882,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Air.  Strieb 
and  Miss  Hattie  Maurer,  a  daughter  of  John  Maurer.  She  was  born  in  Snyder 
county,  Pennsylvania,  March  14,  1858,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the 
mother  of  five  children, — four  daughters  and  a  son, — namely:  Cora.  Ella, 
Sadie,  Pearl  and  George.  In  his  jwlitical  afiiliations  Mr.  Strieb  is  a  Republican, 
but  has  always  been  content  with  casting  his  ballot  for  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  party,  leaving  office  holding  to  others.  His  practical  business  methods 
have  resulted  in  bringing  to  him  a  comfortable  competence  and  the  history 
of  his  career  proves  that  a  determined  purpose  and  laudable  ambition  will 
secure  the  success  for  which  all  men  are  striving. 


HARRY  REDING. 


Harry  Reding,  who  is  enrolled  among  the  physicians  and  surgeons  engag- 
ing in  practice  in  Xemaha  county,  his  office  being  located  in  Sabetha,  was  born 
in  Haverhill,  Xew  Hampshire,  on  the  14th  of  May,  1861,  his  parents  being 
Henry  W.  and  Amelia  (Chandler)  Reding.  The  Reding  family  is  of  Puritan 
lineage  and  on  the  maternal  side  the  ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  the  colonial 
settlement  in  Xew  England.  The  Doctor  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  old 
Granite  state  and  obtained  his  elementary  education  in  the  schools  of  his  home 
neighborhod.  He  came  to  Kansas  when  quite  young  and  here  further  pursued 
his  education  as  a  student  in  Washburn  College  at  Topeka.  being  graduated 
in  that  institution  in  1885.  Determining  to  enter  up<^n  a  professional  career, 
he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  Dr. 
A.  J.  Best,  of  Centralia,  and  subsequently  pursued  a  course  of  lectures  in  the 
Missouri  IMedical  College,  of  St.  Louis.  ^Missouri,  and  graduated  in    1888. 


564  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

AVith  a  comprehensive  and  accurate  knowledge  of  the  science  of  medicine  he 
began  practice  in  CentraHa,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  being  associated 
as  a  partner  with  his  former  preceptor.  He  also  spent  two  years  in  Vermillion, 
Kansas,  and  in  1892  came  to  Sabetha,  where  he  has  since  remained,  engaged 
in  the  general  practice  of  his  chosen  profession.  He  is  now  well  established, 
doing  a  large  business,  and  the  liberal  patronage  which  is  accorded  him  is  an 
indication  of  his  skill  and  ability.  Here  for  the  past  seven  years  he  has  been 
the  local  surgeon  for  the  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island  Railroad  at  Sabetha  and 
was  for  four  years  a  United  States  examining  surgeon  for  pensions. 

The  Doctor  was  married,  in  1888,  to  Miss  Helen  E.  Sherrill,  of  Topeka, 
Kansas,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  F.  G.  Sherrill,  a  Congregational  minister.  The 
Doctor  and  his  wife  now  have  an  interesting  family  of  three  children, — War- 
ren, Mary  G.  and  Katherine.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Joseph  & 
Grand  Island  Railroad  Medical  Society,  of  the  Kansas  State  Medical  Society 
and  others,  and  puts  forth  every  effort  to  perfect  himself  in  his  chosen  calling, 
realizing  its  importance  and  the  responsibility  that  devolves  upon  him.  In 
1888  he  won  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  arts  at  Washburn  College.  In  1899. 
in  order  to  gain  proficiency  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  the  e}e  and  ear.  he 
took  a  special  course  in  that  line  in  Chicago.  He  has  been  very  successful 
in  his  chosen  work,  his  labors  being  attended  with  excellent  results.  He  is 
A^ery  careful  in  diagnosing  a  case  and  in  anticipating  any  complications  tint 
may  arise.  His  professional  brethren  accord  him  a  leading  place  in  their 
ranks  and  he  also  has  the  confidence  of  the  public  in  an  unusual  degree. 


OSCAR  NELSON. 


Oscar  Nelson,  a  well-known  representative  of  the  agricultural  interests 
of  Wolf  River  township,  claims  Missouri  as  the  state  of  his  nativity,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Buchanan  county  on  the  9th  of  February,  1856.  He  is  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  seven  children.  His  father,  Lewis 
Nelson,  became  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Doniphan  county.  On  leaving 
Missouri  he  pre-empted  a  quarter-section  of  land  in  Wolf  River  township  and 
there  devoted  his  energies  to  farming  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in 
death.  Oscar  Nelson  was  reared  among  the  scenes  of  rural  life  and  early 
became  familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agricult- 
urist. He  worked  in  the  fields  through  the  summer  months  and  in  the  winter 
season  was  accorded  the  privilege  of  attending  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  where  he  acquired  a  good,  practical  English  education.  He  has 
also  devoted  his  energies  to  farming  and  is  to-day  regarded  as  one  of  the  pros- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         565 

perons  representatives  of  that  vocation  in  Wolf  River  townsiiip.  His  place 
is  characterized  by  neatness  and  thrift  and  a  single  glance  indicates  to  the 
passer  by  the  careful  supervision  of  a  practical  and  progressive  owner. 

On  the  i6th  of  December,  1880,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Nelson  and  Miss  Allie  S.  Noble,  daughter  of  William  P.  Noble,  of  Lincoln, 
Nebraska.  Three  children  grace  their  union,  namely:  Guy  N.,  who  was  born 
'December  8,  1881 ;  Clare  M..  born  in  1883 ;  and  Louise,  born  in  1897.  Like 
the  other  men  of  his  family,  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  stalwart  Republican  in  his  politi- 
cal views  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  township  committee.  He  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  trustee  in  the  fall  of  1898  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  votes,  and  discharged  his  duties  in  such  a  capable  and  efficient 
manner  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1899  without  opposition.  He  and  his  family 
are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church  of  Moray,  in  which  he  is  holding  the 
office  of  deacon.  His  life  is  a  noble  and  upright  one,  characterized  by  fidelity 
to  duty  in  every  relation  and  he  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  who  gives  his 
support  to  all  measures  calculated  to  secure  advancement  along  ix)litical,  social, 
educational  and  moral  lines. 


JOHN  THOMAS  HARPER. 

Throughout  his  life  this  gentleman  has  devoted  his  energies  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  He  was  born  in  East  River  township,  Hendricks  county,  Indi- 
ana, December  5,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Jesse  Harper,  a  pioneer  of  that  state, 
whose  ancestors  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Kentucky.  John  T.  Harper 
is  the  youngest  in  a  small  family  of  children  and  was  reared  chiefly  in  Andrew 
county,  Missouri.  The  district  schools  afiforded  him  his  educational  privileges, 
but  his  opportunities  were  extremely  limited  in  that  direction.  In  1855  he 
came  to  Doniphan  county  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  started  out  upon 
an  independent  business  career,  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  day  or  month, 
and  in  this  way  gained  the  nucleus  of  his  present  possessions.  During  the 
civil  war  he  aided  in  the  defense  of  the  Union,  enlisting  in  Company  I,  Sev- 
enth Kansas  Cavalry.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Leavenworth,  traveled  over 
much  of  the  south  and  was  under  fire  fifty-four  times,  the  principal  engage- 
ments in  which  he  participated  being  at  Corinth  and  Tupelo,  Mississippi. 
During  the  last  year  of  his  service  the  regiment  was  with  General  A.  J.  Smith. 
In  his  long,  exciting  and  dangerous  service  he  was  never  but  once  wounded 
and  that  was  a  mere  flesh  wound.  Always  found  at  his  place  of  duty,  he 
loyally  defended  the  cause  represented  by  the  old  flag  and  his  course  was 
marked  by  a  commendable  spirit  of  patriotism. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  the  war  Mr.  Harper  purchased  a  small  tract 


566  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  land  of  forty  acres  and  engaged  in  fanning.  As  the  years  l.a\-e  gone  bv  he 
has  added  to  his  proi>erty  until  he  now  has  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  fertile 
quarter-sections  of  land  in  his  to\uiship.  This  is  divided  into  fieKls  of  con- 
venient size  by  well-kept  fences  and  good  harvests  follow  the  planting  of 
spring,  bringing  to  the  owner  a  profitable  income. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  i860,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Har- 
per and  Rachel  A.  Cowger.  In  the  community  they  have  an  extensive  circle 
of  friends  and  are  highly  esteemed  for  their  sterling  worth.  In  his  political 
belief  j\Ir.  Harper  clings  stanchly  to  Republican  principles  and  at  all  times 
he  labors  earnestly  for  its  success,  believing  that  it  contains  the  best  elements 
of  good  government.  He  is  ever  true  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  and  has  been 
loyal  to  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  state,  displaying  the  same  patriotic  spirit 
which  marked  his  course  when  he  donned  the  blue  and  fought  with  the  Union 
army  to  preserve  the  Union  intact. 


DALLAS  E.  FARXSWORTH. 

Dallas  Elijah  Farnsworth,  city  passenger  and  ticket  agent  for  the  Atchi- 
son, Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  the  treasurer  of 
the  Home  Printing  Company  of  this  place,  is  a  gentleman  of  well  known 
business  standing.  A  native  of  the  Keystone  state,  he  was  born  in  Bradford 
county,  Pennsylvania,  .\pril  13.  1844.  a  son  of  David  and  Philena  A.  (Haven) 
Farnsworth,  both  natives  of  \'ermont.  David  Farnsworth  was  for  many  years 
connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  state  militia  and  during  the  war  of  1812  held 
a  colonel's  commission.  In  early  life  the  parents  of  our  subject  moved  from 
the  Green  ISIountain  state  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  in  Bradford  county, 
where  they  remained  until  1869,  when  they  went  to  Monroe,  Wisconsin.  At 
the  last  named  place  the  father  died,  in  1882.  The  mother  is  still  living,  at 
this  writing,  and  is  a  resident  of  Denver,  Colorado.  Their  family  consisted  of 
two  sons  and  three  daughters  and  all  are  married  and  settled  in  life  except  the 
youngest  son,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  One  daughter,  Mrs.  01i\e 
C.  Reineck,  is  a  resident  of  New  Brunswick,  Xew  Jersey;  another.  Mrs.  Will- 
iam C.  Burrows,  lives  in  Leavenworth.  Kansas:  and  the  third.  ]\Irs.  Ella  F. 
Elliott,  is  in  Denver.  Colorado. 

D.  E.  Farnsworth  was  reared  and  received  his  early  education  in  his 
native  county.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  journeyed  westward  and  found 
employment  in  the  woodenware  factory  at  Menasha.  \\'isconsin.  .Afterward 
he  entered  Ripon  College  and  spent  four  years  in  that  institution.  In  1 870  he 
came  to  Atchison.  Kansas,  and  secured  the  position  of  cashier  in  the  store  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         567 

D.  C.  Newcomli.  with  wlinm  he  remained  one  year.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he 
accepted  a  position  as  assistant  to  E.  S.  Wills,  then  a  ticket  agent  for  the  Han- 
nibal &  St.  Joseph  Railroad.  In  1876  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of 
ticket  agent  of  that  company  and  served  until  1880,  when  all  of  the  city  offices 
were  abolished.  He  was  next  made  the  assistant  ticket  agent  for  the  Atchison 
Union  Depot  Company,  which  position  he  filled  until  his  resignation  in  March, 
1893.  Then  he  organized  the  Home  Printing  Company,  which  bought  out  the 
Haskell  Printing  Company,  and  with  this  business  has  since  been  associated  as 
the  treasurer.  It  has  been  conducted  on  a  profitable  basis;  valuable  new  ma- 
chinery has  been  added  to  the  plant,  making  the  etjuipment  first-class  in  every 
respect,  and  a  force  of  about  twenty-five  men  and  women  are  employed.  The 
business  includes  every  variety  of  work,  a  specialty  being  made  of  show  print- 
ing, and  the  large  business  which  the  company  has  built  up  is  being  main- 
tained by  courtesy,  promptness  and  superiority  of  work. 

Mr.  Farnsworth  was  married,  in  1882,  to  Miss  Emma  Richards,  a  native 
of  Lawrence,  Massachusetts,  and  a  daughter  of  J.  M.  Richards.  They  have 
two  children, — David  Freeling  and  Howard  Richards.  Mr.  Farnsworth  is  a 
member  of  the  Atchison  board  of  education,  to  which  he  was  elected  in  1898, 
and  is  a  member  and  clerk  of  the  Congregational  church. 


FREDERICK  S.   MOSER. 

Frederick  S.  Moser,  a  prosperous  farmer  and  fruit  grower  residing  near 
Troy,  Kansas,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Knox  county,  Tennessee,  June  13,  1839. 

Mr.  Moser  is  of  German  descent,  his  parents,  John  and  Susannah  Stevens, 
both  having  been  born  in  Germany.  They  were  brought  to  the  United  States 
in  childhood,  where  they  grew  up  and  married.  For  many  years  after  their 
marriage  they  lived  in  Knox  county,  Tennessee,  and  from  there  they  moved, 
in  1850,  to  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  where  John  Moser  was  engaged  in 
farming  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1853.  In  1856  the 
widowed  mother  with  her  family  came  to  Kansas  and  settled  on  a  frontier  farm 
in  Doniphan  county.  Afterward  they  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  in  section  6,  Center  township,  which  was  the  family  home  until  the 
Rebellion,  when  he  enlisted;  that  broke  up  the  home.  The  wife  and  mother 
went  Iiack  to  IMissouri  and  stayed  until  the  war  closed  and  then  they  returned 
home.    The  mother's  death  occurred  in  1869. 

Frederick  S.  accompanied  the  family  from  Tennessee  to  Missouri  and 
thence  to  Kansas,  as  above  stated.  His  education  was  received  chiefly  in  the 
common  schools  of  Buchanan  county.    He  was  in  the  prime  of  early  manhood 


568  BIOGRAPHICAL  A.\'D  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

when  the  war  came  on.  with  a  family  depencHng  upon  liim,  and  at  first  it 
seemed  almost  out  of  the  question  for  him  to  leave  his  new  home,  but,  as  the 
struggle  continued  and  fresh  forces  were  needed  at  the  front,  his  patriotism 
asserted  itself  above  everything  else  and  his  name  was  placed  on  the  volunteer 
list.  That  was  in  1862.  He  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  under  Captain  Hugh  Robinson  and  Colonel  Bowen.  He  was 
ordered  to  the  frontier  and  stationed  for  a  time  in  Indian  Territory,  Arkan- 
sas and  the  southern  part  of  Missouri.  At  Van  Buren,  Arkansas,  and  also 
Fort  Smith  and  Little  Rock  he  took  part  in  several  minor  engagements  and  in 
March,  1865,  went  with  his  regiment  to  Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  He  was  hon- 
orably discharged  in  July,  1865,  at  the  latter  place  and  at  once  returned  to  his 
home  in  Doniphan  county,  where  he  resumed  farming  and  stock  raising  and 
has  since  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

Mr.  Moser  purchased  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
section  30,  Center  township,  in  1867,  and  added  the  rest  of  his  three  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  as  he  became  able,  and  through  his  earnest,  well-directed  efforts 
it  has  been  brought  up  to  its  present  high  state  of  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment. His  fine  apple  orchard,  comprising  no  less  than  fifteen  hundred  trees, 
is  of  his  own  planting  and  from  it  he  reahzes  handsomely.  This  farm  is 
beautifully  situated  amid  the  hills,  one  mile  south  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  at 
the  time  Mr.  Moser  selected  it  he  located  near  by  an  extensive  range  for  his 
stock.  The  enactment  of  the  herd  law,  however,  which  followed  several  years 
afterward,  materially  restricted  the  stock  range.  The  primitive  home  which 
cur  subject  occupied  here  was  a  log  house,  12x14  feet  in  dimensions,  covered 
with  clapboards  and  furnished  in  pioneer  style.  This  gave  place,  in  1876,  to 
a  two-story  frame  house,  the  present  residence.  Mr.  Moser  has  also  built  sub- 
stantial barns  and  outbuildings  and  keeps  pace  with  the  times  in  the  way  of 
machinery  and  everything  necessary  to  successfully  carry  on  farming  opera- 
tions. He  formerly  carried  on  the  stock  business  extensively,  making  a  spe- 
cialty of  cattle,  hogs  and  horses. 

October  9,  1859,  Mr.  Moser  married  Miss  Mary  Dittemore,  of  Buchanan 
county,  Missouri,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Dittemore,  Esq.  Her  parents  had 
removed  from  Indiana  to  Missouri  at  an  early  day  and  settled  in  Buchanan 
county,  where  she  was  born.  She  was  educated  near  St.  Joseph.  This  union 
has  been  blessed  in  the  birth  of  twelve  children,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
Those  living  are:  William  H. ;  Anna  L.,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Smith;  Viola 
Bell ;  John  Franklin;  Alvey  Curtis;  Josie  E.,  the  wife  of  James  Triplett;  Lucy 
C,  the  wife  of  Charles  Triplett;  and  Frederick  S.,  Jr.,  and  Susan  E.,  who  are 
still  at  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moser  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
South,  at  Troy,  of  which  he  is  a  liberal  supporter  and  for  a  number  of  years 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         569 

has  been  a  trustee.    He  is  politically  a  Democrat  of  the  old  Jefferson  style  and 
is,  fraternally,  identified  with  the  G.  A.  R.,  Kennedy  Post,  No.  292,  and  the 

Masonic  fraternity,  Lodge  No.  55,  at  Troy.    For  the  past  twenty-five  years  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board. 


SAMUEL  HOLLISTER. 

It  is  always  of  interest  to  note  how  one  may  conquer  obstacles  and  diffi- 
culties and  wrest  success  from  the  hands  of  adverse  fate.  Such  a  story  always 
claims  the  attention  of  the  reader,  and  it  demonstrates  the  possibilities  that  lie 
before  those  who  are  forced  to  start  out  in  life  dependent  entirely  upon  their 
own  resources.  Such  has  been  the  life  history  of  Mr.  Hollister.  He  came 
to  Kansas  forty-two  years  ago,  and  by  determined  purpose  and  indefatigable 
energy  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  his  efforts  being  crowned  with 
the  desirable  success  that  now  enables  him  to  live  retired. 

A  native  of  Greene  county.  New  York.  Mr.  Hollister  was  Ixirn  in  the  town 
of  Coxsackie,  March  2,  1829,  his  parents  being  Luther  and  Jane  (Underdonk) 
Hollister.  Back  to  England  he  traces  his  ancestry,  and  the  line  is  not  lost  in 
conjecture  or  tradition  but  can  be  traced  back  to  John  Hollister,  who  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  America  in  1642  and  purchased  the  manor  of  Stenchcomb, 
at  Glencent.  He  was  born  April  24,  1608,  and  was  a  son  of  Rodger  Hollister. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Timothy  Hollister,  a  native  of  Connecti- 
cut, who  became  an  early  settler  of  Greene  county,  New  York.  He  married 
Miss  Althea  Cornell,  a  native  of  New  York  and  a  near  relative  of  the  dis- 
tinguished Cornell  family  of  Kingston,  that  state. 

Luther  Hollister,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Greene  county, 
in  1787,  and  married  Miss  Underdonk,  whose  birth  occurred  in  eastern  New 
York,  about  sixteen  miles  from  Albany.  Her  father  was  Abram  Underdonk, 
wiio  well  remembered  the  trials  that  came  to  the  family  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  in  which  his  father  aided  the  Colonial  army.  During  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  Mr.  Hollister  removed  to  Belvidere,  Illinois,  where  his  last 
days  were  passed.  Two  of  his  sons,  Lansing  and  Abram,  were  valiant  soldiers 
in  the  Union  army  during  the  civil  war  and  Lansing  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg  in  1863.  His  remains  were  then  taken  back  to  New  York,  but 
some  fifteen  years  later  were  removed  to  Rosehill  cemetery,  Chicago.  Another 
son  of  the  family.  Dr.  William  L.  Hollister,  is  a  prominent  surgeon  now  resid- 
ing in  Austin,  Minnesota,  wliere  also  resides  Abram.  Sarah  J.,  the  daughter 
of  the  family,  married  Grove  Lane,  and  resides  in  Belvidere,  Illinois. 

Samuel  Hollister,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  is  the  eldest.     He 


570  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

began  his  education  in  the  district  schools  and  later  attended  Ames  Academy, 
completing  his  course  in  Cherry  Valley,  in  Cooperstown,  New  York.  He  after- 
ward became  a  contractor  and  builder  in  Greene  county,  and  in  May,  1857.  he 
came  to  Kansas,  making  his  way  to  Leavenworth,  but  locating  at  Sumner,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  spent  twelve  years.  He  engaged  in  the  contracting  business  and 
later  purchased  a  saw-mill,  manufacturing  nati\e  lumber.  He  also  ran  a 
grist-mill,  and  so  sparsely  settled  was  the  district  that  his  customers  came  from 
as  far  as  fifty  and  seventy-five  miles.  At  length  his  mill  property  was  des- 
troyed by  fire  and  he  then  returned  to  Atchison,  where  he  purchased  a  few  town 
lots  on  which  he  erected  buildings.  These  he  disposed  of,  and  as  his  financial 
resources  increased  he  extended  the  field  of  his  labors,  legitimately  carrying 
on  a  very  extensive  business  as  a  real-estate  dealer.  He  now  owns  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  choice  land,  which  he  rents,  and  is  not  actively  connected  with 
business  affairs,  living  a  retired  life.  His  industry  and  activity  in  former  years 
enabled  him  to  put  aside  business  cares  and  to  enjoy  the  fruit  of  past  toil. 
On  the  2d  of  February,  1859,  Mr.  Hollister  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Harriet  L.  Carrol,  a  sister  of  John  M.  Carrol,  formerly  a  member  of 
congress  from  New  York.  She  was  born  in  Otsego  county.  New  York,  in 
1828,  and  by  her  marriage  became  the  mother  of  one  daughter,  Mary  B.,  at 
home.  Mrs.  Hollister  died  October  11,  1891.  Our  subject  and  his  daughter 
occupy  a  fine  residence  on  South  Third  and  T  streets.  In  his  political  views 
he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  beyond  serving 
one  term  in  the  Kansas  legislature  in  1863. 


FRANK  HALLIXG. 


No  more  fitting  illustration  can  be  given  of  the  appreciation  bestowed 
upon  its  people  by  a  republic  than  in  the  respect  and  admiration  given  to  its 
self-made  men.  The  history  of  such  a  one  is  always  of  interest  and  the  life 
record  usually  contains  lessons  which  others  may  profitably  follow.  Air. 
Hailing  has  sought  not  the  alluring  promises  of  the  future,  but  has  striven  in 
the  present  and  utilized  the  opportunities  that  have  surrounded  him  and  thus 
he  has  won  a  leading  position  in  connection  with  the  great  material  industries 
of  the  state.  He  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  stock  dealers  of  Doniphan 
and  has  met  with  marked  success  in  his  undertakings  in  this  direction. 

He  was  born  in  Allegheny  City,  Pennsylvania.  October  i.  1848.  and  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Lambert  Hailing,  who  was  born  in  Hessen,  Germany,  in 
1816.  His  father  was  a  carpenter  and  under  his  direction  he  learned  that 
trade  in  the  city  of  Frankfort. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         571 

In  1840  Lambert  Hailing  left  the  land  of  his  birth  and  reached  America 
with  a  very  limited  capital,  amounting  to  only  a  few  cents.  He  followed  his 
trade  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  being  employed  by  Mr.  Libert  for  some 
time.  He  was  married  there,  in  1845,  and  in  1857  started  with  his  family  by 
the  river  route  for  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  but  soon  afterward  located  per- 
manently in  Doniphan,  Kansas.  Here  he  became  well  known  as  an  expert 
mechanic  and  builder  and  aided  in  the  erection  of  the  Catholic  college  and 
convent  in  Atchison,  the  first  church  of  St.  Mary's  at  Purcell.  St.  Benedict's 
church  near  Denton  and  innumerable  farm  residences  and  other  buildings  in 
Doniphan  and  Atchison  counties.  In  1859  he  pre-empted  a  tract  of  land  near 
Doniphan  and  upon  that  farm,  in  comfort  and  ease,  he  spent  the  last  years  of 
his  life.  He  was  successful  in  his  agricultural  pursuits  and  therefore  capable 
of  directing  the  efforts  of  his  sons  in  early  life  so  that  they  became  prosperous 
business  men.  In  his  religious  faith  he  was  a  consistent  Catholic  and  gave 
liberally  of  his  means  to  church,  to  benevolent  and  educational  enterprises, 
and  died  May  20,  1895.  He  wedded  Alary  Gruch  and  his  children  were:  John, 
a  Union  soldier  in  the  civil  war  who  now  resides  in  the  Ozark  mountain 
region  of  Missouri;  Frank,  of  this  review;  Mary,  the  wife  of  John  F.  Libel, 
apn.j-;;erous  farmer  on  Wolf  river;  Minnie,  the  wife  of  William  Mangelstorf, 
of  I'.ushtun,  Kansas;  Julia,  the  wife  of  Theodore  Jockems,  of  Barton  county, 
Kansas;  Annie,  the  wife  of  Sebastian  Rosenhover;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Her- 
mann Gronniger,  of  Union  township,  Doniphan  county,  and  August,  who  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead. 

Frank  Hailing  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  near  Doniphan.  He 
attended  school  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  also  a  student  in  Atchi- 
son College  for  three  months.  His  early  efforts  at  farming  were  carried  on 
under  the  guidance  of  his  father.  As  an  experiment  and  to  encourage  indus- 
try and  develop  independent  action  in  his  sons,  his  father  gave  him  a  cow  and 
a  horse  in  1869  and  later  he  sold  these  in  order  to  make  other  investments. 
He  used  his  capital,  together  with  what  he  had  earned  in  binding  wheat,  to 
piu-chase  calves,  which  he  fed  for  a  season  or  two  and  then  sold  at  a  good 
profit.  As  opportunity  offered  he  enlarged  his  field  of  operation  as  a  stock 
dealer  and  in  1875  purchased  his  present  farm,  making  the  first  payment  with 
the  proceeds  of  the  cattle  that  he  had  sold.  This  left  him  with  an  indebtedness 
of  twenty-two  hundred  dollars,  upon  which  interest  at  ten  and  twelve  per 
cent,  was  to  be  paid.  His  payments  were  made  as  agreed  upon  and  from  time 
to  time  substantial  improvements  were  placed  on  the  property.  Later  he 
became  the  owner  of  an  additional  tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on 
section  29,  Wolf  River  township,  and  in  connection  with  his  father  he  pur- 
chased a  quarter-section  of  land  near  the  old  homestead  in  1888,  borrowing 
seventy-five  dollars  to  make  the  first  payment  upon  the  place.     Within  three 


572  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

years  he  had  paid  off  all  the  indebtedness  and  with  the  passing  years  success 
has  attended  his  efforts  and  a  gratifying  degree  of  prosperity  has  come  to  him 
as  a  stock  dealer.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  stock  and  his  judicious  invest- 
ments have  always  resulted  in  securing  to  him  a  good  profit.  He  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leading  stock  dealers  in  northeastern  Kansas  and  has  carried  on 
business  along  that  line  on  an  extensive  scale. 

On  the  1 8th  of  May,  1880,  Mr.  Hailing  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Catherine  Gronniger,  whose  father  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Union 
township,  Doniphan  county.  Their  children  are:  Ella;  Lambert,  deceased; 
Bernard  and  Elizabeth,  deceased ;  Frank,  August,  Adelaide,  Lydia,  Frederick 
and  Olivia.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Hailing  is  a  Democrat  and  was  once 
elected  treasurer  of  Wolf  River  township,  but  cares  not  for  political  honors. 
His  life  has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one  and  his  energy  and  enterprise  have 
been  the  salient  features  in  his  success. 


ARTHUR  S.  DRURY. 

One  of  the  most  important  lines  of  business  which  has  sprung  into  exist- 
ence within  the  present  century  is  that  of  insurance,  which  provides  against 
losses  by  fire  and  other  accidents  and  also  is  a  means  of  leaving  to  families  a 
comfortable  competence  when  death  has  deprived  them  of  one  whom  they  have 
depended  upon  for  support.  A  well-known  fire  and  life  insurance  agent  of 
Atchison,  Kansas,  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  and  who  has 
built  up  an  excellent  business  by  reason  of  his  reliable  dealing  and  indefatigable 
efforts.  He  was  liorn  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  November  13,  1869,  and  is  a 
son  of  R.  B.  and  Ann  M.  (Selby)  Drury.  The  father  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  Missouri,  June  14,  1844.  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  J-  and  Sallie 
(Weisman)  Drury.  The  latter  was  a  daughter  of  James  Weisman,  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Missouri,  to  which  state  he  removed  from  Virginia,  in  1818.  The 
late  R.  B.  Drury,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  prominent 
real-estate  dealer  of  Atchison,  and  the  family  is  one  widely  and  favorably 
known. 

Arthur  S.  Drury  completed  his  literay  education  in  the  high  school  of 
Atchison  and  later  pursued  a  commercial  course  in  the  Atchison  Business 
College.  From  1887  until  1895  he  filled  a  position  in  the  State  Bank.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1896,  he  bought  out  the  firm  of  Rogers  &  Carr  in  the  life  and  fire  insur- 
ance business  and  is  now  representing  several  of  the  most  reliable  New  England 
companies.  His  success  has  been  quite  marked  and  writing  up  many  policies 
he  has  secured  therefrom  a  liberal  income. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


573 


In  September,  1893,  Mr.  Drury  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Agnes  N. 
Davis,  of  Atchison,  a  daugliter  of  William  M.  Davis,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
and  leading  merchant  tailors  of  the  city.  They  now  have  an  interesting  little 
daughter,  Anna,  who  is  the  life  and  light  of  the  parents'  home.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Drury  are  widely  known  and  their  friends  in  the  community  are  many. 


RICHARD  B.  MORRIS. 

With  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  northeastern  Kansas  Mr.  Morris 
was  long  prominently  identified  and  is  now  living  retired,  enjoying  a  rest  which 
he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves.  He  was  born  in  Springfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1833,  and  is  a  representati\'e  of  two  of  the  oldest  families  of  Amer- 
ica. His  parents  were  Richard  D.  and  Sybil  (Bontecou)  Morris.  The  father 
traced  his  ancestry  back  to  Thomas  Morris,  of  Waltham  Abbey,  county  of  Essex, 
England.  He  was  the  father  of  Edward  Morris,  the  founder  of  the  family 
in  America.  It  was  in  1635  that  the  last-named  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  took 
up  his  abode  in  Roxbury,  Massachusetts.  Edward  Morris,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  one  of  the  loyal  soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war  and 
valiantly  aided  in  the  struggle  for  independence.  On  the  maternal  side  ]\Ir. 
Morris  is  descended  from  the  Huguenot  refugees  who  sought  fredom  of  con- 
science in  America.  Pierre  Bontecou,  the  progenitor  of  the  family  in  this 
country,  emigrated  from  La  Rochelle,  France,  in  1684,  and  reached  New  York 
city  in  1689.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  named  Daniel,  was  a  nati\e  of 
Connecticut. 

Richard  Bontecou  Morris,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  acquired 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  and  in  an  academy 
at  that  place,  obtaining  a  good  knowledge  of  civil  engineering.  In  this  capac- 
ity he  became  prominently  connected  with  the  building  of  railroads  in  various 
states  of  the  Union.  In  1859  he  was  appointed  the  first  freight  agent  of  the 
Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Road  at  St.  Joseph.  In  1866  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  Atchison  and  did  construction  work  on  the  central  section  of  the  Union 
Pacific.  In  1869  he  was  made  the  general  agent  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  at  Atch- 
ison, and  subsequently  he  held  a  similar  position  in  the  service  of  the  Kansas 
City  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad.  During  the  only  Democratic  administration  that 
Kansas  has  ever  had,  Mr.  Morris  filled  the  position  of  superintendent  of 
insurance,  being  appointed  by  Governor  Click.  In  1893  he  was  appointed 
internal  revenue  collector  and  held  that  position  for  a  term  of  four  3-ears,  dur- 
ing President  Cleveland's  administration.  He  filled  both  offices  most  accept- 
ably, manifesting  marked  capability  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  well  as 
fidelity  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him. 


574  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  his  i-)olitical  \ie\vs  Mr.  Morris  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  earnest  and  un- 
swerving in  his  supix->rt  of  the  principles  of  the  party,  and  for  man}'  years  was 
a  memljer  of  the  Democratic  state  central  committee.  In  1872,  1876  and  1880 
he  served  as  a  delegate  to  tlie  Demix:ratic  national  convention. 

A  Aalued  representatixe  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  he  holds  membership 
in  lodge,  chapter  and  commandery,  and  is -also  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  of  the  Xobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 


THOMAS  L.  WHITE. 

Thomas  L.  White,  a  manufacturer  of  and  a  wholesale  and  retail  dealer 
in  confectionery  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  since  1871 
and  for  a  numl-)er  of  years  has  been  engaged  in  his  present  line  of  business. 
Mr.  White  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  bom  in  Paoli,  October  27,  1S33.  <i"d  ^^'^s 
reared  in  that  state.  His  father.  Abram  White,  was  bom  in  North  Carolina, 
and  when  a  young  man  mo\-ed  to  Indiana,  where  he  was  soon  afterward 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Lindley,  who  was  lx->m  in  that  state  in  181 1.  Abram 
\\"hite  was  a  merchant  during  the  greater  part  of  his  active  life.  He  died 
in  1848.  when  his  son,  Thomas  L.,  was  a  boy  of  fourteen  years.  After  the  death 
of  the  father  the  widowed  mother  moved  from  Paoli  to  a  fami,  where  she 
reared  her  children  and  later  married  a  second  time.  Her  death  occurred  in 
Indiana,  when  she  was  seventy-six  years  old. 

Thomas  L.  White  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  mother  until  he  was 
twenty-one.  when  he  l>egan  farming  ojierations  for  himself  in  Orange  county. 
He  remained  in  Indiana  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Atchison.  Kansas,  and 
here  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  nursery  business  as  solicitor,  in  which  pursuit 
he  was  engaged  until  1879.  That  year  he  formed  a  iiartnership  with  a  Mr.  Lin- 
coln, under  tlie  fimi  name  of  Lincoln  &  White,  and  began  manufacturing  con- 
fectionery. This  firm  afterward  liecame  White  &  Son,  then  White  &  May, 
and  three  years  later  Mr.  White  l>ecame  sole  proprietor  of  the  establishment, 
which  he  has  since  conducted  alone,  doing  a  large  and  prosjierous  business, 
catering  to  both  a  local  and  a  large  jobbing  trade. 

]Mr.  White  was  married,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Mav  A.  Maris,  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana and  a  daughter  of  Aaron  Maris.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  have  had  fi\-e  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely :  Charles  M.,  of  St.  Paul,  Minne- 
sota: George  A.,  deceased;  Thomas  L.,  Jr.,  of  Beloit,  Kansas;  Mary-  M.,  the 
wife  of  W.  F.  Xeitzel.  of  Concordia,  Kansas;  and  Ora.  who  died  in  early  child- 
liood.     Mr.  \\'hite  gives  his  supjMrt  politically  to  the  Republican  i>arty. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  575 

CHARLES  PULLEN. 

Tlie  subject  of  this  sketcli  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  of  his  father's 
family.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  attended  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  place.  When  he  first  came  to  Atchison  he  took  contracts  for  gravel 
roofing  and  had  quite  a  large  force  of  men  engaged  in  the  work.  In  1888  he 
began  dealing  in  ice  in  addition  to  his  other  work  and  has  made  a  success  in  this 
hne  as  well  as  in  his  first  enterprise.  He  procures  his  ice  from  the  Missouri 
river  and  Doniphan  lake,  and  puts  up  about  two  thousand  tons  annually,  which 
he  sells  at  retail,  running  several  wagons.  He  has  the  reputation  of  an  honor- 
able, reliable  business  man  and  his  patrons  liave  every  confidence  that  they  will 
be  fairly  treated. 

Mr.  Pullen  was  married,  in  1872,  to  Miss  Jemima  Grant,  a  daughter  of 
James  Grant  and  a  native  of  Edinburg,  Scotland.  They  have  no  children. 
Mr.  Pullen  is  a  member  of  the  ]\[odern  \\'^oodmen,  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies 
of  Security  and  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  Mr.  Pullen  is  of  foreign  birth, 
his  native  place  being  Cranleigh,  in  the  county  of  Surrey,  England,  where  he 
was  born  March  25,  1850.  His  parents  were  Charles  and  Anna  (Stone)  Pul- 
len, the  latter  a  daughter  of  James  Stone,  a  shipbuilder.  They  were  married 
and  all  their  children  were  born  in  England,  and  in  1871  the  family  came  to 
the  United  States,  landing  at  New  York  city.  They  remained  there  but  a 
short  time,  then  removed  to  Atchison,  Mr.  Pullen  homesteading  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Jewell  county.  He  did  not  live  long  enough  to  do 
much  farming,  his  death  taking  place  in  1872,  the  second  year  after  he  settled 
in  Kansas,  while  his  wife  died  in  1879.  They  had  ten  children,  of  whom  eight 
are  living,  three  residing  in  England,  one  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  the  re- 
mainder in  the  west.  He  is  one  of  the  strong  and  influential  men  whose  lives 
have  become  an  essential  part  of  the  history  of  Atchison  and  northeastern  Kan- 
sas. Tireless  energy,  keen  perception,  honesty  of  purpose,  guided  by  great 
will  power  and  practical  common  sense,  are  his  chief  characteristics  and  have 
been  the  salient  features  in  his  success. 


ANDREW  J.  WILSON. 

This  gentleman,  who  occupies  the  position  of  registrar  of  deeds  in  Atchi- 
son, was  born  in  Lancaster  township,  Atchison  county,  on  the  24th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1859.  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  K.  (Brown)  Wilson.  His  pa- 
ternal grandfather  was  Elias  Wilson.  His  father  was  born  in  Bartholomew, 
Indiana,  February  7,  1827,  and  in   1855  came  with  his  family  to  Atchison 


576  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

county,  Kansas,  locating  on  a  farm  in  Lancaster  township.  Here  his  death 
occurred  February  28,  1897.  The  mother,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  Octo- 
ber 30,  183 1,  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead. 

Andrew  J.  Wilson  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  Lancaster  town- 
ship, where  he  early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to 
the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  attended  school  at  intervals  during  his  minor- 
ity, and  in  1883  he  left  his  native  state,  making  an  extended  trip  through  the 
west  and  spending  some  time  on  the  Pacific  coast  in  California  in  search  of 
health.  Upon  his  return  to  Kansas  he  embarked  in  merchandising  in  the  town 
of  Huron,  conducting  business  with  fair  success  until  1895,  when  he  was  elected 
registrar  of  deeds  of  Atchison  county  for  a  term  of  two  years.  He  discharged 
the  duties  so  acceptably  that  he  was  again  made  the  Republican  nominee,  in 
1897,  and  again  in  1899,  and  was  re-elected  each  time  and  is  therefore  the  in- 
cumbent in  that  position  at  the  present  time.  He  is  ever  faithful  to  his  duties 
and  reliable  and  prompt  in -discharge  of  the  work  that  devolves  upon  him.  He 
has  also  served  as  a  township  trustee  for  five  terms. 

In  1884  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Wilson  and  Miss  Millie 
Lewis,  a  daughter  of  James  Lewis,  of  Atchison  county,  Kansas.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  four  children,  namely:  Jessie  L..  Norman  L.,  Charles 
F.  and  George  Dewey.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  enjoys  the  esteem  of  the  members  of  that  fraternity. 


TOHN  HUNTER. 


For  twenty-nine  years  Mr.  Hunter  has  Ijeen  a  resident  of  Doniphan  county 
and  his  life  is  a  busy  and  useful  one.  He  belongs  to  the  worthy  class  of  citi- 
zens that  Scotland  has  furnished  to  the  new  world  and  in  his  life  has  displayed 
the  chartcteristics  of  that  brave  and  enterprising  race.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Aberdeenshire  August  23.  1833,  and  he  is  the  second  son  in  a  family  of  six 
boys,  his  parents  being  George  and  Elspit  (Mill)  Hunter.  The  subject  of  this 
review  is  now  the  only  living  son.  Before  he  was  nine  years  of  age  he  was 
forced  to  earn  his  own  livelihood,  for  his  parents  were  poor  and  had  a  large 
number  of  children.  His  school  privileges  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the 
most  of  his  opportunities  in  this  direction  and  by  reading  and  experience  in 
practical  affairs  of  life  he  has  become  a  well-informed  man.  The  compensa- 
tion he  received  for  his  first  six  months  of  labor  was  only  five  dollars  and 
board.  For  some  time  thereafter  he  worked  in  his  native  land,  his  wages  being 
increased  as  he  was  fitted  for  more  responsible  labor,  yet  the  possibility  of 
bettering  his  financial  condition  led  to  his  emigration  to  America.     Friends 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         ^77 

who  had  located  in  Michigan  wrote  him  of  the  advantages  here  afforded  young 
men  and  he  was  thus  induced  to  become  a  resident  of  the  American  repubhc. 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1857,  Mr.  Hunter  took  passage  on  the  Robert 
Kelly,  which  sailed  from  Liverpool,  and  after  forty-three  days  spent  upon  the 
ocean  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Xew  York.  Before  leaving  England 
he  had  bought  his  ticket  direct  to  Detroit  and  was  soon  with  his  friends  in  the 
Woherine  state.  There  he  secured  employment  as  a  farm  hand  and  devoted 
his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits  in  the  employ  of  others  until  his  removal 
to  Kansas.  On  his  arrival  in  this  state  he  purchased  a  quarter-section  of  land, 
upon  which  he  now  resides,  the  price  agreed  upon  being  twenty-one  hundred 
dollars.  He  made  a  payment  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  upon  it,  borrowed  four 
hundred  dollars  with  which  to  obtain  tools  necessary  for  the  operation  of  the 
farm,  and  thus  with  an  indebtedness  of  one  thousand  dollars  he  started  in  life 
in  Doniphan  county.  Obstacles  and  difficulties,  however,  impeded  his  progress 
toward  the  '^oal  of  success,  yet  by  persistent  purpose  he  has  continued  on  his 
way  and  is  to-day  regarded  as  one  of  the  prosperous  as  well  as  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  and  industrious  agriculturists  in  the  Sunflower  state.  Ten  years 
ago  he  doubled  the  extent  of  his  land  by  adding  to  the  original  purchase  another 
quarter-section  and  now  has  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valuable  land. 

Mr.  Hunter  votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  is  a  stanch  advocate  of 
its  principles,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  office.  He  enjoys  the 
high  regard  of  his  neighbors  and  friends  by  reason  of  his  well  spent  life  and 
deserves  mention  among  those  whose  efforts  have  made  this  one  of  the  rich 
farming  districts  of  Kansas. 


GEORGE  M.  BLODGET. 

Atchison  county.  Kansas,  has  many  prominent  citizens  who  were  pioneers 
there  and  many  more  who  were  soldiers  in  the  c\\\\  war  and  comparatively  few 
who  were  both  pioneers  and  soldiers.  Of  this  last  mentioned  class  George  M. 
Blodget,  of  Mount  Pleasant  township,  is  a  conspicuous  member,  and  it  is 
thought  fitting  that  an  account  of  his  busy  and  eventful  career  should  have  a 
place  in  this  volume  devoted  to  the  lives  and  achievements  of  leading  citizens 
of  the  district  from  which  he  went  forth  to  do  duty  as  a  soldier  and  which  by 
all  the  labors  of  his  life  since  then  he  has  helped  to  develop. 

George  M.  Blodget,  born  in  Livingston  county,  New  York,  October  6, 
1834,  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Lucinda  (Garfield)  Blodget  and  a  grandson 
of  Thomas  Blodget.  Thomas  Blodget,  who  was  a  soldier  under  General 
Washington  and  fought  for  the  independence  of  the  American  colonies,  lived 
in  the  Green  Mountain  state  many  years  during  his  active  manhood  and  was 


5/8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ti  blacksmith  and  a  farm  owner.  He  went  to  Micliigan  in  1856  and  remained 
there  to  be  near  his  son,  George  \\'.,  who  had  settled  at  Kalamazoo  ten  or 
eleven  years  earlier.  Mr.  Rowel,  the  father  of  Thomas  Blodget's  wife,  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  The  children  of  Thomas  Blodeet  were  named  George 
W..  Riley  and  Jared.  Riley  went  to  Rhode  Island  and  became  connected  with 
shipping  interests,  navigating  waters  in  the  vicinity  of  Newport.  Jared  lives 
in  Michigan.  Of  George  ^^'.  more  detailed  information  will  be  given  further 
on.  Thomas  Blodget  died  at  Kalamazoo.  Michigan,  in  1S59.  aged  ninety 
years. 

George  W.  Blodget  was  born  in  Vermont  in  1800  and  died  in  1880,  aged 
eighty.  His  wife.  Lucinda,  iicc  Garfield,  was  a  daughter  of  Solomon  Gar- 
field, of  Ontario  county.  New  York,  who  had  two  other  daughters,  that  lived 
and  died  in  \'ermont,  and  two  sons. — Solomon  and  Ira  Garfield.  Lucinda 
(Garfield)  Bkxlget  died  in  1849.  leaving  the  following  named  children: 
Orinda,  who  married  Thomas  Sanders;  George  M. ;  Emma,  who  is  Mrs. 
Nathan  Allen,  of  Michigan ;  and  John,  who  is  dead. 

The  education  of  George  M.  Blodget  was  limited  and  he  became  used 
to  hard  work  at  an  early  age.  He  was  for  a  time  a  hired  man  at  different 
farms,  then  worked  at  logging  in  the  pineries  of  Michigan.  He  left  the 
parental  home  permanently  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  proceeded  to 
Winnebago  county.  Illinois,  to  take  possession  of  a  quarter-section  of  land 
for  which  he  had  traded.  All  his  life  he  had  been  in  the  timber  and  among 
the  hills.  The  prairie  land  around  Rockford  appeared  so  cold  and  so  barren 
that  it  discouraged  him  from  settling  there,  for  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  would 
surely  freeze  on  that  open  prairie  land  with  no  sheltering  trees  and  no  eleva- 
tions to  ward  off  the  winds  and  temper  their  fury.  He  took  ad\antage  of  an 
opportunity  to  trade  his  holdings  there  for  a  small  farm,  now  within  the 
limits  of  the  city  of  Moline,  Illinois.  There  he  located  and  remained  four 
years,  bartering  in  various  commodities  and  dealing  in  stock,  which  he  drove 
to  Chicago  to  market  and  turned  an  honest  and  hard  earned  penny  bv  running 
n  threshing  machine  in  season.  He  traded  his  Moline  farm  for  one  in  Iowa 
and  almost  immediately  sold  that.  Then,  with  such  means  as  he  possessed,  he 
came  to  Kansas,  arriving  at  Atchison  April  :^,   18^5. 

Kansas  was  then  in  turmoil,  almost  in  a  state  of  anarchy,  and  border 
rufiianism  was  rampant.  Mr.  Blodget  knew  not  a  soul  in  Kansas  except  a 
friend  who  went  there  with  him,  but  who,  faint-hearted,  was  soon  frightened 
away  by  prevailing  conditions.  Left  alone.  Mr.  Blodget  took  up  a  part  of  his 
present  farm  antl  bought  a  claim  on  some  Delaware  Indian  lands.  He  settled 
down  to  stock  raising  and  the  production  of  grain,  occupations  in  which  he 
was  not  seriously  interrupted  until  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war. 

\\hen  volunteers  were  called  for  [Mr.  Blodget  offered  himself  for  the  de- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  579 

fense  of  his  country's  honor  and  was  accepted  as  a  member  of  Company  F,  Thir- 
teenth Kansas  Vohmteer  Infantry  (Colonel  Bowen's  regiment),  of  the  Seventh 
Army  Corps,  which  was  mustered  into  service  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and 
was  in  the  military  department  of  the  west.  Mr.  Blodget,who  was  duty  sergeant 
of  his  company,  participated  in  much  of  the  fighting-  of  every  kind  that  took 
place  in  southern  Missouri  and  eastern  Arkansas  and  was  once  wounded  by 
the  bursting  of  a  shell. 

Mr.  Blodget  was  married,  in  1857,  to  Mary  E.  Cline,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Cline.  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Atchison  county.  The  children  of  this  union 
are :  Thomas  L. ;  Frank  F. :  Frederick ;  Luther ;  Lavina,  now  Mrs.  Levi 
Lawler;  Jessie,  the  wife  f>f  Levi  Ellerman ;  and  Lulu. 

Mr.  Blodget  is  one  of  the  stalwart  Republicans  of  the  county,  has  filled 
some  of  the  public  trusts  of  his  township  and  in  1856  was  deputy  sheriff  of  the 
county.  As  a  farmer  and  business  man  he  is  eminently  successful.  He  has 
accumulated  a  body  of  more  than  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  always  keeps  his 
farm  well  stocked  and  his  success  is  regarded  by  his  co-workers  in  the  field  as 
one  of  the  examples  of  what  energy  and  tenacity  of  purpose  will  do  in  Kansas. 


CINCINNATUS  B.  HULINGS. 

This  is  an  age  in  which  the  young  man  is  influential  to  an  extent  much 
greater  than  ever  before  and  he  is  particularly  prominent  in  Kansas,  a  youth- 
ful state,  remarkable  for  its  progress  and  the  intelligent  patriotism  of  its  people. 
Without  disparagement  to  older  men  it  may  be  said  that  the  young  man  is  a 
leader  in  the  political,  military,  business  and  social  circles  of  the  state  and 
among  those  representing  the  great  agricultural  interests  of  Kansas.  Among 
the  noteworthy  farmers  of  Atchison  county  are  Cincinnatus  B.  Hulings  and  his 
broth.^r.     Some  account  will  be  given  of  Mr.  Hulings'  career  thus  far. 

Cincinnatus  B.  Hulings,  of  Center  township.  Atchison  county.  Kansas, 
w^as  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  May  27,  1861,  a  son  of  Samuel  L.  Hu- 
lings, a  native  of  Ohio  also,  who  was  born  in  1822.  came  to  Kansas  in  1867 
and  died  in  Atchison  county  in  1885,  aged  sixty-three  vears.  He  was 
descended  from  old  Virginia  stock  and  married  Louise  Browne,  who  is  still 
living.  Their  children  are  named  as  follows  in  the  order  of  their  nativity: 
Lillie.  the  widow  of  C.  J.  High ;  Cincinnatus  B..  and  Mark  and  Ruth,  twins. 

The  Huhngs  brothers,  as  Cincinnatus  B.  and  Mark  Hulings  are  known  in 
their  township,  were  little  boys  when  their  parents  brought  their  family  from 
Ohio  and  settled  on  the  high  knoll  which  overlooks  their  farm  and  the  stretch 
of  country  round  about  in  all  directions,  and  they  have  lived  there  ever  since. 

/ 


58o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Upon  attaining  to  their  legal  age  they  made  such  arrangements  in  a  business 
way  as  assured  to  them  the  old  family  homestead.  \\'ork  has  been  their  motto 
and  their  daily  occupation,  and  they  have  made  a  winner  in  a  financial  way 
and  are  among  the  most  successful  farmers  in  their  part  of  the  county.  They 
are  well  known  as  leading  Republicans  and  exercise  their  electoral  rights  ai 
all  elections  and  are  factors  to  be  considered  and  counted  on  in  some  conven- 
tions. Personally  they  are  not  aspirants  for  office  nor  special  preferment  of 
any  kind. 

Cincinnatus  B.  Hulings  was  given  the  advantages  of  a  good  common- 
school  training  in  his  home  public  school  and  in  the  old  Pardee  high  school  and 
has  de\eloped  into  one  of  the  most  enterprising  men  of  his  township.  He  is 
regarded  as  energetic  and  ambitious,  without  extravagant  notions  as  to  his 
future  greatness,  and  with  a  modest,  laudable  desire  to  be  free  from  all  encum- 
brance in  an  attractive  modern  home  and  in  pos.session  of  substantial  resources, 
and  those  who  are  acquainted  with  his  progressive,  enterprising  character  and 
good  business  ability  see  no  reason  why  he  should  not  pass  the  declining  years 
of  his  life  in  the  enjoyment  of  such  a  competency  as  will  insure  the  realization 
of  his  reasonable  desires. 

In  1890  Mr.  Hulings  married  Miss  Ida  Probasco,  a  daughter  of  R.  L.  ^\^ 
Probasco,  of  Huron,  a  well-known  pioneer  and  prominent  grain  dealer  of 
Huron,  Atchison  county,  Kansas.  Originally  the  Probasco  family  was  from 
New  Jersey,  but  the  Probascos  of  Kansas  went  to  the  Sunflower  state  from 
Maryland.  Mrs.  Hulings'  mother  was  Miss  Emma  Challiss  and  she  had  three 
daughters,  named  Ida,  Lillie  and  Sallie,  the  last  mentioned  of  whonr  married 
Z.  F.  Taylor,  of  Richards,  Missouri.  Mrs.  Hulings  was  educated  liberally  in 
her  girlhood  and  equipped  herself  for  a  business  life  by  learning  telegraphy 
and  held  positions  with  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway  Company  at  Oak  Mills 
and  Farmington,  Atchison  county,  at  which  last  named  place  she  met  Mr. 
Hulings. 

Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Hulings  ha\e  two  daughters,  named  Louise  and  Emma, 
who  are  seven  and  five  years  old  respectively.  Their  home  is  attracti\e  and 
hospitable  and  their  social  standing  is  such  that  they  number  among  their 
friends  many  of  the  best  people  of  the  county.  Mr.  Hulings  has  numerous 
warm  friends  among  the  leading  business  men  of  his  part  of  the  state  and 
with  many  of  the  prominent  public  men  as  well.  As  a  farmer  he  has  been 
extraordinarily  successful,  having  given  his  attention  with  good  results  to  gen- 
eral farming  and  to  stock  raising,  in  which  he  has  attained  to  prominence. 
He  takes  an  interest  in  everything  that  pertains  to  scientific  agriculture  and  is 
a  diligent  and  studious  reader  of  the  best  and  most  practical  literature  on  the 
subject.  As  a  citizen  he  is  public  spirited  to  an  uncommon  degree,  alwaj^s 
alive  to  the  people's  interest  and  liberally  helpful  to  all  movements  tending  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  581 

general  advancement.  He  is,  above  all,  a  true  American.  Next  he  is  an 
enthusiastic  Kansan.  He  advocates  personal  freedom,  free  schools  and  a  free 
press,  believing  that  the  voice  of  the  people  is  the  voice  of  God  and  that  no 
power  can  long  prevail  against  the  people's  will. 


WILLIAM  E.  LEWIS,  M.  D. 

In  the  subject  of  this  review  we  have  one  who  has  attained  to  distinction 
in  the  line  of  his  profession  and  has  been  an  earnest  and  discriminating- 
student  and  who  holds  a  position  of  due  relative  precedence  among  the  medical 
practitioners  of  Highland.  He  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage,  which  is  accorded 
him  in  recognition  of  his  skill  and  ability,  and  his  standing  in  professional  cir- 
cles is  equally  desirable. 

The  Doctor  was  born  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  September  i, 
1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Reuben  E.  and  Elizabeth  (Young)  Lewis.  The  Lewis 
family  is  of  W^elsh  origin  and  tradition  says  that  the  American  branch  was 
founded  by  three  brothers  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  colonial  days.  Joseph 
Lewis,  the  grandfather,  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  On  the  maternal  side  the 
Doctor  is  of  English  lineage.  His  grandfather,  James  Young,  who  was  for 
some  years  the  chief  of  police  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  married  a  Aliss 
Kerns.  Reuben  E.  Lewis  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  was  born  in  Delaware  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  his  wife  was  a 
native  of  Philadelphia.  He  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  until 
1850,  when  he  became  a  farmer,  and  in  1869  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
northeastern  Missouri,  locating  in  Shelby  county,  where  he  resumed  farming, 
which  he  carried  on  until  his  death  in  1883. 

Dr.  Lewis,  of  this  review,  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in 
Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  district 
schools,  later  taking  a  course  in  the  high  school  at  Westchester.  He  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Missouri  and  then  entered  Highland 
University,  at  which  he  was  graduated  in  1875.  Determining  to  devote  his 
life  to  the  practice  of  medicine  he  pursued  a  course  of  preparatory  reading 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  George  C.  Brown,  of  Clarence,  Missouri,  and  later 
matriculated  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1878.  He  entered  upon  his  professional  career 
in  White  Cloud,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where  he  continued  in  practice 
until  1882.  In  the  succeeiding  winter  he  pursued  a  course  in  Rush  Medical 
College  at  Chicago  and  then  came  to  Highland,  where  he  remained  until  1892, 
after  which  he  spent  four  years  in  the  state  of  Washington  and  territory  of 


582 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


Arizona,  hoping-  thereby  to  benefit  his  wife's  health.  In  1896  he  resumed 
practice  in  Higliland  and  now  has  a  very  large  patronage.  He  is  a  close 
student  of  the  principles  which  underlie  the  practice  of  medicine  and  keeps 
thoroughly  informed  concerning  the  discoveries  which  mark  the  path  of 
progress  in  the  line  of  his  chosen  vocation. 

On  the  2d  of  April.  1879,  the  Doctor  was  united  in  marriage  to  Maggie 
J.  Adams,  of  Pleasant  Hill,  Missouri,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Minerva  Adams. 
Three  children,  a  son  and  two  daughters,  grace  their  union,  namely :  Nettie 
F..  Elizabeth  C.  and  Joseph  J.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  various  social  and 
medical  societies.  He  belongs  to  the  Kansas  State  Medical  Society,  the  Doni- 
phan County  Medical  Society,  the  Brown  and  Doniphan  Counties  Medical 
Societies,  is  an  esteemed  representative  of  Highland  Lodge.  No.  67,  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men. He  has  twice  been  elected  the  mayor  of  Highland  and  was  also  the 
mayor  of  Colfax,  Washington,  a  town  of  about  three  thousand  inhabitants. 
In  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  he  labored  earnestly  to  promote  the  wel- 
fare of  the  city  that  had  made  him  its  official  head  and  his  administration  was 
characterized  by  practical  improvements.  For  some  years  he  was  the  secretary 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Highland  University  and  is  now  the  president  of 
that  board.  The  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend  and  he  with- 
holds his  support  from  no  enterprise  which  is  calculated  to  prove  a  public 
benefit.  Devoted  to  the  noble  and  humane  work  which  his  profession  implies. 
Dr.  Lewis  has  proved  himself  faithful  and  has  not  only  earned  the  due  reward 
of  his  efiforts  in  a  temporary  way  but  has  also  pro\-ed  himself  worthy  to  exercise 
the  important  functions  of  his  calling  through  his  ability,  his  abiding  sym- 
pathy and  his  earnest  zeal  in  behalf  of  his  fellow  men. 


JOHN  D.  SMITH. 

John  D.  Smith,  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  the  police  judge  of  Troy,  Kan- 
sas, has  for  eight  years  maintained  his  residence  in  this  town  and  for  nearly 
thirty  years  has  been  a  resident  of  Doniphan  county.  A  resume  of  his  life  is 
as  follows : 

John  D.  Smith  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Steuben  county,  New  York,  May 
29,  1832,  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Harder)  Smith,  the  former  a  native  of 
Princeton,  New  Jersey,  the  latter  of  Mohawk  Valley.  New  York.  Samuel 
Smith,  the  grandfather  of  John  D.,  was  a  pensioner  of  the  war  of  1812,  and 
for  many  years  after  that  war  was  connected  with  the  militia  of  the  state.  He 
was  by  occupation  a  weaver  and  farmer.     The  maternal  grandparents  of  our 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         583 

subject  were  James  and  Catharine  (Higgins)  Harder,  the  former  a  nati\e  of 
Germany. 

In  the  year  1838  Samuel  Smitli  and  family  left  Xew  York  and  came  west 
to  Illinois,  selecting  a  location  in  McHenry  county,  four  miles  and  a  half  south 
of  Woodstock,  the  county  seat,  where  the  rest  of  his  life  was  devoted  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  Here  his  first  wife  died,  in  1847,  and  here  subsequently 
he  married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Parmelia  Spooner.  By  the  first  marriage 
there  were  eight  chilidren.  six  of  whom  reached  maturity.  John  D.  being  fourth 
in  order  of  birth. 

John  D.  Smith  was  quite  small  at  the  time  his  parents  moved  to  Illinois 
and  in  McHenry  county,  that  state,  he  was  reared  and  received  a  common- 
school  education.  About  the  time  he  was  eighteen  years  old  the  California 
gold  "fever"  spread  over  the  country  and  he  was  one  of  its  victims.  He 
crossed  the  plains,  by  team,  to  the  Pacific  coast,  where  he  spent  four  years,  re- 
turning at  the  end  of  that  time  to  Illinois  and  settling  down  to  farming  and 
stock  raising,  in  which  occupation  he  was  engaged  at  the  time  the  civil  war 
came  on. 

At  the  first  call  fov  volunteers  to  suppress  the  rebellion  John  D.  Smith  was 
ready  to  respond.  He  enlisted  on  May  24,  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company 
F,  Fifteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  William  Henry  in  command  of  the  company 
and  Thomas  J.  Turner  at  the  head  of  the  regiment.  The  command  was  or- 
dered from  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  to  Fort  Donelson,  where  Mr.  Smith  took 
part  in  the  engagement.  Subsequently  he  was  a  participant  in  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  in  which  engagement  he  was  severely  wounded  in  the  right  shoulder, 
on  April  6,  1862,  and  on  account  of  said  wound  was  discharged  upon  sur- 
geon's certificate  of  disability  October  18,  1862. 

At  the  close  of  his  army  service  Mr.  Smith  resumed  farming  in  McHenry 
county,  where  he  remained  until  1868.  That  year  he  removed  to  Andrew 
county,  Missouri,  and  two  years  later  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  his  settle- 
ment there  being  in  Wolf  River  township,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock  raising  until  the  spring  of  1892.  Since  1892  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  Troy. 

In  Illinois,  in  1855,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Clarinda  R.  Church,  a  na- 
tive of  McHenry  county,  that  state,  and  a  daughter  of  L.  B.  Church,  whose 
native  place  was  Livingston  county,  New  York.  Her  mother,  who  before 
marriage  was  Miss  Betty  Patterson,  was  an  own  cousin  of  Miss  Petty  Pat- 
terson, who  married  Jerome  Bonaparte,  a  brother  of  the  Emporer  Napoleon 
Bonaparte.  By  this  marriage  Mr.  Smith  had  the  following  named  children : 
Mariette ;  Clara  Ida,  deceased  ;  Eda  Dell,  the  wife  of  George  T.  Bord ;  Lily  L., 
John  Sherman,  James  Leroy,  Ellis  R.,  Lucius  C.  and  ^^'■illiam  A.  The  mother 
of  these  children  died  August  5,  1891,  and  Mr.  Smith  subsequently  wedded 


5 84  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

IMrs.  ]\Iartha  A.  Reese,  of  Troy,  the  widow  of  Ed  Reese  and  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  Kitzer.     She  died  November  i8,  1898. 

Mr.  Smitli  is  a  Republican.  While  living  on  his  farm  he  served  the  town- 
ship as  assessor,  and  at  this  writing  is  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  the  police 
judge,  having  been  elected  to  the  former  office  in  1898  and  the  latter  in  1899. 
He  was  made  a  Mason  many  years  ago  in  St.  Mark's  Lodge,  No.  63,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  at  Woodstock,  Illinois,  of  which  he  is  still  a  member  in  good  standing. 
Also  he  is  identified  with  the  G.  A.  R.,  being  a  member  of  Kennedy  Post,  No. 
292,  in  which  he  has  served  officially  as  adjutant  and  chaplain,  and  he  is  a 
past  commander  of  Severance  Post,  No.  191,  Department  of  Kansas,  G.  A.  R. 


GEORGE  B.  OKESON. 

George  B.  Okeson  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Walnut  town- 
ship. Brown  coimty,  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Juniata  county,  Pennsylvania, 
April  6,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Susanna  (Black)  Okeson,  who  also 
were  natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  father  was  a  son  of  Nicholas  A.  Okeson, 
who  came  with  his  family  from  Norway  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania  at  an 
early  day.  When  the  colonies  attempted  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  British  op- 
pression and  gain  their  independence,  he  joined  the  American  army  and  with 
patriotic  ardor  aided  in  the  prosecution  of  the  Revolution  until  the  desired  end 
was  attained.  When  the  war  was  over  he  located  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  spent  his  remaining  days,  devoting  his  time  and  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  conducted  a  country  tavern  for  many  years  and  was  well  known 
throughout  that  section  of  the  state.  He  obtained  his  supplies  from  Balti- 
more, hauling  everything  by  team,  as  there  were  no  canals  or  railroads.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  The  lady  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Alberta  Zone  and  was  born  in  Amsterdam,  Holland. 
Crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America,  she  here  became  acquainted  with  Nicholas 
Okeson,  who  sought  her  hand  in  marriage.  She  belonged  to  a  very  promi- 
nent family  in  Amsterdam,  her  people  owning  valuable  real  estate,  much  of 
which  was  included  within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city.  Nicholas  Okeson 
and  his  wife  became  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely :  William  ;  John ;  Mary, 
the  wife  of  G.  Black;  Margaret,  the  wife  of  S.  Black;  Mrs.  Sarah  Ard  and 
Samuel. 

The  last  named  was  the  father  of  our  subject.  He  spent  his  entire  life  in 
the  county  of  his  nativity  and  cared  for  his  parents  through  their  declining 
years.  He  was  a  plain,  unassuming  farmer  of  sterling  worth  and  enjoyed  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him.     He  married  Susanna  Black,  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         585 

lady  of  Scotch  descent  and  a  daughter  of  Anthony  Black,  who  was  a  very 
prominent  fruit  raiser  and  also  cultivated  mulberry  trees  and  raised  silk  worms, 
which  he  fed  on  the  leaves  of  those  trees.  Mrs.  Samuel  Okeson  was  one  of 
five  children:  George.  John,  Mrs.  Nancy  Roddy,  Susanna  and  Samuel.  By 
her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  three  children, — George  B.,  Nicholas 
A.  and  Samuel  E. :  the  two  last  mentioned  are  deceased.  After  the  death  of 
his  first  wife  the  father  married  Margaret  A.  Aluccannon,  by  whom  he  had  three 
children, — Mary.  Elizabeth  C.  and  Alexander  C. 

Mr.  Okeson,  of  this  review,  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in 
the  state  of  his  nativity  and  then  removed  to  White  county,  Indiana,  where  he 
remained  for  three  years.  In  1854  he  removed  to  the  Hoosier  state  and  in 
1857  he  went  to  Illinois,  but  afterward  returned  to  Indiana,  where  he  was 
married  and  taught  school  through  the  winter.  In  the  spring,  however,  he 
again  went  to  Illinois  and  purchased  a  tract  of  unimproved  prairie  land  in 
Livingston  county,  where  he  made  a  farm.  In  connection  with  its  cultivation 
he  also  engaged  in  teaching  through  the  winter  season,  but  ultimately  he  sold 
his  farm  there  and  bought  and  improved  another  farm.  Later  he  engaged 
in  merchandising  in  Kansas,  and  at  length  he  sold  out  and  purchased  the  farm 
upon  which  he  has  since  resided.  His  fields  are  now  well  tilled,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  the  raising  of  grains  best  suited  to  this  climate  he  also  deals  in  stock, 
and  in  that  branch  of  his  business  has  been  quite  successful.  His  farm  comprises 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fine  land,  which  is  not  only  highly  cultivated, 
but  has  also  been  adorned  by  the  erection  of  a  commodious  two-story  frame 
residence,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  grove,  and  in  the  rear  stands 
large  barns  and  outbuildings.  There  is  also  a  comfortable  tenement  house  on 
the  place,  and  the  tenant  cultivates  the  land,  while  Mr.  Okeson  is  his  partner  in 
the  stock  business,  having  retired  from  farm  work.  The  home  is  pleasantly 
located  two  miles  and  a  half  east  of  Fairview,  and  there  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Okeson 
are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  their  well-spent  lives. 

The  lady  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Emma  A.  Johnson.  She  was 
born  in  West  Virginia,  February  8,  1837,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Epps  and  Ann 
(Durton)  Johnson,  the  former  a  native  of  Norfolk  city,  Virginia,  the  latter 
of  West  Virginia.  Her  father  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age  and  was 
bound  out  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade  in  Norfolk.  Removing  to  West 
Virginia  he  was  married  there  and  there  his  children  were  born.  In  1855  he 
removed  to  Indiana  and  located  upon  land  near  Wolcott,  where  he  improved 
an  excellent  farm,  making  his  home  there  until  his  death.  He  also 
worked  at  his  trade  as  long  as  he  was  able.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of 
Peter  Durton.  who  followed  farming  near  Barboursville,  West  Virginia. 
There  he  died  and  his  wife  also  spent  her  last  days  on  the  old  homestead 
in  that  locality.      Mr.  and  Mrs.   Durton  were  the  parents  of  the   follow- 


586  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ing  children:  Philip:  William:  John:  Martha,  who  became  Mrs.  Dundas; 
Betsey,  the  wife  of  J.  Furgueson.  who  was  a  senator  of  West  Virginia  for 
fifteen  years;  Polly,  who  became  Mrs.  Plymonth,  and  ]\Irs.  Ann  Johnson. 
The  family  was  divided  in  religious  faith,  some  of  the  members  being 
Methodists  and  some  Baptists.  INIrs.  Okeson  was  one  of  a  family  of  eight 
children,  namely:  Amos,  Emma  V.,  James.  Joseph.  Peter.  Henry.  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Goodrich  and  Charles.  Of  this  number,  James  and  Joseph  served  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion,  the  latter  being  superintending  bridge  builder.  Both 
returned  home.  The  parents  were  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  w  ere 
people  of  the  highest  respectability. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Okeson  have  been  born  four  chilidren :  Anna  E..  wife 
of  James  Stewart ;  Jennie  V.,  who  became  the  wife  of  J.  H.  \'andolson  and  died 
leaving  four  children;  Samuel,  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  and  George,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Okeson  were  formerly  connected  with  the  Presbyterian 
church,  but  are  now  members  of  the  Congregational  church.  He  was  reared 
in  the  faith  of  the  Whig  party  and  continued  one  of  its  supporters  until  its 
dissolution,  when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  Republican  party.  He  has  al- 
ways been  earnest  in  the  advocacy  of  its  principles  and  has  done  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  its  growth  and  insure  its  success.  While  in  Illinois  he  filled 
the  office  of  county  supervisor,  but  has  been  \-ery  modest  in  his  demands  for 
political  reward,  in  fact  has  ever  preferred  to  devote  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  interests,  in  which  he  has  met  with  signal  success.  His  life 
has  been  a  very  busy  and  useful  one  and  his  labors  have  been  crowned  \\-ith 
prosperity.  He  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil,  being  enabled  to 
put  aside  many  of  the  more  arduous  cares  of  acti\-e  business  life. 


TOHX  S.  TYLER. 


Among  the  earliest  settlers  identified  with  the  development  of  Brown 
county  and  its  farming  and  stock  raising  interests  was  John  S.  Tyler,  who  is 
also  a  representative  member  of  one  of  the  prominent  families  of  the  nation. 
Many  of  its  members  have  attained  eminent  positions  in  connection  with  poli- 
tics and  other  public  affairs.  He  was  born  in  New  London  county,  Con- 
necticut, November  i6,  1825,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  C.  and  Harriet  (Hyde) 
Tyler,  also  natives  of  the  Charter  Oak  state,  where  they  were  married  and  re- 
mained throughout  their  lives. 

The  ancestry  of  the  family  can  be  traced  back  to  three  brothers  of  the 
name  of  Tyler  who  emigrated  from  Shropshire,  England,  in  1640,  to  America. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         587 

Tliey  were  Job,  Hopestill  and  Joseph  Tyler,  and  there  is  a  claim  of  a  relation  to 
John  Tyler,  president  of  the  United  States.  From  the  colonial  epoch  in  the 
history  of  our  country  down  to  the  present  time  their  descendants  have  fig- 
ured conspicuously  in  connection  with  many  affairs  which  have  aided  in  shap- 
ing the  policy  of  the  nation.  One  of  the  brothers.  Job  Tyler,  settled  in  Massa- 
chusetts. He  had  a  son,  Hopestill  Tyler,  who  was  married  in  1706  to  Hannah 
Safiford.  One  of  their  children,  James  Tyler,  was  the  father  of  General  John 
Tyler,  who  married  Mary  Coit  and  among  their  children  was  John  Tyler,  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject.  General  John  Tyler  and  his  wife,  Mary  Coit, 
were  both  natives  of  Connecticut  and  were  married  there  December  14,  1742. 
They  had  a  numerous  and  prominent  family,  including  Mitchell ;  James,  who 
died  September  4,  1750;  John,  who  died  May  19,  1752;  Abigail  L. ;  Olive,  the 
wife  of  Daniel  Coit;  John,  who  was  born  July  22,  1755;  Lydia,  the  wife 
of  Colonel  Samuel  Mott,  and  Abigail  L.,  who  was  the  wife  of  Captain  Na- 
thaniel Lord.  The  father  of  this  family  died  July  4,  1804.  in  Connecticut, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  in  that  state  on  the  nth  of  November,  1801. 

Brigadier-General  John  Tyler  received  his  appointment  from  the  gen- 
eral assembly  of  the  state  of  Connecticut,  by  which  body  he  was  made  lieu- 
tenant of  the  Third  Company,  or  training  band,  of  Preston,  in  the  year  1752. 
In  1755,  when  the  general  assembly  of  Connecticut  decided  to  join  with  the 
colonies  of  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  Rhode  Island  and  New  York  in 
raising  an  army  of  five  thousand  men  to  proceed  against  the  French  at  Crown 
Point  and  erect  a  fortress  upon  an  eminence  near  the  fort  built  by  the  French, 
John  Tyler  was  appointed  by  the  assembly  as  the  second  lieutenant  of  the 
militia  company  to  be  raised  in  his  neighborhood  for  that  expedition.  He  was 
assigned  to  duty  in  the  Third  Company,  and  in  1756,  when  the  assembly  or- 
dered another  force  of  twenty-five  hundred  men  for  the  expedition,  John  Tyler 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain  and  marched  with  the  first  companies 
against  the  French  and  Indians.  In  1755  he  rendered  faithful  and  important 
service  in  the  official  positions  which  he  filled  and  this  experience  proved  to 
him  an  excellent  training  school  for  service  in  the  Revolution.  When  the 
colonies  attempted  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  oppression  he  was  commissioned 
lieutenant-colonel,  thus  serving  until  May  i,  1775,  when  he  was  discharged. 
In  1776  he  joined  the  army  as  a  brigadier-general  and  was  one  of  the  valiant 
defenders  of  colonial  rights  during  the  war  which  brought  liberty  to  the  nation. 

John  Tyler,  a  son  of  Brigadier-General  Tyler,  married  Mary  Bordman, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  namely  :  Joseph  C,  Mary,  Olive, 
John.  Henry  C,  Dwight  R.,  Thomas  S.  and  Abby. 

Of  this  number  Henry  C.  Tyler  became  the  father  of  our  subject.  He 
married  Harriet  Hyde  and  they  had  two  children:  Lucy,  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Geist,  and  John  S.     The  mother  died  November  24.  1827,  and  the  following 


588  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

3'ear  Mr.  Tyler  wedded  Tirza  Moss,  by  whom  he  had  four  children. — Mary  B.. 
Harriet,  Olive  and  Henry,  who  grew  to  mature  years, — and  a  son  and  daughter 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  September  i8, 
1864,  and  the  father's  death  occurred  February  18,  1875.  They  were  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Congregational  church  and  the  father  was  a  leading 
and  influential  farmer  in  Connecticut,  where  he  spent  his  entire  life. 

John  S.  Tyler,  of  this  review,  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  state  of  his 
nativity,  remaining  at  his  parental  home  until  he  had  attained  his  majority. 
His  educational  privileges  were  those  afiforded  by  the  common  schools  and  for 
one  winter  he  engaged  in  teaching  in  Connecticut.  On  leaving  the  east  he 
made  his  way  to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  where  he  worked  in  the  lead  mines  for  a 
short  time  and  then  removed  to  Calhoun  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business.  Later  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  made  some  improvements,  but  in  April,  1856, 
he  sold  that  property  and  with  a  team  of  horses  came  to  Kansas. 

After  prospecting  for  some  little  time  he  located  on  Delaware  creek, 
Brown  county,  where  he  yet  lives.  He  at  first  secured  a  squatter's  claim  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  when  the  land  came  into  the  market  he 
entered  it  from  the  government,  thus  securing  his  title  to  the  tract.  Upon 
the  place  he  built  a  log  cabin  and  at  once  began  the  development  of  the  farm. 
There  were  few  settlers  in  the  locality  and  these  lived  along  the  streams 
where  the  timber  was  growing.  Their  homes  were  widely  scattered,  but  a 
spirit  of  hospitality  existed.  Mr.  Tyler  had  no  trouble  with  the  Indians  and 
border  ruffians,  altliough  excitement  waxed  high  at  that  time,  when  John 
Brown  and  "Jim"  Lane,  the  noted  abolition  leaders,  were  conspicuous  in  the 
county,  and  the  latter  owned  a  cabin  and  fort  in  the  township  where  Mr.  Tyler 
still  resides.  Game  of  all  kinds  was  plentiful,  but  money  was  scarce;  great 
hospitality  existed  and  there  was  no  social  distinction  in  that  country;  there 
was  everything  to  be  made  and  nothing  to  lose,  and  the  pioneers  came  with 
the  determination  of  securing  homes  in  this  new  region.  Mr.  Tyler  secured 
a  tract  of  land  and  soon  afterward  began  stock  raising.  He  did  his  trading 
at  Iowa  Point,  thirty  miles  from  his  home,  and  there  went  for  his  mail,  but 
subsequently  he  traded  at  Atchison.  During  the  civil  war  he  was  an  active 
member  of  the  militia.  In  his  farming  and  stock  raising  ventures  he  met  with 
success  and,  judiciously  investing  his  capital  in  land,  he  is  now  the  owner 
of  a  valuable  homestead  of  over  seven  hundred  acres,  in  addition  to  lands 
in  other  counties.  His  possessions  altogether  aggregate  about  seventeen  hun- 
dred acres.  He  has  successfully  carried  on  general  farming  and  raises  and 
handles  stock,  buying  cattle  which  he  feeds  and  fattens  for  the  markets.  The 
products  of  his  farm  are  used  in  this  way,  and  he  often  buys  large  quantities 
of  grain  for  stock-feeding  purposes.     Usually  he  takes  his  cattle  to  market 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         589 

himself,  formerly  selling  in  Chicago,  but  of  late  years  in  Kansas  City.  He 
now  keeps  on  hand  a  large  herd  of  cattle  and  personally  supervises  his  busi- 
ness affairs,  although  he  has  reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

In  June,  1866,  Mr.  Tyler  was  united  in  marriage  with  Harriet  Chase, 
who  was  born  in  Maine,  October  18,  1840.  She  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  in- 
telligence and  before  her  marriage  was  a  teacher  in  the  Kansas  schools.  Her 
parents  were  James  and  Abigail  (Trull)  Chase,  who  were  connected  with 
prominent  families  of  Boston.  Her  father  was  a  resident  of  Maine  at  the 
time  of  his  marriage  and  in  1859  came  to  Kansas.  In  the  following  year,  he 
brought  his  family,  locating  near  Hiawatha.  He  became  one  of  the  extensive 
farmers  and  stock  shippers  and  later  in  life  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
in  Hiawatha.  His  honorable  business  methods  commended  him  to  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  the  entire  community,  and  his  death,  which  occurred 
April  22,  1878,  was  mourned  by  his  many  friends  as  well  as  by  his  own  fam- 
ily. His  wife  survived  him  until  December  23,  1896.  Both  were  consistent 
members  of  the  Baptist  church.  They  had  three  children :  Elbridge.  a  farmer 
and  stock  and  grain  dealer.  Mrs.  Tyler,  and  Lewis  E..  who  is  li\ing  on  the 
homestead  farm. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler  have  been  born  four  children:  Augustus  H., 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  James  C,  who  completed  a  course  in  the 
Ottawa  University  and  the  Johns  Hopkins  University;  Lois,  the  wife  of  G. 
W.  Haflich,  and  John  H.,  at  home.  He  was  born  January  i,  1881,  and  is 
now  practically  the  manager  of  the  home  farm,  being  a  young  man  of  ex- 
ceptional business  ability. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler  hold  membership  in  the  Baptist  church,  in  which 
he  takes  a  deep  interest,  and  is  now  serving  as  a  deacon.  He  is  an  earnest 
worker  in  the  Sunday  school  and  has  a  life  membership  in  the  American  Bap- 
tist Home  Missionary  Society.  In  politics  he  was  formerly  a  Whig  and  now  a 
Republican.  He  served  as  county  commissioner  and  in  an  early  day  listed 
the  property  of  the  county,  but  has  never  sought  office.  In  his  business  ven- 
tures he  has  been  very  successful  and  has  not  only  become  one  of  the  prosper- 
ous residents  of  Brown  county,  but  is  also  a  respected  citizen  worthy  of  the 
highest  regard. 


DEXXIS  P.  DELAXEY. 

Dennis  P.  Delaney.  the  clerk  of  the  district  court  of  Doniphan  county 
and  the  general  agent  for  the  McCormick  Manufacturing  Company,  was  born 
on  the  2 1  St  of  March,  1864,  in  the  county  which  is  still  his  home.  He  now 
maintains  his  residence  in  Severance  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 


590  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

business  men  and  representative  citizens.  His  parents,  John  and  Catharine 
(Redmond)  Delaney,  were  both  natives  of  Queens  county,  Ireland,  and  at  an 
early  day  took  up  their  residence  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where  they  are 
now  among  the  pioneer  settlers.  The  mother  died  in  1857,  but  the  father 
long  survived  her  and  passed  away  in  1891.  Both  were  devout  members  of 
the  Catholic  church. 

Dennis  P.  Delaney  attended  the  district  schools  and  later  entered  St. 
Benedict's  College,  in  Atchison,  Kansas,  in  which  he  was  graduated  in  1885. 
Thus  well  equipped  for  the  practical  and  responsible  duties  of  life  he  entered 
upon  his  business  career  as  a  farmer  and  for  two  years  engaged  in  tilling  the 
soil  and  then  came  to  Severance,  where  he  embarked  in  business  as  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Severing  &  Delaney.  That  relation  was  maintained  for  one  year, 
when  the  firm  of  Delaney  &  Lyon  was  formed,  his  partner  being  Thomas  Lyon 
until  1896.  In  that  year  Mr.  Delaney  sold  his  interest  and  was  soon  after 
appointed  clerk  of  the  district  court  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  resignation 
of  E.  R.  Westfall.  At  the  regular  election  he  was  chosen  for  that  jxisition 
and  was  re-elected  in  1898,  so  that  he  will  be  the  incumljent  until  January, 
1 90 1.  For  some  years  he  has  been  the  general  agent  for  the  McCormick  Imple- 
ment Company,  attending  to  the  introduction  and  sale  of  their  goods  through 
the  greater  part  of  the  state  of  Kansas.  His  energy  and  keen  discrimination 
in  business  affairs  brought  to  him  success  along  that  line,  while  his  fidelity  to 
duty  in  positions  of  public  trust  has  made  him  one  of  the  most  popular  officers 
in  Doniphan  county. 

On  the  1 8th  of  June,  1881,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Delaney 
and  Miss  Rosa  Lyon,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Lyon.  She  was  born 
in  this  county,  her  parents  being  among  the  pioneer  settlers.  Three  children 
grace  their  union, — Thomas,  Vernon  and  Daniel.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Delaney  is  a  Republican,  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  success  and  growth  of  the 
party  and  exerts  a  wide  influence  among  its  followers.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
have  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Doniphan  county,  where  they  are  well  and  favor- 
ably known,  few  having  filled  public  office  in  this  locality  as  efficiently  and 
acceptably  as  has  the  subject  of  this  review. 


JOHN  H.  AMLDEY. 


John  H.  \Vildey,  whose  connection  with  mercantile  interests  in  High- 
land exceeds  that  of  any  other  representative  of  the  commerce  of  the  city,  was 
born  in  Dutchess  county,  New  York,  in  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  Alanson  and 
Phcebe  (Pettit)  Wildey.     James  Wildey  and  Henry  Pettit  were  his  grand- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  591 

fathers  and  tlie  former  was  descended  from  English  ancestry,  while  the  latter 
was  of  French  lineage.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  also  natives  of 
Dutchess  county,  New  York,  and  the  father  was  a  farmer  and  merchant.  In 
their  family  were  nine  children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters.  All  are  living 
excepting  one  son,  who  served  in  the  civil  war  and  was  killed  in  battle  in  1863 ; 
Catherine  is  the  wife  of  John  Sales  and  resides  in  Iowa,  while  the  other  living 
members  of  the  family  make  their  home  in  Binghamton,  New  York,  and 
vicinity. 

John  H.  Wildey  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his  life  in  the  county  of  his 
nativity  and  then  removed  with  his  parents  to  Broome  county,  New  York, 
where  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  Later  he  was  a  student 
in  Binghamton  Academy  for  two  and  one-half  years  and  then  was  a  clerk  in 
his  father's  store  in  Binghamton.  Attracted  by  the  opixirtunities  of  the  west 
he  emigrated  to  Iowa  in  1853,  spending  three  years  there  and  in  1857  came  to 
Highland,  Kansas,  where  for  forty-two  years  he  has  made  his  home.  He  is 
one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  state,  having  witnessed  the  greater  part  of 
its  growth  and  development,  and  in  Highland  he  is  well  known  as  a  valued 
and  enterprising  citizen  whose  labors  have  largely  promoted  the  material 
development  of  the  town.  He  began  business  here  as  a  mason  and  plasterer, 
which  trades  he  had  learned  in  Iowa  under  the  direction  of  John  Sale,  but  in 
1 86 1  he  put  aside  all  personal  considerations  and,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of 
patriotism,  offered  his  services  to  his  country.  He  enlisted  as  a  member  of 
Company  C,  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  under  Colonel  D.  Anthony,  and  wnth 
his  regiment  was  ordered  to  Missouri,  where  he  took  part  in  many  raids  and 
skirmishes.  He  entered  the  service  as  a  private,  but  meritorious  conduct  won 
him  promotion  to  the  rank  of  sergeant  and  later  to  that  of  first  lieutenant,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  until  mustered  out  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in 
July,  1865. 

Returning  to  Highland  Mr.  \\'ildey  resumed  work  as  a  mason  and  plas- 
terer and  was  thus  engaged  for  se\eral  years,  after  which  he  opened  a  general 
store.  His  trade  steadily  and  constantly  increased  until  he  became  a  leading 
merchant  of  the  city.  He  is  also  regarded  as  a  most  obliging  gentleman  and 
is  ever  willing  to  accommodate  his  patrons,  who  through  unfavorable  circum- 
stances find  that  it  was  impossible  to  pay  for  goods  at  the  time  purchased.  He 
carries  a  large  and  well-selected  stock  of  general  merchandise  and  his  liberal 
patronage  is  certainly  well  merited,  for  his  business  methods  are  ever  honor- 
able. Mr.  Wildey  is  also  the  proprietor  of  the  Wildey  House,  which  is  now 
and  has  been  for  many  years  the  leadinp-  hotel  of  the  place.  During  the  early 
days,  when  the  tide  of  immigration  was  bringing  many  settlers  to  the  west, 
his  house  was  often  so  crowded  that  the  guests  had  to  sleep  upon  the  floor  and 
in  the  halls,  but  the  proprietor  was  always  courteous  and  accommodating  and 


592  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

won  the  respect  and  friendship  of  his  many  patrons.  As  a  citizen  he  has  ever 
been  deeply  interested  in  whatever  was  calculated  to  benefit  the  community, 
and  he  belongs  to  that  class  of  representative  Americans  who.  while  promoting 
hidividual  prosperity,  also  advance  the  general  welfare. 


THOMAS  J.  FERGUSOX. 

Deeds  of  valor  have  been  the  theme  of  song  and  story  from  the  earliest 
ages  and  the  record  of  the  wars  that  have  been  waged  form  the  most  imixirtant 
element  in  history.  Xo  civil  strife  has  ever  awakened  as  great  and  widespread 
an  interest  as  that  which  occurred  in  this  country  between  the  years  of  1861 
and  1865.  for  the  monarchical  countries  of  Europe  regarded  it  as  a  test  of  the 
republican  form  of  government.  The  discontented  south  attempted  to  over- 
tlirow  the  union  of  states,  but  loyal  men  of  the  north  responded  quickly  to  the 
call  for  troops  and  Mr.  Ferguson  was  among  those  who  "wore  the  blue"  to 
aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 

He  was  born  in  Illinois  March  20,  1843,  '^"^^  '*  ^  ^^i"  *^*  Dr.  Philip  C. 
Ferguson,  who  was  born  in  \'irginia.  A.  D.  18 14.  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  old  families  of  the  state.  He  was  a  physician  of  considerable  renown :  was 
also  active  in  politics  and  other  public  affairs  and  had  many  tilts  with  the  "Jay- 
hawkers"  and  thieving  bands  which  infested  Kansas  during  its  early  history. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  he  held  a  commission  as  a  captain  in  the  state  military 
troops  of  Kansas.  In  her  maidenhood  the  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the 
name  of  Mary  Haines  and  her  father  was  Ezekiel  Haines,  also  a  native  of 
^"irginia.  At  a  pioneer  epoch  in  the  history  of  Illinois  P.  C.  Ferguson  became 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Christian  county,  that  state,  where  he  spent  twen- 
ty-five years  of  his  life  and  moved  to  Kansas,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  dying  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  His  wife,  surviving  him  for  some 
time,  passed  away  in  i8€S2,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  .  They  were  both 
members  of  the  MethcKlist  church  and  their  lives,  in  harmony  with  their  pro- 
fessions, commended  them  to  the  confidence  and  trust  of  all  with  whom  they 
came  in  contact.  They  had  nine  children,  five  of  whom  reached  years  of 
maturity,  namely:  Hiram  E..  who  is  now  in  Christian  county,  Illinois,  and 
who  servetl  as  a  member  of  the  Thirteentli  Kansas  \'olunteers  during  the  civil 
war ;  Christopher  Columbus,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Second  Colorado  Cav- 
alry and  who  died  in  Omaha.  Xebraska,  in  1896;  Elizabeth  J.  Bryan,  who  also 
is  living  in  Omaha,  Xebraska;  Lucy  Eleanor  Trent,  a  successful  teacher  of 
Wathena,  Kansas,  died  in  1878.  leaving  a  husl>and  and  three  children:  and 
Thomas  J. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  593 

Tlie  subject  of  tliis  review  obtained  Iiis  educatidu  in  the  puljlic  schools 
and  in  liis  youth  assisted  in  tiie  work  on  his  fatlier's  farm,  early  becoming 
familiar  with  the  labors  of  field  and  mea(l<jw.  After  the  outbreak  of  the  civil 
war.  however,  he  could  not  content  himself  to  remain  at  home,  but  when 
eighteen  years  of  age  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  on  the 
2d  of  October,  i86t.  as  a  member  of  Company  G.  Eighth  Kansas  Infantry, 
under  Captain  N.  Harrington.  This  company  was  first  under  fire  at  the 
skirmish  of  bushwhackers  in  Platte  county,  Missouri,  and  later  Mr.  Ferguson 
took  part  in  the  memorable  engagements  at  Chickamauga  and  Missionary 
Ridge  and  the  campaign  of  .Atlanta,  Georgia.  He  re-enlisted  at  Strawberry 
Plains.  After  a  thirty-days  furlough,  which  he  spent  at  home,  he  rejoined 
his  command,  participated  in  the  campaign  of  Atlanta,  under  General  Sherman, 
and  later  the  northern  troops  entered  Atlanta ;  this  proved  the  beginning  of  the 
end,  for  only  a  few  months  elapsed  until  the  fall  of  the  Confederacy.  Mr. 
Ferguson  was  wounded  in  the  hip  and  in  the  shoulder,  but  his  injuries  were 
treated  in  camp  and  he  did  not  go  to  the  hospital.  In  November,  1864,  in 
Tennessee,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Kansas.  He  has  since  been  identified  with  the  farming  interests  of  this  state 
and  is  one  of  the  enterprising  agriculturists  and  horticulturists  of  Marion 
township,  Doniphan  county. 

In  1876  Mr.  Ferguson  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Jane 
Miller,  of  Doniphan  county.  Kansas,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Miller.  She  died 
November  8,  1892.  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  a  consistent  Chris- 
tian woman.  In  1895,  in  Wathena,  this  state,  Mr.  Ferguson  was  again  mar- 
ried, this  time  to  Mrs.  Martha  A.  Sanborn,  ncc  McCoy.  She  was  born  in 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  in  1843,  ^nd  married  first  Porter  E.  Sanborn,  in  Kan- 
sas, in  1869,  and  later  moved  to  San  Francisco,  California,  where  she  li\ed 
for  nineteen  years  and  was  a  resident  there  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to  Mr. 
Ferguson.  By  her  former  marriage  she  was  the  mother  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Mary  J.,  wdio  died  at  the  age  of  two  months;  Elmer  E.,  now  of  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri;  and  Charles  A.  and  Margaret  J.,  now  residents  of  Doniphan 
county.  She,  too,  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  is  highly  esteemed 
for  her  many  excellencies  of  character.  Her  mother,  Mary,  ncc  Wallace,  was 
born  in  Indiana,  in  1813,  and  united  in  marriage  to  James  McCoy  in  1832,  in 
that  state,  and  their  children  were:  Andrew  J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine 
years;  James  William,  who  died  in  1862,  a  Union  soldier;  David  C.  now  of 
Denver,  Colorado;  and  John  G.,  now  of  Savannah,  Missouri;  both  the  latter 
"'wore  the  blue"  for  the  Union  and  received  an  honorable  discharge;  and 
Martha,  the  wife  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Mr.  McCoy  died  in  Missouri 
in  1847  ^"<1  'ater  Mrs.  McCoy  married  Samuel  Allward.  in  Andrew  cmmty, 
that  state,  and  moved  to  Kansas  in  1857,  where  Mr.  Allward  died  in  1868,  Mrs. 


594  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Allward  surviving  him  until  1898.  when  slie  passed  away  at  the  liome  of  her 
son,  John  G.,  at  Savannah,  Missouri,  in  the  eighty-fifth  year  of  her  age. 

ilr.  FergTison  casts  his  ballot  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
RepubHcan  party  and  gives  considerable  attention  to  the  study  of  the  political 
issues  of  the  day.  For  three  years  he  acceptably  served  as  the  clerk  of  school 
district  Xo.  5,  and  for  three  temis  as  a  Justice  of  the  peace,  discharging  his 
duties  in  a  prompt  and  able  manner  and  without  prejudice  or  favor,  but  at 
present  he  holds  no  public  office.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Armj' 
of  the  Republic,  in  which  he  is  now  an  officer.  In  his  general  character  he  has 
the  power  of  readily  winning  friends  and  the  rarer  faculty  of  retaining  them. 
He  is  a  gentleman  of  commanding  appearance,  being  six  feet  and  six  inches  in 
height  and  weighing  two  hundred  and  five  pounds.  Whether  on  the  field  of  bat- 
tle, in  public  office,  in  social  relations  or  in  the  quiet  walks  of  business  life  he  is 
always  found  true  and  reliable,  his  upright  course  commanding  the  respect  of 
all  with  whom  he  is  brought  in  contact. 


CHARLES  E.  MILLER. 

"Earn  thy  reward,  the  gods  give  naught  to  sloth,"  said  the  sage.  Epichar- 
mus.  and  the  truth  of  the  admonition  has  been  verified  in  human  affairs  in 
all  the  ages  which  have  rolled  their  course  since  his  day.  The  subject  to 
whose  life  history  we  now  direct  attention  has,  by  ceaseless  toil  and  endeavor, 
attained  a  marked  success  in  business  affairs,  has  gained  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  men  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  distinctively  representative 
citizens  of  Doniphan  county.  He  is  now  connected  with  general  farming  and 
stock  raising  interests,  but  has  left  the  impress  of  his  individuality  upon  many 
departments  of  business. 

Mr.  Miller  was  bom  in  Broome  county,  New  York,  in  the  town  of  Bing- 
hamton,  in  June,  1841.  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Sole)  ^Miller,  who 
also  were  natives  of  the  Empire  state.  The  father  was  numbered  among  the 
defenders  of  the  Union  during  the  civil  war.  enlisting  as  a  member  of  the 
Thirty-seventh  Iowa  Infantn,-.  known  as  the  Graybeard  regiment.  Charles 
E.  Miller  was  very  young  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
to  Dubuque.  Iowa,  and  in  the  public  schools  of  that  state  he  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education,  which  was  supplemented  by  study  in  Epworth  College  at 
Dubuque.  In  1S61  he  joined  the  "boys  in  blue"  of  Company  L.  First  Iowa 
Cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Fitz  Henn,"  A\'arren,  of  Burlington, 
Iowa.  On  the  organization  of  the  regiment  it  was  ordered  to  St.  Louis,  where 
troops  remained  for  some  time  and  then  went  into  the  interior  of  the  state. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  595 

Later  they  saw  service  in  Arkansas  and  Louisiana  and  proceeded  south  to  the 
gulf,  taking  part  in  many  raids,  skirmishes  and  engagements.  Finally  they 
were  ordered  to  Texas,  when  the  border  was  threatened,  there  doing  garrison 
duty  and  suppressing  Lidian  raids.  Mr.  Miller  faithfully  performed  every 
duty  that  devolved  upon  him,  whether  on  the  tented  fields  or  in  the  midst  of 
the  scenes  of  carnage.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  in  1866,  after 
a  long  and  faithful  service,  during  which  time  he  had  passed  through  many 
thrilling  scenes  and  experiences,  but  had  escaped  serious  injury. 

After  his  discharge  Mr.  Miller  returned  to  Dubuque  and  for  two  years 
gave  his  attention  to  farming  in  the  county  of  that  name.  He  then  went  to 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  a  lumber  firm,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  eleven  years.  In  1879  '^^  came  to  Doniphan  county, 
Kansas,  locating  at  Severance,  and  purchased  the  lumber  business  of  O.  B. 
Carl.  He  then  formed  a  partnership  under  the  name  of  Cook  &  Miller,  which 
connection  was  continued  for  three  years,  when  he  purchased  Mr.  Cook's 
interest,  continuing  the  business  alone  and  conducting  three  yards  in  Kansas 
and  one  at  Steel  City,  Nebraska.  He  was  very  successful  in  the  undertaking, 
but  finally  sold  out  to  Henry  Cotsworth  &  Company,  of  Chicago.  This  was 
followed  by  a  successful  experience  in  coimection  with  the  grain  trade  at  Sever- 
ance and  Hollenberg,  Kansas,  and  Steel  City,  Nebraska.  He  operated  three 
elevators,  but  at  length  disposed  of  his  grain  business  and  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm  in  Iowa  township,  comprising  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich 
land,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  improved  with  all  the 
accessories  and  conveniences  of  a  model  farm.  The  place  is  stocked  with  a 
high  grade  of  Poland  China  hogs  and  Durham  cattle  and  has  commodious 
barns  and  sheds  for  the  protection  of  his  stock.  His  outbuildings  are  always 
kept  in  good  repair  and  an  air  of  neatness  and  thrift  pervades  the  place,  indicat- 
ing the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner.  His  orchard  is  among  the  best  in 
the  county  and  has  just  yielded  a  good  supply  of  apples  (  1899).  His  attractive 
and  substantial  frame  residence  was  erected  in  1894  and  is  justly  regarded  as 
one  of  the  hospitable  homes  of  the  community.  He  was  for  some  time  the 
president  of  the  Bank  of  Highland,  which  position  he  held  at  the  time  he  sold 
his  interest  in  that  financial  institution.  He  is  now  the  president  of  the  High- 
land Butter  &  Cheese  Company. 

Mrs.  Miller,  an  honored  and  esteemed  lady  of  the  neighborhood,  was  in 
her  maidenhood  Miss  Julia  Whitbeck.  She  was  born  near  Albany,  New  York, 
w^as  married  in  1867  and  has  become  the  mother  of  four  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters. William  Lincoln  Miller,  the  oldest,  is  on  the  farm  with  his  father  and 
mother;  the  other  six  died  young. 

In  his  pnlitical  views  Mr.  Miller  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  unswerving  in 
his  support  uf  the  principles  of  the  party  and  has  efficiently  served  in  a  number 


596  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  offices.  For  several  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board,  was  the 
mayor  of  Severance  and  a  member  of  the  city  council.  In  1896  he  was  elected 
the  county  commissioner  for  the  first  district  of  Doniphan  county  and  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  in  that  office.  He  is  a  man  who  forms  his  plans  rapidly 
and  is  determined  in  execution  and  thus  he  has  acquired  success  in  business. 
Steadily  he  has  worked  his  way  upward  until  to-day  he  is  numbered  among 
the  substantial  citizens  of  his  adopted  county.  His  course  has  at  all  times  been 
straightforward  and  his  record  is  an  open  book  which  all  may  read.  He  pos- 
sesses the  true  spirit  of  western  enterprise  and  belongs  to  that  class  of  sub- 
stantial citizens  who  have  laid  the  foundation  for  the  prosperity  and  future 
progress  of  this  great  commonwealth. 


CHARLES  I.  VIXSOXHALER. 

Holding  prestige  among  the  educators  of  northeastern  Kansas,  Charles  I. 
Vinsonhaler  has  for  eight  years  occupied  the  responsible  position  of  principal 
of  the  high  school  at  Highland.  Kansas.  Not  all  men  of  strong  intellectuality 
who  have  enjoyed  exceptional  educational  advantages  would  make  efficient 
teachers.  There  are  certain  peculiar  elements  demanded  in  those  who  have 
control  of  the  intellectual  development  of  the  young  and  in  these  qualities  the 
gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  particularly  blest.  His  course  at  the  head  of 
the  Highland  schools  has  given  uniform  satisfaction  and  won  him  high  stand- 
ing in  the  ranks  of  those  who  devote  their  energies  to  teaching. 

A  native  of  Missouri.  Mr.  Vinsonhaler  was  born  in  X'odaway  county,  near 
Graham,  September  11,  1862,  and  is  of  German  and  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  The 
original  American  ancestors  on  the  paternal  side  came  to  this  country  from 
Alsace,  Germany,  and  gradually  his  descendants  followed  the  tide  of  human 
.  emigration  westward.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject.  Jacob  Vinsonhaler, 
being  a  native  of  Ohio,  D.  M.  Vinsonhaler.  the  father  of  the  Professor,  was 
also  born  in  the  Buckeye  state,  his  birth  occurring  in  the  city  of  Chillicothe, 
in  1824.  Reared  to  manhood  in  that  state  he  became  interested  in  agricultural 
interests  and  on  attaining  his  majority  he  wedded  Miss  Mary  J.  Rea,  who  was 
born  in  X^g^v  Castle,  Lawrence  county,  Pennsvlvania,  in  1833,  a  daughter  of 
Robert  Rea,  who  was  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction.  In  1861  Mr.  Vinsonhaler 
removed  with  his  family  to  Missouri  and  in  1881  he  took  up  his  residence  in 
Hiawatha,  Kansas,  where  he  and  his  wife  now  make  their  home. 

Professor  Vinsonhaler  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  on  a  farm 
in  his  native  county  and  during  that  time  pursued  his  education  in  the  district 
schools.     Desirous  of  further  perfecting  himself  in  his  studies  he  then  entered 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  597 

Highland  Uni\ersity,  where  lie  remained  for  three  years.  In  1886  he  began 
teaching  in  the  country  schools  of  Doniphan  county  and  soon  demonstrated  his 
abiHty  in  the  hne  of  liis  chosen  vocation.  For  the  past  eight  years  he  has  most 
efficiently  and  acceptably  served  as  the  principal  of  the  Highland  schools  and 
under  his  direction  the  standard  of  education  has  been  greatly  raised  in  this 
place.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  intellectuality,  an  excellent  disciplinarian  and  has 
the  faculty  of  imparting  clearly  and  readily  to  others  the  knowledge  that  he 
has  acquired.  With  a  just  realization  of  the  importance  of  education  and  feel- 
ing as  did  the  philosopher  who  said,  "Education  is  not  a  preparation  for  life, 
but  a  part  of  life,"  he  has  given  close  study  to  the  best  methods  of  instruction 
for  the  young  and  to  laying  the  foundation  for  future  success,  both  in  char- 
acter building  and  in  business. 

In  August,  1898,  Professor  \'ins(inhaler  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Alice  Rankin,  of  Highland,  a  native  of  Doniphan  county,  her  parents  being 
Joseph  and  Sarah  A.  (Wilkinson)  Rankin.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  with  Rosewood  Camp  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  the  president  of  the  Alumni  Association  of 
Highland  University  and  is  a  man  of  genial  nature,  of  uniform  courtesy  and  of 
kindly  spirit,  qualities  which  render  him  po])ular  in  all  classes  of  society. 


SILAS  S.  SWIM. 


In  the  days  when  Doniphan  county  was  a  wild  western  prairie,  when  the 
work  of  progress  and  civilization  had  scarcely  begun,  Silas  S.  Swim  came  to 
Kansas  and  through  the  succeeding  years  has  been  identified  with  the  great 
department  of  labor  known  as  agriculture,  the  bringing  forth  from  the  soil 
the  goodly  fruits,  which  contribute  in  larger  measure  than  any  other  one  thing 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  world.  He  is  now  numbered  among  the  substantial 
farmers  of  Doniphan  county  and  as  he  is  well  known  the  record  of  his  life  can- 
not fail  to  prove  of  interest  to  our  many  readers. 

He  was  born  in  Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  April  8,  1830,  and  is  the  son 
of  Michael  Swim,  who  was  probably  a  native  of  Indiana,  was  a  farmer  and 
died  in  Kentucky  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sarah  Gorman,  departed  this  life  in  Kentucky,  in  1852.  The  chil- 
dren of  this  worthy  couple  were :  Minerva,  who  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Staggs 
and  died  in  Kentucky,  leaving  a  family;  Alexander,  who  died  in  the  Black 
Hills ;  Telitha,  the  deceased  wife  of  John  Shane ;  Margaret,  who  is  living  in 
Wisconsin;  William  S.,  from  whom  no  news  has  been  received  since  1858, 
at  which  time  he  was  in  Alexandria,  Louisiana ;  Silas  S. ;  Trumbo,  who  has  not 
been  heard  from  since  1858,  and  Barbara,  now  Mrs.  McElam,  of  Kentucky. 


598  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

The  subject  of  this  review  spent  the  days  of  his  childhood  and  youth 
in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and  in  the  early  "505  removed  to  Buffalo  county, 
Wisconsin.  At  the  time  of  the  inauguration  of  the  civil  war  he  enlisted, 
in  Lee  county,  Iowa,  in  Company  A,  Thirtieth  Regiment  of  Iowa  \'oI- 
unteers.  which  became  a  part  of  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division  of  the 
Fifteenth  Corps.  It  was  ordered  to  the  south  early  in  the  struggle  and 
participated  in  the  first  attack  on  Vicksburg  in  December,  1862.  The  com- 
mand was  forced  to  withdraw  from  there,  however,  and  crossing  the  ri\-er 
marched  against  Arkansas  Post  and  succeeded  in  taking  that  important  point. 
The  troops  then  returned  to  the  vicinity  of  Vicksburg  when  General  Grant 
was  besieging  that  place,  in  1863,  and  on  the  4th  of  July,  when  the  city  was 
evacuated,  the  Thirtieth  Iowa  was  located  at  Walnut  Grove,  east  of  the  town. 
The  regiment  aided  in  recapturing  Jackson,  Mississippi,  from  Johnston,  and 
when  General  Grant  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
the  Thirtieth  Iowa  was  one  of  the  regiments  ordered  to  join  that  army  at 
Chattanooga  and  marched  from  Corinth  three  hundred  miles  across  the  south 
to  Lookout  mountain.  It  took  part  in  that  battle  under  Generals  Austerhaus 
and  Hooker  and  aided  in  defeating  the  rebels  at  Missionary  Ridge,  after 
which  the  troops  followed  up  the  Confederate  forces  and  again  defeated  them 
at  Ringgold.  The  winter  was  passed  at  Paint  Rock,  and  in  the  spring  of  1864 
the  Thirtieth  Iowa  started  on  the  Atlanta  campaign.  The  regiment  was 
under  fire  nearly  every  day  until  the  city  capitulated,  participating  in  the  skir- 
mishes and  engagements  which  occurred  between  Resaca  and  the  time  when 
the  white  flag  floated  over  the  Georgian  capital.  The  Thirtieth  Iowa  then 
became  a  part  of  Sherman's  army,  participating  in  the  celebrated  march  to 
the  sea,  followed  by  the  Carolina  campaign,  and  was  stationed  at  Raleigh  when 
the  news  of  Lee's  surrender  was  received.  There  Mr.  Swim  remained  with  his 
command  until  ordered  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  participated  in  the 
grand  review,  the  most  impressive  and  brilliant  military  pageant  ever  seen 
in  the  western  hemisphere.  He  received  an  honorable  discharge  at  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  and  with  a  military  record  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud  he  re- 
turned to  his  home.  Not  long  afterward  Mr.  Swim  decided  to  take  up  his 
abode  in  Kansas,  and  on  September  12,  1865,  purchased  his  present  farm, 
then  a  tract  of  wild  prairie  land  destitute  of  improvement.  Long  furrows, 
however,  were  soon  turned,  the  work  of  planting  followed  and  in  the  course 
of  time  good  harvests  rewarded  his  labors.  He  had  a  capital  of  only  about 
five  hundred  dollars  when  he  arrived  in  this  county,  but  during  his  residence 
here  general  farming  has  claimed  his  attention,  and  the  success  which  has 
attended  his  labors  has  been  most  pronounced. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1869,  Mr.  Swim  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Sarah  Rittenhouse,  a  daughter  of  David  Rittenhouse,  deceased.     The  latter 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  599 

came  to  Kansas  from  Indiana,  being  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  Sunflower 
state.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swim  has  been  blest  with  six  children : 
\\'illiam  H.,  who  wedded  Miss  Corbit  and  resides  in  Doniphan  county  :  Charles 
H.,  who  wedded  Miss  Hurrel  and  lives  in  Trenton,  Missouri;  Xeva,  the  wife 
of  Abe  Corbit;  Swallow,  the  wife  of  Ed  Oldt,  of  Leona;  Mary  and  Myrtie. 
The  family  is  well  known  in  this  bcal-ty  and  the  members  of  the  household 
occupy  enviable  positions  in  social  circles. 

Mr.  Swim  gives  his  political  support  to  the  party  which  upheld  the  Union 
cause  during  the  civil  war  and  which  advocated  the  policy  of  the  president 
during  the  late  trouble  with  Spain.  He  attends  its  conventions,  to  which  he 
has  frequently  been  a  delegate,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  political  pre- 
ferment, preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business.  He  was 
a  loyal  soldier,  is  a  faithful  citizen  and  a  reliable  business  man,  and  the  many 
excellent  qualities  which  he  displays  has  gained  him  high  regard. 


REV.  A.  B.  IRWTX. 


In  no  field  of  human  endeavor  is  there  given  to  the  world  a  clearer  as- 
surance of  a  man  and  a  man's  appreciation  of  the  higher  ethics  of  life,  than 
when  cognizance  is  taken  of  the  efiforts  of  one  who  has  consecrated  his  life 
to  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministr}'  and  who  has  labored  to  goodly  ends. 
There  is,  then,  an  eminent  degree  of  satisfaction  in  directing  attention  at  this 
point  to  the  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Highland,  Kansas, 
and  to  reviewing  his  career  succinctly  and  with  due  regard  to  the  innate  mod- 
esty of  the  man  who  has  ever  endeavored  to  follow  the  divine  behest  and  not 
allow  his  left  hand  to  know  what  his  right  hand  is  doing.  The  church  has 
been  advanced  materially  and  spiritually  and  in  its  various  functions  the  pastor 
maintains  a  lively  and  well-informed  interest,  according  due  value  to  every 
phase  of  church  work  and  by  precept  and  example  vitalizing  each  element. 
His  is  that  practical  appreciation  of  the  affairs  of  life  that  lends  greater  potency 
to  his  ministerial  labors,  while  as  a  pulpit  orator  he  is  logical,  convincing  and 
eloquent,  appealing  not  only  to  the  emotional  side  of  human  nature,  but  also 
to  the  most  mature  judgment  and  most  critical  wisdom.  His  strength  as  an 
organizer  and  practical  worker  is  evidenced  sufficiently  in  his  accomplishments, 
and  the  Christian  religion  has  an  able  and  devoted  supporter  and  advocate 
in  the  honored  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Rev.  Albert  Barnes  Irwin  was  born  near  Titusville,  Pennsylvania.  Oc- 
tober 2,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Emily  (Newton)  Irwin.  The  father, 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state,  and  a  son 
6f  Samuel  Irwin,  wdio  w-as  born  in  Pennsylvania.     Richard  Irwin,  the  great- 


6oo  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

grand tatlier  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Armagh,  Ireland,  in  1740,  and.  braving 
the  dangers  incident  to  ocean  voyages  at  that  time,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  seek  a  home  in  America  and  located  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ann  Steele.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  Richard  Xewton,  and  he  married  a  Miss  Van  Doren.  who  was  a 
descendant  of  a  Holland  family. 

Rev.  'Mr.  Irwin  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  boyhood  in  and  near  Peoria, 
Illinois,  to  which  city  his  parents  remo\-ed  when  he  was  only  three  years  of 
age.  After  pursuing  his  education  in  the  public  schools  there  he  entered 
Knox  College,  in  Galesburg,  Illinois,  and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1871, 
at  which  itme  he  was  honored  by  being  chosen  to  deliver  the  salutatory  oration 
and  the  Latin  oration.  When  his  literary  course  was  completed  he  went  to 
W'ethersfield,  Illinois,  where  he  accepted  the  position  of  principal  of  the  vil- 
lage schools.  A  year  later  he  matriculated  in  the  Northwestern  Seminary 
now  McCormick  Theological  Seminary,  of  Chicago,  where  he  pursued  his 
studies  two  years,  afterward  completing  his  theological  course  in  Yale  College 
as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1875.  Subsequently  he  spent  two  years  in  Mobile, 
Alabama,  where  he  was  the  principal  of  the  Emerson  Institute  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  American  Missionary  Association.  In  the  fall  of  1877  he  went 
to  Palmyra,  Nebraska,  where  he  engaged  in  home  missionary  work,  preaching 
at  Palmyra,  Hopewell,  Helena  and  Sterling,  and  during  that  time  also  or- 
ganized a  church  at  Adams.  On  the  6th  of  May,  1878,  he  was  ordained  at 
Palmyra,  Nebraska,  by  the  presbytery  of  Nebraska,  where  he  remained  until 
the  spring  of  1881,  when  he  was  called  to  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church,  at  Beatrice,  Nebraska,  which  he  served  till  December  31, 
1886.  In  January,  1887,  he  came  to  Highland,  Kansas,  and  has  since  been 
pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  in  this  city.  In  addition  to  his  pastoral 
duties  he  has  also  been  closely  associated  with  the  Highland  University  in 
different  relations.  For  three  years  he  was  the  president  of  the  school,  and 
during  most  of  the  time  has  been  a  teacher  of  one  or  more  of  the  branches 
of  learning.  At  present  he  occupies  the  chair  of  political  and  Biblical  history, 
and  is  secretary,  trustee  and  correspondent  of  the  institution.  His  church  has 
also  done  very  creditable  work  under  his  guidance,  and  during  his  pastorate 
has  erected  a  fine  house  of  worship,  at  a  cost  of  seven  thousand  dollars.  The 
parishioners  have  also  erected  a  manse  which  is  well  finished  and  furnished. 
The  church  has  a  membership  of  two  hundred,  is  well  organized  and  is  doing 
good  work  in  its  various  departments.  The  members  are  very  liberal  in  their 
contributions  and  donations  for  various  benevolences,  paying  out  annually 
to  the  church  four  thousand  dollars.  At  the  time  of  the  building  of  the  new 
church  J.  P.  Johnson  contributed  one  thousand  dollars  to  the  work,  and  other 
members  also  gave  liberally  in  proportion  to  their  means. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.        60 1 

In  1877  Mr.  Irwin  was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  to  Miss 
Loretta  E.  Hart,  of  Rockford,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  A.  Hart.  They  have 
four  living  children:  Ruth,  a  graduate  of  Highland  University;  Fanny  T.,  a 
student  in  Rockford  College,  in  Rockford,  Illinois;  Ralph  Alexis  and  Lo- 
retta E. 

Rev.  Mr.  Irwin  was  elected  moderator  of  tlie  synod  of  Kansas  in  1885 
and  was  for  some  time  a  member  of  the  state  executive  committee  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  of  Kansas.  In  1898  he  was  one  of  six  selected  to 
deliver  an  address  before  the  state  synod  at  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  an-, 
niversary  of  the  adoption  of  the  Westminster  standards  in  the  Presbyterian 
church.  The  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Knox 
College,  of  Galesburg,  Illinois,  in  1875.  ^^^'-  Irwin  is  a  man  of  high  intel- 
lectuality, broad  human  sympathies  and  tolerance  and  imbued  with  fine  sensi- 
bilities and  clearly  defined  principles.  He  enjoys  the  respect,  confidence  and 
high  regard,  not  only  of  the  people  of  his  own  denomination,  but  also  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact. 


W.  H.  FORXCROOK 


The  charge  has  been  made  that  American  politics  were  never  as  corrupt 
as  at  the  present  time,  but  the  public  record  of  such  officers  as  Mr.  Forncrook 
is  incontrovertible  evidence  that  the  statement  is  not  correct.  A  modern 
philosopher  has  said,  "You  can  fool  all  of  the  people  some  of  the  time;  you 
can  fool  some  of  the  people  all  of  the  time,  but  you  cannot  fool  all  of  the  people 
all  of  the  time."  And  thus  it  is  that  when  one  is  called  to  public  office  he  must 
discharge  his  duties  with  fidelity  and  ability  lest  public  opinion  will  set  the 
stamp  of  disapproval  upon  his  course  and  he  will  not  be  able  to  retain  the  posi- 
tion of  trust.  For  some  years  Mr.  Forncrook  has  been  an  active  factor  in 
political  circles,  and  has  been  honored  with  various  positions  of  responsibility, 
at  the  present  time  serving  as  the  clerk  of  Doniphan  county. 

Mr.  Forncrook  makes  his  home  in  White  Cloud.  He  was  born  in  El- 
bridge,  Onondaga  county,  New  York,  January  11,  1835.  He  acquired  the 
greater  part  of  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and  Monroe  Collegiate 
Institute  in  his  native  town,  and  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  his  father's 
shop.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  started  for  the  west,  believing  that  better 
opportunities  were  afforded  young  men  in  the  newly  developed  section  of  the 
country.  He  first  located  in  Illinois,  in  1S55,  and  for  about  eighteen  months 
was  employed  as  a  school  teacher  in  Stephenson  county,  that  state.  In  May, 
1857,  he  came  to  Kansas,  and  in  August  of  the  same  year  he  located  in  White 


6o2  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Cloud,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  became  identified  with  the 
business  interests  of  this  city  as  a  journeyman  in  the  employ  of  Isaac  Cleve- 
land, the  proprietor  of  the  first  blacksmith  shop  in  the  town.  Later  he  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  through  two  winters  in  the  Missouri  valley,  and 
afterward  was  employed  as  a  clerk.  Honesty,  industry  and  economy  had 
brought  him  some  capital  and  he  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account,  be- 
coming the  proprietor  of  a  dry-goods  store.  Subsequently  he  disposed  of  that 
line  of  goods  and  devoted  his  energies  to  the  furniture  business,  but  still  later 
he  conducted  a  lumber  yard. 

From  1 87 1  until  1885  he  was  the  postmaster  at  White  Cloud,  and  his  ad- 
ministration of  the  affairs  of  the  office  caused  his  long  continuance  in  that 
service.  He  was  a  township  trustee  for  one  term,  and  in  1880  was  the  federal 
census  enumerator  for  the  special  district  of  Iowa  township.  In  January, 
1888,  upon  the  death  of  Joseph  Schletzbaum,  he  was  appointed  to  the  vacancy 
in  the  county  clerk'  office,  and  the  following  fall  was  elected  to  fill  out  the 
unexpired  term.  He  discharged  his  duties  so  capably  that  he  was  selected 
for  the  full  term  in  1889,  1891,  1893.  1895  and  1897,  and  it  is  said  that  he  wds 
the  most  capable  and  efficient  county  clerk  that  Doniphan  county  has  ever  had. 
Upon  his  public  record  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil, 
for  he  is  entirely  trustworthy,  and  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  was  an  indi- 
cation of  an  honorable  life. 


JUDSON  W.  IDE. 


A\'ell  known  as  a  representative  of  the  agricultural  interests  of  Doniphan 
county,  Mr.  Ide  certainly  deserves  representation  in  this  volume.  He  is  a  self- 
made  man  who  owes  success  to  enterprise,  energy  and  resolute  purpose.  His 
life  demonstrates  the  fact  that  prosperity  is  not  the  result  of  genius  or  fortunate 
circumstances,  but  is  acquired  by  earnest,  persistent  labor  guided  by  sound 
common  sense.  For  many  years  he  has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of 
Doniphan  county  and  has  not  only  witnessed  its  development  in  the  pioneer 
days,  but  has  been  an  active  factor  in  its  prosperity  and  advancement. 

On  the  25th  of  January,  1833,  Mr.  Ide  was  born,  in  Luzerne  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sallie  (Foster)  Ide.  He  is  descended 
from  good  old  Revolutionary  stock,  his  great-grandfather  being  one  of  the 
heroes  who  fought  for  liberty  from  British  rule.  His  grandfather  was  Nea- 
miah  Ide,  of  Massachusetts,  whose  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Betsy  Ben- 
nett. The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Edward  Foster,  a  native 
of  \'ermont  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Pennsylvania.     He  married  Miss 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         603 

Lydia  Nash,  who  well  remembered  the  Revolutionary  war  and  could  relate 
many  interesting  and  thrilling  events  connected  with  the  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence. She  could  also  tell  many  thrilling  tales  of  the  days  when  the  In- 
dians menaced  the  life  of  the  white  settlers.  John  Ida,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  the  old  Bay  state,  and  in  Vermont  married  Miss  Foster, 
who  was  born  there.  They  subsequently  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  where  they 
made  their  home  for  many  years. 

The  subject  of  this  review  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  last  named  state 
and  in  the  common  schools  acquired  his  preliminary  education,  which  was 
supplemented  by  a  course  in  Wyoming  Seminary  at  Kingston,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  three  terms.  He  entered  upon  his  business 
career  as  a  clerk  in  a  country  store  in  the  Keystone  state,  but  believing  that 
better  opportunities  were  offered  young  men  in  the  rapidly  de\'eloping  west,  he 
came  to  Kansas  in  1857,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Doniphan  county,  where  his 
first  purchase  of  land  made  him  the  possessor  of  eighty  acres  in  section  29, 
Iowa  township,  and  to  this  he  added  from  time  to  time  until  he  was  the  owner 
-of  three  hundred  acres  of  rich  land.  As  the  years  passed  he  placed  this  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  now  has  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  county. 
The  place  is  improved  with  two  good  dwellings,  substantial  barns,  including  a 
bank  barn  and  a  hay  barn,  a  wagon  house,  a  granary  and  sheds  for  his  farm  ma- 
chinery. In  fact  no  accessory  of  the  model  farm  is  lacking,  and  his  property 
is  certainly  a  very  desirable  one.  He  devotes  his  time  to  the  cultivation  of 
wheat  and  to  the  raising  of  hogs  and  cattle  and  in  both  lines  of  business  is 
meeting  with  creditable  success. 

In  the  early  days  of  his  residence  in  Kansas — 1 861-1865 —  he  engaged  in 
freighting  to  Denver  with  two  or  three  yokes  of  oxen,  making  nine  trips. 
In  1865  he  had  charge  of  a  wagon  train  from  the  Missouri  river  as  far  west 
as  Fort  Laramie.  In  his  wagon  train  there  were  thirty-two  wagons,  hauled  by 
four  to  six  yoke  of  oxen,  there  being  altogether  one  hundred  and  eighty  oxen 
and  nineteen  men  in  the  train.  A  part  of  the  time  Mr.  Ide  had  charge  of  the 
train  and  the  remainder  were  conducted  by  a  government  escort.  Since  1867 
Mr.  Ide  has  given  his  attention  exclusively  to  his  farming  interests  and  derives 
therefrom  an  excellent  income. 

In  politics  Mr.  Ide  is  a  stanch  Republican,  keeps  well  informed  concerning 
political  issues  and  always  supports  the  men  and  measures  of  the  party,  yet 
he  has  never  sought  official  preferment  for  himself.  He  has  experienced  the 
hardships  and  trials  of  life  in  the  frontier  and  has  met  difficulties  in  his  busi- 
ness career,  but  his  determined  purpose  has  enabled  him  to  overcome  these, 
and  to-day  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  his  adopted 
county.  His  many  excellencies  of  character  have  gained  him  the  high  regard 
of  his  fellow  men  and  he  is  justly  esteemed  for  his  sterling  worth. 


6o4  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


ALVA  C.  TRUEBLOOD. 

Alva  C.  Trueblood  is  the  city  clerk  of  Atchison,  where  he  has  made  his 
home  for  twenty  years.  He  was  born  in  Salem,  Indiana,  a  son  of  Dr.  Joshua 
and  Zilpha  (Arnold)  Trueblood,  who  were  natives  of  North  Carolina,  but 
were  married  in  Salem.  The  Truebloods,  originally  from  England,  had  re- 
sided in  North  Carolina  for  four  generations.  They  were  members  of  the 
Society  of  Friends  or  Quakers,  and,  believing  in  the  ardent  anti-slavery  views 
of  that  society,  when  the  great  Northwest  territory  was  opened  up  for  settle- 
ment, they  founded  a  large  colony  at  Salem,  Indiana,  where  they  located  in 
1815,  one  year  before  the  state  was  admitted  into  the  Union.  This  settle- 
ment was  afterward  known  as  one  of  the  stations  of  the  "underground  rail- 
road," and  no  person  fleeing  from  slavery  was  ever  betrayed  or  refused  assist- 
ance when  he  reacher  this  community. 

Alva  C.  Trueblood  acquired  a  common-school  education  in  his  native 
town  and  also  attended  a  select  school  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
entered  upon  his  business  career  as  an  employee  in  the  office  of  the  Salem  Demo- 
crat, where  he  remained  for  two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
secured  an  interest  in  the  Salem  Times  and  continued  in  the  office  of  that 
journal  until  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war.  He  had  studied  with  deep  inter- 
est the  problems  that  led  to  that  sectional  strife,  and  believing  keenly  in  the 
authority  of  the  government  at  Washington  to  preserve  the  Union,  he  resolved 
that  if  an  attempt  at  secession  was  made  he  would  enlist  under  the  starry 
banner.  At  President  Lincoln's  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  troops  he  joined 
the  army,  his  enlistment  dating  April  23,  1S61,  as  a  member  of  Company  G, 
Thirteenth  Indiana  Infantry,  under  Captain  S.  D.  Sayler  and  Colonel  J.  C. 
Sullivan.  The  regiment  was  sent  to  West  Virginia  and  attached  to  General 
McClellan's  command.  He  thus  participated  in  the  battles  of  Rich  Mountain, 
Cheat  Mountain,  Greenbrier  and  Allegheny  Summit.  In  1862  he  was  sent  to 
the  valley  of  Virginia  and  participated  in  the  first  battle  of  Winchester  or 
Kernstown  and  all  the  campaigns  under  General  Shields.  In  July  of  that 
year  the  brigade  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Harrison's  Landing,  but 
too  late  to  participate  in  any  of  the  battles  in  front  of  Richmond.  After  the 
evacuation  of  Harrison's  Landing  the  brigade  was  sent  to  Suffolk,  in  which 
region  it  remained  until  the  summer  of  1863,  when  it  was  sent  to  South 
Carolina  and  attached  to  General  Gilmore's  command,  the  Tenth  Army  Corps, 
and  assisted  in  the  capture  of  the  forts  in  Charleston  harbor.  In  the  spring 
of  1864  this  corps  formed  part  of  the  Army  of  the  James,  under  General 
Butler,  and  participated  in  all  the  engagements  between  Richmond  and  Peters- 
burg. Part  of  this  force,  including  the  Thirteenth  Indiana,  was  sent  to  rein- 
force the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Cold  Harbor,  where  it  arrived  June  ist 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         605 

and  participated  in  all  of  that  memorable  battle,  and  was  then  sent  to  make 
the  attack  on  Petersburg,  where  its  term  of  enlistment  expired.  On  account 
of  meritorious  conduct  while  facing  the  enemy  Mr.  Trueblood  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  first  lieutenant,  and  January  18,  1863,  was  made  the  captain 
of  his  company,  holding  that  rank  when  discharged  on  June  30,  1864. 

On  returning  to  Salem  Captain  Trueblood  embarked  in  merchandising 
and  was  thus  connected  with  the  business  interests  of  his  native  town  until 
April,  1880,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  at  Atchison,  and  has  since  re- 
sided here.  He  was  married  December  29,  1864,  to  Miss  Harriet  E.  Allen,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Allen,  of  Salem,  Indiana.  They  have  five  children, 
namely:  Albert  A.,  of  Sacramento,  California;  Victor  E.,  who  resides  in  Kan- 
sas City,  Missouri;  Paul  B.,  who  is  living  at  Grand  Island,  Nebraska;  Owen 
H.,  who  is  messenger  of  the  Pacific  Express,  and  Nellie,  who  is  now  a  Mid- 
land College  student. 

Mr.  Trueblood  has  represented  his  ward  in  the  city  council,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1895  was  elected  city  clerk  and  re-elected  to  that  office  in  1897  and 
1899.  He  has  the  distinction  of  receiving  the  largest  vote  ever  cast  for  a  city 
officer.  He  is  most  efficient  and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  and  is 
very  earnest  in  administering  the  business  afi'airs  of  his  adopted  city.  Promi- 
nent in  Masonic  circles,  he  holds  membership  in  \\^ashington  Lodge,  No.  5, 
A.  F.  &  A.  ]M. ;  Washington  Chapter,  No.  i.  R.  A.  M.,  and  Washington  Coni- 
mandery.  No.  2,  K.  T.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Mystic  Shrine  and  has  filled 
all  the  offices  of  the  lodge,  chapter  and  commandery.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
members  of  John  A.  Martin  Post,  No.  93,  G.  A.  R.,  and  has  served  as  its  com- 
mander. His  fellow  men  respect  him  for  his  sterling  worth,  his  loyalty  to 
principle  and  his  upright  conduct  in  all  life's  relations,  and  it  is  with  pleasure 
that  we  present  the  record   of   his   life   to   the   readers   of  this   volume. 


JOHN  A.  C.  GORDON. 

A  well-known  representati\-e  of  the  banking  interests,  Mr.  Gordon 
occupies  the  position  of  president  of  the  W'athena  State  Bank  and  so  controls 
its  affairs  as  to  win  for  the  institution  a  most  creditable  reputation  for  reliabil- 
ity. He  was  born  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  in  Februarj-,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  C.  Gordon,  who  was  born  in  the  Empire  state  in  18 10  and  was  reared 
and  educated  there.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married,  in 
Utica,  New  York,  to  Miss  Hannah  Smith,  and  to  them  were  born  eleven  chil- 
dren, five  sons  and  six  daughters,  of  whom  six  are  now  living.  In  1854  the 
parents  emigrated  westward  and  nine  years  later  took  up  their  residence  in  St. 


6o6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Joseph,  Missouri.  Tlie  father  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  followed  that 
occupation  during  the  greater  part  of  his  business  career.  He  voted  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  in  i860,  casting  his  ballot  in  support  of  the  Republican  nominees 
from  that  time  onward.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  were  people  of  the  highest  respectability. 

John  A.  C.  Gordon  was  reared  and  educated  near  St.  Joseph.  Missouri, 
and  at  an  early  period  in  his  business  career  began  shipping  fruit  to  the  western 
markets,  in  which  enterprise  he  has  been  very  successful.  He  is  now  at  the 
head  of  the  Wathena  State  Bank  and  is  recognized  as  a  most  able  financier  and 
competent  business  man,  whose  judgment  is  rarely,  if  ever,  at  fault,  and  whose 
keen  discernment  and  untiring  industry  have  been  potent  elements  in  his 
success. 

At  the  age  of  thirty  years  ^Ir.  Gordon  was  united  in  marriage  to  IMiss 
Ludie  Bachelor,  a  lady  of  good  education  and  fine  culture,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  New  Orleans.  They  now  have  two  children, — Virgie  and  John. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Gordon  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  who  takes  a  zealous 
interest  in  the  growth  and  welfare  of  his  party  and  has  many  times  served  as 
£  delegate  to  county  and  state  conventions.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order  and  of  Phoenix  Lodge,  No.  41,  L  O.  O.  F.  In  all  things  pertaining  to 
the  general  good  he  manifests  a  commendable  interest  and  gives  his  support 
to  everv  measure  for  the  general  welfare. 


JORDAN  O.  MARCELL. 

The  traveler  to-day  who  looks  upon  the  enterprising  towns  and  villages 
and  the  highly  cultivated  farms  of  Doniphan  county  finds  it  difificult  to  realize 
that  less  than  half  a  century  ago  this  was  a  wild  and  barren  tract,  uninhabited 
by  white  settlers,  but  there  came  to  northeastern  Kansas  a  band  of  sturdy, 
determined  men  and  women  who  founded  homes  in  this  wild  region.  Through 
their  efforts  the  raw  prairie  was  made  to  bloom  and  blossom  as  the  rose  and 
the  work  of  civilization  has  been  carried  forward  by  them  and  their  children 
until  Doniphan  county  takes  rank  with  any  in  this  great  commonwealth  and  its 
evidences  of  civilization  are  on  a  par  with  those  of  the  older  counties  of  the 
east. 

Jordan  O.  ^larcell  is  one  who  came  to  this  locality  when  it  was  a  frontier 
region.  He  was  born  in  Jessamine  county.  Kentucky,  October  30.  1840,  and 
is  of  Swiss  lineage.  His  grandfather,  John  Alarcell,  came  to  the  United  States 
from  Switzerland  in  1805  and  for  a  time  resided  in  Georgetown,  D.  C.  From 
that  point  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Kentucky,  locating  in  Jessamine 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         607 

county.  He  had  one  son  and  three  danghters,  the  former  being  Charles  Mar- 
cell,  the  father  of  onr  suliject.  He  was  born  in  Switzerland  in  1802  and  was 
therefore  verv  yonng  at  the  time  of  the  emigration  of  his  parents  to  America. 
With  the  family  he  went  to  Jessamine  county,  Kentucky,  and  after  residing 
there  for  some  time  took  up  his  abode  in  Franklin  county,  that  state.  On 
coming  to  Kansas  he  located  at  the  agency  of  the  Iowa  Indians,  cultivating  the 
agency  farm  for  one  year.  He  then  located  on  a  farm  in  Wolf  River  township, 
Doniphan  county,  owning  land  upon  sections  i,  3  and  19.  Here  he  spent  his 
remaining  da3-s.  In  Kentucky  he  had  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Utley,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Isaac  Utley.  who  was  a  farmer  of  that  state.  Their  children  are  Julia, 
the  wife  of  John  Burchtield,  of  Brown  county:  Nancy,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Joseph  Davis  and  after  his  death  wedded  Robert  Davis,  a  resident  of  Hia- 
watha. Kansas ;  Jordan  O. ;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Robert  Burchfield.  of  Reserve, 
Kansas;  Alvina,  the  wife  of  Douglas  Hancock,  of  Severance;  and  Charles  L., 
who  is  one  of  the  progressive  and  prosperous  farmers  of  Doniphan  county. 
He  was  married  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  to  Miss  Margaret  Burchfield  and 
is  the  father  of  ten  children. 

Jordan  O.  Marcell  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in  Jessamine 
and  Franklin  counties,  Kentucky,  and  then  accompanied  his  father  to  Kansas, 
where  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  until  about  the  time  he  attained 
his  majority.  He  thus  aided  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  the  new  land 
and  experienced  all  the  hardships  and  trials  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  frontier 
settler.  In  1862,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  he  enlisted  in  the  Tliir- 
teentii  Kansas  Volunteer  Regiment,  under  Colonel  Bowen,  and  was  mus- 
tered in  at  Atchison.  His  command  became  a  part  of  the  First  Division  of  the 
Seventh  Army  Corps  and  went  south  to  .\rkansas,  first  engaging  the  Con- 
federate troops  at  Cain  Hill  and  later  participated  in  the  battle  of  Prairie 
Grove.  After  that  engagement  the  regiment  spent  much  time  on  the  march 
in  Louisiana  and  Arkansas  and  when  hostilities  had  ended  was  mustered  out 
at  Little  Rock.  Mr.  Marcell  enlisted  as  a  private  and  for  meritorious  service 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  corporal  and  after  almost  three  years'  connection 
with  the  army  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his  home. 

With  the  money  that  he  had  saved  from  his  meager  army  salary  he  began 
the  improxement  of  his  present  fine  farm  and  as  a  companion  and  helpmeet 
on  life's  journey  married  Miss  Margaret  Jeffers,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Jeffers, 
who  came  to  Kansas  from  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  but  resided  at  Agency, 
Missouri,  where  Mrs.  Marcell  was  born  fifty-three  years  ago.  The  marriage 
of  our  subject  and  his  wife  was  celebrated  on  the  25th  of  January,  1866,  and 
has  been  blest  with  the  following  children :  Delia,  the  wife  of  John  Tharp.  of 
Doniphan  county;  Charles,  who  resides  with  his  parents  and  is  one  of  the 
enterprising  young  farmers  and  stock  dealers  of  the  county;  Bertie,  the  wife  of 


6o8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Jesse  Blevins,  of  Doniphan  county;  Ella,  the  wife  of  John  Lewis,  a  resident  of 
the  same  county ;  and  Violet,  who  is  with  her  parents. 

When  Mr.  Marcell  began  farming  he  located  upon  an  eighty-acre  tract 
of  land  and  has  since  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  place  until  he  now  owns 
two  hundred  acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  has  successfully  carried  on  general  farming,  his  efforts  being  directed 
by  intelligence.  His  methods  are  practical  and  progressive  and  knowing  the 
value  of  the  rotation  of  crops  and  understanding  the  underlying  principles  of 
successful  farming  he  has  won  a  prosperity  which  is  well  merited.  He  has  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow  men  and  is  regarded  as  a  representative  citizen  of  the  com- 
munity, manifesting  the  same  loyalty  to  all  duties  of  citizenship  that  he  dis- 
played upon  the  battle  fields  of  the  south  when  he  aided  in  the  defense  of  the 
old  flag. 


HEXRY  DIESBACH. 


Henry  Diesbach,  deceased,  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  resident  of 
Atchison,  Kansas,  coming  to  the  city  at  an  early  period  in  its  development  and 
took  an  acti\'e  part  in  the  promotion  of  the  business  interests  which  have  con- 
tributed to  its  material  growth  and  prosperity.  A  native  of  Germany,  he  was 
born  in  Heidelberg,  Baden,  on  the  nth  of  September,  1819,  and  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  his  native  land  attended  school  between  the  ages  of  six  and 
fourteen  years.  Entering  upon  his  business  career,  be  became  familiar  with 
the  methods  followed  in  mercantile  establishments,  but,  believing  that  the  new 
world  offered  better  opportunities  to- young  men  of  ambition  and  resolute  pur- 
pose, he  bade  adieu  to  the  fatherland  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world 
in  1843,  landing  in  New  Orleans.  He  made  his  way  to  Frankfort,  Kentucky, 
and  engaged  in  the  shoe  business,  being  a  shoemaker  liy  trade.  There,  in  1853, 
he  was  naturalized  as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States. 

But  the- west  attracted  him  and  in  1858  he  came  to  the  rapidly  de\-eloping 
city  of  Atchison,  where  he  established  a  general  store  on  a  small  scale.  He 
applied  himself  diligently  to  the  building  up  of  a  good  business  and  in  order  to 
gain  the  results  desired, he  followed  most  commendable  methods.  In  trade 
transactions  his  honesty  was  above  question  and  at  times  he  was  courteous 
and  earnestly  desired  to  please  his  patrons.  These  qualities  were  the  means 
of  bringing  to  him  a  constantly  increasing  patronage,  in  order  to  meet  which 
he  enlarged  his  facilities  from  time  to  time.  Prosperity  attended  his  efforts 
and  he  became  the  possessor  of  a  handsome  competence,  leaving  to  his  family  a 
large  estate.  He  made  judicious  investments  in  realty,  becoming  the  owner  of 
three  business  houses  and  eight  dwellings,  besides  other  property. 


^^-^^qS'.^:^  /a^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         609 

In  1859  Mr.  Diesbach  was  united  in  marriage  in  Atchison  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth L.  Leu,  a  native  of  Switzerland,  and  the  second  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Verana  (Kessler)  Leu.  Her  parents  had  eight  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dies- 
bach  had  no  children  of  tlieir  own.  but  reared  a  daughter.  Miss  Bertha  Studer. 
Mr.  Diesbach  became  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in 
Frankfort,  Kentucky,  where  he  was  in  the  shoe  business  a  few  years  before  he 
came  to  Atchison,  and  affiliated  with  the  organization  at  Atchison  after  com- 
ing to  the  west.  He  was  an  enterprising,  industrious  man,  whose  success  in 
life  was  the  result  of  his  own  well-directed  efforts.  The  obstacles  in  his  ^iath 
he  overcame  by  determined  purpose  and  by  resolute  will,  steadilj^  working  his 
way  upward  to  a  position  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  his  adopted  state. 
All  who  knew  him  esteemed  him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  8th  of  April,  1893,  ^"^'^^  mourned  by  many  friends.  His 
remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  Mount  Vernon  cemetery  in  Atchison,  but  his 
memory  is  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  many  who  knew  him.  He  was  ^•er3•  just, 
true  and  upright,  and  in  many  respects  his  example  was  well  worthy  of 
emulation. 

Since  her  husliand's  death  Mrs.  Diesbach  has  made  quite  extensive  invest- 
ments in  real  estate.  She  has  built  two  dwelling  houses  in  Atchison,  which 
she  rents,  together  with  other  property  left  her  by  her  husband,  and  in  this 
way  she  has  not  only  provided  a  good  income  for  herself  but  has  been  a  benefit 
to  the  community  by  furnishing  employment  to  many  men.  She  possesses 
excellent, business  qualifications  and  is  conducting  her  affairs  in  a  most  able 
manner.  A  member  of  the  Evangelical  church  of  Atchison,  all  who  know 
her  esteem  her  for  her  sterling  worth  and  her  kindly  manner.  In  1876  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Diesbach  visited  Em-ope,  spending  six  months  in  Germany. 


EXOS  S.  TEXXIXGS. 


yij.-.  Jennings,  whose  postoffice  address  is  Gabriel,  Kansas,  is  one  of  the 
progressive  and  successful  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of  Doniphan  county, 
where  he  has  a  fine  property  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich  bottom 
land  in  Burr  Oak  township.  He  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Ohio,  Septem- 
ber 27,  1845,  ^"d  is  a  son  of  David  and  Sarah  (Drake)  Jennings,  the  former 
born  in  Ohio  and  the  latter  in  Virginia.  After  their  marriage  his  parents 
remained  in  Ohio,  where  the  father  engaged  in  general  farming  until  his 
death  in  1850.  His  wife,  who  is  still  living  and  is  eighty-four  years  of  age, 
makes  her  home  with  her  son  Enos.  She  enjoys  good  health  and  is  a  bright, 
intelligent  woman  on  whom  old  age  leaves  but  few  imprints. 


6io  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Enos  Jennings  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  as  do  most  farmers"  lads, 
working  during  the  summer  months  and  attending  the  district  schools  in  the 
winter  time.  He  was  twenty- four  years  old  when,  in  1869,  he  went  to  Iowa, 
where  he  located  first  in  Davis  county  and  later  in  Mount  Ayr.  Ringgold  county, 
where  he  lived  for  one  year.  In  1879  he  removed  to  Labette  county,  in  south- 
ern Kansas,  where  he  was  employed  on  a  farm.  His  next  home  was  in  Stevens 
county,  where  he  spent  two  years,  but  the  place  was  not  satisfactory  and  in  the 
fall  of  1887  he  came  to  Burr  Oak  township,  Doniphan  comity,  and  purchased 
what  was  known  as  the  Cowger  farm.  Since  that  time  he  has  devoted  his 
attention  to  general  farming,  stock  raising  and  fruit  growing  and  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  successful  wheat  raisers  in  the  county.  He  is  a  man  who 
is  up-to-date  in  agricultural  affairs  and  who  believes  in  trying  new  methods. 

In  1869  Air.  Jennings  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  A.  Risen,  of  Alorgan 
county,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catherine  (Tanner)  Risen.  Eight 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  of  whom  six  are  living :  Sarah  C.  is  the  wife 
of  Isaac  A.  Scarbrough,  of  Troy;  Florence  B.  married  David  Sawyer,  of 
Wathena;  Lyman  E.,  Bertie  E.  and  Alary  Alartilla  are  at  home  witli  tlieir 
parents. 

In  the  spring  of  1864  Air.  Jennings  enlisted  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  of  which  E.  G.  Coltson  was  captain 
of  the  company  and  Colonel  O.  P.  Taylor  in  command  of  the  regiment.  The 
regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  then  in  the  Shenandoah 
valley,  and  took  part  in  several  engagements,  among  them  that  of  Alaryland 
Heights.  Air.  Jennings  was  in  other  small  battles,  but  his  regiment  was  chiefly 
employed  in  guarding  posts  and  doing  garrison  duty.  He  was  discharged  in 
the  latter  part  of  1864  and  returned  to  Alorgan  county,  Ohio. 

In  politics  Air.  Jennings  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  for  the  past  eiglit 
years  has  been  a  member  of  the  Republican  county  committee,  taking  an  active 
part  in  county,  state  and  local  political  matters.  He  has  also  served  as  town- 
ship treasurer  and  chairman  of  the  township  committee.  He  is  a  member  of 
Kennedy  Post.  Xo.  292,  G.  .\.  R.,  of  Trov,  Kansas. 


SOLOAIOX  HISKEY, 


The  fitting  reward  of  a  well-spent,  active  and  honorable  life  is  retire- 
ment in  which  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  former  toils  and  rest  from  the  cares  and 
burdens  that  have  fallen  upon  one  in  earlier  years.  Air.  Hiskey  is  now  living 
retired  in  Highland  after  a  long  connection  with  the  agricultural  interests 
of  Doniphan  and  Brown  counties.     He  was  numbered  among  the  leading  ag- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  6ii 

riculturists  of  the  community,  for  added  to  his  untiring  industry  were  keen 
discrimination  in  business  affairs  and  straightforward  dealing  that  insured 
him  success  and  brought  him  a  comfortable  competence  which  now  numljers 
him  among  the  substantial  residents  of  his  adopted  city. 

Mr.  Hiskey  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  his  birth  liaving  occurred 
in  the  town  of  Lexington,  Richland  county,  on  the  loth  of  January,  1839.  His 
parents  were  Martin  and  Mary  (Stewart)  Hiskey,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  in  which  state  they  were  reared  and  married.  Removing 
to  Richland  county,  Ohio,  they  there  spent  their  remaining  days.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather  of  our  subject  was  John  Hiskey,  who  removed  with  his 
family  to  Ohio,  becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Richland  county. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Smith,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  a  large  number  of  children.  The  maternal  grandfather.  Henry  Stewart, 
married  Catherine  Lehman,  and  they,  too,  took  up  their  abode  in  Ohio  when  it 
was  upon  a  wild  western  frontier.  The  grandfather  ser\ed  as  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  1 81 2. 

Solomon  Hiskey  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  county  of  his  nativity, 
his  time  being  passed  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  of  that  period.  He 
worked  in  the  fields  through  the  summer  months  and  enjoyed  the  sports  com- 
mrm  t(j  the  boys  of  the  day.  The  district  schools  provided  him  his  educational 
privileges  and  later  he  entered  Otterbein  University,  in  Westerville,  Ohio, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  from  1857  until  i860.  For  one  vvi"ter  he 
engaged  in  teaching  school  and  in  i860  he  removed  westward,  locating  in 
Iowa,  and  then  went  to  Colorado,  and  thence  to  Illinois,  where  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  E.  Stout,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  J.  Stout. 

With  his  bride  Mr.  Hiskey  then  returned  to  Iowa,  where  he  improved  a 
new  farm.  In  1864  he  came  to  Doniphan  county  and  two  years  later  took  up 
his  abode  in  Brown  county,  Kansas,  where  he  maintained  his  residence  for 
twelve  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to  Doniphan 
county,  where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Wolf 
River  township.  There,  in  addition  to  farming,  he  engaged  in  stock  raising 
and  was  very  successful  in  the  latter  enterprise.  As  his  financial  resources 
increased  he  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  until  it  comprised  four  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  choice  land,  all  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
constituting  one  of  the  finest  homesteads  in  Doniphan  county.  He  placed 
thereon  many  substantial  improvements  and  has  all  the  accessories  and  con- 
veniences of  a  model  farm  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Mr.  Hiskey  continued 
to  cultivate  his  place  until  1894,  when  he  removed  to  Highland  and  is  now 
resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toils. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiskey  became  the  parents  of  five  children :  Alice,  the  wife 
of  Adelbert  Goforth;  Annie,  the  wife  of  W.  C.  Streeter;  Laura  J.,  the  wife 


6i2  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  J.  B.  Close,  a  farmer  of  Doniphan  county;  Lewis  A.,  who  married  Nellie 
Rockwood  and  resides  on  the  old  Hiskey  homestead,  and  Freddie  C,  unmar- 
ried. The  family  have  a  pleasant  home  in  Highland,  tastefully  furnished, 
and  the  house  is  celebrated  for  its  gracious  hospitality,  being  presided  over  by 
one  of  the  leading  ladies  of  the  city.  Mrs.  Hiskey  takes  a  deep  interest  in 
church  work,  is  an  advocate  of  progress  and  reform  and  is  serving  both 
as  vice-president  and  president  of  the  local  Woman's  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  which  she  has  represented  as  a  delegate  in  the  state  conventions.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiskey  are  members  of  the  Congregational  church  at  High- 
land, and  in  his  political  views  he  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He  served  as  a 
member  of  the  school  board  of  Pleasant  Grove  for  a  number  of  years  and  the 
cause  of  education  found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  as  he  labored  effectively  and 
earnestly  for  its  interests.  He  is  at  present  a  director  in  the  Citizens'  State 
Bank,  of  Highland ;  also  a  director  in  the  Highland  Butter  &  Cheese  Factory, 
and  one  of  the  energetic  pioneers,  who  by  his  untiring  industry  has  contributed 
his  humble  share  in  advancing  Kansas  from  a  wilderness  to  the  proud  posi- 
tion she  now  occupies  in  the  sisterhood  of  states.  His  life  should  serve  as 
a  source  of  inspiration  and  as  an  example  to  those  who  are  forced  to  enter 
upon  a  business  career  without  capital.  The  most  limited  investigation  into 
biography  will  show  that  the  majority  of  our  leading  men  and  representative 
citizens  are  those  who  have  won  the  title  of  self-made,  and  such  a  one  is  Mr. 
Hiskey,  now  an  esteemed  resident  of  Highland. 


OLIVER  M.  ANDERSON. 

In  Boone  county,  Lidiana,  on  the  24th  of  January,  1862,  occurred  the 
birth  of  Oliver  IMorton  Anderson,  and  to  him  was  given  the  name  of  Indiana's 
famous  war  governor.  His  father  is  Thomas  F.  Anderson,  of  Union  town- 
ship, Doniphan  county,  who  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  May  9,  18 18. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Hiram  Anderson,  was  born  on  the 
north  branch  of  the  Potomac  river,  in  ^faryland.  in  the  year  1788.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  shoemaker,  and  after  following  that  pursuit  throughout  an  active 
business  career,  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death,  in  1853.  About  the  year 
1807  he  went  to  Ohio,  where  he  married  Miss  Mary  Mulford,  jMarcli  18,  1813. 
She  was  of  Welsh  lineage,  and  born  August  20,  1792,  in  Ohio,  and  died  in 
Jefferson  county,  Iowa,  November  16,  1859.  In  1840  he  moved  with  his  en- 
tire family  to  Boone  county,  Indiana,  where  he  resided  until  death. 

Their  children  were :  Naomi,  who  was  born  May  19,  1814,  married  Wil- 
son Elliot  and  died  in  Brandon,  Iowa,  in  1894.     \\"illiam  was  born  May  26, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  613 

1816,  and  died  in  Independence,  Iowa,  in  1894.  Thomas  F.  was  the  next  of 
the  family.  Mary  Jane,  born  November  4,  iSig,  was  the  wife  of  Isaac  Ben- 
nett, and  died  in  Indiana  about  1873.  Nancy,  born  April  27,  1821,  married 
Jesse  Bunton,  who  died  in  Indiana,  and  after  his  death  she  married  John  Fur- 
gason,  who  died  in  Iowa.  Rachel,  born  December  3,  1822,  was  the  wife  of 
Abraham  Bennett,  and  died  December  21,  1893,  at  Norway,  Kansas.  Robert, 
born  November  16,  1824,  died  in  1826.  Hannah,  born  February  8,  1826, 
married  John  Lewis,  now  deceased,  and  she  is  now  living  near  Wathena,  Kan- 
sas. Eliza,  born  May  7,  1828,  was  the  second  wife  of  Elisha  Bowlby,  and 
died  in  1871,  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas.  Hiram  B.,  born  August  7,  1830, 
died  in  Jefferson  county,  Iowa,  December  4,  1859.  Martha  A.,  born  May  20, 
1832,  became  the  wife  of  George  Chase,  and  died  at  Huron,  Kansas,  about 
1885.  Joseph  M.,  born  August  2t„  1834,  and  resides  in  Doniphan  county, 
Kansas. 

The  great-grandfather,  William  Anderson,  who  lived  in  Maryland,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  after  the  close  of  the  war  joined  the  regu- 
lar army,  in  which  he  died  about  1805.  His  ancestry  is  not  known.  He  chose 
for  his  wife  a  French  lady.  Miss  Forshee,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  five 
children,  namely :  Hiram ;  Josiah ;  Rebecca,  who  married  James  Allen ;  Will- 
iam ;  and  Rachel,  who  married  Nicholas  Bennett,  of  ]\Iason,  Ohio. 

Thomas  F.  Anderson  was  reared  under  circumstances  that  made  the  ac- 
quirement of  an  education  impossible  to  him.  He  could  not  read  when  mar- 
ried, but  realizing  the  need  of  knowledge  he  obtained  an  old  spelling-book  and 
witii  this  he  learned  to  read,  and  with  the  aid  of  other  volumes  pursued  his 
studies  without  assistance.  He  served  an  apprenticeship  at  fancy  wood-turn- 
ing, and  later  at  cabinet-making,  and  carried  on  both  lines  of  business  success- 
fully for  a  time;  but,  having  given  security  for  a  party,  he  was  overtaken  by 
the  misfortune  of  having  his  property  sold  to  pay  the  debt.  He  was  then 
forced  to  begin  life  anew,  and  in  1840  moved  to  Boone  county,  Indiana,  where 
he  worked  at  his  trade.  On  the  first  day  of  November,  1838,  he  married  Miss 
Jane  Peacock,  a  daughter  of  William  Peacock,  who  was  of  English  lineage. 
Her  death  occurred  August  2,  1848,  and  the  following  children  were  left  to 
mourn  her  loss:  Joseph  W.,  who  resides  in  Cheyenne  county,  Kansas;  Eliza 
J.,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Gibson  and  died  at  Huron,  Kansas,  Sep- 
tember 23,  1891,  and  Hiram  G.,  of  Xenia,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  the  second  time  August  31,  185 1,  to  Clarissa 
R.  Elliott,  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Elliott,  who  was  born  April  30, 
1824,  in  Nicholas  county,  Kentucky.  Her  father,  born  December  25,  1769, 
came  from  Ireland  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  her  mother,  nee  Elizabeth  Ingels, 
born  July  23,  1780,  was  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  stock.  She  was  a  close  rela- 
tive of  Daniel  Boone.     In  1850  she  with  her  parents  moved  to  Boone  county. 


6i4  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Indiana,  where  tliey  bought  a  farm.  Clarissa  R.  Anderson  was  above  the 
average  woman  in  intelHgence,  being  well  versed  in  medicine  and  an  excellent 
financier,  besides  being  well  up  in  all  the  events  of  the  times.  She  was  a- most 
devoted  mother,  but  her  life's  work  was  ended  April  20,  1S93,  '"  ^^^^  sixty- 
ninth  year.  To  this  union  were  born:  Edy  Alice.  November  17,  1855,  who 
married  Samuel  Winn  and  died  September  i,  1878;  Robert  Orville,  born  Au- 
gust 24,  1857,  and  died  September  24,  1870;  Luretta  Ann,  born  March  25, 
1859,  married  John  W.  Donaldson,  of  Horton,  Kansas;  Oliver  Morton  was  the 
next;  Isaac  Grant  was  born  April  12,  1864,  died  March  4,  1868.  There  were 
two  children  who  died  in  infancy. 

Soon  after  his  second  marriage  T.  F.  Anderson  and  his  energetic  wife, 
who  started  life  anew,  purchased  the  old  homestead  and  began  its  cultivation. 
He  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  prospered  in  his  under- 
takings, but  in  1870  he  became  imbued  with  the  desire  to  seek  a  home  in  the 
west,  and  accordingly  made  his  way  to  Kansas.  On  the  30th  of  June  in  that 
year  he  reached  Doniphan  county,  and  at  once  took  possession  of  the  quarter- 
section  of  land  upon  which  he  now  resides.  It  was  then  a  wild  prairie  upon 
which  not  a  furrow  was  turned  or  an  improvement  made,  but  with  his  char- 
acteristic energy  he  began  its  development  and  transformed  it  into  a  good 
farm.  He  held  to  the  political  belief  of  the  Andersons,  and  gave  his  support 
to  the  Democratic  party,  until  1856,  when  he  voted  for  General  John  C.  Fre- 
mont, since  which  time  he  has  been  a  stalwart  Republican. 

Oliver  M.  Anderson  was  brought  to  Doniphan  county.  Kansas,  during  his 
early  boyhood,  and  was  here  reared  and  educated,  enjoying  the  privileges  af- 
forded by  the  public  schools.  He  has  made  farming  his  life's  work,  and 
through  his  well  directed  efforts  has  gained  a  comfortable  competence.  "Ag- 
riculture is  the  most  healthful,  the  most  useful  and  the  most  noble  employ- 
ment of  men,"  said  Washington,  and  the  truth  of  the  fact  remains  the  same 
today  as  when  it  was  uttered  by  the  father  of  his  country.  It  requires  ability 
of  no  mean  order  to  successfully  conduct  a  farm,  for  there  is  a  demand  of 
knowledge  of  the  rotation  of  crops,  of  the  needs  of  the  different  products,  and 
an  unabating  industry  and  enterprise  whereby  to  put  into  actual  use  one's  in- 
formation on  these  subjects.  The  well  improved  farm  owned  and  cultivated 
by  Mr.  Anderson  is  an  indication  that  our  subject  ranks  among  the  leading  ag- 
riculturists of  the  community.  He  also  has  been  twice  married.  He  wedded 
Miss  Amy  M.  Newcomb,  of  Independence,  Iowa,  February  2,  1887,  who  died 
July  31,  1892.  Three  children  were  born  to  Mrs.  Anderson,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. On  July  22,  1896,  Mr.  Anderson  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Rebecca 
Orem,  of  Baileyville,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Anderson  was  born  in  Doniphan  county, 
October  20.  1865,  and  has  been  the  mother  of  two  children — Orem  Oliver  and 
Mary  Clarissa.     Her  father  was  W.  J.  Orem,  born  January  8,  1836,  in  Dor- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         615 

Chester  county,  Maryland,  and  is  of  English  and  Scotch  lineage.  He  came  to 
Doniphan  county,  September  i,  1857,  and  for  years  took  an  active  part  in  the 
politics  of  the  county,  being  a  representative  sent  to  the  state  legislature  from 
that  county.  He  is  also  an  active  advocate  of  the  Soul  Sleepers'  faith.  Mrs. 
Anderson's  mother,  Mary,  ncc  Haggard,  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Ohio, 
June  27,  1846,  and  died  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  July  10,  1871,  and  was 
of  English  descent.  Our  subject  and  wife  enjoy  the  friendship  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  near  Purcell,  Doniphan  county,  where  they 
have  so  long  resided,  and  deserve  mention  among  the  representative  residents 
of  this  locality. 


A.  M.  RICKLEFS. 


A  representati\-e  of  the  agricultural  and  stock-raising  interests  of  \\'ayne 
township  is  A.  M.  Ricklefs.  who  is  to-day  the  owner  of  one  of  the  fine  farms 
of  this  locality.  He  was  born  in  Dntldridge  county,  now  \\'est  Virginia, 
November  30.  1862,  and  is  of  German  lineage.  His  father.  Miiis  Ricklefs, 
was  a  native  of  the  grand  duchy  of  Oldenburg,  where  his  birth  occurred  in 
iSio.  There  he  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  in  the  '50s  he  joined  a  little  com- 
pany of  emigrants,  including  the  Albers  and  Ladwig  families,  and  came  to  the 
United  States,  locating  first  in  Virginia.  In  the  Old  Dominion  he  married 
Lucenia  Albers,  and  afterward  devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  prospered  in  that  undertaking  in  the  east,  but  in  order  to  avail  himself  of  the 
opportunities  to  get  cheap  land  he  came  to  Kansas,  where  two  of  his  brothers- 
in-law  had  previously  settled.  He  purchased  a  quarter-section  of  land  in 
\\'ayne  township,  and  in  this  state  met  with  even  greater  prosperity  than  in 
Virginia.  He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  grain,  and  as  his 
financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  his  real-estate  holdings  until  his 
property  interests  aggregated  one  thousand  acres.  His  homestead  was  known 
as  the  Kent  farm,  and  to  it  he  remo\ed  his  family  in  1865.  He  took  no  active 
part  in  public  affairs  beyond  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  duties  of  citizenship 
and  cared  nothing  for  the  excitement  of  politics.  His  attention  was  devoted 
exclusively  to  business  and  his  prosperity  was  well  merited.  He  was  a  Lutheran 
in  religious  belief  and  a  Republican  in  his  political  affiliations.  His  death 
occurred  in  1894.  His  children  were  Mary,  the  wife  of  William  \Vilkey,  of 
W'ayne  township,  Doniphan  county:  A.  M..  of  this  review;  John,  who  wedded 
Annie  Volker  and  resides  in  Doniphan  county;  and  Garret  A.,  one  of  the  enter- 
prising young  farmers  of  South  \\o\i  River  township,  who  married  Ellen 
Bullock. 

Mr.  Ricklefs,  of  this  review,  remained  on  the  homestead  farm  until  after 


6i6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

he  had  attained  his  majority.  To  the  public-school  system  he  is  indebted  for 
the  educational  privileges  which  he  received.  He  was  only  three  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  came  to  Doniphan  county  and  here  he  has  since  resided, 
working  in  the  fields  through  his  youth  and  ultimately  becoming  one  of  the 
representative  farmers  of  the  community.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  rented 
a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Bendena  and  remained  there  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  purchased  the  Campbell  farm  in  Wayne  township  and  resided 
there  for  three  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased  the  Van 
Curen  farm,  upon  which  he  now  resides.  He  is  to-day  the  owner  of  three  hun- 
dred and  ninety  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  his  home  property  is  one  of  the 
best  in  that  locality.  He  has  erected  thereon  one  of  the  largest  and  finest 
cattle  barns  to  be  found  in  the  county  and  he  is  now  extensively  engaged  in 
feeding  and  shipping  cattle,  having  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  head  upon 
his  place. 

On  the  loth  of  August,  1885,  Mr.  Ricklefs  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Doddridge  county,  West  Virginia,  to  Miss  Nora  Krenn,  a  daughter  of  John 
Krenn,  and  to  them  have  been  born  five  children,  namely :  John,  Albert, 
Emma,  Violet  and  Edward.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Ricklefs  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  has  served  as  treasurer  of  his  school  district.  In  business  methods 
he  is  very  honorable,  systematic  and  progressive,  and  his  marked  energy  and 
enterprise  have  gained  him  a  place  among  the  representative  farmers  and  stock - 
dealers  of  his  adopted  county. 


JOHN  F.  SHIELDS. 

John  F.  Shields,  who  is  successfully  engaged  in  dealing  in  lumber,  coal 
and  groceries  at  Highland,  and  is  accounted  one  of  the  prosperous  business 
men  of  the  county,  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Kentucky,  near  Bowling 
Green,  December  25,  1838,  his  parents  being  S.  C.  and  Mariah  Woods  (Ster- 
rett)  Shields,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Virginia,  the  former  born  in  1799 
and  the  latter  February  12,  1809.  The  Shields  family  is  of  Irish  origin  and 
founded  in  America  by  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  and  whose  birth 
occurred  in  the  Emerald  Isle.  James  Shields,  the  grandfather,  was  a  native 
of  Virginia,  and  the  maternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Sterrett,  was  born  in 
Dublin,  Ireland.  Thomas  Sterrett  was  an  active  member  of  the  Kentucky 
militia,  and  attained  the  rank  of  major-general.  As  the  captain  of  a  company 
he  fought  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  in  the  war  of  181 2,  under  General  An- 
drew Jackson.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  Kentucky,  and 
subsequently  removed  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  in  1857.     There  the  father 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         617 

engaged  in  teaching  school  through  the  winter  season,  teaching  the  first  school 
in  Brown  county,  while  in  the  summer  months  he  devoted  his  energies  to  farm- 
ing until  1863.  He  then  came  with  his  family  to  Highland  where  he  made  his 
home  until  his  death  in  1879,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  His  wife  still  sur- 
vives him,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Highland.  Although  she  has  attained  her 
ninety-second  year  she  is  in  the  possession  of  all  her  faculties,  being  a  remark- 
ably well-preserved  old  lady. 

John  F.  Shields  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in  \\'arren  county, 
Kentucky,  and  acquired  his  education  in  a  private  school.  In  1857  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  remo\-al  to  Brown  county,  Kansas,  and  soon  after- 
ward entered  Highland  University,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  some 
time.  Later  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  1862,  when  he  put  aside  his 
personal  considerations  to  aid  in  the  defense  of  the  Union,  joining  Company 
H,  Thirteenth  Kansas  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Thomas  M. 
Bowen.  On  the  organization  of  the  company  Mr.  Shields  was  made  orderly 
sergeant,  and  afterward  promoted  to  the  rank  of  second  lieutenant.  With 
his  command  he  went  to  Missouri  and  for  three  years  remained  at  the  front, 
faithfully  and  bravely  discharging  every  duty  that  devolved  upon  him.  He 
participated  in  a  number  of  important  engagements,  including  the  battles  of 
Cane  Hill  and  Prairie  Grove.  When  Colonel  Bowen  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  brigadier-general  he  appointed  Mr.  Shields  to  a  position  on  his  staff, 
and  at  one  time  the  latter  also  served  as  adjutant  of  the  regiment  and  provost 
marshal.  In  every  position  in  which  he  was  placed  he  was  always  loyal  to  the 
trusts  imposed  on  him  and  to  the  old  flag,  the  emblem  of  the  Union. 

After  being  mustered  out  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  July,  1865, 
Mr.  Shields  returned  to  Highland  and  gave  his  attention  to  farming  for  fifteen 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  established  a  lumber  and  coal  yard. 
In  1897  he  also  opened  a  grocery  store,  and  has  since  carried  on  business  along 
those  various  lines,  receiving  from  the  public  a  liberal  patronage. 

In  1867  ]\Ir.  Shields  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  L.  McCrutchen, 
of  Hanover,  Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mariah  (Hynes)  McCrutch- 
en, of  French  Huguenot  stock,  and  a  native  of  Illinois.  Foir  children — two 
sons  and  two  daughters — have  been  born  of  this  union  :  Samuel  M.,  a  graduate 
of  Highland  L^niversity,  who  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Spanish-American  war 
with  the  First  Montana  Infantry  in  the  Philippine  islands ;  Eugene  Sterritt,  a 
graduate  of  Highland  University,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in 
Butte,  Montana;  Mariah  E.,  the  wife  of  J.  S.  Bayliss,  a  resident  of  Tucson, 
Arizona;  and  Louisa  Funston,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Highland  University, 
and  is  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association, 
with  Iieadquarters  at  Chicago. 

In  politics  Mr.  Shields  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been  three  times  elected 


6i8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  mayor  of  Higliland.  a  fact  wliicli  indicates  that  liis  administration  of  mu- 
nicipal affairs  was  progressive.  Inisiness-hke  and  commendable.  He  has  also 
served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  and  for  tweh-e  years  was  a  member  of 
the  school  board.  Thus  actively  connected  with  city  government,  he  has 
labored  earnestly  to  promote  the  welfare  of  Highland  and  to  advance  its  ma- 
terial, educational,  social  and  moral  interests.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  aid  in 
organizing  the  Veteran  Brothers'  Bond,  which  was  later  merged  into  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  on  the  formation  of  the  latter  society.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  being  the  oldest  member  of  the  church  in  High- 
land, and  has  been  a  ruling  elder  for  thirty  years.  He  is  highly  esteemed  as  a 
citizen  and  as  a  man.  and  well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume. 


JONATHAN  MYERS. 


Troy,  Kansas,  has  its  quota  of  enterprising,  reliable  professional  men. 
and  occupying  a  representative  place  among  them  is  the  gentleman  whose  name 
adorns  this  page  and  who  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  dentistry  here 
for  more  than  twenty  years.     His  life  history,  in  brief,  is  as  follows: 

Jonathan  Myers,  known  as  "J.  C."  Myers,  to  be  distinguished  from  Dr. 
James  Myers,  a  brother,  was  born  in  Harrison  county.  Ohio,  near  Uhrichs- 
ville,  August  4,  1844,  a  son  of  James  R.  and  Maria  D.  (Romig)  Myers,  both 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  former  of  Washington  county  and  the  latter  of 
Northampton  county.  The  Myers  family  are  of  German  origin  and  were 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Pennsylvania.  In  that  state  David  Myers,  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born.  In  the  early  settlement  of  Ohio  the 
family  mo\'ed  westward  to  Harrison  county,  and  established  their  home  among 
its  pioneers.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  William  Romig. 
James  R.  Myers  was  by  trade  a  tanner,  at  which  he  worked  in  Pennsylvania 
and  Ohio,  but  afterward  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  for  many 
years  carried  on  agricultural  pin'suits.  He  died  at  Uhrichsville,  Ohio,  in 
1878,  his  wife,  at  the  same  place,  in  1877.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  and  was  an  elder  and  deacon  in  the  same  for  many  3'ears.  while 
she  and  her  people  were  Moravians  and  often  attended  the  general  meetings  of 
that  church  at  Gnadenhutten,  Ohio.  Of  the  fifteen  children  born  to  this  couple 
thirteen  reached  maturity,  and  the  youngest  of  the  family  now  living  is  fifty 
years  of  age. 

'Jonathan  Myers  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm,  receiving 
his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  was  yet  in* his  'teens  at  the  time  the 
civil  war  broke  out.     Before  its  close,  however,  and  before  he  had  attained  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         619 

twentieth  year,  lie  enlisted,  in  May,  1864,  '"  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-first  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  John  D.  Cummings  and 
Colonel  Taylor;  went  with  his  regiment  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  Virginia, 
and  remained  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  then  honorably 
discharged,  and  at  Columbus  was  mustered  out. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  young  Myers  took  up  the  study  of  dentistry  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  John  McKenley,  under  whose  instructions  he  made  careful  prep- 
aration for  his  life  work, and  in  due  time  completed  his  studies  and  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  For  three  years  he  was  engaged  in  practice  at 
Utica,  Licking  county,  Ohio,  and  from  there,  in  1870,  he  came  to  Kansas,  locat- 
ing at  Higiiton,  Doniphan  county,  where  the  next  three  years  were  spent. 
While  there  he  was  married,  and  soon  after  his  marriage  he  moved  back  to 
Ohio,  and  from  that  time  until  1878  conducted  a  successful  practice  at  his  old 
home,  Uhrichs\ille.  In  January,  1878,  he  returned  to  Kansas  and  located  at 
Troy,  where  he  has  had  a  successful  professional  career  covering  over  twenty 
years  and  where  he  is  well  known  and  highly  respected. 

Mrs.  Myers,  formerly  Miss  Martha  A.  Campbell,  was  born  in  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Rev.  D.  B.  Campbell,  a  minister  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  For  some  years  Mr.  Campbell  was  a  member 
of  the  Pittsburg  conference  and  later  belonged  to  the  Kansas  conference. 
The  Doctor  has  three  children,  namely:  Mary  Alberta,  the  wife  of  R.  B. 
Castle,  a  merchant  of  Troy;  Walter  C,  an  M.  D.  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  Rea,  Missouri;  and  Adda  E.,  a  high-school  graduate. 

Dr.  Myers  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  his  city,  and  at  this  writing  is  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  has 
been  a  trustee  of  Center  township.  He  is  a  member  of  Kenney  Post,  Xo. 
292,  G.  A.  R.,  in  which  he  is  a  past  commander. 


WILLIAM  GRAHAM. 

William  Graham,  who  is  connected  with  the  agricultural  and  stock-raising 
interests  of  northeastern  Kansas  and  makes  his  home  in  Sabetha,  was  born 
in  Tioga  county,  New  York,  in  the  town  of  Richford,  April  14,  1834.  His 
father,  John  S.  Graham,  was  born  in  Ulster  county.  New  York,  May  27.  1 794, 
and  was  a  shoemaker  and  tanner  by  trade.  The  grandfather,  Richard  Graham, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  Empire  state  and  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hannah  Gee. 
She  was  born  in  New  York  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  Gee,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  that  state  and  he  was  of  Dutch  lineage,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the 


620  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Revolutionary  war.  John  S.  Graham  died  on  the  291)1  of  November,  1869, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  on  the  15th  of  October,  1840.  They  had  tliree  sons 
who  were  vaHant  soldiers  of  the  Union  during  the  civil  war,  and  one  laid  down 
his  life  upon  the  altar  of  his  country.  He  joined  Company  D,  Eighth  Kansas 
Infantry,  became  its  captain,  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga. 
Another  son,  George  Graham,  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  factor  in  the 
political  life  of  Kansas.  In  1865  he  w^as  elected  to  the  state  legislature,  where 
he  served  one  year:  in  1866  was  elected  state  senator  for  Brown  and  Nemaha 
counties  and  in  1868  was  elected  state  treasurer.  He  left  the  impress  of  his 
individuality  uix)n  the  legislative  movements  of  the  commonwealth  and  was 
very  earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  all  movements  which  he  believed  would  prove 
a  public  benefit. 

William  Graham,  of  this  review,  spent  his  youth  in  Broome  county,  New 
York,  pursuing  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  which  he  attended  through 
the  winter  seasons,  working  on  the  farm  during  the  summer  months  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  September,  1856,  he  came  to  Nemaha  county, 
Kansas,  in  company  with  his  brother,  John  L.  Graham,  and  his  brother-in-law, 
Edward  Miller.  This  was  five  years  before  the  admission  of  the  state  into  the 
Union  and  the  work  of  development  w'as  just  beginmng.  Kansas  w-as  soon 
to  become  the  disputed  territory  of  the  friends  and  opponents  of  slavery,  being 
the  center  of  much  of  the  trouble  which  preceded  the  civil  war.  Its  lands  were 
in  their  primitive  condition,  awaiting  the  touch  of  the  white  man  to  transform 
them  into  rich  and  fertile  fields. 

Mr.  Graham  secured  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Nemaha 
county  and  cultivated  the  tract  until  1861,  when  he  resix)nded  to  the  country's 
call  for  troops,  enlisting  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  was  mustered  in 
as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Thirteenth  Missouri  Infantry,  under  command  of 
Colonel  Peabody.  The  regiment  w^as ordered  to  Lexington,  Missouri,under  Col- 
onel Mulligan,  and  after  nine  days'  fight  surrendered  to  General  Price,  but  was 
paroled  and  afterward  mustered  out.  Later  Mr.  Graham  joined  the  Seventh 
Kansas  Cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  C.  R.  Jennison,  and  spent  the 
following  winter  in  Missouri  and  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas.  The  regiment  was 
ordered  to  New  Mexico  and  started,  but  was  ordered  back  and  sent  to  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  arriving  there  two  days  after  that  great  battle.  The  regiment 
Mas  afterward  ordered  to  Columbus,  Kentucky,  and  later  engaged  in  opening 
the  Alobile  &  Ohio  Railroad  to  Corinth,  where  he  was  stationed  for  nearly  two 
years.  His  regiment  was  ordered  to  Colonel  Phil  Sheridan's  brigade,  and  on 
the  1st  of  Januar}^  1864,  re-enlisted  as  a  member  of  the  Seventh  Kansas 
Cavalry,  in  which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  received  an 
honorable  discharge. 

Upon  his  return  home  Mr.  Graham  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising,. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         621 

which  l)usiiiess  he  followed  with  signal  success  for  a  numher  of  vears.  He 
then  sold  his  property  and  removed  to  Sabetha.  Kansas,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  He  was  married,  in  1870,  to  Miss  Sarah  L.  Ralyea,  formerly 
a  resident  of  New  York  and  a  daughter  of  C.  V.  Ralyea.  They  now  have 
one  daughter,  Jennie,  who  is  a  successful  teacher,  occupying  the  position  or 
teacher  in  the  Sabetha  schools. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Graham  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  unswerving 
in  his  support  of  the  principles  of  the  party.  He  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
issues  of  the  day  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  insure  the  success  of  the  political 
organization  with  which  he  is  identified.  In  1898  he  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace  and  the  following  year  was  appointed  police  judge  of 
the  city  of  Sabetha.  He  has  proved  a  most  capable  and  competent  officer,  dis- 
charging his  duties  without  fear  or  favor,  and  thus  winning  the  confidence  of 
all  law-abiding  citizens.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  of  Sabetha,  in  which  he  has  ser\ed  as  a  deacon  for  the  past  twenty 
years.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  Sabetha  Post,  No.  175,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
for  some  time  was  the  commander  of  the  post.  He  enjoys  the  high  regard  of 
of  his  old  army  comrades  and  all  those  with  whom  he  has  been  associated  in 
business  and  public  life.  His  identification  with  Nemaha  county  covers  almost 
the  entire  period  of  its  tlevelopment ;  he  has  witnessed  its  growth  and  improve- 
ment through  many  years  and  has  aided  in  its  progress,  so  that  he  may  well  be 
numbered  among  the  pioneers  who  laid  the  foundation  for  the  present  pros- 
perity of  the  community. 


WILLI A^I  D.  RIPPEY. 

Prominent  among  the.  extensive  land  owners  and  successful  farmers  of 
Doniphan  county  is  this  gentleman,  whose  realty  holdings  are  equaled  by  few 
others  in  the  commonwealth.  Success  in  business  and  friendship  in  social 
circles  have  come  to  him,  but  he  is  the  same  unassuming  gentleman  who  arrived 
in  this  county  forty-three  years  ago  empty-handed ;  for  in  the  sympathy,  kind- 
liness, charity  and  uprightness  of  his  nature  and  his  unchangeableness  in 
following  in  the  path  of  duty,  he  has  so  lived  as  to  command  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  all.  He  is  now  enjoying  a  well-earned  retirement  from  the 
most  active  business  cares,  although  he  yet  gives  much  time  to  the  care  of  his 
landed  interests.  His  success  in  all  transactions,  however,  have  brought  to 
him  well-merited  wealth  and  has  enabled  him  in  the  later  years  of  his  life  to 
enjoy  the  benefits  and  pleasures  of  travel  both  in  his  native  land  and  abroad. 

Mr.  Rippey  was  born  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  upon  a  farm  near  the 
town  of  Benton,  September  28,   1833,  his  parents  being  Matthew  and  Jane 


622  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

(Montgomery)  Rippey,  both  of  wliom  were  natives  of  Ohio.  The  grand- 
father. Joseph  Rippey,  who  was  a  native  of  Indiana  and  was  of  Enghsh  Hneage, 
was  a  soldier  of  1812.  On  the  maternal  side  our  subject  was  of  Scotch 
descent,  and  the  family  was  noted  for  its  ability  in  accumulating  wealth.  His 
maternal  grandfather  was  George  M.  Montgomery.  Matthew  Rippey  and 
his  wife  spent  their  entire  lives  on  the  farm,  where  they  located  at  a  very  early 
day  and  both  have  now  passed  away. 

Upon  the  old  family  homestead  W.  D.  Rippey  was  reared,  early  becoming 
familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist. 
In  his  youth  he  was  sent  to  the  district  school,  later  to  the  Goshen  high  school, 
and  completed  his  school  course  at  Fort  Wayne  College.  He  afterward 
engaged  in  teaching  in  that  locality  for  a  few  years,  and  in  1854  he  went  to 
Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in  surveying  in  the  employ  of  the  government  until 
1856.  At  the  latter  date  he  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and  pre- 
empted one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  lying  in  Brown  county,  to  which 
he  added  until  that  farm  comprised  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 

He  has  always  been  content  to  engage  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  has 
made  farming  his  life  work.  Industry  may  well  be  termed  the  keystone  of 
his  character,  and  added  to  this  is  the  ability  to  recognize  the  opportunity  of 
the  moment.  These  qualities  have  brought  him  prosperity,  and  to-day  he  is 
one  of  the  largest  land  owners  in  the  state.  He.  has  twenty-five  hundred 
acres  of  rich  and  arable  land  in  Doniphan  county,  all  of  which  is  uixler  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  In  addition  he  has  purchased  six  thousand  acres  in  Ander- 
son county,  and  almost  a  township  of  choice  land  in  the  Texas  Panhandle.  The 
greater  part  of  the  Anderson  county  land  is  under  cultivation  and  yields  to  him 
an  excellent  income.  His  cattle  ranch  in  Texas  is  well  stocked  and  is  now 
vmder  the  management  of  his  son-in-law.  For  many  years  he  was  an  exten- 
sive shipper  of  cattle,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  time  now  is  devoted  to  the 
management  of  his  landed  interests. 

In  June,  1862,  Mr.  Rippey  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza  Keeney, 
who  died  in  1867,  and  in  January,  1868,  he  wedded  Amanda  C.  Hopkins, 
who  was  born  in  Genesee  county,  New  York,  December  22,  1837.  Her  parents 
were  James  M.  and  Sally  (Chivington)  Hopkins,  formerly  of  Vermont. 
During  her  early  girlhood  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  Elkhart  county, 
Indiana.  She  was  provided  with  excellent  educational  privileges,  being  grad- 
uated in  Hillsdale  College,  Michigan,  in  1862,  while  later  she  pursued  a 
post-graduate  course  in  the  State  University  of  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan.  A 
lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  she  has  exerted  marked  influence  in  social 
circles,  and  is  especially  active  in  the  work  of  reform.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rippey  hold  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  contribute 
most  liberally  and  generously  to  its  support.     This  lady  has  been  especially 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  623 

active  in  tiie  work  of  tlie  church,  the  Sunday-school  and  along  temperance 
lines.  Slie  was  a  delegate  to  the  interstate  Sunday-school  convention  which 
met  in  .\tlanta.  Georgia,  in  1899,  and  was  elected  to  the  general  conference 
whicli  met  in  New  York  city  in  188S,  at  which  the  famous  debate  occurred 
relative  to  the  admission  of  female  delegates,  resulting  in  placing  the  question 
for  decision  before  the  several  conferences.  She  possesses  most  excellent  busi- 
ness and  executive  ability  and  at  the  same  time  has  those  social  cjualities  which 
reniler  her  a  charming  hostess,  for  her  home  is  pervaded  by  an  air  of  culture  and 
refinement.  Mr.  and  Airs.  Rippey  have  traveled  quite  extensively.  Travel 
is  the  true  source  of  wisdom  in  many  directions,  it  broadens  and  improves  one 
as  nothing  else  does.  They  have  made  many  pleasant  trips  into  the  old  Mon- 
tezuma empire,  have  spent  some  time  on  the  California  coast  and  in  1881  they 
went  abroad  visiting  the  places  of  modern  and  historic  interest  in  London, 
England,  and  then  continued  their  travels  to  Germany.  They  visited  the 
interesting  old  cathedrals  of  this  land,  Frankfort  on  the  Main,  and  saw  the 
beauties  of  the  Rhine,  and  with  minds  enriched  with  memories  of  the  days 
spent  abroad  they  returned  to  their  home  content  that  they  are  Americans 
and  that  their  interests  are  allied  with  the  greatest  republic  on  the  face  of  the 
globe.  In  1 90 1  Mr.  Rippey  will  go  to  London,  England,  as  a  delegate  to  the 
ecumenical  conference. 


DAVID  DIXON. 


David  Dixon  is  one  of  the  venerable  citizens  of  Nemaha  county,  his  home 
being  on  section  16,  Berwick  township,  where  for  many  years  he  has  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  passed  his  eighty-fifth  milestone  on  life's  jour- 
ney, and  yet  possesses  the  vigor  of  a  man  much  younger,  still  maintaining  an 
active  interest  in  the  affairs  pertaining  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  his  com- 
munity. Old  age  is  not  necessarily  a  synonym  for  weakness  or  inactivity; 
for  there  is  an  old  age  which  is  a  benediction  to  all,  and  which  gives  of  its  rich 
stores  a  wisdom  and  experience  to  those  whose  journey  in  life  has  but  begun. 
Mr.  Dixon  receives  the  veneration  and  respect  which  should  ever  be  accorded 
to  one  of  advanced  years,  and  is  counted  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  resi- 
dents of  Berwick  township. 

A  native  of  Brown  county,  Ohio,  he  was  born  on  the  15th  of  March,  1815, 
and  was  the  eldest  son  of  William  and  Susan  (Hardester)  Dixon,  who  were 
natives  of  Ireland.  Upon  an  Ohio  farm  he  spent  his  boyhood  days,  and  in  the 
district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  he  acquired  his  education.  Throughout 
the  summer  months  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  field  and  meadow,  and  continued 
on  his  father's  farm  until  he  attained  his  majority,  at  wbich  age  he  started  out 


624  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

in  life  for  liimself.  He  had  no  capital  hut  was  not  afraid  of  work,  and  his 
energy  and  enterprise  stood  him  instead  of  wealth.  As  a  companion  and  help- 
mate on  life's  journey,  he  chose  MiSs  Ellen  C.  Tweed,  the  wedding  being  cele- 
brated in  Brown  county.  Ohio,  on  the  nth  of  February,  1837.  The  lady  was 
born  in  that  county,  on  the  4th  of  February,  181 7,  and  with  her  husband  she 
went  to  live  upon  a  farm  in  that  locality,  where  they  made  their  home  until 
1845.  They  tlien  removed  to  the  town  of  Ripley,  Ohio,  where  Mr.  Dixon  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandising,  and  continued  in  that  line  of  business  for 
three  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  removed  to  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  stock  business,  being  one  of  the  leaders  in  that  line  in  Kane  county.  For 
nine  years  he  purchased  cattle  in  the  south,  driving  them  to  market  in  Chicago ; 
and  in  that  way  he  gained  his  start.  Being  an  excellent  judge  of  stock,  he 
managed  his  business  interests  with  capability  and  acquired  a  good  capital  as 
the  reward  of  his  labors.  When  nine  years  had  passed  he  returned  to  Brown 
county,  Ohio,  where  his  family  had  remained  in  the  meantime,  and  purchased 
a  farm  near  Ripley,  Ohio.  There  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1882,  when  he  sold  his  property  and  came  to  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  pur- 
chasing the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides,  on  section  16,  Berwick  town- 
ship. He  bought  an  entire  section  of  land,  which  he  improved  with  all  the 
accessories  and  conveniences  of  a  model  farm,  antl  which  is  stocked  with  a  high 
grade  of  cattle.  The  well  tilled  fields  now  yield  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return 
for  his  labor,  and  his  efforts  throughout  an  active  business  career  have  been 
crowned  with  a  high  degree  of  prosperity,  making  him  one  of  the  substantial 
residents  of  Nemaha  county.  He  has  been  most  generous  with  his  family, 
and  has  built  homes  for  his  children  who  are  now  living  in  Kansas. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon  have  been  born  the  following  named  :  Marion, 
who  is  now  living  in  Brown  county,  Ohio;  William,  a  practicing  physician  of 
Ohio;  Susan,  the  wife  of  Steve  Sweetland;  Charlie,  a  resident  of  Nemaha 
county;  George,  who  also  is  living  in  Nemaha  county;  Ida,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Gregory,  of  the  same  county;  Ella,  who  died  in  Kansas  in  early  girlhood; 
Johnnie  and  Robert,  who  also  departed  this  life  at  an  early  age ;  and  Archie, 
who  responded  to  his  country's  call  for  ti'oops  and  died  while  in  the  army  dur- 
ing the  civil  war. 

Mr.  Dixon  has  always  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  political  aft'airs,  and 
has  made  a  close  study  of  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  national  Republican  convention  at  Minneapolis,  and  has  given  his 
support  to  the  men  and  measures  of  that  party  since  its  organization.  He  was 
recognized  as  one  of  its  prominent  workers  in  Ohio,  and  was  a  friend  of  many 
of  its  leading  representatives,  including  Garfield.  He  was  also  personally 
acquainted  with  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  was  an  old-time  friend  of  President 
McKinley,  from  whom  he  occasionally  received  a  letter.     The  cause  of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         625 

party  has  long  been  dear  to  his  heart,  for  he  beheves  that  its  platform  contains 
the  best  principles  of  government.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon,  after  a  happy  married 
life  of  sixty-three  years,  are  still  living  together  in  their  pleasant  home  in  Ne- 
maha county,  and  are  the  oldest  couple  in  this  locality.  They  have  shared 
with  each  other  in  life  their  joys  and  sorrows,  and  their  adversity  and  pros- 
perity, and  their  mutual  love  and  confidence  have  grown  with  the  passing 
years.  They  are  held  in  the  highest  regard  by  all  who  know  them,  and  it  is 
the  wish  of  their  many  friends  that  they  may  yet  be  spared  for  many  years  to 
come. 


WILLIAM  S.  BRO^^'X. 

One  of  the  enterprising  farmers  of  northeastern  Kansas,  living  near  Hia- 
watha, William  S.  Brown,  was  born  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  December  8,  1841, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Martha  (\\'rittenhouse)  Brown.  His  paternal 
grandparents  were  George  and  Mary  (Stewart)  Brown.  His  maternal  grand- 
father was  Samuel  Writtenhouse.  who  married  a  Miss  Smith.  William 
Brown  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  antl  a  farmer  liy  occupation.  He  had 
seven  children,  of  whom  four  sons  and  a  daughter  sur\-ive,  the  latter  being 
Mrs.  Pricer,  of  Brown  county.  Kansas. 

The  subject  of  this  review  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life  in  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  in 
the  summer  months  worked  upon  the  farm.  In  June,  1861,  he  put  aside  his 
business  affairs  and  personal  considerations  in  order  to  enter  his  country's 
service,  and  joined  Company  A,  Eighteenth  Ohio  Infantry,  under  command 
of  Colonel  T.  R.  Stanley.  Soon  after  the  organization  of  this  regiment  they 
were  sent  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  then  to  Bowling  Green,  that  state.  In 
February,  1862,  the  command  was  transferred  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and 
took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Bowling  Green  and  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and 
guarded  the  Nashville,  Memphis  &  Charleston  Railroad,  under  command  of 
Colonel  Mitchell.  On  returning  to  the  capital  city  they  prepared  and  started 
in  pursuit  of  General  J.  S.  Negley.  and  subsequently  participated  in  the  battles 
of  Stone  River  and  Chickamauga  im  the  19th  and  20th  of  September,  1863. 
At  the  latter  place  Mr.  Brown  was  wounded  in  the  fore-arm  by  a  gunshot, 
which  disabled  him  for  some  time.  On  the  9th  of  November,  1864,  his  time 
of  enlistment  having  expired,  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Columbus.  Ohio, 
at  which  time  he  held  the  rank  of  orderly  sergeant. 

Returning  to  Ross  county.  Mr.  Brown  assisted  his  father,  wIkt  at  that 
time  was  engaged  in  milling,  but  in  June,  1865,  he  removed  to  Illinois,  and 
soon  after  went  to  Holt  county,  Missouri,  where  he  remained  for  two  years. 


626  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

dealing  in  live  stock  and  farming.  In  1867  he  removed  to  Brown  county, 
Kansas,  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  plac- 
ing the  same  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  since  erected  excellent 
buildings,  including  a  substantial  residence,  barns,  sheds  and  all  the  necessary 
outbuildings.  He  has  also  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  property  by  the  ad- 
ditional purchase  of  ninety  acres,  and  now  he  has  a  valuable  tract  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres.  He  has  carried  on  general  farming  and  also  given 
considerable  attention  to  the  breeding  of  red  pooled  cattle.  He  believes  in 
raising  the  best  grades  of  stock,  holding  the  wise  opinion  that  high  grades  arc 
more  profitable. 

In  1865  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Brown  and  Miss  Frances  M. 
Middleton.  a  native  of  Ross  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Lawrence  and  Margaret 
(Brown)  Middleton.  They  now  have  four  children:  Laura  A.,  the  wife  of 
A.  C.  Potter,  of  Hiawatha ;  Jessie  J.,  the  wife  of  L.  S.  Brown,  of  Canyon  City, 
Colorado ;  Nellie  Belle,  the  wife  of  H.  S.  Donly ;  and  Samuel  Todd,  at  home. 

Mr.  Brown  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  affiliations,  and  has  served  for 
a  number  of  years  as  a  township  trustee,  discharging  his  duties  in  a  prompt 
and  able  manner.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  Hiawatha  Post,  No.  130,  G. 
A.  R.  His  residence  in  the  county  covers  a  period  of  a  third  of  a  century, 
during  which  time  he  has  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  and  development  of 
this  region  and  has  borne  his  part  in  its  advancement. 


MORGAN  S.  MAUCK. 

The  history  of  a  state  is  not  the  record  of  its  institutions  or  of  its  ma- 
chinerv  of  government,  but  lies  in  the  lives  of  its  citizens  and  results  from  the 
unselfish  devotion  and  patriotic  interest  of  its  loyal  men  and  women.  With 
keen  appreciation  of  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  with  marked  ability  wliich 
has  nine  times  led  to  his  election  to  the  office  of  mayor,  Morgan  S.  Mauck  is 
now  serving  as  the  chief  executive  of  White  Cloud,  and  his  devotion  to  the 
public  good  is  widely  recognized.  His  administration  has  been  practical, 
business-like  and  beneficial,  and  he  is  justly  accounted  one  of  the  most  valued 
and  representative  men  of  this  portion  of  Kansas. 

A  native  of  Virginia,  he  was  born  near  Luray.  Page  county,  on  the  i  ith 
of  February,  1839.  His  parents.  William  and  Kizie  L.  (Waite)  Mauck, 
were  both  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion,  and  were  married  there  on  the  13th  of 
November,  1821.  The  father  was  a  mechanic  and  farmer.  In  the  family 
were  eight  children,  seven  sons  and  a  daughter,  the  subject  of  this  review 
being  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth.  All  are  yet  living  with  one  exception,  and 
the  ages  range  between  fifty-seven  and  seventy-eight  years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         627 

The  educational  privileges  of  our  subject  were  limited  to  a  few  years' 
attendance  at  an  old  log  school-house  in  Virginia  where  school  was  held  dur- 
ing in  winter  months,  the  teacher  usually  being  some  enterprising  Yankee  who 
thus  augmented  his  capital  in  the  south  and  "boarded  around"  among  his 
patrons  of  the  school.  Mr.  jMauck  was  studious,  industrious  and  ambitious ; 
but,  owing  to  the  limited  opportunities  he  had  in  youth,  he  has  never  been 
fully  satisfied  with  the  knowledge  he  has  acquired,  although  through  practical 
experience,  observation  and  reading  he  has  become  a  well  informed  man.  In 
the  fall  of  1858  he  left  his  native  state  in  company  with  his  parents  and  took 
up  his  abode  in  White  Cloud,  Kansas.  His  father  here  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber,  and  after  acting  as  his  assistant  for  a  few  years,  Morgan 
Mauck  purchased  an  interest,  continuing  in  the  business  with  good  success  for 
eight  years. 

In  1869,  however,  he  sold  the  saw-mill  and  lumber-yard  and  began  the 
development  of  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  the  prairie  near 
White  Cloud ;  but  with  him  agriculture  did  not  prove  a  paying  venture  and  he 
sold  his  land,  returning  to  the  city,  where  he  embarked  in  general  merchan- 
dising, in  company  with  a  man  who  had  had  much  experience  in  that  line.  The 
venture,  however,  proved  a  failure,  and  in  1887  he  dissolved  the  partnership. 
The  stock  was  divided,  and  with  the  little  remnant  to  start  with  Mr.  Mauck 
soon  built  up  a  good  and  prosperous  business,  which  has  steadily  increased. 
On  the  19th  of  December,  1895,  however,  he  sustained  by  fire  a  total  loss  of  his 
building  and  stock.  Such  a  catastrophe  would  have  totally  discouraged  most 
other  men,  but,  Phcenix-like,  a  new  enterprise  arose  from  the  ashes,  for  in  less 
than  a  month  after  the  fire  Mr.  Mauck  had  rebuilt  the  place  of  business  and  is 
now  enjoying  a  profitable  and  constantly  increasing  trade.  He  is  a  man  of 
very  resolute  and  determined  spirit,  careful  in  his  management,  judicious  in 
his  investments  and  at  all  times  reliable  in-  his  dealings.  These  qualities  have 
insured  his  success  and  made  him  a  prominent  business  man. 

On  the  17th  of  December,  1865,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Mauck  and 
Miss  Julia  A.  Robinson,  of  Missouri.  The  wedding  was  celebrated  in  White 
Cloud,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with  six  children ;  but  Luly  May,  the  sec- 
ond, died  in  infancy,  and  ^^'illie  R.  at  the  age  of  one  year.  The  others  are 
Irene  ^I.,  Ralph  E.,  Gussie  L.  and  Bertha  M.  The  mother  passed  away  in 
1882.  She  was  a  kind.  Christian  wife  and  mother,  and  her  loss  was  deejily 
mourned  throughout  the  entire  community.  Socially  Mr.  Mauck  is  connected 
with  White  Cloud  Lodge,  No.  78,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  has  been  a  member 
since  1868.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  time  he  has  served  as  one  of  its 
leading  officers,  and  in  his  life  he  has  exemplified  the  beneficent  spirit  of  the 
fraternity.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  has 
supported  each  presidential  candidate  of  the  Republican  party  since  that  time. 


628  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

His  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth,  capability  and  fidelity,  have  fre- 
quently called  him  to  public  office.  He  has  nine  times  served  as  the  mayor  of 
White  Cloud,  is  now  filling  the  office  for  the  third  successive  term,  and  for 
eight  years  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  education.  Such  a  record 
demands  no  further  comment.  It  is  in  itself  a  testimonial  of  faithful  service, 
for  though  an  unworthy  person  may  gain  office,  the  majority  of  the  American 
people  are  too  shrewd  and  sensible  to  keep  such  a  one  in  a  position  of  public 
trust.  Mr.  Mauck  enjoys  the  high  regard  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
he  is  associated,  and  his  record  in  business,  political  and  social  life  is  indeed 
commendable. 


NELS  ANDERSON. 


In  the  "land  of  the  midnight  sun"  Nels  Anderson  was  born,  and  he  pos- 
sesses the  qualities  of  perseverance  and  industry  so  cliaracteristic  of  people  of 
his  nationality.  His  birth  occurred  in  Norway  on  the  21st  of  March,  1826, 
and  he  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  country.  His  fa- 
ther, Osul  Anderson,  was  a  farmer,  and  amid  the  scenes  of  rural  life  the  son 
was  reared,  becoming  familiar  with  the  work  of  cultivating  the  fields  and  pro- 
ducing good  crops.  He  also  obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools  there 
and  remained  in  Norway  until  January  9,  1847,  '^vhen  he  sailed  for  New  Or- 
leans. He  did  not  tarry  long,  however,  in  the  Crescent  city,  but  continued  his 
journey  to  Missouri  with  his  parents  who  came  to  America,-  l)ringing  with 
them  their  family  of  seven  children,  namely :  Andrew,  who  ser\-ed  as  a  soldier 
in  the  ci\-il  war  and  is  now  deceased;  Nels:  Gunder,  a  resident  of  Doniphan 
county:  Osul,  who  is  living  on  a  farm  in  Oklahoma;  Peter,  a  member  of  the 
Tenth  Kansas  Infantry  during  the  civil  war;  Gunber,  who  is  deceased;  and 
Derrick,  who  also  fought  with  the  hoys  in  blue  in  defense  of  the  Union.  The 
father  died  in  1879,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years,  and  the  mother  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  civil  war  Mr.  Anderson,  whose  name  heads 
this  review,  responded  to  the  call  of  his  adopted  country,  enlisting  on  the  2d 
of  October,  1 861,  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  Eighth  Kansas  Infantry,  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Vick  Harrington  and  Colonel  John  M.  Martin.  He 
was  in  the  service  for  three  years  and  one  day,  and  was  first  under  fire  at  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga,  in  September,  1863,  being  a  member  of  the  division 
commanded  by  General  McCook.  He  also  participated  in  the  Tennessee  cam- 
paign, and  was  stationed  for  some  time  in  Atlanta.  When  his  term  of  service 
had  expired  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his  home.  The 
hardships  and  trials  incident  to  army  life  undermined  his  constitution,  and  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         629 

has  since  suffered  from  rheumatism,  but  he  rendered  a  willing  and  loyal  service 
to  his  adopted  land,  and  his  name  deserves  to  be  inscribed  on  the  roll  of  the 
heroes  of  the  civil  war. 

After  his  return  Mr.  Anderson  became  identified  with  the  agricultural  in- 
terests of  Doniphan  county,  and  is  today  the  owner  of  sixty  acres  of  land  in 
Wayne  township.  This  rich  and  arable  tract  is  now  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation, and  the  well  tilled  fields  yield  to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute  in  return 
for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  them.  He  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  political  honors,  preferring  to  give 
his  time  to  his  business  affairs. 


CLARENXE  ^I.  STREEPER. 

Clarence  M.  Streeper.  one  of  the  retired  farmers  of  Atchison,  Kansas, 
has  been  a  resident  of  this  state  since  1871,  and  for  the  past  six  years  has  been 
living  quietly  at  his  present  home.  Mr.  Streeper  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
born  in  Cumberland  county,  June  3,  1824,  a  son  of  Christopher  and  Catherine 
(Brooks)  Streeper.  The  Brooks  family  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  New 
Jersey,  and  Almeron  Brooks,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Streeper,  was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier.     Her  mother  was  before  marriage    Sally  Champness. 

Clarence  M.  Streeper  passed  his  youthful  days  in  Bridgeton.  New  Jer- 
sey, and  there  received  a  common-school  education.  His  mother  having 
died  when  he  was  ten  years  old,  he  went  to  live  with  a  cousin  of  his  mother, 
Joseph  Nelson,  with  whom  he  remained  until  grown.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
young  Streeper  commenced  learning  the  trade  of  carpenter,  at  which  he  served 
a  three-years  apprenticeship,  and  after  completing  his  trade  he  went  to  Salem 
county.  New  Jersey,  where  he  worked  as  a  journeyman  carpenter.  Later 
he  purchased  a  farm,  and  for  some  time  was  engaged  in  farming  there.  In 
1871  circumstances  favored  his  removal  west  and  he  took  up  his  abode  on  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Shannon  township,  Atchison  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1893.  That  year  he  retired 
from  farm  life  and  has  since  maintained  his  residence  in  Atchison,  devoting 
his  time  and  attention  to  looking  after  his  property.  Besides  his  comfort- 
able home,  he  owns  other  city  property. 

Mr.  Streeper  was  married,  in  1847,  to  Miss  Rebecca  Du  Bois,  of  Salem 
county,  New  Jersey,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Johnson)  Du  Bois, 
and  the  fruits  of  their  union  are  the  following  named  children :  Rallin  F. ; 
Howard  M. ;  Alice,  now  Mrs.  Woody;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  Charles  L.  Duf- 
field :  Everett ;  and  Emma  the  wife  of  a  Mr.  Van  Leer.  At  this  writing  there 
are  eight  grandchildren  and  one  great-grandchild  in  the  family. 


630  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Mr.  Streeper  and  liis  wife  are  niembes  of  tlie  Baptist  church  and  frater- 
nally he  is  identified  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
has  given  his  support  to  this  party  ever  since  he  cast  his  first  vote,  for  John  C. 
Fremont.     One  term  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council. 


WILLIAM  B.  LOVELACE. 

When  a  man  is  spoken  of  only  in  the  highest  terms  by  those  who  have 
known  him  during  his  entire  life,  the  public  may  rest  assured  that  he  is  per- 
fectly trustworthy  and  deserving  of  respect,  for  no  more  competent  judges 
can  be  found  than  those  who  have  watched  the  development  of  the  child  into  the 
man,  and  witnessed  the  gradual  formation  of  his  character.  \\'hen,  therefore, 
the  citizens  of  his  locality,  with  one  accord,  have  nothing  but  praise  for  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  no  higher  tribute  can  be  paid  him. 

He  is  a  native  of  the  vicinity  of  Rochester,  New  York,  his  birth  ha\ing 
occurred  April  28,  1852.  He  is  of  Scotch  extraction  on  the  paternal  side, 
and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Graham)  Lovelace,  natives  of  New 
York  city,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  In  1858  the 
Lovelace  family  came  to  Kansas,  settling  near  Monrovia,  and  from  that  time 
until  his  death,  Daniel  Lovelace  was  numbered  among  the  esteemed  citizens 
of  Atchison  county,  in  the  development  of  which  he  did  his  full  share.  He 
was,  first  of  all,  a  patriot,  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  his  country,  and  when  in 
the  prime  of  manhood  he  served  in  the  Mexican  war.  His  widow,  who  is 
still  li\ing  upon  the  old  homestead,  is  granted  a  pension  by  the  government 
in  return  for  her  late  husband's  valiant  service.  He  was  sixty-five  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  his  memory  is  treasured  in  the  hearts  of  many 
of  his  old  time  friends.  After  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he  was 
one  of  its  stalwart  adherents.  Religiously  he  was  a  Baptist,  actively  interested 
in  the  spreading  of  the  gospel.  He  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely : 
\\'illiam  B.,  George  W.  of  Grasshopper  township;  John;  and  Harriet,  wife 
of  Thomas  McPhilliney,  of  Benton  township. 

\\'hen  he  was  about  six  years  old,  William  B.  Lovelace  came  to  north- 
eastern Kansas,  and  here  he  attended  the  public  schools,  whicli,  it  is  needless 
to  say,  were  vastly  inferior  to  those  of  the  present  day.  L'ntil  he  attained  his 
majority  he  worked  steadily  upon  the  home  farm,  learning  the  lessons  of  in- 
dustry and  perseverance  which  were  the  foundations  of  his  success  in  later 
years.  For  about  a  score  of  years  he  has  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  his  fine  homestead  in  Kapioma  township.  The  house  and  farm 
buildings  are  kept  in  excellent  repair,   and  everything  about   the  premises 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         631 

bespeaks  the  constant  care  the  owner  exercises  o\er  his  possessions.  An  orchard 
of  two  and  a  half  acres  suppHes  the  family  with  an  abnndance  of  frnit,  besides 
affording  some  for  the  market  at  times. 

Mr.  Lovelace  does  not  neglect  his  dnty  to  the  general  pnblic  in  his  solici- 
tude for  providing  generously  for  his  family.  He  has  served  in  numerous 
local  ofifices  of  trust,  discharging  his  duties  with  marked  ability.  Among 
others,  he  has  held  the  offices  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  constable.  Politically 
he  is  a  Democrat,  ami  fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America. 

In  January,  1879,  Mr.  Lovelace  and  Matilda  Raasch  were  married  at  the 
home  of  the  bride's  father,  William  Raash,  who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  this  township,  and  has  passed  to  his  reward.  Mrs.  Lovelace  was  born  near 
Madison,  Wisconsin,  but  grew  to  womanhood  in  this  state.  She  is  the  mother 
of  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely :  Alfonso  W.,  Dessie,  Gustavus 
and  Hattie,  who  are  nineteen,  sixteen,  twelve  and  seven  years  old,  respectively. 
The  family  are  regular  attendants  of  the  Adventist  church,  and  contribute 
to  the  cause  of  religion  and  other  worthy  measures. 


JOHN  STEWART. 

As  is  the  case  with  the  majority  of  the  successful  business  men  of  Ai,ierica, 
John  Stewart,  a  leading  citizen  of  Kapioma  township,  Atchison  county,  has 
been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes,  and  his  example  is  well  worthy  of  emu- 
lation by  the  ambitious  young  man  of  today. 

He  comes  of  the  stanch  Scotch-Irish  stock  which  has  furnished  the  brains 
and  brawn  to  many  of  the  most  notable  achievements  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race. 
His  father,  John  Stewart,  was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle,  but  came  to  America 
and  chose  for  a  bride  Mary  Leight,  of  Pennsylvania.  For  many  years  he  was 
engaged  in  farming  in  the  Keystone  state,  and  continued  actively  occupied  in 
his  accustomed  labors  until  shortly  before  his  death,  at  the  age  of  three-score 
years  and  ten.  His  wife  survived  him,  being  seventy-seven  years  old  at  the 
time  of  her  death.  They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  were 
highly  esteemed  and  loved  by  those  with  whom  they  were  associated. 

John  Stewart  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  six  children.  His  sister,  Rachel,  is 
the  wife  of  William  Dewait,  and  his  youngest  sister,  Elizabeth,  is  the  wife  of 
John  Mclntyre.  Sarah  and  Mary  Isabella  are  deceased.  Guthrie  and  Joseph 
are  residents  of  Pennsylvania,  as  are  the  surviving  sisters,  with  their  families. 
Joseph,  of  Johnstown,  lost  all  of  his  property  in  the  dreadful  flood  which  swept 
away  much  of  that  thriving  place  several  years  ago.  and  narrowly  escaped  with 
his  life. 


632  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  in  Armstrong  county,  Pennsylvania, 
July  21,  1839.  After  obtaining  a  district  school  education,  and  mastering  the 
various  departments  of  agriculture,  he  began  earning  his  independent  liveli- 
hood, and  had  a  competence  ere  he  married.  After  that  event  the  young 
couple  spent  several  years  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1882  concluded  to  try  their 
fortunes  in  Kansas.  At  first  Mr.  Stewart  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
two  acres  of  land,  and  within  a  few  years  added  to  it  a  tract  of  three  hundred 
and  sixty-five  acres.  Later  he  sold  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  this,  and 
in  its  stead  bought  two  hundred  acres  of  more  desirable  property.  His  pres- 
ent homestead  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  county,  and  the  com- 
fortable house,  barns,  corn-cribs  and  modern  farm  machinery  plainly  show 
that  the  proprietor  is  thoroughly  progressive  and  business-like.  He  raises  a 
high  grade  of  cattle  and  horses,  and  does  the  most  extensive  business  in  live 
stock  in  this  vicinity.    In  his  political  creed  he  is  a  Democrat. 

When  he  was  thirty  years  of  age  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Stewart  and  Sallie 
McSwaney  took  place  in  Pennsylvania.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Byron  Mc- 
Swaney,  and  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Three  of  the  four  children  of  our 
subject  and  wife  are  married  and  have  comfortable  homes  of  their  own.  Mary, 
wife  of  Joseph  Snyder,  resides  upon  a  farm  situated  about  one  mile  east  of 
Effingham.  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Wirt,  of  Benton  township,  and  Lil- 
lie  is  the  wife  of  Peter  Muller,  of  Benton  township.  Jimmie,  the  only  son  of 
our  subject,  is  at  home,  and  aids  in  the  management  of  the  large  farm,  which 
necessarily  requires  much  care  and  attention. 


JOHN  J.  SLATTERY. 


The  name  of  Slattery  has  long  been  prominent  in  Atchison  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  its  Irish  ring  is  an  index  to  the  character  of  the  men  who  have  borne 
it.  It  has  always  stood  for  enterprise,  progressiveness  and  patriotism  and 
has  never  been  dishonored.  Some  account  of  the  career  of  John  J.  Slattery 
and  of  his  father,  Michael  Slattery,  deserves  a  place  in  this  work. 

John  J.  Slattery  was  born  in  Shannon  township,  Atchison  county,  Kansas, 
November  28,  1863,  a  son  of  Michael  and  Catherine  (Dooley)  Slattery.  Mi- 
chael Slattery  was  born  in  county  Clare,  Ireland,  in  181 8,  one  of  the  seven  chil- 
dren of  John  Slattery,  and  was  reared  as  a  country  boy.  He  acquired  an  edu- 
cation limited  but  practical.  A  natural  aptitude  for  penmanship  enabled  him 
to  become  an  exceptionally  good  penman,  and  his  ability  in  that  way  aided  him 
materially  in  after  years.  He  came  alone  to  the  United  States,  and  after 
ward  his  father    and  the  rest    of    his  family  came  also.     Soon     after     his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         633 

arrival  in  this  country  Mr.  Slattery  went  to  Connecticut  and  found  employment 
as  a  gardener  near  Hartford.  He  was  not  long  in  that  service,  however,  but 
entered  the  employ  of  Colt,  the  great  gunmaker. 

In  1840  Michael  Slattery  came  west  as  far  as  Michigan  and  secured  a  po- 
sition at  rough  work  at  one  of  the  then  prominent  railway  stations  of  that 
state.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before  his  ability  as  a  penman  became  known, 
and  he  was  taken  into  the  office  as  bill  clerk.  Later  he  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  shipping  clerk,  and  held  that  place  until  1857,  when  he  went  to 
■Atchison  county,  Kansas.  Soon  after  reaching  the  county  he  located  on  a 
claim  in  the  wilds,  seven  miles  northwest  of  the  village  of  Atchison.  He  at 
once  began  farming,  went  into  stock  raising  and  afterwards  into  stock  ship- 
ping, and  became  a  heavy  dealer  in  hogs  and  cattle.  His  farming  interests  in- 
creased with  the  same  rapidity  as  his  stock  dealing,  and  there  was  perhaps  no 
man  more  prominent  in  that  line  in  Atchison  county.  He  remained  in  active 
business  until  1896,  when  he  retired  to  Atchison.  Michael  Slattery  is  one  of 
the  best  of  the  many  good  men  of  which  Atchison  county  can  boast.  He  is 
exemplary  in  his  habits,  abhors  profanity  and  vulgarity,  is  an  ideal  head  of  a 
family  and  a  man  whose  example  is  in  every  way  worthy  of  emulation.  He 
was  married  to  Catherine  Dooley,  of  Detroit,  Michigan.  She  died  in  October, 
1878,  having  borne  him  children  as  follows :  Mary,  widow  of  Robert  Cleary, 
one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Shannon  township;  Henrietta;  John  J.;  Wil- 
liam C. ;  Nellie,  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri ;  and 
Kate. 

John  J.  Slattery,  son  of  the  prominent  pioneer  whose  career  has  been  out- 
lined, has  lived  his  whole  life  thus  far  in  the  community  in  which  he  was  born. 
After  finishing  his  studies  in  the  country  school  he  entered  Saint  Benedict's 
College  and  completed  a  commercial  course  there  in  two  years,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two.  Upon  his  return  to  his  neighbors  and  friends,  equipped  with  a 
good  education  and  ready  for  the  duties  of  life,  he  was  urged  for  the  office  of 
clerk  of  Shannon  township  by  a  large  element  of  its  population  regardless  of 
political  belief,  but  was  nominated  by  the  Democrats.  He  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity most  acceptably  for  two  years,  and  was  rewarded  in  part  by  his  eleva- 
tion to  the  office  of  township  trustee.  This  place  he  filled  three  years,  and 
with  such  a  degree  of  efficiency  that  his  party  was  anxious  to  further  reward 
his  faithfulness  with  an  advancement  to  a  county  office.  He  was  consequently 
made  Democratic  candidate  for  county  treasurer,  but  was  defeated  by  the  usual 
Republican  majority.  He  submitted  to  the  people's  will,  satisfied  with  having 
polled  a  vote  in  excess  of  his  party's  numerical  strength.  For  the  past  few 
years  Mr.  Slattery  has  devoted  his  entire  time  to  his  farm.  He  owns  a  splen- 
did quarter-section  on  the  eastern  edge  of  Lancaster  township,  and  near  the 
Slattery  homestead,  and  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  intelligent  and  progress- 


634  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ive  modern  farmers  of  the  county.  In  1892  he  bought  the  old  Hiram  Parker 
place,  and  in  February  of  the  same  year  married  Nora  Finigan.  Mrs.  Slat- 
tery's  father,  Thomas  Finigan,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  in  Shannon  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Slattery  have  had  three  children : 
Willie,  who  is  deceased ;  Stella  and  Albert. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Slatterys  ha\e  been  a  factor 
in  the  settlement  and  development  of  Atchisoh  county.  The  head  of  the 
family  has  been,  and  is,  just  such  a  man  as  every  community  hails  with  de- 
light and  hastens  to  honor.  Such  men  bequeath  their  spirit  to  the  generations 
tliat  follow  them  and  take  up  their  work.  Born  of  honorable  parentage  and 
with  modest  environments,  John  J.  Slattery  made  the  most  of  his  opportuni- 
ties. He  grew  to  manhood  with  the  confidence  of  his  neighbors,  who  honored 
him  with  public  office,  twice  without  opposition,  and  who  rejoice  with  him  in 
his  achievements  and  his  worldly  success. 


WILLIAM    HESS. 


Germany  has  contributed  to  America  one  of  the  best  elements  of  its  popu- 
lation. The  industry,  thrift  and  progressiveness  of  the  German  character  are 
well  known.  Germans  were  loyal,  as  a  class,  in  the  long,  dark  hour  of  our  na- 
tion's peril,  and  German  troops  under  German  generals  fought  and  died  on 
many  a  southern  field.  In  commerce,  in  finance,  in  manufacture,  in  art.  music 
and  literature,  the  German  people  excel,  and  they  have  manifested  a  capacity  to 
adapt  themselves  to  changing  circumstances  that  some  have  thought  was  pos- 
sessed only  by  Yankees  born  and  bred.  From  mechanic  to  farmer  was  a  step 
which  was  taken  easily  and  with  success  by  William  Hess,  one  of  the  substan- 
tial citizens  of  the  district  near  Shannon,  Atchison  county,  Kansas. 

William  Hess  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  April  23,  1827.  a 
son  of  Adam  and  Christine  (Schaeffer)  Hess.  Of  their  eleven  children  he  is 
the  youngest  and  the  only  one  of  them,  except  his  sister,  Mary,  who  came  to 
America.  Mary  married  Mr.  Aelband,  and  lives  in  Buffalo,  New  York.  W' ill- 
iam  attended  the  public  schools  and  learned  the  cooper's  trade  in  his  native 
land,  and  remained  there  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old. 

In  1848  he  started  for  the  New  World,  going  by  way  of  London,  Eng- 
land. He  made  his  next  stop  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  where  he  began  his  ca- 
reer in  the  United  States  as  an  employe  in  a  cooper  shop.  In  1849  he  started 
on  what  proved  to  be  a  working  and  observation  tour  of  the  country.  He 
went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  from  there,  taking  in  other  places  on  his  way, 
to  New  Orleans,  from  which  point,  after  three  years'  residence,  he  traveled 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  635 

through  the  west  in  the  same  way,  ultimately  reaching  Ottawa,  Illinois.  This 
point  and  the  surrounding  towns  proved  to  be  his  permanent  abiding  place, 
or  rather,  he  ceased  to  be  a  wanderer  after  reaching  that  locality.  He  served 
some  of  the  prominent  concerns  in  his  line  in  Ottawa,  LaSalle  and  Utica,  and 
removed  from  Illinois  only  when  he  decided  to  locate  in  Kansas. 

In  1868  he  bought  a  tract  of  land  in  Atchison  county.  He  readily  trans- 
formed himself  from  cooper  to  farmer  and  seemed  to  possess  as  much  talent  for 
the  latter  occupation  as  for  the  former.  Industry  and  perseverance  are  the 
key  to  success  in  farming,  as  in  all  other  branches  of  business,  and  the  applica- 
tion of  these  characteristics  is  what  brought  prosperity  to  Mr.  Hess.  He  is 
the  owner  of  a  half-section  of  land  in  the  "garden  spot"  of  Kansas,  as  Atchison 
county  is  frequently  termed,  and  is  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  necessary  to 
bless  his  declining  years. 

Mr.  Hess  early  became  a  Republican.  He  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  he 
voted  for  General  Fremont  for  president,  and  has  voted  for  every  Republican 
presidential  candidate  since.  He  has  always  been  in  accord  with  the  predomi- 
nant principles  of  the  Republican  party.  So  long  as  the  Abolitionist  had  a 
mission  in  America  he  was  an  Abolitionist.  The  theory  and  practical  operation 
of  a  protective  tariff  have  always  had  his  approbation  and  support  The  policy 
of  the  party  in  dealing  with  the  southern  question  after  the  war  and  the  pay- 
ment of  the  national  debt  incurred  by  the  war  had  his  hearty  approval,  and  Presi- 
dent McKinley's  policy  of  national  expansion  accords  with  his  ideas  as  to  the 
means  by  which  America's  future  greatness  may  be  secured. 

Mr.  Hess  was  married  in  Ottawa,  Illinois,  in  1855,  to  Victoria  Schwein, 
an  Alsatian  lady  of  French  and  German  parentage.  Their  children  are  W^ill- 
iam;  Dena,  who  resides  in  the  state  of  W'ashington ;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Harry 
Young,  of  Davenport,  Iowa ;  and  Mrs.  Frank  Schletzbaum,  of  Lancaster  town- 
ship, Atchison  county,  Kansas. 


GEORGE   S.    RUSSELL. 

To  the  subject  of  this  sketch  are  due  the  honors  of  a  pioneer,  a  useful  citi- 
zen and  a  wise  and  honest  administrator  of  important  public  affairs.  His  ex- 
periences in  Kansas  date  back  to  the  closing  months  of  the  civil  war,  and  were 
colored  by  the  stirring  events  which  at  that  time  made  Kansas  the  scene  of  fac- 
tional troubles  which  in  some  neighborhoods  did  not  terminate  so  long  as  there 
was  any  open  dispute  between  the  north'  and  the  south.  He  exerted  a  good 
influence  upon  the  work  of  development  which  was  ushered  in  with  the  era  of 
peace,  and  has  helped  to  make  and  is  a  participant  in  the  prosperity  which 
makes  Kansas  truly  a  state  of  homes. 


636  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Georo-e  S.,  or  "Squire"  Russell,  as  lie  is  familiarly  known,  was  born  near 
Clyde,  in  Sandusky  county,  Ohio,  April  6,  1833,  and  has  been  a  resident  of 
Atchison  county,  Kansas,  continuously  since  1864,  when  he  bought  his  farm  in 
Lancaster  township  from  Dr.  Jacobs,  its  original  owner,  in  fee  simple.  His 
father  William  S.  Russell,  a  farmer,  was  born  in  Ontario  county.  New  York, 
in  1802,  and  was  an  early  settler  in  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1875.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Ohio  state  militia  in  the  old  "training"  days.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Whio-  and  later  a  Republican.  He  served  his  county  as  judge  of  the  pro- 
bate court,  and  was  a  man  of  much  ability,  prominence  and  popularity.  His 
mother,  grandmother  of  Squire  Russell,  was  a  Miss  Chase.  Her  first  hus- 
band died  in  early  manhood  and  she  married  again. 

William  S.  Russell  married  Betsy  Beach,  daughter  of  a  farmer  of  the 
state  of  New  York,  and  she  bore  him  children,  as  follows :  George  S. ;  Spencer 
Russell,  of  Hudson,  Michigan;  Emeline,  who  married  Samuel  Pursing  and 
now  resides  in  Clyde,  Ohio;  Mary,  wife  of  William  Eastman,  of  Tiffin,  Ohio; 
Roena,  now  Mrs.  T.  J.  Nichols,  of  Houston,  Texas;  and  William  W.,  of  the 
state  of  Wyoming.  By  a  second  marriage,  to  Eliza  Crandal,  William  S.  Rus- 
sell had  the  following  children:  Estella,  Maud,  Jessie,  Blanche  and  Grant. 
Cynthia  Russell,  sister  of  William  S.  Russell,  married  Mr.  McPherson,  and 
one  of  their  children  was  the  late  lamented  General  J.  B.  McPherson,  one  of 
the  heroes  of  our  civil  war. 

George  S.  Russell  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm,  and  received 
only  a  limited  English  education.  He  was  a  member  of  his  father's  household 
until  he  was  twenty-eight  years  old.  About  that  time,  in  1861,  he  married 
Clarissa  J.  Comstock,  a  daughter  of  Oliver  Comstock,  formerly  of  Connecticut. 
Three  years  after  their  marriage  they  came  to  Kansas,  where,  planning  to- 
gether and  laboring  together,  he  in  his  sphere,  she  in  hers,  they  have  overcome 
numerous  obstacles,  prevailed  over  many  discouragements  and  achieved  a  suc- 
cess which  assures  them  a  good  position  in  the  community  and  a  comfortable 
competency  for  their  declining  years.  To  Mrs.  Russell  her  husband  accords 
much  credit  for  his  success.  The  bravery  of  pioneer  women  has  always  been 
as  conspicuous  as  that  of  pioneer  men,  and  they  have  been  called  upon  for  more 
self-denial  and  more  fortitude. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Russell  belongs  that  best  of  all  honors,  the  honor  of  hav- 
ing reared  a  family  to  lives  of  merit  and  of  usefulness.  Their  children  are : 
Cornelia,  wife  of  A.  L.  Keithline,  of  Shannon  township;  Emma  J.,  wife  of  E. 
W.  Welch,  of  Grasshopper  township;  and  Ward,  who  is  a  member  of  his  fa- 
ther's household. 

Mr.  Russell,  a  man  of  great  modesty,  not  at  all  impressed  with  his  own 
merits  which  are  so  freely  attributed  to  him  by  all  who  know  him,  makes  no 
claim  to  special  distinction,  but  classes  himself  as  one  of  the  great  army  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  637 

honest,  persevering  toilers  who  have  been  the  making  of  Kansas.  He  has 
labored  not  only  for  his  own  advancement,  but  for  the  public  good,  and  has 
long  been  recognized  as  a  very  patriotic  and  public-spirited  citizen.  He  is  one 
of  the  justices  of  the  peace  of  Lancaster  township,  and  is  serving  his  fourth 
term  in  that  office.  He  was  for  many  years  a  Republican,  but  some  years  ago, 
under  the  influence  of  the  spirit  of  reform  which  swept  over  Kansas,  he  cast 
his  fortunes  with  the  Populists  and  has  acted  and  voted  with  them  since. 


HEXRY    BUTTRON. 


The  German  contingent  of  Lancaster  township,  Atchison  county,  Kansas, 
is  something  always  to  be  reckoned  on.  Though  it  has  no  nominal  head,  its 
recognized  leader  is  Henry  Buttron.  a  prosperous  and  well-known  farmer,  who 
disclaims  any  supremacy  among  his  fellow  countrymen,  and  is  in  all  ways  a 
modest  and  unostentatious  citizen.  If  he  wields  any  power  among  his  people  that 
power  is  based  on  the  popular  respect  fnr  his  cool  judgment  and  patriotism, 
not  on  any  claim  to  superiority  put  forth  by  himself,  for  he  is  a  characteris- 
tically modest  man  who  has  no  part  in  public  affairs  to  which  he  is  not  in\-ited  ' 
by  his  fellow  citizens. 

Henry  Buttron  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt.  Germany,  October  12, 
1 83 1,  one  of  the  fi\-e  sons  of  Jacob  and  Margaret  (  Zimmer)  Buttron  and  one 
of  only  two  of  the  family  who  came  to  the  L'nited  .States.  His  brother,  Fred- 
erick, is  a  resident  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsyhania,  wliere  Henry  Buttron  located 
upon  coming  to  America,  in  1852.  In  his  native  land  Mr.  Buttron  had  learned 
the  trade  of  a  blacksmith,  in  which  he  found  employment  in  the  new  world. 
In  1854  he  went  west,  and  for  two  years  afterward  he  worked  at  his  trade  at 
Elgin,  Illinois.  He  made  still  another  move  toward  the  setting  sun,  and  the 
year  1857  found  him  occupying  a  pre-emption  claim  on  sec.tion  22,  Lancaster 
township.  Atcliisdii  Cdunt}-,  Kansas.  He  lire  light  a  small  amount  of  money 
with  him.  and  thus  he  was  enabled  to  construct  a  little  box  house,  after  Avhich 
he  began  the  monotonous  task  of  improving  a  farm.  The  prospect  was  dis- 
couraging because  there  was  such  a  failure  of  crops  in  i860  and  earlier  years, 
and  he  found  it  next  to  impossible  to  sustain  himself  from  the  proceeds  of  his 
claim.  He  decided  to  resort  to  his  first  dependence,  the  hammer  and  anvil,  for 
a  livelihood  until  the  sharp  corners  of  nature  should  be  smoothed  somewhat 
by  other  settlements. 

He  removed  to  Atchison  county  and  was  employed  at  his  trade  by  Tom 
Ray,  of  the  firm  of  Ostertag  &  Carmichael  and  Anthony  &  Ostertag,  consecu- 
tively, remaining  in  the  city  nine  years.     Then  he  returned  to  his  claim,  re- 


638  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

deemed  the  unpaid  taxes  thereon  and  entered  upon  an  era  of  progress  and  pros- 
perity which  continued  from  that  date.  His  homstead  is  one  of  the  best  im- 
proved in  the  township,  and  his  accumulations  for  the  last  thirty  years  have 
enabled  him  to  add  three  more  quarter-sections  of  land  to  his  original  hold- 
ings. In  1882  he  erected  his  commodious  residence,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  farm  homes  in  this  part  of  Atchison  county. 

Mr.  Buttron  was  a  member  of  the  Kansas  militia  during  the  civil  war, 
and  was  in  the  engagement  with  Price's  troops  at  Westport,  near  Kansas  City, 
Missouri.  Since  the  war  he  has  watched  events  closely  and  has  always  ex- 
erted an  influence  for  the  public  welfare.  His  interest  in  every  political  ques- 
tion, national  or  local,  has  been  great  and  he  has  always  studied  the  situation 
carefully  and  with  more  than  ordinary  intelligence.  He  has  cast  his  vote  con- 
scientiously, and  if  he  has  acted  as  adviser  to  others  it  has  always  been  in  pa- 
triotic spirit  that  has  been  most  creditable  to  him.  His  disinterestedness  is 
proven  by  the  fact  that  he  has  not  sought  nor  accepted  political  office,  or  in 
any  manner  profited  personally  from  any  political  strength  which  he  may  have 
been  able  to  exert. 

Mr.  Buttron  was  married  in  Atchison,  Kansas,  in  1866,  to  Rosa  Schau, 
whose  father,  Andrew  Schau,  came  from  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  and  who 
bore  him  the  following  named  children:  Rosa,  wife  of  Louis  Gerhardt,  of 
Atchison;  Emma,  wife  of  Charles  Kemmer,  of  Lancaster  township;  Kate  and 
Jacob,  both  single;  Henry,  who  married  Bertha  Kemmer;  and  Fred,  Anna, 
Carl,  William,  George  and  Louis,  all  of  whom  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 


WILLL\^1  H.  WARTERS. 

On  both  his  father's  and  his  mother's  side  the  well-known  resident  of  Shan- 
non, Atchison  county,  Kansas,  whose  name  is  above,  is  of  that  good,  honest, 
progressive  and  thoroughly  patriotic  English  stock  whioh  has  done  so  muck 
to  make  American  citizen.'^hip  all  that  is  claimed  for  it  by  its  most  enthusiastic 
admirers.  The  Englishman  may  never  forget  that  he  is  an  Englishman,  but, 
transplanted  to  our  soil  by  emigration  or  by  birth,  he  never  forgets  that  he  is 
also  an  American  and  his  loyalty  is  never  shaken  or  discredited. 

William  H.  Warters  is  a  son  of  Luke  and  Caroline  (Aldroyd)  Warters, 
and  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  November  4,  1856.  Luke  Warters 
was  an  Englisman  and  a  gentleman  by  birth  and  education.  Circumstances 
made  it  appear  desirable  to  him  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  new  world,  and  he 
came  over  to  this  country  wdiile  yet  a  single  man  and  took  up  his  residence  in 
Illinois,     He  began  his  career  in  Illinois  as  a  farm  laborer,  and  being  steady, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         639 

saving  and  industrious  laid  the  foundation  early  in  life  for  a  career  of  useful- 
ness. 

Luke  Warters  married  Caroline  Aldroyd,  daughter  of  Sidney  and  Eliza- 
beth (Stubbs)  Aldroyd.  Her  father  was,  like  Mr.  Warters,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land. The  means  of  Mr.  Warters  and  his  young  wife  were  small  when  they 
began  the  battle  of  life  together.  Indeed,  they  were  limited  to  the  stock  nec- 
essary to  the  operations  of  a  small  rented  farm  and  the  goods  their  modest 
home  contained.  They  were  located  in  a  productive  portion  of  one  of  the  best 
states  in  the  Union  and  having  from  early  life  cultivated  habits  of  industry 
and  economy,  they  laid  by  something  each  year  so  that  when  they  came  to 
Kansas,  the  state  of  cheaphomes,  they  were  enabled  to  bring  with  them  the 
funds  necessary  to  enable  them  to  secure  a  fertile  farm.  In  1878  they  brought 
their  effects  to  the  tinely-located  farm  between  Lancaster  and  Shannon,  which 
is  the  best  kept  and  most  intelligently  operated  along  the  road  between  the  two 
towns.     There  Mr.  Warters  died. 

Luke  and  Caroline  (Aldroyd)  Warters  were  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Elizabeth  A.,  wife  of  M.  S.  Mocraft,  of  Henry  county,  Illinois,  and  William 
H.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  His  education  was  probably  the  most  sadly 
neglected  feature  of  William  H.  Warters'  youthful  life.  He  had  the  strength 
of  body,  the  mental  vigor  and  the  capacity  for  acquiring  knowledge,  but  the 
opportunities  for  doing  so  were  few  and  remote.  Nature  frequently  comes 
to  the  relief  of  one  the  development  of  whose  powers  has  thus  been  neglected, 
and  provides  him  with  good  judgment  sufficient  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
world  as  they  are  presented;  and  so  it  ha;s  been  with  Mr.  Warters,  who  has 
been  equal  to  every  emergency  and  who  by  his  native  ability,  made  greater 
by  reading  and  observation,  has  been  able  to  extract  from  life  his  full  share  of 
success  and  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Warters  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  began  work  upon  his 
present  farm.  In  the  past  twenty-one  years  it  has  been  wonderfully  improved 
and  transformed,  but  not  without  great  labor  and  much  expense.  It  has  been 
his  province  to  conduct  the  management  of  the  business  of  the  farm,  in  all  its 
branches  and  ramifications,  and  everything  that  should  have  been  done  seems 
to  have  been  done  and  done  well.  His  most  recent  extensive  improvement 
was  the  erection  of  his  handsome  and  commodious  residence,  built  in  1896,  a 
year  in  which  business  was  at  a  low  ebb  and  stagnation,  industrial  and  com- 
mercial, was  everywhere  present  and  money  was  almost  at  a  premium.  Not- 
withstanding these  forbidden  conditions  Mr  AVarters  drew  a  few  thousand 
dollars  from  his  surplus  deposit  and  built  his  home. 

;Mr.  Warters  was  married,  in  February,  1S89,  to  Cora  Keithlinc.  An- 
drew Keithline.  his  w-ife's  father,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  came  to  Atch- 
ison county  many  years  ago.     By  his  marriage  to  Rose  Warner    he    had 


640  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

two  children :  Gilbert  Keithline,  of  Huron,  Kansas,  and  Mrs.  Warters.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Warters'  cliildren  are  Bessie,  Andrew  and  Cora.  Mr.  Warters  is  a 
Democrat,  but  is  in  no  way  a  political  worker  or  seeker  for  office,  preferring 
to  trust  to  the  honesty  and  integrity  of  men  elected  to  transact  public  business, 
while  he  devotes  his  time  to  the  farm  and  other  business  interests.  Like  thou- 
sands of  others  of  our  citizens  of  English  parentage,  he  has  noted  with  un- 
bounded pleasure  the  tendency  to  an  international  alliance  between  the  land 
of  his  forefathers  and  the  land  of  his  birth.  His  public  spirit  is  of  so  pro- 
nounced a  type  that  his  participation  in  any  movement  proposed  for  the  benefit 
of  the  people  of  his  town  or  county  is  taken  as  a  matter  of  course.  He  is  an 
earnest  advocate  of  good  schools,  believing  that  the  character  of  our  govern- 
ment in  future  generations  will  be  influenced  by  the  quality  and  extent  of  pres- 
ent educational  facilities.  He  is  helpful  to  churches  and  to  all  charitable  in- 
terests. 


GEORGE  H.  T.  JOHNSON.  M.  D. 

Dr.  Johnson,  who  is  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  his  school,  that  of 
homeopathy,  was  born  near  Mount  Vernon,  Jefferson  county,  Illinois.  Octolier 
15.  1842.  He  is  the  son  of  James  and  Lydia  (Cricle)  Johnson,  natives  of 
Connecticut  and  Illinois,  respectively.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  home  town,  and  in  the  summer  of  1862  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  as 
a  member  of  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  Regiment,  Illinois  \'olun- 
teers.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was  assigned  to  the  army  of  Gen- 
eral Euell.  then  at  Louisville.  Kentucky,  and  fought  his  first  battle  at  Perry- 
ville.  Kentucky.  October  8,  1862. 

Dr.  Johnson  was  in  General  Rosecrans'  army  at  the  1iattle  of  Stone  River, 
and  also  in  the  campaign  which  resulted  in  tlie  capture  of  Chattanooga  and  the 
great  battle  of  Chickamauga.  He  was  under  General  Thomas  at  the  battles 
of  Chattanooga,  Lookout  IMountain  and  Missionary  Ridge,  General  Grant 
in  person  directing  the  maneuvers  of  Thomas'  and  Rosecrans'  combined  forces. 
•Subsequently  he  was  under  Sherman's  command  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
taking  part  in  the  famous  "march  to  the  .sea"  and  being  present  at  the  capture 
of  Atlanta.  He  also  participated  in  the  campaign  of  the  Carolinas,  was  at  the 
last  battle  of  Sherman's  army  at  Ijentonville,  North  Carolina,  and  was  at 
the  surrender  of  the  Confederate  armies  under  General  Joseph  Johnston,  near 
Raleigh.  From  Raleigh  he  marched  to  Richmond,  thence  to  Baltimore,  and 
on  to  Washington,  where,  the  war  having  come  to  an  end,  he  was  discharged 
June  8,  1865.  His  experiences  during  this  long  service  were  most  varied  and 
interesting  and  proved  himself  not  unworthy  of  the  martial  blood  coursing 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         641 

through  his  veins,  his  grand  father,  George  Johnson,  liaving  heen  a  hrave 
soldier  of  the  war  of  181  j. 

After  teaching  one  term  of  school  in  the  vicinity  of  his  old  home.  Dr. 
Johnson  attended  the  Cleveland  Homeopathic  Medical  College  and  the  Homeo- 
pathic Medical  College  of  Missouri,  at  St.  Louis;  he  was  graduated  in  February 
26,  1869.  On  the  4th  of  March.  1867.  he  came  to  Atchison,  which  has  ever 
since  been  his  home  and  where  he  has  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 
In  1885  '''^  ^^■'is  appointed,  by  Governor  Martin,  a  member  of  the  state  board 
of  health.  In  April  of  that  year  he  was  elected  the  president  of  the  board 
and  was  re-elected  annuall)-  during  the  eight  years  he  served  as  a  member. 
The  Doctor  is  the  president  of  the  Atchison  (Kansas)  board  of  United  States 
pension  examiners  and  has  served  a  long  time  as  a  member  of  this  board,  hav- 
ing ser\ed  under  the  administrations  of  Presidents  Arthur,  Harrison  and 
McKinley.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Homeopathic  Medical  Society  of 
Kansas  and  has  served  two  terms  as  its  president.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy,  the  oldest  national  medical  society  in 
the  United  States,  and  a  member  of  the  American  Public  Health  Association. 
He  belongs  to  the  Masons,  Odd  Fellows,  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men, and  is  the  surgeon  of  John  A.  Martin  Post,  No.  93,  G.  A.  R. 

A  man  of  wide  experiences,  thoroughly  versed  in  his  profession  and  com- 
manding the  confidence  of  the  public.  Dr.  Johnson  holds  a  high  rank  as  a 
physician  and  citizen  and  is  deserving  of  the  success  with  which  he  has  met. 


DAVID  T.  FITZPATRICK. 

The  family  of  which  David  T.  Fitzpatrick,  of  Parnell,  Atchison  county, 
Kansas,  is  a  member  has  long  been  known  for  its  patriotism  and  has  been  rep- 
resented in  three  American  wars.  Could  this  family  history  be  given  in  detail 
it  would  be  most  interesting,  but  space  admits  of  a  mere  sketch  only,  but  it  will 
be  attempted  to  make  that  worthy  its  subject  and  his  antecedents. 

David  T.  Fitzpatrick  is  a  son  of  Edward  C.  Fitzpatrick  and  a  grandson 
of  Colonel  David  Fitzpatrick.  who  commanded  a  regiment  under  General 
Washington  during  the  struggle  for  American  independence.  Colonel  Fitz- 
patrick w^as  born  in  Ireland,  but  early  settled  in  Virginia  and  spent  his  remain- 
ing days  in  Culpeper  and  Rappahannock  counties.  He  left  three  children : 
Edward  C,  father  of  David  T.  Fitzpatrick;  John;  and  ]\Iary.  who  married  a 
Mr.  Thompson  and  is  buried  in  New  York  city. 

Edward  C.  Fitzpatrick  was  born  in  Rappahannock  county,  Virginia,  and 
was  captain  of  a  company  which  saw  active  service  in  our  last  war  with  Eng- 


642  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

land.  Late  in  the  "305  he  removed  to  Hart  county.  Kentucky,-,  where  he  and 
his  wife  both  died  in  1847-  He  married  Xancy  Towles.  a  daughter  of  Robert 
Towles.  of  Culpeper  count}-,  Mrginia.  Their  children  were  as  follows :  Henry, 
who  is  dead :  Man,-,  who  martied  Mr.  \\oodridge  and  died  in  Illinois ;  Julia, 
who  became  Mrs.  E.  F.  Towles  and  died  in  Mason  count\-,  Illinois:  John,  of 
M^ulford^■ille,  Kentuckx- ;  Rebecca,  who  married  Peter  Bass,  of  Green  count)', 
Kentucky:  George,  a  railroad  man  living  at  El  Paso,  Texas:  and  David  T., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Da^-id  T.  Fitzpatrick  was  bom  in  an  "old  Kentuck}-  home"  on  the  bank 
of  Green  river  in  Green  county,  that  state,  December  2^.  1828.  and  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  he  was  more  proudly  welcomed  and  more  solicitously  cher- 
ished than  an\"  other  Christmas  present  in  tliat  immediate  vicinity  that  year. 
At  nine  years  of  age  he  was  left  an  orphan  by  the  almost  simultaneous  death 
of  his  father  and  mother  and  he  was  cared  for  by  a  brother  and  sister  until  he 
reached  an  age  at  which  he  could  care  for  himself.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  was  so  employed  in  his  youth  that  he  acquired  a  good 
practical  knowledge  of  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  was  between  twenty- 
two  and  twentA"-three  years  of  age  when  the  civil  war  began  and  he  had  been 
stud},-ing  the  situation  and  fully  decided  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  south. 

When  the  southern  Confederacy  issued  its  first  call  for  troops  Mr.  Fitz- 
patrick went  at  once  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  enlisted  in  Colonel  Hughes' 
regiment  of  Missouri  troops.  He  was  with  his  command  in  southwest  Mis- 
souri during  the  first  months  of  the  war.  but  was  deuched  from  his  com- 
pany for  recruiting  senice  in  northern  Missouri  and  southern  Iowa.  He  got 
together  about  four  hundred  men  for  the  army  and  on  reporting  for  field  duty 
again  joined  a  regiment  from  Platte  count\-.  Missouri.  He  was  in  a  number 
of  engagements,  among  them  those  at  Carthage.  Springfield,  Le.xington  and 
Pea  Ridge  and  those  fought  in  the  invasion  by  General  Price.  He  was  taken 
prisoner  near  Independence,  Missouri,  was  paroled  through  the  medium  of  an 
old  friend  and  went  into  northern  ilissouri.  He  located  in  Buchanan  cotmty 
and  was  engaged  for  a  time  in  buying  horses  and  mules  for  the  government. 
This  business  equipped  him  financially  and  from  the  standpoint  of  experience 
prepared  him  for  a  career  in  dealing  in  stock,  which  he  continued  with  moderate 
success  until  the  enterprise  of  the  entire  country  was  paralyzed  by  financial 
panic  His  books  show  that  he  contributed  more  than  his  share  to  the  general 
shrinkage  of  that  fateful  year. 

Mr.  Fitzpatrick  then  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  remained  in 
Buchanan  count}-,  ^lissouri,  until  1875.  when  he  removed  to  Washington 
count}-.  Kansas,  where  he  resumed  farming  and  gradually  engaged  in  the  cat- 
tle business.  There  he  soon  gained  a  leading  position  as  a  farmer  and  cattle 
man.     After  fifteen  years  residence  in  Washington  count)-  he  left  his  farm 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.         643 

of  fcur  hundred  acres  and  came  to  Atchison  county  to  take  charge  of  his  wife's 
important  land  interests  here. 

In  1866  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  was  married,  in  De  Kalb  county,  Missouri,  to 
Xannie  King,  whose  father  was  a  pioneer  and  the  first  treasurer  of  Atchison 
county,  Kansas.  He  achieved  a  notable  success  as  a  merchant  and  man  of 
affairs  and  at  his  death  left  a  modest  fortune,  consisting  of  Kansas  and  Mis- 
souri propert}'.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fitzpatrick's  children  are:  William,  who  is 
a  farmer  on  the  \\ashington  county  homestead  and  married  Susie  Deweese; 
Lucinda:  Preston  R. ;  Harr\-  and  Xannie.  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  is  a  modem  Dem- 
ocrat. He  has  always  shown  a  citizen's  interest  in  the  result  of  political  cam- 
paigns and  is  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  the  doctrines  enunciated  in  the  plat- 
form of  his  party  as  announced  in  1S96. 


MRS.  SARAH  E.  WILKIXS. 

To  be  a  worthy  pioneer  involves  true  heroism  and  history  proves  that 
women  are  as  heroic  as  men.  The  annals  of  the  settlement  and  development 
of  Kansas  contain  the  names  of  manj-  pioneer  women  who,  leaving  the  com- 
forts and  associations  of  their  old  homes,  braved  dangers  and  endured  hard- 
ships that  their  children  might  be  established  in  good  homes  in  one  of  the 
most  productive  and  attractive  states  of  the  Union.  Atchison  county  has  been 
the  place  of  residence  of  some  of  these  "'mothers  of  the  Sunflower  state,"  and 
few  of  them  came  to  the  count}'  earlier  and  none  have  been  more  widely  i_ir 
more  favorably  known  than  she  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of  this  article. 

ilrs.  Wilkins  is  a. daughter  of  Thomas  Bilderback.  who  came  to  Kansas  in 
1854,  leading  his  children  to  a  "promised  land"'  where  they  might  have  famis 
for  the  asking  and  an  opportunity  to  fight  the  battle  of  life  with  something  like 
an  even  chance  for  success.  H«  had  but  just  decided  upon  a  location  for  them 
when  he  died  of  cholera.  This  venturesome  and  hopeful  but  unfortunate  pio- 
neer was  a  son  of  Gabriel  T.  Bilderback.  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  and.  after  establishing  a  home  in  the  new  world,  took  for  his 
wife  a  daughter  of  "bonnie  Scotland.'' 

Thomas  Bilderback  was  born  in  1805  and  located,  in  1840.  in  Missouri, 
where  he  became  known  as  an  upright  and  estimable  citizen.  His  children 
were:  Sarah  E.,  born  in  1S31 :  Elizabeth  J-  wife  of  James  R.  ]^Iayfield ; 
Rachel  M..  who  married  Henry  Ma}-field  and  is  now  deceased ;  Mary  Emeline. 
who  married  Eridios  Killough  and  lives  at  Council  Grove,  Kansas:  Gabriel 
Y.  and  A.  C.  of  Center  township,  Atchison  county;  A.  B.,  who  is  dead:  John 


644  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

M..  who  lives  in  Oklahoma:  W.  E..  of  Texas:  and  Gettie  A.,  wife  of  Thomas 
C.  Gabberd,  of  Hall's  Station.  Missouri. 

Sarah  E.  Bilderback  and  Michael  Wilkins  were  married  in  August,  1852, 
when  Mrs.  Wilkins  was  twenty-one  years  old.  Mr.  Wilkins  was  born  near 
Salem,  Marion  county.  Illinois.  June  12.  1827.  a  son  of  John  Wilkins.  a 
native  of  Tennessee,  who  married  an  Irish  Catholic  in  defiance  of  his  parents' 
wishes  and  settled  in  Illinois,  where  he  became  a  farmer.  He  had  eight  sons 
and  eight  daughters,  all  of  whom  lived  to  be  married.  On  the  ist  of  Septem- 
ber, 18^4,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilkins  deposited  their  scant  household  effects  on 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  10,  in  Mount  Pleasant  township,  and  there  he 
lived  through  all  the  remainder  of  his  life,  until  October  28,  1891,  when,  as 
he  was  driving  across  the  Atchison  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  track  near  Atchison, 
with  a  load  of  lumber,  he  was  killed  instantly  by  a  passing  train,  of  the  approach 
of  which  he  had  had  no  warning. 

The  land  upon  which  the  W'ilkins  family  had  settled  had  not  had  a  pre- 
vious owner  and  was  in  its  primitive  condition.  Its  appearance  may  be 
imagined  by  any  reader  acquainted  w^ith  conditions  in  that  part  of  the  country 
at  that  time.  They  were  the  first  white  people  in  their  neighborhood  and  not 
owning  a  chicken  themselves  they  did  not  hear  one  crow  for  six  months  suc- 
ceeding their  settlement  there.  Mr.  Wilkins  and  his  industrious  wife  had 
enough  money  to  supply  their  modest  wants  until  a  crop  was  raised  and  Mrs. 
Wilkins  says  she  can  tell  no  tales  of  hard  times  from  lack  of  provisions  and 
other  necessaries  or  life.  They  planted  forty  acres  of  sod  corn  the  first  year  and 
got  thirty  bushels  to  the  acre.  The  next  year  eighty  bushels  to  the  acre  were 
gathered  off  the  same  field  and  this  was  sold  to  farmers,  less  industrious  per- 
haps, from  Doniphan,  Brown  and  Atchison  counties,  at  eighty  cents  or  a  dollar 
per  bushel.  The  Indians'  trading  proved  a  source  of  revenue  to  them,  for  they 
bought  their  grain  and  their  stock  and  ]iroved  friendly  and  reliable. 

The  year  1856  brought  trying  times  to  the  loyal  and  "free  state"  settlers 
of  Atchison  county.  The  southern  men  and  pro-slavery  element  who  came 
into  the  state  to  harass  its  citizens  and  coerce  them  into  throwing  Kansas 
into  the  pro-slavery  column  proved  to  be  a  band  ot  robbers  and  assassins.  ]\Ien 
who  were  outspoken  in  their  hatred  of  slavery  were  their  special  objects  of  dis- 
pleasure. They  stole  horses  from  them  and  made  threats  of  violence  against 
them  which  frequently  led  to  the  death  of  some  patriot.  The  teams  of  the 
pioneers  were  frequently  composed  of  several  yoke  of  oxen.  Horses  were  kept 
largely  for  riding  and  no  man  had  more  than  three  or  four.  It  was  no  uncom- 
mon sight  to  see  si.x  and  eight  yokes  of  cattle  slowly  crossing  the  prairies  into 
Atchison,  Leavenworth  and  other  river  towns  for  provisions  or  carrying  the 
crops  to  market.  On  one  occasion,  after  having  successfully  secreted  his 
horses  for  weeks  and  until,  as  he  thought,  immediate  danger  of  robbery  had 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         645 

passed,  Mr.  Wilkins  placed  his  team  in  a  lot  near  the  house,  with  the  house- 
hold to  watch  for  thieves  while  he  ate  hreakfast.  He  had  not  finished  his 
meal  before  the  "border  ruffians"  had  them  and  were  gone.  Mrs.  \Vilkins  fol- 
lowed after  on  foot  tracking  and  tracing  them  for  a  few  miles  and  found  them 
hidden  in  the  brush.  She  evaded  the  guard,  cut  the  tie  ropes  with  a  dirk  she 
carried  and  away  went  the  horses  for  home  at  their  utmost  speed.  This  is  only 
one  of  manv  plucky  and  fearless  acts  performed  by  women  of  that  time  and 
others  may  justly  be  credited  to  Mrs.  Wilkins. 

Mr.  Wilkins  belonged  to  the  state  militia  and  was  in  the  battle  of  West- 
port  during  Price's  raid  into  Missouri.  He  was  a  Republican  and  expressed 
his  sentiments  without  fear.  He  was  one  of  the  best  men  the  county  possessed 
and  his  judgment  was  w'idely  respected.  It  was  no  trouble  for  him  to  make 
money,  for  he  always  knew  what  a  thing  was  worth  and  either  paid  the  price 
or  got  it.  He  was  eminently  fair  and  liberal  in  dealing  with  his  neighbors,  gave 
to  them  rather  than  took  from  them,  and  was  frequently  called  upon  to  settle 
disputes  between  farmers  where  one  had  done  the  other  an  injury. 

Mrs.  Wilkins  had  no  children,  but  has  reared  three  daughters  of  her 
brother,  A.  B.  Bilderback :  Florence,  now  twenty-four  years  old ;  Nora,  who 
is  now  tw-enty-two  and  is  a  teacher ;  and  Dollie  E.,  aged  tw-enty-one.  They  are 
known  by  the  name  of  Wilkins  and  have  been  fitted  for  life  by  attendance  at 
the  Atchison  county  high  school. 


THOMAS  LYONS. 


A  well  known  farmer  of  Doniphan  county,  now  living  retired,  Thomas 
Lyons  claims  the  Emerald  Isle  as  the  place  of  his  birth,  which  occurred  in 
county  Mayo  in  1825,  his  parents  being  John  and  Mary  (Kahn)  Lyons.  They 
were  also  natives  of  the  same  isle,  born  in  the  parish  of  Keck,  where  they  spent 
their  entire  lives.  Thoinas  was  reared  at  his  parental  home  and  the  educational 
privileges  which  he  enjoyed  were  those  afforded  by  the  county  schools.  At  the 
age  of  thirteen  he  put  aside  his  text  books  and  began  working  for  his  cousin, 
who  was  living  upon  a  farm,  continuing  in  his  employ  for  several  years.  He 
lost  his  father  when  seven  years  of  age  and  was  only  twelve  years  old  at  the 
time  of  his  mother's  death,  so  that  he  was  early  forced  to  begin  the  battle  of 
life  for  himself.  After  three  and  a  half  years  spent  in  the  service  of  John 
Lyons  he  entered  the  employ  of  another  cousin,  Patrick  Lyons.  Avith  whom 
he  also  remained  for  three  and  a  half  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  went  to  England,  where  he  was  employed  for  three  years,  and  in  1850  he 
took  passage  on  a  westward  bound  vessel,  which  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor 


646  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

of  New  Orleans  after  a  \'oyage  of  seven  weeks  and  two  days.  From  tlie 
Crescent  city  he  made  liis  way  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  in  that  vicinity  secured 
employment  as  a  farm  hand.  In  November,  1856,  he  followed  the  tide  of  emi- 
gration which  steadily  drifted  westward  and  thus  became  a  resident  of  Doni- 
phan county,  Kansas,  where  he  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
on  section  33,  Wolf  River  township.  His  first  home  was  a  little  cabin,  16.X17 
feet.  He  was  emijloyed  by  Charles  H.  Phillips  and  Jacob  Bennett  through  the 
first  season  of  his  residence  in  this  locality  and  in  1857  began  to  break  his  own 
land,  following  that  work  by  the  planting  of  crops.  Soon  abundant  harvests 
rewarded  his  efiforts  and  later  he  extended  his  labors  by  engaging  in  the  stock 
raising  and  grain  business.  He  was  very  energetic,  industrious  and  resolute, 
and  thus  was  enabled  to  augment  his  capital  and  from  time  to  time  he  has 
extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  until  it  comprises  four  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land,  on  section  ^^.  He  erected  there  a  substantial  residence,  good 
barns,  corncribs  and  sheds,  and  placed  the  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, the  arable  fields  yielding  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and 
labor  he  bestowed  upon  them.  He  was  one  of  the  most  successful  wheat  grow- 
ers in  the  state,  having  in  one  year  harvested  three  thousand  bushels  of  wheat 
in  addition  to  ten  thousand  bushels  of  corn  and  sixteen  tliousand  bushels 
of  oats.  These  cereals  he  sold  at  good  prices  and  realized  therefrom  a  large 
profit.  He  also  raised  considerable  barley  at  one  time  and  sold  that  grain  as 
high  as  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  a  bushel.  On  one  occasion  he  dis- 
posed of  four  car-loads  of  wheat  to  tiie  firm  of  Bowen  &  Blair,  millers  of  Atchi- 
son, Kansas.  His  stock  raising  efforts  also  ])riiught  iiim  a  good  income,  spe- 
cially dealing  in  hogs. 

On  the  27th  of  September.  1856,  Mr.  Lyons  married  Miss  Mary  Heeney, 
a  nati\e  of  Butler  county,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Edward  Heeney,  who  is 
still  living,  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  two  years.  He  is 
remarkably  well  preserved,  being  in  the  possession  of  all  his  faculties.  The 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyons  has  been  blessed  with  seven  children,  four 
sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  John  M.  who  died  in  1898,  at  the  age  of 
forty  years,  leaving  five  children ;  Edward ;  James  J.,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
dry-goods  and  grocery  business  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  merchants 
of  Severance,  Kansas ;  Margaret,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years ;  Rosa, 
the  wife  of  D.  P.  Delaney,  the  clerk  of  the  court  and  general  agent  for  the 
McCormick  Company  in  eastern  Kansas;  Barney  E.,  a  dealer  in  hardware  and 
groceries  in  Everest,  Kansas ;  and  Mary,  who  is  a  student  in  the  convent  in  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri. 

In  1892  Mr.  Lyons  moved  his  family  to  Severance, where  he  has  since  lived. 
He  leases  his  property  and  the  rental  therefrom  brings  a  handsome  income 
of  seventeen  hundred  dollars  a  year.    He  is  now  well  advanced  in  life,  having 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  647 

passed  the  psalmist's  span  of  three-score  years  and  ten,  but  age  rests  lightlj' 
upon  him  and  he  possesses  the  vigor  of  many  a  man  of  younger  vears.  His 
life  has  been  one  of  activity  and  usefulness  and  to  his  family,  when  death  shall 
call  him.  he  will  leave  not  or.ly  a  handsome  property  but  also  an  untarnished 
name. 


JOHX  P.  JOHXSOX. 


In  the  death  of  John  P.  Johnson,  June  i,  1898,  Highland  lost  one  of  its 
prominent  and  greatly  respected  citizens.  As  the  day,  with  its  morning  of 
hope  and  promise,  its  noontide  of  activity,  its  evening  of  completed  and  suc- 
cessful efforts,  ending  in  the  grateful  rest  and  quiet  of  night,  so  was  the 
life  of  this  honored  man.  His  career  was  a  long,  busy  and  useful  one.  But 
although  an  earnest  business  man.  devoting  his  whole  daily  time  and  atten- 
tion to  the  further  development  of  his  commercial  interests,  he  never  allowed 
the  pursuit  of  wealth  to  warp  his  kindly  nature,  but  preserved  his  faculties 
and  the  warmth  of  his  heart  for  intellectual  enjoyment,  being  to  the  end 
of  his  life  a  kindly,  genial  friend  and  gentleman  with  whom  it  was  a  pleasure  to 
meet  and  converse. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  born  at  Hickory  Grove,  now  Pocahontas,  Bond  county, 
Illinois,  on  the  6th  of  December,  1817,  and  was  the  seventh  son  and  tenth  child 
in  the  family  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Houston)  Johnson.  His  father  was  a 
native  of  North  Carolina,  and  during  the  last  years  of  the  war  for  independence 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Colonial  armj^  and  fought  at  Guilford  and  Cowpens 
with  the  militia  of  his  native  state.  He  wedded  Mary  Houston,  who  was  also 
born  in  North  Carolina,  and  with  his  wife  and  five  children  he  removed  to 
Tennessee,  locating  in  Humphreys  county.  There  he  remained  until  1816. 
He  had  been  a  slave  owner  in  North  Carolina,  but  being  radically  opposed 
to  the  institution  of  slavery  and  desirous  of  rearing  his  family  of  boys  in 
a  free  state,  he  came  to  the  territory  of  Illinois  in  1816.  His  sons,  Hugh  and 
Benjamin,  aged  sixteen  and  eighteen  respectively,  had  previously  made  their 
way  to  southern  Illinois,  and  made  a  clearing  for  the  home  of  the  family  at 
Hickory  Grove,  building  a  primitive  log  cabin,  which  was  ready  to  receive 
the  parents  and  their  other  chilidren  when,  in  April,  1817,  they  took  up  their 
abode  at  their  new  home.  The  father  died  in  1820,  and  the  mother  passed 
away  in  1841. 

In  his  boyhood  days  John  Powers  Johnson  experienced  all  the  hardships 
and  trials  incident  to  pioneer  life,  and  also  enjoyed  the  pleasures  which  were 
known  to  the  early  settlers  of  the  frontier.  He  was  a  noted  hunter,  and  his 
trusty  rifle  supplied  the  table  with  deer  and  wild  turkev.     He  was  a  voung 


648  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

man  of  eighteen  years  wlien  he  heard  an  address  on  education  by  a  Methodist 
bishop,  and,  with  the  suddenness  and  decision  which  always  characterized 
him,  he  determined  to  acquire  a  collegiate  education.  In  order  to  do  this  he 
sold  the  greater  part  of  his  personal  effects,  and  then  entered  an  academy  at 
Bethel,  Bond  county.  His  ambition  was  to  become  a  student  in  McKendree 
College,  in  Lebanon,  Illinois,  and  in  order  to  do  this  he  engaged  in  teaching 
in  Hickory  Grove,  where  his  industry  and  energy  made  his  first  school  a 
marked  success.  In  1839  he  pursued  a  preparatory  course  for  one  year  in 
McKendree  College,  after  which  he  engaged  in  teaching  for  two  terms,  and 
then  matriculated  as  a  freshman  in  the  college  in  1841.  After  completing 
his  junior  year  there  he  entered  the  senior  class  of  Harvard  University  at 
Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  and  was  graduated  in  1846.  For  some  time  there- 
after he  was  connected  with  educational  work,  and  his  labors  were  most  com- 
mendable, winning  him  prestige  among  the  members  of  the  profession  at  that 
date.  In  1847- 1848  ^^^  ^^^^  the  principal  of  the  academy  at  Murfreesboro, 
Tennessee,  and  his  wife  assisted  him  in  his  work  there.  Through  the  influence 
of  some  of  his  classmates  in  McKendree  College^  he  was  chosen  the  principal 
of  the  Georgetown  Seminary,  in  Vermillion  county,  Illinois,  in  1848,  and  re- 
mained in  charge  of  that  school  until  the  close  of  the  academic  year  of  1853. 
He  then  accepted  the  charge  of  mathematics  in  Fayette  College,  of  Missouri, 
but  at  the  end  of  the  year  resigned  that  position. 

On  leaving  the  school  room  he  made  a  visit  to  the  territory  of  Dakota, 
which  was  to  be  organized  as  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  and  received  the  govern- 
ment appointment  to  establish  a  boundary  line  between  those  two  territories, 
on  the  fortieth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  as  far  west  as  the  sixth  principal 
meridian,  which  line  formed  the  base  of  the  surveys  for  both  states.  j\Ir. 
Johnson  had  previously  made  a  thorough  study  of  surveying.  Major  Thomas 
G.  Lee  was  the  officer  having  the  work  in  charge,  and,  after  coming  to  Mr. 
Johnson's  camp  and  inspecting  his  starting  point  on  the  sandbar  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  he  pronounced  it  all  right  and  departed,  participating  no 
further  in  the  survey.  Our  subject  fitted  out  his  expedition  in  St.  Louis,  ar- 
rived at  Leavenworth  the  last  of  September,  began  work  on  the  17th  of  No- 
vember, ran  the  base  line  west  of  the  river  to  the  one  hundred  and  eighth 
degree  of  west  longitude,  and  then  returned  on  the  lOth  of  December  to  the 
Iowa  Mission.  There  he  became  acquainted  with  the  Rev.  S.  M.  Irwin  and 
General  Bayless,  and  with  those  gentlemen  he  selected  a  site  and  laid  out  the 
town  of  Highland. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  he  made  a  trip  on  horseback  through  a  large  portion 
of  Kansas  to  see  the  country.  Crossing  the  river  at  Junction  City,  he  pro- 
ceeded east  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Kansas  river,  and  when  near  Shawnee 
Mission,  in  July,  he  was  halted  and  apprehended  by  a  squad  of  men  who  said 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         649 

they  believetl  he  was  an  abolitionist,  and  took  him  to  Shawnee  Mission.  The 
territorial  legislature,  which  had  been  removed  to  that  place,  was  then  in  ses- 
sion, and  there  was  much  bitter  feeling  against  Governor  Reeder  and  all 
northern  people.  Colonel  Thomas  Johnson,  the  Indian  agent,  who  also  was 
a  member  of  the  territorial  council,  was  acquainted  with  John  P.  Johnson,  of 
this  review,  gave  him  his  protection  and  secured  his  safe  departure. 

From  the  beginning  of  his  residence  here,  Mr.  Johnson  was  a  very  im- 
portant factor  in  the  development,  upbuilding  and  progress  of  the  town  of 
Highland — in  fact  this  beautiful  little  city  may  be  said  to  stand  as  a  monument 
of  his  enterprise  and  progressive  spirit.  By  means  of  friendship  through  col- 
lege associations  he  had  access  to  large  amounts  of  money  for  investment 
in  western  land,  and  thus  he  laid  the  foundation  for  his  fortune.  He  died 
possessed  of  a  large  estate,  and  his  money  was  made  through  the  legitimate 
channels  of  trade  and  through  judicious  placing  of  his  capital  in  real  estate 
interests.  His  honesty  was  proverbial.  He  was  never  known  to  cheat  a 
man  out  of  a  single  cent,  and  he  expected  like  honorable  treatment  on  the 
part  of  others.  Considering  the  vast  opportunities  he  had  to  oppress  his  fel- 
low men  through  lawsuits  and  forced  collections,  it  is  surprising  to  find  how  few 
foreclosures  he  set  in  motion  and  how  few  forfeitures  he  enforced.  He  be- 
came undoubtedly  the  largest  land  owner  in  Kansas  and  besides  the  thousands 
of  acres  which  he  had  in  this  state  and  in  Nebraska,  he  owned  extensive  tracts 
in  jMissouri  and  Florida,  having  orange  and  phosphate  land  in  the  last  named 
state.  Large  tracts  in  Arizona  and  other  sections  of  the  country  were  also 
included  in  his  realty  holdings,  and  much  of  his  land  was  under  cultivation. 
He  also  had  large  mule,  cattle  and  horse  ranches,  and  so  controlled  his  mam- 
moth business  interests  that  they  brought  him  a  handsome  income.  Soon 
after  establishing  his  home  in  Highland  he  opened  a  bank,  and  for  forty-one 
years  was  connected  with  the  banking  interests  at  this  place.  His  institution 
was  probably  the  oldest  in  the  state,  and  was  without  doubt  one  of  the  most 
reliable,  for  he  conducted  business  in  a  safe  manner,  and  his  well-known  in- 
tegrity was  ample  security  to  his  patrons  that  the  money  intrusted  to  his  charge 
was  absolutely  safe. 

Xo  interest  or  measure  intended  to  prove  a  public  benefit  solicited  the  aid 
of  Mr.  Johnson  in  vain.  He  was  at  all  times  active  in  support  of  whatever 
he  believed  would  prove  of  public  good,  and  was  one  of  the  most  earnest  and 
zealous  advocates  of  the  Highland  University  through  many  years.  On  the 
1st  of  November,  1861,  he  was  elected  the  president  of  its  board  of  trustees, 
held  that  office  for  nearly  sixteen  years,  and  continued  as  a  member  of  the 
board  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  gave  much  financial  aid  to  the  institu- 
tion during  its  entire  history,  showing  his  substantial  interest  by  endowing 
a  professorship  of  twenty  thousand  dollars,  in  1890.     For  many  years  he  was  a 


650  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

prominent  leader  in  tlie  ranks  of  tlie  Reinil)lican  party,  served  as  county  com- 
missioner and  railroad  assessor,  was  the  mayor  of  Highland,  and  several  times 
represented  Doniphan  county  in  both  branches  of  the  legislature. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  three  times  married.  On  the  23d  of  March,  1847,  '^e 
wedded  Sarah  A.  Norton,  of  London,  Ohio,  who  died  April  2,  1854,  leaving 
two  children,  Rollin  and  Alonzo,  both  of  whom  have  since  died.  On  the  14th 
of  July,  1856,  he  wedded  Sarah  Canaday,  of  Georgetown,  Illinois,  who  died 
March  12,  1887.  Their  only  child,  Annie,  was  born  May  27,  1863.  and  died 
May  25,  1865.  On  the  loth  of  July.  1888,  Mr.  Johnson  married  Mrs.  Vir- 
ginia Mason  Hutt,  of  Troy,  Missouri,  who  sur\-i\-es  him. 

When  fourteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Johnson  became  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church,  and  his  entire  life  was  in  harmony  with  his  profession  as 
an  advocate  of  the  Christian  religion.  In  1866  he  united  with  the  Presby- 
terian church  of  Highland,  and  always  contributed  generously  to  the  support 
of  the  gospel  and  was  most  liberal  in  his  donations  for  the  erection  of  the  house 
of  worship  in  1889.  His  physical  vigor  was  remarkable;  daily  was  he  found 
in  his  office  from  early  morning  until  late  at  night,  giving  personal  attention 
to  the  management  and  to  the  details  of  his  extensive  business.  His  life  was 
at  all  times  upright  and  honorable.  He  was  a  man  of  broad  humanitarian 
principles  and  sympathy  and  of  kindly  spirit.  His  humanity  always  triumphed 
over  his  prejudices,  and  he  could  never  see  why  any  portion  of  his  fellow 
men  should  be  shut  out  of  Christian  civilization  and  social  progress.  In  his 
domestic  relations  his  kindness  of  heart  and  excellence  of  personal  character 
made  him,  as  a  husband  and  father,  a  guide  and  example.  By  his  death 
the  entire  community  suffered  a  great  bereavement,  for  during  more  than 
forty  years  he  had  been  a  leader  in  the  pul.)lic  life,  thought  and  action  of 
Highland,  but  his  example  remains  as  a  grateful  benediction  to  all  who  knew 
him,  and  his  memory  is  cherished  in  the  hearts  of  his  friends  throughout  Kan- 
sas and  in  many  other  states. 


ROBERT  McPHERSOX. 

Many  were  the  boys  of  tender  years  who  entered  the  service  of  the  Union 
during  the  civil  war,  when  the  loyalty,  bravery  and  courage  which  they  dis- 
played were  as  marked  as  that  shown  by  many  old  ^•etera^s  twice  their  years. 
Mr.  McPherson  was  one  of  these  boy  heroes,  who-  at  the  call  for  aid  "donned 
the  blue"  and  went  to  the  south  to  strike  a  blow  in  defense  of  the  cause  of 
freedom.  He  is  now  an  honored  resident  of  Doniphan  county,  where  he 
is  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 

As  his  name  indicates,  he  is  of  Scotch  lineage.     His  father.  James  Mc- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         651 

Pherson,  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  He  was  married  in  the  Keystone  state 
to  Miss  Mary  M.  States,  a  lady  of  German  descent.  In  1858  they  removed 
with  their  family  to  Carroll  county,  Missouri,  locating  near  Coloma.  Leavino- 
Coloma  during  the  latter  part  of  the  civil  war,  the  family  came  to  \\'athena, 
Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where  the  father  was  accidentally  killed,  at  the  ao-e 
of  fifty-seven  years.  His  wife,  surviving  him  for  some  time,  passed  away 
on  the  13th  of  July,  1898.  By  trade  he  was  a  shoemaker,  and  followed  that 
pursuit  throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  business  career.  His  political  sup- 
port was  given  the  Republican  party,  and  he  was  a  man  of  industry,  energy 
and  honesty,  whose  well-spent  life  commanded  the  respect  of  those  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  In  his  family  were  ten  children,  namely:  Jane  Anne, 
Margaret,  Elizabeth,  Mathias,  William  Thomas,  Robert,  Lovena,  Alice,  Belle 
and  Georgia.  Two  of  the  sons,  Robert  and  William  Thomas,  were  soldiers 
during  the  civil  war.  The  latter,  who  served  for  two  and  a  half  years,  was  a 
member  of  Company  G,  Thirty-third  Missouri  Infantry,  and  died  in  Wathena, 
Kansas. 

Robert  McPherson  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  on  the  27th  of  November, 
1849,  3nd  was,  therefore,  but  nine  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of 
the  family  to  Missouri.  He  was  reared  in  Carroll  county,  of  the  latter  state, 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools  there.  When  a  boy  he  rep- 
resented his  father  by  proxy  as  a  member  of  Tom  Reed's  Utica  Black  Horse 
Guards,  a  troop  of  the  state  militia,  and  on  the  4th  of  June,  1863,  when  only 
fourteen  years  of  age,  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Eleventh  Missouri  Cavalr}^ 
for  service  in  the  civil  war.  He  remained  at  the  front  until  the  close  of  hos- 
tilities, and  was  honorably  discliarged  at  New^  Orleans  on  the  27th  of  June, 
1865.  For  some  time  he  was  stationed  at  Benton  Barracks,  at  Rolla,  and  he 
also  participated  in  several  important  battles  and  skirmishes,  including  the  en- 
gagements at  Batesville,  Duvall's  Bluff  and  Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  His  com- 
mand was  with  the  troops  under  Generals  Steele  and  Reynolds.  While  at 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  he  suffered  from  sunstroke,  but  he  bore  all  his  suffer- 
ings with  the  fortitude  of  a  soldier  and  his  bravery  equalled  that  of  many  men 
of  twice  his  years.  He  may  well  be  proud  of  his  military  record,  for  it  was 
e\er  a  creditable  one. 

In  April,  1866,  Mr.  McPherson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna 
Buchenan,  a  daughter  of  John  Buchenan,  of  Wathena,  and  their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  six  children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living,  namely:  Kate, 
the  wife  of  Oscar  Anderson;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Duglass  Chambers;  Bertie, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Groh;  Elva,  the  wife  of  Sam  Cook,  and  James  R.,  who 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Spanish-American  war  from  June  18,  1898,  until 
February  10,  1899.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  called  to  her  final  rest 
on  the  7th  of  September,  1883,  and  on  the  loth  of  October,  1895,  Mr.  Mc- 


C52  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

rherson  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Anna  Ruth 
Eckhart,  dauglitcr  of  John  Eckhart,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  They  liad  one 
child,  WilHam  Thomas,  who  died  February  22,  1900,  at  the  young  age  of  two 
years,  five  months  and  fourteen  days.  Their  home  is  pleasantly  located  on 
a  farm  a  mile  and  three  quarters  from  Wathena,  where  they  have  lived  since 
1881.  ]Mr.  McPherson  is  a  practical  and  enterprising  farmer,  whose  well- 
tilled  fields  and  substantial  improvements  indicate  his  careful  supervision  and 
progressive  methods  of  prosecuting  his  business. 

A  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party,  he  does  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  its  growth  and  insure  its  success.  He  is  a  charter  member 
of  Nathan  Price  Tost,  No.  283,  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  has  served  as  the  com- 
uKuulcr,  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He 
is  ni.iw  in  the  prime  of  life,  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  of  genial  dispo- 
sition and  cordial  manner,  and  the  circle  of  his  friends  is  extensive. 


JOHN  SWTGGETT. 


John  bwiggett,  deceased,  was  born  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  December 
25,  1838,  and  died  in  Troy,  Kansas,  January  19,  1896.  His  parents,  Nathan 
and  Margaret  Swiggett,  were  natives  of  Kentucky  and  were  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where  they  reared  their  family.  There  John, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood  and  received  a  common-school 
education.  When  he  started  out  in  life  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world  he 
went  to  Colorado,  spending  some  time  in  Denver  and  on  Pike's  Peak,  where  he 
w-as  fairly  successful  in  his  undertakings.  When  the  civil  war  broke  out  he 
returned  east  as  far  as  Kansas  and  here  tendered  his  services  to  the  Union  and 
became  a  member  of  Company  I,  Seventh  Kansas  Volunteer  Cavalry,  of  which 
Colonel  Anthony  was  in  command.  Mr.  Swiggett  was  in  numerous  battles, 
prominent  among  them  being  Corinth,  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  three  years' 
enlistment  he  recruited  a  company,  re-enlisted  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  In  resisting  Price's  raid  Mr.  Swiggett's  horse  was  shot  under  him,  but 
he  himself  escaped  uninjured  on  this  occasion  as  he  did  on  many  others,  and, 
while  he  was  often  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  and  on  numerous  occasions  came 
near  being  captured,  he  escaped  wounds  and  prison.  In  July,  1865,  he  was 
honorably  discharged  and  returned  to  Kansas. 

After  the  war  j\Ir.  Swiggett  became  interested  in  sawmilling  in  Doni- 
phan county.  He  purchased  both  a  portable  and  a  stationary  sawmill  and 
engaged  extensively  in  the  manufacture  of  native  lumber.  After  a  time  he 
sold  the  portable  mill  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  manufacture  of  flour. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  653 

later  disposing  of  the  flour  mill.  His  next  venture  was  in  the  livery  Inisiness 
in  Troy.  That  was  in  1882  and  he  \Vas  successfully  engaged  in  this  business 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  January  19,  1896.  Mr.  Swiggett  was  a  man  of 
many  excellent  traits  of  character  and  throughout  his  life  won  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  those  with  whom  he  was  associated.  He  affiliated  with  the 
Republican  party,  was  for  several  years  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  Troy, 
and  fraternally  was  identified  with  Kennedy  Post,  Xo.  292.  G.  A.  R.,  and  also 
the  Knights  of  Honor. 

He  was  married,  in  1868,  to  IMiss  Delia  Lewis,  of  Doniphan  county,  Kan- 
sas, a  daughter  of  Bryan  and  Elizabeth  Lewis,  natives  respectively  of  Tennes- 
see and  Kentucky.  To  this  union  were  born  four  children,  two  sons  and  two 
daughters:  Grace  D.,  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Troy;  Roy,  assistant 
postmaster  of  Troy,  under  John  Kennedy,  postmaster;  Louis  D.,  his  father's 
successor  in  the  livery  business ;  and  Delia  Mary,  who  is  attending  school. 

A  brother  of  Mr.  Swiggett,  Nathan  Swiggett,  is  still  living  and  he,  too, 
has  a  war  record.  He  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Fifth  Illinois  Cavalry,  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Updegraff,  and  served  in  the  western  department  four 
years  and  three  months,  at  the  end  of  that  time  receiving  an  honorable  dis- 
charge.    He  is  now  a  resident  of  Trov,  Kansas. 


ISAAC  MARIS. 


Every  one  in  Center  township  anfl  largely  throughout  the  county  and 
state  knows  and  highly  esteems  Isaac  Maris,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  lo- 
cality, who,  more  than  four  decades  ago  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  then  few  in- 
habitants of  northeastern  Kansas.  His  resemblance  to  our  martyr  president, 
Abraham  Lincoln,  is  so  marked  that  strangers  seeing  him  frequently  inform 
him  of  the  fact,  and  he  feels  truly  highly  honored  and  greatly  flattered. 
Like  the  immortal  chief  executive,  he  is  tall,  being  fully  six  feet  and  two 
inches  in  height,  and  possesses  the  same  regal  bearing,  though  quiet  and  un- 
ostentatious in  disposition. 

In  tracing  the  ancestry  of  Isaac  Maris  it  is  ascertained  that  his  forefather, 
George  Maris,  came  to  this  country  from  England  as  early  as  1681,  taking 
up  his  abode  in  Pennsylvania.  Our  subject's  grandfather.  Joseph  Maris, 
also  lived  in  the  Keystone  state,  as  did  several  generations  of  the  family,  and 
was  prominent  in  the  Society  of  Friends.  Jonathan  Maris,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1800,  and  in  1820  went 
with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Goshen  township,  Mahoning  county. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  a  stone  mason,  but  gave  his  attention  to  agriculture 
chiefly.     In  January,  1864.  he  was  summoned  to  the  better  land  and  was  sur- 


654  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

vived  a  few  years  by  his  wife,  Thomason.  who  attained  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Rachel  (Zilley)  Morris,  and 
was  born  in  New  Jersey,  in  1802.  Jonathan  Maris  and  wife  Hved  to  see  their 
ten  children  grow  to  maturity  and  occupy  honored  places  in  the  communities 
where  they  dwelt.  They  were  especially  proud  of  the  fact  that  not  one  of  the 
eight  sons  used  strong  liquors  or  tobacco.  Reared  as  they  were,  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  loving  sympathy  and  helpfulness,  in  almost  an  ideal  home,  in  trutli, 
it  is  not  strange,  after  all,  that  without  exception  they  were  strong,  noble 
characters,  devoted  to  religion  and  all  righteous  enterprises.  The  eldest  son 
and  daughter,  Barclay  and  Ann,  have  passed  into  the  silent  land.  Esther,  the 
second  daughter,  resides  in  Damascus,  Ohio.  Joseph  came  to  Kansas  in  July, 
1857,  and  after  remaining  here  for  two  years  returned  to  his  home  in  the 
east,  where  he  subsequently  died.  Caleb  is  a  farmer  and  makes  his  home  near 
Damascus,  Ohio.  Abraham  is  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  Buckeye  state. 
Jesse  gave  his  life  to  his  country  in  the  civil  war,  while  with  his  regiment  in 
Page  county,  Virginia.  Job,  who  died  at  the  old  Ohio  homestead,  came  to 
Kansas  in  the  spring  of  1866,  but  did  not  long  remain  here.  William,  the 
youngest  of  the  family  and  formerly  a  successful  teacher,  but  now  in  the  grain 
and  implement  business,  resides  at  West  Branch,  Iowa. 

Isaac  Maris  was  born  near  Salem,  Ohio,  July  16,  1834,  and  received  good 
educational  advantages,  completing  his  studies  in  the  high  school  at  Salem. 
Soon  after  arriving  at  his  majority  he  concluded  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the 
west,  and  on  the  7th  of  September,  1857,  he  left  the  old  home  and  friends. 
The  journey,  which  was  made  by  railroad  and  steamboat,  consumed  seven 
days.  Upon  arriving  in  this  county  he  pre-empted  a  quarter  section  of  land 
and  thereon  built  a  log  cabin.  In  the  course  of  time  this  was  replaced  by  a 
comfortable  modern  house,  and  again  T:his  was  replaced  a  few  j-ears  ago  by 
one  of  the  best  farm  houses  in  the  county.  Substantial  barns  and  other  build- 
ings have  also  been  erected.  The  land  was  gradually  brought  into  fine  condi- 
tion, and  in  return  for  the  labor  expended  upon  it  abundant  harvests  are 
garnered  each  year.  In  all  of  his  business  enterprises  Mr.  Maris  is  judicious 
and  energetic,  rarely  meeting  with  failure.  Following  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
ancestors,  he  is  actively  identified  with  the  Society  of  Friends  and  all  phases 
of  Christian  work,  and  for  over  thirty  years  has  been  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
loved  for  his  noble  life  and  high  ideals. 

After  he  had  established  a  comfortable,  though  humble  home,  Mr.  Maris 
brought  to  it  his  bride.  Alma  L.  Buten,  whom  he  married  December  7,  18 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Horace  and  Anna  Buten,  deceased,  and  was  a  native 
New  York  state,  born  October   12.    1836.     Her  father  was  born   in    1808 
near  Stephentown,  New  York,  and  died  when  in  his  thirty-second  year,  leav 
ing  a  widow  and  three  children.     Her  mother  was  Ijorn  in  Berlin,  New  York 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         655 

in  1806,  and  died  in  Kansas,  in  i860.  Ciiarles  J.  Buten,  the  son.  died  in  this 
township,  August  2.  1899.  Kate  Buten  became  tlie  wife  of  William  Perry, 
of  this  township.  Three  children  blessed  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs  Maris' 
namely:  Jesse  Elsworth,  Alice  M.  and  Frederic  B.  The  elder  son  married 
Hannah  Fogg,  of  Damascus,  Ohio,  and  their  two  children  are  Edwin  I  and 
Alma  D.  Alice  M.,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Eckles,  of  this  township,  has  one 
child,  Fayette  Blaine.  The  younger  son  of  our  subject  remains  at  the  old 
h.  imestead  and  aids  materially  in  its  management.  Eva  M.,  an  adopted  daugh- 
ter .if  our  subject  and  wife,  married  M.  C.  Grady,  of  Cuba,  Illinois,  and  has 
one  chil.l.  R..l,ert  Guile. 

L'pMii  Ills  arrival  in  Atchison,  Kansas,  on  the  14th  day  of  September,  1857, 
Mr.  Maris  found  a  small  village  situated  upon  the  banks  of  the  Missouri  river. 
He  made  his  way  from  there  on  fpot  over  the  beautiful  rolling  prairies  until 
he  reached  the  neighborhood  of  his  present  home,  and  the  desire  he  had  felt 
before  leaving  Ohio  being  rekindled  in  his  breast,  he  resolved  to  take  his  place 
m  the  first  ranks  along  with  others  who  were  resolved  to  make  the  beautiful 
prairie  of  Kansas  a  great  state.  For  the  past  forty-three  years  he  has  gone 
hand  in  hand  and  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  the  noble  men  and  women  who 
have  developed  the  state  of  Kansas  in  all  its  agricultural,  mercantile,  me- 
chanical, educational  and  religious  interests,  so  that  the  state  to-day  along  all 
those  lines  stands  hardly  second  to  any  among  the  great  sisterhood  of  states. 
But  few  have  made  greater  sacrifices  in  time  or  means  than  Mr.  Maris  to 
advance  the  religious  interests  of  his  county  and  largely  of  adjoining  counties, 
For  the  past  thirty-fi\-e  years  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  Sunday  school 
work,  and  at  various  times  has  held  the  position  of  president  of  the  township, 
county  and  district  Sunday  school  associations,  and  at  the  present  writing 
is-  one  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Kansas  State  Sunday  School  Asso- 
ciation, of  which  he  was  a  charter  member.  He  was  sent  as  a  delegate  from 
this  state  to  attend  the  Second  World's  Sunday  School  Convention,  which 
was  held  in  St.  Louis  in  1893.  He  has  also  been  a  great  temperance  worker, 
taking  a  life  membership  in  the  Kansas  State  Temperance  Union  in  1878.  He 
worked  hard  to  secure  for  the  commonwealth  a  law  prohibiting  the  manu- 
facture, use  and  sale  of  spirituous  liquors,  except  for  mechanical,  medical  and 
scientific  purposes,  and  in  the  fall  of  1880,  at  the  general  election,  this  question 
of  prohibition  was  voted  upon  in  the  state  and  was  carried  by  some  eight 
thousand  majority.  The  vote  was  confirmed  by  the  legislature  in  1880  and  be- 
came a  part  of  the  state  constitution  and  was  carried  into  effect  as  a  law  on  the 
1st  day  of  May,  1881.  Whatever  tends  to  elevate  humanity  or  advance  the 
best  interests  of  his  county,  state  and  nation  receives  the  support  of  Mr. 
Maris,  who  is  indeed  one  of  the  most  valued  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
Atchison  county. 


656  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

^^lARSHALL  J.   CLOVES. 

Marsliall  J.  Cloves  is  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Atchison.  He  has  figurel 
conspicuously  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  city  and  state  and  his  honor  and 
loyalty  to  the  general  good  is  above  question.  Many  years  have  passed  since 
he  came  to  the  county  and  throughout  the  period  he  has  labored  earnestly 
and  effectively  to  advance  the  welfare  and  promote  the  progress  of  his  adopted 
county.  His  h'nth  occurred  in  the  Green  Mountain  state  at  Salisbury,  where 
he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  on  the  24th  of  October,  1826.  His 
parents  were  Elijah  and  Maria  (Beach)  Cloyes  and  the  ancestry  on  the 
paternal  side  can  be  traced  back  to  two  brothers  who,  leaving  their  home  in 
England,  braved  the  dangers  incident  to  an  ocean  voyage  at  the  time  and 
became  residents  of  the  new  world.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  William  Cloyes,  who  faithfully  served  his  country  in  the  war  of  1812.  The 
maternal  grandfather  was  Philip  Beach,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in  Vermont. 
Elijah  Cloyes,  the  father  of  him  whose  name  heads  this  review,  was  born  in 
Lunenburg,  Massachusetts,  in  1808,  and  there  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  woolen  goods. 

Marshall  J.  Cloyes  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Salisbury,  Vermont,  where 
he  attended  the  city  schools  for  a  time,  later  pursuing  his  education  in  a  select 
school.  He  then  learned  the  trade  of  shoemaker,  after  which  he  went  to  Ripton. 
Vermont,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  making  his  home  in  that  town 
for  twelve  years.  In  1859  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Atchison.  He  soon, 
however,  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming  and  stock  raising.  As  time  passed  he  added  to  the  property 
until  he  was  the  owner  of  an  entire  section  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
Many  substantial  improvements  he  placed  upon  the  farm,  making  it  one  of  the 
most  desirable  and  valuable  properties  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  erected 
two  good  residences  of  eleven  rooms  each  and  built  four  fine  barns,  one  1 18x42 
feet  and  the  other  40x50  feet.  There  were  also  sheds  for  hogs  and  cattle  and 
none  of  the  accessories  and  improvements  of  a  model  farm  were  lacking.  He 
always  raised  high  grades  of  stock,  believing  that  it  was  not  a  paying  invest- 
ment to  deal  in  other  kinds.  For  some  time  he  bred  draft  horses  and  the  high 
grade  of  animals  which  he  raised  won  for  him  an  enviable  reputation  as  a 
stock  dealer.  He  placed  his  land  under  cultivation  and  the  well  tilled  fields 
indicate  to  the  passerby  his  careful  supervision.  For  almost  twenty  years  he 
was  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  community  and  con- 
tinued to  actively  engage  in  farming  until  1875,  '\vhen  he  removed  to  Atchi- 
son, taking  up  his  abode  at  No.  416  North  Seventh  street. 

On  the  5th  of  July.  1848.  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Cloyes  and 
Miss  Betsey  Hendrick.  of  Middlebury,  Vermont,  a  daughter  of  Stillman  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         657 

Abigail  (Haven)  Hendrick,  natives  of  Addison  county,  \'ermont.  ^ilrs. 
Cloves  also  was  bi;>rn  in  the  Green  Mountain  state  and  died  in  1893,  leaving 
two  children,  Frank  E.,  who  is  now  deputv  postmaster  at  Atchison,  and  Mark 
S..  a  successful  agriculturist  of  Lancaster  township,  Atchison  county.  Both 
are  married  and  have  families. 

Mr.  Cloyes  is  a  member  of  Washington  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  ]M..  and  has  long 
been  accorded  a  leading  place  in  political  circles.  He  is  a  stanch  advocate  of 
Republican  principles  and  in  1867  was  elected  on  that  ticket  to  represent  his 
district  in  the  state  legislature,  where  he  served  on  several  important  com- 
mittees, leaving  the  impress  of  his  individuality  upon  the  public  measures 
which  passed  the  house  in  the  session  of  1867-68.  For  eight  years  he  has  been 
a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Atchison  and  is  now  representing  the  third 
ward  on  the  board  of  aldermen.  In  the  spring  of  1891  he  was  elected  the 
mayor  and  by  re-election  filled  that  position  for  four  years.  He  handled  the 
reins  of  municipal  government  with  skill  and  ability  and  his  administration 
was  marked  by  progress  and  practical  improvement.  He  is  a  man  of  sound 
judgment,  of  practical  good  sense,  of  marked  loyalty  and  of  unimi^eachable 
integrity,  and  these  qualities  have  made  him  a  reliable  ofificer  who  has  won 
wide  commendation  by  his  public  service.  All  who  know  him  respect  him 
for  his  sterling  worth  and  his  fidelity  to  the  duties  which  have  been  intrusted  to 
him. 


ALFRED  CHILL. 


More  than  forty  years  have  passed  since  Alfred  Chill  came  to  Doniphan 
county;  He  dates  his  arrival  from  1859  and  has  therefore  been  a  witness  of 
the  progress  and  development  of  the  commonwealth  since  territorial  days. 
Great  changes  have  been  wrought  in  this  part  of  the  world  and  the  work  of 
civilization  has  been  carried  steadily  forward,  advocated  by  such  progressive 
and  public-spirited  citizens  as  the  one  whose  name  introduces  this  review. 
When  the  country  called  for  troops  to  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union 
he  responded  and  at  all  times  has  been  equally  eager  to  aid  in  the  movements 
calculated  to  prove  of  general  benefit. 

Mr.  Chill  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Marion 
county,  near  Indianapolis,  on  the  21st  of  September,  1833.  His  parents  were 
Zebulon  and  Mary  (Shearer)  Chill.  The  father  died  when  our  subject  was 
only  two  years  of  age,  leaving  a  widow  and  two  children.  Mrs.  Chill  was 
born  in  Indiana,  but  was  of  Pennsylvania  German  parentage.  She  survived 
her  husband  only  three  years  and  three  months  and  thus  the  two  sons  were 
left  alone.     The  younger,  Zebulon,  served  as  a  member  of  the  Tenth  Kansas 


658  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Infantry  during  the  civil  war  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Chautauqua  county, 
Kansas. 

Alfred  Chill  was  only  two  years  and  three  months  old  when  his  mother 
died,  at  which  time  he  went  to  make  his  home  with  his  grandparents,  near 
Agency  City,  Iowa.  Five  years  later  they  became  residents  of  Calhoun  county, 
Illinois,  where,  after  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Chill  was  married,  in  1855, 
to  Miss  Fanny  Fielder.  In  the  spring  of  1858  he  and  his  wife  removed  to 
Iowa  and  in  the  following  winter  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where 
lie  has  since  made  his  home.  He  purchased  a  few  acres  of  land  along  the 
]\Iissouri  river  and  there,  after  the  war,  conducted  a  sawmill  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  has  also  operated  a  threshing  machine  for  many  years  and  has  thus 
been  actively  connected  with  the  industrial  interests  of  his  adopted  state.  Afte* 
the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war,  however,  he  put  aside  his  business  cares  and 
enlisted  on  the  12th  of  October,  1S61,  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Seventh 
Kansas  Cavalry,  which  made  for  itself  a  most  honorable  record  during  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion, — a  record  no  less  creditable  than  that  of  the  Twentieth 
Kansas  during  the  Spanish-American  war.  They  traveled  twelve  thousand 
miles,  not  including  the  distance  covered  by  steamboat  and  cars,  and  partici- 
pated in  thirty-six  skirmishes  and  battles.  Mr.  Chill  remained  at  the  front 
until  hostilities  had  ceased,  after  which  he  received  an  honorable  discharge 
at  Fort  Leavenworth,  on  the  29th  of  September,  1865.  He  was  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  J.  ]\I.  Anthony  and  Colonel  C.  R.  Jenson  and  with  the  regi- 
ment was  first  under  fire  at  Little  Blue  in  1861.  With  the  forces  of  General 
Rosecrans  he  participated  in  the  siege  of  Corinth  and  the  two-days  battle  of 
Shiloh.  Subsequently  he  marched  with  the  regiment  into  Tennessee  and 
when  Grant  fortified  Vicksburg  in  order  to  hold  the  forces  of  Johnston  in 
check  the  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry  was  marched  to  the  rear  of  the  mines  near 
the'  river.  During  the  last  year  of  his  service  Mr.  Chill  was  under  command  of 
General  Smith  and  the  regiment  took  an  active  part  in  the  military  move- 
ments in  Mississippi,  Arkansas  and  Tennessee.  Fie  was  in  the  two-days  battle 
at  Corinth,  Mississippi,  October  3  and  4,  1S62,  and  at  Cofifeeville,  Mississippi, 
in  January,  1863,  and  two  days  at  Tupelo,  same  state,  in  1864.  During  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  1864  they  were  ordered  west  on  account  of  the  uprising 
of  the  Indians  on  the  plains  and  participated-  in  border  warfare  under  General 
Dodge.  Mr.  Chill  bore  the  hardships  of  war  uncomplainingly,  willing  to  aid 
in  defense  of  his  country  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 

On  receiving  his  discharge  he  returned  to  his  home  and  family  in  Doni- 
phan county.  As  stated  above  he  was  married  to  Miss  Fannie  Fielder,  whose 
birth  occurred  near  Bloomington,  Indiana,  and  she  was  a  daughter  of  William 
Fielder.  They  had  seven  children,  namely:  Mrs.  Sarah  C.  Shustee,  of  Mis- 
souri; Thomas;  Zebulon;  Edward,  who  is  living  in  Missouri;  Frank,  a  resi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  659 

dent  of  Stuart,  Iowa ;  Lilly  May,  who  is  living  in  Wathena ;  and  Laura,  wife 
ot  Joseph  Lieber,  of  San  Francisco,  California.  Mrs.  Chill  died  in  February, 
1887,  and  Mr.  Chill  was  afterward  married  to  Mrs.  Maria  A.  Helton,  of 
Chicago.  She  is  a  native  of  Vermont  and  was  the  widow  of  Wesson  Hol'ton. 
Mr.  Chill  has  been  a  Republican  in  politics  since  casting  his  first  presi- 
dential vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864,  at  which  time  he  voted  in  Colonel 
T.  P.  Herrick's  hat  in  the  state  of  Tennessee  while  in  the  army.  He  has 
served  his  fellow  townsmen  as  a  township  clerk  and  trustee  and  in  his  com- 
petent discharge  of  his  duties  has  manifested  his  fidelity  to  public  trust.  Li 
Grand  Army  circles  he  is  quite  prominent  and  is  now  serving  as  the  com- 
mander of  Nathan  Price  Post,  No.  283,  a  position  which  he  has  filled  for  three 
years.  He  has  been  Grand  Army  inspector  of  Doniphan  county  for  a  year  and 
lie  enjoys  the  highest  regard  of  his  comrades,  maintaining  the  pleasant  rela- 
tionship which  was  formed  so  many  years  ago  through  his  association  with 
the  military  organizations.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  take  a  very  active  part  in  its  work,  being  zealous  in  promoting  its 
welfare  and  upbuilding.  Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of  one  who  has  made  an 
honorable  record  as  a  citizen,  business  man  and  public  official,  and  whose  name 
is  inscribed  on  the  roll  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Doniphan  county. 


SAMUEL  S.  KING. 


Samuel  S.  King  was  born  in  Moorestown,  New  Jersey,  May  16,  1856. 
His  parents.  John  and  Violet  (Stqjhenson)  King,  were  both  natives  of  Eng- 
land and  in  early  life  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  the  former  making  the 
voyage  when  twenty  years  of  age  and  the  latter  when  a  little  maiden  of  seven 
years.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  After  their  marriage  they  resided  in 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  Moorestown,  New  Jersey,  remaining  in 
the  latter  place  until  1857,  when  they  remo\ed  with  their  famil\-  to  Kansas, 
locating  in  Mount  Pleasant  township,  Atchison  county,  where  the  father 
de\-eloped  a  new  farm,  carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1881.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1887.  When  about  a  year  old 
Samuel  S.  King  was  brought  to  Atchison  county  and  has  spent  almost  his 
entire  life  here.  He  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lands,  devoting 
the  winter  months  to  mastering  the  common  English  branches  of  learning  in 
the  district  schools,  while  in  the  summer  season  he  followed  the  plow  and  in 
the  autumn  aided  in  harvesting  the  crops.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  however,  he 
was  accorded  the  better  educational  privileges  afforded  by  the  schools  of  Atchi- 
son.   He  entered  upon  his  business  career  as  an  employee  in  the  firm  of  McPike 


66o  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

&  Allen,  wholesale  druggists  of  Atchison,  in  1871.  He  remained  with  the 
successors,  McPike  &  Fox.  and  was  connected  with  that  house  at  various 
times  as  an  accountant  for  twenty-six  years.  His  service,  however,  was  not 
contiiuious. 

He  left  the  store  in  order  to  attend  high  school  and  later  he  entered  the 
United  States  mail  service,  in  1881.  serving  in  that  capacity  for  two  and  a  half 
vears.  His  run  was  between  Atchison  and  California  Point,  mostly  on  the 
west  end  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  in  Arizona  and  Xew 
■Mexico.  On  leaving  the  mail  service,-  in  1SS3,  he  accepted  a  position  as  a 
bookkeeper  in  a  general  mercantile  establishment  in  Flagstaff,  Arizona,  where 
he  remaineil  for  three  years  and  then  again  entered  the  employ  of  McPike  S: 
Fox,  with  which  finii  he  was  associated  until  the  fall  of  1897.  when  he  was 
elected  to  his  present  political  office,  as  county  clerk  of  Atchison  county,  and 
was  re-elected  in  1899.  At  the  time  of  his  first  election  one  of  the  local  papers 
WTOte  as  follows:  "S.  S.  King,  the  new  county  clerk,  is  to  the  manner  born 
and  is  in  every  wav  equipped  for  the  faithful  and  satisfactory  discharge  of  the 
duties  of  his  important  office.  Xo  young  man  in  Atchison  county  is  better 
qualified  to  fill  the  place  with  honor  to  himself  and  credit  to  his  party  and  to 
all  of  the  people  of  Atchison  county.  He  is  an  expert  accountant,  a  rapid  and 
clean  penman  and  we  predict  that  he  will  make  not  only  one  of  the  most  efficient 
and  accurate  clerks  in  Kansas  but  that  he  will  be  universally  and  deservedly 
popular." 

His  wife,  who  serves  as  his  deputy,  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Sadie 
Hawks  and  was  bom  and  reared  in  Kansas.  Two  children  grace  their  union. — 
Grace  and  Victor. 


THOMAS  T.  BAXTER. 

One  of  the  well  known  and  prominent  citizens  of  Brown  county  is  Thomas 
T.  Baxter,  who  located  in  Mission  township  in  1871  and  has  since  made  his 
home  in  this  locality.  He  was  boni  July  20.  1845.  n^^''  Carrollton.  Carroll 
county.  Ohio,  and  was  one  of  triplets  bom  unto  John  and  Ellen  Baxter. 
The  three  children  were  given  the  names  of  Thomas.  Sarah  J.  and  Catherine 
and  all  are  yet  living,  are  married  and  ha\e  families  of  their  own.  This  is  a 
remarkable  instance,  as  it  is  seldom  that  triplets  live  to  grow  up.  Sarah  T-  is 
now  the  wife  of  Monroe  ^^"ood.  of  Kansas  City,  and  Catherine  is  the  wife  of 
\\"esley  James,  of  Ohio.  The  Baxter  family  was  founded  in  Xew  England 
in  early  colonial  days.  John  Baxter,  the  father  of  our  subject,  married  Miss 
Ella  Moore,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  was  brought  bv  her  parents  to  America 
when  three  years  of  age  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  Ohio.     Her  father 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         66 1 

was  Henry  IMoore,  wlio  was  born  in  the  Emerald  Isle,  but  was  (jf  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  John  and  Ellen  Baxter  became  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
namely :  Mary,  deceased  wife  of  W.  J.  Moore,  who  was  at  one  time  a  prom- 
inent citizen  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  but  now  resides  in  Texas; 
Andrew,  who  is  living  in  Atchison  county;  Henry,  who  entered  the  Union 
service  as  a  soldier  in  the  civil  war  and  died  at  the  age  of  forty  vears ;  Thomas 
T. ;  Sarah  and  Catherine,  whose  history  is  previously  given ;  Mrs.  Maggie 
Hackney,  of  Schuyler  county,  Illinois ;  Hattie,  the  wife  of  D.  Dorset,  of  Sum- 
ner county,  Kansas;  Emma,  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Henderson,  who  resides  in 
southeastern  Kansas ;  and  Belle,  the  wife  of  Rev.  H.  Mayo,  a  Methodist  min- 
ister now  in  Colorado.  In  1854  the  family  left  their  Ohio  home  and  removed 
to  Schuyler  county,  Illinois.  The  country  was  then  wild,  but  during  their 
residence  of  nearly  twenty  years  there  many  changes  occurred,  the  work  of 
improvement  being  carried  steadily  forward.  The  land  was  carefully  cul- 
tivated and  towns  dotted  the  prairies,  while  all  the  comforts  and  industries  of 
civilization  were  introduced.  Later  John  Baxter  came  to  Kansas,  locating  on 
a  farm  now  owned  by  our  subject,  but  in  1892  sold  that  property  and  removed 
to  Grasshopper  township,  Atchison  county,  where  he  is  now  living  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  good  health,  although  he  has  reached  the  a'ge  of  eighty-three  years. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  socially  he  is  a  Mason,  who  zealously  upholds 
the  principles  of  the  order.  His  wife  died  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years.  Both  were  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  people  of  the  highest 
respectability. 

Thomas  Baxter  was  only  nine  years  of  age  when  his  parents  left  the 
Buckeye  state  and  removed  to  Schuyler  county,  Illinois.  There  he  attended 
the  public  schools  and  was  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy,  which 
have  proved  important  factors  in  his  later  success.  In  1871  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas, locating  on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  and  later  he  purchased  land  of  his 
father,  so  that  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  acres,  which  is  pleasantly  located  about  two  miles  from  Willis, 
five  and  a  half  miles  from  Everest  and  twelve  miles  from  Hiawatha.  The  first 
land  which  he  purchased  was  in  a  primitive  condition,  but  his  indefatigable 
labor  soon  wrought  a  great  change  in  its  appearance,  for  it  was  transformed 
into  highly  cultivated  fields.  He  hauled  his  first  wheat  to  Atchison  for  market, 
but  as  the  country  became  more  thickly  settled  he  had  a  nearer  market  for  his 
products.  Among  the  improvements  upon  his  place  is  an  excellent  orchard, 
containing  one  hundred  and  fifty  bearing  trees. 

Mr.  Baxter  was  married,  in  this  county,  in  1872,  to  Miss  Mary  Sharp,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  Sharp,  now  of  Oklahoma.  Her  death  occurred  in  1880. 
Two  children  were  left  to  mourn  her  loss:  Myrtle,  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
Lewis  Wright,  of  Brown  county;  and  Earl,  a  young  man  of  eighteen,  who 


662  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

assists  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm.  In  December,  1885.  Mr. 
Baxter  wedded  Miss  Mary  Graham,  a  successful  and  popular  school  teacher 
of  Schuyler  county,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  D.  P.  and  Martha  J.  (McCreery) 
Graham,  of  Schuyler  county.  Three  children  ha\e  heen  born  of  their  union, — 
Grace  J.,  Ralph  Graham  and  Glenn,  but  the  last  named  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Baxter  votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  believes  firmly  in  its 
principles  and  policy.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  with 
her  family  attends  its  services.  In  manners  he  is  frank,  genial  and  affable. 
His  business  dealings  are  honorable  and  straightforward.  Earnest  labor  has 
brought  to  him  success  and  he  is  now  numberetl  among  the  sulistantial  resi- 
dents of  Mission  township. 


EDWARD  N.  ERICKSON. 

Edward  N.  Erickscn,  a  farmer  of  Leona.  Doniphan  county,  was  born  in 
Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  on  the  5th  of  January,  1854,  and  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  this  section  of  the  state.  His  father. 
Ole  Erickson,  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1824,  and  was  a  son  of  Erick  Ouastad. 
He  followed  farming  as  it  was  practiced  in  the  southern  section  of  the  Nor- 
wegian peninsula  and  after  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married,  in 
1850,  to  Anna  Steanson.  About  a  month  later  he  bade  adieu  to  the  land  of 
the  midnight  sun  and  sailed  from  Christiania  for  the  United  States.  He  had 
acquired  a  few  hundred  dollars,  but  much  of  this  went  to  pay  doctors'  bills,  the 
rest  being  used  for  living  expenses  and  in  the  purchase  of  a  farm  in  Buchanan 
countj-,  Missouri.  Learning  of  better  opportunities  he  secured  land  in  Kan- 
sas, where  the  government  was  still  the  owner  of  the  wild  tracts.  He  sold  his 
property  in  Missouri  and  came  to  the  Sunflower  state  in  1S58.  He  made  a 
claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  sections  12,  3,  and  18,  Robin- 
son township,  and  there  he  established  a  good  home.  During  the  early  years  of 
his  residence  here  he  engaged  in  hemp  farming,  partly  because  he  did  not  have 
teams  and  other  equipments  sufficient  to  cultivate-a  large  tract  of  land  and  also 
because  the  hemp  crop  was  the  only  one  that  could  be  tended  and  gathered  by 
hand  and  marketed  at  a  good  profit.  In  all  his  ventures  he  met  with  success 
and  his  business  was  so  profitably  conducted  that  at  his  death  he  owned  an 
entire  section  of  land  in  Brown  county  and  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in 
Gove  county.  He  voted  with  the  Republican  party,  but  ne\-er  took  an  active 
interest  in  poHtical  affairs.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Lutheran  and  died  in 
that  faith  in  1896.  In  his  family  were  the  following  children:  Martha, 
deceased  wife  of  J.  H.  Fisher:  Edward  N. :  Julia,  deceased:  Ole  S.,  who  mar- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         663 

lied  Gusta  Thompson;  Caroline,  the  wife  of  Chester  Telefson.  of  Brown 
county;  and  Osborne,  deceased. 

Edward  N.  Erickson  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm  and 
acquired  a  good  education  in  the  common  schools.  After  leaving  the  parental 
home  he  began  the  operation  of  a  tract  of  lantl  belonging  to  his  father,  bur 
soon  afterward  purchased  a  farm  of  his  own  and  in  1879  located  upon  his 
present  place  in  Doniphan  county.  He  has  since  engaged  in  the  raising  of 
cereals  and  of  stock  and  has  been  very  successful  in  his  business  ventures.  He 
now  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Wolf  River  township, 
besides  a  forty-acre  tract. 

On  the  i6th  of  June.  1881,  ]\lr.  Erickson  was  united  in  marriage  to  ]\Iis5 
Julia  A.,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Nelson,  who  was  a  pioneer  citizen  of  Doniphan 
county,  and  their  children  are:    Leslie  O.,  Anna  E..  Etlward  X.  and  Osborne. 

Mr.  Erickson  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  local 
politics,  yet  has  never  been  an  office  seeker,  preferring  to  give  his  energy  and 
lime  to  his  business  affairs.  Indefatigable  industry  has  been  the  keynote  of 
his  success  and  his  eft'orts  have  not  been  without  that  honorable  financial 
reward  which  ever  follows  well  directed  and  long  sustained  endeavor. 


SCOTT  A.  THOAL\S. 


This  well-known  officer  of  Doniphan  county  is  now  serving  as  the  regis- 
trar of  ileeds.  He  has  filled  various  official  positions,  in  all  of  which  he  has 
been  found  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him  and  loyal  in  the  execution  of  the 
duties  devolving  upon  him.  A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  he  was  born  in  Union 
county,  his  parents  being  Archibald  and  Elizabeth  (Burner)  Thomas,  who 
were  also  natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  mother  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Burner,  and  his  parents  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  ancestors  of  the 
Thomas  family  came  to  America  from  Wales.  The  subject  of  this  review 
spent  his  early  boyhood  days  in  his  native  county,  and  then  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Sandusky  county,  Ohio,  where  the  father  died  the 
following  year.  For  many  years  he  had  operated  a  carding  machine.  While 
a  resident  of  Union  county  he  had  served  for  two  terms  as  sheriff,  and  was 
twice  elected  to  the  office  of  county  treasurer.  The  year  following  his  death 
his  widow  accompanied  her  son,  Scott,  to  Doniphan  county.  Kansas,  where 
she  died  in  1882. 

For  thirty-one  years  Scott  A.  Thomas  has  been  a  resident  of  this  county. 
He  acquired  his  education  in  Lewisburg.  Pennsylvania,  and  in  Belleville.  Ohio^ 
He  came  to  Kansas  with  his  brother-in-law.  Wiliam  A.  JNIcGee,  with  whom 


664  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

he  made  his  home  until  the  death  of  Mr.  McGee,  since  which  time  he  has  con- 
tinued to  Hve  with  his  sister,  Mrs.  McGee,  in  Ilhnois. 

During  the  civil  war  Mr.  Thomas  enlisted,  in  1864,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh  Ohio  Infantry,  and  served  for  six 
months,  doing  garrison  duty,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  mustered  out 
w-ith  his  regiment.  After  coming  to  Doniphan  county  he  devoted  his  energies 
to  farming  for  two  years,  and  since  that  time  has,  by  public  ballot,  been  con- 
tinued in  otftce.  He  has  served  as  constable,  as  marshal  and  as  justice  of  the 
peace.  In  the  fall  of  1889  he  was  elected  the  registrar  of  deeds  of  Doniphan 
county,  and  completed  his  second  term  in  that  office  January  12,  1900.  He 
has  been  most  faithful  to  his  duties,  and  has  won  the  commendation  of  all 
concerned.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  accounted  an  ardent  advo- 
cate of  the  party  which  stood  by  the  Union  in  the  dark  days  of  the  civil  war 
and  which  upheld  the  administration  during  the  Spanish-American  war.  He 
owns  a  good  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Iowa  township,  the  land  being  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  and  this  contributes  materially  to  his  income.  Dur- 
ing his  long  residence  in  the  county  he  has  become  widely  known,  and  those 
with  whom  he  is  closely  associated  entertain  for  him  their  high  regard,  a 
fact  which  indicates  that  his  qualities  are  such  as  to  command  respect. 


W.  J.  CANTER. 


The  farming  interests  of  Doniphan  county  are  well  represented  by  Mr. 
Canter,  who  came  to  this  locality  within  six  years  after  the  admission  of  the 
state  into  the  Union.  During  the  greater  part  of  that  period  of  development, 
upbuilding  and  progress  he  has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of  the  com- 
munity, and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  the  record  of  his  life  to  the 
readers  of  this  work.  He  was  born  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  Febru- 
ary 20,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  J.  H.  Canter,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee  and 
was  of  French  descent.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  B. 
Fuqua,  was  also  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  by  her  marriage  she  had  eleven  chil- 
dren, seven  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely :  S.  S.,  M.  W.,  T.  W.,  W.  J.,  A.  F.-, 
]\Iartha  A.,  Eliza  J.,  M.  L.,  deceased,  Mahala,  deceased,  J.  H.  and  S.  S.  In 
1849  the  family  came  to  the  west,  locating  in  Platte  county,  Missouri,  whence 
they  removed  to  Buchanan  county,  that  state.  The  father,  who  was  born  in 
1810,  died  in  1894,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- four  years.  By  occupation 
he  was  a  farmer,  and  had  followed  that  pursuit  throughout  his  business  career 
as  a  means  of  livelihood.     His  political  support  was  given  the  Democracy. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         66$ 

Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist  church.     Mrs.  Cantet 
died  at  the  age  of  three-score  years  and  ten. 

\V.  J.  Canter  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Missouri,  in  the  httle  log  cabin 
which  was  the  family  home.  The  experiences  of  pioneer  hfe  were  famihar 
to  him,  and  the  work  of  the  home  farm  occupied  much  of  his  time  and  atten- 
tion from  an  early  age.  The  district  schools  provided  him  his  educational 
privileges,  and  when  not  engaged  with  his  studies  he  followed  the  plow  and 
assisted  in  the  work  of  the  harvest  fields.  In  September,  1861,  he  entered  the 
Confederate  service  and  remained  with  the  army  until  mustered  out  in  May, 
1865.  He  displayed  his  bravery  on  many  battle  fields,  participating  in  the 
engagements  at  Pea  Ridge,  under  General  Price,  Corinth,  Baker  Creek  and 
Black  Bridge.  Being  captured,  he  spent  twenty-two  months  as  a  prisoner  at 
Camp  Morton,  Indiana,  and  was  then  taken  to  Fort  Delaware  and  then  to 
Point  Lookout,  Maryland,  and  afterward  to  Elmira,  New  York,  where  he  was 
exchanged,  returning  thence  to  Mobile,  Alabama. 

After  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Canter  rejoined  his  parents  in  Missouri,  where 
he  remained  for  one  year,  after  which  he  came  to  Doniphan  county.  He  owns 
five  hundred  acres  of  land,  including  three  hundred  acres  of  rich  bottom  land, 
and  his  fertile  fields  yield  him  an  excellent  return  for  his  labors.  His  farm 
is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county  and  is  well  stocked  with  a  high  grade  of 
cattle,  horses  and  hogs.  The  lessons  of  industry  and  perseverance  which  he 
learned  in  his  youth  have  proven  of  incalculable  benefit  to  him  in  his  business 
career  and  have  brought  him  well-deserved  success. 

Mr.  Canter  was  married  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  in  1867,  to  Miss 
Sarah  E.  Frey,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mollie  Frey,  of  that  county.  They 
became  the  parents  of  four  children :  Caddie  L.,  the  wife  of  George  Cordomier, 
of  Marion  township,  Doniphan  "county ;  Molhe,  the  wife  of  S.  Anderson,  of 
California;  Robert  A.,  at  home,  and  Anna,  a  popular  and  successful  teacher 
of  Marion  township.  The  mother  died  in  1887,  and  her  loss  was  deeply 
mourned  by  many  friends  besides  her  own  family.  She  was  a  consistent. 
Christian  woman,  holding  membership  in  the  Reformed  church,  and  her  hfe 
was  in  many  ways  worthy  of  emulation.  In  1889  Mr.  Canter  was  again  mar- 
ried his  second  union  being  with  Ella  Saunders,  of  Doniphan  county,  daugh- 
ter of  A.  J.  Saunders,  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  Eight  children  have 
been  born  of  the  second  marriage,  namely :  James  H. ;  Andrew  J. ;  Howard 
and  Harley,  twins,  the  latter  dying  at  the  age  of  seven  months;  Wade  and 
Walter,  twins;  Forest  and  W.  J.,  Jr. 

In  his  pohtical  views  Mr.  Canter  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  filled  a  number 
of  school  offices  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  his  wife  holds  membership  in  the 
Baptist  church.     He  belongs  to  that  class  of  representative  American  citizens 


666  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

who  encourage  and  support  all  measures  calculated  to  pro\-e  of  public  benefit. 
His  life  has  been  cjuiet  and  uneventful  in  a  measure,  but  is  characterized  by 
-fidelity  to  duty  in  all  relations  and  by  enterprise  and  honesty  in  business  af- 
fairs. 


ANDREW  J.  TREES. 

:  Andrew  J.  Trees  is  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Sabetha.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  near  Moscow,  on  the  26th  of  September, 
1828,  and  he  is  descended  from  good  old  Revolutionary  stock.  The  Treeses 
originally  came  from  Germany  to  America,  and  during  the  war  of  the  Revo- 
lution John  Trees,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  joined  the  Colonial  army 
and  for  seven  years  assisted  the  valiant  men  who  fought  for  the  independence 
of  the  nation.  His  wife  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Hager.  Their  son, 
John  Trees,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
reared  upon  a  farm.  During  his  youth  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Cler- 
mont county,  Ohio,  and  there  became  familiar  with  the  scenes  and  experiences 
of  pioneer  life.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Nancy 
Hodges,  who  was  of  English  lineage.  She  was  born  in  South  Carolina  and 
in  her  early  childhood  removed  to  the  Buckeye  state,  spending  her  early  life 
upon  a  farm.  After  her  marriage  her  husband  took  her  to  a  new  farm  in 
Clermont  county,  developing  his  property  into  a  very  rich  and  valuable  tract. 
He  died  in  1866,  while  his  wife,  surviving  him  ten  years,  passed  away  in  1876. 
Andrew  J.  Trees  was  reared  in  Clermont  county  and  is  indebted  to  the 
district  school  for  his  education.  He  early  became  familiar  with  the  work  of 
the  home  farm  and  assisted  in  its  cultivation  until  he  had  attained  his  majority. 
On  leaving  home  he  became  connected  with  mercantile  interests,  establishing 
a  store  in  Point  Isabel,  a  small  town  in  Clermont  county.  He  conducted  that 
enterprise  for  ten  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  reuK^ved  to  a  farm,  being 
identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  community  until  1872.  In 
that  year  he  came  to  Kansas  and  purchased  a  tract  of  land  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  Walnut  township.  Brown  county.  Thereon  he  engaged  in  stock 
raising  for  four  years,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  took  up  his  abode 
in  Sabetha,  Kansas.  Three  years  afterward,  however,  he  removed  to  a  farm 
in  East  Salem,  Brown  county,  and  in  the  course  of  time  had  placed  his  quarter- 
section  of  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  In  1886,  however,  he  dis- 
posed of  that  property  and  again  came  to  Sabetha,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  Plis  labors  were  prosecuted  with  untiring  diligence  and  his  reso- 
lute purpose  and  capable  management  brought  to  him  a  very  high  degree  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         667 

success,  so  tliat  he  is  now  enabled  to  put  aside  business  cares  and  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  his  former  toil. 

On  the  9th  of  November,  1854,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Trees  and 
Miss  Frances  A.  Brown,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Brannen)  Brown. 
She  was  born  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  March  19,  1833.  Her  father  was 
a  native  of  England  and  her  mother  of  Kentucky,  but  in  pioneer  days  they 
took  up  their  abode  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio.  Four  children  have  been  born 
of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trees,  namely:  Sarah  R.,  the  wife  of  Oscar 
Ashley,  of  Nemaha  county,  Kansas;  Martha  W.,  at  home;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  Fred  Lukert,  a  grain  and  stock  dealer  of  Sabetha,  and  John  E.,  a  farmer  of 
Rock  Creek  township,  Nemaha  county.  In  1898  Mr.  Trees  built  his  present 
residence,  which  is  modern  in  all  its  appointments  and  improvements,  and  the 
household  is  noted  for  its  hospitality.  He  has  served  as  a  trustee  of  Walnut 
township,  has  filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  some  time,  and  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties  has  won  high  commendation,  as  the  result  of  his 
thorough  and  impartial  rulings.  He  and  his  wife  attend  the  Baptist  church, 
and  their  well-spent  lives  elicit  the  respect  of  those  with  whom  they  are  asso- 
ciated. 


GEORGE  M.  BUNKER. 

George  M.  Bunker  is  a  retired  merchant  of  Sabetha  and  is  now  serving 
as  the  president  of  the  school  board.  In  that  capacity  he  has  labored  earnestly 
and  effectively  to  uphold  the  standard  of  education,  and  his  work  is  mani- 
fest in  the  high  grade  of  the  schools  of  this  town.  A  native  of  Illinois,  Mr. 
Bunker  was  born  in  Lena,  Stephenson  county,  on  the  loth  of  June,  1856, 
and  is  a  son  of  T.  H.  and  Cecilia  (Berry)  Bunker.  His  paternal  grandfather 
was  Samuel  Bunker,  who  removed  to  Illinois  in  his  later  years,  spending  his 
last  days  in  the  state.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, in  1828,  and  in  early  life  removed  to  Illinois,  where  he  met  and  married 
Miss  Berry.  They  took  up  their  abode  in  Stephenson  county,  where  Mrs. 
Bunker  died  in  1864.  Her  husband  still  sur\-ives  her.  and  is  in  his  seventy- 
second  year. 

George  M.  Bunker,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  spent  his  Ijoyhood 
davs  in  his  native  town  and  was  a  student  in  the  public  schools  there  until 
he  had  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  English  branches  of  learning.  In  his 
youth  he  also  worked  on  a  farm  for  a  time  and  afterward  learned  the  tinner's 
and  plumber's  trades  at  Lena,  Illinois.  In  1885  he  removed  to  Liberty,  Ne- 
braska, and  in  January.  1887,  became  a  resident  of  Sabetha,  Kansas,  where  he 
purchased  the  tinshop  of  Mr.  Adams  and  conducted  a  well-equipped  hardware 


668  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

store,  carrying  a  large  line  of  shelf  and  heavy  hardware,  pumps  and  windmills. 
He  continued  his  active  connection  with  the  mercantile  interests  of  the  town 
until  October  15,  1899,  when  he  sold  his  stock  to  C.  G.  Steward  and  retired  to 
private  life. 

In  1877  Mr.  Bunker  was  united  in  marriage  to  jMiss  Emma  Kemper,  of 
Lena,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Margaret  Kemper.  They  have  two 
children,  Elta  and  George  Ralph,  the  former  now  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools 
of  Sabetna.  Mr.  Bunker  served  for  two  terms  as  a  member  of  the  city  council 
and  is  now  the  president  of  the  school  board.  As  a  public  official  he  has  labored 
conscientiously  for  the  welfare  of  those  whom  he  represents,  and  his  efforts 
have  been  attended  with  excellent  results.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  Sabetha 
Lodge,  No.  162,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Sabetha  Lodge,  No.  25,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  His  life  has  been  quietly  passed  in  the  con- 
duct of  honorable  business  interests,  and  as  a  result  of  his  straightforward 
dealing,  his  diligence  and  resolution  he  has  gained  a  comfortable  competence 
that  now  enables  him  to  rest  from  the  more  arduous  duties  of  an  active  com- 
mercial career. 


willia:^!  REEDER,  M.  D. 

l-or  nearly  three  decades  Dr.  William  Reeder  has  been  identified  with 
Troy,  Kansas,  and  for  some  years  past  has  been  retired  from  the  active  practice 
of  his  profession.     A  review  of  his  life  gives  the  following  facts : 

William  Reeder  was  born  near  Rockville,  the  county  seat  of  Parke  county, 
Indiana,  April  3,  1826,  a  son  of  David  and  Nancy  (McNeal)  Reeder,  both 
natives  of  Montgomery  county,  Ohio.  Soon  after  their  marriage  his  parents 
moved  to  Indiana  and  located  in  Parke  county,  where  they  spent  the  rest  of 
their  days  and  died.  Jacob  Reeder,  the  Doctor's  grandfather,  was  of  Scotch 
descent  and  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Montgomery  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life  and  died.  The  McNeal  family  were 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Virginia  and  from  that  state  moved  to  Ohio  and 
located  in  Montgomery  county  during  the  early  history  of  the  \\'estern  Re- 
serve. 

In  his  native  county  William  Reeder  passed  his  boyhood  days  on  a  farm, 
assisting  in  the  farm  work  and  during  the  winter  months  attending  the  district 
school.  Leaving  the  farm  in  early  manhood,  he  attended  Asbury  University  at 
Greencastle  and  afterward  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  instructions 
of  Dr.  P.  J.  Stryker  at  Rockville.  He  attended  lectures  at  the  Ohio  IMedical 
College,  at  Cincinnati,  in  1852.  Returning  to  his  old  home  in  Parke  county, 
he  entered  upon  his  professional  career  there  and  soon  built  up  a  good  practice. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         669 

wliich  he  successfully  conducted  until  1871.  In  the  meantime,  in  1865.  he  took 
a  course  in  his  old  college  at  Cincinnati,  completing  the  course,  but  not  gradu- 
ating on  account  of  sickness.  In  1871  circumstances  seemed  to  favor  a  re- 
mo\-al  to  Kansas,  and  he  came  to  Troy.  Doniphan  county,  where  he  continued 
the  active  practice  of  his  profession  until  1889.  Since  then  he  has  been  prac- 
tically retired,  giving  his  attention  only  to  looking  after  his  farm  and  other 
property.  He  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  fine  land  in  Center 
township,  Doniphan  county,  which  is  nicely  improved  and  well  cultivated. 

During  the  dark  days  of  the  civil  war  Dr.  Reeder  went  to  the  front  and 
fought  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  He  recruited  a  company.  Company 
B,  of  the  Eighty-fifth  Indiana  Volunteers,  of  which  he  was  commissioned  cap- 
tain, and  with  it  went  to  the  front  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Franklin,  Ten- 
nessee, and  a  number  of  smaller  engagements,  making  a  record  for  bravery 
and  faithful  service.  The  following  year  he  resigned  his  position  on  account 
of  ill  health  and  returned  home. 

In  1852  Dr.  Reeder  married  Miss  Mary  Sunderland,  a  daughter  of  John 
Sunderland,  of  Parke  county,  Indiana.  She  died  in  1861,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren :  Nancy  E.,  the  wife  of  S.  S.  Byers;  Edward  T.,  who  died  in  1898,  in  Al- 
buquerque, New  Mexico,  and  John  S.,  a  farmer  of  Doniphan  county,  Kansas. 
The  Doctor's  second  marriage  occurred  October  29,  1863,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Laura  Beadle,  of  Rockville,  Indiana,  a  daughter  of  James 
W.  and  Elizabeth  (Bright)  Beadle,  natives  of  Virginia.  The  children  of  this 
marriage  are  two:  Charles  W.,  an  attorney-at-law  in  Troy,  Kansas,  a  graduate 
of  Baker  University,  at  Baldwin,  Kansas,  and  of  the  State  University  Law 
School  at  Lawrence ;  and  Mary,  an  accomplished  young  lady,  a  graduate  of  the 
music  school  of  the  State  L'niversitv. 


THOMAS  B.  HICKMAN. 

Thomas  B.  Hickman  is  a  native  of  Middleburg,  Loudoun  county,  Y\r- 
ginia.  His  father,  Gary  Hickman,  was  born  in  Poolsville,  Maryland,  about 
thirty  miles  from  Washington,  and  was  a  teacher  and  Presbyterian  minister  by 
profession.  He  won  a  high  reputation  in  connection  with  educational  work, 
for  which  he  was  eminently  fitted  by  native  talent  and  acquired  ability.  His 
own  education  was  completed  by  a  course  in  Princeton  College,  New  Jersey, 
and  he  was  a  most  excellent  Greek  and  Hebrew  scholar.  He  married  Miss 
Eliza  Brown,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of  Lazarus  and  Mary 
''Chambers)  Brown.  Six  children  were  born  of  their  union,  namely :  Thomas, 
John  McKnight,  W.  Kerr.  Augustus  Adams.  Henry  H.  and  Charles  Edward. 


670  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Three  of  the  sons  were  sokhers  in  the  civil  war,  namely :  Thomas,  Henry  and 
Charles.  The  two  younger  sons  were  members  of  the  Thirteenth  Kansas 
Infantry,  the  last  named  enlisting  when  a  lad  of  only  fourteen  years.  On 
leaving  the  Old  Dominion  the  family  removed  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  in  1841, 
and  settled  in  Saline  county  in  1843,  where  the  father  became  the  president  of 
several  female  academies  and  for  a  number  of  years  figured  conspicuously  in 
connection  with  the  educational  work  in  the  west.  His  wife  died  in  middle  life 
in  Saline  county,  Missouri,  in  1849,  \vhile  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest  when 
sixty-seven  years  of  age,  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Hickman,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  educated  under 
the  direction  of  his  father,  who  most  carefully  superintended  the  instruction 
of  his  children  that  they  might  be  prepared  for  the  practical  and  responsible 
duties  of  life.  He  pursued  a  partial  college  course  in  Lexington,  Missouri,  and 
extensive  reading  and  observation  in  later  years  have  added  to  his  broad  fund 
of  knowledge.  During  the  civil  war,  on  the  17th  of  December,  1863,  he  enlisted 
as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry,  with  which  he 
served  until  November  23,  1865.  He  enlisted  in  the  army  at  Chicago,  mustered 
in  at  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  under  Colonel  John  L.  Beveridge,  and  his  command 
was  engaged  in  active  service,  much  of  the  time  fighting  the  bushwhackers  of 
Missouri  and  Arkansas.  He  was  fifty-seven  days  in  the  saddle  on  the  Price 
raid,  the  longest  raid  in  the  war.  Mr.  Hickman  was  made  orderly  sergeant 
and  continued  at  the  front  until  the  close  of  hostilities,  when  he  received  an 
honorable  discharge  and  came  to  Doniphan  county,  where  he  has  resided  ever 
since. 

On  the  nth  of  March,  1866,  Mr.  Hickman  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Linn  county,  Kansas,  to  Miss  Linnie  Stayton,  a  native  of  Jackson  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  a  daughter  of  Arthur  and  Margaret  (Foster)  Stayton.  Her  parents 
had  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living,  as  follows:  John  A.,  a 
soldier  in  the  civil  war  with  the  Fourteenth  Kansas  Infantry  and  now  resides 
in  Washington  county,  this  state;  Mrs.  Hickman;  and  Samuel  H..  now  at 
Colorado  Springs,  Colorado.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hickman  have  seven  children : 
Gary  M. ;  Sarah  A.,  the  wife  of  Grant  Forbes,  of  Hastings,  Nebraska;  Mabel 
Clare;  Moy  B.,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri;  Philip  S. ;  Margaret  Eliza;  and  Cyrus 
Leland. 

I\Ir.  Hickman's  political  views  are  in  accord  with  the  measures  advanced 
in  the  platform  of  the  Republican  party  and  he  has  been  elected  delegate  to  the 
state  convention,  also  congressional  and  county  conventions  a  number  of  times. 
He  has  served  as  township  assessor  for  five  temis, — a  fact  which  indicates  that 
his  duties  have  been  faithfully  discharged.  He  has  also  served  for  some  time 
a  a  justice  of  the  peace  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  all  parties, 
for  his  duties  are  fair  and  impartial,  his  service  is  conscientious  and  his  fidelity 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         671 

to  tlie  public  trust  above  question.  He  belong:s  to  Nathan  Price  Post,  No.  283, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  has  ser\ecl  as  the  commander  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  with  which  he  has  affiliated  since  1863,  when  he  joined 
the  organization  in  St.  Charles,  Illinois.  His  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church  and  take  an  active  interest  in  its  work  and  upbuilding.  He  is  a  Presby- 
terian in  belief.  They  occtipy  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles  where  true 
worth  and  intelligence  are  necessary  to  entrance  into  good  society  and  during 
their  residence  in  this  county  they  have  won  the  esteem  and  good  will  of  all. 


C.  M.  COMPTON,  M.  D. 

During  the  seven  years  which  mark  the  period  of  Dr.  C.  M.  Compton's 
professional  career  he  has  n:et  with  gratifying  success,  and  though  his  resi- 
dence in  Arrington  has  thus  been  comparatively  short  he  has  won  the  good 
will  and  patronage  of  many  of  the  leading  citizens  and  families  of  the  place 
and  of  the  surrounding  country.  He  is  a  thorough  student  and  endeavors  to 
keep  abreast  of  the  times  in  everything  relating  to  medical  science,  taking  the 
leading  journals  devoted  to  the  discussion  of  the  "ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to" 
and  .the  treatment  thereof.  Progressive  in  his  ideas  and  favoring  modern 
methods  as  a  whole,  he  does  not  dispense  with  many  of  the  true  and  tried  sys- 
tems w'hich  have  stood  the  test  of  years. 

The  nativity  of  the  Doctor  occurred  in  Whitley  county,  Indiana,  in  i860. 
He  obtained  a  liberal  education  in  the  public  schools,  later  attended  the  Meth- 
odist College  and  in  1879  commenced  his  career  as  a  teacher  and  for  several 
years  had  charge  of  schools  in  Cloud  county,  Kansas,  and  at  Everest,  Brown 
county,  same  state.  As  early  as  the  Centennial  year,  when  but  sixteen  years  of 
age,  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  guidance  of  Dr.  J.  F. 
Cruswell.  a  prominent  physician  of  Churubusco,  Indiana.  Later  he  was 
a  student  with  Dr.  B.  F.  Johnson,  of  Everest,  Kansas,  and  at  length 
matriculated  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Missouri.  He 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1892  in  that  well  known  institution  and  at  once 
entered  upon  his  professional  work.  Coming  to  Arrington,  where  a  thriving 
population  gave  promise  of  future  progress  and  stability,  he  established  an 
office  and  commenced  the  practice  which  has  brought  him  into  close  relation- 
ship with  the  genera!  public.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
become  identified  with  that  order  when  he  was  a  resident  of  Cloud  county, 
Kansas.  In  addition  to  this  he  is  a  valued  member  of  Lodge  No.  365,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  is  associated  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

The  marriage  of  Doctor  Compton  and  Miss  Delia  Moore  took  place  in 


672  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Cloud  county,  Kansas,  on  the  24th  of  Feljruary,  1885.  Mrs.  Compton,  who  is 
a  lady  of  excellent  education  and  social  attainments,  is  a  native  of  Douglas 
county,  Illinois.  The  Doctor  and  wife  have  an  attractive  home  and  are  held 
in  friendly  regard  by  a  large  circle  of  friends,  both  here  and  elsewhere. 


WILLIAM  W.  PRICE. 

William  W.  Price  is  a  popular  and  well-known  business  man  of  Huron, 
Atchison  county,  Kan.sas.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Monticello,  New  York,  on  the  nth  of  April.  1854.  His  father, 
Thomas  W.  Price,  was  a  native  of  England  and  during  his  boyhood  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  America,  taking  up  his  abode  in  New  York,  where  he  was 
reared  and  educated.  He  became  a  contractor  and  builder,  following  that  pur- 
suit in  the  Empire  state  until  our  subject  was  five  years  of  age,  when  he  came 
with  his  family  to  the  west,  locating  in  Brown  county.  Kansas,  where  he  entered 
government  land.  There  he  has  since  carried  on  farming  and  stock-raising, 
meeting  with  creditable  success  in  his  undertakings.  In  his  political  views 
he  is  a  Republican,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  makes  his 
home  in  Everest  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  entire  com- 
munity. Lie  married  Miss  Catherine  Covert,  who  was  born  in  New  York, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  sons  and 
three  daughters,  namely:  Selta  and  Mary,  both  deceased;  Sarah;  William 
W. ;  Hiram;  Atvvoo<l;  and  Byron  is  also  deceased. 

William  W.  Price  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  Brown  county  and 
attended  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  but  the  greater  part  of  his 
knowledge  has  been  acquired  through  private  study,  close  observation  and  busi- 
ness experience.  He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  when  he  located  uix)n  a  farm  of  his  own  and  was  there  engaged  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  in  stock-raising  until  1880,  at  which  time  he 
removed  to  Pawnee  City,  Nebraska.  There  he  estabhshed  and  conducted  a 
hardware  store,  but  after  four  years  he  sold  the  business.  It  had  been  a  suc- 
cessful venture,  ill  health  necessitating  this  move  on  his  part.  He  spent  about 
a  year  in  the  south,  visiting  New  Orleans.  Florida  and  Havana,  Cuba,  in  the 
hope  of  benefiting  his  health.  In  this  he  was  not  disapiwinted,  and,  again 
strong  and  well,  he  returned  to  Kansas.  He  established  a  hardware  store  in 
Everest  and  was  thus  engaged  until  1890,  when  he  sold  his  interest  to  his 
brother,  who  was  his  partner  in  the  enterprise.  He  then  engaged  in  the  grain 
and  milling  business  in  Everest  until  1896.  when  he  sold  out.  being  appointed 
to  the  i)osition  of  state  grain  inspector.     He  located  in  Atchison  and  capably 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  677, 

discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  for  two  years.  In  the  spring  of  1899 
he  came  to  Huron.  Kansas,  and  has  since  dealt  in  grain  and  coal,  having 
a  large  and  constantly  increasing  patronage.  His  business  methods  are 
commendable,  and  in  all  transactions  he  is  straightforward  and  honorable, 
thus  gaining  the  public  confidence  and  a  liberal  share  of  the  public  support! 
In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Price  was  for  many  years  a  Republican 
and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  politics  since  attaining  his  majority.  He  was 
elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  state  legislature  in  1892  and  discharged 
his  duties  so  acceptably  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1894,  being  a  member  of  the 
house  for  four  years.  In  1896.  on  account  of  the  position  of  the  Republican 
party  on  the  financial  question,  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  old  organi- 
zation, believing  that  it  had  adopted  an  unwise  policy  in  its  advocacy  of  the 
gold  standard  and  its  limitation  of  the  coinage  of  silver.  He  became  what  is 
known  as  a  silver  Republican  and  entered  into  the  campaign  work  of  that 
year  under  the  direction  of  the  state  Democratic  central  committee.  He 
canvassed  the  state  for  Bryan  and  made  many  speeches,  which  were  well 
received.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  the  Democratic  candidate  for  governor,  John 
W.  Ludy,  was  elected,  and  by  him  Mr.  Price  was  appointed  state  grain  in- 
spector. In  1898  he  was  the  fusion  nominee  for  congress  from  the  first 
congressional  district,  but  this  district  is  overwhelmingly  Republican  and  he 
was  defeated,  although  he  made  a  very  creditable  race.  His  influence  in  polit- 
ical circles  is  marked  and  he  gives  an  earnest  and  loyal  support  to  every 
measure  which  he  believes  will  prove  of  public  good. 

In  1875  Mr.  Price  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Maggie  Thomas,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Thomas,  who  came  from  Pennsylvania  to  Kan- 
sas in  1868,  locating  in  Brown  county.  Later  they  removed  to  Mound  City, 
Missouri.  Mrs.  Price  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state,  and  by  her  mar- 
riage has  become  the  mother  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  who  are  yet  liv- 
ing. Fraternally  Mr.  Price  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  Lodge 
and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  a  Master  Mason.  As  a 
citizen  he  is  public  spirited  and  progressive,  his  co-operation  being  heartily 
given  to  all  measures  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit.  He  is  ever  true  to  his 
honest  convictions  and  enjoys  an  enviable  reputation  in  business  circles,  and 
m  all  life's  relations  he  commands  the  respect  of  his  fellow  men. 


ROBERT,  BRUCE  BUCK. 

The  good  blood  of  the  south  flows  in  the  veins  of  some  Kansans  of  the 
present  day,  and  in  Kansas,  as  elsewhere  in  the  United  States,  the  southern  and 
northern  elements  of  our  progressive  population  unite  in  a  common  effort  for 


674  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.    ' 

the  advancenient  oi  American  prosperity.  Veterans  both  southern  and  north- 
ern hterally  smoke  with  each  other  the  pipe  of  peace  and  bushwhackers  and 
jayhawkers  are  friends  ready  to  help  each  other  in  time  of  need.  Such  old 
soldiers  as  Robert  B.  Buck,  of  Center  township,  Atchison  county,  possess  much 
valuable  unwritten  war  history  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  they  do  not,  to  the 
last  man  of  them,  provide  some  permanent  record  of  their  experiences  and 
impressions  during  those  fateful  years  1861-65. 

Robert  Bruce  Buck  is  a  son  of  Isaiah  and  Catherine  (Waugh)  Buck  and 
a  grandson  of  Robert  Buck,  a  descendant  of  old  Scotch  families  of  the  clan 
Campbell,  of  which  the  Duke  of  Argyle  was  chief,  but  who  was  born  in  Ireland 
and  came  from  county  Antrim  to  America  about  the  time  of  the  beginning  of 
the  Revolutionary  war.  Isaiah  Buck  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Virginia 
(now  West  Virginia),  in  1797,  and  died  there  in  1892,  aged  ninety-five  years. 
He  had  a  somewhat  interesting  career  and  was  a  man  of  prominence,  influence 
and  usefulness.  In  his  youth  he  ran  away  from  home  and  went  to  Ohio  and 
while  there  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  army  for  service  against  the 
mother  country  in  1812-14.  He  was  a  member  of  Captain  Babb's  historic  com- 
pany, which  was  recruited  in  jMuskingum  county,  Ohio,  with  which  he  did 
good  serx'ice. 

After  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Buck  took  up  farming  and  eventually 
returned  to  his  old  home  in  Virginia.  There,  as  a  Democrat,  he  took  a  lead- 
ing part  in  public  matters  and  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  clerk  of  the 
court,  sheriff  and  member  of  the  legislature,  in  which  offices  he  acquitted  him- 
self with  the  greatest  credit.  He  married  Catherine  Waugh,  a  descendant  of 
some  of  the  earliest  English  settlers  in  the  Old  Dominion,  who  died  in  Vir- 
ginia in  1873.  Besides  the  subject  of  this  sketch  the  children  of  Isaiah  and 
Catherine  (Waugh)  Buck  were  as  follows:  William,  who  died  leaving  a 
daughter,  ]\Irs.  John  Admire,  of  Carrollton,  Illinois;  Napoleon,  who  died 
leaving  nine  children,  one  of  whom,  a  son,  lives  in  Marshall  county,  Kansas; 
Singleton,  John  and  George,  all  of  whom  died  without  issue;  Josephine,  the 
wife  of  L.  B.  Langston,  of  Shannon,  Kansas ;  David  and  James  H.  Buck,  of 
Atchison  county,  Kansas. 

Robert  Bruce  Buck  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Virginia  (now  West 
Virginia),  June  24,  1837.  His  earliest  recollections  were  of  the  farm  and  his 
training  and  education  were  of  a  rural  character.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany E,  Eleventh  Regiment,  Virginia  Cavalry.  Colonel  O.  R.  Funston  was 
his  regimental  and  General  Turner  Ashby  his  brigade  commander.  He  was  in 
active  service  continually  until  the  fall  of  1864,  when  the  regiment  disbanded, 
the  members  going  to  their  homes  and  caring  for  themselves  and  their  horses 
during  the  winter,  with  the  understanding  that  they  were  to  report  for  duty  at 
a  certain  date  the  following  spring.    When  the  time  for  rendezvous  drew  nigh 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         675 

the  chances  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America  appeared  so  discouraging 
that  yiv.  Buck  assumed  the  responsibihty  of  discharging  himself  from  the 
service  and  did  not  report  for  farther  duty.  His  experiences  were  often  excit- 
ing and  interesting  and  some  of  the  scenes  in  which  he  participated  now  possess 
much  historical  interest.  His  services  were  almost  exclusively  within  the 
borders  of  his  own  state. 

In  1869  Mr.  Buck  was  married,  in  Virginia,  to  Miss  Anne  Casler,  a 
daughter  of  William  Casler,  of  sturdy  Pennsylvania  Dutch  extraction,  and 
a  prominent  farmer  in  his  day  and  generation.  Mr.  Buck  has  made  a 
substantial  success  of  life  and  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Center 
township.  His  farm  is  ample  for  his  needs  and  is  given  to  the  production  of 
general  crops.  He  also  gives  attention  to  stock-raising.  His  buildings  are  of 
adequate  size  and  of  modern  construction  and,  all  in  all,  he  is  admirably  located 
and  equipped  for  profitable  farming.  He  is  a  man  of  public  spirit,  who  may 
always  be  depended  upon  for  hearty  and  generous  co-operation  in  any  move- 
ment tending  to  the  public  good,  and  he  is  an  advocate  of  good  public  schools 
and  a  liberal  supporter  of  religious  interests  in  his  vicinity.  He  is  outspoken 
in  his  political  opinions  and  is  not  without  recognized  political  influence,  but 
he  is  not  a  seeker  after  place  and  is  not  an  active  poHtician  in  the  ordinary 
acceptation  of  the  term.  He  gives  his  time  and  his  ability  almost  exclusively  to 
his  business,  for  he  is  as  industrious  as  he  is  farsighted  and  is  a  firm  believer 
in  the  saying  that  "he  that  by  the  plow  would  thrive,  himself  must  either  hold 
or  drive."  Mr.  and  ]Mrs.  Buck  have  children  named  Luella,  John,  Efifie,  Will- 
iam, Estella.  Cleveland  and  Mildred. 


D.  W.  COLLINS,  M.  D. 

The  successful  physician,  it  is  always  found,  must  possess  not  alone  skill 
and  wisdom  in  the  art  of  healing,  but  must  have  those  qualities  of  mind  and 
heart  which  inspire  confidence.  Dr.Collins,  one  of  the  comparatively  recent 
additions  to  the  medical  profession  of  Atchison  county,  is  frank  and  genial 
in  manner,  his  presence  bringing  cheer  and  brightness  into  the  house  of  suffer- 
ing and  affliction.  He  bids  fair  to  win  high  rank  in  his  beloved  field  of  en- 
terprise, and  his  numerous  friends,  both  in  Arrington  and  elsewhere,  predict 
for  him  a  brilliant  future. 

He  is,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  Kansan,  as  his  recollections,  even  in 
early  childhood,  are  of  no  other  section  of  the  country.  However,  he  was 
born  at  Fayette,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  9th  of  March,  1874.  His  parents,  J. 
C.  and  Phoebe  (Woodward)  Collins,  the  former  a  native  of  Wellsville,  Penn- 


67^  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  CEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

sylvania.  They  settled  in  Kansas  in  1877,  and  reared  their  son  in  upright 
principles.  He  received  an  excellent  education  in  the  public  and  high  schools 
of  this  state,  and  later  went  to  Illinois,  -where  he  pursued  a  course  of  study 
in  Dixon  College.  Having  determined  to  enter  the  medical  profession,  he 
commenced  studying  with  Dr.  Ewing,  a  prominent  physician  of  this  locality. 
Then  entering  the  Kansas  Medical  College,  he  remained  in  that  celebrated 
institution  until  he  was  graduated,  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1896.  He  then- 
engaged  in  practice  at  Baldwin,  Kansas,  for  some  time,  and  in  1897  came  to 
Arrington,  where  he  has  remained.  He  is  a  great  student,  taking  the  leading 
medical  journals,  and  keeping  posted  in  all  new  discoveries  relating  to  disease, 
its  causes  and  treatment.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Modern  \\"oodmen 
of  America,  and  is  resident  physician  for  the  Arrington  Lodge  of  that  order. 
He  is  popular  with  young  and  old  and  has  the  rare  gift  of  making  friends 
readilv  and  of  alwavs  retaining  them. 


B.  M.  CAWLEY,  M.  D. 

Among  the  recent  additions  to  the  medical  profession  of  Atchison  county 
is  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  article.  Though  he  has  been  estab- 
lished in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  only  a  short  time,  comparatively, 
he  has  already  won  the  favorable  attention  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  is  laying 
the  foundation  of  his  future  career  with  exceeding  care  and  wisdom. 

Mr.  Cawley  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  this  county,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred on  the  28th  of  July,  1871.  He  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  of  the 
six  sons  bom  to  John  and  Mary  (Welsh)  Cawley,  and  with  his  brothers  re- 
ceived a  liberal  public-school  education  and  excellent  home  training.  Having 
finished  his  preliminary  studies  he  pursued  a  course  at  Campbell  University, 
of  Holton,  Kansas,  and  subsequently  was  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  in 
the  public  schools  of  this  county  for  several  terms.  Having  determined  to 
enter  the  medical  profession,  he  commenced  studying  along  that  line  under  the 
guidance  of  P.  S.  Michael,  of  Atchison.  Kansas,  and  later  went  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  entered  the  local  medical  college.  After  thoroughly  mastering  the 
work  outlined  by  that  institution.  Dr.  Cawley  was  granted  a  diploma  and  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  was  conferred  upon  him.  For  years  he  has 
been  a  great  student,  eagerly  gathering  knowledge  wherever  he  might,  and 
thoroughly  posting  himself  in  everything  pertaining  to  disease  and  its  treat- 
ment. The  result  of  his  systematic  application  is  apparent  in  all  of  his  under- 
takmgs.  and  since  he  opened  an  office  in  Arrington.  in  1898.  his  progress  has 
been  marked  and  truly  gratifying.       As  a  patriotic  citizen  should,  he  takes 


BIOGRAPHICA  L  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  677 

much  interest  in  the  prosperity  and  improvement  of  the  town  and  county,  using 
his  influence  in  the  direction  of  progress  along  all  lines  of  activity.  Politically 
his  preference  is  for  the  Republican  party.  Personally  he  is  courteous  and  ge- 
nial in  manner,  readily  making  friends,  and  is  popular  with  the  general  public. 


WILLIAM  H.  BELL. 


Upon  one  of  the  desirable  farms  of  Atchison  county,  pleasantly  located  in 
Grasshopper  township,  about  four  and  a  half  miles  from  Effingham,  resides 
William  H.  Bell,  who  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  and  influential  farmers 
of  his  community.  Almost  every  state  of  the  Union  has  furnished  its  repre- 
sentatives to  Kansas,  and  among  those  who  have  come  from  Maryland  is  the 
subject  of  this  review.  He  was  born  in  Allegany  county,  on  the  30th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1845,  S'tJ  is  ^  son  of  James  and  Caroline  (Hickrate)  Bell,  the  former  a 
native  of  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  of  Maryland.  Both  parents 
died  in  IMaryland,  the  father  at  the  age  of  se\enty-seven,  the  mother  when 
seventy-three  years  of  age.  They  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  namely: 
William  H.,  James,  Lloyd,  Emily,  Tom,  John,  George,  and  a  daughter  who 
died  in  early  childhood.  The  parents  were  earnest  Christian  people,  holding 
membership  in  the  ilethodist  church,  and  in  politics  the  father  was  a  W'hig  very 
early  in  life  and  a  Republican  after  the  organization  of  that  party. 

W'illiam  H.  Bell  spent  his  early  boyhood  days  in  the  state  of  his  nativity 
and  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  also  worked  for  a  time 
in  the  coal  mines,  receiving  good  compensation  for  his  services.  Going  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  he  there  learned  the  butcher's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  a  number  of  years,  but  after  the  inauguration  of  the  civil  war  he 
could  not  content  himself  with  performing  the  daily  duties  of  business  life,  and, 
although  only  seventeen  years  of  age,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Seventh  Illi- 
nois Cavalry,  in  June,  1862.  He  served  with  that  command  until  the  close  of 
the  war  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Franklin,  Tennessee,  Xashville,  Stone 
River  and  other  engagements.  For  some  time  the  regiment  was  stationed  at 
Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  whence  they  traveled  northward  to  Alabama,  and  aft- 
erward to  Mississippi,  but  their  further  progress  northward  was  cut  ofif  by 
the  rebels,  and  they  were  forced  to  go  east,  where  they  joined  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  under  the  command  of  General  Thomas.  Mr.  Bell  was  several 
times  wounded,  and  as  a  consequence  was  forced  to  remain  in  the  hospital  for 
some  time.  The  exposure  and  hardships  of  the  war  so  undermined  his  consti- 
tution that  he  has  never  since  enjoyed  perfect  health.  At  the  close  of  the  war, 
in  November,  1S65,  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  and 


678  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

returned  to  his  home.  His  niihtary  record  is  one  of  which  he  may  weh  be 
proud.  Tliough  but  a  boy  when  he  entered  the  service,  his  valor  and  fidehty 
were  not  less  marked  than  that  of  many  a  time-tried  veteran  and  his  service 
was  an  honor  to  the  blue. 

In  April,  1867,  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  Mr.  Bell  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Ida  Denton,  daughter  of  John  and  Lucia  (Johnson)  Den- 
ton. Her  father,  who  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  died  some  years  ago  in 
Illinois,  but  her  mother  still  resides  in  Champaign  county,  that  state.  lil  the 
year  of  their  marriage  Mr.  Bell  and  his  young  wife  removed  to  Seward  county, 
Nebraska,  where  they  remained  for  five  years,  after  which  they  returned  to 
the  Prairie  state.  Since  1879  they  have  been  residents  of  Kansas.  At  the 
time  of  their  arrival  in  this  state  they  located  in  Jackson  county,  but  for  seven- 
teen years  they  have  resided  upon  their  present  farm  in  Grasshopper  township, 
and  the  labors  of  Mr.  Bell  have  made  it  a  valuable  and  desirable  property.  It 
comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich  land,  the  greater  part  of  which 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  yields  to  the  owner  a  good  return  for 
the  care  and  labor  he  bestowed  w\)on  it.  His  methods  of  farming  are  pro- 
gressive and  practical,  and  success  has  therefore  attended  his  efforts. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bell  have  been  born  six  children,  namely :  Charles  W., 
who  is  married  and  lives  in  Horton,  Kansas,  where  he  is  employed  in  the  rail- 
road shops ;  Walter,  a  mechanic  in  the  railroad  shops  at  Horton ;  Jessie,  John, 
Harry  and  Raymond.  Mr.  Bell  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support 
of  the  Republican  party,  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day  and 
gives  his  earnest  support  to  the  principles  in  which  he  so  firmly  believes. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Effingham  Post  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  one  of  the  youngest 
representatives  of  the  Union  army  in  this  locality.  He  has  many  admirable 
qualities  which  commend  him  to  the  confidence  and  friendship  of  his  fellow 
men,  and  throughout  his  life  he  has  been  characterized  by  honesty  and 
reliability. 


M.  HISSOXG. 


Mr.  M.  Hissong  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Park  livery,  sale  and  feed  stables 
of  Arrington,  where  he  is  doing  an  excellent  business  along  that  line.  For 
some  time  he  has  been  prominently  connected  with  the  commercial  interests  of 
the  town,  and  is  accorded  a  leading  position  in  business  circles.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  forty  years  ago,  and  in  the  state  of  his 
nativity  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  remaining  there  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  when  he  removed  to  southwestern  Missouri.  At  that  time  he  be- 
came a  resident  of  Huntsville,  Polk  county,  where  he  continued  until  his  re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         679 

moval  to  Kansas.  He  was  married  in  Illinois,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years,  to  Miss  Fanny  Rice,  a  native  of  that  state,  who  has  proved  to  her  hus- 
band an  excellent  companion  and  helpmeet. 

Since  coming  to  Arrington  Mr.  Hissong  has  met  with  excellent  success  in 
business  affairs.  His  livery  barn  is  conveniently  located  on  West  Main  street, 
and  is  42x50  feet  in  size,  and  well  equipped  for  carrying  on  a  successful  busi- 
ness along  that  line.  He  has  a  large  number  of  good,  safe  driving  horses  and 
stylish  turnouts,  and  his  barn  is  well  patronized.  He  is  also  proprietor  of  the 
Park  restaurant  and  hotel,  where  the  best  meals  in  the  city  are  served,  and 
their  prices,  together  with  the  courteous  treatment  of  the  proprietor,  has  se- 
cured to  him  a  liberal  patronage.  The  rooms  of  the  hotel  are  commodious, 
convenient  and  comfortably  furnished,  and  his  establishment  can  compete  fav- 
orably with  the  best  hotels  in  towns  of  the  size  throughout  the  state;  in  fact, 
would  be  a  credit  to  a  place  of  larger  size  than  Arrington. 

Mr.  Hissong  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  served  in  several  township  offices 
with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  lodge  at  Arrington,  and  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society. 
In  manner  he  is  pleasant  and  companionable,  and  has  thereby  gained  many 
warm  friends  who  give  him  their  respect  and  confidence. 


SAMUEL  MOVER. 


Samuel  Moyer.  ex-treasurer  of  Doniphan  county  and  one  of  the  enter- 
prising farmers  and  stock  raisers  of  Wolf  River  township,  was  born  in  Union 
county,  Ohio,  March  20,  1839,  his  parents  being  Samuel  and  Eva  (Kline) 
Moyer,  the  former  of  French  lineage  and  the  latter  of  German  descent.  Tlie 
father  was  born  in  Union  county,  Pennsyhania.  in  1802,  and  died  in  Three 
Rivers,  Michigan,  in  1875. 

Samuel  Moyer  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  nine  children. 
He  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  schools  of  New  Berlin  and 
Mifflinburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  Clyde.  Ohio.  There  he  put  aside  his  text- 
books in  order  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  an  active  business  career.  He  has 
always  followed  farming,  and  in  the  spring  of  1866  he  removed  from  Sandusky 
county,  Ohio,  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  attracted  by  cheaper  lands  in  this 
state  and  better  facilities  for  raising  stock.  The  first  year  of  his  residence  here 
was  passed  in  Highland,  but  in  1868  he  purchased  an  eighty-acre  tract  of  land 
just  north  of  Severance  and  began  the  development  of  his  present  fine  farm. 


6So  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Its  boundaries,  however,  he  has  since  extended,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  a 
large  and  vahiable  tract. 

Before  leaving  the  Buckeye  state  Mr.  Moyer  was  married,  in  the  fall  of 
1 86 1,  to  Barbara  Haaser,  who  died  January  i8,  1888.  One  child,  Charles  I. 
Moyer,  was  born  to  them  December  22,,  1864,  and  is  now  actively  identified 
with  the  extensive  farming  interests  which  claims  his  father's  attention.  He 
was  married  in  1889  to  Annie  Vigus,  and  their  children  are:  Barbara,  Alma, 
Harriet,  Donna  and  Rilla.  Mr.  Moyer  is  one  of  the  leading  Republicans  of 
the  county,  and  in  November,  1884,  was  elected  county  treasurer,  which  posi- 
tion he  acceptably  filled  through  one  term. 


HENRY  S.  SHIKER. 


Henry  S.  Shiker  is  one  of  the  successful  and  enterprising  farmers  of  Pow- 
hattan  township.  Brown  county.  A  native  of  tlie  Buckeye  state,  he  was  born 
in  Noble  county,  November  i,  1838.  His  father,  Christopher  Shiker,  was 
born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  and  was  a  son  of  Henry  Shiker,  who  repre- 
sented an  old  Pennsylvania  Dutch  family  noted  for  industry,  honesty  and 
bravery.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  181 2. 
Both  he  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Shiker,  died  at  La  Harpe,  Illinois,  at  an  ad- 
vanced age. 

Christopher  Shiker,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared  in  Ohio,  and, 
having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he  married  one  of  his  old  schoolmates, 
Nancy  Lukins,  who  proved  to  him  a  faithful  wife  and  a  good  helpmeet.  She 
was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Lukins,  whose  birth 
occurred  near  Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  who  died  at  Marietta,  Oliio.  Her 
mother,  Elizabeth  Mary  Lukins,  also  died  at  the  same  place.  This  worthy  couple 
became  the  parents  of  five  children:  Elizabeth;  Charles  W.,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  G,  Seventy-eighth  Ohio  Infantry,  during  the  civil  war,  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Noble  county,  Ohio;  Henry  S.,  of  this  review;  Sarah  Jane; 
and  Columbus,  who  is  now  deceased.  The  mother  of  this  family,  who  was  .1 
most  estimable  woman,  died  in  Noble  county,  Ohio,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years, 
and  the  father  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  He  was  a  very  indus- 
trious and  hardworking  man,  who  carried  on  farming  as  a  means  of  livelihood. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  active  members 
of  the  Methodist  church,  in  wdiich  he  served  as  class  leader. 

Amid  the  refining  influences  of  a  good  home  Mr.  Shiker  of  this  review 
was  reared.  He  was  early  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy,  and 
early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  of  the  farm.       The  public 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         68 1 

schools  afforded  him  his  educational  privileges,  but  experience  and  reading  in 
later  life  have  added  largely  to  his  knowledge.  When  the  country  became^'en- 
gaged  in  civil  war  he  determined  to  strike  a  blow  in  defense  of  the  Union,  and 
enlisted  in  November,  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  Seventy-eighth  Ohio 
Infantry,  being  under  command  of  Captain  Gerhardt  and  Colonel  Leggett.  He 
went  with  his  command  to  the  front,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh, 
Corinth,  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He 
afterward  went  to  Cairo,  Illinois,  where  he  veteranized  and  was  granted  a  fur- 
lough. He  was  afterward  with  General  Sherman's  forces,  and  participated  in 
the  engagements  at  Big  Shanty,  Kenesaw  Mountain.  Marietta,  the  siege  of 
Atlanta  and  the  battle  of  Beaufort,  North  Carolina.  He  was  captured  on  the 
7th  of  July,  1864,  by  the  rebels  and  was  incarcerated  at  Andersonville  for  two 
months,  after  which  he  was  released  and  joined  his  command.  He  rendered 
able  and  valiant  service  to  the  country,  and  when  his  term  had  expired  received 
an  honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his  home  with  a  creditable  military 
record. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Shiker  again  took  up  his  aboile  in  Noble  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  until  1871,  the  year  of  his  arrival  in  Kansas.  He  located 
near  Horton,  Brown  county,  and,  with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent  in 
Nemaha  county,  has  since  resided  in  Brown  county.  In  1886  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land,  and  has  made  it  a  very 
valuable  farm  property,  improved  with  a  good  house,  substantial  barns  and 
other  necessary  outbuildings,  good  pastures,  a  bearing  orchard  and  well  tilled 
fields  which  yield  to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute  for  the  care  and  labor  he 
bestows  upon  them. 

In  1 86 1  Mr.  Shiker  married  Miss  Susie  Davis,  a  native  of  Noble  county, 
Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Susan  (Holly)  Davis.  By  this  mar- 
riage there  were  born  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living,  Mrs.  Mary  H. 
Richardson,  and  Carrie,  wife  of  F.  Trainer,  of  Noble  county,  Ohio.  The 
mother  died  in  Ohio  in  1868,  and  Mr.  Shiker  was  again  married,  in  Noble 
county,  in  1870,  his  second  union  being  with  Mary  B.  Moore,  daughter  of 
Peter  and  Fanny  (Cooper)  Moore,  both  natives  of  Noble  county,  Ohio.  By 
this  marriage  the  following  named  children  have  been  born:  Charles  H.,  a 
resident  of  Nemaha  county;  Howard  P.,  who  is  also  living  in  that  county; 
Sumner,  at  home;  Mrs.  Sarah  Richardson;  Fanny,  at  home;  William  C, 
Logan ;  and  Hallie  Allie  and  A.  Alger,  twins. 

Mr.  Shiker  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  public  office 
for  himself.  He  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  thus  continuing 
pleasant  relations  with  his  old  comrades  of  the  blue.  His  time  and  attention 
are  largely  given  to  his  business  affairs,  which  are  carefully  managed  and  are 
43 


682  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

bringing  to  him  a  good  financial  return.  He  is  a  citizen  who  manifests  a  com- 
mendable interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  tlie  community, 
and  his  life  is  one  in  many  respects  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


HENRY  A.  LAVEREXTZ. 

One  of  the  loyal  German-American  pioneers  of  Doniphan  county,  and  a 
leading  farmer  of  Wolf  River  township,  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  forms 
the  caption  of  this  article.  He  was  born  in  the  grand  duchy  of  Oldenburg, 
Germany,  January  2,  1827,  and  is  a  representative  of  an  influential  and  hon- 
orable family  of  the  empire.  His  father,  Henry  Gerhardt  Laverentz,  was 
extensively  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  He,  too,  was  born  in 
Oldenburg,  which  was  the  ancestral  home  of  the  family  for  more  than  two 
centuries  previous.  He  married  Catherine  Meiners,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  named:  Henry  A.,  and  Edward,  who  resides  in  Ger- 
many. The  father  died  in  1830,  and  the  following  year  the  mother  became 
the  wife  of  John  Eberling,  by  whom  she  had  six  children  :  John,  George,  Fred- 
erick, Ellen,  Annie  and  Catherine. 

Henry  A.  Laverentz  attended  school  in  his  native  land  until  fourteen  years 
of  age,  after  which  he  devoted  his  energies  to  the  work  of  the  farm  until  his 
service  was  required  in  the  royal  army^  For  three  years  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Dragoons,  and  after  leaving  the  army  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  and 
fortune  in  America.  Accordingly  he  made  his  way  to  Bremen,  where  he 
took  passage  on  the  steamer  New  York,  bound  for  the  port  of  that  name,  and 
after  arriving  in  the  new  world  he  made  his  way  at  once  to  Kansas.  Here  he 
purchased  a  farm  on  Wolf  ri\er,  between  Severance,  and  Leona.  It  was  a 
tract  of  wild  land,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  development, 
and  in  course  of  time  transformed  it  into  richly  cultivated  fields.  As  he 
carried  on  the  work  of  cultivation  and  improvement  his  financial  resources 
were  thereby  increased  and  enabled  him  to  extend  the  boundaries  of  his  farm 
by  the  additional  purchase  of  another  quarter-section  of  land.  He  now  has 
one  of  the  valuable  farming  properities  of  the  county,  and  follows  practical 
and  progressive  methods  in  his  farming  operations. 

During  the  civil  war  Mr.  Laverentz  responded  to  the  call  for  aid  in  sup- 
pressing the  rebellion  in  the  south.  He  was  not  then  a  naturalized  citizen,  but 
being  opposed  to  the  institution  of  slavery,  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Com- 
pany A.  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  and  going  to  the  front  participated  in  the 
Little  Blue  fight,  in  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  his  first  engagement.  Later  he 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Corinth,  Holly  Springs.  Coffeeville,  Tupelo  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  683 

Tuscumbia.  togetlier  with  many  minor  engagements  and  skirmishes.  His 
regiment  made  it  a  business  to  harass  the  enemy,  cut  off  detachments  and 
destroy  Confederate  suppHes,  and  in  this  way  rendered  effective  service.  On 
the  expiration  of  his  first  term  Mr.  Laverentz  re-enhsted  as  a  veteran  at  La 
Grange,  Tennessee,  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  orderly  sergeant.  After 
four  years  of  loyal  service,  in  which  he  was  always  found  faithful  to  his  duty, 
he  received  an  honorable  discharge  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  October  27,  1865, 
and  with  a  creditable  military  record  returned  home. 

He  then  resumed  farming,  and  has  since  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultu- 
ral pursuits.  He  was  married,  in  1866,  to  Mrs.  George  Eberling,  a  widow, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Annie  Heye,  and  for  a  third  of  a  century  they  ha\e 
now  traveled  life's  journey  together,  sharing  with  each  other  its  joys  and  sor- 
rows, adversity  and  prosperity.  They  have  one  child,  a  son,  Henry  A.,  Jr., 
who  resides  upon  and  operates  the  homestead  farm.  He  was  born  October 
26,  1870,  and  married  Lizzie  Heastan,  daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  Heastan. 
Their  children  are  Mabel  and  Blanche.  Mr.  Laverentz,  Jr.,  is  also  a  member 
of  the  milling  firm  of  Eberling  &  Laverentz,  doing  business  in  Severance,  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  and  enterprising  young  men  of  Doniphan 
county. 

Both  the  father  and  sons  are  stanch  Republicans  in  their  political  views 
and  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  has  long  been  regarded  as 
one  of  the  leading  supporters  of  the  party  in  Wolf  River  township.  He  has 
frequently  been  seen  in  the  conventions  of  his  party,  and  has  wielded  a  wide 
influence.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  Severance  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  finds 
pleasant  companionship  among  his  old  army  comrades  with  whom  he  fought 
on  southern  battlefields  in  defense  of  the  land  which  he  loves  and  whose  insti- 
tutions he  honors.  He  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  his  adopted  county, 
and  with  pleasure  we  present  his  record  to  our  readers. 


ADELBERT  GOFORTH. 

From  the  age  of  seven  years  Mr.  Goforth  has  been  a  resident  of  Doniphan 
county,  and  has  therefore  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  and  development  of 
northeastern  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Hillsdale  county,  Michigan,  February 
5,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Goforth,  who  was  for  some  years  a  resident  of 
Leona,  Kansas.  The  father  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1806,  and 
was  a  son  of  Richard  Goforth,  a  farmer  and  gardener,  who  with  his  family  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  1820.  A  location  was  first  made  in  Canada, 
near  Quebec,  where  they  remained  for  about  twenty  years.       John  Goforth 


684  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

was  then  married  and  removed  to  Michigan,  locating  in  Hillsdale  county, 
where  he  broke  the  land  upon  which  the  city  of  Hillsdale  is  now  built.  There 
he  engaged  in  teaming  and  logging,  and  was  a  resident  of- that  locality  when 
the  first  railroad  was  constructed  into  Hillsdale.  With  his  team  he  hauled  the 
first  car  to  the  town.  Success  attended  him  in  his  varied  undertakings,  and 
he  acquired  the  ownership  of  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Michigan,  but  in  1862  he 
left  that  state  and  brought  his  family  to  Kansas,  locating  at  Leona,  Doniphan 
county,  where  he  purchased  the  farm  upon  which  he  spent  his  remaining  days. 
Before  he  had  unloaded  the  wagon  in  which  his  goods  were  conveyed  to  the 
new  home  he  stopped  to  visit  a  friend  in  the  locality,  and  was  there  at  the  time 
a  prairie  fire  broke  out.  The  flames  were  rapidly  approaching  the  house,  and 
the  men  of  the  party  were  all  out  fighting  the  fire.  It  seemed  to  the  ladies 
who  were  left  in  the  house  that  their  shelter  would  be  destroyed  and  Mrs. 
Goforth  decided  to  get  the  wagon  and  team  out  of  reach  of  danger.  There- 
fore she  hastily  hitched  the  horses  to  the  wagon,  but  without  putting  on  the 
bridles,  and  the  team  in  consequence  could  not  be  managed.  The  horses 
becoming  frightened  ran  away,  throwing  Mrs.  Goforth  from  the  wagon,  and 
one  of  the  back  wheels  parsed  across  her  leg,  breaking  the  bone.  The  team 
ran  on  to  the  river,  made  a  short,  quick  turn,  and  thus  threw  the  contents  of 
the  wagon  into  the  water.  It  was  a  disastrous  accident  and  served  to  try  the 
mettle  of  the  new  settlers.  However,  they  made  the  best  of  the  unpleasant  cir- 
cumstance, took  up  their  abode  on  Wolf  river,  and  the  father,  with  characteris- 
tic energy,  developed  a  good  farm,-  upon  which  he  spent  his  remaining  days, 
his  death  occurring  December  2,  1896.  His  wife  passed  away  four  years 
previous.  Her  maiden  name  was  Perthena  Boyce,  and  their  children  were: 
Eunice,  wife  of  Horace  Wright;  Frances,  wife  of  Charles  Barton;  William 
and  John,  who  are  now  deceased ;  Perthena,  wife  of  William  Hickman,  of  Kan- 
sas City,  Missouri;  Ellen,  deceased  wife  of  Lewis  Rockwood;  George  and 
Adelbert.  The  last  named  was  a  mere  boy  when  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Kansas,  and  therefore  almost  his  entire  life  has  been  past  in  the  vicinity 
of  Leona.  He  attended  the  country  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  spent 
his  youth  in  the  manner  usual  to  farm  lads  of  the  period.  Upon  his  father's 
death  he  succeeded  to  the  ownership  of  the  old  homestead,  and  has  added 
eighty  acres  of  land  to  the  original  purchase.  He  now  has  a  very  valuable 
property,  the  well  tilled  fields  surrounding  good  buildings,  while  the  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance  of  the  farm  indicates  the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner, 
who  is  very  practical  and  progressive  in  his  methods. 

In  1882  Mr.  Goforth  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alice,  daughter  of 
Solomon  Hiskey.  Their  children  are:  John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six 
years ;  Nellie,  Myrtle  and  Frederick,  at  home.  The  Goforths  have  been  iden- 
tified with  the  Republican  party  since  its  organization.     The  father  of  our 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         685 

subject  allied  himself  with  the  party  of  Clay  and  Webster,  and  when  Fremont 
became  a  candidate  of  the  new  political  organization  he  gave  to  him  his  sup- 
port. On  attaining  his  majority  Adelbert  Goforth  also  supported  the  Repub- 
lican nominees,  and  has  never  wavered  in  his  allegiance  to  the  party.  He 
came  to  Doniphan  county  in  its  pioneer  days,  when  its  thriving  towns  and  vil- 
lages were  mere  hamlets  or  had  as  yet  no  existence ;  \\hen  its  wild  lands  were  in 
their  primitive  condition  and  when  the  work  of  civilization  seemed  scarcely 
begun.  He  has  borne  his  part  in  producing  the  great  transformation  that  has 
placed  Doniphan  county  on  a  par  with  other  counties  of  this  great  common- 
wealth; and  while  his  memory  connects  him  with  the  period  of  frontier 
advancement,  his  acti\e  labors  associate  him  with  the  era  of  modern  improve- 
ment. 


MARTIN  TOYCE. 


One  of  the  prominent  and  prosperous  farmers  of  Wolf  River  township, 
Doniphan  county,  is  Martin  Joyce,  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  county  Galway,  Ireland,  September  28,  1841.  When  he 
was  nine  years  of  age  his  father  left  that  country  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  United  States,  making  their  first  settlement  in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  where 
they  remained  for  some  years.  The  father,  however,  desired  to  seek  a  loca- 
tion where  opportunities  were  greater  and  homes  for  the  poor  were  cheaper 
than  in  Ohio.  He,  therefore,  decided  to  take  up  his  abode  in  Kansas,  and 
accordingly  purchased  a  farm  on  section  30,  in  Wolf  River  township,  Doniphan 
county,  where  he  died  about  five  years  later,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  King,  died  in  Ireland.  Their 
children  were :  John,  now  deceased :  Patrick.  Thomas,  Martin,  and  Marga- 
ret, wife  of  Thomas  Flaherty. 

Martin  Joyce  remained  in  Butler  county  for  some  years.  His  educa- 
tional privileges  were  very  meager,  and  his  time  was  mostly  spent  in  the  labors 
of  the  farm.  On  leaving  the  Buckeye  state  he  removed  to  Rush  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  remained  for  a  few  years,  working  as  a  laborer  in  the  fields 
or  following  any  other  honest  employment  which  he  could  secure.  He  was 
economical  and  industrious,  and  when  he  followed  his  parents  to  Kansas,  in 
1874,  he  was  the  possessor  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  which  had  been  accjuired 
through  his  own  efforts.  Here  he  worked  in  the  employ  of  others  for  a  time, 
but  later  purchased  a  team  and  engaged  in  breaking  prairie.  He  was  thus 
employed  for  two  years,  after  which  he  again  turned  his  attention  to  general 
farming.  His  first  purchase  of  real  estate  comprised  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  29,  and  locating  thereon  he  began  the  operation  of  his  farm  with  char- 


686  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

acteristic  energy.  To  this  he  has  added  a  quarter-section  and  now  has  one  of 
the  most  desirable  country  homes  on  Wolf  river.  He  has  placed  his  land 
under  cultivation,  and  the  well  tilled  fields  yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute  for 
the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  them.  Good  buildings  stand  as  monuments 
to  his  thrift  and  enterprise,  and  the  neat  appearance  of  the  place  indicates  his 
careful  supervision. 

Air.  Joyce  was  married,  in  1876,  to  Miss  Dora  Kirwan,  a  daughter  of 
James  Kirwan,  a  Severance  banker.  Five  children  grace  the  union  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife,  namely:  Michael,  Annie,  Margaret,  Dora  and  John. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Joyce  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  recent  financial 
and  commercial  conditions  have  caused  him  to  renounce  in  a  great  measure  his 
affiliations  to  the  party,  and  to  give  his  support  and  influence  to  the  Republican 
party.  He  studies  closely  the  issues  of  the  day,  yet  has  never  been  an  aspirant 
for  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business  interests, 
in  which  he  has  met  with  creditable  success. 


CHARLES  S.  RANDOLPH. 

Among  those  who  are  in  the  employ  of  large  corporations  are  found  men 
of  industry  and  enterprise,  and  such  are  sure  to  make  advancement,  for  exten- 
sive business  concerns  demand  faithful  service  and  able  workmanship  on  the 
part  of  those  in  their  employ,  and  it  is  these  cjualities  that  have  given  to  Mr. 
Randolph  the  position  which  he  now  occupies  as  foreman  of  the  track  of  the 
St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island  Railroad  Company  at  Leona.  He  was  born  in 
Greene  county,  Illinois,  in  September,  1S55.  His  father,  William  H.  Ran- 
dolph, was  a  farmer  who  removed  from  New  Jersey,  his  native  state,  and  took 
up  his  abode  in  Illinois  about  1840.  He  married  Miss  Clarinda  C.  Randolph, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  following  named :  Laura,  wife  of  W.  P. 
Cochran,  of  Severance;  Eugene,  who  is  living  in  Sumner  county,  Kansas; 
Belle,  wife  of  J.  Cyphers,  of  Marshall  county,  Kansas ;  Hattie,  wife  of  John 
Kellerman,  of  Kiowa  county,  Kansas;  Marian,  wife  of  C.  C.  Gregg,  a  resident 
of  York  county,  Nebraska ;  Grant  and  Meade,  who  are  living  in  Barber  county, 
Kansas;  Ella,  wife  of  Ed.  Gates,  whose  home  is  in  Sumner  county;  and  Will- 
iam, of  Fairview,  Kansas.  The  father  of  this  family  died  in  Polk  county, 
Missouri,  in  1870,  but  his  widow  still  survives  and  now  makes  her  home  in 
Medicine  Lodge,  Kansas. 

Charles  S.  Randolph  was  a  youth  of  thirteen  years  when  he  left  his  native 
state,  and  with  his  parents  removed  to  Polk  county,  Missouri,  where  he  ac- 
quired his  education  on  the  district  schools.       On  attaining  his  majority  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.         687 

started  out  in  life  as  a  farmer,  and  in  1878  came  to  Kansas  and  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  in  Wolf  River  township.  Doniphan  county.  Until  1890 
he  tilled  the  soil  and  worked  the  fields,  but  at  that  time  he  abandoned  the  plow 
to  enter  the  railroad  service,  becoming  a  trackman  in  the  employ  of  the  St. 
Joseph  &  Grand  Island  Railroad  Company.  In  1895  he  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  foreman,  and  in  that  capacity  has  been  stationed  at  Hanover,  Sen- 
eca and  Leona. 

On  the  19th  of  Februarj-,  1883.  Mr.  Randolph  was  united  in  marriage  to 
iliss  Mollie  M.  Webb,  a  daughter  of  William  M.  Webb,  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  Wolf  River  township.  He  came  to  Doniphan  county  in  1864,  from 
Grant  county,  Indiana,  where  he  was  born  upon  a  farm  May  6,  1840.  His 
father,  John  Webb,  located  in  Indiana  at  an  early  day,  and  died  in  the  Hoosier 
state  in  1842,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  He  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
and  William  M.  Webb  was  the  youngest  of  his  nine  children.  The  latter  was 
married  in  March,  1863,  to  Angeline,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  Small.  Of  this 
union  were  born  two  children,  Mrs.  Randolph  and  William  R.  The  son  mar- 
ried Miss  Ella  Hancock,  and  is  now  living  in  Wolf  River  township.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Webb  came  to  Kansas  with  limited  means  and  purchased  a  small  tract  of 
unimproved  land  near  Severance,  upon  which  they  have  since  built  a  beautiful 
and  attractive  home.  They  are  among  the  leading  citizens  of  the  township, 
and  have  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the  upbuilding  and  advancement  of 
this  section  of  the  state. 

Three  children  grace  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Randolph,  namely:  Will- 
iam Raymond,  Edith  and  Julia.  The  parents  are  widely  and  favorably  known 
in  the  locality,  and  have  many  friends  in  Leona.  Mr.  Randolph  is  a  man  of 
marked  industry  and  perseverance,  and  his  success  is  well  deserved. 


M.  DeL.  WILLIAMS. 

Through  the  past  thirteen  years  Mr.  Williams  has  resided  upon  his  pres- 
ent farm  on  section  20,  Wayne  township,  and  is  well  known  in  connection  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Doniphan  countj'.  He  was  born  in  Moniteau 
county,  Missouri,  October  2j,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  Fidilo  Williams,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Illinois,  and  he  spent  the  first  seventeen  years  of  his  life  in 
his  native  state.  He  then  went  to  Missouri  with  his  parents.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  but  spent  his  last  years  in  Missouri.  After  removing 
to  that  state  Fidilo  Williams  resided  in  Moniteau  county.  He  was  a  leading 
farmer  of  that  locality  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1897, 
when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.       During  the  civil  war  he 


688  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

served  as  a  member  of  the  state  militia,  and  was  an  earnest  adherent  to  the 
Union  cause.  He  married  Juda  Bennett,  also  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  to 
them  were  born  three  children :  William,  who  resides  in  Cole  count}-,  Mis- 
souri ;  Lafayette,  of  this  review ;  and  Zaloma,  wife  of  James  Brown,  of  Kansas 
City. 

Mr.  Williams,  of  this  review,  spent  the  days  of  his  childhood  and  youth 
upon  his  father's  farm,  during  which  time  no  event  of  special  importance 
occurred  to  him,  as  his  time  was  occupied  with  the  usual  duties  and  pleasures 
common  to  farmer  lads.  He  attended  the  schools  near  his  home,  and  after 
completing  his  education  gave  his  energies  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-four  years  he  left  Missouri  and  came  to  Kansas  in  search  of 
work.  He  had  no  capital,  save  ambition  and  industry,  but  his  resolute  spirit 
enabled  him  to  conquer  many  difificulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path.  He  entered 
the  employ  of  Nim  Duncan,  a  farmer  residing  near  Highland,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  three  years,  after  which  he  purchased  a  farm  in  that  locality  and 
later  was  a  resident  of  Iowa  township  until  1886,  when  he  sold  out  and  pur- 
chased one  hunilred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  20,  Wayne  township. 
In  1892  he  bought  one  hundred  and  si.xty  acres  on  section  29,  of  the  same  town-' 
ship,  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  a  very  \-aluable  and  productive  farm.  He  has 
followed  agricultural  pursuits  throughout  his  entire  life,  and  stock  raising  has 
had  no  inconspicuous  place  in  his  calendar  of  industries. 

Mr.  Williams  was  married  in  Moniteau  county,  Missouri.  March  29.  1887, 
Miss  Katie  Murphy  becoming  his  wife.  She  is  a  daughter  of  James  Murphy, 
of  Canada,  in  which  country  her  birth  occurred.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  now 
have  one  child,  Annie,  who  was  born  on  the  4th  of  January.  1897.  The  hos- 
pitality of  their  present  home  is  shared  by  many  friends,  and  they  enjoy  the 
high  regard  of  all  who  know  them.  That  Mr.  Williams  has  won  success  is 
due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts,  his  prosperity  being  the  result  of  industry  and 
capable  management. 


JAMES  GREGG. 

The  study  of  biography  yields  to  no  other  in  point  of  interest  and  profit, 
it  deals  with  success,  not  with  defeat,  of  men,  the  difficulties  they  have  met  and 
overcome,  and  gives  us  an  insight  into  the  methods  and  plans  which  they  have 
followed  so  as  to  enable  them  to  pass  on  the  highway  of  life  many  who  started 
far  ahead  of  them  in  the  race.  The  obvious  lessons  therein  taught  would 
prove  of  great  benefit  if  followed,  and  the  example  of  the  self-made  man  should 
stimulate  and  encourage  others  to  press  forward.  To  this  class  belongs  James 
Gregg,  now  one  of  the  old  settlers  and  leading  farmers  of  Nemaha  county.  He 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         6S9 

came  to  America  empty-lianded  and  lias  steadily  worked  his  way  upward 
through  determined  purpose  and  unfaltering  diligence. 

Mr.  Gregg  was  born  in  Scotland  July  27,  1827,  and  remained  in  that 
country  until  twenty-six  years  of  age,  working  by  the  day  and  year  for  eight 
years.  In  order  to  acquire  an  education  he  daily  walked  four  miles  to  a  sub- 
scription school.  At  length,  resolving  to  seek  a  home  in  America,  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  New  Orleans  in  1852,  and  from  the  Crescent  city  proceeded  up 
the  Mississippi  river  to  Lyons,  Iowa,  where  he  worked  for  his  board  the  first 
winter.  At  the  time  of  his  arrival  he  l:ad  only  three  sovereigns  in  his  pocket, 
that  is,  about  twenty  dollars.  The  first  money  he  earned  was  in  the  month 
of  March,  1853.  Soon  after  he  began  work  on  the  construction  of  one  of  the 
first  railroads  in  Iowa,  but  he  never  received  his  pay  for  his  services.  Subse- 
quently he  rented  a  farm  in  Clinton  county,  Iowa,  continuing  to  operate  that 
land  for  three  years,  and  in  1857  he  came  to  Nemaha  county,  locating  on  the 
farm  which  is  still  his  home.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  settle  in  Nemaha 
township,  his  home  being  eighteen  miles  from  any  other  house  or  fence,  and 
not  a  single  building  marked  the  site  of  Hiawatha,  while  the  town  of  Seneca 
was  yet  a  dream  of  the  future.  In  fact  the  entire  county  was  almost  an 
unbroken  prairie  tract,  but  the  rich  land  afforded  excellent  inducements  to 
those  who  wished  to  devote  their  energies  to  rural  pursuits.  Mr.  Gregg  first 
built  a  log  cabin  in  which  he  resided  for  some  time.  In  1863  he  erected  a 
little  log  house  that  was  for  some  years  used  as  a  court  house,  and  was  then 
located  in  Richmond  township.  He  afterward  removed  it  to  his  farm  and  it 
now  forms  the  sitting  room  of  his  comfortable  residence.  From  the  time  of 
his  location  in  Nemaha  county  he  diligently  prosecuted  his  farm  labors,  and 
is  to-day  the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  thirty-eight  acres  of  valuable  land,  the 
greater  part  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  At  intervals  he 
has  been  forced  to  borrow  money  in  order  to  carry  on  his  work,  and  at  times 
has  paid  as  high  as  sixty  per  cent,  on  it.  Industry  and  enterprise,  however, 
when  guided  by  sound  judgment  never  fail  to  meet  success,  and  his  career  has 
been  no  exception  to  this  rule.  In  connection  with  general  farming  he  has 
made  a  specialty  of  the  breeding  of  heavy  draft  and  Clydesdale  horses,  and  has 
a  high-bred  stallion  which  he  imported  from  Scotlond,  and  which  won  the  pre- 
mumi  at  a  fair  at  Seneca  in  1899.  He  exhibited  eighteen  horses  and 
colts  at  the  fair.  He  now  has  thirty-four  head  of  fine  horses  and  colts  upon 
his  farm,  and  also  an  excellent  herd  of  seventy-two  head  of  short-horn  cattle, 
most  of  which  are  thoroughbreds.  He  also  has  some  thoroughbred  hogs,  and 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  stock-raisers  and  dealers  in  this  section  of 
Kansas.  In  the  fall  of  1899  I'e  sold  nine  head  of  cattle  for  five  hundred  dol- 
lars each. 

Mr.  Gregg  was  married  in  Scotland  the  day  before  sailing  for  America, 


690  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

but  his  wife  ilied  during  the  voyage,  four  da}-s  before  the  vessel  reached  New 
Orleans,  and  was  buried  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  In  1856,  in  Clinton  county, 
Iowa.  Mr.  Gregg  wedded  Jeannette  Beard,  widow  of  Alexander  Anderson. 
She  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  died  in  1876  on  the  farm  where  her  children 
now  reside.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Gregg  is  a  Democrat,  although 
his  first  vote  was  cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  In  local  elections  he  gives  his 
support  to  the  man  whom  he  thinks  best  fitted  for  the  office,  regardless  of  party 
associations.  His  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth  and  ability,  have 
elected  him  to  the  office  of  treasurer  of  Nemaha  township,  and  for  nine  years 
he  has  filled  that  position  in  a  most  acceptable  and  creditable  manner.  He  is 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county,  has  witnessed  its  growth  through  long  years, 
and  has  seen  the  marvelous  changes  which  have  resulted  in  the  building  of 
towns  and  cities,  the  improvement  of  wild  lands  and  the  introduction  of  all 
the  industries  and  accessories  known  to  the  civilization  of  the  older  east.  His 
life  has  been  honorable  and  upright  and  those  who  know  him  esteem  him  for 
his  sterling  worth. 


CLEMENTS  RETHMANN. 

Among  the  worthy  citizens  that  Germany  has  furnished  to  the  new  world 
is  Clements  Rethmann,  who  is  now  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in 
general  farming  on  section  14,  Marion  township,  Nemaha  county.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Prussia,  in  1833,  and  he  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  families  of  that 
country.  His  grandfather,  Barney  Rethmann,  was  also  a  native  of  Prussia, 
and  was  one  of  the  well-to-do  farmers  there.  Barney  Rethmann,  Jr.,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  same  locality  and  was  reared  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  which  he  also  made  his  life  work.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Hotthouse,  who  was  born  in  Prussia.  By  their  union  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  nine  children,  of  whom  Clements  was  the  youngest.  The  father  died 
at  the  age  of  fifty-seven  years,  and  the  mother's  death  occurred  when  she  was 
sixty  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Rethmann  of  this  review  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in 
the  land  of  his  nativity,  and,  determining  to  try  his  fortunes  in  America,  crossed 
the  Atlantic.  Locating  in  Cincinnati,  he  drove  a  coal  team  there  for  five  years, 
and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Marion  township,  Nemaha 
county,  which  was  then  a  part  of  Richmond  township.  His  first  home  was  a 
little  log  cabin  of  one  room,  and  there  was  not  another  house  within  five  miles 
of  him.  By  hard  work  and  perseverance  he  has  accumulated  a  handsome  com- 
petence, and  has  overcome  obstacles  and  difficulties  which  w'ould  have  utterly 
disheartened  many  men  of  less  resolute  spirit.  The  nucleus  of  his  farm  was 
a  tract  of  forty  acres,  to  which  he  has  added  from  time  to  time  until  he  is  now 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         691 

the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  all  of  wliich  is  in  a  good  state  of 
cultivation.  He  raises  the  cereals  best  adapted  to  this  climate,  and  his  models 
of  practical  farming  have  resulted  in  bringing  him  satisfactory  success.  He  is 
also  engaged  very  extensi\-ely  in  stock-raising  and  has  now  more  than  one  hun- 
dred head  of  hogs  upon  his  place.  He  also  makes  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of 
cattle,  and  he  has  some  fine  horses  of  superior  breeds. 

Mr.  Rethmann  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1871,  to  Miss  Agnes  Gett- 
mating,  who  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  and  came  to  America  in  1870, 
taking  up  her  abode  in  Cincinnati.  Her  father,  Frank  Gettmating.  was  also 
born  in  Prussia,  made  farming  his  life  work  and  died  at  the  ripe  old  age  of 
seventy-five  years.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  six  children, 
namely:  Mary,  Christianna,  Anna,  Josephine,  Charley  and  Bennie.  All 
have  been  provided  with  good  educational  privileges,  thus  being  fitted  for  life's 
practical  and  responsible  duties. 

The  cause  of  education  finds  in  ]\Ir.  Rethmann  a  warm  friend  who  has 
done  effective  service  in  its  behalf.  He  filled  the  office  of  school  trustee  for 
eleven  years,  and  during  his  incumbency  largely  promoted  the  educational 
interests  in  his  locality.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
church,  and  have  aided  in  erecting  four  different  houses  of  worship  in  St. 
Benedict.  Their  present  financial  condition  and  pleasant  surroundings 
are  in  great  contrast  with  their  home  life  of  many  years  ago,  when  they 
took  up  their  abode  here  amidst  a  frontier  settlement.  For  a  year  they  lived 
on  corn  bread  and  pork,  and  Mr.  Rethmann  fed  his  cattle  on  hay,  for  he 
could  get  nothing  else.  As  years  have  passed,  however,  his  financial  resources 
have  steadily  increased  as  the  result  of  his  continuous  and  well  directed  labors, 
and  his  capable  management  and  enterprise  have  been  rewarded  by  the  acquisi- 
tion of  a  handsome  property. 


G.  STIEBLER. 


Forty  years  have  passed  since  G.  Stiebler  came  to  Brown  county,  and 
therefore  he  is  numbered  among  its  pioneer  settlers.  The  state  had  not  at 
that  time  been  admitted  to  the  Union,  and  gave  little  promise  of  its  future 
groW'th  and  development,  although  the  tide  of  emigration  was  flowing  steadily 
westward,  bringing  with  it  many  substantial  citizens  who  took  up  their  abode 
in  Kansas  and  became  the  founders  of  this  commonwealth.  He  was  born  in 
Germany,  January  5,  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  August  and  Henrietta  (Hootes) 
Stiebler,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  country.  The  father  was  a  wagon 
maker  by  trade,  following  that  pursuit  through  his  entire  life.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  were  highly  respected  peo- 
ple.    They  followed  their  children  to  America,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  1859. 


692  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND-  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

After  visiting  with  a  daughter  in  Ohio  tliey  came  to  Kansas,  where  they  joined 
their  son.  Tlie  father  built  a  wagon  shop  and  here  followed  his  trade  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1868,  when  he  was  sixty-six  years  of  age.  His 
wife  afterward  found  a  good  home  with  her  son,  and  there  died  September  16, 
1877,  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  ninety-six  years.  This  worthy  couple  were 
the  parents  of  three  children,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  being  the  eldest.  Wil- 
helmina  was  married  in  Ohio  to  Joseph  Scoby  and  now  resides  in  Brown 
countv.     JMaria  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Methouse,  of  Nemaha  county,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Stiebler  was  reared  in  the  fatherland,  obtaining  his  education  in  the 
public  schools,  and  was  there  trained  to  mechanical  pursuits.  Since  coming  to 
America  he  has  mastered  the  English  language  so  that  he  is  able  to  transact 
his  business  in  that  tongue.  He  was  reared  in  Germany  until  twenty-four 
years  of  age,  assisting  his  father  in  the  wagon  shop,  and  in  1854  he  sought  a 
home  in  the  United  States,  landing  at  New  York.  He  had  no  money  left 
when  he  reached  the  eastern  metropolis,  and,  in  consequence,  was  obliged  to 
find  work  immediately.  Learning  that  a  company  wished  to  employ  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  Germans  to  go  to  Alexandria,  Virginia,  to  load  and  clean  canal 
boats,  he  accepted  a  position  with  them  and  was  employed  in  that  way  for 
two  months.  He  saved  his  money  and  with  his  little  capital  made  his  way  to 
Cincinnati,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade,  but  found  it  difficult  to  get  a  start  in 
business.  Making  his  way  on  foot  to  Illinois  he  settled  in  Paris,  that  state, 
where  he  remained  from  1854  until  1858.  In  1858  he  came  to  Kansas  on  a 
prospecting  tour,  and  while  here  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  in  Powhattan  township.  Brown  county.  He  was  married  in  Paris,  in 
1856,  and  in  1859  he  brought  his  family  to  his  new  claim  in  the  Sunflower 
state.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began  cultivating  and  developing  his 
land.  Although  many  obstacles  were  to  be  met  and  many  hardships  were 
encountered,  he  pressed  steadily  forward  and  with  resolute  will  continued  the 
work  of  developing  his  farm.  Mr.  Stiebler  has  thus  won  success  at  general 
farming  and  stock  raising,  for  he  has  fed  the  products  of  his  farm  to  stock. 
He  became  one  of  the  most  extensive  stock  dealers  of  the  locality,  and  in  fact 
was  obliged  to  purchase  grain  for  feeding  purposes.  In  this  \vay  he  has 
steadily  augmented  his  capital  and  now  has  a  very  handsome  competence  for 
old  age.  As  the  years  passed  he  added  to  his  land  and  was  at  one  time  the 
owner  of  a  very  large  tract,  but  has  since  given  portions  to  his  children  and 
has  also  sold  some.  However,  he  yet  owns  three  farms.  In  1884  he  pur- 
chased a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty-two  acres  near  the  town  of 
Sabetha,  and  thereon  he  and  his  wife  are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  a  well  spent 
life. 

Mr.  Stiebler  was  married,  in  1856.  to  Miss  Mary  Gum,  who  was  born  in 
Germany,  April  3.  1824,  and  came  to  America  with  her  mother  and  the  family, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  693 

her  fatlier  having  died  wlien  she  was  nine  years  old.  The  voj-age  was  made 
in  1847,  ^^'^'^  '^'i^y  continued  across  the  continent  to  Sheboygan,  Wisconsin, 
whence  tliey  removed,  in  1853,  to  Paris,  Ilhnois,  where  all  the  family  secured 
work.  The  mother  died  in  Paris,  in  1878,  but  prior  to  that  time  she  made  two 
visits  to  Kansas  to  see  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Stiebler.  She  was  reared  in  the 
Lutheran  faith,  and  in  early  life  attended  that  church,  but  in  Illinois  becatne  a 
Presbyterian.  After  the  death  of  her  first  husband  she  married  P.  Bross.  By 
her  first  marriage  the  mother  had  the  following  children :  Mary,  wife  of  Mr. 
Stiebler ;  Frederick,  of  Illinois ;  George,  deceased ;  Mrs.  Maria  Getts ;  and  Anna, 
wife  of  J.  Eaton,  who  died  while  in  service  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  By 
her  second  marriage  Mrs.  Bross  had  two  children,  Anna  and  Peter. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stiebler  have  three  children:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  O. 
McClellan;  Gustaf,  who  is  married  and  follows  farming;  and  Emma,  wife  of 
George  Alastison.  Mr.  Stiebler  is  truly  a  self-made  man.  In  his  early  youth 
he  worked  in  his  father's  wagon-making  shop,  and  continued  to  follow  that 
trade  until  his  arrival  in  Kansas,  when  he  began  farming,  with  no  practical 
experience  in  that  line.  He  was  observing,  however,  and  his  strength  and 
persistence  stood  him  instead  of  knowledge.  He  was  quick  to  learn  and  never 
made  the  same  mistake  twice.  As  the  years  passed  by  he  became  the  owner  of 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county,  and  through  all  the  years  his  wife  has  been 
to  him  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate.  They  shared  together  the  trials 
and  privations  of  pioneer  life,  and  now  enjoy  the  prosperity  which  has  come 
to  them.  One  of  their  early  experiences  was  in  breaking  land.  Mr.  Stiebler 
needed  a  team,  and  managed  to  secure  two  steers  two  years  old.  These  had 
to  be  broken,  and  he  did  the  driving  while  his  wife  held  the  plow.  This  proved 
to  be  the  hardest  day's  work  they  had  ever  done,  and  Mr.  Stiebler  determined 
to  get  someone  else  to  break  his  oxen.  Though  their  early  years  were  filled 
with  hard  labor  their  capital  steadily  increased,  and  now  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence enables  them  to  enjoy  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 
They  also  reared  a  family  who  do  credit  to  their  name,  their  children  all  being 
married  and  living  near  them.  In  politics  Mr.  Stiebler  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  consistent  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  They 
now  enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  many  friends,  and  well  do  they  deserve  men- 
tion among  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  county. 


LUTHER  DICKINSON. 

Luther  Dickinson,  a  retired  farmer,  is  one  who  through  the  power  of 
memory  may  again  undergo  the  experiences  of  pioneer  life.  He  watched  the 
progress  of  events  which  made  Kansas  the  center  of  the  bitter  struggle  between 


694  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

tlie  north  and  the  south  prior  to  tlie  ci\il  war,  and  witnessed  tlie  later  de\-elop- 
ment  and  continued  progress  that  has  placed  Atchison  county  upon  a  par  with 
any  of  the  counties  of  the  state.  Years  ago  he  came  to  this  locality  and  is  still 
living  on  the  farm,  in  Shannon  township,  where  he  located  many  decades  ago. 

Mr.  Dickinson  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Ohio,  September  12, 
1825,  and  his  father,  Joseph  Dickinson,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  by 
occupation  a  farmer.  The  Dickinsons  are  of  Irish  lineage,  although  the  family 
has  always  been  of  the  Protestant  faith.  William  Dickinson,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  a  resident  of  Fort  Du  Ouesne,  near  Pittsburg.  The  mother  of 
our  suliject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sallie  Daily,  and  she,  too,  was  a  native  of 
the  Old  Dominion,  in  which  place  the  days  of  her  girlhood  weie  passed.  After 
her  marriage  she  accompanied  her  husband  to  Ohio,  where  they  took  up  their 
abode  upon  a  farm. 

Luther  Dickinson  early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  pursued  his  education  in  a  school 
in  Tijjpecanoe  county,  Indiana,  to  which  place  his  parents  had  removed.  His 
father  died  there,  and  the  mother  afterward  went  with  her  family  to  Musca- 
tine, Iowa,  where  her  death  occurred  in  1839.  Luther  Dickinson  there  re- 
mained with  his  brothers  and  sisters  until  1844,  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
Saline  county,  Missouri,  where  he  followed  the  carpenter's  trade  for  nine  years. 
In  1854,  when  the  northeastern  tracts  of  Kansas  were  opened  up  to  civilization, 
he  came  to  Atchison  county  and  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  for  which  he  afterward  paid  the  usual  government  price  of  a  dollar  and  a 
quarter  an  acre.  To  that  he  added  until  his  farm  comprises  two  hundred  acres 
of  rich  land  which  he  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He,  however, 
turned  the  first  furrow  in  the  fields  and  performed  the  arduous  task  of  dex'elop- 
ing  the  new  farm.  In  additon  to  the  cultivation  of  grain  he  engaged  in  stock- 
raising,  for  the  unclaimed  tracts  in  Shannon  township  afforded  fine  pasturage. 
He  erected  upon  his  place  a  substantial  home,  good  barns  and  other  necessary 
outbuildings,  and  planted  an  excellent  orchard.  Gradually  he  gave  more  and 
more  attention  to  fruit  growing,  his  home  being  in  the  midst  of  the  fruit  belt 
of  Atchison  county.  He  made  a  specialty  of  peaches,  raising  some  of  the  finest 
specimens  ever  seen  in  the  state.  He  kept  upon  his  place  a  high  grade  of  cat- 
tle, horses  and  hogs,  and  at  all  times  followed  progressive  methods.  Now  he 
has  largely  left  the  care  of  the  farm  to  others,  yet  still  superintends  it  to  some 
extent,  and  has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  his  valuable  and  desirable  place 
is  the  result  of  his  own  well  directed  efforts  and  labors. 

During  the  trying  times  which  preceded  the  ci\-il  war.  when  party  strife 
ran  very  high,  he  often  with  difficulty  saved  his  cattle  from  being  driven  off  by 
those  who  were  politically  opposed  to  him.  He  was.  however,  a  stout,  ath- 
letic man  of  great  courage  and  resolution,  and  he  not  only  defended  his  prop- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  695 

erty  but  also  freely  expressed  his  political  \ie\vs.  being  a  free-state  man.  His 
fellow  townsmen,  ha\-ing  confidence  in  his  trustworthiness,  elected  him  to  the 
office  of  county  commissioner,  and  he  was  serving  in  that  capacity  when,  in 
1858,  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature.  That  was  a  stormy  period  in  the 
sessions  of  the  general  assembly  of  Kansas,  but  neither  fear  nor  favor  c(  u'd 
deter  him  from  supporting  any  measure  which  he  believed  to  be  right. 

In  1845  ^Ir.  Dickinson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Margaret  Vizer, 
of  Missouri,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Eliza  (Aid)  Vizer.  She  was  born  in 
Montgomery  county.  Kentucky,  and  when  she  died  she  left  the  following 
children,  namely:  Darius  R.,  a  resident  of  Atchison;  Joseph  B. ;  Maiy", 
Simons;  Aurelia  and  Arealia,  who  are  twins,  the  latter  now  the  wife  of  John 
Wiggins,  of  Atchison;  Luther;  John  C,  also  a  resident  of  this  city;  and  Sally, 
wife  of  John  Slack,  of  Atchison.  In  1898  Mr.  Dickinson  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Amarac  Johnson. 

Mr.  Dickinson  is  a  representative  citizen  who  yet  feels  marked  interest  in 
all  the  public  affairs  and  withholds  his  support  from  no  enterprise  which  he 
believes  would  be  of  public  benefit.  He  actively  assisted  in  preparing  plans 
for  the  Pike's  Peak  Railway  and  for  the  Central  Branch  Railway,  which  is 
now  a  part  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  system.  Through  the  long  years  of  his 
residence  here  he  has  ever  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow 
men.  He  has  now  passed  the  seventy-fourth  mile-stone  on  life's  journey,  yet 
is  well  preser\-ed,  and  it  is  the  wish  of  his  many  friends  that  he  mav  vet  be 
spared  for  many  years  to  come.  His  identification  with  the  pioneer  settle- 
ment of  Atchison  county  as  well  as  his  upright  life  entitles  him  to  representa- 
tion in  this  volume,  and  with  pleasure  we  present  to  our  readers  the  history  of 
his  career. 


JOHN  H.  BARRY. 


Twenty-six  years  have  passed  since  John  H.  Barry  came  to  Atchison,  and 
through  the  greater  part  of  that  time  he  has  been  a  leading  representati\-e  of 
the  business  interests  and  is  now  well  known  in  connection  with  the  industrial 
aflfairs  of  the  city.  Channing  has  said.  "Labor  is  discovered  to  be  the  great, 
the  grand  conqueror,  enlarging  and  building  up  nations  more  surely  than  the 
proudest  battles."  The  truth  of  this  is  verified  by  the  fact  that  where  com- 
mercial activity  is  most  manifest,  there  is  found  the  greatest  progress  and  pros- 
perity. By  the  conduct  of  his  extensive  business  interests,  Mr.  Barry  has 
become  a  type  of  the  representative  American  citizen  who  contributes  to  the 
general  success,  while  promoting  individual  prosperity. 

A  native  of  Boston.  Massachusetts,  he  was  born  June  24,  1849,  and  is  a 


696  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

son  of  Michael  and  Eliza  (Roach)  Barry.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city,  and  in  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  whither  he  accompa- 
nied his  parents  in  early  youth.  In  1858  he  became  a  driver  of  a  freighting 
team  across  the  plains,  being  in  charge  of  the  six-mule  team  used  in  transport- 
ing goods  to  Colorado  and  the  Indian  Territory.  Later  he  engaged  in  freight- 
ing on  his  own  account,  and  continued  that  business  for  ten  years,  after  which 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Kansas  City,  Fort  Scott  &  Gulf  Railroad  Com- 
pany, serving  in  various  capacities  until  1873.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Atchi- 
son, where  he  served  as  general  station  agent  of  the  Alissouri  Pacific  Railroad 
Company  till  1879.  Through  the  two  consecutive  years  he  was  connected 
with  public  office,  being  city  marshal.  In  1886  he  established  a  coal  and  wood 
yard,  which  he  has  since  conducted  and  in  that  line  has  built  up  a  good  trade. 
His  attention,  however,  is  chiefly  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  vitrified  paving 
brick,  in  which  he  is  now  doing  an  extensive  business.  He  established  the  in- 
dustrv  in  1894  and  for  some  time  he  was  president  of  the  Atchison  Vitrified 
Paving  Brick  Company.  He  is  now  president  of  the  Barry  Brick  Manufac- 
turing Company,  which  manufactures  a  very  superior  paving  brick  and  has  a 
large  sale  of  the  product  in  Atchison  and  at  other  points  in  the  state.  The 
annual  output  is  about  six  million  brick,  and  employment  is  furnished  to  from 
sixty  to  seventy-five  workmen.  There  is  also  a  good  market  for  the  product  in 
Kansas  City  and  many  other  western  cities. 

In  1873  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Barry  and  Miss  Kate  Curtan, 
of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  a  daughter  of  John  Curtan.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely :  John  H.,  who  is  secretary  of  the 
Barry  Brick  Manufacturing  Company  at  Atchison;  Henry,  who  is  in  his 
father's  office;  Cornelius  W.,  a  brick  setter;  and  Mary  Frances,  at  home.  Mr. 
Barry  is  a  member  of  the  American  Order  of  United  Workmen.  The  cause 
of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  from  1878  until  1891  he  was  a 
member  of  the  school  board  of  Atchison,  and  did  effective  service  in  promot- 
ing the  interests  of  the  schools  of  the  city.  His  life  has  been  one  of  activity 
in  industrial  circles,  and,  as  a  result  of  his  honesty  and  perseverance  in  busi- 
ness, he  has  accumulated  a  handsome  competence. 


CONRAD  VOELKER. 

Conrad  Voelker,  who  is  engaged  in  general  farming,  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  November  20,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Conrad  and  Margaret  (Vaerns) 
Voelker,  who  were  also  natives  of  Germany.  The  mother's  death  occurred  in 
that  land  in  i860.  In  the  same  j'ear  the  father  and  his  family  emigrated  to 
the  United  States,  landing  at  New  York,  whence  they  came  direct  to  Atchison 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         769 

county,  Kansas.  The  father  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
in  Shannon  township,  and  thereon  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  death,  which  occurred  February  12,  1888,  in  his  sixty-seventh 
year.  In  the  family  were  five  children,  three  having  been  born  of  the  first 
marriage  and  two  of  the  father's  second  marriage. 

Conrad  Voelker  was  only  four  years  old  when  he  was  brought  to  the 
United  States,  and  therefore  almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  Atchison 
county,  the  history  of  which  is  familiar  to  him  from  its  pioneer  days.  He  pur- 
sued his  education  in  its  primitive  schools  and  in  the  high  school  in  Atchison. 
He  afterward  returned  to  the  farm  and  assisted  his  father  until  he  had  attained 
his  majority,  when  he  rented  land  and  began  farming  on  his  own  account. 
With  the  capital  he  acquired  in  this  manner  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  in  Shannon  township  and  turned  his  attention  to  agricultu- 
ral pursuits.  In  addition  to  the  raising  of  grain  adapted  to  this  climate  he  has 
carried  on  the  dairy  business,  selling  milk  to  many  customers  in  Atchison.  He 
has  one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  his  township,  his  fine  dwelling  of  modern 
architecture  being  supplemented  by  large  barns  and  substantial  outbuildings, 
which  furnish  shelter  for  grain  and  stock.  He  keeps  on  hand  a  high  grade  of 
cows  for  dairy  purposes,  and  in  both  branches  of  his  business  he  is  meeting 
with  desirable  success. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  April.  1885,  Mr.  Voelker  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Jane  ililler,  daughter  of  Frederick  and  ^Margaret  Miller,  of  Shannon  town- 
ship, Atchison  county.  They  now  have  two  sons,  Frederick  and  Conrad.  The 
parents  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  of  which  Mr.  Voelker  is  a  liberal 
supporter.  In  politics  he  is  independent  at  local  elections,  casting  his  ballot 
for  the  men  best  quahfied  for  office  regardless  of  party  affiliations.  Wonder- 
ful transformation  has  been  wrought  in  Atchison  county  since  his  arrival  here; 
its  wild  lands  have  been  transformed  into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  enter- 
prising towns  and  villages  Iiave  sprung  up,  industries  have  been  introduced, 
schools  and  churches  have  been  built  and  the  work  of  civilization  has  been  rap- 
idly carried  forward.  Since  attaining  to  years  of  maturity  Mr.  Voelker  has 
ever  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  public  welfare,  and 
has  given  his  aid  and  co-operation  to  many  measures  for  the  public  good. 


\MLLIAM  P.  SYMNS. 

One  of  the  extensive  land  owners  of  Wayne  township,  Doniphan  county, 
is  William  P.  Symns,  who  owns  one  thousand  acres  of  land  in  this  locality. 
His  possessions  have  been  acquired  entirely  through  his  own  well-directed 


698  BIOGRAPHICAL  A\W  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

efforts,  and  his  life  record  indicates  the  truth  of  the  saying  that  success  comes 
not  from  talent  but  results  from  industry,  careful  management  and  close  appli- 
cation to  business.  He  has  been  identified  with  the  development  and  progress 
of  Doniphan  county  since  its  pioneer  days,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Kansas 
and  accepted  a  clerkship  with  Thomas  Kemper,  who  was  proprietor  of  the  first 
general  mercantile  store  in  this  section. 

Mr.  Symns  is  a  native  of  Monroe  county.  West  Virginia,  and  was  l)orn 
March  28,  1828.  His  father,  John  Symns,  was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle,  and 
was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  His  ancestors  were  of  the  Presbyterian  faith 
and  were  people  of  high  respectability.  In  early  life  John  Symns  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  America,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Virginia,  where  he  afterward 
inarried  Miss  Elizabeth  Peters,  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion,  which  at  that 
time  comprised  the  section  of  country  that  now  forms  the  state  of  \\"est  Yir- 
ginia.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Christian  Peters,  and  in  honor  of  her  family 
the  village  of  Peterstown  was  named.  John  and  Elizabeth  Symns  became 
the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  Mrs.  Catherine  Lucas,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased; George  W.,  who  has  also  passed  away;  William  P.;  A.  B. ;  Joe;  Sam, 
who  resides  in  Virginia  on  the  old  family  homestead;  and  Mary  E.,  deceased. 
The  father  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  wheelwright  in  early  man- 
hood, but  during  the  greater  part  of  his  business  career  was  known  as  a  Vir- 
ginia planter.  He  died  on  the  old  family  homestead  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five  years,  and  in  his  death  the  community  lost  one  of  its  valued  citizens. 
He  and  his  family  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  in  politics 
he  was  a  Whig  and  an  ardent  admirer  of  Henry  Clay.  His  wife,  surviving 
him,  passed  away  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  ninety-seven  years.  She  was 
an  earnest  Christian  woman,  a  faithful  wife  and  mother  and  a  true  friend. 

William  P.  Symns,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  the  fifth  in 
order  of  birth  in  the  family  and  the  third  son.  He  pursued  his  education  in 
the  old-time  log  school  house,  which  was  lighted  with  greased  paper  windows. 
He  conned  his  lessons  while  sitting  on  an  old  slab  bench,  while  beside  him  lay 
his  few  books,  for  there  were  no  desks.  His  training  at  farm  labor,  however, 
was  not  meager,  and  he  remained  at  home  till  the  spring  of  1856,  when  he 
came  to  the  West,  first  locating  in  St.  Louis.  Subsequently  he  made  his  way 
to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  reaching  his  destination  after  seven  days  of  travel. 
He  remained  at  that  place  for  a  short  time  and  then  came  to  \\'athena.  Doni- 
phan county.  The  following  year  he  went  to  Doniphan  with  his  brother,  A.  B., 
who  is  now  a  wholesale  grocer  in  Atchison.  During  the  Civil  war  he  entered 
the  Confederate  service,  under  Captain  Lanney  and  General  Jubal  Early,  serv- 
ing until  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  When  peace  was  restored  he  returned 
home  and  secured  a  clerkship  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  remained  for 
some  time.     He  was  afterward  manager  of  a  wagon  train  cii  route  for  Mon- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  699 

tana,  and  wliile  thus  engaged  had  tlie  misfortune  to  break  his  ankle,  which 
caused  him  several  weeks  of  severe  suffering.  In  1867  he  returned  to  Doni- 
phan county,  where  he  has  since  been  identified  with  agricultural  interests. 
His  industry  and  untiring  labors  brought  to  him  a  good  income,  and  as  his 
financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  his  real-estate  investments  until  he 
became  the  owner  of  about  one  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Doniphan  county. 
He  has  erected  thereon  a  fine  modern  residence,  good  barns  and  other  neces- 
sary outbuildings,  and  has  to-day  one  of  the  model  farms  of  the  county. 

In  1 87 J  Mr.  Symns  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Maria  L.  Kent,  a 
native  of  Missouri,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with  five  children,  namely: 
William  P.  and  Andrew  B.,  at  home;  Perry  K.,  who  is  a  student  at  Manhat- 
tan, Kansas;  Belle  and  Elizabeth,  who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  Mr. 
Symns,  realizing  the  importance  of  education  in  the  affairs  of  life,  has  given 
his  children  excellent  advantages  in  that  direction.  The  eldest  son  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  Midland  College,  of  Atchison,  while  the  second  son  is  a  graduate  of 
Manhattan  College,  of  the  class  of  1888,  and  the  third  son  is  now  pursuing  his 
studies  in  that  institution.  Having  long  been  a  resident  of  the  county,  Mr. 
Symns  is  widely  kown,  and  he  is  a  most  progressive  and  public-spirited  citi- 
zen, advocating  all  commendable  improvements  and  lending  an  active  support 
to  all  measures  for  the  public  good.  He  votes  with  the  Democracy,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  his  busi- 
ness interests,  in  which  he  has  met  with  most  creditable  success.  In  all  trade 
transactions  he  is  thoroughly  reliable,  and  has  thereby  won  the  confidence  and 
good  will  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


WILLIAM  C.  MARTIN. 

\Miere  labor  is  held  in  high  esteem  it  will  always  be  found  that  extrava- 
gances are  prevalent  among  the  higher  classes  and  these  lead  to  the  inevitable 
ruin  of  the  nation,  but  where  all  honest  work  is  honorable,  there  is  ever  found 
advancement  and  progress  which  lead  to  the  upbuilding  and  improvement  of 
the  country.  Its  men  are  citizens  of  force  capable  of  handling  the  important 
questions  which  arise  and  of  meeting  the  conditions  that  involve  all  countries. 
No  land  is  so  quick  and  willing  to  recognize  the  importance  of  labor  as  a  repub- 
lic where  individuals  are  given  equal  rights  and  privileges  and  where  merit  may 
gain  advancement.  William  C.  Martin  is  known  as  one  of  the  industrious, 
energetic  and  practical  farmers  of  Union  township,  Doniphan  county,  and  is 
justly  accorded  a  place  among  its  representative  citizens.  He  was  born  m 
Fayette  county.  Pennsylvania,  February  16,  1843,  ^"^^  '*  ^  ^on  of  one  of  the 


700  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

pioneers  of  Atchison  county.  His  father,  James  Martin,  was  for  many  years 
assistant  postmaster  of  Atchison  and  was  the  father  of  the  late  Governor  John 
A.  Martin.  His  birth  occurred  in  Frederick,  Maryland,  August  9  1803,  and 
his  death  in  Atchison  in  1889.  On  his  removal  from  Fayette  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, to  Kansas,  he  located  on  a  farm  in  Shannon  township,  Atchison 
county,  and  for  some  years  was  identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
community.  The  journey  westward  had  been  made  in  very  primitive  style; 
he  went  by  boat  all  the  way,  starting  on  the  Monongahela  river,  proceeding 
down  the  Ohio,  up  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri  to  his  destination,  for  that 
was  before  the  days  of  railroad  travel.  He  had  been  left  an  orphan  at  the  age 
of  ten  years  and  whatever  success  he  achieved  in  life  or  the  standing  he  attained 
was  due  to  his  own  efforts.  He  was  married  in  Pennsylvania  to  Miss  Jane  M. 
Crawford,  who  was  born  in  1809  and  died  in  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  in 
April,  1899.  Her  children  were  John  A.,  who  served  as  the  chief  executive 
of  the  state;  Belle,  wife  of  H.  T.  Smith,  of  Atchison;  William  C. ;  James  H,, 
who  died  in  the  army;  Ella,  who  became  the  wife  of  F.  G.  Mills,  of  Kansas 
City,  Kansas;  and  Alfred  H.,  deceased. 

\\'illiam  C.  Martin  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  to  the  west.  There  were  no  good  schools  in  this  section  of  the 
state  at  that  time  and  the  financial  condition  of  the  family  also  prevented  him 
from  pursuing  his  studies  to  any  great  extent.  During  the  civil  war  he  joined 
the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  K,  First  Kansas  Volunteers,  in  the  summer  of 
1 86 1  and  was  mustered  in  at  Fort  Leavenworth.  With  his  regiment  he 
was  soon  in  the  field  in  southwestern  Missouri.  The  command  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Springfield  and  Wilson's  Creek,  where  the  First  Kansas  sus- 
tained heavy  losses  in  killed  and  wounded.  After  this  engagement  the  remain- 
der of  them  marched  over  to  the  southwestern  section  of  the  state,  doing  guard 
duty  and  protecting  exposed  points.  At  various  times  they  were  stationed 
at  St.  Louis,  Hannibal,  Chillicothe,  Tipton  and  Lexington.  Missouri,  and  at 
Leavenworth,  Kansas.  Then  came  the  order  to  cross  the  plains  and  the  regi- 
ment started  on  its  long  pilgrimage  to  Mexico,  but  on  reaching  Fort  Riley  the 
order  was  countermanded  and  instructions  given  to  proceed  southward  to 
Shiloh.  Tennessee,  where  they  arri\-ed  after  the  battle  had  been  fought. 
Thence  they  proceeded  to  Columbus,  Kentucky;  to  Trenton,  Tennessee;  to 
Jackson  and  finally  to  Corinth,  Mississippi,  where  the  First  Kansas  participated 
in  the  second  engagement  at  that  place.  Later  the  members  of  the  regi- 
ment went  to  Ripley,  then  to  Memphis,  to  Lake  Providence  and  to  Vicksburg 
and  did  guard  duty  near  the  last  named  city,  after  which  they  proceeded  up  the 
Yazoo  river  and  then  marched  to  Natchez,  on  the  lower  Mississippi  river, 
crossing  that  stream  to  Videll,  Louisiana,  where  they  did  guard  duty  for  a 
short  time.     After  returning  to  Vicksburg,  as  the  three  years'  term  of  service 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         701 

\vas  drawing  to  a  close,  the  First  Regiment  was  ordered  northward  to  be  mus- 
tered out  and  on  the  i6th  of  June.  1864.  ]\Ir.  Martin  was  free  to  return  to  civil 
life.  He  enlisted  as  a  private,  but  held  the  rank  of  sergeant  at  the  time  of  his 
discharge.  He  participated  in  fifteen  engagements  and  skirmishes  and  was 
wounded  at  Tuscumbia,  Mississippi,  but  was  always  found  at  the  post  of 
duty  faithfully  defending  the  old  flag. 

Upon  his  return  to  Kansas.  'Mv.  ^Martin  engaged  in  the  operation  of  his 
present  farm.  Forty  acres  of  the  land  had  been  broken,  but  with  this  excep- 
tion the  place  was  almost  entirely  unimproved  and  the  task  of  placing  it  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  was  an  arduous  one.  In  1886  he  went  to  Idaho, 
where  he  spent  four  years,  but  with  this  exception  he  has  remained  continuously 
upon  the  farm  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  a  very  valuable  property,  the  well- 
tilled  fields  yielding  him  a  golden  tribute,  while  the  substantial  improve- 
ments upon  the  place  indicate  his  careful  supervision  and  progressive  spirit. 

Mr.  :Martin  was  married  in  Atchison  county.  December  5,  1865.  to 
Amanda  Williams,  a  daughter  of  Fielding  \\'illiams.  who  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Buchanan  county.  Missouri.  He  was  a  Virginian  by  birth  and 
married  Miss  Collett.  a  Kentucky  lady.  The  members  of  the  Williams  family 
are  all  in  Idaho,  with  the  exception  of  Wilham  L.,  who  resides  in  Buchanan 
county,  Missouri,  and  the  wife  of  our  subject.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  now  have 
three  children:  ]Mary;  J.  A.,  and  Irene,  all  at  home.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Martin  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  unswerving  in  his  support  of  the  principles 
of  the  party.  He  has  served  his  township  for  four  years  as-  trustee  and  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  and  constable,  filling  those  offices  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  In  the  careful  conduct  of  his  farm 
work  he  has  acquired  a  handsome  competence,  and  furthermore  has  won  the 
respect  and  good  will  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


C.   D.    ROBB. 


Widely  and  favorably  known  in  Brown  county.  Mr.  Robb  well  deserves 
mention  in  this  volume  as  a  leading  farmer  of  Powhattan  township.  He  was 
born  in  Westmoreland  county,  in  the  Ligonier  valley  of  Pennsylvania,  August 
16,  1837,  and  is  of  Scotch  lineage.  His  grandfather,  Samuel  Robb,  was  a 
native  of  the  Keystone  state  and  died  in  Westmoreland  county.  George  W. 
Robb,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  same  county  and  was  there 
reared  to  manhood  upon  a  farm.  Having  attained  his  majority  he  chose  as 
a  companion  and  helpmeet  on  life's  journey  ^liss  Christina  Palmer,  who  was 


702  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

also  born  and  reared  in  Westmoreland  county,  a  daughter  of  Frederick 
Palmer,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  Pennsylvania  Dutch  families  of 
that  locality.  The  Robbs  were  related  to  General  St.  Clair,  the  celebrated  In- 
dian fighter.  In  1856  George  Robb  removed  with  his  family  to  the  wilds  of 
northeastern  Kansas,  locating  in  Doniphan  county.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  on  the  prairie  and  took  an  active  part  in  developing  and  improving  this 
section  of  the  state.  By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter  and  followed  that  pursuit  in 
connection  with  farming.  He  gave  his  political  support  to  the  Whig  party  in 
early  life  and  on  its  dissolution  joined  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party.  His 
wife  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  Both  were  consistent  members 
of  the  Baptist  church  and  earnest  Christan  people  who  well  merited  the  esteem 
in  which  they  were  uniformly  held.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children,  namely:  Louisa  Ellen;  George,  who  served  in  the 
Eighth  Kansas  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Martin ;  Chancey  D. ; 
Elizabeth  and  John. 

C.  D.  Robb  is  a  well-known  farmer  of  northeastern  Kansas,  for  he  has 
resided  in  this  section  of  the  state  for  forty-four  years.  He  spent  his  youth 
upon  the  old  homestead  in  Pennsylvania  and  enjoyed  such  educational  privi- 
leges as  were  afforded  by  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  reading, 
experience  and  observation,  however,  having  added  largely  to  his  knowledge 
until  he  is  now  a  well-informed  man.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  1856,  and  the 
same  year  cast  his  first  vote  in  order  to  make  this  a  free  state.  He  watched  with 
interest  the  progress  of  events  in  the  south  and  resolved  that  if  an  attempt  was 
made  to  overthrow  the  Union  he  would  strike  a  blow  in  its  defense.  Accord- 
ingly, after  the  inauguration  of  the  civil  war,  he  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Kan- 
sas Infantry  and  was  afterward  transferred  to  the  Tenth  Regiment  of  Kansas 
Volunteers,  being  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Jim  Lane.  He  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Fort  Scott,  Price's  raid.  Dry  Wood,  Fort  Lincoln  and  West 
Point,  Missouri,  and  also  took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Fort  Gibson,  Fort 
Scott,  Newtonia,  Kane  Hill  and  Prairie  Grove.  He  was  always  found  at  his 
post  of  duty,  faithfully  defending  the  old  flag  and  the  cause  it  represented,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  war  he  received  an  honorable  discharge. 

INIr.  Robb  then  returned  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming.  He  was  married,  in  1866,  to  Elizabeth  Fry,  who  was  a  native 
of  Virginia,  but  was  reared,  however,  on  a  farm  in  Ohio,  near  the  city  of 
Springfield.  Her  father,  John  Fry,  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  families  of 
Virginia  and  had  three  sons  who  served  in  the  civil  war,  namely.  Willet  A., 
Theodore  C.  and  Jacob.  Li  December,  1882,  Mr.  Robb  was  called  u])on  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  was  at  that  time  called  to  her  final  rest.  In 
1883  he  was  again  married,  his  seconl  union  being  with  Elizabeth  Gilbert, 
daughter  of  Ezekiel  and  Jane  Gilbert,  the  former  now  deceased.     Unto  our 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         703 

subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  an  interesting  family    of  six    cliildren, 
namely :     Kitty,  Christina,  Ella,  Grace,  Blanche  and  Leathy. 

In  politics  Mr.  Robb  .is  a  stalwart  Republican  who  does  all  in  his  power 
to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party,  yet  he  has  never 
sought  office  for  himself,  preferring  to  devote  his  attention  to  his  business  in- 
terests. He  now  owns  eighty  acres  of  rich  bottom  land  in  Powhattan  town- 
ship. Brown  county,  near  the  Xemaha  county  line,  and  is  successfully  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  His  methods  of  farming  are  progressive  and  the  neat 
and  thrifty  appearance  of  his  place  indicates  his  careful  supervision.  As  a 
citizen  he  is  loyal  and  true  to  every  duty,  manifesting  the  same  fidelity  which 
marked  his  course  when  upon  the  battlefields  of  the  south  he  aided  in  defense 
of  the  Union.  Throughout  his  long  residence  in  northeastern  Kansas  he  has 
not  only  witnessed  its  growth,  but  has  contributed  to  its  progress  and  upbuild- 
ing and  he  feels  a  just  pride  in  the  rapid  and  substantial  improvements  which 
this  state  has  made. 


GEORGE  E.  KESSLER. 

George  E.  Kessler,  who  is  now  living  on  one  of  the  valuable  farms  in 
Mission  township.  Brown  county,  has  passed  the  seventy-fifth  milestone  on 
life's  journey.  He  was  born  December  28,  1824,  in  Frederick  City,  Mary- 
land, while  the  city  was  still  in  gala  dress  to  celebrate  the  arrival  of  General 
LaFayette  who  had  been  entertained  there  the  day  previous.  Jacob  Kessler, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  Maryland  and  was  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  18 12.  He  wedded  Miss  Mary  E.  Bower,  a  native  of  Frederick 
City  and  of  German  lineage.  Five  children  were  born  of  their  union,  namely : 
William  H..  now  deceased,  who  lived  for  many  years  in  W^ashington,  D.  C, 
where  he  held  a  position  at  the  treasury  department  for  nine  years,  and  later 
was  for  some  time  registrar  at  Tiffin,  Ohio;  Susan,  who  died  in  childhood; 
Catherine  Fleming,  who  died  near  Muncie,  Indiana;  John  V.,  who  died  in 
Brown  county,  Kansas;  and  George  E.  The  father  of  this  family  was  a 
merchant  tailor  by  trade.  His  political  support  was  given  the  Democracy.  He 
died  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years,  and  his  wife,  who  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  German  Reformed  church,  died  in  Frederick  City,  Mary- 
land, at  the  age  of  sixty. 

George  E.  Kessler  was  a  lad  of  four  years  when,  in  1828,  the  family 
removed  to  Tiffin,  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared.  He  pursued  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  town  school  and  later  continued  his  studies  in  the  Methodist  Sem- 
inary at  Xorwalk,  Huron  county,  Ohio.  In  his  yoiith  he  learned  the  trades 
of  carpentering  and  door-making  and  followed  those  pursuits  for  more  than 


704  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

twenty  years.  His  life  has  been  one  of  industry  and  his  carefully  directed 
efiforts  have  brought  to  him  a  comfortable  competence.  In  1S47  lie  married 
]\Iiss  Sophia  C.  Hammond,  a  lad}^  of  good  famih^  She  was  born  September 
2.  1825,  in  Clark  count}'.  Ohio,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Nathan  and  Submit 
(Munson)  Hammond,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Empire  state.  Unto 
j\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Hammond  were  born  eleven  children,  six  of  whom  reached  man 
and  womanhood,  namely:  Harry,  ISIrs.  Kessler.  Daniel,  Martha,  John  and 
Esther.  The  others  died  in  infancy.  ]\Ir.  Hammond,  who  followed  farming 
as  a  life  work,  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years,  and  his  wife  died 
when  sixtj'-three  years  of  age.  Both  were  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 
After  his  marriage  ]Mr.  Kessler  took  up  his  abode  at  Ouincy,  Logan 
county.  Ohio,  and  later  resided  in  Seneca  county,  that  state.  During  the  war 
of  the  Rebellion  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  1861 
for  three  months  service  with  Company  F.  Twenty-third  Ohio  Infantry,  under 
General  Rosecrans,  who  was  afterward  one  of  the  celebrated  generals  of  the 
war.  The  captain  of  the  company  was  Israel  Tromby.  whose  retirement  from 
the  position  led  to  A.  Abbot  becoming  captain.  During  the  time  of  his  first 
enlistment  Mr.  Kessler  remained  with  his  regiment  near  Charleston  and  in  the 
Kanawha  valley.  Subsequently  he  re-enlisted  for  two  years  and  participated 
in  an  engagement  in  ^^■est  Virginia.  He  was  with  McClellan  at  Antietam  on 
the  17th  of  September,  1862, — the  bloodiest  battle  lasting  but  a  single  day  in 
the  entire  war.  He  also  participated  in  the  engagement  at  South  Mountain  and 
in  other  battles  and  skirmishes,  and  after  hostilities  had  ceased  was  honorably 
discharged  in  Marjdand,  having  served  for  four  and  a  half  years. 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period  ]Mr.  Kessler  returned  to  his  home  in 
Ohio,  and  in  1868  he  brought  his  family  to  Brown  county.  Kansas,  taking  up 
his  abode  six  miles  south  of  Hiawatha,  where  he  lived  for  thirteen  years  and 
then  removed  with  his  family  to  Moultrie.  Morgan  county,  for  the  grasshop- 
pers had  entirely  destroyed  the  crops  in  this  state. 

Upon  returning  to  Kansas  he  resided  for  some  time  at  Muscotah,  Atchi- 
son county,  and  in  1884  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Horton  and  three  miles  south  of 
Willis,  This  farm  lies  between  the  Rock  Island  and  Grand  Island  Railroads 
and  is  one  of  the  finest  farming  properties  in  the  township,  being  well  supplied 
•with  an  abundance  of  fresh  water,  while  the  fields  are  carefully  cultivated  and 
the  work  is  carried  on  along  advanced  and  progressive  methods.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kessler  have  been  born  the  following  children :  John,  who  is  manager  of 
the  farm;  Charles,  who  is  a  mechanic  in  Horton;  Lewis  D..  a  railroad  man 
living  in  Trenton,  ^Missouri;  Emma,  wife  of  Sherman  \^ermillion.  who  is 
living  near  Pawnee  Cit\-,  Oklahoma;  IMartha  J.,  wife  of  Irvin  Folsom.  of 
Plaza.  Oklahoma :  Ida.  wife  of  Dan  Randall,  a  railroad  contractor :  and  Frank, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.         705 

who  is  employed  in  tlie  railroad  shops  at  Horton.  Their  son,  Xathan,  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  leaving  a  widow,  who  is  now  living  in  Illinois ; 
and  Frances  M.,  who  became  the  wife  of  ]^Iiner  P.  Hale,  of  Horton.  died, 
leaving  four  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kessler  are  consistent  members  of  the  INIethodist  church, 
doing  all  in  their  power  to  promote  its  welfare  and  growth.  He  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy,  and 
for  more  than  forty  years  he  has  been  an  exemplary  member  of  the  iMasonic 
fraternity.  He  has  ever  been  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity,  whose  honesty 
in  all  dealings  has  been  above  question.  He  is  frank  and  genial  in  manner  and 
disposition,  is  well  informed  on  all  topics  of  general  interest  and  has  a  host  of 
warm  friends,  of  whom  he  is  in  c\"ery  way  worthy. 


OWEX   TOXES. 


One  of  the  early  settlers  of  Mission  township.  Brown  county,  is  Owen 
Jones,  who  came  to  this  locality  in  1857,  making  a  permanent  settlement. 
Through  forty-three  years  therefore  he  has  been  a  witness  of  the  growth  and 
development  of  this  region,  and  has  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  its 
material  prosperity  through  his  efforts  in  reclaiming  wild  land  for  the  purposes 
of  cultivation.  Agriculture  probably  contributes  more  to  the  wealth  and 
prosperity  of  the  world  than  any  one  industry  and  Mr.  Jones  has  been  a  lead- 
ing representative  of  farming  interests  in  northeastern  Kansas. 

A  native  of  Wales,  he  was  born  February  2.  1828,  a  son  of  \Mlliam  and 
Catherine  (Owen)  Jones,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Wales.  In  their 
family  were  four  children :  Owen ;  John,  who  resides  in  Wales ;  Ellen,  a  resi- 
dent of  London,  England;  and  Glyodlyne.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  died  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  seventy-four  years. 

Owen  Jones,  of  this  review,  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm 
and  was  early  trained  to  habits  of  industry,  thrift,  economy  and  honesty. — 
qualities  which  have  secured  him  success  in  his  later  life.  In  February.  1852. 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  AX'illiams,  a  native  of  XX'ales  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Richard  and  Anne  (Jones)  \\'illiams  and  a  lady  of  intelligence,  who 
has  been  to  her  husband  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmeet  in  the  journey  of 
life.  Her  parents  always  resided  in  Wales,  where  the  father  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven  years,  the  mother  when  eighty-nine  years  of  age.  They  had  a 
family  of  eight  children,  namely :  \\'illiam  and  Reece.  both  of  whom  are  now 
deceased ;  Richard,  a  resident  of  Elgin.  Illinois :  John,  who  has  also  passed 
away :  Ellen :  Catherine  and  Ann,  who  are  living  in  Wales :  and  Mrs.  Jones. 


7o6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  1852  the  subject  of  this  review  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  native  land 
and  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  Xew  York  city,  six  weeks  having  passed  ere  the 
voyage  was  terminated.  He  went  to  Utica,  Xew  York,  where  he  had  friends 
and  relatives  living,  and  spent  two  and  a  half  years  in  that  city.  Subsequently 
he  journeyed  westward  to  Linn  county,  Iowa,  locating  in  Mount  Vernon, 
whence  he  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Winterset,  Madison  county,  where  he 
remained  for  more  than  two  years.  He  then  started  on  an  overland  trip  to 
Kansas  with  two  yoke  of  steers,  four  cows  and  his  household  goods.  He  built 
a  sod  house,  after  a  time  built  a  log  house  and  in  1883  erected  his  present 
modem  and  commodious  residence.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his  farm- 
ing operations  and  has  made  judicious  investments  in  land,  so  that  he  now 
owns  twehe  hundred  and  eight}-  acres  in  Brown  county.  His  home  farm  is 
nicely  stocked  with  a  high  grade  of  cattle  and  horses  and  he  is  now  one  of  the 
most  successful  cattle  breeders  and  raisers  in  the  county. 

L'nto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  have  been  born  seven  children,  namely :  ^\'ill- 
iam.  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  loan  business  in  Kansas  City ;  Cath- 
erine, who  became  the  wife  of  \\'illiam  Ryherd,  of  Atchison  county,  Kansas; 
Richard,  who  is  engaged  in  the  banking  business  at  Everest,  Kansas ;  Lincoln, 
a  resident  farmer  of  Atchison  county;  Owen,  at  home;  Greeley,  of  Grove 
Cit\-,  Kansas,  where  he  is  engaged  in  banking;  and  George,  who  follows  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Atchison  county. 

In  politics  Mr.  Jones  is  independent,  preferring  to  vote  for  the  best  men, 
regardless  of  party  affiliations.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
lodge  and  is  a  citizen  of  sterhng  worth.  He  has  passed  the  alotted  span  of 
three-score  years  and  ten,  having  attained  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  honored  and  respected  citizens  of  the  commun- 
ity, having  won  prosperity  through  straightforward  methods,  keen  business 
judgment  and  diligent  application. 


THO^L\S  RUSSELL. 


In  reviewing  the  life  histor}-  of  Thomas  Russell  one  is  compelled  to  admire 
the  sterling  uprightness  of  purpose  which  has  actuated  him  in  all  of  his  deal- 
ings with  others.  From  his  father  and  other  patriotic  ancestors  he  inherited 
the  qualities  which  are  noticeable  in  our  best  citizens,  and  the  same  spirit  is  to 
be  seen  in  the  character  of  his  own  sons.  His  father,  James  Russell,  who 
enlisted  as  a  home  guard,  in  England,  fought  under  the  leadership  of  the 
famous  Duke  of  Wellington  in  the  battle  of  \\'aterloo.  By  occupation  he  was 
a  farmer,  carrying  on  a  homestead  in  the  beautiful  shire  of  Kent,  the  place  of 
liis  nativity.    James  Russell  was  a  son  of  Edward  Russell  and  for  a  wife  chose 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD.  707 

Anne  King,  also  a  native  of  Kent.  Seven  children  were  born  to  the  worthy 
couple,  namely:  A\'illiam;  ]\Irs.  Mary  Ribbins;  Mrs.  Matilda  Ribbins:  James, 
Anne  and  Edward,  who  died  in  England ;  and  Thomas,  of  this  sketch.  The 
father  died  at  seventy-three  and  the  mother  at  ninety-four  years  of  age.  both 
faithful  Episcopalians. 

The  birth  of  Thomas  Russell  occurred  at  Southfleet.  Kent.  England,  in 
April,  1835.  His  educational  advantages  were  extremely  meager,  as  he  was 
only  nine  years  of  age  when  he  commenced  to  earn  his  livelihood.  At  twenty- 
three  he  was  married  and  a  week  after  the  ceremony  he  and  his  bride  sailed 
for  America.  They  were  five  weeks  on  the  voyage  and  upon  reaching  Quebec 
they  took  the  train  to  Chicago.  Later  they  went  to  \'alparaiso.  Indiana,  where 
he  obtained  a  position  as  a  brick  manufacturer.  During  the  progress  of  the 
civil  war  he  offered  his  services  to  the  land  of  his  adoption,  becoming  a  private 
in  the  Thirty-eighth  Indiana  \"olunteer  Infantry,  Under  the  command  of 
General  Thomas  he  participated  in  some  of  the  most  important  events  of  the 
war  and  took  part  in  the  grand  review  at  \\'ashington. 

In  1868  ^Ir.  Russell  came  to  Kansas,  settling  on  a  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  situated  in  Grasshopper  township.  Since  that  time  he  has 
bought  additional  land  and  now  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  finely 
improved  property.  He  has  made  a  specialty  of  raising  live  stock  and  has  been 
particularly  fortunate  with  his  Holstein  cattle.  A  high  price  is  always  obtained 
for  all  th.e  products  of  his  farm  and  prosperity  has  abundantly  crowned  his 
earnest  efforts. 

On  the  4th  of  April.  1S58.  Mr.  Russell  married  Rebecca  Richardson, 
daughter  of  George  and  Eliza  (Stanley)  Richardson.  She  was  born  in  Kent. 
England,  !March  20,  1837.  Her  father  was  a  shoemaker  b}-  trade  and  was 
the  clerk  and  sexton  of  the  church  in  the  village  where  he  lived.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  he  was  sixty  years  of  age  and  his  wife  was  in  her  seventj-seventh 
year  when  called  to  her  reward.  Three  of  thefr  eight  children  survive,  namely : 
Mrs.  Russell:  Mrs.  Eliza  Chiberlane,  of  Douglas  county,  Kansas:  and  Mrs. 
Caroline  Ricarson,  of  England.  Those  who  have  passed  away  were:  Esther, 
George,  Thomas,  Anna  and  Charlotte. 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  blessed  with  nine  children: 
^Mary  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Rodgers,  of  this  township;  Eliza  is  the  widow  of 
A.  Chatman.  of  Muscotah,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Minnie  Tickey  resides  in  Horton. 
Kansas;  Robert  is  a  citizen  of  this  township;  Elmer,  now  in  the  Phillipines, 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Spanish-American  war  as  a  member  of  the  Fifty- 
first  Iowa  Volunteers;  Henry  carries  on  a  fruit  farm  at  Johnson,  Arkansas; 
Susan  Caroline  is  the  wife  of  Freeman  \\'ebber,  of  this  locality :  John  A.  and 
Rebecca  Ann  are  at  home  with  their  parents.  The  eldest  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Russell,  William  J.,  died  when  in  his  thirty-first  year. 


7o8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

In  1885  Mr.  Russell  returned  to  his  old  home  in  England,  where  he  spent 
several  months  in  revisiting  familiar  scenes  and  in  renewing  old  friendships. 
Coming  back  he  was  a  passenger  on  the  Oregon,  which  ill-fated  steamship  was 
lost  on  her  next  trip.  In  his  political  standing  Mr.  Russell  is  an  uncompro- 
mising Republican.  For  several  years  he  has  acted  in  the  capacity  of  road 
overseer  and  always  has  been  counted  upon  to  advance  all  local  improve- 
ments and  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  general  pulilic.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  are  acti\-e  in  all  good 
works. 


HENRY  L.  LEWIS. 


Among  the  valued  employees  of  the  Burlington  Railroad  at  Atchison, 
Kansas,  is  Henry  L.  Lewis,  general  agent  for  the  company  at  this  point.  Mr. 
Lewis  is  a  native  of  New  York.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Herkimer  county 
July  24.  1858,  a  son  of  James  H.  and  Mary  E.  (Stewart)  Lewis,  both  nati\es 
of  that  state.  The  family  removed  to  Ford  county,  Illinois,  when  Henry  L. 
was  quite  small  and  there  he  passed  his  bovhood  days  and  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools.  He  began  his  railroad  career  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen years,  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Toledo,  Peoria  &  Warsaw  Rail- 
road Company.  For  seven  years  he  was  with  that  corporation,  a  part  of  the 
time  acting  as  agent  and  operator.  In  1879  'le  entered  the  empl(\v  of  the 
Burlington  &  Missouri  Railroad  and  was  with  it  until  he  accepted  his  present 
position,  that  of  general  agent  for  the  Burlington  system. 

Mr.  Lewis  was  married,  in  1884,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Bank,  of  Odell.  Illi- 
nois, a  daughter  of  Samuel  Bank,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
a  son  and  a  daughter,  George  F.  and  Ina.  For  some  years  Mr.  Lewis  has  been 
actively  identified  with  the  Masonic  order  and  has  advanced  through  the 
various  degrees  of  the  same  up  to  and  including  those  of  the  commandery. 
He  holds  membership  in  Friend  Lodge,  No.  jt,,  at  Friend,  Nebraska;  Mount 
Hebron  Chapter,  and  Mount  Hebron  Commandery,  No.  12,  K.  T. 


JAMES  MONROE  EYLAR. 

The  American  progenitor  of  the  family  of  Eylars,  of  which  James  Mon- 
roe and  Aaron  Randolph  Eylar,  of  Eden,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  are 
worthy  representati\'es,  was  one  of  the  name  who,  with  his  brother  John,  emi- 
grated from  Germany  to  Maryland,  where  the  grandfather  of  James  M.  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         709 

Aaron  R.  Eylar  married  a  woman  of  tlie  Rosemiller  family,  of  Revolutionary 
note.  John  Eylar  and  his  wife  lie  buried  side  by  side  at  Fincastle,  Ohio.  Their 
son,  Joseph  Eylar,  father  of  the  two  prominent  residents  of  Doniphan  county 
above  mentioned,  was  born  near  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  in  1786,  and  died 
in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  in  1851.  He  served  the  United  States  in  the  army  in 
the  war  of  1812,  moved  to  Ohio  in  1818,  established  a  tannery  at  Winchester 
and  built  up  a  large  and  profitable  business.  He  was  a  prominent  Democrat 
and  was  elected  to  the  office  of  associate  justice  of  the  district  in  which  he 
lived. 

Joseph  Eylar  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Elizabeth  Fenton, 
a  native  of  Kentucky  and  granddaughter  of  Terry  Fenton,  who  was  a  pioneer 
in  Ohio  about  the  time  it  became  a  state  and  died  there  soon  afterward  on  his 
new  farm.  The  children  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Fenton)  Eylar  were: 
Samuel,  who  lives  near  Oklahoma  City,  Oklahoma;  James  M..  of  Union  town- 
ship, Doniphan  county,  Kansas;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  F.  T.  Liggett,  of  Ripley, 
Ohio;  Emeline,  who  married  Alburtus  McMeekin,  of  Columbus,  Ohio;  Aaron 
Randolph,  of  Union  township,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas;  and  Charles,  of 
Oklahoma.  For  his  second  wife  Joseph  Eylar  married  Elizabeth  Fenton,  a 
relative  of  his  first  wife.  Of  their  nine  children  not  one  survives.  Those  who 
left  families  were:  Ruth,  who  married  Colonel  J.  R.  Cockrell;  Mary,  who 
married  Richard  Moore;  and  Mrs.  Sallie  Ann  McNown. 

James  j\Ionroe  Eylar,  born  in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  June  3,  1838,  spent 
his  boyhood  and  youth  at  Winchester,  Ohio,  and  acquired  a  good  English  edu- 
cation in  the  village  schools.  He  went  to  Kansas  in  1854  and  settled  on  a 
claim  near  Doniphan  to  secure  it  for  his  uncle,  Mr.  Fenton,  who  lived  near 
Rushville,  Missouri.  He  made  the  journey  from  Cincinnati  to  St.  Louis  on 
the  steamer  Castle  Garden  and  from  St.  Louis  to  Atchison  on  the  steamer  Hon- 
duras. He  disembarked  at  George  William's  landing,  on  the  Missouri  river, 
opposite  Atchison,  in  September  of  the  year  mentioned,  and  corroborates  the 
usual  statement  that  at  that  time  things  about  there  had  a  blank  and  forbidding 
appearance  and  that  many  of  the  men  he  encountered  there  and  elsewhere  on 
the  way  from  Ohio  to  Kansas  were  characteristically  "wild  and  woolly."  He 
went  to  his  destination  on  what  is  now  the  Langdon  farm  and  during  the 
succeeding  three  years  "played  farmer"  to  some  practical  purpose.  Of  his 
few  neighbors  in  that  early  period  only  W^illiam  Lancaster  remains  to  tell  the 
story  of  the  border  days  in  that  part  of  Doniphan  county. 

In  1857  Mr.  Eylar  went  back  to  his  native  county  in  Ohio  and  made  his 
home  there  during  the  succeeding  eight  years,  which  comprised  the  period  of 
the  civil  war.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States  government,  in 
1863.  as  a  teamster  in  the  quartermaster's  department,  and  the  command  to 
which  he  was  attached  traversed  the  states  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and 


7IO  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

ii  was  the  fortune  of  Mr.  Eylar  to  be  present  at  the  siege  of  Knoxville.  After 
two  years'  service,  which  ended  with  the  cessation  of  hostiHties,  he  was  dis- 
charged, and  he  then  located  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  where  he  farmed 
successfully  until  1881.  wJier  he  a  second  time  went  to  Doniphan  county, 
Kansas,  this  time  to  better  his  own  fortunes. 

Immediately  after  his  arrival  in  the  county,  in  1881,  Mr.  Eylar  bought 
his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  has  since  improved 
greatly  in  every  way  and  brought  to  a  high  state  of  productiveness.  It  ranks 
with  the  best  stock  farms  in  the  county  and  Mr.  Eylar  is  recognized  as  a  pro- 
gressive farmer  who  knows  liow  to  produce  good  crops  and  dispose  of  them  to 
advantage.  He  devotes  himself  to  general  farming  and  has  made  a  marked 
success  of  raising  hogs. 

Politically  Mr.  Eylar  is  a  Democrat.  His  forefathers  were  devoted  to 
Democratic  prrinciples  and  he  has  never  seen  reason  why  he  should  falter  in 
his  allegiance  to  them.  He  is  not  an  office  seeker  or  an  active  politician  but 
takes  a  patriotic  interest  in  all  public  questions.  Mr.  Eylar  was  married,  near 
Jacksonville,  Ohio,  March  5,  1862,  to  Louisa,  daughter  of  Matthew  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Guilford)  Sample.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eylar's  children  are:  Virginia, 
wife  of  Christian  Swartz,  of  Brown  county,  Kansas;  James  A.,  who  married 
Etta  McGregor  and  is  employed  by  the  Smith-Premier  Typewriter  Company, 
at  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Matthew  S.,  who  married  Alice  Archer  and  is  man- 
ager of  the  office  of  the  Hatch  Book  Typewriter  Company  in  New  York  city; 
and  Joseph,  Edward  and  Fenton,  all  members  of  their  parents'  household. 


FRANK  J.  THOMAS. 

Frank  J.  Thomas,  president  of  the  Thomas  Fuel  &  Ice  Company,  of  Atchi- 
son, Kansas,  is  at  the  head  of  an  industry  which  represents  the  investment 
of  a  large  sum  of  money  and  which  is  of  importance  to  the  city  in  which  it  is 
located.  The  Thomas  Fuel  &  Ice  Comnany's  plant  was  erected  in  the  fall  of 
1898,  at  a  cost  of  thirty  thousand  dollars,  its  location  being  near  the  railroad 
tracks  in  order  to  secure  the  best  shipping  facilities.  The  building  is  a  brick 
structure,  90x90  feet,  with  a  solid  stone  foundation,  and  with  a  floor  capacity 
of  fifty  thousand  square  feet.  Its  ice-making  capacity  is  twenty  tons  of  ice 
in  twenty-four  hours.  The  water  supply  is  from  an  artesian  well,  the  water 
being  boiled  and  filtered  before  it  goes  to  the  freezing  tanks,  and  the  ice  is 
clear  as  crj'stal,  perfectly  odorless  and  free  from  microbes.  The  plant  through- 
out is  supplied  with  the  latest  and  best  machinery,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  men 
are  emjjloyed  and  three  teams  are  kept  constantly  in  use.     Besides  the  ice 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         711 

product  the  company  handles  a  large  amount  of  fuel  and  they  also  have  a 
large  cold-storage  business,  handling  fruit,  meats,  butter  and  eggs  and  in  fact 
all  kinds  of  produce.  The  above  business  was  established  in  October.  189S, 
having  been  organized  by  Frank  J.  Thomas.  T.  C.  Thomas  and  Ralph  Harris, 
and  the  officers  of  the  company  are  as  follows :  Frank  J.  Thomas,  president ; 
Ralph  Harris,  vice-president,  and  T.  C.  Thomas,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Frank  J.  Thomas,  the  president  of  the  Thomas  Fuel  &  Ice  Company,  was 
born  in  the  citv  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  1868,  and  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated there.  He  early  began  a  business  career  and  has  worked  his  way 
steadily  upward  to  the  position  he  now  holds  in  the  business  world.  He  was 
married,  in  1896.  to  Miss  Mabel  Johnson,  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  J.  B.  John- 
son, judge  of  the  circuit  court  of  Shawnee  county,  Kansas,  later  supreme 
master  in  chancery  and  now  the  receiver  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe 
Railroad. 

T.  C.  Thomas,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  company,  is  a  son  of  Dr. 
M.  S.  Thomas,  an  early  settler  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas. 

Ralph  Harris,  vice-president  of  the  company,  is  a  son  of  John  Harris,  a 
prominent  citizen  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Lea\-enworth  Kansas. 


JOSEPH  H.  SALLEE. 

Joseph  H.  Sallee.  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  whose  home  is  in  Burr  Oak 
township,  Doniphan  county,  not  far  distant  from  the  town  of  W'athena. 
is  one  of  the  enteprising  citizens  of  his  locality.  He  was  born  in  Andrew  county, 
Missouri,  November  13,  1849.  '^'s  parents  being  William  and  Josephine  E. 
(Hunter)  Sallee.  the  former  a  native  of  New  York  and  the  latter  of  Missouri. 
William  Sallee  came  west  to  Missouri  in  1833  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  the 
Platte  purchase.  There  he  married  and  reared  his  family  and  spent  the  years 
of  an  active,  useful  life.  He  is  now  living  retired  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 
His  wife  died  August  16.  1879. 

Their  son.  Joseph  H..  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  passed  his  boyhood  days 
in  Andrew  and  Buchanan  counties,  Missouri,  receiving  his  early  education  in 
the  district  and  private  schools  near  his  home  and  later  attending  a  private 
school  in  St.  Joseph.  He  remained  on  the  farm  until  he  was  nineteen.  About 
that  time  the  mining  excitement  took  many  an  ambitious  youth  across  the 
plains  in  quest  of  gold,  and  among  the  throng  that  crossed  to  Pike's  Peak  in 
1868  was  Joseph  H.  Sallee.  On  this  journey  he  dro\e  a  team  of  eight  voke 
of  cattle.  He  did  not.  however,  remain  long  in  the  mining  districts,  but 
returned  to  St.  Joseph,  and  until   iSj2  was  there  variously  occupied.     That 


712  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

vear  he  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  and  settled  upon  his  present  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  here  he  has  since  devoted  his  energies  to 
ao-ricuhural  pursuits.  He  now  has  one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  the 
township.  He  raises  annually  large  wheat  crops  and  of  recent  years  he  has 
given  special  attention  to  fruit,  having  planted  a  fine  orchard  which  is  just  now 
coming  into  bearing.  For  years  he  has  also  been  largely  interested  in  stock 
raising,  keeping  a  high  grade  of  cattle  and  hogs. 

On  the  7th  of  April,  1887,  Mr.  Sallee  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Mider,  of 
Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  daughter  of  Peter  Mider,  who  came  here  from  his 
native  place  in  Adams  county,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sallee  have  five  children, 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely :  Jessie,  William,  Mary,  Joseph  E.  and 
George. 

Mr.  Sallee  has  long  figured  as  one  of  the  leading  Democrats  of  Burr  Oak 
township  and  in  a  local  way  has  rendered  his  party  valued  service.  He  was 
at  one  time  nominee  for  county  commissioner  and  made  the  race  for  that  ofifice, 
but  owing  to  the  large  Republican  majority  in  the  county  he,  with  the  others 
on  his  ticket,  was  defeated.  He,  however,  was  only  thirty  votes  behind  the 
Republican  candidate,  which,  indeed,  was  a  compliment  to  Mr.  Sallee.  He 
served  three  years  as  clerk  of  school  district  No.  23.  Frequently  he  is  a  dele- 
gate to  the  party  conventions  and  he  has  the  reputation  of  being  an  enterpris- 
ing, public-si)irited,  up-to-date  citizen. 


WILLIAM  L.  CLARK. 

An  important  factor  in  the  business  activity  of  Troy,  Kansas,  is  the  Troy 
Roller  Mills,  which  were  erected  in  1893.  The  plant  consists  of  a  three- 
story  building,  equipped  with  the  latest  and  most  improved  machinery,  includ- 
ing a  ninety-five  horse  power  Corliss  engine,  and  the  output  of  the  mills  is  one 
hundred  barrels  per  day. 

These  mills  are  owned  and  operated  by  Clark  Brothers,  who,  besides 
being  manufacturers,  are  dealers  in  flour  and  feed  and  do  a  general  merchant 
and  exchange  business,  both  wholesale  and  retail,  and  have  a  trade  that  extends 
over  a  large  territory,  including  all  the  surrounding    towns. 

The  firm  of  Clark  Brothers  is  composed  of  W.  L.  and  W.  S.  Clark.  The 
former,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  is  a  native  of  Iowa,  born  in  Decatur 
county,  near  Leon,  in  April,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  James  S.  and  Mary 
(McLaren)  Clark.  James  S.  Clark  moved  to  Iowa  from  Ohio,  his  native 
state,  in  1847,  ^""^^  settled  in  Decatur  county,  where  he  was  for  many  years 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising  and  where  he  is  still  living.    John  Clark, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         713 

the  grandfather  of  William  L.,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  his  wife,  before 
her  marriage,  was  a  Miss  Grannell.  Tlie  iNlcLarens  also,  as  their  name  indi- 
cates, are  of  Scotch  descent. 

William  L.  Clark  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  Decatur  county, 
Iowa,  and  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools  and  the  schools  of 
Davis  City,  Iowa.  He  learned  the  milling  business  in  Davis  City,  has  had  a 
number  of  years  of  experience  in  the  business  and  since  1893  has  been  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother  under  the  above  name.  He  was  married,  in  1887,  to 
Miss  Alice  Anson,  who  is  a  native  of  Iowa  and  of  Swedish  descent,  and  they 
have  one  son. 


SAMUEL  E.   KING. 


The  dividing  line  between  the  agricultural  and  the  business  classes  is 
becoming  more  uncertain  and  in  time  may  become  very  obscure  if 
it  is  not  entirely  obliterated.  Business  men  combine  farming  with  their  com- 
mercial and  financial  enterprises  and  farmers  combine  business  enterprises 
with  their  farming  operations.  Among  the  prominent  men  of  Atchison  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  who  are  both  farmers  and  men  of  affairs  Samuel  Elliott  King 
occupies  a  conspicuous  position.  ]Mr.  King  is  an  enterprising,  successful 
man,  some  account  of  whose  antecedents  and  of  whosfc  experiences  and 
achievements  will  be  of  interest  in  this  connection. 

Samuel  Elliott  King  was  born  in  De  Kalb,  Buchanan  county,  Missouri, 
October  2,  1847,  a  son  of  Preston  R.  King,  a  pioneer  merchant  of  Mount 
Pleasant,  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  and  elsewhere.  Preston  R.  King  was  a 
native  of  Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  and  was  born  in  1820.  In  1839,  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years,  he  took  his  fortune  into  his  own  keeping  and  went  to  In- 
diana, where  he  soon  afterward  married  Lucinda  Lorance,  a  North  Carolina 
lady,  who  died  in  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  in  1857,  aged  thirty-two. 

In  early  life  Preston  R.  King  learned  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  and  it  was  as 
a  tailor  that  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1854,  but  he  possessed  the  business  instinct 
and  saw  the  advisability  of  accjuiring  land  in  a  new  and  promising  country 
when  he  could  get  it  cheap.  He  took  up  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  3, 
township  17,  range  20,  which  is  now  the  property  of  the  immediate  subject  of 
this  sketch.  At  that  time  he  was  a  poor  man,  whose  only  capital  was  days' 
work  and  ability  of  a  good  quality.  He  was  seeking  in  the  west  opportunities 
for  a  cheap  home  and  a  chance  to  establish  himself  in  business  under  favora- 
ble circumstances. 

Mr.  King  found  himself  a    meml)er    of  a    representative    Kansas    com- 

munitv  of  those  davs — a  cummunitv  made  up  of  men  of  pluck  and  spirit  who 
45 


714  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.. 

liad  a  common  cause  and  whose  sympathies  were  mutual  and  generous.  He 
engaged  in  seihng  goods  at  Mount  Pleasant,  then  one  of  the  thriving  villages 
of  Atchison  county,  and  during  the  succeeding  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  was 
identified  with  the  trade  of  Atchison.  Winchester  and  Waterville,  Kansas,  and 
De  Kalb  and  Missouri  City,  Missouri.  He  in\ested  in  land  in  Atchison  coun- 
ty and  became  one  of  the  largest  owners  of  real  estate  within  its  limits. 

Upon  the  organization  of  Atchison  county  Mr.  King  was  elected  its  first 
treasurer  and  he  also  filled  the  office  of  judge  of  the  county  court.  Politically 
he  was  a  Democrat,  long  influential  in  the  councils  of  his  party.  He  was 
without  extensive  learning,  yet  at  all  times  i«  all  emergencies  he  was  mas- 
ter of  the  situation  and  met  c]uestions  and  conditions  with  a  firmness,  ability 
and  just  disposition  that  won  for  him  such  plaudits  as  were  accorded  to 
trained  jurists  and  experienced  men  of  affairs  of  the  present  day.  His  suc- 
cess was  very  remarkable.  When  he  retired  it  was  to  his  old  home  in  De  Kalb. 
Missouri,  where  he  died  in  1891. 

The  children  of  Preston  R.  and  Lucinda  (Lorance)  King  were  as  follows : 
G.  F.,  now  a  resident  of  Holton,  Kansas;  Samuel  Elliott;  and  Nancy,  who  is 
the  wife  of  D.  T.  Fitzpatrick,  of  Mount  Pleasant  township,  Atchison  county. 
Samuel  Elliott  King  spent  his  youth  in  his  father's  store,  attended  the  public 
schools  and  completed  his  education  at  the  business  college  in  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri.  He  engaged  in  farming  about  the  time  he  attained  to  his  majority, 
and  possessing  a  business  capacity  suited  to  various  conditions  has  since  then 
divided  his  time  between  the  farm  and  the  city.  His  financial  success  has  been 
noteworthy  and  he  is  now  one  of  the  large  land-owners  of  Atchison  county. 
In  1869  Samuel  Elliott  King  was  married,  in  Buchanan  county.  Mis- 
souri, to  Mary  Ivy  Henderson,  daughter  of  W.  K.  Henderson,  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Leavenworth  county,  Kansas. 
They  have  a  daughter,  Mamie  Catherine,  aged  five  years. 


CHARLES  W.  WELLER. 

Charles  W.  Weller,  division  master  mechanic  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Rail- 
road, at  Atchison,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Summit  county,  Pennsylvania.  April 
3,  1852,  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Susan  (Shockey)  Weller.  both  natives  of  the 
Keystone  state.  Daniel  Weller  was  in  early  life  a  farmer  and  later  a  miller. 
His  last  years  were  spent  in  the  state  of  Missouri,  where  he  died  in  1893.  His 
widow  survives  him  and  makes  her  home  in  Kansas  Citv.  The  \\'eller  family 
was  well  represented  in  the  Union  army  during  the  civil  war,  the  father  and 
three  sons  going  to  the  front  and  one  of  them  losing  his  life  in  the  service. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         715' 

The  father.  Daniel  Weller,  was  a  member  of  the  Tenth  Ohio  Cavalry.  One 
son,  John,  was  in  the  Twenty-fourth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  and  was  captain 
of  his  company.  Another  son.  George,  was  in  the  First  Michigan  Cavalry, 
and  the  third,  Zachariah.  was  in  the  Ninth  Ohio  Cavalry  and  died  while  in  the 
service. 

Charles  W.  Weller  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his  life  in  his  native 
state.  When  he  was  eleven  he  went  with  his  parents  and  other  members  of  the 
family  to  Bryan,  Oliio,  the  county  seat  of  ^Villiams  county,  and  it  was  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  place  that  the  greater  part  of  his  education  was  obtained. 
His  railroad  career  had  its  beginning  at  the  time  his  school  days  ended.  Com- 
ing to  Armstrong,  Kansas,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road Company  in  1862.  \\ith  a  natural  bent  for  mechanics  he  applied  him- 
self in  this  direction  and  soon  became  a  skilled  workman.  He  was  given  the 
position  of  fireman  on  a  switch  engine,  subsequently  filled  other  responsible 
places  and  in  1881  was  sent  to  Denver,  Colorado,  where  he  took  charge  of  the 
round  house  for  the  Denver.  South  Park  &  Pacific  Railroad,  a  position  he 
occupied  until  1885.  Returning  to  Kansas  at  that  time  he  became  general  fore- 
man of  the  M.  K.  T.  shops  at  Parson,  where  he  remained  three  years,  until 
1888,  since  which  time  he  has  occupied  his  present  position  at  Atchison,  that 
of  division  master  mechanic  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  shops. 

Mr.  Weller  was  married,  in  1874.  to  Miss  Anna  Reves,  of  Marshall, 
Texas,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children :  Gertie  M.,  Charles  H.  and 
Mattie  L.  In  the  Masonic  order  Mr.  Weller  has  taken  the  degrees  of  the  blue 
lodge  and  chapter,  holding  membership  in  Active  Lodge,  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  Washmgton  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. 


CLARK   M.    KENYON. 

The  sturdy  pioneers  who  brought  from  the  east  something  of  its  ci\-ili- 
zation.  transplanted  it  to  the  plains  of  Kansas  and  stayed  by  it  and  nurtured 
it  and  brought  it  into  fructification,  made  for  themselves  a  place  of  honor  in 
the  history  of  the  west.  Clark  M.  Kenyon  came  from  a  part  of  the  country 
then  but  just  advanced  beyond  the  pioneer  stage.  He  made  his  way  to  Kan- 
sas by  methods  most  primitive  and  he  took  up  there  the  pioneer  life,  under 
somewhat  different  circumstances,  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  his  grandfather 
had  entered  upon  it  amid  the  hills  and  forests  of  southwestern  New  York. 
Some  account  of  his  experiences  and  achievements  is  necessary  to  the  com- 
pleteness of  this  work. 

Clark  M.  Kenyon  was  born  July  5.  1828,  in  Allegany  county,  New  York,' 


7i6  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

a  grandson  of  Augnstus  Kenyon  who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  about  1770, 
and  died  in  AHegany  county,  New  York,  about  1858.  He  was  a  man  six  feet 
and  four  inches  in  height,  hardy  and  active  to  the  end  of  his  Hfe,  always  in- 
dustrious and  thrifty  and  was  prominent  in  the  communities  in  which  he  lived. 
He  was  descended  from  English  stock  and  some  of  the  Kenyons,  given  to 
genealogical  research,  have  established  to  their  satisfaction  that  the  head  of 
their  family  was  the  celebrated  Lord  Kenyon,  of  England. 

The  children  of  Augustus  Kenyon  were :  Benjamin ;  Lewis,  a  prominent 
lawyer  of  Dwight,  Illinois;  Alary;  the  father  of  Clark  M.  Kenyon;  William; 
and  Alanson.  His  sons  all  became  useful  men  and  e.xerted  a  good  influence 
upon  all  communities  with  which  they  identified  themselves.  The  father  of 
tJie  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch  began  life  poor  and  without  facilities  for 
learning.  He  was  crippled,  having  cut  the  muscles  of  both  hands  by  an  un- 
fortunate fall  on  a  scythe  when  a  youth.  He  was  largely  self-educated  by 
contact  with  the  world  and  by  judicious  reading.  He  possessed  a  mind  at  once 
retentive  and  judicial  and  was  recognized  as  a  well-informed  man  of  good 
judgment  in  the  practical  afifairs  of  life.  He  succeeded  well  as  a  farmer  and 
amassed  a  large  fortune,  considering  his  time  and  opportunities.  He  was  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Allegany  county,  New  York,  and  for 
many  years  was  a  member  of  the  grand  jury,  which  at  that  time  was  regarded 
as  an  honor.  He  married  Lavina  Maxon,  a  daughterof  George  Maxon,  a 
Rhode  Island  man,  and  she  bore  him  children  named  as  follows  in  order  of 
their  nativity :  Mrs.  Hannah  Satterly,  a  widow,  of  Richburg,  Allegany  coun- 
ty, New  York;  Eleanor,  who  married  J.  B.  Koon,  and  is  now  deceased; 
Clark  M. ;  John  J.,  of  Millport,  Pennsylvania;  Joanna,  who  married  Schuyler 
Maxon,  and  is  dead ;  Elvira,  for  thirty  years  a  teacher  in  the  Female  Seminary 
of  Plainfield,  New  Jersey;  Lewis  H.,  of  Allegany  county,  New  York;  Oscar, 
who  died  from  the  effects  of  service  in  the  army  of  the  United  States  during 
the  civil  war;  and  Rosalia,  wife  of  Charles  Mix,  who  is  prominent  in  con- 
nection with  oil  interests  in  Indiana. 

Clark  M.  Kenyon  gained  a  primary  education  in  the  common  schools  and 
attended  Alfred  Academy,  at  Alfred,  Allegany  county.  New  York,  during  one 
term.  Thus  equipped  educationally  for  the  battle  for  bread,  he  began  active 
life  for  himself  at  twenty,  at  which  age  his  father  gave  all  his  sons  their  time, 
working  out  by  the  month.  Two  years  later  he  bought  a  farm,  which  he  cul- 
tivated in  season,  devoting  his  winters  to  lumbering  until  1868,  when  he  tle- 
cided  to  seek  a  home  in  the  west. 

Mr.  Kenyon's  journey  from  his  native  place  in  southwestern  New  York 
to  Kansas  was  a  memorable  one  and  an  event  which  affords  an  insight  into 
his  determined  character.  He  made  his  way  to  the  Ohio  river  by  means  of  a 
flatboat,  went  liy  way  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  From 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         717 

St.  Louis  lie  went  by  rail  to  Laclede,  Missouri,  and  thence,  with  his  jjaggage 
on  his  shoulder,  he  walked  across  the  country  in  search  of  a  satisfactory  loca- 
tion and  promising  opportunities.  His  original  intention  was  to  stop  in  Mis- 
souri, but  not  finding  such  environments  as  he  sought,  he  kept  on  westward 
through  Fort  Scott,  lola,  \\'ichita  and  into  Marion  county  Kansas,  where  he 
"homesteaded"  a  place  near  Peabody  and  remained  upon  it  until  he  acquired  a 
title  to  it. 

This  place  Mr.  Kenyon  thought  was  a  little  further  west  than  he  cared 
to  remain,  and  he  traded  it  in  part  payment  ior  some  Atchison  county  prop- 
erty, which  was  the  nucleus  of  his  present  holdings  there.  His  beginning  as 
a  farmer  was  very  modest  and  not  without  its  disadvantages.  The  grass- 
hopper period  worked  havoc  to  him  as  well  as  to  others,  but  rather  than  accept 
charity  sent-  out  from  the  east  and  distributed  from  Atchison  he  bought  an 
army  musket  and  killed  and  sold  enough  prairie  chickens  to  support  his  house- 
hold until  he  could  do  better. 

Mr.  Kenyon's  growth  toward  financial  independence  was  so  stead}-  and 
sure  that  the  close  of  each  year  found  him  somewhat  better  off  than  he  had 
been  twelve  months  before.  Before  his  retirement  he  controlled  five  hundred 
acres  of  land,  and  he  possessed  the  energy  and  business  capacity  to  handle  it 
successfully.  He  is  regarded  as  highly  as  any  man  in  Center  township  and  is 
one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  the  coutny.  His  political  history  does  not 
call  for  many  words  in  the  telling  nor  for  much  time  in  the  reading.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  all  that  the  name  implies  and  it  is  a  matter  of  interest  that  the 
Republican  party  was  born  in  the  old  court  house  at  Angelica,  the  seat  of  jus- 
tice of  his  native  county.  He  favored  the  freedom  of  slaves,  the  reconstruction 
of  the  south,  the  payment  of  the  national  debt  and  the  protection  of  home  in- 
terests by  an  adequate  tariff,  and  now  advocates  national  expansion.  He  has 
often  represented  his  fellow  citizens  as  a  delegate  to  party  conventions,  but  has 
never  wanted  or  accepted  public  office.  He  is  a  leading  member  of  the 
Seventh-day  Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Kenyon  married  Martha  \.  Lamphear,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Dr. 
Ira  Lamphear,  formerly  a  prominent  physician  of  Rensselaer  county.  New 
York,  whose  wife  was  a  Miss  Sanders.  They  have  two  sons,  Frank  \V.  and 
C.  Grant  Kenyon,  prominent  farmers  of  Center  township,  Atchison  county. 


FRANK  W.   KENYON. 

Broad  intelligence,  liberal  thought,  consideration  for  all  conflicting  in- 
terests, and  energy  and  industry,  are  quite  certain  to  win  in  the  fight  for 
worldly  advancement  and  at  the  same  time  to  make  warm  personal  friends  for 


71 8  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  victor.  Upon  such  principles  has  tlie  suhstantial  success  of  Frank  W.  Ken- 
yon,  of  Cummings,  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  been  acf[uired.  Work  has  been 
Mr.  Kenycm's  watchword  and  he  has  labored  diligently,  and  while  reaping 
the  financial  harvest  of  honest  toil  he  has  hailed  his  competitors  as  men  and 
brothers  and  they  ha\-e  recognized  in  him  a  good  and  useful  member  of  the 
community. 

Frank  W.  Ken  yon  is  a  son  of  Clark  M.  and  Martha  A.  (Lamphear) 
Kenyon.  His  father  is  a  native  of  Allegany  county.  New  York,  born  July  5, 
1828,  and  is  descended  from  a  family  that  settled  early  in  Rhode  Island. 
Martha  A.  Lamphear,  who  became  his  wife  and  the  mother  of  the  immediate 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Ira  Lamphear,  in  his  day  a  well- 
known  medical  practitioner  in  Renssalear  county.  New  York.  A  biographical 
sketch  of  Clark  M.  Kenyon,  who  is  living  in  retirement  at  Nortonville,  Kan- 
sas, appears  in  this  work. 

Born  in  Allegany  county.  New  York,  January  13,  i860,  Frank  W.  Ken- 
yon remained  there  until  he  was  twelve  years  old  and  there  gained  his  primary 
education  in  the  public  schools.  In  1872  his  father  removed  with  his  family, 
consisting  of  his  wife  and  their  sons,  Frank  W.  and  C.  Grant,  to  Kansas,  and 
settled  in  Atchison  county.  Here  the  boy  continued  his  education  in  the  home 
district  school  until  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  take  a  part  in  the  manage- 
ment of  his  father's  large  farm.  He  then  laid  aside  his  text  lx)oks  and  en- 
tered earnestly  upon  the  battle  of  life. 

Mr.  Kenyon  has  lived  on  his  present  farm,  near  the  village  of  Cummings, 
since  early  in  the  '80s.  He  has  in  his  possession  more  than  half  a  section  of 
good  land  and  does  general  farming  with  which  he  combines  stock-raising, 
of  which  he  makes  an  important  feature.  He  was  formerly  a  very  enthusiastic 
cattle  man  but  has  recently  come  to  the  conclusion  that  sheep  may  be  handled 
as  profitably  and  much  more  safely  than  cattle  and  he  now  gives  his  attention 
to  them  with' satis'factory  results.  His  farm  is  provided  with  ample  buildings' 
and  every  appliance  essential  to  successful  farming  and  he  and  his  brother,  C. 
Grant  Kenyon,  are  numbered  among  the  up-to-date  farmers  of  Atchison  coun- 
ty and  are  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  as  men  of  merit  and  enterprise. 
On  the  19th  of  February,  1885,  Frank  W.  Kenyon  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Henry,  whose  father,  J.  B.  Henry,  came  to  Kansas  from  Illinois.  Mr. 
Henry  was  born  in  Ohio  and  married  Catherine  Riley,  who  died  leaving  three 
sons,  named  W.  F.,  John  W.  and  Ellsworth.  He  married  for  his  second  wife 
Martha  Agen,  who  bore  him  two  daughters,  Clara,  wife  of  Edward  Landrum; 
and  Mrs.  Kenyon.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenyon  have  two  sons,  Ernest  C,  born  July 
23,  1886,  and  Orlie  H.,  born  July  25,  1889. 

Mr.  Kenyon  is  in  no  way  a  political  worker,  but  he  is  a  close  student  of 
national  politics  and  a  close  observer  of  the  effects  of  congressional  legislation 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         719 

upon  the  interests  of  farm  and  field.  He  uses  his  elective  franchise  under  the 
guidance  of  lys  experience  and  his  best  judgment  in  national  and  state  matters 
and  warmly  applauds  and  heartily  supports  President  ]\IcKinley's  policy  of 
protection  and  expansion. 


WILLIAM  STERTON. 

More  than  three  decades  ago  William  Sterton  took  up  his  permanent 
abode  in  Grasshopper  township,  Atchison  county,  and  none  of  the  citizens  are 
more  genuinely  respected.  He  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  Canada,  his  birth 
having  occurred  December  22,  1827,  in  the  village  of  Wellington.  His  father, 
James  Sterton,  was  born  in  Scotland  and  was  married,  in  that  country,  to  Janet 
Crichton.  Ten  children  were  born  to  them,  namely :  Dove,  Elizabeth,  Chris- 
tiana, John,  William,  Janet,  James,  Margaret,  Joseph  and  Alexander.  The 
father  was  seventy-six  years  of  ap-e  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Episcopal  church  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him. 

In  his  boyhood  William  Sterton  had  very  limited  educational  advantages. 
The  schools  of  that  early  day,  in  the  new  and  sparsely  populated  district  where 
he  lived,  were  poor  in  quality  and  of  a  pioneer  description.  Often  the  teacher 
was  obliged  to  cook  a  meal  or  two  for  his  pupils,  as  sudden  storms  sometimes 
rendered  roads  impassable.  From  his  youth  Mr.  Sterton  has  devoted  his 
energies  chiefly  to  agriculture  and  by  hard,  honest  labor  has  won  a  livelihood 
for  himself  and  large  family.  Beginning  without  capital,  save  a  good  constitu- 
tion and  an  ambition  to  succeed,  he  has  amassed  a  considerable  amount  of 
property.  In  1868  Mr.  Sterton  concluded  to  try  his  fortunes  in  Kansas  and 
from  that  day  until  the  present  he  has  been  occupied  in  farming  here.  He 
owns  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres  of  rich  land,  all  of  which  is  kept  under 
cultivation.  As  the  years  rolled  away  he  made  substantial  improvements, 
including  a  good  house,  barns,  fences,  orchards,  shade  trees  and  everything 
comprising  a  modern  homestead. 

For  more  than  twenty  years  ^Ir.  Sterton  has  officiated  as  a  member  of  the 
local  school  board  and  for  four  years  has  been  one  of  the  trustees.  Politically 
he  is  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party.  In  his  fraternal  relations  he  is  a 
Mason,  his  membership  being  with  Huron  lodge. 

When  twenty-eight  years  of  age  Mr.  Sterton  married  Isabella  Ellis,  who 
also  was  a  native  of  Canada.  She  was  one  of  the  children  of  Richard  and 
Elizabeth  (Morley)  Ellis,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England. 
The  father  died  when  seventy-five  years  of  age  and  the  mother  attained  the 
extreme  age  of  ninety-five.  They  were  consistent  members  of  the  Episcopal 
church.  Their  children  were  named  as  follows :  George,  John,  William, 
Thomas,  Mary,  Esther,  Frank.  Richard,  Moses,  Isabella  and  Charles. 


720  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Of  tlic  children  Ixirn  to  ]\[r.  and  Mrs.  Sterton  tliree  have  been  summoned 
to  the  better  land.  One  daughter.  Isabella,  died  in  infancy.  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  James  Andrews,  of  Lancaster  township,  died  in  1888,  leaving  six  children. 
James  C.  died  at  the  age  of  thirty  years  and  left ..  widow  and  one  child  to  mourn 
his  loss.  Of  the  living  children  of  our  subject,  Dove  resides  near  Guthrie, 
Oklahoma.  John  and  George  are  assisting  in  the  management  of  the  old 
homestead.  William  and  Joseph  are  enterprising  farmers  of  this  township, 
Mrs.  Janet  \\'ilson  resides  in  this  locality.  Charles  and  Anna  Belle,  wife  of 
A.  Russell,  are  residents  of  Knoxville,  Arkansas.  All  of  the  children  were 
given  as  good  educations  as  their  parents  could  afford  and  were  trained  in  the 
duties  of  citizenship. 


JAMES   H.   BRIGHAAI. 

James  H.  Brigham  is  a  western  man  who  throughout  his  life  has  been 
identified  with  this  section  of  the  country  and  is  therefore  imbued  with  the 
true  spirit  of  progress  and  enterprise.  He  was  born  in  Andrew  county,  Mis- 
souri, March  5,  185 1,  his  parents  being  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Riley) 
Brigham,  the  former  a  native  of  England  and  the  latter  of  Kentucky.  He 
came  to  America  in  1835.  reaching  St.  Louis  with  only  seventy-five  cents  in  his 
pocket.  He  was  truly  a  self-made  man  and  deserved  much  credit  for  the 
success  he  achieved.  Scorning  no  employment  that  would  yield  to  him  an 
honest  living,  he  worked  in  a  stone  quarry  and  afterward  secured  a  situation 
in  a  livery  stable.  Subsequently  he  went  to  Boone  county,  Missouri,  and  from 
there  to  Andrew  county,  where  he  married.  Employed  as  a  farm  hand 
through  the  summer  months,  during  the  winter  he  worked  at  slaughtering 
hogs  and  made  some  trips  to  New  Orleans  in  flat  boats,  carrying  produce  to 
the  southern  market.  After  his  marriage  he  purchased  land  and  improved  a 
farm.  In  1844.  with  a  small  party,  he  made  an  inspecting  tour  to  this  part  of 
Kansas  and  located  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  made 
some  improvements.  The  following  year  he  moved  his  family  to  this  state  and 
two  years  later  he  sold  his  claim  and  took  up  another  claim  upon  which  he 
now  resides.  When  it  came  into  market  he  entered  it  and  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  devoted  his  energies  to  the  further  development  and  culti- 
vation of  the  land.  He  died  August  20,  1897,  and  his  wife  passed  away  July 
24,  1899.  She  was  a  daughter  of  William  Riley,  of  Kentucky,  a  farmer  who 
removed  to  Missouri  at  an  early  day  in  the  history  of  the  state.  She  w-as  the 
eldest  of  three  children,  the  others  being  Mrs.  Ann  Short  and  Martha,  whose 
first  husband's  name  was  Pendleton,  her  second  husband  being  Mr.  Frasier. 
The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brigham  are  Susanna,  widow  of  J.  Simpkins, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         721 

and  a  resident  of  Oklahoma,  and  James  H.,  of  this  review.  The  fatlier, 
Tliomas  Brigham,  was  a  self-made  man  who,  without  aid  save  that  of  his 
faithful  wife,  worked  his  way  steadily  upward.  Together  they  bore  the 
hardships  and  trials  of  pioneer  life  and  overcame  disadvantages  and  difficulties. 
Their  second  home  in  this  county  was  located  on  the  main  road  and  their  home 
was  the  home  for  travelers  who  visited  this  neighborhood,  the  hospitality  of 
the  Brigham  family  being  widely  celebrated.  Mr.  Brigham  was  a  member 
of  the  Church  of  En,?land.  his  wife  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  in  political 
views  he  was  a  Republican. 

During  his  early  boyhood  James  H.  Brigham  accompanied  his  parents 
on  their  removal  to  Kansas,  where  he  was  reared,  pursuing  his  education  in 
the  common  schools.  AMien  he  had  attained  the  age  of  twent}'  years  he  took 
charge  of  the  old  home  farm,  and  adding  to  the  land  from  time  to  time  as  his 
financial  resources  have  increased,  he  is  now  the  owner  of  over  eight  hundred 
acres  and  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  buying  and  feeding 
stock  which  he  ships  to  market.  His  work  has  been  diligently  prosecuted 
and  he  yet  follows  stock-raising  to  some  extent,  but  has  put  aside  the  arduous 
labors  of  the  farm  and  has  rented  his  land,  the  income  from  which  supplies 
him  with  the  necessaries  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

In  1872  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Brigham  and  Miss  Alice  Stevens, 
who  was  born  in  De  Kalb  county,  Missouri,  November  19,  1854.  a  daughter 
of  Orin  and  Catherine  (Vanarden)  Stevens.  The  mother  was  born  in  the 
Empire  state.  They  were  married  in  Missouri,  where  the  father  carried  on 
farming  until  1859.  when  he  settled  in  Nebraska,  locating  land  there  which 
he  transformed  into  a  good  farm.  Subsequently  he  came  to  Kansas.  After 
his  death  his  widow  became  Mrs.  McGuire  and  now  resides  on  the  McGuire 
homestead  in  Hamlin  township.  Brown  county.  The  children  of  the  first 
marriage  are:  Alice;  Mrs.  Amelia  Mangold  and  Mrs.  Mary  Berkly.  Of 
the  second  marriage  there  were  also  three  children :  Ellen,  wife  of  C.  Prater ; 
Maggie,  wife  of  C.  Berkly;  and  Charles,  who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead. 

The  rriarriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brigham  has  been  graced  with  five  chil- 
dren :  Thomas,  Bessie,  Mabel,  Joseph  C.  and  Lulu.  The  family  circle  is  yet 
unbroken  and  the  household  in  noted  for  its  hospitality,  our  subject  and  his  wife 
having  long  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  many  of  the  best  residents  of  the 
neighborhood.  In  politics  Mr.  Brigham  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  unswerv- 
ing in  his  advocacy  of  the  principles  of  the  party.  He  has  served  as  township 
treasurer  and  school  treasurer,  yet  has  never  sought  the  honors  or  emoluments 
of  office,  his  time  being  fully  occupied  with  his  business  affairs.  It  is 
now  meet  that  after  a  useful  and  valuable  business  career  he  should  enjoy 
a  rest  from  its  more  arduous  duties,  especially  as  his  prosperity  has  been  won 
by  his  well-directed  labors. 


722  BIOGRAPHICAL  AXD  GEXEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

NATHANIEL  E.  HOWELL. 

Since  his  boyhood  Nathaniel  E.  Howell  has  been  closely  identified  with 
the  upbuilding  and  gradually  advancing  prosperity  of  northeastern  Kansas. 
Atchison  county,  as  it  appears  to-day.  bears  little  resemblance  to  the  wild 
prairie  land  which  it  was  when  he  first  saw  it  and  he  has  reason  to  be  proud  of 
the  fact  that  he  has  materially  aided  in  the  grand  transformation  which  has 
taken  place  here. 

A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  our  subject  was  bom  November  3.  1847.  i" 
Fayette  county,  and  spent  nine  years  of  his  life  there.  In  1856  his  father. 
Amos  A.  Howell,  impelled  by  a  desire  to  seek  better  opportunities  for  himself 
and  four  children  in  the  great  west  then  opening  up  to  civilization,  made  the 
long,  tedious  joumey  across  the  countrv.  Coming  to  Atchison  county,  the 
family  located  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Grasshopper  township,  where  they 
were  among  the  first  settlers.  Only  a  true  frontiersman  can  realize  the  dangers 
and  privations  wloich  the  pioneer  on  these  western  plains  had  to  endure  in 
those  days,  but  many  of  those  hardships  are  indelibly  imprinted  upon  the 
mind  of  our  subject.  In  addition  to  the  usual  discomforts  of  pioneer  life,  the 
great  agitation  which  led  up  to  the  civil  war  and  culminated  in  those  fearful 
}-ears  of  bloodshed  rendered  life  and  the  possession  of  property  of  most  uncer- 
tain tenure.  The  so-called  "border  ruffians"  terrorized  the  inhabitants  of  this 
region,  and  durine  the  war  the  Price  raiders  devastated  the  country. 

Nathaniel  E.  Howell  and  his  brothers  and  sisters  attended  school  to  a 
very  limited  extent,  as  their  opportunities  in  this  sparsely  settled  district  were 
necessarily  meager.  But  they  learned  the  hard  lessons  of  industn,'  and  economy 
and  laid  the  foundations  of  lives  which  were  to  prove  a  blessing  to  the  com- 
munity in  which  their  lot  was  cast.  To-day  Mr.  Howell  finds  himself  the  owner 
of  two  hundred  and  ninety-three  acres  of  well-improved  land,  situated  in  Grass- 
hopper township.  The  place  is  well-stocked  with  a  good  grade  of  horses, 
cattle  and  mules,  for  which  the  owner  finds  a  ready  sale  at  the  highest  market 
prices.  Good  business  methods  have  always  marked  Mr.  Howell's  transac- 
tions and  those  with  whom  he  has  had  dealings  place  the  utmost  confidence  in 
his  judgment  and  integrity. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Howell  and  ^liss  G.  Greenawalt  was  celebrated  in 
1866.  She  was  born  in  Fayette  count}'.  Pennsylvania,  and  was  reared  and 
educated  at  Leavenworth,  Kansks.  Her  parents,  William  and  Sabina  (Fisher) 
Greenawalt.  have  been  summoned  to  the  silent  land.  Amos  A.,  eldest  child  of 
our  subject  and  wife,  married  Josephine  Lane  and  resides  at  Prosperity,  Kan- 
sas. William  G..  the  second  son.  married  Lizzie  Garrett,  of  this  township. 
Henry  C.  and  Lizzie  V.  are  at  home  with  their  parents. 

Politically  Mr.  Howell  uses  his  franchise  in  favor  of  the  nominees  of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  723 

Democratic  party.  He  has  not  been  an  aspirant  to  public  office,  but  in  order  to 
comply  with  the  wishes  of  his  friends  has  occupied  several  local  positions  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fra- 
ternity. 


JACOB  ROYER. 


A  prosperous  and  influential  farmer  of  Benton  township,  Atchison  county, 
Jacob  Royer  is  what  may  be  truly  called  a  self-made  man.  In  his  youth  he 
struggled  against  marked  disadvantages,  vet  with  a  brave  heart,  and  eventu- 
ally won  the  o^oal  which  he  desired,  and  his  example  should  prove  an  incentive 
to  every  }-oung  man  who  knows  his  history. 

He  is  a  native  of  Bellefonte,  Center  county,  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  hav- 
ing taken  place  November  13,  1839.  He  is  of  sturdy  German  ancestry,  his 
paternal  grandfather,  Grantel  Royer,  having  come  to  America  from  Germany 
prior  to  the  war  of  the  Revolution  in  this  country.  He  was  accompanied  by 
two  brothers  and  all  three  located  in  Penns3dvania.  One  of  the  number  served 
in  the  war  for  independence  and  gave  his  life  for  the  land  of  his  adoption. 
Grantel  Royer  lived  for  many  decades  in  the  Keystone  state  and  attained  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety:seven  years  his  death  occurring  in  Center  county.  His 
son.  Jonathan,  father  of  Jacob  Royer,  was  born  in  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania, 
in  1803,  and  upon  reaching  maturity  married  Miss  Annie  Schaffer.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  William  Schaffer  and  was  born  in  Center  county.  Eight  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Jonathan  and  Annie  Rover  and  of  these  the  two  eldest, 
Samuel  and  Margaret,  are  deceased ;  Susan,  John  and  Mary  are  residents  of 
the  Keystone  state,  and  Daniel  makes  his  home  in  Valley  Falls,  Kansas.  Both 
he  and  his  younger  brother,  George,  were  soldiers  in  the  civil  war  and  fought 
bravely  for  the  Union  cause.  George,  who  was  the  youngest  of  the  family, 
served  in  the  gallant  Seventh  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  which  endured  some  of 
the  hardest  campaigning  of  any  of  the  troops  representing  that  state,  and  at 
last  the  brave  soldier  boy's  life  was  sacrificed  for  his  country.  The  devoted 
mother  did  not  long  survive  the  death  of  her  youngest  born,  but  passed  into  the 
silent  land  in  1866,  when  in  her  sixty- fourth  year.  The  father  had  died  many 
years  previously,  in  1848,  when  in  the  prime  of  his  manhood— forty- four  years 
of  age. 

Owing  to  the  fact  of  his  father's  death  when  Jacob  Royer  was  only  nine 
years  old,  the  lad  was  early  forced  to  accept  a  home  among  strangers  and  to 
do  such  work  as  his  strength  permitted.  As  mip-ht  be  expected,  his  life  was 
not  an  easy  or  pleasant  one  in  manif  '■pi;nects  and  his  educational  privileges 


724  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

were  extremely  limited.  Nevertheless,  he  Avas  of  the  metal  which  cannot  be 
crushed  antl,  after  he  had  thoroughly  mastered  the  blacksmith's  trade,  he  felt 
assured  of  a  livelihood. 

An  important  step  in  the  life  of  ]\Ir.  Rover  was  his  marriage,  on  Christ- 
mas day,  1861,  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Peter  ^IcLean.  She  was  born  in  Clarion 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  had  two  brothers  and  two  step-brothers  who  were 
Union  soldiers  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  Of  the  three  children  who  blessed 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Royer,  Annie  died  when  about  fifteen  years  of 
age,  while  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Walter  Huisley,  of  Benton  township,  and  S. 
B.,  the  only  son,  is  at  home. 

After  the  death  of  his  mother,  in  1866,  Mr.  Royer  concluded  to  try  his 
fortune  in  the  west  and  accordingly  came  to  Kansas.  Purchasing  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land,  situated  three  miles  northeast  of  Effingham,  he 
proceeded  to  cultivate  the  property  and  soon  had  it  under  good  cultivation. 
As  the  farm  appears  to-day,  after  more  than  three  decades  of  judicious 
improvement,  it  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  places  in  the  county.  A  com- 
fortable house  and  barns  and  a  beautiful  grove,  surrounded  by  smiling  fields 
of  golden  grain,  comprise  a  scene  which,  for  quiet  lo\eliness  is  not  often  sur- 
passed. 

In  his  political  faith  Mr.  Royer  is  a  Democrat  and  fraternallv  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  Methodists  in  religious  belief 
and  their  membership  is  held  in  the  Effingham  church. 


T.  W.  SLOAXE. 


The  pride  and  strength  of  any  nation,  its  mainstay  and  support  is  the 
farmer,  whose  toil  produces  food  for  the  masses,  and  Avithout  whose  labors 
untold  disaster  would  overtake  the  nation  within  an  extremely  short  time. 
The  hardy  frontiersman  of  America  has  had  far  greater  tasks  before  him 
than  the  mere  tilling  of  the  soil,  for  besides  breaking  prairie  and  preparing 
the  ground  for  cultivation,  in  some  sections  razing  great  forests,  he  has  had 
rivers  to  bridge,  roads  to  make  and  pri\ations  and.  hardships  innumerable 
to  endure.  Schools  and  churches  have  been  built,  good  government  upheld  and 
everything  pertaining  to  civilization  championed — yet  rarely  has  the  brave 
frontiersman  faltered  in  the  grand  and  noble  work,  none  the  less  noble  because 
self-imposed,  and  progress  and  prosperity  now  reign  in  regions  which  only  a 
few  years  ago  were  uninhabited  save  by  the  red  men  and  wild  beasts.  In  the 
maghty  work  of  rendering  the  great  state  of  Kansas  a  fitting  place  for  man- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  725 

kind  ]Mr.  Sloane  certainly  has  performed  his  share  and  no  one  is  more  deserv- 
ing of  praise. 

He  was  born  at  Gallipolis,  Oliio,  March  20,  1833,  one  of  the  nine  chil- 
dren of  \V.  B.  and  Sarah  Ann  (Hill)  Sloane.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Joseph  Sloane,  was  one  of  seven  brothers  who  fought  in  the  war  of  the  Revo- 
lution in  the  Colonial  army,  and  ablv  assisted  in  achieving  the  independence 
of  this,  their  beloved  land.  W.  B.  Sloane  and  his  wife  came  to  Kansas  in 
1857,  making  the  tediously  long  journey  by  boat  as  far  as  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri. They  were  numbered  among  the  first  settlers  in  Atchison  county  and 
were  respected  and  beloved  for  their  many  worthy  nualities.  The  father  died 
at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years  and  the  mother  lived  to  see  her  seventy-fifth  year. 
They  were  members  of  the  Universalist  church.  Their  children  were  named  as 
follows:  Henry  J.,  J.  W.,  Thomas,  Mrs.  Julia  Pierce,  Emma  M.,  John  F., 
Harris,  Anna  and  Sarah.    Only  the  four  first  mentioned  survive. 

In  his  youth  j.  W.  Sloane  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state, 
and  having  acquired  an  excellent  education  he  concluded  to  come  to  the  west 
for  a  permanent  residence.  Accordingly,  in  1856,  he  made  the  journey,  which 
then  consumed  several  days,  and  upon  reaching  his  destination  embarked  in 
the  hotel  business.  For  eleven  years,  which  included  the  stormiest  days  in  the 
history  of  Kansas — the  years  prior  to  and  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion — • 
he  skillfully  and  successfully  conducted  his  hostelry,  which  was  a  well-known 
landmark  in  this  section  of  the  state.  In  1867  he  purchased  a  quarter-section 
of  land, — a  portion  of  his  present  fine  homestead, — and  to  this  he  has  added 
until  he  now  has  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  all  situated  within  one  tract. 
Among  many  other  desirable  features  of  his  farm  a  splendid  orchard,  twelve 
acres  in  extent,  should  be  noted.  Beautiful  shade  trees  and  a  fine  grove  add 
to  the  value  and  attractiveness  of  the  homestead,  which  is,  moreover,  sup- 
plied with  substantial  buildings.  Everything  about  the  place  bespeaks  the  con- 
stant care  and  attention  of  the  fortunate  owner,  who,  though  now  more  than 
sixty  years  of  age,  is  strong  and  vigorous,  owing,  doubtless,  to  his  outdoor 
life.' 

A  marriage  ceremony,  performed  September  20,  i860,  united  the  fortunes 
of  J.  W.  Sloane  and  Ellen  H.  Hill,  who  had  grown  to  womanhood  in  Ohio 
and  had  then  engaged  in  teaching.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Calvin  and  Jane 
(Forquhar)  Hill,  the  former  a  native  of  Essex  county,  New  York,  and  a  car- 
penter by  trade.  Fraternally  he  was  a  Mason  and  religiously  a  Universalist. 
Death  claimed  him  when  he  was  seventy-seven  years  of  age  and  his  estimable 
wife  also  departed  this  life  at  that  agf .  Their  only  son,  Lyman,  died  when  in 
his  twentieth  year,  and  one  daughter.  Josephine  B.  Kiphard,  died  in  Minne- 
sota. Mary  Hill  and  Mrs.  Sophia  Doup  are  still  residents  of  Ohio,  their  home 
being  in  the  town  of  Fletcher. 


72€>  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Five  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sloane  are  living  and  filling  positions  of 
honor  and  respect  in  the  several  communities  where  their  lot  is  cast.  Charles 
L.  married  Hattie  Griswell  and  lives  in  Sulphur  City,  Kansas;  ^\^  D..  of  Cole- 
ridge, Nebraska,  chose  Addie  Cloyse  for  his  wife.  Josie  K.  married  Dr.  J.  J. 
Conner,  of  Willis,  Kansas.  Boyd  V.  remains  with  his  parents,  aiding  in  the 
management  of  the  homestead.  Marv  H.,  wife  of  Calvin  Long,  resides  in 
Soldier  City,  Kansas.  Julius  C,  a  promisinsf  young  man,  died  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  and  Frank  was  only  three  months  old  when  summoned  to  the 
better  land. 

Being  in  thorough  sympathy  with  all  philanthropies  which  have  for  their 
object  the  uplifting  of  mankind,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sloane  contribute  to  various 
religious  and  charitable  enterprises  and  are  esteemed  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  at  Huron.  For  more  than  twenty-one  years  Mr.  Sloane  has 
been  identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  is  an  active  member  of  Huron 
Lodge.  No.  72,  F.  &  A.  M.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  while  he  never 
has  desired  to  hold  public  office  he  is  at  present  acting  as  a  trustee  of  the  high 
school.  He  possesses  the  happy  facultv  of  looking  upon  the  bright  side  of  life 
and  everyone  whom  he  knows  is  his  friend. 


JAMES  \\\  BELTS. 


James  W.  Belts  has  long  been  identified  with  the  development  of  Brown 
county.  He  was  born  in  Livingston  county.  New  York,  near  the  village  of 
Danville,  August  10,  1818,  his  parents  being  John  and  Mary  (Welch)  Belts, 
the  former  a  native  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  the  later  of  Pennsylvania. 
Their  marriage,  however,  occurred  in  the  Empire  state.  The  paternal  grand- 
father was  John  Belts,  who  emigrated  from  Germany  to  Canada,  and  about 
1812  took  up  his  abode  in  New  York,  where  he  carried  on  farming.  His  chil- 
dren were  William,  Henry,  George  and  John,  all  of  whom  died  in  New  York. 
The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mary  Welch,  was  also  of  German  lineage,  her  an- 
cestors having  located  in  Pennsylvania  at  an  early  day.  Her  parents,  how- 
ever, removed  to  Danville,  New  York,  where  the  father  secured  a  tract  of  land 
and  improved  a  farm.  It  was  one  of  his  relatives,  a  Mr.  Falkner,  who  laid  out 
the  town  of  Welsh.  In  the  family  to  which  Mrs.  Belts  belonged  were  seven 
children,  of  whom  she  was  the  youngest.  The  others  were  Jacob,  Henry, 
Conrad,  Catherine,  Elizabeth  and  Magdalen.  The  religious  faith  of  the  \\^elch 
family  was  that  of  the  Lutheran  church. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  tlie  Empire  state  and  worked  at 
the  carpenter's  trade,  but  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  carried  oh  agri- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         727 

cultural  pursuits.  He  died  in  New  York,  after  wliicli  liis  widow  emigrated  to 
Illinois,  making  a  home  for  her  children  in  Fulton  county,  where  her  death 
afterward  occurred.  She,  too,  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  as  was 
her  husband.  Their  children  were:  Mrs.  Lucinda  Bevan;  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Gay;  Mrs.  Mary  Barbour;  James  \\'. ;  Henry,  of  New  York;  Jacob,  who  died 
in  Illinois;  and  Albert  and  Conrad,  who  are  living  at  Ligonier,  Indiana. 

James  W.  Belts  of  this  review,  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  the  Em- 
pire state  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  began  serving  an  apprentice- 
to  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  subscription  schools, 
and  after  putting  aside  his  text-books  he  followed  carpentering  for  some  time, 
when,  becoming  interested  in  the  slavery  question,  he  resolved  to  investigate 
it  in  the  south.  Accordingly  he  went  to  Kentucky,  where  he  spent  two  or 
three  years,  finding  that  the  conditions  were  not  as  bad  as  had  been  repre- 
sented in  the  east.  He  then  started  for  his  home  in  New  York,  but  becoming 
ice-bound  on  the  Ohio  river  he  made  his  way  to  Columbus,  Indiana,  where 
he  engaged  in  contracting  and  building.  In  this  way  he  constructed  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  but  failed  to  get  all  of  the  money  which  was  to  be  paid  for  its 
erection.  While  working  at  carpentering  at  that  place  he  became  acquainted 
with  one  of  the  prominent  families  of  the  town,  and  forming  more  than  a 
friendly  attachment  for  a  sister  of  the  household  he  determined  to  abandon  his 
plans  of  returning  to  New  York.  He  was  married  there,  continuing  to  make 
his  home  in  Columbus  for  eleven  years.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Sarah  M.  Spencer  and  was  born  in  Clinton  county  Ohio,  in  1832.  Her 
father  was  a  farmer  of  that  state,  and  many  of  the  Spencer  family  were  well- 
known  and  successful  educators.  Mary  Spencer  removed  from  Ohio  to  Co- 
lumbus. Indiana,  making  her  home  witli  her  sister,  who  was  the  wife  of  Smith 
Jones.  The  members  of  the  Spencer  family  were :  Milton,  a  prominent  resi- 
dent of  Ohio;  Allen,  also  of  the  Buckeye  state;  William,  who  died  in  Cali- 
fornia; James,  deceased;  Margaret  E.,  wife  of  Dr.  Morgan,  of  Indiana;  Eliza- 
beth A.,  wife  of  Smith  Jones,  of  Columbus,  that  state:  and  Sarah  A.,  wife  of 
our  subject. 

After  remaining  in  Columbus  for  ten  years  Mr.  Belts  made  a  visit  to  his 
old  home  in  New  York,  and  on  again  returning  to  the  Hoosier  state  took  his 
team  and  went  on  a  prospecting  tour  of.  Illinois,  visiting  his  brother-in-law, 
Mr.  Barbour,  who  lived  in  that  state.  The  nation  was  at  that  time  greatly 
agitated  over  the  question  of  slave  territory  and  in  1856  Mr.  Belts  came  to 
Kansas  to  aid  in  reserving  this  state  as  free  territory.  He  left  his  family  at 
their  old  home  and  secured  a  squatter's  claim  on  a  quarter-section  of  land  ad- 
joining the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides.  Subsequently  he  purchased 
the  property  of  a  squatter  who  lived  next  to  him  .and  when  the  land  came  into 
market  he  entered  it  from  the  government.     He  had  no  capital  on  reaching 


728  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Brown  county,  and  in  order  to  pay  the  man  wlio  brought  his  tool  chest  to  the 
locahty  for  liim  he  hewed  out  a  set  of  house  logs.  His  next  task  was  rough 
carpenter  work  and  the  spHtting  of  eighteen  hundred  rails.  He  soon  found 
-plenty  to  do,  and  in  the  intervals  of  his  work  for  others  he  built  a  small  frame 
house  for  himself.  A  very  energetic  and  industrious  man,  he  was  thus 
enabled  to  get  a  start.  He  broke  and  fenced  his  land  and  about  this  time  took 
a  contract  for  splitting  nine  thousand  rails  for  George  and  Ben  Winkles  at  a 
dollar  per  hundred.  With  the  money  thus  earned  he  purchased  his  first  yoke 
of  oxen,  and  in  order  to  secure  another  team  he  built  a  house  for  a  man  in  the 
neighborhood.  With  his  two  teams  he  engaged  in  breaking  prairie,  and  from 
time  to  time  made  permanent  improvements  upon  his  own  land.  In  the  fall  of 
1858  he  sent  for  his  family,  who  started  late  in  the  autumn  of  that  year.  They 
were  ice-bound  at  Mt.  Pisgah,  on  the  Missouri  river,  three  hundred  miles  from 
his  home.  He  had  no  money  or  team  of  horses,  but  he  found  friends,  one  of 
whom  furnished  him  with  a  team,  another  with  a  wagon  and  a  third  loaned 
him  some  money.  He  also  found  three  or  four  men  who  paid  him  some- 
thing for  driving  them  to  their  destinations.  In  this  way  he  reached  his 
family,  who  had  remained  at  Mt.  Pisgah  seven  weeks,  and  after  a  short  stay 
there  Mr.  Belts  started  for  Brown  county  with  his  wife  and  children,  reaching 
his  destination  on  the  9th  of  January,  1859.  He  has  since  been  a  prominent 
settler  of  this  locality,  prominently  identified  with  its  substantial  growth  and 
improvement.  He  has  added  to  his  land  until  he  now  owns  four  hundred 
acres.  His  original  homestead  is  situated  on  Spring  creek,  where  he  has  made 
many  permanent  and  beautiful  improvements  that  add  to  the  value  and  at- 
tractive appearance  of  the  place.  His  residence  is  a  commodious  two-story 
frame  dwelling,  built  in  modern  style  of  architecture  and  in  the  rear  are  large 
barns  and  substantial  outbuildings  for  the  care  and  shelter  of  grain  and 
stock.  He  also  has  an  excellent  orchard,  and  his  yard  is  adorned  with  orna- 
mental shrubs  and  flowering  plants  until  to-day  he  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  his  section  of  the  county.  When  he  arrived  here  there  were 
only  three  settlers  within  six  miles  of  him,  and  all  were  living  along  the  creek. 
The  western  half  of  the  county  only  contained  three  hundred  and  fifty  popu- 
lation. For  a  few  years  the  friends  and  opponents  of  slavery  worked  earn- 
estly, the  one  hoping  to  make  this  a  slave  state,  the  other  to  rid  it  of  the  institu- 
tion of  slavery.  The  Indians  were  never  troublesome,  and,  although  there 
were  no  laws  to  protect  the  people,  progress  continued  and  gradually  the  state 
equalled  other  comonwealths  in  all  its  advantages  and  privileges.  IMr.  Belts 
took  a  firm  stand  to  make  this  a  free  state  and  used  his  influence  in  that 
direction.  In  business  he  has  been  very  energetic  and  now  is  largely  living 
retired,  enjoying  a  rest  which  is  truly  earned. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Belts  have  been  born  the  following  children :     John 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         729 

G.,  a  coal  operator  of  Missouri  City;  Ellen,  deceased  wife  of  A.  A.  Piles; 
Emma,  now  Mrs.  Chase ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Frink ;  Mollie,  wife  of  F.  Hubb,  of 
Arizona ;  Charles,  a  twin  brother  of  Mollie  and  the  operator  of  the  home  farm ; 
Sadie  L.,  wife  of  E.  N.  McCune ;  and  Bessie  F.,  wife  of  Rev.  S.  L.  Dulin,  who 
is  located  in  Pierce  City,  Missouri. 

The  parents  are  consistent  members  of  the  Congregational  church.  In 
former  years  Mr.  Belts  was  a  Democrat,  but  afterward  became  independent, 
claiming  his  right  to  vote  for  the  men  whom  he  regarded  best  qualified  for 
office.  At  the  last  election  he  cast  his  ballot  for  McKinley  and  has  been  a 
strong  supporter  of  the  President's  administration.  He  filled  many  minor 
ofifices,  including  that  of  justice  of  the  peace,  and  at  all  times  he  has  been  loyal 
to  every  interest  which  he  believed  would  prove  a  public  benefit.  He  is  familiar 
with  the  history  of  the  county  from  the  period  of  its  earliest  development. 
During  i860  and  1861,  when  the  hard  times  and  drouth  caused  much  suffer- 
ing among  the  people,  he  took  his  team  and  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  traded  salt 
for  ground  wheat.  On  the  return  trip,  however,  he  was  snow-bound,  and 
seven  weeks  elapsed  before  he  reached  his  home.  He  has  been  a  leading  fac- 
tor in  the  agricultural  progress  of  the  county  and  at  all  times  gas  given  his  en- 
couragement and  aid  to  every  interest  and  measure  which  he  believed  would 
prove  a  public  good.  He  has  seen  the  wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful 
homesteads,  and  is  justly  proud  of  the  ad\-anceinent  which  has  been  made  in 
northeastern  Kansas. 


CHESTER   COLEMAN. 

Chester  Coleman,  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  substantial  farmers  of 
Nehama  county,  residing  on  section  2,  Rock  Creek  township,  was  born  in 
Fulton  county,  Connecticut,  on  the  2d  of  February,  1812,  and  has  therefore 
pased  the  eighty-eighth  milestone  on  life's  journey.  His  father,  Joseph  Cole- 
man, was  also  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He 
wedded  Sarah  Bishop,  whose  birth  occurred  in  the  Nutmeg  state,  and  in  1824 
they  removed  to  New  York,  where  they  made  their  home  until  1831  when  they 
went  to  Ohio.  There  the  father  secured  land  from  the  government,  cutting 
away  the  trees  and  developing  the  forest  tract  into  richly  cultivated  fields. 
His  last  days,  however,  were  passed  in  Connecticut,  but  his  wife  died  in  Ohio. 
In  their  family  were  ele\'en  cliildren,  four  of  whom  are  now  living. 

Chester  Coleman  was  a  lad  of  twelve  summers  when  he  went  with  his 
parents  to  New  York  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  became  a  resident  of  Ohio, 
where  he  worked  in  the  woods  for  ten  dollars  per  month.  He  was  married  in 
that  state  to  Honor  Stevenson,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  who  died  in 


730  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

1870.  In  tlieir  family  were  seven  children:  Austin,  Mary  and  Julia,  who 
have  all  passed  away;  Nancy  Ellen  and  William  who  are  with  their  father; 
and  Thomas,  deceased. 

Mr.  Coleman  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Nemaha  county  and  has  been 
engaged  in  farming  for  many  years.  Coming  here  at  an  early  period  in  the 
development  of  northeastern  Kansas,  he  has  since  been  identified  with  its 
agricultural  interests,  his  labors  resulting  in  the  acquirement  of  a  very  nice 
home  and  comfortable  competence.  His  life  has  ever  been  honorable  and 
upright,  in  harmony  with  his  professions  as  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
church.  His  life  has  indeed  been  strictly  temperate,  and  he  has  never  used 
tobacco.  He  votes  with  the  Prohibition  party  and  strongly  advocates  the 
abolition  of  the  liquor  traffic,  believing  that  it  will  be  for  the  best  interests  of 
mankind.  He  is  now  on  the  declining  slope  of  life,  and  in  his  old  age  he 
receives  the  veneration  and  regard  which  should  e\-er  crown  a  well-spent  and 
honorable  career. 


AUGUST  POPPE. 


August  Poppe.  who  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  on  section  24,  Clear 
Creek  township,  Nemaha  county,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  on  the  21st 
of  March,  1855.  His  father,  Hinrich  Poppe,  was  born  in  Germany  and  was 
a  linen  weaver  by  trade.  His  wife  was  born  in  the  same  country,  in  1822.  and 
came  to  America  in  1870,  her  death  occurring  here  in  the  year  of  her  arrival. 
In  the  family  were  six  children. — Hinrich,  Fred.  Conrad,  deceased.  Sophia, 
one  who  died  in  infancy  and  August. 

Reared  and  educated  in  his  nati\e  land,  Mr.  Poppe  was  there  married  to 
Sophia  Shreeds,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Germany  on  the  13th  of  November, 
1864.  She  remained  with  her  parents  until  eighteen  years  of  age  and  was  then 
married,  in  1882.  Immediately  afterward  she  came  with  her  husband  to 
Nemaha  county,  Kansas.  Her  father,  Conrad  Shreeds,  was  born  in  Germany 
about  1842,  and  in  1848  crossed  the  y\tlantic  to  the  new  world,  where  he  has 
since  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Caroline  Easensy,  was  born  in  Germany  June  9,  1837,  and  bv  her 
marriage  became  the  mother  of  six  children,  namely:  Conrad,  Sopliie.  Will- 
iam, Louise,  Dora  and  Minnie.    All  are  married  with  the  exception  of  William. 

Resolving  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new  world,  Mr.  Poppe  bade  adieu  to 
friends  and  with  his  young  wife  sailed  across  the  briny  deep  to  the  United 
States,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  for  some  time,  accepting  any 
honorable  lalior  that  would  yield  him  a  li\-ing-.  His  financial  circumstances 
were  extremely  limited  and  he  experienced  many  hardships  and  privations.    He 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         731 

purchased  his  present  farm  in  1883.  but  it  was  some  time  before  it  became  a 
paying  property.  In  order  to  secure  some  ready  money  he  went  to  Oregon 
and  Washington,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  the  employ  of 
others.  Upon  his  return  to  Kansas  he  engaged  in  digging  wells  for  a  year  and 
a  half,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  fatherland,  spending  six  months  abroad. 
On  again  reaching  Kansas  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  his  present  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  si.xty  acres  and  since  that  time  has  placed  the  entire  land  under 
cultivation.  It  is  now  a  well-developed  property,  improved  with  a  substantial 
residence,  good  barns  and  outbuildings  and  an  excellent  orchard.  He  has  made 
a  specialty  of  raising  poultry  and  hogs,  but  at  one  time  many  of  his  hogs  died 
of  cholera.  However,  as  the  years  passed  he  triumphed  over  all  the  obstacles 
and  difficulties  in  his  path  and  he  is  to-day  the  possessor  of  a  comfortable  com- 
petence as  the  reward  of  his  well-directed  labors. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poppe  have  been  born  two  children,  Ellen  and  Walter, 
and  all  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Poppe 
is  a  Democrat  and  is  serving  as  postmaster  of  the  Clear  Creek  postoffice.  His 
life  demonstrates  the  opportunities  that  lie  before  young  men  of  determined 
purpose  who  are  not  afraid  of  work,  but  who  will  steadily  push  their  way 
upward  in  the  face  of  great  opposition  and  difficulty.  He  is  now  the  possessor 
of  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of  his  township  and  his  success  is  certainly  well 
merited. 


CALVIN  B.  WE.W'ER. 

Calvin  B.  Weaver,  of  this  notice,  is  another  of  those  useful  tillers  of  the 
soil  in  Kansas  who  has  the  triple  claim  on  the  consideration  of  his  fellow  men 
of  pioneer,  soldier  and  good  citizen.  He  was  a  soldier  in  pioneer  days  and  a 
pioneer  in  war  time,  and  he  has  been  at  all  times  honest,  industrious,  energetic, 
patriotic  and  public  spirited.  Calvin  B.  Weaver,  of  Everest,  is  among  the 
best  known  men  in  Washington  township  and  no  resident  of  Brown  county 
is  held  in  higher  esteem.  He  was  born  in  Switzerland  county,  Indiana,  Octo- 
ber 22.  1842,  a  son  of  David  G.  Weaver,  who  was  born  in  Schenectady  county. 
New  York.  Our  subject's  grandfather  Weaver  and  his  wife  emigrated  from 
Switzerland  to  New  York  state  and  from  New  York  they  came  west  and  set- 
tled in  Switzerland  county,  Indiana,  at  a  very  early  day.  They  reared  a  large 
family  and  died  respected  by  all  who  knew  them. 

Da\id  G.  Weaver  passed  his  years  of  usefulness  in  Switzerland  county, 
Indiana.  He  was  a  poor  man,  a  renter,  and  was  one  of  those  most  unfortunate 
of  poor  men — a  poor  manager.  His  wife,  Elizabeth  Campbell,  was  born  in 
Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  died  in  1894,  the  year  following  the 


732  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

death  of  her  husband.  Their  children  were:  EHzabeth  C,  wife  of  Henry 
Likely,  of  Switzerland  county,  Indiana;  Gershom  AI.,  of  Brown  county,  Kan- 
sas; Mrs.  Clara  Long,  who  resides  at  Adrian,  Michigan,  and  is  a  widow; 
Calvin  B. ;  Olive,  who  is  Mrs.  Robins  and  resides  in  Lane  county,  Kansas; 
Ruby  C,  who  married  James  Roop  and  is  now  dead;  Eliza,  of  Baker,  Kansas; 
John  L.,  of  Whiting.  Kansas;  and  Cassius  AL,  who  died  from  the  effects  of 
army  service  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Regiment.  Lidiana  Volunteer 
Lifantry. 

Calvin  B.  Weaver  was  reared  in  the  country.  There  w-as  no  school, 
worthy  the  name,  in  the  neighborhood,  and  if  there  had  been  he  could  not  have 
been  spared  from  the  farm  to  attend.  He  could  scarcely  more  than  read  and 
write  when  he  was  grown,  and  while  in  the  army  he  was  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  fact  that  an  education  was  a  positive  necessity  to  one  who  would 
combat  the  world  with  any  degree  of  satisfaction.  So  after  the  war,  when  he 
was  about  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  gained  the  permission  of  the  school 
board  and  from  the  teacher  of  a  good  school  and  recited  at  recesses  and  at 
noons  and  made  such  good  progress  that  after  a  few-  terms  of  such  study  he 
felt  amply  repaid  for  his  decision  to  get  as  good  an  education  as  he  could 
under  the  circumstances. 

In  1863  Mr.  Weaver  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Seven- 
teenth Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  His  company  commander  was  Captain 
Hall  and  his  regimental  commander  was  Colonel  Thomas  J.  Brady.  He  was 
mustered  into  the  service  at  Indianapolis  for  six  months,  but  was  not  dis- 
charged until  more  than  eight  months  had  passed.  After  thirty  days  at  home 
he  veteranized  by  enlistment  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  months,  but  served  twelve  months.  In 
this  company  he  was  orderly  sergeant.  During  his  first  service  he  helped 
raise  the  siege  of  Knoxville  and  in  his  last  term  of  enlistment  was  in  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee  doing  guard  duty  along  railroads. 

Mr.  Weaver  spent  the  time  intervening  between  his  discharge  and  his 
advent  in  Kansas  in  Switzeland  county,  Indiana.  Concluding  that  there  was 
no  brilliant  prospect  in  that  section  for  a  working  man  who  wanted  to  acquire 
a  home  and  an  independence  he  set  out  for  the  west.  He  w^as  a  single  man 
in  search  of  a  cheap  farm  when  he  came  into  Brown  county  in  the  spring  of 
1869,  and  bought  the  wild  eighty  acres  which,  improved,  is  now  his  beautiful 
home.  Jusl  before  his  advent  into  the  county,  not  having  the  funds  with  which 
to  begin  the  improvement  of  the  land,  he  rented  a  farm  in  Atchison  county. 
He  says  that  his  health  and  his  hands  were  all  he  brought  with  him  to  the  state 
and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  with  no  other  agency  at  work  for  him,  his  progress 
was  necessarily  slow-  and  not  always  sure.  He  spent  the  first  year  working  out 
by  the  day  and  in  that  way  got  the  money  which  insured  him  the  equipment 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         733 

with  which  to  farm.  It  was  not  until  1874  tliat  he  moved  to  his  own  farm, 
into  his  fourteen-by-sixteen  box  house,  without  ceihng  or  plaster.  When  he 
got  his  wife,  two  children,  a  bed  and  cook  stove  into  this  shanty  it  contained 
all  his  effects  and  was  nearly  full.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  ^^'eaver  went  resolutely  at 
work,  battling  with  nature  and  against  unfavorable  circumstances  to  make  ends 
meet  in  a  financial  way.  He  gathered  all  his  corn,  for  one  or  two  years,  at  a 
single  load,  as  a  result  of  visitations  by  grasshoppers  and  drouth,  but  when 
this  happened  he  supplied  any  deficiency  by  working  out  in  winter  and  brought 
his  family  and  stock  through  until  another  crop  grew. 

At  one  of  the  early  public  meetings  held  in  Washington  townshiiJ — the 
first  school  meeting — Mr.  Weaver  was  in  attendance.  The  object  was  to 
organize  a  school  district  and  get  a  school  started.  There  were  not  enough 
pupils  of  a  school  age  to  w-arrant  the  erection  of  a  district,  but  by  enrolling 
Mrs.  Weaver  and  her  sister,  who  were  then  single  and  of  age,  the  organization 
could  be  duly  efifected.  This  was  done  and  the  district  was  organized  and  Mrs. 
\\^eaver  w-as  elected  a  member  of  the  board.  When  Mr.  Weaver  moved  into  the 
district  he  was  placed  on  the  board  and  has  been  kept  there  continuously  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century. 

In  September,  1871,  Mr.  Weaver  married  Sarah  M.  lies.  Her  father, 
Matthew  lies,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Washington  township,  located  just 
•across  the  road  from  Mr.  Wea\-er.  where  his  widow  still  lives.  Mr.  lies  was 
born  at  Lancashire,  England,  and  came  to  Brown  county  in  the  spring  of  1869. 
He  was  one  of  the  useful  and  prominent  men  of  his  time.  He  married  a 
daughter  of  Major  William  Carmack,  of  Carthage,  Kentucky.  Major  Car- 
mack  married  Mary  Washington  Damron,  whose  parents  were  Thomas  and 
Elizabeth  (Dowman)  Ball.  Thomas  Ball  was  a  first  cousin  to  General  Wash- 
ington's mother.  Elizabeth  Bowman's  mother  was  Elizabeth  Portues,  a  sister 
of  Edward  Portues,  bishop  of  London  in  1706.  Matthew  lies'  children  were: 
Dr.  William  A.  lies,  of  Urbana,  Kansas,  who,  in  the  civil  war,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  of  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry;  Mary  E..  wife  of 
William  Dooley,  of  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas;  Ellen,  wife  of  Nelson  W.  Reece, 
of  Everest;  John  J.,  who  married  a  Miss  Piper  and  is  now  dead;  Robert,  a 
prominent  farmer  of  Atchison  county ;  Martha  A.,  who  married  C.  W^  Snod- 
grass,  of  Denver,  Colorado;  Alice,  who  died  in  1880;  and  Nicholas,  of  Atchi- 
son county. 

Mr.  Weaver  is  one  of  the  prominent  Republicans  of  his  township.  He 
became  of  age  while  in  the  army  and  says  he  was  baptized  in  blood  and  could 
not  by  any  possibility  be  anything  else  politically.  He  is  one  of  those  veterans 
who,  after  the  war,  were  wont  to  say  that  they  "voted  as  thev  shot."  The  con- 
ditions which  gave  rise  to  that  expression  passed  away  long  since  and  new 
national  questions  have  come  before  the  people.     During  this  period  of  change. 


734  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

from  the  "reconstruction  times"  down  to  the  present,  when  President  McKin- 
ley's  national  and  colonial  policy  is  under  consideration,  Mr.  Weaver  has  never 
seen  reason  to  deviate  from  his  party  allegiance  and  he  is  as  enthusiastic  a 
Republican  as  when,  fresh  from  his  service  in  the  army,  he  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential vote.  His  standing  as  a  citizen  has  always  been  unusually  high  and 
his  public  spirit,  often  tried,  has  never  been  found  wanting.  He  is  liberal  in 
the  support  of  religious  and  educational  interests  and  is  in  every  relation  of 
life  wholesouled  and  helpful. 

Air.  and  Mrs.  Weaver  have  had  children  named  as  follows  Ruby,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  ;  Raleigh  T.,  an  employe  of  the  Rock  Island  Railway 
Company,  at  Horton,  who  married  Miss  Harding;  Effie  E. ;  Jesse  C. ;  Bertha 
A. ;  Chauncey  I. ;  Laura ;  and  Fern  V. 


LAWRENCE    KUEBLER. 

Near  Polomo,  Kansas,  resides  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Doniphan 
county, — Lawrence  Kuebler,  an  enterprising  farmer,  whose  success  in  the  prac- 
tical affairs  of  life  is  due  to  his  well-directed  efforts.  Thirty-five  years  ago 
he  came  to  this  locality  and  has  therefore  witnessed  almost  its  entire  growth 
and  development,  for  during  the  period  prior  to  the  civil  war  Kansas  was  the 
scene  of  conflict  between  the  sectional  parties  and  material  advancement  was 
almost  an  unknown  element.  Since  the  close  of  the  civil  strife,  however,  great 
progress  has  been  made,  and  he  has  felt  keen  interest  in  this  work  of  improve- 
ment, lending  his  aid  and  co-operation  to  all  movements  for  the  public  good. 

Mr.  Kuebler  is  a  native  of  the  Fatherland,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
the  principality  of  Baden,  Germany,  in  1827.  His  parents,  Lawrence  and 
Mary  (Walker)  Kuebler,  were  farming  people,  and  both  died  in  Germany. 
Upon  his  father's  farm  the  subject  of  this  review  was  reared,  and  from  an  early 
age  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  fields.  The  educational  privileges  afforded 
him  were  those  of  the  common  schools,  and  after  putting  aside  his  text-books 
he  served  in  the  German  war  of  1848-9.  When  twenty-five  years  of  age  he 
crossed  the  briny  deep  to  the  new  world,  landing  at  New  York  city  after  a 
voyage  of  twenty-seven  days.  He  did  not  tarry  in  the  eastern  metropolis,  how- 
ever, but  made  his  way  at  once  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  where  he  remained  for 
one  year.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to  Nebraska  City.  Ne- 
braska, where  he  continued  for  eighteen  months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
secured  an  ox  team  and  outfit  and  started  on  the  overland  journey  to  Pike's 
Peak.  He  walked  the  greater  part  of  the  distance  and  spent  some  time  in  the 
mountains  of  Colorado,  after  which  he  again  turned  his  face  eastward  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  735 

became  a  resident  of  Iowa,  where  lie  conducted  a  sawmill  until  the  outbreak  of 
the  civil  war.  He  then  responded  to  the  call  of  his  adopted  country  for  aid, 
and  became  one  of  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  D,  First  Nebraska  Volunteers. 
The  regiment  was  stationed  at  Fort  Donelson,  and  under  command  of  Captain 
Gerradeur  Mr.  Kuebler  participated  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  He  later  took  part 
in  a  number  of  hard-fought  engagements  and  skirmishes,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  at  Omaha,  Nebraska,  on  the  2d  of  August,  1865,  after  the  war  had 
been  terminated  and  peace  restored.  He  joined  the  ranks  as  a  private  but  was 
serving  as  a  corporal  when  mustered  out. 

On  the  1 2th  of  January,  1870,  Mr.  Kuebler  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Efrsence  Brebee,  who  was  bom  in  Prussia,  Germany.  Three  children 
graced  their  union,  but  the  daughter,  Mary,  is  now  deceased.  The  sons  are 
Sam  and  George.  The  mother  died  July  11,  1879,  and  on  the  22d  of  February, 
1888,  Mr.  Kuebler  was  united  in  marriage  toMrs.  Abbdena  Litz,  who  was  born 
in  Prussia,  and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Kuebler  was  a  widow  with 
three  children.  One  of  her  daughters  married  George  Kuebler,  a  son  of  our 
subject.  In  his  political  affiliations  Air.  Kuebler  is  a  Republican,  unswerving 
in  his  support  of  the  principles  of  the  party.  .  He  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Baptist  church  and  enjoy  the  respect  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances.  Their  home  is  one  of  the  p'ood  farms  of  Marion  township, 
comprising  sixty-five  acres,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Pro- 
gressive methods  of  farming  are  followed  in  the  care  of  the  property,  and  the 
well-tilled  fields  and  excellent  improvements  upon  the  place  indicate  the  careful 
supervision  of  the  owner.  He  came  to  America  with  the  hope  of  bettering  his 
financial  condition,  and  the  result  tliat  has  followed  his  efforts  has  exceeded  his 
expectation.  He  has  gained  here  a  comfortable  competence,  and  has  also 
established  himself  in  a  pleasant  home  in  the  midst  of  a  large  circle  of  warm 
friends. 


FRANCIS    SCHLETZBAUM. 

Among  the  prominent  German  families  of  Eden,  Lancaster  township, 
Atchison  countv,  Kansas,  the  family  of  John  Schletzbaum  has  long  been  well 
known.  John  Schletzbaum  himself  was  for  a  protracted  period  one  of  the 
leaders  in  township  affairs,  and  Francis  Schletzbaum  has  been  one  of  the  most 
active  men  in  the  township  during  recent  years. 

Francis  Schletzbaum  was  born  in  Munich,  Bavaria,  November  21,  1831, 
a  son  of  John  and  Annie  (Schuester)  Schletzbaum,  who  had  children  as  fol- 
lows: Barbara,  who  married  Joseph  Bauer  and  is  buried  in  Saint  Clair 
county,  Illinois ;  Annie,  widow  of  John  Wetzer,  who  lives  at  San  Diego,  Cali- 


73(3  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

fornia :  Mary,  wife  of  Charles  Kiiclis.  of  Davenport.  Iowa  :  and  Joseph,  now  de- 
ceased, who  was  once  county  clerk  of  Doniphan  county,  Kansas. 

The  Scliletzbauni  family  came  to  the  United  States  from  Bremen,  on  the 
Louisa,  to  Baltimore,  being  sixty-five  days  en  route.  They  were  bound  for 
Belleville,  Illinois,  and  it  rec|uired  three  weeks  for  them  to  make  tlie  journey 
from  Baltimore  to  St.  Louis.  In  1856  the  head  of  the  family  died  near 
Belleville,  and  two  vears  later  the  suliject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Kansas.  He 
came  by  steamer  on  the  Missouri  river  and  settled  on  a  pre-emption  claim  in 
Doniphan  county,  previously  selected  by  himself,  which  farm  is  now  the  prop- 
erty of  Frederick  Metz.  He  remained  at  that  location  until  1865,  when  he  sold 
his  title  and  purchased  a  piece  of  unimproved  land  in  Atchison  county,  where 
his  beautiful  and  attractive  home  now  stands. 

During  the  past  thirty-four  years  Mr.  Schletzbaum  has  made  the  most 
of  his  opportunities.  His  labor  has  been  rewarded  and  his  original  quarter- 
section  has  grown  to  a  tract  of  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  upon  his 
farm  can  be  found  all  the  requirements  necessary  to  handle  and  properly 
house  all  the  products  of  the  field.  Fortune  has  smiled  upon  him  and  Provi- 
dence has  dealt  with  him  with  a  hand  no  less  just  than  generous.  If  when  old 
age  overtakes  him  he  is  bountifully  provided,  it  is  in  the  way  of  a  Divine 
blessing  conferred  upon  one  whose  acts  have  been  acts  of  honor  and  whose 
deeds  have  been  deeds  of  peace.  Frank  Schletzbaum  is  an  extensive  farmer 
and  has  always  been  a  grower  of  stock.  Recently  he  has  engaged  in  the  breed- 
ing of  a  fine  grade  of  polled  Durham  cattle. 

One  of  the  well  known  Republicans  of  his  township,  he  does  his  part 
as  a  delegate,  and  as  a  local  worker  but  ne\'er  permits  himself  to  become  a  can- 
didate for  an  elective  ofiice.  He  has  been  Eden's  postmaster  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  has  served  thirty-five  years  on  the  school  board  and  is  a  member  of 
the  executive  committee  of  the  county  central  committee.  Mr.  Schletzbaum 
was  not  regularly  enlisted  in  the  federal  service  during  the  days  of  the  civil 
war,  but  he  was  a  member  of  the  state  militia  of  Kansas  and  was  called  out  at 
the  time  General  Price  raided  Missouri,  advancing  toward  Kansas  City. 
Westport  was  the  only  place  at  which  his  company  came  near  having  an  engage- 
ment with  the  rebels,  which  opportttnity  was  lost  only  by  the  cowardice  or 
incapacity  of  Colonel  Treat. 

Francis  Schletzbaum  was  married  in  Illinois,  in  1857,  to  Elizabeth 
Schaad,  who  was  born  in  Switzerland  in  1838.  Their  children  are:  Frank 
Schletzbaum,  who  is  married  to  Victoria  Hess;  Antone,  a  telegraph  operator 
with  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  who  is  married  to  Frankie 
Buckles;  John,  whose  wife  was  Mary  Hunkey;  Mary,  deceased  wife  of  Dr. 
Shelley;  Emma,  Mrs.  Edward  Donland.  of  Atchison;  Annie,  bookkeeper  for 
the  Lewis  Shultz  Lumber  Company,  of  Atchison ;  Cyril ;  and  Olive. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  717 

AARON  P.  RUSE. 

A  well  knciwn  farmer  of  Shannon  township.  Atchison  county,  is  Aaron 
Preston  Ruse.  wIk)  was  born  in  Marion  county.  Indiana,  on  the  8th  of  May, 
1838.  and  is  a  son  of  Jesse  and  Mary  (Reveal)  Ruse.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Adam  Ruse,  was  a  native  of  Russia,  and  in  early  life  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic to  the  new  world.  \Mien  the  colonies  attempted  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of 
oppression  he  joined  the  American  army  and  valiantly  aided  in  securing  inde- 
pendence. William  Reveal,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Wales,  and  served  his  adopted  land  in  the  war  of  1812.  Jesse  and 
Mary  (Reveal)  Ruse,  the  parents  of  our  subject,  were  both  natives  of  Ohio, 
the  latter  having  been  born  in  Clinton  county,  where  her  father  carried  on 
farming.  From  Clark  county,  Ohio,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruse  removed  to  Marion 
county,  Indiana,  and  subsequently  went  to  Huntington  county,  that  state. 
where  the  father  died  in  1881,  the  mother  passing  away  in  1876. 

A.  P.  Ruse  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Huntington  county.  Indiana,  and 
through  the  summer  months  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  while  ia 
the  winter  season  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  thus 
becoming  familiar  with  the  English  branches  of  learning.  To  his  father  he 
gave  the  benefit  of  his  service  until  he  attained  his  majority,  and  then  started 
out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  purchased  a  small  farm  in  Hunt- 
ington county,  but  in  July.  1865,  he  joined  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-third 
Regiment  of  Indiana  Volunteers  and  served  until  September,  1866,  under  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Cary,  the  regiment  being  engaged  in  garrison  duty. 

In  1869  Mr.  Ruse  removed  with  his  family  to  Platte  county  Missouri, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  in  1881  he  went  to  Doni- 
phan county,  Kansas,  locating  in  ^^'ayne  township,  where  he  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  1896.  In  that  year  he  removed  to  his  present  farm  in 
Shannon  township,  Atchison  county,  where  he  has  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  arable  land,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. He  is  also  successfully  carrying  on  stock-raising,  and  has  a  well 
improved  property,  which  is  the  reward  of  his  own  labors. 

In  i860  Mr.  Ruse  wedded  Miss  Emily  Brown,  of  Huntington,  Indiana,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  A.  Brown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruse  have  seven 
children:  Anna,  now  a  widow;  Dell,  who  is  engaged  in  farming;  Mary  C, 
wife  of  William  Allee,  of  Walla  Walla,  Washington;  John  M.,  a  fireman  on 
the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad;  Minnie  B.,  w-ife  of  Edward  Oswold,  of  Shan- 
non township;  James  L.,  at  home;  and  Oliver,  who  is  now  practicing  medicine. 

Mr.  Ruse  is  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and  has  served  as  its  chairman 
for  some  years.  The  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  in 
his  official  capacity  he  has  largely  advanced  the  interests  of  the  schools  in  this 


738  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

locality.  He  holds  meml)ership  in  the  Jordan  Creek  Baptist  church,  in  which 
he  has  served  as  deacon  for  ten  years,  and  in  the  work  of  the  church  he  takes 
an  active  and  commendable  interest. 


FRANK    M.  TRACY, 


It  is  always  a  grateful  task  to  give  the  record  of  a  well  spent  life,  and  in 
this  brief  sketch  of  one  who  was  for  many  years  an  honored  citizen  of  Troy, 
and  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  his  county  and  state,  the  historian  finds  much 
to  commend.  As  a  journalist,  a  brave  soldier  of  the  Union  army  and  a  public 
officer.  Colonel  Tracy  won  distinction  and  honor,  and  as  a  man  his  memory 
will  long  be  cherished  in  the  hearts  of  his  many  friends  and  associates. 

Colonel  Tracy  was  born  in  Ralls  county,  Missouri,  January  3,  1838,  and 
was  the  son  of  Major  Louis  and  Sally  (Kragborn)  Tracy,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Kentucky.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  to 
which  place  his  parents  removed  after  their  marriage.  In  his  boyhood  he 
learned  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  the  St.  Joseph  Gazette,  then  edited  by 
General  Eastin.  Afterwards  he  was  employed  in  the  office  of  the  St.  Louis 
Republican  and  Democrat,  and  returning  to  St.  Joseph,  in  1859,  he  estab- 
lished the  Free  Democrat,  which  he  successfully  conducted,  despite  bitter  parti- 
san opposition,  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war. 

In  1862  Mr.  Tracy  enlisted  in  Company  A,  First  Kansas  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  on  the  organization  of  the  company  was  commissioned  second 
lieutenant.  A  short  time  afterwards  he  was  transferred  to  Company  I,  of  the 
same  regiment,  of  which  he  was  made  first  lieutenant.  He  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Corinth,  and  at  Wilson  Creek  was  severely  wounded,  being  shot  in  the 
right  lung,  and  carried  the  ball  in  his  body  until  his  death. 

On  account  of  his  wound  Colonel  Tracy  was  obliged  to  resign  his  posi- 
tion and  return  home.  He  then  settled  in  Troy,  Kansas,  and  for  a  time  was 
engaged  in  milling  and  in  the  mercantile  business.  In  1864  he  was  elected 
treasurer  of  Doniphan  county,  and  was  re-elected  in  1866,  discharging  the 
responsible  duties  of  his  office  faithfully  and  satisfactorily.  In  1876  he  again 
located  in  St.  Joseph,  and,  in  company  with  Colonel  D.  W.  Wilder,  purchased 
the  St.  Joseph  Herald,  and  successfully  managed  the  same  until  June,  1885, 
when  he  sold  out  his  interest.  In  May,  1881,  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Garfield  postmaster  at  St.  Joseph,  which  position  he  held  until  November,  1885. 

On  June  30,  1862,  Colonel  Tracy  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Vir- 
ginia Melvin,  of  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  whom  he  met  while  she  was  on  a  visit 
to  relatives  in  Doniphan    county.      Her   parents   were    Daniel    and    Harriet 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         739 

(Gregg)  Alelvin.  and  her  mother  is  still  living,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
eight  years.  She  makes  her  home  with  Mrs.  Tracy.  Harriet  Gregg  was  the 
daughter  of  Reuben  and  Rachel  Gregg,  and  her  father  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  The  Gregg  family  are  of  New  Hampshire  stock,  the 
Tracys  of  Scotch  origin.  Mrs.  Tracy  was  born  and  reared  in  Johnson,  Ver- 
mont, and  became  a  student  in  the  same  institution  in  which  Admiral  Dewey 
was  educated.  She  is  a  woman  of  fine  culture  and  intelligence,  is  well  posted 
on  all  the  questions  of  the  day,  and  independent  in  thought  and  action.  She 
is  occupying  the  family  homestead  and  is  most  pleasantly  situated,  being  sur- 
rounded by  many  friends,  and  highly  esteemed  by  all  for  her  many  womanly 
qualities.  One  child  only  was  born  to  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Tracy,  Genevieve  M., 
who  is  an  accomplished  musician,  and  has  filled  the  position  of  musical  director 
in  two  or  three  important  companies  which  have  visited  the  principal  cities  of 
the  United  States. 

Colonel  Tracy  was  a  man  of  strong  character,  and  as  courageous  and 
intrepid  in  expression  in  defense  of  what  he  considered  right  as  he  was  in  fight- 
ing his  country's  battles  on  the  field.  Referring  to  some  line  of  action  taken  by 
his  paper,  the  Herald,  in  a  political  campaign  some  time  before  his  death,  a  con- 
temporary paid  him  the  following  tribute:  "Colonel  F.  M.  Tracy  has  done 
more  for  the  Republican  party  within  the  last  eight  years  in  northwest  IMis- 
souri  than  any  other  man  in  it.  He  has  spent  more  money,  more  labor,  and 
more  time  in  the  interests  of  his  party  than  the  combined  forces  opposing  him. 
Colonel  Tracy  is  as  brave  a  Republican  as  ever  lived.  He  is  honest  and  sin- 
cere in  all  that  he  does,  champions  the  cause  of  right  with  all  the  fervency  and 
zeal  of  his  manhood,  as  well  as  the  suppression  of  wrong.  He  is  a  man  full  of 
honest  intentions  and  Christian  principles." 

After  his  retirement  from  public  office  Colonel  Tracy  led  a  quiet  life, 
bravely  and  uncomplainingly  enduring  the  sufferings  of  that  dread  disease,  con- 
sumption, which  was  primarily  caused  by  his  wound  and  which  resulted  in  his 
death  on  February  13,  1888.  His  remains  were  interred  in  the  cemetery  at 
Mount  Olive,  near  Troy.  At  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances  he  was 
loyal  to  truth  and  the  right.  As  a  soldier  he  displayed  bravery,  sagacity  and 
true  patriotism ;  as  a  public  ofticial  his  actions  have  been  above  reproach  or 
criticism :  and  as  a  citizen  he  is  an  illustration  of  a  high  type  of  our  American 
manhood. 


EDGAR  W.  HOWE. 


A  well-known  representative  of  journalistic  interests  of  Atchison  is  Edgar 
Watson  Howe,  who  throughout  his  entire  business  career  has  been  connected 
with  the  "art  preservative  of  arts"  and  is  now  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 


740  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

Atchison  Daily  Globe.  He  was  born  in  \\'abash  county.  Indiana,  IMay  3.  1854, 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  but  obtained  the  greater 
part  of  iiis  knowledge  through  practical  experience  in  the  business  world  and 
in  the  "poor  man's  college,"— the  printing  office.  For  some  years  he  worked 
as  a  printer,  becoming  cjuite  expert  in  that  line,  and  since  1S78  has  been  the 
editor  of  the  Atchison  Daily  Globe.  He  is  a  fluent  and  forcible  writer,  a  deep 
and  (iriginal  thinker,  and  his  journal  ranks  among  the  best  newspaper  produc- 
tions in  the  state.  Extensive  reading  and  study  have  made  him  a  well- 
informed  man.  He  has  produced  some  creditable  works  of  fiction,  among 
which  are  "The  Story  of  the  Country  Town,"  published  in  1882;  "A  Moon- 
light Boy,"  published  in  1887;  and  "A  Man's  Story,"  which  was  produced 


JOHN  A.  KRAMER. 


The  beautiful  home  of  Mr.  Kramer  with  its  park-like  appearance,  its  hand- 
some residence,  well-kept  lawns  and  fine  trees  indicate  the  prosperity  of  the 
owner,  who  is  one  of  the  representative  business  men  of  Shannon  township, 
where  he  is  successfully  engaged  in  the  growing  of  fruit  and  the  production 
of  wines.  He  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Kramer  Brothers,  his  part- 
ners being  Frank  and  Edward  L.  Kramer.  They  are  conducting  an  extensive 
and  successful  business  and  are  well  known  throughout  this  community. 

John  A.  Kramer  was  born  in  Shannon  township,  Atchison  county,  Octo- 
ber 18,  1862,  and  is  the  second  son  of  Frank  and  Rosanna  Kramer,  both  of 
whom  are  natives  of  Austria.  In  1852  they  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
landing  at  New  York  city,  whence  they  made  their  way  to  Watson,  Wisconsin, 
afterward  to  Illinois  and  later  to  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  where  they  set- 
tled upon  a  farm.  In  1861  they  came  to  Atchison  county,  Kansas,  and  took  up 
their  abode  upon  a  farm  in  Shannon  township,  two  miles  north  of  the  city  of 
Atchison.  There  they  remained  for  several  years,  after  which  they  returned 
to  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  where  they  continued  until  1867.  In  that  year 
they  again  came  to  Shannon  township,  and  the  father  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  17,  immediately  beginning  its  cultivation. 
He  added  to  the  property  a  tract  of  eighty  acres,  and  in  connection  with  gen- 
eral farming  began  growing  small  fruits,  his  energies  being  devoted  to  that 
business  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  28th  of  February,  1889.  Some 
years  previous  to  this  a  small  vineyard  had  been  planted  and  the  father  with 
the  assistance  of  his  sons  began  the  manufacture  of  wines.  This  proving  a 
successful  venture,  the  firm  of  Kramer  Brothers  have  continued  the  enterprise 
and  have  planted  vines  until  their  vineyard  now  comprises  fifty  acres  of  choice 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  741 

varieties  of  grapes  for  table  use  and  for  the  manufacture  of  wines.  The  wine 
which  they  make  is  of  a  very  superior  quahty,  and  much  of  it  in  their  wine  cel- 
lars is  very  old.  Their  storage  house  is  a  stone  structure,  partly  under  ground, 
and  they  have  excellent  facilities  for  ripening  the  wine,  which  is  rich  in  flavor 
and  commands  an  excellent  price  in  the  market.  The  yield  of  grapes  in 
certain  seasons  has  been  marvelous,  amounting  to  over  a  hundred  tons.  The 
firm  of  Kramer  Brothers  also  raises  various  varieties  of  purple  grapes,  includ- 
ing the  Concord  and  Evira,  and  their  vineyard  is  one  of  the  largest  to  be  found 
in  Kansas.  They  employ  eight  men  throughout  the  year,  and  twenty-five  men 
are  given  work  during  the  busy  season.  Their  wine  cellar  now  contains  many 
thousands  of  gallons,  the  business  having  grown  to  extensive  proportions. 
They  are  also  practical  farmers,  and  along  agricultural  lines  are  meeting  with 
good  success  in  the  management  of  their  property. 

In  1890  John  A.  Kramer,  whose  name  heads  this  review,  married  Miss 
Phillbena  Rambans,  a  nati\e  of  Germany,  who  was  born  in  Baden.  They  have 
five  children:  Hattie,  Alfred,  IMartha,  Rosa  and  Anna.  Mr.  Kramer  has 
served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board,  also  as  trustee  of  Shannon  townshiii, 
Atchison  county,  and  is  a  public-spirited  man  who  manifests  a  deep  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  His  palatial  home 
is  noted  for  its  hospitality,  and  is  a  favorite  resort  for  social  gatherings,  its 
beautiful  grounds  being  much  sought  after  by  picnickers.  Mr.  Kramer  has  a 
wide  acquaintance  in  his  native  county,  and  his  genial  manner  and  social  dis- 
position render  him  a  popular  favorite. 


V.  BAUER. 


Prominently  identified  with  the  building  interests  of  Horton,  Mr.  Bauer's 
labors  have  contributed  to  the  improvement  and  substantial  development  of  the 
city  since  1887,  and  in  this  way  he  has  added  to  his  financial  success,  becoming 
one  of  the  well-to-do  residents  of  the  community.  A  native  of  Germany,  his 
birth  occurred  about  forty-two  years  ago  in  the  fatherland.  In  accordance 
with  the  law'S  of  that  country,  he  pursued  his  education  until  fourteen  years  of 
age,  and  when  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  he  began  learning  the  carpenter's  trade. 
Serving  for  two  years  in  the  German  army,  he  became  familiar  with  the  mili- 
tary discipline  of  his  native  land.  At  length  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune 
in  America,  and  in  1883  sailed  for  the  United  States,  locating  in  New  York 
citv.  where  he  remained  for  more  than  a  year,  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  the  west,  establishing  a  home  in 
Marshall  county,  Kansas.     His  exemplary  workmanship  and  his  thorough 


742 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 


understanding  of  tlie  builder's  art  has  enaljled  liim  to  command  an  excellent 
trade.  He  built  the  Catholic  church  at  Myers  \"alley,  Pottawatomie  county, 
Kansas,  and  in  1887  he  came  to  Horton.  where  he  has  designed  and  erected 
many  of  the  homes  and  public  buildings  of  the  town.  He  furnished  the  plans 
for  the  construction  of  the  high  school,  one  of  the  best  in  the  state,  and  erected 
at  a  cost  of  seventeen  thousand  dollars.  He  also  built  the  Sante  block  and  the 
Masonic  Hall,  together  with  many  private  residences  which  stand  as  monu- 
ments to  his  thrift  and  enterprise. 

Mr.  Bauer  was  married  in  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  in  1884,  to  Mary 
Annie  Lance,  who  was  born  on  the  Rhine  but  came  to  the  United  States  dur- 
ing her  childhood  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  Wisconsin.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bauer  have  had  four  children,  namely :  Anna,  Otto,  Mary  and  Leo.  The 
parents  and  children  are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church.  They  have  a 
pleasant  home  in  Horton,  where  Mr.  Bauer  owns  three  residences.  His  polit- 
ical support  is  given  to  the  Democracy.  He  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret 
his  determination  to  seek  a  home  in  America,  for  here  he  has  found  opportu- 
nity to  work  his  way  upward,  and  by  resolute  purpose  and  determined  energy 
he  has  gained  a  comfortable  competence,  while  his  fellow-townsmen  have  given 
him  their  warm  regard. 


GEORGE  GRACE. 


In  the  year  in  which  Kansas  was  organized  as  a  territory  George  Grace 
came  to  Doniphan  county  and  through  the  intervening  years  he  has  ever 
borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  upbuilding  and  progress,  giving  a  loyal  support 
to  all  measures  which  have  tended  to  benefit  the  community  with  which  he  is 
identified.  He  lived  here  through  the  troublous  times  which  preceded  the  civil 
war  and  has  noted  with  interest  the  marked  ad\-ancement  which  has  been  made 
by  the  commonwealth  since  the  cessation  of  hostilities  brought  peace  to  this 
locality  by  settling  the  question  of  slavery. 

A  native  of  Indiana,  George  Grace  was  Ijorn  in  Rush  county,  on  the  ist 
of  October,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Grace,  who  was  born  in  \'irginia. 
His  grandparents,  George  and  Jane  (Crotree)  Grace,  were  also  natives  of 
Virginia,  but  for  some  years  resided  in  Indiana,  where  their  last  days  were 
passed.  William  Grace  married  Miss  Mary  Swift,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  John.  Robert,  James.  Abraham,  Oliver, 
George,  Sarah  Jane,  Clarissa.  William  and  Theodore  and  two  daughters  who 
died  in  early  girlhood.  In  1844  the  family  removed  to  Platte  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  the  father  died  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years.     He  was  a  Jackson 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  743 

Democrat  in  political  faith  ami  in  religious  belief  was  a  Methodist.  His  wife 
died  in  Buchanan  county,  Missouri,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 
Mr.  Grace,  of  this  review,  spent  his  early  boyhood  days  in  his  native  state 
and  in  1844  accompanied  his  parents  to  Missouri,  where  he  remained  until 
twenty-three  years  of  age.  He  then  came  to  Kansas  and  secured  a  claim  on 
Enterprise  creek.  Here  he  endured  many  hardships,  for  Kansas  was  passing 
through  the  stormy  period  when  border  ruffians  flourished  and  when  a  bitter 
strife  was  being  raged  between  the  friends  and  opponents  of  slavery.  He  was, 
howe\er,  well  fitted  to  endure  such  hardships  as  he  aided  in  the  development 
and  settlement  of  the  new  locality,  and  in  1850  he  had  made  an  overland  trip  to 
California  from  DeKalb  county.  Missouri,  four  months  and  eight  days  being 
required  to  complete  the  journey,  which  was  made  with  ox  teams.  He  was  in 
the  California  mines  for  some  time  and  then  returned  by  the  water  route  and 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  .\fter  establishing  a  home  in  Kansas,  he  untiringly 
devoted  his  energies  to  the  operation  of  his  land  and  the  improvement  of  a 
good  farm  until  August,  1862,  when,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  C.  Thirteenth  Kansas  Cavalry,  under  Captain  Robinson 
and  Colonel  Bowen.  The  regiment  was  stationed  in  western  Arkansas  and 
Missouri  and  though  it  took  part  in  no  very  large  battles  its  service  was  ardu- 
ous, difficult  and  often  fought  with  great  danger.  Mr.  Grace  was  honorably 
discharged  at  Springfield.  Missouri,  in  March,  1863.  on  account  of  disability 
and  returned  home,  locating  in  Doniphan  county,  where  he  has  since  remained. 
In  the  same  year  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ann  Brock,  who  was  born  in  I,a 
Salle  county.  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Mary  (Rector)  Brock,  natives 
of  Ohio.  On  the  maternal  side  she  is  of  German  lineage.  Her  father  died  in 
Missouri,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  and  her  mother  passed  away  in  Kansas, 
when  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children, 
namely:  Hiram,  a  soldier  who  journeyed  across  the  plains  with  General 
Fremont,  spending  three  years  in  the  west :  he  conducted  a  ferry  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  also  owned  a  farm  of  three  hundred  acres  adjoining  Sacramento; 
James,  who  was  shot  in  California  at  an  early  period  of  its  history:  George, 
of  this  review :  William,  who  for  two  years  was  a  soldier  in  the  ci\'il  war,  serv- 
ing with  the  Thirteenth  Kansas  Cavalry  and  was  killed  by  bushwhackers  in 
Arkansas:  C.  Brock,  who  was  also  a  member  of  the  Thirteenth  Kansas  Cavalry, 
and  was  killed  by  lightning:  Eliza  Maria;  Nancy  Jane;  Mary  Ann;  Rebecca; 
Elizabeth  and  Ellen.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grace  have  been  born  ten  children, 
but  only  three  are  living,  namel)^:  Adelia,  wife  of  Gabriel  Geradde,  of  Doni- 
phan county :  George,  who  is  living  in  St.  Joseph.  Missouri :  and  Charles,  at 
home.  Those  who  have  passed  away  are  Anna,  who  died  in  her  sixth  year; 
a  son  who  died  in  infancy:  \"elena,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  months; 
William,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years:  John,  whose  death  occurred 


744  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

when  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age;  IMary,  who  became  the  wife  of  A.  M. 
Meyers  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  leaving  a  son ;  and  Theodore, 
who  was  a  twin  brother  of  Adelia  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
Mr.  Grace  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Christian  church  and  are 
widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  locality.  His  support  was  given  to  Democ- 
racy until  the  inauguration  of  the  civil  war,  since  which  time  he  has  voted  the 
Republican  ticket.  As  a  means  of  livelihood  during  his  residence  in  Doni- 
phan county  he  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits  and  is  now  regarded  as  one 
of  the  most  prosperous  and  influential  farmers  of  his  locality.  He  came  to 
northeastern  Kansas  during  its  pioneer  epoch  and  the  track  of  his  shining 
plow  indicated  the  path  of  civilization.  Around  him  stretched  the  unbroken 
prairies  on  which  were  scattered  but  few  pioneer  homes,  but  with  the  passing 
years  have  built  up  and  developed  the  highest  civilization  of  the  older  east. 
]\Ir.  Grace  has  advocated  all  the  movements  tending  tc:)ward  the  upbuilding 
of  his  county  in  which  he  is  well  known. 


T.  W.  LANGAN. 


In  the  record  of  those  who  had  been  prominently  identified  with  the  devel- 
opment and  progress  of  Doniphan  county  it  is  imperative  that  definite  consid- 
eration be  granted  to  the  subject  of  this  review,  for  not  only  is  he  a  prominent 
representative  of  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  favored  section,  but  has  the 
distinction  of  being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  golden  west,  with  whose  fortunes 
he  has  been  identified  for  fully  forty  years,  concerned  with  various  business  and 
political  interests,  and  so  ordering  his  life  as  to  gain  and  retain  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men. 

Mr.  Langan  is  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  where  his  birth  occurred  in 
1844.  His  parents,  Thomas  and  Mary  (Quinn)  Langan,  had  a  family  of  the 
following  children :  James,  who  is  living  in  the  state  of  Washington ;  Eliza, 
deceased;  Mary  Anne,  Barney,  Ellen  and  Julia,  who  have  all  passed  away; 
Kate;  Michael,  a  resident  of  Wayne  township,  Doniphan  county;  Bridget,  also 
deceased;  Thomas;  and  Joseph,  who  is  deceased.  The  father  of  this  family 
died  in  Ireland,  and  in  1846  the  mother  came  with  her  family  to  the  United 
States,  taking  up  her  abode  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  In  1858  she  came  to 
Doniphan  county  and  purchased  the  old  family  homestead  of  one  hundred  and 
si.xty  acres. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  a  child  of  only  two  years  at  the  time  of 
the  emigration  to  America.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Mis- 
souri, and  also  spent  a  year  in  St.  Benedict  Academy.  In  1857  he  came  to 
Doniphan  county,  and  is  therefore  familiar  with  the  history  of  its  pioneer  life. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         745 

In  1864  he  went  to  the  mountains  of  Colorado,  where  he  remained  lor  two 
years,  engaged  in  freighting  and  mining.  In  1868  he  went  to  Helena,  Mon- 
tana, and  to  Nevada,  where  he  engaged  in  freighting  and  prospecting.  The 
following  year  he  returned  to  Kansas  and  purchased  his  present  farm,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  stock-raising.  He  owns  seven 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  one  of  the  largest  farms  in  the  county, 
located  ten  miles  from  Troy.  He  raises  a  high  grade  of  cattle  and  feeds  all  of 
the  grain  which  he  cultivates  on  th'e  farm.  His  business  interests  are  con- 
ducted with  method  and  enterprise,  and  his  large  sales  bring  to  him  a  hand- 
some income. 

Mr.  Langan  was  married,  in  1885,  to  Miss  Mary  Waller,  who  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Atchison,  and  is  a  lady  of  superior  education  and  cultured 
tastes.  Her  father,  George  M.  Waller,  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1831,  and 
with  his  parents  removed  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  in  1844.  Ten  years  later 
he  located  in  Doniphan  county,  and  for  a  long  period  was  numbered  among 
the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  the  community.  He  married  Miss  Mary 
Ann  Smith,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  died  about  seventy  years  ago.  They 
became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  six  are  now  living,  namely: 
Sarah  M.  Hudnall;  James  T.,  a  resident  of  Kansas  City;  Mrs.  Helen  Low, 
Joshua  A.,  George  B.,  Mrs.  Langan,  and  Felix,  who  has  passed  away.  The 
father  of  this  family  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  views,  and  socially  is  a 
Mason,  having  become  a  member  of  that  fraternity  in  St.  Joseph  in  1 847.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Langan  have  been  born  four  children— Agnes,  Helen,  Morris 
and  Ruth. 

Mr.  Langan  takes  an  active  interest  in  political  affairs,  casting  his  ballot 
for  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy.  He  has  served  as  a  delegate  to 
numerous  state  and  county  conventions,  and  for  three  terms  filled  the  office  of 
county  treasurer,  his  re-elections  indicating  the  ability  and  fidelity  with  which 
he  discharged  his  duties.  In  1898  he  was  a  member  of  the  state  legislature. 
In  manner  he  is  frank  and  cordial,  a  gentleman  of  keen  discernment  and 
marked  ability,  and  enjoys  the  respect  of  his  fellow  men,  and  is  very  popular  in 
the  county  which  he  makes  his  home.  He  has  demonstrated  his  public  spirit 
in  many  ways,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  Wayne  township's  most  useful  and 
progressive  citizens. 


J.  L.  MYERS. 


J.  L.  Myers,  a  well-known  resident  of  Elwood  and  a  veteran  of  the  civil 
war,  was  born  in  Indiana,  near  the  town  of  Lebanon,  October  7,  1845.  His 
father,  J.  L.  Myers,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  whence  he  remoxed  to  Indiana 


746  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

and  was  tliere  married  to  Miss  Evaline  Stol<er.  He  was  a  fanner  by  occupa- 
tion and  in  1847  'le  removed  with  his  family  to  Wapello  county.  Iowa,  where 
he  secured  a  tract  of  wild  land  which  lie  subsequently  transformed  into  rich 
and  fertile  fields.  Situated.  howe\-er.  on  the  western  frontier,  the  trials  and 
hardships  of  pioneer  life  were  many,  but  the  family  made  the  best  of  their 
opportunities,  remaining  in  Iowa  until  the  early  spring  of  1856,  when  they  re- 
moved to  Kansas,  locating  in  Jackson  county,  on  the  Red  Vermilion,  near 
Holton.  The  father  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  throughout  his  entire 
life,  was  also  a  minister  of  the  Cnited  Brethren  church  and  usually  occupied 
a  pulpit  on  Sunday,  thus  carrying  to  the  people  the  "glad  tidings  of  great 
joy."  At  the  age  of  eighty-two  years  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest.  His 
political  support  was  given  to  the  Republican  party  and  at  all  times  he  was 
loyal  to  citizenship,  to  truth  and  the  right.  His  wife,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  church,  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  They  had  a  large 
family  of  children,  all  of  \\'hom  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  namely : 
Elizabeth  Ann;  R.  A.,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Eleventh  Kansas  Cavalry 
during  the  civil  war  and  is  now  deceased;  Ellen;  Louisa;  Jonathan,  who  was 
a  member  of  Company  D.  Eleventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  and  was  killed  in  the 
service  at  Camp  Babcock,  Arkansas ;  Sarah  Frances ;  Mary  Gibbs ;  Thomas, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  Thirty-sixth  Iowa  Infantry  in  the  war  for  the 
preservation  of  the  Union;  Elsie;  Hiram;  Harriet  Eveline;  Margaret;  James 
L. ;  Sophrona  ;  and  Flora. 

J.  L.  Myers,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  in  his  second  year 
when  his  parents  went  to  Iowa,  and  was  still  a  young  lad  when  the  family  came 
to  Kansas,  so  that  the  greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  passed  in  this  state.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  and  in  his  youth  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm, 
thus  becoming  familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  of  the  agriculturist. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  a  spirit  of  patriotism  was  aroused  within 
him  and  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  H.  Ekventh  Kansas  Cavalry, 
under  command  of  Captain  Greer  and  Colonel  Moorlight.  He  served  for 
more  than  two  years,  participating  in  nine  battles,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  the  close  of  hostilities,  at  Fort  Leavenworth.  For  some  time  he 
was  ill  in  the  Fort  Scott  hospital,  but  it  was  not  until  1882  that  he  made  applica- 
lon  for  a  pension.  He  was  always  a  loyal  soldier,  brave  in  battle,  fearlessly 
-defending  the  old  flag  and  the  cause  it  represented. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Myers  returned  to  JefYerson  count}-  and  en- 
tred  the  employ  of  the  raiload  company  at  Oskaloosa,  where  he  remained 
until  1872.  In  April  of  the  following  year  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  ]\Iiss 
Sarah  Belle  White,  who  was  born  in  Adair  county,  Kentucky,  a  daughter  of 
R.  T.  \Miite,  of  Elwood.  Her  father,  also  a  native  of  Adair  county,  was 
Jjorn  the  4th  of  May.  1823.  and  was  a  son  of  Thomas  White,  a  native  of  \'ir- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  747 

ginia.  His  grandfather,  Tlionias  W'liite,  Sr.,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionarv 
war.  Tliomas  White,  Jr.,  was  married  in  Kentucky  to  Miss  Sarah  Grider, 
a  native  of  Germany,  and  tliey  l^ecame  the  parents  of  nine  cliildren,  eight 
sons  and  a  daughter.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Myers  was  reared  in  the  state  of 
liis  nativity  and  there  learned  the  hlacksmith's  trade.  In  1852.  in  Tennes- 
see, he  married  Miss  Mary  C.  Farlee,  who  was  born  in  Adair  county,  Ken- 
tucky, a  daughter  of  John  C.  and  Judah  (Parsons)  Farlee,  the  former  a  soldier 
of  the  war  of  181 2.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  became  the  parents  of  five  children, 
namely :  Mrs.  Myers ;  Mary,  wife  of  John  Sharp,  of  Elwood ;  Alice,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Warren  Stine  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years; 
William,  also  of  Elwood :  and  James,  who  is  lix'ing  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 
Mr.  White,  the  father  of  this  family,  joined  the  Thirteenth  Kentucky  Cavalry, 
and  served  for  eighteen  months.  Both  he  and  liis  wife  are  members  of  the 
Christian  church  and  have  the  warm  regard  of  many  friends.  Three  children 
have  been  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers :  Lorena  is  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Shortle,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island  Railroad  Com- 
pany, and  they  have  three  children :  Flossie  O.,  James  P.  and  Thomas. 
Harry  is  attending  school  and  is  fourteen  years  of  age.  Florence  completes 
the  family.  However,  there  are  three  children  deceased,  two  sons  and  a  daugh- 
ter. Mr.  Myers  votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  is  a  member  of  se\eral 
fraternal  societies,  including  Rice  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Topeka,  Kansas.  He 
devotes  his  time  and  energies  to  farming  and  is  one  of  the  successful  and 
enterprising  agriculturists  of  the  community  who  has  placed  his  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  making  it  a  valuable  and  productive  tract.  In  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  public  welfare  he  is  found  on  the  side  of  progress, 
giving  his  suppc:)rt  to  such  measures  as  are  intended  to  secure  advancement 
along  educational,  social  and  moral  lines,  while  at  all  times  he  is  as  true  to  his 
duties  of  citizenship  as  when  he  followed  the  old  flag  upon  the  battlefields  of 
the  south. 


JOSEPH    H.    DECKARD. 

Joseph  H.  Deckard  is  the  well-known  proprietor  of  the  Deckard  Stock 
Farm,  an  extensive  and  successful  breeder  and  dealer  in  blooded  horses  and 
jacks  in  Marion  township,  Doniphan  county.  His  farm  is  pleasantly  located 
near  Wathena,  afifording  him  excellent  shipping  facilities,  and  the  place  is 
splendidly  equipped  with  extensive  barns  and  outbuildings  for  carrying  on  the 
business  to  which  he  devotes  his  energies. 

Mr.  Deckard  was  born  on  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home,  on  the  8th  of 
Mav.  1866,  and  is  the  son  of  William  H.  Deckard,  deceased,  who  was  one  of 


748  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

the  honored  pioneer  settlers  of  the  county,  where  he  settled  about  1858,  taking 
up  his  residence  on  the  old  homestead  now  occupied  by  our  subject.  He  was 
born  in  Saline  county,  Missouri,  where  his  father  had  removed  at  an  early  day. 
There  he  was  reared  on  a  farm,  acquiring  his  education  in  an  old-time  log 
school-house  equipped  with  primitive  furniture.  Instruction  went  only  a  little 
beyond  the  "three  R's,"  but  practical  experience  in  the  afifairs  of  life,  keen 
observation,  extensi\-e  reading  and  a  retentive  memory  made  him  a  well- 
informed  man  and  rendered  him  capable  of  assuming  the  leadership  which 
was  accorded  him  in  N-arious  affairs  in  Doniphan  county.  He  was  married  in 
his  native  state  to  Miss  Rachel  Armstrong,  who  proved  to  him  a  faithful  com- 
panion and  helpmeet  on  the  journey  of  life.  In  1858  he  removed  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Doniphan  county,  and  located  upon  a  tract  of  wild  land  in  Marion  town- 
ship, transforming  it  into  a  valuable  farm  whereon  he  made  his  home  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven  years.  He  was  a 
kind  husband  and  father,  a  loyal  neighbor  and  a  good  citizen,  was  honest  in 
all  his  dealings,  firm  in  the  support  of  all  which  he  believes  to  be  right,  and  won 
the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  recognized  as  a  leader  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Republican  party,  and  for  several  years  he  served  as  county  commis- 
sioner, discharging  his  duties  with  marked  ability.  He  also  served  his  county 
in  the  state  legislature  for  two  terms,  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to 
his  constituents.  In  personal  appearance  he  was  a  man  of  medium  height,  of 
good  physique  and  in  manner  was  affable  and  jovial,  and  had  the  happy  faculty 
not  only  of  winning  friends  but  of  retaining  them  through  the  passing  years, 
and  all  who  knew  him  respected  him  for  his  many  good  qualities  of  heart  and 
mind.  His  widow  still  sur\-i\es  him.  and  is  now  living  on  the  old  homestead, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  She  is  a  worthy  member  of  the  Baptist  church 
and  has  the  esteem  of  many  friends.  In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple 
were  four  children :  Mrs.  Alice  Kent,  who  is  living  in  Oklahoma  territory ; 
Nora,  wife  of  W.  L.  Anderson,  of  Marion  township,  Doniphan  county  ;  Emma, 
wife  of  Martin  George,  of  Marion  township;  and  Joseph  H. 

The  last  named  is  the  only  son  of  the  family.  He  was  reared  on  the 
homestead  farm  where  he  was  early  instructed  in  habits  of  industry,  economy 
and  perseverance.  To  the  public  schools  he  is  indebted  for  the  educational 
privileges  afforded  him.  Ijut  reading  and  experience  have  added  to  his  knowl- 
edge. The  farm  which  he  now  occupies  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  the  rich  land  of  Doniphan  county,  and  its  meadows  and  pastures  rival 
those  of  the  blue  grass  region  of  Kentucky.  Upon  the  place  is  a  substantial 
residence,  a  large  barn  and  other  outbuildings  for  the  care  of  his  stock.  On 
his  place  is  found  the  best  road  horse  in  the  county.  He  is  the  owner  of  Alel- 
hourn  Chief,  of  a  Kentucky  Hambletonian  breed,  sixteen  and  a  lialf  hands  high 
and  dark  brown  in  color.     He  also  owns  th.ree  fine  jacks:     Star  Hawk,  fifteen 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         749 

and  a  half  hands  high;  Kentuck\-  Jack  and  Joe  Wheeler.  Tiie  first  named 
won  first  premium  at  the  St.  Joseph  fair.  Mr.  Deckard  has  done  much  to 
improve  the  grade  of  horses  and  mules  raised  in  this  section  of  the  country, 
and  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  stock-raisers  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

In  1887  Mr.  Deckard  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ellen  Little,  a  lady 
of  intelligence  and  good  family.  She  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Doni- 
phan county,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Little,  deceased,  who  was  one  of 
the  prominent  and  respected  early  settlers  of  this  county.  The  mother  has  also 
passed  away.  Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Deckard,  namely : 
Pearl,  Bertha,  Roy,  Ray,  Warren  and  Lloyd.  Our  subject  is  a  Republican, 
stanch  in  support  of  the  principles  of  his  party,  and  a  recognized  leader  in  its 
ranks  in  this  locality.  He  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  various  county  conven- 
tions and  for  two  terms  served  as  township  treasurer.  His  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church.  Air.  Deckard  is  a  prominent  business  man,  now  in  the 
prime  of  life,  and  his  energy  and  enterprise  ha\e  brought  to  him  creditable 
success  in  his  business  dealings.  His  cordial  disposition  and  genial  manner 
have  gained  him  many  warm  friends,  antl  he  is  regarded  as  a  popular  citizen 
of  Marion  township. 


ALEXANDER  GILLASPIE. 

For  forty-three  years  Mr.  Gillaspie  has  been  a  resident  of  Xemaha  county, 
the  time  of  his  arrival  antedating  that  of  almost  all  other  settlers  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  He  was  born  February  15,  1832,  in  W^est  Virginia,  and  is  a 
son  of  T.  D.  and  Elizabeth  (Low)  Gillaspie,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Virginia.  The  father  was  born  about  1807,  made  farming  his  life  work,  and 
died  in  Missouri.  In  his  family  were  six  children,  Alexander  being  the  eldest. 
Caroline,  Cyndia,  George  and  two  who  died  in  infancy  completed  the  family, 
and  Alexander  is  the  only  one  now  living.  He  was  a  lad  of  only  six  summers 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  from  \'irginia  to  Illinois, 
and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty-four  years  of  age.  On 
leaving  the  latter  state  they  went  to  Iowa,  where  Mr.  Gillaspie  made  his  home 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He  then  came  to  Kansas,  and  in  1857  began 
farming  upon  section  28,  Clear  Creek  township,  Nemaha  county,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made 
upon  the  one  hundred  and  sixty-acre  farm  which  he  secured,  but  with  char- 
acteristic energy  he  began  following  the  plow  and  soon  transformed  the  wild 
land  into  richly  cultivated  fields.  He  built  here  a  good  barn  and  substantial 
residence  and  made  other  excellent  improvements.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  one 
of  the  best  farms  in  the  countv.     He  also  set  out  an  excellent  orchard,  but  it 


750  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

was  destroyed  liy  grasshoppers  in  1874.  liis  crops  also  suffering  from  the 
same  pest,  and  his  losses  in  consequence  were  quite  heavy,  but  with  resolute  pur- 
pose he  overcame  such  difficulties  and  has  continued  his  active  connection  with 
farming  interests  until  he  is  now  the  possessor  of  a  comfortable  property,  the 
income  from  which  supplies  him  with  the  necessities  and  many  of  the  luxuries 
of  life. 

Mr.  Gillaspie  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Dickison,  who  was 
born  in  Indiana.  December  9.  1838.  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Catherine 
(Ellis)  Dickison.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  died  in  Iowa. 
The  mother  was  also  born  in  the  south,  and  in  1859  became  a  resident  of  Kan- 
sas, where  her  death  occurred  in  1873.  In  their  family  were  five  children, 
three  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely :  Mary.  John  and  Sarah.  Those  who 
have  passed  away  are  Theodore  and  Kins.  Mrs.  Gillaspie  was  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth,  and  was  married  in  Clear  Creek  township.  Xemaha  county,  in 
1862.  This  union  has  been  blessed  with  seven  children,  but  four  died  in 
infancy.  Those  still  living  are:  Eldora,  George  and  John.  The  family  is 
widelv  and  favorably  known  in  the  community,  and  its  members  have  many 
warm  friends.  Mr.  Gillaspie  has  served  as  school  director  for  six  years,  and 
the  cause  of  education  found  in  him  a  trusted  and  progressive  friend.  He  also 
served  as  road  supervisor  for  two  years,  and  in  his  political  views  has  ever 
been  a  Republican.  He  holds  membership  with  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ 
and  as  a  citizen  is  loyal  to  every  interest  which  he  believes  will  contribute  to 
the  public  welfare. 


BEX'JAMIN    FRAXKLIX    HEASTAX. 

Among  those  who  came  to  Doniphan  county  at  an  early  period  in  its 
development  is  Benjamin  F.  Heastan.  now  accounted  one  of  the  representa- 
tive farmers  of  the  community.  During  the  cixil  war  he  loyally  served  his 
country  with  the  boys  in  blue,  and  at  all  times  has  been  equally  faithful  to  his 
duties  of  citizenship,  so  that  Doniphan  county  numbers  him  among  its  fore- 
most men.  and  he  is  both  prominent  and  popular  in  the  community  in  which 
he  resides. 

His  birth  occurred  in  Harrison  county.  Ohio.  October  8.  1841.  and  he  be- 
longs to  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families  of- that  region.  His  grandfather, 
Joseph  Heastan,  emigrated  from  the  Keystone  state  to  Harrison  county,  where 
his  death  occurred  in  1854.  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  During  the  war 
of  independence  he  joined  the  colonial  troops  and  faithfully  aided  in  the  attempt 
to  throw  ofY  the  yoke  of  British  tyranny  until  allegiance  to  the  mother  country 
was  dissolved.       Returning  to  civil  life,  he  devoted  his  energies  to  farming. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.  751 

The  parents  of  our  subject  continued  tlieir  residence  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio, 
until  1 85 1,  when  they  emigrated  westward,  taking  up  their  residence  in  Holt 
county.  Missouri.  They  visited  Fort  Leavenworth  and  the  fort  commandant, 
who  was  an  old  acquaintance,  but  continued  to  make  their  home  in  Holt  county 
until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Doniphan  county.  Here  the  father  pre-empted 
the  southwest  (|uarter  of  section  15.  Wolf  Ri\er  township,  now  owned  by 
W.  y.  Ritenour.  and  at  once  began  the  imi)rovement  of  his  property,  making 
his  home  thereon  throughout  his  acti\e  business  career.  His  last  years,  how- 
ever, were  spent  in  retirement  in  Leona.  where  he  died  in  1888.  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years. 

In  the  days  of  his  early  manhood  he  married  Catherine  Forney,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  Forney,  who  also  was  one  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes  and  served 
with  a  Pennsylvania  regiment.  ]\Irs.  Heastan  died  July  11,  1865.  By  her 
marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  the  following  named  :  jMary,  the  wife  of 
Emanuel  Hurles.  of  Fairbury.  Nebraska:  Christine,  the  wife  of  John  White, 
and  a  resident  of  King  City.  Missouri ;  John,  who  died  in  Richardson  county, 
Nebraska;  Elizabeth,  the  witlow  of  John  Miller,  by  whom  she  has  two  sons, 
Jacob  and  Peter,  now  living  with  our  subject:  I'eter.  who  died  in  Holt  county, 
Missouri,  in  1855;  Sallie,  the  wife  of  W.  J.  Ritenour:  Jane,  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Pry,  of  Severance ;  Benjamin  F. :  James,  of  Greenwood  county,  Kansas ; 
Isaac,  who  died  in  Leona;  and  Jacob,  of  Fairbury,  Nebraska. 

Benjamin  F.  Heastan  received  but  meager  educational  privileges,  and  the 
knowledge  that  he  has  acquired  has  been  gained  in  the  hard  school  of  experi- 
ence and  through  readng  and  obser\ation.  No  state  in  the  Union  suffered 
more  from  the  influence  of  slavery  prior  to  the  civil  war  than  Kansas,  and 
partisan  feeling  was  very  bitter.  A  man  was  either  for  or  against  the  intro- 
duction of  the  institution  in  this  state,  and  when  the  troubles  precipitated  the 
country  into  civil  war  Mr.  Heastan  responded  to  tlie  call  for  troops  and  enlisted 
in  Company  A,  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Jamison.  He  was  with  the  company  when  it  took  more  than  three  times  its 
lunnber  of  bushwhackers  near  Little  Blue  and  Kansas  City,  and  captured 
their  camp,  coffee  and  flapjacks.  He  was  with  the  foraging  party  of  the  regi- 
ment in  the  enemies"  country  when  pursued  by  Confederate  troops,  and  as 
capture  meant  sure  death  to  any  of  the  men  of  the  Seventh  Kansas  Regiment 
every  opportunity  of  escape  was  eagerly  grasped  by  the  men.  On  this  occa- 
sion, while  being  chased  by  one  of  the  men  in  "gray,"  Mr.  Heastan's  horse 
fell  over  a  log  and  the  rider  was  badly  injured,  but  in  spite  of  this  he  regained 
the  saddle  and  amid  flying  bullets  made  his  escape  without  further  wounds. 
The  injury,  however,  unfitted  him  for  further  field  duty,  and  before  the  expira- 
tion of  his  three-years  term  he  was  honorably  discharged. 

L^pon  returning  to  civil  life  the  subject  of  this  review  located  on  S(|uaw 


752  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

creek,  where  lie  resumed  his  favorite  occupation  of  farming.  He  now  owns 
two  liundred  and  nine  acres  of  valuable  land,  constituting  one  of  the  most 
desirable  farms  in  the  locality.  He  also  has  a  farm  of  a  quarter-section  in 
Thomas  county,  Kansas,  where  he  resided  for  a  short  time  in  1889. 

On  the  19th  of  ]\Iay,  1863,  Mr.  Heastan  wedded  Sarah  M.,  a  daughter 
of  Dr.  George  Archer,  who  came  to  Kansas  at  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war, 
driven  hither  from  Texas  county,-  Missouri,  by  the  rebels.  He  was  born  in 
England,  with  his  father  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Kentucky,  and  in  his  youth 
worked  in  the  factories  of  Massachusetts.  He  afterward  studied  medicine 
in  Jefiferson  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was  married  to  a  Miss  Gardner.  Their 
surviving  children  are:  Hester,  now  I\Irs.  Williams,  of  Doniphan  county: 
Mrs.  Heastan;  Samuel,  a  resident  of  Thomas  county,  Kansas:  and  John,  of 
Sumner  county,  this  state.  B}-  another  marriage  there  were  three  children : 
Jane,  now  Mrs.  Van  Dex'ener,  of  Syracuse,  New  York;  Belle,  the  wife  of 
George  Kimbal,  of  Osawatomie,  Kansas;  and  Alice,  now  Mrs.  Eylar,  of  New 
York  city.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heaston  has  been  blessed  with  the 
following  children:  Kate,  the  wife  of  Frank  Craig;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Wesley  Dock ;  Annie,  the  wife  of  Henry  Foust ;  Eliza,  the  wife  of  David  Smith, 
Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  A.  H.  Laverentz,  Jr..  and  Sadie,  the  wife  of  Robert 
Denton. 

The  ancestors  of  our  subject  were  Whigs  in  their  political  connecti(>n, 
and  naturally  Mr.  Heastan  became  a  Republican,  which  party  he  has  always 
loyally  supported.  He  was  appointed  by  Governor  Martin  a  member  of  the 
first  board  of  county  commissioners  of  Thomas  county,  Kansas,  but  political 
office  has  had  little  attraction  for  him  and  he  prefers  to  devote  his  energies 
to  his  business  affairs,  in  which  he  is  meeting  with  creditable  success.  His 
rich  land  is  divided  into  fields  of  convenient  size,  and  these  yield  to  him  a 
golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestdws  upon  them.  His 
work  is  therefore  crowned  with  success,  and  he  is  accounted  on  of  the  leading 
and  substantial  agriculturists  of  his  community. 


JOHX  L.  MOWDER. 

John  L.  Mowder  is  numbered  among  the  practical  and  enterprising  fann- 
ers of  Rock  Creek  township,  Nemaha  county,  his  home  being  on  section  9.  He 
was  born  in  Lycoming,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  6th  of  January,  1839,  and  is  a  son 
of  Joseph  and  Judith  (Strawb)  Mowder.  His  father  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1800,  and  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Illinois.  By  occupa- 
tion he  was  a  farmer  and  throughout  his  active  business  career  devoted  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         7 S3 

energies  to  the  tilling'  of  tiie  soil.  His  death  occurred  at  the  achanced  age 
of  eighty-seven  years.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  W'urtemberg,  Germany,  and 
during  her  early  girlhood  came  with  her  parents  to  America,  the  family  locating 
in  Pennsylvania.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mowder  were  born  seven  children: 
David,  deceased;  James,  John,  Elizabeth,  Martha,  Charles  and  Hiram. 

Mr.  Mowder  of  this  review  was  the  third  son  and  child  of  the  family. 
He  spent  his  boyhood  days  upon  the  farm,  and  the  occupation  to  which  he  was 
reared  he  has  made  his  life  work.  For  his  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's 
journey  he  chose:Miss  Julia  A.  Shealy,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  in  Illinois, 
in  1867.  The  lady  was  born  in  that  state  and  was  of  English  lineage.  She 
made  her  home:  with  her  grandfather  in  Sangamon  county.  Illinois,  for  her 
father  died  in  her  early  youth  and  her  mother  afterward  married  again. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mowder  began  their  domestic  life  in  the  Prairie  state,  where 
they  remained  for  five  years,  and  in  1872  they  came  to  Nemaha  county,  Kan- 
sas, locating  on  the  farm  where  they  have  since  made  their  home.  To  this 
property  Mr.  Mowder  has  added  from  time  to  time  until  his  landed  possessions 
now  aggregate  three  hundred  acres.  He  has  greatly  improved  the  place  by 
the  erection  of  good  buildings,  a  comfortable  home,  well  kept  fences  and 
other  accessories  of  a  model  farm.  He  also  planted  an  orchard,  and  in  his 
fields  the  wa\-ing-  grain  gi\-es  e\-idence  of  abundant  harvests.  In  connection 
with  general  farming  he  has  carried  on  stock  raising,  and  in  both  branches 
of  his  business  he  has  been  successful.  His  prosperity,  howexer.  has  not  been 
attained  without  great  effort.  He  lived  in  the  county  during  the  time  when 
grasshoppers  destroyed  the  crops  and  when  cyclones  wrought  ruin  and  desola- 
tion, but  with  undaunted  perseverance  he  continued  his  search  for  success, 
and  his  indefatigable  and  well-directed  labors  have  at  length  been  crowned  with 
a  just  reward.  For  six  years  Mr.  Mowder  has  been  a  supporter  of  the  Populist 
party.  He  has  served  as  trustee  of  his  township,  and  is  ever  interested  in  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  county  which  for  many  years  has  been  his  home. 


CASPER  W.  SHREVE. 

The  period  of  Mr.  Shreve's  connection  with  White  Cloud  covers  its  entire 
history,  and  during  that  time  he  has  aided  so  largely  in  its  growth  antl  upbuild- 
ing that  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  its  most  prominent  and  influential  citizens. 
He  is  now  devoting  his  energies  to  the  drug  business  in  White  Cloud,  where 
his  enterprise,  keen  discrimination  and  determined  purpose  have  enal)led  him 
to  secure  a  liljeral  patronage. 

Mr.  Shreve  was  born  in  Deerfield,  Portage  county,  Ohio,  January  31, 


754  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD. 

1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  C.  and  Anna  G.  (Coates)  Shreve,  both  of  whom 
are  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  great-grandfather,  Colonel  Israel  Shreve, 
of  New  Jersey,  won  his  title  in  the  war  for  independence.  He  was  one  of 
Washington's  favorite  officers  during  the  New  Jersey  campaign  and  coni- 
mandcci  a  regiment  under  General  Charles  Lee  when  he  made  the  retreat  at- 
Monmouth,  for  which  Washington  so  strongly  censured  him  and  which  led 
to  Lee's  retirement  from  the  army.  Colonel  Shreve  assisted  in  rallying  the  re- 
treating troops  and  in  retrieving  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  John  Shreve,  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  loyally  served 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  family  is  of  Holland  lineage.  Thomas 
C.  Shreve  became  a  physician  and  practiced  medicine  for  fifty-five  years. 
From  Portage  county,  Ohio,  he  removed  to  Stark  county,  locating  in  Massil- 
lon,  where  he  remained  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  White  Cloud.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  acti\e  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  until  a  short  time  before  his  death,  which  occurred  Sep- 
tember 2,  1878,  in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age.  His  wife,  who  was  born 
in  1802.  survi\-ed  him  for  a  number  of  years  and  passed  away  in  White  Cloud, 
in  April,  1897.     She  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac  C.  and  Mary  (Gilbert)  Coates. 

Casper  W.  Shreve  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Massillon,  Ohio,  where  he 
attended  the  public  schools,  completing  his  literary  course  in  the  high  school 
at  that  place.  After  putting  aside  his  text-books  he  became  a  civil  engineer 
and  a  member  of  the  corps  employed  in  making  a  preliminary  survey  on  the 
Cleveland,  Zanesville  &  Cincinnati  Railroad,  remaining  on  the  road  during  its 
construction  to  Millersburg,  Holmes  county.  Later  he  was  associated  with 
John  Waddle  on  the  preliminary  survey  of  what  was  then  called  the  Ohio  & 
Atlantic  Railroad,  of  which,  company  William  Neil,  of  Columbus,  was  the  presi- 
dent. He  was  also  with  General  De  Hass  on  the  preliminary  survey  of  the 
Cleveland  &  Mahoning  Valley  Railroad.  In  the  spring  of  1855  '^^  went  to 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  in  the  employment  of  the  government  to  survey  lands  and 
assist  in  running  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  parallels,  the  sixth  principal  me- 
ridian and  guide  meridian  north  from  the  third  parallel,  taking  up  the  survey 
on  that  parallel  and  at  a  point  where  Colonel  Manners  and  his  party  had  been 
driven  off  by  the  Pawnee  Indians.  The  village  of  the  t'-ibe  was  tjicn  located 
south  of  the  Platte  ri\-er  and  almost  south  of  where  the  town  of  Fremont  now 
stands.  The  Pawnees  were  at  that  time  quite  savage,  but,  Mr.  Shreve  and 
his  party  sustained  no  injury  at  their  hands  and  held  several  love  feasts  with 
them.  While  in  Omaha  Mr.  Shreve  was  one  of  five  persons  who  met  in  Gen- 
eral Larimer's  parlor  in  that  city  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  the  Republican 
party  in  Nebraska. 

In  the  spring  of  1858  our  suliject  came  to  White  Cloud  for  the  purpose  of 
surveying  a  town  site  for  which  he  and  the  late  Henrv  F.  Marcv  liad  a  con- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL  RECORD.         755 

tract.  Previous  to  that  time  but  a  small  portion  of  the  town  site  had  been  sur- 
veyed and  platted,  and  with  the  development  and  impro\ement  of  the  place 
Mr.  Shreve  has  been  actively  identified.  Soon  after  his  arrival  here  he  em- 
barked in  the  drug  trade  and  now  carries  an  excellent  stock  of  drugs  and 
medicines,  together  with  everything  found  in  a  first-class  establishment  of  this 
kind.  He  has  Iniilt  up  a  good  trade  and  his  success  is  a  logical  result  of  his 
earnest  efforts.  In  connection  with  his  drug  business  he  now  owns  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  of  which  fifteen  acres  lie  within  the  corporate  limits  of 
\\'hite  Cloud. 

On  the  20th  of  September.  1883.  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Shreve  and  Aliss  Dora  Utt,  of  White  Cloud,  Kansas,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely :  Anna,  Priscilla, 
Charles  ^^'.  and  John  Donald.  ^Ir.  Shre\e  has  frequently  been  called  to  pub- 
lic office,  and  no  trust  reposed  in  him  has  ever  been  betrayed  in  the  slightest 
degree.  For  the  past  twenty-five  years  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board  of  White  Cloud,  and  his  labors  have  been  most  effective  in  promoting 
the  cause  of  education  here.  He  was  also  appointed  United  States  commis- 
sioner and  held  the  position  for  twenty  years.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  first 
Republican  convention  in  Doniphan  county  and  has  ever  been  a  stanch  advocate 
of  the  grand  old  party  that  went  to  the  defense  of  the  Union  in  the  Civil  war 
and  has  ever  sustained  American  institutions  and  industries,  and  now  advocates 
colonial  extension.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  White  Cloud  Lodge,  No. 
78,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  Society.  For  forty-two 
years  he  has  been  a  resident  here  and  at  all  times  has  commanded  the  public 
respect  and  confidence,  for  the  record  of  his  life  is  an  open  book,  inviting- 
closest  scrutiny. 


-B3  14