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Gc  iVl.  L. 

978.101 

Lllca 

1606078 


REYNOLDS  H/STORICAL 
GENEALOGY  COLLECTION 


3  1833  01103  1751 


HISTORY 


J 


OF- 


LABETTE  County,  Kansas, 


■^ 


AND- 


Representative  Citizens. 


EDITED  AND  COMPILED  BY 

Hon.  Nelson  Case. 


'History  is  Philosophy  TeachlMg  by  Examples." 
1866-1900. 


rt'niJsiiED  nv 

CIOGHAPHICAL  PURLI.<HING  COMI'AN'V, 

Geouck  RiciiMdNi),  I'RKS.;  S.  Hakmek  Neff,  Sec'v;  C.  K.  Arnold,  Tkkas. 

Chi(,a(;o,  Illinois. 

1901. 


16G6078 


-XOTE- 


All  the  biographical  siietches  published  in  this  volume  were 
submitted  to  their  respective  subjects,  or  to  the  subscribers,  from 
whom  the  facts  were  primarily  obtained,  for  their  approval  or 
correction  before  going  to  press;  and  a  reasonable  time  was 
allowed  in  each  case  for  the  return  of  the  type-written  copies. 
Most  of  them  were  returned  to  us  within  the  time  allotted,  or 
before  the  work  was  printed,  after  being  corrected  or  revised; 
and   these    may    therefore    be    regarded    as    reasonably    accurate. 

A  few,  however,  were  not  returned  to  us;  and,  as  we  have 
no  means  of  knowing  whether  they  contain  errors  or  not,  we 
cannot  vouch  for  their  accuracy.  In  justice  to  our  readers,  and 
to  r&nder  this  work  more  valuable  for  reference  ^purposes,  we 
have  indicated  these  uncorrected  sketches  by  a  small  asterisk  (■■"), 
placed  immediately  after  the  name  of  the  subject.  They  will 
all    be    lound    on    the    last    pages    of    the    book. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  PUBLISHING  CO. 


Preface 


HE  aim  of  the  publishers  of  this  volume  has  been  to  secure  for  the  historic  portion 
thereof  full  and  accurate  information  respecting  all  subjects  therein  treated,  and  to 
present  the  data  thus  gathered  in  a  clear  and  impartial  manner.  If,  as.is  their  hope, 
they  have  succeeded  in  this  endeavor,  the  credit  is  mainly  due  to  the  diligent  and  exhaustive 
research  of  that  eminent  pioneer  resident  of  Labette  county,  Hon.  Nelson  Case,  of  Oswego, 
whose  high  character  and  profound  erudition  are  recognized  throughout  the  State  of  Kansas. 
His  patient  and  conscientious  labor  in  the  compilation  and  the  presentation  of  facts  is  shown 
in  the  historical  portion  of  the  volume.  This  record  gives  a  comprehensive  account  of  the 
organization  of  the  county,  and  of  the  leading  events  in  the  stages  of  its  development  from 
1865  to  the  present  time,  as  set  forth  in  the  table  of  contents.  Certain  subjects  which 
Judge  Case  hoped  to  introduce  have  been  omitted  for  lack  of  requisite  data,  but  all  topics 
and  occurrences  are  included  which  are  essential  to  the  usefulness  of  the  history.  Although 
the  purpose  of  the  author  was  to  limit  the  narrative  to  the  close  of  1900,  he  has  deemed  it 
proper  to  touch  on  some  matters  overlapping  that  period.  For  any  possible  errors  that 
may  occur  in  the  work,  the  indulgence  of  our  readers  is  asked. 

The  reviews  of  resolute  and  strenuous  lives,  which  make  up  the  biographical  depart- 
ment of  the  volume,  and  whose  authorship  is  entirely  independent  of  that  of  the  history,  are 
admirably  adapted  to  foster  local  ties,  to  inculcate  patriotism  and  to  emphasize  the  rewards 
of  industry,  dominated  by  intelligent  purpose.  They  constitute  a  most  appropriate  medium 
of  perpetuating  personal  annals  and  will  be  of  incalculable  value  to  the  descendants  of  those 
therein  commemorated.  They  bring  into  bold  relief  careers  of  enterprise  and  thrift  and 
make  manifest  valid  claims  to  honorable  distinction.  If  "Biography  is  the  only  true 
History,"  it  is  obviously  the  duty  of  men  of  the  present  time  to  preserve  in  this  enduring 
form  the  story  of  their  lives  in  order  that  their  posterity  may  dwell  on  the  successful  strug- 
gles thus  recorded,  and  profit  by  their  example.  These  sketches,  replete  with  stirring  inci- 
dents and  intense  experiences,  will  naturally  prove  to  most  of  the  readers  of  this  book  its 
most  attractive  feature. 


PREFACE. 


In  the  aggregate  of  personal  memoirs,  thus  collated,  will  be  found  a  vivid  epitome  of 
the  growth  of  Labette  county,  which  will  fitly  supplement  the  historic  statement;  for  the 
development  of  the  county  is  identified  with  that  of  the  men  and  women  to  whom  it  is 
attributable.  The  publishers  have  endeavored  in  the  preparation  of  the  work  to  pass  over 
no  feature  of  it  slightingly,  but  give  heed  to  the  minutest  details,  and  thus  to  invest  it  with 
a  substantial  accuracy  which  no  other  treatment  would  afford.  The  result  has  amply  justi- 
fied the  care  thus  exercised,  for  in  our  belief  no  more  reliable  production,  under  the  circum- 
stances, could  be  laid  before  its  readers. 

We  have  given  special  prominence  to  the  portraits  of  representative  citizens,  which 
appear  throughout  this  volume,  and  believe  they  will  prove  a  most  interesting  feature  of  the 
work.  We  have  sought  to  illustrate  the  different  spheres  of  industrial  and  professional 
achievement  as  conspicuously  as  possible.  To  those  who  have  kindly  interested  themselves 
in  the  successful  preparation  of  this  work,  and  who  have  voluntarily  contributed  most  useful 
information  and  data,  we  herewith  tender  our  grateful  acknowledgment. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 

Chicago,  III.,  August,  1901. 


Contents 


Early  Historv 11 

Origin  of  our  Laws  and  the  Sources  of  Titles  to  our  Homes— Discoveries — Charters — Treaties— Terri- 
torial Government — The  Osages— Survey  of  Reservation — Schools— Chiefs— Towns — Battle— The  Two 
Bands — Character— Burying  Grounds — Treaties  with  the  Osages— John  Mathews— Early  Expeditions- 
Early  Settlements — Surveys — LRbette — Boundary. 

Permanent  Settle'hent,  Organization,  and  Growth 27 

Organization  of  the  County — Land  Titles — Hardships— First  Administration— Marriages— County-Seat 
and  County-Sifet  Contests — County  Buildings— Furnishing  County  Offices— Self-Organized  Courts — Dis- 
trict Court— Home  fo--  the  Poor— List  of  Superintendents  of  Poor-Farm— Bridges— U.  S.  Census— As- 
sessment for  1867 — Tax  Sales— County  Expenses — Colored  People— Athletics— Official  Delinquencies — 
Reception  of  President  Hayes. 

Industrial— County  Organizations 48 

First  Wheat  Crops— Castor  Beans — Tame  Grass — Cotton  Industry— Grasshoppers -Fish  and  Game — 
Bounty— Dehornmg  Stock — Texas  Fever— Hedge  and  Weed  Law — Natural  Gas — Tables  showing  Acre- 
age, Product  and  Value  of  Field  Crops— Farmers'  Organizations  (Grartge,  Alliance,  &:c.)— Fair  Associa- 
tions— Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Societies — Labette  County  Historical  Society — Other  Local  Organ- 
izations— G.  A.  R. 

Criminal  Matters (is 

Assassination,  lS;c.,  S:c. — The  Bender  Slaughter-Pen — X'igilance  Committee— Citizens'  Protective  Asso- 
ciation. 

MiSH  Al'S 78 

Drownings — Conflagrations — Boiler  Explosions — Deaths  by  Fire,  &c.,  &:c. 

Meteorological *. 81 

The  Weather,  embracing  the  period  from  ISfjrj  to  1900. 

Storms : 92 

Municipal  Townships 94 

A  condensed  History  of  all  the  Townships  in  the  County  from  the  Date  of  the  Organization  of  each 
Township  up  to  the  Present  Time. 

Towns  and  Cities lis 

Proposed  Towns  (containing  some  account  of  the  various  towns  which  at  one  time  had  an  actual  or 
'"  paper  "  existence,  but  are  now  dead)— The  Cities,  Towns  and  Stations  in  Labette  County  as  existing  at 
present. 

Educational liili 

Public  Schools- -The  First  Schools  in  the  County— Detailed  History  of  each  School  District— Grading 
Country  Schools — Teachers'  Institutes— County  Teachers'  Association — Private  Schools— Couiity  High 
School — Hobson  Normal  Institute— Oswego  College — Osage  College  for  Young  Ladies— Literary  Circles. 


CONTENTS. 


Railroads. 


Roads  Attempted  to  he  secured — Roads  Constructed- 


-Railroad  Strikes. 


203 


212 


260 


Political 

Brief  Account  of  all  the  Conventions  of  the  Various  Political  Parties,  beginning  with  those  of  1866— Can- 
didates for  Judicial  Honors— Elections— Commissioner  Districts— Legislative  Apportionment— List  of 
Officers— List  and  Terms  of  Chairmen  of  Board  of  County  Commissioners— List  of  Official  Papers. 

The  Struggle  for  Temperance 24. 

The  First  Licensed  Saloon— The  Crusade  Spiric— Reform  Club— Breweries— Murphy  Meetings— Dispens- 
ing with  Petition— Temperance  Organizations— The  Prohibition  Canvass— First  Anniversary  of  Prohibi- 
tion—Organizations  for  Enforcing  the  Law— Druggists'  Reports— "Original  Package"  Houses. 

POSTOFFICES  AND  POSTMASTERS 

A  Complete  List  of  the  Postoffices  and  Postmasters  of  Labette  County,  from  1865  to  the  Present. 

The  Press ■ '^^^ 

Brief  account  of  each  Newspaper  and  Periodical  which  has  been  Published  in  the  County. 

Bench  and  Bar 281 

Religious  Organizations 297 

History  of  every  Religious  Organization  (embracing  Churches,  Sabbath  Schools,  Bible  Societies,  Y.  M.  C. 
A.,  &c.,  &c.)  which  has  existed  in  the  County. 

The  Settlers'  Contest  for  Their  Homes 359 

Preliminary  Steps  in  the  Contest— Settlers'  Meetings— Basis  for  their  Claims— Action  of  Congress  and  of 
the  Land  Department— Attitude  of  the  Local  Press— Settlers'  Protective  Association— Its  Constitution- 
Legal  Measures — Further  Legislation — Final  Victory. 


HON.   NELSON   CASE. 


fiisiory  of  Cabetie  County 


EARLY    HISTORY 


The  Englibh  claim  to  this  continent,  like 
that  of  all  the  European  governments  which 
made  claim  thereto,  was  based  on  discovery.  In 
1496  King  Henry  \'II  granted  a  commission 
to  John  Cabot  to  discover  countries  then  un- 
kno-wn  to  Christian  people,  and  to  take  pos- 
session of  them  in  the  name  of  the  King  of 
England.  Under  this  commission  Cabot  and 
his  son  Sebastian  the  following  year  discovered 
the  continent  of  North  America,  and  setting 
u])  the  English  standard,  took  possession  of 
the  same  in  the  name  of  the  King  of  England 
some  fourteen  months  prior  to  the  discovery 
of  the  main  land  of  America  by  Columbus.  In 
1498,  John  Cabot  having  in  the  meantime 
died.  Sebastian  made  another  voyage  and  ex- 
plored the  coast  as  far  south  as  Virginia. 
From  these  disco\-eries  England  dates  her 
claim  to  this  continent. 

In  1606  James  I  granted  a  charter  to  Sir 
Thomas  Gates  and  others,  authorizing  them  to 
colonize  the  Xew  World.  Under  this  charter 
two  companies  were  formed.  One,  called  the 
London  Company,  was  to  send  out  the  "First 
Colony  of  A'irginia,"  who  were  to  settle  be- 
tween the  34th  and  38th  degrees  of  north  lati- 


tude,  and  whose  possessions  were  to  extend 
inland   without  bound;  under  this  grant  the- 
first  permanent  English  settlement  in  America; 
was  made,  at  Jamestown,  in  1607.     The  other 
^  company  under  this  charter,  called  the  \\'estern 
I  Company,  was  to  send  out  the  "Second  Col- 
j  ony  of  Virginia,"  who  were  to  settle  between 
I  the  41st  and  45th  degrees  of  north  latitude. 
This    count}-    is    embraced  within  the  first  of 
these  grants. 
j         On  May  23,   1609,  the  London  Company 
j  was  granted  a  new   charter  by  King  James, 
I  under  letters  patent  running  to  Robert,  Earl 
of  Salisbury,  and  others',  constituting  them  a 
body  corporate  under  the  style  of  '"The  Treas- 
urer and  Company  of  Adventurers  and  Plant- 
ers of  the  City  of  London  for  the  First  Colony 
nf  A'irginia."     By    this    patent    the    company 
was  granted  "All,  the  lands,  countries  and  ter- 
I  ritories  situate,  lying  and  being  in  that  part 
of  Xorth  America  called  Virginia,   from  the 
point  of  land  called  Cape  or  Point  Comfort 
all  along  the  seacoast  to  the  northward  two 
hundred  miles;  and  from  said  Cape  or  Point 
j  Comfort  all  along  the  seacoast  to  the  south- 
warrl  two  hundred  miles,  and  all  that  space  and 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


circuit  of  land  lying  from  the  seacoast  of  the 
precinct  aforesaid  u])  into  the  land  throughout 
from  the  sea,  west  and  northwest ;  and  also 
all  the  islands  lying  within  one  hundred  miles 
along  the  coast  of  hoth  seas  of  the  precinct 
aforesaid,  with  al]  the  soil,  grounds,  rights, 
pri\'ileges  and  appurtenances  to  these  territor- 
ies belonging,  and  in  the  letters  j^atent  particu- 
larly enumerated." 

In  ]\Iarch,  1612,  a  third  charter  was 
granted  this  London  company,  but  without 
changing  the  boundaries  of  its  grant  from 
what  they  were  under  its  prior  charter. 

B}'  the  terms  of  the  first  charter  of  which 
I  have  spoken,  the  superior  council  of  the  com- 
pany were  appointed  by  the  king:  and  under 
the  king's  advice  and  direction  this  company 
was  to  ordain  and  remove  the  resident  council. 
The  king  retained  the  supreme  legislative  au- 
thority in  himself.  Emigrants  were  promised 
that  thev  and  their  children  should  continue 
Englishmen.  The  state  religion  of  England 
was  established  here,  and  capital  punishment 
was  prescribed  for  several  offenses.  Lands 
were  to  descend  according  to  the  laws  of  Eng- 
land. 

By  the  second  charter  the  powers  reserved 
to  the  king  in  the  first  were  given  to  the  com- 
pany. The  council  were  to  be  elected  by  the 
shareholders,  and  they  might  endow  emigrants 
with  the  rights  of  Englishmen.  Colonists 
were  given  a  few  acres  of  ground,  and  the 
right  of  private  property  was  firmly  estab- 
lished. By  the  third  charter,  power  was  trans- 
ferred from  the  council  to  the  company, 
through  which  the  colonists  might  be  granted 
all  the  rights  belonging  to  the  people  of  En^'- 
land.  Under  this  charter  the  first  American 
representative  legislature  assembled  at  James- 
town on  July  30,  1 619.  In  1624,  in  an  action 
of  quo  warranto,  this  corporation  was  dissolved 


by  judgment  of  the  court  of  King's  Bench, 
and  its  rights  reverted  to  the  crown  of  Eng- 
land. 

By  the  treaty  of  Paris,  signed  on  Febru- 
ary 10,  1763,  entered  into  between  Great  Brit- 
ain, Spain  and  France,  the  latter  released  to 
the  former  all  claim  to  the  territory  east  of  the 
Mississippi  except  New  Orleans,  while  all  the 
territory  west  of  that  river  was  ceded  to 
France.  From  this  time  we  ceased  to  be  a 
dependency  of  the  English  and  became  at- 
tached to  the  French  crown. 

In  1762,  by  the  secret  treaty  of  Fcntain- 
bleau,  France  ceded  upper  Louisiana,  embrac- 
ing" the  territory  we  now  occupy,  to  Spain, 
though  the  latter  did  not  take  possession  of 
the  same  till  1770. 

On  October  i,  1800,  by  the  treaty  of  St. 
Ildefonso,  Spain  retroceded  Louisiana  to 
France.  Those  who  lived  here  from  1770  to 
1800  were  tlierefore  under  SiDanish  rule,  and 
all  changes  of  title  during  that  time  must  have 
been  by  Spanish  laws. 

On  April  30,  1803,  the  treatv  of  Paris  was 
concluded,  by  the  provisions  of  which  the 
French  Republic  sold  the  entire  pro\-ince  of 
Louisiana  to  the  United  States,  since  which 
time  we  ha\-e  been  a  part  of  her  territoVy  and 
subject  to  her  laws. 

L.\.WS  PRIOR  TO  THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  KANSAS 
TERRITORY. 

On  October  31,  1803,  the  law  was  appro^•ed 
authorizing  the  President  to  take  possession  of 
the  French  (Louisiana)  purchase,  and  to  pro- 
vide for  its  government  until  a  government 
should  be  provided  by  Congress. 

On  March  26,  1804.  the  President  approved 
the  act  dividing  the  French  purchase  into  two 
districts,  viz. :  the  Territorv  of  Orleans,  to  em- 


AXD  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


13 


brace  all  the  purchase  lying  south  of  the  33CI 
degree  of  latitude,  for  which  a  territorial  gov- 
ernment was  pro\'ided ;  and  all  the  purchase 
lying  north  of  that  line  was  designated  the  Dis- 
trict of  Louisiana,  the  government  of  which 
was  placed  under  the  go\-ernor  and  judges  of 
the  Indiana  Territory,  and  these  officers  were 
authorized  to  exercise  legislative  as  well  as  ex- 
ecutive and  judicial  functions  over  the  district. 

In  pursuance  of  the  authority  conferred  by 
this  act  of  Congress,  the  governor  and  judges 
of  the  Indiana  Territory  ordained  and  promul- 
gated a  body  of  laws,  most  of  which  went  into 
operation  October  i,  1804.  \'arious  crimes 
were  defined  and  punishments  therefor  pro- 
\-ided;  courts  were  established;  slavery  was  rec- 
ognized throughout  the  territory,  and  minute 
regulations  were  prescribed  for  the  conduct  and 
government  of  negroes ;  provision  was  made  for 
recording  legal  instruments,  for  licensing  at- 
torneys, for  practice  in  court,  and  for  mar- 
riage. 

By  act  of  Congress  of  i\Iarch  3,  1805,  the 
District  of  Louisiana  was  changed  to  the  Terri- 
tory of  Louisiana,  and  a  territorial  government 
provided,  consisting  of  a  governor  and  three 
judges,  wdio  were  also  to  exercise  legislative 
functions. 

By  act  of  Congress  approved  June  4,  18 12, 
and  which  went  into  operation  on  the  first  i\Ion- 
day  of  December.  1812.  the  name  of  the  Terri- 
tory w-as  changed  from  Louisiana  to  Missouri, 
and  a  legislative  assembly  was  added  to  the  ex- 
ecutive and  judicial  departments  of  govern- 
ment. 

By  a  law  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Territorv  of  iMissouri,  approved  January  19, 
1816,  the  common  law  of  England,  so  far  as 
not  inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  tlie  United 
States,  was  declared   to  be  in   force,  but  the 


<loctrine  of  survivorshi])  in  case  of  joint  ten- 
ancy, it  was  expressly  declared,  should  never  be 
in  force. 

On  i\Iarch  6,  1820,  the  famous  compromise 
measure  of  Henry  Clay  became  a  law  by  the 
appro\-al  of  the  President,  wherel}y  that  pnrtion 
of  the  Territory  of  IMissouri  embraced  within 
the  bounds  of  the  present  State  of  IVIissouri 
was  authorized  to  form  a  constitution  and  be 
admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State,  and  from 
all  the  remainder  of  said  Territory,  lying  north 
of  36  degrees  30  minutes,  slavery  and  invol- 
untar}-  servitude  were  forever  excluded.  In 
pursuance  of  this  authority  a  constitution  was 
adopted  and  iMissouri  was  fully  admitted  into 
the  Lhiion  by  proclamation  of  the  President, 
dated  August  10,  1821. 

In  1850  the  slavery  agitation  was  reopened 
in  Congress,  and  several  acts  passed  as  another 
compromise,  among  them  the  establishment  of 
territorial  government  for  New  iMe.xico  and 
Utah,  with  provisions  in  each  fur  their  admis- 
sion "into  the  Union  with  or  without  slavery, 
as  their  constitutions  may  prescribe  at  the  time 
of  their  admission ;"  and  an  act  making  more 
stringent  provisions  for  the  apprehension  and 
return  of  fugitive  slaves. 

By  "An  act  to  regulate  trade  and  inter- 
course with  the  Indian  tribes,  and  to  preserve 
peace  on  the  frontiers,"  ajjpnned  June  30, 
1834,  Congress  declared  all  the  territory  west 
of  iMissouri  and  Arkansas  "Indian  Country," 
and  attached,  among  others,  the  Osage  coun- 
try to  the  Territory  of  Arkansas,  and  declared 
the  laws  of  the  United  States  providing  for 
the  punishment  of  crimes  committed  in  ter- 
ritory under  the  exclusive  jurisdiction  of  the 
United  States  to  be  in  force  in  such  Indian 
Countrv.  This  arrangement  continued  to  the 
formation  if  the  territorial  go\-ernment. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


TERRITORIAL    GOVERNMENT. 

By  "An  act  to  organize  the  Territories  of 
Nebraska  and  Kansas,"  approved  May  30, 
1854,  Congress  organized  the  territory  now 
forming  the  State  of  Kansas  into  a  Territory, 
and  provided  for  it  a  go\-ernment  consisting 
of  executive,  legislative  and  judicial  depart- 
ments. By  Sec.  27,  writs  of  error  were  to  be 
alliiwcd  fnmi  the  Supreme  Court  ijf  the  Ter- 
ritory t.i  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States  "in  all  cases  invoh-ing  title  to  slaves," 
without  regard  to  the  amount  in  controversy; 
and  pro\'ision  was  made  for  enforcing  the  Fu- 
gitive Slave  act  of  1850. 

In  July,  1855,  the  first  territorial  leg'sla- 
ture  met,  and  enacted  what  were  popularly 
known  as  the  "Bogus  Laws."  They  were  al- 
niost  a  transcript  "of  the  laws  of  Missouri. 
Some  recognition  seems  to  have  been  given 
them  in  one  or  two  of  the  succeeding  sessions 
of  the  legislature,  by  way  of  amendment,  and 
yet  when  the  people  had  (obtained  control  of 
matters  and  had  taken  them  from  the  hands  of 
the  "border  ruffians."  no  one  ever  paid  any  at- 
tention to  the  pr  .\'isions  of  these  statutes, 
when  they  conflicted  with  theh-  convictions  of 
nght;  an<l,  on  February  11,  1859,  the  wh::le 
body  of  the  enactmnts  of  1855  were  repealed 
by  a  single  sentence.  The  most  objectionable 
feature  of  these  old  laws  was  the  one  relat- 
ing to  slavery. 

By  chapter  151  of  this  enactment,  slaverv 
was  recognized  as  an  existing  institution,  and 
severe  penalties  were  enforced  for  anv  inter- 
ference therewith.  By  this  law  it  was  made  a 
felony  to  deny  the  right  of  i)roperty  in  slaves, 
or  to  print  or  circulate  any  book,  pamphlet  or 
paper  denying  such  right.  But  this  chapter 
was  repealed  on  February  9,  1858. 

The     only     other     provision     particularly 


affecting  the  people  of  this  county  was  the  cre- 
ation of  the  county  of  Dorn,  embracing  what 
is  now  Neosho  and  Labette  counties. 

On  January  29,  1861,  Kansas  was  admit- 
ted into  the  Union  under  the  Wyandotte  Con- 
stitution. Under  this  constitution  and  the 
laws  made  by  authority  thereof  most  of  ns 
have  lived  since  our  residence  in  this  county. 

THE  OSAGES. 

Whether  or  not  the  Osages  were  the  aut- 
ochthones of  this  county,  I  leave  for  the  anti- 
quarians to  determine,  but  for  the  purpose  of 
this  work  I  shall  not  go  back  of  their  settle- 
ment here  to  inquire  who,  if  anyone,  preceded 
them  to  this  country.  The  Government's  in- 
tercourse with  this  tribe  seems  to  have  com- 
menced in  1808,  when  on  November  10,  1808, 
a  treaty  was  concluded  at  Fort  Clark,  on  the 
Missouri  River,  by  the  terms  of  which  the 
United  States  received  the  tribe  into  its  fellow- 
ship and  under  its  protection,  and  the  Osages 
ceded  to  the  Lhiited  States  all  their  territory 
lying  east  of  a  line  running  south  from  Fort 
Clark  to  the  Arkansas  River.  The  next  im- 
portant treatv  with  this  tribe  was  made  June 
2,  1825,  at  St.  Louis.  By  the  ijrovisions  of 
this  treaty  the  Osages  relinciuished  to  the 
Government  all,  their  land  lying  south  of  the 
Kansas  Ri\'er  and  north  and  west  of  the  Red 
River,  east  of  a  line  drawn  south  from  the 
sources  of  the  Kansas  through  Rock  Saline, 
excepting  a  strip  50  miles  wide  extending  from 
a  line  25  miles  west  of  the  Missouri  State  line 
to  the  west  line  of  the  ceded  territory.  The 
southern  part  of  Allen,  together  with  Neosho 
and  Labette  counties,  formed  the  territory  on 
the  east  line  of  this  reservation,  which  extend- 
ed west  nearly  across  the  State. 

Soon  after  the  conclusion  of  this  treaty-,  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Osages  moved  to  Kansas,  and  lieg-an  settling 
along  the  Neosho  and  Verdigris  rivers ;  these 
settlements  commenced  as  early  as  1827. 
Prior  to  this  their  home  had  been  farther  east, 
and  this  had  formed  their  hunting-ground. 
Here  they  were  when  our  people  commenced 
settling  this  county,  in  1865. 

SURVEY  OF  RESERVATION. 

The  northeast  corner  of  this  reservation 
was  established  by  Major  Anp'us  Langham, 
in  1827,  and  the  east  and  south  lines  as  far 
west  as  the  Arkansas  Ri\'er  were  surveyed  and 
established  by  him  that  year.  It  was  not  until 
1836  that  the  north  line  was  definitely  sur- 
veyed and  established  by  lohn  C.  McCoy. 


About  1826  the  Presbyterians  established 
a  school  on  the  left  bank  of  the  ^larais  des 
Cygnes,  near  the  present  site  of  Pappinsville, 
Bates  county,  Missouri,  called  Harmony  Mis- 
sion. A  year  later  they  established  another 
school,  at  Saline,  in  the  Cherokee  Nation. 
These  schools  did  not  prosper,  and  after  they 
were  broken  up  the  Presbyterians  erected  a 
large  house  on  the  east  bank  of  Four-lMile 
Creek,  in  Neosho  county,  just  above  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Neosho.  Father  John  Schoen- 
maker  started  the  Catholic  Mission  in  the 
spring  of  1847. 


Parties  who  have  long  been  acquainted 
with  the  Osages  tell  me  that  to  entitle  a  party 
to  the  position  of  civil  chief,  he  had  to  have  a 
mother  of  a  chief  bearing  family.  The  Beaver 
family,  if  not  the  only,  was  the  principal  one 


from  whom  the  women  came  whose  children 
were  entitled  to  obtain  the  position  of  civil 
chief.  There  was  not  only  a  principal  civil 
chief,  but  also  the  chiefs  who  led  the  bands  in 
war:  to  this  latter  class  Chetopa  l)el.)nged.  It 
is  said  he  could  not  becume  a  ci\il  chief,  not 
having  a  mother  who  pruduced  a  candidate  for 
that  position;  but  he  was  the  principal  war 
chief,  and  when  on  the  war-path  outranked  the 
civil  chief.  He  was  a  great  friend  of  Dr. 
Lisle.  It  was  for  him  that  the  town  of  Che- 
topa was  named.  White  Hair,  who  was  the 
principal  chief  on  the  arrival  of  the  first  while 
settlers,  was  a  man  of  great  torce  and  author- 
ity. He  was  born  in  Neosho  county,  about 
1834,  and  died  of  consumjnion.  at  his  camp 
on  the  Verdigris.  Decemlier  24,  1869. 


The  position  of  the  chiefs  town,  as  that 
of  the  towns  of  the  others,  \-aried  from  time 
to  time.  Their  improvements  were  not  such 
as  to  make  it  impossilile  to  change  location 
when  circumstances  seemetl  to  demand  it.  On 
a  map  of  the  Osage  country,  made  in  1836  by 
John  C.  ]\IcCoy,  who  surveyed  and  ran  the 
norih  line  of  the  reservation,  "White  Hair 
Town"  was  located  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Neosho  River,  al)out  one-fnurth  of  the  way 
from  the  north  to  the  south  Ijoundary  of  the 
reservation.  A  copy  of  this  map.  which  was 
furnished  to  the  St.  Louis  office  of  the  Bureau 
of  Indian  Affairs,  is  now  in  our  State  Histori- 
cal Society.  Subsequently  we  find  White 
Hair  Town  at  a  point  farther  down  the  river, 
but  probably  all  the  time  it  was  somewhere  in 
Neo.sho  county.  At  the  foot  of  the  bluff 
north  and  east  of  Oswego,  as  well  as  at  other 
points  within  a  few  miles  of  Oswego,  are  still 
to  be  found  unmistakalde  e\-'dences  cf  the  sites 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  their  towns,  wliich  must  lia\-e  been  inhab- 
ited for  very  manj-  years.  Dr.  W.  S.  Newlon 
has  made  something  of  a  study  of  the  subject 
of  their  villages,  implements,  etc. 


About  1837  there  was  a  bloody  encounter 
between  a  band  of  Cherokees  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Rogers,  who  hved  at  the  salt 
works  on  Grand  River,  and  who  was  an  uncle 
of  Lewis  Rogers,  of  Chetopa,  and  the  Little 
Town  band  of  Osages,  in  a  grove  a  few  miles 
south  of  Oswego.  About  100  of  the  Osages, 
embracing  nearly  all  of  the  band,  were  killed. 
White  Hair,  who  was  then  a  small  boy,  and 
who  afterward  became  the  principal  chief,  was 
away  from  the  band  at  tl:e  time,  and  was  thus 
spared.  The  Osages  were  all  drunk,  and  were 
butchered — men,  women  and  children  alike. 
This  butchery  was  in  revenge  for  an  expedi- 
tion that  they  had  made  down  in  the  Cherokee 
country  a  short  time  before.  Dr.  Lisle  has 
told  me  he  got  this  information  direct  from 
White  Hair  himself,  and  also  the  same  from 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Etter,  who  was  with 
Captain  Rogers  on  the  Cherokee  side. 

It  is  said  that  in  1862  or  1863  a  band  of 
Missouri  rebels  on  their  way  to  the  western 
plains  or  mountains,  were  surprised  by  a  band 
of  Osages  in  what  is  now  Osage  township  in 
this  county ;  the  rebels  were  surroiuided  by  the 
Indians,  and  all  but  two  were  killed.  In  re- 
gard to  this  matter  I  have  no  information 
except  that  which  I  get  from  the  old  settlers, 
who  in  turn  claim  to  have  .gotten  it  from  the 
Indians,  or  someone  with  them. 

THE  TWO  B.\XDS. 

Rev.  Isaac  McCoy  in  his  history  of  Bap- 
tist Indian  ^ilissions,  on  page  358,  says  that 


the  Osages  li\-ed  on  the  ^lissouri  in  two  settle- 
ments, and  were  known  among  Indians  and 
those  familiar  with  Indian  affairs,  as  upper 
settlement  or  people,  and  lower  settlement  or 
people ;  and  remarks  that  the  whites,  who  were 
ignorant  of  their  language,  fancied  that  one 
was'  called  '"tall  people"  and  the  other  "short 
people."  He  says  that  this  was  the  origin  of 
the  designation  Great  and  Little  Osages. 
Those  designated  the  "upper  people."  which 
the  whites  took  to  mean  tall  people,  being  the 
Great  Osages,  and  those  designated  "lower 
people,"  supposed  bv  the  whites  to  mean  short 
people,  the  Little  Osages.  He  savs:  "In 
most  of  our  treaties  with  the  Osages  thev  ha\-e 
been  represented  as  composed  of  two  distinct 
bands,  called  Great  and  Little  Osages;  no 
such  distinction  in  reality  exists,  or  ever  did 
exist.  The  supposition  originated  in  the  ig- 
norance and  awkwardness  of  traders  among 
them."  This  account  was  given  in  1828,  and 
seems  to  furnish  a  plausible  theory  of  the 
origin  of  this  designation ;  but  we  must  remem- 
ber that  these  terms  were  used  in  ijur  first 
treaty  with  them,  in  1808. 

CHAR.\CTER. 

I  have  not  sufficient  accpiaintance  with  In- 
dian matters  to  be  able  to  attempt  anything 
like  a  description  of  the  Osages,  or  to  assign 
to  them  the  character  to  which  they  are  prob- 
ably entitled,  but  the  facts  of  their  history,  as 
we  gather  them  from  the  reports  of  their  do- 
ings, lead  me  to  suppose  that  they  were  not  of 
that  savage  and  barbarous  disposition  which 
some  have  attributed  to  them,  and  which  char- 
acterizes so  many  of  the  Indian  tribes.  I 
should  rather  say  of  them  that  they  were  ex- 
pert cattle  and  horse  thieves,  and  that  among 
them  a  person's  life  was  less  in  danger  than 
his  jewelry  and  clothing". 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


BURYING-GROUNDS. 

The  mcule  of  Ixirial  among  the  Osages  was 
lo  place  the  corpse  in  a  sitting  posture  on  the 
ground,  at  most  only  in  a  slight  excavation, 
and  pile  ariiund  it  a  heap  of  stones  for  its  pro- 
tection. When  the  early  settlers  came  here 
many  such  graves  were  seen  in  which  the 
skeleton  was  remaining  intact,  and  in  some  in- 
stances the  flesh  scarcely  yet  having  entirely 
disappeared.  There  were  a  number  of  these 
burial-places  located  in  this  county — one  in 
Neosho  township,  on  the  count v  line,  ijne  or 
more  where  Oswego  now  is,  and  others  farther 
west. 

TREATIE.S. 

The  treaty  with  this  tribe  in  which  our 
people  are  especially  interested  was  concludefl 
at  Canville  trading-post,  nearly  on  the  site,  but 
a  short  distance  east  of  the  i^resent  station  of 
Shaw,  between  Erie  and  Chanute,  on  the  2gth 
of  September.  1865.  M.  W.  Reynolds  was 
clerk  of  the  ci;>mmissi;jn  which  negotiated  this 
treaty.  When  it  reached  the  Senate  its  rati- 
fication with  certain  amendments  was  made  on 
June  26,  1866.  These  amendments  were  ac- 
cepted by  the  Indians  on  September  21,  1866, 
and  the  treaty  as  thus  amended  was  pro- 
claimed by  the  President  and  became  operative 
January  21,  1867. 

By  the  first  article  of  this  treaty  a  strip  30 
miles  in  width  on  the  east  end  of  their  lands 
was  sold  to  the  United  States.  This  was 
afterwards  known  as  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands, 
and  is  principally  embraced  in  the  counties  of 
Neosho  and  Labette. 

By  the  second  article  of  the  treaty  the 
Osages  ceded  to  the  United  States  in  trust  a 
strip  20  miles  in  width  off  the  north  side  of 
the  remainder  of  their  lands.    This  was  known 


as  the  Osage  Trust  Lands.  The  remaining 
portion  of  their  lands  was  thereafter  kmjwn  as 
the  Osage  Diminished  Reservation. 

On  May  27,  1868,  another  treaty  was  con- 
cluded with  the  Osages,  on  Drum  Creek,  which 
was  commi.nly  known  as  the  Sturgis  treaty, 
because  of  the  controlling  spirit  of  William 
Sturgis  in  securing  its  negotiation.  By  the 
terms  of  this  treaty  the  entire  tract  included 
in  said  Diminished  Reservation,  estimated  to 
contain  8,000,000  acres,  was  sold  to  the  Leav- 
enworth, Lawrence  &  Galvestmi  I'l.  R.  Co.,  but 
supp;  sed  to  be  largely  for  the  l.ienefit  of  ]\Ir. 
Stuug'is,^  who  had  secured  the  treaty,  at  the 
agreed  price  of  $1,600,000,  or  about  20  cents 
an  acre. 

By  the  time  this  treaty  reached  the  Senate, 
the  settlers  were  aroused,  and  at  once  a  deter- 
mined fight  was  made  against  its  ratification. 
Great  credit  is  due  to  Congressman  Clark  for 
the  active  measures  by  him  inaugurated  in  the 
House  to  bring  to  light  the  objectionable 
features  of  the  treaty.  Its  ratification  was 
never  secured. 

By  an  act  approved  July  15,  1870.  the  Pres- 
ident was  directed  to  remove  the  Osage  In- 
dians from  the  State  of  Kansas  to  the  Indian 
Territory  as  soon  as  they  would  agree  thereto. 

About  the  middle  of  September  following, 
a  council  with  the  Indians  was  held  on  Drum 
Creek,  and  arrangements  agreed  on  for  their 
final  removal  from  the  State.  This  removal 
took  place  within  the  following  few  months, 
since  which  time  their  home  has  been  in  the 
Territory  just  south  of  the  State  line. 

JOHN  M.-VTHEWS. 

John  Mathews  was  a  native,  some  say  of 
Virginia  and  others  of  Kentucky,  and  at  a 
very  early  day — usually  given  at  about  1840, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


but  the  exact  date  is  not  known — he  came 
among  the  Osages  as  a  trader,  and  became 
their  blacksmith.  His  name  does  not  appear 
among  those  on  the  Government  roll  of  black- 
smiths for  the  Osages  in  1843,  ^"d  if  ^^e  had 
come  among  them  at  that  time  he  had  prob- 
ably not  secured  Government  employment. 
His  name  appears  among  the  Government 
blacksmiths  for  the  Senecas  and  Shawnees  in 
1839,  so  it  seems  certain  that  between  that  time 
and  1843  he  came  amcng  the  Osages.  He  set- 
tled near  the  edge  of  the  bluff  in  the  east  part 
of  Oswego,  where  he  maintained  a  trading- 
post  and  erected  several  buildings.  These  build- 
ings stood  partly  on  what  is  now  block  61,  and 
extended  north  across  Fourth  avfenue  and  on 
to  block  60.  They  were  used  by  him  as  a  resi- 
dence, a  place  where  travelers  were  entertained, 
for  his  store  and  warehouse,  and  for  the 
care  of  his  stock.  The  remains  of  the  ruins 
of  some  qf  these  buildings  may  still  be  seen 
in  the  street  about  125  feet  east  of  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  Park,  on  block  52.  He  got 
water  from  the  spring  at  the  intersection  of 
Fourth  avenue  and  Union  street.  [Mathews 
was  a  very  popular  man  among  the  Indians. 
He  had  for  his  wife  a  full-blooded  Osage,  and 
raised  a  large  family  of  children.  He  had  an 
extensive  trade,  and  is  said  to  have  accumu- 
lated a  large  property,  all  of  which  was  de- 
stroyed or  captured  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  had  some  fine  stock,  and  kept  a  race-course 
just  south  of  his  residence.  .Vt  the  outbreak 
of  the  war  he  joined  his  interests  with  the 
Southern  Confederacy,  became  a  colonel  in 
the  Rebel  army,  and  generally  has  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  engaged  in  the  sacking  of  Hum- 
boldt, in  August,  1 861;  but  Dr.  Lisle,  who 
knew  him  well,  says  he  was  not  with  the  force 
at  the  time  of  the  occurrence  of  that  event,  and 
did  not  arrive  there  until  after  the  raid  of  the 


place,  and  was  in  no  wise  responsible  for  it. 
After  this  the  United  States  forces  became 
very  much  exasperated  at  the  conduct  of  the 
Rebels'  in  the  sacking  of  Humboldt,  and  de- 
termined to  take  speedy  revenge.  Mathews, 
being  credited  with  having  conducted  the  raid, 
was  sought  after,  and  those  in  pursuit  deter- 
mined upon  his  capture  or  death,  and  a  party 
was  organized  to  proceed  south  and  take  him. 

Col.  W.  A.  Johnson,  of  Garnett,  and  Dr. 
George  Lisle,  of  Chetopa,  have  furnished  me 
the  information  on  which  the  following  ac- 
count is  based. 

One  detachment  came  down  the  river  from 
Humboldt,  and  another  from  Fort  Lincoln,  in 
Bourbon  county,  the  two  detachments  expect- 
ing to  meet  near  the  mouth  of  Lightning 
Creek.  This  force  was  composed  of  some  en- 
listed men  and  many  civilians  who  had  not  been 
mustered  into  the  service,  numbering  perhaps 
two  or  three  hundred,  only  a  part  of  whom 
arrived  at  the  place  wdiere  Mathews  was 
found.  They  were  all  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Blunt.  Among  the  civil- 
ians who  were  in  the  company  were  Preston 
B.  Plumb,  of  Emporia,  and  \\'.  A.  Johnson,  of 
Garnett.  They  marched  down  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Neosho  River,  crossed  the  river  at 
Rocky  Ford,  and  came  up  and  surrounded  the 
house  owned  by  Wni.  Blythe  on  the  west  side 
of  the. Neosho,  and  just  above  the  State  line, 
being  in  what  is  now  Cherokee  county.  The 
house  was  then  occupied  by  Lewis  Rogers.  It 
was  now  just  daylight:  ]\Iathews  had  come 
from  his  home  the  day  before,  stopping 
at  Dr.  Lisle's  in  the  evening  to  get  something 
to  eat,  and  then,  on  his  way  south,  arrived  at 
the  home  of  Rogers  after  dark.  The  scouts 
had  seen  him  go  there,  and  the  troops  were 
reasonably  certain  that  they  had  found  the  man 
for  whom  they  were  hunting.     A  demand  was 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


made  that  ]\Iathe\vs  he  delix-ered  to  them. 
The  house  was  surruunded  hy  cum  and  hig-h 
weeds;  ^lathews  came  out  of  the  liack  door, 
partially  dressed,  with  a  diiuhle-ljarreled  shot- 
gun in  his  hand ;  he  was  at  once  riddled  with 
bullets ;  no  une  knew  whose  shot  did  the  work. 
This  was  in  the  latter  part  of  September,  1861 ; 
corn  was  then  just  getting  ripe  enough  for  use. 
That  day  a  part  of  the  troops  returned  to  Che- 
topa  settlement  and  arrested  all  the  men  whom 
they  found  living  there  at  the  time,  and  took 
them  to  iSIathews'  place,  or  Little  Town,  where 
that  e\ening  they  were  tried  by  court-martial. 
Among  those  arrested  were  James  Bowles, 
George  Ewers,  Mr.  White,  Joel  Coiubs,  and 
Dr.  George  Lisle.  It  was  ascertained  that 
Combs  was  a  government  detective,  and  had 
been  working  up  evidence  to  implicate  some  of 
the  residents  as  sympathizers  with  the  Rebel 
cause.  Colonel  Blunt  presided  at  the  trial, 
and  Captain  Brooks  acted  as  clerk,  .\fter  a 
full  investigation,  and  all  the  testimony  had 
been  introduced,  nothing  was  found  impli- 
cating any  of  the  parties  arrested,  and  they 
were  all  discharged.  They  were  allowed  to 
remain  under  Government  protection  over 
night,  and  the  next  day  they  started  for  their 
homes  under  an  escort  to  protect  them  outside 
of  the  limits,  where  they  were  likely  to  be 
molested  by  any  of  the  troops.  During  the 
night  one  of  the  soldiers'  exchanged  an  old 
broken-down  horse  for  Dr.  Lisle's  animal, 
which  was  in  much  better  condition,  and  it 
took  a  peremptory  order  from  Colonel  Blunt 
to  induce  him  to  deliver  to  the  Doctor  his  horse 
when  he  was  ready  to  start  home.  Before 
this  party  was  out  of  sight  the  IVlathews  prem- 
ises were  set  on  fire  and  all  destroyed. 

Mathews  had  his  burying-ground  on  the 
high  land  at  the  intersection  of  Union  street 
and  First  avenue.     A  number  of  graves  are 


still  visi])le.  L'ntil  within  a  few  years  there 
sto.id  at  the  head  nf  une  of  these  graves  a  com- 
mon sandstone  with  the  following  inscription 
cut  thereon:  "A.  E.  Mathes.  Departed  this 
life  :\pril  10,  A.  D.  1857.  Aged  11  years,  7 
months,  27  days."  It  will  be  noticed  that  in 
the  name,  as  cut  on  this  stone,  there  is'  no  xi.'. 
Several  years  ago  the  stone  was  broken  down, 
and  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  County 
Historical  Society.  Some  of  the  writing  is 
partially  effaced. 

The  early  white  settlers  continued  to  use 
this  hurving-ground  for  a  vear  or  two  after 
the  settlement  commenced  in  1865. 

The  following  letter  from  the  son  of  John 
Mathews  is  of  interest,  not  only  because  of 
the  information  it  contains,  but  also  because 
coming  from  one  of  the  first  children  born  to 
a  white  parent  on  the  present  site  of  Oswego. 
I  wrote  to  the  uncle  referred  to  in  the  letter, 
but  could  get  no  reply  from  him : 

"Pawhusk.v,  I.  T.,  Sept.  30.  1891. 

"Nelson  Case,  Esq.,  Osz^'cao,  Kansas — 
De.\r  Sir  :  I  will  try  and  give  you  all  the  in- 
formation I  can  in  regard  to  the  old  place.  It 
was  called  Little  Town  as  far  liack  as  I  can 
recollect.  I  was  born  in  the  year  1S48.  The 
stream  west  of  town  ,was'  named  by  the  Osagei : 
thev  called  it  En-gru-scah-op-pa,  which  means 
some  kind  of  animal;  then  the  French  called 
it  La  Bette.  which  means  the  same  thing.  I 
do  not  know  how  large  the  farm  was.  but  from 
the  best  information  I  can  gather  there  were 
100  acres  on  the  place  where  the  town  now 
stands,  and  if  my  memorv  ser\-es  me  right, 
there  were  30  acres  in  the  bottom. 

'•I  do  not  know  what  white  men  settled 
near  our  place,  liut  I  can  find  out  from  my  sis'- 
ter.  who  lives  30  miles  west  from  here.  From 
the  best  information  I  can  find  out,  the  place 
was  settled  by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Augustos 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Chautau,  in  the  year  1843,  who  sold  it  to  my 
father,  wlio  started  a  trading-post  tliere  in  the 
year  1849. 

"I  have  an  uncle  by  the  name  of  Allen 
^Matthews,  who  lives  in  Neosho,  Jasper  county, 
IMissouri.  who  can  give  you  more  informa- 
tion than  I  can  if  you  will  write  to  him. 

"Hoping  this  will  hel])  vou  in  your  work, 
I  remain,  Yours, 

"W.  S.  Matthews." 

EARLY  ENPEDITIONS. 

The  early  surveyors  and  Indian  agents 
made  a  number  of  trips  through  this  countrv, 
several  of  which  we  have  official  accounts  of. 
In  Mr.  McCoy's  history  of  Baptist  Indian  Mis- 
•sions,  at  page  35=;,  he  says:  "On  the  17th 
[of  November,  1828]  we  reached  the  Osage 
Agency,  gave  notice  of  our  arrival  to  the 
Osages.  and  desired  them  to  meet  us  in  council. 
On  the  20th  we  pitched  our  tents'  near  the  vil- 
lage of  the  chief  called  White  Hair."  And 
further  along  he  says  that  on  November  26, 
1828,  their  exploring  party  camped  on  the 
Arkansas  at  the  mouth  of  the  Verdigris  River. 
Their  journey  in  all  probability  took  them 
through  or  near  the  present  site  of  Oswego  and 
Chetopa.  After  making  some  surveys  in  the 
Territory,  the  party;_  returned,  and  on  Decem- 
ber 14th  were  again  at  White  Hair's  village. 
He  again  speaks  cf  crossing  the  Neosho  into 
the  principal  village  of  the  Osages  on  June 
30,  on  his  way  to  Fort  Gibson  to  establish  cer- 
tain boundaries  between  Indian  tribes. 

E.\RLY   SETTLEMENTS. 

The  date  of  settlement  of  the  first  wliite 
person  in  this  county  is  unknown;  whether  it 
was  John  }ilathews  or  some  of  the  parties  in 


the  neighborhood  of  Chetopa,  I  cannot  say. 
The  letters  which  I  present  herewith  contain 
the  most  authentic  information  I  have  been 
able  to  gather  on  the  subject,  and  I  give  them 
here  as  I  have  received  them. 
"Pactolus,  Benton  Co.,  Ark.,  Dec.  i,  1891. 

"Hon.  Nelson  Case,  President  Labette  Co. 
Historical  Society — Dear  Sir  :  In  response  to 
vour  request  for  some  facts  relative  to  early 
history,  I  will  contribute  the  following. 

"I  came  to  what  is  now  Labette  county  on 
January  17,  1847,  ^"^1  established  a  trading- 
post  at  the  pijint  where  Chetopa  now  stands. 
I  came  here  from  Spring  Place,  Murray  county, 
Georgia.  The  name  of  that  place  was  spelled 
with  an  'h'  at  the  end — 'Chetopah,'  and  meant 
four  houses;  ''Che'  in  the  Osage  Indian  lan- 
guage is  house,  and  'topah'  is  four.  Chetopah 
had  a  town,  and  lived  on  ,the  A'erdegree  River, 
west  or  northwest  of  Chetopa  town.  He  was 
onlv  chief  of  his  town.  Each  town  had  a  chief 
and  there  was  a  principal  chief  over  all. 

"I  found  five  white,  or  partially  white,  fam- 
ilies there  when  I  arrived.  They  were  the 
widow  Tianna  Rogers  and  family,  consisting 
of  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  grown, 
li\-ing  about  one  mile  north  of  Chetopa ;  Will- 
iam Blythe,  whose  wife  was  a  white  woman; 
Finchel  JNIonroe,  who  had  a  white  wife;  Dan- 
iel Hopkins,  a  white  man  with  a  Clierokee 
wife;  and  a  white  man  named  Tucker,  who  had 
a  Cherokee  wife.  These  families  lived  near 
Chetopa,  on  the  Neosho  River,  below  where  the 
town  is  at  present.  In  1848  I  married  Sarah 
Rogers,  daughter  of  Tianna  Rogers;  we  had 
born  to  us  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Two 
of  my  sons,  John  and  Albert,  live  in  the  Cher- 
okee Nation,  ten  miles  from  Chetopa.  The 
other  two  children  are  dead.  Tianna  Rogers 
and  all  the  family  are  dead. 

"John   Mathews,   a  Kentuckian,   who  had 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


married  an  Osage  woman,  li\'ed  and  had  a  trad- 
ing-post at  the  point  where  Oswego  now  stands. 
He  had  been  there  some  years  when  I  came; 
he  had  a  farm  of  alx)Ut  forty  acres  in  cultiva- 
tion on  the  prairie.  He  had  a  good  house 
standing  on  top  of  tlie  bluff  in  the  edge  of  the 
prairie;  there  was  a  spring  near  it,  just  north 
and  east  of  the  house.  His  houss  was  a  framed 
house,  with  two  stone  chimneys,  the  framing 
timbers  hewn  out;  it  was  boarded  up  on  the 
outside  with  boards  split  or  rived  out  of  burr- 
oak  trees,  then  sha\'erl  and  smoothed,  and  the 
house  sided  up  and  painted  white.  It  looked 
quite  nice  compared  to  our  log  houses.  His 
house  was  plastered  on  the  inside,  done  in 
workmanlike  style.  All  of  the  rest  of  the  peo- 
ple lived  in  log  cabins.  I  do  not  know  how 
long  he  came  before  I  did — probably  several 
}-ears.  He  was  a  hea\-y  trader,  and  wealthy. 
He  had  one  negro  woman  \\-ith  him  who  was  a 
slave,  till  he  was  killed.  He  had  fine  blooded 
race-stock,  with  race  track  south  and  west  of 
his  house,  and  between  his  house  and  his  cul- 
tivated land;  he  had  fast  horses.  He  would 
take  trips  to  Missouri,  Kentucky,  Texas,  and 
other  States,  racing,  and  was  very  successful. 
]\Iathews  had  a  good  many  horses  and  cattle. 
"Cattle  lived  without  being  fed.  and  did 
better  in  the  winter  than  in  the  summer,  for  in 
the  summer  the  moscjuitoes  and  green-headed 
flies  nearly  ate  them  up.  In  the  fall  the  pea- 
vine,  and  in  the  winter  a  winter  grass  and  flag 
that  grew  around  the  lakes,  made  a  good  range 
for  stock.  \Vhere  you  now  have  good  farms 
we  then  had  large  lakes  on  which  immense 
numbers  of  geese,  ducks,  pelican,  swan,  brant 
and  other  fowl  flourished.  We  never  fed  hogs, 
but  the  hickory  and  other  nuts  furnished  food 
that  kept  them  fat.  There  were  plenty  of  wild 
turkey,   fish,   antelope,   deer  and   other  game ; 


also  honey-bees,  wolves,  panthers  and  other 
wild  animals  to  hunt  for  trafiic,  and  w'ild 
li  rses  could  also  be  caught  on  the  prairie. 

"There  was  a  good  deal  of  sickness,  prin- 
cipally fever  and  ague,  and  no  doctor  within 
twenty-two  miles;  e\eryone  had  to  be  his  own 
doctor.  The  winter  of  1848-49,  and  also  that 
of  1849-50,  were  unusually  cold  and  severe. 
In  the  latter  the  snow  was  thirty  inches  deep, 
crusted  on  top,  and  stayed  on  the  ground  about 
six  weeks.  These  two  winters  stock  suffered 
a  good  deal,  but  other  winters  were  not  so  bad, 
although  I  am  of  the  opinion  they  were  colder 
than  they  are  since  the  country  has  settled  up. 

"The  settlers  lived  by  hunting  and  trading 
with  the  Osages,  and  other  tribes  of  wild  In- 
dians that  roamed  over  the  country.  The 
Cherokees  claimed  and  extended  their  laws  to 
the  uKAith  of  the  Labette  Creek,  until  the  south 
line  of  Kansas  was  established.  Tlie  Osagcs 
lived  in  towns,  usually  along  the  streams,  with 
rne  chief  to  a  town.  One  town,  called  Little 
Town,  was  situated  where  Oswego  now  stands. 
Pah-Che-Ka,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Osages, 
lived  at  Little  Town.  White  Hair  was  the 
principal  chief  of  the  Osages,  and  lived  on  the 
Neosho  River  six  miles  south  of  Osage  'Slis- 
sion,  and  down  the  river;  this  was  the  largest 
town  in  the  Osage  Nation  at  that  time. 

"The  Labette  Creek  took  its  name  from  a 
Frenchman  of  that  name  who  then  lived  on 
the  creek  nearly  west  of  where  Oswego  now 
stands.  He  had  a  full  blooded  Osage  for  a 
wife.  It  is  said  he  once  lived  opposite  the 
mouth  of  Labette  Creek;  if  he  did  it  was  before 
Dr.  Lisle  or  mvself  saw  that  country;  when  I 
knew  him  he  lived  on  the  Labette,  southwest 
of  Oswego.  He  was  a  very  common  old 
Frenchman. 

"There  are  many  things  of  nute  that  hap- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


pened  in  an  early  day.  and  in  tlie  first  settling 
of  that  country,  that  I  could  tell,  that  I  cannot 


write. 


'Yours. 


Larkin    McGhee." 


"Chetopa,  Kansas,  August   i,   1892. 

"Hon.  Nelson  Case,  President  of  the  His- 
torical Society — Dear  Judge  :  In  compliance 
with  your  request  for  a  statement  in  reference 
to  matters  connected  with  my  first  \'isit  to 
Labette  county,  and  settlement  therein  I  here- 
with comply. 

"About  1850  I  met  a  man  by  the  name  of 
\\^ilfred  Cox,  on  a  steamboat  on  the  Ohio 
River,  on  his  return  from  the  West  to  his  old 
home  in  Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  school  teach- 
er, and  had  taught  in  various  places,  and  finally 
reached  Council  Gro\-e.  in  this  State ;  thence 
he  came  down  t)  Osage  Missiim  with  stock- 
men, and  from  there  in  one  way  and  another 
got  down  to  the  Abrose  McGhee  place,  near 
where  Chetopa  now  stands.  This  was  some 
time  probably  in  1847  or  '48.  He  built  him 
a  canoe  in  which  he  floated  down  the  river 
to  \'an  Buren ;  after  teaching  school  there  and 
at  other  points  in  .Arkansas  he  started  back 
home,  and  it  was  on  this  return  trip  that  I  saw 
him. 

"He  gave  me  a  full  account  -of  the  Neosho 
River  and  its  scenery,  describing  the  valley 
from  the  north  of  the  Labette  to  the  McGhee 
place ;  he  said  it  was  the  finest  valley  he  had 
e\-er  seen.  I  made  notes  of  what  he  said,  took 
a  full  description  of  the  country,  and  made  a 
sketcli  of  a  map.  On  this  information  I  de- 
cided t(i  make  a  trip  as  soon  as  possible  to  this 
country.  On  ]\Iarch  20,  1857,  in  company  with 
Abraham  Ewers,  George  Ewers  and  Samuel 
Steel,  I  started  from  my  home  in  Powhatan. 
Belmont  cnunty.  Ohin,  for  the  Neosho  val- 
ley,   at    the    point    last    spoken    of    by    Cox. 


I  came  on  a  steamboat  to  St.  Louis,  and 
from  there  to  Osage  City,  Missouri,  by 
rail;  at  that  point  we  bought  two  yoke 
of  oxen  and  drove  through.  \\'e  came  by 
tlie  Ouapaw  agency,  where  Major  Dorn, 
the  Indian  agent,  was  located,  with  whom  I 
had  a  conversation,  and  arranged  to  meet  him 
a  sh'ort  time  thereafter  at.  Osage  Mission  to 
act  as  his  clerk  in  the  payment  to  the  Indians 
of  the  funds  coming  to  them  from  the  Gov- 
ernment. 

"We  crossed  the  Neosho  River  at  Rocky 
Ford  on  the  State  line  on  the  evening  of  April 
!/•  1857;  there  we  camped  near  the  residence 
of  James  Childers,  who  was  a  white  man,  and 
who  had  married  one  of  the  Rogers  girls;  he 
lived  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  in  what 
is  now  a  part  of  Cherokee  county.  The  next 
day  he  came  with  us  to  the  present  site  of  Che- 
topa, \\here  I  decided  to  locate,  and  where  we 
encamped.  After  arranging  with  those  who 
came  with  me  to  proceed  to  getting  out  the 
logs  with  which  to  build,  I  started  for  Osage 
Mission  to  meet  Major  Dorn.  It  was  now 
near  the  last  of  April;  I  clerked  fc:r  the  Major 
during  the  disbursement  to  the  Indians  of  their 
funds.  During  this  time  I  attended  a  meeting 
of  the  council  of  the  Osage  chiefs,  held  at  that 
place,  a-t  which  they  discussed  the  propriety 
of  paying  a  bill  of  about  $39  to  a  young  man 
by  the  name  of  Peyett,  who  had  acted  as  in- 
terpreter to  Dr.  Griffith,  of  Carthage,  who  had 
a  }'ear  before  that  time  been  sent  by  the  Gov- 
ernment to)  vaccinate  the  Osages.  Several  of 
the  chiefs  made  speeches  opposing  the  payment, 
saving,  'That  if  the  Government  intended  to 
do  them  a  kindness  it  ought  to  pay  the  inter- 
preter as  well  as  the  doctor' ;  when  they  came 
to  the  close,  White  Hair  requested  Chetopa 
to  speak  for  him,  and  he  depicted  in  very  strong- 
language  the  horrors  of  the  small-pox,   and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


23 


what  benefit  they  liatl  recei\'ed  from  the  young 
man,  who  had  well  earned  his  money,  and 
that  being  a  just  debt  they  should  pay  it,  and 
suggested  that  it  be  paid  by  the  chiefs;  the 
ranking  chief,  White  Hair,  to  pay  $10,  and  the 
other  chiefs  a  less  sum. 

■'.Vfter  finishing  my  duties  as  clerk  at  this 
point  I  returned  to  my  company  at  Chetopa, 
where  I  spent  the  summer  with  them  in  get- 
ting out  and  hewing  logs  for  one  house  and 
lia\'ing  enough  cut  for  another.  Some  time  in. 
July  I  started  back  to  Ohio  for  my  family, 
and  returned  with  them,  arri\-ing  at  Chetopa 
about  the  20th  of  November  of  that  year. 

■"I  was  met  at  Jefferson  City,  to  which 
point  the  railroad  was  completed,  by  the  boys 
from  Chetopa  with  a  team,  who  brought  us 
back  to  Chetopa  in  that  way.  \\''hi!e  I  was 
gone  the  boys  had  raised  a  house,  which  was 
a  double  log  house  with  12  feet  space  between 
the  two  parts;  it  stO'.xl  on  the  nortliAvest  quar- 
ter of  block  24,  near  where  my  residence  now 
stands.  The  next  season  we  put  up  a  shop  and 
office,  which  was  made  of  shaved  boards  and 
covered  with  the  same  material ;  the  boards 
of  the  roof  being  two  feet  long,  while  those 
covering  the  sides  were  four  feet ;  I  split  and 
shaved  them  myself,  out  of  pecan,  in  the  win- 
ter of  1857-5S.  This  building  was  16  by  40 
feet,  one  part  of  which  was  used  for  my  olBce 
and  drugs,  and  the  other  for  a  gun  shop  and 
blacksmith  shop.  It  stood  on  the  south  side 
of  what  is  now  block  24,  just  west  of  the  alley, 
about  where  my  present  office  and  shop  stand. 
I  alsj  built  a  smoke-house  and  stable;  inclosed 
about  25  acres  with  high  rail  fence,  the  rails 
being  of  walnut,  and  the  fence  was  about  ten 
rails  high ;  the  lot  extended  to  aljout  what  is 
now  Third  and  Sixth  streets,  and  from  about 
Tvlaple  on  the  south  to  Elm  or  Oak  street  on 
the  north.     I  lived  upon  these  premises  until 


November  19,  1863,  when  I  was  driven  fmm 
them  by  the  United  States  troops,  and  just  as 
I  \A'as  leaving  saw  them  all  in  flames.  I  lost 
my  library  and  other  valuables  in  addition  to 
the  building  that  I  ha\-e  described.  My  wife, 
Phoebe,  died  on  the  last  day  of  i860,  and  my 
daughter  Penina  had  married  J.  E.  Bryan, 
and  was  tli,en  living  at  Council  Grove. 

"I  took  my  daughter  Martha,  and  two  sons, 
Albert  and  J<->hn,  and  started  for  Council  Grove 
on  the  day  last  named,  November  19,  1S63. 
The  following  persons  also  accompanied  us 
on  that  occasion  part  of  the  way :  Elizabeth 
and  Christian  McMurtry,  two  children  of  John 
}tIcMurtry,  who  had  recently  died  in  the  army; 
Larkin  McGhee  and  fanidy;  Jane  Jackson, 
whose  husband  was  then  in  the  army;  and  Mrs. 
Walker,  whose  husband  had  been  driven  into 
the  Rebel  army.  In  addition  to  my  own  prop- 
erty which  was  destroyed  at  this  tmie,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  also  had  all  of  their  property 
burned:  Sarah  Rogers  had  a  large  hewed-log 
house  and  a  large  stable  on  what  is  now  Mr. 
Crichton's  place  north  of  town;  George  Walker, 
a  Cherokee,  had  a  house,  stable,  crib,  etc.,  west 
(jf  the  river,  just  south  of  where  Mr.  Edwards' 
mill  now  stands;  John  Mc]\Iurtry  had  a  house 
near  where  the  west  end  of  the  bridge  across 
the  Neosho  now  is,  which  was  set  on  fire  but 
would  not  burn,  and  was  afterward  torn  down. 
Larkin  McGhee  had  a  house  and  stable  and 
some  grain  just  south  of  the  branch  south  of 
Chetopa.  on  land  now  owned  by  Dr.  Haider- 
man.  There  were  perhaps  300  soldiers  com- 
posed of  Indians  and  whites  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Willits,  Adjutant  Able,  and 
Lieutenant  Joslyn,  who  did  this  burning,  and 
who  stated  that  they  acted  under  instructions 
from  their  commanding  officers.  At  this  same 
time  they  arrested  James  Childers  and  de- 
manded of  him  his  money;  thev  had  been  in- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


furmed  that  he  had  $6,000  buried.  At  first 
he  denied  having  an\-,  but  after  they  had  put 
a  rope  around  his  neck  and  stretched  him  up 
for  awhile,  and  after  letting  him  down,  he  ac- 
knowledged haviiig  $2  000,  and  told  them 
\vhere  it  was;  they  found  this  and  wanted 
mure;  he  said  that  was  every  cent  he  had. 
He  was  stretched  up  and  let  down  two  or  three 
times,  and  was  finally  killed,  his  thr;.iat  cut,  and 
left  unburied,  and  was  eaten  by  the  hogs.  I 
asked  to  be  allowed  to  go  back  and  bur\^  him, 
but  was  refuserl  permission.  I  got  this  state- 
ment in  refei'cncc  tn  his  being  killed  from  his 
sun.  This  entirely  lin  ike  up  the  Chetopa  set- 
tlement. I  sta}'ed  at  Council  Grove  until  Sep- 
temjjer,  1865,  when  I  went  back  to  Chetopa, 
and  in  Xm'ember  of  that  year  moved  my  fam- 
ily back.  I  lived  with  George  Walker  that 
winter,  and  Ijuilt  on  my  farm  acr.:ss  the  river, 
and  ha\-e  e\'er  since  had  my  home  in  or  near 
Chetopa. 

"So(_:n  after  cxming  to  the  county  I  trav- 
eled up  the  Xeosho,  and  came  up:.u  a  clearing 
on  the  east  side  of  the  ri\-er  nearly  opposite 
the  mouth  (jf  the  Labette,  where  I  was  inf^^rmed 
a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Pierre  Labette 
had  lived  for  a  number  of  years,  but  who  some 
time  previous  had  moved  west.  It  was  from 
him  that  the  creek  \vas  named. 

"On  the  occasion  of  the  Cnited  States 
troops  coming  down  the  ri\-er  fmm  the  cap- 
ture of  Alathews,  after  he  had  been  killed  be- 
lt.w  Chetopa,  a  detachment  of  the  troops  came 
to  the  Chetopa  settlement  and  arrested  all  of 
us,  and  took  us  to  the  Mathews  premises  at 
Little  Town,  now  Oswego,  where  we  were 
held  in  custody  over  night,  during  which  time 
we  were  tried  by  court-martial  for  assisting 
or  encouraging  parties  to  go  into  the  Rebel 
army.  Cnl. -nel  Blunt  presided  at  the  trial,  and 
after  a  full  hearing  all  of  us  were  discharged, 


but  were  kept,  however,  until  the  next  day. 
\\'hile  I  was  on  my  way  back  to  Chetopa  I 
could  see  the  fiames  from  the  Mathews  build- 
ings, which  had  been  fired  by  the  troops  before 
they  took  their  departure.  The  evening  before 
Mathews  was  killed  he  took  supper  at  my 
house  on  his  way  down  from  his  place  to  the 
Xation.  A\'hen  I  returned  from  the  ]\Iathews 
place  after  our  release  as  aforesaxl,  I  started 
tc  bur}'  him,  Init  found  that  he  had  been  al- 
ready buried. 

"Tn  the  fall  of  1859  I  got  up  a  petition 
for  a  postofiice  at  my  place,  and  had  41  signers 
between  Little  Town  (now  Oswego)  and 
Timber  Hill,  in  the  Xation.  I  was  instructed 
by  the  Department  at  \\'ashington  to  ha\-e  all 
the  signers  the  heads  of  families,  either 
male  or  female.  I  had  all  but  two ;  they  were 
away  at  the  time,  and  did  not  get  back  until 
the  petition  had  gone  to  \Vashingbon.  Count- 
ing five  to  a  family  it  would  make  215;  then 
counting  thirty  single  men  who  hatl  no  fam- 
ilies, I  think  there-  were  about  250  when  the 
war  broke  out,  li\'ing  on  or  near  the  river  be- 
tween the  points  named.  I  was  granted  the 
postofiice — and  it  was  to  be  called  Chetopa, 
Dorn  county,  Kansas — some  time  in  the  sum- 
mer of  i860,  but  as  there  was  no  mail  route 
near  here  which  could  carry  the  mail  we  had 
to  wait  until  1861  for  a  new  route  to  be  es- 
tablished, which  was  done,  and  the  contract 
for  carr_\-ing  the  mail  from  Grand  Falls,  by 
Ouawpaw  Mission,  Baxter  Springs  and  Chero- 
kee on  Cherry  creek,  Osage  Mission,  thence 
by  Chetopa  to  Grand  Falls,  was  advertised  to 
be  let  in  June,  wliich  was  not  done  on  account 
of  the  war  breaking  out  that  summer,  and  the 
mail  arrangements  in  the  southwest  aban- 
doned. 

"Respectfully, 

"George  Lisle.'^ 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


25 


SURVEYS. 

In  1827  or  1828  tlie  east  Ijoundary  of  the 
Osage  reservation  was  surve}-ed  by  JNIajor  A. 
L.  Langham,  and  the  northeast  corner  estab- 
hshed.  In  the  summer  of  1857  Colonel  J.  E. 
Johnston,  with  about  500  United  States  sol- 
diers forming  an  escort  to  the  surveying  party, 
surveyed  and  established  the  south  line  of  the 
State.  This  force  was  stationed  f:r  some  time 
on  Russell  Creek.  There  were  with  the  expe- 
dition two  astronomers,  two  geologists,  two 
botanists,  and  a  number  of  engineers  and  sur- 
veyors. There  were  20  wagcns  with  which  to 
haul  provisions.  After  completing  the  survey 
to  the  southwest  comer  of  the  State,  they  came 
back,  having  their  wagons  leaded  with  salt 
which  they  had  procured  on  the  salt  plains 
in  the  western  part  of  the  State.  It  was  on 
this  expedition  that  Colonel  Johnston  estab- 
lished the  ford  at  Chetopa  across  the  Neosho. 

In  1 87 1  the  south  line  of  Kansas  was  re- 
traced in  compliance  with  the  21st  article  of 
the  treaty  with  the  Cherokee  Indians,  made 
July  19.  1866.  This  work  was  done  under 
the  supervision  of  Rev.  D.  P.  ^Mitchell  as  chief 
engineer.  In  the  fall  of  1884,  commencing  in 
August,  a  party  of  Government  employees  came 
to  Oswego  and  established  their  headquarters, 
making  astronomical  obser\-ations  and  a  geo- 
logical survey  of  the  ocuntry. 

The  survey  of  the  Osage  Ceded  lands  into 
sections  was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1867. 

LABETTE. 

A  number  of  articles  have  been  written, 
and  some  of  them  by  persons  whose  names 
would  carry  with  them  authority,  on  the  origin 
of  the  name  of  the  county.  This  name  was 
first  applied  to  the  stream  running  through  our 


ct)unty.  and  subsequently  to  the  county  itself 
when  it  was  organized.  Two  or  three  letters 
will  be  found  in  this  work  which  inciilentall/ 
refer  to  this  matter.  ^V.  S.  ^lathews.  son  of 
the  old  Indian  trader,  says  the  Osage  name 
for  the  stream  meant  "some  kind  of  animal; 
then  the  French  called  it  La  Bette,  which  means 
the  same  thing."  This  more  fully  agrees  with 
the  origin  of  the  name  as  commonly  given, 
but  is  not  to  my  mind  as  reasonable  as  that 
given  by  Larkin  jMcGhee  and  Dr.  Lisle;  both 
of  whom  say  that  the  name  was  gi\'en  to  the 
stream  on  account  of  the  first  white  settler  at 
or  near  its  mouth — Pierre  Labette.  This  man 
lived  at  one  time  on  the  east  of  the  Neosho 
opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Labette,  and  subse- 
quently farther  up  the  stream,  and  afterward 
went  farther  west.  I  think  it  reasonable  to  say 
that  it  was  for  him  the  stream  was  named; 
but  whatever  the  origin  of  the  name,  it  was 
given  to  the  stream  at  a  very  early  date.  I 
have  seen  in  a  book  originally  belonging  to  the 
St.  Louis  office  of  the  Commissioner  of  Indian 
Affairs  and  now  in  our  State  Historical  So- 
ciety, a  map  of  the  Osage  survey  made  and 
signed  by  Isaac  McCoy,  dated  Westport,  ]Mis- 
souri,  September  13,  1836,  on  which  the  stream 
is  quite  correctly  located,  and  the  name  thereon 
written  "Le  Bete  Creek."  At  the  first  Repub- 
lican convention,  held  at  Jacksonville  in  Sep- 
tember, 1866,  where  it  was  agreed  that  Neosho 
comity  should  be  divided,  it  was  on  motion 
of  G.  W.  Kmgsbury  agreed  that  the  south  part 
of  the  county,  when  it  should  be  organized, 
sliould  be  called  "La  Bete."  J.  S.  Waters, 
who  was  present  and  took  an  active  part  in 
the  work  of  the  con\-ention,  says :  "That  day 
was  the  first  time  I  know  of  the  word  La  Bete 
having  been  written;  and  it  was  that  day  writ- 
ten as  I  have  written  it  above.  There  was  some 
dispute  as  to  whether  there  should  be  two  or 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


one  f.     ^^'hen  the  county  was  organized  it  was 
given  tliis  name  as  then  agreed  upon." 


BOUNDARY. 

The  following  acts  of  the  Legislature  have 
in  some  way  tixed  or  affected  the  boundaries 
of  our  county. 

By  section  lo  of  chapter  30  of  the  laws 
of  1855,  all  the  territory  lying  south  of  Allen 
county  was  constituted  the  county  of  Dorn. 
Its  east  line  was  24  miles  west  of  the  Alissouri 
line,  and  its  width  was  24  miles  (which  was 
supposed  to  take  it  to  the  west  line  of  range 
18). 

By  "An  act  to  more  particularly  define  the 
boundaries  of  the  several  counties  in  Kansas 
Territory,''  approved  February  22.  1857,  the 
county  of  Dorn  is  made  to  commence  at  the 
corner  of  sections  14,  15,  22,  23,  town  28, 
range  21;  thence  south  to  the  Territory  line, 
and  west  to  same  sections  in  range  17. 

By  chapter  31  of  the  laws  of  i860,  the  east 
hue  of  Neosho  county  is  declared  to  be  the 
line  between  ranges  21  and  22,  and  the  western 
line  thef  line  between  ranges  17  and  18;  but  as 


yet  no  bill  had  been  passed  creating  Neosho 
county. 

By  chapter  18  of  the  laws  of  1861.  approved 
June  3,  1 86 1,  the  name  of  the  county  was 
changed  from  Dorn  to  Neosho. 

By  chapter  29,  laws  of  1867,  approved  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1867,  Labette  county  was  created, 
and  made  to  embrace  from  the  6th  standard 
parallel  on  the  north  to  the  south  line  of  the. 
State,  and  from  Cherokee  Neutral  lands  on 
the  east  to  the  east  boundary  of  the  Osage 
reserve  (^i  the  west.  Subsequently  the  Legis- 
lature made  provision  for  a  vote  being  taken 
as  to  whether  the  line  between  Cherokee  and 
Labette  counties  should  be  as  above  fixed,  or 
whether  a  part  of  the  way  the  river  should 
form  the  boundary.  This  legislation  gave  rise 
to  a  protracted  dispute  as 'to  what  really  was 
the  boundary  between  the  two  counties,  but 
finally  all  parties  interested  acquiesced  in  con- 
sidering the  west  line  of  the  Cherokee  Neutral 
Lands  as  the  line  between  the  two  counties. 

By  chapter  38  of  the  laws  of  1870,  the 
east  line  of  Montgomery  county  was  made  to 
run  south  between  sections  2  and  3,  thus  tak- 
ing a  strip  from  Labette  county  and  placing 
it  in  Montgomery. 


PERMANENT  SETTLEMENT 


ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    COUNTY. 


At  tlie  general  election  in  November,  1866, 
although  we  were  legally  a  part  of  Neosho 
county,  by  mutual  understanding  between  the 
pei_)ple  of  what  is  now  Neosho  county  and  those 
residing  in  what  is  now  Labette  county,  the 
latter  took  no  part  in  the  election  of  the  county 
officers  for  Neosho  county,  but  went  through 
the  form  of  holding  an  election  of  county  offi- 
cers for  Labette  county,  with  the  under- 
standing on  their  part  that  an  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature would  be  secured,  legalizing  the  elec- 
tion and  organizing  the  county  with  the  offi- 
cers thus  elected,  recognized  by  the  Legisla- 
ture as  the  legal  county  officers ;  or  in  the  event 
such  an  act  could  not  be  secured,  then  that 
the  officers  thus  elected  would  be  appointed 
to  the  positions  to  which  they  were  thus  re- 
spectively elected.  It  seems  to  have  been  agreed 
that  each  locality  might  vote  at  this  election 
and  make  their  returns,  although  the  place  at 
which  the  votes  were  cast  had  not  been  estab- 
lished as  an  election  precinct.  Votes  were  re- 
ceived at  Montana,  Oswego,  Chetopa,  and  pos- 
sibly at  Neola.  I  have  found  no  one  among  the 
old  settlers  who  remembers  who  it  was  that 
composed  the  board  of  canvassers  at  this  elec- 
tion, but  probably  it  was  made  up  of  parties 
from  two  or  three  of  the  different  localities, 
mutually  agreed  upon  by  all;  I  judge  from  all 
I  can  learn  that  the  canvass  took  place,  and 


the  result  w^as  declared  at  Oswego.  A  full 
ticket  was  run  by  both  the  Democratic  and 
Republican  parties.  The  Republican  ticket  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority;  the  officers  elected 
at  that  time  were  as  follows :  Representative 
in  the  Legislature,  Chas.  H.  Bent;  county  com- 
missioners, S.  W.  Collins,  C.  H.  Talbot  and 
Bergen  Van  Ness;  county  clerk,  A.  T.  Dicker- 
man;  sheriff,  Benjamin  A.  Rice;  clerk  district 
court,  Elza  Craft;;  register  of  deeds,  George 
Bent ;  county  assessor,  Jabez  Zink ;  probate 
judge,  David  C.  Lowe;  county  treasurer,  C.  C. 
Clover:  C(junty  attorney,  J.  S.  ^^'aters;  super- 
intendent i.if  pul:)lic  instruction,  J.  F.  Newlon; 
coroner,  G.  W.  Kingsbury.  No  one  that  I  have 
found  Cjuestions  the  correctness  of  the  above 
list,  except  as  to  county  attorney  and  probate 
judge.  According  to  the  remembrance  of 
some  of  the  old  settlers  there  was  no  one  elect- 
ed cijunt}'  attorney,  as  at  the  time  there  was 
n  J  une  in  the  county  who  had  been  admitted 
to  the  bar ;  probably  no  one  ran  for  county  at- 
torney at  this  election.  And  in  respect  to  pro- 
bate judge,  the  remembrance  of  some  is  that 
David  Stanfield,  instead  of  David  C.  Lowe, 
was  the  party  elected.  Of  course  the  election 
had  no  ^■alidity,  and  all  understood  that  it 
only  amounted  to  an  expression  of  public  opin- 
ion as  to  persons  whom  the  people  would  like 
to  have  for  their  first  officers. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


On  the  certificate  of  election  furnished  him, 
Mr.  Bent  went  to  the  Legislature  in  January, 
1867,  and  was  admitted  to  his  seat  soon  after 
the  organization  of  the  House.  Little  or  no 
opposition  was  made  to  the  bill  introduced  by 
him  organizing  Labette  county,  and  on  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1867,  it  was  approved  by  the  Gov- 
ernor and  became  a  law.  On  March  7,  1867, 
N.  P.  Elsbree,  Bergen  Van  Ness  and  Nelson 
F.  Carr  each  made  affidavit  before  C.  H.  Tal- 
bot, justice  of  the  peace,  to  the  fact  of  the 
county  having  a  population  of  more  than  600 
inhabitants.  Mr.  Bent  took  these  affidavits,  to- 
gether with  a  statement  of  the  fact  of  the  fall 
election,  to  Governor  Crawford  on  March  loth, 
and  secured  from  him  on  that  day  a  proclama- 
tion designating  Oswego  as  the  temporary 
county  seat,  and  the  appointment  by  him  of 
S.  W.  Collins,  C.  H.  Talbot  and  Bergen  Van 
Ness  as  county  commissioners,  and  A.  T.  Dick- 
erman  as  county  clerk,  these  being  the  parties 
who  had  been  respectively  elected  to  those  posi- 
tions in  November  preceding.  ]Mr.  Bent  at 
once  came  home,  bringing  with  him  the  proc- 
lamation and  the  commission  of  the  parties 
thus  appointed. 

We  have  no  record  of  any  of  the  official 
acts  of  the  officers  thus  appointed;  whatever 
record  was  kept  of  their  doings  has  been  either 
entirely  lost  or  is  so  misplaced  that  it  cannot 
be  found.  I  have  been  unable  to  find  a  single 
word  of  official  record  pretending  to  give  the 
transactions  of  any  officers  prior  to  June  5, 
1867.  The  nearest  I  can  come  to  making  the 
statement  of  the  organiation  of  our  county  au- 
thentic is  by  giving  the  following  letter  from 
the  then  county  clerk : 

"Oswego,  Kansas,  August  5,  1892. 
"Judge  Nelson  Case — Dear  Sir:    In  ref- 
erence to  the  organization  of  the  county,  and 


the  record  of  the  same  of  which  you  ask,  I  will 
give  a  brief  account.  \Mien  ^Ir.  Bent  came 
back  from  Topeka  in  ^March,  1867,  he  brought 
with  him  the  commissions  of  the  officers  who 
had  been  appointed  to  organize  the  county. 
Very  soon  thereafter  Mr.  Van  Ness  came  docvn 
to  Oswego  and  saw  Mr.  Talbot,  and  the  two 
talked  over  what  they  thought  should  be  done. 
It  was  agreed  that  Mr.  Talbot  should  see  Air. 
Collins,  the  other  commissioner,  and  have  an 
election  called.  The  three  commissioners  did 
not  meet  together,  and  in  fact  Air.  ^'an  Ness 
never  really  C[ualified.  The  two  other  com- 
missioners agreed  on  fixing  voting  precincts 
and  calling  an  election.  The  four  river  town- 
ships were  set  off  as  they  now  are;  the  south 
one  was  then  called  Chetopa.  The  next  two 
tiers  of  congressional  townships  were  divided 
into  three  municipal  townships,  and  named 
North,  Labette  and  Hackberry.  The  balance 
of  the  county  to  the  west  was  divided  into  two 
parts,  and  named  Timber  Hill  and  Pumpkin 
Creek.  No  election  was  held  that  spring  in 
either  of  thtse  two  west  precincts.  The  elec- 
tion was  called  for  some  time  in  April;  I  do 
not  remember  the  exact  date.  I  posted  the 
notices  of  this  election.  The  commissioners 
then  met  and  canvassed  the  vote  and  directed 
me  to  issue  certificates  of  election  to  the  parties 
who  were  declared  to  be  elected. 

"I  kept  a  record  of  the  proceedings  on 
foolscap  paper,  which  I  turned  ever  to  old 
father  Clover,  who  acted  as  my  deputy  after 
the  county  was  organized.  The  commissioners 
first  held  their  meetings  in  a  hewed-log  house 
standing  on  block  24,  beknging  to  C.  H. 
Talbot.  Respectfully, 

"A.    T.   DiCKERMAX." 

Persons  who  search  for  information  re- 
specting the  organization  of  our  county,  as  I 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


29 


have  done,  will  find  a  number  of  printed  arti- 
cles, some  in  newspapers  and  some  in  books, 
and  among  the  latter  the  standard  histories  of 
our  State,  stating  that  the  organization  took 
place  in  jMay,  1867,  the  date  they  usually  fix 
being  the  third  Tuesday  in  May,  and  I  have 
been  unable  to  find  anything  giving  a  prior 
date.  Notwithstanding  this,  I  fix  on  April 
2.2,  1867,  as  the  time  when  our  first  county 
election  was  held,  and  in  support  of  the  time 
thus  selected  I  otier  the  following:  In  the 
first  place,  to  any  one  who  has  had  any  ex- 
perience in  Ivansas  politics  it  will  not  be  worth 
while  to  argue  that  a  set  of  men  who  had 
been  appointed  to  offices  on  the  loth  of  March 
would  wait  a  whole  month  or  more  before 
qualifying  and  entering  upon  the  discharge  of 
their  duties,  unless  they  were  prevented  from 
so  doing  by  some  uncontrollable  force  or  ne- 
cessity. I  have  never  heard  that  these  commis- 
sioners were  in  any  way  prevented  from  the 
exercise  of  their  official  duties,  and  from  this 
fact  I  conclude  that  it  was  not  many  days 
after  Mr.  Bent"s  return  from  Topeka  until  they 
had  cpialified  and  taken  some  steps  to  make 
their  pfficial  acts  known.  But  there  are  refer- 
ences in  the  official  records  subsequently  made 
which  confirm  this  theory.  In  the  record  of  the 
commissioners'  proceedings  on  July  i.  1867, 
is  the  following: 

"It  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  election  for 
county-seat  expenses  be  postponed  until  the 
cjuestion  of  county  seat  is  decided.  It  is  or- 
dered that  the  election  held  the  22d  day  of 
April  for  coun.ty  and  township  officers,  the 
last  amounting  to  $80.40." 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  clerk  who  made  this 
record  has  not  finished  the  sentence;  but  from 
the  statement  the  inevitable  inference  is  that 
an  election  had  been  held  on  the  22A  of  April. 


And  again  on  November  19,  1867,  the  follow- 
ing appears  in  the  commissioners"  record : 

"Ordered,  that  Austin  Dickerman  be  al- 
lowed the  sum  of  thirteen  dollars  and  25  cents 
for  service  as  county  clerk  in  posting  notices 
of  the  April  election,  1867." 

These  are  the  only  official  references  that 
I  have  found  of  the  transactions  of  any  of  the 
county  officers,  in  any  way  fixing  the  time 
when  our  first  county  election  was  held.  How- 
e\-er,  the  records  show  that  as  early  as  the 
middle  of  May,  John  N.  ^Vatson  was  exercis- 
ing the  functions  of  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Richland  township;  I  find  no  one  who  claims 
that  he  was  appointed,  nor  do  I  find  anything 
in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  indicating 
that  he  was;  he  was  evidently  elected  at  the 
first  election,  which  must  have  been  held  pre- 
vious to  the  last-mentioued  date.  From  all 
these  considerations,  I  conclude  the  election 
took  place  (jn  April  22d;  thus  gi\'ing  ample 
time  for  the  meeting  of  the  commissioners 
after  the  return  of  Mr.  Bent  from  Topeka, 
and  thirty  days'  notice  of  the  time  and  place 
of  the  election.  Our  record  being  lost,  pre- 
suming one  to  have  been  kept,  we  have  no 
official  declaration  of  the  result  of  this  election, 
but  we  find  certain  persons  exercising  official 
functions,  and  from  reference  to  them  in  offi- 
cial records  subsequently  made,  we  can  arrive 
at  a  very  nearly,  if  not  an  absolutely,  correct 
conclusion  as  to  who  were  elected;  and  the 
officers  at  that  time  elected  were  the  follow- 
ing :  Countv  commissioners,  Nathan  Ames, 
W'm.  Shay  and  David  C.  Lowe;  county  clerk, 
A.  T.  Dickerman;  county  assessor,  Francis 
\\'all ;  clerk  district  court,  R.  S.  Cornish; 
register  of  deeds,  Elza  Craft ;  treasurer,  C.  C. 
Clover;  sherifY,  Benjamin  A.  Rice:  superin- 
tendent of  public  instruction.  John  F.  Newlon; 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


surveyor.  Z.  Harris;  coroner,  George  W. 
Kingsbury.  I  find  nothing  indicating  tliat 
any  one  was  elected  county  attorney,  and  am 
somewhat  in  doubt  as  to  who  was  elected  pro- 
bate judge,  for  the  reason  the  record  is  silent 
on  that  subject;  and  among  the  old  settlers  I 
find  no  one  who  seems  to  be  positive  as  to  who 
was  elected,  and  some  of  them  have  in  the!r 
memory,  somewhat  indistinctly.  h;;\ve\'er,  dif- 
ferent persons.  I  will  here  give  what  I  find 
in  the  record  in  reference  to  the  vacancy  in 
the  corps  of  officers :  Two  of  the  commission- 
ers elected,  viz.,  D.  C.  Lowe  and  Nathan  Ames, 
met  at  Oswego  on  June  5th;  this  seems  to 
have  been  the  first  meeting,  and  on  this  date 
we  have  our  first  official  record,  and  from^  it 
it  appears  that  W'm.  Shay  failed  to  qualify  as 
commissioner,  whereupon  the  office  was  de- 
clared vacant,  and  John  G.  Rice  was  appointed 
to  fill  the  vacancy;  thereupon,  D.  C.  Lowe 
was  elected  chairman  of  the  board.  The  next 
order  made  declared  the  office  of  assessor  va- 
cant, because  of  the  removal  from  the  county 
of  the  party  elected.  lea\'ing  him  unnamed, 
however,  and  A.  W.  Jones  was  then  appointed 
assessor  to  fill  tlie  vacancy.  The  next  order 
is  as  follows : 

"it  is  hereby  ordered,  that  the  office  of 
probate  judge  be  declared  vacant  on  his  not 
coming  forward  and  qualifyi4ig  and  giving 
bond  according  to  law.  It  is  therefore  ordered 
that  Bergen  Van  Ness  be  appointed  probate 
judge  until  the  next  general  election  in  No- 
vember, or  his  successor  is  qualified."' 

Some  of  the  old  settlers  think  that  Van 
Ness  was  the  party  elected,  but  I  think  the 
force  of  this  record  is  strongly  against  them. 
It  seems  that  Mr.  Van  Ness  did  not  at  once 
qualify  upon  being  appointed  as  aforesaid,  for 
in  the  record  of  the  commissioners'  proceed- 
ings of  July  3d  is  the  following: 


"Ordered,  that  Bergen  Van  Ness  be  ap- 
pointed probate  judge  of  Labette  count}-,  Kan- 
sas, to  fill  a  vacancy  of  the  probate  judge 
owing  to  his  not  coming  forward  and  filing 
his  bond  in  the  time  required  by  law." 

This  language  indicates  that  the  person 
now  appointed  is  the  one  who  had  failed  to 
qualify,  but  evidently  this  refers  to  his  failure 
to  qualify  under  his  previous  appointment, 
and  not  his  election.  I  have  nothing  more 
definite  as  to  who  was  elected  probate  judge 
in  April. 

At  the  first  meeting-  of  the  board,  the  coun- 
ty clerk  was  directed  to  order  blank  books 
and  stationery  from  Luce  &  Griggs,  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  "to  be  sent  as  per  agreement," 
and  I  find  that  the  first  orders  on  the  county 
treasury  were  drawn  in  their  favor,  dated 
September  3,  1867,  for  the  supplies  thus  or- 
dered; order  No.  i  was  for  $199;  orders  Nos. 
2  and  3  for  $24  each.  At  the  same  time 
that  this  order  was  made  to  this  Davenport 
firm,  the  clerk  was  directed  to  make  an  order 
for  other  books  and  blanks  for  the  assessor, 
treasurer  and  commissioners,  which  order 
seems  to  have  been  sent  to  Samuel  Dodsworth, 
of  Leavenworth.  The  following  appears  in 
the  record  of  the  commissioners  for  January 
14,  1868: 

"It  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  county  clerk 
make  out  the  proper  statement  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  this  for  the  general  meeting  commenc- 
ing the  first  Alonday  in  January,  1868,  ac- 
cording to  law,  and  forward  the  same  for 
publication  to  the  Humboldt   Union." 

This  is  the  first  irder  I  find  designating 
any  official  paper  or  in  any  way  providing 
for  the  official  publication  of  the  proceedings 
of  the  county  officers.  It  was  not  long  after 
this  order  was  made  until  the  Neosho  Valley 
Eagle  was  established,  and  I  find  that  the  pub- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


lisher  of  that  paper  was  allowed  bills  for  print- 
ing. The  first  paper  to  be  started  in  the  county 
was  the  OswegO'  Register,  which  appeared  in 
June  of  this  year,  and  must  have  at  once  been 
gi\-en  at  least  a  part  of  the  count}-  printing, 
for,  on  July  8th,  E.  R.  Trask,  the  publisher, 
is  allowed  an  account  of  $4  for  county  printing. 

LAXD  TITLES. 

The  Osage  Ceded  Lands  were  first  lirought 
into  market  by  virtue  of  the  joint  resolut'on 
of  April  10,  1869.  Owing  to  the  rukng  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  on  the  claims  matle 
by  the  railroad  companies,  only  a  part  of  the 
lands  was  disposed  of  under  this  law.  After 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  L'nited  States  de- 
clared the  railroad  companies"-  claims  \'oid 
Congress  passed  amither  act,  which  was  ap- 
proved August  II,  1876,  under  which  the  re- 
mainder of  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands  was  pur- 
chased. The  Cherokee  strip,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  county,  was  sold  to  the  settlers 
under  the  act  of  Congress  appro\-ed  INIav 
II,   1872. 

HARDSHIPS. 


The  experience  of  those  who  first  came  to 
this  county  is  probably  not  very  dissimilar  to 
that  which  has  attended  early  settlers  in  nearly 
'e\ery  county.  Some  of  them  had  sufficient 
means  to  make  themselves  as  comfortable  as 
they  well  could  be,  with  the  distance  they  were 
from  market,  though  many  of  them  were  in 
very  plain  circumstances,  and  under  \'ery  much 
more  favorable  conditions  would  have  found 
it  hard  to  make  their  families  comfortable.  As 
it  was,  there  was  necessarily  a  great  amount 
cf  suffering.  Pro\-isions  had  to  be  hauled 
from  so  great  a  distance  that  the  price  con- 


tinued very  high  all  the  time  for  several  years. 
Flour  was  frequently  $15  a  hundred,  corn  $3 
a  bushel,  meal  $6  a  hundred,  bacon  25  cents 
a  pound,  and  other  things  in  the  line  of  living 
in  proportion.  Teams  which  were  used  for 
hauling  provisions  were  poorly  fed  and  con- 
sequently generally  poor,  and  in  going  to  Mis- 
souri f.  r  a  load  of  provisions  but  a  small  load 
could  be  hauled.  Frequently  the  streams  were 
up  so  that  for  days  they  could  not  be  crossed, 
which  would  necessitate  the  consumption  of 
a  large  part  of  what  had  been  procured  before 
they  reached  their  homes.  Sometimes  boats 
loaded  with  \'egetables  would  be  shipped  down 
the  Neosho  from  points  up  the  streajn  where 
they  were  raised.  In  the  fall  of  1866  there 
was  much  sickness  among  the  settlers,  so  much 
that  there  were  scarcely  enough  well  ones  to 
wait  on  the  sick.  .Ml  of  these  things  and  many 
more  contributed  to  make  tiie  lot  of  the  early 
settler  a  hard  one.  In  1867  a  sufficient  amount 
i_f  crops  was  raised  to  make  quite  a  help  in 
providing  the  new  country  with  the  necessaries 
of  life,  but  it  was  not  until  1868  that  anything 
like  a  sufficient  amount  was  raised  to  supply 
the  demands,  and  even  then  \-ery  much  had  to 
be  shipped  in. 

FIRST  ADMINISTRATION. 

In  September,  1866,  A.  \\'.  Richardson 
died,  and  in  December  following,  his  son  John 
Richardson  was  appointed  administrator  of  his 
estate  by  the  Probate  Court  of  Neosho  county. 
In  February,  1867,  he  held  a  public  sile  of  the 
eiTects  of  the  estate.  Francis  \\'all  was  auc- 
tioneer. The  prsiperty  was  sold  on  time,  and 
brought  a  good  price,  and  every  dollar  of  the 
purchase  price  was  collected  by  the  administra- 
tor. This  was  the  first  estate  administered  upon 
within  the  present  limits  of  the  county. 


32 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


MARRIAGES. 

In  this,  as  in  very  many  other  matters, 
there  are  several  who  claim  the  honor  of  being 
first;  but  the  first  marriage  of  which  I  have 
any  information  is  that  of  J.  E.  Bryan  and 
Penina  Lisle,  the  ceremony  of  which  was  per- 
formed at  Chetopa,  September  4,  i860,  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Rader.  Of  course  there  is  no  record  of 
this,  there  being  at  the  time  no  civil  organiza- 
tion in  the  county,  and  no  license  procured. 
There  were  several  parties  married  at  quite  an 
early  date  after  the  commencment  of  the  set- 
tlement of  the  county,  in  1865.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  some  marriage  ceremony  may  have 
been  performed  prior  to  that  of  which  I  shall 
now  speak;  but  I  am  cjuite  sure  that  this  is  the 
first  marriage  in  the  county  of  which  there  is 
any  official  record.  The  marriage  record  in 
the  Probate  Court  of  Xeosho  county  has  the 
following : 

"State  of  Kansas,  County  of  Neosho. 

"CERTIFICATE    OF    MARRIAGE. 

"This  is  to  certify  that  Mr.  Wm.  \\'ilcox 
and  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Marlow  were  married 
by  me  on  the  5th  day  of  August,  1866. 

"George  Bennett,  J.  P. 
"Recorded  October  2,  1866. 
"J.  L.  Fletcher,  Clerk." 

COUNTY-SEAT,    AND    COUXTY-SEAT 
CONTESTS. 

The  subject  of  county-seat  in  this  county 
commences  with  the  following  proclamation  by 
the  Governor: 

"State  of  Kansas,  Executiv^e  Office, 
"Topeka,  March  10,  1867. 
"Whereas,  in  due  form  of  law  it  has  been 


made  to  appear  that  the  county  of  Labette, 
State  of  Kansas,  contains  the  required  number 
of  inhabitants  to  entitle  the  people  of  said  coun- 
ty to  a  county  organization : 

"Now,  therefore,  I,  Samuel  J.  Crawford, 
Governor  of  Kansas,  by  virtue  of  authority 
in  me  vested  by  law,  and  having  commissioned 
special  county  officers,  do  hereby  locate  the 
county  seat  of  Labette  county,  State  of  Kan- 
sas, at  the  town  of  Oswego  in  said  county. 

"In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto 
subscribed  my  hand,  and  caused  to  be  affixed 
the  official  seal  of  State. 

"  Done  at  Topeka,  this  loth  day  of  March, 
A.  D.,  1867. 

"[Seal.]  S.  J.  Crawford." 

At  the  first  county  election,  held  on  April 
22,  1867,  in  addition  to  the  choice  of  county 
officers  the  electors  voted  upon  the  location  of 
the  county-seat,  with  the  following  result : 
Oswego  received  156  votes.  ^lontana  140 
votes,  and  Neola  84  votes.  On  October  4, 
1867,  the  commissioners  "Ordered  that  an 
election  on  the  permanent  location  of  the  coun- 
ty-seat of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  be  held  on 
the  5th  day  of  November,  A.  D.  1867."  The 
canvass  of  this  vote  shows  that  Oswego  re- 
ceived 158  votes,  Neola  144  votes,  and  Mon- 
tana 95  votes.  On  November  21,  1867,  on  a 
petition,  containing  251  names,  for  a  county- 
seat  election,  it  was  ordered  that  such  election 
be  held  on  the  30th  day  of  December,  1867. 
The  vote  was  canvassed  January  2,  1868,  with 
the  following  result :  Oswego,  204  votes ;  Ne- 
ola, 122  votes;  Montana,  109  votes;  and  the 
Geographical  Center,  6  votes.  The  poll-books 
for  Hackberry  township  and  luka  precinct  in 
Neosho  township  were  thrown  out  at  this  elec- 
tion, for  incompleteness  of  return.  Another 
election  was  held,  on  January  7,  1868,  which 
was  canvassed  on  January  10,   1868,  and  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


33 


result  declared  to  be  as  follows:  Oswego,  211 
votes;  Neola,  122  votes;  whereupon  it  was  de- 
clared that  "Oswego  having  received  a  ma- 
jority of  all  the  votes  cast  at  said  election  for 
county-seat,  it  is  hereby  declared  to  be  the 
county-seat  of  Labette,  in  the  State  of  Kansas." 

The  next  county-seat  move  seems  to  have 
been  on  April  12,  1869,  when  J.  S.  Waters 
presented  a  petition  for  a  county-seat  election, 
the  consideration  of  which  was  had  on  the  13th 
and  again  on  the  14th  of  the  same  month, 
on  which  last  day  it  was  rejected. 

On  January  5,  1871,  D.  G.  Brown  pre- 
sented a  petition,  purporting  to  be  signed  by 
1,494  citizens,  asking  for  an  election  on  the 
permanent  location  of  the  county-seat  of  La- 
bette county.  David  Kelso  appeared  before 
the  board  and  asked  that  it  defer  action  on  the 
petition  for  ten  days  or  two  weeks,  to  give 
time  for  an  examination  of  said  petition  and 
to  make  a  showing  that  it  was  not  such  a  one 
as  was  recjuired  by  law  in  order  that  an 
election  may  be  ordered.  The  board  gave  two 
hours  for  making  such  a  showing;  whereupon 
several  affidavits  were  filed,  but  after  all  ob- 
jections the  board  made  its  order  that  an  elec- 
tion be  held  on  February  15,  1871,  for  per- 
manent location  of  the  county-seat. 

On  February  18,  1871.  the  vote  was  can- 
vassed, and  the  result  declared  to  be  as  follows  : 
Whole  number  of  votes  cast,  3.715;  of  which 
Chetopa  received  877,  Oswego  1,011,  Labette 
1,588,  Geographical  Center  237,  Center  i, 
Montana  i.  The  poll-books  from  Parsons  pre- 
cinct were  not  received,  for  the  reason  that  no 
such  voting  precinct  had  then  been  established. 
The  votes  thus  rejected  were  51  for  Oswego,  3 
for  Labette,   and  2   for  Geographical  Center. 

It  was  then  ordered  that  a  second  election 
be  held,  on  February  28th.  to  determine  as 
between  Oswego  and  Labette  which  slujuld  be 


the  county  seat.  In  the  meantime  the  friends  of 
Cheto]3a  commenced  suit  against  the  commis- 
sioners and  obtained  an  injunction  restraining 
them  from  canvassing  the  returns  cast  at  the 
election  on  February  28th.  On  IMarch  4th  the 
commissioners  met  and  heard  extended  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  and  against  their  proceed- 
ing with  a  canvass  of  the  votes.  As  a  record 
of  a  deliberative  body,  the  report  of  the  action 
of  the  board  at  this  time,  as  found  in  its  jour- 
nal, is  somewhat  amusing.  They  finally  deter- 
mined "that  they  had  no'  right  under  the  in- 
junction to  can\-ass  the  vote,  and  that  they 
would  not  canvass  or  proclaim  any  result,  but 
would  repair  to  the  county  clerk's  office  and 
there  examine  the  packages  purporting  to  con- 
tain returns,  and  filed  in  said  office,  and  ascer- 
tain if  said  packages  so  filed  contained  poll- 
books  in  fact  of  the  election  held  on  February 
28th,  1871,  for  the  location  of  the  county- 
seat." 

Al^out  the  time  the  commissioners  had 
completed  the  inspection  of  the  packages  and 
ascertained  the  result  of  the  votes,  the  deputy 
sheriff  came  into  the  room  with  an  order  iov 
their  arrest  on  contempt  of  court.  On  hear- 
ing had  before  the  district  judge  they  were 
discharged  as  not  having  intended  any  con- 
tempt by  the  unofficial  canvass,  and  ascertaining 
the  result  of  the  vote  cast  on  the  28th  of  Feb- 
ruary. Although  not  officially  announced,  the 
result  of  that  vote  as  shown  by  the  returns, 
and  as  given  out  and  published  at  the  tim^, 
was  found  to  be  as  follows:  Total  vote  2,509, 
Labette  i  308,  Oswego  1,201. 

At  the  election  held  February  15th,  the  vote 
of  Liberty  township,  which  included  the  town 
of  Labette,  was  952,  all  but  three  of  which 
were  cast  for  Labette,  while  at  the  election  held 
but  thirteen  days  later  the  vote  of  this  town- 
ship had  dwindled  down  to  2t7--     At  the  firgt 


34 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


election  the  vote  of  Oswego  township  and  city 
was  672,  and  at  tlie  second  election  it  was 
687.  At  the  first  election  Iiika  precinct  cast 
305  votes,  all  for  Lahette;  while  at  the  second 
election  she  was  content  with  a  poll  of  58  votes, 
all  of  which  were  for  Laljette. 

During  this  1871  contest  over  the  county- 
seat,  parties  attempted  to  make  capital  for 
themselves,  or  for  some  other  cause,  on  the 
strength  of  their  promise  as  to  what  would  be 
done  for  or  against  certain  localities  in  the 
county-seat  vote.  D.  C.  Hutchinson  and  W. 
M.  Rogers,  claiming  to  represent  the  settlers' 
association,  went  to  Chetopa  and  got  $500 
donated  to  the  settlers'  organization,  with  the 
promise,  as  was  generally  understood,  that 
the  settlers  would  in  turn  give  Chetopa  their 
support  for  the  county-seat;  and  soon  there- 
after the  North  township  council  tendered  a 
vote  of  thanks  to  Chetopa  for  her  generous 
contribution.  It  is  not  improbable  that  like 
attempts  were  made  to  secure  funds  from  other 
points  on  similar  promises. 

During  this  canvass  also  other  attempts 
were  made  to  influence  the  voting,  which,  if 
intended  in  good  faith,  were  perhaps  less  ob- 
jectionable. To  induce  the  location  of  the 
county-seat  at  Labette,  the  town  company  of- 
fered to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  election,  and 
set  aside  a  block  of  ground  to  be  donated  to  the 
county  on  which  to  erect  county  buildings. 
In  January,  1868,  a  somewhat  similar  propo- 
sition had  been  made  by  Oswego,  she  propos- 
ing to  pay  expenses  of  election  and  to  furnish 
a  court-house  building  free  for  two  years  if 
she  were  chosen  county-seat.  A  public  meet- 
ing was  held  at  Mound  Valley,  at  which  it 
was  voted  to  offer  to  pay  $5,000  into  the  county 
treasury  provided  the  county-seat  were  located 
at  that  point  and  remained  there  for  five  years, 
and  in  addition  to  donate  a  block  of  ground 


400  feet  square  and  the  use  of  a  town  ball 
until  the  county  could  do  better;  and  further 
offered  to  donate  grounds  for  an  agricultural 
fair. 

It  would  be  hard  to  give  even  a  faint  idea 
of  the  bitterness  of  feeling  engendered,  and  of 
the  amount  of  corruption  practiced  at  this  time. 
Persons  who  were  considered  good  and  honest 
citizens  seemed  to  have  no  scruples  in  encour- 
aging and  assisting  illegal  and  fraudulent  vot- 
ing, in  tampering  with  ballot-boxes,  and  fix- 
ing up  returns  to  suit  the  emergency,  so  as  to 
give  the  place  for  which  they  were  working  a 
majority. 

On  July  9,  1874,  a  petition  containing 
2,193  names  was  presented  to  the  board  of 
county  commissicners,  asking  that  an  order  be 
made  for  an  election  for  the  purpose  of  voting 
on  the  relocation  of  the  ccunty-seat.  A  large 
number  of  business  men  and  attorneys  from 
Parsons  appeared  and  argued  in  favor  of  grant- 
ing the  petition,  and  a  like  representation  from 
Oswego  appeared  and  argued  against  the  peti- 
tion. The  matter  was  under  consideration  a 
large  part  of  the  time  from  the  9th  to  the  17th 
of  July,  during  which  time  nearly  every  phase 
of  the  law  relative  to  county-seat  elections  was 
discussed,  and  many  important  questions  were 
passed  upon  by  the  board.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned  :  Who  are  competent  petitioners ; 
from  what  rolls  the  number  of  electors  in  the 
county  are  to  be  determined;  the  right  of  a 
party  who  has  signed  a  petition  to  withdraw 
his  name  therefrom;  the  right  to  add  names 
after  the  petition  has  been  presented.  The 
board  finallv  determined  that  the  number  of 
electors  in  the  county  as  shown  by  the  tax- 
rolls  was  3,564.  From  the  2,193  names  on 
the  petition,  174  were  stricken  off  for  various 
reasons;  some  because  appearing  there  twice, 
some  because  put  there  by  other  parties  with- 


1606078 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


out  authcrity,  some  because  tliey  were  not  le- 
gal electors,  and  some  because  they  requested 
their  names  to  he  stricken  therefrom.  iVfter 
these  names  were  stricken  from  the  petition, 
there  were  left  thereon  2,019.  There  not  be- 
ing three-fifths  of  the  total  number  of  electors, 
the  board  on  July  17th  unanimously  \-oted  not 
to  order  an  election. 

On  January  14,  1S80,  the  commissioners 
in\'ited  C.^hetiipa,  Oswego  and  Parsons  cities 
and  ;\Iount  Pleasant  and  INIcund  Valley  town- 
ships to  submit  propositions  as  to  what  they 
would  do  toward  furnishing  a  building,  of  a 
kind  designated  in  the  order,  for  court-house 
and  offices,  and  in  case  of  removal  of  county- 
seat,  a  jail,  and  the  pajmient  of  the  costs  of 
removal ;  such  propositions  to  be  submitted  to 
the  electors  of  the  county  at  a  special  election 
to  Ije  called  for  that  purpose. 

On  January  15,  1880,  A.  M.  Fellows  pre- 
sented to  the  board  a  petition  said  to  contain 
about  2,yoo  names,  asking  an  election  to  be 
called  for  relocating  the  county-seat.  Consid- 
eration of  this  was  had  on  the  following  day, 
and  being  found  insufficient,  was  denied,  and 
lea\'e  given  to  withdraw  the  same.  On  Janu- 
ary 2/,  1880,  Angell  Matthewfon  presented  a 
petition  for  an  election  to  relocate  the  ccunty- 
seat,  and  attorneys  for  petiticners  objected  to 
anyone  being  heard  to  argue  against  granting 
the  petition,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  an  c.v 
parte  matter  in  which  no  one  but  the  petitioners 
were  known  to  the  board.  The  objection  was 
overruled,  and  the  board  decided  to  hear  par- 
ties for  and  against  the  petition.  After  consid- 
eration of  the  petition  from  day  to  day  up  to 
February  7,  1 880,  the  board  on  that  day  found 
that  the  petition  contained  2,495  names,  only 
1,168  of  which  were  the  names  of  legal  elec- 
tors, and  that  as  the  number  of  names  on  the 


assessment-rolls   was   3.374.   it 
a  petition  containing  the  names 


wiuUd  require 
of  2.024  elec- 
tors to  entitle  them  to  an  order  for  a  county- 
seat  election.  It  was  thereupcn  ordered  that 
the  prayer  of  the  petitioners  be  denied. 

This  controversy  over  the  application  for 
an  election  in  1880  was  somewhat  mixed  up 
with  the  matter  of  building  a  new  court-house. 
In  both  matters  the  representatives  of  Parsons 
attempted  to  institute  legal  proceedings  in  the 
name  of  the  State.  An  injunction  was  applied 
for  to  restrain  the  building  of  the  court-house, 
and  a  mandamus  was  asked  to  compel  the  com- 
missioners to  count  parties  as  petitioners  for 
an  election  although  their  names  did  not  ap- 
pear on  the  assessment-rolls.  Application  was 
made  to  the  Attorney  General  to  allow  the 
suits  to  be  conducted  in  the  name  of  the  State. 
The  request  was  granted  on  CLudition  of  cer- 
tain preliminary  steps  being  first  taken.  This 
course  was  not  taken,  and  the  cases  in  the 
name  of  the  State  were  dismissed.  A  manda- 
mus proceeding  by  \V.  G.  Adkins,  one  of  the 
petitioners,  was  instituted  to  compel  the  board 
to  count  him,  and  others  similarly  situated,  as 
legal  petitioners,  but  the  Supreme  Court  held 
that  he  was  not  authorized  to  maintain  the 
suit. 

The  last  public  effort  that  \A-as  made  to 
obtain  a  county-seat  election  was  in  1889. 
During  a  large  part  of  that  summer  petitions 
were  in  circulation  in  nearly  every  neighbor- 
hood in  the  county,  asking  that  an  election  be 
called.  One  of  the  peculiar  features  of  this 
effort  was  the  form  of  petiti;  n  which  was 
adopted.  It  was  really  a  contract  whereby 
each  party  who  signed  it  agreed  with  every 
other  one  who  signed  it,  not  to  ask  to  have  his 
name  stricken  off.  This  petition,  however,  has 
ne\'er  yet  been  presented  to  the  board. 


36 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


COUNTY  BUILDINGS. 

During  the  first  two  years  the  county  offi- 
cers held  their  offices  in  such  temporary  cjuar- 
ters  as  could  be  secured,  and  the  court  was 
first  held  in  the  second  story  of  the  Buntain 
building,  then  standing  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  block  25,  and  now  standing  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  block  1 1 ;  and  thereafter 
it  was  held  in  the  second  story  of  the  Fleming 
building,  on  lot  17  in  block  31,  now  occupied 
by  O.  E.  Woods  as  a  lumber-yard  office. 

In  the  summer  and  fall  of  1868  the  citi- 
zens of  Oswego  by  private  contribut'on  erect- 
ed a  one-story  frame  building  24  by  36  feet, 
12  feet  high,  on  lot  20  in  block  39,  in  which 
to  huld  church,  school  and  public  lectures.  This 
building  was  ready  for  occupancy  in  the  fall 
of  1868,  and  in  it  was  taught  the  public  school 
that  winter.  The  OsAvego  Town  Company, 
having  repaid  the  money  to  those  who  had  con- 
tributed for  the  erection  of  this  building,  took 
it  off  their  hands,  and  on  February  15,  1869, 
in  ciinsideration  of  $1  to  them  paid  by  the 
county  commissioners,  conveyed  said  lots  with 
said  building  thereon  to  the  county  commis- 
sioners for  the  benefit  of  Labette  county,  and 
on  the  same  day  the  town  company  entered  into 
a  contract  with  the  county  commissioners  for 
the  erection  of  a  stone  building  12  feet  square 
and  12  feet  high,  and  to  cost  not  less  than 
$1,000,  and  to  donate  the  same  to  the  county 
for  a  jail ;  the  county  commissioners  agreeing 
to  accept  and  use  the  same  for  that  purpose. 
Tiiereupon  the  town  company  employed  J.  H. 
Sawin  to  erect  such  a  building,  and  it  was 
built  on  tlie  west  end  of  lot  i,  block  18,  and 
was  ready  for  occupancy  in  July  of  that  year. 
The  building  above  described,  donated  to  the 
county  by  the  town  company,  was  at  first  used 
only  for  a  court-house,  the  county  offices  still 


remaining  scattered  over  town  in  temporary 
quarters  rented  for  that  purp(jse.  The  first 
term  of  court  held  in  this  building  was  in  Oc- 
tober, 1869. 

On  January  8.  1870,  the  commissioners, 
having  taken  the  opinion  of  the  county  attor- 
ney, and  being  advised  by  him  that  they  were 
fully  authorized  so  to  do,  decided  to  put  up  an 
addition  to  the  court-house,  to  be  used  for 
offices  by  the  county  officers.  They  thereupon 
entered  into  a  contract  with  Rev.  Joseph  A. 
Cox  for  the  erection  of  such  an  addition,  to  be 
about  24  by  30  feet,  for  the  sum  of  $900; 
and  they  appointed  Elisha  Hammer  agent  of 
the  county  to  superintend  the  erection  of  such 
an  addition,  and  upon  its  completion  to  accept 
it  and  deliver  to  the  contraclor  the  county  or- 
ders in  payment  for  the  same.  On  the  com- 
pletion of  this  addition,  it  was  divided  into  four 
offices,  in  which  most  of  the  county  officers 
were  able  to  find  quarters.  Soon  thereafter, 
however,  the  clerk  of  the  district  court  and 
sheriff  removed  their  offices  to  the  main  room 
used  for  a  court-house. 

The  building  referred  to,  erected  for  a 
county  jail,  for  the  number  of  prisoners  who 
frequently  had  to  be  placed  therein,  was  found 
to  be  unfit  for  the  purpose,  and  occasionally, 
before  the  new  jail  was  built,  prisoners  had 
to  be  taken  to-  some  neighboring  county,  usu- 
ally Bourbon,  for  safe-keeping.  No  other 
building  was  provided  by  the  county  until 
1879.  In  April,,  1879,  the  commissioners  con- 
tracted with  Samuel  Fellows  for  the  erection 
of  a  large  stone  building  in  the  rear  of  the 
court-house,  for  which  they  agreed  to  pay  him 
$698.56.  The  building  was  completed  in  iMay, 
and  in  it  the  commissioners  placed  three  iron 
cells,  for  which  they  paid  $750  and  freight. 
While  this  building  was  quite  an  im.provement 
on  the  first,  it  was  still  insufficient  both  in  size 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


and  construction  for  a  county  jail.  Over  and 
over  again  did  the  judge  of  the  district  court 
and  the  grand  jury,  as  well  as  the  public  press, 
declare  this  building  to  be  a  totally  unfit  place 
in  which  to  confine  prisoners.  Four  and  some- 
times six  prisoners  woiild  be  confined  in  one 
of  these  small  cells.  Dampness  and  lack  of 
ventilation  and,  almost  of  necessity,  with  such 
a  number  as  it  contained,  a  large  degree  of 
filthiness,  characterized  this  building,  and  made 
its  maintenance  a  blot  on  our  good  name. 
However,  it  was  not  until  1893  that  better 
accommodations  were  provided.  In  1890  the 
city  of  Oswego  proposed  to  the  county  to  erect 
on  the  court-house  premises  a  substantial  two- 
story  brick  building,  the  use  of  which  the  coun- 
ty was  to  have  free  so  long  as  she  desired  to 
occupy  it  as  a  county  jail,  and  during  the 
summer  such  building  was  erected.  In  1891 
the  old  cells  and  three  additional  new  iron  ones, 
for  which  the  county  paid  $1,800,  were  placed 
in  this  building. 

On  July  10,  1880,  the  conmi'.ssirvners  con- 
veyed the  first  stone  building  used  as  a  jail  to 
the  city  of  Oswego  for  use  as,  a  calaboose. 

On  December  4,  1879,  H.  C.  Hall  and  C. 
O.  Perkins  offered  to  rent  from  the  county  the 
court-house  site  for  ninety-nine  years,  and  to 
erect  thereon  a  brick  or  stone  building  of  suffi- 
cient size  and  accommodation  for  county  pur- 
poses, which  they  would  lease  to  the  county  for 
a  term  of  years  at  a  reasonable  rent.  Whereupon 
the  board  accepted  their  proposit  on,  and  agreed 
if  they  would  erect  the  building  described, 
which  was  substantially  the  one  subsequently 
constructed,  they  would  rent  it  for  ten  years, 
and  pay  therefor  as  rental  $900  for  the  first 
year  and  $600  per  annum  thereafter.  On  Jan- 
uary 14,  1880,  the  board  rescinded  its  action 
taken  on  December  4,  1879,  and  revoked  the 
contract;  but  on  January  17th,  on  the  execut- 


ing of  a  bond  by  certain  citizens,  which  was 
approved  by  the  board,  conditioned  that  they 
would  pay  the  rent  on  the  proposed  building 
to  be  erected  by  Messrs.  Hall  and  Perkins,  the 
board  ratified  and  confirmed  its  order  made  on 
December  4,  1879;  whereupon  the  proposed 
building  was  erected,  and  on  May  23,  1880, 
being  fully  completed,  was  dedicated  with  ap- 
propriate ceremonies.  In  1883  the  county  com- 
missioners caused  brick  vaults  to  be  construct- 
ed for  the  offices  of  the  register  of  deeds  and 
the  clerk  of  the  district  court. 

The  shade  trees  which  add  so  much  to  the 
appearance  of  the  property  were  set  out  in  1881. 

FURNISHING    COUNTY   OFFICES. 

The  record  of  the  proceedings  nf  the  cdui- 
missioners  at  their  first  meeting,  on  June  5, 
1867,  contains  this  order: 

"It  is  further  ordered,  that  the  county  offi- 
cers shall  hold  their  offices  at  heme  until  a 
place  is  provided  by  said  board  of  commis- 
sioners." 

However,  temporary  offices  were  soon 
thereafter  provided  in  Oswego  for  most  of  the 
officers.  On  January  14,  1868,  I  find  among 
the  proceedings  of  the  board  the  following 
order : 

"County  clerk  is  hereby  ordered  to  give  no- 
tice to  the  various  county  officers  of  this  county 
when  and  where  county  offices  have  been  pro- 
vided, when  the  same  shall  have  been  so  pro- 
vided.'' 

On  November  u,  1870,  is  the  following 
order : 

"County  offices  having  been  provided  with 
furniture,  ordered,  that  county  officers  keep 
office  in  court-house  from  November  20, 
1870." 

The  first  order  which  I  find  referring  to 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


the  furniture  for  county  offices  is  on  January 
14,  1868,  when  the  commissioners  ado]^ted  the 
fohowing: 

"Wliereas,  the  county  offices  of  this  count}' 
are  destitute  of  furniture :  and  wliereas,  such 
furniture  is  ahsolutely  necessary  for  the  tran- 
saction of  business  in  said  offices,  therefore,  it 
is  hereby  ordered  that  the  county  clerk  be  and  is 
hereby  authorized  to  procure  for  said  offices 
the  fohowing  articles  of  furniture :  Twelve 
office  chairs,  two  tables  3  by  6  feet,  one  coal 
stove  of  lar.-^re  size,  one  book  case ;  said  furni- 
ture to  be  purchased  or  procured  on  the  most 
advantageous  terms'  to  the  county,  and  paid 
for  out  of  the  county  treasury  with  any  money 
not  otherwise  appropriated." 

On  July  7,  1868,  the  commissioners  allowed 
bill  to  Hanford  &  Pierson  in  the  sum  of  $19 
for  one  half-dozen  office  chairs.  This  seems  to 
have  been  the  first  bill  of  furniture  bought  by 
the  count}'.  On  the  same  day  the  commission- 
ers made  the  following  order: 

"It  appearing  to  the  board  that  it  is  neces- 
sary, in  order  to  preserve  the  books,  records 
and  papers  belonging  to  the  county,  that  they 
should  be  placed  in  a  safe,  and  there  being  no 
safe  in  the  possession  of  the  county  authori- 
ties, therefore,  be  it  or<lered  by  the  board,  that 
the  county  clerk  enter  into  contract  with  R. 
W.  Wright  or  some  other  person  for  the  use 
of  a  safe  for  one  year  upon  the  following 
terms :  The  county  will  pay  five  per  centum 
on  the  cost  of  the  safe,  and  the  county  to  have 
the  use  of  one-half  of  the  safe,  with  the  privi- 
lege of  going  to  the  safe  at  pleasure.  The  safe 
to  stand  in  R.  W.  \\'right's  business  house, 
if  rented  of  him;  if  rented  of  any  other  per- 
son it  is  to  be  placed  in  county  rooms  or  some 
building  convenient  thereto." 

On  January  8,  i86g,  it  is  "Ordered  by  the 
board,  that  the  county  clerk  and  treasurer  be 


and  are  hereby  authorized  to  purchase'  a  safe 
from  G.  R.  Tileston,  of  Chetopa,  if  in  their 
oijinion  it  will  answer  the  purpose  of  the  coun- 
ty, at  a  price  not  to  exceed  $245 ;"  and  on 
April  1 2th  following  the  bill  cf  R.  G.  Tileston 
in  the  sum  of  $245  for  a  safe  wa.s  allowed, 
and  the  further  bill  of  H.  C.  Bridgman  in  the 
sum  of  v$i6  for  services  in  going  to  Chetopa 
and  purchasing  the  safe  was  also  allowed.  On 
July  29.  1870.  the  commissioners  made  a 
contract  with  Beard  &  Bro.,  of  St.  Louis,  for 
two  safes,  one  with  burglar-prcof  box  for 
county  treasurer  and  one  large  fire-proof  safe 
for  county  clerk,  for  which  they  agreed  to  pay 
$1,000. 

These  items  are  gi\-en  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  how  gradually  the  commissioners  fur- 
nished offices  and  provided  safeguards  for  the 
county  property.  Small  bills  of  office  furniture 
were  procured  from  time  to  time  as  the  ne- 
cessities of  the  case  seemed  to  recjuire,  but  at 
no  time  has  there  been  any  lavish  expenditure 
of  mone}'  in  furniture  or  other  accommoda- 
tions for  the  county  offices. 

SELF-ORGANIZED  COURTS. 

Prior  to  the  summer  of  1866  there  was 
real!}-  no  civil  protection  for  the  settlers  re- 
siding in  what  is  now  Labette  county,  it  be- 
ing then  a  part  of  Neosho  county.  They  had 
in  theory  civil  officers,  but  they  were  so  far 
away,  and  the  organization  of  Neosho  county 
was  at  the  time  so  crude  and  imperfect,  that 
little  reliance  could  be  placed  by  the  settlers 
in  this  part  of  the  county  receiving  anv  aid 
from  the  officers  up  there. 

In  June.  George  Bennett,  of  Montana,  was 
appointed  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in  Septem- 
ber, C.  H.  Talbott,  of  Oswego,  was  likewise 
appointed.     But  even  after  their  appointment. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


39 


the  arm  of  the  law  could  hardly  be  said  to  have 
sutificient  strength  to  vigorously  deal  with  law- 
breakers. This  lack  of  civil  law,  almost  of 
necessity,  forced  the  settlers  into  an  organiza- 
tion of  their  own  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
their  rights  and  rendering  redress  to  those  who 
complained  of  having  suffered  grievances. 
Several  of  these  organizations  were  formed 
early  in  1866,  and  in  them  a  sort  of  judicial 
air  was  maintained  and  the  forms  of  law  par- 
tially observed,  and  to  the  end  that  the  real 
party  at  fault  might  be  disco\-ered,  and  only 
those  who  were  guilty  should  suffer.  One  of 
these  organizations,  known  as  the  Soldiers' 
Club,  was  organized  at  Oswego  in  the  spring 
of  1866;  \Y.  C.  Watkins  was  president;  D.  M. 
Clover  vice-president,  and  Maj.  Victor  secre- 
tary. It  met  in  Clover's  cabin  by  the  river. 
Another  of  these  organizations  was  formed 
by  the  settlers  on  Hackberry  and  Labette 
creeks;  another  one  existed  at  Oswego,  and 
still  another  en  the  Neusho,  in  the  northern 
portion  of  the  county.  Each  of  these  had 
more  or  less  business  in  the  way  of  settling- 
disturbances  among  the  settlers,  and  on  one  or 
two  occasions  resort  was  had  to  measures 
which  to  some  would  seem  se\-ere. 

Francis  Wall,  of  Fair\'iew  township,  had  a 
yoke  of  oxen  stolen.  Investigation  revealed 
the  fact  that  James  IMoss,  a  settler  on  Hack- 
berry,  had  been  peddling  meat  about  the  time 
that  ]\Ir.  Wall's  oxen  were  missing.  The  local 
court  became  satisfied  that  Mr.  Moss  and  some 
of  his  neighbors  were  the  parties  guilty  of 
stealing  Mr.  Wall's  oxen,  and  concluded  that 
the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  have  them  leave  the 
count)-,  and  then  to  appropriate  and  sell  their 
claims  and  applv  the  proceeds  toward  reimburs- 
ing yir.  Wall  for  his  oxen,  and  the  balance  to 
be  used  for  contingent  court  expenses.  A 
committee  visited  the  parties  at  their  homes 


and  informed  them  of  the  judgment  of  the 
court,  to  which  they  took  several  exceptions; 
but  the  order  was  imperative,  and  by  the  help 
of  some  of  the  members  of  the  court  the  goods 
of  these  parties  were  placed  in  their  wagons 
and  they  were  told  that  the  best  thing  for  them 
to  do  was  not  to  be  seen  there  any  more.  It 
was  not  long  after  this  until  a  deputy  sheriff 
from  Neosho  county  came  down  for  the  arrest 
of  some  dozen  members  of  the  court  who  were 
engaged  in  this  act  of  depopulation.  The  par- 
ties were  taken  in  charge  by  the  deputy  sheriff 
and  his  posse,  but  before  they  had  reached  the 
line  .that  now  divides  Neosho  and  Labette 
counties,  the  Neosho  county  party  were  in- 
duced to  believe  that  it  would  be  as  well  for 
them  not  to  further  insist  on  taking  their  pris- 
oners with  them.  A  proper  return  was  made 
out  on  the  warrant  relieving  the  officers  from 
responsibility,  and  the  parties  returned  to  their 
homes. 

A  large  part  of  the  business  of  these  courts 
was  in  settling  disputes  between  settlers  in 
reference  to  their  claims.  Very  few  men  were 
found  who  would  insist  upon  a  course  of  con- 
duct which  had  been  condemned  by  one  of  these 
courts,  and  usually  their  judgments  were  as 
well  obeyed  as  are  those  of  the  courts  that 
have  since  been  established  b}-  law. 

DISTRICT  COURT. 

Labette  count}-  was  a  part  ^jf  the  territory 
constituting  the  Seventh  Judicial  District  of 
the  State  of  Kansas  until  the  1870  session  of 
the  Legislature  created  the  Eleventh  Judicial 
District,  since  which  time  until  1901  Labette 
county  was  comprised  in  that  district.  On 
February  22,  1901,  a  law  went  into  effect,  de- 
taching Montgomery  and  Labette  counties 
from  the  Eleventh  Judicial  District  and  form- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ing-  them  into  the  Fourteenth  Judicial  District. 
Cherokee  county,  alone,  now  forms  the  Elev- 
enth Judicial  District.  The  judges'  of  the 
court  have  been  William  Spriggs,  of  Garnett; 
John  R.  Goodin,  of  Humboldt;  William  C. 
W^ebb,  of  Fort  Scott;  Henry  G.  Webb,  of  Os- 
wego ;  Bishop  W.  Perkins,  of  Oswego ;  George 
Chandler,  of  Independence;  John  N.  Ritter, 
of  Columbus ;  Jerry  D.  McCue,  of  Independ- 
ence: and  A.  H.  Skidmore,  of  Columbus. 

On  June  5th,  1867,  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  "Ordered  that  the  District 
Court  will  organize  in  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
at  as  early  a  day  as  practicable;  W.  Spriggs, 
Judge,  will  be  notified  by  the  county  clerk  to 
fix  the  day  and  month."  And  thereafter,  on 
August  ig,  1867,  the  board  made  the  follow- 
ing request : 

"To  the  Hon.  Mr.  Spriggs,  Judge  of  tlic 
Scz'ciiih  Jmlicial  District:  We,  the  under- 
signed Commissioners  of  Labette  county,  do 
hereby  request  that  you  order  a  grand  jury 
for  the  October  term  of  the  District  Court  for 
Labette  count}-.  State  of  Kansas." 

The  first  term  of  the  court  held  in  the  coun- 
ty con\-ened  on  Monday,  October  7th.  1867, 
and  continued  until  the  nth,  when  it  finally 
adjourned.  In  compliance  with  the  request  of 
the  county  commissioners,  a  grand  jury  had 
been  ordered  and  drawn,  and  the .  first  thing 
done  upon  the  opening  of  court  was  to  call  the 
list  of  the  grand  jury.  The  following  persons 
responded:  H.  W.  Latham,  D.  B.  Shultz, 
James  F.  JMolesworth,  David  Stanfield,  Joseph 
McCormick,  J.  S.  Lee,  Dempsey  Elliott,  W. 
C.  Watkins,  and  W.  D.  Birum.  Upon  the  di- 
rection I  if  the  court,  the  sheriff  filled  in  the 
])anel  with  the  following:  Z.  Harris,  J.  jNI. 
Dodson,  Wm.  H.  Reed,  E.  W.  King,  Enos 
Reed,  and  J.  Huntley.  These  15  were  duly 
sworn  and  charged.  '  Joseph  McCormick  was 


appointed  foreman,  and  Charles  E.  Simmons, 
deputy  sheriff,  was  assigned  to  them  as  their 
bailiff. 

The  next  action  taken  by  the  court  was  the 
appointment  of  W.  J.  Parkinson  as'  county  at- 
torney. The  following  attorneys  seem  to  have 
been  admitted  to  practice  in  other  courts,  and 
to  have  been  recognized  as  attorneys  at  this, 
viz. :  J.  D.  McCue,  W.  P.  Bishop,  W.  J.  Park- 
inson, and  W.  A.  Johnson.  Committees  were 
appointed  to  examine  applicants,  and  after  what 
what  was  supposed  to  have  been  an  examina- 
tion and  the  applicants  having  satisfactorily 
shown  their  qualifications  therefor,  the  follow- 
ing were  duly  admitted  to  practice :  N.  L.  Hib- 
bard,  J.  S.  Waters,  Charles  H.  Bent,  J.  F. 
Newton,  W.  C.  Watkins,  and  C  C.  Clover. 

As  far  as  appears  from  the  records,  no 
case,  either  criminal  or  civil,  was  tried  at  this 
term  of  court.  Some  preliminary  matters  in 
the  shape  of  demurrers,  motions  to  make  rec- 
ord more  complete,  etc.,  were  presented  to  and 
decided  by  tlie  court.  A  jury  was  impaneled 
in  one  case,  but  plaintiff  finding  it  necessary  to. 
amend  petition,  the  case  was  continued  without 
trial. 

The  first  indictment  found  by  the  grand 
jury  was  against  Samuel  Gregory,  who  was 
charged  with  assault  and  battery  with  intent 
to  kill  Willoughby  Doudna,  with  a  whip-stock; 
and  by  another  indictment  he  was  charged 
with  attempting  to  kill  James  M.  Dodson  with 
a  revolver.  From  the  fact  that  at  a  subsequent 
term  of  the  court  Mr.  Gregory,  with  consent 
of  the  county  attorney,  pleaded  guilty  to  an  as- 
sault and  battery  alone,  and  was  released  from 
the  charge  with  intent  to  kill,  upon  which  -plea 
he  was  fined  $10  by  the  court,  it  may  fairly  be 
inferred  that  the  offense  was  not  considered 
very  aggravated. 

The  first  motion  that  seems  to  have  been 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


made  in  court  was  by  J.  D.  McCue,  to  retiiiire 
the  justice  to  send  up  a  comjjlete  transcript 
in  case  No.  i,  James  P.  May  z's.  John  Stag- 
inaff,  which  was  an  appeal  from  Justice  Lo- 
gan's court. 

This  was  the  only  term  of  court  in  this 
county  presided  over  by  Judge  Spriggs.  Be- 
fore the  convening  of  the  next  term,  in  April, 
1868,  the  Hon.  John  R.  Goodwin  had  suc- 
ceeded Judge  Spriggs  on  the  bench. 

HOME  FOR  THE  POOR. 

Prior  to  1873  the  poor  of  the  county  had 
been  cared  for  by  the  trustees  of  the  respective 
townships,  and  the  bills  contracted  in  their 
support  paid  by  the  county.  This  item  of  ex- 
pense became  a  heavy  burden,  and  a  general 
desire  for  a  better  system  was  expressed.  The 
county  commissioners  suljmitted  to  the  electors 
of  the  county,  at  the  spring  election  held  April 
I,  1873,  ^  proposition  to  vote  $10,000  to  pur- 
chase and  improve  a  poor-farm.  The  propo- 
sition carried  by  a  large  majority.  The  bonds 
were  sold  to  Hobart  &  Longwell,  at  85  cents  on 
the  dollar.  The  commissioners  bought  the 
northwest  quarter  of  S.  t,^,  T.  TiT^.  R.  21,  and 
paid  therefor  $4,000.  They  immediately  made 
arrangements  for  the  erection  of  a  house 
thereon,  and  by  October  of  that  year  the  house 
now  standing  on  said  farm  was  ready  for  oc- 
cupancy. 

On  j\Iay  7,  1873,  it  having  been  determined 
to  open  the  asylum  for  the  poor  in  temporary 
quarters  until  the  county  house  could  be  erect- 
ed on  the  farm  just  purchased,  T.  B.  Julian 
and  his  wife  Emily  C.  Julian  were  employed 
as  superintendent  and  matron  of  the  house,  at 
a  salary  of  $40  a  month  for  the  former  and 
$20  a  month  for  the  latter;  they  to  provide 
a  building  ready-furnished,   and   receive  and 


care  for  all  the  poor  who  would  be  sent  them; 
the  county  to  furnish  provisions.  Under  this 
arrangement  the  asylum  was  opened  about  the 
loth  of  May,  1873,  in  the  two-story  building 
then  and  now  standing  on  lot  8,  in  block  39, 
in  Oswego,  on  the  north  side  of  the  block  on 
which  the  court-house  stands.  Here  it  was 
kept  until  the  county  house  was  finished,  in 
October  of  that  year,  when  the  home  was  per- 
manently established  there. 

LIST  OF  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  POOR-FARM. 

T.  B.  Julian,  from  May  8,  1873,  to  Septem- 
ber 8,  1874;  H.  G.  Newton,  to  October  3, 
1876;  \V.  H.  Carico,  to  October  10,  1878; 
Robert  A.  Hogue,  to  March  i,  1880;  James 
H.  Haggerty,  to  February  15,  1884;  John  Mc- 
Caw,  to  November  6,  1884;  J.  H.  Haggerty, 
to  March  i,  1885  ;  J.  A.  Warbington.  to  ]\Iarch 
I,  1889;  William  Dudgeon,  to  March  i,  1891 ; 
L.  H.  Summers,  to  March  i,  1892;  William 
Dudgeon,  to  1897;  L.  H.  Summers,  to  1901; 
George  Guntle. 

BRIDGES. 

NEOSHO  TOWNSHIP. 

Before  any  other  township  had  moved  to 
bridge  its  streams,  or  any  action  had  been  taken 
by  the  county  looking  to  that  end,  Neosho 
township,  early  in  1868,  took  steps  to  bridge 
several  of  the  streams  leading  into  the  Ne- 
osho. A  tax  of  one  and  one-fourth  per  cent., 
to  pay  for  such  bridges,  was  levied  that  year. 
The  dissatisfaction  that  resulted  from  this  ac- 
tion was  because  of  the  belief  that  the  money 
was  not  to  be  honestly  appropriated,  but  that 
bridges  of  an  inferior  quality  would  be  erected, 
for  which  a  large  price  was  to  be  paid.  There- 
upon, Anthony  Amend  was  appointed  commis- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


bioner  by  the  board  of  county  commissioners, 
to  make  estimates  antl  oversee  the  construc- 
tion of  these  bridges. 

PROPOSITIONS  BY  THE  COUNTY. 

On  June  21,  1871,  the  board,  on  petition 
of  96  electors,  submitted  a  proposition  to  vote 
$40,000  for  bridges  in  the  county,  and  an  elec- 
tion was  called  for  July  21st.  This  proposition 
was  opposed  by  the  Register^  but  favored  b}' 
the  Ailvaiicc;  the  latter,  however,  advocating 
making  it  $75,000  instead  of  $40,000.  After- 
ward the  commissioners'  changed  the  amount 
to  $105,000,  and  fixed  the  date  of  election  for 
the  latter  part  of  August.  It  was  proposed  to 
expend  the  money  as  follows:  $20,000  each 
for  four  bridges  over  the  Neosho  at  points  at 
or  near  Chetopa,  Oswego,  Montana,  and  Par- 
sons, and  the  balance  was  to  be  expended  in 
bridges  at  one  or  more  points  over  Labette, 
Hackberry,  Pumpkin,  and  Big  Hill  creeks.  A 
large  anti-bridge-bond  meeting  was  held  at 
Mound  Valley,  and  strong  grounds  taken 
against  the  issuance  of  bonds.  On  canvassing 
the  vote  it  was  found  that  not  a  single  vote 
had  been  cast  for  bonds  excepting  in  four  town- 
ships; these  were  as  follows:  Montana  i, 
Labette  5,  Chetopa  156,  Parsons  83,  total,  245; 
all  the  rest  of  the  vote,  amounting  to  1,295 
votes,  was  against  the  bonds. 

BRIDGES    ACROSS    THE    L.VBETTE. 

The  first  liridge  in  the  county  built  by  order 
of  the  county  commissic-iners  was  across  La- 
bette Creek,  west  of  Oswego.  The  steps  lead- 
ing to  this  commenced  on  July  17,  1869,  when 
the  commissioners  ordered  the  question  of  is- 
suing $1,300  in  bonds'  to  be  submitted  to  the 
electors  at  the  next  general  election.     At  the 


election  held  in  November  of  that  year,  the 
proposition  for  issuing  bonds  was  carried,  and 
on  December  i6th  following  the  board  issued 
$500  of  the  amount  so  voted  to  Thomas 
Powers,  and  contracted  with  him  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  bridge.     On   November   14, 

1870,  the  contractor  having  failed  to  complete 
the  bridge,  the  $500  (amount  appropriated  by 
the  county)  being  insufiicient,  the  commission- 
ers sold  said  bridge  to  Thomas  Powers  and 
W.  W.  Babbitt,  who  proposed  to  make  of  the 
same  a  toll  bridge;  they  agreeing  to  pay  the 
county  $1,000  in  ten  3'ears.     On  February  20, 

1 87 1,  Messrs.  Horner,  Weaver,  Patrick  and 
Condon  were  appointed  a  committee  to  see 
about  the  re-purchase  of  this  bridge  for  the 
county.  On  March  3d  they  reported  that  the 
bridge  was  worth  $2,500,  and  recommended 
the  board  to  liquidate  the  outstanding  obliga- 
tion against  it,  and  to  assume  control  of  the 
same.  On  April  3d,  by  agreement,,  the  con- 
tract with  Messrs.  Powers  and  Babbitt  was 
canceled,  the  county  agreeing  to  pay  $850  and 
take  the  bridge.  The  bridge  was  soon  there- 
after completed.  On  April  12,  1878,  an  order 
of  the  board  was  made  to  repair  this  old  bridge, 
at  a  cost  of  ndt  to  exceed  $985.  Subsequently 
this  order  was  revoked,  and  on  June  5tli  a 
new  bridge  was  ordered  constructed.  The  site 
of  the  bridge  was  changed  from  the  section 
line  to  a  point  farther  down  the  creek,  near 
where  it  crosses  the  township  line  from  Fair- 
view  township  to  Oswego  township.  In  1884 
this  old  wooden  bridge  was  replaced  by  an 
iron  bridge,  at  a  cost  of  $1,995. 

Oo  April  17,  1878,  the  board  directed  the 
construction  of  a  bridge  across  the  Labette, 
on  the  line  leading  from  Oswego  to  Chetopa, 
at  a  cost  of  $999.  With  this  a  wooden  bridge 
was  constructed,  and  ready  for  crossing  in 
October  of  that  year.    This  bridge  stood  until 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


43 


1885,  when  it  was  replaced  with  an  iron  struc- 
ture, at  a  cost  of  $2,000. 

In  1883  an  appropriation  of  $1,300  was 
made  for  a  bridge  across  the  Little  Labette, 
and  in  1884  an  appropriation  of  $2,500  for  a 
bridge  across  the  main  Labette,  both  near 
Parsons. 

A  good  bridge  also  spans  this  stream  in 
Liberty  township,  west  of  the  town  of  La- 
bette; and  perhaps  there  may  be  bridges  at 
other  points,  of  which  I  have  not  spoken. 


BRIDGES    ACROSS   THE    NEOSHO. 

In  the  fall  of  1871  Chetopa  voted  $10,000 
for  a  bridge  across  the  Neosho,  work  on  which 
was  commenced  at  once,  and  the  abutments 
were  completed  early  in  1872.  Before  the  re- 
organization of  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners in  January,  1872,  the  old  board  made 
an  appropriation  of  $950  to  aid  in  the  con- 
struction of  this  Chetopa  bridge.  This  was  a 
frame  structure,  and  was  completed  in  1872; 
it  remained  until  the  spring  of  1878,  when  it 
was  washed  away  by  high  water.  Diiring  the 
next  year  there  was  no  bridge-  at  this  point, 
a  ferry-boat  being  the  means  of  crossing.  In 
the  spring  of  1879  steps  were  taken  to  build 
a  new  bridge;  it  was  nearly  done,  when,  in 
July,  a  wind  storm  blew  it  down;  work  was 
again  commenced,  and  it  was  nearly  completed 
when,  on  August  14th,  it  was  again  entirely 
washed  out  by  a  rise  in  the  river;  it  was  not 
until  November  that  the  bridge  was  completed 
and  ready  for  use.  This  bridge  was  a  combina- 
tion of  wood  and  iron  and  cost  $1,900,  $999 
of  which  was  paid  by  the  county,  and  the  bal- 
ance by  Chetopa. 

In  1888  this  bridge  gave  place  to  the  fine 
iron  structure  which  now  spans  the  Neosho  at 


that  point  and  which  was  erected  entirely  by 
the  county,  at  a  cost  of  $8,500. 

On  June  30,  1872,  Oswego  city  and  town- 
ship voted  $20,000  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
structing two  bridges  across  the  Neosho;  one 
was  to  be  located  north  and  the  other  south- 
east of  town.  A  contract  was  made  with  the 
King  Iron  Bridge  Company  for  the  erection 
of  these  two  bridges,  for  the  sum  of  $19,650, 
to  be  completed  by  December  of  that  year.  By 
some  means  the  bonds  were  issued  and  deliv- 
ered before  any  work  was  done,  and  as  usual- 
ly happens  under  such  circumstances,  the  work 
was  not  done.  Finally,  some  two  years  there- 
after a  compromise  was  effected  with  the 
bridge  company  whereby  it  was  to  put  in  one 
bridge  and  be  released  from  its  further  obli- 
gation. In  1874,  under  this  arrangement,  the 
bridge  now  spanning  the  Neosho  north  of 
town  was  constructed,  and  on  No\-ember  27th 
of  that  year  teams  passed  over  it  for  the  first 
time.  On  June  7,  1886,  Oswego  donated  this 
bridge  to  the  county,  and  it  was  accepted  by 
the  county  as  a  county  bridge. 

In  1885  it  was  arranged  between  the  ofii- 
cers  of  Oswego  city  and  the  commissioners 
of  Cherokee  county  to  build  a  bridge  across 
the  Neosho  at  a  point  directly  east  of  Oswego, 
in  Cherokee  county.  Under  this  arrangement 
an  iron  bridge  was  constructed  during  the  year, 
for  which  Oswego  built  the  piers  and  abut- 
ments and  Cherokee  county  put  on  the  struc- 
ture. In  April,  1885,  the  middle  pier  of  this 
bridge,  which  was  then  being  erected,  was 
washed  away;  in  February,  1886,  the  bridge 
was  completed  and  accepted. 

Several  efiforts  have  been  made  to  secure 
a  bridge  across  the  Neosho  at  Montana.  On 
September  29,  1881,  Dr.  J.  M.  Mahr  pre- 
sented the  petition  of  himself  and  131  others, 
asking  for  an  appropriation  to  build  a  bridge 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


at  that  point.  The  commissioners  did  not 
make  the  appropriation,  for  the  reason  that  the 
amount  required  was  beyond  the  amount  they 
Avere  authorized  to  grant ;  but  they  made  an  or- 
der submitting  a  proposition  to  the  electors  to 
vote  on  at  the  November  election,  whether  or 
not  they  would  authorize  the  issuance  of 
$9,000  for  the  construction  of  such  a  bridge. 
At  the  election  309  votes  were  cast  in  favor  of 
the  proposition  and  1,513  against  it. 

In  1885  the  Legislature  passed  an  act 
authorizing  the  commissioners  to  build  a 
bridge  across  the  Neosho,  at  a  point  to  be 
designated  by  three  commissioners  appointed 
in  the  act. 

At  the  time  of  the  passage  of  this  law  it 
was  intended  that  provision  was  to  be  made 
for  two  bridges — one  at  Montana,  and  one 
east  of  Parsons  and  these  points  were  desig- 
nated by  the  commissioners.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  strenuous  efforts  that  were  made  to 
procure  an  appropriation  for  a  bridge,  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  refused  to  act 
that  year. 

In  January,  1886,  under  authority  of  the 
act  of  1885  above  referred  to,  the  board  ap- 
propriated $7,000  for  a  bridge  across  the  Ne- 
osho directly  east  of  Parsons,  and  it  was  built 
that  season. 

In  1888  the  board  made  an  appropriation 
of  $8,500  for  the  construction  of  a  bridge 
across  the  Neosho  at  Montana,  and  with  this 
the  iron  bridge  now  spanning  the  stream  at 
that  point  was  built. 

BRIDGES   ACROSS   OTHER   STREAMS. 

Without  going  into  the  particulars  as  to 
each  appropriation  made  for  bridges  over  the 
various  streams  in  the  county,  I  may  say  that 
appropriations  have  been  made  by  the  board 
for  bridging  all  the  streams  in  the  county  at 


nearly  every  point  where  they  are  crossed  by 
the  principal  thoroughfares :  Hackberry, 
Pumpkin,  Deer,  Bachelor,  Big  Hill,  The  Cut-. 
Off,  Chetopa,  Turkey,  as  well  as  some  of  the. 
smaller  creeks,  are  spanned  with  substantial 
bridges  which  have  been  erected  at  the  coun- 
ty's expense. 

I  think  the  general  opinion  is  that  the 
money  expended  for  these  bridges  has  been 
as  wisely  appropriated  as  any  that  the  board 
'has  been  called  upon  to  make,  and  that  no  one 
feels  that  too  much  has  been  done  in  that  di- 
rection. 

In  building  these  bridges  the  board  has 
usually  required  the  township  in  which  the 
bridge  was  located  to  put  in  the  approaches, 
and  sometimes  to  do  even  more  than  this ;  but 
generally  the  main  part  of  the  exoense  has  been 
borne  by  the  county. 

U.  S.  CENSUS. 


TOWNSHIPS 


Neosho 

North 

Walton 

Osage 

Mound  Valley  (includ- 
ing city) 

Labette 

Liberty 

Montana 

Oswego 

Mt.  Pleasant  (includ- 
ing Altamont  city).. 

Canada 

Howard 

Elm  Grove  (including 
Edna  city)   

Hackberry 

Richland .. 


Chetopa., 
Oswego  . 
Parsons.. 


Total  of  county. 

Eltamont 

Adna 

Mound  Valley 


1,196 


1,408 

906 

871 


1,096 
1,104 
1,280 

1,305 
2,351 
4,199 


22,735 


515 

803 

677 

1,486 

1.840 


1,400 
1,184 
1,068  I      1,047 


2,265  I  2,( 
2,574  I  2,i 
6,736  I      7,( 


27,586       27,387 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


45 


ASSESSMENT  FOR  1867. 

The  following  is  the  amount  of  taxable 
property  in  the  several  townships  of  the  coun- 
ty as  reported  by  the  county  assessor  on  the  first 
assessment  e\er  made  oi  the  county  in  the  year 
1867: 


T^t"sHfp 

Amount 
of  Taxable 
Property 

^oVs.Z> 

Amount 
of  Taxable 
Property 

Oswego 

Chetopa 

Hackberry 

Canada 

North 

S  18,126  00 
1(5,961  00 
6,609  00 
2,549  00 
4,596  00 

Montana 

Neosho 

Labette 

Big  Hill 

$9,369  50 
17,120  00 
3,116  00 
1,862  00 

TAN  SALES. 

So  many  different  considerations  enter  into 
the  question  of  the  payment  or  non-payment 
of  taxes  that  I  shall  not  attempt  to  assign  any 
reason  for  the  fact  that  in  several  years  a  very 
large  proportion  of  the  real  estate  has  gone  to 
tax  sale.  In  1877  an  act  was  passed  author- 
izing a  sale  of  all  real  estate  on  which  any 
county  or  city  held  tax-sale  certificates;  pro- 
ceedings were  recpiired  by  which  a  judgment 
was  rendered  determining  the  amount  due  on 
each  tract,  and  directing  the  sale  of  such  tract 
to  be  made  by  the  sheriff  substantially  as  upon 
execution.  Under  the  provisions  of  this  act, 
one  and  one-half  pages  of  the  Independent 
were  occupied  in  July,  1877,  by  a  notice  de- 
scribing the  real,  estate  on  which  judgment  was 
to  be  asked.  A  small  part  of  this  property  was 
redeemed  before  it  went  to  sale,  but  the  bulk 
of  it  was  sold  in  December  of  that  year,  under 
these  proceedings.  As  will  be  seen  by  the  fol- 
lowing statement,  prior  to  1877  very  much 
more  land  went  to  sale  for  taxes  than  after 
that  date.  In  1873  the  Adzwice  contained 
25  solid  columns  of  description  of  real  estate 
to  be  sold  at  tax  sale.    In  1874  the  Independent 


contained  35  columns  of  such  matter;  in  1875, 
23  columns.  In  1876  the  list  was  embraced 
in  eight  columns  in  the  Herald.  In  1877  it 
filled  but  seven  and  one-half  columns  of  tlie 
Independent.  In  1878  12  columns  of  the  In- 
dependent were  required;  and  a  less  amount  of 
space  has  been  required  each  year  since. 

COUNTY  ENPENSES. 

The  first  few  years  no  detailed  annual  re- 
port of  the  county  expenses  was  made;  there 
are  one  or  two  reports  prior  to  1871,  but  it 
seems  evident  that  the  figures  there  are  in- 
correct. Reports  exist  subsequent  to  1870,  but 
as  to  some  of  them  it  is  probable  that  they  do 
not  cover  exactly  a  }'ear,  and  it  is  also  quite 
e\-ident  that  some  mistakes  ha\-e  been  made 
by  the  party  who  copied  them  or  by  the  printer ; 
but  it  is  beUeved  the  following  table  shows 
substantially  the  amount  expended  by  the  coun- 
ty each  fiscal  year.  For  a  number  of  years  the 
fiscal  year  ended  with  Jtily,  but  more  recently 
it  has  closed  with  October: 


1871 821,125  74 

1872 23,621  81 

1873 36,380  92 

1874 31,459  45 

1875 27,439  71 

1876 23,814  89 

1877 23,895  28 

1878 31,789  84 

1879 40,976  25 

1880 32,797  62 

1881 27,224  96 

1882 38,589  13 

1883 40,968  43 

1884 47,760  60 

18S5 


1886 848,296  44 

1887 36,261  62 

1888 44,S97  14 

1889 41,019  93 

1891 34,160  48 

1891 31,244  44 

1892 34,834  10 

1893 33,943  82 

1694 42,559  05 

1895 41,201  78 

1896 44,617  05 

1897 42,363  88 

1898 41,168  55 

1899 40,976  25 


40,657  53  i   19U0 49,666  92 


COLORED  PEOPLE. 

From  almost  the  first  settlement  of  the 
count}-,  there  have  been  a  few  colored  people 
living  in  it,  a  number  of  whom  have  been  suc- 
cessful and  have  made  good  homes.  Dairy- 
Nero  settled  upon  the  southeast    quarter    of 


46 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


section  15,  adjoining  Oswego,  in  1866,  and 
entered  it  at  the  Government  land  oiifice ;  he 
made  it  his  home  until  1889,  when  he  sold  it 
for  a  good  price. 

On  April  4,  1870,  the  noon  stage  brought 
the  news  of  the  ratification  of  the  fifteenth 
amendment,  whereupon  the  colored  men  then 
in  Oswego  were  informed  of  their  rights, 
marched  to  the  polls,  the  election  being  then  in 
progress,  where  they  deposited  their  ballots. 
Spencer  Jones,  who  was  the  porter  of  the 
Oswego  House,  was  the  first  colored  man  in 
the  county,  and  of  course  one  of  the  first  in 
the  State  to  exercise  the  right  of  suffrage. 

In  the  fall  of  1879  the  "exodus"'  began, 
and  hundreds  of  colored  people,  principally 
from  Texas  and  Tennessee,  and  also  many 
from  other  parts  of  the  South,  arrived  in  the 
county.  Chetopa,  Oswego  and  Parsons  were 
almost  overrun  by  them.  Their  coming  was 
unexpected,  and  no  provision  for  their  care 
and  comfort  had  been  made.  Buildings  for 
shelter  could  not  be  procured.  They  were 
mostly  without  means,  destitute  of  everything 
like  comfortable  clothing,  and  in  a  condition 
to  appeal  strongly  to  the  sympathies  of  char- 
itable people.  Rough  board  sheds  were  erect- 
ed and  made  as  comfortable  as  could  be,  in 
which  large  numbers  were  housed  for  that 
winter.  During  the  next  year  or  two  others 
came  in,  until  the  number  of  colored  people 
formed  c]uite  a  large  percentage  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  cities  named.  Quite  a  number 
also  were  scattered  over  the  county,  more  es- 
pecially in  the  river  bottom. 

A  very  great  improvement  has  been  made 
in  their  condition  both  intellectually  and  finan- 
cially, and  there  are  now  among  the  colored 
people  many  well'-to-do  families,  who  are  in- 
telligent, industrious,  and    moral.      Some    of 


course  have  remained  shiftless,  trifling,  and 
worthless.  From  all  appearances  they  are  a 
permanent  part  of  the  population. 

ATHLETICS. 

Almost  from  the  first  settlement  of  the 
county  lovers  of  base  ball  have  been  organized, 
and  have  done  what  they  could  toward  making 
the  game  popular  and  successful.  As  early 
as  1 87 1  clubs  were  organized  at  Oswego  and 
Chetopa,  and  within  the  next  two  or  three 
years  organizations  were  had  at  several  other 
places  in  the  county,  and  frequent  local  con- 
tests took  place.  The  craze  seems  to  have 
reached  its  highest  point  in  1885,  when  there 
was  a  great  strife  by  the  Oswego  club  to  be 
the  champions  not  only  of  the  county  but  of 
Southeastern  Kansas,  and  under  the  leader- 
ship of  F.  C.  Wheeler  great  proficiency  was 
attained.  The  interest  in  the  game  has  been 
kept  up  to  a  considerable  extent,  but  since  the 
departure  of  Mr.  Wheeler  it  has  never  created 
the  excitement  it  reached  at  that  time. 

In  the  fall  of  1885  a  ladies'  broom  brigade 
was  formed,  and  attained  a  considerable  degree 
of  skill  at  drilling  under  the  command  of  Col- 
onel True. 

The  roller-skating  craze  had  perhaps  for 
a  season  the  greatest  run  of  anything  in  the 
line  of  athletics  that  has  been  witnessed  in  the 
county.  The  height  of  its  prosperity  was  wit- 
nessed about  1884.  Commodious  and  well- 
furnished  rinks  were  erected  at  Parsons  and 
Oswego,  and  perhaps  at  other  places  in  the 
county,  and  their  owners  supposed  that  they 
had  a  permanent  and  well-paying  business  es- 
tablished ;  but  the  interest  died  out  as  sudden- 
ly as  it  arose,  and  nothing  farther  was  heard 
of  it. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


47 


OFFICIAL  DELINQUENCIES. 

The  county  has  been  extremely  fortunate 
since  its  organization  in  haing  officers  who 
performed  their  duties  satisfactorily  and  who 
were  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  them.  There 
have  been  three  or  four  instances  in  which  the 
county  has  been  required  to  commence  legal 
proceedings  in  order  to  collect  from  its  offi- 
cers money  which  they  held  in  their  official 
capacity.  When  H.  C.  Bridgman  went  out 
of  office  as  treasurer,  his  accounts  were  found 
to  be  short.  A  suit  against  him  and  his  bonds- 
men was  instituted,  pending  which  a  settlement 
was  had,  in  which  it  was'  agreed  that  he  was 
indebted  to  the  county  in  the  sum  of  $8,750. 
This  was  settled  by  him  and  his  bondsmen 
as  follows :  The  county  commissioners  took 
from  them  the  quarter-section  of  land  on 
which  they  located  the  poorfarm ,  at  the 
agreed  price  of  $4,000.  They  gave  their  note 
for  $3,000  and  paid  $1,750  in  cash.  By  this 
means  the  county  was  saved  from  any  finan- 
cial loss. 

When  S.  B.  Abbott,  the  sheriff,  completed 
the  tax  sale  under  the  proceedings  of  1877, 
he  reported  that  he  had  received  $1,698.02,  and 
that  his  charges  for  fees  and  services  were 
$2,008.48.  These  charges  were  largely  in  ex- 
cess of  what  the  law  authorized.  Suit  was 
brought  by  the  commissioners  to  recover  from 


him  fees  which  he  illegally  held.     The  matter 
was  finally  settled  by  his  paying  $802.62. 

Under  a  change  of  law  regulating  the  fees 
of  county  officers,  a  question  arose  between  the 
county  and  one  or  two  of  its  officers  as  to 
what  fees  they  were  entitled  to,  and,  not  agree- 
ing on  the  construction  of  the  law,  the  matter 
was  settled  in  court.  This  was  prior  to  1892. 
Since  then  questions  affecting  fees  and  sal- 
aries of  county  officers  have  arisen  and  some 
of  them  are  still  in  court,  undetermined.  A 
committee  that  was  appointed  to  examine  the 
several  county  offices  a  few  years  ago  reported 
some  delinquencies,  which  have  never  been 
turned  into  the  county  treasury. 

RECEPTION    OF    PRESIDENT  HAYES. 

In  the  evening  of  September  24,  1879, 
President  Rutherford  B.  Hayes  and  wife.  Gen- 
eral W.  T.  Sherman,  George  St.  John  and  wife, 
and  other  dignitaries  arrived  at  Parsons  on 
their  way  to  Neosho  Falls,  where  they  were 
to  attend  the  district  fair.  People  from  all 
parts  of  Labette  county  went  to  Parsons, 
where  a  reception  was  tendered  the  Presi- 
dential party.  An  address  of  welcome  was 
made  by  T.  C.  Cory,  which  was  responded  to 
by  President  Hayes  and  General  Sherman.  In 
the  evening  the  whole  assemblage  was  present- 
ed to  the  party. 


INDUSTRIAL  PURSUITS   COUNTY 
ORGANIZATIONS 


FIRST   WHEAT    CROPS— THRESHING 
MACHINES  AND  GRIST-MILLS. 

In  the  fall  of  1866  Charles'  Wadsack  sowed 
a  few  acres  of  wheat,  which  he  harvested  the 
following  summer;  this  was  probably  the  first 
wheat  crop  raised  in  the  county.  There  was 
no  threshing-machine  here  at  the  time,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  thresh  it  by  a  more  primitive 
method,  which  was  by  ha\-ing  his  horses  tread 
.upon  it.  \\'hen  he  got  it  to  the  mill,  it  was  so 
dirty  that  it  would  not  make  flour  very  palat- 
able; however,  it  was  the  best  that  could  be 
done,  and  it  furnished  him  with  something  in 
the  line  of  breadstuffs  during  that  year. 

Quite  a  number  of  farmers  had  enough 
ground  in  cultivation  by  the  fall  of  1867  to 
enable  them  to  put  out  fairly  good  crops  of 
wheat,  and  in  1868  the  first  machinery  for 
harvesting  and  threshing  was  brought  to  the 
county.  The  first  threshing-machine  was 
brought  into  the  county  by  Ed.  and  George 
Cubbison.  There  were  so  many  parties  hav- 
ing wheat  threshed  who  were  all  anxious  to 
get  it  done  early,  that  some  of  them  had  to 
be  disappointed,  and  occasionally  when  the 
machine  was  through  with  a  job,  the  neighbors 
would  take  possession  of  it  and  put  it  at  work 
at  the  next  nearest  place  instead  of  allowing 
it  to  go  out  of  the  neighborhood. 


In  1870  Martin  Jackson  brought  on  a  new 
reaper  and  Thomas  Phillips  a  threshing-ma- 
chine; these  were  probably  the  first  machines 
of  this  kind  south  of  Hackberry. 

The  first  mill  in  the  county,  so  far  as  I  have 
learned,  that  was  prepared  to  do  anything  at 
grinding  wheat,  was  John  Hart's  mill,  on  the 
Labette.  In  addition  to  the  corn  buhrs  which 
he  had  been  using,  he  put  in  wheat  buhrs  in 
the  fall  of  1868,  and  was  able  to  grind  wheat 
for  the  farmers  in  that  community.  It  was 
not  until  about  1873  that  self-binders  and  steam 
threshers  appeared. 

CASTOR  BEANS. 

It  is  said  that  \Y.  W.  Robbins,  in  Pleasant 
Valley,  was  the  first  person  in  the  county  to 
raise  a  crop  of  castor  beans.  This  was  in  1873. 
The  yield  was  so  good  that  the  following  sea- 
son many  others  planted,  and  since  then  this 
has  been  one  of  the  largest  crops  raised. 

TA^IE  GRASS. 

On  July  8,  1873,  Col.  F.  Swanwick  brought 
a  load  of  timothy  to  Oswego,  which  he  sold 
to  B.  F.  Hobart,  at  $8  per  ton.  The  next  day 
he  sold  a  load  of  clover  to  H.  C.  Draper,  at 
the  same  price.     This  was  the  first  tame  hay 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


49 


marketed  in  tlie  county.  At  tliat  time  very 
few  farmers  had  commenced  to  raise  tame 
grass.  Since  then  its  production  has  generally 
increased,  until  nf)\v  the  crop  of  tame  grass  is 
quite. an  item  in  the  annual  production  of  the 
county. 

COTTON  INDUSTRY. 

In  the  spring  of  1873  G.  W.  Everhart  pro- 
cured the  seed  and  distributed  it  among  the 
farmers  along  Lal)ette  creek,  and  secured  the 
planting  of  quite  a  large  acreage  of  cotton  in 
the  vicinity  of  Parsons.  IMr.  Everhart  put  in 
a  small  cotton-gin  that  fall,  which  he  contin- 
ued to  operate  some  two  or  three  years,  when 
it  was  removed  to  the  Indian  Territory.  On 
February  5,  1874.  a  cotton  convention  was  held 
at  Parsons  which  resulted  in  awakening  quite 
an  interest  in  connection  w'ith  the  raising  of 
this  product.  After  1876  there  was  nothino: 
done  in  the  way  of  raising  cotton  until  1879. 
when  an  enterprising  colored  man  from  Texas 
who  was  living  on  David  Romine's  place,  a 
few  miles  southwest  of  Oswego,  planted  sev- 
eral acres  of  cotton  and  induced  several  other 
colored  men  living  along  the  Neosho  river  to 
also  put  out  a  few  acres.  Mr.  Roniine  as- 
sisted in  the  erection  of  a  cotton-gin  at  Os- 
wego that  fall,  and  it  was  f(5und  that  the  crop 
was  large  and  profitable,  considering  the  small 
number  of  acres  that  had  been  planted.      In 

1880,  98  bales  were  ginned  and  shipped;  in 

1 88 1 ,  145  bales ;  in  1 882  a  very  much  larger 
acreage  was  planted,  but  the  fall  was  so  wet 
that  it  cut  the  crop  short,  and  but  70  bales  were 
ginned.  The  prospect  was  good  again  in 
1883  for  a  large  crop,  but  this  year,  as  the  year 
previous,  it  was  cut  short  Iiy  the  wet  fall,  and 
but  45  bales  were  ginned.  Two  years  of  par- 
tial failure  rather  discouraged  those  who  had 
been  engaged  in  the  business,  and  very  little 


if  any  was  planted  thereafter  in  th's  \-icinity. 
In  1889  the  Oswego  gin  was  taken  to  Chetopa, 
in  the  vicinity  (jf  which  a  few  colored  men 
had  raised  small  crops,  but  the  amount  that 
has  been  raised  the  last  few  years  has  been  in- 
considerable. 

GRASSHOPPERS. 

In  the  fall  of  1866  grasshoppers  came  in 
great  c|uantities.  Of  the  little  cro]3  that  was 
raised  that  year  most  of  it  was  matured  so 
that  they  did  not  damage  it,  but  everything  that 
was  green  was  devoured  by  them.  Thev 
stayed  until  cold  weather  came.  A  rain  in  the 
fall  filled  the  little  brooks,  and  so  washed  them 
down  stream  that  in  places  wagon-loads  of 
them  could  be  gathered  up.  The  fodowing 
February  was  so  warm  that  the  eggs  hatched, 
and  a  hard  freeze  coming  on  in  March  killed 
the  young  hoppers :  so  they  bothered  no 
more  at  that  time.  The  next  visit  they  made 
this  county  was  in  September,  1874.  They 
came  in  one  day  in  such  myriads  that  what  was 
green  in  whole  fields  of  corn  was  devoured  by 
them  in  a  single  day.  All  the  trees  were 
stripped  of  their  leaves,  and  fruit  trees  were 
left  bare  of  all  foliage,  hanging  full  of  ripe  ap- 
ples. They  laid  their  eggs  and  disappearetl  in 
the  fall,  so  that  the  wheat  crop  then  sowed 
was  not  all  destroyed.  About  the  last  of 
March  in  the  following  spring  they  commenced 
hatching,  and  during  April  and  May  ate  the 
young  crop  about  as'  fast  as  it  came  on.  Corn 
had  to  be  planted  two  or  three  tiiues,  the  last 
planting  extending  into  July.  About  the  last 
of  May  thev  commenced  moving,  and  during 
the  fore  part  of  June  the}-  were  nearly  all  gone. 
In  Se])tember,  187C),  there  was  another  visita- 
tion of  them,  but  not  to  as  great  an  extent  as 
there  had  been  two  years  preceding. 


50 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


In  1875  farmers  learned  that  very  much 
could  be  done  towards  destroying  the  hoppers 
and  saving  the  crops.  Several  methods  of  de- 
struction were  used,  among  others  plowing  a 
deep  furrow  into  which  the  hoppers  were 
driven  and  then  covered,  either  by  refilling  it 
with  dirt  or  by  putting  straw  over  them  and 
burning  them  up. 

FISH  AND  GAME. 

All  the  streams  of  the  county  are  well  sup- 
plied with  fish.  They  are  more  numerous,  of 
course,  in  the  Neosho  than  in  the  smaller 
streams.  Many  have  been  taken  from  the  Ne- 
osho measuring  from  four  to  six  feet  in 
length  and  two  and  one-half  feet  in  circum- 
ference, weighing  from  60  to  100  pounds. 

On  July  5,  1875,  a  large  catfish  of  about  the 
size  just  described  got  into  a  basin  on  the  riffle 
at  Motter's  ford,  east  of  Oswego,  and  could 
not  get  away.  Two  men  who  were  crossing 
caught  it,  and  brought  it  to  town. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  the  county  large 
numbers  of  wild  animals  of  various  kinds  were 
caught,  and  added  very  much  to  the  stock  of 
provisions  of  the  early  settlers.  Deer,  antelope, 
wild  geese  and  turkeys,  and  prairie  chickens,  as 
well  as  other  birds  and  animals,  were  found  in 
abundance.  Coyotes,  badgers  and  other  car- 
nivorous animals  were  here  in  larger  numbers 
than  was  desirable  to  the  settlers.  As  the  coun- 
ty became  settled  they  became  less  numerous. 

BOUNTY. 

On  July  II,  1877,  the  county  commission- 
ers passed  an  order  putting  into  operation  chap- 
ter 76  of  the  Laws  of  1877,  giving  a  bounty  on 
scalps  of  certain  wild  animals.  Under  this  or- 
der, almost  an  innumerable  number  of  scalps 


was  presented  during  the  years  the  law  was 
in  force,  and  large  sums  of  money  were  paid 
as  bounty  therefor.  The  law  remained  in  op- 
eration under  the  above  order  until  January 
13,  1885,  when  the  commissioners  made  an  or- 
der revoking  their  previous  one.  For  several 
years  no  bounty  was  paid  on  the  scalp  of  any 
wild  animal,  but  for  a  number  of  years  past 
the  county  has  p,aid  a  bounty  on  wolf  scalps. 

DEHORNING  STOCK. 

In  January,  1886,  G.  J.  Coleman,  of  Mound 
Valley,  created  something  of  an  excitement  in 
the  neighborhood  by  dehorning  his  cattle.  This 
was  the  first  instance  in  which  that  system  of 
treatment  of  stock  had  been  practiced  in  this 
county.  A  party  who  was  not  friendly  with 
Mr.  Coleman  caused  his  arrest  on  the  charge 
of  cruelty  to  animals.  On  the  trial  he  was 
acquitted,  having  convinced  the  jury  that  his 
process  was  one  of  mercy  rather  than  of  cruelty 
to  animals.  Ever  since  that  time  this  system  of 
treatment  has  been  generally  practiced. 

TEXAS  FEVER. 

In  1866,  and  for  several  years  thereafter, 
the  people  frequently  became  alarmed  over  the 
introduction  of  Texas  cattle  and  the  spread 
of  Texas  fever  among  native  stock.  Several 
farmers  lost  quite  a  number  of  their  cattle 
from  what  was  supposed  to  be  Texas  fever. 
A  number  of  arrests  were  made  of  those  who 
had  been  instrumental  in  bringing  stock  into 
the  county,  but  it  was  seldom  that  a  conviction 
was  had.  It  was  a  disputed  question  as  to 
whether  or  not  the  stock  died  from  the  efifects 
of  disease  contracted  from  those  introduced, 
and  there  was  a  large  enough  element  in  the 
county  interested  in  bringing  cattle  in  from  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


south  to  make  quite  a  sentiment  in  the  minds 
of  the  public  opposed  to  such  prosecution. 
However,  the  law  was  finally  enforced  so  vig- 
orously that  few  parties  attempted  its  viola- 
tion. 

HEDGE  AND  WEED  LAW. 

In  1897  a  law  was  passed  authorizing  coun- 
ties to  vote  on  putting  into  operation  the  re- 
quirement for  the  trimming  of  hedges  and  the 
cutting  of  weeds  in  the  public  roads'.  The 
commissioners  submitted  this  to  a  vote  in  1898 
and  it  was  carried,  but  on  account  of  some 
omission  in  the  action  of  the  commissioners, 
it  did  not  go  into  effect.  It  was  again  sub- 
mitted to  a  vote  at  the  general  election  in  No- 
vember, 1899,  and  was'  again  carried.  There- 
upon, the  commissioners  caused  it  to  be  pro- 
claimed and  in  operation. 

NATURAL  GAS. 

For  a  number  of  years  past,  a  belief  has 
quite  generally  prevailed  that  our  county  is 
w'ithin  the  natural  gas  belt,  and  various  efforts 


have  been  put  forth  to  discover  it.  The  first 
gas  found  in  the  county  was  in  Mound  Valley, 
in  1883,  while  prospecting  for  artesian  water 
was  going  on.  While  some  use  was'  made  of 
this,  the  amount  was  not  sufficient  to  furnish 
either  light  or  heat  to  any  number  of  families. 
In  1894,  Oswego  did  some  work  at  prospect- 
ing but  with  no  practical  result.  In  1900^  an- 
other effort  was  made,  and  in  December  gas 
was  struck  at  a  depth  of  about  500  feet;  but 
still  the  pressure  was  not  sufficient  to  justify  its 
use.  At  the  time  of  this  writing,  prospecting 
is  still  progressing.  In  1898  gas  was  found 
at  Chetopa,  not  in  a  large  quantity,  but  with 
sufficient  force  to  be  used  for  lighting  and 
heating  to  a  limited  extent.  Near  the  close 
of  1900,  farther  prospecting  was  done  at 
Mound  Valley  and  with  better  results  than 
theretofore.  It  is  now  believed  that  they  have 
it  in  a  sufficient  quantity  to  justify  its  use. 
Those  interested  are  still  hoping  that  farther 
prospecting  will  discover  it  at  some  point  in 
the  county  in  much  larger  volume  than  has' 
yet  been  secured.  In  1897  Parsons  secured 
gas  for  its  inhabitants  by  contracting  for  its 
being  piped  there  from  Neodesha. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


FIELD   CROPS 

On  the  pages  following  will  be  found  in  tabulated  form  a  full  report  of  the  various  field  crops  of  the  county, 
from  18/2  to  1900  inclusive,  showing  acreage,  product  and  value.  For  these  valuable  tables  I  am  indebted  to  the 
reports  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 


TABLE   Showi.ng  the  Acres,  Product  and 

Value  of 

Field  Crops  in  Labette  County. 

CROPS 

1872 

1873 

Acres! 

Prodnct 

Value 

Acres 

Product  * 

Value  * 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

-:::::::::'t. 

lbs. 

bu. 

lbs. 

tons 

tons 

tons 

23,-!65 

51 

31,486 

11,113 

131 

12 

92 

764 

30 

286 

186 

3 

4 
745 
214 
205 
16,711 
34 
10 
462 
28,068 

475,300 

612 

1,083,915 

333,390 

1,834 

468 

1,380 

60,356 

3,090 

16,302 

3,720 

996 

10 

2,000 

1,762 

428 

410 

25,066 

$712,950 

612 

216,783 

66,178 

1,376 

374 

1,380 

36,213 

2,317 

8,151 

6,208 

199 

12 

400 

8,810 

4,280 

2,460 

75,198 

23,765 

84 

34,631 

10,608 

283 

16 

49 

1,380 

64 

379 

156 

107 

41 

10 

576 

214 

207 

8,810 

6 

10 

463 

27,238 

Spring  wheat 

Rye 

Barlev 



Buckwheat   



Irish  potatoes.   

Sweet  potatoes 

Sorghum 

Flax 

Tobacco 

Millet  and  Hungarian 

Timothy  meadow 

Timothy  pasture 

Prairie  pasture 

114,373 

109,048 



CROPS 

1874 

1875 

Acres 

Product 

Value 

Acres 

Product 

Value 

Winter  wheat 

Spring  wheat 

Corn 

Oats    

Rye 

Barley 

Buckwheat 

Irish  potatoes 

Sweet  potatoes 

Sorghum.   

Castor  beans 

Cotton 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

lbs. 

32,402 

36 

37,641 

7,836 

262 

41 

38 

1,330 

91 

485 

800 

90 

436 

4 

17 

54 

1,104 

343 

189 

5,485 

83 

25 

21 

24,708 

583,236 
360 

752,820 

117,.^40 

5,240 

779 

380 

26,600 

.  6,825 

38,800 

9,600 

8,100 

4,360 

3,000 

11,900 

37,800 

2,208 

515 

378 

5,485 

$466,588 

234 

526,974 

68,770 

3.668 

662 

570 

33,250 

10,920 

25,220 

12,000 

1,053 

7,040 

150 

1,190 

1,753 

13,248 

3,090 

2,268 

21,940 

38,075 
12 

44,490 

6,391 

313 

3 

5 

1,100 

99 

905 

1,564 

101 

2,036 

5 

12 

95 

1,215 

266 

63 

10,055 

761,515 

150 

1,868,601 

242,886 

7,210 

90 

110 

138,731 

15,497 

113,244 

18,777 

20,298 

20,362 

4,125 

8,834 

78,904 

3,950 

333 

159 

15,082 

$723,439 

112 

373,720 

48,577 

4,326 

108 

123 

55,492 

11,622 

48,128 

1(<,777 

2,029 

24,434 

Hemp 

Tobacco 

Broom  corn   

lbs. 

lbs. 

lbs. 

2,681 

662 

3,949 

15,800 

Timothy  meadow 

Clover  meadow 

Prairie  meadow 

tons 

i;998 

954 

60,328 

•■■■:7:::i'::::: ::::. 

Totals 

113.521 

j       106,825 

i    81,397,264 

the  State  Board  of  Agriculti 


•  elsewhere,  which  shows  the  product  j 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


53 


TABLE  Showing  the  Acres,  Product  and  Value  of  Field  Crops  in  Labette  County 


Winter  wheat .bu. 

Spring  wheat bu. 

Corn bu. 

Oats bu. 

Rye bu. 

Barley bu. 

Buckwheat bu 

Irish  potatoes bu. 

Sweet  potatoes bu. 

Sorghum gals. 

Castor  beans bu. 

Cotton lbs. 

Flax ■ bu. 

Hemp lb.=. 

Tobacco lbs. 

Broom  corn ...  lbs. 

Millet  and   Hungarian tons 

Timothy  meadow tons 

Clover  meadow .tons 

Prairie  meadow tons 

Timothy  pasture 

Clover  pasture 

Blue-grass  pasture 

Prairie  pasture 

Totals 


40,297 

5 

47,748 

11,861 

389 

8 

73 


531 
61 
1,955 
74 
32 
173 
2,178 


152 

5,738 

212 

1 

195 


604,455  $544,009 

40  32 

1,909,920  420,182 

343,969  85,992 

7,780  4,356 

240  144 


260,512 

24,100 

47,9H7 

6,372 

12,350 

17,595 

74,600 

25,704 

139,000 

4,356 

275 

304 

5,738 


208,410 
19,280 
23,993 
11,894 
1,235 
29,325 
4,283 
2,570 
5,560  !i 
30,492 
1,926 
2,133 
22,952 


25,557 
2 

66,769 

8,579 

200 

74 
1,061 
84 
743 
1,616 
3i 
314 


30 
166 
3,140 
673 
84 
11,004 
50 
28 
137 


255,570 

20 

2,670.360 

394,634 

2.800 

1,925 

1,184 

106,100 

12,600 

85,445 

22,610 

3  4.54 

6,270 


132,800 
9,420 
1,144 


$247,902 

17 

480,664 

59,195 

840 

577 

947 

53,050 

12,600 

42,722 

22,610 

527 

3,626 


2,220 
4,980 

37,680 

5,720 

840 

54,249 


Winter  wheat bu. 

Spring  wheat bu. 

Corn bu. 

Oats bu. 

Rye bu. 

Barley bu. 

Buckwheat bu. 

Irish  potatoes bu. 

Sweet  potatoes bu. 

Sorghum gals. 

Castor  beans bu. 

Cotton lbs. 

Flax bu. 

Hemp lbs. 

Tobacco lbs. 

Broom  corn lbs. 

Millet  and  Hungarian tons 

Timothy  meadow tons 

Clover  meadow tons 

Prairie  meadow tons 

Timothy  pasture 

Clover  pasture 

Blue-grass  pasture 

Prairie  pasture 

Totals 


33,135 

19 

65,985 

13,376 


154 

1,312 

95 


13 

36 

2,021 

1,139 

209 

24,783 

251 

23 

4-6 

31,831 


178,268 


430,766 

190 

2,243,490 

454,784 

6,992 

2,070 

3,(190 

78,720 

79!l34 

255 
3,705 
230 
10,278 
28,904 
6,063 
1,937 
418 
42,131 


$270,990 

104 

426,263 

72,665 

2,097 

1,035 

2,432 

46,667 

7,910 

39,667 

33,258 

22 

3,705 

13 

1,027 

1,083 

24,252 

9,687 

2,092 

122,179 


42 

77,549 

16,746 

289 

75 

80 

1,004 

128 


396,835 

336 

2,946,862 

385,158 

4,335 

1,350 

1,211 

45,180 

iisisoo 

79,242 
2,975 
4,025 


23 

130 

2,830 

1,735 

347 

10,376 


),792 


17,412  , 
91,133 
8,490  i 
2,603  I 

555 
13,488 


$376,043 

285 

736,715 

100,141 

1,734 

675 

1,090 

38,403 

5l!025 


1,741 
3,189 
33,960 
13,016 

2.778 


177,549 !    81,492,438 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


TABLE  Showing  the  Acres,  Product  and  Value  of  Field  Crops  in  Labette  County 


CROPS 

1S80 

1881 

Acres 

Product 

Value 

Acres 

Product 

Value 

Winter  wheat bu. 

Spring  wheat bu. 

Corn bu. 

Oats bu. 

Rye bu. 

Barley bu. 

Buckwheat bu. 

Irish  potatoes bu. 

Sweet  potatoes bu. 

Sorghum : gals. 

Castor  beans bu. 

Cotton lbs. 

Flax   bu. 

Hemp lbs. 

Tobacco  lbs. 

35,628 

13 

70,806 

12,192 

372 

52 

32 

1,297 

113 

536 

6,885 

175 

1,092 

21 

6 

37 

20 

111 

4,049 

1,056 

371 

9,975 

288 

62 

808 

434,420 

104 

2,365,792 

426,720 

5,580 

780 

384 

129,700 

14,736 

61,709 

82,620 

29,750 

9,828 

25,500 

4,440 

22,650 

400 

445 

12,147 

2,112 

649 

14,963 

?412,699 

88 

566,448 

110,947 

2,232 

390 

346 

110,245 

14,736 

27,769 

82,620 

2,677 

9,828 

1,530 

444 

792 

160 

1.780 

48,588 

10,660 

3,248 

43,392 

40,618 

11 

94,061 

8,062 

436 

8 

48 

3,097 

184 

506 

8,071 

222 

680 

6 

25 

430 

9 

463 

3,719 

923 

644 

16,892 

509 

115 

405,180 

55 

1,696,098 

249,612 

6,104 

208 

77.425 
10,120 
43,010 
104,923 
66,600 
5,440 
4,200 
17,500 
279,500 
90 
1,620 
8,368 
1,615 
1,288 
22,249 

$446,698 

52 

981,996 

82,371 

4,761 

166 

432 

116,137 

15,180 

20.644 

146.892 

6.660 

7,616 

294 

1,750 

12,577 

Rice  corn bu. 

Pearl  millet tons 

Millet  and  Hungarian tons 

68 
8,910 
62,760 
12,112 

Clover  meadow tons 

Prairie  meadow tons 

9,660 
144.618 

Clover  pasture 

Other  grasses. 

583 
89,139 

29,502 

Totals 

175,501 

$1,461,522 

218,350 

$2,081,350 

1882 

1883 

• 

Acres        |      Product 

Value 

Acres 

Product 

Value 

Winter  wheat bu. 

Spring  wheat bu. 

Corn bu. 

Oats bu. 

Rye bu 

25,571 

26 

83,125 

12,907 

566 

41 

43 

1,030 

94 

709 

12,036 

130 

2,004 

16 

165 

22 

196 

6,579 

1,684 

224 

25,058 

662,562 

300 

3,325,000 

516,280 

10,674 

1.148 

344 

82,400 

7,050 

63,810 

110,754 

24,050 

24,048 

11,200 

82,600 

352 

588 

16.737 

3,368 

560 

37,587 

$450,049 

210 

1,163,750 

139,305 

5,914 

616 

268 

67,680 

7,050 

2-,714 

110,754 

2,405 

22,846 

1,120 

3,712 

176 

2,362 

100,422 

20,208 

3,360 

160,348 

34,667 

483 
89,249 
13,870 

994 

416,004 

4,347 

4,016,205 

624,150 

^358.603 

3,042 

1.204.861 

156,087 

Barley bu. 

Buckwheat bu. 

Irish  potatoes bu. 

Sweet  potatoes bu. 

Sorghum gals. 

Castor  beans bu. 

Cotton lbs. 

Fla.x bu 

35 

1,632 

140 

754 

2,931 

76 

1,400 

25 

215 

66 

816 
130,560 
12,600 
66,352 
32,241 
17,100 
14,000 
20,000 
107,600 
1,120 

236 
78.336 
12.600 
27,867 
48,361 
1,539 

Tobacco lbs. 

Broom  corn lbs. 

Rice  corn bu. 

Pearl   millet   ...                                               tons 

2.000 

3,762 

392 

Millet  and  Hungarian tons 

Timothy  meadow tons 

8,941 

2,159 

672 

29,058 
4,318 
1,512 

101,703 
21,590 

Clover  meadow  . . .                                          tons 

7,560 

Other  tame  grasses tons 

1.818 
70,200 

4.091 
91,260 

14,318 

273,780 

318 

15 

1,118 

66,934 

:::.:;;.■.■..' 

Other  grasses 

Prairie    pasture. 

Totals 

229,610 

S2,271,242 

233.817 

$2,826,991 

AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


TABLE  Showing  the  Acres,  Product  and  Value  of  Field  Crops  in  Labette  County. 


Winter  wheat. 
Spring  wheat. 
Corn 


Rye 

Buckwheat 

Irish  potatoes 

Sweet  potatoes 

Sorghum 

Castor  beans 

Flax 

Tobacco 

Broom  corn 

Rice  corn 

Millet  and  Hungarian. 

Timothy 

Clover 

Orchard  grass 

Blue  grass 

Other  tame  grasses.. . . 
Prairie  grass,  fenced. . 


..bu. 

..bu. 

..bu. 

..bu. 

..bu. 

..bu. 

..bu. 

..bu. 
.gals. 

..bu. 

.  bu. 
. .  lbs. 
..lbs. 

..bu. 

.tons 

.tons 

.tons 
,  .tons 

.tons 
,  .tons 

.tons 


Totals  . 


35,404 


95,474 

13,612 

791 

14 

1,776 

54 

385 

2,7(18 

1 

85 

163 

10,922 

3,025 

1,697 


672,676 


3,914,434 

558,092 

15,029 

112 

222,000 

7,020 

38,500 

35,204 

16,740 

850 

46,7,50 

3,260 

36,042 

5,808 

3,818 


2,796  :  6,990 

66,916  1        95,020 


237,218 


34,950 
403,835 


16,007 

748 

34 

1,489 

81 

351 

6,448 

1,791 


14,587 
8,709 
2,715 
547 
2,497 
781 
66,676 


!,275 


142,476 

486 

2,570,200 

560,245 

7,480 

408 

89,340 

3,240 


10,746 
3,200 
45,000 


$106,857 

365 

771,060 

140,061 

3,740 

204 

62.538 

2,592 

11,730 

103,168 

9,671 

320 

1,800 

"175,644 


Si, 709,497 


Winter  wheat bu. 

Corn bu. 

Oats .' bu. 

Rye bu. 

Barley bu. 

Buckwheat bu. 

Irish  potatoes bu. 

Sweet  potatoes bu. 

Sorghum  

Castor  beans bu. 

Cotton  lbs. 

Flax bu. 

Tobacco lbs. 

Broom  corn lbs. 

Millet  and  Hungarian tons 

Timothy 

Clover 

Orchard  grass tons 

Blue  grass 

Other  tame  grasses 

Prairie  grass,  fenced tons 

Totals 


17,812 

104,383 

20,494 

749 

5 

22 
1,511 
48 
524 
5,769 
11 


213,744 

1,878,894 

614,820 

11,984 

100 

330 

90,660 

4,800 


3,300 
6,430 


253         126,500  4,42' 

11,431  22,862         114,310 

16,418  h 
3,138  :  I 

388  i  y     37,143 
2,406     I 


8149, 

657 

184 

5 


63,250  1        41,227 


216,618 
164,908 


15,816 
85,063 
23,926 


316,320 

2,126,575 

837,410 

2,070 

400 


2 
165 
5,250 
14,268 
2,793 
292 
1,896 
1,208 
43,555 


1,200 
99,000 
10.500 


$189,792 
744,301 
209,352 


472 
78,120 
10,100 
19,540 
80,514 


120 
3,465 
42,000 


250,621  I [$1,667,440 


206,205    81,520,075 


►Product  of  1886. 


S6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


TABLE  Showing  the  Acres,  Product  and  Value  of  Field  Crops  in  Labette  County. 


Winter  wheat 

Spring  wheat 

Corn 

Oats 

Rye 

Barley 

Buckwheat 

Irish  potatoes 

Sweet  potatoes 

Sorghum 

Castor  beans 

Cotton 

Flax   

Hemp 

Tobacco 

Broom  corn 

Millet  and  Hungarian 

Timothy 

Clover 

Orchard  grass 

Blue  grass 

Other  tame  grasses  . . 
Prairie  grass,  fenced 


..bu. 
,.lbs. 
..bu. 
, .  lbs. 
.  .lbs. 
..ibs. 
.tons 


14,066 

70 

80,702 

17,495 

271 

30 

1,0-27 

114 

1,215 

2,306 

7 


5,628 

tons    46,066 


Totals 


267,254 

1,120 

2,501,762 

804,770 

5,420 

900 

540 

92,430 

10,260 


20,754 
2,100 
5.800 


S221,820 

784 

660,458 

169,001 

2,439 

315 

405 

60,079 

10,260 

40,269 

20,7.54 

168 

5,220 


61,600  5,160 
44.800  I  1,668 
10,860  I    43,440 


22,703 

431,357 

8267,441 

26 

416 

199 

80,577 

2,417,310 

410,942 

14,418 

360,460 

50.463 

383 

9,575 

2,681 

13 

130 

78 

1,349 

134,900 

53,960 

120 

12,000 

4,800 

1,007 

36,262 

2,431 

17,017 

30,630 

14 

4,200 

336 

682 

6,456 

5,456 

1 

700 

35 

2 

1,200 

120 

10 

6,000 

210 

5,077 

10,164 

40,616 

10,809 

1 

3,067 

209 

I     n,972 

31,888 

2,271 

1 

606 

„.„„„ 

Winter  wheat 

bu. 

Corn 

bu. 

Oats    . . . 

bu 

Rye 

Barley 

..       ■           bu 

bu. 

Sweet  potatoes    

hii 

bu. 

Cotton 

lbs 

Flax       .        ... 

Tobacco 

lb' 

lbs 

Millet  and  Hungarian 

Alfalfa 

tons 

Timothy  .      . . 

Orchard  grass 

... 

Blue  grass 

Prairie  grass,  fenced 

tnnc 

Totals 

21,380 

10 

42,264 

15,7.52 

230 


2,866 

89 

1,553 

792 

48,316 


158,836 


256,560 

100 

.,056,.360 

472,660 

2,990 


32 
80,460 
1,600 


37,270 
11,200 
21,920 


9,600 

4,582 


1 

1-  |8,229 


$223,207 

422,540 

165,.396 

1,495 


15,264 
46,588 


18,328 


57,603 


69,331 


43,542 

5 

62,187 

44,122 

494 

30 

112 

723 

65 

442 

2,640 

20 

10,542 

10 

.2 

69 

2,770 

10' 

12  650 

3,693  I 

52  " 

1,4.56 

695 

63,363 


740,214 

80 

1,243,740 

1,147,146 

7,410 

760 

1,680 

43,380 

4,786 


21,120 
5,000 

63,262 
7,000 
1,200 

34,600 
6,640 


^8,541 


$577,366 

60 

460,183 

321,200 

4,694 

375 

1,512 

24,726 

4,fi67 

17,680 

26,400 

400 

50,601 

350 

120 

1,121 

22,160 


249,683  ' 81,638,865 


♦Product  of  1887.       +Product  of  1888.       JProduct  of  1889.       gProduct  of  1890. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


57 


TABLE  SHOWING  THE  Acres,  Product  and  Value  of  Field  Crops  in  Labette  County 


Wintir  wheat 

Spring  wheat 

Corn 

Oats 

Rye 

Barley  

Buckwheat 

Irish  potatoes 

Sweet  potatoes 

Castor  beans 

Sorghum 

Cotton 

Flax 

Tobacco 

Broom  corn 

Millet  and  Hungarian. 

Milo  maize 

Kaffir  corn 

Jerusalem  corn 

Timothy 

Clover 

Blue  grass 

Alfalfa 

Orchard  grass 

Other  tame  grasses. . . 
Prairie  grass,  fenced. . 


,  .lbs. 
■  tons 


Totals  . 


37,170 

49 

59,317 

30,749 

112 


274 

10 

3,711 

1 

65 
1,992 


12,237 
2,302 


490 

889,755 

737,976 

1,456 

96 

80 

19,368 

3,440 

11,375 


2,500 

25,977 

600 

26,000 

2,988 


Value 


8286,209 

245 

284,721 

184,494 

655 

40 

60 

14,520 

3,784 

14,218 

6,632 

175 

22,080 

60 

845 

11,952 


$950,{ 


41 


10,508 

1,175 

1,369 

24 

13 

780 

27,770 


178,5 


820,933 

858,676 

6,444 


5,850  5,850 

5,229  6,013 

6,930 


18,792 


20,000 

1,578 

32 

164 

4 


>t    8,915 


CROPS 


Winter  wheat 

Spring  wheat 

Corn 

Oats 

Rye 

Barley 

Buckwheat 

Irish  potatoes 

Sweet  potitoes 

Castor  beans 

Sorghum 

"         For  syrup  or  sugar. 

"        For  forage  or  grain. 

Cotton 

Fla.x   

Tobacco 

Broom  corn 

Millet  and  Hungarian 

Milo  maize 

Kaffir  corn 

Jerusalem  corn 

Timothy 

Clover 

Blue  grass 

Alfalfa 

Orchard  grass 

Other  tame  grasses 

Prairie  grass,  fenced 


•  gals 


..lbs. 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 
.tons 


Totals 

Wheat  on  hand  March  1,  1893.  43. 
Corn  on  hand  March  1.  1893,  123.7 
♦Product  of  1891.        tProduct  o£  1 


51,004   1,077,186 


3,158 

14 

97 

1,043 

3 

242 


13,499 

710 

1,710 

56 

20 
2,854 
29,288 


5,202 

150 

40 

50,800 

8,075 


200 
22,106 
8,400 
29,100 
1,043 
75 
4,840 


$430,874 


62,8 


478,199 

183,386 

2,080 

60 

24 

25,400 

4,037 

8,040 

10,877 


50,718 

44,600 

479 


12 

22,106  ! 

840 

1,018 

5,215  |1 

33 
2,420 


6,349 

1 

91 

1,962 

7 

624 

14 

11,865 

664 

2,074 

74 


187,821  $1,270,327  i|   217,811 


,845 


1,267,950 

1,338,000 

4,790 

520 


65,440 
5,846 
2,040 


50,792 

700 

43,680 

4,905 


i2  bushels;  March  1,  1894,  72,826  bushels:  March  1,  18ii5,  8.i,336  bushels. 
1  bushels;  March  1.  1894,  87,32«  bushels;  March  I.  1895,  108.378  bushels. 
1)2.         gPnduct  of  1893.         ,1  Product  of  1S94.         ^Product  estimated  in 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


TABLE  Showing  the  Acres,  Product  and  Value  of  Field  Crops  in  Labette  County. 


Winter  wheat bu. 

Spring  wlieat   bu. 

Corn bu. 

Oats bu. 

Rye bu. 

Buckwheat bu. 

Irish  potatoes bu. 

Sweet  potatoes bu. 

Castor  beans bu. 

Sorghum,  for  syrup  or  sugar gals. 

for  forage  or  grain tons 

Flax bu. 

Broom  corn lbs. 

Millet  and  Hungarian.  .■ tons 

iVIilo  maize tons 

Kafifir  corn tons 

Jerusalem  corn tons 

Timothy 

Clover 

Blue  grass 

Alfalfa tons 

Orchard  grass 

Other  tame  grasses 

Prairie  grass,  fenced tons 

Totals 


Acres 


50,699 

5 

60,556 

38,078 

170 

15 

589 

.   69 

347 

163 

1,603 

4,411 


7 

6,734 

335 

2,145 

138 

21 

119 


1,877,236 

685,404 

3,400 


6,565 
2,429 
13,040 


26,466 
17,600 
3,796 
213 
7,972 
21 


2,499 


319,1 

76,;: 
1.' 


63,107 


70,619 

30,194 

104 


690 

102 

616 

214 

1,316 

2,376 

37 

2,019 

10 

1,671 

46 

6,004 

1,065 

2,931 

156 

46 

673 

27,738 


1,339,861 

754,850 

1,664 


23,600 
8,160 
2,680 

12,412 


19,008 
18,500 
6,048 
36 
6,848 
161 


I 

y-f    3,938 


211,425 


267,972 

120,776 

549 


12,272 

5,069 

2,451 

3,723 

7,451 

16,206 

462 

16,901 

.106 

17,544 

483 


$1,018,626 


Acres 


Winter  wheat bu. 

Corn bu. 

Oats bu. 

Rye bu. 

Barley bu. 

Irish  potatoes bu. 

Sweet  potatoes bu. 

Castor  beans bu. 

Cotton lbs. 

Flax bu. 

Hemp lbs. 

Broom  corn lbs. 

Millet  and  Hungarian tons 

Sorghum,  for  syrup  or  sugar gals. 

for  forage  or  grain tons 

Milo  maize tons 

Kafifir  corn tons 

Timothy 

Clover 

Blue  grass [ , 

Alfalfa '.'.'.".".  '.tons 

Orchard  grass 

Other  tame  grasses 

Prairie  grass,  fenced tons 

Totals 


73,783 
66,800 
35,081 
227 
58 
364 
163 
675 


56 

2,330 

294 

1,044 

66 

1,277 

6,407 

1,177 

2,150 

170 

36 

663 

26,811 


442,698 
1,316,000 


1,160 

26,560 
16,.30O 
6,075 
6,500 
14,063 


28,000 
6,243 
17,640 


6,108 

1 

J-t  4,009 
14,884 


Value 


$243,483 

315,840 

126,642 

726 

324 

11,947 

7,335 

5,771 

325 

11,250 


67,301 
76,670 


700 
13,107 
6,292 
6,264 
792 
15,324 


2,237 

386 

1,806 

20 

1,666 

l!366 
2,337 


Product 


605,709 

1,891,760 

914,144 

945 


46,609 
7,812 
4,266 


16,324 
8,000 

55,800 
4,474 

27,720 


8321,025 

464,020 

173,687 

463 


14,691 
400 

1,813 
13,422 

8,870 


U  heat  on  hand  March  1,  1891!,  (19.2.11  bushels;  March  1 
Corn  on  hand  .March  1.  18%,  289,.'i08  bushels;  March  1,' 
♦Product  of  1895.     tProduct  of  189li.     JProduct  of  189T.     SProduct  of  1898. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


TABLE  SHOWJNG  THE  Acres,  Product  and  Value  of  Field  Crops  in  Labette  County 


CROPS 

1!100 

1901 

Acres 

Product 

Value 

Acres 

Product 

Value 

bu. 

bu 

42,076 

82,698 

45,77.3 

34 

673,216 

2,398,242 

1,464.736 

510 

8410.661 

671,507 

292,947 

255 

Oats 

Rye.' 

Barley 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

bu. 

lbs. 

bu. 

lbs. 

lbs. 

lbs. 

1 
513 
100 
644 

10 
46,170 
11,800 
5,152 

7- 

24,008 
6,844 
5,122 

Irish  potatoes..   

Sweet  potatoes 



Flax 

i,946 

19,460 

.   25,298 

Hemp 

Broom  corn   

392 
2.870 

406 

2,502 

7 

2,929 

313,600 
7,175 
40,600 

1,2.54 
21,525 
13,804 
17,514 
56 
23,432 

Sorghum,  for  syrup  or  sugar 

for  forage  or  grain 

. . .       gals. 

tons 

tons 

tons 

28 
11,716 

Timothy 

Clover 

5,741 

1,193 

2,697 

102 

5 

607 

37,867 

1 

^*    3,559 
19,671 

16,905 
68,498 

tons 

tons 

Orchard  grass 

Other  tame  grasses 

Prairie  grass,  fenced 

231,103 

$1,599,670 

' 

Wlieat  on  hand  March  1,  1900.  30,866  bushels. 
Corn  on  hand  March  1,  1900,  240,332  bushels. 
♦Product  of  1899. 


FARAIERS'  ORGANIZATIONS. 

Almost  from  the  commencement  of  our 
history,  the  farmers  have  in  one  form  or  an- 
other been  more  or  less  effectively  organized 
for  the  promotion  of  agriculture,  and  the  ad- 
vancement of  their  interests. 

farmers'  clubs. 

The  first  organization  of  this  kind  of  which 
I  have  any  knowledge  was  the  Farmers'  Club, 
of  Oswego  township,  which  was  organized  in 
October,  1870.  F.  Swanwick  was  elected  pres- 
ident, and  J.  P.  Jones  secretary. 

The    Richland    Township    Farmers'    Club 


was  organized  April  6,  1872,  although  steps' 
toward  the  organization  of  a  club  seem  to  have 
been  taken  a  year  previous.  S.  K.  Thomas, 
was  chairman  and  J.  N.  Watson  secretary  o£ 
the  temporary  organization,  and  T.  J.  Calvin 
and  J.  N.  Watson  were  the  permanent  presi- 
dent and  secretary. 

In  January,  1881,  the  Hackberry  Club  was. 
organized,  with  D.  B.  Crouse  as  president. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  clubs  were  or- 
ganized at  other  points,  of  which  I  have  re- 
ceived no  information. 

farmers'  alliance. 

On  Mav  20,  1882,  a  Farmers'  Alliance  was 


.6o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


organized  at  Chetopa,  with  Isaac  Butterworth 
president  and  A.  E.  Bartlett  secretary.  ^  I 
know  of  no  other  alUance  being-  organized  prior 
to  the  genera]  move  some  years  later. 

farmers'  union. 
The  only  account  I  have  of  this  organiza- 
tion is  the  following  announcement  for  a  4th 
of  July  celebration,    made   by   them  June  14, 

1873: 

"There  will  be  a  basket  picnic  and  meeting 
of  the  Farmers'  Union  of  the  county  at  Hart's 
Mill,  two  and  one-half  miles  northwest  of  La- 
tette  City,  on  the  Labette  River ;  not  only  for 
the  purpose  of  celebrating  our  nation's  anni- 
versary, but  for  the  purpose  of  declaring  our 
independence  and  emancipation  from  the  thrall- 
dom  of  monopolies  and  corporations  that  now, 
through  their  moneyed  influence,  oppress  the 
laboring  classes  (the  bone  and  sinew  of  the 
nation)  to  an  extent  more  alarming  than  the 
tyranny  our  forefathers  emancipated  them- 
selves from.  J.  F.  Piper, 

Richard  Baker, 
W.  HoucK, 

Committee." 


The  farmers'  organization  known  as  "The 
Grange,"  or  "Patrons  of  Husbandry,"  was  in- 
troduced into  this  county  in  the  summer  of 
1873.  I  do  not  know  where  the  first  grange  in 
the  county  was  organized,  but  John  Nelson, 
of  Neosho  township,  was  county  organizer, 
and  on  September  11,  1873,  he  organized  the 
Pleasant  Valley  Grange,  in  District  No.  3. 

On  October  15.  1873,  Richland  Grange 
•was'  organized,  at  Watson's  school-house,  with 
D.  J.  Doolen  master,  J.  C.  McKnight  overseer, 
and  John  N.  AVatson  secretary. 

County    Organization. — On    December 


19,  1873.  the  various  granges  of  the  county 
met  at  Labette  to  form  a  council.  J.  F.  Hill 
was  chosen  chairman,  and  C.  W.  Olmstead 
secretary.  At  this  meeting  a  constitution 
which  did  not  allow  women  to  vote  was 
adopted,  but  it  was  unsatisfactory  to  the  local 
organizations.  On  December  27th  an  ad- 
journed meeting  was  held,  in  which  70  dele- 
gates were  present,  representing  20  granges. 
Women,  who  had  been  excluded  from  the  for- 
mer convention,  were  admitted  to  this.  The 
county  organization  was  now  completed,  and 
the  following  officers  were  elected :  J.  J. 
Woods,  master;  J.  F.  Hill,  overseer;  John 
Richardson,  treasurer;  D.  C.  Thurston,  secre- 
tary; S.  W.  Collins,  business  agent;  and  the 
following  executive  committee :  J.  T.  Lamp- 
son,  S.  M.  Canaday,  and  T.  A.  Fellows.  The 
first  meeting  after  its  organization  was  held 
February  24,  1874.  At  this  meeting  the  sec- 
retaryship was  changed,  and  given  to  I.  W. 
Patrick;  and  a  grange  store  was  authorized  to 
be  started  as  soon  as  possible.  H.  C.  Cook 
was  appointed  county  organizer. 

Store. — In  1874  a  grange  store  was  opened 
at  Labette,  with  an  authorized  capital  stock  of 
$4,000.  S.  W.  Collins,  the  business  agent  of 
the  council,  was  salesman.  In  June,  1875,  J. 
T.  Lampson  was  appointed  agent  of  the  grange 
store  in  the  place  of  Samuel  Collins.  From 
a  financial  standpoint  the  store  never  proved  a 
success,  and  quite  an  amount  of  money  was 
sunk  in  the  enterprise. 

Condemnatory  Action. — On  March  20, 
1875,  at  a  meeting  of  the  county  council,  it 
was,  on  motion  of  J.  C.  Murphy,  "Resolved, 
That  the  county  council  condemn  the  late  ac- 
tion of  the  county  commissioners  in  regard  to 
their  refusal  to  accept  aid  to  the  destitute  of 
Labette  county."  At  the  same  time  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions  were  adopted : 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


6i 


"Resolved,  By  the  Labette  County  Council 
of  Patrons  of  Husbandry  in  its  regular  session, 
that  we,  as  a  body,  asking  boot  from  no  one, 
and  in  sympathy  with  our  unfortunate  yeo- 
manry of  this  State,  do  bitterly  denounce  and 
condemn  the  late  action  of  the  Senate  of  the 
State  of  Kansas  in  regard  to  relief  to  the  desti- 
tute of  this  State,  as  miserly,  misanthropic  in 
its  nature,  wrong  and  injurious  to  its  loyal' 
destitute,  and  a  shame  and  a  disgrace  to  the 
fair  name  of  grateful  Kansas. 

"Resolved,  That  we  will  heartily  endorse 
any  action  of  the  Governor  of  this  State,  by 
way  of  appropriating  a  portion  of  the  surplus 
accumulated  funds  of  the  treasury  of  this  State, 
to  render  aid,  relief  and  assistance  to  those  re- 
quiring the  same  from  the  destitution  that  vis- 
ited the  State  last  season. 

"Resolved,  That  we  will  not  support  for 
office  anyone  who  would  not  be  willing  that 
the  next  legislature  legalize  the  same." 

These  organizations  were  maintained  in 
the  county  but  two  or  three  years,  or  at  least 
there  was  no  active  work  done  after  that,  al- 
though there  may  have  been  a  few  local  or- 
ganizations kept  up  somewhat  longer. 

Examining  County  Offices. — In  July, 
1874,  the  county  council  of  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry appointed  a  committee  of  five,  con- 
sisting of  Col.  J.  J.  Woods  chairman,  John  F. 
Hill,  secretary,  S.  M.  Canaday,  Thomas  Bates, 
and  J.  Merwin,  to  make  a  thorough  examina- 
tion of  the  county  offices  "for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  where  the  money  goes."  The 
committee  spent  some  time  in  the  court-house, 
and  at  the  end  of  their  investigation  made  an 
exhaustive  report,  filling  over  five  columns  of 
newspaper.  A  number  of  recommendations 
were  submitted  by  the  committee,  pointing  out 
defects  in  the  law  which  should  be  remedied 
and   of  administration   which   should  be  cor- 


rected. It  is  not  improbable  that  good  re- 
sulted from  this  examination,  if  in  nothing 
else  than  in  making  a  large  proportion  of  the 
people  better  acquainted  with  the  way  their 
business  was  conducted. 


FAIR  ASSOCIATIONS. 

LABETTE    COUNTY    AGRICULTURAL    AND    ME- 
CHANICAL   SOCIETY. 

On  January  31  1868,  a  number  of  the  citi- 
zens of  the  county  formed  an  organization  for 
the  purpose  of  locating  fair  grounds  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  16,  township  33, 
range  21,  and  N.  L.  Hibbard,  W.  S.  Newlton, 
C.  H.  Bent,  Isaac  Butterworth  and  others  filed 
a  charter  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State 
on  February  13th  for  the  incorporation  of  the 
Labette  County  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
Society.  W.  S.  Newlon  was  elected  president 
and  W.  P.  Bishop  secretary.  The  second  issue 
of  the  Neosho  Valley  Eagle  contains  a  notice 
that  the  books  of  the  society  are  open  for  sub- 
scription to  its  capital  stock.  This  organiza- 
tion never  succeeded  in  starting  a  fair,  or  doing 
anything  that  looked  practically  to  that  end. 

LABETTE    COUNTY    AGRICULTURAL    AND    HORTI- 
CULTURAL   SOCIETY. 

In  the  latter  part  of  June,  1870,  a  call  was 
made  through  the  Oswego  Register  for  those 
interested  in  the  organization  of  a  fair  to  meet 
at  the  court-house  on  July  2d  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  steps  to  secure  such  result.  On  that 
day  there  was  quite  a  gathering  of  the  citizens 
of  the  county,  who  effected  a  temporary  organ- 
ization by  electing  D.  B.  Crouse  chairman  and 
Nelson  Case  secretary.  The  establishment  of 
a  fair  was  discussed,  and  it  was  finally  agreed 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


to  organize  the  Labette  County  Agricultural 
and  Horticultural  Society.  A  board  of  di- 
rectors representing  all  parts  of  the  county  was 
selected,  and  the  following  officers  chosen :  D. 

B.  Crouse,  president;  Jonas  Clark,  vice-pres- 
ident; C.  H.  Lewis,  secretary;  William  Steele, 
treasurer.  Under  this  management  a  fair  was 
held  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Neosho  River,  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  15,  in  Oswego. 
The  fair  was  a  success.  Annual  fairs  were 
thereafter  held  under  the  auspices  of  this  socie- 
ty up  to  and  including  1883.  Most  of  these  were 
successful  both  in  the  matter  of  securing  a 
good  display  of  the  products  of  the  county  and 
in  financial  management.  In  1873  a  new  char- 
ter was  obtained,  and  the  association  put  on  a 
firmer  basis.  Fair  grounds  were  purchased  in 
the  northeast  part  of  Oswego  city,  and  a  com- 
mencement made  toward  improving  and  fitting 
them  up  for  the  holding  of  fairs.  As  indicat- 
ing what  the  success  of  some  of  the  first  fairs 
were,  I  may  mention  that  in  1873  the  receipts 
were  $2,135.15,  and  the  disbursements  $1,- 
957.61;  in  1874  the  receipts  were  $2,279.84, 
and  disbursements  $2,386.09.  The  following 
two  years  the  receipts  were  not  enough  to  pay 
expenses  and  premiums,  and  a  small  indebted- 
ness was  thereby  created.  The  next  year  or 
two  was  more  successful.  In  1880  a  large  am- 
phitheater was  erected,  whereby  an  indebted- 
ness' was  created,  to  secure  which  a  mortgage 
on  the  company's  grounds  was  executed;  and 
this  finally  was  foreclosed,  and  the  property 
sold  thereunder.  In  1883  the  association  vir- 
tually disbanded,,  and  made  no  other  attempts 
at  holding  a  fair.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  the  presidents  and  secretaries  of  this  associ- 
ation after  the  first  fair:  Presidents — 1871, 
D.  B.  Crouse;  1872,  Isaac  Butterworth;  1873, 

C.  M.  Monroe;  1874-75,  J.  J.  Woods;  1876,  F. 
A.  Bettis;  1877-78,  R.  W.  Wright;  1879.  J.  P. 


I'pdegraff;  1880,  R.  W.  Wright;  1881,  C.  O. 
Perltins;  1882-83.  C.  Montague.  Secretaries 
— 1871,  C.  H.  Lewis;  1872-74,  C.  B.  Wood- 
ford; 1875-77,  C.  A.  Wilkin;  1878,  C.  B. 
Woodford;   1879-83,   C.  A.  Wilkin. 

NEOSHO   VALLEY    STOCK   ASSOCIATION. 

In  the  sumer  of  1884,  it  having  become 
apparent  that  the  Agricultural  and  Horticul- 
tural Society  was  not  going  to  hold  a  fair  that 
season,  a  new  organization  under  the  name  of 
the  Neosho  Valley  Stock  Association  was 
formed,  of  which  D.  B.  Crouse  was  president. 
Isaac  Butterworth,  vice-president,  and  C.  B. 
Woodford,  secretary.  Under  its  auspices  a 
fqir  was  held  on  the  fair  grounds  in  Oswego, 
commencing  the  last  of  September.  No  pre- 
miums were  paid,  but  diplomas  were  given  ac- 
cording to  merit.  The  treasurer's  report  at 
the  close  of  the  fair  shows  the  total  receipts  to 
be  $164.40,  and  expenses  $156.65.  In  1885 
the  officers  were:  J.  F.  Hill,  president;  D. 
Doyle,  vice-president;  C.  B.  Woodford,  secre- 
tary; and  J.  W.  Marley,  treasurer.  Quite  a 
successful'  fair  was  held,  commencing  Septem- 
ber 8th. 

LABETTE    COUNTY    HORTICULTURAL    AND    AGRI- 
CULTURAL   FAIR   ASSOCIATION. 

No  attempt  was  made  at  holding  a  fair  at 
Oswego  from  1885  to  1891.  During  the  sum- 
mer of  1 89 1  a  number  of  the  citizens  organized 
the  Labette  County  Horticultural  and  Agri- 
cultural Fair  Association,  and  elected  R.  W. 
Wright,  president;  J.  D.  H.  Reed,  secretary;  J. 
G.  Bradley,  treasurer  and  superintendent.  A 
fair  was  held  September  14th  to  i6th.  The 
exhibits  and  attendance  were  encouraging. 
The  receipts  were  large  enough  to  pay  all  ex- 
penses, which  amounted  to  $260. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


63 


In  1892  the  association  held  its  second  fair, 
from  September  29th  to  October  ist.  The 
officers  this'  year  were :  J.  B.  Montgomery,  pres- 
ident; J.  D.  H.  Reed,  secretary;  George  Pfaff, 
treasurer;  and  J.  G.  Bradley,  superintendent. 
The  receipts  were  $600,  and  all  premiums  and 
obligations  were  paid  in  full. 

About  the  same  course  has  been  pursued 
•each  year  since  1892.  For  two  or  three  years 
past,  instead  of  going  to  the  fair  grounds,  a 
street  fair  in  the  city  of  Oswego  was  held  year- 
ly, which  was  quite  as  interesting  and  brought 
out  as  good  a  display  of  the  products  of  the 
county  as  a  regularly  conducted  agricultural 
fair.  Street  fairs  have  also  been  held  in  Che- 
topa  and  Parsons. 

I.ABETTE    COUNTY    AGRICULTURAL,     HORTICUL- 
TURAL   AND    MECHANICAL    ASSOCIATION. 

In  the  summer  of  1872  a  number  of  the 
■citizens  of  the  vicinity  of  the  town  of  Labette 
organized  the  Labette  County  Agricultural, 
Horticultural  and  Mechanical  Association,  for 
the  purpose  of  holding  a  fair  at  that  point.  F. 
C.  Burnette  was  elected  president  and  Wm. 
Houck  secretary.  A  fair  commencing  the  8th 
of  October  of  that  year  was  held,  with  a  fair 
degree  of  success.  The  following  officers  were 
•elected  for  1873:  President,  S.  W.  Collins; 
vice-president,  J.  F.  Piper,  secretary,  William 
Houck ;  treasurer,  Harvey  I.  Cox.  It  was  de-- 
cided  to  hold  a  fair  in  the  fore  part  of  October, 
tut  no  fair  seems  to  have  been  held ;  and  this, 
.apparently,  was  the  last  of  this  association. 

PARSONS  FAIR  AND  DRIVING  PARK  ASSOCIATION. 

Early  in  1882  steps  were  taken  by  some  of 
the  citizens  of  Parsons  to  form  an  organiza- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  holding  a  fair  at  that 


place.  The  Parsons  Fair  and  Driving  Park 
Association  was  formed,  with  a  board  of  direct- 
ors composed  of  its  leading  business  men,  of 
which  G.  W.  Gabriel  was  president  and  J.  R. 
Brown  secretary.  Good  grounds  were  secured 
and  improved,  and  fi'om  1882  to  1886,  inclu- 
sive, successful  fairs  were  held.  After  that  no 
fair  was  held  till  1892.  when  another  effort 
was  made,  with  a  good  result. 

STOCK   ASSOCIATION. 

In  August,  1884,  the  Short-Horn  Breeders' 
Association  was  organized,  with  the  follow- 
ing officers:  Dr.  B.  R.  Van  Meter,  president; 
Chas.  W.  Stoddard,  vice-president;  M.  E. 
\\'illiams,  secretary ;  J.  C.  Christian,  treasurer. 

LABETTE   COUNTY   H0RTICULTUR.\L   SOCIETY. 

Those  engaged  in  horticulture  and  fruit- 
growing were  only  a  little  behind  those  inter- 
ested in  agriculture  and  stock-raising  in  tak- 
ing steps  to  unite  their  interests  for  mutual  im- 
provement in  growing  and  disposing  of  their 
products.  The  early  records  of  the  Labette 
County  Horticultural  Society  have  been  lost, 
and  I  am^  not  able  to  give  the  date  of  its  organi- 
zation; but  it  was  sometime  prior  to  1877. 
Nearly  all  of  the  fruit-growers  in  the  vicinity 
of  Oswego  and  a  number  in  other  parts  of  the 
county  have  been  members  and  active  workers 
of  this  society.  Among  those  who  have  been 
most  prominent  as  workers  in  the  society  I 
mention  the  following :  H.  S.  Coley,  J.  L.  Will- 
iams, N.  Sanford,  J.  A.  Gates.  John  F.  Hill,  J. 
B.  Draper,  D.  Doyle,  Isaac  Butterworth,  W.  S. 
Newlon,  G.  A.  Stover,  Wilf.  Cooper,  Henry 
Tibbitts,  George  Pfaff.  I  do  not  wish  to  be 
understood  as  giving  in  this  list  the  names  of 
all  of  those  who  have  been  prominent  workers 


64 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  this  society,  but  only  such  as  now  occur  to 
me.  Had  I  the  records  of  the  society  the  list 
might  be  very  much  enlarged.  During  the 
summer  the  society  frequently  holds  picnics,  at 
which  all  phases  of  the  question  of  fruit-grow- 
ing are  fully  and  carefully  discussed,  and  much 
of  the  success  of  the  fruit-growing  business 
may  be  fairly  attributed  to  the  work  of  this 
society. 

OTHER  COUNTY  ORGANIZATIONS. 

COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY. 

There  is  no  existing  record  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  society.  It  was  probably  organized 
early  in  1869.  The  first  minutes  I  have  been 
able  to  find  of  its  meetings  are  those  for  a 
semi-annual  meeting  held  at  Oswego  on  No- 
vember 7,  1870;  the  society  was  then  called 
the  Osage  and  Southern  Kansas  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. C.  M.  Gilkey  was  president  and  Robert 
Steele  secretary.  At  this  meeting  it  was  voted 
to  change  the  name  to  the  Labette  County  Med- 
ical Association;  W.  S.  Newlon  was  elected 
president ;  George  Lisle,  vice-president ;  Robert 
Steele,  secretary ;  and  J.  W.  Wier,  treasurer.  A 
uniform  schedule  of  fees  was  adopted. 

On  June  8,  1871,  a  meeting  of  the  society 
was  held,  at  which  W.  S.  Newlon  was  president 
and  D.   D.   McGrath,  secretary. 

On  June  16,  1875,  after  a  lapse  of  two  or 
three  years,  a  meeting  was  held,  and  the  asso- 
ciation revived.  George  Lisle  was  elected  pres- 
ident; W.  S.  Newlon,  vice-president,  C.  Hum- 
ble, secretary,  and  B.  R.  Van  Meter,  treasurer. 

On  May  18,  1885,  the  society  again  organ- 
ized, and  elected  J.  J.  Kackley  president,  and 
A.   O.  Garnett,  secretary. 

The  society  now  maintains  an  organiza- 
tion and  holds  regular  meetings. 


BAR   ASSOCIATION. 

On  September  15,  1881,  the  members  of  the 
Indiana  met  at  Labette  City  and  organized  a 
county  bar  association,  with  the  following 
officers:  H.  G.  Webb,  president;  Nelson  Case 
and  George  S.  King,  vice-presidents;  J.  H. 
Morrison,  secretary,  J.  A.  Gates,  treasurer. 
This  association  was  never  very  active,  and 
after  a  brief  existence  it  was  abandoned,  since 
which  time  no  effort  has  been  made  to  organ- 
ize or  maintain  an  association. 


HOOSIER   ASSOCIATION. 

On  June  19,  1886,  the  former  residents  of 
Indiana  mea  at  Labette  City  and  organized  a 
Hoosier  Association.  Wilf.  Cooper  was 
elected  president  and  W.  W.  Cook,  secretary. 
This  association  has  held  several  annual  meet- 
ings since  then,  and  maintains  a  feeling  of 
friendship  and  pride  among  the  old  "Indian- 
ians." 

OLD  settlers'  ASSOCIATION. 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  secure 
a  permanent  organization  of  the  old  settlers 
in  the  county.  As  early  as  April  16,  1884, 
there  was  a  preliminary  meeting  held  at  the 
court-house  in  Oswego,  at  which  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  report  a  plan  for  enrollment 
at  an  adjourned  meeting  to  be  held  thereafter. 
D.  B.  Grouse  was  chosen  chairman  and  C.  B. 
Woodford  secretary.  One  or  two  other  meet- 
ings were  held  the  following  month,  and  a 
form  of  constitution  was  adopted.  However, 
this  organization  never  did  anything  more  than 
to  have  these  preliminary  meetings.  In  1888 
another  effort  was  made  to  secure  an  organiza- 
tion, and  a  meeting  of  the  old  settlers  was 
called  through  the  Independent,  to  be  held  on 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


65 


the  22d  of  February  of  that  year.  A  commit- 
tee was  appointed  at  this  meeting  to  call  a  pub- 
lic meeting  and  arrange  for  a  large  attendance 
of  the  old  settlers  throughout  the  county. 
This  committee  called  such  meeting  to  be  held 
at  the  fair  grounds  in  Oswego  on  May  lo, 
1888.  ■  An  organization  was  formed  at  this 
time,  and  since  then  some  two  or  three  other 
meetings  have  been  held;  but  the  general  in- 
terest has  not  yet  been  secured  which  it  is  to 
be  hoped  will  be  shown  by  those  who  have  done 
so  much  to  make  the  county  what  it  is. 

THE    LABETTE     COUNTY    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY. 

In  its  issue  of  July  6,  1878,  the  Oswego 
Independent  contained  a  notice  of  about  a  half- 
dozen  lines  stating  that  a  meeting  of  the  citi- 
zens of  the  county  would  be  held  at  the  court- 
house on  Tuesday  evening  following,  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  steps  to  organize  a  historical 
society.  It  was  understood  that  this  notice 
was  inserted  by  J.  S.  Waters,  who  was  then 
doing  editorial  work  on  the  Independent.  On 
July  9,  1878,  a  few  parties  met  at  the  court- 
house, pursuant  to  said  notice.  Alexander 
Duncan,  of  Canada  township,  was'  made  tem- 
porary chairman,  and  J.  S.  Waters,  temporary 
secretary.  The  matter  of  a  historical  society 
was  talked  of,  and  before  the  adjournment  of 
the  meeting  a  committee,  consisting  of  Nelson 
Case,  W.  A.  Starr  and  R.  M.  Donley,  was  ap- 
pointed to  prepare  a  plan  for  organization  to 
be  submitted  in  one  week  from  that  time.  On 
Tuesday  evening,  July  16,  the  meeting  met  as 
per  adjournment.  The  committee  appointed 
to  prepare  the  plan  reported  through  Nelson 
Case,  its  chairman,  recommending  the  forma- 
tion of  a  society  on  a  very  simple  basis,  "keep- 
ing in  view  sooner  or  later  the  incorporation 
of  a  society,"  and  submitting  the  draft  of  a  con- 


stitution. The  report  of  the  committee  was 
adopted,  and  the  following  officers  elected: 
President,  Nelson  Case;  vice-president,  George 
Lisle;  secretary,  J.  S.  Waters;  corresponding 
secretary,  M.  W.  Reynolds;  treasurer,  C.  M. 
Monroe;  with  vice-presidents  from  each  of  the 
townships.  There  has  never  been  any  change 
in  the  presidency  since  its  organization.  In 
1879  W.  A.  Starr  was  elected  secretary  in 
place  of  Mr.  Waters,  who  moved  away;  this 
position  he  continued  to  hold  until  his  death. 
On  November  21,  1 881,  the  society  became  in- 
corporated by  filing  its  charter  in  the  ofifice  of 
the  Secretary  of  State.  Since  Mr.  Starr's 
death  E.  B.  Baldwin  and  J.  R.  Hill  have  filled 
the  office  of  secretary;  H.  C.  Cook  and  M.  E. 
Williams  have  held  the  office  of  treasurer. 

Nearly  complete  files  of  many  of  the  coun- 
ty papers'  have  been  preserved,  and  other  objects 
of  interest  have  been  secured,  but  for  several 
years  the  society  has  held  no  meetings  and  has 
been  practically  disorganized. 

COUNTY    CENTENNIAL    BOARD. 

On  Saturday,  September  19,  1875.  a  meet- 
ing was  held  at  Oswego,  which  was  attended 
by  citizens  from  various  parts  of  the  county, 
for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  board  auxiliary 
to  the  State  board  to  secure  a  proper  represen- 
tation at  the  Centennial  Exposition.  The  con- 
stitution and  by-laws  recommended  by  the 
State  board  were  adopted,  and  a  board  of  man- 
agers elected,  consisting  of  the  following  indi- 
viduals: W.  S.  Newlon,  P.  T.  Rhodes.  F.  B. 
McGill,  Henry  Tibbitts,  J.  F.  Hill,  J.  J.  Woods, 
A.  Gebert,  H.  C.  Cook,  and  J.  M.  Cavaness. 
A  quorum  of  the  board  being  present,  a  meet- 
ing was  held,  and  the  permanent  officers  of  the 
board  chosen,  with  the  following  result :  Pres- 
ident, J.   M.   Cavaness;  vice-president,  F.  B. 


66 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


McGill ;  secretary,  J.  F.  Hill ;  treasurer,  J.  J. 
Woods.  The  board  of  officers  constituted  the 
executive  committee.  The  committees  whose 
duty  it  was  to  make  collections  of  the  various 
articles  requested  by  the  State  board  were  all 
chosen. 

COLUMBIAN    CLUB. 

On  August  26,  1892,  a  meeting  of  the  ladies 
of  the  county  was  held  at  the  parlors  of  the 
Oswego  House,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the 
county  properly  represented  at  the  Columbian 
Exposition.  The  following  permanent  officers 
were  elected:  Mrs.  M.  M.  Woodruff,  presi- 
dent; Mrs.  Mary  E.  Perkins,  vice-president; 
Mrs.  Alice  Greene,  secretary;  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Elliott,  treasurer.  Mrs.  Woodruff  having  de- 
clined to  serve,  Mrs.  Lyda  A.  Baldwin  was 
elected  president  in  her  place. 

G.   A.   R. 

Pea  Ridge  Post,  No.  118,  is  located  at 
Chetopa,  and  was  organized  August  21,  1882. 
Post  commanders :  Capt.  Thomas  O'Hare,  Col. 
J.  B.  Cook,  James  F.  Sterling,  L.  M.  Bedell, 
S.  T.  Herman,  W.  O.  Breckenridge,  Robert 
Orme,  William  Stevens,  H.  J.  Schock,  W.  H. 
Hooper,  J.  W.  Bowles,  and  George  Rodgers. 
Most  of  the  commanders  have  served  more 
than  one  term.  Under  the  auspices  of  this 
post  for  eight  years  have  been  held  annual 
soldiers'  reunions.  The  first  was  held  Octo- 
ber 18-21,  1893. 

Antietam  Post,  No.  64,  is  located  at  Par- 
sons, and  was  organiezd  June  2,  1882;  it  has 
been  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Kansas. 
There  are  400  names  on  its  roll.  The  city  of 
Parsons  conveyed  to  the  post,  for  a  nominal 
consideration,  a  tract  in  Oakwood  Cemetery  in 
which  all  old  soldiers  are  buried  free  of  expense 


to  their  friends,  if  they  so  desire;  eighty-four 
old  soldiers  have  already  been  buried  in  these 
grounds.  Two  eight-inch  Columbiads,  weigh- 
ing 9,240  pounds  each,  a  gift  of  the  War  De- 
partment, mounted  on  cut-stone  supports  with 
concrete  foundations,  point  over  the  graves  of 
those  buried  there.  These  grounds  are  sub- 
stantially and  beautifully  enclosed  with  cut 
sandstone  coping  and  cap  stones,  and  the 
graves  are  marked  with  Government  head- 
stones. Nearly  $5,000  have  been  expended  on 
this  burying  place.  Post  Commanders :  W.  H. 
Morris.  Luther  Gilmore,  H.  L.  Partridge,  T. 
D.  Ganer,  W.  P.  SchoU,  W.  H.  Porter,  R.  D. 
Talbot,  J.  D.  Scott,  A.  M.  Sourbeer,  0.  E. 
Peters,  W.  C.  King,  George  W.  Gould,  Mills 
Voris,  R.  E.  Holloway,  W.  C.  Weaver,  Au- 
gustus Martin,  and  John  H.  Lyles.  In  1895 
was  held  the  first  reunion  at  Parsons,  under 
the  impulse  given  by  this  post.  These  reun- 
ions have  been  held  annually  since,  under  the 
direction  of  a  committee  and  officers  elected  by 
those  who  participate  therein. 

Mound  Valley  Post,  No.  139,  was  organ- 
ized November  9,  1882.  There  are  no  names 
on  its  roll  of  old  soldiers  who  have  been  mem- 
bers of  this  post.  Only  about  17  are  in  good 
standing;  five  have  died,  and  the  others  have 
withdrawn  by  suspension  or  removal.  The  fol- 
lowing have  been  commanders:  Josephus' 
Moore,  \\'.  W.  Harper,  A.  J.  Ginger,  L.  C. 
Wilmoth.  Ivy  Prescott,  L.  E.  Hanson,  N.  W. 
Wallis,  Ivy  Prescott,  T.  J.  Maudlin,  L.  E. 
Hanson,  Ivy  Prescott,  McHenry  Smith,  J.  W. 
Fee,  L.  E.  Hanson,  and  C.  G.  Titsworth. 

Oswego  Post,  No.  1 50.  was  organized  Jan- 
uary 10,  1883,  and  has  had  the  following 
commanders:  John  F.  Hill,  D.  H.  David,  E. 
B.  Baldwin,  George  P.  Hall,  J.  C.  Patterson, 
H.  C.  Cook.  \V.  L.  Burch.  R.  W  Wright,  Otis 
Whitnev,  B.  F.  Richards,  G.   W.  Hendricks, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


67 


Colin  Hodge,  N.  Sanford.  H.  E.  Fuller,  J. 
Garten,  and  G.  W.  Mathews.  A  soldiers'  re- 
union was  hcid  in  Oswego  in  the  fall  of  1900, 
imder  the  patronage  of  this  post. 

Topping  Post,  No.  268,  is  located  at  Alta- 
mont,  and  was  organized  September  8,  1883. 
Commanders :  Daniel  Reid,  Ezra  Bonebrake, 
J.  C.  Murphy,  J.  J.  Miles,  A.  H.  Waite,  R.  A. 
Davis,  J.  F.  HuiTman,  T.  J.  Hmi.  and  T.  H. 
Murray.  It  has  a  membership  of  22,  and  has 
lost  three  by  death. 

Knoxville  Post,  No.  458,  was  organized  in 
the  Hawkins  schoolhouse  near  Trenton,  May 
18,  1883,  and  was  numbered  167.  Col.  E.  B. 
Baldwin  was  the  first  commander.     Its  charter 


members  embraced  most  of  the  old  soldiers  and 
in  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  county,  and 
they  were  among  the  most  substantial  and 
prominent  citizens.  After  Edna  was  started, 
the  post  was  removed  to  that  town,  and  a  re- 
organization was  effected.  A  new  charter, 
No.  458,  was  issued  to  it,  dated  February  9, 
1889.  The  building  in  which  the  post  held  its 
meetings  was  burned  in  February,  1890,  and 
many  of  its  effects,  including  its  charter,  were 
consumed.  A  full  list  of  post  commanders  has 
not  been  secured,  but  among  the  incumbents 
of  that  office  have  been  Col.  E.  B.  Baldwin  S. 
W.  McMahan,  J.  M.  Edmonson,  and  W.  J. 
Ravmond. 


FIRST  CorET-nOUSE;  ERECTED 

THE   FtNCE  ANIl   TREES   WHICH 


ADDITION  TO  COCRT-HOVSE;  ERECTED 

rXD  THIS   BLILDI.NG    WHEX   IT   WAS   ERECTED. 


CRIMINAL  MATTERS 


On  August  6,  1868,  Charles  Van  Alstine 
killed  J.  C.  Wheeler,  near  a  saloon  in  Oswe- 
go, in  which  they  had  been  drinking.  Van 
Alstine  was  tried  and  convicted  of  murder, 
and  sent  to  the  penitentiary.  This  was  the 
first  murder  trial  in  the  county. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1868  a  half-breed  In- 
dian was  intoxicated  and  making  a  disturbance 
on  the  streets  of  Chetopa.  He  was  arrested  by 
an  officer,  who  asked  him  where  he  got  his 
whisky;  he  told  the  officer  if  he  would  go  with 
him  he  would  show  him.  He  went  to  a  shanty 
on  the  outskirts  of  town,  opened  a  door,  and 
stooping  down  to  his  saddle-bags  took  there- 
from a  revolver,  saying,  "That  is  where  I  got 
my  whisky,"  and  fired,  the  ball  striking  the 
officer  on  the  forehead,  but  glancing  instead  of 
penetrating  the  skull.  The  Indian  was  again 
arrested,  and  taken  before  the  justice.  A  some- 
what rough  character  called  Bob  Broadus  told 
him  he  would  be  killed,  and,  if  he  had  an  op- 
portunity, to  run.  The  Indian  soon  started  off, 
and  was  at  once  fired  upon  by  a  number  of  par- 
ties and  killed. 

In  1870  John  D.  Coulter  was  postmaster 
at  Oswego,  and  also  agent  of  all  the  express 
companies  that  did  business  at  that  place.  In 
the  latter  part  of  November  of  that  year,  with- 
out giving  notice  of  his  intention  so  to  do,  he 
left  town,  and  was  never  seen  here  thereafter. 
He  proved  to  be  a  defaulter  to  the  Government 
and  also  the  express  companies  in  the  sum  of 
several  hundred  dollars. 


Anthony  Amend  and  John  Pierce,  living  in 
Neosho  township,  had  a  difficulty  over  a  child. 
Pierce  shot  and  killed  Amend,  and  then  at- 
tempted to  hide  in  the  woods  and  tall  grass. 
The  grass  was  set  on  fire,  and  to  escape, 
Pierce  jumped  into  the  Neosha  and  swam 
across.  He  was  caught  and  taken  to  Jackson- 
ville, where  a  vigilance  committee  hung  him. 
This  hanging  took  place  in  Neosho  county. 
Several  parties  were  arrested  as  being  con- 
nected with  it,  but  no  one  was  ever  convicted. 

On  October  3,  1874,  on  the  fair  grounds 
at  Oswego,  John  Bagby  stabbed  William  Hog- 
sett  and  Charles  H.  Westfall,  both  of  whom 
were  special  police.  Hogsett  soon  died,  while 
Westfall,  after  a  protracted  confinement,  re- 
covered.    Bagby  was  sent  to  the  penitentiarv. 

On  November  2,  1870,  Erastus  E.  and  Lis- 
ton  P.  Hopkins  killed  their  brother-in-law, 
John  M.  May,  by  beating  and  wounding  him 
with  poles  and  clubs.  In  June,  1871,  they 
were  tried  for  this  offense.  The  State  was 
represented  by  Judge  D.  P.  Lowe,  M.  V.  Voss, 
and  Jesse  C.  Harper,  together  with  the  county 
attorney.  The  defense  was  principally  con- 
ducted by  M.  V.  B.  Bennett  and  J.  D.  Gam- 
ble. The  defendants  were  convicted  of  mur- 
der in  the  second  degree,  after  a  protracted 
trial.  A  notable  incident  of  this  trial  was  in 
reference  to  the  court  driving  a  witness  named 
Chas.  H.  Butts  from  the  witness  stand  dur- 
ing the  giving  of  his  testimony.  It  appears  by 
the  testimonv  of  Butts  that  he  was  a  detective. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


6c) 


and  had  been  placed  in  the  jail  with  the  Hop- 
kins brothers  under  the  pretense  of  being  guilty 
of  some  kind  of  a  crime,  for  the  real  purpose 
'of  getting  admissions  from  them  to  be  of  use 
on  the  trial.  On  these  facts  appearing,  the 
presiding  judge  said  that  such  a  person  was 
unworthy  of  credit,  and  should  not  be  allowed 
to  give  testimony  in  his  court ;  he  was  directed 
to  leave  the  stand,  which  he  did. 

On  February  24,  1871,  John  Clark  was 
killed  at  Chetopa  by  Frank  Huber.  Huber  was 
tried,  and  convicted  of  murder  in  the  first  de- 
gree, and  sentenced  to  be  hung  on  September 
1st;  on  August  31st  a  respite  was  granted  un- 
til September  30th.  Huber  had  been  taken  to 
Fort  Scott  after  his  trial  for  more  safe  confine- 
ment until  the  time  of  his  execution.  The  last 
of  August  he  was  brought  from  Fort  Scott  to 
Oswego,  where  a  gallows  had  been  erected  in 
front  of  the  old  jail,  and  where  on  the  morrow 
he  was  to  be  hung.  After  the  respite  arrived, 
and  before  the  time  of  his  execution,  as  then 
fixed,  the  Supreme  Court  granted  him  a  new 
trial  because  of  a  defect  in  the  form  of  the  ver- 
dict. Preferring  not  to  undergo  the  excite- 
ment of  another  trial,  Huber  succeeded  in  re- 
moving some  of  the  stones  and  other  rubbish 
that  separated  him  from  the  outside  world, 
and  on  the  night  of  November  23,  1871,  made 
his  escape  from  the  county  jail,  since  which 
time  he  has'  never  been  heard  of  at  this  place. 
His  case  was  the  nearest  we  have  ever  been  to 
having  a  legal  execution  in  this  county. 

On  August  14,  1872,  B.  W.  Harwood  had 
a  difficulty  with  the  Blye  brothers,  and  was 
very  badly  beaten  and  bruised  by  them.  Later 
in  the  day  he  went  to  their  home  and  fired  into 
a  crowd  of  people  that  were  there  assembled, 
slightly  wounding  two  persons.  On  the  15th 
he  was  arrested,  and  gave  bond  for  his  appear- 
ance at  trial.     On  the  morning  of  August  i6th 


he  was  found  on  his  premises,  riddled  with 
bullets.  Three  of  the  Blye  brothers  and  a 
number  of  neighbors  were  arrested  and  tried 
for  the  murder.  While  people  generally  had  no 
doubt  about  their  guilt,  the  State  failed  to  pro- 
duce sufficient  evidence  to  convict,  and  the  de- 
fendants were  all  acquitted. 

On  May  27,  1875,  R.  B.  Myers  absconded. 
It  appeared  from  e:iamination  made  that  for 
months  he  had  been  embezzling  from  the 
Adams  Express  Company,  for  whom  he  was 
agent.  A  statement  was  made  by  the  general 
manager  to  the  effect  that  as  far  back  as  Decem- 
ber previous  he  had  been  detected  in  defalca- 
tion. In  the  fall  of  1879  he  was  brought  back 
from  the  west,  where  he  was  found,  on  requisi- 
tion, and  on  examination  was  bound  over  to 
court.  In  proceedings  pending  the  trial,  it  was 
developed  that  the  company  was  defectively 
organized,  its  charter  being  imperfect;  and 
there  being  no  law  punishing  embezzlement 
by  an  agent  of  a  joint-stock  company,  Myers 
was  permitted  to  go  at  liberty. 

On  April  i,  1878,  while  Milton  Engler  and 
Samuel  Clevinger  were  going  to  their  homes  in 
Cherokee  county  from  Chetopa  in  a  state  of 
intoxication,  they  got  into  a  quarrel ;  the  former 
stabbed  the  latter  with  a  knife,  from  the  effects 
of  which  he  soon  died. 

On  Sunday  morning,  August  25,  1878  R. 
H.  Clift,  who  was  marshal  of  Chetopa,  was  shot 
and  killed  near  town  by  John  Richmond,  a 
horse  thief  whom  he  was  attempting  to  arrest. 
Richmond  had  passed  through  town  a  few  days 
before  with  a  stolen  mule  in  his  possession  and 
was  now  returning  to  Missouri.  Word  having 
come  that  he  was  guilty  of  stealing  the  mule, 
parties  in  town  who  had  seen  him  pass  through 
informed  the  marshal  of  the  circumstances, 
and  he  immediately  started  in  pursuit.  He 
soon  overtijok  Richmond  and  1  rdered  him  to 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


stop,  telling  him  that  he  was  under  arrest.  Rich- 
mond repHed  that  he  would  return  with  him, 
but  at  once  drew  a  revolver  and  shot  Clift 
through  the  neck ;  he  died  that  night.  On  the 
Wednesday  following  the  Sunday  on  which 
Clift  was  shot,  Richmond,  having  readied  his 
home  in  Missouri  near  the  village  of  White 
Hall,  in  Laurence  county,  was  there  arrested 
for  stealing  the  mule  at  a  camp  meeting.  The 
next  morning,  August  29th,  he  was  being  taken 
to  Mount  Vernon,  when  Bently  came  up  and 
informed  the  officers  that  Richmond  was  guilty 
of  ttie  murder  of  Clift.  This  was  the  first  that 
the  shooting  of  Clift  was  known  at  the  home  of 
Richmond.  Richmond  was  taken  to  Mount 
Vernon,  where  he  was  held  until  Bently  could 
get  a  requisition,  and  as  soon  as  the  same  could 
be  obtained  Bently  and  United  States  Deputy 
Marshal  Graham  secured  his  delivery  to  them, 
and  at  once  started  with  him  for  this  county.  In- 
stead of  taking  the  train  at  Carthage  to  Oswe- 
go, they  decided  to  go  the  route  through  the  In- 
dian Territory,  transferring  to  the  M.,  K.  &  T. 
Ry.  at  Vinita.  They  arrived  at  Chetopa  on  the 
midnight  train  Thursday  night,  September  5th. 
Masked  men  appeared  in  the  train  as  soon  as 
it  stopped  at  Chetopa,  and  compelled  the  officers 
to  take  Richmond  out;  they  took  him  out  and 
preceded  to  get  into  a  'bus.  The  mob  sur- 
rounded the  'bus  and  train,  took  Richmond 
from  the  officers,  marched  him  a  mile  south- 
west of  town,  and  strung  him  up  to  an  old 
bridge,  where  he  was  left  hanging  until-  the 
next  afternoon.  The  cold  blooded  murder  of 
Richmond  was  without  excuse.  His  crime  was 
a  terrible  one,  but  there  would  have  been  no 
■difficulty  in  convicting  and  punishing  him  for  it. 
No  one  except  the  participants  know  who  were 
the  criminals  engaged  in  the  second  murder, 
and  no  effort  was  made  to  apprehend  or  punish 
them. 


One  of  the  most  brutal  murders  ever  com- 
mitted took  place  in  Canada  township,  about 
the  last  of  October,  1878.  Theodore  Munster- 
man  and  William  Hunt  some  time  previous 
thereto  had  had  difficulty  over  the  entry  of  a 
claim.  On  the  day  of  the  murder  Hunt  and 
his  wife  had  been  to  Oswego,  and  during  their 
absence  Munsterman  had  been  seen  around  the 
premises.  On  their  way  home  from  Oswego, 
Hunt  overtook  Munsterman  going  in  the  direc- 
tion of  their  home.  He  got  in  and  rode  with 
them.  It  was  late  in  the  evening  when  they  ar- 
rived home.  Hunt  and  Munsterman  talked 
over  their  previous  difficulty,  and  agreed  to 
bury  all  differences.  Munsterman  was  making 
his  home  with  his  sister  several  miles  away, 
and  it  was  suggested  that  he  stay  all  night 
with  Hunt.  They  had  but  one  bed  and  they 
made  a  pallet  for  him  upon  the  floor  in  the 
same  room  in  which  they  slept.  During  the 
night  Mrs.  Hunt  awoke  and  found  Munster- 
man at  their  bedside  bending  over  her;  she 
asked  him  what  he  wanted ;  he  said  he  wanted 
to  kiss  her.  Later  in  the  night  Munsterman 
got  up  and  shot  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt  in  the 
head.  Hunt  was  evidently  killed  at  once. 
Probably  Mrs.  Hunt  made  some  move,  and  to 
finish  the  job  Munsterman  took  a  hatchet  and 
broke  in  her  skull.  He  left  them  both  in  bed 
where  they  had  slept,  went  out,  locked  the  door, 
and  took  Hunt's  team  and  moved  off.  He  was 
seen  the  next  day  with  the  team,  which  he  said 
he  had  borrowed  and  was  going  to  the  Ter- 
ritory for  coal.  It  turned  out  that  he  took  the 
team  and  hitched  it  in  a  ravine,  and  himself 
went  to  Chetopa.  That  e\-ening  one  of  the 
neighbor  boys  went  to  the  house,  but  could  not 
get  in.  He  heard  a  groaning  inside,  and  went 
and  told  his  inother.  Several  of  the  neighbors 
were  aroused  and  came  to  the  house  and  broke 
open  the  door.     They  found  Hunt  dead,  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


7K 


Mrs.  Hunt  unable  to  speak  and  nearly  dead. 
Munsterman  was  found,  and  at  once  arrested 
on  suspicion  that  he  had  committed  the  mur- 
der. His  account  of  having  the  team  and  of 
his  whereabouts  was  entirely  unsatisfactory, 
and  he  was  placed  in  the  county  jail.  By  the 
time  of  the  next  term  of  court,  when  the  case 
came  up  on  trial,  Mrs.  Hunt  had  so  far  recov- 
ered as  to  be  able  to  talk.  She  came  upon  the 
witness  stand  and  identified  Munsterman  as 
the  murderer,  giving  the  story  of  the  transac- 
tion substantially  as  here  recorded.  Munster- 
man was  convicted  of  murder  in  the  first  de- 
gree. He  died  in  the  penitentiary,  November 
25,  1888. 

On  November  3,  1879,  an  obstruction  in 
the  shape  of  a  hand-car,  with  old  irons  and 
other  material,  was  placed  on  the  Frisco  Ry.. 
near  Big  Hill  station.  A  detective  was  em- 
ployed to  ascertain  the  guilty  parties,  and  there- 
after Albert  C.  ToUiver  was  arrested  for  the 
offense.  Tolliver  made  confession  and  impli- 
cated James  Henry  Barnes,  Sr.,  and  his  son  in 
the  crime.  The  old  man  Barnes  was  not 
found,  but  the  younger  Barnes  was  tried,  and, 
by  what  is  believed  to  be  the  most  successfully 
planned  and  carried  out  conspiracy  for  perjury 
ever  attempted  in  this  court,  participated  in 
by  a  large  number  of  his  friends  and  neighbors, 
was  acc[uitted. 

On  December  2,  1879,  Ouincy  Harri-.  was 
arrested  for  operating  an  illicit  distillery  on 
Hackberry  Creek,  and  John  and  Josiah  Johr.- 
son  for  assisting  by  furnishing  corn.  Harris 
was  taken  in  charge  by  the  U.  S.  marshal. 

On  July  10,  1880,  Daniel  Tucker  killed  a 
colored  man  named  William  Dudley,  near 
Mound  Valley.  Tucker  had  been  lying  around 
Chetopa  for  several  days,  and  hired  Dudley  to 
take  him  to  Neodesha  with  his  team,  on  the 
pretense  that  he  desired  to  bring  back  a  load  of 


goods.  On  Sunday,  July  nth,  parties  pass- 
ing west  of  Mound  Valley  saw  where  some  one 
had  encamped  the  night  before,  and  noticed 
clots  of  blood  and  other  evidences  of  a  hard 
struggle.  Physicians  were  called,  and  after  ex- 
amination pronounced  the  bloud  and  brains 
found  to  be  those  of  a  human  being.  That  even- 
ing some  one  found  the  body  of  a  colored  man 
in  a  ravine  some  three  miles  away,  and  parties 
immediately  started  out  to  find  the  murderer. 
They  soon  found  a  wagon  witli  a  man  and 
woman  in  it  and  the  team  was  identified  as 
the  one  which  had  encamped  the  night  liefore 
where  the  body  was  found.  .  The  man  was  ar- 
rested and  proved  to  be  Tucker,  the  murderer 
of  the  colored  man,  William  Dudley.  He  was 
convicted  of  murder  in  the  first  degree. 

On  March  4,  1881,  on  a  south-bound  pas- 
senger train  on  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.,  just  as  it 
was  leaving  Chetopa,  James  Hayden,  who  was 
from  Lebanon,  Ky.,  and  a  passenger  on  the 
train,  commenced  firing  his  revolver  promiscu- 
ously among  the  passengers.  He  shot  and 
killed  William  Lewis,  of  McAlister,  I.  T.,  and 
wounded  two  others.  He  was  at  once  arrested 
and  taken  from  the  train  and  lodged  in  jail. 
Soon  thereafter,  it  being  supposed  that  he  was 
insane,  an  inquisition  was  held,  in  which  it  was 
determined  that  he  was  of  unsound  mind.  His 
friends  came  from  Kentucky  and  took  him 
home.  The  shooting  was  caused  by  his  sup- 
posing that  he  was  in  danger  of  his  life  from 
the  Indians,  as  he  was  nearing  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory. 

On  September  27,  1884,  John  Douglas 
killed  Harry  Fox,  at  his  home  in  Canada  town- 
ship. Douglas  escaped  and  went  to  Ohio,  from 
whence  he  was  brought  back  a  year  after,  and 
on  trial  was  convicted. 

At  the  May,  1885.  term  of  the  district 
court.  Frank  P.  Mvres  was  tried  and  convicted 


72 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  stealing  a  span  of  mules.  On  his  applica- 
tion he  was  granted  a  new  trial.  On  the  night 
of  July  7,  1885,  Winfield  Scott  Grouse,  who 
was  a  prisoner  in  the  county  jail  charged  with 
murder,  J.  J.  Thompson,  with  liquor  selling, 
and  a  colored  man,  Mat  Lingo,  with  assault 
and  battery,  broke  jail  and  compelled  Myres 
to  go  with  them.  The  latter,  however,  did 
not  leave  town,  but  next  morning  returned 
and  gave  himself  up.  On  the  ni"ght  of  July 
25th  Myres  with  others  broke  jail  again,  but 
he  was  soon  found,  at  Vinita,  and  was  re- 
turned to  jail  on  the  28th.  On  the  night  of 
August  4th  Myres  was  taken  from  jail.  To 
secure  his  escape  from  jail,  five  locks  had  to 
be  broken  or  unlocked.  The  next  morning  the 
locks  were  all  found  fastened  and  in  good  or- 
der. How  the  doors  were  opened  is  an  un- 
solved mystery.  On  August  6th  Myres's  body 
was  found  in  the  Neosho  River,  just  above 
the  Osv/ego  dam. 

During  Myres's  imprisonment  Jacob  Mc- 
Laughlin and  Wash  Berkaw  were  part  of  the 
time  confined  in  jail  with  him  on  the  charge 
of  selling  liquor.  It  is  supposed  that  they 
feared  testimony  which  Myres  might  give  if 
called  as  a  witness  on  their  trial,  and  that  they, 
after  their  release  on  bail,  secured  Myres  and 
took  him  from  the  jail  on  the  4th  of  August. 
On  April  14,  1886,  McLaughlin  and  Berkaw 
were  arrested  for  the  murder  of  Myres,  On 
their  examination  Frank  and  George  Davis, 
who  were  also  confined  in  the  jail  at  the  time 
when  Myres  was  taken  therefrom,  testified  that 
McLaughlin,  with  the  assistance  of  Berkaw, 
took  Myres  from  the  jail.  The  defendants 
were  both  held  to  answer  the  charge  of  mur- 
der. On  the  trial  of  McLaughlin  and  Berkaw 
on  the  charge  of  murder  in  the  district  court, 
the  Davis  boys  gave  testimony  directly  con- 
trary to  what  they  had  testified  nn  the  prelimi- 


nary examination,  and  said  that  what  they 
had  testified  to  before  was  false.  It  was 
developed  on  the  trial  that  after  the  pre- 
liminary examination  had  been  had,  the  Davis 
boys  went  to  the  office  of  E.  G.  Ward 
in  Parsons,  who  was  attorney  for  McLaughlin 
and  Berkaw,  where  it  was  arranged  between 
them  that  in  the  event  of  their  giving  testi- 
mony of  the  character  which  they  did  give 
upon  the  final  trial,  they  should  receive  a  cer- 
tain sum  of  money.  The  money  was  deposited 
in  bank,  subject  to  their  order  upon  the  final 
acquittal  of  the  defendants.  The  defendants 
were  acquitted  on  the  trial,  although  probably 
no  one  had  any  doubt  of  their  real  guilt. 

At  the  close  of  the  trial  the  court  appointed 
a  committee  to  investigate  the  conduct  of  E. 
G.  Ward  in  connection  with  this  transaction. 
The  committee  in  the  report  found  that  he 
had  been  guilty  of  bribery,  and  recommended 
that  he  be  disbarred.  Gharges  were  preferred 
against  him,  and  change  of  venue  was  had 
upon  his  application  to  the  district  court  of 
Neosho  county,  where  he  was  tried  and  found 
guilty,  and  a  judgment  of  disbarment  was 
entered. 

On  the  night  of  February  21,  1885,  Mar- 
cus A.  Justice  and  Mayfield  Garr,  two  colored 
men  who  had  had  some  jealous  feeling  in  ref- 
erence to  a  woman,  were  in  company  near  the 
M.  K.  &  T.  depot  at  Oswego.  The  next  morn- 
ing Garr  was  found  dead  in  the  cut  of  the 
Frisco  Ry.  between  the  M.  K.  &  T.  and  the 
brick  mill.  Justice  was  charged  with  the  mur- 
der, and  on  trial  had  on  May  2^,  1885,  was 
convicted  of  murder  in  the  first  degree. 

On  November  16,  1885,  George  W.  Greg- 
son  shot  and  killed  W.  A.  Gollins,  in  the  Grand 
Gentral  Hotel  at  Parsons.  On  February  19, 
1886,  he  was  convicted  of  murder  in  the  first 
degree. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


73 


In  September,  1886,  Wilf.  Cooper  got  up- 
on a  freight  train  at  Parsons  to  ride  to  his 
home  at  Labette  City.  There  were  some  three 
or  four  other  parties  in  the  car,  who  proved 
to  be  tramps.  Before  arriving  at  Labette  City 
they  attacked  Cooper  and  threw  him  out  of  the 
car.  He  recovered  himself  sufficiently  to  get 
to  Labette  City  and  telegraph  to  Oswego  for 
the  arrest  of  the  parties,  who  were  tried,  con- 
victed and  sent  to  the  penitentiary. 

On  June  26,  1888,  the  marshal  at  Chetopa 
had  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  a  colored  man 
who  was  supposed  to  be  engaged  in  the  illegal 
sale  of  liquor,  and  who  had  made  his  boast 
that  no  officer  could  arrest  him.  The  marshal 
called  a  man  to  his  aid,  and  started  to  serve  the 
warrant.  Another  colored  man  had  allied  him- 
self with  the  one  they  were  seeking  to  arrest, 
and,  seeing  one  of  the  officers  coming,  one  of 
them  secreted  himself  behind  the  building,  and 
the  other  from  across  the  street  leveled  his 
gun  at  the  officer.  Both  opened  fire  on  the 
officers,  and  wounded  them  in  a  number  of 
places  in  a  way  that  was  at  the  time  supposed 
would  prove  fatal.  The  colored  men  ran  at 
once,  and  secreted  themselves  in  the  loft  of  an 
old  house.  It  was  ascertained  that  they  were 
in  the  house,  and  finding  themselves  hemmed 
in,  they  surrendered.  The  mayor  put  them 
under  guard  and  sent  for  the  sheriflf,  who  ar- 
rived at  Chetopa  in  the  evening.  It  was  not 
thought  advisable  to  bring  them  to  the  county 
jail  in  the  night-time.  In  the  meantime  the 
guard  which  had  been  placed  over  them  was 
continued.  They  were  placed  in  the  city  hall, 
the  sheriff  and  guard  remaining  with  them. 
A  mob  of  masked  men  broke  into  the  room, 
put  a  revolver  in  the  face  of  the  sheriff  and 
guard,  blew  out  the  light,  slipped  a  noose  over 
the  head  of  each  of  the  prisoners,  dragged 
them  to  the  rear  end  of  the  building,  put  them 


on  a  scaffold  which  had  been  piled  upon  a 
wagon  standing  by  the  side  of  the  building, 
fastened  the  rope  inside,  and  then  drew  the 
wagon  from  under  them,  where  they  were  left 
to  hang  until  the  next  morning.  No  serious  at- 
tempt was  ever  made  to  discover  the  murderers 
of  these  men,  and  no  prosecution  for  the  crime 
was  ever  instituted. 

On  April  i,  1890,  Carrey  S.  Arnold  killed 
John  Bobzien,  in  the  west  part  of  the  county, 
for  which  he  was  afterwards  tried  and  con- 
victed. 

On  October  22,  1892,  William  H.  Mills, 
while  sitting  in  a  restaurant  at  Chetopa,  was 
shot  through  the  head  by  some  party  on  the 
outside  of  the  building,  and  instantly  killed. 
G.  A.  Luman  was  arrested  on  suspicion,  but 
was  acquitted. 

On  December  17,  1892,  Albert  Shoemaker 
shot  and  killed  his  brother  Allen.  He  claimed 
that  the  killing  was  in  self-defense.  His  trial 
resulted  in  his  acquittal. 

There  has  been  but  one  successful  "hold- 
up" and  robbery  of  a  railroad  train  in  this 
county.  The  passenger  train  going  east  over 
the  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  Railroad  was 
boarded  at  Mound  Valley  about  3  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  September  3,  1893,  by  three 
men,  two  of  whom  at  first  took  control  of  the 
express  car  and  engine,  and  one  the  passenger 
coach.  In  the  conflict  that  ensued  Charles  A. 
Chapman,  the  express  messenger,  was  killed, 
and  his  body  fell  from  the  train.  The  rob- 
bers were  unable  to  open  the  express  safe,  and 
secured  nothing  in  that  direction.  All  the  pas- 
sengers were  relieved  of  such  money,  jewelry 
and  valuables  as  they  had  about  their  per- 
sons. Before  the  close  of  the  year  the  robbers 
were  all  captured,  a  party  connected  with  them 
revealing  their  identity  and  their  whereabouts. 
They  proved  to  be  Hance  D.  Hydrick,  Claude 


74 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Shepherd  and  WilHam  Chadburn.  The  evi- 
dence of  their  guik  secured  b}-  the  officers 
was  so  convincing  that  they  all  plead  guilty 
and  were  sent  to  the  penitentiary. 

On  January  28,  1896,  Mrs.  Maria  A.  Ash- 
bell  was  found  dead  in  the  cellar  of  her  house 
in  Richland  township,  this  county,  with  a  bul- 
let-hole through  her  head  and  a  revolver  lying 
by  her  side.  Her  husband,  Marion  Ashbell, 
was  arrested  on  the  charge  of  having  mur- 
dered her.  His  defense  was  based  on  the  con- 
tention that  her  death  was  the  result  of  sui- 
cide. Court  convened  a  few  days  after  the 
killing,  and  Mr.  Ashbell  was  forced  into  trial 
at  that  term  of  court  over  his  strong  protest. 
The  most  intense  feeling  prevailed  throughout 
the  county,  and  threats  of  lynching  the  pris- 
oner were  heard  on  several  occasions.  The 
trial  lasted  several  days,  and  the  jury,  after 
being  out  a  few  hours,  brought  in  a  verdict 
of  guilty  of  murder  in  the  first  degree;  this 
was  on  February  29,  1896.  Two  days  after 
this  sentence  was  pronounced,  and  on  March 
3d  the  prisoner  was  lodged  in  the  penitentiary. 
Every  efifort  was  made  to  secure  a  reversal 
of  this  judgment  and  a  new  trial,  but  without 
effect.  The  case  went  to  the  Supreme  Court 
at  least  three  times. 

In  the  fall  of  1896  Rudolph  Brockman, 
living  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county, 
was  arrested  for  the  murder  of  his  little  girl. 
It  appeared  that  he  kept  her  in  the  barn,  where 
for  some  time  she  lay  sick  and  was  supplied 
with  none  of  the  comforts  which  her  condition 
demanded.  From  the  evidence,  the  treatment 
certainly  seemed  most  brutal  and,  no  doubt, 
was  the  cause  of  the  child's  death,  which  oc- 
curred about  the  time,  or  soon  after,  his  ar- 
rest. He  was  found  guilty  of  murder  in  the 
first  degree,  and  sentence  was  passed  in  ac- 
cnrdance  with  the  verdict. 


THE  BENDER  SLAUGHTER-PEN. 

About  the  last  of  1870  a  family  of  Hol- 
landers, or  Germans,  consisting  'of  four  per- 
sons— a  man,  his  wife,  son  and  daughter — 
moved  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  13, 
township  31,  range  17,  Osage  township.  The 
man  was  known  as  William  Bender,  the  son 
and  daughter  as  John  and  Kate.  They  erected 
a  small  frame  house,  16  by  24  feet,  which 
was  divided  into  two  parts  by  studding,  on 
which  hung  an  old  wagon-sheet  for  a  parti- 
tion. In  the  front  part  they  had  a  few  articles 
for  sale,  such  as  tobacco,  crackers,  sardines, 
candies,  powder,  and  shot.  Just  outside  the 
door  was  a  plain  sign,  "Groceries."  In  the 
front  room  were  also  two  beds.  They  also 
pretended  to  furnish  lunch  and  entertainment 
for  travelers.  In  the  back  room,  almost  up 
against  the  partition  studding,  a  hole  just  large 
enough  to  let  a  man  down  had  been  cut  in  the 
floor,. the  door  to  which  raised  with  a  leather 
strap.  Under  this  an  excavation  had  been 
made  in  the  ground,  leaving  a  hole  some  six 
or  seven  feet  in  diameter  and  about  the  same 
in  depth.  It  was  supposed  that  when  a  victim 
was  killed  in  the  daytime  he  was  thrown  into 
this  hole  until  night,  when  he  would  be  taken 
out  and  buried.  Little  was  known  of  the  fam- 
ily generally.  They  repelled  rather  than  in- 
vited communication  with  their  neighbors. 
Kate  traveled  over  the  county  somewhat,  giv- 
ing spiritualistic  lectures  and  like  entertain- 
ments, but  created  very  little  stir  or  comment. 
The  two  young  people  occasionally  went  to 
church  and  'singing-school,  and  the  men  fre- 
quently attended  public  meetings  in  the  town- 
ship. The  place  was  on  the  road,  as  then  trav- 
eled, from  Osage  Mission  to  Independence. 
During  1871  and  1872  several  parties  had  trav- 
eled  the   road,   making  inquiries   for   persons 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


75 


who  were  missing,  who  had  last  been  heard 
from  at  Fort  Scott  or  Independence.  About 
March  lo,  1873,  a  public  meeting  was  held 
at  Harmony  Grove  school-house,  in  district 
No.  30,  to  discuss  the  herd  law.  The  matter 
of  so  many  people  being  missing,  and  the  fact 
that  suspicion  rested  upon  the  people  of  Osage 
township,  were  spoken  of.  It  was  said  a  vig- 
orous search  should  be  made,  under  the  sanc- 
tion of  a  search  warrant.  Both  of  the  Benders 
were  present.  Father  Dick  said,  "Commence 
the  search  at  my  house,"  and  father  Dienst 
responded,  "Yes,  and  go  directly  from  there 
to  my  house."  Old  man  Bender,  who  sat  be- 
tween them,  made  no  reply.  About  the  ist 
of  March,  1873,  Dr.  William  York  had  left 
his  home  on  Onion  Creek,  in  Montgomery 
county,  in  search  of  a  man  and  child  by  the 
name  of  Loucher,  who  had  left  Independence 
for  Iowa  during  the  previous  winter  and  had 
never  thereafter  been  heard  of  by  their  friends. 
Dr.  York  reached  Fort  Scott,  and  started  to 
return  about  March  8th,  but  never  reached 
home.  In  the  fore  part  of  April,  Colonel  A. 
M.  York,  with  some  fifty  citizens  from  Mont- 
gomery county,  started  from  Independence  to 
make  a  thorough  search  for  his  brother.  They 
went  as  far  as  Fort  Scott,  but  could  get  no 
clue  to  the  missing  man.  On  their  return  they 
visited  the  Bender  place  and  tried  to  induce 
Kate,  who  professed  to  be  a  clairvoyant,  to 
make  an  effort  to  help  discover  the  Doctor. 
But  Kate  was  able  to  successfully  elude  their 
efforts  without  throwing  any  suspicion  on  her- 
self. That  night  the  Bender  family  left  their 
place,  went  to  Thayer,  where  they  purchased 
tickets  to  Humboldt,  and  took  the  north-bound 
train  at  5  o'clock  on  the  following  morning. 
A  day  or  two  thereafter  their  team  was  found 
hitched  a  short  distance  from  Thayer,  and  ap- 
parently nearly  starved.     It  was  about  the  ist 


of  Alay  that  a  party  passing  the  Bender  place 
noticed  the  stock  wandering  around  as  though 
wanting  care.  On  going  to  the  stable  he  found 
the  team  gone,  and  a  calf  dead  in  a  pen,  evi- 
dently having  starved  to  death.  He  then  went 
to  the  house,  but  found  no  one  there.  He  no- 
tified the  township  trustee,  who,  with  other 
parties,  went  to  the  premises  and  broke  into 
the  house,  where  they  found  nearly  everything 
in  usual  order,  little  if  anything  aside  from 
clothing  and  bed-clothing  having  been  taken. 
A  sickening  stench  almost  drove  them  from 
the  house.  The  trap-door  in  the  back  room 
was  raised,  and  it  was  discovered  that  in  the 
hole  beneath  was  clotted  blood  which  pro- 
duced the  stench.  The  house  was  removed 
from  where  it  stood,  but  nothing  further  was 
found  under  it.  In  a  garden  near  by  a  de- 
pression was  noticed,  and  upon  digging  down 
the  body  of  Dr.  York  was  found  buried,  head 
downward,  his  feet  being  scarcely  covered. 
His  skull  was  smashed  in,  and  his  throat  cut 
from  ear  to  ear.  On  farther  search  seven  more 
bodies  were  found,  all  of  whom,  except  one, 
were  afterwards  identified  by  their  friends, 
viz. ;  Loucher  and  his  little  girl,  seven  or  eight 
years  old,  buried  in  one  hole;  \\'illiam  Boyle, 
McCratty,  Brown,  and  McKenzie.  The  other 
body  was  never  identified.  It  is  altogether 
probable  that  other  parties  were  murdered, 
whose  bodies  were  never  found. 

From  the  victims  the  Benders  seemed  to 
have  procured,  as  far  as  it  was  afterwards  as- 
certained, about  the  following  money  and 
property:  From  Boyle,  $1,900;  from  i\Ic- 
Cratty,  $2,600;  from  Brown,  ^^y,  a  team  of 
horses  and  a  wagon ;  from  McKenzie,  forty 
cents;  from  Loucher,  $38  and  a  good  team 
and  wagon;  from  Dr.  York,  $10,  a  pony 
and  saddle.  A  part  of  the  property  which 
they  had  disposed  of  was  afterwards  recog- 


76 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


nized  and  restored  to  the  friends  of  the  mur- 
dered men.  Those  who  attempted  to  follow 
the  Benders  became  satisfied  of  the  following 
facts:  They  took  the  train  at  Thayer  and  all 
went  as  far  as  Chanute,  where  John  and  Kate 
got  off  and  took  the  M.  K.  &  T.  train  south, 
on  which  they  went  to  Red  River,  in  the  In- 
dian Territory,  which  was  then  the  terminus 
of  the  road.  Here  they  were  subsequently 
joined  by  the  old  folks,  who  seemed  to  have 
gone  to  St.  Louis  after  John  and  Kate  left 
them  at  Chanute.  Detectives  thought  they 
were  able  to  trace  their  wanderings  through 
Texas  and  New  Mexico.  Parties  supposed  to 
be  the  Benders  were  apprehended  in  many 
parts  of  the  country,  and  several  were  brought 
back  to  this  county  for  identification,  who 
proved  to  have  little  if  any  resemblance  to  this 
butcher  gang.  Two  women,  supposed  to  be 
the  old  woman  and  Kate,  were  arrested  in 
Michigan  in  1890,  and  brought  to  this  county 
on  requisition.  On  habeas  corpus  proceedings 
they  were  released,  the  court  being  satisfied  that 
they  were  not  the  Benders.  However,  some 
parties  who  were  well  acquainted  with  the 
Bender  family  still  assert  that  these  were  the 
real  Bender  women.  Several  parties  who  lived 
near  the  Benders  were  supposed  to  be  impli- 
cated with  them  in  their  crimes,  and  some  of 
them  were  arrested,  but  upon  examination  they 
were  discharged,  there  not  being  sufficient  evi- 
dence to  hold  them  for  trial.  One  or  two  of 
those  thus  arrested  brought  suit  for  false  im- 
prisonment, and  obtained  a  verdict  for  a  small 
amount  of  damages. 

VIGILANCE  COMMITTEE. 

Members  of  this  organization  claim  that  it 
was  formed  at  Luray,  Clark  county,  Missouri, 
in  September,  1863,  by  persons  living  along  the 


borders  of  Iowa  and  Missouri,  to  protect  them- 
selves from  horse  stealing  and  other  crimes, 
and  that  from  there  the  organization  spread 
to  other  parts,  and  among  them  to  Kansas.  I 
am  not  interested  in  tracing  its  origin,  but  as 
a  matter  of  public  history  it  should  probably 
be  said  that  on  one  or  two  occasions  they  have 
made  something  of  a  stir  in  our  county. 

In  August,  1872,  a  secret  organization  of 
many  of  the  citizens  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county  attempted  to  relieve  the  county  of  the 
presence  of  a  few  parties  who  were  then  re- 
siding there,  among  them  William  M.  Rogers, 
John  Kramer,  W.  D.  McBride,  and  W.  H. 
Carpenter.  These  parties  were  visited  at  night 
by  masked  men  and  warned  to  leave  the  coun- 
ty within  a  limited  time.  Some  of  them  for 
a  time  disappeared  in  answer  to  this,  but  it  was 
not  long  until  the  better-thinking  portion  of 
the  communit}'  made  its  sentiments  felt,  and 
the  proposition  to  have  men's  rights  to  live 
there  determined  by  a  secret  council  was  shown 
to  be  too  unpopular  to  succeed.  It  was  deemed 
best  to  allow  people  who  were  charged  with 
objectionable  practices  to  have  a  fair  chance 
for  vindicating  themselves  before  any  sum- 
mary proceedings  were  taken  to  require  them 
to  disappear. 

On  September  9,  1874,  delegates  from  this 
and  several  adjoining  counties  met  at  Stover 
school-house,  in  Fairview  township,  in  grand 
council.  The  names  of  several  of  our  promi- 
nent citizens,  and  some  of  them  among  the 
most  respectable  and  conservative,  were  con- 
nected with  this  meeting,  and  with  the  organi- 
zation as  then  perfected.  The  business  of  the 
meeting  was  of  course  secret,  but, a  series  of 
resolutions  was  passed  and  given  to  the  papers 
for  publication.  The  tone  of  these  resolutions 
indicates  that  the  organization  was  assuming 
prerogatives  which  did  not  belong  to  any  pri- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


n 


vate  organization,  whether  open  or  secret.  It 
is  quite  Hkely  that  the  organization  has  ac- 
complished some  good  as  an  aid  to  the  civil 
officers  in  taking  up  and  driving  from  our 
borders  bands  of  men  engaged  in  larceny  and 
other  illegal  transactions,  and  possibly  for  these 
services  some  of  its  utterances  may  be  over- 
looked which  cannot  be  justified. 

There  have  been  a  number  of  instances  in 
the  history  of  the  county  in  which  sotne  of 
these  secret  organizations  have  played  quite  a 
conspicuous  part  in  the  settlement  of  criminal 
transactions,  the  facts  in  reference  to  which 
I  have  not  within  my  control,  and  therefore 
in  reference  to  them  I  will  not  attempt  to  speak ; 
but  it  may  be  said  that  this  county  has  proba- 
bly been  as  free  from  transactions  which  can 
not  claim  the  sanction  of  law  as  has  any  coun- 
ty in  a  new  State. 

CITIZENS'  PROTECTIVE  ASSOCIA- 
TION. 
In  1879  there  were  various  local  organi- 
zations formed  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  each 
other  in  resisting  payment  of  what  they  claimed 
to  be  illegal  obligations.  Their  contention  was 
that  they  had  made  loans  through  loan  agents 
representing  Eastern  capitalists,  and  that  as 
the  loan  was  not  made  until  the  application 


was  received  in  New  York  and  accepted  by  the 
money-lenders  there,  and  the  notes  were  made 
payable  in  New  York,  it  became  a  New  York 
contract;  and  as  the  notes  bore  a  rate  of  in- 
terest greater  than  was  allowed  by  the  law 
of  New  York,  they  were  absolutely  void  under 
those  laws.  They  received  some  encourage- 
ment in  the  way  of  legal  counsel  in  the  position 
they  had  taken,  and  some  few  efforts  were 
made  to  defeat  actions  which  were  commenced 
for  the  collection  of  these  notes.  But  the 
move  was  not  as  popular  with  the  mass  of  the 
people  as  the  leaders  in  it  supposed  it  would 
be,  and  never  resulted  in  anything  more  than 
expense  to  those  engaged  in  it.  A  county 
organization  was  formed  early  in  its  history, 
of  which  J.  B.  Graham,  of  Jacksonville,  was 
president;  A.  J.  Robertson,  of  Oswego,  vice- 
president;  J.  A.  Robeson,  of  Ripon,  secretary; 
J.  W.  Breidenthal,  of  Ripon,  corresponding 
secretary;  J.  O.  McKee,  of  Parsons,  treasurer; 
T.  P.  Lane,  of  Labette  City,  marshal.  These 
names  are  given  as  published  at  the  time  in  the 
county  papers.  It  is  probable  that  the  object  of 
the  organization  was  somewhat  broader  than 
here  stated,  but  it  was  short  hved,  and  is  only 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  incidents  showing  the 
tendency  of  public  opinion  on  matters  of  finance 
and  political  economy. 


MISHAPS 


In  every  community  during  a  course  of 
years,  there  are  more  or  less  occurrences  which 
are  generally  regarded  as  misfortunes,  some 
of  which  are  the  results  of  accidents  and  some 
of  carelessness  or  mismanagement.  Of  these 
there  have  been  quite  a  number  in  the  history 
of  the  county.  A  few  of  these  have  either 
come  under  my  own  observation,  or  the  knowl- 
edge of  them  has  come  to  me  while  searching 
for  facts  on  other  subjects.  I  have  made  no 
effort  to  obtain  this  class  of  facts,  but  think 
it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  mention  a  few  of 
those  about  which  I  have  learned. 

On  August  31,  1868,  C.  A.  Kelso  and  Au- 
gustus Melvin,  while  crossing  the  Neosho  in 
a  skiff  above  the  mill-dam  at  Oswego,  ran  into 
a  drift  which  carried  them  over  the  dam;  Mr. 
Kelso  succeeded  in  getting  to  shore,  but  Mr. 
Melvin  was  drowned. 

On  September  18,  1869,  the  boiler  to  the 
sawmill  engine  located  on  Big  Hill  Creek,  in 
Osage  township,  burst,  and  killed  Messrs. 
Waymire  and  Worley,  two  of  the  proprietors. 
On  April  20,  1870,  Wm.  Patterson  and 
Henry  Bodine  were  examining  a  revolver  in 
a  street  near  the  Oswego  House.  The  revol- 
ver was  accidentally  discharged  by  Mr.  Pat- 
terson and  Mr.  Bodine  was  instantly  killed. 
The  deceased  was  at  the  time  under-sheriff, 
and  his  death  caused  a  good  deal  of  annoyance 


in  reference  to  official  papers,  as  well  as  trou- 
ble to  his  family. 

In  June,  1870,  some  parties  came  to  the 
office  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Lane,  in  Elston,  in  the  night- 
time, and  desired  him  to  go  several  miles  in 
the  country  to  see  a  sick  child.  He  lighted  a 
lamp  to  dress  by,  but  it  was  almost  at  once 
blown  out,  either  by  a  gust  of  wind  or  by  the 
parties  in  the  room.  He  became  unconscious. 
The  last  that  he  remembered  in  reference  to 
this  transaction  was  that  he  was  on  his  horse 
going  somewhere — he  knew  not  where.  When 
he  awoke  to  consciousness  again  he  found  him- 
self in  Missouri,  and  learned  that  several  weeks' 
time  had  elapsed  since  he  left  his  home.  When 
he  left  he  had  quite  a  large  sum  of  money 
on  his  person,  most  of  which  was  gone  when 
he  found  himself  in  Missouri.  He  was  never 
able  to  give  any  account  of  the  cause  for  his 
loss  of  consciousness,  nor  to  intelligently  trace 
his  wanderings. 

Only  a  week  or  two  after  the  mysterious 
disappearance  of  Dr.  Lane,  the  county  sur- 
veyor, E.  G.  Davidson,  living  near  Dayton- 
ville,  mysteriously  disappeared,  and  some  time 
thereafter  found  himself  in  Oregon.  He  was 
never  able  to  give  any  more  satisfactory  ac- 
count of  his  trip  than  was  Dr.  Lane  of  his. 
After  an  absence  of  a  few  months  Mr.  David- 
son and  Dr.  Lane  both  returned  to  their  homes. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


79 


In  the  summer  of  187 1,  old  Mr.  Hart  with 
his  little  daughter  were  attempting  to  cross 
Pumpkin  Creek,  at  Duncan's  ford;  the  creek 
was  very  high,  but  so  strong  was  Hart's  be- 
lief that  he  would  not  die  until  the  second 
coming  of  Christ  that  he  drove  in,  and  he  and 
his  daughter,  as  well  as  the  team,  were 
drowned. 

In  the  fall  of  1871  two  children  of  Wm. 
Chatfield,  in  the  north  part  of  Mount  Pleas- 
ant township,  were  burned  to  death.  While 
the  parents  were  both  away  from  home,  the 
boys,  aged  about  four  and  six  years,  got  some 
matches  and  were  playing  prairie  fire.  The 
mother,  who  was  at  a  neighbor's,  saw  the  fire, 
and  started  home.  The  children  got  into  a  hen- 
house built  of  hay,  and  shu^the  door;  the  fire 
■caught  into  this,  and  in  spite  of  the  mother's 
«fiforts  the  children  were  burned  beyond  rec- 
ognition before  they  could  be  rescued. 

On  March  13,  1872,  C.  B.  Pratt,  postm-as- 
ter  at  Ripon,  was  found  dead  in  the  road  be- 
tween his  home  and  Chetopa,  he  having  fallen 
from  his  wagon  and  been  run  over  by  one  of 
the  wheels. 

In  May,  1878,  a  family  came  into  Oswego 
and  located  in  the  east  part  of  town,  and  al- 
most immediately  a  part  of  the  family  broke 
•out  with  small-pox;  several  members  died  of 
the.  disease. 

About  the  middle  of  December,  1880,  while 
Richard  Sloan  was  painting  the  Frisco  House, 
at  Oswego,  he  fell  from  the  scafifold  and  was 
killed. 

In  April,  1881,  Alexander  Bishop  lost  a 
number  of  head  of  stock  from  hydrophobia, 
and  a  few  months  after  that  some  23  head  near 
Edna  had  to  be  killed  on  account  of  the  same 
malady. 

In  the  summer  of  188 1  quite  a  large  num- 


ber of  cattle  in  different  parts  of  the  county 
died  from  hydrophobia. 

On  September  20,  1881,  the  boiler  of  a 
locomotive  on  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  exploded 
near  the  residence  of  Ben  Roberts,  and  killed 
the  engineer  and  fireman  and  also  two  other 
engineers  who  were  running  with  them,  and 
tore  the  freight  train  almost  to  pieces. 

On  December  12,  1881.  while  W.  P.  Wil- 
son and  his  son  Thomas  J.  were  crossing  Pump- 
kin Creek,  the  water  in  which  was  then  very 
high,  their  wagon  capsized  and  young  Mr. 
Wilson  was  drowned. 

On  May  13,  1882,  a  locomotive  on  the 
M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.,  while  stopping  at  Oswego, 
by  some  means  got  started  while  both  the  en- 
gineer and  fireman  were  in  the  depot  getting 
orders.  It  ran  a  mile  or  two  north,  where  it 
collided  with  a  passenger  train  and  smashed 
both  engines,  but  killed  no  one. 

On  July  24,  1883,  Edgar  Stonecipher,  a 
little  son  of  Mrs.  Sallie  J.  Stonecipher,  died  of 
hydrophobia.  A  little  play  dog  had  a  few 
days  before  that  made  a  scratch  on  his  hand, 
which  was  not  at  the  time  thought  sufficient 
to  be  at  all  dangerous,  but  from  its  effects  the 
boy  died. 

During  the  high  water  of  June  and  July, 
1885,  travel  over  the  Labette  bottom  above 
Parsons  had  to  be  by  boat.  On  July  2d  Mas- 
ter Mechanic  W.  E.  Phillips,  having  Chester 
Jones  and  T.  Fox  in  the  boat  with  him,  was 
drawn  into  a  current,  and  all  were  drowned. 
In  July,  1886,  the  boiler  of  the  National 
Mills,  at  Parsons,  exploded,  and  caused  a  great 
destruction  of  property. 

In  July,  1886,  a  family  of  movers  stopped 
just  before  crossing  the  bridge  north  of  Os- 
wego, and  for  some  cause  their  team  com- 
menced backing,  and  backed  the  wagon  oflf  the 


8o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


bluff  to  the  right.     The  mother  was  badly  in- 
jured and  a  little  boy  had  his  leg  broken. 

In  April,  1892,  the  barn  of  William  Kol- 
lenberger,  of  Elm  Grove  township,  was  struck 
by  lightning.  Five  horses  and  two  cattle  were 
killed,  and  the  barn,  with  its  contents  of  tools, 
grain,  etc.,  was  burned. 


Since  the  foregoing  account  was'  prepared, 
there  have  been  a  good  many  instances  of  de- 
struction of  buildings  by  storms,  by  lightning 
and  by  fire,  as  well  as  other  accidents  to  prop- 
erty and  to  persons.  But  none  has  come  with- 
in my  knowldge  which  I  deem  of  sufficient 
general  interest  to  separately  mention  here. 


METEOROLOGICAL 


1865. — Fore  part  of  season  pleasant.  July 
4th,  Neosho  higher  than  has  ever  been  known 
at  any  time  down  to  1885.  Fall  pleasant. 
Stock  did  well  during  winter,  grazing  on  river 
bottom. 

1866. — ^Ab'out  usual  weather  up  to  May. 
June  wet;  all  the  streams  were  overflowing. 
What  little  crop  was  planted  did  well  where 
it  was  not  killed  by  overflow.  In  September 
the  grasshoppers  came  in  great  numbers,  and 
ate  up  everything  that  was  green,  completely 
filling  the  earth  with  their  eggs.  Fall  and 
winter  very  mild. 

1867. — ^January  and  February  were  very 
warm;  the  leaves  were  started  in  February, 
and  grasshoppers'  eggs  were  hatching  this 
month.  March  was  disagreeable,  and  colder 
than  either  of  the  winter  months ;  it  froze  hard, 
and  the  young  grasshoppers  were  all  killed; 
they  gave  no  trouble  that  season.  Crops  were 
not  planted  until  the  last  of  April.  May  and 
June  pleasant.  Latter  part  of  June  and  July 
extremely  wet;  ground  too  wet  to  get  on  it 
with  machines;  grain  had  to  be  cut  with  cra- 
dles ;  streams  overflowed.  Very  dry  during  the 
fall ;  streams  got  very  low.  A  little  cold  weath- 
er during  December. 

1868. — There  was  considerable  cold  weath- 
er during  January,  the  thermometer  indicating 
3  or  4  degrees  below  zero,  and  the  ice  on  the 
Neosho  being  six  to  eight  inches  thick;  the 
cold   extended   into   the   fore  part   of   Febru- 


ary. February  was  milder ;  some  corn  planted 
the  last  of  the  month  made  a  good  crop.  A 
few  showers  during  the  fore  part  of  March; 
snow  and  hail  storms  about  the  middle;  it 
was  a  very  windy  month.  Corn  was  generally 
planted  about  the  first  of  April;  cattle  turned 
out  to  grass  about  the  loth.  Several  good 
showers  during  May.  June  was  very  dry, 
grass  injured ;  corn  badly  damaged  by  hot  and 
dry  weather;  harvest  commenced  about  the  last 
of  June.  The  middle  of  July  the  thermometer 
ranged  from  no  to  115.  The  latter  part  of 
August  was  the  first  time  the  ground  had  been 
soaking  wet  for  a  year.  September,  heavy 
rains ;  streams  overflowed.  Wheat  sowing  took 
place  in  October.  Middle  of  November  the 
ground  was  frozen.  Latter  part  of  November 
and  fore  part  of  December  severe  sleet  and 
snow  stomi,  and  the  same  during  the  latter 
part  of  December. 

1869. — January  and  February  were  mild 
and  wet;  the  Neosho  was  over  bank;  cattle 
did  well  on  the  range  with  little  or  no  feed. 
February  25th  was  the  coldest  day  of  the  win- 
ter; thermometer  was  5  degrees  below  zero; 
little  snow  during  the  winter.  March  was 
windy,  rainy  and  disagreeable;  cattle  turned 
on  the  range  the  first  of  April.  Corn  mostly 
planted  the  latter  part  of  April.  Plenty  of 
garden  truck  the  latter  part  of  May  and  fore 
part  of  June;  frequent  rains  during  June. 
Wheat  harvest  commenced  the  first    of    July. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


August  was  dr}'  and  hot.  Plenty  of  rains 
during  the  fall.  Snow  the  i6th  of  No- 
vember, and  December  loth  it  fell  to  the  depth 
of  fourteen  inches. 

1870. — There  were  several  cold  days  in 
Jamiary,  but  no  extremely  cold  weather;  sev- 
eral slight  snows  during  January  and  Febru- 
ary. February  pleasant.  Quite  a  hard  snow 
on  the  I2th  of  March;  the  last  of  March  a 
good  rain,  which  was  the  first  hard  rain  dur- 
ing the  spring.  On  April  i6tli  there  was  a 
hard  frost  which  cut  down  the  corn  and  pota- 
toes. Wheat  harvest  commenced  about  the 
middle  of  June;  latter  part  of  June  and  fore 
part  of  July  very  hot.  Latter  part  of  July  and 
fore  part  of  August  hot  and  dry;  heavy  rains 
the  latter  part  of  August.  The  fall  very  sea- 
sonable. High  water  during  the  latter  part  of 
October.  Several  inches  of  snow  the  latter 
part  of  December. 

1 87 1. — ^January  ist  was  pleasant;  lettuce 
was  growing  in  the  gardens  large  enough  to 
eat;  January  12th  to  15th  heavy  snow  storms; 
extremely  cold;  snow  15  inches  deep.  Febru- 
ary 3d  a  heavy  rain,  accompanied  by  wind. 
April  2 1  St  heavy  frost,  which  killed  grass  and 
fruit.  Last  week  of  June  was  very  warm; 
thermometer  stood  at  90  to  104  degrees;  wheat 
harvest  commenced  the  ist  of  June.  On  the 
1st  of  July  a  good  rain  fell.  August  and  Sep- 
tember were  dry.  November  13th,  the  first 
freeze;  i8th,  first  snow.  December  cold,  with 
little  snow. 

1872. — January  cool,  but  generally  pleas- 
ant; 7th,  14  inches  of  snow.  February  ist, 
sleet  and  snow.  March  dry,  and  wheat  sufifer- 
ing.  Middle  of  May  a  good  rain ;  last  of  May 
new  potatoes  were  in  market.  Wheat  harvest 
commenced  about  the  20th  of  June.  Part  of 
last  half  of  December  very  cold. 

1873. — Fore  part  of  January  sleet;  snow 


and  showers  during  latter  part  of  month.  Feb- 
ruary was  fine,  with  showers  of  rain,  and 
snow.  Severe  hail  storms  during  April;  one 
very  severe  on  the  5th:  on  the  8th  it  snowed 
and  sleeted  all  day;  at  night  the  ground  was 
covered  with  snow  to  the  depth  of  four  inches. 
During  May  and  June  there  were  heavy  rains ; 
Neosho  River  overflowed;  harvest  commenced 
about  the  20th  of  June.    August  was  very  dry. 

1874. — ^January  pleasant,  little  snow  or 
cold.  Season  all  that  cculd  be  desired  for 
crops  up  to  July.  Chinch-bugs  work  on  wheat 
some  this  year;  harvest  commenced  about  June 
loth.  July  and  August  extremely  hot;  corn 
greatly  injured ;  in  August  grasshoppers  came. 
November  i8th  a  sleet,  and  first  freeze. 

1875. — January  was  cold,  but  little  snow. 
More  snow  in  Februar}'.  Oats  sown  about  the 
loth  of  March.  Corn  planting  commenced 
about  the  ist  of  April,  and  continued  until 
June  on  account  of  two  crops  being  eaten  ofif 
by  the  grasshoppers. 

1876.— Opened  with  a  hard  rain;  no  snow 
during  January ;  weather  cold,  but  not  severe. 
No  snow  in  February,  and  considerable  cold 
weather.  March  19th,  10  inches  of  snow  on 
the  ground,  and  the  weather  cold.  Year  closed 
with  a  cold  spell  and  hard  snow  storm. 

1877. — Fore  part  of  January  sleet  and 
snow  and  weather  somewhat  cold,  but  generally 
the  month  was  pleasant.  During  February  and 
March  there  was  much  rain  and  roads  muddy. 
Heavy  rains  in  April  and  May.  The  fore  part 
of  May,  Prof.  Riley  was  in  the  county  investi- 
gating grasshoppers ;  the  eggs  were  then  hatch- 
ing. June  5th  to  8th  heavy  rains  and  streams 
at  high-water  mark;  houses  on  bottoms  sur- 
rounded with  water,  corn  crop  washed  out; 
June  28th  one  of  the  hardest  rains  ever  known, 
accompanied  by  wind  and  hail.  This  season  the 
corn  was  replanted  two  and  in  some  instances 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


83 


three  times.  There  was  plenty  of  rain  during 
July  and  August.  November  8th  wind  and 
snow.  December  was  wet  and  muddy;  no 
snow  during  the  latter  part. 

1878. — January  generally  wet;  roads  mud- 
dy; wheat  looked  fine.  February  continued 
wet,  but  generally  pleasant.  In  May  the  Neo- 
sho River  overflowed;  boats  used  for  travel 
■on  the  bottom  lands ;  many  families  had  to 
leave  their  homes  and  go  to  higher  grounds; 
the  San  Francisco  track  was  washed  out;  the 
streams  were  all  out  of  bank.  During  June  it 
rained  almost  incessantly;  the  ground  too  wet 
to  harvest  with  machines ;  wheat  cutting  com- 
menced about  the  6th  of  June;  most  of  it  had 
to  be  cut  with  cradles ;  much  of  it  was  lost  be- 
cause of  inability  to  get  on  the  ground  to  har- 
vest. Latter  part  of  July  and  August  were 
dry  and  hot.  No  frost  until  the  ist  of  De- 
cember; about  the  middle  of  December  heavy 
sleet;  December  17th  and  following,  Neosho 
frozen  over — ice  six  to  eight  inches  thick. 

1879. — The  first  part  of  January  was  cold, 
with  six  inches  of  snow  on  the  ground;  more 
snow  during  the  latter  part  of  the  month. 
New  potatoes  in  market  about  the  middle  of 
May.  Wheat  cutting  commenced  June  loth; 
rain  during  the  latter  part  of  June.  July  and 
fore  part  of  August  hot ;  some  fine  rains.  Good 
rains  about  the  middle  of  August.  The  grass- 
hoppers created  a  scare  in  September,  but  did 
no  great  amount  of  damage.  The  fall  was 
■dry  and  warm;  November  loth  a  good  rain. 
The  year  closed  with  the  ground  covered  with 
ice  and  snow. 

1880. — January  warm;  very  little  ice  or 
snow.  February,  oats  were  sown  and  garden 
made.  March  was  colder  than  January  or  Feb- 
ruary. April  28th,  Prof.  John  Tice  visited 
Oswego  and  lectured  on  cyclones;  came  to 
make  scientific  investigation  on  this  subject. 


Plenty  of  rain  during  May  and  June;  crops 
look  well.  Summer  very  .seasonable.  Last 
part  of  August  dry.  October  7th,  six  inches 
of  snow.  November  i6th,  snowed  all  day, 
and  was  snowy  and  disagreeable  until  the  20th. 
December  23d,  12  degrees  below  zero;  ice  on 
the  Neosho  six  inches  thick. 

1881. — Large  quantities  of  ice  were  taken 
from  the  river  the  fore  part  of  January.  Feb- 
ruary nth,  hard  snow  storm;  23  degrees  be- 
low zero.  March,  snowy.  The  summer  was 
generally  dry  and  hot.  Rains  commenced 
about  the  first  of  October.  November  25th, 
sleet  and  ice. 

1882. — January  warm  and  muddy  during 
the  first  part  of  the  month,  with  cold  weather 
the  last  part.  February,  a  good  deal  of  rain 
and  little  winter.  May  '12th,  sleet  and  frost. 
Much  rain  during  May  and  June.  Hot  wind 
in  September.  Considerable  snow  in  Decem- 
ber. 

1883. — First  part  of  January  good  sleigh- 
ing and  cold  weather ;  January  5th,  20  degrees 
below  zero;  the  month  generally  cold,  with 
plenty  of  ice  and  snow.  Fore  part  of  Febru- 
ary, a  severe  storm.  The  streams  were  all 
frozen  from  Christmas  of  1882  up  to  the  mid- 
dle of  February;  generally  frozen  to  the  bot- 
tom, so  that  it  was  difficult  to  get  water  for 
stock;  February  14th,  ice  commenced  break- 
ing up ;  latter  part  of  February,  rained  so  that 
by  the  opening  of  March  roads  were  almost 
impassable.  Spring  was  very  cold  and  back- 
ward. June  was  very  hot;  14th,  the  streams 
were  out  of  their  banks.  Good  rains  during 
July.  November  12th.  a  hard  freeze.  De- 
cember 3d,  five  inches  of  snow,  and  more 
snow  during  latter  part  of  the  month. 

1884. — January  ist,  5  degrees  below  zero; 
ground  covered  with  snow;  January  3d,  15 
to  20  degrees  below  zero ;  January  one  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


most  disagreeable  months  for  years.  Febru- 
ary was  also  wet  and  disagreeable;  February 
1 2th,  one  of  the  very  hardest  sleets  ever  ex- 
perienced in  this  part  of  the  country;  many 
trees  broken  down.  Spring  did  not  really  open 
until  about  the  middle  of  March.  May  ist, 
river  high.  Plenty  of  rain  all  summer.  De- 
cember nth,  snow  storm;  latter  half  of  the 
month  cold. 

1885. — First  part  of  January  rainy;  23d, 
six  inches  of  snow  fell.  February  mostly  cold, 
with  considerable  snow;  March  17th,  ground 
covered  with  snow,  weather  cold.  This  year 
was  noted  for  its  floods,  no  less  than  three  oc- 
;curring  during  the  season.  Heavy  rains  dur- 
ing April  resulted  in  all  the  streams  rising  al- 
most, if  not  quite,  as  high  as  had  ever  before 
been  known;  by  the  22d  of  the  month  all  of 
the  bottom  lands  were  submerged  and  crops 
destroyed ;  fences  were  washed  away,  and  very 
much  stock  was  drowned.  On  May  8th  there 
was  a  slight  freeze,  and  snow;  corn  was  re- 
planted, and  very  largely  injured  by  the  web- 
worm.  In  the  latter  part  of  June  the  rain  again 
set  in,  and  by  the  opening  of  July  the  bottom 
was  a  second  time  entirel}-  overflowed,  this 
time  the  water  being  several  inches  higher 
than  had  ever  before  been  known;  families  had 
to  be  brought  out  of  the  bottom  to  save  them 
from  perishing;  many  hundred  acres  of  wheat 
that  had  been  cut  was  washed  away,  and  all 
crops  that  had  been  planted  on  the  bottom 
lands  were  ruined;  railway  tracks  in  many 
places  were  entirely  under  water,  and  all  train; 
were  for  a  time  stopped.  On  the  San  Francisco 
road,  east  of  Oswego,  a  train-load  of  cattle 
was  attempting  to  cross,  but  was  stopped  at  the 
Neosho  River  bridge  because  of  its  danger- 
ous condition,  and  before  it  could  back  up  to 
high  ground  a  large  section  of  embankment 
had  become  washed  away,  leaving    the   train 


standing  in  the  middle  of  a  lake  several  miles 
in  width.  An  attempt  was  made  to  drive  out 
a  part  of  the  stock;  a  number  of  them  were 
drowned,  and  for  days  feed  was  shipped  to  the 
remainder  of  them  in  boats.  Passengers  and 
mail  were  transported  from  the  east  side  of  the 
river  in  boats  for  a  number  of  days ;  freight 
shipments  were  completely  blocked.  The  third 
overflow  this  season  occurred  in  September, 
and  while  the  water  did  not  reach  the  height 
of  either  of  the  other  two,  yet  all  of  the  bot- 
tom land  was  inundated,  and  all  crops  thereon 
were  destroyed.  October  and  November  were 
so  muddy  that  farmers  could  hardly  get  into 
the  fields  to  gather  corn;  in  the  middle  of 
November  the  ground  was  frozen,  and  several 
inches  of  snow.  Deceinber  25th,  10  degrees 
below  zero. 

1886. — January  opened  warm;  damp  and 
a  little  snow  the  first  few  days;  several  days 
of  quite  cold  weather  about  the  middle  of  the 
month ;  moderate  the  last  half.  Quite  a  snow 
storm  the  first  of  February,  but  the  month 
was  generally  pleasant.  March  was  a  cold 
month;  several  snow  storms  and  little  spring 
weather  until  the  last  of  the  month.  April 
and  May  were  pleasant  and  seasonable  months 
July  was  a  hot  month.  December  opened  and 
closed  with  cold  weather;  the  thermometer 
standing  several  degrees  below  zero  most  of 
the  month. 

1887. — January  and  February  pleasant; 
little  snow  and  no  very  cold  weather.  March 
cold  and  quite  a  snow  at  the  close  of  the 
month.  July  dry  and  hot.  Good  rains  during 
August.  November  loth,  first  freeze;  latter 
part  of  month  cold.  December  moderate  and 
little  snow. 

1888. — A  few  cold  days  during  January, 
but  most  of  the  month  pleasant.  February 
somewhat  colder.     Little  spring  weather  until 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


the  middle  of  March ;  March  28th,  ground  cov- 
ered with  snow.  July  very  hot;  corn  dam- 
aged. November  loth,  the  first  snow.  De- 
cember a  little  snow;  weather  generally  mod- 
erate. 

1889. — January  quite  wet;  little  cold.  Lat- 
ter part  of  February  six  inches  of  snow  and 
several  cold  days.  March  and  fore  part  of 
April  damp  and  cold.  July  hot.  December  a 
very  pleasant  month. 

1890. — January  7th  sleet  and  snow  storm; 
later  part  of  the  month  and  first  part  of  Feb- 
ruary very  pleasant.  Considerable  cold  weath- 
er during  latter  part  of  February  and  fore  part 
of  March.  April  dry.  May  i6th,  a  hard  frost 
June  and  July  extremely  hot  and  dry.  Good 
rains  in  August;  August  17th,  a  severe  hail 
and  electrical  storm.  September  was  cold. 
October  27th,  the  fftst  freeze.  November  wet 
and  cold.  December  7th,  eight  inches  of  ice 
and  snow ;  latter  part  of  December  mild. 

1891. — Fore  part  of  January  cold;  most  of 
the  month  mild.  February  wet  and  very  cold. 
March  7th,  snow  storm.  Spring  backward. 
June,  river  banks  full.  Fall  dry  and  hot. 
Wheat  could  not  be  gotten  in  until  latter  part 
of  October  and  fore  part  of  November.  No- 
vember 1 2th,  quite  a  hard  freeze;  latter  part 
of  November  and  December  pleasant  and  mild. 

1892. — Severe  snow  during  January;  little 
weather  that  was  very  cold.  Middle  of  March 
quite  cold  and  considerable  snow.  Spring  back- 
ward ;  oats  not  sown  until  April.  Heavy  rains 
in  May;  streams  up.  Latter  part  of  June  wet 
weather  interfered  with  harvesting.  August 
and  September  dry.  Wheat  generally  sown 
about  the  last  of  October.  November,  good 
rains;  month  pleasant.  December  generally 
damp,  cloudy  and  chilly,  but  no  very  cold 
weather  till  Christmas  evening,  when  it  turned 
cold  and  so  continued  for  several  davs;  several 


slight  snows  during  the  month,  but  not  enough 
at  any  time  to  make  sleighing.  Year  closed 
with  very  little  snow  on  ground,  and  ground 
slightly  frozen. 

1893. — ^January  was  dry  and  cold.  Ice,  six 
inches  or  more  in  thickness,  was  put  up  at  dif- 
ferent times  during  the  month.  Good  sleigh- 
ing the  middle  of  the  month.  During  the  first 
half  of  February  there  were  several  days  of 
good  sleighing  and  ice  was  in  nice  condition 
for  putting  up.  While  there  was  some  cold 
weather  in  the  last  half  of  the  month,  most  of 
it  was  pleasant  and  farmers  were  busy  plowing. 
March  ist  oats  sowing  commenced,  but  was 
delayed  by  rains  so  that  sowing  continued  until 
past  the  middle  of  the  month.  The  week  fol- 
lowing the  middle  of  March  was  unusually 
cold ;  the  ground  was  too  much  frozen  to  plow 
during  the  forenoons  for  several  days.  There 
were  several  more  rains  during  the  last  ha-f 
of  the  month,  and  still  others  early  in  April. 
About  the  middle  of  April  there  was  a  heavy 
frost,  which  did  much  damage  to  fruit.  The 
latter  part  of  April  and  fore  part  of  May  there 
was  much  wet  weather  and  many  hard  winds, 
which  did  more  or  less  damage.  Crops  were 
looking  badly  on  accnunt  of  wet  and  cold 
weather.  With  the  opening  of  June  the  water 
was  high,  and  the  Neosho  was  nearly  out  of 
its  banks.  There  were  several  days  of  hot 
weather  before  the  middle  of  the  month ;  about 
the  middle  of  June  harvesting  commenced. 
The  first  half  of  July  was  dry,  with  only  a 
few  light  showers;  about  the  middle  of  the 
month  were  several  good  showers,  which  were 
a  great  help  to  corn.  On  July  30th  there  was 
a  hard  rain,  accompanied  with  lightning  which 
struck  several  buildings.  The  first  few  days 
of  August  were  dry  and  hot ;  there  was  a  rain 
on  the  loth,  and  another  on  the  27th ;  still 
the  corn  needed  more  rain  than  it  received. 


86 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


September  was  a  dry  and  hot  month;  seeding 
was  delayed  on  account  of  dry  weather;  there 
was  a  fairly  good  rain  near  the  close  of  the 
month.  The  dry  weather  continued  through- 
out October  and  November.  On  October  15th 
occurred  the  first  freezing  weather  of  the  sea- 
son, which  was  severe  enough  to  kill  vegeta- 
tion. During  November,  especially  toward 
the  close,  there  were  several  showers  which 
were  a  great  help  to  wheat ;  the  late-sown  wheat 
had  not  come  up  until  about  the  middle  of 
the  month  on  account  of  the  dry  weather.  On 
December  2d  a  blizzard  visited  us ;  two  inches 
of  snow  fell  and  streams  were  frozen  sufifi- 
ciently  to  make  good  skating.  Quite  a  large 
amount  of  rain  fell  during  the  month;  late- 
sown  wheat  now  came  up.  A  large  amount  of 
winter  plowing  was  done  before  the  close  of 
"the  year. 

1894. — The  first  half  of  January  was  dry 
and  mild;  plowing  was  progressing.  On  the 
i8th  there  was  a  good  rain,  after  which  it 
turned  cold  and  so  remained  for  several  days. 
The  first  snow  of  this  year  fell  on  the  23d, 
and  the  thermometer  stood  at  15  degrees  be- 
low zero.  In  the  first  week  of  February  there 
was  good  sleighing;  on  the  nth  there  was  a 
Tiard  snow  storm  that  blocked  the  roads  two 
or  three  days.  The  cold  weather  continued 
during  the  first  half  of  the  month;  it  then 
commenced  thawing,  and  the  roads  became  very 
muddy.  Oats  sowing  commenced  the  ist  of 
March,  and  was  finished  about  the  loth.  There 
were  two  or  three  rains  the  first  half  of  the 
month.  The  weather  was  generally  pleasant 
during  March  until  just  before  its  close,  when 
it  turned  cold  and  damaged  fruit  very  much. 
Corn  planting  commenced  about  March  20th. 
There  was  plenty  of  rain  during  April  and 
also  during  the  first  half  of  May.  On 
May  2 1  St  there  was  a    frost    that    killed  all 


tender  vegetation,  and  another  cold  wave 
struck  us  on  the  28th.  Two  rains  occurred 
toward  the  close  of  the  month.  Harvest- 
ing commenced  the  first  week  in  June.  On 
the  5th  there  was  rain,  and  in  the  north  of  the 
county  a  hail  storm  which  damaged  crops;  on 
the  25th  there  was  a  severe  hail  storm  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  county.  July  opened  with 
hot  weather.  There  was  a  heavy  rain  on  the 
8th,  and  another  on  the  28th,  but  prior  to  the 
latter  it  had  become  quite  dry.  The  first  20 
days  of  August  were  dry  and  hot;  the  dry 
w^eather  was  broken  by  a  rain  on  the  2ist. 
Another  heavy  rain  occurred  on  September  2d. 
This  month  was  favorable  for  preparing  the 
ground  and  sowing  wheat.  The  first  part  of 
October  was  wet,  and  on  the  7th  occurred  the 
first  frost.  This  entire  fall  was  pleasant  weath- 
er. On  December  25th  came  our  first  snow, 
and  the  mercury  sank  nearly  to  zero.  The 
closing  week  of  the  year  remained  cold. 

1895. — January  was  a  cold  month.  About 
the  middle  of  the  month  a  large  amount  of  ice, 
fully  seven  inches  thick,  was  put  up.  Towards 
the  close  of  the  month  a  heavy  snow  fell,  which 
lay  on  the  ground  a  month;  during  the  most 
of  the  time  sleighing  was  good.  During  a 
greater  part  of  the  first  half  of  February  the 
weather  was  severely  cold,  the  mercury  reach- 
ing twelve  degrees  below  zero  on  the  7th,  and 
ice  being  put  up  a  foot  thick.  About  the  mid- 
dle of  the  month  it  moderated,  and  Ihe  re- 
mainder of  the  month  was  pleasant.  Oats  sow- 
ing commenced  the  last  of  the  month.  There 
was  a  cold  spell  the  first  week  of  March,  and 
hard  rains  from  the  12th  to  the  19th.  There 
were  also  rains  the  first  week  of  April.  Corn 
l^lanting  did  not  really  commence  until  about 
April  8th.  There  were  more  rains  during  the 
rest  of  April.  May  was  mostl}-  dry.  There 
was  nearlv  a  week  of  cold  weather  about  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


8r 


middle  of  tlie  month.  There  was  a  httle  rain 
during  the  closing  days  of  the  month,  but  not 
as  much  as  the  crops  needed.  Harvesting  com- 
menced the  first  week  in  June.  There  were 
several  good  rains  this  month,  from  the  fore 
part  to  past  the  middle.  On  the  ist  of  July 
there  was  a  heavy  rain  and  another  on  the  7th, 
the  latter  being  accompanied  by  a  small  wand 
storm  that  did  great  damage  all  over  the  coun- 
ty. There  was  another  hard  rail  and  wind 
storm  en  the  loth  of  the  month,  and  st'll  other 
rains  later  in  the  month.  July  was,  perhaps, 
the  wettest  summer  month  that  has  ever  been 
known  since  the  settlement  of  the  county. 
August  was  another  wet  month;  however,  not 
quite  so  much  water  fell  as  during  July.  Sep- 
tember kept  up  the  effort  to  establish  a  repu- 
tation of  a  rainy  season.  On  the  8th  was  one 
of  the  heaviest  rains  of  the  season.  Tne  ground 
was  so  wet  that  very  little  fall  plowing  was 
done  until  after  the  middle  of  September.  A 
small  acreage  of  wheat  was  sown  this  fall, 
owing  to  the  inability  of  farmers  to  prepare 
the  ground  on  account  of  wet  weather.  Near 
the  close  of  November  four  inches  of  ,-now  fell 
and  there  was  nearly  a  week  of  freezing  weath- 
er. The  cold  weather  extended  into  Decem- 
ber and  furnished  good  skating.  On  Decem- 
ber 1 8th  and  19th  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of 
rain  and  snow ;  streams  were  full  to  their  banks 
and  in  some  places  overflowing;  much  of  the 
wheat  on  the  bottoms  was  destroyed.  The 
last  week  in  the  year  was  rainy  and  snowy. 
1896. — January  was  an  exceedingly  dry 
month ;  there  was  a  slight  snow  on  the  20th, 
accompanied  by  colder  weather  for  a  few  days. 
but  most  of  the  month  was  pleasant.  What 
little  rain  there  was  in  January  and  the  first 
part  of  February  came  in  a  way  t(j  make  very- 
muddy  roads.  Oats  sowing  was  in  progfess 
the  first  week  of  March.     Corn  planting  com- 


menced about  the  ist  of  April.  There  was 
enough  rain  during  ApriL  May  was  a  very 
wet  month.  Wheat  harvesting  commenced  the 
1st  of  June.  There  were  several  heavy  rains 
during  the  mc^nth.  July  was  another  wet 
month.  The  first  half  oi  August  was  dry 
and  very  hot,  and  by  the  middle  of  the  month, 
corn  was  suffering  for  rain.  On  the  18th  and 
19th  there  was  a  soaking  rain.  September  and 
October  were  favored  with  seasonable  rains. 
\\'heat  sowing  commenced  the  ist  of  Septem- 
ber. There  were  some  cold  rains  early  in  No- 
vember, and  during  the  latter  part  of  the  month; 
there  were  several  days  of  freezing  weather, 
which  continued  into  the  first  week  of  Decem- 
ber. December  was  dry  and  the  weather  mostly 
quite  moderate  to  the  close  of  the  year,  al- 
though there  were  a  number  of  cold  days. 

1897. — January  1st  was  a  beautiful  day, 
but  in  a  day  or  two  it  turned  cold  and  was 
damp  and  disagreeable  several  days.  On  the 
20th  there  was  a  fall  of  two  inches  of  snow. 
The  last  week  in  the  month  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  zero  weather,  and  a  nice  lot  of  ice 
was  put  up.  February  was  a  damp,  cool,  dis- 
agreeable month,  with  muddy  roads.  The 
damp  weather  of  February  was  continued  in 
March ;  there  was  a  good  deal  of  rain  through- 
out the  month.  Oats  sowing  was  commenced 
about  the  loth,  and  had  many  interruptions 
on  account  of  the  weather.  After  the  first  week 
in  April  the  weather  was  pleasant.  While 
some  corn  had  been  planted  as  early  as  the 
last  week  in  March,  ciirn  planting  in  general 
did  not  ciimmence  until  about  the  middle  of 
April.  There  were  two  nv  three  heavy  rains 
during  the  month.  ^lay,  June  and  July  were 
all,  wet  months.  Harvesting  commenced  the 
middle  of  June.  The  wet.  weather  of  July  was 
mostly  during  the  first  half  of  the  month.  The 
last  half  of  July  was  very  hot,  and  corn  suffered. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


some  on  account  of  the  heat.  The  hot  weather 
of  July  continued  into  August.  Notwithstand- 
ing several  rains,  the  ground  was  generally  too 
dry  to  plow  during  the  whole  month  of  August, 
and  the  same  character  of  weather  continued 
throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year.  Wheat 
sowing  commenced  about  the  usual  time,  but 
on  account  of  dry  weather'  it  was  very  gen- 
erally suspended  until  late  in  the  fall.  There 
was  a  general  rain  on  October  loth,  but  not 
enough  to  thoroughly  wet  the  ground;  farm- 
ers had  to  haul  water  for  their  stock  and  all 
other  purposes  during  the  whole  fall,  many 
of  them  having  to  go  several  miles.  Much  of 
the  wheat  did  not  come  up  until  from  the  mid- 
dle to  the  last  of  November.  There  was  a 
slight  freeze  on  November  lyih.  During  the 
fall  there  were  a  number  of  local  showers,  but 
no  general  soaking  rain.  On  December  3d 
and  4th  enough  snow  fell  to  make  sleighing, 
and  in  the  middle  of  the  month  there  was  an- 
other light  snow,  accompanied  by  a  blizzard, 
but  the  weather  soon  moderated ;  the  last  half 
of  December  was  very  fine  weather. 

1898. — On  January  12th  there  was  a  good 
rain.  Prior  to  that  the  weather  was  dry  and 
mild.  On  the  i8th  and  19th  there  was  a  fall 
of  18  inches  of  snow,  but  the  next  day  it  com- 
menced melting.  There  was  another  heavy 
rain  on  the  24th.  It  was,  perhaps,  the  wettest 
January  ever  known  here.  There  was  not  very 
much  rain  during  February,  but  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  cold  weather.  March  was  a  wet 
and  cold  month;  on  the  21st  there  was  a  wind 
storm  that  did  damage  in  the  vicinity  of  Va- 
leda,  and  on  the  29th  another  one  occurred, 
which  was  destructive  at  Bartlett;  on  the  22d 
of  March  there  was  a  slight  snow,  and  on  the 
28th  a  freeze  which  destroyed  gardens  and  in- 
jured oats.  On  April  4th  was  one  of  the 
hardest  rains  ever  known  here,  and  with  it  fell 


some  hail.  Corn  planting  commenced  about 
the  loth  of  April,  but  owing  to  the  wet  weather 
it  was  much  delayed,  and  much  of  it  was  not 
planted  until  in  May.  On  May  ist  a  heavy  rain, 
accompanied  by  wind,  did  damage  at  Chetopa 
and  other  points.  A  remarkable  amount  of 
water  fell  during  the  spring  and  summer,  and 
the  Neosho  was  out  of  its  banks  once  of  twice 
in  July;  the  wet  weather  very  much  interfered 
with  harvesting,  and  also  prevented  plowing 
until  about  the  middle  of  August.  There  were 
several  heavy  rains  in  September,  but  wheat 
sowing  was  in  progress  from  about  the  first 
of  the  month.  There  was  a  cold  spell  the  latter 
part  of  October,  and  a  blizzard  accompanied 
by  snow  and  sleet  on  November  21st.  The 
latter  part  of  November  and  the  first  half  of 
December  were  cold,  a  good  deal  of  the  time 
the  thermometer  reaching  zero  or  below.  On 
December  3d  eight  inches  of  snow  fell,  and 
four  inches  more  on  the  nth;  on  the  i8th 
there  was  a  heavy  rain,  and  the  Neosho  was 
out  of  its  banks  in  places;  the  last  week  of  the 
year  was  disagreeable  weather  and  the  roads 
were  muddy. 

1899. — The  wet,  muddy  weather  of  the 
previous  month  continued  into  January.  Gen- 
erally, the  weather  during  the  month  was  mild ; 
there  was  not  enough  ice  for  skating  until  near 
the  close  of  the  month,  when  there  were  several 
days  of  zero  weather;  on  the  23d  and  30th 
there  were  light  snows.  February  was  a  cold 
month ;  there  were  a  number  of  days  when  the 
mercury  sank  below  zero,  and  on  the  12th  it 
reached  27  degrees  below  zero.  The  snow 
which  fell  on  January  23d  was  added  to  on 
several  occasions,  and  lay  on  the  ground  until 
past  the  middle  of  February;  about  the  20th 
of  the  month  the  weather  commenced  to  mod- 
erate. Farmers  commenced  sowing  oats  the 
last  of  February.     There  was  another  snow 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


89 


on  the  4th  of  March,  but  it  did  not  remain 
long,  and  still  another  on  the  i8th,  when  the 
weather  was  somewhat  colder;  on  March  27th 
and  28th  some  six  inches  of  snow  fell  and  there 
was  good  sleighing  for  two  or  three  days. 
This  weather  was  repeated  on  the  5th  of  April, 
when  there  was  a  fall  of  five  inches  of  snow/ 
and  sleighs  were  again  running  for  a  day  or 
two.  As  a  whole,  the  winter  seems  to  have 
been  the  coldest  one  experienced  for  years,  if 
not  the  coldest  ever  known  here;  quite  a  good 
deal  of  wheat  was  killed  by  the  cold,  and  was 
plowed  up  and  put  into  spring  crops.  Corn 
planting  commenced  about  the  middle  of  April, 
but  was  delayed  by  the  hard  rains  occurring 
the  latter  part  of  April  and  the  fore  part  of 
May.  On  May  9th  there  was  a  severe  electri- 
cal storm.  There  were  a  number  of  hard  rains 
during  June  and  July,  and  the  Neosho  was  out 
of  its  banks  once  or  twice.  Farmers  com- 
menced their  wheat  harvest  about  the  middle 
of  June.  On  August  13th  there  was  a  heavy 
rain,  accompanied  by  wind,  which  did  much 
damage  to  corn  and  fruit.  While  during  the 
fall  there  were  several  rains,  August,  Septem- 
ber and  October  were  generally  dry.  There 
was  plenty  of  rain  during  November.  On  the 
nth  and  13th  of  December  there  were  several 
inches  of  snow,  and  on  the  15th  ice  was  thick 
enough  for  skating.  Muddy  roads  prevailed 
during  the  latter  part  of  December. 

1900. — There  were  several  slight  snows 
during  January,  and  one  or  two  heavy  rains, 
besides  a  good  deal  of  damp,  misty  weather. 
The  last  half  of  the  month  was  rather  pleas- 
ant, and  at  the  close  of  the  month  there  was 
a  hard  freeze.  The  first  half  of  February  was 
pleasant;  one  or  two  rains  in  that  time  were 
helpful  to  wheat;  on  the  iSth  there  was  enough 
freezing  to  make  good  skating.  The  first  week 
of  March  was  cold  and  disagreeable;  on  the 


5  th  there  was  a  soaking  rain.  Farmers  com- 
menced sowing  oats  the  second  week  in  March, 
and  planting  corn  about  the  20th.  About  the 
middle  of  April  there  was  a  hard  trust  which 
killed  to  the  ground  most  of  the  corn  that  was 
up.  About  April  nth,  an  electrical  storm  oc- 
curred in  which  several  barns  near  Oswego 
were  burned  to  the  ground.  May  was  rather 
dry  and  the  month  generally  pleasant.  There 
were  several  rains  in  June;  on  the  7th  there  was 
a  hard  wind  storm.  Harvesting  commenced 
about  the  nth  but  was  somewhat  interfered 
with  by  wet  weather.  Towards  the  close  of 
the  month  there  was  some  extremely  hot 
weather.  In  July  there  were  more  hard  rains. 
A  quantity  of  grain  was  destroyed  by  the  Ne- 
osho getting  out  of  its  banks.  The  fore  part 
of  August  was  dry  but  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
month  there  were  several  rains  and  the  wet 
weather  continued  into  September;  in  fact, 
there  was  plenty  of  rain  during  September. 
Wheat  sowing  did  not  commence  until  about 
the  middle  of  September.  The  Neosho  was 
again  bank  full,  and  in  some  places  out  of 
banks  the  fore  part  of  October.  On  October 
9th  occurred  the  iirst  frost.  The  entire  fall  was 
mild  and  pleasant.  The  first  freezing  that  was 
hard  enough  to  make  skating  was  in  the  last 
week  in  the  year,  and  this  lasted  a  day  or  two 
in  January;  but  all  the  time  the  weather  was 
pleasant.  The  only  snow  that  fell  this  winter 
was  on  the  12th  of  February,  1901,  and  that 
was  hardly  enough  to  cover  the  ground  well. 
The  winter  was  one  of  the  mildest  and  most 
pleasant  in  our  history.  Until  the  close  of  De- 
cember there  was  nothing  to  interfere  with 
plowing,  and  very  little  weather  too  cold  to 
do  any  kind  of  farm  work  during  January  and 
the  first  part  of  Februarjr,  1901.  Towards  the 
close  of  February,  there  was  a  little  freezing 
weather. 


90 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


METEOROLOGICAL  REPORT. 

I  am  indebted  to  D.  Doyle  and  James  M. 
Carrigan  for  the  material  contained  in  the  fol- 
lowing tables.  Mr.  Doyle  kept  the  Govern- 
ment weather  bureau  station  at  Oswego  until 
November,  1899,  after  which  it  was  in  charge 
of  Mr.  Carrigan.  The  maximum  figures  indi- 
cate the  evening  observations  and  the  min- 
imum figures  the  morning  observations. 


January. . 
February. 
March  . . .. 

April 

May 


^ly 

August.. . . 
September. 

October 

November . 
December  . 


Temperature 
Repkesextkd 
IN  Degrees 


F"or  the  year  ! 


January.. , 
February. 
March  ...  . 

April 

Mav 


July 

August 

September. 

October 

November 
December.. 


For  the  year. 


29 
24 
34 
42 
49 
63 
60 
61 
53 
41 
34 
24 


January.. 
February 
March... 

April 

Mav 


1.13 
1.78 
7.34 
6.(6 
4.46 

l!80 
3.10 

1^68 
9.00 


41.45 


1.50 
1.10 
3.45 
2.27 

3  13 
:v61 

4  07 

5  00 

6  78 
59 

2  95 


1.60 
M 

2. 50 
67 

3  22 

6  41 


July 

August 

September. . . . 

October 

November 

December 

For  the  year 

189S 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

For  the  year 

1B97 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

For  the  year, 

1898 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

For  the  year. 


TEMPKHATrRK 

Reprbsbnteu 
IN  Degrees 


70     I     40 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September.. . 

October 

November 

December . . . 

For  the  yea 


Temperature 
Represented 
IN  Degrees 


•Up  II 


1.18 
1.73 
2.34 
5.57 

.00 
4.22 
6.11 
1.37 

.55 
3.28 
1.81 
1.63 


January.. . 
February. 
March..  . . 
April  .... 
May 


July 

August 

September 

October 

November I     54 

December 1     50 


Temperatube 
Represented 
IN  Degrees 


1.90 
1.59 
8.73 
5.94 
8.76 
4.23 
2.45 
8.03 
2.19 
1.45 


For  the  year 


STORMS 


1871. — July  loth,  hard  wind  followed  by 
rain,  at  Parsons.  August  27th,  hard  wind 
storm  at  Chetopa ;  several  houses  blown  down 
(among  them  Lockwood's  house,  four  miles 
west)  ;  tornado  from  northwest  to  southeast 
over  Elm  Grove  and  other  townships;  over  20 
houses  badly  damaged  and  several  completely 
destroyed;  Mrs.  Scott  and  child,  in  Howard 
township,  killed;  one  man  had  an  arm  broken; 
Alfred  Swope's  house  all  blown  to  pieces;  Mat 
Sharp's  house,  with  16  in  it,  blown  over. 

1873. — Night  of  April  5th  hail  storm 
broke  out  all  window  lights  in  west  side  of 
buildings  in  Oswego.  May  22d  storm  at  Jack- 
sonville blew  down  several  buildings  and  killed 
seven  persons. 

1877. — June  6th,  wind  storm  at  Chetopa 
blew  down  chimneys,  tore  ofif  roofs,  etc.  June 
i8th,  one  of  the  hardest  rains  ever  known,  ac- 
companied by  wind  and  hail.  August  iSth, 
cyclone,  water-spout,  and  hail  storm,  fromi 
southwest  to  northeast,  between  Chetopa  and 
Oswego. 

1878. — March  ist,  cyclone  between  Labette 
and  Parsons;  J.  M.  Wilson's  large  barn  picked 
up,  carried  some  distance,  and  demolished;  E. 
Well's  barn,  in  North  township,  blown  to 
pieces;  picked  his  house  up  and  put  it  down 
some  two  rods  away;  demolished  R.  Kimball's 
barn;  took  his  house  from  foundation  and 
turned  it  around;   blew  down  stone  building 


for  E.  H.  Taylor.  June  6th,  tornado  over 
Labette  City,  which  demolished  the  school- 
house  and  did  some  other  damage. 

1879. — May  30th,  severe  wind  and  rair. 
storm  at  Chetopa;  signs'  blown  down,  etc. 
June  14th,  another  hard  wind  storm,  from 
west  to  east,  over  southern  portion  of  county, 
partly  removed  Kinston  Presbyterian  church 
from  foundation,  and  blew  in  one  or  two  build- 
ings in  Chetopa.  July — Wind  blew  down  east 
span  of  Chetopa  bridge,  then  in  process  of 
erection. 

1880. — April  2d,  severe  hail  storm  in  Wal- 
ton, and  also  in  northern  part  of  county  gen- 
erally. May  8th,  small  cyclone  west  of  Che- 
topa damaged  W.  E.  Liggett's  kitchen  and  or- 
chard. December  nth,  severe  rain  and  wind 
storm  at  Chetopa;  partly  removed  Catholic 
church  from  its  foundation;  also  other  build- 
ings. 

1 88 1. — September  29th,  a  small  tornado  in 
Oswego  scattered  some  of  Sharp's  lumber, 
blew  down  Tuttle's  porch,  etc. 

1883. — May  13th,  a  cyclone  from  the  Ter- 
ritory came  in  west  of  Cecil,  blew  Cecil  M.  E. 
church  to  pieces,  throwing  the  capstones  to  the 
windows  through  the  air,  but  leaving  Bible  and 
hymn-book  untouched  on  the  box  used  for  a 
pulpit;  blew  M.  U.  Ramsburg's  house  to  atoms, 
partly  tore  down  other  buildings,  and  uprooted 
trees.     The  storm  occurred  about  6  p.  m.,  just 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


93 


after  church  was  out.  At  tlie  same  time  both 
houses  at  Fishkill  were  reported  to  have  been 
torn  down. 

1884. — July  2d,  tornado  blew  Cecil  church 
to  atoms;  destroyed  houses,  barns,  grain; 
heavy  hail. 

1885. — September  nth,  hail  storm  at  Par- 
sons and  vicinity. 

1893. — April  19th,  quite  a  severe  electri- 
cal storm  at  Edna.  April  25th,  a  hail  storm 
did  considerable  damage  at  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  Oswego.  May  8th,  heavy  hail  storm  in  the 
western  part  of  the  county. 

1894. — June  25,  one  of  the  hardest  hail 
storms  ever  known  in  the  county  visited  the 
southern  and  eastern  portion  of  the  county; 
nearly  all  the  grain  between  Oswego  and  Che- 
topa  was  destroyed ;  the  oat  straw  was  cut  into 
small  pieces. 

1895. — July  5th,  an  electrical  storm  at  Che- 
topa.  July  /th,  a  very  severe  wind  storm  ex- 
tended over  most  of  the  county;  at  Altamont, 
it  unroofed  buildings,  blew  down  porches  and 
did  other  general  damage;  at  Chetopa,  it  blew 
down  the  smoke-stack  to  the  electric  light 
plant,  removed  and  destroyed  nearly  all  the 
awnings  and  porches  in  the  business  part  of 
the  town,  broke  down  trees  and  caused  a  large 
amount  of  other  damage.     At   Oswego,   the 


water  works  iron  stand-pipe  was  blown  down, 
the  streets  were  obstructed  with  broken  shade 
trees,  the  opera  house  and  several  other  build- 
ings' were  unroofed,  and  general  damage  was 
sustained  in  very  many  ways;  at  other  points 
in  the  county  the  damage  was  not  so  great 

1896. — May  (near  the  close),  a  hard  wind 
storm  blew  down  or  removed  from  their  foun- 
dations several  buildings  in  the  northeast  part 
of  the  county. 

1898. — May  1st,  a  wind  storm  unroofed 
some  buildings  in  Chetopa  and  removed  others 
from  their  foundations. 

1900. — ^June  7th,  a  tornado  swept  over  quite 
a  large  portion  of  the  county.  In  the  south- 
eastern portion  it  unroofed  some  buildings, 
broke  down  trees  and  made  itself  felt  in  other 
respects.  Just  west  of  Oswego  it  blew  a  por- 
tion of  a  train  from  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Fran- 
cisco Railroad  tracks.  At  Labette  it  made  a 
total  wreck  of  the  Baptist  church  and  also 
blew  down  one  or  two  dwelling  houses  and  sev- 
eral barns.  Along  the  Neosho  bottom,  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  county,  it  wrecked  several 
buildings,  broke  down  trees  and  injured  crops. 
Trees  were  blown  down  and  a  large  number  of 
buildings  more  or  less  injured  in  Parsons.  Ten 
days  later  this  stonn  was  duplicated  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  county. 


MUNICIPAL  TOWNSHIPS 


While  we  were  still  a  part  of  Neosho  coun- 
ty, we  were  recognized  by  its  authorities  as 
being  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  provided 
with  at  least  apparent  municipal  privileges. 
The  first  official  record  which  I  have  found, 
directly  tending  to  give  us  these  privileges,  was 
made  March  6,  1865,  by  the  commissioners  of 
Neosho  county,  at  which  time,  in  dividing  the 
county  into  municipal  townships,  they  formed 
Mission  township,  and  made  it  embrace  all 
south  of  Canville  township  as  far  south  as  the 
county  line,  and  established  Osage  Mission  as 
the  voting-place  of  the  township.  By  this  order 
of  the  commissioners,  the  southern  part  of 
Neosho  county,  and  all  of  what  is  now  Labette 
county,  was  embraced  in  one  township,  with 
Osage  Mission  as  the  headquarters  thereof. 
The  next  official  action  affecting  our  municipal 
affairs  was  made  by  the  commissioners  of 
Neosho  county  on  July  2,  1866,  the  record  of 
which  is  as  follows : 

"On  motion,  it  was  resolved  that  the  south 
line  of  Mission  township  shall  be  designated 
as  follows :  By  a  line  running  due  east  and 
west  across  three  miles  due  south  of  Osage 
Catholic  Mission. 

"On  motion,  it  was  resolved  that  there  be  a 
township  organized  to  be  called  Lincoln  town- 
ship, and  to  be  bounded  as  by  a  line  running 
due  east  and  west  from  a  point  two  miles  north 
of  the  mouth  of  Hickory  Creek  across  the 
county,  on  the  north  by  Mission  township,  on 


the  east  by  the  county  line,  and  on  the  west  by 
the  county  line.  Place  of  voting,  Trotter's 
ford,  on  the  Neosho  river,  at  Patterson's 
store. 

"On  motion,  it  was  resolved  that  there  be  a 
new  township  organized  south  of  Lincoln 
township,  to  be  called  Grant  township,  bounded 
as  follows :  On  the  north  by  Lincoln  township, 
on  the  east  by  county  line,  and  on  the  south  by 
line  running  due  east  and  west  from  Reaves's 
mill-site  on  the  Neosho  River,  on  the  west  by 
county  line.     Place  of  voting,  Montana. 

"  On  motion,  it  was  resolved  that  there  be 
a  new  township  organized  south  of  Grant 
township,  to  be  called  Labette  township;  said 
township  to  be  bounded  as  follows':  On  the 
north  by  the  south  line  of  Grant  township,  on 
the  east  by  the  county  line,  on  the  south  by  the 
county  line,  on  the  west  by  the  county  line. 
Place  of  voting :  J.  S.  Steel's  house." 

This  provision  made  a  strip  something  over 
a  mile  in  width  of  what  is  now  Labette  county 
a  part  of  Lincoln  township,  and  the  remainder 
of  Labette  county  was  divided  into  Grant  and 
Labette  townships. 

Before  the  organization  of  Labette  county, 
the  governor  appointed  two  justices  of  the 
peace :  one,  George  Bennett,  residing  at  Mon- 
tana; and  the  other  C.  H.  Talbot,  residing  at 
Oswego.  From  the  record  in  the  office  of  the 
Secretary  of  State,  it  would  seem  that  two 
orders  were  made  for  the  appointment  of  Mr. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


95 


Bennett — one  on  May  15, and  the  other  on  June 
8,  1866.  I  do  not  know  what  was  the  cause 
of  this.  On  July  3,  1866  the  comnn'ssioners 
of  Neosho  county  apprc^-ed  Mr.  Bennett's 
bond  as  justice  of  the  peace,  which  made  him 
the  first  legally  qualified  civil  officer  residing 
in  what  is  now  Labette  county.  Mr.  Talbot 
was  appointed  Septemlser  24,  1866,  and  proba- 
bly qualified  soon  thereafter,  although  I  have 
not  the  date  of  his  qualification. 

Upon  the  appointment  of  the  commission- 
ers for  the  organization  of  the  county,  before 
calling  an  election,  they  divided  the  county  into 
nine  precincts:  four  in  range  21,  the  south  one 
of  which  they  named  Chetopa;  three  in  the 
central  part  of  the  county,  designated  North, 
Labette  and  Hackberry;  and  two  in  the  west- 
ern part,  which  they  designated  Timber  Hill 
(or  possibly  Big  Hill,  as  Mr.  Dickerman,  then 
county  clerk,  says),  and  Pumpkin  Creek.  How- 
ever this  name  is  not  given  at  all  in  any  record 
we  now  have,  but  in  the  first  reference  to  this 
part  of  the  county  in  the  commissioners'  pro- 
ceedings, it  is  called  Canada.  Of  the  division 
thus  made  there  was  no  change  until  Novem- 
ber 21,  1867,  excepting  to  more  definitely  or- 
ganize Timber  Hill  and  Canada  townships.  The 
only  change  subsequently  made  was  to  divide 
some  of  these  townships  and  create  new  munic- 
ipalities. 

NEOSHO  TOWNSHIP. 

The  settlement  of  this  township  commenced 
in  the  summer  of  1865.  I  have  found  no  one 
who  knows  the  date  of  the  first  settlement,  nor 
even  who  the  first  settler  was.  Much  of  the 
information  from  which  this  account  is  made  is 
derived  from  James  W.  Galyen,  who  settled  on 
the  south  half  of  section  8,  township  31,  range 
21,  Dec.  25,  i86t.     When  he  came  there  were 


already  ali)ng  the  ri\er  sex'eral  families,  all 
of  whom  had  come  that  fall  and  winter ;  so  that 
it  may  be  safely  said  that  the  settlement  of  the 
township  did  not  commence  prior  to  September 
of  that  year.  It  is  probable  that  the  first  set- 
tlers in  the  township  were  a  company  who  came 
from  Texas,  composed  of  a  Jones  family  and 
a  Cox  family,  each  containing  quite  a  number 
of  individuals,  and  some  others.  They  seemed 
to  have  been  on  their  way  north,  without  any 
very  definite  point  of  destination  in  view,  and 
were  camping  along  the  river  in  this  township, 
allowing  their  stock  to  feed,  when  they  heard  of 
the  proposed  treaty  with  the  Osages  and  con- 
cluded to  locate  there.  Among  those  who  were 
located  when  Mr.  Galyen  came  were:  Jesse 
Frye,  on  section  9;  a  man  by  the  name  of  John 
Buck,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river;  Newton 
Lowery,  on  section  5 ;  and  Mr.  Spriggs,  on  sec- 
tion 16.  Mr.  Spriggs  had  a  pole  shanty  on  his 
claim  at  this  time,  but  never  brought  his  family 
here,  and  sold  his  claim  to  Asa  Rogers.  Craig 
Coffield  and  Clark  Coffield  located  on  section 
28,  in  November;  Holland  and  Baldwin  were 
located  on  section  4.  At  the  close  of  1865  it 
is  probable  that  there  were  not  to  exceed  a 
dozen  families  in  the  township,  and  some  of 
these  were  only  there  for  the  purpose  of  hold- 
ing the  claims  until  they  could  get  something 
out  of  them  and  then  leave.  In  1866  many 
more  settlers  came  in,  and  much  was  done  to- 
ward improving  the  claims  taken.  Messrs. 
Brown  and  Sampson  R.  Robinson  brought  a 
saw  mill  from  Bourbon  county  and  located  it 
on  section  4,  in  the  fall  of  1866,  and  soon  had 
it  in  operation.  This  was  the  first  mill  in  oper- 
atinn  in  the  county,  and  from  it  Mr.  Galyen 
got  the  first  lumber  that  was  made,  which  he 
used  to  make  a  floor  for  his  cabin.  All  the 
cabins  up  to  this  time  had  nothing  but  dirt 
floors.     Of  the  settlers  who  came  about  this 


96 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


time  I  may  mention  William  Logan,  who  came 
early  in  1866.  He  ran  a  blacksmith  shop  at 
Jacksonville;  was  the  first  trustee  of  the  town- 
ship, having  been  elected  at  the  election  in 
April,  1867,  and  was  elected  county  commis- 
sioner in  the  fall  of  1867,  and  figured  quite 
largely  in  the  local  affairs  in  that  part  of  the 
county.  Nathan  Ames  came  in  the  latter  part 
of  1866,  and  settled  on  sections  16  and  17,  and 
at  once  became  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the 
new  settlement.  Messrs.  Pringle  and  Marguad 
settled  on  section  21  the  same  fall. 

CELEBRATIONS. 

On  July  4,  1866,  the  first  celebration  in  that 
part  of  the  county  was  held  in  Kenney's  grove 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  23.  All 
the  settlers  in  that  part  of  the  county  gathered 
here  to  see  each  other  and  participate  in  the 
celebration.  Dr.  Thurman,  who  lived  on  sec- 
tion 22,  read  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
On  July  4,  1867,  another  celebration  was  held, 
this  time  in  Logan's  grove,  at  which  J.  F.  Bel- 
lamy, who  had  shortly  before  that  time  moved 
into  the  vicinity,  gave  the  address. 

RELIGIOUS  EXERCISES. 

A  Mr.  Owens  was  located  on  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  5,  in  1866.  His  wife 
was  an  enthusiastic  worker,  and  that  summer 
opened  in  their  own  house  and  conducted  the 
first  Sunday-school  in  the  township,  which 
was  continued  until  the  winter.  \A'e  have  no 
account  of  any  preaching  in  the  township  until 
1867,  when  Joseph  Rogers,  who  was  a  Method- 
ist local  preacher  living  on  section  16,  west  of 
the  river,  commenced  holding  services  at  pri- 
vate houses  at  different  points  in  the  township. 
After  the  school-house  in  district  16  was  com- 


pleted, Rev.  Jackson  Statton  commenced 
preaching  there,  and  continued  for  some  time 
to  hold  services. 


The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught 
by  Mrs.  Abigail  Ames,  wife  of  Samuel  Ames, 
in  their  own  house  on  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  14,  in  the  spring  of  1868.  That  fall 
E.  H.  Taylor  commericed  teaching  school  in 
a  house  on  section  5,  and  finished  in  the  log 
school-house  which  the  citizens  turned  out  and 
constructed  that  fall.  In  this  school-house,  as 
soon  as  it  was  finished  a  literary  society  was 
organized,  of  which  Mr.  Taylor  was  president, 
and  at  the  meetings  nearly  all  the  people  in  that 
part  of  the  county  were  present. 


West  of  the  Neosho  River  on  both  sides  of 
the  county  line,  partly  in  section  5  in  this  coun- 
ty, partly  in  Neosho  county,  was  situated  one 
of  White  Hair's  towns.  This  was  aban- 
doned about  the  time  the  white  settlers  com- 
menced coming  in  here.  About  100  graves 
could  be  counted  on  this  site,  in  some  of  which 
the  frame  of  the  occupant  was  still  sitting  and 
well  preserved.  The  burying  was  done  by 
piling  stones  over  the  lower  extremities,  leav- 
ing the  body  in  a  sitting  posture,  and  then  pil- 
ing up  stones  around  it.  When  the  settlers 
came  here  they  found  the  remains  of  an  old 
building  on  section  4,  the  posts  still  standing, 
giving  evidence  that  at  some  prior  time  the 
Catholics  from  the  Mission  had  probably  had 
a  station.  The  mile-posts  between  the  Cher- 
okee Neutral  Lands  and  the  Osage  Reserva- 
tion were  still  standing  as  they  had  been  placed 
there  by  the  surveyors  when  the  lines  had  been 
run. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


INCIDENTS. 

T.  D.  G.  Marquad  and  Mary  Buck  were 
married,  it  is  said,  in  April,  1866;  if  this  is 
correct  it  must  have  been  the  first  mariage  in 
the  county  after  the  war. 

In  May,  1866,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hampton  had 
born  to  them  twins,  named  John  and  Mary. 

ORGANIZATION. 

There  has  been  no  change  in  the  boundary 
of  the  east  tier  of  townships  from  the  time  of 
their  organization.  They  were  all  laid  off  by 
the  commissioners  appointed  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  county,  prior  to  the  first  election. 
There  is  no  record  of  their  organization  prior 
to  November  21,  1867,  when  the  whole  county 
was  laid  off  into  townships,  at  which  time  it 
was  declared,  "Neosho  township  No.  i  shall  in- 
clude town  31,  R.  21."  Two  voting  precincts 
have  been  maintained  in  the  township  almost 
from  its  organization — one  on  the  east  and  the 
other  on  the  west  side  of  the  Neosho.  There  is 
no  record  showing  who  were  elected  officers  in 
April,  1867,  but  on  October  2^,  1867,  the  res- 
ignation of  John  W.  Ankron  as  justice  of  the 
peace  is  accepted,  and  the  record  subsequently 
shows  J.  B.  Graham  to  be  one  of  the  justices  of 
the  peace.  On  January  14,  1868,  "It  is  hereby 
ordered,  that  the  office  of,  township  trustee  in 
Neosho  township  be  declared  vacant,  as  the 
present  holder  of  said  office  has  been  elected  to  a 
county  office."  This  evidently  refers  to  Will- 
iam Logan,  who  had  been  elected  and  quali- 
fied as  one  of  the  county  commissioners,  and 
it  is  safe  to  say  he  was  the  trustee  elected  in 
April,  1867.  On  the  day  on  which  the  office 
was  declared  vacant  as  above,  Anthony  Amend 
was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy.  For  some 
reason  which  I  do  not  know,  no  election  was 


held  in  this  township  in  April,  1868,  and  the 
following  officers  were  appointed  Ijy  the  com- 
missioners:  Anthony  Amend,  trustee;  N.  H. 
Hopkins,  clerk;  S.  K.  Robinson,  treasurer;  J. 
B.  Thurman  and  William  Fish,  justices  of  the 
peace;  John  Summers  and  Noah  Frye,  consta- 
bles; John  Radfield,  road  overseer. 


The  officers  of  this  township  were  the  first 
to  take  steps  toward  bridging  the  streams. 
The  action  of  the  trustees  created  a  good  deal 
of  dissatisfaction.  It  was  claimed  that  a  "job 
was  put  up"  by  which  a  large  amount  of  money 
was  to  be  paid  by  the  township  and  received  by 
some  one  for  inferior  bridges.  A  tax  of  i'4 
mills  was  levied  in  1868  for  building  bridges. 

NORTH  TOWNSHIP. 

In  the  spring  of  1866  a  firm  of  millers  at 
lola  sent  some  teams  loaded  with  flour  and 
meal  down  the  Neosho,  to  sell  to  the  settlers 
along  the  river.  Two  teams  came  into  what  is 
now  Labette  county,  and  on  their  return  made 
such  a  favorable  report  of  the  county  that  sev- 
eral in  that  vicinity,  and  some  connected  with 
the  mill,  came  down.  Among  these  were 
Messrs.  Carr,  McBride,  Wells,  Ballentine,  and 
Smith;  the  latter  settled  at  the  junction  of  the 
Big  and  Little  Labette,  and  put  up  a  small  shan- 
ty. Mr.  Ballentine  paid  Mr.  Smith  $60  for 
this  claim,  which  took  in  most  of  the  timber  at 
this  point.  Just  previous  to  this,  Zack  Fultz 
had  laid  a  foundation  on  a  claim  adjoining  this 
on  the  east,  and  when  the  survey  was  made, 
the  improvements  of  the  two  claims  were  found 
to  be  on  the  same  quarter.  Mr.  Fultz  paid 
Mr.  Ballentine  $200  for  his  improvements,  and 
got  the  claim.    ^Ir.  Ballentine  then  bought  Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Hart's  claim,  on  section. 36,  where  he  settled 
and  made  his  home.  Mr.  Hart  then  moved 
over  to  the  Labette,  in  Liberty  township,  just 
below  the  mouth  of  Bachelor  Creek.  Fred 
Latham  settled  on  section  27,  and  his  father- 
in-law,  Mr.  Keys,  upon  a  claim  just  west  of  the 
creek.  About  the  same  time  William  Tolen 
settled  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township,  and 
gave  the  name  to  a  little  stream,  "Tolen 
Branch."  Li  July,  1867,  the  following  settle- 
ments were  made:  Albert  Porter  and  W.  H. 
Porter,  on  section  20;  William  Fultz,  on  sec- 
tion 17;  Abraham  Cary,  on  section  18;  John 
Kendall,  on  section  19. 


In  the  fall  of  1868  Moses  Steel  and  his 
brother  Len  Steel  brought  a  saw  mill  and  put 
it  in  the  forks  of  the  Little  and  Big  Labette, 
and  had  it  in  operation  early  in  1869. 

In  June,  1869,  Abraham  Cary  brought  from 
Lawrence  the  first  reaper  and  mower  that  was 
had  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

ORGANIZATION. 

Originally  North  township  included  its 
present  territory  and  also  the  east  half  of  what 
is  Walton  township,  and  on  November  21, 
1867,  in  reforming  the  townships  the  com- 
missioners ordered  that  "North  township  No. 
7  shall  include  town  31,  R.  19,  20,"  and  it  con- 
tinued with  these  bounds  until  Walton  town- 
ship was  detached.  There  seems  to  have  been 
no  election  held  in  this  township  in  April,  1867, 
at  the  time  when  the  first  county  and  township 
officers  were  elected.  On  October  4th  an  order 
was  made  by  the  commissioners  for  an  election 
to  be  held  for  township  officers  in  this  township 
at  the  November  election  following.     At  this 


-time  the  following  officers  were  elected:  Sam- 
uel Ballentine,  trustee;  William  Scott  and 
David  B.  Stevens,  justices  of  the  peace;  James 
M.  Clayton  and  D.  W.  Reed,  constables;  and 
John  Steward,  road  supervisor.  These  were 
the  first  township  officers.  There  is  no  rec- 
ord of  either  clerk  or  treasurer  being  elected  at 
this  time.  On  April  7,  1868,  the  following 
officers  were  elected:  Samuel  Ballentine,  trus- 
tee ;  J.  D.  Keys,  clerk ;  F. W.  Latham,  treasurer ; 
William  Porter  and  A.  Medkifif,  justices  of  the 
peace;  William  Fultz  and  Oscar  Knowles,  con- 
stables; and  Zack  Fultz,  road  overseer.  In 
April,  1869,  H.  Singleton  was  elected  trustee, 
and  Samuel  Ballentine  treasurer.  By  some  ar- 
rangement made  at  the  time,  which  does  not 
appear  of  record,  Mr.  Ballentine,  instead  of 
taking  the  office  of  treasurer,  was  continued  as 
trustee  for  another  year. 

WALTON  TOWNSHIP. 

The  first  settler  in  Walton  township  was 
Jefiferson  Davis,  who  came  in  June,  1866,  and 
located  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  22. 
In  August  of  that  year  the  Weekly  family,  con- 
sisting of  Luther,  Perry,  John,  and  Mary,  lo- 
cated on  section  17,  and  David  Edwards  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  23.  In  the 
spring  of  1867  Merrit  Mason  came,  and 
bought  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  17  from 
Mr.  Weekly,  and  thereon  made  his  home.  In 
the  fall  of  1866  John  Collins  settled  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  sectfDn  36.  Perhaps  dur- 
ing these  years  there  may  have  been  a  few  other 
settlers  along  the  Little  Labette,  but  if  so  I 
have  not  learned  the  names  of  such.  In  1869 
the  township  received  a  large  number  of  set- 
tlers. On  May  ist  Nelson  Parker  settled  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  and  about 
the  middle  of  May  J.  A.  Jones  settled  on  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


northeast  quarter  of  section  26;  not  far  from 
the  same  time  Alexander  Abies  and  William 
Abies  on  the  east  half  of  section  29,  George  T. 
Walton  on  section  16,  J.  M.  Gregory  on  section 
26.  W.  A.  Disch,  E.  P.  Emery,  S.  R.  Hill, 
John  Parker,  C.  C.  Kinnison  and  R.  P.  Clark 
were  all  there  before  the  opening  of  1870;  and 
on  February  5,  1870,  S.  B.  Shafer  settled  on 
-the  southwest  quarter  of  section  21. 

CATHOLIC     SETTLEMENT. 

During  the  summer  of  1869  quite  a  large 
number  of  Catholics  settled  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  township,  and  have  ever  since  been 
among  the  most  thrifty  and  progressive  settlers 
■of  that  vicinity. 

ORGANIZATION. 

Walton  township  was  a  part  of  North 
township  as  originally  constituted.  An  order 
of  the  commissioners  was  made  on  April  6, 
1870,  on  the  petition  of  G.  T.  Walton,  M.  S. 
Mason,  T.  O'Connor,  and  some  50  other  elect- 
ors, for  the  organization  of  township  31,  range 
19,  into  a  municipal  township  to  be  called  Wal- 
ton, and  the  following  officers  were  appointed : 
Merrit  S.  Mason,  trustee ;  A.  C.  Perkins,  clerk ; 
Timothy  O'Connor,  treasurer;  Jason  Luncin- 
ford,  constable.  On  account  of  ill-health  Mr. 
Mason  was  granted  permission  to  appoint  a 
deputy  to  assist  in  performing  the  duties  of 
trustee. 

OSAGE  TOWNSHIP. 

The  settlement  of  what  is  now  Osage 
township  dates  from  the  fall  of  1866.  The 
first  person  to  locate  within  the  present  bounds 
of  this  township  was  Thomas  May  and  family, 


who  settled  upun  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 5,  township  ^2,  range  18,  in  September, 
1866,  where  he  died  the  following  year.  There 
being  no  lumber  in  that  locality,  the  neighbors 
sawed  up  a  wagon-bed  and  made  a  coffin  in 
which  to  bury  him.  The  next  settler  was 
Milton  A.  Buckles,  who  came  December  3, 
1866,  and  settled  on  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  33.  Isaac  Vance  located  with  his  fam- 
ily on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  29, 
township  31,  range  18,  on  which  he  died,  in 
1870.  Harvey  Beggs  settled  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  7,  township  32,  range  iS, 
and  after  living  on  it  several  years  moved  away 
in  1871.  Solomon  Adams  and  famil/  resided 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  6,  township 
32,  range  18,  till  1870,  when  he  moved  away. 
On  the  southeast  quarter  of  this  same  section 
Harvey  Waymire  made  his  home,  and  put  up 
the  first  saw  mill  in  the  township  in  May,  1869. 
In  the  fall  of  1869  the  engine  with  which  the 
saw  mill  was  run  exploded,  and  killed  Mr. 
Waymire  and  Mr.  Worley. 

In  1867  many  settlers  came  in,  of  whom  I 
will  mention  a  few :  Felix  Oliphant,  John  Oli- 
phant,  Frank  Larberdy,  John  Frost,  Thomas 
J.  Vance,  George  Vance,  W.  H.  Carpenter,  J. 
H.  Dienst,  Jacob  D.  Dick,  Henry  Griffith  and 
Alexander  W.  King  are  among  those  who  that 
year  helped  to  develop  the  county.  Of  those 
who  came  in  1868,  F.  M.  Webb,  W.  H.  Webb, 
J.  H.  Beatty,  J.  A.  Newman,  W.  M.  Rogers  and 
Leroy  F.  Dick  may  be  mentioned  as  active  pro- 
moters of  the  general  spirit  of  enterprise. 

William  A.  Starr.  \\'illiani  Dick,  J.  L. 
Jaynes.  John  Carson.  C.  J.  Darling,  P.  B. 
Darling,  J.  S.  Masters,  J.  B.  Swart,  Jacob 
Warner,  John  Robinson,  W.  H.  Thome,  G.  W. 
Blake  and  W.  W.  Blake  settled  in  1869  and 
1870,  and  each  added  a  fair  share  to  the  pros- 
perit}-  and  development  of  the  township.     Did 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


I  know  all  the  settlers  and  were  I  acquainted 
with  all  the  facts,  others  might  probably  be 
mentioned  who  are  as  worthy  as  any  whom  I 
have  named;  but  these  are  named  as  a  fair 
sample  of  those  who  first  settled  and  devel- 
oped this  northwest  corner  of  the  county. 

FIRST   SCHOOL. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  King,  who  with  her  hus- 
band, A.  W.  King,  had  settled  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  28,  township  31,  range 
18,  in  June,  1867,  taught  the  first  school  in  the 
township,  in  the  summer  of  1868,  as'  I  am  told 
by  Mr.  King,  in  their  cabin  on  his  claim.  It 
was  a  free  school  for  the  few  children  then  in 
the  neighborhood. 

CELEBR.\TION. 

The  first  celebration  in  the  township  was 
July  4,  1869,  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 29.  Milton  Buckles  read  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  The  day  was  principally 
given  up  to  a  picnic  and  social  enjoyment. 

RELIGIOUS     EXERCISES. 

In  the  fall  of  1867  the  citizens  met  and  put 
up  a  big  house  on  Pleasant  May's  claim  in 
the  bottom  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek,  on  sec- 
tion 5,  in  township  32,  to  be  used  for  religious 
and  other  gatherings.  In  this  the  first  Sunday- 
school  was  organized,  in  the  spring  of  1868, 
with  Pleasant  May  as  superintendent.  A.  W. 
King  was  the  first  preacher  in  the  township. 
He,  with  David  Stanfield,  J.  S.  Harryman,  and 
Sheldon  Parker,  of  the  Methodist  church,  and 
J.  L.  ^Masters,  of  the  Christian  church,  dis- 
pensed the  Gospel  for  several  years  over  quite 
a  portion  of  the  new  settlements  in  the  western 
Ijart  of  the  county. 


The  first  store  in  the  township  was  startci 
in  1868,  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  33, 
township  31,  range  18,  by  Luther  Weakly  and 
Frank  Larberdy.  In  the  fall  of  1869,  G.  W. 
and  W.  W.  Blake  put  in  a  stock  of  general 
merchandise  in  a  building  erected  on  the  town- 
site  of  Timber  Hill,  which  they  continued  to 
deal  in  until  1871. 

Dr.  Lakins  was  the  first  in  the  township  to 
offer  his  services  as  an  aid  to  those  desiring 
relief  from  physical  ailments.  He  died  a  num- 
ber of  years  ago,  but  his  faithful  mule,  "Joab," 
it  is  said,  still  survives  him.  In  1869  Dr. 
Boutillier  opened  a  small  drug  store,  which  he 
ran  in  connection  with  his  practice. 

The  following  letter  may  be  appropriately 
inserted  here : 

"Coffeyville^Kansas,  Jan,  18,  1892. 

"Judge  Nelson  Case,  Oswego,  Kansas — 
Dear  Sir;  I  settled  in  Osage  township,  La- 
bette county,  in  the  autumn  of  1866,  in  com- 
pany with  Harry  Waymire  and  Isaac  Vance. 
There  was  but  one  man  before  us,  a  Mr.  May, 
who  had  built  his  cabin  just  before  our  arri- 
val. Others  followed  fast  and  when  the 
spring  of  1867  had  opened  we  had  quite  a  set- 
tlement on  the  Big  Hill  Creek.  In  July,  1867, 
I  was  appointed  a  committee  to  visit  the  com- 
missioners at  Oswego  and  procure  an  order 
for  the  organization  of  a  municipal  township, 
which  was  effected  at  once.  I  remember  well 
that  when  I  found  the  commissioners'  court,, 
.which  I  had  some  trouble  in  doing,  the  com- 
missioners were  sitting  astraddle  of  the  sleep- 
ers in  a  hewed-log  house  in  Oswego.  There  was 
neither  door,  floor  nor  windows,  the  house 
not  being  finished  at  the  time. 

"The  first  child  born  in  the  township  was 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Rolla  Wood,   son  of  Zachariah  and   Matilda 
Wood. 

"Our  nearest  postoffice  was  Roger's  store. 
where  Chanute  now  is.  We  did  our  milling  at 
Humboldt,  and  hauled  lumber  from  the  Ne- 
osho. I  believe  I  am  the  only  survivor  of  the 
first  settler  of  Osage  township. 
"Very  respectfully  yours, 

'"Milton  A.  Buckles." 

ORG.^NIZATION. 

I  am  not  quite  sure  whether  the  first  name 
by  which  this  territor}'  was  known  was  Timber 
Creek  or  Big  Hill  township.  The  commis- 
sioners appointed  to  organize  the  county  laid 
off  the  west  part  into  two  precincts,  which 
Mr.  Dickerman  says  were  designated  Timber 
Hill  and  Pumpkin  Creek;  but  no  voting-place 
was  designated  in  either  of  them  at  that  time, 
probably  for  the  reason  that  there  was  not  a 
sufficient  number  of  residents  to  justify  the 
holding  an  election  therein.  The  first  official 
record  we  have  relating  to  this  township  is 
the  order  of  the  commissioners  made  June  S, 
1867,  declaring  that  "Timber  Hill  township 
shall  include  townships  31  and  32,  range  18, 
and  the  west  half  of  townships  31  and  32  of 
range  19,  and  as  far  west  as  the  county  line." 
In  th!s  order,  as  it  appears  in  the  original 
record,  written  on  foolscap  paper,  the  name 
of  the  township  is  first  written  Big  Hill,  and  a 
line  is  drawn  through  "Big,"  and  "Timber"  h 
written  above  it.  On  July  i,  1867,  it  was 
"Ordered  that  a  precinct  be  established  at  Tim- 
ber Hill  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Frank  Lar- 
berdy,  in  Timber  Hill  township,  T.  31  and  32, 
R.  18  and  19."  On  October  21,  1867,  it  was 
"Ordered  that  Timber  Hill  township  to  be 
changed  to  Big  Hill,"  and  at  the  same  time  it 
was     ordered     that     the     voting    precinct    be 


changed  from  Mr.  Larl)erdy"s  to  Mr.  Eli 
Sparks.  The  first  election  in  the  township 
was  held  November  5,  1867,  at  which  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  elected :  J.  S.  Blair,  trus- 
tee; Isaac  Van  Sickle  and  Eli  Sparks,  justices 
of  the  peace;  H.  Waymire  and  J.  Courtney, 
constables ;  Z.  C.  Wood,  road  overseer.  On  Xo- 
vember  21,  1867,  the  commissioners  made  an 
order  more  definitely  fixing  and  somewhat 
changing  municipal  townships,  by  the  provis- 
ions of  which  it  was  declared  that  "Big  Hill 
township  No.  8,  shall  include  town  31  and  ^2, 
R.  17  and  18."  On  April  6,  1868,  a  petition 
therefor  having  been  made  to  the  cotnmission- 
ers,  they  ordered  "That  the  township  common- 
ly known  as  Big  Hill  shall  hereafter  be  known 
in  all  official  transactions  as  Osage  township," 
and  at  the  same  time  made  an  order  establish- 
ing the  south  line  of  Osage  township  so  as  to 
include  the  north  half  of  township  32,  in 
ranges  17  and  18. 

AN   ORDER   NOT   ACTED  ON. 

On  November  12,  1870,  on  the  pet'tion  of 
Albert  Allison  and  49  other  citizens  for  a 
division  of  the  west  tier  of  townships  into  four 
instead  of  three,  forming  a  new  town.ship  out  of 
parts  of  Osage  and  Alound  \'alley  town,  hips, 
it  was  ordered  that  township  t,2,  ranges  17  and 
18,  be  detached  from  Osage  and  Mound  Val- 
ley townships  and  organized  into  a  municipal 
township  under  the  name  of  Big  Hill  town- 
ship, for  which  the  following  officers  were  ap- 
pointed: William  Johns,  trustee;  Albert  Alli- 
son, clerk;  S.  C.  Hockett,  treasurer.  I  find  no 
action  of  the  commissioners  changing  or  re- 
voking this  order;  nevertheless,  the  order  was 
never  acted  upon,  the  officers  appointed  never 
qualified,  and  Osage  and  Mound  Valley  town- 
ships remained'  as  though  no  such  order  had 
ever  been  made. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


On  May  30,  1871,  on  the  petition  of  Will- 
iam Dick  and  69  others,  the  commissioners 
made  an  order  restraining-  stock  from  running 
at  large  at  night-time  for  a  term  of  one  3'ear. 


PIONEER  ASSOCIATION. 


On  September  17,  1875,  the  Osage  Pioneer 
Association  was  organized,  with  S.  C.  Hockett 
as  president,  Joel  Bergess,  vice-president,  W. 

A.  Starr  and Lindsey,  secretaries,  and 

William  Dick,  treasurer. 

MOUND  VALLEY  TOWNSHIP. 

1866. 

There  were  two  early  settlers  in  this  coun- 
ty who  would  be  in  Mound  Valley  township  ex- 
cept for  the  fact  that  in  1870  more  than  two 
miles  of  our  territory  was  given  to  Montgomery 
county.  On  June  3,  1866,  Mr.  Rutherford 
settled  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  4,  in 
township  ^T,,  of  range  17,  and  on  December 
10,  1866,  R.  M.  Bennett,  afterwards  county 
treasurer,  settled  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  5,  in  the  same  township. 

The  first  white  people  to  make  settlement 
in  Mound  Valley  township  as  now  constituted 
were  the  families  of  Mr.  McCormick  and  Mr. 
Courtney.  If  any  one  was  there  before  them, 
.'he  left  no  trace  of  his  habitation.  Joseph  Mc- 
Cormick, with  his  wife  Martha  and  his  son 
Joseph  C,  and  in  company  with  them  John 
M.  Cuurtney  and  his  wife  Mary,  came  from 
Danville,  III,  and  on  July  24,  1866,  took  their 
respective  claims  in  this  township.  Mr.  Mc- 
Cormick settled  on  parts  of  sections  23  and  24, 
township  32,  range  17,  where  he  made  his 
home  until  his  death,  on  December  10,  1871, 


his  wife  having  died  the  March  preceding. 
Mr.  McCormick  lived  in  his  wagon  until  he 
could  build  a  log  house,  which  he  completed 
in  about  two  months.  He  soon  brought  on  a 
few  goods,  with  which  'he  traded  with  the 
Indians  for  their  buffalo  meat  and  such  other 
things  as  they  had  to  dispose  of  that  he 
could  use.  Mr.  Courtney  settled  on  a  part 
of  section  26,  township  32,  range  17,  which 
he  improved  and  on  which  he  lived  till  he 
moved  to  Cherryvale,  where  he  now  resides. 
John  McMichael  came  in  September,  1866, 
and  settled  on  the  same  section  as  Mr.  Court- 
ney. In  November,  1866,  Eli  Sparks  settled 
on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  18,  town- 
ship 32,  range  18. 

1867. 

Green  L.  Canada  settled  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  17,  township  33,  range  18, 
January  12,  1867.  William  Jones  and  John 
M.  Stigenwalt  came  February  20,  1867.  Mr. 
Jones  settled  on  the  section  with  Mr.  Courtney 
and  Mr.  McMichael,  and  Mr.  Stigenwalt  set- 
tied  on  the  section  with  Mr.  Sparks,  where  he 
lived  on  a  well-improved  farm  until  August 
25,  1892,  when  he  died  from  the  effects  of  a 
kick  by  a  horse,  received  the  day  before.  John 
W.  Claspell  came  in  September,  1867.  Samuel 
C.  Hockett  near  that  time  settled  on  section 
18,  together  with  Mr.  Sparks  and  Mr.  Stigen- 
walt, while  his  daughter,  Josie  Hockett,  took 
a  claim  north  of  him,  on  section  7,  in  Osage 
township. 


J.  G.  Peni.x  settled  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  25,  township  32,  range  17,  on 
April  8,  1868,  where  he  lived  for  fifteen  years, 
made  a  good  farm,  and  is  now  in  Cherryvale, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


103; 


enjoying  the  fruits  of  hisi  industr}-.  D.  S. 
Muncie  took  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
25,  township  33,  range  18,  on  which  he  built, 
in  1869,  a  one  and  one-half  story  frame  house, 
16  by  24  feet.  The  lumber  for  this  he  hauled 
from  Chetopa.  This  was  the  first  frame  house 
in  this  part  of  the  township.  In  1870  Mr. 
Muncie  sold  his  farm  to  J.  H.  Tibbits. 

ORGANIZATION. 

Mound  Valley  township  was  originally  a 
part  of  what  afterward  became  Osage  and 
Canada  townships.  It  was  not  until  June  13, 
1S70,  tliat,  upon  the  petition  of  Henry  Rohr 
and  some  50  other  residents  of  its  territory, 
the  commissioners  made  an  order  for  the  or- 
ganization of  four  tiers  of  sections  lying  north 
and  the  same  number  lying  south  of  the  line 
between  townships  32  and  33  in  ranges  17  and 
18,  into  a  municipal  township  with  the  name 
of  Mound  Valley.  The  following  officers 
were  appointed  for  the  new  township :  Jo- 
sephus  Moore,  trustee;  Alexander  Honrath, 
clerk;  J.  M.  Richardson,  treasurer.  At  the 
same  time,  on  the  petition  therefor,  the  order 
of  the  commissioners  was  made  restraining 
stock  from  running  at  large  in  the  night-time 
for  the  term  of  five  years.  On  July  28.  1870, 
Jonas  Parks  was  appointed  constable,  and  S. 
C.  Hockett  was  recommended  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  justice  of  the  peace. 

LABETTE  TOWNSHIP. 

The  first  settlement  of  this  township  as 
now  constituted  commenced  in  the  fall  of  1868, 
but  there  were  only  a  few  who  came  before 
the  spring  of  1869.  The  first  settlers  were  scat- 
tered along  Bachelor  creek.  Of  these  I  may 
mention  Leveret  Wood,  who  came  in  the  fall 
of  1868,  and  settled  on  the  northeast  quarter 


of  section  i ;  the  ne.xt  spring  John  Singleton 
settled  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  i, 
and  James  H.  Martin  on  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  2;  Millard  Sargent  on  the  north- 
west quarter  and  his  brother  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  the  same  section;  Edward  C. 
Sanford  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
3,  Major  Hope  on  the  southeast  quarter,  and 
Calvin  S.  Tracy  on  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  36.  All  of  these  parties  were  located 
prior  to  the  middle  of  July,  1869,  at  which 
time  John  J.  Miles  settled  on  the  southwest 
(|uarter  of  section  34. 

With  the  opening  of  1870  many  new  parties 
came  into  the  township,  of  whom  I  may  men- 
tion Thomas  Mahar  and  his  sons,  who  settled 
on  section  21.  The  settlement  of  this  town- 
ship was  nearly  completed  when  James  Beggs, 
on  March  16,  1871,  settled  on  the  southwest- 
quarter  of  section   19. 

0RGANIZ.\TI0N. 

In  the  original  division  of  the  coimty  into 
municipal  townships,  made  by  the  commission- 
ers prior  to  the  first  election  in  the  spring  of 
1867,  the  central  portion  of  the  county,  em- 
bracing what  is  now  Liberty,  Labette.  Mount 
Pleasant  and  Fairview  townships,  was  made 
to  constitute  the  township  of  Labette.  The 
first  official  record  we  have  of  the  forrnation 
of  this  township  is  an  order  of  the  board  made 
November  21,  1867,  in  which  Labette  town- 
ship is  numbered  6,  and  is  declared  to  include- 
townships  32  and  33,  in  ranges^  19  and  20. 
It  is  possible  that  there  was  an  election  held 
in  the  township  in  the  spring  of  1867,  and' 
probably  one  was  held  in  the  fall  of  that  year, 
but  as  to  both  of  these  the  record  is  silent. 
The  first  election  of  which  we  have  any  rec- 
ord was  held  on  April  7,  1868.  At  this  elec- 
tion H.  P.  Reeding  was  elected  trustee,  M.  H._ 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Logan,  clerk;  J.  F.  Molesworth,  treasurer;  E. 
Reed  and  J.  P.  Peterson,  justices  of  the  peace; 
G.  W.  Springer  and  T.  M.  Abbott,  constables, 
and  Sam  Lewis,  road  overseer.  At  the  elec- 
tion in  April,  1870,  the  following  officers  were 
elected  :  Newton  Connor,  trustee ;  J.  L.  Will- 
iams, clerk;  Calvin  Tracy,  treasurer;  G.  P. 
Peters  and  G.  J.  Connor,  justices  of  the  peace; 
William  Hanson  and  W.  F.  Hamman,  con- 
stables. Within  the  next  two  months  all  of 
the  territory,  excepting  township  32,  range  19, 
v/hich  had  theretofore  been  embraced  in  La- 
bette township,  was  detached  therefrom,  and 
formed  into  other  municipal  townships.  All 
the  officers  last  elected  resided  within  the  ter- 
ritory thus  detached,  which  left  Labette  town- 
ship without  any  officers  or  organization.  The 
last  of  June  or  fore  part  of  July,  1870,  a 
meeting  of  the  citizens  was  held  on  the  prem- 
ises of  John  Alspaw,  on  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  15,  and  the  •  following  persons  se- 
lected for  township  officers:  Calvin  Tracy, 
trustee;  John  Caldwell,  clerk;  William  Col- 
lins, treasurer;  William  Hamman  and  Silas 
Rich,  justices  of  the  peace;  John  J.  Miles  and 
George  Tracy,  constables.  It  was  decided  to 
ask  that  the  name  of  the  township  be  changed 
from  Labette  to  Mound.  On  July  11,  1870, 
the  action  of  this  meeting  was  presented  to  the 
commissioners.  The  request  for  a  change  of 
name  for  the  township  was  refused,  as  the 
board  considered  they  had  no  authority  to 
change  the  name  of  the  township.  The  of- 
ficers selected  at  the  citizens'  meeting  were  ap- 
pointed in  part,  and  some  of  the  offices  seem 
to  have  been  left  vacant. 

LIBERTY  TOWNSHIP. 
The    settlement    of    this    township    com- 
menced early  in  the  spring  of  1866.     The  first 
person  whom  I  have  been  able  to  trace  to  this 


township  is  David  C.  Lowe,  who  settled  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  34,  and  about  the 
same  time  James  Springer  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  the  same  section,  and  William 
Springer,  Jr.,  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 2'j.  After  these  the  following  settlements 
were  made:     James    Shelledy,  John  V.   and 

James    Lewis,  Latham,   Enos    Reed, 

James  F.  Molesworth,  William  Keiger,  and 
Ed.  Mercer.  In  June  A.  W.  Richardson 
bought  from  William  Springer,  Jr.,  the  claim 
on  which  he  had  settled,  paying  therefor  $400. 
Mr.  Springer  had  at  the  time  some  four  or 
five  acres  broken  out  and  planted  to  corn  and 
garden  truck.  Rev.  G.  W.  Richardson  at  the 
same  time  bought  from  Mr.  Shelledy  his  claim 
to  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  27,  paying 
therefor  $50.  In  December  of  this  year  G.  P. 
Peters  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 36,  and  John  Elliott  on  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  the  same  section.  In  the  fall  of  1867 
Dr.  W.  J.  Conner  made  his  settlement  in  this 
township,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession. 

CELEBRATION. 

On  July  4,  1867,  the  first  celebration  in  the 
township  was  held,  on  the  claim  of  David  C. 
Lowe.  Wagon-boxes  were  turned  upside  down 
for  tables;  Samuel  Cherry  read  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  and  Elihu  Greene  de- 
livered the  oration.  The  drinking  water  was 
cooled  with  ice  which  G.  P.  Peters  procured 
at   Oswego. 


The  first  business  in  the  township  was  a 
store  conducted  by  William  and  John  Conner. 
It  was  located  on  section  35,  which  had  been 
selected  for  the  site  of  Neola,  and  was  opened 
in  the  spring  of  1868.     Early  in  1867  G.  P. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


105 


Peters'  commenced  running  a  blacksmith  shop 
at  his  home,  and  in  the  spring  of  1868  built  a 
shop  at  Neola,  on  section  35.  There  was  no 
other  business  aside  from  farming  until  La- 
bette was  started,  in  1870. 

ORGANIZATION. 

Township  32,  range  20,  originally  formed 
a  part  of  Labette  township,  and  was  detached 
therefrom  and  organized  into  a  municipal 
township  on  May  20,  1870,  on  the  petition  of 
Enos  Reed  and  51  other  citizens.  The  follow- 
ing officers  were  appointed :  Samuel  Lewis, 
treasurer;  William  R.  Williams,  clerk;  R.  W. 
Campbell,  constable;  Samuel  T.  Cherry  was 
recommended  for  appointment  as  justice  of  the 
peace. 

CARE    OF    STOCK. 

The  commissioners  made  an  order  on  July 
27th,  on  the  petition  of  T.  D.  Bickham  and  68 
other  residents  of  the  township,  restraining 
stock  from  running  at  large  in  the  night-time 
for  five  years,  excepting  during  the  months  of 
January  and  February. 

RELIGIOUS   EXERCISES. 

In  1868  the  Methodists  commenced  holding 
services  at  the  house  of  James  F.  Molesworth, 
on  section  8 ;  the  ministers  in  charge  of  the 
Oswego  circuit  preached  here. 

MONTANA  TOWNSHIP. 

There  seems  to  be  no  dispute  about  Sam- 
uel J.  Short  being  the  first  white  settler  in  this 
township.  It  is  said  that  he  had  located  here 
before  the  war,  and  was  driven  off  by  the  rebel 
Indians,  and  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  this 


is  correct;  but  I  shall  only  refer  to  his  settle- 
ment in  the  summer  of  1865.  He  came,  prob- 
ably the  latter  part  of  July,  or  early  in  August, 
and  located  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
22,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Neosho.  During 
that  fall  a  number  of  parties  made  settlement 
in  the  township,  and  of  these  I  have  learned 
the  following  names:  Granville  Reeves  and 
William  White  came  there  the  fore  part  of 
October,  and  located  on  section  34.  On  Octo- 
ber 1 8th  Charles  E.  Simons  and  his  brother, 
Benjamin  F.  Simons,  arrived,  and  located,  the 
former  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  4 
and  the  latter  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 9.  Charles  Simons  at  once  went  back 
and  brought  his  family,  arriving  with  them  on 
his  claim  November  i8th.  John  and  William 
Olford  and  Andrew  Hammond  also  arrived  in 
October.  In  November  Nathan  D.  Tower  set- 
tled on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  2y,  but 
the  next  summer  moved  to  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  30.  Samuel  Dunham  lo- 
cated on  section  29;  Nelson  Shipley  on  section 
28;  Charles  Stewart  on  section  27;  Samuel 
Coffield  on  section  27;  Samuel  and  Jona- 
than \\'ilcox  on  section  16,  the  former  on  the 
east  and  the  latter  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river ;  John  Modisett  on  section  4.  In  Decem- 
ber John  Halford  settled  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  16,  and  Mr.  Lee  on  section 
33.  On  December  24th  Julius  S.  Waters  ar- 
rived, and  camped  on  Mr.  Simon's  claim,  but 
soon  thereafter  located  on  section  33,  in 
Neosho  township;  subsequently,  however,  he 
came  back,  and  was  for  a  long  time  a  resi- 
dent of  Montana  township.  It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  at  the  close  of  1865  the  township 
had  quite  a  body  of  settlers,  most  of  whom 
became  permanent  residents,  and  several  of 
whom  are  still  residing  there. 

Of  those  who  came  in   1866  I  shall  only 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


attempt  to  mention  a  few.  Dr.  D.  D.  Mc- 
Grath  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 4 ;  Nehemiah  Sage  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  8 ;  Uriah  Davis  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  7 ;  Frank  and  Albert  Brockus 
on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  20;  R.  S. 
Cornish  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
21;  Robert  Haggard  on  section  30;  Bergen 
Van  Ness  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
16;  Alfred  W.  Jones  on  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  17.  In  December  John  S.  Ander- 
son located  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 8;  Vincent  Anderson  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  6;  and  Terry  Anderson  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  7. 


About  the  first  of  February,  1867,  the  An- 
derson brothers  brought  a  sawmill  and  located 
it  upon  C.  E.  Simons'  claim,  on  section  4,  and 
l3y  the  middle  of  the  month  had  it  in  opera- 
tion. From  the  lumber  sawed  here  it  is  claimed 
the  first  frame  house  in  the  county  was  built. 

SORGHUM    MILL. 

At  quite  an  early  day  R.  S.  Cornish  put 
up  a  sorghum  mill  on  his  place,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  has  carried  on  quite  an  ex- 
tensive business  in  making  sorghum  for  him- 
self and  his  neighbors.  He  also  raises  a  great 
many  melons. 

ORGANIZATION. 

Montana  township  was  laid  ofif  as  it  now 
exists  at  the  time  of  dividing  the  county  into 
precincts  prior  to  its  first  election.  There  is 
no  record  of  the  formation  of  this  township 
prior  to  November  21,   1867,  when  in  the  di- 


vision of  the  county  into  townships  it  was  or- 
dered that  "Montana  township  No.  2  shall  in- 
clude town  32,  range  21."  George  Bennett, 
who  resided  in  Montana  township,  was  ap- 
pointed justice  of  the  peace  June  8,  1866,  by 
the  Governor,  and  was  the  first  civil  officer  in 
the  county.  I  can  find  no  record  in  any  way 
referring  to  its  officers  for  1867,  but  it  is  prob- 
able A.  W.  Jones  was  its  first  trustee.  At 
the  election  held  April  5,  1868,  C.  B.  Wood- 
ford was  elected  trustee ;  T.  M.  Brockus,  clerk ; 
D.  Shultz,  treasurer;  Henry  M.  Minor  and 
James  Livesay,  justices  of  the  peace;  John 
Livesay  and  Jonathan  Wilcox,  constables ;  and 
A.  Warlow,  road  overseer. 

OSWEGO   TOWNSHIP. 
1865. 

The  first  settlers  in  Oswego  township  were 
Austin  T.  Dickerman  and  Samuel  W.  Col- 
lins, who  located  on  section  31,  Mr.  Dickerman 
on  the  northwest  quarter,  and  Mr.  Collins  on 
the  southwest  quarter,  on  July  15,  1865.  In 
August  Jabez  Zink  settled  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  30,  and  in  September  Norris 
Harrer  on  section  19.  The  next  settlement 
in  the  township  was  on  what  is  now  the  town- 
site  of  Oswego,  and  is  spoken  of  in  connection 
with  the  history  of  Oswego  city. 

In  Xo\-ember,  1865',  D.  M.  Clover  and  C. 
C.  Clover  rode  ponies  from  Kansas  City,  cross- 
ing the  Neosho  at  Trotter's  ford,  and  arriving 
at  Little  Town  about  the  middle  of  the  month. 
There  they  found  Clinton  Rexford  and  N.  P. 
Elsbree  encamped,  but  no  start  yet  made  to- 
ward the  erection  of  any  building.  They 
looked  over  the  country  for  a  few  days,  and 
on  November  20,  1866,  took  four  claims — one- 
for  each  of  them,  and  one  each  for  D.  W. 
Clover    and    John    Clover.      D.    M.    Clover's. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


109 


claim  was  located  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  10;  C.  C.  Clover  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  15.  In  taking  his  claim  C.  C.  Clover 
had  in  view  the  establishment  of  a  mill,  and 
selected  this  place  as  affording  the  best  water 
power  he  was  able  to  find  along  the  river. 
About  the  first  of  December  they  started  back 
for  their  families,  provisions,  and  material. 
D.  M.  Clover  went  only  as  far  as  Fort  Scott, 
where  he  bought  oxen  and  wagons,  with  which 
he  returned  to  their  claims  and  commenced 
getting  out  logs  for  houses.  C.  C.  Clover  went 
back  to  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  material  for 
a  sawmill  and  laid  in  a  supply  of  groceries 
and  provisions. 

In  November  or  December,  1865,  about  the 
time  the  Clovers  located,  W.  C.  Watkins  set- 
tled on  section  4,  and  two  of  the  Kingsbury 
boys  located  in  the  southwest  part  of  the 
township. 

1866. 

In  January  1866,  C.  C.  Clover  and  his 
brother,  John  R.  Clover,  together  with  H.  A. 
Victor  and  one  or  two  others,  started  from 
Iowa  for  this  county,  having  three  wagons 
with  two  horses  each.  They  left  Oskaloosa, 
Iowa,  about  the  middle  of  January,  and  got 
to  Oswego  about  the  loth  of  February.  They 
found  snow  all  the  way  down  to  Kansas  City, 
but  from  there  down  to  Oswego  had  pleasant 
weather  and  good  roads.  D.  M.  Clover  had 
already  commenced  the  construction  of  houses 
on  each  of  the  claims.  That  season  Mr.  Clover 
commenced  the  construction  of  a  dam  across 
the  Neosho  at  a  point  some  distance  above  the 
present  dam,  and  about  where  the  river  makes 
the  bend  to  the  east.  He  did  not  succeed  in 
getting  his  mill  in  operation  until  the  fore  part 
of  1868. 

In  the  spring  of   1866  John  Clover  went 


back  to  Iowa,  and  in  July  of  that  year  again 
arrived  in  Oswego,  having  with  him  his  fa- 
ther  and   mother,   D.    W.   Clover    and   wife, 

James  Stice,  Wiley  Jackson,  Mason, 

John  Burgess  and  David  Stanfield.  They  lo- 
cated in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  township, 
some  of  them  on  the  river  and  some  on  the 
prairie.  On  August  6th  Cloyd  G.  Draught 
settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  34, 
and  in  September  Simeon  Holbrook  on  section 
3  and  Randal  Bagby  on  section  5,  and  in  Oc* 
tober  Lewis  W.  Crain  on  section  4.  On  No- 
vember 9th  William  Herbaugh  and  Moses  B. 
Jacobs  arrived;  the  former  located  north  and 
the  latter  south  of  the  town-site. 

1867. 

About  November  i,  1867,  C.  Montague 
settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  5, 
and  on  November  nth  F.  Swanwick  bought 
the  claim  of  W.  C.  Watkins  and  located  011 
section  4. 

CELEBRATION. 

On  July  4,  1866,  the  settlers  of  this  part 
of  the  county  assembled  at  Oswego  and  held 
their   first   celebration. 


Capt.  Clover  had  some  of  the  machinery 
here  for  his  mill  in  the  spring  of  1866,  but  it 
took  so  long  to  build  the  dam  across  the 
Neosho  that  he  did  not  get  it  running  till  1868. 
The  first  mill  to  be  put  in  operation  in  the 
township  was  brought  here  November  9,  1866, 
by  M.  B.  Jacobs,  but  he  did  not  get  it  started 
till  the  spring  of  1867.  It  was  located  on  his 
claim,  just  south  of  town.  It  was  thought 
better  to  haul  the  logs  from  the  woods  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


mill  on  the  prairie  and  thus  have  the  lumber 
where  it  could  be  procured  easil}',  than  to  lo- 
cate the  mill  in  the  woods  and  thus  cause  the 
lumber  to  be  hauled  out  over  the  muddy  bot- 
toms. 

ORGANIZATION. 

This  township  from  the  first  has  had  the 
same  territory  as  is  now  included  within  its 
limits.  It  was  organized  at  the  time  of  the 
division  of  the  county  into  precincts  for  the 
first  election.  The  first  official  record  of  its 
organization  now  to  be  found  is  the  order  of 
the  commissioners  made  November  21,  1867, 
dividing  the  county  into  townships,  in  which 
they  ordered  that  "Oswego  township,  No.  3, 
shall  include  town  33,  R.  21."  The  first  of- 
ficer in  this  township  was  C.  H.  Talbott,  who 
was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace  by  the  Gov- 
ernor in  the  fall  of  1866.  He  seems  to  have 
appointed  Andy  Kaho  constable,  to  serve  what- 
ever process  was  issued  by  him.  These  were 
probably  the  only  civil  officers  of  the  township 
prior  to  its  organization.  I  have  not  been  able 
to  learn  the  names  of  all  the  officers  who  were 
elected  in  April,  1867.  D.  W.  Clover  was  one 
of  the  justices  of  the  peace  elected  at  that 
time,  and  probably  J.  F.  Newlon  was  the 
other;  Andy  Kaho  was  elected  constable.  On 
April  5,  1868,  the  following  officers  were 
elected:  R.  W.  Wright,  trustee;  S.  Reardon, 
clerk;  Norris  Harrer,  treasurer;  R.  J.  Elliott 
and  J.  F.  Newlon,  justices  of  the  peace;  A. 
Kaho  and  F.  D.  Howe,  constables;  Ephriam 
Shanks,    road   overseer. 

FAIRVIEW  TOWNSHIP. 

As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  but 
two  parties  had  settled  in  this  township  prior 
to  1866.     Francis  Wall  settled  on  the  south- 


west quarter  of  section  10,  and  Mr.  Allen  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  13,  in  the  fall 
of  1865. 

During  the  year  1866  a  number  of  parties 
came  into  the  township.  Early  in  the  spring 
William  Springer  settled  oa  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  2,  M.  V.  B.  Coffin  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  3,  and  William 
Cline  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  4. 
James  Logan  came  in  March,  and  located  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  11,  and  James 
M.  Logan  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
same  section.  In  ]\Iay  Charles  Wadsack  set- 
tled on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  12, 
and  Frederick  and  Ernest  Wadsack  in  the  same 
vicinity.  In  June  John  Richardson  bought 
Mr.  Springer's  claim  for  $200,  to  which  he 
moved  from  the  claim  taken  in  Liberty  town- 
ship, and  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

Among  those  who  made  settlement  during 
1867  were  W.  S.  Park,  James  Dike,  S.  H. 
Spurr  and  Charles  Kelso.  Mr.  Spurr  bought 
J.  M.  Logan's  claim,  and  the  latter  settled  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  16. 

INDUSTRIES. 

M.  V.  B.  Coffin  was  the  first  blacksmith 
in  the  township;  he  opened  a  shop  at  his  home 
soon  after  settling  there  in  the  spring  of  1866. 
He  had  been  a  soldier  with  Kit  Carson,  was  a 
good  workman,  and  had  a  good  run  of  busi- 
ness. He  died  in  January,  1867;  Mr.  Peters 
bought  his  tools.  In  1867  J.  M.  Logan  con- 
structed a  wooden  mill  for  grinding  cane,  of 
which  he  and  his  neighbors  raised  quite  large 
patches.  He  made  a  large  amount  of  sorghum 
molasses. 

ORGANIZATION. 

In  the  original  division  of  the  county,  what 
is  known  as  Fairview  township  formed  a  part 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


of  Labette.  On  the  application  of  A.  S. 
Spaulding,  Frank  Williams,  J.  R.  Sweet  and 
some  50  other  electors,  the  commissioners,  on 
April  26,  1870,  made  an  order  organizing  town- 
ship 33,  range  20,  into  a  municipal  township 
with  the  name  of  Fairview,  and  fixing  the 
voting-place  of  the  township  at  the  office  of 
Dr.  A.  S.  Spaulding,  on  section  21.  The 
following  officers  were  appointed  to  ser\-e  until 
April,  1871  :  I.  \\\  Patrick  trustee;  \\'. 
W.  Babbitt,  clerk;  A.  S.  Spaulding,  treasurer; 
W.  H.  Umbarger  and  John  Robinson,  con- 
stables. A.  S.  Potter  and  James  Paxon  were 
recommended  for  appointment  as  justices  of 
the  peace. 


On  May  20,  1870,  the  commissioners,  on  a 
petition  therefor,  made  an  order  that  stock  be 
not  allowed  to  run  at  large  in  the  night-time, 
for  the  term  of  three  years. 

MOUNT  PLEASANT  TOWNSHIP. 

W.  F.  Hamman  was  the  first  settler  in 
"  this  township.  He  erected  his  house  upon  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  2  in  April,  1869. 
Soon  thereafter  Mr.  Moray  located  upon  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  11.  In  July  E.  A. 
Wait  and  his  brother,  A.  H.  Wait,  settled  on 
section  12,  and  Henry  C.  McClelland  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  14.  A  little  later 
in  the  season  the  northwest  part  of  the  town- 
ship was  settled.  Benjamin  H.  Greer,  George 
Greer,  James  Armstrong  and  Lewis  C.  Hill 
were  the  first  settlers  in  this  part  of  the  town- 
ship. 

RELIGIOUS  EXERCISES. 

In  the  fall  of  1869  A.  W.  King,  of  Osage 
township,  commenced  preaching  at  the  houses 


of  Benjamin  Greer  and  Lewis  Hill.  Services 
were  kept  up  at  private  houses  with  more  or 
i  less  regularity  until  the  Pioneer  schoolhouse 
was-  built,  when  they  were  held  there.  They 
were  principally  conducted  by  Methodist 
preachers  in  charge  of  the  Timber  Hill  circiut. 

BIRTHS,    MARRIAGES    AND    DEATHS. 

When  Mr.  JNIoray  and  his  wife  were  camped 
upon  their  claim  above  referred  to,  before  they 
had  their  house  erected,  the  first  child  in  the 
township  was  born  to  them.     On  October  i, 

1869,  W.  F.  Hamman  lost  his  son  Henry, 
which  was  the  first  death  in  the  township. 
The  first  marriage  in  the  township  was  that  of 
George  R.  Greer  and  Mary  A.  Hill. 

ORGANIZATION. 

Mount  Pleasant  township  was  originally 
a   part   of   Labette  township.      On   May   20, 

1870,  G.  W.  Moray  and  60  other  electors  pe- 
titioned for  the  organization  of  township  33, 
range  19,  into  a  municipal  township,  which 
petition  the  board  granted  and  named  the 
township  Mount  Pleasant.  Thereupon  the 
board  appointed  the  following  officers :  H.  C. 
McClelland,  trustee;  Walter  Downing,  clerk; 
Henry  Storyj  treasurer;  Florence  Hamman 
and  C.  E.  Woodin,  constables.  Ezra  A.  Wait 
and  John  Hamblin  were  recommended  for  jus- 
tices of  the  peace,  and  they  were  afterward 
appointed. 

CARE  OF  STOCK. 

On  June  23,  1870,  on  a  pt^tition  of  its  citi- 
zens the  board  made  an  order  restraining  the 
running  at  large  of  stock  in  the  night-time  for 
a  period  of  five  years. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


CANADA  TOWNSHIP. 

On  January  23,  1867,  Alexander  and  Mil- 
ton Duncan  located  on  section  7,  township 
34,  range  18,  and  were  the  first  settlers  in 
what  is  now  Canada  township.  A  little  later 
in  the  season  Jonathan  Hill  settled  on  section 
28,  Gresham  Gokey  on  section  29,  and  some- 
time during  the  year  John  Nellis,  J.  Roberts, 
George  Mays  and  Lewis  Scott  settled  in  the 
township.     John  McNeal  came    in    October, 

1868.  I  do  not  find  the  names  of  other  set- 
tlers prior  to  those  who  came  in  the  spring  of 

1869.  During  this  year  quite  a  large  immi- 
gration came  into  the  township,  among  whom 
may  be  mentioned  H.  Hedemann,  D.  M.  Pitt, 
J.  F.  Walford,  H.  A.  Linn,  William  WaUers, 
David  Ross,  Howard  Phenis  and  sons,  John 
Phillips,  Mrs.  Mary  Price,  Ola  Olson. 

Mr.  Phenis  and  his  sons  had  a  shingle- 
mill,  in  1869,  on  section  32,  from  which  they 
supplied  the  settlers  in  that  neighborhood  with 
shingles   for  their  cabins. 

The  first  child  born  in  the  township  was 
Milton  Duncan,  son  of  Alexander  Duncan, 
on  February  12,  1868.  The  first  death  was 
that  of  an  old  man  named  Munk. 


ORGANIZATION. 

In  the  absence  of  any  record  I  take  the 
statement  of  Mr.  Dickerman,  who  was  then 
county  clerk,  that,  of  the  nine  precincts  into 
which  the  county  was  divided,  in  March,  1867, 
by  the  commissioners  appointed  for  its  organ- 
ization, the  southwest  part  was  called  Pump- 
kin Creek.  No  election  was  held  therein  at 
the  first  election  for  county  officers.  When 
the  commissioners  met  and  organized,  on  June 
5,  1867,  they  made  an  order  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  two  west  precincts,  in  which  it  was 


provided  that  "Canada  township  shall  include 
33  and  34,  range  18,  and  the  west  half  of  the 
33  and  34,  range  19.  and  as  far  west  as  the 
county  line."  This  is  the  first  official  record 
we  have  relating  to  this  township,  or  giving 
it  a  name.  It  was  not  until  October  21,  1867, 
that  a  voting-precinct  was  designated  for  the 
township;  at  that  time  it  was  fixed  at  J.  M. 
Duncan's.  On  November  21,  1867,  the  com- 
missioners made  a  new  order  dividing  the 
county  into  townships,  in  which  it  was  ordered 
that  "Canada  township,  No.  9,  shall  include 
town  33  and  34,,  R.  17  and  18."  On  April  6, 
1868,  the  north  half  of  township  33,  in  ranges 
17  and  18,  Avas  attached  to  Osage  township. 
The  first  election  in  the  township  was  held  No- 
vember 5,  1867,  at  which  J.  R.  Shippey  was 
elected  trustee,  J.  M.  Duncan  and  G.  W.  Mays, 
justices  of  the  peace;  John  Nellis  and  John 
Scoville,  constables.  The  record  does  not  show 
who  the  opposing  candidates  were;  but  the 
vote  was  a  tie  on  justices  between  Mr.  Mays 
and  some  one  else,  and  Mr.  Mays  was  suc- 
cessful in  the  casting  of  lots  for  the  office.  By 
an  order  made  April  14,  1869,  township  35, 
ranges  17  and  18,  was  attached  to  this  town- 
ship. 

PROTECTING  CROPS. 

On  May  27,  1871,  on  the  petition  of  E. 
B.  Baldwin  and  42  others,  the  commissioners- 
made  an  order  restraining  stock  from  run- 
ning at  large  in  the  night-time  for  a  term  of 
two  years. 

HOWARD  TOWNSHIP. 

The  first  settler  in  what  is  now  Howard 
township  was  John  Kennedy,  who  located  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  12,  township- 
35,  range  17,  in  1867. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


The  settlement  of  this  township  fairly  com- 
menced in  1869,  and  among  those  who  located 
here  that  year  are  the  following:  W.  H. 
Godwin,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
3;  Clinton  Hawley,  on  section  2;  Jesse  Mc- 
Clintock,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
1 1 ;  E.  R.  Lee,  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 33 ;  Lee  Loverage,  on  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  33 ;  W.  S.  Getzendaner,  on  sec- 
tion 13,  range  17;  H.  H.  Long,  on  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  5. 

In  March,  1870,  E.  B.  Baldwin  located  upon 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  2,  and  during 
the  same  season  settlements  were  made  by  Will- 
iam Blackford  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 4,  Scott  on  the  southeast  quarter 

of  section  24,  B.  W.  Harwood  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  10,  George  McKee  on 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  10,  David  Mc- 
Kee on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  14,  J. 
M.  Hart  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  11. 
Dana  H.  Fuller  and  Aldin  Fuller  on  section 
4,  Banks  Hall  and  John  W.  Hall  on  section 
13,  D.  Smallwood  on  section  i,  Frank  Pfiester 
on  section  7. 

On  March  5,  1871,  W.  J.  Millikin  took  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  22,  and  sometime 
during  the  season,  some  early  in  the  spring 
and  some  not  till  fall,  settlements  were  made 
by  P.  B.  Clark  on  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section'  24,  Samuel  Smith  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  12,  James  Bennett  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  20,  Walter  Ben- 
nett on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  29, 
William  Reasor  on  the  southeast  quarter,  John 
Reasor  on  the  northwest  quarter,  and  George 
H.  Goodwin  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 27.  James  Steel  took  the  southwest  quar- 
•  ter,  William  Steel  the  northwest  quarter.  Boon 
Thompson  the  southeast   quarter,   and   J.    K. 


Russell  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  23; 
John  Vance  the  southwest  quarter  and  Chris- 
tian Lieb  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  24; 
Lincoln  Clark,  and  William  and  John  High 
section  i.  W.  M.  Mabrey  located  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  11,  in  range  17. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The  territory  of  which  I  am  now  speak- 
ing was  a  part  of  Canada  township  until  after 
the  spring  election  of  1872.  At  that  election 
the  opposing  candidates  for  justice  of  the 
peace  were  J.  M.  Hart  and  H.  H.  Long,  both 
residing  in  what  is  now  Howard  township. 
The  vote  between  them  being  a  tie,  lots  were 
cast  resulting  in  the  choice  of  Mr.  Hart,  who 
thereby  became  the  first  officer  of  the  new 
township.  On  April  5,  1872,  E.  B.  Baldwin 
presented  the  petition  of  himself  and  81  other 
electors  asking  the  commissioners  for  the  for- 
mation of  a  new  township,  embracing  all  the 
territory  in  ranges  17  and  18  lying  south  of 
the  line  running  east  and  west  through  the 
middle  of  township  34,  leaving  three  tiers  of 
sections  in  township  34  in  the  old  township, 
and  putting  three  tiers  of  section  in  town- 
ship 34  and  all  of  fractional  township  35  in  the 
new  township.  This  prtition  was  granted, 
and  the  order  of  the  commissioners  made  creat- 
ing said  territory  into  a  municipal  township, 
which  they  named  Howard  in  honor  of  the 
county  clerk.  Thereupon  the  following  of- 
ficers were  appointed  for  the  township  thus 
organized:  E.  B.  Baldwin,  trustee;  William 
J.  Millikin.  clerk;  Joseph  Buckley,  treasurer; 
J.  J.  Breeding,  constable.  Mr.  Buckley  failed 
to  qualify,  and  the  commissioners  soon  there- 
after appointed  William  Blackford  treasurer 
in  his  place.  ., 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


There  have  been  several  places  in  the  town- 
ship at  different  times  where  small  stores  have 
been  conducted.  Capt.  J.  W.  Hall  started  a 
store  on  his  premises  in  the  summer  of  1870, 
which  he  conducted  only  a  short  time.  W.  H. 
Godwin  and  F.  W.  Noblett  kept  a  small  stock 
of  groceries  at  the  Dora  postoffice.  The  town 
of  Willeyville,  afterward  called  Deerton,  while 
it  existed  was  in  this  township,  and  the  busi- 
ness houses  in  operation  there  have  been  spoken 
of  in  connection  with  that  name. 


John  ?kIcClintock  and  Nettie  Smallwood, 
on  December  22,  1872,  were  joined  in  mar- 
riage, being  the  first  couple  married  in  the 
township,  and  the  marriage  of  H.  F.  Jones  and 
Mary  McClintock  followed  some  two  or  three 
weeks  later.  Among  the  first  births  in  the 
township  were  sons  in  the  families  of  W.  J. 
McClintock  and  D.  H.  McKee,  in  the  summer 
of  1870,  and  on  August  15,  1870,  a  daughter, 
Julia  A.,  to  Colonel  Baldwin  and  wife.  A  son 
of  G.  B.  McKee  was  injured  by  falling  into 
a  well,  from  which  he  died;  this  was  the  first 
death  in  the  township,  and  I  understand  that 
B.  W.  Harwood,  who  was  murdered  on  Au- 
gust 15,  1872,  was  the  second  person  who  died 
in  the  township. 

EL^I  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 

The  first  party  to  locate  in  Elm  Grove 
township  was  William  Bowen,  who  took  his 
claim  on  sections  3  and  10  early  in  the  spring 
of  1867.  the  old  settlers  say,  although  no  one 
whom  I  have  met  is  able  to  fix  the  date  of  his 
settlement.     Probablv  the  next  settlers  in  the 


township  were  R.  P.  and  Amas  Totten,  who 
located  on  section  10,  as  it  is  thought,  in  the 
summer  of  1867.  A  few  parties  made  settle- 
ment here  in  1868.  Madison  Sharp  came  in 
June  and  located  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  13,  although  he  did  not  bring  his  fam- 
ily until  the  following  February.  At  the  same 
time  Thomas  Sharp  located  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  the  same  section.  In  1869  many  more 
families  came  in.  C.  M.  Keeler  located  on 
same  section  with  William  Bowen,  Daniel 
Mclntyre  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
12,  Joseph  Gray  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  3,  A.  J.  Moler  on  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  13,  James  Woodville  on  section 
12,  in  township  35.  Wesley  Faurot  came  July 
29th  this  year,  and  settled  in  the  extreme 
southeast  corner  of  the  township ;  Harvey  Jones 
also  settled  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town- 
ship. In  July  C.  B.  Pratt  took  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  3,  in  township  35,  and 
opened  thereon  the  first  store  in  the  township ; 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  the  postoffice 
at  that  point,  which  was  called  Ripon.  In 
October  Dr.  D.  P.  Lucas  settled  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  12,  in  township  35; 
and  during  the  season  Thomas  Summerfield 
settled  in  the  same  locality,  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  9.  Probably  still  more  fam- 
ilies whose  names  I  have  not  mentioned  came 
in  this  year.  The  settlement  of  the  south- 
western part  of  the  township  did  not  com- 
mence until  the  spring  of  1870.  In  June 
Peter  Shu  felt  found  a  small  house  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  20  which  had 
been  put  there  by  some  one  who  had  left.  He 
took  possession  of  this  and  made  claim  to  tliis 
quarter,  afterward  paying  the  man  for  his 
house.  Harrison  Sword  settled  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  30,  A.  J.  Lots  on  the 
1  southwest  quarter  of  section  7,  Peter  Rhodes 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


on  section  i8.  H.  H.  Lieli  and  R.  W.  Lieb  also 
in  that  vicinity.  During  tiie  season  Owen 
Wimmer  and  sons  located  on  section  29,  but 
did  not  bring  their  families  until  the  spring  of 
1871 ;  Alfred  Elliott  located  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  30.  In  1871,  Junius,  Peter 
and  Lewis  Goodwin  settled  on  section  31. 

ORGANIZATION. 

By  the  division  first  made,  what  is  now 
Elm  Grove  township  was  a  part  of  Canada  and 
Hackberry  townships.  After  November  21, 
1867,  until  its  organization  by  itself,  it  formed 
a  part  of  Hackberry  township  only.  On  July 
27,  1870,  W.  H.  Bowen  and  55  others  hav- 
ing petitioned  therefor,  the  commissioners 
made  an  order  for  the  organization  of  town- 
ships 34  and  35,  in  range  19,  into  a  municipal 
township,  with  the  name  of  Elm  Grove;  and 
on  July  29th  appointed  the  following  officers : 
D.  Mclntyre,  trustee;  John  Lane,  clerk;  John 
Freeman,  treasurer;  Charles  Ballard  and  S. 
Bentley,  constables;  and  recommended  W.  H. 
Bowen  and  T.  H.  Noslen  for  appointment  as 
justices  of  the  peace. 


On  April  12,  1871,  upon  a  petition  of  its 
citizens,  the  commissioners  ordered  that  stock 
be  prohibited  from  running  at  large  in  the 
night-time  for  the  term  of  three  years. 

OMITTED. 

This  township  had  the  misfortune  not  to 
be  named  in  the  apportionment  of  1871,  and  it 
was  not  until  1873  that  it  was  made  a  part  of 
any  legislative  district. 


CEMETERY. 

In  the  fall  of  1869  James  M.  Woodfill  died, 
and  was  the  first  person  to  be  buried  in  the 
cemetery  then  started  on  section  12,  in  the 
south  part  of  the  township.  His  wife  Sarah 
soon  followed  him,  and  was  the  second  to  be 
interred  in  this  cemetery. 

HACKBERRY  TOWNSHIP. 

A  few  parties  settled  in  this  township  in 
the  fall  of  1865.  James  Moss,  Robert  Hast- 
ings and  Mr.  Cawthorn  located  on  section  i, 
Mr.  Henderson  on  section  12,  and  Mr.  Chand- 
ler near  by.  A  few  more  parties  came  in  the 
following  year,  and  among  them  Mr.  Red- 
field,  who  settled  on  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  i,  Luman  Reed  on  the  northeast,  quar- 
ter of  section  25,  and  Robert  Gill  on  section 
22.  Many  'settlers  came  in  1867,  commencing 
early  in  the  spring  and  continuing  to  arrive 
during  the  summer.  In  June  Gilbert  A.  and 
|.  T.  Cooper  located  on  the  south  half  of  sec- 
tion 14,  and  a1x3ut  the  same  time  Alexander 
Bishop  settled  on  the  northwest  quarter  and 
Jerry  Strickler  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
the  same  section ;  William  Newcomb  settled  on 
section  11,  and  Henry  G.  Pore  on  section  12. 
In  July  George  W.  Franklin  and  L.  C.  How- 
ard located  on  section  2;  William  Sullivan, 
Robert  Johnson,  Abner  DeCou,  Benjamin 
Hiatt,  James  Sloan,  Walter  Pratt  and  Caleb 
Phillips  came  sometime  during  the  year.  It 
is  possible  that  some  of  the  parties  named  came 
in  1866  instead  of  1867.  Elder  Cooper  set- 
tled on  section  8  early  in  1868,  and  was  the 
first  Baptist  minister  in  that  vicinity.  In  Oc- 
tober William  Hannigan  bought  the  northwest 
fiuarter  of  section  9  from  Cal.  Watkins,  who 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


had  taken  it  sometime  previous  thereto.  About 
the  same  time  Martin  Jackson,  Aaron  Young 
and  Mordecai  Ramsey  came  in.  In  February, 
1869,  D.  C.  Constant  settled  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  18;  on  March  9th  G.  W. 
Jenkins  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  33 ; 
and  in  July  J.  L.  Jones  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  5,  township  35. 

ORGANIZATION. 

In  the  first  division  of  the  county,  Hack- 
berry  township  included  township  34,  range 
20,  and  the  east  half  of  range  19.  By  the 
new  division,  on  November  21,  1867,  it  was 
ordered  that  "Hackberry  township.  No.  5,  shall 
include  town  34.  R.  19  and  20."  On  April  14. 
1869,  township  35,  lying  in  these  ranges,  was 
attached  as  a  part  of  the  township.  The  first 
election  in  the  township  was  held  at  the  time 
of  the  election  of  the  first  county  officers,  April 
22,  1867,  but  there  is  no  record  of  the  result. 
At  the  election  held  April  7,  1868,  the  follow- 
ing officers  were  elected :  G.  W.  Franklin, 
trustee;  William  Johnson,  clerk;  H.  G.  Pore, 
treasurer;  L.  C.  Howard  and  D.  M.  Bender, 
justices  of  the  peace:  D.  Day  and  William 
Hiatt,  constables;  and  William  E.  Pratt,  road 
overseer. 

CARE    OF    STOCK. 

October  4,  1869,  the  residents  having  pe- 
titioned therefor,  the  board  ordered  that  stock 
be  not  allowed  to  run  at  large  in  the  night- 
time for  the  period  of  five  years. 

RICHLAND  TOWNSHIP. 

The  first  settlement  of  this  township  has 
been  spoken  of  in  another  part  of  this  work. 
It  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  part  of 


the  county  settled  by  the  whites,  but  the  set- 
tlement was  entirely  broken  up  in  1863.  The 
settlement  as  it  now  exists  commenced  in  the 
fall  of  1865.  Among  those  who  came  that  sea- 
son were  Thomas  King,  who  settled  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  18,  William  Busby 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  17,  Will- 
iam Puitt  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
7,  Zephaniah  Woolsey  on  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  27 ;  a  man  by  the  name  of  Baker 
and  his  three  sons.  Berry,  John  and  William, 
and  two  sons-in-law,  Dotson  and  Maxwell, 
along  Labette  Creek  on  sections  22,  23  and  26 ; 
G.  W.  Yandel  and  his  sons-in-law,  David 
Lewellin  and  Chas.  A.  Rankin,  came  in  No- 
vember, 1865,  and  took  claims,  but  did  not 
bring  their  families  until  the  following  spring. 
These  parties  and  also  Mr.  Yandal's  son,  Co- 
lumbus, settled  on  sections  6,  7  and  8.  About 
the  same  time  George  W.  Kingsbury  settled  on 
section  6. 

During  1866  many  parties  came  into  the 
township,  some  coming  early  in  the  spring  and 
others  later  in  the  season.  In  the  spring  the 
Rice  brothers,  Benjamin,  John  and  James, 
John  Green,  Orville  Thompson,  John  W. 
Wiley,  Gilbert  Martin,  Samuel  Braught,  Allen 
Barnes,  Mancil  Garret,  Lorenzo  Braught, 
James  Smith,  and  perhaps  others,  settled  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  township  north  of 
Labette.  In  May  S.  R.  Southwick  settled  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  29,  William 
Shay  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  20, 
John  Kinney  and  sons  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  28,  George  Lane  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  28,  Abraham  Ewers 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  31.  In 
June  Samuel  Gregory  settled  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  26,  and  in  August  Mr.  Yun- 
ker  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  29, 
and  Mr.  Bedicker  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


section  32.  On  August  12th  Franklin  Asl>ell 
bouglit  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  18 
from  Thomas  King  and  became  a  permanent 
settler  thereon.  On  October  loth  David  U. 
Watson  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  21,  and  John  N.  Watson  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  29;  about  the  same 
time  Marshall  J.  Lee  settled  north  of  Labette 
Creek,  Milton  Helm  on  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  29,  and  Riley  Hawkins  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  20;  Stephen  Bright 
bought  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  7  from 
Woolsey;  John  and  Cass  Steel  settled  on  sec- 
tion 8,  Salina  Grant  on  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  30. 

On  January  i,  1867,  Moses  Powers  lo- 
"Cated  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  21 ; 
in  April  Isaac  Butterworth  bought  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  30  from  Salina  Grant, 
and  made  his  home  thereon. 


The  first  store  in  the  township,  aside  from 
those  located  in  Chetopa,  was  kept  by  Orville 
Thompson,  a  little  north  of  Labette  Creek,  on 
the  east  road  leading  from  Oswego  to  Chetopa; 
it  was  started  in  the  spring  of  1866.  Soon 
after  this  the  town  of  Labette  was  started,  on 
the  Neosho. 


For  many  years  a  large  part  of  the  land 
south  of  the  Labette  was  covered  with  water 
so  great  a  portion  of  the  year  that  it  was 
practically  of  little  use.  In  1882  a  ditch  was 
dug,  draining  this  swamp  into  the  Neosho, 
thereby  making  a  large  tract  of  land  capable 
of  cultivation. 


CEMETERY. 

In  April,  1874,  John  F.  Hill  deeded  three 
acres  of  land  in  section  9,  on  which  the  Pleas- 
ant Valley  Cemetery  was  laid  out;  George 
Gennoa  was  the  first  person  buried  therein. 
This  cemetery  has  been  nicely  improved  and 
quite  extensively  used. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The  commissioners  appointed  for  the  or- 
ganization of  the  county  in  laying  it  off  into 
precincts  constituted  township  34,  range  21, 
a  township,  which  they  named  Chetopa.  The 
first  official  reference  we  have  to  this  township 
is  on  July  2,  1867,  when  it  was  "Ordered, 
that  the  township  called  Chetopa,  the  south- 
ern township  of  Labette  county,  l3e  changed 
according  to  the  request  of  the  petitioners,  to 
be  called  Richland  township  hereafter."  On 
November  21,  1867,  iii  dividing  the  county 
ihto  townships,  the  commissioners  ordered  that 
"Richland  township,  No.  4  shall  include  town 
34,  R.  21."  While  we  have  no  record  show- 
in  the  names  of  the  persons  who  were  elected 
officers  at  the  election  held  April  22,  1867,  we 
soon  thereafter  find  J.  N.  Watson  acting  as 
justice  of  the  peace.  He  resigned  on  October 
23,  and  on  November  19  the  commissioners 
appointed  G.  H.  English,  and  two  days  later 
they  also  appointed  William  H.  Reed  justice 
of  the  peace.  On  April  7,  1868,  the  following 
officers  were  elected:  Robert  Steel,  trustee; 
R.  B.  Wallan,  clerk;  Daniel  Ouinby,  treasurer; 
George  Kincade  and  B.  B.  Baker,  justices  of 
the  peace;  J.  W.  Wiley  and  A.  P.  Kinkade, 
constables;  Allison  Hasty,  road  overseer.  On 
April  14,  1869,  an  order  of  the  commissioners 
was  made  attaching  township  35,  range  21, 
to   Richland   township. 


TOWNS  AND  CITIES 


PROPOSED       TOWNS. 


'IT       MIGHT      HAVE     BEEN." 


LABETTE. 

No  less  than  three  towns  christened  La- 
bette have  been  started  in  this  county.  The 
first  of  the  three  was  located  in  the  fall  of 
1866,  by  Gilbert  Martin,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Neosho,  in  section  14,  Richland  township.  In 
1867  Mr.  Martin  put  in  a  sawmill,  to  which 
was  attached  a  set  of  corn  buhrs.  The  mill 
got  quite  a  trade  at  this  point.  A  store  build- 
ing was  erected  by  L.  D.  Bovee,  for  Mr.  Smith, 
who  put  in  a  stock  of  groceries.  This  build- 
ing was  afterward  sold  to  School  District  No. 
3,  and  was  moved  from  its  location  on  the 
town-site  to  the  public  road,  where  it  now 
stands,  and  is  still  in  use  as  a  school-house. 
Another  building  was  erected,  for  R.  G.  Tiles- 
ton,  who  put  in  quite  a  large  amount  of  gro- 
ceries. In  January,  1868,  Martin,  Tileston 
and  Bovee  put  up  quite  a  quantity  of  ice  fully 
eight  inches  thick.  With  the  cold  weather  of 
the  spring  and  winter  of  1867  and  1868  the 
hopes  of  this  town  vanished,  and  during  the 
spring  all  of  its  business  was  moved  away. 

The  second  town  of  this  name  was  located 
on  parts  of  sections  20  and  21,  in  Richland 
township,  just  south  of  Labette  Creek.  In 
May,  1868,  a  number  of  parties,  among  whom 
were  G.  A.  Cooper,  R.  G.  Tileston,  L.  D. 
Bovee,  Allen  Barnes,  Gilbert  Martin  and  Isaac 
Butterworth,   formed  themselves  into  a  com- 


pany for  the  purpose  of  laying  out  this  town, 
and  on  June  18  their  charter  was  filed  in  the 
office  of  the  Secretary  of  State.  Mr.  Tiles- 
ton put  up  quite  a  large  two-story  building, 
and  removed  his  stock  of  groceries  from  the 
former  town  of  Labette,  lying  to  the  northeast 
of  this,  and  added  thereto  so  that  he  had  quite 
a  respectable  store.  Moses  Powers  had  a 
blacksmith  shop,  and  quite  a  number  of  parties 
built  small  dwelling-houses;  so  that  during  the 
summer  of  1868  there  were  probably  12  to  20 
buildings  of  all  descriptions  on  the  town-site. 
The  town  was'  also  known  by  the  name  of 
Soresco  as  well  as  by  the  name  of  Labette. 
Its  proprietors  supposed  that  they  were  in  the 
line  where  the  Mi  K.  &  T.  Ry.  would  neces- 
sarily be  located.  With  the  close  of  1868  the 
prospects  of  an  important  town  being  built  up 
at  this  point  disappeared.  Mr.  Tileston  be- 
came interested  in  Chetopa,  to  which  point  he 
moved  his  stock  of  groceries,  leaving  his  store 
building,  however,  as  a  watch-tower  in  the 
desert  to  mark  the  spot  which  had  been  the 
scene  of  so  many  bright  anticipations. 

DAYTON. 

The  town  of  Labette  having  been  started 
in  the  southeastern  part  of  Liberty  township 
it  was  thought  by  some  that  a  more  desirable 
location  for  a  town  would  be  farther  up  La- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


bette  Creek,  and  in  May,  1870,  J.  F.  Newlon, 
E.  K.  Currant,  Peterson  Cherry,  W.  H.  Por- 
ter and  a  number  of  others  became  incor- 
porated, the  charter  being  filed  June  20,  1870, 
and  a  town-site  was  selected  upon  the  west  bank 
of  the  Labette,  below  the  mouth  of  Bachelor 
Creek,  on  sections  9  and  16,  township  32, 
range  20.  But  few  houses  were  ever  erected 
on  the  town-site.  William  H.  and  John  I. 
Sipple  put  up  a  fair  store  building  and  opened 
up  a  'Store.  E.  K.  Currant  put  up  a  building 
and  opened  a  branch  of  his  main  store,  which 
was  at  Montana.  There  were  two  or  three 
other  business  houses.  In  November  following 
the  town  was  moved  to  Parsons. 

JACKSONVILLE. 

This  town  was  located  in  four  counties, 
but  principally  in  Neosho  county.  It  em- 
braced, however,  a  part  of  section  3,  township 
31,  range  21,  in  Labette  county.  On  Decem- 
ber 23,  1867,  a  paper  purporting  to  be  a  char- 
ter for  the  incorporation  of  the  town  was  filed 
in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  but 
there  was  no  pretense  of  complying  with  the 
law.  On  January  23,  1868,  a  new  charter  was 
filed.  Among  the  incorporators  were  Will- 
iam Logan,  G.  D.  Dement,  David  Evans  and 
Samuel  Correll.  After  the  first  two  or  three 
years  there  was  little  left  to  indicate  what 
this  town  once  was. 


CHERRYVILLE. 

On  January  30,  1869,  the  charter  for  the 
town  of  Cherryville,  incorporating  James  H. 
Beggs,  James  McMains,  John  Oliphant  and 
others,  was  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary 
of  State.  The  town  was  to  be  located  on  the 
south  half  of  section  12,  township  32,  range 


17.  The  proprietors  seem  to  ha\'e  soon  be- 
come satisfied  that  they  were  not  going  t(j  be 
able  to  build  up  a  town  at  this  point,  and  con- 
cluded to  abandon  it. 

VERBENA. 

A  town  with  this  name  was  proposed  to 
be  located  on  section  13,  township  32,  range 
17,  in  Osage  township.  R.  D.  Hartsorn,  John 
W.  Claspill,  W.  O.  Hartsorn,  Lionel  A,  Whit- 
ney and  Samuel  C.  Hockett  were  charter 
members  of  the  town  company.  The  charter 
was  filed  with  the  Secretary  of  State  June  16, 
1869. 

KINGSBURY. 

The  above  name  was  chosen  for  a  town  that 
was  to  have  been  located  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  30,  in  Osage  township,  if 
the  line  of  the  L.  L.  &  G.  R.  R.  had  run 
through  that  quarter  as  it  was  expected  to. 
Mr.  Kingsbury,  one  of  the  surveying  party, 
assured  the  owners  of  claims  in  that  vicinity 
that  the  road  would  surely  be  located  on  that 
line.  Perhaps  it  would  have  been  had  not 
the  general  course  of  the  road  been  changed 
so  as  to  pass  through  Montgomery  instead  of 
Labette  county.  On  the  strength  of  these  as- 
surances a  town  company  was  organized,  of 
which  W.  H.  Carpenter  was  president  and  L. 
F.  Dick,  secretary.  When  the  line  of  the  rail- 
road was  located  west  of  them  the  project  of 
building  this  town  was  abandoned. 

TIMBER   HILL. 

A  company  consisting  of  Alexander  W. 
King,  T^Iahlon  A.  King,  J.  H.  Beatty  and 
others  was  incorporated  April  12,  1869,  for 
the  purpose  of  laying  off  the  town  of  Timber 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Hill.  It  was  located  on  the  south  half  of  the 
northeast  quarter  and  the  north  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  34,  township  31, 
range   18.     About  the  middle  of  September, 

1869,  George  W.  Blake  and  William  Blake 
opened  a  store  at  this  place;  they  continued  to 
sell  goods  till  the  spring  of  1871,  when  they 
■closed  and  moved  on  their  farms. 

BIG  HILL. 

Joseph  McCormick,  David  Stanfield.  John 
A.  Helpingstine,  Thomas  Harrison  and  Jesse 
Bishop    became    incorporated     February    22, 

1870,  for  the  purpose  of  laying  ofif  the  town  of 
Big  Hill,  on  parts  of  sections  23  and  24,  town- 
ship 32,  range  17. 

NEOLA    . 

Was  intended  to  cover  320  acres  in  section  35, 
township  32,  and  section  2,  township  33,  both 
in  range  20.  Gilbert  Martin,  John  N.  Wat- 
son, David  C.  Lowe,  Julius  S.  Waters,  Chas. 
A.  Kelso,  Benjamin  A.  Rice  and  others  became 
incorporated  for  the  purpose  of  laying  ofif  the 
town.  The  charter  for  the  same  was  filed  in 
the  ofBce  of  the  Secretary  of  State  December 
24,  1867.  By  the  most  liberal  construction  of 
its  language  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  contain 
any  of  the  statutory  requirements  for  a  char- 
ter, but  it  is  probable  that  this  is  not  the  rea- 
son why  the  town  never  succeeded  in  acquir- 
ing any  more  growth  than  one  store  and  a 
iDlacksmithshop. 

ELSTOX. 

On  September  8,  1869,  there  was  filed  in 
the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  a  charter  in- 
corporating John  Elston,  John  T.  Weaver  and 


others  into  the  Elston  Town  Company,  for 
the  purpose  of  laying  off  a  town  on  section  6, 
township  33,  range  20.  During  that  summer 
this  town  had  quite  a  growth.  The  parties 
composing  this  company  were  men  of  some 
means,  who  came  from  Johnson  county  and 
wanted  to  build  a  town  nearer  the  center  of 
the  county  than  any  other  town  had  then  been 
located  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  making 
it  the  county-seat.  They  erected  quite  a  large 
hotel  and  a  number  of  store  buildings,  and  for 
a  time  had  considerable  trade,  and  the  town 
seemed  to  be  on  the  road  to  prosperity,  but  its 
growth  was  of  short  duration,  and  in  a  few 
years  not  a  single  building  remained  to  mark 
the  site  of  this  once  ambitious  place. 

KINGSTON. 

Kingston  was  located  on  sections  31  and 
32,  in  township  34,  and  sections  5  and  6,  in 
township  35,  range  19.  It  was  started  in  the 
summer  of  1877  by  the  erection  of  a  flour  mill 
by  Eastwood  &  Reamer.  Soon  after  Mr. 
Jones  started  a  blacksmith  shop;  Thomas 
Bruner  put  in  a  drug  store;  Aaron  Humes 
a  broom  factory;  Anderson  &  Weaver  a  gen- 
eral merchandise  store;  C.  W.  Campbell  was 
postmaster,  as  well  as  physician;  S.  E.  Ball 
was  the  only  lawyer.  In  1879  the  engine  was 
sold  out  of  the  mill,  and  thereafter  was  not 
put  in  again.  The  place  continued  more  or  less 
prosperous  until  the  construction  of  the  rail- 
road through  the  southern  portion  of  the  coun- 
ty, in  1886,  when  it  was  abandoned  and  united 
with  Edna. 

DEERTON. 

Named  from  the  abundance  of  deer  that 
were  found  in  that  vicinity  by  the  early  set- 
tlers.    It  was  located  by  the  Willie  brothers 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


on  the  north  half  of  section  20,  township  34, 
range  iS,  on  the  line  between  Howard  and 
Canada  townships.  The  first  store  in  Deerton 
was  opened  in  1880,  by  Aaron  Humes,  who 
was  soon  after  appointed  postmaster.  Charles 
M.  Keeler  next  followed  with  another  store 


of  general  merchandise.  Blacksmith  shops,  a 
wood-worker  and  a  broom  factory  were  among 
the  industries  of  this  town.  On  the  comple- 
tion of  the  railroad  through  Howard  township, 
in  the  fall  of  1886,  the  town  was  all  moved 
to  Valeda. 


CITIES,  TOWNS  AND    STATIONS    AS    AT  PRESENT   EXISTING. 


ANGOLA. 

C.  H.  Kimball,  Lee  Clark  and  others  filed 
a  charter  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State 
November  29,  1886,  authorizing  them  to  lay 
off  a  town-site  and  dispose  of  lots  on  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  8,  township  34,  range 
18.  The  plat  was  filed  February  12,  1887, 
acknowledged  by  Lee  Clark,  president  of  the 
town  company.  There  has  never  been  much 
growth — only  two  or  three  business  houses 
of  any  kind,  and  the  stock-yards. 

PENFIELD 

Is  a  station  on  the  P.  &  P.  Ry.,  located  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  27,  township  33, 
range  18.  This  location  was  formerly  called 
Barton. 

WILSONTON 

Is  located  on  the  line  of  the  Parsons  &  Pacific 
Ry.,  on  sections  16  and  17,  in  Labette  town- 
ship. It  was  surveyed  in  August,  1887.  The 
first  store  was  started  in  the  spring  of  1888, 
by  Samuel  Jameston.  Mrs.  Ella  B.  Wilson 
is  proprietor  of  the  town,  and    has   devoted 


much  energy  to  its  development  and  upbuild- 
ing. It  has  received  its  principal  amount  of 
advertising  by  the  distribution  of  the  Wilson- 
ton  Journal,  which  is  published  'here. 

IDENBORO 

Is  a  station  on  the  Parsons  &  Pacific  Railroad, 
south  of  Parsons. 

MORTIMER 

Was  laid  out  by  Emanuel  Mortimer,  on  the 
north  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
25,  township  31,  range  17.  The  plat  was  filed 
January  7,  1883. 

DENNIS. 

The  first  house  in  Dennis  was  the  railroad' 
depot,  erected  in  the  fall  of  1880.  In  the 
spring  of  1881  William  Current  put  up  a  store 
building,  in  which  he  placed  a  stock  of  gro- 
ceries; this  was  the  first  store  in  town.  John 
Webb  and  John  Milligan  put  in  another  store 
in  the  spring  of  1882,  their  stock  consisting 
of  general  merchandise.     A  second    stock  of 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


general  merchandise  was  put  in  by  W.  H. 
Thorne,  in  the  fall  of  1883.  Mr.  Thorne  also 
put  in  a  corn  elevator  and  shipped  grain,  and 
put  up  the  first  substantial  residence  house  in 
town.  Subsequently  John  Mason  put  in  a 
harness  shop,  L.  Pedan  a  lumber  yard,  Wm. 
Cline  a  drug  store,  J.  L.  Wilson  a  hardware 
store,  and  Nelson  Dunn  a  livery  stable.  The 
first  hotel  was  put  up  by  Mr.  Acre,  in  the 
summer  of  1885.  It  was  not  till  December 
21,  1883,  that  the  plat  of  the  town  was  filed 
in  the  office  of  the  register  of  deeds,  locating 
the  town  on  sections  14  and  15,  on  the  line  of 
the  Gulf  Railroad,  in  Osage  township.  Lee 
Wilson  was  born  to  L.  J.  Wilson  and  wife 
December  24,  1884, — the  first  child  born  in 
town.  Two  newspapers  have  been  started  in 
Dennis,  but  neither  was  able  to  maintain  an 
existence,  and  they  were  moved  away.  One 
of  the  substantial  business  plants  of  this  town 
is  its  flouring  mill. 

LANEVILLE 

Is  a  station  on  the  Fort  Scott  &  Gulf  Rail- 
road, located  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
20,  in  Neosho  township.  It  was  started  just 
after  the  building  of  the  railroad,  and  has  one 
store. 

MATTHEWSON. 

The  plat  of  this  town  located  it  on  section 
15,  township  31,  range  21,  and  was  filed  in 
the  office  of  the  register  of  deeds  April  30, 
1879.  The  first  house  in  JNIatthewson  was 
built  in  the  spring  of  1879,  by  William  Downs; 
in  this  he  had  his  residence,  the  store  and  post- 
office.  The  next  store  building  was  put  up  by 
G.  W.  Watson  and  C.  Hamilton,  who  put  in 
a  fair  stock  of  goods  and  did  a  good  business 
until  McCune  was  started,  when  they  moved 


to  that  town,  leaving  but  one  store  house  in 
Matthewson. 

STOVER 

1;  a  station  on  the  "Frisco,"  located  on  section 
15,  in  Fairview  township.  The  only  business 
that  has  been  conducted  here  has  been  one 
store,  owned  by  J.  N.  Santee;  a  blacksmith 
shop,  by  G.  W.  Brock;  and  a  part  of  the  time 
H.  M.  Debolt  has  run  a  sawmill,  with  which 
he  has  connected  a  set  of  corn  buhrs,  and  has 
also  been  engaged  in  the  grain  business. 


BIG  HILL 

Is  a  station  on  the  "Frisco"  Railroad,  in  Mouna 
Valley  township. 

STEVENS. 

On  February  23,  1874,  the  charter  of  Ste- 
vens was  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of 
State,  incorporating  Alfred  Large,  Jonas  Clark, 
L.  M.  Bedell  and  others  with  authority  to  lo- 
cate a  town  on  sections  33  and  34,  township 
34,  range  21.  The  plat  was  acknowledged 
by  R.  W.  Officer,  president  of  the  town  com- 
pany, and  was  filed  in  March,  1874.  A  few 
years  ago  this  ]:ilace  was  incorporated  ?s  a  part 
of  the  city  of  Chetopa. 

CECIL 

Is  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
5,  township  35,  range  20.  In  1869  Mr.  Head 
put  in  a  small  stock  of  general  merchandise, 
which  he  continued  to  sell  until  the  fall  of 
1870,  when  it  was  closed.  Allen  McNeal  has 
had  a  blacksmith  shop  since  1871.  George 
Burge  opened  a  store  in  1881,  which  he  has 
continued  to  conduct  up  to  the  present  time. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


123 


From  1885  to  1887  C.  W.  Fowler  had  a  store 
in  connection  with  the  postoffice.  The  Metho- 
dists have  a  church  and.  cemetery  at  this  point. 

MONTANA  CITY. 

Soon  after  coming  to  the  county  Frank 
Simons  brought  a  small  stock  of  groceries, 
which  he  commenced  selling  in  his  cabin.  Early 
in  the  spring  of  1866  he  put  up  a  hewed-log 
house  on  what  was  thereafter  to  be  the  Mon- 
tana town-site,  but  which  had  not  yet  been  laid 
off,  and  in  March  opened  therein  a  store.  This 
was  the  first  building  on  the  town-site,  and 
this  was  the  first  store  in  the  township.  Soon 
thereafter  Yates  &  Fagan  built  a  frame  store 
building  on  the  town-'site  and  put  therein  a 
stock  of  groceries.  This  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  frame  building  in  the  county.  Soon 
after  this  they  built  a  frame  residence.  The 
next  spring  Frank  Simons  built  a  frame  store 
building,  into  which  he  moved  his  stock  of 
groceries. 

TOWN    COMPANY. 

The  Montana  Town  Company  had  been 
agreed  upon  some  time  previously,  but  was  not 
incorporated  until  May  28,  1868.  Among 
those  who  were  members  of  the  company  were 
Levi  Seabridge,  J.  S.  Anderson,  Henry  Minor, 
S.  S.  Watson,  J.  S.  Waters  and  D.  M.  Wat- 
son. S.  S.  Watson  was  president  and  J.  S. 
Waters  secretary  of  the  town  company.  The 
town  was  located  on  section  8,  township  32, 
range  21. 


Abner  Furgeson  was  granted  a  ferry  li- 
cense on  July  II,  1867,  and  at  once  he,  in 
connection  with  Jonah  Wilcox,  commenced  the 
operation  of  a  ferry  across  the  Neosho  near 
where  it  is  spanned  by  the  iron  bridge. 


In  1868  Henry  M.  Miner  erected  a  two- 
story  building  and  opened  therein  the  first  hotel 
in  town. 

PHYSICIANS. 

D.  D.  McGrath  was  the  first  physician  of 
standing  to  locate  here.  He  was  soon  followed 
by  Dr.  Frye,  and  they  in  turn  by  Dr.  J.  M. 
Mahr,  all  of  whom  were  good  citizens  as  well 
as  good  physicians,  and  did  their  part  toward 
building  up  the  place.  Doctors  Hall,  Gapen, 
Taylor  and  Keys  are  among  the  other  physi- 
cians who  came  to  the  place. 


In  1870  W.  E.  Livesay  and  J.  O.  Charles 
erected,  and  in  the  spring  of  1871  put  in  opera- 
tion, the  grist  mill  which  for  over  a  score  of 
years  was  an  important  industry  of  the  town. 
On  May  q,  1893,  this  mill  burned  to  the 
ground,  and  the  plant  has  never  been  re- 
newed. 

MASONIC   LODGE. 

Evergreen  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  number- 
ing 86,  was  organized  about  the  close  of  1870, 
with  II  charter  members.  A.  W.  Swift  was 
the  first  W.  M.  After  an  existence  of  several 
years  the  lodge  surrendered  its  charter. 

IMPROVEMENTS. 

In  1868  the  town  commenced  a  rapid 
growth,  which  was  continued  during  the  next 
two  years,  and  at  one  time  it  contained  13  gen- 
eral stores,  three  hotels,  three  saloons,  two 
livery  stables,  two  wagon  shops,  besides  a 
great   number   of  other   shops   and   stores   of 


124 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


various  kinds,  and  a  population  of  not  less 
than  500  people.  Failing  to  get  the  M.  K. 
&  T.  Ry.,  which  was  built  in  1870,  and  also 
other  projected  lines  which  were  intended  to 
pass  through  her  boundaries  failing  to  be  built, 
it  was  evident  that  for  a  time  at  least  she  had 
reached  the  height  of  her  prosperity;  and  when 
the  town  of  Labette  sprang  up  on  the  line  of 
the  railroad  but  a  few  miles  from  her,  many 
of  her  firms  removed  their  business  there,  and 
some  of  them  took  with  them  their  business 
houses.  Of  the  business  houses  remaining  in 
the  town,  the  larger  part  were  swept  awayl  by 
a  fire  which  occurred  on  February  28,   1895. 

RAILROAD    FACILITIES. 

When  the  Mineral  branch  of  the  M.  K.  & 
T.  Ry.  was  built  in  1895,  it  was  located  between 
two  and  three  miles  south  of  the  town,  so  that 
it  really  furnishes  no  accommodations. 

GOVERNMENT. 

In  1873  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  auth- 
orizing the  town  to  incorporate  as  a  city  of 
the  third  class,  and  in  pursuance  of  its  pro- 
vision an  order  was'  made  by  the  district  judge, 
on  July  3,  1877,  for  the  incorporation  of  the 
city  of  Montana,  and  an  election  ordered  for 
July  14th.  At  the  first  election  Col.  J.  J. 
Woods  was  elected  mayor,  E.  D.  Keirsey  00- 
lice  judge,  and  the  following  persons  mem- 
bers of  the  council:  A.  B.  Chaplain,  G.  T. 
Peak,  J.  P.  Bradfield,  Samuel  Ballentine,  and 
J.  M.  Mahr.  A  pretense  of  a  city  government 
was  maintained  until  1884.  In  April,  1883, 
Martin  Wilcox  was  elected  mayor,  and  was 
the  last  person  on  whom  that  honor  was  con- 
ferred. It  became  generally  understood  that 
the  act  authorizing  the  incorporation  was  un- 


constitutional, and  the  form  of  going  through 
an  election  of  officers  who  had  no  legal  author- 
ity to  act  was  abandoned. 

BARTLETT. 

The  plat  of  the  town  of  Bartlett,  located- 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  town- 
ship 34,  range  20,  acknowledged  by  Robert  A. 
Bartlett,  was  filed  in  the  office  of  the  register 
of  deeds,  June  5,  1886.  The  first  lot  was  sold 
to  Jerome  Calahan,  who  erected  thereon  the 
first  building  which  was  put  up  on  the  town- 
site.  It  was  a  two-story  frame,  in  the  first 
story  of  which  he  put  a  general  stock  of  mer- 
chandise, which  was  the  first  store  in  town; 
the  upper  story  was  a  hall,  in  which  were  held 
religious  and  other  meetings.  B.  F.  Cox  built- 
the  first  dwelling  in  the  town,  and  started  the 
first  blacksmith  shop;  the  second  dwelling  was 
erected  by  H.  L.  Whiting.  In  1891 
William  Jarrett  put  in  a  cider-mill,  and  in  con- 
nection with  buhrs  for  grinding  meal  and  feed. 
The  Methodist  is  the  only  church  building  now 
in  town,  the  Presbyterian  church  building  hav- 
ing been  destroyed  by  fire.  Bartlett  has  grown 
into  a  nice  trading  point  and  is  likely  to  have- 
considerable  more  growth. 


There  have  been  two  or  three  fires  that 
have  been  quite  damaging.  In  August,  1893, 
Reece  Bros.'  store  and  postoffice;  in  June, 
1896,  J.  H.  Reaver's  store;  in  March,  1899, 
the  Lonaker  and  Utley  buildings,  and  in  Au- 
gust, 1900,  two  elevators  and  the  Presbyterian, 
church  were  burned. 

ELM  CITY 

Was  laid  out  by  Jesse  A.  Edmundson,  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  27,  township  34,. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


125 


range  19,  in  Elm  Grove  townsliip.  soon  after 
the  completion  of  the  railroad  through  that 
section,  th'e  town  plat  being  acknowledged  July 
21,  1886.  The  first  building  on  the  town-site 
was  erected  by  J.  F.  Shields  and  J.  A.  Ed- 
mundson,  soon  after  the  town  was  platted, 
and  was  occupied  by  Wilson  &  Vanbibber  with 
a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  Brown  & 
Waugh  and  Smith  &  Edmundson  soon  fol- 
lowed with  stocks  of  notions  and  groceries; 
Henry  Robinett  and  N.  L.  Addis  opened  black- 
smith shops;  D.  Wilson  sold  furniture.  In 
a892  the  Christian  church  erected  a  neat  frame 
building.  Quite  a  large  amount  of  grain  has 
been  shipped  from  this  point,  and  a  good  busi- 
ness is  done  by  dealers  in  most  of  the  lines  of 
merchandise.  In  1900  the  railroad  discontin- 
ued its  agency  at  this  point.  The  people,  who 
voted  bonds  to  aid  in  building  the  road  with 
the  belief  that  they  were  to  have  a  permanent 
station,  feel  indignant  over  the  loss  of  the 
agency. 

EDNA. 

On  June  20,  1876,  Mr.  Booth  and  Alex. 
Patterson  opened  a  general  store  in  a  claim 
shanty  11  by  14  feet,  belonging  to  Jeptha 
Lackey,  on  the  northeast  one-fourth  of  section 
30,  in  Elm  Grove  township.  This  was  the  first 
start  of  the  town  of  Edna.  That  same  fall 
this  firm  brought  from  the  town  of  Chanute 
the  material  of  a  frame  building  which  they 
had  torn  down,  and  with  it  they  put  up  at 
Edna,  on  the  same  quarter,  the  first  store  build- 
ing in  the  place.  This  building  still  stands. 
They  continued  to  conduct  the  business  until 
a  879,  when  they  sold  to  Frank  Clark.  Other 
stores  were  opened  from  time  to  time.  In  1883 
Dunlap  &  Co.  started  a  hardware  store,  but 
there  were  no  very  important  enterprises  start- 

8 


ed  or  any  large  amount  of  liuilding  done  until 
the  construction  of  the  railrdad  through  there 
in  1886,  with  the  exception  of  the  flour-mill, 
which  was  erected  in  1883  by  H.  S.  Wimmer 
and  William  Gear.  This  mill  was  put  in  ope- 
ration in  the  spring  of  1884.  and  has  ever  been 
one  of  the  most  substantial  features  of  Edna's 
prosperity.  The  town  was  not  regularly  laid 
off  until  the  location  of  the  railroad,  in  the 
summer  of  1886.  A  plat  of  the  town  embrac- 
ing a  portion  of  sections  29  and  30,  township 
34,  range  19,  was  filed  August  21,  1886. 


There  have  been  two  quite  extensive  fires 
in  Edna:  one  on  February  13,  1889,  on  the 
west  side  of  Delaware  street,  burning  out  the 
business  houses  of  G.  W.  Reasor.  W.  P.  Dol- 
lar and  Josiah  Arnold ;  the  other  in  December,, 
1 89 1,  on  the  east  side  of  Delaware  street,  con- 
suming the  business  houses  of  Frank  Martin, 
Frank  Holton,  L.  Powell,  Alexander  Dunlap 
and  C.  M.  Rinker. 

STONE   AND   BRICK    BUILDINGS. 

There  are  two  stone  buildings  in  Edna,  the 
first  being  the  two-story  bank  building  erected 
by  C.  T.  Ewing  in  1887,  and  the  second,  a  one- 
story  structure  adjoining  it,  erected  by  G.  W. 
Reasor  in  1891.  There  have  also  been  erected 
three  fine'  brick  store  buildings,  one  in  1894, 
and  two  in  1899,  two  of  them  being  two  stories 
in  height,  and  the  other  one-story. 

ELEVATOR  AND  MILL. 

As  previously  stated,  a  flouring  mill  was 
located  here  about  the  time  the  town  was  start- 
ed.    In  1899  a  large  elevator  was  erected. 


126 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


;  GOVERNMENT. 

On  the  application  of  its  citizens  an  order 
was  made  by  the  board  of  county  commission- 
ers on  July  3,  1892,  incorporating  the  town  as 
a  city  of  the  third  class,  and  on  July  20  its 
first  election  was  held,  at  which  the  following 
officers  were  elected:  Mayor,  J.  H.  Hoole;  po- 
lice judge,  J.  H.  Reasor;  councilmen  G.  W. 
Reasor,T.  G.  Harris,  H.  H.  Clark,  A.  C.  Veach 
and  J.  C.  Arnold.  The  first  meeting  of  the 
mayor  and  council  was  held  July  25,  1892,  at 
which  J.  E.  Blunk  was  appointed  and  con- 
firmed as  city  clerk. 

On  August  9  four  ordinances  were  passed. 
The  first  levied  an  occupation  tax  on  all  the 
various  kinds  of  business  conducted  there;  the 
second  provided  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
peace;  the  third  prohibited  stock  from  running 
at  large;  and  the  fourth  provided  for  licensing 
dogs. 

Since  its  organization  Edna  has  had  the  fol- 
lowing mayors  and  city  clerks :  Mayors — 1892, 
J.  H.  Hoole;  1893,-96,  F.  E.  Hamilton;  1897, 
J.  E.  Blunk;  1898-99,  J.  H.  Hughes;  1900, 
Dr.  J.  H.  Woodul.  Clerks— 1892,  J.  E.  Blunk; 
1893-94,  A.  C.  Veach;  1895,  W.  E.  Staige; 
1896,  E.  H.  Hughes;  1897,  H.  H.  Clark;  1898, 
E.  C.  Fair;  1899,  H.  H.  Clark;  1900,  W.  E. 
Staige. 

BANKS. 

On  Janaury  25,  1887,  C.  T.  Ewing,  who 
was  in  the  banking  business  at  Thayer  and 
Cherryvale,  opened  the  International  Bank  at 
Edna,  with  J.  M.  Berry,  cashier.  C.  H.  Za- 
briski  succeeded  Mr.  Berry  as  cashier  on  No- 
vember I,  1888,  and  continued  in  charge  of  the 
bank  until  it  failed,  in  May  1892.  A  state 
bank  under  the  management  of  J.  H.  Lount 
was  opened  in  September,  1897;  in  the  follow- 


ing June  it  went  into  voluntary  liquidation. 
The  State  Bank  of  Edna  was  opened  July  21, 
1899,  with  $5,000  capital  stock,  and  is  doing  a 
prosperous  business. 

VALEDA. 

The  site  for  this  town  is  on  a  part  of  sec- 
tion 33,  township  34,  range  18,  and  was  owned 
by  the  Excelsior  Town  and  Mining  Compan}-. 
The  plat  was  filed  July  7,  1886.  The  first 
ibuilding  in  the  town  was  put  up  by  Stone  & 
Willie,  w'ho  placed  therein  a  stock  of  merchan- 
dise. About  the  same  time  C.  M.  Keeler  erect- 
ed a  store  building  and  put  in  a  stock  of  goods, 
and  Dr.  Kenworthy  started  the  first  drug  store. 
During  the  fall  of  1866  all  of  the  town  of 
Deerton  was  moved  to  the  Valeda  town-site. 

LABETTE. 

This  town  is  located  near  the  center  of  sec- 
tion 26,  in  Liberty  township.  It  was  started 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  making  it  the 
county  seat,  and  leading  citizens  from  the 
southern  part  of  the  county,  as  well  as  those 
m  the  near  vicinity,  took  interest  in  the  enter- 
prise. Among  the  charter  members  were 
Dempsey  Elliott,  J.  S.  Waters,  James  H.  Cnch- 
ton,  W.  A.  Hodges,  John  W.  Horner,  W.  J. 
Conner,  and  many  more  of  like  character  and 
responsibility.  The  town  company  was  incor- 
porated May  3,  1870.  The  charter  specified 
that  the  town  was  to  be  located  near  Neola. 
It  was  not  until  September  that  the  town  plat 
was  acknowledged  by  W.  J.  Conner,  president 
of  the  town  company;  however,  the  building 
of  tlie  town  commenced  immediately  upon  the 
organization  of  the  town  company.  The  first 
families  to  be  located  upon  the  town-site  were 
Robert  Cooper,  Wilf.  Cooper,  Dr.  W.  J.  Con- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


[27 


ner  and  Jacob  Weider.  Wilt.  Cooper  entered 
a  part  of  the  town-site,  and  had  resided  thereon 
since  1868.  Probably  the  first  business  house 
upon  the  town-site  was  that  of  Jacob  Weider, 
moved  there  from  Montana  the  latter  part  of 
May,  in  which  he  at  once  opened  a  bakery  and 
saloon.  Another  saloon  was  opened  some  time 
after  this  by  a  Mr.  Woolsey ;  neither  had  license 
to  run,  and  yet  both  were  conducted  for  months 
without  being  interfered  with.  Before  the  close 
of  June,  1870,  a  meat  market  was  conducted 
by  Lewis  &  Smith ;  a  lumber  yard  by  Mr.  Wil- 
kins;  a  boarding-house  by  Mr.  Brady;  a  shoe 
shop  by  Mr.  Moon,  and  a  grocery  store  by  Bates 
&  Co.  At  this  time  it  was  said  that  there  were 
52  houses  on  the  town-site.  During  the  next 
few  months  the  town  built  rapidly,  and  by  the 
close  of  the  year  was  represented  by  nearly 
every  line  of  business. 

Failing  to  secure  the  county  seat,  the  suc- 
cess of  the  town  began  to  be  questioned,  and 
of  those  interested  therein  some  commenced  to 
take  their  departure.  For  a  number  of  years 
past  it  has  remained  what  it  became  after  the 
boom  had  subsided — a  village  with  a  fair  busi- 
ness for  two  or  three  stores,  and  a  shipping 
point  for  the  grain  raised  in  the  vicinity.  About 
187s  a  mill  was  erected  by  Bowen  &  Williams, 
of  Chetopa.  Some  two  years  thereafter  A. 
W.  Diggs  bought  it,  but  soon  sold  it  to  other 
parties.  The  machinery  was  then  removed, 
and  for  many  years  the  mill  was  in  disuse. 
In  the  spring  of  1899  it  was  again  refitted 
and  put  into  operation  by  George  Leggate. 
On  November  2,  1899,  the  mill  was  entirely  de- 
stroyed by  fire. 

The  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  Co.  built  a  spur  road 
branching  off  at  Labette,  and  going  to  Min- 
eral, in  Cherokee  county;  this  was  commenced 
in  the  fall  of  1894  and  completed  in  the  spring 
of  1895. 


On   February    15, 
quite  a  portion  of  the 
town.     On  June  7,  i8c 
the  Baptist  church  and 
ings. 

Soon  after  the  tow 
grounds  were  selected 
Sarah  Cooper  was  the 
was  interred  therein. 


1897,  a  fire  destroyed 
business  houses  in  the 
)o,  a  tornado  destroyed 
one  or  two  other  build- 

n  was  started  cemetery 
north  of  town.  Mrs. 
first  person  whose  body 


ALTAMONT. 

I.  N.  Hamilton,  Henry  G.  Hamman,  J.  J. 
Miles  and  others  were  members  of  the  town 
company  which  was  chartered  February  4, 
1875,  for  the  purpose  of  laying  out  a  town  on 
the  south  half  of  section  2  and  the  north 
half  of  section  11,  township  33,  range 
19.  This  company  does  not  seem  to  have  ac- 
complished its  purpose,  and  on  September  5, 
1879,  a  new  charter  was  filed,  by  I.  N.  Ham- 
ilton, S.  O.  Noble  and  others,  for  the  purpose 
of  locating  a  town  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  11,  township  33,  range  19.  This 
land  the  company  purchased  from  William 
Miller.  The  town  plat  was  acknowledged  by 
J.  B.  Jones,  president,  and  S.  O.  Noble,  secre- 
tary, and  was  filed  January  21,  1880.  I.  N. 
Hamilton  was  first  president,  but  was  soon 
succeeded  by  J.  B.  Jones  as  president  and  Scott 
O.  Noble  as  secretary.  The  first  house  erected 
on  the  town-site  was  the  residence  of  Scott  O. 
Noble;  this  was  built  in  October,  1879.  In  De- 
cember of  the  same  year  J.  B.  Jones  put  up  the 
next  building,  in  which,  about  the  first  of  Jan- 
uary, 1880,  James  Hershberger  opened  the 
first  store  in  town. 


In  1875.  before  there  seemed  any  prospect 
of  building  a  town  near  there,  E.  C.  Gordon. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  A.  B.  Hammer  erected  a  frame  building 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  2,  belong- 
ing to  I.  N.  Hamilton.  The  machinery  for  a 
grist-mill  was  put  in  the  next  season,  and  a 
custom  flouring-mill  was  conducted  quite  suc- 
cessfully for  several  years.  In  1878  J.  W. 
Giles  erected  a  small  mill  on  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  2.  This  was  not  operated  very 
long.  Mr.  Giles  afterwards  moved  the  building 
onto  the  town-site,  and  out  of  it  constructed  a 
hotel.  A  mill  was  built  in  1881  by  Martin  A 
Renner  and  Daniel  Reid.  The  town  company 
donated  the  land,  constructed  the  pond,  and 
gave  them  $75  in  money,  in  order  to  secure  the 
mill.  Some  years  ago,  W.  J.  Lough  bought 
this  mill  and  greatly  improved  and  enlarged 
its  capacity,  making  it  one  of  the  popular  mills 
of  the  county.  On  June  3,  1900,  it  was  totally 
destroyed  by  fire.  After  its  destruction,  John 
Rust  erected,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  1900 
completed,  a  large  and  well  equipped  elevator, 
in  which  he  also  grinds  feed. 


The  first  hotel  was  built  in  the  spring  of 
1880  by  Samuel  Sharp.  Afterward  J.  W.  Giles 
moved  his  mill  building  on  the  town  site,  and 
out  of  it  constructed  quite  a  good  hotel  build- 
ing. A  good  frame  building  was  subsequently 
ierected  near  the  depot,  and  has  materially 
added  to  their  hotel  accommodations. 

GOVERNMENT. 

September  29,  1884,  the  town  was  incor- 
porated, and  on  October  14,  1884,  the  first  elec- 
tion was  held,  which  resulted  in  electing  H.  C. 
Blanchard,  mayor;  L.  W.  Grain,  police  judge; 
and  the  following  councilmen :  R.  B.  Gregg, 
W.  M.  McCoid,  D.  Reid,  C.  S.  Newlon,  A.  J. 


Garst.  W.  F.  Hamman  was  elected  city  clerk. 
Mr.  Blanchard  was  elected  mayor  by  *two  ma- 
jority over  J.  B.  Jones.  Mayors:  1884,  H.  C. 
Blanchard;  1885,  C.  S.  Newlon;  1886,  W.  P. 
Wilson;  1887,  A.  W.  Mackie;  1888-89  J-  B. 
Jones;  1890,  R.  B.  Gay;  1891,  A.  W.  Mackie; 
1892-93,  C.  S.  Newlon;  1894-95,  W.  J. 
Lough;  1896,  S.  L.  Martin;  1897,  Harry  Mills; 

1898,  Thomas  H.  Lough;  1899,  Charles  E. 
Harrington;  1900,  C.  E.  Hildreth.  Clerks: 
1884.  W.  F.  Hamman;  1885,  A.  A.  Farmer; 
1886,  B.  F.  Godfrey;  1887-88.  C.  M.  Pool; 
1889,  J.  B.  Libbey;  1890,  W.  S.  Houghton; 
1891,  Harry  Mills;  1892,  H.  E.  Hamman, 
Henry  Tropp  and  W.  F.  Hamman;  1893,  C. 
M.  Doughman;  1894-96,  W.  W.  Starnes; 
1897,  L.  P.  Hamilton;   1898,  A.   R.  Martin; 

1899,  J.  H.  Taylor;  1900,  J.  E.  Switzer. 

BRICK    BUILDINGS. 

In  1886  p.  Lane  erected  a  substantial  two- 
story  brick  business  house.  Prior  to  this  all 
the  buildings  had  been  frame.  In  1893  '^^^'^ 
or  three  one-story  brick  store  buildings  were 
put  up.  Besides  these  brick  structures  there 
are  the  brick  school  buildings. 

COUNTY   HIGH    SCHOOL. 

In  1893  the  county  high  school  was  es- 
tablished in  Altamont,  and  has  been  a  help  in 
giving  the  people  a  feeling  of  confidence  and 
oride  in  their  town. 


February  i,  1886,  J.  H.  Macon  and  S.  A. 
Duval  opened  a  bank,  which  was  run  some 
time,  but  finally  the  management  was  such  that 
it  was  found  to  be  unprofitable,  and  it  was 
closed. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


129 


CHURCHES. 

The  Presbyterians  put  up  a  church  build- 
ing in  the  spring  of  1881;  the  Methodists  in 
1882;  the  Baptists  finished  their  house  in 
June,  1884;  and  in  1892  the  Christians  pur- 
chased the  old  frame  school-house  and  moved 
it  onto  their  lots  for  a  church. 

MOUND  VALLEY. 


J.  P.  Allen,  W.  A.  Lewis,  Charles 
N.  L.  Hibbard,  Chas.  Lierly,  C.  H.  Lewis 
and  others  became  incorporated  July  13,  1868, 
with  the  authority  to  locate  a  town  on  section 
2,  township  33.  range  18.  The  first  building 
on  the  town-site  was  put  up  in  the  summer 
of  i86g,  by  the  town  company  in  connection 
with  Alexander  Honrath  and  Henry  Rohr,  the 
upper  story  of  which  was  to  be  used  as  the 
town  company's  office  and  the  public  hall,  and 
the  lower  story  by  Honrath  &  Rohr  for  a  gen- 
eral store.  Among  those  who  followed 
Messrs.  Honrath  &  Rohr  were  L.  F.  Nicholas, 
who  put  in  a  stock  of  drugs;  J.  B.  Kremer, 
who  had  a  grocery  and  hardware  store;  and 
E.  H.  Stevens,  the  postoffice. 

No  title  to  the  land  on  which  the  town  was 
located  was  obtained  from  the  Government 
-until  the  passage  of  the  act  of  1876.  In 
February,  1877,  the  occupants  petitioned  the 
probate  judge  to  enter  the  town-site  as  he  was 
authorized  to  do  under  the  law.  This  he  did, 
and  in  July,  1878,  a  certificate  of  entry  was  is- 
sued to  'him  for  the  benefit  of  the  occupants  of 
the  said  town-site. 

PR0FESSI0N.\L  MEN. 

Several  parties  who  had  been  or  claimed  to 
be  lawyers  have  had  their  ofiice  in  this  town. 


W.  M.  Rogers  was  the  first  of  this  class  to  lo- 
cate here.  Without  attempting  to  mention 
a  number  of  those  who  subsequently  attempted 
to  practice  in  justice  court,  some  of  whom  were 
and  some  of  whom  were  not  admitted  to  the 
bar,  I  may  mention  W.  F.  Schoch,  who  for 
several  years  was  located  at  this  point,  and  did 
a  good  business.  A  little  later,  Alvah  Shick, 
who  had  been  raised  in  the  town,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  did  collecting  and  a  local  law 
business  until  his  death.  The  first  doctor  to 
locate  in  this  vicinity  was  Charles  H.  Lewis, 
who  settled  here  in  1869.  He  had  a  claim  on 
which  he  lived;  he  had  quite  a  good  practice. 
E.  Tanner  came  in  February,  1870,  and  N.  M. 
Miller  later  in  that  year.  Doctors  Pattie, 
Woods,  Towel,  Wenner,  Tustison,  Stansbury, 
McEwen,  Sanders,  Allen,  Lemon,  Lake, 
Strother  and  Morgan  have  offered  their  serv- 
ices to  the  public,  and  several  of  them  have 
done  a  good  business  and  made  a  good  reputa- 
tion. 


On  October  7,  1883,  C.  M.  Condon  and  W. 
H.  Gandy  opened  a  bank,  which  they  continued 
to  run  until  September,  1889,  when  they  dis- 
solved, since  which  time  the  bank  has  been  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Condon. 


In  1883  an  eft'ort  was  made  to  sink  an  arte- 
sian well  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  town 
with  water,  and  with  the  hope  of  finding  coal. 
After  drilling  to  a  depth  of  over  750  feet,  the 
parties  became  doubtful  of  obtaining  the  object 
sought;  it  was,  however,  discovered  that  the 
well  contained  a  large  amount  of  gas,  and  in 
1884  tubing  was  put  in  with  the  view  of  util- 
izing the  gas.     For    practical    purposes,    this 


I30 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


never  amounted  to  anythino-.  But,  later,  other 
efforts  have  been  made  to  prospect  further  and, 
if  possible,  to  find  gas  in  paying  quantities.  In 
1900,  work  in  this  direction  was  commenced, 
and  at  this  writing  it  is  believed  by  many  that 
a  sufficient  flow  has  been  obtained  to  justify 
piping  the  town,  preparatory  to  its  use. 

SANITARIUM. 

The  gas  well  above  referred  to  was  found 
to  afford  water  highly  impregnated  with  min- 
erals which  it  was  believed  would  be  good  for 
medicinal  purposes.  Authority  was  obtained 
from  the  Legislature  to  use  the  proceeds  of  the 
sale  of  the  township  railroad  stock  in  the  erec- 
tion of  a  large  house,  which  was  done,  and  it 
has  become  quite  a  resort  for  invalids.  It  is 
lighted  and  heated  by  natural  gas  from  the 
well  already  spoken  of. 

MILL. 

In  1881  W.  C.  O'Brien  and  W.  W.  Harper 
erected  a  mill  on  the  bank  of  the  Labette,  which 
proved  to  be  a  very  good  institution  for  the 
place,  but  not  always  a  profitable  investment 
to  the  owners.  The  mill  was  entirely  con- 
sumed by  fire  on  November  23,  1892.  Since 
then  a  new  mill  has  been  built  on  the  site  of 
the  old  one. 

STONE  AND  BRICK  BUILDINGS. 

There  is  one  stone  and  one  brick  building 
in  town.  The  first  was  built  by  Joseph  Riff, 
in  1883;  the  latter,  a  very  fine  structure,  was 
built  by  F.  P.  Dicus  &  Co.,  in  1890. 

FIRES. 

The  first  fire  in  town  was  on  October  6, 
1872,  when  the  town  company  building  with 
the  stock  of  Honrath  &  Rohr  was  entirely  con- 
sumed.    This  was   probably  as   heavy  a  loss 


to  the  town  as  the  great  fire  which  occurred  in 
1889.  when  a  whole  block  of  buildings  was  con- 
sumed with  the  greater  part  of  the  stocks  in 
it.  The  grist-mill  was  burned  on  November 
23,  1892. 

GOVERNMENT. 

On  August  2,  1 87 1,  on  petition  of  Alexan- 
der Honrath  and  others,  an  order  of  the  pro- 
bate court  was  made  for  the  incorporation  of 
the  town,  and  the  following  persons  were  ap- 
pointed trustees :  Alexander  Honrath.  Wm.  M. 
Rogers,  John  B.  Campbell,  E.  Tanner,  and 
Alexander  McBride. 

On  January  9,  1884,  an  order  of  the  judge 
of  the  district  court  was  made  incorporating 
the  town  as  a  city  of  the  third  class.  The 
first  election  was  held  January  24th.  Mayors: 

E.  Tanner,  W.  W.  Harper,  E.  Tanner,  Will- 
iam Clark,  Josephus  Moore,  W.  W.  McEwen, 

F.  E.  West,  F.  P.  Dicus  (2  years),  F.  M. 
Gandy,  E.  Tanner  (2  years),  Alvah  Shick, 
and  George  Lutz  (2  years).  Clerks:  W.  N. 
McCoid,  J.  M.  Smith,  N.  M.  Miller,  S.  D. 
Richardson,  Isaac  Hill,  Rufus  Thrall,  W.  N. 
McCoid,  T.  J.  Cozad,  F.  M.  Gandy,  E.  A. 
Steele,  A.  L.  Bushnell,  Dott  Norfleet  (2  years). 
Ivy  Norfleet,  and  W.  H.  Humphrey. 

CHETOPA. 

Of  the  early  settlement  of  this  part  of  the 
county  I  have  spoken  in  other  parts  of  this 
work.  The  first  white  settler  within  the  pres- 
ent corporate  limits  of  Chetopa  of  whom  I 
have  any  account  was  John  McMurtry,  who 
lived  at  a  point  on  the  Neosho  River  at  or  near 
where  the  west  end  of  the  Neosho  bridge  is 
now  located.  When  the  settlement  was  de- 
stroyed in  1863,  his  house  was  torn  down. 
I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  at  what  date  he 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


131 


settled  liere,  but  Dr.  Lisle  found  him  there 
when  he  came,  and  he  continued  to  reside  there 
up  to  the  breaking  up  of  the  settlement  in  1863. 
Dr.  Lisle  made  his  settlement  upon  a  piece  of 
ground,  ever  since  claimed  by  him  as  his  home, 
on  April  18,  1857.  That  summer  he  erected 
his  house  and  shops  on  what  is  now  a  part  of 
block  24.  In  August  he  went  back  to  Ohio 
and  brought  his  family  with  him,  arriving  in 
Chetopa  in  November.  From  that  time  to 
the  present  his  absence  from  Chetopa  has  been 
but  temporary. 

Willoughby  Doudna  came  to  sse  Dr.  Lisle 
in  the  fall  of  1857  and  stayed  with  him  some 
time.  The  next  year  he  went  back  to  Ohio  and 
married.  In  the  fall  he  and  his  wife  came  to 
Chetopa,  but  in  the  spring  of  1859  they  located 
near  Baxter  Springs,  and  did  not  come  back  to 
Chetopa  until  after  the  war. 

The  early  settlement  at  and  around  Che- 
topa was  broken  up  November  19,  1863,  by  a 
force  of  United  States  troops  numbering  prob- 
ably some  two  or  three  hundred,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Willits,  Adjutant  Able 
and  Lieutenant  Josylen.  All  of  the  bu'ldings 
in  the  vicinity  were  burned  or  otherwise  de- 
stroyed and  all  the  settlers  were  driven  away. 
This  was  done,  as  the  officers  claimed,  by  com- 
mand of  their  superior  officers  to  prevent  the 
property  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels. 
Dr.  Lisle  and  family  went  to  Ciiuncil  Grove. 
They  remained  until  September,  1865,  when  he 
came  down  and  looked  over  the  ground,  and 
in  November  of  that  year  brought  his  family 
back  to  Chetopa. 

PERM.\NENT  SETTLEMENT. 

The  permanent  settlement  of  Chetopa  really 
commences  with  the  year  1866.  In  the  spring 
of  that  year  Ephraim  Doudna  and  Dr.  George 


Lisle  built  the  first  house  upon  the  town-site. 
It  was  a  "shake"  house,  and  stood  on  the  west 
side  of  what  is  now  Third  street,  and  north  of 
Maple  street,  near  the  alley.  In  this  home 
Ephraim  Doudna  opened  tlie  first  store  in 
town.  He  had  a  small  stock  of  goods  consisting 
of  dry  goods,  groceries  and  provisions.  Soon 
after  this  a  man  by  the  name  of  Hoffman  built 
a  cabin  and  blacksmith  shop  south  of  where 
Maple  street  now  is,  and  between  Second  and 
Third  streets.  These  were  the  only  buildings 
in  town  at  the  close  of  1866  of  wh'ch  I  have 
been  able  to  learn,  although  it  is  probable  there 
were  two  or  three  more  log  houses  built  that 
year.  Perry  Barnes  moved  into  town  on  elec- 
tion day,  in  November  of  that  year,  and  was  al- 
lowed to  vote;  it  was  considered  that  every- 
body who  was  here  with  the  intention  of  set- 
tling had  a  right  to  express  his  preference  at  the 
first  election.  D.  U.  Watson  and  Wm.  Shay 
were  two  of  the  judges  of  this  election,  and  S. 
R.  Southwick  was  one  of  the  clerks. 

In  February  of  1867  Willoughby  Doudna, 
who  had  a  sawmill  on  the  east  side  of  the  Neo- 
sho River,  just  above  the  mouth  of  Canville 
Creek,  in  Neosho  county,  moved  it  to  Chetopa 
and  located  it  on  the  west  side  of  the  Neosho 
near  the  foot  of  Maple  street  as  afterwards  lo- 
cated. He  began  sawing  on  February  20th, 
and  had  a  buhr  for  grinding  corn  in  operation 
the  fore  part  of  May.  The  only  other  mills  at 
this  time  in  the  county  were  in  Neosho  and 
Montana  townships.  W.  H.  Reed  operated 
this  mill,  sawed  the  first  tree  made  into  boards 
in  Chetopa,  and  during  the  spring  built  the  first 
frame  house  that  was  erected  in  town.  It  stood 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  block  60.  From  this 
time  on  frame  houses  made  of  native  lumber 
began  to  be  built  where  before  either  the  log  or 
"shake"  shanties  had  been  made  to  answer.  In 
the  early  summer  of  this  year  a  rough  survey 


132 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


for  the  town-site  was  made  by  S.  R.  Southwick, 
and  Maple  and  Third  streets  were  located.  In 
June,  Perry  Barnes  built  a  house  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  Third  and  Maple  streets,  de- 
signed for  a  hotel  and  store.  In  this,  about 
the  first  of  July,  he  opened  a  stock  of  groceries 
and  a  hotel ;  this  was  the  first  hotel  in  town, 
and  the  second  store.  About  the  same  time  a 
small  cabin  was  erected  on  the  southwest  corner 
of  First  and  Maple  streets  and  called  "Bache- 
lors' Hall,"  or  the  "Cabinet  Shop."  That  sum- 
mer Z.  A.  Woodard  bought  out  Mr.  Doudna, 
and  in  the  building  occupied  by  him  put  in  a 
general  stock  of  goods.  In  this  store,  from  the 
first,  was  kept  the  postoffice.  Thus  the  first 
building  erected  upon  the  town-site  contained 
not  only  the  first  store,  but  also  the  first  post- 
office.  William  Craft  and  family  came  in  Oc- 
tober of  that  year,  and  at  once  commenced  the 
erection  of  a  hotel  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Third  and  Maple  streets.  It  was  a  frame 
building,  24  by  26  feet,  two  stories  high.  It 
was  completed  and  opened  for  guests  that  fall, 
under  the  name  of  the  Chetopa  House,  and 
was  the  first  building  erected  exclusively  for  a 
hotel.  In  the  'Bachelors'  Hall"  or  "Cabinet 
Shop"  above  referred  to,  in  September 
this  year,  was  opened  the  first  Sunday  sdhool 
in  town,  with  G.  H.  Hard  as  superintendent. 
Occasionally  preaching  services  were  also 
had.  On  October  23,  this  year,  Emma  Reed 
was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Reed.  This 
was  the  first  birth  in  town. 

The  important  events  of  1868  were  the  se- 
curing of  a  title  to  the  town-site,  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  town  company,  and  the  definite 
survey  and  laying  out  of  the  town.  As  several 
of  the  then  residents  of  Chetopa  had  settled 
there  before  the  war,  they  were  able  to  enter 
their  lands  under  the  4th  article  of  the  treaty 


with  the  Osages  of  September  29,  1865.  On 
January  21,  1868,  Dr.  George  Lisle  entered  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  34,  \\^illoughby 
Doudna  and  George  Hanson  part  of  section  35. 
The  lands  thus  entered  embraced  the  site  of 
Chetopa,  and  so  much  as  was  within  the  limits 
of  what  was  intended  for  the  town  was  deeded 
to  the  town  company.  Thus,  while  her  neigh- 
bors had  to  make  their  improvements  on  Gov^ 
ernment  land,  Chetopa  could  offer  homes  to 
which  a  perfect  title  could  be  secured.  This 
was  an  important  item  in  her  favor. 

IMPROVEMENTS. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year  the  California 
House  was  erected,  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
Maple  and  Third  streets.  In  the  latter  part 
of  the  summer  Spaulding's  Hall,  on  the  corner 
of  Fourth  and  Maple  streets,  was  erected;  it 
was  a  good-sized  two-story  building,  and  fur- 
nished the  first  place  in  town  suitable  for  hold- 
ing religious  and  public  meetings.  Another 
enterprise  started  this  year,  and  one  destined 
to  add  as  much  to  the  development  of  the  town 
as  almost  any  that  was  started  in  an  early  day, 
was  the  planing  mill,  sash  and  furniture  fac- 
tory of  Taft,  Brown  &  Co.  This  was  built  in 
the  fall,  and  ready  for  operation  the  first  of 
December.  They  sent  out  a  large  amount  of 
house-furnishing  material  and  furniture  to  ad- 
jacent counties  and  neighboring  towns.  Dur- 
ing the  fall  of  this  year  Oliver  Marsh  cpened 
a  large  dry-goods  store,  and  Dr.  M.  H.  Dur- 
sham  started  a  drug  store,  which  he  conducted 
in  connection  with  his  professional  practice. 
On  April  4th  James  H.  Crichton  walked  into 
town  as  the  vanguard  of  a  long  line  of  attor- 
neys who  were  to  grace  the  bar  at  that  place, 
and  during  the  early  summer  he  put  up  a  two- 
story  frame  building  on  the  north  side  of  Maple 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


'33 


street,  and  had  it  plastered;  this  was  the  first 
plastered  house  in  town.  At  the  close  of  1868 
there  was  quite  a  large  settlement  of  industri- 
ous and  enterprising  people  who  were  success- 
fully conducting  various  lines  of  business,  and 
the  town  presented  the  appearance  of  a  thriv- 
ing and  progressive  village. 

THE  TOWN   COMPANY. 

Dr.  Lisle  had  from  the  first  intended  the 
location  of  a  town  upon  the  land  on  which  he 
settled,  and  early  in  1868  he  arranged  with  in- 
fluential men  for  the  organization  of  a  town 
company.  It  was  not,  however,  until  March 
30  of  this  year  that  the  town  company  was 
incorporated.  The  charter  members  consisted 
of  George  Lisle,  George  Hanson,  Willoughby 
Doudna,  N.  S.  Goss,  John  Secrest,  J.  D.  Tor- 
bert,  and  Watson  Stewart.  The  company  or- 
ganized by  the  election  of  George  Lisle  presi- 
dent and  Willoughby  Doudna  secretary.  The 
town  was'  located  and  laid  off  upon  sections 
34  and  35.  Liberal  donations  were  made  to 
the  various  church  organizations,  and  to  such 
enterprises  as  it  was  thought  would  tend  to  up- 
build the  town. 

IMPROVEMENTS    IN    1869. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  contin- 
ued multiplication  of  new  buildings,  both  busi- 
ness houses  and  private  residences,  as  they  ap- 
pear during  this  and  succeeding  years.  The 
two  important  features  of  the  town's  history  in 
1869  were  the  establishment  of  the  Advance 
and  the  incorporation  of  the  town.  By  dona- 
tion of  lots  made  by  the  town  company  and  the 
securing  of  a  fair  limit  of  paid  subscribers, 
John  W.  Horner  and  A.  S.  Cory  had  been  in- 
duced in  the  latter  part  of   1868  to  bring  a 


printing  press  from  Baldwin  City,  Douglas 
county,  to  Chetopa,  and  in  the  first  week  of 
1869  they  gave  to  the  public  the  first  issue  of 
the  Advance.  It  is  not  likely  that  any  dona- 
tion ever  made  by  its  citizens  did  more  for  the 
upbuilding  of  Chetopa  than  that  which  se- 
cured them  this  paper.  Its  publishers  displayed 
a  wonderful  amount  of  enterprise  in  the  gath- 
ering of  news  and  extending  the  circulation 
of  their  paper.  The'  advantages  which  the 
town  offered  were  thus  made  known  to  all  who 
had  any  disposition  to  learn. 

In  March  W.  A.  Hodges  brought  quite  a 
large  nursery  stock,  which  was  the  first  to  be 
brought  to  this  part  of  the  county.  The  first 
flouring-mill  in  town  was  erected  in  the  fall  of 
this  year,  and  in  October  commenced  its  opera- 
tion.    Gilbert  Martin  was  the  proprietor. 

AN   IMPORTANT   YEAR. 

The  year  1870  was  an  important  one  in 
the  history  of  Chetopa.  The  fact  that  every 
one  confidently  anticipated  the  completion  of 
the  railroad  some  time  during  the  early  part 
of  the  year,  gave  a  great  impetus  to  business, 
and  speculations  ran  high.  A  large  number 
of  new  buildings  were  erected,  and  large  num- 
bers of  new  firms'  opened  up  in  business. 

Brick  Buildings. — Up  to  1870  there  had 
been  nothing  but  wooden  structures  in  town, 
but  early  this'  summer  several  brick  business 
houses  were  erected.  Among  the  bricks  erect- 
ed were  one  by  F.  A.  Drake,  one  by  Dr.  Hal- 
derman,  and  one  by  Hornby  &  Lewis;  others 
were  also  arranged  for  and  built  the  following 
year.  In  June  of  this  year  the  cars  were  run- 
ning into  Chetopa,  and  the  fact  that  it  was  the 
end  of  the  line  brought  there  a  large  number 
of  emigrants — not  only  those  who  were  intend- 
ing to  stop  here,  but  also  those  who  were  antici- 


'34 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


pating  going  farther  south  and  '  southwest. 
From  this  point  travelers  laid  in  their  supplies, 
and  the  merchants  of  Chetopa  conducted  al- 
most a  wholesale  business. 

Foundry. — In  the  latter  part  of  1870,  John 
Torrance  located  his  foundry  at  this  point. 
This  was  a  valuable  addition  to  the  business 
of  the  town,  bringing  to  it  an  element  of  trade 
which  before  that  had  been  compelled  to  go  to 
Fort  Scott  and  other  points  north. 

BENEVOLENT   SOCIETIES. 

In  January,  1880,  a  branch  of  the  State 
Freedman's  Aid  Society  was  organized  for  the 
purpose  of  furnishing  aid  to  the  destitute 
refugees  who  had  settled  here.  C.  H.  Mc- 
Creery  was  president  and  J.  D.  Graham  sec- 
retary. 

Orphans'  Home  Society. — A  Number  of 
years  ago  this  society  was  formed  in  aid  to 
the  State  Home  for  Orphans.  The  ladies  met 
regularly,  and  worked  on  articles  either  to  be 
used  in  the  'Home  itself,  or  to  be  sold  and  the 
proceeds  applied  to  the  aid  of  the  Home. 
Through  their  exertions  a  number  of  orphans 
were  provided  with  homes. 

A.  F.  &  A.  M.— On  November  5,  1868,  a 
Masonic  lodge  was  organized,  with  J.  H.  Crich- 
ton,  W.  M. 

I.  O.  O.  F. — August  10,  1869,  a  lodge  of 
the  Odd  Fellows  was  organized. 

A.  O.  U.  W.— A  lodge  of  the  United  Work- 
men was  organized  December  17,  1879,  with 
J.  B.  Cook,  M.  W. 

K.  of  P. — A  lodge  of  this  order  was  or- 
ganized May  9,   1883. 

OAK    HILL    CEMETERY. 

On  September  13,  1869,  a  meeting  was  held 
in  Spaulding's  Hall  to  consider  the  matter  of 


a  cemetery.  Jonas  Clark,  W.  B.  Gregory  and 
T.  B.  Lake  were  appointed  a  committee  to  select 
a  site.  In  October  the  committee  selected  20 
acres  on  the  east  side  of  Mr.  Hard's  farm, 
southeast  of  town.  No  title  could  be  procured 
to  this  ground  for  some  years;  nevertheless, 
the  burying  proceeded.  The  Legislature  auth- 
orized the  trustee  of  Richland  township  to  ap- 
propriate money  to  help  pay  for  this  cemetery 
ground;  the  township  and  city  thereupon  ap- 
propriating enough  money  to  purchase  and  pro- 
cure title  to  the  land.  The  cemetery  associa- 
tion was  incorporated  in  June,  1883,  with  L. 
M.  Bedell  president,  and  George  Eddington 
secretary  and  superintendent. 

MUNICIPAL  GOVERNMENT. 

On  April  12,  1869,  on  petition  of  her  citi- 
zens, the  probate  judge  made  an  order  incor- 
porating the  town  of  Chetopa,  and  appointed 
William  Gage,  Leander  Brown,  M.  G.  Pratt. 
A.  S.  Cory  and  Henry  Lisle  as  its  board  of 
trustees.  On  April  14,  1869,  these  trustees 
met,  and  organized  by  electing  William  Gage 
chairman,  and  appointing  W.  H.  Fisher  clerk. 
On  June  28th  Mr.  Fisher  resigned  as  clerk, 
and  C.  F.  Webster  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  Some  time  between  August  i6th  and 
December  8th,  1869,  H.  R.  Dobyns  was  ap- 
pointed clerk. 

On  March  9,  1870,  an  ordinance  which 
had  just  been  passed  was  published,  declaring 
Chetopa  a  city  of  the  third  class,  and  on  April 
4th  the  first  city  election  was  held.  A  Republi- 
can caucus  had  previously  been  held,  and  nom- 
inated S.  A.  Marsh  for  mayor,  W.  B.  Gregory, 
C.  H.  Dudlow,  Wm.  Nix,  C.  A.  Degraff,  and 
Dr.  L.  P.  Patty  for  councilmen.  The  opposition 
concentrated  their  strength  upon  the  office  of 
mayor,     and,     many     Republicans      joining, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


35 


brought  out  F.  M.  Graham  for  that  office,  who, 
after  a  spirited  contest,  was  elected,  with  all 
the  above-named  candidates  for  council.  Upon 
organizing,  the  new  government  continued  Mr. 
Dobyns  as  city  clerk  till  May,  1870,  when  he 
\vas  succeeded  by  N.  S.  Storrs. 

In  March,  1871,  the  city  was  by  ordinance 
declared  a  city  of  the  second  class  under  the 
special  act  of  the  Legislature  providing  for  its 
organization  as  such,  along  with  Oswego. 
There  was  a  lively  contest  for  the  city  officers 
at  the  April  election  that  year.  George  W. 
Fox  was  supported  bv  those  generally  desig- 
nated as  the  "bummer  element."  by  the  Ad- 
z'ancc,  and  of  course  by  many  good  citizens. 
C.  F.  Smith  was  supported  by  the  Mechanics' 
Association,  which  had  recently  been  organ- 
ized, and  by  the  more  conservative  class  of 
citizens.  Mr.  Fox  was  elected.  On  April  12. 
1871,  the  new  city  council  organized,  and  the 
following  officers  were  appointed :  Clerk,  J. 
M.  Cavaness;  treasurer,  Hiram  Butterworth; 
assessor,  C.  P.  Spaulding;  street  commissioner, 
R.  G.  Tileston ;  attorney,  J.  J.  Long.  On  Sep- 
tember 1st  Mr.  Cavaness  resigned  as  city  clerk, 
G.  W.  Houston  filling  the  place  temporarily 
till  October,  when  I.  R.  Minor  was  appointed, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Leroy  Neale  in  No- 
vember. 

The  city  government  was  characterized  by 
a  spirit  of  profligacy  in  the  expenditure  of 
money  and  the  incurring  of  debt  which  soon 
brought  it  into  disrepute  with  nearly  all  of  the 
business  part  of  the  place.  The  mayor  claimed 
high  prerogatives  unknown  to  the  law.  The 
saloons  were  the  most  powerful  features  in  the 
local  administration.  During  the  fall  and  win- 
ter the  Adi'ance,  which  had  favored  their 
election,  opened  a  war  on  the  city  adminis- 
tration. It  said,  "The  rogues  are  having  their 
own  way  to  their  hearts'  content."     For  weeks 


before  the  next  election  both  sides — the  ad- 
ministration and  the  reformers — conducted  an 
active  canvass.  But  when  the  election  came 
oflf,  in  April,  1872,  those  in  favor  of  changing 
the  administration  made  a  clean  sweep  and 
elected  their  full  ticket. 

For  a  second  time  F.  M.  Graham  became 
mayor.  C.  F.  Smith  was  soon  appointed  clerk, 
and  in  June  was  succeeded  by  M.  S.  Parker. 
The  old  debt  was  bonded,  the  expensive  con- 
tracts for  street  improvements  were  modified 
as  far  as  possible  in  the  interest  of  economy, 
and  a  feeling  of  financial  security  began  again 
to  inspire  the  people.  It  was  evident  that  a 
new  order  of  things  had  been  inaugurated. 
Mayors:  1870,  F.  M.  Graham;  1871,  G.  W. 
Fox;  1872,  F.  M.  Graham;  1873,  George  Lisle; 
1874,  N.  Elliott;  187^,  Alfred  Large;  1876, 
S.  B.  Fisher:  1877.  L.  M.  Bedell:  1878.  S. 
B.  Fisher:  1879,  J.  H.  Chrichton :  1881-87, 
J.  B.  Cook;  1888,  James  Brown;  1889,  George 
Eddington;  1891-92,  C.  Cranwell :  1893-94.  A. 
B.  Temple:  1895-96.  J.  W.  Columbia;  1897- 
98,  E.  W.  Bedell:  in  April,  1899,  C.  Cranwell 
was  again  elected,  but  died  a  year  thereafter, 
and  S.  T.  Herman  was  then  elected  to  fill  out 
his  term.  Clerks:  1869,  W.  F.  Fisher.  C. 
F.  W'ebster.  H.  R.  Dobyns:  1870.  X.  S. 
Storrs;  1871,  J.  M.  Cavaness,  G.  W.  Houston, 
I.  R.  Minor,  Leroy  Neale;  1872.  C.  F.  Smith, 
M.  S.  Parker;  1873,  G.  M.  Caldwell;  1874-7, 
Henry  Frye;  1878-87.  John  \Y.  Breidenthal; 
1887.  A.  F.  Sloane,  J.  B.  Sneely;  1888-9.  I- 
H.  Frye;  1890,  A.  R.  Bell;  1S91,  J.  M.  Cav- 
aness; 1892-96,  E.  \y.  Minturn:  1897-1899. 
Car]  J.  Simons:  1900.  A.  R.  Bell. 


Near  the  close  of   1868  C.    P.   Spauld'ng- 
started  the  first  bank  in  the  tnwn.      He  had 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


very  little  capital,  and  attempted  a  much  larger 
Tjtisiness  than  he  was  able  to  conduct.  He  con- 
tinued to  operate  this  bank  until  the  spring  of 
1870,  when,  unable  to  meet  his  obligations,  a 
number  of  su'.ts  were  commenced  against  him 
and  he  was  forced  to  quit  business. 

W.  B.  Ketcham  and  F.  H.  Ketcham  opened 
a  bank  about  July  i,  1870,  which  they  con- 
ducted until  the  fall  of  the  following  year. 

National  Bank. — The  First  National 
Bank  was  the  successor  of  Ketcham  Brothers. 
It  was  opened  for  business  December  4,  1871, 
with  James  E.  Marsh,  of  Kansas  City,  presi- 
dent: E.  J.  Stewart  (then  postmaster),  vice- 
president;  F.  H.  Ketcham,  cashier;  Lee  Clark, 
assistant  cashier.  Some  time  thereafter  R.  W. 
Officer  succeeded  Mr.  Marsh  as  president.  The 
bank  had  an  authorized  capital  of  $50,000,  and 
a  paid-up  capital  of  $25,000.  In  March,  1873, 
the  bank  moved  into  its  fine  brick  building, 
which  it  had  just  completed  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Third  and  Maple  streets.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1873,  the  stringency  of  the  money 
market  caused  this  bank  to  temporarily  sus- 
pend payment.  On  July,  19,  1875,  the  bank 
decided  to  go  into  liquidation,  and  Lee  Clark 
was  put  in  charge  and  settled  up  its  afifairs. 

Savings  Bank. — The  Chetopa  Savings 
Bank  was  organized  July  i,  1871,  with  a  paid 
up  capital  of  $30,000.  Charles  H.  Safford  was 
president,  L.  F.  Fisher,  secretary,  and  George 
S.  Newman,  cashier. 

Private  Banks. — ^January  i,  1876,  F.  H. 
Ketcham,  R.  W.  Officer  and  Lee  Clark  com- 
menced business  as  Ketcham  &  Co.,  and  suc- 
ceeded to  the  business  of  the  First  National 
Bank.  Lee  Clark  bought  out  the  interest  of 
his  partners  in  June,  1876,  and  in  August  fol- 
lowing associated  with  him  Arthur  D.  Sturgis 
under  the  firm  name  of  Clark  &  Sturgis.  Jan- 
nary  I,   1879,  Lee  Clark  went  to  Parsons  to 


become  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
that  place,  and  later  in  the  _vear  xVIr.  Sturgis 
removed  to  Mansfield,  Ohio,  leaving  Edgar 
W.  Clark  in  charge  of  the  bank.  August  i, 
1879,  Lee  Clark  purchased  Mr.  Sturgis'  in- 
terest and  soon  thereafter  sold  a  haJf  interest 
to  George  H.  Bates.  Clark  &  Bates  as  thus 
constituted  continued  in  business  till  the  death 
of  Mr.  Bates,  in  February,  1883,  when  Flor- 
ence E.  Bates  succeeded  to  the  interest  of  her 
husband.  Afterward  Lee  Clark  sold  his  in- 
terest in  the  bank  to  Edgar  ^^'.  Clark,  who, 
with  Mrs.  Bates,  continued  to  conduct  it  for 
some  time. 

State  Banks.— The  Citizens  State  Bank, 
of  which  J.  P.  McEwen  is  president  and  J.  F. 
McEwen  is  cashier,  succeeded  to  the  business 
of  Clark  &  Bates.  The  Neosho  Valley  Bank 
was  an  adjunct  of  the  Neosho  Valley  Invest- 
ment Company,  and  when  the  latter  failed,  the 
bank  changed  management  and  became  th.e 
Farmers  and  Merchants  State  Bank,  of  which 
W.  G.  Hoover  is  president  and  H.  W.  Bedell, 
cashier. 

LOAN   AND  INVESTMENT   COMPANY. 

Col.  J.  B.  Cook  in  1875  opened  ai  real  estate 
and  loan  business,  and  during  the  next  few 
years  did  an  extensive  business,  both  in  the 
way  of  selling  real  estate  and  making  real  estate 
loans.  January  i,  1884,  L.  M.  Bedell  and  J. 
W.  Breidenthal  became  associated  with  him  in 
the  loan  business  the  firm  being  known  as  J. 
B.  Cook  &  Co. 

By  March  i,  1885,  the  Neosho  Valley  In- 
vestment Company  was  formed  as  the  suc- 
cessor to  the  business  of  J.  B.  Cook  &  Co.  J. 
B.  Cook  was  president;  J.  \V.  Breidenthal, 
secretary;  L.  M.  Bedell,  treasurer.  Subse- 
quently R.  Haines  Passmore    succeeded    Mr. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


■37 


Cook  as  president,  and  subsequently  still  other 
changes  were  made  in  its  officers.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1898,  this  company  went  into  the  hands  of 
a  receiver,  and  its  business  is  now  in  process. of 
settlement  through  the  courts. 


October,  1869,  Gilbert  Martin  commenced 
operating  a  flouring-mill,  which  he  had  just 
finished  on  the  Neosho. 

July  I,  1 87 1,  Hunter  &  Williams'  flour- 
mill,  which  had  been  erected  during  the  early 
part  of  the  year,  was  finished  and  opened  for 
business.  Since  then  other  mills  have  been  es- 
tablished. 

mechanics'  association. 

On  March  3,  1871,  the  mechanics  of  the 
town  organized  an  association  for  mutual  help 
and  protection,  of  which  J.  M.  Bannan  was 
secretary  and  the  controlling  spirit.  This  or- 
ganization sought  to  unite  the  mechanics'  in- 
terest in  the  town  by  an  effort  to  control  the 
work  of  that  locality  to  those  residing  therein 
rather  than  allowing  it  to  be  done  by  persons 
brought  there  from  abroad,  and  also  to  secure 
a  fair  remuneration  to  all  who  were  engaged  in 
mechanical  pursuits. 

OPERA  HOUSE. 

In  December,  1882,  the  opera  house  com- 
pany was  organized,  with  G.  H.  Bates,  presi- 
dent; B.  S.  Edwards,  vice-president;  WilHam 
Lehman,  secretary,  and  E.  W.  Clark,  treasurer, 
and  the  following  year  the  opera  house  was 
constructed  and  opened. 


On  September  17,   1871,  a  big  tire  broke 
out,  and  nearly  one  block,  known  as  the  Sturgis 


block,  was  burned.  August  14,  1882,  a  great 
fire  took  place,  starting  in  G.  A.  Luman's  hard- 
ware store  on  the  south  side  of  i\laple  street, 
and  consuming  19  buildings  before  its  force 
could  be  arrested.  On  May  3,  1884,  Marsh's 
block  was  burned.  Several  other  fires  of  more 
or  less  note  have  occurred;  one  of  these  was 
on  February  12,  1S99,  when  the  Presbyterian 
church  was  burned. 

SIDEWALKS. 

During  the  past  few  years  a  very  great 
improvement  has  been  made  in  the  walks  of 
the  city.  Wide  brick  sidewalks  have  been  laid, 
on  both  sides  of  the  street,  the  whole  length 
of  Maple  street,  from  the  business  portion  to 
the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  depot.  In  other  parts  of 
the  town  the  walks  have  also  been  improved. 

NATURAL  GAS. 

Not  a  large  amount  of  this  article  has  yet 
been  found,  but  sufficient  to  be  utilized  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  in  heating  and  lighting  the  business 
houses.     Farther  developments  are  hoped  for. 

LIBRARY    ASSOCIATION. 

On  February  18,  1875,  the  Ladies"  Library 
Association  of  Chetopa  was  organized,  with  a 
membership  of  81.  Mrs.  M.  A.  Shilds,  Mrs. 
J.  F.  Hunter,  and  Mrs.  H.  Butterworth,  by 
the  payment  of  $10  each,  were  made  life  mem- 
bers of  the  association.  The  following  officers 
were  elected:  President,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Aldrich; 
secretary,  Mrs.  B.  S.  Edwards ;  treasurer,  Mrs. 
M.  A.  Shilds;  librarian,  Miss  Fannie  Shilds. 
On  ]\Iay  14,  1875,  the  library  was  formally 
opened,  with  116  volumes  on  the  shelves.  In 
Februarv,  1882.  the  association  disbanded,  and 


138 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


did  nothing  for  three  years.  On  March  7, 
1885,  it  was  reorganized  as  the  City  Library 
Association,  with  a  membership  of  90.  The 
payment  of  $1  a  year  entitled  one  to  the  use  of 
a  book  each  week.  The  association  now  has 
582  books  in  the  library. 


A  number  of  winters,  more  especially  in 
her  early  history,  Chetopa  has  maintained  a 
good  literary  society;  frequently  the  business 
men  have  been  among  the  leading  spirits  in  it. 
In  1870  C.  H.  Ludlow  was  president,  and  that 
year,  as  well  as  in  1872-73,  most  of  the  lead- 
ing men  took  part  in  the  debates.  In  1873  a 
temperance  literary  society  was  organized,  of 
which  Dr.  C.  Humble  was  president. 

An  organization  of  the  Chautauqua  Liter- 
ary and  Scientific  Circle  was  effected  here  in 
1884. 

CHINAMEN. 

In  1884  a  couple  of  Chinamen  came  to  town 
and  opened  up  a  laundry.  Some  of  the  citi- 
zens conceived  a  great  antipathy  to  these  work- 
men, and  concluded  that  the  proper  thing  to 
do  was  to  dispense  with  their  presence.  The 
Chinamen  were  informed  that  they  would  do 
well  to  take  their  departure  from  town,  but  not 
heeding  the  request,  other  measures  were  taken 
to  induce  them  to  find  a  more  congenial  home. 
The  authorities,  ascertaining  what  was  going 
on,  took  steps  to  interfere;  the  result  was  the, 
arrest  of  some  two  dozen  men  engaged  in  the 
attempt  to  depopulate,  and  after  a  protracted 
and  hotly-contested  suit  four  of  the  parties 
were  convicted  and  fined  $25  each. 

CELEBRATIONS. 

Chetopa  has  ever  taken  a  pride  in  getting 
up  fine  celebrations.     The  first  one  was  held 


on  July  4,  1867,  in  an  arbor  provided  for  the 
occasion  north  of  Maple  and  east  of  Third 
streets,  at  which  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence was  read  by  Harry  Shannon,  of  La 
Porte,  Indiana.  Speeches  were  made  by  Cap- 
tain Secrest  and  others,  and  in  this  arbor  -in 
the  afternoon  of  that  day  Rev.  Mr.  Cox,  from 
Indiana,  preached  the  first  sermon  of  which  we 
have  any  account  since  the  breaking  up  of  the 
settlement  in  1863.  At  the  same  place  in  the 
evening  a  dance  was  held,  and  those  participat- 
ing therein  took  their  refreshments  at  Barnes' 
Hotel,  which  had  just  been  opened  across  the 
street  to  the  south.  The  next  celebration  of 
note  was  on  July  4,  1869  at  which  Congress- 
man Sidney  Clarke  and  Colonel  Hoyt  made 
speeches  to  a  large  crowd  of  people.  Another 
important  celebration  was  held  July  4,  1875, 
when  George  T.  Anthony  spoke  to  a  large 
crowd  of  people. 

Not  every  year,  but  frequently,  since  then, 
the  city  has  observed  the  day  of  national  in- 
dependence in  a  similar  way.  In  recent  years 
there  have  been  held  annually  reunions  of  the 
old  soldiers,  which  have  brought  large  num- 
bers of  people  to  the  city. 

OSWEGO. 

1865. 
Of  the  settlement  of  Mathews  upon  the 
present  site  of  the  city  of  Oswego,  I  have 
spoken  in  another  part  of  this  work.  The  first 
settlement  of  the  town  aside  from  the  Mathews 
settlement  dates  from  the  fall  of  1865.  In  the 
latter  part  of  October  of  that  year  Clinton  Rex- 
ford  and  N.  P.  Elsbree  located,  the  former 
on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  16,  and  the 
latter  upon  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  15, 
township  33,  range  21,  and  were  the  first  white 
men  to  make  their  homes  upon  the  present  site 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


of  Oswego  after  the  death  of  Mathews. 
Messrs.  Rexford  and  Elsbree  were  directed  to 
this  site  by  A.  T.  Dickerman  and  Jabez  Zink, 
who  had  a  short  time  before  that  located  upon 
the  Labette,  and  who  found  them  encamped 
near  the  mouth  of  that  stream  in  search  for  a 
location  and  contesting  with  the  Bakers  for 
claims  taken  by  them.  They  had  not  much 
more  than  gotten  fairly  located  upon  their 
claim  until  other  parties  came  into  the  neigh- 
borhood. But  as  the  location  of  these  new  set- 
tlements were  outside  of  the  limits  of  what  be- 
came the  town,  and  have  been  spoken  of  in 
treating  of  the  settlement  of  the  township,  I 
will  not  repeat  it  here.  Late  in  1865,  Rex- 
ford and  Elsbree  brought  on  a  small  stock  of 
provisions  and  opened  up  the  first  store  or 
trading-post  in  the  town,  and  in  fact  the  first 
in  this  part  of  the  county.  Their  store  build- 
ing was  a  rough  log  shanty,  and  stood  near 
the  center  of  what  is  now  block  66.  In  the 
street  near  the  northwest  corner  of  this  block 
is  a  spring  from  which  all  the  early  settlers 
were  supplied  with  water.  The  old  Govern- 
ment road,  coming  from  a  northwesterly  di- 
rection, passed  between  what  is  now  blocks  61 
and  66. 

1866. 

The  first  hotel  in  the  place  was  started  in 
the  spring  of  this  year  by  Wm.  A.  Hogaboom. 
It  was  a  log  cabin,  and  stood  on  what  is  now 
the  east  part  of  block  6r.  While  it  was  not  a 
very  commodious  afifair,  it  served  the  purpose 
of  furnishing  entertainment  to  the  few  new 
settlers  who  commenced  coming  early  that  sea- 
son. Among  those  who  came  this  year  were 
the  following:  Dr.  John  F.  Newlon,  C.  H. 
Talbott,  Andy  Kaho,  the  Sloane  family,  Thos. 
J.  Buntain,  Hiram  Hollingsworth.i  Thos.  J. 
Flouronoy,  J.  O.  Cowell,  H.  C.  Bridgman,  Jas. 


Jones,  H.  W.  Thompson,  Nelson  F.  Carr,  and 
C.  H.  Bent.  Carr  and  Bridgman  bought  from 
Rexford  and  Elsbree  the  small  stock  of  gro- 
ceries which  they  had  put  in  the  fall  previous, 
and  added  somewhat  thereto;  and  during  that 
year  J.  Q.  Cowell  put  up  a  small  addition  to 
the  Carr  and  Bridgman  store,  in  which  he 
opened  up  a  small  stock  of  groceries  and  drugs. 
This  was  the  first  drug  store  in  the  county. 

1867. 

The  treaty  with  the  Osages  having  been 
ratified  and  proclaimed  by  the  President,  set- 
tlers came  in  this  year  in  greater  numbers,  and 
with  more  assurance  of  finding  here  a  home 
than  had  those  who  had  previously  come.  D.  W. 
Clover  had  come  into  the  vicinity  the  July 
previous,  and  had  stopped  with  his  sons  down 
on  the  bank  of  the  river.  Directly  after  corn- 
ing he  had  gone  into  the  organization  of  the 
town  company,  making  preparations  for  help- 
ing build  up  the  town.  During  the  winter  he 
had  gotten  out  logs,  and  in  the  spring  of  this 
year  erected  on  the  southeast  corner  of  block 
25  a  hewed-log  house  in  which  he  at  once 
opened  a  hotel,  naming  it  the  Oswego  House; 
ever  since  which  time  the  principal  hotel  in  the 
place  has  been  maintained  on  that  corner  under 
the  same  name  as  first  started. 

The  principal  new  business  firms  that  were 
started  this  year  were  A.  Waskey  &  Sons,  Dr. 
R.  W.  Wright,  and  H.  L.  Woodford.  All 
of  these  came  here  during  the  summer  and  got 
their  business  houses  open  in  the  fall.  J.  F. 
and  T.  P.  Waskey  conducted  the  business  for 
their  house,  opening  first  in  the  Buntain  build- 
ing and  the  next  season  erecting  their  own 
building,  in  block  ^^,  into  which  they  moved. 

Prior  to  this  year  there  had  been  no  saw- 
mills in  the  county,  and  all  of  the  buildings  had 
been  built  of  logs — some  of  them  rough  log 


I40 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


houses,  and  some  liewed.  Those  -who  built 
this  year  were  able  to  get  boards,  and  several 
frame  houses  were  erected.  Thomas  J.  Buntain 
put  up  a  two-story  frame  about  20  by  40  feet, 
on  the  southwest  corner  of  block  25 ;  Dr.  R. 
W.  Wright  put  up  a  one-story  frame  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  block  31,  in  which  he  there- 
after put  his  drug  store;  Dr.  W.  S.  Newlon 
built  a  frame  residence  on  the  lots  ever  since 
occupied  by  him.  Several  other  smaller  frame 
houses,  either  for  business  or  residence,  were 
also  built.  In  addition  to  Dr.  Wright,  Dr. 
Newlon,  and  the  Waske>  brothers,  whom  1 
have  mentioned  as  having  come  this  year,  I  may 
name  A.  L.  Austin,  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Canfield, 
Jerry  D.  McCue,  and  Walter  P.  Bishop.  At 
the  close  of  1867  there  were  in  Oswego  10 
frame  buildings  and  11  log  bouses,  with  a 
population  of  16  families,  numbering  about  loc 
individuals.  There  were  in  all  five  stores,  two 
of  which  were  kept  on  the  site  first  occupied, 
on  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  one  by  Carr  &  Bridg- 
man  and  one  by  J.  Q.  Cowell.  H.  L.  Wood- 
ford had  a  small  feed  store  in  the  same  vicinity. 
The  other  two  stores  were  within  the  presen: 
business  site — one  by  the  Waskeys  in  the  Bun- 
tain  building,  and  the  other  by  Dr.  Wright  in 
his  own  building,  as  above  described.  In  ad- 
dition to  these  there  was  one  blacksmith  shoj) 
and  one  hotel. 

During  the  summer  Mrs.  Herbaugh  taugh.t 
the  first  school,  and  the  first  religious  services 
were  also  held,  a  Sunday-school  having  been 
organized  and  maintained  during  the  summer, 
and  preaching  services  having  been  instituted 
in  the  fall  by  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Canfield,  who 
had  been  sent  here  by  the  Congregational  So- 
ciety, and  by  Rev.  John  Mark,  a  local  Meth- 
odist preacher,  who  had  settled  in  the  town- 
ship. Thos.  J.  Flouronoy,  a  Baptist  minister, 
also  preached  occasionally. 


1868. 

A  very  great  addition  was  made  to  the 
growth  and  improvement  of  the  town  during 
this  year.  Several  firms  of  quite  large  means 
started  in  business,  and  a  number  of  substantial 
residences  were  put  up.  Read  Bros.,  a  firm 
composed  of  John  S.,  Merriaa  and  Elijah  T., 
came  early  in  the  year,  and  at  once  commenced 
the  construction  of  their  store  building  on  the 
west  side  of  Commercial  street,  w'here  they 
have  ever  since  been  in  business.  They  built  a 
large  two-story  frame  building  and  put  therein 
the  first  stock  of  hardware  brought  to  town. 
C.  M.  Condon  came  in  the  spring,  and  put  up 
a  two-story  frame,  placing  therein  a  large  stock 
of  general  merchandise.  Israel  R.  Fisher 
(Samuel  Fisher,  his  brother,  being  then  with 
him)  located  and  put  up  a  two-story  frame, 
in  which  he  commenced  the  sale  of  groceries, 
which  he  has  continued  until  the  present.  Sev- 
eral other  business  houses  of  less  magnitude 
than  those  I  have  mentioned  were  started  this 
year ;  so  that  at  the  close  of  the  year  there  were 
100  frame  buildings  in  town,  a  very  fair  pro- 
portion of  which  were  occupied  by  business  of 
one  kind  or  another.  Nearly  all  of  the  lines  of 
business  usually  found  in  frontier  towns  were 
at  that  time  fairly  represented. 

The  town  had  been  started  on  an  Indian 
reservation  before  the  treaty  with  the  Indians- 
releasing  their  rights  thereto  had  been  ap- 
proved, and  even  at  this  time  the  title  to  the 
same  was  in  the  General  Government,  and  no 
provision  had  yet  been  made  for  anyone  ac- 
quiring a  title  to  his  home;  yet  people  who  had 
come  here  had  commenced  preparations  for  per- 
manent homes,  and  most  of  them  had  no- 
thought  of  making  a  change.  Those  in  busi- 
ness were  making  money,  and  all  seemed  con- 
tented and  prosperous,  and  the  year  closed  with 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Oswego  having  apparently  as  good  a  prospect 
as  any  of  her  competitors  for  making  a  pros- 
perous and  permanent  growth. 


TITLE  TO  TOWN-SITE. 


The  town  company  had  originally  claimed 
and  bought  the  right  of  the  original  occupants 
to  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  15  and  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  16.  Under  the  rul- 
ing of  the  land  office  the  odd  sections  could  not 
be  entered  under  the  joint  resolution  of  April 
10,  1869,  but  the  even  sections  could.  It  was 
arranged  that  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
16  should  be  entered  by  D.  W.  Clover,  who 
was  then  the  oldest  resident  living  upon  the 
same.  Immediately  after  making  entry  Mr. 
Clover  conveyed  the  title  to  this  quarter  to 
the  town  company,  which  was  thus  enabled  to 
make  title  to  the  several  occupants  then  living 
and  doing  business  thereon.  As  no  titles  could 
be  obtained  to  lots  on  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  15,  few  persons  settled  thereon  after 
that  became  known.  After  the  contest  with 
the  railroads  ended  in  the  decision  of  the  court 
against  theij"  claim,  the  passage  of  the  law  by 
Congress  in  1876  provided  for  the  entry  of 
town-sites  by  the  municipal  authorities,  when 
the  town  was  incorporated,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  occupants  thereon.  Some  one  had  secured 
a  provision  to  be  inserted  in  the  act  authoriz- 
ing town  companies  to  enter  town-sites  under 
certain  conditions.  A  contest  sprang  up  be- 
tween the  Oswego-  Town  Company  and  the 
mayor  and  councilmen  of  the  city  of  Oswego, 
for  the  entry  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 15.  The  city  was  represented  in  this  con- 
test by  its  city  attornev,  and  the  town  company 
by  Colonel  W.  B.  Glasse.  The  decision  of  the 
local  land  office  was  in  favor  of  the  city  author- 
ities.    From  this  an  appeal  was  taken  to  the 


Commisioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  and 
then  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  both  of 
whom  sustained  the  decision  of  the  land  office 
in  favor  of  the  city  authorities.  This  contest 
was  ended  in  March,  1880,  and  thereupon  the 
city  conveyed  title  to  the  occupants  for  the  lots 
occupied  by  them  respectively. 


THE    TOWN    COMPANY. 

Up  to  July,  1866,  the  place  we  now  desig- 
nate Oswego  had  been  known  as  Little  Town 
"from  a  time  when  the  memory  of  man  run- 
neth not  to  the  contrary." 

Prior  to  the  incorporation  of  the  town 
company  there  were  no  records  kept  of  its 
transactions  except  upon  slips  of  paper.  I  have 
gone  through  the  records  thus  kept  so  far  as 
they  have  been  preserved,  and  from  them  find 
the  following  facts:  J.  F.  Newlon,  William 
A.  Hogaboom,  C.  H.  Talbott  and  D.  C.  Rex- 
ford  seem  to  have  been  the  parties  instru- 
mental in  organizing  the  town  company; at  any 
rate  they  are  the  ones  who  receipted  for  the 
money  paid  for  shares  in  the  town  company, 
so  far  as  I  can  now  ascertain  from  these  frag- 
ments of  records.  The  first  records  of  any 
kind  that  I  find  are  receipts,  coming  by  date  in 
the  following  order: 

"Neosho  County,  Kansas,  July  9,  1866. 
"Received  of  N.  Sloan  thirty-one  dollars, 
being  one-half  payment  for  said  share  in  the 
town.  Balance  to  be  paid  \Vhen  the  company 
is  organized  and  title  perfected.  If  not  per- 
fected, the  money  refunded. 

"William  A.  Hogaboom." 

"Neosho  County,  Kansas,  July  10,  1866. 
"Received  of  A.   Kaho  one-half  payment 


[42 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


for  one  town  share,  in  a  watch ;  if  title  not  per- 
fected, the  watch  returned  in  good  order. 

"William  A.  Hogaboom." 

\ 

"Neosho  County,  Kansas,  July  ii,  1866. 
"Received  of  Daniel  Matthias  thirty-one 
dollars,  being  the  one-half  the  money  for  a 
town  share  on  the  Matthews  place.  The  bal- 
ance due  when  the  company  perfect  their  ar- 
rangements and  a  good  and  sufficient  title  is 
had,  but  the  above  money  to  be  returned  if  said 
arrangements  are  not  consummated. 

"William  A.  Hogaboom." 

"Received  of  D.  W.  Clover  thirty-one  di:)l- 
lars,  being  one-half  the  pay  of  a  share  in  Little 
Town.  C.  H.  Talbott. 

"Little  Town,  July  12,  1866." 

The  first  record  of  the  minutes  of  any  meet- 
ing being  held  is  the  following: 

"Little  Town,  Neosho  County,  Kans., 

July  12,  1866. 
"The  shareholders  of  the  Town  Company 
of  Little  Town  met  for  the  purpose  of  organiza- 
tion. Mr.  D.  W.  Clover  was  called  to  the 
chair.  On  motion,  Dr.  J.  F.  Newlon  was 
elected  president  pro  tciii.,  Wm.  A.  Hogaboom, 
vice-president  pro  tern.,  and  H.  C.  Bridgman, 
secretary  pro  tern.  Moved  that  a  committee 
of  three  be  appointed  to  draft  by-laws  for  the 
company.     Carried." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  upon  July  12,  1866, 
the  proposed  town  is  still  designated  Little 
Town.  The  first  time  I  find  the  word  "Os- 
wego" written  is  in  the  following  instrument : 

"Oswego.  Kansas,  July  17,  1866. 
"This  entitles  the  holder,  T.  J.  Buntain,  to 


one  full  share  in  the  Town  Company  of  Os- 
wego, Neosho  county,  Kansas,  on  his  comply- 
ing with  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Town 
Company  of  said  town  of  Oswego. 
"J.  F.   Newlon,  President. 
"H.  C.  Bridgman,  Secretary  of    Town    Co." 

There  is  no  record  now  to  be  found  of  the 
exact  time  when  it  was  done,  nor  of  the  action 
taken  in  changing  from  Little  Town  to  Os- 
wego, but  it  is  apparent  from  the  instruments 
copied  above  that  some  time  between  the  12th 
and  I7tli  of  July  the  change  of  name  was  made. 
I  am  informed  that  at  a  meeting  of  the  town 
company  D.  W.  Clover  suggested  the  name 
of  Oswego  for  the  proposed  town,  and  some 
other  member  of  the  company,  probably  J.  Q. 
Cowell,  suggested  Vernon.  A  ballot  was  tak- 
en, and  a  majority  of  the  stockholders  voted  in 
favor  of  choosing  the  name  "Oswego;"  and 
from  that  time  on  Oswego  was  the  designa- 
tion of  the  settlement  formerly  known  as  Little 
Town. 

On  August  3,  1867,  J.  Q.  Cowell,  C.  C. 
Clover,  J.  F.  Newlon,  D.  W.  Clover,  T.  J. 
Flouronoy,  T.  J.  Buntain  and  D.  M.  Clover 
signed  articles  of  incorporation,  which  were 
acknowledged  before  D.  W.  Clover,  justice  of 
the  peace,  and  the  charter  thus  prepared  and 
signed,  was,  on  August  10,  1867,  filed  in  the 
office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  the  com- 
pany had  a  corporate  existence  from  that  date. 
The  company's  book  contains  no  record  of  the 
meeting,  but  on  a  scrap  of  paper  I  find  the 
minutes  of  a  meeting  held  September  24th,  and 
while  the  figures  representing  the  year  are  not 
very  distinct,  I  take  it  to  be  1867.  This  being 
soon  after  the  incorporation,  it  was  evidently 
the  first  meeting  of  the  incorporators  after  re- 
ceiving the  charter.  The  minutes  show  that 
"on  motion  to  organize  and  elect  directors," 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


(43 


the  following  were  elected :  J.  F.  Newlon,  T. 
J.  Flouronoy,  D.  W.  Clover,  D.  M.  Clover, 
and  N.  F.  Carr.  On  the  same  day  J.  F.  New- 
lon was  elected  president,  D.  W.  Clover  vice- 
president,  Nelson  F.  Carr  secretary,  and  D.  M. 
Clover,  treasurer.  On  November  26,  1867,  R. 
W.  Wright  was  elected  secretary  in  place  of 
Mr.  Carr,  resigned.  On  February  10,  1868, 
a  new  board  of  directors  having  been  elected, 
D.  W.  Clover  was  elected  president,  R.  W. 
Wright,  secretary,  and  A.  L.  Austin,  treasurer. 
On  January  9,  1869,  J.  F.  Waskey  was  elected 
president,  and  M.  Reed  secretary  of  the  com- 
pany, and  they  remained  the  officers  of  the 
company  during  its  further  corporate  existence. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS    TO    IMPROVE. 

To  the  town  company  thus  organized  and 
operated,  Oswego  owed  a  very  large  degree  of 
her  growth  and  prosperity.  While  the  town 
company  could  secure  no  title  to  its  site  until 
the  fall  of  1869,  it  promised  from  the  first  lib- 
eral donations  to  all  enterprises  which  it  was 
believed  would  be  for  the  public  good.  Each 
church  organization  was  given  lots  of  its  own 
selection  to  an  extent  of  100  feet  front;  a  half 
block  was  donated  for  a  school-site;  a  build- 
ing was  erected  and  donated  to  the  county 
for  a  court-house;  a  county  jail  was  erected; 
donations  were  made  to  the  first  newspaper; 
and,  until  the  close  of  1869,  anyone  building 
a  house  of  a  certain  dimension  had  donated 
to  him  the  lot  on  which  it  stood. 

STONE   AND   BRICK   BUILDINGS. 

The  first  stone  building  to  be  erected  in  the 
place  was  the  school-house,  in  1869.  During 
this  year  the  Congregational  church  was  com- 
menced, and  finished  about  the  close  of  the 
year.  The  first  stone  business  house  was 
erected  on  the  southwest  corner  of  block  32, 


in  the  summer  of  1869,  by  W.  M.  Johnson. 
The  walls  were  laid  that  year,  but  it  was  not 
completed  until  1870.  In  1874  H.  S.  Coley, 
W.  H.  Robey  and  Nelson  Case  purchased  lots 
I  and  2,  block  38,  and  laid  a  foundation  there- 
on with  a  view  of  erecting  a  brick  building. 
These  parties  sold  the  lots,  however,  to  Sam- 
uel Carpenter,  who  erected  the  brick  building 
now  standing  thereon;  this  was  the  first 
brick  building  in  the  place.  One  room  of  it  was 
occupied  June  i,  1875,  by  the  firm  of  Mont- 
gomery &  Carpenter  as  a  store,  and  the  other 
room  was  occupied  by  Hobart  &  Condon  as  a 
bank.  In  1879  the  Masons  put  up  their  temple 
on  the  west  side  of  block  32.  The  opera  house 
was  built  in  1879,  on  the  north  side  of  Fourth 
avenue.  In  1880,  after  the  fire  on  the  west 
side  of  Commercial  street,  arrangements  were 
made  for  the  erection  of  brick  buildings  in 
their  place,  and  during  that  season  the  entire 
east  side  of  block  33,  with  the  exception  of 
the  northeast  corner  building,  was  covered 
with  a  row  of  uniform  brick  buildings.  The 
following  year  Mr.  Symmes  completed  the  row 
by  the  erection  of  the  one  at  the  north  end. 
The  city  building,  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
block  38,  was  commenced  in  1883  ^^^  finished 
early  in  1884.  In  1887  L.  Sawyer  &  Co. 
erected  a  fine  two-story  stone  building  on  the 
east  side  of  block  38.  The  First  National 
Bank  building  was  erected  in  1885;  this  was 
the  first  three-story  brick  in  town.  In  1890 
Mr.  Knight  put  up  a  very  fine  three-story 
building  at  the  southeast  corner  of  block  25, 
in  place  of  the  old  frame  Oswego  house.  Os- 
wego was  thus  furnished  with  one  of  the  best 
hotels  in  this  part  of  the  State. 

WATER-POWER. 

It  was  believed  by  our  citizens  that  the 
Neosho  cut-off,   commencing  just  below  the 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


dam  and  running  south  near  the  foot  of  the 
-bluff  and  striking  the  river  again  at  a  point 
as  nearly  as  possible  south  from  the  place  of 
beginning,  would  furnish  an  immense  water- 
power.  The  river  at  this  place  taking  such  a 
large  bend  to  the  east,  the  fall  in  several  miles 
of  its  flow  could,  it  was  thought,  be  concen- 
trated into  a  comparatively  short  space  by 
turning  the  channel  down  this  cut-ofif.  In 
1 87 1  a  survey  was  made,  and  a  report  pub- 
lished that  19  feet  of  fall  could  thus  be  secured. 
But  no  steps  were  ever  taken  to  make  availa- 
ble this  apparently  wasting'  power,  farther 
than  to  organize  a  company  and  make  plans 
on  paper.  In  January,  1874,  W.  T.  Cunning- 
ham and  others  obtained  a  charter  for  the  Os- 
wego Canal  and  Manufacturing  Company. 


On  the  night  of  April  5,  1873,  a  severe  hail 
storm  came  from  the  southwest,  and  broke 
nearly  every  pane  of  glass  on  the  south  and 
west  sides  in  very  nearly  all  the  houses  in  town. 
The  following  day  was  Sunday  and  the  town 
had  a  forlorn  appearance.  Not  enough  glass 
could  be  found  in  town  to  replace  those 
broken,  and  for  several  days  bed  quilts  and 
other  garments  furnished  a  conspicuous  pro- 
tection from  the  weather. 

September  29,  1881,  a  wind  storm  in  the  na- 
ture of  a  cyclone  passed  over  Oswego,  scatter- 
'ing  the  lumber  of  Sharp's  lumber  3^ard,  blow- 
ing down  the  porch  at  Mr.  Tuttle's  house, 
north  of  the  Congergational  church,  and  do- 
ing some  other  damage. 

The  town  was  visited  by  a  tornado  on  July 
7,  1895,  which  blew  down  the  iron  stand-p'pe 
belonging  to   the   water  works. 


The  following  fires  occurred  according  to 
their  respective  dates :  Jennings  packing  estab- 
lishment, on  July  2,  1879;  the  south  end  of  the 
frame  row  on  the  west  side  of  Commercial 
street,  March  8,  1880;  Grant's  livery  barn, 
with  thirteen  houses,  February  18,  1882; 
"Frisco"  depot,  December  11,  1882;  Miller's 
mill,  February  21,  1884;  the  row  of  buildings- 
opposite  the  Oswego  House,  February  10, 
1886;  Shotliff's  wagon  factory,  April  27,  1885; 
Hall's  flouring  mill,  January  14,  1886;  Judge 
Barnes'  dwelling  house  took  fire  and  burned 
July  4,  1874;  the  Champion  fire  extinguisher,, 
which  had  recently  been  purchased,  had  been 
taken  that  day  to  the  celebration  at  IMontana, 
and  the  fire  company  were  much  annoyed  on 
reaching  home  and  learning  that  in  their  ab- 
sence this  fire  had  taken  place. 

POSTOFFICE    ELECTION. 

November  28,  1870,  a  vacancy  existing 
on  account  of  J.  D.  Coulter,  the  postmaster, 
absconding,  and  there  being  several  applicants 
for  the  position,  an  election  was  held  to  deter- 
mine who  s'hould  be  appointed.  A.  W.  Picker- 
ing, who  had  been  Coulter's  deputy,  and  who 
had  charge  of  the  ofifice,  was  chosen  over  E.  O, 
Kimball,  J.  W,  Minturn,  J.  A.  Miller,  R.  J. 
Elliott,  and  C.  M.  Gilkey.  These  were  not  in 
the  days  when  the  spirit  of  civil-service  re- 
form predominated,  and  the  election  cut  no' 
figure  in  the  matter  of  the  appointment. 

LITERARY   AND    MUSICAL. 

In  the  fall  of  1870  Nelson  Case,  B.  W. 
Perkins,  H.  C.  Hall  and  some  other  parties 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  securing  lectures- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


145 


and  aiding  in  literary  enterprises,  and  on  Oc- 
tober 6th,  of  that  year,  obtained  a  charter  for 
the  Oswego  Library  and  Lecture  Association. 
Under  its  auspices  Henry  Clay  Dean  delivered 
his  lecture  on  "The  Old  Senate."  This  was 
about  the  extent  of  the  work  of  this  associa- 
tion. 

On  July  19,  1870,  a  musical  association  was 
formed,  with  E.  W.  Davis  as  president.  They 
at  once  arranged  to  give  a  concert  on  Septem- 
ber 9th.  This  concert  proved  to  be  a  great 
success,  and  on  October  24th  and  26th  they 
rendered  the  cantata  of  Queen  Esther.  Febru- 
ary 27th,  1871,  a  brass  band  was  organized 
under  the  leadership  of  William  Wells.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1872,  Mr.  Wells  organized  a  ladies'  cor- 
net band,  which  soon  became  quite  proficient, 
and  was  in  favor  at  public  entertainments.  In 
January,  1873,  Prof.  Perkins  held  a  musical 
institute.  In  May,  1874,  a  new  musical  insti- 
tute was  formed,  of  which  J.  A.  Gates  was 
president.  On  October  15,  1877,  a  musical  in- 
stitute commenced,  under  the  direction  of  Prof. 
Teats,  of  New  York.  F.  B.  McGill,  H.  S. 
Coley,  E.  W.  Ross,  F.  Beal  and  L.  C.  Howard 
worked  hard  for  its  success  and  it  proved  a 
great  benefit  in  developing  the  musical  talent 
of  the  town. 

workmen's  association. 

April  27,  1872,  the  mechanics  and  worlonen 
of  Oswego  formed  an  association  for  their 
mental  as  well  as  financial  improvement.  J. 
A.  Miller  was  elected  president  and  George  C. 
Sarvis  secretary.  F.  B.  McGill,  David  Bran- 
son and  James  T.  Rierson  were  appointed  a 
committee  on  lectures  and  educational  mat- 
ters. A  reading-room  was  opened,  and  supplied 
with  reading  matter  by  the  members  bringing 


books  and  periodicals,  so  that  each  had  the  ad- 
vantages of  what  all  controlled.  It  was  not  a 
very  long-lived  institution;  its  history,  like 
that  of  so  many  undertakings,  shows  that  it 
is  easy  to  start  almost  any  kind  of  an  enter- 
prise for  the  public  welfare,  but  that  if  it  is  to 
be  made  permanent  and  to  be  a  lasting  bene- 
fit, some  one  must  be  willing  to  sacrifice  him- 
self for  the  good  of  others;  such  a  person  is 
not  always  to  be  found. 

MUTUAL   BENEFIT    SOCIETY. 

About  the  last  of  January,  1874,  a  society 
was  formed  by  those  who  had  been  inclined  to 
dissipation,  to  assist  in  at  least  a  partial  refor- 
mation. They  agreed  not  to  drink,  either  not 
at  all  for  a  certain  length  of  time,  or  to  ab- 
stain from  drinking  under  certain  circum- 
stances. It  was  said  to  have  had  quite  a  percep- 
tible influence  on  its  members,  and,  at  least  for 
a  time,  to  have  seriously  affected  the  receipts 
of  the 'saloons.  William  Wells  was  president 
and  L.  C.  Howard  secretary  of  the  organiza- 
tion. A  charter  was  obtained  January  28, 
1874. 

THE  AGASSIAN  SOCIETY. 

In  1873  a  number  of  Oswego  citizens  who 
were  somewhat  inclined  to  literary  and  scien- 
tific studies  organized  a  society  for  the  pur- 
pose of  study  and  the  discussion  of  subjects  in 
which  they  were  interested  and  which  might 
be  deemed  beneficial  and  of  practical  import- 
ance. Meetings  were  usually  held  weekly,  at 
the  residence  of  some  of  the  members  of  the 
society.  Some  one  was  appointed  to  prepare  a 
paper  to  be  read  at  a  subsequent  meeting 
and  the  paper  thus  presented  formed  a  basis 
for  discussion.     This  society  was  kept  up  for 


146 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


several  years,  and  proved  to  be  of  very  great 
interest  and  benefit.  Among  those  who  were 
prominently  connected  with  the  work  were 
C.  O.  Perkins,  Dr.  W.  S.  Newlon,  Mary  A. 
Higby,  Ferd.  Beyle,  F.  B.  McGill,  together 
with  many  others  who  were  less  conspicuous 
in  its  workings. 

OSWEGO  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION. 

The  Murphy  temperance  meetings  which 
had  been  held  during  the  fall  of  1877  resulted 
in  the  organization  of  a  society  for  the  pur- 
pose of  opening  a  reading-room.  ■  A  donation 
of  a  few  books  and  periodicals  was  secured, 
and  a  subscription  was  taken  to  raise  money  to 
pay  the  necessary  expenses  of  opening  the 
room.  Nelson  Case  wrote  an  article  which 
appeared  in  the  Independent,  in  October, 
1887,  urging  that  steps  be  taken  to  make  this 
reading-room,  for  which  a  start  had  been 
made,  a  permanent  institution.  His  suggestion 
met  with  favor,  and  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  secure  a  charter.  The  charter  having  been 
prepared  and  properly  signed  and  acknowl- 
edged, it  was  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  State  on  December  24,  1877.  A  board 
of  13  directors  was  appointed.  On  January  5, 
1878,  the  directors  met  and  organized,  elect- 
ing the  following  officers:  President,  C.  O. 
Perkins;  secretary,  C.  L.  Wyman;  treasurer, 
B.  F.  Hobart;  executive  committee,  Nelson 
Case,  chairman,  Merrit  Read,  F.  H.  Atchin- 
son.  Mr.  Perkins  remained  president  as  long  as 
he  lived.  F.  H.  Atchinsin,  before  the  close  of  the 
first  year,  succeeded  Mr.  Wyman  as  secretary 
and  continued  to  fill  that  position  during  the 
next  nine  years.  Mr.  Case  remained  chair- 
man of  the  executive  committee  during  its 
first  ten  years.     Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Perk- 


ins, on  April  30,  1887,  the  duties  of  the  presi- 
dent were  performed  by  the  chairman  of  the 
executive  committee  until  the  annual  meeting 
in  December  of  that  year,  when  Nelson  Case 
was  elected  president;  J.  R.  Hill,  secretary; 
C.  M.  Condon,  treasurer;  F.  H.  Atchinson,  E. 
P.  Sawyer  and  R.  L.  Sharp,  executive  commit- 
tee. The  following  year  Mr.  Hill  was  made 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  in  place 
of  Mr.  Atchinson,  the  other  officers  remain- 
ing as  last  announced,  all  of  whom  have  held 
the  same  positions  to  the  present.  The  asso- 
ciation has  maintained  a  free  reading-room, 
kept  open  daily  with  very  slight  exceptions, 
from  the  time  of  its  organization  to  the  pres- 
ent. It  has  never  invested  very  largely  in 
books,  but  has  acquired  quite  a  fair  library. 
Its  tables  have  constantly  been  kept  supplied 
with  the  best  periodicals.  For  a  number  of 
years  the  association  had  its  reading-room 
in  the  city  building,  but  during  later  years  it 
maintained  its  reading-rooms,  in  connection 
with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rooms,  in  the  center  of 
the  business  part  of  toAvn.  The  association 
has  provided  a  course  of  literary  entertain- 
ments, consisting  of  lectures  and  concerts, 
nearly  every  season  since  its  organization.  A 
number  of  the  best  lecturers  on  the  platform 
have  been  secured,  as  well  as  first-class  musi- 
cal talent.  In  more  recent  vears  the  policy  of 
home  lectures  has  been  inaugurated,  and  some 
of  the  leading  men  of  the  State  have  been  se- 
cured to  give  lectures  in  these  courses.  By  this 
means  the  people  have  been  furnished  with  a 
class  of  entertainments  of  high  standard,  and 
the  association  has  reaped  something  of  a  rev- 
enue to  assist  in  maintaining  its  reading-ronm. 
During  the  past  few  years  the  association  has 
been  partially  disorganized,  and  has  not  done 
the  aggressive  work  it  did  during  its  earl-er 
history. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


GOVERNMENT. 


On  February  8,  1870,  a  majority  of  the 
residents  having  petitioned  therefor,  the  pro- 
bate judge  made  an  order  incorporating  Os- 
wego as  a  town,  and  appointed  R.  W.  Wright, 
J.  F.  Waskey,  Merrit  Read,  John  F.  Newlon 
and  W.  M.  Johnson  trustees.  The  trustees  met 
February  23d,  and  organized  by  electing  W.  M. 
Johnson  chairman,  and  appointed  John  D. 
Coulter  clerk.  Nelson  Case  was  employed  by 
the  trustees  as  counsel,  and  assisted  them  in 
preparing  ordinances. 

On  March  21,  1870,  a  census  as  taken, 
which  s'howed  more  than  1,000  inhabitants  in 
the  town.  An  ordinance  was  passed  declaring 
Oswego  organized  as  a  city  of  the  third  class. 
The  first  election  was  held  April  4th,  at  which 
the  following  ofificers  were  elected:  Mayor, 
J.  F.  Newlon;  councilmen,  D.  W'.  Clover,  R. 
W.  Wright,  William  Wells.  J.  T.  Pierson,  and 
E.  R.  Trask.  On  April  6tb  the  mayor  and 
councilmen  organized  and  held  their  first  meet- 
ing. J.  D,.  Coulter  was  appointed  clerk ;  James 
R.  Morrison,  marshal,  and  F.  A.  Bettis.  attor- 
ney. On  March  16,  1871,  an  ordinance  was 
passed  declaring  Oswego  a  city  of  the  second 
•class  by  virtue  of  chapter  59  of  the  laws  of 
1 87 1,  permitting  certain  cities  therein  named 
to  organize  as  cities  of  the  second  class.  The 
city  has  continued  to  act  as  a  city  of  the  second 
class  from  that  time  to  the  present.  However, 
in  1890,  in  a  case  wherein  Oswego  township 
was  plaintiff  and  Joseph  Anderson  was  de- 
fendant, the  supreme  court  decided  that  the  act 
above  referred  to  was  unconstitutional,  and 
therefore  the  organization  as  a  city  of  the  sec- 
ond class  thereunder  was  illegal.  In  fact,  it 
was  always  considered  doubtful  whether  or  not 
this  act  had  any  validity,  and  in  1880  the  nec- 
sary  steps  were  taken  to  secure  an  organization 


as  a  city  of  the  second  class  under  the  general 
laws.  On  June  18,  1880,  the  Government  is- 
sued a  proclamation  declaring  Oswego  a  city 
of  the  second  class. 

Mayors:  1870,  J.  F.  Newlon;  1871,  Mer- 
rit Read;  1872,  J.  F.  Waskey;  1873-76,  R. 
W.  Wright;  1876-87,  C.  M.  Condon;  1887-89, 
H.  C.  Cook;  1889-91,  J.  W.  Marley;  1891-95, 
J.  M.  Grant;  1895-97,  J-  B.  Montgomery; 
1897-99,  R-  O-  Deming;  1 899-1 901,  George  S. 
Liggett.    Clerks:  February  23d  to  August  15, 

1870,  J.  D.  Coulter;  August  15,  1870,  to  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1871,  J.  B.  Zeigler;  E.  E.  Hastings 
was  appointed,  but  did  not  qualify;  March  10, 

1 87 1,  to  April  10,  1 87 1,  H.  E.  Porter;  April 
10,  1871,  to  May  16,  1872,  C.  F.  Winton; 
May  16,  1872,  to  April  30,  1878,  Nelson  Case; 
May  6,  1878,  to  Janaury  3,  1890,  Thomas  Bul- 
wer;  January  3,  1890,  to  April  10,  1891,  J.  D, 
H.  Reed;  April  10,  1891,  to  April  8,  1895,  W. 
K.  Orr;  April  8,  1895,  to  April  16,  1897,  J 
W.  Minturn;  April  16,  1897,  to  April  8,  1898 
W.  K.  Orr;  April  15,  1898,  to  February  27 
1899,  Jesse  Richcreek;  February  27,  1899,  to 
April  6,  1900,  L.  H.  Kemper;  April  6,  1900, 
Marion  Parks. 

BUSINESS    ENTERPRISES. 

Pottery. — In  1868  Mr.  Shanks  operated 
a  pottery,  and  turned  out  several  kilns  of  stone- 
ware. In  the  spring  of  1870,  D.  and  C.  E. 
Watts  established  a  pottery  in  the  east  part  of 
town,  from  which  they  sent  out  quite  an 
amount  of  stone-ware  that  season. 

Pork-Packing. — Mr.  Jennings  was  the 
first  to  start  this  enterprise.  He  erected  a  stone 
building  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town,  in 
which,  in  1878,  he  commenced  the  slaughter 
and  packing  of  'hogs.  Edgar  Leonard  and 
George  Schwartz  succeeded   Mr.  Jennings  in 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


the  business.  The  establishment  having-  been 
mostly  destroyed  by  fire,  the  business  was  dis- 
continued after  having  been  conducted  with  a 
fair  degree  of  success  for  two  or  three  years. 

Wagon  Factory. — In  June,  1882,  J.  Shot- 
liff  commenced  work  on  his  wagon  factory  in 
the  south  part  of  town,  which  was  put  in  oper- 
ation before  the  close  of  the  year.  Mr.  Shot- 
liff  operated  this  until  it  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1885.  On  account  of  the  loss  then  sus- 
tained, he  was  unable  to  again  commence  busi- 
ness. During  the  time  he  was  running  his  fac- 
tory he  turned  out  a  large  number  of  wagons, 
and  did  a  good  business. 

While  no  one  else  has  ever  carried  on  the 
manufacture  of  wagons  at  this  place  on  such 
an  extensive  scale  as  did  Mr.  Shotliff  while  he 
conducted  the  business,  there  have  been  others 
who  'have  done  a  good  business  in  a  smaller 
way.  During  the  lifetime  of  David  Branson, 
he  and  Mr.  Marsh  made  wagons.  J.  C.  Patter- 
son has  been  engaged  in  the  business  almost 
from  the  start  of  the  town.  Mr.  Gordon  and 
Mr.  Peters  have  likewise  been  in  the  business, 
and  W.  K.  Orr  has  conducted  a  carriage- 
trimming  shop  for  many  years. 

Tile  Factory.— In  June,  1885,  H.  C. 
Draper  moved  his  tile  factory  to  Oswego  from 
across  the  river,  where  he  had  operated  it  for 
several  years. 

Cotton  Gin. — In  November,  1888,  D.  S. 
and  J.  C.  Romine  and  A.  Chambers  purchased 
machinery  and  commenced  the  operation  of  a 
cotton  gin.  On  December  11,  1888,  they  shipped 
six  bales  of  cotton  over  the  "Frisco"  to  St. 
Louis,  which  was  the  first  shipment  from  this 
point.  The  gin  was  run  several  years,  but  was 
finally  moved  to  Chetopa.  C.  A.  Wilkin  was 
interested  in  its  operation  a  part  of  the  time. 

A  Cheese  Factory  was  started  on  the 
south  side  of  Fourth  avenue  near  the  M.  K.  & 


T.  Ry.  depot,  in  1892,  which  it  is  hoped  will 
prove  successful;  still  for  two  or  three  years 
past  little  or  no  use  has  been  made  of  it. 

Creamery. — In  1899,  a  company  was 
formed  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  cream- 
ery. Most  of  the  capital  was  furnished  by 
farmers  in  the  vicinity,  w'ho  were  interested  in 
the  enterprise.  It  is  said  to  have  been  a  profit- 
able venture,  and  a  g-reat  accommodation  to 
those  having  milk  to  dispose  of.  Several  aux- 
iliary skimming  stations  are  maintained. 

Evaporator. — Two  or  three  parties  have 
for  a  time  conducted  the  business  of  drying 
and  evaporating  fruit.  In  1892  a  small  plant 
was  put  in  with  the  expectation  of  enlarging  it 
and  adding  a  canning  factory. 


In  September,  1870,  Macon,  Krell  &  Cow- 
ell  commenced  the  operation  of  their  steam 
mill,  the  erection  of  whic'h  had  been  in  progress 
for  about  a  year.  This  firm  were  not  able  to 
continue  the  operation  of  their  mill  a  g-reat 
length  of  time,  owing  to  financial  embarrass- 
ment, and  it  was  for  a  while  in  1871  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Ross  as  receiver.  The  mortgage 
on  the  property  was  foreclosed,  and  the  sale  had 
throug<h  court.  In  October,  1873,  R.  S.  Math- 
ews became  the  owner  of  this  mill.  Subse- 
quently, Miller  &  Sons  purchased  and  ran  this 
mill  Until  it  burned,  early  in  1884. 

In  October,  1870,  Howell  &  Rathburn  com- 
menced the  foundation  of  a  three-and-one-half 
story  frame  flouring  mill  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  north  of  Oswego,  which  was  run  by  water 
except  v^f'hen  the  river  was  low.  H.  C.  Hall 
became  the  owner  of  Mr.  Rathburn's  interest 
in  this  mill;  the  firm  of  Howell  &  Hall  oper- 
ated it  until  its  destruction  by  fire,  in  January, 
1886. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


In  June,  1881,  Mr.  Eickerman  arranged  for 
the  erection  of  the  brick  mill  in  the  west  part 
of  town,  the  walls  of  which  were  put  up  dur- 
ing the  summer,  and  at  the  close  of  the  year  it 
•was  ready  for  business.  Mr.  Eickerman  and 
G.'W.  Bird  were  the  original  proprietors. 
There  have  been  several  different  ownerships 
of  the  mill.  For  some  years  past  a  corpora- 
tion,—the  Pearl  Roller  Mills,— in  which  S. 
B.  Miller  and  G.  W.  Burdick  are  the  principal 
stockholders,  has  owned  and  operated  this  mill, 
which  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped 
mills  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

In  the  summer  of  1892,  Kiddoo.  Black  & 
Co.  erected  a  new  mill  south  of  the  St.  Louis 
&  San  Francisco  Railroad,  between  Illinois 
and  Michigan  streets.  This  mill  is  now  owned 
(principally  or  wholly)  by  C.  M.  Condon,  and 
is  known  as  the  Oswego  Roller  Mill. 


The  First  Bank. — The  first  bank  in  the 
■county  was  started  in  Oswego,  by  W.  M.  John- 
son, in  October,  1868.  During  that  year  and 
the  fore  part  of  1869  it  was  conducted  on  the 
north  side  of  Fourth  avenue.  In  the  summer 
of  1869  he  erected  a  small  frame  building  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  block  38,  in  which  he 
thereafter  conducted  the  business.  For  a  short 
time  only  A.  L.  Austin  was  associated  with  Mr. 
Johnson  in  the  banking  business.  This  bank 
continued  to  do  business  until  the  spring  of 
1870,  wihen  Mr.  Johnson  was  forced  to  make  an 
assignment.  His  failure  was  caused  by  at- 
tempting to  build  a  town  instead  of  confining 
himself  to  conducting  a  bank.  He  had  great  con- 
fidence in  the  outcome  of  the  countv  and  of  the 
town,  and  expected  to  realize  very  large  profits 
from  the  money  he  could  invest  in  real  estate. 
He  secured  two  corners,  viz.,  the  southwest  cor- 


ner of  block  32  and  the  northeast  corner  of 
block  38,  and  on  these  intended  to  erect,  for  the 
time,  very  fine  buildings.  He  went  far  enough 
to  get  the  walls  completed  for  the  building  on 
the  southwest  corner  of  block  32,  now  owned 
.by  Mr.  Perkins ;  in  doing  so  he  had  used  more 
money  than  he  was  able  to  control  belonging 
to  himself,  and  during  the  spring  of  1870, 
when  depositors  were  wanting  their  money,  he 
found  himself  unable  to  cash  their  checks. 
Every  dollar  of  his  property  was  consumed,  and 
still  his  creditors  were  far  from  being  paid. 
What  might  have  been  a  ^'ery  profitable  busi- 
ness proved  his  financial  ruin,  simply  because 
he  indulged  in  a  spirit  of  speculation. 

About  the  middle  of  July,  1870,  B.  F.  Ho- 
bart  and  H.  L.  Taylor  came  to  Oswego  and 
opened  the  next  bank  that  was  started  in  the 
town.  About  July  i,  1871,  Mr.  Taylor  retired 
from  the  business,  and  was  succeeded  by  J.  C. 
Longwell,  Mr.  Hobart's  father-in-law.  Mr. 
Longwell  having  died,  the  business  came  un- 
der the  management  of  B.  F.  Hobart.  On 
July  I,  1877,  C.  M.  Condon  became  a  partner 
of  Mr.  Hobart,  and  thereafter  the  firm  of  Ho- 
bart &  Condon  conducted  the  business  until  the 
summer  of  1882,  when  ]\Ir.  Hobart  sold  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Condon,  who  continued  in  sole 
control  of  the  business  until  early  in  1901, 
when  be  admitted  his  son,  Wilbur  F.  Condon, 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Condon  &  Co.  They 
have  a  very  extensive  business. 

State  Bank  of  Oswego. — On  August 
18,  1870,  the  State  Bank  of  Oswego,  with  a 
paid-up-capital  of  $25,000,  M.  S.  Adams  be- 
ing president  and  J.  H.  Folks  cashier,  com- 
menced business.  It  only  continued  in  business 
a  few  months,  however,  not  finding  a  sufficient 
amount  of  business  for  two  banks. 

The  next  bank  to  open  its  doors  to  the  pub- 
lic was  that  conducted  by  George  Brockway 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  H.  C.  Draper.  It  commenced  business 
March  2,  1874.  ilr.  Draper  desiring  to  retire, 
in  1876  C.  F.  Smith,  upon  the  close  of  his  offi- 
cial term  as  treasurer,  became  associated  with 
Mr.  Broclavay  in  this  bank,  and  afterwards, 
in  March,  1877,  the  sole  manager  of  the  same. 
This  bank  discontinued  business  September  i, 
1877. 

In  1880  H.  A.  Marley  and  his  son,  J.  W. 
Marley,  opened  a  bank  and  loan  office,  which 
business  they  conducted  until  April  11,  1887, 
when  they  were  succeeded  by  the  First  State 
Bank,  which  in  turn  was  succeeded  by 

The  Oswego  State  Bank,  on  May  5, 
1888.  This  bank  has  a  paid-up  capital  of  $50,- 
000,  and  has  done  a  profitable  business  for  a 
number  of  years.  Its  board  of  directors  have 
been  J.  W.  Marley,  E.  T.  Reed.  H.  C.  Cook, 
John  M.  Grant,  Lee  ^^'illiams,  H.  A.  Marley, 
Fred  Perkins;  in  1891  Scott  Taylor  succeeded 
Mr.  Cook. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  char- 
tered in  July  and  opened  its  doors  for  business 
the  last  of  August,  1883.  Its  first  officers  were 
R.  P.  Clement,  president:  J.  B.  Montgomery, 
vice-president;  F.  C.  Wheeler,  cashier;  C.  F. 
Winton,  assistant  cashier.  In  January,  1885, 
C.  Abbey  succeeded  Mr.  Clement  as  president 
The  last  of  1886,  Mr.  Wheeler  resigned,  and 
was  succeeded  by  H.  C.  Cook  as  cashier.  On 
■April  I,  1887,  F.  W.  Keller  became  cashier, 
and  served  until  September  16,  1890,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  J.  M.  Berry.  On  October  26, 
1888,  R.  O.  Deming  was  elected  president,  in 
which  position  he  continued  until  the  bank  went 
out  of  existence.  The  bank  was  capitalized  at 
$60,000,  and  did  a  large  and  profitable  busi- 
ness. It  went  into  voluntary  liquidation  and 
dissolution  in  the  fall  of  1893,  its  stockholders 
preferring  to  organize  under  the  state  law.  Its 
successor  was 


The  Labette  County  Bank. — This  was 
incorporated  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000. 
R.  O.  Deming  was  president  and  J.  M.  Berry, 
cashier.  In  1895,  this  bank  went  into  volun- 
tary liquidation,  leaving  two  banks  in  the  city. 

LOAN    AND    investment    COMPANIES. 

The  Oswego  Building  and  Loan  Asso- 
ciation.— This  institution  was  organized  in 
June,  1884,  with  an  authorized  capital  of  $50,- 
000.  H.  C.  Draper  was  president,  L.  C.  How- 
ard, secretary  and  E.  T.  Reed,  treasurer. 

The  Deming  Investment  Co. — On  the 
last  of  December,  1887,  the  Deming  Invest- 
ment Company  was  organized,  and  opened  bus- 
iness on  the  first  of  January,  1888,  with  a  paid- 
up  capital  of  $50,000,  since  which  time  it  has 
been  increased,  and  is  now  $60,000.  The  firm 
of  Winton  &  Deming  had  been  in  the  loan  busi- 
ness previous  to  this  time  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  upon  the  organization  of  this  com- 
pany it  succeeded  to  the  business  of  said  firm. 
Nelson  Case  has  been  president,  and  R.  O. 
Deming  treasurer  and  manager  of  this  com- 
pany from  its  organization. 

The  Eastern  Kansas  Investment  Co, 
—About  the  first  of  1889,  Fred  Perkins,  C.  F. 
Winton,  C.  A.  Wilkin,  M.  E.  Williams,  and 
a  few  other  parties  organized  the  Eastern  Kan- 
sas Investment  Co.  for  the  purpose  of  conduct- 
ing a  loan  business.  The  company  has  done  a 
good  business. 

PARKS. 

Upon  laying  out  the  town,  the  town  com- 
pany designated  block  52  as  the  city  park.  For 
a  number  of  years  it  remained  entirely  unim- 
proved. A  few  years  ago  a  number  of  the  citi- 
zens undertook  the  work  of  its  improvement, 
and  set  it  out  to  trees.  It  now  presents  quite 
an  attractive  appearance. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


LADIES    ENTERTAINMENT  SOCIETY. 

On  February  12,  1887,  about  40  ladies  of 
the  city  formed  themselves  into  a  ladies'  enter- 
tainment society,  with  the  following  ofificers: 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Perkins,  president;  Mrs.  Hettie 
C.  Hall,  vice-president;  Mrs.  Franc  Wilkin, 
secretary;  and  Mrs.  Anna  Sharp,  treasurer. 
The  purpose  of  the  organization  was  to  secure 
a  site  for  and  to  improve  a  park.  A  number 
of  entertainments  were  held,  by  means  of 
which  some  money  was  raised,  and  in  addition 
to  this  quite  a  sum  was  raised  by  subscription. 
A  tract  of  ground  was  selected  and  purchased 
lying  on  the  bluiT  of  the  river  north  of  the  city 
and  east  of  the  water-works  engine  house. 
This  is  about  as-  far  as  the  society  has  ever  gone 
in  its  work  of  providing  a  park.  There  are 
a  number  of  locations  near  the  city  with  suffi- 
cient natural  advantages  to  make  a  delightful 
resort,  were  a  reasonable  amount  of  money 
expended  upon  the  improvements. 

STREETS    AND    SIDEWALKS. 

For  several  years  the  only  sidewalks  in 
town  consisted  of  platforms  in  front  of  the 
stores  and  public  buildings.  As  the  space  be- 
tween these  buildings  grew  less  by  the  erec- 
tion of  other  new  buildings,  the  platforms  were 
connected  and  planks  put  down,  so  that  there 
was  a  continuous  sidewalk  on  the  principal 
street  so  far  as  the  stores  extended. 

As  early  as  July  21,  1870,  notice  was  given 
by  direction  of  the  council  for  the  construc- 
tion of  certain  sidewalks,  but  no  further  ac- 
tion was  ever  taken  thereunder.  The  first 
sidewalk  constructed  outside  the  business  part 
of  town,  and  the  first  one  built  by  direction  of 
the  city  council,  was  on  Illinois  street,  extend- 
ing from  block  9  in  Johnson  &  Folks'  addition, 


to  the  Methodist  church.  This  was  built  in 
pursuance  of  an  order  made  by  the  council 
on  March  6,  1874,  on  the  petition  of  the 
requisite  number  of  property-holders  along  the 
line.  From  this  time  on,  sidewalks  began  to 
be  gradually  petitioned  for  and  to  be  built 
over  the  residence  part  of  the  town,  and  for 
several  years  past  nearly  all  streets  of  the  city 
that  are  thickly  inhabited  have  been  supplied 
with  good  sidewalks. 

During  the  summer  of  1878  Commercial 
street  was  graded  from  Fourth  avenue  to  the 
Frisco  depot,  and  put  in  good  condition  for 
travel.  It  was  not  until  June,  1885,  that  a 
good  plank  sidewalk  was  laid  on  the  south 
side  of  Fourth  avenue  from  Commercial  street 
to  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  depot. 

During  1897  and  1898  especially,  and  to 
a  certain  extent  since  then,  a  great  improve- 
ment has  been  made  in  the  sidewalks  of  the 
city.  A  large  amount  of  brick  sidewalk  has 
been  laid.  In  addition  to  this  improvement 
in  sidewalks.  Fourth  avenue  has  been  macad- 
amized from  Commercial  street  to  the  M.  K. 
&  T.  Ry.  depot;  this  work  was  done  in  1898. 


Few  cities  are  better  supplied  with  shade 
trees  than  is  Oswego.  All  of  the  principal 
streets  were  at  an  early  day  set  out  with  lines 
of  trees,  which  have  made  a  good  growth,  and 
now  furnish  abundant  shade.  The  yards  are 
also  supplied  with  beautiful  shade  and  orna- 
mental trees,  and  in  the  summer  the  place 
presents  almost  the  appearance  of  a  city  built 
in  a  forest. 

TELEPHONE. 

Early  in  18S2  a  telephone  plant  was  put  in 
operation,  connecting  many  of  the  business  and 


:52 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


dwelling  'houses,  and  was  quite  extensively 
used.  Durino-  the  summer  a  line  was  put  in 
connecting  Oswego  with  Parsons,  which  was 
completed  July  20th.  This  plant  was  only  used 
for  a  few  months  to  any  great  extent,  and 
after  a  time  all  of  the  instruments  were  taken 
out. 

In  1896,  and  since  then,  telephonic  com- 
munication between  the  various  towns  in  the 
county,  and  with  distant  cities  was  resumed, 
and  has  been  maintained  and  extended,  so 
that  at  this  time  one  can  send  messages  over 
these  lines  to  almost  any  point  in  the  country. 

WATER-WORKS. 

During  1887  a  system  of  water-works  was 
constructed,  supplying  the  city  with  water  from 
the  Neosho  river  north  of  town.  They  were 
put  in  operation  in  the  fall,  and  were  accepted 
by  the  city  about  the  last  of  November. 

ELECTRIC    LIGHTS. 

An  electric  light  plant  was  put  in  during 
the  spring  and  summer  of  1888.  On  July  12th 
of  that  year  the  lights  were  first  turned  on. 
After  being  run  a  few  months,  its  operation 
■was  for  a  time  suspended.  A  change  of  owner- 
ship, however,  was  had,  and  the  lights  were 
soon  again  turned  on,  and  have  been  in  opera- 
tion ever  since.  At  the  time  the  electric  light 
plant  was  put  into  operation,  the  city  con- 
tracted for  the  lighting  of  its  streets  by  arc 
lights,  but  street  lighting  by  electricity  proved 
to  be  too  expensive  for  the  revenues  of  the 
city,  and  so  was  discontinued  after  a  trial  of 
two  or  three  years.  The  incandescent  lights 
in  dwellings  and  business  houses  are  main- 
tained. 


NATURAL  GAS 


Hais  been  found  but  not  in  sufficient  quantities 
to  be  utilized. 


INDEBTEDNESS. 

For  a  great  many  years  Oswego  was  great- 
ly burdened  with  its  bonded  indebtedness. 
When  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  was  constructed 
in  1870,  Oswego  township,  including  the  city, 
gave  the  company  $100,000  in  bonds  to  secure 
the  road.  A  few  years  later  the  township  and 
city  united  voted  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $80,- 
000  to  secure  an  east  and  west  road,  now  known 
as  the  St.  L.  &  S.  F.  R.  R.  All  of  the  $80,- 
000  issue  of  bonds  were  executed  and  part  of 
them  were  delivered  to  the  contractors  who 
had  done  grading;  the  rest  were  put  in  escrow, 
and  subsequently  a  few  of  them  were  returned 
to  the  officers,  but  the  most  of  them  became 
outstanding  liabilities  against  the  township. 
The  construction  of  the  road  was  suspended 
for  several  years.  To  secure  the  completion 
of  the  road,  besides  a  large  contribution  in 
cash  by  individuals,  Oswego  city  issued  $30,- 
000  in  bonds  and  Oswego  township,  $15,000 
in  bonds.  For  the  purpose  of  bridging  the 
Neosho,  the  township  and  city  issued  $20,000. 
In  addition  to  all  this,  the  city  issued  $18,000 
for  the  construction  of  the  two  school-houses 
we  are  now  using. 

Most  of  these  bonds  were  bearing  a  high 
rate  of  interest,  and  none  a  rate  less  than  6 
per  cent.  To  pay  this  indebtedness  was  be- 
yond the  power  of  the  people  residing  in  these 
municipalities.  For  many  5'ears  no  payment 
whatever  was  made  on  principal  or  interest  of 
the  railroad  and  bridge  bonds.  Litigation  en- 
sued which  greatly  increased  the  burden.    The 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


interest  was  all  the  time  accumulating,  and  be- 
fore anything  was  done  toward  solving  the 
difficulty  the  indebtedness  was,  perhaps,  much 
more  than  double  what  it  had  been  originally. 

Finally,  in  1885,  efforts  to  effect  a  com- 
promise of  the  principal  part  of  this  indebted- 
ness were  successful.  The  last  issue  of  bonds 
to  the  east  and  west  road  and  the  school  bonds 
were  not  included  in  the  compromise  and  were 
to  be  paid  in  full.  But  the  $100,000  M.  K. 
&  T.,  $80,000  M.  C.  &  N.  W.,  $20,000  bridge 
bonds,  making  $200,000  principal,  and  prob- 
ably as  much  more  in  accumulated  interest, 
were  taken  up,  and  in  their  place  $154,000 
funding  bonds  of  the  city  and  township  were 
issued. 

On  these  funding  bonds  the  interest  was 
paid  soniewhat  regularly;  still  there  was  more 
litigation  and  costs  were  incurred,  and  cjuite  an 
amount  of  interest  was  allowed  to  accumulate. 
In  1897  these  municipalities  started  in  to  re- 
lieve themselves  of  indebtedness.  A  small 
amount  had  been  paid  prior  thereto,  but  near- 
ly all  of  the  indebtedness  above  recited  was 
then  outstanding.  The  people  heroically  im- 
posed on  themselves  a  rate  of  taxation  which, 
to  name,  would  seem  impossible  to  endure. 
For  four  years  this  extraordinary  rate  of  debt 
paying  'has  been  going  on,  and  now  the  peo- 
ple have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  the  debt 
is  reduced  to  $85,000,  which  on  the  basis  they 
have  been  giving  will  in  four  more  years  be 
entirely  extinguished. 

PARSONS. 

THE    COMMENCEMENT. 

On  June  19,  1869,  W.  K.  Hayes  located 
on  the  north  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  19,  North  township,  and  in  connection 
w'ith  Milton  W.  Eves  opened  a  small  stock  of 


general  merchandise.  Mr.  Hayes  was  on 
September  2~,,  1869,  appointed  postmaster  of 
a  new  postoffice  established  at  that  point  and 
named  Mendota — "the  place  of  meeting." 
Whether  it  was  the  place  of  meeting  of  the 
two  branches  of  the  Labette,  or  the  two 
branches  of  the  M.  K.  &  T.,  neither  of  the 
latter  of  which  was  then  located,  or  of  the 
traveling  public,  perhaps  it  is  too  early  to  write 
with  interest.  When  a  hundred  years  of  tra- 
dition and  myth  shall  have  gathered  round  it, 
the  future  historian  can  write  a  chapter  upon 
the  founding  of  the  office  which  will  be  read 
with  delight.  But  as  a  sober,  historical  fact, 
and  to  somewhat  curtail  the  wings  of  mythol- 
ogy, it  may  be  recorded  that  it  was  because  of 
the  proximity  of  the  site  to  the  confluence  of 
the  Big  and  Little  Labette  that  the  name  ]\Ien- 
dota  was  chosen.  In  the  winter  of  1869  j\Ir. 
Hayes  took  his  goods  to  a  house  he  had  built 
farther  south,  near  Steel's  mill,  at  the  junction 
of  the  two  Labettes ;  but  in  the  spring  he  re- 
moved back  to  his  old  stand. 

In  1870  J.  J.  Pierson  succeeded  Mr.  Eves 
as  a  partner  of  Mr.  Hayes,  and  the  firm  Hayes 
&  Pierson  continued  in  business  at  this  point 
until  November,  1870,  when,  the  town-site  of 
Parsons  having  been  located,  they  moved  to 
a  point  on  the  east  side  of  the  railroad  track, 
northeast  of  the  passenger  depot,  and  just 
north  of  where  the  Belmont  House  now  stands. 


Sections  18  and  19  in  North  township,  and 
13  and  24  in  Walton  township,  formed  the 
body  of  land  selected  by  the  company  on  which 
to  lay  out  a  town.  Most  of  this  land  was  al- 
ready occupied  by  actual  settlers,  some  of 
whom  had  acquired,  or  could  obtain,  title,  an.d 
some  of  whom  had  only    a    squatter's    right.. 


154 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


John  Leonard  was  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  19,  Abraham  Fults  on  the  northeast 
quarter,  John  Kendall  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter, W.  K.  Hayes  on  the  north  half  and  Aaron 
Midkiff  on  the  south  half  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  the  same  section ;  John  Davis  was  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  18,  Abraham 
Gary  on  the  northwest  quarter,  and  Mr.  Simp- 
son on  the  southwest  quarier  of  the  same  sec- 
tion; Anson  Kellogg  was  on  the  southwest 
quarter  and  S.  Eves  on  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  24;  Henry  F.  Baker  was  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  13.  and  H.  L. 
Partridge  on  the  southwest  quarter  and  George 
Briggs  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  same 
section.  Some  of  the  remainder  was  claimed 
by  non-residents.  Several  of  these  parties 
were  unwilling  to  dispose  of  their  interest, 
and  negotiations  to  secure  title  were  in  prog- 
ress for  some  time. 

THE    SITE    SELECTED. 

The  first  intimation  that  the  public  gen- 
erally bad  that  a  town  was  to  be  located  at 
this  point  was  on  October  26,  1870,  when  L. 
F.  Olney,  a  civil  engineer,  got  off  the  train 
and  inquired  of  some  parties  at  work  on  the 
ground  where  the  city  of  Parsons  is  now 
built,  if  they  could  tell  him  where  Parsons  was 
located,  saying  he  had  come  to  lay  off  a  town. 
Nothing  was  done  by  him  for  several  days 
excepting  to  look  over  the  ground  and  make 
observations.  On  Sunday,  November  6,  1870, 
C.  G.  Wait,  the  railroad  engineer,  located  the 
connection  of  the  Sedalia  and  Junction  Gity 
branches  of  the  M.  K.  &  T.,  and  two  days 
later  Frye  &  Pierce,  grade  contractors,  broke 
dirt  at  this  junction.  It  was  known  that  here 
was  to  be  the  railroad  town,  and,  before  the 
survey  commenced,  in  addition  to  two  or  three 


business  houses  which  preceded  it,  on  Novem- 
ber ir,  1870,  John  Austin  had  on  the  ground 
the  first  dwelling  put  thereon,  aside  from  those 
which  were  there  at  the  time  of  the  location. 
He  put  it  upon  what  proved  to  be  the  north- 
east corner  of  Gentral  and  Crawford  avenues, 
and  at  once  occupied  it  for  a  dwelling,  and 
also  for  keeping  boarders.  In  front  of  this 
building  the  next  spring  he  set  out  some  maple 
trees,  which  were  the  first  trees  planted  in  the 
place.  On  these  premises  Dr.  G.  W.  Gabriel 
has  for  many  years  had  his  home.  It  was 
about  the  middle  of  November  when  Mr.  Ol- 
ney commenced  the  survey  of  the  town-site, 
and  it  was  not  completed  until  about  the  mid- 
dle of  January. 

THE   TOWN    COMPANY. 

Isaac  T.  Goodnow,  N.  S.  Goss,  F.  C.  W'hite, 
O.  B.  Gunn,  Norman  Eastman  and  Robert 
S.  Stevens  were  the  incorporators  of  the  town 
company.  The  charter  was  filed  in  the  office 
of  the  Secretary  of  State  October  24,  1870, 
and  authorized  the  company  to  purchase  lands 
and  lay  off  a  town  at  and  adjacent  to  section 
19,  township  31,  range  20.  Tiie  company  was 
formed  expressly  for  the  purpose  of  laying  oft' 
and  building  a  railroad  town.  It  was  believed 
that  the  junction  of  the  two  branches  of  the 
M.  K.  &  T.  was  the  most  feasible  point  for 
the  location  of  a  town,  where  would  almost 
certainly  be  located  the  machine  shops  and  of- 
fices. Of  course  these  parties  knew  the  point 
where  this  junction  must  be  made  before  their 
incorporation,  for  not  only  was  section  19 
designated  in  the  cbarter  as  the  central  point, 
but  their  surveyor  was  on  the  ground  before 
the  railroad  engineer  had  actually  designated 
the  connecting  point.  The  intention  being  to 
have  a  railroad  town,  of  course  no  more  appro- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


155 


priate  name  could  have  been  selected  than  that 
of  the  president  of  the  road,  who  would  there- 
by, if  for  no  other  reason,  be  interested  in  its 
support  and  growth. 

DIFFICULTIES. 

The  town  having-  been  located,  the  com- 
pany soon  encountered  difficulties  in  acquiring 
title  to  as  large  a  body  of  land  as  they  hoped 
to  secure,  and  we  may  readily  believe  that  it 
was  for  the  purpose  of  influencing  these  par- 
ties to  make  terms  that  the  action  of  the  town 
company — an  account  of  which  is  given  be- 
low— was  taken,  rather  than  with  any  serious 
intention  of  carrying  out  the  determination 
therein  expressed,  for  no  steps  were  taken  look- 
ing to  an  abandonment  of  the  sire  which  had 
been  selected  and  partly  surveyed;  but  for 
some  purpose,  probably  by  the  company's  di- 
rection, certain  resolutions  by  it  adopted  were 
published  in  several  papers,  and  more  or  less 
was  said  through  the  press  on  "Parsons  de- 
funct." I  will  here  refer  to  what  appeared  In 
but  one  paper,  although  the  same  was  copied 
in  the  county  papers  and  more  or  less  com- 
mented on. 

Near  the  close  of  1870  the  following  ap- 
peared in  the  Humboldt  Union. 

"Neosha  Falls,  Kan.,  Dec.  22. 
"Eds.  Union  :  Inclosed  you  have  resolu- 
tions passed  by  the  directors  of  Parsons  Town 
Company,  and  confirmed  by  the  president  of 
the  M.  K.  &  T.  Co.  You  will  see  that  the 
present  town-site  of  Parsons  is  abandoned,  as 
the  orders  are  to  erect  not  even  a  station  house 
there.  If  you  think  these  facts  are  of  sufficient 
interest  to  your  readers,  you  are  at  liberty  to 
publish  the  accompanying  resolutions. 
"Very  respectfully, 

"I.  T.  GOODNOW. 


"At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  Parsons  Town  Company,  held  at  Sedalia, 
Mo.,  on  the  14th  inst.,  the  following  resolu- 
tions were  unanimously  adopted: 

''Whereas,  The  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway  Company  having  decided  to  locate  its 
machine  shops  and  other  important  buildings 
elsewhere  than  at  the  junction  of  its  Sedalia 
and  Neosho  divisions,  thus  rendering  the  build- 
ing up  of  any  large  town  at  the  junction  im- 
practicable : 

"Resolved,  That  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  Parsons  Town  Company  hereby  abandon 
all  idea  of  locating  or  building  a  town  on  sec- 
tions 18  or  19,  in  town  31,  of  range  19  east, 
or  anywhere  in  the  vicinity,  the  decision  of 
said  railway  company  above  referred  to  ren- 
dering such  action  necessary. 

"Resolved,  That  the  treasurer  of  said  town 
company  is  hereby  directed  to  sell  all  lands 
intended  for  town-site  purposes  at  such  price 
as  he  may  deem  fit  and  proper,  at  the  earliest 
day  practicable. 

"R.  S.  Stevens,  President. 
"Jno.  R.  Wheat,  Secretary." 

SALE  OF  LOTS. 

The  difficulties  encountered  by  the  company 
in  acquiring  title  having  been  overcome,  and 
the  plat  having  been  surveyed  and  placed  on 
record,  the  sale  of  lots  commenced  on  March 
8,  1 87 1.  Prior  to  this  time  all  who  had  located 
had  done  so  without  any  written  permission 
or  promise  of  obtaining  title,  but  with  the  un- 
derstanding that  when  the  company  had  per- 
fected its  arrangements,  they  would  be  entitled 
to  procure  their  lots  at  a  reasonable  price. 
There  was  quite  a  strife  for  the  honor  of  be- 
ing the  purchaser  of  the  first  lot.  Colonel 
Willard  Davis  was  the  agent  of  the  town  com- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


pany,  and  Abraham  Cary  was  successful  in 
bringing  enougii  influence  to  bear  to  get  from 
him  the  first  deed  issued  by  the  town  com- 
pany. It  was  for  lots  14,  15  and  16  in  block 
42,  where  the  opera  house  now  stands.  The 
other  parties  on  the  ground  obtained  title  as 
fast  as  deeds  could  be  executed  and  terms 
agreed  on,  and  from  this  time  on  the  per- 
manency of  building  and  business  was  as- 
sured. 

BUSINESS    HOUSES. 

When  so  many  were  coming  in  about  the 
same  time,  and  no  records  of  the  names  when 
locations  were  made  having  been  kept,  it  is 
difficult  to  speak  with  certainty  as  to  the  pre- 
cise order  in  which  firms  were  established, 
and  as  to  who  is  entitled  to  the  honor  of  be- 
ing the  fiiTst  one  to  open  up  his  line  of  business 
in  the  new  town,  but  the  old  settlers  seem  to 
agree  substantially  upon  the  following :  Sipple 
Brothers,  from  Dayton,  and  Hayes  &  Pierson, 
from  Mendota,  were  on  the  ground  about  the 
same  time,  and  there  is  a  difference  of  opinion 
as  to  which  was  there  first. 

Aside  from  the  houses  that  have  been 
placed  by  the  settlers  prior  to  the  location  of 
the  town,  the  first  house  to  be  put  upon  the 
town-site,  probably,  was  a  store  building  be- 
longing to  William  H.  and  John  I.  Sipple, 
w'hich  they  had  put  up  during  the  summer  at 
Dayton,  some  five  or  si.x  miles  below  Parsons, 
and  which  they  moved  on  wagons  and  located 
upon  what  was  afterwards  laid  off  as  lots  i. 
2  and  3,  in  block  19,  subsequently  occupied 
by  the  Abbott  House.  They  arrived  with  their 
building  on  November  5,  1870,  and  were  the 
first  to  open  a  stock  of  goods,  which  consisted 
principally  of  groceries  and  provisions.  If  I 
am  right  in  assigning  Sipple  Brothers  the  first 
location,  then  the  next  store  to  be  opened  was 


by  Hayes  &  Pierson,  who  almost  immediately 
after  the  arrival  of  Sipple  Brothers,  if  they  did 
not  precede  them,  removed  their  little  frame 
building  from  where  Mr.  Hayes  had  at  one 
time  kept  store,  at  Steel's  mill  at  the  forks  of 
the  Labette,  as  already  described,  and  located 
it  on  the  east  side  of  the  railroad  track,  just 
about  where  the  Belmont  House  now  stands,, 
and  opened  therein  a  general  stock  of  mer- 
chandise. The  building  afterwards  formed  a 
part  of  the  Belmont  premises.  E.  K.  Cur- 
rant brought  his  store  building  from  Dayton 
and  located  it  upon  what  became  lot  i  of  block 
25,  on  Skiddy,  now  Washington  avenue.  He 
associated  with  him  in  business  Messrs.  Cook 
and  Allen,  and  opened  out  the  most  extensive: 
stock  of  general  merchaixlise  that  was  then  kept 
in  town.  Adam  Gebert  and  Abraham  Cary 
located  on  lot  2,  block  25,  next  to  Mr.  Currant,, 
and  opened  the  first  hardware  store  in  town. 
The  first  lumber  yard  to  be  started  was  put  in 
by  Mellville,  Plato  &  Co. ;  and  the  first  drugs 
were  sold  by  T.  R.  Warren,  who  came  from 
Leavenworth  county,  and  before  the  close  of 
the  year  had  put  up  a  small  building  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Washington  and  Central 
avenues,  and  had  placed  therein  a  stock  of 
drugs.  The  houses  from  Dayton  had  only- 
just  arrived  when  those  from  Ladore,  located 
about  the  same  distance  north  as  Dayton  was 
south,  began  to  make  their  appearance.  It  was 
said  that  from  50  to  75  houses  were  moved 
from  Ladore  during  the  winter. 

BOARDING-HOUSES    AND    HOTELS. 

At  the  time  of  the  location  of  the  town, 
Henry  F.  Baker  was  living  in  a  log  house 
where  the  roundhouse  now  stands;  and  the 
town  was  scarcely  located  until  John  Austin, 
moved  his  dwelling-house  down  from  Ladore: 


THIRD    CUlNTY  .lAl 

VIEW    OF   THE    SOUTH    S 


M'.(  ONI)  (  (llNTY  .lAIL;   EUKCIEI.   l^T'.l.  Cul  I!T  HOUSE;  Eki 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


159 


and  placed  it  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Cen- 
tral and  Crawford  avenues.  Both  of  them  at 
once  commenced  keeping  boarders.  Mrs. 
Catharine  Hurton  soon  after  erected  a  re- 
spectable-looking building,  which  she  opened 
up'  as  a  boarding-house.  W.  P.  Squires  was 
on  the  ground  about  the  same  time;  Finns 
Smith  had  a  two-story  24  by  40  feet  building 
at  Ladore,  which  he  tore  down  and  brought 
to  Parsons,  and  erected  it  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Central  and  Johnson  avenues.  The 
proprietors  of  all  of  these  houses,  as  well  as 
several  parties  who  only  had  tents,  were  fur- 
nishing board  in  November,  1870.  It  was  not 
long  until  the  Parsons  House  was  opened  up 
by  Knapp,  Noyes  &  Chamberlain.  On  March 
8,  1 87 1,  E.  B.  Stevens  and  U.  L.  C.  Beard 
commenced  the  erection  of  the  Belmont  House; 
the  same  month  the  Lockwood  was  com- 
menced, and  finished  so  as  to^  be  opened  on  the 
8th  of  May.  It  was  not  until  June  i,  1872,  that 
J.  C.  Karr  commenced  the  construction  of  the 
St.  James,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Central 
and  Forest  avenues.  This  was  a  three-story 
brick — one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  city. 
Of  the  numerous  other  houses  which  followed 
these  I  will  not  attempt  to  speak,  only  to  men- 
tion that  about  1880  the  Abbott  House  became 
the  principal  hotel  in  the  city,  and  thus  re- 
mained until  the  ]\Iatthewson  House  was  erect- 
ed, in  1886. 

S.\LOONS. 

The  saloon-keeper  was  not  long  be'Iiind  anv- 
one  else  who  proposed  to  start  business  in  the 
new  town.  John  Austin,  Wm.  Dana,  Z.  T. 
Swigert,  Chas.  Hazard,  and  probably  others 
whose  names  I  have  not  learned,  were  all  on 
the  ground  engaged  in  the  sale  of  liquor  in 
November,  1870.  Mr.  Hazard  moved  a  two- 
story  building  from  Ladore  and  located  it  on 
10 


the  north  side  of  Johnson  avenue  ne.xt  to 
Smith's  hotel,  which  stood  on  the  corner. 
This  was  the  first  building  moved  from  La- 
dore. , 

OTHER  PIONEER  HOUSES. 

Conrad  Hinkle  and  wife  Lena  were  the 
first  to  furnish  meat  to  the  new  comers.  For 
a  time  they  brought  it  in  a  w'agon,  but  soon 
had  a  general  meat  shop  opened.  Dr.  C.  B. 
Kennedy  removed  a  large  livery  stable  from 
Ladore  and  located  it  on  what  became  block 
no,  where  the  Catholic  church  was  later  con- 
structed. J.  Moore  had  the  first  furniture- 
store  ;  Fred  Walker  opened  the  first  black- 
smith shop;  and  Walker  &  Thomas  were  the 
first  real-estate  agents.  B.  Sandercook  was  the 
first  shoemaker;  W.  G.  Douglas  was  the  first 
tailor ;  E.  P.  Flummer  opened  the  first  bakery ; 
A.  J.  Peabody  was  the  first  harness-maker. 
Most  of  these  houses  were  in  operation  be- 
fore the,  close  of  1870,  and  all  of  them  when 
the  sale  of  lots  commenced,  in  ]\Iarch,   1871. 

PROFESSIONAL  MEN. 

A.  L.  Hutchison  and  T.  R.  Warren  were 
the  contestants  for  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
physician  in  the  town ;  and  of  attorney,  J.  G. 
Parkhurst,  T.  V.  Thornton  and  E.  E.  Hast- 
ings could  hardly  tell  who  was  there  first — • 
but  perhaps  the  race  was  won  by  'Mr.  Park- 
hurst. 

THE    FIRST    RELIGIOUS    SERVICES. 

The  first  religious  services  of  a  public  na- 
ture upon  what  became  the  town-site  were  held 
in  Abraham  Gary's  log  house  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  18,  in  North  town- 
ship, in  the  summer  of  1870,  conducted  by  A. 


(i6o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


W.  King,  of  Osage  township.  M'r.  King 
preached  here  frequently  during  the  summer 
and  fall.  John  Leonard,  who  Hved  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  19,  was  a  Christian 
preacher,  and  sometimes  preached  in  Mr. 
Cary's  house  after  King  had  commenced  hold- 
ing services.  The  first  sermon  preached  in  the 
town  proper  was  over  Mr.  Hazard's  saloon,  on 
December  15,  1870,  by  A.  W.  King.  Rev. 
H.  H.  Cambern  was  the  next  preacher  on  the 
ground.  No  religious  exercises  of  any  kind 
were  held  regularly  during  Uhe  w^inter  of 
1870  and  1871.  There  was  no  place  provided 
for  holding  such  services,  and  whenever  they 
were  held  it  was  in  some  business  room  tem- 
porarily fixed  up  for  the  purpose — probably 
in  a  saloon  almost  as  frequently  as  in  any 
other  room.  Of  the  organization  and  build- 
ing of  the  various  churches,  I  speak  in  an- 
other part  of  the  work. 

GOVERNMENT. 

On  February  22,  1871,  on  the  petition  of 
Simon  Saddler  and  others,  the  probate  judge 
made  an  order  incorporating  the  town  of  Par- 
sons, and  appointed  Abraham  Cary,  E.  K. 
Currant,  J.  G.  Parkhurst,  John  I.  Sipple  and 
John  W.  Rhodus  as  trustees.  Thomas  V. 
Thornton  was  the  first  clerk'  appointed  by  the 
trustees;  H.  L.  Partridge  was  justice  of  the 
peace  in  Walton  township  at  the  time  of  the 
settlement  of  Parsons,  and  became  the  first 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Parsons.  From  No- 
vember 8,  1870,  to  March  8,  1871,  he  tried 
seven  criminal  and  26  civil  cases.  He  also 
married  the  first  couple  in  town,  they  being 
Z.  T.  Swigert  and  Josephine  E.  Parker. 

The  town  was  organized  as  a  city  of  the 
third  class,  and  on  April  17,  1871,  the  first 
city  election  was  held,  at  which  the  following 


officers  were  elected:  Mayor,  Willard  Davis; 
pohce  judge,  H.  L.  Partridge;  C9uncilmen, 
Abraham  Cary,  William  Dana,  Charles  Wat- 
son, S.  B.  Plato,  and  John  W.  Rhodus.  The 
first  meeting  of  the  mayor  and  council  was 
held  April  28,  1871.  On  organizing,  G.  C. 
West  was  appointed  city  clerk.  The  city  hav- 
ing attained  a  population  of  over  2,000  in- 
habitants, the  evidence  of  which  was  furnished 
by  a  census  taken  by  order  of  the  city  council, 
the  Governor  issued  his  proclamation,  dated 
Februai-y  25,  1873,  declaring  Parsons  a.  city  of 
the  second  class. 

Since  the  organization  of  the  city  it  has 
had  the  following  mayors  and  clerks  :  Mayors- 
April  17  to  November  22,  1871,  Willard 
Davis;  November  22,  1871,  to  April,  1874, 
E.  B.  Stevens;  April,  1874,  to  April,  1875, 
Ang^ell  Matthewson;  April,  1875,  to  April, 
1877,  G.  W.  Gabriel;  April,  1877,  to  April, 
1879,  P.  Y.  Thomas;  April,  1879,  to  April, 
1881,  J."  W.  Thompson;  April  1881,  to  April, 
1885,  G.  W.  Gabriel;  April,  1885,  to  April, 
1887,  A.  O.  Brown;  April,  1887, to  April,  1889, 
G.  W.  Gabriel;  April,  1889,  to  April,  1891, 
A.  F.  Neely;  April,  1891,  to  April,  1895,  J. 
M.  Gregory;  April,  1895,  to  April,  1897,  E. 
I  B.  Stevens;  April,  1897,  to  April,  1899,  C. 
K.  Leinbach;  April,  1899,  to  April,  1901,  C. 
Rockhold.  Clerks — April  to  November  22, 
1871,  G.  C.  West;  November  22,  1871,  to 
April,  1872,  H.  L.  Partridge;  April,  1872,  to 
April,  1873,  Edgar  E.  Hastings;  April,  1873, 
to  April.  1875,  G.  W.  Hawk;  April,  1875,  to 
April,  1876,  A.  M.  Fellows;  April,  1876,  to 
March,  1877,  Frank  L.  Gage;  March,  1877, 
to  Anril,  1878,  E.  S.  Stevens;  April,  1878,  to 
April  1882,  A.  A.  Osgood;  April,  1882,  to 
April,  1883,  R.  T.  Halloway;  April,  1883,  to 
October,  1884,  Ira  F.  Adams;  October.  1884, 
to  May,  1885,  Will  W.  Frye;  May,   1885,  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


April,  1887,  N.  F.  Mills;  April,  1887,  to  April 
1889,  Mrs.  Mary  S.  Outland ;  April,  1889,  to 
April,  1 89 1,  R.  D.  Talbot;  April,  1891,  to 
April,  1895,  A.  H.  Tyler;  April,  1895,  to 
April,  1897,  Maurice  Davis;  April,  1897,  to 
January  8,  1901,  James  T.  Weaver;  January 
8,  1901,  Maurice  Davis  was  appointed  to  fill 
the  vacancv. 


LITERARY,    MUSIC.\L,    ETC. 

On  Xovember  2.  1871,  a  meeting  was  held 
which  decided  upon  organizing-  a  literary  so- 
ciety and  library  association.  On  the  8th  of 
the  same  month  the  organization  was  completed 
by  electing  W.  H.  Maxwell  president  and  A. 
B.  Truman  secretary.  During  the  winter  liter- 
ary exercises  were  maintained,  participated  in 
by  the  leading  men  of  the  town.  On  Decem- 
ber 29th  the  library  received  its  first  donation 
of  books,  amounting  to  22  volumes,  and  dur- 
ing the  next  few  weeks  several  other  dona- 
tions were  made  of  a  like  character.  On  Oc- 
tober 26,  1872,  the  association  held  its  first  an- 
nual meeting,  and  re-elected  \V.  K.  Maxwell 
president,  and  elected  E.  B.  Stevens  vice-presi- 
dent, and  James  Wells,  Jr.,  secretary.  This 
seems  to  'have  ended  the  efforts  at  that  time  for 
the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  a  library. 

In  the  summer  of  1879  a  new  lyceum  was 
organized,  and  Rev.  P.  Isl.  Griffin  elected  pres- 
ident. Literary  exercises  were  conducted  by 
it  for  some  months. 

LIBR.A.RY    ASSOCIATION. 

In  1877  Mrs.  Ella  B.  \Mlson,  Mrs.  Kate 
Grimes  and  Mrs.  Polly  L.  Cory  secured  the 
formation  of  a  library  association.  In  this  as- 
sociation they  remained,  as  I  am  informed, 
the  controlling  spirits,  ^Irs.  ^^'ilson  taking  the 


principal  part  in  its  management.  She  trav- 
eled over  a  large  part  of  the  United  States, 
soliciting  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  building, 
as  well  as  books  and  works  of  art  for  the  foun- 
dation of  a  library.  Large  sums  of  money  were 
contributed,  and  very  fine  donations  of  books, 
statuary  and  other  articles  of  interest  and  value 
were  gathered.  Practically  it  was  a  gift  of  the 
country  generally  to  Parsons  at  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  one  woman.  With  the  funds 
thus  contributed  as  a  basis  of  operation,  a  site 
was  secured  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Forest 
aA'enue  and  Nineteenth  street,  on  lots  14,  15 
and  16,  in  block  53,  and  the  erection  thereon 
of  the  building  started.  A  loan  of  $10,000 
was  procured,  and  the  lots  and  building  mort- 
gaged to  secure  the  payment  of  the  same.  A 
very  fine  three-story  building  was  erected  and 
finished,  which,  on  December  25,  1883,  was 
formally  opened  by  appropriate  exercises, 
among  which  was  an  address  by  Governor 
Click. 

In  the  second  story  of  this  building  were 
placed  the  books  and  works  of  art  which  had 
been  contributed,  and  it  was  believed  the  hard- 
est part  of  the  work  was  then  accomplished  of 
securing  a  large,  prosperous  and  permanent 
library.  But  times  changed;  contributions  of 
money  did  not  come  in;  there  was  no  means 
provided  for  paying  the  indebtedness  contract- 
ed in  the  erection  of  the  building;  the  mort- 
gage was  foreclosed,  the  property  sold,  and  the 
seeming  bright  prospect  for  a  great  library 
vanished  from  sight. 

BAR    ASSOCIATION. 

On  January  24,  1872,  the  attorneys  in  town 
established  a  bar  association,  and  for  some 
weeks  thereafter  had  public  lectures  from  its 
members  on  different  phases  of  law. 


I62 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


THE    PIONEER    ASSOCIATION 

Was  organized  in  the  Sun  office,  March  8, 
1872.  Dr.  T.  R.  \\'arren  was  the  first  presi- 
dent. 

ALPHA    LITERARY    SOCIETY. 

On  November  17.  1880.  a  number  of  ladies 
met  at  the  !iome  of  Mrs.  T.  P.  Atchison  and 
organized  a  society  under  the  name  given 
above.  The  following  officers  were  elected: 
Mrs.  David  Kelso,  president;  Mrs.  M.  F. 
Stevens,  secretary;  ]\Irs.  W.  H.  Wagoner, 
treasurer.  The  society  has  maintained  a  con- 
tinuous existence,  and  has  done  a  great  amount 
of  literary  work. 

MACAULAY   CLUB. 

This  society  was  organized  December  8, 
1 88 1.  Miss  Phrone  Emery  was  its  first  presi- 
dent, and  Mrs.  Jennie  Davis,  secretary.  It 
was  at  first  called  the  Young  Ladies'  Reading 
Society,  but  in  September,  1885,  was  named 
the  Macaulay  Club.  Since  then  it  has  been  an 
active  factor  in  the  literarv  work  of  Parsons. 


ATIIENEUM     READING    CIRCLE. 

The  existence  of  this  circle  dates  from  the 
spring  of  1883,  when  five  ladies  began  reading 
together  without  any  formal  organization.  On 
October  24th  of  that  year  a  number  of  new 
inembers  were  admitted  to  the  circle,  a  formal 
organization  was  had,  and  the  following  offi- 
cers elected:  Mrs.  Wells  H.  Utley.  president; 
Mrs.  B.  B.  Brown,  vice-president ;  and  Miss 
Emma  June,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The 
active  membershi]i  is  limited  to  16.  Its  ob- 
ject is  purely  literary. 


Banking  House  of  Angell  Matthew- 
son. — On  June  6,  1871,  S.  P.  Crawford  and 
Angell  Matthewson,  of  Parsons,  and  W.  P. 
Bishop,  of  Oswego,  formed  a  partnership,  and 
on  June  iqth  opened  the  bank  of  Crawford, 
Matthewson  &  Co.  The  first  depositor  was 
Oliver  Duck;  the  first  draft  was  issued  to  Cur- 
rant, Cook  &  Allen.  On  July  31st  Mr.  Mat- 
thewson purchased  the  interest  of  the  other 
two  partners,  and  the  business  continued  un- 
der the  name  of  tlie  Banking  House  of  Angell 
Matthewson. 

First  National  Bank. — On  April  8, 
1872,  Matthewson's  Bank  v,-as  succeeded  by 
the  First  National  Bank,  of  which  A.  D. 
Jaynes,  of  Sedalia,  Mo.,  w-as  president,  and 
Angell  Matthewson,  cashier.  This  bank  had  a 
paid-up  capital  of  $50,000,  and  started  with 
over  $37,000  in  deposits  turned  over  to  it  by 
Matthewson's  bank.  On  January  19,  1875, 
R.  S.  Stevens  succeeded  Mr.  Jaynes  as  presi- 
dent. During  January  and  February,  1877, 
while  jNIr.  Matthewson  was  in  the  Senate, 
George  W.  Hawk,  the  teller,  performed  the 
duties  of  cashier.  January  i,  1879,  Lee  Clark 
succeeded  Mr.  Matthewson  as  cashier,  and  held 
the  position  until  October,  1890,  when  he  be- 
came president,  F.  C.  Stevens  having  been 
president  immediately  preceding  him.  E.  B. 
Stevens  became  cashier  on  July  i,  1890,  and 
still  retains  the  position. 

The  Parsons  Savings  Bank  was  or- 
ganized in  May,  1874,  with  Augustus  \\'ilson 
president,  ajid  Joshua  Hill,  cashier;  having  a 
paid-up  capital  of  $50,000.  The  first  draft  was 
issued  to  A.  W.  Gifford.  On  July  i,  1878, 
this  bank  was  reorganized  as 

The    Parsons    Commercial    Bank,    of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


163 


which  Joshua  Hill  was  president  and  George 
W.  Hawk  cashier.  The  latter  has  continued  to 
fill  the  position  of  cashier  ever  since.  For  sev- 
eral years  past  E.  H.  Edwards  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  bank.  It  has  long  been  one  of  the 
established  institutions  of  the  city. 

City  Bank  of  Angell  M.a.tthewson  & 
Co. — This  bank  was  organized  May  i,  1879, 
with  a  capital  of  $20,000 ;  Angell  Matthewson 
and  Alerrit  Noyes  being  the  owners.  On  Oc- 
tober I.  1880,  F.  H.  Snyder  was  admitted  to 
the  partnership  and  made  cashier.  Mr.  Noyes 
died  in  1883,  and  in  Xovemlier,  1884,  \Vm. 
H.  Taylor  was  admitted  to  the  partnership  and 
the  capital  stock  made  $60,000,  which  was  in- 
creased to  $100,000  on  February  i,  1888.  L. 
E.  Weeks  was  appointed  cashier  September  i, 
1891.  The  firm  failed  in  1893,  and  the  bank 
went  out  of  existence. 

The  State  Bank  of  Parsons  was  or- 
ganized in  1900  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,- 
000.  O.  H.  Stewart  is  president  and  F.  H. 
Foster  is  cashier. 

building  and  loan  association. 

On  July  14,  1879,  the  Parsons  Building 
and  Loan  Association  was  organized,  of  which 
C.  A.  King  was  president,  and  J.  G.  Gray, 
secretary. 

investment  companies. 

There  are  several  parties  engaged  in  loan- 
ing money,  among  them  being  Angell  'Sla.t- 
thewson  and  George  H.  Ratcliff. 


sanitary. 

During  the  early  part  of  1884  much  com- 
plaint had  been  made  about  the  condition  in 
which  the  private  and  public  jM-emises,  as  well 


as  many  of  the  private  alleys  and  yards,  were 
kept,  and  the  Eclipse  was  especially  vigilant  in 
looking  after  and  giving  publicity  to  these 
grievances.  In  July  of  that  year  the  mayor 
and  council  appointed  J.  B.  Lamb  health  offi- 
cer. It  was  thought  by  some  that  this  ap- 
pointment was  made  rather  as  a  burlesque  in 
retaliation  for  the  frequent  appeals  to  the 
authorities  to  do  a  general  cleaning  up;  but 
whatever  was  the  spirit  that  prompted  the 
move,  it  turned  out  to  be  a  ver}'  wise  one. 
The  Doctor  went  at  the  work  vigorously,  and 
did  good  work  in  securing  the  cleaning  up  of 
the  filth  which  had  been  allowed  to  accumulate, 
and  probably  saved  the  place  a  great  amount 
of  sickness.  The  work  thus  commenced 
showed  the  advisabilitv  of  ha\-ing  some  per- 
manent arrangement  for  removal  of  filth  and 
the  preservation  of  the  public  health. 

SEWERAGE. 

In  1885  steps  were  taken  to  put  in  a  sys- 
tem of  sewerage,  and  this  was  pushed  forward 
until  the  business  part  of  the  city  was  well  sup- 
plied with  the  means  for  the  removal  of  all 
filth  and  the  carrying  away  of  the  waste  wa- 
ter. Later  the  system  was  made  general  for  the 
city,  so  that  now  most  of  the  inhabitants  are 
favored  with  this  C(.in\-enience. 

W.\TER    WORKS. 

During  the  summer  of  1882  the  matter  of 
supplying  the  city  with  water  was  discussed, 
and  a  company  was  formed  for  the  purpose 
of  carrying  out  the  contemplated  project.  On 
September  15th,  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote 
of  the  electors,  the  city  gave  its  assent  and 
promised  aid.  During  the  following  year  the 
works  were  put  in  under  the  general  direction 


1 64 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  C.  W.  Hill,  but  it  was  not  until  July,  1884, 
that  they  -were  completed  and  accepted  by  the 
city.  Reservoirs  were  made  upon  the  banks 
of  the  Labette  some  distance  above  the  city, 
from  which  stream  the  water  was  procured. 
The  city  paid  $3,000  per  year  for  50  hydrants. 
Soon  after  the  completion  of  the  works,  C. 
H.  Kimball  and  E.  H.  Edwards  became  the 
principal  owners  of  the  stock  of  the  company 
and  had  the  g-eneral  management  of  its  busi- 
ness. The  operation  of  the  works  under  the 
original  construction  never  gave  general  satis- 
faction, and  they  were  believed  to  be  far  in- 
adequate to  meet  the  city's  needs.  Early  in 
1892  steps  were  taken  to  secure  a  better  supply 
by  obtaining  water  from  the  Neosho  instead 
of  from  the  Labette.  IMains  were  laid  from  the 
Neosho  to  the  old  reservoirs  on  the  Labette  and 
into  the  city.  A  new  stand-pipe,  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  State,  was  erected  in  the  city, 
and  under  the  present  arrangements  the  water 
system  is  very  complete. 


On  December  11.  1882,  the  city  council 
passed  an  ordinance  giving  an  e.Kclusive  fran- 
chise for  twenty-one  years  to  Angell  Matthew- 
son  to  construct  and  operate  gas  works.  The 
franchise  was  assigned  to  the  Parsons  Light 
&  Heat  Company,  and  in  1883  the  works  were 
completed,  since  which  time  those  who  de- 
sired it  ha\-e  been  supplied  with  gas. 

NATURAL   GAS. 

Since  1898  the  city  has  been  supplied  with 
natural  gas  piped  from  Neodesha,  which  gas 
is  largely  used  for  heating  and  lighting. 

ELECTRIC   LIGHTS. 

On  May  2^,  1887,  an  ordinance  was  passed 
authorizing  J.  J-  Everningham  to  erect  electric 


works  in  the  city  of  Parsons,  and  within  a 
month  thereafter  this  franchise  was  transferred 
to  the  Parsons  Light  &  Heat  Company,  which 
was  operating  the  gas  plant.  A  system  of  arc 
lights  was  at  once  put  in,  and  put  in  operation 
on  September  25th.  In  the  summer  of  1892 
the  incandescent  system  of  lights  was  added, 
and  the  capacity  of  the  plant  much  enlarged. 

TELEPHONE. 

In  1882  a  system  of  telephones  was  put  in 
providing  for  communication  in  the  various 
parts  of  the  city,  and  also  a  line  was  built  con- 
necting the  city  with  Oswego ;  and  on  July  20th 
of  that  year  Mayors  Gabriel  and  Condon  ex- 
changed congratulations.  The  line  between 
Parsons  and  Oswego  was  not  maintained  for 
any  great  length  of  time,  nor  was  the  city  sys- 
tem very  largely  used  after  a  few  months  of 
trial.  In  1896  the  telephone  communication 
with  other  towns  was  again  inaugurated,  since 
which  time  the  system  has  become  quite  pop- 
ular. 

STREET    IMPROVEMENTS. 

One  of  the  wisest  investments  made  by  the 
city  in  the  way  of  improvement  was  that  of 
building  sidewalks  and  macadamizing  its 
streets.  The  work  of  macadamizing  com- 
menced in  1878,  and  was  gradually  pushed 
forward  for  the  next  two  or  three  years,  until 
the  streets  in  the  principal  business  part  of 
town  were  all  macadamized,  and  good  side- 
walks have  been  laid  in  nearly  all  of  the  streets 
that  have  any  large  amount  of  travel.  During 
the  past  few  years  the  macadamizing  of  the 
streets  has  been  very  greatly  extended,  as  well 
as  the  improvement  and  construction  of  new 
sidewalks. 

STONE   AND    BRICK    BUILDINGS. 

The  first  building  to  be  erected  of  material 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


165 


other  than  wood  was  put  up  early  in  1871,  on 
block  25,  on  the  north  side  of  Johnson  avenue, 
by  Ed.  Foley.  It  was  constructed  out  of  cut 
sandstone,  and  made  a  very  creditable  appear- 
ance. The  first  brick  buildings  in  town  were 
erected  in  1872.  They  were  the  passenger 
depot,  the  First  National  Bank  building,  the 
St.  James  Hotel  on  the  corner  north  from  the 
First  National  Bank,  and  t'he  second  ward 
school-house.  The  same  year  two  or  three 
brick  business  houses  were  put  up — one  Iiy  \\'. 
C.  Calkins,  on  lots  13  and  14,  block  33,  and 
one  by  A.  Royer,  on  lot  i,  block  34.  During 
this  year  T.  C.  Cory  tore  down  his  brick  resi- 
dence at  Ladore  and  rebuilt  it  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  24.  This  was  the  first 
brick  residence  in  town. 

THE    HOME    FOR    THE    FRIENDLESS 

Was  incorporated  January  15,  1896.  A.  A. 
Osgood  served  as  president  the  first  two  years, 
and  Dr.  C.  Rockhold  since  then.  The  State  has 
made  an  annual  appropriation  of  $700  for  sev- 
eral years  past  to  help  support  this  institution. 
The  building  formerly  used  for  the  Hobson  In- 
stitute was  purchased  for  and  is  now  occupied 
by  the  Home. 

STATE  INS.\NE  ASYLUM. 

In  1899.  under  provisions  of  an  act  of  the 
Legislature,  a  commission  located  a  new  in- 
sane asylum  at  Parsons.  Litigation  ensued 
that  delayed  the  commencement  of  the  work, 
but  under  the  new  appropriation  made  by  the 
Legislature  in  1901  work  on  the  institution  will 
soon  be  begun. 


On  October  7,  1871,  the  Sun  published  an 


article  advising  the  people  to  turn  out  the  first 
still  day  and  burn  around  the  town  to  protect 
it  from  fires.  I  do  not  know  whether  or  not 
this  advice  was  heeded,  but  it  seems  that  no 
damage  resulted  from  fire  from  that  cpiarter. 
During  the  history  of  the  city  there  have 
been  several  quite  extensive  fires,  but  none 
that  were  at  all  destructive;  in  fact,  most  of 
them,  in  the  business  part  of  the  city,  while 
they  may  have  damaged  individuals,  were  a 
public  benefit  so  far  as  the  city  was  concerned, 
for  it  secured  in  the  place  of  the  buildings  de- 
stroyed, others  of  a  verv  much  better  cjuality. 
One  of  the  first,  if  not  the  first  fire  in  tijwn  to 
do  any  large  amount  of  damage,  was  the  burn- 
ing of  John  Rhodus'  boarding-house.  On 
July  29,  1875,  a  fire  occurred  on  Fourth  av- 
enue which  destroyed  nine  business  houses. 
The  loss  by  this  fire  was  estimated  to  be  from 
$75,000  to  $100,000.  On  December  26,  1875, 
the  Lockwood  House  was  burned ;  and  on 
May  23,  1883,  the  City  Hotel,  which  was  one 
of  the  original  hotels.  Among  the  losses  that 
have  occurred  from  fire  have  been  several  of 
the  mills  and  factories;  one  of  the  largest  of 
which  was  on  August  i,  1892,  being  the  de- 
struction of  the  National  IMills.  A  number 
of  other  quite  extensive  fires  have  taken  place 
at  various  times,  the  particulars  of  which  I 
have  not  learned. 

MACHINE   SHOPS. 

Of  all  the  enterprises  which  have  contrib- 
uted to  the  prosperity  of  Parsons,  none  have 
approached  that  of  the  railroad  influence,  and 
especially  the  machine  shops  thereof.  Work 
on  the  machine  shops  commenced  in  October, 
1871,  and  by  the  close  of  1872  they  were  com- 
pleted and  ready  for  operation.  The  round- 
house was  not  completed  until  May,  1873. 


EDUCATIONAL 


PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 


THE  FIRST  SCHOOL  IN  THE  COUNTY. 

An  account  of  the  first  school  in  the  coun- 
ty, wliile  not  a  public  school,  is  still  necessary 
for  a  history  of  our  educational  growth.  Of 
this  school  I  will  let  one  of  its  founders.  Dr. 
George  Lisle,  give  the  account,  which  is  as 
follows : 

"On  or  about  the  naiddle  of  May,  1858, 
James  Childers,  George  \\'alker,  William 
Blythe,  Larkin  McGhee,  Benjamin  Todd,  Mil- 
lard Rogers,  John  McMurtrie,  James  Hether- 
ington  and  myself  got  together  and  concluded 
to  build  a  school-house  that  would  be  large 
enough  to  have  preaching  in  as  often  as  we 
could  get  the  preacher.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  select  a  site  and  fix  upon  size  of 
house  and  call  the  people  together  to  approve 
the  same.  The  next  Saturday  was  appointed, 
and  everybody  turned  out  and  agreed  to  build 
it  at  a  small  spring  in  a  branch  one  and  one-half 
miles  south  of  wliere  Chetopa  now  stands. 
The  people  agreed  to  meet  and  go  to  work 
on  Monday  morning,  which  they  did  with  such 
success  that  by  Saturday  night  they  liad  a 
house  22  by  24  feet  square,  floored  with 
puncheons,  seated  and  desked  with  the  same, 
covered  and  lined  with  split  and  shaved  clap- 
boards :  door  and  window  fastenings  were  of 
boards  cut  with  a  whip-saw :  and  on  Sunday  it 


was  dedicated  in  order.  On  ^londay  Joseph 
C.  Henry  commenced  a  school  by  the  month, 
wliich  l:e  kept  up  almost  one  year;  then  Jeff. 
Jackson  taught  one  term  of  three  months; 
Pleasant  McGhee  taught  one  term ;  and  Helen 
Hardin  was  teaching  when  the  war  broke  out 
and  ended  our  school,  but  not  its  efifects." 

The  history  of  the  public  schools  of  the 
county  commences  with  the  election  of  Dr. 
John  F.  Xewlon  as  county  superintendent  of 
public  instruction,  at  the  first  election,  held  on 
April  22d,  1867.  How  soon  after  his  election 
he  commenced  work  I  have  no  means  of  know- 
ing, but  a  number  of  school  districts  must  have 
been  formed  early  in  May  of  that  year,  for  as 
early  as  June  ist  we  find  the  residents  of  one 
of  the  districts  petitioning  for  a  change  of 
boundary.  On  account  of  the  imperfection  of 
our  records  as  originally  made,  and  of  the  en- 
tire loss  of  some  of  them,  I  am  unable  to  speak 
with  absolute  definiteness  in  reference  to  the 
organization  and  history  of  many  of  the  dis- 
tricts. Just  how  many  districts  were  organized 
during  Dr.  Xewlon's  term  of  ofifice  I  cannot 
say  positively,  and  yet  I  may  say  with  a  rea- 
sonable degree  of  certainty  that  20  is  the  num- 
ber. From  the  appearance  of  the  records  the 
number  cannot  have  exceeded  21  or  22,  I  think, 
and  there  is  nothing  showing  clearly,  nor 
hartllv  intimating  anvthing  bevond  20.     The 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


167 


order  for  the  organization  of  District  No.  20 
appears  in  Dr.  Newlon's  own  writing.  Tiiis 
cannot  be  said  of  any  subsequent  numlaer  so 
far  as  the  records  now  show.  It  is  quite  likely- 
some  of  these  first  20  districts  'had  scarcely  any 
existence  aside  from  on  paper.  Most  of  them, 
however,  were  at  once  organized  and  steps 
taken  for  the  establishment  of  schools.  The 
county  having  just  lieen  organized,  there  was 
of  course  no  ];u]:)lic  money,  nor  any  public 
schools  before  the  fall  of  1867,  and  I  can  learn 
of  but  two  pri\ate  schools  having  been  taught 
that  year,  viz.,  one  in  Oswego  District,  No.  i, 
and  one  in  District  No.  2.  However,  levies 
for  school  purposes  were  made  that  summer 
and  taxes  collected  the  following  fall  and  win- 
ter, and  from  this  time  on  the  public  schools 
were  regularly  held  for  a  greater  or  less  length 
of  time  in  most  of  the  districts.  In  the  Jack- 
sonville district,  No.  11,  only  a  part  of  which 
was  in  this  county,  a  public  school  was  taught 
in  the  summer  of  1867:  that  school  was  not  in 
this  county,  although  as  a  joint  district,  re- 
port of  the  school  was  made  to  our  county  su- 
perintendent, as  well  as  to  the  superintendent  of 
Neosho  county. 

OSWEGO  DISTRICT,   NO.    I. 

All  of  Oswego  township  l}'ing  west  and 
south  of  the  Neosho  river,  excepting  the  two 
southern  tiers  of  sections,  was,  by  the  first  or- 
der made  by  Supt.  Newlon,  formed  into  School 
District  No.  i.  In  June,  1867,  ;Mrs.  Augusta 
Herbaugh  commenced  teaching  the  first  school 
in  the  district.  It  was  of  course  a  private 
school,  no  public  funds  having  yet  been  raised 
with  which  to  employ  a  teacher.  She  taught 
in  a  small  log  building  with  dirt  f^oor,  situated 
near  the  northeast  corner  of  section  21.  The 
first  officers  elected  were:     T.  J.   Flouronoy, 


director ;  Henry  Jacobs,  clerk ;  and  J.  O. 
Cowell,  treasurer.  The  first  report  of  the  dis- 
trict is  dated  August  14,  1867,  and  signed  by 
H.  Jacobs,  clerk,  and  shows  t,o  male  and  39 
female  children  in  the  district,  17  males  and 
15  females  having  attended  the  private  school 
taught  by  Mrs.  Augusta  Herbaugh  at  $2.50 
per  scholar,  which  school  commenced  on  the 
24th  of  June.  At  tliat  time  there  was  stand- 
ing on  lot  I,  block  33,  now  occupied  by  Mr. 
Symmes'  drug  store,  a  small  frame  building, 
in  which  most  of  the  meetings,  both  religious 
and  secular,  were  held.  The  board  secured  the 
use  of  this  building  for  school  purposes,  and 
by  a  "bee"  slabs  were  furnished  with  legs,  and 
thus  seats  were  provided ;  and  in  this  room 
thus  furnished,  about  the  first  of  November, 
1867,  R.  J.  Elliott  commenced  teaching  the 
•first  public  school  in  the  district,  and  one  of 
the  first,  if  not  the  very  first,  in  the  county. 
Public  schools  were  taught  that  winter  in  sev- 
eral districts,  but  there  are  no  records  showing 
which  was  commenced  first.  Mr.  Elliott's 
school  continued  for  three  months.  There  was 
no  further  school  taught  until  the  next  fall. 
The  second  report  is  dated  September  14,  1868, 
signed  by  J.  F.  Waskey,  clerk,  and  shows  a 
total  enumeration  of  176  children  in  the  dis- 
trict, yy  of  whom  had  attended  a  three-months 
school,  taught  by  R.  J.  Elliott  at  a  salary  of 
$50  per  month,  the  average  attendance  being 
41.  On  March  26,  1868,  the  following  were 
elected:  E.  Hammer,  director;  I.  F.  Waskey, 
clerk;  A.  L.  Austin,  treasurer.  On  February 
9,  1869,  Mr.  Waskey  resigned,  and  W.  S.  New- 
lon was  appointed  clerk  in  his  place.  During 
the  summer  of  1868  a  subscription  was  taken 
up  among  the  business  men  of  the  place,  and 
a  frame  building  was  erected  on  the  southeast 
corner  of  block  39,  designed  for  public  meet- 
ings as  well  as  for  school  and  church  purposes. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


The  only  seats  with  which  this  building  was 
furnished  were  rough  slabs.  In  this  building, 
in  December,  1868,  Rev.  Cornelius  V.  Mon- 
fort  and  J\Iiss  Sallie  Elliott  commenced  a  term 
of  school.  Mr.  Monfort  was  not  especially 
adapted  to  public-school  teaching,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  two  or  three  months  found  it 
advisable  to  give  up  his  employment,  and  R. 
J.  Elliott  was  again  placed  in  charge  of  the 
school  in  connection  with  his  sister  Sallie. 
On  March  10,  i86q,  on  a  vote  of  the  district 
to  issue  $5,000  in  bonds  to  build  a  new  school- 
house,  there  were  84  votes  for  and  8  against 
the  proposition.  The  board  elected  on  Mardi 
25,  1869,  consisted  of  W.  S.  Newlon,  director; 
George  C.  Sarvis,  clerk;  and  R.  W.  Wright, 
treasurer.  These  officers  had  charge  of  the 
construction  of  the  new  schol-house.  Dr. 
\Vright  took  the  bonds  to  Leavenworth,  where 
he  negotiated  them  and  secured  funds  for 
paying  for  the  building  as  it  was  erected. 
The  town  company  donated  the  west  half  of 
block  16,  on  which,  during  the  summer  of 
1869,  a  two-story  stone  building  was  erected, 
containing  four  good  school-rooms  capable  of 
seating  50  pupils  each.  The  building  was 
furnished  throughout  with  patent  seats  and 
desks.  In  this  building,  late  in  the  fall  of 
1869,  a  school  was  opened  with  George  C. 
Sarvis,  principal;  Miss  Louisa  M.  Allen, 
teacher  of  the  intermediate;  and  Miss  Sallie 
Elliott,  teacher  of  the  primary  department.  On 
September  14,  1869.  George  C.  Sarvis. 
clerk,  reported  a  total  enrollment  of  350,  of 
whom  123  had  been  in  school  the  preceding 
year,  the  average  attendance  being  98.  In 
March,  1870,  Henry  Tibbits  was  elected  di- 
rector, J.  F.  Waskey,  clerk,  and  R.  W.  Wright, 
treasurer.  Mr.  Waskey  failed  to  qualify  and 
George  C.  Sarvis  was  appointed  to  fill  the  va- 
cancy.    With  the  opening  of  the  school  year 


in  the  fall  of  1870,  David  Donovan  was  em- 
ployed as  principal,  in  which  position  he  was 
continued  for  three  years.  In  1871  the  board 
consisted  of  W.  S.  Newlon,  director;  A.  B. 
Close,  clerk;  C.  M.  Condon,  treasurer.  In  the 
spring  of  1872  Nelson  Case  succeeded  Mr. 
Close  as  clerk ;  Dr.  Newlon  remained  as  di- 
rector and  Mr.  Condon  as  treasurer,  and  the 
board  as  thus  composed  remained  in  office  un- 
til the  organization  of  the  board  of  education 
in  1873.  In  April,  1872,  at  the  city  election  the 
following  persons  were  chosen  members  of  the 
board  of  education :  First  \\'ard,  Henry  Tib- 
bits,  Joseph  Nelson ;  Second  Ward,  Mrs.  ]\Iary 
B.  Franklin,  J.  \V.  Minturn ;  Third  Ward, 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Case  and  Alexander  Mackie. 
Some  of  these  parties  not  desiring  to  serve, 
it  was  concluded  not  to  organize  the  board  of 
education,  and  the  school  continued  under  the 
charge  of  the  district  board  as  formerly  elect- 
ed. At  the  April  election  in  1873  a  board  of 
education  was  elected,  consisting  of  Joseph 
Nelson  and  H.  P.  Nelson  from  the  First  ^^'ard, 
G.  C.  Sarvis  and  Dr.  S.  P.  Hurbut  from  the 
Second  Ward,  and  H.  \\'.  Barnes  and  R.  J. 
Elliott  from  the  Third  \\'ard.  The  board  or- 
ganized by  electing  Mr.  Nelson  president  and 
Mr.  Sarvis  clerk;  Nelson  Case  was  elected  su- 
perintendent of  schools.  Until  the  fall  of  1883 
the  plan  of  the  board  was  to  have  the  teacher 
of  the  high  school  the  principal  of  the  school, 
and  to  employ  a  superintendent  who  was  to 
have  the  general  direction  of  school  affairs, 
but  who  was  not  on  the  teaching  force.  Un- 
der this  plan  the  superintendents  were  Nelson 
Case,  Mary  A.  Higby,  W.  S.  Newlon,  W.  A. 
Starr,  F.  H.  Atchison,  D.  H.  Mays,  and  M. 
Chidester.  During  this  time  the  principals  of 
the  school  were:  April  1873,  David  Dono- 
van, who  resigned  at  the  end  of  the  month, 
and  Mrs.  E.  Williams  was  put  in  charge  until 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


169 


the  close  of  the  school;  1873-76,  A.  C.  Baker, 
three  j-ears;  1876-78,  J.  B.  Hoover,  two  years; 
1878-79.  i\Irs.  J.  R.  Boulter,  one  year;  1879- 
81,  A.  C.  Baker,  two  years;  1881-83.  O.  R. 
Bellamy,  two  years.  Commencing  with  the 
fall  of  1883  the  superintendent  of  schools  has 
been  one  of  the  teachers ;  sometimes  he  has  also 
been  principal  of  the  high  school,  and  some- 
times there  has  been  a  separate  principal  of  the 
•high  school.  Under  this  arrangement  the  su- 
perintendents have  been  :  1883-86,  M.  Chides- 
ter,  three  years;  1886-90,  J.  W.  Weltner,  four 
years;  1890-91,  Evelyn  B.  Baldwin,  one  year; 
1891-94,  Henry  C.  Long,  three  years;  1894-96, 
Warren  JNI.  Edmundson,  two  years;  1896- 
1900,  Charles  H.  Williams,  four  years;  1900, 
Herbert  W.  Todd.  Presidents  of  the  board: 
1873,  Joseph  Nelson;  1874,  H.  W.  Barnes; 
1875,  Nelson  Case;  1876-77,  John  A.  Pigg; 
1878-79,  R.  W.  Wright;  1880-83,  Nelson 
Case;  1884-88,  J.  B.  Montgomery;  1889-90, 
Nelson  Case;  1891,  J.  B.  Montgomery;  1892, 
David  Jennings;  1893-94,  Nelson  Case;  1895, 

E.  T.  Read;  1896-97,  John  N.  Utterson ;  1898- 
1900,  Lee  Williams.  Clerks  of  the  board: 
1873,  George  C.  Sarvis;  1874,  John  W.  Mont- 
fort;  1875,  John  W.  :\Inntfort  and  R.  J.  Elli- 
ott; 1876,  C.  A.  A\'ilkin;  1877.  John  S.  Read 
and  Charles  H.  \\'illhalf ;  1878,  J.  C.  Boulter; 
1879,  F.  C.  Helsel;  1880,  N.  Sanford  and  F. 
H.  Atchinson;  1881-82,  William  Houck;  1883, 

F.  H.  Atchinson;  1884-85,  John  F.  Hill;  1886- 
1892,  A.  T.  Dickerman;  1893-94,  John  Elliott; 
1895-96,  George  Campbell;  1897-99,  C.  A. 
Wilkin;  1900,  W.  K.  Orr.  At  the  close  of 
school  in  April.  1884.  the  first  graduating  class 
went  out,  consisting  of  Eunice  Crane,  Samuel 
Carpenter,  D.  S.  Waskey,  and  Merrit  C.  Reed. 
The  graduates  now  number  27  boys  and  99 
girls,  total  126;  of  this  number,  five  were  col- 


ored students.  For  some  time  prior  to  1882 
the  stone  school-house  was  entirely  insufficient 
to  seat  the  pupils  of  the  district,  and  rooms  had 
to  be  secured  in  such  places  as  they  could  be 
had.  Of  course  very  inferior  accommodations 
could  be  provided  in  this  way.  During  1880 
and  1 88 1  the  board  submitted  several  propo- 
sitions to  the  electors  for  the  issuance  of  bonds 
for  a  new  school-house,  which  were  voted 
down.  In  his  annual  report  in  1881,  and  again 
in  1882,  the  president  of  the  board  urged  the 
erection  of  a  new  house,  and  on  June  6.  1882, 
a  proposition  to  issue  $12,000  in  bonds  was  car- 
ried. With  this  the  north  half  and  the  central 
part  of  the  south  half  of  block  4,  in  Cowell's 
addition,  was  secured  for  a  site,  on  which  the 
west  school  building  was  erected  during  the 
summer  and  fall,  and  in  Januarv,  1883,  was 
occupied  for  school  purposes.  In  1886  the  old 
stone  school-house  was  torn  down  and  a  new 
brick  erected  on  the  same  site,  at  a  ciist  of 
$6,000. 

June  16.  1 87 1,  at  the  close  of  the  county 
teachers'  association  the  lad'es  of  Oswego 
formed  an  educational  association,  of  which 
]\Irs.  Mary  E.  Perkins  was  elected  president 
and  Mrs.  Amy  B.  Howard,  secretary.  On 
June  15,  1872,  they  held  their  first  annual 
meeting,  and  elected  Mrs.  M.  E.  Donovan 
president  and  Mrs.  E.  Will.'ams,  secretary.  At 
the  annual  election  of  1873  Mrs.  M.  E. 
Donovan  was  re-elected  president ;  ]Mrs.  E. 
Williams,  secretary;  Mrs.  A.  M.  Taylor, 
treasurer.  The  association  was  maintained  for 
several  years,  and  did  a  great  amount  of  good. 
Through  their  exertions  the  school-house 
grounds  were  fenced,  the  trees  which  now 
adorn  the  east  school-house  yard  were  planted 
under  their  superintendency,  the  city  authori- 
ties were  induced  to  assist  in  securing  side- 


170 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


walks  leading  to  tlie  school-house,  and  in  many 
ways  their  influence  en  the  school  was  felt  for 
good. 

STICE    DISTRICT,    NO.    2. 

Tlie  original  order  for  the  formation  of 
District  No.  2  is  now  on  file,  and  shows  that 
it  was  .located  in  the  •southeast  corner  of  Os- 
wego township.  The  first  report  of  the  dis- 
trict is  dated  August  9,  1867,  signed -by  Will- 
iam F.  Mason,  clerk,  showing  46  children  in 
the  district,  26  being  in  attendance  on  a  private 
school  taught  by  Mrs.  Sarah  Braught,  wife  of 
Cloyd  G.  Braught.  Airs.  Braught  taught  in 
their  own  cabin,  situated  on  section  34,  in  Os- 
wego township.  John  W.  Burgess,  clerk, 
makes  two  reports,  one  dated  September  14, 
1868,  showing,  55  children  in  the  district,  2;^ 
having  attended  a  three-months"  school  taught 
bv  W.  Leonard  at  $25  per  month ;  the  average 
daily  attendance  was  16.  O.  Whitney  was 
clerk  in  1869,  and  shows  by  report  that  Mary 
E.  Biggs  had  taught  a  three-months'  school  the 
preceding  season  at  $25  per  month. 

GORE    fOR   M.VRTIN)    DISTRICT,   NO  3. 

The  original  order  for  the  organization  of 
District  No.  3  is  not  among  the  public  records; 
but  on  June  i.  1S67,  a  petition  of  a  number 
of  tlie  residents  of  that  district  living  in  Rich- 
land township,  north  of  the  Labette  and  west 
of  the  Neosho  river,  petitioned  for  a  change 
of  boundary  so  that  it  should  include  all  of 
the  township  lying  north  of  Labette  creek,  and 
west  from  the  Neosho  as  far  as  and  including 
a  part  of  sections  17.  8  and  5,  which  petition 
Superintendent  Newlon  granted.  The  report 
of  the  district  for  1867  has  evidently  been  torn 
and  mutilated,  so  that  at  present  no  informa- 
tion can  be  gathered  therefrom.     The  first  re- 


port we  have  is  dated  November  9,  1868, 
signed  by  M.  J.  Lee,  clerk,  showing  25  males 
and  20  female  children  in  the  district,  and  that 
a  school  had  been  taught  by  Cass  Steel.  Mr. 
Lee  again  reports  as  clerk,  in  1869;  the  re- 
port shows  a  tliree-months'  school  having  been 
taught  by  Miss  Lizzie  Kingsljury,  with  an 
average  daily  attendance  of  22.  at  a  salary  of 
$25  per  month.  On  June  12,  1869,  a  special 
meeting  was  held,  at  which  16  votes  were  cast, 
all  in  favor  of  issuing  $350  in  bonds  with  which 
to  build  a  school-house.  With  this  money  the 
district  purchased  a  frame  store  building  which 
L.  D.  Bovee  had  put  up  for  Mr.  Smith  at  the 
old  town  of  Labette,  and  moved  it  out  to  the 
Oswego  and  Chetopa  read.  This  building  has 
served  the  district  as  a  school-house  ever  since. 


CHETOPA  DISTRICT,   NO.  4. 

All  of  the  original  records  we  have  in  refer- 
ence to  the  formation  of  the  early  districts  in 
the  county  are  on  slips  of  j^aper.  There  is  no 
record  whatever  now  on  file  of  the  formation 
of  any  district  in  the  county  numbered  4:  but 
the  original  records  describing  District  No. 
5  comi^letely  fit  the  territory  which  has  ever 
since  been  recognized  as  District  No.  4,  and 
the  description  of  District  No.  6  fits  the  terri- 
tory which  was  thereafter  recognized  as  Dis- 
trict No.  5 ;  and  as  there  is  little  or  no  record 
of  any  business  in  District  No.  6  prior  to  the 
establishment  of  such  a  district  in  1872,  it  may 
be  fairly  inferred  that  the  superintendent  in 
writing  out  these  orders  made  a  mistake  in 
numbering  them,  leaving  out  4  entirely.  I 
shall  assume  that  the  original  order  for  the 
establishment  No.  5  was  intended  for  and  was 
thereafter  uniformly  applied  to  District  No. 
4.  It  embraced  two  miles  in  width  on  the 
east  line  of  the  county,  extending  from  La- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


171 


bette  creek  on  the  north  to  the  State  Hne  on 
the  south.  We  have  no  record  showing  who 
composed  the  first  board  of  this  district,  but 
the  first  report  is  dated  August  14,  1867,  and  is 
signed  by  Henry  Shannon.  The  only  thing 
the  report  shows  is  that  there  are  in  the  dis- 
trict 20  males  and  16  females  of  school  age. 
\\'e  ha\'e  then  this  negative  testimony  that  no 
school  was  taught  in  this  district  prior  to  that 
time.  During  1868  the  school  board  consisted 
of  William  Craft,  director;  Daniel  J.  Doolen, 
clerk;  Z.  A.  Woodard,  treasurer.  The  report 
dated  August  29,  1868,  shows  the  school  pop- 
ulation to  be  137,  and  that  a  three-months' 
school  of  26  males  and  29  females,  and  a  total 
average  daily  attendance  of  30,  had  been 
taught  by  Miss  Ellen  Craft  at  a  salary  of  $25 
per  month.  During  the  winter  of  1868-69  a 
school  with  two  departments  was  taught ;  one 
by  Mrs.  Abigail  Horner,  and  the  other  by  Miss 
Ellen  Craft.  Xo  school  building  had  yet  been 
erected,  but  early  in  1869  a  contract  was  made 
for  the  erection  of  a  school  building.  At  the 
election  on  March  25,  1869,  the  following  offi- 
cers were  elected:  J.  L.  Taft,  director;  John 
W.  Horner,  clerk;  C.  P.  Spaulding,  treasurer. 
On  December  5,  1869,  the  schools  were  opened 
in  Spaulding's  Hall,  in  charge  of  Newton 
Bowles  and  his  daug'hter.  Miss  Eva  Bowles. 
On  February  3,  1870,  the  new  frame  school- 
house  having  been  completed,  it  was  dedicated 
with  appropriate  ceremonies.  On  the  7th  of 
the  same  month  the  schools  were  opened  in  this 
new  building,  which  even  then  was  found  to 
be  too  small  to  accommodate  the  children  who 
were  ready  to  attend.  At  the  election  in  the 
spring  of  1870  N.  S.  Storrs  was  elected  di- 
rector; J.  W.  Horner,  clerk;  and  J.  L.  Taft, 
treasurer.  During  the  summer  Mr.  Storrs  re- 
signed and  Jonas  Clark  was  appointed  in  his 
place.     J.  J.  ]\IcBride  was  appointed  principal 


of  the  schools  for  the  following  year,  but  ii) 
January  resigned,  and  for  a  time  Miss  M.  L. 
Ela,  who  had  been  one  of  the  assistant  teach- 
ers, was  put  in  charge,  but  in  March  she  re- 
signed, and  Mr.  Griswold  was  elected  principal. 
At  the  district  election  in  1871,  Jonas  Clark 
was  elected  director,  C.  H.  McCreery,  clerk, 
and  J.  L.  Taft,  treasurer.  The  city  having  been 
organized  into  a  city  of  the  second  class  about 
this  time,  on  March  29,  1871,  Mayor  Fox  as- 
sumed, with  the  assent  of  the  council,  to  or- 
ganize the  board  of  education,  and  appointed  as 
members  thereof  the  following:  Jonas  Clark, 
Dr.  John  Birch,  C.  F.  Smith,  and  Rev.  C.  H. 
McCreery.  On  ^lay  ist  these  parties  met  as 
the  board  of  education  and  proceeded  to  or- 
ganize by  electing  Mr.  Clark  as  president ;  Mr. 
Birch,  vice-president;  Mr.  McCreery,  clerk; 
and  ^Ir.  Smith,  treasurer;  they  then  appointed 
J.  M.  Ca\'aness  superintendent  of  schools.  In 
September,  1871,  the  schools  were  opened  un- 
der the  superintendency  of  Edward  Mason. 
On  June  10,  1872,  by  a  vote  of  147  for  to  54 
against,  it  was  decided  to  issue  $25,000  in 
bonds  to  build  a  new  school-house.  In  due 
course  of  time  preparations  for  building  were 
made.  The  board  pushed  forward  the  work 
as  rapidly  as  possible.  The  building  was  com- 
pleted and  dedicated  on  July  4,  1873,  and  was 
at  that  time  the  finest  school-house  in  the  coun- 
ty. A  separate  building  was  then  erected  for 
colored  children.  The  first  graduating  class 
consisted  of  M.  Nellie  McGinley,  Allie  Horner, 
Jessie  Sellman,  and  Harry  W\  Sterling.  This 
class  went  out  in  1883.  There  have  been  44 
boys  and  97  girls,  total,  141,  graduated  from 
the  school.  The  largest  enrollment  in  its  'his- 
tory was  in  1898,  when  it  readied  753.  The 
high  school  course  is  on  a  grade  with  that  of 
others,  which  prepare  for  college.  J.  M.  Cav- 
aness,  C.  H.  McCreery,  J.  Paulsen  and  J.  D. 


[72 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Graham  at  various  times  have  acted  as  dty  su- 
perintendent. In  recent  years  the  principals  of 
the  high  school  have  also  been  superintendents. 
The  principals,  term  commencing  in  the  fall 
of  the  year  named,  have  been  :  1871,  Edward 
M.  Mason;  1872,  L.  J.  \'anLandingham; 
1873.  J.  W.  Horner;  1874,  P.  Fales;  1875, 
j.  A.  R.  Smith;  1876,  Buel  T.  Davis;  1877-78, 
Hobert  Hay;  1879,    L.    J.    VanLandingham; 

1880,  O.  V.  Hayes;  1881-84,  J.  W.  \\'eltner; 

1885,  J.   W.   ^\'eltner    and  W.   W.   Lindsey; 

1886,  Buel  T.  Davis;  1887-88.  S.  D.  Crane; 
1889-91.  E.  A.  Herod;  1892-94,  Clay  D. 
Herod;  1894-96,  G.  M.  Brown;  1896-97,  A. 
J.  Lovett;  1897—.  M.  Xellie  McGinley.  Pres- 
idents: 1871,  Jonas  Clark;  1872,  Dr.  John 
Burch:  1873,  J.  M.  Bannan;  1874,  L.  J.  Van- 
Landingham; 1875,  F.  A.  Hunter;  1876,  Will- 
iam Alexander:  1877,  L.  J.  VanLandingham; 
1878,  C.  H.  Guntler:  1879-82.  Lewis  Williams; 
J 883-85.  J.  C.  Witt;  1886-87,  G.  D.  Boon; 
1888,  G.  W.  McEwen;  1889,  G.  D.  Boon; 
1890,  B.  F.  Danforth;  1891,  J.  C.  Witt;  1892- 
97,  Mrs.  Clara  N.  Bush;  1898-99,  J.  B.  An- 
derson; 1900 — ,  A.  P.  Free.  Clerks,  1871, 
C.  H.  McCreery;  1872,  J.  J\I.  Bannan;  1873, 
C.  H.  Ludlow;  1874,  C.  Humble;  1875,  L.  J. 
VanLandingham;  1876-77,  C.  Humble;  1878, 
C.  M.  Williams;  1879-80,  N.  S.  Van  Ausdale; 

1881,  A.  G.  Drake  and  L.  M.  Bedell;  1882-89, 
A.  G.  Drake;  1890-97,  G.  W.  ^IcEwen:  1898. 
K.  A.  Lough;  1899-1900,  A.  J.  Doran. 

W.\TSOX    DISTRICT,    NO.    5. 

.\s  I  said  in  describing  District  Xo.  4,  I 
must  assume  that  the  superintendent  in  prepar- 
ing the  records  which  have  come  down  to  us 
made  a  mistake  in  numbering  these  districts, 
as  the  descriptiim  of  what  he  has  numliered  5 
applies   to  the   district   which    w.is    thereafter 


designated  4,  and  the  district  he  has  numbered 
6  applies  to  that  which  was  thereafter  acted 
upon  as  5.  The  original  order  for  the  forma- 
tion of  District  Xo.  5,  as  numbered  on  said 
order,  made  it  to  embrace  the  east  part  of  Rich- 
land township,  including  the  town  of  Chetopa ; 
but  all  subsecjuent  proceedings  make  it  evi- 
dent that  that  order  was  intended  to  be  for 
District  No.  4,  or  at  least  that  it  was  there- 
after acted  upon  as  No.  4.  As  I  have  before 
assumed  that  the  order  by  the  superintendent 
numbered  5,  was  intended  for  4,  so  I  must 
assume  that  for  the  formation  of  District 
Xo.  6  was  intended  to  be,  as  it  was  there- 
after regularly  recognized,  District  Xo.  5. 
It  commenced  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
section  i,  in  Hackberry  township,  and  extend- 
ed south  to  the  State  line;  thence  east  three 
miles ;  thence  north  to  the  Labette  river ;  thence 
up  said  stream  to  the  place  of  beginning.  This 
seems  to  Iea\-e  the  middle  tier  of  sections  run- 
ning north  and  south  in  Richland  township  out 
of  either  school  district.  Perhaps  the  super- 
intendent's intention  was  to  put  District  Xo. 
6  in  Hackberry  township,  and  after  running 
south  to  the  State  line,  instead  of  running  east, 
he  should  have  made  his  order  read,  "thence 
running  west."  Or  it  may  be  that  at  that  time, 
in  some  way,  Districts  Xos.  4,  5  and  6  were 
understood  to  embrace  all  of  Richland  town- 
ship south  of  Labette  creek,  notwithstanding 
the  imperfect  description  in  the  orders  forming 
them.  But  that  the  west  part  of  Richland 
township  was  organized  District  X"o.  5,  rather 
than  District  No.  6,  is  made  clear  by  a  petition 
which  was  presented  sometime  during  Mr. 
Xewlon's  administration,  although  the  date  is 
not  given,  wherein  Moses  Powers,  John  Ken- 
ney,  \\'illiam  Shay,  John  X.  \\'atson,  S.  R. 
Southwick  and  a  number  of  others  represented 
themselves  as  ]5ein.o-  residents  of  District  Xo.  5, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


173 


and  asked  that  the  district  might  be  made  to 
commence  at  the  southwest  corner  of  said 
township,  which  would  be,  as  then  constituted, 
the  southwest  corner  of  section  31,  and  to  ex- 
tend three  miles  east  and  three  miles  north. 
William  Shay  was  the  first  director,  S.  R. 
Southwick  the  first  clerk,  and  John  Kinney 
the  first  treasurer  of  this  district.  The  first  re- 
port is  dated  September  15,  1867,  and  shows 
39  children  of  school  age  in  the  district.  No 
public  school  was  taught  in  the  district  until 
the  fall  of  1868.  The  clerk's  report,  dated 
September  12,  1868,  shows  51  children  of 
school  age,  and  that  Matilda  Ouinby  had 
taught  a  three-months'  subscription  school, 
with  an  attendance  of  11  males  and  13  females. 
The  next  winter  S.  R.  Southwick  taught  a 
three-months'  school  at  $35  per  month,  and  in 
the  spring  Miss  Frankie  Hull  taught  a  three- 
months'  school  at  $25  per  month.  The  first 
school  was  taught  in  David  Wagoner's  vacant 
house  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  18. 
The  first  school  meeting  was  held  on  the  open 
prairie  of  John  N.  Watson's  claim,  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  29.  It  was  there 
agreed  that  each  person  should  bring  in  a  few 
logs,  and  that  they  would  put  up  a  log  school- 
house.  This  project  was  not  carried  out,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1869  they  put  up  a  frame 
house.  D.  U.  Watson  is  credited  with  having 
been  present  at  every  school  meeting  that  has 
ever  been  held  in  the  district. 

BLACKFORD  DISTRICT,    NO.    6. 

What  I  have  said  in  speaking  of  Districts 
Nos.  4  and  5  may  be  referred  to  at  this  place 
for  a  fuller  statement  in  reference  to  this  dis- 
trict. Aside  from  the  order  granting  District 
No.  6,  which  I  have  heretofore  assumed  to  be 
intended  for  a  description  of  District  No.  5,  I 


find  only  these  matters  of  record  which  would 
indicate  that  at  any  time  there  was  any  district 
designated  as  No.  6  prior  to  1872.  There  is 
a  report  dated  August  15,  1867,  signed  by  J. 
B.  Huntly,  clerk,  which  he  represents  to  be  a 
report  for  District  No.  4,  but  at  the  bottom, 
evidently  in  the  handwriting  of  the  superin- 
tendent, it  is  marked  District  No.  6,  and  is 
said  to  be  in  Oswego  township;  and  in  May, 

1 87 1,  by  the  notices  of  election  returns,  it  seems 
that  Stanley  Foland  was  director ;  Joseph  Wat- 
son, clerk;  and  Wm.  H.  Payne,  treasurer  of 
District  No.  6.  On  May  28,  1872,  Superin- 
tendent Hurner  gave  notice  that  he  proposed  to 
take  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  27  and 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  22,  township 
34,  range  20,  from  District  No.  6.  If  there 
was  originally  a  district  of  this  number  or- 
ganized, it  seems  to  have  lost  its  organization 
very  soon,  and  its  territory  must  have  been  em- 
braced in  other  districts.  The  policy  of  the 
superintendent  seems  to  have  been,  when  a  dis- 
trict of  any  number  became  extinct,  to  give  that 
number  to  the  next  new  district  which  should 
be  organized,  and  this  number  was  given  to 
an  entirely  new  district,  situated  in  the  central- 
southern  part  of  Howard  township.  This  dis- 
trict was  fiirmed  by  an  order  made  March  17, 

1872,  on  a  petition  dated  March  9,  1872,  signed 
by  H.  C.  Long,  William  Blackford  and  others. 
The  first  school  meeting  in  this  new  district 
was  held  at  the  house  of  E.  R.  Lee,  on  March 
30,  1872,  and  the  following-  officers  elected: 
R.  M.  Roberts,  director;  John  .Ahorse,  clerk; 
Wm.  Stevenson,  treasurer. 

BISHOP  DISTRICT,   NO.   J. 

The  original  order  for  the  formation  of 
this  district  located  it  in  the  southwest  corner 
of  Oswego  township,  and  a  portion  of  Rich- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNT! 


land  township  lying  north  of  Labette  creek. 
A  report  dated  September  14,  1867,  signed  by 
Francis  \l.  Brockus,  shows  31  chiklren  of 
school  age  in  tiie  district.  This  was  the  only 
item  in  the  report,  and  this  was  the  only  re- 
port of  the  district  as  thns  located  which  is 
now  on  file,  and  it  seems  that  within  the  next 
few  months  this  territory  was  absorbed  by 
other  districts,  and  this  district  became  extinct. 
On  December  14,  1869,  Abner  DeCou,  Alex- 
ander Bishop.  D.  S.  Bishop,  Henry  Newcomb 
and  Henry  G.  Pore  petitioned  for  the  forma- 
tion of  a  district  to  embrace  sections  10.  11, 
12.  13,  14  and  15,  in  Hackberry  township; 
and  by  an  order  made  on  the  17th  of  that 
month  this  territory,  and  also  section  7  in  Rich- 
land township,  was  formed  into  a  new  district 
designated  as  No.  7.  A  school-house  was  built 
in  the  fall  of  1870,  but  before  the  erection  of 
a  school-house  one  term  of  school  had  been 
taught  in  a  private  house  belonging  to  Henry 
Pore,  on  section  10.  This  first  school  was 
taught,  ciimmencing  in  the  fall  of  1869,  ]:)y 
Miss  Esther  Biggs. 

•SHILOH  DISTRICT,    NO  8. 

This  district  is  located  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  Montana  township.  The  first  officers 
were:  Samuel  Dunham,  director ;  R.  S.  Cor- 
nish, clerk;  Joseph  Brown,  treasurer.  The 
first  report  of  this  district  is  dated  September 
I,  1868,  signed  by  R.  S.  Cornish,  clerk,  and 
shows  ^y  children  of  school  age  in  the  district, 
but  no  school  having  been  taught  therein.  The 
first  school  in  the  district  seems  to  'have  been 
taught  in  the  spring  of  1869,  by  A.  A.  Biggs. 
The  report  dated  Sei)tember  10.  1869,  signed 
by  E.  <;.  l\ol)inson,  clerk,  shows  t,/  children 
of  school  age,  and  an  attendance  of  21  at 
school,  the  axerage  daily  attendance  being  15, 


and  the  salary  of  the  teacher  $24  per  month. 
A  log  school-house  was  put  up  in  1868,  and 
in  1 87 1  a  good  frame  building  took  its  place. 

BED   ROCK    (or  RED  BUD)    DISTRICT,    NO.   9. 

This  district  is  located  in  Montana  town- 
ship, east  of  the  Neosho  river.  It  must  have 
formed  in  1867,  althoug'h  there  is  no  record  of 
its  organization ;  nor  indeed  is  there  any  record 
showing  anything  in  reference  thereto  prior 
to  1870,  when  the  district  board  is  reported  to 
have  been  composed  of  David  M.  Watson, 
Benjamin  F.  Hanson,  and  James  H.  White. 
On  December  5,  1881,  the  school-house  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire;  and  as  the  limit  allowed  by 
law  for  bonds  had  previously  been  reached, 
and  the  bonds  were  still  outstanding,  it  was 
determined  to  raise  funds  by  subscription  with 
which  to  build.  Considerable  outside  aid  w-as 
secured,  especially  from  thfe  business  men  of 
Oswego.  In  this  way  the  district  was  again 
soon  supplied  \\ith  a  house. 

LABETTE    CITY   DISTRICT,    NO.    10. 

This  district  was  originally  organized  by 
Superiacendent  Newlon,  embracing  two  miles 
in  width  on  the  north  side  of  Fairview  town- 
ship and  three  miles  in  width  on  the  south 
side  of  Liberty  township,  from  the  east  line 
of  said  township  five  miles  west.  Wm.  H. 
Cline  was  the  first  clerk,  and  on  September  ii, 
1867,  reported  no  school  having  been  taught 
in  the  district,  but  an  enrollment  of  24  males 
and  19  females  of  school  age.  The  first  school 
in  the  district  was  taught  by  Wm.  H.  Cline,  as 
is  shown  by  the  report  of  W.  J.  Conner,  clerk, 
dated  September  i,  1865  (evidently  intended 
for  1868),  at  a  salary  of  $33.33  1-3  per  month. 
The  school  was  taught  in  a  claim  cabin  on  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


t75. 


southeast  quarter  of  section  27,  belonging  to 
the  estate  of  A.  W.  Ricliardson.  The  attend- 
ance at  this  school  was  10  males  and  3  fe- 
males, with  an  average  attendance  of  3  1-6. 
Jo'hn  Richardson  succeeded  W.  J.  Conner  as 
clerk,  and  in  the  winter  of  1868  James  F. 
Molesworth  taught  a  three-months'  school  at 
a  salary  of  $35  per  month,  with  an  average  at- 
tendance of  14  1-2.  This  school  was  taught 
in  the  new  hewed-log  school-house  which  had 
just  been  erected  on  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  35.  This  house  was  built  by  subscrip- 
tion with  the  understanding  that  the  parties 
should  be  repaid  when  the  district  could  raise 
funds,  which  was  done.  The  town  of  Labette 
was  started  in  June,  1870,  and  thereafter  the 
school  was  taught  in  town.  The  first  school 
in  town  was  opened  in  a  rented  room  on  the 
east  side  of  the  railroad  track,  October  6,  1870, 
by  J.  L.  \Villiams.  In  December  the  board 
bought  a  two-story  frame  building  on  the  west 
side  of  the  railroad  track,  known  as  Bates' 
Hall.  The  lower  part  was  occupied  by  the  pub- 
lishers of  the  Sentinel  as  a  printing-office.  The 
school  was  mo\ed  to  the  second  story  of  this 
building,  where  ^Ir.  Williams  and  his  wife, 
Rachel  Williams,  Ijnth  taught  in  one  room. 
This  building  served  as  the  school-house  until 
June  6,  1878,  when  it  was  blown  down  and 
entirely  destroyed  by  a  tornado.  Dr.  Conner, 
seeing  that  his  barometer  indicated  a  storm, 
went  to  the  school-house  and  directed  school 
to  be  dismissed.  The  scholars  were  scarcely 
home  till  the  house  was  in  fragments.  A  new 
house  was  at  once  erected,  and  ready  for  occu- 
pancy that  fall.  Since  1881  the  following  named 
persons  have  taught  in  the  more  advanced  of 
the  two  rooms  of  the  school  in  this  district : 
W.  F.  Thorne,  H.  G.  Jenkins,  J.  T.  Stone,  W. 
V.  McDowell,  John  Owen,  E.  L.  Christy,  Ar- 
thur Cranston,  R.  P.  Arnold,  Leslie  Scott  and 


Allen  Piatt.  JNIessrs.  McDowell,  Christy,  Ar- 
nold, Scott  and  Piatt  each  taught  more  than 
one  year,  and  one  or  two  of  them  officiated 
several  years. 

JACKSONVILLE  DISTRICT,    NO.    II. 

This  was  a  union  district,  embracing  the 
northeastern  part  of  Neosho  township,  lying 
west  of  the  river,  and  a  part  of  Neosho  county, 
with  the  school  site  at  Jacksonville,  in  Neo- 
sho county.  On  September  12,  1867,  David 
Evans,  clerk,  reported  that  Jennie  McDonald 
had  taught  a  three-months'  school  at  a  salary 
of  $23.33  i"3  P^r  month,  with  an  enrollment 
of  15  scholars,  and  an  average  attendance  of 
9.  The  following  year  O.  Herraman  and  A. 
J.  Kennedy,  the  former  at  a  salary  of  $60  and 
the  latter  $25  per  month,  taught  a  four-months'' 
school,  with  a  total  enrollment  of  55. 

BOWM.-VN    DISTRICT,    NO.     12. 

This  district  lies  in  the  western  part  of  Fair- 
view  township.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  a 
district  was  formed  having  this  number  by  Su- 
perintendent Newlon,  although  there  is  nothing 
on  file  showing  its  original  organization,  nor 
anything  in  respect  to  the  district,  until  after 
1869,  On  February  ii,  1870,  an  order  was 
made  for  the  formation  of  the  district,  and  the 
first  election  directed  to  be  held  at  the  house  of 
\\'illiam  Wood,  on  February  2^1,  1870.  Wheth- 
er the  district  of  this  number  formed  in  1867 
embraced  entirely  different  territory,  the  or- 
ganization of  which  never  became  perfected, 
or  whether  it  originally  embraced  the  same 
territory  as  is  now  comprised  in  the  district,  I 
am  unable,  with  the  information  I  now  have, 
to  decide;  I  am  however,  disposed  to  think 
that  District  No.  12  as  formed  by  Superintend- 


176 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ent  Newlon  was  never  fully  organized,  but 
was  laid  off  when  there  was  little  settlement, 
and  contained  within  its  bounds  the  territory 
forming  that  district  as  we  now  know  it.  The 
first  officers  as  now  shown  by  the  records  were, 
in  1870,  Frank  Williams,  director;  I.  W.  Pat- 
rick, clerk;  A.  S.  Spaulding,  treasurer. 

MONTANA  DISTRICT,  NO.  1 3. 

The  first  report  on  file  is  not  dated,  but  is 
supposed  to  be  the  report  for  1867.  It  is 
signed  by  B.  W.  Bennett,  clerk,  and  represents 
this  district  as  being  in  Big  Hill  township.  It 
is  otherwise  blank,  excepting  the  statement  that 
there  are  8  males  and  10  females  in  the  dis- 
trict. The  next  report  is  signed  by  Henry  M. 
Minor,  clerk,  and  is  dated  August  31,  1868, 
showing  2.2  males  and  20  females  in  the  district, 
and  that  there  has  been  a  three-months'  school 
taught  in  the  district,  but  not  by  a  qualified 
lencher;  of  course  this  was  a  private  school. 
While  the  report  does  not  shu,v  it,  the  fact  is 
this  was  a  subscription  school,  taught  in  the 
summer  of  1867  by  Alice  Biggs,  in  the  old  log 
store  building  belonging  to  B.  F.  Simons — 
the  first  house  built  on  .  the  town-site.  Mr. 
Minor  remained  clerk  the  following  year,  and 
reix)rted  82  children  of  school  age  in  the  dis- 
trict, 46  of  whom  were  attending  school.  A 
three-months'  school  had  been  taught  by  John 
Hudson,  at  $26.33  2-3  per  month.  This  first 
public  school  was  taught  in  an  old  log  house 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  8,  town- 
ship 32,  range  21,  in  the  spring  of  1869.  In 
1870  the  board  consisted  of  J.  J.  Woods,  direc- 
tor ;  H.  M.  Minor,  clerk ;  and  A.  Gebhart,  treas- 
urer. Capt.  A.  Gebhart  and  J.  J.  Woods  were 
the  building  committee  for  the  erection  of  a  new 
school-house.  Bonds  in  the  sum  of  $3,000  were 
voted,  and  the  house  cost  $2,200.  It  was  dedi- 
cated November  19,  1870,  Colonel  Horner  de- 


livering the  address.  Soon  thereafter  the  first 
school  in  the  new  house  was  taught,  by  E.  D. 
Graybill.  The  old  building  having  become 
badly  out  of  repair,  bonds  were  voted  early  in 
1897,  and  a  new  school  building  was  erected 
that  summer,  and  in  which  school  was  opened 
at  the  commencement  of  1898.  Two  teachers 
have  been  employed  since  1888,  and  part  of  the 
time  during  some  prior  years.  The  teachers 
in  the  more  advanced  room  since  1888  have 
been:  W.  A.  McKee,  Lena  Bates,  Homer 
Metier,  Flora  Beak,  R.  P.  Arnold,  Leslie  Scott, 
Tully  DeArmond,  Lula  Peak,  Sherd  Barcus, 
Lillie  Willi  and  Angeline  Phillips. 

CENTRAL  DISTRICT,  NO.   I4. 

The  original  order  for  the  formation  of  this 
district  is  not  to  be  found ;  but  a  petition  dated 
March  6,  1868,  signed  by  J.  H.  Hart  and  some 
20  more  residents  of  the  district,  asking  for  a 
change  in  the  boundaries  of  the  district,  seems 
to  have  been  granted  March  9,  1868.  The  first 
report  is  signed  by  James  F.  Molesworth.  clerk, 
and  dated  September  i,  1868.  It  shows  18  chil- 
dren in  the  district,  and  that  a  public  school 
was  then  in  progress.  This  was  the  first  school 
in  the  district.  It  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Alme- 
da  Molesworth,  in  a  cabin  standing  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  17,  belonging  to 
S.  T.  Cherry.  The  following  year  j\Ir.  ^Moles- 
worth  reported  46  children  in  the  district,  38 
of  whom  were  attending  school,  the  average 
attendance  being  17,  and  that  Almeda  Moles- 
worth had  taught  a  three-months'  school  at  a 
salary  of  $22  per  month.  The  school-house 
was  built  in  1869;  it  was  a  frame  building,  cov- 
ered with  walnut  siding. 

NEW    HOPE    DISTRICT,    NO.     1 5. 

This  district  is  located  near  the  north  part 
of  Neosho  township,  east  of  the  Neosho  River. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


177 


The  first  report  is  dated  September  i,  1868, 
signed  by  Edward  Spicer,  clerk,  and  shows 
only  that  there  were  34  children  in  the  dis- 
trict. The  next  report  is  signed  by  O.  Sweet, 
clerk,  and  shows  50  children  in  the  district, 
with  42  attending  school,  the  average  attend- 
ance being  24,  and  that  Miss  Jennie  M.  Beck 
had  taught  a  three-months'  school  at  a  salary 
of  $15  per  month. 

CONCORD  DISTRICT,   NO.    1 6. 

On  January  29,  1868,  L.  A.  Rogers  and 
James  W.  Galyen  presented  a  petition  for  the 
formation  of  this  district.  It  was  made  to  em- 
brace the  northwestern  part  of  Neosho  town- 
ship and  the  northeastern  part  of  North  town- 
ship. Prior  to  this,  Superintendent  Newlon 
seems  to  have  formed,  or  to  have  contemplated 
the  formation  of  this  district,  but  no  order  for 
such  formation  is  to  be  found.  The  first  re- 
port, dated  August  i,  1868,  signed  by  L.  A. 
Rogers,  clerk,  shows  33  children  in  the  dis- 
trict, with  37  attending  school,  and  an  aver- 
age attendance  of  16.  Mrs.  Pauline  A.  Ames 
had  taught  a  three-months'  school,  at  a  salary 
of  $20  per  month.  A.  P.  Gore  succeeded  Mr. 
Rogers  as  clerk,  and  the  following  year  makes 
two  reports — one  in  August,  showing  39  chil- 
dren in  the  district.  20  of  \yhom  had  been  at- 
tending school,  and  one  in  October,  showing 
78  children  in  the  district,  57  of  whom  had 
been  attending  school.  E.  H.  Taylor  had  taught 
a  three-months'  school  at  a  salary  of  $33.33  1-3 
per  month.  The  first  school-house  in  the  dis- 
trict was  built  of  logs,  the  settlers  turning  out 
and  doing  the  work;  it  was  located  on  section 
7,  in  Neosho  township,  and  was  put  up  in  the 
fall  of  1868.  Subsequently  the  site  was 
changed  to  North  township,  and  a  good  frame 
building  was  erected. 


LIBERTY  DISTRICT,  NO.   I7. 

The  original  order  for  the  formation  of 
this  district  is  not  among  the  public  records. 
But  probably  in  1868  Superintendent  Reed,  on 
the  petition  of  L.  N.  Shelledy,  Samuel  Lewis, 
\V.  H.  Scott,  Ed.  Mercer,  and  other  residents 
of  the  district,  made  an  order  for  the  subdivis- 
ion of  said  district;  the  boundary  of  this  dis- 
trict thereafter  to  commence  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  Liberty  township,  thence  extending 
south  three  and  one-half  miles,  to  Labette 
Creek.  The  first  report  of  this  district  is 
signed  by  \V.  B.  Jones,  clerk,  dated  Septem- 
ber 14,  1868,  and  simply  shows  21  children 
in  the  district.  In  a  report  dated  September 
14,  1869,  signed  by  Charles  Demend,  clerk, 
it  is  shown  that  there  are  53  children  in  the 
district,  with  10  attending  a  three-months' 
school,  taught  by  Miss  Mary  Bowlu,  at  a  sal- 
ary of  $12  per  month;  but  there  is  also  a  re- 
port on  file  dated  September  15,  1869,  signed 
by  Eli  Sayers,  clerk,  showing  66  children  in 
the  district,  44  in  school,  but  not  giving  the 
name  of  the  teacher.  Evidently  one  of  these 
is  intended  for  some  other  district,  but  both 
purport  to  be  for  District  No.  17. 

WOODS  DISTRICT,   NO.    1 8. 

This  district  was  formed  during  Superin- 
tendent Newlon's  administration,  but  the  rec- 
ord thereof  is  not  now  to  be  found.  On  April 
4.  1868,  on  the  petition  of  F.  W.  Latham,  it 
was  reorganized  and  made  to  embrace  a  tract 
three  miles  square  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
what  is  now  North  township.  The  first  re- 
port, dated  September  8,  1868,  signed  by  Aaron 
Midkiff,  clerk,  shows  24  children  in  the  dis- 
trict, but  no  school.  F.  W.  Latham,  clerk, 
in  a  report  dated  August  31,  1869,  reports  45 


178 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


children  in  the  district,  but  no  sciiool  taught. 
In  the  spring  of  1873  a  school-house  was  erect- 
ed and  well  furnished,  from  the  proceeds  of  $1.- 
000  in  bonds  which  had  been  voted.  This  house 
was  used  until  some  time  in  the  "nineties" 
when  it  was  replaced  by  a  new  ])uilding. 

m'cormick  (afterwards  Cunningham) 
district,  no.  19. 

According  to  tlie  records  now  on  file,  this 
district  was  formed  October  7,  1868,  and  em- 
braced the  northwest  part  of  what  is  now 
Mound  Valley  township.  The  district  seems 
to  have  been  contemplated  in  1867,  but  the 
record  of  its  organization,  if  one  was  had  at 
that  time,  is  lost.  The  first  report,  dated  Oc- 
tober 15,  1868,  signed  by  William  Jones,  clerk, 
shows  18  children  in  the  district,  but  no  school. 
On  August  14,  1869,  the  first  meeting  was  held, 
at  which  it  was  decided  to  locate  the  school- 
house  on  the  northwest  corner  of  ^Irs.  Mc- 
Michael's  claim,  and  to  circulate  a  subscrip- 
tion paper  for  material  for  building  a  school- 
house.  J.  Bishop,  clerk,  reported  13  children 
in  the  district  at  that  date.  The  first  school  in 
the  district  was  taught  in  a  "shake"  claim- 
house,  with  dirt  floor,  on  section  26,  township 
32,  range  17,  liy  Mrs.  Mollie  Courtney,  com- 
mencing in  September,  i86g.  This  was  a  sub- 
scription school,  and  continued  for  three 
months.  In  1870  the  board  consisted  of  J.  H. 
Beggs,  director;  H.  B.  Griffith,  clerk;  and  J. 
M.  Courtne}-,  treasurer. 

WILD  CAT  DI.STRICT,   NO.   20. 

1"he  original  nrder  fnr  the  formation  of 
tliis  district  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Super- 
intendent Xewlon,  and  seems  to  have  been  the 
last  district  formed  under  his  administration. 


It  is  located  in  Montana  township,  east  of  the 
Xeosho.  Aside  from  the  order  for  its  organ- 
ization, there  is  nothing  on  file  showing  that 
anything  had  been  done  therein  prior  to  April 
20,  1870,  when  the  petition  of  Daniel  Hoy  and 
others  was  presented  for  a  change  in  this  dis- 
trict, which  seems  to  have  been  made;  also  re- 
organization thereof  had  in  the  early  part  of 
1874.  The  first  report  on  file  is  dated  Septem- 
ber 12,  1870,  signed  by  James  White,  clerk. 

RED  ELM  DISTRICT,  NO.  21. 

This  district  is  located  in  the  southwest 
corner  of  Neosho  township.  There  is  nothing 
of  record,  either  original  or  copies,  showing 
when  it  was  organized.  It  must  have  been 
during  Superintendent  Newlon's  administra- 
tion, or  very  soon  after  Superintendent  Reed 
came  into  ofiice.  The  first  report,  dated  Sep- 
tember lo,  1868,  is  signed  by  Newberry  Coop- 
er, clerk,  in  which  he  says  that  they  have  had 
no  school,  but  will  have  the  following  winter 
if  they  can  get  their  house  completed  in  time. 
The  report  shows  54  children  in  the  district. 
September  15,  1869,  Mr.  Cooper  again  reports, 
showing  68  children  in  the  district,  47  of  whom 
have  attended  a  three-months'  school  taught 
by  Miss  Mary  Slane,  w'ho  had  received  $2  per 
scholar,  there  being  no  public  money  in  the 
district. 

SPRING   HILL  DISTRICT,    NO.   22. 

On  a  petition  of  Harvey  I.  Cox  and  others, 
dated  January  19,  1869,  this  district  was 
formed,  embracing  the  southwestern  corner  of 
North  township.  The  first  election  was  held 
at  the  house  of  Harvey  I.  Cox,  on  February 
13,  1869.  Harvey  I.  Cox  was  the  first  clerk. 
In  1870  a  frame  school-house  was  built,  which 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


179 


was  replaced  with  a  fine  brick  liouse  about  four- 
teen or  fifteen  years  ago. 

CLO\'ER   DISTRICT,    NO.    2},. 

Under  date  of  March  .28,  1869,  Superin- 
tendent Elliott  made  an  order  for  the  forma- 
tion of  District  No.  2t,,  in  the  northeast  part 
of  Oswego  township,  north  and  east  of  the 
Neosho  river,  and  appointed  the  first  school 
meeting  to  be  held  at  the  'house  of  D.  M. 
Clov-er,  April  7,  1869.  On  August  31,  1870. 
what  is  marked  as  the  second  annual  report 
was  made  by  L.  W.  Grain,  which  is  the  first 
now  on  file.  It  shows  33  children  in  the  dis- 
trict, 24  of  whom  were  attending  school,  with 
an  average  attendance  of  20.  The  school- 
house  was  not  plastered  until  1871. 

0.\K    GROVE    DISTRICT.    NO.    24. 

On  ]\Iarch  ii,  1869,  the  petition  of  W.  S. 
Newlon,  R.  \V.  Bagby,  S.  Holbrook,  C.  Mon- 
tague, F.  Swanwick  and  others  was  presented 
for  the  formation  of  a  new  district.  Upon 
this  petition  the  order  of  the  superintendent  was 
made,  forming  District  No.  24,  embracing  the 
north  part  of  Oswego  township  and  the  south 
part  of  ^Montana  township.  The  first  officers 
were:  C.  Montague,  director:  Henry  Lively, 
clerk :  F.  Swanwick,  treasurer,  chosen  at  the 
first  meeting,  which  was  held  at  the  house  of 
W.  Lane,  April  10.  1869.  The  first  report  is 
dated  September  14,  1869.  signed  by  Henry 
Lively,  showing  42  children  in  the  district,  38 
in  attendance  upon  school,  with  an  average  at- 
tendance of  13  1-3,  and  a  subscription  school 
•having  been  taught  by  Miss  Amanda  Powers. 
This  was  the  first  school  in  the  district,  and  was 
taught  in  a  cabin  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  5,    Oswego    township.       In    January, 


1870,  a  log  house  was  built  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  section  t,t,,  in  Montana  township;  it 
was  built  by  subscription  for  church  and  school 
purposes.  The  first  public  school  in  the  district 
was  taught  by  Henry  Lively,  commencing  in 
this  house  as  soon  as  it  was  completed.  The 
next  school  was  taught  by  John  P.  Jones,  com- 
mencing November,  1870.  On  September  2y, 
1873,  3t  a  public  meeting  of  the  district,  a  new 
school-house- site  was  selected,  on  section  5, 
and  it  was  voted  to  erect  a  stone  school-house 
thereon. 

BREESE   DISTRICT,    NO.    25. 

February  15,  1869,  C.  M.  Fentriss,  M. 
Huntley,  G.  W.  Yandle,  L.  W.  Leak,  and  sev- 
eral other  residents  of  the  territory,  petitioned 
for  the  formation  of  a  district  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  Richland  township,  lying  east  of 
Labette  Greek.  The  petition  was  granted,  and 
District  No.  25  was  organized.  There  are  no 
officers  reported  until  1870.  when  the  board 
consisted  of  Lewis  \V.  Leak,  director:  L.  F. 
Summers,  clerk ;  and  H.  G.  Hardway,  treasur- 
er. The  school-house  was  built  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1 87 1,  and  in  it,  in  the  fall  of  that  year, 
John  Lawrence  commenced  teaching  the  first 
school  in  the  district.  In  1899.  a  new  school- 
house  was  erected  to  take  the  place  of  the  old 
one,  which  had  become  much  out  of  repair. 

HI.\TT  DISTRICT,    NO.   26. 

On  April  17,  1869.  an  order  was  made  for 
the  formation  of  District  No.  26.  No  boun- 
daries are  given  in  the  order,  'but  it  seems  to 
have  been  situated  in  Hackberrv  township.  The 
first  meeting  was  held  at  tlie  house  of  G.  W. 
Franklin,  April  30,  1869.  On  September  14, 
1869,  James  McRoberts,  clerk,  reported  40 
children  in  the  district,  but  that  no  school  had 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


been  taught.  In  1870  the  board  consisted  of 
J.  M.  McCoon,  director;  G.  W.  Frankhn, 
clerk;  George  S.  Downing,  treasurer. 

DICKERMAN   DISTRICT,    NO.    2"] . 

On  April  i8,  1869,  this  district  was  formed, 
and  embraced  the  central  portion  of  Fairview 
township,  extending  east  as  far  as  Labette 
Creek.  The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the  house 
of  Joseph  Barker,  on  April  6,  1869.  Septem- 
ber 7,  1869,  A.  S.  Potter,  clerk,  reported  56 
children  in  the  district,  no  school  'having  yet 
been  taught  therein.  In  the  fall  of  1869  a  sub- 
scription school  was  taught  by  Esther  Biggs, 
in  a  log  house  on  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  2}^.  Thomas  Bulwer  was  director,  A.  S. 
Potter,  clerk,  and  E.  Wiggins,  treasurer,  in 
1870.  In  the  fall  of  1870  the  first  public 
school  in  the  district  was  taught  by  Mary  E. 
Dickerman,  in  a  frame  house  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  27.  A  school-house 
was  built  in  the  spring  of  1871,  which,  on  May 
21,  1885,  was  burned  to  the  ground. 

LOCKARD  DISTRICT,   NO.   28. 

This  district  is  situated  in  the  central  part 
of  Hackberry  township,  south  of  Hackberry 
Creek.  The  first  official  document  which  I 
now  find  among  the  public  records  relative  to 
District  No.  28  is  an  annual  report  dated  Au- 
gust 31,  1870,  signed  by  John  Shumckci, 
clerk.  The  only  item  of  information  contained 
in  this  report  is  that  they  have  24  children  in 
the  district;  no  school  is  yet  reported.  I  can 
find  nothing  further  among  the  public  records 
indicating  when  it  was  organized. 

STONER    DISTRICT,    NO.    29. 

This  district  was  formed  April  29,  1869, 
on  a  petition  of  J.  P.  D.  Mouriquand,  J.  M. 


Logan,  George  Pfaff,  and  others,  and  embraced 
a  tract  in  the  north  part  of  Fairview  township 
extending  west  from  Labette  Creek.  The  first 
election  was  held  at  the  house  of  J.  S.  Mc- 
Manis,  on  May  11,  1869.  September  8,  1869, 
M.  H.  Logan,  clerk,  reported  34  children  in 
the  district,  but  that  no  school  had  been  taught. 
The  first  school-house  was  built  in  the  fall  of 


HARMONY    GROVE    (OR    CARPENTER,    NOW    MOR- 
TIMER)   DISTRICT,   NO.   30. 

This  district  is  located  in  the  central  part 
of  Osage  township.  A  log  house  was  used 
for  the  first  school-house  in  the  district,  and 
in  it  William  Jeans  taught  the  first  school,  in 
the  summer  of  1869.  In  the  summer  of  1871 
a  frame  house  was  built,  and  in  it  the  follow- 
ing- winter  the  first  school  was  taught,  by  John 
Stroud.  The  first  school  board  consisted  of 
Leroy  F.  Dick,  director;  William  H.  Carpen- 
ter, clerk;  and  Henry  Reed,  treasurer.  Anoth- 
er reports  the  board  to  have  been  W.  H.  Car- 
penter, director;  George  N.  Jeans,  clerk;  and 
J.  H.  Dienst,  treasurer. 

PRAIRIE   VALLEY   DISTRICT,    NO.    3I. 

This  district  must  have  been  organized  in 
1869,  although  the  records  concerning  its  or- 
ganization are  not  to  be  found.  As  originally 
constituted,  it  embraced  the  entire  northwestern 
quarter  of  North  township;  subsequently  its 
territory  was  much  reduced,  District  No.  104 
having  been  taken  therefrom.  There  is  no  re- 
port or  other  official  record  wdiatever  on  file 
with  reference  to  the  district  prior  to  1871, 
when  the  board  consisted  of  S.  Hardman,  di- 
rector; James  F.  Harris,  clerk;  A.  J.  Ingra- 
ham,  treasurer. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


HEACOCK    (or  stone  PALACE)    DISTRICT^ 
NO.  32. 


Tliis  district  is  situated  in  the  nort'hern  part 
of  North  township.  The  record  of  its  organi- 
zation, if  one  was  made,  is  lost.  The  first 
we  have  is  a  report  made  August  31,  1870,  by 
A.  Fagan,  clerk,  showing  they  have  50  chil- 
dren in  the  district,  30  attending  school,  with 
an  average  attendance  of  22.  In  1871  the  board 
was  composed  of  George  Miner,  J.  C.  Merwin, 
and  C.  W.  Rictor. 

PARSONS  DISTRICT,  NO.  33. 

A  petition  dated  February  23,  1869,  made 
by  R.  T.  Caldwell,  Anson  Kellogg,  A.  Mid- 
kiff,  S.  N.  Fultz,  Maria  Hussey,  George  Brock, 
and  several  others,  was  presented  to  the  super- 
intendent, on  which  he  soon  thereafter  made  an 
order  for  the  organization  of  District  No.  33, 
embracing,  in  addition  to  the  territory  now 
composed  in  that  district,  several  additional 
sections.  The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Aaron  Midkiff,  at  which  the  follow- 
ing officers  were  elected :  Anson  Kellogg,  di- 
rector; George  M.  Wilson,  clerk;  Joseph  Simp- 
son, treasurer.  September  10,  1869,  George 
M.  \\'ils(jn,  clerk,  reported  20  males  and 
14  females  in  the  district  on  the  31st  of 
August,  15  of  whom — 10  males  and  5 
females,  with  an  average  attendance  of  10 
- — were  in  school,  in  progress  at  that  time, 
taught  by  Maria  Hussey,  at  a  salary  of  $16.66 
2-^  per  month.  This  school  was  taught  in  an 
out-house  belonging  to  A.  Midkiff.  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  19,  North  town- 
ship. The  next  school  was  taught  from  Sep- 
tember to  December,  1870,  by  Miss  Sophronia 
Emery,  in  a  vacant  log  house  belonging  to 
Sanuiel  Eves,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 


tion 24,  in  Walton  township.  This  was  the  first 
public  school  taught  in  the  district.  On  March 
31,  1870,  the  first  annual  meeting  was  held,  at 
the  'house  of  Aaron  Midkiff,  and  the  following 
officers  elected :  Anson  Kellogg,  director ;  H. 
L.  Partridge,  clerk;  George  Brock,  treasurer. 
The  latter  failing  to  qualify,  W.  K.  Hayes  was 
soon  after  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy;  and 
this  same  board  was  continued  in  office  during 
two  years.  In  March,  1872,  they  elected  Dr. 
G.  W.  Gabriel  director,  T.  C.  Cory,  clerk,  and 
Dr.  T.  R.  Warren,  treasurer.  At  the  meeting 
held  March  31,  1870,  the  board  were  directed 
to  take  steps  to  build  a  school-house.  On 
September  17th  of  that  year,  bonds  in  the 
sum  of  $1,000  were  voted,  and  the  board  pur- 
chased lots  15  and  16  in  block  ^2,  and  on  this, 
during  the  winter  of  1870  and  tl:e  spring  of 
1 87 1,  a  one-story  frame  building  was  erected 
as  the  first  school-house  in  the  district.  It 
was  not  completed  until  June,  and  was  accept- 
ed by  the  board  August  i,  1871.  On  May  8, 
1 87 1,  Miss  Kate  Squires  and  Miss  Sophronia 
Emery  began  a  subscription  school  in  the  new 
school  building,  which  was  then  enclosed  but 
not  fully  completed.  On  August  loth  the 
board  decided  to  enlarge  the  building  by  add- 
ing six  feet  on  the  west  end,  making  two  school- 
rooms. This  house  was  afterward  bought  by 
the  colored  people,  to  be  used  as  a  church. 
The  house  thus  completed  was  Iniilt  with 
the  proceeds  of  the  $1  000  in  bonds.  In  the 
fall  of  1 87 1  the  school  opened  in  the  new 
school-house,  with  E.  H.  Taylor  and  Miss 
Sophronia  Emery  as  teachers.  On  October  3, 
1 87 1,  on  a  vote  to  issue  $15,000  in  bonds  with 
which  to  erect  a  new  school-house,  there  were 
108  votes  in  favor  of  the  proposition,  and  but 
5  against  it.  The  bonds  were  sold  at  87  1-2 
cents  on  the  dollar.  In  January,  1872,  the 
contract  for  the  erection  of  this  building  was 


182 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


let  to  T.  B.  Douglas,  of  Clinton.  ]\Iissouri.  for 
$11,993.  O"  1"S  failure  to  give  bond  satis- 
factory to  the  board,  the}^  attempted  to  take 
the  contract  from  him  and  give  it  to  Martin 
Mason,  also  of  Clinton.  Missouri,  at  the  agreed 
price  of  $13,000;  but  the  district  assumed  to 
overrule  this  action,  and  allowed  Mr.  Douglas 
to  go  on  with  the  work.  He  failed  to  com- 
plete his  contract,  and  the  district  'had  the  loss 
to  sustain.  The  building  was  completed  and 
ready  for  the  opening  of  school  in  the  fall  of 
1872.  In  March,  1873,  Parsons  was  incorpor- 
ated as  a  city  of  the  second  class,  whereupon  the 
Ixiard  of  education  was  elected  at  the  city  elec- 
tion, in  April.  Presidents  of  the  board:  1873, 
George  A.  Reynolds;  1874,  O.  L.  Hall,  George 
W.  Briggs;  1875,  G.  C.  West;  1876-79,  A. 
Wilson;  1880-81,  R.  H.  Patrick;  1882,  Will- 
iam Moir;  1883,  S.  W.  Kniffin;  1884.  J.  M. 
Gregory;  1885,  W.  J.  Quick;  1886,  I.  N.  Mc- 
Creery;  1887.  J.  M.  Caldwell;  1888,  R.  D.  Tal- 
bot; 1889-90,  J.  T.  Tinder;  1891,  A.  H.  Tyler; 
1892.  O.  H.  Stuart.  G.  H.  L.  Copeland;  1893, 
Ira  F.  Adams;  1894,  R.  M.  Johnson;  1895-96, 
W.  H.  Martin;  1897,  George  S.  Anderson; 
1898,  A.  B.  Manning;  1899,  F.  O.  Boyd;  1900, 
Josiah  Richmond.  Clerks:  1873,  J.  H.  Metier 
and  \V.  A.  Gillam;  1874,  P.  M.  Grififin;  1875, 
M.  Xoyes;  1876,  George  Thornton;  1877-81, 
James  Grimes;  1882-86.  A.  H.  Tyler;  1887,  C. 
W.  Duzan  and  A.  G.  Thurman;  1888,  A.  H. 
Tyler  and  A.  G.  Thurman;  1889,  Mary  S.  Out- 
land  and  J.  W.  Iden;  1890-99,  J.  W.  Iden ; 
1900,  Arthur  Cranston,  Principals:  1872,  J. 
H.  Griffith;  1873,  David  Donavan;  1874,  Mrs. 
E.  J.  Collins;  1875.  Mrs.  Jennie  Arthur.  Up 
to  1876  the  schools  were  superintended  by  citi- 
zens who  were  not  teachers,  and  who  were 
expected  to  do  little  more  than  have  a  general 
oversight,  to  know  what  the  schools  were  do- 
ing.    J.   G.    Parkhurst  and   M.   W.   Reynolds 


were  two  of  the  parties  who  filled  this  posi- 
tion. Commencing  with  1876,  the  superin- 
tendents had  charge  of  the  school,  and  did  more 
or  less  teaching.  Superintendents:  1876,  B. 
F.  Hickey;  1877-79,  M.  Chidester;  1880,  O. 
M.  McPherson;  1881-87,  L.  Tomlin ;  1888- 
90,  C.  H.  Harris;  1891-94,  H.  C.  Ford;  1894- 
98,  S.  D.  Frazier;  1898-99,  H.  Winsor;  1899- 
190 1.  N.  H.  McDonald.  The  first  graduate 
v.as  Maude  G.  Keyser,  who  completed  the 
course  in  1881 ;  there  was  no  graduating  class 
in  1882.  There  have  been  71  males  and  156 
females,  total  22/.  graduated  from  the  high 
school.  There  are  four  ward  school  buildings, 
all  brick,  as  follows:  the  first,  built  in  1872,  in 
the  Second  Ward,  on  the  west  half  of  block 
3,  costing  $15  000;  the  second,  erected  in  1880, 
in  the  Third  Ward,  between  Twenty-third  and 
Twenty-fourth  streets  and  between  Belmont 
and  Corning  avenues,  costing  $10,000;  the 
third,  erected  in  the  First  Ward,  in  1881,  on 
block  III,  cost  $6,000;  the  fourth,  erected  in 
1884,  in  the  Fourth  Ward,  situated  west  of 
block  160,  cost  $12,000.  A  high  school  build- 
ing, situated  in  the  west  part  of  the  city,  cost- 
ing $30,000,  was  completed  in  1893.  A  new 
ward  building  for  the  Fourth  AVard.  costing 
$10,000,  was  erected  in  1899,  in  place  of  the 
original  one,  w'hich  was  taken  down. 

WHEATL.KND   (OR  HARD-P.\N)   DISTRICT.  XO.  34. 

I 

'  This  district  was  formed  July  8,  1869.  and 
embraced  a  tract  in  Mound  Valley  township, 
west  of  Pumpkin  Creek,  and  north  of  the  line 
between  townships  32  and  33,  The  first  elec- 
tion was  held  at  the  house  of  C.  Lyerly,  July 
2,  1869.  J.  M.  Richardson  was  the  principal 
one  interested  in  the  organization  of  this  dis- 
trict. The  first  school  taught  in  the  district  was 
in  a  house  belonging  to  Mr.  Richardson,  by  his 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


son,  J.  M.  Richardson,  Jr.  The  school  was 
taught  for  several  years  in  this  house.  Bonds 
were  thereafter  issued,  and  a  new  school-house 
erected.  In  1870  the  officers  were  :  J.  M.  Rich- 
ardson, director;  William  Reeder,  clerk;  Jnhn 
B.  Campbell,  treasurer. 

SNOW    HILL   DISTRICT,    NO.    35. 

This  district  was  formed  July  9,  i86g,  and 
embraced  a  tract  in  the  southwest  part  of  Osage 
township,  most  of  it  lying  in  what  is  now 
Montgomery  county.  The  first  election  was 
held  at  the  house  of  A.  \\\  Cook,  July  20, 
1869.  When  this  territory  was  attached  to 
Montgomery  county  this  district  became  disor- 
ganized. In  1872  a  new  district  was  organized, 
in  the  extreme  southwestern  corner  of  the 
county,  and  was  given  this  number.  Its  first 
officers  were  :  Wm.  Mabrey,  director ;  W.  S. 
Getsyendinger,  clerk;  W.  B.  Roberts,  treas- 
urer. Mr.  Mabrey  was  director  for  fourteen 
years.  Some  time  thereafter  a  storehouse  in 
Parker  was  ]jurchased,  and  moved  out  to  the 
district   for   its   first    school-house. 

MOUNT  ZION   DISTRICT.   NO.   36. 

This  district  was  formed  July  lo,  1869, 
and  lay  in  the  southwest  part  of  Osage  town- 
ship. The  first  meeting  was  held  July  20,  1869. 
Miss  Josie  Hockett  taught  her  first  school  in 
a  log  cabin  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
6,  township  ;^2,  range  18.  The  first  board  now 
shown  by  records  was  that  for  1870,  and  was 
composed  of  S.  C.  Hockett,  director;  Charles 
Beggs,  clerk ;  and  William  Johns,  treasurer. 

TIMBER  HILL  DISTRICT,  NO.  37. 

This  district  was  formed  July  lo,  1869,  and 
lay  in  the  southern  part  of  Osage  township. 
The  first  election  was  held  at  the  house  of  F. 
Labadie.  July  20,  1869.     In  the  fall  of  1869, 


E.  D.  Graybill  induced  the  settlers  to  put  up  a 
log  house  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Timber 
Hill  town-site,  in  which  that  winter  he  taught 
the  first  school  in  the  district.  The  following 
winter  W.  .\.  Starr  taught  in  this  building.  A. 
W.  King  was  clerk  in  1S70;  he  is  the  only  offi- 
cer reported  prior  to  1871. 

DENNIS  DISTRICT,  NO.  38. 

Was  formed  July  lo.  1869,  and  lay  in  the  cen- 
tral part  of  Osage  township,  and  embraced  the 
present  town-site  of  D.ennis.  A  log  house  was 
put  up  in  this  district  in  the  spring  of  1870,  in 
which  Mrs.  Lapham  taught  a  three-months' 
school.  After  the  location  of  Dennis  in  this 
district  a  "new  frame  school-house  was  erected 
in  town,  in  the  summer  of  1885.  The  district 
board  in  1870  consisted  of  N.  P.  Lapham,  di- 
rector; George  ^V.  Major,  clerk;  Jacob  Beaty, 
treasurer.  The  first  frame  school-house  burned 
down  and  thereafter  a  two-room  building  was 
erected  farther  north  than  the  site  of  the  old 
house.  Since  employing  two  teachers,  the  prin- 
cipals, or  teachers  in  the  more  ad\-anced  room, 
have  been:  1889-90,  E.  H.  Easterling;  1890- 
91,  S.  L.  Fogleman;  1891-92,  Rose  Williams; 
1892-95,  C.  E.  Boye;  1895-96,  Olive  Ten 
Broeck;  1896-97,  C.  S.  Neale;  1897-98,  E.  C. 
McKinley;  1898-99,  S.  F.  McClelland;  1899- 
1900.  E.  C.  McKinley;  1900-01,  S.  O.  King. 

BR.VDFORD  DISTRICT,  NO.  39. 

On  July  10,  1869,  an  order  was  mide  for 
the  formation  of  this  district,  but  probably  it 
was  not  acted  on,  for  anotl'.er  order  was  made 
on  April  6,  1870,  under  which  the  district  was 
formed,  and  lay  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
Walton  township.  The  first  meeting  was  held 
at  the  house  of  M.  S.  Mason,  on  April  16,  1870, 
at  which  George  T.  Walton,  M.  S.  Mason  and 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


John  Lunciford  were  elected  tlie  board  for  that 
year. 

MOUND    VALLEY    DISTRICT,    NO.    40, 

Is  situated  in  the  central-eastern  part  of  Mound 
Valley  township,  and  includes  the  town  of 
Mound  Valley.  This  district  was  formed  in 
the  summer  of  i86q,  although  there  is  nothing 
now  on  file  showing  that  fact.  The  first  an- 
nual report  was  made  August  31,  1870,  by 
Alexander  Honrath,  clerk;  it  shows  33  chil- 
dren in  the  district,  22  in  school,  with  an  av- 
erage attendance  of  11.  In  1870  the  board  was 
composed  of  Josephus  Moore,  Alexander  Hon- 
rath, and  L.  C.  Wilmoth.  A  new  two-story 
building  was  erected  in  the  summer  of  1882, 
and  in  1885  an  addition  was  made  thereto. 
In  1885,  the  high  school  was  organized,  and 
since  then  there  have  been  graduated  15  boys 
and  35  girls,  total  50.  Since  the  establish- 
ment of  the  high  school,  the  principals  have 
been:  A.  Moore,  three  years;  J.  T.  McGee, 
two  years;  A.  D.  Martin,  two  years;  A.  J. 
Lovett,  two  years :  C.  H.  Williams,  two  years ; 
S.  L.  Fogleman,  two  3'ears;  and  again,  A.  J. 
Lovett,  three  years. 

ENTERPRLSE  DISTRICT,  NO.  4I. 

While  there  is  no  record  thereof,  an  attempt 
must  have  been  made  in  the  summer  of  1869 
to  form  the  district,  which  probably  failed.  It 
was  formed  May  12,  1871,  and  lay  in  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  Mound  Valley  township.  The 
first  meeting  was  held  May  27,  1871,  on  peti- 
tion therefor,  signed  by  Joseph  Moore,  Alex- 
ander Honrath,  John  Campbell,  S.  W.  Slocum, 

E.  Tanner  and  others.  The  first  school  in  the 
district  was  taught  in  1879,  by  Delia  Wilson, 
in  a  cabin  on  section  21,.    belonging    to    Rev. 

F.  I^.  Walker.  .A  school-house  was  not  built 
until   1880. 


S.-^LEM  DISTRICT,  NO.  42. 

On  June  7.  1870,  E.  P.  Emery,  Wni.  R. 
Abies,  and  others  petitioned  for  a  district  in 
the  southwestern  part  of  Walton  township.  I 
find  no  record  of  its  formation,  but  it  seems 
to  have  been  organized  soon  after  the  presen- 
tation of  the  petition.  S.  B.  Shafifer,  J.  A. 
Jones  and  G.  B.  Hughes  are  reported  as  the 
board  in  1870.  A  school-house  was  built  near 
the  southeast  corner  of  section  20  in  the  spring 
of  1 87 1.  In  1890  this  first  building  was  re- 
placed by  a  new  and  much  better  one.  The  first 
school  in  the  district  was  taught  by  Miss  So- 
phronia  Emery,  in  a  log  house  on  R.  P.  Clark's 
claim,  in  the  fall  of  1870. 

ALTAMONT  DISTRICT,   NO.   43, 

Was  formed  October  4,  1 869,  and  embraced  the 
southeast  corner  of  Labette  township  and  the 
northeastern  corner  of  Mount  Pleasant  town- 
ship, and  includes  the  city  of  Altaniont.  In 
1870  the  board  were  G.  Conner,  J.  C.  Mur- 
phy, and  John  Elston.  The  first  school-house 
was  built  in  1872,  and  was  used  until  the  num- 
ber of  scholars  became  so  great  that  it  would 
no  longer  accommodate  them  in  any  way, when 
it  was  sold  to  J.  T.  Waller,  by  whom  it  was 
moved  across  the  street,  where  it  still  stands, 
and  is  used  for  a  dwelling.  In  1880  the  dis- 
trict employed  J.  B.  Jones  to  erect  a  new  house 
upon  the  same  site  formerly  occupied  by  the 
old  one.  The  district  again  outgrew  this  house 
and  in  1884  another  room  had  to  be  added. 
The  building  thus  improved  accommodated 
the  district  until  1891,  when  $4,000  in  bonds 
were  voted,  the  old  school-house  was  sold  to  the 
Christians  for  the  purpose  of  being  reconstruct- 
ed into  a  church  building,  and  a  new  two-story 
brick  school-house  erected  under  a  contract 
with  J.  B.  Jones,  occupying  the  same  site  as  its 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


185 


predecessors.  Since  the  erection  of  the  sec- 
ond school-house  in  1880,  and  the  employment 
of  more  than  one  teacher,  the  principals  of  the 
school,  so  far  as  I  ha\e  been  able  to  learn,  have 
been:  Lizzie  Sullivan,  Alvah  Shick,  Mr.  Cot- 
ton,T.  J.  Gobble,  H.  A.  Mossman,  J.  M.  Chans- 
ler,  H.  C.  Long,  W.  H.  Conner,  Charles  Bell, 
Dean  Coleman,  D.  H.  Martin,  S.  O.  King, 
Charles  Harrington,  L.  Lightfoot,  J.  F.  John- 
son, S.  F.  McClelland. 

SPRING    VALLEY     (OR    CATALPA)    DISTRICT,    NO. 

44- 

In  1870  the  petition  of  John  Connor, 
John  W.  Logan  and  other  citizens  was  pre- 
sented for  the  formation  of  a  district  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  Liberty  township,  which 
petition  was  granted,  and  on  January  29, 
1870,  an  order  made  under  which  District 
No.  44  was  organized.  William  F.  Gross, 
.William  J.  IlifT  and  S.  W.  Collins  were 
the  first  board,  elected  at  the  first  meeting  of 
the  district,  held  at  the  house  of  W.  J.  Iliff, 
February  11,  1870. 

ELLIS  DISTRICT,    NO.   45, 

Is  situated  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Elm 
Grove  township.  I  find  no  record  whatever  in 
reference  to  it  prior  to  187 1,  except  the  names 
of  the  board  for  1870:  they  were  Daniel  Mc- 
Intyre,  John  Lane,  and  Madison  Sharp.  The 
district  must  have  been  formed  early  in  1870. 
The  first  school  in  the  district  was  taught  in 
the  summer  of  1870,  by  Sarah  Ackerson,  after- 
wards the  wife  of  Henry  G.  Pore,  in  her  own 
claim  cabin  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
14.  The  school-house  was  built  in  1872,  and 
Lon  Blanchard  taught  the  first  school  in  it. 


LANEVILLE    (OR    HARD    SCRABBLE)    DISTRICT, 
NO.   46, 

Is  in  the  central  part  of  Neosho  township,  west 
of  the  Neosho  River.  The  record  is  entirely 
silent  as  to  the  date  of  its  formation,  and  I 
find  no  report  prior  to  1871,  but  in  1870  the 
board  consisted  of  E.  H.  Taylor,  Samuel 
Frank,  and  E.  H.  Wells. 

UIATT  DISTRICT,   NO.  47, 

Was  formed  jMarch  24,  1870,  and  em- 
braced a  tract  of  land  in  the  southwest  of  Lib- 
erty township  and  the  southeast  of  Labette 
township.  This  district  was  formed  on  the  pe- 
tition of  Caleb  Haskill,  T.  M.  Gibson,  and 
others,  dated  December  30,  1869.  The  first 
school  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  C.  T. 
Haskill,  April  4,  1870.  P.  M.  Gibson,  Edward 
Hiatt  and  C.  F.  Haskill  are  the  officers  reported 
for  1871. 

PLEASANT    VALLEYj    MORNING,    OR    KNOT-HOLE 
DISTRICT,  NO.  48, 

Is  situated  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Liberty 
and  northwest  corner  of  Montana  township. 
In  the  spring  of  1870  the  first  school  was 
taught,  in  George  Metcalfs  old  log  house  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  13.  by  Miss 
Sidney  Johnson  ;  this  was  a  subscription  school. 
In  the  spring  of  1871  an  old  store  building 
was  moved  from  Labette  and  placed  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  12,  township  32,  range  20;  this  was  the 
first  school-house.  Two  years  later  it  was 
moved  over  onto  the  southeast  quarter.  The 
first  school  board,  as  now  shown  on  the  coun- 
tv  records,  was  in  1870,  and  consisted  of  James 


i86 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Morning,  director;  S.  S.  Saytor.  clerk;  George 
Morning,  treasurer.  I  judge  from  all  that  ap- 
pears that  the  district  was  projjably  organized 
early   in    1870. 

RIPON    DISTRICT,    NO   49, 

Is  situated  in  the  central-southern  part  of  Elm 
Grove  township,  bordering  on  the  State  line. 
I  have  no  means  of  telling  from  the  public  rec- 
ords when  this  district  was  formed.  The  first 
ofificial  paper  relative  to  it  which  I  have  been 
able  to  find  is  the  report  made  by  Jonas  Burris, 
on  August  31,  1870.  showing  48  children  in 
the  district,  with  an  average  attendance  of  21 
at  school.  I  find  among  the  records  a  letter 
signed  by  Ben  M.  Smith,  deted  September  8, 
1870,  in  which  he  says  that  the  district  is  com- 
posed mostly  of  single  men ;  that  their  school 
has  been  kept  but  two  weeks,  the  teacher  hav- 
ing been  paid  ofif  and  quit;  and  that  in  reality 
the  district  has  no  organization.  The  officers 
reported  for  1870  were:  Colton  B.  Pratt,  di- 
rector; B.  M.  Smith,  clerk;  and  W.  D.  Scog- 
gans,  treasurer.  It  is  therefore  likely  the  re- 
port made  by  Mr.  Burris  should  be  credited  to 
some  other  district 

STAR  DISTRICT,   NO.    50. 

This  district  was  probably  formed  in  1870, 
lying  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Elm  Grove 
township.  The  first  school  was  taught  by  Miss 
Unthank,  in  the  house  of  Harvey  Jones.  The 
first  board  were:  Ira  Peck,  director;  D.  D.  P. 
Lucas,  clerk;  and  George  W.  McGeyor,  treas- 
urer. The  first  public  school  was  taught  in  the 
winter  of  1871  and  1872,  by  Miss  Frank  Hall. 

DRESSER    (NOW  VALEDA)  DISTRICT.  NO.   5  I. 

There  is  nothing  of  record  showing  any  suc- 
cessful eft'ort  at  organizing  this  district  till  De- 
cember 29,  1875,  when  an  order  for  its  forma- 


tion was  made,  and  the  first  election  had  on 
March  6,  1876.  The  first  school-house  in  this 
district  was  an  old  store  building  bought  and 
moved  from  Parker  to  near  the  center  of  sec- 
tion 20,  townshi]^  34,  range  18,  in  1879.  In 
1886  this  building  was  sold,  changes  were 
made  in  the  boundary  of  the  district,  and  the 
school-house  site  was  changed  and  placed  at 
Valeda,  which  had  just  been  started.  A  new 
school-house  was  erected  in  1886. 

RAYBURN    DISTRICT,    NO.    ^2. 

This  district  lies  in  the  central-eastern  part 
of  Mount  Pleasant  township.  It  was  organized 
under  an  order  made  June  8,  1870,  and  the 
first  election  was  directed  to  be  held  at  the 
house  of  John  R.  Eldridge  on  June  20,  1870. 
The  following  officers  were  elected:  (William 
Skilling,  director,  but  declined  to  serve)  ;  Hen- 
ry Story,  director;  G.  A.  W.  Grant,  clerk; 
John  Eldridge,  treasurer.  In  1871  the  board 
consisted  of  Henry  Story,  director;  G.  A.  W. 
Grant,  clerk;  W.  Jones,  treasurer.  In  the  fall 
of  1870  Susan  Story  taught  a  subscription 
school  in  the  Morrison  claim  house,  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  14.  In  the 
spring  of  1871  the  school-house  was  built,  in 
which,  commencing  that  fall,  John  Hamblin 
taught  the  first  public  school  in  the  district. 

O'CONNER   DISTRICT,    NO.    53, 

Was  organized  June  13,  1870,  embracing  the 
central-northern  part  of  Walton  township.  The 
first  school  meeting  was  held  at  the  residence 
of  James  Cahill,  June  2c  1870.  The  first  offi- . 
cers  were  William  O'Brien,  James  Cahill,  and 
Timothy  O'Conner. 

MAPLE    GROVE    DISTRICT,    NO.    54. 

On  June  20,  1876,  Ernest  Wadsack,  John 
Richardson,  and  some  twenty  more  residents  of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


187 


that  territory,  petitioned  for  the  formation  of  a 
district  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Fairview 
township,  which  on  July  6th  was  granted  and 
District  No.  54  was  organized.  This  district 
was, however,  originally  organized  much  earlier 
than  this,  althoug'h  there  is  no  record  of  the 
fact.  In  1870  the  board  consisted  of  John 
Richardson,   director;  J.   L.   Williams,   clerk; 

,  treasurer.    These  are  the  first  officers  now 

shown  by  the  records.  The  first  school  in  the 
district  was  taught  by  Mrs.  W.  S.  Park,  in  a 
cabin  on  the  Dike  farm,  in  the  winter  of  1870. 

FRANKLIN   DISTRICT,    NO.    55, 

Is  located  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  North 
township.  There  is  no  record  showing  the 
time  of  its  formation,  but  I  learn  it  was  or- 
ganized in  1868  through  the  efforts  of  Mr. 
Ballentine;  perhaps  the  organization  was  not 
till  the  next  year;  at  least,  there  is  no  record  of 
any  officers  reported  in  1869.  The  neighbors 
built  a  small  board  shanty  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  36,  in  which  Elvira  Binga- 
man,  daughter  of  A.  W.  Jones,  taught  the  first 
school,  in  the  fall  of  1868.  A  year  or  two  after 
that  the  district  was  enlarged,  and  a  new 
school-house  costing  $700  was  built  on  section 
25,  in  1872.  This  school-house  was  blown 
down  in  the  stijrni  that  occurred  on  June  7, 
1900.  A  new  building  was  at  once  erected. 
In  1870  the  district  board  was  composed  of 
George  Skelton,  director;  Samuel  Ballentine, 
clerk;  Robert  C.  Livesay,  treasurer.  This  is 
the  first  that  appears  on  the  county  record  re- 
specting this  district. 

ANGOLA  DISTRICT,  NO.   56, 

Was  organized  in  the  central  part  of  Canada 
townshi]),  July  13,  1878.  The  first  meeting 
was  held  August  19,  1878,  officers  elected  and 


organization  perfected.  I  find  no  account  of 
any  earlier  organization,  although  it  seems 
probable  that  one  must  at  least  ha\-e  been  at- 
tempted, 

CAMPBELL  DISTRICT,    NO.    57, 

Is  located  in  the  south-central  part  of  Oswego 
township,  and  must  have  been  organized  early 
in  1870,  although  there  is  no  record  showing 
such  fact.  On  August  31,  1870,  T.  Clark  re- 
ported 47  children  in  the  district,  41  attending 
school.  The  officers  reported  for  1870  are: 
John  Overdeer,  director;  William  Steel,  clerk, 
Alice  Spaukling  was  first  teacher,  her  school 
commencmg  in  the  fall  of  1871,  in  the  new 
school-house  which  had  just  been  built. 

ROCK    CREEK     (OR    ARNOLD)     DISTRICT,    NO.    58, 

Was  organized  in  the  eastern  part  of  Canada 
township,  July  2^,  1878,  and  the  first  meeting 
held  August  21,  1878.  No  record  of  any 
earlier  organization  exists,  so  far  as  I  ha\'e 
discovered. 

PIONEER  DISTRICT,   NO,    59, 

As  (iriginall}-  constituted,  embraced  the  north- 
west quarter  of  Mount  Pleasant  township.  I 
find  nothing  on  record  showing  anything  of 
the  formation  of  the  district,  or  anything  in 
reference  thereto  prior  to  1870.  For  that  year 
the  district  board  are  reported  to  l3e  B.  F. 
Jones.  S.  M.  Canady,  and  O.  B.  Clark.  The 
school-house  was  built  in  the  summer  of  1871, 
and  the  first  school  was  taught  b}-  Mrs.  H.  Pot- 
tinger,  wife  of  Samuel  Pottinger, 

L.VKE   CREEK   DLSTRICT,    NO.   6o, 

Is  situated  in  the  central-western  part  of  Hack- 
berry  townsiiip.  There  is  nothing  on  record 
showing  Avhen  it  was  formed  or  what  it  did 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


prior  to  1871,  when  R.  M.  Roberts,  John  M. 
Morse  and  William  Stevenson  are  recorded  as 
the  officers. 

CLOSSAR    (or   union)    DISTRICT,    NO.    6l. 

A  petition  of  Daniel  Corell  and  a  number 
of  the  neighbors  was  presented  for  the  forma- 
tion of  a  district  in  the  southwest  corner  of 
Richland  township.  There  is  no  record  of  the 
date  of  this,  but  it  seems  to  have  been  formed 
sometime  in  1870.  The  officers  for  that  year 
were:  J.  F.  Chamberlain,  director:  F.  M. 
Mendenhall.  clerk:  and  Samuel  Hull,  treas- 
urer. 

FROG    POND    DISTRICT,    NO.    62, 

Was  formed  May  i8,  1872,  on  a  petition  of 
P.  H.  Cherry,  G.  Spicer  and  others,  and  is 
situated  in  the  southeast  corner  of  Neosho 
township, 

MOUNT    TRIUMPH    DISTRICT,    NO.    63. 

James  M.  Kinnamon,  Isaac  Wylch  and 
others  presaited  a  petition  for  the  formation 
of  a  district  in  the  central-northern  part  of 
Mound  Valley  township.  It  was  formed  June 
18,  1872,  an  order  for  its  formation  having 
been  made  on  May  20,  1872.  It  lies  in  both 
Osage  and  Mound  \'alley  townsliiiDS. 

CRANSTON   DISTRICT,    NO.    64. 

A  petition  of  James  Cahill,  Wm.  O'Brien, 
Timothy  O'Connor  and  a  number  of  others 
was  presented  tn  the  su])erintendent  for  the 
formation  of  a  school  district  embracing  the 
central-northern  part  of  Walton  township. 
This  petition  seems  to  have  been  acted  upon, 
and  the  district  formed  in  June,  1870.  There 
is  no  record  giving  anything  definite  as  to  its 
formation  farther  than  is  here  stated.  No- 
vember 10,  1 87 1,  on  the  application  of  Wm. 


M  .Rogers,  the  first  election  was  called  for  this 
district. 

GLOBE  DISTRICT,  NO.  65. 

Miss  Ida  Stevenson  taught  the  first  school 
in  the  district,  in  the  fall  of  1870,  in  a  small 
claim  building  belonging  to  J.  O.  Stotts. 
There  is  no  record  showing  wdien  the  district 
was  organized,  but  it  was  probably  early  in 
1870.  The  record  shows  the  board  in  1870, 
which  must  have  been  the  first  board,  consisted 

of Ames,  director;  O.  F.  Presson,  clerk; 

and  George  McDole,  treasurer.  The  first  pub- 
lic school  was  taught  by  Mrs.  H.  A..  Bole- 
man,  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  her  dwelling, 
commencing  in  the  fall  of  1871 :  she  taught 
several  terms  in  succession  there.  The  district 
is  located  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Mound 
Valley  township. 

LEE    DISTRICT,    NO.    66, 

Is  situated  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  La- 
bette township.  We  have  no  record  of  its 
formation  or  work  prior  to  1872,  when  Alfred 
H.  Lee,  E.  D.  Graybill  and  John  B.  Daniels 
were   reported   as   the  board. 

m'clintock  (or  trenton)  district,  no.  67, 
Was  organized  December  15,  1870,  and  em- 
liraced  the  southeast  corner  of  Howard  town- 
ship. The  first  meeting  in  the  district  was  in 
the  house  of  E.  B.  Baldwin,  on  April  8,  1871, 
at  which  the  following  officers' were  elected: 
\\'.  J.  McClintock,  director;  E.  B.  Baldwin, 
clerk;  Benjamin  Wade  or  J.  M.  Hart,  treas- 
urer. This  was  the  first  district  organized  in 
Howard  township.  The  first  school  in  the  dis- 
trict was  taught  by  J.  M.  Hart,  in  a  little  cabin 
on  his  place,  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1871. 
This  was  a  subscription  school.  In  the  spring 
of   1872  a  new  school-house  was  built,  and. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


commencing  April  22,  1872,  W.  J.  Millikin 
taught  the  first  pubHc  scliool  in  the  district. 

FAIRVIEW   DISTRICT,    NO.    68, 

Is  located  in  the  western  part  of  ]\Iound  Val- 
ley township.  C.  H.  Lesley,  E.  Stapleton  and 
Alexander  Moore  were  interested  in  the  secur- 
ing of  its  organization,  which  was  effected 
under  an  order  made  December  30,  1870.  The 
first  school-house  was  built  by  subscription,  out 
of  native  lumber,  and  a  school  taught  therein 
by  Mrs.  Hess,  in  1871.  That  year  bonds  were 
voted,  and  the  house  was  remodeled  and  fixed 
for  a  winter  school,  which  was  held  the  follow- 
ing winter.  After  the  division  of  the  district 
in  1883,  additional  bonds  were  voted,  and  a 
new  school-house  was  built  in  1884.  Elisha 
Stapleton,'  J.  J.  Dickens  and  A.  I\Ioore  were 
the  first  officers. 

UNION  DISTRICT,   NO.  69, 

Was  formed  January  31.  1871.  and  embraced 
the  southwest  corner  of  Laliette  township.  The 
first  meeting  was  at  the  house  of  Isaac  Padget, 
February  20,  1871.  In  the  summer  of  1871 
the  first  school-house  was  built  in  the  district; 
this  was  the  first  school-house  in  the  township. 
The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  in 
this  building  by  Miss  Carrie  M.  Beggs,  com- 
mencing the  first  of  December,  1871.  An- 
drew J.  Heaton,  Robert  Vance  and  S.  M.  Hin- 
sh'aw  were  the  first  officers;  in  the  spring  of 
1871  John  P.  Hight,  Isaac  Padget  and  S.  M. 
Hinshaw  were  elected. 

POLAND  DISTRICT,    NO.    7O, 

Was  formed  February  8,  1871,  and  lay  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Hackberry  township  and  west- 
ern part  of  Richland.  The  first  meeting  was 
held  at  the  house  of  Isaac  Butterworth,  in 
February,  1871.    The  first  officers  were  Samuel 


Cellars,  L.  H.  Reed,  and  L.  H.  Lockwood.  The 
school-house  was  built,  but  not  plastered,  in 
tlie  fall  of  1 87 1,  and  in  that  winter  James 
Dickey  taught  the  first  school.  A  new  school- 
house  was  erected  in  1892. 

NEWELL    DISTRICT,    NO.    7I, 

Was  formed  May  i,  1871.  It  lay  in  the  south- 
west corner  of  Fairview  and  the  northwest 
corner  of  Hackberry.  The  first  meeting  was 
held  at  the  house  of  G.  W.  Williams,  and  the 
following  elected  as  the  board  :  James  Newell, 
director;  Samuel  B.  Good,  clerk;  James  Pot- 
tenger,  treasurer.  The  first  school  was  taught 
in  a  building  belonging  to  James  McCoy.  This 
district  has  had  two  sdiool-houses ;  one  was 
built  in  the  early  "  'seventies,"  and  it  was  re- 
placed by  a  new  house  late  in  the  "  "nineties." 

VALLEY  DISTRICT,  NO.  "JZ, 

Was  formed  May  3,  1871.  It  lies  in  the  cen- 
tral-eastern part  of  Elm  Grove  township.  The 
first  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Henry 
Pitman,  on  May  15,  1871.  L.  Edmondson. 
D.  S.  Robbins  and  C.  were  the  first  offi- 
cers. 

WIMMER    (  NOW  EDNa)   DISTRICT,  NO.   "J},. 

An  order  was  made  May  3,  1871,  for  the 
formation  of  District  No.  "j},,  lying  in  the  cen- 
tral part  of  Elm  Grove  township,  and  an  elec- 
tion called  for  May  15,  1871,  at  the  house  of 
Owen  \\'immer.  The  district  failed  to  organ- 
ize under  this  order,  and  on  May  30,  1872,  a 
new  order  was  made  for  the  organization  of 
the  district,  and  the  first  election  called  for 
May  30,  1872,  at  the  house  of  P.  C.  Good- 
win. The  building  in  the  district  was  erected 
in  the  fall  of  1872,  and  completed  the  fore  part 
of  December.  It  was  completed  on  Monday, 
and  on  Tuesday  W.  J.  Millikin  opened  therein 


I90 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


the  first  school  in  the  district.  The  building 
stood  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  30,  township  34,  range  19, 
and  when  the  railroad  was  laid  out  the  pro- 
jected line  ran  directly  through  the  building. 
It  was  then  sold  to  Thomas  Bickman,  and 
moved  a  little  to  the  north  and  used  as  a  Free 
Methodist  church.  In  the  fall  of  1886  a  new 
four-room  school-house  was  erected  and  fur- 
nished, at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  Since  then  the 
principals  of  the  school  have  been:  1887-89, 
A.  R.  Bell;  1889-90,  A.  D.  Martin;  1890-92, 
M.  N.  Baldwin;  1892-94,  C.  C.  Robbins;  1894- 
96,  A.  J.  Lovett;  1896-98,  H.  W.  Todd;  1898- 
99,  S.  O.  King;  1899-1900,  L.  Lightfoot; 
1900-01,  J.  F.  Johnson. 

PATRICK    (OR  SIIROUT)   DISTRICT,   NO.   74, 

Embraced  a  tract  of  land  lying  north  and  west 
of  Oswego,  extending  from  the  Neosho  river 
to  the  west  side  of  the  township,  and  was  or- 
ganized i\Iay  8,  1 87 1,  on  a  petition  dated  April 
14,  187 1,  signed  by  J.  H.  Holt,  R.  P.  Bagby, 
Elisha  Hammer,  A.  C.  Baker,  and  others.  The 
first  election,  was  held  May  19,  1871.  This 
district  has  undergone  many  changes  since  its 
organization.  After  the  organization  of  the 
district,  the  school  was  taught  for  some  time 
in  the  old  college  Imilding.  After  that  was 
torn  duwn  and  removed  a  new  school-house 
was  built. 

ELMWOOl)    (OK  SI.OCt/M  )    DISTRICT,   NO.   75, 

Is  located  in  tlie  central  and  northern  part  of 
Mnnnd  \'allev  township,  and  was,  on  the  pe- 
tition of  Josephus  Moore,  Seth  Wells,  R.  W. 
Simpson,  and  others,  organized  by  order  dated 
May  12.  1S71.  The  first  meeting  was  held 
May  25,  1871.  The  first  school  officers  were 
S.  W.  Slocnm.  W'm.  Robbins,  and  Henry  Ter- 
williger.      'i"hc   school-house   was  built   in   the 


summer  of  1871.  The  following  winter  a 
three-months"  school  was  taught  by  IMr.  Jones, 
at  a  salary  of  $25  per  month. 

ST.    JOHN   DISTRICT,    NO.    76. 

This  district  is  situated  in  the  central  and 
western  part  of  Osage  township.  I  have  not 
been  able  to  find  any  record  giving  an  account 
of  its  formation,  nor  have  I  found  any  of  the 
old  settlers  who  can  give  such  information. 
But  the  order  f(.)r  its  formation  was  evidently 
made  in  1871.  It  is  said  that  the  first  teacher 
in  the  district  was  ]\Iiss  Sadie  Chambers.  This 
has  been  one  of  the  most  enterprising  districts 
in  the  county,  and  the  school  has  always  stood 
high. 

PLE.\S.\NT  HILL  DISTRICT,  NO.   "/y . 

On  July  2-/,  1 871,  George  W.  Blake,  J.  A. 
Jamison,  P.  Stevenson,  and  a  great  many  others 
petitioned  for  a  district  in  the  southeast  part 
of  Osage  township,  on  which  the  superintend- 
ent made  an  order  October  20,  1871,  forming 
it  into  District  No.  "/-j,  and  appointing  the 
first  school  meeting  to  be  held  at  the  house  of 
J.  L.  Hills.  The  first  officers  consisted  of  J. 
T.  Hills,  director;  George  \\'.  Blake,  clerk;  P. 
Stevenson,  treasurer. 

WILLOW   BR.VNCH  DISTRICT,   NO.    78. 

Lies  in  the  western  part  of  jNIount  Pleasant 
township  and  eastern  part  of  Canada,  and  was 
organized  on  an  order  made  October  20,  1871. 
The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
S.  Briner,  November  19,  1871.  W.  H.  Steel 
was  elected  director;  D.  S.  Jackson,  treasurer; 
W.  H.  IMapes.  clerk.  The  first  school-house 
was  built  by  subscription,  and  in  this  the  day 
and  Sunday-schools  were  held  until  the  erection 
of  the  new  house. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


191 


SYLVAN    DALE    DISTRICT,    NO.    79. 


This  district  is  situated  in  tiie  northwest 
part  of  Osage  township,  and  was  organized  in 
1870,  on  the  petition  of  Wm.  Padget  and 
others.  The  first  school  was  taught  by  Miss 
Maxwell;  Maggie  Adams  and  Edna  Blake 
were  early  teachers.  The  first  officers  were 
David  Lensy,  Paulus  Eisley,  and  A.  H.  Lock- 
hart. 

ELSTON   DISTRICT,    NO.    80, 

^^'as  formed  January  3,  1872,  on  petition  of 
J.  T.  Waller,  John  Elston,  J.  O.  King,  Thomas 
D.  Bickham  and  others,  on  December  19,  1870, 
in  the  corners  of  Fairview,  Liberty,  Labette 
and  Mount  Pleasant  townships.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  January  20,  1872,  at  the 
house  of  M.  \".  B.  Watson.  The  following 
officers  were  elected  :  Silas  Prayther,  director ; 
M.  \'.  B.  Watson,  clerk;  J.  O.  King,  treasurer. 

MILLER   (or  THE  BRICK)   DISTRICT,  NO.  8l. 

On  June  10,  1872.  an  order  was  made  for 
the  organization  of  District  No.  81,  in  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  county,  on  the  request 
of  J.  B.  Quinn.  It  seems  that  this  territory 
was  thereafter  formed  into  a  union  district, 
and  on  March  18,  1875.  a  new  district  with 
this  same  number  was  organized,  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  Walton  township.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  April  24,  1875. 

C.\LDWELL    DISTRICT,    NO.    82, 

Originally  embraced  three  miles  square  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  Labette  township,  and  was 
formed  January  lo,  1872.  The  first  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  house  of  John  M.  Cald- 
well, January  5,  1872,  at  which  the  follow- 
ing officers  were  elected :  L.  A.  Wood,  di- 
rector ;  John  M.  Caldwell,  clerk ;  James  Martin, 
12 


treasurer.  Miss  Carrie  M.  Beggs  taught  the 
first  school,  in  a  private  claim  house.  School- 
house  completed  in  1872. 

HENDERSON    (  NOW  WILSONTON)   DISTRICT, 
NO.    83. 

On  January  i,  1872,  E.  M.  Reeder  and  a 
number  of  others  petitioned  for  a  district  in 
the  central  and  western  part  of  Labette  town- 
ship. On  ]\Iay  15,  1872,  an  order  for  its  for- 
mation was  made,  and  the  first  meeting  called 
for  May  30,  at  the  house  of  William  Collins. 
In  the  summer  Miss  Carrie  M.  Beggs  taught 
the  first  school  in  a  claim  house.  School-house 
built  in  1872. 

EMMONS    DISTRICT,    NO.    84. 

This  district  was  formed  in  the  northwest 
part  of  Canada  township,  on  an  order  made 
March  5,  1872.  The  first  election  was  held  at 
the  house  of  J.  Herrington,  March  28,  1872, 
Otho  Wilson  taught  the  first  school.  Bonds 
in  the  sum  of  $1,000  were  issued,  and  a  house 
was  built  in  the  fall.  Alexander  Duncan  taught 
the  first  school  therein.  The  first  board  was 
composed  of  J.  J.  Higgins,  Alexander  Duncan, 
and  James  Sweet. 

LIEB    DISTRICT,    NO.    85. 

On  March  26,  1872,  Christian  Lieb  and 
a  number  of  others  petitioned  for  the  forma- 
tion of  a  district  in  the  southeast  of  Canada 
and  northeast  part  of  Howard  townships,  and 
on  May  15th  an  order  was  made  for  its  forma- 
tion. The  first  election  was  called  for  May 
30th.  at  the  bouse  of  Christian  Lieb.  This 
school-house  was  built  in  the  summer  of  1872, 
and  that  winter  J.  K.  Russell  taught  the  first 
school  therein.  The  first  board  consisted  of 
Christian  Lieb,  John  D.  Vance,  and  Jonathan 
Pearson. 


192 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


SUNNY    SIDE   DISTRICT,    NO.    86, 

Was  formed  June  3,  1872,  in  the  territory  ad- 
joining Chetopa  on  the  north.  The  first  meet- 
ing- was  held  in  the  house  of  J.  C.  Wright, 
June  14,  1872,  at  which  the  following  officers 
were  elected :  J.  C.  Wright,  director ;  L.  D. 
Bovee,  clerk ;  J.  B.  Sartain,  treasurer.  A  house 
was  built  that  ye^r. 

CECIL    (or    LIGGETT)    DISTRICT,    NO.    87, 

Is  situated  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Hack- 
berry  township.  The  record  of  its  organiza- 
tion and  early  history  is  all  a  blank.  A  house 
costinp^  $600  is  said  to  have  been  built  in  1872 ; 
and  the  first  officers  are  said  to  have  been 
William  Liggett,  director;  W.  B.  Trissol, 
clerk;  A.  J.  Barnes,  treasurer. 

EXCELSIOR    DISTRICT,    NO.    88, 

^\'as  formed  in  the  northern  part  of  Mound 
Valley  township,  May  3,  1873.  The  first  meet- 
ing was  held  July  30,  1873.  Samuel  May- 
ginnis,  J.  D.  Ellison  and  J.  F.  Butts  were  the 
first  school  officers.  The  first  school  was  taught 
by  J.  F.  Finley,  in  a  house  belonging  to  J.  F. 
Butts,  in  1873.  The  school-house  in  the  dis- 
trict was  built  in  1874, 

NOBLE    DISTRICT,    NO.    89. 

In  1872  a  large  petition  was  presented  for 
the  formation  of  a  district  in  the  southeast 
corner  of  Mount  Pleasant  township.  There  is 
no  record  of  the  formation  thereof  until  the 
spring  of  1873.  The  first  meeting  was  held 
and  the  officers  elected  May  2~,  1873. 

KEELER  DISTRICT,    NO.   90. 

Was  organized  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Elm 
Grove  township,  April  26,  1873.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  June  5.   1873. 


BELLE  DISTRICT,    NO,   9I, 

Was  formed  in  the  west  part  of  Mount  Pleas- 
ant township,  December  31,  1873.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  January  31,   1874. 

HAWKINS     (or    KINGSTON)     DISTRICT,    NO.    92, 

Is  located  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Elm 
Grove  township,  and  was  organized  January 
29.  1874.  The  first  meeting  was  held  ]\Iarch  3, 
1874. 

TWIN    MOUND   DISTRICT,    NO.    93, 

Was  formed  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Osage 
township,  April  4,  1874.  The  first  meeting 
was  held  May  23,   1874. 

RICHLAND    (OR  YOUNG)    DISTRICT,    NO,    94, 

Was  formed  in  the  northern  part  of  Canada 
township,  June  i8,  1874.  The  first  meeting 
was  held  August  i,  1874.  A  school-house  was 
built  in  the  district  in  the  fall  of  1874.  The 
first  school  in  the  district  was  taught  by  Rich- 
ard McKenzie. 

J'ANES    DISTRICT,     NO.    95. 

April  15,  1872,  W.  H.  ^Mapes  and  others 
petitioned  for  the  formation  of'a  district  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  Mount  Pleasant  township. 
It  does  not  appear  to  have  been  organized  prior 
to  June  18,  1874,  when  the  order  therefor  was 
made  and  the  organization  completed,  August 
I,  1874.  The  first  school  meeting  was  held 
at  the  residence  of  Noah  Guyman.  John  Hulse 
was  elected  director  and  Milo  Hildreth,  clerk. 
The  first  school  was  taught  in  the  summer  of 
1874,  by  Mrs.  Mary  Owens,  in  a  house  belong- 
ing to  ^Ir.  Decker,  with  an  average  attendance 
of  less  than  4  scholars.  School  was  held  in 
rented  buildings  until  the  fall  of  1878,  when 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


193 


a  new  school-house  was  erected,  the  first  school 
in  which  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Eliza  Rust. 

HAZEL    DELL    DISTRICT,     NO.    96, 

Is  a  joint  district,  situated  near  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  county,  in  connection  with 
territory  in  Montgomery  county.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  1872,  or  at  least  steps  were  taken 
as  early  as  that  to  secure  an  organization,  and 
a  house  was  built  very  soon  after  its  organi- 
zation. The  first  board  consisted  of  W.  T. 
Fallon,  director;  J.  T.  Finley,  clerk;  J.  W". 
Phebus,  treasurer.  The  first  school  was  taught 
by  John  Stroud. 

m'kenna  district,  no.  97, 

Was  formed  in  the  northwestern  part  of  How- 
ard township,  March  ii,  1873.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  April  10,  1873.  The  school- 
house  in  this  district  was  first  built  on  the  west 
side  of  Pumpkin  creek,  and  was  thereafter  re- 
moved to  the  east  side  of  the  creek. 

BAYLOR   district,    NO.    98, 

Located  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Hackberry 
township,  was  formed  March  12,  1873.  The 
first  meeting  was  held  April  15,  1873. 

BELL   mound  district,^  no.   99, 

Was  formed  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Mound 
Valley  township,  March  14,  1873.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  April  11,  1873.  The  first 
officers  were  Cyrus  Hopkins,  M.  F.  Wakefield, 
and  Ira  Ross.  In  December,  1873,  Herman 
Wade  opened  the  first  school.  Colin  Hodge 
was  treasurer  of  this  district  for  a  number  of 
}'eaTs. 

piety  hill  district,  no.   100. 
Was  formed  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Rich- 
land township,  April  15,  1873.    The  first  meet- 


ing was  held  May  22,  1875.  That  fall  a  school- 
house  costing  $900  was  erected. 

woodruff   (or  mill  valley)   district, 

NO.   lOI. 

Notices  of  formation  of  this  district  were 
posted  October  8,  1880.  Officers  were  elect- 
ed and  organization  completed  November  8. 
1880.  This  district  is  situated  in  the  western 
part  of  Oswego  township. 

maple  grove  district,  no.  102, 

Was  organized  July  16,  1881.  in  the  north- 
western part  of  Osage  township.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  at  the  home  of  M.  E.  Sparks, 
July  16,  1881. 

COOK  DISTRICT,   NO.    IO3, 

Is  situated  in  the  southern  part  of  Richland 
township,  and  was  organized  July  28,  1881. 
The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Wm.  Cook,  July  28,  1881.  Daniel  Corell,  E. 
C.  Albrook  and  a  number  of  other  parties  pe- 
titioned for  the  formation  of  this  district.  The 
order  is  dated  June  18,  1881. 

M.  K.  &  T.  DISTRICT,  NO.    IO4, 

Is  located  in  the  northwestern  part  of  North 
township,  and  was  organized  June  lo,  1882. 
The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  S. 
E.  Cornelius,  June   10,   1882. 

rLEAS.-VNT  VIEW  DISTRICT,    NO.    IO5, 

Is  located  in  the  eastern  part  of  Mound  Valley 
township,  and  was  organized  December  8, 
1S83.  The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the  house 
of  R.  Terhune,  December  8,  1883.  The  first 
school  officers  were  A.  B.  Gibs,  H.  K.  Baker, 
and  T-  C.  Lesley.  A  school-house  was  built  in 
1884,  and  the  first  school  was  taught  there  in 
the  winter  of  1884,  by  Miss  Lina  Gibs. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


BALLOC    DISTRICT,    NO.     Io6, 

is  situated  in  the  northern  part  of  Labette 
township;  was  organized  February  i6,  1884. 
The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Robert  X.  Davis,  January  11,  1884. 

MOOREHEAD  DISTRICT,   NO.    I07. 

Is  located  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  Osage 
township,  and  is  a  joint  district. 

ROSEDALE  DISTRICT,   NO.    I08, 

Located  in  the  western  part  of  Fairview  town- 
ship, was  organized  May  6,  1884.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  F.  il.  Poe, 
May   16,   1884. 

ROSE    HILL    DISTRICT,    NO.    ICQ, 

Located  in  the  south-central  part  of  Elm  Grove 
township,  was  organized  April  30,  1884.  The 
first  meeting  was  held  April  30,  1884. 

BARTLETT    DISTRICT,    NO.     IIO, 

Is  situated  in  the  central  part  of  Hackberry 
township,  including  the  town  of  Bartlett,  and 
was  organized  June  3,  1889.  The  school- 
house  was  built  that  fall,  and  in  it,  commenc- 
ing in  December,  J.  L.  Edmundson  began 
teaching  the  first  school  in  the  district.  In 
1897  an  addition  was  built  to  the  school-house, 
since  which  time  two  teachers  have  been  em- 
ployed, viz. :  1896-97,  H.  A.  Brundage  and 
dauHiter;  1897-98,  Ada  Edmandson  and 
Maud  Ball;  1898-99,  Bertha  Reece  and  Alta 
Campbell;  1899-1900,  Bertha  Reece  and  Min- 
nie Pickering;  1900-01,  Margaret  Curtis  and 
Josephine  Crane. 

JARBOE    DLSTRICT,    NO.     III. 

On  Februarv  27,   1892,  J.  A.  Jarboe  and 
William  Scott  applied  for  the  formation  of  a 


new  district,  and  on  March  ist  the  order  was 
made  for  the  formation  of  a  district  embrac- 
ing territory  in  Walton  and  Osage  townships. 
An  appeal  having  been  taken  from  the  action 
of  the  county  superintendent,  it  was  not  until 
July  8th  that  the  hearing  was  had  before  the 
commissioners,  when  the  action  of  the  super- 
intendent was  sustained.  The  first  election  was 
held  July  i8th,  at  which  the  following  offi- 
cers were  elected:  William  Turner,  director; 
William  Scott,  clerk;  J.  A.  Jarboe,  treasurer. 
Bonds  were  soon  issued,  and  a  new  school- 
house  costing  $500  was  erected  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  section  13,  in  Osage  township, 
in  which,  on  October  loth,  the  first  school  was 
opened  by  Lillie  Willi. 

JOINT   DISTRICT,    NO.    112, 

Is  located  in  Labette  and  Montgomery  coun- 
ties ;  that  located  in  Labette  county  is  in  How- 
ard and  Canada  townships.  The  organiza- 
tion was  effected  August  7.  1900,  and  the  first 

I  meeting  was  held  August  23,  1900.  A  new 
school-house  was  built  at  once  and  a  school 

!  taught  the  following  winter. 

GRADING  COUNTRY  SCHOOLS. 

Prior  to  1889  no  attempt  had  been  made 
toward  securing  uniformity  in  the  course  of 
study  and  standard  of  scholarship  in  the  vari- 
ous country  schools.  At  the  request  of  the 
county  superintendent,  the  county  commis- 
sioners made  an  order  on  July  3,  1889,  author- 
izing a  set  of  \A'elch's  Classification  Records 
for  the  use  of  each  school  district  in  the  coun- 
ty, together  with  proper  blanks  for  making 
reports,  etc.  A  circular  letter  was  sent  out 
by  the  county  superintendent  to  each  of  the 
teachers,  giving  information  in  reference  to 
the  examinations  that  would  be  required  for 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


195 


promotion  and  graduation.  Xearly  all  the 
schools  in  the  county  adopted  the  prescribed 
course  of  study  and  made  preparations  for  their 
students  to  take  part  in  the  examinations  that 
should  thereafter  be  held.  The  first  examina- 
tion under  this  arrangement  was  lield  on  April 
18,  1890,  at  a  designated  place  in  each  town- 
ship, where  schools  in  such  township  could  be 
represented.  Ninety-nine  applicants  were  ex- 
amined, 34  of  whom  (5  boys  and  29  girls) 
attained  the  required  average,  and  passed. 
Commencement  exercises  were  held  during  the 
early  part  of  June  at  several  places  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  on  July  ist  the  final  commencement  for 
all  of  those  who  had  passed  the  examination 
was  held  at  the  opera  house  in  Oswego.  This 
work  has  been  continued  each  year  since,  with 
very  gratifying  results.  The  graduates  thus 
far  have  been  as  follows : 


Total. 
34 


3-' 

55 

22 

34 

It 

29 

54 

84 

Z7 

44 

2b 

45 

,s« 

95 

28 

47 

23 

32 

Year.                                  Boys.  Gi 

1890   5  - 

1891    16  ■ 

1892    2^ 

1893    I-' 

1894   14 

1895    30 

1896  7 

1897  19 

1898   37 

1899   19 

1900  9 

Totals 191  358 

INSTITUTES. 


The  first  teachers'  institute  in  Labette  coun- 
ty was  held  in  Oswego.  June  1-4.  1869.  It 
was  called  and  conducted  by  R.  J.  Elliott,  coun- 
ty superintendent,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
teachers  of  the  county.  Peter  McVicar,  state 
superintendent  of  public  instruction,  was  pres- 


549 


ent  one  day,  and  lecturefl  in  the  evening. 
On  November  9-12,  of  the  same  year,  a  sec- 
ond session  was  held,  at  Chetooa,  under  the 
same  general  direction,  with  an  attendance  of 
24  teachers.  On  July  12,  1870,  the  next  session 
was  held  in  Chetopa,  under  the  charge  of  the 
superintendent.  Prof.  B.  F.  Mudge  was  pres- 
ent at  this  institute,  and  rendered  valuable  as- 
sistance. The  next  session  was  held  in  Os- 
wego, commencing  June  12,  1871,  with  Colonel 
J.  W.  Horner  in  charge  and  28  teachers  in  at- 
tendance. General  Eraser,  state  superintend- 
ent, visited  this  institute,  and  lectured.  Two 
sessions  of  the  institute  were  held  in  1872,  the 
first  at  Oswego,  commencing  February  ■•;th, 
with  35  teachers  in  attendance:  the  second  at 
Chetopa  commencing  November  25th.  At 
the  close  of  this  latter  session,  on  November 
28th,  a  county  teachers'  association  was 
formed.  In  January,  1873,  Miss  Alary  A. 
Higbv  came  into  office  as  county  superintend- 
ent, and  continued  to  hold  the  position  for  six 
years.  Under  her  superintendency  the  insti- 
tutes were  even  more  successful  than  they  had 
formerly  been.  One  session  each  year  was 
held  at  Oswego  during  the  first  four  years  of 
her  administration,  viz.,  1873-76,  all  of  which 
were  well  attended  and  gave  good  satisfaction. 

NORMAL  INSTITUTES. 

In  the  winter  of  1877  the  Legislature  pro- 
vided for  a  four-weeks  session,  with  paid  in- 
structors, and  a  charge  to  those  who  attended. 
Previous  to  this  the  institutes  had  been  only 
from  two  to  five  or  six  days:  the  instruction 
had  been  free,  generally  given  by  the  county 
superintendent  and  some  of  the  leading  teach- 
ers of  the  county.  On  August  6,  1877,  the 
first  institute  under  this  law  opened  in  Os- 
wego, with  Prof.  J.  B.  Holbrook  as  conductor. 


196 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  over  loo  teachers  in  attendance.  The  most 
satisfactory  results  were  attained.  This  insti- 
tute went  far  toward  popularizing  the  idea  of 
a  long  institute  under  paid  instructors.  With 
the  exception  of  two  years,  all  of  the  normal 
institutes,  commencing  with  1877,  have  been 
held  in  Oswego.  Those  for  1880  and  1892 
were  held  at  Parsons.  Up  to  1885  the  attend- 
ance at  the  institute  ranged  from  about  100 
to  135.  Since  that  time,  with  possibly  one 
exception,  the  attendance  has  been  consider- 
ably larger,  reaching  200  in  1891  and  302  in 
1892;  the  latter  being,  it  is  said,  the  largest 
normal  institute  ever  held  in  the  State.  The 
institutes  have  been  under  the  charge  of  a 
conductor,  with  usually  two  and  sometimes 
more  assistant  instructors.  The  following  is 
a  list  of  the  conductors:  1877-78,  J.  B.  Hol- 
brook;  1879-80,  L.  M.  Knowles;  1881,  Buel 
T.  Davis ;  1882.  Lee  Tomlin ;  1883,  J.  N.  Ross ; 

884,  Lee  Tomlin;   1885-86,  J.  W.  Weltner; 

887.  D.  E.  Sanders:  1888,  J.  N.  E.  Monroe; 

889,   C.   H.   Harris;   1890,   T.   W.   Conway; 

891,   C.   H.   Harris:   1892,  J.   W.   Weltner; 

893-94,  Guy  P.  Benton;  1895-96.  S.  D. 
Frazier;  1897,  Arvin  S.  Olin;  1898,  H.  Win- 
sor;  1899,  E.  :M.  \\'ood:  1900,  S.  D.  Frazier. 

TEACHERS'  ASSOCL\TIOX. 

No  formal  organization  of  the  teachers  of 
the  county  was  had  prior  to  1872,  although 
teachers'  institutes  had  been  held  since  1869. 
On  November  28,  1872,  the  teachers'  insti- 
tute having  just  closed,  the  teachers  who  had 
been  in  attendance  came  together  and  organ- 
ized a  county  teachers'  association.  Miss  Mary 
A.  Higby,  who  had  just  been  elected  county 
superintendent,  was  elected  its  first  president. 
and  Mrs.  E.  Williams,  secretary.  An  asso- 
ciation has  been  maintained  most  of  the  time 


since  then,  a  part  of  the  time  in  a  very  efficient 
condition,  but  sometimes  indications  of  life 
were  scarcely  discernible.  The  meetings  have 
been  sometimes  quarterly,  and  sometimes  not 
so  frequently.  Nearly  all  parts  of  the  county 
have  been  favored  with  these  meetings,  and 
they  have  done  much  toward  unifying  the 
work  in  the  county  and  maintaining  a  sympa- 
thy between  the  teachers  and  the  patrons  of  the 
schools. 

PRIVATE  SCHOOLS. 

A  number  of  parties  at  one  time  or  another 
have  started  private  schools  in  various  parts 
of  the  county,  some  of  which  have  run  for 
quite  a  length  of  time,  and  others  have  been 
short-lived.  At  the  close  of  Miss  Mary  A. 
Higby's  term  as  county  superintendent  she 
conducted  a  private  school  for  a  number  of 
months.  Subsequently  Mrs.  J.  R.  Boulter 
taught  a  private  school  for  quite  a  length  of 
time.  C.  C.  Robins  started  a  school  in  Os- 
wego, but  only  conducted  it  a  short  time,  be- 
cause of  its  not  being  sufficiently  attended  to 
justify  its  continuance.  B.  R.  Cunningham 
as  well  as  other  parties  in  Chetopa  conducted 
classes  for  a  greater  or  less  length  of  time. 
Several  similar  enterprises  have  also  been  had 
at  Parsons.  In  1884  Lyman  N.  Judd  opened 
an  institute  at  Altamont,  but  failing  to  get  a 
sufficient  amount  of  patronage  removed  it  to 
Oswego,  but  here,  too.  he  met  with  less  suc- 
cess than  he  had  hoped,  and  after  a  short  time 
abandoned  it. 

COUNTY  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

On  September  15.  1892,  a  private  school 
was  opened  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  public 
school  building  in  Altamont  by  T.  B.  Hanna, 
who  had  been  secured  by  the  county  superin- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


197 


tendent  to  make  the  experiment,  with  the  hope 
tliat  it  would  develop  into  a  county  high  school 
under  the  provisions  of  the  general  law.  The 
school  continued  during  the  year  and  was 
measurably  successful,  reaching  a  total  enroll- 
ment of  64  pupils.  Mrs.  Lucy  Best,  the  coun- 
ty superintendent,  not  being  of  the  opinion 
that  a  proposition  to  establish  a  county  high 
school  could  be  carried,  if  submitted  to  a  pop- 
ular vote,  as  required  by  the  general  law,  se- 
cured the  passage  of  a  private  act  by  the  Legis- 
lature, in  1893,  establishing  a  high  school  at 
Altamont.  When  this  action  became  generally 
known,  it  was  strongly  condemned  in  many 
parts  of  the  county,  and  the  opposition  to  the 
carrying  out  of  the  project  was  very  decided, 
and  came  from  a  large  proportion  of  the  people. 
However,  as  required  by  the  act,  the  county 
commissioners  at  their  April  (  1893)  session, 
appointed  a  board  of  six  trustees,  to  prepare 
for  and  open  the  school,  selecting  two  from 
each  commissioner's  district,  viz. :  Nelson  Case 
and  J.  E.  Van  Sant,  of  Oswego,  from  the  first 
district;  \V.  A.  Huff,  of  Altamont,  and  Ben- 
jamin Johnson,  of  Mound  Valley,  from  the 
second  district;  William  Scott,  of  Dennis,  and 
J.  M.  Birt,  of  Parsons,  from  the  third  dis- 
trict. Soon  after  their  appointment,  this 
board  met  and  organized  and  decided  to  open 
the  school  the  following  September.  The  board 
at  the  proper  time  made  a  tax  levy  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  a  building  and  of  paying 
for  the  running  expenses  of  the  school.  A 
suit  was  thereupon  brought  by  those  who 
were  opposing  the  establishment  of  the  school, 
to  -enjoin  the  collection  of  this  tax,  and  there- 
by to  test  the  validity  of  the  law  establishing 
the  school.  The  defense  of  this  case  was  con- 
ducted by  Nelson  Case,  assisted  by  W.  B. 
Glasse,  who  were  employed  by  the  friends  of 
the  school.     At  the  conclusion  of  the  trial  in 


the  district  court,  a  judgment  was  rendered 
for  the  defendants,  dissolving  the  temporary 
injunction.  The  case  was  carried  on  an  error 
to  the  supreme  court,  where  the  judgment  of 
the  district  court  was  affirmed. 

■  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  injunc- 
tion proceedings  had  prevented  the  raising  of 
any  revenue  the  first  year,  the  teachers  em- 
ployed proceeded  with  their  work,  with  no  as- 
surance of  receiving  any  compensation  other 
than  the  faith  they  and  their  friends  had  in 
the  successful  outcome  of  the  litigation  in  favor 
of  the  school.  All  understood  that  if  the  law 
was  held  valid,  the  school  would  go  on  and  the 
teachers  would  be  paid ;  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
if  the  courts  held  the  law  invalid,  the  school 
would  fail  and  the  teachers  would  have  given 
a  year's  work  without  compensation.  Rooms 
were  rented  in  Altamont  and  the  school  was 
opened  with  appropriate  ceremonies  September 
4,  1893.  Addresses  were  made  by  Nelson 
Case.  Mrs.  Lucy  Best  and  some  others.  On 
the  following  day  the  work  of  the  school  was 
put  into  practical  operation,  with  an  enroll- 
ment at  the  opening  of  84  students.  During 
the  year  the  attendance  reached  147.  The 
validity  of  the  law  establishing  the  school  hav- 
ing then  been  declared  by  the  highest  court, 
the  trustees  proceeded  with  the  erection  of  the 
building.  The  structure  was  commenced  in 
the  fall  of  1894  and  was  completed  the  fol- 
lowing spring.  The  dedicatory  address  was 
delivered  by  Nelson  Case  May  4,  1895.  The 
entire  cost  of  the  building,  furnishings,  and 
improving  of  the  ground  was  as  follows : 


Building  proper    $18,221   50 

Architect 720  00 

Heating  apparatus   ' 2,000  00 

Blackboards    403  97 

Furniture    1,378  68 


(98 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Piano    .  . 

Outhouse 

penses 

5.    walks    anc 
on  grounds 

other 

...$          35000 

ex- 

730  95 

HOBSON   NORMAL  INSTITUTE. 
The  Friends'  Yearly  fleeting  of  Iowa  hav- 

Total cost  of  the  plant $23,805   10 

The  faculty  has  consisted  of  four  teachers 
until  the  present  year;  five  are  now  employed. 
T.  B.  Hanna  was  principal  the  first  five  years ; 
since  then  \Y.   M.   Kyser  has  been  principal. 
The  enrollment  for  the  seven  years  has  been 
as    follows:      146,    176,    178,    151,    179.    183, 
146.     The  first  graduating  class  went  out  in 
1896,  and  the  several  graduating  classes  have 
been  as  follows:     1896,  boys  8,  girls  11,  total 
19;  1897,  boys  7,  girls  13.  total  20;  1898,  boys 
9,  girls  17,  total  26;   1899,  boys  9,  girls  27, 
total   36;    1900,   boys    16.   girls    17,   total  33; 
whole  numljer  of  graduates,  boys  49,  girls  85, 
total   134. 

PUBLIC  SCHOOL  GRADUATES. 

Herewith  is  shown  a  condensed  table  giving 
the  graduates  of  the  common  and  high  schools 
of  the  county : 

ing  decided  to  establish  a  school  for  colored 
children,   a  committee  by  them   appointed   to 
locate  the  same  decided  upon  its  location  at 
Parsons,  and  on  March  23.   1882,  the  school 
was  opened.     The  basis  of  the  fund  for  start- 
ing this  school  was  $1,000,  from  a  legacy  left 
by  Mr.  Hobson  to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of 
colored  people,  and  in  his  honor  the  school  was 
named   Hobson   Normal   Institute.      Prof.   D. 
W.  Boles  had  charge  of  the  school  from  its 
organization  until  his  death.  July  8,  1890.  since 
which  time  during  the  remaining  life  of  the 
institution  A.  W.  Hadley  was  principal.     Both 
Messrs.  Boles  and  Hadley  were    assisted    by 
their  wives,  and  also  scholars    in    the    higher 
grades  taught  some.     The  institute  had  a  fine 
two-story    frame    building  on  the  corner  of 
Gandy  avenue  and  Twenty-fourth  street.     It 
was    furnished    with  maps,   charts,  reference 
books,  and  other  material  adapted  to  the  in- 
struction in   the  common    branches    and    the 
natural  sciences.     A  score  or  more  graduated 
from  the  teachers'   advanced    course,    and    a 

H,OH  SCHOOLS                                  ! 

COMMON 
SCHOOLS 

"Ssf 

larger  number  completed    the    teachers'    ele- 
mentary course.    Many  of  these  themselves  be- 
came teachers  in  schools  at  other  points.    How- 
ever, the  parties  having  charge  of  this  institu- 
tion, after  an  experience  of  a  few  years,  found 
the  patronage  was  not  sufificient  to  justify  its 
continuance.    When  the  Home  for  the  Friend- 
less was  started  in  1896,  the  building  which 

Tb 

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CHETOPA 

OSWEGO  1  J'»S^.  I    COU.VTY 

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had  been  erected  for  this  school  was  sold  to 

isaa,  -i 

the  Home,  and  Hobson  Normal  Inst:tute  ceased 
to  exist. 

5 
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1891! 
1897 
1898 

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927 

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l.'i4 

SACRED  HEART  ACADEMY. 
This  institution  is  located  at  Parsons  and 

AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


is  under  the  control  of  the  CathoHc  church. 
From  1890  to  1896  the  Sisters  of  Loretta  had 
charge  of  it.  with  Mother  Mary  Bernard,  prin- 
cipal.    Since  then  it  'has  been  under  the  care  of 

the  Sisters  of  Charity.  ■":  '  ' 

OSWEGO  COLLEGE.' 

The  first  private  school  of  a  high  grade  es- 
tablished in  the  county  was  planned  and 
inaugurated  by  Re\'.  R.  P.  Bukey,  under  the 
above  designation.  It  was  located  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  17,  township  ^^.  range  21,  a  little 
northwest  of  the  city  of  Oswego.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1870  Mr.  Bukey  erected  a  very  nice-ap- 
pearing two-story  frame  building,  20x36  feet, 
which  contained  two  good  school-rooms.  Un- 
der his  employment  ]\Iiss  ^Nlary  E.  Claypool 
opened  the  school  the  first  week  in  Septem- 
ber. 1870.  She  remained  in  charge  of  the 
school  until  the  close  of  the  school  year 
the  following  June,  and  was  the  only  teacher 
till  the  close  of  December.  After  the  school 
opened  the  attendance  was  so  good  and  the 
prospects  were  so  flattering  that  Mr.  Bukey 
planned  to  largely  increase  its  capacity  and  to 
provide  for  the  boarding  of  those  who  came 
from  a  distance.  He  secured  the  cooperation 
of  John  D.  Gillette,  who  was  a  man  of  some 
means,  and  during  the  fall  and  winter  of  1870 
erected  a  two-story  20  by  26  feet  frame  ad- 
dition, and  also  a  kitchen  and  accompanying 
rooms,  which  were  ready  for  occupancy  in  Jan- 
uary, 1 87 1.  The  teaching  force  was  increased 
by  securing  Prof.  Allen  C.  Baker  as  teacher 
of  mathematics.  Rev.  J.  H.  Leard  was  also 
elected  president  of  the  college,  but  his  rela- 
tion to  it  was  only  nominal  that  year.  The 
following  year  the  faculty  consisted  of  Rev. 
J.   H.   Leard,  president;   Prof.   A.    C.    Baker, 


teacher  of  mathematics:  Miss  P.  D.  Bullock, 
teacher  of  languages ;  ]\Iiss  Ella  School  teach- 
er of  music.  Judge  S.  P.  Moore  was  also  an- 
nounced as  teacher  of  commercial  law,  but 
nothing  was  ever  done  in  his  department. 
There  were  several  boarding  students.  Neither 
of  the  owners  had  any  practical  knowledge  of 
school  matters,  nor  was  the  president  able  to 
add  any  strength  to  the  school.  The  college 
opened  with  very  bright  prospects,  and  its  first 
year's  history  gave  promise  of  its  becoming  a 
]5ermanent  and  flourishing  school.  Nothing 
but  the  inability  on  the  part  of  these  in  control 
to  comprehend  and  provide  for  its  wants  pre- 
vented its  success.  After  the  second  year  the 
school  hardly  had  an  existence.  The  original 
building  was  purchased  by  ]\Irs.  Bettis,  who 
removed  it  to  town  and  transformed  it  into  a 
residence.  The  additirn  was  also  brought  to 
town,  and  out  of  the  material  a  store  was  con- 
structed. 

OSWEGO  COLLEGE  FOR  YOUNG  LA- 
DIES. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Neosho  Presbytery, 
held  at  Garnett,  Kansas,  October  3.  1882,  a 
resolution  was  adopted  looking  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  college  within  the  biumds  of  the 
presbytery,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
report  thereon.  The  committee  having  re- 
ported favorably,  Rev.  Austin  Warner  was  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  lay  the  matter  before 
the  synod,  which  he  did  at  its  October  meeting 
at  Ottawa,  1882 ;  and  on  October  6th,  upon  the 
report  of  the  committee,  the  synod  authorized 
the  presbvtery  to  proceed  with  the  establish- 
ment of  a  school  as  by  them  proposed.  The 
next  day,  at  a  called  meeting  of  the  presbytery, 
a  committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  take 
into  consideration  the  matter  of  the  establish- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ment  of  sucli  school.  A  special  meeting  of  the 
presbytery  was  called,  to  be  held  at  Oswego. 
May  8.  1883,  at  which  it  was  voted  to  estab- 
lish the  school  at  Oswego,  and  the  following 
\vere  elected  as  a  board  of  trustees,  viz. :  Rev. 
C.  H.  McCreery,  Rev.  D.  M.  Moore,  Rev.  W. 
C.  Porter,  Rev.  A.  Warner.  Rev.  John  Elliott. 
B.  W.  Perkins.  C.  M.  Condon,  C.  O.  Perkins, 
and  Porter  Sawyer.  Of  this  board  of  trustees, 
B.  ^^^  Perkins  was  elected  president.  Rev. 
John  Elliott,  secretary,  and  C.  M.  Condon, 
treasurer.  A  few  changes  were  subsequently 
made  in  the  board.  Rev.  \\'.  S.  Davis  was 
elected  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  removal 
of  Mr.  Moore,  and  upon  his  removal  from  the 
State,  E.  P.  Allen  was  elected  to  fill  the  va- 
cancy. C.  O.  Perkins  having  died,  on  October 
4,  1887,  Nelson  Case  was  elected  to  fill  vacancy 
caused  by  such  death. 

On  December  2^.  1883,  the  college  was  in- 
corporated, a  charter  therefor  having  on  that 
day  been  filed  in  the  office  of  the  secretary 
of  state.  On  October  4,  1884,  on  the  request 
of  the  presbytery  therefor,  the  Synod  of  Kan- 
sas took  the  college  under  its  jurisdiction. 

In  the  fall  of  1885  the  citizens  of  Oswego 
purchased  the  N.  \\'.  '4  of  S.  W.  >4  of  N.  E. 
■4  of  S.  21,  T.  33,  R.  21,  and  presented  it  to 
the  college  as  a  site  for  the  school.  This  prop- 
erty was  at  the  time  valued  at  $17,000.  It 
had  u])on  it  a  large  brick  residence,  which  was 
considered  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county.  In 
December,  1885,  Miss  Louise  Paull  was  elected 
principal  of  the  school,  and  authorized  to  se- 
lect other  members  of  the  faculty ;  and  with  the 
faculty  thus  chosen  the  school  was  opened  in 
the  brick  residence  above  referred  to,  January 
14.  1886.  In  1886  C.  H.  McCreer>'  was  elect- 
ed (nominally)  president  of  the  school,  with 
the  view  of  his  taking  entire  charge  of  its 
financial  management,  and  devoting  his  time 


to  the  raising  of  funds  with  which  to  make 
improvements  and  provide  an  endowment.  His 
emplovment  was  in  no  way  to  affect  the  con- 
trol of  the  jM-incipal  in  the  management  of  the 
school  proper.  Mr.  McCreery  had  served  but 
a  few  months  when  family  afflictions  compelled 
him  to  resign.  Miss  Paull  continued  in  charge 
until  the  close  of  the  spring  term,  in  June, 
1887.  Miss  Susan  H.  Johnson  was  thereupon 
elected  principal.  In  the  summer  of  1887  a 
large,  new  frame  building  was  erected  upon 
the  college  grounds,  at  a  cost  of  about  $12,000, 
exclusive  of  furniture.  Miss  Johnson  contin- 
ued to  serve  as  principal  until  the  spring  of 
1893,  when  Dr.  J.  F.  Hendy  was  elected  pres- 
ident of  the  college.  Dr.  Hendy  resigned  the 
presidency  at  the  close  of  1895,  and  Dr.  Will- 
iam Bishop  acted  as  president  during  the  last 
half  of  the  school  year.  At  the  opening  of 
school,  in  September,  1896,  Dr.  M.  H.  Reasor 
took  charge  and  served  as  president  two  years. 
During  the  school  year  of  1898-99  the  college 
was  under  the  presidency  of  Miss  Delia  Proc- 
tor. She  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Margaret  L. 
Hill,  who  ser\ed  one  year.  At  the  close  of 
the  school  in  1900.  the  board  of  trustees  did 
not  see  their  way  open  to  provide  a  faculty 
for  the  next  year,  and  the  school  was  closed. 
It  is  hoped  that  this  suspension  is  to  be  but 
temporary,  and  that  the  work  of  the  college 
may  soon  be  resumed. 

CHAUTAUQUA   LITERARY   AND    SCI- 
ENTIFIC CIRCLES. 

Among  the  organizations  of  a  literary  char- 
acter which  have  been  formed  in  the  county, 
there  has  probably  been  no  other  that  has 
maintained  such  a  permanent  existence  and 
done  as  much  good  work  as  have  the  se\'eral 
branches  of  the  Chautauqua  Literary  and  Sci- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


entic  Circle  whicli  have  been  organized  and 
carried  on  in  the  county.  Small  circles  were 
organized  at  Chetopa  and  Mound  Valley,  and 
regular  work  was  done  by  these  for  two  or 
three  years,  but  neither  circle  awakened  as 
much  interest  as  did  those  of  Oswego  and  Par- 
sons. 

CASE    CIRCLE. 

This  was  the  first  C.  L.  S.  C.  to  be  formed 
in  the  county.  It  was  organized  at  Oswego, 
September  26,  1878.  and  was  maintained  for 
the  next  ten  years.  Three  of  its  members 
graduated  in  the  first  class  in  1882.  This  cir- 
cle had  an  average  of  about  20  pursuing  the 
work  designated  by  the  general  officers. 

GRECIAN    CIRCLE. 

This  circle  was  organized  at  Parsons.  April 


28,  1885,  with  a  membership  of  12.  Its  offi- 
cers were  as  follows:  President,  W.  J.  Wirt; 
vice-president,  Minnie  Merriman  ;  secretary,  E. 
G.  Roberts.  In  October  following  the  circle 
took  up  the  regular  course  of  study,  and  had 
an  enrollment  of  35  members;  many  of  its 
members  graduated,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
the  circle  quite  regularly  attended  the  Ottawa 
Assembly. 

CARNATION   CIRCLE. 

In  the  summer  of  1889  a  new  circle  with 
the  above  designation  was  organized,  the  num- 
ber pursuing  the  course  having  become  too 
great  to  do  effective  work  in  the  Grecian  cir- 
cle, as  was  thought.  This  new  circle  had 
nearly  as  large  membership  as  its  parent,  the 
Grecian,  and  has  done  effective  work. 


RAILROADS 


RAILROADS  ATTEMPTED  TO  BE  SECURED. 


Before  speakng  of  the  railroads  that  have 
been  constructed,  it  may  be  interesting  to  briefly 
consider  some  of  the  projects  which  were 
formed  on  paper,  but  which  never  proceeded  far 
enough  to  materiaHze  into  a  road  composed  of 
wood  and  iron.  If  Labette  county  had  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  a  large  number  of  miles  of 
railroad  within  her  limits,  it  has  only  been  after 
repeated  efforts  and  many  failures.  I  shall  not 
attempt  to  speak  of  all  the  projects  that  have 
been  instituted  for  bringing  roads  to  this  coun- 
ty, but  will  mention  a  few  on  which  some  work 
of  a  preliminary  character  was  done. 

o.  FT.  s.  &  s.  R.  R. 

On  December  19,  1868.  J.  F.  Newlon  and 
other  citizens  of  the  county  obtained  a  charter 
for  the  Oswego.  Fort  Scott  &  Sedalia  Railroad 
Company,  the  purpose  of  which  was  to  secure 
the  building  of  a  road  from  Sedalia  to  Oswe- 
go. So  far  as  I  know,  this  was  the  first  rail- 
road charter  obtained  by  our  people.  The  sub- 
sequent building  of  such  a  line  of  road  to  Par- 
sons shows  that  this  first  attempt  on  the  part 
of  our  citizens  was  not  without  some  basis  on 
which    to   rest. 

O.  p.  &  E.  p.  RV. 

On  June  30,  1870,  a  charter  was  obtained 
by  R.  W.  Wright,  C.  H.  Bent,  and  others,  for 
the  construction  of  the  Oswego,  Parker  &  El 
Paso  Railway.     The  intention  was  to  secure  a 


road  from  the  northeast  to -Oswego,  and  thence 
southwest  to  Parsons  and  through  the  Terri- 
tory. A  great  many  public  meetings  were  held 
in  the  interest  of  this  contemplated  road,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1870  a  preliminary  survey  was 
made  from  Cherokee  through  Oswego  to  Par- 
ker. All  that  seemed  lacking  to  secure  the 
success  of  this  enterprise  was  the  necessary 
financial  aid. 

F.  M.  &  c.  R.  RY. 

Among  the  visions  of  the  eccentric  Colonel 
Hartshorn  was  one  of  a  railroad  running  from 
Florida  to  the  Columbia  River  through  Labette 
county.  John  Elston,  R.  D.  Hartshorn,  and 
others  associated  with  them,  procured  a  char- 
ter on  October  27,  1870,  for  the  construction 
of  the  Florida,  Memphis  &  Columbia  River 
Railway.  It  was  some  time  before  the  defi- 
nite location  of  this  road  through  the  county 
was  agreed  upon,  and  such  location  was  to  de- 
pend upon  the  aid  that  could  be  secured,  but 
it  was  finally  decided  to  locate  it  from  Colum- 
bus through  Montana  and  Parsons.  During 
1 87 1,  a  number  of  townships  voted  bonds  to 
aid  in  the  construction  of  this  road. 

M.  &  N.-W.  RY. 

]\Iy  impression  is  that  the  ^Memphis  & 
Northwestern  Railway  Company  was  a  reor- 
ganization of  the  F.  k.  &  C.  R.  Ry.  Co.,  of 
which  I  have  just  spoken,  or  at  any  rate,  that 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


203 


the  two  were  in  some  way  covering  the  same 
territory.  This  company  chd  cjuite  an  amount 
of  work  in  the  winter  of  1872-73  on  the  Hne  of 
road  from  Cohmibus  to  Parsons.  Watson 
Bros.  &  Co..  of  Montana,  were  the  contractors, 
and  secured  a  large  amount  of  grading  to  be 
done  and  the  abutments  to  be  put  in  for  a 
bridge  across  the  Neosho  at  that  point.  This 
was  as  far  as  the  work  went,  and  the  contrac- 
tors lost  what  they  had  expended  in  pushing 
it  thus  far. 

s.  FT.  &  s.  F.  RY. 

Among  the  many  efforts  to  secure  a  road 
from  Sedalia  or  some  other  point  to  the  north- 
east of  this  county,  was  one  by  the  town  of 
Labette,  soon  after  its  location,  in  1870.  The 
Sedalia,  Fort  Scott  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Com- 
pany was  organized,  and  in  September,  1870, 
a  preliminary  survey  was  made  from  Fort 
Scott  to  Labette.  Arriving  at  the  latter  place, 
the  surveying  party  received  a  warm  welcome, 
and  were  feasted  at  the  principal  hotel. 

p.  &  S.  F.  RV. 

Parsons  was  never  content  with  her  rail- 
road facilities.  There  are  few  points  in  any 
of  the  adjoining  counties  to  which  she  has  not 
at  some  time  had  a  projected  railroad.  In  1872 
the  proposition  was  to  build  a  road  southwest 
to  Independence,  and  a  very  large  amount  of 
the  paper  work  was  done  to  secure  it,  and 
some  propositions  for  municipal  aid  were  voted 
upon. 

p.  &  M.  RY. 

The  preliminary  work  for  this  road  was 
legaly  done  in  1876.  It  was  to  run  southeast 
from  Parsons  through  Montana. 

c.  o.  &  w.  RY. 
In  1883  a  company  was  organized  to  build 


a  road  from  Oswego  through  the  county  in  a 
southwesterly  direction,  and  thence  on  west. 
Some  municipal  aid  was  voted  to  this  road, 
but  not  enough  to  secure  its  construction. 

S.    C.    &    S.    E.    RY. 

In  1886  the  Salina,  Colorado  &  Southeast- 
ern Railway  Company  was  organized,  with  a 
view  of  running  a  road  through  Parsons,  Mon- 
tana and  Columbus,  extended  from  these  points 
both  northwest  and  southeast.  A  right-of-way 
was  secured,  and  some  grading  was  done. 
Municipal  aid  was  \-oted  along  the  line  to  quite 
an  extent. 

chetopa's  projects. 

Chetopa  was  scarcely  behind  Oswego  in 
her  efforts  to  secure  railroad  advantages.  At 
a  very  early  day  steps  were  taken  by  her  citi- 
zens to  induce  the  building  of  a  road  from 
some  point  on  the  Kansas  City  &  Gulf  Rail- 
way so  as  to  give  her  an  outlet  to  Kansas  City 
and  northeastern  points.  Representatives  of 
Mr.  Joy  visited  Chetopa,  and  delegates  from 
that  place  went  to  Kansas  City,  and  negotia- 
tions were  conducted  for  a  long  time.  Pos- 
sibly we  may  say  the  building  of  the  Minden 
branch  was  a  realization  of  these  anticipations. 
Chetopa  also  made  an  effort  to  secure  the  At- 
lantic &  Pacific,  and  has  always  had  in  view 
railroad  connections  with  Baxter  Springs  and 
the  east. 

RAILROADS  CONSTRUCTED. 

From  these  ineffectual  attempts  at  railroad- 
building,  I  wish  now  to  turn  to  those  which 
resulted  in  securing  the  end  sought.  From 
the  first  settlement  of  the  county,  two  lines  of 
road  were  confidently  expected :  one  from  the 
north  and  the  other    from    the    east.     What 


204 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


course  they  would  pursue  on  entering  the  coun- 
ty was  only  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Both  Os- 
wego and  Chetopa  expected  these  two  roads, 
and  each  took  active  steps  toward  securing 
them.  While  the  first  efforts  of  our  people 
were  made  toward  securing  an  eastern  outlet, 
the  road  from  the  north  was  the  one  which 
their  efforts  seemed  tlie  most  likely  to  secure 
first. 

M.    K.    &   T.    RY. 

The  Union  Pacific,  Southern  Branch,  had 
received  a  large  railroad  grant  with  the  view 
of  securing  its  construction  down  the  Neosho 
valley,  and  it  was  now  in  process  of  building 
from  Junction  City  in  a  southeasterly  direction. 
R.  S.  Ste\-ens  was  now  the  general  manager, 
and  had  under  himi  a  corps  of  enthusiastic 
lieutenants.  Tiie  chief,  with  one  or  more  of 
his  aides,  was  early  on  the  field  to  see  what 
could  be  secured  from  the  municipalities  of  this 
county  through  which  it  was  proposed  to  con- 
struct the  road.  Their  expectations  of  aid 
were  very  large.  There  were  no  bounds  to 
the  promises  they  were  ready  to  make  as  to 
what  the  road  would  do  for  the  various  com- 
munities through  which  it  was  to  be  built,  and 
the  demands  made  of  these  communities  were 
proportionate  to  the  benefits  promised.  It 
seemed  improbable  to  secure  county  bonds,  nor 
was  there  much  hope  of  obtaining*  aid  from 
any  township  which  did  not  have  within  it  a 
town  of  some  importance.  The  railroad  offi- 
cers had  finally  to  look  to  Oswego  and  Cheto- 
pa, and  the  townships  in  which  they  were  sit- 
uated, as  the  chief  if  not  the  only  points  in 
this  county  from  which  they  could  expect  to 
receive  any  aid.  These  places  were  repeatedly 
visited,  and  the  matter  of  railroad  municipal 
bonds  was  very  largely  discussed.  Both  places 
felt  that  thev  were  unable  to  meet  the  demands 


which  the  officers  were  making  upon  them. 
Where  the  railroad  officials  failed  to  win 
through  the  promises  of  benefits  to  be  derived, 
they  were  more  successful  in  securing  a  com- 
pliance with  their  demands  by  the  disaster 
which  seemed  likely  to  follow  their  threatened 
change  of  route.  It  being  apparent  that  these 
fnunicipalities  were  not  likely  to  extend  to  the 
road  the  amount  of  aid  which  they  had  de- 
manded, the  railroad  officials  proceeded  to 
change  the  line  which  had  been  originally 
designated  along  the  Neosho  river,  and  a  sur- 
vey for  a  new  route  was  made,  commencing 
near  the  north  edges  of  the  county  and  going 
west  of  the  Labette  river,  and.  striking  the 
State  line  several  miles  west  of  Chetopa.  The 
citizens  of  Oswego  and  Chetopa  became 
alarmed.  It  was  evident,  as  they  thought,  that 
the  construction  of  a  road  where  thus  located 
would  build  up  towns  on  its  line  which  would 
compel  the  abandonment  of  the  sites  occupied 
by  them.  The  result  was  what  the  railroad 
officials  undoubtedly  supposed  it  would  be. 
These  towns  were  now  ready  to  meet  all  the 
demands  the  company  might  make  upon  them. 
On  February  25,  1870,  an  immense  railroad 
meeting  was  held  at  Chetopa,  which  favored 
$100,000  county  bonds,  and  if  they  could  not 
be  secured,  then  township  bonds.  But  one  man 
in  the  town  was  opposed  to  the  project.  About 
this  time  Messrs.  Stevens,  Walker,  Goss  and 
other  railroad  officials  visited  Oswego  and  Che- 
topa, and  arrangements  were  finally  entered 
into  for  the  construction  of  the  road  at — or, 
as  it  afterwards  proved,  near — these  places, 
on  condition  of  their  issuance  of  bonds  as 
agreed  upon.  Oswego  township,  which  could 
with  her  assessed  valuation  legally  issue  bonds 
to  the  amount  of  perhaps  $50,000  or  $60,000, 
was  called  upon  and  did  vote  bonds  to  the 
amount  of  $100,000  to  aid  this  road;  Rich- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


205 


land  township  gave  $50,000,  and  Chetopa  city 
$25,000  for  the  same  purpose.  The  voting, 
issuance  and  dehvery  of  these  bonds  was  se- 
cured to  the  railroad  company  by  a  personal 
obligation  entered  into  between  the  citizens  of 
these  two  places  to  see  the  contract  complied 
with.  Little  opposition  was  had  in  ether  place 
to  the  voting  of  the  aid  thus  agreed  upon.  Of 
the  litigation  in  respect  to  these  bonds,  and  the 
compromise  entered  into  for  their  payment 
which  afterward  took  place,  I  need  not  here 
speak.  With  the  aid  thus  promised  and  se- 
cured, the  building  of  the  road  was  rapidly 
pushed  forward.  After  reaching  the  north 
line  of  the  county,  20  miles  of  road  were  la'd 
in  eleven  days,  and  in  one  day  four  miles  and 
100  feet  were  put  down.  Having  reached  and 
passed  through  Oswego  and  Chetopa,  on  Mon- 
day, June  6th,  the  State  line  was  reached,  at 
which  time  appropriate  ceremonies  were  had. 
The  last  spike  on  the  Kansas  line  was  driven 
by  Col.  R.  S.  Stevens,  the  general  manager, 
and  the  first  spike  across  the  line  in  the  In- 
dian Territory  by  Col.  E.  C.  Boudinot,  the 
famous  Cherokee  who  had  always  favored  the 
building  of  this  road.  In  the  evening  of  June 
6,  1870,  the  first  passenger  train  which  ever  en- 
tered Labette  county  passed  over  the  road  in 
charge  of  John  C.  Hall,  conductor,  and  David 
Dunham,  engineer.  The  Sedalia  branch  of  this 
Toad  was  thereafter  pushed  forward  to  com- 
pletion as  rapidly  as  could  be  done,  and  on 
February  3,  1871.  the  connecting  rail  was  laid 
uniting  it  with  the  Junction  City  branch  at 
Parsons;  and  on  the  5th  uf  that  month  the 
first  through  passenger  train  from  Sedalia  to 
Chetopa  passed  over  the  road  in  charge  of  L. 
S.  Hamilton,  conductor. 

M.vcHiNE  Shops. — It  was  the  general  un- 
derstanding, when  Parsons  was  designated  as 
the  point  where  the  two  branches  would  unite. 


that  shops  would  be  located  at  that  place.  In 
October,  1871,  George  W.  Chess,  contractor, 
broke  ground  for  the  roundhouse  and  machine 
shops,  under  the  supervision  of  George  Thorn- 
ton, civil  engineer.  In  December  following, 
Proctor  &  Pardee,  contractors,  commenced  the 
mason  work,  and  by  the  close  of  1872  the  ma- 
chine shops  were  so  far  completed  as  to  be 
ready  to  commence  operation,  and  in  May, 
1873,  the  roundhouse  was  ready  to  receive  en- 
gines. These  shops  have  been  added  to  from 
time  to  time,  and  have  been  made  very  com- 
plete in  their  construction  and  furnishing.  A 
large  force  is  kept  constantly  at  work  in  the 
various  departments,  making  and  repairing  the 
rolling  stock  of  the  road. 

General  Offices. — Theoretically,  the 
general  offices  of  the  company  were  at  Par- 
sons almost  from  the  first  building  of  the  road, 
but,  practically,  it  was  not  until  1892  that  the 
offices  were  located  at  that  point.  During  the 
time  they  were  in  Parsons,  negotiations  were 
going  on  and  efforts  were  being  made  for  an 
evasion  of  the  law  requiring  the  general  of- 
fices to  be  kept  within  the  State.  Finally  the 
parties  most  directly  interested  consented  that, 
in  consideration  of  the  company's  making  cer- 
tain additional  improvements  in  Parsons,  they 
would  not  insist  on  the  general  offices  remain- 
ing with  them.  When  this  arrangement  was 
effected,  the  general  offices  were  mo\-ed  back 
to  St.  Louis  in  1896. 

New  Depot  and  Office  Building. — The 
office  room  for  the  company  offices  located  at 
Parsons  had  become  entirely  inadequate.  To 
meet  the  needs,  a  new  building  was  planned, 
and  on  April  i,  1895,  work  was  commenced 
thereon.  It  was  pushed  to  completion  as  rap- 
idly as  possible.  It  is  a  very  fine  structure, 
furnishing  accommodations  for  the  office  force 
and  a  commodious  depot. 


206 


HISTORY  CF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Spur  Road. — In  1894  a  spur  was  pro- 
jected iin  wliicli  work  was  commenced  late 
in  the  fall  of  that  year,  starting-  from  the  main 
line  at  Labette  and  running  in  an  easterly  di- 
rection to  Mineral  in  Cherokee  county.  This 
was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1895.  Its  main 
use  is  for  the  transportation  of  coal  from  the 
Cherokee  county  mines  to  the  company's  shops 
in  Parsons. 

M.  K  &  c.  RY. 

The  Alemphis,  Kansas  &  Colorado  Railway 
Company  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  se- 
curing a  road  from  Cherokee,  on  the  Fort 
Scott  &  Gulf  road,  to  Parsons,  with  a  view  of 
its  extension  both  ways.  The  company  was 
formed  early  in  1877.  Parsons  first  voted  $10,- 
000  to  aid  this  enterprise,  and  subsequently, 
after  a  protracted  discussion,  some  favoring 
the  project  and  others  opposing  making  any 
donation,  it  was  voted  to  take  stock  to  the 
amount  of  $30,000,  the  bonds  to  be  delivered 
upon  the  completion  of  the  road  into  Parsons. 
Neosho  township  voted  $5,000  in  bonds.  In 
Afwil.  1878,  the  track- laying  commenced  from 
Cherokee  west,  and  on  July  i,  1878,  at  10 
o'clock  at  night,  the  first  train  arrived  in  Par- 
sons. The  officers  of  Parsons  refused  to  de- 
liver the  bonds,  on  the  ground  that  the  road 
was  not  completed  by  the  time  specified  in  the 
contract.  Litigation  ensued,  which  was  car- 
ried to  the  supreme  court,  where  it  was  finally 
determined  that  tlie  city  was  not  liable  and 
the  bonds  were  ne\-er  delivered.  In  February, 
1880,  this  roatl  was  sold  to  the  Kansas  City, 
Fort  Scott  &  Gulf  Railway  Company,  and 
steps  were  at  once  taken  to  extend  it  from 
Parsons  to  Cherryvale.  No  municipal  aid  was 
voted  along  the  line,  but  the  people  of  Cherry- 
vale  secured  the  right-of-way  as  an  inducement 
to  its  construction.  The  road  thus  built  from 
Cherokee   to   Cherry\ale   was  narrow   gauge; 


some  two  or  three  years  after  its  completion 
to  Cherryvale  it  was  made  into  a  standard- 
gauge  road. 


In  December,  1885,  the  Parsons  &  Pacific 
Railway  Company  was  chartered  to  build  a 
road  from  Parsons  to  Cofifeyville.  C.  H.  Kim- 
ball and  Lee  Clark  were  the  leading  spirits  in 
the  movement,  and  with  the  aid  of  eastern  cap- 
italists whom  they  enlisted  in  the  enterprise 
the  road  was  constructed,  in  1886.  On  Sep- 
tember 20,  1886,  the  first  train  ran  from 
Mound  Valley  to  Parsons.  The  company  re- 
ceived municipal  aid — from  Parsons,  $40,- 
000;  from  Mound  Valley  township,  $20,000; 
Canada  township,  $20,000,  and  some  from 
Montgomery  county. 

K.  c.  &  p.  RY. 

During  the  building  of  the  Parsons  &  Pa- 
cific road  to  Cofifeyville,  a  company,  in  which 
the  same  parties  were  interested,  was  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  extending  it  from  Parsons 
north  to  Kansas  City.  In  aid  of  this  construc- 
tion Parsons  voted  an  additional  $20,000,  and 
the  municipalities  in  the  counties  north, 
through  which  the  road  ran,  extended  liberal 
aid.  The  road  was  pushed  cjuite  rapidly  along, 
and  a  connection  formed  with  the  Kansas  City, 
Fort  Scott  &  Gulf,  at  Paola. 


As  early  as  1884  an  organization  was 
formed  of  prominent  men  living  along  the  pro- 
posed line  of  the  Denver,  Memphis  &  Atlantic 
Railroad  for  the  purpose  of  doing  the  prelim- 
inary work,  of  securing  the  right-of-way,  mu- 
nicipal aid,  and  putting  the  work  in  such  shape 
that  capitalists  would  be  willing  to  take  hold 


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JOUNTY  HKiH  ^L'H(lOL  AT  ALTAMONT. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


209 


of  the  enterprise  and  build  the  road.  Most  of 
the  members  of  this  company  Hved  at  and  be- 
tween Larned  and  Chetopa.  Col.  J.  B.  Cook 
was  the  representative  from  this  county  in  the 
company.  ]\Iaj.  Joseph  Henson  and  Col.  John 
Doniphan,  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  who  had  some 
experience  in  raih'oad  matters  and  were  men 
of  some  capital,  were  also  members  of  the 
company.  Municipal  aid  was  voted  in  nearly 
every  township  through  which  the  road  was  to 
be  run.  A  survey  and  plat  was  made,  and  ne- 
gotiations commenced  with  Jay  Gould  for  the 
construction  of  the  road.  The  time  in  which 
the  road  was  to  be  built  under  the  conditions 
of  the  aid  first  voted  having  expired  before  any 
W'Ork  was  done,  a  second  election  'had  to  be 
held  and  the  aid  voted  again.  The  first  plan 
also  was  to  build  a  narrow-gauge  road.  In 
changing  to  a  broad  gauge  the  technical  re- 
quirements of  the  law  were  not  observed,  and 
legislation  had  to  be  secured  to  cure  defects, 
so  that  it  was  not  until  May  22,  1886,  that 
the  work  began  at  Chetopa  extending  the  road 
west  from  that  point.  Quite  an  amount  of 
work  had  been  done,  commencing  at  Larned 
find  extending  east,  prior  to  that.  Two  days 
later  than  this  the  construction  train  was  put 
on,  and  by  the  close  of  June  it  was  completed 
as  far  west  as  Edna.  On  July  2,  1886,  the 
first  train  arrived  in  Chetopa  from  Edna,  and 
during  the  summer  Coffeyville  WTas  reached. 
The  following  aid  was  extended  to  secure  the 
construction  of  this  road  through  this  coun- 
ty :  A  subscription  of  several  hundred  dollars 
by  the  citizens  of  Chetopa,  and  municipal  aid; 
from  Hackberry  township,  $10,000;  from  Elm 
Grove  township,  $20,000;  and  from  Howard 
township,  $20,000. 

NEVAD.A.   &    MINDEN   BRANCH. 

During  the  fall  and  winter  of  1885-86  ef- 
forts were  nvade  bv  different  citizens  of  the 


county  to  secure  the  extension  of  the  road  from 
Nevada,  Mo.,  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  but 
it  was  finally  determined  to  build  it  to  Clie- 
topa;  that  place  securing  for  it  the  right-of- 
way  for  about  20  miles  and  giving  it  30  acres 
of  ground  in  the  city  for  depot  and  yard  pur- 
poses. During  the  spring  the  work  on  it  was 
rapidly  pushed  forward,  and  on  April  6,  1886, 
the  first  train  over  this  branch  arrived  in  Che- 
topa. 

L.   L.    &   G.    R.   R. 

It  was  at  first  expected  that  this  line  of 
road  would  run  through  the  western  part  of 
the  county  its  entire  width  from  north  to  south, 
but  on  the  organization  of  Montgomery  coun- 
ty it  was  proposed  to  change  the  route,  and 
that  county  voting  liberal  aid,  the  proposed 
location  was  changed  so  that  the  road  only 
crosses  the  northwestern  corner  of  this  county 
a  short  distance  and  then  enters  Montgomery. 


To  secure  connection  with  St.  Louis  was 
among  the  first  things  that  the  citizens  of  Os- 
wego desired  after  the  town  was  fairly  started. 
The  first  effort  in  this  direction  of  which  I 
have  any  knowledge  was  the  organization  of 
a  local  company  known  as  the  Oswego,  Car- 
thage, Mount  Vernon  &  Springfield  Railway 
Company,  for  which  R.  W.  Wright  and  others 
secured  a  charter  January  27,  1869.  On  De- 
cember 9,  1870,  the  Oswego  Register  pub- 
lished an  account  of  the  proposed  extension  of 
the  Southern  Pacific  Railway  from  Springfield 
to  Wichita.  About  that  time  delegates  from 
Oswego  attended  meetings  at  Carthage  and 
Columbus,  at  which  the  project  was  talked  up. 
On  Ma}^  21,  1870,  on  the  petition  of  quite 
a  number  of  citizens,  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners' made  an  order  submitting  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


voters  of  tlie  cnunty  a  proposition  to  issue 
county  1x)nds  in  tlie  sum  of  $150,000  to  the 
Southern  Kansas  Railway  Company  on  con- 
dition of  its  building-  a  road  through  the  coun- 
ty-seat, and  west  as  near  the  center  of  the  coun- 
ty as  practicable.  This  left  out  important 
points  in  the  county  through  which  the  road 
could  not  pass,  and  before  the  day  fixed  upon 
for  voting  the  proposition  was  withdrawn. 
On  Decemljer  20,  1870,  a  meeting  was  held  at 
Oswego,  at  which  it  was  determined  to  have 
an  east-and-west  road.  On  May  23,  1871,  Os- 
Avego  voted  $75,000  in  bonds  for  the  Atlantic 
&  Pacific  Railway.  On  this  proposition  there 
were  but  five  votes  against  the  bonds.  On 
June  28,  1 87 1,  delegates  from  Montgomery, 
Labette  and  Cherokee  counties  met  at  Oswego, 
and  decided  to  form  a  local  company  to  aid 
in  procuring  the  road  from  Springfield  west. 
On  August  13,  1871,  a  charter  having  been 
procured,  the  directors  of  the  State  Line,  Os- 
wego &  Independence  Railway  met  at  Oswe- 
go, and  organized  by  electing  H.  G.  Webb,  of 
Labette  county,  president;  Milton  Douglas,  of 
Cherokee  county,  vice-president,  A.  W.  Jay,  of 
Cherokee  county,  secretary;  J.  B.  Emerson,  of 
Montgomery  county,  treasurer;  and  J.  J. 
Browne,  of  Labette  cijunty,  attorney.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1872,  a  survey  for  the  line  of  road 
from  Minersville  to  Oswego  was  made.  An- 
other local  company,  designated  the  Memphis, 
Carthage  &  Northwestern  Railway  Company, 
had  been  formed,  and  contracts  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  road  as  far  as  Oswego  were 
entered  into.  A  large  force  of  hands  was  put 
upon  the  ruad,  and  the  grading  was  nearly 
completed.  While  the  bonds  which  had  been 
voted  could  not  be  legally  issued  until  the  road 
was  completed  to  Oswego,  still,  to  aid  its  con- 
struction, by  general  consent  of  the  citizens 
a  part  of  the  bonds  of  Oswego  township  were 
siild  and  the  proceeds  applied  towards  paying 


for  the  grading,  ^^'ithout  going  into  details, 
it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  this  local  company 
failed,  and  for  some  time  nothing  further  was 
done  toward  the  extension  of  the  road.  On 
January  4,  1875,  Joseph  Seligman  bought  this 
Memphis,  Carthage  &  Northwestern  road,  and 
in  February  a  new  company  was  formed.  On 
March  22,  1875,  the  Pierce  City  &  Kansas 
Railway  Company  was  consolidated  with  the 
State  Line,  Oswego  &  Independence  Railway 
Company,  the  consolidated  companies  taking 
the  name  of  the  Missouri  &  Western  Railway 
Company.  Joseph  Seligman  was  president  and 
Edward  Livingston  secretary  and  treasurer. 
Additional  bonds  were  voted  by  Oswego  city 
and  township.  To  show  the  interest  which  Os- 
wego felt  in  securing  this  road,  it  may  be 
mentioned  that  one  evening  at  a  pulilic  meet- 
ing held  in  the  court-house  personal  aid  to  the 
amount  of  $32,745  was  promised,  all  of  which 
was  afterwards  paid,  to  secure  this  enterprise. 
On  June  15,  1876,  definite  arrangements  were 
made  with  Seligman  for  the  construction  of 
the  road.  Hobart  &  Condon  were  awarded  the 
contract  for  preparing  the  road-bed  from  Min- 
ersville to  Oswego.  From  this  time  the  work 
progressed  satisfactorily,  and  on  Thursday,  De- 
cember 14,  1876,  just  at  dark,  the  construc- 
tion train  reached  the  foot  of  Commercial 
street,  in  the  city  of  Oswego.  The  end  of 
the  road  remained  at  Oswego  until  1879,  when 
arrangements  were  made  for  pushing  it  west- 
ward, and  during  that  season  it  was  completed 
as  far  as  Wichita.  This  construction  was  done 
in  the  name  of  a  local  company  and  with  Ho- 
bart &  Condon  as  chief  contractors,  but  as  soon 
as  it  was  completed  it  came  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  "Frisco"  company. 

STRIKES. 

There  have  been  at  least  three  strikes  upon 
the  M,  K.  &  T.  Rv.,  which  have  more  or  less 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


affected  the  people  of  this  county.  In  July. 
1877,  the  workmen  at  other  points  on  the  road 
struck;  the  men  engaged  in  the  shops  at  Par- 
sons did  not  formally  strike,  but  appointed  a 
committee  to  confer  with  the  strikers;  work 
was  suspended  for  some  time,  but  matters  were 
finally  arranged  between  the  company  and  its 
employees  so  that  no  strike  was  made  in  this 
county. — In  March,  1885,  the  workmen  in  the 
shops  at  Parsons,  as  well  as  the  train-men  gen- 
erally, went  out  on  a  strike.  For  a  number  of 
days  freight  traffic  was  completely  blocked, 
but  passenger  trains  continued  to  be  operated. 
The  dift'erences  between  the  company  and  its 
hands  were  satisfactorily  settled,  and  they  all, 
or  nearly  all,  were  taken  back  into  the  com- 
pany's employ.  The  most  serious  of  all  strikes 
was  in  March,  1886.  It  extended  all  along  the 
line  of  the  road.  On  March  6th  the  machine 
shop  whistle  at  Parsons  sounded  at  10  o'clock 
A.  M.,  and  the  entire  force  of  railroad  employes 
ceased  work  and  marched  out.  An  effort  was 
made  by  the  governors  of  Kansas  and  Missouri 
to  effect  a  settlement  of  the  matters  of  differ- 
ence between  the  company  and  its  hands,  but 
were  unsuccessful.  New  men  were  employed 
by  the  company,  but  were  not  allowed  to  work, 
the  old  employees  being  of  sufficient  force  to 
prevent  their  performing  their  duties.  The 
strikers  placed  a  guard  around  the  company's 
property  to  prevent  its  being  injured,  but  would 
not-  allow  anyone  to  assist  in  moving  trains. 
Adjutant  General  Campbell  came  do\\'n  from 
Topeka  and  conferred  with  the  strikers,  but 
could  not  prevail  upon  them  to  come  to  any 
terms.  Toward  the  last  of  March  many  of  the 
strikers  became  more  desperate  and  defiant 
than  they  had  been  at  first.  Not  only  was  force 
used  to  pre\'ent   freight  trains   from  running 


and  to  "kill"  the  engines  on  all  trains  that  at- 
tempted to  pull  out,  but  some  went  so  far  as 
to  interfere  with  passenger  travel.  The  track 
just  north  of  Bachelor  creek  bridge  was  loos- 
ened, and  the  north-bound  passenger  train  was 
ditched.  Had  the  train  been  going  south  in- 
stead of  north  it  would  have  been  plunged  into 
the  creek  and  the  result  would  necessarily  have 
been  fatal  to  many  persons.  Attempts  were 
also  made  to  burn  some  of  the  bridges.  The 
citizens  of  Parsons  organized  for  the  purpose 
of  assisting  the  company  in  running  its  trains, 
but  the  striking  force  was  so  strong  that  they 
were  not  able  to  accomplish  their  object.  On 
the  evening  of  April  2d  seven  car-loads  of  the 
State  militia  came  into  Parsons  over  the  Ne- 
osho di\'isiL»n,  and  about  the  same  time  several 
more  car-loads  over  the  Sedalia  division,  and 
soon  thereafter  several  more  car-loads  over  the 
Gulf  road.  The  arrival  of  the  soldiers  was  a 
complete  surprise  to  the  strikers,  as  they  had 
not  learned  that  the  militia  had  been  called  out. 
The. soldiers  at  once  took  control  of  the  entire 
railroad  property  and  prevented  anyone  from 
entering  the  premises,  placed  those  who  had 
been  employ eil  by  the  company  in  charge, 'and 
at  once  trains  commenced  to  move.  The  strike 
was  over.  The  soldiers  remained  several  days, 
until  everything  was  quiet  antl  the  citizens' 
organization  felt  itself  strong  enough  to  pre- 
serx'e  the  peace.  The  leaders  among  the  strik- 
ers were  arrested  on  a  crimina^l  charge,  and  a 
number  of  them  were  tried  and  convicted. 
They  were  punished  by  fine  and  imprisonment 
in  the  county  jail.  The  great  body  of  those 
who  participated  in  the  strike  permanently  lost 
their  places  in  the  railroad  employ,  and  many 
of  them  were  practicallv  financially  ruined. 


POLITICAL 


I  give  the  following  letter  as  bearing  upon 
the  organization  of  political  parties  in  the 
county : 

"Lakf.  City,  Col.,  April  5,  1892. 
"Friend  Case:  I  am  not  much  at  writing 
history,  and  can  only  give  you  some  of  the 
points  where  I  was  interested  and  so  remember 
them.  You  are  right  about  the  organization 
of  the  party  at  Trotter's  ford  and  Jacksonville. 
It  was  there  agreed  to  make  no  opposition  to 
the  organization  of  the  southern  part  into  an 
independent  county.  It  was  also  agreed  that 
they  were,  to  nominate  all  the  candidates 
for  Neosho  county  from  the  northern  part,  and 
that  we  from  the  south  part  should  abstain 
from  voting  for  or  against  them,  and  should  or- 
ganize on  our  own  account,  and  trust  to  the 
Legislature  to  legalize  our  action.  According  to 
that  agreement,  a  mass  meeting  of  the  Repub- 
licans was  called  soon  after,  and  met  in  the 
open  air  outside  of  Carr  &  Bridgman's  store, 
in  the  east  part  of  what  is  now  Oswego.  Dr. 
J.  F.  Nevvlon  was  elected  as  its  chairman,  and 
the  meeting  then  proceeded  to  nominate  can- 
didates for  representative  and  for  county  of- 
ficers. I  was  nominated  for  representative, 
Ben.  Rice  for  sheriff,  Sam.  Collins,  John  Rice, 
and  I  think  Noris  Harrer,  for  county  com- 
missioners ;  A.  T.  Dickerman  for  county  clerk, 
I  think.  You  can  verify  these  names  from 
the  records.    After  my  admission  to  the  Legis- 


lature the  programme  was  carried  out.  Al- 
though our  action  was  irregular,  I  found  all 
the  members  and  State  officers  willing  to  ren- 
der any  assistance  in  their  power.  A  resolu- 
tion was  at  once  introduced  legalizing  my  elec- 
tion, and  I  was  admitted  to  my  seat.  I  then 
went  to  Governor  Crawford  with  our  petition 
for  appointment  of  temporary  county  officers, 
and  had  those  elected  in  the  fall  appointed. 
"The  Democratic  party  in  1866  nominated 
^^'.  C.  W'atkins  for  representative. 

"Very  truly  yours,         C.  H.  Bent." 

GREEXBACK   ORGANIZATIONS. 

The  introduction  of  greenbacks  into  the 
politics  of  this  county  (not  as  an  element  of 
bribery,  but  as  an  organized  body  of  voters) 
dates  from  1877.  when  the  first  ticket  was  put 
into  the  field  by  the  Greenback  party.  But  of 
course  there  was  some  work  done  before  that 
time  in  the  way  of  organizing  clubs  and  dis- 
seminating the  principles  of  the  party.  I  am 
not  able  to  say  definitely  when  and  where  the 
first  organization  was  effected.  The  first  men- 
tion which  I  have  found  of  this  organization 
is  a  card  published  in  the  Advance  of  Septem- 
ber 16,  1875,  signed  by  J.  W.  Caldwell,  calling 
a  meeting  of  those  who  were  favorable  to  or- 
ganizing a  greenback  club,  to  be  held  at  Drake's 
Hall,  Chetopa,  September  18,  1875.  I  have 
no  information  as  to  whether  or  not  the  or- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


213 


ganization  was  effected,  but  probably  it  was 
not,  or  if  so  it  did  not  live  long.  Sometime  in 
1877  a  club  was  organized  at  the  Slocum 
school-house.  District  Xo.  75,  in  Mound  "V^al- 
ley  township.  On  May  18,  1878,  a  club  was 
organized  at  the  Valley  school-house,  District 
No.  yi.  in  Elm  Grove  township.  During  this 
spring  a  number  of  clubs  were  organized  and 
a  more  perfect  county  organization  was  ef- 
fected in  a  convention  held  at  Parsons  in  April. 
After  1883  there  was  little  life  manifested  by 
this  party  under  its  organization  as  then  ex- 
isting. 

THE  FARMERS'  AND  LABORERS- 
UN  ION 

Was  organized  at  Alound  A'alley  in  the  latter 
part  of  1885.  It  was  conducted  with  open  doors 
(as  a  reform  club  till  June  9,  i88fi,  when  a 
secret  work  was  adopted  and  a  secret  organiza- 
tion perfected  by  the  following  charter  mem- 
bers :  George  Campbell,  Dr.  E.  Lemon,  J.  K. 
Russell,  I.  M.  Evans,  W.  N.  McCoid,  William 
Clark,  Joseph  Riff.  J.  White,  N.  Clark,  B.  E. 
Miller,  B.  F.  Ralls,  and  E.  H.  Barnhart.  Un- 
der the  leadership  of  Mr.  Campbell  a  number 
of  lodges  were  instituted  in  this  and  adjoining 
counties,  and  the  organization  was  extended 
to  other  States.  In  1886  Mr.  Campbell  es- 
taUished  and  during  1887  conducted  a  paper 
called  IhiUcd  Labor,  for  the  purpose  of  giv- 
ing publicity  and  strength  to  the  new  organi- 
zation. Whatever  may  have  been  the  good 
effects  of  this  effort  on  others  I  do  not  know, 
but  it  proved  a  very  disastrous  undertaking 
financially  to  Mr.  Campbell.  After  spending 
several  thousand  dollars  in  the  attempt  to  put  it 
on  a  paying  basis,  the  publication  of  this  official 
organ  ceased,  after  being  conducted  about  a 
year.     In  1889  this  organization  was  merged 


in  that  of  the  Farmers'  .\lliance  and  Indus- 
trial L'nion.  In  tlie  meantime  out  of  this  and 
other  lal)or  organizations  there  had  sprung  up 
a  ne\\"  pohtical  larty  wh'ch  tn  )k  the  name  of 
the  Union  Labor  party,  which  was  organized 
at  Cincinnati,  February  22,  1887.  John  W. 
Breidenthal,  being  one  of  the  delegates  from 
Kansas,  was  made  chairman  of  the  State  com- 
mittee. He  at  once  took  active  steps  toward 
organizing  the  party  in  this  county.  The  first 
clulj  in  the  county  was  organized  at  Edna,  in 
March.  This  was  soon  followed  by  others. 
A  mass  convent'on  was  called,  to  meet  at  Alta- 
mont,  August  3,  1887.  This  meeting  was 
largely  attended.  George  E.  Stone,  of  How- 
ard township,  was  made  chairman.  To  pre- 
vent being  imjjosed  upon  a  pledge  was  required 
of  all  parties  participating  in  its  proceedings 
to  support  the  Union  Labor  ticket:  137 
signed  this  pledge.  The  party  was  then  or- 
ganized, and  ^\'m.  Coik  was  made  cha-irman 
of  the  central  committee.  To  Mr.  Breidenthal 
is.  in  a  large  measure,  due  the  victory  which 
the  party  achieved  that  fall,  for  he  was  in- 
strumental in  bringing  a  number  nf  their  best 
speakers  into  the  county,  among  whom  were 
Gen.  J.  B.  Weaver,  H.  .\.  Streeter.  Jesse 
Harper,  Moses  Hull,  and  Capt.  Geo.  \\\  Bell. 
With  the  except'on  of  commissioner,  this  party 
elected  the  entire  county  ticket  that  fall. 

FARMERS'  ALLIANCE. 

This  organization  so  far  as  it  relates  to  this 
county  dates  from  January,  1889,  when  Mount 
Zion  Sub-Alliance  was  organized,  in  Osage 
township.  This  was  followed  by  Pleasant  Hill, 
in  the  same  month,  and  on  February  12th  Globe 
Alliance  was  orsranized,  in  Mound  Valley 
township.  These  organizations  were  formed 
by  C.  Mcllvain.    .According  to  one  report  An- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


gola  Alliance  was  organized  before  either  of 
those  above  named.  The  County  Alliance  was 
formed  at  Altamont,  on  May  i8,  1889.  It  has 
had  the  following  officers :  Presidents — G.  J. 
Coleman,  E.  A.  Richcreek,  Daniel  Pfaff,  Ben 
Johnson.  Secretaries — C.  L.  Albin,  Walter 
Phillips,  Harry  Mills,  George  Campbell.  Out 
of  this,  and  the  organizations  which  preceded 
it,  in  1890  sprang  the  People's  party. 

POLITICAL  CONVENTIONS. 

REPUBLICAN    COUNTY    CONVENTIONS. 

The  Republican  party  in  this  county  was 
organized  in  1866.  The  following  are  the 
steps  that  were  taken  to  secure  such  organiza- 
tion, and  to  hold  the  first  convention. 

The  fi>re  part  of  August,  1866,  a  number 
of  Republicans  were  assembled  at  the  store  of 
Roe  &  Dennison,  at  the  Erie  postoffice,  about  a 
mile  north  of  the  present  site  of  Erie.  Po- 
litical matters  were  talked  over,  and  it  was  de- 
cided to  call  a  convention  at  Trotter's  ford, 
to  organize  the  Republican  party.  Afterwards, 
by  request  of  those  residing  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county  ( in  wliat  is  now  Labette 
county),  the  place  of  the  meeting  was  changed 
from  Trotter's  ford  to  Jacksonx-ille.  Delegates 
having  been  selected  from  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
ty in  such  way  as  each  locality  chose,  they  met 
in  convention  in  a  grove  some  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  north  and  about  the  same  dis- 
tance west  of  what  is  now  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Neosho  county,  on  Saturday,  Septem- 
ber 8,  1866.  A  :\Ir.  Nugent  (?)  was  chair- 
man, and  J.  A.  \\^ells,  secretary.  At  the  re- 
quest of  the  delegates  from  the  southern  part 
of  the  county,  the  nomination  for  the  county 
officers  were  all  made  from  those  residing  in 
the  north  half,  with  the  agreement  on  their 
part  that  at  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature 
the  countv  should  be  divided.     On  motion  of 


G.  W.  Kingsbury,  it  was  voted  that  when  the 
division  was  made  the  southern  part  should 
be  called  (as  they  then  wrote  the  word)  La 
Bet  county.  J.  S.  Waters  was  recognized  as 
the  chairman  of  the  delegation  from  the  south- 
ern half  of  the  county. 

Following  we  give  a  summary  of  various 
political  conventions  which  have  been  held  in 
Labette  county,  from  1866  to  1900,  inclusive: 

In  October,  1866,  a  Republican  convention 
was  called  for  the  proposed  new  county  of 
"La  Bet"  (alluded  to  above).  It  met  in  the 
:  open  air  near  Carr  &  Bridgman's  store,  Os- 
wego: J.  F.  Newlon.  chairman,  A.  T.  Dicker- 
man,  secretary.  The  following  ticket  was 
nominated  :  County  clerk,  A.  T.  Dickerman ; 
sheriff,  Benjamin  A.  Rice;  clerk  d'strict  c  lurf , 
Elza  Craft:  register  of  deeds,  George  Bent; 
county  assessor,  Jabez  Zink;  probate  judge, 
David  C.  Lowe :  county  treasurer,  C.  C.  Clover ; 
superintendent  public  instruction,  J.  F.  New- 
lon: coroner.  G.  W.  Ivingsbury;  representative, 
Charles  H.  Bent ;  commissioners.  S.  \\\  Col- 
lins, C.  H,  Talbot,  and  Bergen  \'an  Ness. 

J.  S.  ^^'aters,  chairman  central  committee. 

March,  1867,  open  air.  near  Carr  &  Bridg- 
man's store.  Oswego:  J.  F.  Newlon,  chairman, 
A.  T.  Dickerman,  secretary.  County  clerk, 
A.  T.  Dickerman:  county  treasurer,  C.  C. 
Clover;  sheriff,  Benjamin  A.  Rice;  county  as- 
sessor, Francis  Wall ;  clerk  district  court,  R. 
S.  Cornish:  probate  judge,  Bergen  Van  Ness; 
register  of  deeds,  Elza  Craft:  superintendent 
public  instruction,  John  F.  Newlon ;  cor.^ner, 
George  W.  Kingsbury;  sur\eyor,  Z.  Harris; 
commissioners,  Nathan  Ames,  William  Shay, 
and  David  C.  Lowe. 

September  i,  1867,  Benj.  A.  Rice,  chair- 
man. Representative  Eighty-fifth  district,  L 
S.  Waters;  sheriff,  Jnhn  N.  ^^'atson;  coroner, 
G.  W.  Kingsbury ;  county  clerk,  C.  E.  Simons ; 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


215 


county  attorne}-,  ^^'.  J-  Parkinson;  county 
treasurer,  Bergen  A'an  Ness;  proljate  judge 
David  C.  Lowe;  commissioners,  Isaac  Butter- 
wiirth,  \\'illiam  Logan,  J.  F.  Molesworth ;  su- 
perintendent public  instruction,  Enos  Reed ; 
clerk  district  court,  R.  S.  Cornish;  county  sur- 
veyor, S.  R.  Southwick;  register,  Charles  C. 
Beggs;  county  assessor,  J.  R.  Morrison. 

C.  H.  Bent,  chairman  central  committee,  J. 
S.  Waters,  secretary. 

September,  1868,  Oswego.*  Representa- 
tive Eighty-fifth  district.  Dr.  D.  D.  McGrath ; 
probate  judge,  H.  M.  Minor;  superintendent 
public  instruction,  R.  J.  Elliutt:  cnunty  attor- 
ney, Walter  P.  Bishop;  county  clerk,  Charles 
C.  Beggs;  clerk  district  court,  Rnl.ert  Steel; 
ct'untv  ciimmissioner  first  district,  Elisha  Ham- 
mer. 

E.  R.  Trask.  chairman  central  committee, 
^^'.  LI.  Carpenter,  secretary. 

September  17,  1869,  court-house.  Osweg.i. 
Probate  judge,  \\".  H.  Witlock;  treasurer. 
Harvey  I.  Cox;  sheriff,  J.  C.  Wilson;  county 
attornev,  J.  S.  Waters;  county  clerk,  L.  C. 
Howard:  register,  P.  H.  Cherry;  surveyor,  E. 
G.  Dax'idson;  coroner.  James  Logan;  commis- 
sioners, first  district,  Gilbert  Martin,  second, 
J.  S.  Anderson,  third,  James  H.  Beggs. 

E.  Hammer,  chairman  central  committee 
E.  D-  Graybill,  secretary. 

September  17,  1870,  court-house,  Oswego 
J.  W.  Horner,  chairman.  C.  H.  Lewis,  ?ecre 
tary.  Representative  Eighty-fifth  district,  J 
]\I.  Mahr.  on  third  ballot  over  I.  \V.  Patrick 
and  C.  H.  Bent;  probate  judge,  B.  W.  Perkins 
on  third  ballot  over  J.  Demorst  and  Davis  Vul- 
gamore ;  county  attorney,  J.  S.  Waters,  by  ac 
clamation ;  superintendent  public  instruction,  J 


W.  Horner  on  first  ballot  over  R.  J.  Elliutt  and 
D.  C.  Constant ;  clerk  district  court,  D.  S.  [Mor- 
rison on  first  ballot  over  Robert  Steel  and  E. 

D.  Graybill;  surveyor,  G.  T.  Waltun  by  ac- 
clamation, provided  Davidson  does  not  get 
back;  commissioner  first  district,  Samuel  Bal- 
lentine  on  first  ballot  over  David  Stanfield. 

T.  E.  Clark,  chairman  central  committee, 

E.  D.  Graybill,  secretary. 

October  7,  1871,  at  court-house,  Oswego; 
J.  W.  Horner,  chairman,  E.  E.  Hastings,  sec- 
retary. Sheriff,  L.  S.  Crum  on  first  ballot  over 
J.  C.  Wilson;  register.  I.  \\\  Patrick  on  sec- 
ond ballot  over  J.  G.  Steel,  R.  E.  Holloway. 
Le\-i  Seabridge,  and  Tlmmas  Irish:  cnunty 
clerk,  L.  C.  Howard  on  first  ballet  over  R.  J. 
Elliott,  E.  D.  Grayl)il!,  and  George  T.  \\'alton; 
treasurer,  C.  F.  Smith  on  first  liallot  o\-er  X. 
Sanford:  ciironer,  J.  F.  Newlon  on  first  ballot; 
sur\eyor.  S.  R.  Southwick,  by  acclamation ; 
commissioners,  first  district,  Henry  Stewart: 
second-.  J.  H.  Hibljits:  third.  \\'.  H.  Car- 
penter. 

J.  W.  Horner,  chairman  central  comm'ttee. 
T.  C.  Cory,  secretary.  August  7,  1872,  Horner 
resigned  as  chairman  of  the  central  committee. 
and  J.  S.  \A'aters  was  elected  in  his  place,  and 

F.  B.  McGill,  secretary. 

October  5,  1872,  at  cnurt-huuse,  Oswego; 
E.  B.  Ste\'ens,  chairman,  I.  O.  Pickering,  sec- 
retary. Senator  Fifteenth  district,  J.  H.  Crich- 
ton,  on  third  ballot  over  J.  S.  Waters  and  J. 
J.  Woods ;  probate  judge,  B.  W.  Perkins,  by  ac- 
clamation ;  county  attorney.  E.  C.  AA'ard  on 
second  ballot,  over  David  Kelso,  W.  B.  Glasse. 
T.  L.  Darlow :  clerk  district  court,  R.  J.  Elliott, 
on  third  ballot,  over  Wm.  Houck,  John  Hamb- 
lin,  D.  S.  Morrison;  coroner,  William  Pinker- 
ton,  by  acclamation ;  superintendent  public  in- 
struction, Mary  A.  Higby,  on  first  ballot.,  over 


2l6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


^^^  a.  Starr,  E.  H.  Taylor,  Keirsey  Cook; 
commissioner,  second  district,  J.  B.  Cijok,  who 
declined  nomination,  and  George  Farland  was 
substituted  by  central  committee. 

F.  B.  McGill.  chairman  central  committee, 
S.  O.  Fletcher,  secretary. 

October  ii,  1873.  at  court-house,  Oswego; 
Josephus  Moore,  chairman,  H.  L.  Partndge, 
secretary.  Probate  judge,  S.  L.  Coulter;  treas- 
urer. C.  F.  Smith:  sheriff.  S.  O.  Fletcher,  on 
second  ballot,  over  J.  X.  Watson;  county  clerk, 
J.  B.  Cook,  on  first  ballot,  over  L.  C.  Howard 
and  Saml.  Collins;  register,  I.  W.  Patrick,  by 
acclamation ;  surveyor,  Samuel  F.  Terrill,  b}' 
acclamation;  coroner,  D.  B.  Crouse,  by  ac- 
clamation ;  commissioners,  first  district,  John 
XelsMu;  second,  P.  B.  Clark;  third,  W.  A. 
Starr.  Decided  to  make  n  )  nomination  for 
representative  of  the  Forty-third  district;  For- 
ty-fourth district,  W.  H.  iMapes. 

R.  J.  Elliott,  chairman  central  committee, 
\\'illard  Davis,  secretary. 

September  26,  1874,  at  court-house.  Os- 
wego; E.  B.  Stevens,  chairman.  L.  i\I.  Bedell, 
secretary.  Senator  Fifteenth  district,  J-  H. 
Crichtnn,  (in  second  ballot,  over  T.  C.  Cory, 
D.  Kelso,  and  W.  H.  Mapes;  clerk  district 
court,  H.  C.  Cook,  on  second  ballot,  over  R.  J. 
Elliott.  E.  B.  Newton,  and  Wm.  Houck ;  super- 
intendent public  instruction,  iMary  A.  Higby, 
on  first  ballot,  over  J.  G.  Coleman  and  Allen 
C.  Baker;  county  attorney,  \^'fllard  Davis,  by 
acclamation;  coroner,  J.  G.  Coleman,  liy  ac- 
clamation. 

C.  H.  Bent,  chairman  central  committee, 
V.  J.  Knapp,  secretary. 

October  2,  1875.  court-house,  Oswego;  J. 
S.  Waters,  chairman,  G.  \\'.  Hawk,  secretary. 
Treasurer,  George  M.  Caldwell,  by  acclama- 
tion; sheriff,  S.  B.  Abbott,  on  first  ballot,  over 


J.  H.  Golden  and  J.  A.  iMapes;  county  clerk.  S. 
T.  Herman,  by  acclamation;  register.  I.  W. 
Patrick,  by  acclamation;  coroner,  D.  B.  Crouse, 
by  acclamation ;  surveyor,  S.  R.  Southwick,  on 
second  ballot,  over  George  Thornton  and 
Charles  McClung;  commissioners,  first  district, 
J.  J.  W'oods;  second,  ^^'.  i\I.  iMabery;  third, 
W.  A.  Starr. 

J.  i\I.  Cavaness,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee. S.  O.  Fletcher,  secretary. 

September  16.  1876,  court-house,  Oswego; 
i\Iajor  H.W.  i\Iartin,  ci-.airman.  George  Thorn- 
I  ton.  secretary.     Senator  Fifteenth  district,   T- 
I  H.   Crichtcn,  on  seventh  ballot,  over  iNI.  ^^^ 
I  Reynolds.  J.   G.   Coleman,  H.   G.   \\'ebb,  and 
W.  B.  Glasse ;  probate  judge.  S.  L.  Coulter,  b}- 
acclamation ;  clerk  district  court,  H.  C.  Cook, 
by  acclamation ;  county  attorney,  J.  S.  Waters, 
j  by  acclamation;  superintendent  public  instruc- 
tion. Alary  A.  Higby,  on  first  ballot,  over  L. 
I  J.   Vandingham,   Kiersey    Cook,    and    A.    C. 
Baker.     * 

\\'.  B.  Glasse,  chairman  central  committee, 
George  Thornton,  secretary. 

September  22,  1877.  court-house,  Oswego; 
Major  H.  ^^'.  i\Iartin,  chairman.  C.  A.  Wilkin, 
secretary.  Treasurer,  G.  iM.  Caldwell,  by  ac- 
clamation; register,  I.  W.  Patrick,  on  first  bal- 
lot, over  W.  A.  Starr;  county  clerk,  T.  A. 
Fellows,  by  acclamation;  sheriff,  D.  ]\I.  Ben- 
der, on  fourth  ballot,  over  S.  B.  Abbott,  J. 
W.  H.  Golden,  and  George  Campbell ;  surveyor, 
George  Thornton ;  coroner,  \\'.  R.  iMoore ; 
commissioners,  first  district,  H.  S.  Coly ;  sec- 
ond, W.  J.  Herrcd ;  third,  J.  B.  Swartz. 

F.  B.  McGill,  chairman  central  committee, 
Cierirge  Thornton  secretary. 

September  14,  1878,  court-house,  Oswego; 
D.  Kelso,  chairman,  L.  i\I.  Bedell,  secretary. 
Clerk  district  court,   H.  C.  Cook;  countv  at- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


217 


toniey.  J.  S.  Waters :  superintendent  public  in- 
struction, -\llen  C.  Baker:  commissioner  first 
district.  T.  E.  Clark. 

C.  H.  Kimball,  cbairman  central  committee, 

D.  M.  Bender,  secretary. 

April  24,  1879,  opera  house,  Oswego;  R. 
W.  \\'right,  chairman,  L.  ]\I.  Bedell,  secretary. 
Treasurer,  George  Thornton,  on  first  ballot, 
over  ]\I.  AI.  Kingsbury ;  sheriff,  D.  ]\I.  Bender, 
on  first  ballot,  over  J.  \\\  H.  Golden,  D.  H. 
David,  and  C.  B.  Woodford:  register,  I.  W. 
Patrick,   en  first  ballot,   over  J.   M.   Alorgan, 

E.  B.  Baldwin,  and  George  Poland ;  c  unty 
clerk,  W.  H.  Kiersey,  on  first  ballot,  over  A. 
T.  Dickerman,  and  F.  G.  Hunt;  surveyor,  J. 
M.  Wells,  by  acclamation ;  coroner,  W.  W. 
Inglish.  on  first  ballot,  over  Dr.  X.  M.  ]\Iiller: 
commissioner  second  district,  A.  X.  Russell. 
on  second  ballot,  over  George  Hildreth  J.  W. 
Mason,  D.  F.  Xoblett,  Michael  Xoel,  and  A. 
W.  Darling. 

C.  H.  Kimball,  chairman  central  committee, 
R.  W.  W^right,  secretary. 

September  25,  1880,  opera  house,  Oswego; 
J.  S.  Waters,  chairman,  F.  W.  Felt  and  A.  H. 
Tyler,  secretaries.  Senator  Fifteenth  district, 
^Y.  B.  Glasse,  on  third  ballot,  over  C.  H.  Kim- 
ball, ^[.  W.  Reynolds,  and  H.  W.  Martin; 
probate  judge,  Nelson  Case,  on  first  ballot,  over 
A.  H.  Ayres,  Wm.  Starr.,  and  H.  W.  Martin; 
county  attorney,  L.  C.  True,  on  first  ballot, 
over  J.  D.  Conderman  and  J.  E.  Bryan;  clerk 
district  court,  H.  C.  Cook,  by  acclamation ; 
superintendent  public  instruction,  M.  Chidester, 
on  second  ballot,  over  J.  F.  Hill,  Xathan  \\'ill- 
iams,  and  Allen  C.  Baker ;  commissioner  third 
district.  J.  J.  Henderson. 

J.  S.  Waters,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.   E.   Bryan,  secretary. 

September  24,  1881,  Oswego  ;  J.  S.  Waters, 
chairman,  E.  W.  Bedell,  secretary.    Treasurer, 


George  M.  Caldwell,  on  first  ballot,  over 
George  Thornton  and  G.  S.  McDole;  register, 
A.  M.  Fellows,  on  fifth  ballot,  over  I.  W. 
Patrick,  Marshall  Johnson,  Jesse  M.  Abirgan, 
and  James  Paxton ;  sherift',  D.  M.  Bender,  on 
second  ballot,  over  J.  W.  Wilson,  S.  B.  Ab- 
bott, D.  H.  David,  }.  W.  H.  Golden,  and  C. 
E.  Simons ;  county  clerk,  F.  W.  Felt  on  second 
ballot  over  W.  A.  Starr  and  W.  H.  Kiersey; 
surveyor,  B.  R.  Cunningham  by  acclamation ; 
coroner,  Lewis  Peterson  on  first  ballot  over  S. 
M.  Gregory. 

J.  S.  Waters,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.   H.   Morrison,   secretary. 

September  29,  1882,  Oswego;  Thomas 
O'Hare,  chairman,  L.  M.  Bedell,  secretary. 
County  attorney,  L.  C.  True  on  first  ballot  o\-er 
T.  C.  Cory  and  J.  E.  Bryan;  probate  judge, 
Nelson  Case,  by  acclamation ;  clerk  district 
court,  H.  C.  Cook,  by  acclamation;  superin- 
tendent public  instruction,  Mrs.  Anna  C.  Baker 
on  third  ballot  over  O.  M.  McPherson,  ]\I. 
Chidester,  B.  R.  Cunningham,  and  W.  F. 
Schoch ;  coroner,  H.  C.  Richardson,  b}'  accla- 
mation ;  commissioner  second  district,  C.  M. 
Keeler  on  first  ballot  over  A.  X'^.  Russell  and 
A.  T.  Dickerman. 

T.  J.  Calvin,  chairman  central  committee, 
L.  M.  Bedell,  secretary. 

October  20,  1883.  Oswego:  J.  E.  Bryan, 
chairman.  O.  M.  McPherson,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, C.  W.  Littleton  on  first  ballot  over  M.  L. 
Trotter ;  register,  Asa  Smith  on  first  ballot 
over  E.  B.  Baldwin  and  N.  M.  Millfjr;  county 
clerk,  F.  W.  Felt,  by  acclamation :  sheriff.  J. 
T.  Lampson  on  second  ballot  over  Andrew  Ka- 
ho,  C.  E.  Simons,  C.  B.  Woodford,  and  W.  H. 
Webb;  surveyor,  B.  R.  Cunningham  by  accla- 
mation ;  coroner,  E.  W.  Dorsey  by  acclama- 
tion ;  commissioner  third  district,  J.  E.  Brooks, 
by  acclamation. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


J.  H.  Morrison,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, Jess  Brockway,  secretary. 

September  6,  1884.  Oswego;  Thomas 
O'Hare,  chairman,  S.  W.  Kniffin.  secretary. 
Senator  Ninth  district.  C.  H.  Kimball  on  first 
ballot  over  J.  B.  Swartz  and  J.  E.  Bryan  :  coun- 
ty attorney  J.  D.  Conderman  on  third  ballot 
over  W.  B.  Glasse  and  J.  H.  Morrison;  clerk 
district  court,  E.  B.  Baldwin  on  first  ballot  over 
^^^  \\'.  Cook;  probate  judge,  S.  L.  Coulter  on 
first  ballot  over  Isaac  Hill ;  superintendent  pub- 
lic instruction,  Mrs.  Anna  C.  Baker,  by  accla- 
mation ;  commissioner  first  district,  D.  A.  Jones 
on  second  ballot  over  J.  F.  Hill.  Louis  Von 
Trebra.  and  J.  C.  ]\IcKnight;  commissioner 
second  district,  to  fill  vacancy.  J.  AI.  Mason  on 
third  ballot  over  Peter  Shufelt.  J.  N.  Tibbets, 
]\I.  Noe.  and  William  Slaughter. 

T.  C.  Cory,  chairman  central  committee,  S. 
O.  Fletcher,  secretary. 

October  17,  1885,  opera  house,  Oswego; 
J.  B.  Swartz,  ohairman,  S.  T.  Herman,  secre- 
tary. Treasurer  C.  W.  Littleton,  by  acclama- 
tion;  register,  Asa  Smith,  by  acclamation; 
sheriff,  C.  B.  \\'oodford  on  first  ballot  over  I. 
N.  Cornelius,  J.  T.  Lampson,  ^^'.  H.  Sharp, 
and  Joseph  Craft;  county  clerk,  \\'.  W.  Cook 
on  second  ballot  over  O.  E.  Woods  and  W. 
J.  Quick;  surveyor,  W.  ^^^  Dentler  on  first 
ballot  over  J.  M.  Hart;  coroner,  E.  ^^^  Dor- 
sey,  by  acclamation. 

H.  H.  Lusk,  chairman  central  committee. 
A.  H.  Tyler,  secretary. 

On  October  10,  1885,  a  convention  was 
held  at  Edna,  at  which  James  W'ilmoth  was 
nominated  for  commissinner  of  second  dis- 
trict. 

.  October  9,  1886,  opera  house,  Oswego;  J. 
\V.  ]\Iarley,  chairman,  J.  W.  Weltner  and  L. 
'M.  Bedell,  secretaries.  County  attorney,  T.  C. 
Cory  on  first  ballot  over  J.  D.  Conderman  and 


Jess  Brockway;  probate  judge,  T.  J.  Calvin  on 
first  ballot  over  Isaac  Hill  and  F.  H.  Atchin- 
son ;  clerk  district  court,  E.  B.  Baldwin  on  first 
ballot  over  W.  E.  Crawford;  superintendent 
public  instruction.  Mrs.  Anna  Hickenbottom 
on  second  ballot  over  ^Irs.  Anna  C.  Baker.  C. 
C.  Robbins,  L.  Tomlin,  J.  W.  Iden.  and  ]\Irs. 
Susan  C.  Keefe;  commissioner  third  district, 
J.  E.  Brooks. 

J.  W.  Marley,  chairman  central  committee, 
M.  E.  Williams,  secretary. 

August  2/,  1887,  Oswego;  S.  T.  Herman, 
chairman,  Abe  Steinbarger  and  H.  H.  Lusk, 
secretaries.  Treasurer.  A\'.  F.  Thorne  on  first 
ballot  over  B.  R.  A'an  dieter  and  William 
Slaughter;  register,  J.  A.  Flora  on  fifth  ballot 
over  O.  S.  Kliser,  Ella  ^\'ood,  Wilf.  Cooper, 
and  J.  A.  Lough;  sheriff,  J.  T.  Lampson  on 
seventh  ballot  over  C.  B.  Woodford,  D.  M. 
Bender,  I.  N.  Cornelius,  and  A.  M.  Newman; 
county  clerk,  Wylie  W.  Cook,  by  acclamation ; 
surveyor,  E.  P.  Bayless,  by  acclamation ;  cor- 
oner, J.  T.  Finley  on  first  ballot  over  Rep 
Smith ;  commissioner  first  district,  D.  A.  Jones. 

S.  T.  Herman,  chairman  central  committee, 
Joseph  Craft,  secretary. 

September  i,  1888,  Oswego;  J.  B.  Swartz, 
chairman,  W.  F.  Thrall,  secretary.  Senator 
Tenth  district,  C.  H.  Kimball,  by  acclamation; 
county  attorney.  J.  H.  Morrison  on  fourth  bal- 
lott  over  A.  A.  Osgood.  F.  H.  Atchinson; 
]\1.  E.  Williams,  and  J.  D.  Conderman;  probate 
judge,  I.  J.  Calvin,  by  acclamation ;  clerk  dis- 
trict court,  Colin  Hodge  on  fourth  ballot  over 
J.  S.  Hileman.  Ira  F.  Adams,  H.  H.  Graue, 
W.  H.  Hunter,  and  George  Hildreth ;  superin- 
tendent public  instruction,  Agnes  Baty  on  third 
ballot  over  A.  D.  ]\Iartin  and  S.  L.  Fogleman. 

L.  S.  Crum.  chairman  central  committee, 
W.  W.  Cook,  secretary. 

Augu.st  31,   1889,  Parsons;  J.  B.   Swartz, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


chairman,  Thomas  O'Hare  and  Evelyn  B. 
Baldwin,  secretaries.  Treasnrer,  William 
Slaughter,  by  acclamation  ;  reg'ister,  J.  A.  Flora 
on  third  ballot  over  B.  R.  Van  Meter  and  J. 
S.  Odell;  sheriff,  W.  H.  Sharp  on  fifth  bal- 
lott  over  J.  E.  Brooks,  S.  B.  Shaffer,  J.  B. 
Pickering,  A.  J.  Kirby,  and  W.  J.  Webb ;  coun- 
ty clerk,  George  Tilton;  surveyor,  J.  W.  Bog- 
gess ;  coroner.  Thomas  J.  Finley ;  commission- 
er, J.  AV.  Scott  on  first  ballot  over  C.  J.  Dar- 
ling. 

W.  A\'.  McEwen,  chairman  central  com- 
mittee. J.  L.  ]\IcGinness  secretary. 

August  23,  1890,  Oswego;  J.  B.  Cook, 
chairman.  A.  H.  Tyler,  secretary.  County  at- 
torney, W.  F.  Schoch,  by  acclamation ;  probate 
judge,  R.  M.  Hart,  by  acclamation;  clerk  dis- 
trict court,  Colin  Hodge,  by  acclamation;  su- 
perintendent public  instruction,  Fannie  Smitn 
on  first  ballot  over  Samuel  Wade;  comnns- 
sioner  first  district,  B.  D.  Roljerts. 

L.  S.  Crum,  chairman  central  committee, 
W.  W.  Cook,  secretary. 

September  5,  1891,  Mound  Valley;  M. 
Byrne,  chairman,  W.  W.  Cook,  secretary. 
Ti-easurer,  \\'illiam  Slaughter;  county  clerk, 
Geo.  W.  Tilton;  register,  J.  C.  Riclicreek  on 
third  ballot  over  J.  W.  Fee,  J.  A.  Flora  and 
L.  G.  Bigwood ;  sherift",  Andrew  Kaho  on  third 
ballot  over  W.  H.  Sharp,  I.  N.  Cissna,  A.  W. 
Newman,  D.  M.  Bender,  J.  E.  Brooks,  and 
J.  W.  Bennett;  coroner,  T.  J.  Finley  on  first 
ballot  over  Jacob  Crump,  M.  S.  Clayton ;  sur- 
veyor, M.  C.  Gaffey  on  first  ballot  over  J.  W. 
Boggess. 

W.  F.  Schoch,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, Colin  Hodge,  secretary. 

August  16,  1892.  Parsons;  W.  G.  Hoover, 
chairman,  W^  K.  Hayes  and  C.  S.  Newlon, 
secretaries.     Senator,  W.  W.  McEwen,  bv  ac- 


clamation; county  attorney,  A.  D.  Neals  on 
third  ballot  over  M.  Byrne,  J.  W.  Iden.  and  D. 
H.  Wilson;  probate  judge.  H.  H.  Graue  was 
nominated  on  first  ballot  over  .\.  T.  Dicker- 
man  and  W.  F.  Grierson,  but  as  he  had  not 
been  a  candidate  for  that  office  he  declined  to 
accept  the  nomination,  and  W.  F.  Grierson  was 
nominated  on  second  ballot  over  A.  T.  Dick- 
erman  ;  clerk  district  court,  E.  C.  Clark  on  first 
ballot  over  H.  H.  Graue;  superintendent  pub- 
lic instruction.  A.  D.  Martin,  by  acclamation; 
commissioner  third  district.  J-  W.  Scott,  by  ac- 
clamation. 

Dr.  C.  Rockhold,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, U.  S.  Harr,  secretary. 

August  28,  1893,  Oswego;  R.  \A'.  Wright, 
chairman.  H.  C.  Ford,  secretary.  Treasurer, 
John  R.  Monroe  over  J.  M.  Thompson:  coun- 
ts- clerk.  J.  F.  Thompson,  by  acclamation ;  reg- 
ister of  deeds.  H.  H.  Graue,  over  \A'allace  W. 
Bradbury;  sheriff,  John  W.  Bennett  over  Jo- 
seph Craft  and  J.  W.  Scott ;  surveyor,  E.  P. 
Ba^•less,  l^y  acclamation ;  coroner,  T.  J.  Finley, 
by  acclamation;  commissioner  first  district,  D. 
C  \\'atsun,  by  acclamation.  As  authorized  by 
the  convention,  at  a  later  date  the  central  com- 
mittee nominated  the  following  high  school 
trustees:  Nelson  Case,  J.  M.  Birt.  W.  G. 
Hoover,  I.  S.  Boyer,  Dr.  C.  S.  Newlmi  and  J. 
W.  Fee. 

Nelson  Case,  chairman  central  committee, 
W.  F.  Schoch,  secretary. 

July  14,  1S94,  Oswego;  J.  W.  Scott,  chair- 
man. J.  D.  Lusk,  secretary.  Probate  judge.  ]. 
C.  Richcreek  over  J.  H.  Young  and  W.  S. 
Stokebake;  clerk  district  court.  E.  C.  Clark, 
bv  acclamation;  county  attorney,  A.  B.  Swit- 
zer,  by  acclamation;  superintendent  pul.)lic  in- 
struction. i\lrs.  Ida  C.  iNIartin  over  I.  S.  Bo}-er. 
E.  C.  iMcKinIe\'  and  Clav  D.  Herod;  commis- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


sioner  second  district,  L.  C.  Freeman  over 
James  X.  Tibbets;  higb  school  trustees.  J.  ^I. 
Birt  and  \\\  G.  Hoover,  by  acclamation. ' 

C.  S.  Xewlon,  chairman  central  committee, 
Charles  Harrington,  secretary. 

August  31,  1895,  Chetopa;  Dr.  F.  E.  Ham- 
ilton, chairman,  L.  M.  Bedell,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, E.  W.  Alinturn  over  \V.  C.  Dicus:  coun- 
ty clerk.  J.  F.  Thompson  over  J.  \\'.  Weaver ; 
sheriit.  John  W.  Bennett,  by  acclamation ;  reg- 
ister of  deeds,  H.  H.  Graue,  by  acclamation; 
surveyor,  E.  P.  Bayless  over  J.  W.  B(3ggess; 
coroner,  J.W.  French  over  T.  J.  Finley,  George 
W.  Parks  and  Vance  Camplaell :  high  school 
trustees.  Xelson  Case  and  E.  E.  Lauglilin  b}- 
acclamation. 

E.  C.  Clark,  chairman  central  committee, 
O.  Gossard,  secretary. 

July  29,  1896,  Parsons;  James  W.  Scott 
chairman.  W.  H.  Martin,  secretary.     Senator. 

E.  C.  Clark  over  Dr.  W.  W.  McEwen ;  probate 
judge,  J.  C.  Richcreek,  by  acclamation;  county 
attorney,  E.  L.  Burton  over  J.  \V.  Iden,  J.  D. 
Conderman,  Claude  E.  Kennedy  and  A.  H.  Ty- 
ler; clerk  district  court,  W.  C.  Dicus  over  Colin 
Hodge.  W.  F.  Cox  and  H.  H.  Beard;  super- 
intendent public  instruction,  Mrs.  Ida  C.  Mar- 
tin, by  acclamation ;  commissioner  first  district, 
D,  U.  Watson,  by  acclamation ;  high  school 
trustees,  I.  S.  Boyer  and  R.  A.  Davis,  by  accla- 
mation. 

H.  H.  Graue.  chairman  central  committee. 
O.  Gossard,  secretary. 

September  9,  1897,  Oswego;  R.  \\'. 
Wright,  chairman,  A.  H.  Tyler,  secretary. 
Treasurer,  E.  W.  Minturn,  by  acclamation ; 
county  clerk.  Ivy  Prescott  over  Robert  Mosh- 
er,  W.  C.  Berry,  B.  F.  Briggs,  John  M.  Chans- 
ler  and  T.  H.  Lough;  sheriff.  David  Bone- 
I)rake  o\er  D.  .\.  Jones.  W.  C.  Weaver  and 

F.  M.  Webli;  register  of  deeds.  Arch  D.  Swan- 


wick  over  Wallace  W.  Bradbury;  surveyor,  J. 
W.  Boggess  over  E.  P.  Bayless ;  coroner,  J.  W. 
French,  by  acclamation;  commissioner  second 
district,  Lewis  Woodyard;  high  school  trustees. 
H.  H.  Long  and  I.  S.  Boyer.  by  acclamation. 
E.  C.   Clark,  chairman  central  committee, 

E.  E.  Ford,  secretary. 

June  2.  1898,  Oswego;  E.  L.  Burton, 
chairman.  E.  E.  Ford,  secretary.  Probate 
judge,  Lewis  W.  Grain  over  D.  1\I.  Stice.  \\'. 

F.  Grierson,  Alvah  Shick,  R.  D.  Talbot  and 
F.  M.  Webb;  county  attorney,  E.  C.  Clark 
over  J.  D.  Conderman  and  A.  H.  Tyler ;  clerk 
district  court,  T.  A.  Ryan,  by  acclamation ;  su- 
perintendent public  instruction.  Miss  Annie  S. 
Arnold  over  Leslie  Piatt  and  L.  Lightfoot; 
coroner  (to  fill  vacancy).  J.  \\'.  French,  by 
acclamation ;  commissioner  third  district.  R.  D. 
Talbot;  Jiigh  school  trustees,  C.  H.  Williams 
and  Samuel  Bowman,  by  acclamation. 

C.  S.  X'^ewlon,  chairman  central  committee, 
Thomas  J.  Lough,  secretary. 

September  7,  1899,  Oswego;  Dr.  C.  Rock- 
hold,  chairman,  S.  T.  Herman,  secretary. 
Treasurer.  E.  D.  Bates,  by  acclamation ;  coun- 
ty clerk,  William  Chapman  by  acclamation; 
sheriff,  John  E.  Brooks  over  Frank  Dienst; 
register  of  deeds.  Arch  D.  Swanwick,  by  accla- 
mation; surveyor,  E.  P.  Bayless  over  J.  W. 
Boggess;  coroner,  Philip  Bassett,  by  acclama- 
tion; commissioner  first  district.  A.  M.  Strode, 
by  acclamation ;  high  school  trustees.  A.  B. 
Roller  and  J.  H.  Woodull,  by  acclamation. 

W.  J.  Lough,  chairman  central  committee, 
Harry  W.  Starnes,  secretary. 

July  19,  1900,  Oswego;  Dr.  P.  W.  Barbe, 
chairman,  Harry  W.  Starnes,  secretary.  Sena- 
tor, A.  A.  Osgood  over  W.  J.  Lough ;  probate 
judge,  Lewis  W.  Grain,  by  acclamation;  coun- 
ty attorney.  T.  J.  Flanneliy  ovev  Harry  G. 
Davis;  clerk  district  court,  James  W.  Weaver, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


by  acclamation ;  superintendent  pulslic  instruc- 
tion, ^Nliss  Annie  S.  Arnold,  by  acclamation ; 
commissioner  second  district  (at  a  convention 
held  at  a  later  date),  Oscar  Potter;  high  school 
trustees.  Dr.  J.  B.  Henderson  and  W.  Sturges, 
by  acclamation. 

Arch  D.  Swanwick,  chairman  central  com- 
mittee, George  ^Nleek,  secretary. 

REPUBLICAN    REPRESENT.\TIVE    CONVENTIONS. 

Forty-third  District. — October  7,  1871. 
Oswego:  W.  H.  Carpenter,  chairman,  H.  L. 
Partridge,  secretary.  Joseph  J.  Woods  nomi- 
nated on  third  ballot  over  \V.  H.  Carpenter 
and  Josephus  Moore. — October  12.  1872,  Par- 
sons; J.  J.  Woods,  chairman,  S.  O.  Fletcher, 
secretary.  W.  W.  Harper  on  first  ballot  over 
J.  H.  Tibbets. — October  11,  1873.  Oswego; 
\\'.  W.  Harper.— 1874,  Parsons;  J.  J  W  o. .ds. 
October  9.  1875,  Parsons;  A.  North,  chairman, 
R.  E.  Holloway,  secretary.  M.  W.  Reynolds, 
by  acclamation. 

Forty-fourtli  District. — October  7,  1871, 
Oswego.  D.  C.  Coostant  on  first  ballot  over 
Alexander  Bishop. — October  5,  1872,  Oswe- 
go; B.  W.  Perkins,  chairman,  Sylvester  Cook, 
secretary.  A\'.  H.  Mapes,  by  acclamation. — 
October  11.  1873.  Oswego;  W.  H.  Mapes. — 
September  26,  1874,  Chetopa;  W.  P.  Bishop, 
chairman,  X.  Sanford,  secretary.  J.  C.  Mc- 
Knight  on  first  ballot  over  R.  W.  Wright  and 
S.  M.  Canaday. — October  9.  1875,  Chetopa; 
J.  C.  Watson,  chairman,  E.  W.  Bedell,  secre- 
tary. Owen  Wimmer  on  third  ballot  over  R. 
\\'.  Wright,  C.  H.  Bent,  and  E.  Johnson. 

Forty-fourth  District. — October  7,  1876, 
Parsons ;  S.  Mayginnis,  chairman,  W.  L.  Win- 
ter, secretary.  M.  W.  Reynolds  on  first  bal- 
lott  over  W.  A.  Starr. — September  28,  1878, 
Parsons;  A.  H.  Ayres,  chairman,  Wm.  Hors- 


fall,  secretary.  M.  W.  Reynolds  on  first  bal- 
lott  over  Frank  Wel)b. — September  2~,  1880. 
J.  B.  Swartz  on  first  ballot. 

Fort y-tif til  District. — September  9,  1876, 
Oswego;  W.  H.  Mapes,  chairman,  W.  B. 
Glasse,  secretary.  F.  A.  Bettis  on  first  ballot 
over  James  Paxton  and  R.  W.  Wright. — Sep- 
tember 4,  1878,  Oswego;  E.  D.  Keirsey,  chair- 
man, S.  W.  Canaday,  secretary.  F.  A.  Bettis  on 
thirtieth  ballot  over  F.  B.  McGill,  H.  W. 
Barnes,  J.  L.  Williams  and  others. — Septem- 
ber 25,  1880,  Oswego.  J.  S.  Waters  on  fourth 
ballot  over  R.  W.  Wright  and  J.  L.  Williams. 
Forty-si.rfli  District. — September  9,  1876, 
Chetopa;  G.  W.  Jenkins,  chairman,  S.  T.  Her- 
man, secretary.  J.  H.  Hibbits  on  first  ballot 
over  H.  W.  Martin  and  Owen  Wimmer. — 
September  21,  1878,  Chetopa;  Tim  Kay,  chair- 
man, George  H.  Bates,  secretary.  T.  J.  Cal- 
vin on  sixtieth  ballot  over  H.  W.  Martin.  Alex. 
Duncan,  and  J.  H.  Crichton. — September  22, 
1880;  L.  M.  Bedell,  chairman,  J.  F.  Hill,  sec- 
retary.    T.  J.  Calvin,  by  acclamation. 

Thirty-third  District.—Stptemhev  9,  1882, 
Parsons ;  S.  Mayginnis,  chairman,  Lee  Clark, 
secretar)'.  W.  L.  Simons  nominated  on  first 
ballot  (informal),  but  declined;  on  second  bal- 
lot J.  W.  Fee  nominated  over  J.  B.  Swartz 
and  S.  L.  Obenchains. — September  23,  1884, 
Parsons.     David  Kelso  on  first  ballot. 

Tliirty-fourtli  Fistrict. — September  29, 
1882.  Oswego;  E.  D.  Keirsey,  chairman,  An- 
drew Kaho.  secretary.  J.  S.  Waters  on  first 
ballot  over  H.  C.  Richardson. — September  6, 
1884,  Oswego;  James  Paxson.  chairman,  Wm. 
Houck,  secretary.  H.  C.  Cook,  by  acclama- 
tion. 

Thirty-fifth  D/.v/ru7.— September  28.  1882, 
Chetopa ;  Wesley  Faurot,  chairman,  E.  W.  Be- 
dell, secretary.  J.  H.  Crichton  on  first  ballot. 
— September  22,  1884,  Chetopa;  R.  A.  Bart- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTS 


lett,  chairman,  Joe  R.  Hill,  secretary.  J.  B. 
Cook,  by  acclamation. 

TKriity-ciglith  District. — September  25, 
1886.  Parsons.  F.  R.  Morton.— September 
2,  1888,  Parsons;  J.  H.  Beatty,  chairman,  V. 
J.  Knapp,  secretary.  W.  W.  Cranston  nomi- 
nated on  first  ballot. — August  30,  1890,  Par- 
sons; \\'.  H.  Thome,  chairman,  M.  Byrne,  sec- 
retary. A.  H.  Tyler  on  second  ballot  over  J. 
M.  Birt  and  C.  J.  Darling.— October  4,  1890, 
a  second  con\'ention  was  held  to  act  on  the 
matter  of  Mr.  Tyler's  withdrawal,  die  having 
signified  to  the  central  committee  his  willing- 
ness to  withdraw.  His  action  was  accepted, 
and  T-  ^I-  Birt  was  nominated  in  his  place. 

Twenty-ninth  District.— October  9,  1886, 
Oswego;  J.  W.  Marley,  chairman,  M.  E.  Will- 
iams, secretary.  J.  H.  Morrison  on  first  bal- 
lot over  H.  C.  C<.ok.— Septemlier  13,  1888, 
Altamont;  \V.  F.  Schoch,  chairman,  M.  E. 
^^'illiams,  secretary.  H.  S.  Cley  <jn  first  bal- 
lot over  J.  J.  Miles. — September  13.  1890,  Al- 
tamont; H.  M.  Debolt,  chairman.  \\'.  K.  Orr, 
secretary.     T-  H.  Morrison,  by  acclamation. 

Thirtieth  District. — October  16,  1886.  Che- 
topa;  T.  C.  McKnight.  chairman,  Bayard  T. 
Burnes.  secretary.  J.  J.  Slaughter,  on  second 
ballot,  over  J.  S.  Hileman,  B.  D.  Roberts, 
Colin  Hodge,  and  Isaac  Butterworth. — Octo- 
ber 2,  1888,  Edna;  J.  E.  Snevely,  chairman, 
Presley  McKnight,  secretary.  J.  S.  Hileman, 
by  acclamation. — September  6,  1890,  Edna; 
E.  A.  Herrod,  chairman,  M.  N.  Baldwin,  sec- 
retary.   \\'.  J.  Raymond,  by  acclamation. 

Tzventy-sixth  District. — September  3, 
1892,  Parsons;  J.  W.  Fee,  chairman,  J.  D. 
Lusk,  secretary.  D.  M.  Bender,  on  first  lial- 
lot,  over  Arch  Wade. — August  25.  1894.  Par- 
sons; F.  M.  Webb,  chairman,  J.  D.  Lusk.  sec- 
retary. D.  M.  Bender,  by  acclamation. — July 
29,   1896,  Parsons;  George  K.  Ratliff,  chair- 


man, J.  D.  Lusk,  secretary.  D.  M.  Bender, 
by  acclamation. 

Tzventy-sevcnth  District. —  September  20, 
1892,  Chetopa;  T.  J.  Calvin,  chairman.  Dr.  C. 
S.  Nevvlon,  secretary.  W.  G.  Hoover,  by  accla- 
mation.— August  4,  1894,  Oswego;  L.  M.  Be- 
dell, chairman,  G.  A.  Nicholetts.  Secretary.  W. 
J.  Lough,  over  W.  F.  Schoch.— July  28,  1896, 
Chetopa ;  J.  F.  Von  Trebra,  chairman,  G.  W. 
Tilton,  secretary.  W.  J.  Lough,  by  acclama- 
tion.— June  4,  1898,  Parsons;  J.  W.  Iden, 
chairman,  J.  D.  Lusk,  secretary.  Arthur 
Cranston,  over  Charles  F.  Turner. — September 
27,  1900,  Parsons;  M.  L.  Morgan,  chairman, 
H.  C.  Sourbeer,  secretary.  J.  B.  McDonald, 
over  Fred  H.  Brown  and  J.  M.  Gregory. 

Tii'cnty-ciglith  district.— June  2,  1898,  Os- 
wego; J.  A.  Co.x,  chairman,  Lee  IMcGill,  secre- 
tary. T.  J.  Flannelly,  by  acclamation. — July 
19,  1900,  Oswego;  Walter  Von  Trebra,  chair- 
man, Lee  McGill,  secretary.  J.  ^^^  ]\Iarley,  by 
acclamation. 

DEMOCR.\TIC    COUNTY    CONVENTIONS. 

In  October,  1866,  an  informal  Democratic 
caucus  was  held  at  a  spring  on  Short's  claim, 
in  section  22,  Montana  township.  D.  M.  Clover 
was  chairman,  and  M.  A.  Victor,  secretary.  It 
was  attended  quite  generally  by  the  Demo- 
crats in  the  community,  and  the  sentiment  was 
to  vote  a  Democratic  ticket.  In  view  of  this 
they  nominated  a  full  county  ticket.  I  have 
obtained  only  partial  information  respecting  it. 
A  part  of  the  ticket  was  as  follows ;  W.  C. 
Watkins,  for  representative,  H.  C.  Bridgman 
for  county  clerk.  Nelson  Carr  for  county  treas- 
urer, Samuel  Dunham  for  superintendent  pub- 
lic instruction. 

October,  1867,  Democratic  caucus  in  Bun- 
tain  building,  Oswego.     ^\^  C.  Watkins  nom- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


inated  for  representative  Eighty-fifth  district, 
H.  C.  Bridgman  for  county  treasurer.  The 
rest  of  the  ticket  was  left  for  parties  to  run 
independent.  Dr.  J.  B.  Thurman  ran  for  pro- 
bate judge. 

September  19.  1868,  Fleming  building,  Os- 
wego; J.  D.  McCue,  chairman,  J.  F.  Waskey, 
secretary.  Representative  Eighty-fifth  district, 
W.  C.  Watkins;  superintendent  public  instruc- 
tion, Jacob  Ruble;  county  commissioner,  G. 
W.  Franklin ;  county  attorney,  N.  L.  Hibbard ; 
county  clerk,  D.  ^^'.  Clover;  clerk  district 
court,  E.  Wells;  projjate  judge,  John  Richard- 
son. 

In  1869  no  con\-entiiin  was  held,  a  caucus 
deeming  it  best  to  let  parties  run  independent 
who  wished  to  oppose  the  Republican  ticket. 

July  23,  1870,  court-house,  Oswego.   M.  V. 

B.  Bennett  made  a  speech,  and  steps  were  taken 
to  efifectually  organize  the  party  in  the  county ; 
what  had  been  done  theretofore  having 
been  rather  informal,  and  hardly  regular  party 
action.  A  county  convention  was  called  for 
September  10,  1870,  at  Oswego,  which  as- 
sembled, and  adjourned  to  September  24th, 
after  electing  W.  P.  Lamb  and  M.  V.  B.  Ben- 
nett delegates  to  the  state  convention. 

September  24,  1870,  Oswego;  D.  J.  Doolen, 
chairman,  George  ^V.  Houston,  secretary.     D. 

C.  Hutchinson,  representative  Eighty-fifth  dis- 
trict; J.  A.  Cox,  probate  judge;  L.  F.  Fisher, 
county  attorney;  J.  J.  Browne,  superintendent 
public  instruction;  J.  M.  Cunningham,  clerk 
district  court;  J.  M.  Richardson,  commissioner 
third  district. 

M.  V.  B.  Bennett,  chairman  central  com- 
mittee. August  5,  1 87 1,  J.  J.  Browne  elected 
in  the  place  of  Bennett,  resigned ;  J.  F.  Waskey, 
secretary. 

October  21,  1871,  Oswego;  J.  J.  Browne, 
chairman.     Sheriff,  G.  W.  Franklin;  treasurer. 


J.  F.  Waskey ;  county  clerk,  George  ^\^  Hous- 
ton ;  register,  Frank  Campbell ;  surveyi_)r.  Wade 
H.  Priohard  ;  coroner,  G.  D.  Boon;  commission- 
er first  district,  D.  J.  Doolen;  third  district.  J. 
M.  Richardson ;  representative  Forty-fourt'i 
district,  Gilbert  A.  Cooper. 

J.  J.  Browne,  chairman  central  committee, 

August  24,  1872,  Oswego;  J.  J.  Browne, 
chairman,  J.  F.  Waskey,  secretary.  Demo- 
cratic and  Liberal  Republican  conventions  in 
session  at  same  time ;  H.  L.  Taylor,  chairman, 
and  J.  M.  Mahr,  secretary  Liberal  convention. 
Each  convention  instructed  its  central  commit- 
tee to  confer  and  unite  in  calling  a  county  con- 
vention to  nominate  a  fusion  ticket. 

October  18,  1872,  court-house,  Oswego; 
H.  L.  Taylor,  chairman,  J.  J.  Browne,  secre- 
tar}';  Democratic-Liberal  con\'ention.  Senator 
Fifteenth  district,  William  Dick;  probate 
judge,  Thomas  FI.  Bruner;  county  attorney. 
R.  M.  Donelly;  clerk  district  court,  J.  H. 
Macon;  superintendent  public  instruction, 
David  Donovan:  coroner,  A.  P.  Jnhnsun;  com- 
missioner scci  111(1  district,  C.  ]\[.  Munrne:  rep- 
resentati\-es,  b^nrty-tliird  district,  T.  C.  Cory; 
Forty-fourth,  Christian  Lieb. 

No  convention  held  in  1873. 

In  1874  the  Democrats  united  .with  Liberal 
Republicans,  and  held  a  Democratic-Reform 
convention,  October  14,  1874,  Labette  Cicy ; 
\Villiam  Dick,  chairman.  Senator  Fifteenth 
district,  J.  M.  Mahr,  on  first  ballot;  district 
clerk,  R."C.  Taylor,  on  first  ballot,  ..ver  A.  J. 
Gary;  county  attorney,  J.  C.  Parkhurst,  by  ac- 
clamation; probate  judge,  H.  C.  Blanchard,  on 
first  ballot,  over  S.  L.  Coulter  (not  present) ; 
superintendent  public  instruction,  E.  H.  Tay- 
lor, on  first  ballot,  over  Mary  A.  Higby;  reo- 
resentative  Forty-third  district,  William  Dick, 
on  first  ballot,  over  C.  M.  Monroe  and  J.  C. 
Merwin;  representative  Forty-fourth  district, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


\\'.  T.  Cunningham  and  D.  J-  Di)i)len  were 
successively  numinated  and  declined,  after 
which  Henry  Tibhets  was  nominated  by  ac- 
clamation. 

J.   B.  Lamb,  chairman  central  cummittee. 

October  8,  1875,  Oswego;  R.  M.  Donelly, 
chairman.  Dr.  M.  M.  }*Iilligan,  secretary. 
Treasurer.  A.  J.  Cary,  by  acclamation ;  sheriff, 
Nixon  Elliott,  on  first  ballot,  over  J.  H.  Macon 
and  W.  AI.  Rogers;  county  clerk.  L.  C.  How- 
ard, by  acclamation;  surveyor,  Wade  Prichard. 
by  acclamation;  register.  R.  C.  Taylor,  by  ac- 
clamation; coroner,  Dr.  M.  ]\I.  Milligan,  by  ac- 
clamation ;  commissioners,  first  district.  D.  J. 
Doolen;  second.  Christian  Lielj;  third.  J.  H. 
Martin ;  representatives.  Forty-third  district, 
G.   W.   Graybill;  Forty-fourth.   H.   G.   Webb. 

J.  B.  Lamb,  chairman  central  committee. 
T.  B.  J.  Wheat,  secretary. 

September  2Ti.  1876.  court-house,  Oswego; 
R.  ]\I.  Donelly,  chairman,  Nixon  Elliott,  sec- 
retary. Senator  Fifteenth  district,  Angell  Mat- 
thewson,  by  acclamation:  county  attorney,  W. 
P.  Talbot,  on  first  ballot,  over  G.  \\\  Fox; 
probate  judge,  D.  J.  Doolen.  on  first  ballot, 
over  Dr.  J.  Spruill ;  clerk  district  court,  I.  H. 
Fry,  by  acclamation ;  superintendent  public  in- 
struction, Mrs.  Hattie  Coleman,  by  acclama- 
tion. 

G.  W.  Fox.  chairman  central  cijmmittee, 
A\'.  J.  Herman,  secretary. 

September  29.  1877.  Central  committee 
decided  not  to  htjld  convention.  G,  W.  Fox, 
chairman,  W.  J.  Herman,  secretary. 

September  21.  1878,  Oswego:  G.  W.  Fox, 
chairman,  J.  B.  Lamb,  secretary.  Probate 
judge,  P.  Y.  Thomas;  representatives,  Forty- 
fourth  district,  J.  H.  Martin;  Forty-fifth,  H. 
C.  Blanchard :  clerk  district  court.  J.  K.  Rus- 
sell ;  county  attorney.  I.  S.  Jones ;  superintend- 


ent public  instruction  J.  Ccjvalt ;  commissioner 
first  district.  D.  J-  Doolen. 

G.  W.  Fox,  chairman  central  committee, 
D.  H.  Mays,  secretary. 

August  25,  1879.  Oswego;  G.  W.  Gabriel, 
chairman,  H.  C.  Hall,  secretary.  Treasurer, 
T.  P.  Waskey;  sheriff.  J.  H.  Macon;  register, 
W.  T.  Berry ;  county  clerk,  L.  C.  Howard  ;  sur- 
veyor. S.  R.  Southwick  (W.  H.  Godwin  sub- 
stituted) ;  coroner,  J.  B.  Lamb;  commissioner 
second  district,  L  D.  Johnson. 

G.  \X.  Fox,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.   M.  Hall,  secretary. 

October  9,  1880,  Oswego;  G.  W.  Fox, 
chairman.  F.  C.  Helsell,  secretary.  Commit- 
tee having  consulted  with  committee  from 
Greenback  party,  reported  in  favor  of  union 
on  following-'  basis ;  Greenback  nominees  for 
senator,  district  clerk  and  superintendent  to  be 
indorsed,  and  the  Greenbackers  to  withdraw 
their  candidates  for  and  indorse  Democratic 
nominees  for  county  attorney,  probate  judge, 
and  representatives  in  Forty-fourth,  Forty-fifth 
and  Forty-sixth  districts.  Adopted. — County 
attorney.  George  F.  King,  on  first  ballot,  over 
W.  P.  Talbott;  probate  judge,  W.  P.  Talbott, 
on  first  ballot,  over  James  Barton ;  senator  Fif- 
teenth district,  Geo.  Campbell;  clerk  district 
court,  J.  K.  Russell ;  superintendent  public  in- 
struction, ]M.  T.  McCarty  indorsed;  commis- 
sioner third  district,  .\.  H.  McCormick  in- 
dorsed. 

G.  W.  Fox.  chairman  central  committee, 
F.  C.  Helsell.  secretary. 

October  11,  1881.  Central  committee  de- 
cided not  to  hold  convention.  Mr.  Fox  re- 
signed as  chairman  central  committee,  and  J. 
M.  Mahr  was  elected  chairman.  F.  C.  Helsell, 
secretary. 

August    12,    1882,    court-house,    Oswego; 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


George  S.  King,  chairman,  C.  F.  Winton,  sec- 
retary. Probate  judge,  A.  G.  Drake,  by  ac- 
clamation; county  attorney,  R.  T.  Hollovvay, 
by  acclamation ;  clerk  district  court,  R.  C.  Tay- 
lor.    Authorized  committee  to  till   vacancies. 

October  7,  1882.  Central  committee  ac- 
cepted A.  G.  Drake's  withdrawal  as  probate 
judge,  and  agreed  to  leave  that  place  and  also 
superintendent,  vacant,  and  to  support  Green- 
back nominees.  Nominated  C.  M.  Monroe 
commissioner  second  district. 

J.  M.  Mahr,  chairman  central  committee, 
George  S.  King,  secretary. 

September  22,  1883,  Oswego;  J.  M.  Mahr, 
chairman,  George  S.  King,  secretary.  Sheriff, 
J.  P.  Dejarnett,  on  first  ballot,  over  J.  J.  Free- 
man and  A.  J.  Mapes;  treasurer,  E.  C.  Dent, 
on  first  ballot,  over  J.  F.  Waskey;  register, 
J.  M.  Cunningham,  over  C.  M.  Monroe,  on 
first  ballot;  county  clerk,  F.  W.  Fry,  on  first 
ballot,  over  J.  M.  Bannan;  surveyor,  A.  B. 
Bushnell,  by  acclamation;  commissioner  third 
district,  M.  E.  Carson. 

W.  H.  Morris,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, George  S.  King,  secretary. 

October  14,  1884,  court-house,  Oswego;  J. 
R.  Brown,  chairman,  W.  H.  Cook,  secretary. 
Senator  Ninth  district,  J.  J.  Kacidey;  probate 
judge,  F.  M.  Smith;  clerk  district  court,  J. 
M.  Cunningham;  no  nominee  for  superintend- 
ent; W.  H.  Cook,  commissioner  first  district, 
indorsed. 

J.  R.  Brown,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.  M.  Landis,  secretary. 

October  28,  1884.  Central  committee  ac- 
cepted the  withdrawal  of  J.  J.  Kackley,  and 
placed  W.  J.  Conner's  name  in  his  place;  also 
nominated  George  S.  King  county  attorney, 
and  J.  Covalt,  superintendent.  Afterward 
Chairman  Brown  and  others  published  a  card 


denouncing  action  of  committee  in  placing  Con- 
ner's name  on  ticket,  etc. 

October  6,  1885,  Oswego;  J.  P.  Dejarnett,, 
chairman,  W.  W.  Fry,  secretary.  Treasurer, 
E.  W.  Ross;  register,  George  Miller;  sheriff,. 
H.  R.  Lewis;  county  clerk,  J.  S.  Odell;  sur- 
veyor, A.  B.  Bushnell ;  coroner,  T.  A.  H.  Lowe ; 
commissioner  second  district.  Lewis  Goodwin. 

G.  W.  Gabriel,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.  M.  Landis,  secretary. 

October  12,  1886,  opera  house,  Oswego; 
A.  H.  Garnett,  chairman,  I.  H.  Fry  and  A. 
W.  Mackie,  secretaries.  Probate  judge,  G.  W. 
Gabriel,  by  acclamation;  county  superintend- 
ent. G.  Guy  Morris,  on  first  ballot,  over 
Fanny  Cooper;  representative  Twenty-ninth 
district,  Gilbert  A.  Cooper.  Motion  carried  to 
make  no  farther  nominations,  in  interest  of 
State  and  Congressional  tickets. 

G.  W.  Gabriel,  chairman  central  committee, 
A.  H.  Garnett,  secretary. 

During  this  canvass  Dr.  Gabriel  withdrew 
as  candidate  for  probate  judge,  and  the  central 
committee  placed  J.  J.  McFeely  on  the  ticket  in 
his  place. 

September  13,  1887.  Oswego;  A.  H.  Gar- 
nett, chairman,  J.  S.  Odell,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, James  L.  Wilson ;  sheriff,  Samuel  Ledge- 
wood;  register  of  deeds,  I.  PL  Fry;  county 
clerk,  D.  H. 'Martin;  surveyor,  A.  B.  Bushnell; 
coroner,  Caesar  Wilson. 

G.  W.  Gabriel,  chairman  central  committee, 
A.  H.  Garnett,  secretary. 

September  11,  1888,  Mound  Valley;  G.  W. 
Gabriel,  chairman,  J.  F.  Waskey,  secretary. 
Senator  Tenth  district,  R.  L.  Sharp,  by  ac- 
clamation; probate  judge,  J.  W.  Deatherage, 
by  acclamation ;  county  attorney,  F.  M.  Smith, 
by  acclamation;  clerk  district  court.  E.  W. 
Ross,  by  acclamation;  superintendent,  Fanny 


226 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Cooper,  by  acclamation ;  representatives,  Twen- 
ty-eighth district,  M.  V.  B.  Davis;  Twenty- 
ninth,  George  S.  King;  Thirtieth,  W.  G. 
Reamer. 

J.  F.  Waskey,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, Geo.  S.  Liggett,  secretary. 

September  26,  1889,  Chetopa;  E.  C.  Dent, 
chairman,  F.  M.  Smith,  secretary.  Treasurer, 
J.  F.  Waskey ;  sheriff,  W.  H.  Swartzell ;  regis- 
ter, L  D.  Highleyman;  county  clerk,  L  M. 
Hinds;  surveyor,  J.  H.  Dersham;  coroner,  A. 
H.  Wells. 

J.  M.  Kleiser,  chairman  central  committee. 

August  30,  1890,  Parsons;  J.  M.  Kleiser, 
chairman,  J.  J.  Rambo,  secretary.  Clerk  dis- 
trict court,  Isaac  M.  Hinds;  county  attorney, 
George  S.  King. 

August  20,  1891,  court-house,  Oswego;  J. 
F.  Waskey,  chairman,  F.  W.  Frye,  secretary. 
Treasurer,  J.  W.  Galyen;  sheriff,  W.  H. 
Swartzell ;  register,  W.  S.  Houghton ;  county 
clerk,  J.  J.  Freeman;  coroner,  George  S.  Lig- 
gett; surveyor,  J.  H.  Dersham;  commissioner 
third  district,  W.  A.  Huff. 

F.  W.  Frye,  chairman  central  committee, 
George  S.  Liggett,  secretary. 

September  29,  1892,  Chetopa;  George  S. 
Liggett,  chairman,  A.  J.  Austin,  secretary. 
The  convention  indorsed  the  full  ticket  thereto- 
fore nominated  by  the  People's  party. 

J.  M.  Landis,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.  F.  Waskey,  secretary. 

September  29,  1893,  Mound  Valley;  G.  W. 
Gabriel,  chairman,  J.  W.  Waskey,  secretary. 
Treasurer,  J.  B.  Montgomery,  by  acclamation ; 
county  clerk,  J.  J.  Rambo,  over  John  W.  Rick- 
art:  sheriff,  J,  C.  Arnold,  over  C.  R.  Walters 
and  I.  D.  Highleyman;  register  of  deeds. 
Frank  F.  Lamb,  by  acclamation;  surveyor,  C. 
R.  Walters,  by  acclamation;  coroner.  Dr.  A. 
B.  Temple,  by  acclamation;  commissioner  first 


district,  Jerome  Callahan,  by  acclamation; 
high  school  trustees  John  Gilham,  P.  W. 
Shick,  W.  S.  Jones,  G.  W.  Gabriel,  I.  D.  High- 
leyman, W.  S.  Huff. 

J.  M.  Kleiser,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.  F.  Waskey,  secretary. 

August  17,  1894,  Parsons;  J.  O.  McKee, 
chairman,  Alf  D.  Carpenter,  secretary.  Pro- 
bate judge,  Harry  Levi;  county  attorney,  I. 
D.  Highleyman;  clerk  district  court,  John  W. 
Rickart;  superintendent  public  instruction, 
Mrs.  Kate  Southwick. 

G.  W.  Gabriel,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, J.  D.  H.  Reed,  secretary. 

September  12,  1895,  Oswego;  J.  O.  McKee, 
chairman,  J.  D.  H.  Reed,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, J.  W.  Galyen;  county  clerk,  J.  D.  H. 
Reed;  sheriff,  J.  D.  Jones;  register  of  deeds, 
P.  J.  McGinley;  coroner,  George  S.  Liggett; 
commissioner  third  district,  G.  W.  Gabriel. 

George  S.  King,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, J.  D.  H.  Reed,  secretary. 

September  24,  1896,  Oswego;  George  S. 
King,  chairman,  J.  D.  H.  Reed,  secretary. 
The  convention  endorsed  the  whole  Populist 
ticket. 

Charles  M.  Frye.  chairman  central  com- 
mittee,  C.  A.   Lamb,  secretary. 

August  24,  1897,  Oswego;  W.  P.  Eddy, 
chairman,  Alf  D.  Carpenter,  secretary.  Coun- 
ty clerk,  E.  H.  Hughes;  high  school  trustee, 
George  S.  King.  The  convention  endorsed 
the  remainder  of  the  Populist  ticket. 

C.  A.  Lamb,  chairman  central  committee, 
Charles  P.  Garst,  secretary. 

July  16,  1898,  Parsons;  C.  S.  Leinbach, 
chairman,  George  S.  King,  secretary.  County 
attorney,  I.  D.  Highleyman;  probate  judge, 
George  S.  King;  clerk  district  court,  A.  R. 
Bradfield;  superintendent  public  instruction, 
Mrs.   Kate  Southwick;   coroner,    (to   fill   va- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


227 


cancy),  Josiah  Richmond;  high  school  trustees^ 
Walter  Phillips  and  W.  H.  Cook  for  full  term, 
James  E.  Rice  to  fill  vacancy;  commissioner 
third  district,  W.  H.  Swartzell. 

W.  P.  Eddy,  chairman  central  committee, 
A.  H.  McCarty,  secretary. 

September  12,  1899,  Parsons;  W.  P.  Eddy, 
chairman,  B.  F.  Goudy,  secretary.  Conven- 
tion endorsed  the  whole  Populist  ticket. 

W.  P.  Eddy,  chairman  central  committee, 
A.  H.  McCarty,  secretary. 

June  6,  1900,  Parsons;  A.  H.  McCarty, 
chairman,  James  Wilson,  secretary.  Senator, 
G.  W.  Gabriel,  by  acclamation;,  superintend- 
ent public  instruction,  Mrs.  Kate  Southwick, 
by  acclamation;  high  school  trustees,  George 
S.  Kingover  and  C.  H.  Bowman;  commission- 
er second  district,  Philip  Gears,  by  acclama- 
tion. Endorsed  the  remainder  of  the  Populist 
ticket. 

P.  F.  Smith,  chairman  central  committee, 
A.  H.  McCarty,  secretary. 

DEMOCRATIC    REPRESENTATIVE    DISTRICT     CON- 
VENTIONS. 

Usually  there  was  a  fusion  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  with  some  other  party  on  candi- 
dates for  the  Legislature ;  the  names  here  given 
are  those  for  whom  the  Democrats  generally 
voted.  Sometimes  they  were  nominated  by  a 
convention,  sometimes  indorsed  by  the  con- 
vention, sometimes  by  the  central  committee, 
and  sometimes  no  definite  action  at  all  was 
taken  upon  their  candidacy. 

Forty-fourth  District. — October  4,  1876, 
Parsons.  A.  Wilson  nominated  on  first  bal- 
lot ;  vote  was  reconsidered,  and  on  second  bal- 
lot G.  W.  Gabriel  nominated.— In  1878,  J.  H. 
Martin. — September  25,  1880,  Parsons;  W.  H. 
Morris. 


Forty-HftJi  District. — October  7,  1876,  de- 
cided not  to  make  any  nominations. — October 
16,  1880,  Oswego.  Joint  convention  of  Dem- 
ocrats and  Greenbackers ;  Thomas  Wilson, 
chairman,  George  S.  King,  secretary.  J.  C. 
Murphy,  on  second  ballot,  over  D.  Doyle. 

Forty-sixth  District. — October  7,  1876, 
Chetopa;  A.  G.  Drake,  chairman,  W.  J.  Milli- 
ken,  secretary.  George  E.  Stone,  by  acclama- 
tion.— October  16,  1880,  Chetopa.  A.  D. 
Martin. 

Thirty-third  District.— In  1882,  G.  W. 
Gabriel;  in  1884,  W.  H.  Porter. 

Thirty-fourth  District. — In  1882,  George 
Campbell;  in  1884,  J.  W.  Deatherage. 

Thirty-Hfth  District. — October  14,  1882, 
Chetopa,  W.  P.  Wilson;  in  1884,  H.  H.  Lieb. 

Tzventy-eighth  District.— In  1886,  W.  H. 
Utley;  in  1888,  — '■ —  Davis. — August  30,  1890, 
Parsons;  S.  C.  Rickart,  chairman.  Jas.  Tan- 
ner indorsed. 

Tzventy-ninth  District. — October  12,  1886, 
Oswego;  Levi  Metier,  chairman,  Walter  Phil- 
lips, secretary.  Gilbert  A.  Cooper,  on  first  bal- 
lot, over  E.  Tanner. — In  1888,  George  S.  King. 
In  1890,  central  committee  indorsed  P.  A.  Mor- 
rison. 

Thirtieth  District.— In  1886,  R.  S.  Ly- 
barger;  in  1888,  R.  S.  Lybarger.  In  1890, 
central  committee  indorsed  candidacy  of  Alex- 
ander Duncan. 

In  1892  the  county  convention  indorsed  the 
Populist  ticket,  including  the  candidates  for 
representative  in  both  districts.  In  1894  no 
representative  conventions  were  held,  and  no 
action  taken  in  county  convention  in  reference 
to  representatives.  In  1896  the  county  con- 
vention indorsed  the  whole  Populist  ticket,  in- 
cluding the  candidates  for  representatives  in 
both  districts. 

Twenty-seventh  District. — ^July  23,   1898, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Parsons;  C.  K.  Leinbach.  chairman,  James 
Wilson,  secretary.  G.  W.  Gabriel,  by  acclama- 
tion.— September  29,  1900,  Parsons;  J.  L. 
Wilson,  chairman,  S.  S.  Huffman,  secretary. 
Grant  Hume,  the  Populist  candidate,  was  in- 
dorsed by  acclamation. 

Twenty-eighth  District. — August  13,  1898, 
Edna;  C.  S.  Carlton,  chairman,  A.  H.  Mc- 
Carty,  secretary.  J.  F.  Waskey,  by  acclama- 
tion.— ^July  29,  1900,  Chetopa;  George  S.  King, 
chairman,  C.  S.  Carlton,  secretary.  M.  I. 
Daviss,  the  Populist  candidate,  was  indorsed 
by  acclamation. 

GREENBACK  COUNTY  CONVENTIONS. 

October  23,  1877,  city  hall,  Parsons;  A.  N. 
Sourbeer.  chairman,  A.  H.  McClear"  secre- 
tary. Treasurer,  A.  J.  Cary;  sherifif,  J.  H. 
Macon;  county  clerk,  L.  C.  Howard;  register, 
H.  E.  Ingraham;  surveyor,  W.  H.  Prichard; 
coroner,  B.  D.  Ellis;  commissioner  third  dis- 
trict,  P.  W.   Shick. 

F.  A.  Briggs,  chairman  central  committee, 
A.    S.    Harper,    secretary. 

April  6,  .  1878,  delegates  from  various 
Greenback  clubs  met  at  Parsons  for  permanent 
organization,  and  elected  an  executive  com 
mittee,  of  which  J.  W.  Briggs  was  made  chair- 
man and  S.  M.  Bailey,  secretary. 

August  20,  1878,  grove  near  Labette  City; 
R.  M.  Donelly,  chairman,  S.  M.  Bailey,  sec- 
retary. Probate  judge,  W.  A.  Starr,  on  first 
ballot,  over  Noah  Guymon;  county  attorney, 
J.  A.  Ball,  on  first  ballot,  over  A.  B.  Hacker ; 
superintendent,  J.  Covalt,  by  acclamation;  dis- 
trict clerk,  J.  K.  Russell,  by  acclamation;  rep- 
resentative Forty-sixth  district,  J.  M.  Bannan. 

August  21,  1879.  Labette  City;  J.  O.  Mc- 
Kee,  chairman,  J.  W.  Breidenthal,  secretary. 
Sheriff,  J.  O.  McKee,  by  acclamation;  treas- 
urer, W.  H.  Porter,  on  second  ballot,  over  John 


Hoffman.  W.  P.  Wilson,  and  Noah  Guymon; 
county  clerk,  S.  M.  Bailey,  on  first  ballot,  over 
W.  P.  Wilson;  register,  Lewis  Goodwin,  on 
first  ballot,  over  Nelson  Curl  and  J.  ].  Mc- 
Feely;  coroner,  Moses  Steel,  by  acclamation; 
surveyor,  W.  H.  Godwin;  commissioner  sec- 
ond district,  J.  C.  Murphy. 

M.  Snook,  chairman  central  committee. 

August  14,  1880,  Parsons;  D.  Doyle,  chair- 
man, W.  H.  Potter,  secretary.  Senator,  George 
Campbell;  clerk  district  court,  J.  K.  Russell; 
probate  judge,  J.  M.  C.  Reed;  superintendent 
public  instruction,  M.  T.  McCarthy. 

J.  J.  McFeely,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, L.  Garneau,  secretary. 

October  16,  188 1,  Mound  Valley;  J.  J.  Mc- 
Feely, chairman,  George  Campbell,  secretary. 
Register,  J.  W.  Breidenthal,  on  first  ballot, 
over  W.  P.  Wilson,  T.  J.  Finley,  and  W.  J. 
Millikin;  treasurer,  A.  H.  McCormick,  on  first 
ballot,  over  W.  J.  Millikin;  county  clerk,  T. 
J.  Finley,  on  first  ballot,  over  J.  Reasor  and  T. 
L.  Cotton ;  sheriff,  W.  P.  Wilson,  on  first  bal- 
lot, over  John  Hoffman;  coroner,  William 
Rowe;  commissioner  first  district.   D.   Doyle. 

J.  M.  Bannon,  chairman  centra  1  commit- 
tee, J.  W.  Breidenthal,  secretary. 

October  7.  1882,  Oswego;  J.  J.  McFeely, 
chairman,  C.  L.  Albin,  secretary.  District 
!  clerk,  J.  K.  Russell,  by  acclamation;  probate 
judge,  J.  J.  McFeely,  by  acclamation;  county 
attorney,  no  nomination;  superintendent  pub- 
lic instruction,  J.  Covalt,  on  first  ballot,  over 
Angelia  Bishop  and  Mary  Bradbury;  coroner, 
W.  J.  Millikin,  acclamation;  representatives. 
Thirty-fourth  district.  George  Campbell ;  Thir- 
ty-fifth, W.  P.  Wilson;  commissioner  second 
district,  M.  Breidenthal. 

J.  M.  Bannan,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.  W.  Breidenthal,  secretarv. 

October  23,  1883.  Mound  Valley;  J.  W. 
Breidenthal,  chairman.     Treasurer,    L.    Gar- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


neau;  sheriff,  J.  C.  Murphy;  register,  W. 
Miller;  county  clerk,  J.  W.  Fleming;  coroner, 
U.  Osborne. 

J.  W.  Breidenthal,  chairman  central  com- 
mittee, L.  N.  Thompson,  secretary. 

October  27,  1884,  Parsons;  representative 
Thirty-third  district,  W.  H.  Porter. 

GREENBACK  DISTRICT  CONVENTIONS. 

Forty-fourth  District. — August  17,  1878, 
Parsons.  James  H.  Martin  nominated. — Sep- 
tember 25,  1880,  Parsons.  James  H.  Martin, 
representative,  and  A.  H.  McCormick.  com- 
missioner. 

Forty-tifth  District. — August  14,  1878, 
Altamont.  H.  C.  Blanchard. — October  16, 
1880,  Oswego;  Thomas  Wilson,  chairman, 
■George  S.  King,  secretary.  Joint  convention 
of  Democrats  and  Greenbackers.  J.  C.  Mur- 
phy, on  second  ballot,  over  D.  Doyle. 

Forty-sixth  District. — 1878.  Chetopa;  John 
M.Bannan.  October  15,  1880,  Kingston. 
W.  P.  Wilson. 

TEMPERANCE   CONVENTIONS. 

September  24,  Oswego.  1874;  adjourned  to 
October  6;  C.  Humble,  chairman,  Nelson  Case, 
secretary.  The  convention  indorsed  the  fol- 
lowing nominations  that  bad  been  made  by 
party  conventions;  Willard  Davis  alnd  J.  G. 
Parkhurst,  county  attorney;  J.  D.  McCue,  dis- 
trict judge;  H.  C.  Blanchard,  probate  judge; 
Mary  A.  Higby,  superintendent  public  instruc- 
tion; J.  G.  Coleman,  coroner:  representatives, 

William  Dick,  district;  Henry  Tibbets, 

Forty-third ;  J.  C.  McKnight,  Forty-fourth ;  J. 
J.  Woods  was  nominated  for  senator  Fifteenth 
district.  The  matter  of  indorsing  S.  L.  Coulter 
for  probate  judge  and  H.  C.  Cook  for  clerk 
district  court  was  left  to  be  acted  on  by  a  com- 


mittee after  investigation  was  had  as  to  their 
temperance  faith. 

August  15,  1876,  Parsons;  M.  G.  Brown, 
chairman,  C.  T.  Smith,  secretary.  Senator, 
M.  G.  Brown;  county  attorney.  Nelson  Case; 
probate  judge,  S.  L.  Coulter;  clerk  district 
court,  H.  C.  Cook;  superintendent  public  in- 
struction, Hettie  Coleman. 

August  24,  1882,  on  call  of  the  Oswego 
Temperance  Union,  a  meeting  was  iheld  in  a 
grove  near  Labette  City;  Rev.  John  Elliott, 
chairman,  J.  M.  Bowman,  secretary.  Resolved 
to  form  the  Labette  County  Prohibition  Union. 
Favored  only  temperance  men  for  officers,  and 
demanded  enforcement  of  the  prohibitory  law. 

PROHIBITION    CONVENTIONS. 

September  30,  1891,  Parsons;  W.  S.  New- 
Ion,  chairman,  G.  W.  Marley,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, W.  S.  Newlon;  sheriff,  J.  B.  Jones; 
register,  Mary  Scott;  county  clerk,  T.  O.  Em- 
erson; commissioner,  C.  B.  Bennett. 

August  6,  1892.  Parsons;  W.  S.  Newlon, 
ahairman,  G.  W.  Marley,  secretary.  Senator, 
J.  M.  Magie;  representatives,  Twenty-sixth 
district,  G.  W.  Marley.  Twenty-seventh,  B.  F. 
Lucas;  probate  judge,  O.  F.  Walker;  clerk 
district  court,  James  Beggs;  superintendent 
public  instruction,  Mary  Scott;  commissioner 
second  district,  W.  E.  Snyder. 

W.  S.'  Newlon,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee. G.  W.  Marley,  secretary. 

August  12,  1893,  Oswego;  treasurer,  J. 
F.  Woolford ;  county  clerk.  George  W.  Dough- 
man;  sheriff,  George  Anthony;  register  of 
deeds,  Mrs.  Eva  Riker. 

June  2,  1894,  Mound  \'alley;  probate 
judge,  E.  A.  Graham;  clerk  district  court,  C. 
F.  Doughman;  superintendent  public  instruc- 
tion. Miss  Beebe  Thompson. 


230 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


August  15,  1895,  Oswego;  representative 
Twenty-sixth  district,  John  Thompson;  repre- 
sentative Twenty-sixth  district,  Rev.  W.  S. 
Bundy;  treasurer,  A.  B.  Wilson;  county  clerk, 
James  Beggs ;  sheriff,  D.  B.  Woolford ;  register 
of  deeds,  Elizabeth  Emerson. 

UNION     LABOR    COUNTY    CONVENTIONS. 

September  15,  1887,  Parsons;  W.  H.  Utley, 
chairman,  W.  J.  Bryant,  F.  W.  Dauth  and  A. 
W.  Mackie,  secretaries.  Treasurer,  W.  H. 
Porter,  on  second  ballot,  over  H.  Leib,  Alex- 
ander Duncan,  A.  H.  Mickey,  John  Richard- 
son, Frank  Briggs;  county  clerk,  W.  J.  Milli- 
kin.  on  second  ballot,  over  A.  H.  Mickey,  C. 
C.  Robbins,  Milo  Hildreth,  A.  Moore ;  register, 
J.  K.  Russell,  on  second  ballot  over  B.  F.  Rolls, 
Thomas  Lawrence,  C.  F.  Turner  and  W.  F. 
Grierson;  sheriff,  W.  P.  Wilson,  on  third  bal- 
lot, over  William  Cook,  Ed.  Foyle,  J.  R.  Dun- 
can, Frank  Briggs, Wm.  Orr  and  D.  W.  Butler; 
surveyor,  C.  C.  Robbins,  on  first  ballot,  over 
John  M,  Hart  and  Levi  Ferg-uson;  coroner, 
A.  R.  Clarady,  on  first  ballot,  over  Peter 
Hogan;  commissioner  first  district,  S.  N. 
Woodruff. 

W.  H.  Utley,  chairman  central  committee, 
W.  H.  Porter,  secretary. 

August  21,  1888,  Chetopa;  J.  W.  Breiden- 
thal,  chairman,  Geo.  Campbell  and  A.  A.  King, 
secretaries.  Senator  Tenth  district,  George 
Campbell,  on  second  ballot,  over  A.  J.  Hixon, 
W.  J.  Gillette  and  R.  W.  Wrigiht;  clerk  of  the 
district  court,  L.  F.  Dick,  on  fifth  ballot,  over 
A.  W.  Mackie,  R.  S.  Lybarger,  J.  M.  Morgan 
and  J.  R.  Hill ;  probate  judge,  Nelson  Abbott, 
on  third  ballot,  over  C.  T.  Bridgman,  J.  M. 
C.  Reed,  J.  W.  Evans,  R.  S.  Lybarger,  S.  T. 
Cherry,  J.  R.  Hill  and  John  Richardson;  coun- 
ty attorney.  Jess  Brockway,  on  second  ballot, 


over  J,  J.  McFeely,  M.  Byrne,  G.  W.  Hen- 
dricks, C.  C.  Robbins,  R.  S.  Lybarger;  super- 
intendent public  instruction,  Mrs.  Lucy  Best, 
by  acclamation. 

Wm.  Cook,  chairman  central  committee. 
Nelson  Abbott,  secretary. 

September  7,  1889.  Parsons ;  J.  W.  Breiden- 
thal,  chairman,  L.  F.  Dick,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, W.  H.  Porter,  by  acclamation;  sheriff, 
Wm.  Cook,  on  second  ballot,  over  E.  A.  Rich- 
creek,  J.  R.  Duncan  and  W.  P.  Wilson ;  county 
clerk,  A.  H.  Mickey,  on  fourth  ballot,  over  J. 

A.  Jones  and  W.  J.  Millikin;  register,  J.  K. 
Russell,  on  first  ballot,  over  F.  C.  Turner,  C. 
L.  Albin  and  George  Campbell;  surveyor,  A. 

B.  Bushnell,  by  acclamation;  coroner,  Wm. 
Rowe,  by  acclamation. 

Wm.  Cook,  chairman  central  committee.  J. 
R.  Hill,  secretary. 

UNION    LABOR   REPRESENTATIVE   DISTRICT    CON- 
VENTIONS. 

Tzuenty-eighth  District. — September  8, 
1888,  at  Parsons.  A.  J.  Hixon,  nominated  by 
acclamation. — ^June  11,  1890,  at  Parsons. 
James  Tanner,  nominated  by  acclamation, 

Ttuenty-iiinth  District. — September  8, 
1888,  at  Oswego;  A.  W.  Mackie,  chairman,  A. 
A.  King,  secretary.  George  Pfaff,  on  first  bal- 
lot, over Harmon  and  Milo  Hildreth. — 

July  29,  1890,  in  connection  with  People'.":, 
county  convention  at  Parsons.  P.  A.  Mor- 
rison. 

Thirtieth  District.— -September  i,  1888,  at 
Edna ;  J.  H.  Reasor,  chairman,  E.  H.  Breiden- 
thal.  secretary.  R.  S.  Lybarger,  on  first  ballot, 
over  C.  W.  Holman  and  Levi  Ferguson. — 
July  29,  1890,  in  connection  with  People's 
county  convention  at  Parsons.  Alexander 
Duncan. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


PEOPLE  S   PARTY   COUNTY    CONVENTIONS. 

Parsons,  Jul}'  29,  1890;  E.  A.  Richcreek. 
chairman,  A.  H.  McCormick  and  Harry  Mills. 
secretaries.  Clerk  of  district  court,  J.  A.  Jones, 
on  second  ballot,  over  I.  M.  Waldrop,  R.  A. 
Johnson.  L.  F.  Dick,  J.  M.  Morgan,  W.  N. 
McCoid  and  W.  H.  Porter;  probate  judge. 
E.  A.  Richcreek,  on  first  ballot,  over  J.  H. 
Reasor,  A.  J.  Hixon.  J.  W.  Harra'h,  John  Rich- 
ardson ;  superintendent  public  instruction,  Mrs. 
Lucy  Best,  by  acclamation ;  county  attorney, 
J.  R.  Hill,  on  third  ballot,  over  M.  E.  Williams, 
W.  J.  Gillette  and  George  S.  King;  commis- 
sioner first  district,  Gilbert  A.  Cooper;  repre- 
sentatives. Twenty-ninth  district,  P.  A.  Mor- 
rison; Thirtieth,  Alexander  Duncan. 

E.  A.  Richcreek,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, Harry  Mills,  secretary, 

September  3,  1891.  Parsons;  E.  A.  Rich- 
creek. chairman,  Harry  Mills,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, Martin  V.  Davis,  on  second  ballot,  over 
John  Richardson  and  Ben  Johnson;  sheriff, 
William  Cook,  on  first  ballot,  over  A.  B.  Funk. 
J.  R.  Duncan  and  A.  Sharp;  register,  A.  \V. 
Mackie,  on  first  ballot,  over  George  Blank,  F. 
T.  Deinst  and  W.  N.  McCoid;  county  clerk. 
D.  H.  Martin,  on  first  ballot,  over  W.  J.  Milli- 
kin,  I.  N.  Watson,  and  I.  M.  Waldrop;  sur- 
veyor, A.  B.  Bushnell:  coroner,  J.  H.  Miller. 

Harry  Mills,  ohairman  central  committee, 
A.  W.  Mackie,  secretary. 

August  9,  1892,  Parsons;  J.  F.  Hill,  chair- 
man, L.  F.  Dick  and  Harry  Mills,  secretaries. 
Senator.  John  H.  Riley,  by  acclamation;  pro- 
bate judge,  George  Campbell,  on  third  ballot, 
over  E.  A.  Richcreek,  A.  J.  Hixon  and  H. 
Summers;  clerk  disrict  court,  Jesse  M.  Mor- 
gan, on  first  ballot,  over  A.  W.  Jones  and  R. 
A.  Johnson ;  county  attorney,  M.  E.  Williams. 
on  first  ballot,  over  H.  G.  Webb;  superintend- 


ent public  instruction,  Mrs.  Lucy  Best,  by  ac- 
clamation; commissioner  second  district,  J.  A. 
Jarboe. 

William  Cook,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, D.  H.  Martin,  secretary. 

August  26,  1893,  Parsons;  Dr.  E.  Tanner, 
chairman.  Isaiah  Brown,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, M.  V.  Davis,  by  acclamation;  county 
clerk,  D.  H.  Martin,  by  acclamation;  sheriff, 
George  Carr,  over  I.  N.  Watson,  A.  F.  Ed- 
wards, Benjamin  Johnson  and  J.  L.  Masters ; 
register  of  deeds,  Thomas  Todd,  over  Leonard 
Rude,  L.  Brown,  T.  E.  Dienst.  J.  H.  Reasor 
and  A.  H.  Mackie;  surveyor,  A.  B.  Bushnell, 
by  acclamation;  coroner,  H.  C.  Hairgrove,  by 
acclamation;  commissioner  first  district  (at  a 
later  date).  Gilbert  A.  Cooper,  by  acclamation; 
high  school  trustees,  the  full  board  as  appoint- 
ed by  the  county  commissioners,  viz. :  Nelson 
Case,  J.  E.  Vansant,  W.  A.  Huff,  Benjamin 
Johnson,  William  Scott  and  J.  M.  Birt. 

Dr.  E.  Tanner,  chairman  central  committee. 

June  5,  1894,  Oswego;  J.  M.  Baunan, 
chairman,  D.  H.  Martin,  secretary.  Probate 
judge,  George  Campbell,  by  acclamation; 
county  attorney,  M.  E.  Williams,  by  acclama- 
tion ;  clerk  district  court,  Henry  A.  Lamb,  over 
Henry  S.  Atwood;  superintendent  public  in- 
struction, Mrs.  Ella  Martin,  over  Frank  Brady, 
Mrs.  Kate  Ellage,  William  H.  Conner,  A.  W. 
Potter,  Miss  Beebe  Thompson  and  Mrs.  Hattie 
Ham;  high  school  trustees,  George  Pfaff  and 
A.  J.  Hixon,  over  F.  C.  Petrie.  H.  K.  Baker 
and  A.  H.  Mickey;  commissioner  second  dis- 
trict (at  a  later  date),  J.  C.  Goodell,  over  Milo 
Hildreth. 

William  Cook,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.  K.  Russell,  secretary. 

September  12,  189s.  Oswego;  E.  A.  Rich- 
creek, chairman.  D.  H.  Martin,  secretary. 
Treasurer,  Henry  S.  Atwood,  by  acclamation; 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


county  clerk,  E.  A.  Steel,  over  F.  C.  Petrie; 
sheriff,  J.  D.  Jones,  by  acclamation;  register 
of  deeds,  Isaiah  Brown,  over  W.  J.  Hall  and 
G.  J.  Coleman;  surveyor.  A.  B.  Bushnell,  by 
acclamation;  coroner,  Dr.  E.  Tanner,  by  ac- 
clamation.— Dr.  Tanner  declined  and  Dr.  J. 
B.  Hill  was  subsequently  substituted  in  his 
place ;  high  school  trustees,  G.  J.  Coleman  and 
William  Scott,  by  acclamation;  commissioner 
third  district  (at  a  later  date),  G.  W.  Gabriel, 
over  J.  A.  Jarboe. 

M.  E.  Williams,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, F.  G.  Martin,  secretary. 

August  i8,  1896,  Parsons;  J.  I.  Tanner, 
chairman,  H.  A.  Lamb,  secretary.  Senator. 
George  Campbell,  over  G.  W.  Gabriel  and 
Gilbert  A.  Cooper;  probate  judge.  Daniel  Pfaff, 
over  J.  L.  Masters  and  C.  T.  Bridgman ;  coun- 
ty attorney,  Frank  Brady,  over  M.  E.  Williams 
and  Frank  F.  Lamb ;  clerk  district  court,  John 
Mayer,  over  F.  W.  Frewert,  W.  D.  Harvey 
and  D.  H.  Martin;  superintendent  public  in- 
struction, Mrs.  Hattie  Ham,  over  Mrs.  Minnie 
Wells,  Miss  Mary  Walker,  W.  B.  Covalt,  John 
Jones,  E.  L.  McKnight  and  A.  W.  Potter; 
commissioner  first  district    (at  a  later  date), 

D.  S.  Romine,  over  T.  A.  Sprague;  high 
school  trustees.  A.  F.  Edwards  and  Milo  Hil- 
dreth  over  Stanley  Poland,  John  Richardson 
and  Josiah  Richmond. 

A.  F.  Edwards,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, F.  H.  Atchinson,  secretary. 

August  27,  1897,  Oswego;  F.  H.  Atchin- 
son, chairman,  W.  A.  Disch,  secretary.  Treas- 
urer, Daniel  Jennings,  over  Dr.  Lee  Williams 
and  John  M.  Doughman;  county  clerk,  E.  H. 
Hughes  (the  Democratic  nominee),  indorsed 
by  acclamation;  sheriff,  A.  F.  Edwards,  over 
B.  L.  Jones  and  Samuel  Richardson;  register 
of  deeds,  J.  L.  Masters,  over  Theodore  Dienst, 

E.  L.  McKnight,  J.  H.  Reasor.  W.  H.  Hazen, 


Leonard  Rude  and  L.  S.  Alford;  surveyor,  A. 

B.  Bushnell,  by  acclamation ;  coroner,  Will- 
iam Rowe,  by  acclamation;  commissioner  sec- 
ond district  (at  a  later  date),  Philip  Gears,  over 
J.  C.  Goodell,  J.  B.  Oliphant,  F.  C.  Petrie.  J. 
L.  Gillette  and  Milo  Hildreth;  high  school 
trustees,  George  S.  King  ( the  Democratic 
nominee),  indorsed  by  acclamation,  and  'SI  I. 
Davis,  over  A.  J.  Hixon,  Israel  Foster  and  H. 
Mcintosh. 

A.  F.  Edwards,  chairman  central  commit- 
tee, R.  H.  Atchinson.  secretary. 

July  16,  1898,  Parsons;  J.  I.  Tanner,  chair- 
man.    Probate  judge,  Daniel  Pfaff,  n\er  W. 

C.  Burns  and  G.  W.  Hendricks ;  county  attor- 
ney, F.  M.  Brady,  by  acclamation;  clerk  dis- 
trict court,  John  Mayer,  by  acclamation ;  super- 
intendent public  instruction,  Mrs.  Hattie  Ham, 
by  acclamation;  coroner  (to  fill  vacancy),  D. 
W.  Mathews,  by  acclamation;  commissioner 
third  district  (at  a  later  date),  T.  J.  Van 
Horn;  high  school  trustees.  \A^alter  Phillips 
and  Israel  Foster  for  full  term,  and  J.  J.  Jones 
to  fill  vacancy. 

J.  A.  Jarboe,  chairman  central  committee, 
J.  H.  Curran,  secretar}'. 

September  2,  1899,  Parsons;  David  Oli- 
phant, chairman,  W.  A.  Disch,  secretary. 
Treasurer,  David  Jennings,  over  Dr.  Lee  \\^ill- 
iams ;  county  clerk,  E.  H.  Hughes,  by  acclama- 
tion;  sheriff.  A.  F.  Edwards,  by  acclamation; 
register  of  deeds.  F.  H.  Briggs,  over  W.  D. 
Harry  and  C.  S.  Fuller;  surveyor,  A.  B.  Bush- 
nell, by  acclamation;  coroner,  George  W. 
Smith,  by  acclamation;  commissioner  first  dis- 
trict (at  a  later  date),  D.  S.  Romine.  by  ac- 
clamation; high  school  trustees,  C.  K.  Lein- 
bach  and  Milo  Hildreth,  by  acclamation. 

George  Campbell,  chairman  central  com- 
mittee. W.  A.  Disch.  secretary. 

April  26,    1900.   Parsons;    J.    I.    Tanner, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


chairman,  Dr.  C.  S.  Bendure,  secretary.  Pro- 
bate judge,  W.  C.  Burns,  over  John  Sears  and 
Grant  Hume;  county  attorney,  W.  S.  Hyatt, 
over  George  Campbell,  M.  E.  Williams  and 
Frank  F.  Lamb;  clerk  district  court,  B.  F. 
Harrison,  over  W.  A.  Disch,  John  Bero  and 
George  Reasor;  high  school  trustee,  Milo  Hil- 
dreth^  by  acclamation.  Balance  of  ticket  left 
open  for  Democrats  to  fill. 

William  Cook,  chairman  central  committee, 
D.  H.  Martin,  secretary. 

people's  party  district  coxventions. 

Tz^'Ciitx-si.vtli  District. — June  20,  1892, 
Parsons ;  Dr.  E.  Tanner,  chairman,  H.  C. 
Sourbeer,  secretary.  J.  L.  Humphrey  on  first 
ballot,  over  A.  F.  Neely  and  Daniel  Pfaff.— 
August  II,  1894,  Parsons;  J.  I.  Tanner,  over 
Daniel  Pfaff  and  J.  W.  Galyen.  Mr.  Tanner 
declined  the  nomination  and  a  new  convention 
was  held  at  Parsons,  September  8,  1894;  Arch 
Piper,  over  Ed.  Burtle.  Mr.  Piper  dechned  the 
nomination  and  a  third  convention  was  held 
at  Parsons  September  22,  1894;  A.  H.  Mc- 
Cormick,  over  Ed.  Burtle. — August  18,  1896, 
Parsons:  M.  E.  Steel,  chairman,  William 
Thorne,  Jr.,  secretary.  Benjamin  Johnson,  over 
L.  D.  Oliphant  and  W.  H.  Thorne. 

Twenty-seventh  District. — August  13, 
1892,  Chetopa;  Gilbert  A.  Cooper,  chairman, 
M.  E.  Williams,  secretary.  P.  A.  Morrison, 
on  first  ballot,  over  John  Ford. — August  18, 
1894,  Altamont;  J.  H.  Reasor,  chairman,  A. 
A.  King,  secretary.  W.  J.  Kabrey,  over  John 
Ford.— .\ugust  22.  1896,  Bartlett;  J.  H. 
Reasor,  chairman,  E.  E.  Gobble,  secretary. 
Charles  R.  Walters,  over  John  Newberry  and 
J.  C.  McKnight.— July  23,  1898,  Parsons; 
James  Harris,  chairman,  J.  E.  Ryan,  secretary. 
G.  W.  Gabriel  (Democratic  nominee)  indorsed 


over  Frank  F.  Lamb. — September  29,  1900, 
Parsons;  J.  I.  Tanner,  chairman,  W.  F.  Gil- 
lette, secretary.  Grant  Hume  over  Dr.  J.  W. 
Tinder  and  Frank  F.  Lamb. 

Twenty-eighth  District. — August  13,  1898, 
Edna;  R.  B.  Claiborne,  chairman,  C.  M. 
Doughman,  secretary.  N.  S.  Clark  over  Oscar 
Van  Bibb.  Subsequently,  Mr.  Clark  withdrew 
in  favor  of  the  Democratic  candidate. — July 
29,  1900,  Chetopa;  George  PfafT.  chairman, 
A.  H.  Mickey,  secretary.  M.  I.  Daviss,  by  ac- 
clamation. 

SENATORI.A.L  CONVENTIONS. 

Sixteenth  Senatorial  District. — October  — , 
1866,  Republican  convention  held  at  Tola.  Dr. 
J.  ^^^  Scott  was  nominated  over  J.  C.  Carpen- 
ter and  J.  S.  Waters. 

The  Democratic  convention  was  held  at 
Humboldt,  and  Col.  \Villoughby  Doudna  was 
nominated. 

October  15,  1868,  Republican  convenlirni 
met  at  Erie;  R.  W.  Wright  was  chairman  .md 
J.  C.  Redfield,  secreary.  J.  C.  Carpenter  was 
nominated  on  eleventh  ballot  over  E.  R.  Trask 
and  A.  A.  Aiken. 

October  24,  1868,  Democratic  convention 
convened  at  Osage  Mission,  and  F.  M.  Frost 
was  nominated. 

September  29,  1870,  Republican  convention 
was  held  at  Humboldt;  J.  M.  Beardsley  was 
chairman,  and  P.  I.  B.  Ping,  secretary.  J.  H. 
Crichton  was  nominated  on  tenth  ballot  over 
J.  W.  Dowe  and  G.  P.  Smith,  of  Allen  county. 
A.  Miller,  of  Wilson  county,  J.  C.  Carpenter 
of  Neosho  county,  and  H.  W.  Alartin,  of  La- 
bette county. 

October  6,  1870,  Democratic  convention 
met  at  Humboldt.  J.  M.  Richardson,  of  La- 
bette county,  was  nominated  over  Moses  Neal 
and  others. 


234 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


September  21,  1870,  Settlers'  Protective 
Association  held  a  convention  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  in  Neosho  county ;  G.  W.  McMillen  was 
chairman,  and  George  T.  Walton  secretary. 
Major  H.  C.  Whitney  was  unanimously  nom- 
inated. 

JUDICIAL  CONVENTIONS. 

In  1867  N.  F.  Acres  and  John  R.  Goodin 
were  opposing  candidates  for  judge  of  the  Sev- 
enth judicial  district. 

October  10,  1870,  RqDublican  convention 
met  in  Oswego,  with  four  delegates  each  from 
Montgomery,  Labette  and  Crawford  counties, 
and  five  from  Cherokee;  T.  E.  Clark,  chair- 
man, W.  W.  Jones,  secretary.  On  the  64th 
ballot  the  delegates  from  Labette  county 
changed  their  vote  from  W.  P.  Bishop  to  W. 
M.  Matheny,  and  nominated  him  over  W.  P. 
Bishop.  John  T.  Voss,  and  Thomas  Harrison, 
as  a  candidate  for  judge  of  the  Eleventh  judi- 
cial district.  H.  G.  Webb  ran  as  an  independ- 
ent candidate. 

In  1873  B.  W.  Perkins,  H.  W.  Barnes,  J. 
M.  Scudder  and  J.  G.  Parkhurst  were  opposing 
candidates,  each  running  independent. 

In  1874  a  "Reform  Convention"  convened 
at  Parsons,  September  23d,  with  J.  H.  Water- 
man, chairman,  and  C.  O.  Stockslager,  secre- 
tary. J.  D.  McCue  was  nominated  on  second 
ballot  over  J.  N.  Ritter,  A.  A.  Fletcher,  and  B. 
F.  Purcell.  B.  W.  Perkins  again  ran  inde- 
pendent. 

Septemljer  12,  1878,  a  Greenback  conven- 
tion assembled  at  Parsons,  and  nominated  J. 
F.  Broadhead.  Opposed  to  him  at  the  polls 
were  B.  W.  Perkins  and  W.  B.  Glasse,  each 
running  independent. 

On  October  3,  1882.  a  Republican  conven- 
tion met  at  Cherokee;  J.  R.  Hallowell,  chair- 
man.    On  the  264th  ballot  George  Chandler 


was  nominated  over  W.  B.  Glasse,  John  N.  Rit- 
ter, and  John  T.  Voss.  Opposed  to  him  W. 
M.  Matheny  ran  as  an  independent  candidate. 

In  1886  George  Chandler  was  an  independ- 
ent, with  no  opponent. 

A  Republican  convention  assembled  in  In- 
dependence October  i,  1889,  with  S.  L.  Coul- 
ter, chairman,  and  W.  T.  Yoe.  secretary. 
John  N.  Ritter  was  nominated  by  acclamation. 
J.  D.  McCue  ran  independent. 

A  Republican  convention  was  held  at  Par- 
sons on  September  11,  1890;  George  W, 
Wheatley,  chairman,  W.  H.  Coulter,  secretary. 
A.  B.  Clark  was  nominated  by  acclamation. 
Opposed  to  him  was  J.  D.  McCue,  as  an  inde- 
pendent candidate. 

The  Republican  judicial  convention  was 
held  at  Weir  City,  September  11  and  12,  1894; 
John  N.  Ritter,  of  Cherokee  county,  was  chair- 
man and  Wiley  ^^^  Cook,  of  Labette  county, 
secretary.  Two  hundred  and  twenty  ballots 
were  cast  for  A.  B.  Clark,  of  Montgomery 
county,  Nelson  Case,  of  Labette  county,  and 
A.  H.  Skidmore,  of  Cherokee  county,  but  with 
no  result ;  Mr.  Case  then  withdrew  and  the  bal- 
loting proceeded,  resulting  in  a  tie  between  Mr. 
Clark  and  Mr.  Skidmore ;  finally,  on  the  227th 
ballot,  Mr.  Skidmore  received  the  nomination. 
Opposed  to  Mr.  Skidmore,  J.  D.  McCue,  of 
Montgomery  county,  ran  as  an  independent 
candidate,  being  generally  supported  by  Dem- 
ocrats and  Populists. 

On  June  11,  1898,  both  the  People's  par- 
ty and  the  Democrats  held  conventions  in  Os- 
wego, for  the  purpose  of  selecting  a  fusion  can- 
didate for  district  judge;  of  the  People's  party 
convention,  Jasper  Swan,  of  Montgomery 
county,  was  chairman,  and  W-  W.  Campbell, 
of  Labette  county,  secretary,  while  J.  H.  Keith, 
of  Montgomery  county,  and  J.  C.  Eddy,  of 
Cherokee  county,  were,  respectively,  chairman 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


235 


and  secretary  of  tlie  Democratic  convention. 
A  conference  committee  decided  to  give  the 
nomination  to  the  Democrats.  Thereupon,  the 
Democratic  convention  nominated  Thomas  H. 
Stanford,  of  Montgomery  county,  over  R.  M. 
Cheshire,  of  Cherokee  county,  George  S.  King, 
of  Labette  county,  and  E.  E.  Sapp,  of  Chero- 
kee county.  Mr.  Stanford's  nomination  was 
then  indorsed  by  the  PopuHst  convention.  The 
RepubHcans  held  tlieir  judicial  comvention  in 
Oswego,  July  12,  1898.  A.  L.  Wilson,  of 
Montgomery  county,  was  chairman  and  J.  W. 
Iden,  of  Labette  county,  secretary.  A.  H.  Skid- 
more,  of  Cherokee  county,  was  renominated  by 
acclamation. 

POLITICAL  CONVENTIONS  OF  A  MIS- 
CELLANEOUS CHARACTER. 

farmers'  convention. 
A  Farmers'  convention  was  called  for  and 
was  held  on  October  17,  1873,  at  Labette  City. 
It  was  a  secret  session.  The  following  nomina- 
tions were  made :  Probate  judge,  Davis  Vulga- 
more;  sheriff,  F.  G.  Burnett;  treasurer,  C.  F. 
Smith;  register,  I.  W.  Patrick;  county  clerk, 
Sam.  W.  Collins;  coroner,  A.  S.  Spaulding; 
surveyor,  S.  R.  Southwick;  representatives, 
Forty-third  district,  J.  L.  Williams,  Forty- 
fourth,  Isaac  Butterworth;  commissioners, 
first  district,  D.  J.  Doolen,  second,  H.  M.  De- 
bolt,  third,  William  Thornborough. 

GRANGE    CONVENTION. 

On  October  10,  1874,  a  Grange  convention 
met  at  Labette  City,  which  soon  divided  into 
two  sections :  one  elected  N.  Cooper,  chairman, 
and  C.  W.  Stephenson  secretary,  and  de- 
nounced political  action ;  the  other  elected  J.  J. 
Woods  c'hairman  and  C.  Merwin  secretary, 
and  nominated  the  following  ticket:     Senator 


Fifteenth  district.  John  F.  Hill ;  probate  judge, 
S.  L.  Coulter;  clerk  district  court,  H.  C.  Cook;, 
superintendent,  Mary  A.  Higby ;  representa- 
tives, Forty-third  district,  S.  M.  Canaday,  For- 
ty-fourth, Henry  Tibbets. 

"laboring  men's  CONVENTIONS." 

One  was  held  at  Parsons,  on  September  20, 
1875 ;  B.  D.  Roberts  was  chairman  part  of  the 
time,  and  Isaac  Butterworth,  a  part ;  J.  L.  Will- 
iamson, secretary.  The  following  ticket  was 
nominated :  Representatives,  Forty-third  dis- 
trict, M.  W.  Reynolds,  Forty-fourth,  F.  B.  Mc- 
Gill ;  treasurer,  William  Dick  on  third  ballot 
over  A.  J.  Cary,  George  Caldwell,  and  Fred 
Perkins;  sherifif,  Nixon  Elliott  on  second  bal- 
lott  over  W.  C.  Church,  J.  J.  Freeman,  and 
S.  B.  Abbott;  register,  R.  C.  Taylor;  county 
clerk,  L.  C.  Howard,  by  acclamation ;  coroner, 
D.  B.  Grouse,  by  acclamation ;  surveyor.  Wade 
Prichard  on  first  ballot  over  George  Thornton ; 
commissioners,  first  district,  J.  F.  Hill,  second, 
C.  M.  Monroe,  third,  J.  H.  Martin. 

J.  L.  Williams  was  chairman  of  the  central 
committee. 

On  October  9,  1877.  at  Keeler's  school- 
house,  a  mass  convention  was  held,  of  which 
Samuel  Newell  was  chairman,  and  Newton 
Guymon,  secretary.  A  ticket  was  nominated  as 
follows  :  Treasurer,  A.  J.  Cary ;  register.  Wash 
Knapp;  county  clerk,  T.  A.  Fellows;  coroner. 
Dr.  W.  S.  Newlon;  surveyor,  ^^''ade  Prichard; 
commissioner  second  district,  H.  M.  Debolt. 

"people's  mass  CONVENTIONS." 

A  convention  -with  the  above  title  was  held 
in  the  Methodist  church  in  Mound  Valley,  on 
October  20,  1881 ;  J.  M.  Cavaness  was  chair- 
man ,and  T.  C.  Cory,  secretary.  The  follow- 
ing ticket  was  nominated:  Treasurer,  A.  J. 
Cary  on  first  ballot  over  G.  S.  McDole ;  regis- 


236 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


er,  J.  M.  Cunning-ham  on  first  1)allot  over 
J.  W.  Breidenthal  and  Thomas  O'Hare. 
The  RepubHcan  nominees  for  sheriff,  county 
clerk,  surveyor  and  coroner  were  indorsed. 

Another  "People's  Mass  Convention"  was 
held  on  October  lo,  18S4,  at  Altamont;  B.  R. 
Van  Meter  was  elected  chairman  and  S.  M. 
Bailey  secretary,  and  the  following  nominations 
were  made :  Senator  Ninth  district,  W.  J.  Con- 
ner, by  acclamation;  county  attorney,  H.  G. 
Webb,  by  acclamation ;  clerk  district  court,  C. 
L,  Albin  on  first  ballot  over  J.  M.  Cunning- 
ham; probate  judge,  J.  M.  Cunningham,  by 
acclamation  ;  superintendent  public  instruction, 
J.  Covalt. 

A  "farmers'  and  laborers'  convention" 
Was  held  at  Altamont  on  August  20,  1886;  A. 
M.  Fellows  was  chairman,  and  J.  W.  Breiden- 
thal. secretary.  After  electing  delegates  to  the 
State  convention  and  calling  a  county  conven- 
tion for  Altamont  on  September  8th,  it  ad- 
journed. On  September  8th  the  convention 
met  as  per  adjournment;  J.  J.  McFeely  was 
chairman,  and  J.  \\'.  Briedenthal,  secretary. 
A  ticket  composed  of  the  following  was  nom- 
inated: Superintendent,  Alice  Metier;  probate 
judge,  A.  T.  Shrout;  county  attorney,  H.  G. 
Webb ;  clerk  district  court,  W.  J.  Millikin.  A. 
M.  Fellows  was  made  chairman  of  the  central 
committee,  and  R.  S.  Lybarger,  secretary. 

October  9.  1886,  another  "Farmers'  and 
Laborers'  Convention"  met  at  Parsons,  and 
nominated  W.  H.  Utley  as  rej^resentative  for 
tlie  Twenty-eighth  district. 

ELECTIONS. 

Tlie  rapid  growth  of  the  county  is  in  a 
measure  indicated  by  the  increased  vote  cast 
from  year  to  year.     The  first  election  held  in 


Neosho  county  was  in  1864,  at  which  there 
were  but  35  votes  cast  in  the  whole  county.  At 
this  time  there  was  probably  no  one  in  what 
is  now  Labette,  county  who  had  the  legal  quali- 
fications of  an  elector,  but  had  there  been  there 
was  no  provision  made  for  the  casting  of  votes. 
It  was  not  until  July,  1866,  that  the  commis- 
sioners of  Neosho  county  established,  voting 
precincts  in  what  is  now  Labette  county.  Our 
citizens  might  have  participated  in  the  elec- 
tion in  November.  1866,  had  they  been  disposed 
to  do  so,  but  as  I  haveelsewhere  stated,  there 
was  a  mutual  understanding  ])etween  those  re- 
siding in  what  is  now  Neosho  county  and  those 
residing  in  what  is  now  Labette  county,  that 
the  latter  would  refrain  from  voting  for  the 
officers  of  Neosho  county,  and  that  at  the  en- 
suing session  of  the  Legislature  the  county 
should  be  divided.  However,  at  that  election 
the  people  in  the  south  half  of  the  county  voted 
for  a  full  set  of  county  officers  for  themselves. 
Of  course  this  vote  was  without  any  legal  sig- 
nificance. No  record  of  the  result  was  kept, 
and  I  have  been  unable  to  ascertain  anytiiing 
in  reference  to  the  number  of  \'otes  cast.  C. 
H.  Bent,  who  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  at 
this  time,  was  the  only  officer  elected  who  was 
permitted  to  perform  official  duties  by  virtue 
thereof.  I  might  here  state  that  at  this  elec- 
tion tiiere  were  something  over  300  votes  cast 
in  Neosho  county.  For  state  senator,  J.  W. 
Scott  received  225  votes,  and  Willoughby 
Doudna  received  82  votes.  This  is  probably 
the  average  vote  between  the  two  parties  in 
the  county.  The  first  legal  election  held  in  La- 
bette county  was  on  April,  22.  1867.  At  this 
election  a  full  set  of  county  officers  were  elect- 
ed, to  serve  until  the  ensuing  regular  election  in 
the  fall ;  and  the  question  of  locating  the  coun- 
ty seat  was  also  voted  on.  The  record  of  the 
canvass  of  this  vote  has  been  lost,  and  I  have 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


237 


now  no  means  of  ascertaining  the  numlier  of 
votes  cast;  but  some  time  thereafter  there  was 
published  what  was  said  to  be  the  correct  vote 
on  the  question  of  locating  the  county  seat, 
from  which  statement  it  appears  that  the  en- 
tire vote  cast  on  that  subject  was  380.  This 
may  fairly  be  presumed  to  be  the  total  vote  of 
the  county  at  that  time. 

At  the  November  election  in  1867  the  can- 
vass does  not  show  the  total  number  of  votes 
cast,  nor  the  votes  cast  for  each  candidate,  ex- 
cept for  the  office  of  judge  of  the  district  court. 
For  this  position  N.  F.  Acres  received  202 
votes,  and  J.  R.  Goodin  192  votes.  On  the 
question  of  locating  the  county  seat  there  were 
cast  397  votes.  This  was  probably  the  high- 
est number  of  votes  cast  at  that  election.  At 
the  election  held  November  3,  1868,  each  pre- 
cinct in  the  county  returned  its  vote.  The 
presidential  electors  received  783  votes;  617 
of  which  were  cast  for  the  Grant  electors,  and 
166  for  the  Seymour  electors.  The  candidates 
for  the  several  State  offices  on  the  two  tickets 
received  substantially  the  same  proportion  of 
votes.  The  political  lines  were  not  as  strictly 
drawn  on  the  county  offices. 

On  November  5,  1869,  the  board  met  to 
canvass  the  vote  cast  on  the  2d  of  that  month. 
For  some  informalities,  which  presented  an  ex- 
cuse but  did  not  amount  to  a  reason  for  their 
action,  the  commissioners  rejected  the  vote  of 
every  precinct  in  the  county  except  those  of 
Oswego  and  Hackberry.  If  it  had  required 
the  rejection  of  either  of  these  to  enable  them 
to  count  in  the  parties  whom  they  desired  to 
have  elected,  it  may  be  presumed  that  on  some 
pretense  it  would  have  been  done.  By  the 
course  pursued  a  set  of  officers  were  declared 
elected  who  had  been  overwhelmingly  defeated 
at  the  polls,  and  those  who  had  been  elected  bv 
a  large  majority  of  the  votes  actually  cast  were 


deprived  of  their  positions,  some  of  them  for  a 
a  year  and  some  of  them  during  their  whole 
term.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  every  officer 
declared  elected  had  been  defeated ;  no  record 
has  been  preserved  of  the  complete  vote,  and  I 
have  no  means  at  hand  of  ascertaining  what 
the  vote  of  the  entire  county  was;  but  certain 
it  is  that  the  sherifif,  treasurer,  register  of  deeds, 
and  a  part  of  the  commissioners  who  were 
elected  were  compelled  to  contest  for  their  of- 
fices or  to  be  deprived  of  them  entirely.  Mr. 
McCue,  who  had  been  beaten  for  county  at- 
torney by  a  large  majority,  but  who  was  de- 
clared elected,  refused  to  qualify,  and  Mr. 
Waters,  who  had  been  elected  but  counted  out, 
took  the  office  without  opposition.  Some  of 
those  who  had  been  counted  out  contested  for 
the  office,  while  others  declined  to  go  through 
the  trouble  and  expense  of  litigation.  After  a 
protracted  contest  through  ^11  the  courts,  the 
true  result  was  finally  ascertained,  and  those 
who  were  determined  to  secure  their  rights 
even  at  a  sacrifice,  were  finally  awarded  their 
offices. 

At  the  November  election  in  1870  as  many 
as  1,706  votes  were  cast  for  some  of  the  posi- 
tions, but  generally  the  aggregate  vote  on  any 
one  office  was  a  few  short  of  1.700.  The  Re- 
publican State  ticket  generally  received  about 
1,025  to  1,050  votes,  and  the  Democratic  can- 
didates about  640  to  660  votes;  while  on  the 
county  ticket  the  vote  for  the  respective  can- 
didates of  the  two  parties  was  more  nearly 
equal. 

In  1871  there  were  1,794  votes  cast  for 
sherifif ;  of  these  G.  W.  Franklin,  the  Democrat- 
ic candidate,  received  959.  and  L.  S.  Crum,  the 
Republican  candidate,  835.  I.  W.  Patrick,  the 
Republican  candidate  for  register  of  deeds, 
was  elected  by  a  majority  of  150.  In  1872  the 
Grant  electors    received  i,779  votes,  and    the 


238 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Greeley  electors  1.014,  making  a  total  vote  on 
the  national  ticket  of  2,793.  The  candidates 
on  the  two  tickets  for  State  offices  received 
substantially  the  same  proportion  of  votes.  In 
1873  S.  L.  Coulter,  the  Republican  candidate 
for  probate  judge,  received  1,765  votes,  while 
Davis  Vulgamore,  the  Democratic  candidate, 
received  but  487.  C.  F.  Smith,  the  Republi- 
can candidate  for  treasurer,  had  no  opposition, 
and  received  2.346.  In  1874  the  total  vote  was 
2,076.  For  the  office  of  governor,  Thomas 
A.  Osborn  received  1,108  votes,  James  C.  Cus- 
ey  730,  and  W.  K.  Marshall  T].  In  1875  the 
total  vote  was  2,450.  S.  B.  Abbott,  Republi- 
can candidate  for  sheriff,  received  1,252  votes, 
and  Nixon  Elliott,  the  Democratic  candidate, 
1,112.  In  1876  the  total  vote  was  3,529.  The 
Hayes  electors  received  2,092,  the  Tilden  elec- 
tors. 1,372,  the  Cooper  electors  8,  and  the 
Smith  electors  17.  In  1877  but  2,683  votes 
vi^ere  cast.  For  chief  justice,  A.  H.  Horton, 
the  Republican  candidate,  received  1,562;  Sam- 
uel A.  Riggs.  the  Greenback  candidate,  824; 
and  W.  R.  Wagstafif,  the  Democratic  candi- 
date, 253  votes.  In  1878  the  vote  was  3,385. 
J.  P.  St.  John,  the  Republican  candidate  for 
governor,  received  1,594;  J.  R.  Goodin,  the 
Democratic  candidate,  968 ;  D.  P.  Mitchell,  the 
Greenback  candidate,  804.  There  were  3,102 
votes  cast  in  1879.  The  Republican  candidate 
for  treasurer  received  1.591;  the  Democratic 
candidate,  886;  the  Greenback  candidate,  574. 
In  1880  the  total  vote  was  4,672.  The  Garfield 
electors  received  2,721;  the  Hancock  electors, 
1,462;  and  the  Weaver  electors,  420.  In  1881 
the  vote  was  3,163.  The  Republican  candidate 
for  treasurer  received  1,340;  the  Democratic 
candidate,  1,311 ;  the  Greenback  candidate,  474. 
In  1882  the  vote  was  4.020.  For  govern)" 
St.  John  received  1,941  votes,  Glick  1,669,  ^"d 
Robinson  329.    In  1883  there  were  4,015  votes. 


The  Republican  candidate  for  treasurer  re- 
ceived 2,057,  Democratic  candidate  1,571,  the 
Greenback  candidate  242.  In  1884  the  Blaine 
electors  received  3,475,  the  Cleveland  electors 
2,094,  the  Butler  electors  316,  and  the  St. 
John  electors  149.  In  1885  the  vote  was  3,- 
763.  The  Republican  candidate  for  treasurer 
received  2,378  votes,  and  the  Democratic  can- 
didate 1,347.  In  1886  the  vote  was  4,802.  For 
governor,  John  A.  Martin  received  2,427  votes, 
Thomas  Moonlight  2,195,  and  C.  H.  Brans- 
comb  125.  In  1887  there  were  4.799  votes 
cast.  For  treasurer  the  Republican  candidate 
Teceived  1,903,  the  Union  Labor  candidate  2,- 

448,  and  the  Democratic  candidate  417.  This 
was  the  first  election  in  the  county  in  which  the 
Republican  party  received  a  general  defeat. 
Not  infrequently,  one  or  more  of  the  opposi- 
tion ticket  had  been  elected,  but  at  this  elec- 
tion, with  one  exception,  the  entire  Union  La- 
bor ticket  was  elected.  In  1888  the  vote  was 
6  072.  The  Harrison  electors  received  2,870 
votes,  the  Cleveland  electors  976,  the  Streeter 
electors  2,125,  ^"d  the  Fisk  electors  85.  In 
1889  the  vote  was  4,733.  The  Republican 
candidate  for  treasurer  received  2,120  votes, 
the  Union  Labor  candidate  2  086.  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  507.  In  1890  the  vote  was 
5,555.  For  governor,  Humphrey  received  2,- 
165  votes,  Willits  2,434,  Robinson  914,  Rich- 
ardson 21.  In  1891  the  vote  was  5,125.  For 
treasurer  the  Republican  candidate  received 
2,333  votes,  the  People's  party  candidate  2- 

449,  the  Democratic  candidate  275,  the  Pro- 
ihibition  candidate  40.  In  1892  the. total  vote 
was  6,174.  The  Weaver  electors  received  3,- 
116  votes,  the  Harrison  electors  2,950,  and  the 
Bidwell  electors  93.  In  1893  there  were  4,- 
774  votes;  most  of  the  Republican  ticket  was 
elected,  receiving  about  2,150  votes,  while  the 
Populist  candidates  received  about  2,020,  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


239 


Democratic  330.  and  the  Prohibition  76.  In 
1894,  of  the  5,930  votes  cast,  the  Republican 
candidate  for  governor  received  2,817,  the 
Populist  2,564.  the  Democratic  291,  and  the 
Prohibition  83.  The  vote  on  the  county  ticket 
did  not  greatly  vary  from  this.  In  1895  the 
vote  was  4,972.  The  Republican  candidate  for 
sheriff  received  2,546  votes,  the  Populist  2,- 
103,  the  Democratic  289.  and  the  Prohibition 
109.  In  1896  the  Republican  candidate  for 
governor  received  3.21 1,  the  Populist  3,648, 
the  Prohibition  50,  out  of  a  total  vote  of  6,- 
952.  On  the  presidential  ticket,  the  Middle-of- 
the-Road  Populists  polled  30  votes,  the  Na- 
tionalists 9,  the  Gold  Democrats  18,  the  Pro- 
hibitionists 35,  the  Republicans  3.186,  and  the 
Democrats  and  Populists  combined  3,669. 
Most  of  the  Populist  county  ticket  was  elected. 
In  1897  the  vote  was  5,804.  The  Populists 
and  Democrats  ihad  a  majority  of  about  50  to 
75  on  most  of  the  county  ticket;  the  Republi- 
cans elected  one  or  two  candidates.  In  1898 
the  vote  of  6,075  was  divided  as  follows  on 
governor:  the  Republican  candidate  received 
3,027  votes,  the  Populist  2,979,  ^"d  the  Pro- 
hibitionist 69.  The  county  ticket  was  divided 
between  the  Republicans  and  Populists,  major- 
ities running  to  something  like  100  on  either 
side.  In  1899  the  Populists  carried  the  elec- 
tion by  about  500  majority.  The  total  vote 
was  5,426.  In  1900  there  was  a  vote  of  6,- 
727.  There  were  four  presidential  tickets 
voted  for.  The  Republicans  had  about  3.300 
votes,  the  Democrats  about  3,400,  the  Prohi- 
bitionists 43,  and  the  Socialists  18.  The  Re- 
publican candidate  for  governor  had  3,169 
votes,  and  the  Populist  3,558.  Most  of  the 
Populist  county  ticket  was  elected  by  less  than 
100  majority. 

The  result  of  the  votes  which  I  have  given- 
above  in  the  several  years  fairly  represents  the 


average  strength  of  each  of  the  parties.  Es- 
pecially in  county  matters  the  votes  on  differ- 
ent offices  have  varied  quite  largely,  local  and 
personal  considerations  entering  into  the  result 
very  much  more  than  in  State  and  national 
matters. 

COMMISSIONER  DISTRICTS. 

On  June  5,  1867,  an  order  was  made  di- 
viding the  county  into  three  districts  as  fol- 
lows:  District  No.  i.  townships  31  and  ^2, 
in  range  21 ;  District  No.  2,  townships  ^t,  and 
34,  in  range  21 ;  District  No.  3,  the  remainder 
of  the  county. 

On  July  7,  1870,  a  new  division  was  made, 
and  the  several  districts  were  constituted  as 
follows:  District  No.  i.  all  of  range  21;  Dis- 
trict No.  2,  townships  33,  34.  and  35,  in  all  of 
the  ranges  west  of  range  21;  District  No.  3, 
townships  31  and  32,  in  all  the  ranges  west  of 
range  21.  This  division  remained  in  operation 
until  1893. 

It  is  evident  that  between  these  two  divis- 
ions another  one  was  made  which  does  not  ap- 
pear of  record;  for  at  the  November  (1869) 
election  the  person  elected  from  the  first  dis- 
trict resided  in  the  second,  and  the  person  elect- 
ed from  the  second  district  resided  in  the  first, 
as  the  districts  were  constituted  in  1867. 

Under  a  new  division  made  July  15.  1893, 
and  which  is  still  in  operation,  the  county  was 
divided  as  follows:  the  townships  of  Neosho, 
Montana,  Oswego,  Richland,  Hackberry,  Fair- 
view  and  Liberty,  and  the  cities' of  Oswego 
and  Chetopa  constitute  the  first  commissioner 
district;  the  second  district  is  composed  of  the 
townships  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Elm  Grove, 
Howard,  Canada,  Mound  Valley  and  Osage; 
the  township  of  Labette.  Walton  and  North, 
and  the  city  of  Parsons  make  up  the  third  dis- 
trict. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


LEGISLATIVE   APPORTIONMENT. 

Labette  county,  without  any  bill  making  it 
such,  was  recognized  as  the  Eighty-fifth  rep- 
resentative district  from  1867,  when  our  first 
member  was  admitted,  to  1871,  when  the  next 
apportionment  was  made,  at  which  time  it  was 
divided  into  two  districts,  the  northern  half 
constituting  the  Forty-third  and  the  southern 
part  the  Forty-fourth.  In  this  apportionment 
Elm  Grove  township  was  entirely  left  out  of 
any  district,  and  it  was  not  until  1873  that  it 
was  made  a  part  of  the  Forty-fourth  ■".istrict. 
We  were  a  part  of  the  Sixteenth  senatorial  dis- 
trict up  to  1871,  when  we  were  made  the  Fif- 
teenth district. 

In  the  apportionment  of  1876  we  were  con- 
tinued as  the  Fifteenth  senatorial  district,  and 
divided  into  three  representative  districts,  the 
northern  portion  being  the  Forty-fourth,  the 
central  portion  the  Forty-fifth,  and  the  south- 
ern portion  the  Forty-sixth  district. 

In  1881  we  were  made  to  constitute  the 
Ninth  senatorial  district,  and,  commencing  as 
before,  on  the  north,  the  Thirty-third,  Thirty- 
fourth  and  Thirty-fifth  representative  districts. 
In  the  1886  apportionment  we  were  consti- 
tuted the  Tenth  senatorial  district,  a^id  the 
Twenty-eighth,  Twenty-ninth  and  Thirtieth 
representative  districts,  numbering  from  the 
north. 

In  1891  the  act  of  apportionment  made  us 
the  Eleventh  senatorial  district,  and  gave  us  but 
two  instead  ,of  three  representatives,  as  we  had 
theretofore  had.  The  townships  of  Mound  Val- 
ley, Osage,  Walton,  Labette,  Liberty,  North, 
Neosho  and  the  city  of  Parsons,  were  made  to 
constitute  the  Twenty-sixth  representative  dis- 
trict and  the  remainder  of  the  county  the  Twen- 
ty-seventh district. 

In  1897,  no  change  was  made  in  the  sena- 


torial districts.  In  the  apportionment  of  the 
state  into  representative  districts  in  that  year, 
the  townships  of  Mound  Valley,  Osage,  Wal- 
ton, Labette,  Liberty,  North,  Neosho  and  the 
city  of  Parsons  were  made  to  constitute  the 
Twenty-seventh  representative  district,  and  the 
balance  of  the  county,  the  Twenty-eighth  rep- 
resentative district. 

LIST  OF  OFFICERS. 

Judge  of  District  Court. — 1867,  Will- 
iam Spriggs;  1868-69,  John  R.  Goodin;  1870, 
William  C.  Webb;  1870-73,  Henry  G.  Webb; 
1873-82,  Bishop  W.  Perkins;  1883-89,  George 
Chandler;  1889,  John  N.  Ritter;  1890-94,  Jer- 
ry D.  McCue;  1895-1901,  A.  H.  Skidmore. 

State  Senator. — 1867-68,  J.  W.  Scott; 
1869—70,  John  C.  Carpenter;  1871-72,  Henry 
C.  Whitney;  1873-76,  J.  H.  Crichton;  1877- 
80,  Angeil  Matthewson;  1881-84,  W.  B. 
Glasse;  1885-92,  Charles  H.  Kimball;  1893- 
96,  J.  H.  Reilly;  1897-1900,  George  Camp- 
bell;  1901,  G.  W.  Gabriel. 

Representatives. — Eiglity-fiftli  District : 
1867,  Charles  H.  Bent;  1868,  W.  C.  Watkins; 
1869,  Dr.  D.  D.  McGrath  (on  account  of  sick- 
ness. Dr.  McGrath  did  not  take  his  seat  in  the 
Legislature);  1870,  Walter  P.  Bishop;  1871,. 
Dr.  J.  M.  Mahr.— Forty-third  District:  1872, 
J.  J.  Woods;  1873,  W.'W.  Harper;  1874,  J. 
L.  Williams;  1875,  J-  J-  Woods;  1876,  M.  W, 
Reynolds. — Forty-fourth  District:  1872,  D.  C 
Constant;  1873,  W.  H.  Mapes;  1874,  W.  H, 
Mapes;  1875,  R.  W.  Wright;  1876,  H.  G 
Wehh.— Forty-fourth  District:*  1877-78,  G. 
W.  Gabriel;  1879-80,  J.  H.  Martin;  1881-82 
J.  B.  Swart— Forty-iifth  District:  1877-78,  F 
A.  Bettis;  1879-80,  H.  C.  Blanchard;  1881-82, 

*  This  was  the   new    Forty-fourth   district,  established  by  thar 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


J.  B.  Swavt.— Forty-fifth  District:  1877-78;  F. 
A.  Bettis;  1879-80,  H.  C.  Blanchard;  1881-82, 
J.  S.  Waters. — Forty-sixth  District:  1877-78. 
J.  H.  Hibbits;  1879-80,  T.  J.  Calvin;  1881-82, 
T.  J.  Calvin.— Thirty-third  District:  1883-84, 
G.  W.  Gabriel;  1885-86,  David  Kelso.— r/n>- 
ty-fourth  District:  1883-84,  J.  S.  Waters; 
1885-86,  H.  C.  Cook.—Thirty-tifth  District: 
1883-84,  J.  H.  Crichton;  1885-86,  J.  B.  Cook. 
—Tivcnty-eighth  District:  1887-88,  F.  R.  Mor- 
ton; 1889-90,  W.  W.  Cranston;  1891-92,  J.  I. 
Tanner. — Tiuenty-Niuth  District:  1887-88,  J. 
H.  Morrison;  1889-90,  H.  S.  Coley;  1891-92, 
P.  A.  Morrison.— r/;/r/';V//i  District:  1887-88. 
R.  S.  Lybarger;  1889-90,  J.  S.  Hileman;  1891- 
92,  Ale.x.  Duncan. — Tzoenty-sixth  District: 
1893-94,  J.  L.  Humphrey;  1895-96,  D.  M. 
Bender;  1897-98,  Benjt.  Johnson;  1893-94,  P. 
A.  Morrison;  1895-96,  W.  J.  Lough;  1897-98, 
Charles  R.  Walters;  1899-1900,  G.  W.  Gabriel ; 
1901,  Grant  Hume. — Tzventy-cightli  District: 
1899-1900,  Thomas  J.  Flannelly;  1901.  M.  I. 
Daviss. 

Probate  Judge. — The  party  who  was 
elected  April  22,  1867,  failed  to  qualify  in 
time.  June  5,  1867,  Bergen  Van  Ness  was  ap- 
pointed, and  reappointed  July  3d;  1868,  D.  C. 
Lowe;  January  to  September,  1869,  Henry  M. 
Minor;  September  to  November,  1869,  Merrit 
Read;  November.  1869,  to  July,  1870,  W.  H. 
Whitlock;  July  to  December,  1870,  Walter  P. 
Bishop;  December,  1870,  to  March,  1873,  B. 
W.  Perkins;  March,  1873,  to  July,  1880,  S.  L. 
Coulter;  July,  1880,  to  January,  1885,  Nelson 
Case;  1885-86.  S.  L.  Coulter;  1887-90,  T.  J. 
Calvin;  1891-92.  E.  A.  Richcreek;  1893-94, 
George  Campbell;  1895-96,  J.  C.  Richcreek; 
1897-98,  Daniel  Pfaff;  1899-1900,  Lewis  W. 
Grain;   1901,  W.  C.  Burns. 

County  Attorney. — 1867,  W.  J.  Parkin- 
son; 1868,  C.  H.  Bent,  W.  P.  Bishop;  1869, 


W.  P.  Bishop.  B.  W.  Perkins  (J.  D.  McCue 
and  J.  H.  Gunn.  s])ecial  county  attorney)  ; 
1870-72,  J.  S.  Waters;  1873-74.  E.  C.  Ward;, 
1875-76,  WiUard  Davis;  1877-80,  J.  S. 
Waters;  1881-82,  Lewis  C.  True;  1883-84,. 
George  S.  King;  1885-86,  J.  D.  Conderman;; 
1887-88,  T.  C.  Cory;  1888,  A.  A.  Osgood;. 
1889-90,  John  H.  Morrison;  1891-92,  Joseph 
R.  Hill;  May  20  to  Nov.  12.  1892.  Frank 
H.  Atchinson;  1893-94,  M.  E.  Williams; 
1895-96,  Albert  B.  Switzer;  1897-1900,  Frank 
Brady;  1901-,  W.  S.  Hyatt. 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 
—1867,  John  F.  Newlon;  1868,  Enos  Reed; 
1869-1870,  R.  J.  Elliott;  1871-72,  J.  W.  Hor- 
ner; 1873-78,  Mary  A.  Higby;  1879-80,  J. 
CovaK;  1881-82,  M.  Chidester;  1883-86.  Mrs. 
Anna  C.  Baker;  1887-88,  Mrs.  Anna  Hicken- 
bottom;  1889-90,  Miss  Agnes  Beaty;  1891-94, 
Mrs.  Lucy  Best;  1895-96,  Mrs.  Ida  Martin; 
1897-98,  Mrs.  Hattie  Ham;  1899-1900,  Annie 
S.  Arnold;   1901-,  Mrs.   Kate  Southwick. 

Register  of  Deeds. — 1867,  Elza  Craft; 
1868-69,  Charles  Beggs;  1870-71,  James  W. 
Peace;  1872-81,  I.  W.  Patrick;  1882-83,  J- 
M.  Cunningham;  1884-87,  Asa  Smith;  1888- 
89,  J.  K.  Russell;  1890-91,  J.  A.  Flora;  1892- 
93,  Andrew  W.  Mackie;  1894-97,  H.  H. 
Graue;  1898-.  A.  D.  Swanwick. 

Sheriff. — 1867,  Benjamin  A.  Rice;  1868: 
to  April  5,  1869,  John  N.  Watson;  1869,  Frank 
D.  Howe;  1870,  John  T.  Weaver;  October, 
1870-71.  Joseph  C.  Wilson;  1872-75,  G.  W. 
Franklin;  1876-77,  S.  B.  Abbott;  1878-79,  J. 
H.  Macon;  1880-83,  D.  M.  Bender;  1884-85, 
Jonas  T.  Lampson;  1886-87,  C.  B.  Woodford; 
1888-89,  Jonas  T.  Lampson;  1890-93.  Will- 
iam Cook;  1894-97,  John  W.  Bennett;  1898-, 
A.  F.  Edwards. 

County  Surveyor. — 1867,  Z.  Harris; 
1868  to  April  5.  1869,  S.  R.  Southwick;  April 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


5,  1869,  to  1871,  E.  G.  Davidson;  1872-73, 
Wade  H.  Prichard;  1874-75,  Samuel  Terrill; 
1876-77,  Wade  H.  Prichard;  1878-79,  George 
Thornton;  1880-81,  J.  M.  Wells;  resigned  in 
September,  1881,  and  B.  R.  Cunningham  was 
appointed;  1881-85,  B.  R.  Cunningham;  1886- 
-87,  W.  W.  Dentler;  1888-89,  C.  C.  Robbins; 
1890-91,  J.  W.  Boggess;  1892-93,  A.  B.  Bush- 
nell;  1894-97,  E.  P.  Bayless;  1898-99,  A.  B. 
Bushnell;  1900-,  E.  P.  Bayless. 

County  Assessor. — April  22,  1867,  Fran- 
cis Wall  elected,  but  failed  to  qualify;  A.  W. 
Jones  appointed;  1868,  J.  R.  Morrison. 

Clerk  District  Court. — 1867-68,  R  .  S. 
Cornish;  1869-70,  Robert  Steel;  1871-72,  D. 
S.  Morrison;  1873-74,  R.  J.  Elliott;  1875-84. 
H.  C.  Cook;  1885-88,  E.  B.  Baldwin;  1889-90, 
Colin  Hodge;  1891-92,  J.  A.  Jones;  1893-96, 
Elmer  C.  Clark;  1897-1900,  John  Mayer; 
1901-,  J.  W.  Weaver. 

County  Treasurer. — April  to  September, 
1867,  C.  C.  Clover;  September  3,  1867,  James 

C.  Watson  appointed,  but  failed  to  qualify; 
October,  1867,  to  July,  1868,  R.  M.  Bennett; 
1868-69,  Henry  C.  Bridgman;  January  to  Oc- 
tober, 1870,  Wm.  Logan;  1870-72,  Henry  C. 
Bridgman;  1872-76,  Charles  F.  Smith;  1876- 
80,  George  M.  Caldwell;  1880-82,  George 
Thornton;  1882-84,  Geo.  M.  Caldwell;  1884- 
88,  C.  W.  Littleton;  1888-90,  W.  H.  Porter; 
1890-92,  William  Slaughter;  1892-94,  Martin 
V.  Davis;  1894  to  November  21,  1895,  when 
he  resigned,  J.  R.  Monroe, — his  term  was 
filled  out  by  H.  S.  Atwood,  who  was  appointed 
November  21,  1895,  and  served  until  October 
13.  1896;  1896-98,  E.  W.  Minturn;  1898-, 
David  Jennings. 

County  Clerk. — March  to  July,  1867, 
Austin  T.  Dickerman  ;  July  to  December,  1867, 

D.  W.  Clover;  January  to  November,  1868, 
Charles  E.   Simons;  November  .20,   1868,  to 


January  6,  1869,  Charles  C.  Beggs;  January 
6  to  November,  1869,  John  D.  Coulter;  No- 
vember, 1869-79,  L.  C.  Howard;  1880-81,  W. 
H.  Keirsey;  1882-85,  Frank  W.  Felt;  1886- 
87,  W.  W.  Cook;  1888-89,  W.  J.  Millikin; 
1890-91,  Geo.  W.  Tilton;  1892-93,  D.  H. 
Martin;  1894-97,  J.  F.  Thompson;  1898-,  E. 
H.  Hughes. 

Auditor. — W.  A.  Starr.  July  14,  1882,  to 
his  death,  December  14,  1883;  W.  B.  Glasse, 
March  4,  1884-88;  George  S.  King,  January 
3  to  November  27,   1891. 

Health  Officer. — June  i,  1885,  to  April 
13,  1891,  Elmer  E.  Liggett;  April  13,  1891-92. 
L.  T.  Strother;  1893-95,  E.  Tanner;  1896, 
C.  Rockhold;  1897,  A.  B.  Temple:  1898, 
George  S.  Liggett;  1899,  A.  B.  Temple;  1900, 
E.  Tanner;  1901,  T.  B.  Allison. 

Coroner. — 1867-69,  George  W.  Kings- 
bury; 1870-71,  J.  H.  Logan;  1872,  J.  F.  New- 
Ion;  1873,  William  Pinkerton;  1874-77,  D.  B. 
Grouse;  1878-79,  W.  R.  Moore;  1880-81,  W. 
W.  Liglish;  1881-82,  Lewis  Peterson,  who  re- 
signed in  1882,  and  P.  Davis  was  appointed; 
1883-87.  E.  W.  Dorsey;  1888-89,  A.  A.  Clar- 
ady;  1890-91,  T.  J.  Finley;  1892-93,  J.  H. 
Miller;  1894-95,  T.  J.  Finley;  1892-97,  J.  W. 
French;  1898,  William  Roe,  who  died  before 
'his  term  of  office  expired, — D.  N.  Mathews 
was  appointed  April  30,  1898,  to  fill  the  term 
until  the  next  general  election;  1899,  J.  W. 
French,  elected  to  fill  William  Roe's  unexpired 
term;   1900-,  G.  W.   Smith. 

County  Commissioners. — March  10, 
1867.  Governor  Crawford  appointed  Samuel 
W.  Collins,  Charles  H.  Talbott  and  Bergen 
Van  Ness  commissioners  to  organize  the  coun- 
ty. April  22,  1867,  William  Shay,  David  C. 
Lowe  and  Nathan  Ames  were  elected;  Mr. 
Shay  failing  to  qualify,  John  G.  Rice  was  ap- 
pointed in  his  place,  1868,  ist,  William  Logan; 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


2d,  Isaac  Butterworth;  3d,  James  F.  Moles- 
worth.  1869,  1st.  William  Logan;  2d,  Elisha 
Hammer;  3d,  James  F.  Molesworth. 

Subsequent  to  1869  the  commissioners  were 
as  follows:  First  District:  1870.  William 
Steel;  1871,  Gilbert  Martin;  1872-77,  D.  J. 
Doolen:  1878,  H.  S.  Coley;  1879-81,  D.  J. 
Doolen;  1882-84,  W.  G.  Hoover;  1885-90,  D. 
A.  Jones;  1891-93.  Gilbert  A.  Cooper;  1894- 
96,  D.  U.  Watson;  1897-,  D.  S.  Romine.— 
Second  District:  1870-71,  J.  W.  Morey;  No- 
vember, 1 87 1,  Abner  De  Cou  was  elected,  but 
died  before  taking  his  seat;  February  10.  1872- 
y^,  George  Foland;  1874-75,  H.  M.  Debolt; 
1876-77,  C.  Leib;  1878-79,  H.  M.  Debolt; 
1880-82,  A.  N.  Russell;  1883-84,  M.  Breiden- 
thal ;  April  5,  1884,  Mr.  Breidenthal  died,  and 
E.  B.  Baldwin  was  appointed  in  his  place,  and 
served  from  April  18  to  December  3,  1884; 
December  3,  1884-88,  Lewis  Goodwin;  1889- 
1894,  Milo  Hildreth;  1895-97,  J-  C.  Goodell; 
1898-,  Philip  Gers.— Third  District:  Novem- 
ber 3,  1869,  J.  P.  Hutton  declared  elected,  but 
died  before  qualifying;  July  7.  1870,  W.  H. 
Carpenter  was  appointed;  November,  1870,  J. 
M.  Richardson  was  elected,  but  Carpenter 
claimed  there  was  no  vacancy,  and  Richard- 
son never  took  his  seat ;  W.  H.  Carpenter  con- 
tinued to  serve  until  the  following  November 
election;  November,  1871-73.  William  Dick; 
1874-77.  W.  A.  Starr;  1878-80,  P.  W.  Shick; 
1881-83,  J.  J.  Henderson;  1884-89.  J.  E. 
Brooks;  1890-92,  J.  W.  Scott;  i89?-oc.  J.  A. 
Jarboe;  1896-98.  G.  W.  Gabriel;  1898-,  R.  D. 
Talbot. 

List  and  Terms  of  Chairmen  of  Board  of 
County  Commissioners. — 1867.  David  C. 
Lowe;  1868,  William  Logan;  1869,  James  F. 
Molesworth;  1870,  William  Steel;  November 
14,  1870.  to  January  12,  1871.  J.  W.  Morev; 
1 87 1,  W.  H.  Carpenter;  November,  1871,  to 


January  1872,  J.  W.  Morey;  1872-73,  Will- 
iam Dick;  1874-77,  D.  J.  Doolen;  1878.  H.  S. 
Coley;  1879-81,  D.  J.  Doolen;  1882-83,  J-  1- 
Henderson;  1884,  W.  G.  Hoover;  1885-86,  T. 
E.  Brooks;  1887,  D.  A.  Jones;  1888-89,  J-  E. 
Brooks;  1890,  D.  A.  Jones;  1891-92,  Milo  Hil- 
dreth; 1893,  Gilbert  A.  Cooper;  1894,  Milo 
Hildreth;  1895,  J-  A.  Jarboe;  1896,  D.  U. 
Watson;  1897,  J.  C.  Goodell;  1898,  G.  W. 
Gabriel;  1899,  D.  S.  Romine;  1900,  Philip 
Gers;  1901,  R.  D.  Talbot. 

COUNTY  DEPOSITORY. 

October  10,  1882,  to  July  11,  1S91,  bank 
of  C.  M.  Condon;  July  11.  1891,  First  National 
Bank  of  Oswego  up  to  $50,000,  and  Oswego 
State  Bank  for  amounts  beyond  what  the  Na- 
tional Bank  was  to  have.  There  have  since 
been  changes,  the  Parsons  banks,  as  well  as 
those  in  Oswego  being  made  depositories. 

LIST  OF  OFFICIAL  PAPERS. 

1868,  January  14th,  proceedings  ordered 
published  in  Humboldt  Union;  subsequently 
the  Neosho  Valley  Eagle  was  established  at 
Jacksonville  and  did  a  part  of  the  county  print- 
ing; later  the  Oswego  Register  was  established 
and  did  most  of  the  county  printing;  i86g, 
Register;  1870,  Register;  1871,  Advance  and 
Register;  1872,  Advance;  1873,  Advance; 
1874,  Independent;  1875,  Register,  during  year 
transferred  to  Independent;  1876,  Herald; 
1S77,  Independent;  1878,  Independent;  1879, 
Independent;  1880,  Democrat;  1881,  Inde- 
pendent; 1882,  Independent;  1883,  Independ- 
ent; 1884,  Republican;  1885,  Independent; 
1886,  Independent  and  Democrat;  1887,  Bee 
and  Sun;  1888,  Bee  and  Sun;  1889,  Inde- 
pendent and  Sun;  1890,  Independent  and  Sun; 


244 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


1 89 1,  on  January  9th  the  Independent  was 
designated  as  the  official  paper ;  this  order  was 
revoked  on  February  9th,  and  an  order  made 
tliat  Mills'  IVcckly  World  be  the  official  paper, 
and  on  February  loth  this  order  was  revoked 
and  another  one  made  designating  the  Labette 
County  Statesman  as  the  official  paper;  1892- 


October  2,  1893.  Mills'  Weekly  World;  Oc- 
tober  2,  1893-January  8.  1894.  Labette  County 
Times-Statesman  ;  ]^nu2,xy  ?>.  1894-January  14, 
1896,  Parsons  Independent ;  January  14,  1896- 
February  3.  1897,  Parsons  Eclipse;  February- 
3,  1 897-,  Oswego  Blade. 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  TEMPERANCE 


The  license  system  was  not  put  in  operation 
in  this  county  without  a  vig-orous  opposition 
on  the  part  of  the  temperance  people.  So  far 
as  I  can  ascertain,  the  first  attempt  to  obtain 
license  to  sell  liquor  in  this  county  was  in  the 
summer  or  fall  of  1867,  when  J.  Q.  Cowell, 
who  was  running-  a  small  drug-  store  in  Os- 
weg-o,  got  a  sufficiently  signed  petition  to 
authorize  the  issuance  of  a  license;  but  before 
it  was  presented  to  the  board,  H.  C.  Bridgman, 
who  was  conducting  a  general  store  next  to  his, 
in  some  way  got  possession  of  the  petition  and 
destroyed  it.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  last 
attempt  made  by  Cowell  to  get  a  license,  but 
probably  not  the  last  attempt  to  sell  liquor. 
The  sales,  however,  if  made,  were  without  any 
authority  of  law. 

Some  time  after  tliis  transaction  John  R. 
Clover  got  a  petition  containing  sufficient  sig- 
natures to  authorize  a  license  to  be  issued  to 
him,  but  Mrs.  Augusta  Herbaugh  managed  to 
get  possession  of  it,  and  it  suffered  a  fate  sim- 
ilar to  Mr.  Cowell's. 

THE  FIRST  LICENSED  SALOON 

In  the  county  was  kept  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  block  39,  in  Oswego,  by  Jones  &  Stewart, 
who  on  January  11,  1868.  presented  to  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  a  petition  said 
to  contain  the  names  of  a  majority  of  the  res- 
idents of  Oswego  township,  asking  that  a  li- 
cense to  sell  liquor  be  granted  to  them.     The 


board  granted  this  petition,  and  directed  the 
clerk  to  issue  license  for  one  year,  upon  the 
payment  by  said  Jones  &  Stewart  of  the  sum 
of  $50.  This  firm  soon  sold  out  to  H.  E. 
Porter  and  A.  J.  DeCou,  the  latter  of  whom 
in  a  few  weeks  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner, 
and  thereafter  Mr.  Porter  ran  the  business 
alone.  This  saloon  had  been  running  less  than 
seven  months,  when,  on  the  night  of  August 
6th,  J.  C.  Wheeler  and  Charles  Van  Alstine, 
with  several  more  persons,  spent  the  evening 
there  in  drinking  and  carousing  until  after 
midnight.  Van  Alstine  and  Wbeeler  got  into 
a  dispute  over  the  question  of  indebtedness  of 
the  latter  to  the  former,  and  after  leaving  the 
saloon,  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  remained 
by  the  side  of  the  building  disputing  for  some 
time,  until  all  the  other  parties  had  gone  away, 
and  H.  E.  Porter,  the  bar-keeper,  had  closed 
the  door.  The  next  morning  Wheeler  was 
found  by  the  saloon  unconscious,  his  head 
bruised  by  blows  from  a  club,  from  which  he 
soon  thereafter  died.  Van  Alstine  was  ar- 
rested, and  at  the  next  term  of  court  was  con- 
victed of  murder  in  the  second  degree  and  sen- 
tenced to  the  penitentiary  for  ten  years.  I  am 
informed  that  his  family  was  left  to  be  provid- 
ed for  by  the  public,  as  was  also  the  family  of 
Wheeler.  Subsequently  the  commissioners 
paid  the  expense  of  sending  Wheeler's  children 
back  to  their  friends  in  Ohio.  The  cost  to 
the  county  of  convicting    and    sending    Van 


246 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Alstine  to  the  penitentiary,  and  caring  for  the 
destitute  families  of  the  murderer  and  his  vic- 
tim, is  said  to  have  been  over  $2,000.  Com- 
paring this  sum  paid  out  of  the  public  treasury, 
for  a  matter  which  may  fairly  be  said  to  be 
traceable  directly  to  the  saloon  as  its  cause, 
with  the  paltry  sum  of  $50  paid  into  the  county 
treasury  for  the  saloon  license,  the  transaction 
would  not  look  like  a  very  profitable  one  for 
the  public  to  engage  in. 

The  next  party  authorized  by  the  board  to 
make  drunkards  according  to  law  was  William 
B.  Gregory,  who  on  May  16,  1868,  presented 
to  the  board  a  petition  signed  by  182  citizens 
of  Richland  township,  asking  that  he  be  grant- 
ed a  dramshop  license  for  said  township. 
WHiereupon  the  board  ordered  that,  upon  the 
payment  of  $100  into  the  county  treasury,  li- 
cense be  granted  him  for  one  year  from  that 
date.  The  last  action  of  the  board  preceding 
their  granting  Gregory  license  to  keep  a  sa- 
loon was  their  appointment  of  him  to  the  office 
of  constable  of  said  township. 

The  practical  workings  of  this  licensed  sa- 
loon do  not  seem  to  have  been  altogether  satis- 
factory to  the  people  of  Chetopa.  On  Febru- 
ary 9,  1869,  a  large  temperance  meeting  was 
held  at  Spaulding's  hall,  at  which  stirring  tem- 
perance speeches  were  made  by  a  number  of 
citizens,  and  also  by  Rev.  C.  R.  Rice,  who  had 
remained  over  a  day  or  two  after  his  quarterly 
meeting.  Strong  resolutions  were  passed  de- 
nouncing those  who  were  disgracing  the  town 
with  their  drunkenness,  and  calling  upon  the 
officers  to  see  that  the  law  was  enforced.  Tem- 
perance meetings  were  frequently  held  subse- 
quently to  this,  and  a  temperance  organiza- 
tion was  effected.  About  the  same  time  at- 
tempts were  made  by  other  parties  to  obtain 
license,  but  with  less  success. 

On  July  21,  1868,  a  petition  dated  July  6, 


1868,  was  presented  to  the  board,  asking  them 
"to  grant  Charles  Sipes  a  license  to  keep  a 
grocery  and  first-class  billiard  saloon"  in  Os- 
wego; whereupon,  "the  board  having  consid- 
ered said  petition,  and  being  satisfied  that  said 
petition  is  not  made  by  a  majority  of  the  resi- 
dents in  said  township  as  the  law  requires,  and 
that  the  masses  of  the  citizens  are  opposed  to 
the  granting  of  dramshop  license  in  said  town- 
ship, as  evidenced  by  the  remonstrance  pre- 
sented to  this  board,  therefore  said  petition  is 
not  granted."  On  the  same  day  the  record 
shows  that  W.  S.  Newlon  presented  to  the 
board  the  following  petition  : 

"To  the  County  Board  of  Labette  County, 
Kansas:  The  undersigned,  residents  of  Os- 
wego township,  over  the  age  of  21  years,  re- 
spectfully ask  you  not  to  grant  license  to  estab- 
lish a  dramshop  at  Oswego  at  your  next  meet- 
ing." 

And  then  follows  their  action  thereon : 

"And  the  board  havine  duly  considered  the 
same,  do  and  it  is  hereby  ordered  that  the 
board  will  not  bind  or  circumscribe  its  powers, 
but  will  endeavor  to  act  at  all  times  and  upon  all 
subjects  according  to  law  and  justice.  Where- 
fore, said  petition  is  not  granted." 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  other  saloon 
license  granted  until  January  7,  1869,  when 
John  R.  Clover  and  H.  H.  Stanley  were  grant- 
ed a  license  on  a  petition  said  to  contain  the 
names  of  a  majority  of  the  citizens  of  Oswego 
township.  The  record  shows  that  Commis- 
sioner Molesworth  voted  to  fix  the  amount 
charged  for  the  license  at  $500,  but  that  Com- 
missioners Logan  and  Butterworth  agreed  to 
charge  but  $100  therefor.  A  year  thereafter 
these  parties  had  their  license  renewed  by  the 
commissioners,  at  the  same  price. 

After  1870,  Oswego  and  Chetopa  being 
organized  under  city  government,    the    man- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


247 


ner  of  regulating  the  sale  of  liquor  in  these 
places  passed  from  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners to  that  of  the  city  council.  The  juris- 
diction of  the  commissioners  was  confined  to 
the   rest  of   the   county. 

The  first  record  which  I  have  found  of  a  li- 
cense being  applied  for  outside  of  Richland  and 
Oswego  townships  was  that  of  Thomas  Phillips 
to  keep  a  saloon  in  Montana ;  this  was  at  the 
meeting  of  the  board  in  January,  1872.  A  re- 
monstrance was  also  presented,  and  the  license 
was  refused.  However,  at  their  meeting  in 
July  of  the  same  3^ear  the  board  granted  a 
license  to  William  T.  Trapp,  for  a  fee  of  $150. 
This  was  not  the  first  saloon,  however,  that  was 
kept  in  Montana.  Several  parties  at  different 
times  were  engaged  in  the  saloon  business  who 
conducted  it  in  defiance  of  law. 

At  the  January,  1874,  meeting  of  the  board, 
two  saloons  were  authorized  to  be  licensed  in 
Montana,  at  a  fee  of  $100  each — one  to  be 
kept  by  Edward  Wilcox,  and  the  other  by  Will- 
iam T.  Trapp  and  Andrew  Dixon. 

On  February  2,  1875,  J.  S.  Waters  pre- 
sented the- petition  of  himself  and  168  others, 
asking  that  license  be  granted  to  Andrew  Dix- 
on, and  on  the  same  day  the  petition  was  grant- 
ed, the  fee  to  be  charged  therefor  to  be  $300; 
but  soon  thereafter  Mr.  Waters  appeared  be- 
fore the  commissioners  and  recommended  that 
the  fee  be  but  $100.  On  consideration,  the 
board  finally  fixed  the  fee  at  $200.  In  1876 
Dixon's  license  was  again  renewed,  the  fee 
charged  this  time  being  but  $100.  It  was  not 
long  after  its  renewal  until  Mrs.  Waters  ap- 
peared before  the  board  and  showed  that  some 
of  the  names  on  the  petition  for  license  were 
not  legal  petitioners,  and  she  succeeded  in  get- 
ting the  board  to  make  an  order  revoking  the 
license.  At  the  next  meeting,  however,  Mr. 
Dixon  appeared  with  his  attorney  before  the 


board,  and  by  making  them  believe  that  they, 
had  no  authority  to  revoke  a  license  once  grant- 
ed, induced  them  to  rescind  their  former  action 
and  leave  his  license  in  force. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  town  of  Labette 
was  started  until  saloons  were  opened  and  run 
without  the  sanction  of  law,  and  yet  without 
receiving  any  great  amount  of  molestation 
from  the  law  officers. 

During  1872  and  1873  there  was  little  or- 
ganized effort  at  any  place  in  the  county  to 
prevent  the  obtaining  of  license,  or  for  the  pur- 
pose of  seeing  that  the  law  against  illegal  sales 
was  practically  enforced.  Some  temperance 
meetings  were  held,  and  some  protests  were 
made  by  the  temperance  people,  but  nothing 
very  effective  was  done. 

THE  CRUSADE  SPIRIT. 

The  spring  and  summer  of  1874  was  one 
of  the  most  exciting  times  upon  the  temperance 
question  that  had  ever  been  known  in  the 
county.  The  spirit  of  the  "crusaders,"  which 
in  many  places  in  the  East  had  led  the  women 
to  make  raids  on  the  saloons  and  pour  liquor 
into  the  gutter,  manifested  itself  in  this  county 
in  a  milder  but  scarcely  less  determined  form. 
No  saloons  were  raided,  but  in  Oswego  the 
women  held  prayer  meetings  in  the  churches, 
and  visited  the  saloons  and  requested  the  jiro- . 
prietors  to  give  up  their  business.  Of  course 
these  requests  were  not  complied  with.  But 
the  ladies'  organization  was  kept  up,  the  en- 
tire city  was  thoroughly  canvassed,  immense 
petitions  were  secured  praying  the  council  to 
issue  no  license  at  all,  and  demanding  that  the 
law,  requiring  a  petition  of  a  majority  of  the 
residents  of  the  ward  to  be  presented  before  a 
license  should  be  issued,  should  be  enforced. 
At  that  time  the  law  of  the  State  required  a 


24^ 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


petition  of  a  majority  of  the  residents  of  the 
township  or  ward,  male  and  female,  to  be  pre- 
sented requesting^  such  action  before  any  dram- 
shop license  could  be  granted,  but  provided 
that  the  mayor  and  council  of  cities  of  the  first 
and  second  class  mioht,  liy  ordinance,  dis- 
pense with  such  petition.  At  the  request  of  the 
ladies  the  mayor  called  a  special  meeting  of 
the  council,  which  was  held  on  May  4,  1874, 
at  which  time  a  large  delegation  of  ladies  ap- 
peared before  the  council  and  presented  their  pe- 
titions, and  'had  several  arguments  made  in  fav- 
or of  carrying  out  the  spirit  expressed  therein. 
Prior  to  this  no  ordinance  had  been  passed  dis- 
pensing with  the  necessity  of  a  petition,  but  the 
council  had  entirely  disregarded  the  law  requir- 
ing a  petition,  and  had  uniformly  granted  li- 
cense on  the  simple  petition  of  the  applicant 
'himself.  It  nov/  being  apparent  that  such  action 
would  not  be  tolerated,  at  the  close  of  the  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  granting  the  ladies'  petition,  a 
motion  was  made  instructing  the  committee  to 
prepare  and  present  an  ordinance  to  dispense 
with  the  necessitv  of  a  petition  by  a  majority 
of  the  residents  of  the  ward,  as  they  were 
authorized  to  do  by  statute.  The  vote  on  the 
passage  of  this  motion  resulted  in  a  tie  of  the 
council,  and  the  mayor  gave  the  casting  vote 
in  opposition  thereto,  thus  establishing  the  rule 
that  licensed  saloons  could  not  exist  in  any 
ward  until  a  majority  of  the  adult  residents, 
thereof,  male  and  female,  should  petition  there- 
for. For  this  action  the  mayor  received  a  vote 
of  thanks  from  the  ladies'  association. 

Less  than  a  week  later  another  meeting  of 
the  council  was  called,  at  which  an  ordinance 
dispensing  with  the  necessity  for  a  petition  con- 
taining the  names  of  a  majority  of  the  resi- 
dents of  the  ward  before  a  license  could  be 
granted  was  introduced,  and  on  motion  to 
adopt  the  same  the  vote  of  the  council,  as  at 


the  previous  meeting,  stood  a  tie.  and  the 
mayor  gave  the  casting  vote  in  favor  of  its 
passage,  and  thereby  inaugurated  the  policy  in 
the  form  of  law,  which  since  the  incorporation 
of  the  city  had  been  practiced  in  defiance  of 
law,  of  allowing  the' mayor  and  council  to  grant 
license  without  an  express  wish  of  the  people 
therefor.  This  action  on  the  part  of  the  mayor 
and  council  created  great  excitement.  A  public 
meeting  was  immediately  called,  and  strong 
resolutions  of  disapprobation  of  this  action 
were  unanimously  passed.  Temperance  meet- 
ings continued  to  be  held  and  public  sentiment 
aroused. 

At  the  time  Oswego  was  having  this  earn- 
est action,  rousing  temperance  meetings  were 
held  weekly  at  Parsons,  and  were  addressed 
by  leading  and  influential  citizens,  as  well  as 
by  the  clergy.  A  little  later,  similar  steps  were 
taken  at  Chetopa.  Public  meetings  were  held 
and  speeches  made  disapproving  the  licensing 
of  saloons,  and  petitions  were  circulated  and 
largely  signed  asking  the  council  to  grant  no 
license  until  petitioned  for  by  a  majority  of 
the  residents  of  the  ward  as  required  by  law. 
These  petitions,  however,  were  unavailing,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  month  a  large  number  of 
saloons  were  licensed  over  the  earnest  protest 
of  the  temperance  people. 

The  temperance  people  were  now  intent  on 
preventing  the  issuance  of  license  in  the  cities 
unless  the  same  were  petitioned  for  by  a  ma- 
jority of  the  residents  of  the  ward ;  and  at  the 
county  temperance  convention  held  on  Octo- 
ber 6.  1874,  on  motion  of  Nelson  Case  it  was 
unanimously — 

"Resolved^  That  we  are  in  favor  of  the  im- 
mediate repeal  of  the  proviso  of  section  i  of 
the  dramsihop  act,  and  request  our  entire  dele- 
gation in  the  Legislature  to  use  their  utmost 
exertions  to  secure  such  result." 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


249 


Early  in  1874  a  party  decided  it  would  be 
a  profitable  thing  to  open  a  saloon  in  Mound 
Valley,  and  set  about  obtaining  a  petition  ask- 
ing the  commissioners  to  grant  him  a  license 
for  that  purpose.  As  soon  as  this  was  known 
a  public  meeting  was  called  and  held  at  the 
school-house,  on  February  2d,  and  rousing  tem- 
perance speeches  were  made,  and  a  determina- 
tion'expressed  that  no  saloon  should  be  opened 
in  that  place.  A  remonstrance  was  circulated, 
and  a  large  majority  of  tihe  people  signed  the 
same.  During  the  winter  of  1873-74  the  tem- 
perance sentiment  in  Chetopa  was  sustained  by 
the  maintenance  of  the  weekly  temperance 
literary  society,  in  which  a  temperance  paper 
was  read,  temperance  debates  were  had,  and 
all  phases  of  the  question  were  discussed. 
Nearly  all  of  the  temperance  workers  in  the 
place  took  part  in  this  society. 

REFORM   CLUB. 

On  July  8,  1877.  quite  a  number  of  the 
men  of  Oswego  w-ho  were  in  the  habit  of  in- 
dulging somewhat  freely  in  intoxicating  liquors 
organized  themselves  into  a  reform  club,  with 
William  Wells  as  president  and  L.  C.  Howard 
as  secretary.  The  purpose  of  the  club  was  to 
assist  its  members  either  in  abstaining  alto- 
gether from  the  use  of  liquor,  or  to  abstain 
therefrom  excepting  under  certain  conditions. 

BREWERIES. 

As  early  as  1 870  Max  Muehlschuster  start- 
ed a  brewery  on  the  Neosho  river  at  Chetopa, 
and  soon  opened  in  connection  therewith  a  beer 
garden  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  These 
were  conducted  by  him  until  his  death,  in  Tnlv, 
1871. 

In  1870  a  building  for  a  brewery  was  erect- 


ed in  the  north  edge  of  Oswego  by  John  Seiber 
and  Edward  Eckle,  but  on  account  of  financial 
embarrassment  on  the  part  of  the  proprietors 
it  was  never  put  in  operation. 

Early  in  1873  John  Apperger  commenced 
the  construction  of  a  brewery  just  on  the  brow 
of  the  hill  in  the  east  part  of  Oswego,  south 
of  the  section-line  road  running  to  Columbus, 
which  was  dedicated  by  a  free-beer  frolic  on 
Sunday,  April  21,  1873.  Apperger  ran  the 
brewery  for  some  four  years,  but  finally,  in 
November,  1877,  it  was  closed  by  the  collector 
of  internal  revenue  for  illicit  transactions,  and 
soon  thereafter  Apperger  moved  away. 

MURPHY  MEETINGS. 

Murphy  meetings  in  the  county  commenced 
in  Oswego,  where,  about  the  ist  of  October, 
1877,  a  series  of  meetings  was  begun  in  the 
Methodist  church,  under  the  general  direction 
of  the  pastor,  which  were  kept  up  nightly  for 
quite  a  length  of  time,  and  at  which  nearly  all 
of  the  citizens  who  at  any  time  spoke  in  public, 
as  well  as  persons  from  abroad,  made  speeches. 
Miss  Amanda  Way  was  present  on  one  or  two 
occasions.  The  meetings  resulted  in  securing 
the  signatures  of  over  500  of  the  citizens  to 
the  Murphy  pledge.  At  its  close  steps  were 
taken  for  opening  a  library  and  reading-room. 

Soon  after  the  opening  of  the  meetings  in 
Oswego  a  series  of  meetings  was  held  at  Che- 
topa, conducted  by  Mrs.  S.  A.  Williams,  which 
resulted  in  securing  something  like  600  signa- 
tures to  the  Murphy  pledge. 

About  the  same  time  similar  meetings  were 
conducted  at  Parsons  by  Miss  Amanda  Way, 
at  which  about  800  parties  took  the  Murphy 
pledge.  Steps  were  taken  at  the  close  of  these 
meetings  looking  to  the  opening  of  a  free  read- 
ing-room. 


250 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


During-  that  winter  Murphy  meetings  were 
lield  in  a  large  number  of  the  school-houses 
throughout  the  county,  especially  in  the  south- 
ern part.  T.  J.  Calvin  took  a  leading  part 
in  getting  them  started,  and  provided  for  their 
being  frequently  conducted.  From  these  tem- 
perance meetings  organizations  were  secured 
in  the  Baylor  school-house,  with  W.  G.  Baylor 
as  president,  and  in  the  Lockard  school-house, 
with  A.  B.  Hammer  as  president.  At  Mon- 
tana during  the  same  period.  Murphy  meetings 
were  scarcely  less  successful  than  at  either  of 
the  other  points  in  the  county.  The  whole 
neighborhood  was  thoroughly  aroused,  and  a 
very  large  proportion  of  the  people  took  the 
pledge. 

DISPENSING  WITH  PETITION. 

On  May  28,  1877,  the  city  council  of  Par- 
sons by  unanimous  vote  passed  an  ordinance 
requiring  the  presentation  of  a  petition  of  a 
majority  of  the  residents  of  a  ward  in  order 
to  obtain  a  license.  The  mayor,  however,  ve- 
toed this  ordinance,  and  the  council  declined  to 
pass  it  over  his  veto.  The  strong  argument 
against  the  passage  of  the  ordinance  seemed 
to  be  that  thereby  some  of  the  nine  saloons  then 
running  in  the  city  would  not  be  able  to  procure 
the  necessary  petition,  and  the  city  would 
thereby  be  deprived  of  the  $200  fee  charged 
therefor.  A  public  meeting  was  had,  at  which 
a  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  the  three  coun- 
cilmen  who  voted  for  the  passage  of  the  or- 
dinance notwithstanding  the  mayor's  veto. 

Following  up  the  Murphy  movement  in  Os- 
wego, petitions  were  presented  to  the  council 
requesting  the  repeal  of  the  ordinance  dispens- 
ing with  the  necessity  of  petition,  in  compliance 
with  which  the  council  did,  on  November  2, 
1877,  repeal  the  ordinance  on  that  subject,  and 
thereby  made  it  practically  certain  that  licensed 


saloons  must  cease  with  the  last  of  the  year, 
for  with  the  sentiment  as  it  then  existed,  there 
was  no  probabilitv  of  anyone  obtaining  a  suffi- 
cient petition  to  entitle  the  council  to  grant 
license,  were  they  so  disposed.  On  the  ist  of 
January,  1878,  Oswego  for  the  first  time  since 
the  granting  of  the  first  license  ten  years  be- 
fore, was  without  a  licensed  saloon ;  nor  did 
she  have  one  running  during  the  next  three 
months.  In  February,  1878,  C.  B.  Woodford 
presentetl  a  petition  sufficiently  signed  to 
authorize  the  council  to  issue  a  license,  pro- 
vided they  had  chosen  to  issue  it,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  selling  "spirituous,  vinous,  and  malt 
liquors  in  this  city  for  medical,  culinary, 
sacramental  and  mechanical  purposes."  Signa- 
tures to  this  petition  were  obtained  on  the 
theory  that  it  was  not  for  the  purpose  of  se- 
curing license  to  open  a  saloon,  but  only  for 
the  sale  of  liquor  for  the  purposes  therein 
named.  However,  the  council  refused  to  grant 
the  petition,  and  passed  a  preamble  and  a  reso- 
lution that  no  license  would  be  issued  until 
after  the  people  'had  had  an  opportunity  to 
express  themselves  at  the  polls  whether  they  de- 
sired license  to  bq  restored.  At  the  city  elec- 
tion the  only  question  was  whether  or  not  a 
mayor  and  council  should  be  elected  in  favor 
of  granting  license,  and  the  people  decided  in 
favor  of  license  by  a  majority  of  more  than 
100.  Of  course  with  such  a  verdict  in  favor 
of  a  change  of  policy  from  that  which  had  been 
pursued  for  the  three  months  past,  the  council 
was  not  long  in  granting  licenses  to  those  who 
had  been  anxiously  waiting  for  an  opportunity 
to  open  saloons,  and  from  this  time  on  until 
the  State  prohibitory  law  went  into  efifect  Os- 
wego was  able  to  furnish  those  who  wished 
to  buy,  all  the  liquor  they  needed,  not  only  for 
"culinary  and  medicinal,"  but  also  for  intoxi- 
cating purposes. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


251 


On  January  i,  1878,  in  compliance  with 
request  of  a  petition  very  largely  signed  by 
the  citizens  of  Chetopa,  the  mayor  and  council 
of  that  city  unanimously  passed  an  ordinance 
repealing  the  ordinance  then  in  force  dispens- 
ing with  petition,  thereby  making  it  incumbent 
on  the  applicant  for  license  to  get  a  majority 
of  the  ward,  male  and  female,  to  petition  there- 
for before  he  could  obtain  license  to  sell  liquor. 
It  was  supposed  that  this  would  be  sufficient 
to  do  away  with  saloons  in  that  town.  How- 
ever, just  one  week  thereafter  a  petition  of  the 
residents  of  the  First  Ward  was  presented  to 
the  council,  containing  the  re(|uisite  number 
of  signatures,  and  a  saloon  was  duly  licensed. 
From  that  time  the  temperance  war  was  car- 
ried on  in  earnest.  Public  meetings  were  fre- 
quently held,  and  every  step  possible  taken  to 
consolidate  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  no-license. 
This  was  the  direct  issue  at  the  city  election 
in  April,  1878,  and  by  a  small  majority  the 
temperance  people  succeeded  in  electing  offi- 
cers opposed  to  the  issuance  of  any  license. 
At  the  expiration  of  the  licenses  then  in  ex- 
istence, on  June  30,  legalized  saloons  ceased 
in  Chetopa,  and  were  not  again  introduced. 
In  the  spring  of  1879  little  interest  was  taken 
in  the  election,  and  the  result  was  that  one 
license  councilman  was  elected,  which  made 
the  council  stand  a  tie.  Soon  thereafter,  pe- 
titions were  circulated  to  secure  signatures  ask- 
ing that  hcense  again  be  granted.  A  vacancy 
soon  occurred  in  the  city  council;  a  special 
election  resulted  in  the  election  of  a  temperance 
man,  which  again  gave  a  clear  majority  of  the 
council  opposed  to  license,  and  thereby,  as  was 
supposed,  determined  the  matter  of  saloons 
for  another  year.  But  later  in  the  season  fur- 
ther efforts  were  made  by  the  liquor  men  to  ob- 
tain license,  and  by  direction  of  the  council 
the  mayor  called  a  special  election,  to  be  held 


on  September  23,  1879,  of  all  persons  of  law- 
ful age,  both  male  and  female,  to  determine 
by  ballot  whether  or  not  the  council  should 
grant  dramshop  license.  The  vote  was  taken, 
resulting  in  66  men  and  113  women  voting 
against  the  license,  and  not  one  vote  in  favor 
thereof.  Prior  to  the  election  in  April,  1880, 
a  vigorous  effort  was  made  to  arouse  the  tem- 
perance sentiment  both  in  the  town  and  sur- 
rounding country.  Petitions  were  sent  out  to 
secure  the  signatures  of  farmers  who  preferred 
to  trade  in  a  temperance  town,  and  of  course  a 
vast  majority  of  them  signed  it.  The  election, 
however,  resulted  in  the  choice  of  one  coun- 
cilman opposed  to  license  and  one  in  favor, 
thereby  making  the  council  a  tie  upon  that  ques- 
tion. 

TEMPERANCE  ORGANIZATIONS. 


Oswego. — The  first  lodge  of  this  order  es- 
tablished in  the  county  was  organized  at  Os- 
wego on  November  14,  1869.  Several  tem- 
perance workers,  feeling  the  necessity  for  some- 
thing being  dane  to  save  young  men  from 
drunkenness,  applied  to  the  officers  of  the 
grand  lodge  for  a  charter.  J.  J.  Browne  was 
appointed  deputy  to  institute  the  lodge:  Nelson 
Case  was  elected  W.  C.  T.,  and  .V.  B.  Close, 
W.  S.  After  some  years  this  lodge  became 
somewhat  disorganized.  On  May  10.  1876, 
a  district  Good  Templars'  meeting  was  held 
at  the  Congregational  church  in  Oswego,  at 
which  steps  were  taken  to  reorganize  a  lodge 
at  this  place.  A  number  of  persons  signified 
their  willingness  to  go  into  such  an  organiza- 
tion, and  a  lodge  was  soon  thereafter  instituted, 
which,  with  more  or  less  regularity,  main- 
tained its  existence  until  June,  1882,  when, 
prohibition  having  been  adopted,  its  members; 


:252 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


deemed  it  unwise  longer  to  continue  its  opera- 
tion, and  it  was  suspended.  The  money  in  the 
treasury,  amounting  to  $30.  was  donated  to 
the  Hbrary  association. 

Chetopa. — The  second  lodge  formed  in  the 
■county  was  organized  at  Chetopa,  where,  by 
the  aid  of  the  members  from  the  Oswego  lodge, 
one  was  instituted  on  January  24,  1870.  with 
G.  L.  Courtney  as  W.  C.  T..  and  S.  T.  Beck, 
AV.  S.  With  some  Interruptions  a  lodge  was 
maintained  at  Chetopa  as  late  as  1877.  Lodges 
were  had  at  one  time  at  Montana,  the  Lock- 
ard  school-house,  the  Breese  sc'hool-house,  and 
probably  at  other  points  in  the  county.  None 
of  these  were  of  very  long  duration. 

Mound  Valley. — On  October  10,  1877, 
under  the  leadership  of  IN'Irs.  Williams,  a  grand 
lodge  deputy,  a  lodge  was  instituted  at  Mound 
Valley,  and  was  maintainedi  for  some  eight 
years,  when  it  became  disorganized.  Robert 
R.  Coleman  was  its  first  W.  C.  T.,  and  he  and 
his  family  were  active  workers  during  the  his- 
tory of  the  lodge.  November  2,  1885,  a  re- 
organization was  had,  and  the  lodge  from  this 
time  was  maintained  regularly  till  May  g,  1887, 
when  it  was  again  discontinued.  Very  much 
■of  the  temperance  sentiment  of  Mound  Valley 
may  be  ascribed  to  the  principles  ii'slilled  into 
the  minds  of  the  young,  and  to  the  correct  tem- 
perance education  p-iven  in  this  lodge. 

Parsons. — On  November  12,  1874, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Rev.  J.  P. 
Hight,  a  lodge  was  organized  with  M.  G. 
Brown  as  \\'.  C.  T. ;  Mrs.  M.  M.  Hill,  W.  V. 
T. ;  Jas.  Grimes.  W.  S. ;  M.  Johnson,  W.  T. 
With  slight  interruptions  the  lodge  maintained 
its  organization  until  the  adoption  of  the  pro- 
hibitory amendment,  after  which  time  it  was 
allowed  to  die.  Mr.  Grimes,  who  was  the  first 
secretary  of  this  lodge,  afterward  became  quite 
prominent  in  the  order,  being  at  one  time  sec- 


retary and  afterward  G.  W.  C.  T.  of  the  grand 
lodge  of  the  State,  and  several  times  repre- 
sented the  State  in  the  R.  W.  G.  lodge. 


In  1877  local  organizations  of  the  Chris- 
tion  Temperance  Union  were  formed  at  two 
or  three  places  in  the  county.  On  October 
2Sth  one  was  formed  at  Chetopa,  with  T.  J. 
Calvin,  president,  and  J.  M.  Cavaness,  secre- 
tary. Sometime  that  fall  or  winter  one  was 
formed  at  Oswego,  and  one  also  existed  at 
Montana.  On  March  20,  1878,  a  county 
union  was  formed,  with  H.  G.  Webb,  presi- 
dent: Mary  A.  Higby,  secretary;  Robert  L. 
Curl,  treasurer;  and  J.  S.  Waters,  organizer. 

Local  Organizations. — The  illegal  sale 
of  liquor  in  Altamont,  resulting  in  the  repeated 
and  continued  intoxication  of  several  men,  be- 
came so  unbearable  that  in  July,  1884,  there 
was  organized  the  Ladies'  Temperance  Alli- 
ance, with  Mrs.  Lizzie  Hughes  as  president. 
This  organization  did  much  good  in  creating 
a  public  sentiment  in  favor  of  putting  a  stop 
to  the  illegal  sale  of  liquor,  and  inducing  those 
who  were  drinking  to  refrain  therefrom. 

In  1883  the  ladies  of  Mound  Valley  main- 
tained a  local  union  whic'h  rendered  efficient 
aid  to  the  cause  in  the  way  of  encouraging  and 
aiding  those  who  were  engaged  in  securing  the 
enforcement  of  the  law. 

The  Oswego  Temperance  Union  was 
formed  in  January,  1880,  and  under  its  man- 
agement the  entire  city  was  canvassed  for 
signers  to  a  pledge  against  the  use  of  liquor 
and  also  against  aiding  in  securing  a  license 
for  a  saloon. 


On  November  16,   1883,  a  union  was  or- 
ganized in  Chetopa  by  Mrs.  Drusilla  Wilson. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Mrs.  Julia  R.  Knight  was  elected  president ; 
Miss  Agnes  Baty,  recording  secretary:  Mrs. 
Nancy  Anderson,  corresponding  secretary  ;  and 
Mrs.  Isaliel  Cavaness,  treasurer.  About  July 
28,  1880,  a  union  was  formed  at  Parsons, 
wih  Mrs.  A.  Nealy,  secretary.  On  March  5, 
1885,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Griffith,  State  organizer, 
held  a  week's  meeting  at  Mound  Valley,  and 
at  its  close  organized  a  union.  After  contin- 
uing its  operation  for  a  few  months  this  or- 
ganization became  disbanded,  but  on  August 
10.  1886,  it  was  reorganized,  with 'Mrs.  E.  A. 
West,  president,  and  Mrs.  H.  Beggs,  secre- 
tary. This  union  still  maintains  a  vigorous  or- 
ganization. 

On  March  2,  1885,  a  union  was  formed 
at  Oswego,  with  Mrs.  E.  Elliott,  president  and 
Mrs.  Lydia  A.  Baldwin,  secretary.  Among 
the  other  ladies  who  were  associated  with  them 
in  this  work  were  Mrs.  Augusta  Herbaugh, 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Case,  Mrs.  Sallie  J.  Stonecipher 
and  Mrs.  M.  L.  Newlon. 

COUNTY    UNION. 

In  March,  1886,  delegates  from  the  sev- 
eral unions  in  the  county  met  and  organized  a 
county  union,  electing  Mrs.  Z.  L.  Janes,  of  Par- 
sons, president,  and  Mrs.  E.  A.  West,  of  Mound 
Valley,  secretary.  Mrs.  West  was  re-elected 
secretary  in  1887  and  1888.  In  1887  Mrs.  E. 
W.  Ross  was  elected  president,  and  Miss  M. 
E.  Scott,  in  1888.  Mrs.  Hattie  A.  Coleman 
was  first  elected  secretary  in  1889. 

THE  PROHIBITION  CANVASS. 

Early  in  1880  steps  were  taken  by  the  tem- 
perance people  of  the  county  to  thoroughly  pre- 
sent the  claims  of  the  pending  constitutional 
amendment,  to  prohibit  the  sale  and  manu- 
facture of  intoxicating  liquors,  to  the  intelli- 


gent and  conscientious  consideration  of  the 
electors  of  the  county.  In  August,  1880,  Mrs. 
Lang  lectured  at  Chetopa,  at  the  close  of  which 
a  prohibition  society  was  formed,  which  soon 
hereafter  adopted  a  constitution,  and  elected 
C.  H.  McCreery,  president,  and  F.  D.  Allen, 
secretary.  In  Elm  Grove  township  a  healthy 
prohibition  club  was  organized  early  in  Sep- 
tember, with  the  avowed  intention  of  thor- 
oughly canvassing  the  township.  In  the  same 
month  a  series  of  meetings  lasting  over  a  week 
was  held  at  Oswego,  at  which  E.  B.  Reynolds, 
of  Indiana,  and  Col.  C.  N.  Golding  were  the 
principal  speakers.  During  that  fall  nearly  all 
of  the  prominent  workers  in  the  county  were 
engaged  more  or  less  in  canvassing  for  the 
amendment.  The  cause  was  aided  very  ma- 
terially by  prominent  workers  from  abroad, 
among  whom  in  addition  to  those  above  named, 
may  be  mentioned  Gov.  St.  John,  Judge  Lay- 
ton,  Frank  J.  Sibley,  and  George  W.  Bain. 
The  result  of  the  efifort  was,  that  at  the  elec- 
tion in  November  2,082  votes  were  polled  for 
the  amendment  and  2,123  against  it.  While 
the  friends  of  temperance  had  htjped  to  have 
a  majority  in  favor  of  prohiliition,  they  felt 
quite  well  satisfied  that  the  result  was  so  small 
a  majority  against  it.  The  constitutional 
amendment  having  been  adopted  in  the  State,, 
and  the  law  for  its  enforcement  having  gone 
into  effect  on  May  i,  1881,  it  was  not  long  un- 
til most  of  the  saloons  were  closed.  A  few  held 
out  with  the  idea  that  the  law  would  not  be 
'  enforced,  but  the  majority  in  that  business  pre- 
ferred to  transfer  their  operations  to  more  fa- 
vorable fields. 

FIRST  ANNIVERSARY. 

On  May  i,  1882,  the  temperance  people  of 
the  county  celebrated  the  first  anniversary  of 


254 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


prohibition  b)^  a  public  meeting  held  at  Os- 
wego. Gov.  St.  Joihn  was  present,  and  made 
the  principal  address.  The  day  was  unfavor- 
able, a  heavy  rain  falling  almost  continually 
from  9  o'clock  until  after  the  proceedings  had 
closed;  yet  notwithstanding  this,  an  immense 
crowd  assembled,  coming  from  nearly  all  parts 
of  the  county.  Even  the  enemies  of  prohibition 
had  to  concede  that  the  celebration  was  a  suc- 
cess, and  its  friends  were  strengthened  in  their 
determination  to  see  the  saloon  permanently 
driven  out. 

ORGANIZATIONS     FOR     ENFORCING 
THE   LAW. 

It  was  not  long  after  this,  however,  until 
the  friends  of  prohibition  in  the  county  who 
were  gifted  with  any  measure  of  discernment 
were  satisfied  that  its  enforcement  meant  a  long 
and  hard  struggle.  Those  who  had  been  ac- 
customed to  reap  the  enormous  profits  which 
are  incident  to  the  sale  of  liquor,  and  whose 
disposition  was  to  furnish  all  means  possible 
for  man's  downfall,  were  not  disposed  to  sur- 
render the  privilege  they  had  for  such  a  length 
of  time  enjoyed,  so  long  as  they  could  find  any 
means  by  which  they  could  successfully  defy 
the  law.  The  number  of  those  engaged  in  the 
traffic  being  so  much  larger  at  Parsons  than 
at  any  other  point  in  the  county,  they,  having 
more  capital  invested  in  the  undertakin"-  made 
that  the  headquarters  for  the  liquor-men  of  the 
county. 

E.  R.  Marvin,  the  proprietor  of  the  Bel- 
mont House,  was  the  leader  of  this  law-defy- 
ing class.  As  good  attorneys  as  could  be  found 
in  the  county  were  employed  in  the  defense 
of  Marvin,  and  those  arrested  with  him,  for 
the  violation  of  the  law.  A  protracted  legal 
contest  ensued,  in  whidh  for  a  time  it  seemed 


as  though  the  defyers  of  the  law  were  to  be 
triumphant  because  of  the  inability  to  secure 
a  jury  who  would  render  a  verdict  of  convic- 
tion even  when  the  most  positive  and  convinc- 
ing testimony  was  presented  to  them.  Oc- 
casionally, however,  a  jury  of  honest  men  could 
be  secured,  and  witnesses  who  knew  something 
of  the  obligations  of  an  oath  could  be  put  upon 
the  stand,  in  which  case  verdicts  of  guilt  were 
found.  To  aid  the  officers  in  the  enforcement 
of  this  law,  various  local  organizations  were 
formed  from  time  to  time  as  necessity  seemed 
to  require,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  temperance 
people  judged  advisable.  The  first  of  these 
whidh  was  at  all  prominent  and  effective  was 
the  Labette  County  Law  Enforcement  Society, 
which  was  organized  in  the  court-house  in  Os- 
wego January  27,  1883 ;  Rev.  John  Elliott  was 
elected  president;  W.  L.  Simons,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  A.  A.  Osgood,  secretary ;  and  J.  M.  Bow- 
man, treasurer.  This  meeting  was  largely  at- 
tended by  delegates  from  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
ty. Prior  to  this,  however,  local  organizations 
had  been  formed  in  Oswego,  Chetopa  and 
Parsons.  In  July,  1882,  a  prohibition  asso- 
ciation was  formed  at  Oswego.  The  Law  En- 
forcement Society  continued  in  force  for  some 
two  years,  during  which  it  raised  quite  large 
sums  of  money  with  which  to  employ  counsel 
to  assist  the  county  attorney  and  to  meet  the 
expenses  necessary  to  a  protracted  litigation. 
It  was  thought  best  to  raise  this  money  by  pri- 
vate subscription,  so  that  the  public  expenses 
attendant  on  the  enforcement  of  the  law  would 
not  make  it  obnoxious  to  those  tax-payers  who 
might  not  have  any  particular  interest  in  seeing 
it  made  a  success. 

On  May  9,  1885,  Hon.  Albert  Griffin  lec- 
tured in  Oswego,  and  at  the  close  of  the  lec- 
ture a  committee  consisting  of  Nelson  Case, 
of  Oswego,  T.  J.  Calvin,  of  Chetopa,  and  Rev. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


255 


H.  A.  Tucker,  of  Parsons,  was  appointed  to 
effect  a  county  org-anization.  Thereafter,  on 
October  20,  1885,  the  Labette  County  Temper- 
ance Union  was  organized,  at  the  office  of  Nel- 
son Case,  in  Oswego,  a  pubhc  meeting  having 
been  called  at  said  office  for  that  purpose. 
Rev.  H.  A.  Tucker  was  elected  president ;  sev- 
eral parties  in  different  parts  of  the  county, 
vice-presidents;  Nelson  Case,  secretary;  and  C. 
U.  Dorman,  treasurer.  This  organization 
proved  more  effective  than  any  that  had  hither- 
to been  formed  for  the  purpose  of  enforcing 
the  prohibitory  law.  Mr.  Tucker  devoted  a 
large  amount  of  time  canvassing  the  county, 
forming  local  associations,  creating  public  sen- 
timent in  favor  of  the  law,  and  uniting  the 
earnest  temperance  workers  into  a  solid  or- 
ganization for  active  duty.  The  result  was 
that  every  saloon  in  the  county  was  closed ; 
scarcely  a  "boot-legger"  or  "jointist"  was  fool- 
hardy enough  to  risk  his  liberty  for  the  amount 
of  profits  to  be  realized  from  the  sales  he  could 
hope  to  make.  Not  a  very  large  amount  of 
money  was  raised  or  expended  by  this  organiza- 
tion, but  a  very  large  amount  of  earnest  work 
was  done  by  a  few  who  were  determined  to 
see  that  the  law  was  enforced,  and  it  was  prac- 
tically demonstrated  that  prohibition  could  be 
made  to  prohibit  when  the  officers,  backed  by 
a  healthy  public  sentiment,  were  determined 
that  it  should  be. 

There  has  never  been  a  time  when  the  pro- 
hibitory liquor  law  could  not  be  enforced  in  this 
county.  Much  of  the  time  it  has  been  fairly 
well  enforced.  But  some  of  the  time  there 
has  been  a  good  deal  of  illegal  selling,  both  by 
those  running  joints  with  no  pretense  of  law 
to  justify  them,  and  by  so  called  druggists  who 
had  obtained  permits.  Other  movements,  sim- 
ilar to  the  one  started  in  1885,  followed  in  sub- 
sequent   years.      Law  enforcement  organiza- 


tions have  been  formed  that  have  done  much 
toward  strengthening,  and  in  some  cases  com- 
pelling, the  officers  to  enforce  the  law.  Ex- 
perience has  practically  demonstrated  that 
when  the  public  officers  WQre  as  much  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  enforcement  of  this  law,  as 
they  were  with  that  of  other  criminal  laws, 
they  had  really  no  more  difficulty  in  enforc- 
ing this  law  than  they  had  in  enforcing  any 
other ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  when  they  were 
bent  on  giving  the  liquor  seller  protection,  or 
were  indifferent  as  to  the  result,  it  has  been 
hard  work  for  private  citizens  to  secure  a  clos- 
ing up  of  joints,  and  a  punishment  of  those 
engaged  in  the  illegal  traffic. 

DRUGGISTS'  REPORTS. 

It  was  thought  by  some  that  the  druggists 
who  had  been  licensed  to  sell  liquor  under  the 
law  during  1882  had  sold  a  larger  quantity 
than  was  really  needed  for  "medicinal,  scien- 
tific and  mechanical  purposes."  With  the 
opening  of  1883  the  probate  judge,  while  yet 
there  was  no  law  requiring  reports  to  be  made 
by  those  licensed  to  sell  liquor,  prepared  blanks 
which  he  distributed  to  all  of  the  druggists 
to  whom  license  had  been  granted,  requesting 
them  to  make  monthly  reports,  verified  by  their 
affidavit  to  be  true  and  correct,  showing  under 
the  following  'heads  what  they  had  done  in  the 
way  of  making  sales,  viz. :  "No.  of  sale," 
"Date,"  "Name  of  physician  making  prescrip- 
tion," "Person  for  w'bom  liquor  was  pre- 
scribed," "Person  to  whom  liquor  was  deliv- 
ered," "Kind  of  liquor  sold."  "Amount  of 
liquor  sold."  Most  of  the  druggists  complied 
with  this  request  without  objection,  and  made 
their  reports.  Some  of  the  reports  showed  a 
very  large  amount  of  liquor  sold,  and  whether 
or  not  it  was  sold  illegally  seemed  to  depend 


256 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


principally  upon  whether  or  not  the  druggist 
had  a  right  to  fill  ail  prescriptions  made  by 
practicing  physicians,  or  whether  he  was  bound 
to  know  that  a  prescription  for  liquor  every  day 
or  oftener  was  in  fact  a  subterfuge  in  order  to 
enable  the  party  to  procure  li(|Uor  to  use  as  a 
beverage  and  not  as  a  medicine.  It  became  evi- 
dent that  the  great  bulk  of  prescriptions  were 
made  by  a  few  physicians,  and  that  they  were 
made  regularly  to  parties  who  thus  obtained 
liquor  almost  as  frequently  as  was  desired. 

Some  druggists  refused  to  make  reports 
as  requested ;  to  all  such  the  probate  judge 
refused  to  renew  their  license  when  those 
that  had  alreadv  been  given  had  expired. 
This  caused  a  little  friction,  but  in  the  end  the 
plan  adopted  very  largely  secured  the  end 
sought,  viz.,  to  license  only  the  druggists 
who  were  found  not  to  abuse  the  privilege  of 
the  permit  and  under  cover  of  the  druggists' 
license  carry  on  a  real  saloon.  Two  years  after 
the  adoption  of  this  policy  by  the  probate  judge, 
the  Legislature  enacted  a  law  substantially  re- 
quiring what  he  had  been  doing  without  any 
law  on  t'he  subject.  It  was  found  that  very 
few  responsible  druggists  cared  to  have  the  files 
of  a  public  office  contain  the  evidence  of  their 
carrying  on  a  saloon  business.  In  many  ways 
the  practice  of  requiring  reports  to  be  made, 
and  thus  giving  publicity  to  all  sales  of  liquor, 
was  found  to  be  conducive  to  the  cause  of 
temperance  and  to  tend  to  lessen  the  amount  of 
liquor  sold  and  consumed.  Still,  as  time  went 
on,  the  druggists  very  generally  became  indif- 
ferent to  the  kind  of  a  showing  their  reports 
made,  and  many  of  them,  for  considerable  per- 
iods of  time,  did  what  would  seem  to  be  an  ex- 
tensive saloon  Inisiness.  In  passing  upon 
their  applications  for  permits,  the  proljate 
judge  did  not  alwais  look  to  the  evidence 
their    reports     furnished     as    to     whether    or 


not  the  applicant  was  doing  a  legitimate 
druggist's  business  or  was  using  his  permit 
as  a  cover  for  running  a  saloon.  The  weak- 
ness of  a  system  is  best  tested  by  its  results  in 
actual  practice.  Evidently  some  better  remedy 
must  be  found  than  has  yet  been  put  in  practice 
for  reaching  those  who  deliberately  and  per- 
sistently violate  the  soirit,  if  not  the  letter,  of 
their  permits. 

"ORIGINAL  PACKAGE"  HOUSES. 

In  April,  1890.  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States,  in  a  cause  brought  there  by  writ 
of  error  from  the  Supreme  Court  of  Iowa,  de- 
cided that  a  lic|uor-seller  in  one  State  might 
send  his  lic|uors  into  another,  there  to  be  sold 
in  the  original  packages  as  they  were  shipped, 
notwithstanding  the  laws  of  the  latter  State  ab- 
solutely prohibited  the  sale  of  liquor  within  its 
boundaries.  This  decision  announced  a  rule 
entirely  opposed  to  the  opinion  which  was  gen- 
erally entertained  by  the  legal  profession  re- 
specting the  clause  of  the  Federal  Constitution 
giving  to  Congress  the  power  to  regulate  in- 
terstate commerce;  and  by  virtue  of  it  a  cen- 
tury's practice  of  ]3olice  regulation  was  upset, 
and  a  new  system  instituted  as  contrary  there- 
to as  could  have  been  effected  by  a  legislative 
enactment.  Seldom  has  anything  transpired 
which  has  been  hailed  by  the  saloon-men  with  a 
greater  degree  of  delight  than  was  manifested 
by  them  on  the  announcement  of  this  decision. 
They  were  not  long  in  makinp^  their  arrange- 
ments to  open  saloons  under  the  designation  of 
"original-package  houses"  in  nearly  everj^  town 
where  public  sentiment  would  at  all  tolerate 
them.  In  many  places  the  temperance  people 
made  such  a  bold  resistance  to  their  introduc- 
tion that  the  proprietors  deemed  it  unwise  to 
force  them  upon  the  people. 

This  state  of  things  was  not  left  to  be  con- 


M.  K.  &.  T.  RY.  DEI'UT  AT  PARSONS 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


259 


tinned  for  a  great  lengt'h  of-  time  under  tlie 
sanction  of  law.  On  August  8,  1890,  the  Con- 
gressional enactment  known  as  the  Wilson  bill 
was  approved,  whereby  the  old  rule  of  allowing" 
the  States  under  their  power  of  police  regula- 
tion to  prescribe  such  rules  as  they  desired,  gov- 
erning or  prohibiting  the  sale  of  intoxicating 
liquors  within  their  respective  jurisdictions, 
was  revived.  Very  soon  thereafter  the  orig- 
inal-package saloon,  like  its  predecessor  of  some 
other  name,  took  its  departure  from  our  county. 
A  party  brought  a  lot  of  liquors  to  Oswe- 
go, and  attempted  to  rent  a  room  in  which  to 
open  out  an  original-package  saloon.  He  found 
trouble  in  securing  a  room.  Finally  some  one, 
to  see  what  effect  it  would  have,  got  a  sign 
painted  and  put  it  up  over  the  door  of  a  vacant 
room  belonging  to  Jo'hn  Clover.  The  town  was 
soon  astir  with  excitement.  Mrs.  Clover  came 
up  town,  and,  learning  of  the  sign  being  on 
their  building,  at  once  proceeded  to  have  it  torn 


down.  The  determined  opposition  to  the  open- 
ing of  such  a  saloon  deterred  any  farther  at- 
tempt in  that  direction. 

In  both  Parsons  and  Chetopa  these  orig- 
inal-package houses  were  opened,  several  in 
both  places  running  until  after  the  passage  of 
the  Wilson  bill.  As  is  often  done  by  saloon- 
men,  those  opening  these  houses  were  not  con- 
tent to  sell  under  the  law  as  it  had  been  inter- 
preted by  the  court  granting  them  the  authority 
so  to  do,  but,  disregarding  the  legal  restrictions 
which  the  law  had  thrown  around  the  sale,  they 
carried  on  an  open  saloon.  Prosecutions  were 
soon  commenced  against  them,  and  probably 
had  the  Wilson  bill  not  been  passed  most  o£ 
these  houses  could  have  been  closed  and  their 
proprietors  confined  in  tlie  county  jail;  but  the 
passage  of  the  law  and  the  criminal  prosecu- 
tions instituted  by  our  officials  effectively  re- 
moved from  our  boundaries  the  last  original- 
package  house. 


POSTOFFICES  AND  POSTMASTERS 


Altamont. — Name  changed  from  Elston 
Feb.  I,  1875.  Postmasters  appointed  as  fol- 
lows: Henry  E.  Hammon,  Feb.  i,  1875;  J^^e 
Huston,  Nov.  19,  1878;  William  M.  Paramore, 
Sept.  18,  1884;  Andrew  J.  Garst,  Oct.  21, 
1885;  Martha  E.  Davis,  July  22,  1889;  Will- 
iam S.  Houghton,  Nov.  7,  1893;  Richard  A. 
Davis,  Oct.  13,  1897. 

Angola. — Name  changed  from  Arnold  Jan. 
31,  18S7.  Postmasters  appointed:  Isaac  N. 
Watson,  Jan.  31,  1887;  Alfred  Elliott,  March 
29.  1889;  J.  W.  jNIcCartney,  March  10,  1894; 
Joseph  Carr,  Feb.  3,  1898. 

^rnoW.— Established  Aug.  i,  1881.  Post- 
masters appointed:  Allen  S.  Meek,  Aug.  i, 
1881 ;  James  M.  Sage.  Jan.  4,  1SS4.  Name 
-changed  to  Angola  Jan.  31,  1887. 

5a;-//c/f.— Established  Sept.  15,  1886.  Post- 
masters appointed:  Jerome  Callahan,  Sept.  15, 
1886;  Ira  W.  Clark,  April  11.  1889:  Haly  J. 
Reece,  Oct.  10,  1889;  Jerome  Callahan,  Oct. 
31,  1893;  J.  O-  Wiley.  Oct.  13,  1897;  Paul  A. 
Reece  Nov.  5,  1897. 

Big  /////.— Established  June  8,  1868.  Post- 
masters appointed  :  Joseph  McCormick,  June  8, 
1868:  David  Stanfield,  March  24,  1871.  Dis- 
continued Sept.  18,  1871. 

Barton. — Establi.s'hed  Jan.  11.  187-.  Post- 
masters appointed:  John  H.  Tibbets.  Jan.  11. 
1877;  William    Paramore,   March  28,     1884: 


George  E.  Nichols,  July  28,  1884.  Discontin- 
ued March  19,  1886. 

Cecil. — Established  February  15,  1881. 
Postmasters  appointed:  John  Lyons,  Feb.  15, 
1881 ;  George  Burge,  May  8,  1882;  Cornelius 
W.  Fowler,  Dec.  9,  1885;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Lew- 
man,  April  4,  1887;  George  Burge,  Mav  15. 
1889. 

Chctopa. — Established  April  15,  1867. 
Postmas>:ers  appointed :  Willoughby  Doudna, 
April  15,  1867;  Zachariah  Woodward,  May  8, 
1868;  Ephraim  J.  Stuart,  Jan.  13,  1870;. Jef- 
ferson J.  Hibbetts,  April  22,  1872;  James  M. 
Cavaness,  Oct.  29,  1875;  Josephus  P.  De  Jar- 
nett,  May  18,  1885;  Joseph  Craft,  July  18, 
1889;  William  J.  Herman,  March  16,  1894:  Jo- 
seph Craft,  May  5,  1898. 

Clymorc. — Established  Nov.  15.  1869. 
Postmasters  appointed :  John  W.  Lushljaugh, 
Nov.  15,  1869.     Discontinued  J^Iay  7,  1872. 

Crcswcll. — Established  March  25.  1870. 
Postmaster  appointed :  Edward  Spicer.  March 
25,  1870.    Discontinued  Sept.  11,  1871. 

Crousc. — Establis'lied  April  23,  1880.  Post- 
masters appointed :  Daniel  B.  Grouse.  April  22i, 
1880:  M.  Jennie  Sacks.  April  7.  1884:  Jennie 
M.  Hunter,  ]\lav  i,  1884.  Discnntinued  Oct. 
23,  1885. 

L'i'n/i-w.— Established  June  8,  1881.  Post- 
masters appointed:    John  S.  ^lilligan,  June  8, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


26t 


1881;  John  X.  Webb,  Nov.  21,  1881  ;  James 
L.  Wilson,  Sept.  i,  1885;  Louis  R.  Powell, 
Dec.  16,  1887:  John  Raney.  July  24,  1889; 
Samuel  C.  Rickart.  September  2,  1893;  Cy- 
renius  \\  .  Grago-,  April  2,  1897. 

Dora. — Established  Dec.  24,  1869.  Post- 
masters appointed :  William  H.  Godwin,  Dec. 
24,  1869;  Francis  W.  Noblett,  Nov.  24,  1877; 
John  I.  Martin,  Nov.  26.  1884;  Mrs.  Ada 
James,  Jan.  27,.  1885.  Discontinued  Nov.  11, 
1886. 

Daytonvillc. — Established  Aug.  12,  1870. 
Postmasters  appointed :  Eliiha  K.  Current, 
Aug.  12,  1870.     Discontinued  July  7,  1871, 

Dccrtozcn. — Established  Sept.  5,  1881. 
Postmasters  appoirt^d  :  Aaron  Humes,  Sept.  5, 
1881 ;  Charles  M.  Keeler.  Sept.  4,  1884.  Name 
changed  to  Valeda  Sept.  3,  1886. 

£(/;;fl.-^Established  April  4,  1878.  Post- 
masters appointed :  Al^ander  Pattiann,  April 

4,  1878;  France  .^.  Clark,  Jan.  30.  ifto;  Jo'lm 

5.  Odell.Nov.  -20^  1886:  Frajj^  W.  Martin, 
July  12,  1^89;  Wdliam  H.  Pottorff.  Jan.  25, 
1894;  Frank  \\^  Elliott,  Dec.  24,  1897. 

Elm  C7/y.— Established  Sept.  24,  1886. 
Postmasters  appoin^d :  Zachariah  H.  Rober- 
son,  Sept.  24,  i886;t.ewis  F.  Smith,  Dec.  19, 
1888;  James  H.  Brown,  Feb.  28,  1889;  Thomas 
Greenup,  May  21,  1891  ;  Jesse  Edmundson, 
Jan.  9,  1892;  Phiiip  E.  Mulkey,  Sept.  17,  1895; 
Hiram  A.  Wilson,  July  6,  1897. 

Elston. — Established  May  18,  1870.  Post- 
matters  appointed:  John  B.  Laurence,  May  18, 
1870;  David  L.  Adams,  July  24,  1870;  Martin 
V.  B.  Watson,  Feb.  24.  1871.  Discontinued 
June  II,  1873.  Reestablished  Aug.  19,  1873. 
Postmasters  appointed:  John  Elston.  Aug.  19 
1873;  Susan  A.  Prather,  Jan.  7,  1874:  Henry 
A.  Hammon,  Oct.  21.  1874.  Name  changed 
to  Altamont  Feb.  i.  1875. 

F/j//fr;7/.— Established  July  3,  1878.    Post- 


master appointed :  William  H.  Fish,  July  3, 
1878.     Discontinued  July  2,  1879. 

Gorham. — Established  June  11,  1875.  Post- 
master appointed:  Park  B.  Clark,  June  11, 
1875.     Discontinued   Sept.   5,    1878. 

Gro;;^— Established  May  8,  1876.  Post- 
master appointed :  William  J.  Harshaw,  May 

8,  1876.     Discontinued  Dec.  13.  1876. 
Hackhcrry. — Established    April     i.     1875. 

Postmaster  appointed :  Theodore  A.  Fellows, 
April  I,  1875.     Discontinued  July  13,  1876. 

/(/n/&;-o.— Established  Oct.  18,  1887.  Post- 
masters appointed:  Thomas  T.  Iden.  Oct.  18, 
1887;  Joseph  Allen,  March  3,  1892;  Benjamin 
F.  Briggs,  Jan.  17,  1898;  Theodore  F.  Dienst, 
Nov.  4,  1899. 

I  Ilka. — Established  Dec.  10,  1866.  Post- 
masters appointed :  John  P.  D.  Mouriquand, 
Dec.  10,  1866;  Zadhariah  Harris,  April  11, 
1867:  Jesse  Fry,  March  17,  1868.  Discontin- 
ued Aug.  31,  1868.  Reestablished  February 
15,  1869.  Postmaster  apoointed:  Aaron  P. 
Grover,  Feb.  15,  1869.  Discontinued  Dec.  14. 
1869. 

Kingston. — Established  Jan.  9,  1878.  Post- 
master appointed:  Charles  W.  Campbell,  Jan. 

9,  1878.     Discontinued  Nov.  20,   1886. 
Labette  City. — Established  June,  16,  1868. 

Postmasters  a|)pointed :  Richard  G.  Tileston, 
June  16,  1868;  George  H.  English,  July  20, 
1869.     Discontinued  April  8,  1870. 

Labette. — Name  changed  from  Neola  July 
3,  1870.  Postmasters  appointed:  David  C. 
Lowe,  July  3,  1870:  James  W.  H.  Goulden, 
Oct.  3  1870;  Samuel  \\'.  Collins,  March  16. 
1875  :  Jonas  T.  Lampson,  June  30.  1875  ;  James 
W.  H." Golden.  Jan.  5,  1876;  John  S.  McClain, 
Nov.  4,  1885:  Alonzo  C.  Lamm,  April  16, 
1889:  Thomas  Harvey,  April  20,  1893:  Will- 
iam J.  Webb,  June  4,  1897;  Alonzo  C.  Lamm, 
Aug.  10,  1897. 


262 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Lancvillc. — Established  May  29,  1884. 
Postmasters  appointed :  Isaac  \\\  Galyen.  May 
29.  1884;  Joihn  W.  Morning,  April  16.  1886; 
Benjamin  Franklin.  Now  13,  1886:  Samuel 
Ballentine,  Xov.  i,  1887;  Ira  P.  Merrill,  April 
9,  1888;  John  W.  Howell,  Dec.  31.  1895:  Ed- 
ward D.  Clark,  Nov.  22.  1897. 

Lake  Creek. — Established  Dec.  5,  1870. 
Postmaster  appointed  :  Oscar  C.  Ketchum,  Dec. 
5,   1870.     Discontinued  ^Marcli  29,   1872. 

MattJici^'son. — Established  August  i^, 
1878.  Postmasters  appointed:  William  T.  Car- 
ter, Aug.  15,  1878;  William  McDown,  June  24, 
1879;  Gustavus  V.  Watson,  April  3,  1882: 
William  McDown,  April  21,  1882:  Marshall 
E.  Thompson,  Jan.  22,  1883;  William  Mc- 
Down, Xov.  17,  1885. 

il/nu-rra.— Established  Dec.  8,  1874.  Post- 
masters appointed :  William  H.  Bower,  Dec.  8, 
1874;  Charles  M.  Keeler,  July  2t„  1877;  Mor- 
ris W.  Monroe,  Nov.  13,  1878;  Daniel  W.  But- 
ler, Nov.  10,  1879;  Russell  A.  Curry,  Jan.  24, 
1882;  Martha  E.  Butler.  May  11,  1882;  Mary 
E.  Adams,  July  6,  1883  ;  Russell  A.  Curry,  July 
20,  1883;  Mary  E.  Adams.  Nov.  15,  1883. 

Montana. — Established  Oct.  4,  1866.  Post- 
masters appointed:  Benjamin  F.  Simons,  Oct. 
4,  1866;  Samuel  S.  W'atson,  Jan.  21,  1868; 
Charles  E.  Simons,  May  21  1872;  Samuel  Bal- 
lentine, Jan.  22,  1877 ;  Jonathan  J.  Freeman, 
Sept.  2,  1885;  Samuel  Ballentine,  July  15, 
1889;  James  P.  Bradfield,  Jan.  26,  i894;'odil- 
lon   B.   Shultz,   ]\Iay   29,    1897. 

.1/()r////(n'.— Established  Jan.  12,  1883. 
Postmasters  appointed :  James  T.  Mortimer, 
Jan.  12,  1883;  William  J.  Iliff,  July  11.  1883; 
James  G.  Finley,  Feb.  18,  1884;  James  B.  Hib- 
hard,  Feb.  24.  1886;  Geo.  Lohman.  July  9, 
1886;  Emanuel  Mortimer,  Nov.  i,  1886;  Will- 
iam H.  Makeaney,  April  20,  1889;  James  T. 
Mortimer.  June   14,   1895;  Walton  E.  Stapp, 


Jan.  7,  1899;  \\'illiam  Terhune,  Oct.  26, 
1899. 

Monnd  Valley. — Established  May  18,  1870. 
Postmasters  appointed :  Alexander  Hon'rath, 
May  18,  1870;  Lewis  F.  Nicklace,  Dec.  23, 
1872;  Francis  M.  Anderson,  Nov.  7,  1873;  Lil- 
burn  W.  Slocum,  Nov.  9,  1874;  Milton  Dunn, 
June  II,  1875;  Robert  Blackley,  Nov.  29, 
1875;  Newton  M.  Miller,  March  17,  1880; 
George  Lutz,  Aug.  i,  1884;  Peter  W.  Shick, 
Aug.  26,  1885;  James  M.  Richardson,  Aug. 
27,  1886;  John  Dudley,  July  10,  1889;  Charles 
E.  McEwen,  April  21,  1892;  Isaac  M.  Hinds, 
Nov.  21,  1893:  William  F.  Thrall  Nov.  19, 
1897. 

Mcndota. — Established  Sept.  25,  1869. 
Postmasters  appointed :  William  K.  Hayes, 
Sept.  25,  1869.  Name  dhanged  to  Parsons  Dec. 
9,  1870. 

AVo/a.— Established  Oct.  12,  1868.  Post- 
masters appointed :  William  J.  Conner,  Oct. 
12,  1868;  David  C.  Lowe,  March  28,  1870. 
Name  changed  to  Labette  July  5,  1870. 

Oszvego. — Established  Oct.  4,  1866.  Post- 
masters appointed :  Nelson  S.  Carr,  Oct.  4, 
1866:  John  O.  Cowell.  May  7,  1868;  John  D. 
Coulter,  March  29,  1869;  Abel  W.  Pickering, 
Dec.  12,  1870;  Hiram  P.  Newlon,  April  13, 
1871  ;  Littleton  S.  Crum,  April  13,  1876;  John 
M.  Landis,  Dec.  2,  1886,  not  confirmed,  but 
again  appointed  March  7,  1887;  Frank  D.  Al- 
len, Aug.  2,  1889;  J.  W.  Waskey,  March  6, 
1894:  William  F.  McGill.  Nov.  16.  1897; 
Maud  McGill,  July  19.  1900. 

Parsou.<;. — Name  changed  from  Mendota 
Dec.  9,  1870.  Postmasters  appointed:  Will- 
iam K.  Hayes,  Dec.  9,  1870;  Samuel  O.  Fletch- 
er, March  22,  1878;  Frank  W.  Frye,  Aug.  7, 
1885;  Harry  H.  Lusk,  April  23,  1889;  Frank 
W.  Frye,  Feb.  27,  1894;  Harry  H.  Lusk,  June 
7,  1897. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


263 


RIpoii. — Established  January  12,  1870. 
Postmasters  appointed :  Carlton  B.  Pratt,  Jan. 
12,  1870:  Mrs.  Almira  L.  Pratt,  April  3,  1S72; 
Thomas  H.  Bruner,  .^i^ril  13,  1874;  Thnmas 
Greenup,   Oct.   31,    1877.     Discontinued   Dec. 

15,  1884.  Reestablished  May  6,  1886.  Post- 
masters appointed:  Thomas  Greenup,  May  6, 
1886;  John  Triplett,  Jan.  10,  1887.  Discontin- 
ued Jan.  9,  1 89 1. 

^■^oz'fr.— Established  Oct.  9,  1883.  Post- 
master appointed :  Henry  M.  Debolt,  Oct.  9. 
1883.  Name  changed- to  Debolt.  July  16,  1884. 
Postmaster  appointed:  Plenry  M.  Debolt,  July 

16,  1884.  Name  changed  to  Stover,  Jan.  28, 
1886.  Postmasters  appointed  :  Clark  M.  Mon- 
roe, Jan.  28,   1886;  Rufus  T.  Monroe.  April 

17,  1888;  Henry  M.  Debolt,  April  16,  1889: 
James  M.  Logan,  Sept.  9,  1893.  Discontinued 
Sept.  23.  1895. 

Syh'aii  £)o/t'.— Established  March  29,  1876. 
Postmaster  appointed:  Geo.  S.  Anderson, 
Mardh  29,  1876.     Discontinued  Jan.  21,  1878. 

5"«ow /////.— -Established  Jan.  13,  1879. 
Postmasters  appointed:  Wm.  Geyer,  Jan.  13, 
1879;  William  B.  Roberts,  July  12,  1880; 
James  Cool,  April  5,  1884.  Discontinued  July 
16.   1884. 

Timber  /////.—Established  Dec.    22,    1869. 


Postmasters  apjMiinted:  Francis  Labadie,  Dec. 
22,  1869;  Winfield  S.  Gotzenbaum,  June  26, 
1870;  C.  L.  Bnutillier,  March  31,  1871 ;  Will- 
iam J.  Boutillier,  Dec.  13,  1876:  John  T.  Weak- 
ley, May  8,  1879.  Discontinued  Nov.  17, 
1879. 

Trenton. — Established  Jan.  30,  1872.  Post- 
masters appointed:  John  W.  Hall,  Jan.  30, 
1872;  James  M.  Arthur,  Feb.  25,  1874.  Dis- 
continued May  10,  1875. 

Valcda. — Name  changed  from  Deerton 
Sept.  3,  1886.  Postmasters  appointed  :  Charles 
M.  Keeler,  Sept.  3,  1886;  William  Blackford, 
Nov.  II,  1886:  John  G.  Willey,  March  26, 
1889:  Alexander  H.  McCarty,  Jan.  4,  1893; 
Allen  E.  Townsend,  Nov,  16,  1897;  Erastus 
A.  Milliken,  Jan.  5,  1901. 

U'Usonton. — Established  Sept.  9,  1887. 
Postmasters  appointed :  John  J.  Melick,  Sept. 
9,  1887;  Survilda  A.  Modlin,  Sept.  18,  1888; 
Shelby  W.  Bonebraker,  Dec.  5,  1888;  Morris 
T.  Baker,  Aug.  10,  1889;  Andrew  R.  Warn- 
ing, Feb.  18,  1890;  John  M.  Gordon,  Mardh 
28,  1S91 ;  Ada  A.  Hopps,  Sept.  30,  1891; 
James  L.  Switzer,  Aug.  31.  1894.  Discontin- 
ued May  7,  189s.  Reestablished  June  6,  1895; 
postmasters  appointed,  John  Gurdnn,  June  6, 
1895;  William  H.  Lee,  Dec.  15    1896. 


THE  PRESS 


For  some  time  after  the  settlement  of  the 
county  commenced,  the  settlers  had  to  depend 
on  verbal  and  written  communications  for  the 
transmission  of  local  news.  The  first  paper  to 
be  published  in  this  part  of  the  State  was  the 
Neosho  Valley  Eagle,  the  first  issue  of  which  is 
dated  Ma}^  2,  1868 — just  a  month  before  the 
first  publication  appeared  in  Labette  county. 
While  the  Eagle  was  published  at  Jacksonville, 
in  Neosho  county,  it  was  issued  from  an  office 
only  a  few  feet  north  of  the  county  line,  and 
was  regarded  by  the  settlers  in  this  county  al- 
most as  their  own  paper.  B.  K.  Land  was  edi- 
tor and  publisher,  and  until  the  establishment  of 
the  Register  his  paper  was  considered  the  offi- 
cial paper  of  this  county,  and  was  very  gener- 
ally patronized  by  our  citizens. 

PAPERS  PUBLISHED  AT  OSWEGO. 

THE    OSWEGO    REGISTER 

Was  the  first  paper  to  be  published  in  Labette 
county.  The  town  company  arranged  with  E. 
R.  Trask,  of  Emporia,  to  bring  a  press  and  es- 
tablish a  paper  at  this  noint,  and  guaranteed 
him  300  paid  subscribers,  office  rent  for  one 
year,  and  a  building  lot.  The  first  issue  of  the 
paper  appeared  June  5,  1868.  Trask  contin- 
ued to  publish  tlie  paper  until  June  4,  1869, 
when  he  sold  out  to  C.  C.  Clo\er  and  F.  B.  ]\Ic- 
Gill,  who  thereafter  published  it  until  Decem- 
ber 30,  1870,  when  AIcGill  sold  his  interest  to 


Clover,  but  continued  as  editor  until  June  i^ 

1871.  About  August  19,  1871,  John  Shorten 
took  charge  of  the  paper  as  editor  and  publish- 
er, although  there  were  associated  with  him  in 
its  ownership,  and  probably  in  its  management, 
some  who  had  been  longer  residents  of  the 
county.  December  2/,  1871,  Shorten  retired 
from  the  control  of  the  Register,  and  B.  W. 
Perkins  took  charge  as  editor.     On    May    21, 

1872,  E.  R.  Trask  became  joint  owner  with 
Perkins  in  the  paper,  and  together  they  pub- 
lished it  until  May  i,  1873,  when  R.  J.  Alex- 
ander and  J.  C.  Smith  became  the  owners  and 
publishers,  and  so  continued  until  the  17th  day 
of  the  month,  when  its  issuance  ceased,  and  no 
paper  was  issued  until  October  3,  1873,  ^^■hen 
J.  R.  Wilson  became  editor,  with  L.  S.  Crum 
as  publisher.  This  arrangement  continued  un- 
til about  the  last  of  January,  1874,  when  ^V. 
P.  Bishop  succeeded  Mr.  Wilson  as  editor,  and 
L.  S.  Crum  continued  as  business  manager. 
The  last  issue  under  this  management  was  on 
November  27.  1874.  E.  R.  Trask  succeeded 
Bishop,  and  for  some  time  thereafter  E.  R. 
Trask  and  H.  P.  Newlon  had  control  of  the 
paper.  About  the  last  of  February.  1875,  they 
arranged  for  its  sale  to  F.  B.  I^IcGill,  and  on 
March  12,  1875,  appeared  the  last  issue  of  the 
Register;  and  from  henceforth  it  became  in- 
corporated into  the  outfit  of  the  Oswego  Inde- 
pendent. 

The  First    D.mly. — On    ^lay    13.    1869, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


265 


Trask  issued  a  little  sheet  which  lie  styled  the 
"Osivcgo  Daily  Register,"  and  which  was 
marked  "Vol.  i,  No.  i."  This  was  filled  with 
matter  relating  to  Oswego  and  Labette  county, 
and  was  intended  simply  as  an  advertising  me- 
dium. No.  2  of  this  "daily"  never  made  its 
appearance.  About  September  10,  1871,  Short- 
en started  the  Oswego  Daily  Register,  which 
was  the  first  daily  paper  published  in  this  part 
of  the  State.  He  thought  to  make  it  a  success 
by  supplying  the  neighboring  towns  with  a 
daily  paper  the  same  day  of  publication,  and  as 
soon  as  the  issue  was  out  a  messenger  started 
with  a  Inmille  of  them  to  Chetopa  and  other 
points.  This  daily  was  short  lived,  only  about 
40  issues  appearing,  and  it  finally  closed  No- 
vember 15. 

OSWEGO    INDEPENDENT. 

W.  J.  Lea  had  been  one  of  the  publishers  of 
the  hulcpendeut  at  Columbus  for  some  time 
prior  to  its  removal  to  Oswego.  F.  B.  ]\Ic- 
Gill,  having  no  connection  with  any  paper  at 
that  time,  arranged  for  the  purchase  of  a  half- 
interest  in  the  paper,  the  other  half  being  re- 
tained by  W.  J.  Lea,  and  they  two  moved  it 
to  Oswego,  and  on  June  15,  1872.  the  Oswego 
Independent  first  made  its  appearance.  Lea 
was  one  of  the  publishers  up  to  November  zt,, 
1872,  when  he  sold  his  interest  to  F.  B.  Mc- 
Gill,  who  thereafter  was  editor  and  proprietor 
up  to  September  5,  1874,  when  J.  W.  Mon- 
fort  became  a  joint  owner  and  publisher,  and 
continued  as  such  up  to  June  10,  1875,  \vhen 
McGill  again  assumed  exclusive  ownership  and 
coi>trol,  and  continued  the  editor  and  publisher 
until  his  death,  on  August  18,  1879.  J.  S. 
\\'aters,  who  had  done  some  editorial  work  for 
Mr.  McGill  prior  to  his  death,  while  he  was  un- 
able to  do  the  work  himself,  succeeded  Mr.  Mc- 
Gill as  editor,  and  continued  as  sole  responsible 


editor  to  October  8,  1881,  at  which  time  the 
name  of  J.  E.  Bryan  appears  with  that  oi  J.  S. 
Waters  as  editors.  Air.  Bryan  had,  howe^'er,  for 
some  time  before  this  done  more  or  less  editor- 
ial work.  Vaters  and  Bryan  were  joint  editors 
up  to  April  29,  1883,  when  Mr.  \Vaters  retired, 
and  Mr.  Bryan  became  sole  editor,  and  contin- 
ued to  act  as  such  up  to  November  27,  1885. 
At  that  time  Nelson  Case  became  editor.  Mr. 
Bryan's  name  continued  to  appear  as  one  of  the 
editors  up  to  September  3,  1886,  but  he  did 
very  little  work  after  Mr.  Case  took  charge. 
ISh.  Case  continued  to  edit  the  paper  to  March 
I,  1889.  Since  that  time  ^^Irs.  McGill  and  her 
sons,  A\'.  F.  McGill  and  Lee  McGill,  were  the 
editors.  Of  course  the  local  work  has  been 
done  by  many  different  parties.  \V.  F.  Thrall 
was  local  editor  for  some  time,  and  the  McGill 
children  have  for  many  years  done  a  large  part 
of  the  local  work.  Airs.  Mary  A.  McGill  con- 
tinued as  publisher  and  business  manager  of  the 
paper  from  the  time  of  her  'husband's  death 
down  to  her  own  death,  which  occurred  June 
12,  1900.  Soon  thereafter,  Lee  McGill  and 
Aland  McGill  purchased  the  interest  of  the 
other  two  children  in  the  plant,  since  which 
time  the  Independent  has  been  under  their  man- 
agement, the  editorial  work  being  in  the  hands 
of  Lee  AIcGill.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  since 
the  first  issue  of  tlie  Independent  on  June  15, 
1872,  it  has  been  under  the  control  of  the  Mc- 
Gill  family. 

The  D.mly  Independent. — On  Wednes- 
day, October  5.  1881,  the  first  issue  of  the  Os- 
wego Daily  Independent  appeared,  with  J.  S. 
Waters  and  J.  E.  Bryan  as  editors.  Air.  Bryan 
had  for  some  time  been  doing  more  or  less  edi- 
torial work  on  the  Independent,  but  not  until 
the  commencement  of  the  daily  did  he  appear  as 
associate  editor.  Airs.  McGill  continued  to 
publish  the  daily  until  January  25,  1883,  when 


266 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


its  publication  ceased.  It  may  fairly  be  stated 
that  the  daily  was  not  started  nor  its  publica- 
tion continued  with  the  idea  on  the  part  of  the 
publishers  or  the  editors  that  the  best  interest 
of  all  concerned  required  the  publication  of  a 
daily  in  this  place;  but  the  Oswego  Republican 
being  at  that  time  opposing  a  part  of  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  it  was  thought  by  some  of  the 
political  managers  that  the  oldest  Republican 
paper  in  the  place,  and  the  one  recognized  as 
the  most  relialily  Republican,  should  issue  a 
daily  to  meet  the  opposition  of  the  Daily  Re- 
publican. It  was  under  these  circumstances  that 
the  Daily  Independent  was  started  and  main- 
tained as  long  as  it  was,  and  its  publication  dis- 
continued only  after  its  owner  had  made  it  evi- 
dent that  Oswego  was  not  a  large  enough  place 
to  justify  the  publication  of  a  first-class  daily 
paper. 

THE  OSWEGO  DEMOCRAT. 

In  the  spring  of  1870  M.  V.  B.  Bennett 
came  to  Oswego  from  Iowa,  bringing  with  him 
material  for  a  newspaper  office,  from  which  he 
soon  issued  the  Oswego  Democrat,  which  he 
continued  to  publish  until  November  27.  1870, 
when  he  moved  the  establishment  to  Inde- 
pendence, from  which  place  he  continued  to 
issue  the  paper. 

OSWEGO  ENTERPRISE. 

On  September  27,  187S,  Volney  ]\Ioon,  of 
Webb  City,  issued  the  first  number  of  the  Os- 
wego Enterprise,  which  he  published  weekly 
until  November  20  of  the  "same  year,  when, 
claiming  fhat  he  failed  to  get  a  sufficient  sup- 
port to  justify  its  continuance,  he  sold  the  es- 
tablishment to  J.  F.  ]\IcDowell,  who  moved  it 
to  Baxter  Springs. 

THE  L,\DETTE  COUXTY  DEMOCR.\T. 

This  paper  was  founded  October  16,  1879, 


by  George  S.  King,  D.  S.  Capell,  and  Frank 
\V.  Frye.  ]\Ir.  King  did  the  main  part  of  the 
editorial  work,  Mr.  Frye  the  local  work,  and 
Mr.  Capell  had  charge  of  the  job  office.  On 
May  30.  1880,  Mr.  Capell  sold  his  interest  to 
his  partners  and  retired  from  the  firm.  Messrs. 
King  and  Frye  continued  together  until  Feb- 
ruary II,  1 88 1,  when  Mr.  Frye  sold  his  interest 
in  the  paper  to  Mr.  King,  who  was  its  editor 
and  publisher  until  December.  1882,  when  G. 
F.  King  became  editor — his  father,  however, 
remaining  publisher.  This  arrangement  con- 
tinued until  July  i.  1883,  wlien  the  paper  was 
purchased  by  J.  M.  Landis  and  A.  D.  Carpen- 
ter, who  continued  in  charge  until  March  13, 
1884.  when  Mr.  Carpenter  sold  his  interest  to 
Mr.  Landis.  On  September  13.  1887.  C.  E. 
Hughey  and  H.  A.  Harley  leased  the  office, 
and  continued  in  its  management  until  the  first 
week  of  December,  when  Mr.  Landis  again  as- 
sumed control,  and  for  several  years  continued 
to  be  the  editor  and  publisher.  However,  at 
the  close  of  1892,  the  paper  passed  under  the 
control  of  J.  D.  H.  Reed.  Mr.  Reed  continued 
as  the  ostensible  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
paper  until  ^May  17,  1894,  when  ]\Ir.  Landis 
again  became  the  recognized  editor, — he  re- 
mained in  charge  until  July  26.  1894.  when  he 
sold  the  plant  to  The  Democrat  Publishing 
Company.  Although  not  so  announced  on  the 
paper,  Harry  Mills  was  its  editor  and  business 
manager,  and  so  continued  until  March  5, 
1896,  w-hen  its  publication  finally  ceased,  the 
plant  at  that  time  having  been  sold  to  William 
Cook,  and  the  paper  liax-ing  lieen  merged  in 
the  Ncz.-s-Blade. 

THE   L.-\I3ETTE   COUNTY  ST.\TESMAN. 

On  August  29.  1889,  ,the  first  number  of 
this  paper  was  issued  from  its  Oswego  office 
as  the  successor  of  the  Chetopa    Statesman, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


267 


w'liich  for  four  }-ears  preceding  had  been  puli- 
lished  at  Chetopa.  Xelson  Al)!)ott.  with  his 
wife  a  part  of  tlie  time  and  liis  son  a  part  of 
the  time  associated  with  him.  was  the  editor 
and  also  the  pubHsher  of  this  paper  from  its 
first  issue  until  its  publication  ceased  at  his 
death,  which  took  place  January  20,  1892.  The 
last  issue  of  the  paper  under  Mr.  Abbott's  man- 
agement appeared  January  8.  1892,  although 
one  or  two  small  sheets  subsequently  appeared 
during  his  sickness  explaining  the  cause  of 
the  paper  failing  to  issue.  In  March,  1892, 
R.  B.  Claiborne  purchased  the  office  from  Mrs. 
Abbott  and  renewed  the  publication  of  the 
Statesman,  the  first  number  under  his  man- 
agement being  on  March  10,  1892.  When  the 
Times  suspended  and  passed  under  the  control 
of  the  Democrat ,  Mr.  Claiborne  purchased  the 
right  to  use  its  name,  and  tin  July  14,  1892, 
the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the 
Times-Statesman. 

THE    AMERIC.\X     CR.\NK 

Was  published  but  a  few  weeks;  it  first  ap- 
peared November  18,  1892.  ^\^  W.  Whetstone 
was  its  publisher  and  Harr}-  ]\Iills,  its  editor. 

THE    OSWEGO    REPl'BLIC.\N. 

About  August  I,  1 88 1,  a  sandy-complex- 
ioned,  medium-sized  man,  named  H.  H. 
Brooks,  whose  speech  at  once  gave  token  of 
'his  English  origin,  made  his  appearance  upon 
the  streets  of  Oswego,  hailing  at  that  time 
from  some  point  in  Texas.  It  was  not  long- 
after  until  the  material  for  a  printing  estab- 
lishment appeared  at  the  depot,  and  on  Mon- 
day, August  8,  1 88 1,  No.  i  of  the  Oswego 
Daily  Republican  was  scattered  among  the 
reading  public.  On  Thursday  of  that  week 
appeared  the  Weekly  Republican,  and  from 
that  time  on  both  the  daily  and  weekly  Re- 


publican made  t'heir  regular  appearance.  Upon 
^larch  7,  1883,  the  daily  ceased,  but  the  week- 
ly continued  until  the  close  of  1886,  being  at 
that  time  changed  into  the  Bee.  I.  W.  Pat- 
rick, who  was  a  joint  owner  with  Brooks  from 
the  start,  did  not  appear  as  one  of  the  editors 
or  publishers  until  September  30,  1881.  Brooks 
and  Patrick  continued  as  joint  owners  until 
August  3,  1882.  when  Brooks  sold  his  interest 
to  Patrick  and  retired.  Patrick  continued  to 
run  the  ])aper  until  April  it,,  1885,  when  it 
was  sold  to  C.  A.  Wilkin  and  Jess  Brockway. 
In  the  fall  of  1884  J.  M.  Huttim  became  as- 
sociate editor,  and  in  Patrick's  absence  as  In- 
dian agent  did  all  the  work  on  the  paper. 
Wilkin  and  Brockway  as  editors,  and  F.  G. 
Moore  as  publisher,  ran  the  paper  until  Au- 
gust 27,  1885,  when  they  sold  to  Abe  Stein- 
barger,  who,  from  September  ist  to  the  close 
of  1886,  had  complete  control  as  editor  and 
publisher,  when  its  publication  ceased  under 
the  above  title. 

THE    OSWEGO    BEE. 

On  January  i,  1887,  the  first  number  of  the 
Bee  appeared  as  the  successor  (jf  the  Republi- 
can. It  was  run  by  Abe  Steinbarger  as  a  week- 
ly, on  very  much  the  same  plan  as  he  had  there- 
tofore run  the  Republican,  up  to  October  6, 

1888,  when  'he  sold  to  R.  W.  Wright  and  J. 
H.  Macon,  who  conducted  it  until  January  26, 

1889,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  pub- 
lishing company  with  Jess  Brockway  as  editor, 
under  which  management  it  djutinued  until 
May,  1889,  when  its  publication  ceased. 

The  D.mly  Bee  made  its  appearance  March 
7,  1887,  and  continued  until  September,  1888. 

the  oswego  cour.\xt 
Was  published  from  the  old  oftrce  where  tlie 
Bee  had  been  gotten  out.  and  was  considered  a 


268 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


successor  of  that  paper.  Its  first  issue  was 
dated  May  25,  1889,  and  it  continued  to  ap- 
pear until  February  27,  1891,  wlien  its  sub- 
scription list  and  good-will  were  sold  to  the 
Independent.  It  was  started  by  S.  C.  Stein- 
barger  and  A.  L.  Utterback ;  December  14, 
1889,  Mr.  Utterback  retired,  and  the  paper 
was  continued  to  its  close  by  Mr.  Steinbarger. 

THE  OSWEGO  TIMES 

Was  started  by  S.  C.  Steinbarger,  June  13, 
1891,  and  was  conducted  under  the  same  man- 
agement until  July  9,  1892,  when  its  subscrip- 
tion list  and  good-will  were  sold  to  the  La- 
bette County  Democrat,  and  the  Times  was 
discontinued.  Mr.  Landis  sold  Mr.  Claiborne 
the  right  to  use  the  name  of  the  suspended 
paper  in  connection  with  that  of  the  Statesman. 

LABETTE   COUNTY   BULLETIN. 

In  1877  Parnell  &  Houck  started  this  paper 
as  an  advertising  medium.  Its  publication  con- 
tinued for  several  months. 

REAL    ESTATE    EXPRESS. 

In  July,  1885,  C.  R.  Waters,  a  real-estate 
agent  at  Oswego,  issued  a  sheet  with  this  title, 
through  which  to  let  the  people  know  what  he 
was  doing  in  the  real-estate  business. 

THE    DAILY    INSTITUTE 

Was  a  sheet  edited  and  published  in  Oswego 
by  O.  V.  Hays  and  S.  A.  Rendall  during  the 
session  of  the  institute  in  August,  1881.  It 
was  devoted  mainly  to  matters  connected  with 
the  institute. 

THE  LABETTE  COUNTY  SCHOOL  JOURNAL 

Was  a  monthly  publication  having  but  a  short 
life.     Mrs.  Lucy  Best  was  its  editor  and  J.  M. 


Landis,  its  publis'her.  The  first  number  ap- 
peared in  October,  1892. 

THE    LABETTE    COUNTY   TIMES-STATESMAN 

Was  the  successor  of  the  Labette  County 
Statesman,  the  name  having  been  changed 
when  the  Oswego  Times  suspended  publica- 
tion and  its  name  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Clai- 
borne July  14,  1892.  R.  B.  Claiborne  contin- 
ued to  edit  and  publish  the  paper  until  his  death 
on  October  i,  1899,  when  his  son,  H.  H.  Clai- 
borne, assumed  control  and  conducted  the  pa- 
per until  January  4.  1900,  at  which  time  the 
plant  was  sold  to  ^^'i]liam  Cook  &  Son;  the 
publication  of  the  Times-Statesman  then 
ceased,  being  merged  into  the  Nezvs-BIade. 

THE    OSWEGO    NEWS 

Was  a  daily,  published  by  S.  C.  Steinbarger. 
It  was  started  in  the  spring  of  1894  and  ran 
in  that  manner  until  August  of  that  vear, 
when  it  was  united  with  the  Union  Blade  to 
form  the  News-Blade. 

THE   UNION   BLADE 

Was  started  by  Captain  G.  A.  Xicholetts.  ap- 
parently with  the  intention  of  making  it  of 
especial  interest  to  old  soldiers  and  as  the  or- 
gan of  the  G.  A.  R.  The  first  issue  appeared 
January  27,  1894,  and  the  last  on  August  4, 
1894,  when  it  was  sold  by  Captain  Nicholetts 
to  S.  C.  Steinbarger,  and  united  with  the  Ncivs. 

THE    OSWEGO    NEWS-BLADE 

Made  its  appearance  August  11,  1894,  being 
the  consolidated  Oswego  Nezi's  and  Union 
Blade.  The  last  issue  of  the  Union  Blade  was 
numbered  28,  and  the  first  issue  of  the  N^exvs- 
Bladc  was  numbered  29.  S.  C.  Steinbarger 
was  the  editor  and  publisher  of  this  paper  from 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


269 


its  first  issue  in  August,  1894,  to  the  close  of 
1895.  O"  the  1st  of  January,  1896,  Wihiam 
Cook  became  half-owner  of  the  paper.  Its  pub- 
lication was  continued  by  Steinbarger  &  Cook 
until  June  20,  1896,  when  Mr.  Cook  purdhased 
]\Ir.  Steinbarger's  interest  and  became  the  full 
owner.  In  1899  he  associated  his  son,  John, 
with  him  in  its  publication.  February  10, 
1897,  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to 
that  of  the  Oswego  Weekly  Blade,  and  as  such 
it  is  still  conducted  by  William  Cook  &  Son. 

THE    K.\NSAS    FARM    AND    HOME 

Was  a  monthly  publication  started  in  Febru- 
ary, 1899,  by  S.  C.  Steinbarger.  Its  publica- 
tion was  continued  but  five  or  six  mont'hs. 

THE    D.A.ILV    ST.\R 

First  twinkled  on  Alay  4,  1899.  William  ]\Ic- 
Namer  was  its  editor  and  ran  it  until  about 
the  middle  of  October  of  that  year.  He  re- 
vived its  publication  for  a  short  time  in  De- 
cember, but  with  the  close  of  1899  it  ceased  to 
shed  any  light. 

THE  DAH.Y   MESSENGER. 

W'hen  the  Star  suspended  in  October.  1899, 
Charles  Howard  started  the  Messenger,  which 
he  conducted  for  about  a  month,  or  perhaps  a 
little  more. 

THE    OSWEGO    DEMOCRAT. 

The  first  issue  of  this  paper  appeared  Oc- 
tober 21,  1899,  s^fl  't  h'ls  been  issued  regu- 
larly since  that  date.  Alf.  D.  Carpenter  has 
been  its  editor  and  publisher  from  the  first. 

THE    GOLDEN    ROD 

Is  an  irregular  publication,  conducted  by  Dr. 
W.  S.  Newlon  as  an  advertising  medium,  and 


also  as  a  vehicle  through  which  lie  conveys  to 
the  public  much  of  his  general  information. 

CHETOPA  PAPERS. 

THE  CHETOPA  ADVANCE. 

Col.  John  W.  Horner  and  A.  S.  Cory 
brought  to  Chetopa  from  Baldwin  City,  Doug- 
las county,  a  printing-press  and  outfit,  in  De- 
cember, 1868,  and  the  first  issue  of  the  second 
paper  in  the  county  appeared  under  the  above 
designation,  January  6,  1869.  J.  W.  Horner 
was  editor,  and  Horner  &  Cory  were  publishers. 
From  the  first,  J.  M.  Cavaness  was  foreman  of 
the  oiifice.  On  the  last  day  of  May  following 
Mr.  Cory  retired  from  the  paper,  leaving 
Colonel  Horner  as  sole  owner  and  editor, 
which  he  continued  to  be  until  the  first  nf  Jan- 
uary, 1870,  when  he  associated  with  him  S. 
A.  Fitc'h  in  the  management  and  editurship  of 
the  paper.  At  this  time  the  name  of  the  pa- 
per was  changed  to  that  of 

THE   .SOUTHERN    KANSAS    ADVANCE. 

The  last  of  July,  1870,  Mr.  Fitchi  re- 
tired, leaving  Mr.  Horner  again  as  sole  owner. 
On  July  I,  1872,  James  M.  Cavaness  became 
the  owner  of  a  half-interest  in  the  paper,  and 
its  business  manager.  ]\Ir.  Horner  sold  his 
half-interest  on  February  2y.  1873,  to  L.  J. 
Van  Landingham.  and  the  paper  was  then  con- 
duced bv  Ca\'aness  &  Van  Landingham.  Au- 
gust 2/.  1874,  Xixon  Elliott  bought  from  Mr. 
\'an  Landingham  his  half-interest,  and  became 
the  business  manager,  with  Mr.  Cavaness  as 
editor.  Mr.  Cavaness,  by  the  purchase  of  Mr. 
Elliott's  interest,  became  the  sole  owner  of  the 
paper  on  February  25,  1875.  The  name  of 
the  paper  was  on  April  4,  1878,  changed  back 
to  the 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


CHETOPA    ADVANCE. 

On  Febraury  4.  18S6,  A.  F.  Sloane  and  W. 
A.  Shanklin  leased  the  office  from  IMr.  Cava- 
ness.  and  became  its  editors  and  publishers. 
With  the  opening  of  1887  Mr.  Shanklin  re- 
tired, and  ]\[r.  Sloane  continued' as  sole  editor 
and  publisher  until  June  30  of  the  same  year, 
when  R.  M.  Roberts  succeeded  him  in  that  po- 
sition. On  October  5,  1887,  Mr.  Roberts'  en- 
gagements calling  him  elsewhere.  A.  G.  Drake 
assumed  control  of  the  paper,  in  which  po- 
sition he  continued  for  one  year.  ]\Ir.  Cava- 
ness,  having  all  the  time  retained  the  owner- 
ship, again  took  charge  of  the  paper  as  its  ed- 
itor and  publis'her  on  October  4.  1888,  and 
continued  in  that  relation  until  September  i. 
1899,  when  the  paper  passed  under  the  control 
of  William  P.  Hazen  as  editor  and  publisher, 
and  under  his  management  it  has  since  ap- 
peared. 

CHETOPA  HERALD. 

On  ^March  4,  1876,  this  paper  made  its  ap- 
pearance under  the  editorial  charge  of  J.  H. 
Hibbits,  the  publication  of  which  he  contin- 
ued imtil  September  i,  1877,  when  he  an- 
nounced its  suspension  on  account  of  want  of 
support.  On  December  15,  1877,  Frank  \V. 
Frye,  who  had  been  employed  in  the  Herald 
office  under  its  jniblication  by  Capt.  Hibbits, 
resurrected  the  pa]jer  in  a  much-diminished 
size,  it  being  a  five-column  c|uarti),  and  being 
changed  from  a  Reiiublican  to  a  Democratic 
sheet.  It  was  continued  under  this  manage- 
ment until  February  16,  1878,  when  the  office 
outfit  was  finally  sold,  and  t'l'.e  paper  ceased. 

THE  KEVSTOXE 

\\'as  a  temperance  paner,  edited  and  published 


by  J.  M.  Cavaness  and  J.  H.  Hibbits.  The  first 
number  appeared  ^lay  i,   1883. 

SOUTHERN    KANSAS    DEMOCRAT.. 

The  1st  of  April,  1872,  the  first  issue  of 
this  paper  appeared,  under  the  editorial  man- 
agement of  F.  D.  Harkrider.  in  time  to  advo- 
cate the  election  of  Geo.  W.  Fox  for  mayor. 
Its  publication  was  continued  until  September, 
1872,  when  the  outfit  was  advertised  by  the 
sherift"  to  be  sold  on  execution. 

THE    CHETOPA    TIMES 

Alade  its  appearance  in  June,  1884.  with  R. 
F.  Brown  as  editor.  On  January  22,  1885, 
its  publication  was  suspended,  arrangements 
having  been  made  with  the  Advance  to  fill  out 
its  unexpired  subscriijtion  list. 

THE  CHETOPA  DEMOCRAT 

Was  founded  ^larch  16,  1888,  by  J.  J.  Rambo, 
who  continued  as  its  editor  and  publisher  until 
November  11,  1897.  when  he  sold  the  plant 
to  -\I.  A.  Chesley,  who  has  since  been  its  editor 
and  publisher. 

CHETOPA    STATESMAN. 

No.  I,  volume  i,  of  this  sheet  appeared  Au- 
gust 6,  1885,  with  Nelson  Abbott  and  Airs.  R. 
M.  Abbott,  editors  and  proprietors.  At  the 
close  of  its  fourth  volume  the  material  of  the 
office  was  removed  to  Oswego,  and  the  La- 
bette County  Statesiiiair  appeared  as  its  suc- 
cessor. 

settlers'  guide. 

J.  B.  Cook,  doing  a  "large  land  business  at 

Chetopa,  and  desiring  to  advertise  the  same, 

j  started  a  ])aper  with  the  above  name,  which  he 

I  issued  quarter! V  from  1873  to  1880,  inclusive. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


271 


PARSONS  PAPERS. 

THE   ANTI-MONOPOLIST. 

On  January  5,  1871,  the  first  issue  of  this 
paper  appeared,  purporting  to  be  issued  from 
Parsons,  but  being  printed  in  fact  at  the  Mon- 
itor office,  in  Fort  Scott.  Perry  D.  Martin 
was  its  editor  and  proprietor.  After  the  is- 
suance of  a  few  numbers  its  publication  was 
suspended,  Init  it  was  again  resurrected  about 
the  middle  of  the  year,  aj^pearing  at  this  time 
as  issued  at  Osage  ^Mission.  But  two  issues, 
however,  appeared  from  its  new  home ;  and 
a  disagreement  between  Martin  and  his  asso- 
ciates arising,  Martin  was  forced  to  retire,  and 
the  paper  was  succeeded  by  the  People's  Ad- 
vocate. 

THE    PARSONS    SUN 

Shed  its  light  through  No.  i,  volume  i,  on 
June  17,  1871,  M.  W.  Reynolds  and  Leslie  J. 
Perry,  editors  and- proprietors.  It  was  started 
as  an  eight-column,  all  home  print.  On  Au- 
gust 1 2th  of  that  year  Mr.  Perry  sold  his  in- 
terest to  Angell  Matthewson,  who  continued 
with  Reynolds  as  publisher  until  February  13. 
1872,  when  he  sold  to  G.  C.  \\'est,  from  which 
time  Reynolds  &  West  conducted  the  paper 
imtil  November,  1872,  at  which  time  West  re- 
tired as  associate  editor,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Harry  L.  Gosling.  In  May,  1874,  Reynolds, 
having  theretofore  been  appointed  receiver  of 
the  U.  S.  Land  Office,  retired  from  the  manage- 
ment f)f  the  Sun,  and  G.  C.  West  assumed  full 
control,  which  he  continued  until  April,  1875. 
when  the  Sun  again  passed  under  the  control 
of  Reynolds.  Gifford  &  Winter,  who  up  to 
about  this  time  had  been  publishing  the  Par- 
sons Surprise,  soon  thereafter  consolidated  it 
with  the  Sun,  the  management  of  which  was 


now  under  the  control  of  Reynolds,  Gifford  & 
Winter,  who  continued  its  publication  until 
November  11,  1876,  when  its  publication  as  a 
weekly  was  discontinued,  appearing  occasion- 
ally thereafter,  more  as  an  advertising  medium 
than  anything  else.  On  May  12,  1877,  its  pub- 
lication was  renewed  by  Reynolds,  and  by  him 
continued  until  December  14,  1878,  when  the 
entire  outfit  was  sold  to  H.  H.  Lusk,  who  has 
continued  its  pubiication  ever  since. 

Daily  Sun. — On  the  morning  of  Septem- 
ber 5,  1880,  the  Daily  Sun  made  its  appear- 
ance, and  has  continued  regularly  to  appear 
since  that  time  as  the  only  morning  daily  pa- 
per published  in  the  county,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  once  or  twice  when  one  of  the  other 
papers  appeared  as  a  morning  issue  for  a  short 
time. 

THE    WESTERN    ENTERPRISE 

Was  conducted  at  Parsons  by  T.  C.  Cory  and 
V.  J.  Knapp.  It  was  started  September.  1872, 
and  published  monthly  thereafter  until  Janu- 
ary, 1873.  It  was  a  five-column,  eight-page 
paper,  nicely  gotten  up,  carefully  edited,  with 
a  large  amount  of  reading  matter  intended  to 
give  a  good  idea  of  the  great  West  to  all  per- 
sons seeking  information  in  respect  thereto. 

PARSONS    WEEKLY    HERALD. 

On  Thursday,  May  22.  1873,  this  paper  was 
started  by  O.  Edwards.  A.  W.  Gifford,  and  A. 
C.  Covell,  and  its  jniblication  continued  for 
something  less  than  one  year,  w'hen  it  failed  for 
want  of  support. 

PARSONS  ECLIPSE. 

About  the  ist  of  April,  1874.  the  Parsons 
Weekly  Herald  was  sold  on  chattel  mortgage 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  bought  l:)y  J.  B.  Lamb,  with  which 
outfit  the  Parsons  Eclipse  was  started  by 
J.  B.  Lamb  and  J-  B.  Taylor  as  editors 
and  proprietors.  The  first  number  appeared 
April  9,  1874.  On  :\Iarch  29.  1877,  at 
the  end  of  the  third  \-(ihime,  Taylor  with- 
drew, from  which  time  its  publication  was 
regularly  conducted  by  J.  B.  Lamb  &  Sons  un- 
til the  death  of  Dr.  Lamb,  December  26,  1890, 
since  which  time  his  sons  conducted  it.  For 
several  years  past,  Celsus  A.  Lamb  has  been 
sole  manager  and  editor. 

The  Daily  Eclipse  was  started  ]\Iay  9, 
1 88 1,  and  is  farther  spoken  of  under  the  head 
of  dailies. 

THE    SURPRISE. 

About  the  middle  of  April,  1S73,  A.  W. 
Gififord  started  the  Surprise,  w'hich  suspended 
after  a  few  weeks'  existence,  and  the  force 
united  with  the  Herald  outfit.  The  latter  hav- 
ing finished  its  career  about  the  last  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1874,  the  Siir/^rise  was  resurrected,  be- 
ing published  by  A.  W.  Gifford  and  W.  L. 
Winter,  and  continued  until  January  26,  1875, 
when  it  surrendered  to  the  inevitable. 

THE  PARSONS  SUNDAY  LEADER 

^^'as  Started  in  October,  1882.  by  G.  F.  Kim- 
ball as  editor  and  proprietor;  it  continued  but  a 
short  time. 

SOUTHEASTERN    KANSAS    ADVERTISER. 

In  July,  1879,  Copeland  &  Brewster,  of 
Parsons,  issued  a  real-estate  sheet  under  the 
■  above  title. 

THE  JOURNAL. 

The  Daily  Journal  having  been  discontin- 
ued in  January,  H.  C.  Sourbeer,  on  ^lay  i. 
1891,  commenced  the  publication  of  the  Jour- 


nal as  a  weekly,  which  was  continued  by  him 
until  November  13,  1891,  w'hen  it  was  merged 

into  Mills'  IVeekly  JForld,  and  its  publication 
under  the  title  of  the  Journal  ceased. 

PARSONS    PALLADIUM. 

Frank  W.  Frye  and  Will  W.  Frye  were  the 
founders  of  this  paper,  the  first  issue  of  which 
appeared  February  24,  1883.  From  August, 
1883,  to  February,  1885,  E.  S.  Stevens  had 
charge  of  the  job  department  of  the  paper. 
From  February  to  October,  1886,  George  S. 
King  had  charge  of  the  editorial  department. 
Will  W.  Frye  then  did  the  editorial  work  for 
some  time.  On  June  i,  1889,  Frank  W.  Frye 
purchased  the  interest  of  his  brother  in  the  es- 
tablishment, since  which  time  he  has  been  sole 
editor  and  proprietor. 

THE  CLARION 

Was  started  in  the  summer  of  i888,by5heward 
&  Gregg.  After  a  few  months  Mr.  Gregg  sold 
his  interest,  and  L.  S.  Sheward  became  the 
sole  editor  and  proprietor.  In  January  follow- 
ing. A.  H.  Tyler  became  editor,  in  which  po- 
sition he  continued  until  the  close  of  the  year, 
at  which  time  Mr.  Sheward  again  became  its 
editor  as  well  as  publisher.  Its  publication  was 
continued,  with  few  interruptions,  until  near 
the  close  of  1890,  when  it  altogether  ceased. 

settlers'   ADVOCATE. 

.\bout  the  1st  of  August,  1872,  Bancroft 
and  Ciirv  issued  the  first  number  of  the  Set- 
tlers' Advocate,  at  Parsons,  and  continued  the 
publication  as  a  monthly  until  the  spring  of 
1873,  ^\'lid  *fiey  issued  a  weekly  edition. 

THE   NEOSHO   VALLEY   LAND   GUIDE. 

In  September,  1871,  Walker  &  Thomas, 
real-estate  agents  at  Parsons,  started  the  pub- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


273 


lication  of  a  real-estate  paper  under  the  above 
title,  to  advertise  their  land  business,  the  pub- 
lication of  which  continued  for  some  two  or 
three  years. 

TARSOXS    ADVOCATE. 

IMatthewson  &  Bi^s^gs  issued  this  paper  as 
a  medium  for  advertising-  their  real-estate  and 
loan  business,  from  December   i,    1884. 

KANSAS  BANNER. 

This  paper  was  started  as  an  organ  to  en- 
able religious  and  educational  associations  to 
meet  the  public.  It  was  more  especially  un- 
der the  direction  of  the  Y.  ]\I.  C.  A.  Each 
organization  was  expected  to  prepare  the  ma- 
terial ready  for  publication  that  it  desired  to 
have  appear;  thereby  little  editorial  work  was 
required.  The  first  issue  was  dated  July  15. 
1886.  and  but  six  monthlv  numbers  were  is- 
sued. 

A   WORD   FOR  YOU 

Was  a  publication  of  a  religious  character, 
started  in  1891  by  Rev.  P.  M.  Griffin.  After 
a  few  issues  other  parties  liecame  associated 
with  'him,  and  the  name  of  the  paper  was 
changed  to  that  of 

TTIE  HOME  VISITOR. 

Under  this  designation  it  lasted  till  the  sum- 
mer of  1892,  when  it  ceased  for  want  of  sup- 
port. 

mills'    WEEKLY    WORLD 

\\'as  removed  from  Altamont  to  Parsons  in 
the  middle  of  November.  1891.  and  on  the 
17th  of  that  month  the  first  issue  of  the  paper 
from  the  Parsons  office  appeared :  it  was  con- 
ducted b}-  H.  C.  Sourbeer  and  Harry  Mills. 
At  the  end  of  about  three  months  Mr.  Mills' 


connection  with  it  terminated,  after  which 
time  it  was  conducted  by  Mr.  Sourbeer  until 
he  changed  its  name  to  the  JJ'csfeni   World. 

KANSAS    PROGRESS. 

Fnim  June  to  August.  1883,  H.  C.  Sour- 
beer publislied  this  paper  almost  exclusively  as 
an  advertising  medium.  The  profits  were  sup- 
posed to  be  derived  from  advertising,  though 
a  little  re\-enue  came  in  through  subscriptions. 

KANS.\S    STATE    .\LLIANCE. 

This  paper  was  publisihed  at  Parsons;  it 
was  started  July  i,  1890,  and,  with  some  in- 
terruptions, continued  till  near  the  close  of 
1891.  \\'.  H.  Utley  was  its  business  manager 
at  the  start,  but  he  sold  out  in  the  course  of 
a  few  months,  and  it  was  conducted  by  several 
members  of  the  County  Alliance.  George 
Campbell  was  its  first  editor;  afterwards  H.  A. 
White  edited  it  for  a  time;  then  A.  H.  Mc- 
Cormick,  and  still  later  other  parties. 

THE  ARBITRATOR, 

J.  M.  Jones.  James  Tisdale,  and  perhaps 
others,  were  lueniliers  of  the  firm  of  Jones  & 
Co.,  who  were  the  publishers  of  this  paper. 
M.  Byrne  was  secured  as  its  editor.  It  was 
started  in  the  summer  of  1886,  and  its  publi- 
cation was  continued  for  perhaps  two  months, 
when  die  arrest  of  its  editor  and  publishers 
on  the  charge  of  criminal  libel  forced  it  to 
suspend.  A  part  of  the  defendants  escaped 
punishment  on  the  ground  that  the  evidence 
did  not  directly  connect  them  with  the  publi- 
cation of  the  libelous  matter. 

THE  BUSINESS   COLLEGE  JOURNAL 

\\'as  started  in  October,  1892,  by  C.  E.  Ball, 
as  an  irregular  publication  through  which  he 
could  advertise  his  business. 


274 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


THE    WESTERN    WORLD. 

The  name  of  the  paper  published  by  Mr. 
Sourbeer  was  changed  from  Mills'  Weekly 
IVorltl  to  IVcsfeni  Jl'oiici,  under  which  name 
its  pulilication  was  conducted  until  September, 

1893,  w'hen  it  ceased  altogether.  However, 
some  two  years  later  than  this,  une  or  two  is- 
sues of  a  paper  under  this  name  were  sent  out ; 
the  thought  being  that  perhaps  the  paper  might 
be  revived. 

THE    NEW    TIME 

\\'as  the  title  of  a  paper  edited  by  H.  C.  Sour- 
beer  for  something  more  than  a  year,  commenc- 
ing in  January,   1895. 

THE   PARSONS  INDEPENDENT. 

In  October,  1893.  P.  T.  Foley  purchased 
t'he  name  of  the  paper  then  published  in  Edna, 
and  transferred  it  to  a  paper  he  was  then  start- 
ing in  Parsons.  This  was  done  for  the  pur- 
pose of  nominally  complying  with  the  law  re- 
quiring a  paper  to  ha\-e  been  regularly  issued 
for  at  least  one  3'eaT  before  legal  notices  could 
be  published  therein;  and  the  intention  of  the 
publisher  in  starting  this  paper  was  to  secure 
the  county  printing  the  ensuing  year.  The 
first  issue  of  the  -Parsons  Independent  was  on 
October  28,  1893.  D.  H.  Martin  was  its  ed- 
itiir  and  so  remained  until  he  secured  a  po- 
sition  in   the   State  penitentiary   sumetime   in 

1894.  In  July,  1894,  A.  G.  Stacy  became 
editor,  and  continued  to  fill  that  position  until 
about  ihe  last  of  May,  1895.  On  March  i, 
1897,  R.  J.  Elliott  took  editorial  charge  of  the 
paper,  and  remained  in  that  position  until  the 
middle  of  April,  1899,  when  he  was  succeeded 
l)y  Miss  Louise  Duley,  who  held  the  position 
Slime  three  months.      I   have  not  secured  the 


names  of  the  persons  who  have  prepared  edi- 
torial work  on  the  paper  since  that  time. 

PARSONS    GLOBE. 

In  the  spring  of  1898  E.  S.  Stevens  and 
Charles  Husband  started  the  Daily  Globe.  Its 
publication  was  suspended  during  the  sum- 
mer. In  the  fall  of  that  year  Charles  Husband 
and  H.  A.  Bird  revived  the  daily  and  with  it 
also  issued  a  weekly.  The  daily  ceased  pub- 
lication in  the  fall  of  1899,  but  the  weekly  was 
issued  until  the  spring  of  1900. 

THE  PARSONS  DAILIES. 

THE    DAILY    RECORD. 

This  was  the  first  daily  paper  published  in 
Parsons,  and  was  started  in  the  fall  of  1876, 
in  September  or  October,  by  J.  P.  Coffin.  It 
was  a  very  diminutive  slieet,  but  served  as  a 
means  of  giving  the  local  news.  Mr.  Coffin 
continued  its  publication  till  May  5,  1877,  when 
he  suspended  for  the  purpose  of  becoming 
traveling  agent  for  the  Sun. 

THE  DAILY   OUTLOOK. 

On  August  20,  1877,  the  first  number  of 
this  sheet  appeared  as  the  successor  of  the 
Daily  Record,  and,  as  the  latter  had  been,  un- 
der the  management  of  J.  P.  Coffin.  On  Jan- 
uary 31.  1S78.  he  wrote  his  valedictory,  the 
substance  of  which  was,  "Died  for  want  of  sup- 
port." 

THE  INFANT  WONDER 

Was  started  December  24,  1878,  by  McCarter 
Brothers,  who  conducted  it  as  a  daily  until  Au- 
gust 12,  1879,  from  which  time  to  September 
4  it  appeared  as  a  tri-weekly,  on  which  last 
date  it  again  resumed  its  daily  issue,  and  con- 
tinued as  such  till  the  last  of  April,  1880. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


275 


THE  DAILY   REPUBLICAN. 

Frank  H.  McCarter,  proprietor  of  the  In- 
fant JVondcr,  which  had  just  suspended  pub- 
lication, associated  himself  with  William  Hig^- 
g^ins  in  the  publication  of  the  Republican.  The 
first  issue  appeared  on  May  10,  1880,  with 
William  Higgins,  editor.  On  March  22,  1881, 
Mr.  Higgins  retired  from  the  paper  and  Mr. 
McCarter  assumed  full  control.  It  was  merged 
in  the  Eclipse,  and  its  publication  suspended 
May  9.  1881. 

THE    DAILY    ECLIPSE 

Was  started  May  9,  1881,  by  J.  B.  Lamb  and 
F.  H.  McCarter,  the  latter  doing  most  of  the 
work  thereon  for  some  time.  The  manage- 
ment of  the  daily  was  entirely  separate  from 
that  of  the  weekly  Eclipse  for  some  months. 
For  a  number  of  years  it  has  been  conducted 
bv  the  Lambs  alone,  and  has  been  a  well-es- 
tablished  daily,    with   a   liberal   support. 

THE    D.\ILY    WONDERj 

As  a  continuation  of  the  Infant  Wonder,  was 
resurrected  aliout  November,  1881,  by  F.  H. 
McCarter  and  E.  R.  Marvin,  after  the  former 
had  become  disconnected  with  tlie  Eclipse.  In 
January,  1882,  E.  C.  Burnett  bought  out  Mr. 
Marvin,  and  in  connection  with  Mr.  McCarter 
continued  to  conduct  the  JVondcr  till  Septem- 
ber of  that  year,  when  its  publication  was  again 
suspended. 

THE    DAILY    INDEPENDENT 

Was  started  in  Parsons  in  Octolier,  1882,  by 
E.  C.  Burnett,  wlio  continued  its  publication  till 
January,  1883. 

17 


THE   DAILY    SUN 

Was  started  September  5,  1880,  and  is  spokea 
of  in  connection  with  the  Weekly  Sun. 

THE  EVENING  STAR 

Was  first  seen  a  little  before  sunset  on  Wednes- 
day, April  6,  1 88 1.  It  was  published  by  M. 
W.  Reynolds  and  George  Higgins  for  gratui- 
tous distribution.  On  September  2,  1881,  Mr. 
Higgins  retired,  and  removed  to  Paola  to  en- 
gage in  the  newspaper  business  at  that  place. 
The  Star  continued  to  give  out  more  or  less 
light  till  about  the  time  of  the  fall  election  in. 
1881. 

THE  DAILY   JOURNAL. 

W.  H.  Martin  was  the  founder  of  this  pa- 
per, and  conducted  it  from  November  10,  1889, 
to  September  10,  1890,  when  he  sold  the  plant 
to  H.  C.  Sourbeer  &  Sons,  who  continued  its 
publication  until  January  15,  1891,  at  which 
time   it  was   discontinued. 

THE  DAILY  ELI 

Was  started  in  the  fall  of  1890,  and  continued 
to  appear  for  several  months — perhaps  nearly 
a  year.  It  was  under  the  same  general  man- 
agement as  the  State  Alliance.  A.  J.  Miller 
was  its  editor  a  part,  and  perhaps  all  of  the 
time  it  ran. 

THE    DAILY    GLOBE 

Was  published  a  part  of  1898  and  1899,  as 
stated  above  under  Parsons  Globe. 

THE  DAILY    NEWS 

Was  started  April  23,  1900,  and  appeared  reg-- 
ularly  until  publication  was  suspended,  Alarch 
7,  1901.  J.  M.  Cunningham  was  its  editor  and 
publisher  all  the  time. 


276 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ALTAMONT  PAPERS. 

ALTAMONT  TIMES. 

On  or  about  January  17,  1884,  the  first 
number  of  this  paper  made  its  appearance  un- 
der the  management  of  — —  Gastin  and  Milton 
Fuller,  and  continued  under  their  charge  un- 
til about  the  ist  of  June,  when  the  material 
was  purchased  by  C.  Len.  Albin. 

ALTAMONT    SENTINEL. 

C.  Len.  Albin,  having  purchased  the  out- 
fit of  the  Times,  started  the  Sentinel,  the  first 
number  of  whidh  appeared  July  4,  ,1884,  and 
was  continued  by  him  until  July  10,  1885, 
when  he  sold  the  paper  to  H.  C.  Blanchard. 
B.  F.  Godfrey  was  associated  with  Albin  in 
the  editorship  of  the  Sentinel  for  a  short  time 
before  Albin  sold  to  Blanchard.  Blanchard 
conducted  the  paper  alone  from  the  time  of  his 
purchase  until  September  1 1  of  that  year,  when 
he  sold  one-half  interest  therein  to  Frank 
Wilkins,  from  which  time  Blanchard  &  Wilkins 
published  it  until  January  15,  1886,  when 
Blanchard  sold  his  interest  therein  to  Harry 
Mills ;  and  on  the  29th  of  the  same  month  Mills 
also  bought  Wilkins'  interest,  and  became  sole 
editor  and  proprietor.  On  January  4,  1886,  C. 
S.  Newlon  having  bought  a  half-interest,  the 
paper  appeared  under  the  management  of  Mills 
&  Newlon.  On  March  14,  1886,  Mr.  Mills 
sold  his  interest  to  Dr.  Newlon,  and  Mrs. 
Lizzie  Newlon  became  editor  and  publisher, 
which  she  continued  until  January  5,  1889, 
when  she  was  succeeded  in  the  editorial  chair 
by  W.  H.  Conner.  On  October  2^.  1889,  W. 
J.  Lough  took  charge  as  editor  and  publisher, 
and  conducted  the  paper  till  July  16,  1890, 
when  its  publication  ceased. 


ALTAMONT    NEWS. 

After  C.  Len.  Albin  sold  his  interest  in  the 
Sentinel,  'he  associated  with  him  W.  T.  Pickett, 
and  they  two  purchased  a  printing  office  outfit, 
land  on  September  11,  1885,  started  the  Alta- 
mont  A^eii's  which  was  a  five-column  quarto. 
After  two  issues  of  the  paper  Albin  sold  his 
interest  therein  to  Mr.  Pickett,  who  at  once 
made  arrangements  for  its  removal  to  Mound 
Valley. 

mills'  weekly  world. 

About  the  ist  of  December,  1888,  Harry 
Mills  started  a  small  sheet  with  the  above  title, 
at  Cherry  vale,  Kansas.  The  first-  week  in 
March,  1889,  he  removed  the  plant  to  Alta- 
mont,  from  which  place  he  issued  it  from  that 
time  until  the  middle  of  November,  1891,  when 
he  sold  an  interest  therein  to  H.  C.  Sourbeer, 
who  removed  the  plant  to  Parsons,  from  which 
place  it  was  issued  until  its  name  was  changed 
to  the  Western  JVorld. 

the    ALTAMONT    GAZETTE 

Appeared  January  25,  1895,  under  the  man- 
agement of  P.  S.  Ray  and  H.  Bristom.  After 
a  few  weeks,  Mr.  Ray  sold  his  interest  in  the 
paper  to  his  partner,  who  continued  its  publi- 
cation until  the  spring  of  1896,  when  the  plant 
was  sold  to  iNlr.  Switzer  and  consolidated  with 
the  Jl'liite  Banner. 

THE    ALTAMONT    SATURDAY    ITEMS 

W'as  founded  l.iy  Harry  ]\Iills,  and  the  first 
issue  appeared  August  15.  1896.  Mr.  IMills 
continued  to  conduct  the  paper  until  the  close 
of  1897,  when  it  was  merged  in  the  JJliite 
Banner,  which  was  then  publisihed  in  Alta- 
niont. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


THE    WHITE    BANNER 

Has  been  conducted  by  J.  L.  Switzer  from  the 
time  it  was  first  started  until  tlie  present.  It 
first  appeared  in  June,  1894,  as  a  monthly  and 
was  printed  on  a  farm.  After  running  six 
months  as  a  monthly,  it  was  changed  to  a  semi- 
monthly. In  July,  1894,  the  press  from  which 
it  was  issued  was  removed  to  Wilsonton,  whei^e 
the  paper  was  published  for  nearly  a  year.  It 
was  then  removed  to  Altamont,  and  the  paper 
changed  to  a  weekly.  The  first  issue  from 
the  Altamont  office  appeared  June  21.  1895, 
since  which  time  it  has  appeared  each  week. 

EDNA  PAPERS. 

THE    EDNA    ENTERPRISE. 

December  8,  1886,  the  first  number  of  this 
paper  appeared,  with  J.  J.  Fields  as  editor 
and  Harry  Mills  as  publis'her.  It  was  a  small 
six-column  folio.  The  publication  continued 
some  five  or  six  weeks,  -when  the  good-will 
of  the  office  was  sold  to  C.  ]\I.  Brown,  of  the 
Mound  Valley  Nczcs. 

THE  EDNA   ER.\ 

Succeeded  the  Enterprise.  It  was  started  by 
C.  M.  Brown,  January  19,  1887.  He  moved 
the  Mound  Valley  Nrn's  office  to  Edna,  where 
he  published  the  Era  about  three  months,  when 
it  ceased,  and  Edna  was  again  wit'hout  a  paper 
for  a  short  time. 

THE   EDN.-V   ENTERPRISE. 

On  April  15,  1887,  J.  D.  IMcKeehen,  as 
editor  and  proprietor,  brought  out  No.  i  of 
the  Edna  Enterprise  under  his  management, 
he  having  theretofore  purchased  the  material 
of  the  old  office.  He  continued  its  publication 
until  September  of  that  year. 


THE   EDNA   STAR. 

John  Truby  and  W.  A.  Peffer,  Jr.,  started 
the  publication  of  t4iis  paper,  the  first  number 
appearing  October  28,  1887.  The  last  of  April, 
1888,  J.  H.  Morse  became  its  editor,  and  con- 
tinued its  publication  until  the  close  of  June  of 
that  year. 

THE  EDNA  INDEPENDENT 

Was  Started  December  14,  1889,  by  G.  W. 
Liever  and  A.  C.  Veach.  In  June,  1890,  Mr. 
Liever  sold  his  interest  in  the  paper  to  Mr. 
Veach,  who  continued  to  publish  it  alone.  On 
October  21,  1893,  appeared  the  last  issue  of 
the  Edna  Independent.  Mr.  Veach  then  sold 
fhe  title  of  the  paper,  viz. :  the  "Independent," 
to  parties  who  wanted  to  commence  the  pub- 
lication of  a  paper  in  Parsons,  and  who  wanted 
to  be  able  to  have  it  appear  as  a  paper  that  had 
been  published  at  least  one  year,  in  order  to 
enable  them  to  secure  the  county  printing. 

THE  EDN.\   NEWS. 

After  the  sale  of  the  title  of  his  paper  as 
above  stated.  Mr.  Veach  continued  its  publica- 
tion under  the  name  of  the  Neivs^  the  first  is- 
sue of  which  was  on  October  28,  1893,  and  the 
last  issue  on  September  8,  1894.  Mr.  Veach 
then  removed  his  plant  to  Arkansas. 

THE    EDNA    SUN. 

\\'.  E.  Staige  commenced  the  publication 
of  the  Snn  November  22,  1894,  and  has  con- 
tinued its  publication  ever  since. 

THE   EDN.\    ENTERPRISE. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September,  1899,  the 
Enterprise  made  its  appearance  under  the  man- 
agement of  Dr.  Johnson.  On  January  I,  1900, 
the  paper  passed  under  the  editorial  manage- 


278 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ment  of  J.  L.  Griffith,  who  conducted  it  for  one 
year.  On  January  i,  1901,  WiUiam  A.  Blair 
and  George  Reasor  became  the  owners  of  the 
paper,  under  the  firm  name  of  Reasor  &  Blair, 
and  its  publication  has  been  continued  by  them. 

MOUND  VALLEY  PAPERS. 

MOUND   VALLEY    TIMES. 

The  first  paper  credited  to  Mound  Valley 
was  designated  the  Times,  and  was  started 
December  16,  188 1.  It  was  printed  by  Brooks 
&  Patrick,  at  the  Republican  office,  in  Oswego, 
and  appeared  as  under  the  editorship  of  George 
Campbell.  However,  all  the  paper  except  a 
few  local  items  was  fhe  same  as  the  Oswego 
Republican.  This  arrangement  was  unsatis- 
factory to  the  citizens  of  Mound  Valley,  and 
the  paper  ran  only  a  few  weeks. 

MOUND  VALLEY  HERALD. 

The  first  issue  of  the  Herald  appeared  April 
6.  1882,  with  George  Campbell  as  editor  and 
proprietor.  Mr.  Campbell  conducted  it  until 
the  fall  of  that  year,  when  he  sold  to  C.  L. 
Albin,  who  continued  to  edit  and  publish  it 
until  }ilay  i,  1884,  when  it  came  under  the 
control  of  W.  F.  Tilirall,  who  has  since  then 
been  its  editor  and  ]nil)lisher. 

MOUND    VALLEY    NEWS. 

About  the  ist  of  October.  1885,  L.  C.  W'il- 
moth  and  \V.  C.  Pickett  became  the  jnint  own- 
ers of  the  office  material  from  whicli  the  Alta- 
mont  News  had  been  printed.  This  they  re- 
moved to  Mound  Valley,  and  commenced  the 
publication  of  the  News  at  that  point.  In  t'he 
spring  of  1886  a  company  of  several  of  the 
liusiness  men  of  ]Mound  Valley  was  formed, 
under  the  title  of  "The  Mound  Valley  News 
Company."  for  the  purpose  of  publishing  this 


paper.  About  June  i,  1886,  C.  M.  Brown  and 
T.  Rowen,  Jr.,  became  owners  of  the  paper, 
and  with  L.  C.  Wilmoth  as  editor  conducted 
it  until  September  9th,  when  Mr.  Rowen  re- 
tired and  Mr.  Brown  became  editor  and  pro- 
prietor, continuing  Mr.  Wilmoth  as  associate 
editor.  The  publication  of  the  paper  was  sus- 
pended about  the  middle  of  January,  1887. 

UNITED    LABOR. 

The  first  number  of  this  paper  was  dated 
February  19,  1887.  It  was,  however,  issued 
ahead  of  its  date.  It  purported  to  be  published 
by  the  Farmers'  and  Laborers'  Cooperative 
Union,  and  was  edited  by  E.  H.  Barnhart.  In 
June,  1887,  C.  L.  Albin  appeared  as  editor. 
During  August  and  September  its  publication 
was  suspended,  but  was  resumed  again  in  Oc- 
tober, with  G.  S.  Worthington  editor.  Its  pub- 
lication was  continued  until  the  early  part  of 
1888.  During  all  of  its  existence  George 
Campbell  was  its  principal,  if  not  entire  owner, 
and  while  he  does  not  appear  as  editor,  yet  the 
paper  was  principally  conducted  by  him. 

LABETTE  PAPERS. 

THE  LABETTE  SENTINEL. 

On  Thursday,  September  8,  1870,  a  well- 
filled  seven-column  paper  under  the  above  title 
appeared  from  the  printing-office  just  started 
at  the  town  of  Labette,  with  J.  S.  Waters  as 
editor  and  proprietor.  On  October  13th  Mr. 
Waters  associated  with  him  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  paper,  Thomas  Irish.  ^Mr.  \\'aters 
having  been  elected  county  attorney  at  the  No- 
vember election  in  1870,  he  retired  from  the 
editorship  of  the  Sentinel  on  November  24th, 
from  which  time  it  was  conducted  by  j\Ir.  Irish 
until  sometime  in  March.  1871,  when  its  pub- 
lication ceased  for  a  short  time.     About  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


279 


1st  of  April,  liowever,  it  was  revived  by  the 
Albin  Brothers,  who  carried  on  its  publication 
for  some  time,  when  it  was  given  up  by  them 
as  a  losing-  venture.  About  ]\Iay  10,  1872, 
Sheldon  &  Jo'hnson  attempted  its  resurrection, 
and  tried  to  put  it  forth  for  some  months, 
when  it  again  became  defunct.  On  the  sus- 
pension of  the  Oswego  Register,  in  May,  1873, 
Smith,  One  of  the  former  proprietors  of  that 
paper,  bought  the  Labette  Sentinel  material 
and  moved  it  to  Nevada,  AIo..  and  there  used 
it  in  starting  a  new  paper  at  that  point. 

THE    L.ABETTE    ST.\R 

Was  founded  January  5,  1894,  by  ^^^  L.  Piatt, 
wiho  conducted  it  until  the  fall  of  1895,  when  he 
sold  it  to  A.  and  J.  S.  Piatt.  February  15, 
1897,  the  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire.  A  new 
outfit  was  soon  procured,  and  the  publication  of 
the  Star  was  resumed  and  continued  until  July 
I,  1898.  when  it  ceased. 

TTIE   L.\BETTE   RECORD 

Made  its  appearance  October  21,  1899.  under 
the  management  of  W.  L.  Piatt,  who  continues 
to  edit  and  publish  it. 

WILSONTON  PAPERS. 

THE    WILSONTON    JOURNAL 

Was  started  at  Wilsonton,  :\Iay  i,  1888,  by 
Mrs.  Ella  B.  Wilson,  since  which  time  she  has 
continued  to  conduct  it  as  editor  and  proprietor. 
It  is  published  monthly. 

THE    VVHITE    B.\NNER, 

Whid.T  ^\•as  first  published  on  a  farm  for  a 
time,  was  published  in  Wilsonton  from  July, 
1894,  to  June,  1895,  when  it  was  removed  to 
Altamont,  where  it  has  since  remained. 


DENNIS  PAPERS. 


THE    HUSTLER 


Made  its  first  appearance  September  i.  1898, 
and  was  the  first  paper  published  in  Dennis. 
It  was  not,  in  fact,  printed  in  Dennis,  Ijut  in 
Thayer ;  but  it  purported  to  come  from  Dennis. 
It  was  edited  by  A.  E.  Miller.  It  only  lived 
three  months. 

THE    LEADER. 

Some  three  months  after  the  death  of  the 
Hustler,  another  effort  was  made  to  establish 
a  paper  in  Dennis.  In  February,  1899.  A.  E. 
Miller  and  Walter  I.  Thorne  started  the 
Leader,  which  for  two  months  was  printed  in 
the  Pal  I  ad  i  It  n  I  ofiice  in  Parsons.  The  propri- 
etors then  purchased  a  printing  outfit  of  their 
own  and  the  work  on  the  paper  was  then  done 
in  Dennis.  The  first  issue  was  dated  February 
9,  1899.  After  nine  months,  Mr.  Thorne  sold 
his  interest  in  the  paper  to  G.  A.  Miller. 
Miller  Brothers  continued  to  publish  the  paper 
until  November  15.  1900,  after  which  the  plant 
was  removed  to  Thayer. 

PAPERS  PUBLISHED  BY  THE  COL- 
ORED PEOPLE. 

KANSAS    ADVOCATE. 

The  first  issue  of  this  paper  was  dated  at 
Parsons,  September  i,  1881.  It  was  a  small 
eight-page  paper,  started  by  \\'.  B.  Avery,  a 
colored  minister,  and  was  intended  as  a  medi- 
um for  furnishing  the  colored  jjopulation  with 
a  line  of  reading-matter  in  which  they  would 
be  especially  interested,  to  be  issued  only 
monthly.  But  Mr.  Brooks,  of  the  Oswego 
Republican,  entered  into  an  agreement  with 
j\Ir.  Avery  for  publis'liing  his  paper  at  the  Re- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


publican  office.  It  was  very  much  enlarged 
in  size,  and  issued  weekly  instead  of  monthly. 
While  continuing  under  the  editorship  of  Mr. 
Avery,  the  most  of  the  material  was  the  same 
as  that  which  simultaneously  appeared  in  the 
Weekly  Republican.  The  colored  people  did 
not  furnisih  a  sufficient  patronage  to  justify 
its  continuance,  and  its  publication  ceased  after 
some  three  or  four  months. 


THE  EYE-OPENER 


Was  started  by  the  colored  people  of  the  coun- 
ty as  an  avenue  by  which  to  make  known  to 
the  public  their  views,  wants,  and  intentions, 
and  as  a  means  of  educating  their  young  peo- 
ple in  the  duties  of  citizenship.  It  was  issued 
from  Parsons.  The  first  number  was  dated 
July  9,  1892.  E.  M.  Woods  was  editor  and 
E.  W.  Dorsey  business  manager.     But  in  a 


short  time  Mr.  Dorsey  wit'hdrew  to  become 
president  of  the  Blade  company.  The  publi- 
cation of  this  paper  was  discontinued  with  the 
close  of   1892. 

THE   BLADE. 

A  little  disagreement  arising  between  the 
proprietors  of  the  Eye-Opener,  a  division  of 
interest  seemed  advisable  to  them,  and  on  Au- 
gust 20,  1892,  the  Parsons  Weekly  Blade  was 
started,  with  S.  O.  Clayton,  editor;  E.  W. 
Dorsey,  president;  and  Charles  A.  Morris, 
business  manager.  After  a  term  of  five  years 
as  editor,  Mr.  Clavton  retired  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  J.  E.  Johnson.  In  1898  t*he  man- 
agement of  the  paper  passed  to  J.  M.  Dorsey, 
with  whom  it  continued  two  years.  Its  publi- 
cation then  went  into  the  hands  of  a  company, 
and  Charles  A.  Morris  became  its  editor;  and 
under  this  management  it  is  now  conducted. 


BENCH  AND  BAR 


At  the  very  opening  of  this  topic  I  want 
to  say  that  I  do  not  expect  to  be  able  to  men- 
tion the  name  of  everyone  who  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  our  bar :  many  of  them  were  here  but  a 
short  time  and  left  nothing  to  particularly  call 
to  mind  their  sojourn  among  us.  I  know  of 
nothing  that  will  furnish  even  the  names  of 
these  parties  except  the  numberless  detailed 
records  of  court  proceedings,  and  were  one  to 
go  through  all  these  he  could  hardly  be  sure 
he  had  the  names  of  all  members  of  the  bar 
who  have  resided  in  the  county.  All  I  can 
say  is  that  I  shall  say  something  of  all  whom 
I  can  recall  and  no  name  will  be  intentionally 
omitted. 

THE  COURT. 

The  first  term  of  fhe  district  court  in  this 
county  was  held  in  the  second  story  of  the 
only  two-story  frame  building  then  standing 
on  the  Oswego  town-site ;  it  was  located  on 
the  southwest  corner  of  block  25  and  had  just 
been  erected  by  Thomas  J.  Buntain.  During 
1868  and  the  spring  term  of  1869,  court  was 
held  in  different  rented  rooms.  At  the  con- 
vening of  the  October  (1869)  term,  court 
opened  in  the  new  frame  building  which  Os- 
wego had  given  to  the  county  for  a  court- 
house. 

The  first  term  of  court  was  formally 
opened  in  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  October 
7,  1867,  and  adjourned  sine  die  on  Friday,  the 


nth,  although  no  business  was  transacted 
after  Thursday.  There  was  no  trial  and  de- 
termination of  any  cause  at  this  term  of  court. 
The  business  principallv  consisted  in  the  ad- 
mission of  attorneys  and  the  hearing  and  pass- 
ing on  some  preliminary  motions. 

At  the  time  of  its  organization  this  county 
was  comprised  in  the  Seventh  judicial  district, 
and  so  remained  until  March  24,  1870,  at 
which  time  the  la\\-  creating  the  Eleventh  ju- 
dicial district  went  into  effect.  This  county 
continued  in  the  Eleventh  judicial  district  un- 
til Februar_y  22.  1901,  on  which  day  the  law 
went  into  effect  constituting  Labette  and  Mont- 
gomery bounties  the  Eourteenth  judicial  dis- 
trict. 

THE  BENCH. 

WHiile  we  were  a  part  of  the  Seventh  ju- 
dicial district,  two  different  judges  presided 
over  our  court;  and  during  the  time  we  were 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Eleventh  judicial  dis- 
trict seven  different  persons  held  the  office  of 
judge. 

W.  A.  Spriggs,  residing  at  Garnett,  pre- 
sided over  our  court  at  its  first  session.  He 
is  the  only  one  of  our  judges  whom  I  have 
never  known  personally.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  a  man  of  honor  and  fair  ability.  Having 
held  court  here  for  less  than  a  week,  he  made 
no  deep  impression  on  our  judicial  matters. 

In  the  fall  of  1867,  John  R.  Goodwin  was 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


elected  judge  of  the  Seventh  judicial  district, 
and  presided  in  our  court  during  the  next  two 
years.  He  was  fairly  well  versed  in  the  law 
but  owed  his  popularity  more  to  his  jovial  na- 
ture and  ability  to  mix  with  t'he  boys  than  to 
his  legal  erudition.  It  required  business  of 
more  tlian  usual  importance  or  to  be  more 
than  usually  pressing  in  its  character  to  pre- 
vent his  adjourning  court  for  the  purpose  of 
accepting  an  invitation  to  assist  sampling  what 
were  supposed  to  be  eood  "warming"  or  "cool- 
ing" drinks,  or  to  engage  in  a  game  of  cards. 
However,  Judge  Goodwin  kept  the  business  of 
the  court  well  in  hand  and  gave  quite  general 
satisfaction. 

The  first  two  judges  of  the  Eleventh  ju- 
dicial district  were  the  ^^'ebb  brothers,  both 
of  whom  were  well  versed  in  the  principles  of 
the  common  law,  and  also  possessed  of  nat- 
ural abilities  as  lawyers. 

When  the  bill  was  passed  creating  the  new 
district,  the  Governor  appointed  William  C. 
Webb,  then  residing  at  Fort  Scott,  its  first 
judge.  He  was  periiaps  too  technical  to  be  a 
great  lawyer  or  judge,  but  he  was  certainly 
very  much  above  the  ordinary  lawyers  who  then 
were  practicing  in  this  part  of  the  State.  He 
was  a  hard  worker,  a  stickler  for  form  and 
order,  and  did  much  to  bring  the  business  of 
the  court  into  a  more  orderly  and  consistent 
condition  than  it  had  ever  before  been  in. 

Henry  G.  Webb  was  elected  judge  of  the 
district  in  November,  1870.  and  succeeded  his 
brother  on  the  bench.  Two  strangers  could 
scarcely  be  more  unlike  than  were  these 
brothers.  What  William  got  in  the  way  of 
legal  knowledge  by  study  and  hard  work, 
Henry  absorbed  of  took  intuitively.  Had  the 
latter  been  disposed  to  have  worked  as  'hard  as 
did  tlie  former  there  is  no  telling  what  posi- 
tion he  might  lia\'e  attained  as  a  lawyer.     Hen- 


ry was  much  less  technical  and  much  broader 
in  his  legal  views  than  was  his  brother  but  was 
not  so  orderly  in  his  methods.  For  ability  to 
clearly  and  forcibly  state  a  legal  proposition, 
Henry  G.  Webb  has  never  had  an  equal  on  the 
bench  of  this  district.  He  resigned  his  position 
as  judge  in  the  early  part  of  1873  and  has  since 
been  a  practitioner  at  the  bar. 

Bishop  W.  Perkins  of  Oswego  was  appoint- 
ed to  the  bench  on  the  retirement  of  Judge 
Webb  in  the  fore  part  of  1873.  This  appoint- 
ment was  considered  to  have  been  the  reward 
of  efficient  work  done  for  Gov.  Osborne  in  the 
preceding  campaign  no  less  than  because  of 
professional  merit.  Judge  Perkins  was  a  fair 
lawyer  and  made  an  efficient  judge,  but  it  was 
in  the  field  of  politics,  rather  than  in  that  of 
jurisprudence,  that  he  excelled.  He  was  a  born 
politician  and  had  an  instinctive  scent  for  the 
trail  of  public  sentiment.  He  was  appointed 
county  attorney  a  few  weeks  after  he  came  to 
Oswego  in  1869,  and  from  that  time,  until 
within  a  few  months  before  his  death  in  1894, 
he  was  a  continuous  office  holder.  He  remained 
on  the  bench  until  January,  1883,  when  his  offi- 
cial station  was  transferred  from  the  bench  to 
Cong-ress. 

George  Chandler,  of  Independence,  was 
elected  judge  of  the  district  in  November,  1882, 
assumed  the  duties  of  his  office  in  January, 
1883,  and  held  the  position  until  the  spring  of 
1889,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  position 
of  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Interior  in  the 
cabinet  of  President  Harrison.  Judge  Chan- 
dler was  a  man  of  a  good  deal  of  natural  abil- 
ity and  acquired  power.  His  physical  organi- 
zation was  capable  of  sustaining  an  unlimited 
amount  of  work  and  it  was  largely  to  this  and 
'his  natural  industry  that  he  owed  his  success. 
As  a  judge  he  had  some  elements  of  strength 
and  quite  as  many  of  weakness.     He  prided 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


283 


himself  on  instructing  a  jury;  yet  it  was  the 
general  opinion  of  the  profession,  that  a  jury 
would  know  less  of  the  real  merits  of  a  case 
when  he  was  through  giving  his  instructions 
than  when  he  commenced.  He  lacked  the  abil- 
ity to  grasp  and  clearly  and  concisely  state  the 
points  at  issue  and  then  announce  the  law  ap- 
plicable thereto.  His  system  of  conducting 
court  business  frequently  required  parties  with 
Jarge  numbers  of  witnesses  to  remain  about 
the  court  for  days  before  their  cases  could  be 
reached.  His  requirement  of  punctuality  on 
the  part  of  litigants,  attorneys,  jurors  and  wit- 
nesses became  actually  burdensome  and  tend- 
ed to  retard  rather  than  facilitate  the  dispatch 
of  business.  Notwithstanding  his  defects,  he 
was  an  able  and  popular  judge. 

John  N.  Ritter  of  Columbus  was  appointed 
to  succeed  Judge  Chandler  on  the  bench,  and 
served  till  after  the  November  election  in  iSSg  ; 
he  was  defeated  for  the  position  at  that  election. 
Judge  Ritter  was  an  honest,  ])ainstaking,  care- 
ful, industrious  and  capable  attorney,  and  he 
carried  these  qualities  with  him^  on  the  bench. 
As  a  lawyer  probably  no  one  would  place  him 
in  the  first  rank  in  the  bar  of  the  State,  but  in 
the  second  ranks  he  would  take  an  honorable 
place.  He  made  a  much  more  able  and  com- 
petent judge  than  the  profession  generally 
thought  he  would  at  the  time  of  his  appoint- 
ment. His  retirement  from  the  bench  was  the 
source  of  regret  to  very  many  who  had  not  been 
especially  anxious  to  see  him  appointed. 

Jerry  D.  McCue  of  Independence  was  elect- 
ed judge  in  November,  1889,  and  served  dur- 
ing the  next  five  years.  Mr.  McCue  was  the 
first  attorney  who  settled  in  this  county  and 
had  always  stood  high  at  the  bar.  His 
personal  indulgences  in  the  early  days  of  his 
residence  among  us  had  deprived  him  of  much 
of  the  business  which  he  would  otherwise  have 


obtained.  Perhaps  on  this  account,  more  than 
for  any  other  reason,  lie  left  Oswego  and  set- 
tled in  Independence.  Taking  into  considera- 
tion all  of  his  qualities.  I  think  it  may  be  safe- 
ly said  we  have  never  had  an  alaler  judge  on 
the  bench  of  this  district  than  was  Judge  Mc- 
Cue. Naturally,  he  had  a  judicial  mind.  His 
professional  preparation  had  been  pursued  in 
Illinois  where  he  became  well  grounded  in  the 
principles  of  common  law.  His  confidence  in 
his  own  ability  almost  amounted  to  egotism 
and  i)re\-ented  any  feeling  of  diffidence  either 
at  the  bar  or  on  the  bench.  This  confidence 
enabled  him  to  successfully  use  all  'his  powers. 
His  record  on  the  bench  is  one  of  which  he  may 
well  be  proud. 

Andy  H.  Skidmore  of  Columbus  was  elect- 
ed district  judge  in  November,  1894,  and  has 
served  from  the  January  following,  during 
which  time  he  has  gained  in  his  hold  on  the 
j^eople.  Judge  Skidmore  has  had  a  popularity 
on  the  bench  which  some  have  found  it  dif- 
ficult to  account  for.  It  can  not  be  said  to  be 
altogether  owing  to  his  judicial  ability.  Per- 
haps it  is  in  a  measure  owing  to  his  uniform 
good  nature,  his  close  attention  to  the  pulilic 
business,  his  painstaking  effort  to  hear  all  par- 
ties and  consider  all  interests,  and  then  to  ren- 
der such  decision  as  he  thinks  the  facts  war- 
rant. The  division  of  the  Eleventh  judicial 
district  and  the  placing  of  this  county  in  a 
newly  constituted  district  takes  us  from  Judge 
Skidmore's  jurisdiction.  As  this  history  is 
not  supposed  to  enter  the  twentieth  century,  I 
shall  not  speak  of  the  newly  appointed  occu- 
pant of  the  bench. 

THE  BAR. 

Jerry  D.  McCue  was  the  first  lawyer  to  set- 
tle in  Labette  county.     He  had  been  admitted 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


to  fhe  bar  in  Illinois,  but  had  little,  if  any, 
practice  there.  He  reached  Oswego  in  July 
1867.  In  September  he  attended  the  first  term 
of  court  in  Neosho  county  and  was  admitted 
to  the  Kansas  bar  there,  so  that,  when  our 
court  convened  in  October  he  was  an  author- 
ized practitioner  under  the  Kansas  laws.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  here  he  certainly  had  as  much 
business  as  any  member  of  the  bar.  In  1871 
he  moved  to  Independence  where  he  resided 
and  practiced  till  his  election  as  district  judge. 
Next  in  order  of  time  came  N.  L.  Hibbard 
who  arrived  in  Oswego  in  August,  1867.  He 
had'  been  the  prosecuting  attorney  of  his  coun- 
ty and  naturally  felt  competent  to  compete  with 
those  whom  he  had  to  meet  in  court  here,  all 
of  whom  were  young  men.  Mr.  Hibbard's 
laugh  was  the  one  quality  by  which  he  will  be 
longest  remembered  by  those  who  knew  him 
here :  it  had  almost  the  volume  of  a  locomotive 
whistle.  In  1870,  without  informing  the  public 
of  his  intentions,  he  took  his  departure  from 
our  midst. 

W.  J.  Parkinson  came  to  Oswego  about  the 
same  time  as  Mr.  Hibbard,  and  the  two  joined 
forces  for  the  practice  of  their  profession.  The 
firm  of  Hibbard'  &  Parkinson  was  tlie  first  law 
partnership  in  the  county.  Mr.  Parkinson  had 
recently  come  from  one  of  the  eastern  states 
and  had  temporarily  stopped  in  Leavenworth 
where  he  had  been  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Kan- 
sas, so  that  he  was  the  first  lawyer  w'ho  had 
been  admitted  to  the  bar  in  this  state  to  settle 
in  this  county.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  young 
man  of  fine  address  and  good  ability.  On  the 
first  day  of  our  first  term  of  court  on  October 
7,  1867,  Judge  Spriggs  appointed  Mr.  Parkin- 
son county  attorney ;  before  that  time  there  had 
been  no  county  attorney.  In  November  of  that 
same  year  Mr.  Parkinson  left  the  county  and, 


as  I  am  informed,  went  east  and  entered  tlie 
ministry. 

The  next  lawyer  to  cast  his  lot  among  us 
was  Walter  P.  Bishop,  who  arrived  in  Oswego 
in  September,  1867,  having  already  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  Douglas  county  before 
coming  here.  Of  all  the  attorneys  who  have 
practiced  at  this  bar  there  has  probably  been 
no  one  w'ho  prided  himself  more  on  his  good 
looks  and  elegant  appearance  than  did  Mr. 
Bishop.  He  had  quite  a  good  deal  of  ability 
and  still  more  conceit.  His  good  looks,  abil- 
ity and  self  assurance  made  him  a  popular  at- 
torney, and  he  was  able  to  divide  with  Mr. 
McCue  most  of  the  best  business  of  the  county 
during  the  first  two  or  three  years  after  they 
came.  Mr.  Bishop  was  for  a  time  county  at- 
torney, and  afterwards  probate  judge.  In 
1870  he  represented  the  county  in  the  Legisla- 
ture. His  career  at  the  bar  was  then  virtually 
closed.  He  went  to  Topeka  and  failed  to  se- 
cure business ;  temporarily  he  came  back  to  Os- 
wego and  failed  here.  He  then  went  to  Col- 
orado where  he  died.  The  outcome  of  his  ca- 
reer fell  far  short  of  what  its  opening  prom- 
ised it  might  be. 

The  four  attorneys  whom  I  have  named  are 
the  only  ones  who  had  settled  in  the  county, 
and  who  had  been  admitted  to  the  bar  prior  to 
the  opening  of  the  first  term  of  our  district 
court.  But  at  that  term  of  court  there  appeared 
as  one  of  the  practitioners  of  the  bar  John  Se- 
crest,  of  Humboldt,  who  sometime  thereafter 
settled  at  Chetopa,  where  he  lived  several 
years.  Some  of  his  enemies  claimed  that  in  his 
business  he  had  more  practices  than  practice. 
He  was  finally  killed  by  a  band  of  outlaws  in 
the  Indian  Territory. 

Of  these  five  attorneys  all  had  been  admit- 
ted to  practice  in  Kansas  before  the  opening  of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


285 


our  first  term  of  court  except  Mr.  Hibbard,  and 
he  was  made  a  member  of  the  Kansas  bar  on 
the  first  day  of  the  term.  The  only  other  at- 
torneys who  appear  from  the  records  to  have 
been  in  attendance  at  that  term  of  court  were 
W.  A.  Jolinson,  of  Garnett,  and  John  R. 
Goodwin,  of  Humboldt. 

Five  persons  who  were  then  "old  settlers" 
in  the  county,  not  one  of  whom  had  ever  pre- 
tended to  read  law,  and  perhaps  neither  of 
whom  had  ever  looked  in  a  law  book,  unless  it 
were  the  statutes,  were  regularly  admitted  to 
the  bar,  after  having  "passed  a  satisfactory  ex- 
amination," at  the  first  term  of  our  court.  The 
examination  was  probably  on  the  c|uality  of  the 
liquor  furnished  by  the  candidates  to  the  com- 
mittee. At  first  sight  the  record  might  indi- 
cate that  some  of  these  parties  were  admitted 
the  first  day,  but  from  the  \v'hole  record  I  am 
satisfied  that  all  that  was  done  the  first  day  was 
the  appointment  of  two  committees  on  examin- 
ation. Three  of  these  parties  were  admitted 
on  the  second  day  of  the  term,  one  on  the 
third  day,  and  the  other  on  the  fourth  day. 
The  following  are  the  names  of  the  parties 
thus  admitted  to  the  bar,  in  the  order  of  their 
admission :  J.  S.  Waters,  C.  H.  Bent,  Dr.  J. 
F.  Newlon,  W.  C.  Watkins,  and  C.  C.  Clover. 
Mr.  Waters  is  the  only  one  of  these  who  ever 
became  a  practicing  lawyer.  It  is  true  that  Mr. 
Bent  succeeded  Mr.  Parkinson  as  county  attor- 
ney, but  Mr.  Bishop,  who  acted  as  his  deputy 
or  assistant,  did  all  the  work.  Mr.  Bent  was 
the  first  and  Mr.  ^\'atkins  the  second  repre- 
sentative in  the  Legislature  from  this  county. 
The  latter  was  commonly  known  as  "the  gen- 
tleman from  "U.  bet,"  because  his  favorite 
expression  of  assent  was  "you  bet."  Mr.  Wat- 
ers was  never  much  of  a  lawyer,  but  he  was  a 
shrewd  manager  and  very  successful  in  local 
politics.     He  served  several  terms  as  county 


attorney,  represented  the  county  in  the  Legisla- 
ture, and  subsequently  was  appointed  to  a  po- 
sition in  one  of  the  U.  S.  land  offices  in  Idaho. 

With  the  exception  of  Mr.  Waters,  who  re- 
sided at  Montana,  all  of  the  attorneys  I  have 
named  belonging  to  this  county  were  located 
at  Oswego.  The  next  who  came  to  the  county 
chose  Chetopa  as  his  place  of  residence. 

James  H.  Crichton  came  from  Indiana  to 
Chetopa  in  the  spring  of  1868.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  has  been,  in  respect  to  residence, 
the  oldest  attorney  in  the  county.  At  an  early 
age  Mr.  Crichton  figured  quite  prominently  in 
politics ;  he  was  twice  a  candidate  for  the  State 
Senate,  and  was  once  or  twice  elected  repre- 
sentative. For  several  years  after  coming  here, 
he  held  quite  a  prominent  place  at  the  bar  and 
had  a  very  fair  business ;  but  he  allowed  poli- 
tics and  some  other  matters  to  interfere  with 
his  professional  business,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  past  he  has  seldom  appeared  in  court 
and  has  practically  abandoned  practice. 

W.  C.  Pew  settled  in  Oswego  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1868  and  remained  until  the  early  spring 
of  the  following  year.  While  he  was  a  well 
read  lawyer  he  was  not  adapted  to  western 
ways  of  those  days  and  got  little  business. 

W.  P.  Lamb  was  the  worst  hater  of  all  hu- 
manity, the  most  untiring  prosecutor  of  any 
one  whom  he  got  in  his  power,  the  most  bitter 
in  his  speech,  against  court  and  opposing  coun- 
sel, and  one  of  the  most  uniformly  unsuccess- 
ful lawyers  who  ever  practiced  at  this  bar.  Not 
without  a  certain  degree  of  native  ability  and 
acquired  culture,  he  had  been  so  long  accus- 
tomed to  have  his  hand  against  every  other 
man's  hand  that  to  instinctively  dislike  every 
other  man  became  a  quality  of  his  mind.  Those 
who  slept  within  hearing  distance  of  him  dur- 
ing court  said  he  was  accustomed  to  spend  a 
good  portion  of  the  night  in  cursing  some  one 


286 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


with  whom  lie  had  been  brought  in  contact 
during  the  day.  An  intensely  pro-slavery 
man,  he  had  come  to  Kansas  in  an  early  day  to 
assist  in  making  her  a  slave  state.  He  had  been 
quite  prominent  as  an  attorney  while  that  ele- 
ment was  in  the  ascendant,  but  the  habits  of 
life  and  business  which  he  had  thus  acquired 
had  not  fitted  him  to  be  a  successful  practi- 
tioner among  the  people  who  settled  t'his 
county.  He  came  here  in  the  fall  of  i8h8  set- 
tled at  Chetopa  where  he  made  his  home  till 
late  in  the  "seventies"  when  he  went  fnrther 
west. 

W.  AI.  Rogers  came  to  this  county  about 
the  close  of  1868  and  settled  in  INIound  Valley 
township.  In  his  former  home  he  had  been 
around  the  court  room  enough  to  learn  several 
legal  terms  and  when  he  came  to  this  county 
he  commenced  to  assist  his  neig'hbors  to  get 
into  difficulty  by  attending  to  their  cases  in  jus- 
tice court.  In  1 87 1  he  secured  a  favorable  re- 
port from  an  examining  committee  and  the 
court  permitted  him  to  be  sworn  as  a  member 
of  the  bar. 

J.  C.  Strang  lived  at  Oswego  and  was  glad 
to  meet  Mr.  Rogers  in  legal  argument.  He 
probably  knew  more  legal  terms  than  did  his 
rival  but  he  had  drank  so  much  more  whisky 
that  he  could  not  always  make  as  good  use  of 
them.  He  was  never  entrusted  with  any  busi- 
ness and  therefore  seldom,  if  e\-er,  did  any  one 
any  damage. 

J.  F.  Bellamy  had  been  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  Indiana  before  settling  at  Jacksonville,  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  this  county.  At  this  point 
he  taught  school  and  offered  his  services  as  a 
lawyer,  but  the  extent  of  his  practice  was  very 
limited.  In  a  few  years  he  went  back  to  In- 
diana where  he  met  with  much  better  success. 
He  subsequently  returned  to  this  state  and  is 


now  one  of  the  prominent  attorneys  of  Mont- 
gomery county. 

John  H.  Gunn  also  lived  at  or  near  Jack- 
sonville. He  had  no  knowledge  of  law  and 
the  only  way  'he  attempted  to  succeed  as  a  law- 
yer was  by  a  kind  of  practice  so  reprehensible 
that  no  reputable  attorney  would  indulge  in  it. 
The  profession  was  honored  by  his  removal 
from  the  county  in  the  latter  part  of  1869. 

About  the  close  of  1869.  Joseph  S.  Gage  lo- 
cated at  Chetopa  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  the  county  in  April.  1870.  He  staid  here 
but  a  short  time  and  did  no  legal  business  to 
speak  of. 

.  B.  \X.  Perkins  located  in  Oswego  in  April, 
1869,  and  at  once  formed  a  partnership  with 
W.  P.  Bishop  which  continued  until  his  ap- 
pointment as  district  judge.  The  firm  of  Bish- 
op &  Perkins  always  had  a  good  business. 

Nelson  Case  arrived  in  Oswego,  May  15, 
1869,  and,  since  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Crich- 
ton  from  acti\-e  practice,  'he  has  been,  in  point 
of  residence,  the  senior  member  of  the  bar  of 
this  county. 

J.  J.  Brown  found  his  way  to  Oswego  in 
June,  1869,  and  practiced  his  profession  here 
till  1874  when  he  removed  to  Oregon.  He  had 
received  a  good  education  and  had  a  faculty 
of  making  the  most  out  of  his  position.  He 
was  something  of  a  society  man  and  made  a 
good  many  friends.  He  was  fairly  successful 
while  he  remained  in  Oswego,  but  his  success 
here  was  nothing  in  comparison  to  what  it  was 
on  the  Pacific  slope.  He  there  became  one  of 
the  recognized  leading  financial  men.  I  may 
say  that  he  made  his  money  in  business  and 
not  simply  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

In  July,  1869,  W.  B.  Glasse  came  to  Os- 
wego and  at  once,  in  connection  with  J.  J. 
Brown,  formed  the  firm  of  Brown  &  Glasse. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


287 


Mr.  Glasse  liad  a  military  experience  which 
proved  serviceable  to  him,  even  in  the  practice 
of  law.  In  about  a  year  from  the  formation  of 
their  partnership,  Browm  &  Glasse  took  in  a 
new  partner  and  the  firm  became  Adams, 
Brown  &  Glasse.  After  the  dissolution  of  this 
firm  Col.  Glasse  formed  with  H.  G.  Webb  the 
firm  of  Webb  &  Glasse.  From  January  i, 
1885,  till  Col.  Glasse  removed  to  Columbus  ir. 
May,  1893,  he  was  in  partnership  with  Nelson 
Case  under  the  firm  name  of  Case  &  Glasse. 
Since  that  time  he  has  been  practicing  "his  pro- 
fession at  Columbus.  From  his  very  first  set- 
tlement in  the  county  Col.  Glasse  took  a  high 
rank  at  the  bar.  He  is  the  soul  of  honor,  is 
well  read  in  the  law,  is  a  forcible  advocate  and 
inspires  with  confidence  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact.  He  served  a  term  in  the 
State  Senate  and  was  auditor  of  the  county 
several  years. 

M.  S.  Adams  came  to  Oswego  from  Leav- 
enworth early  in  1870.  Sometime  that  year  he 
became  a  partner  of  Brown  &  Glasse.  He  had 
been  a  prominent  attorney  and  politician  at 
Leavenworth  but  liad  only  moderate  success  in 
this  county.  He  went  from  here  to  Wichita. 
Early  in  1869  Frank  M.  Graham  settled  in 
Chetopa  and  became  the  junior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Crichton  &  Graham.  He  was  better 
adapted  to  office  work  than  his  partner  and  add- 
ed much  to  the  success  of  the  firm.  He  was 
popular  in  Chetopa  and  exercised  much  influ- 
ence in  local  matters. 

F.  A.  Bettis  came  to  Oswego  in  August, 
1869.  and  soon  went  into  partnership  with  Mr. 
McCue.  Some  months  thereafter  the  firm  l^e- 
came  McCue,  Bettis  &  Kelso.  When  Mr.  Mc- 
Cue removed  to  Independence  the  firm  of  Bet- 
tis &  Kelso  became,  perhaps,  the  leading  firm 
of  lawyers  in  the  county.  During  ^lis  stay  here, 
Mr.  Bettis  had  two  or  three  other  partners  for 


a  time.  As  an  all  around  lawyer,  adapted  to 
all  kinds  of  business,  we  have  had  few,  if  any, 
lawyers  who  excelled  Mr.  Bettis.  Perhaps  his 
greatest  strength  lav  in  his  ability  to  at  once 
meet  an  unexpected  thrust  from  an  adversary ; 
it  was  difficult  to  surprise  him.  He  was  quick 
to  take  advantage  of  a  weak  point  in  an  op- 
ponent's case.  If  people  could  'have  had  as 
much  confidence  in  Mr.  Bettis'  integrity  as  they 
had  in  his  legal  ability  he  would  have  a  higher 
rank  at  the  bar  than  he  secured. 

M.  V.  B.  Bennett  came  from  Iowa  to  Os- 
wego in  the  spring  of  1870.  He  was  an  intense 
partisan,  had  been  an  opponent  of  the  adminis- 
tration in  the  Civil  war.  and  brought  with  him 
to  Oswego  material  for  starting  a  newspaper. 
For  several  months  he  united  editorial  work  on 
the  Oswego  Democrat  with  the  practice  of  the 
law.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  removed,  with 
his  paper,  to  Independence.  He  subsequently 
became  a  noted  temperance  lecturer,  but  at  the 
time  he  resided  in  Oswego  he  had  no  reputa- 
tion in  that  direction.  At  the  bar  he  was  much 
stronger  as  an  advocate  than  as  a  counsellor 
and  he  never  took  high  rank  as  a  lawyer,  al- 
though he  commanded  a  very  fair  practice. 

J.  D.  Gamble  came  to  Oswego  with  I\Ir. 
Bennett  and  became  his  partner.  He  was  the 
office  man  of  the  firm  of  Bennett  &  Gamble. and 
had  fair  ability  in  that  line  of  work.  He  went 
to  Independence  with  Mr.  Bennett. 

J.  D.  Conderman  has  never  secured  the 
business  that  his  merits  have  entitled  him  to. 
He  located  in  Chetopa  in  June.  1870,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  served  one  term  very 
acceptably  as  county  attorney.  He  lacks  the 
aggressiveness  of  disposition  to  gain  what  prop_ 
erly  belongs  to  him.  Had  he  asserted  himself 
more  he  might  have  attained  a  much  better 
practice  than  he  has  enjoyed.  He  has  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


J.  B.  Zeigler  came  to  Oswego  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1870.  He  was  a  fine  appearing  young 
man  and  did  some  clerical  work  in  some  of  the 
offices  but  did  not  secure  any  legal  practice. 
The  next  year  he  went  to  Independence  where 
he  has  built  up  a  fine  practice. 

J.  J.  Long  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  this 
county  in  November,  1870.  He  had  t'he  mis- 
fortune of  being  associated  with  W.  P.  Lamb 
and  had  no  success  while  he  remained  here. 

E.  D.  Graybill  had  been  a  school  teacher  in 
Osage  township.  About  the  close  of  1870  he 
commenced  to  get  connected  with  cases  com- 
menced in  justice  court  and  sometimes  induced 
the  litigants  to  appeal  them,  and  thus  had  a 
little  practice  in  the  district  court.  In  three  or 
four  years  from  that  time  he  left  the  county. 

W.  H.  Carpenter  of  Osage  township  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace  and  sometimes  represented 
his  neighbors  as  their  attorney  before  other 
justices.  He  had  been  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
Ohio,  but  had  never  practiced  law.  He  was 
formally  admitted  to  the  bar  of  this  county 
early  in  1871,  but  never  had  any  practice  and 
soon  removed  from  the  county. 

David  Kelso  came  to  this  county  in  the 
summer  of  1870.  He  first  located  at  Chetopa, 
but  soon  removed  to  Oswego  and  became  a 
partner  of  McCue  &  Bettis.  He  was  one  of  the 
few  men  of  the  bar  who  always  ranked  much 
higher  than  his  merits  as  a  lawyer  entitled 
him.  He  'had  social  qualities  which  made  him 
quite  popular,  and  he  was  able  to  secure  good 
positions.  He  held  a  fine  position  in  the  legal 
department  of  two  or  three  railroad  companies 
for  several  j^ears.  He  acquired  a  love  for  liquor 
which  very  much  interfered  with  his  successful 
conduct  of  business. 

T.  L.  Darlow  was  another  law}-er  who  lo- 
cated in  Oswego  in  the  summer  of  1870.  He 
'had  not  had  much  practice  when  he  came  here. 


was  more  earnest  and  persistent  than  careful 
and  studious  in  his  habits,  and  did  not  make 
that  growth  as  a  lawyer  which  he,  perhaps, 
might  have  done.  He  was  a  member  of  two 
or  three  firms  while  here  and  did  a  fairly  good 
practice. 

J.  G.  Parkhurst  was  the  first  attorney  to 
settle  in  Parsons.  He  came  there  at  the  close 
of  1870  before  the  town  was  fairly  laid  out, 
and  at  once  secured  a  fairly  good  business.  He 
was  a  lawyer  with  some  merits  who  also  lacked 
some  qualifications  for  becoming  a  first  class 
practitioner.  In  a  few  years  he  returned  to 
Michigan. 

T.  \V.  Thornton  came  to  Parsons  about  the 
same  time  as  Mr.  Parkhurst,  but  did  not  stay 
long  enough  to  attain  any  standing  at  the  bar. 
E.  E.  Hastings  first  came  to  Oswego,  but 
after  a  short  stay  here  located  in  Parsons  near 
the  close  of  1870,  where  he  remained  but  a  few 
months.  His  practice  while  here  was  not  suffi- 
cient to  exhibit  any  legal  ability  although  he 
was  a  young  man  of  good  appearance  and 
seemingl}'  fair  ability. 

George  W.  Fox  settled  in  Chetopa  in  De- 
cember, 1870,  where  he  made  his  home  for 
more  than  ten  years.  He  went  to  the  Pacific 
slope  in  the  "eig'hties."  While  here  he  stud- 
ied politics  and  did  something  at  practicing 
law;  but  being  a  member  of  the  minority  party 
his  political  leadership  did  not  prove  very  re- 
nmnerati\-e.  In  his  professional  practice  he  de- 
pended more  on  his  ability  to  know  and  make 
use  of  men's  religious,  political  and  social 
opinions  and  prejudices  as  they  appeared  in 
court  as  jurors,  witnesses  or  litigants  than  he 
did  on  knowing  what  the  law  was  and  being 
able  to  apply  it. 

Alexander  H.  Ayres  prided  himself  on  be- 
ing a  successful  practitioner  in  the  great  state 
of  New  York.     He  came  to  Chetopa  in  Febru- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


ary,  1871,  and  became  the  senior  memljer  of 
the  firm  of  Ayres  &  Fox.  Judge  Ayres  was  a 
cultured  gentleman,  of  very  extended  reading 
and  with  a  memory  that  enabled  him  to  recall, 
whenever  wanted,  anything  he  had  ever  read. 
He  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  reports  of 
'his  native  state,  and  there  was  no  question  of 
law  ever  arose  in  his  practice  on  which  he 
could  not  cite  a  New  York  decision  which,  to 
his  mind,  was  decisive.  He  was  stricken  down 
Avith  a  stroke  of  apoplexy  while  arguing  a  case 
in  court. 

William  Davis  came  to  Parsons  in  the  early 
spring  of  1871  as  the  general  attorney  of  the 
M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  Co.  He  was  a  Kentucky  Re- 
publican and  was  possessed  of  many  of  the 
graces  for  which  the  Blue  Grass  gentlemen  are 
noted.  As  a  lawyer  his  chief  defect  was  a  lack 
of  discrimination.  After  reading  a  case  he  had 
no  more  conception  of  what  it  decided  than 
would  have  been  gathered  by  any  school  boy 
who  should  give  it  a  like  reading.  He  always 
came  into  court  fortified  with  a  large  number 
of  authorities,  but  they  were  as  like  to  be  de- 
cisions in  his  adversary's  favor  as  his  own.  It 
was  his  misfortune  to  be  unable  to  see  a  point. 
But  the  people  liked  Col.  Davis,  partly  because 
when  a  case  was  decided  ap-ainst  him  he  never 
knew  that  he  was  beaten,  and  for  this  reason, 
it  may  be  presumed,  they  elected  him  county 
attorney,  and  then  attorney  general. 

G,  C.  West  located  in  Parsons  in  1871  and 
became  associated  with  Col.  Davis  in  business. 
He  never  extensively  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
the  law  in  this  county.  When  Cul.  Davis  be- 
came attorney  general  Mv.  West  went  with  him 
to  Topeka  and  did  not  return  to  this  county. 

R.  M.  Donelly  came  from  Kentucky  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  this  county  in  June, 
1871.  His  home  was  in  Parsons,  He  was  too 
much  of  a  southern  gentleman  to  be  a  very 


good  practitioner  in  t'he  west.  He  had  but 
moderate  success  here  and  after  a  time  went  to 
Texas. 

E.  C.  Ward  came  from  Chicago  to  Par- 
sons in  April,  1871.  For  several  years  he  had 
a  good  deal  of  prominence  and  quite  a  practice, 
and  secured  for  himself  the  nomination  and 
election  as  county  attorney.  But  he  lost  all 
standing  when  he  was  convicted  of  hiring  a 
witness  to  tell  the  truth  in  a  suit  in  which  he 
was  employed  ;  for  this  he  was  disbarred.  ^Vhile 
he  was  thereafter  readmitted  to  the  bar,  it  gave 
him  no  standing.  His  admiration  of  himself 
was  without  limit, 

Thomas  C.  Cor}'  was  t'he  first  county  at- 
torney in  Neosho  county.  He  removed  from 
there  to  Parsons  in  1S71  and  became  an  active 
and  successful  practitioner  at  our  bar.  The 
firms  of  Cory  &  Kimball  and  later  Cory  & 
Simons  each  had  a  fine  business  and  managed 
it  successfully.  Mr.  Cory  was  elected  county 
attorney  and  died  while  filling  that  ofiice. 

Walter  L.  Simons  came  from  Neosho  coun- 
ty to  Parsons  in  1879  and  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  Cory,  Whether  with  a  partner 
or  alone  Mr.  Simons  always  had  a  good  busi- 
ness, and  was  prominent  both  as  a  lawyer  and 
politician.  He  stood  among  the  first  at  our  bar 
and  commanded  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
all  who  knew  him.  From  here  he  went  to 
Fort  Scott  where  'he  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  as  district  judge. 

W.  P,  Atkinson  came  to  Chetopa  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  1 87 1  and  early  in  1872  was  admit- 
ted to  our  bar.  He  Ijecame  a  partner  of  Mr. 
Crichton.  He  hail  a  good  deal  of  physical 
strength  and  endurance  but  a  very  limited  edu- 
cation and  scarcely  any  knowledge  of  the  law. 
In  a  year  or  two  he  returned  to  his  former  fields 
of  labor. 

Charles  H,  Kimball  had  been  admitted  to 


290 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


the  bar  in  the  state  of  New  York  before  coming 
west.  He  settled  in  Parsons  the  latter  part  of 
1872  and  a  few  months  thereafter  became  a 
partner  of  Mr.  Cory.  Later  the  firm  of  Kim- 
ball &  Ayres  was  formed ;  and  in  1879  the  firm 
of  Kimball  &  Osgood  was  started  and  still  con- 
tinues. Mr.  Kimball  came  to  Parsons  without 
means  and  has  acquired  quite  a  large  amount 
of  property.  He  has  always  been  recognized  as 
a  fine  trial  lawyer  and  able  attorney,  and  his 
services  have  been  in  demand  in  many  import- 
ant cases.  He  has  served  two  terms  in  the 
State  Senate. 

L.  C.  True  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  the  county  but  was  not  admitted  to  the  bar 
until  1872.  He  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the 
town  of  Jacksonville,  and  after  losing  confi- 
dence in  the  future  greatness  of  that  place  he 
removed  to  Chetopa.  On  being  elected  county 
attorney  he  moved  to  Oswego.  At  present  he 
is  in  Kan.sas  City,  Kansas.  Col.  True  was  a 
man  of  a  large  amount  of  native  ability  and 
made  of  himself  a  fairly  good  lawyer.  He 
was  a  forcible  speaker  and  had  good  success  in 
jury  trials. 

H.  \V.  Barnes  had  been  prominent  at  t'he 
bar  and  in  politics  before  leaving  ^^'isconsin. 
He  came  to  this  county  for  the  health  of  his 
family.  He  located  in  Oswego  early  in  1872 
and  soon  obtained  a  fair  practice.  He  was 
freer  tlian  some  in  expressing  his  conxictions 
a])i)ut  the  defects  in  our  laws  and  thereby 
awakened  some  antagonism.  He  was  at  one 
time  an  independent  candidate  for  district 
judge.  He  abandoned  the  ])ractice  before 
leaving  here.  He  was  a  hig'h  minded,  able 
lawyer.  For  several  years  before  his  death  he 
made  his  hunie  in  Ji)])lin,  iMissouri. 

F.  AI.  Smith  was  a  contestrait  for  legal 
business  at  Chetujia  for  several  years.  He  was 
jjcrsistent  in  striving  to  secure  the  end  sought. 


For  several  years  past  he  has  been  located  at 
Vinita. 

S.  J.  Stewart  was  not  a  resident  of  this 
county  for  a  great  length  of  time.  He  prac- 
ticed some  in  justice  court  at  Chetopa  and  was 
able  to  get  into  one  or  two  difficulties  with  Che- 
topa people. 

N.  M.  Purviance  came  to  Oswego  in  1872. 
He  had  the  most  peculiar  makeup  of  any  mem- 
ber of  the  bar.  At  times  it  would  seem  as 
though  he  had  no  ability  and  no  business;  at 
other  times  he  seemed  to  be  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  bar.  Whether  his  failure  at 
the  bar  finally  was  owing  to  his  peculiar  re- 
ligious belief,  and  his  adhesion  to  the  teaching 
that  spirits  indulged  in  overturning  tables  and 
engaged  in  silly  talk  through  the  medium  of 
silly  girls,  I  do  not  know ;  but  both  while  he 
resided  here  and  after  he  left  us  he  had  a  check- 
ered career. 

W.  P.  Talbot  became  a  resident  of  Parsons 
in  1873  and  at  times  was  quite  active  in  the 
practice ;  but  for  se\eral  years  past  he  has  prac- 
tically retired  from  active  practice.  At  one 
time  he  was  a  partner  of  Col.  Davis.  When 
Col.  True  was  county  attorney,  ISh.  Talbot  did 
good  service  as  his  assistant. 

H.  G.  Webb  again  entered  active  practice 
after  resigning  from  the  bench  in  1873.  He 
has  been  a  part  of  the  time  out  of  the  county, 
but  most  of  tlie  time  located  first  at  Oswego 
and  then  at  Parsons.  Although  somewhat  ad- 
vanced in  years  he  remains  one  of  the  leading 
lawyers  of  the  county. 

Of  a  number  of  parties  much  might  be  said 
in  many  respects,  but  as  members  of  the  bar 
their  history  need  not  be  extended.  H.  AI. 
Debolt  was  admitted  to  our  bar  in  1874,  hav- ' 
ing  theretofore  been  admitted  in  Missouri. 
\\'illiam  A.  Medaris  read  law  with  Col.  True 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  here  in  1874  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


in  a  year  or  two  thereafter  removed  from  the 
county.  I  understaml  he  has  since  attained  a 
good  standing  at  the  bar.  John  HambHn  read 
law  with  Nelson  Case  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1875.  He  soon  thereafter  went  to 
California.  W.  R.  Moore  was  a  valuable  citi- 
zen of  Montana  for  many  years.  He  read  law 
with  Mr.  ^Vaters  and  Col,  Davis,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1876.  He  afterwards 
moved  to  McCune.  William  Horsfall  came 
from  North  Carolina,  where  he  had  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
here  in  1877.  Soon  after  this  he  entered  the 
Episcopal  ministry.  A.  B.  Hammer  had  prac- 
ticed law  in  Illinois.  He  was  admitted  to  our 
bar  hi  1873  but  never  entered  upon  active  prac- 
tice here.  J  have  heard  he  has  been  a  practi- 
tioner in  the  territor)-  of  Oklahoma  for  several 
years.  A.  B.  Hacker  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  the  county  in  1879  but  he  never  had  any 
practice.  Thomas  H.  Bruner  was  admitted  in 
1880  on  certificate  of  admission  from  Indiana. 
He  never  had  any  business  in  our  courts.  Jo- 
seph A.  Gates  was  admitted  in  1873.  He  had 
some  practice  for  several  years  but  was  better 
known  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  than  as  a  prac- 
ticing attorney.  He  was  not  without  ability, 
but  he  did  not  seem  to  be  able  to  make  a 
lawyer.  Samuel  C.  Elliott  read  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  this  county,  but  he  at 
once  went  to  Independence  and  engaged  in 
practice;  there  he  made  a  fine  record  until  in- 
sanity compelled  his  confinement  in  the  asylum. 
A.  G.  Drake  lias  been  an  h(jnored  citizen  of 
Chetopa  for  many  years.  He  was  admitted 
to  our  bar  in  1876,  but  never  engaged  in  ac- 
tive practice.  He  is  an  efficient  office  man. 
L.  F.  Fisher  came  to  Chetopa  in  the  spring 
of  1869,  but  did  not  remain  long  enoug-'h  to- 
develop  the  ability  he  had  nor  to  make  any 
reputation  as  a  lawyer.    George  W.  Hendricks 


came  from  Illinois  and  settled  at  Labette  and 
afterwards  removed  to  Oswego.  He  has  done 
some  practice,  but  has  given  most  of  his  at- 
tention to  the  duties  of  justice  of  the  peace; 
he  has  served  several  terms  in  that  position 
and  has  become  an  adept.  Ira  F.  Adams,  of 
Parsons,  has  not  entered  t'he  general  practice, 
but  has  done  legal  and  clerical  work  in  a  loan 
office  for  a  number  of  years.  S.  E.  Ball,  of 
Howard  township,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1878,  but  never  did  any  legal  business  in  this 
county.  Alvah  Shick,  of  Mound  Valley,  was 
getting  quite  a  nice  local  business  when  he 
died.  C.  A.  Wilkin  came  here  when  a  boy,, 
read  law  with  Mr.  Kelso,  and  ^-as  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1875.  Abandoning  t'he  active 
practice  of  the  law,  he  has  for  many  years, 
been  engaged  in  the  more  lucrati\e  business 
of  abstracting  and  he  is  considered  an  authority 
on  matters  in  that  line.  Ira  C.  Mitchell  re- 
sided in  Oswego  but  a  few  months,  but  was 
here  long  enough  to  convince  the  profession 
that  his  abilities  were  sufficient,  were  he  to  use 
them,  to  make  him  an  ornament  tri  the  bar. 
But  he  was  so  addicted  to  drink  that  no  (jne 
was  sure  that  he  would  be  in  condition  to  at- 
tend to  business  when  needed,  and  all  confi- 
dence in  his  professional  success  soon  vanished. 
He  was  admitted  to  our  bar  in  1876,  and  was 
for  some  time  a  partner  of  Col.  Davis. 

J.  E.  Brvan  liad  a  varied  experience  in 
Kansas.  He  preached  at  Chetopa  before  the 
Civil  war,  was  pastor  of  the  Methodist  church 
in  Oswego  in  1871,  afterwards  read  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Allen  county,  was 
a  county  officer  there,  returned  to  Labette 
county  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1878, 
settling  first  at  Cheto])a  and  afterwards  at  Os- 
wego, and  went  from  here  to  Arkansas  in 
i88v  While  here,  in  addition  to  practicing 
law  he  edited  the  Oswego  Independent.     'Sir. 


292 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Bryan  was  a  man  of  a  great  deal  of  ability  and 
succeeded  fairly  well  in  whatever  he  under- 
took; had  he  confined  his  energfies  to  a  nar- 
rower field  he  would  have  attained  a  higher 
standing  in  either  calling  chosen. 

Jesse  Brockway  read  law  with  Mr.  Bettis 
and  was  admitted  to  our  bar  in  1875.  His 
home  was  in  Oswego  from  the  time  he  came 
here  in  1874  till  he  left  the  county  in  1889. 
There  have  been  very  few  members  of  this  bar 
who  had  better  natural  abilities  or  whose  pros- 
pect of  success  in  the  profession  was  better 
than  that  of  Mr.  Brockway  when  he  started  in 
business.  Naturally  he  was  a  lawyer.  But 
drink  and  other  bad  habits  undermined  his 
character  and  blighted  a  career  which  might 
have  been  brilliant. 

A.  A.  Osgood  settled  in  Parsons  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1877.  Since  1879  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Kimball  & 
Osgood,  and  has  been,  to  a  large  extent,  the 
office  member  of  the  firm.  He  has  had  fine 
success  as  a  collector  and  is  well  adapted  to 
looking  after  the  details  of  legal  work.  Mr. 
Osgood  has  always  maintained  a  good  stand- 
ing at  the  bar  and  has  the  confidence  of  a 
large  circle  of  acquaintances.  On  Mr.  Cory's 
death,  Mr.  Osgood  was  appointed  to  fill  out 
his  term  as  county  attorney. 

J.  W.  Marley  was  admitted  to  our  bar  in 
1878,  but  he  never  entered  on  the  active  prac- 
tice of  law.  Upon  settling  in  Oswego  he  com- 
menced loaning  money  and  soon  thereafter,  in 
connection  with  others,  opened  a  bank,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  in  the  banking  busi- 
ness. 

George  S.  King  was  a  fine  type  of  the  old- 
fashioned  southern  gentleman.  He  was  orig- 
inally from  Maryland  and  never  lost  the  char- 
acteristics which  he  inherited  or  acquired  in 
his  early  years.     He  came  to  this  county  in 


1877,  but  did  not  become  a  member  of  our  bar 
until  1879.  ^t  first  'he  lived  on  a  farm  a  few 
miles  from  Chetopa,  but  when  he  determined 
to  practice  his  profession  he  moved  to  Oswego. 
.He  was  an  editor  as  well  as  a  lawyer  and, 
perhaps,  he  was  even  better  suited  to  writing 
than  to  practicing  law.  He  enjoyed  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  He 
served  one  term  as  county  attorney  and  a  part 
of  a  term  as  count)^  auditor. 

George  F.  King  was  a  son  of  George  S. 
King.  He  was  much  more  brilliant  than  liis 
father,  but  lacked  the  latter's  fine  moral  sensi- 
bilities and  recognition  of  the  requirements 
of  a  successful  practitioner.  He  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  a  few  years  after  the  family  came 
to  this  county.  He  contracted  the  habit  of 
drink  and  this,  together  with  the  use  of  mor- 
phine, soon  ended  a  career  that  his  friends  had 
fondl}^  hoped  and  expected  would  be  useful  and 
brilliant. 

\V.  F.  Schoch  taught  school  several  years 
before  his  admission  to  the  bar.  He  started 
in  the  practice  at  Mound  Valley  but  soon  set- 
tled in  Oswego,  where  he  built  up  an  excellent 
practice.  He  was  also  an  active  politician  and 
did  a  great  deal  of  campaign  work.  A  few- 
years  ago  he  moved  to  Topeka  and  has  got 
a  good  start  in  business  in  that  city. 

F.  H.  Foster  has  lived  in  Parsons  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  has  done  a  good  deal  of  prac- 
tice, although  he  has  always  been  engaged  in 
loaning  money  or  attending  to  some  other  busi- 
ness in  addition  to  the  practice  of  law.  He 
is  now  cashier  of  the  State  Bank.  He  is  very 
careful  as  a  lawyer  and  usually  is  found  to 
be  in  the  right  in  his  judgment. 

J.  \V.  Iden  was  a  successful  school  teacher 
before  commencing  the  practice  of  law.  Hav- 
ing resided  in  Parsons  for  so  many  years,  the 
people  know  him  and  entrust  to  his  care  many 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


matters  requiring  attention.  As  an  active 
practitioner  he  has  been  for  some  time  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Webb  &  Iden. 

A.  R.  Bell  has  lived  in  Chetopa  during-  the 
time  he  has  been  practicing  law.  He  has  been 
attentive  to  business,  studious,  obliging  and 
has  built  up  a  nice  practice. 

F.  H.  Atchinson  read  law  with  Nelson  Case 
and  lived  in  Oswego  most  of  the  time  while 
engaged  in  the  practice.  He  left  Oswego  and 
went  to  Galveston,  Texas,  where  he  spent  a  few 
weeks,  but  not  finding  the  prospect  for  practice 
all  he  could  desire  be  returned  to  Kansas  and 
went  into  the  mercantile  business  in  Colum- 
bus. As  a  lawyer  he  was  a  fighter  from  the 
start;  his  plan  was  to  contest  every  inch  of 
ground  from  the  time  the  first  pleading  was 
filed.  On  the  death  of  J.  R.  Hill.  Mr.  Atchin- 
son was  appointed  to  fill  out  his  term  as  county 
attorney. 

Joseph  R.  Hill  when  a  boy  came  with  his 
father  to  this  county  and  grew  up  on  a  farm 
between  Oswego  and  Chetopa.  He  read  law 
with  Case  &  Glasse  and  after  his  admission 
to  the  bar  went  into  partnership  with  F.  H. 
Atchinson.  He  was  soon  elected  county  at- 
torney and  died  before  the  expiration  of  his 
term. 

M.  E.  Williams  has  lived  near  and  in  Os- 
wego from  the  time  when  lie  was  a  small  boy. 
He  has  been  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing a  good  portion  of  the  time  since  attaining 
manhood.  He  read  law  with  Mr.  Brockway 
and  for  some  ten  years  past  has  been  actively 
engaged  in  its  practice.  He  is  known  as  a 
careful  practitioner  and  earnestly  contends  for 
every  point  he  thinks  can  be  raised  in  his  cli- 
ent's interest. 

Stanton  J.  Mattox  acquired  a  large  part 
of  his  education  on  a  farm  in  Fairview  town- 
ship.    Since  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  has 


resided  in  Oswego  and  has  vigorously  prose- 
cuted or  defended  the  suits  that  have  been  en- 
trusted to  him. 

Arthur  F.  Cranston,  of  Parsons,  is  care- 
fully looking  after  business  and  is  building  up 
a  nice  practice. 

E.  O.  Ellis  has  resided  in  Parsons  several 
years  and  every  one  has  confidence  in  him. 
He  ought  to  command  an  extensive  business  in 
the  near  future. 

T.  J.  Flannelly  was  connected  with  a  law 
firm  in  Kansas  City  before  entering  on  the 
practice  in  this  county.  He  has  been  located 
at  Chetopa  for  three  or  four  years.  On  Jan- 
uary I,  1 90 1,  he  went  in  partnership  with  Nel- 
son Case,  at  Oswego,  but  the  firm  of  Case  & 
Flannelly  was  soon  dissolved  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  latter  to  the  bench. 

F.  F.  Lamb  has  gained  a  good  start  for  a 
large  practice.  He  is  vigilant  in  pushing  mat- 
ters entrusted  to  his  care.  Having  resided  in 
Parsons  from  the  time  the  town  was  started, 
he  is  acquainted  with  every  one  and  as  a  con- 
sequence has  an  advantage  over  a  new  comer. 

George  Campbell  has  had  many  years  of 
experience  more  or  less  connected  with  legal 
matters,  although  he  'has  been  a  member  of  the 
I  bar  but  a  few  years.  He  formerly  resided  at 
Mound  Valley,  but  for  several  years  past  has 
lived  in  Oswego.  He  has  been  a  constant 
mixer  in  politics  and  has  served  a  term  in  the 
State  Senate. 

O.  M.  McPherson  was  admitted  to  the  bar, 
settled  in  Oswego  and  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  the  law  after  a  successful  experience  as 
superintendent  of  city  schools  in  Parsons.  He 
soon  obtained  a  government  appointment  and 
for  a  number  of  years  'has  resided  in  Wash- 
ington, where  he  is  said  to  be  commanding  a 
verv  desirable  position. 

A.  H.  Tyler  spent  many  years  in  the  prac- 


294 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


tice  at  Parsons.  He  was  always  actively  en- 
gaged in  politics  and  held  many  local  official 
positions.  Two  or  three  years  ago  he  left  our 
county  and  settled  in  Wichita. 

I.  D.  Highleyman  has  been  an  active  pol- 
itician and  business  man  of  Chetopa,  and  as 
a  pastime  he  has  occasionally  indulged  in  the 
practice  of  the  law. 

Henry  L.  AlcCune  came  to  Oswego  in 
1886,  just  after  the  completion  of  his  law 
studies.  He  became  a  partner  of  J.  H.  Mor- 
rison. After  practicing  here  a  few  years  he 
removed  to  Kansas  City. 

A.  B.  Switzer  served  a  term  as  county  at- 
torney, but  no  one  was  able  to  discover  win- 
he  was  elected  or  what  qualifications  he  pos- 
sessed to  practice  law.  His  home  was  in  Par- 
sons and  when  his  term  as  C(.)unty  attorney  ex- 
pired he  left  the  county. 

T.  C.  Sears  came  to  Parsons  as  the  general 
attorney  for  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  Co..  and  rep- 
resented the  road  for  se\-eral  }-ears.  He  never 
engaged  in  general  practice  in  this  county.  He 
had  good  ability,  but  as  a  practitioner  was  no 
better  than  the  average  lawyer. 

John  Thompson  was  a  young  attorney  who 
came  to  Chetopa  in  r886  and  died  within  a 
year  thereafter.  He  was  a  promising  young 
man,  who  might  have  made  a  good  record  had 
h.is  life  been  spared. 

.\rthur  Crunf<H-th  sjient  a  few  minitlis  in 
Chetnpa  in  1887.  Me  was  a  partner  nf  A.  ( i. 
Drake.  In  the  short  time  he  was  here  he  made 
no  lasting  impression. 

J.  J.  AIcFeely  graduated  from  the  position 
of  justice  of  the  peace  of  the  city  of  Parsons 
into  a  member  of  the  bar  of  this  county.  His 
idea  seemed  to  be  that  'r.e  was  cut  out  for  a 
public  officer,  and,  1  ba\e  heard,  was  success- 


ful in  securing  an  official  position  after  going 
to  Colorado, 

Leroy  Xeale  came  to  Chetopa  in  1870. 
Perhaps  he  had  the  largest  collection  business 
of  any  one  in  the  county.  He  had  a  very  good 
Inisiness  along  several  lines,  including  commer- 
cial and  corporation  law.  He  seldom  appeared 
in  court,  but  one  could  scarcely  travel  any- 
where on  the  cars  without  somewhere  running 
across  him  loc^king  after  some  feature  of  his 
business. 

A.  D.  Xeale,  son  of  Leroy  Xeale,  grew  up 
in  Chetopa,  was  associated  with  his  father  in 
his  life  time,  and  took  the  business  of  the  firm 
after  his  father's  death.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1889,  since  which  time  he  has  com- 
manded a  large  share  of  the  practice  from 
Chetopa. 

John  H.  Morrison  came  to  Oswego  from 
Illinois  and  at  once  entered  on  a  successful 
practice.  It  was  his  good  fortune  to  be  able 
to  pass  for  his  full  worth.  He  was  possessed 
of  popular  traits  and  made  and  held  many 
friends.  Sex'eral  other  members  of  the  liar 
were  lietter  lawyers,  but  few  of  them  would 
pass  for  such  with  the  public.  He  served  a 
term  in  the  Legislature  and  a  term  as  county 
attorney.  He  was  not  always  bis  own  friend. 
His  career  ended  while  he  was  comparatively  a 
young  man. 

J.  F.  McDonald,  of  Parsons,  was  more 
notorious  than  ]jro found.  Xo  one  could  con- 
\-ince  him  that  he  was  not  a  great  lawyer,  but 
his  clients  found  he  could  get  them  in  trouble 
more  rapidly  than  he  could  get  them  out.  Flis 
theme  of  discussion  was  his  ability  to  down 
the  corporations ;  howe\-er,  most  of  them  still 
survive. 

M.  B\-rne  stutlied  law  in  iail  and  after  be- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


295 


ing  released  spent  several  years  at  the  bar, 
'having  quite  a  good  line  of  business.  Deem- 
ing the  opportunities  for  the  full  use  of  his 
faculties  here  inadequate,  he  left  the  county 
and  went  to  New  York  City. 

E.  L.  Burton  studieil  law  in  Cherokee 
county.  On  starting  in  business  in  Oswego  he 
showeil  a  willingness  to  attend  to  the  most 
trivial  matters  and  by  this  means  was  not  long- 
in  working  into  a  very  fair  business,  and  for 
several  years  past  he  has  had  a  good  line  of 
practice.  He  has  been  active  in  politics  and  has 
before  him  a  fine  prospect  of  political  prefer- 
ment. 

E.  C.  Clark  was  admitted  to  the  bar  before 
entering  on  his  duties  as  clerk  of  the  district 
court.  After  completing  his  term  as  clerk  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  E.  L.  Burton.  He 
has  found  the  experience  he  acquired  in  the 
clerk's  office  very  useful  to  him  in  his  practice. 
Burton  &  Clark  is  one  of  the  substantial  law 
firms  of  the  county. 

T.  N.  Sedgwick  is  one  of  the  old  mem- 
bers of  the  Kansas  bar,  but  he  has  not  been  in 
this  county  many  years.  He  came  from  Em- 
poria to  Parsons  to  take  charge  of  the  legal 
department  of  the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  Co.  As 
general  attorney  of  that  corporation  he  has 
made  a  fine  record  as  a  corporation  lawyer. 
He  insists  on  his  company  being  law  abiding 
and  will  scarcely  ever  allow  it  to  settle  a  liti- 
gated claim  until  he  is  satisfied  of  its  legality 
by  the  decision  of  a  court  of  last  resort.  He 
will  probably  be  retained  in  the  service  of  the 
company  as  long  as  he  remains  in  the  prac- 
tice. 

C.  W.  Butterworth  was  raised  in  this  coun- 
ty, but  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  spent  sev- 
eral years  in  practice  away  from  here.  Recent- 
ly he  has  returned  to  this  county  and  intends 
doing  some  practice  here. 


W.  D.  Atkinson  has  for  years  been  attor- 
ney for  the  Parsons  Commercial  Bank,  has 
ser\-e(l  a  term  or  more  as  city  attorney  of  Par- 
sons, and  has  had  a  general  practice.  He  is 
a  careful  and  competent  attorney  and  has  been 
\-ery  successful  in  handling  his  business. 

Soon  after  Fanny  Cooper  was  admitted  to 
the  bar,  she  formed  a  partnership  with  W. 
D.  Atkinson,  which  had  other  purposes  than 
the  practice  of  the  law.  No  one  looks  for  a 
dissolution  of  this  firm  till  the  death  of  one 
of  the  parties. 

Among  the  young  lawyers  who  have  been 
admitted  to  the  bar  somewhat  recently  are 
those  whom  I  will  now  name.  Some  of  them 
have  already  obtained  a  good  start  in  the  prac- 
tice, while  others  have  most  yet  to  gain. 

C.  E.  Kennedy  has  lived  in  Parsons  from 
boyhood,  has  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances 
and  may  expect  a  remunerative  practice.  M. 
P.  Gillin,  D.  N.  Matthews,  J.  D.  Peters.  Will- 
ard  Reynolds,  A.  H.  Noyes.  C.  L.  McGuire 
are  Parsons  lawyers  who  have  a  fair  chance 
to  make  their  way  at  the  bar.  W.  A.  Discli 
has  been  acquiring  valuable  information  as 
deputy  in  the  office  of  the  sheriff  and  the  dis- 
trict clerk.  Walter  Von  Trebra.  of  Chetopa, 
has  a  promising  future.  Harry  G.  Davis 
studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  after 
coming  home  from  the  Cuban  war.  He  has 
located  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas.  James  R. 
Scott  for  some  time  assisted  Mr.  Sedgwick  in 
railroad  legal  business.  VV.  J.  Gillette  has 
given  more  attention  to  politics  and  medicine 
than  to  law.  Rollin  P.  Norton  did  no  business 
at  this  bar  after  his  admission,  and  the  same  may- 
be said  of  Ike  D.  Nearhart.  Preston  S.  Davis 
has  located  at  Vinita.  H.  H.  Claiborne  while 
editing  the  Tiiiics-Staicsnian  was  admitted  to 
the  bar,  but  with  no  expectation  of  entering 
the  practice  here.     Henry  C.  Long  read  law 


296 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


with  Case  &  Glasse  and  was  admitted  to  tlie 
bar  after  completing  his  work  as  superintend- 
ent of  the  Osweg^o  cit}'  schools.  He  then  moved 
to  Leavenworth  and  commenced  practice. 

Brady:  Four  of  this  family  have  become 
members  of  the  bar  within  a  few  years.  F. 
M.  Brady  has  served  two  terms  as  county  at- 
torney and  is  now  engaged  in  general  prac- 
tice. T.  M.  Brady  has  located  at  Parsons; 
E.  H.  Brady  at  Chetopa;  and  May  R.  Brady 
is  in  the  ofifice  with  her  brother  Frank  at  Os- 
wego. Each  is  recognized  as  having  good 
legal  ability. 

E.  B.  ^klorgan  had  never  done  any  practice 
till  he  came  to  Oswego.  He  has  made  a  nice 
start  in  business  since  coming  here  and  has 
ably  filled  the  office  of  city  attorney  one  term. 

Henry  A.  Lamb  entered  the  army  soon 
after  his  admission  to  the  bar  and  died  in 
the  service. 


Jesse  Richcreek  did  a  little  business  in  our 
court,  but  before  gaining  any  standing  he 
went  west.  George  Bettis  was  elected  city  at- 
torney of  Oswego,  but  left  the  county  before 
completing  his  term.  W.  H.  Edmundson  read 
law  with  Nelson  Case.  He  spent  a  year  or 
two  practicing  in  the  Territory.  He  now  re- 
sides in  Oswego,  but  is  not  in  the  practice.  W. 
S.  Hyatt  had  never  had  any  practice  to  speak 
of  at  the  bar  when  he  was  elected  county  at- 
torney. He  enters  with  zeal  on  the  discharge 
of  his  official  duties.  Catherine  Swope  was 
one  of  the  first  teachers  in  the  county  high 
school ;  while  there  she  arranged  for  a  life 
partnership  with  \\'.  S.  Hyatt,  and  the  two 
pursued  their  leg-al  studies  together.  Cath- 
erine Hyatt  became  her  husband's  assistant 
when  he  entered  on  the  discharge  of  his  duties 
as  county  attorney. 


RELIGIOUS  ORGANIZATIONS 


THE  AMERICAN  BIBLE  SOCIETY. 

On  January  ii,  1869,  a  call  signed  by 
about  20  prominent  citizens  of  Chetopa  and 
Oswego  was  furnished  for  publication  in  the 
Advance  and  Register,  for  a  meeting  to  be 
held  on  January  21st,  for  the  purpose  of  or- 
ganizing a  Bible  society.  At  that  time  quite 
a  large  number  of  the  citizens  of  the  county 
met  at  the  office  of  Dr.  W.  S.  Newlon,  in  Os- 
wego, and  adopted  a  constitution,  and  elected 
the  following  permanent  officers  of  the  society  : 
Rev.  T.  H.  Canfield,  president;  J.  L.  Taft. 
vice-president;  VV.  M.  Johnson,  secretary;  Dr. 
C.  M.  Gilky.  treasurer;  and  also  a  board  of  five 
directors.  Adjourned  to  meet  in  Chetopa,  on 
February  7th  following. 

At  this  time  a  meeting  was  held  in  Spauld- 
ing's  Hall,  at  3  o'clock  p.  m.,  at  which  a  large 
congregation  gathered.  Addresses  were  made 
by  Rev.  T.  H.  Canfield,  Rev.  C.  R.  Rice,  and 
others.  A  subscription  of  something  over  $40 
for  the  benefit  of  the  society  was  taken  up. 
This  was  the  commencement  of  an  organiza- 
tion which  was  kept  up  for  a  number  of  years, 
holding  its  meetings  somewhat  frecjuently.  and 
doing  very  much  toward  furnishing  the  new 
communities  with  Bibles.  After  a  few  years, 
when  the  growth  of  several  of  the  towns  of 
the  county  had  been  such  that  each  felt  the 
need  of  separate  organizations,  the  county  so- 
ciety was  discontinued,  and  city  organizations 
were  formed. 


Y.  M.  C.  A. 


OSWEGO    ASS0CI.A.TI0N. 


The  following  account  of  the  organization 
of  the  Oswego  Young  Alen's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation is  taken  from  an  address  by  Ered  C. 
Wheeler,  delivered  at  the  second  anniversary 
of  the  organization  of  the  association : 

"On  Satunla}-  evening.  December  8,  1883. 
in  response  to  in\-itatiLins  that  morning  re- 
ceived through  the  jxtstoffice  from  him,  there 
were  gathered  at  the  home  of  Nelson  Case,  in 
Oswego,  Rev.  John  Elliott,  Rev.  H.  McBir- 
ney,  Fred  Lee,  Chas.  Carpenter,  J\I.  Chidester, 
M.  E.  Diehl,  Thos.  O'Halloran,  W.  F.  Thorne. 
and  F.  C.  Wheeler.  Mr.  Case  made  a  state- 
ment showing  the  need  of  such  an  organiza- 
tion especiall}-  adapted  to  reach  young  men. 
and  proposed  the  organization  of  a  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  All  present  con- 
curred in  the  views  expressed,  and  a  commit- 
tee was  appointed  to  consider  and  report  at 
same  place  on  December  12,  to  which  time  we 
adjourned. 

"On  December  12  Harry  and  \\"\\\  Mitchell, 
Will  Skilling,  Chas.  Carpenter,  Rev.  H.  Mc- 
Birney,  Thos.  O'Halloran,  Mr.  Case,  and  F. 
C.  Wheeler  met  as  per  adjournment.  A  draft 
of  a  constitution  was  presented,  and  the  mat- 
ter of  organization  was  definitely  decided  on. 
It  was  voted  to  adjourn  to  meet  at  the  M. 
E.  church,  on  Tuesday  evening.  January  i, 
1884,  to  complete  the  organization.     On  tiie 


298 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


evening  of  that  date  some  six  or  eight  met  at 
the  appointed  place,  adopted  the  uniform  con- 
stitution pro\-ided  by  the  national  association, 
and  organized  by  electing  Nelson  Case,  pres- 
ident :  F.  C.  Wheeler,  vice-president :  Chas. 
Carpenter,  secretary,  and  Harry  Mitchell, 
treasurer.  The  necessary  committees  were  also 
appointed." 

During  its  earlier  years  tlie  association  did 
more  aggressive  work,  perhaj^s.  than  it  per- 
formed at  a  later  period.  A  Bible-training 
class  was  maintained  for  two  or  tliree  years, 
and  did  very  efficient  work.  The  young  men 
for  some  time  had  a  literarv  organ'zation  con- 
nected with  the  association.  A  boys'  branch 
was  (irganized  at  the  opening  of  the  second 
year  of  the  work,  and  in  that  alone  enough 
work  was  done  to  iustify  the  organization 
of  the  association.  Some  years  ago  an  outfit 
was  purchased  for  a  gymnasium,  and  a  room 
was  kept  open  during  the  subsecfuent  life  of  the 
association.  A  salaried  general  secretary  was 
employed  a  few  months  at  one  time,  but  with 
that  exception  the  work  was  done  entirely  by 
the  home  members.  For  a  number  of  years 
the  association  was  somewhat  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  Library  Association.  Since 
its  organization  it  had  the  following  presidents 
land  secretaries:  1884-85 — president.  Nelson 
Case:  secretary,  Charles  T.  Carpenter.  1886 — 
Charles  T.  Carpenter,  president;  Howard  Mer- 
riam.  secretary.  1887 — Howard  Merriam  and 
\V.  F.  Thorne,  presidents:  F.  G.  Mitchell,  sec- 
retary; 1888-89 — Nelson  Case,  president:  W, 
G.  Mitchell  and  W.  A.  Bibbitt.  secretaries. 
1890— A.  B.  Kegg,  president:  Ed.  M.  Bald- 
win, secretary.  1891 —  W.  W.  Flora,  president; 
FI.  H.  Beard,  secretary.  1892 — W.  W.  Flora, 
president :  Fred  W.  Beymer  and  W.  B.  Covalt, 
secretaries.  1893-94  —  Dr.  K.  P.  Ashley, 
president. 


Those  who  had  been  principally  interested 
in  the  work,  and  (mi  whom  the  resixjnsibility 
of  carrying  it  on  largely  rested,  found  it  more 
of  a  burden  than  they  thought  should  be  borne 
for  the  results  that  the  association  was  at  the 
time  accomplishing.  Some  of  the  work,  wdiich 
it  had  originally  done,  could  now  be  performed 
through  the  young  people's  societies  of  the 
various  churches.  It  was  decided  to  dissolve 
the  association  earlv  in   1895. 

PARSONS  .\.SSOCIATION. 

The  Parsons  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  organized 
December  5.  1885,  with  C.  F.  Hodgman,  pres- 
ident; Cyrus  G.  Emerson,  vice-president;  W. 
H.  Martin  and  Thomas  Clark,  secretaries ;  and 
F.  H.  Foster,  treasurer.  The  following  year 
it  was  incorporated,  and  the  following  officers 
elected  :  M.  E.  Crowell.  president :  E.  C.  Read, 
vice-president:  A.  H.  Whitmarsh,  secretary: 
and  F.  H.  Foster,  treasurer.  A  ladies"  auxil- 
iary was  organized  earlv  in  the  history  of  the 
association,  and  rendered  valuable  aid  in  fur- 
nishing rooms  and  giving  entertainments.  The 
most  of  the  time  during  its  life,  the  association 
maintained  a  paid  general  secretary.  The  fol- 
lowing persons  served  in  that  capacity;  Chas. 
L.  Helmick  was  the  first,  and  served  from  Au- 
gust. 1887.  to  February,  1889:  James  R.  Smith 
succeeded  him,  and  served  to  July.  1889:  T. 
R.  Breese,  B.  C.  McOuestion.  J.  VV.  Shingley, 
W.  Russell  aufl  Hopper  since  then  suc- 
cessively held  tlie  office.  A  reading-room, 
bath-rooms,  as  well  as  reception  and  parlor- 
rooms,  were  provided,  and  much  good  work 
was  accomplished. 

Perhaps  about  the  same  account  might  be 
gi\'en  of  the  efforts  at  maintaining  an  associa- 
tion in  Parsons,  as  has  already  been  given  of 
the  Oswego  association.   On  account    of    the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


299 


large  number  of  railroad  men  in  Parsons,  the 
needs  of  an  association  at  that  point  were 
more  apparent  than  at  any  other  place  in  the 
county.  But  the  expense  <if  maintaining  it 
was  greater  than  the  receipts  would  cover,  and 
a  debt  was  the  result.  The  dissolution  of  the 
association  followed  almost  as  a  matter  of 
course.  Charles  Husband  was  the  general  sec- 
retary for  some  time  before  the  association 
disbanded. 

CHETOP.\  .\SSOCI.\TION. 

During  the  month  of  August,  1886,  steps 
were  taken  looking  toward  the  formation  of 
an  association  at  Chetopa,  and  on  September 
20,  1886.  a  number  of  the  members  of  the  Os- 
wego and  Parsons  associations  visited  Chetopa 
and  assisted  in  the  formation  of  this  organiza- 
tion. .A.t  that  time  the  following  officers  were 
elected :  President,  W.  A.  Shanklin ;  vice- 
president,  W.  H.  Pinkerton ;  secretary,  George 
Campbell ;  treasurer,  T.  O.  Breckenridge.  For 
a  few  months  in  1889  John  G.  Lear  was  em- 
ployed as  general  secretary  for  this  and  the 
Oswego  association,  giving-  about  half  of  his 
time  to  each.  This  is  the  only  time  that  a 
salaried  officer  was  employed.  W.  S.  Henry 
was  president  the  second  year  of  the  organiza- 
tion and  F.  M.  Smith  the  third  year;  J.  P. 
Slaughter  was  the  second  secretary,  and  was 
succeeded  by  H.  F.  Stewart.  The  association 
a  part  of  the  time  kept  open  a  reading-room 
and  conducted  various  lines  of  meetings.  The 
association  at  this  place  ceased  work  even 
earlier  than  did  those  at  Oswcp'o  and  Parsons. 

Y.  W.  C.  A. 

On  January  2,  1886,  at  the  Methodist 
church  in  Oswego,  an  organization  of  this  asso- 
ciation was  effected.     It  kept  up  its  work  about 


five  years,  and  then  for  some  time  its  members 
continued  in  an  unofficial  way  to  keep  up  the 
work.  The  association  has  ne\er  lieen  reor- 
ganized. A  training-class  and  a  Bible  class 
were  conducted  by  it  for  several  }'ears ;  also 
a  girls'  Bible  class.  The  association  had  the 
following  presidents :  Mrs.  Allenette  Cook, 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Case,  Miss  Sarah  Crane,  Miss 
Blanche  Case  and  Miss  Eunice  Crane. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

In  giving  an  account  of  the  work  of  the 
Sunday-schools  of  the  county  I  separate  it  from 
the  account  of  other  church  work,  not  because 
I  consider  them  a  separate  institution  from  the 
church,  properly  speaking,  but  because,  espe- 
cially in  the  early  work  in  the  county,  there 
were  manv  union  schools,  connected  with  no 
church  in  particular,  and  also  because  the 
Sunday-school  work  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant andi  best  developed  departments  of 
church  work,  and  is  entitled  to  special  men- 
tion as  such. 

T  will  first  give  an  account  of  the  schools 
which  have  been  at  least  a  part  of  the  time 
classed  as  union  ( although  some  of  them  might 
properly  be  spoken  of  as  denominational),  and 
will  then  mention  the  denominational  schools, 
connecting  those  of  each  denomination  wher- 
ever situated  in  the  county,  instead  of  classify- 
ing by  localities.  No  one  can  realize  more 
than  I  do  the  imperfect  history  which  I  here 
present  of  these  schools,  but  all  the  information 
is  given  which  I  have  been  able  to  gather.  It 
is  regretted  that  ])arties  who  might  have  fur- 
nished more  definite  information  have  failed  to 
do  so.  One  reason  why  this  information  is 
not  accessible  and  has  not  been  furnished,  is 
that  in  many  instances  no  record  whatever  has 
been  kept  of  the  school   w^ork,  and  in  many 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


other  cases  records  that  were  kept  at  the  time 
have  l:)een  misplaced  or  lost.  Some  of  this 
information  has  been  furnished  me  from  peo- 
ple's memory,  and  of  course  contains  more  or 
less  errors,  but  in  the  main,  so  far  as  it  goes. 
I  think  it  is  as  reliable  as  could  be  expected. 
All  the  data  that  is  given  respecting  union 
schools  has  reference  to  their  work  prior 
to  1893,  for  no  facts  have  been  furnished  re- 
garding what  they  have  done  since  that  date. 
From  what  is  here  set  forth  in  succeeding 
pages,  some  one  may  be  able  to  construct  a 
more  perfect  account  of  this  important  de- 
partment of  work. 

UXIOX  SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

CHETOP.\. 

The  first  Sunday-school  in  the  county  was 
organized  by  the  early  settlers  at  Chetopa.  be- 
fore the  war.  In  a  letter  referring  to  these 
early  times  Dr.  Lisle  says:  "Mr.  Bryan  or- 
ganized a  Sunday-school  sometime  in  1858, 
which  was  kept  up  most  of  the  time  until  the 
Rebellion."  The  Mr.  Bryan  here  referred  to 
is  Rev.  J.  E.  Bryan,  then  a  minister  of  the  M. 
E.  church  South,  in  charge  of  the  work  of 
the  circuit  including  Chetopa,  and  in  1871 
pastor  of  the  M.  E.  church  of  Oswego,  and 
still  more  recently  a  practicing  attorney  in  this 
county.  This  Sundaj-school  was  held  in  the 
school-house,  an  account  of  the  building  of 
which  is  given  in  a  preceding  chapter  devoted 
to  educational  work  in  the  county.  1 

After  Chetopa  began  to  resettle  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  the  first  Sunday-school  to  be  or- 
ganized was  in  the  summer  of  1867,  in  a  small 
frame  building  standing  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  First  and  Maple  streets,  sometimes  called 
the  "Cabinet  Shop,"  but  more  generally  desig- 


nated "Bachelors'  Hall."  G.  H.  Hard  was  the 
superintendent  of  this  school.  Later,  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  holding  the  school  in  the 
Ephraim  Doudna  store  building.  The  school 
was  closed  during  the  winter,  and  opened  in  the 
spring  of  1868.  James  H.  Crichton,  Sr.,  fa- 
ther of  the  attorney  who  has  lived  there  so 
long,  spent  a  part  of  the  summers  of  1867  and 

1868  at  Chetopa,  and  assisted  in  superintend- 
ing the  school.  The  first  Sunday  in  Septem- 
ber, 1868,  the  school  having  previously  been 
very  poorly  classified  and  organized,  a  reor- 
ganization was  had,  and  Edward  Johnson  was 
elected  superintendent;  F.  H.  Mendenhall,  as- 
sistant; and  D.  J.  Doolen,  secretary.     Early  in 

1869  J.  M.  Cavaness  was  elected  superintend- 
ent, and  continued  to  serve  until  the  organi- 
zation of  the  denominational  schools,  in  1870. 


The  first  Sunday-school  in  Parsons  was  or- 
ganized in  April,  1871,  by  the  joint  efiforts 
of  Rev.  G.  W.  Pye  and  Rev.  H.  H.  Cambern. 
It  was  started  and  for  some  time  maintained 
as  a  union  school.  It  had  a  hard  time  to  main- 
tain an  existence.  With  no  permanent  place  of 
meeting,  driven  from  vacant  stoi-e  buildings, 
offices  and  shops,  as  they  were  needed  for  other 
pur))oses,  it  finally  found  a  somewhat  perma- 
nent and  comfortable  home  in  Gary's  Hall.  T. 
C.  Cory  was  its  first  superintendent.  After  a 
few  months  of  service  he  resigned,  and  J.  E. 
Wilkes  succeeded  him.  In  January,  1872,  E. 
B.  Stevens  was  elected  superintendent:  M.  G. 
Brown  was  elected  in  1873,  and  M.  \\allace  in 
1874.  During  a  part  of  this  time  some  schools 
which  had  started  as  denominational  schools 
were  merged  with  the  union.  On  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  denominational  schools  this  school 
ceased. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


301 


The  Sunday-school  work  in  Oswego  dates 
from  the  early  spring  of  1867,  when  a  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  in  the  log  cabin  owned 
and  then  occupied  by  Dr.  J.  F.  Newlon.  It 
stood  at  the  northeast  corner  of  block  26,  just 
south  of  where  he  afterwards  made  his  home. 
William  Herbaugh  was  elected  superintendent. 
It  was  kept  open  only  during  the  summer, 
and  was  reorganized  the  following  spring.  It 
met  in  such  vacant  houses  as  could  be  secured, 
holding  scarcely  more  than  two  or  three  Sun- 
days consecutively  in  any  one  place.  In  the 
fall  of  1868,  when  the  building  was  erected 
which  was  afterwards  donated  to  the  county 
for  a  courthouse,  the  Sunday-school  found 
therein  a  somewhat  permanent  home.  From 
this  school  the  denominational  schools  were  es- 
tablished as  follows:  The  Methodist  in  1868, 
the  Congregational  and  Presbyterian  in  1870. 
and  the  Baptist  in  1871. 

NEOSHO    TOWNSHIP. 

'  Concord  District,  No.  16. — The  school- 
house  in  this  district  is  now  in  North  town- 
ship, but  when  lirst  built  was  in  Neosho.  In 
the  summer  of  186-^  Mrs.  Owens  organized  a 
Sunday-school  in  their  house  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  5,  which  was  maintained 
during  that  summer,  and  when  the  school-house 
was  built  a  reorganization  was  had,  locating  it 
in  that  building,  where  it  was  continued  for  a 
number  of  years. 

NexvHope  District,  No.  i-,. — In  1869  there 
was  a  log  cabin  about  half  a  mile  north  of 
where  Matthewson  now  stands,  known  as  the 
Sweet  school-house.  ■  Rev.  R  .  P.  Bukey 
preached  there  frequently.  In  that  house  was 
started  the  first  Sunday-school  in  that  part  of 
the  county.     W'm.  McDown  was  its  superin- 


tendent. It  was  not  long  until  the  new  school- 
house  was  built.  A  Sunday-school  was  con- 
ducted in  this  district  during  the  summer 
months  for  a  number  of  years,  commencing 
with  1869.  It  was  generally  conducted  as  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  school.  W.  D.  Bevans 
superintended  most  of  the  time.  W.  T.  Carter 
land  Rev.  J.  A.  Harvey  were  also  among  those 
in  charge  of  the  work. 

Hopkins  District,  No.  62. — From  1875  ^ 
1882  a  prosperous  Sunday-school  was  con- 
ducted in  this  district.  \\'.  D.  Bevans  was  one 
of  its  principal  workers,  and  a  part  of  the  time 
its  superintendent. 

Lone  Elm  District,  N0.21. — Sunday-school 
has  been  started  here  occasionally,  but  has 
not  been  regularly  maintained. 

Hard  Scrabble  District,  No.  46. — The  ef- 
fort to  maintain  a  Sunday  school  in  this  dis- 
trict was  not  so  persistent  as  to  meet  with  good 
success. 

NORTH    TOWNSHIP. 

Toii'nship  Association. — In  1876  an  asso- 
ciation was  formed  in  this  township,  but  was 
not  effective  the  following  year,  and  the  vari- 
ous schools  in  the  tmvnship  met  and  reorgan- 
ized a  township  as.sociation  on  April  7,  1878, 
electing  J.  M.  C.  Reed  president  and  S.  L. 
Obenchain  secretary.  Since  then  the  associa- 
tion has  held  annual  meetings,  sometimes  more 
frequently. 

Woods  District,  No.  iS. — Organized  in 
1878.  Superintendents:  S.  Stephenson,  N. 
T.  Chambers,  T,  J.  \"an  Horn  and  F.  A.  Ed- 
wards. 

Spring  Hill  District,  No.  22. — Organized 
in  1874.  Superintendents:  Samuel  Cherry, 
J.  W.  Scott,  Messrs.  Milligan,  Wilson,  Cham- 
bers and  Millard. 

Hcacock  District,  No.    ^2. — Organized  in 


302 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


1875.  Mrs.  Anna  Heacock  was  superintendent 
for  several  years:  afterward  1.  P.  Merrill. 

Franklin  District,  No.  55. — Organized 
May.  1870,  and  maintained  during  the  sum- 
mer months  every  year  since.  Superintend- 
ents :     G.   \V.   Goodman,   J.    Harlan,     E.     H. 

Taylor,  Brandon,   H.   Mcintosh,  E.   H. 

Wells,  S.  L.  Obenchain,  T.  J.  Van  Horn,  and 
Robert  Toles. 

Prairie  Valley  District.  No.  ?/. — Organ- 
ized in  May,  1871,  and  maintained  since.  Su- 
perintendents :  Philip  La  Cornu,  William 
Burdit,  J.  G.  Duval.  J.  M.  C.  Reed.  R.  Brown. 
E.  C.  Barker.  W.  B.  Truax.  and  J.  X.  Hard- 
man.  For  two  or  three  years  two  schools  were 
maintained  at  this  place — one  a  union  and  one 
a  Methodist  South ;  one  met  in  the  forenoon 
and  one  in  the  afternoon. 

WALTON   TOWNSHIP. 

Salem  District,  No.  42. — School  was  or- 
ganized in  this  district  in  1871.  and  has  been 
kept  open  every  summer  since.  Alex.  Abies 
was  its  first  superintendent.  James  Venable, 
Amos  Welch  and  Charles  Birt  ha\e  been  effect- 
ive workers  and  frequently  have  superin- 
tended. 

Bradford  District,  No.  jp. — A  school 
was  organized  in  this  district  in  the  house  of 
Merit  Mason,  in  1870.  and  has  since  been 
maintained  nearly  every  year  during  the  sum- 
mer months.  Among  its  superintendents  have 
been  J.  C.  Bradford,  Frank  J.  Smith,  and  T. 
J.  Rich. 

OSAGE  TOWNSHIP. 

Mount  Zion  District,  No.  j(5. — In  the  fall 
of  1867  the  neighbors  got  together  and  built 
a  log  house  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 5.  in  township  32,  of  range  18,  in  which 


to  hold  religious  services  and  other  meetings 
of  a  public  character.  A  Sunday-school  was 
organized  in  this  house  in  the  spring  of  1868. 
This  was  the  first  Sunday-school  in  the  town- 
ship. Harry  Beggs  was  superintendent.  The 
school  has  been  maintained  ever  since.  In  the 
spring  of  1871  it  was  reorganized  as  a  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  school,  which  relationship  has 
continued,  that  district  being  one  of  the  points 
where  that  denomination  has  regularly  held 
services.  Rev.  E.  M.  Bussart.  William  Johns, 
C.  L.  Darling,  S.  C.  Hocket.  Phelix  Oliphant 
and  Perry  Nixon  are  some  of  those  who  have 
been  prominent  workers  in  this  school. 

Four-Mile  District.  No.  j5.— The  first 
school-house  in  this  district  was  a  little  log 
building  which  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  road 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  section  22.  From 
this  it  was  known  as  "the  little  log  school- 
house  in  the  lane."  In  this  a  Sunday-school 
was  organized  in  1870  with  J.  M.  Armstrong, 
superintendent.  It  was  reorganized  in  the 
spring  of  1871.  with  Jacob  Masters,  superin- 
tendent.    The  school  was  maintained  till  1883. 

Harmony  Grove  District.  No.  ?o. — A  Sun- 
day-school was  organized  in  this  district  in  the 
spring  of  1870.  with  Mr.  Pierce,  superintend- 
ent, which  has  continued  until  the  present — a 
part  of  the  time  running  all  the  year,  and  a 
part  of  the  time  closing  in  the  winter.  It  was 
first  held  in  Mr.  Gibson's  dwelling-house  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  30.  William 
Dick.  F.  H.  Dienst  and  D.  D.  Lindsey  were 
early  and  efficient  workers  here. 

Timber  Hill  District.  No.  ?;.— This  Sun- 
day-school was  organized  in  a  log  school-house 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  the  Timber  Hill 
town-site,  in  the  spring  of  1870.  with  Mr. 
Baker,  superintendent.  Some  years  ago  it  was 
organized  as  a  German  Methodist  school,  and 
as  such  still  maintains  its  existence  and  does 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


303 


good  work.  The  Hookey,  Breshler  and 
Schrader  families  iia\-e  l^een  efficient  workei's, 

Maple  Grove  Distriet.  Xo.  102. — This 
Sunday-school  was  organized  on  February  5, 
1882,  with  J.  T.  McKee,  superintendent,  and 
George  W.  Hierronymus,  assistant.  It  has 
not  had  a  continuous  existence — some  years 
kept  up,  and  at  other  times  has  remained  dor- 
mant. 

Baptist  Union  Sun(Ia}'-schoul  was  organ- 
ized in  the  Baptist  church  on  section  23,  in 
1877.  and  was  maintained  there  as  a  union 
school  until  the  church  was  removed  to  Dennis. 

Sylvan  Dale  District,  No.  79. — A  School 
was  organized  in  this  district  in  1872,  with 
George  Anderson,  superintendent.  The  next 
spring  it  was  reorganized,  with  J.  D.  ^Ic- 
Keever  superintendent,  which  position  he  held 
for  a  number  of  years.  S.  M.  Bailey  was  an 
active  worker  in  this  school  while  he  lix'ed  in 
the  neighborhood.  The  school  mo\-ed  io  Den- 
nis in  1883. 

Pleasant  Hill  District,  No.  jy. — A  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  in  the 'new  school-house 
in  this  district  in  the  spring  of  1873,  which  was 
maintained  in  the  ]ilace  till  the  completion  of 

Bethel  Chapel,  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  30,  in  township  31,  range  19  (Walton 
township),  in  1889,  when  it  was  removed  to 
that  place.  It  has  always  been  recognized  as 
a  Methodist  school.  George  W.  Blake,  James 
Woodyard  and  a  Mr.  Brown  were  early  super- 
intendents. 

Muddy  Corner  District.  No.  j6. — .\  little 
box  school-house  stood  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  section  24,  township  31,  range  17,  in 
which  a  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  1872. 
A  new  school-house  was  thereafter  built  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of   section   35,   and   named 

St.  John's,  in   which  a  Sunday-school   has 


amed 

h  the 
:own- 


been  maintained  ever  since.  Israel  Foster,  J. 
B.  Swart  and  Adam  Funk  were  earnest  work- 
ers in  this  school. 

Tie\n  Mound  District.  No.  p,\ — J.  R. 
Douglas,  John  Carson  and  others  were  leading 
workers  in  a  Sunday-school  organized  in  this 
district  in  1873.  It  did  well  for  several  years, 
but  after  that  was  maintained  only  at  irregular 
times. 

Osage  Township  Sunday-School  A.^socia- 
tion. —  This  association  has  been  mail 
the  longest  and  has  been  conducted  w 
most  enthusiasm  of  any  of  the  various 
ship  associations  in  the  county.  During  1871 
a  picnic  was  held  on  section  7,  in  township  ;^2. 
range  18.  In  1872  an  organization  was  form- 
ed and  a  picnic  held  on  the  old  campground 
on  the  Leroy  Dick  farm,  in  section  29.  township 
31,  range  18.  \\'hen  the  county  association 
commenced  to  organize  township  associations 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  conventions  to  dis- 
cuss Sunday-school  topics,  this  was  one  of  the 
first  townships  to  respond.  Contrar\-  to  the 
wish  of  the  county  officers,  however,  the  local 
workers  insisted  on  keeping  the  picnic  idea  in 
the  foreground,  and  it  has  ever  maintained  the 
ascendency  which  it  early  acquired.  In  1878 
the  ground  near  the  northeast  corner  of  section 
20,  on  William  Dick's  farm,  was  secured  as 
permanent  picnic  grounds,  and  there  every 
summer  large  crowds,  fre<iuentlv  reaching  into 
thousands,  congregate  and  spend  a  day  in  the 
woods.  This  gathering  has  proved  to  be  a  fa- 
vorite resort  for  local  ])oliticians,  giving  them, 
as  it  doeSj  a  tine  opportunity  to  meet  many 
whose  support  they  think  it  expedient  to  secure. 
The  picnic  is  held  regularly  on  the  last  \\'ednes- 
day  in  July,  and  the  association  holds  its  meet- 
ing for  the  discussion  of  Sunday-school  inter- 
ests   at    Harmony    Grove    school-house    each 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


spring,  on  the  call  of  the  president.  The  asso- 
ciation is  chartered,  and  has  its  gfrounds  nicely 
improved.  Some  i8  schools,  a  part  of  which 
are  situated  in  Montgomery  and  Neosho  coun- 
ties, are  connected  with  this  association. 

MOUND    VALLEY    TOWNSHIP. 

Bell  Mound  District,  No.  pp. — A  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  here  in  1879,  with  M.  F. 
Wakefield  superintendent.  It  has  ever  since 
maintained  its  existence. 

,  Mound  J  "alley  District,  No.  40. — A  Sun- 
day-school was  organized  at  this  place  in  the 
summer  of  1870,  with  Joseph  Wilmoth  as  its 
first  superintendent.  It  was  kept  up  during 
the  summer  of  each  year,  and  sometimes  dur- 
ing the  winter,  until  the  organization  of  the 
denominational  schools,  ahout  1880.  J.  H. 
Tibbits,  H.  W.  Savage,  the  Coleman  families 
and  others  were  active  workers  in  the  school. 

McCormick  District,  No.  19. — A  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  in  this  district  in  the 
spring  of  1870,  with  John  Claspill.  superin- 
tendent, and  has  been  kept  up  with  a  good 
degree  of  regularity  since  then. 

Mount  Triumph  District,  No.  6^. — A  Sun- 
day-school was  organized  in  this  district  in 
1883,  with  Mr.  Robinson,  superintendent. 
Sometimes  run  as  a  union,  sometimes  as  a 
Methodist  Episcopal,  sometimes  as  a  United 
Brethren,  but  several  years  ago  was  reorganized 
as  a  Protestant  Methodist  school. 

LABETTE    TOWNSHIP. 

Cald'cwll  District,  A^o.  82. — Organized  in 
1882.  Among  its  superintendents  have  been 
David  Caldwell  J.  B.  Cosatt,  J.  Covalt,  J.  J. 
Decker,  and  Mrs.  Mcintosh. 

Hiatt  District,  No.  4/. — Organized  in  the 
spring  of  1874.  Suoerintendents :  R.  Birt, 
Mr.  Baker,  and  Wm.  Campbell. 


LIBERTY  TOWNSHIP. 

Pleasant  I'allcy  District,  No.  48. — Organ- 
ized in  1871.  Superintendents:  Tobe  H.  Tay- 
lor, James  Morning,  A.  Gager,  Frank  Craw- 
ford, Lon  Kiter,  John  Smith,  Anna  Arnold  and 
David  Beyle. 

Labette  District,  No.  10. — Organized  Jan. 
uary  15,  1871.  Superintendents:  R.  Baker, 
G.  K.  Sipple  and  C.  Fentress. 

Liberty  District,  No.  i/. — Organized  in 
1870.  Superintendents:  Mr.  Mcintosh,  G. 
K.  Sipple.  Silas  Fentress,  G.  L.  Whitnah,  G. 
W.  Giton,  E.  L.  Pugh,  J.  C.  Christian  and 
R.  H.  Thresher. 

MONTANA  TOWNSHIP. 

Montana  District,  N'o.  /J. — The  first  school 
in  Montana  township  was  in  Montana  district, 
No.  13.  The  first  school  organized  in  this  dis- 
trict was  in  1868;  H.  M.  Minor  was  its  super- 
intendent. It  was  reorganized  in  the  spring 
of  1869.  with  Charles  Gray,  superintendent. 
Its  sessions  were  held  in  an  old  store  building 
a  part  of  the  time,  and  when  they  had  preach- 
ing the  Sunday-school  services  were  held  in 
the  same  building  where  the  preaching  took 
place.  The  location  was  changed  from  time 
to  time,  according  to  their  opportunity  to  secure 
room.  Mr.  Gray  remained  superintendent  for 
a  number  of  years.  A.  Gager  was  one  of  the 
early  workers  in  the  school.  Since  Mr.  Gray's 
time,  among  the  superintendents  the  following 
have  served  the  school:  Thomas  Clark,  Rev. 
S.  W.  Grififin,  W.  F.  Schoch,  B.  Lanham,  D. 
Beyle.  O.  E.  Woods  and  Wm.  Woods. 

Shiloh  District.  No.  8. — Organized  1870. 
Superintendents :  Geo.  Fagan,  Andy  Livesay, 
Nathaniel  Woods,  Lewis  W.  Grain,  W.  J. 
Webb,  J.  R.  Youmans,  Thos.  Clinton,  Z.  Atch- 
inson,  S.  D.  Holmes  and  Mrs.  Elnor  E.  Pierce. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


305 


OSWEGO  TOWNSHIP. 

Oak  Grove  District,  No.  24. — This  school 
was  organized  in  the  log-  church  in  the  spring 
of  1871,  with  Wm.  Herbaugh,  superintendent. 
The  following  year  Mr.  Bagby  acted  as  super- 
intendent. In  1876  it  was  organized  in  the 
new  stone  school-house,  with  A.  Brown,  super- 
intendent. Since  then  the  superintendents 
have  been  P.  S.  Hughart,  J.  W.  Brown,  J.  M. 
Ricker,  and  J.  W.  Park. 

Sticc  District,  No.  2. — A  Sunday-school 
was  organized  in  this  district  in  1877  ;  Andrew 
Kaho,  superintendent.  It  has  had  but  an  ir- 
regular existence. 

Clover  District,  No.  2J. — A  Sunday-school 
has  been  kept  in  this  district  at  intervals  for 
quite  a  number  of  years,  but  it  has  not  been 
continuous  enough  to  be  of  great  force. 

Campbell  District,  No.  §/. — A  Sunday- 
school  was  held  in  this  school-house  during  the 
summer  months  during  a  part  of  the  "seven- 
ties," but  in  later  years  no  attempt  has  been 
made  to  keep  it  up. 

Woadruff  District,  No.  loi. — Soon  after 
the  building  of  the  school-house  in  this  dis- 
trict a  Sunday-school  was  organized,  with  S. 
N.  Woodruff,  superintendent,  but  it  was  main- 
tained only  a  year  or  two. 

FAIRVIEW    TOWNSHIP. 

Stover  District,  No.  2g. — In  the  summer 
of  1870  a  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  a 
small  house  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
17.  but  removed  to  the  school-house  as  soon  as 
it  was  built,  and  with  more  or  less  regularity, 
has  been  maintained  nearly  ever  since.  It  has 
generally  been  known  as  a  union  school,  al- 
though the  Methodists,  as  a  rule,  have  fur- 
nished the  larger  part  of  the  force  that  has 
done  the  work.     Among    its    superintendents 


have  been  I.  W.  Patrick.  George  Pfaff,  John 
and  Jerry  Winbigler.  The  Seventh  Day  Ad- 
ventists  have  also  maintained  a  school  at  this 
point  a  part  of  the  time. 

Nezvell  District,  No.  7/.— The  first  Sunday- 
school  in  this  vicinity  was  organized  in  the 
Mcintosh  house,  in  the  spring  of  1870.  A 
lady  rode  on  horseback  to  Chetopa  and  secured 
Bibles  and  song-books  for  the  school.  Dur- 
ing its  stay  in  this  place  it  had  no  regular  super- 
intendent, but  different  members  were  ap- 
pointed from  Sunday  to  Sunday  to  take  charge. 
The  school  was  taken  to  the  school-house  as 
soon  as  it  was  completed,  where  it  has  been 
maintained  for  the  most  of  the  time  since.  It 
has  had  for  superintendents  among  others  the 
following:  A.  B.  Hammer,  Josiah  Rayburn, 
G.  D.  Fellows,  Mr.  Young,  James  Paxton  and 
J.  M.  Magee. 

Bowiiiaii  District,  No.  12. — Organized  in 
1872,  and  maintained  only  a  part  of  the  time 
since. 

Maple  Grove  District,  No.  j-f. — This  school 
has  had  an  existence  more  or  less  of  the  time 
since  1873,  ^"fl  '""as  had  among  its  superintend- 
ents Joseph  Scott,  Sallie  Bottenfield,  J.  L. 
Williams,  and  John  Richardson. 

MOUNT    PLE.\S.\NT    TOWNSHIP. 

Pioneer  District,  N^o.  39. — The  Sunday- 
school  in  this  district  was  organized  in  May, 
1 87 1,  with  B.  F.  Jones,  superintendent. 
Among  other  superintendents  were  S.  M.  Can- 
aday,  Joseph  Vance  and  George  Geer. 

Rayburn  District,  No.  52. — The  Sunday- 
school  in  this  district  was  first  organized  in 
May,  1 87 1,  in  the  claim  cabin  of  D.  S.  Morrison, 
on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  14,  and  was 
moved  to  the  school-house  when  it  was  built. 
It  was  maintained  for  several  years.     Among 


3o6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


its  early  superintendents  were  Jacob  Hager- 
man,  Henry  Story  and  George  Hildreth. 

Noble  District,  No.  Sp. — This  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  in  April,  1874.  Josiah 
Rayburn,  Michael  Noel.  George  Hildreth  and 
Henry  Sleath  successively  superintended  it. 

Bell  District.  No.  91. — A  Sunday-school 
was  organized  in  this  school-house  in  the  spring 
of  1875.  B.  Johnson,  J.  Bell,  Sr.,  and  J.  Will- 
iams were  early  superintendents. 

Janes  District,  No.  95. — This  school  was 
organized  in  April,  1879.  Homer  Hulse, 
Milo  Hildreth  and  James  Curnutt  superin- 
tended it. 

Altaiiioiit  District,  Xo.  4;. — A  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  in  a  store  building  in 
Elston  in  1870,  with  Martin  Gore  as  superin- 
tendent. At  the  same  time  a  school  was  con- 
ducted in  Major  Hokes'  house,  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  36,  Labette  township, 
with  Thomas  D.  Bickerman  as  superintendent. 
The  workers  connected  with  these  schools  went 
to  make  up  the  union  school  which  was  organ- 
ized at  Altamont  in  1871.  It  was  maintained 
until  the  organization  of  the  various  denomi- 
national schools,  when  the  union  sciiools  ceased. 
Among  those  who  sujierintended  the  school  were 
A.  B.  Hammer,  James  Perry,  William  Thomp- 
son, I.  X.  Hamilton,  Perry  Daniels,  S.  J. 
Hershbarger  and  Daniel  Ferrier. 

-CANADA  TOWNSHIP. 

Richland  District.  No.  04. — In  1874  a  Sun- 
day-school was  organized  in  a  log  house  on 
Ola  Olson's  claim,  by  J.  H.  Tibbits,  and  he  was 
elected  superintendent.  The  cabin  being  very 
small  and  uncnmi. vrtable,  an  arbnr  (if  ])nles  and 
brush  was  made,  in  which  the  school  was  held 
during  the  summer.  A  schddl-iiouse  was  built 
the  next  winter,  and  in  the  spring  the  Sunday- 


school  was  reorganized  in  it.  with  J.  H.  Tib- 
bits,  superintendent. 

Emmons  District,  No.  84. — This  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  in  May,  1871,  at  the 
house  of  James  Sweet,  where  it  was  kept  till 
the  spring  of  1873,  when  it  was  organized  at 
the  school-house,  where  it  has  been  held  ever 
since.  Buel  Crone  was  tlie  first  superintend- 
ent, and  B.  H.  Sharp  also  filled  that  position 
in  later  years.  James  Sweet  and  Joseph 
Kearns  ha\e  been  active  and  efficient  workers. 

HOWARD    TOWNSHIP. 

Dresser  District.  No.  5/. — Organized  in 
1876,  with  James  Bennett  superintendent,  and 
maintained  up  to  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the  Congregationalists  and  Methodists. 

McKennan  District,  No.  gy. — R.  V.  Shipp, 
Mrs.  McKennan  and  James  Hunt  were  asso- 
ciated with  others  in  the  organization  of  the 
school  in  this  district,  in  1877.  Among  the 
superintendents  of  this  school  have  been  R.  V. 
Shipp,  Mr.  Mills,  Ella  Hunt,  James  Hunt  and 
Mrs.  Mary  McKennan. 

Trenton  District,  No.  6j. — In  the  spring 
of  1 87 1  a  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  the 
house  of  John  McClintick,  where  it  was  main- 
tained until  the  erection  of  the  school-house  in 
this  district,  when  it  was  removed  to  that  place. 
J.  M.  Hart,  Jacoli  French,  W.  J.  Millikin  and 
E.  B.  Baldwin  have  superintended  it  at  differ- 
ent times. 

Snozs.'  Hill  District.  No.  ?5. — A  school  was 
maintained  at  this  jjoint  for  a  number  of  years, 
commencing  in  1870.  W.  J.  Herrod  was  at 
one  time  suijerintendent  and  an  active  worker 
in  the  school. 

Blackford  District.  No.  6. — As  early  as 
1874  a  school  was  organized  at  this  point,  and 
maintained   thereafter   with   a   fair  degree   ai 


A  VIEW  OP  THE  COfNTi'  POOR  FARM  FROM  THE  KORTHEASr. 


VIEW  Ob'  THE  COINTV  rooR  FAK?.[  FKOM  THE  SUITII 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


309 


regularity.  l\Ir.  (ie)'er  was  its  first  superin- 
tendent; W.  J.  iNIillikin  and  George  Ash  have 
also  sui)erintended. 

J\ilcifa. — A  union  schot)!  was  urganized  in 
the  Congregational  clnnx-li,  in  the  spring  of 
1887.  since  which  time  it  has  lieen  regularly 
maintained  during  the  summer.  W.  J.  Milli- 
kin  was  its  first  su])erintendent ;  following  him 
there  ha\-e  been  William  Preston,  V.  W'alling- 
ford,  Samuel  Xelson  and  Mrs.  ]\IcKennan. 

Licb  District.  No.  Sj. — Organized  in  the 
sjjring  ijf  1873.  George  H.  Goodwin  and  W. 
J.  ^lillikin  were  early  superintendents. 

ELM    GROVE   TOWNSHIP. 

Ripon  Di.ftrict.  Xn.  40. — .\  Sunday-school 
was  organized  in  ^larch,  1870,  in  the  house  of 
Dr.  D.  P.  Lucas,  on  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  12,  township  33,  with  Rachel  Lucas, 
superintendent,  and  afterward  was  held  in  a 
house  belonging  to  Robert  Marrs,  standing  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  10;  and  was 
also  held  a  part  of  the  time  in  J.  H.  Jones' 
house,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  11. 
Thos.  Summerfield  fnjlowetl  ^Irs.  Lucas  as 
superintendent.  In  1872  it  was  reorganized 
in  the  school-house,  and  Thomas  H.  Bruner 
was  superintendent;  other  superintendents,  T. 
D.  Bickliam,  Mrs.  Cook,  Henry  Faurot  and 
^Irs.  R.  AI.  Smith. 

Starr  District,  No.  jo. — Organized  in  1871. 
A\  esley  Faurot  was  one  (_)f  the  leading  workers 
in  the  Sunday-school  since  its  organization. 

Ellis  District,  No.  43. — In  1870  a  Sunday- 
school  was  taught  in  Simon  Bradfield's  house, 
on  section  4.  and  a  part  of  the  time  in  Thomas 
Dowell's,  on  the  southw^est  quarter  of  section 
24.  From  the  time  the  school-house  was  built 
a  schonl  has  Ijeen  maintained  most  of  the  time 
during  the  summer  months.     J.  B.  Ellis  and 


Timothy  Kay  superintended  a  good  share  of 
the  time. 

Ro.fc  Hill  Di.'itrict,  No.  lOp. — Organized  in 
1885.  Mrs.  Lyda  Edmundson,  Jesse  Edmund- 
son,  Mrs.  Anna  Bickham,  Rev.  A.  Allison  and 
Mrs.  I.  C.  Wall  successively  superintended. 

Edna  District.  No.  7J. — In  1872  a  Sunday- 
school  was  held  in  Peter  Goodwin's  granary, 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  21,  with 
George  Goodwin,  superintendent.  In  April, 
1873,  the  school  was  reorganized  in  the  new 
school-house,  with  W.  J.  Millikin,  superintend- 
ent;  he  was  followed  by  W.  R.  Lackey.  Owen 
Wimmer  and  Mr.  Mills.  The  school  was  al- 
ways a  prosperous  one,  and  continued  in  active 
existence  until  the  organization  of  the  denomi- 
national schools. 

I'allcy  District.  .Vo.  /i". — A  prosperous 
Sunday-school  has  been  maintained  in  this  dis- 
trict a  good  portion  of  the  time  for  a  number 
of  years.  I\Irs.  C.  W.  Gray  was  a  faithful 
worker,  and  superintended  the  school  a  part  of 
the  time. 

n.\CKBERRY    TOWNSHIP. 

Poland  District,  No.  JO. — A  Sunday-school 
was  organized  in  this  school-house  in  1873. 
Chandler  Stevenson,  Samuel  C.  Coulter,  Mrs. 
G.  W.  Leap,  J.  F.  Flolman,  John  Poland  and 
Samuel  McCullough  are  among  the  number 
closely  identified  with  the  school's  growth. 
Samuel  C.  Coulter,  A.  H.  Mickey,  G.  ^^^ 
Jenkins  and  J.  F.  Hohnan  were  some  of  the 
superintendents.  The  school  has  not  been 
kept  up  since  1888. 

Baylor  District,  No.  qS. — As  early  as  1870 
Samuel  C.  Coulter,  T.  J.  Calvin,  Mr.  and  Airs. 
S.  Lyon,  E.  G.  Eggers  and  other  workers  or- 
ganized a  Sunday-school  at  the  house  of  S. 
Lyon,  and  elected  him  superintendent.  It  con- 
tinued during  that  year,  Init  was  not  reorgan- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ized  again  until  the  school-house  was  com- 
pleted. In  1874  it  was  again  organized,  and 
held  in  the  school-house.  Its  superintendents 
have  been  W.  G.  Baylor,  Samuel  C.  Coulter, 
T.  J.  Calvin,  G.  W.  Jenkins,  E.  G.  Eggers, 
Mrs.  S.  Lyon  and  Dr.  Owens.  With  1884  the 
school  ceased  as  a  union  school  and  was  merged 
in  the  school  organized  bv  the  Baptists  in  their 
new  church,  and  known  as  the  Pleasant  Hill 
Sunday-school. 

Liggett  District,  A'^o.  8}'. — This  school  was 
originally  a  part  of  the  one  organized  in  Dr. 
Lucas'  house,  in  Elm  Grove  township,  and 
which  thereafter  became  the  Ripon  school. 
When  the  school-house^  were  built  two  Sun- 
day-schools were  formed,  one  in  the  Ripon 
school-house  and  one  in  tlie  Liggett  school- 
house.  Among  the  earl\-  superintendents 
of  the  latter  school  were  Ephraim  ^Velch. 
Mr.  Hoy  and  Wm.  Liggett.  This  was  main- 
tained as  a  union  school  until  the  erection  of 
the  Cecil  church,  when  it  was  merged  in  the 
Methodist  school  organized  in  that  building. 

Bishop  District,  No.  7. — This  school  was 
organized  May  i,  1871.  Abner  DeCou.  Will- 
iam Newcomb,  H.  G.  Pore,  Alexander  Bishop, 
H.  ^\'.  Sandusky  and  G.  A.  Cooper  were  among 
those  most  prominently  identified  with  its  or- 
ganization and  early  management.  H.  W. 
Sandusky  was  its  first  su])erintendent,  and  he 
was  followed  by  G.  W.  Jenkins,  G.  A.  Cooper, 
W.  S.  Bishop,  Alexander  Bishop,  Miss  Rose 
Dorland,  W.  W.  Bradbury.  A.  M.  Newman 
and  Mrs.  Catharine  Miller. 

Lockard  District,  No.  28. — The  Sunday- 
school  in  this  district  was  organized  in  the 
spring  of  1873,  by  many  earnest  workers, 
among  whom  may  be  named  George  Tilton  and 
wife.  Thomas  Sharp.  S.  L.  Whiting.  H.  J. 
Reece,  \\'.  F.  Legg,  :\Irs.  Flora  B.  Illingsworth 
and  ]\Irs.  Clara  Wimmer.      Its  superintendents 


have  been  A.  B.  Hammer,  Thomas  Sharp,  S. 
L,  Whiting,  W.  F.  Legg.  W.  G.  Faurot  and 
Mrs.  F.  B.  Illingsworth. 

Bartlcti  District,  No.  1  to. — This  scliool 
was  organized  May  i.  1887,  with  S.  L.  \\'hit- 
ney,  superintendent.  He  has  served  as  such 
since  its  organization,  excepting  in  1891,  when 
Mrs.  Allie  Crane  superintended. 

Lake  Creek  Sunday-school,  District  No. 
60. — In  the  spring  of  1872.  Mrs.  Julia  Knight, 
G.  W.  Jenkins,  \\'.  \\'.  Baty.  A.  D.  Robinson, 
;\Irs.  Warren  Chamberlain  and  several  others, 
feeling  the  need  of  religious  services,  organized 
a  Sunday-school  at  the  home  of  H.  D.  Knight, 
with  Mrs.  Julia  Knight  as  superintendent. 
The  next  year  the  school  was  mo\'ed  to  the 
Lake  Creek  school-house.  District  No.  60.  and 
Mrs.  Knight  was  again  elected  superintendent. 
Those  who  succeeded  her  as  superintendent 
while  it  remained  a  union  school  in  the  school- 
house  were :  G.  ^^^  Jenkins.  ^^^  W.  Baty, 
William  Priest,  j\Irs.  Warren  Chamberlain.  J. 
N.  Allison  and  W.  F.  Legg. 

RICHLAND    TOWNSHir. 

Gore  District,  No.  ?. — In  the  fall  of  1866 
a  few  of  the  settlers  in  that  neighborhood  or- 
ganized a  Sunday-school  in  James  Rice's  cabin, 
with  Mrs.  Rice  as  superintendent.  The  next 
summer  it  was  reorganized,  with  the  same  su- 
perintendent, and  maintained  during  the  sum- 
mer. In  the  spring  of  1868  it  was  reorgan- 
ized in  Orville  Thompson's  store  building,  with 
Thompson  Palmer,  superintendent.  After 
this  it  was  held  in  the  school-bouse  in  that  dis- 
trict. Benjamin  A.  Rice  was  superintendent 
in  1869.  Other  superintendents  ha\e  been 
John  F.  Hill,  Solomon  Pierson  and  L.  Baker. 
It  was  merged  into  the  Methodist  Sunday- 
school  at  Fletcher  Chapel  on  the  organization 
of  the  latter. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


JVatson  District^  No.  5. — In  the  spring  of 
1870  a  school  was  organized  in  a  claim  cabin 
on  J.  C.  McKnight's  place  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  20,  with  T.  J.  Calvin,  su- 
perintendent. A  Dart  of  the  time  it  was  held 
in  a  log  cabin  on  R.  T.  Goudy's  place.  It  was 
reorganized  in  the  school-house  upon  its  com- 
pletion, with  Samuel  F.  Doolen,  superintendent. 
From  1872  till  his  death,  in  1878,  James  C. 
Watson  superintended,  and  through  his  energy 
and  devotion  to  the  school  it  always  did  effect- 
ive work.  J.  M.  Morgan  superintended  for  a 
time  after  Mr.  Watson's  death. 

Brccsc  District^  No.  25. — A  schoij  has  been- 
maintained  during  tlie  summer  months  in  this 
district  most  of  the  time  frum  1872  until  the 
erection  of  Fletcher  Chapel.  A.  J.  Swagerty 
and  Mr.  Hardaway  were  early  superintendents. 

Closscr  District,  No.  61. — Organized  1875. 
Superintendents:  F.  M.  Mendenhall,  Samiiel 
Wade.  D.  M.  Closser  and  H.  W.  Cook. 

Piety  Hill  District,  No.  lOO. — Organized 
1875,  S'""^!  maintained  a  good  i^ortion  of  the 
time  since.  W.  G.  Hoo\-er  has  been  one  of  the 
workers  in  this  school. 

Cook  District,  No.  10:^. — A  school  has  been 
kept  up  in  this  district  a  part  of  the  time  of  late 
years.  H.  W.  Cook  has  been  one  of  the  work- 
ers. 

COLORED  SCHOOLS. 


In  April,  1871.  Dr.  D.  B.  Crouse,  with  sev- 
eral teachers  from  the  Methodist  Sunday- 
school,  got  quite  a  number  of  colored  people 
together  in  the  Congregational  church,  and  or- 
ganized tbem  into  a  Sunday-school,  which  was 
conducted  the  most  of  the  time  during  that 
summer.  During  a  part  of  the  next  year  Rev. 
F.  A.  Armstrong  got  a  few  of  the  colored  peo- 


ple together  on  Sundays  and  taught  them  from 
the  Bible. 

The  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Suiidav- 
School  was  organized  in  July,  1877,  by  Nelson 
Case  and  Alexander  Mackie,  who  superin- 
tended it  alternately  for  al^out  tl'.ree  years, 
after  which  Nelson  Case  superintended  alone 
till  1886.  It  was  entirely  conducted  by  white 
officers  and  teachers  till  about  1886.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Case,  Dr.  Newlon,  Mr.  Mackie  and  one 
or  two  C'ther  white  teachers,  assisted  in  the 
school  till  the  colored  people  had  learned  to  read 
and  were  able,  in  a  measure,  to  teach.  At  the 
request  of  Mr.  Case,  the  school  at  one  time, 
before  Mr.  Nelson  took  charge  of  it.  elected 
John  Booka  superintendent;  nevertheless,  the 
management  of  the  school  remained  in  the 
hands  of  the  white  teachers.  From  1886  up  to 
1 89 1  Edward  Nelson  was  suoerintendent  most 
of  the  time.  In  1892  Miss  Lillie  Booka  was 
superintendent.  Henry  Simley  was  elected  su- 
perintendent in  1893  and  has  served  e\'er  since. 

The  Second  Baptist  Sunday-School. — .\s 
soon  as  this  denomination  inclosed  their  church, 
in  1882,  they  organized  a  Sunday-school .  and 
have  maintained  it,  with  few  interruptions, 
since.  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Case  and  Miss  Sarah 
Crane  assisted  them  in  their  work  for  se\'eral 
years.  The  school  h.as  had  the  following  su- 
perintendents: A.  J.  Harper,  G.  W.  Parks. 
M.  A.  Sumner,  Thomas  Scott,  T.  H.  Scaltmar, 
G.  D.  Watson  and  A.  L.  W^illiams.  Mr. 
Parks  has  been  superintendent  on  two  or  three 
occasions,  and  in  all  has  served  quite  a  number 
of  years. 

Mount  Pleasant  Baptist. — This  school  was 
formerly  located  a  few  miles  northeast  of  Os- 
wego,  but  now  has  its  home  in  the  city.  Su- 
perintendents:  1892,  Mrs.  Lue  Butler;  1893- 
95,  Mrs.  Martha  Robinson;  1896-1901,  E. 
Richardson. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Second  Methodist  Episcopal. — This  school 
was  organized  in  1880.  Henry  Smiley  was 
superintendent  from  its  organization  until 
1892,  with  the  excejjtion  of  1887-88.  when 
George  W.  Winn  h.eld  the  ofiice.  Miss  Oliva 
Porter  was  elected  superintendent  at  the  o]3en- 
ing  (.1"  iSij:;  and  has  served  in  that  capacity 
e\'er  since.  ^Mrs.  ]\Iary  E.  Case  and  Miss 
Sarah  Crane  taught  in  this  scIkjoI  for  a  num- 
ber of  years. 


June  20.  iSSo,  a  Sunday-school  was  organ- 
ized in  the  Presbyterian  church  for  the  colored 
people,  of  which  the  officers  of  the  Presbyterian 
Sunday-school  were  in  charge.  It  was  main- 
tained during  that  summer  only. 

CHETOPA, 

In  the  fall  of  1873  tlie  Sunday-school  work- 
ers of  Chetopa  organized  a  scIidoI  anidug  the 
tolored  people.  It  met  from  time  to  time  in 
nearly  all  the  churches  in  town.  It  was  con- 
ducted entirely  by  white  officers  and  teachers. 
Dr.  C.  I-Iumble  superintended  until  he  went 
away,  in  1877;  after  that  John  A.  Lough  and 
Mrs.  Julia  .A..  Knight  superintended.  After 
the  organization  of  the  denominational  schools 
in  the  colored  churches  this  school  was  given 
up. 

Second  Methodist  Episcopal. — Rev.  Rob- 
ert Rector,  pastor,  secured  the  organization  of 
this  school  in  1881.  Its  superintendents  liave 
been :  George  W.  Winn,  Mr.  Faghem.  Mrs. 
Frances  Wilson  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Claradv. 
TJie  last  mentioned  was  elected  superintendent 
in  1894.  and  she  has  served  very  acceptably 
ever  since.  Notwithstanding  many  discour- 
agements the  school  has  been  quite  prosperous 
;i.nd  has  helped  sujiplv  its  numbers  \\\t\\  good 
literature. 


African  Methodist  Episcopal. — Organized 
ab(jut  1 88 1. — perhaps  a  few  years  later.  Su- 
]5erinten(ients :  Harrison  ]\lc}ilillan  and  Nel- 
son Williamson. 

Baptist. — The  colored  folk  in  Chetopa  have 
two  Baptist  Sunday-sch  nls,  <:)ne  cimnected 
viith  the  Little  Flock  Baptist  church,  and  the 
other  allied  with  the  Bethlehem  Baptist  church. 


African  Met/iodist  Episcopal. — Soon  after 
the  organization  of  the  A.  ]\I.  E.  church  in 
Parsons,  the  pa'.^tcr.  Rev.  J.  H.  Daniels,  also 
secured  the  organization  of  the  Sunday-school. 
Th.e  school  dates  fr.:m  May,  1876.  Among  its 
superintendents  have  been:  S.  O.  Clayton, 
J.   L.  Craw  and  Charles  A.  Morris. 

Second,  or  Xcw  Hope,  Baptist. — On  May 
28,  1876,  Rev.  Thomas  \\'ilson  secured  the 
organization  n{  a  Sunday-school  in  connection 
with  this  church.  Superintendents :  James 
Griflin,  James  \\'a!ker,  E.  W.  Dorsey  and  J. 
E.  Johnson. 

Mount  Pleasant  Baptist. — Superintend- 
ents: Ge:rge  Harts,  G.  R.  \\^estbrooks.  James 
Griffin  and  J.  T.  Hays. 

Mount  Zion  Baptist. — This  Sunday-school 
is  held  irregularly. 

DENOMINATIONAL  SCHOOLS. 

BAPTISTS. 

Labette. — The  school  was  organized  in  the 
spring  of  1875,  and  has  had  the  following  su- 
perintendents :  R.  K.  Jones,  John  Richard- 
.son,  \\'illiam  E.  Crawford.  J.  P.  Christy.  W. 
V.  McDonell,  T.  J.  Reel,  J.  S.  ^^IcLain,  Elisha 
Richardson,  E.  L.  Christy,  J.  C.  Christian, 
Jennie  Crawford  and  John  Wiggins. 

Chetopa. — Prior  t>;  18S1  the  Baptists  and 
Chri-t'ans    had    maintained    a    union    Sunday- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


school.  In  1881,  witli  tlie  ass'stance  of  Rev, 
J.  P.  Ash.  a  Baptist  Sunday-school  was  or- 
ganized, with  J.  C.  \Mtt,  superintendent.  Fol- 
lowing Mr.  Witt  as  superintendent  there  have 
been  F.  M.  Smith,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Stevens,  Miss 
Eva  Alerrill,  Robert  Williams,  Lewis  Leak, 
Carl  Simons,  Mr?.  \\'.  S.  Park.  J.  A.  Shuck 
and  Mrs.  James  Harvey. 

Qswcgo. — Organized  Januar_\-  i,  1871,  in 
an  old  store  building  on  the  west  side  of  block 
39,  with  D.  E.  Bent,  superintendent.  Other 
superintendents  hax-e  been :  Dr.  J.  Spruill, 
Henry  Glitz.  J.  X.  .Miles.  Z.  Eaton,  :\Ierritt 
Read,  A.  C.  Baker,  X.  A.  Douglas,  Porter 
Sawyer.  William  P.  Steel,  X'ellie  Harrison, 
Rev.  C.  X.  H.  Moore,  A.  T.  Dickerman,  E.  S. 
Elli=,  E.  A.  Karr,  G.  A.  Cooper,  Eva  Terrill 
and  Marion  Parks. 

Alt-Jinoiit. — Organized  in  the  spring  of 
18S3.  Superintendent;:  Morris  Bayless,  E. 
Estes,  George  Hildreth,  A.  I.  Ross;  J.  Self, 
Cyrus  Baker  and  Bessie  Hopps.  Some  of  these 
have  held  otifice  two  or  three  different  times, 
while  others  have  served  several  years  in  suc- 
cession. 

Dennis. — Th'e  Baptist  Sunday-school  in 
Dennis  was  organized  April  2,  1883,  and  came 
almost  entirely  from  the  Baptist  union  school, 
which  was  transferred  from  the  country  to 
town.  William  Scott.  John  Garrison,  Mr. 
Payne,  and  G.  W.  Everhart  have  been  faith- 
ful workers  in  this  school. 

Barton. — This  school  has  existed  since  the 
erection  of  the  church,  in  1885.  J.  H.  Tibbets 
and  family  have  been  among  its  best  workers. 

Pleasant  Hill  Sunday-Schoul. — The  Bap- 
tists having  completed  their  church  building, 
in  1885  they  organized  a  Sunday-school  with 
Rev.  C.  T.  Floyd  as  superintendent.  He  has 
been   followed  in  the  superintendencv  by  W. 


W.  Lewellen,  \\M.  H.  J.  Schock  and 

Mrs.  A.  Austin. 

Persons. — This  school  wa;.  first  organized 
in  the  city  hall  in  1874,  with  J.  B.  Stilwell  su- 
perintendent, and  an  attendance  of  about  10 
scliolars.  During  the  year  it  disbanded,  and 
was  not  reorganized  till  about  1S7S,  when  J. 
W.  Fee  was  elected  superintendent.  The 
scl'.oid  at  this  time  numbereil  about  50.  W'. 
\\'.  X'eighhour  succeeded  Mr.  Fee,  and  was" 
succeeded  by  C.  F.  Hcdgman,  and  he  by  I.  J. 
L'zzell.  W'.  C.  Main  served  from  September, 
1P86,  until  1893,  l^eing  succeeded  by  F.  W. 
Flitton.  \\\\o  held  the  office  unt'l  1896,  when 
I.  J.  Czzel  was  again  elected.  Mrs.  J.  X.  Kidd 
was  superintendent  in  1897,  and  E.  S.  Ellis, 
who  t(iok  her  ])lace,  is  the  superintendent  at 
present.  The  average  attendance  is  aliout 
140. 

Mound  1 'alley. — The  Baptists  of  ]\Iound 
Valley  worked  in  the  union  school  until  the 
erect'on  of  tl.e  church,  in  1882.  since  which 
t'me  they  have  had  a  scln  ol  of  their  own. 
Among  the  sui>erintendents  have  been  H.  W. 
Savage,  P.  G.  Shanklin,  J.  H.  Elmore  and 
\\'illiam  Wilson.  William  \\'il'.-on  was  suc- 
c-e'led  at  the  end  of  1893  by  D.  S.  Coleman, 
who  held  the  office  two  years;  in  189 '1-97  H. 
W".  Savage  was  superintendent,  in  189S-99  D. 
S.  C.  Lman,  and  in  1900  W.  J.  \\i;son  was 
electe.l. 

Edna. — In  the  spring  of  1883  the  Baptists 
organized  a  Sunday-schoi  I  at  the  Hawkins 
school-house,  in  District  Xo.  ijJ.  where  it  was 
conducted  until  their  church  Iniilding  was 
erected  at  Kingston,  when  it  wa-.  removed  to 
that  place.  In  1887  the  church  was  moved  to 
Edna,  and  of  course  the  Sunday-school  with 
it.  The  school  has  had  the  f  llowing  super- 
intendents :     J.  Reasor.  Rev.  G.  H.  Goodwin, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Julius  Goodwin,  J.  W.  Reasor,  J.  Reasor, 
Rev.  T.  M.  Cooper,  G.  W.  Reasor  and  Lewis 
Goodwin. 

GERM.\N    BAPTISTS   OR  DUNKARDS. 

AUamont. — A  Sunday-school  was  organ- 
ized in  [March,  1897,  which  has  been  main- 
tained continuously  and  has  done  good  work. 
H.  J.  Trapp  is  superintendent. 

Parsons. — A  Sunday-school  was  organized 
at  this  point  in  1895.  Clay  Newton  is  super- 
intendent. 

CHRISTIANS. 

Chctopa. — Until  1883  the  Christians  had 
united  with  the  Baptists  in  holding  a  Sunday- 
school.  In  March,  1883,  a  Christian  school 
was  organized,  and  Dr.  W.  J.  Latta  and  Mrs. 
E.  S.  Smith  ha\'e  been  the  superintendents. 

Parsons. — Organized  in  1879.  Superin- 
tendents: C.  R.  Millard,  Fred  Evans,  Dr. 
John  Tinder,  T.  L.  Trotter  and  J.  S.  Vance. 

Central. — L'pnn  the  organization  of  the 
Central  Christian  church  in  Parsons,  in  1890, 
a  Sunda^■-scl^(>(ll  was  also  formed,  which  has 
been  maintained  ever  since. 

Osii'cgo. — The  Christian  Sunday-ischool 
was  organized  in  the  court-house,  in  the  spring 
of  1876.  Superintendents:  1876-77,  John 
Overdeer;  1878-81,  D.  H.  May;  1882-85,  H. 
C.  Draper;  1886-95,  David  Jennings;  1896- 
97,  E.  G.  Smith:  1898-1901,  H.  O.  Hurst. 

Mound  ]'aJh-y. — The  Sunday-school  is 
some  twelve  or  fifteen  years  old.  Since  1892 
the  superintendents  have  been :  D.  O.  Lara- 
bee,  Mrs.  Kate  Ellege,  Levi  Wilmoth,  Alvah 
Shick,  G.  N.  Matthews  and  Miss,  Lizzie  Pres- 
cott. 

FJ\n  City. — Among  those  who  have  su- 
perintended this  school  are  S.  P.  \Vaugh  and 
Perrv  Allen. 


CONGREGATIONAL. 

Oswego. — Organized  January  23,  1870, 
and  maintained  most  of  the  time  since.  How- 
e\'er,  there  have  been  two  or  three  occasions 
when  for  several  months  at  a  time  no  school 
has  been  maintained.  The  school  has  no  con- 
tinuous record,  and  I  find  no  one  who  remem- 
bers definitely  who  its  officers  have  been,  but 
the  following  list  of  superintendents  is  prob- 
ably nearly  complete:  Dr.  W.  S.  Newlon,  Dr. 
W.'  E.  Austin,  W.  M.  Johnson,  Dr.  W.  S. 
Newlon,  Dr.  H.  J.  Martin,  O.  Whitney,  C. 
U.  Dorman,  Mrs.  Louise  Morrison,  Burton 
Thorpe,  J.  D.  H.  Reed,  Rev.  Park  A.  Bradford 
and  wife  and  C.  E.  Coleman.  During  several 
years  past,  a  sort  of  mis'.^ion  Sunday-school 
has  been  conducted  in  the  Congregational 
church  under  the  superintendency  of  Dr.  W. 
S.  Newlon. 

Parsons. — Organized  July  20,  1873.  Su- 
perintendents: P.  M.  Griffin,  A.  H.  Avers, 
I.  Dickson,  A.  P.  Wilson,  E.  C.  Ward,  J.  H. 
Mosic,  G.  W.  Ragland,  E.  C.  Reed  and  Ar- 
thur Reed. 

Dccrton. — On  the  completion  of  the  church, 
in  1880,  a  Sunday-school  was  organized,  wdiich 
was  maintained  until  the  church  was  moved  to 
V'aleda,  in  1886.  Rev.  James  Cooper  super- 
intended it  while  he  was  pastor. 

UNIVERSAT.IST. 

During  the  time  the  Universalists  had  an 
organization  and  sustained  preaching  services' 
in  Oswego,  they  also  maintained  a  Sunday- 
school,  of  which  Jibn  F.  Hill  was  superin- 
tendent. 

PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL. 

Parsons. — The  rector  of  the  church  at 
Parsons  also  superintends  the  Sunday-school. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


315 


ADVENTIST. 

Oszivgo. — Since  the  establishment  of  tlieir 
church  in  Oswego,  this  denomination  has  main- 
tained a  Salibath-school.  Mrs.  Sadie  Mc- 
\'icars  and  Mrs.  Jessie  Wells  have  been  super- 
intendents. Schools  have  also  lieen  held  at 
several  other  ))laces  in  the  county,  but  I  have 
not  been  furnished  with  information  in  regard 
to  them. 

UNITED    BRETHREN. 

Parsons. — Organized  in  1876,  with  Abra- 
ham Gary  as  suijerintendent.  Since  then  the 
following  persons  have  served  in  that  capacity  : 

W.  F.  Grierson,  Butler,  A.  B.  Hacker. 

Mrs.  Sandercook,  Joseph  Ross,  Mrs.  M.  Port- 
ram,  James  Terrell  and  T.  M.  Mathis. 

Union  Listrict,  No.  69. — Organized  in 
1870,  with  Joseph  Vance  as  superintendent, 
and  maintained  until  1874. 

Dennis. — The  United  Brethren  Sunday- 
school  was  organized  in  1882,  and  came 
mainly  from  the  Sylvan  Dale  and  F(.ur- 
Mile  schiiiils;  Alvin  Miller  was  its  first  super- 
intendent. It  is  maintained  with  a  fair  degree 
of  prosperity.  J.  D.  McKeever  and  Noah  Huff 
are  reported  as  having  su])erintended  since  Mr. 
]\Iiller. 

Mortimer. — On  the  completion  of  the 
church  at  this  point  in  1892,  a  Sunday-school 
was  organized  which  has  had  for  superintend- 
ents:  J.  T.  Mortimer,  G.  A.  ^^'aid,  M.  L. 
^Mortimer  and  ]\I.  E.  Sparks;  M.  L.  Abjrtimer 
being  the  superintendent  at  this  writing. 

Mound  1  'alley  and  Valeda. — The  schools  of 
this  deiKiminatidn  at  tliese  points  have  not  been 
\ery  regular  and  permanent.  Among  those 
who  have  served  as  superintendent  are :  Wat- 
son Chrisman,  A.  J.  Bessy,  C.  E.  Porter  and 
Charles  Oakleaf. 


Hackbcrry  Chapel. — This  school  was  or- 
ganized in  the  Hyatt  school-house  in  1881. 
John  Magie  and  his  son  and  daughter,  Morton 
and  Sarah  Magie,  superintended  until  alx)ut 
1890:  then  A.  M.  Harshaw  held  that  position. 
After  the  completion  of  the  chapel  in  1893,  the 
school  was  moved  into  it.  since  which  time  it 
has  had  the  following  superintendents:  John 
Riddick,  Anna  Micky  and  Joseph  Ohles. 

EVANGELICAL. 

Dennis. — As  soon  as  this  denomination 
completed  its  home  of  worshij)  in  Dennis,  in 
1887,  a  Sunday-school  was  organized  with  J. 
Eisenhood  as  superintendent.  The  school  has 
had  a  continuous  existence,  and,  following  Mr. 
Eisenhood,  its  superintendents  have  been:  D. 
M.  Mowrey,  W.  W.  Blake,  Frank  Deinst, 
Frank  Harper,  Charles  Underkolfler,  Curtis 
Webb,  Rolla  Blake,  H.  L.  Austin  and  F.  C. 
Petrie,  Jr. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL. 

Osz^'cgo. — The  first  denominational  Sun- 
day-school to  be  organized  in  the  county  was 
the  first  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday-school 
of  Oswego.  In  the  summer  of  1868  the  Meth- 
odists first  organized  a  school,  of  whicli  Ansel 
Gridley,  Sr.,  was  superintendent.  This,  like 
all  the  other  Sunday-,schools  of  that  time,  was 
run  only  during  the  warm  weather:  it  closed 
before  the  cold  weather  of  winter  came  on. 
This  school  as  now  conducted  claims  an  existr 
ence  only  from  Sunday,  April  9,  1869,  when  it 
was  again  organized,  since  which  time  it  has 
had  an  uninterrupted  existence,  and  since  the 
time  when  Mv.  Case  took  the  superintendency 
the  schonl  has  not  missed  a  single  session.  It 
is  by  o\-er  a  vear  the  oldest  school  that  now  has 
an  existence  in  the  county.     At  the  organiza- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


tion  of  the  school,  on  April  9,  1869,  Ansel 
Gridley.  Sr..  was  again  elected  superintendent; 
he  served  as  such  till  September  18,  1870,  when 
Nelson  Case,  having  been  elected  superintend- 
ent, first  took  charge  of  the  school.  ]\Ir.  Case 
then  served  continuously  a  little  over  fifteen 
years;  he  tendered  his  resignation  on  Septem- 
ber 28,  1885,  and  it  was  accepted  01*1  October 
5.  The  pastor.  Rev.  J.  A.  Hyden,  superintend- 
ed from  this  time  till  the  close  of  the  year. 
\\'.  F.  Tliorne  sujierintended  during  1886,  and 
Rev.  J.  B.  Ford,  the  paster,  during  18S7.  At 
the  close  of  1887  Xelson  Case  was  again  elect- 
ed superintendent,  and  since  January  i,  1888, 
has  continued  in  that  position.  The  school 
was  organized  in  Crouse's  Hall,  on  lot  5  in 
block  39,  where  it  held  its  sessions  during  the 
summer  of  1869;  the  following  winter  it  met 
in  two  or  three  different  places — a  part  of  the 
time  in  \\'ells"  Hall.  In  the  summer  of  1870 
the  new  church  building  was  erected,  and  as 
soon  as  it  was  inclnsed  the  school  commenced 
meeting  in  it.  In  the  fall  of  1870  the  superin- 
tendent institutetl  a  teachers"  meeting,  which 
has  been  maintained  weekly  since.  Normal 
classes  have  also  been  conducted  in  connection 
with  the  school  work  for  several  years. 

Clicfopa. — Organized  July  17,  1870,  with 
J.  M.  Cavaness.  -superintendent,  who  served  un- 
til July,  1872,  when  W.  W.  Sweet  was  elected 
superintendent.  In  January,  1873.  L.  J.  \'an 
Landingham  was  elected,  and  served  three 
years :  he  was  followed  by  S.  B.  Sloan.  In 
1877  ]\Ir.  Cavaness  was  elected,  and  served, 
with  the  exception  of  a  year  or  two  when  D.  O. 
Ditzler  superintended  till  1886,  when  h.e  went 
into  the  mini.stry.  Following  him,  B.  S.  Ed- 
wards superintended  until  1889.  In  that  year 
^Ir.  Cavaness  was  again  placed  in  charge  and 
continued  there  until  1899.  when  he  was  suc- 


ceeded bv  Robert  A.  Lough,  who  is  the  pres- 
ent incumbent. 

Muiifana. — The  Presbyterians  having  or- 
ganized their  school  upon  the  completion  of 
their  church,  in  1878,  the  IMethodists  then  or- 
ganized a  denominational  school,  the  two  hav- 
ing theretofore  been  conducted  as  a  union 
school  in  the  school-house. 

Altmnont. — Organized  in  1884.  Superin- 
tendents :  O.  P.  Van  Slyke.  J.  O.  King.  Arthur 
J.  Rust,  W.  J.  Lough.  P.  H.  Riepie,  E.  D. 
Keinze,  Mrs.  Lucy  Best,  C.  M.  Doughman,  E. 
J.  Kinzer  and  Samuel  McClelland. 

Fairz'icz^'. — A  Sunday-school  was  organ- 
ized at  this  appointment  in  the  school-house 
before  the  church  was  erected  in  1899:  upon 
the  completion  of  the  edifice,  it  was  organized 
as  a  Methodist  school  in  the  church  on  May 
7,  1899.  James  Paxton  was  superintendent  to 
the  close  of  1900.  ]\Iiss  Alice  Ball  is  the  pres- 
ent superintendent. 

Parsons. — In  the  summer  of  1873  a  Meth- 
odist Sunday-school  was  organized,  with  the 
pastor,  Rev.  C.  R.  Rice,  superintendent.  Ow- 
ing to  the  straitened  circumstances  and  unor- 
ganized condition  of  the  work,  the  school  did 
not  maintain  a  continuous  existence,  but  part 
of  the  time  united  with  other  workers  in  car- 
rying on  a  union  school.  Besides  Rev.  C.  R. 
Rice,  the  early  superintendents  were  :  M.  \\'al- 
lace,  M.  G.  Brown,  and  J.  ^^^  Cowles.  In 
January,  1876,  T.  H.  Cunningham  was  elected 
superintendent,  and  continued  to  act  as  such 
until  the  close  of  1890.  In  January,  1891, 
J.  L.  Kennerer  was  elected  superintendent,  and 
in  Januarv.  1892  Dr.  M.  E.  Wolf  was  elected, 
his  term  concluding  with  the  close  of  1893. 
Elmer  T.  Mendal  served  during  189  j.  1895 
and  1896,  and  since  then  O.  F.  Penny witt  has 
been  the  superintendent,  with  the  exception  of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


a  few  weeks,  when  George  H.  Olds  held  that 
position. 

Center  Chapel. — Upon  the  completion  of 
this  church  building,  in  the  spring  of  1887.  a 
Sunday-school  was  at  once  organized  therein. 
It  was  conducted  as  a  union  school  until  the 
close  of  1890,  with  the  follnwing  superintend- 
ents: .Mrs.  M.  E.  Casky,  A.  W.  Meador,  and 
F.  jNI.  Morrison.  In  January,  1891,  it  was 
organized  as  a  Methodist  school,  with  F.  M. 
Morrison,  superintendent:  in  Januar}',  1892, 
W.  E.  Snyder  succeeded  him. 

Labette. — Organized  in  1876.  Superin- 
tendents: 1875,  J.  K.  Sipple;  1877-84,  J.  B. 
Payne:  1885.  J.  E.  Williams;  1886,  J.  B. 
Payne;  1887-92.  A.  C.  Lamm.  Since  1892 
the  superintendents  have  heen :  Leslie  Scott, 
Leslie  Piatt,  Allen  Piatt,  William  Watson  and 
Ethelda  Reedy. 

Stover. — The  Methodists  have  maintained 
a  Sunday-school  as  one  of  the  features  of  their 
church  work  at  this  apijointment.  Royal 
Davis  is  the  present  superintendent. 

Dresser  District,  No.  31. — The  Methodist 
school  at  this  point  was  organized  in  the  spring 
of  1883,  and  was  maintained  until  the  fall  of 
1886,  at  which  time  the  class  was  changed  from 
this  to  Valeda.  \\'.  J.  Millikin  was  superin- 
tendent the  first  two  years,  after  which  a  man 
with  the  same  name,  excepting  that  his  name 
is  spelled  with  an  "e"  instead  of  an  "i"  in  the 
last  syllable   (  W.  J.  Milliken).  superintended. 

Mound  Fallcy. — Organized  in  the  fall  of 
1880.  by  E.  A.  Graham.  Suiierintendents : 
J.  J.  Decker,  A.  B.  Hammer,  R.  W.  Simpson. 
O.  B.  Moore,  Isaac  Hill,  Alexander  Moore 
and  E.  A.  Graham.  Since  1892  the  superin- 
tendents have  been  as  follows :  1893-94,  James 
Beggs:  1895,  J-  D.  Gillespie;  1896-97,  E.  A. 
Graham;  1898.  James  Beggs;  1899,  J.  F.  Bot- 
torrf;  1 900-0 1,  A.  J.  Lovett. 


Flcteher  Chapel. — When  this  church  was 
inclosed,  in  the  fall  of  1883,  the  Sunday-school 
was  moved  from  the  Breese  school-house  to  it. 
Solomon  Pierson  was  first  superintendent.  Of 
those  who  succeeded  him  I  have  not  been  fur- 
nished a  list,  l)Ut  understand  that  among  them 
were  Fannie  Kirljy  and  R.  .\.  Hill. 

//('/Tuv//.— This  scliodl  has  ever  been 
known  as  the  "Ex-ergreen."  from  the  fact  that 
while  most  of  the  schools  in  the  country  closed 
during  the  winter  months,  this  was  kept  run- 
ning the  _vear  round,  from  its  first  organization. 
It  was  organized  in  April,  1871.  in  a  granary 
on  the  place  of  James  Beggs,  and  was  after- 
ward held  in  a  dwelling-house  until  the  Hen- 
derson school-house  was  completed,  when  it 
was  removed  to  that  building,  where  it  was 
held  until  Hopewell  church  was  completed, 
since  which  time  its  himie  has  been  in  that 
structure.  From  its  organizatii  n  until  1884, 
James  Beggs  was  its  superintendent,  with  the 
exception  of  iine  year,  when  George  IMcDole 
filled  that  place.  During  the  period  lietween 
1884  and  1892  it  had  several  su])erintenden:s, 
among  whom  were  L.  C.  ^Masters,  W .  T  • 
Beggs,  M.  Daniels  and  James  Monroe.  Since 
1892  the  following  named  persons  have,  held 
the  office:  1893-94,  Nelson  Drenner;  1895- 
96,  Mrs.  Ella. Daniels;  1897-98,  J.  A.  Jamison; 
1899,  Mrs.  E.  J.  Phillips;  1900-01,  E.  M. 
Stotts. 

Pleasant  Hill. — Organized  in  1890,  and 
has  had  for  superintendents:  James  Wood- 
yard,  Mrs.  Barker  and  James  Venable. 

Excelsior. — Durnig  the  earlier  history  of 
the  county,  the  MctlmdiMs  held  preaching  serv- 
ices in  several  of  the  sch.ml-houses  in  Mound 
Valley  and  Osage  townships,  and  many  of  the 
schools  that  were  classed  as  union  were  really 
Methodist  Sundav-schools.  Of  one  of  these 
schools  J.   W.    Morain   was  superintendent  a 


HISTORY  CF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


number  of  years.  When  the  Excelsior  church 
was  erected  in  1891,  these  appointments  and 
schools  were  consolidated,  and  a  Methodist 
Sunday-school  was  organized  at  the  Excelsior 
church  at  the  opening  of  1892.  I  have  not 
been  furnished  with  a  full  list  of  its  superin- 
tendents, but  among  them  have  been  W.  H. 
Brown,  Francis  Edgar  and  Emma  Morain.  • 

Edna. — Almost  from  the  first  organization 
of  Sunday-school  work  in  Edna,  it  was  largely 
under  the  control  of  the  Methodists ;  but  it  was 
not  till  they  went  into  the  new  church,  in  the 
spring  of  1883,  that  the  Methodists  organized 
a  distinctively  denominational  school.  The 
following  persons  have  superintended  the 
school :  E.  B.  Baldwin,  L.  Powell,  H.  S.  Wim- 
mer  and  Charles  A.  Long.  The  last  named 
gentleman  is  still  the  incumbent. 

Angola. — W.  H.  Troxson  has  Iseen  super- 
intendent of  this  school  since  1898. 

Bavtlctt. — After  the  completion  of  the 
church  at  this  point  in  1893,  a  Sunday-school 
was  organized  therein,  and  has  since  been  main- 
tained ;  it  has  had  the  following  superinten- 
dents: S.  L.  Whiting.  I.  (;.  Wiley,  Mrs.  Belle 
Cellars  and  L  E.  Ross. 

Matthcivson. — This  school  was  organized 
in  the  new  church  on  its  completion  in  1894. 
Its  superintendents  have  been  :  J.  T.  Marshall, 
Mrs.  Rosa  Meador,  N.  D.  Sturm,  Mrs.  W.  D. 
Harry  and  Mrs.  O.  Baker. 

Cecil. — As  soon  as  the  Methodist  church 
at  Cecil  was  inclosed,  the  Sunday-schocl  which 
had  been  previously  conducted  at  the  Liggett 
school-house  was  moved  to  the  church;  this 
was  done  in  March,  1883.  J.  N.  Thompson 
was  its  first  superintendent,  and  since  then 
there  have  been  J.  D.  Lombard,  J.  V.  Lewman. 
Lydia  A.  Owens,  Xoah  E.  Barrick  and  Eliza- 
beth  Laman. 


PRESBYTERI.\N. 


Mound  J 'alley. — Organized  December  7, 
1884;  Dr.  L.  T.  Strother,  superintendent:  48 
scholars,  divided  into  eight  classes.  The 
school  has  been  maintained  ever  since.  C.  M. 
Brown  superintended  for  a  year  or  two.  Dr. 
L.  T.  Strother  then  had  charge  of  the  school 
until  1896.,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  J.  F. 
Wise,  who  ser\'ed  to  the  close  of  1898.  C. 
M.  Watson  has  been  superintendent  since  Jan- 
uary, 1899. 

Chctopa. — Organized  July  17,  1870,  with 
C.  S.  Montague,  superintendent,  and  on  August 
25,  1872,  Dr.  C.  Humble  was  elected  superin- 
tendent. He  continued  to  serve  until  he  went 
away,  in  1877.  Following  him  the  school  has 
been  superintended  by  C.  H.  McCreery,  S.  O. 
Barnes,  Fred.  Allen,  Jesse  M.  Morgan.  Julia 
R.  Knight,  Arnold  D.  Robison,  Nelson  E. 
Allen,  J.  Harry  Evans  and  A.  B.  Crosby. 

Parsons. — Organized  in  December.  1872, 
with  Harry  L.  Gosling,  superintemlent.  Suc- 
ceeding him  t'r.ere  ha\-e  been  the  following  su- 
perintendents:  i\I.  B.  Park.  I.  N.  McCreery, 
G.  C.  Hitchcock,  S.  i\I.  Cambern.  Frank  Mul- 
ford,  S.  A.  Scott,  F.  L.  Schaub.  W.  H.  Martin. 
J.  L.  Morrison.  \\'.  Aikenhead,  M.  J.  iNIc- 
Knight  and  E.  H.  ^IcCreery.  M.  J.  Mc- 
Knight  is  the  present  incumbent. 

Os:ecgo. — Organized  in  Alay,  1870.  with 
Cornelius  V.  iMonfort  superintendent.  He  was 
followed  by  J.  J.  Browne,  J.  W.  Monfort.  E. 

B.  Newton,  Alexander  Mackie,  Chas.  Coit.  An- 
drew Mackie,  Albert  A.  Smith,  R.  P.  Carpen- 
ter. Fred  C.  Wheeler,  Henry  L.  AlcCune.  Fred. 
W.  Keller,  E.  P.  Mossman,  J.  M.  Berry,  W. 

C.  iNIitchelj,  T.  E.  Tregemba  and  F.  S. 
^litcbell. 

Montana. — When  the  Presbyterian  church 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


319 


was  built  at  Montana,  in  1878,  the  Sunday- 
school  was  at  once  organized  therein,  with 
James  Morning  as  superintendent.  The  school 
was  maintained  irregularly,  and  both  the 
church  and  Sunday-school  have  been  discon- 
tinued for  some  years  past. 

Lake  Creek. — The  Lake  Creek  Presbyterian 
church  having  been  built,  the  Sunday-school, 
Avhich  had  been  maintained  at  the  school- 
house,  was  removed  to  it,  in  1884,  where  it  was 
opened  as  a  Presbyterian  school,  and  the  union 
school  was  discontinued.  In  1893  the  church 
and  Sunday-school  were  removed  to  Bartlett. 
The  superintendents  of  the  school,  while  in  the 
Lake  Creek  Presbyterian  church,  were :  A.  D. 
Rabison,  Thomas  E.  Baty.  Mrs.  J.  H.  Cellars, 
Irwin  A.  Robinson  and  again  Thomas  E.  Baty. 

Bartlett. — In  1893  the  Presbyterian  church 
was  removed  from  its  original  location  at  Lake 
Creek  to  Bartlett,  and  Sunday-school  work 
was  regularly  taken  up  at  the  new  place.  The 
superintendents  have  been :  J.  L.  Goldsmith, 
H.  J.  Reece,  Thomas  E.  Baty  and  Charles  A. 
Smith. 

Edna. — This  school  was  organized  in  their 
church  in  Kingston,  in  1879,  where  it  was  con- 
tinued until  the  church  was  moved  to  Edna, 
in  1887.  John  T.  Watt  was  superintendent 
while  the  school  remained  at  Kingston  and  for 
a  year  after  it  was  moved  to  Edna.  In  1889 
H.  Allen  was  superintendent.  No  school  was 
maintained  during  1890  and  1 891.  It  was 
reorganized  in  January,  1892,  with  J.  T.  Watt 
as  superintendent.  ^Ir.  \^'att's  superintend- 
ency  has  been  renewed  on  several  occasions. 
There  have  been,  perhaps,  two  or  three  others 
who  have  at  times  served  as  superintendent, 
one  of  whom  is  J.  F.  Holten.  The  member- 
ship of  the  school  is  about  45. 

Altamont. — The   Sundav-school   work  has 


not  been  continuously  maintained  in  the  church 
at  this  point.  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  defi- 
nite facts  about  the  work,  but  learn,  howe\'er, 
that  J.  O.  King  and  A.  B.  Roller  were  super- 
intendents some  of  the  time  prior  to  1896,  and 
since  that  time  B.  L.  Dennison  has  served. 

The  Chctopa  United  Presbyterian  Sunday- 
School  was  organized  in  Thomas"  Hall  in  May, 
1 87 1,  and  on  the  completion  of  the  church 
building  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  the  Sun- 
day-school there  found  its  home,  where 
it  has  had  a  continuous  existence  to  the 
present  time,  meeting  in  the  morning"  be- 
fore preaching,  except  for  a  thort  time, 
when  it  was  held  immediately  after  preach- 
ing. Two  features  of  this  school  are  worthy 
of  special  commendation,  the  first  being  the 
fact  that  nearly  all  the  congregation  is  in 
the  Sunday-school,  thus  giving  it  probably 
the  largest  per  cent,  of  adult  attendance  of  any 
school  in  the  county;  the  other  item  referred 
to  is  a  mission  collection  on  nearly  every  Sun- 
day. Rev.  J.  C.  McKnight  has  continuously 
served  as  Bible-class  teacher  from  the  organ- 
ization of  the  school.  John  Torrance  and 
William  Wade  have  been  successful  teachers 
respectively  of  the  classes  for  young  men  and 
young  women.  T.  J.  Cah-in  was  the  fir^t  su- 
perintendent, and  held  the  ]5osition  fur  ten 
years,  from  1871  to  1881.  Succeeding  him 
were  the  following  parties:  Samuel  Wade  six 
months.  I.  X.  Anderson  three  years,  John  Tor- 
rance five  vears,  David  Burnside  one  year, 
Mrs.  Robert  :\IcCaw  one  year.  Mrs.  R.  J. 
Stewart,  the  next  incumbent,  served  se\-eral 
I  vears  to  the  close  of  1893:  she  was  succeeded 
j  by  A.  P.  Free.  D.  Burnside,  John  Torrance, 
1  and  William  Wade,  se\-eral  of  whom  served 
I  a  number  of  years.  \\'illiam  Wade  is  the  pres- 
ent superintendent. 


320 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


COUNTY 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
AT  IONS. 


ASSOCI- 


In  the  spring-  of  1872  several  of  the  Sun- 
day-school workers  of  Chetopa  j.iined  in 
issuing  a  call  for  a  meeting  to  form  a  county 
Sunday-school  association.  Pursuant  to  this 
call,  quite  a  number  met  in  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  Chetopa,  on  March  21.  1872.  and 
effected  a  temporary  organization  by  electing 
J.  AI.  Cavaness  temporary  president  and  C.  S. 
]^Iontague  temporary  secretary.  A  constitu- 
tion was  adopted,  and  the  following  ofificers 
elected :  President.  I.  W.  Patrick ;  secretary, 
C.  S.  Montague:  trea.surer,  T.  J.  Calvin;  ex- 
ecutive committee,  J.  M.  Ca\aness,  Nelson 
Case.  J.  F.  Hill  and  Amy  B,  Hrjward.  Meet- 
ings have  been  held  annually,  with  t\\"o  excep- 
tions, and  several  years  two  or  m(.)re  meetings 
have  been  held.  No  meeting  was  held  in 
either  1888  or  1890.  The  annual  meetings 
to  the  end  of  1892  were  held  as  follows: 
Oct.  15,  1872.  Oswego:  Oct.  21.  1873.  Che- 
topa; Sept.  2T,.  1874.  Oswego:  Sept.  26,  1875. 
Chetopa:  Sept.  ly.  1876.  Parsons:  Sept.  19, 
1877.  Oswego:  Sept.  18.  1878.  Mound  Val- 
ley: Sept.  22.  1879,  Labette:  Sept.  21,  1880, 
^Montana:  Oct.  6,  1881,  Oswego:  March  21. 
1882,  Chetopa:  Alay  3.  1883.  Mound  \'alley : 
May  7,  1884.  AItam..nt:  May  21.  1885.  La- 
bette: May  12.  1886.  Altamont:  Oct.  5.  1887, 
Mound  Valley:  Jan.  3,  1889,  Edna:  March 
17,  1 89 1,  Oswego:  Feb.  29,  1892.  Mound  Val- 
ley: Dec.  13,  1892,  Chetopa.  Presidents  to 
date  I  if  publication:  March'  21.  1872,  ii  Oct. 
22.  1873.  I-  "^V.  Patrick:  1873-77.  Nels -n 
Case:  1877-79.  Rev.  F.  L.  \\'alker:  1879,  D. 
G.  Brown:  1880.  Rev.  R.  M.  Scott:  1881-83, 
Rev.  C.  H.  McCreery:  1883-86.  J.  M.  Cava- 
ness: 1886,  Rev.  J.  P..  Ford:  1887-88.  J.  H. 
Elmore:  1889.  John  Slaughter:  1890-92,  F.  L. 


Schaub:  1S92-93.  Agnes  Baty;  1893-94,  Dr. 
L.  T.  Strother:  1895-96,  F.  P.  Miller;  1896- 
98.  B.  F.  Briggs;  1 899-1 901,  '\i.  E.  Carringer. 
Secretaries  to  date  of  publication:  1872.  C. 
S.  Montague:  1872-73,  Rev.  J.  H.  Metier; 
^^7i-77-  C.  Humble:  1877,  Nelson  Case:  1878, 
L.  J.  Van  Landingham;  1879,  G.  K.  Sipple; 
1880-S5,  Charles  T.  Carpenter;  1885-87.  Will- 
iam Paramore;  1887-88,  Hattie  Beggs:  1889- 
92,  Agnes  Baty:  1892-93,  Nellie  Harrison; 
1894-95,  Nellie  Lough;  1896,  Mrs.  Rosa 
Meador;  1897-98.  C.  D.  Lynd ;  1899.  Mrs. 
Agnes  Crawford:  1900.  Minnie  Shone:  1901. 
Margaret  Cellars. 

TOWNSHIP   ASSOCIATIONS. 

Before  e\'en  the  county  asscciati(.)n  had 
been  formed,  the  Sunday-school  workers  in 
Oswego  met  on  September  26.  i86g.  and 
formed  a  local  organization,  of  which  Nelson 
Case  was  elected  president.  This  was  the  first 
association  organized  in  the  county.  After 
the  formation  of  the  county  association,  the 
cities  organized  or  reorganized  their  associa- 
tions on  a  basis  uniform  with  the  township  as- 
sociations. At  tl:e  annual  convention  of  the 
coimty  association  in  October.  1875,  it  was 
resolved  to  try  and  secure  the  organization  of 
the  se\-eral  townships  as  fast  as  possible,  and 
within  the  next  two  years  an  organization  was 
effected  in  each  township  and  city  in  the  county. 
Many  of  these  associations,  however,  were 
short-lived.  Their  original  organization  was 
the  result  of  visits  and  work  b}'  one  or  more 
of  the  officers  of  the  county  association,  and 
when  these  visits  ceased  most  of  the  township 
associations  ceased  to  hold  meetings.  Two 
or  three  townships  have  maintained  th.eir  or- 
ganizations, and  have  regularly  held  conven- 
tions, among  them  North  and  Osage:  and  in 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


all  of  the  townships  quite  an  am(iimt  of  local   I  was   commenced   in    1899   and   completed   the 
)rk  has  been  done.  following    spring:    it    was    dedicated   July    i, 

[900.      Elders  j.   W.   Westphal    and    D.    H. 


CHURCH   ORGANIZATIONS. 

SEVENTH    DAY    ADVENTISTS. 


Dennis. — The  church  organized  at  this 
place  a  number  of  years  ago  was  abandoned 
early  in  the  "nineties,"  as  the  members  had 
nearly  all  mii\ed  away.  Those  left  joined  with 
those  about  Parsons  for  worship. 

Parsons. — The  Adventists  have  been  hold- 
ing services  in  Parsons  since  1893.  Not  hav- 
ing any  house  of  worship  of  their  own,  they 
rent  a  hall  where  services  are  held.  Elder  D. 
H.  Oberholtzer  has  been  one  of  their  principal 
e\-angciists  in  late  years. 

Clictopa. — A  church  was  organized  at  this 
point  as  early  as  1887,  and  services  were  held 
in  various  places  for  several  years.  In  1893 
they  commenced  the  erection  of  a  church,  which 
was  completed  and  dedicated  April  22,  1894. 
Not  being  strong  enough  to  maintain  their  or- 
ganization, they  sold  their  c'nurch  Iniilding  to 
the  cit}-  to  be  used  for  school  purposes,  and 
have  practically  abandoned  this  place  since 
1896. 

Oswego. — The  Church  at  Oswego  was  or- 
ganized in  1898,  but  its  membership  was  large- 
1\-  made  up  of  those  who  had  pre\-iously  joined 
the  organization  at  Stover.  The  latter  was 
probably  the  oldest  organization  of  this  de- 
nomination in  the  county,  commencing  in  i86g ; 
services  have  been  held  quite  regularly  since. 
Elders  John  Madison,  H.  C.  Blanchard,  L.  D. 
Santee  and  others  have  been  efficient  evan- 
gelists. Soon  after  organizing  in  Oswego, 
steps  were  taken  to  secure  a  church  building. 
The  erection  of  this  building,  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  Second  avenue  and  Merchant  street. 


Oberholtzer    have    done    evangelistic    service 
here. 

I  CIIL'RCU    OV    G(JD. 

I  Zion  Hill. — This  church  was  organized  in 
'<  the  fall  of  1883.  by  .Mrs.  Clara  Utsey,  with  15 
members.  Ser\-ices  were  conducted  by  her  in 
the  Stover  school-house  until  the  completion 
of  their  church  building.  The  church  was 
erected  in  the  fall  of  1884,  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  10.  in  Fairview  tuwnship. 
Besides  Mrs.  Utsey,  Re\-.  Mr.  Barterbaugh  and 
Re\-.  ]\Ir.  Cross  have  iireachcd  for  this  con- 
gregation. It  has  for  some  time  been  witlnjut 
a  pastor. 

Center  Bethel  was  organized  about  the  same 
time  as  Zion  Hill.  A  church  house  was  erect- 
ed in  the  spring  of  1884,  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  21.  in  Liljerty  township.  The 
same  ministers  who  have  supplied  Zion  Plill 
have  also  preached  for  this  congregation. 

Janes. — An  organization  of  this  church 
was  effected  at  the  Janes  school-house,  in  Dis- 
trict No.  95.  in  the  fall  of  1884.  It  has  had  the 
same  ministers  as  Zion  Hill  church. 

MORMONS,    OR    LATTER    DAY    SAINTS. 

Quite  a  numlier  of  this  persuasion  were 
among  the  first  settlers  along  Pumpkin  Creek, 
in  the  southern  part  of  Mound  Valley  and  Can- 
ada townships.  Among  those  who  were  prom- 
inent were  the  families  of  Hart,  Richard  and 
Benjamin  Davis,  Phineas  and  Charles  Fultz. 
There  were  se\-eral  among  them  who  were 
recognized  as  preachers.  Services  were  held 
from  house  to  house  (|uite  regularly.  When  the 
school-house  was  built,  in  1877,  in  District  No. 


322 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


94,  they  organized,  and  removed  their  services 
to  that  place,  where  the}-  have  since  been  regu- 
larly continued. 

UNIVERSALISTS. 

In  January,  1883,  an  organization  of  this 
denomination  was  effected  at  the  home  of  Rev. 
J.  Davis,  in  Oswego.  Meetings  were  conduct- 
ed in  the  court-house,  and  part  of  the  time  in 
Liggett's  Hall.  Rev.  J.  Davis  was  elected 
pastor,  and  continued  to  serve  as  such  till 
about  the  middle  of  April,  1885,  when  the  or- 
ganization was  practically  disbanded.  Serv- 
ices were  not  maintained  regularly,  however, 
during  all  of  that  time. 

BROTHERHOOD    OF     HUM  ANIT.\RIANS. 

Januar}-  13,  1884,  an  organization  taking 
this  title  was  formed  in  Liggett's  Hall,  in  Os- 
wego, as  follows:  Mrs.  E.  Smith,  president: 
Airs.  I.  C.  Pierce,  vice-president:  Mrs.  M.  A. 
Hurlbut,  secretary ;  Dr.  R.  W.  Wright,  treas- 
urer. I  do  not  know  tn  what  extent  they 
maintained  meetings. 

THE    SALVATION    CHURCH    OF    CHRIST 

Was  formed  by  Thomas  D.  Bickham  as  a  new 
religious  organization,  in  Chautauciua  county. 
in  1880,  and  the  following  year  a  class  was 
organized  at  Rose  Hill  school-house,  in  Dis- 
trict No.  91,  which  has  been  maintained  since 
then.  This  is  the  only  class  in  the  county  be- 
longing to  this  organization.  Since  the  death 
of  Thomas  D.  Bickham,  in  1889,  his  son, 
Ezra  E.  Bickham,  has  been  the  leading  spirit 
in  this  church. 

NEOSHO    VALLEV    CHURCH. 

The  southwest  corner  of  section  33,  town- 
ship T,2,  range  21,  was  deeded  to  F.  Swanwick 
and  Randall  Bagbv,  for  the  use  of  all  religious 


denominations.  The  neighbors  contributed 
work  and  logs,  and  in  January,  1870,  a  log 
church  was  erected  upon  this  ground,  and  a 

cemetery  was  also  started  thereon.  Nearly  all 
denominations  at  one  time  or  another  held 
services  here :  possibly  the  preachers  of  the 
Methodist  Church  South  used  it  as  much  as  any 
other.  The  building  was  used  for  both  school 
and  church  purposes  until  the  new  school-house 
was  built  in  District  No.  24,  after  which  the 
building  was  torn  down.  The  burying-ground 
is  still  used. 

CHURCH    OF    WILSONTON. 

This  church  professed  to  be  organized  on 
the  plan  of  the  old  apostles,  of  having  one 
church  in  a  place.  The  first  meeting  looking 
toward  its  organization  was  held  October  27, 
1889,  in  the  hall  at  Wilsonton.  Rev.  George 
E.  Thrall  was  elected  chairman  and  i\Irs.  Ella 
B.  Wilson,  secretary.  A  constitution  was 
adopted  and  officers  elected. 


Che  to  pa. — Father  Schoe-:  maker  and  other 
priests  had  visited  along  the  Neosho  as  soon 
as  settlers  had  commenced  to  arrive,  and  had 
done  considerable  religions  work:  but  no 
church  was  organized  by  them  till  1871.  On 
July  16,  1 87 1,  Father  Dougherty  tooi:  charge 
of  the  work,  and  began  holding  services  in 
Drake's  Hall.  A  building  was  erected,  and  on 
May  31,  1874,  dedicated  by  Rev.  E.  Bononcini, 
pastor,  and  Rev.  F.  Swemberg,  of  Emporia. 
Father  Bononcini  had  charge  of  the  work  for 
some  time  prior  to  December,  1880.  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  C.  Haspenthal.  Since  1880, 
the  following  have  been  pastors:  1881-83, 
Father  Laehre;  1883-85,  Father  Weiner :  1886- 
87,  T.  J.  Butler:  1887-88.  J.  J.  O'Connor; 
1888-90,    John    McNamara;    1891-93,   B.   M. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Pizos;  1893-95,  Father  Pottgeiser;  1896,  Fa- 
ther Manz:  1897,  Father  Hildebrand;  1898, 
Father  Barniger;  1899,  Father  Eugene;  1900, 
Father  Keal}-.  In  1888  James  Dunn  contrib- 
uted ground  for  a  cemetery.  In  1900  the  old 
frame  church  was  torn  down  and  a  new  brick 
edifice,  costing  about  $2,500,  was  erected. 

Oswego. — Priests  from  neighbnring  par- 
ishes visited  Oswego  from  time  to  time  and 
held  services.  In  1878,  largely  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  F.  Beyle,  a  building  was  erect- 
ed, which  was  dedicated  October  13th  of  that 
year,  by  Rev.  Paul  M.  Ponziglioni.  A  priest 
has  supplied  this  in  connection  with  other 
points. 

Parsons. — St.  Patrick's  congregation  was 
organized  by  Father  Philip  G.  Calloten,  in  the 
summer  of  1872,  and  lots  i  and  2  in  block  122 
were  secured  on  which  to  commence  the  erec- 
tion of  a  frame  church.  In  December,  1876, 
he  was  succeeded  by  Father  Joseph'  Dreason, 
who  served  till  August,  1881,  when  Father 
Rose  took  charge.  Under  his  direction  the 
property  at  the  head  of  Central  avenue  was  se- 
cured and  converted  into  a  con\-ent.  Five  sis- 
ters from  St.  Agnes  convent  at  Osage  Mission 
were  secured  to  conduct  the  school.  Changes 
were  also  made  in  the  church  building  and 
grounds.  Fathers  Hodgden,  Reil  and  Ward 
succeeded  Father  Rose.  Father  John  Ward 
served  until  1895,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Father  Nichola  Neusius,  who  is  now  in  charge. 
Work  was  commenced  on  the  new  church  un- 
der Father  Ward  in  1891.  The  basement  was 
completed,  and  services  were  held  therein  un- 
til 1900,  when  the  church  was  pushed  to  com- 
pletion. It  is  a  fine  structure,  58  by  145  feet, 
with  a  78-foot  transept:  a  tower  165  feet  high 
contains  a  2.900-pound  bell.  The  church  is 
decorated  in  Roman  style,  and  has  stained  glass 
windows.     It  is  furnished  with  a  pipe  organ 


costing  over  $2,000.  The  entire  cost  of  the 
church  and  furnishings  is  said  to  be  $32,000. 
It  has  a  seating  capacity  of  800.  The  Sacred 
Heart  Academy  was  started  in  1890  under  the 
direction  of  the  Sisters  of  Loretto;  since  1896 
it  has  been  directed  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity. 

PROTI-:ST.\NT    EPISC0P.\L. 

Osz^'cgo. — In  1870.  and  for  a  year  or  two 
thereafter.  Episcopal  services  were  held  now 
and  then  at  Oswego,  and  some  steps  were  taken 
towards  organizing  a  parish.  If  it  was  ac- 
complished at  all,  it  did  not  live  long  nor  show 
many  signs  of  life. 

CJictopa. — During  1871  the  Episcopalians 
held  occasional  services  in  some  of  the 
churches  in  Chetnpa,  and  gathered  together 
some  strength  that  naturally  tended  to  that 
body.  In  May,  1872,  St.  Paul's  parish  was 
formed,  with  Rev.  Thomas  L.  Smith  as  rector. 
Services  were  heUl  seldom  and  irregularly  for 
several  years.  In  July,  1888,  Rev.  Richard 
Elerby  commenced  holding  services,  first  in 
private  residences  and  later  in  one  of  the 
churches  of  the  other  denominations.  In  Au- 
gust, 1893,  they  laid  the  foundation  of  their 
own  church,  and  on  March  21,  1898.  it  was 
formally  consecrated  by  Rt.  Re\-.  Frank  Mills- 
paugh.  When  they  commenced  building,  they 
had  seven  communicants;  now  they  have 
over  30. 

Parsons. — St.  John's  Memorial  church  was 
organized  in  June,  1874,  as  a  memorial  to 
Ezra  Williams  Howard,  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
whose  widow,  through  Bishop  Vail,  gave 
$2,000  towards  its  erection.  The  first  board 
of  trustees  consisted  of  .\ngell  Matthewson, 
W.  C.  Holmes,  J.  R.  Brown,  James  Barton, 
George  Thornton,  S.  O.  Fletcher,  and  W^illiam 
Horsefall.     Dr.  T.  B.  Lamb  was  the  first  senior 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


warden.  Rev.  Benjamin  Mnwer  was  at  once 
secnred  as  the  first  rectnr.  and  he  continued  to 
act  as  such  for  sometiiing  o\-er  a  year.  He 
immediately  commenced  raising  money  for  the 
erection  of  a  church.  On  Sunday,  September 
27,  1874,  the  corner-stone  was  laid,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  and 
on  April  4,  1875,  the  church  was  opened  by 
Bishop  \'ail.  Prior  to  the  completion  of  their 
own  church  they  had  held  services  in  the  INIeth- 
iidist  tabernacle.  Air.  Gay,  D.  W.  Cox,  Air. 
Talbot.  W.  T.  Bowen,  C.  W.  Harris  and  J. 
J.  Purcell  are  among  those  who  have  served 
as  rectors.  Rev  J.  J.  Purcell,  the  last-named, 
has  been  the  rector  since  1894,  and  has  con- 
tributed by  his  eiTicient  labors  in  keeping  the 
church  abreast  of  the  growth  of  the  citv. 


[It  is  probable  that  some  of  the  organiza- 
tions which  I  have  grouped  under  this  head 
might  be  more  properly  designated,  according 
to  their  own  claim,  by  some  other  name,  but 
I  have  no  information  by  which  I  can  make  any 
better  classification  than  tliis. — X.  C.] 

Concord. — Soon  after  the  completion  of 
Concord  school-house,  in  District  Xo.  16,  in 
the  fall  of  1868,  Rev.  Jackson  Statton  com- 
menced holding  services  in  it.  He  and  other 
ministers  frequently  preached  there  during  the 
next  year.  In  1874  Rev.  J.  S.  Masters  began 
preaching  here,  and  organized  a  church,  which 
was  maintained  for  some  fi\e  years. 

franklin  was  organized  at  Center  school- 
house.  District  No.  14,  in  1869,  by  Peterson 
Cherry  and  \\'illiam  Mcintosh.  Some  two 
years  later  it  was  moved  to  the  Liberty  school- 
house,  in  District  Xo.  17,  and  some  three  or 
four  years  later  to  the  Franklin  .school-house. 
in   District  Xo.    55,   where  it  has  since  been 


maintained.     It  has  had  for  its  pastors  Elders 
Berry,   Randall,   Murray,  and  Cole. 

Pleasant  Hill. — A  church  was  organized 
in  the  log  school-house  in  District  Xo.  38,  in 
April,  1871,  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Masters,  who 
preached  for  tliem  a  number  of  years.  In  1878 
they  built  a  frame  church  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  26,  township  31,  range  18. 
After  Air.  blasters  moved  away  the  organiza- 
tion ceased,  and  the  church  Ijuilding  was  sold 
to  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists. 

Lockard. — An  organization  was  formed  at 
the  Lockard  school-house,  in  District  Xo.  28, 
by  Rev.  J.  X'.  Allison,  who  has  preached  there 
for  some  time. 

Star. — Re\-.  J.  S.  blasters  organized  a 
church  in  the  Star  schoolhouse,  in  District  Xo. 
50.  in  1874,  and  preached  there  several  years. 
It  was  then  consolidated  with  the  South  Hack- 
berry  church. 

South  Hackbcrry  (iioio  Elm  City). — This 
church  was  organized  at  the  Valley  school- 
house,  District  X'o.  /2,  by  Rev.  J.  S.  blasters 
and  Rev.  G.  \V.  Goodman,  April  6,  1873,  and 
has  maintained  services  e\-er  since.  Rev.  J. 
S.  Masters  and  his  brother.  Rev.  J.  L.  blasters, 
have  preached  for  the  church  the  greater  part 
of  the  time,  l)ut  it  has  also  had  other  preach- 
ers. The  services  were  changed  in  1887  from 
the  Valley  school-house  to  Rose  Hill  school- 
house,  in  District  X'o.  109.  The  church  in  the 
summer  of  1892  erected  a  house  of  worship  at ' 
Elm  City,  which  was  dedicated  Oct.  9,  1892, 
by  Rev.  J.  S.  blasters.  Philander  Davis,  A. 
Humphries,  J.  Allison,  P".  Folic,  J.  P.  Coats, 
James  Allison,  Jr..  l)esides  the  Alasters  broth- 
ers, have  been  pastors. 

Emmons  District.  Xo.  S^. — In  1877  ^^v. 
Skelton  Riley,  a  preacher  in  the  Christian  de- 
nomination, commenced  preaching  in  this 
school-house,  and  as  there  were  several  in  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


325 


neighborhood  who  wanted  to  have  a  church 
connection,  he  soon  succeeded  in  forming  quite 
an  organization  of  those  who  had  belonged  to 
various  denominations.  The  understanding 
was  that  no  particular  denominational  creed 
should  be  preached.  Everything  went  off 
smoothly  for  about  a  year,  but  finally  the 
preacher  mixed  in  his  sermons  quite  a  large 
amount  of  his  peculiar  denominational  views, 
which  was  distasteful  to  a  large  proportion  of 
his  members.  The  membership  gradually  de- 
creased, and  after  an  existence  of  something 
like  two  years  the  organization  became  entirely 
disbanded. 

Bdl  Mound  District,  Xo.  pp. — A  Christian 
church  was  organized  at  this  point  several 
years  ago,  which  has  since  lieen  maintained. 
A.  D.  Skaggs  and  Job  Padget  have  done  con- 
siderable preaching  for  them. 

Chctopa. — On  September  11,  1870,  Rev. 
Allen  Crocker,  of  Burlington,  preached  at 
Spaulding's  Hall.  This  was  "the  first  service 
held  by  this  denomination  in  Chetopa.  This 
church  was  organized  with  36  members,  in 
January,  1876,  by  Benjamin  H.  Smith,  who 
served  it  as  pastor  for  about  eighteen  months, 
preaching  for  them  once  a  month.  In  1878 
Elder  M.  J.  Jenkins  held  a  series  of  meetings, 
the  use  of  the  Baptist  church  being  secured 
for  that  purpose.  For  the  ne.xt  three  years  the 
church  was  occasionally  served  by  Prof.  Robert 
Play.  The  church  then  became  disbanded,  par- 
tially for  want  of  a  place  to  meet.  In  1883 
a  room  in  the  California  House  was  secured  as 
a  place  for  meeting,  and  F.  S.  Young  and  P. 
A.  Millard  were  secured  to  hold  a  series  of 
meetings  in  April.  These  resulted  in  a  reor- 
ganization of  the  church,  with  24  members. 
A  Sunday-school  had  been  organized  by  them 
a  few  weeks  before.  P.  A.  Millard  served 
them  as  pastor  for  a  year  or  more,  after  which 


they  had  preaching  occasionally  till  the  spring 
of  1886,  when  M.  J.  Jenkins  became  pastor, 
giving  them  half  of  his  time  for    some    six 
months.     In  1884  a  frame  church  32  by  44. 
feet  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,400,  and:, 
dedicated  December  14,  1884,  by  W.  C.  Pool. 
On  April  30,    1889,  the  church    traded    this- 
house  of  worship  with  the  Baptist  denomina- 
tion for  its  building,  and  thereupon  the  two 
denominations    exchanged  places  of  meeting. 
In  1888  Elder  M.  Ingles  preached  one-half  the 
time,   and  G.  W.  Leonard  once  a  month  in 
1 891.     A.   J.    Garrison   was   pastor   in    1892^. 
preaching  two  Sundays  each  month,  until  No- 
vember, when  he  resigned.     Since   1892,  the.- 
pastors    have    been :      A.    L.    Taylor,    R.   G- 
White  and  W.  F.  Guy.     The  membership  of 
the  church  is  about  90.     In  1893  an  addition 
was  made  to  the  church,  a  baptistry  put  in, 
and  some  repairs  made. 

Labette. — This  church  was  first  organized 
at  Liberty  school-house.  District  No.  17,  in 
1871,  by  William  [Mcintosh,  who  preached  to 
them  most  of  the  time  for  several  years.  In 
September,  1877,  the  organization  was  re- 
moved to  the  town  of  Labette,  where  it  has 
since  been  maintained.  They  have  not  had 
regular  pastors  much  of  the  time,  but  have  had 
occasional  preaching  by  Peter  Shick,  Frank 
Harman,  Elder  Jenkins,  A.  D.  Skaggs,  Thomas 
Cole,  and  others. 

Montana. — This  church  was  organized  at 
the  residence  of  Dr.  R.  ]\I.  Taylor,  December 
2,  1886,  at  which  time  J.  J.  Freeman,  Crowell 
Cook  and  R.  H.  Gaston  were  elected  trustees. 
Lots  7  and  8  in  block  14  were  secured,  and  a 
church  building  was  erected  thereon  in  1887, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $600.  The  church  has  been 
supplied  with  regular  preaching  but  a  small 
portion  of  the  time.  Rev.  A.  D.  Skaggs 
preached   for  them   some   time   in   connection 


326 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


with  his  work  at  other  points  in  the  county. 
In  1892  negotiations  for  a  sale  of  their  church 
building  to  the  Methodists  were  had,  but  did 
not  result  in  anything.  Since  then  no  pastor 
has  been  employed  and  no  services  have  been 
conducted. 

Forsoiis. — The  First  Christian  church  of 
Parsons  was  first  organized  in  1873,  with  12 
members,  and  was  reorganized  in  1875,  with 
35  members.  A  brick  building  was  completed 
in  1879.  Its  first  elders  were  Phineas  Davis 
and  John  Leonard ;  its  first  deacons,  J.  F.  Van 
Meter  and  W.  L.  Daily.  The  first  pastor  was 
J.   B.   Graves,  who  was   followed  by    C.    C. 

Cline,   C.   O.   McKinney,   O.   E.   Ebert,  

Thomas,  J.  P.  Witt,  J.  T.  Tucker  and  J.  H. 
Love.  In  May,  1890,  J.  P.  Witt,  who  had 
been  preaching  for  the  First  church,  organized 
the  Central  Christian  cliurch,  with  a  member- 
ship of  about  40.  and  became  its  first  pastor. 
He  was  succeeded  by  D.   M.   Harris,  and  he 

by  Brown.     In  1894,  the  First  and  the 

Central  Christian  churches,  who  had  main- 
tained separate  organizations  since  their  separa- 
tion in  1 890,  concluded  to  unite,  and  to  be  there- 
after known  as  the  Central  Christian  church. 
This  union  took  place  under  the  leadership  of 
W.  E.  Harlow,  who  had  a  \-ery  successful 
pastorate,  extending  from  January  i,  1894, 
to  June,  1897,  during  which  time  the  member- 
ship of  the  church  was  very  largely  increased. 
W.  W.  Burks  held  the  position  of  pastor  from 
July  I.  1897,  to  November,  1900.  since  which 
time  C.  E.   Pile  has  served. 

Altamout. — This  church  was  organized  in 
March.  1877.  by  Elder  Frank  Harmon,  with 
thirteen  members.  James  Perry  and  \\'illiam 
P.  Daniel  were  its  first  elders,  and  F.  L.  Ham- 
ilton and  James  Daniel  its  deacons.  It  has 
been  served  by  the  following  ministers:  Frank 


Harmon,  J.  Padget,  P.  W.  Shick,  John  Owen, 
B.  F.  Lucas.  In  1892  this  church  purchased 
the  frame  building  which  had  previously  been 
the  public  school  building,  which  they  have  re- 
moved and  repaired  for  use  as  a  church. 

Oszifcgo. — The  Oswego  Christian  church 
was  organized  in  May,  1875,  by  Rev.  J.  W. 
Randall,  with  a  membership  of  about  20  soon 
after  completing  the  organization.  For  a  time 
they  held  services  in  the  Baptist  church,  and 
afterwards  in  the  court-house.  In  1879  they 
erected  a  house  of  worship,  which  was  dedicat- 
ed January  25,  1880,  by  Rev.  Kirk  Baxter. 
The  pastors  have  been  as  follows :  J.  W.  Ran- 
dall, M.  J.  Jenkins,  Kirk  Baxter,  H.  S.  Kline, 
Thomas  E.  Shepherd,  D.  R.  De  Schullie,  A. 
H.  Mulkey,  R.  A.  Thompson,  J.  W.  Ferrell, 
M.  Ingels,  J.  H.  Blake,  E.  N.  Tucker,  S.  J. 
Vance,  O.  C.  Atwater,  G.  W^  Leonard,  J.  A. 
Longston  and  H.  J.  Aldrich.  An  organiza- 
tion of  the  Y.  P'.  S.  C.  E.  was  effected  Octo- 
ber 12,  1890,  and  has  done  a  good  line  of  work 
in  Bible  study.  David  Jennings  was  presi- 
dent for  several  years,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  past  there  ha\-e  been  different  persons  in 
that  position.  The  ladies  have  an  organized 
and  active  missionarv  society.  The  numerical 
strength  of  the  church  is  about  130. 

Mound  I'allcy. — An  organization  was  ef- 
fected at  the  residence  of  E.  Stapleton,  in 
May,  1871,  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Randall.  This 
organization,  however,  only  lasted  for  a  short 
time.  In  March,  1882,  Rev.  J.  Padget  con- 
ducted a  series  of  meetings  in  a  school-house, 
and  a  reorganization  was  formed.  A  house  of 
worship  was  erected  that  summer.  P.  W. 
Shick  was  pastor  for  several  years  prior  to 
1895.  Ill  J"lyr  1895.  Rev.  Joel  Brown,  an 
evangelist,  conducted  a  successful  jirotracted 
meeting,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  Eltler  H. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


327 


G.  W'liite  was  empli;)yecl  for  the  ensuing  year. 
Following  'him  were  Benjamin  F.  Martin, 
Lahr,  and  J.  P.  Hauer. 

CONGREGATIONAL. 

OstiVgo. — The  Congregational  church  of 
Oswego  was  the  first  church  to  be  organized 
in  the  county.  The  meeting  at  which  it  was 
organized  was  held  in  the  building  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  block  t,T),  then  used  for  school 
and  church  purposes,  Jan.  9,  1868.  There  were 
present  Rev.  T.  H.  Canfield,  Dr.  W.  S.  New- 
Ion,  Mrs.  M.  W.  Newlon,  Mrs.  Lucinda  New- 
Ion,  William  Herbaugh,  Augusta  Herbaugh, 
and  A.  L.  Austin.  \V.  S.  Newlon  was  elected 
clerk,  A.  L.  Austin  and  William  Herbaugh, 
deacons.  On  the  following  Sunday,  January 
1 2th,  the  public  organization  of  the  church  took 
place.  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Canfield  was  sent  out 
by  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  in  the  fall  of 
1867,  and  soon  commenced  preaching.  He 
was  the  first  regular  preacher  on  the  ground 
who  came  more  as  a  preacher  than  as  a  set- 
tler, although  the  Methodists  had  several  local 
preachers  here  before  he  came.  Early  in  1869 
they  commenced  the  erection  of  a  stone  church, 
which  was  inclosed  about  the  last  of  the  year, 
and  cost  some  $2,000.  The  church  was  first 
occupied  on  January  2t„  1870,  although  it  was 
not  yet  completed.  Mr.  Canfield  resigned  in 
1870,  and  was  succeeded  for  a  few  months  by 
Rev.  J.  F.  Morgan,  who  was  fnllowed  by  Rev. 
F.  A.  Armstrong — a  man  with  a  large  amount 
of  wisdom  and  goodness,  but  with  less  prac- 
tical sense.  As  a  consequence,  he  and  his  mem- 
bers did  not  see  things  alike,  and  he  was  finally 
left  as  pastor  of  a  church  almost  without  a 
membership.  The  church  remained  closed  for 
a  number  of  months,  but  finally  A.  Bixby  was 
employed,  and  preached  most  of  the  time  for 
some  two  or  three  years — from  1876  to  1879. 


John  F.  Flint  served  a  few  months  in  1880. 
E.  F.  Smith  was  called  in  the  spring  of  1881, 
and  served  until  the  summer  of  1882.  J.  N. 
Branch  preached  for  them  the  last  half  of 
1883.  O.  M.  Van  Swearingen  came  in  the 
spring  of  1884,  and  stayed  a  little  more  than 
a  year.  From  the  fall  of  1886  to  the  spring  of 
1887  Wm.  T.  Blenkarn  supplied  the  pulpit; 
it  then  remained  vacant  till  the  spring  of  1891, 
when  Park  A.  Bradford  was  employed,  and 
remained  most  of  that  year.  In  the  summer 
of  1892  Charles  H.  Currans  filled  the  pulpit. 
Since  1892  Rev.  I.  D.  Barnard  and  Rev.  H. 
A.  Brundage  each  served  the  church  for  sev- 
eral months  regularly.  Two. or  three  other 
parties  have  also  preached  occasionally:  but 
the  church  has  not  attempted  to  keep  up  reg- 
ular services  or  to  employ  a  pastor  at  all  regu- 
larly during  several  years  past ;  indeed,  the 
church  work  has  been  practically  suspended 
for  years. 

Parsons. — Early  in  1872  several  citizens 
of  Parsons  who  leaned  toward  Congregation- 
alism, after  consulting  some  of  the  officers  of 
the  Home  Missionary  Society,  decided  to  or- 
ganize, and  secured  the  incorporation  of  "The 
First  Congregational  Church  Society  of  Par- 
sons," with  E.  C.  Ward,  E.  S.  Stevens  and 
C.  L.  ^Vhitney  as  trustees.  Hewes'  Hall  was 
rented,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Storrs  and  other  ministers 
promised  to  preach  until  the  arrival  of  the 
Rev.  P.  M.  Griffin,  who  was  to  be  sent  out 
by  the  Home  Missionary  Society  as  soon  as  he 
finished  his  course  at  Andover.  As  the  Meth- 
odists and  Presbyterians  were  already  occupy- 
ing this  hall  on  alternate  Sabbaths,  the  Con- 
gregationalists  could  only  hold  services  oc- 
casionally. This  hastened  their  action  in  build- 
ing a  church.  The  town  company  donated  lots 
I  and  2  in  block  49,  and  the  church  purchasfed 
lots  3  and  4  adjoining.     Air.  Griffin  arrived 


328 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


on  tlie  ground  and  commenced  work  Septem- 
ber I,  1872.  A  brick  building  27  by  65  was 
constructed  as  rapidly  as  could  be  done,  and 
was  completed  in  the  following  July.  On  July 
12,  1873,  Edmund  S.  Stevens,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Stevens,  Mrs.  Emily  Fellows,  Rev.  Presley 
M.  Griffin  and  Mrs.  E.  J.  Griffin  formed  them- 
selves into  and  organized  the  First  Congrega- 
tional church  of  Parsons.  On  the  following 
day,  Sunday,  July  13,  1873,  the  church  build- 
ing was  dedicated  by  Dr.  P.  ;\Ic\'icar;  the 
church  was  reorganized,  and  the  pastor  was 
ordained  and  installed  by  an  ecclesiastical 
council.  Mr.  Griffin  remained  pastor  till  Au- 
gust 19,  1879,  when  he  resigned,  and  was  duly 
dismissed  by  the  council.  During  Mr.  Griffin's 
pastorate  the  church  memlaership  was  in- 
creased from  5  to  62,  and  the  entire 
church  indebtedness  was  canceled.  Air.  Grif- 
fin was  succeeded  by  Rev.  H.  M.  Burr, 
who  came  in  November,  and  continued  till 
May,  1880,  when  he  was  compelled  by  ill  health 
to  resign.     From  this  time  till  September   i, 

1 88 1,  the  church  was  without  a  pastor;  at  that 
time  Rev.  C.  Hartley  came  and  sta}ed  till  June, 

1882,  when  he  resigned.  In  December,  1882, 
Rev.  W.  H.  Utiey  became  pastor,  and  contin- 
ued till  February  i.  1886.  In  May  of  that 
year  Rev.  C.  L.  AIcKeeson  accepted  a  call,  and 
remained  some  two  years.  The  church  was 
then  closed  till  the  summer  of  1890,  during 
which  time  it  seemed  that  the  life  of  the 
church  had  entirely  fled;  but  the  membership 
again  rallied,  repaired  the  church,  and  extended 
a  call  to  .their  first  pastor.  Rev.  P.  M.  Griffin, 
who  accepted,  and  began  work  September  i, 
1890,  and  continued  till  sometime  in  1892. 
During  his  last  pastorate  a  Young  People's  So- 
ciety of  Christian  Endeavor  was  formed  and 
new  vitality  was  put  into  the  church  in  many 
ways.     Since  1892  the  pastors  have  been:    T. 


B.  Jones,  three  years:  A.  W.  Bishop,  four 
years;  L.  G.  Ruge,  one  year;  and  the  present 
pastor,  T.  B.  Coachman.  In  1894  a  new  small 
brick  church  replaced  the  original  structure, 
which  was  torn  down. 

The  Dccrtou  Congregational  Church  was 
organized  in  the  Dresser  school-house,  Dis- 
trict No.  51,  July  22,  1877,  by  Rev.  S.  D. 
Storrs,  with  seven  members.  Rev.  Alanson 
Bixby,  of  Oswego,  was  chairman  of  the  meet- 
ing, and  after  the  organization  of  the  church 
he  was  at  once  chosen  pastor;  he  served  this 
church  in  connection  with  the  church  at  Os- 
wego. There  were  17  accessions  during  the 
year.  At  the  close  of  that  year  Rev.  Uriel 
Farmer  was  chosen  pastor,  and  during  the  year 
steps  were  taken  to  erect  a  church  and  parson- 
age. George  E.  Wiley  donated  three  acres  of 
land  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  21, 
township  34,  range  18,  near  the  north  line  of 
Howard  township,  for  church  and  parsonage. 
The  parsonage  was  built  during  1878.  The 
church  building  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1879, 
and  was  dedicated  January  24.  1880,  the  cor- 
ner-stone having  been  laid  October  18,  1879. 
Mr.  Farmer  having  served  two  years,  he  re- 
tired, and  Rev.  Mr.  Flint  temporarily  supplied 
the  pulpit.  Early  in  1882  Rev.  James  Cooper 
became  pastor,  and  served  to  the  close  of  1883. 
During  his  pastorate  about  50  names  were 
added  to  the  list  of  members.  With  the  open- 
ing of  1884  Rev.  Howard  Gilchrist  entered  on 
his  pastorate,  which  continued  till  near  the 
close  of  1885,  when  Rev.  Park  A.  Bradford 
preached  for  a  time.  This  closed  the  work 
while  tlie. building  remained  at  Deerton. 

ra/c'(/(;.— In  the  fall  of  1886  the  church 
building  was  removed  from  Deerton  to  A'aleda. 
No  services  were  held  by  the  church  until  the 
fall  of  1891.  On  September  27,  1891,  the 
church    was    reorganized,   with   33   members. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Rev.  S.  B.  D)-ckman  was  chosen  pastor,  and 
continued  to  serx'e  in  tliat  capacity  for  some 
time.  For  .se\-eral  years  past  no  pastor  has 
been  employed,  and  no  regular  services  have 
been  held  in  this  church.  The  parsonage  still 
remains  at  Deerton. 


Altauioiit. — On  June  i8,  1882,  a  few  fam- 
ilies,— viz. :  of  the  Bonebrake  families,  Frank, 
May,  S.  AL,  Ezra,  Amanda  J..  Luella;  of  the 
Baker  family,  Isaac  Aseneth.  Thomas  L.,  May 
C,  .\llen  T.,  Melvina;  George  and  Margaret 
Chapman,  Jonathan  and  Sarah  Self,  and  Ade- 
line Burns, — presented  letters  from  other 
churches,  and  organized  the  Altamont  Baptist 
church.  Rev.  T.  C.  Daniels  was  chosen  as  the 
first  pastor;  he  only  served  till  Nov.  19,  1882. 
when  he  was  followed  by  J.  M.  C.  Reed,  who 
served  for  three  years.  E.  Estes,  W.  G. 
Slinker,  ^^■.  T.  Jackson.  C.  N.  H.  Moore,  C. 
^^'.  Alexander  and  L.  P.  Day  have  been  the 
subsequent  pastors.  In  1883  a  building,  cost- 
ing about  Si, 500,  was  completed  and  dedicated 
January  29,   1884.  by  Rev.  A.   S.   Merrifield. 

Prairie  Valley. — On  May  20.  1876,  a  Bap- 
tist church  was  organized  at  Prairie  Valley 
school-house.  District  No.  31,  three  miles 
northeast  of  Parsons,  with  1 1  members.  It 
had  grown  to  28  members  in  1884,  when  it 
disbanded,  the  members  mostly  uniting  with  the 
church  in  Parsons.  During  its  existence  its 
pastors  were:  1876-81,  J.  M.  C.  Reed;  part 
of  1 88 1,  J.  C.  Richardson;  1883-84,  J.  S.  John- 
son. 

Oszi'cgn. — The  First  Baptist  church  of  Os- 
wego was  organized  at  the  court-house  April 
28,  1869,  with  the  following  members:  Rev. 
Thomas  Clark  and  wife  D.  Clark,  Rev.  Zach- 
ariah  Harris  and  wife  Anna  J.  Harris,  Rev. 
T.  J.  Flouronoy  and  wife  Virginia  Flouronoy, 


and  mother  Nancy  P.  Flouronoy.  John  S.  Read 
and  wife  E.  C.  Read,  Elijah  Read  and  wife 
Sarah  Read,  Sarah  N.  Carr,  Anna  M.  Bridg- 
man,  Jerusha  P.  Smith,  John  Garrett,  Jemima 
Garrett,  and  George  W.  Kingsliury.  Re\-.  M. 
.\.  Clark,  home  missionar)-,  was  present,  and 
acted  as  clerk.  Rev.  C.  A.  Bateman,  of  Che- 
topa,  was  also  present,  and  gave  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship.  Rev.  Thomas  Clark  acted 
as  moderator.  John  S.  Read  was  elected  clerk, 
Thomas  J.  Flouronoy,  deacon,  John  S.  Read, 
T.  J.  Flouronoy  and  G.  W.  Kingsljury,  trus- 
tees. On  May  8,  1869,  a  meeting  was  held,  at 
which  it  was  voted,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Flouro- 
noy, to  proceed  to  build  a  house  of  worship. 
Subscription  papers  were  put  in  circulation  and 
reference  is  made  to  the  matter  at  se\eral  meet- 
ings during  the  year,  but  no  results  are  re- 
ported. On  June  9,  1869,  "the  subject  of  foot- 
washing  in  connection  with  the  supper  was 
introduced  by  Bro.  Flouronoy.  There  being 
no  second  to  his  motion,  there  was  no  action 
had  upon  the  subject."  There  seems  to  have 
been  no  employment  of  a  pastor  during  1869 
or  1870,  but  Rev.  Thomas  Clark  preached 
quite   regularly   the   first   year.      On   ]May   20. 

1870,  Rev.  F.  L.  Walker  arrived  in  Oswego, 
and  at  once  took  charge  of  the  church,  and  to 
his  faithful  labors  during  the  next  twelve 
years,  more  than  to  any  other  human  agency, 
are  the  Baptists  indebted  for  the  privileges  they 
enjoy  today.  In  September  of  that  year  a 
building  committee  was  appointed,  lots  on 
which  to  build  were  selected  and  donated  by 
the  town  companv,  and  preparations  were  com- 
menced in  earnest  to  have  a  church  building. 
The  foundation  was  laid  early  in  the  spring  of 

1 87 1,  and  was  inclosed  by  midsummer  of  the 
following  year.  Though  not  finished,  the 
church  held  their  first  services  in  the  new  house 
on  July  13.  1872,  with  13  persons  present,  only 


330 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


eight  of  whom  were  members.  Services  con- 
tinued to  be  held  there  till  winter,  when  other 
quarters  had  to  be  secured.  The  next  year  the 
church  was  plastered  and  seated.  Mr.  Walker 
continued  as  pastor  of  the  church  till  the  close 
of  1 88 1,  when  he  severed  his  relations  and  went 
further  west.  In  April,  1882,  Rev.  C.  T. 
Daniel  accepted  a  call,  and  at  once  entered  upon 
his  pastorate,  which  was  continued  till  March, 
1883,  when  he  resigned,  and  the  church  re- 
mained without  a  pastor  until  April,  1884, 
when  Rev.  J.  M.  Lackey  accepted  a  call,  and 
remained  only  till  September.  During  the 
summer  of  1883  the  church  was  refurnished  in- 
side and  reseated.  In  February,  1885,  Rev. 
Chas,  J.  Bowles  accepted  a  call,  and  served  the 
church  until  the  close  of  1886.  In  March, 
1889,  Rev.  Robert  Smith  became  pastor,  and 
continued  as  such  to  July,  1890.  The  church 
was  then  without  a  regular  pastor  until  April, 
1 89 1,  when  Rev.  C.  N.  H.  Moore  commenced 
his  services  as  pastor,  which  terminated  with 
July,  1894.  The  church  was  then  without  a 
pastor  until  the  last  of  April,  1896,  when  Rev. 
Arthur  Creary  was  employed  ;  he  filled  the  pul- 
pit until  the  last  of  July,  1900,  since  which 
time  the  church  has  been  without  a  pastor. 
The  B.  Y.  P.  U.  was  organized  in  April,  1891, 
with  Miss  Nellie  Harrison  as  president.  Since 
then  a  number  of  persons  have  held  that  po- 
sition. 

The  Second  Baptist  church  of  Oswego  was 
organized  by  the  colored  people,  in  1880.  Cor- 
nelius Johnson  secured  its  organization,  and 
became  its  first  pastor.  Since  then  the  church 
has  had  the  following  pastors :  A.  W.  Green, 
J.  J.  Johnson,  J.  R.  White,  T.  T.  Ward,  D. 
T.  Carriway,  X.  C.  Robinson.  In  1882  the 
church  put  up  quite  a  good  frame  building  on 
tlie  southwest  corner  of  block  2,  in  which  they 
held  services  till  September,  1884,  when  it  was 


burned.  Services  were  then  conducted  in  the 
A.  M.  E.  church  for  some  time.  In  July,  1885, 
they  commenced  the  erection  of  a  new  church 
on  the  site  of  the  old  one,  and  got  it  inclosed 
that  fall,  although  it  was  not  completed  until 
the  next  year.  Rev.  N.  C.  Robinson  has  been 
pastor  of  this  church  the  past  ten  years,  and 
has  rendered  faithful  and  efficient  service. 

Mount  Pleasant  Baptist  church  (composed 
of  colored  members)  was  organized  several 
miles  northeast  of  Oswego,  in  1887.  The  fam- 
ilies composing  it  having  for  the  most  part 
moved  from  that  vicinity,  the  organization 
was  removed  to  Oswego  in  1896.  They  have 
used  dwelling  houses  or  rented  rooms  in  which 
to  hold  their  services  so  far,  "but  they  are  at 
present  erecting  a  neat  frame  church  in  the 
west  part  of  Oswego.  J.  J.  Johnson  has  been 
pastor  of  this  church  from  its  organization. 

Mound  Valley  Toivnship. — A  Baptist 
church  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1871, 
at  the  home  of  J.  G.  Phenix,  in  the  west  part 
of  Mound  Valley  township,  by  Rev.  X.  L. 
Davis.  This  organization  was  maintained 
some  three  or  four  years,  when  it  was  dis- 
banded on  account  of  other  churches  being 
organized,  which  drew  away  the  members. 

ll'ilsonton. — The  Wilsonton  Baptist  church 
was  organized  June  5,  1892,  with  Rev.  J.  D. 
Hopper  as  pastor,  and  a  membership  of  seven 
or  eight. 

A  Baptist  church  was  organized  at  Wil- 
sonton (probably)  in  1894.  Under  the  lead 
and  management  of  Elder  Hopps,  a  building 
was  erected  in  that  and  the  following  year,  and 
dedicated  August  11,  1895. 

Hackbcrry  church  was  organized  Novem- 
ber 26,  1870,  in  the  residence  of  Mr.  DeGraw, 
in  Hackberry  township,  by  Rev.  F.  L.  \\'alker. 
J.  B.  Ellis  and  Isaac  Strickland  were  elected 
deacons.     Services  have  ever  since  been  main- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


331 


tainecl  in  the  Ellis  school-house,  in  District  No. 
45.  Its  pastors  have  been  F.  L.  Walker,  George 
Richardson,  William  Richardson,  C.  T.  Floyd, 
George  Goodwin,  and  W.  G.   Slinker. 

Pleasant  Hill  chni;ch  is  located  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  section  12,  in  the  southeast  .cor- 
ner of  Hackberry  township.  It  was  organized 
in  the  spring  of  1885,  by  Rev.  C.  T.  Floyd, 
the  membership  coming  principally  from  the 
Chetopa  cliurch.  On  May  25,  1885,  wofk  com- 
menced un  a  church  building,  which  was  com- 
jileted.  and  on  September  6th  of  that  year  was 
dedicated  Ijy  Rev.  J.  P.  Ash. 

L  ciiuis.—ln  the  fall  of  1877  Rev.  Mr.  Gar- 
rison held  a  protracted  meeting  in  the  school- 
house  in  District  No.  38.  and  organized  a 
church.  In  1878  they  built  a  small  frame 
church  (in  the  northeast  corner  of  section  2^. 
but  after  a  time  removed  it  to  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  24.  After  Dennis  was  start- 
ed they  moved  this  building  there,  where  they 
still  use  it  as  their  house  of  worship. 

Mound  Valley.— J.  H.  Tibbits.  Sarah  Tib- 
bits,  Milo  Hildreth,  Samuel  Guthrey,  Judson 
Wilson,  H.  W.  Savage  and  Allison  Savage 
constituted  the  first  meml^ership  of  the  first 
Baptist  church  of  Mound  Valley,  which  was  or- 
ganized at  the  home  of  J.  H.  Tibbits,  three  miles 
south  of  Mound  Valley,  on  April  i,  1871,  by 
Rev.  F.  L.  Walker.  On  the  following  day. 
Sunday,  Mr.  Walker  preached  at  the  school- 
house  in  the  town  of  Mound  Valley,  at  which 
place  ser\-ices  were  thereafter  held  till  the  com- 
pletion of  their  church  building  in  1882.  In 
January,  1880,  lots  were  procured:  in  Febru- 
ary a  building  committee  was  appointed,  and  in 
September  the  work  of  building  was  begun. 
As  the  building  was  mostly  erected  by  volun- 
teer work,  it  was  some  time  in  course  of  con- 
struction. It  was  dedicated,  free  of  debt,  on 
October  29,  1882.  j\Ir.  Walker  remained  in 
charge  of  the  church  for  seven  years,  and  was 


succeeded  by  Rev.  George  Goodwin,  who  re- 
mained about  a  year,  when  Rev.  W.  G.  Slinker 
was  called,  and  continued  as  pastor  for  seven 
years,  at  the  close  of  which  Rev.  C.  T.  Floyd 
became  pastor.  R.  R.  Coleman,  who  died  in 
January,  1882,  was  one  of  the  efficient  work- 
ers of  the  church.  In  January,  1885,  this 
church  joined  with  the  Methodists  in  their 
building  in  holding  a  revival  meeting  under 
the  leadership  of  Rev.  W.  H.  Hulbert,  an 
evangelist.  This  was  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able revivals  ever  held  in  the  place.  The 
Baptists  realized  from  it  an  addition  of  52 
members.  Mr.  Floyd  served  as  pastor  until  the 
close  of  1893,  since  which  time  the  church  has 
had  the  following  pastors :     C.  N.  H.  Moore, 

Doughty,  J.  H.  Jettmore,  W.  E.  Powell, 

Levi  Lottman,  I.  D.  Xewell  and  R.  X.  New- 
man. 

Parsons. — First  Baptist  Church  :  In  the 
summer  of  1871  Rev.  F.  L.  Walker,  of  Oswe- 
go, visited  Parsons  and  held  some  meetings. 
Perhaps  other  ministers  may  also  have  ren- 
dered them  some  services.  A  few  Baptists  in 
that  vicinity  got  together,  and  even  went  so 
far  as  to  commence  the  foundation  for  a 
church,  but  they  were  so  few  in  number  and 
so  scattered  that  the  enterprise  was  for  a  time 
abandoned.  On  March  2,  1873,  Rev.  Robert 
Atkinson  preached  in  the  Methodist  church, 
and  took  the  first  steps  toward  organizing  a 
church  at  that  place.  The  organization  w^as 
perfected  March  30,  1873,  with  a  membership 
of  12,  composed  of  George,  Susan  and  Emma 
Everhart,  Letitia  Rockhold,  Isaac  Neptune, 
Benjamin  F.,  Martin  W.,  Mary  B.  and  Lizzie 
Elliott,  Ella  Hall,  Alice  Scholl,  and  R.  M.  Don- 
elly.  The  following  officers  were  then  elected  : 
Rev.  Robert  Atkinson,  pastor  and  moderator; 
R.  M.  Donelly.  clerk:  Mrs.  Lettia  Rockhold, 
treasurer:  W.' P.  Scholl,  J.  B.  Stilwell,  J.  R. 
Bennett  and  Mrs.  Lettia  Rockhold,  trustees; 


332 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


J.  \\'.  Fee,  W.  P.  Scholl  and  J.  B.  Stilwell, 
deacons.  F.  L.  Walker  and  Thomas  W.  Green 
served  as  pastors  till  1874;  during  that  year 
Elihu  Gunn  preached  for  them  a  while,  after 
which  the  church  was  inactive  till  September 
I,  1877,  \vhen  it  was  reorganized  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Garrison,  and  a  room  secured  on  Forest  av- 
enue, in  which  meetings  were  held  till  the 
church  was  erected.  In  October,  1879,  the 
foundation  for  the  new  church  was  laid,  and  on 
January  31,  1880,  the  building  was  occupied. 
In  1887  the  building  was  enlarged  and  im- 
proved, at  a  cost  of  over  $3,000,  and  on  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1888,  was  dedicated  by  Rev.  Robert 
Atkinson.  The  church  has  had  two  quite 
marked  revivals,  one  in  1884  and  the  other  in 
1887.  The  following  have  served  as  pastors: 
F.  M.  lams,  H.  M.  Carr,  ^V.  H.  Irwin,  L.  J. 
Dyke,  A.  J.  Essex,  W.  C.  Harvey,  J.  T.  Haye, 
H.  M.  Carr,  C.  H.  DeWoIfe,  H.  G.  Eraser 
and  J.  T.  Crawford.  The  last  named  gentle- 
man has  served  from  1897  to  the  present  date. 
A  number  of  years  ago,  a  Young  People's  So- 
ciety of  Christian  Workers  was  organized  in 
this  church,  of  which  H.  F.  Hixon  was  elected 
president;  Rev.  J.  T.  Hoye,  G.  H.  L.  Cope- 
land  and  T.  \\'.  Flitton  also  served  as  presi- 
dents. The  name  was  later  changed  to  that 
of  the   Baptist  Young  People's  Union. 

Second  (or  New  Hope)  Baptist  church: 
This  church  was  organized  ])y  the  colored  peo- 
ple April  29,  1876,  with  13  members.  Rev. 
Thomas  Wilson,  of  Ottawa,  and  Rev.  David 
Payne,  of  Humboldt,  were  the  ministers  who 
effected  the  organization,  and  Mr.  Payne  be- 
came the  first  pastor.  A  building  was  erected 
^luring  the  summer  of  1876,  which  structure 
was  replaced  in  1893  by  a  new  brick  edifice, 
costing  about  $3,000.  Rev.  A.  Fairfax  has 
been  pastor  since  1885. 

Mount  Pleasant  Baptist  church  is  located 


in  Parsons,  and  is  also  composed  of  colored 
members.  It  was  organized  May  27,  1886, 
Rev.  G.  W.  Parks,  of  Oswego,  acting  as 
moderator,  and  J.  ^^^  Brown,  as  secretary. 
W.  A.  Walton  was  the  first  pastor.  The  con- 
gregation still  occupies  the  frame  church  that 
was  erected  in  1891.  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  Rev. 
D.  D.  Payne  has  been  pastor  since  1890. 

Mount  Zion  Baptist  church  is  a  small  or- 
ganization of  colored  members;  it  has  no 
church  building  and  holds  services  irregularly. 

Richland. — A  Baptist  church  was  organized 
in  the  Richland  school-house,  in  District  No. 
94,  in  May,  1877.  Rev.  F.  L.  Walker  preached 
the  organization  sermon,  and  Rev.  J.  L.  D. 
Williams  gave  the  charge  to  the  church.  Mr. 
Williams  was  the  first  pastor,  and  served  one 
year.  Following  him  the  church  has  been 
served  by  George  Goodwin,  Mr.  Merry,  C.  A. 
Daniels,  J.  S.  Johnson,  and  W.  G.  Slinker. 
In  1885  a  new  church  building  was  erected  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  26  in  Canada 
township.  The  first  service  was  held  therein 
on  November  i,  1885,  and  the  house  was  dedi- 
cated on  December  6,  1885,  by  Rev.  E.  Estes, 
of  Altamont. 

Edna.— On  Feb.  2.  1872.  Rev.  F.  L. 
Walker,  of  Oswego,  assisted  in  organizing 
what  was  then  called  the  Mount  Zion  Baptist 
church.  Services  were  held  in  the  Lieb  school- 
house,  in  District  No.  85,  and  also  in  other  of 
the  school-houses  in  that  part  of  the  county. 
In  the  fall  of  1883  work  was  commenced  on  a 
church  building  in  Kingston;  the  following 
summer  it  was  finished  and  dedicated.  The 
town  of  Kingston  having  been  abandoned  and 
the  business  consolidated  with  Edna  on  the 
completion  of  the  railroad,  in  1886,  this  church 
building  was  removed  to  Edna.  The  follow- 
ing have  served  as  pastors  of  this  church : 
George  Richardson,    four    years;    George    H. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


333 


Goodwin,  four  years ;  W.  G.  Slinker,  sixteen 

years;  C.  T.  Flcjyd,  two  years; Foster, 

one  year;  J.  S.  Harvey,  since  1899. 

Labette. — Rev.  G.  W .  Richardson  com- 
menced preaching  in  a  log  cabin  on  section  ly, 
belonging  to  A.  \V.  Richardson's  estate,  in  the 
fall  of  1867.  He  continued  to  preach  at  in- 
tervals in  that  vicinity  until  the  church  was  or- 
ganized. The  organizatii)n  nf  the  Labette 
Baptist  church  took  place  on  (or  aljout)  July 
25,  1S70,  at  the  residence  of  R.  K.  Jones,  with 
the  following  members:  Elder,  G.  W.  Rich- 
ardson ;  R.  K.  Jones,  Martha  Jones.  Victoria 
Jones,  and  John  Richardson.  It  was  not  un- 
til 1877  that  a  house  was  erected  by  the  church. 
Before  that,  meetings  were  held  in  various 
places,  but  principally  in  the  hall  or  school- 
house.  Quite  a  portion  of  the  time  the  church 
has  been  without  a  pastor.  The  following  is 
a  list  of  those  who  have  served  as  pastors: 
G.  \\'.  Richardson  till  1879,  J.  W.  Sage  two 
years,  C.  T.  Floyd  six  months.  F.  M.  Bowman 
sixteen  months.  C.  J.  Bowles  one  year,  E.  Estes 
one  year,  J.  T.  Crawford  two  months  in  his 
vacation,  J.  ^^'.  Jones  one  year.  \\".  T.  Jackson, 
J.  R.  Alexander.  T.  M.  Cooper  and  W.  R. 
Newman.  On  June  7,  1900,  the  church  build- 
ing was  blown  to  atoms  by  a  tornado  that 
swept  over  the  county.  The  church  soon  went 
to  work  to  erect  a  new  building,  and  are  now 
just  completing  it  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,300. 

Chctopa. — Of  the  work  of  the  Baptists  be- 
fore the  war.  Dr.  Lisle  says:  "The  Baptists 
had  preaching-  at  our  school-house  occasion- 
ally, but  had  no  organized  church  in  the  neigh- 
borhood ;  there  were  several  respectable  mem- 
bers of  that  church  here."  The  first  service  of 
the  Baptist  denomination  in  Chetopa  after  the 
war  of  which  I  have  learned  was  a  sermon  by 
Rev.  C.  A.  Bateman  on  April  18,  1869,  a  pre- 
liminary meeting  of  those  desirous  of  organ- 


izing ha\-ing  beeni  held  on  April  10,  1869. 
The  First  Baptist  church  of  Chetopa  was  or- 
ganized on  April  24.  1869.  by  \\\  A.  Clarke, 
who  was  Sunday-school  missionary  of  the 
Baptist  Publication  Society,  and  C.  A.  Bate- 
man, the  latter  of  whom  at  once  became  its 
pastor,  in  which  capacity  he  served  the  church 
till  after  the  dedication  of  its  building.  To 
his  enthusiasm  was  largely  due  the  rapidity 
with  which  their  building  was  pushed  forward. 
On  February  9,  1870,  they  commenced  work, 
and  on  August  14,  1870,  their  house  was  dedi- 
cated, the  sermon  being  preached  by  Rev.  F. 
M.  Ellis,  of  Lawrence.  In  November,  1870, 
Rev.  A.  L.  Rigby  accepted  a  call,  to  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  church,  and  remained  two  years, 
during  which  time  the  chairs  with  which  the 
church  was  first  seatetl  were  remi)\-ed  and  good 
pews  put  in  their  place,  the  grounds  were 
fenced,  and  other  impnn'ements  made.  From 
the  close  of  1872  on  for  several  years  the 
church  was  without  any  regular  pastor,  and 
and  consequently  suffered  very  materially  in  its 
strength.  Air.  Walker,  of  Oswego,  gave  them 
some  help;  in  1874  Rev.  W.  W.  Kane,  of  Ten- 
nessee, preached  for  them  a  few  months,  and 
other  ministers  occasionalb^  gave  them  some 
service.  In  July,  1879,  Rev.  C.  T.  Floyd  be- 
came pastor,  and  remained  in  charge  till  1882. 
In  January,  1883,  Rev.  William  Wilbur  ac- 
cepted the  pastoral  call  tendered  him,  and  con- 
tinued as  such  till  September.  1885.     In  1887 

the  church  called  Elder  Kna]:)p,  who 

served  them  one  year.  Rev.  D.  W.  Harvey 
became  pastor  in  1888,  and  remained  two 
years ;  Elder  White  followed  him,  being  in 
turn  succeeded  after  several  years'  service  by 
A.  J.  Foster,  who  served  one  year ;  then  W^  G. 
Slinker  gave  four  years'  service,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  present  incumbent.  James 
Harvey.  I 


334 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


The  Second  Baptist  church  of  Chetopa  is 
composed  of  colored  members.  It  was  organ- 
ized in  1882,  and  has  a  building  free  from 
debt.  It  has  had  the  following  pastors :  Jerry 
Houston.  P.  Botts.  C.  T.  Tillman,  A.  W.  Green, 

R.  Cartwright.  J.  R.  White,  Steward, 

J.  A.  D.  Jenkins,  AI.  C.  Cox,  S.  S.  Alexander, 
H.  H.  Curtis, Morrill,  and  J.  N.  Dun- 
can. 

Bethlehem  Baptist  church  was  formed  of 
members  who  withdrew  from  the  Second 
church  (last  above),  in  1896.  In  1899  they 
erected  a  home  of  their  own  and  have  been 
supplied  with  preaching  by  pastors  from  other 
towns.  Rev.  L.  H.  Houston  served  them  for 
a  time,  and  led  the  work  in  the  erection  of 
the  church. 

GERMAN    BAPTISTS. 

Alfaiiiont. — The  first  organization  of  Ger- 
man Baptists  or  Dunkards  in  Labette  county 
was  formed  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Salome 
Kreighbaum,  in  Hackberry  township,  Decem- 
ber 31,  1878,  with  2^  members.  Meetings 
were  thereafter  held  at  the  Luckard  school- 
house  in  District  No.  28,  and  in  other  districts. 
This  became  the  church  now  located  near  Alta- 
mont.  In  1900  a  new  church  building  was 
erected  some  two  and  a  half  miles  northeast 
of  Altamont  at  a  cost  of  about  $900.  The 
membership  is  about  40.  John  Ward,  Joel 
Eikenbury  and  Noah  Oren  are  ministers. 
Christian  Kingley  was  one  of  the  first  min- 
isters. 

Parsons. — An  organization  was  formed  in 
Parsons  some  ten  years  ago,  which  has  had  a 
steady  growth  and  now  numbers  about  60 
members.  In  1898  they  erected  a  church  edi- 
fice at  a  cost  of  about  $1,500. 

Ncoslu)  Towiishl/^.—ln  November,  1881, 
Elders    Sidnev    llndoden    and    Martin    Nehr 


formed  an  organization  in  the  school-house  in 
District  No.  21,  in  Neosho  township.  In  the 
fall  of  1882,  some  20  members  from  this  or- 
ganization withdrew,  and  formed  a  new  organ- 
ization called  the 

Brethren. — They  organized  at  Pleasant 
X'alley  sch(jol-house,  in  District  No.  48,  where 
they  were  ministered  to  by  Rev.  A.  J.  Hixon. 
This  organization  was  united  with  the  one  in 
Parsons  after  1892. 

PREDESTINATION    BAPTISTS. 

An  organization  of  this  denomination  was 
formed  at  the  Hawkins  school-house,  in  Dis- 
trict No.  92,  about  1875,  '^y  Noah  Showalters, 
who  became  its  pastor,  and  continued  as  such 
for  several  years.  T.  B.  Lee  and  Isaac  Mc- 
Carty  have  also  been  pastors  of  this  church. 

CUMBERLAND    PRESBYTERIAN. 

In  1872  Rev.  J.  W.  Alexander  organized  a 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  in  Harmony 
Grove  school-house,  in  District  No.  30.  to 
which  he  preached  for  some  time,  but  after  a 
few  years  it  was  allowed  to  lapse. 

UNITED    PRESBYTERIAN. 

Chetopa. — Rev.  J.  A.  Adair  was  the  first 
United  Presbyterian  minister  to  preach  in  the 
county.  He  visited  Chetopa  and  vicinit}'.  and 
preached  several  times  in  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer of  1868.  On  :May  4.  1869,  the  United 
Presbyterian  congregation  was  organized,  with 
a  membership  of  10,  Rev.  E.  C.  Cooper  preach- 
ing, and  presiding  at  the  organization.  Crans- 
ton Taylor,  J.  A.  Endsley  and  Edwin  Johnson 
were  elected  elders,  and  were  ordained  on  May 
ID.  1869.  Mr.  Cooper  supplied  the  church  for 
some  months,  and  on  September  12th  held  the 
first  communion  service.  On  March  28.  1870. 
a  church  meeting  was  held,  and  a  constitution 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


335 


and  by-laws  adopted.  William  Liggett,  Rob- 
ert Phillips,  John  Haughey,  Edwin  Johnson 
and  T.  J.  Calvin  were  elected  trustees.  On 
July  1 8,  1870,  a  congregational  meeting  was 
held,  and  action  taken  looking  toward  the 
building  of  a  church;  and  on  Sept.  24,  1870, 
at  another  congregational  meeting,  it  was  re- 
solved to  erect  a  brick  building,  36  by  40  feet. 
A  building  committee  was  appointed,  and  the 
work  commenced  at  once.  The  building  was 
completed  in  the  spring  of  1871,  and  on  Oc- 
tober 29,  1871,  it  was  dedicated.  Rev.  J.  A. 
Heron  preaching  the  dedicatory  sermon.  Be- 
fore the  building  was  completed  the  south  wall 
was  blown  down,  wliich  added  to  the  cost  and 
extended  the  time  required  for  completing  the 
building.  The  lots  for  the  church  and  parson- 
age were  donated  by  the  town  company;  $1,500 
was  furnished  by  the  Church  Extension  So- 
ciety. The  church  cost  about  $5,000.  Pre- 
vious to  securing  a  regular  pastor.  Rev.  J.  C. 
McKnight  did  considerable  preaching  for  the 
church.  On  January  4,  1871,  a  call  was  ex- 
tended to  Rev.  \V.  A.  Findley  to  become  pas- 
tor, which  b.e  accepted,  and  continued  to  serve 
in  that  capacity  till  the  close  of  1872.  Some 
two  or  three  calls  for  a  pastor  were  extended 
and  declined'.  Finally,  on  December  22,  1875, 
a  call  was  made  to  Rev.  J.  D.  Graham,  which 
w-as  accepted,  and  he  faithfully  served  the 
church  during  the  next  ten  years,  don;itting 
his  charge  January  19.  1886.  Rev.  J.  A. 
Thompson  was  tlie  next  pastor  called,  and  he 
was  installed  April  ij,  1887,  but  was  released 
on  July  14th  following,,  to  accept  the  presidency 
of  a  college.  Rev.  J.  P.  Gibson,  having  ac- 
cepted a  call,  entered  upon  his  pastoral  duties 
in  December,  1887,  and  closed  them  in  Octo- 
ber, 1889.  During  his  pastorate,  in  1888,  a 
parsonage  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$1,300.     In  1890  Rev.  L.  W.  Williams  became 


pastor,  and  continued  in  that  office  until  the 
close  of  1893,  during  which  time  the  church 
debt  was  reduced  to  a  considerable  extent. 
The  church  was  then  without  a  pastor  until 
1896,  when  J.  S.  Swogger  was  called,  and  he 
served  until  June,  1898.  On  May  i,  1899,  the 
present  ])astor,  W.  A.  Miller,  took  charge  and 
has  led  the  church  in  entirely  canceling  the 
church  debt,  and  in  making  needed  improve- 
ments. On  account  of  deaths  and  removals, 
the  membership  has  been  reduced,  being  at  the 
present  time  only  88.  Besides  the  above- 
named  pastors,  the  church  has  from  time  to 
time  been  supplied  by  Thomas  McCague,  R.  H. 
Barr,  J.  Acheson,  W.  H.  Lytle, Pinker- 
ton,  Palmer,  and  perhaps  others. 

PRESBYTERIAN. 

Mo'iifana. — Rev.  Seth  T.  Smalley,  a  New 
School  Presbyterian  minister,  commenced 
preaching  in  Montana  in  1869,  and  jjossibly  as 
early  as  1868,  and  served  that  people  more  or 
less  for  some  time  thereafter.  In  May,  1869, 
Rev.  D.  P.  Emerson  preached  for  them,  and  the 
next  Sunday  Rev.  C.  \\  I\Ionfort,  of  Oswego, 
preached.  These  were  the  only  Presbyterian 
services  at  Montana  of  whicli  1  learn,  prior  to 
the  arrival  of  Mr.  (Iriffin.  The  Presbyterians 
in  all  of  this  part  uf  the  county  seem  to  have 
been  interested  in,  if  not  members  of,  the 
church  which  was  formed  at  Daytonville,  on 
Willow  Branch.  In  March,  1870,  Mr.  Mon- 
fort  commenced  preaching  at  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Martin,  west  of  Labette  Creek,  and  con- 
tinued his  appointments  during  the  next  few 
weeks.  On  June  2^.  1870,  the  Daytonville 
church  was  organized,  with  G.  W.  White, 
Margaret  Ellen  White,  Margaret  Jane  White, 
Jane  Amanda  White,  George  Cubbison,  Alex- 
ander Cubbison.  Rachel  Cubbison,  INIartha 
Lewis,    James    Morning,    Caroline    Morning, 


336 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


members  received  Ijy  letter,  and  Sarah  Ellen 
Hartin,  John  Henry  Hartin,  Xancy  Shelady, 
and  Louisa  Cnbbison,  received  on  examination 
as  members.  George  Cubbison  was  chosen 
chairman,  G.  W.  White  and  Alexander  Cubbi- 
son were  elected  ruling  elders,  and  George  Cub- 
bison  and  J.  H.  Hartin,  deacons.  Their  first 
communinn  service  was  held  November  27, 
1870.  On  May  7,  1871,  Air.  Alonfort  preached 
at  the  town  of  Labette,  after  which  a  church 
was  organized'  by  a  union  i)f  the  Daytonville 
church  and  the  Presbyterians  living  around 
Labette  and  Montana.  ]\Ir.  Monfort  remained 
pastor  of  this  Labette  church  till  his  death,  on 
Aug.  10,  1872,  at  which  time  the  church  had 
16  members.  There  seem  to  have  been  no 
regular  services  held  after  Mr.  ^Nlonfort's  death. 
On  .March  15,  1874,  Rev.  C.  H.  McCreery,  of 
Chetopa,  and  H.  W.  Stratton,  of  Oswego,  who 
had  been  appointed  a  committee  by  the  presby- 
tery. \isited  the  Piper  school-house,  in  District 
No.  17.  Mr.  McCreery  preached,  after  which 
the  Labette  Presbyterian  church  was  organized, 
or.  perhaps,  more  properly,  reorganized,  with 
the  f.illowing  members:  James  Morning, 
Charles  Morning,  John  H.  Hartin,  Matthew 
Lewis,  George  Morning,  George  Cubbison, 
Louisa  Cubbison.  Margaret  Hawkins,  Jane 
Shelady.  J.  F.  Piper,  Mrs.  E.  Piper,  Miss  P. 
Piper,  Lina  Piper,  Miriam  Piper,  A.  B.  Piper, 
Ray  Piper,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Bennet.  James 
Morning  and  Ray  Pijier  were  elected  elders. 
The  place  of  meeting  was  then  changed'  to  the 
Morning  school-house,  in  District  No.  48, 
Avhere  services  continued  to  be  held  until  the 
erection  of  the  Montana  church.  Evening 
services  were  also  held  at  Labette  and  Montana. 
At  the  time  of  organizing  above  referred  to. 
Rev.  S.  W.  Griffin  was  elected  pastor,  in  which 
relation  he  c<:)ntinued  till  about  the  close  of 
i88j.     Following  him,  S.  W.  LaGrange  and 


W.  Price  filled  the  pulpit.  For  several  years 
past  the  church  has  been  without  a  pastor. 
Occasionally  the  minister  at  Oswego  or  some 
one  else  has  preached  for  them.  In  1878  a 
church  building  was  erected  in  Montana,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $1,500.  In  1900  this  church 
building  was  sold  to  the  Methodists,  and 
the  Montana  Presb} terian  church  is  now  com- 
pletely dissolved. 

Oswego. — Rev.  Cornelius  V.  Monfort  was 
the  first  Presbyterian  minister  to  locate  in  this 
county.  He  came  to  Oswego  in  March,  1868, 
and  on  April  26th  preached  the  first  Presby- 
terian sermon  in  the  place.  On  June  30th  a 
meeting  was  held  at  his  house,  at  which  eight 
were  present  to  consider  the  organization  of 
a  church,  and  on  Sunday,  July  25,  1868,  an 
organization  was  effected,  with  the  following 
II  members:  C(.)rnelius  V.  Monfort  and  wife 
S.  E.  Monfort,  Dr.  C.  M.  Gilkey  and  wife  S. 
M.  Gilkey  and  daughter  Mary  Gilkey,  Mrs. 
R.  A.  Botsford,  John  Hutchinson,  Mary  Gas- 
ton, Alexander  Cubbison  and  wife  Rachel  Cub- 
bison, and  Francis  Swanwick.  Francis  Swan- 
wick,  Dr.  C.  M.  Gilkey  and  John  Hutchinson 
were  elected  trustees,  and  Dr.  C.  INI.  Gilkey 
and  Alexander  Cubbison  were  elected  elders. 
On  Nov.  15,  1868,  Dr.  Gilkey  was  ordained 
elder.  The  church  records  say  the  church  was 
organized  July  28,  1868,  but  this  record  as  it 
now  exists  was  probably  copied  some  time  after 
the  occurrence,  and  th.e  party  who  did'  it  has 
evidently  made  a  mistake  and  written  the  date 
the  28th  instead  of  the  25th.  Col.  Swanwick 
kept  a  diary,  which  I  now  ha\-e,  and  under 
date  of  July  25,  1868,  he  says  :  "Went  to  town 
to  assist  in  organizing  First  Presbyterian 
church.  Old  School,  of  Oswego;  11  members 
present ;  Dr.  Gilkey  and  Mr.  Cubbison  elected 
elders."'  On  Jan.  31,  1869,  Rev.  C.  H.  Mc- 
Creery was  present,    and    with    Mr.    JMonfort 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


held  tlie  first  communion  sei-\-ice.  In  August 
^Ir.  Monfort  began  taking  suliscriptions  for  a 
ciiurch.  In  July,  1870,  I.  C.  McGinnis  and 
Alexander  Mackie  were  made  elders  and  T. 
N.  Sickles  and  D.  i\IcArthur,  deacons.  Mr. 
Alonfort  resigned,  and  preached  his  farewell 
sermon  on  Oct.  9,  1870.  Rev.  S.  X.  D.  Mar- 
tin supplied  the  pulpit  the  next  year,  preaching 
his  first  sermon  June  4,  1871 ;  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded during  the  spring  or  summer  of  1872 
by  Rev.  X.  A.  Rankin.  Rev.  H.  W.  Stratton 
filled  the  pulpit  from  April,  1873.  to  January, 
1875.  During  his  pastorate  the  church  erected 
its  house  of  worship,  at  a  cost  of  about  $4,000, 
which  was  dedicated  Dec.  28,  1873,  by  Rev. 
S.  A.  Stoddard.  On  June  27,  1879,  the  house 
was  struck  by  lightning  and  one  end  somewhat 
shattered,  but  still  not  seriously  damaged. 
A.  F.  Hale,  A.  Bixby  {a.  Congregationalist), 
A.  A.  Trimper  (a  Lutheran),  J.  G.  Venable, 
William  Coleman,  John  Elliott,  A.  C.  Junkin, 
A.  G.  Evans  and  J.  X.  ^NlcClung  followed  as 
pastors  after  Rev.  H.  W.  Stratton  left.  Mr. 
McClung's  pastorate  extended  from  Oct.  i, 
1891,  until  the  last  of  August,  1893.  Dr.  J. 
F.  Hendy,  president  of  the  college,  then  sup- 
plied the  pulpit  until  the  close  of  1895,  when 
Dr.  William  Bishop,  who  succeeded  Dr. 
Hendy  as  acting  president  of  the  college,  also 
supplied  the  church  pulpit  until  June,  1896. 
Dr.  M.  H.  Reasor,  who  then  took  charge  of  the 
college,  supplied  the  pulpit  from  June,  1896, 
to  August,  1897.  Rev.  William  Sickles  was  a 
stated  supply  from  January,  1898,  to  April, 
1900,  when  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  E.  C.  Phil- 
leo,  took  charge.  The  church  has  had  a  slow- 
but  a  continued'  growth.  In  the  fall  of  1886 
the  young  people  started  a  prayer  meeting, 
which  was  kept  up  until  February,  1891,  when 
it  was  organized  into  the  Westminster  League, 
with  a  membership  of  16,  and  the  following 


officers  :  President.  [Margaret  Carpenter ;  \-ice- 
president,  Blanche  Waskey ;  secretary  and 
treasurer.  Myrtle  Stonecipher;  (jrganist,  ]\Iarie 
Park.  On  April  7,  1892,  this  league  was 
changed  to  a  Young  People's  Society  Christian 
Endeavor,  with  18  members,  and  officers  as 
follows:  Lincoln  J.  Allen,  president:  Belle 
Holeiiberg,  vice-president;  recording  secretary, 
Blanche  W'askey,  corresponding  secretary  and. 
treasurer,  James  McClung. 

Edna. — Originally  this  church  was  organ- 
ized as  the  Ripon  Presliyterian  church.  Rev. 
C.  H.  McCreery  preached  at  the  Ripon  school- 
house,  in  District  Xo.  49,  during  the  summer 
of  1874,  where,  on  Xow  8th  of  that  year,  as- 
sisted by  Re\-.  H.  \\'.  Stratton,  he  organized 
the  church,  with  a  membership  of  12,  of  whom 
James  Scott  and  Thomas  H.  Bruner  were 
elected  ruling  elders.  Air.  McCreery  supplied 
the  pulpit  till  1 88 1,  since  which  time  J.  X. 
Young,  J.  :\l.  Crawford,  and  J.  S.  McClung 
have  been  its  pastors.  Mr.  Crawford  served 
either  as  pastor  or  supply  from  April  i,  1883, 
to  X^ovember,  1889,  and  again  took  charge 
March  i,  1892,  serving  for  one  year.  The 
church  was  then  without  a  pastor  until  the  fall 
of  1894,  when  R.  M.  Wimmel  began  preach- 
-ing  and  remained  in  charge  until  the  fall  of 
1896.  In  the  fall  of  1897  he  again  took 
charge,  and  so  continued  until  June.  1899. 
After  Mr.  \\'immel  quit,  in  the  fall  of  1896, 
B.  F.  Smith  supplied  the  pulpit  a  few  weeks; 
with  this  exception,  the  church  was  without  a 
preacher  during  the  year  between  Mr.  Wim- 
mel's  two  terms.  The  church  was  again 
without  a  minister  from  June,  1899,  until  the 
spring  of  1900,  when  J.  M.  Crawford  was 
again  employed;  he  is  still  in  charge.  At  its 
organization,  the  church  had  12  members;  its 
membership  now  is  about  50.  During  its  his- 
tory it  has  had  something   like    130    different 


338 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


members.  In  the  fall  of  1878  preparations  were 
made  for  a  church  building  at  Kingston,  which 
was  made  ready  for  occupancy  before  the  close 
of  that  year ;  it  was  fully  completed  the  follow- 
ing spring,  and,  on  June  8,  1879,  was  dedicated 
by  Rev.  Timothy  Hill.  In  one  week  there- 
after a  cyclone  partly  removed  the  church  from 
its  foundation.  In  1884  the  presbytery  changed 
the  name  from  Ripon  to  Kingston.  In  1887 
the  building  was  removed  to  Edna,  and  the 
name  changed  from  Kingston  to  Edna. 

Altamont. — Rev.  C.  H.  AlcCreery  com- 
menced i)reaching  at  the  residence  of  D.  C. 
Constant,  in  Hackberry  township,  as  early  as 
1870,  and  on  June  9,  1871,  at  that  place,  as- 
sisted by  Elam  S.  Hitchcock  and  Samuel  Cel- 
lars, organized  the  Hackberry  Presbyterian 
church,  with  the  following  members:  Nancy 
A.  Djugham,  Margaret  S.  Blyner,  James 
Emory,  Mary  Emory,  Jennie  Fellows,  Michael 
Noel,  Mary  Noel.  David  C.  Constant,  An- 
toinette C.  Constant,  Josiah  Raybourn,  Lucre- 
tia  Raybourn,  Mary  J.  Hannigan.  Michael 
Noel  and  David  C.  Constant  were  elected  ruling 
elders.  The  place  of  meeting  was  afterwards 
changed  to  the  Newell  school-house,  in  District 
No.  71.  This  church  was  ministered  to  by  C. 
H.  McCreery,  C.  V.  Monfort,  and  H.  W.  Strat- 
ton.  In  April,  1879,  the  name  of  Hackberry 
church  was  ordered  stricken  from  the  roll,  and 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  organize  a  new 
church.  The  Elston  church,  as  successor  of 
the  Hackberry  church,  was  organized  at  the 
Elston  .school-house,  in  District  No.  80,  on 
June  2<.).  1879,  '\v  Rev.  S.  W.  Griffin  and  Rev. 
C.  H.  McCreery.  James  Pa.xtnn  and  Martin 
Reamer  were  elected  ruling  elders.  The  fol- 
lowing year  the  name  was  changed  to  Alta- 
mont. A  church  building  was  erected  in  Alta- 
mount  in  1880,  Rev.  S.  W.  Griffin  preaching 
the  first  sermon  therein    on    May    i6th.     Its 


earlier  pastors  were:  S.  W.  Griffin,  J.  N. 
Young,  J.  D.  Todd  and  S.  W.  LeGrange. 
For  a  number  of  years  the  church  had  no  pas- 
tor, and  was  only  supplied  irregularly.  Since 
1892  the  church  has  had  the  following  stated 
supplies :  J.  S.  McClung,  in  1893 ;  J.  D.  Todd, 
1894-96;  R.  M.  Wimmel,  1896-98;  J.  B.  Saw- 
yer, 1900.  During  the  past  few  years  the 
building  has  been  improved,  shade  trees 
planted,  and  more  interest  manifested  in  the 
work. 

Lake  Creek. — Eighteen  members  of  the 
church  at  Chetopa  took  letters  and  united  in 
forming  the  Lake  Creek  Presbyterian  church, 
which  was  organized  January  6,  1884,  by 
Rev.  C.  H.  McCreery,  assisted  by  E.  S.  Hitch- 
cock. Arthur  Baty  was  elected  ruling  elder. 
A  church  building  was  erected  the  following 
spring,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,200,  which  was 
dedicated  in  April,  by  W.  S.  H.  Keyes.  Mr. 
McCreery  had  preached  at  the  Baty  school- 
house,  in  District  No.  60,  for  several  years  be- 
fore the  organization  of  the  church.  After  its 
organization  Rev.  J.  M.  Crawford  became  pas- 
tor, in  April,  1884,  and  served  until  November, 
1889.  From  April  i,  1890,  to  April  i,  1891, 
!  Rev.  J.  S.  AlcClung  was  stated  supply.  Rev. 
J.  L.  Griffes  supplied  the  church  a  part  of  the 
time  during  1891.  Rev.  J.  M.  Crawford  came 
March  i,  1892,  and  continued  as  pastor  until 
the  church  was  joined  with  that  of  Bartlett  in 
the  following  year. 

Bartlett. — The  first  Presbyterian  sermon  in 
Bartlett  was  preached  in  the  school-house,  Nov. 
3,  1889.  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Crawford.  Rev.  J.  S. 
McClung  preached  there  occasionally  while  he 
had  charge  of  the  Lake  Creek  church,  and  Rev. 
J.  M.  Crawford  preached  there  every  two 
weeks  from  March  i,  1892,  to  the  date  of  the 
consolidation  with  the  Lake  Creek  congrega- 
tion.    No  organization  was  effected  at  Bart- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


339 


lett  until  the  removal  of  the  church  building 
from  Lake  Creek  to  Bartlett,  which  occurred 
in  the  fall  of  1893.  It  was  repaired  and  ready 
for  occupancy  in  February,  1894.  The  Lake 
Creek  church  was  then  merged  in  that  of 
Bartlett.  The  following-named  have  served 
as  pastors :  J.  AL  Crawford,  L.  J.  Hawkins, 
R.  M.  Wimmell  and  H.  AI.  Gilbert,  who  is  the 
present  incumbent.  A  missionary  society  was 
organized  in  April,  1895,  of  which  Miss  Jennie 
W.  Baty  has  been  president  since  its  organi- 
zation. A  children's  Willing  Workers'  Mis- 
sion Band  has  also  been  maintained,  and  part 
of  the  time  a  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  On  August  15, 
1900,  the  church  building  was  burned  to  the 
ground  by  a  fire  supposed  to  have  been  com- 
municated by  a  locomotive.  Since  then  the 
church  has  worshipped  in  the  Methodist  church 
building.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  members  of 
the  church  to  rebuild  as  soon  as  possible. 

Chetopa. — The  First  Presbyterian  church 
of  Chetopa  was  organized  on  Sept.  20,  1868, 
by  Rev.  C.  H.  McCreery,  assisted  by  Rev. 
James  Lewis,  with  the  following  members : 
Samuel  Cellars,  Mrs.  Martha  Cellars,  Mrs. 
Margaret  J.  Lenhart,  Samuel  H.  Carr,  George 
F.  Smith  and  Lorenzo  Billington.  Of  these, 
Samuel  Cellars  and  Samuel  H.  Carr  were  in- 
stalled as  ruling  elders.  The  first  trustees 
were  \\'illoughby  Doudna,  S.  H.  Carr,  Samuel 
Cellars.  C.  P.  Spaulding  and  C.  P.  Smith. 
For  the  first  two  years  the  services  of  the 
church  were  held  in  Spaulding's  Hall,  over  a 
saloon,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Third  and 
Walnut  streets.  The  town  company  having 
donated  a  number  of  lots  to  the  church,  a  part 
were  sold,  and  about  $1,000  realized  there- 
from. Generous  subscriptions  were  also  made 
by  the  citizens,  and  in  the  fall  of  1869  prepara- 
tions were  made  for  erecting  a  building,  and 
the  work  was  commenced.    On  December  ist  of 


that  year  the  frame  of  the  building  was  raised, 
and  by  August,  1870,  it  was  entirely  finished, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $4,500.  Quite  a  feature  of 
the  financial  history  of  this  church,  as  it  was 
more  or  less  of  that  of  many  of  the.  churches 
in  the  county,  especially  during  the  early  years 
of  their  work,  was  that  of  raising  money  by 
festivals.  In  July,  1869,  this  church  held  one 
of  its  most  successful  festivals,  at  which 
over  $300  was  cleared.  The  church  was 
dedicated,  free  of  debt,  Aug.  28,  1870, 
by  Rev.  Timothy  Hill,  D.  D.  One  of  the 
noteworthy  e\-ents  in  connection  with  this 
church  is  the  long-continued  pastorate  of  Mr. 
McCreery,  extending  from  its  organization, 
in  1868,  to  May  i,  1886.  No  other  church  in 
the  county  has  had  such  an  experience.  Be- 
fore the  close  of  Mr.  McCreery's  pastorate,  his 
health  becoming  impaired,  he  took  a  vacation 
for  a  year,  during  which  time  the  pulpit  was 
supplied  by  Rev.  V.  M.  King.  Mr.  iMcCreery 
was  followed  in  July,  1886,  by  Rev.  Isaac 
Brundage,  who  served  until  his  death.  Rev. 
J.  L.  Griffes  succeeded  Mr.  Brundage,  and  was 
in  turn  followed  by  Rev.  J.  L.  Hawkins,  who 
was  pastor  from  1893  to  1896.  Rev.  H.  M. 
Gilbert  has  been  pastor  since  Sept.  i,  1896. 
The  membership  of  the  cluu-ch  is  about  150. 
In  the  latter  part  of  1898  the  church  building- 
was  remodeled  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,600,  and 
rededicated  Jan.  15,  1899,  by  Dr.  S.  D.  Flem- 
ing. \\'ithin  a  month, — on  February  12,  1899, 
— this  building  burned  to  the  ground.  The 
church  then  decided  on  changing  location  and 
rebuilding.  The  property  owned  and  for  so 
many  years  occupied  by  Rev.  C.  H.  McCreery 
as  a  residence  was  purchased ;  the  house  stand- 
ing thereon  was  moved  a  little  from  its  original 
location  and  fitted  up  for  a  manse,  and  room 
made  for  the  new  church  building  on  the  same 
property.     The  pastor  went  east  and  secured 


340 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


iiKJSt  (jf  the  niLinev  with  wliich  to  pay  for  the 
new  building.  Between  the  burning  of  the  old 
church  edifice  and  the  completicju  of  the  new- 
one  services  were  held  in  the  opera  house. 
Work  on  the  new  Ijuilding  was  commenced  in 
December,  1899,  and  on  June  3,  1900,  it  was 
dedicated  by  Dr.  S.  D.  Fleming.  The  cost  of 
the  Intilding  and  furnishings  was  nearly  $6,000. 

Bcfhcl.—S.  \V.  Griffin  and  \\'.  B.  Truax, 
being  directetl  by  the  presljytery  so  to  do,  or- 
ganized a  Presl;)yterian  church  in  the  school- 
house  in  District  Xo.  — ,  (ju  Nov.  29,  1892. 
S.  E.  W.  Brown,  James  Venable  and  J.  S. 
CJulick  were  elected  ruling  elders,,  and  L-  T. 
^IcEIroy  and  ^klonroe  Mathers,  deacons.  S. 
W.  Grifiin  acted  as  pastor  till  June,  1885,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  A.  S.  Sharpless. 

Mound  J 'alley. — In  November,  1879,  ^^^'■ 
C.  H.  ;\IcCreery  and  S.  W.  Griffin  organized 
a  Presbyterian  church  at  Mound  Valley,  with 
10  members.  Wm.  D.  Allen  and  \Vm.  Gulp 
were  elected  ruling  elders.  S.  W.  Griffin  and 
J.  N.  Young  preached  for  them.  The  mem- 
bers having  mostly  moved  away  in  the  spring 
of  1883,  the  presbytery  disorganized  the  church 
and  struck  the  same  from  the  roll.  Rev.  J.  D. 
Todd,  will)  had  been  employed  by  the  synod 
to  preach  at  different  points  and  look  after  the 
church's  interest  in  vacant  fields,  came  to 
Mound  Valley  and  talked  with  several  who 
then  or  who  had  formerly  held  church  rela- 
tions with-  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  at  his 
solicitation  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  Metho- 
dist church,  im  ]\larch  30,  1884,  at  which  some 
eight  or  ten  were  present ;  J.  C.  McEwen  pre- 
sided-and  Dr.  J.  Lemon  acted  as  clerk.  It  was 
there  resolved  to  organize  a  Presbyterian 
church  at  that  ])oint  as  soon  as  arrangements 
couldi  be  made  to  do  so.  They  adjourned  to 
meet  in  fnnr  weeks,  and  on  April  27,  1884, 
Rev.    J.    D.    Todd    preached  a  sermon;  after 


which  Mrs.  E.  A.  Copelantz,  Eliza  Copelantz, 
J.  C.  McEwen,  Mrs.  Olive  McEwen,  James  W. 
Evans  and  wife,  H.  K.  Baker,  Mrs.  Myra  J. 
Baker,  E.  :\I.  Bell,  Mrs.  J.  T.  Bell,  Dr.  J. 
Lemon,  Mrs.  A.  Lemon,  Henry  Allen,  Mrs. 
Jane  Allen,  Josie  Allen,  Mary  B.  Allen,  Robert 
A.  Foresman,  Mrs.  Jane  Foresman,  Mrs.  Hen- 
rietta Foresman,  Mrs.  Roxanna  Savage,  and 
Joseph  Crawford  presented  their  credentials, 
which  were  approved.  A  third  meeting  was 
held  at  the  same  place  on  May  10,  1884,  at 
which  H.  K.  Baker  was  chairman  and  Henry 
Allen,  clerk ;  wdiereupon  it  was  resolved  to  pro- 
ceed with'  the  organization  of  a  church  by  the 
election  of  two  ruling  elders  and  two  deacons. 
J.  C.  McEwen  and  Henry  Allen  were  chosen 
as  elders  and  Dr.  J.  Lemon  and  H.  K.  Baker 
as  deacons.  On  May  25,  1884,  the  church  was 
duly  organized,  by  Rev.  S.  W.  Griffin,  of  Cher- 
ry vale;  C.  H.  McCreery,  of  Chetopa;  and  J. 
D.  Todd,  of  Independence,  who  were  sent  there 
as  a  committee  of  the  Neosho  presbyter}-.  Mr. 
Griffin  preached  the  sermon,  after  which  the 
elders  and  deacons  were  ordained.  Arrange- 
ments were  made  for  holding  services  in  the 
Baptist  church,  and  Rev.  J.  D.  Todd  w-as  em- 
ployed to  preach  every  other  Sabbath,  in  the 
afternoon.  In  August,  1884,  the  church 
bought  a  building  known  as  Pattison's  Hall, 
which  had  been  built  by  the  Methodists  as  their 
first  house  of  worship ;  after  they  sold  it,  it  was 
removed  to  its  present  location,  in  block  22. 
That  fall  and  winter  the  building  was  occupied 
by  a  department  of  the  public  schools,  and  by 
the  church  only  on  Sunday.  .In  April,  1885, 
this  building  was  suitably  fitted  up  as  a  place 
of  w-orship.  Mr.  Todd  closed  his  labors  as 
pastor  on  May  31,  1885,  and  was  followed  on 
June  7th  by  Rev.  A.  S.  Sharpless,  w-ho  stayed 
till  July,  1886.  The  pulpit  remained  vacant 
till  October  of  that  year,  when  Rev.  J.   M. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


34> 


Crawford  was  employed  to  preach  every  two 
weeks  in  connection  with  his  work  at  Edna. 
This  continued  till  March,  1888,  when  Mr. 
Todd  again  took  charge,  and  continued  till  Oct. 
1st  of  the  same  year.  Little  religious  life  was 
manifested  from  this  time  till  April,  1889,  when 
Rev.  J.  S.  McClung  was  called  to  the  work, 
where  he  remained  till  September,  1891.  Oct. 
15,  1 89 1,  Rev.  James  H.  Clark  took  charge, 
and  remained  until  November,  1892.  In  1893- 
94  J.  C.  McElroy  served  as  a  stated  supply. 
R.  M.  Wimmell  was  pastor  from  August,  1894, 
to  October,  1896,  and  again  served  them  as 
stated  supply  from  October,  1897,  until  1899. 
Since  then  B.  F.  Smith,  J.  Michel,  J.  M.  Craw- 
ford, J.  L.  Sawyer  and  A.  E.  Van  Olden  have 
supplied  the  pulpit.  On  June  10,  1885,  the 
church  was  incorporated.  In  1890  it  finished 
paying  for  its  building  and  stood  clear  of  debt. 

Emmons. — On  Jan.  8,  1873,  Rev.  Mr. 
Lackey,  of  Illinois,  organized  a  Presbyterian 
church  at  the  Emmons  school-house,  in  Dis- 
trict No.  84.  James  Sweet,  Joseph  Kearns 
and  Jacob  Crane  were  elected  and  ordained 
elders,  and  Alexander  Duncan  and  Otto  Wil- 
son deacons.  On  March  5,  1873,  Rev.  Sidney 
Allen  was  installed  as  pastor.  Rev.  S.  A.  Stod- 
dard preaching  the  installrinent  sermon.  After 
an  existence  of  some  two  years  the  organiza- 
tion was  abandoned. 

Parsons. — While  a  Methodist  preacher  who 
came  of  his  own  accord  preceded  them,  the 
Presbyterians  claim  to  have  sent  the  first 
preacher  to  hold  services  in  Parsons.  Rev. 
H.  H.  Cambern,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions,  came  to  Parsons  in 
February,  1871,  and  commenced  preaching  in 
a  saloon.  Mr.  Cambern  held  services  fre- 
quently during  the  spring  and  summer. 

The  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Parsons 
was  organized  Sept.  24,  1871,  by  H.  H.  Cam- 


bern as  moderator.  J.  V.  Thornton,  J.  E. 
W'ilkins  and  J.  J.  Blause  were  elected  elders. 
The  membership  at  organization  was  16.  In 
December,  1871.  they  commenced  to  take  sub- 
scriptions for  a  church  building,  but  ground 
was  nut  broken  till  August,  1872.  The  church 
was  completed  and  dedicated  Aug.  2,  1874,  by 
Rev.  C.  H.  McCreery.  In  the  meantime  Rev. 
S.  F.  Farmer  was  installed  as  pastor.  An  ad- 
dition was  made  to  the  church  in  1882,  another 
one  in  1883,  and  a  third  in  1891.  In  May, 
1872,  Rev.  J.  H.  Metier  was  employed  to  suc- 
ceed Mr.  Cambern  as  pastor.  Since  then  the 
following  have  supplied  the  pulpit,  some  as  sup- 
ply and  others  as  pastor :  Joel  Kelsey,  S.  F. 
Farmer,  H.  G.  Miller,  F.  R.  Morton,  W.  S. 

H.  Keyes,  J.  K.  Fowler,  Shields,  W.  S. 

Davis,  Edward  F.  Walker,  J.  M.  Wright,  and 
E.  O.  Hart.  Mr.  Wright's  pastorate  closed 
'"  1893,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  the  present 
pastor,  E.  O.  Hart.  Under  Mr.  Hart's  pas- 
torate, the  church  building  has  been  enlarged 
and  improved  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000.  At 
present  they  are  building  a  manse  which  is  to 
be  commodious  and  well  finished.  At  present 
the  church  has  a  membership  of  upwards  of 
400.  In  1882  a  Young  People's  Society  was 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  holding  devo- 
tional meetings.  At  different  times  it  had  for 
its  president  Miss  Montgomery,  E.  H.  Mc- 
Creery, F.  H.  Shaub,  W.  H.  Martin,  Lena 
Venable,  W.  J.  McKnight,  and  George  B. 
Comings.  On  September  8,  1892,  a  reorgani- 
zation of  the  Young  People's  Society  was  had, 
and  formed  into  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.,  with 
George  B.   Comings  as  president. 

UNITED    BRETHREN. 

The  work  of  this  denomination  in  this 
county  has  been  somewhat  scattered,  and  I 
have  not  been  able  to  get  access  to  records  that 


342 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


would  give  me  definite  information  respecting 
the  work  at  many  points.  1  am  informed  tliat 
the  following-named  have  been  presiding  eld- 
ers in  the  district  embracing  Labette  county: 

B.  A.  Spring,  J.  R.  Chambers,  G.  H.  Hinton, 

C.  H.  Jones,  J.  K.  Spencer,  H.  B.  IMcHugh, 
F.  M.  Gillett  and  N.  L.  Vesey. 

Parsons. — In  February,  1868,  a  class  of 
about  ten  members  was  formed  at  tlie  house  of 
James  Beaver,  some  few  miles  from  the  present 
site  of  Parsons,  by  J.  Buckmaster  as  pastor, 
James  Beaver  as  class-leader.  Reason  Tippie, 
steward,  and  P. M.Grant, elder.  Those  compris- 
ing this  class  were  Reason  Tippie,  Rachel  Tip- 
pie,  N.  ;M.  Portrum,  C.  Portrum,  J.  Beaver,  J. 
L.  Beaver,  A.  Pringle,  G.  Sheckell,  G.  Bots- 
ford,  and  C.  Billings.  This  class  was  inain- 
tained  in  that  part  of  the  county  with  more 
or  less  cohesiveness  for  several  years,  and 
formed  the  basis  of  the  class  at  Parsons,  which 
was  organized  in  February,  1875,  with  a  mem- 
bership of  about  15,  including  Abraham  Gary 
and  wife,  James  Beaver  and  wife,  N.  M. 
Portrum  and  wife,  Seth  Fisher  and  wife,  Lizzie 
Kellogg,  and  having  G.  W.  Gossett  for  pastor. 
Jan.  3,  1877,  the  church  provided  a  lot  and 
moved  thereon  the  tabernacle  which  they  had 
purchased  from  the  M.  E.  church.  They  used 
it  as  a  house  of  worship  until  1894,  when  they 
disposed  of  the  building  and  secured  a  site  at 
the  corner  of  Twenty-fourth  street  and  Craw- 
ford avenue,  on  which  they  erected  a  commo- 
dious church  edifice,  and  a  parsonage,  on  ad- 
joining lots,  all  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,500. 
The  church  was  impeded  in  its  progress  for 
quite  a  number  of  years  by  the  great  division 
of  the  church  throughout  the  country  that  took 
place  in  1885.  Among  the  pastors  who  have 
served  this  cliurch  are :  G.  W.  Gossett,  A.  B. 
McGrew,  J.  W.  Baughman,  William  Theope, 
C.  H.  Jones,  R.  C.  Hamil,  D.  Richardson,  W. 


M.  Griffin  and  G.  H.  Hinton.  The  church 
has  a  good  Young  People's  Society,  both  senior 
and  junior  branches. 

Dennis. — In  the  winter  of  1870-71,  Rev. 
Mr.  Goodwin,  of  the  United  Brethren  church, 
held  protracted  meetings  in  the  log  school- 
house  in  District  No.  38,  which  resulted  in  sev- 
eral conversions  and  accessions  to  that  denom- 
ination. Among  these  probably  the  most  act- 
ive in  his  afterwork  was  J.  H.  Beatty.  A 
church  was  then  organized,  which  has  main- 
tained its  work  ever  since.  In  the  spring  of 
1883  they  built  a  church  at  Dennis,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1884  the  conference  of  the  State  held 
its  session  there.  Among  its  pastors  have  been 
Revs.  Messrs.  Evans,  Stallard.  Hammers,  Win- 
rick,  Gossett,  Himer,  Chambers,  French,  Rice, 
Hammel,  Shope. 

Mortimer. — Almost  from  the  first  settle- 
ment of  the  county,  religious  services  have  been 
held  in  the  Carpenter  school-house,  in  District 
No.  30 — sometimes  by  one  denomination  and 
sometimes  by  another.  Of  late  years  preach- 
ing has  occasionally  been  conducted  by  min- 
isters of  the  United  Brethren  church.  In  the 
spring  of  1891,  Rev.  Mr.  Hammel,  of  this  de- 
nomination, held  a  protracted  meeting  which 
resulted  in  the  organization  of  quite  a  strong 
class.  It  was  soon  felt  that  a  church  building 
vvas  needed,  and  the  Mortimer  family  were 
active  in  securing  its  erection  at  the  Mortimer 
station.  Its  first  board  of  trustees  consisted 
of  Emanuel  Mortimer,  James  T.  Mortimer,  J. 
K.  Duncan,  T.  E.  Killian,  and  G.  A.  Waid. 
The  church  cost  about  $1,000,  and  was  dedi- 
cated June  5,  1892.  by  Bishop  Castle.  Since 
Mr.  Hammel's  work,  in  1892,  the  church  has 

had  the  following  pastors :     Daugherty, 

J.  S.  Christlieb,  R.  C.  Hamil,  J.  I.  Robinson, 
H.  D.  Moore,  J.  W.  Baughman.  T.  J.  Darling, 
Williams. 


AND  REPRESENTx\TIVE  CITIZENS. 


343 


Mound  Valley  Circuit. — The  south  part 
of  the  county  has  usuaUy,  I  am  informed,  been 
inckided  in  one  circuit,  embracing  a  number 
of  appointments,  among  others  Altamont, 
Mound  Valley,  Trenton,  Valeda,  Hackberry 
and,  perhaps,  some  others ;  this  circuit  has  been 
known  sometimes  as  Hackberry,  sometimes  as 
Oswego,  and  sometimes  as  Mound  Valley,  but 
the  same  minister  has  supplied  all  points. 
Among  the  preachers  who  have  been  on  this 
circuit  (besides  those  separately  mentioned  in 
connection  with  the  Hackberry  church)  are: 
J.  R.  Evans,  J.  S.  Christlieb,  G.  W.  Beard, 
B.  F.  Woods,  A.  W.  Potter,  J.  R.  Robinson 
and  H.  D.  Moore. 

Altamont. — A  class  was  formed  in  a  school- 
house  near  the  southeast  corner  of  Labette 
township,  in  1872,  which  was  moved  to  Alta- 
mont in  1874.  It  has  been  maintained  but  a 
part  of  the  time. 

Trenton. — A  class  was  organized  at  the 
school-house  in  District  No.  67,  in  Howard 
township,  March  31,  1885,  with  A.  Bessy  as 
leader.  Services  continued  to  be  held  there. 
Hackberry.— In  the  fall  of  1881  Rev.  J. 
M.  Magie,  assisted  by  Rev.  T.  D.  Biekham, 
held  a  protracted  meeting  at  the  Hiatt  school- 
house,  in  District  No.  26,  and  at  its  close  or- 
ganized a  United  Brethren  class.  A  part  of 
the  time  since  then  the  preachers  who  have 
supplied  this  class,  among  other  appointments, 
have  preached  at  Pleasant  View,  Bowman  and 
Trenton  school-houses;  also  at  Altamont  and 
Parsons.  Pastors:  1883,  J.  A.  Evert;  1884, 
W.  H.  Sapp;  1885,  S.  W.  Redman;  1886,  Mrs. 
J.  M.  Magie  and  J.  A.  Evert;  1887,  D.  B. 
Finch;  1888-89,  F-  M.  Gillett;  1890,  Rev.  Mr. 
Hufifman;  1892,  D.  W.  Juday.  The  follow- 
ing persons  have  served  as  presiding  elders: 

B.  A.  Spring,  J.  R.  Chambers,  G.  H.  Hinton, 

C.  H.  Jones,  J.  K.   Spencer.     The  following 


have  been  secretaries  of  the  quarterly  confer- 
ence, each  one  or  more  terms :     J.  M.  Magie, 

E.  S.  Bessy,  Anna  Riddick,  A.  H.  Mickey. 
At  the  last  quarterly  conference  in  1891,  John 
Riddick,  Christian  Helwig,  David  Romine, 
Louis  Zink  and  A.  H.  Mickey  were  elected 
trustees,  and  directed  to  take  steps  to  secure 
the  erection  of  a  church  building,  which  has 
since  been  erected  on  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section -I  in  Hackberry  township,  at  a  cost  of 
about  $800.  The  church  was  dedicated  July 
16,  1893.  This  is  the  only  church  building 
this  denomination  has  in  the  south  half  of  the 
county. 

EVANGELICAL. 

Rev.  Henry  Mattill  was  the  first  minister 
of  this  denomination  to  preach  in  the  county. 

F.  W.  Voegelein  was  next  sent,  and  after  him, 
his  brother,  A.  J.  Voegelein,  carhe  and  or- 
ganized a  class  in  1S79,  at  the  Sylvan  Dale 
school-house  in  District  No.  79.  After  the 
organization  of  this  class,  the  pastors  have 
been:  1879-83,  A.  J.  Voegelein:  18S3, 
Charles  Linge;  1884-86,  J.  W.  Reiser;  1887,  A. 
J.  Flickinger;  1888-90,  H.  S.  Bowers;  1891-92, 
M.  J.  Stenimetz;  1893-94,  Omer  Butler;  1894- 
97,  B.  H.  Hobbs;  1898-1901,  John  M.  Frieker. 
During  Mr.  Keiser's  pastorate,  in  the  winter 
of  1884-85,  a  successful  revival  was  held,  re- 
sulting in  a  large  addition  to  the  membership 
of  the  church.  This  was  followed  by  steps 
toward  erecting  a  church  building  in  Dennis. 
The  church  was  completed  and  dedicated  in 
1887,  under  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Flickinger. 
It  is  the  only  church  building  this  denomina- 
tion has  in  the  county. 

METHODIST    PROTESTANT. 

Sometime  in  the  'seventies  a  class  of  this 
denomination  was  formed  at  Parsons,  and  dur- 


344 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ing  its  existence  had  N.  K.  Sliimp  and  

McKesson  among  its  ministers.  After  doing 
some  work  the  class  became  entirely  disorgan- 
ized. In  1880  Rev.  J.  H.  Luse  held  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  in  the  southwestern  portion  of 
the  county,  and  formed  a  class  or  two.  A 
church  has  been  erected  at  Morton  station,  in 
the  edge  of  Montgomery  county.  A  class  has 
also  been  organized  at  Mt.  Triumph  school- 
house,  in  District  No.  63,  in  Mound  Valley 
township.  Rev.  A.  Slater  and  Rev.  Abner 
Green,  with  others,  have  preached  in  several 
places  in  the  county. 

THE  METHODIST  CHUKCH. 

A  class  of  this  branch  of  the  great  Aleth- 
odist  family  was  organized  at  the  Emmons 
school-house,  in  District  No.  84,  as  early  as 
1873,  and  was  maintained  for  several  years, 
but  finally  abandoned.  The  only  two  ministers 
they  had,  so  far  as  I  have  learned,  were  Revs. 
Messrs.  VanCIeve  and  Wayland. 

FREE    METHODIST. 

A  few  classes  of  this  branch  of  the  church 
have  existed  in  the  county  for  quite  a  number 
of  years.  They  have  been  somewhat  few  in 
number,  and  have  never  attempted  the  erec- 
tion of  any  church  building,  so  far  as  I  have 
learned.  They  have  held  meetings  at  vari- 
ous points  in  school-houses.  At  one  time  Rev. 
Thomas  D.  Bickham,  before  he  started  the  Sal- 
vation Church  of  Christ,  was  a  preacher  in  this 
denomination,  and  some  time  prior  to  1880.  O. 
P.  Lineback  had  ministerial  oversight  for  the 
county. 

AFRICAN    METHODIST   EPISCOP.\L. 

Parsons. — Rev.  A.  H.  Daniels,  of  the  A. 
M.  E.  church,  came  to  Labette  county  in  the 


spring  of  1876,  and  organized  classes  at  Os- 
wego and  Parsons.  In  June  of  that  year  he 
commenced  to  raise  funds  with  which  to  build 
a  church  at  Parsons.  Lot  17  in  block  17  was 
secured  as  a  site  in  July,  1876,  and  soon  there- 
after a  building  was  commenced.  Messrs. 
French,  Cavanaugh  and  Miller  were  the  first 
trustees.  Commencing  with  1891,  the  pastors 
have  been:  1891,  J.  Allen;  1892,  M.  Wooton; 
1893-95,  J-  R-  Ransom;  1896,  E.  Harrison; 
1897-98,  A.  C.  Terrill;  1899-1900,  M.  Collins. 
This  and  the  Oswego  church  were  jointly 
served  by  the  same  pastors  for  several  years. 
About  1895  they  erected  a  good  brick  church 
building  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,600. 

Oszi'Cgo. — The  class  at  this  place  was  or- 
ganized in  the  spring  of  1876.  about  the  same 
time  as  the  one  at  Parsons.  The  organization 
was  effected  by  Rev.  A.  H.  Daniels,  who  acted 
as  pastor  that  year.  During  the  year  a  neat 
frame  church  was  erected  on  lot  3,  in  block 
16.  A  few  years  thereafter  a  dwelling-house 
was  purchased  and  moved  onto  lots  i  and  2 
just  north  of  the  church,  to  be  used  for  a  par- 
sonage. The  pastors  of  the  church  have  been : 
A.  H.  Daniels,  W.  F.  Hedgman.  L.  W.  Mc- 
Cormick,  J.  W.  Walton,  J.  E.  Weir,  John 
Brewer,  J.  L.  Hatton,  A.  M.  Ward,  Thomas 
Mudd,  Pompey  Johnson,  John  Boyd,  J.  E. 
Bricus,  S.  H.  Baker,  A.  J.  King,  E.  H.  Harden, 

J.   L.  Leonard,  Smith,  A.   E.   Clark,  J. 

R.  Nelson,  P.  Williams,  and  L.  Parks.  Their 
church  building  was  rented  by  the  board  of 
education  for  several  years,  in  which  to  hold 
one  department  of  the  colored  school. 

Chctopa. — The  class  at  this  place  dates 
from  1 88 1,  and  has  not  maintained  services 
all  the  time  since  then.  It  has  a  church  build- 
ing. Its  pastors  have  been  those  who  were  at 
the  same  time  serving  the  Oswego  church,  and 
who  are  named  in  connection  with  that  work. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


J4S 


THE     METHODIST     EPISCOPAL     CHURCH     SOUTH 

Was  the  first  Protestant  denomination  to  hold 
reHgious  services  in  this  county.  Dr.  Lisle 
says :  "The  first  preaching  in  Chetopa  was 
by  an  old  missionary  of  the  Methodist  Church 
South,  on  or  about  the  first  of  December,  1857, 
and  once  every  four  weeks  until  spring."  The 
name  of  this  preacher  was  J.  P.  Barnaby.  He 
was  succeeded  in  October,  1858,  by  Rev.  J. 
E.  Bryan,  who  preached  every  three  weeks  dur- 
ing the  next  two  years,  when  he  was  sent  to 
Council  Grove.  In  the  fall  of  i860  Mr.  Fores- 
man  succeeded  Mr.  Bryan  and  remained  a  year, 
when  Mr.  Robbins  was  sent  to  the  charge. 
The  latter  was  in  sympathy  with  the  Rebel- 
lion, and  was  about  to  be  hung  by  some  Kan- 
sas soldiers  who  caught  him  in  Cherokee  coun- 
ty. He  was  let  go  on  concHtion  that  he  would 
leave  the  country,  which  he  did,  going  directly 
to  Te.xas.  This  closed  the  work  of  the  church 
till  after  the  war.  Of  tb.ese  services  Dr.  Lisle 
says:  "The  preaching  was  in  some  settler's 
house  until  the  school-house  was  built,  in  the 
spring  of  1858,  when  it  was  in  that  regularly. 
It  being  about  the  center  of  the  settlement, 
gave  all  parties  a  chance  to  attend,  which  they 
did  pretty  generally."  When  the  county  com- 
menced to  settle  after  the  war  there  were  quite 
a  number  came  who  had  been  members  of  this 
church  in  their  former  homes,  but  scarcely 
enough  in  any  one  settlement  to  form  and 
maintain  a  class.  In  fact,  I  do  not  know  of 
the  formation  of  a  class  at  any  place  in  the 
county,  although  there  may  have  been  some 
formed.  However,  preachers  of  that  denom- 
ination, either  local  or  those  in. charge  of  work 
in  adjacent  territory,  occasionally  preached  at 
a  few  places  in  the  county.  Among  the  places 
where  they  sometimes  held  services  was  the 
log  church,  between  Oswego  and  Montana. 


METHODIST    EPISCOPAL. 

Several  local  preachers  of  this  denomina- 
tion settled  in  the  county  and  commenced 
preaching  and  holding  services  in  their  respect- 
ive localities  as  early  as  the  fall  of  1867,  and 
perhaps  even  earlier  in  the  year.  Oswego  was 
the  only  point  at  which  a  class  was  formed 
prior  to  the  meeting  of  conference  on  March 
30,  1868.  At  that  conference  the  Oswego  cir- 
cuit was  formed,  embracing  all  of  Laliette 
county,  and  included  in  the  Emporia  district, 
of  which  Rev.  C.  R.  Rice  was  presiding  elder. 
The  work  remained  a  part  of  the  Emporia  dis- 
trict the  following  year  also,  under  the  charge 
of  Mr.  Rice.  In  March,  1870,  the  Oswego 
district  was  organized,  including  within  its 
limits  all  of  the  county,  with  Rev.  C.  E.  Lewis, 
P.  E.  The  work  remained  in  the  Oswego  dis- 
trict with  the  same  presiding  elder  until  April 
I,  1873,  \vhen  it  was  placed  in  the  Humboldt 
district,  in  charge  of  Rev.  A.  K.  Johnson,  P. 
E.  This  arrangement  continued  two  years. 
In  March,  1875,  Parsons  was  placed  in  the  Fort 
Scott  district,  where  it  has  ever  since  remained. 
At  the  same  time,  the  Independence  district 
was  formd,  and  all  the  county  except  Parsons 
has  e\-er  since  Ijeen  in  that  district.  The  pre- 
siding elders  of  the  Fort  Scott  district  have 
been:  1875-77,  D.  P.  Mitchell;  1877-81,  B. 
Kelley;  1881-85,  E.  C.  Boaz;  1885-91,  A.  G. 
Robb;  1891-97,  J.  E.  Brant;  1897—,  John  H. 
Price.  The  presiding  elders  of  the  Independ- 
ence district  have  been:  1875-79,  S.  E.  Pen- 
dleton; 1879,  D.  P.  Mitchell:  1880-82,  A.  T. 
Burris;  1882-86,  Ananias  Cullison ;  1886-90, 
J.  A.  Hyden:  1890-96.  S.  S.  Murphy:  1896- 
98,  Bernard  Kelly;  1898—,  Alexander  R. 
Maclean.  Before  the  close  of  his  last  year 
Mr.  Kelly  resigned  the  district,  and  Mr.  Mac- 
lean was  appointed  in  his  stead. 


346 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


German. — While  there  may  have  been  oc- 
casional preaching  prior  to  that  time,  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  German  work  was  regularly 
started  in  this  county  in  the  spring  of  1892, 
by  Rev.  John  Koehler,  who  commenced  preach- 
ing at  the  Timber  Hill  appointment.  In  July,  1 
1892,  work  was  commenced  on  a  new  church 
three  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Dennis.  It 
was  finished,  and  on  August  28th  was  dedi- 
cated by  their  presiding  elder,  Rev.  C.  Harri- 
man.  At  their  conference  the  last  of  August 
the  work  in  the  county  was  organized  into  the 
Parsons  circuit,  and  put  in  charge  of  Rev. 
John  Koehler  again.  A  class  was  to  be  formed 
at  Parsons  at  once. 

Osu'ego. — The  First  ^Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Oswego  was  organized  March  i, 
1868,  in  the  little  frame  building  that  then 
stood  at  the  northeast  corner  of  block  2,3-  Jo^^" 
Mark,  a  local  preacher  living  in  the  township, 
effected  the  organization,  with  13  members, 
including  himself,  as  follows:  John  Mark, 
wife  and  daughter,  Elisha  Hammer  and  wife, 
John  Logan  and  wife,  William  Logan  and 
wife,  Job  Beal  and  wife,  Eliza  Elliott,  and 
Mary  A.  Cowell.  Mr.  ^Mark  had  been  preach- 
ing in  town  for  some  weeks  previous,  alternat- 
ing with  Mr.  Canfield.  Congregationalist; 
]\Iessrs.  Richardson  and  Flouronoy,  Baptists, 
and  perhaps  others.  But  one  service  was  held 
in  to\\n  at  a  time,  all  meeting  in  the  room 
ab.ive  referred  to.  At  the  ensuing  conference, 
which  convened  on  "March  30,  1868,  a  young 
man  living  in  what  was  then  known  as  th^ 
Labette  City  settlement,  near  the  mouth  Of 
Labette  Creek,  named  John  S.  Harryman,  was 
admitted  into  the  conference  on  trial.  All  of 
Labette  county  was  formed  into  the  Oswego 
circuit,  and  Mr.  Harryman  was  sent  to  it  as  its 
first  pastor.  At  the  first  quarterly  conference, 
which  was  held  June  6,  1868,  in  Read  Broth- 


ers' hardware  store,  which  was  then  just  in- 
closed, but  into  which  they  had  not  yet  moved, 
Elder  Rice  appointed  David  Stanfield,  a  local 
preacher,  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Harryman,  and 
during  the  balance  of  the  year  the  two  occupied 
the  field  as  best  they  could.     Since  the  first 
year  the  pastors  have  been  as  follows,  com- 
mencing after  conference  in  March  or  April 
of  the  year  named:     1869,  Patterson  McNutt; 
1870,  H.  W.  Conley;  1871,  J.  E.  Bryan;  1872- 
/T,,  J.  B.  Orwig;  1874,  B.  C.  Swarts;  1875-76, 
P.  T.  Rhodes;  1877,  M.  L.  Gates;  1878-79, 
D.    T.    Summerville;    1880-81,  T.  S.  Hunt; 
1882-84,  H.  McBirney;   1885,  J.  A.  Hyden; 
1886-87,  J-   B.  Ford;   1888-90,  R.   P.   Ham- 
mons;    1891-92,    Ananias    Cullison;    1893-94, 
John  Maclean;  1895,  C.  R.  Rice;  1896,  N.  V. 
;\Ioore;  1896-97,  S.  L.  Chase;  1898-1901,  S. 
A.  Ross.     During  his  pastorate,  Mr.  Moore's 
health  failed  and  he  had  to  resign  his  work 
in  the  middle  of  the  year.     There  have  been 
no  records  preserved  of  the  first  year's  work, 
and  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  who  were 
the  officers  for  that  year.     J.  F.  Moles  worth 
was  elected  recording  steward  for  the  ensuing 
year  at  the  fourth  quarterly  conference,  Feb. 
6,  1869.    When  conference  met,  the  north  part 
of  the  county  in  which  he  lived  was  put  into 
another  work;  so  that  he  never  served.     At 
the  first  quarterly  conference  for  1869  A.  S. 
Cory  was  elected  recording  steward,  but  only 
served  for  that  session,  and  at  the  second  quar- 
terly conference  the  office  was  declared  vacant, 
and  J.  O.  Cowell  was  elected  and  served  out 
the  balance  of  that  year.     At  the  fourth  quar- 
terly conference  for  that  year,  held  on  Dec. 
29,  1869,  Nelson  Case  was  elected  recording 
steward,  and  by  reelections  continued  to  serve 
till  conference  in  March,  1879.    The  following 
year  I.   W.   Patrick  served  in  that  position. 
At  the  close  of  that  year  David  Zimmerman 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


was  elected,  but  declined  to  serve;  and  at  the 
first  quarterly  conference  for  the  following 
year,  held  May  3,  1880,  Nelson  Case  was 
again  elected  recording  steward,  which  posi- 
tion he  has  held,  by  annual  reelections,  since. 
At  the  close  of  the  first  year  the  quarterly 
conference  asked  the  presiding  elder  to  secure 
a  division  of  the  work.  This  was  done,  and 
during  1869-70  Oswego  and  Chetopa,  with  the 
intervening  territory,  constituted  a  circuit. 
This  arrangement  lasted  but  a  year,  for  at  the 
conference  in  March,  1870,  both  Chetopa  and 
Oswego  were  substantially  made  stations ;  each 
had,  a  part  of  the  time  after  that,  one  or  two 
appointments  in  the  county  attached  to  them, 
in  which  the  ministers  at  these  points  would 
preach  Sunday  afternoons.  At  the  close  of  the 
first  year  the  presiding  elder  reported  that  a 
subscription  of  $1,500  had  been  secured  with 
which  to  build  a  church  at  Oswego.  However, 
little  or  nothing  came  of  this  subscription. 
Before  the  close  of  Mr.  McNutt's  pastorate  he 
had  secured  rock  to  be  placed  on  the  ground 
for  a  foundation,  he  and  Mr.  Mark  doing  a 
large  part  of  the  work  themselves.  When  Mr. 
Conley  came,  all  felt  that  the  first  thing  to 
do  was  to  secure  the  erection  of  a  church.  Dur- 
ing Mr.  McNutt's  pastorate  services  were  held 
in  Dr.  Crouse's  building  on  lot  5  in  block  39, 
which  was  now  found  inadequate  to  the  de- 
mands, and  Wells'  Hall,  near  the  northeast 
corner  of  block  32,  was  rented.  Work 
was  commenced  on  the  church  building 
early  in  the  summer,  and  by  the  middle 
of  summer  it  was  inclosed.  Services  were 
then  held  in  it  in  its  unfinished  condi- 
tion. In  the  fall  the  spire  was  built,  the 
house  plastered  and  seated,  and  on  Dec.  18, 
1870,  it  was  dedicated  by  Dr.  W.  R.  Davis. 
The  parsonage  was  built  during  Mr.  Orwig's 


pastorate.  On  July  24,  1889,  an  Epworth 
League  was  organized  in  connection  with  this 
church,  with  Blanche  Case  president,  and  Cloe 
McLane,  secretary.  The  League  has  been 
maintained  with  a  good  degree  of  prosperity 
up  to  the  present. 

The  Second  M.  E.  church  is  composed  of 
colored  members.  It  was  organized  in  April, 
1879,  and  has  had  the  following  pastors:  Rob- 
ert Rector,  W.  B.  Avery,  Daniel  Ross,  Thomas 
Allen,  M.  Bell,  J.  A.  Lee,  E.  Q.  Plummer,  C. 
P.  Thompson,  James  J.  Cable,  J.  W.  Talbert, 

T.   M.  Hooks,  J.  W.  Patton,  Thomas, 

T.  Ross,  and  Jackson.  Soon  after  or- 
ganizing the  members  bought  a  two-story  store 
building  and  moved  it  to  lot  12  in  block  15,  the 
lower  room  of  which  they  used  for  a  church, 
and  the  upper  part  for  a  parsonage.  The 
building  becoming  somewhat  racked,  they 
caused  it  to  be  cut  down  to  a  one-story  build- 
ing, which  they  still  occupy  for  church  pur- 
poses. 

Neosho  Tozvnship. — More  or  less  preach- 
ing in  various  parts  of  the  county  was  un- 
doubtedly done  by  the  Methodist  local  preach- 
ers who  settled  in  the  county,  of  which  no  ac- 
count has  been  preserved.  Rev.  Joseph  Rogers 
was  a  local  preacher  who  settled  in  Neosho 
township  in  the  spring  of  1867.  Very  soon 
after  his  settlement  there,  it  is  said,  he  com- 
menced preaching  in  private  houses  in  several 
places.  This  was  the  first  preaching  they  had 
in  that  township.  After  the  school-houses 
were  built,  more  regular  services  were  held  in 
them.  Classes  were  formed  at  the  Hopkins 
school-house,  in  District  No.  62 ;  at  the  New 
Hone  school-house,  in  District  No.  15;  at  the 
Lone  Elm  school-house,  in  District  No.  21; 
and  perhaps  at  other  points.  But  in  few,  if 
any,   of  these  points  were  permanent  classes 


348 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


formed  OT  services  held  regularly,  for  many 
years.  It  may  be  said  that  Center  Chapel  is 
an  outcome  of  some  of  this  work. 

Center  C Impel. — About  the  year  1878  Rev. 
C.  A.  King  preached  at  the  Franklin  school- 
house,  in  District  No.  55,  and  organized  a 
class.  Soon  after  this  it  was  put  with  the  La- 
bette and  Montana  work,  where  it  has  been 
since.  In  1887,  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  J. 
S.  Budd,  the  chapel  was  built,  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  section  19,  in  Neosho  township, 
and  dedicated  by  Rev.  Allen  Buckner.  The 
building  was  erected  on  mortgaged  land,  and 
the  mortgagor  failing  to  pay,  the  mortgage  was 
foreclosed,  and  the  land,  together  with  the 
church,  was  sold  in  the  summer  of  1892.  It 
cost  the  church  nearly  $500  to  redeem  their 
property. 

Montana. — As  early  as  1868  a  class  seems 
to  have  been  formed  at  Montana,  with  James 
Livesay  as  class-leader.  Preaching  was  had 
occasionally  by  ministers  in  charge  of  neigh- 
boring work.  In  1871  the  Montana  circuit  was 
formed,  and  placed  in  charge  of  Rev.  T.  B. 
Palmer.  From  that  time  on  to  the  present  it 
has  been  united  with  Labette  and  has  been 
served  by  the  same  ministers,  a  list  of  whom  is 
given  under  that  head.  The  church  was  in- 
corporated January  23,  1892.  A  contract  for 
the  purchase  of  the  Christian  church  building 
was  made  in  1892,  and  for  a  time  the  same  was 
occupied  by  the  Methodists ;  but  the  Christians 
becoming  dissatisfied  with  the  sale,  it  was  re- 
scinded. The  Methodists  were  then  without 
property  of  their  own  until  1900,  when  they 
purchased  the  Presbyterian  church  building, 
which  they  have  repaired  and  are  now  using. 

Labette. — The  Methodist  class  at  Labette 
was  organized  in  the  spring  or  summer  of  1871, 
by  Rev.  T.  B.  Palmer,  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  Montana  circuit.      Services   were  held   in 


the  school-house.  '  The  next  year  it  formed  a 
part  of  the  Parsons  circuit,  in  charge  of  Rev. 
J.  \V.  Fox.  In  1873  this,  with  Montana,  was 
supplied  by  Rev.  H.  \\\  Conley,  and  the  same 
arrangement  continued  during  1874.  In 
March.  1875,  Rev.  J.  \V.  Mcintosh  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Montana  and  Labette  circuit. 
In  1876  Rev.  P.  A.  Pearson  was  appointed, 
but  failed  to  take  charge  of  the  work,  and  it 
was  supplied  a  part  of  the  year  by  Rev.  Jesse 
Williams,  who  was  again  appointed  to  the 
work  in  March,  1877.  In  March,  1878,  the 
South  Parsons  circuit  was  organized,  and  in- 
cluded Labette.  Rev.  \\'.  B.  Poinsett  and  Rev. 
A.  S.  Freed  had  charge  of  the  work, 
the  former  living  north  of  Mound  \'alley 
and  the  latter  at  Montana.  In  March,  1879, 
Labette  and  Montana  were  cut  off  from  the 
South  Parsons  circuit  and  put  in  charge  of 
W.  B.  Poinsett,  who  got  the  people  at  Labette 
to  purchase  a  house  and  put  on  the  church  lots, 
which  had  been  donated,  for  a  parsonage,  and 
moved  into  it,  and  stayed  there  for  three  years. 
The  school-house  having  been  blown  down, 
Mr.  Poinsett  preached  for  a  time  in  the  depot, 
and  afterwards  in  the  Baptist  church.  The 
same  year  the  church  was  built,  and  on  Oct. 
5,  1879,  was  dedicated  by  Rev.  D.  P.  Mitchell. 
During  the  winter  a  protracted  meeting  was 
held,  resulting  in  quite  a  large  number  of  con- 
versions. In  March,  1881,  Rev.  D.  F.  Holtz 
was  sent  to  Labette,  and  the  following  year 
Rev.  William  Shambaugh.  He  was  followed 
in  1883  by  Rev.  C.  W.  S warts.  The  next  year 
Rev.  H.  J.  Walker  was  appointed,  but  failed  to 
come;  Rev.  J.  S.  Budd  was  then  appointed, 
and  remained  for  three  years  from  March, 
1885.  In  March,  1888.  Rev.  Salem  Hedges 
was  put  in  charge  of  the  work,  and  served  as 
pastor  until  March,  1892.  Since  ]\Ir.  Hedges 
was  pastor  the  cJuirch  lias  had  the  following 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


349 


pastors :  J.  D.  Skaggs,  one  vear ;  P.  G.  Wager, 
one  year ;  V.  Staley,  one  year ;  John  P.  Martin 
and  Ernest  Exerett,  one  year :  W.  M.  Betty, 
-one  and  a  third  years, — he  died  during  his 
second  year's  service ;  J.  R.  Hawkins,  one 
and  two-thirds  years:  D.  M.  Campbell,  two 
years. 

Spring  J 'alley. — About  1869  or  1870  an 
acre  of  ground  was  purchased  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  section  ^2.  in  Liberty  township, 
which  was  set  out  to  trees  and  a  cemetery  laid 
out  thereon.  Aliout  1871  a  frame  store  build- 
ing was  purchased  and  removed  to  it  from 
Elston.  This  was  remodeled  into  a  church. 
This  has  formed  one  of  the  regular  appoint- 
ments of  the  Labette  circuit  almost  from  its 
organization,  although  at  that  time  it  belonged 
to  the  Elston  circuit  and  the  next  year  to  the 
Timber  Hill  circuit,  both  of  which  were  in 
charge  of  Rev.  R.   P.  Bukey. 

Stover. — In  the  fall  of  1869  a  class  was 
formed  on  Deer  creek,  in  the  west  part  of 
Fairview  township,  with  I.  VV.  Patrick,  leader, 
and  was  admitted  into  the  Oswego  work.  Rev. 
P.  McNutt  pastor,  went  out  there  occasion- 
ally and  preached  for  them.  Services  were  'held 
in  a  private  house  or  a  vacant  claim  house. 
When  the  school-house  was  built  in  District 
No.  29,  the  class  moved  to  that  point,  where 
it  has  since  been  maintained.  The  class  was 
organized  at  the  Stover  school-house  about  the 
last  of  December,  1869,  or  first  of  January, 
1870.  by  Rev.  R.  P.  Bukey.  E.  B.  Wheeler 
was  the  first  to  hand  in  his  letter,  and  George 
PfafY  was  the  second.  For  a  number  of  years 
it  was  attached  to  Oswego,  but  in  1880  it  was 
made  a  part  of  the  Labette  work,  and  still  con- 
tinues in  that  circuit.  For  a  few  years  past,  the 
class  at  Stover  has  been  occupying  the  church 
built  by  the  people  in  that  neighlwrhood,   to 


which  the  officers  of  the  Church  of  God  ob- 
tained  title. 

Dennis. — This  circuit  was  formed  at  the 
conference  held  in  March,  1885.  and  J.  W.  D. 
Anderson  was  appointed  to  the  work.  How- 
ever, he  never  took  charge  of  the  work,  and 
M.  U.  Ramsburg  was  appointed  in  his  place. 
During  the  year  a  parsonage  was  secured  in 
the  town  of  Dennis.  In  March,  1886.  P,  H. 
Fisk  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  circuit.  Dur- 
ing the  next  two  years  the  work  was  divided, 
a  part  being  united  with  the  Galesburg  circuit, 
under  the  charge  of  Rev.  R.  M.  Cullison.  In 
March,  1889,  the  Dennis  circuit  was  reformed, 
and  placed  in  charge  of  Rev.  W.  T.  York. 
The  work  embraced  the  classes  at  St.  Johns, 
Mount  Zion,  Excelsior,  Pleasant  Hill,  Den- 
nis, Moorhead  ;  also.  Shiloh,  in  Neosho  county. 
The  following  year  Rev.  H.  ;\I.  Hughes  be- 
came pastor,  but  after  six  nwnths'  service  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  Deaton.  Rev.  S. 
W.  Gamble  became  pastor  in  March,  1891 ;  he 
was  succeeded  in  1894  by  P.  G.  Wager,  who 
served  the  charge  three  years.  At  ti:e  end  of 
that  time,  the  Dennis  circuit  was  discontinued 
and  the  place  was  made  an  api)ointment  du  an- 
other circuit. 

Excelsior. — At  an  early  day  a  class  was 
formed  at  the  Mount  Triumph  schuol-house,  in 
District  No.  63.  Some  few  years  ago,  this 
class  was  moved  to  the  Excelsior  school-house, 
in  District  No.  88.  Here  services  were  con- 
ducted till  about  the  fall  of  1891,  when,  under 
the  pastorate  of  Rev.  S.  W.  Gamble,  a  nice 
frame  church  26  by  48  feet  was  erected  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  21,  in  north 
Mound  Valley  township.  It  was  dedicated 
January  17,  1892,  by  Rev.  B.  Kelley.  During 
1892  the  organization  of  a  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  was 
effected. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Pleasant  Hill. — A  class  was  formed  a  num- 
ber of  years  ago  at  the  Pleasant  Hill  school- 
house,  in  District  Xo.  ~/,  where  services  were 
regularly  held  till  1889.  when  a  new  church 
was  built  untler  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  W.  T. 
York,  on  the  southwest  corner  of  section  30, 
in  Walton  township,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,200. 
It  was  dedicated,  free  of  debt,  on  Dec.  15, 
1889,  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Brant. 

Moorhcad. — A  new  cliurch  was  built  at 
this  place,  just  in  the  edge  of  Neosho  county, 
in  1 89 1.  Quite  a  large  portion  of  the  mem- 
bership lives  in  Labette  county. 

Fletcher  Chapel. — This  class  succeeds  one 
of  the  oldest  classes  in  the  county.  There  were 
a  number  of  Methodist  families  among  the 
early  settlers  in  the  northeast  part  of  Richland 
township,  among  them  the  Rice  families,  the 
Greens,  and  Rev.  David  Stanfield.  A  class  was 
organized,  probably  as  early  as  April  or  May, 
1868.  Arrangements  were  soon  made  for 
erecting  a  building:  a  site  was  selected  on  the 
east  side  of  the  east  road  leading  from  Os- 
wego to  Chetopa,  near  the  northwest  corner 
'of  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  10.  and  a  foundation 
laid  that  spring.  L.  D.  Bovee  had  the 
contract  for  putting  up  the  building,  and 
had  it  inclosed  that  season.  A  store  building 
at  old  Labette,  on  section  14.  was  torn  down, 
and  out  of  the  material  the  church  was  par- 
tially constructed ;  but  it  was  never  finished, 
and  the  class  weakened  rather  than  gained  in 
strength.  However,  services  were  kept  up  and 
meetings  were  held  in  the  school-house  in  Dis- 
trict No.  3.  The  class  was  attached  a  part  of 
the  time  to  Oswego  and  a  part  of  the  time  to 
Chetopa.  It  was  decided  to  make  another  at- 
tempt to  secure  a  building,  and  in  the  summer 
of  1883  a  church  was  commenced,  and  by  fall 
it   was   inclosed.   ;md   so   far   completed     that 


services  were  held  in  it  in  winter.  It  is  located 
on  section  4.  in  Richland  township.  It  was 
completefl  during  the  spring,  and  dedicated 
June  22,  1884,  by  Rev.  F.  M.  Sisson. 

Chetopa. — This  church  shares  the  misfor- 
tune of  many  early  enterprises,  of  having  no 
record  of  its  organization.  It  is  said  the  first 
Methodist  sermon  in  Chetopa,  aside  from  the 
preaching  before  the  war  by  ministers  of  the 
M.  E.  church  South,  was  preached  in  Septem- 
ber, 1867,  in  W.  H.  Reid's  home,  by  Thomas 
B.  Palmer,  who  carried  the  mail  from  Osage 
Mission  to  Chetopa,  and  who  was  also  a  local 
preacher.  No  regular  preaching  was  had  and 
no  organization  was  effected  till  after  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  preacher  in  1868.  Tradition 
says  the  church  was  organized  in  June.  1868, 
with  13  members.  Soon  after  the  organization 
a  building  committee,  consisting  of  James  C. 
Watson,  G.  W.  Hoover  and  D.  J.  Doolen.  was 
appointed,  and  had  charge  of  the  erection  of 
the  church  building,  which  was  commenced  in 
November.  1868,  and  finished  in  1870,  the  ded- 
ication sermon  being  preached  by  Rev.  Thomas 
Bowman,  D.  D.,  on  Sept.  4,  1870.  In  1868 
the  church  was  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  John 
S.  Harryman.  of  Oswego,  who  had  all  of  La- 
bette county  for  his  circuit.     In  the  spring  of 

1869  Rev.  Patterson  McNutt  was  appointed 
to  the  joint  work  of  Oswego  and  Chetopa.    In 

1870  Chetopa  was  made  a  station,  with  Rev. 
J.  W.  Lowry  as  pastor;  he  was  returned  in 
1871,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  spring  of  1872 
by  Rev.  G.  W.  Pye,  who  also  continued  two 
years.  The  next  two  years  Rev.  John  Paul- 
son was  pastor.  In  March,  1876,  Rev.  Hugh 
McBirney  became  pastor,  and  continued  in 
charge  till  March,  1879,  when  Rev.  R.  M. 
Scott  was  appointed  to  the  work,  and  remained 
till  March.,  1881,  Rev.  J.  W.  Fox  was 
then    in    charge    of    the    work    for    a    year. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


351 


Rev.  A.  P.  George  came  in  March,  i88j, 
and  remained  till  August,  1883.  In  the 
following  month  Rev.  W.  W.  Curnutt  be- 
came pastor,  and  continued  as  such  till 
March,  1886,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
C.  T.  Durboraw,  who  remained  three  years, 
and  was  succeeded  May  i.  1890,  by  Rev.  W. 
H.  Mulvaney,  in  place  of  Rev.  N.  B.  Johnson, 
who  had  been  appointed  to  the  church  but 
failed  to  come.  Mr.  Mulvaney  served  as  pastor 
five  years,  from  1890  to  1895 ;  he  was  succeed- 
ed by  John  Maclean,  who  also  served  five  years, 
being  followed  in  1900  by  Harman  J.  Hoover, 
the  present  pastor.  In  the  fall  of  1870  a  parson- 
age was  built  on  a  part  of  the  church  lots.  In 
18S0  this  parsonage  was  removed  and  a  new 
parsonage  built  in  the  north  part  of  the  city. 
The  church  was  built  of  stone,  and  at  the  time 
of  its  dedication  was  considered  the  finest  in 
the  county,  it  having  cost  some  $6,700.  In 
October,  1894,  the  church  was  torn  down  and 
in  its  place  there  was  erected  that  winter  a 
fine,  frame  structure,  commodious  and  con- 
venient, costing  about  $6,000,  which  was  dedi- 
cated ]\Iarch  10,  1895.  by  Bishop  Thomas 
Bowman.  The  church  has  had  a  number  of 
revivals  of  marked  power.  In  January,  1875, 
November  and  December,  1884,  and  the  win- 
ter of  1885-86,  the  revival  meetings  resulted  in 
large  accessions  to  the  church.  During  Mr. 
Mulvaney's  pastorate,  a  revival,  awakening  a 
great  interest  and  resulting  in  nearly  100  ac- 
cessions to  the  church,  took  place  at  Fletcher 
Chapel.  In  the  fall  of  1900  about  100  conver- 
sions aijd  accessions  resulted  from  a  revival 
held  in  the  Chetopa  church  by  Mr.  Hoover. 
The  members  and  probationers  of  the  church 
now  number  about  375.  November  4,  1889, 
an  Epworth  League  was  organized,  with  J.  M. 
Cavaness  as  president. 

Second  M.  E.  church.    This  organization 


was  fiirmed  in  1881,  and  is  composed  of  col- 
ored members.  Some  ten  or  twelve  years  ago 
they  built  a  church,  and  have  maintained  regu- 
lar services  most  of  the  time;  recently,  they 
have  erected  a  tower  on  the  church  building 
and  put  in  a  bell.  Robert  Rector,  W.  B.  Avery, 
Andrew  Riley,  Marion  Bell,  Thomas  Allen, 
A.  J.  Lee,  E.  O.  Plummer,  C.  P.  Thompson, 
A.  R.  Clarady,  J.  J.  Cable,  I.  W.  H.  TerriU  and 
M.  L.  Jackson  have  served  as  pastors.  On 
Easter  Sunday,  1892,  a  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  was 
organized  by  Anna  Householder  and  Ella  Hig- 
by.  The  members  of  the  other  two  colored 
churches  in  town  unite  in  maintaining  this  so- 
cietv. 

Timber  Hill  Circuit. — Methodism  was  or- 
ganized in  the  west  part  of  the  county  nearly 
as  soon  as  there  were  any  settlers  there.  Jo- 
seph McCormick,  the  first  settler  in  Mound 
Valley  township,  was  a  ^Methodist,  and  his 
home  became  the  place  around  which  Meth- 
odism clustered.  As  early  as  1867  a  local 
preacher  by  the  name  of  Spaugh  preached  at 
McCormick's  house.  JNIr.  Claspell  writes  me 
that  "this  was  the  first  preaching  I  heard  on 
Big  Hill."  In  1868  all  of  Labette  county  was 
embraced  in  the  Oswego  circuit,  in  charge  of 
Rev.  J.  S.  Harryman,  with  Rev.  David  Stanfield 
as  an  assistant,  the  former  having  been  ad- 
mitted into  the  conference  on  trial  that  spring, 
and  the  latter  being  a  local  preacher.  Mr. 
Stanfield  moved  out  into  the  western  part  of 
the  county,  and  preached'  there.  In  March. 
1869,  the  W'estralia  circuit  was  organized,  em- 
bracing parts  of  Labette  and  Montgomery 
counties,  and  put  in  charge  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Harry- 
man  and  Rev.  Sheldon  Parker.  In  1870  the 
Timber  Hill  circuit  was  formed,  and  put  in 
charge  of  Rev.  Sheldon  Parker.  It  embraced 
all  of  the  western  part  of  Labette  county  and 
the  eastern  part  of  Montgomery.      In    1871 


352 


:nSTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Rev.  R.  P.  Bukey  was  put  in  charge  of  this 
work  and  stayed  two  years.  Rev.  E.  M.  Bus- 
sert,  a  local  preacher,  about  this  time  com- 
menced to  render  efficient  aid,  which  has  been 
kept  up  much  of  the  time  since.  During  these 
early  years  ( but  I  ha\-e  found  no  one  who  is 
able  t(j  fix  even  the  year)  cla.-;ses  were  formed 
at  a  number  of  school-houses  in  Osage  and 
Mound  Valley  townships,  several  of  which  be- 
came permanent  Methodist  centers.  Of  these 
I  may  mention  Mount  Zion,  in  District  Xo. 
36;  Mount  Triumph,  in  District  No.  63;  St. 
John,  in  District  No.  76;  Harmony  Grove,  in 
District  No.  30;  Pleasant  Hill,  in  District  No. 
•jy;  and  Maple  Grove,  in  District  No.  102. 
In  April.  1873.  Rev.  J.  P.  Hight  was  placed 
on  the  Timber  Hill  circuit,  and  sent  back  the 
following  year.  In  March,  1875,  Rev.  W.  B. 
Poinsett  was  appointed,  but  on  account  of  sick- 
ness failed  to  go,  and  the  charge  was  united 
for  that  year  with  Labette,  under  Rev.  J.  W. 
Mcintosh.  The  next  two  years  Rev.  W^  B. 
Poinsett  was  in  charge,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  the  Timber  Hill  circuit  ceased  to  exist, 
the  most  of  the  appointments  being  merged  in 
The  South  Parsons  Circuit. — This  circuit 
was  formed  in  March,  1878.  and  put  in  charge 
of  Rev.  W.  B.  Poinsett  and  Rev.  A.  S.  Freed. 
In  March,  1879,  this  work  was  reduced  in  size 
and  put  in  charge  of  Rev.  S.  F.  Harriman,  who 
formed  some  new  classes,  among  them  one  at 
Mound  \'alley.  and  at  the  end  of  this  year 
the  charge  ceased  to  exist  under  that  name. 
From  this  time  on  the  classes  in  the  extreme 
\vestern  jiart  of  the  county  have  generally  been 
in  charge  of  a  minister  at  Cherryvale.  In'  the 
spring  of  1886  a  parsonage  was  built  in  the 
Mount  Zion  district,  and  it  became  the  head 
of  the  Cherryvale  circuit.  In  1892  this  par- 
sonage was  sold,  the  proceeds  to  be  applied  to- 


ward the  erection  of  a  new  church  in  the  near 
future. 

Mound  Valley. — The  Alethodist  class  at 
Mound  Valley  was  organized  in  the  summer 
of  1879,  by  Rev.  S.  F.  Harriman,  who  was 
then  in  charge  of  the  South  Parsons  circuit. 
About  10  members  composed  the  class  at  the 
time  of  its  organization.  In  March,  1880,  the 
Mound  Valley  circuit  was  organized  and  put 
in  charge  of  Rev.  E.  A.  Graham,  who  continued 
on  the  work  for  three  years.  He  in  that  time 
built  three  churches,  doing  a  large  part  of  the 
work  with  his  own  hands.  The  parsonage  was 
built,  and  occupied  in  the  fall  of  1879  by  Mr. 
Harriman.  In  the  spring  of  1880  a  small 
church  was  completed  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  block  15,  and  dedicated,  free  from  debt,  by 
Rev.  A.  T.  Burris,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,200. 
In  March.  1883.  Mr.  Graham  was  succeeded 
by  Re\-.  Isaac  Hill.  wTio  was  followed  the  next 
spring  by  C.  E.  Creager;  he  remained  two 
years.  The  first  year  of  his  pastorate  the  old 
church  property-  was  sold,  and  other  lots  se- 
cured in  block  10,  lying  just  south  of  the  rail- 
road track,  and  on  these  a  fine  new  church 
was  erected,  and  on  Oct.  12,  1884,  was  dedi- 
cated by  Rev.  J.  B.  Ford.  During  the  follow- 
ing winter  union  meetings  were  held,  under  the 
direction  of  W.  H.  Hurlbut.  an  evangelist, 
and  resulted  in  a  great  revival.  \Y.  T.  Free- 
land  was  appointed  to  the  work  in  March, 
1886,  and  stayed  two  years,  during  which  time 
the  old  parsonage  was  sold,  and  a  new  one 
built  by  the  side  of  the  new  church,  and  ac- 
cepted July  6.  1887.  In  March,  1888,  Rev. 
W".  W.  Curnutt  was  sent  to  the  work,  and  died 
just  at  the  close  of  his  first  year's  services 
there.  The  next  year  Rev.  J.  B.  Gibson  came; 
and  the  next.  Rev.  \\'.  T.  York.  The  latter 
did  the  church  a  good  service  in  raising  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


353- 


money  to  pay  off  the  indebtedness,  which  had 
been  a  great  burden  to  it.  In  March,  1891, 
Rev.  R.  M.  CuHison  was  put  in  charge  of  the 
work,  and  returned  to  it  in  March,  1892.  Mr. 
Culhson  continued  to  serve  until  March,  1894, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  J.  R.  McNabb,  who 
served  two  years;  the  next  two  years  F.  H. 
Fhckinger  was  pastor;  in  March,  1898,  Mr. 
Fhckinger  was  succeeded  by  E.  W.  Spencer, 
who  served  until  September,  1899,  when  the 
present  pastor,  Angus  M.  Maclean,  was  sent 
to  the  work.  An  Epworth  League  was  organ- 
ized about  November  i,  1891,  with  Rev.  R. 
M.  Cullison,  president;  Minnie  Wallis,  first 
vice-president;  William  Cruzan,  second  vice- 
president;  Nellie  O'Brien,  third  vice-president; 
Eva  Sanders,  secretary;  and  Edgar  Simpson, 
treasurer. 

Bell  Mound. — A  Methodist  Episcopal  class 
has  been  maintained  at  the  school-house  in 
District  Xo.  99  for  several  years,  and  has 
usually  been  supplied  with  preaching  by  the 
ministers  in  charge  of  the  Liberty  work. 

Hopc-uvll.—ln  December,  1871.  Rev.  J.  P. 
Hight,  a  local  preacher,  held  a  protracted  meet- 
ing in  the  dwelling-house  of  James  Beggs, 
which  resulted  in  several  conversions,  and  at 
its  close,  on  January  5,  1872,  a  class  was 
formed,  which  thereafter  took  the  name  of 
Hopewell.  Meetings  were  held  in  private 
houses  till  the  completion  of  the  Henderson 
school-house,  in  District  No.  83,  in  the  fall 
of  that  year,  where  the  meetings  were  there- 
after held  till  the  completion  of  their  church. 
This  class  formd  a  part  of  the  Timber  Hill 
and  South  Parsons  circuits,  and  was  ministered 
to  by  the  preachers  in  charge  of  those  works, 
till  the  formation  of  the  Mound  Valley  circuit, 
in  the  spring  of  1880,  when  it  was  put  into  that 
circuit.  Since  then  it  has  formed  a  part  of 
either  that  or  the  Altamont  circuit,  most  of 


the  time,   however,   with   Mound  Valley.      In 

1882,  under  charge  of  Rev.  E.  A.  Graham,  a 
neat  church  was  built  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  section  18,  township  32,  range  19.  There 
were  several  other  classes  in  the  neighborhood, 
wdiich  now  form  a  part  of  this  church. 

Altamont. — The  town  of  Elston  having 
been  started  in  the  summer  of  1869,  a  Meth- 
odist class  was  formed  there  in  the  fall  of  that 
year,  and  admitted  into  the  Oswego  work  in 
charge  of  Rev.  P.  McNutt,  pastor.  .H.  N. 
Brooks,  a  local  preacher,  and  E.  M.  Bussart, 
an  exhorter,  were  members  of  this  class.  At 
the  conference  in  March,  1870,  the  Elston 
circuit  was  formed  and'  put  in  charge  of  Rev. 
R.  P.  Bukey,  who  formed  classes  at  a  number 
of  places  in  the  central  part  of  the  county. 
At  the  end  of  one  year  this  circuit  was  broken 
up  and  the  work  combined  with  other  circuits. 
Classes  were  maintained  most  of  the  time  ia 
several  school-houses  in  Labette  and  Mount 
Pleasant  townships.  This  work  preceded  the 
organization  of  the  class  at  Altamont  when 
that  town  started.  Prior  to  1885  Altamont 
formed  a  part  of  the  Mound  Valley  circuit. 
The  class  at  this  place  was  organized  with  10 
members,  on  June  19,  1881,  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  by  Rev.  E.  A.  Graham,  who  on  that 
occasion  preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon  in 
the  place.     In  the  fall  of  1882  and  spring  of 

1883,  Mr.  Graham  built,  largely  with  his  own 
hands,  the  church,  which,  on  July  15,  1883, 
was  dedicated,  by  Rev.  H.  McBirney,  free  of 
debt,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  loan  ob- 
tained from  the  Church  Extension  Society. 
Rev.  Isaac  Hill,  in  1883,  and  Rev.  C.  E.  Crea- 
ger.  in  1884,  being  in  charge  of  the  Mound  Val- 
ley circuit,  also  preached  here.  At  the  confer- 
ence in  March,  1885,  the  Altamont  cir- 
cuit was  formed  and  placed  in  charge  of 
Rev.  H.  R.  Volmer;  he  was  reappointed  the 


354 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


next  year,  but  his  health  failed,  and  he  re- 
signed in  December,  1886.  In  1885  a  parson- 
age was  built,  at  a  cost  of  about  $400.  In 
January  and  February,  1 886,  a  revival  meeting 
resulted  in  the  church  receiving  about  75  ac- 
cessions to  its  membership.  Rev.  A.  C.  Ben- 
nett was  appointed  in  1887,  Rev.  W.  H.  Mc- 
Veigh in  1888,  and  Rev.  John  P.  Slaughter 
in  1889.  The  latter,  desiring  to  go  to  school, 
resigned  the  work.  In  March,  1890,  Rev.  J. 
D.  Skaggs  was  appointed  to  the  circuit,  and 
reappointed  the  following  year.  Rev.  W.  T. 
York  began  his  pastorate  in  March,  1892; 
during  his  term,  which  ended  March,  1894, 
an  addition  was  made  to  the  church  at  a  cost 
of  $400.  Rev.  D.  B.  Brummitt  succeeded  him, 
and  remained  until  the  spring  of  1895,  when 
he  was  followed  by  H.  A.  Church,  whose  pas- 
torate closed  in  March,  1900,  at  which  time 
the  present  pastor.  Rev.  M.  N.  Ramsburg,  was 
sent  to  the  work.  Connected  with  this  work 
are  appointments  at  several  school-houses  in 
the  adjoining-  townships.  An  Epworth  League 
was  organized  April  26,  1892,  and  has  been 
quite  a  feature  of  the  church  work ;  at  first  un- 
der the  leadership  of  the  pastor,  it  has,  more 
recently,  enlisted  able  workers  among  the  mem- 
bership. 

Fairvieiv. — Two  or  three  of  the  school- 
house  appointments  that  had  formed  a  part  of 
the  Altamont  circuit  united  in  1898  in  an  effort 
to  erect  a  church  in  the  western  part  of  Fair- 
view  township,  a  few  miles  southeast  of  Alta- 
mont. The  church  was  completed  in  the  spring 
of  1899,  and  was  dedicated  in  July  of  that 
year  by  Rev.  I.  B.  Pulliam.  Its  cost  was  aliout 
$1,000.  The  organization  and  incorporation 
of  the  church  was  on  September  27,  1898. 

Mattheivson. — A  new  church  building  was 
erected  at  this  point  and  dedicated  November  4. 
1894.     It  has  been  one  of  the  appointments 


of  the  McCune  circuit,  and  is  served  by  pastors 
having  charge  of  that  work. 

Angola. — ^A  church  at  this  point  was  in- 
corporated in  December,  1892,  and  work  was 
commenced  on  the  foundation  for  a  new  build- 
ing. The  church  was  completed  in  the  spring 
of  1893  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,500,  and  dedicat- 
ed June  II,  1893.  It  then  formed  a  part  of 
the  Coffeyville  circuit  under  the  charge  of  Rev. 
William  Betty.  In  1894  the  Angola  circuit  was 
formed  with  W.  S.  Bundy  in  charge.  Subse- 
quently different  combinations  of  appointments 
were  made.  At  present  Angola  forms  a  part 
of  the  Edna  work. 

Elm  Grove  Circuit. — In  1872  the  south- 
west part  of  the  county  had  settled  to  such  an 
extent,  and  there  was  such  a  call  for  preaching 
and  the  organization  of  Methodist  classes,  that 
the  presiding  elder  appointed  Thomas  Sum- 
merfield,  a  local  preacher  living  in  Elm  Grove 
township,  to  supply  these  points  with  preach- 
ing. During  this  time  a  number  of  classes 
were  formed.  In  March.  1873,  the  southwest 
part  of  the  county  was  organized  into  a  work 
called  the  Elm  Grove  circuit,  and  Rev.  Thomas 
Moft'at  was  appointed  preacher  in  charge;  the 
next  year  he  was  also  sent  as  a  supply  on  the 
same  work.  During  his  ministry  there  was 
an  extensile  re\i\al.  In  1875  Rev.  George 
W.  Rigby  was  sent  to  the  work,  and  stayed 
two  years.  In  March,  1877,  Rev.  J.  M.  Boon 
took  charge  of  the  work,  and  was  returned 
again  the  next  year,  but  got  into  trouble  during 
the  year  and  was  suspended.  He  held  pro- 
tracted meetings  at  several  points,  which  result- 
ed in  many  conversions.  In  September,  1878, 
Rev.  Z.  B.  Hitchcock  had  charge  of  the  circuit, 
and  was  returned  in  the  spring  of  1879.  At 
the  next  conference,  in  1880,  the  name  was 
changed  to  that  of 

The  Edna  Circuit,  and  Rev.  C.  W.  Swartz 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


35S 


was  put  in  charge.  In  March,  1881,  Rev. 
Azor  McDole  was  sent  here,  and  continued  to 
August,  1883,  when  he  started  to  Evanston 
to  school,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Salem 
Hedges,  who  stayed  till  March,  1885.  at  which 
time  Rev.  A.  S.  Freed  was  appointed,  and 
stayed  two  years.  The  two  years  following. 
Rev.  E.  A.  Grabeal  was  in  charge.  In  March, 
1889,  Rev.  Henry  Carlyon  was  appointed,  and 
the  next  spring  Rev.  L.  N.  B.  Anderson.  He 
remained  but  part  of  the  year,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  H.  V.  Spears,  who  was,  in 
March,  1891,  again  sent  to  the  work,  and  was 
followed  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Hubbard,  in  March, 
1892.  Mr.  Hubbard  remained  three  years, 
and  during  his  last  year  had  a  great  revival, 
resulting  in  about  100  additions  to  the  church. 
G.  F.  Bundy  was  put  in  charge  of  the  work  in 
March,  1895,  and  had  a  pastorate  of  three 
years.  An  excellent  Epworth  League  under 
the  presidency  of  Miss  Gertrude  Hileman,  and 
also  a  fine  Junior  League,  were  maintained. 
The  present  pastor,  G.  E.  Tifft,  was  sent  to 
Edna  in  March,  1898.  In  the  fall  of  1882  a 
building  was  begun,  and  inclosed  so  that  serv- 
ices were  held  in  it  that  winter.  It  was  not 
completed  until  1883,  and  was  dedicated  about 
November  ist  by  Rev.  A.  Cullison.  During 
the  last  year  of  Mr.  Bundy's  pastorate  a  new 
church  building  was  commenced,  which  was 
completed  the  following  year,  under  Mr.  Tifft's 
pastorate,  at  a  cost  of  $2,500,  and  was  dedi- 
cated on  Sept.  25,  1898,  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Mil- 
burn,  chaplain  of  the  U.  S.  Senate.  In  1900 
the  church  sold  the  old  parsonage  and  erected 
a  fine  new  one  in  its  place.  Mollie  Pearren 
and  Anna  Hoole  have  been  Epworth  League 
presidents,  and  Mrs.  Long  and  Mrs.  Tififts, 
superintendents  of  the  Juniors. 

Valeda. — Methodist   classes   had   been   or- 
ganized and  maintained  for  several  years  in 


the  "seventies"  in  a  number  of  the  school- 
houses  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county, 
among  them  the  Blackford  school-house.  Dis- 
trict No.  6;  in  the  Trenton  school-house,  Dis- 
trict No.  67;  and  in  the  Snow  Hill  school- 
house,  District  No.  35;  and  perhaps  in  one  or 
two  more.  A  class  was  formed  in  the  Dresser 
school-house,  District  No.  51,  in  1878,  and 
kept  up  there  until  the  town  of  Valeda  was 
started  and  the  Cong-regatiunal  church  moved 
there,  in  the  fall  of  1886.  The  class  was  then 
removed  to  Valeda,  and  the  services  held  in 
the  Congregational  church.  All  the  classes 
that  had  been  held  in  that  vicinity  were  now 
united  in  this  one  appointment.  This  class 
belongs  to  the  Edna  work,  and  a  list  of  the 
pastors  will  be  found  given  under  that  church. 
Cecil. — In  the  summer  of  1882  Rev.  A.  P. 
George,  then  in  charge  of  the  Methodist  church 
at  Chetopa,  commenced  preaching  at  the  Lig- 
gett school-house,  in  District  No.  87,  and  soon 
formed  a  Methodist  class.  Arrangements 
were  made  with  J.  L.  Jones  to  secure  ground 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  section  5,  township 
35,  Hackberry  township,  for  a  church  and 
cemetery.  On  October  11,  1882,  the  ground 
was    formally    accepted.     On    No^•ember    18, 

1882,  the  corner-stone  was  laid,  the  address 
being  made  by  Nelson  Case.  The  work  on  the 
building,  which  was  of  stone,  was  pushed  as 
rapidly  as  those  interested  could  get  the  ma- 
terial upon  the  ground,  so  that  by  April  24, 

1883,  it  was  inclosed,  and  on  that  day  Mr. 
George  preached  the  first  sermon  within  its 
walls.  At  the  conference  in  March,  1883,  the 
Cecil  work  was  formed,  and  placed  in  charge 
of  Rev.  H.  R.  Volmer,  who  was  reappointed 
to  the  charge  in  1884.  On  May  13,  1883,  just 
after  the  services  had  closed  and  the  people 
had  reached  home,  a  cyclone  came  up  from  the 
southwest  and  blew  the  church  to  atoms.     The 


356 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


root  was  carried  about  half  a  mile,  the  organ 
and  table  were  crushed  to  splinters ;  the  Bible 
lay  upon  a  box  which  hatl  been  used  for  a  pul- 
pit, and  after  the  storm  was  found  just  as  it 
had  been  left,  entirely  unharmed.  Steps  were 
at  once  taken  to  rebuild;  this  time,  however,  a 
frame  instead  of  a  stone  building.  On  Aug- 
ust 19,  1883,  the  first  sermon  was  preached  in 
this  new  structure,  by  the  pastor.  It  was  dedi- 
cated (about  September  i,  1883)  by  Rev.  A. 
Cullison.  On  July  2,  1884.  another  storm 
passed  over  that  section ;  the  church  was  struck 
by  lightning,  and  also  torn  to  atoms  by  the 
wind.  Some  money  was  realizedi  from  insur- 
ance, and  the  brethren  for  a  third  time  started 
to  erect  a  church  edifice.  It  was  commenced 
in  October,  1884,  and  finished  during  the  win- 
ter, and  on  Feb.  22,  1885,  was  dedicated  by 
.  the  presiding  elder.  Rev.  A.  Cullison.  At  the 
conference  the  following  month  Rev.  J.  B.  Seiss 
was  appointed  to  succeed  Mr.  Volmer  on  this 
work.  Since  then  this  point  has  formed  a  part 
of  the  Edna  circuit,  and  has  been  supplied  with 
preaching  from  the  ministers  in  charge,  a  list 
of  whom  will  be  found  in  connection  with  that 
work. 

Bartlctt. — The  class  at  this  place,  while  one 
of  the  newest  in  the  county,  may  still,  not  in- 
appropriately, be  said  to  be  one  of  the  oldest. 
In  the  report  of  Rev.  P.  McNutt,  pastor  at  Os- 
wego, to  the  quarterly  conference  held  at  Os- 
wegfj,  Alay  15,  1869,  I  find  the  following: 
"On  May  9th  I  organized  another  [class]  at 
Hackberry."  "I  have  been  on  Hackberry  but 
once:  found  a  very  intelligent,  wide-awake 
people  there.  I  organized  a  class  of  10,  with 
P)ro.  William  Payne  as  leader,  and  have  great 
hopes  of  soon  seeing  a  flourishing  society 
there."  1  learn  that  this  class  was  organized 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Horace  Horton,  (in  the 
siiutheast  (|uarter  of  section  2-j,  in  Hackberry 


township.  Among  the  10  members  who  were 
taken  into  the  class  at  its  organization  were 
Wm.  H.  Payne  and  wife  Louisa,  Samuel  Mc- 
Millen  and  wife  Margaret,  Thomas  F.  \\'eaver, 
George  W.  Jenkins.  Mr.  McNutt  preached 
frequently  during  the  year,  and  Thomas  Sum- 
merfield,  a  local  preacher,  also  preached  for 
them  more  or  less  during  the  next  year  or  two. 
Preaching,  prayer  meetings  and  class  meetings 
were  held  in  a  number  of  houses  in  the  neigh- 
borhood— at  the  home  of  H.  D.  Knight,  on 
section  2i2>'  ^s  much,  perhaps,  as  at  any  place. 
This  class  became  a  part  of  the  Elm  Grove 
circuit  when  it  was  organized.  The  class  met 
for  a  time  at  the  Lockard  school-house,  in  Dis- 
trict No.  28,  and  then  at  the  Bishop  school- 
house,  in  District  No.  7.  Preaching  and  class 
services  were  maintained  at  both  of  these  places,, 
sometimes  at  one  and  sometimes  at  the  other, 
with  a  good  degree  of  regularity,  until  the 
spring  or  summer  of  1888,  when  regular  serv- 
ices were  abandoned  at  these  points  and  the- 
class  was  removed  to  Bartlett,  where  services 
were  held  in  the  school-house,  and  Edith  Dor- 
land  was  appointed  class-leader.  September 
I,  1892,  work  began  on  a  new  church  building,, 
which  was  completed  during  the  summer  of 
1893,  and  was  dedicated  October  29,  1893. 
The  cost  of  this  edifice  was  about  $1,600.  At 
this  time  Bartlett  was  a  part  of  the  Edna  cir- 
cuit. In  March,  1894,  the  Bartlett  circuit  was 
formed,  and  E.  H.  Spencer  placed  in  charge. 
After  serving  one  year,  he  was  followed  by 
3il.  D.  Stout,  who  staid  three  years.  M.  L. 
K.  Morgan  came  to  the  work  in  March,  1898, 
.but  resigned  in  the  middle  of  the  year,  and  was 
succeeded  by  B.  F.  Ross,  who  filled  out  that 
year  and  came  back  the  next.  ,  In  March,  1900.. 
William  Milliken  was  appointed  to  the  work. 
Parsons. — First  Meth(xlist  Episcopal  church 
of   Parsons:   Methodism  in   Parsons  does  not 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


357 


know  the  date  of  its  birth.  The  first  religious 
services  on  the  present  site  of  Parsons  were 
held  in  the  summer  of  1870,  in  Abraham  Gary's 
log  house  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
18,  by  A.  \y.  King,  a  local  preacher  from 
Osage  township.  Mr.  King  continued'  to 
preach  there  every  two  or  three  weeks  during 
the  summer  and-  fall.  The  town  having  been 
started  in  November,  a  number  of  buildings 
were  on  the  ground  by  December.  Among 
these  was  a  two-story  frame  standing  on  lot 
32,  block  25,  next  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  block,  the  lower  part  of  which  was  occu- 
pied by  Charles  Hazard  with  a  saloon.  In 
the  room  over  this  saloon,  on  the  evening  of 
Dec.  15,  1870,  Mr.  King  preached  the  first 
Methodist  sermon  that  was  delivered  in  the 
town  of  Parsons;  it  was  also  the  first  sermon 
preached  in  Parsons  by  any  minister.  In 
March,  1871,  Rev.  G.  W.  Pye  was  appointed 
to  the  New  Chicago  (now  Chanute)  work, 
with  the  understanding  that  he  should  also  visit 
Parsons  and  preach  occasionally.  During  the 
spring  he  visited  Parsons,  preached,  organized 
a  class,  and  commenced  the  first  regular  Meth- 
odist work  done  at  this  point.  During  the 
year  he  came  about  every  two  weeks.  Serv- 
ices were  first  held  in  what  was  known  as 
Hewes'  Hall,  on  Forest  avenue.  During  the 
spring  Gary's  Hall,  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
block  42,  where  the  opera  house  now  stands, 
was  built,  and  the  upper  story  seated  by  the 
Methodists  and  Presbyterians,  in  which  to  hold 
services.  In  this  room,  in  the  month  of  May, 
1 87 1,  the  Methodist  class  was  organized. 
Adam  (lehert  was  the  first  to  give  his  name  and 
his  hand  to  the  pastor.  Rev.  G.  W.  Pye,  and 
Abraham  Gary  was  the  second.  At  the  con- 
ference in  March,  1872.  Rev.  J.  W.  Fox  was 
sent  to  the  Parsons  circuit,  which  included, 
besides  Parsons,  Montana,  Spring  Valley  and 


Labette  City  appointments.  His  salary  was 
estimated  at  $8cx),  and  he  was  paid  about  $600, 
At  the  first  quarterly  conference,  on  April  6, 
1872,  a  building  committee  was  appointed  ^ 
which  committee,  on  April  27th,  adopted  plans- 
and  specifications  for  a  church  building,  and 
at  once  advertised  for  bids.  On  May  8th  the 
bids  were  opened,  and  the  contract  awarded  at 
$4,753.  But,  owing  to  the  pressing  needs  of 
the  settlers  and  the  financial  distress  generally 
prevailing,  a  meeting  of  the  committee  was 
held  on  June  loth,  and  it  was  d'ecided  to  in- 
definitely postpone  the  project  of  building.  In' 
the  fall  of  1872  a  small  building  denominated- 
a  "tabernacle"  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the 
present  church,  at  a  cost  of  about  $700.  These; 
lots  were  donated  to  the  church  by  the  tomm 
company.  The  tabernacle  was  dedicated  Nov. 
3,  1872,  by  Rev.  H.  D.  Fisher.  In  this  build- 
ing the  church  services  were  conducted  until 
the  fall  of  1876,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  United 
Brethren  and  removed  from  the  lots  on  which 
it  was  built.  In  March,  1873,  Rev.  C.  R.  Rice 
was  sent  to  the  work,  and  early  in  the  year 
built  a  small  parsonage  in  block  47,  at  a  cost 
(jf  about  $300.  Services  were  held-  quite  ir- 
regularly, on  account  of  the  inability  of  the 
church  to  support  the  pastor,  and  in  December 
he  removed  his  family  to  Emporia  and  sup- 
ported them  with  his  own  labors,  having  re- 
ceived less  than  $200  from  the  church  during 
the  year.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  Mr.  Rice 
did  some  very  efficient  work.  Rev.  Peter  De- 
Clark  was  the  next  pastor.  He  arrived  from 
the  East  in  April,  1874.  Small-pox,  grass- 
hoppers and  hard  times  were  too  much  for  him, 
and  in  July  he  resigned  the  work.  He  was 
followed  in  November  by  Rev.  Boyd  Lowe, 
who  was  returned  to  the  work  in  1875,  and  for 
his  services  received  all  that  was  promised, 
viz.,   $500 — the  first   experience  of   the  kind 


358 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


the  church  had  had.  In  1876  Rev.  J.  F.  Boone 
was  in  charge  of  the  work,  and  in  March,  1877, 
Rev.  C.  A.  King  came,  and  remained  three 
_years.  The  tabernacle  having  been  sold  the 
previous  fall,  services  had  to  be  held  in  halls, 
\-acant  store-rooms  and  such  places  as  could  be 
secured.  This  made  the  church  see  the  im- 
p(jrtance  of  building  a'  house,  and  the  pastor 
proceeded  at  once  to  take  steps  for  its  accom- 
plishment. On  Nov.  5,  1877,  the  corner-stone 
of  the  present  church  edifice,  on  the  southeast 
corner  of  block  42,  was  laid  by  the  Masons. 
The  foundation  was  completed,  and  covered 
during  the  winter,  and  work  resumed  in  the 
spring.  In  the  fall  of  1878  the  church  was 
inclosed,  and  opened  for  services  by  Bishop 
B(jwman.  An  extensive  revival  followed.  In 
March,  1880,  Rev.  M.  H.  Wilson  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  work.  His  ways  were  not  con- 
genial to  the  membership,  and  after  six  months' 
trial  he  was  allowed  to  depart,  and  was  fol- 
lowed for  the  balance  of  the  year  by  Rev.  C.  E. 
McClintock.  In  1881  Rev."  G.  \V.  Pye  was 
returned  to  the  work,  and  in  March,  1882, 
Rev.  H.  W.  Chaffee  came.  The  church  and 
pastor  were  mutually. satisfied  with  each  other, 
and  he  remained  till  1885.  when,  under  the 
limitation,  a  change  was  required.  During 
his  pastorate  the  church,  which  since  its  erec- 
tion had  been  occupied  in  an  unfurnished  con- 
<litii)n,  was  completed  and  furnished,  and  on 
Feb.  22.  1885,  dedicated  by  Rev.  E.  C.  Boaz. 
In  March,  1885,  Rev.  H.  A.  Tucker  became 
])astor,  and  continued  as  such  fur  three  years. 
The  following  three  years,  commencing  with 
March,  1888.  Rev.  J.  E.  Brant  was  pastor. 
Rev.  R.  P.  Hammons  was  apiwinted  to  the 
charge  in  .March,  1891,  and  continued  two 
years,  being  succeeded  in  March,  1893,  by 
Re\-.  Jolm  H,  Price,  who  remained  three  vears. 


being  followed  by  Rev,  Hugh  McBirney,  who 
staid  until  the  conference  of  1901.  During 
the  last  year  of  Mr.  Hammons'  pastorate,  the 
church  was  enlarged  and  improved  at  a  cost  of 
about  $4,500.  The  debt  against  the  church, 
amounting  to  $2,000,  was  paid  under  Mr.  Mc- 
Birney's  administration,  and,  in  addition  to 
this,  some  $1,500  was  expended  in  enlarging 
the  grounds  and  in  improving  the  property. 
The  membership  of  the  church  is  about  500. 
In  the  fall  of  1881  the  young  people  of  the 
church  organized  the  Aftermath  Society,  and 
elected  as  its  officers  Mrs.  Frank  Curtis,  presi- 
dent; Bell  Letton,  secretary;  and  Thomas 
Clark,  treasurer.  Under  its  management  the 
first  young  people's  prayer  meeting  of  the 
church  was  organized.  It  did  much  toward 
encouraging  the  social  life  of  the  church,  and 
was  also  of  material  assistance  in  its  financial 
management.  This  society  was  succeeded  by 
the  Adelphian  Society,  which  was  organized 
^Nlarch  i,  1887,  with  \V.  J.  Wirt,  president; 
Miss  Frankie  Reed  and  Miss  Bertha  Kaysing, 
vice-presidents;  Mertie  Shannon,  secretary; 
and  Charles  Nordyke,  treasurer.  This  so- 
ciety did  much  towai'd  helping  in  literary  and 
normal  work.  In  the  spring  of  1889  it  reor- 
ganized as  the  Young  People's  M.  E.  Union, 
with  Maggie  Elliott,  president;  P.  W.  Blake, 
vice-president;  Jennie  Martin,  secretary;  and 
A.  D.  Lucas,  treasurer.  Haven  Chapter  of 
Epworth  League  was  organized  December  10, 
1889,  with  Rev.  J.  E.  Brant,  president:  T.  R. 
Breese,  Will  J.  Wirt,  Miss  Jennie  S.  Martin, 
J.  T.  Tendrum,  vice-presidents;  Maggie  S. 
Elliott,  secretary ;  John  W.  Sleigley,  treasurer ; 
and  a  membership  'of  1 7,  which  in  three  years 
increased  to  about  140.  All  departments  of 
the  work  are  well  in  hand,  anti  it  has  been  a 
great  help  in  the  general  work  of  the  church. 


THE  SETTLERS'  CONTEST  FOR  THEIR 
HOMES 


The  contest  of  the  settlers  on  the  Osage 
Ceded  Lands  to  secure  titles  to  their  homes 
was  one  of  the  most  heroic  struggles  that  has 
ever  been  made.  Considering  the  number  of 
parties  interested,  the  extent  and  value  of  the 
subject-matter  of  the  contest,  the  apparently 
grossly  disproportionate  strength  of  the  two 
contestants,  the  length  of  time  to  which  the 
contest  was  protracted  before  a  final  decision 
was  reached,  one  will  scarcely  find  in  the  annals 
of  history  an  instance  where  the  devotion  to 
the  principle  involved,  the  ability  displayed  in 
working  up  and  managing  the  contest,  the 
victory  achieved,  was  as  marked  as  was  that  of 
the  settlers  on  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands  in  con- 
testing with  the  railroad  companies  the  right 
to  secure  from  the  Government  a  title  to  their 
homes.  At  the  outset  everything  seemed  to  be 
in  favor  of  the  railroad  companies — at  the 
close  they  had  not  as  much  as  a  solitary  thread 
left  to  fling  forth  as  a  banner  denoting  their 
success  in  the  fight.  \\'hen  the  contest  com- 
menced, on  the  side  of  the  corporations  we  find 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  standing  as  head 
of  the  Land  Department  of  the  General  Gov- 
ernment; coming  to  his  aid  a  little  later  the 
Attorney  General  of  the  United  States ;  through 
their  decision,  patent;  from  the  United  States 
signed  by  President  Grant,  conveying  the  legal 
title  to  all  these  lands  to  the  corporations ;  the 
open  treasury  of  two  powerful  corporations, 


I  by  means  of  which  they  were  enabled  to  com- 

I  mand  the  best  legal  talent  of  the  country,  and 
whatever  else  they  needed  that  could  be  pro- 
cured by  money;  the  prospect  of  securing  800,- 
000  acres  of  land  through  the  negotiation  of 
the  infamous  Sturges  treaty,  by  means  of  which 
it  was  hoped  that  unscrupulous  legislators  and 
Government  officials  could  be  corrupted  to  sup- 

j  port  the  common  cause  of  the  several  com- 
panies to  secure  from  the  General  Government 
a  recognition  of  the  claims  of  each  in  these 
trust  and  ceded  lands,  to  the  robbery  alike  of 
the  school  fund  and  the  actual  settlers ;  almost 
the  entire  press  of  the  country:  and,  what  may 
possibly  be  regarded  as  one  of  their  strongest 
supports,  a  very  general  local  feeling  that  it 
was  inexpedient  to  do  anything  that  looked 
unfriendlv  to  the  railroads,  the  speedy  con- 
struction of  which  into  each  community  they 
especially  desired,    and    the    general  favor  of 

■  which  they  eagerly  courted.  As  opposed  to 
this  there  were  several  hundred  settlers  scat- 
tered over  two  counties  25  by  50  miles  in  ex- 
tent, most  of  whom  had  scarcely  enough  means 

I  to  furnish  their  homes  with  anything  like  the 
comforts  of  life  and  provide  sufficient  teams 
and  tools  to  cultivate  their  farms.  They  had 
come  here  from  nearly  every  State  in  the 
Union;  had  no  acquaintance  with  each  other; 
were  unfamiliar  with  public  business;  were 
distrustful  of  themselves,  and  more  so  of  thoss 


36o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  whose  hands  they  were  asked  to  place  their 
interests;  were  slow  to  take  the  little  means 
they  had,  all  of  which  was  needed  to  procure 
the  actual  necessities  of  life,  and  put  it  into  a 
general  fund  to  fee  lawyers  to  prosecute  a  case 
which  tliey  heard  on  every  hand  was  a  hopeless 
one.  With  these  surroundings  and  these  pros- 
pects before  the  parties  respectively,  the  set- 
tlers' contest  opened.  The  corporations  looked 
out  upon  a  prospect  full  of  sunlight  and  cheer; 
the  settlers'  vision  was  obscured  by  clouds,  and 
mist,  and  apparently  approaching  disaster. 

PRELIMIXARY    STEPS   IN   THE   CON- 
TEST. 

In  the  negotiation  of  the  treaty  with  the 
Osages,  on  Sept.  29,  1865,  the  settlers  then 
on  the  lands,  for  the  purchase  of  which  pro- 
vision was  made  in  the  treaty,  felt  sure  of  being 
able  to  purchase  their  lands  at  $1.25  per  acre. 
The  news  of  the  negotiation  of  the  treaty  was 
'  spread  through  the  country,  and  largely  on  the 
strength  of  it  settlers  came  upon  these  lands 
very  rapidly.  The  failure  to  secure  the  rati- 
fication of  the  treaty  for  so  long  a  time,  and 
after  its  negotiation  the  further  failure  of  Con- 
gress to  make  any  provision  for  obtaining  title, 
caused  the  settlers  to  become  uneasy.  Their 
rights  on  the  land  were  much  discussed  among 
themselves  during  1866  and  1867.  It  was  not, 
however,  until  August,  1867,  that  any  definite 
action  was  taken  by  them  to  induce  legislation 
looking  toward  granting  them  relief.  A  few 
parties  residing  in  Neosho  county  conceived  the 
idea  of  making  some  demonstration,  and  got 
together  as  many  of  the  settlers  as  they  could 
at  Canville  trading-post,  in  August,  1867.  At 
this  meeting  it  was  decided  to  petition  Con- 
gress to  pass  a  hill  to  secure  the  rights  of  set- 
tlers, and  to  allow  them  to  purchase  their  lands. 


A  committee  consisting  of  J.  M.  Bemis,  T.  C. 
Cory,  D.  T.  Mitchell  and  John  Johnson  was 
appomted  to  prepare  a  petition,  get  signatures 
thereto,  and  forward  to  Congress,  immedi- 
ately upon  the  adjournment  of  the  meeting, 
the  committee  prepared  the  petition,  and,  deem- 
ing it  unnecessary  to  travel  all  over  the  country 
to  secure  the  signatures  of  men  who  were 
known  to  be  in  favor  of  what  they  were  asking, 
the  committee  took  the  liberty  to  attach  to  it 
the  names  of  all  the  settlers  on  these  lands,  so 
far  as  they  were  known  or  could'  be  ascertained. 
Most  of  the  night  having  been  spent  in  that 
work,  they  had  by  morning  a  petition  of  quite 
considerable  length,  which  was  at  once  for- 
warded to  Congressman  George  W.  Julian,  of 
Indiana,  who  was  a  personal  friend  of  Colonel 
Mitchell,  of  the  committee.  Subsec[uently 
other  meetings  were  held,  and  it  was  decided 
to  send  delegates  to  Washington  to  influence 
Congressional  action  in  behalf  of  the  settlers. 
Some  money  was  raised,  and  Hon.  Solomon 
Markham  was  sent  to  rqaresent  the  settlers' 
interest.  In  the  spring  and  early  summer  of 
1868,  a  newspaper  having  been  established  in 
each  of  the  two  counties,  the  settlers"  cause 
began  to  be  discussed  through  the  press.  In 
the  summer  of  1868  conventions  were  held  in 
Labette  and  Neosho  counties,  at  which  dele- 
gates were  elected  to  a  joint  convention  to  be 
held  at  Fort  Roach,  or  Ladore,  on  September 
14th.  This  meeting  organized  by  electing 
Joseph  iNIcCormick,  of  Labette  county,  chair- 
man, and  J.  H.  Scott,  secretary.  Owing  to  a 
misunderstanding  as  to  the  time  of  meeting, 
it  was  voted  to  adjourn  to  the  26th  inst.  On 
the  day  last  named  the  meeting  was  held,  with 
a  full  attendance  from  both  counties.  In  the 
meantime  steps  had  been  taken  to  secure  funds 
to  carry  on  the  work,  and  reports  of  success 
were  made  at  this  meeting.     It  was  decided  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


361 


again  send  a  delegate  to  Washington,  and 
Judge  Solomon  Alarkham,  who  had  repre- 
sented them  at  the  previous  session,  was  again 
selected  as  their  agent.  This  selection  was  not 
entirely  satisfactory  to  all  of  the  settlers,  and 
especialh-  to  those  in  Labette  county,  and  a 
convention  was  held  at  Oswego,  December 
26th,  at  which  Col.  Willoughby  Doudna  was 
selected  as  the  special  agent  of  the  settlers  of 
this  county  to  go  to  Washington.  Both  Judge 
Markham  and  Col.  Doudna  spent  the  winter 
in  Washington,  and  helped  to  secure  the  pas- 
sage of  the  law  giving  the  settlers  the  right  to 
purchase  their  homes. 

The  treaty  pro\'ided  that  those  who  were 
already  upon  the  land  should  have  a  right  to 
purchase  a  quarter-section  at  $1.25  an  acre. 
Under  tliis  provision  it  is  said  that  143  set- 
tlers in  the  two  counties  took  title  to  their 
homes.  All  of  those  who  went  on  the  land 
subsequent  to  Sept.  29.  1865,  were  depend- 
ent upon  future  litigation  for  their  rights  to 
secure  title.  The  settlers'  efforts  were  first 
directed  to  securing  the  attention  of  Congress, 
but  tlieir  most  serious  contest  was  in  procur- 
ing a  construction  of  the  law  by  the  courts  in 
opposition  to  the  construction  that  had  been 
placed  upon  it  by  the  Land  Department  of  the 
General  Government. 

SETTLERS'  MEETINGS. 

A  notable  feature  of  the  contest  carried  on 
by  the  settlers  was  the  immense  meetings  which 
they  held  in  various  parts  of  the  two  counties 
for  the  purpose  of  awakening  an  interest  and 
creating  enthusiasm  in  the  members.  The 
first  of  these  meetings,  which  may  be  called 
their  great  one,  was  held  at  Jacksonville,  on 
July  28th  and  29th,  1869.  This  meeting  was 
■reallv  called  in  the  interest  of  the  settlers  on 


the  Chercikee  Neutral  Lands  to  protest  against 
the  Joy  purchase  and  in  favor  of  the  rights 
of  the  settlers  on  those  lands  to  purchase  Chem 
from  the  Government ;  but  it  was  attended  as 
largely  by  the  citizens  on  the  Osage  Ceded 
Lands  as  by  those  on  the  Joy  lands,  and  was 
turned  into  a  meeting  in  the  interest  of  both. 
The  Oswego  brass  band  was  present  and  fur- 
nished the  music.  Congressman  Sidney  Clarke 
.^nd  John  Sneer  made  a  trip  from  Lawrence  in 
a  lumber  wagon,  taking  in  Major  H.  C.  Whit- 
ney at  Humboldt;  they  were  of  course  doing 
a  great  deal  of  political  work  as  well  as  look- 
ing after  the  settlers'  interests;  all  of  them 
made  speeches.  Fully  3,000  people  from  the 
four  counties  were  present,  and  were  electri- 
fied as  only  such  a  crowd  can  be  when  their 
homes  are  in  peril  and  measures  for  their 
security  are  being  discussed.  Two  sets  of  res- 
olutions were  adopted :  one  by  the  settlers  on 
the  Joy  lands,  and  another  by  the  settlers  on 
the  Osage  Ceded  Lands.  At  night  Senator 
Pomero)-  was  hung  in  effigy,  and  his  actions, 
which  were  believed  to  be  inimical  to  the  set- 
tlers' interests,  were  severely  denounced. 

From  this  time  on,  the  cause  of  the  settlers 
on  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands  had  a  popularity 
which  it  had  not  before  that  enjoyed.  An- 
other meeting  was  called,  to  be  held  at  Jack- 
sonville, on  Sept.  15,  1869.  This  was  very 
much  less  satisfactory  in  its  results ;  but  seven 
persons  were  present:  one  of  these  was  Major 
Whitney.  The  report  of  this  meeting  which 
went  out  did  not  give  the  numbers  attending, 
and  it  had  in  the  eye  t.f  the  public  an  air  of 
respectability.  Nothing  was  accomplished  ex- 
cepting the  call  for  a  series  of  meetings  to  be 
held  the  first  two  weeks  in  October,  through- 
out Neosho  and  Labette  counties,  and  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  committee,  consisting  of  H.  C. 
Whitney,  T.  C.  Cory,  and  J.  S.  \\'aters,  to  pre- 


362 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


pare  an  address  to  be  published  not  later  than 
October  ist.  If  any  of  the  meetings  provided 
for  at  this  time  were  held  they  were  but  small 
affairs,  and  made  little  impression.  The  next 
great  meeting  of  the  settlers  was  at  Ladore  on 
July  4,  1870.  J.  F.  Bellamy,  H.  C.  Whitney 
and  John  Speer  made  speeches.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  the  settlers  formed  their  protective 
association.  On  Sept.  26,  1870,  in  compli- 
ance with  an  appointment  made  by  the  associ- 
ation on  August  26th,  a  convention  of  the  set- 
tlers was  held  at  Prairie  du  Ohien  for  the  pur- 
jjose  of  nominating  a  senator  for  the  Sixteenth 
senatorial  district.  Major  H.  C.  Whitney 
was  unanimously  nominated  for  the  position. 
Provision  was  at  the  same  time  made  for  hold- 
ing meetings  at  Ladore  on  Sept.  6th,  at  Jack- 
sonville on  the  9th,  and  at  Erie  on  the  loth. 
At  the  Ladore  meeting,  after  addresses  by  Ma- 
jor Whitney  and  Judge  Markham,  the  follow- 
ing platform  was  adopted : 

"Whereas,  We,  the  settlers  on  the  Osage 
Ceded  Lands,  in  the  State  of  Kansas,  believe 
that  under  the  treaty  by  which  the  said  lands 
were  ceded  to  the  United  States,  and  under 
the  joint  resolutions  of  Congress,  April  10, 
1869,  actual  settlers  were  entitled  to  purchase 
any  part  of  said  lands  in  tracts  not  to  exceed 
160  acres,  at  $1.25  per  acre,  and  that  no  corpo- 
ration has  acquired  any  vested  rights  therein; 
and  whereas,  certain  railroad  corporations  are 
claiming  certain  portions  of  said  lands;  now, 
therefore, 

"Resolved.  I.  That  we  will  proceed  at  once 
to  test  the  validity  of  said  claims,  by  instituting 
legal  proceedings  in  the  proper  courts. 

"2.  That  we  respectfully  request  the  Gov- 
ernor of  our  State  to  withold  all  patents  from 
said  corporations  for  said  lands  until  the  termi- 
nation of  said  proceedings. 

"3.  That  we  will  support  no  candidate  for 


county  and  legislative  offices  ^\•'ho  is  not  thor- 
oughly identified  with  the  settlers  and  in  sym- 
pathy with  their  cause." 

At  the  Erie  meeting  G.  W.  McMillen  w-as 
chairman,  and  M.  H.  Sheldon,  secretary;  and 
in  addition  to  hearing  speeches,  nominations 
were  made  for  nearly  a  full  set  of  officers  for 
Neosho  county. 

On  May  i ,  1871,3  meeting  was  held  at  Os- 
wego, at  which  Hon.  William  Lawrence  spoke 
and  gave  an  exhaustive  legal  discussion  of  the 
settlers'  rights.  On  July  12,  1873,  the  largest 
meeting  which  had  ever  then  been  held  by  the 
settlers  was  had  at  Thayer.  There  were  765 
wagons  filled'  with  people  in  the  procession, 
and  a  vast  number  on  horseback.  It  was  esti- 
mated that  from  8,000  to  10,000  persons  were 
in  attendance.  Speeches  were  made  by  Gov. 
Shannon,  Congressman  Clarke,  Judge  Mc- 
Comas,  Milton  W.  Reynolds,  W.  L.  Simons, 
and  others.  This  was  followed  on  October  ist 
by  another  immense  meeting  at  Osage  Mission, 
at  which  Gov.  Osborn,  Sidney  Clarke,  Stephen 

A.  Cobb,  D.  R.  Anthony,  M.  J.  Salter,  Judge 
McComas  and  J.  H.  Crichton  spoke.  On  May 
27,  1874,  another  great  gathering  was  had,  at 
Parsons.     M.  J.  Salter  was  chairman,  and  F. 

B.  McGill,  secretary.  Gov.  Osborn,  George 
R.  Peck,  Sidney  Clarke  and  Judge  McComas 
spoke.  Besides  these  great  meetings  which  I 
have  named,  during  these  years  innumerable 
local  meetings  were  held,  some  of  them  of 
scarcely  less  importance  than  those  named. 
Their  effect  was  to  keep  the  settlers'  interest 
at  fever  heat,  and  to  cause  them  to  demand  of 
their  officials  the  exertion  of  every  effort  in 
their  power  to  secure  their  rights. 

BASIS  FOR  THEIR  CLAIMS. 

The  claim  of  the  two  parties,  in  brief,  was 
this :     These  lands  were  reserved  to  the  Osage 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


365 


Indians  by  the  treaty  proclaimed  June  2,  1825, 
soon  after  tlie  conclusion  of  which  the  Indians 
moved  upon  and  occupied  them  up  to  1869. 
On  March  3,  1863,  an  act  of  Congress  was  ap- 
proved, granting  land  to  the  State  of  Kansas  to 
aid  in  the  construction  of  certain  railroads,  and 
among  them  the  Leavenworth,  Lawrence  & 
Galveston.  On  July  26,  1866,  another  land 
grant  was  made  to  the  State  of  Kansas,  to  aid, 
among  other  roads,  the  building  of  the  Mis- 
souri. Kansas  &  Texas.  By  virtue  of  their 
grants  these  two  companies  claimed  alternate 
sections  ten  miles  wide  on  each  side  of  their 
respective  lines  of  road,  as  finally  located, 
through  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands. 

On  Sept.  29.  1865,  a  treaty  was  concluded 
between  the  United  States  and  the  Osage  In- 
dians, whereby  the  latter  sold  to  the  United 
States  all  the  land  comprising  Neosho  and  La- 
bette counties,  to  be  by  the  Government  "sur- 
\eyed  and  sold  under  the  direction  of  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior  on  the  most  ad\-antageous 
terms  for  cash,  as  public  lands  are  surveyed 
and  sold  under  existing  laws." 

On  June  26,  1866,  the  Senate  amended  this 
treaty  by  adding  to  the  above  provision  the  fol- 
lowing: "Including  an  act  granting  lands  to 
the  said  State  of  Kansas  in  aid  of  the  construc- 
tion of  a  railroad  through  said  lands."  This 
amendment  was  accepted  by  the  Indians  on 
Sept.  21,  1866,  and  the  treaty  as  amended  was 
proclaimed  by  the  President  on  Jan.  21,  1867. 
It  was  claimed  that  the  above  Senate  amend- 
ment to  the  treaty  recognized  the  grant  already 
made,  if  it  did  not  in  itself  amount  to  a  grant 
to  the  railroad  companies. 

On  behalf  of  the  settlers  it  was  contended 
that  the  Congressional  grants  in  aid  of  the  con- 
struction of  railroads  were  grants  in  pracscnti, 
and  could  not  apply  to  these  lands,  because,  by 
the  treaty  of  1825.  they  were  "reserved  lands." 


It  was  further  contended  that  the  treat\-  con- 
templates the  survey  and  sale  of  these  lands  to 
actual  settlers  at  $1.25  per  acre. 

The  railroad  companies  applied  to  the  Com- 
missioner of  of  the  General  Land  Ofiice  for  a 
withdrawal  of  the  lands  they  claimed  under 
their  respective  grants  from  market.  The 
Commissioner,  Hon.  Joseph  Wilson,  refused 
their  request  on  April  26,  1867,  and  on  a  re- 
newal of  the  application  again  ruled  against 
them  on  May  17,  1867.  From  this  decision 
the  companies  appealed  to  the  Secretarv  of  the 
Interior.  On  November  8,  1867,  the  Secre- 
tary, Hon.  O.  H.  Browning,  made  his  decision 
reversing  Commissioner  Wilson,  and  award- 
ing to  the  railroad  companies  all  the  land  by 
them  claimed  under  the  grants.  The  line  of 
the  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  was  definitely  made  Jan. 
7,  1868:  and  maps  showing  the  definite  loca- 
tion of  the  lines  nf  the  two  mads  having  been 
filed  with  the  Commissioner,  an  order  was 
made  on  Jan.  21,  1868,  withdrawing  the  lands 
from  market,  which  was  forwarded  to  the 
land  office  at  Humboldt,  where  it  was  received 
on  Feb.  4,  1868,  from  which  time  the  rights  of 
the  companies  as  against  the  settlers  dated. 
Those  who  had  settled  on  these  lands  pre\-ious 
to  the  last-named  date  were  allowed  to  enter 
the  same  after  the  passage  of  the  joint  resolu- 
tion of  April  10.  1869.  All  odd  sections  not 
then  settled  on,  and  all  even  sections  falling- 
within  the  indemnity  limit  not  then  settled  on^ 
were  awarded  to  the  railroad  companies. 

Early  in  Januar}',  1868,  Congressmart 
Clarke  introduced  a  joint  resolution  for  the 
sale  of  these  lands  to  actual  settlers ;  and  all 
during  that  year  efl:'orts  were  made  by  friends 
of  the  settlers  to  secure  legislation  in  their  in- 
terest, but  without  success.  The  Forty-first 
Congress  assembled  on  March  4,  1869.  On 
the   15th  of  that  month  Congressman  Clarke 


364 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


again  introduced  a  joint  resolution  for  the  dis- 
posal of  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands,  which  passed 
the  House  on  April  5th,  the  Senate  on  the  gtli. 
and  received  the  President's  approval  on  April 
10.  1869.  The  passage  of  this  resolution  was 
hailed  with  delight,  and  it  was  generally 
thought  that  it  was  so  worded  as  to  entitle  set- 
tlers on  any  portion  of  the  lands  to  enter  the 
same  at  $1.25  per  acre.  But  when,  on  June 
19.  1869,  the  Register  and  Receiver  of  the 
Land  Office  gave  notice  that  filings  would  be 
received  on  and  after  July  20th,  and  proof  of 
settlement  and  purchase-monev  on  and  after 
September  2,  1869,  they  further  stated  that, 
under  instructions  from  the  General  Land  Of- 
fice, under  date  of  June  3,  1869,  the  right  of 
the  railroad  companies  to  these  lands  under 
the  terms  of  the  land  grants  would  be  respected. 
Consternation  and  indignation  now  prevailed 
among  the  settlers,  and  continued  to  increase 
in  proportion  as  the  repeated  rulings  of  the 
Government  officials,  as  they  were  called  on 
from  time  to  time  to  further  construe  the  law, 
seemed  to  show  a  disposition  to  ignore  the  set- 
tlers" rights  and  to  place  their  homes  more 
firmly  within  the  grasp  of  the  railroads.  In 
different  ways  the  question  was  brought  before 
the  \arious  officers  connected  with  the  land 
department  of  the  Government  from  time  to 
time,  and  efforts  were  made  to  secure  a  re- 
versal of  Secretary  Browning's  ruling,  but  all 
to  no  purpose.  When  brought  before  him, 
Secretary  Cox  sustained  the  ruling  of  his 
predecessor,  and  of  course  the  Commissioner 
and  the  land  office  officers  were  bound  by  the 
decision  of  their  superiors. 

Finally,  in  1871,  the  Settlers'  Association 
having  employed  Judge  Lawrence,  it  was 
hoped  to  get  a  final  decision  in  their  favor.  On 
an  appeal  taken  from  the  decision  of  the  Hum- 
boldt land  office  the*  question  of  the  rights  of 


the  settlers  and  of  the  railroads  was  fully  ar- 
gued, first  before  Hon.  ^^'illiam  Drummond, 
Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office,  and 
then,  on  an  appeal  from  his  decision,  before 
Hon.  Columbus  Delano,  Secretary  of  the  Li- 
terior,  who  called  to  his  aid  the  Assistant  Attor- 
ney General,  Hon.  W.  H.  Smith.  The  settlers' 
cause  was  argued  by  Hon.  \Vm.  Lawrence,  and 
the  railroads'  claims  were  presented  by  B.  R. 
Curtis. 

On  January  26,  1872,  Secretary  Delano  an- 
nounced his  decision,  fully  sustaining  the  rail- 
road companies'  claims,  and  in  support  of  his 
conclusion  said :  "If  I  were  in  doubt  about  it, 
yet  in  vicAV  of  the  former  decision  of  my 
predecessor.  Secretary  Browning,  in  favor  of 
the  validity  of  the  grants,  and  the  refusal  of 
Secretary  Cox  to  reverse  that  decision,  and  the 
action  of  the  companies  under  it,  I  should  hesi- 
tate long  before  I  would  disturb  rights  acquired 
under  that  decision."  He  also  gave  the  lengthy 
opinion  of  Assistant  Attorney  General  Smith 
concurring  in  the  opinion  he  had  reached.  Fol- 
lowing this  decision,  on  February  19,  1872, 
President  Grant  issued  a  patent  to  the  M.  K. 
&  T.  Ry.  Co.  for  so  much  of  its  land  as  it  had 
then  selected. 

THE  ATTITUDE  OF  THE  PRESS. 

The  positions  assumed  b)-  the  local  press 
toward  the  settlers'  cause  \aried  at  different 
times  during  the  struggle.  Of  course  differ- 
ent papers  assumed  different  positions,  and  the 
same  papers  sometimes  changed  sides — at  one 
time  advising  resistance  to  the  railroad  com- 
panies' claim,  and  again  counseling  compliance. 
I  can  only  give  two  or  three  extracts  to  show 
these  varied  sentiments,  but  anyone  who  has 
any  desire  to  see  the  many  changes  that  took 
place  can  be  gratified  by  consulting  the  files  of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


365 


the  various  papers  of  the  two  counties.  On 
January  ij,  1870,  the  Osage  Mission  Journal 
says :  "We  think  it  would  be  folly  for  the  set- 
tlers to  spend  their  time  and  money  in  trying 
to  beat  the  railroads  out  of  their  lands  at  this 
late  day."  In  its  issue  of  February  7,  1872, 
the  Chetopa  Advance,  after  announcing  the  de- 
cision of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  in  favor 
of  the  railroad  companies,  says:  ■  "While  we 
could  wish  that  the  decision  might  have  been 
dififerent.  we  cannot  say  that  we  are  disappoint- 
ed in  the  result,  ^^'ith^)ut  claiming  to  com- 
prehend the  case  fully  in  all  its  legal  bearings, 
we  have  alwa}'s  held  and  expressed  the  opin- 
ion that  the  railroad  title  to  the  lands  would 
be  confirmed."  And  again,  on  February  21, 
1872,  in  a  leading  editorial  headed  "Better 
Compromise,"  the  same  paper  says:  "In  the 
contest  between  the  railroad  and  the  settlers 
on  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands,  our  readers  will 
remember  that  we  have  ne\'er  encouraged  them 
in  their  efforts  to  contest  the  title  with  the 
railroads.  \\'e  appeal  to  the  settlers  and 
to  the  railroads  to  let  us  have  peace. 
The  former  cannot  aft'ord  to  spend  any 
more  money  in  futile  litigation.  Whatever 
they  so  spend  will  be  taxed  back  upon 
them  when  the  title  is  finally  confirmed, 
with  interest  to  boot."  In  announcing  the 
decision  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
the  Parsons  Sun  in  its  issue  of  February 
3,  1872,  says:  "We  are  well  aware  that  the 
above  news  will  fall  like  a  thunder-clap  on 
many  of  the  settlers  whose  expectations  have 
been  recently  raised  to  the  utmost  by  the  fa- 
vorable reports  and  opinions  from  Judge  Law- 
rence: liut  we  have  endeavored  to  prepare 
them,  from  time  to  time,  to  expect  the  worst, 
and  we  now  hope  that  the  majority  will  bow 
to  the  decision  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 


and  immediately  make  the  most  fa\-orable  terms 
possible  with  the  railroad  companies." 

Most  of  the  papers  in  both  counties,  even 
those  most  entirely  devoted  to  the  settlers' 
cause,  were  somewhat  wa\-ering  at  times  in  their 
support.  In  justification  of  their  course,  the 
papers  which  counseled  surrender  to  the  rail- 
road companies  and  compromise  with  them, 
pointed  out  the  delay  and  expense  attending 
litigation  even  in  the  event  of  final  success,  and 
the  damage  that  would  necessarily  result,  not 
only  to  the  contestants,  but  to  all  the  settlers 
alike,  in  retarding  immigration,  preventing" 
improvement,  and  embittering  the  feeling  by  a 
cmitest  in  the  courts.  So  far  as  the  metro- 
politan press  had  discussed  the  matter  at  all, 
it  had  been,  as  the  settlers  believed,  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  railroad  companies'  position. 
To  counteract  such  influence,  and  to  give  the 
public  an  understanding  of  their  position,  the 
Grand  Council" appointed  a  committee,  of  which 
T.  P.  Leech  was  one  of  the  members  ( the  other 
names  I  have  not  been  able  to  get),  to  prepare 
an  address  to  the  public  setting  forth  the  set- 
tlers' cause,  together  with  their  determination 
to  obtain  a  decision  in  the  highest  ci>urt  of  the 
country  upon  its  merits,  with  a  willingness  on 
their  part  to  abide  by  such  judgment.  They 
caused  this  address  to  be  published  ui  leading 
papers  in  Eastern  cities,  and  there'jy  brought 
their  cause  into  more  prominence  th.an  it  had 
hitherto  attained. 

SETTLERS'     PROTECTIVE     ASSOCIA- 
TION. 

Most  of  the  settlers  who  attended  the  great 
meeting  at  Laclore  on  July  4.  1870,  remained 
over  until  the  5th,  when  another  meeting  was 
held,  to  more  practically  discuss  the  rights  and 


366 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


prospects  of  the  settlers.  Major  H.  C.  Whit- 
ney and  John  Speer,  who  had  Ijeen  tlie  prin- 
cipal orators  of  the  day  previous,  made 
speeches.  Major  Whitney  more  particularly 
discussed  the  legal  aspect  of  the  matter,  and 
advised  united  action  on  the  part  of  the  set- 
tlers. At  the  conclusion  of  the  address  the  fol- 
lowing was  unanimously  adopted  by  the  set- 
tlers : 

"Whereas,  By  a  treaty  with  the  Osages, 
proclaimed  in  January,  1867,  it  was  provided 
that  the  lands  since  known  as  the  Osage  Ceded 
Lands  should  be  sold  for  cash,  which  treaty 
the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office 
authoritatively  decided  did  not  vest  any  title 
to  lands  therein  in  land  monopolies  ;  and  where- 
as, a  joint  resolution  of  April  10,  1869,  pro- 
vided for  the  sale  of  all  said  lands  to  actual 
.settlers  at  $1.25  per  acre;  and  whereas,  said 
treaty  and  decision  of  the  Commissioner  of  the 
General  Land  Office  and  joint  resolutions  have 
been  set  at  naught  by  a  mere  arbitrary  ruling  of 
a  late  secretary,  made  upon  an  e.v  parte  appli- 
cation of  the  land  monopolies,  and  based  upon 
a  mistaken  precedent ;  and'  whereas,  our  right 
to  our  homes  and  our  all  is  menaced  by  said 
monopolies;  now,  therefore,  be  it 

"Rcsokrd,  That  we  will  contest  for  our 
titles  under  the  joint  resolution  aforesaid  to 
the  extreme  limit  of  the  law;  and  to  secure  this 
end  we  will  organize  thoroughly  and  with 
discipline  so  as  to  bring  the  entire  material 
and  moral  force  of  the  whole  array  of  settlers 
to  bear  throughout  the  whole  contest. 

"Resolved,  That  the  settlers  are  hereby 
.solemnly  warned  not  to  squander  their  means 
in  the  attempted  purchase  of  an  illegal  and  void 
monopoly  title  to  their  homes,  which  title  must 
sooner  or  later  be  overthrown ;  but  they  each 
and  all  are  earnestly  entreated  to  join  the  set- 
tlers" organization  and  obtain  a  title  direct  from 


the  General  Government,  which  shall  be  cheap, 
staunch,  and  unmistakable. 

"Resolved,  That  we  hereby  appoint  the  fol- 
lowing temporary  executive  committee,  viz. : 
Col.  W.  H.  Carpenter,  George  T.  Walton,  Wm. 
S.  Irwin,  Lewis  A.  Reese,  Van  Henderletter, 
Peter  Collins.  M.  H.  Sheldon,  A.  S.  Spaulding, 

I  and  J.  M.  Richardson;  and  they  are  hereby 
requested  to  form  and  promulgate  to  the  set- 
tlers for  their  consideration,  a  plan  of  per- 
manent executive  committee;  to  adopt  such 
measures  as  may  be  essential  to  promote  the 
interests  of  the  settlers ;  and  that  said  executive 
committee  is  requested  to  prepare  an  address 
to  tile  settlers,  and  to  publish  the  same  imme- 
diately. 

I  "Resolved,  That  the  settlers  are  hereby  re- 
quested immediately  to  assemble  in  neighbor- 
hood meetings,  each  neighborhood  to  select  a 
good  and  true  man  competent  to  serve  as  a 
member  of  the  permanent  executive  committee. 
The  executive  committee  are  requested  to  select 
from  said  list  nine  members,  in  such  man- 
ner as  that  all  localities  on  the  Ceded  Lands 
shall  be  represented,  and  said  selections  shall 
ht  the  permanent  executive  committee  for  one 
year  from  the  date  of  organization. 

"Resolved,  That  from  this  time  henceforth 
we  mean  business,  and  upon  our  efforts  to  save 
our  homes  we  invoke  the  just  consideration  of 

!  all   true  men   and   the  gracious   favor  of  Al- 

j  mighty  God." 

I  The  committee  appointed  by  the  foregoing 
resolutions  at  once  took  steps  to  perfect  the  or- 

I  ganization,  and  ^^'.   S.   Irwin  was  elected   its 

1  president.  On  October  15,  1870,  a  charter  for 
the  purpose  of  incorporating  the  "Settlers'  Pro- 

I  tective  Association  of  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands" 
was  prepared,  and  signed  by  William  Irwin, 
David  C.   Hutchinson.  George  W.  McMillen, 

i  J.  M.  Richardson,  and  others,  which  was  filed 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


367 


in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  October 
I,  1870.  The  charter  states  the  object  of  the 
corporation  as  follows:  "The  purpose  for 
which  this  corporation  is  formed  is  the  pro- 
motion of  immigration  to  said  lands,  and  the 
legal  in\estigation  and  proper  adjustment  of 
the  title  thereto."  In  the  fall  of  1870  subor- 
dinate councils  were  organized  in  nearly  every 
part  of  the  two  counties. 

The  first  regular  meeting  of  the  Grand 
Council  after  its  formal  organization  was  held 
at  the  town  of  Labette,  on  December  17,  1870. 
At  this  meeting  the  following  officers  were 
elected  for  the  ensuing  year :  President,  J.  J. 
Woods;  secretary,  Samuel  R.  Luke;  executive 
committee,  D.  C.  Hutchinson,  G.  W.  McMillen. 
J.  J.  Woods,  A.  J.  Campbell,  J.  B.  Swart,  J. 
C.  Bundy,  J.  M.  Gaston,  M.  H.  Sheldon,  James 
Martin.  D.  C.  Hutchinson  and  G.  W.  McMil- 
len were  appointed  financial  agents,  and  direct- 
ed to  canvass  both  counties  for  funds.  Early 
in  January,  1871,  the  executive  committee 
published  a  long  and  carefully  prepared  ad- 
dress to  the  settlers,  setting  forth  the  necessity 
for.  their  standing  together  and  contributing 
of  their  means  to  a  common  fund  in  order  to 
reach  an  end  by  all  alike  desired ;  it  set  forth 
that  Major  Whitney  had  been  employed  as  at- 
torney to  conduct  a  contested  case  through  the 
court,  and  that  the  case  of  J.  M.  Richardson 
against  the  railroad  company  had  been  insti- 
tuted for  the  purpose  of  contesting  the  question 
of  title. 

The  association  proceeded  to  spread  itself 
over  the  two  counties,  and'  to  do  much  good 
work  in  the  shape  of  enlisting  the  settlers  in 
the  united  action  for  their  homes.  As  the  work 
progressed  it  became  evident  that  a  knowledge 
of  their  action  on  the  part  of  the  public  inter- 
fered with  the  accomplishment  of  their  plans, 
and  so  it  was  decided  to  form  a  secret  organiza- 


tion retaining  the  main  features  of  the  old  asso- 
ciation, but  adding  to  it  a  secret  obligation  and 
some  ritualistic  work.  Of  the  introduction  of 
this  feature  into  the  association,  I  will  let  those 
speak  who  were  connected  with  it.  Hon.  T. 
P.  Leech,  of  Thayer,  writes  me  as  follows: 

"My  individual  experience  and  knowledge 
of  the  facts  connected  with  the  Osage  Ceded 
Lands  contest  in\olved  in  the  history  and  tran- 
sactions of  the  Settlers'  Protective  Association 
began  in  1871,  when  William  Dick  (well 
known  and  recognized  all  over  the  Ceded  Lands 
as  "Father  Dick' )  organized  a  subordinate 
council  of  the  S.  P.  A.  of  O.  C.  L..  in  the 
school-house  near  my  place.  He  informed  us 
that  there  had  been  a  number  of  old  settlers' 
meetings  held  at  different  places  on  the  Ceded 
Lands  in  the  past,  for  the  purpose  of  organiz- 
ing a  legal  contest  with  the  railroad  companies 
to  test  the  validity  of  their  claim  to  these  lands, 
but  that  the  work  had  been  openly  and  \olun- 
tarily  done,  and  only  a  portion  of  the  old  set- 
tlers had  taken  interest  in  the  matter ;  and  that 
at  a  meeting  held  at  Ladore — earlier  known  as 
Fort  Roach — it  had  been  decided  to  regularly 
organize  (as  a  secret  organization)  the  Osage 
Ceded  Land  Settlers'  Protective  Association, 
and  enlist,  if  possible,  all  those  whose  homes 
were  involved  in  the  controversy,  and  all  others 
who  were  in  s}-mpathy  with  them.  Many  sub- 
ordinate councils  had  been  formed  before  our 
neigh:borhood  had  been  reached,  and  the  work 
of  organization  was  going  on  rapidly.  And  so 
Father  Dick  read  to  us  the  printed  declara- 
tion of  purposes,  the  constitution  and  by-laws 
that  were  to  govern  the  association;  and  as  it 
was  clearly  set  forth  that  the  purpose  was  to 
secure  concerted  action  in  making  the  strong- 
est possible  legal  contest  for  our  rights,  I  cast 
my  lot  with  my  neighbors  (although  my  indi- 
vidual  home   was   not    in    controversy,    and 


368 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


neitlier  was  Fatlier  Dick's),  and  I  shall  probab- 
ly never  fijrget  the  concluding  paragraph  of 
the  obligation  given  us  by  Father  Dick  in  his 
most  impressive  manner,  and  which  was  re- 
peated by  all  the  candidates,  as  follows: 

"  "All  of  this  I  most  solemnly  and  sincerely 
promise  and  swear  that  I  will  keep  and  per- 
form, without  any  equi\-ocation  or  mental 
reser\atiiin  whatever:  binding  myself  under  no 
less  a  penalt}-  than  that  of  ha\ing  a  rope  looped 
round  my  neck  and  I  be  swung  in  the  air  till 
life  become  extinct.  So  help  me  God,  and 
keep  me  steadfast."  "' 

The  following  letter  will  give  further  in- 
formation on  this  same  subject: 

"Parsons,  Kans.,  Sept.  i,  1892. 
"Ildii.  Nelson  Case,  Osivego,  Kas. — De.^r 
Sir:  In  response  to  your  request  for  the  facts 
relative  to  the  secret  organization  of  the  Set- 
tlers' Protective  Association,  I  submit  the  fol- 
lowing, which  is  of  course  but  a  brief  state- 
ment of  what  might  be  indefinitely  enlarged: 
"The  open  organization,  which  had  been 
in  existence  some  time,  proved  very  unsatis- 
factory in  its  working,  and  a  few  of  us  became 
satisfied  that  our  purposes  could  only  be  ac- 
complished through  a  secret  organization.  It 
was  feared  that  some  parties,  such  as  the  Cath- 
olics, Dunkards,  Quakers,  and  United  Breth- 
ren, would  not  go  into  a  secret  organization; 
but  others  argued  that  for  the  purposes  con- 
templated all  these  parties  could  lie  expected 
to  unite.  The  first  actual  steps  taken  toward 
foriuing  the  secret  organization  were  at  my 
house,  about  the  first  of  October,  1871.  My 
father.  William  Dick,  and  I  had  been  to  a  meet- 
ing at  the  Catalpa  school-house,  in  Neosho 
county,  the  proceedings  of  which  convinced  us 
that  something  must  be  done  to  bring  matters 
more  comi)letely  under  the  control  of  those 
rcalh-  in  earnest  in  the  settlers'  interest.     We 


counseled  with  T.  B.  Smith  and  D.  D.  Lind- 
sey,  and  all  met  at  m\-  house.  We  were  all 
members  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  agreed  to 
organize  a  Secret  Settlers'  Protective  Associa- 
tion. I  was  to  draw  the  constitution  and  by- 
laws, and  father  was  to  prepare  the  oath,  and 
we  were  to  meet  at  my  house  the  next  evening 
to  initiate  the  work.  We  f(jur  met  there  as 
agreed  ;  the  constitution,  by-laws  and  oath  were 
laid  on  a  small  table,  the  four  surrounding  it 
with  our  left  hands  on  the  instruments  and  our 
right  hands  raised:  father  recited  the  oath,  the 
others  repeating  it  over  after  him.  And  then 
Mr.  Lindsey  recited  the  oath  to  father, 
and  he  repeated  it  after  him.  During  the 
whole  history  of  the  organization  the  oath 
remained  the  same  as  it  was  then  written  and 
used,  and  was  never  by  authority  put  in  print. 
Before  parting  it  was  agreed  that  each  person 
present  should  select  one  person  whom  he  could 
trust,  and  bring  with  him  the  following  evening 
to  father's  house.  The  four  selected  were  W. 
A.  Starr,  Wni.  Findley,  J.  B.  Swart  and 
James  McMains.  At  the  time  appointed  the 
eight  met.  and  the  four  new  members  were 
initiated  in  the  same  manner  as  the  first  had 
been.  It  was  again  agreed  that  each  one  pres- 
ent should  select  one  and  bring  with  him  the 
following  night  at  the  same  place ;  these  eight 
were  initiated.  This  meeting  lasted  until  near- 
ly morning ;  the  general  work  was  mapped  out, 
its  difficulties  and  dangers  discussed,  and  what 
was  hoped  to  be  accomplished  was  talked  over, 
llefore  starting  away  it  was  arranged  to  hold 
the  next  meeting  at  Carpenter's  school-house, 
in  District  No.  30,  and  that  each  party  present 
should  select  two  persons  to  bring  with  him 
at  that  meeting.  The  next  meeting  was  to  be 
Ivel'd  a  week  later,  each  one  present  to  bring  an 
additional  jierson  with  him.  When  we  came 
together,    in   addition    to   the    forty-eight   new 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


369 


members  wlio  were  to  be  selected  by  those  who 
had  already  been  initiated,  there  were  four 
who  came  along,  having  learned  that  some- 
thing was  to  be  done,  and  who  were  received 
along  with  the  others,  making  just  one  hun- 
dred present  at  this  meeting.  It  was  now  de- 
termined to  form  a  permanent  organization, 
and  elect  officers.  The  following  were  elected  : 
Chief  counselor,  William  Dick ;  vice-counselor, 
J.  B.  Swart;  secretary,  J.  H.  McGheehen; 
treasurer,  Jas.  McMains.  By  the  iirst  of  No- 
\ember  the  organization  had  grown  so  un- 
wieldy that  it  was  determined  to  form  auxiliary 
councils.  The  first  one  was  org-anized  in  the 
southeast  corner  of  Wilson  county;  another 
soon  after,  at  what  was  then  called  the  Mc- 
Cormick  school-house,  in  District  No.  19,  in  La- 
bette county ;  another  one  at  the  Shiloh  school- 
'house,  in  Neosho  county;  and  others  later  at 
other  points.  Parties  came  for  a  distance  of  20 
miles  to  be  initiated  and  learn  the  particulars  of 
the  organization.  Dr.  G.  W.  McMillen,  of  Ne- 
osho county,  having  been  initiated,  was,  with 
Father  Dick,  appointed  to  organize  new  councils. 
About  the  first  of  January,  1872,  delegates 
from  all  the  secret  councils  met  at  Hughes' 
hall,  in  Parsons,  and  organized  a  grand  council. 
The  following  officers  were  elected :  Grand 
chief  counselor,  Dr.  G.  W.  McMillen ;  grand 
vice-counselor,  J.  B.  Swart;  grand  chief  sec- 
retary, M.  H.  Sheldon;  grand  chief  treasurer, 
William  Dick.  An  executive  committee  of  five 
was  also  elected.  The  work  thus  organized 
went  on  until  the  cause  for  which  it  was  formed 
liad  completely  triumphed. 

"Yours  truly,  L.  F.  Dick." 

At  the  close  of  1872  Hon.  M.  J.  Salter,  of 
Thayer,  was  elected  Grand  Chief  Counselor, 
which  position  he  held  most  if  not  all  the  time 
until  the  final  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  until  the  close  of  the  work  of  the  associa- 


tion. Mr.  Shekl'on  likewise  remained  Grand  Sec- 
retary and  William  Dick  Grand  Treasurer  dur- 
ing the  entire  time.  Among  those  who  were  on 
the  executi\e  committee  and  did  good  work  were 
T.  P.  Leech,  J.  B.  Swart  and  G.  W.  Mc^lillen. 
To  mention  all  who  were  prominently  con- 
nected with  it  would  be  to  extend  this  account 
to  a  greater  length  than  could  be  given  in  this 
work.  The  executive  committee  held  monthly 
meetings,  and  sometimes  met  more  frequently, 
and  the  Grand  Council  met  as  often  as  once  a 
year,  and  it  was  sometimes  called  together  on 
special  occasions.  Cnfaltering  interest  was 
maintained  until  the  accomplishment  of  the 
purpose  for  wliich  the  association  was  or- 
ganized. 

CONSTITUTION     OF    THE    ASSOCIA- 
TION. 

The  constitution  of  the  association  and  the 
rules  by  which  it  was  governed  were  some- 
what of  a  growth.  The  following  were  the 
main  provisions  as  finally  adopted  and  as  they 
were  in  use  for  several  years : 

"Preamble  of  the  S.  P.  A.— In  consequence  of 
an  adverse  claim  to  the  settlers  upon  the  Osage  Ceded 
Lands,  held  by  the  Leavenworth,  Lawrence  &  Galveston 
Railroad  Company,  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way Company;  and  as  it  is  generally  believed  that  this 
claim  cannot  be  established  by  law,  as  it  is  based  upon 
fraud  and  misinterpretation  of  the  treaty  and  the  act  of 
Congress,  and  in  conflict  with  the  policy  of  the  Govern- 
ment. This  claim  being  wrong,  and  injurious  to  the  set- 
tlers upon  these  lands,  who  came  here  by  the  mvitatioh  of 
the  Government  and  by  the  solicitation  of  the  press  of 
the  State,  setting  forth  the  fact  that  the  lands  we'e 
opened  lor  settlement  by  the  Government,  for  the  indus- 
trious citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  upon  this  repre- 
sentation and  in  good  faith  the  people  have  settled  upon 
these  lands,  and  by  toil  and  privation  have  made  valu- 
able improvements  and  homes  for  the  support  of  their 
wives  and  little  ones.  When  these  lands  became  valuable 
by  the  improvements  placed  upon  them  by  the  industry 
and  intelligence  of  the  settlers,  these  companies  did  set 


370 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


up  their  claim,  and  have  attempted  to  dispose  of  by  sale, 
these  lands  together  with  the  improvements,  compelling 
in  some  cases  the  settler  to  purchase  his  own  labor  to 
prevent  so  great  and  sad  a  calamity  as  that  of  having  his 
family  driven  beggars  from  the  home  they  had  by  toil  and 
privation  made: 

"  Now  m  view  of  all  these  wrongs,  and  many  others 
not  herein  mentioned,  we,  the  settlers  upon  the  Osage 
Ceded  Lands  in  Kansas,  do  organize  ourselves  into  a 
select  organization  to  be  known  as  the  S.  B.  of  the  S.  P.  A., 
for  the  purpose  of  protectmg  ourselves  and  to  test  these 
claims  of  these  railway  companies  in  the  highest  courts 
of  our  country. 

"We  therefore  enter  into  the  foregoing  agreement, 
and  pledge  our  honor  to  stand  to  and  abide  by  the  follow- 
ing constitution,  rules  and  by-laws  of  the  association: 

"Article  T. —  Title. — This  organization  shall  be 
known  by  the  name,  style  and  title  of  the  Secret  Brother- 
hood of  the  Settlers'  Protective  Association  of  the  Osage 
Ceded  Lands  in  Kansas,  and  the  mitials  S.  B.  S.  P.  A.  O. 
C.  L.  shall  represent  the  name  of  the  organization. 

"Article  IL — Objects. — The  objects  to  be  accom- 
plished by  this  organization  are  as  follows: 

"  1st.  To  strengthen,  harmonize  and  preserve  the 
feelings  of  the  settlers  upon  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands. 

"2d.  To  make  these  feelings  efticient  in  litigating 
and  contesting  our  rights  as  actual  settlers  in  legal  trib- 
unals of  our  country. 

"3d.  For  the  protection  and  assistance  of  all  such 
settlers  whose  rights  are  invaded  by  monopolies  and  cor- 
porations. 

'•4th.  To  establish  and  secure  the  rights  of  the  set- 
tlers on  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands  by  all  legal,  moral,  social 
means  in  control. 

"5th.  To  extend  the  hand  of  charity  and  br-therly 
love  to  all  the  honest  and  industrious  laboring  classes,  and 
to  assist  them  by  our  counsel  and  honest  means  in  secur- 
ing honesty  in  our  Government,  integrity  in  our  people, 
and  placing  the  honest  labor  of  our  country  on  a  more 
equal  footing,  mentally,  morally  and  socially. 

"Gth.  To  resist  all  encroachments  of  monopoly  and 
pampered  aristocracy,  when  and  wherever  found,  to 
demand  that  honest  labor  shall  be  respected  and  pro- 
tected all  over  the  United  States. 

"Article  IIL — Oryanizutiou. — The  several  consti- 
tuted bodies  of  this  association  shall  consist  of — 

"  1st.     District  organizations,  to  be  known  as  the  S. 

P.  A.  Council  No.—,  of County,  of  the  State  of 

Kansas. 

"'2nd.  The  general  organization  be  known  as  the 
Grand  Council  of  the  S.  B.  S.  P.  A.  of  the  O.  C.  L.  in  K. 
N.  A.,  page  5." 

[Provision  was  made  by  .Article  I\'  for  settlers  and 
those  sympathizing  with  them  to  become  members  of  the 


association.  Article  V  provided  for  the  election  of  mem- 
bers, and  Article  VI  for  the  impeachment  of  members.] 

"Article  VW.-OfficerK.—  Ui.  The  officers  of  each 
Council  shall  be  a  Chief  Counselor,  a  Senior  Vice-Coun- 
selor, a  Junior  Vice-Counselor,  a  Secretary,  a  Treasurer, 
a  Chief  Marshal,  a  Junior  Marshal,  who  shall  be  elected 
by  the  members  semi-annually. 

"2d.  The  officers  of  the  Grand  Council  shall  be  a 
Grand  Chief  Counsellor,  Grand  Senior  and  Grand  Junior 
Counselor,  Grand  Chief,  Grand  Senior  and  Grand  Junior 
Marshal,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  who  shall  be  elected 
by  the  members  of  the  Grand  Council  semi-annually. 

"3d.  The  members  of  the  Grand  Council  shall  con- 
sist of  the  representatives  from  each  sub-council  elected 
by  the  members  of  the  subordinate  Council  to  represent 
them  in  the  Grand  Council." 

[.Article  VIII  provided  for  the  duties  of  the  respective 
officers,  and  Article  IX  for  the  times  of  meeting.] 

"Article  X.  —  Serrtri/.—lsi.  The  proceedings  of 
the  Council  shall  be  kept  a  secret. 

"2d.  Any  member  who  shall  divulge  any  of  the 
secrets  shall  suffer  the  penalty  of  his  obligation,  or  such 
punishment  as  the  court  in  his  wisdom  shall  direct." 

[Article  XI  provided  for  the  fees;  Article  XII  for  the 
collection  of  arrearages;  Article  XIII  for  reports;  Article 
XIV  for  charters  to  subordinate  Councils;  Article  XV  for 
the  election  of  officers;  Article  XVI  for  representation  in 
the  Grand  Council;  Article  XVII  for  by-laws;  and  Article 
X\TI1  for  amendments.] 

LEGAL  MEASURES. 

As  soon  as  the  settlers  decided  on  contest- 
ing their  rights  in  conrt  tlney  employed  Ma- 
jor H.  C.  Whitney,  of  Humljoldt,  as  their  at- 
torney. Under  his  advice  a  snit  was  brought 
in  tlie  District  Court  for  Labette  county,  in 
the  name  of  James  M.  Richardson  against  the 
M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.  Co.,  in  October,  1870,  to  ob- 
tain an  adjudication  of  the  rights  of  the  set- 
tlers who  had  been  refused  entry  at  the  land 
office  to  their  lands.  Some  were  not  satisfied 
with  Mr.  Whitney's  management  of  the  set- 
tlers' matters,  and  in  February,  1871,  he  with- 
drew as  their  attorney.  Messrs.  McComas  & 
McKeighan,  of  Fort  Scott,  were  then  employed 
by  the  settlers.  The  suit  first  begun  was  dis- 
missed because  of  some  informality  in  its  com- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


371 


mencement,  or  for  some  other  reason,  and  a 
new  suit  by  Richardson  was  instituted.  A  suit 
was  also  commenced  in  the  name  of  James 
Wood.  These  suits  were  instituted  for  the 
purpose  of  quieting  the  title  of  the  plaintiffs 
to  their  lands,  and  to  determine  that  the  claim 
of  the  railroads  thereto  was  without  founda- 
tion. In  the  case  in  which  Wood  was  plaintiff, 
the  district  court  held  that,  upon  the  facts  as 
stated  in  his  petition,  he  had  no  standing  in 
court.  The  case  was  appealed  to  the  Supreme 
Court,  where  the  judgment  of  the  district  court 
was  affirmed.  It  was  soon  apparent  to  all  that 
the  real  question  at  issue  between  the  settlers 
and  the  railroads  could  not  be  finally  deter- 
mined by  these  individual  suits  to  quiet  title, 
and  plans  were  laid  to  secure  action  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States  in  the  federal  courts. 
It  was  first  believed  that  an  act  of  Congress 
would  be  required  to  secure  this  result,  and 
the  Kansas  Legislature  memorialized  Congress 
to  pass  a  bill  authorizing  such  action ;  but  the 
matter  having  been  brough't  to  the  attention  of 
the  executive  department  of  the  Government, 
the  Attorney  General  expressed  a  willingness, 
on  the  application  of  the  Senators  from  Kansas, 
to  direct  suit  to  be  brought  in  the  name  of  the 
United  States  without  any  action  on  the  part 
of  Congress.  In  addition  to  Messrs.  McComas 
&  McKeighan,  the  settlers  had  in  their  employ 
Gov.  Shannon,  Judge  Wni.  Lawrence,  and 
Hon.  J.  S.  Black.  George  R.  Peck  had  recently 
been  appointed  L'.  S.  District  Attorney  for 
Kansas,  and  through  him,  representing  the 
Government,  and  the  above-named  attorneys 
representing  the  settlers'  association,  as  his  as- 
sistants, two  suits  were  commenced  on  Febru- 
ary 25.  1874,  in  the  United  States  Circuit 
Court  on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  one 
against  the  M.  K.  &  T.  and  one  against  the 


L.  L.  &  G.,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  de- 
cree canceling  the  patents  theretofore  issued  to 
them  by  the  General  Government.  In  October 
following,  the  judgment  of  that  court  was  an- 
nounced, fully  sustaining  the  settlers"  claim, 
and  directing  the  patents  that  had  been  issued 
to  the  railroads  to  be  canceled.  The  com- 
panies at  once  took  the  case  in  error  to  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  LTnited  States,  where  it 
was  alily  and  fully  argued  on  October  20,  21 
and  22,  1875.  On  April  10,  1876,  the  judg- 
ment of  that  court  was  rendered,  sustaining 
the  decision  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  finally 
and  conclusively  affirming  the  right  of  the 
settlers  to  these  lands.  Both  of  these  decisions 
were  hailed  with  great  delight  by  the  settlers, 
and  immense  ratification  meetings  were  held 
all  over  the  said  lands  in  honor  of  the  event. 
Xot  only  tn  their  paid  attorneys,  who  so  ably 
represented  the  settlers,  but  also  to  Hon. 
George  R.  l^eck,  who,  throughout  the  contest 
in  both  the  Circuit  and  Supreme  Courts, 
brought  to  their  aid  his  best  talents,  were  the 
settlers  largely  indebted  for  the  victory  thus 
won. 

FURTHER  LEGISLATION. 

As  soon  as  the  decision  was  announced, 
steps  were  at  once  taken  to  procure  Congress- 
ional legislation  whereby  the  settlers  could  ob- 
tain title,  tl:e  time  in  which  this  could  be  done 
under  the  joint  resolution  of  .\pril  10,  1869, 
having  long  theretofore  ex]jired.  A  bill  was 
prepared  by  Go\-.  Shannon,  approved  by  the 
Grand  Council,  and  rapidly  pushed  through 
Congress  by  Hon.  John  R.  Goodin,  wlio  then 
represented  this  district  in  the  House,  and  our 
Senators  in  the  Senate:  and  it  was  on  August 
II,  1876,  a])]M-o\-ed  by  the  president. 


372 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


EXPENSES. 

The  expenses  attending  the  contest  in  the 
courts  were  of  course  very  great.  Fees  of  the 
attorneys  wlio  were  employed,  two  or  three  of 
whom  had  national  reputation,  were  large,  and 
many  other  expenses  had  to  be  borne.  Nearly 
every  settler  on  the  Ceded  Lands,  whether  he 
had  or  had  not  actjuiretl  title  to  his  home,  or 
whether  the  title  was  or  was  not  involved  and 
depended  upon  litigation  then  in  progress,  came 
to  the  aid  of  the  cause  by  giving  his  note. 
Those  whose  title  was  not  in  contest  gave  a 
shorter  form  of  note,  but  those  whose  land 
was  in  litigation  gave  nutes  which  were  gen- 
erally in  the   following  form : 

"AGREEMENT. 

••Kiioi^'  all  Men  by  these  Presents:     That 

whereas,  the  undersigned,  ,  has  settled 

upon  and  improved  the (juarter  of  section 

■ — ,  town  — ,  range  — .  situated  in  the  county 

of  and  State  of  Kansas,  and  claims  the 

same  under  the  preemption  laws  of  the  United 
States ;  and  whereas,  the Railroad  Com- 
pany claim  the  same  land,  under  and  by  virtue 
of  the  laws  of  the  United  States ;  and  whereas, 
the  said  contending  parties  are  about  to  make 
u])  test  cases  to  submit  to  the  judicial  tribunals 
of  the  country,  sn  as  tu  prncure  a  judicial  de- 
lcrminatii)n  nf  the  (luestinn  whether  said  land 
is  or  is  not  subject  to  preemption,  (jr  whether 
the  said  railroad  comjiany  has  any  right  there- 
to or  not;  and  whereas,  the  undersigned,  with 
others  holding  similar  preemption  rights,  is  de- 
sirous to  rcciu'e  the  ])rofessional  services  of 
Hon.  J.  S.  Black,  of  I'ennsyhania,  H.m.  Wm. 
Lawrence,  of  Ohio,  and  Ibm.  Wilson  Shan- 
non. Sr..  of  Kansas,  in  the  argument  and  man- 


agement of  said  case  and  the  legal  questions 

involved  therein :     Now,  therefore,  I,  . 

in  consideration  of  said  legal  services,  do  ob- 
ligate and  bind  myself  to  pay  to  the  said  J.  S. 
Black,  Wm.  Lawrence,  and  Wilson  Shannon, 

Sr..  the  sum  of  dollars,  so  soon  as  the 

court  of  final  resort  shall  determine  that  said 
railroad  company  is  not  entitled  to  said  lands, 
and  that  the  same  are  subject  to  preemption 
under  the  laws  of  the  United  States.  The 
determination  of  any  one  case  is  to  be  consid- 
ered as  determining  the  legal  questions  as  to  all 
other  lands  similarly  situated  as  to  the  legal 
questions  involved  in  the  case. 

"Given  under  mv  hand,  this  —  dav  of , 

A.  D.  1873. 

"Attest: [Seal.]" 

In  this  way  the  main  part  of  the  money 
required  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  suit  was 
raised;  but  in  January,  1874,  the  Legislature 
passed  an  act  appropriating  $2,500  on  the  part 
of  the  State  to  assist  in  this  enterprise.  The 
incidental  expenses  of  the  association  were  met 
by  quarterly  dues  of  25  cents  per  member. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  many  settlers  spent 
as  much  in  time  and  money  in  carrying  on  the 
contest  as  their  homes  would  have  cost  them 
had  they  purchased  them  from  the  railroad 
companies;  but  taking  the  whole  body  of  set- 
tlers the  cost  was  comparatively  small  com- 
pared with  what  they  would  have  had  to  pay 
for  their  title  had  they  obtained  it  through  the 
railroad  companies.  One  thing  that  had  a 
strong  tendency  to  unite  the  settlers  in  making 
.the  contest  was  the  exorbitant  price  put  upon 
the  lands  by  the  companies  when  they  were 
placed  upon  the  market  and  ofifered  for  sale. 
Had  the  lands,  as  soon  as  the  companies  ob- 
tained their  ])atents.  been  offered  for  sale  at 
a  fair  price,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  so  large  a 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


373 


proportion  of  the  settlers  would'  have  pur- 
chased, that  the  others  would  have  been  with- 
out sufficient  strength  to  successfully  inaug- 
urate and  carry  on  the  contest. 

The  settlers   had  a  right  to  congratulate 
themselves  over  the  result,  not  only  because 


it  secured  them  individually  great  personal  ad- 
vantages, but  not  less  because  it  was  a  vindi- 
cation of  a  right  principle,  and  showed  that  a 
body  of  men,  though  poor,  when  banded  to- 
gether and  determined  may  secure  their  rights. 
even  against  great  o<Ms. 


Rcprmntative  £lttKn$ 


Ml 


ILLIAM  BUSBY,  an  extensive  coal 
operator,  and  mayor  of  the  citj'  of 
Parsons,  whose  portrait  is  herewith 
siiown,  is  one  of  the  best  known 
citizens  of  Labette  county.  Kansas.  The  life 
of  this  gentleman  stands  out  as  a  shining  ex- 
ample of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  indus- 
try. Granted  only  a  limited  education,  he  was 
thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  an  early  age, 
and  the  success  which  has  attended  his  efforts 
is  the  result  of  persevering"  diligence  and  keen 
foresight.  Taking  advantage  of  opportunities 
as  they  presented  themselves,  he  steadily  in- 
creased his  operations  until,  they  assumed  vast 
proportions.  He  now  employs  about  600  men, 
and  his  daily  pay-roll  is  about  $1,500.  He 
has  been  identified  witl"^  many  of  the  most 
worthy  enterprises  instituted  for  the  good  of 
the  city,  and  as  executive  of  the  city  of  Par- 
sons is  as  successful  as  in  the  management  of 
his  private  affairs.  He  was  born  near  Trenton, 
New  Jersey,  September  5,  1854,  and  is  a  son 
of  George  and  Margaret  (Lunney)   Busby. 

George  Busby  was  born  in  England,  came 
to  America  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years, 
and  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Trenton,  New  Jer- 
sey. He  at  once  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, a  vocation  he  followed  during  all  of  his 
active  life.  After  remaining  in  New  Jersey 
for  several  vears,  he  moved  to  Ohio,  and  after- 


ward to  Illinois.  In  1867  he  came  west  to  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  with  his  fami'y.  and  set- 
tled upon  a  tract  of  uncultivated  land  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Matthewson.  There  he  remained  un- 
til his  death.  He  was  a  man  given  to  hard 
work,  and  was  upright  and  honest  in  his  deal- 
ings with  all.  He  was  a  Republican,  in  politics, 
and  in  religious  attachments  was  a  member  of 
the  M.  E.  church.  He  married  Margaret 
Lunney.  a  native  of  the  North  of  Ireland,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  six  children,  of 
whom   William  was  the  eldest. 

William  Busby  received  a  limited  mental 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  Illinois  and 
Kansas.  He  worked  upon  his  father's  farm 
until  two  years  after  his  marriage,  when  he 
determined  to  better  his  condition.  He  en- 
gaged in  buying  and  shipping  grain  at  Mat- 
thewson, on  commission,  and  having  accumu- 
lated a  small  capital  at  the  end  of  one  year, 
he  decided  to  extend  the  business,  and  there- 
upon located  at  McCune,  Kansas.  He  also 
engaged  extensively  in  dealing  in  coal  there, 
for  nine  years.  In  1889,  he  removed  to  Par- 
sons, although  he  still  retained  his  interests  at 
McCune.  He  then  gave  evidence  of  shrewd 
business  ability  and  sound  judgment,  by  ac- 
cjuiring  considerable  property  in  the  Indian 
Territory,  at  a  time  when  others  were  pro- 
nouncing it  worthless;  this  has  proved  to  be 


378 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


one  of  the  best  paying  investments  he  ever 
made.  His  coal  mines  are  located  at  Wilbur- 
ton,  McAlester.  and  South  McAlester,  in  the 
Indian  Territory,  and  at  Mineral,  Kansas.  His 
operations  are  very  extensive,  and  require  a 
large  force  of  workers.  Besides  attending  to 
his  mining  interests,  he  is  general  sales-agent 
for  the  Chocktaw,  Oklahoma  &  Gulf  Railroad 
Company,  with  branch  office  at  Oklahoma  City, 
and  main  office  at  Parsons.  He  is  in- 
terested in  several  enterprises  in  the  city 
of  Parsons,  and  is  president  of  the  Par- 
sons Building  &  Mercantile  Company,  and 
vice-president  and  treasurer  of  the  Parsons 
Crystal  Ice  &  Cold  Storage  Company.  He 
owns  considerable  valuable  real  estate  in  the 
city,  as  well  as  the  handsomest  residence, — it 
is  built  in  the  colonial  style  of  architecture,  and 
is  located  on  the  corner  of  Morgan  and  Fif- 
teenth, streets.  Mr.  Busby  is  a  self  made  man 
in  every  sense  that  the  term  applies,  and  the 
people  of  the  county  are  proud  of  his  achieve- 
ments. He  has  not  only  been  the  means  of  af- 
fording emplfjyment  to  hundreds  of  men,  but 
has  extended  aid  to  all  deserving  it.  and  has 
given  his  support  to  charitable  enterprises  in  a 
liberal  manner.  He  is  a  strong  Republican,  in 
politics,  served  as  councilman  for  the  second 
ward,  from  1894  to  1895,  and  was  elected 
maj'or  of  Parsons  in  the  spring  of  1901. 

Mr.  Busby  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  L.  Bell,  by  whom  he  has  the  following 
children:  Mabel  L.,  Edna.  Ralph  H.,  Roy 
C,  Paul  D.,  Ruth  A.,  and  two  who  died  in 
infancy.  Maljel  L.,  the  eldest,  married  W.  G. 
Endicott,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  Frater- 
nally, the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of 
McCune  Lodge,  X...  2^7.  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Par- 
sons Cha])ter  and  Commandery;  Ellsworth 
Cduncil ;  and  Ararat  Temple  of  the  Mystic 
Sin-ine,  and  Consistory  Xo.  r,  of  Topeka,  Kan- 


sas. He  and  his  wife  are  devout  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  he  is  a 
deacon. 


^^ERE^IIAH  B.  BOYD,  of  Parsons, 
^  ra  Kansas,  familiarly  known  as  "Jerry," 
^^  is  a  self-made  man  in  every  way,  and 
has  secured  for  himself  a  reputation 
as  a  keen  judge  of  horseflesh  and  fair  dealing 
in  that  line, — having  made  this  subject  a  life 
study.  He  was  born  at  Fredericktown,  Wash- 
ington county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1853,  and  is 
a  son  of  G.  A.  and  Lavina  (Wise)  Boyd.  The 
latter  is  deceased,  and  the  former  is  a  station- 
ary engineer  at  Galena,  Kansas.  Our  subject 
has  one  brother,  W.  H.  Boyd,  who  resides  near 
Parsons,  and  is  a  prominent  farmer  and  stock 
raiser.     One  sister  died  many  years  ago. 

While  a  mere  boy,  Jeremiah  B.  Boyd  left 
his  home  in  Pennsylvania  and  was  virtually 
reared  in  LaSalle  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
attended  the  common  schools.  While  in  Illi- 
nois his  marriage  with  Julia  Hungerford  was 
consummated.  One  daughter  was  born  to  them, 
who  is  now  deceased.  In  1877  Mr.  Boyd  went 
west,  and  located  just  across  the  Labette  coun- 
ty line  in  Neosho'  county,  where  he  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock  raising.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  to  introduce  Percheron 
horses  into  that  section  of  the  country.  Grad- 
ually Mr.  Boyd  turned  his  attention  more  and 
more  to  dealing  in  stock  until  he  finally  leased 
his  farm,  and  has  since  devoted  his  entire  time 
to  stock.  For  five  years  he  was  connected 
with  J.  M.  Grant,  of  Oswego,  but  for  the  past 
-several  years  he  has  conducted  business  alone 
at  Parsons,  which  has  practically  been  his 
home  since  1878.  He  buys  and  ships  horses, 
and  also  makes  a  specialty  of  buying  thin  horses 
for  a  small  sum  and,  before  disposing  of  them. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


379 


putting  them  into  Xo.  i,  sala1)Ie  condition.  At 
his  home  place,  a  barn,  50  feet  sciuare.  is  pre- 
pared' for  this  purpose ;  two-thirds  of  the  build- 
ing' is  utilized  to  keep  horses  and  mules  on  full 
feed,  being  pro\-ided  with  feeding  troughs 
M'hich  are  constantly  supplied  with  oats,  hay, 
corn,  etc.  Every  possible  cijnvenience  calcu- 
lated to  reduce  the  work  to  a  minimum  is  to 
be  found  about  the  barn,  such  as  water  works, 
water  troughs,  etc.  Two  assistants  are  usually 
employed. 

Mr.  Boyd  attends  to  the  greater  part  of  his 
extensive  business  ])ersonally.  however,  deal- 
ing not  only  in  Percheron  and  r>ther  standard 
breeds,  Init  also  handles  some  Oldenburg  Ger- 
man Coach  horses.  In  addition,  he  makes  a 
specialt}-  (_)f  supplying  high-class  draught 
horses  and  teams  and  fire  department  teams. 
He  is  justly  regarded  as  a  leader  in  horse  deal- 
ing. He  has  conducted  his  business  most  suc- 
cessfully, and  now  has  a  wide  reputation  all 
over  Southern  Kansas.  He  purchased  his 
present  residence  at  181 7  Clark  avenue,  in 
1888,  and  it  is  his  intention  to  replace  this  with 
a  handsome  modern  structure  in  the  near  fu- 
ture. In  his  political  .sentiments,  he  is  in  ac- 
cord with  the  Republican  party.  He  began 
Avith  nothing  except  an  abundant  supply  of 
good  health  and  will  power,  and  his  prosper- 
ity is  solely  due  to  his  own  efforts,  integrit}' 
and  ability  to  make  good  bargains.  He  has 
won  the  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  has 
business  dealings,  and  also  of  those  whom  he 
meets  in  a  purely  social  way. 


^^EV.  E.  A.  GRAHAAI,  who  was  among 
i  ^  «  ""'^^  ^^'^^  ministers  of  the  Gospel  in 
^J^l  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  one  of 
the. oldest,  if  not  the  oldest,  in  the 
state,  came  to  this  county  about   1879,   as  a 


;\leth(xlist  preacher.  A  man  of  great  strength 
of  character  and  a  devout  Christian  worker,  he 
made  his  intluence  felt  in  the  community,  and 
did  a  grand  work  in  improving  the  moral  tone 
of  the  county.  Since  1885  h.ie  has  been  located 
at  Mound  A'alley,  antl  has  preached  more  or 
less  as  a  local  minister,  although  he  has  been 
active  in  different  business  ventures.  He  is 
now  engaged  in  the  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness, as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Graham  & 
Cruzan.  Ivlr.  Graham  was  born  in  Connecti- 
cut, October  8,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
S.  and  ]\lary  ( Ingraham )   Gral'-am. 

James  S.  Graham  was  a  ship  carpenter  by 
trade,  who  mo\-ed  tn  Iowa  and*  from  there  to 
Kansas  in  1871,  and  remained  with  his  son, 
E.  A.,  until  his  death,  in  1875.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  until  1878.  Both  were  born  in  Con- 
necticut, he  of  Scotch  and  she  of  English  par- 
entage. They  reared  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,  as  follows:  William  H.,  who  died 
in  Connecticut,  in  1890:  Edward  A.,  whose 
twin  died  in  infancy ;  Joseph,  who  died  in  1876; 
and  Alary  (Alexander),  a  twin  of  Joseph,  who 
was  married  in  Connecticut,  and  died  in  Iowa. 

Edward  A.  Graham  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  state,  and  learned  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter,  which  stood  him  in  good  stead 
when  he  was  sent,  as  a  ])ioneer  minister,  to  the 
western  wilds.  He  followed  his  trade  several 
}-ears,  and  was  sent  to  the  Kansas  conference 
in  1867.  his  first  charge  being  at  Burlington, 
Kansas.  He  has  been  located  in  much  new 
territory  in  Kansas,  and  was  a  great  benefac- 
tor in  every  community  in  which'  he  lived.  He 
first  came  to  Labette  county  in  1879.  and 
preached  in  school-houses  in  lieu  of  church 
edifices,  which  were  few  at  that  time.  He  built 
the  first  church  at  Mound  Valley,  also  at  Hope- 
well and  Altamont.  He  solicited  funds  for 
the  erection    of    each,    superintended  the  con- 


38o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


struction,  and  also  -worked  on  tliem.  He  lo- 
cated permanently  at  Mound'  Valley  in  1885, 
and  has  since  preached  off  andi  on  as  a  local 
minister.  He  was  a  member  of  the  furniture 
firm  of  Graham  &  Beggs  for  many  years,  and 
in  1897  engaged  in  the  general  merchandise 
business  with  William  G.  Cruzan,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Graham  &  Cruzan.  He  is  now 
practically  retired  from  active  business  labors. 
He  has  been  a  successful  and  upright  business 
man,  and  is  highly  respected  by  all  who  come 
within  his  influence. 

Mr.  Graham  was  united^  in  marriage  in 
Connecticut  with  Fannie  Skinner,  a  nati\-e  of 
that  state,  who  died  in  July,  1900,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-five  years. — a  faithful  Christian 
woman.  Two  children  were  born  to  them, 
both  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  In  politics  he 
strongly  advocates  Prohibition  principles,  but 
in  national  campaigns  he  has  supported  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  was  a  member  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  for  a  period 
of  twenty-one  years,  but  is  not  now  so  affili- 
ated. He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order 
of   United   Workmen. 


0£V.  SALEM  HEDGES,  a  minister  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal   church,   in 
Liberty    township,    Laliette    county, 
Kansas,  is  living  on  section  10.     He 
was  born  in  Fairfield,  Ohiio,  in  1836,  and  is  a 
son  of  William   C.   and   ^lary   C.    (Thomas) 
Hedges. 

William  C.  Hedges  was  born  in  Wheeling, 
West  Virginia,  in  1807,  and  his  death  occurred 
in  Osage  county,  Kansas,  in  1870.  His  wife, 
who  was  Mary  C.  Thomas,  was  born  in  Lan- 
caster county,  Pennsylvania,  in  181 5,  and  died 
in  Franklin  county,  Kansas,  in   1892.     They 


reared  the  following  children,  namely  :  Salem ; 
Zelda  (McClelland),  of  Charleston,  Illinois; 
Elijah  N.,  of  Coles  county,  Illinois;  Mary,  de- 
ceased; John,  of  Osage  county,  Kansas:  Dru- 
silla  (Reihl),  of  Osage  county;  Catherine 
(Jamison);  and  George,  of  Colorado;  and 
Missouri  (Hedges),  of  Franklin  county, 
Kansas. 

Salem  Hedges,  whose  name  appears  at  the 
opening  of  this  biography,  lived  in  his  native 
state,  Ohio,  until  1856,  when  he  moved  to  Coles 
county,  Illinois.  In  the  fall  of  1862  he  en- 
listed in  Company  C,  123d  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf. 
In  1863  and  1864  Rev.  Mr.  Hedges  was  with 
the  famous  Wilder's  brigade  of  mounted  in- 
fantry, and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Chick- 
amauga,  Farmington,  Perryville,  Milton  Hill, 
and  several  minor  engagements.  He  was 
wounded,  and  as  a  consequence,  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  1864,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Coles  county,  Illinois,  where  he  be- 
came a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  conference  of  the  Meth- 
odist church  for  seventeen  years,  and  in  1883 
was  transferred  to  the  South  Kansas  confer- 
ence. He  traveled  in  that  district  for  fifteen 
years,  and  in  1899  settled  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  lives.  He  is  universally  beloved  and 
respected,'  by  all  in  the  community,  where  his 
many  charitable  acts  are  greatly  appreciated. 
He  goes  to  and  fro,  comforting  those  in  sick- 
ness and  distress,  and  his  friends  in  the  county 
are  legion. 

Rev.  Air.  Hedges  married  Ruth  Smith, 
who  was  born  in  Marion  county,  Indiana,  in 
1845.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and'  Lu- 
cinda  (Potter)  Smith.  Jacob  Smith  was  born 
in  Switzerland  county,  Indiana,  in  1822,  and 
died  in  Marshall,  Illinois,  in  1895.  His  wife 
was  also  born  in  Indiana,  in  1827,  and  her 
death    occurred    in    Pennsylvania,    in     1847. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


381 


They  reared  two  children, — Ruth  and  Albert. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  and  his  wife  have 
been  blessed  with  four  children,  as  follows: 
Nettie  (Tilton),  of  Edna,  Kansas,  whose  chil- 
dren are, — Grace,  Clyde,  Fred,  and  Ruth ; 
Frank  P.,  who  is  in  Oswego,  Kansas;  Rhoda 
(Ramsey),  who  lives  in  Elsmore,  Kansas;  and 
Paul,  who  lives  in  Labette  county.  Rev.  Mr. 
Hedges  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  also  of  the  Masonic 
order. 


SiCHARD  A.  DAVIS,  for  many  years 
a  successful  farmer,  of  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  has  efficiently  served  in 
the  capacity  of  postmaster  of  Alta- 
mont  since  1897.  He  is  a  man  of  great  popu- 
larity, and  has  many  friends  throughout  the 
county. 

Mr.  Davis  was  born  in  Vermilion  county. 
Indiana,  August  30.  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Sam- 
uel antl  Elizabeth  (Hasty)  Davis,  and  a 
grandson  of  Absalom  Davis.  Samuel  Davis 
was  born  at  West  Union,  Ohio,  in  181 1,  and 
in  1827  went  to  Vermilion  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  followed  farming  until  his  death,  in 
1889.  He  was  a  ^\'hig,  and  afterward  a  Re- 
publican in  politics.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Hasty,  who  was  born  in  Vermilion  county,  In- 
diana, in  1813,  and  died  in  1854.  They  reared 
the  following  children :  Richard  A. ;  Barbara 
(Walker),  a  resident  of  Vermilion  county, 
Indiana;  Robert  N.,  deceased;  Joshua  N.,  of 
Vermilion  county,  Indiana;  and  Mary  (Clear- 
water), of  Edgar  county,  Illinois.  Samuel 
Davis'  second  wife  was  Catherine  Cain,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  leaving  one 
daughter,  Emily. 

Richard  A.  Davis  was  reared  in  his  native 


county  and  there  received  his  schooling.  He 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  I,  14th  Reg., 
Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  1861,  and  was  subsequently 
commissioned  sergeant.  He  was  in  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  and  participated  in  all  of  its 
important  engagements.  He  was  wounded  in 
the  leg  at  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania  Court 
House,  and  was  mustered  out  of  the  service 
in  1864.  After  the  war  he  returned  home  and 
farmed'  in  \"ermilii)n  county,  Illinois,  until 
1883.  when  he  sold  his  property,  went  to 
Kansas,  and  settled  on  section  3,  Fairview 
township,  in  Labette  county.  He  owned  a 
very  fine  farm,  which  he  successfully  cultivated 
until  1897,  when  he  moved  to  the  city  of  Alta- 
mont,  where  he  has  since  resided.  In  the  fall 
of  the  same  year,  he  was  appointed  postmaster, 
— an  office  he  has  filled  in  a  most  creditable 
manner. 

In  1866  Mr.  Davis  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Sarah  Rogers,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  as  follows  :  Flora,  deceased  ; 
Charles ;  Frank ;  Fred,  who  married  Sally  Reid ; 
Harry ;  Sarah  B. ;  Paul ;  and  Samuel.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of  Topping 
Post,  No.  268.  G.  A.  R.,  of  Altamont,  and  has 
served  in  its  various  offices.  In  politics  he  is 
a  firm  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 


Ion.  MORRILL  INGALLS  DAVISS, 
a  prominent  farmer  of  Fairview  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  repre- 
sents his  district  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture of  Kansas.     He    was    born    in    Boston, 
Massachusetts,  May  2,   1841,  and  is  a  son  of 
Joshua  L.  and  Jemima  (Ingalls)  Daviss. 

Joshua  L.  Daviss  was  born  at  Ryegate, 
Vermont,  and  was  there  reared  and  schooled. 
He  applied  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits  and 


382 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


followed  that  occupation  all  his  life.  He 
moved  from  Boston  to  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  lived  fifteen  years,  and  then  removed 
to  Minnesota,  and  thence  to  Missouri,  where 
he  lived  on  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant's  farm,  near  St. 
Louis,  until  his  death.  He  married  Jemima 
Ingalls,  who  was  born  in  Vermont,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  They  were 
the  parents  of  five  children  :  James ;  Augustus 
J.;  Cordelia  (Mullen);  Morrill  Ingalls:  and 
Fred  \\\ 

Morrill  Ingalls  Daviss  is  distantly  related 
to  Peter  Morrill,  of  Vermont,  and  to  ex-Gov. 
]\Iorrill,  of  Kansas.  He  received  his  mental 
training  in  Ohio,  and  li\-ed  there  until  hiis 
nineteenth  year,  when  he  went  to  Winona 
county,  Minnesota.  There  he  resided  and  was 
engaged  in  farming  until  1875.  He  enlisted 
from  that  county,  in  1864,  in  Company -K,  ist 
Reg.,  JMinn.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  served  in 
Tennessee  most  of  the  time;  He  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  1865.  In  1875  he  moved 
from  Minnesota  to  Missouri,  and  lived  on  Gen. 
Grant's  farm,  near  St.  Louis,  for  three  years, 
whence,  in  1878,  he  came  to  Kansas.  He  set- 
tled on  a  farm  near  Columbus,  Kansas,  and 
lived  there  for  sixteen  years.  In  1894  he 
moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  in  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  15,  Fairview  township.  He  has 
been  a  very  successful  farmer.  He  is  a  Popu- 
list, in  politics,  and  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  party  work.  He  was  trustee  of  his  town- 
ship in  1896,  and  was  trustee  of  the  Labette 
County  High  School  from  1896  to  1899.  At 
the  fall  election  of  1899  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  legislature,  and  is  now  serving 
in  that  body.  He  has  been  faithful  to  the  best 
interests  of  his  district  and  county,  and  his 
service  lias  met  \\ith  the  hearty  approval  of  his 
constituents. 


Mr.  Daviss  was  united  in  wedlock  with 
Philena  L.  Taylor,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Taylor,  of  Winona  county,  Minnesota,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  six  children, 
namely:  Royal,  who  married  Jennie  Ken- 
worthy,  by  whom  he  has  a  daughter,  Erma; 
Worthy,  who  married  Ethel  Rosenberg,  and  has 
five  children :  Earl,  Floyd,  Jennie,  May,  and 
M.  J;  Bertha  (Shigley),  who  has  four  chil- 
dren,— Irving,  Owen,  Arthur  and  Lena ; 
Mima  (Stowell)  and  Ernest,  deceased;  and 
Tena,  who  was  graduated  from  the  Labette 
County  High  School,  and  is  now  teaching. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daviss  and  their  family  belong- 
to  the  )iIethodist  church. 


ROF.  ^^'.  M  KYSER,  one  of  the  best- 
knnwn  educators  of  this  section  of 
the  state,  is  principal  of  the  Labette 
County  High  School,  located  at  Alta- 
mont,  Kansas.  He  has  held  this  position  since 
1898,  and  during  that  period  has  wrought 
much-needed  reforms,  and  elevated  the  stand- 
ard of  the  school.  He  is  a  man  of  high  edu- 
cational attainments,  and  is  possessed  of  con- 
siderable executive  ability;  the  manner  in 
which  he  has  discharged  the  duties  of  his  ofiice 
has  won  for  him  the  hearty  good  will  and  sup- 
port of  the  people  of  the  county. 

Prof.  Kyser  was  bOrn  in  Livingston  county, 
Illinois,  July  26,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  L.  W. 
Kyser,  who  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
now  follows  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  in  Elk 
county,  Kansas.  W.  M.  Kyser  received  his 
primary  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
Crawford  and  Neosho  counties,  Kansas.  He 
then  taught  for  three  years  in  the  district 
schools  of  Crawford  county,  and-  three  years 
in   the   district  schools   of   Elk   county,    after 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


383 


which,  in  the  fall  of  1887,  he  entered  the  state 
normal  school  at  Emporia.  He  was  gradu- 
ated from  this  school  with  the  class  of  1890, 
and  then  taught  for  one  year  in  Pittsburg, 
Kansas.  The  following  four  years  he  taught 
at  Cottonwood  Falls,  Kansas,  and  then  entered 
the  State  University  of  Kansas,  at  Lawraice. 
He  graduated  from  this  institution  with  first 
honors  in  the  class  of  1898,  and  in  the  fall  of 
the  same  year  became  principal  of  the  Labette 
County  High  School,  in  which  capacity  he  has 
since  served.  He  has  worked  to  strengthen 
the  course  of  the  institution,  and  at  the  be- 
ginning of  hiis  second  year  the  grade  of  the 
entrance  examination  was  raised  from  70  tn 
80.  The  faculty  for  1900-1901  is  as  follows: 
W.  M.  Kyser,  A.  B.,  principal  and  instructor 
in  sciences  and  criticism;  J.  E.  McDaniel,  A. 
M..  mathematics  and  literature;  J.  F.  Kaho, 
A.  B.,  languages  and  rhetoric;  Mrs.  J.  E.  Mc- 
Daniel, vocal  music  anrl  eliicution;  ami  Al- 
meda  Mickey,  shorthand  and  typewriting. 
The  enrollment  for  the  year  is  180  students. 

Prof.  Kyser  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1899,  with  Anna  Rockwood,  a  daughter  of 
William  Rockwood,  of  Cottonwood  Falls, 
Kansas.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  and  Fraternal  Aid ;  and 
in  the  Masonic  order  has  risen  to  the  rank  of 
Knight  Templar.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
State  Teachers'  Association  of  Kansas. 


0R.  WILLIAM  SMITHSON  XEW- 
LON.  a  portrait  of  whom  accom- 
panies this  sketch,  is  widely  known 
as  a  memlier  of  the  medical  profession 
of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he  resides 
in  the  city  of  Oswego. 

Dr.  Xewlon  was  born  near  Paris,  Illinois, 


in  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  Hiram  Xewlon.  His 
great-great-grandfather  went  from  Scotland 
or  England  to  the  Xorth  of  Ireland,  and  then 
came  across  the  licean  to  the  cnntinent  of 
X'orth     .\merica.      In      1680.     witli     William 


Penn,  he  located  at  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania. 
He  returned  to  Europe,  and  again  came  to  this 
country  in  1700.  The  family  name  has  been 
spelled  Xewland,  Newlin,  and  Xewlon, 

John  Newlon,  grandfather  of  the  subject 
hereof,  was  a  resident  of  Liberty,  X'irginia, 
and  an  uncle,  or  cousin,  of  Mrs.  Dolly  Madi- 
son, wife  of  President  Madison. — she  being  a 
niece  of  the  wife  of  the  famous  Patrick  Henry. 
John  X'ewlon  moved  to  Salem,  Indiana,  and 
was  a  friend  of  James  Smith^son,  founder  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institute,  and  from  whom 
comes  the  middle  name  of  Dr.  Xewlon.      lohn 


384 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Newlon  was  also  related  to  Elijah  Xewlaiul, 
Democratic  state  treasurer  of  Indiana,  and  the 
latter  was  a  relative  of  W.  De  Pauw,  founder 
of  De  Pauw  University,  of  Indiana. 

Hiram  Xewlon,  the  Doctor's  father,  was 
united  in  matrimony  with  Margaret  Melissa 
Field,  daughter  of  John  Field,  an  early  set- 
tler of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  a  relative  of 
General  Field,  of  Virginia,  Judge  Field,  of  the 
supreme  court  of  Louisiana,  and  of  Governor 
Rector,  of  Arkansas.  She  was  a  niece  of 
A\'ade  Hampton,  Sr.,  who  was  related  to  the 
great  John  Hampden  and  Oliver  Cromwell. 
She  was  also  a  cousin  of  Governor  Shortridge, 
of  Alahama,  and  Governor  Eli  Shortridge,  of 
North  Dakota.  The  ancestors  of  Dr.  Newlon 
were  all  Southerners,  originally,  and  were 
slaveholders. 

Dr.  W.  S.  Newlon  received  a  common 
school  and  academic  education,  after  which  he 
was  engaged  in  teaching,  for  four  years.  He 
then  studied  medicine  and  pharmacy,  under 
his  brothers.  Doctors  J.  F.  and  B.  F.  Newlon, 
of  Dallas,  Illinois,  and  in  1853  went  overland 
to  California  and  engaged  in  mining.  He  as- 
sisted in  the  efifort  to  make  John  C.  Fremont 
president  in  1856,  and  then  returned  to  Dallas, 
Illinois,  where  he  married  Maria  Wimp,  in 
1857.  He  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  at 
Newlon's  Grove,  Cass  county,  Iowa,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming,  also  taking  an  active  part  in 
politics.  He  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace 
and  county  superintendent  of  schools.  He 
was  the  Republican  county  central  committee- 
man, and  assisted  in  raising  the  4th  Reg., 
Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  to  repel  several  threatened 
Rebel  invasions.  He  organized  the  first  Union 
League  in  the  United  States,  and  was  elected 
lieutenant  in  a  com])any  of  Iowa  militia.  He 
attended  a  regular  course  of  lectures  and  grad- 
uated   from    the    Iowa    Universitv     ( Keokuk 


branchi)  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  in  1863. 
He  practiced  medicine  and  pharmacy  four 
years,  at  Dallas,  Illinois,  and  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  city  school  board.  He  helped  to 
raise  several  regiments  of  Illinois  troops  and 
provide  them  with  sanitary  supplies.  He 
originated  a  branch  of  what  is  now  the  C.  B. 
&  O.  R.  R.,  running  through  Dallas,  Illinois. 
Dr.  Newlon  moved  to  Oswego,  Kansas,  on 
Indian  lands,  in  1867,  and  engaged' in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  pharmacy.  He  became 
one  of  the  town  site  company,  and  was  elected 
its  treastvrer.  He  became  a  charter  member 
of  the  Congregational  church  and  helped  to 
build  a  house  of  worship  and  a  parsonage.  He 
was  first  secretary,  and  then  president  and  su- 
perintendent of  the  Oswego  school  board,  and 
helped  to  build  the  first  schoolhouse.  He  was 
a  charter  member  of  Adams  Lodge,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  Oswego  Chapter,  No.  15,  R.  A.  M., 
and  was  elected  first  warden  of  the  former  and 
high  priest  of  the  latter.  He  was  first  vice- 
president,  and  afterward  president,  of  the  La- 
bette County  Medical  Society.  He  helped  to 
perform  the  first  amputation  of  a  thigh  in  tiie 
county,  with  a  bowie  knife  and  butcher's  saw, 
and  it.  was  successful.  He  was  for  several 
>'ears  chairman  of  the  Prohibition  central  com- 
mittee, and  was  the  candidate  of  that  gallant 
little  party  for  the  county  treasurership  and 
for  congress.  He  was  also  a  candidate  on  that 
ticket  for  presidential  elector.  When  the  great 
"exodus"  began  to  l)e  felt  in  Kansas,  and  the 
aforetime  slaves  commenced  to  come  in  large 
numbers,  Dr.  Newlon  was  appointed  physician 
and  manager  of  the  1,000  Freedmen  newly  ar- 
rived. The  work  ran  through  several  years, 
and  was  a  great  ta.x  on  the  pocket  and  health 
of  the  manager.  Dr.  Newlon  made  daily 
meteorological  observations,  for  several  years, 
at    Oswego.      He    collected     the    indigenous 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


385 


plants  of  Southern  Kansas  for  the  Centennial 
Exposition,  in  1876.  He  made  geological  and 
ichthyological  reports  of  the  county  to  the  gov- 
ernment. He  ohserved  the  flight  and  habits 
of  birds  for  several  years,  and  the  food  and 
habits  of  the  Englishi  sparrow,  for  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture.  He  made 
many  geological  surveys  and  tours  in  Kansas, 
Missouri,  Arkansas,  Illinois,  and  the  Indian 
Territory.  He  collected  insects,  cryptogams, 
fishes,  reptiles,  crustaceans,  and  myriopods  for 
Washburn  College,  at  Topeka,  Kansas.  He 
made  a  biological  survey  of  Kansas,  and  made 
many  investigations  of  Southern  Kansas  arch- 
aeology. He  found  several  fossil  cephalopods, 
new  to  science,  and  several  insects,  crustaceans, 
plants  and  new  fishes.  He  wrote  an  early  paper 
for  The  Medical  Journal  on  the  screw  fly.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  to  write  papers  and  impute 
a  germ  origin  to  disease;  he  also  traced  con- 
sumption and  other  maladies  to  germs.  These 
imputations  were  published  in  the  St.  Louis 
Medical  and  Surgical  Journal  and  the  Peoria 
Medical  Journal,  at  the  time.  He  discovered 
and  published  the  virtue  of,  and  introduced  into 
medical  practice,  Sabbatia  Camp  Elephantopus, 
Helianthus  Org.,  Grindelia  Lan.,  Symphori- 
carpus  Vulg.  and  Vesicaria.  He  was  elected 
entomologist  of  the  Labette  County  Horticul- 
tural Society,  and  gave  many  lectures  on  or- 
chard pests.  He  has  published  many  papers 
on  scientific  and  medical  subjects,  and  is  in 
correspondence  with  the  leading  scientists  of 
the  United  States.  Health  failing  him,  he 
has  engaged  in  limited  practice  in  his  profes- 
sion, in  addition  to  which  he  publishes  a  little 
scientific  paper  known  as  The  Golden  Rod. 
Dr.  Newlon  has  a  large  library  of  books  and 
a  geological,  entomological  and  conchological 
collection. 

He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1857,  with 


Alaria  Wimp,  who  died  in  187 1,  leaving  four 
children :  Dr.  C.  S.  Newlon,  of  Winfield, 
Kansas;  Mrs.  Grace  Campbell,  of  Wichita; 
Mrs.  Dr.  C.  N.  Bush,  and  Mrs.  Dr.  J.  Laws, 
of  Chetopa,  Kansas.  Dr.  C.  S.  Newlon  is  su- 
perintendent of  one  of  the  grandest  institutions 
of  the  state  of  Kansas,  the  State  Asylum  for 
Idiotic  and  Imbecile  Youth,  at  Winfield.  This 
institution  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and 
reflects  great  credit  upon  the  superintendent. 

Dr.  Newlon  formed  a  second  union  by  wed- 
ding Mrs.  M.  L.  Ste\-ens.  widow  of  Colonel 
Samuel  Ste\-ens,  who  fell  before  Petersburg. 
Virginia.  She  had  ont  son  liy  her  first  mar- 
riage. Judge  F.  F.  Stevens,  of  \\'aukomis, 
Oklahoma.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Xewlon  became  the 
parents  of  two  children:  W.  B.,  who  gradu- 
ated from  the  Kansas  City  (  Kansas )  Medical 
College  with  high  honors ;  and  John  Smithson 
Newlon,  who  died  November  2,  1899.  Mrs. 
Xewlon  passed  from  this  life  March  20,  1899. 
She  was  connected  with  some  well  known  fam- 
ilies,— her  ancestors  having  come  to  this  coun- 
try in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  some  of 
her  family  having  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
War  of  the  Revolution. 


H.  BREHM,  master  mechanic  for 
eight  di\isions  of  the  Alissouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  with 
residence  at  Parsons,  Kansas,  has 
been  identified  with  the  city's  growth  and  de- 
velopment for  the  past  seventeen  years.  Mr. 
Brehm  was  born  in  Norwich,  Connecticut,  in 
1849. 

Mr.  Brehm  was  educated  in  Piermont, 
Rockland  county,  New  York,  and  in  1858  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Vincennes,  Indiana. 
Mr.   Brehm  lived  there  nine  vears,  and  then 


386 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


went  to  St.  Louis,  ^Missouri.  Shortly  after,  he 
went  east  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  entered  the 
locomotive  department  of  the  Ohio  &  Missis- 
sippi Railroad  Company,  which  is  now  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  South-Western  Railroad 
Company.  After  leaving  St.  Louis,  he  spent 
three  years  on  a  farm.  He  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Parsons,  Kansas,  in  1884,  and  en- 
tered the  shops  of  tiie  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway,  as  a  machinist.  Being  a  care- 
ful and  painstaking  worker,  and  having  a  de- 
cided taste  for  mechanical  work,  he  soon  re- 
ceived a  promotion.  This  promotion  was  soon 
followed  by  others,- — his  advancement  being 
very  rapid, — and  today  he  is  master  mechanic 
for  eight  divisions  of  the  road.  He  is  held 
in  high  esteem  by  his  fellow  workmen,  and  his 
present  position  shows  the  confidence  placed  in 
him  by  his  employers. 

^Ir.  Brehm  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Rebecca  Severns,  and  their  union  has  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  the  following  children :  Charles, 
Alberta,  Oliver,  Arthur,  Mabel,  William,  and 
Pauline.  Air.  Brehm  is  a  member  of  the  M. 
\\-.  of  A..  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Fraternal  Aid  and  K. 
O.  T.  M.  He  always  assists  in  all  public  en- 
terprises, and  is  a  public  spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  well  known  in  Parsons  and  its  vicinity. 


R.  ^ROWN  is  president  of  the  Inter- 
State  Mortgage  &  Trust  Company,  of 
Parsons,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and 
is  one  of  the  best  known  business 
men  iii  the  county. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  Felts  Mills,  Jeffer- 
son county,  Xew  "S'ork,  November  14,  1839, 
and  is  a  son  of  Remson  R.  Brown.  The  latter 
was  liorn  in  the  Mohawk  Vallev,  Xew  York 


State,  in  1819.  He  followed  tlie  hotel  business 
during  his  active  business  career,  and  has  lived 
in  Parsons,  Kansas,  since  1900,  He  joined  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  in 
January,  1901,  and  is  the  oldest  person  known 
to  have  been  taken  into  the  order  in  the  state 
of  Kansas. 

J.  R.  Brown  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
his  native  county,  where  he  lived  until  1863. 
In  that  year,  he  came  west,  to  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri, and  for  two  years  was  engaged  in 
freighting  from  that  city,  over  the  mountains, 
to  Montana  and  Ida'ho.  He  returned  to  the 
East,  where  he  remained  for  a  period  of  three 
vears,  and  in  1869  located'  at  Nevada,  ]Mis- 
souri.  There  he  engaged  in  the  cattle  busi- 
ness and  bore  the  distinction  of  having"  built 
the  first  brick  luiilding  in  that  city.  In  1871, 
he  settled  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  and  became  one 
of  the  proprietors  of  the  old  Belmont  Hotel, 
under  the  style  of  Brown  &  Rasbach.  This  he 
conducted  for  about  five  years.  He  was  then 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  until  1888, 
when  he  helped  to  organize  the  Inter-State 
Mortgage  &  Trust  Company,  of  which  he  was 
elected  president  and  manager.  The  other 
ofiicers  are  F.  M.  Thompson,  of  Greenfield, 
Massachusetts,  vice-president;  I.  F.  Adams, 
formerly  of  Vermont,  treasurer;  and  W.  X. 
Snow,  of  Greenfield,  Massachusetts,  cashier. 
Since  the  organization  of  the  company,  Mr. 
Brown  has  devoted  his  entire  time  and  energy 
to  it,  and  has  made  it  a  great  success.  It  'has  a 
paid  up  capital  of  $100,000,  and  is  in  a  thriv- 
ing condition. 

Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1869,  with  Josephine  Roberts,  of  Jefferson 
county,  Xew  York,  and  they  have  one  son, 
Sherman,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  San  Fran- 
j  cisco,  California.  Fraternally,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch   is  a  Mason,   Odd  Fellow   and  a 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


387 


member  of  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  In  Masonry,  lie 
has  advanced  to  the  thirty-second  degree,  be- 
longing to  the  Consistory  at  Topeka,  Kansas. 


S 


UGEXE  B.  STEVENS,  a  gentleman 
widely  known  in  the  financial  circles 
of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  cashier 
and  manager  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Parsons.  He  was  born  at  Sturgeon 
Bay,  Door  county,  Wisconsin,  in  1857,  and  is 
a  son  of  Ezra  B.  and  Mary  F.  (Cahoon) 
Stevens. 

Ezra  B.  Stevens  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  came  to  Kansas  in  1868,  in  charge 
of  bridges  and  buildings  of  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Te.xas  Railway  Company.  He 
made  his  home  in  Parsons  until  his  death  in 
1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  He  was 
the  first  elected  mayor  of  Parsons,  after  the 
city  was  organized,  and  was  one  of  the  char- 
ter stockholders  of  the  First  National  Bank, 
organized  in  1872.  He  served  as  a  director  of 
the  latter  until  his  death.  He  married  Mary 
F.  Cahoon,  a  native  of  Vermont,  who  now 
resides  in  Parsons,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  three  children,  as  follows :  Eugene  B.,  Ida 
M.   (Karr),  and  Mabel   (Black). 

Eugene  B.  Stevens  received  his  primary 
education  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  to  which  place 
his  parents  moved  in  1865.  He  journeyed  to 
Kansas  in  1868,  locating  at  Junction  City, 
where  he  continued  to  live  and  where  he  went 
to  school  until  1871.  In  that  year,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  he  became  a  resident  of  Parsons. 
After  finishing  his  schooling,  he  was  given  a 
position  with  the  First  National  Bank  in  1877. 
He  was  made  assistant  cashier  of  the  bank  in 
February,  1881,  and  cashier  in  July,  1890.  He 
has  served  in  the  latter  capacity  ever  since,  and 


has  been  very  successful  in  his  work.  He  was 
also  a  memljer  and  director  of  the  Parsons 
Town  Company. 

In  1883  Mr.  Stevens  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  Barton,  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Susanna  Barton,  of  Parsons,  who  were 
formerly  residents  of  Peru.  Illinois.  They 
have  three  children :  Mary,  Gertrude,  and  Ida. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason,  having  taken  the 
Scottish  Rite  degree,  and  a  member  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He 
is  a  Republican,  in  politics,  and  was  honored 
by  election  to  the  ofiice  of  mayor  of  Parsons, 
serving  from  1895  to  1897. 


SON.  CHARLES  H.  KIMBALL,  one 
of  the  able  lawyers  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  widely  known  throughout 
this  section  of  the  state  by  reason  of 
the  numerous  public  enterprises  which  he  has 
founded,  fostered  and  controlled.  As  a  law- 
yer, he  has  given  evidence  of  his  ability  in 
many  important  cases  of  more  than  local  prom- 
inence. 

Mr.  Kimball  was  Iwrn  at  Carthage,  Jeffer- 
son county,  New  York,  January  i,  1846,  and 
is  a  son  of  Charles  H.  and  Eleanor  (Planck) 
Kimliall.  Charles  H.  Kimball,  Sr.,  was  born 
in  ]8i2,  at  Haverhill,  ^Massachusetts,  where  he 
was  reared,  and  whence  he  movedJ  to  New 
York  State  when  a  young  man.  He  was  a 
contractor,  and  followed  that  line  of  work  all 
of  his  life,  dying  in  1882.  in  his  native  town. 
He  was  first  united  in  marriage  with  Susan 
^^inton,  who  died,  leaving  five  daughters,  as 
follows:  Julia  L.  (Briggs),  of  Rome,  New 
York:  Augusta  B.  (Smith),  of  Brooklyn,  New 
York:  Caroline  S.  (Wilmot),  of  Watertown, 
New  York;  Mary  L.,  deceased  wife  of  O.  M. 


388 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Mason,  until  her  death,  in  1900,  a  resident 
of  Jamestown,  New  York ;  and  Deborah,  wife 
of  T.  M.  Foster,  of  Ypsilanti,  Michigan.  Air. 
Kimball's  second  wife  was  Eleanor  Planck, 
who  died  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
a  child, — he  being  the  sole  issue  of  this  union. 

Charles  H.  Kimball  was  reared  at  Carthage, 
Xew  York,  and  attended  the  public  schools 
there.  He  entered  the  academy  at  Rome,  New 
York,  which  he  left  to  join  the  army,  in  1863. 
He  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  loth 
Xew  York  Heavy  Artillery,  but  owing  to  pa- 
rental objections  was  not  mustered  into  serv- 
ice, although  he  spent  some  months  with  the 
regiment.  He  was  permitted  to  enter  the 
military  academy  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  in  October,  1864,  was  appointed 
second  lieutenant  in  the  43d  Reg.,  U.  S.  Col- 
ored Troops. — remaining  with  that  command 
until  mustered  out  in  tht  summer  of  1865.  He 
participated  in  the  engagements  at  Hatch's 
Run :  Petersburg,  on  the  Bermuda  Hundred 
front,  between  the  James  and  Appomattox 
rivers ;  the  capture  of  Fort  Harrison :  and  he 
was  among  the  first  of  the  troops  to  enter  the 
city  of  Richmond,  in  the  spring  of  1865.  He 
was.  later,  quarantine  officer  in  charge  of  Fort 
Jackson,  near  Savannah,  several  months,  and 
was  appointed  first  lieutenant  in  the  Ii6th 
Reg.,  U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  for  service  on  the 
Rio  Grande  or  Mexican  frontier, — being  final- 
ly mustered  out  in  the  spring  of  1866.  He 
returned  home  and  took  a  course  in  law  and 
art  in  St.  Lawrence  University  at  Canton,  New 
York.  As  the  law  department  of  that  institu- 
tion was  discontinued,  he  entered  the  Albany 
Law  School,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1 87 1,  in  a  class  of  50.  He  began  practice 
in  Xew  York  State,  after  admission  to  the 
bar.  InU  soon  determined  to  go  west. 

Mr.  Kimball  located  in  F'arsons,  in   1872. 


and  his  subseciuent  career  has  been  one  of  the 
greatest  activity.  He  formed  a  partnership 
with  T.  C.  Cory,  now  deceased,  which  lasted 
from  1873  until  1877.  He  was  then  in  part- 
nership with  Judge  A.  H.  Ayers  until  the  lat- 
ter's  death,  on  June  17,  1882,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  associated  with  A.  A.  Osgood,  a 
ver}'  able  lawyer.  They  are  engaged  in  gen- 
eral practice,  and  have  a  large  and  well  es- 
tablished clientage.  Air.  Kimball  has  been  em- 
ployed at  different  times  by  several  counties 
in  tax  litigation,  and,  especially,  was  he  prom- 
inent in  the  early  "seventies,"  in  the  contest 
over  the  Osage  Ceded  Lands.  He  was  em- 
ployed by  ti.2  county  in  the  prosecution  of 
Marion  Ashbell  for  wife  murder, — a  case 
which  attracted  no  little  attention.  He  has  oc- 
cupied his  present  suite  of  offices  over  the  First 
National  Bank,  since  1874.  In  1878,  he  or- 
ganized the  Memphis,  Kansas  &  Colorado 
Railway  Company,  with  local  capital  and  built 
47  miles  of  narrow-gauge  railroad  from  Par- 
sons to  the  junction  with  the  "Frisco"  road, 
near  the  east  line  of  the  state.  This  was  after- 
ward sold  to  the  Kansas  City,  Fort  Scott  & 
Gulf  Railroad  Company,  and  by  that  company 
changed  to  a  standard  gauge.  This  gave  Par- 
sons another  route  through  the  coal  fields  to 
St.  Louis,  inciting  competition  and  greatly  re- 
ducing the  price  of  coal.  In  1884,  he  organ- 
ized the  Parsons  &  Pacific  R.  R.,  now  a  branch 
of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway. 
In  furtherance  of  this  enterprise,  he  went  to 
X'ew  York  to  interest  eastern  capital,  thus  se- 
curing the  construction  of  the  road  to  Coffey- 
ville  and  Paola.  The  city  water  works  sys- 
tem,— small  originally, — was  bought  by  Mr. 
Kimball  and  Edwin  H.  Edwards,  and  by  them 
rebuilt  in  1892.  They  have  a  thirty-years' 
franchise  and  give  good  service  to  the  city. 
In   1888,   Mr.   Kimball  organized  a  company 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


389 


and  built  the  ice  plant,  of  which  L.  R.  Roter 
is  manager.  He  also  organized  a  company 
which  operated  a  telegraph  line  from  Kansas 
City  to  Coffeyville,  and  is  now  a  part  of  the 
Western  Union  system.  He  was  presiilent  of  all 
these  enterprises  at  one  time,  and  to  him  is 
largely  due  their  growth  and  present  flourish- 
ing condition.  In  1881,  he  built  the  Kimball 
Hotel,  whic'b  he  still  owns.  He  erected'  the 
first  three-story  building  in  Parsons,  and  put 
in  the  first  plate-glass  windows  used  in  the  city. 
He  owns  a  large  amount  of  business  and  resi- 
dence property  in  Parsons. 

In  1878,  Mr.  Kimball  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Helen  Webster,  of  Fort  Plain,  New- 
York.  She  was  born  in  1851,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Hon.  Peter  G.  Webster,  a  prominent 
lawyer  of  Fort  Plain.  Her  grandfatlier  was 
a  cousin  of  the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster,  and 
her  grandmother  was  a  AVagner.  Her  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  McCall,  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  McCall,  a  relative  of  Roscoe  Conk- 
lin.  Six  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kimball,  namely:  Charles  W..  Eleanor, 
Paul  H.,  Pierre  M.,  Bruce  P.,  and  Webster  W. 
Charles  W.,  who  is  twenty  years  of  age,  is 
attending  Lawrence  University.  He  served 
one  year  in  the  United  States  Navy  during 
the  Spanish-American  War,  and  received  fa- 
vorable mention  for  his  conduct.  He  is  pre- 
paring for  a  journalistic  career,  and  has  writ- 
ten several  articles  relating  to  his  travels,  whic'h 
have  been  published  by  the  leading  papers  of 
the  country.  He  edited  the  High  School  Sen- 
tinel during  his  senior  year  in  college.  Eleanor 
died  in  infancy.  Paul  H.,  aged  fifteen  years, 
attends  school ;  Pierre  M.  is  fourteen  years  of 
age;  Bruce  P.  is  twelve  years  of  age;  and 
Webster  W.  is  aged  ten  years.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican,  in  politics,  and 
in  early  years  served  as  city  attorney.    In  1884, 


he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  and  served 
from  1885  to  1893.  He  is  a  thirty-second-de- 
gree Mason,  and  is  a  member  of  Topeka  Con- 
sistory, Scottish  Rites,  and  of  Abdallah  Tem- 
ple, Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Leaven- 
worth, Kansas.  He  is  a  member  of  Antietam 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Parsons.  Religiously,  Mrs. 
Kimball  attends  the  Episcopal  church. 


[1 


DWTN  H.  EDWARDS,  who  for  many 
years  has  been  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising citizens  of  Parsons,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  president  of  the 
Parsons  Commercial  Bank.  He  has  been 
identified  with  many  public  enterprises,  which 
have  inured  greatly  to  the  benefit  of  the  citizens 
of  the  community. 

Air.  Edwards  was  born  in  Jefferson  county, 
New  York,  August  31,  1833.  and  was  reared 
and  educated  in  DeKalli  county.  Illinois, 
whither  his  parents  had  moved  in  1846.  He 
first  attended  school  in  a  little  log  schoolhouse, 
and  subsequently  attended  Lee  Center  Acad- 
emy and  Mount  Morris  Academy.  With  C. 
L.  Allen,  now  of  Los  .Angeles,  California,  and 
Gen.  Smith  D.  Atkins,  now  of  Freeport.  Illi- 
nois, he  went  to  Savanna,  Illinois,  and  estab- 
lished a  paper,  which  they  conducted  ior  a  few 
years.  Mr.  Edwards  then  went  to  Earlville, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged  as  a  merchant 
until  1875.  On  January  i,  1875,  he  located 
in  Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  hardware  and  implement  business  for 
many  years,  which  he  relinquished  in  1883. 
He  "has  been  identified  with  the  Commercial 
Bank  since  1878,  and  since  1883  has  served  in 
the  capacity  of  president.  He  is  a  man  of 
superior  executive  ability,  and  of  keen  fore- 
sight in  business  transactions,  and  under  his 


390 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY" 


efficient  management  the  bank  has  been  ex- 
ceedingly prosperous.  He  also  built  the  Par- 
sons \Vater  Works,  in  1884,  in  connection  with 
Charles  H.  Kimball,  who  now  serves  as  presi- 
dent of  the  company, — Mr.  Edwards  being 
vice-president  and  treasurer.  The  plant  was 
rebuilt  in  1892,  at  a  cost  of  $226,000.  He  has 
also  erected  many  modern  buildings  in  the  city. 
He  enjoys  the  highest  esteem  and  confidence 
of  his  fellow  citizens  not  only  for  his  great 
business  ability,  but  also  on  account  of  his 
many  excellent  traits  of  character. 

In  1858  ^Ir.  Edwards  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Verona  Palmer,  by  whom  he  has 
two  children :  Grace  and  Myra.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  JMasonic  order,  and  a 
Knight  Templar.  Politically,  he  favors  the 
Democratic  party. 


BS.  ELLIS,  a  well  known  citizen  of 
Parsons,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
president  and  general  manager  of  the 
Parsons  Natural  Gas  Company.  He 
was  born  in  Pontiac,  Michigan,  but  left  his  na- 
tive county  when  a  small  boy, — his  parents  hav- 
ing moved  to  Coldwater,  Michigan,  where,  in 
the  course  of  time,  he  engaged  in  the  produce 
business.  He  was  married  in  1878,  at  Cold- 
water,  and  in  1879,  went  to  West  Superior, 
Wisconsin,  and  devoted  himself  to  real  estate 
and  loan  transactions  with  much  success.  He 
mainly  followed  that  line  of  work  until  1893, 
at  various  places.  In  1881,  he  went  to  Fargo, 
North  Dakota,  and  resided  there  three  years. 
Later  he  moved  to  Lisbon,  North  Dakota,  and 
while  there  served  one  term  as  judge  of  the 
probate  court.  In  1887,  he  returned  to  West 
Superior  and  resided  there  until  1893,  when 
he  moved  west,  to  Oswego,  Kansas,  and  be- 
came identified  with  the  Deming    Investment 


Company.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  Par- 
sons Natural  Gas  Company,  in  1897,  Mr.  Ellis 
became  its  president  and  manager  and  main- 
tains an  office  in  the  city  of  Parsons. 

In  1878,  Mr.  Ellis  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Alice  Kearney,  of  Eaton  Rapids,  Mich- 
igan, and  they  have  the  following  children: 
Florence,  Alice  (Lamb),  and  Lewis.  Political- 
ly, the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows ;  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen;  and  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees.  At  Lisbon,  North  Dakota, 
he  served  in  the  city  council  and  as  clerk  of  the 
board  of  education. 


ARRY  H.  LUSK,  who  has  been  prom- 
inently before  the  public  eye  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  for  many  years, 
is  postmaster  of  the  city  of  Parsons 
and  is  also  editor  and  owner  of  a  weekly  and  a 
daily  paper  published  in  Parsons.  He  is  a  man 
of  great  enterprise  and  public  spirit, — being 
one  of  the  most  prominent  residents  of  the 
county.  Through  the  medium  of  his  publica- 
tions, he  lends  his  hearty  support  to  all  public 
improvements  and  measures  tending  toward 
the  general  welfare. 

Mr.  Lusk  was  born  at  Edinburg,  Indiana, 
April  14,  1857,  and  when  a  child  went  with 
his  parents  to  Illinois,  where  he  received  a 
common  school  education.  He  left  home  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years  to  make  his  way  in 
the  world,  and  what  success  he  has  since  at- 
tained is  the  result  of  his  own  efforts.  He  lo- 
cated at  Olney,  Illinois,  and  owned,  edited  and 
published  the  Olney  Ledger  for  six  years, 
after  which  he  removed  to  Parsons,  Kansas, 
in  1878.  He  purchased  the  Pa«'sons  Sun,  then 
a  struggling  weekly  journal,  issued  irregular- 


COL.   ELIAS   BRIGGS   BALDWIN. 


EVELYN   B.   BALDWIN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


395 


ly.  Infusing-  his  great  energy  into  the  work, 
he  placed  it  upon  a  paying  basis,  and  two  years 
later  established  a  daily  paper;  both  of  them 
he  has  since  continuously  owned,  edited  and 
published.  He  received  the  appointment  of 
postmaster  of  Parsons  from  President  Harri- 
son, in  1889,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for 
five  years  and  eleven  days.  He  was  again  ap- 
pointed' to  that  office  by  President  McKinley, 
in  1897,  and  has  served  up  to  the  present  time. 
He  has  engaged  more  or  less  in  politics,  hav- 
ing served  as  chairman  of  the  Labette  county 
Republican  central  committee,  and  as  chair- 
man of  the  Republican  congressional  commit- 
tee of  the  Third!  District  of  Kansas.  Mr.  Lusk 
has  been  fairly  successful  financially  and  pc- 
liticallv. 


^^OL.  ELIA-S  BRIGGS  BALDWIN, 
H  1^^  one  of  the  early  pioneers,  and  a 
^^^^  prominent  citizen  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  resides  at  Edna.  He  bears 
a  most  honorable  record  for  service  during  the 
Civil  War,  and  his  extended  business  career, 
unblemished  by  a  single  act  of  dishonor,  be- 
speaks the  character  of  the  man.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Elm  Grove  township  for 
many  years,  and  is  still  the  owner  of  large 
landed  interests.  He  was  born  in  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  June  17,  1834,  and  is  a  son 
of  Jacob  and  Abigail  (Briggs)  Baldwin.  The 
ancestry  of  the  Baldwin  family  can  be  accurate- 
ly traced  through  Richard  Baldwin,  an  Eng- 
lishman, back  to  the  sixteenth  century.  In 
1639,  three  brothers  came  from  England  to 
America,  one  stopping  in  New  Jersey,  another 
in  Virginia,  and  the  third,  James  Baldwin, 
from  whom  Col.  Baldwin  is  directly  descend- 
ed, settled  at  Plymouth,  Massachusetts. 

Jacob  Baldwin  was  born  near   Hopewell, 


Dutchess  county,  Xew  York,  December  25, 
1807,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm.  He  loved 
books,  was  a  great  reader,  and  took  an  active 
interest  in  current  politics.  In  January,  1833, 
at  her  home,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Abigail  Briggs,  a  daughter  of  Elias  and  Kath- 
erine  (Campbell)  Briggs.  The  Briggs  family 
was  a  very  wealthy  one,  and  owned  large  es- 
tates in  Dutchess  and  Columbia  counties.  She 
was  one  of  10  children,  the  others  being  as. 
follows :  Nancy,  Athalina,  Amy,  Sarah,  Kath- 
erine,  Melissa,  Robert  E.,  Walter  M.,  and 
Caleb  C.  Mr.  and  krs.  Baldwin  resided  in 
Dutchess  county  until  1838.  They  then  moved 
to  Victory,  Cayuga  county.  New  York,  and  in 
1858,  to  Hale,  Illinois,  where  Mr.  Baldwin 
died  in  October,  1893.  She  died  at  Kirkwdod, 
Illinois,  January  25,  1888,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-five years  and  six  months.  They  were 
the  parents  of  15  children,  of  whom  12  grew  to 
maturity.  They  were  as  follows:  Elias 
Briggs,  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  these 
lines;  Elisha  Jacob,  who  was  borni  June  i, 
1836,  and  resides  at  Carthage,  Missouri-;  Phile- 
tus  Robert,  who  was  born  February  26,  1838, 
and  lives  in  California;  Charlotte  Josephine 
(Hall),  of  Kirkwood,  Illinois,  who  was  born 
December  12,  1839;  Frances  Jerlene  (Bruyn), 
of  Chicago,  who  was  born  October  13,  1841 ; 
Daniel  P.,  who  was  born  May  11,  1844,  and 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Resaca  (Georgia), 
May  14,  1864;  Sarah  Melissa,  who  was  born 
March  3,  1846,  and  died  at  the  age  of  one 
year;  Miletus  Oscar,  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa, 
who  was  born  August  2^,  1848;  Charles  Ham- 
ilton, deceased,  who  was  born  November  18, 
1849;  Noah  Augustus,  who  was  born  Septem- 
ber 18,  185 1,  and  is  an  editor,  at  Fairview, 
Iowa;  George  W.,  of  El  Reno,  Oklahoma,  who 
was  born  September  20,  1853;  Hattie  Minora 
(Durand),  of  Topeka,  Kansas,  who  was  born 


396 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


September  24,  1854;  Elmer  Arthur,  an  attor- 
ney-at-law,  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  who  was 
born  October  9,  1856;  and  two  others,  twins, 
who  died  in  infancy. 

Ehas  Briggs  Baldwin  attended  the  public 
schools  at  the  academy  at  Red  Creek,  New 
York,  and  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
went  to  Rhode  Island,  where  he  attended  the 
Providence  Conference  Seminary,  and  also 
studied  medicine.  He  taught  school  in  Rhode 
Island  and  Connecticut,  and  for  a  time  worked 
as  bookkeeper  in  a  wholesale  grocery  house  at 
Providence.  In  1857,  he  went  to  Auburn,  New 
York,  and  studied  medicine,  and  in  1858  jour- 
neyed west  to  Anirora,  Illinois,  where  he  taught 
for  five  terms,  in  Clark  Seminary.  Then  the 
Ci\il  War  Ijroke  out,  and  he  was  one  of  five 
brothers  who  tendered  their  services  to  their 
country,  although  but  two  of  them  were  ac- 
cepted,— the  subject  hereof,  and  Daniel  P.,  who 
lost  his  life  in  battle.  The  former  enlisted, 
April  13,  1 86 1,  was  elected  captain  of  Com- 
pany C,  36th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was 
mustered  into  service  in  August,  1861,  under 
Col.  Greusel.  He  went  with  his  company  to 
^Missouri,  and  served  in  the  Department  of  the 
Southwest.  In  February,  1862,  he  was  made 
quartermaster  at  Springfield,  Missouri,  reliev- 
ing Gen.  Sheridan.  He  served  as  captain  unr 
til  August,  1862,  when  he  was  promoted  to  be 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  8th  Reg.,  Mo.  Vol. 
Cav.,  in  the  Third  Di\-ision,  under  Gen.  Her- 
ron.  He  ser\-ed  as  ])rov(ist  marshal  of  the  di- 
vision until  June,  1863,  when  his  health  failed, 
and  he  returned  to  Aurora,  Illinois,  and  was 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  for  one  year. 
As  his  health  failed  to  improve,  he  removed  to 
a  farm  he  had  previously  purchased  in  Clinton 
county,  Iowa,  and  on  this  he  resided  for  four 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1868,  he  moved  to  Ot- 
tawa,   I'^-anklin    countv,    Kansas,    where    he 


stayed  until  May,  1869,  and  then  located  at 
Chetopa,  Labette  county.  In  iNIay,  1870,  he 
removed  to  the  farm  he  still  owns  in  Howard 
township,  in  sections  i  and  2,  township  35, 
range  18,  east,  and  resided  there  until  1884. 
He  was  then  elected  clerk  of  the  district  court, 
at  Oswego,  and  served  in  that  capacity  two 
successive  terms.  He  returned  to  his  farm 
in  the  fall  of  1894.  He  and  his  sons,  together, 
own  more  than  500  acres  of  valuable  farm  land. 
In  the  fall  of  1900,  he  removed  to  Edna,  which 
had  long  been  his  postoffice  address,  and  there 
purchased  lots  and  built  a  comfortable  home. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  married  in  Naperville, 
Illinois,  in  September,  1861,  to  Julia  C.  Cramp- 
ton,  who  died  in  Iowa,  in  November,  1866, — 
lea\-ing  three  children,  as  follows :  E\-elyn 
B.,  iMilton  N.,  and  Barton  L.  Evelyn  B.,  a 
gentleman  in  whom  Labette  county  takes  great 
pride,  is  famous  throughout  this  country  liy 
reason  of  his  Polar  expeditions  with  Peary  and 
others.  He  is  now  associated  with  \V.  A. 
Zeigler,  a  capitalist,  and  has  fitted  out  an  ex- 
pedition, which  started  in  search  of  the  north 
pole  in  July,  1901.  He  is  recognized  as  a  re- 
markable man;  he  is  practical  in  his  methods 
of  procedure,  and  expects  success  to  attend  his 
efforts.  Milton  N.,  the  second  son,  is  a  nurs- 
eryman of  Princeton,  Illinois.  Barton  L.  re- 
sides at  Sapulpa,  in  the  Creek  Nation. 

Mr.  Baldwin  formed  a  second  matrimonial 
alliance  by  wedding  Lydia  A.  Gibbs  at  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  in  1867.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Al])heus  and  Sophia  Gibbs,  and  was  born  in 
Bridgton,  Maii>e,  in  1837,  whence  she  removed 
to  Massachusetts,  with  her  aunt  when  she  was 
ten  years  of  age.  Her  grandfather  Gibbs  was 
a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  of  English  par- 
entage,— two  brothers  of  the  family  having 
come  to  this  country  shortly  after  the  May- 
flower brought  the  Pilgrims.     He  and  his  wife 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


397 


were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Bridgton, 
Maine.  Alpheus  Gibbs  died  in  the  West  at  an 
early  age,  and  his  widow  died  in  Maine.  They 
had  four  children :  Aaron,  a  retired  farmer 
of  Bridgton,  JMaine;  Charles  B.,  who  is  in  the 
ice  business  at  the  same  place ;  Lydia  A. ;  and 
Alary  (Gleason),  a  widow,  res. ding  also  at 
Bridgton.  Mr.  and  Ylvs.  Baldwin  have  had 
two  children :  Edwin  M*,  who  died  at  Os- 
wego, at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years ;  and  Julia 
A.,  wife  of  O.  \V.  Ball,  manager  of  C.  M. 
Condon's  mercantile  interests  at  Oswego,  Edna 
and  Cherryvale, — they  have  two  children, 
Charles  Edwin  and  Geraldine.  Politically, 
Col.  Baldwin  is  a  Republican,  and  cast  his  first 
vote  for  John  C.  Fremont.  He  has  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  and  held  I'ther  township 
offices.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
G.  A.  R.,  and  was  commander  for  six  years, 
at  Oswego  and  Edna.  He  was  made  a  Alason 
in  Illinois  in  1861,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
Chetopa  Lodge,  A.  O.  U.  W". ;  and  the  Select 
Knights,  of  Parsons.  In  religiiius  lielief  he  is 
a  JMethodist. 

On  preceding  pages  of  this  publication,  in 
connection  with  this  biography,  are  shown  por- 
traits of  Col.  Baldwin  ?nd  his  eldest  son,  E\'e- 
Ivn  B. 


0R.  W.  A.  HAZLETT,  a  rising  young 
dentist  of  Oswego,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  located  in  the  city  in  March, 
1895.  He  has  a  large  number  of 
patrons,  and  is  a  skillful  aiul  thorough  op- 
erator. Dr.  Hazlett  was  Ixirn  in  Jackson 
county,  Ohio,  February  13,  1873,  and  is  a  son 
of  Eli  Hazlett.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Warrensburg,  Missouri, 
where  his  mother  'had  taken  up  her  residence. 
He  attended  the  state  normal  school  at  AVar- 


rensburg,  and  took  up  the  study  of  dentistry 
under  the  preceptorship  of  Dr.  Griggs  and  Dr. 
Cress,  of  Warrensburg.  He  also  attended  the 
Western  Dental  College,  at  Kansas  City,  Mis- 
souri, and  graduated  from  that  institution  in 
the  spring  of  1895.  Dr.  Hazlett  at  once  began 
the  practice  of  dentistry  in  Oswego,  Kansas, 
where  he  now  li\'es,  and  has  gradually  worked 
up  a  patronage  which  would  do  credit  to  an 
older  man. 

Dr.  Hazlett  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  lyoo,  in  l[Iizalieth  I.  Longwell,  of 
Hillsboro,  Illinois.  This  estimable  lady  is  very 
popular  in  the  social  set  of  Oswego.  The  suli- 
ject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of  the  M.  W. 
A. ;  A.  O.  l*.  W.  and  K.of  P.  Politically,  he  is 
a  Republican. 


X.  UTTERSOX,  mayor  of  the  city 
of  Oswego,  who  conducts  a  large  un- 
dertaking and  furniture  establishment 
in  that  city,  carries  a  \-ery  extensive 
line  of  hig'ii  grade  stock,  and  commands  the 
patronage  of  the  leading  citizens  of  his  section 
of  the  county. 

Mr.  Ctterson  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  his 
birth  occurring  in  Edinburg  X^ovember  15, 
1849.  He  was  reared  and  schooled  in  his  na- 
tive city,  and  took  up  the  trade  of  a  cabinet- 
maker when  al)out  sixteen  years  of  age.  He 
came  to  America  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years,  and  was  located  in  Chicago  for  one  year. 
He  then  moved  to  Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  but  after 
a  stay  of  a  few  months  went  to  Humboldt, 
Kansas.  There  he  followed  his  line  of  busi- 
ness until  October,  1890,  when  he  settled  in 
Oswego,  Labette  county.  He  began  the  un- 
dertaking and  furniture  business  in  1870,  man- 
ufacturing all  of  his  own  furniture.  L'pon 
locating  in   Oswego,   he   purchased    a    store. 


398 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY, 


which  he  remodeled  and  restocked,  and  in  con- 
nection with  this  has  conducted  a  repair  shop. 
He  has  been  favored  with  a  large  patronag^e, 
and  his  business  lias  been  a  success  in  every 
way. 

In  1873,  Air.  Utterson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Anna  McLeod,  a  native  of  Edin- 
burg,  Scotland,  and  they  are  parents  of  three 
children :  David,  Charles,  and  Nellie,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Fraternally 
Mr.  Utterson  is  a  Mason,  and  has  risen  to  the 
rank  of  Knight  Templar.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  lodge;  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America  ;  Ladies  and  Knights 
of  Security;  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Justice; 
and  Home  Builders.  Politically,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  was  a  member  of  the  school  board 
of  Oswego  for  a  period  of  six  years.  April  2, 
1901,  Mr.  Utterson  was  elected  mayor  of  Os- 
wego, and  took  the  oath  of  office,  April  5th  fol- 
lowing. 


ACOB  BRASCHLER,  who  is  a  native 
of  Switzerland,  has  for  the  past  ten 
years  made  liis  home  in  Osage  town- 
ship, in  section  10,  township  32, 
range  18,  east.  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where 
he  is  well  known  as  a  man  of  good  judgment 
and  sound  principles.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob 
and  Mary  Brascliler,  who  were  also  natives  of 
Switzerland. 

Jacob  Brascliler,  Sr..  was  a  farmer  in 
Switzerland,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  the 
parents  of  14  children,  named  as  follows: 
Susie,  Elizabeth,  Regala,  Conrad,  Henry,  Bar- 
liara,  Lucetta,  Susannah,  Elsbach,  Jacob, 
Mary,  Segula,  and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 
Jacol?  Brascliler  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  his  nati\-e  country,  and  set  sail  for  the 
United   States,  in    1858.      He  landed  at  Gal- 


veston, Texas,  and  remained  in  the  state  of 
Texas  for  four  years.  He  then  went  to  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  lived  two  years. 
Thence  he  journeyed  to  Franklin,  Missouri. 
After  living  there  a  short  time,  he  located  at 
Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  then  moved  to  Johnson 
county,  Kansas,  and  remained  there  until  1879, 
when  he  settled  in  Labette  county.  He  took 
up  the  farm,  wher«  he  now  lives,  and  for  the 
past  ten  years  has  carried  on  general  farming 
and  stock  raising.  He  reached  Kansas  with 
very  little  money,  and  his  success  has  been  en- 
tirely of  his  own  making.  He  now  has  one 
of  the  best  farms  in  the  township,  and  is  well 
up  in  agricultural  matters. 

Mr.  Braschler  is  a  member  of  the  Republi- 
can party.  He  is  a  leading  member  of  the 
German  M.  E.  church,  and  takes  an  acti\-e  in- 
terest in  all  church  afifairs.  Mr.  Braschler 
has  numerous  friends  in  Labette  county,  who 
respect  him  for  his  man}'  good  qualities.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  December 
6,  i860,  in  Franklin  county,  Missouri,  to 
]\Iary  Cajipes,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  L'nto 
them  were  born  ten  children,  of  whom  nine  are 
still  living.  Their  names  are:  Alatilda, 
Emma.  Lewis,  Annie,  Helen,  Louisa,  Lydia, 
Edward.  Albert,  and  Mattie,  who  died  when 
six  davs  old. 


g^  R.  LEE  WILLIAMS.  This  gentle- 
B  0  man  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
.9^  and  successful  physicians  of  Oswego, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he  has- 
resided  since  1878.  He  was  born  at  Pleasant 
Hill.  ]\Iianii  county,  Ohio,  in  1850,  and  is  a  son 
of  Isaac  Williams.  Isaac  Williams  was  also 
a  native  of  Aliami  county,  Ohio,  where  he  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming,  and  died  at 


an  earh 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Dr.  Lee  Williams  recei\-ed  his  primary  ed- 
ucation at  Pleasant  Hill,  and  assisted  liis  fa- 
ther in  farming  until  he  took  up  the  study  of 
medicine.  He  began  his  medical  studies  with 
Dr.  S.  W.  Keister,  and  later  took  a  lecture 
course  at  the  Louisville  (Kentucky)  Medical, 
College.  His  last  course,  -he  took  at  the  Ken- 
tucky School  of  Medicine,  at  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1877.  He  commenced  practice  in  Oswego, 
Kansas,  in  1878,  and  has  remained  there  ever 
since.  He  is  an  e.xcellent  physician,  and  has 
a  large  practice  in  Oswego  and  the  surround- 
ing country.  He  has  been  very  successful  in 
his  chosen  profession,  and  Oswego  people  place 
much  confidence  in  him,  and  speak  only  in  the 
highest  terms  of  his  ability. 

Dr.  Williams  married  Lucy  Davenport,  in 
1870,  and  they  have  one  child, — Cora  Lee. 
Dr.  Williams  was  one  of  the  original  stock- 
holders in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Oswego, 
and  also  of  the  Oswego  State  Bank,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  has  been  a  director  in  both  in- 
stitutions. He  is  president  of  the  board  of  ed- 
ucation, having  held  that  office  for  si.x  years. 
He  is  a  member  of  Adams  Lodge,  No.  63 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.  In  politics  Dr.  Williams  was 
formerly  a  Republican,  but  now  votes  the 
Democratic  ticket.  He  takes  an  active  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  Oswea"o. 


^gDWARD  L.  SKELTOX,  an  extensive 
1  ^M\  ""^^^  estate  owner  of  Parsons,  La- 
^^H  bette  county,  Kansas,  established, 
built,  and  still  owns  the  Parsons 
Foundry  &  Novelty  \\'orks,  though  he  does 
not  operate  them,  and  is  proprietor  of  a  gen- 
eral repair  shop  for  guns,  bicycles,  etc.,  on 
Forest  avenue.    Mr.  Skelton  was  born  at  Lock- 


port,  Will  county,  Illinois,  March  3,  1854,  and 
is  a  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (  Pitch )  Skel- 
ton, both  of  English  nativity. 

George  Skelton  was  born  in  Lincolnshire, 
England,  March  15,  1833.  He  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1852,  sailing  from  Hull,  having  previ- 
ously married  the  mother  of  Elizabeth  Pitch, 
who  was  also  born  in  Lincolnshire,  April  9, 
1833.  Upon  their  arrival  in  the  United  States, 
they  located  in  Lockport,  Illinois,  where  they 
lived  for  about  ten  years.  In  1862,  they  re- 
moved into  another  county,  but  still  contin- 
ued to  reside  in  Illinois  until  1869.  when  the 
father  and  Edward  L.  mo\-ed  farther  west, 
and  located  in  Labette  count}-,  Kansas.  Octo- 
ber 30th  of  the  same  year,  the  elder  Mr.  Skelton 
purchased  from  Mr.  A.xton  a  claim  in  North 
township,  in  sections  26,  31  and  30,  township 
31,  range  20.  They  brought  with  them  six 
horses,  and  in  the  winter  of  1869  and  1870  the 
son  remained  on  the  claim  and  "■bached," 
while  the  father  returned  for  the  rest  of  the 
family.  In  the  spring  of  1870,  the  sub- 
ject hereof  met  them  at  Fort  Scott,  Kansas, 
and  they  proceeded  overland  to  their  future 
home  having  traveled  by  rail  as  far  as  Girard, 
Kansas.  George  Skelton  died  in  the  fall  of 
1886,  but  his  widow  is  still  living.  She  re- 
sides in  Newburg,  Oregon,  on  a  fruit  farm. 
Six  children  are  still  living,  namely:  Edward 
L. ;  George  P.,  now  of  Pendleton,  Oregon,  but 
formerly  postmaster  of  Pilot  Rock;  Mary 
( Alexander),  of  Parsons;  John,  owner -of  a 
cattle  ranch  in  Oregon;  Anna  (Mcintosh),  a 
resident  of  North  township,  whose  daughter. 
Rose,  is  now  deceased ;  and  Charles,  a  farmer 
residing  with  his  mother  in  Oregon. 

In  December,  1880,  Mr.  Skelton  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Artie  M.  Story,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  Story,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
Kansas.     Six  children  lilessed  this  union,  three 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  whom  are  deceased.  Those  still  living  are: 
Eva  May,  a  graduate  of  the  Parsons  High 
School;  and  Xellie  and  Lena,  lx)th  of  whom  are 
students. 

Edward  L.  Skelton  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Illinois,  and  of  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas. He  was  one  of  the  first  pupils  to  attend 
school  in  Franklin  District,  No.  55,  North 
township,  where  his  father  helped  to  erect  the 
first  school  building,  which  was  made  of  black 
walnut  boards.  When  Mr.  Skelton  reached  his 
majority,  he  purchased  land  in  sections  Z7' 
21  and  20.  He  killed  his  first  deer  near  Lenn 
'Steele's  sawmill  on  the  forks  of  Labette  creek. 
At  that  time  ^lartin  Da\-is  was  his  nearest 
neig'hbor.  Lung  before  the  town  of  Parsons 
was  laid  out.  Mr.  Skelton  and  Charles  Ander- 
son, with  two  mules,  broke  the  first  sod  upon 
the  site  of  that  city,  on  the  same  ground  where 
the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Te.xas  Railway  shops 
are  now  located.  Mr.  Skelton  also  helped  rip- 
rap the  pond  back  of  the  shops,  then  purchased 
his  claim  and  paid  for  it  in  three  years.  Quite 
recently  he  exchanged  this  farm  for  city  prop- 
erty. He  was  a  member  of  the  Settlers'  Pro- 
tective Association.  Removing  to  Parsons  in 
the  early  "seventies,"  he  soon  after  com- 
menced work  for  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway  Company,  and  assisted  in  plac- 
ing and  installing  machinery.  Later,  he  did 
similar  work  in  Denison,  Texas,  and  spent  one 
winter  on  the  transfer  gang. 

Returning  to  Parsons  he^opened  a  gun  shop 
over  Lenn  Steele's  blacksmith  shop,  having 
learned  the  trade  with  a  Mr.  Piatt.  He  subse- 
quently retuj-ned  for  a  brief  time  to  service  on 
the  railroad.  In  1879,  he  established  and  built 
the  Parsons  Foundry  &  Novelty  Works,  which 
he  operated  in  a  very  successful  manner  for 
eleven  years,  using  at  first  a  threshing  machine 
engine  for  motive  power.  This  plant  is  located 
on  the  corner  of  Grand  avenue  and  Twentv- 


first  street,  on  lots  18  and  19,  block  51.  The 
main  building  is  30  by  60  feet,  in  dimensions, 
and  is  a  two-story  brick  structure.  The  foun- 
dr)-  proper,  is  a  frame  building,  and  has  the 
same  dimensions,  while  an  additional  shed  has 
been  erected,  30  by  60  feet  in  size.  The  black- 
smith shop  in  the  rear  has  dimensions  of  14  by 
60  feet.  In  this  factory  novelties  and  archi- 
tectural work  were  manufactured  from  the 
founding  of  the  plant.  At  a  later  period,  more 
attention  was  given  to  the  machine  depart- 
ment and  ^Ir.  Skelton  engaged  to  do  the  ma- 
chine work  for  the  Parsons  &  Pacific  Railway 
at  Parsons.  Thus  from  a  small  beginning,  the 
I  plant  was  gradually  enlarged  to  its  present  di- 
mensions, and  from  12  to  14  experienced  wbrk- 
men  are  now  required  to  fill  all  orders.  Of 
!  late  years,  the  plant  has  been  leased  to  Mr. 
Edgar,  as  the  business  was  too  confining,  and 
the  'health  of  Mr.  Skelton  was  somewhat  im- 
paired. 

After  recuperating  for  about  two  years, 
Mr.  Skelton  engaged  in  real  estate  dealing,  and 
has  built  up  quite  a  little  business  in  that  line. 
While  operating  the  foundry,  his  business  had 
been  so  successful  that  he  was  enabled  to  build 
nine  different  houses.  He  was  one  of  the  men 
who  believed  in  the  ad\ancement  of  Parsons, 
and  at  the  present  writing  owns  and  rents  a 
large  number  of  houses  in  the  city,  having 
speculated  in  real  estate  cjuite  advantageously. 
Mr.  Skelton  was  not  satisfied,  however,  ex- 
cept when  working  at  his  chosen  calling,  and 
after  dealing  in  real  estate  a  couple  of  years, 
he  opened  a  repair  shop  in  1899,  for  guns, 
j  bicycles,  etc.,  at  No.  1808  Forest  avenue.  This 
{  he  conducts  at  the  present  time,  employing  two 
I  competent  workmen  as  assistants.  In  his  po- 
litical views.  Mr.  Skelton  has  always  been  a 
Republican.  He  has  served  as  councilman 
from  the  Third  \\'ard.  for  four  years.  He 
affiliates  with  the  I.  O.   O.  F.  and  K.   of  P. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


lodges, — having  filled  all  the  chairs  of  both. 
He  has  attended  the  sessions  of  the  grand 
lodge  of  the  former  on  three  different  oc- 
casions. Airs.  Skelton  is  a  member  of  the 
auxiliary  lodges  of  both  organizations.  Mr. 
Skelton  is  also  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Parsons  fire  department  for  many  years, 
and  at  the  present  time  is  assistant  chief.  The 
family  favor  the  Christian  church,  and  are 
among  the  most  prosperous  and  prominent  cit- 
izens of  Parsons. 


0R.  CHARLES  ROCKHOLD  has  been 
prominently  identified  with    the    af- 
fairs of  Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he 
located  in  1872.      He  bas  been  mnst 
successful  in  the  practice  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  enjoys  a  lucrative  practice  in  Par- 
sons and  vicinity. 

Dr.  Rockhold  was  born  in  Wayne  county, 
Iowa,  and  at  the  age  of  nine  years  moved  with 
his  parents  to  Mercer  county.  Missouri.  He 
attended  a  district  school  in  \Vayne  county, 
Iowa,  and  received  his  tuition  in  the  higher 
branches  at  Grand  River  College,  in  Grundy 
county,  Missouri,  having  taught  school  for  one 
year  previous  to  entering  that  institution.  In 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  of  what  was 
called  the  Revanna  Battalion,  and  served  for 
a  period'  of  six  months.  He  studied  medicine 
at  the  Keokuk  Medical  College  in  Iowa,  and 
was  graduated  in  1864.  His  first  practice  was 
in  Wayne  county,  Iowa,  where  be  remained 
but  a  short  time,  and  afterward  in  Saline 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  successfully  prac- 
ticed for  seven  years.  In  September,  1872,  he 
located  at  Parsons,  Kansas,  and'  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine,  and  has  thus  contin- 


ued with  good  success.  He  is  careful  in  diag- 
nosing cases  and  skillful  in  treating-  them,  and 
enjoys  the  confidence  of  liis  patients  to  a  re- 
markable degree.  Personall}-,  he  is  a  man  of 
pleasing  characteristics,  and  is  well  liked  by 
all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  He  is  a 
'member  of  the  Southeast  Kansas  Medical  So- 
ciety, of  which  he  was  formerly  president,  and 
also  belongs  to  the  Labette  County  Medical 
Society.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order. 

Dr.  Rockhold  was  joined  in  mar:  ' 
1865,  with  Miss  L.  E.  Xordyke,  by  v 
has  two  sons,  Henry  C,  and  John  R. 
itics,  he  is  a  strong  Republican.  He  h; 
on  the  board  of  pension  examiners  for  twelve 
years,  and  is  also  county  health  officer.  He 
served  in  the  city  council  for  eight  years,  and 
was  elected  mayor  in  the  spring  of  1899,  in 
which  office  he  displayed  much  executive  abil- 
ity.    His  term  expired  in  the  spring  of  1901. 


■lage,  m 

,hom  he 

In  pol- 

,s  served 


-^  JHARLES  BRIQGS  MARTIX,  the 
1^^  genial  separating  clerk  at  the  post- 
office  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  has  been  a 
resident  of  the  city  since  1884,  and 
has  had  considerable  experience  in  postoffice 
business.  He  was  born  December  23,  1872, 
at  Catskiil,  Greene  county,  New  York,  and  is 
'a  son  of  Augustus  and  Cynthia  {]\Iilks) 
Martin. 

Augustus  ]\Iartin  is  a  member  of  a  com- 
pany manufacturing  fuel  in  Parson,s,  with  a 
plant  located  near  the  Davison  elevator.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  city  council,  and  takes  a 
great  interest  in  local  afl^airs.  He  served  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  in  the  LTnion  army,  and  was 
wounded  in  the  right  arm,  August  21,  1862,  at 
the  crossing  of  the  Rappahannock  river.     He 


402 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


was  taken  to  Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York,  for 
treatment,  and  was  discharged  as  cured  De- 
cember 8,  1862. 

Charles  B.  •  Martin  attended  the  public 
schools  of  'his  native  county,  and  also,  the 
schools  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  whither  his  par- 
ents removed  in  1884.  His  first  work  was  in 
the  capacity  of  a  molder  at  Skelton"s  foundry, 
where  he  worked  two  years.  He  then  joined  a 
party  of  surveyors  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway,  and  made  the  trip  throug'h  the 
"Nation,"  in  charge  of  A.  B.  Thurston.  Re- 
turning to  Parsons,  he  entered  the  government 
service  as  sub-mail-carrier,  in  1892.  In  June, 
of  the  following  year,  he  was  transferred  to 
the  clerical  department,  and  acted  as  general 
delivery  clerk  until  March,  1894.  He  was  then 
promoted  to  be  mailing  clerk,  and  made  up  all 
outgoing  mail, — also  separating  all  incoming 
mail.  Under  the  Democratic  administration, 
he  was  "set  back"  for  a  short  time  to  general 
delivery  clerk,  but  in  1896  he  was  again  pro- 
moted, and  became  assistant  postmaster  under 
Frank  W.  Frye.  He  served  also  under  his 
successor,  H.  H.  Lusk.  who  advanced  him  to 
his  present  position  as  mailing  and  separating 
clerk.     He  works  from  7  a.  m.  to  7:30  p.  m. 

Mr.  Martin  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Amelia  ]\Iyers,  a  daughter  of  A\'.  P.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Corbett)  Myers,  that  ceremony  being 
performed  on  June  17,  1894.  Mrs.  Myers  is 
deceased.  Mr.  Myers,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
transfer  business  at  Parsons,  contracted  a  sec- 
ond matrimonial  alliance  by  wedding  Annie 
L.  McKinstry.  Fi\e  children  were  the  result 
of  this  union,  namely :  Nellie.  Luella,  Alice, 
Oscar,  and  Etiiei. — aged,  respectively,  twenty- 
four,  twenty-two,  twenty,  seventeen,  and  thir- 
teen years.  Mrs.  Martin  also  has  one  brother. 
Ernest  Myers,  who  is  a  prominent  farmer  in 
Illinois. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  have  one  little  son, 
Ra}inond  \\'..  who  was  born  December  25, 
1898,  and  was  indeed  a  blessed  Christmas  gift. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Martin  affiliates  with  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security,  and  the  Sons 
of  Veterans,  and  both  he  and  Mrs.  Martin  are 
members  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Amer- 
ica. They  show  a  decided  preference  for  the 
Presbyterian  faith.  In  his  political  opinions, 
Mr.  Martin  is  a  Republican,  and  believes  the 
principles  of  that  party  to  be  the  most  ad- 
vantageous to  the  country.  He  is  a  capable 
and  trustworthy  public  servant,  and  is  highly 
esteemed  bv  his  fellow  citizens. 


iXRY  H.  TROUT^^IAN  has  been  a 
resident  of  Labette  county  since  1876, 
and  has  been  living  in  Osage  town- 
ship, in  section  2,  township  31,  range 
18,  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  born  in 
Northumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  in 
1843,  ^nd  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Catherine 
Troutman. 

Samuel  Troutman  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1820,  and  his  wife  was  also  born  in 
that  state,  in  1821.  They  were  the  parents  of 
1 1  children,  namely :  Henry  H. ;  Augustus, 
who  lives  in  Pennsylvania:  Mary;  William; 
Louisa;  Daniel,  deceased;  Emma;  Jennie:  Ag- 
nes; Ida:  and  Samuel,  deceased. 

Henry  H.  Tnnitman  was  a  merchant  in 
Pennsylvania  for  eight  years,  when  he  sold  out 
his  business,  and  began  farming.  He  soon  sold 
his  farm,  and  removed  to  Neosho  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  'he  lived  for  one  year.  Subsequent- 
ly he  bought  a  farm  in  that  county,  on  which 
he  lived  four  years.  Mr.'  Troutman  then  moved 
to  Parsons  where  he  lived  one  j-ear,  and  worked 
in  a  lumber  yard.     He  then  bought  a  farm  in 


HON.   HENRY  G.   WEBB. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


405 


Osage  township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He 
has  worked  hard  and  long,  and  has  been  very 
successful.  He  carries  on  general  farming,  and 
raises  some  stock.  He  is  a  good  neighbor,  and 
is  always  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  those 
who  are  in  need. 

Mr.  Troutman  married  Anna  Swab,  in 
Pennsylvania,  who  died  in  1897,  aged  forty- 
eight  years.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a 
member  of  the  Republican  party,  and  takes  an 
active  interest  in  local  affairs.  He  served 
on  the  school  board  for  three  years.  In  a  re- 
ligious connection,  Mr.  Troutman  is  a  member 
of  the  Christian  church. 


0ON.  HENRY  G.  WEBB,  who  has 
faithfully  served  in  many  official 
capacities  of  public  trust  since  en- 
tering upon  his  business  career,  is 
a  lawyer  of  high  legal  attainments,  and 
a  gentleman  whiose  opinions  carry  great 
weight,  and  are  respected  throughout  Labette 
county.  He  has  been  located  in  Parsons  since 
January.  i88g,  and  is  in  partnership  with  J. 
W.  Iden,  which  Conjunction  makes  one  of  the 
strongest  legal  firms  in  this  section  of  Kansas. 
Judge  Webb  was  born  in  Riclgeberry  town- 
ship, Bradford  county,  Pennsyhania,  and  is  a 
son  of  Hon.  John  L.  Webb. 

Hon.  John  L.  Webb  was  a  native  of  Fair- 
field county,  Connecticut,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  He  moved  to  Bradford  county, 
Pennsylvania,  to  begin  his  active  business  ca- 
reer, and  engaged  in  contracting  and  building. 
He  was  one  of  the  contractors  of  the  North 
Branch  Canal  in  Northern  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  a  Democrat  and  served  as  county  commis- 
sioner, sheriff,  and  filled  two  terms  in  the  state 
legislature.     He  was  united  in  marriage  with 


Anise  Hammond,  a  nati\-e  of  Chemung  coun- 
ty. New  York,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living. 
Henry  G.  Webb  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
Pennsyhania.  He  studied  law  under  the  di- 
rection of  Judge  John  C.  Knox,  and  in  Septem- 
ber, 1848,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Welis- 
boro,  Pennsyh'ania.  In  1849,  he  located  at 
Princeton,  Wisconsin,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until  1868; 
in  that  year  he  moved  to  Mound  City,  Linn 
county,  Kansas.  In  the  spring  of  1870,  he 
located  in  Oswego,  Kansas,  and  in  the  fall  of 
the  same  year  was  chosen  judge  of  his  ju- 
dicial district,  and  officiated  as  such  until  1873. 
He  then  resigned  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  W.  B.  Glass,  which  lasted  for  nine  years. 
He  was  subsequently  associated  with  L.  C. 
True,  for  fifteen  months,  after  which  he  moved 
to  Cherokee  county,  Kansas.  There  he  resided 
until  January,  1889.  when  he  located  in  Par- 
sons. He  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  L. 
Caldwell,  which  continued  until  1893,  and 
later,  became  a  partner  of  J.  N.  Iden,  with 
whom  he  is  now  associated.  He  is  a  man  of 
great  experience  in  matters  pertaining  to  his 
profession,  and  has  rendered  excellent  serv- 
ices to  the  city,  as  its  attorney,  the  past  few 
years. 

Judge  Webb  was  united  in  marriage.  May 
20,  1849,  to  Susan  J.  Abbott,  who  died  Sep- 
tember 3,  1864,  leaving  a  daughter,  Emma  E., 
the  wife  of  C.  C.  Wenzell,  of  Kansas  City. 
He  formed  a  second  union  in  1866,  Amanda 
J.  Gower  becoming  his  wife.  In  politics,  he  is 
a  Republican,  and  in  i860  was  elected  to  the 
state  legislature  of  Wisconsin.  In  '1864,  he 
was  elected  to  the  senate  of  the  same  state,  and 
was  reelected  in  1866.  In  1876,  he  was  elect- 
ed to  the  state  legislature  of  Kansas.  Fra- 
ternally, Judge  Webb  was  a  member  of  Lodge 


4o6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


No.  33,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Mound  City,  Kan- 
sas. He  is  now  a  member  of  Parsons  Lodge. 
No.  117,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Oswego  Chapter,  R. 
A.  M. ;  and  Oswego  Commandery,  K.  T.  He 
also  belongs  to  ^Magnolia  Lodge,  1.  O.  O.  F., 
of  Mound  City,  Kansas.  A  portrait  of  Judge 
Webb  accompanies  this  mention. 


\MUEL  G.  BRYNER,  a  prominent 
farmer  residing  in  section  35,  Mount 
Pleasant  township,  Labette  county. 
Kansas,  has  for  many  years  been  one 
of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  C(junty.  He 
has  always  been  a  prominent  and  influential 
man,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare 
and  progress  of  the  township  and  county  in 
which  he  resides.  IMr.  Bryner  was  born  in 
Perry  county,  Pennsyl\-ania,  in  1842,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jacob  and  IMary  (Hoke)  Bryner. 

Jacob  Bryner  was  born  in  Juniata  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1819,  and  his  death  occurred 
in  that  county  sixty-nine  years  afterward. 
His  wife,  Mary  (Hoke)  Bryner,  was  born  in 
Perry  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1820,  and  died 
in  Juniata  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1876. 
They  reared  the  following  children :  Jerome, 
deceased;  George  W.,  of  Juniata  county, 
Pennsylvania;  Harriet,  deceased;  Samuel  G., 
the  subject  nf  this  sketch;  Louis,  of  Jonesboro, 
Lidiana;  William,  deceased;  and  Lydia,  of 
Labette  county. 

Samuel  G.  Bryner  received  his  schooling 
in  his  native  county,  and  lived  in  Pennsyl- 
vania until  1870,  when  he  moved  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  and  settled  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides.  His  life  has  been  spent  in 
business  activity,  and  what  he  now  has  is  due 
entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  He  has  taken  great 
]iride  in  his  farm,  and  the  neat  and  attractive 


appearance  it  presents  bespeaks  his  thrift  and 
unceasing  labor.  Mr.  Bryner  is  considered  an 
authority  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  till- 
ing of  the  soil,  and  his  advice  is  freely  given  to 
all  who  seek  it. 

'Mr.  Bryner  married  Margaret  Gray,  who 
was  born  in  1844,  in  Juniata  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  a  daughter  of  James  and  Cynthia 
(Killigore)  Gray.  James  Gray  was  born  in 
Juniata  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1791,  and 
died  in  1864;  his  wife  was  born  in  Perry  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  in  1808,  and  her  death  oc- 
curred in  i860,  Mr.  and  Airs.  Gray  reared 
the  following  offspring:  Thomas,  of  Cali- 
fornia; James,  of  Pennsylvania;  Catherine 
(Smith),  of  Waterford,  Pennsylvania;  Martha 
(Bender),  of  Perry  county,  Pennsylvania; 
Nancy,  deceased;  ^Margaret;  Samuel,  of  La- 
bette county;  George  W.,  deceased;  and  Jo- 
seph, of  Altamont.  Kansas.  Mr.  Bryner  and 
his  wife  have  been  blessed  with  four  children, 
namely:  \\'ilbert  H.,  of  Labette  county,  who 
has  two  boys,  Ralph  and  Harold ;  Carl,  of 
Missouri;  and  Delia  and  Louis,  of  Labette 
county.  Mr.  Bryner  has  been  township  treas- 
urer for  a  period  of  seven  years.  He  has  many 
friends  in  the  communitv. 


ILLIAAI  GILLIES,  foreman  of  the 
boiler  shops  of  the  ^Missouri,  Kan- 
sas &  Texas  Railway,  at  Parsons, 
is  an  expert  boiler-maker,  having 
served  an  apprenticeship  in  the  boiler  shops  at 
Vincennes,  Indiana,  in  the  "  'sixties,"  and  has 
since  that  time  followed  his  trade,  working  in 
various  railroad  shops. 

Our  subject  was  born  at  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, in  1S50,  and  is  a  son  of  \\'il]iam  Gillies, 
Sr.,  who  innnigTated  to  America  with  his  fam- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


ily,  in  1852.  He  located  first  at  Detroit,  Mich- 
igan, and  later  at  Alarshall,  ^Michigan,  where 
his  son,  William,  supplemented  his  elementary 
schooling  with  a  course  in  the  Marshall  High 
School.  In  1865.  the  elder  Gillies  removed 
his  family  to  Vincennes,  Indiana.  He  died  in 
1893,  aged  seventy-eight  years. 

After  completing  his  apprenticeship  at  \'in- 
cennes,  INIr.  Gillies  moved  to  Aurora,  Indiana, 
in  1870,  and  engaged  as  foreman  for  the  Ohio 
&  Mississippi  Railroad  Company,  now  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  South-Western.  He  worked 
there  a  short  time,  then  m<)\-ed  to  Seymour. 
Indiana,  as  foreman,  where  he  remained  until 
1877.  He  then  came  to  Kansas,  and  worked 
a  short  time  at  Parsons.  He  next  took  charge 
of  a  boiler  room  in  Texas,  and  subsequently 
went  to  McComb,  Mississippi,  to  assume  the 
supervision  of  a  boiler  department  for  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  Company.  In  ^May, 
1883,  he  returned  to  Parsons,  at  once  becom- 
ing foreman  of  the  boiler  shops  of  the  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Te.xas  Railway,  which  position 
he  still  ably  fills.  Mr.  Gillies  has  about  35  men 
under  his  supervision.  All  heavy  work  on 
boilers  is  done  in  the  shops,  and  preparations 
are  being  made  to  do  all  boiler  work  in  the 
new  building  at  Parsons. 

Mr.  Gillies  was  married  in  Sedalia,  Mis- 
souri, to  Caroline  ^McDonald,  a  lady  of  Scotch 
descent.  The  six  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gillies  are:  W.  R.,  a  graduate  of  the  Parsons 
High  School,  and  a  machinist  of  Shreveport. 
Louisiana;  Hugh  A.,  a  graduate  of  the  Par- 
sons High  School,  and  a  machinist's  apprentice 
at  the  "Katy"  shops ;  Celesta,  also  a  graduate  of 
the  Parsons  High  School,  who  is  at  home; 
Nellie,  who  is  in  the  graduating  class  of  the 
High  School ;  and  Carrie  and  Ray,  who  are  at 
home. 

]\Ir.   Gillies  is  an  unswerving  Republican, 


and  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  at 
Parsons.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  O.  U.  W. :  M.  W.'  of  A. ;  Triple  Tie ;  K.  O. 
T.  M.,  of  which  he  is  past  state  commander; 
and  of  the  1.  O.  O.  F.  since  1866.  He  accepts 
the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  church  as  the 
ground  of  his  religious  belief. 


ICHAEL  CARR  GAFFEY,  c'ty 
engineer  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  was 
born  in  Randolph  county,  Intliana, 
February  11,  1854,  and  is  a  son 
.if  Bryan  and  [Margaret  (Carr)  Gaffey,  natives 
of  Ireland,  the  former  cwming  from  County 
Roscommon,  the  latter  from  County  Galway. 
Bryan  Gafife)-  was  a  sailor  in  his  boyhood. 
He  came  to  America  about  1848,  and  located 
in  Massachusetts,  where  he  was  married  to 
Margaret  Carr.  They  mnved  to  Winchester, 
Indiana,  in  the  winter  of  1853-54,  l;ef.ire  the 
subject  hereof  was  born.  The  father  engaged 
in  railroad  work  for  some  time,  after  which 
he  began  farming  near  the  town.  He  is  now 
at  the  ad\'anced  age  of  ninety  years,  and  resides 
at  the  home  of  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Julia  Hurley, 
of  Indianapolis,  Indiana.  His  wife  died  in 
Indiana,  in  August,  1891,  aged  sixty-six  years. 
Bryan  Gaffey  and  his  wife  were  parents  (jf 
eight  children,  the  Ijirth  of  the  first  two  ha\-- 
ing  occurred  in  Massachusetts;  they  were: 
Mary,  who  died  in-  infancy ;  John,  deceased  at 
the  age  of  forty-two  years;  Michael  Carr,  the 
subject  of  this  narrative;  Thomas,  a  printer 
by  trade,  who  died  at  the  home  of  his  brother, 
Michael,  in  Xovember.  1900;  Julia  (Hurley), 
of  Indianapolis.  Indiana;  Ella  (Franks),  of 
Des  Moines,  Iowa:  Eliza  (  McXirney),  of  .An- 
derson,    Indiana;     and     William,    a   traveling 


4o8 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


-  Michael  C.  Gaffey  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Indiana,  and  later  was  a  student  at 
Asbiiry  College,  now  known  as  DePauw  Uni- 
versity. After  leaving  this  institution,  Mr. 
Gaffey  taught  school  seven  winters,  and  main- 
tained his  studies  as  he  could.  He  left  home 
at  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  made  his  way  in 
the  world.  He  began  as  assistant  with  Phoenix 
Pomeroy,  a  county  surveyor  and  city  engineer, 
who  subsequently  turned  his  instruments  and 
work  o\-er  to  Mr.  Gaffey,  who  occupied  the  po- 
sition until  1886.  Mr.  Gaffey  also  conducted  a 
livery  business  from  1882  to  1886,  having 
traded  a  farm  for  a  barn  and  stock  in  Win- 
chester, Indiana.  In  1886  Mr.  Gaffey  came 
to  Kansas,  looked  over  the  country,  worked 
five  months  for  the  city  of  Parsons,  and  was 
engaged  at  Pittsburg,  Erie,  and  other  points, 
until  January  19,  1889.  He  was  then  appoint- 
ed to  his  present  position  as  city  engineer,  suc- 
ceeding Mr.  Courtney. 

Mr.  Gaffey  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Eliza  Brooks,  a  daughter  of  Milton  and 
Amanda  (Bell)  Brooks,  who  was  born  near 
Richmond,  Indiana,  in  1859.  The  wedding 
ceremony,  which  has  a  touch  of  romance  about 
it,  occurred  while  the  young  lady  was  attending 
college  at  Danville,  Indiana.  At  the  dinner 
hour,  the  young  couple  were  made  one,  after 
which  the  bride  resumed  her  studies.  Six  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  Gaffey  and  his  estimable 
wife,  namely:  Narcissa;  Troy  AI. ;  Edna; 
Willie,  deceased;  Margaret:  and  Jonas  S. 

Mrs.  Gaffey's  parents  are  dead.  She  was 
the  third  in  a  family  of  eight  children,  as  fol- 
lows: William,  who  died  in  infancy;  Ada,  Mrs. 
Dr.  Leslie  Deweese,  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana; 
Eliza;  David,  a  railway  mail-clerk,  of  Indiana; 
Charles,  a  railroad  engineer,  residing  at  Mo- 
berly,  Missouri :  Belle,  who  is  single,  and  re- 
sides with  the  familv  of  Dr.  Deweese:  Frank. 


a  railroad  conductor  in  Texas ;  and  Howard,  a 
farmer  in  Indiana. 

Mr.  Gaffey  has  a  fine  home  at  17 14  Craw- 
ford avenue,  and  also  owns  another  house  near 
by,  which  he  rents.  He  also  buys  and  feeds 
horses  at  his  private  barn.  He  has  a  success- 
ful trade,  and  is  greatly  pleased  with  his  home. 
Politically,  he  has  always  acted  with  the  Re- 
publicans, liaving  cast  his  first  vote  for  Presi- 
dent Ruth'erford  B.  Hayes.  Fraternally,  Mr. 
Gaffey  is  a  member  of  .the  M.  W.  of  A.,  of 
Parsons ;  he  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  K. 
of  P.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security.  In  religious 
belief,  Mr.  Gaffey's  parents  were  Catholics,  but 
his  views  are  liberal.  i\Irs.  Gaffey  is  a  Quaker, 
her  people  being  identified  with  the  Society  of 
Friends. 


EWIS  HUDSON,  a  prominent  con- 
ductor running  both  local  and  extra 
passenger  trains  out  of  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway,  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  having  been 
born  in  Lynchburg,  May  28,  1844.  His  fa- 
ther, William  Hudson,  is  deceased,  and  his 
mother  died  when  Lewis  was  but  an  infant. 
He  has  one  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Montgomery, 
who  is  a  resident  of  Louisville,  Kentucky. 
William  Hudson,  although  not  particularly  act- 
ive in  politics,  was. a  stanch  Whig. 

After  the  death  of  his  mother,  Lewis  Hud- 
son lived  with  his  paternal  grandmother  in  Vir- 
ginia, until  he  attained  the  age  of  eleven  years. 
He  then  went  to  live  with  his  father,  who  had 
married  a  second  time,  ^^'hen  thirteen  or  four- 
teen years  old,  he  ran  away  from  home,  and 
has  made  his  way  in  the  world  ever  since.  He 
had  limited  educational  advantages,  and 
worked    nights    and    mornings    for     se\-eral 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


months,  in  order  to  pay  for  his  board  while  he 
obtained  a  little  schooling;  he  gladl)'  accepted 
any  kind  of  work  he  could  obtain. 

In  1874,  he  began  his  railroad  career,  first 
w^orking  on  the  Vandalia  line  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  system,  upon  which  he  was  em- 
ployed seven  years.  Within  nine  months,  he 
was  promoted  to  be  a  conductor,  having  first 
been  examined  by  the  general  manager  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri.  That  gentleman  gave  him  a 
letter  of  recommendation  to  the  train  master  at 
Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  who  assigned  him  to  a 
train.  He  was  first  placed  in  charge  of  a  bridge 
train ;  and  assisted  in  building  bridges  all  over 
the  system :  he  continued  to  run  bridge  trains 
during  the  summers,  and  through  freight  trains 
during  winters  for  the  next  three  years. 
Afterwards,  he  worked  in  a  similar  capacity 
for  the  Indianapolis,  Decatur  &  Springfield 
Railway  Company. 

In  1 88 1,  Mr.  Hudson  accepted  a  position  on 
the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  as  ex- 
tra conductor  under  Train  Master  H.  Wag- 
ner. He  was  placed  on  local  passenger  and 
through  freight  service  from  Parsons,  Kansas. 
Several  years  later,  he  left  that  road  and  for 
two  years  ran  a  steam-shovel  excavator  on 
the  Indianapolis,  Decatur  &  Springfield  Rail- 
W'ay — working  mainly  in  Illinois.  Returning 
to  Parsons,  he  again  entered  the  service  of  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company, 
under  Superintendent  Welch,  for  whom  he  has 
worked  for  the  past  fourteen  years, — first  run- 
ning freight  trains,  and  later,  both  local  and  ex- 
tra passenger  trains,  out  of  Parsons.  This  last 
position  he  'has  maintained  up  to  the  present 
writing,  and  is  one  of  the  most  reliable  and 
trustworthy  conductors  on  the  system. 

Mr.  Hudson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Jennie  Gilispie,  of  Tuscola,  Illinois.  They 
have  reared  one  son,  Charles,  who  is  now  twen- 


ty-one years  old,  and  who  intends  to  follow  a 
railroad  life.  He  was  given  a  thorough  course 
in  the  Parsons  Commercial  College. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hudson  is  a  Republican, 
and  believes  the  principles  of  that  party  to  be 
right.  He  stands  high  in  fraternal  circles, 
affiliating  with  the  blue  lodge  and  chapter  of 
the  Masonic  order,  of  Parsons,  the  A.  O.  U. 
W.,  and  Division  No.  161,  O.  R.  C,  of  Par- 
sons, having  held  office  in  the  last  named  order. 

Mrs.  Hudson's  father  and  mother  make 
their  home  with  the  subject  hereof  and  his 
wife,  who  have  a  fine,  large  residence  at  No. 
1824  Crawford  avenue.  The  family  favor  the 
M.  E.  church,  to  the  support  of  which  they 
contribute;  they  also  occupy  a  high  position 
from  a  social  standpoint.  Such  is  the  career 
of  a  man  who  has  made  himself  what  he  is  by 
his  industry,  self  reliance  and  fidelity  to  the 
obligations  of  his  chosen  occupation.  His  un- 
qualified success  is  well  deserved. 


f^^.VMES  W.  TERRELL.  Among  the 
\^a  g  many  worthy  citizens  and  prominent 
IPiJa  railroad  men  of  Parsons,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  the  name  of  J.  W. 
Terrell,  a  competent  engineer  on  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Te.xas  Railway  should  not  be  omit- 
ted. Mr.  Terrell  is  a  son  of  C.  .A.  and  Louisa 
F.  (Jones)  Terrell.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  followed  farming  for  many  years. 
Later  in  life  he  became  an  insurance  agent,  and 
his  death  occurred  November  22,  1897,  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas.  His  mother,  who  was  a  native 
of  Vigo  count}-,  Indiana,  contracted  a  second 
marriage,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Re\'.  Frank 
Foley,  a  Christian  minister,  and  resides  near 
McCune,  Kansas. 

Air.  Terrell  is  une  of  four  children,  namely, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Mollie,  James  W.,  John  A.,  and  Ella.  ,:\'Iollie 
married  Engineer  Anderscjn,  of  Parsons. 
John  A.  is  married  and  has  two  children;  he 
is  in  the  employ  of  Armour  &  Company,  and 
resides  in  Kansas  City.  Ella  married  a  Mr. 
Wilcock,  who  is  a  valve-maker  in  the  air-brakes 
room  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way shops,  and  resides  at  2316  Dirr  avenue. 
Parsons. 

James  ^^^  Terrell  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Anna  Hicks<jn,  who  was  burn  in  High- 
land county,  Ohio,  in  1868.  She  is  one  of 
eight  children,  three  of  whom  died  young. 
The  beloved  mother  is  also  deceased,  having 
passed  away  in  October,  1894.  The  other 
children  grew  to  maturity  and  became  useful 
citizens.  Besides  Mrs.  Terrell,  there  are  the 
following:  Charles,  H.  F..  Lizzie,  and  Ruth. 
Charles  Hickson  is  a  prominent  farmer,  re- 
siding nine  miles  east  of  Parsons.  Prof.  H. 
F.  Hickson  (deceased)  was  an  instructor  in 
Parsons  College  for  several  years;  he  subse- 
quently edited  the  Labor  Advocate  at  Osh- 
kosh,  Wisconsin,  for  abuut  three  years,  being 
thus  engaged  when  cut  off  by  death,  November 
23,  1894.  Lizzie  Hickson  married  a  Mr. 
Deter,  and  was  a  resident  of  Culver,  Missouri, 
up  to  the  time  of  her  death,  in  June,  1897. 
Ruth  Hickson  married  ]Mr.  Stemple.  a  farmer 
near  Parsons,  and  died  in  1892. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Terrell  have  four  children, 
all  attending  school,  namely:  Mabel,  Mina, 
Frances,  and  Frank  H.  ]\lr.  Terrell  owns  a 
fine  residence  property  at  2329  Dirr  a\-enue, 
where  is  gathered  a  bright,  happy  family  circle. 

James  W.  Terrell  was  born  April  26,  i860, 
in  Vigo  county,  Lidiana,  and  was  educated  in 
his  native  state,  where  he  remained  until  he 
was  fourteen  years  old.  He  then  came  west 
to  Neosho  count)-,  Kansas,  and  was  engaged 
in   farm  work  uiuil   he  attained  his  majority, 


working  in  L-nion  School  District.  No.  38. 
In  choosing  a  career  for  himself,  he  showed  a 
decided  preference  for  railroad  life,  and  ac- 
cordingly moved  to  Parsons,  Kansas,  in  the 
spring  of  1882.  Two  weeks  later,  on  Alarch 
:4th,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Te.xas  Railway  Company,  and  has 
spent  his  undivided  time  upon  that  system  ever 
since.  He  first  worked  as  night  caller  at  the 
roundhouse  under  \\'.  T.  Small  and  Foreman 
J.  H.  Reill}',  ex-senator,  who  is  now  an  engi- 
neer on  the  same  system.  IMarch  22.  1883. 
j\Ir.  Terrell  commenced  work  as  fireman,  and 
worked  in  that  capacity  for  Engineer  Frank 
Baliss  on  engine  No.  loi.  For  a  short  time 
he  was  extra  fireman,  mainly  on  the  Cherokee 
and  Junction  City  divisions.  Later  he  ser\-ed 
Line  }'ear  antl  a  half  as  fireman  for  Charles 
Fletcher,  and  afterward  for  C.  L.,  Anderson 
and  Engineer  Reilly,  working  under  the  latter 
gentleman  three  and  a  half  }'ears. 

Promotion  followed  and  ^h.  Terrell  be- 
came an  engineer.  After  serving  as  hostler 
for  three  months,  he  ran  as  extra  engineer  for 
six  weeks,  and  November  11,  1891,  he  was 
advanced  to  road  service.  His  trial  trip  was 
made  with  Engineer  Tierney,  who  recom- 
mended him  for  proficiency,  and  he  was  given 
an  engine.  His  initial  trip  was  made  from 
iMusk(jgee  to  Parsons, — a  distance  of  117 
miles,  which  he  covered  in  four  hours  and  two 
minutes. 

.Ml  has  not  been  plain  sailing  with  ^Ir.  Ter- 
rell, who  has  had  more  than  his  share  (if  acci- 
dents with  which  to  contend.  On  July  6. 
1892,  while  going  north  with  a  train-load  of 
stock  and  silver  ore,  pulled  by  engine  No.  120, 
his  train  ran  into  a  cow,  and  the  engine  was 
ditched.  In  his  efforts  to  save  himself,  Mr. 
Terrell  jumped  down  an  embankment,  Init  sus- 
tained injuries  which  kept  him  from  work  for 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


eleven  months.  He  lias  also  had  one  head- 
end collision.  This  occurred  September  3, 
1897,  and  was  caused  by  the  supposed  negli- 
gence of  a  brakeman,  in  leaving  a  switch  open. 
j\Ir.  Terrell  was  considerably  injured ;  he  had 
two  ribs  crushed  and  the  muscles  torn  from  one 
arm,  on  account  of  which  he  was  off  the  road 
for  six  months. 

He  now  pulls  through  freight  from  Mus- 
kogee to  Parsons  and  Kansas  City,  in  the  chain 
gang,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  prom- 
ising and  successful  young  engineers  on  the 
system.  In  politics  he  is  a  Populist,  and  uses 
his  vote  and  influence  toward  advancing  the 
interests  of  that  party.  He  stands  high  in 
fraternal  circles,  being  a  member  of  Division 
No.  179,  B.  of  L.  E. :  Great  ^\'estern  Lodge, 
No.  24,  B.  of  L.  F. ;  and  of  the  Order  of  Chosen 
Friends, — his  wife  was  formerly  a  member  of 
the  auxiliary  lodge.  The  family  favor  the 
doctrines  laid  down  liy  the  United  Brethren 
church. 


0EERI  L.  DENXISON,  who  is  an 
architect  and  builder  of  great  promi- 
nence in  Laliette  county,  Kansas,  is 
also  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
and  stock  raising,  and  is  located  in  section  11. 
Mount  Pleasant  township.  He  was  born  in 
Oneida  county,  Xew  York,  in  1837,  and  is  a 
son  of  Alexander  H.  and  Charkitte  (  Huntley) 
Dennison. 

Alexander  H.  Dennison  was  born  in  Oneida 
county.  New  York,  in  181 1,  and  died  in  Lewis 
county.  New  York,  in  1896.  He  married 
Charlotte  Huntley,  who  was  born,  in  1813,  in 
Herkimer  county,  Xew  York,  and  died  in  i^t^qS, 
in  Lewis  county.  New  York.  Their  unJm  re- 
sulted in  the  following  offspring:  Beeri  L. ; 
Amelia    (AMlliams),    of   Washington   county. 


Kansas;  Alnion  A.,  of  Lewis  county.  Xew 
York;  Zilpha,  Samuel,  En>ily,  Harriet,  and 
Angeline,  deceased;  and  Frankie  ( Gummer- 
son),  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 

Beeri  L.  Dennison  resided  in  his  native 
county  until  1863,  when  he  enlisted  in  a  regi- 
ment of  X'ew  Ycn-k  Heavy  .Vrtillery,  for  serv- 
ice in  the  Civil  war.  He  liecame  a  non-com- 
missioned officer  and  -was  mustered  out  in  1865. 
He  returned  to  Herkimer  county,  Xew  York, 
where  he  remained  until  186S,  and  then  moved 
to  Jackson,  Alichigan.  In  1879  he  moved  to 
Xeosho,  Missouri,  and  there  resided  until  1890, 
when  he  settled  in  Labette  countv.  Kansas,  lo- 
cating on  his  present  farm  in  section  1 1.  Blount 
Pleasant  township.  He  has  been  very  success- 
ful in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  has  also  raised 
stock  quite  extensively.  For  a  number  of 
}ears  he  has  been  an  architect,  and  has  been 
occupied  in  contracting  and  building.  In  this 
line  he  has  attained  a  wide  reputation,  and  is 
well  aufl  favorably  known  throughout  the 
count}'.  He  is  a  man  of  high  character,  and 
enjoys  the  friendship  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
come  in  contact,  both  in  a  business  and  social 
way. 

Mr.  Dennison  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Alice  H.  Peak,  who  was  l)orn  in  Montgomery 
county,  X'ew  York,  in  1851,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  and  Clara  (Sanders)  Peak.  Her 
father  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Xew 
York,  in  1824,  and  died  in  Jackson,  Michigan, 
in  1899.  H^J"  mother  was  bo.rn  in  Saratoga 
county.  X'ew  York,  in  1825,  and  is  now  living 
in  Jackson,  Michigan.  ^Ir.  and  INIrs.  Peak 
had  the  following  children:  Charles,  a  resi- 
dent of  Jackson,  ]\lichigan;  Lottie  (Wake- 
man  )  ;  Alice;  Libhy,  deceased;  and  George  and 
Jesse    twins, — li\'ing  in  Jackson,  ^Michigan. 

The  sul)ject  of  this  sketch  and  his  worthy 
wife  are  parents    of    the    following  children: 


i 


412 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Alvin  H.,  of  Labette  county,  who  has  two  chil- 
dren,— Mabel  and  Harold;  Hattie  (Burns), 
who  has  three  children. — Claude,  Clarence, 
and  Gail ;  George  J.  W.,  of  Labette  county. 
Kansas;  Caddie;  and  Orra,  deceased. 


nR\TX  W.  FOSTER,  one  of  the  most 
highly  respected  citizens  and  well 
known  farmers  of  Fairview  township. 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  was  born  in 
Clinton  county,  Illinois,  in  1844.  and  is  a  son 
of  William  H.  and  Mary  J.    (Low)    Foster. 

William  H.  Foster,  the  father  of  Irvin  W., 
was  born  in  Georgia,  in  1804,  and  moved  to 
Clinton  county.  Illinois,  where  he  lived  until 
1851.  He  then  moved  to  }*Iarion  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  died  in  1858.  His  wife,  Mary 
Low  Foster,  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
Illinois,  in  1806,  and  her  death  occurred  there, 
in  1869.  They  reared  the  following  offspring: 
George,  William,  John,  and  Jennie  (Nicolls), 
deceased;  Elizabeth  (Xicolls),  of  Patoka, 
Illinois;  Jackson,  a  resident  of  Illinois;  Henry 
C,  of  Marion-  county.  Illinois;  Irvin  W. ; 
Scott,  of  Marion  county;  and  Pamelia,  de- 
ceased. 

Irvin  ^^'.  Foster,  the  subject  of  this  bi- 
ography, was  educated  in  Clinton  county.  Illi- 
nois, and  moved  with  his  parents,  in  1851,  to 
Marion  county,  where  he  remained  until  1876. 
He  then  located  in  Elm  Gro\e  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  where  he  lived  until  1879, 
and  then  moved  to  Labette  township.  In  1882 
Mr.  Foster  located  on  his  present  farm  in  sec- 
tion 6,  Fairview  township,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  general  farming.  His  farm  presents  an  at- 
tractive appearance,  and  shows  the  thrifty 
management  of  its  owner. 

Mr.   Foster  married   Marv   E.   Wall,   who 


was  born  in  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  in  i860, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Barbara 
(Acker)  Wall.  Samuel  Wall  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Harrisburg,  where  he  was  born  in  1833  ; 
he  died  in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1879. 
His  wife,  a  native  of  Harrisburg.  was  born  in 
1834,  and  is  now  living  in  the  family  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foster 
have  had  six  children :  Lee  F.  and  Anna,  of 
Labette  county;  Charles,  deceased;  and  Edgar 
M.,  Claude  R.  and  Nellie  B.,  of  Labette  coun- 
ty. The  family  is  well  known  in  the  com- 
munity. Mr.  Foster  is  a  Republican,  in  poli- 
tics, and  belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief  Asso- 
ciation. In  1864  he  enlisted  in  Company  E, 
136th  Reg.,  111.  \'ol.  Inf..  served  under  General 
Payne,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield, 
Illinois,  in  October,  of  the  same  year.  Mr. 
Foster  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Pres- 
bvterian  church. 


A.  WILKIN,  a  well  known  lawyer 
of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  also 
engaged  in  the  abstract  business  in 
Oswego  and  Parsons,  and  during 
his  residence  in  the  county  has  always  lived  in 
the  former  city.  He  has  been  located  in  this 
county  since  March  6,  1870,  and  has  a  good 
clientage. 

Mr.  Wilkin  was  born  in  Edgar  county, 
Illinois,  in  1854,  and  removed  to  Kansas  when 
he  was  fourteen  years  old, — first  locating  at 
Fort  Scott  and  afterward  settling  in  Oswego. 
Fle  studied  law  under  the  direction  of  Hon. 
David  Kelso,  then  of  Oswego,  now  of  Leav- 
enw.orth,  Kansas,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1878.  He  immediateh'  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  professi6n,  in  partnership  with 
Jesse  Brockway.     He  was  subsequently  asso- 


ARD   H.  ELLIS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


415 


ciated  with  F.  A.  Bettis  for  a  few  j'ears,  and 
then  with  J.  S.  Waters.  In  1873  the  tirm  of 
C.  A.  Wilkin  &  Company,  abstracters  and 
title  examiners,  was  established.  The  firm 
has  two  offices, — one  in  Oswego  and  another 
at  Parsons, — and  possesses  the  only  complete 
set  of  abstract  books  in  the  county.  As  before 
mentioned,  Mr.  Wilkin  has  always  resided  in 
Oswego,  where  he  still  practices  law,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  abstract  business.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  both  branches  of  his  work, 
and  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  city. 
Mr.  Wilkin  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1883,  with  Francis  Tiffany,  by  whom  he  has 
three  children,  as  follows  :  Maggie  ,  Josie ; 
land  Fred.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of 
Adams  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  63;  Os- 
wego Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  No.  15;  and  of  the 
Knight  Templar  Commandery,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  eminent  commander  for  three  years. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 


aRD  H.  ELLIS,  a  prominent  business 
man  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he 
has  been  located  since  1877,  is  presi- 
dent of  the  firm  of  Ellis  &  Martin, 
leading  furniture  dealers  of  the  city.  He  was 
born  at  Willstown,  Alabama,  in  1829,  and  is 
a  son  of  Prof.  Sylvester  and  Sarah  (Hoyt) 
Ellis'. 

Prof.  Sylvester  Ellis  was  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, and  was  born  in  1798.  He  was  a  teacher 
by  profession,  and  followed  that  occupation 
throughout  his  active  business  life.  He  went 
to  Willstown,  Alabama,  as  a  missionary  teach- 
er among  the  Cherokee  Indians,  and  in  1832 
settled  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  where  he  resided 
until  1842  :  he  then  moved  to  Indiana,  and  lived 

25 


near  Indianapolis  until  1856.  He  ne.xt  located 
at  Vinton,  Iowa,  and  resided  there  until  a 
short  time  before  his  death.  He  died  in  Wa- 
bash, Indiana,  in  1891.  He  married  Sarah 
Hoyt,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Ard  Hoyt,  a  native 
of  New  England.  She  was  born  in  1795  and. 
died  in  1869.  They  reared  the  following  chil- 
dren: Charles  S.,  deceased;  Anna,  deceased; 
Cornelius,  who  now  resides  at  Vinton,  Iowa; 
Ard  H.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Levi,  de- 
ceased; Milo  D.,  deceased;  and  Darius  H.,  de- 
ceased. 

Ard  H.  Ellis  received  his  mental  training 
in  the  schools  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and  fol- 
lowed the  trade  of  a  carpenter  from  early  man- 
hood until  1865.  He  was  then  associated  with 
his  brother,  Cornelius,  in  a  lumber  yard  at 
Vinton,  Iowa,  which  they  established  and  con- 
ducted until  1876.  He  then  sold  his  interest  to 
his  brother,  and  located  in  Parsons,  January 
-5-  '^^77-  In  July  of  the  same  year,  he  bought 
out  the  furniture  store  of  Wilson  &  Scarlet, 
which  he  operated  under  the  name  of  A.  H. 
Ellis  &  Company,  until  1882.  In  the  last 
named  year,  he  took  in  a  Mr.  Thornton,  and 
the  firm  name  became  Ellis  &  Thornton,  which 
partnership  continued  until  1888,  when  the 
style  was  again  changed  to  A.  H.  Ellis  &  Com- 
pany. In  1890,  W.  H.  Martin  acquired  an 
interest  in  the  business,  and  since  that  date 
the  firm  has  been  Ellis  &  Martin.  They  not 
only  conduct  a  large  furniture  establishment, 
but  also  do  undertaking.  They  receive  the  pat- 
ronage of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity, and  the  concern  ranks  among  the  lead- 
ing business  houses  of  Parsons.  Mr.  Ellis  is 
also  a  stockholder  and  director  of  the  Parsons 
State  Bank. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Ellis  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  P.  P.  Conant,  a  native  of  Vermont. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  he 


4i6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


has  been  an  elder  since  his  arrival  in  Parsons. 
A  portrait  of  Mr.  Ellis  accompanies  this  men- 
tion of  his  life. 


DW'IX  B.  MORGAN,  a  prosperous 
young  lawyer  of  Oswego,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  has  recently  rounded 
out  a  successful  term  as  city  attorney, 
an  office  to  which  he  was  elected  in  the  spring 
of  1900.  His  ability  in  his  profession  is  uni- 
versally recognized  and  he  has  handled  the 
legal  affairs  of  the  city  in  a  most  capable  man- 
ner and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  general 
public. 

Mr.  Morgan  was  born  in  Pike  county.  Ohio, 
December  17,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert 
and  Maria  A.  (Daniels)  Morgan.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  but  moved  to 
Pike  county,  Ohio,  when  a  boy.  He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  followed  farming  in 
that  county  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
seven  years.  His  widow  now  resides  at  Mound 
Valley,  Kansas.  They  had  five  children: 
Marcus,  who  resides  at  Mound  Valley.  Kansas ; 
Thomas,  who  is  in  Ohio ;  John  B.  and  Charles 
K.,  deceased;  and  Edwin  B. 

Edwin  B.  Morgan  received  his  early  mental 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  Pike  county, 
Ohio,  after  which  he  attended  high  school  at 
Wetmore,  Ohio,  and  at  Pleasanton,  Kansas, 
whither  he  moved  in  1892.  He  began  teach- 
ing school  in  1893,  and  continued  until  1896, 
when  he  determined  to  enter  the  legal  profes- 
sion. He  then  took  a  course  of  lectures  in  the 
law  department  of  the  University  of  Kansas, 
at  Lawrence,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Laws,  in  1898.  He  immediately  thereafter 
began  practice  at  Oswego,  with  Hon.  Nelson 


Case, — remaining  with  the  Judge  until  the 
spring  of  1900,  since  which  time  he  has  prac- 
ticed alone.  He  is  local  manager  of  the  Os- 
wego Telephone  Company,  and  has  served  as 
such  since  November,  1899.  He  is  an  en- 
thusiastic Republican,  in  politics,  and  has  cam- 
paigned for  the  party  since  he  has  been  in  this 
county.  He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  city 
attorney  in  the  spring  of  1900,  and  discharged 
the  duties  of  that  office  in  a  most  satisfactory 
manner.  His  term  expired  in  April,  1901. 
He  was  made  a  member  of  the  county  central 
committee  of  his  party  for  the  years  1900  and 
1 90 1.  He  has  attained  the  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  has  many 
friends  throughout  the  county. 

Mr.  Morgan  was  married  August  i,  1899, 
to  Florence  O.  Skinner,  of  Oswego,  a  daughter 
of  Amos  and  Mary  (Bird)  Skinner.  Mr. 
Skinner  is  a  contractor  and  builder,  of  Oswego, 
•Kansas.  Religiously,  Mr.  ]\Iorgan  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Presbvterian  church. 


RED  PERKINS,  one  of  the  best  known 
business  men  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  president  of  the  Oswego 
State  Bank,  and  has  been  engaged  in 
negotiating  farm  loans  for  the  past  twenty 
years.  He  is  an  extensive  land  owner,  and 
has  some  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  Nec^sho 
bottom. 

Mr.  Perkins  was  born  at  Becket,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1845,  a"d  is  a  son  of  C.  O.  and 
Joanna  Sarepta  (Snow)  Perkins.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  lived  there 
all  his  life,  although  he  spent  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  time  in  Oswego,  engaged  in  the 
loan  business.  He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
seven    years.     He    married    Joanna    Sarepta 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


417 


Snow,  who  died  at  an  early  age.  Their  union 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  one  child,  Fred,  whose 
name  appears  at  the  head  of  these  lines. 

Fred  Perkins  received  his  primary  school- 
ing in  his  native  town  and  took  an  academic 
course  at  \\'ilbraham,  Massachusetts,  after 
which  he  spent  a  year  in  the  University  of 
Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor.  He  then  returned 
to  the  East,  and  in  1868  went  west  to  Bolivar, 
Missouri,  where  he  was  located  on  a  ranch  for  a 
period  of  two  years.  In  1870  he  moved  to 
Oswego  township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
and  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising  with 
great  success.  For  several  years  past  he  has 
had  the  finest  herd  of  Hereford  cattle  in  South- 
ern Kansas,  and  was  the  first  to  introduce  that 
breed  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  is  an 
extensive  land  owner  and  possesses  some  fine 
land  in  the  Neosho  bottom,  made  valuable  by 
his  perfect  system  of  tiling  which  he  also  in- 
troduced in  this  vicinity.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Oswego  State  Bank,  in  1888, 
and  has  since  served  as  one  of  its  directors. 
He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  president  in 
1893,  the  duties  of  which  position  he  has  since 
discharged  in  a  most  capable  manner.  By 
efficient  management  the  bank  has  been  made 
one  of  the  leading  financial  institutions  of  this 
part  of  the  state,  and  it  enjoys  a  liberal  patron- 
age from  the  leading  citizens.  Mr.  Perkins 
has  been  engaged  in  the  farm  and  loan  busi- 
ness for  about  twenty  years  and  has  been  finan- 
cial agent  of  the  Massachusetts  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Company  for  Southern  Kansas  and 
Southern  Missouri, — placing  all  of  that  com- 
pany's loans  in  this  territory. 

Mr.  Perkins  was  united  in  marriage  in  1869 
with  Mary  E.  May,  of  Woodstock.  Connecti- 
cut, and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children, 
as  follows:  Charles  S.,  Kate  S.,  and  Eliza- 
beth M.     Charles  S.  was  educated  in  the  Os- 


wego High  School  and  the  State  Normal 
School,  at  Emporia,  and  is  now  engaged  in 
business  with  his  father;  he  married  Eleanor 
Allen,  by  whom  he  has  two  children, — Clinton 
iand  William  Fred.  Kate  S.  and  Ehzabeth 
M.  were  educated  at  the  Oswego  College  for 
Young  Ladies,  from  which  they  graduated. 
Fraternally,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  blue  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Chapter 
No.  15,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  Commandery  No.  7, 
K.  T.  Politically,  he  favors  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party. 


DAMES   EMERY,   an   engineer   in   the 
service   of   the   Missouri,    Kansas   & 
Texas  Railway  Company,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Kansas  since   1875.     He 
was  born  in  Lancastershire,  England,  Febru- 
ary 22,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Mary 
( Vaughn )    Emery. 

James  Emery,  Sr.,  who  was  a  native  of 
England,  in  the  early  part  of  1857  sailed  for 
America,  and  landed  at  New  York  City.  His 
family  joined  him  in  May  of  the  same  year, 
and  for  twelve  years  they  made  their  home  in 
Schenectady,  New  York,  where  Mr.  Emery 
carried  on  farming.  In  1867  they  moved  to 
Illinois,  and  located  12  miles  north  of  Aurora, 
on  the  Fox  river.  Mr.  Emery  was  engaged 
in  farming  there  until  May,  1869,  when  he 
moved  to  Kansas,  making  the  journey  by 
wagon,  overland.  En  route  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  some  friends  of  the  Clark  fam- 
ilv,  and  was  induced  to  look  over  the  land  in 
Labette  county.  Mr.  Emery  bought  a  claim 
12  miles  west  of  Oswego,  on  Hackberry  creek. 
He  subsequently  sold  this,  and  bought  a  farm 
on  the  edge  of  Neosho  township,  which,  also, 
he  disposed  of  afterward.     He  moved  to  Webb 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


City,  Missuuri,  where  he  and  his  wife  died. 
Tliey  had  five  children,  namely :  Mary,  the 
wife  of  Jerry  Robinette,  a  farmer  near  Par- 
sons; James,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Alfred, 
who  is  mining  near  Webb  City,  Missouri,  and 
has  three  children;  Charks;  and  Sarah  ( Bar- 
ker),  of  Topeka,  Kansas. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  moved  to  Par- 
sons, where  he  worked  on  Charles  W.  Ben- 
nett's farm,  and  later  was  engaged  with  V.  J. 
Knapp  at  like  work.  He  then  entered  the 
service  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way Company,  being  employed  in  the  round- 
house. This  was  in  the  spring  of  1880;  after 
working  in  the  roundhouse  for  nine  months, 
he  was  given  a  position  as  fireman,  which  he 
filled  for  fourteen  months.  Mr.  Emery  was 
then  promoted  to  be  an  engineer,  August  5, 
1882,  and  ran  a  work  and  coal  train  on  the 
Choctaw  division  until  August,  1886.  After 
being  transferred  to  Parsons,  he  was  placed  on 
construction  work  for  ten  days,  and  pulled 
extra  freight  for  two  years.  Then  he  was  as- 
signed to  a  regular  run,  on  engine  No.  305. 
He  ran  No.  124  for  nine  years,  and  in  May, 
1899,  he  took  charge  of  a  regular  passenger 
run  from  Parsons  to  Muskogee,  on  trains  Nos. 
I  and  2.  Mr.  Emery  has  had  a  very  success- 
ful railroad  career,  having  escaped  injury  and 
having  lost  no  time  on  account  of  accidents. 

Mr.  Emery  married  Belle  O'Hara,  in  the 
Indian  Territory.  She  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
in  1862,  and  is  a  daughter  of  C.  W.  and  Nan- 
nie O'Hara,  who  were  both  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky. She  Avas  one  of  five  children,  the  others 
being:  Maggie  (Blackmore)  ;  Mrs.  E.  A. 
Berry,  who  lives  in  South  McAlester.  Indian 
Territory;  Mrs.  E.  W.  Berry,  of  Kansas  City, 
Missouri;  and  Charles  A.,  deceased.  Mrs. 
O'Hara  is  now  sixty-five  years  old,  and  lives 
with  Mr.  Emery  and  his  wife.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 


Emery  have  no  children  of  their  own,  but 
have  reared  two  daughters  of  Mrs.  Blackmore.- 
Mr.  Emery  is  a  member  of  the  Republican, 
party.  He  joined  the  Masonic  order  at  Sa- 
vanna, Indian  Territory,  and  was  made  a. 
Knight  Templar  at  Parsons.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star 
and  of  the  Fraternal  Aid  Association.  Mr. 
Emery  is  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Lo- 
comotive Engineers,  Division  No.  179,  of 
Parsons.  He  is  at  present  chairman  of  the 
local  board  of  adjustment.  Mrs.  Emery  is  a. 
member  of  the  Grand  International  Auxiliary 
to  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  and  his  wife  attend 
the  Methodist  church. 


i 


H.  WARNER,  a  well  known  farmer 
living  in  section  30,  township  34, 
range  21,  Richland  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Union, 
township,  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  in  1845. 
He  is  a  son  of  Elias  and  Celinda  (Pierce) 
Warner. 

Elias  Warner  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,. 
and  died  in  Indiana,  in  1864.  His  wife  alsa 
died  in  that  state.  They  reared  the  following 
children:  John-  F..  who  is  in  the  state  of 
Washington;  Elmira  (Gustin),  who  lives  in- 
Missouri;  Mary  (Moiifett),  who  Hves  in  In- 
diana ;  T.  H. ;  Rebecca,  the  wife  of  Felix  Era- 
zee,  of  Indiana;  and  Josephine  (Constantine), 
whose  husband  is  a  railroad  man  in  In- 
dianapolis, Indiana. 

T.  H.  Warner  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Indiana,  where  he  remained  until  he  was 
twenty-four  years  old.  In  the  fall  of  1869,. 
in  company  with  his  wife  and  one  cliild,  he 
settled  in  Labette  county,   Kansas.     He  was 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


a  poor  man,  and  his  success  has  been  due  en- 
tirely to  his  own  efforts.  He  entered  a  claim 
three  miles  west  of  his  present  farm,  where  he 
lived  for  a  period  of  seven  years.  He  then 
sold  this  farm,  and  bought  his  present 
one  in  section  30,  in  Richland  township. 
This  was  originally  deeded  to  Charles  Ouinby, 
from  whom  Mr.  Warner  bought  the  place. 
Mr.  Warner  has  made  many  fine  improve- 
ments on  it,  and  now  has  80  acres  of 
farming  land.  He  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising,  and  has  set  out  a 
number  of  grove  and  fruit  trees.  Mr.  War- 
ner has  worked  with  untiring  energy,  and  has 
never  been  assisted  in  any  way;  his  success, 
therefore,  is  all  of  his  own  making.  He  is  a 
good  neighbor,  and  a  public  spirited  citizen, 
and  is  highly  respected  in  the  community. 

Mr.  Warner  married  Lucinda  Graves,  who 
is  a  native  of  Indiana.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren, namely :  Walter,  who  operates  a  thresh- 
ing machine,  and  is  unmarried ;  Otis,  who  mar- 
ried Annie  Berkman,  and  is  a  farmer  near 
Oswego;  and  Joseph,  who  is  at  home,  and 
teaches  in  District  No.  70.  Mr.  Warner  was 
formerly  a  Democrat,  but  now  votes  an  inde- 
pendent ticket. 


OWELL  C.  GREEN  has  been  one  of 
the  most  prominent  farmers  of  Os- 
wego township.  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, since  1892,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
successful  agriculturists  and  stock  raisers 
of  the  community. 

Mr.  Green  was  born  in  Lake  county.  Ohio, 
in  1845,  ^nd  is  a  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Polly 
(Tallman)  Green.  His  father  was  born  in 
Lake  county,  Ohio,  in  1798,  and  resided  there 
mntil  1856,  when  he  removed  to  Union  county. 


Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1862.  He  and  his 
worthy  wife  became  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Amos,  deceased;  Laura  M., 
deceased ;  Lewis,  who  resides  in  Vermilion 
county,  Illinois;  Marietta,  deceased;  Martha, 
deceased;  Harriet  (Boyd)  ;  and  Lowell  C.  the 
subject  hereof. 

Lowell  C.  Green  remained  in  his  native 
county  until  he  was  ten  years  old,  when  he  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Union  county,  Ohio. 
He  received  a  primary  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Union  county,  and  resided  on 
the  farm  with  his  father  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age.  He  then  enlisted  in  Company 
H,  82d  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  November  23, 
1863,  and  was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee,  under  "Fighting  Joe"  Hooker, — 
participating  in  the  battles  of  Resaca,  Buz- 
zard's -Roost,  and  Peach  Tree  Creek.  He  was 
taken  prisoner  at  Blackville,  and  confined  in 
Libby  Prison  for  ninety  days,  when  he  was 
paroled  and  sent  to  Camp  Chase,  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  mustered  out  in  June, 
1865.  He  immediately  returned  to  his  home 
in  Union  county,  Ohio,  and  in  the  fall  of  1865 
went  to  Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
rented  a  farm  for  one  year.  In  1866.  he  jour- 
neyed west,  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  spent 
two  years  prospecting  in  the  mountains  in  that 
state.  In  1868  he  returned  to  Vermilion  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  of  400 
acres,  upon  which  he  resided  until  1892,  when 
he  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas.  He 
bought  and  located  upon  a  tract  of  640  acres 
of  land  lying  in  sections  29  and  23'  in  Oswego 
township,  and  during  his  nine  years  residence 
upon  it  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  in  breeding  and  raising  standard-bred 
horses.  Among  his  stallions  are  Prince  Alcy- 
mont,  3076,  and  Alcy  Green,  34304-  The 
former  was  foaled  in  1894  and  was  bred  by 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


L.  W.  Green,  of  Indianola,  Illinois.  The  lat- 
ter, also  bred  by  L.  W".  Green,  was  foaled  in 
1897,  and  can  trot  and  pace  better  than  2:30 
without  handling.  Mr.  Green  has  been  ex- 
ceedingly successful  in  his  work,  and  is  one  of 
the  substantial  men  of  the  township. 

Mr.  Green  was  united  in  marriage  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four  years,  with  Lucinda  Fisher, 
whose  parents  resided  in  Vermilion  county, 
Illinois,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Fred,  deceased;  Fay; 
David ;  Mary,  deceased  ;  Lydia ;  Lowell,  Jr. ; 
and  Maude.  In  religious  belief  Mrs.  Green 
is  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Socially 
Mr.  Green  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of 
Sidell,  Illinois.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
G.  A.  R.  Post,  of  Oswego,  and  of  the  M.  W. 
of  A.  In  political  belief  he  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, and  while  in  Illinois  held  several 
township  offices.  A  view  of  Mr.  Green's  resi- 
dence accompanies  this  sketch. 


VRLS  C.  RICH  ART,  deceased,  was 
one  of  the  prosperous  pioneer  farm- 
ers of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  took  up  his  residence,  in 
the  spring  of  1867.  He  was  born  in  Akron, 
Ohio,  January  5,  1838,  and  was  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Armina  (Capron)  Richart. 

Thomas  Richart  was  a  native  of  Holland ; 
in  1825,  when  a  lad  of  fourteen  years,  he  em- 
barked for  the  United  States,  and  upon  his  ar- 
rival located  in  Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  followed  his  trade  as  a  marble  cutter. 
When  nineteen  years  old.  he  wedded  Armina 
Capron,  of  Brattleboro,  Vermont,  and  they 
lived  in  Scranton  until  1837.  when  he  changed 
his  place  of  residence  to  Akron,  Ohio.  There 
he  remained   until    1845,   when   he  moved   to 


Hancock  county.  Illinois,  where  he  passed  from 
this  life  in  1893,  aged  eighty-two  years.  His 
wife  followed  him  just  ten  days  later,  aged 
seventy-nine  years.  To  them  were  born  the 
following  children  :  Oscar,  deceased ;  Cyrus, 
deceased ;  Nelson,  of  Chicago,  Illinois ;  and 
George,  also  of  Chicago. 

Cyrus  C.  Richart  was  seven  years  old  when 
his  parents  moved  from  Akron  to  Hancock 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  attended  the  district 
schools.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  en- 
tered the  college  at  Canton,  Missouri,  where 
he  spent  three  years.  In  1858,  he  accompanied 
his  father  to  Pikes  Peak,  Colorado,  and  they 
spent  three  years  in  that  state.  Upon  his  re- 
turn, he  enlisted,  in  May,  1862,  as  a  private  in 
Company  H,  78th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.  He 
served  under  Generals  Thomas,  Rosecrans  and 
Sherman,  and  was  with  General  Sherman  on 
his  march  to  the  sea.  He  participated  in  21 
engagements  and  was  mustered  out  as  fifth 
sergeant.  Returning  to  Hancock  county,  Illi- 
nois, he  was  wedded  to  Lydia  M.  Phillips,  on 
November  25,  1865,  and  they  lived  in  that 
county  until  August  10,  1866,  when  they  set- 
tled in  Linn  county,  Kansas,  where  they  spent 
just  one  year.  They  then  moved  to  Labette 
county,  and  settled  upon  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  28,  Oswego  township,  where  the 
family  has  resided  ever  since.  Mr.  Richart 
was  very  prosperous  in  his  undertakings,  and 
established  a  reputation  as  a  conscientious, 
loyal  and  enterprising  citizen.  He  passed  to 
the  unknown  beyond  on  November  i,  1894, 
and  his  death  was  deeply  deplored  by  all  who 
knew  him. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richart  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  William  T.,  who  was 
born  at  Mound  City,  Kansas,  in  1866,  wedded 
Ida  Wimp,  and  has  a  child.  Fay;  Charles  C.,. 
who  married  Alice  Parnell,  and  has  two  chil- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


423 


dren, — Phyllis  and  Russell ;  May.  born  in  Os- 
wego, Kansas,  November  4,  1871 ;  George, 
born  June  5,  1873;  Robert  E.,  born  May  7, 
1875 ;  ^fd  Bessie,  born  in  Oswego,  Kansas, 
January  25,  1885.  Mrs.  Richart  was  born  in 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  August  11,  1840. 
When  she  was  three  years  old,  her  parents 
moved  to  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  and  there 
they  lived  until  she  had  attained  the  age  of 
nineteen  years.  In  1859,  they  removed  to 
Lyon  county,  Kansas,  and  in  i860,  to  Linn 
county,  Kansas,  where  they  spent  five  years. 
Returning  to  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  she  was 
married  to  Mr.  Richart,  as  previously  stated. 


ILLIAM  C.  ONDLER,  living  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  9,  is 
one  of  the  prosperous  and  well-to- 
do  farmers  of  Oswego  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Tus- 
carawas county,  Ohio,  in  1856,  and  is  a  son 
of  Philip  and  Sally  (Sherrets)  Ondler. 

Philip  Ondler  was  a  native  of  France,  and 
was  born  in  1833.  He  came  to  America  in 
1847,  settling  in  Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio. 
In  1872,  he  moved  to  Linn  county,  Iowa,  where 
'he  now  resides.  Mr.  Ondler  and  his  wife  had 
13  children,  as  follows:  William,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch;  Leroy;  Ira  E. ;  Madison;  John; 
Lewis,  deceased;  Harley;  Fred;  Matilda;  Ma- 
hala;  Cora;  Rhoda ;  and  Grace,  deceased. 

William  C.  Ondler  moved  with  his  parents 
to  Linn  county,  Iowa,  in  1864,  and  there  ob- 
tained an  elementary  primary  education.  He 
was  married  in  1876,  and  continued  to  live  in 
Linn  county  until  1891,  when  he  moved  to 
Wright  county,  and  remained  there  one  year. 
From  Wright  county  he  went  to  Osceola  coun- 
ty, Iowa,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  livery 


business  four  years.  During  all  this  time,  how- 
ever, he  was  also  occupied  in  farming  and  stock 
raising.  In  1896  Mr.  Ondler  sold  out  all  his  in- 
terests in  Iowa,  and  moved  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  bought  'his  present  home  in 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  9,  Oswego 
township.  He  is  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  stock  raising,  and  is  very  successful. 

Mr.  Ondler  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Maria  Fairchild,  who  was  born  in  Linn  county, 
Iowa,  in  1853,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Ellis)  Fairchild.  John  Fairchild  was 
born  in  1832,  and  is  still  living  in  Iowa.  His 
wife  was  born  in  1846,  and  died  in  1883.  Mrs. 
Ondler,  whose  death  occurred  March  26,  1897, 
was  the  mother  of  nine  children,  namely: 
Charles,  deceased;  Ella;  Elsie;  Effie;  Eva; 
Ethel ;  Eula ;  Cecil ;  and  Cloyd.'  On  April  29, 
1900,  Mr.  Ondler  married,  for  his  second  wife, 
Mrs.  Nora  Smith,  of  Indiana,  who  by  a  former 
marriage  with  James  Smith  had  become  the 
mother  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Bruce  C, 
Samuel  C,  James  F.,  Michael,  and  Rosa.  Mr. 
Ondler  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics,  and 
an  active  worker  in  his  party. 


OR.  WILLIAM  H.  BELT,  one  of  the 
progressive  farmers  of  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  has  for  many  years  been 
a  leading  physician  of  the  county, 
where  he  is  known  as  a  gentleman  of  hig-b 
standing.  Prior  to  moving  on  his  present 
farm,  on  section  5,  Oswego  township,  north 
of  the  city.  Dr.  Belt  had  been  practicing  medi- 
cine and  was  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in 
Labette  county,  for  eighteen  years.  His  repu- 
tation is  well  established,  and  he  has  been  very 
successful  in  all  his  undertakings.  Dr.  Belt 
was    born    in  Fleming  county,   Kentucky,   in 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


.f  John  F. 


.Mary   H. 


1846,  and  is  a 
(Wilson)  Beit. 

Jolin  F.  Belt  was  l^orn  in  Fleming  county, 
Kentucky,  in  1821,  and  lived  nn  the  old  home- 
stead until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1891. 
He  owned  the  Upper  Blue  Lick  Springs,  one 
■of  the  finest  mineral  springs  in  the  South. 
Mary  (Wilson)  Belt,  his  wife,  was  born  in 
Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  in  1830,  and  died 
on  the  home  place  at  Blue  Lick  Springs,  in 
1885.  Her  children  were :  William  H. ;  Sally 
(Shrout),  of  Oswego;  Annie  (Maguire),  of 
Oswego;  Elizabeth,  deceased;  Amelia  (Wil- 
son), of  Covington,  Kentucky;  Joseph,  de- 
ceased; Maggie  (Marley),  of  Oswego;  and 
Ada  (Smith),  of  lola,  Kansas. 

Dr.  William  H.  Belt  attended  the  schools 
of  his  native  county,  and  from  1863  to  1865 
was  a  student  in  Flemingsburg  College.  The 
following  two  years  were  spent  at  the  Medical 
University,  of  Louisville,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1870.  Dr.  Belt  practiced  medi- 
cine at  Blue  Lick  Springs  for  three  years,  and 
in  1873  located  in  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  continued  his  practice  in  Oswego. 
There,  for  eighteen  years,  he  also  conducted  a 
drug  business.  He  had  a  large  and  lucrative 
practice,  and  readily  won  the  confidence  of  all 
in  the  community.  Dr.  Belt  bought  his  present 
farm  in  section  5,  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of 
Oswego,  in  1891,  and  since  that  time  has  been 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising. 

Dr.  Belt  was  united  in  marriage  with  Laura 
J.  Carpenter,  who  was  born  "m  Shelbyville, 
Tennessee,  in  1856,  and  is  a  graduate  of 
Ward's  Seminary,  in  Nashville,  Tennessee. 
She  graduated  at  the  early  age  of  sixteen  years. 
Dr.  Belt  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  namely:  Robert  F.,  of  Coffeyville, 
Kansas;  and  Carl  S.,  Wallace  H.,  and  Mary, 
of  Oswego.     Dr.  Belt  is  a  Democrat,  in  pol- 


itics. He  and  his  wife  are  attendants  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Fraternally,  the  Doctor 
belongs  to  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Adams  Lodge, 
No.  63,  of  Oswego;  and  also  to  the  chapter. 


WM  ^^^^^  ^^'-  MOLLENHOUR,  one  of 
f^Tg  the  leading  agriculturists  of  Richland 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  county 
since  the  spring  of  1869.  He  owns  418  acres 
of  land,  and  is  a  prosperous  and  influential 
man.  He  was  born  in  Kosciusko  coun- 
ty, Lidiana,  in  1843,  ^'^^^  's  a  son  of  John 
and  Margaret  (Tester)  Mollenhour.  John 
Mollenhour  settled  in  Indiana  at  a  very 
early  day,  having  been  born  in  Ohio.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  his 
mother,  although  of  German  parentage,  was 
born  in  Virginia,  in  1807,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six  years.  One  brother  and  three 
sisters  of  George  W.  settled  in  Labette  county. 
His  parents  followed  him  to  this  county  about 
five  years  after  his  arrival,  and  his  father  died 
here  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years. 
Of  the  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mollen- 
hour, besides  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Fred- 
erick, who  died  about  1885,  was  a  farmer  of 
Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  but  was  living  at 
Chetopa,  Labette  county,  at  the  time  of  his 
death;  Rebecca  (Gordon)  is  deceased;  Sarah 
(Busick)  resides  in  Richland  township;  Cath- 
erine, a  widow,  resides  in  Colorado;  and  two 
remained  in  Indiana,  one  of  whom  is  deceased. 
George  W.  Mollenhour  was  reared  in  In- 
diana, and  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
enlisted  in  Company  E,  138th  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  served  several  months,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Indiana  and  there  remained  until 
he  removed  to  Kansas.     He  was  not  again  in 


JOHN  J    PIERSON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


his  native  state  until  1898,  when  he  visited  it, 
and  again  in  1900,  when  he  attended  the  G. 
A.  R.  National  Encampment  at  Chicago.  He 
was  accompanied  to  Kansas  by  a  brother-in- 
law,  Mr.  Gordon,  and  when  they  arrived  at  the 
state  line,  they  flipped  a  coin  to  see  whether  they 
should  continue  to  their  destination,  or  return 
and  go  up  into  Wisconsin,  and  the  toss  was 
in  favor  of  the  former  course.  They  located 
in  Labette  county  in  the  spring  of  1869,  hav- 
ing stopped  at  Oswego  in  1868.  Mr.  Mol- 
lenhour  located  near  Chetopa,  on  his  present 
home  farm,  in  section  32,  Richland  township, 
and  now  owns  418  acres  in  Labette  county, 
and  178  acres  in  Cherokee  county.  His  claim 
was  originally  acquired  by  Samuel  Quinby. 
He  has  a  finely  improved  property,  a  large 
house,  barns  and  fine  shade  trees.  He  has  a 
.good  orchard  of  four  acres,  and  the  pines  in 
front  of  the  house  were  set  out  by  him,  being  at 
first  covered  with  gallon  crocks  to  protect  them 
from  the  sun.  When  he  and  his  wife  com- 
menced housekeeping  it  was  in  a  small  house 
at  the  edge  of  Cherokee  county,  on  the  farm 
where  their  son,  E.  L.,  now  fives.  He  then 
had  two  ponies  and  about  $25,  and  what  he 
now  possesses  has  been  gained  by  his  own  in- 
dustry and  careful  management.  He  is  one 
of  the  prominent  farmers  of  the  county,  and 
has  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances  and  friends. 
Mr.  Mollenhour  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Labette  county,  with  Hannah  Creekbaum,  who 
was  born  in  Indiana  in  1854,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Salome  Creekbaum.  Her 
father  is  deceased  and  her  mother  still  lives; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Creekbaum  had  eight  children, 
all  of  whom  reside  in  Labette  county,  except 
one,  who  is  in  Colorado.  Three  children  were 
the  offspring  of  Mr.  Mollenhour  and  his  wife, 
namely:  Edward  L.,  John  W.,  and  Myrtle 
-May.     Edward  L.  was  born  in  Labette  county, 


in  1873,  married  Georgia  Watson,  a  daughter 
of  Charles  Watson,  of  Mound  Valley,  and  has 
one  son,  George  Earl.  John  W.  was  born  in 
Cherokee  county,  in  1874,  married  Molly  Pear- 
son, and  has  a  son,  Frederick;  they  reside  on 
a  farm  near  Floral  Hill.  Myrtle  May  was  born 
in  1880,  and  died  at  the  age  of  three  months. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Mollenhour  has  always  been 
a  Republican  until  recent  years,  and  now  favors 
bimetalism.  He  has  been  called  upon  to  serve 
in  numerous  township  offices.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Pea  Ridge  Post,  No.  118;  and 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Sons  and 
Daughters  of  Justice.  His  son,  Edward  L., 
is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Religiously, 
the  familv  are  Methodists. 


OHN  J.  PIERSON,  a  well-known  citi- 
zen of  Parsons,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  a  portrait  of  whom  is  shown 
on  the  opposite  page,  is  the  proprietor 
of  a  large  wholesale  grocery  establishment 
located  on  North  Central  street.  He  is  one  of 
the  foremost  business  men  of  the  city,  and  is 
also  largely  identified  with  other  enterprises. 
Mr.  Pierson  was  born  in  Hancock  county, 
Illinois,  in  1846,  and  at  an  early  age  went  to 
Iowa,  where  his  early  manhood  was  mostly 
spent  in  Keokuk  county  on  a  farm.  He  moved 
west  May  25,  1869,  and  staked  out  a  claim  in 
Labette  county,  near  Altamont.  The  follow- 
ing winter  he  worked  in  Steele  Bros.'  sawmill, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1870  became  associated 
in  the  mercantile  pursuits  with  W.  K.  Hayes. 
Their  store  building  was  14  by  16  feet  in  di- 
mensions, and  their  stock  w-as  hauled  from 
Fort  Scott.  The  firm  name  continued  as 
Hayes  &  Pierson  until  1873,  and  then  became 
Hayes,    Pierson    &    Dinsmore.     In   1875  Mr. 


428 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Pierson  bought  out  his  partners  anil  became  the 
sole  owner.  He  continued  in  the  retail  busi- 
ness until  January,  1894,  and  since  that  time 
has  conducted  a  wholesale  business  in  groceries 
and  notions.  In  1893  he  built  a  three-story 
building  on  North  Central  street, — the  dimen- 
sions being  60  by  90  feet.  The  entire  three 
stories  and  basement  are  used  for  his  business, 
with  the  exception  of  a  part  of  the  second 
floor,  which  is  used  for  offices.  Mr.  Pierson 
employs  a  corps  of  10  men,  three  of  whom  are 
kept  constantly  on  the  road  soliciting  trade. 
He  carries  a  complete  line  of  goods  and  sells 
in  five  counties,  his  business  being  continually 
on  the  increase. 

Air.  Pierson  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1880.  with  Augusta  Braunsdorf,  of  Parsons, 
and  they  have  reared  one  son,  Lloyd  J.,  who 
travels  in  the  interest  of  his  father.  In  poli- 
tics the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  been  a  delegate  to  two  congressional 
conventions.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  He  was  one  of  the  original  stock- 
holders in  the  old  Parsons  Savings  Bank,  and 
when  this  institution  was  reorganized  as  the 
Parsons  Commercial  Bank,  in  1878,  he  was 
made  a  director.  He  has  served  as  secretary 
of  the  board  of  directors  since  1880.  He  is, 
and  has  been,  a  director  in  the  Inter-state  Mort- 
gage &  Trust  Company  since  its  organization, 


Kansas.  He  received  a  good  mental  training 
in  the  public  schools  of  Chetopa,  and  then  de- 
termined upon  the  practice  of  medicine  as  his 
life  work.  He  first  studied  under  a  preceptor. 
Dr.  G.  D.  Boon,  at  Chetopa,  and  then  took 
a  course  of  instruction  in  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons,  at  Keokuk,  Iowa.  He 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1884,  and  immedi- 
ately thereafter  began  practice  in  Oswego,  Kan- 
sas. He  soon  acquired  a  paying  practice  and 
established  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  skillful 
physician, — successfully  coping  with  the  most 
complicated  cases.  He  has  always  been  a  close 
student,  and  has  kept  thoroughly  informed  as 
to  the  great  advancement  being  made  in  med- 
ical science.  In  1893,  he  took  a  post-graduate 
course  in  Bellevue  Hospital,  Xew  York  City. 
He  has  a  very  large  general  practice,  and  makes 
a  specialty  of  surgery. 

Dr.  Liggett  was  united  in  matrimony  with 
Mrs.  Mary  Maynard,  and  they  are  parents  of 
two  children, — Margaret  and  Ruth.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Southeast  Kansas  Medical  So- 
ciety, of  which  he  is  now  vice-president.  Fra- 
ternally, he  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  Politically,  he  is  a  sturdy  supporter 
of  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party. 


E.  LIGGETT.  AI.  D.,  is  one  of  the 
most  successful  physicians  and  sur- 
geons in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and 
is  located  in  Oswego,  where  he  has 
practiced  continuously  since  1884. 

Dr.  Liggett  was  born  in  Alarysville,  Ohio, 
in  1 861,  and  was  but  nine  years  of  age  when 
his  parents  moved  to  Chetopa,  Labette  county, 


OBERT  D.  TALBOT,  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War,  who  has  an  excellent 
record  for  service  in  the  army,  is  a 
prominent  citizen  of  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, and  is  chairman  of  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  of  Labette  county. 

Mr.  Talbot  was  born  August  3,  1836,  in 
Lisbon,  St.  Lawrence  county.  New  York,  and 
learned  the  trade  of  a  wagon-maker  at  an  early 
age,  which  he  followed  for  several  years.     In. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


429 


1856,  he  went  on  the  Great  Lakes  as  steward 
on  the  Northern  Transportation  Company's 
line  of  boats,  and  continued  thus  until  1859, 
when  he  went  to  Fond  du  Lac  county,  Wiscon- 
sin. He  spent  the  winter  of  1860-61  in  lum- 
bering in  Michigan  north  of  Green  Bay,  and  in 
the  spring  returned  to  New  York  State.  In 
the  summer  of  1861.  he  visited  in  Whiteside 
county,  Illinois,  and  on  August  7,  1862,  en- 
tered the  Union  army.  He  enlisted  in  Company 
C.  75th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  first  served 
under  Gen.  Don  Carlos  Buell.  The  regiment 
was  transferred  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land, with  which  he  participated  in  41  battles 
and  skirmishes.  He  was  mustered  out  June  12, 
1865,  and  returned  to  his  former  home  in  Illi- 
nois. He  spent  one  summer  as  steward  on 
the  lakes,  and  then  worked  for  the  Union  Pa- 
cific Railroad  Company,  as  a  carpenter.  In 
1867,  he  went  to  Bates  county,  Missouri,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1868  took  a  homestead  claim 
in  Woodson  county,  Kansas.  He  resided 
there  until  1872,  wdien  he  located  in  Parsons, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  of  which  he  has  since 
been  a  resident.  He  entered  the  wood  work- 
ing department  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway  Company,  and  continued  with 
it  until  1883.  He  was  elected  justice  of  the 
peace  in  1883,  and  served  as  such  until  1889. 
He  also  served  six  years  in  the  city  council, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  education, 
of  which  he  was  president.  In  the  spring  of 
1889,  he  was  appointed  city  clerk, — serving 
two  years,  and  in  1891  he  was  appointed  city 
assessor.  The  following  spring,  he  was  elected 
police  judge  for  a  term  of  two  years,  and  was 
reelected  to  that  office,  his  term  expiring  in 
1897.  In  1899,  he  was  elected  county  com- 
missioner, and  was  made  chairman  of  the 
board;  his  term  expires  in  1902.  He  has  been 
a  notary  public  for  sixteen  years. 


Air.  Talbot  is  a  charter  member  of  An- 
tietam  Post,  No.  64,  G.  A.  R.  He  is  past 
commander. — was  adjutant  ten  years,  and  is 
now  quartermaster.  He  has  always  been  an 
active  worker  in  the  interests  of  old  soldiers, 
and  has  done  more  for  them  than  any  other 
one  man  in  Labette  county.  He  was  one  of 
the  originators  of  the  G.  A.  R.  cemetery,  of 
Parsons,  and  has  gratuitously  secured  head- 
stones for  soldiers'  graves,  from  the  Govern- 
ment. He  has  been  a  pension  attorney  since 
1 89 1.  He  is  also  a  charter  member  of  Lodge 
No.  I,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Parsons,  the  first  lodge 
established  in  the  state  of  Kansas.  He  served 
eight  years  as  an  officer  of  the  lodge,  and  was 
a  delegate  to  the  grand  lodge,  five  years.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Select  Knights  and  La- 
dies, being  the  recording  treasurer  in  the  lodge. 
He  is  a  member  of  Mohawk  Tribe,  No.  6.  I. 
O.  R.  M.,  in  which  he  is  chief  of  records.  In 
politics,  he  is  an  ardent  Republican.  Mr.  Tal- 
bot was  united  in  Hymen's  bonds  in  1871.  with 
Louisa  J.  Preston,  and  they  have  two  children  : 
John  P.  and  Robert  F. 


ILFORD  COOPER,  deceased,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Kansas,  was 
the  founder  of  Labette  City,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas.  A  man  of 
honest,  upright  character,  actively  interested 
in  all  that  pertained  to  the  development  of  the 
county,  in  which  he  lived,  'his  death  was  sin- 
cerely regretted  by  all.  Mr.  Cooper  was  born 
in  Belleville.  Indiana,  in  1841,  and  was  a  son 
of  Robert  and  Sarah   (Joseph)   Cooper. 

Robert  Cooper,  the  father  of  Wilford,  was- 
born  in  1798,  in  Virginia,  and  died  in  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  in  1873.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  in  North  Carolina,  in  1805,  and  died  irr 


430 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Labette  county  in  1870,  was  the  first  person 
buried  in  Liberty  tounsiiip.  They  reared  the 
following  offspring:  Frank,  James.  Jane 
(Galliger),  and  Harrison,  deceased;  Emma 
(Graham),  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  Hale  (Met- 
calf),  of  Carthage,  Missouri;  Wilford,  Levi, 
Mary  and  Jessup,  deceased. 

Wilford  Cooper  was  six  years  of  age  when 
his  parents  moved  to  Hendricks  county,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  lived  for  five  years.  The  family 
then  moved  to  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  where 
he  received  his  primary  education.  He  assisted 
his  father  on  the  farm  until  1861,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  G,  4th  Reg.,  Mo.  Vol. 
Cav.,  and  was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Jefferson 
Earracks,  St.  Louis,  in  1865.  He  returned  to 
Andrew  county,  Missouri,  where  he  was  am- 
bushed by  guerrillas,  and  was  badly  wounded. 
In  1869,  he  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  filed  and  settled  upon  a  claim  where 
the  city  of  Labette  now  stands,  which  was  then 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  25,  Liberty 
township.  He  proved  u])  the  land,  laid  out  the 
town,  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  February  5,  1901,  on  the  homestead. 
He  was  well  known  throughout  the  county,  and 
this  section  of  the  state,  where  he  was  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  of  farmers.  Mr.  Cooper 
acted  with  the  Populist  party.  At  the  time  of 
his  decease,  he  was  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R., 
of  Oswego,  Kansas,  and  of  the  M.  W.  of  A. 
He  had  previously  belonged  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

Mr.  Cooper  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miriam  Piper,  who  was  born  in  Nicholas  coun- 
ty, Kentucky,  in  1851.  Her  father  was  John 
F.  Piper,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Nicholas 
^■ounty,  Kentucky,  and  was  born  in  1801.  He 
<lied  in  Labette  county,  in  1875.  Her  mother 
was  Margaret  Brown,  who  was  born  in  1822. 
in  Nicholas  county,   Kentucky,   and    died    in 


Mason  county,  Kentucky,  in  1863.  They 
reared  the  following  offspring:  Angeline 
(Summers),  of  Oswego,  Kansas;  Miriam 
(Cooper);  Ella,  deceased;  Addie  (Christian), 
of  Riverside,  California;  Matilda  (Bell),  of 
Scott  county.  Kansas;  and  John,  of  Labette 
county. 

Mr.  Cooper  and  his  wife  were  the  parents 
of  six  children,  namely:  Maggie  and  Mary, 
deceased;  John,  of  Labette  county;  Elizabeth; 
Mabel,  deceased;  and  Ivan  I.,  of  Labette  coun- 
ty. Mrs.  Cooper  lives  on  the  homestead,  and  is 
a  charitable  woman,  who  is  loved  for  her  many 
estimable  qualities.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbvterian  church. 


•^  „  EORGE  S.  LIGGETT,  M.  D.,  is  one 
^^  of  the  most  prominent  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
and  resides  in  the  city  of  Oswego. 
He  was  born  in  Williston,  Chittenden  county, 
Vermont,  in  1853,  and  at  an  early  age  was 
taken  by  his  parents  to  live  at  Lebanon,  Illi- 
nois. 

Dr.  Liggett  received  his  primary  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Lebanon,  after  which 
he  took  a  course  of  study  in  McKendree  Col- 
lege, of  that  town,  where  he  graduated  in  1872. 
■He  then  entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine 
under  a  preceptor,  at  St.  Louis,  and  subse- 
quently attended  a  course  of  lectures  in  the 
St.  Louis  Medical  College.  He  graduated  there 
with  the  class  of  1876,  and  in  consequence  of 
being  the  successful  candidate  in  the  competi- 
tive examination  of  the  board  of  health,  he  re- 
ceived an  appointment  in  the  St.  Louis  Hos- 
pital. In  1878.  he  began  private  practice  at 
Mount  Vernon,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  but 
a  short  time.     He  then  became  company  physi- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


43  » 


cian  for  the  famous  Iron  Mountain  Mining 
Company,  in  which  capacity  he  continued  for 
a  period  of  four  years.  In  1884,  he  located 
in  Oswego,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
has  since  practiced  in  a  very  successful  man- 
ner. He  has  a  large  general  practice,  but  makes 
a  specialty  of  microscopic  work.  On  this  sub- 
ject he  has  written  many  lengthy  articles  for 
leading  medical  magazines,  and  has  prepared 
and  read  treatises  before  medical  societies,  indi- 
cating a  knowledge  of  microscopy  not  possessed 
by  most  physicians.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Southeast  Kansas  Medical  Society,  of  which 
he  has  been  the  secretary  for  several  years. 
He  is  a  Democrat,  in  politics,  and  was  pension 
examiner  under  President  Cleveland.  He  has 
served  as  county  health  officer  and  county 
physician,  and  for  several  years  past,  has  been 
on  the  city  board  of  health.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  blue  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  which  he  is  secretary;  of  Oswego  Chapter, 
R.  A.  M.,  of  which  he  is  at  present  high  priest ; 
and  Oswego  Commandery,  K.  T.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica:  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men.. Dr.  Liggett  served  as  mayor  of  Oswego 
from  April,  1899,  ^°  April,  1901. 


i 


A.  WEIR,  the  subject  of  this  biog- 
raphy, is  a  prominent  and  well  known 
real  estate  man  of  Parsons,  Kansas. 
Since  1894,  Mr.  Weir  has  had  his  of- 
fice with  the  firm  of  Webb  &  Iden  and  handles 
all  kinds  of  farm  and  city  real  estate. 

Mr.  Weir  was  born  in  Sullivan  county,  In- 
diana, in  1836,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and 
Salina  (McKee)  Weir.  His  grandparents 
were  natives  of  Ireland.  His  father,  James 
Weir,  was  born  in  Eastern  Tennessee  about 


1798;  his  mother  was  burn  in  Virginia.  Both 
are  long  since  deceased.  R.  A.  Weir  was  one 
of  a  family  of  1 1  children,  of  whom  one  is. 
in  Western  Kansas,  two  are  in  Missouri,  and 
two  in  Indiana.  He  remained  at  home  and  at- 
tended school  at  New  Lebanon.  In  1863,  when 
the  Civil  War  had  reached  its  height,  Mr.  Weir 
enlisted  in  Company  G,  nth  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol. 
Cav.,  as  a  private.  He  was  with  Wilson's 
cavalry  corps  in  the  South  and  West,  and  was 
a  valiant  soldier,  as  was  fully  attested  by  his 
promotion  from  the  grade  of  private  to  that 
of  first  lieutenant,  as  mustered  out  in  1865. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Weir  re- 
turned to  Indiana,  where  he  followed  farming 
for  five  years,  and  then  moved  to  Neosho, 
county,  Kansas,  in  1870,  and  purchased  a  claim 
on  the  Labette  county  line.  He  worked  his 
new  claim  till  1876,  when  he  removed  to  Par- 
sons, and  was  engaged  at  his  trade  as  a  stone- 
mason until  1884.  In  March,  1884,  Mr.  Weir 
became  interested  in  the  real  estate  business 
and  has  successfully  managed  all  business  tran- 
sactions placed  in  his  care.  At  first  he  was  lo- 
cated with  Foster  &  Duzan,  but  his  present 
office  is  with  Webb  &  Iden. 

Mr.  Weir  was  married  to  Mary  E.  Marts, 
who  died  some  years  since,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren, Clara  E.  and  R.  K.  The  former  is  at 
home.  R.  K.  Weir  is  a  fireman  on  the  Mis- 
souri Pacific  Ry.  and  runs  out  of  Wichita. 
In  1888,  Mr.  Weir  married,  for  his  second 
wife,  Mrs.  May  E.  Crumrin.  For  twenty 
years  Mr.  Weir  resided  on  Gabriel  avenue,  but 
now  owns  a  home  at  No.  1715  Washington 
avenue.  Attention  to  business  has  not  made 
Mr.  Weir  indifferent  to  outside  duties,  as  he 
has  served  two  terms  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board,  and  has  been  active  in  fraternal  soci- 
eties. He  was  first  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 
in  Indiana,  and  now  belongs  to  Post  No.  81, 


432 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  Parsons;  he  has  also  been  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  since  1868.  Mr.  Weir  united 
with  the  M.'E.  church  in  1849.  His  family  are 
all  members  of  that  church.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  \\'esleyan  'SI.  E.  minister. 


I^R.  E.  \V.  BOARDMAN  is  the  lead- 
I  H  ing  homeopathic  physician  of  Par- 
vM  sons,  Kansas,  where  he  has  been  lo- 
cated since  1888,  having  a  lucrative 
practice  throughout  the  community.  His  train- 
ing for  this  profession  was  most  complete,  and 
his  many  years  of  experience  have  given  him 
the  skill  to  combat  the  most  complicated  dis- 
eases successfully.  He  was  born  in  Fort 
Dodge,  Iowa,  in  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  Dr.  H. 
E.  and  Susan  C.   (Lock)  Boardman. 

Dr.  H.  E.  Boardman  was  born  in  Vermont 
and  received  his  higher  education  in  Middle- 
bury  College,  in  that  state.  He  came  west 
when  a  young  man,  and  married  Susan  C. 
Lock.  It  was  after  his  marriage  that  he  first 
conceived  the  idea  of  entering  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  as  a  result  he  took  a  course  in 
Hahnemann  Medical  College  at  Chicago,  Illi- 
nois. After  his  graduation  from  that  institu- 
tion, he  was  engaged  in  practice  for  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  in  Monroe,  Wisconsin.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three  years,  and  was  survived  by 
his  wife  and  two  sons,  the  latter  being  Edgar 
W.,  the  subject  hereof;  and  Horace  P.,  now  a 
civil  engineer  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Rail- 
road. 

Dr.  Edgar  W.  Boardman  obtained  his  pri- 
mary education  in  Monroe,  Wisconsin,  and 
was  prepared  for  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Hahnemann  I^Iedical  College  at  Chicago,  Illi- 
nois,  where  he  graduated  with  the  class  of 


1884.  He  spent  one  year  in  the  hospital,  as 
house  surgeon,  and  in  December,  1885,  began 
to  practice  at  Earned,  Kansas.  He  continued 
there  for  three  years,  and  in  1888  moved  to 
Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he  has  since  been 
located.  He  was  successful  almost  from  the 
start,  and  his  practice  has  grown  constantly 
since.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Insti- 
tute of  Homeopathy ;  the  Kansas  Homeopathic 
Medical  Society, — of  which  he  was  formerly 
president, — and  the  Labette  County  Medical 
Society,  of  which  he  is  secretary.  He  1  was 
president  of  the  city  board  of  health  for  two 
years,  his  term  having  expired  in  April,  1901. 
Dr.  Boardman  was  united  in  matrimony  in 
1890,  with  Mrs.  Lillie  V.  Long.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Royal 
Arcanum;  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men; Modern  Woodmen  of  America;  B.  P.  O. 
E. ;  and  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 


RS.  PAULINE  FEESS.  residing  in 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  residences 
in  Parsons,  Kansas,  is  the  widow 
of  the  late  Charles  Feess,  a  prom- 
inent cigar  manufacturer  of  that  city. 

Charles  Feess  was  born  in  Osweil,  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany,  in  1835,  being  one  of  several 
children.  When  about  eighteen  years  old,  he 
emigrated  from  his  fatherland  and  located  in 
1853,  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  where  be 
followed  the  carpenter's  trade  for  several  years. 
Subsequently,  he  learned  the  cigar  business, 
which  he  followed  for  some  time  in  Chicago, 
Illinois.  In  1858,  he  went  to  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
cigars  on  an  extensive  scale.  Returning  to 
the  East  in  i860,  he  was  again  located  in  Phil- 
adelphia, for  several  years. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


433 


\MiiIe  living  in  Philadelphia  and  while  still 
engaged  in  the  carpenter  business,  his  marriage 
to  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  consummated. 
In  1866,  he  again  went  west  to  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  where  he  continued  the  manufacture 
of  cigars.  Having  established  an  extensive 
trade  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  he  conceived  the  idea 
of  locating  there,  and  thus  saving  considerable 
traveling  expenses.  After  building  the  large, 
brick  building  next  to  Holm's  drug  store,  on 
Johnson  avenue,  near  Central  avenue,  Mr. 
Feess  removed  his  family  to  Parsons,  in  1876, 
immediately  establishing  a  factory  in  that 
place. 

He  carried  on  the  manufacture  and  sale 
of  cigars  in  that  section  very  successfully,  and 
some  time  afterward  purchased  800  acres  of 
land  near  Oswego.  In  1882,  he  retired  from 
business  in  the  city,  and  removed  to  his  farm, 
where  his  death  occurred  two  years  later,  at 
the  age  of  but  forty-nine  years.  He  was  a 
prominent  man  in  fraternal  circles,  being  a 
member  of  the  K.  of  P.,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  K.  T. 

Mrs.  Feess,  whose  maiden  name  was  Paul- 
ine Horning,  is  a  daug-hter  of  Gotlieb  and  Dora 
(Swent)  Horning.  She  was  born  in  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany,  in  1837,  came  to  America  in 
1852,  and  settled  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Feess, — four  sons  and  two  daughters, — 
as  follows:  Charles,  Annie,  Otto,  William 
E.,  Lucy,  and  Fred.  Charles  Feess  is  married 
and  resides  in  Parsons.  Annie  Feess  married 
Conductor  Drew,  in  the  employ  of  the  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company,  and 
they  reside  on  Central  avenue;  Mr.  Drew  is 
a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C.  Otto  Feess  married 
a  Miss  Blake,  and  is  a  member  of  the  drug 
firm  of  W.  E.  Feess  &  Company.  William  E. 
Feess  is  the  head  of  the  drug  firm  of  W.  E. 
Feess  &  Company,  doing  a  successful  business 


as  pharmacists  and  druggists  on  the  corner  of 
Johnson  and  Central  avenues;  he  married  Nora 
Warner,  a  daughter  of  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  respected  families  in  Parsons.  Lucy 
Feess  married  G.  A.  Weir,  a  fireman  on  the 
Alissouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway ;  Mr.  Weir 
is  a  member  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.  Fred  Feess  is 
a  clerk  in  the  drug  store  of  his  brothers.  Otto 
and  William  E.  Feess  are  members  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  the  former  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Elks. 

Mrs.  Feess  still  owns  the  large  farm  near 
Oswego,  which  she  leases  for  pasturage  and 
farming  purposes.  She  returned  to  Parsons 
shortly  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  and 
for  a  time  lived  in  the  large  brick  building, 
which  was  formerly  their  home.  This  she 
sold  subsequently,  and  in  1897  erected  her  pres- 
ent beautiful  residence  at  191 5  Crawford  av- 
enue. She  distinctly  remembers,  and  often  re- 
fers to,  incidents  of  pioneer  life  in  Kansas, 
where  she  first  located  in  1858.  Many  fea- 
tures of  her  journey  to  Leavenworth  are  as 
fresh  in  her  mind  as  if  they  occurred  but  yes- 
terday. The  railroad  extended  only  to  Jeffer- 
son City,  Missouri,  at  that  time,  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  intervening  distance  was  tra- 
versed by  boat.  Mrs.  Feess  is  a  lady  of  many 
virtues,  of  both  heart  and  mind,  has  a  wide 
circle  of  friends,  and  is  greatly  beloved  by  her 
children.  The  entire  family  worship  at  the 
Presbyterian  church. 


.-^YRENIUS    W.    GRAGG.    a   general 
^M      storekeeper  of  Dennis,  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  has  been  postmaster  of 
that  village  for  the  past  four  years. 
He  was  born  June  S,  1848,  in  Pulaski  county, 
Kentucky. 


434 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


His  father  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  lived 
to  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  His  mother 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  also  reached  the 
age  of  sixty-eight  years.  They  reared  12  chil- 
dren, namely:  Emily  F. ;  H.  H. ;  Amanda; 
Ella;  William  P.;  J.  B.,  deceased;  Cyrenius 
W. ;  L.  B. ;  Paulina  and  Amelia,  twins,  both 
deceased;  and. Alice  and  Bell,  deceased. 

Cyrenius  W.  Gragg  spent  his  early  life  in 
his  native  state,  Kentucky,  and  engaged  in  the 
drug  business  during  1871  and  1872.  He  was 
appointed  U.  S.  storekeeper  and  also  post- 
master at  Monticello,  Kentucky,  which  position 
he  held  until  1884.  In  that  year,  Mr.  Gragg 
decided  to  move  west,  and  accordingly  located 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he  lived,  near 
where  the  notorious  Bender  family  in  previous 
years  committed  so  many  awful  murders.  He 
conducted  his  farm  for  one  year  and  then 
traded  it  for  his  store  in  Dennis,  where  he  now 
lives.  He  was  made  postmaster  of  that  village 
four  years  ago,  and  in  connection  with  this  po- 
sition operates  a  general  store.  He  has  been 
very  prosperous,  and  his  trade  increases  each 
year.  In  connection  with  his  general  business, 
he  has  shipped  "j:^  car-loads  of  corn  and  oats, 
and  20  car-loads  of  hay.  Mr.  Gragg  is  very 
generally  and  favorably  known  in  Labette 
county,  and  is  one  of  the  influential  men  of 
Dennis,  no  public  enterprise  being  completed 
without  his  assistance. 

Mr.  Gragg  married  Wiletta  Burton,  who 
was  partially  reared  by  Allen  Burton,  United 
States  Minister  to  one  of  the  South  American 
governments,  under  Grant's  administration. 
Mr.  Burton  was  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Gragg's 
father.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gragg  have  been  blessed 
with  three  children,  namely:  Bessie.  Hazel 
.111(1  Helen.  Mr.  Gragg  belongs  to  the  Anti 
Ilorsethief  Association.  He  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, in  ijolitics.     Religiously,  he  attends 


the  United  Brethren  church,  in  which  he  is  an 
interested  worker.  He  is  very  popular  in 
Dennis,  and  is  one  of  the  best  citizens  in  the 
town. 


ALTER  S.  EVERY,  a  prominent 
farmer  of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
who  is  largely  engaged  in  the  rais- 
ing of  cattle  and  hogs,  is  at  present 
living  on  section  2,  in  Liberty  township.  He 
is  widely  known  in  the  county,  where  he  is. 
considered  a  man  of  high  character,  and  one 
who  is  honest  and  upright  in  dealing  with  his 
fellow  citizens.  Mr.  Every  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware county.  New  York,  in  1859,  and  is  a  son 
of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Scott)  Every. 

George  Every  was  born  in  Delaware  coun- 
ty. New  York,  in  1835,  and  his  death  occurred 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  fifty-six  years  later. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Scott,  who  w-as  also  a 
native  of  Delaware  county.  New  York,  and  was 
born  in  1845.  She  died  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  1886.  They  reared  the  following 
offspring:  Nettie  (Graham),  who  lives  in 
Labette  county;  Willis,  who  lives  in  Oswego, 
Kansas;  Walter  S.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;. 
John,  who  lives  in  Labette  county;  George, 
who  lives  in  Kansas;  Frank,  a  resident  of  Par- 
sons, Kansas ;  Albert,  who  lives  in  Missouri ; 
and  Matilda  (Bandy),  who  lives  in  Labette 
county. 

Walter  S.  Every  spent  the  first  ten  years 
of  his  life  in  Delaware  county.  New  York, 
where  he  received  his  primary  education.  His 
father  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in 
1869.  and  Walter  S.  accompanied  him.  He 
assisted  his  father  in  farming,  and  subsequently 
bought  his  present  farm  in  section  2.  He 
takes  great  pride  in  raising  fine  stock,  and  has 
been   verv  successful   in  that  line,— his  cattle 


M.  M.   KINGSBURY. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


437- 


and  hogs  being  among  the  finest  in  the  state. 
Mr.  Every  also  makes  a  specialty  of  raising 
small  fruits,  and  this  venture  has  also  met  with 
great  success.  He  is  a  thorough,  conscientious 
farmer,  and  his  farm  is  always  well  kept,  and 
carefully  managed. 

Mr.  Every  married  Eva  Bunnell,  who  was 
born  in  Kansas,  in  i860.  This  union  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  five  children,  whose  names  are : 
Frank,  Ethel,  Pearl,  Jessie,  and  Walter,  all  of 
whom  are  living  in  Labette  county.  In  po- 
litical belief.  Air.  Every  is  independent,  vot- 
ing for  the  man  who,  in  his  opinion,  is  best 
qualified  to  fill  the  office. 


^^1  H.  HOWLETT.  Among  the  prom- 
H  ^^  inent  real  estate  dealers  of  Parsons, 
^j^,^^  Kansas,,  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  A  man  of 
honest  and  upright  business  methods,  and  of 
the  strictest  integrity,  he  is  highly  respected  in 
the  community,  of  which  he  is  a  well  known 
member.  He  is  an  active  worker  in  local  af- 
fairs, and  is  always  ready  to  assist  in  any 
movement  which  tends  toward  the  welfare  of 
the  people,  and  of  the  town  in  which  he  resides. 
Mr.  Howlett  was  born  in  Rennselaer-  county. 
New  York,  in  1836.  and  is  of  English  descent. 
His  father  was  John  Howlett,  who  was  born 
in  England. 

Mr.  Howlett  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
his  native  county,  where  he  remained  until 
1856.  He  then  moved  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  and 
entered  the  locomotive  department  of  the  Chi- 
cago &  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company.  There 
he  remained  for  two  years,  when  he  moved  to 
Kentucky,  where  he  was  engaged  in  railroad- 
ing until  1861.  After  the  Civil  War  broke  out, 
he  enlisted,  in  August,  1861,  in  Company  D. 

26 


6th  Reg.,  New  York  Vol.  Cav.  He  served  in. 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  during  the  sec- 
ond battle  of  Bull  Run,  in  1863,  he  was  wound- 
ed, and  afterward  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge. In  1864,  Mr.  Howlett  returned  to^ 
his  former  occupation  of  railroading,  accept- 
ing a  position  as  engineer  with  the  N.  &  O. 
Railroad  Company.  He  remained  with  this 
company  until  1870,  when  he  obtauied  similar 
employment  with  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway  Company.  In  1893,  Mr.  How- 
lett became  interested  in  real  estate  transac- 
tions, and  decided  to  open  up  a  place  of  busi- 
ness in  this  line,  in  Parsons,  where  he  has  made 
his  home  since  1871.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful, and  has  a  large  patronage.  He  pos- 
sesses a  thorough  understanding  of  realty  af- 
fairs, and  is  well  known  in  Parsons  and  the 
surrounding  country. 

In  1876,  Mr.  Howlett  was  married  to- 
Minnie  Mersereau,  and  they  have  been  blessed 
with  four  children,  whose  names'  are :  Sadie, 
John,  Emily,  and  Hattie.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  \V.  and 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.  lodges,  and  also  of  the  Brother- 
hood of  Locomotive  Engineers. 


M.  KINGSBURY  is  a  progress- 
ive business  man  who  has  been 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  in 
Oswego,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
since  1870.  He  is  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  Kingsbury  &  Frick,  leading  druggists  of  the 
city.  Mr.  Kingsbury  was  born  in  Franklin 
county,  Indiana,  October  12,  1839,  and  is  a 
son  of  George  W.  and  Rebecca  (Reniey) 
Kingsbury. 

George  W.  Kingsbury    was    born,    reared 
and  schooled  in  the  state  of  New  Hampshire. 


438 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and  fol- 
lowed it  during  the  early  part  of  his  business 
life,  but  later  pursued  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer.  He  located  in  Franklin  county,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Rebecca  Remey,  of  that  county.  They  jour- 
neyed west,  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1866, 
where  the  husband  took  up  a  farm,  and  where 
he  lived  until  his  death.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-seven  years  and  his  widow  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years.  They  were  parents  of  eight 
children:  Theodosia  (Ruble);  James  T.,  de- 
ceased; Adelaide  (Conover)  ;  M.  M.,  the  gen- 
tleman whose  nariie  heads  these  lines;  Joseph 
J.;  Winfield  S. ;  William  R. ;  and  Elizabeth 
(Dickerman).  George  W.  Remey  was  a  Re- 
publican, in  politics;  in  religious  attachments 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

M.  ]\I.  Kingsbury  received  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
county,  and  in  Howes  Seminary  at  Mount 
Pleasant,  Iowa.  When  the  Civil  war  broke 
out  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  nth  Reg., 
Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  in  the  campaign  of 
Vicksburg,  and  later,  with  the  army  of  Gen. 
Shernian.  He  enlisted  as  a  private,  but  was 
promoted  to  be  captain  of  Company  F,  46th 
Reg.,  U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  and  was  mustered 
out  of  the  service  in  February,  1866.  He  par- 
ticipated in  much  hard  fighting  and  was  in  the 
following  important  engagements,  in  addition 
to  many  of  less  note :  Pittsburg  Landing, 
Vicksburg  and  vicinity,  Alexandria,  and  the 
Red  River  expedition.  After  returning  from 
the  war  he  attended  a  mercantile  school  at 
Kansas  City  for  six  months,  and  in  1867  took 
a  claim  in  Oswego  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas.  He  then  went  back  to  Mt.  Pleasant, 
Iowa,  where  he  was  married  to  Lisette  Cozier. 
He  returned  to  Labette  county,  in  1867.  and  in 
'870  established  the  foundation  of  his  present 


thriving  drug  business.  From  a  small  begin- 
ning it  grew,  as  its  patronage  justified,  into 
a  large  store,  well  stocked  and  handsome  in  its 
appointments,  and  commanding  the  best  drug 
trade  of  the  city.  Since  1890  he  has  had  as- 
sociated with  him  Mr.  P.  C.  Frick, — a  very 
enterprising  man, — the  firm  name  being  Kings- 
bury &  Frick. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Kingsbury  is  a  strong  ad- 
vocate of  Republican  principles,  and  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  party  work.  He  has 
served  in  the  city  council.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  Post  No.  1 50,  G.  A.  R. ;  and  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  A 
portrait  of  Mr.  Kingsbury  accompanies  this 
sketch. 


F.  GRIERSON,  a  gentleman  who 
has  been  identified  with  religious 
work  since  his  arrival  in  Parsons, 
Kansas,  in  1876,  has  accomplished 
much  good  and  done  much  to  elevate  the  moral 
standard  of  the  city  and  county.  He  is  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Civil  W^ar  and  is  commander  of 
Post  Xo.  81,  G.  A.  R. 

Mr.  Grierson  was  born  in  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, October  10,  1836,  and  spent  his  early 
boyhood  in  Brown  county,  Ohio.  He  attended 
the  Ripley  High  School  and  Delaware  College, 
and  then  for  twenty  years  was  engaged  as  an 
instructor  in  schools  in  the  states  of  Kentucky, 
Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  and  Kansas.  He  lo- 
cated in  Parsons,  December  i,  1876,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  has  been  in  the  ministry 
of  the  old  Christian  church  for  twenty-eight 
years,  and  for  two  years  has  been  connected 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  For  six 
years,  he  was  state  missionary  for  the  Christian 
church,  and  was  organizer  of  the  lirst  school 
for  negroes,  in  Parsons. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


439 


Mr.  Grierson  is  a  son  of  John  Grierson, 
who  during  his  early  life  followed  teaching 
and  later  engaged  in  farming.  John  Grier- 
son was  born  in  Dumfriesshire,  Scotland.  He 
married  Anne  Greenhow,  by  whom  he  had  ten 
sons  and  four  daughters;  nine  of  his  family 
grew  to  maturity,,  and  seven  are  still  living. 
John  Grierson  died  at  the  age  of  seventy  years, 
and  his  wife,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage,  in  1865,  with  Hannah  Hiett,  of 
Brown  county,  Ohio,  and  they  became  parents 
of  four  children:  Ida  (Kilmer),  a  resident 
of  Lincoln,  Kansas;  Walter  A.,  of  Parsons; 
Anne;  and  James  A.,  who  married  Lodema 
Weaver,  by  whom  he  has  a  son,  Harold,  and 
who  resides  in  Parsons,  Kansas.  W.  F.  Grier- 
son is  a  member  of  the  Sons  and  Daughters 
of  Justice.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
was  justice  of  the  peace  from  1891  to  1896. 
He  has  served  six  years  on  the  school  board, 
and  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  board  of 
health.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  Post  No. 
81,  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  was  elected  com- 
mander in  1900. 

Mr.  Grierson  was  the  first  man  to  enlist 
from  Brown  county,  Ohio,  when  a  call  for 
troops  was  made.  He  enlisted  in  Company  B, 
1st  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  and  his  first  battle 
was  at  Bull  Run.  After  the  expiration  of  three 
months, — his  term  of  enlistment, — he  reen- 
listed  in  Company  B,  33d  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf., 
and  served  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land. He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Shiloh,  Stone  River,  Perryville,  Richmond 
Hill,  and  Chickamauga.  At  the  last  named 
place,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and  held  in  cap- 
tivity for  eighteen  months  and  nine  days.  He 
was  first  incarcerated  at  Libby  Prison,  and  then 
at  Danville,  whence  he  was  removed  to  Ander- 


sonville.  Afterward  he  was  taken  to  various 
places,  in  order  to  prevent  his  liberation  by  the 
Union  army. 


ON.  J.  B.  MORRIS,  judge  of  the  po- 
lice court  of  Parsons,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  widely  known  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  his  election  to  his  present  po- 
sition shows  the  confidence  placed  in  him  by 
his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  a  natural  leader 
among  men,  being  possessed  of  keen  percep- 
tions and  good  judgment.  The  duties  of  his 
office  are  arduous  and  exacting,  yet  he  per- 
forms them  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all. 
Judge  Morris  is  a  native  of  Cattaraugus  coun- 
ty. New  York,  and  was  born  in  1832. 

Judge  Morris  received  his  early  education 
in  his  native  state,  where  he  applied  himself  to 
the  trade  of  a  carriage-maker.  He  also  learned 
the  business  of  a  contractor,  which  he  followed 
for  many  years.  He  went  to  Marshall  county, 
Illinois,  in  1866,  where  he  did  considerable 
work  in  contracting.  Three  years  later,  he 
moved  to  Elk  Point,  Dakota,  and  in  1875,  lo- 
cated in  Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  has  built  many  houses  in  the  city, 
and  until  he  accepted  his  present  public  office 
was  extensively  engaged  in  the  contracting 
business, — being  considered  one  of  the  best  in 
the  county.  Judge  Morris  has  always  been 
actively  interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  county, 
and  of  the  city  in  which  he  lives,  and  has  con- 
tinually given  much  time  and  attention  to  local 
politics. 

Judge  Morris  has  been  twice  married,  first 
to  Jane  Moore,  of  New  York  State,  who  died 
leaving  one  daughter,  Ella,  now  the  wife  of  S. 
T.  Gilbert,  living  in  Colony,  Kansas.  He  next 
married  Aggie  Rider,  a  native  of  Buffalo,  New 
York,   who  died  in  March,    1900.      She  bore 


44° 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


him  two  cliiklren, — J.  Webb,  now  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  Rail- 
way Company,  at  Parsons.  Kansas,  and  Charles 
H.,  an  invalid. 

He  is  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  has  served  three  terms 
in  the  city  council.  He  also  served  as  deputy 
United  States  marshal,  under  B.  F.  Simpson, 
and  as  deputy  sheriff  and  justice  of  the  peace. 
Judge  Morris  was  appointed  police  judge  in 
1897,  to  serve  out  an  unexpired  term,  and  was 
reelected  to  that  olifice  in  the  spring  of  1898, 
and  also  at  the  election  of  1901.  Fraternally, 
the  Judge  is  a  member  of  the  Improved  Order 
of  Red  Men,  Mohawk  Tribe,  No.  6. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  had  a  very 
active  and  useful  career,  and  his  success  has 
been  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  He  ha'-- 
striven  long  and  faithfully,  with  unceasing 
labor,  and  all  his  undertakings  have  met  with 
success.  He  is  a  man  of  affable  and  pleasing" 
manners,  and  his  friends  in  Parsons  and  its 
vicinitv  are  manv- 


HROF.  J.  C.  OLSON,  one  of  the  best 
known  educators  of  the  state  of  Kan- 
sas, is  president  of  the  Parsons  Busi- 
ness College,  of  Parsons.  This  in- 
stitution not  only  takes  rank  as  the  best  com- 
mercial college  in  the  Southwest,  but  is  alsn 
one  of  the  foremost  in  the  United  States. 

Established  in  1892,  the  Parsons  Business 
College  was  a  success  from  its  very  inception. 
Prof.  J.  C.  Olson,  the  president  of  the  college, 
is  master  of  his  art.  He  is  a  thorough  educator, 
his  methods  of  business  are  upright  and  just, 
and  his  reputation  for  honesty  and  just  deal- 
ing with  students  and  with  the  public  generally 
is  such  that  the  citizens  of  Parsons,  in  everv 


vocation,  from  banker  to  laborer,  vouch  for 
his  good  stewardship.  The  growth  of  the  col- 
lege has  been  phenomenal, — about  200  pupils 
having  been  enrolled  during  the  past  year,  many 
of  whom  are  from  other  states.  Hundreds  of 
successful  stenographers  and  bookkeepers  at- 
test the  efficiency  of  the  Parsons  Business  Col- 
lege. The  work  done  is  of  a  high  grade. 
Every  branch  of  business  education  is  handled 
by  practical  and  capable  instructors,  bearing 
diplomas  from  the  best  educational  institutions 
in  the  country.  The  members  of  the  faculty 
are  as  follows:  J.  C.  Olson,  M.  A.,  president, 
instructor  in  bookkeeping  and  penmanship; 
Carolyn  A.  Brehm,  B.  A.,  shorthand  and  type- 
writing ;  Mrs.  G.  C.  Townsend,  vocal  music ; 
A.  A.  Osgood,  B'.  S.,  commercial  law;  W.  L. 
Newell,  mathematics  and  English ;  A.  J.  Har- 
ris, assistant  in  the  business  department;  and 
Edna  Shoup,  assistant  in  shorthand  and  type- 
writing. There  are  also  numerous  lecturers,  of 
prominence  in  the  community,  whose  connec- 
tion with  the  school  adds  greatly  to  its  stand- 
ing. As  the  Parsons  Business  College  has 
flourished  in  the  past,  there  is  a  good  prospect 
that  under  the  efficient  management  of  Prof. 
Olson  it  will  continue  to  do  so  in  the  future. 


ILO  HILDRETH.  This  gentleman 
has  for  many  years  been  one  of 
the  leading  agriculturists  of  La- 
bette county,  and  is  known  as  a 
gentleman  of  marked  intelligence,  firm  princi- 
jiles  and  strict  integrity.  He  takes  an  active- 
interest  in  the  county's  welfare,  and  is  one  of  its- 
most  progressive  citizens.  Mr.  Hildreth  is  a 
native  of  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York, 
where  he  was  born  in  1844. 

His  father  moved  to  Jefferson  county.  In- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


■diana,  in  1853,  and  there  Milo  Hildreth  re- 
-ceived  his  early  mental  training.  He  attended 
Oberlin  College,  in  Ohio,  during  1866  and 
1867,  and  taught  school  in  Ohio,  Indiana  and 
Kansas,  for  seven  years.  In  1870,  Mr.  Hil- 
dreth moved  to  Labette  county,  settling  in 
Mount  Pleasant  township,  in  section  30,  where 
he  has  since  lived.  He  rapidly  became  known 
as  one  of  the  progressive  men  of  the  county, 
and,  being  possessed  of  superior  executive  abil- 
ity and  good  judgment,  was  soon  appointed  to 
some  of  the  township  offices.  He  was  district 
school  clerk  from  1874  to  1897.  In  addition 
to  this,  he  has  served  two  terms  as  township 
trustee,  one  term  as  township  clerk,  and  two 
terms  as  county  commissioner.  He  is  now, 
•and  has  been  for  the  past  four  years,  trustee  of 
the  county  high  school,  at  Altamont,  an  office 
which  he  fills  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all. 
Mr.  Hildreth  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  E.  Kinnear,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson 
county,  Indiana,  in  1843.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Barbara  (McKay)  Kinnear. 
William  Kinnear  was  born  in  Fauquier  county, 
Virginia,  in  18 17,  and  died  in  Jefferson  county, 
Indiana,  in  1893.  His  wife,  Barbara  (Mc- 
Kay) Kinnear,  was  a  native  of  Jefferson  coun- 
ty, and  was  born  in  1819;  her  death  took  place 
in  that  county,  sixty-three  years  later.  The 
•children  resulting  from  this  union  were  as 
follows:  James,  of  Kirkville,  Missouri;  Mary 
E,,  Harriet  (Corya),  deceased;  Alzora  Nel- 
son), of  Oswego,  Kansas;  Sarah,  of  Jefferson 
county,  Indiana;  Charles,  of  the  same  county; 
George,  of  Greenwood,  Indiana ;  Arthur,  of 
Eureka,  Utah;  Anna  (Cosby),  of  Burns- 
ville,  Indiana;  and  Samuel,  of  Cheyenne,  Wy- 
oming. Mr.  Hildreth's  wife  has  borne  him 
five  children,  namely :  Lucy,  deceased ;  and 
Chester,  Clara,  Eva,  and  Blanche, — all  of  La- 
liette  county.    Mr.  Hildreth  has  been  an  active 


member  of  the  Baptist  church  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  is  widely  known  in  the  county, 
where  he  has  a  host  of  warm  friends. 


UTHER  W.  WELCH,  who  has  had  a 
remarkabl}'  successful  career  in  rail- 
roading, has  worked  his  way  up  fron 
the  position  of  water  boy  to  that  or 
superintendent  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway.  He  is  located  in  the  city  of 
Parsons,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he  is 
well  and  favorably  known  as  a  man  of  upriglit 
principles  and  sterling  qualities. 

Mr.  Welch  was  born  in  Wyoming  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1841.  Becoming  an  orphan 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  he  at  once  set  out 
to  support  himself,  and  from  that  period  he  has 
been  his  own  supporter  and  the  architect  of 
his  own  fortunes.  Entering  the  employ  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad 
Company,  he  carried  water  for  a  time  for  the 
service  and  construction  gangs  on  that  road. 
Subsequently,  he  entered  the  transportation  de- 
partment of  the  road,  and  at  various  times 
served  as  fireman,  engineer,  dispatcher  and  con- 
ductor. He  was  in  the  employ  of  the  company 
sixteen  years,  with  the  exception  of  two  years 
spent  in  the  Civil  Service  of  the  Government 
during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  He  was  then 
for  a  short  time  trainmaster  on  the  Ithaca  & 
Athens  Railway,  after  which  he  was  advanced 
to  the  position  of  assistant  superintendent.  In 
1876,  he  came  west  to  enter  the  service  of  the 
Missouri.  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company, 
with  which  he  has  since  continued,  with  the 
exception  of  two  years  passed  in  the  service 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  as 
roadmaster.  He  entered  the  service  of  the 
Missouri,    Kansas    &    Texas   Railway  Com- 


442 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


pany  as  a  train  man  and  was  gradually  promot- 
ed, until  in  1886,  he  was  made  superintendent 
of  the  Cherokee,  Neosho  and  Parsons  divisions, 
with  office  at  Parsons,  Kansas.  He  has  been 
successful  in  his  position,  and  is  in  high  favor 
with  the  officials  of  the  road. 

In  1890,  Mr.  Welch  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Lelia  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Robert 
B.  Smith,  of  Parsons,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren ;  Lute  T.  and  James  Norman.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  has  been  a  member  of  the 
different  railway  orders,  and  formerly  took  an 
active  part  in  their  work,  which  the  pressure 
of  official  duties  has  compelled  him  to  relin- 
quish. Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason  and  Knight 
Templar,  and  a  member  of  the  B.  P.  O.  E. 


range  i 
son  of 
Chiles. 


aHOMAS  H.  CHILES.  This  gentle- 
man is  a  farmer  living  in  Mound 
Valley  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  on  section  14,  township  32, 
S.  He  was  born  in  Indiana,  and  is  a 
Rollin  Allison  and  Virginia  A.  E. 
His  parents  lived  in  Indiana,  where 
they  reared  five  children,  of  whom  Thomas  H. 
and  his  sister,  Minerva,  alone  survive.  The 
others  were  Phoebe  L.,  Francis  and  Margaret. 
Minerva  lives  in  Montgomery  county,  Kansas. 
Thomas  H.  Chiles  received  his  mental  train- 
ing in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  county, 
and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  began  to  work 
on  his  father's  farm.  When  he  was  twenty- 
two  years  old, — on  August  9,  1861, — he  en- 
listed in  the  army,  and  saw  active  service  for 
three  years.  He  was  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 15,  1864,  after  which  he  returned  to  Indi- 
ana, where  he  was  married.  He  lived  in  Indi- 
ana until  1871,  when  with  his  wife  and  family 
he  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 


has  since  resided.  He  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  dairying,  and  is  very  prosperous. 
He  has  had  a  thorough  training  in  the  tilling 
of  the  soil,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  best 
farmers  in  the  township.  His  farm  is  kept  in 
good  condition,  being  well  managed  and  cared 
for. 

Mr.  Chiles  married  Barbara  Ledgerwood, 
a  native  of  Indiana,  and  they  have  been  blessed 
with  five  children,  namely:  Alzira,  who  is 
married,  and  lives  near  her  father's  farm ;  Jen- 
nie and  James,  who  are  at  home;  Laura,  who 
lives  in  Mound  Valley  township;  and  Omar, 
who  also  lives  at  home.  Mr.  Chiles  is  a  Re- 
publican, in  politics,  and  has  served  on  the 
school  board  of  Mound  Valley  township.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Hopewell  church  for 
the  past  eighteen  years.  Mr.  Chiles  is  well 
known  in  Labette  county,  where  he  is  highly 
respected  by  all. 


^^HARLES  A.  LAMBERT,  the  popu- 
H  ^M  lar  and  expert  tailor  at  Parsons,^ 
^j^^  Kansas,  where  he  has  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  stocked  tailor  shops 
in  the  city,  was  born  in  Youngstown,  Ohio,  in 
April,  1869.  He  is  a  son  of  S.  J.  and  Kate 
(Hartzell)  Lambert.  His  parents  and  one 
sister  reside  in  Parsons,  where  his  father  is  a 
wholesale  flour  and  feed  dealer,  on  Central 
avenue.  One  sister  is  married  and  resides  in 
Kansas  City,  and  a  brother  lives  in  California. 
In  1878,  the  Lambert  family,  including" 
Charles  A.,  moved  west  to  Parsons,  Kansas, 
where  the  subject  hereof  obtained  his  primary 
education.  He  attended  school  three  months 
in  the  old  frame  building  on  South  Twenty- 
first  street,  and  afterwards  pursued  his  studies 
in  the  East  building.     He    was    subsequently 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


sent  to  Girard,  Ohio,  where  he  also  attended 
school,  making  his  home  during  that  time  with 
a  sister. 

\\'hen  fifteen  years  old  he  returned  to  Par- 
sons, and  attended  private  school,  taking  a 
complete  course  in  mathematics  and  book- 
keeping. Mr.  Lambert  began  his  active  career 
when  sixteen  years  old,  working  at  first  as  clerk 
in  a  grocery  store,  and  driving  the  delivery 
wagon.  He  has  made  his  own  way  ever  since, 
.  without  any  financial  aid  whatever.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1890,  he  became  apprenticed  to  learn  tlie 
tailor  trade,  working  two  years  at  "An- 
thony's," in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  com- 
pletely mastered  the  cutter's  trade,  and  became 
quite  an  expert  in  that  line.  Accepting  a  po- 
sition at  Youngstown,  Ohio,  he  served  as  cut- 
ter for  ten  months.  He  followed  the  same  line 
of  work  at  various  places  afterward.  Among 
these  was  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  he  was  cut- 
ter for  "Reynolds;"  Wichita,  Kansas,  whither 
he  went  in  1893;  and  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Lambert  then  became  a  traveling  sales- 
man, and  for  several  months  sold  woolens  and 
fine  cloths  to  different  tailoring  establishments 
throughout  Texas.  Since  then  he  traveled  in 
that  capacity  a  great  deal,  but  was  finally  taken 
sick  with  typhoid  fever,  and  returned  home. 
After  recuperating,  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  J.  M.  Haller,  and  conducted  a  tailor  shop 
in  Parsons,  until  May,  1896.  He  then  sold 
his  interest  and  immediately  engaged  as  cut- 
ter in  the  establishment  of  Mr.  Johnson,  where 
he  remained  several  months. 

In  August,  1896,  Mr.  Lambert  embarked 
in  business  for  himself  at  his  present  location, 
210  South  Central  avenue,  where  he  now  has 
a  tailoring  establishment  second  to  none  in  the 
city.  His  building  is  60  by  22  feet,  in  dimen- 
sions, and  contains  an  exceptionally  large  and 
fine  stock,  which  he  also  retails  as  occasion  de- 


mands. He  employs  seven  workmen  but  takes 
pride  in  doing  all  'his  own  cutting,  and  turns 
out  a  large  number  of  first  class,  up  to  date 
and  stylish  garments. 

Mr.  Lambert  is  unmarried.  He  is  a  valued 
member  of  the  B.  P.  O.  E.,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
K.  of  P.  He  entertains  broad,  liberal  ideas  on 
religious  subjects,  without  allying  himself  with 
any  church  denomination.  In  his  political  ac- 
tion he  votes  a  straight  Democratic  ticket,  and 
exerts  all  his  influence  in  behalf  of  his  favorite 
party.  He  does  not,  however,  allow  politics 
to  interfere  with  business,  and  it  is  his  constant 
aim  to  give  his  many  patrons  thorough  satis- 
faction and  good  workmanship.  He  is  indeed 
a  hustler,  and  is  rightly  considered  one  of  the 
most  thrifty  and  progressive  business  men  of 
Parsons. 


P  HINDENACH,  who  resides  at 
his  comfortable  home  at  No.  2200 
Briggs  avenue,  is  a  true  type  of  a 
self  made  man.  He  was  born  in 
Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Catherine  (Goodekuntz)  Hinden- 
ach,  who  gave  their  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits. 

Mr.  Hindenach  is  one  of  1 1  children, — nine 
sons  and  two  daughters, — all  but  two  of  whom 
are  living.  The  record  follows :  Frederick, 
of  Allentown,  Pennsylvania;  George,  of  Am- 
bler, Pennsylvania;  J.  P.;  Mary  (Funk),  of 
Ouakertown,  Pennsylvania;  Charles,  deceased, 
who  was  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  at  Ambler, 
Pennsylvania,  near  Philadelphia ;  John,  a  mill- 
wright; Christ,  and  Peter,  partners  in  a  store 
at  Durham,  Pennsylvania;  William,  a  farmer 
living  near  Durham,  Pennsylvania;  Louise 
(Bowman),    of    Easton,    Pennsylvania;    and 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Harry,  deceased,  whose  widow  mid  two  chil- 
dren reside  near  Durliam,   Pem.sylvania, 

Mr.  Hindenach  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  nati\e  state,  and  remained  at 
home  on  the  farm  until  he  attained  his  major 
ity.  He  then  worked  at  different  lines  of  em- 
ployment until  the  fall  of  1869,  when  he  went 
west,  to  Boone  county.  Iowa,  whence,  after 
working  on  a  farm  a  few  months,  he  went  to 
Humboldt,  Kansas.  From  Humboldt  Mi. 
Hindenach  came  to  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
and  began  work  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway,  first  as  wiper,  then  as  fireman, 
switching  engineer,  and  later  as  road  engineer, 
— pulling  trains  to  Cherokee  and  Neosho.  He 
retired  from  railroad  service  and  moved  to  Par- 
sons, where  he  had  formerly  purchased  an  18- 
acre  tract  of  land,  and  then  built  his  present 
home.  It  was  in  1870  that  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Parsons,  and  at  first  boarded  in  the 
tents  of  which  the  town  at  that  time  was  com- 
posed. 

Mr.  Hindenach  was  twice  married.  His 
first  wife  was  Lavina  Journot,  of  Parsons. 
She  died  in  1882,  leaving  two  children,  Eva 
and  Pearl,  to  the  care  of  her  husband.  Some 
time  afterward  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Rose  E.  Smith.  Four  children  have  blessed 
this  union,  viz :  Raymond.  Beatrice,  Leo  and 
Ralph. 

Mr.  Hindenach  deserves  to  be  ranked 
among  the  leading  business  men  of  Parsons. 
His  efforts  through  life  have  been  crowned  with 
success.  Aside  from  the  elegant  home  resi- 
dence, he  also  owns  the  fine  brick  block  at  21 12 
Johnson  avenue,  occupied  by  Saylor  Brothers, 
grocers.  He  has  also  other  properties,  and 
spends  his  time  looking  after  his  various  in- 
terests, raising  some  stock,  and  caring  for  the 
large  amount  of  fruit  grown  on  the  home 
place. 


In  politics,  Mr.  Hindenach  affiliates  with 
the  Democrats,  and  usually  attends  his  party 
caucuses.  He  is  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  i, 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Parsons,  and  of  the  Sons  and 
Daughters  of  Justice.  Mrs.  Hindenach  is  also 
a  member  of  the  latter  society.  In  religious 
views,  they  embrace  the  Catholic  faith. 


^^  AMUEL  F.  TERRIL,  a  prosperous 
^^  farmer  and  stock  raiser  residing  in 
^^^  section  22.  Mount  Pleasant  township, 
Labette  county.  Kansas,  is  also  a  sur- 
veyor by  profession,  and  served  one  term  as 
surveyor  of  this  county.  He  was  born  in  Mus- 
kingum county,  Ohio,  in  1829,  and  is  a  son 
of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  (Marling)  Terril. 

Daniel  Terril,  grandfather  of  Samuel  F., 
was  born  at  Tidewater,  New  Jersey,  in  1758, 
and  died  in  Ohio  county.  West  Virginia,  in 
1 83 1.  He  married  Jane  Giffin,  who  was  born 
in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  in  1765,  and  died  in 
Ohio  county.  West  Virginia,  in  1843. 

Adam  Terril,  father  of  Samuel  F.,  was 
born  in  Ohio  county,  West  Virginia,  in  1797, 
and  died  in  1865,  in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Marling,  who  was  born 
in  1798,  in  Ohio  county.  W'est  Virginia,  and 
died  in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  in  1871. 
They  reared  nine  children,  as  follows :  Dan- 
iel, John  M.,  Mary,  Robert  and  Isabel,  de- 
ceased ;  Samuel  F. :  James  W.  and  William, 
deceased ;   and  Josiah.   of   Muskingum,   Ohio. 

Samuel  F.  Terril  resided  in  his  native 
county  with  his  parents  and  worked  upon  the 
farm  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age. 
when  he  moved  to  Clay  county.  Indiana.  Here 
he  remained  until  1871.  when  he  removed  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  locating  in  section  22, 
Mount  Pleasant  township,  w-here  he  has  since 


JAMES  W.   GALYEN. 


MRS.   LUCRETIA  L.  GALYEN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


resided  and  applied  himself  to  general  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising.  He  has  also  followed 
the  profession  of  a  surveyor,  and  served  one 
term  as  county  surveyor  of  Clay  county,  Indi- 
ana, and  one  term  in  Labette  county,  Kansas. 
He  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity,  and  of 
shrewd  business  ability,  and  has  attained  a 
•high  degree  of  success. 

Mr.  Terril  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Margaret  Laughlin,  who  was  born  in  West- 
moreland county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1835,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  (Nesbitt) 
Laughlin.  Her  father  was  born  in  Westmore- 
land county.  Pennsylvania,  in  1809,  and  died 
in  1885,  in  Clay  county.  Indiana.  Her  mother 
was  born  in  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania, 
in  1805,  and  died  in  Clay  county,  Indiana,  in 
1866.  Samuel  F.  Terril  and  his  wife  are  the 
parents  of  five  children,  namely:  William; 
Ezra;  James,  who  has  a  son,  'Howard;  Eli  U. ; 
and  Sarah  (  Rayburn),  of  Champaign,  Illinois. 
All  of  the  children  but  the  last  named  are  resi- 
dents of  Labette  county.  Mr.  Terril  has  al- 
ways been  a  zealous  Republican,  in  politics, 
imtil  the  last  few  years;  he  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  6.  F. 


B.AMES  W.  GALYEN.  who  was  for 
many  years  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent agriculturists  located  along  the 
Neosho  river,  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  died  February  15,  1899.  Always  in- 
terested in  public  improvements  and  the  de- 
velopment of  his  community,  he  was  one  of 
its  best  citizens,  and  his  death  was  deeply 
mourned  by  his  fellow  citizens  with  whom  he 
had  been  associated  for  so  many  years.  Mrs. 
Galyen  is  now  located  comfortably  in  Parsons, 
Kansas,  where  she  has  many  friends. 


James  W.  Galyen  was  born  in  Vermilion 
county,  Illinois,  October  16,  1837.  At  the  age 
of  twelve  years  he  was  taken  by  his  parents  to 
Barry  county,  Missouri,  where  he  remained 
until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  Believing 
the  South  was  making  a  fight  for  its  just 
rights,  he  sided  with  that  section,  and  enlisted 
in  the  nth  Regiment.  Missouri  Infantry,  and 
served  in  Price's  Division  until  1862,  when  he 
was  discharged.  He  then  moved  to  Greene 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  until  1865, 
when  he  decided  to  establish  a  home  in  the 
west,  and  journeyed  to  Labette  county,  Kansas. 
Arriving  at  Trotter's  ford  on  December  19, 
1865.  he  took  up  a  claim  on  the  Neosho  river, 
which  he  cleared,  and  cultivated  during  the  rest 
of  his  life.  His.  last  days  were  spent  at  his 
son's  home,  whither  he  had  moved  one  month 
prior  to  his  death.  He  was  a  very  success- 
ful farmer,  and  laid  up  a  handsome  competency. 
He  was  a  man  of  many  excellent  qualities,  was 
honest  and  upright  in  all  of  his  dealings,  and 
his  townsmen  lamented  his  death  as  a  loss  to 
the  community. 

December  6,  i860,  Mr.  Galyen  was  united 
in  matrimony  with  Lucretia  J.  Lovelace,  who 
was  born  December  7,  1844.  in  Benton  county, 
Missouri,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Maria 
J.  (Ashley)  Lovelace.  Her  father,  a  promi- 
nent farmer  by  occupation,  was  born  in  Mc- 
Cracken  county,  Kentucky,  and  her  mother  in 
Ballard  county,  Kentucky.  This  old  and  re- 
spected family  moved  to  Missouri  in  1839, 
where  they  lived  until  1862,  and  then  went  to 
Greene  county,  Illinois.  Five  years  later  they 
moved  to  Miami  county,  Kansas,  where  they 
continued  to  live  for  some  time.  Isaac  Love- 
lace died  October  19,  1890.  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-one years,  while  on  a  visit  to  Arkansas. 
Mrs.  Lovelace  died  March  10,  1890,  at  the  age 
of  seventy  years.     They  were  parents  of  four 


448 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


children,  as  follows  :  Elizabeth ;  James  E. ; 
America ;  and  Lucretia  J.  Elizabeth,  deceased, 
married  John  Ellis,  by  whom  she  had  one  son, 
Lafayette.  James  E.  married  Melinda  Mor- 
gan, by  whom  he  had  four  children :  Lenora. 
John,  Lucy,  and  Edna.  America,  who  resides 
in  Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  married  Ivy  Ir- 
win, by  whom  she  had  four  children,  Frank, 
Perry,  Henry,  and  Mary;  being  left  a  widow, 
she  became  the  wife  of  Lewis  Westervelt. 
Lucretia  J.,  the  youngest  member  of  the  fam- 
ily, is  the  widow  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
In  religious  belief,  the  family  were  Baptists. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Galyen  were  the  parents  of 
one  son,  Isaac  \V.,  a  record  of  whose  life  ap- 
pears elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mrs.  Galyen 
has  lived  in  Parsons  since  the  death  of  her 
husband,  and  has  a  comfortable  home  at  No. 
1327  Johnson  avenue,  where  she  is  surrounded 
by  many  friends.  She  still  owns  two  valuable 
farms,  which  she  rents.  Portraits  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  James  \Y.  Galyen  accompany  this  sketch. 


EXJAMIN  FRANKLIN  DIENST,  a 

Sa  prominent  stock  dealer  of  Parsons, 
M  Labette  county,  Kansas,  has  also  fol- 
lowed auctioneering  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  is  considered  quite  an  expert  in  cry- 
ing public  sales.  ^Ir.  Dienst  is  a  son  of  J.  H. 
and  Henrietta  (Gatze)  Dienst,  who  in  former 
years  were  influential  citizens  of  the  Hoosier 
State.  J.  H.  Dienst  is  deceased,  but  his  widow 
is  still  living.  They  left  Indiana  and  came 
west  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  they 
located  in  April.  1868,  and  erected  the  second 
house  built  on  the  prairie.  There  were  then 
only  about  half  a  dozen  families  in  that  section, 
and  they  were  located  along  Big  Hill  Creek. 
The  elder  Dienst  took  up  a  claim  in  Osage 


township, — the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
20.  township  31,  range  18.  This  land  is  still 
in  the  possession  of  the  family,  and  still  re- 
mains the  home  of  the  beloved  mother.  Four- 
teen children  were  born  to  this  worthy  couple. 
They  were:  J.  L.,  formerly  of  Kansas,  who 
died  in  1872,  leaving  a  widow  and  one  child; 
Caroline  (Paul),  who  died  in  1878;  Henry, 
who  died  before  the  family  left  Indiana;  Ben- 
jamin Franklin,  the  subject  of  this  biography; 
Theodore,  a  farmer  near  Idenbro,  Kansas; 
three,  who  died  in  infancy;  George  E.,  who 
was  an  Evangelical  minister  in  Japan  for  many 
years,  but  is  now  a  physician  of  Chicago,  mak- 
ing a  specialty  of  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat 
diseases;  Dan  W.,  of  Coffeyville.  Kansas;  two, 
who  were  twins  and  died  in  infancy;  Lola 
(Miller),  who  resides  with  her  mother  on  the 
farm ;  and  Monroe,  who  is  shipping  clerk  for 
a  tinplate  factory  at  Atlanta,  Indiana. 

Benjamin  F.  Dienst  was  born  January  9, 
1 85 1,  in  the  state  of  Indiana.  He  went  to 
school  in  his  native  state,  and  also  in  Labette 
county,  after  the  family  came  west,  and  re- 
mained at  home  until  the  spring  of  1872.  He 
spent  the  following  season  as  a  cowboy  on  a 
range,  and  returned  home  in  July,  1873.  In 
company  with  Mr.  Carson,  he  left  home  again 
and  went  north  in  search  of  the  Benders,  ar- 
riving, some  time  later,  in  the  state  of  Wiscon- 
sin. While  there  he  engaged  in  lumbering, 
rafting,  etc.,  and  while  working  in  that  ca- 
pacity was  enabled  to  explore  dififerent  islands 
in  the  Mississippi  river.  After  a  fruitless- 
search,  he  returned  home  in  1874,  and  soon 
afterward  his  marriage  took  place.  He  mar- 
ried Elida  J.  Monyhon,  a  daughter  of  David 
Monyhon.  It  is  a  strange  coincidence  that 
Mrs.  Dienst  is  also  one  of  a  family  of  14  chil- 
dren. She  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1854. 
Three  of  her  sisters  are  Mrs.  D.  M.  Markley, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


of  Parsons;  Mrs.  Koho.  of  Arkansas  City; 
and  Mrs.  O.  L.  Coleman,  of  Beloit,  Kansas. 
Their  father,  who  was  familiarly  known  as 
"Uncle"  David  Monyhon,  left  Southern  Indi- 
ana and  went  west  to  Kansas  in  1869.  He 
located  in  Labette  count)  near  the  Bender 
mound,  and  it  was  he  who  first  discovered  the 
mysterious  disappearance  of  that  family.  In 
1882  he  removed  from  that  location  to  Cher- 
ry vale,  where  his  death  took  place  in  1897,  and 
where  his  widow  and  two  of  his  sons  still  re- 
side. 

Seven  children  have  blessed  the  home  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dienst,  as  follows,  Hattie  E. ; 
Grace;  Mattie;  William  H. ;  Theodore;  David 
H. ;  and  George  E.  Hattie  E.,  or  Mrs.  Rich, 
resides  in  Labette  county,  and  has  one  child, 
Kenneth.  Grace  was  born  in  1876.  Mattie, 
or  Mrs.  Widup,  was  born  in  1878,  and  resides 
on  a  farm  in  Liberty  township.  William  H. 
was  born  in  1880,  and  is  an  employee  of  the 
American  Express  Company,  at  Parsons, 
Kansas.  Theodore  was  born  in  1882,  and  is 
now  employed  by  a  telephone  company.  Da- 
vid H.  was  born  in  1884,  and  is  a' student,  as 
is  also  the  youngest  son,  who  was  born  in  1886. 

In  the  early  "seventies"  Mr.  Dienst  pre- 
empted the  northwest  quarter  of  section  20, 
township  31,  range  18,  in  Osage  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  which  land  was  located 
directly  north  of  his  father's  place.  After 
farming  for  several  years,  he  sold  that  tract 
and  purchased  another  farm,  where  he  contin- 
ued agricultural  pursuits  until  the  fall  of  1880. 
He  then  moved  into  Johnson  county,  Missouri, 
where  he  followed  a  like  occupation  for  four 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1884  he  returned  to 
Kansas,  and  rented  his  mother's  farm,  which 
he  conducted  very  successfully  for  the  next 
three  years.  He  then  purchased  another  farm 
for  himself,  where  he  lived  until   1893,  ^""^1 


then  sold  out,  and  removed  to  Parsons.  After 
living-  for  about  one  year  in  the  city,  he  re- 
turned to  the  country,  and  farmed  for  several 
additional  years.  He  again  located  in  Parsons, 
upon  the  completion  of  his  present  comfortable 
residence  on  the  corner  of  Morgan  avenue  and 
Twenty-first  street. 

Mr.  Dienst  commenced  auctioneering  in 
1884.  He  cried  his  first  public  sale  in  Osage 
township,  for  E.  B.  Eberhart.  Since  then  he 
has  followed  that  business  extensively.  He  is 
quite  an  artist  in  his  piofession,  and  has  cried 
sales  in  seven  different  townships.  He  also 
deals  in  stock, — buying  and  selling  hogs  and 
cattle.  Mr.  Dienst  is  a  self  made  man  in  every 
sense  of  the  word,  and  deserves  great  credit  for 
his  industry  and  his  ability  to  make  a  success 
of  everything  he  undertakes.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican, in  politics,  and  has  served  as  trustee  of 
Osage  township.  He  has  also  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  city  marshal  of  Parsons,  having  been 
appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy.  In  their  religious 
views,  the  family  favor  the  M.  E.  churc 


R.  JAMES  HEACOCK,  president  of 
the  board  of  LTnited  States  pension 
examiners,  is  a  li 
zen   of    Parsons. 


exammers,  is  a  highly  esteemed  citi- 
He  was  born  in 
Columbiana  county,  -Ohio,  July  29,  1842.  and 
is  a  son  of  Willin  Heacock,  and  grandson  of 
Jacob  Heacock,  the  latter  a  native  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

Willin  Heacock  was  born  in  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  and  was  reared  a  farmer.  He 
followed  farming  and  sheep  raising  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  Meigs  county.  Ohio, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years.  He  married 
Maria  Edmundson,  botii  being  of  the  Quaker 
faith.     She  died  in  Kansas  at  the  age  of  fifty- 


450 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


two  )ears.  They  reared  two  sons :  James  H. 
and  Howard  P.,  a  mining  engineer  of  Spo- 
kane, Washington. 

Dr.  James  Heacock  received  his  elementary 
education  in  Meigs  county,  Ohio,  and  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  years  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine under  Dr.  Elben,  of  Pomeroy,  Ohio. 
During  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  in  the  7th 
Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf..  but  the  state's  quota  hav- 
ing been  filled,  that  company  was  prevented 
from  going  to  the  front.  After  a  perigd  of 
three  months,  he  re-enlisted  in  the  15th  Reg.. 
Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  transferred  to  the  7th 
Ohio  Battery  of  Light  Artillery.  He  went  out 
in  1863  and  served  two  years  and  one  month, 
being  discharged  August  11,  1865.  He  was 
in  the  First  Division  of  the  17th  Army  Corps, 
and  participated  in  the  engagement  at  Island 
No.  10  and  in  the  siege  of  Vicksbirrg.  He  was 
clerk  of  the  battery  during  the  entire  period  of 
his  service.  After  the  war,  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  settled  in 
Kansas  in  1869,  and  on  October  i6tb  of  that 
year  took  up  a  claim  in  North  township,  La- 
bette county,  upon  which  claim  he  lived.  In 
1 87 1  and  1872  he  took  a  course  of  lectures  in 
the  St.  Louis  Homeopathic  Medical  College, 
and  received  a  degree.  He  resided  upon  his 
farm  in  Labette  county,  which  he  improved, 
and  engaged  also  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
imtil  1882,  when  he  accepted  a  position  with 
the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company,  as  sur- 
geon. He  remained  with  this  company  two 
and  a  half  years,  and  then  located  in  the  city 
of  Parsons.  In  1885  he  sold  his  farm  of  320 
acres,  at  that  time  the  best  improved  farm  in 
the  county.  He  had  a  good  orchard  of  40 
acres  and  a  fine  three-story  brick  house;  the 
consideration  of  the  sale  was  $20,000.  The 
Doctor  has  since  resided  in  Parsons,  and  en- 


joys a  lucrative  practice,  in  addition    to    his 
ofiicial  position. 

Alarch  17,  1867,  Dr.  Heacock  was  united 
in  marriage  w'ith  Anna  Gaston,  of  Meigs  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  they  have  the  following  children : 
Eva  M.,  wife  of  C.  W.  Ryan,  of  Parsons; 
Myrta  M.,  wife  of  E.  A.  Wallon,  of  Parsons; 
Ida  M.,  a  teacher  in  the  Parsons  schools;  Nina 
D.,  wife  of  Luther  Ryan,  of  Parsons;  and  J. 
Howard,  who  attends  the  Parsons  High 
School,  and  is  a  member  of  the  class  of  1902. 
Dr.  Heacock  is  a  member  of  Post  No.  81,  G. 
A.  R.,  and  is  post  surgeon.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Select  Knights  and  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, — in 
both  of  which  he  is  surgeon.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Republican,  and  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  pension  examiners 
since  1897.  Mrs.  Heacock  established  the 
Floral  Park  Greenhouse  in  1895,  ^nd  has. since 
conducted  it, — handling  all  kinds  of  flowers. 
She  is  possessed  of  exceptional  business  abil- 
ity and  has  met  with  success  in  her  undertak- 
ing. She  edited  the  Scarclilighf,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  W.  R.  C,  for  three  years.  It 
was  a  monthly  journal  devoted  to  the  interest 
of  the  old  soldiers  and  their  widows. 


g 


BENEZER  H.  McCREERY  is  the 
owner  and  manager  of  a  large  lum- 
beryard at  Parsons,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  and  does  an  extensive  busi- 
ness throughout  his  section  of  the  county.  He 
is  a  native  of  Indiana  county.  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  was  born  January  22,  1856,  and  is  a 
son  of  Robert  McCreery.  His  grandfather 
was  born  in  Scotland  and  was  the  first  repre- 
sentative of  the  family  in  this  country. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


45E 


Robert  ^IcCreery  was  a  farmer,  and  fol- 
lowed that  occupation  all  his  life;  he  was  over 
eighty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Nancy  Du- 
Shane,  who  now  resides  in  Clearfield  county, 
Pennsylvania,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years. 
They  reared  the  following  children :  Will- 
iam, a  resident  of  Loveland,  Colorado ;  Isaac 
N.,  a  lumber  dealer,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri; 
James,  who  resides  at  Fort  Collins,  Colorado; 
John,  who  resides  in  Clearfield  county,  Penn- 
sylvania; Ebenezer  H,;  Frank,  who  lives  in 
Colorado;  and  Robert,  who  resides  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  Pennsylvania. 

Ebenezer  H.  McCreery  attended  the  schools 
of  his  native  county,  and  at  an  early  age  took 
up  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  which  he  followed 
until  1884.  He  located  in  Parsons,  Kansas, 
in  1880,  and  in  1884  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  with  his  brother,  Isaac  N.  This  busi- 
ness was  established,  in  1881,  by  Lee  Clark  and 
Isaac  N.  McCreery.  The  former  sold  out  in 
1884,  and  shortly  afterward  the  subject  hereof 
bought  an  interest  in  the  business.  The 
brothers  continued  to  conduct  this  business  un- 
til 1890,  when  they  sold  the  concern  to  L.  B. 
Graves,  and  moved  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
There  they  were  again  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  together  until  1899,  when  Ebenezer 
H.  McCreery  disposed  of  his  interest  to  his 
brother  and  returned  to  Parsons,  Kansas.  He 
then  purchased'the  yard  and  business  in  which 
he  had  formerly  been  interested,  and  has  op- 
erated it  since.  He  has  a  very  large  trade  and 
is  one  of  the  substantial  business  men  of  the 
city  of  Parsons. 

In  1890  Mr.  McCreery  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Nellie  Wilson,  who  died  in  1892, 
leaving  one  daughter,  Alargaret.  In  1894, 
Jennie  jNIcClung  became  his  wife,  and  they 
have  one  daughter,  Katherine.     He  is  a  mem- 


ber of  the  Missouri  and  Kansas  Association  of 
Lumber  Dealers.  Politically,  he  is  unswerv- 
ing in  his  support  of  the  Republican  party. 


-^mEORGE  W.  HAWK,  cashier  and  man- 
^  H  ager  of  the  Parsons  Commercial 
Bank,  has  served  in  that  capacity 
since  1878,  and  is  one  of  the  fore- 
most business  men  of  the  city  of  Parsons,  La- 
bette county.  Kansas. 

Mr.  Hawk  was  born  in  Fayette  county,. 
Ohio,  in  1843,  and  was  six  years  of  age  when 
taken  by  his  parents  to  Illinois,  in  1849.  He 
was  reared  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and 
in  1 86 1  enlisted  in  Company  I,  25th  Reg.,  111. 
Vol.  Inf.  He  first  served  in  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland, — participating  in  the  battles  of 
Stone  River,  Chickamauga  and  Missionary 
Ridge, —  and  was  with  General  Sherman  from 
Chattanooga  to  Atlanta;  later  he  was  in  the 
Army  of  the  Southwest.  His  military  service- 
lasted  thirty-nine  months,  and  he  bore  through- 
out an  honorable  record.  After  the  close  of 
the  war  he  attended  school  for  one  year,  in 
Chicago,  and  subsequently  taught  school  for  a 
year.  He  was  then  employed  as  deputy  county 
treasurer  of  Champaign  county  for  three 
years.  He  next  entered  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Champaign,  where  he  was  engaged 
for  two  years,  after  which  he  removed 
to  Parsons,  Kansas.  In  1872  he  entered 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Parsons,  and 
continued  with  that  institution  until  1S78, 
having  worked  his  way  up  to  the  position 
of  assistant  cashier.  The  Parsons  Com- 
mercial Bank  was  reorganized  in  1878, 
and  E.  H.  Edwards  was  made  president;  H. 
A.  Wade,  vice-president;  and  George  W. 
Hawk,  cashier  and  manager.     The  bank  was- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


formerly  known  as  the  Parsons  Savings  Bank, 
and  was  organized,  in  1874,  by  J.  J.  Pierson, 
H.  A.  Wade  and  others.  The  capital  stock 
was  fixed  at  $50,000  and  still  remains  at  that 
figure,  with  a  surplus  of  $30,000.  Mr.  Hawk 
has  continued  as  cashier  and  manager  since  its 
reorganization,  and  much  credit  is  due.  to  him 
for  its  present  prosperous  condition,  which 
stamps  it  as  one  of  the  most  stable  banks  of 
the  county. 

Mr.  Hawk  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1875,  to  Linna  J.  Hodges,  of  Parsons.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
and  has  taken  the  Knight  Templar's  degree. 
He  is  a  Republican,  in  politics,  and  was  city 
treasurer  from  1886  to  1901,  and  treasurer  of 
the  board  of  education  from  1883  to  1901. 
He  is  an  enterprising  and  progressive  citizen, 
and  has  been  active  in  his  support  of  many  en- 
terprises tending  to  develop  the  city. 


ARTIN  VAN  BUREN  HOOVER, 
a  gentleman  of  great  prominence 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  near  the  town  of 
Chetopa.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  stock 
business  in  connection  with  his  brother,  Will- 
iam G.  Hoover,  since  1866,  and  has  made  a 
grand  success  of  it.  He  was  born  in  Logan 
county,  Ohio,  in  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  George 
W.  Hoover. 

George  W.  Hoover  was  born  in  Virginia, 
in  1810,  and  when  a  boy  moved  to  Ohio,  with 
his  parents.  In  1830,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Pamelia  Rosier,  and  they  had  five 
children,  two  of  whom,  the  subject  hereof  and 
William  G.,  are  prominent  men  of  Labette 
county.  His  wife  died,  and  he  married  a  sec- 
ond wife, — Mary  Swallow,  in  1846,  and  then 


moved  to  Iowa,  where  he  accumulated  a  large 
property  by  investing  in  government  lands. 
In  1852  he  moved  to  Texas,  and  located  15 
miles  from  Fort  Worth,  in  Tarrant  county,  on 
the  Clear  Fork  of  the  Trinity  river.  There 
he  witnessed  the  betting  of  a  negro  child  on  a 
horse  race,  and  this  caused  him  to  change  his 
politics  from  Democratic  to  Republican,  as  he 
could  not  support  the  party  that  tolerated  such 
diabolical  traffic.  He  was  against  secession, 
and  about  30  men  came  to  his  ranch  to  take 
him  dead  or  alive,  but  he  found  safety  in  a 
panther's  den,  where  he  lay  forty  days, — food 
being  taken  him  by  the  subject  hereof.  He 
escaped  through  Mexico,  carrying  with  him 
several  hundred  dollars  in  gold  to  Iowa,  where 
he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war,  which 
conflict  caused  him  enormous  losses.  He 
then  returned  to  Texas,  but  not  finding  it  pleas- 
ant to  live  there,  he  journeyed  to  Chetopa, 
Kansas,  in  February,  1867,  where  he  lived  un- 
til" his  death,  January  19,  1878.  He  was  a 
Methodist,  and  helped  to  build  the  church  at 
Chetopa. 
Martin  \'.  Hoover  remained  at  hcime  until 
he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  and  then 
engaged  for  himself  in  the  cattle  business, 
which  has  constituted  his  life  occupation.  In 
1 86 1  he  moved  with  his  cattle  to  Shackelford 
county,  Texas,  and  remained  there  until  1866. 
He  was  there  during  the  stirring  scenes  of  the 
war,  and  his  ranch  was  also  raided,  as  was 
that  of  his  brother.  He  was  imprisoned  for 
some  days,  but  his  brother,  being  the  assessor, 
escaped  imprisonment,  although  he  also  was 
arrested.  They  now  have  a  horse  ranch  in 
Haskell  county,  Texas,  and  among  the  horses 
is  a  car-load  of  standard-bred  Clydesdale 
horses  which  they  shipped  there.  In  1866  the 
partnership  of  W.  G.  Hoover  &  Brother  began, 
and  has  since  continued, — the  business  being 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZEiNS. 


453 


very  extensive.  In  1880  the  snbject  hereof 
decided  to  locate  in  Labette  county,  and  pur- 
cliased  his  present  home  property  in  Riciiland 
township,  just  south  of  Chetopa, — comprising 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  9,  township 
35,  range  21, — which  he  has  linely  improved. 
He  completed  his  handsome  ii-room  house  in 
1887,  and  his  it  equipped  with  bath  rooms  and 
other  modern  conveniences.  He  has  a  tele- 
phone connecting  him  with  his  brother's  house, 
and  with  Chetopa  and  all  adjacent  towns.  He 
now  handles  about  200  head  of  cattle,  cultivates 
113  acres,  has  an  excellent  orchard  of  eight 
acres,  15  acres  in  meadow,  and  the  rest  is  in 
blue  grass  and  clover.  His  property  is  well 
equipped  for  successfully  carrying  on  his  busi- 
ness, having  large  barns,  granaries  and  wind- 
mills. He  and  his  brother  own  about  twenty 
farms  in  Labette  and  Cherokee  counties. 

Mr.  Hoover  was  married,  on  January  14, 
1875,  in  Shackelford  county,  Texas,  to  Martha 
A.  Mathews,  who  was  born  in  Stephens  county, 
Texas,  in  i860,  and  is  a  daughter  of  J.  13.  and 
Caroline  (Spears)  Mathews,  formerly  from 
Alabama.  Her  father  died  in  1895,  aged  sev- 
enty-two years.  Her  mother  still  lives  in 
Shackelford  county,  Texas,  and  is  seventy 
years  of  age.  Her  great-grandmother  lived  to 
reach  the  wonderful  age  of  one  hundred  and 
four  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mathews  were  par- 
ents of  the  following  chiklren :  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  G.  T.  Reynolds,  president  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Albany,  the  county  seat  of 
Shackelford  county,  Texas,  and  also  the  owner 
of  large  stock  and  land  interests;  John  A.,  of 
Albany,  Texas,  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Mathews  &  Blanton  (the  latter  being  an  at- 
torney), who  deal  in  lands,  loans  and  live 
stock  and  do  a  general  insurance  business; 
Mary  (Brown),  who  is  a  widow,  of  Albany, 
and  has  three  children;  Martha  A.,  wife  of  the 


subject  hereof;  Susie,  wife  of  W.  D.  Reynolds, 
vice-president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Albany,  Texas,  and  an  extensive  stock  dealer; 
Ella  (Conrad),  a  widow,  of  Albany,  Texas; 
and  Joseph,  who  died  in  Texas. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoover  became  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  as  follows :  Caroline  Leona, 
born  October  2,  1876;  George  William,  born 
July  22,  1879,  who  is  in  the  grocery  business 
at  Coffeyville,  Kansas ;  Joseph  Alexander,  born 
November  20,  1880,  who  is  in  school  at  Sher- 
man, Texas;  Wilfred  M.,  born  October  19, 
1881,  who  is  in  school  at  Chetopa;  Manor, 
born  September  30,  1888;  Mathews  Valentine, 
born  February  14,  1891 ;  and  Martin  R.,  born 
August  9,  1894.  Politically,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  school  board  in  District  No.  61. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  of  Chetopa.  In 
religious  belief,  he  is  a  Methodist. 


D.  SHELBURN,  a  successful  and 
well  known  farmer  of  North  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  liv- 
ing on  the  east  half  of  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  23.  is  a  native  of 
Sullivan  county,  Indiana,  and  was  born  in 
1838.  His  father,  C.  Shelburn,  who  was  born 
in  Spencer  county,  Kentucky,  married  Cass- 
andra Bennett;  they  had  seveii  children,  name- 
ly :  Barthadia ;  Melissa ;  M.  D. ;  Curtis ;  Mary : 
Melsina ;  and  Cassandra. 

M.  D.  Shelburn  was  reared  and  educated 
in  his  native  state,  and  lived  there  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  He  learned 
farming  when  a  youth,  and  has  followed  that 
occupation  all  his  life.  In  1857  he  went  to 
Edgar  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  agricultui-al  pursuits  for  ten  years,  and  at 
tlie  end  of  that  period  moved  to  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas.  He  bought  his  present  farm  and 
lias  successfully  cultivated  it  ever  since.  He 
keeps  abreast  of  the  times,  and  uses  modern 
implements  to  assist  him  in  his  toil.  He  has 
always  been  a  hard  working  man,  and  success 
has  come  entirely  through  his  own  etiforts. 

Mr.  Shelburn  married  Deborah  Branam, 
who  was  born  in  Monroe  county,  Indiana,  in 
1840.  Her  parents,  who  were  James  and 
Xancy  (Griffith)  Branam,  reared  the  follow- 
ing ofifspring:  Jonathan;  Deborah;  Louis; 
Franklin ;  Mary  E. ;  and  Ellen.  Mr.  Shelburn 
and  his  wife  have  two  children,  Charles  E. 
and  Mary.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  church.  Politically, 
he  belongs  to  the  People's  party. 


B 


tha 


i^lSHA  H.  W  ELLS,  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  a  well  known  farmer,  in 
Aurth  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  has  for  many  years  been  one 
iunty"s  most  active  workers.  He  was 
born  in  Edgar  county,  Illinois,  in  1842,  and  is 
a  .son  of  E.  and  Jane  (Elledge)   Wells. 

E.  Wells,  the  father  of  Elisha  H.,  was  born 
in  Kentucky,  in  1807,  and  his  wife  was  born 
in  that  state  in  181 1.  They  reared  the  follow- 
ing children,  namely:  Albert  ;■  Riley ;  Ange- 
line;  Clarissa;  John;  Elisha  11.;  Isabel;  Mar- 
tha; and  Elijah. 

Elisha  H.  Wells  was  reared  and  sch(juled 
in  his  native  county,  and  at  an  early  age  began 
tu  learn  farming.  He  left  Illinois  when  he 
was  twenty-four  years  old,  and  moved  to  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  where  he  settled  in 
Neosho  township.  There  he  farmed  until 
1872,  when  he  moved  to  North  township,  and 
bought  his  present  home,  the  west  half  of  the 


southwest  quarter  of  section  36.  There  he  has 
carried  on  general  farming  ever  since.  He  is 
a  thorough,  cnnscienti(jus  worker,  and  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  occupation.  He  is  well 
informed  on  all  nialtcrs  pertaining  to  agricul- 
ture and  his  ad\-ice  is  often  sought  in  regard 
to  such  subjects. 

Mr.  Wells  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Slane,  who  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  in 
1850.  She  is  a  daughter  of  A.  and  Mary 
(Bradford)  Slane.  Mr.  Wells  and  his  wife 
have  been  blessed  with  the  following  children : 
Ida,  deceased;  Edgar,  a  mailing  clerk  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas ;  Bertha ;  John ;  Anna ;  Ethel ; 
Leon;  and  Ray.  Edgar  attended  the  normal 
school  at  Fort  Scott  for  three  years. 

Mr.  Wells  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  in  poli- 
tics. He  has  been  trustee  of  Neosho  township 
two  terms,  and  is  at  present  a  justice  of  tne 
peace.  He  ran  for  the  district  clerkship  on 
the  first  Democratic  ticket  voted  in  Labette 
county,  which  was  in  1866.  He  belongs  to 
Parsons  Lodge,  No.  48,  Modern  Tontines. 
Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church. 


RED  B.  CAMPBELL,  a  prosperous 
and  highly  respected  farmer  residing 
in  section  14,  Mount  P^Ieasant  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  a  na- 
tive (if  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  and  was  born 
in  iSfu.  ]Ie  is  a  son  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth   (  Babbitt)    Campbell. 

William  Campbell  was  barn  in  Brockton, 
Canada,  in  1833,  and  was  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile ])ursuits  for  a  number  of  years.  He  died 
in  Denison,  Texas,  in  1883.  His  wife  bore 
him  four  children,  namely:  Fred  B. ;  Anna 
(i'ark),  of  Princeton,  Illinois;  William,  of 
\\'hatcom.  \\'ashington;  and  Lizzie  (Porter), 
of  Great  Bend,  Kansas. 


HEZEKIAH  A.  WADE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Fred  B.  Campbell  lived  in  Jackson  county, 
Missouri,  but  a  few  months,  When  his  parents 
moved  to  Champaign,  Illinois,  where  they  re- 
mained until  1866.  His  parents  then  moved  to 
Clinton,  Canada,  in  1869,  and  later  to  Sedalia, 
Missouri.  In  1871,  they  located  at  Chetopa, 
Kansas.  In  1873,  his  parents  moved  to  Deni- 
son,  Texas,  where  Mr.  Campbell  was  employed 
in  the  postoffice.  He  started  as  mailing  clerk, 
and  filled  all  positions  up  to  assistant  post- 
master. He  left  Denison  in  1884,  and  located 
in  Earned,  Kansas,  where  he  worked  in  the 
postoffice  one  year.  He  was  then  employed  on 
the  road  as  postal  clerk-  for  a  year,  and  after- 
ward embarked  in  the  stationery  business. 
Subsequently,  Mr.  Campbell  sold  out  that  con- 
cern and  went  to  Port  Townsend,  Washing- 
ton, where  he  was  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness for  six  months.  He  next  moved  to  Ta- 
coma,  where  he  again  engaged  in  the  station- 
ery business.  From  Tacoma,  he  went  to 
Wichita  Falls,  Texas,  where  he  was  employed 
as  chief  clerk  in  the  freight  offices  of  the  Fort 
Worth  &  Denver  City  Railway.  In  1892,  he 
returned  to  Kansas,  and  settled  in  Edwards 
county,  where  he  remained  for  a  period  of  two 
years.  In  1894,  he  located  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  bought  and  settled  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides.  He  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  has 
been  very  successful.  He  has  a  neat  and  at- 
tractive farm,  which  is  always  kept  in  good 
condition. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lillian  Sunderland,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois. 
She  was  born  in  1870,  and  a  daughter  of  Al- 
fred and  Sarah  (Lamme)  Sunderland,  of  Blue 
Mound,  Kansas-.  Mr.  Sunderland  was  born  in 
Dayton,  Ohio,  in  1842,  and  his  wife  was,  also. 
a  native  of  that  city,  where  she  was  born  in 
1845.      They   reared   three   children,   namely: 


Delia,  a  resident  of  Earned,  Kansas;  Nellie, 
living  at  Blue  Mound,  Kansas;  and  Lillian, 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Campbell.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  as  follows  :  Ethel ;  Blanche :  Win- 
field;  Alfred  ;  Richard  :  Howard,  deceased  ;  and 
Nathaniel. 


EZEKIAH  A.  WADE,  vice-president 
of  the  Parsons  Comm.ercial  Bank, 
whose  portrait  is  herewith  shown,  has 
been  living  a  retired  life  in  the  city 
of  Parsons,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  since  1890. 
He  was  a  bricklayer  by  trade,  and  built  many 
of  the  first  brick  buildings  of  the  community. 
Mr.  Wade  was  born  in  Bedford  county, 
Virginia,  in  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander 
Wade.  He  was  reared  and  schooled  in  his 
native  county,  and  early  in  life  began  to  learn 
the  trade  of  a  brick-mason.  He  served  -his  ap- 
prenticeship in  Campbell  county.  Virginia,  and 
afterward  went  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  where 
he  lived  a  few  years  and  plied  his  trade.  He 
then  moved  to  Petersburg,  Virginia,  and  re- 
sided there  until  1869,  when  he  moved  to 
Kansas,  locatmg  at  Chetopa,  Labette  county. 
He  remained  there  but  one  year,  after  which 
he  settled  in  Parsons,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. He  laid  the  first  brick  in  the  city  of 
Parsons, — which  was  m  the  old  Belmont  Ho- 
tel chimneys. — and  has  also  built  many  of  the 
best  business  houses  which  are  still  standing, — 
including  the  opera  house,  Masonic  Temple, 
and  Third  Ward  school  building.  He  was 
engaged  actively  at  his  trade  until  1890,  and 
in  these  years  of  industry  put  by  a  handsome 
competency, — enabling  him  to  retire  and  en- 
joy the  comforts  of  life  in  his  declining  years. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  stockholders,  and  a 
director   of   the    Parsons    Savings    Bank,    or- 


458 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ganized  by  Joshua  Hijl  in  1874,  and  was  one 
of  the  incorporators  of  the  Parsons  Commer- 
cial Bank,  in  1878.  He  has  since  served  as 
vice-president  and  director  of  the  latter  insti- 
tution. Politically,  he  is  a  stanch  supporter 
of  Democratic  principles.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
Mason,  and  has  risen  to  the  rank  of  Knight 
Templar. 


HOHN  W.  PARK.     This  gentleman,  liv- 
ing in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
4,  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of 
Oswego    township,    Labette    county. 
Kansas,  and  is  highly  respected  by  all  in  the 
community.     He  was  born  in  Monroe  county, 
Ohio,  in  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Walter  Park. 

Walter  Park  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and 
was  born  in  1798.  He  came  to  America  in 
1833,  and  settled  in  Monroe  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  died  in  1863.  He  was  a  tanner  by 
trade,  and  followed  that  occupation  all  his  life. 
He  was  the  father  of  the  following  children, 
namely:  Nicholas  and  James  L.,  deceased; 
Janet;  James  N. ;  John  W. ;  Eliza  J;  William 
S. ;  and  Mary  A. 

John  W.  Park  received  his  mental  training 
in  the  common  schools  of  Monroe  county, 
'Ohio,  and  lived  there  until  1864,  assisting  on 
the  farm.  Two  years  of  this  time  were  spent 
in  New  York  City,  where  he  was  engaged  as 
a  florist.  In  1864  he  moved  to  Douglas  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  where  he  remained  until  1867, 
when  he  came  to  Labette  county,  and  settled 
in  Fairview  township.  In  1882  Mr.  Park  was 
oI)liged  to  go  to  Arkansas  for  his  health ;  after 
remaining  there  one  year  he  returned  to 
Kansas.  He  then  bought  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  4,  in  Oswego  township,  Labette 
crninty,  and  since  that  time  has  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock  raising.     He  has  been  very 


successful,  and  is  well  known  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Park  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  Barnard,  in  1871.  She  was  born  in 
Porter  county,  Indiana,  in  1842,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  William  Barnard.  William  Bar- 
nard was  born  in  Surry  county,  North  Caro- 
lina, in  1803,  and  died  in  1887.  He  reared  the 
following  children,  namely;  Oliver;  Nelson; 
Milo,  deceased;  Polly;  Clinton;  Rhoda;  Uriah; 
Elizabeth;  Job;  Rachael,  deceased;  and  Mil- 
ton. Mrs.  Park  left  Indiana  in  1870,  in  order 
to  join  her  brother,  who  had  previously  lo- 
cated in  Labette  county,  Kansas.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Park  are  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  William  B.,  deceased;  Clara;  Wal- 
ter; Edna;  and  Mabel.  Mr.  Park  is  a  strong 
Prohibitionist.  He  is  a  member  of  the  j\Ieth- 
odist  church. 


HOMAS  N.  SEDGWICK,  who  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  legal  pro- 
fession, located  at  Parsons,  Kansas, 
is  general  attorney  for  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company,  an  office 
he  has  filled  in  a  most  capable  manner  since 
1889. 

Mr.  Sedgwick  was  born  in  Shelby  county, 
Illinois,  in  1848,  and  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  Moultrie  county.  He  taught  school  a  few 
years,  and  in  1870  located  in  Emporia,  Kan- 
sas. He  began  the  study  of  law,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1873.  He  then  followed 
a  general  practice  in  Emporia,  with  such  suc- 
cess that  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way Company  tendered  him  the  position  of 
general  attorney  of  the  road,  which  he  accepted 
January  i,  1889.  During  his  practice  at  Em- 
poria, he  was  first  associated  with  C.  N.  Sterry, 
who  is  now  general  attorney  for  the  Santa  Fe 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


459 


Pacific  Railroad  Company,  and  later,  with 
Hon.  L.  B.  Kellogg,  formerly  attorney  gen- 
eral of  the  state  of  Kansas.  Mr.  Sedgwick 
took  up  his  residence  in  Parsons  in  1896,  al- 
though he  has  maintained  his  office  in'  the  city 
since  1891.  He  is  very  prominent  among  the 
members  of  the  legal  profession  of  Labette 
county,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  citi- 
zens of  Parsons. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Sedgwick  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Flora  Frederick,  by  whom  he  has 
three  children,  as  follows:  Edith  P.,  who  is 
studying  music  in  Chicago,  Illinois;  Fred  S., 
a  student;  and  Mary  Alma.  Politically,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican,  and 
while  engaged  in  general  practice  took  an  active 
part  in  politics.  He  served  as  county  attorney 
of  Lyon  county  for  six  years. 


0R.  J.  STANLEY  TINDER.  Among 
the  prominent  druggists  and  physi- 
cians of  Parsons,  Kansas,  is  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  appears  at  the 
opening  of  this  sketch.  For  many  years  he 
has  been  one  of  Parsons'  leading  pharmacists, 
and  is  a  specialist  in  hair,  skin  and  scalp  dis- 
eases. Naturally  of  a  studious  turn  of  mind, 
he  has  spent  years  in  study  and  preparation  for 
his  profession,  and  is  thoroughly  competent 
to  handle  the  large  clientele  which  it  is  his 
good  fortune  to  have.  Dr.  Tinder  was  born 
in  Hendricks  county,  Indiana,  in  1861. 

Dr.  Tinder  received  his  primary  education 
in  his  native  county,  and  later  attended  the 
Danville  Normal  School, — graduating  with 
the  class  of  1882.  During  the  time  he  attended 
school,  he  was  also  clerk  in  a  drug  store.  In 
1882,  Dr.  Tinder  went  to  Indianapolis,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  worked  as  clerk  in  a  drug  store 


for  two  years,  and  in  1884  attended  Central 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  He  then 
went  to  Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  drug  clerk,  for  three  years.  In  1888, 
he  started  in  business  for  himself,  and  has  con- 
ducted a  drug  store  ever  since.  In  1897,  Dr. 
Tinder  took  a  special  course  at  the  Indiana 
Medical  College,  at  Indianapolis,  and  a  second 
course  at  the  Chicago  Physio-Medical  Col- 
lege,— graduating  with  the  class  of  1898.  He 
followed  a  general  practice  in  connection  with 
his  drug  business,  but  only  for  a  short  time. 
He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  specialty 
of  hair,  skin  and  scalp  diseases,  in  which  he 
has  been  very  successful.  He  is  a  young  man, 
and  a  bright  future  awaits  him. 

Dr.  Tinder  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Ella  Ray,  in  1886,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren :  Ray,  Loyall,  and  Gail.  Dr.  Tinder  is  a 
member  of  the  lodges  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W., 
Select  Friends,  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees,  of  which  he  is  commander.  He  is 
a  Democrat,  in  politics,  and  has  served  on  the 
school  board  for  three  years,  and  on  the  board 
of  health  for  two  years.  He  is  a  very  popular 
man  in  Parsons,  and  commands  the  respect  of 
all  who  know  him. 


0R.  JOHN  W.  TINDER,  a  distin- 
guished member  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession at  Parsons,  Kansas,  was  for 
many  years  engaged  in  general  prac- 
tice, but  in  more  recent  years  has  made  a  spe- 
cialty of  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  the  eye, 
ear,  nose,  and  throat.  He  was  born  at  Dan- 
ville, Hendricks  county,  Indiana,  in  1864,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  Tinder,  and  grandson  of 
Joel  Tinder. 

Joel  Tinder  was  born  in  Virginia  and  there 


46o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


married  Martha  Ji>hnson,  a  cousin  of  Presi- 
dent Andrew  Johnson.  Tliey  moved  to  Shelby 
county,  Kentucky,  and  Hved  there  until  1830, 
when  they  moved  to  Hendricks  county,  Indi- 
ana, where  both  died. 

William  Tinder  was  born  June  11,  1821, 
in  Kentucky,  and  died  in  Indiana,  in  March. 
1884.  He  located  on  a  farm  in  Hendricks 
county,  Indiana,  which  his  father  had  entered 
as  government  land ;  and  there  he  lived  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  He  married  Catherine 
Kennedy,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jesse  Kennedy,  who  was  a  native  of 
England.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Democrat. 
The  mother  of  Dr.  Tinder  still  resides  in  Dan- 
ville, Indiana.  They  reared  a  family  of  12 
children,  11  of  whom  reached  maturity,  and 
10  of  whom  are  now  living. 

Dr.  John  W.  Tinder  received  his  mental 
training  in  the  district  schools,  and  in  Danville 
Normal  School.  He  engaged  in  teaching  for 
a  period  of  four  years,  during  which  time  he 
also  pursued  the  study  of  medicine.  He  took 
a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Indiana  Medical 
College,  in  Indianapolis,  and  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1892.  He  spent  the  summer  of 
i88g  and  1890  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  where, 
after  his  graduation  in  1892,  he  located  per- 
manently. Until  1895  he  followed  a  general 
practice,  and  then  took  a  post-graduate  course 
in  New  York  City.  Since  that  time  he  has 
been  a  specialist  in  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear, 
nose  and  throat,  and  has  acquired  a  remunera- 
tive practice.  In  September,  1899,  he  estab- 
lished the  Parsons  School  of  Suggestive 
Therapeutics.  The  purpose  of  this  institution 
is  to  instruct  physicians,  dentists,  lawyers, 
clergymen,  teachers,  trained  nurses  and  other 
well  educated  people,  in  the  science  and  art 
of  Suggestive  Therapeutics.  A  comjilete  ex- 
position of  p.sycholngicnl  medicine  is  given  as 


expounded  by  Liebeault,  Bernheim,  Moll,  Hud- 
son, Pitzer,  and  others.  The  psychological 
treatment  of  diseases  and  the  production  of 
anesthesia  for  surgical  operations  through 
hypnotic  influence,  are  thoroughly  elucidated 
by  didactic  lectures  and  practical  demonstra- 
tions upon  subjects  before  the  classes. 

Dr.  Tinder  was  united  in  marriage,  Decem- 
ber 22,  1897,  to  Lottie  M.  Horr,  of  Parsons, 
and  they  have  two  children :  Oneta  F.  and 
Jean  K.  The  Doctor  has  been  secretary  of 
the  board  of  health  for  a  period  of  six  years. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen ;  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America;  Modern  Tontines;  Endowment 
Rank,  K.  of  P. ;  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows. 


._  «  EORGE  K.  RATLIFF,  who  has  been 
^  H  ^  prominent  citizen  of  Parsons,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  since  1878,  is 
.  the  leading  real  estate  dealer  of  the 
city.  He  is  an  excellent  business  man,  and 
possesses  much  shrewdness  and  foresight,  as 
is  evidenced  by  his  many  important  transac- 
tions. He  was  born  in  Princeton,  Caldwell- 
county,  Kentucky,  in  1851,  and  is  a  son  of 
R.  B.  Ratliff,  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Princeton,  Kentucky. 

R.  B.  Ratlifif  was  born  in  Meade  county^ 
Kentucky,  in  181 8,  and  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Bullitt  county.  He  later  became  a 
banker  of  Princeton,  and  owned  and  operated  a 
■private  bank  for  some  years.  He  then  or- 
ganized the  First  National  Bank  of  Princeton, 
of  which  he  is  president.  He  is  a  prominent 
Republican,  and  in  early  life  was  very  active 
in  i^olitics. 

George    K.    Ratliff    attended    the    public- 


DR.   PORTER  W.   BARBE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


463 


schools  and  Forest  Home  Academy,  and  took 
a  course  in  the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann 
Arbor.  In  1871  he  became  cashier  in  his  fa- 
ther's bank  at  Princeton,  where  he  continued 
until  1878,  and  then  located  at  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas. He  first  engaged  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness and  followed  it  with  good  results  until 
1882.  In  1886,  he  opened  a  real  estate  office, 
and  has  continued  in  that  line  ever  since.  He 
is  a  man  of  strict  integrity  and  reliable  in  every 
particular,  and  the  citizens  of  the  community 
have  unhesitatingly  reposed  their  confidence  in 
him. 

Mr.  Ratliff  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1877, 
with  Miss  T.  L.  Walker,  of  Alton,  Illinois, 
and  they  have  one  daughter,  Laura  Alberta. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  an  active  worker 
in  the  interests  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
while  not  desirous  of  holding  office,  he  attends 
the  various  conventions  and  assists  in  shaping 
the  policies  of  his  party.  He  served  some 
years  in  the  city  council.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  B.  P.  O.  E. ;  Knights  of 
Pythias;  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  I.  O.  R.  M. ;  A.  O.  U. 
W. ;  and  a  number  of  other  societies. 


IR.  PORTER  W.  BARBE,  a  gentleman 
who   has   been   eminently   successful 
as  a  practitioner  of  medicine,  is  lo- 
cated   at    Oswego,    Labette    county, 
Kansas,  where  he  commands  a  large  and  lucra- 
tive practice.     He  is  well  qualified  for  his  pro- 
fession both  by  nature  and  by  years  of  study 
in  schools  of  recognized  standing  in  this  coun- 
try, and  his  wide  experience  has  given  him  a 
skill  in  diagnosing  and  treating  complex  cases 
such  as  but  few  men  in  the  county  possess. 
Dr.  Barbe  was  born  in  Bristol,  Trumbull  coun- 


ty, Ohio,  in  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Abraham 
and  L3'dia  A.  (Carlin)  Barbe,  and  grandson 
of  William  Barbe. 

William  Barbe  was  born  in  Metz,  Germany, 
and  after  his  marriage  came  to  this  country. 
He  settled  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  Vir- 
ginia, and  later  moved  to  Trumbull  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His 
union  with  Mary  Hammon,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  eighty-eight  years,  was  productive  of 
the  following  offspring:  Jacob;  William; 
Gabriel;  Abraham;  Peter;  and  Mary. 

Abraham  Barbe  was  born,  reared  and  li\'ed 
on  the  old  family  homestead  in  Trumbull 
county,  Ohio.  He  was  born  September  17, 
1809,  and  died  January  7,  1868.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  stock  raiser,  by  occupation,  and  was 
a  very  successful' man.  He  married  Lydia  A. 
Carlin,  who  was  born  February  5,  1813,  and 
died  March  25,  1884,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  Mahala  J. 
(Ives);  William  D. ;  Hannah  M.  (Shank); 
Walter  T. ;  Sophia  D.  (Simpson)  ;  Joseph  W. ; 
Anna  E.  (Burton)  ;  Martin  J.;  Porter  W. ; 
Freeman  D. ;  Celia  A.  (Nelson);  Phoebe  A. 
(Kibee)  ;  and  Ida  (Burton).  He  was  an  old- 
line  Democrat,  in  politics,  and  a  Universalist, 
in  religious  belief. 

Porter  W.  Barbe  received  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  W^estern  Reserve  Seminary,  at 
West  Farmington,  Trumbull  county,  Ohio, 
after  which  he  attended  Hiram  College,  in 
Portage  county,  Ohio.  He  first  entered  upon 
the  study  of  medicine,  in  1874,  at  West  Farm- 
ington, with  Dr.  O.  A.  Palmer,  now  of  Cleve- 
land. In  the  fall  of  1876  he  entered  the  Co- 
lumbus Medical  College,  at  Columbus,  Ohio, 
where  he  spent  one  year.  He  spent  the  two 
following  years  in  the  Cleveland  Medical  Col- 
lege, at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  graduated 


464 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


on  March  6,  1880.  He  immediately  began 
practice  at  Burg  Hill,  Ohio,  where  he  contin- 
ued for  five  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period 
he  took  a  special  course  of  study  in  the  medical 
department  of  the  Western  Reserve  University, 
of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  In  the  spring  of  1885  he 
located  in  Oswego,  Kansas,  where  he  has  since 
practiced  with  great  success.  He  soon  estab- 
lished an  enviable  reputation  as  a  physician,  in 
addition  to  which  he  is  looked  upon,  in  private 
life,  as  one  of  Oswego's  most  worthy  citizens. 
On  March  10,  1870,  Dr.  Barbee  was  united 
in  wedlock  with  Florence  G.  Gordon,  of  Trum- 
bull county,  Ohio,  and  they  have  a  daughter. 
Lulu  Pearl.  Fraternally,  the  Doctor  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias;  Odd  Fellows; 
Pyramids;  Modern  Woodmen  of  America;  and 
the  Rebekahs, — being  medical  examiner  of  all 
these  orders.  He  is  also  examiner  for  six  old- 
line  insurance  companies.  He  has  represented 
each  of  the  above  named  lodges  at  their  re- 
spective state  grand  lodges.  He  is  an  honor- 
ary member  of  Trumbull  County  Medical  So- 
ciety; and  of  the  Ohio  State  Medical  Society; 
a  member  of  the  Kansas  State  Medical  So- 
ciety :  and  the  Southeast  Kansas  Medical  So- 
ciety, of  which  he  is  ex-president.  He  is  a 
Republican,  in  politics,  and  was  appointed 
pensioner  examiner  in  1897, — having  since 
served  as  secretary  of  the  board.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  local  board  of  health  for 
twelve  years,  and  was  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education  from  1886  to  1890.  He  served 
in  the  city  council  in  1891  and  1892, — being 
president  of  the  council  and  chairman  of  the 
ordinance  committee,  for  the  revision  of  the 
ordinances  under  which  the  city  now  works. 
In  the  spring  of  1900  he  was  again  elected  to 
the  board  of  education,  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Christian  church 
for  thirty-three  years,  and  of  the  official  church 


board  for  fifteen  years.  A  portrait  of  Dr. 
Barbe  accompanies  this  sketch,  being  presented 
on  a  foregoing  page. 


S^^pBERT  B.  GAY,  who  owns  and  con- 

i  kw  ^"'^'^^  ^  ^^^  ^^^^  ^"  Mount  Pleasant 
0^@  township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
a  resident  of  the  city  of  Altamont, 
where  he  has  lived  since  1883.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  a  business  way,  and  is  one 
of  the  foremost  citizens  of  the  town. 

Mr.  Gay  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Ken- 
tucky, December  11,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Rebecca  (Bratton)  Gay.  John  Gay  was 
born  in  Virginia,  and  was  a  boy  when  he  moved 
to  Clark  county,  Kentucky,  with  his  father, 
James  Gay.  There  he  was  reared  and  schooled 
and  followed  farming  for  several  years.  He 
married  Rebecca  Bratton,  and  in  1837  they 
removed  to  Boone  county,  Missouri,  where  he 
died.  They  reared  the  following  children :  Ann 
D.  (Youger),  deceased;  Sarah  J.  (Vaghn), 
of  Monroe  county,  Missouri ;  Robert  B. ;  Lu- 
cinda  (Newman),  Margaret  (Christman), 
David  and  William,  deceased;  and  Nancy 
(Shock),  of  Boone  county,  Missouri.  John 
Gay  was  a  Democrat,  in  politics.  Religiously, 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and' 
was  an  active  church  worker. 

Robert  B.  Gay  received  his  mental  training 
in  the  schools  of  Boone  county,  Missouri,  and 
there  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1883.  In  that  year  he  moved  to  Altamont, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  has  since  made 
his  residence  in  that  city.  He  purchased  a 
farm  near  Altamont,  in  Mount  Pleasant  town- 
ship, which  he  has  been  occupied  in  cultivating. 
The  farm  is  well  improved,  equipped  with  good 
substantial  buildings,  and  has  been  very  pro- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


465 


ductive.  In  politics,  ]Mr.  Gay  is  a  prominent 
Democrat  and  an  active  worker  for  party  suc- 
cess. He  has  served  in  the  city  council  and 
was  mayor  of  the  city  in  1890. 

December  25,  1861,  Mr.  Gay  was  joined  in 
matrimony  with  Miss  L.  F.  Christman,  who 
died  in  1869,  leaving  two  children:  John  R., 
of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  and  English  A.,  of 
Centralia,  Missouri.  In  1883,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  wedded  to  his  second  wife, — 
Mrs.  E.  F.  (Coons)  Morning.  Religiously, 
he  favors  the  Church  of  Christ. 


^ralALTER  S.  FISHER,  a  prominent 
^  &      young  liveryman  of  Oswego,  Kan- 

'  ^  sas,  and  a  native  of  that  town,  was 
born  October  21,  1S80,  and  is  a 
son  of  Samuel  Fisher. 

Samuel  Fisher  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  in 
1870,  located  at  Oswego,  where  he  died  in  May, 
1890.  His  brother,  I.  R.  Fisher,  accompanied 
him  to  Kansas,  where  they  conducted  a  grocery 
store  together.  They  freighted  their  goods 
from  Kansas  City,  until  the  railroads  were 
built.  Mr.  Fisher  married  Josie  Scott,  who 
after  her  husband's  death,  married  J.  M.  Hart, 
who  died  in  1893.  Samuel  Fisher  was  a  Re- 
publican, and  an  active  worker  in  the  party. 

Walter  S.  Fisher  attended  the  public  and 
high  schools  of  Oswego,  and  graduated  from 
the  Emporia  Business  College,  in  1899.  Dur- 
ing 1896,  1897  and  1898,  he  was  in  Kansas 
City,  at  the  O.  N.  Hunt  stables,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  racing.  In  the  spring  of  1899,  he 
was  occupied  in  St.  Louis,  and  in  October  of 
that  year  returned  to  Oswego,  and  engaged 
in  the  livery  business.  He  has  a  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  horses,  having  made  a  study  of  their 
habits,  and  having  been  among  them  for  manv 


years.  His  partner  in  business  was  Mn 
Holmes,  but  in  Alarch,  1900,  Mr.  Fisher 
bought  out  Mr.  Holmes'  interest.  His  livery- 
stable  is  first  class  in  every  respect,  and  is  large- 
ly patronized. 

Mr.  Fisher  is  a  member  of  the  M.  W.  of 
A.;  A.  O.  U.  W.;  and  A.  O.  P. 


0R.  J.  M.  KLEISER,  a  physician  and 
surgeon   of  high   repute  throughout 
Labette  county,   is  enjoying  a  very 
fine    practice    in    Parsons,    Kansas, 
where  he  is  located.     He  was  born  in  Bourbon 
county,  Kentucky,  in  1849. 

The  early  boyhood  days  of  Mr.  Kleiser 
were  spent  in  Northern  California,  whither  his 
parents  had  moved  during  the  gold  excitement. 
They  returned  to  Kentucky  in  i860.  After 
obtaining  his  primary  schooling  he  entered 
Washington  &  Lee  LTniversity,  which  he  at- 
tended for  two  years,  and  then  continued  his 
studies  at  the  University  of  Virginia.  He 
studied  medicine  at  the  University  of  New 
York  in  New  York  City,  and  graduated  from 
the  medical  department,  with  the  class  of  1871. 
After  a  short  rest,  he  began  his  practice  at 
Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he  located  January 
9,  1872,  and  has  resided  ever  since.  His  patron- 
age is  mainly  from  a  high  class  of  citizens,  and 
his  patients  are  also  numbered  as  his  friends. 
He  enjoys  their  greatest  confidence,  and  his 
ability  is  recognized  wherever  he  is  known.  He 
has  been  local  surgeon  for  the  Missouri,  Kan- 
sas &  Texas  Railway  ever  since  he  located  in 
Parsons.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Southeastern 
Kansas  Medical  Society;  the  State  Medical 
Society  of  Kansas ;  and  the  International  So- 
ciety of  Railway  Surgeons. 

Dr.  Kleiser  was  united  in  matrimony  with 


466 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Elizabeth  H.  Reynolds,  who  died  March  lo, 
1896,  leaving  four  children:  Max,  Karl,  F'ritz 
and  Hugh.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  as  far  advanced  as  the 
Shrine.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  and  un- 
wavering supporter  of  the  principles  of  the 
Democratic  party.  He  has  served  as  city  phy- 
sician, and  on  the  board  of  health.  During 
President  Hayes'  administration,  he  was  U. 
S.  pension  examiner.  This  position  he  held 
for  16  consecutive  years. 


ERRY  S.  W^HITE,  who  has  large 
Inisiness  interests  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  located  at  Parsons,  where 
he  has  the  oldest  lumber  yard  in  the 
city.  In  addition  to  this,  he  conducts  a  branch 
lumber  yard  at  Dennis,  and  also  a  hardware 
store.  He  is  possessed  of  exceptional  business 
ability,  and  his  different  ventures  have  been 
attended   with  the  greatest  success. 

Mr.  White  was  born  in  Warrick  county.  In- 
diana, in  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  James  P.  and 
Rachael  (Gwaltney)  White,  and  a  grandson  of 
John  and  Catherine  (McCard)  White.  Cath- 
erine (McCard)  White  died  in  1832,  leaving 
but  one  child,  James  P.  John  White  formed  a 
second  union,  February  19,  1833,  by  wedding 
Elizabeth  Eckles,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel and  Nancy  (White)  Eckles.  This  union 
resulted  in  the  following  offspring:  Samuel 
M.,  Catherine  M.,  Nancy,  Martha,  John  G., 
and  Thomas  B.  The  family  moved  to  War- 
rick county,  in  1849. 

James  P.  White  was  born  in  Perry  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  moved  to  Indiana,  before 
his  marriage.  His  early  life  was  spent  in 
teaching  school,  after  which  he  followed  farm- 
ing   in    his  native  county.     He  was  born  in 


1832,  and  died  in  1896.  He  married  Rachael 
Gwaltney,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1834, 
and  died  in  1899.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  (Moore)  Gwaltney,  the  former  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  the  latter,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. John  Gwaltney  left  his  native  state  and 
went  to  Ohio,  when  young.  In  1857.  he  went 
to  Spencer  county,  Indiana,  and  there  reared 
a  family  of  15  children.  He  lived  to  reach 
the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  and  his  wife 
reached  a  greater  age.  James  P.  White  and 
his  worthy  wife  became  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Rose  B.  (Heim),  deceased; 
George  W.,  who  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Warrick  county,  Indiana ;  Perry  S. ; 
Sarah,  deceased;  and  Jesse,  deceased.  He  fa- 
vored the  Whig  and  Republican  parties,  and 
was  a  Presbyterian  in  religious  belief. 

Perry  S.  White  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
his  native  county  and  followed  farming  until 
1881.  He  came  west  in  February,  1881.  and 
was  employed  by  C.  F.  Hodgman,  who  con- 
ducted a  lumber  yard  at  the  present  place  of 
business  of  Mr.  White.  Mr.  White  was  yard 
manager,  and  in  1886  bought  out  his  employer, 
having  purchased  the  land  on  which  the  busi- 
ness is  located,  in  1891.  He  has  the  first  es- 
tablished lumber  concern  in  Parsons,  and  does 
a  very  extensive  business.  He  has  a  branch 
lumber  yard  at  Dennis,  Labette  county,  which 
he  started  in  February,  1896,  when  he  began 
his  hardware  trade  there,  also.  He  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  State  Bank  of  Par- 
sons, in  1898.  and  has  since  been  a  director, 
and  served  as  secretary  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors. He  is  a  member  of  the  Missouri  and 
Kansas  Association  of  Lumber  Dealers. 

November  6.  1882.  Mr.  White  was  joined 
in  matrimony  with  Mattie  A.  Barker,  of  Par- 
sons, by  whom  he  has  had  five  children,  as 
follows :     Herbert,  deceased ;  Walter  G. ;  Fay ; 


FRANKLIN   D.   HOWE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


469 


Helen;  and  Laura,  deceased.  He  is  a  Republi- 
can in  politics.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  of  which  he  was 
formerly  a  commander;  and  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  which  he  served  as  treasurer  for 
six  years. 

Mr.  White  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  of  Parsons.  The 
former  was  a  delegate  to  the  grand  lodge 
which  was  held  in  Kansas  City,  May  21,  1901. 
He  was  also  a  delegate  to  the  grand  lodges 
held  at  Pittsburg,   Kansas,  and  Tola,  Kansas. 


RANKLIN  D.  HOWE,  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  and  farmer  residing  in 
section  2t„  Oswego  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  whose  portrait  is  here- 
with shown,  is  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists 
of  the  county.  He  was  born  in  Brighton,  a 
suburb  (jf  Boston,  Massachusetts,  October  i, 
1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Stillman  Howe,  and 
grandson  of  William  S.  Howe.  The  latter  was 
a  Revolutionary  soldier. 

Stillman  Howe  was  born  in  Brighton,  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  1806,  and  followed  the  trade  of 
a  stone-mason  all  his  life.  He  built  several 
stone  buildings  in  Boston.  His  death,  which 
occurred  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years,  was 
•caused  by  the  falling  of  a  stone,  while  he  was 
at  work  on  a  bridge  pier.  He  married  Har- 
riet Perry,  of  Boston,  and  she  also  died  at  the 
age  of  forty-five  years.  They  reared  the  fol- 
lowing ofifspring:  Henry  H. ;  Hollis;  Harriet, 
deceased;  and  Franklin  D,,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch. 

Franklin  D.  Howe  spent  his  boyhood  days 
in  his  native  town,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources. 
He  first  worked  in  a  boot  and  shoe  factory  at 


Milford,  from  1852  to  1859,  and  in  the  latter 
year  went  to  Chicago.  There  he  obtained  work 
in  a  boot  and  shoe  factory,  in  which  he  re- 
mained until  1866.  Desiring  a  more  suitable 
climate,  as  he  was  not  strong,  and  concluding 
to  try  the  West,  he  finally  settled  in  Labette 
county,  and  bought  a  farm  in  section  23,  Os- 
wego township,  where  he  is  successfully  car- 
rying on  general  farming. 

Mr.  Howe  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1870, 
with  Eliza  Hogoboom,  who  died  in  1873.  In 
1878,  he  married  Mary  F.  Roe,  a  native  of 
Greene  county,  New  York.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Gideon  Roe.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howe  have 
two  children, — Allura  and  Alma, — both  stu- 
dents. Mr.  Howe  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
although  he  is  actively  interested  in  the  work 
of  his  party,  he  will  not  accept  public  office. 
He  has  served  in  various  township  ofifices,  and 
was.  at  one  time,  sheriff  of  the  county,  in 
which  he  has  a  host  of  warm  friends. 


i 


LIJAH  T.  READ,  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  of  Oswego,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  vice-president  of  the  Os- 
wego State  Bank,  and  has  served  as 
such,  and  also  as  a  director,  since  its  inception, 
having  been  one  of  its  organizers.  He  is,  be- 
sides, the  leading  hardware  merchant  of  the 
city,  and  has  been  engaged  in  that  line  there 
continuously  since  1868,  when  he  first  settled 
in  Kansas. 

Mr.  Read  was  born  in  Vernon,  Jennings 
county,  Indiana,  in  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Sam- 
uel and  Nancy  (Threlkeld)  Read.  Samuel 
Read  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  where  he  was 
born  in  1801  ;  journeying  thence,  he  became 
an  earlv  settler  of  Owen  county.   Kentucky, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


While  residing  there,  he  was  married  and  soon 
after  settled  at  Vernon,  Jennings  county,  In- 
diana. He  followed  contracting  and  building 
during  his  early  career,  and  constructed  nearly 
all  of  the  first  buildings  in  Vernon.  He  after- 
ward engaged  in  mercantile  business,  which  he 
followed  with  much  success  for  many  years. 
The  last  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  retire- 
ment. He  crossed  the  plains  in  1850,  and 
was  engaged  for  five  years  in  mining  and  mer- 
chandising in  California.  He  was  originally  a 
Whig,  in  politics,  and  later,  a  Republican, — 
at  one  time  serving  as  judge  of  Jennings 
county.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  in  which  he  was  a  regular  attendant 
and  active  worker.  He  died  in  1875,  aged  sev- 
enty-four years.  His  wife  was  born  in  1801, 
and  died  in  1848.  They  were  parents  of  nine 
children  (of  whom  the  subject  hereof  is  the 
only  one  now  living),  namely:  William,  who 
died  in  1868;  Hiram  T.,  who  died  in  1900; 
James  S..  who  died  in  1897;  Wilson  M.,  who 
died  in  California;  Virginia  (Wells),  who  died 
in  1895;  Merrit,  who  died  in  1892;  John  S., 
who  died  in  1880;  Elijah  T. ;  and  Martha,  who 
died  young. 

Elijah  T.  Read  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  Vernon,  Indiana,  and  in  1868,  journeyed 
west  to  Oswego,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  became  associated  with  his  brothers, 
John  S.  and  Merrit,  in  the  hardware,  stove  and 
implement  business.  The  firm  name  was 
originally  Read  Brothers,  and  continued  thus 
after  the  withdrawal  of  Merrit  Read  from  the 
partnership,  in  1S79.  John  S.  continued  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  until  his  death  in  1880, 
since  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  has  con- 
ducted the  business  under  the  name  of  the  E. 
T.  Read  Hardware  Company.  He  has  always 
had  a  thriving  trade  and  the  store,  fully  stocked 
with  a  general  line  of  hardware  and  complete  in 


all  its  appointments,  commands  the  patronage 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  Oswego  and  vicinity. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the 
Oswego  State  Bank,  and,  as  before  mentioned, 
has  been  a  director  and  vice-president  since  its 
incorporation, 

Mr.  Read  was  joined  in  matrimony  in  1864, 
with  Sarah  Vawter,  a  daughter  of  Smith  Vaw- 
ter,  of  Vei^non,  Indiana,  and  they  have  had 
the  following  children:  Virginia;  Alice; 
Smith  H. ;  Daisy  B. ;  and  Bert  W.  Virginia 
(Reamer)  resides  at  Oswego,  and  has  two 
children:  Roscoe  R.  and  Virginia  K. ;  Alice 
died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  Smith  H.,  who 
attended  the  Oswego  High  School  and  the 
State  University  of  Indiana,  and  who  is  now 
with  the  Union  National  Bank  of  Kansas  City, 
Missouri,  married  Mabel  Adams.  Daisy  B. 
(Sprague)  lives  in  Gashland,  Missouri.  Bert 
W.,  who  was  educated  in  the  Oswego  High 
School  and  in  Ottawa  University,  is  now  in 
business  with  his  father.  Mr.  Read  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  stanch  Republican ;  religiously, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 


N.  BARROWS  has  been  engaged 
for  many  years  in  the  real  estate 
business  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  where 
he  is  the  leading  dealer  in  city 
property. 

Mr.  Barrows  was  born  near  Batavia,  Gen- 
esee county.  New  York,  where  he  was  reared 
and  received  his  primary  intellectual  training. 
At  an  early  age,  he  became  identified  with  mer- 
cantile pursuits  in  connection  with  his  father, 
William  H.  Barrows,  at  Attica,  New  York. 
In  1875  he  relinquished  this  business  and  went 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


west  to  Hannibal,  JMissouri,  where  he  entered 
the  auditor's  otKce  of  the  Hannibal  &  St. 
Joseph  Railroad.  In  1878  he  severed  his  re- 
lations with  that  company,  and  located  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  where  he  was  employed  in  the 
office  of  the  Osage  Coal  &  Mining  Company. 
With  that  company  he  remained  until  it  was 
sold  to  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway  Company, 
in  1885.  He  then  formed  a  mercantile  part- 
nership with  B.  R.  Van  Meter.  In  addition 
to  this,  the  iirm  dealt  quite  extensively  in  real 
estate.  In  1890  Mr.  Barrows  purchased  his 
partner's  interest  in  both  branches  of  the  busi- 
ness. He  sold  the  mercantile  interest,  in  1891, 
to  N.  Weil  &  Company,  and  retained  the  real 
estate  department.  To  this  and  insurance 
matters  he  applied  himself,  and  purchased  large 
tracts  of  land  and  blocks  of  city  property. 
January  i,  1899,  in  company  with  E.  B. 
Stevens,  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank, 
he  purchased  the  entire  interests  of  the  original 
town  company.  The  town  company  of  Par- 
sons was,  at  the  outset,  promoted  by  Col.  R.  S. 
Stevens,  now  deceased,  and  H.  D.  Mirick,  now 
vice-president  of  the  First  National  Bank. 
Although  there  were  other  stockholders,  these 
gentlemen  held  a  controlling  interest  and 
finally  acquired  all  the  stock.  The  company 
was  formed  in  1871,  and  the  town  site  was 
laid  out  the  same  year.  It  comprised  four  sec- 
tions, the  extent  of  the  present  city  limits. 
Mr.  Barrows  manages  the  business  of  the  com- 
pany, and  also  the  real  estate  and  insurance 
business  of  the  firm  of  Stevens  &  Barrows. 
He  has  always  been  interested  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  city,  and  has  assisted  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  business  enterprises  tending  toward 
that  end.  He  was  active  in  promoting  the 
M.  F.  Smith  Manufacturing  Company,  in 
1886,  established  for  the  manufacture  of  hick- 
ory handles  of  all  kinds.     In  1898  he  was  as- 


sociated with  E.  B.  Stevens  and  D.  H.  Bran- 
non  in  organizing  the  Parsons  Novelty  Com- 
pany, which  manufactured  the  Brannon  Com- 
bined Meat-Block  and  Bowl,  of  which  Mr. 
Brannon  is  the  patentee.  Mr.  Barrows  is 
treasurer  of  the  company.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  R.  A.  M. ;  and 
the  B.  P.  O.  E.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent 
business  qualifications,  and  has  made  friends 
of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  into 
contact,  both  in  business  and  social  relations. 
Mr.  Barrows  was  joined  in  matrimony,  in  1870, 
to  Kate  E.  Briggs,  of  Attica,  New  York,  a 
daughter  of  Rufus  and  Caroline  Briggs.  They 
have  had  three  children,  as  follows :  Allan  S., 
Mary  S.  and  Rufus  N.  Allan  S.  is  now  in 
New  York  City,  with  the  Riker  Motor  Vehicle 
Company;  he  married  Ella  Smith,  of  Parsons, 
Kansas,  and  they  have  on2  child,  Caroline  O. 
Mary  S.  is  attending  college  in  Buffalo,  New 
York.  Rufus  N.  is  purchasing  agent  for  the 
Washington,  D.  C,  City  Street  Railroad  Com- 
pany. In  religious  belief,  the  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Episcopal  church. 


^^ABEZ  ZINK,  a  retired  farmer,  residing 
^  I  in  Oswego,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
PIjI  was  born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio, 
in  1843.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Zink, 
who  was  born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio,  in 
1793.  The  latter  farmed  in  that  county  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1843.  He  had  a 
family  of  seven  children,  namely :  John,  de- 
ceased;  Wilson;  Allen;  Mary  (Brown)  ;  Will- 
iam, deceased  ;  Robison,  deceased  ;  and  Jabez, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Jabez  Zink  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
Greene  county,  Illinois,  having  gone  to  that 
countv  in   1855.     He  lived  there  until    1862,. 


472 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


when  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  91st  Reg.,  111. 
Vol.  Inf.,  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  He 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Morgan,  Mobile, 
Fort  Gaines,  and  was  in  several  other  engage- 
ments. In  the  fall  of  1862  Mr.  Zink  was  taken 
prisoner  at  Elizabethtown,  Kentucky;  he  was 
later  paroled  and  sent  to  Benton  Barracks,  at 
St.  Louis.  There  he  remained  six  months, 
after  which  he  went  to  Vicksburg,  and  ser\ed 
under  General  Grant  until  1865.  He  was  then 
mustered  out  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  re- 
turned to  Greene  county,  where  he  remained 
a  short  time.  In  the  fall  of  1865  he  settled 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  on  what  is  now  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  30,  in  Oswego 
township.  He  lived  there  until  1884,  carry- 
ing on  farming  and  cattle  raising.  In  1884 
Mr.  Zink  moved  to  Oswego,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  still  retains  his  farm,  and  is  en- 
gaged in  the  cattle  business. 

Mr.  Zink  married  Mary  Drake,  who  was 
born  in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  in  1845,  ^"^ 
is  a  daughter  of  Hiram  Drake.  Hiram  Drake 
was  born  in  Casey  county,  Kentucky,  in  1803, 
and  died  there  in  1886.  He  reared  the  follow- 
ing children,  namely:  William,  deceased; 
Joel,  deceased ;  Martha,  deceased ;  Allen,  de- 
ceased;  Elizabeth  (Taney)  ;  Benjamin;  James; 
Luther ;  John  and  Nancy,  deceased ;  and  Mary, 
the  wife  of  our  subject. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zink  have  had  one  child, 
Inez,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  They, 
however,  reared  Sadie  Millet,  who  was  but  six 
years  of  age  when  she  came  to  their  home. 
She  continued  to  live  with  them  until  her  mar- 
riage to  John  B.  Zink.  a  nephew  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  She  now  lives  in  Greene  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  has  one  child, — Ruby, — a 
bright  little  girl  of  two  years.  Mr.  Zink  was 
one  of  the  prime  movers  in  organizing  Labette 
•county  and  was  treasurer  of  the  temporary  or- 


ganization. He  has  been  city  councilman 
since  1894.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  church,  and  his  friends  in  the  coun- 
ty are  legion.  Mr.  Zink  Is  afifiliated  with  Ad- 
ams Lodge,  No.  63,  F.  &.  A.  M.,  of  Oswego, 
and  also  with  the  chapter  and  commandery. 


ACOB  M.  STEMPLE.  This  gentle- 
man, residing  in  North  township,  has 
for  many  years  been  one'  of  Labette 
county's  most  prominent  and  influ- 
ential farmers.  He  is  a  man  of  honesty 
and  integrity,  and  is  well  known  in  the 
county.  Mr.  Stemple  was  born  in  West  Vir- 
ginia, in  1836,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and 
Sarah  (Tomire)  Stemple. 

Samuel  Stemple  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
where  he  lived  all  his  life.  He  and  his  wife 
raised  six  children,  namely:  Louisa;  Jacob; 
Margaret;  Ann;  Maria;  and  Evaline. 

Jacob  M.  Stemple  remained  in  his  native 
state  until  he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen  years, 
during  which  time  he  followed  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer.  In  1855  he  went  to  Van  Buren 
county,  Iowa,  where  he  carried  on  farming 
until  1 87 1,  when  he  moved  to  Labette  count v, 
Kansas.  He  bought  in  North  township  the 
east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  25, 
township  31,  range  20,  and  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  cultivating  this  purchase.  He  has 
a  neat  and  attractive  farm,  on  which  he  has 
made  many  improvements  in  the  past  few  years. 

Mr.  Stemple  was  wedded  to  Rebecca  Coch- 
ran, who  was  born  in  Indiana,  in  1837.  Their 
union  was  blessed  with  seven  children,  namely : 
Ida;  Anna;  Frank;  James;  A.  C. ;  Margaret; 
and  George.  Mrs.  Stemple  died  in  April. 
1891.  In  1897  Mr.  Stemple  married  Eliza- 
beth Hoover,  a  native  of  Illinois. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


yir.  Steniple  is  a  member  (jf  the  Republi- 
can party,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the 
politics  of  the  county;  he  has  served  as  road 
overseer  several  terms.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  for  the  past  twenty 
years.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church. 


0RANK  M.  MANNERS,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  lives  in 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  19, 
in  Neosho  township.  Mr.  Manners  was  born 
in  Crawford  county,  Iowa,  in  1857,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  H.  and  Isabella  (Smith)  Man- 
ners. 

Thomas  H.  Manners  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1 814,  and  was  a  wagon-maker  by 
trade.  In  1843,  he  moved  west  to  Iowa,  and 
was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1866,  in  the  fall  of  which  year  he  journeyed 
west  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  located 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  son,  Frank  M., 
with  whom  he  resides  at  the  present  time.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics;  he  organized  tlie 
first  Sunday-school  in  the  county.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Isabella  Smith,  who 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1819,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
W.  B.,  who  was  a  school  teacher  for  thirty- 
five  years,  and  now  resides  in  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory;  Margaret  and  Anna  M.,  deceased;  Eliz- 
abeth ;  William  T. ;  Aretus  J.,  a  minister ;  John, 
deceased ;  Frank  M. ;  and  Isabel  ^M.,  of  Okla- 
homa. 

Frank  M.  Manners  first  located  in  Labette 
county  in  1866,  and  since  1870  has  lived  upon 
his  present  farm.  He  also  owns  another  farm,. 
in  North  township,  the  north  half  of  the  north- 


east quarter  of  section  25, — on  which  he  also^ 
is  engaged  in  geaieral  farming.  He  stands 
high  among  his  fellow  citizens,  and  has  many 
friends  throughout  this  section  of  the  county. 
3,Ir.  Manners  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Clara  A.  Hester,  who  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  i860,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Sylvester 
Hester,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  married 
Mary  Batdorf.  Mr.  Manners  and  his  wife  are 
parents  of  the  followmg  children:  Mary  I.,  a 
teacher,  now  at  home;  Minnie  M..  a  dress- 
maker, of  Parsons,  Kansas;  Milton  L. ;  Alfred 
B. ;  Ella  M. ;  and  Homer  M.  Politically,  Mr. 
Manners  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party,  and  has  served 
as  trustee  of  Neosho  township.  Religiously, 
lie  is  a  Baptist. 


ILES  H.  McCAULOU.  Among 
the  well  known  and  highly  re- 
spected farmers  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  personal  biography.  He  is  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  and  his  career  during 
that  period  and  since  has  been  honorable  and 
creditable,  and  entitles  him  to  the  highest  com- 
mendation. Mr.  McCaulou  was  born  in  Jen- 
nings county,  Indiana,  in  1839,  and  is  a  son 
of  Miles  Z.  and  Mary  (Boston)  McCaulou. 

Miles  Z.  McCaulou  was  born  in  Virginia, 
in  1 8 14.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  was  born  in  181 6.  They  reared  the  fol- 
lowing children :  George  W: ;  Miles  H. ;  Mary 
A. ;  Nancy  S. ;  Eugene  A. ;  Andrew  T. ;  Mar- 
garet J.;  and  Laura  B.  Air.  McCaulou  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation. 

Miles  H.  McCaulou  was  reared  and 
schooled  in  his  native  state.  In  1861  he  en- 
listed in  Company  H,  26th  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol.  Inf., 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  West. 
He  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Perry's  Grove, 
Arkansas,  and  was  also  in  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg.  He  was  mustered  out  in  1865,  after 
which  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Indiana, 
w'here  he  lived  for  two  years.  Mr.  McCaulou 
then  decided  to  go  farther  west,  and  accord- 
ingly moved  to  Greene  county,  Missouri,  where 
he  lived  until  1873.  He  then  moved  to  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  where  he  bought  a  farm 
in  section  32,  Neosho  township.  He  lived 
there  until  1888,  when  he  sold  the  farm,  and 
moved  to  Joplin,  Missouri.  His  stay  there 
was  short,  and  another  year  found  him  again 
in  Neosho  township,  where  he  had  previously 
purchased  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  28.  There  he  still  lives, 
and  is  engaged  in  farming,  the  occupation  he 
has  followed  all  his  life. 

Mr.  McCaulou  married  Mary  (Williams) 
Fisher,  who  was  a  native  of  Polk  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  was  born  in  January,  1856.  By  a 
former  union,  Mr.  McCaulou  reared  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Harry  T.,  Joseph  E.  and 
George  L.  Mr.  McCaulou  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  has  served  as  clerk  of  Neosho 
township.  He  was  also  candidate  for  town- 
ship trustee  one  term.  He  is  at  present  a 
member  of  the  school  board,  and  held  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace  for  one  term.  He  be- 
longs to  the  G.  A.  R.,  Parsons  Post,  No.  7. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief 
Association. 


OWARD  SCOTT,  a  farmer  living  in 
section  24,  township  31,  range  18,  in 
Osage  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  has  been  one  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  county  for  many  years. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Marian  L.  (San- 


ford)  Scott,  and  was  born  in  Ohio,  September 
II,  1869. 

William  Scott  was  born  in  Williams  county, 
Ohio,  in  1844,  and  is  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
His  wife  was  also  a  native  of  that  state.  They 
had  five  children,  namely:  Lovisa  J.  (Fresh- 
our),  who  lives  in  Labette  county;  M.  Ernest; 
Manoah  and  Albert,  deceased;  and  Howard. 

Howard  Scott  remained  at  home, — assist- 
ing his  father  on  the  farm, — until  he  was 
twenty-one  years  old.  He  attended  the  schools 
of  the  county  when  he  was  not  needed  at  home. 
In  July,  1874,  he  moved  with  his  pare:nts  to 
Labette  county,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
He  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives. 
He  has  been  an  energetic,  thrifty  worker,  and 
his  success  has  been  entirely  due  to  his  own 
efforts.  He  raises  considerable  stock,  and  fol- 
lows general  farming.  Mr.  Scott  has  made 
many  improvements  on  the  farm,  and  it  pre- 
sents a  well  kept  appearance. 

Mr.  Scott  was  married  to  Mary  A.  Craft, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  John  Craft.  They  have 
been  blessed  with  four  children,  whose  names 
are :  Charles ;  Alonzo ;  John  L. ;  and  Emma. 
Mr.  Scott  is  a  member  of  the  Populist  party. 
Mrs.  Scott  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 


OHN  P.  TRIMBLE,  one  of  the  pros- 
perous farmers  of  Neosho  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  has  a  neat 
and  well  cultivated  farm  in  section  18. 

He  was  born  in  Louisa  county,  Iowa,  in  1853, 

and  is  a  son  of  Porter  and  Elizabeth  (Long) 

Trimble. 

Porter  Trimble  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 

and  in  early  life  learned  the  trade  of  a  cooper. 

His  union  with  Elizabeth  Long,  also  a  native 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


of  Pennsylvania,  resulted  in  the  birth  of  seven 
children,  as  follows:  Azilka;  Permelia;  John 
P.;  Ellen;   Nora;   Martha;  and   George. 

John  P.  Trimble  was  but  eight  years  of  age 
when  taken  by  his  parents,  in  1861,  from  his 
home  in  Iowa  to  McDonough  county,  Illinois. 
There  he  attended  the  public  schools  for  a 
period  of  five  years.  In  1866  he  returned  to 
Iowa,  where  he  resided  until  1868,  when  he 
journeyed  west,  to  Labette  county,  Kansas. 
He  first  located  in  North  township  and  lived 
there  until  1879,  when  he  bought  his  present 
home  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  18. 
Neosho  township.  He  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  has  met  with  great  success.  He 
is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  community, 
and  is  well  thought  of  by  all. 

Mr.  Trimble  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Billings,  who  was  born  in  Boone  county, 
Iowa,  in  1857,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Clinton 
and  Polly  (Wheeler)  Billings.  This  union 
resulted  in  the  following  offspring:  Charles; 
Nora,  deceased;  and  Eva.  Politically,  Mr. 
Trimble  belongs  to  the  People's  party.  He 
served  as  trustee  of  Neosho  township,  in  1898 
and  1899.  He  was  also  clerk  of  his  township 
for  eight  years,  and  was  treasurer  of  the  school 
board  for  nine  years.  At  present  he  is  effi- 
ciently serving  as  overseer.  He  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America;  and  to  the 
Anti-Horsethief  Association,  of  which  he  is 
treasurer.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church. 


M 


ILLIAM  CLINE,  an  extensive  land 
owner  in  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
is  one  of  the  influential  citizens  of 
Dennis.     He  was  born  in  Carroll 

county,  Ohio,  in  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel 

and  Mary  Ann  Cline. 


Daniel  Cline  was  a  native  of  Westmoreland 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  in  1806. 
He  was  eighty-two  years  old  when  his  death 
occurred  in  Dennis,  Kansas,  in  1888.  His 
wife  died  in  1859,  at  the  age  of  forty  years. 
They  raised  these  children :  John,  who  lives 
in  Indiana ;  Samuel,  who  lives  in  Tennessee ; 
Polly,  deceased ;  Daniel,  who  owns  a  large 
farm  in  Oklahoma;  Margaret,  who  lives  in  La- 
bette county,  Kansas ;  William ;  Elizabeth,  who 
lives  in  Labette  county:  Mary  Ann,  deceased; 
David,  of  Oklahoma ;  and  Josiah,  who  lives  in 
South  Bend,  Indiana. 

William  Cline  was  raised  on  a  farm  in  Indi- 
ana, where  he  lived  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War.  He  enlisted  in  the  army,  and  served  in 
Company  K,  29th  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  as  a 
private,  for  three  years  and  sixteen  days. 
After  the  war  he  returned  to  Indiana,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business.  In  1877  he  sold 
out  his  drug  business,  and  with  very  little 
money  set  out  for  Kansas.  He  located  in  La- 
bette county,  where  he  commenced  farming. 
In  1884  he  opened  a  drug  store  in  Dennis, 
which  he  conducted  until  1897,  vyhen  he  sold 
it  to  Charles  Moore.  Since  then  he  has  de- 
voted his  attention  to  the  care  of  his  property. 
He  owns  two  farms  near  Dennis,  and  a  great 
deal  of  property  in  that  town.  He  is  a  self 
made  man,  and  has  good  cause  to  be  proud 
of  his  success.  He  is  a  man  of  sound  judg- 
ment and  good  business  principles,  and  is  highly 
respected  in  Dennis,  where  he  is  one  of  the  most 
progressive  members  of  the  community.  He 
is  a  stockholder  in  the  Dennis  Co-operative 
Store. 

Mr.  Cline  is  a  Republican,  in  politics,  but 
does  not  aspire  to  political  office.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Association. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  widely  known  in 
Labette  county. 


476 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


1*1^ -WJD  D.  AIARKLEV,  who  lives  in 
b|1  secticin  2,  township  31.  range  18. 
%^tM  '^-'^age  townshi]),  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  one  of  tlie  highly  respected 
farmers  of  the  county,  and  has  lived  in  the 
county  since  January,  1881.  He  is  a  son  of 
Francis  and  Mary  Markley. 

Francis  Markley  was  bom  in  Montgomery 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  his  wife  was  also 
a  native  of  that  state.  For  nine  years  Mr. 
Markley  bought  and  sold  cattle  and  carried  on 
farming  in  his  native  county.  He  then  sold 
his  farm,  and  bought  a  mill  in  Snyder  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  and  his  wife  were  the  par- 
ents of  four  children,  as  follows ;  Henry,  who 
lives  in  Millersburg,  Pennsylvania;  David,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch;  Abraham,  who  lives  in 
Snyder  county,  Pennsylvania;  and  Johnson. 
David  Markley  remained  with  his  parents 
in  Snyder  county,  Pennsylvania,  until  January, 
1 88 1,  when  he  left  that  county,  and  moved 
west.  He  located  near  Edna,  Kansas,  where 
he  remained  two  years,  after  which  he  settled 
on  his  present  farm  in  Osage  township.  He 
carries  on  general  farming,  and  has  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  the  county.  He  has  made 
many  improvements,  and  keeps  abreast  with 
the  times  in  all  modern  conveniences.  Mr. 
Markley's  farm  presents  a  very  thrifty  appear- 
ance, and  speaks  well  for  its  owner's  careful 
management. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Hannah  Spatz,  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Mary  Spatz.  She  was  one  of  nine 
children.  Three  sons  ha\-e  blessed  their  union, 
namely  :  William,  Ammon  and  Charles.  Will- 
iam is  married  and  lives  upon  a  farm  in  Osage 
township;  his  wife  was  Hattie  Dack,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Grace.  INIr.  ]\Iarkley  has  been  a 
memhor  of  the  school  board  for  the  ])a.st  eight 


years.  He  takes  an  active  part  in  church  du- 
ties, and  is  highly  respected  by  all  who  know 
him. 


L\'1S  GOOD,  who  for  many  years  was 
one  of  the  representative  farmers  of 
Osage  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  at  present  living  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Dennis.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and 
Barbara  (Barnhart)  Good. 

Jacob  Good  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  served  in  the  Civil  war.  He  was  born  in 
1818  ,and  was  killed  at  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years,  in  1865.  He  married  Barbara  Barnhart, 
and  they  reared  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely  :  John,  who  is  a  farmer;  Jerry,  who  was 
killed  by  bushwhackers,  in  the  same  manner  as 
was  his  father;  David,  who  is  a  farmer:  ALary; 
Martha;  and  Finis,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
Finis  Good  located  in  Labette  county  in 
1882,  and  upon  his  arrival  in  the  county  was 
in  very  poor  circumstances.  Through  hard 
work  and  close  application  to  his  affairs,  he  has 
been  very  successful.  He  now  owns  a  farm,  his 
home  in  Dennis,  and  a  mill  in  that  village.  He 
also  had  two  shares  in  a  large  creamery,  which 
is  located  at  Dennis,  but  sold  his  interest  there- 
in. He  carried  on  farming  until  1898,  when 
he  moved  to  Dennis  in  order  to  exercise  a 
closer  supervision  over  his  business  in  that 
place.  He  is  a  self-made  man,  and  deserves 
much  credit,  as  his  success  has  been  due  en- 
tirely to  his  own  arduous  exertions. 

Mr.  Good  has  been  married  twice,  and  by 
his  first  union  was  the  father  of  five  children. 
His  oldest  son,  Silas,  who  takes  care  of  his  fa- 
ther's farm  in  Osage  township,  married  Sarah 
\'ickers.  of  Missouri,  and  has  one  child,  Lillie. 
.Another  son,  Everett,  who    lives    in    Labette 


O.   H.  STEWART. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


county,  married  Pearl  Rogers.  The  others 
are  Carl,  Albert  and  Walter.  Mr.  Good  has 
had  five  children  by  his  second  wife,  whose 
name  was  Mary  V.  Dickey.  Their  names  are : 
Earl ;  Bertha ;  Leona ;  Pearl ;  and  Charley.  Mr. 
Good  belongs  to  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of 
Justice.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  Re- 
ligiously, he  is  an  attendant  of  the  United 
Brethren  church.  He  has  a  wide  circle  of 
friends  in  Dennis,  and  in  Labette  county. 


HI     H.   STEWART,   for  many  years  a 
Drominent  business  man  of  Parsons. 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  president 
of  the  Parsons  State  Bank,  and  of 
the  Savonburg  State  Bank,  at  Savonburg,  Al- 
len county,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  born  in  Allen  county. 
Kansas,  near  Humboldt,  in  1861,  and  receiveil 
his  intellectual  training  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  county.  He  became  sub-agent  for  the 
Sac  and  Fox  Nations,  and  served  as  such  dur- 
ing the  years  1884  and  1885.  In  1886,  he 
located  at  Parsons,  Kansas,  and  became  a  part- 
ner in  the  general  merchandise  establishment 
of  W.  L.  Bartlett  &  Company.  He  continued 
as  a  member  of  this  firm  until  1897,  when  he 
sold  his  interest  and  went  to  Humboldt,  Kan- 
sas, to  settle  the  estate  of  Paul  Fisher.  He 
remained  there  until  June,  1899,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Parsons,  and  in  November,  1899, 
with  the  assistance  of  F.  H.  Foster,  organized 
the  Parsons  State  Bank.  The  bank  was  in- 
corporated with  a  paid  up  capital  of  $25,000, 
and  the  officers  are,  O.  H.  Stewart,  president; 
and  F.  H.  Foster,  vice-president  and  cashier. 
Although  a  young  institution,  judicious  man- 
agement has  made  it  a  safe  and  profitable  one. 
It  enjoys  the  patronage  of  many  of  the  lead- 
as 


ing  citizens  of  Parsons,  and  of  Labette  county 
at  large.  Mr.  Stewart  enjoys  the  confidence- 
of  the  community  to  a  marked  degree,  and 
has  many  friends  throughout  the  county. 

In  1887,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Kate  F.  Fisher,  a. 
daughter  of  Paul  Fisher,  of  Humboldt,  Kan- 
sas, and  they  have  four  children,  as  follows :: 
Lyman  O.,  Ellsworth  F.,  Harold,  and  PauL 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Stewart  is  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Arcanum,  and  of  the  Elks.  He  is  a 
Republican,  in  politics,  and  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  both  local  and  national  affairs.  He 
is  city  treasurer,  and  also  treasurer  of  the 
board  of  education,  of  Parsons.  His  portrait 
accompanies  this  sketch. 


p|=^LBERT  TROESTER  is  a  prominent 
rag  farmer  and  blacksmith,  residing  in 
K<mS  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  19, 
Liberty  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas.  For  many  years  he  has  been  one  of 
the  most  progressive  citizens  of  the  county,  and 
gives  assistance  to  all  public  enterprises  which 
are  for  the  good  of  the  community.  Mr.  Troes- 
ter  was  born  in  1832,  in  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, 
Germany,  of  German  parentage. 

Frederick  Troester,  his  father,  was  born 
in  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  in  1809,  and  died  in 
Perry  county,  Illinois,  in  1896.  He  married 
Elizabeth  Kauhl,  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  Germany,  and  was  born 
in  1806.  She  died  in  Perry  county,  Illinois, 
two  years  before  her  husband's  demise.  They 
reared  the  following  children :  Albert,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  Louisa  (Millhausen),  of 
Perry  county,  Illinois;  Fred  and  George, 
twins, — the  former  a  resident  of  Crawford 
cnuntv,  Kansas,  and  the  latter  being  deceased; 


48o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Jane,  deceased;  Bennet,  of  Perry  county,  Illi- 
nois ;  and  Louis,  living  in  Missouri. 

Albert  Troester,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
came  to  America  in  1848,  landing  in  New  Or- 
leans. The  same  year  he  went  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  lived  for  five  years,  and  learned  the 
trade  of  a  blacksmith.  In  1853  he  went  to 
Perry  county,  Illinois,  and  a  year  later  to  St. 
Clair  county,  in  that  state,  where  he  made  his 
home  for  seven  years.  In  1861  Mr.  Troester 
moved  to  Washington  county,  Missouri,  where 
he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  lOth  Reg.,  Mo.  \"ol. 
Inf..  and  was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee. In  1862,  he  was  detailed  as  head  black- 
smith of  the  6th  Wisconsin  Battery,  and  was 
mustered  out  at  St.  Louis,  in  1864.  Mr.  Troes- 
ter then  returned  to  Washington  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  opened  a  blacksmith  shop,  and 
did  a  large  business  for  eight  years.  In  1872 
he  located  in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  settling 
in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  19,  in  Lib- 
erty township,  where  he  has  since  carried  on 
general  farming,  and  has  also  done  blacksmith- 
ing.  He  is  a  superior  workman,  and  is  largely 
patronized.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  personality, 
and  his  friends  in  the  county  are  many.  He 
is  kind  and  generous,  and  ever  ready  to  lend  a 
helping  hand  to  those  in  need  or  distress. 

Mr.  Troester  was  wedded  to  Theresa 
Schmidt,  who  was  born  in  Prussia,  in  1834. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Ferdinand  Schmidt,  who 
was  born  in  Prussia  in  181 1,  and  died  in  that 
country  in  1848.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Troester  have 
had  six  children,  namely:  Wilhelmina,  de- 
ceased; Frank,  deceased,  whose  offspring 
were, — Ed,  Albertina,  Will,  Mamie,  Lizzie, 
and  John,  deceased ;  Frederick,  of  Joplin,  Mis- 
souri, whose  children  are, — Ernest,  Charles, 
^label,  Lewis,  and  Bert;  Albert,  of  Labette 
county,  the  father  of  two  children,  Earle,  and 
Fay:  Lizzie   (Weber),    of    Ottawa,    Kansas, 


whose  children  are, — Masabella  and  Flora ;  and 
Julia  (O'Fall),  of  Labette,  Kansas,  whose  chil- 
dren are,Franika,  and  Georgia. 

Mr.  Troester  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  In  religious 
belief  he  and  his  wife  are  devout  Catholics. 


EXJAMIN  TALLMAX,  a  representa- 

ytive  farmer  of  \\'alton  township,  and 
a  prominent  citizen  of  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  is  a  pioneer  settler  of  this 
section  of  the  state,  having  purchased  his  claim 
in  the  fall  of  1870,  entering  it  at  the  official 
agency  at  Independence,  Kansas.  Since  1900, 
Mr.  Tallman  has  made  his  home  in  Labette 
county,  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  C.  D.  Tall- 
man,  in  the  northwest  part  of  Labette  town- 
ship, but  still  owns  and  superintends  his  farm 
in  Walton  township.  Benjamin  Tallman  was 
born  in  Burlington  county,  New  Jersey,  in 
1828.  and  is  a  son  of  Woodmansee  and  Eliza- 
beth (Reed)  Tallman. 

Our  subject's  father  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  na- 
tives of  New  Jersey.  They  reared  a  large  fam- 
ily, 1 1  children  in  all,  namely :  Joseph ;  Francis 
A.;  Thomas  W. ;  Benjamin;  Charles  H.; 
Samuel ;  Ezra ;  Carlisle  H. ;  Rachel  M. ;  Wes- 
ley ;  and  Levi  P. 

When  Benjamin  was  but  three  years  old, 
his  parents  moved  to  Logan  county,  Ohio, 
where  they  continued  to  live  until  1861,  and 
where  the  subject  hereof  was  reared  and 
schooled.  During  that  time,  he  learned  the 
double  trade  of  carpenter  and  wagon-maker, 
which  he  followed  successfully  for  a  number 
of  years.  In  1861,  he  removed  to  Union  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  which  was  his  home  for  the  follow- 
ing nine  years. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Mr.  Tallman  then  came  west,  in  1S70,  and 
located  permanently  in  Walton  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas.  The  journey  covered  a 
period  of  thirty  days.  In  1871  Mr.  Tallman 
erected  the  buildings  which  are  still  standing 
on  his  farm,  with  the  exception  of  the  house 
which  was  burned  down  in  1883,  and  a  new 
one  has  been  built  in  its  stead.  All  the  car- 
penter work  on  these  was  done  by  him.  He 
continued  to  cultivate  and  improve  his  farm 
during  his  long  residence  there,  and  carried  on 
general  farming,  setting  out  orchards,  etc. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Elizabeth 
Stratton,  who  was  born  in  Logan  county,  Ohio, 
in  1828.  She  died  in  1879,  leaving  him  the 
following  II  children:  Lenora  N. ;  Joel;  Ra- 
chel M. ;  Ann  C. ;  Eliza  C. ;  Emma  J. ;  Samuel 
A. ;  Elizabeth  H. ;  Margaret  M. ;  Malatta ;  and 
John  W.  The  two  last  named  are  deceased. 
Politically,  Mr.  Tallman  is  a  Democrat,  and 
still  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  affairs 
of  a  political  nature.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Anti-Horsethief  Association.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  has  been  very  successful,  and  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  practical  agricult- 
urists of  his  township.  He  has  won  success  by 
his  ability,  and  because  he  possesses,  in  a  great 
degree,  the  perseverance  which  makes  men  suc- 
cessful. He  is  greatly  esteemed  for  his  high 
character  and  has  hosts  of  friends,  who  look 
upon  his  prosperity  as  fully  deserved. 


QENRY  BASHELIER,  owner  of  one  of 
the   largest   manufacturing   concerns 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  located  at 
Parsons,  has  been  one  of  the  leading 
business  men  of  that  city   for  a  number  of 
years.     He  manufactures  hickory  handles  of 
all  kinds,  turns  out  wagon  materials,  and  also 


runs  a  box  factory.    Mr.  Bashelier  was  born  in 
Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  in  1845. 

He  was  reared  and  schooled  near  Fort 
Wayne.  His  father  operated  a  sawmill  in  that 
town,  and  Henry  worked  in  the  mill  during  his 
early  life.  When  the  war  broke  out,  he  was 
desirous  of  enlisting  in  one  of  the  home  com- 
panies, but  as  his  parents  objected  he  decided  to 
run  away  from  home  in  order  to  join  the  army. 
In  the  spring  of  1864,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
L,  3rd  Reg.,  Mass.  Heavy  Artillery,  at  Boston. 
Their  service  was  garrison  duty  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  and  Alexandria,  Virginia.  Mr.  Bashe- 
lier was  mustered  out  in  1865,  after  which 
he  went  to  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  he 
worked  in  a  handle  factory,  for  two  years.  In 
1867,  he  went  to  Owosso.  Michigan,  where  he 
engaged  in  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Wood,  Bell  &  Bashelier,  handle  manufacturers. 
In  1869,  this  firm  dissolved  partnership,  and 
Mr.  Bashelier  returned  to  Baltimore,  where  he 
worked  until  1873.  In  that  year,  he  went  to 
Bryan,  Ohio,  and  again  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  handles,  remaining  there  until  1876, 
when  he  sold  his  business  and  moved  to  Au- 
burn, Indiana.  He  conducted  a  hotel  and  gro- 
cery business  in  that  place  for  three  years.  In 
1879,  ^'^^-  Bashelier  moved  to  Kansas,  and  lo- 
cating at  Paola,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manu- 
fatture  of  handles,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Bashelier  &  Campbell.  In  1891  he  closed  out 
his  business  in  Paola,  and  located  in  Parsons, 
where  he  organized  the  M.  F.  Smith  Manufac- 
turing Company.  In  1899  Mr.  Bashelier 
leased  the  plant,  and  since  that  time  has  con- 
ducted the  business  under  his  own  name.  He 
manufactures  hickory  handles  of  all  kinds,  and 
also  wagon  materials.  In  the  spring  of  1901, 
he  established,  in  connection  with  the  handle 
factory,  a  box  factory.  He  employs  compe- 
tent men,  and  does  a  large  business. 


482 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Mr.  Bashelier  married  Cecelia  Amsbaugh, 
in  1875,  '^ii'^l  f^li^y  li'i^'^  '^^^''-'  children,  \V.  Ira 
and  Goldie  AI.  Mr.  Bashelier  is  well  known 
in  Parsons,  and  throughout  this  section  of  the 
state,  and  is  greatly  esteemed  for  his  honest, 
upright  business  character  and  his  qualities  as 
a  public  spirited  citizen. 


OHN  F.  WASKEY,  a  prominent  and 
influential  citizen  of  Oswego,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  and  the  proprietor  of 
a  gentlemen's  furnishing  store  in  that 
place,  is  a  native  of  Van  Buren  county,  Iowa, 
and  was  born  February  24,  1843.  He  is  a 
son  of  Alexander  and  Nancv  (Purdom)  Was- 
key. 

Air.  Waskey's  grandfather,  John  Waskey. 
was  born  in  Virginia,  at  Natural  Bridge.  He 
was  a  miller  and  farmer  by  trade.  Some  of 
the  Waskey  family  now  reside  at  Waskey's 
Mills,  Virginia.  Alexander  Waskey,  the  fa- 
ther of  John  F.,  was  born  in  18 14  in  Rock- 
bridge county,  Virginia,  where  he  was  also 
reared  and  mentally  trained.  In  early  life,  he 
moved  to  Keosauqua,  Van  Buren  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  hved  until  1854,  and  afterward 
located  at  Westport,  Missouri.  There  he  died, 
in  1879,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  He 
followed  mercantile  pursuits,— having  a  store 
in  Westport, — and  in  1861  moved  his  stock  of 
goods  to  Emporia,  Kansas,  and  sent  his  son, 
John  F.,  to  that  place,  to  act  as  clerk  in  the 
store,  although  he  continued  to  reside  in  W'est- 
port.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Democrat,  until 
after  the  war,  when  he  became  a  Republican. 
He  married  Nancy  Purdom,  who  was  born  in 
North  Carolina,  in  1816.  She  now  lives  in 
Westport,  Missouri.  They  were  the  parents 
of  the  fnltowing  children,  namely:     John  F. ; 


X'irginia  (  Hurst  j  ;  Thomas  P..  a  merchant  o£ 
Pittsburg,  Kansas;  Amanda  (Goslin);  Mary- 
L;  and  Sarah  M.   (Smith). 

John  F.  Waskey,  whose  name  heads  this- 
personal  sketch,  went  with  his  parents  to  West- 
port,  Missouri,  in  1854,  and  as  before  men- 
tioned, went  to  Emporia,  Kansas,  to  serve  as- 
clerk  in  his  father's  store,  in  1861.  There  he 
remained  until  the  fall  of  1867,  when  he  moved 
to  Oswego,  Kansas.  In  partnership  with  his 
brother,  Mr.  Waskey  started  a  store,  but  in. 
1873  fhe  partnership  was  dissolved,  and  Mr. 
Waskey  has  since  conducted  the  business  alone. 
He  carries  a  full  line  of  shoes  and  gentlemen's 
furnishings,  and  has  a  large  patronage. 

Mr.  Waskey  was  united  in  marriage,  ia 
1866,  to  Sarah  E.  Sager,  of  Westport,  Alis- 
souri,  and  they  have  two  children,  namely: 
Dick  S.,  who  was  born  in  1867,  and  is  now 
manager  of  the  Deming  Investment  Company, 
at  Colfax,  Washington,  where  he  has  lived 
since  1892;  and  Blanche  (Elliott),  who  is  a 
resident  of  Sherman,  Texas.  Politically,  Air. 
Waskey  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served  as  city 
treasurer,  and  as  mayor,  since  his  residence 
in  Oswego.  He  is  a  public  spirited  man,  and 
takes  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare  and  de- 
\-elopment  of  the  town. 


0R.  ALBERT  SAIITH,  a  successful 
young  medical  practitioner  of  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  is  well  known  to  the 
residents  of  the  city  where  he  has 
been  located  ever  since  his  boyhood  days.  He 
made  careful  preparation  for  the  medical  profes- 
sion in  some  of  the  best  schools  of  medicine  in 
this  country,  and  in  practice  has  given  evidence- 
of  skill  not  equaled  by  men  of  many  more 
years'  experience. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


483 


Dr.  Smith  was  born  in  Erie,  Kansas,  July 
24,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of  Irvin  Smith,  now  a 
•druggist  of  Parsons.  He  was  a  small  boy  when 
he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Parsons,  where 
he  received  his  primary  education  in  the  public 
schools,  and  under  the  private  tutelage  of  Prof. 
Hickson,  of  Parsons.  He  then  took  a  course 
of  study  in  the  State  University  of  Kansas, 
at  Lawrence,  which  was  supplemented  by  a 
course  in  the  Philadelphia  (Pennsylvania) 
School  of  Pharmacy,  where  he  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1890.  He  then  became  asso- 
■ciated  with  his  father,  in  the  drug  business,  at 
Parsons  and  continued  thus  from  1890  until 
1892.  He  then  attended  lectures  at  the  Col- 
lege of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  in  Chicago, 
Illinois;  and  took  a  second  course  of  lectures 
at  the  Chicago  Homeopathic  Medical  College, 
— graduating  with  the  class  of  1895.  He  be- 
gan the  practice  of  medicine  at  Parsons,  in  the 
spring  of  1895,  and  has  been  successful  beyond 
his  fondest  expectations. 

In  1896,  Dr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Nannie  E.  Cowden,  of  Parsons.  Frater- 
nally, the  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America;  and  the  B.  P.  O.  E. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 


SBRAHAM  C.  LOPER,  one  of  Os- 
wego's progressive  citizens  who  has 
resided  in  the  city  since  1878,  is  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  cattle  dealing. 
He  was  formerly  engaged  in  farming  in  the 
•county,  but  retired  from  that  vocation,  although 
Tie  still  owns  a  farm  of  160  acres  in  Liberty 
township. 

Mr.  Loper  was  born  in  Harrison  county, 
Ohio,  in  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Sarah  (Sommers)  Loper.     Joseph  Loper  was 


born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  and  moved 
west,  to  Van  Meter,  Dallas  county  Iowa,  where 
he  died  in  1891,  aged  seventy-six  years.  His 
wife  was  Sarah  Sommers,  a  native  of  Western 
Pennsylvania,  who  died  at  an  early  age,  hav- 
ing borne  him  the  following  children:  John 
S.,  deceased;  Esther  (Fred),  deceased;  Eliza 
(Hogue),  and  Benjamin,  who  live  in  Bel- 
mont county,  Ohio;  Abraham  Clark;  and  Cy- 
rus, deceased.  Mr.  Loper  served  in  various 
township  offices,  and  was  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics. He  was  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church. 

Abraham  C.  Loper  received  his  mental 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town,  and  then  engaged  in  the  stock  business 
in  Ohio,  marketing  at  Wheeling,  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  He 
moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1874  purchased  the  northeast  quar- 
ter of  section  21,  township  34,  range  19,  in 
Elm  Grove  township.  He  resided  upon  this 
property  and  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  four  years.  At  the  end  of  that  period, 
he  moved  to  Oswego,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. He  sold  his  farm  in  Elm  Grove  town- 
ship, and  purchased  160  acres  in  section  2, 
Liberty  township,  which  he  still  owns.  At 
present  he  is  not  engaged  in  farming,  but  de- 
votes his  energies  to  the  cattle  trade,  in  which 
he  has  been  decidedly  successful.  He  is  a  man 
of  admirable  character,  and  has  many  friends 
throughout  this  section  of  the  county. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Loper  was  married  to  Flor- 
ence Waters,  and  to  them  were  born  two  chil- 
dren :  William  C.  and  Winifred,  both  of  Os- 
wego. Mrs.  Loper  died  January  7,  1890.  In 
April,  1895,  Mr.  Loper  married  Mary  E.  Mil- 
lion, of  Mound  Valley,  Kansas.  Fraternally, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of  the 
Ancient    Order    of    United  Workmen;  Inde- 


484 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


pendent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  and  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Security.  He  is  a  Republican, 
in  politics,  and  served  as  deputy  to  Sheriff  J- 
W.  Bennett,  from  1893  to  1897.  Mr.  Loper 
was  also  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  in  the 
Indian  Territory  during  the  first  years  of  his 
residence  in  Labette  county. 


/9^  W.  RYAN.  This  gentleman  is  a 
^M  member  of  the  firm  of  C.  A.  Wilkin 
&  Company,  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  and  abstracting  business  in 
Parsons,  Labette  county,  Kansas.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  firm  are  widely  known  throughout 
the  county,  and  this  section  of  the  state,  and 
their  transactions  are  carried  on  in  a  manner 
which  bespeaks  their  honesty  and  upright 
principles.  They  do  a  large  and  profitable 
business,  each  year  finding  them  with  a  greater 
amount  of  work  on  hand.  Mr.  Ryan  was 
born  in  De  Kalb  county,  Alabama,  in  1869, 
and  is  a  son  of  Albert  M.  Ryan,  who  is  still  a 
resident  of  that  state. 

C.  W.  Ryan  received  his  education  in  his 
native  state,  where  he  lived  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  1887,  he  went  to  Washington, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  lumbering  business 
in  the  district  of  Puget  Sound.  The  follow- 
ing two  years  were  spent  at  Fair  Haven, 
Washington,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  rest 
estate  business.  In  February,  1891,  Mr.  Ryan 
located  in  Parsons,  where  he  opened  a  real 
estate  agency.  In  October,  1892,  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  C.  A.  Wilkin,  and  attended 
to  abstracting  and  real  estate  matters  under 
the  firm  name  of  C.  A.  Wilkin  &  Company. 
Mr.  Ryan  is  a  man  of  splendid  business  abil- 
ity, and  his  career  in  this  line  has  been  marked 
with  great  success.     He  is  a  young  man,  and 


there  are  prospects  of  a  brilliant  future  before 
him. 

'Sir.  Ryan  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Eva  ^l.  Heacock,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  James 
Heacock,  of  Parsons,  and  they  have  been 
blessed  with  three  children,  namely:  Annie, 
Asa  and  Harry.  Mr.  Ryan  is  a  member  ot 
Pioneer  Lodge,  No.  12,  K.  of  P.;  and  also  of 
Camp  No.  844,  M.  W.  of  A.  Politically,  he 
is  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 


-/g^EORGE  L.  TOMS,  a  successful  farmer 
^^  and  coal  operator,  living  in  section 
26,  Oswego  township,  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  is  a  gentleman  of  sound 
principles  and  strict  integrity.  He  was  born 
in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  in  1866,  and  is 
a  son  of  Abner  J.  and  Eleanor  (Weaver) 
Toms. 

Abner  J.  Toms  was  a  native  of  IMaryland, 
where  he  was  reared  and  mentally  trained. 
After  his  marriage,  he  located  in  ^Montgomery 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1876. 
He  then  moved  to  Bates  county,  Missouri,  and 
in  1882  to  Longton,  Elk  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years. 
His  wife  still  resides  in  Longton.  They 
reared  the  following  offspring,  namely :  Mary 
L. ;  Laura  B.,  deceased;  Lizzie;  Emanuel; 
Frank ;  John ;  George  L. ;  and  Charles. 

George  L.  Toms  moved  with  his  parents 
to  Kansas,  when  they  located  in  Elk  county, 
in  1882.  He  followed  farming  in  that  county 
until  1889,  when  he  went  to  Arkansas  City, 
Cowley  county,  and  engaged  in  the  hay.  grain 
and  coal  business.  This  business  he  followed 
for  four  years,  and  then  returned  to  farming 
and  cattle  raising.  In  1900,  he  moved  from 
Elk  county  to  Labette  county,  and  located  on 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


485 


a  farm  in  section  26,  Oswego  township,  where 
he  is  now  engaged  in  farming  and  operating  a 
coal  bank.  During  1901  Mr.  Toms  expects 
to  take  out  20,000  bushels  of  coal.  He  has 
been  quite  successful,  and  is  considered  a  very 
good  farmer.  During  his  short  residence  in 
the  county  he  has  won  many  friends  through 
his  genial  manners  and  his  upright  dealing 
with  all. 

Mr.  Toms  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Etta  B.  Freeman,  in  1887,  and  they  have  been 
blessed  with  five  children,  namely:  Grace; 
Ray  and  Ruth,  who  are  twins;  Clara;  and 
Levi.  Mr.  Toms  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.  lodge.     Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 


SISA  SMITH,  a  well  known  and  pros- 
perous real  estate  dealer  of  Parsons, 
Kansas,  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
city  almost  continuously  since  July, 
1871. 

i\Ir.  Smith  was  born  in  \\'abash  county, 
Indiana,  in  1853,  and  thence  went  with  his 
parents,  at  the  age  of  ten  years,  to  Urbana, 
Ohio.  He  accompanied  the  family  to  Kansas 
in  1868,  and  staid  for  about  six  months  in 
Woodson  county,  where  his  father  located  a 
claim.  He  next  went  to  the  town  of  Erie, 
Neosho  county,  in  the  fall  of  1868,  and  was 
with  the  Southwestern  Stage  Company  for 
three  years.  In  1871,  he  located  in  Parsons, 
Labette  county,  where  he  has  since  resided, 
with  the  exception  of  four  years.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  railroading  for  eleven  years.  In 
1883,  he  was  elected  register  of  deeds,  and  his 
term  expired  in  1888.  He  then  started  in  the 
real  estate  and  loan  business  for  himself,  and 
'has  been  very  successful  from  the  beginning. 
He  also  does  some  farming  and  stock  raising. 


He  is  a  man  of  high  character,  and  is  well 
liked  by  all  with  whom  he  comes  into  contact, 
both  in  business  and  social  relations. 

Mr.  Smith  was  joined  in  matrimony,  in 
1884,  with  Emma  Scholl,  of  Parsons.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias.  He  is  a  Republican,  in  politics,  and 
was  supervisor  of  the  census  of  1900  for  the 
Third  Congressional  District  of  Kansas. 


COTT  TAYLOR,  a  prominent  jeweler 
of  Oswego,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
is  one  of  the  most  progressive  citizens 
of  the  town.  He  is  a  public  spirited 
man,  lending  his  assistance  to  all  movements 
which  are  for  the  development  and  advance- 
ment of  the  community.  Mr.  Taylor  was 
born  in  Fowler  township,  Trumbull  county, 
Ohio,  December  10,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Han- 
nibal Taylor,  who  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Scott  Taylor  received  his  primary  school- 
ing in  his  native  county,  and  in  1871  went 
from  Ohio  to  Towanda,  Butler  county,  Kansas, 
to  live.  He  was  engaged  in  clerical  work 
there  for  several  years,  and  in  1876  decided  to 
locate  in  Oswego.  Accordingly,  in  that  year, 
he  moved  to  Oswego,  and  embarked  in  the 
jewelry  business.  He  has  carried  on  that  busi- 
ness successfully  ever  since,  and  has  a  large 
patronage.  His  stock  is  of  the  best,  and  his 
manner  of  dealing  with  customers  is  character- 
istic of  the  man,  who  is  thoroughly  imbued 
with  honesty  and  the  spirit  of  fair  dealing. 
In  connection  with  the  jewelry  store,  he  also 
conducts  an  optical  department. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1876,  with  Clara  Wheeler,  a  daughter  of 
George   Wheeler,   of   Butler   countv.    Kansas. 


486 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


They  are  the  parents  t)f  three  children,  namely: 
A.  Ray,  who  assists  his  father  in  the  store; 
Merle  C,  who  is  with  Montgomery  &  Com- 
pany, of  Oswego;  and  Wayne  \\.,  a  student. 
Mr.  Taylor  is  a  member  of  Adams  Lodge,  No. 
63,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Oswego.  Politically, 
he  is  a  Republican,  and  held  the  office  of  city 
treasurer  from  1891  to  1901,  when  his  last 
term  of  office  expired.  He  is  a  director  of 
the  Oswego  State  Bank. 


HOHN  H.  RUST,  a  prosperous  and  pro- 
gressive business  man  of  Altamont, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  extensively 
engaged  in  dealing  in  lumber,  hay  and 
grain,  and  owns  a  large  elevator  and  feed-mill 
in  the  city.  He  is  a  native  of  Cambridgeshire, 
England,  where  he  was  born  in  1851,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  H.  and  Eliza  (Burgess)  Rust. 
John  H.  Rust,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Cambridge- 
shire, England,  and  there  was  reared  and  re- 
ceived his  intellectual  training.  In  1852, 
after  his  marriage  to  Eliza  Burgess,  he  came 
to  America,  and  settled  in  Genesee  county. 
New  York,  where  he  resided  until  1864.  He 
then  settled  on  a  farm  in  Jasper  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four 
years.  His  widow  resides  at  Altamont, 
Kansas.  They  reared  the  following  children: 
Arthur  J.,  a  resident  of  Mount  Pleasant  town- 
ship," Labette  county,  Kansas;  Edith  S. 
(Ryan),  of  Pettis  county,  Missouri;  John  H. ; 
Eliza  (Fowler),  deceased;  Elizabeth  (Dalton), 
of  Junction  City,  Kansas;  and  William,  Hat- 
tie  and  Mattie,  deceased. 

John  H.  Rust  received  his  school  training 
in  the  district  schools  of  Genesee  county,  New 
York,  and  Jasper  county,  Missouri.  He  lived 
in  the  latter  county  until  1874.  when  he  located 


in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  settled  in  sec- 
tion 9,  Mount  Pleasant  township,  where  he 
farmed  until  December,  1900.  He  was  en- 
gaged solely  in  farming  until  1891,  when  he 
also  embarked  in  business  at  Altamont,  and 
commenced  dealing  in  lumber,  hay  and  grain, 
having  purchased  the  lumber  yard  of  R.  L. 
Sharp.  In  the  fall  of  1900,  he  decided  to  give 
up  farming  and  to  devote  his  entire  attention 
to  his  other  business  interests,  which  resulted 
in  his  removal  to  Altamont.  He  still  owns 
the  farm  but  rents  it.  He  built  a  new  elevator 
and  feed-mill,  which  was  ready  for  operation 
in  January,  1900.  It  has  a  capacity  of  65,000 
bushels  of  grain,  and  is  thoroughly  equr[)ped 
in  modern  style.  He  handles  an  immense 
amount  of  grain,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  deal- 
ers in  Labette  county.  The  aggregate  of  his 
transactions  exceeds  that  of  any  other  business 
man  of  Altamont.  He  is  shrewd,  energetic 
and  enterprising,  and  his  trade  is  constantly 
increasing. 

In  1878  Mr.  Rust  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Stella  Driggs,  a  daughter  of  Wjilliam 
Driggs,  of  Clinton,  Missouri,  and  they  have 
three  children, — Leonora,  Milburn  and  Ralph. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  strong  advocate 
of  Populistic  principles,  but,  although  an  ac- 
tive party  worker,  does  not  care  to  accept 
office.  He  served  a  term  as  township  treas- 
urer. Mr.  Rust,  in  religious  views,  is  a  Meth- 
odist. 


HRTHUR  J.  RUST,  a  prosperous  farm- 
er living  in  section  9.  Mount  Pleas- 
ant township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
has  for  many  years  been  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  county.     He  has 
an  attractive  farm,  which  he  has  spent  years  in 
cultivating,  and  being  a  progressive  man  he  has 


JOHN  N.   PARKER. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


489 


kept  abreast  of  the  times,  and  availed  himself 
of  the  modern  improvements  in  farming  im- 
plements. Mr.  Rust  was  born  in  Cambridge- 
shire, England,  in  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
H.  and  Eliza   (Burgess)    Rust. 

John  H.  Rust  was  born  in  Cambridgeshire, 
England,  in  1823,  and  died  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  1886.  His  wife,  Eliza  (Burgess) 
Rust,  was  also  born  in  England,  in  1827,  and 
is  now  living  in  Altamont,  Kansas.  They 
reared  the  following  children,  namely:  Ar- 
thur J.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Edith  S. 
(Ryan),  of  Pettis  county,  Missouri;  John  H., 
a  resident  of  Altamont,  Kansas;  Eliza  (Fow- 
ler), deceased;  Elizabeth  (Dalton).  of  Junction 
City,  Kansas ;  and  William,  Hattie  and  Mat- 
tie,  deceased. 

Arthur  J.  Rust  came  with  his  parents  to 
America  in  1852.  They  located  in  Genesee 
•county,  New  York,  where  they  li\'ed  on  a  farm 
until  1864.  In  that  year  they  moved  to  Win- 
nebago county,  Wisconsin,  and  in  1868  to  Pet- 
tis county,  Missouri.  The  family  remained  in 
Pettis  county  for  four  years,  and  then  went 
to  Jasper  county,  Missouri,  where  they  lived 
three  years.  Their  final  location  was  in  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  where  Mr.  Rust  settled 
on  his  present  farm.  He  has  been  quite  suc- 
cessful since  he  established  his  residence  in 
Labette  county,  and  is  well  known  in  the  com- 
munity as  a  man  worthy  of  the  respect  and 
«steem  accorded  him. 

Mr.  Rust  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Louisa  Watkins,  who  was  born  in  Dade  county, 
Missouri,  in  1856.  They  have  no  children, 
"but  have  raised  a  niece,  whose  name  was  Ella 
Spitler.  She  married  John  Stagmeir,  and  has 
two  children, — Alva  and  Charles.  Mrs.  Rust 
Avas  the  daughter  of  David  Watkins,  who  was 
born  in  North  Carolina,  in  1821.  His  death 
occurred  in  Oregon,  in  1889.  His  children 
•were:     Thomas,  Clinton.    Martha    (Spitler), 


and  Josephine,  all  deceased;  Louisa;  Orlena 
(Smith),  of  Joplin,  Missouri;  Perry,  living  at 
Orlando,  Oklahoma;  Charles,  a  resident  of 
Alva,  Oklahoma ;  Lorenzo,  of  Webb  City, 
Missouri;  and  David  and  Winter,  twins,  de- 
ceased. 

Mr.  Rust  is  a  member  of  the  Populist  party, 
and  is  the  present  township  trustee.  He  be- 
longs to  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  lodge,  and  is  an 
active  member  of  the  ]\Iethodist  church.  His 
friends  are  legion. 


HOHX  X.  PARKER.  Among  the  prom- 
inent agriculturists  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  John  N.  Parker,  who  owns 
a  very  productive  farm  in  Walton 
township,  comprising  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  2y,  where  he  has  carried  on  general 
farming  since  1869.  He  was  born  in  the  Em- 
pire State,  in  1822,  and  is  the  eldest  son  born 
to  Nathan  and  Polly  (Doubledey)  Parker. 

Nathan  Parker  was  a  native  of  Vermont 
and  served  in  the  A\'ar  of  1812.  His  wife  was 
born  and  reared  in  the  state  of  New  York. 
Four  children  were  born  to  this  worthy  couple, 
namely:  John  N.,  the  subject  of  this  brief 
biography;  Joe;  Ruth;  and  Elizabeth. 

John  N.  Parker  received  his  primary  men- 
tal training  in  his  native  county.  When  twelve 
years  of  age,  his  parents  removed  to  Jackson 
county,  Michigan,  where  he  lived  for  twenty 
years.  When  grown  to  manhood,  he  deter- 
mined to  fit  himself  for  a  professional  career 
and  studied  medicine  for.  perhaps,  a  year  and 
a  half.  But  the  idea  of  becoming  a  doctor  did 
not  continue  to  appeal  to  him,  and  he  discon- 
tinued his  studies  in  that  line  and  returned  to 
farming, — an  occupation  to  which  his  life  has 
since  been  devoted. 

Leaving  Michigan  to  seek  a  location  far- 


490 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ther  west,  he  settled  in  Benton  county,  Iowa, 
where  he  farmed  for  fifteen  years.  In  1869, 
he  went  south,  to  Kansas,  making  the  trip 
overland  at  the  cost  of  about  $200.  It  cost 
him  $8  to  stay  one  night  at  Osage  Mission, 
Kansas.  In  1870  Mr.  Parker  located  upon 
the  farm  in  Walton  township,  which  is  now  his 
home,  and  where  he  has  spent  many  of  the 
best  years  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Parker  has  been  twice  married.  His 
first  union  was  with  Mary  Norton,  of  Xew 
York.  She  died  in  1864,  leaving  eight  children 
as  a  legacy  to  her  husband.  Their  names  are : 
Frank,  Orville,  Charles,  Joel,  Rosa,  J.  Q.,  Jo- 
sephine, deceased,  and  Belle.  The  mother  of 
these  children  was  buried  on  the  same  day  that 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  the  second  time  elected 
to  the  presidency.  In  1867,  'Mr.  Parker  married 
his  second  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Car- 
oline Mitchell.  She  was  born  in  Benton  coun- 
ty, Iowa,  and  is  a  daughter  of  \\'illiam  and 
Sarah  (Broady)  Alitchell.  Her  father  was  a 
farmer,  and  reared  eight  children,  as  follows : 
Hannah,  Mary,  Sophronia,  Abbi,  Mercy,  Caro- 
line, Emma,  and  Henry  S.  Six  children  were 
the  result  of  the  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Park- 
er, namely :  Clora,  Florence,  Fred,  Mabel, 
Livona  and  Harlow. 

Mr.  Parker  and  his  wife  are  devout  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  church  and  are  known  to 
be  among  the  most  charitable  citizens  in  the 
community.  In  his  political  convictions,  Mr. 
Parker  is  an  ardent  Democrat,  and  never  loses 
sight  of  the  interests  of  his  favorite  party.  He 
has  almost  attained  the  four-score  years  allotted 
to  man,  and  his  many  friends  hope  he  may  live 
to  reach  the  century  mark.  With  a  well  spent 
career  behind  him,  full  of  usefulness  and  good 
deeds,  he  is  passing  through  the  sunset  period 
of  life  in  the  quietude  of  reflection,  and  is  look- 
ing forward,  with  steadfast  faith,  to  the  glories 


awaiting  him  beyond.  A  portrait  of  Mr. 
Parker  is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  work 
in  proximity  to  this. 


OHX  BICKNELL,  the  founder  of  the 

ty  of  Bicknell,  Indiana,  and  one  of 

old    settlers    of    Labette    county. 


Ul      the 

Kansas,  is  a  man  of  varied  and  inter- 
esting experiences.  He  is  an  entertaining 
conversationalist,  and  his  friends  are  eager 
listeners  to  his  reminiscences  of  pioneer  days. 
Air.  Bicknell  was  born  in  1823,  in  Knox  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  where  he  lived  until  his  removal 
to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1879.  His  par- 
ents were  Mumfred  and  Nancy  (Ashby)  Bick- 
nell. 

Mumfred  Bicknell  was  born  in  Kentucky 
in  1796.  He  moved  to  Knox  county,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  died  in  1853.  He  married 
Nancy  Ashby,  a  native  of  Mercer  county, 
Kentucky,  who  was  born  in  1798.  She  also 
died  in  Knox  county,  Indiana,  in  1876.  They 
reared  the  following  offspring:  James  and 
Christiana,  deceased;  John,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch ;  Samuel  and  Josephus,  of  Knox  county, 
Indiana;  Alfred,  of  Labette  county;  Mumfred, 
deceased:  Austin,  of  Liberal,  Missouri;  and 
Hibbard,  Polly  (Goodman),  David  and  Will- 
iam, deceased. 

John  Bicknell  began  his  career  as  a  farmer, 
and  followed  that  occupation  until  1871,  when, 
in  company  with  a  Mr.  Slater,  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  business.  He  was  the  third  man  to 
set  up  a  place  of  business  in  Bicknell,  Indiana. 
He  carried  on  a  general  store  in  that  town 
until  1878,  and  in  1879  moved  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  and  settled  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides.  He  has  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer  since  that  time,  and  is  well 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


491 


informed  in  all  ag'ricultural  matters.  His 
farm  presents  a  neat  and  attractive  appearance, 
and  speaks  well  for  its  owner's  thrift  and  good 
management. 

Mr.  Bicknell  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Eliza  A.  Chancelor,  who  was  born  in  Mercer 
county,  Kentucky,  in  1823.  Her  father,  John 
Chancelor,  was  also  a  native  of  that  county, 
having  been  born  in  1800.  He  died  fifty-six 
years  later.  John  Chancelor's  wife,  who  was 
Polly  Thomas,  was  also  a  native  of  Mercer 
county,  and  was  born  in  1802;  she  died  in 
Knox  county,  Indiana,  in  1877.  Their  chil- 
dren were :  Eliza  A.,  Isaac,  Will,  John,  Elias, 
and  James,  all  deceased. 

Munford.  the  oldest  son  of  John  Bick- 
nell, served  in  the  Civil  \Var,  and  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Perryville,  Kentucky.  He 
now  lives  in  Knox  county,  Indiana,  and  his 
daughter,  Cora  (Moss),  lives  in  Labette  coun- 
ty; Mrs.  Moss  has  two  children,  Walter  and 
Floyd.  Mumfred  Bicknell's  other  children 
are  named :  Clarence,  Roy  and  Sailie, — the 
first  two  being  the  offspring  of  his  first  mar- 
riage. John  Bicknell's  other  children  are : 
Mary  (Gofif),  of  Labette  county,  the  mother 
of  Lillie  (Davis),  of  Oklahoma,  whose  chil- 
dren are  Ralph  and  May;  Brighton,  who  has 
two  children,  Floy  and  Evaline;  Nancy 
(Reel),  of  Labette  county,  who  has  one  child 
named  Denver ;  John,  of  Knox  county,  Indiana, 
who  has  three  children,  Homer,  Ottie  and 
Flossie;  Caroline  (Copley),  of  Labette  county, 
who  has  two  children,  Silvia  and  Roy;  Lovisia 
E.  (Chambers),  of  Knox  county,  Indiana,  who 
has  two  children,  Bertie  and  Carrie;  William, 
of  Labette  county;  Benoni,  deceased,  whose 
children  are  Edgar  and  Raymond;  and  Flor- 
ence (Robertson),  of  Liberal,  Missouri,  whose 
children  are,  Blanche,  Cleo  and  Bernice. 

Mr.  Bicknell  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 


party.  He  has  been  an  active  member  of  the 
Baptist  church  for  the  past  sixty  years.  He 
is  surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


HELBY  WILLIS,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent and  influential  farmers  identified 
with  the  growth  and  development  of 
Labette  county,  resides  in  section  20, 
Liberty  township.  He  is  a  native  of  Shelby 
county,  Kentucky,  and  was  born  in  1832. 
When  but  three  years  of  age,  .he  moved  with 
his  parents  to  Marion  county,  Indiana,  where 
he  received  his  early  mental  training.  In 
1843,  his  parents  moved  back  to  Shelby  county, 
Kentucky,  where  they  remained  until  1851. 
In  that  year,  they  went  to  Fountain  county, 
Indiana,  and  later  to  Marion  county,  Iowa. 
In  1855  they  located  in  Jefiferson  county,  Iowa, 
and  six  years  afterward  moved  to  Union  coun- 
ty, Iowa.  Shelby  Willis  enlisted  in  Company 
L,  3d  Reg.,  Iowa  Vol.  Cav.,  in  1864,  and  was 
mustered  out  at  Atlanta,  Georgia,  in  1865. 
At  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Willis  returned 
to  Union  county,  Iowa,  where  he  resided  until 
he  located  in  Labette  county,  Kansas.  He 
settled  on  his  present  farm,  in  1894,  where  he 
has  carried  on  general  farming  ever  since.  He 
is  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  and  good  busi- 
ness ability,  and  his  agricultural  career  has 
been  very  successful. 

Mr.  Willis  was  married  to  Sarah  J.  Brad- 
ley, a  native  of  Bond  county,  Illinois.  She 
was  born  in  1836,  and  died  in  1890.  Her  fa- 
ther, W^illiam  Bradley,  was  born  in  North  Car- 
olina, in  181 5,  and  died  in  Decatur  county, 
Iowa,  in  1891.  Mr.  Willis  had  11  children 
by  this,  his  first  marriage.  They  were :  Mary 
(Wilson),  of  Union  county,  Iowa,  whose  chil- 
dren   are, — Lyman,    Laura,    Homer,    Mattie, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Stella,  Harry,  and  Clarence;  William  deceased; 
John,  of  Adams  county,  Washington,  the  fa- 
ther of  the  following  children :  Chloe,  Addie, 
Roe,  Dean,  Claude,  and  Hazel;  Etha  (Wain), 
of  Holyoke,  Colorado,  whose  children  are, — 
Royce.  Bruce,  Floyd,  and  Joseph;  Lucy 
(Kelly),  of  Adams  county,  Washington, 
whose  children  are, — Gilbert  and  Fay;  Sarah 
(Bryant),  of  Labette  county;  James,  of  Ad- 
ams county,  Washington;  Irna  (Hoffman),  of 
Cedar  county,  Missouri, — the  mother  of  Neva 
and  Veta;  Ada,  deceased;  Hattie  (Bicknell), 
of  Adams  county,  Washington,  whose  children 
are. — Floyd  and  Forest;  and  Annie,  deceased. 
Mr.  Willis  formed  a  second  union,  in  1895, 
by  wedding  Mrs.  Ary  Christie,  widow  of  An- 
drew J.  Christie,  who  was  born  in  Indiana,  and 
died  in  Kansas,  February  15,  1890.  Mrs.  Chris- 
tie was  born  in  1833  in  Mercer  county,  Ken- 
tucky. Her  father.  John  Rynerson,  was  also  a 
native  of  Mercer  county,  and  was  born  in  1806. 
He  died  in  Hendricks  county,  Indiana,  in  1865. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Cunningham,  who  was 
born  in  1808,  in  Mercer  county.  Kentucky,  and 
died,  in  1849,  i"  Hendricks  county,  Indiana. 
They  reared  the  following  offspring:  Will- 
iam, James  and  Christopher,  deceased;  Ary, 
the  wife  of  Mr.  \\'illis;  Jane;  Mary,  deceased; 
Elizabeth  (Moon),  of  Hendricks  county,  In- 
diana; Sarah,  deceased;  Mattie  (Cooper),  of 
Hendricks  county,  Indiana  ;  and  Laura  (Goss). 
deceased.  Mrs.  W'illis.  before  her  marriage  to 
our  subject,  had  reared  10  children,  namely: 
John,  deceased,  whose  children  are, — Cosalia, 
Effie.  Isaac,  and  Ary ;  William,  deceased ;  Jen- 
nie (Potter),  of  Cherokee  county,  Kansas, 
whose  children  are, — ^Josie  (Tower),  of  Pu- 
eblo, Colorado,  Emma  (Wadsack),  Flora, 
Charles,  Ary,  Clara.  Laura,  Obad,  Fred, 
Homer,  and  Irne;  Wilson,  deceased;  Elisha, 
■of  Labette  county,  whose  children  are  — Grace 


(deceased),  Dais}-,  Lizzie,  William,  Ernest, 
Raymond,  Roy  and  May;  Sarah  (Kenworthy), 
deceased,  whose  children  were. — Pearl,  Frank, 
Charles,  Florence  (deceased),  Clara,  Em- 
ma (deceased),  and  Enoch;  James,  of 
Labette  county;  Albert  (deceased),  whose 
children  were, — Sophia,  Albert,  and  Sam- 
uel; Fred,  who  served  in  Company  F, 
34th  Reg.,  U.  S.  Vol.  Inf.,  8th  Army  Corps, 
in  the  Philippine  Islands;  and  Mary  (Hag- 
gard), deceased,  whose  children  were, — Rich- 
ard, Harmon  and  Earle.  IMr.  Willis  has  been 
township  trustee  three  terms,  and  justice  of 
the  peace  and  school  directoi  for  fifteen  years. 


HOMAS  F,  SLICE,  who  lives  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  Os- 
wego township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  not  only  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  but  in  coal  operating  as  well. 
There  is  a  good  vein  of  coal  underlying  his 
land,  first  discovered  more  than  thirty  years 
ago,  and  he  still  mines  considerable  coal.  Mr. 
Stice  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Illinois,  in 
1858,  and  is  a  son  of  Shadrach  and  Lena 
(Hanes)  Stice,  and  a  grandson  of  Charles 
Stice. 

Shadrach  Stice  was  born  in  Greenwood, 
Kentucky,  where  he  spent  the  early  part  of 
his  life,  and  where  he  was  married.  He  then 
moved  to  Madison  county,  Illinois,  and  several 
years  later  went  to  Scott  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  and  his  wife  lived  the  remainder  of 
their  lives.  He  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-six 
years,  and  she  at  the  age  of  fifty-two-  years. 
His  union  with  Lena  Hanes  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  the  following  children  :  ^\'i!liam,  who 
died  from  the  effects  of  measles  contracted 
while  in  the  army,  during  the  Civil  War ;  John, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


deceased;  Mary  (Killebrew),  deceased:  Mar- 
garet (Handback);  Martin,  deceased;  Xancy, 
deceased ;  Samuel,  deceased ;  George  W. ; 
Thomas  F. ;  artd  James. 

Thomas  F.  Stice  spent  most  of  his  boy- 
hood days  in  Scott  county,  Ihinois,  and  at  an 
early  age  learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist. 
He  worked  in  a  machihe  shop  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  returned  to  the  farm.  In 
March,  1880,  he  traveled  west,  and  located  in 
Oswego  township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  purchased  280  acres  of  land.  Coal 
was  discovered  on  this  property  more  than 
thirty  years  ago.  and  at  a  former  period  con- 
siderable coal  was  mined  and  sold.  After  Mr. 
Stice  came  into  possession,  he  again  began  the 
development  of  the  coal  banks,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent time  markets  a  good  deal  of  coal.  His 
280  acres  are  in  one  body,  and  underlying  the 
property  is  a  vein  of  coal  running  from  12  to 
24  inches  thick.  He  follows  modern  ideas  in 
his  farming,  and  has  been  very  successful. 
'Sir.  Stice,  l:)esides  farming,  is  also  agent  for 
the  Page  Woven  Wire  Fence  Company,  and 
has  done  considerable  work  in  putting  up  wire 
fences.  This  has  amounted  to  12  miles  since 
January  i,  1901.  He  has  also  purchased,  in 
section  35,  Oswego  township,  a  farm  of  42 
acres,  which  is  devoted  to  wheat.  He  is  char- 
acterized by  amiable  traits,  stands  high  in  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  has  many 
friends  throughout  the  county. 

Air.  Stice  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1881, 
with  Lucy  Caldwell,  a  daughter  of  James  and 
]\Ielissa  Caldwell,  of  Montana  township,  La- 
bette county,  and  they  became  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Fred,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years;  Ada;  Edward;  Nora  and 
Dora,  twins ;  Carl ;  Pearl ;  Clyde ;  Margaret 
and  ]\Iarie,  twins,  both  of  whom  are  deceased ; 
Blanche:  and  Omar.     Fraternallv,  Mr.   Stice 


is  a  member  of  Oswego  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. ; 
and  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He 
is  a  strong  Republican,  in  politics,  and  an  ac- 
tive worker  in  the  party.  He  has  served  in  an 
official  capacity  for  a  period  of  twelve  years, 
having  held  the  offices  of  township  trustee, 
treasurer  and  clerk. 


p|=^LFRED  BICKNELL,  a  prosperous 
rag.  ra  and  well  known  farmer,  residing  in 
^j^^  section  1 7,  Liberty  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  has  been  one  of  the 
progressive  and  influential  workers  in  the 
county,  where  he  located  in  1867,  and  has 
materially  assisted  in  its  growth  and  develop,- 
ment.  He  was  born  in  Knox  county,  Indiana. 
in  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  Mumfred  and  Nancy 
(Ashby)    Bicknell. 

■Mumfred  Bicknell  was  born  in  1796,  in 
North  Carolina,  and  died  in  1853,  in  Knox 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  had  lived  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  married  Xancy  Ashljy,  a  na- 
tive of  Mercer  county,  Kentucky,  who  was  born 
in  1798.  She  also  died  in  Knox  county, 
Indiana,  in  1876,  having  been  the  mother 
of  the  following  children,  namely:  James; 
Christiana;  John;  Josephus;  Samuel;  Alfred; 
Mumfred  ;  Austin ;  David  ;  William,  deceased  : 
and  George  W. 

Alfred  Bicknell,  whose  name  appears  at 
the  opening  of  these  lines,  received  his  mental 
training  in  his  native  county,  where  he  lived 
until  1862.  In  that  year  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany C,  80th  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
in  the  23d  Army  Corps,  in  the  Army  of  the 
Ohio.  He  was  mustered  out  in  1865,  having 
fought  valiantly  for  his  country.  After  the 
close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Bicknell  returned  to 
Knox  countv,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  two 


494 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


years,  and  then  moved  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  is 
engaged  in  general  farming,  an  occupation  he 
has  followed  all  his  life.  He  has  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  farming  matters,  and  has  been 
very  successful.  He  has  a  large,  well  ap- 
pointed farm,  which  is  kept  in  excellent  con- 
dition, and  presents  a  fine  appearance. 

Mr.  Bicknell  was  wedded  to  Mary  Ellen 
Fitzpatrick,  a  native  of  Knox  county,  Indiana, 
who  was  born  in  1836.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Sarah  (Pender)  Fitzpatrick.  John 
Fitzpatrick  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  in 
1790,  and  died  in  Knox  county,  Indiana,  in 
1845.  His  wife  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in 
1810,  and  died  in  Knox  county,  Indiana,  in 
1885.  They  reared  the  following  offspring: 
James,  Pleasant,  Lucinda  (Davenport), 
Thomas,  John,  Obid,  and  Daniel,  deceased; 
Jane  (Chancelor),  of  Knox  county,  Indiana; 
Mary  E.,  of  Labette  county;  Charlotte,  de- 
ceased; Nancy  (Richie),  of  Colorado  Springs, 
Colorado;  William  S.,  of  California;  Sarah, 
of  Sullivan  county,  Indiana;  and  Thompson, 
deceased. 

Mr.  Bicknell  and  his  wife  are  the  parents 
of  II  children,  who  are  as  follows:  Joseph 
and  Nancy,  deceased;  William;  George  W. ; 
Morton;  Marion  and  Grant,  deceased;  John; 
David  E. ;  Judson;  and  Charles.  William,  who 
lives  in  Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  married  Sophia 
Jewell,  and  has  the  following  children: 
Arthur;  Myrtle;  William;  Hazel;  and 
Blanche.  George  W.,  who  resides  in  Ne- 
osho, Kansas,  married  Maggie  Moore, 
and  has  the  following  offspring:  Clyde; 
Alice;  Amy;  Ella;  Fred;  Pearl;  Homer; 
and  W'alter.  The  name  of  Morton's  wife  was 
Lizzie  Maclndoo,  and  she  bore  him  two  chil- 
dren,— Maud  and  Mont.  John  lives  in  La- 
bette county.     David  E.,  who  lives  in  Spo- 


kane, Washington,  married  a  Miss  Goodm.an, 
■and  has  one  child, — Thelma.  Judson,  who 
lives  in  Labette  county,  married  Dora  Hoffman, 
and  has  two  children, — Fred  and  Fern. 
Charles,  who  resides  in  Adams  county,  Wash- 
ington, married  May  Willis,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren,— Floyd  and  Forrest. 

Mr.  Bicknell  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R., 
and  he  is  highly  respected  in  the  community, 
where  he  is  considered  one  of  its  best  citizens. 
He  has  many  warm  friends. 


OHN  A.  FLORA,  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  and  farmer,  who  has  been 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  at  present  living 
in  section  24,  Liberty  township.  He  has  been 
a  resident  of  Kansas  since  1862,  and  has  been 
largely  identified  with  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  Labette  county  since  1868.  Mr.  Flora 
was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Indiana,  in 
1845,  ^"fl  is  a  son  of  John  and  Amanda 
(Lentz.)  Flora. 

John  Flora  was  born  in  Susquehanna  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  in  1800,  and  died  in  Barthol- 
omew county,  Indiana,  in  1867.  He  married 
Amanda  Lentz,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut 
in  1808,  and  died  in  Bartholomew  county,  In- 
diana, in  1 86 1.  This  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  six  children,  namely:  Volney,  who 
lives  in  Hugo,  Colorado;  Josephine  (Beau- 
champ),  who  lives  m  Paola,  Kansas;  Cath- 
erine (Muth),  deceased;  Daniel,  who  lives  in 
Pueblo,  Colorado;  IMargaret  (Beauchamp), 
who  lives  in  Denver,  Missouri;  and  John  A., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

John  A.  Flora  was  ten  years  old  when  his 
parents  moved  to  Bartholomew  county,  Indi- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


495 


ana,  where  he  received  his  primary  education, 
and  also  attended  Hartsville  University,  at 
Harts ville,  Indiana.  In  1862,  ]\Ir.  Flora  en- 
listed in  Company  C,  6th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Cav., 
and  was  transferred  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
where  he  was  assigned  to  special  scout  duty. 
Mr.  Flora  served  as  a  scout  in  Colorado,  the 
'Indian  Territory,  Kansas  and  Nebraska  dur- 
ing the  war,  and  took  p^rt  in  many  skirmishes 
with  the  Indians.  He  did  valuable  service, 
and  was  mustered  out  in  1865.  In  that  year 
he  located  in  Lyon  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
remained  for  three  years,  when  he  removed  to 
Labette  county,  and  settled  in  Oswego.  There 
he  leased  and  conducted  the  Condon  Hotel  for 
a  period  of  tweh-e  years.  Since  that  time  he 
has  lived  in  section  24,  in  Liberty  township. 

Mr.  Flora  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Shults,  who  was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio, 
in  1850.  She  died  in  Lyon  county,  Kansas,  in 
1873.  Three  children  resulted  from  this 
union,  whose  names  are:  Clarence,  who  lives 
in  Independence,  Kansas;  Harriet  (Gray), 
who  lives  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  has  two 
children, — Carl  and  Russell ;  and  William,  who 
lives  in  Carthage,  Missouri,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren,— Harriet  and  Frances.  Mr.  Flora 
formed  a  second  union  by  wedding  Mrs.  Ida 
C.  Smith,  in  1879.  She  was  born  in  Indi- 
anapolis, Indiana,  in  1845.  She  has  two  chil- 
dren by  her  first  marriage,  namely :  Peter  W. 
Smith,  who  lives  in  Joplin,  Missouri,  and  has 
one  son, — Earl;  and  Lena  (Clark),  who  lives 
in  Oswego,  Kansas,  and  has  one  son, — Elmer. 

Mr.  Flora  is  a  faithful  adherent  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  the  citizens  of  Labette 
county  have  shown  their  confidence  in  him  by 
electing  him  register  of  deeds, — an  office  which 
he  filled  in  an  able  manner.  Mr.  Flora  is  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  of  the  M.  W. 
of  A. 


R.  JAMES  W.  HENDERSON,  one  of 
the  leading  physicians  of  Labette 
City,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  a 
highly  respected  citizen  of  that  town. 
He  enjoys  a  lucrative  practice,  and  is  known 
throug'hout  the  county.  Dr.  Henderson  was 
born  in  Posey  county,  Indiana,  in  1846,  and  is 
a  son  of  William  and  Mourning  (Ballard) 
Henderson. 

William  Henderson  was  born  in  Virginia, 
in  1804,  and  his  death  occurred  in  Posey  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  in  1849.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Clinton  county,  Ohio,  in  1814,  and  died  in 
1892,  at  Arao,  Indiana.  They  reared  two  chil- 
dren: James,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and 
Sarah  (Phillips),  of  Indiana. 

Dr.  James  W.  Henderson  was  but  four 
years  old  when  his  mother  moved  to  Clinton 
county,  Ohio.  In  1852  sh^  went,  with  her 
family,  to  Hendricks  county.  Indiana,  where 
the  subject  hereof  received  his  early  educa- 
tion. He  graduated  from  the  Indiana  Medi- 
cal College,  at  Indianapolis,  in  the  class  of 
1876.  From  1 88 1  to  1884  Dr.  Henderson 
was  superintendent  of  the  Indian  schools  of 
Pawhuska,  Oklahoma.  In  1884  he  moved 
with  his  family  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and 
located  in  Labette  City,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided, and  has  practiced  medicine  continuously. 
He  is  an  honest,  upright  and  intelligent  citi- 
zen, and  has  done  much  to  better  the  condition 
of  his  town  and  county. 

Dr.  Henderson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  Van  Dyke,  who  was  born  in  1849,  i^i 
Fillmore,  Indiana.  Her  father  was  Quinton 
Van  Dyke,  who  was  born  in  1812,  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  died  in  1884,  in  Tuscola,  Illinois. 
His  wife  was  Lucinda  Brinton,  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  who  was  born  in  18 12,  and  died  in 
Indiana,  in  1870.  They  reared  the  following 
children, — Louisa  (Ellis),  deceased;  Lorenzo, 


496 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  Huron,  Indiana;  John,  of  Tuscola,  Illinois; 
Wailis,  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana;  Xelson  and 
Mary,  deceased ;  Jennie,  living  in  Ottumwa, 
Iowa;  Sara'h ;  and  Clara   (Coughlan). 

Dr.  Henderson  and  his  wife  have  had  three 
children,  namely:  Lena  M.,  deceased;  Mabel 
R.,  of  Labette  City;  and  Chester,  deceased. 
Dr.  Henderson  is  a  Republican,  in  his  politi- 
cal belief,  and  fraternally,  is  a  member  of  La- 
bette Lodge,  No.  488,  I.  O.  O,  F.;  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America;  and  Daughters  of  Re- 
bekah.  He  is  medical  examiner  for  several 
insurance  companies. 


fellow  citizens.  ]\Ir.  Starnes  married  Susan 
Dodd,  who  was  born  in  Indianapolis,  Indi- 
ana, in  1876. 


lARRV  W.  STARXES,  a  well  known 
young  druggist  of  Altamont,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Labette 
county,  in  1872,  in  the  northeast  quar- 
ter of  section  34,  Mount  Pleasant  tpwns'hip. 
He  was  the  only  child  of  James  and  Elizabeth 
(Ingersoll)  Starnes.  James  Starnes  was  born 
in  Greene  county,  Indiana,  in  1845,  ^1"^  is  liv- 
ing in  Colorado.  His  wife  was  also  a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  was  born  in  1852;  she  died  in 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1873.  Harry  W. 
was  the  only  child  resulting  from  this  union. 
Harry  \V.  Starnes  received  his  mental 
training  in  the  schools  of  Mount  Pleasant 
township,  and  in  the  'high  school  at  Oswego, 
Kansas.  He  learned  the  printer's  trade,  and 
worked  at  it  for  seven  years  before  he  began 
the  study  of  pharmacy.  He  has  been  in  the 
drug  trade  in  Altamont  for  eight  years,  having 
a  large  and  flourishing  business.  Mr.  Starnes 
has  been  secretary  of  the  Republican  county 
central  committee,  and  has  also  been  city  clerk 
and  treasurer  of  Altamont.  He  has  always 
been  one  of  the  active  and  zealous  workers  in 
the  county,  and  is  highly  respected  by  all  his 


0RATUS  R.  BRADFIELD,  one  of  the 
leading  business    men    in    Altamont, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  engaged 
in  the  hardware  trade.     He  was  born 
in  Coles  county,  Illinois,  in  i860,  and  is  a  son 
of  J.  P.  and  Martha  J.  (Carnell)  Bradfield. 

J.  P.  Bradfield  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1834, 
and  in  1850  moved  to  Coles  county,  Illinois. 
In  1872  he  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
and  settled  in  Montana  township.  In  1874  Mr. 
Bradfield  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits,  and 
continued  thus  until  1896,  when ,  he  began 
farming,  his  present  occupation.  He  married 
Martha  J.  Carnell,  who  was  born  in  Indiana, 
in  1836.  She  died  at  Montana,  Kansas,  in 
1 88 1.  They  reared  the  following  children, 
namely :  Henry,  of  Parsons,  Kansas ;  Rachael 
(Peak),  of  Parsons;  Samuel,  deceased;  James, 
of  Montana,  Kansas;  Aratus  R.,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch;  Aggie  (Barnes),  of  Augusta, 
Kansas;  Joseph,  living  in  New  Mexico;  Nel- 
lie, deceased;  and  Minnie  (Kiter).  of  Parsons, 
Kansas.  Mr.  Bradfield  married  a  second 
time,  and  the  latter  union  resulted  in  the  fol- 
lowing offspring :  Cleo,  of  jMontana,  Kansas ; 
John,  deceased;  Carlos;  and  Flora,  of  Mon- 
tana, Kansas. 

Aratus  R.  Bradfield,  whose  name  appears 
at  the  opening  of  this  sketch,  lived  in  Coles 
ciiunty,  Illinois,  until  1872,  and  attended  the 
schools  of  that  county.  He  assisted  his  father 
in  farming  for  ten  years,  and  in  1874  began 
his  mercantile  career,  by  assisting  his  father 
in  their  general  store.  In  1881  Mr.  Bradfield 
went  to  Coloraclo.  but  remained  only  one  year. 


DAVID  V.   REED. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


499 


returning  to  Labette  county  in  1882,  where  he 
began  farming.  He  continued  at  this  occupa- 
tion until  1889,  when  he  engaged  in  the  imple- 
ment business  in  Montana,  Labette  county,  and 
continued  thus  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  His 
next  move  was  to  Altamont,  where  he  now 
resides,  and  is  engaged  in  the  hardware  and 
implement  business.  He  has  a  large  number 
of  patrons,  with  whom  he  deals  honestly  and 
fairly.  His  reputation  as  a  man  of  just  busi- 
ness methods  has  long  been  established  in  the 
county.  Mr.  Bradfield  has  a  large,  well  stocked 
store,  which  is  considered  one  of  the  best  in 
the  county. 

Mr.  Bradfield  married  Lucy  Ammonds,  in 
1882.  She  was  born  in  1859,  in  Greenville, 
Illinois.  They  have  had  three  children, — Clif- 
ford, deceased;  Arthur  M.,  of  Altamont;  and 
Edith  C.  Mr.  Bradfield  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Royal 
Neighbors. 


SAVID  V.  REED,  one  of  the  hardy 
pioneers  of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
whose  portrait  accompanies  this 
sketch,  located  upon  his  present  farm 
in  1867,  ^nd  hss  since  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  fruit  growing.  He  was  among 
the  very  first  to  settle  in  this  section  and  has 
witnessed  the  wonderful  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  county  since  that  period.  He  has 
prospered  with  the  county,  and  is  now  reck- 
oned as  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  influ- 
ential men  in  the  community.  He  was  born 
in  Union  county,  Ohio,  in  1842,  and  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Asenath    (McWilliams)    Reed. 

James  Reed  was  born  in  Union  county, 
Ohio,  in  1814,  and  died  there  in  1845.  His  wife_ 
Asenath  McWilliams, was  born  in  Ohio  in  18 18, 
and  (lied  in  Wilson  county,  Kansas,  in  1887. 


They  reared  six  children,  as  follows :  Joseph, 
deceased ;  Enos,  of  Douglas  county,  Kansas ; 
Marcenas,  deceased;  Almeda  (Molesworth), 
of  Labette  county,  Kansas;  David  V.,  the  sub- 
ject hereof;  and  James,  deceased.  Mrs.  Reed 
married  a  second  husband,  Thomas  Long,  by 
whom  she  had  seven  children :  Mary,  de- 
ceased; John,  deceased;  Samuel,  of  Montgom- 
ery county,  Kansas ;  Arabella,  deceased ;  Eliza, 
deceased;  Flora  (Handley),  of  Montgomery 
county;  and  Brumfield,  of  Wilson  county. 
Kansas. 

David  V.  Reed  lived  in  Union  county, 
Ohio,  until  1850,  when  he  moved  to  Lucas 
county,  Iowa,  and  received  a  common  school 
education  in  that  state.  In  1862,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  K,  34th  Reg.,  Iowa.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  was  in  the  battles  of  Vicksburg,  Mobile, 
and  many  others.  He  was  capture'l  by  the 
Confederates  at  Sterling  Plantation,  and  taken 
to  Tyler,  Texas,  where  he  was  incarcerated 
for  a  period  of  ten  months.  In  1864,  he  was 
exchanged,  and  three  days  afterward  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Sterling  Plantation.  He 
was  mustered  out  in  1865,  and  returned  to 
Lucas  county,  Iowa.  There  he  remained 
on  a  farm  until  1867,  when  he  moved  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  located  upon  his 
present  farm  on  section  18,  Liberty  township. 
He  has  since  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
stock  raising,  and  has  made  a  specialty  of  fruit 
growing. 

Mr.  Reed  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  E.  Collins,  who  was  born  in  Grundy 
county,  Illinois,  in  1842,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Theron  and  Garetta  (Van  Dolson)  Collins. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Dutchess  county.  New 
York,  in  1810,  and  died  at  Parsons,  Kansas, 
in  1S84.  Her  mother  was  born  in  Albany 
county,  New^  York,  in  181 3,  and  died  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  in  1886.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Collins 


500 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


were  parents  of  the  following  children :  John, 
of  Whatcom  county,  Washington;  George,  of 
Pawnee  county,  Nebraska ;  William,  of  Green- 
ville, Texas;  Edward,  of  Whatcom  county, 
Washington;  Mary  E.,  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas;  Margaret  (Wood),  of  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas; Catherine  (Irwin),  of  Spokane,  Washing- 
ton; and  Sarah,  of  Labette  county,  Kansas. 
Mr.  Reed  is  a  man  of  pleasing  personality,  and 
has  many  warm  friends  in  Labette  county. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  having  cast 
his  first  vote  while  in  the  army  for  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  having  voted  with  that  party  ever 
since.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horse- 
thief  Association. 


BUFUS  DeGARMO,  who  was  for  many 
years  a  prominent  farmer  of  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  now  living  in  re- 
■  '     tirement    in    the    city    of    Oswego, 

Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Ulster  county.  New 
York,  in  1821,  and  is  a  son  of  Elias  and  Clem- 
ma  (Powell)   De  Garmo. 

Elias  De  Garmo  was  born  in  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  in  1788,  and  died  in 
Rochester,  New  York,  in  1876.  He  married 
Clemma  Powell,  who  was  born  in  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  In  1789,  and  died  there  in 
1828.  They  reared  the  following  offspring: 
John,  Lydia.  Mary,  and  Anna,  deceased;  Han- 
nah (Albertson),  of  Sterling,  Illinois;  Rufus; 
and  Peter  and  Jane,  twins, — the  former  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  and  the  latter  deceased. 

Rufus  De  Garmo  received  his  education  in 
Monroe  county.  New  York,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  years  went  to  Sterling.  Illinois. 
He  was  clerk  of  Whiteside  county,  Illinois, 
from  1831  to  1857,  and  m  1861  removed  to 
Shelby  county,  Illinois.     In  1864  he  enHsted 


in  the  149th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  made 
quartermaster  sergeant  of  the  regiment.  He 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was 
mustered  out  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  in  1866. 
He  then  lived  in  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  until 
1882,  when  he  removed  to  Oswego,  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  There  he  resided  until  1884, 
and  then  moved  to  Coldwater,  Kansas,  where 
he  was  located  for  eight  years.  During  this 
time  he  served  as  city  clerk,  for  six  years;  as 
police  judge,  two  years;  and  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  two  years.  In  1892  he  returned  to  La- 
bette county.  Kansas,  and  is  now  living  in  re- 
tirement at  Oswego.  He  was  a  good  business 
man  and  a  successful  farmer,  and  has  always 
stood  in  high  favor  with  his  fellow  citizens. 
Mr.  De  Garmo  was  first  married  to  Laura 
M.  Wilber,  who  was  born  in  Peterboro,  New 
York,  in  1822,  and  died  in  East  Troy,  Wiscon- 
sin, in  1850.  This  union  resulted  in  one  son, 
Charles,  who  was  president  of  Swarthmore 
College,  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  from 
1892  to  1899.  For  the  past  two  years  Charles 
De  Garmo  has  been  a  professor  at  Cornell 
L^niversity,  and  occupies  a  prominent  position 
in  educational  circles.  Our  subject  formed  a 
second  union  by  wedding  Lavina  Miles,  who 
was  born  in  1827,  and  died  in  1898,  at  Os- 
wego, Kansas.  Three  children  were  the  off- 
spring of  the  second  marriage:  Caroline  M. 
(Wiley);  Alice  (Smith);  and  Lida,  who  is 
at  home. 


0 


REDERICK  BOSTELMANN,  a  well 
known  and  highly  esteemed  resident 
of  Walton  township,  occupies  a  promi- 
nent place  among  the  well-to-do  farm- 
ers of  Labette  county,  Kansas.  He  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1844.  and  received  his  intellect- 
ual training  in  the  schools  of  'his  native  coun- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


501 


try.  He  followed  farming  during  his  early 
manhood,  and  in  1866,  when  twenty-two  years 
of  age,  came  to  America.  He  landed  at  Bal- 
timore, Maryland,  and  subsequently  traveled 
inland  as  far  as  Ohio.  Some  time  later  he 
came  west,  to  Iowa,  where  he  remained  for 
several  years.  In  the  fall  of  1871  he  located 
permanently  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  Tiis 
home.  This  farm  comprises  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  i,  in  Walton  township,  and 
is  a  tract  of  as  finely  cultivated  land  as  can  be 
found  in  the  county.  This  land  Mr.  Bostel- 
man  has  spent  the  past  thirty  years  in  culti- 
vating and  improving.  He  carries  on  general 
farming,  and  raises  all  sorts  of  grain,  some 
stock,  and  various  kinds  of  fruit. 

Mr.  Bostelmann  frequently  refers  to  inci- 
dents of  his  experience  in  getting  to  Kansas, 
which  was  then  but  sparsely  settled.  While 
living  in  Iowa  he  was  an  employee  on  the 
Rock  Island  Railroad,  and  this  fact  enabled 
him  to  travel  by  rail  as  far  as  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska. From  that  point  the  trip  down  the 
Missouri  river  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  was 
made  on  a  flat  boat.  The  rest  of  the  journey 
was  pursued  via  Fort  Scott  to  Labette  county. 
In  the  fall  of  1870,  when  Mr.  Bostelmann  first 
arrived  in  the  county,  he  was  accompanied  by 
August  Hoffman.  They  "bached"  on  the 
former's  claim.  Mr.  Hoffman  had  purchased 
the  adjoining  claim,  but  still  they  "bached" 
together  in  a  12  by  14  feet  box  shanty.  While 
away  at  supper  on  an  adjoining  claim,  their 
shanty  was  set  on  fire  by  a  posse  of  16  men, 
who,  it  is  thought,  wanted  to  frighten  Mr. 
Bostelmann  and  his  partner  away.  They  did 
not  accomplish  their  purpose,  as  the  former 
was  not  so  easily  scared,  but  at  once  set  about 
to  build  a  log  cabin,  which  soon  replaced  the 
box  house.  The  guilty  parties  were  brought 
to  justice,  which  soon  settled  all  trouble. 


Mr.  Bostelmann  had  one  brother,  Henry, 
who  fell  in  the  German  military  service.  Their 
father,  George  Bostelmann,  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  never  left  his  native  land. 

Frederick  Bostelmann  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Theresa  Minder,  a  daughter  of  Dan- 
iel Minder,  a  respected  citizen  of  Springfield, 
Illinois.  Four  children  have  blessed  their 
home.  One  daughter,  Rosie,  is  deceased. 
Those  living  are  Mary,  Henry  and  Edna. 

Mr.  Bostelmann  is  a  man  of  great  industry 
as  a  farmer.  Success  has  attended  his  every 
effort,  and  in  pecuniary  acquisition  he  has  be- 
come one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  section. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  German  Evangelical 
church,  and,  fraternally,  affiliates  with  Parsons 
Lodge,  No.  12,  A.  O.  U.  W.  He  is  closely 
attached  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  exer- 
cises all  his  influence  in  behalf  of  the  interests 
of  that  party.  During  his  long  residence  in 
Walton  township  he  has  gained  a  large  number 
of  friends,  who  hold  him  in  the  highest  esteem. 


S.  GETZENDANER,  one  of  the 
early  pioneers  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  has  been  located  on  his 
farm  in  Howard  township, — ^the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  14,  township  35, 
range  17, — since  the  spring  of  1869.  He  is 
a  progressive  citizen,  and  has  contributed  his 
share  toward  the  great  development  of  the 
county.  He  was  born  in  Maryland,  in  1849, 
and  is  a  son  of  A.  and  Mary  (Buckey)  Getz- 
endaner. 

A.  Getzendaner  was  born  in  Maryland  and 
followed  the  business  of  a  stockman  and  farm- 
er. He  married  Mary  Buckey,  also  a  native  of 
Maryland,  and  they  reared  eight  children,  as 
follows:     W.  H.;  Anna  W.;  Laura  V.;  Mar- 


502 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


shall,  deceased:  \V.  S. ;  Mary;  Fannie  S. ;  and 
Milton  E. 

W.  S.  Getzendaner  was  thirteen  years  of 
age  when  he  left  his  native  state  for  Illinois, 
where  he  resided  until  he  settled  in  Kansas, 
March  17,  1869.  He  immediately  located  on 
his  present  farm,  and  built  a  cabin,  10  by  12 
feet  in  size,  and  also  broke  some  ground  the 
first  year.  He  entered  his  claim  in  1871,  and 
has  since  carried  on  general  farming  and  stock 
raising;  his  first  market  was  at  Chetopa.  He 
has  an  excellent  orchard  of  40  acres,  and  has 
made  many  other  improvements.  His  origi- 
nal cabin  was  replaced  by  his  present  two- 
story,  eight-room,  frame  house,  which  was 
built  twenty-six  years  ago.  He  has  been  a 
good  manager,  and  his  affairs  are  in  a  very 
prosperous  condition.  He  is  a  man  of  high 
character,  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
all. 

;\Ir.  Getzendaner  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mary  Mabry,  who  was  born  in  Illinois, 
in  1854.  and  they  have  had  two  children: 
Frank;  and  Edmond,  deceased.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  is  a  Democrat,  in  politics,  and 
has  served  on  the  school  board  of  his  township. 
He  belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief  Associa- 
tion ;  and  is  a  member  of  Star  Lodge  No.  1 17, 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Coffeyville,  Kansas.  Relig- 
iously, he  is  a  Protestant. 


^^MEXRY  L.  RICH,  an  energetic  and  pro- 
1  Bi  g'^'^^s'"^^  young  farmer  of  Walton 
yi^M  township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  his 
community.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  J.  and  Jane 
L.  (  Demorest)  Rich,  and  was  born  in  McLean 
county.   Illinois,  in    i^'')^. 

His    father    \va<   born     in     Massachusetts, 


April  7,  1807.  His  mother  was  born  in  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio,  February  15,  1822.  At  an  early 
age  Thomas  J.  Rich  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade  and  spent  many  years  in  pursuing  that 
occupation.  The  latter  part  of  his  life,  how- 
ever, was  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits  upon 
the  farm  now  occupied  by  his  son,"  Henry  L. 
Upon  this  farm,  which  is  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  5,  Walton  township,  his  last  days 
were  spent,  and  he  passed  to  the  life  beyond 
in  1875.  His  wife  died  about  five  years  pre- 
vious to  his  demise.  She  was  a  native  of 
Logansport,  Indiana.  They  reared  1 1  chil- 
dren. All  are  deceased,  with  the  exception  of 
Henry  L.,  who  is  the  youngest  of  the  family, 
and  his  brother  George,  who  was  the  eighth  in 
succession  of  birth.  The  other  children  were : 
Sarah  A.;  Smith;  Martha;  Jane;  Thomas  J.; 
Viola;  Vilroy;  Charles  S.  and  Amozina. 

Henry  L.  Rich  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Kansas  in  1870,  when  but  seven  years  of  age. 
Principally  through  his  own  efforts  in  apply- 
ing himself  diligently  to  his  books,  he  obtained 
a  good  practical  education.  Thus  he  was  well 
equipped  for  the  active  and  uniformly  success- 
ful career  he  has  subsequently  enjoyed.  Hav- 
ing been  reared  on  a  farm,  it  was  but  natural 
that  he  should  adopt  that  calling  as  his  life 
work. 

He  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Lizzie  F. 
Murray,  who  was  born  in  Maryland,  in  1867. 
Six  children  blessed  their  union,  narnely: 
Alamie;  Mallei;  Fay;  Iva;  Nellie;  and  Stan- 
ley. Mamie,  Fay  and  Stanley  are  deceased. 
The  family  are  devout  members  of  the  Dunk- 
ard  church,  and  are  charitably  inclined. 

Like  his  father,  Mr.  Rich  firmly  adheres  to 
the  principles  of  Democracy.  He  carries  on 
general  farming  and  devotes  especial  attention: 
to  st(5ck  raising, — breeding  some  very  fine  cat- 
tle, hogs  and  horses.     Few  men  of  his  age  hold 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


505 


50  prominent  a  place  in  the  public  estimation. 
His  friends  pronounce  his  success  the  manifest 
result  of  resolute  purpose  and  unflagging  in- 
dustry, and  predict  a  bright  future  for  him. 


HARED  C.  RICHCREEK,  formerly  pro- 
bate judge  of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
is  now  a  lumber  dealer  of  Oswego, 
and  is  well  and  favorably  known 
throughout  the  county.  He  was  born  in 
Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  in  1845,  ^"d  is  a  son 
of  George  W.  and  Eliza  (Mansfield)  Rich- 
creek. 

George  W.  Richcreek  was  born  in  Virginia, 
in  1812,  and  was  a  child  of  six  years  when  he 
moved  with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  where  he  was 
reared  and  schooled.  He  took  to  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer,  and  after  a  time  moved  to 
the  vicinity  of  Paris,  Edgar  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
•death,  in  1896,  at  the  age  of  eighty- four  years. 
His  wife  was  Eliza  Mansfield,  who  was  born 
in  1822,  and  died  in  1882.  They  were  the 
parents  of  1 1  children,  as  follows :  Absalom ; 
Mahala  J.;  Emily  A.  (Roller)  ;  Jared  C,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch;  Edward  A.;  Benjamin 
F. ;  Seth  M. ;  Anna  L.  (Moore);  Jesse;  and 
Hiram  and  Howard,  twins.  Politically, 
George  W.  Richcreek  was  originally  a  Whig, 
and  afterward  a  Republican.  Religiously,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church. 

Jared  C.  Richcreek  received  his  intellectual 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town, 
and  afterward  taught  a  few  terms  in  Illinois. 
From  1869  until  1875  h^  was  one  of  the  super- 
intendents of  a  farm  of  45,000  acres.  After 
this  he  moved  to  Strawn,  Illinois,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  grain  and  lumber  business 
for  a  period  of  five  years.     He  sold  out  his 


interests  there  and  settled  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  bought  a  farm  in  Montana 
township,  and  conducted  it  successfully  for 
fourteen  years.  He  followed  general  farm- 
ing, and  raised  stock  on  an  extensive  scale. 
In  1894  he  moved  to  Oswego,  but  still  owns 
his  original  farm  of  160  acres,  and  an  addi- 
tional tract  of  80  acres.  In  the  fall  of  1894 
he  was  elected,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  judge 
of  the  probate  court  of  Labette  county,  and 
served  in  a  most  creditable  manner  until  the 
expiration  of  his  term,  January  2,  1897.  He 
afterward  purchased  the  Thompson  Gunter 
lumber  yard,  and  has  since  operated  it  suc- 
cessfully. He  is  a  prosperous  business  man, 
and  an  enterprising  and  progressive  citizen. 
Judge  Richcreek  was  united  in  marriage, 
in  1874.  to  Wilhelmina  Kantauk,  by  whom  he 
has  five  children :  Emory  H. ;  Alice ;  Jena- 
vieve;  Tecumseh  S.;  and  Orville  K.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican,  in  poli- 
tics, and  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  while 
in  Illinois. 


^3 


RED  H.  BROWN,  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  whose 
portrait  appears  on  the  opposite  page, 
is  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  general 
manager  of  the  Kansas  Telephone  &  Electrical 
Company. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  Carthage,  Mis- 
souri, in  1869,  and  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Girard.  Kansas,  whither  his  parents  moved 
in  1877.  He  also  attended  St.  Francis  Insti- 
tute, of  St.  Paul,  Kansas,  and  \\^yman's  Insti- 
tute, of  Alton,  Illinois,  taking  a  course  in  civil 
engineering.  In  1888,  he  entered  the  engineer- 
ing department  of  the  R.  H.  &  E.  Ry.  Com- 
pany, with  which  he  was  identified  until  1890. 
He  then  became   traveling  salesman   for   the 


5o6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Pittsburg  &  Midway  Coal  Company,  of  Mid- 
way, Kansas,  and  remained  in  that  position  un- 
til 1894.  The  following  year,  he  organized  the 
Kansas  Telephone  &  Electrical  Company, 
which  was  chartered  under  the  laws  of  Kan- 
sas, with  the  following  officers  :  Hon.  Charles 
H.  Kimball,  president;  A.  A.  Osgood,  vice- 
president;  and  Fred  H.  Brown,  secretary  and 
treasurer.  Mr.  Brown  has  had  the  active  man- 
agement of  the  promotion  and  general  business 
of  the  enterprise,  with  head  offices  in  Parsons. 
The  company  operates  in  Montgomery,  Chero- 
kee, Crawford  and  Labette  counties.  It  has  an 
exchange  in  Cherryvale  and  one  in  Parsons, 
and  the  lines  in  Labette  county  extend  over 
75  miles.  Mr.  Brown  has  resided  in  Parsons 
since  1895. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage,  in  1892,  with  Minnie  M.  Hitz,  of 
Girard,  Kansas,  and  they  have  one  son,  Fred 
H.,  Jr.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Brown  is  a  Royal 
Arch  .Mason  and  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P. 
Politically,  he  is  unswerving  in  his  support 
of  the  Republican  party. 


'^^■EORGE  W.  HALL,  deceased,  for 
^Sg  many  years  one  of  the  prominent,  in- 
.'B_H  fluential  citizens  of  Parsons,  Kansas, 
was  a  blacksmith  and  machinist  by 
trade.  He  was  a  man  of  sound  principles,  and 
of  the  strictest  integrity,  and  his  death  was  sin- 
cerely regretted  by  all  who  knew  him.  Mr. 
Hall  was  born  in  Steuben  county,  New  York, 
in  182^,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Hall.  John 
Hall  was  born  in  Steuben  county,  New  York, 
in  1805,  and  died  in  the  same  county,  in  1824. 
George  W.  Hall,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  and  machin- 
ist, and  in  1852  moved  to  Fairfax,  Virginia, 


where  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
plows.  In  1 86 1,  the  Confederates  destroyed  his 
property,  and  he  barely  escaped  death,  being 
obliged  to  crawl  on  his  hands  and  knees,  for 
16  miles  through  brush  in  order  to  save  his 
life.  He  journeyed  on,  and  finally  reached 
Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  joined  the  Pio- 
neer Corps,  and  was  made  a  captain  in  the  regi- 
ment. He  was  mustered  out  in  1865,  and  re- 
turned to  Fairfax,  Virginia.  In  1871,  Mr. 
Hall  decided  to  locate  in  the  West,  and  accord- 
ingly removed  to  Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he  be- 
came superintendent  of  the  water  tanks  of  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  between 
Junction  City  and  Pryor  Creek,  Indian  Terri- 
tory. In  1874,  Mr.  Hall  went  into  the  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  shops  at  Par- 
sons, as  a  machinist,  and  worked  there  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1883. 
He  died  of  pneumonia,  after  having  been  sick 
but  one  day.  He  was  greatly  loved  by  all  his 
fellow  workmen,  as  he  was  ever  ready  to  lend 
a  helping  hand,  and  to  assist  those  in  trouble. 
He  was  a  good  and  faithful  workman,  and  his 
employers  reposed  great  confidence  in  him. 

Mr.  Hall  was  united  in  marriage  with  Lucy 
Golden,  who  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1838.  She  is  a  daughter  of  James 
and  ]\Iargaret  (Syphers)  Golden;  Mr.  Golden 
was  born  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  in  1800,  and 
his  wife  was  born  in  Winchester,  Virginia,  in 
1802,  and  her  death  occurred  in  Blacksville. 
Virginia,  in  1854.  Mr.  Golden  was  engaged  in 
operating  a  large  woolen  mill  at  Blacksville. 
His  death  occurred  in  that  city,  in  1854.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Golden  reared  the  following  children  : 
James  W.,  who  located  in  Kansas  in  1854; 
Margaret,  deceased  ;  Louisa,  of  Blacksville,  Vir- 
ginia; Henry,  of  Colorado;  Addie  (Christley), 
deceased;  Harford,  of  Jacksonville,  Pennsyl- 
vania ;  Josiah,  and    Modock,    both    deceased ; 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


507 


Fannie   (Franks),  of  Burton,  Virginia;     and 
Lucy. 

Mrs.  Hall  traveled,  in  1895,  as  correspond- 
ent for  the  Waynesburg  (Pennsylvania)  Re- 
publican, and  the  Oswego  Independent,  passing 
through  the  Southern  States,  Cuba,  and  Ja- 
maica. She  is  widely  known  in  Labette  coun- 
ty, where  she  is  living  in  section  26,  Liberty 
township. 


aOSEPH  CARR,  ticket  agent  for  the 
Alissouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway 
Company,  at  Angola,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  was 
born  September  23,  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  Jo- 
seph and  Margaret  (Humphreys)  Carr. 

Joseph  Carr,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Ireland,  in 
181 7.  He  came  to  the  United  States,  in  18 19, 
and  when  a  youth  learned  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter. He  is  now  living  with  his  son,  Joseph. 
He  married  Margaret  Humphreys,  and  this 
union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  children : 
William,  who  is  farming  in  Ohio ;  and  Jo- 
seph, the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Joseph  Carr, 
Sr.,  was  previously  married  to  Ann  Caruthers, 
by  whom  he  reared  three  children,  as  follows : 
Samuel  and  Mary  J.,  who  live  in  Ohio,  and 
James,  who  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years,  and  died  in  Anderson- 
ville  prison. 

The  latter  lived  at  home  until  1881,  when 
he  moved  to  Kansas,  and  located  two  miles 
east  of  Angola,  where  he  lived  one  year.  He 
then  conducted  a  bakery  in  Mound  Valley  un- 
til 1889,  when  he  went  to  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory. There  he  was  employed  as  a  switch- 
man on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way. While  serving  in  this  capacity  he  was 
run  over  and  lost  both  of  his  feet.  This  mis- 
fortune disabled  him  for  some  time,  and,  after 


he  was  able  to  walk,  he  went  to  Wisconsin, 
-where  he  was  occupied  in  mercantile  pursuits. 
In  1893,  he  went  to  Joplin,  Missouri,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  fruit  business  until 
1894.  In  October  of  that  year,  he  returned 
to  Angola,  and  accepted  his  present  position 
with  the  railroad  companj^  He  has  entire 
charge  of  the  depot  at  that  station.  He  is  a 
competent  man,  and  discharges  his  duties  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  employers  and  the 
public. 

Mr.  Carr  married  Emma  Stone,  who  was 
born  in  Grant  county,  Wisconsin.  She  died 
in  1889,  leaving  two  children, — Arthur  J.  and 
Bessie  A.  Mr.  Carr  married,  secondly,  Har- 
riet B.  Daugherty,  who  was  born  in  Grant 
county,  Wisconsin,  in  1866.  They  have  reared 
three  children:  Nolan  W.,  Byron  H.  and 
Harry  J. 

Mr.  Carr  is  postmaster  of  Angola,  having 
been  appointed  February  21,  1890.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Association.  Re- 
ligiously, he  attends  the  Methodist  church. 


DlRA  M.  FLEjNIIXG,  one  of  the  progress- 
ive and  successful  business  men  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  is  superintendent 
of  the  Southwestern  Coal  &  Improve- 
ment Company,  of  Parsons, — a  position  his 
father  held  before  him.  Mr.  Fleming  was 
born  in  Henry  county,  Illinois,  in  1866,  and  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  Fleming. 

Thomias  Fleming  came  west  in  1875,  to 
take  charge  of  the  McAlester  mines  of  the 
Osage  Coal  &  Mining  Company,  and  remained 
with  that  company  until  1885.  He  then  be- 
came identified  with  the  Rich  Hill  Coal  & 
]\Iining  Company  of  Rich  Hill,  Missouri.     In 


5o8 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


1890,  he  severed  his  connection  with  that  con- 
cern, and  was  made  general  manager  of  the 
Southwestern  Coal  &  Improvement  Company, 
in  which  capacity  he  was  serving  at  the  time 
of  his' death,  in  1894,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three 
years. 

Ira  M.  Fleming  attended  the  public  schools, 
and  was  a  pupil  in  the  Missouri  State  School 
of  Mines.  In  1885.  he  became  associated  with 
his  father's  work,  in  a  clerical  capacity,  chang- 
ing from  one  company  to  another,  when  the 
latter  did.  On  January  i.  1895,  his  knowledge 
of  the  business  and  his  ability  received  recog- 
nition, when  he  was  made  superintendent  of 
the  Southwestern  Coal  &  Improvement  Com- 
pany, with  office  at  Parsons. 

Mr.  Fleming  was  joined  in  matrimony,  in 
1889,  with  Clara  Pye,  of  Cherokee,  Kansas. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  Cherokee  Lodge, 
No.  117.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and  Parsons  Lodge, 
No.  527,  B.  P.  O.  E. 


M.  STRODE,  who  has  resided  in  Os- 
wego since  1893,  is  a  prominent  cat- 
tleman and  owns  two  fine  farms  in 
Labette  county,  Kansas, — one  in 
Fairview  township  and  the  other  in  Mount 
Pleasant  township.  He  was  formerly  propri- 
etor of  the  Oswego  Hotel,  and  conducted  that 
well  known  hostelry  for  a  period  of  five  years. 
Mr.  Strode  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio, 
in  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  John  L.  Strode.  His 
father  was  born  in  Fleming  county,  Kentucky, 
and  was  there  reared  and  schooled.  He  was  a 
farmer,  by  vocation,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  near  Rome,  Ohio,  he 
was  thirty-one  years  of  age. 

A.  M.   Strode  was  reared    and    mentally 
trained    in    Clinton  countv.   Ohio,    where  he 


lived  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 
July  31,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
39th  Reg..  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  in  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee.  He  was  in  General 
McPherson's  command,  on  the  day  when  that 
popular  and  able  officer  was  killed.  He  was 
in  the  army  three  years  and  twenty-seven  days, 
and  participated  in  numerous  hard-fought  bat- 
tles in  a  creditable  manner.  After  the  close  of 
the  war,  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits at  Centerville,  Ohio,  until  1876,  when  he 
disposed  of  his  interests  there  and  removed 
to  Chetopa,  Labette  county,  Kansas.  He  ap- 
plied himself  to  farming  and  stock  raising  very 
successfully  until  1894,  when  he  became  pro- 
prietor of  the  Oswego  Hotel.  This  he  con- 
ducted for  a  period  of  five  years,  and  in  1900, 
opened  another  hotel  at  Wagoner,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, which  he  sold  out  after  keeping  it  four 
months.  He  now  owns  an  excellent  farm  in 
Fairview  township,  and  another  in  Mount 
Pleasant  township,  and  is  engaged  in  cattle 
dealing.  He  is  a  shrewd  business  man,  and 
has  been  very  successful  in  his  various  under- 
takings. 

Mr.  Strode  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  Canny,  of  Centerville,  Ohio,  in  1862. 
In  political  attachments,  he  is  a  strong  Re- 
publican. 


ATTHEW  CAIN,  deceased.  For 
many  years  this  gentleman  was  one 
of  Labette  City's  leading  mer- 
chants, and  most  highly  respected 
citizens.  He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
intelligence,  good  principles,  and  splendid  busi- 
ness ability,  and  his  death  was  deeply  and  sin- 
cerely mourned  in  the  community.  Honorable 
and  upright  in  his  dealings  with  all  men.  he  won 
many  lifelong  friends,  and  his  genial  and  pleas- 


MR.   AND   MRS.    R     C.   SHUMAKER  AND    FAMILY. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


ing  personality  made  him  a  favorite  with  all. 
Mr.  Cain  was  born  in  Monroe  county,  Ohio, 
in  1834,  and  was  a  son  of  Alfred  and  Nancy 
(Laughin)  Cain. 

Alfred  Cain  was  born  in  Monroe  county, 
Ohio,  in  1809,  and  died  in  that  county  in  1854. 
He  married  Mary  Laughin,  who  was  born  in 
the  same  county,  in  181 3.  and  whose  death 
took  place  there  just  seventy  years  later.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children, 
namely:  Rachael  (Ambler),  deceased;  Rich- 
ard, of  Monroe  county.  Ohio;  Matthew,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch;  Louisa,  deceased; 
Thomas,  of  Monroe  county,  Ohio;  Luther,  of 
Labette  county,  Kansas ;  John,  deceased ; 
Amanda  (Mehl),  of  Virginia;  Nancy,  de- 
ceased; and  Nelson. 

Matthew  Cain  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Monroe  county,  Ohio,  and  in  i860  moved  to 
Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  where  he  lived  for 
two  years.  In  1862.  Mr.  Cain  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany L,  125th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.  He  served 
gallantly  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he 
was  mustered  out,  and  returned  to  Vermilion 
county.  He  made  that  county  his  home  for  the 
following  seventeen  years,  when  he  decided  to 
move  to  Kansas.  In  1882,  Mr.  Cain  settleil 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas, — opening  a  place 
of  business  in  Labette  City.  He  continued 
in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Labette  City,  from 
1882  until  1890, — the  year  of  his  death.  He 
was  much  missed,  both  in  business  and  social 
circles. 

Mr.  Cain  married  Jane  Laughton,  who  was 
born  in  Monroe  county,  Ohio,  in  1839.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Reed) 
Laughton.  John  Laughton  was  born  in  Scot- 
land, in  1803,  and  died  in  Monroe  county, 
Ohio,  in  1843;  his  wife  was  born  in  Mary- 
land, in  1810,  and  died  in  Vermilion  county. 
Illinois,  in   1877.     They  reared  the  following 


offspring:  Elizabeth  (McCoy),  deceased; 
Jane  (Cain),  of  Labette  county,  Kansas; 
Alexander,  of  Buffalo  county,  Nebraska;  and 
William,  deceased.  Matthew  Cain  and  his 
wife  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Mary  (Lamm),  of  Labette  City,  who 
has  had  three  children, — Leslie,  Mazie.  and 
Eva,  deceased;  Ida  (Miller),  of  Crawford 
county,  Kansas,  who  has  six  children, — Clar- 
ence, Oscar,  Mabel,  Earnest,  Bessie,  and  Amy ; 
Frank,  deceased;  Anabel  (Webb),  of  Kansas 
City,  Missouri,  who  has  one  child, — Beulah; 
Clara,  deceased;  and  Vernon,  of  Labette 
county. 

Mr.  Cain  was  a  Republican,  in  politics,  and 
held  the  office  of  road  overseer.  He  was  a 
Mason,  in  his  younger  days,  and  belonged  to 
the  Anti-Horsethief  Association.  In  religious 
belief,  he  was  a  member  of  the  New  Light  So- 
ciety. Mrs.  Cain  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E. 
church  and  attends  worship  at  Labette  City. 
She  resides  in  section  34.  Liberty  township. 


pBERT     COLUMBUS     SHUMAK- 

ER,   a  very    prominent    farmer    of 

Mound     Valley    township,     Labette 

county,    Kansas,    has    an    excellent 

farm  in  section  14,  township  32,  range  18.    He 

was  born  in  Indiana,  in  1849.  and  is  a  son  of 

J.  O.  and  Sarah  (Stotts)  Shumaker. 

His  family  originally  came  from  Holland, 
and  located  in  New  York  State,  previous  to 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  subsequently,  in 
the  state  of  Pennsylvania.  The  great-grand- 
father of  Robert  C.  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  Marion  county,  Indiana,  and  lived  there 
when  Indianapolis  was  founded.  Mr.  Shu- 
maker's  grandfather  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  remained  until  he  was  twelve  years 


512 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


old.  when,  with  his  father,  he  moved  to  Indi- 
ana, in  1812.  He  journeyed  to  Missouri,  in 
1856,  with  his  son,  J.  O.,  and  lived  there  until 
his  death. 

J.  O.  Shumaker  was  born  and  reared  in 
Indiana.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  until 
1864,  when  his  first  Republican  vote  was  cast 
for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  died  in  November, 
1898,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  His 
wife,  Sarah  Stotts,  was  born  and  reared  in 
Daviess  county,  Indiana,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-eight  years,  in  the  year  i860.  Her 
mother's  name  was  Laughlin,  and  she  was  of 
Scotch-English  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  O. 
Shumaker  were  parents  of  four  children: 
Robert  Columbus;  Aloses  :Milton,  who  resides 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Missouri;  Sophia 
(Cooper),  whose  husband  is  a  farmer  and 
stockman  of  Nevada ;  and  Mary  S.  (Charlton) , 
who  also  resides  on  a  portion  of  the  old  fam- 
ily homestead  in  Missouri. 

Robert  C.  Shumaker  was  six  years  of  age 
when  he  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Lewis 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  lived  for  twenty- 
two  years.  He  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, in  1878,  and  located  on  his  present  farm, 
in  section  14,  township  32.  range  18,  which  he 
purchased  of  \\\  T.  Stotts,  who  acquired  first 
title  to  the  property.  The  latter  had  broken 
and  partly  improved  40  acres,  and  had  put  up 
a  small  house,  to  \vhich  Mr.  Shumaker  built  an 
addition.  Mr.  Shumaker  also  purchased  80 
acres  in  section  11,  north  and  west  of  his 
brother,  M.  M.  Shumaker,  who  held  the  orig- 
inal deed  thereto.  He  has  successfully  fol- 
lowed general  farming  and  stock  raising,  and 
prefers  Shorthorn  cattle  and  Poland-China 
hogs.  His  crops  are  chiefly  corn,  wheat  and 
oats.  He  has  a  fine  orchard  of  five  acres  and  a 
well  improved  farm. 

Mr.  Shumaker  was  united  in  marriage  in 


Labette  county,  with  Luella  Traughber,  who 
was  born  in  Missouri,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Dunkle)  Traughber. 
She  is  one  of  four  children:  Emma  (Wata- 
wa),  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Luella;  Fanny 
(Dancy),  of  Kansas  City.  Missouri;  and 
Charles  A.,  who  resides  on  section  23,  town- 
ship 2,2,  range  18,  in  Labette  county.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Shumaker  have  five  children,  as  follows : 
Gertrude  E.,  A.  Mabel,  Orville  E.,  Dora  F., 
and  Edna  ^I.  In  politics,  Mr.  Shumaker  is 
a  Republican,  and  has  served  as  trustee  of 
Mound  Valley  township  for  one  year.  At  pres- 
ent he  is  a  member  of  the  school  board  in  dis- 
trict No.  65.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge  of  Mound  Valley.  In  religious  attach- 
ments, he  and  his  children  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  church,  and  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church. 

A  group  picture  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shumaker 
and  family,  executed  from  a  recent  photo- 
graph, accompanies  the  foregoing  sketch,  be- 
ing presented  on  a  page  in  proximity  to  this. 


ILLIAM  SULLIVAN,  a  representa- 
tive citizen  and  prominent  business 
man  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  is  the 
proprietor  of  a  fine  drug  store  in 
that  city,  located  at  No.  2128  Johnson  avenue. 
He  keeps  at  all  times  a  fine  line  of  pure  drugs, 
makes  a  specialty  of  filling  prescriptions,  and 
maintains  a  complete  stock  of  apothecaries' 
supplies. 

Mr.  Sullivan  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  in  July,  1856,  and  was  the  eld- 
est of  two  sons  born  to  James  and  Anna  Sulli- 
van. James  Sullivan  was  also  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  followed  civil  engineering 
for  many  years.     During  the  Civil  War,  he 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


513- 


entered  the  Union  service  as  a  member  of  the 
Mulligan  brigade,  and  never  came  back, — thus 
breaking  the  thread  of  the  family  history.  The 
Viridowed  mother,  who  was  then  living  in  Chi- 
cago, Illinois,  was  left  with  two  small  children, 
William,  and  his  brother  James,  whom  she 
was  unable  to  support.  They  were  placed  with 
the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  in  Chicago,  and  after 
a  time  homes  were  obtained  for  them.  James 
was  the  first  to  leave  the  asylum,  and  William 
was  ignorant  of  his  brother's  whereabouts  for 
a  number  of  years. 

William  Sullivan  was  taken  to  the  home  of 
Leonard  Hagan,  then  of  Illinois,  where  he  was 
reared  as  a  son.  His  primary  education  was 
obtained  in  the  district  schools.  In  1870,  he 
accompanied  Mr.  Hagan  to  Osage  Mission, 
Kansas,  which  then  formed  the  nucleus  of  im- 
migration in  this  portion  of  the  state.  There 
he  attended  for  some  time  the  Indian  school 
under  the  direction  of  the  Jesuits,  and  was 
later  sent  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship with  a  drug  firm.  When  eighteen 
years  old,  he  was  placed  in  St.  Mary's  College 
near  Topeka,  Kansas,  where  he  took  a  com- 
plete course  in  chemistry  and  botany,  and  also 
studied  Latin  and  German.  Returning  to 
Osage  Mission  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in 
a  drug  store  for  two  years.  In  the  fall  of 
1879,  he  located  in  Parsons,  Labette  county, 
where  he  worked  in  a  similar  capacity  for 
Silas  Cary  for  a  brief  period.  Mr.  Sullivan 
then  opened  a  drug  store  of  'his  own,  under 
the  Eclipse  office,  where  he  carried  on  busi- 
ness for  two  years.  He  removed  his  drug 
store,  from  time  to  time,  to  different  parts 
of  the  city,  and  enjoyed  a  very  fair  patronage. 
In  1892,  he  v.'as  enabled  to  erect  a  double 
building,  70  feet  by  40  feet,  in  dimensions,  and 
one  story  high,  at  No.  2128  Johnson  avenue. 
For  the  past  two  years,  Mr.  Sullivan's  drug 


store  has  been  located  in  a  part  of  this  build- 
ing, and  is  a  model  of  neatness. 

While  at  Osage  Mission  (now  St.  Paul), 
Kansas,  Mr.  Sullivan  formed  the  acquaint- 
ance of  a  Jesuit  missionary,  Father  Colleton, 
who  in  his  travels  had  previously  visited  Bax- 
ter Springs.  At  that  place,  he  stopped  with 
the  family  of  Capt.  Highland,  with  whom  a 
boy  was  living,  whose  personal  appearance 
greatly  resembled  that  of  William  Sullivan. 
Father  Colleton  spoke  of  the  remarkable  like- 
ness between  the  two  boys,  and  an  investiga- 
tion revealed  the  fact  that  they  were  brothers. 
Guided  by  Father  Colleton,  William  Sullivan 
went  to  see  his  brother,  and  finally  induced 
James  to  locate  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he 
also  engaged  in  the  drug  business.  James 
Sullivan  died  in  Parsons  about  1897,  leaving 
a  son,  Frank,  who  still  resides  in  Parsons  with 
his  mother,  and  is  employed  in  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  yards. 

William  Sullivan  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Miss  M.  J.  Mills,  an  accomplished  daugh- 
ter of  Lafayette  Mills,  who,  like  himself,  was 
a  pioneer  resident  of  St.  Paul,  Neosho  county, 
Kansas.  Eight  children  were  born  of  this 
union,  namely:  Gertrude,  William  L.,  Leo, 
Fay,  Louis,  Irene,  Clarence,  and  Joseph.  Fay 
and  Irene  are  deceased.  The  eldest  child,  and 
only  living  daughter,  is  attending  the  high- 
school  ;  the  younger  boys  are  also  students. 
William  L.,  who  is  fifteen  years  of  age,  is  his 
father's  able  assistant  in  the  drug  store. 

i\Ir.  Sullivan  is  a  man  of  decided  views,  but 
is  temperate  and  gentlemanly  in  his  expression 
of  them.  Although  a  Catholic,  he  entertains 
liberal  ideas  on  religious  subjects.  In  politics, 
he  votes  a  straight  Democratic  ticket.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W., 
and  carries  insurance  in  that  order.  He  casts 
the  weight  of  his  influence  in  behalf  of  the  wel- 


514 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


fare  of  liis  community,  and  is  earnestly  inter- 
ested in  local  matters.  He  enjoys  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  a  model  citizen  of  Parsons,  where 
he  was  among  the  first  to  establish  a  prosper- 
ous drug  business. 


S.  TRAXSON,  one  of  the  fore- 
most farmers  living  in  Canada 
township.  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, has  been  a  resident  of  the 
county  since  1882.  He  was  born  in  England, 
in  1846,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  went 
to  sea,  and  was  a  sailor  for  four  years.  He 
was  afterward  a  miner  for  two  years,  and  next 
served  on  the  London  ix)lice  force,  for  five 
years.  When  Mr.  Traxson  was  twenty-seven 
years  old,  he  came  to  America,  landing  at  Gal- 
veston, Texas.  He  then  located  at  Bryan, 
Texas,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  for  two  years.  After  two  years'  resi- 
dence in  Dallas,  he  located,  in  1876,  at  Gra- 
ham, Texas,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock  raising  for  six  years. 

j\lr.  Traxson  moved  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  the  fall  of  1882.  and  after  spend- 
ing a  short  time  in  Oswego,  settled  in  Canada 
township,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
18.  This  has  been  his  home  ever  since,  and 
iie  has  made  extensive  improvements  on  the 
])lace.  He  built  a  large  frame  house  of  ten 
rooms,  in  1898,  and  his  farm  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  county.  Mr.  Traxson  is  a  con- 
scientious worker  and  takes  great  pride  in  mak- 
ing his  home  attractive,  and  raising  the  high- 
est grade  of  products. 

The  subject  hereof  has  two  brothers  and 
two  sisters  living,  whose  names  are  as  follows : 
George.  Moses,  Elizabeth,  and  Mary.  Moses 
is  in  this  country  and  the  others  live  in  Eng- 


land. Mr.  Traxson  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Elizabeth  Mapes.  who  was  born  in  Nor- 
folk, England,  in  1848.  They  have  reared 
eight  children,  namely :  W'illiain,  who  is  a 
farmer  in  Canada  township ;  Ernest,  deceased ; 
John  and  Fred,  who  are  at  home;  Elizabeth, 
deceased;  Agnes;  Rose;  and  George. 

Mr.  Traxson  is  a  member  of  the  Populist 
party.  He  has  served  one  term  as  treasurer 
of  Canada  township,  and  was  for  some  time 
on  the  school  board.  He  belongs  to  the  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association,  Valeda  Camp.  No.  150. 
Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church. 


^^HESTER  A.  KEYSER,  a  resident  of 
W  ^^  Canada  township,  Labette  county, 
^^^^  Kansas,  and  one  of  the  leading  farm- 
ers in  the  southwest  portion  of  the 
county,  was  born  in  Hancock  county,  Ohio,  in 
1859.  He  is  a  son  of  J.  B.  and  Margaret 
(Ryan)  Keyser. 

J.  B.  Keyser  is  a  real  estate  dealer  in  Mis- 
souri. He  married  Margaret  Ryan,  and  they 
have  five  children:  Charlotte  J.,  deceased;  Cal- 
vin L. ;  Chester  A.;  Clarissa  E..  deceased;  and 
Cassius  J.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keyser  were  both 
born  in  Pennsylvania. 

Chester  A.  Keyser  lived  in  Hancock  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  years.  He  then  removed  to  Platte  county, 
Nebraska,  where  he  farmed  until  he  located 
in  Labette  county  in  the  fall  of  1883.  He 
made  the  trip  from  Nebraska  by  wagon,  and 
after  reaching  Labette  county  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Canada  township,  in  section  2,  town- 
ship 34.  range  18.  He  then  spent  six  months 
in  Ohio,  and  from  there  went  to  Colorado, 
where  he  lived  for  six  months.  His  next  lo- 
cation was   Gentry  county,   Missouri,   where, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


S'S 


with  his  brother,  Calvin  L.,  he  was  engaged  in 
stock  raising  until  the  fall  of  1891.  Unfortu- 
nately, this  last  move  was  an  unsuccessful  one, 
and  after  his  finances  had  been  reduced  to  the 
lowest  ebb,  he  returned,  in  the  fall  of  1891,  to 
his  farm  in  Canada  township.  Eight  years 
later,  Mr.  Keyser  located  on  his  home  farm, 
which  is  the  east  half  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  10.  He  also  owns  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  4,  Canada  township.  His 
new  residence  was  built  in  1900.  Mr.  Keyser 
is  engaged  in  general  farming. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Sarah  Haggerman,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio,  in  i860.  They  have  had  two 
children,  namely:  Dona  E. ;  and  Don  C,  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Keyser  is  a  Populist,  in  political 
views.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  local 
politics,  and  has  served  two  terms  as  trustee 
of  Canada  township.  He  is  now  serving  as 
clerk  of  that  township.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  for  six  years,  and  is 
still  a  member  of  that  body.  Mr.  Keyser  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief 
Association,  Valeda  Camp,  No.  150.  He  is 
well  known  in  Labette  county,  and  is  respected 
as  one  of  its  foremost  citizens. 


S 


D  BERO,  Jr.,  the  well  known  dealer 
in  books,  periodicals,  stationery  and 
sporting  goods  of  all  kinds,  is  located 
at  107  South  Central  avenue,  Parsons, 
Kansas.    He  is  a  son  of  Ed  Bero,  Sr., 

and   a   brother-in-law   of   E.    B.    Stevens,   the 

well  known  banker  of  Parsons.     He  was  born 

July,  1867,  at  Omaha,  Nebraska. 

Ed   Bero,   Sr.,  a  prominent  contractor  of 

Parsons,  is  a   Populist,   in  politics,    and    has 


served  in  the  city  council.  In  1872,  the  family 
moved  to  Columbus,  Kansas,  where  they  re- 
mained three  or  four  months,  and  then  locat- 
ed at  Parsons,  Labette  county,  where  they  have 
since  had  their  home. 

Ed  Bero,  Jr.,  attended  the  common  schools, 
and  left  them  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  to 
enter  the  employ  of  W.  L.  Bartlett  &  Company, 
as  a  grocery  clerk.  He  remained  with  the  firm 
ten  years,  and  then  on  December  i,  1890, 
opened  his  present  business.  O.  H.  Stewart 
was  with  him  for  eighteen  months  as  a  silent 
partner,  after  which  Mr.  Bero  continued  the 
business  alone.  He  has  worked  up  a  first  class 
business,  and  is  up  to  date  in  every  particular. 
He  enjoys  a  lucrative  patronage,  and  is  a  fa- 
vorite dealer  with  all. 

Mr.  Bero  was  united  in  marriage  with  Ger- 
trude Barton,  a  daughter  of  James  Barton, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county.  His  mother 
still  resides  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  at  3200 
Forest  avenue.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Bero  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  he  is  a  Democrat, 
in  politics,  and  in  religious  views  is  very  liberal. 
Mrs.  Bero  is  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Aid. 


iLLARD  F.  SMITH,  manufacturer 
of,  and  wholesale  dealer  in,  coal 
miners'  supplies,  is  probably  best 
known  by  reason  of  his  invention 
of  the  M.  F.  Smith  Double  and  Single  Post 
Drilling  Machine,  which  is  widely  used  in  the 
various  mining  states  of  the  West.  He  is  a 
practical  man,  and  has  met  with  success  in  his 
business  ventures. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  June  13,  1851,  in 
Logan  county,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
Milton  and  Jemiah  (Sudith)  Smith.  John 
Milton  Smith  was  a  native  of  Virginia, — of 


516 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  was  a  millwright  by 
trade,  and  at  an  early  age  went  with  his  wid- 
owed mother  to  Logan  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  assisted  in  clearing  a  farm.  He  moved  from 
Ohio  to  Missouri  and  resided  in  different 
•cities  in  the  latter  state,  and  in  Iowa.  He 
was  also  in  the  mill  business  in  Texas,  in  i860, 
and  molded  the  first  cook  stove  made  in  that 
state.  He  was  a  molder  by  trade,  having  for- 
merly operated  a  foundry  in  Ohio.  In  the  vicin- 
ity of  Jefferson,  Texas,  in  i860,  his  mother  was 
killed  by  an  explosion.  In  March,  1861,  he 
moved  to  Jefferson  county,  Kansas.  Previous  to 
this  he  had  been  employed  at  Independence, 
Missouri,  by  Overfelt  &  Dodd,  Southern  syrap- 
thizers,  and  being  a  Northerner  he  was  com- 
pelled to  seek  safety  in  flight.  He  had  owned 
and  operated  mills  at  Eddyville  and  Ottum- 
wa,  Iowa,  and  was  an  able  mechanic  in  every 
line,  but  paid  particular  attention  to  the  mill- 
wright work.  He  died  at  Cedarvale,  Kansas, 
in  June,  1886.  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven 
years.  He  and  his  wife  were  parents  of  three 
children:  Dulcina  (Sproul),  of  Cedarvale, 
Kansas;  Millard  F.;  and  Jesse  F.,  a  farmer 
living  near  Cedarvale. 

Millard  F.  Smith  attended  the  common 
schools  until  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  after 
which  he  was  obliged  to  clothe  and  support 
himself.  He  worked  in  a  woolen  mill  at 
Grasshopper  Falls,  Kansas,  now  called  Valley 
Falls.  He  was  left  in  Wilson  county,  in  1870, 
and  was  employed  in  the  grist-mills  owned  by 
Beam  &  Sons.  He  purchased  a  farm  in  Wil- 
son county,  which  he  rented,  and  in  1871 
located  at  Parsons,  and  was  employed  by  G. 
W.  Chess,  who  built  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway  shops.  His  first  work  there 
was  in  guarding  around  the  machine  shops, 
and  he  helped  Foreman  Burns  to  carry  the  first 
ladle  of  iron  in  the  shops.     He  had  begun  to 


work  as  fireman  when  a  lad  of  but  fifteen  years, 
and  by  1870  was  a  good  engineer.  In  the 
early  "seventies,"  he  ran  the  engine,  in  the 
old  Parsons  flour  mill,  owned  by  Knox,  Chess 
&  Matthevvson,  and  then  went  to  Lake  City, 
Colorado,  where  he  operated  a  shingle-mill  and 
sawmill  by  contract,  until  1877.  for  Gibert, 
Hall  &  Company.  In  the  fall  of  1877,  he  re- 
turned to  Parsons,  and  ran  a  fiouring-mill  en- 
gine for  one  year.  He  returned  to  his  farm 
in  August,  1878,  and  remained  there  the  fol- 
lowing winter.  He  then  engaged  as  en- 
gineer for  the  National  Mill  &  Elevator  Com- 
pany, of  Parsons,  for  eighteen  months,  and  in 
1882  bought  a  patent-right  for  Nebraska  and 
Dakota,  of  a  rotary  pump,  which  did  not  prove 
a  success.  In  Plattsmouth,  Nebraska,  he 
worked  in  a  foundry  and  was  also  fireman  on 
the  Burlington  &  Missouri  River  Railroad, 
from  Plattsmouth  to  Omaha  and  Hastings. 
He  also  put  the  machinery  into  a  grist-mill  in 
that  city.  In  March,  1884,  he  returned  to 
Parsons  and  engaged  with  the  Parsons  Coal 
Company, — putting  in  machinery  and  running 
their  engines  at  the  Daisy  Shaft,  Weir  City,  at 
which  work  he  remained  for  three  years.  It 
was  while  there  he  invented  the  Smith  coal 
mining  drill  and  brass  checks,  of  which  he  has 
since  manufactured  many  thousands,  selling 
them  in  Indiana,  Indian  Territory,  Arkansas 
and  Colorado.  In  1889,  the  Smith  Manufac- 
turing Company  was  organized  in  Parsons, 
with  Mr.  Smith  as  president  and  general  man- 
ager, a  position  he  held  until  1895,  when  he 
withdrew,  taking  with  him  the  iron  and  brass 
departments.  The  company  still  turns  out  the 
woodwork,  handles,  etc.  The  plant  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1894.  Mr.  Smith  now  owns 
the  building  which  he  occupies,  and  manufac- 
tures Smith  drills  and  coal  miners'  supplies. 
He  is  the  only  manufacturer  of  brass  checks 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


517 


with  raised  figures.  He  owns  all  the  machinery 
and  employs  five  men.  He  also  handles  coal, 
and  is  the  only  dealer  in  Parsons  who  sells 
Piedmont  blacksmithing  coal,  in  car  lots.  He 
has  two  natural  gas  engines,  one  oi  1^2,  and 
the  other  of  4  horse  power,  which  run  the 
machinery.  He  is  the  inventor  of  various  nov- 
elties, among  which  is  the  Eclipse  Embroidery 
Frame  and  Embroidery  Hoop  Holder,  adjust- 
able to  chair,  table  or  bed  rail,  and  used  to 
hold  embroidery  and  fancy  work. 

Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage,  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  in  May,  1885,  with  Matie  A. 
Lamb,  who  was  born  in  Schenectady,  New 
York,  in  1868,  and  they  have  three  children: 
Cora  W.,  Vesta,  and  George  M.  Politically, 
Mr.  Smith  is  a  Prohibitionist  and  a  Republi- 
can. He  is  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  117,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Parsons;  and  Lodge  No.  i, 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Parsons.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  church.  Mr.  Smith 
purchased  the  A.  G.  Harris  house,  at  No.  21 15 
Forrest  avenue,  where  he  now  resides. 


0R.  W.  A.  HUFF,  a  well  known  physi- 
cian residing  in  Altamont,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  has  for  many  years 
been  one  of  the  prominent  men  in 
the  county.  He  is  a  skillful  physician,  and  his 
patronage  is  large  and  lucrative.  He  was  born 
in  Breckinridge  county,  Kentucky,  in  1847, 
and  is  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Polly  (Haynes) 
Hufif. 

Lewis  Huff  was  a  native  of  Ohio  county, 
Kentucky,  but  spent  his  active  career  in  Breck- 
inridge county,  in  that  state,  where  he  died  in 
1867,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  He  married 
Polly  Haynes,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio  coun- 
ty, Kentucky,  and  who  was  born  in  181 2.     She 


died  in  1895.  They  reared  three  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

Dr.  W.  A.  HuiT  received  his  primary  educa- 
tion in  his  native  county,  and  began  the  study 
of  medicine  under  his  brother.  Dr.  J.  B.  Hufif, 
of  Breckinridge  county,  Kentucky.  He  also 
took  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  University  of 
Kentucky,  where  he  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1869.  He  began  the  practice  of  his  chosen 
profession  in  Hancock  county,  Kentucky, 
where  he  remained  until  1882,  and  then  moved 
to  Piqua,  Woodson  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
practiced  until  1889.  In  that  year,  Dr.  Huff 
moved  to  Altamont,  Labette  county,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  Since  his  residence  in  La- 
bette county,  he  has  become  very  well  known 
throughout  this  section,  and  is  considered  one 
of  the  best  physicians  in  the  county. 

In  1867,  Dr.  Hufi"  married  Sarah  Pate,  a 
native  of  Breckinridge  county,  Kentucky,  and 
their  union  resulted  in  three  children, 
namely:  Minnie  (Parks),  of  Neosho  Falls, 
Kansas;  Elmer  E.,  who  resides  in  Webb  City, 
Missouri;  and  Alberta.  Dr.  Hufif  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  the  Fraternal 
Aid.  He  is  a  Democrat,  in  politics.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the  Labette  County 
High  School,  at  Altamont. 


ENJAAHN  S.  STONE,  a  pioneer 
settler  of  Labette  county,  and  one  of 
the  best  farmers  in  his  district,  re- 
sides in  section  21,  Fairview  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas.  He  was  born 
in  Switzerland  county,  Indiana,  February  19, 
1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  F.,  and  a 
grandson  of  Benjamin  Stone,  the  latter  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania. 

Beniamin  F.  Stone  was  born  in  Ohio,  in 


Si8 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


1815,  and  moved  with  liis  parents  from  Ohio 
to  Switzerland  county,  IncHana,  wlien  but  a 
boy.  In  the  early  part  (jf  his  life  he  fol- 
lowed the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  but  subse- 
quently carried  on  farming.  In  1842  he 
moved  to  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  in  1849  to 
Muscatine  county,  Iowa,  and  in  1864  to  John- 
son county,  Nebraska,  where  he  died,  Novem- 
ber 10,  1900,  aged  eighty-five  years,  seven 
months,  and  ten  days.  He  married  Mary 
Latta,  wdio  was  born  in  18 16,  and  died  in 
i860.  They  reared  the  following  children : 
William  G. ;  Benjamin  S. ;  Sylvester;  Moses; 
Joseph;  Margaret  (Laflin);  Jennie;  and 
Belle,  deceased.  Air.  Stone  married  the  sec- 
ond time,  and  by  this  union  reared  four  chil- 
dren. Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat,  and 
served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  some  time. 
He  was  a  lieutenant  of  the  ist  Reg.,  Illinois 
Alilitia,  in  the  Mormon  War. 

Benjamin  S.  Stone  received  his  mental 
training  in  the  schools  of  Muscatine  county, 
Iowa.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter, 
which  he  now  follows  in  connection  with 
farming.  In  1861  Mr.  Stone  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany C,  1st  Reg.,  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  in 
the  -Army  of  the  West  for  three  months.  He 
then  reenlisted  in  the  44th  Reg.,  Iowa  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  was  with  the  i6th  Army  Corps,  un- 
der Gen.  A.  J.  Smith.  He  enlisted  as  a  cor- 
poral, and  when  he  was  mustered  out,  Sep- 
tember 15,  1864,  he  was  a  sergeant.  In  1866 
he  left  Iowa  and  settled  in  Labette  county. 
Kansas,  making  the  trip  by  wagon,  and  reach- 
ing his  destinatinn  in  November.  He  first 
located  in  Oswego  township,  where  he  built 
one  of  the  first  log  cabins  in  the  county,  as 
there  were  but  three  others  in  the  village  of 
Oswego.  He  remained  in  Kansas  nine  months, 
when  he  returned  to  Muscatine  county,  Iowa. 
and  in  1875  again  settled  in  Kansas,  locating 


in  Fairview  township.  In  1882  Mr.  Stone 
bought  his  present  farm,  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  21,  and  has  lived  there  ever 
since. 

In  1862  Air.  Stone  was  wedded  to  Cor- 
nelia Lake,  of  Aluscatine  county,  Iowa,  and 
they  have  been  blessed  with  four  children, 
namely:  Alary  (Swanwick),  who  has  four 
children;  Cora  (Paxton);  W.  Benjamin;  and 
Josephine.  Air.  Stone  is  a  member  of  the  G. 
A.  R.,  Post  Xo.  150.  He  is  a  Republican,  in 
politics,  and  has  served  as  school  director  for 
twelve  years.  He  has  done  much  to  assist  in 
the  advancement  and  progress  of  Labette 
county,  and  is  highly  respected  by  all  his  fel- 
low citizens. 


LEXANDER  AI.  HARSHAW,  one 
(jf  the  representative  farmers  of  La- 
liette  county,  Kansas,  owns  and  lives 
upon  a  well  improved  farm  of  160 
acres  in  Fairview  township.  He  is  engaged  in 
general  farming, — guided  by  modern  ideas, — 
and  has  been  very  successful. 

Air.  Harshaw  was  born  in  Butler  county, 
Pennsylvania,  February  14,  1849,  and  is  a 
son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Emerick)  Har- 
shaw. Robert  Harshaw  was  born  in  Ireland 
in  1 8 10,  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents, 
in  1825,  and  located  in  Butler  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. He  lived  in  that  county  until  i860, 
and  in  that  year  moved  to  Martin  county.  In- 
diana, where  he  lived  until  his  death,  in  1890. 
He  mar'riefl  Elizabeth  Emerick.  who  was  born 
in  1 8 19.  and  died  in  1892.  and  they  reared  the 
following-named  eight  children:  George: 
John  ;  Alexander  AI. ;  Robert  J. :  Alargaret ; 
AI.  Elizabeth:  Anna;  and  Sarah. 

Alexander  AI.  Harshaw  received  his  mental 


J.  CHRISTIAN  APPICH. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


521 


training  in  Butler  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
Martin  county,  Indiana,  whither  his  parents 
ihad  moved.  After  reaching  his  majority,  he 
returned  to  Butler  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1875  went  west  to  Colorado. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  settled  in  Fair- 
view  township,  Labette  county,  and  purchased 
the  south  half  of  the  northeast  quarter,  and  the 
north  half  of  the  southeast  cparter,  of  section 
29,  where  he  has  since  been  located.  He  has 
made  most  of  the  improvements  upon  the  place 
and  has  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
having  developed  it  into  one  of  the  best  farm.s 
of  the  township.  He  is  a  man  of  estimable 
character,  and  a  true  friend  and  good  neigh- 
bor, 

In  1878  Mr.  Harshaw  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Ida  Scott,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and 
they  have  two  children :  Roscoe,  born  'in 
1884;  and  Grace,  who  was  born  in  1890.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Oswego  Lodge, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of 
Security;  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica. He  is  independent  in  politics,  favoring 
a  protective  tariiif,  free  silver,  and  prohibition. 
He  was  treasurer  of  the  township  in  1899  and 
1900.  The  family  belong  to  the  Methodist 
church. 


B 


CHRISTIAN  APPICH,  owner  and 
proprietor  of  the  largest  and  best 
meat  market  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  has 
also  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest 
butcher  in  that  place.  He  is  a  German  by  birth, 
having  been  born  at  Rottenburg,  Germany,  in 
1844.  His  parents,  J.  C.  and  Anna  AppicTT, 
both  of  whom  are  deceased,  never  left  the  fa- 
therland. They  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing nine  children :  Christopher,  J.  Chris- 
tian, Jacob,  John,   Andrew,   William.   Frank. 


Fredericka,  and  Caroline.  Andrew  was  killed 
during  the  Franco-Prussian  War.  Jacob  is  a 
retired  butcher  of  Washington,  District  Co- 
lumbia, where  John  is  still  a  prosperous  baker. 
The  others  are  married  and  live  in  their  native 
land. 

In  1864.  Mr.  Appich  came  to  America,  in 
company  with  his  brother  Jacob.  He  had  re- 
ceived a  practical  education  in  Germany,  where 
he  had  also  learned  the  butcher's  trade.  ^  After 
landing  in  the  United  States,  the  brothers, 
proceeded  to  Washington,  District  Columbia, 
where  a  butcher  shop  was  established  by  them, 
in  which  the  subject  hereof  worked  for  some 
time.  He  subsecjuently  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  remained  a  couple  of  years, 
and  afterward  proceeded  to  Fort  Scott,  Kan- 
sas, on  a  prospecting  tour.  Having  saved  a 
few  hundred  dollars,  it  was  his  desire  to  go 
to  New  Orleans,  but  he  abandoned  the  idea  on 
account  of  the  prevalence  of  yellow  fever  in 
that  city,  and  finally  decided  to  locate  per- 
manently in  Kansas. 

In  1869,  before  the  city  of  Parsons  was 
founded,  he  located  in  Labette  county,  at  a 
little  village  then  called  Ladore,  formerly 
known  as  Fort  Roach.  He  followed  his  chosen 
calling  for  a  couple  of  years  in  the  employ  of 
Conrad  Hingle,  now  a  retired  butcher  of  Par- 
sons. In  1871,  Mr.  Appich  assisted  his  em- 
ployer in  moving  the  butcher  shop  from  La- 
dore to  the  present  site  of  Parsons.  It  was 
the  first  shanty  placed  there,  and  was  located 
the  third  door  west  from  the  corner  of  John- 
son and  Central  avenues.  Mr.  Appich  contin- 
ued to  do  business  there  as  a  journeyman,  for 
about  one  year,  and  afterward  worked  in  a 
similar  capacity  for  Dent  &  Coon.  In  the  fall 
of  1873,  he  decided  to  embark  in  business  for 
himself,  and  accordingly  opened  a  butcher  shop 
on  Central  avenue,  leasing  the  plot  of  ground 


522 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  erecting  his  own  building  thereon.  He 
did  a  prosperous  business  for  four  years.  He 
then  sold  his  business,  at  a  very  fair  profit, 
to  Mr.  Flickery,  for  whom  he  bought  and 
butchered  stock  for  more  than  two  years. 
Subsequently,  he  worked  for  Mr.  Ratliff,  an 
Englishman,  at  similar  work,  and  afterward, 
for  J.  L.  Harvey,  there  being  four  butcher 
shops  then  in  the  fast  growing  town  of  Par- 
sons. 

By  this  time  (1883),  Mr.  Appich  had 
saved  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  with 
which  he  purchased  a  lot  and,  erecting  a  build- 
ing, again  engaged  in  business  for  himself  on 
the  west  side  of  the  railroad  track.  In  1892, 
he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  shop  by  fire, 
but  still  owns  the  lot.  Undaunted,  he  found 
a  more  desirable  location,  directly  across  the 
street  from  his  present  shop,  where  he  rented 
a  building  and  again  engaged  in  business;  at 
the  same  time,  he  began  the  erection  of  the 
building  he  now  occupies,  which  was  completed 
in  1893.  This  building  is  a  large  and  impos- 
ing structure,  located  at  1920  Johnson  avenue. 
It  is  75  by  25  feet,  in  dimensions,  and  con- 
tains two  stories  and  a  basement.  The  upper 
story  is  rented  out  for  office  rooms.  The  re- 
mainder is  occupied  by  Mr.  Appich,  who  has 
the  entire  basement  fitted  with  meat  choppers, 
sausage  grinders,  etc.,  all  operated  by  steam. 
He  employs  five  workmen,  has  the  largest  and 
best  equipped  meat  market  in  the  city,  and 
handles  all  kinds  of  fresh  meat,  poultry,  fine 
sausages,  bacon,  fish,  etc.,  and  also  the  famous 
"Armour"  bacon  and  hams. 

Mr.  Appich  owns  a  fine  residence  at  1521 
AX'ashington  avenue.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Lizzie  Merchant,  of  Parsons,  a 
daughter  of  Francis  Merchant,  a  French- 
man, who  was  a  baker  by  trade,  and  kept  a 
restaurant.      Mr.    Merchant    was    a    finished 


linguist  and  spoke  seven  dififerent  languages 
with  fluency.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Appich 
was  of  German  birth,  while  Mrs.  Appich,  her- 
self, was  a  native  of  Booneville,  Missouri, 
where  she  was  born  in   1854. 

Five  children  bless  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Appich.  They  are:  Annie,  Frank,  J. 
Christian,  Jr.,  Harry,  and  Irene.  The  eldest  is 
now  the  wife  of  Mr.  Hart,  a  stationary  en- 
gineer, of  Parsons,  and  has  one  son,  Frank. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Appich  is  a  member  of  the 
^Modern  Woodmen  of  America;  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  auxiliary  lodge,  and  has  held 
one  chair.  They  are  both  members  of  the 
Knights  &  Ladies  of  Security.  Air.  Appich 
carries  a  beneficial  policy  in  the  A.  O.  U.  W., 
and  was  one  of  the  first  to  join  that  lodge  in 
Parsons,  although  not  a  charter  member.  He 
was  formerly  a  Democrat,  in  politics,  but  has 
experienced  a  change  of  opinion,  and  now 
votes  the  Republican  ticket.  The  family  at- 
tends the  different  churches,  giving  the  prefer- 
ence, however,  to  the  Christian  church.  Aside 
from  his  own  business  ventures,  Mr.  Appich 
has  devoted  energy,  good  judgment,  and 
money  to  the  furtherance  of  the  city's  interests, 
and  the  promotion  of  all  worthy  enterprises 
connected  therewith.  He  deserves  great  credit 
for  his  untiring  efforts  in  this  direction.  We 
are  pleased  to  be  able  to  present  on  a  forego- 
ing page  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Appich,  engraved 
from  a  recent  photograph. 


^^^EORGE  T.  FINCH,  a  representative 
MS  citizen  of  Osage  township,  Labette 
county.  Kansas,  has  taken  up  the  line 
of  work  laid  down  by  a  most  honor- 
able line  of  ancestors,  and  is  most  ably  per- 
forming the  many  duties  that  fall  to  the  lot 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZEiNS. 


523 


of  the  modern  tiller  of  the  soil  who  wishes  to 
make  a  success  of  his  vocation.  Mr.  Finch 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  New  York, 
and  spent  his  younger  days  in  school  after  the 
usual  manner  of  American  youths,  assisting 
meanwhile  about  the  home  farm.  He  is  the 
youngest  child,  and  the  only  son  born  to  Will- 
iam and  Clara  Finch,  respected  and  esteemed 
residents  of  the  Empire  State.  His  youngest 
sister's  name  is  Maggie.  His  eldest  sister, 
Mary,  resides  on  the  old  homestead. 

George  T.  Finch  continued  to  work  upon 
his  father's  farm  until  he  was  nineteen  years 
of  age;  he  then  learned  the  molder's  trade, 
which  he  followed  until  the  fall  of  1852,  and 
since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming. 
His  marriage  took  place  in  1861.  Lena 
Banta  became  his  wife,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  at  the  home  of  the  bride,  in  Illinois. 
She  lived  thereafter  but  seven  months.  August 
14,  1862,  Mr.  Finch  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
the  77th  Reg.  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  being  honorably  discharged 
from  the  service  July  10,  1865,  at  Mobile, 
Alabama. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Illinois,  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  there  until  the  fall  of  1870; 
he  then  came  west,  to  Butler  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  purchased  land  and  cultivated  it  for 
four  years.  Receiving  a  good  ofifer  for  his 
farm,  he  sold  out,  and  returned  once  more  to 
the  Prairie  State,  where  he  remained  until 
1888.  But  the  West  held  out  strong  induce- 
ments to  him  and  during  that  year  he  returned 
to  Kansas  to  seek  a  new  location.  He  found 
a  very  desirable  spot  in  Labette  county,  and, 
later,  located  permanently  upon  the  farm  in 
Osage  township,  which  is  still  his  home.  This 
farm  is  a  part  of  section  23,  township  31, 
range  18,  and  is  now  one  of  the  most  product- 
ive farms  in  Labette  countv.     He  carries  on 


general  farming  and  stock  raising.  His  farm 
is  well  stocked,  and  is  especially  adapted  to  the 
raising  of  grain.  He  possesses  a  home  of 
which  any  man  might  well  be  proud ;  his  build- 
ings are  kept  in  perfect  repair  and  it  is  the 
kind  of  an  estate  that  would  gladden  the  heart 
of  any  one  who  loves  the  free,  hearty  and  in- 
dependent life  of  an  agriculturist.  Mr. 
Finch's  union  with  Lena  Banta,  who  died 
January  12,  1862,  resulted  in  one  child, — Jacob 
L., — who  lives  in  Chicago.  November  15, 
1865,  Mr.  Finch  again  married, — this  time 
wedding  Jane  Ruff,  by  whom  he  had  two  chil- 
dren who  grew  to  maturity, — Henry  and 
Mary.  Mr.  Finch's  last  marriage  was  con- 
summated April  27,  1890, — Mrs.  Esther  Rud- 
der, of  Dennis,  Kansas,  being  the  bride. 

Mr.  Finch's  church  lines  arc  laid  with  the 
United  Brethren  denomination.  In  politics, 
he  is  one  of  the  best  known  Republicans  in  his 
section.  In  business  affairs  he  is  clear-headed, 
shrewd  and  upright.  He  is  a  valued  member 
of  the  G.  A.  R. 


.-^EORGE  S.  TARKINGTON,  a  prom- 
KSg  inent  farmer  living  in  the  northeast 
?S_S|  quarter  of  section  16,  Fairview  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  one 
of  the  progressive  citizens  of  the  county.  He 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Bloomington,  Mon- 
roe county,  Indiana,  February  22,  1848,  and 
is  a  son  of  Ellsbury  and  Lucinda  (Legg) 
Tarkington. 

Ellsbury  Tarkington,  who  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  reared  the  following  children,  name- 
ly :  Joseph,  who  resides  at  Minden.  Nebraska ; 
\\^illiam.  deceased ;  James,  who  lives  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Monroe  county,  Indiana; 
Sarah   (Wallingford),  of  Greene  county,  In- 


524 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


(liana;  Mary,  Mildred  (Harden),  and  Jona- 
than, deceased;  George  S. ;  and  Matthew  M., 
a  resident  of  Oswego,  Kansas. 

George  S.  Tarkington  received  his  mental 
training  in  Monroe  county,  Indiana,  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  began  the  battle  of  life 
alone.  In  the  fall  of  1879  he  started  west  in 
a  covered  wagon, — driving  all  the  way  from 
Indiana  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
arrived  November  i,  1869.  He  took  up  a 
railroad  claim  in  Fairview  township,  and  with 
the  exception  of  one  year  spent  in  the  East  has 
resided  in  that  township  ever  since.  He  has 
owned  several  farms,  but  bought  bis  present 
home, — the  northeast  quarter  of  section  16, 
in  March,  1897.  He  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing. He  has  recently  bought  80  acres  ad- 
joining his  farm,  on  which  his  son  will  live. 

Mr.  Tarkington  married  Mary  C.  Hall,  a 
native  of  Indiana,  in  February,  1873.  They 
have  three  children, — Edna,  Roy,  and  Mildred. 
Mr.  Tarkington  is  a  member  of  the  M.  W.  of 
A.  He  is  a  Populist,  in  politics,  and  served 
as  trustee  of  the  township  in  1894,  1895  and 
1898.  He  is  township  committeeman  for  his 
party  at  the  present  time. 


\COB  F.  LEWIS,  deceased.  Among 
the  well  known  former  residents  of 
Osage  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  the  name  of  Jacob  F.  Lewis 
stood  well  to  the  front.  Mr.  Lewis  was  born 
in  the  Hoosier  State  and  was  a  son  of  Thomas 
L.  and  Nancy  Lewis. 

Thomas  L.  Lewis  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  and  he  and  his  wife  reared  five  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  John  B..  Elizabeth,  Mary 
E.,  Julia  .\nn,  and  Jacob  F..  the  subject  of 
the.se  lines. 


Jacob  F.  Lewis  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm  and  pursued  his  studies  in  the  district 
schools  of  his  native  state,  where  he  obtained 
the  rudiments  of  a  practical  education;  he  re- 
mained at  home  until  he  was  twenty  years  of 
age.  In  February,  1865,  he  responded  to  his 
country's  call  for  men,  and  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany I,  151st  Reg..  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.  He  ren- 
dered valiant  service,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged September  19,  1865,  by  reason  of 
General  Order  No.  68. 

.  Going  home  after  the  successful  termina- 
tion of  the  war,  Mr.  Lewis  continued  to  carry 
on  farming  in  Indiana  for  many  years.  Ir 
1882  he  came  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and 
purchased  a  fine  farm  in  Osage  township, 
where  he  continued  to  live  and  to  till  the  soil 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  June  20,  1891. 
He  improved  his  farm  in  various  ways,  and 
made  it  one  of  the  best  in  his  neighborhood. 
He  was  well  known  throughout  his  county  and 
had  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  host  of  ac- 
(luaintances. 

October  10,  1853,  Mr.  Lewis  was  joined  in 
matrimony  with  Esther  A.  Hume,  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Mary  (McWilliams)  Hume. 
Six  children  blessed  their  union,  namely : 
Jasper  H. ;  Mary  J. ;  Aurora  A. ;  Evelyn  C. ; 
Eldora;  and  James  T.  M.  Mrs.  Lewis  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
In  his  political  opinions,  Mr.  Lewis  adhered 
to  the  Republican  party  and  served  several 
terms  on  tlie  school  board.  He  afBliated  with 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  with  the  Farmers'  Alliance. 
He  was  a  shrewd  business  man,  and  was  well 
liked  by  his  neighbors.  Upon  locating  in 
Kansas,  he  was  practically  a  poor  man,  and 
the  prosperous  condition  of  his  estate  is  but 
the  result  of  his  energ}^  and  perseverance, 
coupled  with  the  application  of  successful 
methods  in  farming:.     His    success    was    well 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


525 


•deserved.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
Dennis,  and  a  part  of  his  farm  was  sold  and 
divided  into  city  lots. 


p^RCHIBALD  DANIELS,  one  of  the 
Mei  i  successful  and  enterprising  farmers 
j^^J  of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  resides  in 
Osage  township,  in  section  17,  town- 
ship 31.  range  18,  where  he  owns  a  tract  of  as 
fertile  land  as  can  be  found  in  the  county.  He 
is  a  son  of  Dennis  and  Mahala  Daniels,  and  is 
an  Ohioan  by  birth. 

Dennis  Daniels  was  a  farmer  in  Ohio, 
where  he  also  owned  and  operated  a  mill.  He 
and  his  estimable  wife  reared  11  children, 
namely:  Abigail;  Rlioda;  John;  Archibald; 
Lydia;  Jacob;  Alfred;  Mary;  Isabel;  Dennis; 
and  George.  Four  of  these  were  born  in  the 
state  of  Illinois. 

Archibald  Daniels  attended  the  common 
schools  and  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's 
farm,  where  he  remained  until  he  attained  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years.  He  thus  gave  his 
father  the  benefit  of  his  labors  during  his  early 
manhood.  He  then  left  home  to  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world,  and  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  on  neighboring  farms  for  a  few  years. 
When  twenty-seven  years  old  he  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Mary  S.  Flynn,  a  daughter  of 
Andrew  and  Ann  Eliza  (Killpatrick)  Flynn. 
This  wedding  was  performed  in  Illinois,  in 
1867,  and  the  young  folk  began  housekeeping 
in  the  same  state,  where  they  continued  to  live 
for  about  six  years.  In  1872  they  decided  to 
seek  a  home  for  themselves  in  the  West,  and 
came  to  Kansas,  locating  permanently  on  the 
farm  in  Osage  township  which  is  their  home 
today. 

Mr.  Daniels  has  met  with  unusual  success 


during  his  residence  in  Labette  county,  through 
his  operations  in  general  farming  and  stock 
raising.  He  attributes  this  success  to  his  un- 
remitting effort  and  careful  management,  hav- 
ing made  all  he  is  worth  since  settling  in  La- 
bette county.  In  politics,  he  is  an  ardent 
Democrat.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Daniels  are  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  They  reared  a  daughter,  Minnie 
(Oatts),  who  has  three  children, — Hattie 
Frances,  John  J.,  and  Roxy  Lillian. — and  re- 
sides in  Dennis. 

Mr.  Daniels  is  a  very  industrious  man,  of 
careful  habits,  and  during  his  active  life  has 
accumulated  considerable  property.  He  is 
popular  throughout  the  county.  He  affiliates 
with  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Justice,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Associa- 
tion. 


ICHAEL  T.  McCarthy,  a  pros- 
perous business  man,  and  well 
known  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  of 
Walton  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  was  born  in  County  Kerry,  Ireland, 
in  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  T.  M.  and  Julia 
(O'Leary)  McCarthy.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  namely  :  Jerome ;  Dan- 
iel ;  Michael  T. ;  John ;  and  Julia. 

Michael  T.  McCarthy  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  America,  in  1849.  They  landed 
at  New  York,  whence  they  went  direct  to  Illi- 
nois. There  Mr.  McCarthy  received  his 
schooling,  and  learned  farming.  He  remained 
in  Illinois  until  1872,  when  he  moved  to 
Kansas,  and  located  on  his  present  farm,  which 
comprises  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  9, 
and  the  north  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  16,  Walton  township.  He  is  engaged 
in  the  tilling  of  the  soil,  in  which  occupation 


526 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


he  has  had  a  tliorough  training.  He  is  thrifty 
and  industrious,  and  his  farm  presents  a  well 
kept,  attractive  appearance.  In  addition  to 
his  duties  on  the  farm,  Mr.  McCarthy  has  the 
agency  for  the  Page  Woven  Wire  Fence  Com- 
pany for  six  counties  in  Kansas.  He  is  also 
agent  for  the  Tower  Surface  Cultivator  Com- 
pany, in  which  work  he  is  meeting  with  good 
success.  He  further  represents  the  Piano 
Manufacturing  Company,  and  sells  its  mow- 
ers, binders,  rakes  and  sickle-grinders.  Mr. 
McCarthy  takes  a  great  deal  of  interest  in 
stock  raising,  and  has  been  very  successful  ii; 
that  line. 

Mr.  McCarthy  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Ellen  McGough,  who  was  born  in  Illi- 
nois in  1842.  They  have  been  blessed  with 
nine  children,  as  follows :  Philip  L. ;  John, 
deceased;  Jerome;  Julia;  Hugh;  Sarah; 
Loretta;  Justin;  and  Mary.  Mr.  McCarthy 
is  a  member  of  the  Populist  party,  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  politics  of  the  county 
and  township.  He  has  ably  filled  the  office  of 
trustee  of  his  township  for  one  term,  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  ten 
years.  He  is  generally  and  favorably  known 
in  Labette  county,  where  he  has  many  warm 
friends. 


V-MES  A.  JARBOE,  treasurer  of  Wal- 
ton township,  occupies  an  enviable 
position  among  the  worthy  men  of 
Labette  county,  and  owns  one  of  the 
most  productive  farms  in  Southern  Kansas. 
Mr.  Jarboe  was  born  in  Hart  county,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1844.  He  is  the  youngest  of  six 
children  born  to  Benjamin  and  Ellen  (Horrell) 
Jarboe,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  state 
of  Maryland.     Other  members  of  the  family 


are  H.  ts. ;  Anna  M. :  Benjamin;  J.  F. ;  and 
W.J. 

James  A.  Jarboe  attended  the  schools  of 
his  native  county  and  remained  in  Kentucky 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-four  years. 
In  August,  1863,  he  enlisted  in  Company  B, 
8th  Reg.,  Kentucky  Mounted  Infantry,  For- 
rest's Division,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  In  1868  he  came  west  as  far  as  Illi- 
nois, and  made  his  home  within  that  state's 
borders  for  a  couple  of  years.  Believing  in 
still  greater  possibilities  farther  west,  he  left 
Illinois,  in  1870,  and  located  permanently  in 
Kansas.  He  took  up  a  claim  in  Walton  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  which  is  now  his  home. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  productive  farms  in  W'al- 
ton  township,  and  comprises  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  20,  and  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  17.  On  this  farm  Mr.  Jarboe 
has  carried  on  general  farming  for  about  a 
third  of  a  century,  and  has  also  raised  and 
■dealt  in  stock,  to  a  considerable  extent.  He 
is  earnestly  interested  in  everything  pertain- 
ing to  the  welfare  of  his  township,  and  is 
rightly  considered  one  of  its  most  progressive 
citizens.  His  union  with  Elizabeth  E.  White, 
who  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1850,  resulted 
in  a  large  family  of  children,  namely:  Ben- 
jamin A.;  Mary;  John  H. ;  W.  J.;  Rosa  H. ; 
Mattie;  Gertrude;  William;  and  Daniel. 

In  1890  their  present  large,  two-story 
frame  house,  containing  14  rooms,  was  erected^ 
and  adds  not  a  little  to  the  imposing  appear- 
ance of  the  place,  besides  enhancing  the  com- 
fort of  the  family. 

Mr.  Jarboe  is  a  man  of  good  principles  and 
strict  integrity,  and  is  always  willing  to  sup- 
port any  measure  which  is  for  the  good  of  the 
people.  He  is  a  man  of  great  energy  and  will 
power,  and  these  qualities  have  been  instru- 
mental in  carrying  him  to  the  front,  in  both 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


527 


his  township  and  his  county.  Politicahy,  he 
is  an  unswerving  Democrat,  and  takes  an  ac- 
tive part  in  all  the  affairs  of  that  party.  He 
is  intensely  interested  in  educational  matters 
and  has  been  a  faithful  and  valued  member  of 
the  school  board  for  eighteen  years.  He 
served  as  county  commissioner  three  years. 
At  the  present  writing  he  is  also  serving  as 
treasurer  of  Walton  township,  of  which  he 
held  the  office  of  clerk  for  fifteen  years.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Associa- 
tion, and  belongs  to  the  Sons  and  Daughters 
of  Justice, — an  insurance  organization.  The 
family  adhere  to  the  Catholic  faith. 


RS.  LIZZIE  DIXON,  nee  Haub,  a 
highly  respected  lady  of  Walton 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
esteemed  for  her  benevolent  dis- 
position and  her  many  amiable  traits  of  char- 
acter, is  the  widow  of  the  late  Edward  Dixon, 
whose  death  took  place  December  15,  1900. 
Edward  Dixon  was  born,  in  1843,  at  White 
Pigeon,  Michigan,  where  he  spent  his  boyhood, 
and  prepared  himself  for  the  struggle  of  life. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  a  miller  and  followed 
that  calling  during  his  early  manhood.  In 
1864  he  left  Michigan  and  was  located  for 
several  years  in  Seymour,  Indiana,  where  he 
and  his  brother-in-law  conducted  a  hotel,  and 
met  with  a  fair  degree  of  success.  He  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  going  west  where  as  a  young 
man  his  advantages  would  be  greater.  In 
1869  he  located  upon  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  4,  Walton  township,  having  been  favor- 
ably impressed  with  the  land  in  Labette  coun- 
ty. This  is  the  farm  which  is  the  present 
home  of  Mrs.  Dixon,  and  the  place  where  her 
lamented  husband  passed  his  last  days. 


Mrs.  Dixon  is  a  native  of  England.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Margaret 
(Young)  Haub,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Germany, — the  former  in  181 9,  and  the  latter 
in  1 82 1.  While  still  a  young  man,  Mr.  Haub 
went  to  England,  and  in  1849  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  family,  and  located  in  Seymour, 
Indiana.  Six  children  were  born  to  him  and 
his  wife,  as  follows:  Conrad;  Lizzie;  John; 
Louisa  and  Philip,  deceased ;  and  x\nnie. 

Lizzie  Haub  accompanied  her  parents  to 
America,  and  located  in  Seymour,  Indiana, 
which  continued  to  be  her  home  until  1870, 
when  she  joined  her  husband  in  the  journey 
to  Kansas.  Four  children  blessed  her  union 
with  Edward  Dixon,  namely :  George ;  Ed- 
ward ;  Anna  L. ;  and  Arthur.  The  eldest  is 
a  prominent  farmer  in  Neosho  county,  Kansas. 
Edward,  the  second  son,  conducts  the  home 
farm  for  his  mother,  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing, and  also  raises  some  cattle.  Surrounded 
by  her  children,  Mrs.  Dixon  is  spending  her 
declining  years  amid  the  familiar  scenes  which 
have  witnessed  her  many  years  of  unselfish  en- 
deavor. She  is  provided  with  every  comfort, 
and  the  burden  of  former  days  has  been  lifted 
from  her,  and  now  rests  upon  the  shoulders 
of  her  offspring,  who  delight  to  do  her  honor. 


HON  CARLOS  WELCH,  auditor  of 
the  Southwestern  Coal  &  Improve- 
ment Company,  with  offices  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  business  men  of  the  city,  and  occu- 
pies a  high  position  in  the  estimation  of  his 
fellow  citizens.  He  is  a  man  of  rare  judg- 
ment and  fine  business  ability,  and  although 
young,  has  had  several  years  of  valuable  busi- 
ness experience.     Since  first  engaging  in  the 


528 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


business,  he  has  made  rapid  progress,  and 
gained  several  promotions.  He  was  born  in 
Pike  county,  Missouri,  in  1868. 

Air.  Welch  received  his  early  mental  train- 
ing in  Bates  county,  Missouri,  whither  his 
parents  moved  when  he  was  quite  young.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  that  county,  and 
later  became  a  student  in  the  Missouri  State 
University.  He  subsequently  taught  school 
for  three  years  with  much  success.  In  1891 
he  entered  the  ofifice  of  the  Southwestern  Coal 
&  Improvement  Company,  and  shortly  after- 
ward was  promoted  to  the  position  of  chief 
clerk.  It  was  not  long  until  he  was  again 
promoted,  and  became  cashier.  January  i, 
1897,  Mr.  Welch  was  made  auditor  of  the 
company,  and  this  position  he  has  continued 
to  fill  in  an  able  manner  ever  since.  He  has 
won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  are 
connected  with  him  in  a  business  way,  and  is 
very  popular  among  his  fellow  workmen  and 
his  social  acquaintances. 

Mr.  Welch  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1893,  with  Ethel  Clifton,  and  they  have  been 
blessed  with  one  child,  whose  name  is  Lorene. 
Mr.  Welch  has  lived  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  since 
April  I,  1896,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in 
local  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  Parsons 
Lodge,  No.  527,  B.  P.  O.  E. 


R.  ANDREW  TEN  BROOK,  one  of 
the  most  prominent  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  has  an 
extensive  practice  in  the  vicinity,  in 
addition  to  which  he  has  acted  as  local  surgeon 
for  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway 
Company  since  1890. 

Dr.  Ten  Brook  was  born  in  Northumber- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1853,  and  is  a 


son  of  Andrew  Ten  Brook,  Jr.,  and  a  grand- 
son of  Andrew  Ten  Brook,  Sr.,  who  was  born 
in  New  Jersey,  and  was  an  early  settler  in 
Northumberland   county,   Pennsylvania. 

Andrew  Ten  Brook,  Jr„  father  of  the 
Doctor,  was  born  in  Northumberland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  resided  in  that  county  all 
his  life  with  the  exception  of  twelve  years 
spent  in  Niagara  count}.  New  York.  He 
married  Hannah  M.  McCarty,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  thirty-eight  years.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight  years.  They  were  parents  of 
three  children  who  reached  maturity,  as  fol- 
lows :  William  H.,  of  Paris,  Illinois,  Andrew, 
and  Adelaide  (Russell),  a  resident  of  North- 
umberland county,  Pennsylvania.  One  died 
in  infancy,  and  Robert  S.  died  at  an  early  age. 
William  H.  became  a  physician. 

Dr.  Andrew  Ten  Brook  received  his  pri- 
mary mental  culture  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years  went  to  Galesburg,  Illinois,  where  he  at- 
tended Knox  College.  He  afterward  studied 
medicine  at  Jefferson  Medical  College,  in 
Philadelphia,  and  was  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1876.  Returning  to  his  native  county,  he 
practiced  medicine  there  in  a  very  successful 
manner  for  a  period  of  seven  years,  and  was 
then  located  for  one  year  at  McLean,  Illinois. 
In  February,  1884,  he  settled  in  Parsons, 
Kansas,  where  he  has  built  up  a  good  and  re- 
munerative practice,  and  enjoys  an  excellent 
reputation  as  a  skilled  and  experienced  prac- 
titioner. 

In  1884  Dr.  Ten  Brook  was  united  in  mat- 
rimony with  Carrie  D.  Aldrich,  of  McLean, 
Illinois,  and  they  have  two  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Carl  and  Andrew,  Jr.  Fraternally, 
the  Doctor  is  a  member  of  Parsons  Lodge, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Politically,  he  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican.    He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 


J.  M.   BIRT. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


board  of  health  and  as  city  physician.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Southeastern  Kansas 
Medical  Society. 


B 


'SI.  BIRT,  a  highly  esteemed  citizen 
of  Parsons,  Kansas,  who  is  practically 
retired  from  his  occupation  of  farm- 
ing, and  is  now  serving  as  city  mar- 
shal, is  living  in  his  fine  residence  at  2204 
Johnson  avenue.  He  is  one  of  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  this  part  of  Kansas,  and  was  born  at 
Xenia,  Greene  county,  Ohio,  December  19. 
1844.  He  is  the  youngest  of  seven  children 
born  to  John  and  Elizabeth  (Lambert)  Birt. 
John  Birt,  who  was  an  Ohioan  by  birth, 
moved  to  Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1857,  and  by 
successful  farming  and  speculation  accumu- 
lated a  fortune  of  $40,000.  While  visiting 
his  son,  J.  M.,  in  New  Orleans,  he  dropped 
dead  from  heart  disease,  on  January  26,  1865, 
— having  reached  the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 
His  widow  survived  him  for  many  years,  and 
passed  to  her  reward,  April  26,  1876,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-nine  years.  Their  mortal  remains 
rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Perry,  Illinois.  Their 
children  were  as  follows:  Minerva  (Hoy), 
who  died  aged  forty-two  years:  Martha 
(Hampton),  who  died  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-six  years:  L.  H.,  who  recently  died  in 
Missouri,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years; 
A.  L..  who  is  a  Union  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War.  is  a  farmer  in  Ohio,  where  he  still  re- 
sides, at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years:  J.  C, 
fifty-one  years  old,  who  is  a  retired  farmer,  of 
Carthage,  Missouri :  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Hurley,  of 
Nortonville,  Kansas:  and  J.  M.,  the  subject  of 
this  biography. 

J.  M.  Birt  had  limited  educational  advan- 
tages, which  were  supplemented  by  a  careful 


home  training.  He  remained  at  home  and 
was  occupied  in  cultivating  his  father's  farm 
until  August  9,  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Company  B,  99th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  as  a  private  in  the  Department  of  the 
West,  under  Gen.  R.  S.  P.  Canby.  The 
duration  of  his  service  was  three  years,  lack- 
ing ten  days,  and  he  was  mustered  out  of  serv- 
ice at  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  in  1865.  Re- 
turning from  the  war,  his  marriage  with  Sarah 
M.  Moore,  a  daughter  of  J.  Moore,  of  Ohio, 
was  consummated,  and  he  continued  to  con- 
duct the  family  farm  for  several  years,  thereby 
making  a  home  also  for  his  widowed  mother. 

In  1869  Mr.  Birt  left  Illinois  to  seek  a  new 
location  in  the  West.  He  went  first  to  Rich- 
ardson county,  Nebraska,  where  he  rented  a 
farm  for  one  year.  He  then  went  to  Atchi- 
son, Kansas,  where  he  was  also  dissatisfied. 
He  spent  some  time  in  Neosho  county,  and 
then  came  to  Labette  county,  where  he  located 
permanently.  He  purchased  160  acres  of  fine 
farming  land  in  Walton  township,  six  miles 
from  Parsons,  for  $4,200.  He  lived  upon 
that  farm  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
for  many  years.  He  finally  sold  to  great  ad- 
vantage, and  afterward  purchased  another  fine 
farm,  Which  he  leased  to  his  son.  March  5, 
1893,  Mr.  Birt  removed  to  Parsons  to  spend 
his  declining  years  in  retirement,  and  the  en- 
joyment of  the  fruits  of  his  labor.  He  was, 
however,  appointed  by  Mayor  Busby,  on  May 
6,  1 90 1,  to  the  office  of  chief  city  marshal,  the 
duties  of  whidh  be  's  now  discharging. 

Mrs.  Birt  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1844.  She 
is  one  of  a  family  of  10  children,  the  most  of 
whom  died  while  young.  One  sister.  Mrs.  J. 
M.  Gregory,  also  resides  in  Parsons.  Their 
father,  J.  Moore,  was  a  successful  and  highly 
respected  business  man  and  pioneer  of  Par- 
sons.    He  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  located 


532 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  September,  1869,  in  Labette  county,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming.  After  the  town  of 
Parsons  was  laid  out.  he  erected  one  of  the 
first  buildings  on  Johnson  avenue,  and  opened 
a  furniture  store,  with  a  capital  of  only  $200. 
Subsequently,  a  partnership  was  formed,  and 
the  business  continued  to  prosper  under  the 
firm  name  of  Moore  &  Gregory,  until  January, 
1898.  The  death  of  Mr.  Moore  then  occurred, 
'and  the  firm  became  Gregory  &  Son.  who  still 
do  business  at  the  old  stand. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Birt  have  reared  a  family  of 
five  children.  The  eldest,  C.  H.  Birt,  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Traux,  and  leases  his  father's  farm 
in  Labette  county;  he  has  three  children,  Roy, 
Norma  and  Harry.  W.  J.  Birt,  the  second 
son,  is  a  switch  engineer  at  Parsons,  and 
has  followed  railroading  since  1885;  he  has 
one  daughter,  Alarie.  Cora  Estelle  (Rich- 
art),  the  third  child  and  eldest  daughter,  is  the 
wife  of  a  brakeman  in  the  employ  of  the  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company. 
Emma  J.  (Daniels),  the  youngest  daughter, 
resides  at  Osage  City,  Kansas,  and  has  two 
daughters.  Bertha  and  Gertrude.  George  M. 
Birt,  the  j^oungest  son,  is  still  at  home  with 
his  parents. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Birt  is  a  stanch  Republican, 
solely  upon  his  convictions,  and  takes  a  great 
interest  in  the  leading  questions  of  the  day. 
He  served  several  terms  as  trustee  of  the  La- 
bette County  High  School,  and  one  term  as 
alderman  in  the  city  council  of  Parsons.  He 
also  ranks  high  in  fraternal  circles,  affiliating 
with  G.  A.  R.  Post  No.  81,  of  whidh  he  is 
past  commander  and  in  which  he  has  filled  all 
other  chairs.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Lodge 
No.  117,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  having  been  made  a 
IMason  at  Chambersburg,  Illinois,  in  1873, 
while  on  a  visit  to  his  mother.  Having  been 
reared  in  the  Baptist  faith,  Mr.  Birt  and  fam- 


ily worship  at  the  First  Baptist  church,  of  Par- 
sons, of  which  Rev.  J.  T.  Crawford  is  pastor. 
Mr.  Birt  is  popular  among  his  associates,  and 
richly  deserves  the  success  which  has  crowned 
his  efforts,  as  he  started  at  the  foot  of  the  lad- 
der, without  capital,  but  with  a  strong  de- 
termination to  succeed.  His  portrait  accom- 
panies this  sketch. 


AMES  C.  GILLIES,  a  boiler-maker 
in  the  shops  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas 
tS:  Texas  Railway,  at  Parsons,  Kansas, 
was  born  in  Marshall,  Michigan,  in 
1863,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Christina 
(Caldwell)   Gillies. 

William  Gillies  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, in  1815.  He  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
his  native  town,  and  when  a  young  man  served 
his  apprenticeship  as  a  weaver.  Preferring  a 
mechanical  line,  however,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  trade  of  a  boiler-maker,  which  he 
followed  during  his  active  business  career.  He- 
came  to  America  in  1852,  and  first  located  in 
Detroit,  Michigan,  whence  he  went  to  ]\Iar- 
shall.  He  finally  moved  to  Vincennes,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  died  in  1890.  Mr.  Gillies 
married  Christina  Caldwell,  who  was  born  in 
1 82 1,  and  died  in  1896.  They  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children,  namely :  William,  who 
resides  in  Parsons,  Kansas;  Agnes,  deceased; 
Maggie  (Ritterscamp),  who  lives  in  Kansas 
City,  Missouri;  Christina  (Elwood),  also  a 
■resident  of  Kansas  City;  Robert,  who  lives  in 
Washington,  Indiana ;  James  C. ;  and  John. 

James  C.  Gillies  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Vincennes,  Indiana,  and  afterward  took  up 
the  trade  in  which  his  father  had  been  so  pro- 
ficient. He  went  into  the  shops  of  the  Ohio 
&    Mississippi    Railroad    Company,    at    Vin- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


535 


cennes,  in  his  early  manhood,  and  remained 
with  that  company  until  he  moved  west.  Mr. 
Gillies  removed  to  Kansas  in  1887,  and  en- 
tered the  boiler  shops  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas 
&  Texas  Railway,  where  he  has  since  remained. 
He  is  a  very  efficient  workman,  and  quite  pop- 
ular with  his  fellow  employees. 

Mr.  Gillies  married  Lena  Berkemier  in  1883. 
She  was  born  in  Vincennes,  Indiana.  They 
are  the  parents  of  two  children, — Estella  and 
Edward.  ISIr.  Gillies  is  a  member  of  the  Fra- 
ternal Aid.  He  is  a  Republican,  in  politics, 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  local  afifairs. 
In  1898  he  was  elected  city  councilman  from 
the  First  Ward.  He  was  re-elected  in  1900, 
and  still  serves  in  that  body.  He  has  been  on 
the  board  of  health   for  two  years. 


m 


J.  BOUCHARD,  general  foreman 
of  the  ^Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway  shops  at  Parsons,  Kansas, 
has  followed  railroading  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  ranks  among  the  foremost 
mechanics  of  thie  present  day.  He  is  an  Illi- 
noisan  by  birth,  and  was  reared  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  St.  Louis,  ^Missouri.  His  father, 
Stephen  Bouchard,  was  an  expert  blacksmith 
and  machinist,  having  charge  of  the  railroad 
shops  of  the  North  Missouri  Railway,  at  St. 
Charles,  Missouri.  That  road  is  now  a  part 
of  the  Wabash  system. 

Deprived  of  his  father  by  death  at  an  early 
age,  Mr.  Bouchard  began  work  in  1870,  when 
fourteen  years  old.  He  entered  the  railroad 
shops  at  St.  Charles,  Missouri,  as  a  machinist's 
apprentice,  completely  mastered  that  trade, 
and  became  an  unusually  fine  machinist  at  the 
early  age  of  nineteen  years.  He  remained  at 
home  with  his  mother  until  he  reached  matur- 


ity, working  as  fireman  on  the  North  Mis- 
souri Railway,  and  afterward  serving  as  en- 
gineer on  the  same  road. 

Mr.  Bouchard  subsequently  accepted  a  po- 
sition as  machinist  on  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western Railway,  and  was  located  in  Iowa, 
where  he  married  Ella  Fowler,  who  was  reared 
near  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  He  worked  on 
that  system  until  1880,  and  the  following  year 
was  spent  in  the  same  capacity  on  the  Texas 
&  Pacific  Railway.  In  1881  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way Company  as  gang  foreman  at  Denison, 
Texas,  was  promoted  the  following  year  to  be 
general  foreman,  and  served  as  such  at  Pal- 
estine, Texas,  until  1887.  Returning  to  Den- 
ison, he  filled  the  position  of  roundhouse  fore- 
man one  3'ear,  and  having  been  again  advanced 
to  be  general  foreman,  he  filled  that  position 
at  Greenville,  Teixas,  until  1891.  He  was 
then  transferred  again  to  Denison,  where  he 
continued  until  October,  1896,  when  hie  was 
advanced  to  his  present  important  position, 
that  of  general  foreman  of  the  large  and  well 
appointed  railroad  shops  of  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company,  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas;  he  succeeded  W.  H.  Brehm.  the 
present  master  mechanic. 

Mr.  Bouchard's  task  is  one  of  great  im- 
portance and  magnitude.  He  has  from  12  to 
15  foremen  of  the  various  departments  under 
his  direct  supervision,  and  gives  personal  at- 
tention to  each  and  every  department. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  stands  high  in 
fraternal  circles.  He  was  given  the  first 
Masonic  degree  while  residing  in  Iowa,  and 
step  by  step  has  climbed  the  rugged  path  until 
he  now  boasts  of  being  a  Mystic  Shriner.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Parsons  Commandery, 
K.  T.,  having  been  knighted  at  Greenville, 
Texas,  and  of^Hella  Temple,  A.  A.  O.  N.  M. 


534 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


S.,  of  Dallas.  Texas.  In  addition,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  as 
is  also  Mrs.  Bouchard,  and  they  are  members, 
respectively,  of  the  K.  O.  T.  M.  and  L.  O.  T. 
M.  Politically,  Mr.  Bouchard  is  a  Republi- 
can. He  has  proved  to  be  a  valuable  adjunct 
to  the  success  of  the  system,  and  the  officials 
of  the  road  value  his  services  highly. 


"ION.  NELSOX  CASE,  formerly  pro- 
bate judge  of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
and  for  over  thirty  years  a  leading 
member  of  the  bar  of  the  county,  has 
spent  his  entire  professional  life  in  Oswego, 
where  he  has  been  prominently  identified  with 
reformatory  and  educational  enterprises.  He 
was  born  in  Wyoming  county,  Pennsylvania, 
April  22.  1845.  ''"id,  tlie  same  year,  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Lee  county,  Illinois.  He 
graduated  from  the  Illinois  Normal  Univer- 
sity in  1866,  after  which  he  taught  school  for 
one  year.  He  then  attended  a  course  of  lec- 
tures in  the  law  department  of  the  University 
of  Michigan,  and  graduated  therefrom  in 
1869.  In  May,  1869,  he  came  west  to  Oswego, 
Kansas,  where  he  has  since  been  located  and 
has  practiced  law. 

Judge  Case  was  appointed  probate  judge 
by  Governor  St.  John  in  June,  1880,  and  was 
twice  thereafter  re-elected,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  declined  to  be  again  a  candidate.  He 
has  twice  been  a  candidate  for  a  place  on  the 
supreme  bench, — in  1896  for  chief  justice,  and 
in  1898  for  associate  justice,  and,  although  he 
did  not  receive  the  nomination,  he  stood  next 
to  the  winning  man  in  1898.  In  each  in- 
stance he  received  the  solid  vote  of  Southeast- 
ern Kansas,  the  section  in  which  his  record  as 
a  lawyer  is  best  known.  The  members  of  the 
bar  of  Labette  county  gave  him  their  heart- 


iest support,  and  the  entire  press,  as  well  as 
the  leading  citizens  generally,  offered  the 
strongest  testimony  in  favor  of  his  qualifica- 
tions. One  of  the  leading  editors  of  the  coun- 
ty, who  has  known  him  intimately  many  years, 
says  of  him:  "I  have  been  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  him  for  more  than  twenty-five 
years — in  fact  from  the  time  he  started  in  the 
law  business  in  Oswego,  and  have  always 
found  him  one  of  the  most  conscientious  and 
honorable  men  of  the  profession, — by  some 
called  an  anomaly — an  honest  lawyer.  He  is 
regarded  by  the  bar  of  this  county,  and  of  al! 
Southeastern  Kansas,  as  the  ablest  jurist,  safest 
counselor,  and  best  lawyer  we  have."  Another 
prominent  busxicss  man  says :  "He  is  re- 
garded by  many  as  the  ablest  attorney  in  La- 
bette county."  Judge  Case  has  a  first-class 
clientage  and  practices  in  all  courts,  including 
the  Supreme  Court  at  Washington. 

He  has  always  had  a  deep  interest  in  edu- 
cational matters,  and  was  president  of  the 
board  of  education  of  Oswego  for  twelve 
years,  also  regent  of  the  State  Normal  School 
several  years.  He  was  trustee  and  treasurer 
of  the  County  High  School  at  Altamont  the 
first  five  years  of  its  existence,  and  Ayas  trus- 
tee of  Oswego  College  for  many  years.  He 
has  been  a  trustee  of  Baker  University  since 
1883,  ^"d  for  several  years  has  been  president 
of  the  board.  He  was  conoected  with  the 
State  Sunday-School  Association  and  the 
State  Temperance  Union,  for  many  years,  and 
is  serving  his  twenty-ninth  year  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  M.  E.  Sunday-school  in  Os- 
wego. In  May,  1890,  he  was  a  delegate  from 
the  South  Kansas  conference  to  the  general 
conference  of  the  M.  E.  church,  which  met  in 
Chicago. 

Judge  Case  has  twice  been  married,  his  first 
wife  dying  in  1892.     By  his  second  wife  he 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


535^ 


has  a  daughter,  Miriam,  born  in  z\pril,  1901. 
He  also  has  raised  two  adopted  children.  A 
portrait  of  Judge  Case  appears  on  a  preceding 
page  as  the  frontispiece  of  this  work. 


HOSEPH  G.  BRADLEY,  manager  of 
the  Oswego  Opera  House,  and  a  well 
known  tonsorial  artist  of  that  city, 
was  born  near  Roanoke,  Virginia, 
August  12,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  William  L. 
Bradley. 

William  L.  Bradley  was  born  in  Virginia 
in  1833,  and  followed  merviantile  pursuits  dur- 
ing his  active  career.  He  lef..  Virginia  about 
1867,  and  went  to  Camp  Point,  Adams  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  lived  for  seven  years. 
He  then  moved  to  Shelbina,  Shelby  county, 
Missouri,  and  remained  there  one  year.  In 
the  spring  of  1877  he  located  in  Humboldt, 
Allen  county,  Kansas.  In  1893  ^^  moved  to 
Oswego.  Labette  county,  and.  as  his  health 
failed  him  in  1897,  then  retired  from  active 
business.  He  is  a  Republican,  in  politics,  and 
served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  some  time. 
He  also  held  various  township  offices.  Mr. 
Bradley  married  Nan.y  Perfater,  who  was 
born  in  Virginia,  in  1833,  ^nd  they  reared  the 
following  children :  Joseph  G. ;  Sarah  E. 
(Parrish);  Amanda  (McGilvery)  ;  Mary,  de- 
ceased ;  Minrfie ;  John,  deceased ;  and  Mark 
and  Robert,  deceased. 

Joseph  G.  Bradley  received  his  schooling 
in  Illinois,  and  learned  his  trade,  in  1882,  in 
lola.  Kansas.  He  lived  in  Humboldt  seven 
years,  and  also  in  several  other  towns  for  short 
periods,  after  which,  in  1890,  he  located  in 
Oswego,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Mr. 
Bradley  at  one  time  owned  the  City  Hotel,  one 
of    the    best    hotels  in  Oswego.     In  January, 


1901,  he  purchased  the  residence  of  J.  B.  Mont- 
gomery, which  is  a  modern  structure,  and 
one  of  the  prettiest  homes  in  Oswego.  Mr. 
Bradley  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  men  in 
Oswego,  and  has  done  much  to  draw  good 
business  enterprises  to  the  city.  He  was  one 
of  the  prime  movers  in  securing  the  developers 
of  the  new  gas  field  now  being  operated  near 
the  city. 

Mr.  Bradley  married  Henrietta  C.  Rose,  in 
1882,  and  they  are  blessed  with  three  children, 
namely  :  F.  Rose ;  A.  Gertrude ;  and  Mabel 
M.  Mr.  Bradley  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  M.  W.  of  A.,  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  He  hafe  a 
large  circle  of  friends  in  Oswego,  and  is  well 
known  through<Jut  the  surrounding  country  as 
a  man  of  honest  and  upright  principles.  As 
before  stated,  he  is  the  manager  of  the  Os- 
wego Opera  House. 


RS.  SARAH  (DUNCAN)  De- 
COW,  widow  of  Abner  DeCow, 
is  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  She  is  also 
one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  residents  of 
the  town  of  Bartlett,  where  she  built  the  third- 
house  erected. 

Abner  DeCow  was  born  in  Canada,  No- 
vember 12,  1826,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, being  one  of  the  very  first  settlers  of 
Labette  county.  He  took  up  a  claim  in  Hack- 
berry  township,  built  a  cabin  16  by  18  feet  in 
size,  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  in  1870. 
He  is  still  remembered  by  the  oldest  residents 
of  the  county  as  a  man  of  high  principles  and 
an  honor  to  the  community. 

Mrs.  DeCow  was  born  in  Newcastle,  Ohio, 
in  1837,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Alexander  Dun- 


536 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


can,  who  waa  born  in  Virginia  and  followed 
farming.  He  married  Sarah  Lepley,  who  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  of  the  14  children 
born  to  them,  the  following  are  now  living: 
Kate;  Samuel;  Sarah;  Frances;  Shannon; 
Alice ;  Amanda ;  Cleora ;  M.  Jackson ;  and  John. 
Sarah  Duncan  lived  in  her  native  county  un- 
til she  was  sixteen  years  old,  and  then  moved 
with  her  parents  to  Winneshiek  county,  Iowa, 
where  she  was  married.  She  accompanied 
her  husband  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in 
1867,  and  located  in  Hackberry  township. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband  she  moved  to 
Bartlett,  where  she  built  the  third  house  in  the 
town,  and  for  eight  years  conducted  a  restau- 
rant. She  built  her  present  home  in  1895, — 
an  eight-room,  frame  house  of  comfortable 
size.  She  is  a  woman  possessed  of  many  high 
traits  of  character,  and  is  universally  admired 
and  respected.  She  and  her  husband  became 
parents  of  seven  children,  as  follows  :  George; 
Charity;  Shannon;  Maggie;  Oliver;  Frank; 
and  Mabel,  deceased. 


0OSEPH  SCOTT,  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  at  Altamont.  He 
settled  in  the  county  in  1869,  and  was 
engaged  in  farming  in  Fairview  township  un- 
til 1900,  when  he  retired  from  active  work. 
Mr.  Scott  was  born  in  Atlantic  county,  New 
Jersey,  in  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Amelia   (Folk)   Scott. 

Joseph  Scott,  Sr.,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  and  was  a  tailor  by  trade.  This 
occupation  he  followed  until  his  death  at  the 
early  age  of  thirty-five  years.  His  wife  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.     They  reared 


five  children,  as  follows :  George,  Mary  ( Dep- 
ety),  and  Jane,  deceased;  Joseph;  and  Har- 
mon, of  Mound  Valley,  Kansas. 

Joseph  Scott  left  Atlantic  county,  New 
Jersey,  in  1833,  and  went  to  Wabash  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  reared  and  schooled. 
He  began  farming  in  that  county,  and  fol- 
lowed it  there  until  1869.  He  enlisted  in 
Company  K,  130th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  1862, 
at  Marshall,  Illinois.  He  enlisted  as  a  corporal, 
and  was  mustered  out  as  a  sergeant  at  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  July  7,  1865.  He  was  in  Gen- 
eral Grant's  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  and  was 
at  Vicksburg,  and  on  the  Red  River  expedi- 
tion. He  was  taken  prisoner  on  April  8,  1863, 
at  Sabine  Cross  Roads,  Louisiana,  held  cap- 
tive at  Tyler,  Texas,  thirteen  and  a  half 
months,  and  exchanged  soon  after  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  then  returned  to  his  home  in 
Clark  county,  Illinois,  and  there  followed 
farming  until  1869,  when  he  sold  out  and 
moved  to  Kansas.  He  settled  in  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  i,  Fairview  township,  La- 
bette county,  and  lived  upon  this  land  until 
1900,  when  he  sold  it  and  located  in  the  city 
of  Altamont,  where  he  now  resides. 

JNIr.  Scott  married  Hannah  Rice,  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  who  died  in  1897,  having  given 
birth  to  the  following  children :  Amelia,  wife 
of  J.  Blizzard,  of  Joplin,  Missouri,  by  whom 
she  has  five  children, — Whitlock,  Joseph, 
Thomas,  Benjamin  and  Benton;  Lincoln,  who 
married  Carrie  Farley,  and  has  two  children, 
Alva  and  Ethel ;  Ann  E.,  wife  of  L.  Collins,  of 
Oswego.  Kansas,  and  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren,— Lottie,  deceased,  Edith,  and  Ollie;  and 
James;  and  Fred,  of  Oswego,  Kansas.  Mr. 
Scott  married  Margaret  Drumond,  in  1899. 
He  is  a  member  of  Topping  Post,  No.  268, 
G.  A.  R. ;  and  belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief 
Association.     He  is  a  strong    Republican    in 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


537 


politics,  and  has  served  two  terms  as  justice  of 
the  peace.  The  family  belong  to  the  Metho- 
dist chm'ch. 


EORGE    W.    LANDON,    prominent 
among  the  younger  generation  who 
are  rapidly  forging  their  way  to  the 
front,  is  an  industrious  farmer,  lo- 
cated   in   the   southwest  quarter  of  section  3, 
township  35,  range  20,  Hackberry  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas.     He  was  born  in  Pet- 
tis county,  Missouri,  in  1863,  and  is  a  son  of 
Ezra  Landon. 

Ezra  Landon  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
and  was  a  wagon-maker  by  trade,  and  also  a 
farmer.  He  died  in  Bartlett,  Kansas,  in  1901. 
He  married  Miss  S.  Kellerman,  who  was  born 
at  Elkhart,  Indiana,  and  they  became  parents 
of  the  following  children:  Ellen  (Bowen).  of 
Chetopa,  Kansas;  Alice;  David;  George  W. ; 
and  Lydi^,  deceased. 

George  W.  Landon  lived  in  his  native 
county  until  he  went,  with  his  parents,  to  La- 
porte  county,  Indiana.  Thence  the  family 
moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas, — arriving 
here  on  December  23,  1879.  They  came  by 
wagon  and  were  seven  weeks  in  making  the 
trip.  Lydia,  the  sister  of  George  W.,  died  on 
the  way.  They  located  at  Chetopa,  and  in 
1880  George  W.  went  to  the  Indian  Territory, 
where  he  resided  for  one  year.  In  1881  he 
returned  to  Labette  county,  and,  being  then  but 
seventeen  years  of  age,  lived  with  his  father, 
in  Hackberry  township.  There  he  continued 
until  1890,  when  he  purchased  his  present  farm 
in  section  3.  He  carries  on  general  farming 
and  stock  raising,  and  is  doing  well. 

George  W.  Landon  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Anna  Ephrain,  who  was  born  in 


Texas,  in  1867,  and  is  a  daughter  of  H.  M. 
Ephrain.  Her  father  was  born  in  Poland,  and 
was  a  tailor  by  trade.  He  located  in  Labette 
county  in  1869,  and  farmed  here  for  twenty- 
two  years,  but  now  resides  in  Texas.  He 
married  Miss  R.  Brierley,  who  was  bom  in 
England,  and  they  had  four  children :  Sam- 
uel, deceased;  Levine;  Anna;  and  Jessie,  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Landon  have  had  two 
children :  Yetta,  deceased ;  and  Dora.  Mr.  Lan- 
don is  a  Republican,  in  politics;  he  belongs  to 
the  Anti-Horsethief  Association.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


^^•^ILLEN  R.  REECE  is  an  enterprising 
ra^  I  and  progressive  business  man  of 
§j^^  Bartlett,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  is  proprietor  of  a  grocery 
and  hardware  store.  He  is  a  man  of  public 
spirit,  takes  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  pertains 
to  the  welfare  of  the  town  and  county,  and  has 
a  large  circle  of  acquaintances  and  friends. 
He  was  born  in  Davidson  county.  North  Caro- 
lina, in  1852.  and  is  a  son  of  P.  H.  Reeoe. 

P.  H.  Reece  was  born  in  North  Carolina 
in  1 818,  and  is  a  farmer  now  residing  in  Cedar 
county,  Missouri.  He  married  Rebecca 
Hicks,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  in 
1S32,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Haley  J.;  Allen  R. ;  Paul 
A.,  postmaster  and  a  merchant  of  Bartl-ett, 
Kansas;  John  C. ;  Nora,  deceased;  Lena;  and 
Mary. 

Allen  R.  Reece  was  but  three  years  of  age 
when  he  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Johnson 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  was  reared.  At 
an  early  day  he  applied  himself  to  agricultural 
pursuits  and  remained  in  Johnson  county,  Mis- 
souri, until  he  located  in  Kansas.     He  settled 


538 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  Bartlett,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  Novem- 
ber. 1891,  and  since  tliat  time  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  and  hardware  business. 
He  carries  a  very  complete  line  of  goods  and 
is  meeting  with  great  success. 

Mr.  Reece  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Anna  Bean,  who  was  born  in  Canada,  in  1862, 
and  they  have  one  daughter.  Bertha,  who  grad- 
uated from  the  County  High  School  at  Alta- 
mont  with  the  class  of  1898,  and  is  now  teach- 
ing in  the  public  schools  of  Bartlett.  Politi- 
cally, Mr.  Reece  is  a  firm  supporter  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party.  Fraternally, 
he  belongs  to  Chetopa  Lodge,  No.  73,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M. 


F.  LONNECKER  is  a  prominent 
merchant  of  Bartlett,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  and  is  the  owner  of  consid- 
erable valuable  farming  property  in 
Hackberry  township.  He  was  born  in  Preble 
county,  Ohio,  in  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  G.  W. 
Lonnecker. 

G.  \V.  Lonnecker  was  born  in  Ohio,  and 
followed  the  trade  of  a  butcher.  He  married 
Theodosia  Collins,  also  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
they  reared  four  children,  as  follows:  John; 
William,  deceased;  Cynthia;  and  R.  F. 

R.  F.  Lonnecker  was  six  years  of  age 
when  he  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Logan 
county,  Ilinois,  where  he  lived  until  he  moved 
to  Kansas.  He  arrived  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  February,  1878,  and  for  one  year 
resided  southwest  of  Chetopa,  in  Hackberry 
township.  He  then  spent  two  years  on  the 
Davis  farm,  and  in  1881  located  in  Richland 
township  on  the  Robert  Phillips  farm,  and 
then  purchased  the  widow  Sowder's  property, 
where  he  farmed  until  1882.  The  following 
year  he  purchased  the  old  J.  Watson  farm,  and 


lived  upon  it  until  the  fall  of  1883,  when  he 
moved  to  Chetopa.  He  was  located  in  the  city 
for  eighteen  months  and  then  purchased  his 
home  farm  in  Hackberry  township, — the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  26,  township  34,  range 
20,  on  which  he  resided  for  ten  years.  He 
also  owns  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  25. 
In  1895  he  rented  both  properties,  and  moved 
to  the  town  of  Bartlett.  Since  that  time  he 
has  been  a  merchant  of  that  town,  and  is  meet- 
ing with  good  success.  He  is  a  man  of  many 
estimable  traits  of  character,  and  has  many 
stanch  friends  in  the  community. 

Mr.  Lonnecker  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Juliette  Burwell,  who  was  born  in  Logan 
county,  Illinois,  in  1855,  and  they  have  two 
children :  George  E.  and  M.  N.  Politically, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican.  He 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church. 


OSHUA  GRAHAM,  a  prominent  and 
inhuential  farmer  of  Canada  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  lo- 
cated in  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 26,  township  33,  range  18.  He  possesses 
a  pleasing  personality,  is  a  good  business  man 
and  has  many  friends  throughout  his  section 
of  the  county.  He  was  born  in  Marion  county, 
Kentucky,  in  1843,  ^n^  is  a  son  of  Harden 
Graham. 

Harden  Graham  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Harriet  Brownfield. 
also  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  they  were  par- 
ents of  three  children :  Charles.  Narcissus, 
and  Joshua. 

Joshua  Graham  was  reared  in  Kentucky, 
and  resided  there  until  he  came  to  Kansas  in 


W.   H.   LEWIS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


541 


the  winter  of  1870,  and  located  in  Alound  Val- 
ley township.  There  he  resided  until  1880, 
when  he  moved  upon  his  present  farm  in  Can- 
ada township.  He  carries  on  general  farming 
and  has  met  with  great  success. 

Mr.  Graham  was  united  in  matrimony  with 
Alice  Hulen,  who  was  born  in  Missouri  in 
1853,  and  they  reared  the  following  children: 
C.  E.,  deceased;  Fred;  and  Scott,  who  is  at- 
tending the  County  High  School  at  Altamont, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  class  of  1902.  Mr. 
Graham  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  served 
four  years  on  the  school  board  of  his  township. 
He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  to 
the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security.  Relig- 
iouslv,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 


W*|  H.  LEWIS,  the  efficient  and  ac- 
Wi  I  commodating  ticket  agent  for  the 
^  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way Company,  at  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, whose  portrait  is  shown  herewith,  is  an 
Englishman  by  birth,  his  birth  occurring  in  the 
city  of  London,  in  July,  1837.  He  is  the  eldest 
of  the  five  children  of  W.  H.,  Sr.,and  Mary 
C.  (Flynn)  Lewis.  The  others  are,  Charles 
v.,  Rev.  V.  A.,  Mattie  and  Elizabeth. 

W.  H.  Lewis,  Sr.,  was  a  wealthy  merchant 
of  London,  England,  previous  to  the  financial 
crisis  in  1848.  During  that  year,  he  left  Eng- 
land, and  with  one  of  his  sons  crossed  the 
ocean  and  located  in  Rochester,  New  York, 
where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  His 
wife  was  left  to  settle  the  property  afifairs, 
which  she  did,  and  started  in  1849  with  the 
rest  of  the  family,  to  join  her  husband  in 
America.  While  en  route  to  the  United  States, 
cholera  broke  out  on  board  the  steamer,  and 
she  fell  a  victim  to  that  dread  disease,  died  and 


was  buried  at  sea.  Her  trunk,  which  contained 
money  and  other  valuables,  was  thrown  over- 
board,— leaving  the  children  in  disagreeable 
circumstances.  In  1857,  W.  H.  Lewis,  Sr., 
moved  to  Pana,  Illinois,  where  he  carried  on 
a  successful  mercantile  business  until  cut  off 
by  death  in  1865,  when  over  sixty  years  old. 
Politically,  he  was  a  stanch  Republican. 

Charles  V.  Lewis,  eldest  brother  of  \V. 
H.,  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  di- 
vision freight  agent  appointed  by  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company,  at  Par- 
sons, and  worked  in  that  place  in  1S80 
with  the  Union  Pacific  administration.  He 
is  now  general  freight  agent  for  the  Balti- 
more &  Ohio  R.  R.  system  at  Baltimore,, 
Maryland.  Rev.  V.  A.  Lewis,  another  brother,, 
was  at  one  time  pastor  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian church,  in  Boston,  Massachusetts.  He 
was  educated  for  the  ministry  at  Princeton,. 
New  Jersey,  but  his  career  was  cut  short  by 
death  in  October,  1899,  at  Dansville,  New 
York.  JNIr.  Lewis'  two  sisters,  Mattie  and 
Elizabeth,  are  still  living  and  reside  in  Pana,. 
Illinois,  where  the  furmer  is  a  competent  in- 
structor of  music.  The  latter  has  been  twice 
married,  and  is  now  a  widow.  Her  first  hus- 
band's name  was  Overholt;  her  second  hus- 
band's, Hubbard.  Both  are  deceased.  She 
has  numerous  children  in  Pana,  and  her  sons 
are  in  charge  of  coal  mines  at  Pana. 

Up  to  his  twelfth  year,  W.  H.  Lewis  had 
been  well  schooled  in  London.  When  he  at- 
tained the  age  of  twenty  years,  he  bgan  his. 
railroad  career  as  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company.  When  the 
Civil  War  broke  out,  he  promptly  responded 
to  President  Lincoln's  call  for  volunteers,  and 
took  an  active  part  in  many  battles  of  that 
fierce  conflict,  among  them  some  of  the  very 
first  engagements,  and  also  some  of  the  last. 


542 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


In  1 86 1,  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  72nd  Reg., 
111.  Vol.  Inf.  His  regiment  participated,  with 
the  2nd  N."  Y.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  the  Little  Bethel 
£ght,  and  assisted  in  carrying  off  the  field  the 
first  United  States  officer  wounded,  who  was 
Lieut.  Grebble,  of  Philadelphia.  After  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  he  was  detailed  to  serve 
in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  with  McPher- 
.son,  who  was  afterward  killed,  Mr.  Lewis  as- 
sisting the  general  from  the  field  after  the  fatal 
shot.  He  afterward  accompanied  Gen.  Sher- 
man on  his  famous  "March  to  the  Sea,"  hav- 
ing as  his  partner  and  bunk-mate,  G.  W. 
\\'hittle,  afterward  a  well  known  evangelist.  Al- 
though Mr.  Lewis  took  part  in  many  engage- 
ments, he  was  not  wounded,  but  his  health  was 
impaired. 

Returning  from  the  war,  he  resumed  rail- 
road work  as  agent  at  Mattoon,  Illinois,  on 
the  Indianapolis  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  now 
included  in  the  "Big  Four"  system.  He  re- 
mained at  that  point  for  sixteen  years,  as  both 
freight  and  passenger  agent.  Resigning,  he 
went  to  New  York,  and  worked  in  the  same 
capacity  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company, 
at  Schenectady,  until  October,  1881,  when  he 
again  went  west  and  assumed  his  present  po- 
sition at  Parsons,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Lewis  has  entire  charge  of  all  business 
.transacted  at  the  new  depot.  He  has  one  as- 
sistant, E.  \.  Pace,  who  is  night  agent,  Mr. 
Lewis  being  held  responsible  for  the  proper 
management  of  the  ticket  department.  By  his 
fidelity  to  the  company,  his  courteous  and 
obliging  attentiveness  to  patrons  of  the  road, 
and  his  strict  discharge  of  the  duties  imposed 
upon  him,  Mr.  Lewis  has  commended  himself 
to  the  officials  of  the  road,  and  to  the  traveling 
public  in  general. 

November  24,  1868,  W.  H.  Lewis  was 
united   in  marriage  with   Maria  E.   Beach,  a 


sister  of  the  wife  of  Charles  V.  Lewis,  of  Bal- 
timore, previously  mentioned  in  this  sketch. 
Mrs.  Lewis  was  born  at  East  Bloomfield,  New 
York,  December  31,  1840,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Hunn  and  Ann  (Welfare)  Beach,  both  of 
whom  died  while  Maria  was  very  young.  She 
was  reared  in  Canandaigua,  New  York,  by  her 
grandparents,  and  while  on  a  visit  to  some  rel- 
atives in  Illinois  she  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Mr.  Lewis,  who  after  a  brief  courtship  per- 
suaded her  to  become  his  wife,  instead  of  re- 
turning to  the  East.  Mrs.  Lewis  has  three 
sisters,  namely:  Mrs.  Sarah  Lewis,  of  Balti- 
more, Maryland;  Mrs.  Julia  Sampson,  wife  of 
the  editor  of  the  Salina  Journal,  at  Salina, 
Kansas,  one  of  the  oldest  newspaper  men  in 
the  state;  and  Mrs.  Carrie  Pettit,  wife  of  Dr. 
Pettit,  of  Florida. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  have  reared  two  sons, 
Herman  C.  and  \Villiam  B.,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  Mattoon,  Illinois.  The  former 
married  Ella  Holloway,  and  resides  in  Se- 
dalia,  Missouri,  where  he  is  cashier  on  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway.  William 
B.,  also  a  railroader  employed  on  the  same 
system,  is  now  serving  as  a  switchman  in  the 
yards  at  Parsons,  and  still  makes  his  home 
with  his  parents.  Like  their  father,  the  sons 
vote  the  Republican  ticket,  and  never  swerve 
from  absolute  party  fidelity. 

Mr.  Lewis  is  a  charter  member  of  the  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Mattoon,  Illinois,  of  the 
Knights  Templar,  of  Parsons,  of  which  he  is 
a  past  eminent  commander;  and  also  Abdallah 
Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  of  the  same 
place. — his  eldest  son  affiliating  also  with  the 
Knights  Templar. 

His  interests  having  been  identified  with 
those  of  Parsons  since  1881,  Mr.  Lewis  early 
in  the  history  of  the  city  purchased  land  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


543 


built  a  fine  residence.  •  Some  time  later,  how- 
ever, this  residence  was  sold  and  is  now  oc- 
cupied by  William  McKee,  the  druggist.  Mr. 
Lewis  afterward  purchased  the  Lee  Clark 
property,  at  1720  JMorgan  avenue,  which  is  an 
attractive  and  pleasant  home.  He  joins  with 
his  family  in  worshiping  at  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and,  being  charitablly  disposed,  assists 
all  worth}'  enterprises. 


^S%  OLIN  HODGE,  one  of  the  best  known 
B  8^^  citizens  of  Canada  township,  Labette 
mftn^  county,  Kansas,  is  located  in  section 
25,  township  T,^,  range  17,  where 
he  took  a  claim  in  1869.  He  was  born  in 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  in  1841,  and  is  a  son  of 
C.  and  Jane  (Clark)   Hodge. 

C.  Hodge  was  born  in  Scotland  and  was 
a  mason  by  trade.  His  union  with  Jane  Clark 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  12  children,  of  whom 
but  two  are  now  living,  namely:  Colin;  and 
W.  C,  a  farmer  living  in  Canada  township, 
west  of  his  brother's  place.  W.  C.  Hodge 
served  in  the  Civil  war,  in  Company  A,  31st 
Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  came  to  Labette  coun- 
ty in  1870.  He  married  Lizzie  Michals,  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  had  five  chil- 
dren :  Mary  A. ;  Colin  O. ;  Jane ;  William  W. ; 
and  Fannie. 

Colin  Hodge  was  twelve  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  America,  in  1853.  He  landed  at 
New  Orleans,  and  immediately  thereafter  lo- 
cated in  Illinois,  and  resided  there  until  the 
Civil  War  was  in  progress.  He  enlisted  in 
Company  I,  22d  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
about  three  years,  when  he  re-enlisted  in  Com- 
pany A,  2d  Reg.,  U.  S.  Vet.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
was  discharged  on  February  10,  1866.  He  was 
in  battle  at  Belmont,  Missouri,  and  at  Stone 


River;  he  accompanied  General  Sherman  in  his 
memorable  march,  and  was  shot  on  two  dif- 
ferent occasions.  He  then  returned  to  Illi- 
nois and  lived  there  until  1869,  when  he  came 
to  Kansas,  on  foot.  He  located  in  Labette 
county  in  October  of  that  year,  and  took  as 
a  claim  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  25, 
township  33,  range  17.  He  built  a  cabin,  14 
by  16  feet  in  size,  and  has  made  all  the  im- 
provements on  the  claim.  He  was  engaged  in 
farming  in  a  successful  manner  for  many  years, 
but  now  rents  out  most  of  his  land. 

Mr.  Hodge  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Susan  J.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Troy,  Ohio, 
in  1 85 1.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace;  he  has  also 
been  township  treasurer,  and  was  clerk  of  the 
district  court  for  one  term.  Fraternally,  he  Is 
a  member  of  Oswego  Lodge,  No.  63,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


W.  YOUNG  is  one  of  the  leading  ag- 
riculturists of  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  is  located  in  Canada  town- 
ship, in  section  36,  township  33,  range 
18.  He  was  born  in  Adair  county,  Missouri, 
in  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  Solomon  and  Nancy 
(Peters)  Young. 

Solomon  Young  was  born  in  Harrison 
county,  Indiana,  in  1807,  and  is  a  farmer  and 
wagon-maker,  residing  in  Canada  township, 
Labette  county.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Nancy  Peters,  who  was  born  in  Tennes- 
see, and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Benjamin,  Louisa,  Cather- 
ine, Ann,  and  S.  W. 

S.  W.  Young  was  virtually  reared  in  Kan- 
sas,  having  been  brought  to  Labette  county, 


544 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  1871,  by  his  parents,  who  iucated  in  Can- 
ada township,  about  three  miles  west  of  his 
present  home.  He  Hved  with  iiis  parents  un- 
til he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  and 
in  1885  located  in  Clark  county,  Kansas.  In 
1886,  he  returned  to  Labette  county,  and  con- 
ducted a  meat  market  at  Mound  Valley  until 
1891.  He  then  purchased  and  moved  upon  his 
present  farm  in  section  36,  Canada  township, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  general  farming.  He 
also  runs  a  thresher,  and  deals,  to  a  large  ex- 
tent, in  stock.  He  is  a  prosperous  man  and 
a  good  business  manager,  and  is  meeting  with 
deserved  success. 

^larch  5,  1885,  Mr.  Young  was  married 
to  Ardy  Hall,  who  died  in  Clark  county,  Kan- 
sas, June  9,  1886.  No  children  survived.  Mr. 
Young  married,  secondly,  Etta  Stonecipher, 
who  was  born  in  Adair  county,  Missouri,  in 
1874,  and  they  have  two  children:  Zona  and 
Clifford.  In  politics,  he  is  a  strong  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
Mound  Valley  Lodge,  No.  967.  In  religious 
views,  he  is  a  ^^lethodist,  but  not  a  member 
of  the  church. 


(JUIS  PETERSON,  a  well  known 
farmer  of  Howard  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  is  living  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  8,  town- 
ship 35,  range  18.  He  was  born  in  the  s(nithern 
part  (jf  Denmark,  on  an  island,  in  1849.  He 
is  a  son  of  P.  Peterson,  a  farmer  of  Denmark, 
who  married  Anna  Nelson,  and  reared  two 
children  :     Louis  and  Trinnie. 

Louis  Peterson  lived  in  Denmark  until 
1869.  When  he  was  twenty  years  old.  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  Portland, 
Maine.     From  there  he  went  to  Wisconsin, 


where  he  lived  one  year.  In  1870,  he  removed 
to  Iowa,  and  made  that  place  his  home  until 
his  final  removal  to  Kansas.  In  the  spring  of 
1872,  he  located  on  his  present  home  farm, 
built  a  cabin,  14  by  16  feet,  in  size,  and  began 
the  improvement  of  his  land.  He  has  carried 
on  general  farming,  and  is  considered  a  pro- 
gressive farmer.  He  has  a  comfortable  home, 
and  is  well-to-do. 

Mr.  Peterson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mrs.  Thompson,  who  is  now  deceased.  They 
reared  four  children,  namely :  Maggie 
(Woods);  Fred  A.,  deceased;  Dora  (Bow- 
man) ;  and  Belle  L.  Mr.  Peterson's  present 
wife's  name  was  Mary  J.  Schloat.  To  them 
have  been  born  four  children,  namely:  O.  A., 
Bertha,  Louis,  and  Jessie  C. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of 
the  Populist  party.  He  has  served  as  treas- 
urer of  his  township,  and  has  been  a  member 
of  the  school  board  for  sixteen  years.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horse- 
thief  Association. 


born 
1837- 


-^«  W.  CILRISTMORE,  a  well-to-do 
^^  farmer  living  in  section  2,  town- 
ship 35,  range  18,  Howard  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  was 
1  Frederick  county,  Virginia,  in. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Rachel 
(Wright)  Christmore.  John  Christmore  was 
a  native  of  Virginia,  as  was  his  wife,  and  he 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  He  and  his 
wife  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  but  two 
of  whom  are  now  living, — G.  W.,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch ;  and  B.  J.,  of  Virginia. 

G.  W.  Christmore  lived  in  Virginia  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  carried  on  farming  in 
his  native  county.  In  March,  1871,  he  removed 
to  Kansas,  where  he  bought  his  present  home- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


547 


farm  for  $ioo.  After  entering  this  land,  he 
began  to  make  improvements  and  to  cultivate 
the  soil.  He  is  a  very  successful  agriculturist, 
and  his  home  is  a  very  comfortable  one.  He 
is  engaged  in  general  farming. 

He  married  Elizabeth  Findley,  who  was 
born  in  Virginia,  in  1849,  and  they  have  reared 
four  children :  W.  B.,  a  farmer  in  Howard 
township,  who  married  Anna  Nevill,  a  native 
of  Virginia,  and  has  two  children,  Blanche  and 
Ivan ;  Newton,  who  lives  at  home ;  J.  Frank, 
also  a  farmer  of  Howard  township,  who  mar- 
ried Mattie  Bean,  of  Rice  county,  Kansas,  and 
has  four  children, — Esther.  Irene,  Bryan,  and 
Enid;  and  William,  who  lives  at  home. 

Mr.  Christmore  is  a  stanch  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  has  served  on  the  school  board 
in  his  township  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 


R.  ROTER,  secretary  and  manager 
of  the  Cold  Storage  &  Crystal  Ice 
Company,  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  whose 
portrait  is  herewith  shown,  is  a 
thoroughly  self  made  man.  His  history  reads 
as  an  unbroken  chapter  of  results  successfully 
achieved  as,  step  by  step,  his  genius  and  energy 
have  pushed  him  to  the  front.  Mr.  Roter  was 
born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1851,  and  is  a  son 
of  J.  H.  and  Margaret  (Elderbrook)  Roter. 
The  father  now  lives  in  the  suburbs  of  Cin- 
cinnati, the  mother  having  died  May  i,  1901. 
They  reared  six  children,  namely:  L.  R. ; 
John  P.,  of  Topeka,  a  Santa  Fe  Railway  em- 
ployee; Sophia  (Vandolah),  a  widow,  of  Dills- 
boro,  Indiana;  Louise,  now  Mrs.  John  Currey, 
■of  Indianapolis;  Dora  (Younger),  of  Butte, 
Montana;  and  Harry,  a  citizen  of  Dillsboro, 
Indiana. 


Mr.  Roter  attended  the  district  schools  of 
Indiana,  and  when  a  youth  of  seventeen  years 
went  to  Titusville,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
also  attended  school;  he  then  clerked  in  a  wall- 
paper and  house  furnishing  store.  In  1878, 
he  went  to  the  oil  regions  in  the  vicinity  of 
Bradford,  Pennsylvania,  and  with  a  small  cap- 
ital entered  into  business  for  himself.  Al- 
though his  cash  capital  was  limited,  his  ample 
stock  of  pluck  and  energy  carried  him  safely 
through,  as  his  success  in  business  dates  from 
1878. 

He  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at 
Bradford,  Pennsylvania,  until  1881,  with  sat- 
isfactory results.  He  then  moved  to  Abbots- 
ford,  Wisconsin,  and  conducted  a  very  flour- 
ishing general  merchandise  store  until  1897, 
when  he  moved  to  Parsons  to  accept  his  pres- 
ent important  position  as  secretary  and  mana- 
ger of  the  Parsons  Cold  Storage  &  Crystal  Ice 
Company,  of  which  W.  J.  Wade,  of  South  Mc- 
Alester,  Indian  Territory,  is  president,  and 
William  Busby,  of  Parsons,  is  vice-president 
and  treasurer.  The  plant  has  a  capacity  of 
50  tons  of  ice  per  day.  and  is  located  one  mile 
from  the  retail  office,  corner  of  Central  and 
Washington  avenues  and  just  north  of  the 
city  limits. 

Ten  men  are  employed  at  the  plant  during 
the  summer  months,  and  about  five  in  the  win- 
ter season.  Ten  or  1 1  men  are  also  occupied  in 
distributing  the  product  of  the  plant,  making 
in  all.  a  force  of  about  20  men  at  the  cold  stor- 
age room  of  the  plant.  The  plant  was  estab- 
lished in  1888,  by  Mr.  Lewis.  It  subsequently 
went  into  the  hands  of  Kimball,  Edwards  & 
Busby,  and  later  was  transferred  to  the  present 
control.  The  retail  room  and  office  at  200 
Central  avenue,  is  25  by  60  feet,  in  dimensions, 
and  here  Mr.  Roter  is  in  charge,  assisted  by 
John  I.  Russell,  assistant  secretary  and  general 


548 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


office  man.  Mr.  Roter  travels  somewhat;  the 
company  has  had  no  difficulty  in  disposing  of 
its  product  without  employing  regular  travel- 
ing salesmen. 

Mr.  Roter  has  been  twice  married.  July 
24,  1878,  Alice  B.  Thompson,  daughter  of 
Rev.  J.  B.  Thompson,  of  Butler,  Pennsylvania, 
became  his  wife.  She  died  in  1883,  leaving  one 
daughter,  Edith  B.,  who  is  now  attending  Ar- 
mour Institute  at  Chicago.  She  is  preparing 
for  kindergarten  work  as  an  instructor.  Four 
years  after  the  demise  of  his  wife,  in  1887,  Mr. 
Roter  was  married  to  Cora  Thompson,  sister 
of  his  first  wife,  and  a  native  of  Delaware, 
Ohio.  Her  college  education  was  obtained  at 
Butler,  Pennsylvania.  Two  children  have 
blessed  this  union,  Bessie  P.  and  Charles  A. 

In  politics,  our  subject  is  a  Republican,  and 
served  his  party  as  village  treasurer  at  Abbots- 
ford,  Wisconsin.  He  is  quite  prominent  in 
fraternal  circles;  he  was  made  a  Mason  at 
Colby,  Wisconsin,  and  served  as  junior  warden 
and  senior  warden,  after  which  he  was  chosen 
worshipful  master  of  the  lodge;  he  became 
a  Royal  Arch  Mason  at  Chippewa  Falls,  Wis- 
consin. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  M.  W.  of 
A.  In  his  religious  belief,  he  favors  the  Pres- 
byterian church. 


.MORV  H.  BREIDENTHAL.  This 
gentleman  has  been  one  of  the  public 
spirited  farmers  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  since  1878.  He  resides  on 
the  north  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 7i^.  township  34,  range  19,  in  Elm  Grove 
township.  He  was  born  in  Sibley  county, 
Minnesota,  in  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  ^I.  Breid- 
enthal. 

M.  Breidenthal  was  born  in  Bedford  coun- 


ty, Pennsylvania,  in  1819.  At  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-one years  he  engaged  in  the  foundry  busi- 
ness, and  in  1847  entered  the  transfer  business 
at  Pittsburg.  Pennsylvania.  At  one  time  he 
had  over  100  head  of  horses  in  use.  In  1878, 
he  located  in  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  where  he  resided  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  April  7,  1884.  In  poli- 
tics, he  was  formerly  a  Republican,  and  after- 
ward a  Greenbacker.  He  married  Henrietta 
Young,  who  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  reared  :  Henrietta,  Anna,  Ella, 
John  W.,  Emory  H.,  and  Charles. 

Emory  H.  Breidenthal  received  his  early 
mental  training  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  county,  and  at  the  age  of  eight  years 
moved  with  his  parents  to  Indiana,  where  he 
completed  a  common  school  education.  In 
March,  1878,  he  located  in  section  23,  town- 
ship 34,  range  19,  in  Elm  Grove  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he  lived  until 
T890,  when  he  located  on  his  present  farm,  on 
the  north  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 33.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock  raising.  Mr.  Breidenthal  is  well  liked  in 
his  vicinity,  and  his  assistance  is  always 
sought  in  any  enterprise  which  tends  to  benefit 
the  community  in  which  he  resides. 

Air.  Breidenthal  married  Ella  Bickham, 
who  was  born  in  Fairmount,  Ohio,  in  1862. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Rev.  T.  D.  and  Anna 
(Masters)  Bickham.  Rev.  Mr.  Bickham  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  for  manv  years' 
conducted  a  nursery  business  in  Ohio.  He  lo- 
cated in  Kansas,  in  1869,  and  resided  here 
until  his  death.  His  widow  is  now  the  wife 
of  S.  ]\l.  Stansbury.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Breiden- 
thal had  the  following  children:  Otto  and 
Mary  .A.,  deceased;  Oren;  Hazel;  and  Leslie. 

Mr.  Breidenthal  is  a  member  of  the  Peo- 
ple's party.      He   has  served   as  clerk  of   his 


L.   R.   ROTER. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


549 


township,  for  one  term,  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  for  three  years.  Re- 
ligiously, he  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

John  W.  Breidenthal,  his  brother,  was  state 
bank  inspector  from  1893  to  1901,  and  was 
nominated  by  the  People's  party  and  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  for  governor  of  the  state  of  Kan- 
sas, but  was  defeated  by  a  comparatively  small 
majority. 


SARVEY  SIMAIONS.    This  gentleman 
is  one  of  the  well  known  farmers  who 
live    in    Howard    township.    Labette 
county,  Kansas.     Mr.  Simmons  was 
born  in  Carroll  county,   Ohio,   December    19. 
1847,  and  is  a  son  of  a  Methodist  clergyman, 
whose  name  was  Daniel  Simmons. 

Daniel  Simmons  was  born  in  Ohio,  in 
1 81 8.  and  his  death  occurred  in  1900.  Be- 
sides attending  to  his  ministerial  duties,  he  was 
also  a  farmer.  He  married  Levina  Allbaugh. 
who  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1821,  and  they  reared 
the  following  children  :  O.  W.,  S.  B.,  Harve\-. 
Sabina.  Alice,  Amanda,  Elma,  and  Phoebe  A. 
Harvey  Simmons  received  his  primary  ed- 
ucation in  his  native  county,  and  when  he  was 
eight  years  old  his  parents  removed  to  Martin 
county,  Indiana,  and  settled  near  the  White 
River.  This  was  'Sir.  Simmons"  home  until 
1872,  when  he  began  to  work  for  himself.  He 
farmed  for  a  wlrile,  and  on  May  22,  1876,  set 
out  for  the  west.  He  went,  by  wagon,  from 
Indiana  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  was 
four  weeks  in  making  the  trip.  He  located  on 
his  present  farm  in  Howard  township,  in  sec- 
tion 2^,  township  34,  range  17,  in  September 
of  that  year,  and  entered  his  claim  at  Inde- 
pendence, Kansas.  There  was  a  io-by-12-foot 
cabin  on  the  place,  but  n<j  land  had  been  broken. 


Mr.  Simmons  set  to  work  and  soon  had  much 
of  the  land  in  a  state  of  cultivation.  He  has 
made  extensive  improvements  and  his  farm 
is  one  of  the  best  in  the  township.  In  1899, 
he  'erected  a  five-room  frame  house.  He  carries 
on  general  farming  and  stock  raising. 

Mr.  Simmons  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Rebecca  Sibert,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  in 
1849.  This  union  has  resulted  in  the  birth 
of  nine  children,  whose  names  are  as  follows : 
Levina,  Charles,  Daniel,  and  John  A.,  all  de- 
ceased ;  Hattie,  of  Coffeyville;  Ivy  M.,  de- 
ceased; Katie;  Ida,  who  is  at  home,  and  one 
who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Simmons  is  independent  in  politics,  and 
has  held  numerous  township  offices.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Farmers'  Alliance,  and  to  the 
Anti-Horsethief  Association.  Religiously,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  is 
a  man  of  honor  and  principle,  and  his  friends 
are  manv. 


-• 


AMES  A.  TOWNSEXD.  Among  the 
many  prominent  farmers  residing  in 
Howard  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  the  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  sketch.  He  located  there  in  1877,. 
and  has  been  one  of  the  most  influential  citi- 
zens in  the  township.  Air.  Townsend  was 
born  in  Clark  county,  Indiana,  in  1845,  '""id 
is  a  son  of  Isaac  Alonroe  and  J.  Ann  (Harris) 
Townsend. 

Isaac  Monroe  Townsend  was  born  in  Clark 
county,  Indiana,  and  was  a  cooper  by  trade, 
also  following  farming.  He  married  J.  Ann 
Harris,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  they 
reared  three  children:  James  A..  Hulda  C, 
and  Elam  B. 

James  A.  Townsend  lived  on  his  father's 
farm,   which   was  near  the   Ohio  ri\-er,   for   a 


550 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


number  of  years.  He  decided  to  try  his  luck  in 
the  West,  and  in  1876,  set  out  for  Kansas,  mak- 
ing the  trip  l)y  wagon.  He  used  four  horses, 
and  was  thirty  days  in  completing  the  journey. 
In  1877,  he  bought  his  present  home  farm, 
which  is  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  30. 
He  has  lived  on  that  place  ever  since,  and  has 
made  extensive  improvements  on  it.  He  entered 
the  claim  in  1877,  at  Independence,  Kansas.  He 
carries  on  diversified  farming,  and  has  been 
very  successful. 

JMr.  Townsend  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  E.  A.  Gossett,  who  was  born  in  Clark 
county,  Indiana,  and  they  have  been  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  seven  children,  namely:  Mel- 
lie,  Allen  E.,  Annie,  Pinkney,  Eden,  Luella, 
and  Jessie.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  belongs  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church. 


HILIP  GERS,  who  is  serving  as  coun- 
ty commissioner  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  a  well  known  farmer  of 
Howard  township.  He  was  born  in 
Germany  in  1856,  and  is  a  descendant  of  one 
of  the  oldest  German  families,  his  ancestors 
being  traced  back,  in  Germany,  as  far  as  1685. 
Before  that  time  they  were  residents  of  France. 
Mr.  Gers  is  a  son  of  Philip  and  S.  (Dierstein) 
Gers,  who  make  their  home  with  him. 

Philip  Gers,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Germany. 
He  married  S.  Dierstein,  and  they  reared  seven 
children:  Philip,  Sophia,  Kate,  Henry, 
Charles,  Minnie,  and  G. 

Philip  Gers,  whose  name  appears  at  the 
opening  of  this  personal  biography,  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Germany,  and  in  1862,  started 
on  the  voyage  to  America.  He  landed  at  New 
^'cirk,  and  thence  went  to  Fort  Wayne,  Indi- 


ana, where  he  lived  until  1871,  and  then  moved 
to  Kansas.  After  a  short  residence  here,  he 
went  farther  west,  to  Colorado;  and  on  to  Cali- 
fornia, returning  to  Kansas  in  1879,  when  he 
bought  his  home  farm  in  section  3,  township 
35,  range  18,  in  Howard  township,  Labette 
county.  He  is  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  stock  raising,  and  is  very  successful.  He 
is  a  man  of  thrift  and  energy,  and  his  success 
has  been  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  The 
citizens  of  Howard  township  and  Labette 
county  have  shown  their  confidence  in  him  by 
electing  him  to  the  office  of  county  commis- 
sioner. This  office  he  has  filled  ably,  and  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all. 

Politically,  Mr.  Gers  is  a  Populist,  and  is 
serving  his  second  term  as  county  commission- 
er. He  was  trustee  of  Howard  township  for 
a  period  of  six  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  Valeda  Lodge, 
No.  7511.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  German  Reformed  church.  Mr.  Gers  is 
a  public  spirited  man,  and  takes  a  deep  interest 
in  all  measures  designed  to  promote  the  welfare 
of  the  township  and  county  in  which  he  lives. 


YRON  COOK  is  a  prominent  farmer 
and  an  extensive  land  owner  of 
Elm  Grove  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  He  has  been  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  stock  raising  for 
many  years,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
county  since  1871.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1853,  and  is  a  son  of 
Reuben  Cook. 

Reuben  Cook,  a  farmer  by  vocation,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania.  He  married  Deborah 
H,  Brown,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  they 
reared  the  following  offspring:   Kersey;  How- 


MR.  AND   MRS.  JOHN   E.   DICKERSON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


5S3 


arc! ;  Walter  B. ;  Mary,  deceased ;  Millard ; 
Myron;  Clifford;  Anna  M. ;  and  Alice  B. 

Myron  Cook  lived  in  his  native  state  until 
March,  1871,  and  followed  farming.  He  then 
located  in  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
16.  township  35,  range  19.  On  the  premises 
was  a  cabin,  10  by  12  feet,  in  size,  and  five 
acres  of  the  land  had  been  broken ;  all  the  other 
improvements  have  been  made  by  Mr.  Cook. 
He  entered  his  claim  and  resided  on  the  prop- 
erty until  1884,  when  he  located  on  his  present 
farm,  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  same  sec- 
tion, which  gave  him  the  north  half  of  that 
section.  He  has  made  many  important  im- 
provements on  both  farms,  and  now  has  one 
of  the  most  valuable  tracts  of  farming  land  in 
his  section  of  the  county.  He  deals  in  stock, 
in  addition  to  following  general  farming,  and 
has  a  cattle  ranch  of  12,000  acres  75  miles 
northwest  of  his  farm. 

Mr.  Cook  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  F.  Leib,  who  was  born  in  York  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1854,  and  they  have  reared 
three  children:  Edgar  S.,  Jessie  A.,  and 
Clifford.  In  politics,  he  earnestly  supports  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  Edna  Lodge,  No.  345,  A. 
E.  &  A.  M.;  and  Edna  Lodge,  No.  1636,  M. 
W.  of  A.  His  family  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


OHN  E.  DICKERSON.  This  gentle- 
man is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
highly  respected  farmers  living  in  Ne- 
osho township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas. He  was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio, 
in  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  J.  Dickerson.  The 
latter  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1803,  and 


was  of  German  descent.  His  wife  was  also 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  in 
1807.  Their  children  were  as  follows:  Sam- 
uel, Sarah,  Margaret,  Jane,  James,  Susan, 
Louisa,  Joshua,  Mary  and  John  E. 

John  E.  Dickerson  lived  in  his  native  coun- 
ty twenty-seven  years  when  he  moved  to 
the  southern  part  of  Missouri.  There  he  ap- 
lied  himself  to  carpenter  work,  which  trade 
he  had  followed  a  number  of  years.  He 
remained  in  Southern  Missouri  until  1887, 
when  he  located  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  in  the 
vicinity  of  which  he  has  since  resided.  In 
1893,  Mr.  Dickerson  moved  to  Neosho  county, 
where  he  farmed  until  1900.  Mr.  Dickerson 
located  on  his  present  farm  in  Neosho  town- 
ship in  1900.  It  contains  480  acres.  The 
homestead  is  situated  on  the  north  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  27,  and  is  famous 
as  the  Hopkins  farm.  There  he  carries  on 
general  farming,  in  which  he  has  been  very 
successful.  He  gave  up  his  trade  as  carpenter 
after  reaching  Kansas,  with  the  exception  of 
work  done  on  his  own  farm.  Mr.  Dickerson 
is  a  man  of  thrift  and  energy,  and  has  made 
many  improvements  on  his  farm. 

Mr.  Dickerson  was  united  in  wedlock  with 
Mary  L.  Uhrich,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  in 
1 85 1.  Her  father,  Jacob  Uhrich,  was  a 
farmer  and  miller,  who  lived  in  that  state,  and 
was  a  very  prominent  man.  Mr.  Dickerson 
and  his  wife  have  been  blessed  with  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Lottie,  who  married  a  Mr. 
Boecker,  and  makes  her  home  in  Mexico; 
Joshua  U. :  Charles  C. ;  and  Ina.  Mr.  Dick- 
erson is  a  Democrat,  in  politics,  and  takes  an 
active  interest  in  the  political  affairs  of  tke 
county.  He  served  one  term  as  justice  of  the 
peace  of  Labette  township.  Mr.  Dickerson 
belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief  Association. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  following  fraternal  or- 


554 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ganizations :  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Select  Friends, 
Parsons  Lodge;  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Parsons 
Lodge,  No.  12.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  in  which  he  is  an  active 
worker.  Mr.  Dickerson  is  a  man  of  honesty 
and  integrity,  and  lie  has  many  warm  friends 
in  the  county.  Portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dickerson  accompany  this  sketch,  being  pre- 
sented on  a  foregoing  page. 


O.  BOOKTER.  a  well  known  farmer 
of  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  residing  in  section  35, 
township  34,  range  19,  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  was  born  in  1S40.  He  is  a  son 
of  John  Bookter,  also  a  native  of  Germany. 
John  Bookter  died  at  the  age  of  forty-nine 
years.  He  had  eight  children,  namely  :  Cath- 
erine; William,  deceased;  George:  Mary; 
Christina;  Mattis;  Barbara;  and  J.  O. 

J.  O.  Bookter  was  two  years  old  when  his 
parents  came  to  America.  They  landed  at 
New  York,  and  went  from  there  to  Jefferson 
county,  Wisconsin,  where  Mr.  Bookter  lived 
until  he  located  in  Kansas.  He  was  but  ten 
years  old  when  his  father  died,  and  after  that 
worked  for  six  years  in  a  hotel  in  order  to  sup- 
port his  mother.  He  subsequently  worked  in 
a  sawmill  for  a  period  of  nine  years.  Mr. 
Bookter  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  Company  E,  4th 
Reg.,  Wis.  Vol.  Cavalry.  He  served  until  May 
28,  1866,  was  engaged  in  scouting  most  of 
the  time,  and  experienced  many  hardships. 
After  the  war,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  where 
he  worked  for  a  lumber  company  for  six  years. 
In  1873.  he  removed  to  Labette  county,  and 
located  in  Elm  Grove  township,  a  half  mile 
south  of  his  present  farm.  In  1883.  he  bought 
his  present  farm  in  secticm  35,  and  has  made 


many  improvements  on  the  place.  He  built 
a  story  and  a  half  five-room  house,  which  adds 
greatly  to  the  appearance  of  the  farm.  Mr. 
Bookter  carries  on  general  farming,  and  is  an 
energetic  and  thrifty  worker.  He  has  pur- 
chased a  fine  residence  in  Cofifeyville,  Kansas, 
which  he  will  occupy  in  the  future. 

Mr.  Bookter  married  Justina  Rashler,  who 
was  born  in  Germany,  in  1849.  She  came  to 
the  United  States  when  she  was  fourteen  years 
old.  Mr.  Bookter  and  his  wife  have  reared 
four  children,  namely :  William,  a  baker,  in 
Cofifeyville,  Kansas;  Maggie;  Charlie;  and 
John. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Bookter  is  a  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  In  religious  attachments,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  German  Lutheran  church. 


0A]MUEL  M.  STANSBURY,  a  resident 
of  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  is  living  in  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  33,  township   34, 
range  19.    He  was  born  May  4,  1834.  in  Perry 
county,  Indiana,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Rutherford)  Stansbury. 

John  Stansbury  was  born  in  IMaryland,  and 
was  a  stone-mason  and  farmer  by  occupation. 
He  was  also  a  preacher  of  the  M.  E.  church. 
He  married  Mary  Rutherford,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  Indiana.  They  reared  the  following  ofif- 
spring:  Samuel  M.,  William,  Joseph,  John, 
Benjamin,   Sarah  A.,  and  Mary  E. 

Samuel  M.  Stansbury  was  six  years  old 
when  his  parents  moved  to  Jones  county,  Iowa. 
Later  they  moved  to  Missouri,  and  still  later 
to  Woodson  county,  and  then  to  Wilson  coun- 
ty, Kansas.  Mr.  Stansbury  enlisted  October 
15,  1 86 1,  in  Company  G,  9th  Reg.,  Kans.  Vol. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


55S 


Cav.,  and  ser\-ed  three  years  and  three  months. 
Part  of  that  time  he  was  on  dut}'  as  a  scout  in 
Colorado.  After  the  war,  he  returned  to  Wil- 
son county,  where  he  lived  until  1879.  He 
then  took  up  a  claim  in  Harper  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  lived  for  one  year,  after  which  he 
moved  to  Missouri,  and  two  years  later  to  Win- 
field,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  three  years. 
He  then  went  to  Fort  Scott,  and  to  Arkansas. 
In  the  fall  of  1890,  he  went  to  the  National 
Military  Home,  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
where  he  remained  until  1893.  He  then  went 
to  the  Kansas  State  Soldiers'  Home  at  Dodge 
City,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  about  one 
year,  when  he  returned  to  the  National  Mili- 
tary Home.  He  next  moved  to  Denver,  Colo- 
rado, then  to  Wichita,  Kansas,  and  in  Novem- 
ber, 1899,  settled  in  his  present  home.  Mr. 
Stansbury  had  made  his  first  trip  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  in  1863,  when  some  Confeder- 
ate soldiers,  who  had  been  killed  by  the  Indians, 
were  buried.  He  carries  on  general  farming, 
and  has  15  acres  of  fruit.  He  is  very  successful 
in  the  raising  of  the  latter,  and  each  year  finds 
an  increase  in  the  products  of  his  farm. 

Mr.  Stansbury  was  first  married  Au- 
gust 4,  1863,  at  Humboldt,  Kansas,  to  Rachel 
E.  C.  Done,  by  whom  he  reared  six  children, 
as  follows :  John  F.,  deceased ;  Mary  M. ; 
Lawrence  R. ;  Eva  F.  G. ;  Benjamin  M. ;  and 
Alice  W. 

Mr.  Stansbury's  second  wife,  whom  he 
married  November  30,  1899,  was  Mrs.  Anna 
(Masters)  Bickham,  who  was  born  in  Fair- 
mount,  Ohio,  in  1839.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Masters.  Samuel  Mas- 
ters was  born  in  Morristown,  New  Jersey,  and 
was  a  miller  and  carpenter  by  trade.  His  wife 
was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Masters  reared  11  children,  of  whom  those 
living  are :  Eunice,  John,  Anna,  William,  Em- 


ma, Barbara,  Caroline,  and  Rachel.  Mrs.  Anna 
(Masters)  Bickham,  Mr.  Stansbury's  present 
wife,  first  married  Thomas  D.  Bickham,  who 
died  September  i,  1889,  aged  fifty-three  years. 
He  moved  to  Labette  county  in  1869,  and  lo- 
cated about  nine  miles  south  of  Parsons,  where 
he  remained  with  his  wife  and  family  five 
years.  He  then  sold  out,  and  in  1S74,  moved 
to  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  ^^,  Elm 
Grove  township,  where  Mrs.  Stansbury  has 
since  resided.  By  her  former  husband.  Mrs. 
Stansbury  had  1 1  children,  eight  of  whom  are 
now  living,  as  follows :  Samuel,  Ezra,  Ella, 
Theodosia,  Caroline,  Rhoda,  Thomas,  and 
Alpha. 

Mr.  Stansbury  is  independent  in  politics. 
He  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic. Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist church.  Mr.  Stansbury  is  a  public  spirited 
and  upright  citizen,  and  has  many  friends  in 
Labette  county,  where  he  is  very  well  known. 


HAVID  HOY,  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  located  in 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  11, 
Montana  township.  He  is  a  man  of 
good  business  ability,  and  has  met  with  great 
success  in  the  pursuit  of  his  calling.  Mr.  Hoy 
was  born  in  Perry  county,  Illinois,  in  1861, 
and  lived  there  until  he  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  Kansas,  in  1868.  He  is  a  son  of 
Daniel  Hoy,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  and 
came  to  America  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years. 
Daniel  Hoy  came  to  Kansas,  in  1868,  and 
located  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  11, 
Montana  township,  Labette  county,  upon 
which  he  lived  until  his  death,  in  February. 
1901.  He  married  Caroline  Muir,  who  was 
born  in  Missouri,  and  now  resides  on  the  home 


556 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


farm  with  her  son.  The  following  children 
were  born  to  bless  this  union:  David;  Sarah 
J.;  James;  Martha;  :\Iarv;  Henry;  Dee;  and 
Emma. 

David  Hoy  succeeded  his  father  as  owner 
of  the  old  homestead,  and  has  since  engaged  in 
general  farming.  He  is  possessed  of  many 
excellent  traits  of  character,  and  has  numerous 
friends  throughout  his  section  of  the  county. 
Plis  mother  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church. 


OHX  HUGHES,  e.x-mayor  of  the  city 
of  Edna,  Kansas,  and  at  present  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Elm  Grove  town- 
ship, in  section  33,  township  34,  range 
19,  was  born  in  Spencer  county,  Kentucky,  in 
1 84 1.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Wat- 
son )   Hughes. 

John  Hughes,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Spencer 
county,  Kentucky,  where  he  carried  on  farming 
all  his  life.  He  married  Mary  Watson,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  that  county,  and  they 
reared  the  following  children,  namely :  John ; 
Thomas  and  Margaret  E.,  deceased;  Samuel, 
who  is  a  farmer  in  Union  county,  Kentucky; 
William,  who  lives  in  Kentucky;  Isaac,  who  is 
a  hotel-keeper  in-  that  state ;  Sarah  A. ;  and 
George,  deceased. 

John  Hug'hes,  whose  name  heads  this  per- 
sonal sketch,  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  his 
first  business  venture  was  in  the  dry  goods  line. 
He  also  farmed  for  some  time  in  Kentucky. 
Mr.  Hughes  removed  to  Kansas,  October  2, 
1 874,  and  improved  and  entered  a  claim  at  that 
time.  There  was  a  cabin  on  the  land,  which 
was  12  by  14  feet  in  dimensions,  in  which 
lie  lived  for  a  while.  He  was  elected  mayor 
of  Edna,  and  served  in  1898  and  1899,  during 


which  period  he  rented  his  farm.  With  the 
exception  of  the  two  years  spent  in  Edna,  he 
has  made  this  farm  his  home  since  he  located 
in  the  county.  Mr.  Hughes  has  given  nearly 
all  his  time  and  attention  to  agricultural  mat- 
ters, but  has  managed  to  keep  thoroughly  in- 
formed on  the  affairs  of  the  day.  He  has 
been  an  interested  ind  active  worker  in  all 
local  enterprises,  and  is  a  very  popular  man  in 
the  community. 

Mr.  Hughes  married  Susie  Froman.  She 
was  born  in  Spencer  county,  Kentucky,  in 
1841.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hughes  have  had  two 
children,  namely:  George  E. ;  and  Mary  L., 
deceased,  who  married  W.  \V.  Goodwin  and 
had  four  children,— Mabel  C.,  J.  W.,  Arthur 
W.,  and  Susie  M. 

Mr.  Hughes  is  a  Democrat,  in  politics.  He 
'has  been  township  treasurer  for  two  terms,  and 
has  served  on  the  school  board  for  twenty 
years.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Edna  Lodge,  No.  345,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  Edna,  Kansas.  He  helped  to  organize  it, 
was  a  charter  member  and  was  its  treasurer 
for  eleven  years.  He  had  taken  his  dimit 
from  Taylorsville  Lodge,  No.  210,  of  Taylors- 
ville,  Kentucky,  where  'he  was  made  a  Mason 
in  1863.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  church,  which  Mr.  Hughes  helped 
to  establish  in  Edna. 


C.  FREEMAN,  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  the  southern  part  of  La- 
liette  county.  Kansas,  and  now  a 
resident  of  Elm  Grove  township, 
was  born  in  Ohio  in  1829.  He  is  a  son  of 
L.  C.  Freeman. 

L.  C.  Freeman,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Morris- 
town,  New  Jersey,  in  1794.     He  followed  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


557 


occupation  of  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  mar- 
ried Susie  Harris,  and  they  had  the  following 
offspring :  E.  L. ;  W.  H. ;  L.  C. ;  Mary;  A.  M. ; 
G.  W.;  and  H.  C. 

L.  C.  Freeman  was  reared  in  Henry  coun- 
ty, Indiana.  He  first  came  to  Kansas  in  1858, 
when  it  was  a  territory,  and  lived  in  what  is 
now  Douglas  county.  He  returned  home  in 
1859.  In  1 86 1  he  enlisted  in  Company  A, 
36th  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  for  a 
period  of  three  years.  He  was  a  captain  in 
his  regiment,  and  later  became  major.  He 
was  in  the  4th  Army  Corps,  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland. In  1869  Mr.  Freeinan  again  came 
to  Kansas,  and  settled  :n  Hackberry  township, 
Labette  county,  four  miles  east  of  his  present 
farm.  He  took  up  a  claim,  which  he  entered 
in  1872,  at  Independence,  Kansas.  He 
brought  luinl)er  from  Arkansas,  and  erected 
a  cabin  on  the  claim,  which  was  12  by  14  feet 
in  size.  Mr.  Freeman  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers in  the  southern  part  of  Labette  county, 
and  has  watched  the  growth  of  the  Cdunty 
with  much  interest.  He  lived  on  his  old  farm 
until  1884,  when  he  bought  his  present  farm 
in  Elm  Grove  township,  which  is  in  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  4,  township  35,  range 
19.  In  1884  he  built  a  frame  house,  one  and 
a  half  stories  high,  and  containing  six  rooms. 
Mr.  Freeman  is  a  very  successful  farmer,  and 
has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  agricultural  mat- 
ters. 

]Mr.  Freeman  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Nannie  E.  Wiles,  who  was  born  in  Henry 
county,  Indiana,  in  1843.  They  have  been 
blessed  with  three  children,  namely:  Arthur 
W. ;  Anna  C. ;  Carey.  Mr.  Freeman  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  has  served  his 
county  at  different  times.  He  was  trustee  of 
the  township  for  two  years,  township  clerk  for 
one  year,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 


board  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  Freeman 
is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
pulilic.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  He  is  a  man  who  is  well 
liked  by  all,  and  his  friends  in  the  county  are 
many. 


RS.  ELIZABETH  (HARMAN) 
GUNTER,  who  is  living  on  the 
west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  15,  ^^lontana  township, 
lias  been  a  resident  of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
since  1866,  and  has  many  friends  of  long- 
years'  standing  in  this  section. 

Mrs.  Gunter  was  born  in  Graves  county, 
Kentucky,  in  1816,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Isaac 
Harman,  a  native  of  Virginia.  She  lived  in 
her  native  county  until  1850,  when,  with  her 
husband,  she  moved  to  Carroll  county,  Mis- 
souri, w'here  she  remained  until  she  came  to 
Kansas,  in  1866.  She  was  united  in  the 
bonds  of  matrimony  with  David  Gunter,  in 
Kentucky,  in  1836. 

David  Gunter  was  born  in  Georgia  in  1809,. 
and  became  a  farmer.  He  came  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  in  1866,  and  purchased  the 
west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section. 
15,  Montana  township,  which  he  entered  at 
Independence,  Kansas,  the  consideration  for 
the  property  being  $300.  There  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  he  died,  February  18. 
1875.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gunter  became  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  David, 
George,  Andrew,  and  Isaac,  deceased ;  Martha ; 
Emily;  Lizzie;  Mary;  Mollie;  and  Ollie. 

Mrs.  Gunter  built  a  two-story,  six-room 
house  in  1888.  which  is  of  comfortable  size, 
and  well  arranged.  She  rents  most  of  the 
land,  and  is  an  excellent  manager.  She  is  a 
member  of   the   Methodist   Episcopal   church.. 


55« 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


V:MES  H.  HOGUE  is  a  prominent 
agriculturist  residing  in  section  23, 
Montana  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  liaving  moved  to  this  county 
in  1866.  Mr.  Hogue  was  born  in  Vigo  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  in  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Nathan 
and  Emeline   (Ray)    Hogue. 

Nathan  Hogue,  who  was  born  in  Ten- 
nessee, in  1804,  followed  farming  throughout 
his  entire  life;  he  died  in  Indiana,  in  1858. 
Nathan  Hogue's  wife  was  also  born  in  Ten- 
nessee, in  1809,  and  they  reared  six  children, 
as  follows:  Elizabeth  A.,  Mary  A.  and  Re- 
becca, deceased;  James  H. ;  Albert  H.,  who 
resides  with  James  H. ;  and  Eliza,  deceased. 

James  H.  Hogue  was  reared  in  his  native 
county,  and  lived  there  until  he  enlisted  in  the 
army  in  186 1.  He  served  four  months  in  the 
nth  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Gen.  Lew 
\\"a!lace.  and  then  re-enlisted  in  Company  L, 
5th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Cav.,  and  served  three  years 
and  eight  months,  under  Colonel  Updegrafif. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Helena,  Ar- 
kansas; Curran  River;  Black  River;  and  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  was  taken  prisoner 
with  39  others,  but  was  exchanged  after  sixty 
days.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  war  he 
served  as  a  scout.  After  its  close  he  returned 
to  Illinois,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  until 
April  7,  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  He  located  upon  his  present 
farm, — the  northwest  quarter  of  section  23, 
^Montana  township.  He  purchased  his  claim, 
and  entered  it  at  Humboldt,  Kansas.  A  cabin, 
14  by  16  feet  in  size,  stood  upon  it,  and  in  this 
he  conducted  a  general  store  for  a  period  of 
eighteen  mouthy.  During  this  time  he  traded 
at  Fort  Scott  and  Kansas  City.  He  built  a 
home  on  the  farm,  in  1868,  and  made  many 
improvements.  He  built  his  present  two- 
story,    frame    house,    containing  six  spacious 


rooms,  in  1883.  Mr.  Hogue  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  has  met  with  considerable 
success.  He  has  been  very  active  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  county  and  township,  and 
helped  to  organize  the  first  school  in  the  town- 
ship. He  has  served  on.  the  school  board  for 
twenty-seven  years.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  has  served  three  years  as  town- 
ship trustee. 

Mr.  Hogue  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Esther  Drake,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
three  children:  Artie;  Dellie  (Stewart);  and 
Kansas,  a  lawyer,  who  married  Miss  J.  F. 
Wolfe,  of  Cherokee  county,  Kansas.  Mr. 
Hogue's  wife  died  in  1884,  and  he  formed  a 
second  union  in  1886,  wedding  Nannie  Moore, 
who  was  born  in  Illinois,  in  1866.  Frater- 
nally, he  is  a  member  of  Oswego  Post,  G.  A.  R. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 


I  B.  SHULTZ,  a  druggist  of  Mon- 
tana, Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  also 
postmaster  nf  ijnat  town,  an  office  he 
has  filled  in  the  most  satisfactory 
manner  since  May  29.  1897,  when  he  received 
his  appointment.  He  was  born  in  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  in  1849,  ^"d  is  a  son  of  Daniel 
B.  and  Eliza   (Simons)   Shultz. 

Daniel  B.  Shultz  was  born  in  Maryland, 
in  1 818,  and  was  a  millwright,  carpenter  and 
wagon-maker.  He  died  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  1900.  He  married  Eliza  Simons, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  they  reared 
eight  children,  as  follows :  John  H. ;  Thomas 
J.;  O.  B.;  Allie  G. ;  Mary  S. ;  Martha  A.;  Le- 
Roy,  deceased;  and  Francis  E. 

O.  B.  Shultz  was  but  eleven  years  of  age 
when,  with  the  family,  he  came  to  Kansas,  and 
lived  in  Anderson    countv,    until    1868.     He 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


559 


then  enlisted  in  the  19th  Reg.,  Kans.  Vol. 
Cav.,  and  fought  the  Indians  for  six  months. 
He  came  to  Labette  county  in  June,  1869,  and 
located  north  of  IMontana,  in  Neosho  township. 
Later  he  bought  a  claim  one  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  Montana,  and  entered  it  at  Humboldt, 
Kansas.  He  made  improvements  on  the  farm, 
and  lived  upon  it  until  1877.  He  then  located 
in  the  town  of  Montana,  and  worked  with  his 
father  in  the  wagon  shop  for  three  years,  after 
which  he  spent  three  years  in  travel.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  returnd  to  Montana,  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business,  and  has  since  con- 
ducted a  drug  store  there,  being  a  registered 
pharmacist.  He  is  a  Republican,  in  politics, 
and  in  1897  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Mon- 
tana. He  has  also  served  as  clerk,  and  treas- 
urer, of  the  township,  and  was  a  justice  of  the 
peace  for  five  years.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Oswego  Lodge.  No.  63,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 


SAMES  DIXON,  a  gentleman  who  has 
been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  for  many 
years,  is  located  in  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  23,  in  Montana  township.  He 
is  a  man  of  intelligence,  takes  an  earnest  inter- 
est in  the  growth  and  development  of  the  coun- 
ty, and  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances. Mr.  Dixon  was  born  in  Perry 
county,  Illinois,  in  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  An- 
drew and  Ann   (Osburn)    Dixon. 

Andrew  Dixon  was  born  in  Scotland,  in 
1837,  came  to  the  United  States  when  fifteen 
years  of  age,  and  located  in  Illinois,  where  he 
followed  farming.  During  the  Civil  \\^ar  he 
enlisted  in  Company  A,  31st  Reg.,  111.  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  served  until  July  9.  1865,  when  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge.     For  a  part 


of  the  time  he  acted  in  the  capacity  of  a  team- 
ster. After  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned 
to  Illinois,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  until 
1867,  when  he  came  to  Kansas.  The  trip  was 
made  overland,  by  wagon,  and  consumed  three 
weeks.  He  located  on  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  23.  Montana  township,  Labette  coun- 
ty, the  present  home  of  James  Dixon,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death,  in  1899.  He  mar- 
ried Ann  Osburn,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  in 
1834.  and  came  to  the  United  States  when 
eleven  years  of  age.  She  now  resides  at  the 
home  of  her  son,  James.  Their  union  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  several  children,  of  whom  the 
following  are  living:  James;  Mary  (Claxon), 
of  Sherman,  Kansas,  who  has  two  children, — 
Minnie  and  Clarence ;  and  Andrew  C,  who  re- 
sides at  home. 

James  Dixon  was  reared  in  Illinois  until 
1867,  when  he  was  taken  to  Kansas  by  his  par- 
ents. He  has  always  been  engaged  in  tilling 
the  soil,  and  at  the  present  time  owns  the 
original  claim  of  his  father  in  Labette  county. 
He  is  occupied  in  general  farming,  and  is 
meeting  with  deserved  success.  He  is  serving 
on  the  school  board  of  his  township. 


H"""""  O.  \\TLSON,  a  gentleman  promi- 
nent in  banking  circles  in  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  has  had  charge  of 
the  Mound  Valley  Bank  since  1889, 
and  is  a  gentleman  of  high  standing  in  the 
community.  He  was  born  in  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  in  1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Dency   (Wheadon)   Wilson. 

Peter  Wilson  was  born  in  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  in  1817,  and  died  January  i,  1870,  on 
the  farm  on  which  he  was  born.  He  married 
Dencv  Wheadon,  a  native  of  New  York,  and 


56o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


they  reared  the  fullowing-  offspring:     Nancy 
J.;  J.  O. ;  A.  \\'.,  a  farmer  in  Ohio;  and  I.  F. 

J.  O.  Wilson  was  brought  up  on  a  farm  and 
lived  at  home  until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Company  B,  115th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
was  discharged  July  5,  1865.  He  then  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Ohio,  and  attended  the 
public  schools.  He  was  next  a  pupil  in  Mount 
Union  College  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
taught  school.  He  was  a  teacher  in  Illinois 
f(jr  one  and  a  half  years,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  and  farmed  until  1872.  In 
that  year  he  came  west  to  Kansas,  and  located 
at  Neodesha,  Wilson  county,  where  he  taught 
school  for  two  years.  He  was  then 
in  the  mercantile  business  there  for  four  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  nKJved  to  Elk 
county,  and  was  engaged  in  a  similar  line  until 
1880.  He  returned  to  Neodesha,  where  he 
was  employed  in  the  Neodesha  Savings  Bank 
two  and  a  half  years.  Later  he  went  to  Illi- 
nois and  there  resided  until  1884.  He  again 
returned  to  Neodesha,  and  accepted  the  ap- 
pointment of  assistant  postmaster  of  that  town, 
which  office  he  filled  until  1885.  In  Septem- 
ber, i886,  he  moved  to  Oswego,  Kansas,  en- 
tered the  private  bank  of  C.  M.  Condon,  and 
has  since  been  identified  with  the  banking  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Wilson  took  charge  of  the  Mound 
X'alley  Bank  in  1889,  and  since  that  time  has 
resided  here.  He  is  a  very  shrewd  business 
man,  and  has  handled  the  affairs  of  the  bank 
in  a  most  capable  manner. 

In  JS73  Mr.  ^^'ilson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Josephine  P.  Rice,  and  they  reared 
three  children  :  Arthur  R.,  who  is  in  the  bank- 
ing business  in  Coffeyville.  Kansas;  Cora  J., 
deceased ;  and  Ernest  H.,  who  is  now  attending 
college.     Mrs.  Wilson  died  in  1883. 

In  i8S(;  ^Fr.  Wilson  married  Mrs.  A.  R. 
Ilickcnh<.tti>m.  who  served  as  county  superin- 


tendent of  schools  for  two  years.  They  be- 
j  caiue  the  parents  of  one  daughter.  Josephine, 
who  li\-es  at  home.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Wilson 
is  a  member  of  Oswego  Lodge,  A.  O.  V.  \\'., 
and  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security,  of 
Mound  Valley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  of  Alound 
Valley.  In  political  belief,  Mr.  Wilson  is  a 
stanch  Republican.  He  gives  his  support  and 
influence  to  that  party,  but  does  not  aspire  to 
any  political  office. 


RS.  SARAH  E.  (HUDSON) 
LOCKWOOD,  a  resident  of 
Walton  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  was  born,  in  1837,  in 
Alorgan  county,  Illinois,  where  she  resided 
until  she  removed  to  Kansas,  in  1875.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Susan  (Clark)  Hud- 
son. Her  father  was  born  in  Kentucky,  in 
1 81 3,  and  died  in  1901.  He  was  a  farmer, 
and  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  Nebraska 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  life.  Her  mother 
was  an  Ohioan  by  birth.  They  reared  nine 
children,  Ann  Maria;  Sarah  E. ;  John  H. ; 
James  W. ;  Charles  C. ;  Noah  C. ;  Andrew; 
Nancy  J. ;  and  Mary. 

Mrs.  Lockwood  first  located'  in  Crawford 
county.  Kansas,  where  she  resided  until  1883, 
when  she  moved  to  Labette  county,  and  set- 
tled on  her  present  farm,  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  2^,  in  Walton  township,  where  she 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising. 
In  1897  Mrs.  Lockwood  remodeled  her  resi- 
dence, and  made  it  a  very  neat  and  attractive 
country  'home. 

Mrs.  Lockwood  has  been  twice  married. 
Her  first  husband  was  John  A.  Haiumond, 
will,  (lied  in  1884.  Tliere  were  no  children 
bv  this  union. 


AUGUST  NELSON, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


563 


In  1883  the  subject  hereof  contracted  a 
second  matrimonial  alHance,  this  time  uniting 
her  fortunes  with  Walter  A.  Lockwood.  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio.  He  had  been  previously  mar- 
ried to  Athelia  Gibbons,  of  Maryland,  by 
whom  he  had  the  following  children :  Charles ; 
Jennie;  Wilber;  and  Annie.  Charles  is  at 
home,  and  manages  t'he  farm;  Jennie  married 
C.  B.  Sweet,  of  Kansas  City;  Wilber  started 
on  an  expedition  to  the  Klondike  regions,  and 
was  last  heard  from  at  Juneau;  Annie  is  a 
teacher  in  the  Parsons  public  schools.  Mr. 
Lockwood  is  a  carpenter  by  occupation,  but  has 
not  followed  that  trade  for  many  years.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  and  'her  husband  are  sur- 
rounded by  the  children  of  the  latter's  first 
marriage,  and  all  enjoy  their  comfortable 
country  home. 


m 


UGUST  NELSON,  whose  portrait  is 
shown  herewith,  first  came  to  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  in  1889,  and 
is  one  of  the  best  known  agricultur- 
ists of  Mound  Valley  township.  He  superin- 
tends the  work  upon  his  240  acres  of  land,  al- 
though he  is  absent  much  of  the  time  in  con- 
nection with  railroad  contracts.  He  was  born 
in  Stockholm,  Sweden,  in  1853,  and  is  a  son 
of  Christian  Nelson. 

Christian  Nelson  still  lives  in  Sweden,  and 
is  a  mechanic  by  occupation;  he  followed  the 
business  of  a  brick  manufacturer  during  his 
active  years.  He  was  the  father  of  three  sons 
and  one  daughter;  the  daughter  is  deceased. 
The  sons  are  as  follows :  Fred,  who  is  a  fore- 
man on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way, and  is  at  present  in  Texas  engaged  in  the 
contracting  business  with  his  brother  August ; 
Gustav,  who  lives  in  Sweden;  and  August. 


August  Nelson  served  his  apprenticeship 
under  government  contractors  in  Sweden,  as 
a  stone  and  brick-mason  four  years,  without 
pay ;  he  was  employed  in  the  construction  of 
government  buildings.  In  1883  he  went  to 
South  America  and  worked  for  the  Argentine 
Republic  as  a  mechanic  in  brick  and  stone 
work.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1884, 
and  first  worked  at  Chicago  for  one  year.  In 
1886  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company  as  a  me- 
chanic, and  three  months  later  was  made  a 
foreman.  For  the  past  two  years  he  has  been 
in  Texas,  engaged  in  building  piers  and  abut- 
ments for  large  bridges,  and  has  a  force  of  40 
men  under  his  supervision.  His  headquarters 
at  present  are  at  Denison,  Texas,  but,  gener- 
ally, are  at  Parsons,  Kansas.  He  is  directly 
under  A.  B.  Manning,  of  the  building  and 
bridge  department  of  the  road.  He  has  had 
wide  experience  in  this  line  of  work,  and  is 
without  a  superior  in  the  handling  of  men  and 
material.  He  located  in  Labette  county  in 
1889,  and  bought  a  farm  south  of  Mound  Val- 
ley, where  he  resided  a  couple  of  years.  In 
1 89 1,  he  purchased  his  present  fine  farm  four 
miles  north  of  Mound  Valley,  in  section  14,. 
township  32,  range  18;  the  land  had  been 
taken  up  by  Mr.  Stotts.  Mr.  Nelson  has  built 
a  modern  lo-room  house  and,  about  eight 
years  ago,  put  up  a  fine  barn.  He  has  about 
70  head  of  cattle,  and  intends  to  handle  Here- 
ford cattle  more  extensively.  He  superin- 
tends the  work  upon  the  farm  of  240  acres,, 
although  he  does  none  of  it,  as  he  is  away  on 
his  railroad  business  much  of  the  time.  Wheat 
is  his  staple  crop.  He  has  a  farm  of  very  at- 
tractive appearance,  by  reason  of  its  many  fine 
fruit  and  shade  trees,  and  it  is  one  of  the  best 
cultivated  pieces  of  land  in  this  section. 
Mr.  NelsGn  was  united  in  marriage  with 


564 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Ann  Lester,  who  was  born  in  this  country,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  two  sons,  Paul  and 
Wilhehn.  In  pohtics,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  a  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  be- 
longs to  the  Parsons  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
In  religious  views,  he  is  a  Lutheran,  and  his 
wife  is  a  Methodist. 


EORGE  SELLMANSBERGER.  To 
be  able  to  look  back  over  almost  a 
third  of  a  century  spent  in  active 
usefulness  in  one  locality,  is,  indeed, 
an  enviable  experience;  and  such  is  the  privi- 
lege of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  George 
Sellmansberger  is  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Walton 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
is  now  spending  the  sunset  of  life  in  ease,  hav- 
ing passed  the  eighty-first  milestone  of  his  ex- 
istence. He  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1819, 
and  came  to  America  when  thirty-two  years 
of  age.  Locating  in  the  state  of  Minnesota, 
he  there  followed  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1869.  Desiring  to  locate  in  a  milder  climate, 
Mr.  Sellmansberger  then  came  south  to  Kan- 
sas. The  trip  was  made  overland  in  a  wagon, 
and  consumed  about  a  month's  time.  Upon 
his  arrival  in  Labette  county,  he  took  up  a 
claim  comprising  the  south  half  of  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  25,  in  Walton  town- 
ship. This  farm  was  the  scene  of  many  a 
hard  year's  toil  before  it  reached  its  present 
state  of  cultivation.  It  is  still  the  home  of  its 
aged  and  honored  owner,  whose  activity 
would  shame  the  indolence  of  many  a  younger 
man. 

He  married  Theresa  Holtzheuar,  who  was 
born  in  Germany,  in  1820.  They  reared  a 
large  family  composed  of  12  children,  as  fol- 
lows:      Elizabeth;     John;     Mary;     Joseph; 


George;  Robert;  Benjamin;  Godfrey;  Theresa; 
Mary  (2d)  ;  Rudolph;  and  John  (2d).  John 
and  Rudolph  are  engaged  in  mining;  George 
and  Godfrey  are  farmers, — the  latter  having 
charge  of  the  home  place,  for  his  father.  Jo- 
seph has  also  followed  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  owns  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  27, 
Walton  township,  Labette  county.  Mr.  Sell- 
mansberger has  made  a  close  study  of  the  most 
practical  and  approved  methods  of  farming, 
and  is  now  reaping  the  harvest  of  his  hard 
work  in  the  possession  of  a  sufhciency  of  well 
tilled  land,  and  a  comforting  bank  account. 
Although  virtually  retired  from  active  pur- 
suits, he  still  takes  a  great  interest  in  municipal 
affairs,  and  is  a  public  spirited  citizen.  He  is 
independent,  in  politics;  he  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  church. 


SEVI  CORRELL,  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful ^armer  living  in  section  27, 
Walton  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  one  of  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  the  county.  He  has  one  of  the 
finest  and  best  improved  farms  within  its  lim- 
its, and  keeps  abreast  of  the  times  as  to  all 
modern  improvements  used  in  tilling  the  soil. 
Mr.  Correll  was  born  in  \\'ayne  county.  Ohio, 
in  1845,  ^iid  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Catherine 
(Floyd)   Correll. 

Jacob  Correll  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  although  he  fol- 
lowed farming  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He 
married  Catherine  Floyd,  who  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  reared  eight 
children :  Abraham ;  Daniel ;  Samuel ;  Levi ; 
Maria;  Amanda;  Catherine;  and  David. 

Levi  Correll  moved  with  his  parents  in 
1854  to  Iowa,  where  he  attended  school  and, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


565 


later,  to  Clinton  county,  Iowa,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  farming  for  some  time.  In  1876 
Mr.  Correll  moved  to  Kansas,  and  after  look- 
ing at  numerous  farms  finally  decided  on  his 
present  place,  which  he  accordingly  bought. 
It  is  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  27,  Wal- 
ton township,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  farms  in 
the  county.  Mr.  Correll  has  a  thoroug.H  knowl- 
edge of  farming  matters,  and  takes  great  pride 
in  the  care  and  management  of  his  property. 
He  is  a  thrifty,  industrious  man,  and  has  al- 
ways been  a  careful  and  steady  worker.  The 
attractive  appearance  of  his  home  speaks  well 
for  his  untiring  efforts. 

Mr.  Correll  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Kate  McCoy,  who  was  born  in  County  Cork, 
Ireland,  in  1847.  She  is  a  daug'hter  of  Pat- 
rick McCoy,  and  came  to  America  when  she 
was  twenty-one  years  old.  Mr.  Correll  and 
his  wife  have  had  eight  children,  namely: 
Albert,  who  works  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas 
&  Texas  Railway;  J.  Charles;  Joseph  F. ; 
Daisy  E. ;  Christopher  C. ;  Mack ;  George  W. ; 
and  Clarence,  deceased. 

Mr.  Correll  is  a  Republican,  in  politics,  and 
has  served  as  trustee  of  Walton  township  one 
term,  and  as  clerk  of  the  school  board  for  a 
number  of  years.  Mrs.  Correll  is  a  member 
of  the  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Correll  has  re- 
cently erected  a  fine,  new,  nine-room  'house, 
which  is  an  attractive  addition  to  his  farm. 
He  is  very  popular  in  the  community,  and  is 
a  kind  and  helpful  neighbor. 


0NDREW  W.  MEADOR.  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  and  farmer  of  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  has  been  living  for 
the  past  few  months  in  section  20, 
North  township.     He   was   born   in    Sumner 


county,  Tennessee,  in  1841,  and  is  a  son  of 
Christopher  and  Vermilia    (Snider)    Meador. 

Christopher  Meador  was  born  in  Virginia, 
in  1800,  and  was  a  farmer  all  his  life.  His 
wife  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  1810.  They 
reared  the  following  children,  namely:  Will- 
iam; Elmore;  Sarah;  Rose;  James;  Elizabeth; 
Henry;  and  Andrew  W. 

Andrew  W.  Meador  lived  in  Tennessee 
until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  D,  52d  Reg.,  Ky. 
Mounted  Infantry.  He  served  eighteen 
months,  during  which  time  he  saw  hard,  ac- 
tive service.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr. 
]\Ieador  located  at  Franklin,  Kentucky,  where 
he  lived  until  'he  moved  to  Kansas,  in  1872. 
He  spent  the  winter  of  1872  and  the  spring  of 
1873  in  Parsons.  His  next  move  was  to  Ne- 
osho township,  where  he  lived  until  1877. 
He  then  sold  his  farm,  and  went  to  Montana, 
where  he  operated  a  brick  yard  for  one  year, 
and  then  returned  to  Labette  county.  He 
rented  the  old  Taylor  farm  in  North  township, 
and  lived  there  for  fifteen  years.  In  1895  Mr. 
Meador  moved  to  Parsons.  In  1890  he 
boug'ht  his  present  home  in  section  20,  North 
township,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  has 
successfully  carried  on  general  farming. 

Mr.  Meador  married  Eliza  Payne,  who  was 
born  in  Sumner  county,  Tennessee,  in  1839. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  J.  C.  and  Jane  (West) 
Payne.  J.  C.  Payne  was  born  in  181 2,  and  he 
and  his  wife  were  natives  of  Tennessee.  They 
reared  the  following  children,  namely :  Eliza, 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Meador;  Mary;  William; 
Franklin;  Sarah;  Emma;  and  Robert.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Meador  have  been  blessed  with  eight 
children,  namely:  Minnie  L.,  wife  of  Will- 
iam Wood,  now  living  in  Parsons;  Mattie, 
who  married  William  Morning,  a  carpenter  of 
Parsons ;  Robert,  who  married  Rosa  W^illiams. 


566 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  Parsons;  Lizzie,  the  wife  of  Lee  Jackson, 
living  in  Kentucky ;  Charles,  a  carpenter ;  Mil- 
lie ;  and  Joseph  and  Walter,  deceased. 

Mr.  Meador  makes  a  specialty  of  raising 
poultry  and  small  fruits,  in  which  he  is  very 
successful.  He  is  a  Republican,  in  politics, 
and  has  served  on  the  school  board  in  North 
township  for  four  years.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R.,  Parsons  Post,  No.  8i.  Relig- 
iously, he  is  a, member  of  the  Methodist  church. 
Mr.  Meador  is  well  known  in  Labette  county, 
where  he  has  many  warm  friends. 


HAMES  H.  WHEAT,  highly  respected 
as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  able 
farmers  in  North  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  living  in  the  east 
half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  i.  A 
man  of  honest,  upright  principles,  he  has  won 
many  friends  in  the  community.  He  was  born 
in  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  in  1848,  and  is 
a  son  of  V.  G.  and  Dorothy  M.  (Johnson) 
Wheat. 

Dr.  V.  G.  Wheat  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky in  1810,  and  died  in  that  state  in  1867. 
His  birth  and  death  took  place  in  the  same 
house.  His  wife,  Dorothy  M.  Johnson,  was 
also  a  native  of  Kentucky.  She  bore  him  the 
following  children:  T.  B.  J.,  a  resident  of 
Parsons,  Kansas;  James  H.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Anna;  S.  A.;  O.  P.,  deceased;  and 
A.  V.  and  W.  W.,  of  Liberty  township. 

James  H.  Wheat  was  reared  and  educated 
in  his  native  state.  He  lived  in  Kentucky  un- 
til he  was  twenty-four  years  old,  during  which 
time  he  attended  school  and  assisted  in  farm- 
ing. In  1872  Mr.  Wiieat  left  Kentucky,  and 
located  at  Parsons,  Kansas,  making  the  jour- 
ney with  his  brother,  A.  V.  Wheat,  on  horse- 


back. They  were  twenty-one  days  on  the 
way.  After  reaching  Parsons,  Mr.  Wheat  en- 
gaged in  farming,  which  he  followed  for  nine 
years,  and  afterward  kept  a  shoe  store,  until 
1885.  He  then  sold  out  bis  business,  and  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  six  milej  east  of  Parsons. 
After  living  on  this  farm  for  six  years,  he 
bought  his  present  farm, — the  east  half  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  i.  There  he  has 
resided  ever  since,  engaged  in  general  farming. 
Being  a  thrifty  and  energetic  worker,  he  has 
made  many  improvements  on  the  farm,  and 
has  been  very  successful  with  his  crops  and 
stock. 

Mr.  Wheat  was  married,  in  1884,  by  the 
Hon.  Nelson  Case,  to  Eva  L.  Bronson.  She 
was  born  in  Laporte,  Indiana,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Denison  and  Dora  (Martin)  Bronson. 
Denison  Bronson  was  born  in  Laporte,  and 
his  wife  was  born  in  Bufifalo,  New  York. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely : 
Eva  L.,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Wheat;  Mattie; 
Frank;  William;  Louis;  and  Albert.  Mr.. 
Wheat  and  his  wife  have  been  blessed  with 
eight  children,  namely:  Dora;  Agnes;  Den- 
ison; Louis;  Naomi;  Dorothy;  Orville;  and. 
Andrew.     They  are  all  living. 

Mr.  Wheat  is  an  active  worker  in  the  town- 
ship, and  has  served  on  the  school  board.  He 
is  a  Democrat,  in  politics.  He  belongs  to  the 
Anti-Horsethief  Association.  Religiously,  he- 
favors  the  Christian  church. 


EONARD  ULLERY,  the  leading 
gardener  of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
is  well  known  in  the  county,  and  in 
those  surrounding.  He  'has  been  in 
the  gardening  business  all  his  life,  and  is  thor- 
oughly conversant  with  the  business  in  all  its- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


567 


different  phases.  Although  most  of  his  time 
is  given  to  business,  he  manages  to  find  leisure 
.to  assist  in  any  work  Which  is  for  the  good  of 
the  community.  Mr.  Ullery  was  born,  May 
1,  1838,  in  Indiana,  where  he  lived  until  he 
was  twenty  years  of  age.  He  learned  gar- 
dening when  a  youth,  and  also  farming.  In 
1858  Mr.  Ullery  moved  to  Carroll  county,  In- 
diana, where  he  farmed  until  1863.  From 
Carroll  county  he  moved  to  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  bought  a  farm,  on  w'hich  he 
lived  for  fourteen  years.  He  sold  this  farm 
in  1877,  and  moved  to  his  present  home  in 
North  township,  Labette  county,  on  the  north 
half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  17. 

Mr.  Ullery  was  married,  in  1863,  to  Eliza- 
beth Wagner,  who  was  born  in  Clinton  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  and  is  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Esther  (Wolf)  Wagner.  Her  parents  were 
both  natives  of  Ohio,  and  they  reared  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Leonard;  Elizabeth,  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Ullery;  John;  and  Barberina. 
Mr.  Ullery  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  five 
children,  as  follows :  Samuel,  a  carpenter,  of 
Parsons,  Kansas;  Catherine;  Mary;  Susie; 
and  Hannah.  Mr.  Ullery  is  a  Republican,  in 
politics.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
German  Baptist  c'hurch. 


DSAAC  N,  BIGGS,  living  in  section  22, 
Fairview    township,    Labette    county, 
Kansas,  is  one  of  the  prominent  farm- 
ers of  the  county.     He  was  born  in 
Ross  county,  Ohio,  in  1842,  and  is  a  son  of 
Zachariah  and  Annie  (Elliott)  Biggs. 

Zachariah  Biggs  was  born  in  1813,  and 
was  a  native  of  Henderson  county,  Kentucky. 
He  died,  in  1853,  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for 


twenty  years'.  He  married  Annie  Elliott,  who 
was  born  in  Piketon,  Ohio,  in  1821,  and  is 
now  living  in  New  London,  Ohio.  They  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Sarah 
J.,  Rebecca  (Ross)  and  Robert  \V.,  deceased; 
Isaac  N.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  William 
H.,  of  Danville,  Illinois;  Frances  (Newman), 
of  New  London,  Ohio ;  Sanford,  of  Clay  coun- 
ty, Missouri;  and  Zachariah,  deceased. 

Isaac  N.  Biggs  lived  on  the  farm  with  his, 
parents  until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany I,  60th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  at- 
tached to  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah.  He 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Cedar  Creek,  Har- 
per's Ferry,  and  in  several  skirmishes.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Winchester,  paroled 
within  three  months,  and  sent  to  Camp  Chase. 
Ohio.  He  was'  mustered  out  at  Chicago,  in 
1863,  and  reenlisted  in  Company  I,  7th  Reg., 
Ohio  National  Guards,  on  the  call  for  100-day 
men.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Camp  Denison, 
Ohio,  at  the  expiration  of  his  term;  again  en- 
listed, in  Company  I,  185th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  served  utnil  October,  1865.  He  was 
finally  mustered  out  at  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
and  returned  to  Ross  county,  Ohio.  Shortly 
after  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr.  Biggs  moved 
to  Madison  county,  Ohio,  and,  in  1868,  to 
Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  where  he  remained 
until  1880.  In  1880,  he  moved  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas',  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Neo- 
sho township,  where  he  lived  until  1884.  He 
has  since  made  his  home  in  section  22.  Fair- 
view  towship.  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
general  farming.  He  deals  honestly  with  all 
men,  and  is  highly  respected  by  his  fellow, 
citizens. 

Mr.  Biggs  was'  united  in  marriage  with 
Elsie  Shenaman,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  in 
1848,  and  died  in  1897.  She  was  a  daughter 
of   Abraham   and    Elsie    (Miller)    Shenaman. 


S68 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Abraham  Shenaman  was  born  in  Wooster, 
Ohio,  in  1810,  and  his  death  occurred  in  Lyon 
county,  Kansas,  in  1S57.  His  wife  was  also 
a  native  of  Wooster,  Ohio,  and  died  in  1867, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  They  reared  the 
following  children,  namely:  Samantha  J. 
(Barber),  of  Decatur,  Illinois;  Ellen  (Dick- 
erson),  of  Illiopolis',  Illinois;  Albert,  deceased; 
Elsie,  who  was  the  wife  of  Mr.  Biggs;  Will- 
iam, of  Bay  City,  Michigan;  Francis,  of  Illi- 
opolis,  Illinois;  and  Charles  S.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Biggs  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  name- 
ly: Ivie  L.  (Deathrage),  of  Labette  county; 
Floyd  E.,  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota;  Charles 
R. ;  and  Harry,  of  Labette  county.  On  August 
8,  1900,  J\Ir.  Biggs  contracted  a  second  mar- 
riage, by  wedding  Mrs'.  Beatrice  Francisco. 

Mr.  Biggs  belongs  to  the  Republican  party. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board 
for  the  past  six  years.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church,  of  Oswego. 


LBERT  SYKES,  who  settled  in  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  in  1872,  is  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  progressive 
farmers  in  "Oswego  township,  where 
he  is  located  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
8.  He  was  born  in  Oswego  county,  New  York, 
April  13,  1817,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and 
Orpha  (Lumbard)  Sykes. 

Daniel  Sykes  was  born  at  Pawlet,  Rutland 
county,  Vermont,  December  6,  1785,  and  in 
1810  moved  to  New  York  State,  and  settled  in 
Oswego  county  on  a  farm.  He  resided  there 
until  1852,  and  then  moved  to  Kenosha  coun- 
ty, Wisconsin,  where  he  died,  April  13,  1863. 
January  21,  1810,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Orpha  Lumbard,  who  was  born  in  Mas- 
sachusetts; January  17,  1787,  and  died  in  Wis- 


consin, in  1864.  They  reared  the  following 
children  :  Elvira  and  Loren,  deceased ;  Byron, 
who  resides  at  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin;  Albert; 
Sumner,  of  Labette  county ;  and  Milo,  Bloomer 
and  Eliza  (Boyd),  deceased. 

Albert  Sykes  lived  in  Oswego  county.  New 
Vork,  until  1841,  when  he  became  a  sailor  on 
Lake  Erie  and  Lake  Ontario,  and  w^as  after- 
ward advanced  to  be  first  mate.  In  1843,  ^^ 
went  to  Lake  county,  Illinois,  and  purchased 
a  farm,  but  after  a,  short  time  rented  the  farm, 
and  returned  to  the  lake  as  first  mate  of  a 
vessel.  In  1850,  he  formed  a  company,  and 
on  May  15  of  that  year  started  for  California, 
where  he  arrived  in  the  following  August.  He 
remained  there  until  1855,  and  then  left  San 
Francisco,  by  the  Nicaragua  route,  for  New 
York,  where  he  arrived  in  May,  1855.  ^^ 
went  directly  to  his  farm  in  Lake  county,  Illi- 
nois, which  he  soon  after  sold,  and  moved  to 
Bremer  county,  Iowa,  where  he  purchased 
[,400  acres  of  land.  He  resided  there  until 
[872,  when  he  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  settled  on  his  present  farm, — the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  8,  Oswego  town- 
ship. He  is  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
stock   raising   and   has   been   v6ry   successful. 

In  i860,  Mr.  Sykes  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Emily  Higgins,  who  was  born  in  Warren 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1835,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Eugene  and  Susan  (Smith)  Higgins. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Vermont,  in  181 3.  and 
at  an  early  day  moved  to  Warren  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  lived  a  short  time. 

In  1837  Mr.  Higgins  located  in  Chautau- 
qua county.  New  York.  In  1851,  he  moved 
to  Bremer  county,  Iowa,  and  from  1868  to 
1878  lived  at  Carthage,  Missouri.  Thence  he 
moved  to  Scott  county,  Arkansas,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death,  in  1883.  His  wife  was 
born  in  1814,  in  Saratoga,  New  York,  and  died 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


569 


at  Carthage,  Missouri,  in  1871.  They  reared 
10  children,  namely:  Emily  (Sykes)  ;  Har- 
riet, Amanda  and  Hubert,  deceased;  Horace, 
of  Jasper  county,  Missouri ;  Horatio,  of  Delta 
county,  Colorado;  Mary,  deceased;  Antoinette 
(Montague)  ;  Ida  (Winkler)  ;  and  Susan 
(Montague). 

Emily  Higgins,  wife  of  Mr.  Sykes,  was  but 
two  years  of  age  when  she  was  taken  by  her 
parents  from  her  native  town  to  Chautauqua 
county.  New  York.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
years,  she  moved  with  her  parents  to  Bremer 
county,  Iowa,  and  there  taught  school  from 
1 85 1  to  i860.  By  her  union  with  Mr.  Sykes, 
she  had  the  following  children:  Harry  D., 
deceased;  Ernest,  of  New  Orleans,  Louisiana; 
and  Bert,  of  Oswego,  Kansas.  Harry  D.  was 
a  prominent  business  man,  of  Enid,  Oklahoma, 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  on  September  4,  1894. 
He  was  for  a  time  a  bookkeeper  in  an  Oswego 
bank,  and  in  1888  went  to  Galveston,  Texas, 
where  he  was  identified  with  the  Santa  Fe 
railway.  In  1893,  he  went  into  the  banking 
business  at  Enid,  Oklahoma,  and  thus  con- 
tinued until  his  death. 


\RMON  FRANCISCO,  deceased,  an 
early  settler  and  highly  respected 
farmer  of  Fairview  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Cayuga 
cou.itj,  New  York,  in  1831,  and  died  in  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  in  1893,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two  years.  His  death  was  much  re- 
gretted by  all,  as  he  was  a  man  of  honest  and 
upright  principles,  and  worthy  of  the  highe.=t 
esteem.  He  was  well  known  throughout  the 
county,  and  was  a  public-spirited  citizen,  ]Mr. 
Francisco  was  a  son  of  David  and  Percis 
(Morley)  Francisco. 


David  Francisco  was  born  in  1 790,  in  New 
York,  and  served  through  the  War  of  1812, 
His  death  took  place  in  Cayuga  county,  New- 
York,  in  1843.  His  wife  was  born  in  New 
York,  in  1792,  and  died  in  Cayuga  county,  in 
1856.  They  reared  the  following  children: 
Warren,  Hiram  and  Julia  (Crowfoot),  de- 
ceased; Mandania  (Olmstead),  of  Patriot,  In- 
diana; John,  Jane  (Ford)  and  David,  de- 
ceased; Cordelia  (Knapp),  of  Syracuse,  New 
York:  and  Harmon,  whose  name  appears  at 
the  opening  of  this  sketch. 

Harmon  Francisco  moved  to  Jefferson 
county,  Indiana,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years; 
and  engaged  in  the  clock  and  jewelry  business. 
In  1859,  he  bought  a  farm  in  Monroe  county, 
Indiana,  and  lived  on  it  until  1883.  During 
sixteen  years  of  that  time  he  was  in  the  light- 
ning-rod business.  In  1883,  he  moved  with 
his  family  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  set- 
tled in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  22, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1897. 
In  politics.  Mr.  Francisco  was  a  lifelong  Dem- 
ocrat, and  took  an  active  interest  in  that  party's 
success. 

Mr.  Francisco  married  Alary  Smith,  who 
was  born  in  1843,  i"  Montgomery  county,  In- 
diana. She  is  a  daughter  of  Anderson  Smith, 
who  was  born  in  Rockbridge  county,  Virginin. 
in  181 5.  When  the  Civil  war  broke  out,  Mr. 
Smith  was  living  in  Monroe  county,  Indiana, 
and  there  enlisted  in  Company  G,  38th  Reg., 
Ind.  Vol.  Inf.  He  was'  attached  to  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee,  and  died  while  attending  the 
sick  at  Nashville,  Tennessee.  His  wife,  Ros- 
anna  May  Smith,  was'  born  in  Virginia,  in 
1 816,  and  moved  with  her  parents  to  Monroe 
county,  Indiana,  in  1832.  She  died  in  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  in  1888.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
reared  three  children :    I\Iarv,  wife  of  the  sub- 


570 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ject  of  tliis  sketch ;  and  Alexander  and  Edgar, 
deceased.  In  politics.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  Ke- 
publican.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Christian  church  all  his  life. 

Mrs.  Francisco  is  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Labette  county.     She  has  a  wicl. 
of    friends    in    the   community,    where    she    is 
uni\-ersallv  loved  and  admired. 


OHN  S.  RUDE,  a  prominent  farmer 
residing  in  section  26,  Liberty  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  has  for 
many  years  been  one  of  the  leading 
agriculturists  of  the  county.  He  is  a  man  of 
strict  integrity,  sound  principles,  and  upright 
character,  and  is  greatly  esteemed  by  his  fellow- 
townsmen.  Mr.  Rude  was  born  in  Franklin 
county,  Indiana,  in  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Sarah  (Steward)  Rude. 

William  Rude,  the  father  of  John  S.,  was 
born  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  in  1804,  and 
died  in  Paris,  Illinois,  in  1883.  He  married 
Sarah  Steward,  who  was  born  in  1806,  in 
New  York,  and  died  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana, 
in  1882.  They  reared  the  following  offspring: 
Flmira  (Martin),  of  Indianapolis;  John  S., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  James  A.,  of  La- 
bette county;  Laura  (Zink),  of  Marion  county, 
Indiana;  Mary  (Haugh),  of  Paris,  Illinois; 
Gresham,  William  and  Louisa,  deceased ;  Em- 
ily (Barker),  of  Marion  county,  Indiana, 
and  Margaret,  deceased. 

John  S.  Rude  moved  to  Marion  county, 
Indiana,  in  1841,  and  worked  in  the  lumbering 
business  until  1863,  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany B,  29th  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
in  the  army  for  two  years.  He  was  mustered 
out  in  1865,  at  Chattanooga.  Tennessee.  He 
then  returned  to  Marion  countv,  Indiana.    Mr. 


Rude  had  previously  learned  the  blacksmith 
trade,  but  while  in  Marion  county  he  operated 
a  sawmill,  from  1850  to  1862.  He  mo\ei: 
to  Labette  county  in  1871,  and  settled  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives',  in  section  26.  He 
has  a  large,  attractive  farm,  and  is  considered 
one  of  the  most  prosperous  farmers  in  the 
county.  By  hard  work,  thrift,  and  good  man- 
agement, alone,  has  he  reached  the  goal  of 
success. 

Mr.  Rude  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  Roberts,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
in  1843.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Rob- 
erts, who  was'  born  in  Kentucky,  in  1810,  and 
died  in  Marion  county,  Indiana,  in  i860.  His 
children  were :  Richard,  deceased ;  Dudley ; 
John,  deceased;  and  Ellen  (McClain),  of  lola, 
I  Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rude  are  the  parents 
of  two  children,  namely :  Charles,  of  Osborn, 
Missouri,  whose  children  are, — Willard,  Oran, 
and  Ethel;  and  Leonard,  of  Labette  county, 
who  has  two  children,  named  Hallie,  and  Leon- 
ard, Jr. 

Mr.  Rude  has  served  seven  years'  as  treas- 
urer of  Liberty  township,  and  has  been  a 
school  director  for  twelve  years.  He  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Christian  church.  In 
political  affairs,  Mr.  Rude  votes  with  the 
Populists. 


^^IHARLES  B.  FESSENDEN,  Jr.,  a 
H  ^^  prominent  and  highly  respected  citi- 
^^^  zen  of  Parsons,  Kansas',  where  he 
owns  some  fine  real  estate,  was  for 
many  year?  agent  for  the  Missouri,  Kansas 
&  Texas  Railway  Company,  and  has  been  a 
resident  of  Labette  county  since  1871.  He  is 
a  son  of  Charles  B.  Fessenden,  Sr. 

Charles   B.    Fessenden,    Sr.,    was   b<irn    in 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  in  July,  18 10,  and  lived 


MRS.   LOVISA  J.   FRESHOUR. 
WILLIAM   SCOTT.  MRS.   MARIAN 


HOWARD  SCOTT. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


573 


to  the  advanced  age  of  four-score  years  and 
nine.  He  reared  four  children,  of  whom  the 
subject  hereof  is  the  eldest.  The  others  were: 
Grace,  who  is  deceased;  Annie  (Buckman),  of 
New  York  City,  who  has'  one  son,  William,  a 
civil  engineer  in  New  Mexico ;  and  Susan,  who 
lives  with  her  mother. 

Charles  B.  Fessenden,  Jr.,  was  born  in 
Massachusetts,  December  2,  1840.  He  was  a 
pupil  in  the  schools  of  Boston,  and  had  ex- 
ceptional advantages  open  to  him.  Upon  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  he  responded  to  his 
country's  appeal,  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  Company 
D,  43d  Reg.,  Mass.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until 
the  successful  termination  of  the  war.  After 
serving  one  year  as  sergeant  major,  he  re- 
ceived a  commission  as  captain  in  the  9th  Reg., 
U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  and  as  such  was  hon- 
orably discharged. 

Returning  to  Boston,  he  remained  in  that 
vicinity  until  1868,  when  he  came  west  to 
seek  a  new  and  more  favorable  location.  In 
1868,  he  accepted  a  position  as  agent  for  the 
IMissouri,  Kansas  &  Te.xas  Railway  Company, 
"which  was  then  in  its  infancy.  In  1875,  he 
was  promoted  to  lie  special  commercial  agent 
on  the  same  road,  which  was  at  that  time  a 
very  lucrative  position.  While  filling  that  po- 
sition, he  traveled  over  various  divisions  of  the 
system, — principally  between  Junction  City 
and  Parsons, — and  from  1884  to  1898  he 
■served  as  conductor.  He  made  his  headquar- 
ters in  Parsons,  which  has  been  his  home  for 
■many  years.  In  1898  he  severed  his  connection 
with  the  road,  and  has  since  been  practically 
retired.  He  was  justly  considered  one  of  the 
best  men  who  ever  traveled  in  the  interest  of 
that  company. 

Mr.  Fessenden  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Hattie  Everett,  a  daughter  of  Aaron  Everett, 
•of  Boston,  Massachusetts.     She  was'  born  No- 


vember 13,  1843,  and  is  one  of  six  children: 
Emmelius ;  Sarah  E. ;  Frank,  deceased ;  Hattie ; 
Abbie  and  Charles.  The  last  named  was  killed 
in  action  in  the  AVilderness,  during  the  Ci\-il 
war,  while  the  others  are  all  married  and  scat- 
tered. Two  children  were  born  to  bless  the 
home  of  Mr.  Fessenden,  namely :  Harry,  su- 
perintendent of  the  Otis  Elevator  Machine 
Shops,  in  San  Francisco,  California ;  and 
Susan,  who  is  successfully  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  in  Parsons. 

Politically,  Mr.  Fessenden  has  been  a  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  the  party. 
He  ranks  today  among  the  most  prominent 
citizens  of  his  adopted  home,  and  has  been 
the  architect  oi  his  own  fortune.  Upon  his  ar- 
rival in  Labette  county,  he  was  a  poor  man, 
with  nothing  to  depend  upon  but  his  own  exer- 
tions. He  owns  a  fine  residence  at  No.  2207 
Johnson  avenue,  besides  which  he  rents  another 
pretty  place  in  the  city.  He  is  now  spending 
his  declining  years  in  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his 
toil  and  forethought. 


ILLIAM  SCOTT,  a  farmer  living  in 
section  24.  township  31,  range  18, 
east,  in  Osage  township,  Labette 
county,    Kansas,    is    a    native    of 

Williams  county,  Ohio,  and  was  born  in  1845. 

He    is    a    son    of    Christopher    and    Naomi 

(Franks)   Scott. 

Christopher    Scott    was    born    in    Wayne 

county,  Ohio,  April  22,  1822,  and  died  at  the 

home  of  his  son  William,  January  17,   1901. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Scott  was  presented 

with  80  acres  of  land    by    his    father-in-law. 

This  was  in   1841,  when  he  located  in  Ohio. 

He  traded  a  team  of  horses  for  40  acres  more, 

and    began    farming.      He    married     Naomi 


574 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Franks,  who  was  born  October  17,  1823,  in 
Ohio,  but  whose  ancestors  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  She  died  in  Ohio,  August  19, 
1889.  yh.  and  Mrs.  Scott  reared  the  follow- 
ing children,  namely :  William ;  Peter ;  Martha 
J.;  Frank;  Sarah;  M.  D.;  Julia;  Nancy;  and 
Lucetta.  Peter  died  in  Labette  county,  Jan- 
uary 16,  1897.  Martha  J.  (Laubsher)  lives  in 
Goshen.  Indiana.  Frank  is  a  farmer  in  ISIichi- 
gan.  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  C.  F.  Newman,  who 
lives  in  Sherwood,  Ohio.  .  :M.  D.  is  with  his 
brother  William  in  Labette  county,  where  he 
began  to  study  for  the  Gospel  ministry;  he 
completed  his  education  at  Wesleyan  College, 
in  Ohio,  and  has  been  preaching  in  Labette 
county  since  1885.  Julia  (Saul)  is  the  wife 
of  a  farmer  living  in  Melbern,  Ohio.  Nancy 
(Berlin)  lives  near  the  old  homestead  in  Ohio. 
Lucetta  (Buda)  lives  on  a  portion  of  the  old 
home  place. 

William  Scott  attended  the  comnion  schools 
of  his  native  county,  and  remained  at  home 
until  July  12,  1862.  He  then  enlisted  from 
Williams  county.  Ohio,  in  Company  C,  iiith 
Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.  He  served  first  as  a 
private  and  later  as  a  noncommissioned  offi- 
cer, in  a  part  of  the  Second  Brigade,  Second 
Division,  23d  Army  Corps.  He  was  in  Gen- 
eral Sherman's  army,  and  later  was  sent  back 
with  General  Thomas  to  fight  General  Hood. 
Mr.  Scott  was  mustered  out  of  the  United 
States  service,  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina, 
and  out  of  the  state  service  at  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
July  16,  1865.  At  one  time  a  bullet  grazed  his 
cheek,  but  he  was  not  seriously  wounded ;  being 
a  man  of  iron  constitution,  he  suffered  no  ill 
effects  from,  the  hardships  of  the  war. 

After  his  return  from  the  army,  Mr.  Scott 
served  a  three  years'  apprenticeship  in  the  plas- 
tering trade,  and  followed  that  occupation  for 


a  period  of  eighteen  years.  In  the  fall  of 
1873  he  went  to  Little  Rock.  Arkansas,  to  look 
over  the  surrounding  country,  but  being  dis- 
satisfied with  the  system  of  taxation,  he 
started  for  Junction  City,  Kansas.  On  his 
way  he  stopped  at  Parsons,  where  he  met  a 
land  agent,  who  persuaded  him  to  inspect  the 
land  in  that  vicinity.  He  decided  to  buy  his 
present  farm,  and,  after  settling  the  matter, 
returned  to  his  home  in  Ohio.  Six  months 
later  he  came  back  to  Kansas  with  his  family. 
G.  W.  Everhart,  who  was  the  owner  of  the 
north  half  of  section  24,  township  31,  range 
18,  deeded  Mr.  Scott  the  northeast  quarter  of 
the  section,  and  Mr.  Scott  later  secured  the 
northwest  quarter.  Mr.  Everhart  had  broken 
about  150  acres  of  the  half  section  and  had 
set  out  some  hedge  and  built  a  small  house. 
All  of  the  present  fine  improvements  have  been 
made  by  Mr.  Scott,  and  he  now  has  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  the  county.  He  carries  on 
general  farming,  preferring  Red  Polled  Angus 
cattle  and  Poland-China  hogs.  He  is  one  of 
the  best  farmers  in  the  state,  and  is  a  self 
made  man. 

Mr.  Scott  was  married  to  ^Marian  L.  San- 
ford,  who  was  born  in  Qhio,  in  1846.  They 
have  two  children  living :  Howard  and  Lovisa 
J.  Howard  lives  in  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  24;  he  married  Mary  Ada  Craft,  and 
they  have  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Lo- 
visa  J.  (Freshour)  lives  southeast  of  Parsons, 
and  has  one  daughter.  Mr.  Scott  was  for- 
merly a  Republican,  in  politics,  but  now  votes 
for  the  best  man,  irrespective  of  party  views 
and  affiliations.  He  has  served  as  clerk  of 
Osage  township.  He  became  a  Master  Mason 
in  a  lodge  in  Ohio,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Parsons  Lodge,  No.  117,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He 
attends  the  Baptist  church,  of  which  both  he 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


575- 


and  his  wife  are  members.  A  picture  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Scott  and  their  son  and  daughter 
accompanies  this   sketch. 


H.  EAKINS  has  been  an  influ- 
tial  farmer  of  Mound  Valley  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent living  in  section  6,  township  33,  range  18. 
He  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  January 
4,  1838.  He  is'  a  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Cree)  Eakins. 

John  Eakins  was>  a  native  of  Adams  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  died,  in  1845.  ^t  the  early  age 
of  thirty-three  years.  His  wife  was  also  a 
native  of  that  county,  and  her  death  took  place 
in  1841.  They  had  but  two  children, — W.  H., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and  Wesley,  who 
died  when  an  infant. 

W.  H.  Eakins  was  left  alone  in  the  world 
when  his  mother  died.  An  uncle  took  him  to 
raise,  and  he  lived  with  him  until  he  reached 
the  age  of  fourteen  years.  Since  that  time, 
he  has  earned  his  own  way.  and  has  been  a 
self  made  man  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in 
Manchester,  Ohio,  for  a  number  of  months, 
and  since  that  time  his  life-work  has  been  the 
tilling  of  the  soil.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
state  militia,  and  took  part  in  much  of  the 
border  troubles.  Toward  the  end  of  the  war, 
he  went  to  St.  Louis',  where  he  enlisted  in  the 
Army  of  the  West,  and  served  for  one  year. 
He  returned  to  Ohio,  in  1865,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  small  farm  in  Highland  county.  He 
removed  to  Neosho  county,  Kansas,  in  1878, 
coming  by  rail  to  Thayer,  Kansas.  He  brought 
with  him  his  wife  and  family,  and  had  $100 
in  his  possession.     Not  being  greatly  pleased 


with  the  prospects  which  Neosho  county  af- 
forded, he  located  in  Labette  county,  in  1879, 
and  soon  after  bought  his  present  home  farm, 
which  was  settled  by  Manly  J.  Kinney.  A 
portion  of  this  land  was  ceded  by  the  Osage 
Indians.  A  stone  wall  had  been  started  pre- 
paratory to  building  a  house.  This  had  fallen 
down,  and  there  was  no  stable  of  any  kind. 
Mr.  Eakins  built  on  the  original  site,  which  is 
one  of  the  finest  in  the  county.  The  house 
was  erected  on  a  mound,  which  affords  splendid 
view  of  the  surrounding  country  for  miles 
around.  But  one-fourth  of  an  acre  of  land  had 
been  broken,  and  no  trees  had  been  set  out. 
Mr.  Eakins  now  has  a  fine  orchard  and  a  num- 
ber of  large  shade  trees.  His  house  is  of  stone 
and  the  outbuildings  are  large  and  comfort- 
able. His  early  crops  were  flax  and  millet; 
he  also  raised  some  sorghum,  which  quickly 
subdued  the  sod.  Mr.  Eakins  first  secuVed  80 
acres  of  land  in  the  southwest  quarter,  and  in 
1898  bought  another  80  acres  in  the  southeast 
quarter.  He  bought  his  first  full  blooded 
Hereford  ten  years  ago,  and  his  thorough- 
breds now  number  75.  He  recently  bought  a 
calf  for  $50.  He  has  50  or  60  head  of  the  best 
grade  of  Poland-China  hogs.  Corn,  wheat 
and  oats  are  his  staple  crops.  Mr.  Eakins  has 
a  drilled  well,  66  feet  deep,  on  the  farm,  and 
is'  reasonably  sure  that  gas  could  easily  be  ob- 
tained. The  farm  is  well  supplied  with  water 
from  a  spring  and  wells.  Mr.  Eakins  is  a  very 
successful  man,  and  his  business  principles  are 
sound  and  honest. 

Mr.  Eakins  was'  married  in  Ohio  to  Ma- 
tilda Collins.  She  was  born  in  that  state  sixty- 
two  years  ago.  •  Eight  children  were  the  re- 
sult of  this  union,  namely:  James  Edward, 
deceased ;  Anna  B.  (Wheatley),  w^ho  lives  three 
miles  southeast  of  Mound  Valley;  Emma 
(Kyle),  who  lives  one  mile  north  of  her  fa- 


576 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ther ;  Charles ;  Johnson  J. ;  Rosa ;  Maggie ;  and 
Ida. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Eakins  is  a  strong  Repub- 
lican, and  although  he  has  not  aspired  to  of- 
fice he  takes  an  active  interest  in  political  af- 
fairs. He  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  A. 
O.  U.  W.  He  assisted  in  the  erection  of  the 
Methodist  church  and  parsonage,  at  Mound 
Valley.  He  well  remembers'  the  first  sermon 
he  heard  in  Labette  county.  It  was  preached 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Slinker,  at  a  little  schoolhouse  in 
the  southeast  part  of  Mound  Valley  township, 
and  the  text  was:  "Jonah  was  glad  of  the 
gourd."  Mr.  Eakins  is  a  prominent  worker 
in  this  church. 


|*^AVID  M.  MILLER,  a  well  known 
ill  farmer  living  in  section  15,  township 
g^,S^  34,  range  20,  in  Hackberry  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sandusky  county,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
in  September,  1846.  He  is'  a  son  of  Joseph 
and  Barbara  (Overmire)  Miller. 

Joseph  Miller  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  when  a  young  man  removed  to  Perry  coun- 
ty, Ohio.  He  afterward  lived  in  Indiana,  where 
his  death  occurred.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Perry  county,  Ohio,  and  she  also  died  in  In- 
diana. Twelve  children  were  the  result  of  this 
union,  eight  of  whom  arrived  at  maturity,  and 
five  of  whom  are  now  living.  Those  living  are : 
Elijah,  who  is  a  farmer,  Emeline  (Zink),  Mary 
E.  (Overmire)  and  Angeline  (Briney),  all  of 
Indiana;  and  David  M.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch. 

David  M.  Miller  removed  with  his  parents, 
in  the  spring  of  1850,  to  Indiana,  where  they 
located  in  Fulton  county.  He  attended  the 
common  schools  of  that  county,  and  remained 
there  until  1880.     He  then  located  in  Labette 


county,  where  he  rented  a  farm  in  Hackberry 
township,  one  mile  east  of  his  present  home. 
In  August,  1880,  Mr.  Miller  bought  his  farm 
in  section  15,  which  contains  120  acres,  and 
was  known  as  the  De  Cow  farm.  He  also 
bought  80  acres  of  the  northeast  quarter,  and 
40  acres  in  the  section  lying  north  of  section 
15.  He  now  owns  280  acres,  altogether.  In 
1895  Mr.  Miller  erected  his  present  eight-room 
dwelling,  and  now  uses  the  old  house  as  a 
granary.  He  has  five  acres  of  orchard,  and 
raises  stock  and  grain, — his  stock  being  of  the 
finest  grade.  Hackberry  and  Lake  creeks  flow 
through  his  land,  thus  bountifully  supplying 
the  farm  with  water.  Mr.  Miller  is  a  con- 
scientious worker,  and  takes  great  pride  in  the 
general  appearance  of  his  home,  which  bespeaks 
its  owner's  thrift  and  energy. 

While  a  resident  of  Indiana,  Mr.  Miller 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Catherine  Buhler, 
who  was  born  in  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  in  1850. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Christina 
Buhler,  of  Fulton  county,  Indiana.  Mrs.  Miller 
was  reared  in  that  state.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  United  Brethren  church.  Ten  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller:  Mary; 
Emma ;  Sarah  Clarinda ;  Marion  M. ;  Lewis 
Albert ;  Joseph  F. ;  Milo ;  Bert ;  Edna ;  and 
Myrtle.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Sharp, 
who  is  in  the  creamery,  business  at  Matfield, 
Kansas,  and  has  two  children.  Emma  married 
Thomas  Kirby,  who  lives  three  miles  east  of 
her  parents,  and  has  one  daughter.  Sarah 
Clarinda  died  at  the  age  of  three  years.  Ma- 
rion M.  is  married  to  Ila  Dobbins,  has'  one 
daughter,  and  is  living  one  mile  east  of  his 
parents.  Lewis  Albert,  a  farmer  of  Fairview 
township,  is  married  to  Lillie  Dobbins,  and  has 
one  son.  Joseph  F.  is  married  to  Bertha  Brock. 
Milo  is  a  farmer,  but  lives  at  home.  Bert, 
Edna  and  Myrtle  are  at  home. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


577 


Mr.  Miller  was  a  Democrat,  in  politics,  but 
is  now  a  member  of  the  Populist  party.  He 
has.  served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  as 
trustee  of  the  township;  he  was  a  member  of 
the  school  board  of  District  No.  7,  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  but  resigned  a  short  time  ago. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  I. 
O.  O.  F.,  of  Bartlett.  He  and  his'  wife  are 
members  of  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Justice, 
and  each  carries  a  $2,000  life  insurance  policy. 
Mr.  Miller  has  always  been  an  active  and  pro- 
gressive citizen,  and  is  highly  respected  by  his 
townsmen. 


m 


J.  LATTA,  D.  D.  S.,  one  of  the 
foremost  dentists  of  Chetopa,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  was  born 
near  Columbia,  Tennessee,  in 
1847,  3nd  is  a  son  of  Calvin  and  Arminta 
(Mitchell)  Latta. 

Calvin  Latta  was  born  in  North  Carolina 
in  181 2,  and  is  a  carpenter  and  bridge  builder 
by  trade.  He  lived  in  North  Carolina  until 
he  was  twelve  years  old.  In  1852  Mr.  Latta 
removed  to  Jefiferson  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
bought  a  farm.  He  was  engaged  in  general 
farming, — in  which  he  was  assisted  by  his 
sons,- — and  also  followed  his  trade.  His  wife 
died  in  that  county,  aged  fifty-seven  years.  Mr. 
Latta  still  lives  there.  Their  children  were: 
Mary  E.  (Spawr)  (Johnson),  who  has  been 
twice  widowed ;  John  M. ;  W.  J. ;  C.  R.  J.  C, 
of  Kentucky;  Martha  J.  (Johnson),  who  lives 
in  Southern  Illinois;  Jerome  B.  P.,  of  Hunt 
county,  Texas;  Harriet  C.  (Hopgood),  of  Ken- 
tucky; Tennessee  K.,  deceased;  Gertrude  (Ben- 
son), deceased;  and  Mrs.  E.  B.  Whitlow,  who 
lives  in  Southern  Illinois. 

Dr.  W.  J.  Latta  attended  the  common 
schools  in  his  vicinity  and  assisted  on  his  fa- 


ther's farm  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years.  Always  ambitious  to  secure  a  good 
education,  he  quit  business  and  went  to  Eureka, 
Illinois,  and  then  to  college  at  Morgantield, 
Kentucky.  He  then  learned  his  father's  trade, 
but  finding  the  duties  too  arduous  for  his  con- 
stitution, in  October,  1868,  he  began  the  study 
of  dentistry  at  Ashley,  Illinois,  with  a  brother- 
in-law.  At  that  time  there  were  but  two  dental 
colleges  in  the  United  States,  and  students  pur- 
sued their  courses  mainly  with  preceptors.  Dr. 
Latta  studied  and  practiced  with  his  preceptor, 
and  was  located  at  dilYerent  places  in  Southern 
Illinois  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  In  1876 
he  went  to  Texas,  and  practiced  in  Dallas 
county  for  four  years.  He  then  located  in 
Chetopa,  June  19,  1880.  He  opened  his  office 
in  August  of  that  year,  and  since  that  time  has 
attended  to  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  Dr. 
Latta  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  dentistry, 
and,  inheriting  a  mechanical  nature  from  hie 
father,  the  choice  of  his  profession  was  a  wise 
one.  He  is  a  painstaking  worker,  conscientious 
and  faithful,  and  has  the  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  all  who  come  in  contact  with  him. 

Dr.  Latta  was  married,  in  Labette  county, 
to  Miss  S.  E.  Riter,  who  was  born  in  Central 
Illinois.  She  came  to  Cherokee,  Kansas,  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years',  and  before  her  mar- 
riage  taught  vocal  and  instrumental  music.  She 
studied  with  Mrs.  Handley,  a  very  successful 
teacher  in  St.  Louis.  Mrs.  Latta  now  has  a 
class  in  music  in  Chetopa.  She  is  highly  ac- 
complished, and  moves  in  the  best  social  circles 
of  Chetopa.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Latta  had  one  child 
which  died  in  infancy. 

Dr.  Latta  was  a  Democrat  early  in  life, 
but  changed  to  the  Greenback  ticket  in  Texas, 
and  is  now  a  strong  Prohibition  Populist.  He 
served  as  police  judge  two  years  in  Chetopa. 
He  has  always  been  an  active  worker  in  the 


578 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Christian  church,  of  which  Rev.  W.  F.  Guy  is 
the  present  pastor.  Dr.  Latta  owns  his  own 
home  in  Chetopa.  He  has  been  very  success- 
ful and  is  well  and  widely  known. 


ILLIAM  A.  WINTERS,  a  promi- 
nent and  influential  farmer  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  has  been  a 
resident  of  this  county  since  1897, 
and  owns  400  acres'  of  land  in  Hackberry 
township,  in  sections  5  and  8,  township  34, 
range  20.  He  was  born  in  Bureau  county, 
Illinois,  in  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and 
Catherine  A.   (Sheller)  Winters. 

James  Winters  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  after  his  marriage  went  west  to  Burling- 
ton, Iowa, — plying  his'  trade  as  a  carpenter. 
He  was  robbed  by  his  partner  of  all  his  money, 
trunk  and  effects,  and  so  he  located  in  Illi- 
nois and  devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. His  father  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  his  mother  was  of  Scotch-Irish  stock.  He 
married  Catherine  A.  Sheller,  and  of  the  12 
children  born  to  them  they  reared  nine,  as  fol- 
lows :  Anna  M. ;  William  A. ;  Mary  E. ;  Han-- 
nah  C,  deceased ;  Emma  J. ;  Sarah  B. ;  Alice 
M. ;  John  R. ;  and  A.  Christian.  William  A. 
and  Alice  M.  (Hawley)  reside  in  Labette 
county.  James  Winters  came  west  to  Kansas 
previous  to  the  arrival  of  William  A.  and 
acquired  property  in  Ross  township,  Cherokee 
county,  but  later  returned  to  Illinois,  where  he 
died  in  June,  1898. 

William  A.  Winters  moved  to  Cherokes 
county,  Kansas,  in  1875,  whither  his  father  had 
preceded  him  some  years,  and  purchased  land, 
which  the  former  bought  from  him  in  1883. 
There  he  resided  until  he  located  in  Labette 
county,  March  6,  1897,  purchasing  400  acres 


of  fine  land  in  sections  5  and  8,  township  34, 
range  20.  He  set  out  an  orchard  that  year, 
and  also  ornamental  trees,  and  in  1900  erected 
his  present  fine  home  of  nine  rooms,  which  is 
one  of  the  most  attractive  residences'  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county.  He  expects  to 
build  a  large  barn  in  the  near  future.  He  is 
a  very  progressive  man  and  is  well  deserving  of 
success. 

Mr.  Winters  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Cherokee  county,  with  Mary  E.  Hawkins,  a 
daughter  of  G.  W.  D.  Hawkins.  Mr.  Hawkins 
was'  born  in  Oneida  county,  New  York,  in 
1826,  and  there  was  reared.  He  moved  west 
to  the  vicinity  of  Aurora,  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  1848.  He  was  married  there,  and  also 
purchased  a  farm,  on  which  he  lived  until 
1 86 1.  He  was  then  located  in  Nebraska  until 
1866,  when  he  took  a  claim  east  of  Columbus, 
in  Cherokee  county,  Kansas.  There  he  re- 
sided for  a  period  of  twelve  years,  and  then 
moved  to  Ross  township,  where  William  A. 
Winters'  was  located.  In  1886,  he  removed  to 
Pratt  county,  Kansas,  where  he  farmed  until 
1 89 1.  He  went  to  Washington,  in  189 1.  In 
1898  Mrs.  Hawkins  died,  and  he  went  to  Ore- 
gon; thence,  August  29,  1899,  he  returned  to 
Kansas,  and  has  since  made  his  home  with  the 
subject  hereof.  He  married  Adelaide  R.  Jay, 
and  unto  them  were  born  seven  children,  as 
follows :  Arthur  O. ;  Minnie  A. ;  Mary  E. ; 
Martha  A. ;  Hattie  V. ;  Ralph  R. ;  and  Allie  J. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winters  have  one  son,  J. 
Ross,  who  is  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  is 
living  at  home.  In  politics,  William  A.  Win- 
ters belongs  to  the  Peoples  party,  while  Mr. 
Hawkins  is  a  Republican.  The  former  has 
filled  many  of  the  township  offices.  Frater- 
nally, he  and  his  son  are  members  of  the  A. 
O.  U.  W.,  of  Bartlett.  In  religious  views,  Mr. 
Winters  is  liberal. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


579 


^^|APTAIN  W.  H.  WESTON.  This 
H  ^^  gentleman,  who  was  an  early  settler 
§k^^  of  Montgomery  county,  Kansas,  has 
since  1883  occupied  a  leading  place 
in  the  agricultural  circles  of  Labette  county. 
He  resides  in  section  26,  township  32,  range 
17,  in  Mound  Valley  township.  He  was  born 
near  Salem,  Washington  county,  Indiana,  in 
1837.  His  parents  died  and  left  three  chil- 
dren: W.  H. ;  Almeda,  who  died  young;  and 
Joseph  M.,  who  was  taken  prisoner  at  Chick- 
amauga,  and  died  in  Libby  Prison,  in  1864. 

W.  H.  Weston  was  bound  out  to  a  Mr. 
Albertson,  with  whom  he  remained  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years'.  He  pur- 
chased time  for  the  last  few  months.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  while  with 
Mr.  Albertson,  and  has  followed  this  trade 
more  or  less  ever  since.  He  had  a  shoemaker's 
shop  in  Cherryvale,  Kansas',  for  a  number  of 
years.  August  9,  1861,  Mr.  Weston  enlisted 
as  a  private  soldier  in  Company  G,  i8th  Reg., 
Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  in  the  13th  Army  Corps, 
under  Gen.  John  A.  McClernand,  of  Illinois, 
and  later  under  General  Banks,  and  Gen.  E.  O. 
C.  Ord.  He  was  discharged  in  February,  1862, 
and  reeiilisted  in  Company  B,  i6th  Reg.,  Ind. 
Vol.  Inf.,  July  21,  1862.  The  latter  part  of  his 
service  was'  under  Maj.-Gen.  E.  R.  S.  Canby, 
in  the  Army  of  the  Gulf.  Mr.  Weston  was 
commissioned  first  lieutenant,  in  May,  1864, 
served  as  acting  captain,  and  was  commis- 
sioned captain  in  May,  1865.  Though  he  took 
part  in  many  battles,  he  wasi  never  seriously 
wounded.  In  August,  1862,  on  a  Saturday, 
he  was  taken  prisoner  at  Richmond,  Kentucky, 
and  the  following  Tuesday  he  was  paroled. 
He  was  under  fire  forty-eight  days,  in  the  cam- 
paign of  Vicksburg,  was  in  the  famous  Red 
River  expedition,  under  General  Banks,  as  a 
mounted  infantryman,  and  went    seven  days 


and  nights  without  sleep.  His  regiment  lost 
heavily,  and  the  men  remaining  were  sent  to 
fight  guerrillas  in  Louisiana.  In  April,  1865, 
they  had  their  last  engagement  with  the 
guerrillas,  and  captured  many.  Mr.  Weston 
was  mustered  out  as  captain,  July  21,  1865. 

After  the  war,  Capt.  Weston  farmed  in 
Indiana  until  he  located  in  Kansas,  in  1872. 
He  took  a  claim  in  Montgomery  county,  Kan- 
sas, one  and  a  half  miles  from  Cherryvale.  He 
remained  there  until  the  fall  of  1883,  when 
he  bought  his  present  home  farm  of  i6o  acres, 
which  is  described  as'  the  north  half  of  the 
northeast  quarter,  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
northeast  quarter;  and  the  northeast  quarter 
of  the  southeast  quarter,  of  section  26,  town- 
ship 32,  range  17.  This  was  taken  as  a  claim 
by  an  early  settler, — Mr.  McMichael, — who 
built  on  the  place  a  log  house,  which  is  now 
used  as  a  hay-barn.  Capt.  Weston  built  a 
comfortable  home  in  1883.  There  is  a  fine 
cave,  8  by  10  feet  in  size,  near  the  house,  and 
a  150-barrel  cistern.  Big  Hill  Creek  runs 
through  the  farm,  and  there  is  a  goodly  amount 
of  timber.  Capt.  Weston  devotes  three  acres 
of  the  land  to  various  kinds  of  fruit.  He  car- 
ries on  general  farming, — raising  stock  and 
grain.  He  is  a  man  who  succeeds  in  anything 
he  undertakes,  and  his  farming  career  has  been 
as  successful  as  his  career  as  a  soldier. 

Capt.  Weston  was  married  in  1863  to 
Louisa  S.  Beck.  She  died  in  Cherryvale,  in 
1888,  leaving  one  child,  William  Robert.  Will- 
iam Robert  Weston  is  a  general  mechanic  liv- 
ing at  Cherryvale.  He  is  married  and  has  sev- 
eral children, — having  had  four  twins.  Cap- 
tain Weston  married,  in  1889,  Mrs.  Mary  Cross 
(nee  Lasure).  She  lived  in  Ohio  a  number  of 
years,  and  located  at  Abilene,  Kansas,  in  1872. 
She  has  three  children,  namely.  Emma  (Rob- 
ison),    of    Cherryvale;    Rosa    (Berentz),    of 


58o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Chautauqua  county,  Kansas;  and  Delia  (John- 
son), who  lives  on  Capt.  Weston's  farm. 

Capt.  Weston  was  raised  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  party,  but  since  the  Civil  war  he 
has'  voted  the  straight  Republican  ticket.  The 
citizens  of  the  township  have  shown  their  con- 
fidence in  him  by  electing  him  to  the  offices  of 
clerk,  treasurer,  trustee  of  the  township,  and 
also  to  that  of  justice  of  the  peace.  He  has 
been  treasurer  of  the  school  board  in  District 
No.  19  for  the  past  seven  years.  Captain 
Weston  has'  many  agreeable  qualities,  and  is  a 
man  of  firm  principles.  He  has  numerous 
warm  friends  in  Labette  county. 


DOHN  A.  JAMISON,  a  highly  respected 
agriculturist  of  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, living  in  Mound  Valley  township, 
in  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  23, 
township  32,  range  18,  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
in  1845,  in  the  town  of  Clay  Village,  Shelby 
county.  He  is  a  son  of  Allen  and  Jane  (Cline) 
Jamison. 

Allen  Jamison  is  now  eighty-four  years  old. 
In  1850  he  moved  to  Missouri,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade,  that  of  a  blacksmith,  while 
his  sons  took  care  of  the  farm.  Mr.  Jamison 
was  wedded  to  Jane  Cline,  who  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  whose  death  occurred  in  Mis- 
souri, in  1900,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years'. 
They  reared  eight  children,  namely:  E.  T., 
who  lives  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Mound 
Valley  township;  John  A.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch :  Samuel,  who  is  a  farmer  in  Washing- 
ton;  Mary  E.  (Holmes),  who  lives;  in  Mis- 
souri ;  J.  T.,  who  is  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness' in  that  state;  Charles  and  George,  both 
residents  of  Missouri :  and  Theodosia,  who  died 
in  Missouri. 


John  A.  Jamison,  whose  name  headsi  this 
sketch,  attended  the  common  schools  of  Mis- 
souri. He  and  his  brother,  E.  T.,  served  in  the 
state  home  guard  for  three  years,  spending  one 
and  one-half  years  in  camp.  Mr.  Jamison  fol- 
lowed farming  in  Missouri  until  his  removal  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas.  In  the  fall  of  1869, 
Mr.  Jamison  took  a  claim  in  section  12,  town- 
ship 32,  range  18,  in  Osage  township.  He  re- 
turned to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  spent 
the  winter  of  1870,  and  since  that  time  has 
permanently  resided  in  Labette  county.  He 
located  on  his  present  farm  in  Mound  Valley 
township,  in  1891,  and  has  expended  over 
$1,500  in  improvements  on  the  place.  When 
he  bought  it.  it  was  in  the  hands  of  a  mort- 
gage company,  and  had  been  settled  by  Frank 
Harper.  The  soil  is  rich  and  compact,  being 
underlaid  by  strata  of  water-bearing  gravel.  A 
creek  and  springs  supply  water  in  the  corral, 
near  the  barn,  and  there  are  also  cisterns  and 
wells  on  the  place.  Mr.  Jamison  has  two  acres 
of  orchard,  and  about  100  acres  of  wheat.  He 
raises  grain  and  stock,  mainly.  He  breeds 
Poland-China  hogs,  and  white-faced  cattle,  and 
also  raises'  horses  for  general  use.  Mr.  Jamison 
is  a  practical  business  man,  and  has  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  farming  matters.  He  takes  a 
great  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  county,  and 
the  township,  and  is  now  serving  as  road  masteir 
of  the  township. 

Mr.  Jamison  married  Eliza  Tallman,  who- 
\vas  born  in  Ohio  in  1857.  They  have  been 
blessed  with  five  children,  namely:  Ella,  who 
is  at  home;  T.  W.,  who  lives  in  Oklahoma,  and 
is  engaged  with  the  Carbon  Light  Company, 
of  Wichita,  Kansas;  George  L.,  who  is  em- 
ployed in  the  steel  works  at  Pueblo,  Colorado ; 
Arthur,  who  is  home;  and  Jane,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years. 

Mr.  Jamison  is  a  Republican  in    politics.. 


JAMES  McKENNAN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


583 


He  has  served  as  trustee  of  his  township.  He 
attends  the  Methodist  church  at  Hopewell,  in 
Labette  township.  Mr.  Jamison  is  a  loyal  and 
upright  citizen,  and  his  friends  in  Labette 
county  are  many. 


HAMES    McKENNAN,    a    prosperous 
farmer  of  Howard  township,  Labette 
county,   Kansas,   lives  in  section  24, 
township  34,  range  1 7.     He  was  born 
in  Herkimer  county.  New    York,    April    30, 
1837,  and  is  a  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Sophia  (War- 
ner)  McKennan. 

Ezekiel  McKennan  was  of  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent. He  came  to  America  when  eighteen 
years  of  age,  and  located  in  New  York  State, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  became 
quite  an  extensive  land  owner,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  left  considerable  valuable  real 
estate.  In  religious  belief  "he  was  at  first  a 
Presbyterian  and  later  a  Congregationalist. 
He  and  his  wife  became  parents  of  1 1  children, 
as  follows:  Rachel;  Hugh;  Oliver;  Sophia; 
Sarah;  James;  George;  Jennie;  Mary;  and 
two  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  McKennan  re- 
mained in  his  native  state  until  November  15, 
1869,  when  he  decided  to  go  west.  After 
making  a  visit  to  friends  in  Michigan  and 
Iowa,  he  started  for  Kansas.  Arriving  at 
Kansas  City,  he  purchased  a  mule-team  and' 
proceeded  to  Montgomery  county,  Kansas, 
whence  he  went  to  Parker,  Linn  county, 
March  2.  1870.  There  he  remained  a  short 
time  when  he  moved  to  Labette  county,  and 
purchased  his  present  farm  June  8,  1872. 
Upon  this  but  few  improvements  had  been 
made.  A  claim  house  had  been  built,  and  about 
20  acres  of  land  had  been  broken.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kennan  has   made  many  improvements,   and 


now  has  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  town- 
ship. About  50  acres  are  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  and  the  remainder  is  used  for 
grazing  purposes.  In  1882  he  built  a  cottage 
of  seven  rooms,  which  adds  greatly  to  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  property. 

^Ir.  ;\IcKennan  was  united  in  matrimony, 
March  24.  1873,  with  Mae  Kempton,  who  was 
born  in  Orleans  county.  New  York,  February 
12,  1854,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Chauncy  and 
Marion  D.  (Billings)  Kempton.  They  had 
two  children:  Edith,  born  in  July,  1875,  who 
itlied  at  the  age  of  four  months,  and  Bret,  now 
a  lad  of  sixteen  years.  Politically,  Mr.  Mc- 
Kennan is  a  stanch  Republican,  but  does  not 
aspire  to  office.  Mrs.  McKennan  is  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church.  A  portrait  of 
Mr.  McKennan  is  shown  on  a  foregoing  page. 


QSAAC  D.  ELLISON,  a  highly  respected 
farmer  living  in  Mound  Valley  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  section 
21,  township  32,  range  18,  was  born  in 
Stark  county,  Ohio,  January  24,  1833,  in  the 
village  of  Marlboro,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and 
Anna  (Jones')  Ellison,  who  were  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent. 

Samuel  Ellison  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  his  death  occurred  in  Ohio,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years.  His  wife  was  a  native  of 
Georgia,  and  died,  in  Ohio,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five  years.  They  had  nine  children,  namely: 
Elizabeth  (Allmon),  who  died  in  1885,  aged 
eighty-two  years;  Anna  (Pennock),  whose 
death  took  place  in  1898,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  years;  John,  who  died  in  i860,  in  Alliance, 
Stark  county,  Ohio,  aged  fifty  years ;  William, 
deceased  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  in  Janesville, 
Wisconsin;  Samuel,  aged  eighty-seven  years. 


584 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


who  lives  at  Greenleaf,  Kansas ;  Dempsey,  aged 
eighty-one  years,  of  Yukon,  Oklahoma;  Mar- 
garet (Fulton),  who  died  in  Dayton,  Ohio, 
aged  sixty  years;  Deborah  (Fulton),  who  died 
in  1889,  aged  sixty  years;  and  Isaac  D.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch. 

Isaac  D.  Ellison  was  reared  in  the  town  of 
]\Iarlboro,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  his 
marriage,  in  1854.  He  married  Martha  Orr, 
Avho  died  in  1864,  leaving  five  children,  three 
■of  whom  died  in  childhood.  The  others  were: 
Flora  (Hoover),  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  and  Mrs. 
■Cora  Brown,  who  died  in  Denver,  Colorado,  in 
the  fall  of  1900,  leaving  five  children.  Mr. 
Ellison  and  his  wife  were  engaged  in  the  hotel 
business  at  Alliance,  Ohio,  for  a  period  of  three 
years.  He  was,  next,  in  the  railroad  business 
for  two  years,  after  which  he  removed,  with 
his  family,  to  Chicago,  in  the  fall  of  1865. 
There  he  conducted  the  hotel  known  as  the  Cen- 
tral House,  at  Nos.  82  and  84  East  Randolph 
street.  This  was  a  five-story  building,  and  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  187 1.  In  1870  Mr.  Ellison 
sold  this  hotel,  and  concluded  to  try  his  for- 
tune in  the  West.  He  bought  a  stock  of  fine 
whiskies,  brandies,  and  other  liquors,  and  went 
to  Utah,  intent  upon  making  his  fortune.  In 
this  he  was  greatly  disappointed.  He  settled 
at  Promontory  Point,  Utah,  where  the  golden 
spike  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  was'  driven. 
Mr.  Ellison  was  obliged  to  sell  his  stock  at  a 
great  loss,  as  he  found  competition  was  too 
great.  He  then  went  to  Texas,  where  he  bought 
a  herd  of  cattle,  which  he  brought  to  Labette 
county,  thinking  he  would  take  a  claim  in 
Mound  Valley,  where  he  would  have  abimdant 
range  for  the  cattle  to  graze  in  the  vicinity. 
But  in  this  he  was  also  disappointed,  as  the 
country  very  soon  became  settled.  Thus  he 
was  obliged  to  begin  life  over,  as  a  poor  man, 
comparatively,  but,  nothing  daunted,  he  set  out 


with  renewed  energy,  and  is  now  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  and  successful  farmers  in  his 
section  of  Labette  county. 

Mr.  Ellison  bought  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  21,  township  32,  range  18,  in  the 
spring  of  1871,  for  the  small  amount  of  $400. 
Then,  after  six  years  of  litigation  with  the 
railroad  company,  he  finally  acquired  title  to ' 
the  farm.  He  first  broke  eight  acres  of  the 
land,  and  planted  sod-corn,  and  later  broke  all 
of  the  home  quarter-section.  He  now  has  300 
trees  bearing  fruit,  these  trees  having  been 
bought  from  Mr.  North,  who  kept  a  nursery 
in  this  part  of  the  county,  and  supplied  all  of 
the  orchards  in  the  vicinity.  When  Mr.  Ellison 
settled  on  this  land,  there  was  only  a  shanty, 
10  by  12  feet  in  size.  This  he  soon  replaced 
by  a  modern  house,  which  sits  on  a  mound, 
some  distance  back  from  the  road,  and  thus  af- 
fords a  splendid  view.  He  also  bought  80 
acres'  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  road, 
and  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  16,  township  32,  range  18, 
making  a  farm  of  280  acres.  This  he  deeded 
to  his  sons.  Mr.  Ellison  carries  on  general 
farming.  He  raises  corn,  hogs  and  cattle,  and 
last  year  solii  $1,800  worth  in  one  season.  He 
prefers  thoroughbred  Poland-China  hogs,  and 
has  several  of  them.  Mr.  Ellison  is  a  self  made 
man,  and  deserves  great  credit  for  the  manner 
in  which  he  confronted  adversity  and  struggled 
on  until  success  was  again  his. 

Mr.  Ellison  formed  a  second  marital  union, 
in  Illinois,  by  wedding  Sarah  E.  Howe,  who 
was  born  in  Akron,  Ohio.  She  is  now  fifty- 
eight  years  old.  Six  children  have  been  the 
result  of  this  marriage,  whose  names  are  as 
follows:  John,  who  married  Pearl  Stevens, 
and  who  lives  near  his  father ;  Charles,  who  is 
at  home:  Lorena  (Larrabee),  who  lives  in 
Blackwell,  Oklahoma,  and  has'  one  daughter. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


585 


Bessie;  Hattie  (Norton),  who  lives  on  a  farm 
in  Osage  township,  and  has  one  son,  Harry; 
Maude,  who  is  at  home ;  and  Walter,  aged  sev- 
enteen years,  who  is  also  at  home.  Mr.  Ellison 
was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Old  Settlers' 
League,  and  relates  many  interesting  experi- 
ences of  the  happenings  incident  to  the  settling 
of  this  county. 

Mr.  Ellison  has  always  voted  the  straight 
Republican  ticket.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  lodge,  of  Cherryvale,  al- 
though he  joined  this  organization  in  Ohio. 
His  family  attends  the  Methodist  church.  They 
are  well  and  favorably  known  in  the  county, 
and  Mr.  Ellison  has  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
all  his  fellow  citizens. 


ILLIAM  ALLMOX,  a  prosperous' 
and  well  known  farmer  living  in 
Mound  Valley  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  and  was  born  March  8,  1845, 
and  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Ehzabeth  (Ellison) 
Allmon. 

Isaac  Allmon  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
was.  descended  from  an  old  Pennsylvania  fam- 
ily. He  followed  the  trades  of  carpenter  and 
machinist,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years,  in  1872.  Elizabeth  Ellison  Allmon,  the 
mother  of  William,  was  descended  from  a  well 
known  Virginia  family,  and  died  in  Ohio  in 
1885.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allmon  reared  five  chil- 
dren, namely:  Mary  A.  (James),  of  North 
Lewisburg,  Ohio;  Samuel  E.,  of  Toledo,  Ohio, 
a  canal  superintendent,  who,  in  the  Civil  war,, 
was  a  member  of  Company  C,  45th  Reg.,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.,  served  as  adjutant  of  the  regiment, 
and  was  commissioned  captain;  Hiram  W., 
who  was  a  member  of  Company  K,  42d  Reg., 


Oliio  Vol.  Inf.,  and  died  in  the  army;  Ezra  J., 
who  was  also  a  member  of  that  regiment,  and 
who  was  accidentally  shot  and  killed  while 
cleaning  a  gun,  in  the  fall  of  1900;  and  Will- 
iam, the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

William  Allmon  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  his  native  state,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  in  the  spring  of  1864,  enlisted  as  a  100- 
day  man  in  Company  B,  I32d  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol. 
Inf.,  in  the  loth  Army  Corps,  under  General 
Butler.  He  was  with  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac, was  under  fire,  and  did  guard  duty  on 
the  James'  River  and  at  Petersburg.  He  was 
mustered  out  at  Camp  Chase,  Columbus,  Ohio, 
in  the  fall  of  1864. 

When  a  boy,  Mr.  Allmon  was  handy  with 
tools,  and  this  fact  led  him  to  become  a  ma- 
chinist and  carpenter  on  the  Bellefontaine  & 
Indiana  Railroad,  which  is  now  the  "Big  4." 
He  followed  this  occupation  until  the  fall  o£ 
1872,  and  was  then  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  until  the  fall  of  1885.  He  had  charge 
of  the  stair,  machinery,  scroll  work,  and  mold- 
ing departments  of  a  large  lumber  and  planing 
mill,  at  Bellefontaine,  Ohio.  When  this  factory 
burned,  Mr.  Allmon  was'  a  very  heavy  loser. 
In  1885  he  decided  to  try  his  luck  in  the  West, 
and  accordingly  set  out  for  Kansas,  and  lo- 
cated in  Mound  Valley  township,  Labette  coun- 
ty. He  bought  his  present  farm  in  section  22, 
township  32,  range  18,  from  A.  McGinnis,  for 
$4,000,  paying  $2,500  down  and  assuming  a 
mortgage  of  $1,500.  Mr.  Allmon  has  always 
been  a  conscientious  and  thrifty  worker,  and 
his'  success  has  been  due  entirely  to  his  own 
ability  and  industry.  He  has  built  a  substantial 
barn,  set  out  a  new  orchard,  and  made  many 
other  minor  improvements.  He  cleared  the 
farm  of  debt,  and  in  addition  bought  80  acres 
of  land  near  Altamont,  and  80  acres  in  Mound 
Valley  township.     He  has  a  fine  well,  which, 


586 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


though  but  14  feet  deep,  never  fails  to  give 
a  goodly  supply  of  water.  He  also  has  a  240- 
barrel  cistern  on  the  farm,  and  a  good  spring 
running  through  the  northern  part  of  it.  Mr. 
Allmon  has  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  has  just  cause  to  be  proud  of  his  well 
earned  success  in  agricultural  pursuits. 

Mr.  Allmon  was  wedded  to  Dulcie  ]\IcCnl- 
ley,  who  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  They  have  three 
children,— Emma  (Morain),  who  lives  on  a 
farm  in  Osage  township;  Edwin  M.,  who  mar- 
ried Eva  Daniels,  and  owns  a  farm  near  his 
father's;  and  Carrie  (Tedstrom),  of  Mound 
Valley  township,  who  also  bought  a  farm  near 
her  father's  place.  Mr.  Allmon  is  a  member 
of  the  Republican  party.  Fraternally,  he  be- 
longs to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  which  order  he  joined 
in  Ohio.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Re- 
bekahs.  Mr.  Allmon  was  raised  a  Quaker, 
and  his  wife  is'  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church. 


^^HARLES  WATSON.  This  gentle- 
H  ^^  "''^"  's  one  of  the  successful  farm- 
B>^j^^S  ers  of  Mound  Valley  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas.  He  is  a  native 
of  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  was'  born  July  24, 
1850.    He  is  a  son  of  J.  C.  and  Serena  Watson. 

J.  C.  Watson  moved  to  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  in  1852,  and  lived  there  until  1867, 
when  he  located  in  Kansas.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent farmer  and  stock  raiser,  and  his  death 
occurred  in  Labette  county.  He  and  his  wife 
reared  six  boys  and  three  girls.  Three  chil- 
dren are  now  living  in  Labette  county,  two,  in 
California,  and  one,  in  Colorado. 

Charles  Watson,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
was  reared  and  schooled  in  his  native  county. 
In  June,  1867,  he  moved  to  Labette  county, 
and  took  a  claim  in  Richland  township, — the 


southwest  quarter  of  section  29,  township  34,. 
range  21.  In  1872  he  removed  to  Hackberry 
township,  where  he  bought  80  acres  of  land 
in  section  31,  township  34,  range  20.  There 
he  lived  for  twenty  years.  He  made  extensive 
improvements  on  the  place  and  then  sold  it  and 
moved  to  Richland  township,  where  he  lived 
for  four  years.  In  1896  Mr.  Watson  bought 
his  present  home  farm  in  Mound  Valley  town- 
ship, the  southeast  quarter  of  section  23,  town- 
ship 32,  range  18, — from  the  Deming  Invest- 
ment Company,  of  Oswego.  Many  of  the  im- 
provements were  made  on  the  farm  when  Mr., 
Watson  bought  it,  but  he  has  set  out  a  young 
orchard.  Mr.  Watson  has  a  brother  in  Rich- 
land towTiship,  whose  name  is  D.  U.  Watson. 
Charles  Watson  is  a  thrifty  and  steady  worker 
and  has  been  very  successful  since  coming  to 
Kansas. 

In  January,  1874,  Mr.  Watson  married 
Angeline  Powers,  who  was  born  in  Adair  coun- 
ty, Missouri,  in  1854.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Moses  and  Lucy  A.  (Cayon)  Powers.  Mr. 
Powers  died  in  1898,  and  his  wife  in  1895. 
When  Mrs.  Watson  was  six  years  old  her  par- 
ents moved  to  Cooke  county,  Texas,  and  in 
1867  they  came  to  Labette  county,  and  settled' 
near  Labette  Creek,  in  Richland  township. 
They  reared  seven  children,  namely:  Eliza- 
beth; Sarah  (Kinney)  and  George,  of  Cofifey- 
ville,  Kansas ;  Mrs.  Keith,  who  lives  in  Texas  ;. 
Angeline,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Watson;  and  John 
and  William,  who  live  in  Texae. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Watson  and  his  wife 
has  been  blessed  with  eight  children,  namely: 
John  A.,  who  is  a  machinist  in  Colorado; 
Georgie  May,  the  wife  of  Ed  Mollenhour,  of 
Richland  township;  Nellie,  who  is  at  home; 
William,  deceased;  Frank,  who  is  home;  Olive- 
]\Iinnie,  deceased ;  and  Leslie  Estelle  and  Bessie, 
who  are  at  home.     Mr.   Watson  has  always- 


R.   D.   LEAVITT. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


589 


been  a  member  of  the  Republican  party.  Re- 
ligiously, he  is  a  Presbyterian,  although  he 
■was  raised  a  Methodist. 


IS'r'^I  ^'  LEAVITT,  a  farmer  living  in 
11  r«  section  16,  township  31,  range  18,  in 
Hr^  Osage  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  whose  portrait  is  herewith 
shown,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  son 
of  Loirett  and  Elizabeth    (Harned)    Leavitt. 

Loirett  Leavitt  was  born  in  Vermont,  in 
1799,  and  lived  in  New  York,  and  later  in 
Pennsylvania.  His  wife  was  born  in  1801. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  namely : 
Lydia,  who  lives  in  Pennsylvania;  and  R.  D., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Both  of  Mr.  Leav- 
itt's  parents  had  been  previously  married,  and 
each  had  reared  children.  By  a  former  mar- 
riage, his  father  reared:  Leander,  Harmon 
and  Mary;  and  his  mother  bore  her  first  hus- 
band, whose  name  was  Syers,  the  following 
children:  Alexander,  Sarah  and  Margaret. 
Mary  Leavitt  lives  in  Wisconsin.  Alexander 
Syers  lives  in  Michigan.  Sarah,  Margaret, 
Leander  and   Harmon  are  deceased. 

R.  D.  Leavitt  attended  the  common  and 
select  schools  of  Mercer  county,  Pennsylvania, 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  In 
1863  he  enlisted  in  Company'  H,  55th  Reg., 
state  militia, — serving  but  three  months. 
After  leaving  the  army,  he  did  various  kinds 
of  work,  and  finally  decided  to  engage  in  farm- 
ing. He  accordingly  purchased  land  until  '.e 
had  secured  102  acres.  He  lived  in  Pennsyl- 
vania a  number  of  years.  In  1893  he  moved 
to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  located  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  bought  the  prop- 
erty with  what  money  lie  had  eaThed  in  Penn- 
sylvania, with  the  exception  of  $100,  and  since 


settling  in  Kansas  has  been  very  successful. 
Although  he  has  not  lived  very  long  in  Kan- 
sas, he  has  made  many  friends,  and  is  highly 
respected  by  all  who  know  him. 

In  1872  Mr.  Leavitt  was  married,  and  his 
wife  bore  him  three  children,  who  are  living 
in  Silver  Creek,  New  York.  Their  names 
are:  Cora,  whose  husband  has  a  large  har- 
ness shop  in  Silver  Creek;  Viola;  and  Mary. 
Mr.  Leavitt  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  is  a  Christian  man,  but  at  present 
is  not  a  member  of  anv  church. 


u 


ACOB  HEINKEY,  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial and  progressive  farmers  re- 
siding in  Osage  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  in  1837.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob 
and  Sophia  (Frank)   Heinkey. 

Jacob  Heinkey  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
came  to  America  in  1837.  In  1841  he  located 
in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  where  he  lived 
until  his'  son,  Jacob,  was  about  three  years  old. 
He  then  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
where  his  death  occurred,  in  1894.  His  wife 
died  in  Indiana  in  1873.  They  reared  several 
children,  four  of  whom  died  while  young. 
When  Mr.  Heinkey  came  over  from  Germany 
there  was  smallpox  on  the  vessel,  and  he  lost 
two  children.  The  three  children  now  living 
are:  Sophia,  a  widow  who  lives  at  Misha- 
waka,  Indiana;  Malchus,  a  successful  farmer 
who  lives  near  Bremen,  Marshall  county,  In- 
diana; and  Jacob. 

Jacob  Heinkey,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  was  reared  and  schooled  in  Indiana, 
where  he  remained  until  1880.  He  carried  on 
farming  while  there,  and  in  1880  removed  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas.     He  settled  in  Osage 


S90 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


township,  where  he  bought,  of  Jarvis  Martin, 
his  first  i6o  acres, — the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  2,  township  31,  range  17.  Mr.  Martin 
had  lived  on  the  claim  eight  years,  and  had 
acquired  the  title.  Mr.  Heinkey  had  but  a 
shanty  for  a  dwelling,  and  he  at  once  began  to 
make  improvements  on  the  place.  He  had  con- 
siderable capital,  and  several  head  of  horses, 
on  locating  in  Labette  county.  In  1895  he 
built  a  fine  barn,  40  by  60  feet  in  size,  which 
was  struck  by  lightning,  and  burned,  four  years 
later.  At  that  time  he  was  planning  a  new 
house,  and  had  a  large  quantity  of  dimension 
stuff  and  finishing  lumber  stored  in  the  barn. 
This  also  was  destroyed.  Nothing  daunted, 
Mr.  Heinkey  at  once  had  the  old  house  torn 
to  pieces,  and  while  the  family  made  them- 
selves as  comfortable  as  possible  in  a  tent,  he 
began  the  building  of  a  two-story  brick  house, 
which  was  completed  in  1900.  The  main  part 
is  24  by  26  feet,  in  dimensions,  and  the  addi- 
tion is  18  by  28  feet.  In  1901  he  built  a  sum- 
mer kitchen.  12  by  16  feet  in  size,  of  solid 
brick.  He  then  built  the  present  ample  barn, 
measuring  40  by  68  feet,  which  is  31  feet  to 
the  gable.  He  also  has  a  fine  cave  near  the 
house.  He  set  out  an  orchard,  which  is  in 
vigorous  condition.  Corn  and  hay  are  the 
staple  crops,  although  he  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising.  He  now  owns  about 
half  of  a  section,  124  acres  of  which  is  near 
Brook?,  Wilson  county,  Kansas.  The  railroad 
runs  through  Mr.  Heinkey's  farm,  which  is' 
one  of  the  finest  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Heinkey  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Ann  Smith,  who  was  born  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,  in  1843.  Nine  children  were 
born  to  them,  three  of  whom  reached  maturity, 
namely:  Caroline  (Coleman),  who  lives  with 
her  father,  and  has  two  children. — Esther,  and 
John  Edward ;  Henry,  a  successful  grain  buyer 


and  business  man,  who  is  postmaster  at  More- 
head;  and  Lydia,  who  died  of  consumption,  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  years.  Politically,  Mr. 
Heinkey  is  a  strong  Republican,  and  cast  his 
first  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Association, — the 
church  being  located  in  Montgomery  county, 
on  the  same  circuit  as  Dennis'. 

Mr.  Heinkey  is  widely  known  in  Labette 
county,  where  he  takes  an  active  interest  in  all 
measures  which  tend  to  benefit  the  county. 


a  AVID  H.  MARTIN,  a  successful 
merchant  living  in  Edna,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  came  to  this  county 
in  October,  1873.  He  was  born  at 
Saint  Clairsville,  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  in 
1866,  and  is  a  son  of  F.  G.  and  Abigail  (Har- 
ris) Martin. 

F.  G.  ]\Iartin  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  later  moved  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  also  carried  on 
farming,  and  held  various  county  ofiices.  Upon 
coming  to  Labette  county,  he  located  in  Elm 
Grove  township,  one  mile  north  of  Edna,  where 
he  bought  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  17. 
township  34,  range  19.  Later  he  retired,  his 
last  active  work  being  in  1892-93.  when  ha 
served  as  deputy  county  clerk  under  his  son. 
During  that  time  he  lived  in  Oswego.  His 
sight  has  been  failing  in  the  past  few  years,  but 
notwithstanding  that  he  is  hale  and  hearty. 
He  married  Abigail  Harris,  who  was  reared 
in  Ohio.  She  is  also  living  in  Edna.  Six 
children  were  born  to  them  :  David  H. :  Fran- 
cis W.,  who  lives  in  Edna;  and  Claude.  Wil- 
bur, Annie  and  Minnie,  deceased. 

Francis  W.  Martin,  the  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  at  St.  Clairsville,  Ohio,  in  1855, 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


591 


and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  He  attended 
school,  and  later  taught  school  in  Labette  coun- 
ty two  or  three  years.  He  assisted  considerably 
in  clerical  work  at  the  court  house  in  Oswego, 
having  served  as  deputy  county  treasurer.  He 
was  postmaster  at  Edna  from  1889  till  1894. 
He  married  Ida  Keeler,  September  2^,  1877, 
in  Labette  county.  She  was  born  in  New  York, 
but  reared  in  Illinois,  and  located  in  Labette 
county  in  1873.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Charle;< 
M.  Keeler,  who  is  also  a  resident  of  this  coun- 
ty. Mrs.  Martin  served  as  county  superintend- 
ent of  schools  during  1895-96,  while  they  were 
living  at  Oswego. 

David  H.  Martin,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  in  Labette  county,  where  he  taught 
school  three  or  four  years.  In  1SS8-89  he  was 
deputy  county  clerk  under  W.  J.  Millikin,  and 
also  served  as  clerk  during  1892-93.  During 
1890-91  he  taught  school  at  Altamont,  and 
elsewhere,  until  elected  county  clerk.  He  then 
was  the  editor  of  the  Parsons  Independent  un- 
til June,  1894,  when  he  accepted  the  position 
of  assistant  chief  clerk  at  the  state  penitentiary 
at  Lansing,  Kansas,  under  Warden  S.  W. 
Chase.  He  was  there  thirteen  months,  when 
he  returned  to  Labette  county,  and  worked  for 
four  months  in  the  county  treasurer's  ofSce. 
Being  affected  with  rheumatism,  he  gave  up 
the  position  and  recuperated  until  February, 
1897.  He  then  resumed  the  old  position  at  the 
penitentiary  under  Warden  Landis,  remaininp; 
there  until  January  i,  1900.  He  then  began 
his  present  business  at  Edna,  dealing  in  dry 
goods,  groceries,  shoes,  queensware,  etc.  He 
has  an  entirely  new  stock  of  goods,  and  occu- 
pies a  building  60  by  22  feet.  He  employs  one 
assistant,  and  does  a  large  business.  Mr.  Mar- 
tin owns  160  acres  of  farm  land  near  Edna,  anrt 
some  town  lots.     He  is  very  prosperous,  and  is 


a  superior  business  man,  being  honest  and  up- 
right in  his  dealings  with  all. 

Mr.  Martin  married  H.  Lesley  Burns,  at 
Chetopa,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  November 
18,  1890.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Patrick  Burns, 
and  was  reared  in  Indiana,  coming  to  Labette 
county  in  1885.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  member  of 
the  People's  party,  and  was  recently  elected 
city  clerk.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  tlie 
M.  W.  of  A.,  of  which  he  Is  venerable  consul. 
In  religious  views,  he  is  liberal.  Mr.  Martin 
has  always  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  de- 
velopment of  Labette  county,  and  is  highly 
respected  in  the  community. 


01 


R.  JAMES  HENRY  WOODUL. 
Among  the  prominent  physicians  re- 
siding at  Edna,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in  Wil- 
son county,  Tennessee,  December  22.  1834, 
and  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Amanda  (Al- 
len) Woodul. 

George  W.  Woodul  was  a  mechanic  by 
trade;  his  death  occurred  in  Illinois  in  1870, 
where  he  'had  moved  in  the  '."fifties."  He 
married  Amanda  Allen,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
and  she  died  in  Illinois  sometime  after  his  de- 
cease. Five  children  born  to  them  reached 
maturity,  namely:  James  Henry;  Kitty  and 
Elizabeth,  deceased;  Sophia  (Calvert),  form- 
erly of  Texas,  but  now  living  in  Oklahoma; 
and  Lucinda,  deceased. 

Dr.  Woodul  was  reared,  as  a  boy,  but  16 
miles  from  the  "Hermitage,"  and  in  1853  left 
his  native  place  and  went  to  Missouri,  Where 
he  alternately  taught  and  attended  school  for 
several  years.  He  attended  Cumberland  Uni- 
versitv,  at  Lebanon.  Tennessee,  and  his  last 


592 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY, 


study,  excepting  his  medical  course,  was  at 
St.  Paul's  College,  at  Palmyra,  [Missouri.  He 
held  the  office  of  superintendent  of  the  schools 
at  Scottville,  Virden,  and  Pana,  Illinois.  His 
last  school  was  at  California,  Missouri,  near 
JefYerson  City.  After  the  close  of  the  war.  Dr. 
AVoodul  decided  to  study  medicine.  He  at- 
tended lectures  at  the  Missouri  Medical  College, 
at  St.  Louis,  graduated  in  1875,  and  after- 
ward began  practicing.  He  went  to  James- 
town, Moniteau  county,  Missouri,  where  he 
remained  one  year,  and  then  to  Columbus, 
Johnson  county.  Missouri,  where  he  entered 
into  partnership  with  Dr.  Newman,  and  later 
was  associated  with  Dr.  Coleman  one  year. 
He  then  practiced  two  or  three  years  alone, 
after  which  he  went  to  Jackson  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  in  1881  graduated  from  the  Kansas 
City  Medical  College.  Dr.  Woodul  then  went 
to  Aubrey,  Johnson  county,  Missouri,  where 
he  practiced  for  three  years.  In  1884  he  went 
to  Whiting,  Jackson  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
remained  nine  years.  From  Jackson  county, 
he  moved  in  1893  <-0  a  point  11  miles  north- 
east of  Carthage,  but  returned  after  two  years 
to  Whiting,  where  he  still  had  property.  Af- 
ter disposing  of  this  property,  he  moved  to 
Labette  county,  where  he  built  a  comfortable 
home  in  Edna,  and  opened  an  office  over  R.  H. 
Muzzy's  hardware  store.  He  has  an  excellent 
practice,  and  is  well  pleased  with  Labette 
county.  In  the  few  years  he  has  resided  in 
this  county  he  has  won  the  confidence  of  the 
citizens  of  Edna,  and  is  hig'hly  esteemed  as  a 
gentleman  of  learning  and  honesty.  He  has 
a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  and  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  best  physicians  in  the  county. 
Dr.  Woodul  served  as  mayor  of  Edna  during 
1900. 

Dr.   Woodul  was  married  in  Missouri  in 
1 86 1   to  Adelaide  Lillard.     She  was  born  in 


Maryland  in  1840,  and  is  a  daughter  of  W.  C. 
and  Sarah  J.  (Richmond)  Lillard.  Her  fa- 
ther was  a  farmer,  and  located  in  Missouri 
when  she  was  young.  He  is  deceased,  but  his 
wife  still  lives  in  Lafayette  county,  Missouri. 
Dr.  Woodul  and  his  wife  have  been  the  par- 
ents of  nine  children,  namely :  Washington 
Harold,  of  Arkansas  City,  Kansas,  who  works 
in  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  offices ;  Richard  Lynn, 
who  is  a  railroad  agent  at  Alice,  Texas;  Eva 
F.  (Spears),  who  lives  at  Oneida,  Kansas; 
Bell  S.  (Watts),  who  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Watts, 
of  Napoleon,  Missouri;  Helen  (Myers),  who 
is  the  wife  of  a  merchant  of  Whiting,  Kansas; 
Maude  (Hobert),  whose  husband  is  agent  for 
the  Chicago  Great  Western  Railway  Company, 
and  lives  at  De  Kalb,  Illinois:  Lewis  Edwin, 
who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  "Sunset"  route, 
at  Schulenberg,  Texas;  Charles  B.,  of  Alice, 
Texas,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  San  An- 
tonio &  Aransas  Pass  Railway  Company ;  and 
Milton  Chester,  aged  twenty  years,  who  is  at 
home. 

Dr.  Woodul  is  a  Republican,  in  politics. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church. 


^^pB  C.  ARNOLD,  proprietor  of  the  larg- 
@M  I  est  general  store  in  Edna,  Labette 
^^  county,  Kansas,  located  in  the  county 
in  the  fall  of  1883.  He  is  a  native  of 
Henry  county,  Kentucky,  was  born  in  1859, 
and  is  a  son  of  J.  L.  and  Sophia  (  Barbee) 
Arnold. 

J.  L.  Arnold  was  a  Kentuckian,  and  died 
in  his  native  state  in  1894.  He  was  a  Jeffer- 
sonian  Democrat  in  politics.  His  wife,  Sophia 
(Barbee)  Arnold,  died  in  1890.  They  reared 
five  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:    Kate, 


WILLIAM   G.   HOOVER. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


595 


deceased  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  Emma 
(Eatterton)  and  Nathaniel,  of  Eminence,  Ken- 
tucky; Joshua  C,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Ella  C.  (Logan),  of  Lexington,  Kentucky; 
Robert  L.,  a  merchant  of  Anthony,  Kansas; 
C.  C,  a  merchant  at  Carl  Junction,  Missouri ; 
and  William  F.,  an  attorney  at  Lowell,  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

J.  C.  Arnold  was  reared  in  Kentucky,  where 
he  attended  the  college  at  Eminence.  He  as- 
sisted his  father  on  the  farm  until  he  reached 
his  majority,  and  in  the  fall  of  1883  removed 
to  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  farmed  for  three  years.  He  then 
moved  to  old  Kingston,  where  he  lived  for  six 
months,  and  then  returned  to  Edna,  to  which 
point  the  town  of  Kingston  had  moved.  He 
conducted  a  dry  goods,  grocery  and  gents' 
furnishing  store,  under  his  own  name,  for  a 
time,  and  then  entered  into  partnership  with  his 
brother,  imder  the  firm  name  of  Arnold  Broth- 
ers. This  partnership  continued  for  five  years ; 
since  1896,  the  firm  name  has  been  J.  C.  Arnold 
&  Son.  Mr.  Arnold  entered  the  present  two- 
story,  brick  building,  100  by  25  feet  in  di- 
mensions, in  1899,  and  has  a  large  well  stocked 
store.  The  Smi  printing  office  is  on  the  sec- 
ond floor,  and  the  remaining  space  there  is  used 
for  clothing  and  carpets.  Mr.  Arnold  carries 
a  stock  of  goods  worth  $20,000,  and  does  an 
immense  business.  His  Indian  trade  is  very 
heavy,  and  extends'  from  20  to  25  miles  south. 
Mr.  Arnold  employs  six  assistants. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Janie  Thomas,  of  Newcastle, 
Kentucky,  and  they  have  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,  namely:  Richard,  who  is  in  part- 
nership with  his  father;  Nathaniel,  who  is'  at 
home;  William,  who  is  two  years  old;  and 
Helen.  Mr.  Arnold  has  a  fine  home  in  Edna,' 
and  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  citizens  of 


the  town.  He  is  a  man  of  honest  and  open 
business  methods,  and  is  highly  esteemed  for 
his  loyalty  as  a  citizen.  Politically,  Mr.  Arnold 
is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Edna 
lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Edna : 
and  the  K.  of  P.  In  religious  views,  he  is 
hberal. 


1^ 


ILLIAM  G.  HOOVER,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  Rich- 
land township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  whose  portrait  appears  on 
the  opposite  page,  resides  in  section  3,  one 
mile  from  the  town  of  Chetopa.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  State  Bank 
of  Chetopa,  and  is  an  extensive  dealer  in  cattle 
and  lands.  He  was  born  in  Logan  county, 
Ohio,  December  10,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of 
George  W.  and  Pamelia  (Rosier)  Hoover. 

George  W.  Hoover  was  born  in  Green- 
brier county,  Virginia  (now  West  Virginia), 
of  German  extraction,  and  went  to  Ohio,  when 
fourteen  years  old,  with  his  father,  Jacob, 
whom  he  well  remembers.  George  W.  Hoover 
bcame  a  prosperous  sheep  raiser  in  Ohio.  In 
1852  he  went  to  Texas,  and  located  about  15 
miles  northwest  of  Fort  Worth,  where  he  was 
engaged  quite  extensively  in  farming.  He  next 
moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  settled 
two  miles  southeast  of  Chetopa,  where  he  took 
a  claim  in  the  spring  of  1867,  and  ranked 
among  the  pioneers  of  the  county.  He  after- 
ward moved  to  the  town  of  Chetopa,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death,  January  19,  1878, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  He  married 
Pamelia  Rosier,  by  whom  he  had  five  children, 
as  follows:  William  G. ;  Esther  Jane,  de- 
ceased: Martin  V.,  a  wealthy  cattle  man, 
whose  farm  adjoins  that  of  the  subject  hereof, 
with  whom  he  was  in  partnership  until  recent 


596 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


years;  and  Susan  R.  (Bell)  and  Matilda 
(Croft),  of  Texas.  Mrs.  Hoover  died  at  an 
early  age,  and  Mr.  Hoover  afterward  married 
Mary  Swallow,  now  Mrs.  Caveness,  of  Ore- 
gon. A  nephew  of  her  husband  had  charge 
of  the  Advance  office  at  Chetopa. 

William  G.  Hoover  availed  himself  of 
good  advantages  for  mental  training  in  the 
common  schools  of  Ohio.  He  remained  at 
home  and  assisted  his  father  until  the  spring 
of  1858,  when,  on  his  own  account,  he  began 
dealing  in  stock  in  Texas.  This  has  been  his 
life  work  from  boyhood,  and  he  has  achieved 
a  marked  success.  He  commenced  raising  and 
keeping  cattle  on  his  father's  place,  and  did 
all  the  riding  and  herding  for  many  years.  In 
1868  he  followed  his  father  to  Labette  county, 
and  brought  with  him  to  Chetopa  some  Texas 
cattle.  After  living  there  about  four  years, — - 
he  mo\ed,  in  1873,  to  his  present  home,  one 
mile  south  of  town,  where  he  has  a  fine  place 
of  80  acres.  This  he  has  improved,  and  cul- 
tivates it  for  his  own  use, — employing  one  or 
two  men  most  of  the  time.  He  has  mainly 
raised  tame  grass,  having  had  excellent  suc- 
cess with  timothy  and  clover.  One  meadow 
he  has  mowed  for  eight  successive  seasons, 
and  raises  the  best  quality  of  hay.  He  still 
■handles  from  1 50  to  200  head  of  cattle  yearly, 
and  also  some  horses  and  hogs.  He  has  very 
little  choice  between  Durham  and  Hereford, 
and  keeps  high  grade  stock.  From  1868  to 
1880  he  and  his  brother,  Martin  V.,  were  in 
partnership,  and  handled  from  1,000  to  1,500 
head  of  cattle  per  year,  which  grazed  mainly 
in  the  "Nation."  Until  recent  years,  when 
their  families  have  become  mature,  Mr.  Hoover 
and  his  brother  had  a  unique  way  of  applying 
the  partnership  funds, — each  using  what  he 
needed  out  of  the  common  money  and  sup- 
plies.    Harmony  prevailed  and  no  bookkeep- 


ing was  necessary.  Since  1880  ]\Lr.  Hoover 
has  handled  from  100  to  300  head  of  native 
cattle,  and  devoted  his  attention  to  money 
lending.  Aside  from  his  banking  interests, 
the  firm  of  W.  G.  Hoover  &  Brother  still  ex- 
ists and  does  a  large  land  and  stock  business. 
They  have  20  farms,  approximating  3,000 
acres  of  land,  in  Labette  and  Cherokee  coun- 
ties. Both  are  self  made  men,  and  never  re- 
ceived any  assistance  from  their  father.  Ow- 
ing to  his  increasing  business,  and  other  cir- 
cumstances, on  March  17,  1898,  the  subject 
hereof  organized  the  Farmers  &  Merchants 
State  Bank  of  Chetopa.  He  holds  a  con- 
trolling interest  in  the  capital  stock  of  $15,000. 
and  serves  as  its  president.  E.  W.  Bedell  is 
vice-president ;  H.  W.  Bedell,  cashier ;  and 
George  M.  Hoover,  bookkeeper.  The  first 
banking  house  established  in  Chetopa  was  the 
Spaulding  Bank,  which  collapsed  in  1869,  one 
year  after  its  inception.  The  second  was  the 
private  bank  of  Mr.  Ketcham,  organized  in  the 
spring  of  1870.  It  was  conducted  a  short 
time,  or  until  the  First  National  Bank  of  Che- 
topa was  organized, — Mr.  Hoover  being  a 
director  and  Mr.  Ketcham  president.  This 
bank  continued  in  operation  until  1875,  and' 
then  voluntarily  liquidated,  owing  to  its  ex- 
cessive capital  stock  of  $50,000,  which  its  busi- 
ness did  not  warrant.  The  next  was  the 
Ketcham  private  bank,  under  the  title  of 
Ketcham  &  Company,  which  was  operated  for 
some  time,  R.  W.  Officer  finally  becoming  its 
president.  It  then  became  the  private  bank 
of  Clark  &  Sturgis,  then  Clark  &  Bates,  and 
was  finally  merged  into  the  Citizens  State 
Bank,  which  is  now  liquidating.  Mr.  Hoover 
has  turned  over  to  the  Farmers  &  Merchants 
State  Bank  most  of  his  loan  business,  thus 
relieving  him  of  much  care  and  labor. 

William  G.   Hoover  was  united   in   mar- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


597 


20  Port  B.  P.  m  cmfw  etavbgketvbgkqq 
riage,  in  Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  with  Sophia 
Donaldson,  who  died  in  1886,  leaving  four 
children:  Cora  (Carpenter),  of  Cherokee 
county,  Kansas;  Flora  E.,  who  is  at  home; 
Maud  S.  (Marley),  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas; 
and  George  M.,  who  married  Inez  Hardy,  and 
has  a  son,  William  H.  George  M.  is  book- 
keeper in  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  State 
Bank.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  formed  a 
second  marital  union  by  wedding  Clara  Smith, 
of  Labette  county.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  was  county  commissioner 
from  1880  to  1883.  He  was  on  the  school 
board  for  twenty-five  years,  and  has  been 
township  trustee  two  or  three  terms;  he  has 
also  served  as  assessor.  Fraternally,  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  since  1875.  In  religious  attach- 
ments, he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church.  He  is  also  a  trustee  of  Baker 
University.  He  is  a  man  of  great  influence  in 
the  community,  and  has  many  friends  of  long 
years  standing,  who  hold  him  in  the  highest 
esteem. 


pjgJHEORGE  DALLAS  BOON,  M.  D., 
a  Kg  ^""'^^  '^^^  ^^"-^  actively  engaged  in 
^^Jl  practice  at  Chetopa  since  1870,  is  one 
of  the  most  successful  and  best 
known  physicians  of  that  section  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  community,  and 
his  hundreds  of  patients  are  numbered  as  his 
friends  as  well.  He  was  born  April  15,  1845, 
in  Holmes  county,  Ohio,  near  Fredericksburg, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Lydia  (Beer- 
bower)   Boon. 

Thomas  Boon  was  a   farmer  by  occupa- 
tion.    He  married  Lydia  Beerbower,  by  whom 


he  had  four  children,  as  follows :  J.  C,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  3d  Reg.,  Iowa  Vol.  Cav., 
during  the  Civil  War,  was  killed  in  the  serv- 
ice; Sarah  E.  (McCallam)  resides  at  Wal- 
den,  Colorado,  where  her  husband  is  the  edi- 
tor of  a  paper;  George  Dallas;  and  William  C, 
who  died  in  1893,  and  who  was  a  physician, 
practicing  at  Chetopa  for  some  years  prior  to 
bis  death. 

George  D.  Boon,  at  an  early  age,  removed 
with  the  family  to  Birmingham,  Van  Buren 
county,  Iowa,  where  he  was  reared  and  pri- 
marily educated  until  he  reached  his  eighteenth 
year.  When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  his  fa- 
ther removed  to  Illinois,  and  in  1874  came  to 
Chetopa,  Kansas,  where  he  died  in  1883,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-tive  years.  Mrs.  Boon,  who 
came  of  a  Pennsylvania-Dutch  family,  died 
four  months  later  at  Chetopa,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three-  years.  Although  George  D.  was 
too  young  and  too  light  for  service  in  the 
army, — weighing  at  the  time  but  1 1 5  pounds, — 
he  determined  to  enlist,  and  to  run  away  from 
home  if  necessary.  As  he  was  leaving  home 
to  put  his  plans  into  e.xecution,  his  brother  re- 
turned on  a  furlough  and  persuaded  him  to 
wait  and  accompany  him  to  the  scene  of  ac- 
tion a  little  later,  in  the  meantime  securing 
parental  consent.  He  enlisted  in  the  4th  In- 
dependent Battery,  Iowa  Light  Artillery,  and 
served  two  years,  mainly  in  the  Army  of  the 
Gulf,  where  he  was  attached,  at  diiYerent 
times,  to  the  i6th,  19th,  and  13th  Army  Corps. 
He  spent  six  months  in  the  suburbs  of  New 
Orleans,  and  thirteen  months  in  the  swamps, 
to  protect  the  garrison  at  New  Orleans.  He 
was  mustered  out  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  July 
14,  1865,  and  returned  to  Illinois,  where  he 
attended  school  at  Monmouth  for  one  year. 
He  later  attended  the  commercial  college  lo- 
cated in  that  city,  and  graduated  in  1867.     He 


598 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


then  tcx)k  a  course  of  lectures  in  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Michigan  at 
Ann  Arbor,  and  was  graduated  with  the  de- 
gree of  M.  D.,  in  1870.  On  April  14,  of  that 
year,  he  came  west  to  Chetopa,  Kansas,  en- 
tered upon  practice,  and  made  a  success  of  it 
from  the  start.  He  readily  acquired  a  re- 
munerative patronage,  and  has  since  retained 
and  added  to  it.  He  has  a  thorough  under- 
standing of  his  profession,  is  a  constant  stu- 
dent, keeps  in  touch  with  all  that  is  modern  in 
medical  science,  and  has  met  with  great  suc- 
<:ess  in  his  treatment  of  the  most  intricate 
cases.  He  has  an  excellent  suite  of  rooms 
over  Mr.  Bush's  drug  store,  which  he  has  oc- 
cupied since  1895.  Associated  with  him  in 
practice  is  'his  son,  W.  M.  Boon.  Dr.  Boon 
was  obliged  to  borrow  the  money  necessary  to 
bring  him  to  Chetopa,  and  at  the  present  time 
he  owns  valuable  city  property  and  two  fine 
farms,  in  addition  to  which  he  has  given  each 
of  his  children  a  superior  education. 

Dr.  Boon  was  united  in  marriage  at  Amer- 
ica City,  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  with  Martha 
J.  Danley,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Jane 
(Brownlee)  Danley,  of  Monmouth,  Illinois. 
Mrs.  Boon's  parents  were  natives  of  Wash- 
ington county,  Pennsylvania,  the  former  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent  and  the  latter  descended 
from  the  Scotch  Earl  of  Torfot.  This 
worthy  couple  reared  a  family  of  eig*ht  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  John  W.,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Margaret,  who  died,  aged  seventeen 
years;  Levinia,  who  married  Harry  C.  Whist- 
ler, now  living  in  Kansas;  Elizabeth,  who  mar- 
ried Nathaniel  Atchinson,  of  Chicago,  Illinois ; 
Hugh  B.  and  Nancy  B.,  deceased;  James;  and 
Martha  J.  Mrs.  Boon's  parents  moved  to 
Fulton  county,  Illinois,  in  1849,  and  later  to 
Tvlonmonth,  Illinois.     The  father  died  in  1892, 


aged  eighty-seven  years.  The  mother  died  in 
1859,  aged  forty-seven  years.  After  she  was 
sixteen  years  of  age  Mrs.  Boon  received  her 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  in  Mon- 
mouth College.  She  later  taught  school  in  the 
vicinity  of  Monmouth,  Illinois,  and  still  later 
near  Topeka,  Kansas.  After  spending  one 
year  in  the  East,  she  was  married  in  1872. 
She  joined  the  United  Presbyterian  church  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  W.  R.  C,  and  has  held  nearly  all  the  chairs 
in  that  body.  She  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Fraternal  Aid,  of  which  she  is  past  president. 
Her  brother.  Hugh  B.,  died  in  the  Paducah, 
Kentucky,  Regimental  Hospital.  He  was  a 
member  of  Company  D,  i32d  Reg.,  111.  Vol. 
Inf. 

The  union  of  Dr.  Boon  and  Martha  J.  Dan- 
ley resulted  in  seven  children:  W.  M.,  a 
graduate  of  Jefiferson  Medical  College ;  George 
T.,  of  Chetopa,  who  graduated  at  the  Chicago 
Dental  College,  and  married  Matie  C.  Bedell, 
a  daughter  of  E.  W.  Bedell;  Harry  \^'ebster, 
a  graduate  of  the  Chicago  Dental  College, 
practicing  at  Durant,  Indian  Territory;  Mat- 
tie  Marche,  who  is  taking  instruction  in  in- 
strumental and  vocal  music,  elocution  and  art 
in  a  ladies'  seminary  at  Liberty,  Missouri; 
John  Blaine;  Vivian  Elizabeth;  and  Loyal 
Danley.  Dr.  Boon  is  a  Republican  and  was 
in  the  council  one  year  and  on  the  board  of 
education.  For  ten  years  he  was  medical  ex- 
aminer on  the  pension  board,  from  which  office 
he  finally  resigned,  being  succeeded  by  his  son, 
W.  M.  Boon.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Southeastern  Kansas  Medical  Society; 
G.  A.  R.,  Chetopa  Post,  of  which  he  has  al- 
ways been  surgeon;  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  at 
Chetopa.  In  religious  views  he  was  raised  in 
the  United  Presbvterian  church  but  is  liberal. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


599- 


mM 


RANK  W.  ELLIOTT,  who  has  ably 
filled  the  office  of  postmaster  at  Edna, 
Kansas,  since  1898,  was  born  Feb- 
ruary  2.  1858,  in  Clark  county,  Illi- 
nois. He  is  a  son  of  Alfred  and  Lydia  (John- 
son)   Elliott. 

Alfred  Elliott  is  of  English  descent,  and 
during  his  active  life  followed  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer.  He  pre-empted  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  30,  township  34,  range  19, 
in  Elm  Grove  township.  He  now  lives  with 
his  son,  Grant,  four  miles  west  of  Edna.  Mr. 
Elliott  married  Lydia  Johnson,  who  was  born 
in  Indiana,  and  died  in  Labette  county,  on  the 
farm,  in  1876.  This  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  six  children,  namely:  Cornelia,  who 
married  H.  H.  Leib,  a  prominent  cattleman  of 
the  Indian  Territory;  D.  G.,  of  Edna,  Kansas; 
Frank  W.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Amanda, 
who  died  in  1882,  and  who  was  the  wife  of 
George  Whaples,  of  Elm  Grove  township; 
Rose  (Graham),  who  is  at  present  in  Okla- 
homa; and  Grant,  a  farmer,  of  Elm  Grove 
township. 

When  Frank  W.  Elliott  was  but  four  years 
old,  the  family  moved  from  Illinois  to  Indi- 
ana, where  he  attended  the  common  schools, 
and  later  when  his  parents  moved  to  Labette 
county  he  attended  the  schools  of  this  county. 
He  also  attended  the  Kansas  State  Normal 
Sdhool,  at  Fort  Scott.  Mr.  Elliott  was  reared 
on  the  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years 
went  to  Oswego,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
livery  business  for  some  time.  He  returned 
to  Edna,  Kansas,  where  he  bought  grain  for 
the  George  A.  Adams  Grain  Company.  He 
continued  in  that  position  for  five  years,  when 
he  resigned  to  accept  the  appointment  of  post- 
master. He  received  this  appointment  Feb- 
ruary I,  1898,  to  succeed  W.  H.  Pottorff.  Mr. 
Elliott  discharges  his  difties  in  a  faithful  and 


conscientious  manner,  and  deserves  to  be  his 
own  successor. 

Mr.  Elliott  was  married  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  at  Mound  Valley,  to  Mattie  Bowen,. 
of  Vincennes,  Indiana,  who  is  a  niece  of  S.  S. 
Kirkpatrick.  Three  children  have  resulted 
from  this  union,  namely :  Minnie,  aged  twelve 
years;  Verl,  aged  seven  years;  and  Alfred,  Jr., 
aged  five  years.  Mr.  Elliott  is  a  strong  Re- 
publican. He  is  a  member  of  the  M.  W.  A., 
of  Edna,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Auxil- 
iary. In  a  religious  connection,  ]\Ir.  Elliott 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  They  own  their  home  in  Edna,  and 
are  well  known  and  highly  respected  by  all. 


pjl^jEORGE  LUTZ,  a  retired  druggist 
a  K  0  '^"d  ex-mayor  of  Mound  Valley,  was 
^^^  born  at  Mount  Carmel,  Wabash 
county,  Illinois,  in  1841.  He  is  a 
son  of  Nicholas  Lutz. 

Nicholas  Lutz  was  born  of  German  extrac- 
tion, and  followed  the  trade  of  a  shoe-maker. 
He  lived  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  later  in  life  moved  tO' 
Illinois,  where  he  now  lives  having  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  He  has 
been  thrice  married;  his  first  wife  died  when 
her  son,  George,  was  quite  young.  She  left 
one  other  son,  Philip,  who  is  a  farmer  and  cot- 
ton planter,  of  Texas.  The  second  marriage- 
of  Nicholas  Lutz  resulted  in  one  child,  Mary, 
who  married  Lucian  Turner.  She  now  lives 
in  Hammond,  Indiana.  His  third  union  was 
with  Mamie  Good,  and  was  blessed  with  six 
children  :  William ;  John ;  Fannie ;  Ella ; 
Laura;  and   Ada. 

George  Lutz,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  in  Illinois,  where  he  attended  the- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


common  schools.  In  1861,  at  the  call  of 
President  Lincoln  for  volunteers,  Mr.  Lutz  en- 
listed in  Company  I,  40th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  served  as  a  private  in  the  15th  Army 
Corps,  under  General  Logan.  He  served  for 
three  years,  in  the  40th  Regiment,  and  for  one 
year  in  the  8th  Reg.,  Veteran  Vol.  Inf.  He 
was  wounded  in  the  eye  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh. 
After  Mr.  Lutz  was  mustered  out  he  returned 
to  Illinois,  where  he  attended  the  business  col- 
lege at  Olney.  On  completing  the  course,  in 
1867,  he  moved  to  Kansas,  where  he  studied 
pharmacy,  and  assisted  in  different  drug  stores. 
He  had  no  aid  from  his  father,  and  has  made 
his  own  way  in  the  world.  In  1868  Mr.  Lutz 
took  up  a  claim  in  Alound  Valley  township, — 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  11,  township 
S^,  range  18.  He  farmed  but  little,  but  held  and 
kept  the  land  in  good  state  of  improvement.  In 
1870  he  became  a  clerk  in  the  general  mer- 
chandise and  drug  store  of  Anderson  &  Tan- 
ner. In  partnership  with  Mr.  Harnady,  in 
1876,  Mr.  Lutz  bought  a  grocery  business,  and 
one  year  later  the  partnership  was  dissolved. 
In  1877  he  purchased  a  drug  store  of  R.  Black- 
ley,  which  he  later  sold.  Subsequently  he  pur- 
chased the  drug  business  owned  by  Dr.  Tan- 
ner, which  he  conducted  until  June,  1899. 
James  Lear,  Jr.,  now  owns  the  store,  and  Mr. 
Lutz  has  been  retired  for  the  past  two  years. 
Mr.  Lutz  is  one  of  the  six  members  of  the 
Mound  Valley  National  Gas  &  Mineral  Com- 
pany, four  of  the  other  members  being:  A.  P. 
Sanders,  president;  Mr.  Ellsworth,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  L.  H.  Wise,  secretary ;  and  Albert  Wise, 
treasurer.  They  furnish  the  town  with  abundant 
gas  for  fuel  and  lighting  purposes.  Mr.  Lutz 
was  postmaster  of  Mound  Valley,  during  Pres- 
ident Arthur's  administration.  Mr.  Lutz  is 
a  Republican,  in  politics,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
influential  citizens  in  the  town.     He  served  as 


mayor  of  Alound  Valley,  for  two  terms,  the 
second  term  having  just  expired.  He  filled 
this  office  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all,  and 
with  credit  to  himself.  Albert  Wise  is  his 
successor.  Fraternally,  J\lr.  Lutz  is  a  member 
of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post;  he  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Mound  Valley  Lodge,  No. 
218,  and  also  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F., — having 
joined  the  last  named  organization  in  the 
"sixties."  In  religious  views,  he  is  liberal, — 
giving  his  support  to  all  churches.  Mr.  Lutz 
is  a  self  made  man,  and  is  very  popular  in  La- 
bette county,  where  he  is  well  known. 


..  CLARK,  foreman  of  car  repairers 
:or  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway  Company,  at  Parsons,  Kan- 
isas,  began  railroading  in  early  life, 
and  is  a  mechanic  of  no  mean  ability.  Mr. 
Clark  was  born  in  Gentry  county,  Missouri, 
J\Iarch  6,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  J.  M.  and  S.  E. 
(Boggs)  Clark.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  was  a  miller  by  trade;  he  de- 
parted this  life  in  1859.  His  mother,  who  is 
now  Mrs.  Cochran,  is  a  resident  of  Cedar 
county,  Missouri.  A.  J.  Clark,  the  only  brother 
of  T.  R.,  follows  the  same  line  of  business  as 
the  latter,  and  he  has  spent  many  years  in  the 
employ  of  the  Oregon  Railroad  &  Navigation 
Company,  whose  lines  are  included  in  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  system. 

Mr.  Clark  was  reared  in  his  native  state, 
and  attended  sdhool  until  he  attained  the  age 
of  eighteen  years.  After  leaving  school,  he 
worked  as  clerk  in  a  store  for  some  time,  pre- 
vious to  entering  upon  a  railroad  career.  July 
4,  1877,  Mr.  Clark  left  Missouri  for  Parsons, 
Kansas,  where  his  uncle.  J.  W.  Boggs,  had  a 
position  waiting  for  him  in  the  car  shops,  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


there  the  subject  of  this  sketch  commenced  at 
the  bottom  of  the  ladder.  He  first  worked  as  a 
car  cleaner;  there  were  at  that  time  from 
eight  to  ten  men  employed  in  the  car  repairing 
department, — in  striking  contrast 'to  the  28 
now  required  to  perform  the  necessary  work. 
Mr.  Boggs,  who  was  'himself  in  charge  of  the 
repairing  department,  and  w|as  the  first  re- 
pairer in  Parsons,  died  in  Portland,  Oregon, 
in  1898. 

After  some  time,  Mr.  Clark  was  advanced 
to  do  car  repairing,  and  on  October  7,  1887, 
he  was  still  further  promoted  to  be  foreman 
of  the  repairing  department,  succeeding  Mr. 
Eubank, — this  position  he  maintains  to  the 
present  day.  He  superintends  all  necessary  re- 
pairs, having  12  expert  machinists,  as  repair- 
ers. He  has  able  assistance  in  the  services  of 
A.  Falconer,  foreman  of  the  wrecking  crew. 
He  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  require- 
ments of  his  position,  which  he  has  filled  in 
such  an  eminently  satisfactory  manner,  and 
his  success  goes  to  show  'his  superior  executive 
ability.  His  wide  knowledge  of  railroad  affairs 
enables  him  to  carry  on  all  necessary  work 
with  a  nicety  excelled  by  few. 

In  1885  Mr.  Clark  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Allie  M.  Wanless,  an  only  child  of  J.  A. 
and  Theodosia  E.  Wanless,  of  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  where  Mrs.  Clark's  birth  occurred, 
May  23,  1864.  Her  father  died  when  s'he  was 
but  three  years  old.  He  was  a  graduate  of 
West  Point,  was  a  captain  in  the  regular  army, 
and  traveled  much  over  the  western  country. 
Five  children  were  born  to  jMr.  and'  Mrs. 
Clark,  namely:  Grace  T.,  Allie  B.,  Thomas 
A.,  Helen  E.,  and  Orville  Paul.  They  have 
a  comfortable  home  at  No.  605  South  Twenty- 
first  street,  to  which  they  have  added  many 
improvements  and  conveniences.  Fraternally, 
Mr.  Clark  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 


lodge  at  Parsons,  having  been  made  a  Mason 
as  soon  as  he  reached  his  majority.  He  also 
affiliates  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Security.  Both  unite  in  relig- 
ious views  and  attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Realizing  that  intemperance  is  the 
greatest  evil  of  mankind,  Mr.  Clark  is  a  thor- 
ough Prohibitionist,  and  uses  his  influence  and 
best  efforts  in  furthering  the  interests  of  that 
party  in  his  locality.  No  one  in  Parsons  is 
more  highly  respected  and  esteemed,  and  every 
whit  of  this  respect  is  fully  deserved. 


ILLIAM  F.  THRALL,  postmaster 
at  Mound  Valley,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  and  editor  of  that  substan- 
tial paper,  the  Mound  Valley  Her- 
ald, was  born  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  in 
1853.  He  is  a  son  of  Rufus  and  Mary  (Wood- 
ruff Thrall. 

Rufus  Thrall  was  born  in  New  York,  and 
his  wife  was  also  a  native  of  that  state.  At 
present  they  are  living  in  Colorado  Springs, 
Colorado,  and  the  former  has  reached  the  age 
of  seventy-four  years.  Two  other  children  be- 
sides William  F.  are  living :  Mrs.  C.  B.  Wood- 
ruff, of  Joplin,  Missouri ;  and  Mrs.  N.  S.  Can- 
dy, of  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado. 

William  F. Thrall  received  his  mental  train- 
ing in  Decatur,  Illinois,  to  which  place  his  par- 
ents moved  when  he  was  quite  young.  In  1873 
Mr.  Thrall  moved,  with  his  parents,  to  Os- 
wego, Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he  entered 
the  office  of  the  Independent,  and  learned  the 
trade  of  a  printer,  and  remained  there  nine 
years.  He  then  moved  to  Idaho,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade  for  two  years,  after  which 
he  returned  to  Labette  county,  and  located  at 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Alound  Valley.  There  he  purchased  the  Mound 
Valley  Herald,  and  has  edited  and  published 
that  paper  ever  since.  He  engages  one  printer, 
but  personally  manages  and  edits  the  paper. 
It  is  the  only  paper  in  Mound  Valley,  and  has 
a  large  circulation.  Mr.  Thrall  is  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  and  is  well 
equipped  for  conducting  a  newspaper  of  this 
kind.  He  is  a  very  prominent  man  in  the  town, 
and  is  highly  esteemed  by  all.  November  19, 
1897,  Mr.  Thrall  was  appointed  postmaster  of 
Mound  Valley,  and  in  connection  with  that  of- 
fice handles  stationery  of  all  kinds. 

Mr.  Thrall  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Martin  in  1878.  She  was  born  in  Ray 
county,  Missouri,  in  1861,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Scott  and  Catherine  (Shartzer)  Martin. 
Her  father  is  of  Scotch  descent,  and  was  born 
in  Virginia.  He  was  a  wagon-maker  and 
blacksmith  by  trade,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty-eight  years.  Mrs.  Martin  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  but  was  reared  in  Virginia,  and 
died  in  Oswego,  Kansas,  aged  fifty-four  yeans. 
]Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thrall  have  one  daughter,  whose 
name  is  Vonie.  She  was  born  in  Hailey, 
Idaho,  November  29,  1883,  on  Thanksgiving 
day. 

Mr.  Thrall  is  a  member  of  several  fraternal 
organizations,  among  them  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  A. 
O.  U.  W.,  and  M.  W.  of  A.  Religiously,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Thrall 
has  assisted  largely  in  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  Mound  Valley,  and  no  public  enterprise 
is  completed  without  his  assistance. 


^^OHN  A.  CRAFT.  This  gentleman  has 
^M  g  l>een  one  of  the  well  known  farmers 
^®@  in  Osage  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  for  a  great  many  years,  hav- 
ing located  there  in  the  fall  of  1869.    He  lives 


in  section  10,  township  31,  range  18,  where 
he  carries  on  general  farming.  Mr.  Craft  was 
born  in  Ontario  county,  New  York,  near 
Canandaigua  Lake,  in  January,  1845,  ^^'^^  is 
a  son  of  William  and  Eliza  Ann  (Boone) 
Craft. 

William  Craft  was  born  in  1810,  and  was 
nf  English  and  Scotch  descent.  In  1873,  he 
m()\-ed  to  Labette  county,  where  he  followed 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three 
years.  He  married  Eliza  Ann  Boone,  and  they 
were  blessed  by  the  birth  of  10  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  The  names  of  those 
surviving  are :  Charles ;  Phoebe ;  Delilah  Eliza- 
beth ;  ^Martha  Jane ;  Mary  Ann ;  John  A. ; 
William  H.,  whose  farm  is  across  the  road 
from  that  of  John  A. ;  and  Mrs.  Henrietta 
Pond,  a  twin  of  William  H.  Her  husband  is 
a  blacksmith,  of  Dennis. 

John  A.  Craft  was  but  eight  years  old 
when  his  parents  moved  to  ^Michigan,  where 
the  father  farmed.  ]\Ir.  Craft  attended  the 
common  schools  three  months  out  of  the  year, 
and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty- 
three  years  old.  He  served  three  months  in 
the  employ  of  the  government,  in  the  Pioneer 
Corps,  during  the  war.  He  assisted  in  build- 
ing bridges  and  in  other  necessary  work, — 
making  his  headquarters  at  Chattanooga,  Ten- 
nessee. Mr.  Craft  was  married  in  1867,  after 
which  he  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
and  located  near  Parsons.  He  first  secured 
a  railroad  claim,  and  in  1872  traded  it  for 
his  present  farm,  which  is  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  10,  township  31,  range  18.  This, 
land  had  been  preempted  by  Harvey  Hart,  and 
but  ten  acres  had  been  broken.  Mr.  Craft  and 
the  other  settlers,  in  1869,  did  their  trading  at 
Labette  City  and  Montana,  and  they  were 
often  troubled  by  claim  jumpers.     ]\Ir.  Craft 


W.  H.  McKEEHEN. 
JOHN  H.  McKEEHEN. 


M.  McKEEHEN. 

MRS.  MARY  M. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


605 


raises  considerable  fruit,  and  has  a  large,  well 
kept  farm.  He  is  a  careful  and  painstaking- 
worker,  and  his  farm  presents  a  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  fine 
hedge  fence,  which  Mr.  Craft  set  out. 

Mr.  Craft  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  Augusta  Barton,  who  was  born  in  Octo- 
ber, 1845,  in  New  York,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Sarah  (Newman)  Barton.  Her 
father  was  an  Englishman,  and  a  harness- 
maker,  by  trade.  Mrs.  Craft  was  one  of  a 
family  of  ten  children  and  was  reared  in  Mich- 
igan and  Illinois,  where  her  parents  had 
moved.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  and  his 
wife  have  been  blessed  with  two  children: 
Mary  Addie  and  Elmer  Eugene.  Mary  Addie 
(Scott)  married  a  farmer  of  Osage  township, 
and  they  have  four  children, — Charles,  Alon- 
zo,  John  Lowell,  and  Ernie.  Elmer  Eugene 
lives  in  Erie,  Neosho  county,  Kansas,  and  is 
in  the  publishing  business.  He  married  Ethel 
Neal. 

]Mt.  Craft  is  an  independent  voter,  and  al- 
though always  interested  in  the  politics  of  the 
township,  he  has  refused  proiTered  ofifices. 
He  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horse- 
thief  Association.  He  belongs  to  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.  lodge,  of  Dennis,  and  also  to  the  Fra- 
ternal Aid  of  that  place.  He  is  very  well  known 
in  Labette  county,  where  he  is  admired  for  his 
honest,  upright  character.  Religiously,  he  fa- 
vors the  Missionary  Baptist  church. 


HOHX  H.  ^IcKEEHEN,  one  of  Labette 
county's  early  settlers,  was  born  in 
Carter  county,   Tennessee,   in   1846, 
and  is  a  son  of  W.  W.  and  Nancy 
(Douglas)  ]McKeehen.     They  were  natives  of 
Tennessee,  and  were  of  Scotch  descent.     They 


reared  10  children.  Two  of  them  are  in  Wash- 
ington,— G.  W.  is  a  carpenter;  William  is  a 
railroad  employee.  E.  B.  is  a  professional 
man  and  trader,  in  Tennessee.  The  others, 
who  are  daughters,  live  in  Tennessee. 

John  H.  McKeehen  received  his  mental 
training  in  his  native  state,  where  he  lived  un- 
til he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-two  years. 
At  the  time  he  located  in  Labette  county,  May 
12,  1869,  he  had  but  one  suit  of  clothes  and 
$19.50  in  money.  He  settled  in  Osage  town- 
ship in  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  14, 
townsliip  31,  range  17,  being  one  of  a  party 
of  three  who  settled  in  that  section.  Mr. 
Sparks  lives  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
section,  and  W.  A.  Collins,  the  third  of  the 
party,  has  left  the  county.  Mr.  McKeehen 
worked  and  boarded  at  different  places  until 
his  marriage,  when  he  located  permanently. 
He  first  built  a  box  house  12  by  16  feet,  in  size, 
which  is  now  used  as  a  kitchen.  He  erected 
his  present  house  in  1891,  and  in  1900  built  a 
new  barn,  corn-crib  and  granary.  When  he 
settled  on  this  farm  there  was  little  timber; 
one  elm  sprout,  which  escaped  the  plow,  is  now 
a  large  tree.  Mr.  McKeehen  has  about  five 
acres  of  orchard  and  forest  trees.  The  yard 
is  studded  with  flowers  and  vines,  and  a  few 
hives  of  bees  supply  honey.  Mr.  McKeehen 
has  rented  some  additional  farming  land  since 
his  sons  have  grown  to  manhood.  He  takes 
great  pride  in  his  farm,  which  presents  a  very 
neat  and  attractive  appearance,  and  speaks  well 
for  its  owner's  thrift  and  energy. 

Mr.  McKeehen  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mary  M.  Rinker,  who  was  born  in  Indi- 
ana, in  1857.  She  was  one  of  seven  children. 
Her  mother  is  yet  living,  but  her  father  died 
several  years  ago.  Three  children  have  re- 
sulted from  her  union  with  Mr.  McKeehen, 
namely:     W.  H.,  G.  M.    and    Jessie    A.     In 


6o6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


politics,  ^Ir.  jMcKeehen  is  an  independent 
\uter,  although  he  was  raised  a  Republican. 
He  has  served  as  trustee  of  Osage  township 
five  terms,  which  shows  the  confidence  reposed 
in  him  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  now 
treasurer  of  the  school  board  in  District  No. 
I02.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church, 
at  Cherryvale.  He  has  the  advantage  of  liv- 
ing on  the  free  mail  deUvery  route.  Portraits 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKeehen  and  their  two 
soiis,  W.  H.  and  G.  M.,  accompany  this  sketch. 


AAIES  SHONE,  blacksmith  foreman 
un  the  JNIissouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway,  residing  at  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, was  born  in  Manchester,  Eng- 
land, in  December,  1847,  and  has  lived  in  many 
parts  of  the  United  States.  He  is  a  son  of 
Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Chisnall)  Shone,  the 
former  of  Welsh,  and  the  latter  of  Scotch  de- 
scent. 

Samuel  Shone  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  about  1850, 
landing  at  Galveston,  Texas,  where  he  followed 
his  trade  for  a  year  or  two.  While  there,  the 
family  suffered  an  attack  of  the  yelloAV  fever, 
and  James  was  one  of  the  victims;  no  case, 
'however,  proved  fatal.  The  prevalence  of  this 
dread  disease  in  the  South  caused  the  family 
to  remove  further  north.  They  traveled  by 
steamboat  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  thence  went 
to  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  where  the  elder 
Shone  worked  in  the  Springfield  Armory. 
They  next  went  to  Meriden,  Connecticut, 
where  they  remained  a  short  time.  From  that 
place,  they  moved  to  Hamilton,  Canada,  where 
the  father  was  employed,  about  a  year  and  a 
half,  in  a  wrench  and  vise  factory.  In  the 
late  "fifties,"  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 


where  he  followed  his  trade  successfully  for 
many  years.  His.  death  took  place  in  that  city, 
in  1870,  when  he  had  passed  his  forty -ninth 
birthday.  His  widow  survived  him  until  1888, 
when  she  died  at  the  home  of  her  son,  James, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  One  of  her  sis- 
ters, Mrs.  Margaret  Howarth,  of  Manchester, 
England,  is  still  living,  and  is  eighty-six  years 
old. 

Mr.  Shone  is  the  eldest  of  five  children. 
The  others  are:  Samuel,  George,  John,  and 
Maggie  Elizabeth.  Samuel  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, and  is  a  blacksmith  foreman  on  the  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  at  Denison, 
Texas.  George  was  born  in  Springfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  is  a  competent  master  mechanic 
on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  resid- 
ing at  Alamosa,  Colorado.  John  was  also  born 
in  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  and  is  round- 
house foreman  at  Parsons,  Kansas.  Maggie 
Elizabeth,  the  only  sister,  resides  at  Nevada, 
Missouri;  she  is  the  wife  of  Engineer  Jen- 
nings, wfio  is  also  employed  on  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  having  a  run  on  the 
branch  leading  to  Eldorado  Springs.  The  me- 
chanical ability  of  the  father  was  transmitted 
to  the  sons,  all  of  whom  are  good  mechanics 
and  railroad  employes. 

In  1862,  while  living  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, James  Shone  became  an  apprentice  in  the 
shops  of  the  old  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad, 
where  he  ser\-ed  for  four  years,  mainl}'  under 
Master  Mechanic  Charles  Williams,  finishing, 
however,  under  C.  T.  Ham  and  Harry  Elliott. 
Completing  his  apprenticeship,  he  accepted  a 
position  as  blacksmith  on  the  old  North  Mis- 
souri Railroad  at  St.  Charles,  Missouri.  A 
few  months  later,  he  obtained  a  more  lucrative 
position  on  the  Cairo  Short  Line,  upon  which 
he  worked  until  1877.  Later,  he  worked  on 
the  M.  O.  P.  R.  R.     He  then  went  west,  to 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


607 


Parsons,  Kansas,  where  he  has  remained  ever 
since. 

September  21,  1871,  he  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock with  Mary  A.  Moore,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  at  the  home  of  the  bride  in  Canton, 
Missouri.  Mrs.  Shone  is  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  She  was  born  in  St.  Louis  Mis- 
souri, in  1852.  and  is  a  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Mary  (Moore)  Moore.  Her  parents,  al- 
though having  the  same  name,  were  not  re- 
lated to  each  other.  Her  father  died  in  Febru- 
ary, 1897-,  and  her  mother  is  still  living  at 
Canton,  Missouri,  aged  seventy-five  years. 
Mrs.  Shone  is  the  eldest  of  six  children.  The 
others  are :  Mrs.  Lizzie  Alderton,  and  Mrs. 
Nellie  Marks,  both  of  Canton,  Missouri;  Rob- 
ert, a  blacksmith,  of  Los  Angeles,  California; 
Mrs.  Lydia  Marks,  also  of  Canton,  Missouri; 
and  Mrs.  Mattie  Meal,  of  Sugar  Loaf,  Colo- 
rado. Mrs.  Shone  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  the  family  lived 
for  many  years.  They  formerly  lived  upon  and 
owned  the  land  which  is  now  occupied  by  the 
new  union  depot,  of  that  city,  but  subsequently 
moved  to  Canton,  Missouri. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shone  has  been 
blessed  with  four  children, — three  daughters, 
and  one  son,  namely:  Mamie  E.,  Nellie,  Alice, 
and  George.  Alice  died  in  infancy,  and 
George,  who  was  born  in  1881,  was  accidental- 
ly drowned  when  twelve  years  and  five  days 
old.  This  was  a  sad  blow  to  his  fond  parents, 
whose  hopes  are  now  centered  in  their  two 
eldest  daughters,  who  still  brighten  the  home 
fireside.  The  three  ladies  of  the  household 
are  members  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star. 
In  their  religious  views,  they  favor  the  Baptist 
church. 

Mr.  Shone  was  made  a  Mason  at  Parsons, 
and  now  affiliates  with  the  blue  lodge,  chapter 
and  commandery,  of  that  city.     He  is  also  a 


member  of  the  Fraternal  Aid  and  of  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  has  served  on  the  school  board,  and  takes 
a  decided  interest  in  educational  matters. 
Upon  his  arrival  in  Parsons,  he  engaged,  at 
once,  as  a  blacksmith  on  the  Missouri,  Kan- 
sas &  Texas  Railway,  under  \V.  T.  Small. 
He  was  promoted  in  January,  1883,  to  be  fore- 
man of  the  blacksmith  shops  under  Master 
JNIechanic  Joseph  Haines,  and  has  held  that 
position  up  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Shone 
has  charge  of  all  blacksmith  work,  and  of  the 
locomotive  department  from  Parsons  to  Han- 
nibal, Missouri,  and  from  Franklin  Junction  to 
St.  Louis.  He  has  charge  of  a  force  of  about  25 
men,  ten  of  whom  are  expert  blacksmiths.  He 
succeeded  D.  K.  McPherson,  and  the  position 
was  previously  filled  by  only  three  or  four  fore- 
men, who  served  short  terms  before  McPher- 
son's  incumbency.  In  the  successful  perform- 
ance of  his  various  duties,  Mr.  Shone  has  at  all 
times  shown  rare  skill  and  judgment,  and  in  all 
his  dealings  he  is  keen,  accurate,  and  upright. 
His  pleasant,  sociable  manners  have  made  him 
a  prime  favorite  on  the  road,  and  he  has  the 
esteem  of  all  who  know  him.  He  has  a  com- 
fortable home  at  No.  1926  Stevens  avenue. 


MBROSE  Mcelroy  sourbeer, 

foreman  of  the  brass  foundry  of  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway 
machine  shops,  in  Parsons,  Kansas, 
in  which  all  the  brass  work  of  the  entire  system 
is  molded,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Safe  Har- 
bor, on  the  Susquehanna  river,  in  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1846.  He  is  a  son  of 
Jonas  and  Ingerber  Theresa  (O'Connor)  Sour- 
beer. 

Jonas  Sourbeer  was  also  a  native  of  Penn- 
svlvania,  of  German  descent.    He  never  moved 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


west,  and  died  in  1887.  His  family  consisted 
of  eigiit  ciiildren,  namely:  H.  C,  Ambrose 
McElroy,  Henrietta  Delia,  William  Bigler, 
Ann  Elizabeth,  Charles  Elam,  Maud  Frances 
and  Rebecca.  H.  C.  is  a  resident  of  Parsons, 
and  a  dealer'  in  poultry,  feed  products,  etc. ; 
he  is  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Parsons,  but 
has  been  absent  at  times.  Henrietta  Delia 
(Carroll)  resides  in  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania. 
William  Bigler  is  a  bookkeeper  at  a  small  town 
near  St.  Louis,  on  the  Iron  Mountain  Railway. 
Ann  Elizabeth  (Hoke),  Charles  Elam  and 
Maud  Frances  (Wells)  are  also  residents  of 
Harrisburg,  and  Rebecca  is  deceased. 

The  subject  hereof  received  his  mental 
training  in  the  common  schools  of  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania.  His  first  work  was  as 
a  helper  in  the  rolling  mill  at  Safe  Harbor, 
when  a  boy.  In  1863,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
H,  50th  Reg.,  Penn.  Vol.  Inf.,  as  a  pri- 
vate. He  afterward  enlisted  in  Company  D, 
195th  Reg.,  Penn.  Vol.  Inf.  He  was  in 
the  8th  Army  Corps,  under  General  Sher- 
idan, in  the  valley  of  the  Shenandbah.  He 
was  mustered  out  of  service  in  the  fall  of 
1864,  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania.  More 
fortunate  than  many  of  his  comrades,  he  served 
his  country  without  receiving  the  slightest 
wound. 

Mr.  Sourbeer  left  home  and  went  to  Har- 
risburg, and  soon  after,  to  Indianapolis,  where 
he  remained  one  year.  He  then  returned  to 
Harrisburg,  and,  in  1866,  found  employment  in 
the  foundry.  In  the  fall  of  1868,  he  went  to 
Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  completed  his  ap- 
prenticeship as  a  molder.  Up  to  1873,  he  was 
employed  in  Wilson,  Estes  &  Fairchild's  f(  u 
dry.  July  24,  of  that  year,  he  arrived  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  where  he  began  work  for  Qualey 
Bros.,  who  built  the  railway  shops.  He  worked 
for  them  one  year,  and  then  entered  the  employ 


of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway 
Company,  as  a  brass  molder.  He  took  charge 
of  the  brass  foundry,  then  employing  from  twa 
to  four  men,  and  has  since  been  the  head  of 
this  department.  He  has  now  a  force  of  12 
men,  including  helpers.  All  the  brasses  of  the 
system  are  made  here,  about  2,500  pounds,  per 
day,  being  turned  out.  Journal  brasses  for 
coaches,  etc.,  are  polished  at  the  foundry,  but 
the  locomotive  brasses  are  finished  and  polished 
at  the  machine  shop. 

Mr.  Sourbeer  and  his  wife  'have  two  sons 
and  a  daughter,  who  are  grown  to  maturity. 
Their  daughter,  Minnie  Theresa,  is  at  home. 
Jonas  Newton  stays  at  home,  and  is  engaged 
as  a  molder  at  the  brass  foundry,  and  Frank 
Louis,  also  at  home,  is  a  machinist.  Mr.  Sour- 
beer owns  a  comfortable  home  at  1630  Chess 
avenue.  He  keeps  one  or  two  horses  for  his 
own  use,  and  for  the  convenience  and  pleasure 
of  his  family. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Sourbeer  is  a  Republican,. 
and  is  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  councils  of 
his  party.  He  has  served  six  years  as  alder- 
man from  the  First  Ward,  in  which  he  has 
always  resided,  and  has  declined  a  nomination 
for  mayor.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in 
fraternal  societies,  and  is  a  member  of  the  A. 
F.  &  A.  M. ;  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  M.  W. 
of  A. ;  and  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  in  which  he  has 
served  three  terms  as  commander  of  Antietam 
Post,  No.  64,  of  which  John  Lyle  is  the  present 
commander.  In  his  religious  opinions  he  is 
very  liberal. 

Mr.  Sourbeer  was  married  in  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  to  Jennie  C.  Graff,  who  is  one  of  a 
family  of  several  children.  The  couple  chanced 
to  meet  at  the  home  of  an  uncle  who  was  in. 
the  government  employ  at  Fort  Leavenworth. 
Mrs.  Sourbeer  is  a  devout  member  of  the  Epis- 
copal church. 


williAm  slaughter. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


ILLIAM  SLAUGHTER,  a  highly 
respected  farmer,  and  well  known 
resident  of  Fairview  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  where  he 
lives  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  6,  is 
a  native  of  Charlottesville,  Virginia,  where  he 
was  born  in  1826.  He  received  his  primary  ed- 
ucation partly  in  his  native  state  and  partly  in 
Ohio,  to  which  state  his  father  moved  in  1831. 
In  1850  Mr.  Slaughter  moved  to  Tazewell 
county,  Illinois,  and  was  a  resident  of  that  com- 
monwealth until  1874.  He  then  moved  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  located  on  the 
first  farm  he  looked  at,  which  was  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  8,  in  Fairview  town- 
ship. He  carried  on  farming  there  until  the 
spring  of  1901,  when  he  moved  to  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  6,  where  he  now  lives. 
He  sold  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  8, 
and  also  the  south  half  of  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  8,  and  bought  the  south  half  of 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  6,  the  north 
half  of  which  he  already  owned.  He  has  had 
a  very  successful  agricultural  career,  and  is 
considered  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state. 

Mr.  Slaughter  has  been  married  three 
times.  By  his  first  wife,  whose  name  was 
Sarah  Hudson,  and  who  died  in  1858,  he  has 
3.  daughter,  Mary  (Webster),  who  lives  in  Illi- 
nois. By  his  second  union,  with  Elizabeth 
Cassady,  there  was  one  child,  who  died.  Mrs. 
Slaughter  died  in  1874.  His  third  wife's  name 
was  Amanda  Baker.  She  died  in  November, 
1890,  leaving  no  children.  Since  then  our 
subject's  brother,  Joseph  J.  Slaughter,  and  his 
family,  have  made  their  abode  with  him.  Jo- 
seph J.  Slaughter  served  four  years  in  the  Civil 
War.  with  the  iisth  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  un- 
der Colonel  Cook.  William  Slaughter's 
"brother,  John,  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 


War,  and  died  in  the  army.  Joseph  J.  Slaugh- 
ter settled  on  a  farm  in  Elm  Grove  township, 
Labette  county,  in  188 1.  He  remained  in  that 
township  until  1890,  when  he  moved  to  Fair- 
view  township,  and  has  since  lived  with  his 
brother. 

William  Slaughter,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  has  always  been  a  strong  Republican. 
He  served  as  supervisor  of  Tazewell  county, 
Illinois,  and  was  treasurer  of  Labette  county 
in  1890  and  1891.  He  has  served  Fairview 
township  as  trustee  on  five  different  occasions, 
and  has  discharged  his  official  duties  with  dig- 
nity and  with  credit  to  the  community.  His 
portrait  appears  on  a  page  in  proximity  to 
this. 


C.  COWDEN,  for  many  years  chief 
dispatcher  and  train  master  of  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway, 
was  born  at  New  Bedford,  Lawrence 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1853.  He  has  been 
trusted  and  honored  with  the  supervision  of 
many  important  details  of  the  business. 

Mr.  Cowden  went  from  Indiana,  where  he 
had  been  engaged  in  railroad  woi'k  as  operator, 
etc.,  to  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  later  (July  2, 
1881),  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  "Katy"  road.  It  was 
then  operated  by  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway 
Company.  He  was  first  assigned,  for  a  short 
time,  to  Northern  Kansas,  on  the  Missouri 
Pacific  Railway,  then  to  Parsons,  where  he 
opened  the  dispatcher's  office,  the  work  up  to 
that  time  having  been  done  from  Denison, 
Texas.  Some  years  previous,  an  ofiice  had 
been  started  at  Parsons,  but  it  had  been  aban- 
doned, and  Mr.  Cowden  was  thus  the  starter 
of  the  present  office.     He  was  assisted  at  that 


6l2 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


time  by  Mr.  Gay.  The  construction  work  was 
then  completed  south  of  Denison,  and  ]\Ir. 
Cowden  and  Mr.  Gay  worked  as  "trick"  dis- 
patchers, needing  no  chief,  and  having  none  at 
that  time. 

Five  years  later,  Mr.  Cowden  assumed  the 
arduous  duties  of  chief  dispatcher,  and  also 
those  of  train-master  over  the  Kansas  City  and 
Neosho  Division,  often  remaining  at  the  office 
the  major  part  of  the  week,  or  all  of  it,  having 
his  meals  brought  to  him.  He  left  the  service 
for  four  months,  and  then  again  accepted  the 
chief  ship,  which  he  held  until  the  fall  of  1893, 
when  he  resigned,  and  has  since  worked  the 
day  trick,  from  8  a.  m.  until  4  p.  m.  He  is  re- 
lieved by  W.  G.  Koch,  and  Mr.  Koch  by  E. 
M.  Gates,  whom  Mr.  Cowden  relieves  while 
fillling  the  position  of  chief  and  trainmaster. 
Mr.  Cowden  hired  the  brakemen  and  operators 
employed  on  that  division. 

During  this  time,  to  lessen  the  clerical 
work,  Mr.  Cowden  studied  out  and  invented  a 
combination  cabinet  for  the  registration  and 
recording  of  trainmen,  which  the  "Katy"  is 
now  using.  It  is  a  register  and  train-board 
combined,  for  use  on  railroads,  street  car  lines, 
police  headquarters,  and  also  for  libraries,  etc. 
This  device  assisted  subject  so  materially  in 
his  work,  that  he  was  advised  by  prominent 
officials  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way Company,  to  patent  his  invention,  which 
he  did  in  1890.  The  register,  a  sample  of 
which  is  in  use  at  the  fine  depot  of  the  "Katy," 
at  Parsons,  is  very  neat  in  appearance,  and 
is  of  wood  trimmed  with  aluminum.  The 
names  of  the  trainmen  are  all  placed  on  cards 
in  the  handsome  case,  and  are  not  moved  while 
a  man  is  in  the  employ  of  the  road.  By  a 
system  of  neat  checks,  it  is  shown  whether  a 
man  is  out  or  in,  or  if  off  duty,  who  is  in  his 
place,  the  time  of  going  out,  etc.,  thus  obviat- 


ing the  necessity  of  troubling  the  dispatchers 
with  numerous  questions.  The  board  hangs 
in  front  of  the  dispatcher's  office.  Mr.  Cow- 
den received  an  order,  and  has  shipped  some 
of  the  registers  for  use  on  the  Gulf  Railway. 
It  is  a  convenience  indispensable  to  office  use, 
and  is  almost  certain  to  be  immediately  adopted 
on  all  railroads.  Mr.  Cowden  will  doubtless 
manufacture  at  Parsons,  as  the  demand  in- 
creases. 

Mr.  Cowden  is  a  son  of  Isaac  P.  and 
Amanda  (Lazarus)  Cowden.  His  father  was 
a  merchant,  but  had  resided  about  eight  years 
at  Parsons  previous  to  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1891.  His  mother  still  lives  in  Par- 
sons. F.  C.  Cowden  was  the  eldest  of  nine 
children :  William,  who  is  away  at  present, 
is  single,  and  makes  his  home  with  his  mother ; 
J.  D.,  who  is  an  engineer  on  the  "Katy"  road, 
has  been  a  resident  of  Parsons  for  the  past 
eighteen  years,  and  he  and  his  family  make 
their  home  with  his  mother  on  North  Johnson 
avenue;  Martin,  who  holds  the  position  of 
night  operator  for  the  Western  Union  Tele- 
graph Company,  is  single,  and  also  makes  his 
home  with  his  mother;  Caleb,  deceased,  was 
an  operator  on  the  "Katy"  road.  One  of  the 
daughters  is  Mrs.  Dr.  Albert  Smith,  of  Par- 
sons; the  others  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Cowden  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  wife  having  been  Arvilla  Diver,  a  native 
of  Ohio.  She  died  in  1883,  leaving  five  chil- 
dren, viz. :  Minnie,  Albert  D.,  Dora,  Edwin 
W.,  and  Bennie.  Minnie  married  Mr.  Mc- 
Down,  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  who  is  em- 
ployed as  a  machinist  on  the  Rio  Grande  West- 
ern Railway, — they  have  one  child,  Irene,  five 
years  old.  Albert  D.  is  an  operator  and  stenog- 
rapher at  Salt  Lake  City.  Dora  is  a  stenog- 
rapher of  the  same  place.  Edwin  W.  is  oper- 
lator  and   agent   on  the  Missouri,   Kansas  & 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


613 


Texas  Railway,  and  is  located  at  Urbana, 
Kansas.  Bennie  is  a  youth  of  seventeen  years, 
who  is  assisting  his  brother  at  Urbana,  and 
acting  as  extra  agent  and  operator.  Mr.  Cow- 
den  contracted  a  second  marriage  alliance. 
This  union  was  with  Nellie  French,  a  daughter 
of  Z.  D.  French,  of  Lawrenceville,  Illinois, 
— her  mother  being  deceased.  One  child,  Eva, 
was  born  of  this  marriage,  who  died  at  the 
tender  age  of  one  year  and  five  months. 

In  political  affairs,  Mr.  Cowden  has  always 
been  a  Republican,  but  not  a  politician.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  for- 
merly belonged  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F..  and  Select 
Friends.  Mrs.  Cowden  is  a  member  of  the 
Select  Friends,  also.  Mr.  Cowden  and  his  es- 
timable wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  which  religious  belief  subject  espoused, 
when  but  fourteen  years  of  age. 


ARTIX  V.  DAVIS,  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Davis  &  Son, 
who  conduct  a  general  merchan- 
dise and  feed  store  at  Parsons, 
Kansas,  located  in  Labette  county  in  the  fall 
of  1868,  following  some  friends  who  had  set- 
tled here  some  time  previously.  Mr.  Davis 
was  born  in  Clark  county,  Illinois,  in  1837,  and 
was  reared  in  Paris,  Edgar  county,  Illinois. 
He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Narcissa  (Craig) 
Davis. 

Thomas  Davis  was  a  pioneer  farmer  of 
Illinois,  and  died  about  1885.  He  was  a  life- 
long Democrat,  and  descended  from  one  of  the 
first  families  of  Kentucky.  Mrs.  Thomas 
Davis,  who  is  still  living  in  Illinois,  and  has 
attained  the  great  age  of  eighty-five  years,  is 
of    Scotch-Irish    ancestry,    her    grandmother 


having  been  born  on  the  ocean,  en  route  from 
Scotland  to  America.  Thirteen  children  were 
born  to  this  worthy  couple,  the  eldest  of  whom 
is  Martin  V.,  the  subject  hereof.  The  second 
and  third  died  in  infancy.  The  others  are: 
Nancy;  Ardilla;  Mary;  Clarinda;  twins, 
who  died  at  birth ;  Melissa ;  Thomas  B. ; 
Amanda;  and  Isaac.  Nancy  (Mofifett)  died, 
leaving  five  children.  Ardilla  (Adams)  is  a 
resident  of  Charleston,  Illinois.  Mary  first 
married  a  Mr.  Ellege,  who  is  deceased;  she 
is  now  the  wife  of  Mr.  Wells,  who  lives  at 
Paris,  Illinois,  but  formerly  lived  in  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  Clarinda  married'  a  Mr.  Han- 
cock. Melissa  (Winkleblack)  resides  in  Illi- 
nois. Thomas  B.  is  a  Baptist  minister  in  mis- 
sionary service.  Amanda  is  the  wife  of  Rev. 
Henry  Toles,  a  Christian  preacher,  residing 
three  miles  south  of  Oklahoma  City.  Isaac  is 
a  prosperous  farmer,  living  near  Westfield,  Illi- 
nois. 

Mr.  Davis  had  in  his  youth  limited  edu- 
cational advantages.  Previous  to  coming  west, 
he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  Illinois. 
Upon  arriving  in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  he 
took  up  a  claim  in  North  township,  to  which 
he  added  from  time  to  time,  and  now  owns 
a  500-acre  farm.  He  followed  farming  until 
1890,  when  'he  was  elected  county  treasurer  of 
Labette  county,  and  served  two  years,  during 
which  he  lived  in  Oswego,  the  county-seat. 
The  following  year  (1893),  he  returned  to 
Parsons  and  opened  a  grocery  and  feed  store 
in  a  building  which  he  erected  for  the  pur- 
pose; this  building  was  afterwards  sold,  and 
is  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Holcomb. 

Mr.  Davis  then  removed  his  stock  to  his 
present  large  and  commodious  store  at  No. 
1805  Johnson  avenue.  This  store  is  25  by  150 
feet,  in  dimensions.  j\Ir.  Davis  admitted  his 
son,  Tliomas  Jefferson,  into  partnership,  and 


6i4 


HISTORY   OF   LABETTE   COUNTY, 


the  firm  carries  a  stock  of  flour,  feed,  dry  goods 
and  groceries,  a  fine  line  of  dry  goods  having 
been  added,  in  1900.  Two  other  sons  assist  in 
the  store,  and  two  additional  clerks  are  em- 
ployed,— making  a  total  of  five  persons  re- 
quired to  handle  the  business. 

In  the  early  days,  owing  to  the  absence  of 
railroads,  Mr.  Davis  was  obliged  to  send  into 
Missouri  for  provisions.  The  settlers  were 
then  mostly  along  the  water  courses,  and  trav- 
eled by  boat,  all  the  best  claims  having  been 
taken  as  early  as   1870. 

Mr.  Davis  has  been  thrice  married.  His  first 
union  was  in  Illinois,  in  1858,  with  Theresa 
Downs,  who  died  in  1863,  leaving  two  sons, 
Thomas  Jefferson  and  Robert  James.  The 
elder  son  is  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Davis  &  Son;  he  married  a  Miss  Eldridge, 
and  they  have  one  child,  Hope.  Robert  James 
has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
a  Miss  Peak,  before  her  marriage ;  at  her  death 
she  was  survived  by  one  child.  May.  His  sec- 
ond wife,  Mary  Reid  before  marriage,  is  also 
deceased,  having  left  three  daughters  and  one 
son.  Robert  James  Davis  resides  at  Neal, 
Greenwood  county,  Kansas,  where  he  is  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  the  hardware  and  gro- 
cery business.  Mr.  Davis  gave  each  of  his  boys 
a  farm.  Farming,  however,  was  not  to  their 
taste.  Promptly  disposing  of  their  farms,  they 
entered  mercantile  life. 

In  1864  Mr.  Davis  contracted  a  second 
matrimonial  alliance,  being  united  at  that  time, 
with  a  Miss  Wells,  who  died  four  years  later, 
leaving  an  additional  son  to  the  care  of  her 
husband.  This  son  is  Isaac  Nelson.  He  is 
now  married  and  has  one  child,  Ray,  who  is 
connected  with  the  hardware  firm  of  Steel  & 
Company,  of  Parsons. 

Again  Mr.  Davis  forsook  tlie  state  of  sin- 
gle blessedness,  and  contracted  a  third  mar- 


riage ;  this  time  Clarinda  Eldridge,  a  daughter 
of  Otis  Eldridge,  of  Illinois,  became  his  wife. 
Five  children  were  the  result  of  this  union. 
May,  the  eldest  of  these,  married  Dr.  Peak,  a 
prominent  dentist  of  Parsons;  Otis,  the  next 
in  order  of  birth,  was  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1901,  at  the  college  at  Emporia,  Kansas; 
Orin  T.  and  Martin  Ernest, — both  high  school 
students ;  and  Hollie  M.,  aged  four  years. 

Mr.  Davis  has  lived  to  see  his  efforts 
crowned  with  success.  In  addition  to  his  fine 
farm,  already  mentioned,  and  his  splendid  store 
building,  he  also  owns  a  handsome  residence 
at  No.  1 33 1  Washington  avenue.  Previous  to 
his  election  as  county  treasurer,  he  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat, but  now  votes  the  Fusion  ticket.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  and 
Daughters  of  Justice,  and  of  the  Select 
Friends,  of  which  Mrs.  Davis  is  also  a  mem- 
ber. In  his  religious  convictions,  Mr.  Davis 
is  a  believer  in  the  old  and  time-honored  teach- 
ings of  the  Church  of  Christ.  He  has  made 
a  study  of  the  most  successful  business  meth- 
ods, and  is  a  useful,  upright  and  law  abiding 
citizen,  on  the  sunny,  western  slope  of  life. 


^^  F.  TIBBETS,  who  was  one  of 
B  ^Mi  ^^^  earliest  settlers  of  Labette  coun- 
^^^^  ty,  Kansas,  came  here  in  1869,  and 
has  been  located  upon  his  present 
home  farm, — the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
23,  township  33,  range  18, — in  Mound  Valley 
township,  since  1870.  He  was  bom  in  Jef- 
ferson county,  Indiana,  December  25,  1848, 
and  is  a  son  of  J.  H.  and  Sarah  (Nelson) 
Tibbets. 

J.  H.  Tibbets  and  his  wife  now  reside  in 
Canada  township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
aged    eighty-two  and    eighty-one    years,   re~ 


WILLIAM   ROUSH. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


617 


spectively.  The  former  was  reared  in,  Ohio, 
and  the  latter  in  Vermont.  Two  of  C.  F. 
Tibbets'  brothers  also  came  west,  namely :  J. 
N.,  a  farmer  in  Oklahoma;  and  J.  F.,  who  re- 
sides near  the  subject  hereof. 

C.  F.  Tibbets  was  reared  in  Indiana  and 
Ohio,  and  took  advantage  of  the  opportunities 
for  an  education  afforded  by  the  common 
schools  of  those  states.  Some  of  his'  friends 
having  moved  west,  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, he  also  took  the  same  course  in  Septem- 
ber, 1869,  accompanied  by  his  uncle,  Joseph 
Nelson,  and  Dick  Stott,  who  was  formerly 
treasurer  of  Cherokee  county,  and  a  Mr.  Cook, 
who  soon  after  returned  to  Indiana.  In  the 
spring  of  1870  he  located  as  a  claim  his  pres- 
ent home  farm,  in  Mound  Valley  township. 
He  went  to  Colorado  in  1877,  and  spent  five 
years  in  mining,  after  which  he  returned  to  his 
farm,  on  which  he  has  since  been  located. 
His  father  also  came  to  this  county,  and  now 
resides  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  23, 
•Canada  township.  C.  F.  Tibbets  has  made  all 
the  improvements'  upon  his  place,  and  has  a 
first  class  farm  in  every  particular.  The  okl 
part  of  his  house  was  built  of  soft  pine,  which 
had  been  hauled  from  Oswego  by  ox  teams. 
His  present  house  was  built  in  1882,  and  is  of 
comfortable  size  and  substantially  built.  A 
fine  barn,  38  by  50  feet  in  size,  was  built  sev- 
eral years  later.  He  has  set  out  considerable 
hedge  and  has  some  natural  timber.  He  spent 
his  first  winter  and  spring  in  and  about  Os- 
wego and  Chetopa.  He  is  engaged  in  diversi- 
fied farming,  raises  corn,  wheat  and  oats,  and 
has  a  fine  clover  meadow.  He  has'  also  had 
success  with  timothy,  having  seeded  14  acres, 
from  which  he  cut  a  large  amount  of  hay.  He 
has  an  excellent  supply  of  water  from  a  pone' 
40  rods  long,  which  is  supplied  by  spring?. 
It  has  never  gone  dry,  although  he  has  watered 


as  many  as  200  head  of  cattle.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  work,  and  enjoys  the 
friendship  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Tibbets  was  united  in  marriage,  in  this 
county,  with  Augusta  Swanson,  who  was  born 
in  Moline,  Illinois,  in  1855,  and  came  west 
with  her  parents'.  Her  father  is  deceased,  and 
her  mother  resides  in  Colorado.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Tibbets  have  five  children:  Earl  T.,  who  is 
at  home;  Lillian,  who  attends  school  at  Alta- 
mont,  and  will  graduate  in  1901,  after  which 
she  will  probably  teach  school ;  Nellie,  who  at- 
tends the  County  High  School  at  Altamont^ 
and  Jewell  and  Roy,  who  are  at  home.  Mr. 
Tibbets  lives  in  School  Dictrict  No.  41,  and  is 
treasurer  of  the  school  board.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and,  religiously,  is  a  Bap- 
tist. He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Sons  and  Daughters  of  Justice. 


ILTON  M.  ROUSH  is  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  W.  Roush  Sons, 
which  does  an  extensive  hardware 
and  tinning  business  in  the  city  of 
P'arsons,  Kansas,  and  its  vicinity.  He  is  one 
of  its  most  enterprising  citizens,  and  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  the  welfare  and  growth  of  the 
city,  where  he  has  been  located  since  1880. 
Milton  M.  Roush  was  born  November  25, 
1862,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Roush,  and  a 
grandson  of  Morehart  and  Elizabeth  Roush. 
His  grandparents  had  13  children,  as  fol- 
lows: George,  a  resident  of  Michigan,  who 
was  born  February  5,  1825;  John,  who  was 
born  June  29,  1827,  and  keeps  a  tinshop  at 
Lima,  Ohio;  Joseph,  who  was  born  March  6, 
1829,  and  is  a  farmer  and  a  hub  and  spoke 
manufacturer,  of  Macon,  Georgia;  William, 
the  father  of  Milton    H. ;    Catherine    (Cope- 


6i8 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


land),  who  was  born  July  27,  1834,  and  lives 
at  Lima,  Ohio;  Henry,  who  was  born  July  16, 
1836,  and  is  a  farmer  and  pension  attorney  at 
Siam,  Iowa;  Franklin,  born  October  i,  1838, 
and  Philip,  laorn  December  26,  1840,  who  live 
near  Lima,  Ohio ;  Jacob,  who  was  born  March 
18,  1845,  and  is  a  stationary  engineer,  of  Day- 
ton, Ohio;  Theodore,  who  was  born  January 
18,  1847,  and  is  in  Lima,  Ohio;  Jane  (Boose), 
born  December  4,  1848,  and  Emma  (Rob- 
erts), born  May  7,  1850,  who  live  near  Lima, 
Ohio;  and  Ephraim,  who  was  born  March  6, 
1852,  and  runs  a  dairy  farm  near  Lima,  Ohio. 
William  Roush  was  born  February  26, 
1 83 1,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  went  to  Wiscon- 
sin when  a  young  man,  and  was  at  one  time  a 
rafter  on  the  Wisconsin  river.  He  located  in 
Kansas  in  1868,  and  engaged  in  the  hardware 
business  at  Osage  Mission,  where  he  remained 
until  1878,  when  he  moved  to  Burlington, 
Kansas,  and  in  1880  established  the  business 
now  conducted  by  his  sons  in  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, and  served  as  alderman  from  the  Third 
Ward.  He  was  a  stanch  Republican,  in  poli- 
tics. He  died  in  June,  1899,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six  years.  He  was  united  in  marriage, 
in  Wisconsin,  with  Sarah  A.  Osnran,  who  was 
born  in  that  state,  March  6,  1833,  and  still 
lives  in  Parsons,  Kansas.  They  became  par- 
ents of  10  children,  as  follows:  William  H.. 
Jr.;  Joseph  Franklin;  Andrew  Jackson;  Mary 
Elizabeth;  Luella  Jane;  Milton  M.;  Ulysses 
Grant;  Edmond  Davis;  Emma  Elnora;  and 
Ida  May.  William  H.,  Jr.,  was  born  January 
8,  1857,  and  is  now  in  the  restaurant  business 
at  Shawnee,  Oklahoma.  Joseph  Franklin, 
born  September  7,  1853,  was  killed  on  the  rail- 
road at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  in  1893.  An- 
drew Jackson,  born  August  25,  1855,  runs  a 
tinshop  at  Tipton,  Georgia.  Mary  Elizabeth 
(Ream),  born  September  10,  1858,  resides  in 


Labette  county,  Kansas.  Luella  Jane  (Pat- 
terson), born  March  4,  1861,  also  lives  in  Par- 
sons. Ulysses  Grant,  a  barber  of  Parsons,  was 
born  October  15,  1865.  Edmond  Davis,  born 
April  6,  1867,  married  Nellie  Chapin,  of  Erie, 
Neosho  county,  and  has  two  sons.  Carl  M.  and 
Emil  J.  Emma  Elnora  (Rorschach),  born 
November  30,  1869,  lives  at  Shawnee,  Okla- 
homa. Ida  May  (McBirney),  born  October 
20,  1877,  is  a  resident  of  Carthage,  Missouri. 
William  Roush  was  a  Mason  and  a  Knight 
Templar.  He  enlisted  during  the  Civil  War 
in  the  44th  Reg.,  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
three  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  local 
post  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  held  many  of  the 
offices. 

Milton  M.  Roush  was  virtually  reared  in 
Kansas,  and  was  located  on  a  farm  near  Bur- 
lington. He  accompanied  his  father  to  Par- 
sons in  1880,  and  the  tinning  business  was 
established  one  year  later,  in  the  building  now 
occupied  by  Bartlett  &  Company.  They  re- 
moved to  the  building  opposite  their  present 
one  on  Johnson  avenue,  in  1883  or  1884,  and 
continued  there  until  1896,  when  they  again 
changed  their  location  to  No.  1827  Johnson 
avenue.  A  building  100  by  25  feet  in  dimen- 
sions accommodates  their  stock,  100  square 
feet  being  now  devoted  to  hardware, — a  line 
of  which  they  began  to  carry  in  1883.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  members  of  the  firm,  M.  M.  and 
E.  D.  Roush,  five  men  are  employed,  and  more 
than  that  number  are  sometimes  required. 
They  do  all  kinds  of  tin  roofing  and  have  a 
very  extensive  and  profitable  business. 

In  1885  Milton  M.  Roush  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Addie  B.  Gardner,  who  was 
born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1866,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Carlyle  D.  Gardner.  When  three' 
years  old  she  was  taken  to  Kansas,  and  was 
living  in  Neosho  county  at  the  time  of  her 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


619 


marriage.  This  union  resulted  in  two  chil- 
dren: Guy,  aged  fourteen  years;  and  Nina 
Florence,  aged  eleven  years.  Fraternally,  Mr. 
Roush  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen;  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America ;  and  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  His 
brother,  Edmond  Davis  Roush,  is  a  member 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  In  politics, 
Milton  M.  Roush  is  a  Republican,  and  was 
alderman  from  the  Third  Ward, — his  term  ex- 
pired in  xApril,  1899.  In  religious  attach- 
ments, he  and  the  other  members  of  the  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Christian  church.  Mr. 
Roush  has  a  beautiful  new  home  at  No.  1618 
Crawford  avenue. 

A  portrait  of  William  Roush  is  presented 
on  another  page  in  connection  with  this 
sketch. 


ELSON  E.  ALLEN,  a  partner  in  tlie 
Parsons  Lumber  Company,  is  one  of 
the  most  enterprising  and  prosperous 
business  men  of  Parsons,  Kansas. 
JMr.  Allen  is  a  direct  descendant  of  the  famous 
Ethan  Allen,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  His 
parents,  William  D.  and  Eleanor  (Thompson) 
Allen,  were  born  in  the  Empire  State, — his  fa- 
ther, in  1826,  and  his  mother,  in  1834.  They 
are  still  living,  and  reside  on  a  farm  near  Os- 
V,  ego,  Kansas.  Eight  children  were  born  to 
this  worthy  couple,  as  follows:  E.  C,  who  is 
a  traveling  salesman,  of  Denver,  Colorado;  F. 
D.,  who  carries  on  a  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness at  Baldwin,  Kansas;  F.  A.,  a  traveling 
man,  of  Denver;  C.  W.,  who,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven  years,  was  killed  in  the  mines, 
at  Webb  City,  Missouri;  Celia  (Cloud),  resid- 
ing near  Oswego,  Kansas;  Nelson  E.,  the  sub- 


ject of  this  biography;  L.  J.,  a  home  missionary 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  now  located  at 
Colby,  Kansas ;  and  Ella,  wife  of  Charles  Per- 
kins, residing  near  Oswego,  Kansas. 

Nelson  E.  Allen  was  born  in  February, 
1862,  in  Livingston  county.  New  York,  which 
was  also  the  birthplace  of  his  father.  When 
he  was  but  two  years  old,  his  parents  went 
west,  to  Lyon  county,  Kansas,  and  settled  at 
Waushara,  where  they  remained  ten  years. 
When  he  was  twelve  years  old,  the  family  re- 
moved to  Chetopa,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and 
young  Nelson  received  his  mental  training  in 
the  public  schools  of  that  place.  His  first  work 
was  performed  in  the  grocery  store  of  Allen 
Brothers,  of  Chetopa,  who  then  did  business  at 
the  present  stand  of  White  &  Bates,  and  were 
pioneer  business  men  of  that  town. 

Mr.  Allen  continued  to  follow  the  grocery 
business  until  1882,  and  then  accepted  a  po- 
sition as  clerk  at  McCreery's  lumber  yard  at 
Parsons,  which  he  held  two  years.  During  the 
"boom"  of  Western  Kansas,  he  spent  four 
years  in  Scott  and  Hamilton  counties,  the  first 
year,  with  F.  P.  Dicus  &  Company,  lumber- 
men, and  about  an  equal  length  of  time  as  a 
partner  in  the  general  merchandise  and  banking 
house  of  Millikin  &  Brandt,  where  he  acted  as 
cashier.  Messrs.  Millikin  and  Brandt  were 
both  attorneys  and  pioneer  settlers  of  Labette 
county ;  both  died  several  years  later,,  of  con- 
sumption. Mr.  Allen  also  served  two  years  as 
cashier  of  the  Kendall  State  Bank. 

Returning  to  Labette  county,  in  1893,  Mr. 
Allen  had  charge  of  the  lumber  business  of 
Clark  &  Bates,  at  Chetopa,  for  three  years, 
and  then  became  manager  for  the  same  com- 
pany, at  Parsons.  He  retained  the  latter  po- 
sition until  the  spring  of  1900,  when  the  pres- 
ent company,  which  includes  C.  K.  Leinbach 
as  a  partner,  was  formed.     The  Parsons  Lum- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ber  Company  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  lumber  companies  in  Parsons.  It 
carries  a  full  line  of  building  materials,  brick, 
lime,  cement,  house  furnishing  materials,  and 
also  yellow  and  white  pine,  cypress,  redwood 
and  cedar  shingles.  It  purchases  material 
from,  perhaps,  20  different  firms, — the  greater 
part  of  its  sash  and  doors  coming  from  Kan- 
sas City  and  St.  Louis'.  Its  extensive  lumber 
yards  cover  a  ground  space  of  162  by  150  feet, 
and  have  ample  shed-room  for  contractor's 
supplies,  etc.,  which  they  also  handle. 

The  office  of  the  company  is  a  fine  building 
and  is  the  same  formerly  used  by  William 
Maxwell,  now  deceased,  who  was  a  pioneer 
lumberman  of  Parsons,  and  whose  son,  the 
present  William  Mexwell,  is  the  efficient  and 
accommodating  bookkeeper  for  the  company. 
From  two  to  three  workmen  are  kept  con- 
stantly employed  about  the  yards,  as  the  com- 
pany enjoys,  undoubtedly,  a  larger  patronage 
than  any  other  lumber  firm  in  the  city.  Be- 
sides being  a  member  of  this  firm,  Mr.  Allen 
is  also  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Gilker- 
son  &  Allen,  lumber  dealers  of  Welch,  Indian 
Territor}'. 

Mr.  Allen  owns  a  fine  modern  residence 
at  No.  1300  Corning  avenue.  In  1896  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Nellie  Lough,  daugh- 
ter of  J.  A.  Lough.  Mrs.  Allen  comes  of  a 
Canadian  family,  who  were  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Labette  county.  Her  father  is  de- 
ceased, while  the  remainder  of  the  family  re- 
side in  Labette  county,  some  in  Altamont,  and 
some  in  Chetopa.  One  daughter,  Ruth,  blesses 
the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen.  Mr.  Allen  fa- 
vors the  Presbyterian  faith,  while  his  wife  was 
reared  within  the  folds  of  the  M.  E.  church. 
In  political  action,  Mr.  Allen  is  a  supporter 
of  Republican  principles.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 


Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Starting  out 
as  a  poor  boy,  his  life  has  been  a  steady  ad- 
vance up  to  the  present  time.  The  manly  qual- 
ities of  self  reliance  and  perseverance  have  en- 
abled him  to  accomplish  what  he  has,  and  he 
now  occupies  a  recognized  position  as  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  Parsons. 


AUNDERS  A.  BIGGS,  a  prominent 
real  estate  dealer  of  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, in  whose  development  he  has 
aided  materially  in  many-  ways,  has 
excellent  family  connections.  On  his  father's 
side  he  is  a  scion  of  a  well  known  New  York 
family,  of  English  extraction.  On  his  mother's 
side,  he  is  of  German  and  Scotch  descent,  his 
mother  being  a  lineal  descendant  of  Gen.  Arm- 
strong, of  Revolutionary  War  fame.  Saun- 
ders A.  Biggs  was  born  in  New  York  City, 
December  14,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Isaac  A. 
and  Harriet  A.  (Nellis)  Biggs,  both  of  whom 
are  buried  in  Greenwood  Cemetery,  New  York, 
with  two  sons  by  their  side.  The  father  was 
born  on  Long  Island,  while  the  mother  was 
a  native  of  Montgomery  county.  New  York. 
Of  their  five  children  composing  the  family, 
the  third  and  fourth  sons,  Eugene  C.  R.  and 
Aberdeen  C,  are  deceased.  Saunders  A.  is 
the  eldest  of  the  children.  Isaac  L.,  the  sec- 
ond son,  was  formerly  private  secretary  to  C. 
K.  Garrison,  but  is  now  in  the  employ  of  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  Company,  and  lives 
in  New  York  City.  Ida  A.,  the  youngest  of 
the  children  (and  the  only  daughter),  is  un- 
married, and  has  her  home  in  New  York  City. 
Saunders  A.  Biggs  was  educated  in  his 
native  city,  principally,  in  an  Episcopal  private 
school.  He  remained  at  home  and  assisted 
his  father  in  the  real  estate  business  until  April, 
1 86 1,  when  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Com- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


pany  B,  71st  Reg.,  New  York  State  Militia. 
He  served  three  months  under  Captain  (after- 
ward Colonel)  B.  L.  Trafford,  in  response  to 
President  Lincoln's  call  for  volunteers,  and 
was  honorably  discharged  from  service  in  July, 
1861. 

In  April,  1863,  Mr.  Biggs  was  commis- 
sioned as  an  enrollment  officer  of  New  York 
State,  with  headquarters  in  New  York  City, 
which  position  he  filled  in  a  successful  and 
capable  manner.  He  subsequently  reengaged 
with  his  father  in  the  real  estate  business,  un- 
der the  firm  name  of  Isaac  A.  Biggs  &  Son. 
To  this  work  he  devoted  his  time  and  talents, 
until  June,  1876,  when  he  came  west,  and  lo- 
cated in  Parsons,  Kansas,  July  19,  1876. 

The  same  year,  a  real  estate  company  was 
formed  by  Mr.  Biggs,  consisting  of  Angell 
Matthewson,  Merrit  Noyes  and  himself.  This 
company  continued  to  carry  on  a  real  estate, 
loan  and  abstract  business,  with  office  on  Cen- 
tral avenue,  between  Forest  and  Belmont  ave- 
nues. Air.  Biggs  withdrew  from  the  com- 
pany in  1878,  and  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising in  company  with  A.  J.  Cary,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Cary  &  Biggs.  They  con- 
tinued in  this  line  until  1881,  at  different  loca- 
tions, removing  to  larger  quarters,  as  their 
business  increased.  Then,  on  account  of  too 
close  confinement  for  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
the  firm  was  dissolved,  by  mutual  consent,  and 
Mr.  Biggs  became  connected  with  the  City 
Bank  of  Angell  Matthewson  &  Company,  as 
examiner  of  real  estate  loans.  He  filled  that 
position  until  1893,  ^nd  resigned  at  that  time 
to  accept  a  similar  position  with  the  Inter- 
State  Mortgage  &  Trust  Company.  This  he 
held  until  1901.  He  then  engaged  in  the  real 
estate,  loan,  insurance  and  coal  business,  at 
Nos.  301  and  303  South  Central  avenue,  his 
present  location. 


Mr.  Biggs  was  united  in  marriage,  De- 
cember II,  1867,  at  Fort  Plain,  New  York, 
with  Estelle  L.  Nellis,  a  daughter  of  George 
G.  and  Delia  (Rich)  Nellis,  both  prominent 
New  Yorkers.  Mrs.  Biggs'  ancestors  served 
in  the  Revolutionary  War.  She  is  one  of  a 
family  of  several  children,  all  of  whom  were 
reared  in  the  Mohawk  Valley,  at  Fort  Plain, 
Montgomery  county.  New  York,  where  all  its 
deceased  members'  are  buried.  The  eldest 
child  of  her  parents  was  Eleanor,  who  is  de- 
ceased. She  married  Dr.  H.  M.  Cronkhite, 
a  surgeon  in  the  United  States  Army.  Their 
son,  Adelbert  Cronkhite,  is  now  a  captain  of 
light  artillery,  and  stationed  at  Fortress  Mon- 
roe, Virginia.  Fie  is  a  graduate  of  West 
Point,  and  married  a  daughter  of  Brigadier 
General  Pennington.  Adelbert  D.  Nellis,  her 
brother,  served  in  the  Union  Army  during  the 
Civil  war,  as  one  of  Ellsworth's  Zouaves,  a 
regiment  formed  between  Buffalo  and  Albany, 
New  York.  Julia  N.  married  William  M. 
Burnap,  of  Utica,  New  York,  and  now  re- 
sides in  San  Francisco,  California.  Mr.  Bur- 
nap  was  at  one  time  the  private  secretary  of 
Roscoe  Conkling.  Estelle  L.,  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Biggs,  was  the  next  child  in  this  interesting 
family,  and  was  born  May  24,  1847.  George 
L.,  a  younger  brother,  lives,  with  his  family, 
in  Kansas  City,  where  he  is  general  agent  of 
the  Diamond  Brick  Company.  Minnie  L.,  a 
younger  sister,  is  the  wife  of  Albert  M.  Tay- 
lor, a  prominent  coal  dealer,  of  Parsons. 

Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Biggs.  The  eldest  was  Eugenia  Lemoine,  who 
died  in  infancy,  July  25,  1882.  The  surviving 
daughter  is  Estelle  Louise,  born  at  Parsons, 
Kansas,  January  5,  1885,  is  an  accomplished 
musician,  being  especiall}'  proficient  as  a  pianist. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Biggs  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, and  has  had  much  to  sav  and  do  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


guidance  of  that  party  in  his  section.  He  was 
made  a  Mason  at  Amity  Lodge,  No.  323,  A. 
F.  &  A.  j\I.,  of  New  York  City,  and  is  now  a 
member  of  the  lodge  in  Parsons.  The  pref- 
erence of  the  family  is  for  the  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  Rev.  J.  J.  Purcell  is  rector. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Biggs  were  confirmed  at  Trinity 
Chapel,  New  York  City,  by  Bishop  Potter, 
shortly  after  their  marriage,  which  was  sol- 
emnized in  December,  1867. 

Mr.  Biggs  is,  doubtless,  one  of  the  best 
judges  of  real  estate  values  in  Labette  county, 
and  surrounding  counties,  if  not  in  the  state 
of  Kansas,  having  had  many  years'  experience. 
Nearly  all  his  life  has  been  devoted  to  real  es- 
tate transactions.  He  is  largely  interested  in 
both  city  and  county  real  property,  having 
built  some  of  the  finest  residences  in  Parsons, 
as  well  as  verious  tenement  houses.  His  own 
residence  at  1703  Corning  avenue  is  a  hand- 
some modern  structure,  and  an  ornament  to 
the  city.  He  is,  without  doubt,  a  leading  and 
representative  citizen  of  Parsons,  and  stands 
before  his  family  and  friends  as  a  victor  in  the 
struggle,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  foresight, 
his  toil,  and  his  skill. 


S.  HOKE,  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Hoke  Brothers,  a  well 
known  milling  firm  of  Parsons, 
Kansas,  is  one  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive business  men  and  most  extensive  farm- 
ers in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  moved  to 
Labette  county  from  Ohio  as  early  as  1874, 
when  he  immediately  engaged  in  milling.  The 
business  prospered  and  increased  until  1882, 
when  the  firm  of  Hoke  Brothers  was  formed, 
by  M.  Hoke  and  his  two  sons,  W.  S.  and  A. 
C.  Hoke,  who  own  and  control  a  milling  plant 
second  to  none  in  this  section  of  Kansas. 


M.  Hoke  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
is  now  a  retired  resident  of  Parsons,  still  own- 
ing a  small  interest  in  the  milling  plant.  He 
is  a  miller  by  trade,  and  has  devoted  the  best 
efforts  of  his  life  to  this  vocation.  His  union 
with  Katherine  Culp,  also  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, resulted  in  the  birth  of  two  sons  and 
three  daughters,  namely:  W.  S.,  the  subjec. 
of  this  biography;  A.  C,  the  junior  member 
of  the  firm;  Anna  (Wiggins),  the  widow  of  a 
railroad  engineer,  who  has  four  children ; 
Ella  (Braunsdorf),  wife  of  a  commercial  trav- 
eler; and  Marian,  who  still  resides  at  home, 
in  the  beautiful  and  substantial  family  resi- 
dence in  Parsons. 

A.  C.  Hoke,  the  junior  member  of  th^ 
firm,  was  born  in  1866.  He  is  married,  and 
I  has  built  a  handsome  residence  in  Parsons. s 
Like  his  brother,  he  learned  the  milling  busi- 
ness from  his  father,  and  his  assistance  is  in- 
valuable in  their  numerous  business  enter- 
prises. 

W.  S.  Hoke  was  born  in  Franklin  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  October,  1857.  He  attended 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  state,  and 
from  early  boyhood  found  employment  in  his 
father's  mill.  In  time,  under  the  supervision 
of  his  beloved  parent,  he  became  thoroughly 
familiar  with  every  detail  and  brancli  of  the 
milling  business,  to  which  his  life  has  been  de- 
voted. He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mollie 
E.  Barnard,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  B. 
Barnard,  of  Illinois,  both  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Hoke  has  two  brothers,  C.  B. 
Barnard,  of  Oklahoma;  and  W.  N.  Barnard, 
of  Colorado, — both  successful  business  men. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoke  have  a  palatial  residence 
in  North  Parsons,  and  are  favorites  in  both 
social  and  religious  circles.  They  are  regular 
attendants  at  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
Fraternallv,  Mr.  Hoke  affiliates  with  the  A.  O. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


623 


U.  W.  organization,  while  Mrs.  Hoke  is  an 
esteemed  member  of  the  Degree  of  Honor. 

The  firm  of  Hoke  Brothers  was  formed  in 
1882,  and  has  a  capital  stock  of  $30,000.  Their 
large  plant  is  located  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  city  of  Parsons,  and  covers  about  two 
acres  of  ground, — employing  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen men.  The  present  buildings  were  erected 
in  1873,  and  1874.  They  consist  of  a  flour 
mill,  feed  mill  and  warehouse  and  elevator^ 
Later,  the  present  fine  office  building  was 
added.  The  plant  is  operated  by  steam,  the 
power  being  furnished  by  a  60-horse-power  en- 
gine and  boiler.  Soft-wheat  flour  in  several 
grades  is  manufactured, — the  finest  being  the 
Blue  Ribbon,  White  Loaf,  and  Champion, — 
and  a  full  line  of  feed  stuffs  is  also  turned  out. 
The  business  has  prospered  and  increased,  un- 
til the  local  grain  supply  is  inadequate  for  the 
present  capacity  of  the  mills,  which  have  been 
proportionately  enlarged,  and  a  great  amount 
of  grain  is  purchased  outside. 

In  addition  to  the  workmen  within  the  mills, 
a  number  of  traveling  salesmen  are  constantly 
employed,  and  the  firm  advertises  largely.  The 
products  are  sold  all  over  Southern  Kansas, 
besides  a  heavy  local  patronage.  The  firm  of 
Hoke  Brothers  has  extensive  interests  entirely 
separate  from  their  milling  business.  They 
own  large  tracts  of  land  in  different  parts  of 
Labette  county, — principally,  in  Liberty  and 
Walton  townships, — which  they  farm  on  a 
large  scale.  In  addition  to  a  large  tract  in 
North  township,  recently  sold  by  them,  they 
still  own  about  800  acres  and  lease  about  1,000 
acres,  raising  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand 
bushels  of  wheat  annually.  Several  foremen 
and  about  20  workmen  perform  all  the  manual 
labor  required  in  raising  this  grain,  which  has 
netted  the  proprietors  quite  a  neat  sum  dur- 
ing the  past  year,  which  has  been  an  excep- 


tionally good  one  for  business.     Stock  is  also 
raised  extensively. 

W.  S.  Hoke  bears  an  excellent  reputation 
for  good,  honest  business  methods,  and  prides 
himself  on  the  general  success  which  has  at- 
tended his  efforts.  He  entertains  a  pronounced 
belief  in  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party, 
but  has  been  kept  too  busy  in  attending  to  his' 
milling  business  to  accept  any  office. 


k-^hI  B.  price,  one  of  Labette  county's 
i  fca  successful  farmers,  has  been  a  resi- 
g@^  dent  of  this  county  since  1872,  and  is 
located  in  section  18,  township  33, 
range  18,  in  IMound  Valley  township.  He  has 
been  a  very  industrious  man,  and  success  has 
attended  his  eft'orts.  He  represents  the  high- 
est type  of  a  citizen,  and  takes  an  earnest  in- 
terest in  all  that  relates  to  the  welfare  of  his 
township  and  county.  He  was  born  in  Law- 
rence county,  Missouri,  May  7,  1846,  and  is 
a  son  of  David  and  Catherine  (Moyer)  Price- 
David  Price  was  reared  in  Indiana  and 
Ohio,  and  died  in  1853.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania, — her  family  having  come  from 
Germany, — and  she  received  her  education  in 
the  schools  of  Ohio  and  Indiana.  She  died  in 
Phelps  county,  Missouri,  in  1894,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years.  They  were  parents  of 
eight  children,  four  of  whom  arrived  at  ma- 
turity, namely:  Melissa  (Decker),  of  Fay- 
etteville,  Arkansas;  Janette  (Taylor),  of 
Guthrie,  Oklahoma;  Elizabeth  (Furray),  of 
I  helps  county,  Missouri;  and  H.  B. 

H.  B.  Price  moved  with  his  parents  to  sev- 
eral different  places,  and  was'  reared  in  Mis- 
s-'uri,  Illinois  and  Indiana.  He  was  married, 
February  i,  1872,  and  on  February  7th  left 
Illinois  with  a  team  of  horses, — his  wife  and 


624 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


her  sister  having  started  two  days  previously. 
]le  crossed  the  Mississippi  River,  on  the  ice, 
at  St.  Louis,  and  then  continued  on  through 
Missouri  to  Kansas.  He  located  in  Labette 
county  in  the  spring  of  187J,  and  located  on 
railroad  land  in  section  21,  Labette  township, 
along  with  two  of  his  brothers-in-law.  He 
partly  improved  his  claim,  and  then  sold  it  to 
the  others  of  the  party,  and  removed  to  Mound 
Valley  township,  where  he  acquired  title  to  80 
acres  in  the  southwest  cjuarter  of  section  25, 
township  32,  range  18.  He  continued  on  this 
farm  for  four  years  and  then  moved  to  his 
present  home  farm  in  section  18,  township  33, 
range  18,  which  he  bought  from  A.  Fanning. 
It  had  been  preempted  by  Mr.  Goddard.  Fifty 
acres  of  the  land  were  broken,  and  a  house 
was  located  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
farm.  This  was  later  torn  down,  and  the  oak 
lumber  was  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
comfortable  barn,  32  by  42  feet  in  dimensions, 
which  i:s  located  on  the  place.  There  was  also 
a  growing  crop  of  wheat,  and  hedges  had  been 
set  out,  as  well  as  the  nucleus  of  an  orchard, 
which  has  since  been  developed  into  an  orchard 
of  six  acres.  Nine  acres  are  devoted  to  or- 
chard, house  and  yards,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  land  is  cultivated  and  is  well  fenced  and 
improx-ed.  In  1898  he  purchased  an  additional 
tract  of  160  acres  in  section  7,  township  33, 
range  18,  which  is  fenced  and  cross-fenced. 
This  property  is  free  from  incumbrance,  and 
its  owner  has  a  clear  title  to  it.  He  is  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  fa- 
vors Shorthorn  cattle  and  Poland-China  hogs. 
He  buys  some  stock,  but  mainly  breeds  anc' 
feeds,  having  a  large  pasture  area. 

Mr.  Price  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  J.  Mahar,  W'ho  was  reared  in  Morgan 
county,  Ohio,  and  is  now  forty-seven  years  of 
age.     This  union  resulted  in  the  following  ofif- 


spring;  Luella;  Edna;  Irene;  Annie;  Lena; 
Mary;  Nina;  Ira;  Ralph;  Calvin,  who  is  with 
the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  at 
Beaumont,  Texas;  Harvey,  who  is  ranching 
near  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado;  and  Cath- 
erine, who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Price  was  a  Republican  until  the 
organization  of  the  Alliance,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent time  is  a  Prohibitionist.  He  lives  in  School 
District  Xo.  75.  In  the  early  days,  he  was  a 
member  of  Anti-Horsethief  Association.  He 
attends  the  United  Brethren  church  at  Elm- 
wood. 


^mrmi  U-  KILE,  deceased.  This  gentleman 
^  H  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  fore- 
most farmers  living  in  Mound  Valley 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas. 
He  resided  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
31,  township  32,  range  18, — the  farm  which 
his  wife  has  managed  since  his  death.  Mr. 
Kile  was  born  on  the  south  branch  of  the  Po- 
tomac River,  in  Virginia,  in  1834.  He  came  of 
a  well  known  family  of  that  state,  his  father 
ha\-ing  lived  there  a  number  of  years.  One 
sister  lives'  in  Illinois  at  the  present  writing, 
and  five  of  his  brothers  served  in  the  \\'ar  of 
the  Rebellion. 

Mr.  Kile  followed  farming  in  his  native 
state  for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  April, 
1872,  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  his 
wife  and  family  following  him  in  November 
of  that  year.  Here  he  took  up  the  farm  on 
which  his  wife  now  resides.  This  was  partly 
improved ;  about  60  acres  of  the  land  had  been 
broken,  and  wheat  had  been  planted.  Some 
hedge  had  been  set  out,  and  maple  trees  along 
the  driveway,  now  large,  were  at  that  time- 
small  bushes.  Twenty-five  peach  trees  had  been 
set  out,   and   the   farm   now   yields   abundant 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


627 


fruit.  The  quarter-section  of  land  is  linely 
improved,  and  a  large  house  and  outbuildings 
add  greatly  to  the  general  appearance  of  the 
place,  making  it  one  of  the  most  attractive  and 
substantial  farms  in  the  county.  Mr.  Kile 
carried  on  general  farming  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  February,  1890.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  thrift  and  energy,  and  took  much 
pride  in  making  his  farm  one  of  the  finest  in 
his  section.  He  was  an  active  and  loyal  citi- 
zen, giving  his  assistance  to  all  public  enter- 
prises which  were  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity, and  his  death  was  deeply  mourned  by 
all. 

Air.  Kile  was  united  in  marriage  with  Re- 
becca J.  Haigler,  who  was  born  in  Pendleton 
county.  West  Virginia,  in  1834.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Haigler,  who 
had  three  boys  and  four  girls  born  to  them. 
The  youngest  son,  Elijah  AL,  lived  for  many 
years  in  Ohio,  and  died  in  Labette  county  in 
1900,  aged  seventy-three  years.  James  W.  and 
John  M.  moved  to  Iowa,  and  died  there.  Lu- 
cinda  H.  (Judy)  died  in  Illinois.  Joanna  and 
Sophia,  twins,  died  in  Virginia.  Lavina  be- 
came Mrs!  Terwilleger.  Mrs.  Kile's  father, 
John  Haigler,  was  born  March  30,  1791,  and 
died  in  Labette  county,  after  a  residence  of 
eighteen  months',  March  24,  1875.  Her  mother, 
Phoebe  (Skidmore)  Haigler,  was  born  Novem- 
ber 27,  1798,  and  died  in  Virginia,  January  10, 
1873.  This  worthy  couple  were  married  in 
October,  1822. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kile  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  namely :  John  H.,  who  attends  school 
at  Baldwin;  Delia  Virginia  (Titsworth),  who 
lives  at  home,  and  has  one  daughter, — Carrie 
Hazel;  William  C,  who  married  a  daughter  of 
W.  H.  Eakins,  and  is  at  home;  and  Charles 
Lee,  who  married  Miss  Dingfelder,  and  lives 
one  mile  from  the  old  homestead. 


Mr.  Kile  was  a  stanch  Democrat  in  politics. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  a  mu- 
tual benefit  association.  In  religious  views, 
Mr.  Kile  was  a  Methodist.  His  wife  was  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  al- 
though she  recently  joined  the  Methodist 
church  at  Mound  Valley,  with  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter. Mrs.  Kile  has  successfully  managed  her 
husband's  farm,  with  the  assistance  of  her  son, 
and  keeps  everything  in  good  condition.  She 
is  well  known  in  the  vicinity  for  her  womanly 
qualities,  and  many  good  deeds. 


i 


MIL  RORSCHACH,  Sr.,  who  was  for 
many  years  a  prominent  farmer  of 
North  township,  Lal)ette  county, 
Kansas,  is  now  living  in  retirement 
in  the  city  of  Parsons.  He  is  a  man  of  pleas- 
ing jjersonality,  and  has  scores  of  friends  in  the 
county. 

Air.  Rorschach  was  born  in  Switzerland, 
in  1836,  and  attended  the  schools  of  his  native 
country  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age.  after 
which  he  came  to  America.  He  landed  in  New 
York  in  January,  1857,  having  crossed  the 
ocean  from  le  Havre,  France,  on  a  sailing  ves- 
sel, which  consumed  thirty-seven  days  in  mak- 
ing the  voyage.  After  landing  in  New  York,  he 
spent  about  six  weeks  in  that  city,  and  then 
sojourned  in  Philadelphia  for  a  short  time. 
He  afterward  located  in  Lancaster,  Pennsyl- 
vania, with  but  25  cents  in  his  pockets.  The 
following  winter  he  worked  for  his  board,  and 
then  took  up  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  which 
he  followed  in  that  city  for  five  years.  In  the 
fall  of  1 86 1,  he  went  to  Sandusky  county, 
Ohio,  and  lived  on  a  farm  near  Fremont.  In 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  72d  Reg., 
Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  which  was  taken  into  the  i6th 


628 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Army  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  West.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  June  ii,  18C4,  at  Gun- 
fown,  Mississippi,  and  was  sent  to  Anderson- 
ville  prison,  where  he  was  incarcerated  seven 
months;  he  was  also  subsequently  imprisoned 
at  other  places.  Finally,  in  February.  1865, 
he  was  exchanged  at  Savannah,  Georgia,  and 
immediately  returned  home.  He  was  incapaci- 
tated for  work  for  several  years,  by  his  tr}-ing 
experiences,  which  had  impaired  his  health. 
In  1869,  he  journeyed  by  rail  to  Cameron. 
Missouri,  where  he  bought  a  team  which  he 
dro\e  to  Labette  county,  Kansas.  He  took  up 
a  claim  in  section  5,  North  township,  and  re- 
sided on  that  farm  until  November,  1898, 
Avhen  he  moved  to  Parsons,  subsequently  dis- 
posing of  his  farm.  He  was  very  successful 
as  a  farmer  and  laid  by  a  handsome  compe- 
tency. He  is  independent  in  politics,  and 
served  on  the  school  board  for  a  period  of 
sixteen  years,  a  part  of  the  time  as  secretary 
of  the  board,  and  a  part  of  the  time  as  treas- 
urer. He  is  a  member  of  Antietam  Post,  No. 
64,  G.  A.  R. 

Mr.  Rorschach  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
i860,  with  Caroline  Dorley,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  they  are  the  parents  of  12  children, 
as  follows:  Mary  (\\'alker),  who  resides'  in 
North  township;  Emil,  Jr.,  of  Shaw- 
nee, Oklahoma;  Carrie  (Walker),  of  Se- 
dalia.  Missouri ;  Harry,  a  resident  of  Shawnee. 
Oklohoma;  Karl,  a  resident  of  Chanute,  Kan- 
sas: Frank  and  Otto,  twins;  Walter,  a  resi- 
dent of  South  McAlester,  Indian  Territory; 
Werner,  a  resident  of  Joplin,  Missouri;  Ar- 
nold and  Herman,  residents  of  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas; and  William,  who  is  attending  school. 
This  large  family  has  never  known  serious 
sickness,  nor  has  any  member  of  it  ever  been 
crippled.  Two  nf  the  sons,  Frank  and  Otto, 
twins,   entered    the   United    States     Navv.   at 


Washington,  District  of  Columbia,  in  1887, 
and  have  continued  in  the  service  since.  Both 
have  been  promoted  from  time  to  time.  At 
present,  Frank  is  chief  gunner  of  the  naval 
magazines  near  Norfolk,  Virginia,  where  he 
has  been  stationed  since  the  Spanish-American 
War.  Otto  is  chief  electrician  on  the  ^Marietta, 
now  cruising  in  Chinese  waters.  During  the 
Spanish-American  Wav,  both  served  on  the 
Puritan,  and  Frank  had  the  distinction  of  firing 
the  shot  from  the  Puritan  which  exploded  the 
magazines  at  Fort  JMatanzas. 
■  The  publishers  "of  this  work  are  pleased  to 
be  able  to  state  that  portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rorschach  accompany  this  sketch. 


RS.  ELIZA  A.  WEST,  widow  of  the 
late  E.  H.  West,  is  a  native  of 
Marshall,  Michigan,  and  was  born 
in  1840.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Isaac  B.  and  Susan  (Bentley)  Woodcock. 
Since  her  husband's  death,  she  has  successfully 
managed  her  farm,  which  is  in  section  20, 
township  33,  range  18,  in  Mound  Valley  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas. 

Isaac  B.  Woodcock  spent  most  of  his  life 
near  Otego,  New  York,  but  his  declining  years 
were  spent  in  the  home  of  his  daughter.  Mrs. 
Woodcock  was  a  native  of  England,  and  came 
to  America  when  she  was  fourteen  years  old. 
She  died  in  Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood- 
cock were  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely : 
Eliza  A.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  D.  B., 
who  is  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Illi- 
nois; R.  A.  (Sweet),  who  lives  in  Carson  City, 
Michigan;  M.  J.  (Knickerbocker),  of  the  same 
place;  and  S.  M.  (Duffy),  whose  husband  is 
a  real  estate  dealer  in  California.  Mr.  Wood- 
cock followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


629 


E.  H.  West,  deceased,  who  was  the  hus- 
band of  our  subject,  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire in  1830.  When  he  was  two  years'  old, 
his  parents  moved  to  the  eastern  part  of  New 
York,  and  later,  to  the  southern  part  of  Mich- 
igan. Mr.  West  was  reared  in  New  York  and 
in  Michigan.  He  had  two  brothers  and  three 
sisters,  viz.:  Sarah  (McKnight),  of  Michi- 
gan; Walter,  who  lives  in  Minnesota;  Mary, 
deceased;  Lucinda  (Simpson),  who  died  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war ;  and  Seth,  whose  home  is' 
in  Michigan.  Mr.  West  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Eliza  A.  Woodcock,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  They  lived  on  a  farm  in  Michi- 
gan, until  their  removal  to  Kansas.  March 
23,  1870,  they  went  by  rail  to  Fort  Scott, 
Kansas,  having  decided  to  try  their  fortune  in 
Kansas, — Mr.  West  had  looked  over  that  coun- 
try some  time  before.  They  bought  the  pres- 
ent home  farm  in  Mound  Valley  township, 
from  Mr.  Whitesell.  Mr.  Ross  and  Mr.  Wells 
were  then  the  only  near  neighbors.  There 
were  no  improvements  on  the  place  except  a 
log  house  which  stood  near  the  creek.  The 
present  substantial  house  was  built  in  the  fall 
of  1870, — the  lumber  being  hauled  from 
Carthage  and  Columbus,  and  some  of  it  from 
the  mill  at  Oswego.  Mrs.  West  also  bought 
another  quarter-section  of  land,  which  is'  now 
owned  by  her  son,  E.  B.  West.  Mr.  West  de- 
parted this  life  in  1876,  and  his  death  was 
sincerely  mourned  by  all,  as  he  was  a  loyal  and 
useful  citizen. 

Since  her  husband's  death  Mrs.  West  has 
had  the  sole  management  of  the  farm,  and  has' 
made  many  valuable  improvements  on  the  place. 
She  has  a  good  orchard,  the  trees  of  which  she 
planted.  The  barns  and  outbuildings  are  all 
large  and  commodious,  and  everything  about 
the  place  is  kept  in  excellent  condition.  Mrs. 
West  has  four  children,  namely :    Mrs.  Thomp- 


son, of  Pierce  City,  Missouri;  E.  B.,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  implement  business  in  Mound 
Valley;  F.  E.,  who  lives  on  the  farm  with  his 
mother;  and  H.  E.,  superintendent  of  *the  tele- 
phone offices  at  Pittsburg,  Kansas. 

Mr.  West  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
was  a  very  well  informed  man.  Mrs.  West  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  She  is  a 
kind  and  charitable  neighbor,  and  has  many 
estimable  qualities  which  make  her  warmly  re- 
garded by  all. 


OHN  BENNETT  is  a  prominent  farm- 
er of  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  and  is  located  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  32,  town- 
ship 34,  range  19,  where  he  possesses  a  very 
valuable  piece  of  farming  property.  He  was 
born  in  North  Wales  in  1834,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Jane  (Owen)  Bennett. 

John  Bennett,  Sr.,  was'  born  and  married 
in  North  Wales.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  lived  to  reach  the  ripe  old  age  -of 
eighty-eight  years.  His  union  with  Jane  Owen 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  the  following  children : 
John;  Elizabeth;  Edward;  Jane;  Richard; 
Thomas;  Ann;  William;  Evan;  and  Mary. 
Mrs.  Bennett  was  also  born  in  North  Wales 
and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years. 

John  Bennett,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
lived  in  his  native  country  until  1867,  when  he 
came  to  the  United  States',  accompanied  by  his 
brother,  Edward.  After  landing  at  Castle 
Garden,  New  York  City,  they  traveled  west  to 
Putnam  county,  Ohio,  where  John  purchased 
a  farm,  which  he  still  owns.  He  made  Ohio 
his  home  until  he  settled  in  Kansas,  having 
followed  railroading  for  twenty  years  during 
his  early  life.    Mr.  Bennett  worked  in  England 


630 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


under  the  first  railroad  secretary  in  the  world, 
Braithwaite  Poole,  on  the  Burton  Head  and 
Hoylake  Railway.  Mr.  Poole  was  secretary 
of  the  Liverpool  &  Manchester  Railway,  said 
to  be  the  first  railroad  operated  in  the  history 
of  steam  locomotion.  He  arrived  in  Kansas 
in  March,  1888,  and  located  on  his  present 
farm  in  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette  county, 
— the  northwest  quarter  of  section  32,  town- 
ship 34,  range  19.  He  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing, although  he  rents  a  part  of  his  land.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  having  cast  his 
first  presidential  vote  for  General  Grant.  He 
served  as  township  trustee  in  Putnam  county, 
Ohio,  for  a  period  of  twelve  years.  An  indus- 
trious man,  of  frugal  habits,  his  affairs  are  in 
a  very  prosperous  condition.  He  is  possessed 
of  many  excellent '  traits  of  character  and  has 
many  friends  in  the  township. 

Mr.  Bennett  was  first  married  to  Ann  Gar- 
ner, who  was  born  in  North  Wales,  in  1824, 
and  died  in  1891,  leaving  one  daughter,  Ann 
Jane,  whose  union  with  Albert  Reece  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  three  children :  Mabel,  Anna 
M.  and  Mary.  Mr.  Bennett's  present  wife  was 
Mrs.  Mary  C.  (Morris)  Garner,  who  was  born 
in  New  York  State  in  1853,  and  has  one  son, 
J.  R.  Garner.  Mrs.  Bennett  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church. 


-««l  W.  LEAP,  a  prominent  stock  man 
^^  and  extensive  land  owner  of  Hack- 
berry  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  one  of  the  early  settlers,  of 
the  county,  having  located  here  in  1867.  He 
lives  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  25. 
township  34,  range  20,  and  owns  400  acres 
of  highly  cultivated  land.  He  was  born  in 
Jefferson  county,  Indiana,  in  1838,  and  is  ; 


son    of    Samuel    and    Margaret    (McCauly) 
Leap. 

Samuel  Leap  was  a  native  of  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer 
all  his  life.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Vii- 
ginia,  died  in  Iowa,  in  1852,  having  removed 
to  Davis  county,  in  that  state,  in  1850.  Two 
of  their  daughters  are  deceased;  and  San- 
ford,  the  brother  of  G.  W.,  is  living  in  San 
Antonio,  Texas. 

G.  W.  Leap,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Indiana,  and  remained 
at  home  until  he  became  of  age.  On  October 
I,  1867,  he  removed  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas. He  came  to  Oswego  by  way  of  Kansas. 
City,  in  company  with  Mr.  Butterworth  and 
family, — thus  making  a  party  of  five  or  six 
people.  Mr.  Leap  took  a  claim  in  Hackl^erry 
township,  and  has  resided  on  this  land  ever 
since.  He  now  owns  a  quarter-section  directly 
south,  across  the  road, — the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  36;  and  80  acres  adjoining  in  Rich- 
land township,  making  a  total  of  400  acres  of 
fine  farming  land.  When  he  first  located  ia 
Kansas,  he  was  a  poor  man,  and  his  success  has. 
been  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  He  has 
made  many  fine  improvements  on  his  farm,  and 
has  never  had  a  desire  to  remove  from  the 
county.  Upon  first  locating  on  his  home  farm 
he  built  a  log  cabin  in  the  field,  which  he  oc- 
cupied for  ;some  tdme.  His  present  frame 
house  was  completed  in  1875,  ^^^  the  barn 
was  finished  in  1881.  The  nearest  trading 
points  in  early  days  were  Lawrence,  Kansas 
City  and  places  in  Missouri.  Turkey  Creek 
flows  through  his  land,  and  there  is  a  good 
well  in  the  pasture,  and  also  a  windmill,  which 
afford  a  fine  supply  of  water.  A  handsome 
hedge  was  set  out  by  Mr.  Leap,  and  he  has 
about  five  acres  of  fruit.  Mr.  Leap  often  feeds- 
100,  or  more,  cattle,  and  raises  a  high  grade  of 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


631 


stock.  He  carries  on  general  farming  in  addi- 
tion to  stock  raising.  He  is-  thoroughly  in- 
formed on  all  matters  pertaining  to  agriculture 
and  is  considered  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  tlie 
county. 

Mr.  Leap  was  married,  in  Labette  coun- 
ty, in  1868,  to  Matilda  Ouinby,  who  was  born 
in  Laporte,  Indiana.  She  accompanied  her 
two  brothers  to  Labette  county.  Mrs'.  Ouinby, 
aged  ninety-two  years, — the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Leap, — resides  with  her  daughter.  Mr.  Leap 
and  his  wife  have  five  sons  and  one  daughter, 
namely:  Arthur,  who  works  on  the  Santa  Fe 
road,  and  lives  at  Newton;  Ernest,  who  lives 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  his  father,  and  who  is 
married  to  Delia  Holman,  and  has  three  chil- 
dren,— Leah,  Harold  and  Glenn;  Walter,  who 
is  a  farmer  in  Wyoming;  Fred,  who  is  min- 
ing in  Alaska;  Ouinby;  and  Alice,  who  is  at 
home. 

Mr.  Leap  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has 
served  several  terms  as  treasurer  of  the  town- 
ship. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board  of  District  No.  70.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  lodge,  of  Che- 
topa.  Mr.  Leap  is  a  public-spirited  man,  and 
takes  an  active  interest  in  all  local  affairs'. 


^^    F.  PRESTON,  a  well  known  livery 

H  ^^    ™3'''  located  in  Edna,  Labette  coun- 

^^O    ty,  Kansas,  has  been  a  resident  of 

the    county    since    1881.     He    was 

born  in  Monroe  county,  New  York,  in  1850. 

His  father  was  J.   Preston,  also  a  native  of 

that  state. 

J.  Preston  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 
married  Sarah  Eldridge,  who  was  also  a  native 
of  New  York.  This  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  the  following  children  :    Frank ;  C.  F., 


the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Emma  and  Nelson, 
deceased;  William,  who  is  a  music  teacher  at 
Edna,  Kansas';  Josephine;  Mary;  and  Henry. 

C.  F.  Preston  was  reared  in  his  native 
state,  where  he  attended  the  common  schools 
of  Monroe  county.  He  spent  a  good  deal  of 
his  time  on  the  water,  while  young,  and  in 
1872  removed  to  Michigan,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  for  a  period  of 
eight  years.  In  1881  Mr.  Preston  moved  to 
Edna,  Kansas,  where  he  was'  engaged  in  the 
stock  business  until  1888,  when  he  built  the 
livery  stable  which  he  now  conducts.  He  has 
carried  on  this  business  ever  since,  and  is  well 
known  in  Elm  Grove  township  and  the  vicinity. 
Mr.  Preston  is'  a  thorough  business  man,  and 
devotes  all  his  time  to  his  work.  He  has  nu- 
merous patrons,  and  to  these  he  gives  prompt 
and  ready  attention.  He  has  a  number  of  good 
horses,  and  does  a  large  business. 

Mr.  Preston  first  married  Mary  Dennison, 
of  Coldwater,  Michigan.  She  died,  leaving 
one  son,  Arley  H.  Mr.  Preston  wedded,  as 
his  second  wife,  Mrs.  Katie  Bennett,  who  is  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  where  she  was  born  in 
1858.  They  have  reared  the  following  chil- 
dren, namely :  Earl ;  Osoar ;  Ernest ;  and  Jes- 
sie. Mr.  Preston  belongs  to  Edna  Lodge,  A, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  345 ;  and  also  to  the  M.  W.  of 
A.,  Edna  Lodge,  No.  1636.  He  is'  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church.  Mr.  Preston  is  a  loyal 
and  upright  citizen,  and  is  highly  respected 
as  such. 


RS.  MARYM.  (MISER)  WHITE, 
an  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dent of  Montana  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Will- 
iams county,  Ohio,  in  January.    1849. 

Mrs.  White  is  a  daughter  of  John  Miser, 


m 


632 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  followed 
farming  throughout  his  entire  life.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Fetters,  who  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  they  reared  the  following  children :  Emily 
and  Sarah,  deceased;  Henry;  John,  deceased; 
Mary  M.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and 
Thomas  and  Jacob,  who  are  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. 

Mary  M.  Miser  was  an  infant  when  her 
father  located  in  Iowa,  and  she  lived  there  for 
seven  years.  The  following  two  years  were 
spent  in  Illinois,  after  which  she  returned  to 
Ohio,  where  she  resided  until  she  came  to  Kan- 
sas. She  located  in  Labette  county  with  her 
father,  in  1871.  She  was  joined  in  matrimony 
with  H.  F.  White,  who  is  now  deceased. 

H.  F.  White  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1848, 
and  became  a  farmer.  He  came  to  Kansas  in 
1866,  and  located  in  Montana  township,  La- 
bette county,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Mrs. 
White.  He  resided  upon  this  until  his  death, 
in  1890.  He  was  a  very  successful  business 
man,  and  one  who  commanded  the  respect  of 
every  one  with  whom  he  was  acquainted.  He 
was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  served  as 
trustee  of  Montana  township  for  two  terms. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  became  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Walter,  who  conducts  the 
affairs  of  the  farm  for  his  mother,  and  who 
married  Ada  Clark,  and  has  one  daughter, 
Lillian  M. ;  Nora ;  and  Ruhema.  Mrs.  White 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  community  for 
more  than  thirty  years,  and  has  many  friends. 


F.  LIVESAY,  a  prominent  and 
influential  farmer  of  Montana 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
is  located  in  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  14,  and  has  a  well  improved  farm, 


most  of  the  improvements  being  the  result  of 
his  own  efforts. 

]\Ir.  Livesay  was  born  in  Pulaski  county, 
Illinois,  in  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  John  W.  Live- 
say.  The  latter  was  born  in  Washington 
county,  Illinois,  in  1833,  and  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade.  He  enlisted,  in  1861,  in  Company  C, 
60th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  for  three 
years,  losing  an  arm  while  in  the  service. 
After  the  war  he  spent  two  years  in  Illinois, 
came  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1867,  and 
located  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  3, 
Montana  township.  He  entered  the  claim  and 
lived  upon  it  until  his  death,  in  1877.  He  mar- 
ried Lucinda  Finch,  who  was  born  in  Illinois 
in  1834,  and  they  reared  five  children:  Susan, 
deceased;  Agnes,  deceased;  Florence  (Stew- 
art); W.  F.,  subject  of  this  biographicaLrec- 
ord;  Thomas,  who  resides  with  his  mother  in 
Labette  county;  Delinda;  and  John  H.,  who 
has  just  served  twenty  months  in  the  Philip- 
pines in  Company  G,  40th  Kans.  Reg.,  U.  S, 
Volunteers. 

W.  F.  Livesay  was  brought  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  by  his  parents,  in  1867,  mak- 
ing the  trip  by  wagon.  He  resided  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  until  1888,  when  he  bought  his 
present  property, — the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  14,  Montana  township.  He  has  just 
completed  a  new,  two-story,  eight-room  house, 
and  has  his  outbuildings  and  barns  in  keep- 
ing with  it.  He  carries  on  general  farming 
and  is  meeting  with  deserved  success. 

Mr.  Livesay  married  Mary  Wilson,  who 
was  born  in  Dearborn  county,  Indiana,  in 
1876,  and  is  a  daughter  of  A.  B.  Wilson,  of 
Labette  county.  The  latter  married  Anna 
Kammeyer,  of  Indiana,  by  whom  he  had  the 
following  children  :  Mary,  wife  of  Mr.  Livesay : 
Thomas,  deceased;  Clyde;  Maggie;  William: 
Eva ;  John ;  Albert ;  and  Elmira.    Mr.  and  Mrs. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


633 


Livesay  have  four  children :  James  F. ;  Thom- 
as V. ;  Lucinda  B. ;  and  Paul  W.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  served  as  justice  of 
the  peace  one  term.  He  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


ENJAMIN  F.  BOUTON,  a  prosper- 
ous farmer  of  Elm  Grove  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  has  one  of 
the  finest  and  most  valuable  farms  in 
his  section  of  the  county.  He  has  been  lo- 
cated upon  it  since  1883,  and  has  built  a  hand- 
some residence,  and  made  many  improvements. 
As  a  business  man,  he  has  been  a  success,  dis- 
playing unusual  shrewdness  and  foresight  in 
all  his  transactions.  Upright  and  thoroughly 
honest,  he  treats  all  with  fairness,  and  thereby 
has  gained  the  respect  and  friendship  of  all 
who  know  him.  He  was  born  in  Albany 
county,  New  York,  in  1840,  and  is  a  son  of 
Erastus  and   Mary    (Abrams)    Bouton. 

Erastus  Bouton  was  born  in  Albany  coun- 
ty. New  York,  and  became  a  farmer.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Abrams,  also  a  native  of  Albany 
county.  New  York,  and  they  reared  the  follow- 
ing children :  Joannah  A. ;  Benjamin  F. ; 
James ;  David  S. ;  Theodore  O. ;  Augusta  ; 
Mary;  Charles;  and  Martha. 

B.  F.  Bouton  resided  in  his  native  county 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-six  years, 
when  with  his  wife  he  moved  to  Marshall 
county,  Illinois,  in  1866.  After  working  out 
for  six  years,  previous  to  his  marriage,  he  pur- 
chased 80  acres  of  land,  and  on  this  resided 
for  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  He  then  came 
to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  the  spring  of 
1883,  and  located  on  his  present  farm,  which 
consists  of  the  north  half  of  section  21,  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  16,  and  the  west 


half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  16, 
township  34,  range  19,  in  Elm  Grove  town- 
ship. In  1892  he  built  his  present  handsome 
and  commodious  home,  which  is  of  two  stories, 
and  contains  14  rooms.  He  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising,  having  320  acres 
devoted  to  raising  grain,  and  10  acres  of  or- 
chard. He  employs  modern  methods  in  farm- 
ing, and  has  met  with  unusual  success. 

While  a  resident  of  Albany  county.  New 
York,  he  was  united  in  marital  bonds  with 
Harriet  Zelie,  who  was  born  in  that  county 
in  1845.  They  have  one  daughter,  Alice,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Charles  Smith.  Mrs.  Smith 
has  a  son,  Leslie  Shoefeltt,  by  her  former  hus- 
band, Edward  Shoefeltt.  In  politics,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican,  and  in 
religious  belief  he  is  a  Methodist. 


A.  JONES,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War,  is  a  prominent  resident  of 
Montana  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  has  been  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  Williamson  county, 
Illinois,  in  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Jones. 
The  latter  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  and 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Keturah  Mosely,  who  was: 
born  in  Tennessee,  and  they  reared  six  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Lena;  D.  A.;  John;  Jona- 
than; Levi;  and  Sarah. 

D.  A.  Jones  lived  in  his  native  county  un- 
til 1 86 1,  when  be  enlisted,  in  November,  in 
Company  F,  49th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.  He 
fought  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson  and 
Pittsburg  Landing ;  he  took  part  in  the  Oxford 
expedition;  was  engaged  at  Hollow  Springs; 
and  participated  in  the  Red  River  compaign. 


^34 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


— fighting  for  forty-one  consecutive  days.  He 
followed  Price  to  Kansas.  He  was  honorably 
■discharged  in  January,  1865,  at  Springfield, 
Illinois,  and  thence  went  to  Washington  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming 
for  one  year.  He  went  from  Illinois  to  St. 
Louis,  by  wagon,  then  to  Kansas  City,  by  boat, 
and  thence  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  by 
wagon, — arriving  at  his  destination  in  April, 
1868;  the  trip  consumed  seventeen  days  Mr. 
Jones  located  on  his  present  farm  in  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  14,  and  in  the  east 
half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  15, 
Montana  township;  he  entered  his  claim  at 
Humboldt,  Kansas.  He  has  made  all  the  im- 
provements upon  his  place,  and  is  successfully 
engaged  in  general  farming. 

Mr.  Jones'  was  joined  in  wedlock  with 
Martha  A.  Stovalle,  who  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky, in  1843,  ^'^^  they  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  Elihu;  John;  Sher- 
man, deceased;  Frank;  Nicholas;  Mary; 
Drury;  and  William.  In  politics  Mr.  Jones  is 
a  Republican,  and  has  served  as  trustee  of 
Montana  township  for  six  years.  He  has  also 
served  on  the  school  board  for  about  twenty- 
five  years,  and  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  fif- 
teen years.  He  was  county  commissioner  six 
years, — from  1884  to  1890.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


^' 


|RS.  AGNES  A.  BUTTS,  widow  of 
the  late  J.  F.  Butts,  who  died  in 
1896,  resides  on  a  large  farm  in 
Mound  Valley  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  in  section  21,  township  32, 
range  18.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butts  located  in  this 
county  April  2,  1871. 

J.  F.  Butts,  deceased,  the  husband  of  the 
subject  hereof,   was  born  April   20.    1837,  in 


Shelby  county,  Ohio,  and  came  of  an  old  Ohio 
family.  The  deed  to  the  home  farm  in  Ohio 
was  signed  by  President  Andrew  Jackson. 
One  brother,  J.  A.  Butts,  has  a  farm  near  Mrs. 
Butts'  place,  and  lives  in  Mound  Valley. 
George  Butts  lives  in  Darke  county,  Ohio. 
The  children  were  all  reared  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Ohio,  and  J.  F.  Butts  remained  in  that 
state  until  he  located  in  Kansas.  He  had  a 
good  common-school  education,  and  when  a 
young  man  followed  the  occupation  of  a  miller 
and  farmer. 

April  2,  1 87 1,  J.  F.  Butts  removed  to  La- 
bette county,  and  in  Mound  Valley  township 
bought  a  claim  in  section  21,  township  32, 
range  18,  from  Thad  McGinnis.  Mr.  Mc- 
Ginnis  had  broken  five  acres  of  the  land  and 
had  built  a  claim-house.  Mr.  Butts  brought 
$3,000  with  him  from  Ohio,  and  built  a  large 
frame  house  after  buying  his  farm.  This 
house  was'  destroyed  by  fire  in  1900.  and  Airs. 
Butts  had  the  present  six-room  house  erected. 
She  built  the  barn  and  outbuildings  in  1897. 
Mr.  Butts  brought  maple  seeds  from  the 
woods,  which  he  planted  on  the  place,  and  he 
also  planted  a  fine  orchard.  He  bought  80 
acres  of  land,  south,  across  the  road,  and  the 
farm  now  contains  240  acres  of  finely  improved 
land.  There  are  about  15  acres'  of  timber  along 
Big  Hill  Creek,  which  flows  through  the  land. 
All  of  the  many  valuable  improvements  on  the 
farm  have  been  made  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butts, 
and  the  tract  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  in 
the  county.  A  high  grade  of  stock  is  raised, 
and  general  farming  is  carried  on.  Mr.  Butts 
died  May  31.  1896,  and  his  death  was  sincerely 
mourned  by  all,  as  he  was  a  kind  neighbor  and 
public-spirited  man.  Since  his'  death.  Mrs. 
Butts  has  managed  the  farm  in  a  manner  which 
would  do  credit  to  anyone,  and  has  been  very 
successful. 


BENJAMIN   D.   ROBERTS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


637 


Agnes  A.  (Mayginnes)  Butts,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Madison  county, 
Ohio,  March  14,  1836.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
A.  Mayginnes,  who  was'  of  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent, and  an  early  settler  of  Ohio.  He  was 
an  elder  in  the  church  at  Sidney  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  the  family  were  Presbyterians. 
Mr.  and  -Mrs.  Mayginnes  were  the  parents  of 
12  children.  Francis  M.,  familiarly  called 
"Uncle  Doc,"  lives  in  Missouri  on  a  farm, 
and  was  in  the  Civil  War.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  married  Mr.  Butts  while  living  in 
Ohio. 

INIr.  and  Mrs.  Butts'  union  was  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  nine  children,  namely :  Effie  and 
Walker,  deceased;  Ulysses,  who  married  Ida 
Farmer,  lives  near  his  mother,  and  has  four 
children, — Otis,  Earl,  Lois  and  Joel;  Ella,  who 
married  a  Mr.  Shafer.  who  teaches  school  in 
Oklahoma,  and  has  four  children,— John  Neice. 
Hugh  Cecil,  Alta  G.  and  Agnes;  Bertha  and 
Jennie,  deceased ;  John,  who  is  at  home  on  the 
farm;  Minnie  (Robinson),  of  Osage  township, 
who  has  one  daughter, — Hazel;  and  Rosa 
(Moore),  who  lives  six  miles  northeast  of  our 
subject,  and  has  one  child,— Opal  May. 

Mr.  Butts  was  a  Republican  in  polities'. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  school  board, — 
Excelsior  District,  No.  88.  The  family  attend 
the  Christian  church. 


0ENJAMIN  D.  ROBERTS,  a  pioneer 
settler    of    Labette    county,  Kansas, 
lives  in   Richland   township,   in   sec- 
tion 9.  township  34.  range  21.     He 
was  born  in  Warren  county.  Ohio,  in  1830,  and 
is  a  son  of  J.  T.  Roberts. 

J.  T.  Roberts  was  born  in  1800.  in  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  lived  some  years,  and  fol- 
lowed the  trade  of  a  cabinetmaker.     He  died 


in  1889,  in  Ohio,  whither  he  had  removed 
when  a  boy.  His  wife  died  in  1846.  They 
had  the  following  children :  One  who  died 
in  infancy;  Adolphus  D.,  a  retired  carpenter, 
who  lives  in  Chicago,  Illinois;  E.  Jane,  who 
lives  in  Ohio;  C.  D.,  deceased;  Benjamin  D. ; 
M.  A.,  the  wife  of  A.  Sutton,  who  lives  in 
Ohio;  E.  D.,  who  also  lives  in  Ohio;  M.  F., 
deceased;  and  John  A.  G.,  who  for  years  has 
been  cashier  of  the  Adams  Express  Company 
in  Chicago. 

Benjamin  D.  Roberts  remained  at  home 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen  years. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and  fol- 
lowed this  occupation  until  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas. In  September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the 
23d  Reg.,  Ky.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  after  one  year's 
service  was  discharged  on  account  of  dis- 
ability. He  reenlisted,  in  January,  1864,  in 
the  rst  Kentucky  Independent  Light  Artillery, 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  In 
1868  Mr.  Roberts  removed  to  Kansas,  and  took 
up  a  claim  in  Richland  township,  Labette 
countv,  in  sections  9  and  16,  township  34, 
range  21.  He  gradually  added  to  this  until 
he  owned  640  acres  of  finely  improved  land. 
In  1892  he  sold  three  quarter-sections,  and  has 
fitted  up  homes  for  his  children.  He  is  at 
present  living  with  his  son,  J.  O.  Roberts,  who 
will  inherit  the  home  when  his  father  dies. 
When  Mr.  Roberts  left  Ohio,  he  had  about 
$600  in  money,  but  this  was  cpiickly  used  for 
payments  on  the  claim  which  he  bought,  and 
for  general  expenses.  He  well  remembers  the 
time  when  he  was  obliged  to  spend  his  last 
SO  cents  for  quinine,— money  being  scarce  and 
sickness  threatening.  Mr.  Roberts  set  out  o\-er 
seven  miles  of  hedge,  and  also  fruit  and  shade 
trees.  He  has  built  three  houses  on  the  sec- 
tion, and  has  lived  in  two  of  them  at  different 
times. 


638 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Mr.  Roberts  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  A.  Soutliern,  in  Ohio,  in  1852.  She 
was  born  in  Englaml,  and  died  in  1884,  having 
had  four  children,  namely:  M.  F. ;  J.  O. ;  B. 
F. ;  and  A.  E.  M.  F.  died  in  infancy ;  J.  Q. 
married  Sarah  Tibbetts,  and  has  three  chil- 
dren,— Maud,  Alma  and  Benjamin ;  and  B.  F. 
and  A.  E.,  twins,  are  engaged  in  the  grain 
business  in  Nebraska.  All  of  the  children  were 
born  in  Ohio.  ^Mr.  Roberts  has  always  voted 
the  straight  Republican  ticket.  He  was  town- 
ship treasurer  for  seven  years,  and  was  treas- 
urer of  the  school  board,  District  No.  25,  for 
twenty  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A. 
R.  Post,  of  Chetopa.  ^Ir.  Roberts'  mother  was 
a  Quakeress,  but  he  is  a  Universalist.  Mr. 
Roberts  has  the  record  of  having  never  tasted 
a  drop  of  liquor,  or  used  tobacco  in  any  form. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  men  in 
the  county,  and  has  done  much  to  improve  the 
township  in  which  he  lives.  He  has  ever  been 
a  public-spirited  citizen  and  trustworthy  neigh- 
bor, and  has  many  friends  in  the  community. 
His  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch. 


W^  ^I-  ROCKAFELLER,  who  drove 
W/^  through,  in  1867,  from  Illinois  to 
^J^  Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  the  hardy  pioneers 
of  this  state.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  La- 
bette county  since  1895,  and  is  located  in 
Mound  Valley  township,  in  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  i,  township  33,  range  18.  He 
was  born  near  Connersville,  Indiana,  in  1844. 
Agsilaus  Rockafeller,  father  of  F.  M.,  mar- 
ried Pamelia  Young.  Both  were  born,  reared 
and  married  in  New  Jersey.  He  moved  to 
Indiana,  and  then,  in  1854,  to  Illinois.  He 
moved  to  Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  in  1869, 


and  died  there  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven  years.  He  was  an  active  Republican  in 
politics.  He  and  his  wife  became  the  parents 
of  10  children,  eight  of  whom  arrived  at  ma- 
turity. Six  are  now  living  and  are  located  in 
Cherokee  and  Labette  counties,  Kansas,  Illi-r 
nois,  Oklahoma  and  Arizona. 

F.  M.  Rockafeller  was  reared  partly  in  In- 
diana, and  partly  in  Bureau  county,  Illinois, 
of  which  Princeton  is  the  county-seat.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  years,  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  K,  65th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  a  period  of  three'  years.  He  was 
wounded  at  the  siege  of  Knoxville  in  the  fall 
of  1863.  A  bullet  dislocated  his  jaw,  and  in- 
capacitated him  for  service  for  seven  months. 
He  then  served  eighteen  months  longer  as  a 
noncommissioned  officer,  and  was  mustered 
out  at  Chicago  in  1865.  He  returned  to 
Bureau  county,  Illinois,  and  in  1867  drove 
through  to  Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  with  a 
span  of  mules,  which  were  afterward  exchanged 
for  oxen.  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  Sedalia, 
were  then  the  nearest  railroad  points.  He  met 
with  hard  experiences  for  some  years,  for  no 
crops  were  raised  in  1868.  He  took  a  claim 
a  little  east  of  Sherman  City,  and  resided  there 
until  1895,  with  the  exception  of  the  year 
1886,  which  was  spent  in  California.  In  1895 
he  sold  his  farm,  which  was  valuable  for  min- 
ing purposes.  His  land  was  underlaid  with 
coal,  some  of  which  w-as  so  close  to  the  surface 
that  he  frequently  dug  it.  He  came  to  Labette 
county  where  land  was  cheaper  and  served  his 
purpose  equally  well,  as  it  was  more  adapted 
to  farming  purposes.  He  acquired  of  Mr. 
Maudlin  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  i,. 
township  33,  range  18,  in  Mound  Valley  town- 
ship, which  had  been  first  conveyed  to  Mr. 
Ice,  now  deceased.  He  and  Mr.  Maudlin  made 
great  improvements  upon  the  place,  and  now 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


639 


Mr.  Rockafeller  owns  a  very  valuable  piece  of 
property.  He  is  engaged  in  general  farming, 
and  raises  corn,  oats  and  wheat.  He  also 
raises  stock,  and  favors  Durham  cattle,  and 
Poland-China  hogs.  He  has  an  orchard  of 
200  apple  trees,  which  are  bearing  well.  He 
has  an  excellent  water  supply,  for  Pumpkin 
Creek  flows  through  his  property. 

Mr.  Rockafeller  was  united  in  marriage, 
in  1866,  with  Rebecca  Darnell,  who  was  born 
in  Kentucky,  in  1842,  and  was  reared  in  Illi- 
nois. They  have  three  children :  Henry,  a 
farmer  in  Cherokee  county ;  A.  M. ;  and  Zella 
(Gay),  who  lives  four  miles  north  of  her  fa- 
ther's place.  In  politics  Mr.  Rockafeller  was 
a  Republican,  but  is  now  a  member  of  the  Peo- 
ple's party.  He  is  a  trustee  of  Mound  Val- 
ley township,  and  for  two  years  held  the  same 
office  in  Cherokee  township.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  G.  A.  R.,  is  district  deputy  of  th.e  Odd 
Fellows  lodge,  and  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  U. 
W.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Sons 
and  Daughters  of  Justice,  and  she  is  president 
of  the  order  at  IMound  Valley.  Their  son,  A. 
M.  Rockafeller,  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows, the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and 
the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Justice.  Relig- 
iously, the  family  entertains  liberal  views.  Mr. 
Rockafeller  is  a  relative  of  the  Standard  Oil 
magnate  bearing  the   same  name. 


ID 


W.  SAVAGE,  an  extensive  land  own- 
er, and  well  known  farmer  of  Mound 
Valley  township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, isi  a  native  of  Portage  county, 
Ohio,  and  was  born  in  1840.  He  has  lived  in 
Labette  county  since  1870,  and  since  1883  his 
home  farm  has  been  in  section  2,  township 
33,   range   18. 


Porter  Savage,  the  father  of  H.  W.,  was 
a  native  of  Vermont,  and  during  his  active  busi- 
ness career  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farm- 
er, and  also  that  of  a  merchant.  Early  in  life 
he  located  in  Ohio,  where  he  was  captain  of 
a  militia  company.  He  removed  to  Garrett,  In- 
diana, where  he  lived  many  years,  and  where 
his  death  occurred.  He  married  Emily  Ray- 
mond, and  she  also  died  in  Indiana.  They 
reared  five  children,  namely:  F.  P.,  who  died 
in  Ohio,  in  1898;  H.  W.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch ;  G.  W.,  who  is  a  liveryman  at  Mound 
Valley,  and  Who  was  formerly  engaged  in  the 
furniture  business  with  Mr.  Beggs;  F.  R.,  who 
is  in  Lansing,  Michigan ;  and  Mrs.  Gibbs,  who 
died  in  Michigan  several  years  ago. 

H.  W.  Savage  received  his  primary  educa- 
tion in  Ohio,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
moved  to  Jennings  county,  Indiana,  where  he 
remained  until  his  final  move  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas.  In  the  fall  of  1870  Mr.  Savage  lo- 
cated south  of  Mound  Valley,  taking  a  claim 
in  section  22,  township  33,  range  18.  After 
improving  this,  he  lived  there  until  1883,  when 
he  sold  the  farm,  and  boiight  one  in  section 
9,  township  33,  range  18,  in  the  northwest 
quarter.  This  farm  had  been  deeded  to  J. 
H.  Terwilleger.  Mr.  Savage  "bached"  there 
with  his  brothers-in-law  until  ready  to  send  for 
his  wife  and  family.  In  the  fall  of  1883  he 
bought  his  present  home  farm,  which  had  been 
settled  as  a  claim  by  A.  L.  Bushnell,  a  hard- 
ware merchant  of  Mound  Valley.  Mr.  Savage 
also  recently  purchased  the  Black  farm  of  80 
acres,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  360  acres  of 
land,  all  of  which  is  finely  improved.  Pump- 
kin Creek  flows  through  his  farm,  thus  sup- 
plying the  land  and  istock  with  water.  An 
eight-room  house  affords  ample  living  room, 
and  the  outbuildings  are  all  substantial  and 
commodious.     ]\Ir.  Savage  set  out  a  large  or- 


640 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


chard,  which  yields  a  good  supply  of  fruit 
•each  year.  He  carries  on  general  farming,  and 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Clydesdale  draft 
horses.  Mr.  Savage  is  thoroughly  competent 
to  manage  a  large  farm,  as  his  early  training 
in  agricultural  matters  has  well  equipped  him 
for  such  work.  He  is  a  man  of  much  thrift, 
and  there  is  no  better  kept  farm  in  the  county 
than  the  one  on  which  he  lives. 

Mr.  Savage  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Allison  Wilson,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Ohio.  They  have  two  children, — Letitia  E., 
who  is  a  post-graduate  of  the  Ottawa  (Kan- 
sas) schools;  and  H.  H.,  who  is  at  home.  The 
iubject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  votes  the  straight  ticket.  He  has 
served  six  terms'  as  treasurer  of  his  township, 
thus  showing  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held 
by  his  fellow  citizens.  In  religious  views  he 
is  a  Baptist.  Mr.  Savage  was  a  comparatively 
poor  man  when  he  settled  in  Labette  county, 
and  his  success  speaks  well  fcr  his  ability  and 
perseverance. 


G.  WINGFIELD,  a  promment  mer- 
chant of  Valeda,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, was  born  in  Adams  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
F.  and  Mary  (Hickerson)  Wingfield. 

Thomas  Wingfield  was  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina in  1830,  and  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  all  his  life.  He  married  Mary  Hick- 
erson, who  was  also  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina, and  they  reared  three  children:  Jaley; 
Mary;  and  J.  G. 

J.  G.  Wingfield.  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  resided  in  his  native  state  until  he  set- 
tled in  Kansas,  in  September,  1878.  He  located 
in  Liberty  township,  Labette  county,  it  having 
taken  him  six  weeks  to  make  the  trip  from 


Illinois  by  wagon.  He  was  accompanied  by 
John  and  Thomas  Potter.  Mr.  Wingfield  lived 
in  Labette  City  until  1887,  during  which 
time  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  a  stone-mason, 
and  also  engaged  in  the  merchandise  business 
for  a  time.  His  store  was  burned  in  1884, 
after  which  he  went  to  Parsons.  He  removed 
thence  to  Kansas  City,  where  he  lived  for  four 
years.  He  then  went  to  Johnson  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  lived  two  years,  and  thence  to 
the  Indian  Territory,  where  he  farmed  for  eight 
years,  and  once  more  returnd  to  Labette  county. 
In  1 90 1  he  opened  a  general  store  in  Valeda, 
where  he  has  since  conducted  business.  He 
carries  a  full  line  of  general  merchandise,  and 
his  store  is  very  well  patronized. 

Mr.  Wingfield  married  Lizzie  Baker,  who 
was  born  in  Adams  county,  Illinois,  in  1864. 
They  have  four  children,  namely:  Mabel; 
Claude;  and  Ross  and  Roy,  the  last  two  being 
twins. 

Mt.  Wingfield  is  a  Republican  in  political 
affiliations.  He  belongs  to  the  Christian 
church.  He  is  a  man  of  good  business  prin- 
ciples, and  his  dealings  with  all  men  are  hon- 
est and  upright. 


M.  PRESSEY,  a  well-known  farmer 
of  Hackben-v-  township,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
since  1870.  He  has  lived  a  very  in- 
dustrious and  frugal  life,  and  has  laid  by  a 
handsome  competency.  He  was  born  in  Mich- 
igan, in  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  E.  B.  and  Julia 
(Cleland)  Pressey. 

E.  B.  Pressey  and  his  wife  had  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  two  are  now  living,  namely: 
Emma;  and  E.  M..  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical record. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


641 


E.  AI.  Pressey  resided  in  his  native  state 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
He  enhsted  in  the  army  in  1861,  and  served 
four  years  in  Company  B,  9th  Reg.,  Mich. 
Vol.  Inf.  He  drove  through  by  wagon  from 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  to  Labette  county,  in 
1870,  and  located  in  Elm  Grove  township, 
where  he  staked  out  a  claim.  He  built  a  cabin, 
12  by  14  feet  in  size,  on  his  claim,  made  many 
other  improvements,  and  lived  upon  it  for  three 
years.  In  1883  he  moved  on  his  present  farm 
in  Hackberry  township,  section  4,  townShip 
35,  range  20.  It  was  owned  by  A.  J.  Barnes. 
He  has  resided  on  this  property  ever  since, 
and  carries  on  general  farming  with  much 
success.  He  brought  the  second  threshing  ma- 
chine ever  taken  into  Labette  county,  and  has 
run  a  thresher  for  the  past  thirty-eight  years. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  served  as 
constable  of  Elm  Grove  township  for  two  years, 
and  on  the  school  board  of  Hackberry  town- 
ship for  three  years. 

Mr.  Pressey  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  Bailey,  who  was  born  in  Fulton  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  in  1848,  and  they  have  reared  three 
children,  as  follows :  Nina  E. ;  Irma  V. ;  and 
Julia  C.  Religiously,  he  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


IMUASH 

M 

MM 


M.  MASSA.  This  gentleman  has 
been  prominent  in  agricultural  circles 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  since  1872. 
He  resides  on  the  east  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  13,  in  Elm  Grove 
township,  and  was  born  in  Illinois,  in  1837. 
He  is  a  son  of  James  Massa. 

James  Massa  was  born  in  Tennessee,  and 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  all  his 
life.     He  married  Margaret  Pryor,  who  was 


also  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  they  reared  nine 
children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living,  name- 
ly: Thomas;  F.  M.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;, 
and  Polly  Ann. 

F.  M.  Massa  was  reared  in  Illinois,  where 
he  attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
county,  and  later  assisted  his  father  in  farm- 
ing. He  remained  in  that  state  until  1872,. 
when  he  removed  to  Kansas.  In  the  fall  of  that 
year,  he  bought  the  east  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  13,  town- 
ship 34,  range  19,  and  has  lived  there 
since  that  time.  He  built  a  cabin,  16  feet 
square,  and  later  added  a  shed  to  it,  for 
a  kitchen.  Since  that  time  he  has  made  ex- 
tensive improvements,  and  in  1877  entered  his 
claim  at  Indei^endence,  Kansas.  His  present 
house  was  built  in  1885.  Mr.  Massa  made 
the  trip  from  Illinois  to  Kansas  by  wagon, 
the  journey  taking  eighteen  days.  He  is  a 
self-made  man,  and  his  success  is  due  entirely 
to  his  own  efforts.  Mr.  Massa  has  worked 
unceasingly,  and  with  untiring  energy,  and  he 
has  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  township. 

Mr.  Massa  married  Polly  Sharp,  who  was 
born  in  Illinois,  in  1840.  They  have  reared 
four  children:  Mollie;  Chloe;  George;  and 
Oscar.  Mt.  Massa  has  always  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  local  politics.  He  has  served 
on  the  school  board  one  term.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 


RS.    SAMANTHA     H.    BISHOP, 

widow    of    the    late    A.    Bishop, 

whose  death  occurred  in  1897,  is 

one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Labette 

county.      She   was   born   in   Portage   county, 

Ohio,  in   1840,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph 


642 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  Charlotte  (Cox)  Rogers.  She  is  one  of 
seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  now  living. 
Most  of  the  children  live  in  Ohio,  but  Mrs. 
Bishop  has  one  brother  who  lives  in  Michigan. 

While  living  in  Ohio,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  married  to  O.  E.  Hartman,  who 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  When  young, 
he  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer.  He  died  in  Labette 
county,  in  May,  1871,  aged  fifty  years.  Two 
children  were  the  result  of  this  union :  Minnie, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years;  and  Inez, 
who  is  living  with  her  mother.  In  the  fall  of 
1867,  they  removed  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  they  took  up  in  Hackberry  town- 
ship the  present  home  farm, — the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  16,  township  34,  range  20. 
There  she  has  lived  since  that  time,  with  the 
exception  of  six  years'  residence  with  her 
daughter  in  Oswego.  In  1896,  she  returned 
to  the  farm,  and  made  extensive  improvements 
on  the  place.  Lake  Creek  flows  through  this 
farm,  and  there  is  a  great  deal  of  natural  tim- 
ber along  the  creek.  The  first  crops  raised  on 
this  farm  were  sod-corn  and  pumpkins,  and 
later,  wheat. 

Mrs.  Bishop  married,  secondly,  James 
Sloan,  who  died  in  1884,  leaving  one  son:  Er- 
nest, who  graduated  in  the  class  of  1901,  at 
the  County  High  School  at  Altamont.  Mrs. 
Bishop  married  A.  Bishop,  who  was  also  an 
early  resident  of  Labette  county.  He  died  in 
1897.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Republican,  and 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  many  years. 
He  belonged  to  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  lodge  at 
Chetopa.  Religiously,  both  he  and  his  wife 
were  Methodists. 

Mrs.  Bishop  is  a  woman  of  many  good 
qualities,  and  is  well  known  and  liked  in  the 
county.     She    manages  her    farm    well,  and 


everything  is  kept  in  good  condition.  She  is  a 
kind  neighbor,  and  is  always  ready  to  help 
those  in  need. 


RS.  MARY  A.  ROBERTS,  a  well- 
known  resident  of  Howard  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
the  wife  of  Marion  Roberts,  a  car- 
penter and  farmer  by  occupation.  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts was  born  in  the  western  part  of  Virginia, 
in  1857,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Elmer  and  Re- 
becca (Cooper)  Daniels. 

Elmer  Daniels  was  a  farmer,  and  was  born 
in  Virginia.  He  married  Rebecca  Cooper,  and 
they  had  the  following  children:  Eugene; 
John;  Mary  A.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Jennie;  Elizabeth;  Laura;  Charles;  Anna; 
Grace;  Frank;  and  Edward,  who  is  now  at- 
tending Baker  University,  and  is  studying  for 
the  Gospel  ministry. 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  Roberts  went  to  Illinois 
when  she  was  fifteen  years  old.  She  Hved  there 
until  she  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
when  she  married  Samuel  Lewman,  in  1877. 
He  was  born  in  Illinois,  and  his  death  occurred 
in  1884.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
One  child  resulted  from  this  union,  namely: 
Stella  M.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  County 
High  School  at  Altamont,  of  the  class  of  1898, 
and  is  now  principal  of  the  Valeda  public 
schools.  Mrs.  Roberts  came  to  Labette  county 
in  1 88 1,  and  located  near  Chetopa.  In  1882 
she  bought  a  farm  in  Howard  township, — the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  32,  township  34, 
range  18, — which  has  since  been  her  home. 

.In  1887,  our  subject  married  Marion  Rob- 
erts, who  was  born  in  Iowa,  in  1858.  They 
have  one  child, — Frankie.     Mr.  Roberts  is  a 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


643 


Democrat,  in  politics.  He  belongs  to  the  Va- 
leda  Lodge  of  Alodern  Woodmen  of  America. 
Mrs.  Roberts  is  highly  esteemed  in  Howard 
township,  and  is  well  known  for  her  frequent 
charitable  acts.  She  is  a  woman  of  many  es- 
timable qualities,  and  has  a  large  number  of 
friends  in  the  county. 


D.  STURGIS,  for  many  years  a 
prominent  agriculturist  of  Elm 
Grove  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
city  of  Edna  since  October,  1900,  and  is  now 
devoting  the  greater  pai-t  of  his  attention  to 
stock  dealing.  He  has  dealt  in  stock  since  his 
boyhood  days,  and,  being  a  man  of  good  busi- 
ness ability,  has  met  with  great  success.  He 
was  born  in  lUinois,  in  1854,  and  is  a  son  of 
J.  H.  Sturgis. 

J.  H.  Sturgis  was  bom  in^  Fairfield,  Ohio, 
in  1829,  and  became  a  plasterer.  He  followed 
farming  most  of  his  life,  however,  and  now 
lives  in  retirement,  in  Illinois.  He  married 
Ann  Hendershot,  who  was  born  in  Staunton, 
Illinois,  and  they  had  two  children:  W.  D., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and  Sarah,  deceased. 
W.  D.  Sturgis  spent  his  early  life  in  Illi- 
nois, and  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  began 
dealing  in  stock  by  buying  eight  pigs.  He 
came  to  Kansas  in  the  spring  of  1890,  and 
located  in  the  north  half  of  section  7,  township 
34,  range  19,  in  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette 
county,  and  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
stock  raising.  He  made  great  improvements 
on  his  farm  in  every  respect.  In  order  to  give 
more  attention  to  his  stock  business,  he  rented 
his  farm  in  October,  1900,  and  moved  to  the 
town  of  Edna.  He  also  owns  160  acres  of 
land  east  of  Edna,  which  he  devoted  to  pas- 
turing purposes. 


J\Ir.  Sturgis  was  united  in  wedlock  with 
Celia  E.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  in 
1862,  and  they  reared  two  children, — Florence 
E.,  a  graduate  of  the  County  High  School 
at  Altamont,  in  1899,  who  is  now  a  teacher  in 
the  schools  at  Edna,  and  resides  at  home;  and 
F.  E.,  who  also  Uves  with  his  parents.  In 
politics  Mr.  Sturgis  is  a  Republican,  and  served 
as  clerk  of  Elm  Grove  township  in  1900.  He 
is  now  in  the  town  council.  Fraternally,  he 
belongs  to  Edna  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He 
and  his  family  attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  Florence  E.  is  an  active 
member. 


E.  MASON,  a  farmer  of  Howard 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
living  in  section  28,  township  34, 
range  18,  was  born  in  Spencer 
county,  Kentucky,  March  17,  1837.  He  is  a 
son  of  W.  H.  and  Eliza  (McGuire)  Mason. 
W.  H.  Mason  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  mar- 
ried Eliza  McGuire.  They  had  six  children : 
W.  E.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  John  P.; 
George  R. ;  Jane  D. ;  Eliza  B. ;  and  Nancy, 
deceased. 

W.  E.  Mason  was  reared  in  Shelby  county, 
Kentucky,  until  he  was  seventeen  years  old. 
During  his  early  years  he  followed  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter.  He  was  a  slave  owner,  but 
when  the  Civil  war  broke  out  he  enlisted  on 
the  Union  side,  and  served  in  Company  F, 
6th  Reg.,  Ky.  Vol.  Inf.  He  saw  much  active 
service,  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Stone 
River,  Perry ville  and  Shiloh;  he  served  in  the 
army  for  three  years.  After  the  war  he  re- 
turned to  Kentucky,  where  he  lived  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  1876,  he  went  to  Illinois, 
where  he  remained  one  year,  and  then  returned 
to  Kentucky.     There  he  followed  the  trade  of 


644 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


a  carpenter,  Air.  Mason  located  in  Howard 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  January, 

1885.  He  first  spent  a  short  time  in  Oswego, 
and  then  moved  upon  the  Neville  farm,  where 
he  carries  on  general  farming.  He  is  a  man 
of  firm,  honest  and  upright  principles,  and  is 
greatly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Mason  married  Mrs.  Sarah  Neville,  in 

1886.  She  had  by  her  first  marriage  the  fol- 
lowing children,  namely :  John,  who  married 
Alattie  Opdyke,  and  resides  in  Coffeyville,  Kan- 
sas; Charles,  who  married  Mina  Sweet,  and 
has  two  children, — Leona  and  Gladys;  Carrie, 
who  married  A.  J.  Brown,  a  farmer  of  Canada 
township,  and  has  one  child, — Laura;  and  Al- 
bert H.  Mr.  Mason  is  a  member  of  the  Popu- 
list party.  He  belongs  to  the  G.  A.  R.,  Edna 
Post,  No.  160;  and  to  the  M.  W.  of  A.  Lodge, 
of  Valeda.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church.  Mr.  Mason  has  many  warm  friends 
in  the  county. 


F.  LERCH,  deceased.  This  gen- 
tleman was  one  of  the  well-known 
farmers  residing  in  Elm  Grove 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas. 
He  was  born  near  Paris,  Illinois,  in  1862. 

Air.  Lerch  removed  to  Kansas  in  1876, 
and  settled  in  Elm  Grove  township,  Labette 
county,  where  he  began  farming.  In  1892,  he 
located  on  the  farm  which  his  wife  now  con- 
ducts, and  there  he  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1901. 
Mr.  Lerch  was  a  man  of  splendid  qualities, 
and  upright  pfrinciples,  and  his  death  was  sin- 
cerely mourned  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was 
well  known  and  universally  esteemed  in  the 
township  in  which  he  lived,  and  was  always 
among  the  first  to  lend  a  helping  hand  in  any 


public  enterprise  which  tended  toward  the 
welfare  of  the  community.  Mr.  Lerch  was 
a  Republican  in  politics,  and  took  an  active 
interest  in  local  affairs.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  M.   W.  of  A. 

Mr.  Lerch  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Nellie  G.  Stewart.  She  came  to  Labette  coun- 
ty with  her  parents,  in  1878.  William  Stewart, 
her  father,  was  born  in  Illinois,  and  now  lives 
near  Joplin,  Missouri,  where  he  follows  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer.  Air.  Stewart  married 
Margaret  Johnson,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  namely : 
Nellie,  who  married  Mr.  Lerch;  and  A.  T., 
who  now  lives  in  California.  Air.  Stewart 
bought  the  farm  which  is  now  owned  by  his 
daughter,  and  lived  on  it  until  1893. 

Since  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Lerch 
has  been  assisted  in  conducting  the  farm  by 
her  two  sons,  Carl  B.  and  Albert  L.  Airs. 
Lerch  is  a  woman  of  many  estimable  qualities, 
and  is  a  kind  and  charitable  neighbor.  She  is- 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which 
she  is  an  active  worker. 


nriS  BILLINGS  HOLAIAN,  living 
in  the  west  half  of  section  24,  town- 
ship 34,  range  20,  in  Hackberry 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  the- 
growth  and  development  of  that  county  since 
1879.  He  was  born  in  Kosciusko  county,  In- 
diana, in  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  C.  W.  and 
Delilah   (Burns)   Holman. 

C.  W.  Holman  was  born  in  \\'ayne  county, 
Indiana,  in  1822.  He  was  a  farmer  and  stock- 
man, and  in  1878  removed  to  Labette  county,- 
where  his  death  occurred,  in  November,  1899. 
He  married  Delilah  Bums,  who  was  born  in- 


E.   W.   HOPKINS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


647 


Indiana,  in  1820,  and  died  in  Labette  county, 
in  1880.  They  reared  live  children,  namely: 
Otis  Billings,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  G. 
^V.,  who  is  an  attorney  at  Rochester,  Indiana; 
Amelia,  who  married  Daniel  Jones,  and  who 
died  in  Fulton  county,  Indiana,  in  1900;  John 
D.,  a  boot  and  shoe  merchant  of  Rochester, 
Indiana;  and  J.  Frank,  who  is  an  electrician 
of  Neosho,  Missouri. 

Otis  Billings  Holman  was  reared  in  his 
native  county,  and  learned  the  tilling  of  th^ 
soil  on  his  father's  farm.  After  his  marriage 
he  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived  for  two 
and  a  half  years,  and  then  returned  to  Fulton 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  five  years. 
In  February,  1879,  he  bought  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  24,  township  34,  range  20, 
in  Hackberry  township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  this  has  been  his  home  since  that 
date.  The  farm  had  been  preempted  by  A.  C. 
in  the  county.  The  northwest  quarter  of  this 
Tullis,  and  part  of  the  land  was  broken  and 
two  acres  of  orchard  had  been  set  out,  when 
Mr.  Holman  bought  the  place.  He  has  added 
to  this  extensively,  made  many  important  im- 
provements, and  his  farm  is  one  of  the  finest 
section  had  been  bought  by  Mr.  Holman's 
father-in-law,  and  was  later  deeded  to  Mrs. 
Holman.  This  gives  them  half  of  the  section, 
and  it  is  kept  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Holman  built  a  large,  nine-room  house,  in 
1888,  and  in  1898,  he  erected  a  barn  60  by  42 
feet  in  size,  and  20  feet  high,  above  the  base- 
ment, which  is  of  stone.  This  barn  is  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  substantial  in  Labette 
county.  Mr.  Holman  now  has  five  acres  of 
orchard,  and  has  set  out  hedge  about  the  farm. 
He  has  dealt  largely  in  stock, — -buying  and 
feeding  hogs,  mainly.  Mr.  Holman  is  a  man 
of  much  executive  ability,  and  the  careful  man- 
agement of  his  farm  shows  the  natural  ability 


of  its  owner.  He  started  with  less  than  $1,000 
and  by  thrift  and  perseverance  has  become  one 
of  the  most  prosperous  farmers  in  the  town- 
ship. 

Mr.  Holman  was  married,  in  Ohio,  to- 
Nancy  A.  Bloomer.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,, 
in  1850,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Elijah  Bloomer. 
She  was  the  youngest  of  a  large  family  of 
children,  and  her  mother  died  when  she  was- 
very  young.  She  removed  with  her  father  to 
Indiana,  where  she  lived  with  a  sister  until  her 
marriage  to  Mr.  Holman.  They  have  two- 
children  :  Delia  Delilah,  wlio  married  Ernest 
Leap,  of  Hackberry  township,  and  has  three 
children, — Alice  L.,  Harold  H.  and  Otis  G. ; 
and  Elijah  B.,  who  was  born  in  Labette  coun- 
ty in  1880,  and  is  living  at  home. 

Politically,  Mr.  Holman  was  a  Democrat 
until  Cleveland's  administration,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  a  Populist.  He  has  held  various 
township  offices,  and  was  treasurer  of  District 
No.  70.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  was  formerly  connected  with 
the  Grangers.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association.  Religiously,  he  pre- 
fers the  Christian  church. 


B 


W.  HOPKINS,  deceased,  whose  por- 
trait accompanies  this  sketch,  was  for 
many  years  one  of  the  influential 
farmers  living  in  Hackberry  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas.  His  home  farm 
was  in  section  15,  township  34,  range  20,  and 
consisted  of  a  quarter  section.  He  also  owned 
40  acres  in  section  9,  and  eighty  acres  in  section 
3,  township  34,  range  20.  Mr.  Hopkins  was 
born  in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  in  1846,  and  is 
a  son  of  Horace  and  Eunice  (Puffer)  Hop- 
kins.   Horace  Hopkins  died  in  Labette  county, 


648 


HISTORY   OF   LABETTE   COUNTY. 


while  visiting  his  son.  Mrs.  Hopkins  is  still 
living  in  Ohio;  a  daughter,  Ida  also  lives  in 
Ohio. 

E.  W.  Hopkins  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
Ohio,  and  grew  to  manhood  in  that  state.  He 
was  very  fond  of  hunting  and  trapping,  and 
this  proved  a  favorite  sport  with  him  during 
his  younger  days.  Mr.  Hopkins  removed  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1870,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1872  settled  in  Hackberry  township 
on  a  farm  in  section  15,  township  34,  range 
20.  In  1862  he  placed  the  cabin  which  had 
stood  on  the  land  for  a  number  of  years,  by  a 
■comfortable  frame  structure,  and  later  added 
large  barns  and  outbuildings.  He  set  out  a 
fine  orchard,  and  made  many  valuable  im- 
provements in  general,  until  the  farm  became 
known  as  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county. 
A  high  grade  of  cattle  is  raised,  and  every- 
thing grown  on  the  place  is  of  the  best.  Since 
Mr.  Hopkins'  death,  which  occurred  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1899,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years, 
his  son,  Clarence,  has  managed  the  farm. 
Mr.  Hopkins  won  the  confidence  of  all  who 
met  him,  and  there  was  no  better  man  in  his 
section  of  the  county.  He  taught  the  first 
district  school  in  Hackberry  township,  which 
was  where  District  No.  26  is  now  located. 
He  was  universally  respected  and  esteemed, 
and  his  death  was  sincerely  mourned  by  his 
fellow  citizens. 

Mr.  Hopkins  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Anna  Downing,  in  the  state  of  Arkan- 
sas. She  is  a  daughter  of  George  S.  and 
Caroline  (Davis)  Downing,  and  the  latter 
still  lives  in  Colorado.  George  Downing  was 
an  early  settler  of  Labette  county,  but  re- 
moved to  Arkansas,  where  he  farmed  for 
three  years.  Thence  he  went  to  Colorado, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
death,  in  the  winter  of  1900-01.     On  his  ar- 


rival in  Labette  county,  Mr.  Downing  organ- 
ized a  Sunday-school  in  District  No.  26,  Hack- 
berry township.  He  also  preached  the  Gos- 
pel, but  never  accepted  pay  for  his  services. 
He  was  known  far  and  near  as  a  very  devout 
Christian.  He  had  seven  girls  and  five  boys, 
namely:  Marietta;  Nathan;  William;  Laura; 
John;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Hopkins;  Ellen; 
Kate;  Abraham;  Victoria;  AHce;  and  George 
S.  Most  of  the  children  live  in  Colorado. 
Mrs.  Hopkins  was  born  in  Fulton  county, 
Illinois,  in  1853,  and  in  1861  removed  to 
Miami  county,  Kansas,  where  her  parents 
lived  for  a  short  time.  When  she  was  six- 
teen years  old,  her  parents  removed  to  La- 
bette county,  and  thence  to  Arkansas,  where 
she  remained  until  her  marriage,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Labette  county. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hopkins  was 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  sons  and  four 
daughters,  as  follows :  Clarence,  who  is  man- 
ager of  the  farm  since  his  father's  demise; 
May;  Carrie  E. ;  Ethel;  Edna;  and  George. 
The  two  last  named  are  dead.  Politically, 
Mr.  Hopkins  was  a  Republican  for  a  number 
of  years,  but  later  in  life  became  a  Populist. 
He  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  and 
took  an  active  interest  in  local  politics.  In 
religious  views  he  was  liberal,  giving  his  sup- 
port to  all  denominations.  He  was  very  well 
known  in  Labette  county,  and  was  always  a 
public-spirited   and  useful   citizen. 


ARY  D.  BIGHAM,  for  many  years 
a  prominent  resident  of  Montana 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
was  born  in  New  York  state,  in 
1829,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Hannah 
( Ashton)   Sisum.     When  she  was  nine  years 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


649 


of  age,  her  parents  moved  to  Pickaway  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  where  she  lived  until  she  was  twenty- 
two  years  old. 

Her  father,  Aaron  Sisum,  was  born  in 
Germany,  and  came  to  America  when  but  a 
youth.  He  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade,  and 
became  a  useful  man  in  the  community  in 
which  he  resided.  He  married  Hannah  Ash- 
ton,  who  was  born  in  England,  and  came  to 
the  United  States  when  a  girl  of  fifteen  years. 
They  reared  a  family  of  three  children:  Mary 
D.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and  John  and 
Derrick,  deceased. 

Mary  D.  was  united  in  marriage  with  John 
Bigham.  He  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was 
born  in  1828.  He  was  engaged  in  farming 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1867.  Soon  after  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band, Mrs.  Bigham  moved  to  Kansas,  and 
located  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  31, 
Montana  township,  where  she  has  resided  ever 
since.  Mrs.  Bigham  has  reared  six  children, 
five  of  whom  are  living.  They  are  all  promi- 
nent farmers.  James  is  a  farmer  in  Oklahoma. 
Aaron  is  a  prosperous  farmer  in  Montana 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas.  Solomon 
is  a  tiller  of  the  soil  in  the  Indian  Territory. 
George  and  Marshal],  are  looking  after  the 
interests  of  their  mother  on  the  home  farm, 
most  of  which  is  rented.  Mrs.  Bigham  is  a 
woman  of  considerable  thrift  and  energy,  and 
occupies  a  very  high  place  in  the  estimation 
of  her  friends  and  neighbors. 


s 


ERRY    BERENTZ,   who    arrived    in 
Labette  county,  in  1869,  is  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists    of    Hackberry 
township,  where  he  is  located  in  sec- 
tion 22,  township  34,  range  20.    He  was  born 


in  Washington  county,  Ohio,  in  1842,  and  is 
a  son  of  Rev.  C.  VV.  Berentz. 

Rev.  C.  W.  Berentz,  for  many  years  a 
minister  in  the  Reformed  church,  is  deceased. 
He  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  was  a  child 
when  he  came  to  America.  He  married  Hen- 
rietta Oakes,  who  was  born  and  married  in 
Pennsylvania.  Six  sons  and  four  daughters 
were  born  to  them,  one  of  the  sons  being 
located  at  Oswego,   Labette  county,   Kansas. 

Jerry  Berentz  was  reared  in  Ohio  until 
1859,  when,  at  the  age  of  ■  seventeen 
years,  he  went  to  Illinois.  In  1861,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  C,  12th  Reg.,  111.  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  participated  in  all  but  one  of  the 
engagements  of  his  company.  He  was  in 
the  service  four  years,  and  was  mustered  out 
at  Springfield,  Vermilion  county,  Illinois. 
He  was  then  engaged  in  farming  and 
sheep  raising  there  until  he  moved  to 
Kansas,  in  August,  1869,  and  located  in 
Labette  county,  in  Elm  Grove  township,  a  few 
miles  southwest  of  Edna.  He  brought  with 
him  some  fine  rams,  valued  at  $200  each,  and 
expected  to  engage  in  sheep  raising.  His  ani- 
mals died,  however,  and  he  turned  his  attention 
to  general  farming.  He  took  as  a  claim  the 
farm  now  owned  by  Ed.  Clark,  improved  it, 
and  resided  upon  it,  until  the  fall  of  1890, 
when  he  sold  out  and  went  to  the  "Nation." 
Returning  to  Labette  county  in  the  spring  of 
1898,  he  purchased  the  DoTland  farm  of  120 
acres  in  Hackberry  township,  in  section  22, 
township  34,  range  20,  which  was  a  finely 
improved  piece  of  property.  He  has  a  six-acre 
orchard,  which  is  bearing  well,  and  fine,  large 
maple  shade  trees.  The  farm  is  fenced  off  in 
20-acre  lots,  by  hedge,  which  is  kept  well 
trimmed,  and  it  presents  a  very  fine  appear- 
ance. He  follows  diversified  farming,  makes 
corn  his  principal  crop,  and  has  also  60  acres 


650 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  clover.  At  first  he  did  his  trading  at 
Kingston,  where  he  helped  in  the  erection  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  which  was  subse- 
quently moved  to  Edna. 

Mr.  Berentz  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Illinois,  with  Emma  Jane  Olmsted,  who  was 
born  in  Washington  county,  Ohio,  and  reared 
in  Illinois,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
three  children,  namely:  Maude;  Mabel;  and 
W.  T.,  who  is  a  prominent  hardware  merchant 
of  Bartlesville,  Indian  Territory,  associated 
with  R.  H.  Muzzy,  of  Edna.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Berentz  is  a  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  for  the  past  twenty  years.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Knoxville  Post,  of 
Edna,  Kansas.  In  religious  views,  he  is  a 
Presbyterian. 


lARON     BRAMMER,     a     prosperous 
farmer   of   Labette   county,    Kansas, 
lives  in  section   18,   Montana  town- 
ship.    He  was  born  in  Fayette  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  in  1836,  and  is  a  son  of  Edmond  and 
Nancy   (Hatfield)  Brammer. 

Edmond  Brammer  was  born  in  Virginia, 
in  1 80 1,  and  his  wife  was  born  in  the  same 
state  in  1801.  He  was  an  own  cousin  of 
General  Lee.  They  reared  the  following  chil- 
dren: Roland,  deceased;  Mary,  who  married 
a  Mr.  Black  and  lives  in  Delaware  county, 
Indiana;  Malinda  and  Rachel,  deceased; 
Aaron,  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Rebecca, 
deceased;  Elizabeth  (Black);  Henley,  de- 
ceased; Malina  (Wilcox),  of  Delaware  coun- 
ty, Indiana;  and  Sarah  Ann   (Brammer). 

Aaron  Brammer  was  taken  from  his  native 
county  when  a  small  child,  and  was  reared  in 
Delaware    county,  Indiana.     He    lived    there 


until  1866,  when  he  located  in  Bureau  county, 
Illinois,  and  farmed  there  for  a  period  of 
eleven  years.  In  1877,  he  sold  his  farm  and 
went  to  Muncie,  Indiana,  where  he  conducted 
a  livery  stable  for  three  years.  He  afterward 
located  in  Carroll  county,  Missouri,  and  re- 
sided there  until  he  came  to  Kansas,  in  1882, 
and  settled  in  Labette  county.  He  took  up- 
his  present  farm, — the  west  half  of  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  18,  in  Montana  town- 
ship. He  is  engaged  in  general  farming,  and 
is  meeting  with  good  results. 

Mr.  Brammer  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Catherine  Black,  who  was  born  in  Delaware 
county,  Indiana,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam Black,  who  was  born  in  1813.  William 
Black  married  Ruthey  Stafford,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio,  in  181 6,  and  they  reared  the 
following  children:  Margaret  (St.  John); 
Susan,  deceased;  James;  Catherine;  Martha, 
Salina  and  Sarah  E.,  deceased;  Annetta;  and 
William.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brammer  have  had 
the  following  children:  William,  deceased; 
Flora  (Gaston),  who  has  one  daughter, — 
Pearl;  Caroline;  Charley;  and  Laura  (Tus- 
ton).  In  politics,  Mr.  Brammer  is  independ- 
ent, and  fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order. 


ACOB  DREITZLER,  a  highly  re- 
spected farmer  living  in  section  16, 
township  34,  range  20,  Hackberry 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
a  native  of  Hancock  county,  Ohio.  He  was 
born  in  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  J.  H.  and  Mary 
(Ertzinger)  Dreitzler. 

J.  H.  Dreitzler  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  for  many  years  farmed  in  Nebraska.  He 
died  in  March,   1893,  at  the  age  of  seventy 


MR.  AND   MRS.  PERRY  O.   C.  NIXON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


653 


years.  His  wife  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  her 
death  occurred  several  years  ago.  They  had 
nine  children,  namely :  Jonathan  and  Susanna, 
•deceased;  Ephraim,  who  is  a  Hveryman  at 
Hastings,  Nebraska;  Eli,  who  settled  in  La- 
bette county  in  1896,  and  owns  a  farm  in 
Hackberry  township,  in  section  17,  township 
34,  range  20;  Emma  (Rickle),  who  lives  in 
Stromsburg,  Nebraska;  Jacob;  John,  also  of 
Stromsburg,  Nebraska;  George,  who  lives  in 
Indiana;  and  Ida  (Kirkman),  who  lives  near 
Stromsburg,   Nebraska. 

Jacob  Dreitzler  was  reared  in  Indiana, 
whither  his  parents  had  removed  from  Ohio. 
In  the  fall  of  1883,  he  left  Indiana,  and  came 
to  Kansas,  deciding  to  make  this  state  his 
future  home.  After  his  marriage,  he  settled 
in  Hackberry  township,  in  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  16,  township  34,  range  20,  on 
80  acres  which  was  owned  by  his  wife.  Soon 
after  his  marriage,  he  bought  the  north  80 
acres  in  that  quarter  section,  and  in  1900  he 
bought  80  acres  of  land  in  section  17.  Much 
of  the  land  on  his  home  farm  had  been  broken, 
and  Mr.  Dreitzler  built  an  eight-room  house, 
and  set  out  a  number  of  trees.  He  has  made 
many  fine  improvements  on  the  farm,  and  is 
very  proud  of  its  neat  and  attractive  appear- 
ance. He  did  a  great  deal  of  threshing  in  addi- 
tion to  farming,  up  to  the  fall  of  1900,  and 
since  that  time  has  given  all  his  attention  to 
general  farming  alone.  He  is  a  man  who  has 
worked  always  with  the  determination  to  suc- 
ceed, and  his  efforts  have  been  well  rewarded. 
Mr.  Dreitzler  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Labette  county,  with  Tena  Kibler.  who  was 
born  in  Ohio,  in  185 1,  and  who  moved  to  La- 
bette county  in  1871.  Mr.  Dreitzler  and  bis 
wife  have  one  child,  John  Clyde.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Dreitzler  is  a  Demo:rat.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  school  board  in  his  district,  and  has  been 


road  overseer  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is 
now  treasurer  of  Hackberry  township.  He  has 
always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  all  measures 
which  are  for  the  good  of  the  community  in 
which  he  lives,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his 
fellow  citizens. 


ERRY  OLIVER  COOK  NIXON, 
who  for  more  than  thirty  years  past 
has  been  one  of  the  foremost  citizens 
of  Osage  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  located  in  section  6,  township  32, 
range  18.  He  was  born  in  Washington  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  in  1839,  and  is  a  son  of 
George  and  Christina   (Pence)    Nixon. 

George  Nixon  was  born  in  Delaware,  and 
died  in  Ohio,  in  the  spring  of  1861.  His 
wife  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  died 
in  Ohio  in  1845.  They  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  Elizabeth  J.,  a  widow, 
residing  in  Ohio;  Seeds  and  Susan,  also  of 
Ohio;  Emeline,  who  lives  in  Iowa;  Perry  O. 
C. ;  Isaiah,  who  located  in  Osage  Mission,  in, 
Kansas,  in  1867,  and  later  resided  in  Osage 
township  until  1885,  when  he  removed  to 
Iowa,  where  he  still  resides ;  Marcus,  who  died 
while  serving  in  the  army  during  the  Civil 
war;  and  Charles  Alexander,  who  was  killed 
in  the  army  at  Vicksburg. 

Perry  O.  C.  Nixon  was  very  young  when 
his  parents  took  him  to  Ohio,  where  he  was 
reared.  At  an  early  age  he  was  bound  out  to 
Wilson  Walden,  and  went  with  him  to  Knox 
county,  Illinois.  He  worked  for  him  ten  years, 
at  the  conclusion  of  which  period  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and  began 
looking  out  for  his  own  interests.  In  i860, 
he  went  to  Pikes  Peak,  and  spent  his  twenty- 
first  birthdav  in  the  mountains.     In  the  fall 


654 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  i860,  he  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  began 
working  in  the  American  bottoms.  Early  in 
1861,  he  returned  to  Knox  county,  Illinois, 
and  there  hired  out  by  the  month.  In  August, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  loth  Reg.. 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  as  a  private,  and  was  later  pro- 
moted to  be  a  sergeant.  He  served  three  years 
and  eleven  months,  and  was  at  the  front  nearly 
all  the  time.  He  was  in  Granger's  reserve 
corps  during  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  and 
then  was  attached  to  the  2d  Division,  14th 
Army  Corps.  Three  days  before  Atlanta  fell, 
he  was  placed  with  the  17th  Army  Corps, 
accompanied  Sherman  in  his  famous  march 
to  the  sea,  participated  in  the  grand  review 
at  Washington,  District  of  Columbia.  His 
messmate  and  friend,  William  Morris,  was 
killed  at  his  side,  but  he  was  always  fortu- 
nate enough  to  escape  injury.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  July  4,  1865,  at  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
received  his  pay,  and  was  discharged  at  Chi- 
cago, July  12,  1865.  He  then  bought  a  rough 
farm  on  Spoon  river,  and  engaged  in  farming 
In  1869,  he  and  his  family,  with  two  other 
families,  drove  from  Knox  county,  Illinois,  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas.  He  had  a  brother  at 
Osage  Mission,  and  stopped  there  long  enough 
tc  make  him  a  visit.  At  that  time  the  town  of 
Parsons  had  not  yet  been  thought  of,  and 
Girard  was  the  nearest  railroad  station.  Mr. 
Nixon  took  as  a  claim  40  acres  in  section  6, 
township  32,  range  18,  on  which  are  located 
his  present  buildings,  and  three  40-acre  tracts 
in  section  i,  township  ^2,  range  17.  He  has 
since  disposed  of  some  of  his  land,  and  now 
owns  100  acres.  His  first  house  was  built  of 
native  lumber,  cut  on  Big  Hill  creek.  During 
the  first  year  he  raised  sod-corn,  which  he 
planted  with  the  assistance  of  an  ax,  and  was 
very  successful. with  his  first  crop.  Mr.  Nix- 
on's house  was  destroyed    by    a    cyclone  in 


1892,  and  was  replaced  by  a  larger  and  more 
substantial  one.  He  has  recently  completed  a 
new  barn,  and  the  entire  farm  is  kept  in  the 
best  possible  condition.  He  follows  general 
farming,  and  raises  high  grade  cattle  and  Po- 
land-China hogs.  Air.  Nixon  was  present  at 
the  investigation  of  the  famous  "Bender 
slaughter  pen,"  and  saw  seven  of  the  bodies 
exhumed.  , 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Virginia  Humphreys,  who  was 
reared  in  Illinois.  She  died  in  the  fall  of 
1898,  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years,  having 
given  birth  to  the  following  children :  John 
William  T.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years;  Emeline  (Edwards),  of  Oklahoma, 
who  has  five  children, — Ethel,  Minnie,  Ross, 
Mabel,  Ivy  and  an  infant  boy;  Charles;  Etta 
Jane  (Tussig),  of  the  Indian  Territory,  who 
has  three  children, — Mamie,  Beatrice  and 
Clara;  Flora  (Sinclair),  who  resides  on  her 
father's  farm,  and  has  three  children, — Beu- 
lah,  Millie  and  Ruth;  Mary  E.;  Sabie;  and 
Egbert  P.  In  politics,  Mr.  Nixon  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  was  formerly  a  member  of  the 
school  board  in  District  No.  36.  He  is  a 
member  of  Hackleman  Post,  No.  142,  G.  A. 
R.,  of  Cherryvale.  Religiously,  he  and  his 
family  are  Methodists,  and  attend  the  church 
at  Excelsior,  which  he  helped  to  erect.  Por- 
traits of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nixon  accompany  this 
sketch. 


HATHANIEL  GREENE  HENSHAW, 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Mound 
Valley,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  has 
lived  for  many  years  at  his  present 
home,  in  section  36,  township  32,  range  17. 
He  was  born,  January  4,  1847,  i"  Effingham 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


655 


county,  Illinois,  and  is  a  son  of  Nathan  G. 
and  Jane  (Weatherby)  Henshaw. 

Nathan  G.  Henshaw  died  on  a  mail  packet 
at  New  Orleans,  in  the  spring  of  1850.  His 
death  was  caused  by  cholera.  Mrs.  Henshaw 
died  when  her  son,  Nathaniel,  was  but  one 
week  old.  She  left  two  other  children,  name- 
ly: William,  now  conducting  a  nail  factory 
at  Belleville,  Illinois;  and  Maggie,  the  wife 
of  Stephen  Apperson,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Nathaniel  Greene  Henshaw,  whose  name 
opens  this  sketch,  was  reared  by  a  kind-hearted 
Pennsylvania-Dutchman,  whose  name  was 
Trober.  He  remained  with  him  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  E,  nth  Reg.,  111.  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  later  was  transferired  to  the  8th 
Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  assigned  to  Company 
B.  He  served  in  the  army  very  nearly  three 
years,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Baton  Rouge, 
Louisiana,  in  1866.  After  that,  he  returned 
to  Illinois,  where  he  farmed  until  he  located 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Henshaw  moved  to  Labette  county, 
October  23,  1870.  He  settled  on  the  fairm 
where  he  now  lives,  and  fur  eight  or  ten  years 
was  in  litigation  with  the  railroad  company. 
He  sold  80  acres  of  his  farm,  and  now  has 
86  acres  of  finely  improved  land.  When  he 
located  in  Kansas,  he  was  accompanied  by  his 
brother-in-law.  He  built  a  log  house,  and 
brought  his  family  here  to  live.  In  1872,  a 
cyclone  swept  through  that  part  of  the  county, 
devastating  a  space  about  200  yards  wide,  and 
finally  reaching  Iowa,  where  it  did  much  dam- 
age. Mr.  Henshaw's  farm  is  situated  at  the 
head  of  two  creeks,  or  draws,  one  going  north 
and  one  south.  The  storm  followed  these 
draws,  and  while  no  one  was  injured,  every- 
thing was  badly  shaken  up,  and  distributed 
over  a  large  area.      The   log  house   was   de- 


stroyed, but  Mir.  Henshaw  soon  built  another, 
which  is  now  standing.  A  stone  hen-house 
was  also  destroyed  by  the  cyclone.  Air.  Hen- 
shaw is  very  proud  of  a  large  elm  tree  which 
stands  back  of  his  house,  and  which  is  nine 
feet  in  circumference.  He  carried  the  switch 
from  which  it  grew  in  his  pocket.  He  has 
some  very  large  maple  trees,  which  add  greatly 
to  the  appearance  of  his  farm.  In  1876,  he  set 
out  some  hedges,  which  divide  the  farm  into 
seven  parts.  When  he  first  located  on  this 
farm,  he  broke  some  land,  and  raised  sod-corn, 
oats  and  buckwheat.  He  now  gives  much  at- 
tention to  the  raising  of  Poland-China  hogs. 
His  home  is  a  very  comfortable  one,  and  he 
has  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  section.  The 
buildings  are  all  commodious  and  substantial, 
and  the  orchard  and  grounds  are  in  fine  con- 
dition. 

Mr.  Henshaw  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Illinois,  with  Lurinda  Stapleton.  She  was 
born  in  Illinois,  in  1845,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Elisha  Stapleton.  Elisha  Stapleton  held  the 
first  justice  court  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county, — serving  a  number  of  years.  He  died 
in  1875,  in  Labette  county,  and  his  wife  died 
in  1885.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henshaw  have  six;, 
children  living,  and  had  one,  who  died  when 
an  infant.  The  living  are :  Maggie  Dean ; 
Edward,  who  married  Miss  Cooper,  lives  on 
the  old  Potter  farm,  and  has  two  children, — 
Carrie  and  Mabel;  Laura  Belle;  Alary  Alice; 
Daisy  (Gillett),  who  lives  near  her  father's 
farm;  and  Jennie. 

Mr.  Henshaw  has  always  voted  the  Repub- 
lican ticket.  He  has  served  on  the  school  board 
in  District  No.  68.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
G.  A.  R.  Post,  of  Mound  Valley.  He  was  for- 
merly a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Asso- 
ciation. Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the  Chris- 
tian church. 


6s6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


V.MES  A.  LONG  &  BROTHER. 
These  gentlemen  are  extensively  en- 
gaged in  general  threshing,  and  a 
machine  and  repair-shop  business,  and 
are  well  known  in  Labette  county.  They  are 
sons  of  Avington  and  Esther  (Elliott)  Long, 
and  were  born  in  Indiana. 

Avington  Long,  the  father  of  these  broth- 
ers, was  born  in  Kentucky,  but  his  ancestors 
originally  came  from  Virginia.  He  married 
Esther  Elliott,  who  was  reared  in  Indiana,  and 
is  now  living  in  that  state.  This  union  result- 
ed in  the  birth  of  four  children,  whose  names 
appear  as  follows :  James  A. ;  George  A.,  who 
lives  in  Kay  county,  Oklahoma;  Sarah,  who 
lives  in  Indiana,  with  her  mother;  and 
Charles  F. 

James  A.  and  Charles  F.  Long  were  reared 
and  educated  in  Indiana,  where  they  learned 
the  machinist  and  wood  working  trade.  In 
1874,  they  built  a  grist-mill  at  Hall,  Indiana, 
which  they  conducted  until  1878.  Charles  F. 
Long  then  removed  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  was  engaged  in  threshing  until,  1881. 
James  A.  removed  to  Edna,  Kansas,  in  1888, 
and  formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  F., — 
the  firm  name  reading  James  A.  Long  &  Broth- 
er. For  several  years  they  have  done  general 
threshing,  and  a  machine  and  repair-shop  busi- 
ness. They  own  two  threshing  machines,  and 
during  harvesting  time  their  services  are  in 
great  demand,  as  they  are  well  and  favorably 
known  throughout  the  county.  They  own 
three  lots,  and  have  a  space  under  roof,  38 
by  60  feet  in  extent.  They  employ  one  assist- 
ant regularly,  and  during  the  busy  season  often 
hire  large  crews.  They  are  thrifty  and  con- 
scientious workmen,  and  perform  their  duties 
in  a  very  satisfactory  manner. 

James  A.  Long  married  N.  J.  Lanpher, 
and  they  have  three  children,  namely :  Charles 


L. ;  Edwin  Fishback;  and  Avington.  The  fa- 
ther owns  three  lots  and  a  comfortable  home  in 
Edna.  James  A.  is  an  independent  in  politics, 
has  been  a  member  of  the  city  council,  and  is 
an  ex-police  judge.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Rebekahs. 

Charles  F.  Long  married  Delia  \\'illiams, 
and  they  have  three  children,  namely :  Her- 
man; Verl;  and  Howard.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  owns  a  good 
home  in  Edna. 

The  Long  Brothers  are  highly  respected 
in  Edna,  as  honest  and  upright  citizens. 


m 


G.  KINXAID,  who  is  the  well- 
known  liveryman  of  Mound  Val- 
ley, Labette  county,  Kansas,  was 
born  in  Switzerland  county,  Indi- 
ana, in  185 1.  Mr.  Kincaid  is  a  son  of  James 
and  Catherine  (Clark)   Kincaid. 

James  Kincaid  was  a  contractor,  and  has 
been  dead  a  number  of  years.  His  wife  died 
recently,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  They 
reared  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  and 
W.   G.   is  the  only  one  living  in  Kansas. 

W.  G.  Kincaid  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  Indiana,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
blacksmith.  He  came  to  Kansas  in  1884,  and 
located  in  Winfield,  where  he  started  a  car- 
nage shop.  He  conducted  this  line  of  busi- 
ness for  one  year  and  a  half,  when  he  became 
a  member  of  a  town  company,  and  assisted  in 
founding  the  town  of  Ashland,  Kansas.  From 
Ashland  Mr.  Kincaid  moved  to  Connersville, 
Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  the  shop  of  Mc- 
Farlin  &  Company,  as  upfitter  and  foreman  of 
the  upfitting  room.  Later,  he  removed  to 
Mound  Vallev,  where  he  lived  on  a  farm  one 


MRS.  J.   L.   VV'ILSON. 


LEON    C    WILSON. 


J.   L.  WILSON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


659 


mile  from  town,  until  1891.  He  subsequently 
purchased  the  livery  barn,  which  was  kept  by 
James  Bell,  who  was  the  pioneer  liveryman  of 
the  town.  He  rented  this  barn  to  George  H. 
Savage  until  the  beginning  of  1901,  when 
he  restocked  it  and  began  business  under 
his  own  name.  He  has  a  fine,  new  line  of 
buggies,  and  keeps  from  12  to  14  fine  horses, 
eight  of  them  being  registered  animals.  He 
takes  charge  of  funerals,  and  also  operates  a 
cab  and  hack  line.  The  building  in  which 
Mr.  Kincaid  conducts  his  business  is  about 
60  by  40  feet  in  dimensions.  Patrons  are 
given  the  best  and  most  prompt  attention,  and 
Mr.  Kincaid  wins  many  friends  by  his  genial 
manner.  He  is  ably  assisted  by  his  son  Albert. 
Mr.  Kincaid  married  Viola  Markland,  who 
■died  in  1882,  leaving  one  son,  xMbert.  He 
married  again, — Jennie  Ice  becoming  his  wife. 
Mr.  Kincaid  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  having 
joined  the  order  in  Indiana,  and  being  now 
affiliated  with  the  Mound  Valley  blue  lodge. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  M. 
W.  of  A.,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  I.  O.  R.  M.  Re- 
ligiously, he  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
■church. 


B 


L.  WILSON,  who  lives  in  section 
2T„  township  18,  range  31,  in  Osage 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
has  been  identified  with  the  county's 
•development  for  the  past  twenty-two  years. 
He  was  born  in  Illinois  March  26,  1852,  and 
is  a  son  of  James  and  Hannah  (Heaton) 
Wilson. 

James  Wilson  was  born  in  Uniontown,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1813,  and  followed  farming  all  his 
active  life.     He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 


three  years.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Hannah  Heaton,  was  born  in  Ohio,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years,  in  April. 
1852.  They  reared  six  children,  namely: 
Ambrose,  who  lives  in  Illinois;  William  H., 
who  lives  at  Long  Beach,  California;  Sam- 
uel R.,  who  lives  in  Princeton,  Illinois;  Par- 
thena  E.,  who  lives  at  Lincoln,  Nebraska; 
Cyrus  E.,  of  Humboldt,  Iowa;  and  James  L., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

After  remaining  at  home  for  a  nuntber  of 
years,  James  L.  Wilson  moved  to  Idenbro, 
Kansas,  where  he  bought  a  farm.  He  then 
went  back  to  his  home  in  Illinois,  where  he 
staid  the  rest  of  the  year.  In  December,  1880, 
he  traded  the  farm  near  Idenbro  for  another 
in  Osage  township,  which  was  known  as  the 
James  Master  farm.  He  again  returned  to 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  until  December, 
1 88 1,  and  then  came  back  to  Kansas,  where 
he  was  married,  in  February,  1882,  and  passed 
the  rest  of  the  summer  in  Parsons.  During 
that  time  he  worked  for  the  Parsons  Coal 
Company,  near  Weir  City,  Kansas.  He  then 
moved  to  Dennis,  Kansas,  and  was  there  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business  for  three  years. 
During  this  time  he  was  appointed  postmaster 
by  President  Cleveland.  He  kept  the  post- 
office  in  his  store.  After  serving  one  term, 
he  sold  out  his  hardware  business  and  moved 
upon  his  farm,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He 
owns  three  farms  in  ^  Osage  township,  all  of 
which  are   rented  out. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  a  stanch  Democrat;  he  has 
held  various  offices,  among  them  that  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  He  was  treasurer  of  the 
school  board  for  eight  years,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing as  trustee  of  Osage  township.  He  is 
president  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Association. 
He  is  a  Mason,  having  taken  26  degrees.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge, 


66o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  belongs  to  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of 
Justice.  Mr.  Wilson  was  married  February 
7,  1882,  and  his  wife  died  February  25,  1898. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  name- 
ly:  James  William,  deceased;  Leon  C,  who 
lives  with  his  father,  and  was  the  first  child 
born  in  Dennis,  Kansas,  the  date  being  De- 
cember '24,  1884;  and  Edgar  AI.,  Glen  and 
Addie   P.,   deceased. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  a  very  prominent  man  in 
the  township,  is  always  interested  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community,  and  lends  his  assist- 
ance to  all  worthy  and  charitable  enterprises. 
Portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  and  son, 
Leon  C,  appear  on  a  preceding  page  in  prox- 
imity to  this. 


a  SCAR  L.  HOWELL,  a  well-known 
farmer  residing  in  section  14,  La- 
bette township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  has  been  one  of  the  influ- 
ential farmers  of  the  county  since  1883.  He 
was  born  in  Mason  county,  Illinois,  in  1844, 
and  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth  (Long) 
Howell. 

Charles  Howell  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
in  1808,  and  now,  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
three  years,  resides  with  his  son,  Oscar 
L.  He  is  the  oldest  man  in  Labette 
county,  and  is  quite  proud  of  the  dis- 
tinction. His  wife,  Elizabeth  (Long) 
Howell,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1814, 
and  they  reared  ten  children,  namely :  Frank- 
lin, deceased;  Mary  E. ;  Orpha,  deceased; 
Sally;  Martha;  Oscar  L.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Lewis;  Anson;  Catherine;  and  Emma. 
Oscar  L.  Howell  received  his  mental  train- 
ing in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  coun- 
ty, and  in  1863  enlisted  in  Company  K,  85th 


Reg.,  Ill  Vol.  Inf.,  but  as  he  was  not  of  age 
his  parents  kept  him  at  home.  In  1883,  Mr. 
Howell  moved  with  his  father  to  Labette  coun- 
ty, where  his  father  bought  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  lives,  in  1872.  In  1882,  a  new  house 
was  erected  on  the  land,  and  the  elder  Mr. 
Howell  conveyed  the  farm  to  Oscar  L.  There 
he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing. He  is  a  thrifty  farmer,  and  has  made 
many  improvements  on  the  land,  and  it  pre- 
sents a  good,  substantial  appearance. 

Mr.  Howell  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Tilarah  Gerry,  who  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1849.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Valentine)  Gerry,  both 
natives  of  New  Jersey.  Peter  Gerry  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  He  and  his  wife  reared 
two  children :  Tilarah  and  George.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Howell  have  been  blessed  with  six  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  living.  Their  names 
are :  Frank  A.,  a  miner,  who  resides  at  Ou- 
ray, Colorado :  Harry,  Emma  S.  and  Minnie,. 
of  the  same  place ;  and  Clyde  and  Ralph,  who^ 
are  at  home. 

Mr.  HowelJ  votes  an  independent  ticket. 
He  has  served  on  the  school  board  since  first 
coming  to  Labette  county,  and  now  holds  the 
office  of  clerk  of  the  board.  He  belongs  to^ 
the   Anti-Horsethief  Association. 


H 


AMES  T.  PEFLEY,  one  of  WaltoiT 
township's  most  esteemed  citizens, 
and  joint  owner  and  head  proprietor 
of  Pefley  Brothers'  farm,  which  is 
among  the  largest  and  finest  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  in  which  state 
he  was  born  in  1853. 

His    father,  Henry    Pefley,    is    descended 
from  a  prominent  Virginia  family,  and  was^ 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


66 1 


himself,  born  in  that  state,  in  Apri],  1811. 
He  followed  carpenter  work  in  his  native  state 
and  was  considered  an  expert  in  that  line  of 
work.  In  1864,  he  moved  with  his  family  into 
Iowa.  Several  years  afterward, — about  1869, 
— he  took  leave  of  his  family  and  sought  a 
better  location  for  them  farther  south,  where 
the  climate  was  somewhat  milder.  He  found 
a  desirable  locality  in  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
and  removed  his  family  in  1870.  The  same 
year,  he  took  up  a  homestead  claim  in  Walton 
township, — the  northeast  quarter  of  section  14. 
This  is  a  part  of  the  farm  now  occupied  by 
several  of  his  sons.  In  this  western  home, 
where  it  was  difficult  even  to  obtain  building 
material,  aside  from  the  additional  expense  of 
hiring  carpenters,  the  trade  which  the  elder 
Pefley  had  followed  for  years  now  stood  him 
in  good  stead,  and  proved  very  valuable  to 
him.  He  was  enabled  to  build  his  own  resi- 
dence, and  in  1870,  erected  a  large,  two- 
story  frame  house,  containing  seven  rooms. 
In  those  pioneer  days  a  house  of  that  size  was 
considered  almost  a  palace,  and  Henry  Pefley's 
was,  in  this  respect,  an  object  of  envy  to  not 
a  few  of  his  less  fortunate  neighbors,  who 
were  not  so  handy  with  tools. 

August  22,  1890,  Henry  Pefley  passed  to 
his  final  rest.  He  was  survived  by  his  widow, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Catherine  Caton,  and 
who  was  a  native  of  Muskingum  county, 
Ohio.  Seven  children  were  born  to  her  and 
her  husband,  namely:  Mary,  deceased;  Ra- 
chel J.,  who  is  at  home;  Henry,  deceased; 
Archibald,  a  farmer,  whose  land  adjoins  the 
farm  of  our  subject;  James  T.,  the  subject  of 
this  record ;  J.  C. ;  and  Abe  L.  The  two  last 
named  are  joint  proprietors  with  James  T.  of 
the  homestead  farm,  and  they  carry  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  perfect  unison,  each  one 
seemingly  indispensable  to  the  success  of  the 


other.  These  brothers  have  made  a  specialty 
of  general  farming,  and  have  raised  stock 
also  to  a  limited  extent.  The  homestead 
farm,  to  which  they  succeeded  upon  the 
death  of  their  father,  is  their  special  pride. 
They  have  greatly  improved  and  beauti- 
fied this  and  have  added  to  it  -from 
time  to  time  until  they  now  own  320 
acres  of  as  fine  and  productive  farming  land 
as  one  would  wish  to  see.  These  brothers- 
are  all  Republicans  in  politics,  and  although 
they  have  at  all  times  taken  an  interest  in  the 
cause  of  good  government,  they  have  never 
been  office-seekers,  but  have  devoted  the  best 
of  their  time  and  energy  toward  making  a  suc- 
cess of  their  business. 

James  T.  Pefiey  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Anti-Horsethief  Association.  His  success 
in  life  is  not  surprising  to  those  who  are  fa- 
miliar with  his  traits  of  character.  In  the 
extensive  farming  interest  of  the  brothers  he 
is  considered  the  head,  and  it  has  been  his  ex- 
ecutive ability  as  well  as  his  active  service 
that  has  made  their  farm  what  it  now  is, — a 
credit  to  the  township,  the  county,  and  the 
state. 


ATHANIEL  D.  STURM,  a  well- 
known  farmer  living  in  Neosho 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
was  born  in  Barbour  county,  West 
Virginia,  in  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
Sturm.  William  Sturm  was  born  in  Virginia, 
and  was  a  miller  by  trade.  In  1S66,  he  lo- 
cated in  Kansas,  where  he  lived  until  the  time 
of  his  death. 

Nathaniel  D.  Sturm,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  moved  with  his  parents  to  Illinois, 
when  he  was  but  a  child.     There  he  received 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


his  schooling,  and  remained  until  May  31, 
1866,  when  his  father  moved  to  Kansas.  Mr. 
Sturm  lived  with  his  parents  until  1882,  when 
he  located  in  sections  22  and  23,  Neosho  town- 
ship, Labette  count)-.  He  has  resided  there 
since  that  time,  being  engaged  in  the  tilling  of 
the  soil.  He  has  always  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer,  and  his  career  in  Kansas 
has  been  marked  with  success.  He  is  a  man 
of  honest,  upright  character,  and  is  always 
willing  to  assist  in  any  movement  which  is 
for  the  good  of  the  community.  By  his  gen- 
ial, friendly  manners  he  has  won  many  friends. 
Mr.  Sturm  married  Donia  Dunn,  and  they 
have  reared  three  children:  William;  May,  de- 
ceased; and  Ruth.  Mr.  Sturm  built  a  nine- 
room  frame  house  in  1900,  and  made  several 
improvements  on  the  farm.  He  also  owns  80 
acres  of  land  in  section  26,  the  part  known 
as  the  old  Dunn  farm.  Li  addition  to  this, 
he  owns  30  acres  south  of  his  present  home. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Sturm  is  an  independent  voter. 
He  has  served  on  the  school  board  for  the 
past  nineteen  years.  He  belongs  to  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.,  McCune  Lodge,  No.  70,  and  to  the 
Anti-Horsethief  Association.  Religiously,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church. 


OHN  P.  CARES.  Among  the  well- 
known  agriculturists  residing  in  La- 
bette county  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  biography.  He  is 
one  of  the  foremost  farmers  in  the  county, 
and  is  a  progressive,  public-spirited  man.  Mr. 
Cares  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1841,  and 
is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Nancy  (Baker)  Cares. 
Daniel  Cares  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  was  a  butcher  by  trade.  He  married 
Nancy  Baker,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Penn- 


sylvania, and  they  were  the  parents  of  10 
children:  William:  Conard;  John  P.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  James;  Daniel;  Charles; 
Catherine;   Christiana;   Susan;  and   Sarah. 

John  P.  Cares,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  and  schooled  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
He  moved  to  Kansas  in  1872,  and  located  on 
his  presefit  farm  in  Neosho  township,  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  30.  Mr.  Cares 
has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  farming  mat- 
ters, and  is  an  energetic,  thrifty  man.  He 
married  Anna  Powell,  who  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, but  was  reared  in  Ohio.  Her  father 
was  Jacob  Powell.  Four  children  have  re- 
sulted from  this  union,  and  their  names  are: 
Wilbur;  Willard;  Glenn;  and  Carrie  M.  Mr. 
Cares  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party. 
He  belongs  to  the  Home  Builders'  L^nion, 
Montana  Lodge,  No    4. 


ILLIAM  O'HERIN,  the  popular 
and  efficient  superintendent  of  the 
machinery  and  equipment  depart- 
ment of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway,  has  ably  filled  that  position 
since  1896,  Avith  headquarters  at  Patsons, 
Kansas.  Mr.  O'Herin  has  followed  railroad- 
ing since  early  boyhood.  He  is  a  native  of 
Wyoming  county.  New  York,  where  he  was 
born  in  1848.  In  adopting  a  railroad  career, 
he  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father,  who 
was  also  a  railroader. 

Mr.  O'Herin  located  at  Parsons.  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  in  1873.  He  was  there  em- 
ployed as  a  locomotive  engineer  on  the 
"Katy,"  and  ran  at  that  time  over  the  entire 
system  on  specials,  pay  cars,  etc^  He  con- 
tintied  as  engineer  until    1886.   when   promo- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


66j 


tion  followed  and  he  became  master  mechanic, 
a  position  now  held  by  W.  H.  Brehni.  He 
continued  to  serve  in  that  capacity  for  ten 
consecutive  yeaTs,  when  further  honors  were 
bestowed  upon  him  in  the  form  of  the  super- 
intendence of  the  machinery  and  equipment 
department. 

Air.  O'Herin  is  a  thorough  railroader,  be- 
sides being  a  most  skilled  machinist.  He 
fully  comprehends  the  responsibilities  and 
manifold  duties  connected  with  his  position, 
which  is  of  vital,  importance,  as  the  mechani- 
cal operation  of  the  entire  system  depends 
upon  his  action.  Having  worked  his  way 
from  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  'he  readily  un- 
derstands the  requirements  of  every  branch 
of  the  work  under  his  control,  and  gives  his 
personal  attention  to  even  the  smallest  details. 
He  is  a  favorite  among  his  men,  and  is  es- 
teemed by  his  employers,  who  appreciate  his 
lidelity  to  the  system. 


H^l  H.  TERWILLEGER,  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, is  at  present  living  in  section  36, 
township  32,  range  17,  in  Mound  Val- 
ley township.  He  is  a  native  of  Hamilton  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  was  born  in  1820. 

Matthias  Terwilleger,  his  father,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  He  located  in  Hamil- 
ton county,  Ohio,  very  early  in  life,  and  during 
the  War  of  1812  served  as  a  drum-major,  un- 
der Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  participat- 
ing in  all  his  battles  except  the  one  at  Tippe- 
canoe. Mr.  Terwilleger  worked  on  the  river, 
built  his  own  boats,  and  made  nine  trips  on  a 
flatboat  to  New  Orleans.  This  was'  before 
steamboats  were  used.  He  was  a  judge  of  the 
court,  for  twelve  years,  during  his  residence  in 


Indiana,  and  was  reelected  the  year  of  his  death. 
He  died  in  that  state,  October  9,  1843,  ^t  the 
age  of  fifty-two  years.  He  married  Letitia 
Shanklin,  who  died  when  the  subject  hereof 
was  an  infant. 

J.  H.  Terwilleger,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  by  his  grandmother,  after  his  moth- 
er's death.  He  had  one  sister, — Martha  Jane, 
— who  died  in  Marion  county,  Indiana,  in 
1886.  In  1848  the  subject  hereof  moved  to 
Warren  county,  Iowa,  where  he  ran  a  steam 
grist-mill  at  Hartford.  In  the  spring  of  1856 
he  moved  to  Marion  county,  Iowa,  where  he 
farmed  until  1869.  Previous  to  that,  in  1857, 
Mr.  Terwilleger  had  made  a  trip  to  Kansas, 
where  he  had  voted  for  the  Free  State  con- 
stitution. In  1869  he  located  in  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  9,  township  33,  range  18, 
southwest  of  Mound  Valley.  He  lived  there 
until  1878.  There  were  but  two  other  families 
near,  the  Roberts  and  Wells.  In  1878  Mr. 
Terwilleger  bought  his  present  home  in  Mound 
Valley  township.  His  son  and  stepdaughter 
own  160  acres  of  this  farm.  Mr.  Terwilleger 
made  all  of  the  improvements  on  the  property. 
When  he  located  there,  there  was  but  a  shell 
of  a  house,  a  shed  stable  and  a  hedge.  Parker, 
Oswego  and  Parsons  were  the  first  towns  of 
the  county,  and  Parker  was  considered  the  best. 
There  were  many  Indians  about  at  that  time. 
Mr.  Terwilleger  paid  30  cents  per  pound  for 
meat,  and  from  50  to  60  cents  a  bushel  for 
turnips.  Beets  were  $1.00  per  bushel,  while 
butter  brought  40  cents  per  pound.  Mr.  Ter- 
willeger has  a  large  gourd,  which  holds  three 
pecks".  The  seeds  of  this  gourd  were  sold  for 
10  cents  apiece.  He  has  one  of  the  best  im- 
proved farms  in  the  county,  and  is  highly 
spoken  of  as  a  farmer  of  much  ability  and 
knowledge. 

In  September,   1845,  J^^''-  Terwilleger  was 


664 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


married,  in  Indiana,  to  Mary  Griffin.  She  died 
in  1856,  leaving  three  children, — Margaret  C. 
(Shields)  ;  Mary  E.  (Steele),  who  lives  near 
the  state  line,  on  a  farm;  and  Harvey,  who 
lives  across  the  road,  east  of  his  father's  farm. 
Mr.  Terwilleger  married,  secondly,  Mrs.  La- 
vina  Smith  (nee  Haigler).  She  was  born  in 
Pendleton  county,  West  Virginia,  in  1843,  ^^'^ 
is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Phoebe  (Skidmore) 
Haigler.  She  was  reared  in  Virginia,  and 
there  married  Mr.  Smith,  who  died  in  1871 ; 
they  had  one  daughter, — Phoebe, — now  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Terwilleger's  son,  Harvey.  Har- 
vey Terwilleger  and  his  wife  are  the  parents 
of  five  children  :  Charles  M. ;  Leora  B. ;  John 
H. ;  Leota  Marie ;  and  James  Mori.  Mr.  Ter- 
willeger's wife  came  to  Labette  county  in  1873, 
and  resided  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Kile,  until 
her  marriage  with  Mr.  Terwilleger.  They  had 
one  daughter, — Anna  Rebecca,  who  died,  Oc- 
tober 20,  1895,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years. 

Politically,  Mr.  Terwilleger  is  a  Republican. 
He  has  served  as  school  treasurer,  and  his  son, 
Harvey,  has  been  treasurer  of  School  District 
No.  68  for  twelve  years.  Mr.  Terwilleger  be- 
longs to  the  German  Brethren  church,  although 
he  and  his  wife  were  raised  in  the  Dunkard 
faith. 


RS.  SARAH  T.  WALCOTT,  widow 
of  Wallace  Walcott,  has  displayed 
superior  business  ability  in  the 
management  of  her  farm  in  sec- 
tion 28,  North  township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas. She  has  a  neat  and  well  cultivated  prop- 
erty, and  is  engaged  in  general  farming. 

Mrs.  Walcott  was  born  in  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1846,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Sarah  (Yocum)  Wynn.  Her  fa- 
ther was  born   in  Dauphin  county,   Pennsyl- 


vania, and  her  mother  was  also  a  native  of  that 
state.  They  were  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Azariah,  deceased;  Margaret;  To- 
bias, deceased;  Josiah,  Susanna,  Joseph,  all 
deceased;  John;  Isaac,  deceased;  Rachel; 
Amos ;  and  Sarah  T. 

Sarah  T.  Wynn  lived  in  Pennsylvania  un- 
til she  reached  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
when  she  moved  to  Washington  county,  Ohio. 
There  she  resided  until  1884,  when  she  came 
to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  with  her  husband. 
She  was  united  in  marriage  with  W'allace  W^al- 
cott,  who  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
Ohio,  in  1834,  and  was  a  son  of  E.  and  Caro- 
line (McClure)  Walcott,  both  natives  of  Ohio. 
He  was  one  of  13  children,  as  follows:  Oscar; 
Wallace ;  Louis ;  Amanda ;  Salome ;  Vesta  ;i 
Rollin ;  Edmond  ;  Corwin ;  Helen ;  Mary ;  Katie ; 
and  Ida.  Wallace  Walcott  operated  a  sawmill 
in  Ohio  for  many  years.  When  the  Civil  War 
broke  out  he  enlisted,  in  1864,  as  a  captain  in 
Company  K,  148th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.  He 
came  west  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1884, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  contractor  in 
Parsons.  He  was  a  trustee  of  North  township 
one  term,  and  was  also  school  director  and 
treasurer.  He  died  on  February  2,  1894.  Mrs. 
Walcott  is  located  in  the  east  half  of  the  south- 
east cpiarter  of  section  28,  North  township,  and 
has  just  completed  a  handsome  new  home  on 
the  old   farm. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walcott  became  parents  of 
the  following  children  :  Addie  (Huling),  who 
lives  at  Dewey,  Indian  Territory;  Addison,  a 
student  at  Drake  University  in  Des  Moines, 
Iowa ;  Elmer,  who  now  lives  in  Ohio ;  Carrie, 
who  is  living  at  home  and  teaches  school  at 
South  Mound,  Neosho  county;  Louis  D.,  a 
carpenter  at  Parsons,  Kansas ;  Olive,  who  re- 
sides in  Parsons;  William  H.,  a  mail  car- 
rier   at     Parsons;    and     Belle,    who    is    at 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


665 


home.  Religiously  Mrs.  W'alcott  is  a  member 
of  the  Society  of  Friends,  but  as  there  is  no 
organization  of  that  denomination  in  the 
county  she  attends  the  M.  E.  church. 


A.    ALEXANDER,    deceased,    was 
for  many  years  a  prominent  citizen 


grw^  of  Chetopa,  Labette  county,  Kansas. 
He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
was  a  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth  Alexander, 
who  were  also  natives  of  that  state. 

When  Mr.  Alexander  was  but  one  year 
old  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio,  and  his  early 
life  was  spent  on  his  father's  farm.  He  at- 
tended the  common  schools  of  the  county.  In 
1877  he  removed  to  Chetopa,  Kansas,  where 
he  acted  as  general  agent  for  the  Standard  Oil 
Company,  and  supplied  Chetopa  and  several 
other  surrounding  towns  with  oil.  He  also 
conducted  the  Ohio  Hotel  at  Chetopa  for  sev- 
eral years.  In  1890  he  bought  a  farm  in 
Hackberry  township,  which  his  widow  re- 
cently sold.  He  also  owned  some  town  property 
in  Chetopa.  This  Mrs.  Alexander  has  traded 
for  her  present  home  in  Richland  township,  on 
which  she  has  made  many  improvements. 
The  barns  and  house  are  new,  and  the  place  is 
one  of  the  most  desirable  in  the  county.  Mrs. 
Alexander  has  successfully  carried  on  general 
farming  since  her  husband's  death,  and  has 
shown  superior  management  and  good  execu- 
tive ability  in  so  doing.  Her  husband's  death 
was  greatly  mourned  in  Chetopa  and  the  vi- 
cinity, as  he  was  a  man  of  genial  and  pleasing 
personality,  and  had  many  friends  in  the 
county. 

Mr.  Alexander  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Caroline  A.  Haines,  who  was  born  in  Logan 
county,  Ohio,  in  1837.     She  is  a  daughter  of 


Hutson  and  Sarah  (Foster)  Haines,  and  is 
one  of  six  children,  the  others  being :  Wesley ; 
John  Nelson;  Thomas;  Jedaiah;  and  Annie 
(Carter),  who  lives  in  Ohio.  Mr.  Haines  fol- 
lowed farming  all  his  life,  and  was  very  suc- 
cessful. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander's  union  was 
blessed  with  four  daughters,  whose  names  are : 
Sarah  Elizabeth;  Mary  Ann;  Minta;  and 
Blanche.  Sarah  Elizabeth  (Chatman)  was 
born  in  Ohio;  her  husband  is  in  the  milling 
business  in  Colorado,  and  they  have  four  boys. 
Mary  Ann  (Pace)  lives  in  Parsons,  Kansas, 
and  has  one  son  and  one  daughter.  Minta 
(Williams)  lives  seven  miles  west  of  her 
mother's  farm.  Blanche  (Buckley)  lives  with 
her  mother,  and  has  one  son, — William. 

Mr.  Alexander  was  a  Democrat,  in  poli- 
tics. Fraternally,  he  was  a  Mason  and  be- 
longed to  the  lodge  at  Chetopa.  Mrs.  Alex- 
ander attends  the  Methodist  church  at  Che- 
topa. She  is  well  known  in  that  city,  and  has 
many  warm  friends  throughout  the  county. 


^^ESSE  W.  MARLEY,  cashier  of  the 
^[11  Oswego  State  Bank  from  its  organi- 
^^1  zation,  is  one  of  the  foremost  business 
men  of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where 
he  has  resided  since  1878.  He  is  a  man  of 
recognized  ability,  and  of  broad  and  liberal 
views,  and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  his  fellow  citizens  to  a  marked  degree.  He 
was  born  in  Hendricks  county,  Indiana,  Jan- 
uary 31,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  A.  and 
Elizabeth  (Stout)  Marley.  He  is  a  grandson 
of  Alfred  Marley,  of  North  Carolina,  who 
moved  to  Indiana. 

Henry  A.  Marley  was  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina in  1830,  and  was  a  small  boy  when  he 


666 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


moved  with  his  father  to  Morgan  county,  In- 
diana, where  he  spent  his  early  days.  He  has 
followed  farming  all  his  days  and  owned  600 
acres  of  land  in  Hendricks  county,  Indiana, 
which  he  sold  when  he  moved  to  Oswego,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  now  lives  in  retirement.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Marley  &  Marley,  who 
operated  a  private  bank  which  was  merged 
into  the  Oswego  State  Bank,  in  1887.  He 
was  married  to  Elizabeth  Stout,  a  daughter  of 
Jesse  and  Malinda  (Hobson)  Stout.  Mrs. 
Marley's  mother  came  from  the  same  ancestry 
as  Lieutenant  Hobson,  one  of  the  heroes  of 
the  Spanish-American  War.  Jesse  Stout  and 
Alfred  Marley  were  both  early  settlers  of  Hen- 
dricks county,  Indiana.  Mrs.  Marley  died  in 
1864  at  the  age  of  thirty  years,  leaving  two 
children,  namely  :  Jesse  W. ;  and  Luther  W., 
who  now  resides  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas. 

Jesse  W.  Marley  obtained  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  coun- 
ty, after  which  he  took  a  preparatory  course 
at  De  Pauw  University,  and  a  two  years  col- 
legiate course  in  the  same  institution.  In  1877 
he  went  to  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  but,  ow- 
ing to  the  prevalence  of  yellow  fever,  in  the 
fall  of  1878  came  to  Oswego,  Kansas.  In 
1880  the  private  bank  of  Marley  &  Marley  was 
established,  consisting  of  himself  and  father. 
In  1887  the  bank  was  incorporated,  and  has 
since  been  known  as  the  Oswego  State  Bank, — 
Mr.  Marley  having  served  as  cashier  from  its 
beginning.  He  has  a  thorough  understand- 
ing of  the  banking  business  and  has  discharged 
the  duties  of  his  office  in  a  highly  satisfactory 
manner. 

In  1883  Jesse  W.  Marley  was  married  to 
Julia  Weir,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Weir. 
She  died  in  1884,  leaving  one  child,  Louise. 
In  1887  he  formed  a  second  marital  union,  the 
bride  being  Margaret  B.  Belt,  who  was  born 


in  Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  F.  and  Mary  Belt.  She  received 
her  early  education  at  North  Middletown, 
Kentucky,  and  then  became  a  student  in  the 
Boston  Conseryatory  of  Music,  from  which 
institution  she  was  graduated.  She  has  the 
reputation  of  being  the  finest  pianist  in  South- 
ern Kansas.  She  taught  somewhat  while  at 
the  conservatory,  and  also  after  her  gradua- 
tion. In  1886  she  accepted  a  position  as  in- 
structress of  music  in  the  Holden  Conservatory 
of  Music,  at  Holden,  Kansas.  She  has  con- 
tinued her  work  since  marriage,  and  has  al- 
ways had  a  large  class  of  students  from  the 
surounding  towns,  her  accomplishments  as  an 
instructress  equaling  her  brilliancy  as  a 
pianist.  Mr.  Marley  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  served  in  the  city  council  for  several 
years.  He  was  mayor  of  the  city  one  term, 
and  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  educa- 
tion, and  of  the  county  central  committee  sev- 
eral terms ;  he  was  chairman  of  the  latter  body 
during  one  term.  He  was  the  nominee  of  the 
Republican  party  for  the  state  legislature  in 
1 900. 


WTD  URIAH  WATSON,  a  well 
known  farmer,  and  old  settler  of  La- 
bette county.  Kansas,  has  lived  in 
Richland  township,  in  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  21,  township  34,  range  21, 
since  1866.  He  was  born  in  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, August  I,  1845,  ^nd  is  a  son  of  J.  C.  and 
Serena   (Thomas)   Watson. 

J.  C.  ^Vatson  was  born  in  Ohio,  where  he- 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  after- 
ward moved  to  Illinois.  He  lived  there  some 
time  and  then  journeyed  to  Labette  county,  in 
1867.  He  took  up  a  claim  near  that  of  his- 
son's,  where  he  lived  until  the  time  of  his  death. 


J.   F.   RUSSELL. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


669 


in  1888,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  His 
wife  died  in  1885,  aged  sixty-two  years. 
They  reared  nine  children,  namely:  J.  N.,  a 
widower,  who  went  to  California  in  1872,  and 
is  now  a  stockman,  with  headquarters  at  San 
Francisco;  David  Uriah,  of  whom  this  nar- 
rative treats;  Charles,  a  farmer  living  near 
Momid  Valley;  Milton,  who  lives  in  Shasta 
county,  California,  and  is  a  stockman;  George, 
a  resident  of  Richland  township;  L.  D.,  a 
stockman,  of  Colorado;  Mary  C.  (Craig),  who 
died  in  1875;  Ida  J.  (McGraw),  a  resident  of 
Los  Angeles,  California ;  and  Ella  M.  (Dixon) 
of  Oswego  township,  Labette  county. 

David  U.  Watson  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  county,  in  Illinois,  and  in 
1864  entered  the  army,  serving  in  the  143d 
Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.  He  ofifered  his  services  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  war,  but  was  rejected  on 
account  of  his  age.  He  served  one  year,  and 
was  mustered  out  at  Mattoon,  Illinois,  in  1865. 
Mr.  Watson  then  removed  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  1866,  and  entered  the  land  on  which 
he  now  resides.  He  built  a  log  house  14  feet 
square,  and  lived  in  it  until  he  erected  a  com- 
fortable home,  which  was  burned  in  1894. 
The  family  were  obliged  to  live  in  the  granary 
until  their  new  home  was  completed,  April  15, 
1895.  The  house  is  a  large,  nine-room  struc- 
ture, and  adds  greatly  to  the  attractive  ap- 
pearance of  the  place.  Kansas  City  and 
Springfield,  Missouri,  were  the  only  settled 
towns  in  this  section  of  the  country  when  Mr. 
Watson  located  in  Labette  county,  and  all  the 
products  raised  on  the  farm  were  sold  to  new 
comers.  David  U.  Watson  also  owns  lands  in 
Cherokee  county.  He  carries  on  diversified 
farming,  and  is  very  successful.  Mr.  Wat- 
.'^on's  brother,  J.  N.,  was  the  first  sheriff  elected 
in  the  county. 

Mr.  Watson  was  united  in  marriage  with 


Elizabeth  Henry,  in  Illinois,  and  this  union 
has  been  blessed  with  four  children,  namely ; 
Gertie  (Harre),  of  Cherokee  county,  Kansas, 
who  has  two  children, — Wayne  and  Lenet; 
Ivan  C,  who  lives  at  home;  and  Ethel  and 
Arthur,  who  are  also  at  home.  The  school- 
house  of  District  No.  5  is  on  the  corner  of  Mr. 
Watson's  farm.  He  is  one  of  the  directors,, 
and  has  never  missed  attending  a  meeting  since 
its  organization  in  1867,  which  is  a  record  of 
which  to  be  proud. 

Politically,  Mr.  Watson  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, and  has  served  as  township  trustee  at 
two  different  times.  He  was  elected  county 
commissioner  in  1892,  to  succeed  Mr.  Cooper, 
and  served  one  term.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  school  board  for  eighteen  years.  Fra- 
ternally, Mr.  Watson  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.  lodge,  at  Chetopa,  and  of  the  G.  A.  R. 
In  religious  views,  he  is  a  Methodist,  and  was 
one  of  the  original  13  who  organized  the  church 
society  at  Chetopa.  Mr.  Watson  has  a  large 
number  of  friends  in  Chetopa  and  the  town- 
ship, and  is  an  active  worker  in  matters  per- 
taining to  the  good  of  the  county. 


F.  RUSSELL,  a  popular  passenger 
engineer  on  the  Junction  City  divis- 
ion of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway,  with  headquarters  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  is  a  veteran  on  that  system, 
and  has  the  distinction  of  being,  in  years  of 
service,  next  to  the  oldest  engineer  now  sta- 
tioned in  Parsons.  In  this  respect  David 
Dunham  claims  first  honors. 

Mr.  Russell  was  born  m  Venango  county, 
Pennsylvania,  December  13,  1843.  He  is  a 
son  of  R.  S.  and  Sarah  (Johnson)  Russell,, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  London,  Eng- 
land.    His  father,  who  was  a  blacksmith,  late 


670 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  life  went  west  to  the  home  of  J.  F.  Russell, 
in  Parsons,  where  he  spent  his  last  days,  and 
peacefully  passed  away  in  1887,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-six  years.  Mr.  Rus- 
sell's mother  died  at  his  home,  January  7, 
1887,  when  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  This 
aged  couple  reared  five  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Those  besides  J.  F.  were:  George,  of  Frank- 
lin, Pennsylvania;  Robert  H.,  a  merchant  of 
Hillyard,  Washington;  Mrs.  Sophia  McCune. 
■of  Pennsylvania,  and  M.  M.,  of  Pueblo,  Col- 
■orado,  both  deceased;  and  Frank  B.,  an  en- 
gineer on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way, at  Parsons,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Russell  attended  the  common  schools 
of  Pennsylvania.  His  first  manual  labor  was 
performed  in  the  oil  regions,  where  he  as- 
sisted in  drilling  and  working  about  oil  wells. 
In  1867,  he  decided  upon  a  railroad  life,  and 
immediately  entered  the  service  of  the  At- 
lantic &  Great  Western  Railroad  Company  as 
a  fireman  on  locomotives,  at  Meadville,  Penn- 
sylvania. He  worked  as  a  fireman  until  1869, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  be  an  engineer, 
and  ran  different  engines  on  that  system  for 
two  years. 

In  January,  1872,  he  came  west  to  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  having  but  $20  with  him 
upon  his  arrival  at  Parsons.  On  January 
20th,  of  the  same  year,  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way Company,  whose  interests  are  still  iden- 
tified with  his  own.  After  serving  several 
years  in  the  freight  department,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  passenger  service  in  1875,  on  the 
Cherokee  Division,  and  is  now  a  passenger 
engineer,  pulling  trains  between  Parsons  and 
Junction  City.  He  makes  three  trips  one 
week,  and  two  the  following  week,  running 
opposite  Engineers  John  Reilly  and  David 
Dunham.     Mr.  Dunham  has  served  as  engin- 


eer on  the  system  ever  since  June  20,   1869. 

Mr.  Russell  has  been  very  successful,  in  his 
career,  both  financially  and  otherwise.  He  is 
quite  an  extensive  property  owner  in  Par- 
sons. He  erected  the  brick  block  on  Johnson 
avenue,  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Flynn 
&  Morris  Clothing  Company,  and  is  one  of 
the  finest  blocks  in  the  city.  He  also  pur- 
chased a  fine  residence  property  at  22 11  Wash- 
ington avenue,  where  he  still  resides.  He 
owns  a  similar  house  at  the  corner  of  Craw- 
ford avenue  and  Twenty-third  street,  which 
he  leases. 

Mr.  Russell  has  been  twice  married.  His 
first  union  was  with  Margaret  Guisler,  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  died  February  i,  1875. 
An  infant  son,  Alfred,  followed  her  to  the 
grave,  six  months  later.  They  had  previously 
lost  their  first  two  children,  namely:  Thomas, 
who  died  when  eighteen  months  old ;  and 
Harriet,  who  lived  but  six  months.  AH  are 
buried  at  Parsons.  The  second  marriage  of 
our  subject  was  contracted  at  Meadville, 
Pennsylvania,  with  Elizabeth  Clemson.  They 
have  one  child,  Helen,  born  in  August,  1891. 

In  political  preferences,  Mr.  Russell  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  frequently  refused  the 
requests  of  his  friends  to  run  for  oftice,  his 
time  being  fully  occupied  by  his  business.  He 
is  a  valued  member  of  Division  No.  179,  B. 
of  L.  E.,  of  Parsons,  and  has  served  as  its 
chief.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  which  he  joined  in  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  now  a  member  of  both  the  blue  lodge 
and  commandery,  of  Parsons.  He  belongs  to 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  Lodge 
No.  I,  of  Parsons.  The  family  attend  the 
M.  E.  church. 

Although  Mr.  Russell  has  had  a  very  suc- 
cessful and  fortunate  career,  he  has  experi- 
enced a  few  frights  and  accidents.    On  one  oc- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


671 


casion  he  was  held  up  at  Lehaetta,  Indian 
Territory,  by  the  "Dalton  gang,"  who  "went 
through"  the  express  car.  He  had  a  head- 
end colhsion  at  Oswego,  and  was  once  sHghtly 
injured  at  Chetopa.  Neither  accident  was  at- 
tributable to  him,  and  no  one  was  killed.  A 
portrait  of  Mr.  Russell  accompanies  this 
sketch,  being  presented  on  a  foregoing  page. 


B 


F.  FOSTER.  The  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  record  is  a  highly 
esteemed  and  respected  citizen  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  and  stands  in 
the  front  rank  of  the  representative  agricultur- 
ists of  Labette  township,  of  which  he  is  a  pio- 
neer settler.  He  is  an  ideal  farmer,  and  owns 
a  fine  farm.  It  consists  of  the  north  half  of 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  23,  Labette 
township.  Mr.  Foster  has  been  a  farmer  all 
his  life,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  time 
spent  at  railroad  work.  Mr.  Foster  is  one  of 
three  children  born  to  O.  H.  and  Laura  (Bob- 
bitt)   Foster. 

O.  H.  Foster,  who  is  a  farmer,  was  born 
in  Virginia  in  1826,  and  came  from  a  promi- 
nent Virginia  family.  His  wife  is  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  same  state.  Their  children  are 
Georg'e  B.,  F.  F.  and  Emma.  George  B.  is  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  and  is  at  the  present 
writing  connected  with  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago. 

F.  F.  Foster  was  born  in  1858  in  West 
Virginia,  where  he  attended  the  common 
schools.  When  twenty-two  years  old  he  be- 
gan to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and 
started  in  quest  of  a  more  suitable  location. 
He  drifted  into  the  West,  and  finally  joined  a 
party  of  surveyors.  These  he  assisted,  dur- 
ing a  period  of  eighteen  months,  in  surveying 


the  Santa  Fe  railroad  route  through  the  state 
of  Texas.  In  1882  he  came  to  Kansas,  and 
spent  the  following  year  in  the  employ  of  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company. 
He  then  began  farming,  which  has  been  his 
life  work.  Being  greatly  pleased  with  the 
state  of  Kansas,  Mr.  Foster  decided  to  locate 
here  permanently,  and  with  that  intent  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  in  Labette  county,  in 
1895.  There  he  has  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising  ever  since.  He  has  im- 
proved and  beautified  his  farm,  and  it  is  now 
in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Foster  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Cora  Lane,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1870. 
One  son.  Dwight,  blesses  their  home.  In 
politics,  the  subject  cf  this  sketch  is  an  ardent 
Populist,  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term 
as  trustee  of  Labette  township,  having  also 
served  as  clerk.  He  is  a  valued  member  of 
Altamont  Lodge,  No.  244,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
also  of  Altamont  Lodge,  Woodmen  of  the 
World.  Mr.  Foster  is  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive, and  is  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare 
and  development  of  his  county ;  he  is  an  honest, 
up  right  citizen,  a  good  neighbor,  and  com- 
mands the  respect  of  the  entire  community. 


ENJAMIN  F.  ASBELL  is  one  of  the 
most  extensive  land  owners  in  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  and  is  living 
in  section  18,  township  34,  range  21, 
in  Richland  township.  He  was  born  in  Estill 
county,  Kentucky,  in  1837,  and  is  a  son  of 
Pierce  and  Maria  (Bryson)  Asbell. 

Pierce  Asbell  was  born  in  Kentucky  in 
1800,  and  removed  to  Missouri  in  1838,  where 
he  carried  on  farming  for  fifty  years,  and  died 
in    1894    in    that    state.     He  married  Maria 


in 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Bryson,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky,  in  1808, 
and  whose  death  occurred  in  Missouri,  in 
1890.      They    reared    10    children,    namely: 

Tyree,  aged  seventy-three  years,  who  lives  in 
Missouri;  Emily  (McPeak),  also  of  Missouri; 
John,  deceased;  Mary  (Clark),  who  lives  in 
the  Indian  Territory, — her  hushnnd  having 
been  a  soldier,  who  died  in  Kansas,  in  1900; 
Benjamin  F. ;  William,  who  died  in  Wyoming, 
in  September,  1900;  Mahala  (Suttee),  de- 
ceased; Cassandra  (Bolin),  of  Missouri; 
Pierce,  Jr.,  who  died  in  Missouri,  aged  twenty 
years;  and  Salina  (Anderson),  who  died  in 
1896  in  Oregon. 

Benjamin  F.  Asliell  was  reared  and  schnoled 
in  Missouri,  where  he  remained  until  he  at- 
tained the  age  of  twenty-four  years.  On  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  8th  Reg., 
Mo.  Vol.  Cav.,  under  Colonel  Gravelly,  later 
Governor  of  Missouri.  He  served  two  years 
as  a  private,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Spring- 
field, Missouri.  Although  he  was  not  seri- 
ously wounded  during  his  active  service,  his 
eyes  Iiave  been  affected  ever  since,  and  lie  has 
been  compelled  to  wear  glasses.  Mr.  Asbell 
returned  to  Missouri,  where  he  remained  one 
season,  and  then  removed  to  Labette  cnunty, 
Kansas,  August  12.  1866.  He  bought  his 
present  home  in  Richland  township,  and  has 
added  to  it  ever  since.  He  now  owns  1,300 
acres  of  land,  and  is  one  nf  the  most  prosperous 
farmers  in  tins  section  of  the  state.  He  em- 
ploys from  three  to  five  men  constantly,  and 
is  often  obliged  to  hire  more  to  assist  him.  In 
1867  he  set  out  an  orchard,  and  now  has  about 
25  acres  of  fruit  trees.  Mr.  Asbell  replaced 
the  claim  cabin  with  substantial  dwellings  of 
brick  and  frame,  and  the  general  appearance  of 
tlie  farm  bespeaks  the  thrift  and  energy  of  its 
owner.  Mr.  Asbell  is  a  man  of  more  than  or- 
dinary intelligence,  and  has  used  great  judg- 


ment and  care  in  the  management  of  his  farm. 

Mr.  Asbell  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Salina  McMaster,  who  died  in  1894.  She 
left  one  son,  who  is  now  serving  a  life  sentence 
in  the  state  penitentiary.  He  was  convicted 
through  an  excited  popular  opinion,  and  b^ 
a  prejudiced  jury,  for  the  supposed  fatal  shoot- 
ing of  his  wife.  The  act  of  the  jury  in  this 
case  was  greatly  deplored,  as  Alarion  Asbell 
was  well  liked  and  had  many  friends.  It  is 
generally  believed  that  his  wife  committed 
suicide,  and  Mr.  Asbell  is  making  every  ex- 
ertion to  obtain  a  pardon  for  his  son.  This 
case  only  reveals  another  victim  of  circumstan- 
tial evidence,  which  has  been  the  cause  of  many 
wrecked  lives. 

Mr.  Asbell  was  a  Republican  in  political, 
views,  until  the  last  election,  and  since  that  tim; 
has  been  independent.  He  is  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  of  Labette  county,  and  has  given 
aid  to  many  public  enterprises. 


ILLIAM  WIDMER,  a  well  known, 
contractor  and  farmer,  living  in 
section  34,  North  township.  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  is  one  of  the- 
most  public  spirited,  progressive  men  of  the 
county.  He  lives  on  his  farm  in  North  town- 
ship, but  his  place  of  business  is  in  Parsons. 
where  he  has  an  office  on  Johnson  avenue. 
Mr.  Widmer  was  born  in  the  southern  part  of 
Germany  in  185 1,  of  German  parentage. 

Our  subject's  father,  M.  Widmer.  was  also 
a  native  of  Germany.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Germany,  and  they  reared  the  following  chil- 
dren: Jacob;  George;  William,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch;  and  John,  deceased. 

William  \\'idmer  spent  his  early  boyhood  in 
Germany,    where    he    received  his  education.. 


MRS.   MARY  T.   KNOUS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


675 


He  set  sail  for  this  country  in  1867,  and  after 
reaching  America  settled  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  followed  the  trade  of 
a  cabinetmaker  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
then  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he 
lived  until  1875.  In  that  year  he  removed  to 
Parsons,  Kansas,  and  he  has  resided  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  city  ever  since.  Since  first 
•coming  to  Parsons  he  has  bought  his  farm  in 
North  township,  in  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  34.  He  is  engaged  in  general  farming, 
.and  has  been  very  successful.  He  does  a  large 
business  as  a  contractor,  and  is  considered  a 
fine  workman. 

Mr.  Widmer  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  Gates,  and  they  have  been  blessed 
with  the  following  children  :  Grace ;  Carrie, 
•who  is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Par- 
sons ;  Will ;  Harry ;  George ;  Earl ;  Albert ;  and 
Henry.  Mr.  X^'idmer  has  lived  in  Parsons  for 
about  twenty  years,  and  he  is  well  and  favor- 
ably known  throughout  the  county.  He  is  an 
independent,  in  politics,  and  has  served  on  the 
school  board  in  North  township  for  four  years. 
He  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Parsons  Lodge, 
No.  I.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
German  Lutheran  church.  He  has  many 
warm  friends  in  the  county,  where  he  is  highly 
esteemed  and  respected  for  his  honest,  upright 
■character. 


B 


AMES  E.  RICE,  a  prominent  and  well 
known  agriculturist  of  Neosho  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  was 
born  in  Washington  county,  Illinois, 
in  1859,  and  there  resided  until  he  came  to 
Kansas  with  his  father,  in  1865.  Although 
Labette  county  has  been  his  home  for  the  past 
twenty-two  years,  he  has  spent  a  number  of 
Tears  in  traveling,  chiefly  in  Missouri,  Texas 


and  Colorado.  Mr.  Rice  is  a  son  of  H.  P. 
and  Rebecca  M.   (Lyons)   Rice. 

H.  P.  Rice  and  his  wife  were  born  in 
Washington  county,  Illinois,  and  there  began 
the  journey  of  life  as  husband  and  wife.  They 
came  to  Neosho  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  1865,  and  a  year  later  the  father 
of  the  family  died.  Six  children  were  born, 
as  follows :  Francis ;  James  E. ;  Julietta ; 
Thomas;  Clementine;  and  Lemuel. 

James  E.  Rice,  during  youth,  worked  for 
three  years  at  the  printer's  trade,  and  also 
learned  to  be  a  cooper.  Mr.  Rice  located  on 
his  present  farm,  consisting  of  the  east  half  of 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  27,  in  1879. 
He  carries  on  general  farming,  and  has  suc- 
ceeded very  well :  he  enjoys  an  excellent  repu- 
tation as  an  honest,  upright  citizen,  and  is 
highly  respected  by  all  in  the  community  in 
which  he  lives. 

Mr.  Rice  married  Kate  Grey,  who  was 
born  in  Clinton  county,  Illinois,  in  1859.  He 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  is  a  justice  of  the 
peace  of  Neosho  township ;  he  has  ser\-ed  on 
the  school  board  for  four  years. 


OANIEL  R.  KNOUS.  This  much- 
respected  pioneer  citizen  of  Labette 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
has  been  identified  with  the  inter- 
ests of  the  county  for  a  third  of  a  century 
and  has  long  been  recognized  as  one  of  its 
best  citizens. 

Mr.  Knous  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in 
1849.  f^is  father,  John  Knous,  was  a  native 
of  that  state,  and  was  born  in  1809.  He  fol- 
lowed farming  until  his  career  was  cut  off  by 
death  in  1864.  He  married  Rebecca  Scar- 
brough,    who   was   born    in    Pennsylvania,    in 


676 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


1826.  Seven  children  blessed  their  union, 
namely:  George  W.,  deceased;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  J.  S.  Adamson,  a  sketch  of  whom 
appears  in  this  volume;  Daniel  R.;  Mary; 
John  F.  and  James  F.,  miners  in  Colorado; 
and  Alfred  L.,  who  married  Clara  Cooper, 
and  resides  in  Colorado,  and  has  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  EHzabeth;  Lucile;  and  Mil- 
dred and  Marion,  twins.  In  1867,  Mrs.  Knous 
married  for  her  second  husband  M.  J.  Smith, 
of  Ohio,  who  at  the  time  of  their  union  lived 
in  Iowa.  Two  children  were  born  to  them: 
Rilley  and  Emma. 

In  185 1,  when  Daniel  R.  Knous  was  but 
two  years  old,  his  parents  removed  to  Ohio, 
where  the  boy  was  reared  up  to  his  thirteenth 
year  and  mentally  trained.  After  his  father's 
death,  he  accompanied  his  mother  and  other 
members  of  the  family  to  Jasper  county, 
Iowa,  45  miles  east  of  Des  Moines.  In  1869, 
Mr.  Knous  came  south  to  Kansas,  and  on 
October  6,  of  the  same  year,  located  upon 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  remained 
on  this  farm  until  1871,  perfected  his  claim, 
and  then  went  back  to  Iowa.  He  subsequently 
spent  six  years  in  Colorado,  where  several  of 
his  brothers  had  previously  located.  In  1887, 
he  returned  to  his  farm  in  Labette  township, 
and  has  made  his  home  there  ever  since.  He 
has  enjoyed  to  the  fullest  extent  the  confi- 
dence of  the  people  of  his  community.  He 
has  improved  his  farm  in  many  ways,  and  it 
is  in  some  respects  a  model  for  his  neighbors. 
Politically,  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  has 
wielded  a  powerful  influence  in  his  section. 
He  is  a  valued  member  of  Parsons  Lodge, 
No.  I,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  of  the  Anti-Horse- 
thief  Association,  Lodge  No.  183.  He  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Mary  B.  Thornburgh, 
who  has  been  his  faithful  helpmeet  for  many 


years.  She  is  a  native  of  Hagerstown,  Indiana, 
where  she  was  born  in  1859. 

Portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knous,  exe- 
cuted from  recent  photographs,  are  shown  on 
a  page  in  proximity  to  this. 


.^^EORGE  W.  HARDMAN,  a  well 
K^  known  farmer,  residing  in  section  4, 
North  township,  Labette  county,. 
Kansas,  is  one  of  the  active  and  pro- 
gressive citizens  of  the  county,  and  is  widely 
known  in  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 
Mr.  Hartman  was  born  in  Gilmer  county.  West 
Virginia,  in  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and 
Rebecca  (Goff)  Hardman. 

Thomas  Hardman  was  a  native  of  West 
Virginia,  his  birth  occurring  in  Randolph  coun- 
ty. His  wife  was  also  a  native  of  that  state. 
They  reared  the  following  children,  namely: 
Nancy;  Juha;  William;  Darlis;  John;  Chris- 
tiana; George  W.;  S.  S.;  and  J.  E. 

George  W.  Hardman  was  eight  years  old 
when  his  parents  moved  to  Jackson  county, 
West  Virginia.  There  he  followed  farming 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  1865  moved  to 
Whiteside  county,  Illinois,  where  he  remained 
two  years.  In  the  fall  of  1867  he  went  to 
Clay  county,  Missouri,  where  he  was  occupied 
in  farming  until  the  spring  of  1870.  His  next 
and  final  move  was  to  Kansas,  where  he  bought 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  4,  North  town- 
ship, Labette  county.  This  place  has  been  his 
home  ever  since,  and  he  has  made  many  warm 
friends  in  the  county.  He  has  been  a  faithful 
and  conscientious  worker,  and  his  neat  and  at- 
tractive home  shows  the  result  of  his  labor. 

Mr.  Hardman  married  Elizabeth  Eye,  in 
1 85 1.    She  was  born  in  1828,  and  was  a  daugh- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


677 


ter  of  Reuben  and  Sarah  (Rexford)  Eye.  She 
died  April  24,  1898.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hardman 
reared  the  following-  children  :  Rebecca ;  Sal- 
lie;  J.  M. ;  Lennox;  N.  W. ;  J.  H.,  deceased; 
Harriet ;  and  Mollie.  Mr.  Hardman  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics.  He  belongs  to  the  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association. 


DN.  ANDERSON.  This  gentleman  is 
the  well  known  undertaker  and  furni- 
ture dealer  of  Chetopa,  Labette  county, 
Kansas.  He  was  born  in  Mercer 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1848,  and  is  a  son  of 
William  Anderson. 

William  Anderson  was  born  near  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  raised  on  the  frontier. 
He  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  followed  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer  most  of  his  life,  and 
also  conducted  a  brick  manufacturing  plant. 
He  died  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1889.  Mr.  An- 
derson married  Hannah  Sowash,  who  was  of 
German  descent.  She  also  died  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  reared  nine  children,  who,  with 
the  exception  of  I.  N.  and  a  daughter,  live  in 
Pennsylvania. 

I.  N.  Anderson  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  county,  and  when 
young  was  apprenticed  to  a  painter  at  Sharon, 
Pennsylvania.  Later  he  established  a  shop  at 
that  place  where  he  did  all  kinds  of  painting, 
finishing  and  sign  writing.  He  located  in 
Chetopa  in  1880,  and  engaged  in  business. 
In  1885  he  entered  into  partnership  with  A.  P. 
Free,  his  brother-in-law.  They  bought  the 
stock  belonging  to  Mr.  Mclntyre,  and  con- 
ducted the  furniture  business  together  for  some 
time.  Then  Mr.  Anderson  bought  Mr.  Free's 
interest,  and  Mr.  Free  went  into  the  grocery 


business.  He  is  now  mayor  of  Chetopa.  In 
1895  Mr.  Anderson  erected  his  present  fine- 
building  on  Maple  street.  This  building  is 
24  by  70  feet  in  dimensions,  and  two  stories- 
high.  Mr.  Anderson  occupies  the  entire  build- 
ing. He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Kansas  Under- 
takers' Association,  and  is  thoroughly  com- 
petent to  handle  the  business  which  has  been 
his  since  entering  this  store.  He  carries  a 
full  line  of  furniture,  and  has  a  large  patronage, 
including  that  from  the  Cherokee  and  other 
Indian  nations.  He  employs  one  man  con- 
stantly to  assist  him,  and  during  his  busiest 
seasons  often  hires  more.  Mr.  Anderson  is 
honest  and  upright  in  his  business  methods, 
and  by  his  genial  and  pleasant  manners  has 
won  many  patrons  and  friends. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, to  Sarah  E.  Ray,  who  died  one  year 
later,  leaving  a  daughter, — Eva  (Horn).  Mrs. 
Horn  has  two  children.  She  was  reared  by 
her  grandmother,  and  in  1890  went  to  Chetopa, 
where  she  graduated  from  the  high  school, 
after  which  she  returned  to  Pennsylvania.  Mr.. 
Anderson's  second  wife's  maiden  name  was. 
Nancy  E.  Free.  This  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  one  child,  who  died  in  July,  1881. 

In  politics  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  strong  Re- 
publican, and  his  father  was  one  of  the  success- 
ful managers  of  the  "underground  railroad." 
Mr.  Anderson  raised  his  first  flag  for  John  C. 
Fremont.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  city 
council  for  two  years.  Fraternally,  he  has 
been  financier  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  lodge  since 
1887,  and  V.  C.  of  the  M.  W.  of  A.,  over 
four  years.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  K.  of 
P..  of  Chetopa.  Religiously,  he  favors  the 
United  Presbyterian  church.  Air.  Anderson 
has  erected  a  fine  house  in  Chetopa,  and  is 
looked  upon  by  all  as  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising and  loyal  of  its  citizens. 


-678 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


OHN  A.  McCAW.  an  old  settler  of 
Ricliland  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  living  in  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  29,  township  34.  range 
21,  was  born  October  10.  1856,  in  Laporte 
•county,  Lidiana.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Annie  (Smith)  McCaw. 

John  McCaw  waj,'  born  in  Ireland,  and  was 
reared  in  England.  His  father  was  a  very  suc- 
cessful physician,  who  died  in  South  America. 
Dr.  J.  C.  Ayer,  a  well  known  physician  of 
Lowell,  Massachusetts,  was  an  uncle  of  John 
McCaw.  The  father  of  the  subject  hereof  lo- 
cated in  Labette  county  in  the  spring  of  1868. 
He  was  accompanied  by  his  son,  Bruce,  and 
they  settled  on  Deer  Creek,  where  they  built  a 
house.  They  sold'  this  house  and  land  for 
$300  to  a  stranger,  who,  odd  to  relate,  was 
never  seen  after  paying  for  the  place,  and  the 
land  was  taken  up  by  another  party.  Mr.  Mc- 
Caw then  purchased  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  16,  township  34,  range  21, — the  120 
acres  lying  just  north  of  the  present  Labette 
Creek  bridge,  on  the  Chetopa-Oswego  wagon 
road,  and  40  acres'  of  railroad  land.  This  home 
place  is  owned  jointly  by  the  seven  sons,  of 
whom  John  A.  McCaw  is  one.  There  Mr. 
McCaw  remained  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1895,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years. 
He  married  Annie  Smith,  who  was  born  in 
Canada,  and  when  young  accompanied  her 
mother  to  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  where  she 
married  Mr.  McCaw.  She  died  in  Labette 
county,  aged  thirty-eight  years.  They  reared 
seven  sons,  namely :  John  A. ;  Bruce,  who  is 
in  partnership  with  his'  brother,  William,  the 
owner  of  a  stock  ranch  in  Colorado;  Wallace, 
a  farmer  in  Colorado;  Thomas,  who  is  on  the 
home  farm  in  Richland  township;  William; 
Edwin,  a  farmer  and  stock  dealer,  who  is  at 
present  in  the  Indian  Territory;  and  Walter, 


who   lives    in    Hackberry    township.   Labette 
county. 

John  A.  McCaw  lived  in  Indiana  until  he 
was  thirteen  years  old,  wdien  he  moved  to  La- 
bette county.  He  was  a  classmate  of  Miss  M. 
Nellie  McGinley,  who  is'  superintendent  of  the 
Chetopa  city  schools.  His  first  teacher  was  Jesse 
Morgan.  In  1877  Mr.  McCaw  left  home  and 
worked  about  for  some  time,  and  in  1880  went 
to  Colorado,  where  he  spent  three  years, — 
mainly  employed  in  running  a  pack  train.  In 
1883  he  returned  to  Labette  count}',  and  in 
the  summer  of  that  year  went  to  the  Indian 
Territory,  where  he  worked  in  a  sawmill  near 
Coody's  Bluff,  on  Big  Creek.  After  six  or 
eight  months'  employment  there  he  returned  to 
Labette  county,  where  he  purchased  in  Rich- 
land township  120  acres'  of  land  in  section  15, 
township  34,  range  21.  He  broke  and  im- 
proved this  land,  and  in  the  later  "  "eighties" 
sold  this  farm,  and  bought  his  present  one, 
which  is  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  29, 
township  34,  range  21,  which  was  first  claimed 
by  Mr.  Williams.  Mr.  McCaw  has  made  ex- 
tensive improvements'  on  the  land,  and  has  1 1 
acres  of  orchard.  He  follows  general  farming 
and  stock  raising,  breeding  a  hig'h  grade  of 
Shorthorn  cattle  and  Berkshire  hogs,  among 
which  he  has  several  thoroughbreds.  The 
water  supply  on  his  farm  is  fine,  the  wells 
being  shallow.  Mr.  McCaw  is  very  well 
pleased  with  the  success  which  has  attended 
his  farming  career  in  Labette  county. 

In  1882  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Harriet  L.  Gordon, 
who  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1864.  They  have 
seven  children,  as  follows :  Clyde;  Ethel ;  Car- 
roll; Lottie  and  Louis,  twins;  Elsie:  and 
Myrtle.  In  politics.  Mr.  McCaw  is  a  Populist. 
He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board 
in  District  No.  5.    He  is  a  member  of  the  new 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


681 


order — the  Home  Builder's  Union, — of  wliich 
J.  S.  Hileman,  of  Edna,  is  supreme  master 
builder.  In  religious  views  Mr.  McCaw  is 
liberal,  giving  his  support  to  all  churches. 


H.  GRAY,  a  picture  of  whose 
residence  is  shown  on  the  opposite 
page,  is  a  well-known  farmer  liv- 
ing in  Elm  Grove  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  on  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  14,  township  34,  range  19.  He 
was  born  at  Parkville,  New  Jersey,  in  1833, 
and  is  a  son  of  Jesse  and  Mary  (Fitch)  Gray. 
Jesse  Gray  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  in  1789, 
and  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  He  married 
Mary  Fitch,  who  was  also  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  and  they  reared  10  children,  all  of 
whom  are  deceased  except  M.  H.,  the  subject 
■of  this  sketch. 

When  Mr.  Gray  was  but  four  years  old, 
liis  parents  removed  to  Butler  county,  Ohio, 
and  there  Mr.  Gray  received  his  mental  train- 
ing. He  learned  to  till  the  soil,  and  followed 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer  in  that  county 
until  1868.  In  that  year,  he  removed  to 
Johnson  county,  Missouri,  where  he  farmed 
for  eight  years.  He  then  returned  to  Ohio, 
and  after  remaining  there  four  years  came 
to  Kansas.  He  arrived  in  Labette  county 
February  22,  1879,  and  located  on  his  pres- 
ent farm  in  Elm  Grove  township.  He  has 
been  a  very  successful  farmer,  and  has  also 
raised  considerable  stock.  Mr.  Gray  is  a  man 
of  sound  business  judgment,  and  is  a  careful 
manager. 

Mr.  Gray  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Christiana  Hinckley,  who  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin county,  Indiana,  in  1842.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  J.  Hinckley,  who  practiced  medi- 


cine for  fifty  years,  and  died  when  seventv- 
five  years  old.  Dr.  Hinckley  married  Elvira 
Hazleton,  who  was  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  ten  children. 
Those  now  living  are  as  follows:  Emily  O.; 
Mary  C. ;  Adeline;  Armanilla;  Herschel,  D. ; 
and  Christiana. 

Mr.  Gray  and  his  wife  have  had  seven 
children,  namely:  Lillie,  deceased;  Jesse  H. ; 
Gertrude,  deceased;  Herschel  H.;  Gordon  D. ; 
Oscar  M. ;  and  Edith.  Air.  Gray  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  party.  He  has  served 
on  the  school  board  in  his  district  for  three 
years.  In  religious  attachment,  both  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Mr.  Gray  is  one  of  the  most  actively 
interested  workers  in  Elm  Grove  township, 
and  has  many  friends. 


RS.  MARGARET  R.  HARRIS,  a 
highly  esteemed  resident  of  North 
township.  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
has  lived  in  her  present  home, — 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  8, — for  the 
past  thirty  years.  She  is  widely  known  in  the 
county,  where  for  many  _\-ears  her  husband  was 
one  oi  the  leading  farmers  and  dairymen.  Mrs. 
Harris  was  born  in  Mom-ce  county,  Virginia, 
in  1850,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Dolly 
Ann  (Schafter)  Denney.  Soon  after  the  birth 
of  Margaret  R.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
George  Denney  died,  and  his  wife  then  moved 
to  Cole  county,  Missouri,  where  Mrs.  Harris 
was  reared.  Her  mother  died  when  she  was 
three  years  old,  leaving  her  an  orphan.  She 
lived  with  her  grandfather  for  a  short  time, 
and  then  with  her  aunt,  until  1864. 

In  1869  the  subject  hereof  was  married  to 
J.    H.   Harris.      He   was  born   in   Rockbridge 


682 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


county,  Virginia,  and  died  in  October,  1900. 
He  was  an  honest,  upright  citizen,  worthy  of 
the  coniidence  reposed  in  him,  and  his  friends 
in  Labette  county,  where  he  Hved  for  a  number 
of  years,  were  legion.  Mrs.  Harris  has  1 1  chil- 
dren, namely :  Charles,  who  now  manages  the 
farm;  Mary  V.:  :\Iinnie  M. ;  Effie  M. ;  Leona; 
Willie  and  AlHe.  twins ;  Susie  J. ;  Lottie ;  Ellen ; 
and  Inez. 

Charles  Harris,  the  eldest  son,  is  now 
thirty  years  old.  He  owns  the  concern  known 
as  the  Virginia  Dairy,  which  was  conducted  by 
his'  father  for  twenty  years.  Charles  Harris 
is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  also  of 
the  Anti-Horsethief  Association. 


R.  HENRY  LISLE,  a  retired  physician 
and  old  resident  of  Labette  county, 
was  born  in  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  in 
1820.     He  is  a  son  of    James  and 
Peninah  (Doudna)  Lisle. 

James  Lisle  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  died  in 
1824,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-five  years. 
He  married  Peninah  Doudna,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  North  Carolina,  and  who  died  in  1863, 
aged  seventy  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
six  children,  namely :  George ;  John ;  Joseph ; 
Henry;  Mary;  and  James.  George,  who  is 
familiarly  known  as  "Old  Dr.  Lisle,"  of  Che- 
topa,  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest 
resident  of  the  county.  He  has  a  wonderful 
memory,  and  can  recall  many  of  the  incidents 
which  occurred  in  Labette  county  during  the 
"sixties."  John,  aged  eighty-four  years,  is  a 
farmer,  and  lives  in  Iowa.  Joseph,  who  was  a 
farmer  in  Iowa,  died  in  1890.  Mary  (Han- 
son) died  in  Ohio,  in  1866.  James,  a  miller, 
by  trade,  died  in  Monroe  county,  Ohio,  when 
he  was  a  young  man. 


Dr.  Henry  Lisle  remained  at  home  until 
he  reached  his  majority,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  years  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine with  his  brother,  George.  He  spent  four 
years  witli  him,  and  practiced  during  the 
fourth  year.  He  began  practice  alone  in  Pow- 
hatan county,  Virginia,  where  he  spent  the 
greater  part  of  seven  years.  He  practiced  eight 
years  at  Hunter,  Ohio,  near  his  old  home,  and 
four  years  at  Murraysville,  West  Virginia.  Af- 
ter spending  three  years  at  Queensville,  Indi- 
ana, he  removed  to  Labette  county,  and  opened 
an  ofifice  at  Chetopa.  He  lived  there  two  years 
and  in  1871  moved  on  his  farm  in  Richland 
township,  which  is  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  5,  township  35,  range  21.  This  farm 
was  in  the  Cherokee  strip,  the  Osage  line  be- 
ing the  northern  boundary.  Dr.  Lisle  has 
made  many  improvements  on  his  farm,  and  has 
a  fine  house.  He  has  an  orchard  of  five  acres, 
and  now  owns  120  acres  of  land,  although  he 
formerly  owned  more.  He  has  leased  the  land 
during  the  past  few  years, — being  unable  to 
work  much, — but  it  is  still  under  his  manage- 
ment. Dr.  Lisle  keeps  some  stock, — favoring 
Shorthorn  cattle. 

Dr.  Lisle  married  Sarah  A.  Conley,  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  in  1849.  She  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  was  reared  in  that  state  and  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  she  spent  several  years.  This^ 
union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  seven  children, 
namely :  David,  who  went  to  Florida  in  the 
fall  of  1900,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  culti- 
vation of  pineapples ;  Mary,  who  is  unmarried,, 
and  resides  at  home;  Alice,  the  wife  of  E.  M. 
Mairs,  who  lives  near  Chetopa,  and  has  three- 
children;  James,  a  wealthy  mine  owner  in  the 
West;  Lena  (Williams),  who  lives  five  miles 
south  of  her  father's  place  in  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, and  has  two  sons;  Detta,  who  is  at 
home;  and  Jessie  A.  (Greenough),  whose  hus- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


68j 


band  is  a  mining  engineer  at  Cripple  Creek, 
Colorado,  and  who  has  two  daughters. 

Dr.  Lisle  was  originally  a  Whig,  in  poli- 
tics, and  is  now  a  Republican.  He  has  held 
the  offices  of  treasurer  and  trustee  of  his  town- 
ship. He  was  raised  a  Quaker,  but  is  now 
liberal  in  his  religious  views.  He  was  made 
a  Alason  in  Ohio,  fifty-seven  years  ago,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  blue  lodge  at  Chetopa.  Dr. 
Lisle  is  a  very  intelligent  man,  and  is  con- 
sidered, one  of  the  best  physicians  in  the  town- 
ship. 


^^HARLES  M.  CONDON  is  widely 
S  ^^  known  as  one  of  the  foremost  busi- 
^^^^  ness  men  of  Labette  county,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  public  spirited  citi- 
zens of  Oswego,  Kansas.  He  came  to  Oswego 
in  1868,  has  been  closely  identified  with  its 
growth,  and  has  established  and  supported 
many  of  its  most  worthy  public  improvements. 
He  conducts  a  private  bank  there,  a  mercantile 
concern,  the  city  water  works  and  the  electric 
light  plant,  besides  several  other  enterprises  in 
dififerent  parts  of  Kansas,  but  gives  his  personal 
attention  mainly  to  his  banking  interests  in 
Oswego. 

Mr.  Condon  was  born. in  Schenectady  coun- 
ty, New  York,  in  1843,  ^"d  is  the  son  of  James 
and  Mary  (McCarthy)  Condon.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Ireland.  He  came  to  this 
country  after  his  marriage,  and  settled  in 
Schenectady  county.  New  York,  about  1840. 
He  followed  farming  there  until  1852,  when 
he  removed  to  DeKalb  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  continued  farming  until  1858.  In  that  year 
he  moved  to  Madison  county,  Iowa,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death,  in  1898,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-two  years.  In  Ireland,  he  married 
Mary  McCarthy,  who  died  at  an  early  age, 


leaving  four  children:  Thomas,  deceased; 
Charles'  M.;  James,  deceased;  and  Mary 
(Couch),  of  Stewart,  Iowa. 

Charles  M.  Condon  attended  the  public 
schools  of  DeKalb  county.  Illinois,  and  started 
out  in  the  world  on  his  own  account,  at  the 
early  age  of  fourteen  years.  In  1859,  he  went 
to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  where  he  held  a  clerical 
position  until  1862.  He  then  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany I,  1 8th  Reg.,  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
with  credit  until  the  close  of  the  war;  he  was 
discharged  in  August,  1865.  Upon  returning 
home  from  the  war,  he  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Warren  county,  Iowa,  until  1868,  the 
year  of  his  removal  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas. He  located  in  Oswego,  and  was  there  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  until 
1880,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  bank- 
ing. He  became  associated  with  B.  F.  Hobart 
in  the  Hobart  Bank,  the  name  of  which  was 
changed  to  the  Hobart  &  Condon  Bank.  In 
1884,  Mr.  Condon  became  sole  owner,  and  it 
has  since  been  known  as  the  private  bank  of 
C.  AI.  Condon.  He  is  a  shrewd,  sagacious  busi- 
ness man,  and  his  bank  has  always  been  a  pay- 
ing venture, — being  on  a  firm  financial  basis. 
He  has  confined  his  personal  attention  to  this 
business,  although  he  is  e.xtensively  interested 
in  different  enterprises,  both  in  Oswego  and 
other  Kansas  towns.  In  1896,  he  established  a 
general  store  in  Oswego,  in  addition  to  which 
he  owns  other  mercantile  establishments,  and 
two  banks,  elsewhere.  He  also  owns  the  city 
water  works  and  electric  light  plant,  both  of 
which  are  operated  in  accordance  with  modern 
ideas,  and  give  to  the  city  the  best  possible  serv- 
ice. He  came  to  this  county  without  means,  and 
the  success  of  the  many  branches  of  business- 
with  which  he  has  been  identified  reflects  great 
credit  on  his  ability. 

Mr.  Condon  was  married  in  1867,  to  Mary 


■684 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


E.  Beckel,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children :  Geneva.  Estella,  Wilbur  F., 
Wayne,  Corinne,  and  Clifford.  Geneva  is 
Mrs.  Ramsey,  of  Carthage,  Missouri.  Estella 
is  Mrs.  Maxwell,  of  Pittsburg,  Kansas.  Wil- 
bur F.,  a  graduate  of  the  public  schools  of 
Oswego,  and  of  Princeton  University,  is  cash- 
ier of  his  father's  bank.  He  married  Wilmatte 
Baty.  Wayne,  who  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Oswego,  and  in  a  preparatory  school 
at  Lawrenceville,  New  Jersey,  is  engaged  in 
mercantile  business;  he  married  Miss  Harvey. 
Clifford  is  attending  the  Oswego  schools. 


E.  STAIGE.  This  gentleman  is 
the  popular  editor  of  the  Edna 
Sun,  and  is  one  of  the  most  influ- 
ential citizens  of  that  city.  He 
was  born  on  Christmas  day,  in  1859,  near  Bur- 
lington, Iowa,  and  is  a  son  of  J.  E.  Staige. 

J.  E.  Staige  was  a  native  of  Pickaway 
county,  Ohio,  and  removed  to  Iowa,  in  1839, 
soon  after  the  trouble  with  the  Indians  had 
culminated  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  He  took 
up  a  homestead  in  Des  Moines  county,  where 
he  resided  until  1882,  when  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas. He  carried  on  farming  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  December  12,  1899.  His  wife 
was  born  '  at  Circleville,  Pickaway  county, 
Ohio,  and  died  January  3,  1894,  aged  sixty- 
nine  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Staige  were  mar- 
ried in  Louisa  county,  Iowa,  and  reared  seven 
■children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The 
names  of  the  five  living  are:  Sarah  E. 
(Creighton),  of  Oakville,  Iowa;  Mary  (Luck- 
■enbill),  of  Huron,  Iowa;  M.  R.,  of  Porlerville, 
California;  W.  E.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
and  Joe,  of  Kinnison,  Indian  Territory. 

W.  E.  Staige,  whose  name  appears  at  the 


opening  of  this  personal  sketch,  received  his 
primary  education  in  Iowa,  and  in  1885  and 
1886  attended  a  business  college  at  Sedalia, 
Missouri.  His  first  active  business  for  himself 
was  in  the  newspaper  line.  November  22, 
1894,  he  established  the  Edna  Sun,  there  be- 
ing no  other  paper  in  Edna.  His  first  office 
was  north  of  his  present  location,  over  J.  C. 
Arnold's  grocery  store  in  the  brick  block. 
Each  year  has  brought  an  increase  in  business, 
and  the  Sun  now  has  a  circulation  of  700,  ex- 
tending into  the  Indian  Territory.  This  is 
exclusive  of  the  foreign  list,  exchanges,  etc. 
Mr.  Staige  has  a  plant  worth  $1,200,  runs  two 
presses,  and  employs  competent  help.  He  is 
a  well  informed  man.  and  keeps  posted  on  all 
current  topics. 

Mr.  Staige  was  married  in  Labette  county 
to  Jennie  Rhodes,  November  26,  1889.  She 
died  February  8,  1892.  He  formed  a  second 
union,  January  6,  1896,  Mrs.  Warren  Fuller- 
ton  being  the  bride.  They  reside  in  a  fine 
home  in  Edna,  which  is  worth  $1,500.  Mr. 
Staige  is  a  strong  Republican,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent serving  as  city  clerk.  He  does  not  be- 
long to  any  fraternities,  nor  is  he  a  member 
of  any  church.  Mr.  Staige  has  been  engaged 
in  the  real  estate  and  insurance  business  with 
W.  H.  Pottorff,  for  the  past  six  years,  under 
the  firm  name  of  W.  H.  Pottorff  &  Company. 
No  public  enterprise  is  complete  without  Mr. 
Staige's  assistance,  which  he  gives  readily,  and 
he  is  one  of  Edna's  most  public  spirited,  active 
citizens.  Mr.  Staige  is  an  ardent  temperance 
worker  and  has  devoted  much  of  his  time  and 
money  to  assist  in  freeing  his  town  from  the 
blighting  curse  of  the  rum  power.  His  paper, 
the  Sun,  has  been  given  up  largely  in  the  past 
three  years  to  fighting  the  "joint"  evil  and 
while  he  has  made  enemies  his  friends  have  in- 
creased in  number,  and  he  enjoys  the  confi- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


685. 


dence  and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact.  He  attributes  his  success  and  tinaiicial 
standing  at  the  present  time  to  the  position 
taken  by  him  in  favor  of  the  enforcement  of 
the  prohibitory  laws,  and  to  his  close  adherence 
to  strict  business  principles. 
"There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 
\Miich,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune." 


DOHN  FRANCIS  HOLTEN,  a  dealer 
in  harness,  at  Edna,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  has  been  identified  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  that  city 
for  a  number  of  years.    He  was  born  in  Ripley 
county,  Indiana,  in  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  W. 
H.  and  Eliza  J.   (Hayden)   Holten. 

W.  H.  Holten  was  a  native  of  Indiana, 
where  he  lived  until  1881,  when  he  removed 
to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years,  in  1893.  His  wife,  who 
now  lives  at  Edna,  aged  sixty  years,  is  also  a 
native  of  Indiana.  They  reared  the  following 
children, — John  Francis ;  Emmet  P.,  deceased ; 
Margaret,  who  lives  at  Colorado  Springs, 
Colorado;  Anna  (Hoole)  and  Mattie,  of  Colo- 
rado Springs;  and  Bertha,  who  is  a  clerk  in 
the  Condon  mercantile  store  at  Edna.  By  a 
previous  marriage  with  Miss  B.  Waggoner, 
W.  H.  Holten  reared  the  following  children : 
W.  A.,  of  Ripley  county,  Indiana;  Vedantus, 
of  Edna,  Kansas;  Calvin,  deceased;  H.  L.,  of 
Elm  Grove  township;  and  Sarah  J.  (Brown). 
John  Francis  Holten  attended  the  schools 
at  Edna,  and  later  the  county  normal  school, 
and  studied  one  term  at  Parsons.  Afterward, 
he  taught  in  Labette  county  for  four  years. 
In  1 89 1,  he  engaged  in  his  present  business, — 
carrying  a  general  stock  of  harness,  vehicles 
and  saddlery.     The  building  he  first  occupied 


was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  1892,  and  a  stock 
company  was  formed  to  erect  the  present 
building.  Mr.  Holten  now  owns  the  entire 
stock.  He  employs  two  men  to  assist  him,  and 
has  a  large  patronage.  Mr.  Holten  is  a  me- 
chanic by  trade.  He  does  a  first  class  business, 
and  carries  a  fine  line  of  goods.  He  deals  hon- 
estly and  openly  with  all,  and  has  many  friends 
in  the  county. 

Mr.  Holten  married  Jessie  Keeler,  who 
was  born  in  Elm  Grove  township,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Capt.  C.  M.  Keeler,  an  old  settler 
of  Labette  county.  She  has  two  sisters  here, 
— Mrs.  Ida  Martin,  who  is  ex-county  superin- 
tendent of  schools,  and  Flora  (Stone),  who 
lives  on  a  farm  in  Howard  township.  Two 
brothers  reside  at  Gravett,  Arkansas,  and  are 
engaged  in  the  fruit  business.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Holten  have  one  daughter, — Florence  Esther, 
— aged  five  years. 

Mr.  Holten  has  a  new  home  on  Labette 
street.  In  politics,  he  is  a  firm  Republican, 
has  served  in  the  city  council,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent serving  as  city  treasurer.  He  is  district 
deputy  grand  master  of  Edna  Lodge,  No.  36S, 
I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  also  banker  of  the  Edna 
Camp,  M.  W.  of  A.,  and  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  both  auxiliaries.  Both  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church. 


HOSEPH  CRAFT,  who  has  ably  filled 
the  office  of  postmaster  of  Chetopa, 
Kansas,  since  1898,  was  born  in  Will- 
iamsport,  Pennsylvania,  in  1848,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary   (Armstrong) 
Craft. 

William  Craft  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  removed  to  Chetopa,  Kansas,  in 
1867.      He  built  the   Chetopa   House,   which 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


hotel  he  condticted  for  a  period  of  six  or  eight 
years.  Mr.  Craft  was  a  farmer  by  occupation ; 
he  died  in  1880,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 
His  wife  died  in  1890,  aged  seventy-four  years. 
They  reared  eight  children:  Edward,  who 
died  in  the  army;  Anna  Belle  (James),  who 
lives  in  Chetopa;  Catherine  (Grant),  a  widow 
who  lives  on  a  farm  near  Chetopa;  Mary  Ellen 
(Barker),  who  lives  near  Altamont;  Sarah 
(Curry),  who  died  in  Indiana;  Joseph;  Jennie 
(Watson),  who  died  in  California;  and  Will- 
iam, a  farmer  and  stock  man,  residing  in  the 
"strip." 

Joseph  Craft  attended  the  common  schools 
of  his  native  state,  and  assisted  his  father  on 
the  farm  for  a  number  of  years.  October  20, 
1867,  be  moved  to  Chetopa,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  has  since  lived.  In  1875, 
Mr.  Craft  engaged  in  the  grocery  business, 
in  which  he  continued  until  his  first  appoint- 
ment to  the  office  of  postmaster.  This  term 
began  in  1889  and  ended  in  1894.  He  then 
worked  as  clerk  for  Mrs.  Flannelly,  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  was  engaged  in  the  shoe 
business  until  his  second  appointment  as  post- 
master, which  occurred  May  5,  1898.  This 
position  he  fills  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
all,  and  the  prospects  are  that  he  will  hold 
this  office  for  some  time  to  come.  Mr.  Craft 
is  a  public  spirited  man,  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  all  public  enterprises.  He  is  a  man 
of  sound  judgment  and  good  principles,  and 
has  been  very  successful. 

Mr.  Craft  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lucy  Rathborne,  who  was  born  at  Salem  Cen- 
ter, Meigs  county,  Ohio,  where  she  was  reared 
and  schooled.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Craft  have  seven 
children,  namely:  Mabel;  Maude,  who  is  the 
wife  of  E.  S.  Nance,  assistant  postmaster  of 
Chetopa;  Harry;  Alia;  Emma;  Nellie;  and 
Helen.  Mr.  Craft  has  built  a  very  pleasant  home 


in  Chetopa.  He  has  always  been  a  Republican 
in  politics,  has  served  two  terms  as  councilman, 
and  also  on  the  board  of  education.  Frater- 
nally, he  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W., 
M.  W.  of  A.,  and  K.  of  P.  lodges.  His  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  Pyramids,  and  Woman's 
Relief  Corps.  Religiously,  Mr.  Craft  favors 
the  Baptist  church. 


S.  ANDERSON,  a  prominent  and 
progressive  real  estate  dealer  of  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  ranks  among  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Labette  county,  and 
claims  the  distinction  of  having  been  the  first 
settler  in  School  District  No.  79,  in  Osage 
township.  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  son  of  G.  W. 
and  Lavina  (Clark)   Anderson. 

G.  W.  Anderson  was  born  in  Virginia  and 
died  in  Illinois.  His  wife  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  died  in  Kansas  in  1871.  Of  his  ancestors, 
Mr.  Anderson  knows  little,  except  that  they 
were  extensive  stock  raisers  and  traders  in  the 
East.  One  brother,  James  T.,  was  killed  dur- 
ing the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  also  had  two 
sisters,  Matilda  and  Cynthia,  both  of  whom  are 
deceased.  His  only  living  relati\es  with 
whom  he  has  any  personal  acquaintance,  are 
two  nieces,  one  of  whom  resides  in  Oklahoma, 
and  the  other  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  born  in  Schuyler  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  October  15,  1839.  He  obtained 
but  a  meager  education  in  the  district  schools, 
after  which  he  was  engaged  in  farming  pur- 
suits until  the  Civil  War  broke  out.  Respond- 
ing to  his  country's  call  for  men,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  E,  14th  Reg.,  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  from  1862  until  the  successful  termina- 
tion of  that  bitter  conflict.  He  took  part  in 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg,   and  participated   in 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


687 


Sherman's  famous  march  to  the  sea.  Although 
comrades  fell  thick  about  him  and  his  brother 
was  killed  at  his  side,  Mr.  Anderson  was  not 
even  wounded,  and  was  mustered  out  of  serv- 
ice at  Beaufort,  North  Carolina,  at  the  close  of 
the  war. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Anderson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Elizabeth  Purvines,  who  was  born 
in  Illinois,  in  1847,  and  who  died  in  the  fall 
of  1871,  in  her  native  state.  In  1868,  Mr.  An- 
derson came  west,  and  in  1869,  moved  to  La- 
bette county,  Kansas.  On  February  10,  1869, 
he  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
31,  township  31,  range  18,  in  Osage  town- 
ship, having  preempted  160  acres.  The  jour- 
ney westward  from  Menard  county,  Illinois, 
was  made  in  true  emigrant  style,  in  a  covered 
wagon,  with  his  companion  by  his  side.  After 
farming  for  twelve  years  in  Osage  township, 
he  removed  to  Parsons,  where  he  conducted  a 
grocery  store  for  several  years  and  finally  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business  in  1884. 
Since  then  he  has  devoted  his  entire  time  to 
buying  and  selling  real  estate.  The  first  three 
years,  J.  Willard  Walker  was  a  partner  in  the 
business.  Since  then  Mr.  Anderson  has  con- 
ducted it  alone,  assisted  only  by  his  daughter, 
Helen.  In  1889,  his  office  was  removed  to  its 
present  location,  over  No.  1902  Johnson  av- 
enue. His  home,  however,  is  at  1930  Appleton 
avenue,  where  he  built  a  fine,  large  residence. 

Some  time  after  removing  to  Labette 
county,  Mr.  Anderson  contracted  a  second  mat- 
rimonial alliance,  Julia  Glossop,  an  Ohioan  by 
birth,  but  an  Illinoisan,  by  adoption,  became 
his  wife.  Six  children  were  born  to  them, 
namely:  Cora  D.,  William  T.,  Gertrude,  Jes- 
sie E.,  Helen  M.,  and  Claude  R.  The  last 
named  two  still  brighten  the  home  fireside. 
Cora  D.  married  a  Mr.  Parsons,  a  railroad 
engineer  at  Parsons,  Kansas;  they  have  three 


children,— Carl,  Hazel,  and  Eugene.  William 
T.  has  been  a  pressman  in  Chicago  for  the  past 
five  years.  Gertrude  married  a  Mr.  Beever, 
of  Joplin  Missouri,  and  Jessie  E.  is  now  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Cosatt,  a  prominent  grocer  of 
Parsons. 

Mr.  Anderson  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  Abraham  Lincoln,  but  his  sympathies  are 
now  with  the  Populists.  He  is  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Order  of  Select  Friends,  and  of  the 
G.  A.  R.,  Post  No.  81,  both  of  Parsons.  Be- 
ing a  man  of  enterprise,  he  has  always  evinced 
a  fitting  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  adopted 
home,  and  has  held  various  positions  of  trust. 
He  is  largely  interested  in  educational  matters, 
and  has  served  on  the  school  board  for  several 
years.  He  enjoys  the  society  of  his  family, 
around  his  own  fireside,  and  unites  with  them 
in  worshipping  at  the  M.  E.  church,  of  which 
all  are  devout  members.  Altogether,  be  is  a 
good  and  progressive  citizen,  and  one  whom 
Parsons  could  ill  aflford  to  lose. 


0EORGE  P.  BUSH,  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  and  progressive  business 
men  of  Chetopa,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  the  proprietor  of  one 
of  the  most  completely  stocked  drug  stores 
in  the  county.  He  has  been  located  here 
since  1877,  and  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
throughout  this  section.  He  was  born 
April  8,  1853,  in  Belvidere,  Boone  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  is  a  son  of  Oliver  W.  and  Es- 
ther (Calender)  Bush. 

Oliver  W.  Bush  was  a  prominent  farmer 
and  stockman  of  Scotland  county,  Missouri, 
whither  he  moved  when  George  P.  was  quite 
young.  He  was  at  one  time  wealthy,  and  re- 
sided eight  miles  west  of  Memphis,  Missouri, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Ijut,  being  one  of  tlie  unly  three  Union  men 
in  that  locality,  was  a  heavy  financial  loser  on 
account  of  the  war.  He  was  at  one  time  al- 
most forced  to  leave  the  country  by  the  Se- 
cessionists. He  subsequently  moved  to  Kan- 
sas, and  died  at  Concordia.  His  wife  died  in 
Scotland  county,  Missouri.  They  had  three 
children;  Emma,  of  Pennsylvania;  George 
P. ;  and  William  E.,  who  resides  near  Minne- 
apolis, Minnesota. 

George  P.  Bush  was  reared  in  Missouri, 
and  first  worked  upon  his  father's  farm.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  a  jeweler,  and  after  mov- 
ing to  Oswego,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in 
1877,  followed  that  trade  for  several  years. 
He  then  embarked  in  the  drug  business  at 
Oswego,  where  he  conducted  a  store  until 
1886.  He  then  moved  to  Chetopa,  where  he 
has  since  engaged  in  the  same  business  with 
great  success.  He  carries  a  very  heavy  stock 
of  all  goods  in  the  drug  line, — its  value  being 
upwards  of  $10,000.  Some  years  ago,  he 
erected  a  fine  brick  building,  24  by  75  feet,  in 
dimensions,  with  a  warehouse  in  the  rear  24 
by  20  feet  in  size,'  and  now  has  a  handsomely 
ecjuipped  store.  }ie  owns  a  fine  residence 
property  in  the  city,  located  on  Maple  street, 
and  also  a  good  l)arn,  located  near  town,  and 
valued  at  $5,000.  He  had  very  little  means 
upon  coming  to  this  town,,  and  his  success  has 
been  attained  almost  wholly  in  Labette  county. 

Mr.  Bush  was  united  in  marriage,  at  Os- 
wego, to  Clara  Newlon,  a  native  of  Iowa,  and 
a  daitghter  of  Dr.  Newlon.  She  is  a  grad- 
uate of  Keokuk  Medical  College,  and  was 
engaged  extensively  in  practice,  at  Cheto- 
pa, until  the  past  year.  This  union  re- 
sulted in  one  child,  C.  W.  Bush,  now 
nineteen  years  of  age,  who  is  in  attendance 
at  the  Wentworth  Military  Academy  at  Lex- 
ington,  Missouri, — he  is  also  studying  phar- 


macy, and  gets  the  necessary  practical  experi- 
ence in  his  father's  drug  store.  In  politics, 
George  P.  Bush  has  always  been  a  Republican, 
and  has  served  two  years  in  the  city  council, 
and  six  or  seven  years  on  the  board  of  educa- 
tion, of  Chetopa.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member 
of  Chetopa  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Oswego 
Commandery;  Wichita  Consistory,  No.  2;  the 
L  O.  O.  F.,  of  Chetopa;  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  Chetopa;  and  the  B.  P.  O.  E.,  of 
Parsons.  Mrs.  Bush  is  a  member  of  the  East- 
ern Star  lodge.  She  belongs  to  the  Presby- 
terian church. 


ILLIAM  J.  LOUGH,  who  has  been 
one  of  the  foremost  business  men 
of  Altamont,  Kansas,  for  many- 
years,  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Lough  Brothers,  merchants  of  that  city.  He 
formerly  conducted  the  xAltamont  Roller  Mills, 
which  were  burned  to  the  ground.  Mr. 
Lough  was  born  in  Ottawa,  Canada,  m  1856, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  A.  Lough,  and  a  grand- 
son of  William  J.  Lough. 

His  grandfather  was  born  in  L'eland  in 
1805,  and  moved  to  Ottawa,  Canada,  in  181 6, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1896.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Taylor,  a  native  of  Aber- 
deen, Scotland,  who  was  born  in  1806,  and  died 
in  1899.  His  son,  John  A.,  was  a  machinist 
ami  millwright  by  trade,  and  was  engaged  in 
milling  nearly  his  entire  life.  He  was  born  in 
Ottawa.  Canada,  in  1835,  and  moved  with  his 
family  to  Chetopa,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in 
1869.  He  built  the  Anchor  Mills  of  that  place, 
in  the  winter  of  1869  and  1870,  and  served  as 
superintendent  of  the  same  from  that  time  un- 
til his  death,  February  6.  1894.  His  widow, 
Susan    (Craig),  who  was  born  in   1836,  stilt 


^'/i^^f"^ 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


691 


resides  in  Chetopa.  They  were  parents  of 
eight  children:  WiUiam  J.;  Alartha  E.  (Al- 
len), of  Baldwin,  Kansas;  Robert  A.,  super- 
intendent of  the  Anchor  Mills,  at  Chetopa; 
Thomas  H.,  who  was  l)orn  in  18C12,  and  is  in 
partnership  with  William  J.  Lough;  Emma  J. 
(Kinzer),  of  Baldwin,  Kansas;  Samuel  A., 
professor  of  Greek  and  Latin  in  Baker  Uni- 
versity, at  Baldwin,  Kansas,  and  also  treasurer 
of  the  board  of  trustees;  Hariet  (Milner),  of 
Chetopa,  Kansas;  and  Nellie  E.  (Allen),  of 
Parsons,  Kansas. 

William  J.  Lough  was  reared  to  the  milling 
business,  and  for  eleven  years  was  night  su- 
perintendent of  the  Anchor  Mills,  at  Chetopa. 
In  1885,  he  bought  and  remodeled  the  Alta- 
mont  Roller  Mills,  and  engaged  in  the  business 
for  himself,  under  the  firm  name  of  \V.  J. 
Lough  &  Company.  He  continued  thus  until 
his  mill  was  destro_\-e(I  by  fire,  on  June  3,  1900, 
through  which  calamity  he  sustained  a  loss  of 
$12,000.  His  brother,  Thomas  H.,  was  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  with  his 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  Allen,  in  Altamont,  and 
soon  after  the  destruction  of  the  mill,  William 
J.  Lough  purchased  Mr.  .Mien's  interest  in  the 
firm.  It  is  now  conducted  under  the  firm  name 
of  Lough  Brothers,  and  in  addition  to  their 
large  regular  business,  they  buy  and  sell  grain 
extensively.  Both  are  bright,  shrewd  men,  and 
have  made  a  success  of  the  venture. 

Thomas  H.  Lough  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Rose  Catlin,  and  they  have  a  daughter. 
Ella.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  AL  ; 
and  the  .-\ncient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 
He  is  a  Republican,  in  pijlitics,  and  has  been 
city  treasurer,  councilman  and  mayor. 

William  J.  Lough,  the  subject  hereof,  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Alice  M.  Kinzer,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  the  following  childreti : 
Louise  M.,  John  E.,  Hazel,. William  H.,  and 

38 


Margaret.  Mr.  Lough  is  a  Mason  and  has 
risen  to  the  rank  of  Knight  Templar;  he  has 
been  eminent  commander  of  the  commandery 
and  has  passed  through  all  the  chairs.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
^\'orkmen.  He  is  a  prominent  Republican,  in 
politics,  was  a  member  of  the  city  council,  and 
is  now  mayor.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Republican  county  central  committee  since 
1899,  ^^^^  served  as  its  chairman  in  1900.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  in  1895, 
and  1896. 


0ENJAMIN  F.  BRIGGS.  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Parsons,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  whose  portrait  is  presented 
on  the  opposite  page,  is  engaged  in 
the  real-estate,  loan  and  insurance  business, 
and  is  meeting  with  uncjualified  success.  He 
was  born  at  Lockport,  \Vill,  county,  Illinois, 
December  29,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin 
Briggs,  who  traced  his  lineage  back  to  the 
"Mayflower." 

Benjamin  Briggs  was  a  native  of  A'ermont 
and  .was  a  cousin  of  ex-Governor  Briggs,  of 
Massachusetts.  He  was  a  son  of  Benjamin 
Briggs,  Sr.,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
was  one  of  a  family  of  five  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Charles,  Alanson,  Erastus,  Cynthia 
and  Benjamin.  The  father  of  our  subject 
moved  from. Vermont  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  in 
1837,  and  there  followed  his  trade,  that  of 
wagon-maker,  until  1848,  building  the  first 
wagon  made  in  that  city.  He  muved  from 
there  to  Orland,  Cook  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  was  located  until  1852,  when  he  bought  a 
farm  in  Homer  township,  four  miles  east  of 
Lockport.  He  accumulated  a  large  estate, 
which  was  divided  among  his  family  and  his 
widow  after  his  demise.     He  died  of  small- 


692 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


pox  at  his  home  in  1863.  His  first  marriage 
occurred  at  Chicago,  where  his  wife  died  in 
1842,  leaving  two  children. — William  and 
Cynthia.  William  served  in  the  looth  Reg., 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  during  the  Civil  war,  and  is  now 
a  farmer  of  Orland,  Cook  county,  Illinois. 
He  married  Belle  McGregor,  and  has  three 
children :  Alexander  F.,  Ella  and  Ernest,  one 
other,  Benjamin,  Jr.,  dying  in  infancy.  Cyn- 
thia became  the  wife  of  John  Panter,  and 
both  are  now  deceased;  they  had  nine  chil- 
dren, most  of  whom  reside  in  California. 
Benjamin  Briggs  formed  a  second  marital 
union  in  1844,  with  Fidelia  S.  Fry,  a  native 
of  Andover,  :Massachusetts,  who  is  now  liv- 
ing at  Idenbro,  Kansas,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  Her  father  moved  to  New  Hamp- 
shire and  purchased  the  site  of  what  is  now 
the  town  (jf  Concord.  Five  children  blessed 
this  union,  namely:  Frank,  Mary  (Griswold), 
Augustine,  Benjamin  F.  and  Eugene.  Frank, 
a  successful  farmer  of  Kansas,  married  Lillie 
Lefever,  and  has  three  children,  Frank,  Mary 
and  Lyda.  jNIary  marxied  Guy  Griswold,  Avlp 
was  born  in  Lockport,  Illinois,  and  became  a 
wealthy  grain  buyer  of  Henry,  Illinois, — he 
died  in  1895,  and  his  widow  resides  in  Engle- 
wood,  Chicago,  and  has  four  children :  Grace, 
proprietor  of  a  ladies'  furnishing  store  at  Par- 
sons, Kansas;  Emerette,  wife  of  Mr.  Gousche. 
a  grain  dealer  of  Bellflower,  Illinois,  and  by 
whom  she  has  a  son,  Arthur;  Ora,  whose 
husband  is  manager  of  a  large  packing  in- 
dustrv  in  Boston,  Massachusetts;  and  Percy, 
a  grain  dealer  of  Idenbro,  Kansas.  Augustine 
came  to  Kansas  with  our  subject,  and  is  a 
wealthy  land  owner  of  Labette  county,  resid- 
ing at  Idenbni  with  his  mother.  Eugene  died 
in  infancy. 

Benjamin  F.  Briggs  recei\'ed  his  primary 


education  in  the  public  schools,  and  then  took 
an  academic  course  in  Lockport,  Illinois,  to 
which  town  he  removed  with  his  mother  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He  undertook  to 
learn  the  art  of  photography  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years,  but  after  reading  some  of  Pow- 
ell's "Explorations  of  the  \\'est,"  he  decided 
to  go  West.  He  left  home  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enteen years  in  company  with  Rev.  John  Al- 
den,  in  July,  1871,  the  latter  having  accepted 
a  call  to  preach  at  Santa  Rosa,  California. 
They  visited  the  cities  and  points  of  interest 
en  route  to  San  Francisco.  From  there  Mr. 
Briggs  went  to  Portland,  Oregon,  and  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Oregon  &  California  Rail- 
way Company,  being  in  the  train  service  for 
a  short  time.  He  was  then  clerk  at  the  Inter- 
national Hotel  until  November  i,  1872.  when 
he  returned  to  his  home  at  Lockj^ort,  Illinois, 
by  the  way  of  San  Francisco,  arriving  home 
in  December,  1872.  In  February,  1873,  he 
went  to  Denver  with  his  brother,  Frank,  and 
engaged  in  the  grain  and  commission  busi- 
ness until  October  of  that  year.  They  then 
closed  out,  Frank  going  to  Solomon,  Kansas, 
and  our  subject  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  v.'here  he 
attended  the  University  of  Chicago  for  three 
months.  He  began  firing  an  engine  on  the 
C.  R.  I.  &  P.  R.  R.  between  Chicago  and 
Davenport,  Iowa,  and  fired  the  famous  Silver 
Engine  of  America  engine  for  Engineer 
Thomas  Shehan.  He  was  in  the  railroad 
employ  for  three  years  and  was  ofl;ered  a  po- 
sition as  engineer,  but  left  at  the  time  of  a 
strike,  removing  to  Kansas.  He  located  in 
Labette  county  in  1876,  purchasing  a  farm 
near  Parsons,  and  successfully  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock  raising  until  1896.  He 
then  sold  out  and  moved  to  the  city  of  Par- 
sons, where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


693 


real-estate  business.  He  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  ilr.  Carringer,  who  after  a  time  de- 
parted from  the  city.  He  subsequently  became 
a  partner  of  W.  T.  Terril,  but  this  partner- 
ship was  dissolved  in  July,  1900,  since  which 
time  Mr.  Briggs  has  continued  alone.  He 
has  a  very  large  business  in  loans,  real  estate 
and  insurance,  and  enjoys  the  confidence  of 
the  people  to  a  marked  degree.  He  has  done 
all  possible  to  further  his  business  interests 
and  has  prepared  himself  for  the  legal  pro- 
fession, and  expects  to  be  admitted  to  the  bar 
soon. 

Mr.  Briggs  was  united  in  marriage  in  T^a- 
bette  county,  Kansas,  February  20,  1879, 
with  Alice  Burkette,  who  was  born  in  Indi- 
ana in  July,  1859,  and  is  a  daughter  of  S.  M. 
and  Elizabeth  Burkette.  She  came  to  this 
county  W'ith  her  parents  in  1879,  they  locating 
on  a  farm  south  of  Parsons.  She  was  one  of 
five  girls,  as  follows:  Alice  Edith,  wife  of 
J.  C.  Bertsch,  a  retired  farmer,  by  whom  she 
has  one  daughter,  Bertha;  Nevada;  Emma 
(Giltner),  who  resides  near  Parsons,  and  has 
five  chddren, — Oscar,  Frank,  Marvin,  Clem- 
ent and  Ora  and  Dora,  wife  of  Richard  Bald- 
ridge,  who  conducts  a  meat  market  at  Par- 
sons,— they  have  one  daughter,  Jessie.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Briggs  have  five  children,  namely: 
Arthur,  aged  twenty  years,  attended  Lawrence 
University  one  year,  and  is  now  teaching 
school;  Clifford  A.,  aged  eighteen  years,  who 
assists  in  his  father's  office;  Rena.  aged  seven- 
teen years;  Joseph  E.,  fourteen  years  old; 
and  Alice  Gertrude,  two  years  old.  In  poli- 
tics, he  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  man  of 
domestic  inclinations,  preferring  home  and 
family  to  evenings  spent  at  lodge.  Although 
his  father  was  a  Baptist  deacon,  he  and  his 
family  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
at  Parsons. 


-  „,HARLES  W.  MAIER,  probably  one 
^^  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  and  third  vice-grand 
master  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Lo- 
comotive Firemen,  has  held  that  important 
position  since  December  23,  1894,  having  been 
successively  re-elected  to  that  office  ex-ery  two 
years. 

He  was  born  at  Lincoln,  Logan  county, 
Illinois,  in  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Adam  and 
Johanna  (Crean)  Maier,  both  residents  of 
Kansas  City,  Missouri.  Adam  Maier  was 
born  in  1838.  was  reared  in  Germany,  and 
came  to  America  when  a  young  man.  He 
was  a  farmer  during  the  active  period  of  his 
life. 

In  November,  1866,  the  family  removed  to 
Kansas,  and  located  in  Aljen  county,  where 
Charles  W.  Maier  went  to  school  as  soon  as 
he  was  old  enough,  but  continued  only  a  few 
years.  His  first  work  here  was  on  a  farm, 
and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  commenced 
the  butcher's  business,  taking  another  man's 
place  in  a  shop  at  lola,  Kansas.  There  he 
worked  until  1875,  when  he  quit  his  trade  and 
farmed  till  1882.  He  came  to  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, about  April  i,  1882,  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way Company.  He  worked  in  the  car  de- 
partment, and  helped  in  repairing,  picking 
up  wrecks,  etc. 

July  25^  1883,  Mr.  Maier  entered  the  lo- 
comotive department  of  the  company  as  a 
helper  and  wiper.  September  6,  1883.  he  was 
promoted  to  be  a  fireman,  first  worked  for 
Engineer  Glenn  Ewing.  in  the  yards.  He 
next  worked  for  Engineer  Jake  Reilly,  on  the 
road,  and  later  was  fireman  on  a  passenger 
engine,  eighteen  months,  for  Senator  John 
Reilly,  and  eighteen  months  for  Engineer 
George  Lyons,  deceased.     He  was  promoted 


694 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


to  be  an  engineer,  June  i6,  1889.  His  first 
work  as  an  engineer  was  to  run  an  extra  for 
a  time;  he  then  pulled  regular  freght  on  all 
the  divisions  out  of  Parsons,  but  mainly  to 
Muskogee,  Indian  Territory.  Subject  (ran  an 
engine  until  December  23,  1894,  and  has  an 
enviable  record  during  the  entire  time  of  his 
railroad  service.  Very  few  engineers  can  boast 
of  having  filled  all  the  posts  from  a  humble 
beginning  to  the  position  of  engineer,  with- 
out sustaining  injury  or  loss  of  time. 

December  26,  1894,  Mr.  JNIaier  began 
traveling  in  the  interests  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  Locomotive  Firemen, — having  joined  that 
order,  September  6,  1884.  He  has  faithfully 
served  the  order^  having  passed  through  the 
chairs.  He  was  master  of  Great  West- 
ern Division,  No.  24,  of  Parsons,  and,  for 
four  years,  prior  to  1894,  was  grand  trustee. 
During  the  four  years  he  held  that  office  there 
came  into  the  treasury  of  the  order  nearly  $4,- 
000,000.  His  careful  and  successful  work 
for  the  good  of  the  order  made  him  available 
for  advancement,  and  he  was  elevated  to  his 
present  position  as  third  vice-grand  master,  re- 
ceiving his  orders  from  Grand  Master  Sar- 
gent of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Fire- 
men. John  J.  Hannahan,  of  Chicago,  is  first 
vice-grand  master,  Charles  A.  Wilson,  of 
Philii]5sburg,  New  Jersey,  is  second-vice  grand 
master.  These  officials  and  j\Ir.  Maier  have 
40,000  men  to  look  after  in  the  various  lodges. 
They  tra\-el  over  the  whole  area  of  North 
America,  and  are  mainh'  engaged  in  lecturing, 
and  in  organizing  new  lodges  of  the  Brother- 
hood of  Locomotive  Firemen.  Mr.  Maier  trav- 
els fully  50,000  miles  per  year,  but  makes  his 
home  at  Parsons,  preferring  it  to  any  other  lo- 
cation. He  is  away  from  home  about  five- 
sixths  of  the  time,  and  returns  to  his  family, 
for  two  or  tliree  dax's  about  the  first  of  each 


month.  He  has  two  brothers,  John  A.  and 
George  E.  employed  as  engineers  on  the  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  and  residing 
at  Parsons. 

Mr.  Maier  was  married  in  Allen  county, 
Kansas,  to  Ida  A.  Wise,  a  native  of  Illinois, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  L.  Wise,  originally 
from  Vermont ;  both  parents  are  dead.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maier : 
Frank,  a  clerk  in  Mr.  Talbot's  book  store; 
Jessie  (Baker),  of  Kansas  City;  Adam; 
George ;  Lawrence ;  Harry,  aged  seven  years ; 
and  Ida  Katherine,  deceased.  Mr.  Maier  owns 
a  fine  home  at  No.  17 14  Clark  avenue,  which 
he  built  and  also  a  farm  in  the  edge  of 
Neosho  county.  He  is  entirely  a  self-made 
man.  He  is  a  hard  student  and  a  great  reader, 
covering  a  wide  range  of  literature.  Politics 
ha\'e  not  diverted  much  of  his  time  from  study 
and  reading.  He  is,  in  the  main,  a  Democrat, 
althougfb  not  radically  partisan.  He  mani- 
fests a  great  interest  in  fraternal  orders,  and 
may  be  found  in  the  councils  of  the  B.  of  L. 
F.,  Select  Knights,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  B.  P.  O.  E., 
and  K.  of  P.,  all  of  Parsons.  He  favors  the 
Catholic  church  in  his  religious  convictions. 


ILLIAAI  M  HOLT,  one  of  tlie 
prominent  and  sturdy  farmers  of 
Lalaette  township,  Labette  county. 
Kansas,  was  born  in  York  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1824,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob 
and  Amy  (Ward)  Holt,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  Pennsylvania.  The  great-grandfather 
of  William  M.  came  from  Germany  to  the 
United  States,  and  followed  farming.  As  both 
grandfather  and  father  were  also  farmers,  it 
is  but  natural  that  the  subject  hereof  should 
folldw  in  the  footsteps  of  his  ancestors.      In 


..       -.j-,-.^S.jS5*.-.   ^  .«(*- 


MR.  AND   MRS.  W.   ORA  DUDGEON  AND   FAMILY. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


697 


early  boyhood  he  evinced  a  love  for  farm  work, 
and  coupled  with  it  the  convenient  auxiliary 
trades,  those  of  carpenter  and  cal:)inetniaker, 
which  he  followed  imtil  he  located  in  Kansas, 
in   1870. 

i\Ir.  Holt  entered  his  present  farm  land  at 
Independence.  Kansas,  and  has  resided  on  the 
same  ever  since.  He  has  one  of  the  best  im- 
proved farms  in  Labette  county.  His  resi- 
dence, a  two-story,  ten-rocm,  frame  structure, 
together  with  the  splendid  barn  and  other 
buildings  on  his  farm  are  monuments  of  his 
own  handiwork.  He  has  built  well,  and  in  his 
declining  years  is  reaping  the  harvest  of  the 
seed  planted  and  sown  by  a  careful  hand  and  a 
studied  purpose. 

William  M.  Holt  was  the  fifth  in  a  family 
of  eight  children.  They  were.— Genrge,  Jacol), 
Elizabeth,  Louisa, William  M.,  S^ilnmon,  Fred- 
erick and  Samuel. 

Mr.  Holt  chose  for  his  life  companion, 
Nancy  Fetrow,  who  was  born  in  Pennsyh-ania. 
in  1835.  They  reared  the  following  children: 
Jacob,  who  lives  at  home  and  follows  the 
blacksmith  trade:  Elizabeth:  Anna:  John: 
William:  Samuel:  and  Lizzie.  Our  subject  is 
a  Republican,  in  politics,  and  in  religion,  a 
member  of  the  German  Lutheran  church. 


ORA  DUDGEON,  a  successful 
coal  operator  and  farmer,  located 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 27,  Oswego  township,  La- 
bette county.  Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Fulton 
county,  Indiana,  and  was  born  in  1865.  He 
is  a  son  of  \\'illiam  Dudgeon. 

William  Dudgeon  was  born  in  1827,  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  at  an  early  period  settled 
in    Ohio,  where    he    remained  several    years. 


He  then  went  to  Fulton  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  li\ed  ten  years,  after  which  he 
mo\-ed  to  Marshall  county,  Indiana.  In  1883, 
he  located  in  Oswego  township,  Labette  coun- 
t\.  Ivansas,  where  he  carried  on  farming  until 
liis  death,  in  1896.  He  married  Miss  McEl- 
lavev.  who  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
now  h\-es  in  Oswego,  Kansas.  They  reared 
the  following  offspring:  Joseph:  ]SIary 
(Zink),  deceased;  Daniel;  W.  Ora,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  Hugh;  and  Marion. 

W.  Ora  Dudgeon  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  Marshall  county.  Indiana,  and  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  He  began  his  business  career 
as  a  farmer,  and  in  1896  leased  the  property 
on  which  he  now  lives.  Coal  veins,  averag- 
ing 14  inches  thick,  are  found  in  various  places 
on  this  land.  i\Ir.  Dudgeon  operates  a  coal 
bank,  and  mines  the  coal  by  plow  and  scraper. 
The  coal  is  found  at  a  depth  of  from  10  to 
12  feet.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  this 
line,  and  in  1898  bought  the  property.  He 
also  carries  on  general  farming. 

]\Ir.  Dudgeon  married  Elizabeth  Kastor, 
in  1896.  and  they  have  two  children,  William 
and  Charles.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a 
uTember  of  the  Populist  party.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  Red  Bud  Camp,  No.  91,  Wood- 
men of  the  World,  of  which  he  is  banker. 
.\  picture  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dudgeon  and  their 
family  accompanies  this  sketch. 


i 


\'AN  O.  ELLIS,  an  attorney-at-law 
and  general  practitioner  in  Parsons, 
Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Greene  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  was  born  in  1855. 
He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Ira  and  Mary  F.  (Fer- 
guson) Ellis,  respected  and  worthy  residents 
of  Neosho  county,  Kansas.     Ira  Ellis  was  bora 


698 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


in  Xorth  Carolina,  in  1827,  and  his  wife  is  a 
native  of  Indiana,  where  her  birth  took  place 
in  1833.  This  aged  and  honored  couple  reared 
a  family  of  seven  children, — the  youngest,  who 
is  now  twenty-six  years  old,  having  charge  of 
the  homestead  farm.  They  are  as  follows: 
Evan  O. ;  J.  F.,  a  tinner  in  Blue  Mound,  Illi- 
nois ;  Sarah,  for  several  years  a  superintendent 
of  schools  in  Kansas,  and  now  attending  col- 
lege at  Franklin,  Indiana;  Etta,  wife  of  L.  S. 
Hewitt,  of  Xeosho  county;  Fanny  (Radcliff) 
and  Errett. 

.Mr.  Ellis  attend.ed  the  public  schools  of 
Christian  county,  Illinois.  In  1882  his  parents 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Neosho  county,  Kansas, 
close  to  the  LaJjette  county  line,  upon  which 
they  still  reside.  The  first  manual  labor  of 
Evan  O.  Ellis  was  performed  on  liis  father's 
farm.  When  thirty  years  of  age,  he  chose  for 
himself  a  professional  career.  Entering  the 
law  office  of  J.  L.  Dennison,  in  Erie,  Kansas, 
he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and  one  year 
later,  in  1889,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Neosho  county.  Immediately  afterward,  other 
matters  claimed  his  attention,  and  he  deferred 
practicing  his  chosen  profession  for  several 
years.  In  April,  1889,  he  was  appointed  dep- 
uty sheriff  of  Neosho  county,  under  Sheriff 
S.  L.  VanSandt,  and  filled  that  position  very 
creditably  for  three  years  under  that  gentleman, 
and  for  one  year,  under  his  successor,  C.  W. 
Bennett.  Since  then  Mr.  Ellis'  interests  have 
been  principally  in  Labette  county.  In  the 
spring  of  1894,  he  engaged  in  building  bridges 
on  the  railroad  and  the  following  year  (1895), 
he  opened  a  law  office  in  Parsons,  at  No.  1900 
Johnson  avenue,  where  he  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  practice. 

Mr.  Ellis"  marriage  with  Anna  Springer, 
of  Illinois,  resulterl  in  the  birth  of  three  chil- 
dren,— Bessie,  Paul  and  Harry,  aged,  respec- 


tively, thirteen,  nine  and  seven  years.  Around 
their  fireside  at  No.  611  Lincoln  avenue  hap- 
piness reigns  supreme. 

Mr.  Ellis  has  met  with  unqualified  success 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  has  always 
been  ready  and  willing  to  further,  in  any  pos- 
sible manner,  the  progress  of  the  flourishing 
city  in  which  he  has  become  so  prominent. 
He  votes  a  straight  Republican  ticket,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
and  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security;  his 
wife  is  also  a  Royal  Neighbor.  They  are  de- 
vout members  of  the  Christian  church,  of  which 
Rev.  C.  E.  Pile  is  pastor.  They  enjoy  the 
esteem,  confidence  and  affection  of  a  wide 
circle  of  friends. 


TEPHEN  CONNOLLY.  This  gentle- 
man is  one  of  the  thrifty  and  prosper- 
ous farmers  of  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas. He  has  a  fine  farm  in  section 
I,  Labette  township.  ]\Ir.  Connolly  was  born 
in  Ireland,  in  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Jame;  and 
Mary  (Manning)  Connolly. 

James  Connolly  was  born  in  Ireland,  where 
he  carried  on  farming  all  his  life.  His  wife 
was  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  they  reared 
the  following  children:  Mary;  Peter;  James; 
Patrick  ;  William ;  John  and  IMartin,  deceased  ; 
and  Stephen. 

Stephen  Connolly,  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  sailed  for  America,  and  landed  in  New 
York.  He  went  to  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  1871.  During 
this  time  he  worked  at  difl^erent  task;',  but 
learned  no 'trade.  In  1871,  he  removed  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  located  on  the 
nr.rthwest  (|narter  of  section  i,  in  Labette 
township,  wiiich  has  been  his  home  since  that 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


699 


time.  He  has  made  many  improvements  (jn 
the  place,  and  it  is  now  i^ne  of  the  best  and 
most  substantial  farms'  in  the  county.  In 
1873.  Mr.  Connolly  erected  a  large,  two-story, 
frame  house,  of  eight  rooms,  which  adds 
greatl}-  to  the  general  appearance  of  the  prop- 
erty. He  also  owns  a  farm  of  160  acres  in 
section  36,  Walton  township.  He  has  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  agriculture,  and  is  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock  raising. 

yir.  Connolly  married  Margaret  Keif,  who 
was    born    in    Ireland    in    1843.         J'hey    ha\'e 
reared    four   children,    namely :        IMary,    who  j 
married     Henry  Gars,  a   farmer    of    Laliette 
county;  Alargaret;  Anna;  and  James  \\'. 

Mr.  Connolly  is  a  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  the  county.  He  belongs  to  the  A.  O. 
U.  \V.,  Lodge  No.  i,  of  Parsons.  Mr.  Connolly 
is  a  man  of  firm  principles  and  purpose,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  loyal  and  upright  citizens  in 
the  county.  He  has  many  warm  friends,  and 
is  well  known. 


g 


OLO-MON  TAYLOR,  a  resident  of 
Labette  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  was  born  in  A^irginia,  in 
1845,  ^"d  lived  there  until  after  the 
Civil  war.  Previous  to  this  time  he  followed  the  \ 
carpenter's  trade,  for  a  short  time.  In  1865, 
he  moved  to  LaSalle  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  followed  farming  for  twelve  years. 

In  1877.  Mr.  Taylor  left  LaSalle  county, 
going  direct  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and 
located  on  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  ire- 
sided  since  that  time.  ;\Ir.  Taylor  has  im- 
proved his  property  with  such  care  and  dili- 
gence, that  he  has  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the 
township. 


Daniel  Taylor,  the  father  of  Solomon,  was 
born  in  Highland  county,  Virginia,  in  1809. 
He  was  a  stock  raiser,  and  also  followed  the 
carpenter's  trade.  He  married  Polly  Nicely, 
who  was  also  born  in  Virginia.  Thev  were 
blessed  with  11  children,  viz:  Eli;  Elizabeth; 
Jacob;  Frances;  William;  Nancy;  George; 
Solomon;  Joseph;  Mary  E.  and  John.  Eli; 
Frances;  Jacob;  Elizabeth;  Nancy  and  John 
are  deceased;  \\'illiam  resides  in  West  Vir- 
ginia, George  is  a  farmer  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas.  Mary  E.  (Sidmore)  is  a  resident  of 
Iowa. 

Solomon  Taylor  was  united  in  matrimony 
with  Emma  Abies,  who  was  born  in  ]\Iichi- 
gan  in  1850.  They  have  eight  children  living: 
Angeline ;  Mary  E. ;  Eli,  a  Populist,  who  is  at 
home,  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as 
clerk  of  Labette  township;  Alice;  Fred;  Will- 
iam ;  Daniel ;  and  Clarence.  Three, — Charles, 
Theodore  and  Richard,  are  deceased. 

In  his  political  views,  Mt.  Taylor  inclines 
to  the  support  of  the  Populist  doctrines. 
He  has  been  treasurer  of  his  township  two 
terms,  and  has  ser\-ed  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  the  past  eighteen  years.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Associa- 
tion.    The  familv  belong  to  the  M.  E.  church. 


S.  ADA]\ISON,  an  enterprising  and 
progre;'si\e  farmer  of  Labette  town- 
ship, Laljette  county,  Kansas,  is  a 
pioneer  settler  in  the  township  and 
ranks  am-ng  the  foremost  citizens  of  the  coun- 
ty. Mr.  Adamson  was  born  in  St.  Joseph. 
Missouri,  in  1843.  He  is  a  son  of  Enos  and 
Sarah  (  Burgen  )  Adamson. 

Enos  Adamson  was  born  in  1821.   He  came 
from  good  old  Tennessee  stock,  anil  followed 


700 


HISTORY   OF   LABETTE   COUNTY, 


farming  and  stnck  raising.  His  wife  was  Ijurn 
in  X'irginia.  in  i8jo.  They  reared  a  family 
of  eight  chil(h-en,  as  f()ll()w> :  J.  S. :  Dennis, 
of  Nebraska,  deceased:  Thomas,  alsd  of  Ne- 
braska; Xancy  J.;  Ella,  (f  Iowa:  Emis.  Jr., 
of  Parsiin>,  Kansas:  Letty.  of  Lnva:  and  Lee, 
of   Xehra.ska. 

J.  S.  .-\damsnn  fullnwed  farming  during 
his  earl}-  manhood,  and  also  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade.  He  left  Jasper  county.  Iowa 
where  the  family  then  lived,  in  1869.  and  lo- 
cated upon  the  farm  which  i.s  still  his  home. 
This  farm  is  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
12.  Laliette  t  .wnship.  where  Air.  Adamson 
carries  on  general  farming.  His  marriage 
with  Elizabeth  Knous.  who  was'  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania in  1868.  resulted  in  the  following  six 
children  :  Cora ;  Charles ;  Edward  :  Ada ; 
Daniel :  and'  Archie.  The  eldest  child  is  de- 
ceased. Charles  resides  in  the  state  of  Colo- 
rado, while  Daniel  is  serving  at  the  present 
time  ill  the  L'nited  States  Army,  being  a  mem- 
l;er  of  the  40th  Regiment. 

In  ])olitics.  Mr.  Adamson  is  a  Republican. 
He  has  served  his  party  as  justice  of  the  peace 
of  Labette  township,  and  has  also  served  on 
the  school  board.  He  is  a  member  of  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association.  He  is  a  sturdy,  hard- 
workinar   man.    and    is   well    liked   bv   all    who 


STICR  OLDS,  a  resident  of  Neosho 
township,  Labette  county.  Kansas, 
has  for  a  number  of  years  been  one 
of  the  most  influential  farmers  in  the 
He  was  l)orn  in  Delaware  county. 
[839,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Abigail    (  Washburn )   Olds. 

Benjamin  Olds  was  born  in  Pennsylvania. 
For  many  years  he  was  a  minister  of  the  Gos- 


01 


pel.  but  later  became  a  farmer.  He  made  the 
first  pair  of  pegged  shoes  e\-er  made  in  Ohio, 
as  he  was  also  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He  maT- 
ried  Abigail  Washburn,  who  was  a  native  of 
New  York.  They  reared  the  following  chil- 
dren, namely :  James,  Henry,  Luther,  Abner, 
Sanford,  Jane  and  Miles,  all  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased; Lester,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Charles,  deceased;  Mary;  and  \\'alter.  who  is 
a  lawyer,  li\-ing  in  Chicago.  Illinois. 

Lester  Olils,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
reared  and  educated  in  his  nati\'e  state,  where 
he  remained  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years.  In  1861  he  went  to  Illinois,  but 
returned  to  Ohio,  and  in  1862  enlisted  in 
Company  D,  121st  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  West.  He 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Perryville,  and  in 
several  skirmishes.  Mr.  Olds  was  honorably 
discharged  in  1863,  after  which  he  returned  to 
his  home  in  Ohio.  His  next  move  was  to 
INIahaska  county,  Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  stock  business,  and  remained  there  until 
1866.  He  sold  out  his  business  in  Iowa,  and 
returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived  until  1872. 
His  final  inove  was  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  be  settled  in  Neosho  township,  in 
the  south  half  of  the  southwest  cpiarter  of 
section  31.  He  has  resided  there  ever  since,  and 
has  carried  on  general  farming.  He  is  a  man 
of  honest,  upright  principles,  and  has  won  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  in  the  community. 
He  is  always  willing  to  assist  in  any  public 
enterprise  that  is  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity, and  his  ach'ice  is  often  sought  in  such 
matters.  His  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the 
county,  and  he  has  bright  prospects  for  the 
future. 

Mr.  Olds  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  H,  Porter,  who  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware county,  Ohio,  in  1846.     The  subject  of 


JOSEPH   P.  WILLS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


703 


tliis  sketch  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has 
served  as  trustee  of  Neosho  township  one  term. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  the  school  board  for 
a  number  of  years.  ]\Irs.  Olds  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  church. 


ilOSEPH  P.  WILLS,  deceased,  whose 
portrait  is  shown  on  the  opposite  page, 
settled  in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in 
1S79,  and  followed  farming  in  a  suc- 
cessful manner  until  his  death  in  1895.  He 
was  located  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
29,  Oswego  township.  Mr.  Willis  was  born 
in  New  York  City,  in  1829,  and  was  a  son  of 
John  and  Nancy  (Partridge)   Wills. 

lohn  Wills  was  born  in  London,  England, 
in  1803  and  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He 
lived  in  New  York  City  for  a  period  of  nine- 
teen years,  and  in  1848  located  in  Chicago, 
where  he  followed  his  trade  until  1870.  He 
then  moved  to  Tennessee,  near  the  city  of 
Knoxville.  where  he  died  in  1872.  His  wife. 
Nancy  Partridge,  was  born  in  1805,  and  died 
in  New  York  City,  in  1845.  They  were  par- 
ents of  four  children:  Samuel,  deceased; 
Lottie,  deceased;  ^lary,  deceased:  and  Josepli 
P.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Joseph  P.  Wills  lived  in  New  York  City 
until  1848,  when  he  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Chicago,  Illinois.  He  was  a  sailniaker  by 
trade,  and  when  he  arrived  in  Chicago  went 
into  the  sail,  awning  and  tent  business,  for  him- 
self, and  continued  thus  until  1872.  when  his 
health  failed  and  he  sold  out  his  business.  He 
mo\-ed  on  a  farm  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee, 
and  lived  there  until  1876,  when  he  went  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  1877,  he  was  married  and 
then  moved  to  Sherman,  Texas.   Tl-,ere  he  lived 


until  1879,  when  he  settled  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas.  He  purchased  property  in  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  29,  Oswego  township, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  and  stock 
raising  until  his  death  occurred.  He  was  a 
man  of  high  character  and  enjoyed  the  utmost 
esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican, in  politics,  and  was  treasurer  of  Os- 
wego t  jwnship  for  two  terms. 

Mr.  Wills  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Eliza  M.  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Ross  and  Mar- 
tha (Whitehead)  Jones.  Mr.  Jones  was  born 
in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  March  21,  1823. 
In  1828  he  moved  to  Warren  county,  Ohio, 
with  his  parents,  and  li\-ed  there  on  a  farm 
until  1840.  He  then  went  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  ran  the  first  engine  on  the 
Little  Miami  Railroad.  His  run  at  that  time 
was  between  Cincinnati  and  Springfield,  Ohio. 
He  worked  on  this  road  until  1844,  when  he" 
was  married  to  Martha  Whitehead.  He  lived 
in  Cincinnati  until  1850,  when  he  moved  to 
Franklin  county,  Indiana.  There  he  cultivated 
a  farm  until  1873,  when  he  returned  to  Cin- 
cinnati, and  died  there  in  1878.  He  and  his 
wife  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren:  Eliza  M.:  Ada  (Elliott);  John,  de- 
ceased; Nettie  (Thomas):  Lucinda  (Cadu- 
gan )  ;  and  Oscar. 

Mr.  and  Airs.  Joseph  P.  \\'ills  became  par- 
ents of  four  children,  as  follows:  Florence 
(Dudley),  who  has  one  daughter,  Pearl;  Lot- 
tie (Havden).  who  has  two  sons, — Ralph  W. 
and  Archie  R. ;  Clarence;  and  Nettie. 

By  a  former  marriage,  Mrs.  Wills  had  a 
son,  T.  L.  Sturgeon,  whose  father.  Thomas  R. 
Sturgeon,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  died  in 
1867.  Thomas  R.  Sturgeon  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Union  army,  and  received  injuries  in  the 
war,  from  which  he  never  recovered. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


^l-:WIS  WILLIAMS,  who  nwns  the 
^  largest  and  tinest  nursery  in 
^  Suuthern  Kansas,  is  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  of  North  township. 
Labette  county.  He  has  been  in  the  nursery 
hne  in  this  county  a  number  of  years,  and, 
does  a  large  and  flourishing  business.  His 
partner  is  E.  P.  Bernardin.  Mr.  Williams  is 
a  native  of  St.  Thomas,  Canada,  and  was  born 
in  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Anna 
(Nichols)  Williams,  who  were  natives  of 
Canada. 

Lewis  Williams  lived  in  Canada  until  i85o. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  years,  he  attended  a 
college  near  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years.  Li  1862  he  returned  to 
Canada,  where  he  taught  school  for  two  years, 
and  then  went  to  Michigan,  and  settled  near 
St.  Joseph.  There  he  sold  trees  until  1870, 
when  he  decided  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  West. 
Accordingly  Mr.  \\'illiams  settled  in  Kansas, 
in  the  town  of  Chetopa.  He  engaged  in  the 
nursery  business  in  that  place,  and  in  1880 
moved  his  stock  to  North  township,  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  south  of  Parsons.  There,  he  has 
since  resided.  As  before  stated,  he  has  the 
largest  and  finest  nursery  in  Southern  Kansas. 
His  farm  is  located  in  the  southwest  quarter  of 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  30.  The  home 
]jlace  takes  up  120  acres,  and  Mr.  Williams 
rents  180  acres.  E.  P.  Bernardin  is  his  partner 
in  business,  and  they  have  been  unusually  suc- 
cessful. The  packing  house  is  of  stone,  100  by 
50  feet,  in  dimensions,  and  the  implement  house 
is  20  feet  by  50  feet  in  size.  They  al.so  have 
two  large  cellars.  They  increase  their  stock 
each  year,  and  if  the  jiresent  growth  con- 
tinues, the  nursery  will  be,  in  a  few  years,  the 
largest  in  the  state.  Mr.  Williams  has 
devoted  his  whole  attention  to  this  business, 
and  it  has  only  been  through  careful  manage- 


went  and  close  application  to  his  duties,  that 
he  has  reached  the  g.->al  of  success.  His  home 
is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Williams  is  independent  in  poUtics. 
He  belongs  to  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Lodge  No. 
J^,  of  Chetopa.  He  also  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security,  Parsons 
Lodge,  No.  162.  ;\Ir.  \\'illiams  is  unmarried. 
He  is  a  man  of  genial  and  attractive  per- 
sonality, and  his  friends  are  legion. 


livS.  AL\RY  YOUNG,  widow  of  the 
ate  Robert  Young,  is  one  of  the 
veil  known  and  highly  esteemed 
•esidents  of  North  tow-nship,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas.  She  resides  in  the  west 
half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  31, 
where  she  carries  on  general  farming,  assisted 
by  her  sons,  Robert  and  ]\IichaeI. 

Robert  Young,  her  deceased  husband,  was 
for  many  years  one  of  Labette  county's  most 
prominent  and  influential  fanners.  He  was  a 
man  of  intelligence  and  strong  character,  and 
his  death  was  greatly  lamented  by  all  who 
knew  him.  He  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
followed  farming  all.  his  active  life. 

Mrs.  Mary  Young,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  w'as  born  in  Ireland,  in  183 1,  and  came 
to  America  in  1856.  She  first  located  in  In- 
diana, where  she  lived  until  1888.  She  then 
moved  with  her  husband  to  Labette  county, 
and  settled  at  her  present  home,  in  section  31. 
She  has  lived  on  this  farm  ever  since,  and,  be- 
ing a  woman  of  sound  judgment  and  execu- 
tive ability,  has  carried  on  farming  successfully, 
as  did  her  husband  before  his  death.  She  has 
a  wide  circle  of  friends  in  the  community  in 
which  she  resides,  by  whom  she  is  held  in  warm 
regard    for   her   many   charitable   acts.      Mrs. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


705 


Young  was  married  to  Robert  Young  in 
1880.  They  reared  the  following  offspring: 
Thomas,  deceased;  William;  Henry;  Mary; 
Robert  and  Bridget,  deceased;  Anna;  Mary 
( 2 } ;  and  Robert  and  Michael,  twins  who  as- 
sist their  mother  on  the  homestead.  Mr. 
Young  died  in  1889.  i\Irs.  Young  and  her 
family  are  devout  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church. 


m 


VI  ADAMS  is  extensive!)  engaged  in 
general  farming  in  Labette  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  reliable  citizens  of  that 
prosperous  community.  He  comes  from  Penn- 
sylvania ancestors,  berth  his  parents  having 
been  natives  of  that  state.  He  is  a  son  of 
Rullif  and  Elizabeth  (James)  Adams.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  by  occupation,  and  was 
born  in  1785  ;  his  mother  was  born  about  1795. 
They  reared  a  family  of  seven  children,  only 
two  of  whom  are  now  living.  The  only  one 
living  besides  Evi,  who  is  the  youngest  mem- 
ber of  the  family,  is  Ziba,  who  is  seventy-seven 
years  old,  and  is  a  resident  of  Ohio.  William 
was  past  eighty-three  years  of  age,  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  in  Ohio,  May  15,  1901.  The 
others  deceased  are  Lucinda,  Clarinda,  Fisher, 
and  Elizabeth. 

Evi  Adams  was  born  in  1834,  in  Delaware 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  and 
lived  until  1878.  At  that  time  he  came  west 
and  has  since  made  his  home  in  Labette  county. 
Kansas.  The  same  year  he  purchased  the  farm 
which  has  been  his  home  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  and  where  he  still  resides. 
He  has  made  farming  his  life  work.  He  has 
been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  biire  him 
two  children, — Abner  and  Alma.     Abner  mar- 


ried Belle  Braden,  of  Kansas,  who  has  si.x  chil- 
dren living:  Ouincy,  James  \\'.,  Anna  D., 
Alice,  Alma,  and  George  R.  Alma  married 
Hill,  of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  has  six 
children :  Sylvester,  Wellington,  Etta,  Ada 
D.,  Grace,  and  Leaffa.  Sometime  after  the 
demise  of  his  tirst  wife,  Mr.  Adams  married 
Mary  Ann  Cross,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and 
Ruth  (Bowen)  Cross.  Mrs.  Adams'  father 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  a  prominent 
farmer  of  that  state ;  her  mother  was  an  Ohioan 
by  birth;  she  bore  her  husband  four  children. 
The  eldest  of  these  is  the  wife  of  Mv.  Adams 
and  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  in 
1841.  One  sister,  Elmira,  is  deceased.  Two 
brothers  are  still  li\'ing,  Basil  and  George,  both 
of  whom  follow  agricultural  pursuits  in  Ohio. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  have  reared  one  son, 
William  E.,  who  resides  upon  the  home  farm, 
and  superintends  all  manual  labor,  thus  remov- 
ing the  burden  from  his  father,  who  is  spend- 
ing liis  closing  years  in  ease  and  comfurt.  The 
family  attend  divine  services  at  the  ^lethodist 
Episcnpal  church,  nf  which  all  are  members. 
]\Ir.  Adams"  strict  attention  to  business  has 
secured  for  him  a  fair  share  of  this  world's 
goods,  while  his  uprightness  in  all  dealings 
has  won  him  the  respect  of  every  one  who 
knows  him.  In  politics,  he  acts  with  the  Re- 
publican party. 


m 


He 
Hai 


]\I.  HARRY,  agent  for  the  :Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company, 
at  Mound  Valley,  Kansas,  was  born 
in  Fremont,  Illinois,  ^lay  13.  1863. 
;on  of  Jiihn  A.  and  Susan  (\\'hitaker) 


John  A.  Harry  was  born  at  Hagerstowfi, 
IMarvland,  and  is  a  farmer  by  occupation.     He 


7o6 


HISTORY   OF   LABETTE   COUNTY. 


is  at  present  living  near  ^NlcCune,  Kansas.  He 
married  Susan  Wliitaker,  who  was  Ixjrn  in 
Kentucky,  in  1828,  and  they  reared  the  fol- 
lowing offspring:  Horace,  deceased:  Laura, 
who  married  M.  H.  Woodard.  a  farmer  near 
Parsons.  Kansas:  \V.  D.,  who  is  a  farmer 
near  McCune;  O.  C.  who  is  employed  by  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company, 
and  lives  in  Corrigan,  Texas;  A.  M.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch :  F.  O.,  who  is  a  farmer  near 
McCune:  W.  AL,  ticket  agent  at  Joplin,  Mis- 
souri, far  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway  Com- 
pany. 

A.  ?kl.  Harry,  wlinse  name  heads  this 
sketch,  lived  in  Illinois  until  1883,  when  he 
located  in  Labette  county.  He  settled  near 
McCune,  where  he  carried  on  farming  for  four 
years.  After  leaving  the  farm  in  1877,  he  spent 
six  months  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  and  then 
worked  as  agent  at  Stark,  Moran,  and  Kincaid, 
for  the  Alissourf.  Kansas  &  Texas  RaiUvay 
Company.  He  took  charge  of  the  station  at 
]\Iound  Valley  in  1888.  and  has  been  there 
since  that  time.  He  bought  his  present  home 
in  1890,  and  in  addition  to  this  place  owns  an- 
other house  in  Mound  Valley,  which  he  rents. 
He  also  owns  a  farm  in  Mound  Valley  town- 
ship,— the  northwest  quarter  of  section  18, 
township  T,T„  range  18,  which  he  also  rents. 

]\Ir.  Harry  married  Fannie  A.  McEwen, 
who  was  born  May  30,  1873,  in  White  county, 
Illinois.  She  was  a  daughter  of  J.  C.  and 
Olive  .\.  (\\'right)  McEwen, "and  died  in 
April,  1809.  J.  C.  McEwen  was  born  in  In- 
diana cruuity,  Pennsylvania,  in  1823,  and  was 
a  farmer  by  occupatinn.  ilis  wife  was  born 
in  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1835.  They 
reared:  Dr.  W.  W. :  Maggie,  deceased:  John 
H.,  who  is  a  farmer  living  in  Illinois:  and 
Cliarles  E.  and  Fannie  A.,  deceased.  Mr. 
Harry  and  his  wife  had  one  child. — Zelda  G. 


In  politics,  ]\Ir.  Harry  is  a  Democrat.  He 
belongs  to  the  AI.  W.  of  A.,  Lodge  Xo.  967, 
of  Mound  Valley.  He  always  lends  his  sup- 
port to  any  measure  which  is  for  the  good  of 
the  township  in  which  he  resides. 


RS.  AlARY  J.  HARAIOX,  widow 
of  L.  H.  Harmon,  is  located  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  28, 
township  34.  range  21,  in  Richland 
tiiwn^hip,  Labette  county.  Kansas,  and  since 
the  death  of  her  husband  has  had  the  entire 
management  of  the  farm.  She  has  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  business  affairs,  has  met 
with  marked  success,  and  has  greatly  enhanced 
the  value  of  her  property  by  many  judicious 
improx'ements. 

L.  H.  Harmon,  deceased,  was  born  in 
Pickaway  ci  unty,  Ohio,  in  1836.  and  was  a  son 
of  Eli  and  Anna  Harmon.  He  was  one  of 
nine  children,  among  them  being  \Vesley,  de- 
ceased, whose  family  now-  resides  in  Seattle. 
Wai'hington:  Melissa  (Dunseth),  of  Portland, 
Oregon:  and  Diana  (Williamson),  whose  hus- 
band' is  a  druggist  at  Horton,  Kansas.  The 
remaining  members  of  the  family  are  deceased. 
When  a  boy,  Mr.  Harmon  moved  with  his  par- 
ents to  Grant  coimty,  Indiana,  where  he  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  and  remained  at 
home  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  He  then  traveled  quite  extensi\-ely,  and 
returned  home  in  i86r,  to  enter  the  army.  He 
enlisted  far  three  months  in  Company  H.  8th 
Reg..  Ind.  \'n\.  Inf.,  afterward  known  a;'  th^ 
"Bloody  Eighth."  He  became  second  lieuten- 
ant, and  then,  first  lieutenant,  having  reenlisted 
for  three  years"  service.  He  was  at  the  fall 
of  \"icksburg,  and  in  the  Shenandcah  Valley, 
j  and  participated  in  1 1  important  engagements. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


707 


He  received  a  flesh  wound  at  Shenandoah. 
Virginia,  and  was  in  the  hospital  at  New 
Orleans  for  one  year  as  a  result  of  ill  health 
caused  by  his  experiences  in  the  South.  On 
March  10,  1870,  he  moved  with  his'  family  to 
Labette  county.  Kansas,  and'  located  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  28,  township  34. 
range  21.  in  Richland  township,  which  had 
been  filetl  upon  by  Charles  Hitchborn.  In 
June.  1870.  the  Alissouri.  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway  was  put  through,  dividing  the  farm 
and  leaving  102  acres  on  the  west  side,  wdiich 
Mr;'.  Harmon  owns,  the  remainder  being  owned 
by  J.  M.  Morgan.  Mr.  Harmon  died  in  1878, 
and  his  widow  has  since  managed  the  affairs  of 
the  farm.  During  the  last  ten  years  she  has 
made  many  great  improvements,  including  the 
construction  of  an  immense  barn  to  take  the 
place  of  the  first  one  which  had  been  blown 
d;wn  by  a  severe  storm.  She  has  also'  remod- 
eled the  residence  and  the  outbuildings.  The 
latter  are  finely  situated  on  a  convenient  rise 
of  ground,  and  face  the  main  road  running 
east  and  west.  The  dri\es  from  the  road  are 
bordered  by  large  and  handsome  trees,  and  the 
location  is  all  that  could  be  desired  for  a  home. 
In  1863  Mr.  Harmon  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  J.  Seegar,  wdio  was  born  in 
Indiana,  in  1843,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jona- 
than and  Mary  (Hendricks)  Seegar.  She  is 
of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Jonathan  Seegar 
followed  farming  throughout  his'  life,  while 
four  of  his  brothers  were  physicians;  he  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  in  1872.  ]\Irs.  Harmon 
is  one  of  eight  children.  The  only  other  liv- 
ing member  of  the  family  is  Jasper  X. 
Seeger,  who  owns  and  resides  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Indiana.  Mrs.  Harmon  is  a 
cousin  of  the  wife  of  the  late  Bishoj)  ^^'ile3^ 
the  well  known  Methcdist  minister.  Mary  J. 
Seegar  was  sent  to  Culumbus,  Ohio,  in  earlv 


childhood,  because  of  the  death  of  her  mother, 
and  was'  there  reared  by  an  aunt,  up  to  the  time 
of  her  marriage.  Mrs.  Harmon  and  her  hus- 
band were  the  parents  of  four  children,  as 
follows  :  Anna  I\I. :  J.  S. ;  Otto  E. ;  and  Grace. 
Anna  M.  (Bishog)  lives  in  Oklahoma,  where 
her  husband  is  in  the  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness; they  have  four  children. — Florence, 
^lerle,  Robert  and  Grace.  J.  S.  married  Jen- 
nie Harper,  has  one  son,  Elwin,  and  lives  in 
Labette  county.  Otto  E.  is  at  home  and  i3 
preparing  to  take  up  the  study  of  medicine, — 
having  already  completed  a  course  in  phar- 
macy. Grace  (Clark)  is  the  widow  of  a  drug- 
gist of  Joplin,  Missouri,  who  died  recently, 
leaving  one  daughter.  In  politics  I\Ir.  Har- 
mon was  a  Republican,  and  held  numerous 
township  offices.  He  was  a  Mason,  and  his 
widow  is  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star  lodge 
at  Chetopa.  Religiously,  she  is  a  Methodist, 
and  helped  to  build  the  church  at  Chetopa. 


0OBERT  A.  HILL,  who  comes  ot  one 
of  Labette  county's  best  known  fam- 
ilies,   is  a   leading    agriculturist    of 
Richland   township,   where  he  culti- 
vates a  half  section  of  land.    He  was  born  in 
Ross  county,  Ohio,  March  4,  1861,  and  is  a  son 
of  J.  F.  and  Mary  (Kearney)  Hill. 

J.  F.  Hill  went  to  Ohio  as  a  young  man, 
and  there  married  his  first  wife  and  reared  their 
children.  After  locating  in  Labette  county, 
in  1870,  he  taught  s'chool  several  years,  and  was 
also  a  member  of  the  county  board  of  examin- 
ers. He  later  moved  to  Oswego  and  did  a 
large  business  as  pension  attorney.  He  first 
married  ^Nfary  Kearney,  who  died  in  Ohio 
when  Robert  A.  Hill  was  about  four  years  of 
age.  leaving  tliree  sons  (ilder  than  him,  namelv : 


7o8 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


]Jr,  J.  I!.,  of  Oswego:  J.  R.,  who  studied  law 
under  Judge  Case,  and  died  while  county  at- 
torney; and  W.  S.,  of  Great  Bend,  Kansas', 
who  is  a  teacher  and  photographer  and  handles 
different  specialties.  J.  F.  Hill  was  married 
a  second  time,  in  Illinois.  He  wedded  Xan 
Clara  ]\IacRoberts,  wiio  died  leaving  a  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Lizzie  Barry,  of  Phoenix.  Arizona. 
In  the  summer  of  1900.  he  married  a  third  time, 
and  is  now  making  his  home  at  Phoenix,  Ari- 
zona. He  was  a  prominent  citizen  and  busi- 
ness man.  while  a  resident  of  Labette  county, 
where  he  located  in  the  fall  of  1870,  with  his 
four  s.ins.  He  purchased  land  in  Richland 
tiwnship.  in  sections  9  and  10,  township  34. 
range  .21.  and  owned  land  amounting  to  as 
much  as  one  section,  which  is  under  the  man- 
agement of  Robert  A.  Hill. 

Robert  A.  Hill  was  reared  in  Kansas,  and 
attended  Fort  Scott  Normal  School  several 
months.  Init  has  spent  his  life  thus  far  mainlv 
on  the  farm  in  Richland  township.  He  has 
remodeled  the  home  residence,  and  it  presents 
a  very  neat  appearance.  He  purchased  160 
acres  of  land,  including  the  old  homestead,  and 
also  owns  some  bottom  land  farther  east.  He 
leases  the  balance  of  the  estate  of  his  father  and 
oversees  the  work  upon  it.  His  father  set  cut 
several  miles  of  hedge,  and  also  a  fine  grove  in 
front  of  and  around  the  home  dwelling.  Mr. 
Hill  also  has  50  or  60  bearing  pecans, — all  of 
which  make  it  a  jiretty.  ])icture<que  and  finely 
improved  home  farm.  He  is  an  excellent 
manager  and  is  meeting  with  deserved  succes?. 

Mr.  I  rill  was  united  in  marriage  with  Lizzie 
J.  lientlcy.  who  came  from  ^Michigan,  and  is  a 
native  of  Xew  York  State,  and  they  have  two 
children.  Forest  Fletcher  and  (iertrude  Hazel. 
The  marriage  ceremony  was  performd  by 
Judge  Case,  who  has  long  l>een  an  intimate 
friend  of  the  family.      In  politics,  ]\Ir.   Hill  is 


a  stanch  supporter  of  Republican  principles, 
and  has  held  various  township  offices  such  as 
those  of  trustee,  treasurer  and  clerk.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  lodge  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  at  Che- 
topa.  In  religious  views,  he  is  a  Methodist, 
and  helped  to  build  the  church  \\hich  now 
stands  on  the  Hill  farm. 


WM  ^'^^^^^'^  -^-  OLMSTEAD  has  been  one 
1^  H  '^'^  the  prominent  farmers  of  Rich- 
land township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, since  1871.  He  is  at  present  liv- 
ing in  Richland  tow'nship,  in  section  2,  town- 
ship 34,  range  21.  He  is  a  son  of  Job  and 
Clarissa  Olmsted,  and  was  born  in  McHenry 
county,  Illinois,  in  1850. 

Job  Olmsted  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  in 
1 87 1  removed  to  Labette  county  where  he 
died  in  1873,  aged  sixty-six  years.  Mr.  Olm- 
sted and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren besides  the  subject  hereof,  namely :  Levi, 
wdio  lives  in  Michigan,  but  will  soon  move  to 
California;  Albert,  who  died  in  California, 
September  15,  1900,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four 
years ;  James,  who  is  in  Indiana,  engaged  in 
getting  out  material  for  cooperage,  and  wdio 
at  one  time  purchased  2,200  acres  of  timber 
land  in  Arkansas;  and  Jane  (Finch),  who 
lives  in  San  Diego,  California,  and  is  the  only 
sister  of  George  A. 

George  A.  Olmsted  was  reared  in  Illinois 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  eighteen  years, 
when  he  went  to  Michigan.  He  worked  in 
that  state  until  his  removal  to  Labette'  county, 
which  was  in  1871.  When  he  arrived  in  Os- 
wego, he  had  but  six  dollars  in  money.  He 
worked  on  the  farm  located  in  section  2,  which 
was   taken   up  by   Albert   Olmsted,   wdio   had 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


709 


been  in  Bourbon  count}',  Kansas,  during  the 
war,  and  moved  to  Kansas  in  1866.  He  built 
the  house  which  now  stands  on  the  farm,  but 
the  suljject  hereof  erected  a  fine  barn.  As 
the  buildings  are  located  on  a  small  hill  the  view 
is  ver}'  pretty,  and,  altogether,  the  farm  is  one 
of  the  most  attractive  in  the  county.  ]Mr. 
Olmsted  moved  to  Newton  county,  ^lissuuri, 
in  1880,  where  he  remained  ten  years, — hav- 
ing rented  land.  He  then  returned  to  Labette 
county,  which  has  been  his  home  ever  since. 
He  now  owns  280  acres  of  land,  including  40 
acres  of  timber.  He  has  a  splendid  orchard, 
containing  three  or  four  hundred  trees  bearing 
fruit. 

iVIr.  Olmsted  was  wedded  to  Fannie  Green, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  John  Green,  a  pioneer 
of  Labette  county.  They  reared  six  children, 
namely :  Fred,  deceased ;  Albert ;  Rosa ;  Lena ; 
Annie;  and  Roscoe.  In  politics,  JMr.  Olmsted 
was  reared  a  Republican  but  is  now  an 
independent  voter.  He  has  never  cared  to  ac- 
cept public  office  of  any  kind.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church. 


-^  „  EORGE  H.  SPANGLE,  a  prosperous 
^^  and  progressive  business  man  of  Che- 
topa,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  a 
member  of  the  jewelry  firm  of  J.  B. 
&  G.  H.  Spangle,  which  was  established  in 
1882.  He  is  also  part  owner  and  manager  of 
the  Chetopa  Telephone  Company,  and  elec- 
trician of  the  Chetopa  electric  light  plant.  He 
is  a  man  of  recognized  ability,  and  has  many 
stanch  friends  throughout  the  county.  He 
was  born  in  Jasper  county,  Indiana,  in  1859, 
and  is  a  son  of  J.  B.  and  Emily  A.  (Packer) 
Spangle. 

J.  B.  Spangle  and  his  wife  are  natives  of 


Ohio  where  they  were  married.  ^^'hen 
George  H.  was  a  small  boy,  they  moved  to  r^Iis- 
souri,  and  in  1879  came  to  Parsons,  Labette 
county.  Kansas.  They  had  one  daughter,  who 
died  in  1892.  The  father  is  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  J.  B.  &  G.  H.  Spangle. 

George  H.  Spangle,  after  coming  to  Par- 
sons, engaged  in  the  jewelry  business  for  him- 
self, and  upon  removing  to  Chetopa  he  and 
his  father  established  their  present  business 
in  1882,  buying  out  the  interests  of  R.  G. 
Bishop.  In  1883,  they  built  a  building  24  by 
50  feet,  in  dimensions,  and  have  since  put  in 
a  fire-proof  ^■ault;  they  have  also  a  burglar- 
proof  safe.  George  H.  Spangle  and  R.  B. 
\\'hite  are  partners  constituting  the  Chetopa 
Telephone  Company,  the  former  being  man- 
ager. They  put  in  an  exchange  in  1896,  the 
first  switch-board  hax'ing  25  numbers;  at  the 
present  time  there  are  103  numbers.  Mr. 
Spangle  puts  up  the  instruments,  rewinds  the 
drop,  superintends  the  working  of  the  line, 
and  does  general  repair  work.  The  central 
office  is  in  block  34,  Chetopa,  and  they  give 
night  and  day  service.  There  are  toll  lines 
connecting  Oswego,  Labette,  Parsons,  Mon- 
tana, Altamont,  Mound  A-'alley,  Independence, 
Cherryvale,  Coffeyville,  Erie,  Cane\',  Tyro, 
Chanute,  and  Galesburg.  They  own  the  toll 
line  from  Chetopa  to  Coffeyville,  connecting 
Bartlett,  Edna  and  Valeda.  They  also  own  a 
half  interest  in  the  line  from  Chetopa  to  Col- 
umbus. Air.  Spangle  is  also  electrician  for 
the  electric  light  plant  put  in  at  Chetopa  in 
1887,  and  now  owned  by  R.  B.  White,  and 
has  shown  unusual,  ability  in  that  capacity. 
In  his  store,  he  carries  a  most  complete  line 
of  jewelry  of  all  kinds,  and  diamonds  and 
watches,  and  makes  a  specialty  of  high  class 
repair  work.  At  the  rear  of  the  store  he  has 
a  shop  for  his  electrical  work,  and  has  arranged 


7IO 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


many  cuineniences,  such  as  burglar  and  fire 
alarm  cunnecting  the  store  with  his  home,  and 
a  device  for  demagnetizing  watches.  He  is  a 
practical  optician,  having  graduated  from  the 
Detroit  Optical  Institute,  in  the  department  of 
ophthalmic  refraction,  in  1895.  He  purchased 
a  Geneva  retinoscope  at  a  cost  of  $85,  by  the 
means  of  which  instrument  a  perfect  test  can 
be  had  for  fitting  glasses  to  the  eyes. 

Mr.  Spangle  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Clara  Evans,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  owns 
some  real  estate  in  Chetopa.  In  politics,  he  is 
a  strong  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party. 
He  is  liberal  in  religious  views. 


Ohio, 


^    „  u;(JR(;E  W.  SALTZM.W.  a  highly  re- 
W^      spected   farmer   living  in   section   2, 
Labette    township,    Labette    county, 
Kansas,  was  born  in  Defiance  county, 
1853.   He  is  a  son  of  Louis  and  Nancy 
(Harpson)  Saltzman. 

Louis  Saltzman  was  born  in  Wayne  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  in  1825,  and  is  still  living.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Harpson,  who  was  born  in  Wayne 
county,  Ohio,  and  they  reared  the  following 
children,  namely:  ;\Iary,  George  W'.,  Ellen, 
Sallie,  and  Louis  W.  Mr.  Saltzman  has  been 
a  farmer  all  his  life. 

George  \V.  Saltzman  received  his  mental 
training  in  the  common  scIkjoIs  of  his  native 
county,  where  I'.e  li\ed  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years.  He  had  assisted  his 
father  in  farming  and,  after  he  became  of  age, 
he  went  to  Illinois,  where  he  followed  that 
occupation  until  his  removal  to  Kansas.  In 
1883,  Mr.  Saltzman  settled  on  his  present 
farm  in  section  2,  Labette  township,  Labette 
county,  and  there  he  has  been  a  tiller  of  the 
soil  for  many  years.     He  is  a  hard  worker,  is 


thrifty  and  energetic,  and  now  has  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  the  county.  A  man  of  honesty 
and  integrity,  he  is  greatly  esteemed  by  all. 

Mr.  Saltzman  married  Ellen  Atchley,  who 
was  born  near  Trenton,  Xew  Jersey,  in  1858. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  George  Atchley,  who  was 
born  in  New  Jersey,  in  1833.  Mr.  Atchley 
married  May  Applegate,  a  native  of  Xew  Jer- 
sey, who  was  also  born  in  1833,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  six  children:  John,  a  butcher 
at  Parsons,  Kansas;  Sarah;  William,  Jennie, 
and  Edward,  deceased ;  and  Ellen.  Mr.  Saltz- 
man and  his  wife  have  four  children,  namely: 
Jennie,  Clara,  Mary,  and  Frank. 

Mr.  Saltzman  is  a  member  of  the  Populist 
party.  He  is  now  serving  his  fourth  term  as 
treasurer  of  Labette  township.  He  .is  treasurer 
of  the  school  board  and  has  served  thereon 
a  number  of  years.  Mr.  Saltzman  belongs  to 
the  Anti-Horsethief  Association,  and  is  treas- 
urer of  his  post.  He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Securit}-. 


AMUEL  \\'.  GUTHRIE,  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War,  and  a  prominent  farmer 
residing  in  section  ^t,.  Fairview  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  was 
born  in  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  in 
1845,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Rosanna 
(Stoody)  Guthrie.  John  Guthrie  was  a  na- 
tive of  ^^^ashington  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
was  born  in  181 8.  He  died  in  Vermilion  coun- 
ty. Illinois,  in  1885,  his  wife's  death  having 
occurred  in  1845.  She  was  born  in  \\'ashing- 
ton,  Pennsylvania.  They  reared  but  one  child, 
— Samuel  W., — the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Samuel  W.  Guthrie  was  eight  years  old 
when  his  parents  moved  to  Ashland  county, 
Ohio.  In  1858,  they  moved  to  Vermilion  coun- 


MR.  AND   MRS.  JACOB   S.   STARE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


ty,  Illinois.  Air.  Guthrie  obtained  his  school- 
ing both  in  Illinois  and  Ohio.  In  1864,  he 
enlisted  in  Companj-  F,  51st  Reg.,  111.  \'ol. 
Inf.  His  regiment  was  attached  to  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  He  was  wounded  at 
Franklin,  Tennessee,  and  was  in  the  hospital 
for  four  months.  He  was  then  transferred  to 
the  4th  Reg.,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  and  was 
sent  to  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  to  do  guard  duty. 
He  remained  there  until  September,  1865, 
when  he  was  mustered  out.  He  then  returned 
to  Vermilion  county,  Illinois.  There  he  re- 
mained but  a  short  time,  when  he  went  to  Car- 
thage, Missouri.  In  Carthage  Mr.  Guthrie  was 
engaged  in  the  milling  business  until  1874, 
when  he  returned  to  Vermilion  county,  Illinois, 
and  was  married.  In  1875,  Mr,  Guthrie  moved 
to  Douglas  county,  Illinois,  and  lived  on  his 
farm  there  until  1891.  In  tliat  year  he  settled  in 
Labette  county,  in  section  ^^,  Fairview  town- 
ship, where  he  has  since  lived.  He  is  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  has 
been  very  successful.  He  is  a  man  of  thrift 
and  energy,  and  his  farm  is  generally  im- 
proved, and  presents  a  fine  appearance. 

In  1875,  Mr.  Guthrie  married  Alice  M. 
Gray,  who  was  born  in  Vermilion  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  1861.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Sarah  (Harman)  Gray.  William  Gray 
is  a  native  of  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  and  was 
bor\i  in  1816.  In  1845,  he  moved  to  Clinton 
county,  Indiana,  .where  he  worked  at  his  trade, 
that  of  a  cooper,  and  at  farming.  In  1859,  he 
settled  in  \'ermilinn  count}-,  Illinois.  At  the 
present  writing  he  is  living  in  Sidell,  Illimjis, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  farming.  His  wife, 
Sarah  (Harman)  Gray,  was  a  native  of  Ham- 
ilton county,  Ohio,  and  was  born  in  1822.  She 
died  in  Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  in  1894. 
Mr.  Guthrie  and  his  wife  have  reared  the  fol- 
lowing  offspring  :      Harvey,    deceased  ;    Mary 


(  Alills),  of  Vermilion  county;  Alfred  W.  and 
Lizzie  (Wilson),  both  of  Vermilion  county; 
Sarah,  deceased ;  and  Clara,  of  A'ermilion 
county. 

Mr.  Guthrie  has  been  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  a  number  of  years  and  is  an 
active  member  of  tlie  church  known  as  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends. 


\COB  S.  STARE,  formerly  a  carpen- 
ter and  cabinetmaker,  by  trade,  but 
in  late  years  actively  engaged  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  is  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  of  North  township ,  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  York  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1825,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob 
M.  and  Eva   (Auchenbauch)    Stare. 

Jacob  Stare  was  born  in  York  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  his  wife  was  born  in  Lan- 
caster county  in  the  same  state.  They  reared 
the  following  children,  namely:  George; 
Jacob  S. ;  Elizabeth,  deceased;  Benjamin; 
Sarah  ;  Daniel ;  John  ;  and  Peter. 

Jacob  S.  Stare,  after  finishing  his  school 
studies,  viearned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and 
cabinetmaker,  which  he  followed  for  twenty- 
seven  years.  In  1853,  he  went  to  Macon 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  for  seventeen 
years,  and  in  1871  he  located  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas.  He  was  engaged  in  the  fruit  and  con- 
fectionery business  in  Parsons  for  eleven  years, 
and  then  sold  his  store,  in  1885,  He  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  li\-es,  from  the 
government,  in  1873,  at  $1.25  per  acre.  It  is 
the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
17,  North  township.  There  he  has  carried  on 
general  farming  and  fruit  raising.  He  has 
made  extensive  improvements  on  his  farm,  and 
now  has  one  of  the  finest  homes  in  the  county. 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


His  orchard  is  generally  conceded  to  be  the 
finest  in  the  state.  He  is  well  known  throughout 
the  county  as  a  farmer  of  great  ability  and  in- 
telligence. 

Mr.  Stare  married  Catherine  Bintz,  who 
was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania. 
This  estimable  lady,  who  was  universally  be- 
loved, and  was  esteemed  as  a  woman  of  high 
character,  died  in  February,  1901.  Her  death 
was  sincerely  mourned  by  all  who  knew  her. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stare  were  blessed  with  two  chil- 
dren, namely  :  Charles,  deceased :  and  Edward, 
manager  of  the  Stare  dairy. 

Mr.  Stare  is  a  Republican,  in  politics.  Re- 
ligiously, he  is  a  member  of  the  ^Methodist 
church.  He  has  many  warm  friends  in  the 
community.  A  picture  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stare 
accompanies  this  sketch. 


B 


ilOSEPH  ALLEX,  an  old  and  highly 
respected  citizen  of  Altamont,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  was  engaged  in 
farming  in  this  county  for  many 
years,  but  is  now  living  in  retirement,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  well  earned  rest  after  years 
of  hard  and  diligent  work.  Air.  Allen  was  born 
in  Maysville,  Kentucky,  in  1827,  and  is  a  son 
of  Charles  and  Sally  (  Lesher  )  Allen. 

Charles  Allen  was  born  in  1791,  and  died 
in  1831.  He  married  Sally  Lesher,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years.  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  children,  as  follows :  Charles, 
who  was  drowned  when  a  boy;  Joseph,  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  these  lines;  and 
William,  of   Maysville,   Kentucky. 

Joseph  Allen  served  an  apprenticeship  as 
a  stone-mason,  and  followed  the  trade  for  six 
years.  He  helped  to  build  the  county  jail  and 
court-house  oi  Mason  crnntv,  Kentuckv,  and 


also  many  of  the  residences  in  the  town  of 
Maysville.  He  farmed  in  IMason  and  Bracken 
counties  until  1880,  in  which  year  he  moved  to 
Kansas,  and  bought  a  farm  in  section  10,  La- 
bette township,  Labette  county.  There  he  suc- 
cessfully followed  farming  and  stock  raising 
until  1894,  when  he  retired  to  Altamont,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  He  is  a  man  of  high 
character  and  is  greatly  esteemed  by  his  friends 
and  acquaintances  throughout  the  county. 

In  1851  Mr.  Allen  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Margaret  Galbraith,  who  died  in  1878, 
leaving  the  following  children:  Lettie,  wife 
of  S.  B.  Lynd,  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  by  whom 
she  has  three  children, — Alaude,  Claude,  and 
Audra;  William  F.  and  Joseph  G.,  who  are 
farmers  in  Labette  township;  Charles,  who  is 
with  Company  C,  20th  Reg.,  U.  S.  Army,  now 
stationed  at  Manila;  and  Maggie,  who  is  liv- 
ing with  her  brothers.  Mr.  Allen  contracted 
a  second  marriage  in  1892,  by  wedding  Martha 
Galbraith.  Fraternally,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  In 
religious  attachments,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  Christ. 


EROAIE  B.  HOTCHKISS.  engineer 
of  the  "Katy  Flyer,"  running  oppo- 
site Engineer  Tierney,  is  one  of  the 
mi  )st  capable  and  successful  engineers 
on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway, 
and  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  Parsons,  Labette 
county,   Kansas. 

Mr.  Hotchkiss  is  of  English  origin,  and 
traces  his  ancestry  back  to  Samuel  Hotchkiss, 
who  was  one  of  Davenport's  New  Haven  Com- 
pany, which  settled  the  city  of  Xew  Haven, 
Connecticut,  in  i<^\x8.  From  Samuel  the  lin- 
eage is  traced  down  successively  through  "En- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


715 


sign"  Joslnia,  Stephen,  Gideon,  and  David,  to 
Gilead,  the  grandfather  of  Jerome  B.  Gilead 
Hotchkiss  Hved  to  be  one  hundred  and  six 
years  old,  and  the  family  is  particularly  noted 
for  the  longevity  of  its  members.  He  was  a 
wealthy  New  Yorker,  and  at  one  time  was  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Auburn, 
New  York.  He  speculated  on  land  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Chicago,  long  before  that  city  was 
ever  thought  of.  Various  members  of  the  fam- 
ily served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  rose 
to  the  rank  of  otificers. 

H.  B.  Hotchkiss.  the  next  in  line,  was  the 
father  of  Jerome  B.  He  was  a  native  of  the 
state  of  New  York,  where  his  marriage  took 
place.  In  1848  he  left  that  state  for  Calhoun 
county,  Michigan.  The  following  year  he 
traveled  overland  to  California,  and  then,  after 
being  successful  in  mining  for  a  few  years, 
returned  to  his  family  in  [Michigan.  His 
death  occurred  in  September,  1862.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Laura  A.  Cooper,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  She  is  still  living  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years. 
Twelve  children  were  born  to  her  and  her  hus- 
band, of  whom  five  reached  maturity,  as  fol- 
lows :  Rush,  a  well  known  pr(iperty  owner  of 
Spokane,  Washington;  Jerome  B.,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch ;  Charles,  a  locomotive  engineer 
in  Minnesota;  H.  B.,  also  an  engineer,  and 
president  of  a  mining  company  in  Spokane, 
Washington ;  and  Warren,  for  many  years  also 
a  railroad  man,  but  now  in  the  hotel  business 
in  California. 

Jerome  B.  Hotchkiss  was  born  near  Au- 
l)urn.  New  Yiirk,  at  a  place  called  Carver's 
Corner,  December  17.  1844.  \\'hile  still 
small,  his  parents  moved  to  Allegany  county. 
New  York,  and  later  to  IMichigan.  He  had 
exceptional  educational  advantages.  After 
passing  through  the  common  schools,   he  at- 


tended high  school  at  Battle  Creek,  Michigan, 
and  subsequently  took  a  thorough  course  in 
Albion  College.  When  old  enough  to  choose 
a  \-ocation  for  himself,  he  readily  adopted  rail- 
roading. January  ly,  1863,  he  began  work  as 
fireman  on  one  of  the  old  hook-motion  wood- 
burner  engines  at  Marshall,  Michigan,  on  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad.  He  remained  on 
that  road  for  three  years,  and  then  followed 
similar  work  on  the  Chicago  &  North-\\'estern 
Railway,  running  out  of  Clinton,  Iowa,  west 
to  Belle  Plaine,  Iowa.  In  January,  1870,  pro- 
motion followed  and  Mr.  Hotchkiss  became  an 
engineer  on  the  same  system.  He  has  followed 
this  line  of  work  ever  since.  He  pulled  both 
freight  and  passenger  trains  on  the  Chicago  & 
North- Western  Railway  until  1878.  On  ac- 
count of  failing  health,  he  was  then  obliged  to 
seek  a  milder  climate  and  accordingly  came 
south  to  Kansas.  It  was  his  intention  to  seek 
a  position  on  the  Santa  Fe  road,  and  he  car- 
ried letters  of  introduction  and  recommenda- 
tion to  the  master  mechanic  at  Topeka,  Kan- 
sas. Having  acquaintances  at  Parsons,  he 
went  there  on  a  visit,  previous  to  soliciting  a 
situation.  While  there  he  was  induced  to  seek 
a  position  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway,  which  he  did,  and  decided  to  remain 
in  Parsons. 

September  5,  1878,  he  commenced  work  on 
the  "Katy,"  first  pulling  freight  trains  north 
to  Junction  Cit_\-,  and  continued  on  that  run 
for  several  years.  Advancement  followed, 
and  he  became  a  passenger  engineer,  and  has 
run  as  such  up  to  the  present  time;  he  is  now- 
pulling  the  "Katy  Flyer," — one  of  the  fastest 
trains  on  the  system. 

^Ir.  Hotchkiss  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  ]\Iaria  Olivia  Alexander,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Juliette  (  Praddock )  Alexander, 
respected    residents    of    Marshall,    Michigan. 


7i6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Mrs.  Hotclikiss  was  born  in  Ypsilanti,  :\Iichi- 
gan ;  when  she  was  nine  years  old  her  parents 
removed  to  Marshall.  Her  father  was  of 
English  origin,  and  passed  to  his  final  rest  in 
1885,  aged  seventy-line  years.  He  was  a  well- 
read,  influential  man,  and  mainl}-  followed  the 
occui)ation  of  farming.  He  was  always  a 
stanch  Democrat.  He  assisted  in  the  survey 
of  Wisconsin,  and  camped  out  at  Sheboygan. 
Five  children  were  born  to  him  and  his  wife, 
namely :  Charles  Henry,  now  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  in  Chicago;  Maria  Olivia, 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Hotchkiss;  Lydia  Jane 
(Peters),  of  Clyde,  Kansas;  Albert,  an  em- 
ployee in  the  postoffice  at  Riverside,  Califor- 
nia; and  Theodore  L.,  a  printer  in  Chicago, 
Illinois. 

Two  sons  have  blessed  the  union  of  ]\Ir. 
and  Mrs.  Hotchkiss.  Charles  B.,  the  only  liv- 
ing child,  was  born  September  14,  1866,  in 
Marshall,  Michigan.  He  married  Ethel 
Hearst,  resides  in  the  city  of  Parsons,  and  is 
teller  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  that  city. 
Harry,  deceased,  was  born  November  3,  1871, 
and  died  when  six  months  old.  Mr.  Hotch- 
kiss purchased  a  fine  residence  from  Engineer 
J.  F.  Russell,  at  No.  1923  Clark  avenue,  where 
he  is  very  pleasantly  situated.  He  has  always 
voted  a  straight  Republican  ticket,  although 
the  family  politics  were  Democratic  up  to  the 
time  of  President  Buchanan.  Mr.  Hotchkiss 
has  served  four  years  as  alderman  from  the 
Fourth  \\'ard.  He  is  a  member  of  Division 
No.  179,  B.  cif  L.  E.,  of  Parsons,  having  been 
transferred  fr.im  Division  No.  125,  B.  of  L.  E., 
of  Clinton,  biwa.  He  has  filled  all  the  chairs, 
and  for  the  past  fifteen  years  has  been  secre- 
tary. He  joined  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  in  1883,  and 
is  still  a  meml^er.  his  wife  being  a  member  of 
the  Degree  of  Honor.  She  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  America,  while 


Mr.  Hotchkiss  afiiliates  with  the  order  of  B. 
P.  O.  E.,  Lodge  No.  527.  In  their  religious 
views,  they  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church. 
Mr.  Hotchkiss  has  had  a  few  accidents  to  con- 
tend with  in  his  lengthy  railroad  career,  none 
of  which,  howe\er,  has  been  of  a  serious  na- 
ture. Altogether,  he  has  been  most  fortunate 
and  successful,  and  his  success  has  been  but 
the  just  reward  of  his  carefulness  and  superior 
skill. 


-gkBt  W  ■  iNlcEWEN,  a  gentleman  promi- 
^>^  nent  in  the  financial  circles  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  is  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Citizens  State  Bank  of 
Chetopa,  which  is  owned  by  the  ^IcEwen  fam- 
ily. In  addition  to  this,  he  carries  on  a  large 
business  in  private  loans,  etc.,  having  a  sep- 
arate office  for  this  purpose.  He  is  a  man  of 
great  strength  of  character,  and  of  pleasing 
personality,  and  has  many  friends  throughout 
the  county.  He  was  born  in  Allegheny  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  near  Pittsburg,  in  1841,  and 
is  a  son  of  J.  R.  and  Nancy  (Crooks)  ]\Ic- 
Ewen.  J.  R.  ]\IcEwen  and  his  wife  were  of 
Scotch  descent,  and  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
faith.     He  was  a  farmer  and  died  in  Ohio. 

G.  W.  iNIcEwen  was  reared  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  attended  t'he  common  schools 
and  at  the  same  time  handled  the  plow  and 
drove  oxen  for  his  father.  He  removed  to 
Guernsey  county,  Ohio,  with  his  father,  in 
1867.  He  was  mai'ried  there,  made  that  coun- 
ty his  home,  and  followed  farming  until  1872. 
'Jlien  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business  at  Oakdale,  Allegheny 
count}-.  In  1876  he  removed  to  Gage  county, 
Neliraska,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming 
until  the  spring  of  1880.  He  then  came  to 
Chetopa,   Labette   county,    Kansas,    where   he 


ROBERT  A.   BARTLETT. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


719 


■was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  for  three 
and  a  half  years  with  his  brother-in-law,  J.  F. 
Sterling.  In  1884  he  commenced  the  loan 
business,  and  was  for  a  time  in  partnership 
with  F.  M.  Smith,  now  of  \'inita,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, but  now  conducts  it  almie. 

Mr.  McEwen  was  united  in  matrimony,  in 
Ohio,  with  Mattie  Best,  wlm  died  in  1889,  at 
the  age  of  thirty-nine  years  leaving  tliree  chil- 
dren:  John  F. :  Winnie,  who  died  in  1897,  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  years;  and  W.  C.  In  1892 
Mr.  McEwen  formed  a  second  marital  union, — 
Kate  Slagle.  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  becoming  his 
wife.  In  politics  he  is  a  strong  Republican; 
he  has  been  a  councilman,  and  also  on  the 
school  board  for  the  past  tweh-e  years.  He 
was  clerk  of  the  board  of  education  for  ten 
years.  He  joined  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  ^^'orknlen  in  1880,  and  is  still  an  active 
member  of  the  lodge  at  Chetopa.  He  was 
reared  in  the  United  Presbvterian  faith. 


m 


OBERT  A.  BARTLETT.  whose  por- 
trait appears  herewith,  is  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  farmers  of  Hack- 
berry  township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, and  it  was  in  his  honor  that  the  town  of 
Bartlett  was  named.  He  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware county,  Indiana,  in  1836,  and  is  a  son  of 
Robert  L.  Bartlett. 

Robert  L.  Bartlett  was  born  in  Harrison 
county.  West  Virginia,  and  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  He  was  joined  in  Hymen's  bonds 
with  Mrs.  Mary  Hall,  and  the\-  liecame  parents 
of  the  following  children :  Alary,  Eleanor, 
John,  Emily  and  Enoch,  all  deceased ;  and  Rob- 
ert A. 

Robert  A.  Bartlett  lived  in  his  native  state 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
wlien  he  went  to  Illinois.  Iowa  and  Wisconsin, 


and  finally  returned,  in  1857,  to  Indiana,  where 
he  located  at  Anderson.  He  followed  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter  and  was  a  resident  of  Ander- 
son until  1869.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  he 
journeyed  west  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and 
in  1870  located  on  his  present  farm, — the 
southwest  Cjuarter  of  sectinn  2j,  Hackberry 
township.  He  built  a  caliin  12  liy  12  feet,  in 
size,  on  his  claim,  and  thmugh  several  con- 
spicuous improvements  made  it  one  of  the  most 
valuable  pieces  of  land  in  the  community.  The 
town  of  Bartlett  is  located  on  his  Udrthwest 
40  acres  and,  as  before  mentioned,  was  named 
in  his  honor.  'The  town  was  organized  in 
1887,  with  Mr.  Bartlett  as  president,  and 
Charles  C.  Black,  as  secretary.  The  land  on 
which  he  located  was  one  of  the  many  tracts 
claimed  by  the  railroad  company,  and  he  was 
one  of  the  foremost  in  contesting  the  title  of 
the  adverse  claimant.  He,  with  other  farmers, 
fought  the  railroad  corporation  in  the  courts 
for  a  period  of  five  years,  and  finally  won. 
.\t  the  present  time  he  rents  his  farm.  In 
1895.  he  built  a  handsome,  two-story,  frame 
residence.  <if  15  moms,  nicely  arranged  and 
equip]jed  with   nindern  cnn\eniences. 

Mr.  Bartlett  was  united  in  matrimony  with 
Lucinda  J.  Alakepeace.  who  was  born  in  Indi- 
ana, in  1836,  and  they  have  reared  the  follow- 
ing children  :Hattie,  Norman,  John.  Edith,  and 
Nellie.  Politically.  Mr.  Bartlett  is  a  strong 
Republican.  He  belongs  to  Chetopa  Lodge, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  \\'orkmen. 


...     E.    WELCH,   of   Parsons,    Kansas, 
^M      has  a  fine  recnrd  as  an  engineer  and 
:onductor,     and     has     distinguished 
himself   in   these  capacities  on  vari- 
ous roads.     He  is  a  neph.ew  of  L.  \\'.  Welch, 


720 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


superintendent  of  the  :\Iissouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway,  at  Parsons. 

Mr.  Welch  was  born  in  Susquehanna  coun- 
ty. Pennsylvania,  in  1851,  and  is  a  son  of 
Steplien  S.  and  Fayette  (Edwards)  Welch, 
who  were  descendants  of  English  ancestors. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
died  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1879.  The  mother 
of  C.  E.  Welch  came,  with  her  people,  from 
Rhode  Island,  her  father  ha\ing  been  a  port 
inspector  for  over  tifty  years.  C.  E.  Welch  is 
one  of  a  family  of  three  children.  One  sister, 
Louise,  is  deceased,  and  another  sister,  Frances, 
is  now  Mrs.  W.  D.  Whittaker,  and  resides  at 
Waverlv,  New  York.  The  family  moved  to 
Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  where  the  subject 
hereof  attended  the  common  schools.  He 
joined  the  50th  X.  Y.  Vol.  Engineer  Corps, 
as  a  drummer  boy,  and  was  mustered  out  with 
his  regiment,  in  1865,  having  sustained  no  in- 
jury during  the  whole  time  of  his  army  serv- 
ice. 

In  1866  ]\Ir.  Welch  returned  to  Scranton, 
Pennsylvania,  and  began  work  as  fireman  on 
the  Delaware  Lackawanna  &  W'estern  Rail- 
road, and  later  on  the  Geneva,  Ithaca 
&  Athens  Railroad.  He  was  promoted 
to  be  an  engineer,  in  1871,  and  ran  an 
engine  on  the  Geneva,  Ithaca  &  Athens 
Railroad  until  1875.  He  spent  the  following 
3'ear  on  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway, — run- 
ning on  the  Sedalia  division.  In  1876  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway  as  brakeman  on  the  Sedalia 
Division.  After  working  thus  one  year,  he 
returned  to  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway,  as 
engineer. — running  out  of  Sedalia  to  Kansas 
City;  he  remained  on  that  road  until  1890. 
Returning  to  service  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas 
&  Texas  Railway,  with  headquarters  at  Par- 
sons, he  spent  the  following  year  as  engineer, — 


coN-ering  runs  to  Muskogee  and  Denison, 
Texas.  Mr.  Welch  then  became  a  conductor, 
and  served  as  .such  in  the  freight  department. 
He  has  Ijeen  in  charge  of  the  chain-gang  run- 
ning out  of  Parsons  for  the  past  seven  years. 
Mr.  Welch  is  interested  in  property  in  Parsons, 
and  has  a  comfortable  home.  He  was  mar- 
ried at  Sedalia,  Missouri,  to  Mary  Lynch,  a 
native  of  that  city.  Three  children  were  the 
result  of  this  union:  Stephen  G.,  formerly  of 
Denver,  Colorado,  who  was  employed  on  the 
Denver,  Texas  &  Fort  Worth  Railway,  and 
later  enlisted  in  a  volunteer  company  and 
sailed  to  the  Philippines;  and  Mary  Esther  and 
Charles  W.,  wdio  are  at  school. 

Mr.  Welch  is  a  Democrat,  in  politics.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  O.  R.  C,  and 
also  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  Division  Xo.  179,  of 
Parsons.  ]\Irs.  Welch  is  a  member  of  the 
auxiliaries  of  both  orders.  In  their  religious 
views,  they  are  Catholics,  and  are  devout  and 
faithful  members  of  that  church. 


ISS  M.  XELLIE  McGIXLEY. 
This  estimable  lady  is  the  efficient 
superintendent  of  the  Ch.etopa 
High  School,  and  is  widely  known 
in  Labette  county.  She  was  born  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and'  is  a  daughter  of  P.  C.  and 
Anna   (Brady)   McGinley. 

Her  father,  who  was  a  nati\"e  of  County 
Donegal,  Ireland,  came  to  America  in  1857, 
and  located  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  married 
Anna  Brady,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with 
five  children;  F.  J.,  a  merchant  of  X'orman, 
Oklahoma;  P.  J.,  ca.shier  for  the  Missouri  Pa- 
cific Railway  Company,  at  Cofifeyville,  Kansas; 
Anna;  Hannah,  a  teacher  in  tlie  Pittsburg, 
Kansas,  schools ;  and  Margaret  Helen,  the  sub- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


721 


ject  of  this  biography,  who,  with  her  mother 
and  sisters,  has  her  home  in  Chetopa.  ]\Ir. 
McGinley  died  at  Norman,  Oklahoma,  in  1897. 
Miss  McGinley  received  her  primary  edu- 
cation at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  she  lived  un- 
til her  patents  removed  to  Chetopa,  in  1875. 
She  was  one  of  the  first  graduates  of  the  Che- 
topa High  School,  in  the  class  of  1883,  which 
consisted  of  four  members.  Subsequently 
Miss  McGinley  attended  the  Kansas  State  Nor- 
mal School  at  Emporia,  and  also  the  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago.  Her  first  work  as  instructor, 
a  task  to  which  she  is  admirably  adapted,  was 
in  1883,  when  she  accepted  a  position  in  the 
primary  department  of  the  Chetopa  schools 
under  Superintendent  J.  \V.  Weitner.  She 
has  since  taught  in  all  the  grades.  In  the  fall 
of  1897  li^i'  superior  ability  was  recognized, 
and  she  was  made  superintendent  of  the  Che- 
topa High  School,  which  position  includes  the 
superintendency  of  the  city  schools.  She  is  at 
the  head  of  10  teachers  and  700  pupils.  IMiss 
McGinley  gives  the  names  of  the  12  members 
in  the  1901  graduating  class  of  the  Chetopa 
High  School,  and  they  are  as  follows :  Charles 
Crookhan;  Ethel  Smith;  Pearl  Remington; 
Mabel  Rosier;  May  McPherson;  Nell  Miller; 
John  Th(_impson ;  Charles  Amos;  Ada  Simons; 
Jennie  Cooper;  Hannah  Cunningham;  and 
Bertha  Ditzler.  i\Iiss  JNIcGinley  has  had  a 
thorough  education,  and  is  well  prepared  tij 
take  charge  of  such  a  large  number  of  schol- 
ars. Her  duties  are  arduous  and  exacting,  but 
she  manages  to  find  time  in  which  to  keep 
thoroug'hly  informed  on  all  progressive  move- 
ments in  educational  circles.  The  Chetopa 
High  School  is  a  large  and  handsome  building, 
and  one  of  which  any  town  might  well  be 
proud.  The  citizens  of  Chetopa  have  just 
cause  to  feel  thaf  the  training  of  its  young 
people  could  not  be  placed  under  better  super- 


vision than  ]\Iiss  ]\IcGinley's.  She  is  greatly 
esteemed  by  all  who  come  in  contact  with  her 
pleasing  personality.  Miss  McGinley  is  a 
member  of  the  district  and  county  teachers' 
associations.  In  religious  \iews,  she  is  a 
Catholic. 


m 


RASTUS  A.  MILLIKEN.  This  gen- 
tleman is  the  well  known  and  effi- 
cient postmaster  of  Valeda.  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  He  has  lieen  a  resi- 
dent of  this  county  since  1882,  and  is  owner 
of  a  well  improved  farm  in  Howard  township. 
He  was  born  in  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  in 
1 87 1,  and  is  a  son  of  H.  F.  and  ]Mary  A. 
( Jones )  Alilliken. 

H.  F.  Milliken  was  a  native  of  Shelby  coun- 
ty, and  was  born  in  1850.  He  was  a  prominent 
farmer  of  Labette  county  for  many  years.  He 
married  Mary  A.  Jones,  who  was  born  in 
Spencer  county,  Indiana.  They  reared  three 
children  ;    Erastus  *-\.. ;  Bertha  G. ;  and  Ada  M. 

Erastus  A.  Milliken,  whose  name  heads 
this  biography,  was  eleven  years  old  when  his 
parents  removed  to  Labette  county,  where  they 
located,  two  miles  northeast  of  the  town  of 
Edna.  After  residing  there  seventeen  months, 
they  moved  to  Howard  township,  and  there 
Mr.  ^Milliken  lived  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
nineteen  vears.  He  spent  one  j-ear  in  Illinois, 
and  returned  to  Howard  township  in  1890, 
where  he  farmed  until  March,  1900.  His 
farm  is  the  southiwest  quarter  of  section  29, 
township  34,  range  18.  He  now  rents  part  of 
this  farm,  and  on  the  remainder  carries  on 
general  farming  for  himself.  He  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  Valeda,  January  5,  1901, 
and  bids  fair  to  hoUl  tin's  position  several 
terms. 

Mr.  Milliken  married  ]Mellie  M.  Townsend, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


who  was  burn  in  Indiana  in  11^72.  They  have 
one  child. — Charles  M.  I\Ir.  Milhken  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  all  local  affairs.  He  belongs  to  the  Mod- 
ern Wciudmen  of  .\merica,  Valeda  Lodge,  No. 
751 1  :  and  also  to  Edna  Lodge,  No.  368,  I.  O. 
O.  F.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief 
Association.  :Mr.  Milliken  attends  the  Meth- 
odist church.  He  is  a  man  of  honest  and  up- 
right principles,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by 
his  fellow  citizens. 


ILL] AM  G.  KOCH,  train  dispatcher 
for  the  ^lissouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway,  at  Parsons,  Kansas,  is  a 
native  of  Gray  Summit,  Franklin 
couiUv,  ^Missouri.  He  is  the  youngest  son  of 
Herman  and  W'ilhelmina  (  Tappe)  Koch.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Lippe  Detmold,  Ger- 
luany.  while  his  mother  descended  from  Bruns- 
wick (  Germany)  ancestors.  She  is  still  liv- 
ing, but  the  father  is  now  deceased. 

The  family  left  Germany,  where  the  par- 
ents were  luarried,  and  where  several  of  their 
children  were  born,  in  1855,  and  came  to 
America.  They  located  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, wdiere  Herman  Koch  engaged  in  the  shoe 
business.  W'ith  the  exception  of  three  years 
spent  as  a  soldier  during  the  Civil  War,  he 
followed  this  business  continuously  for  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  The  parents  remained  in 
St.  Louis  until  most  of  the  children  were  grown 
and  scattered.  The  family  consisted  of  nine 
children,  as  follows:  Fred,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years;  the  second  child,  wdio 
died  in  infancy;  Sophia  (Neuhaus),  who  re- 
sides nil  a  farm  in  Franklin  county,  Missouri; 
Herman,  whci  died  aged  twenty  years;  Amelia, 
wife  of  Mr.  Hellman,  secretary  of  the  Interna- 


tional Cigar  Makers"  Union,  at  St.  Louis,  ^lis- 
souri,  where  INIrs.  Heilman  studied  medicine 
and  is  now  a  practicing  physician ;  Henry,  who 
died  in  infancy,  as  did  also  the  next  child  in 
order  of  birth;  Julius  J.,  a  conductor  on  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  at  Par- 
sons; and  William  G..  the  subject  of  this  bi- 
ography. 

William  G.  Koch  had  limited  educational 
ad\-antages.  having  attended  the  common 
schools  only.  He  left  home  when  but  thirteen 
years  old,  having  previously  studied  telegraphy 
at  Gray  Sumiuit,  ^Missouri.  After  leaving 
home,  he  worked  at  telegraphy,  for  which  he 
had  a  special  aptitude.  He  worked  as  night 
operator  at  New  Haven,  Missouri,  on  the  ]\Iis- 
souri  Pacific  Railway.  He  subsequently  filled 
similar  positions  at  Kansas  City,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Missouri,  and  Chetopa,  Kansas. 

Ma}'  I,  1887,  Mr.  Koch  was  promoted,  and 
served  as  a  regular  operator  at  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, until  June  of  the  following  year.  Further 
advancement  then  followed  and  he  became 
train  dispatcher  under  Chief  Cowden.  For 
the  past  three  years  he  has  worked  the  second 
trick, — that  is,  from  4  o'clock  P.  M.  to  mid- 
night. 

Mr.  Koch  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Ida 
L.  Prather,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Lydia 
(Livesay)  Prather.  Mrs.  Koch  was  born 
near  McCune,  Kansas,  in  1877.  Her  father 
is  now  successfully  engaged  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness at  Parsons.  Her  sister.  Bertha  Prather, 
is  a  competent  clerk  in  Bing's  clothing  store, 
in  the  same  city. 

Politically,  Air.  Koch  is  a  Republican;  he 
is  not  a  member  of  any  fraternal  society.  The 
family  attend  the  ^Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
They  own  a  comfortable  and  attractive  resi- 
flence  at  No.  1900  Morgan  a\-enue,  and  take 
a  deep  and  intelligent  interest  in  the  welfare  of 


ALEXANDER    McCULLY. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


725 


Parsons,  of  wliich  comniiuiity  they  are  con- 
sidered model  citizens. 


lEXAXDER    AIcCULLY,   who   con- 
ucts   a   hirge    H\'ery    and    transfer 


^ji^^  husiness  at  Oswego,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  also  engaged  in  breeding 
and  selling  blooded  horses,  owning  some  of 
the  best  known  animals  in  the  state. 

Mr.  McCully  was  born  near  Belfast,  Ire- 
land, X'ovember  18,  1S51,  and  there  received 
his  education.  He  took  up  the  trade  of  a 
stone-mason  and  followed  that  and  contract- 
ing in  St.  Louis,  where  he  located  in  1868. 
He  moved  to  Oswego,  Kansas,  in  1871,  and 
there  also  followed  the  trade  of  a  stone-mason 
and  did  contracting  until  1873.  In  the  latter 
year  he  moved  back  to  St.  Louis  where  he 
contracted  for  the  following  ten  years,  and 
in  1883  returned  to  Oswego,  Kansas.  He 
turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  stock 
raising,  in  which  he  was  fairly  successful  for 
a  period  of  three  years.  In  1886  he  moved 
into  the  city  of  Oswego  and  engaged  in  the 
livery  and  transfer  business,  in  addition  to 
which  he  has  bought  and  sold  horses  and 
mules. 


^IcCulh 


stock  breeder  of  wide 
reputation,  and  owns  the  following  well- 
known  animals:  Rounds'  Sprague,  4194. 
Record  2:243<2.  At  sixteen  years  of  age  sire 
of:  Jennie  Sprague,  2:1 5 '4  :  Victor  Sprague, 
2:i5yi:  Elsie  Sprague,  2:i8'j;  Raven 
Sprague,  2:1914;  Afro,  2:20;  Eldridge,  2:20; 
Tempest  (p),  2:17;  Grant,  2:i7>^;  El  Reno, 
2  :i8:  J.  F.  R.  (p),  2  :i8><  ;  The  Judge;  Yula. 
2  :27>^' ;  J.  C.  L.,  2  -.sgyi  ;  Gypsy  Goldust  (p), 
2  :24^  ;  Miss  Grant,  2  :2yyi ;  Hat  Sprague, 
2:24j54;  Bill  Cody,  2:29;  Mathewson,  2:29^4; 


Frank  Logan,  2:2^;  Sprague  Junior,  2:30;- 
Nora  Marks  (],).  2:27,:  Fred  P..  2 :28>4 ; 
Blanche  (  p  ) ,  2  : 24 '  j  :  El  Reno  (  p  )  3,  2  :^o ;  and 
Durango  (  1  ) .  2  ;48.  He  is  a  grandsire  of 
Searcher  (2),  2:iy}i;  Topsy  S.  (p),  2  :o9>4  ; 
John  Kenney  (p),  2:16;  Lady  Clarissa, 
2:20>2.  He  is  by  Governor  Sprague,  444, 
record  2:20j4,  sire  of:  Charlie  P.,  2:11 54; 
Sprague  Goldust,  2  :i5;54;  Kate  Sprague,  2  :i8; 
Calvina  Sprague,  2  :i9-54  ;  and  35  others  better 
than  2  :30.  He  is  alsn  sire  of  the  dams  of  Mc- 
Kinney.  jiij'j:  Sprai^ue  Wilkes,  four-year- 
old.  2:18:  Atlanta,  2:2412:  Canary  Bird, 
three-year-old,  2:igl4:  and  Blameless,  2:30. 
The  dam  of  Round's  Sprague  is  Davis  ]\Iaid. 
by  Mambrino  Prince,  son  of  Mambrino  Chief, 
II.  Governor  Sprague  is  a  son  of  Rhode 
Island,  267,  2:23^.2,  sire  of  Jim  Scribler, 
2:2134  (sire  of  Lettie  Waterman,  2:22^4). 
Governor  Sprague's  dam  was  dam  of  Bell  Bran- 
don, dam  (if  Amy.  2:20 '4  ;  Governor  Sprague, 
2  :20>'2  ;  and  Wilnier.  2:29'4.  Bell  Brandon 
was  by  Hambletonian,  10.  s're  of  Dexter, 
2  :i7'4,  and  40  others  in  the  2  :30  list.  Rounds' 
Sprague  is  the  leading  sire  of  Kansas,  has 
more  2  -.7,0  performers  and  more  2  :20  perfi irm- 
ers  than  any  other  horse  in  the  state.  He  is 
seal  brown,  16  hands  high,  and  weighs  1,200 
pounds.  Mambrino  ]\Torgan.  by  \\'onder 
Morgan,  dam,  Hollv,  bv  Mambrino  Mohawk, 
son  of  ]\Iambrino  Patchen,  full  brother  to  Lady 
Thorn,  2:i8'4,  and  sire  of  London,  2:20^^2 
Jewess,  2:2(>.  and  17  others  in  the  2:30  list; 
and  sire  cjf  the  dams  of  fi8  with  rec<-irds  from 
2:i5'-2  to  2:30,  eight  bein^-  in  2:30  or  lietter. 
Wonder  IMorgan,  by  Excelsior,  son  of  Green 
Mountain  Blackhawk.  he  by  the  world  re- 
nowned Old  Blackhawk,  of  Burlington,  \'er- 
mont.  Mambrino  ^Morgan  is  a  beauti- 
ful chestnut  sorrel,  16  hands  high,  and 
weighs    1,300  pounds,   being  an   ideal    coach 


726 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


I'.orse.  Alexander  Mc.  \)y  Aladdin.  2235, 
dam,  Betsey  King  (standard),  dam  nf  Raven 
Sprague.  2:19' '4:  Ijrown  mare,  i~,H  hands 
higii.  sired  by  Menelaus,  Jr.,  he  by  Mene- 
laus,  by  Hamljletonian  (  10)  ;  first  dam,  Mol- 
lie  King,  by  Yorkshire  Lexington;  sec- 
ond dam,  Brunette,  by  Mambrino  Chief 
(11);  third  dam,  Nancy  King,  by  Gifford 
Morgan ;  fourtli  dam.  Pope  Mare,  by  SheYman 
Morgan  (2626).  Alexander  Mc.  is  a  lieauti- 
ful  seal  brown,  I5.2>4  hands  high  and  will 
surely  make  a  race  horse.  It  is  the  intention 
to  put  him  in  training  and  he  promises  to  be 
one  of  the  best  young  horses  in  the  state. 
AyiASiro,  13501  (full  blood  Percheron),  by 
Extrador,  he  by  Favera,  1542,  son  of  Monarch, 
205.  Extrador  was  a  famous  show  horse, 
weighing  2,200  pounds,  and  won  mure  first 
moneys  in  tiie  show  ring  than  any  other  horse. 
Imported  by  Dillon  Brothers.  Amanito  is  a 
beautiful  black,  possessing  extra  bone,  with 
good  feet,  making  him  a  superior  draft  horse ; 
he  weighs  1,800  pounds.  Bl.\ck  Duke.  A 
black  jack  with  light  points;  15  hand.s  high; 
foaled  May  7,  1890.  He  is  a  grand  jack,  up- 
headed,  with  great  Roman  nose,  br(jad  fore- 
head, fine  tapering  ear,  ])road  breasted,  heavy 
bodied,  deep  through  the  heart,  large  flat  bone 
and  good  feet,  good  disposition  and  well 
enough  bred  for  a  jennet  jack.  Bumper.  A 
black  jack,  with  light  points,  five  years  old  and 
14.2  hands  high.  A  wonderfully  smooth,  fine- 
ly finished  and  pmportioned   fellow.    Lengthv 


with 


and  good  feet. 


In  1872,  Mr.  McCully  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Paline  Ashley,  of  Oswego,  and 
they  are  parents  of  four  children:  William 
J.,  who  married  Miss  Bickle:  Alaggie  M. 
(  Stice)  ;  -Mice:  Jessie  (Kirshaw).  Fraternal- 
ly, he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 


of  Odd  Fellows,  and  Knights  of  Pythias.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics.  A  portrait  of  Mr. 
McCullv  accomrianies  this  sketch. 


B 


RANK  SHRADER,  who  lives  on  a 
well  improved  farm  in  the  northwest 
(juarter  of  section  13,  township  35, 
range  17,  in  Howard  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  has  been  one  of  the  prom- 
inent farmers  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
county  since  1888.  He  was  born  near  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania,  in  1863,  and  is  a  son  of 
William  and  Eliza   (Byers)   Shrader. 

William  Shrader  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  a  farmer  and  coal  dealer  by 
occupation.  He  married  Eliza  Byers,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  that  state.  They  reared 
six  children :  John  ;  Frank  ;  Alice ;  Fred,  de- 
ceased ;  Bertha ;  and  Samuel. 

Frank  Shrader  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
the  county  in  which  he  was  born.  He  en- 
gaged in  the  coal  business  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  in  i883  decided  to  go  West.  He  accord- 
ingly set  out  for  Kansas,  and  on  his  arrival 
locatefl  in  Labette  county.  He  bought  his 
present  farm,  and  there  he  has  since  carried 
on  general  farming.  He  has  always  been  a 
hard  working  man,  has  taken  great  pride  in  the 
care  of  his  farm,  and  has  made  several  good 
improvements  on  the  place. 

Mr.  Shrader  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Alaggie  Hendricks,  who  was  born  in  Missouri, 
in  1873,  and  they  have  one  child,  Frank.  Mr. 
Shrader  is  a  Republican,  in  politics.  Relig- 
iously, he  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  well 
known  in  Howard  township,  and  is  an  active 
worker  in  all  enterprises  which  tend  to  de- 
\-elop  the  township  and  county. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


DSAAC  AIcCARTY.  one  of  the  most  hon- 
ored and  respected  citizens  of  Howard 
townsliip,  Laljette  county,  Kansas,  has 
been  located  in  the  town  of  Valeda 
since  1890.  and  at  one  time  was  engaged  in  tiie 
grain  and  stock  business.  He  is  now  virtually 
living  in  retirement.  Although  he  has  seen 
seventy-seveu  years  of  life,  his  capacity  for 
business  is  unimpaired,  and  he  uses  the  same 
keen  judgment  and  foresight  which  has  al- 
ways characterized  his  transactions. 

Mr.  McCarty  was  born  in  the  mountains 
of  Tennessee,  in  1824,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
]\IcCarty,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  wdio  followed 
the  calling  of  a  farmer.  Isaac  McCarty  was 
but  one  year  old  when  his  parents  moved  to 
Putnam  county,  Indiana,  and  there  he  resided 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-three  years. 
In  the  fall  of  1847  ^^^  located  in  Henry  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  lived'  six  years,  and  thence 
went  to  Des  Moines  county,  Iowa,  where  one 
of  his  sons  now  resides  on  the  old  home  farm. 
He  continued  to  live  there  until  he  came  to 
Kansas  in  1885;  'he  spent  the  winter  of  that 
year  in  Oswego.  He  then  went  to  Texas,  but 
returned  to  Oswego  in  the  fall  of  1886.  In 
the  spring  of  the  following  year  he  located  in 
the  Indian  Territor}-,  five  miles  south  of  Va- 
leda, and  was  engaged  in  ranching  there  for 
a  period  of  four  years.  He  located  in  Valeda 
in  1890,  and  was  successfully  engaged  in  grain 
and'  stock  dealing  until  1895.  He  is  a  man  of 
pleasing  personality,  and  a  clever  conversa- 
tionalist, and  has  made  many  friends  wherever 
he  h'as  lived.  He  now  owns  three  farms  in 
Howard  township,  all  of  which  he  rents. 

Mr.  McCarty  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  ]\I.  A.  Sharp,  who  was  born  in  Owen 
county,  Indiana,  in  1833,  and  they  have  reared 
the  following  offspring:  G.  J.,  a  farmer,  of 
Howard  township;  W.  D.,  a  farmer,  of  Iowa; 


John  L.,  who  is  also  located  in  Iowa;  Alex- 
ander H.,  of  Oswego,  Kansas;  Alary;  S.  M.; 
Frank  O. ;  Charles  B. ;  and  Anna  B.  (Fitch). 
Politically,  Mr.  McCarty  is  a  stanch  Democrat, 
and  while  a  resident  of  Iowa  served  as  clerk 
of  the  township  and  county,  and  as  a  member 
of  the  school  board.  Religiously,  he  is  a  de- 
vout member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  is  also 
a  minister  of  that  denomination. 


^\  .  CLARK.  Among  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch.  He  is  living  in  Elm 
Grove  township,  in  section  35,  township  34, 
range  19.  Mr.  Clark  was  born  in  Jackson 
county,  Iowa,  in  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  Robison 
and  Levenia  ( Baber)   Clark. 

Robison  Clark  was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio, 
where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
Later  in  life  he  removed  to  Labette  county, 
where  he  died  January  i,  1899.  He  married 
Levenia  Baber,  who  was  born  in  Virginia,  and 
they  reared  the  following  children:  Samuel; 
Charles ;  Martha ;  John ;  Ella ;  H.  W. ;  Sadie ; 
George;  Cora;  and  Jesse. 

In  the  fall  of  1879,  when  Mr.  Clark  was 
fifteen  years  old,  he  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Kansas.  His  father  located  one  mile  south- 
east of  H.  W.  Clark's  present  farm.  His  par- 
ents resided  there  during  all  of  their  active 
period.  Mr.  Clark,  after  his  marriage,  rented 
a  farm  a  half  mile  south  of  his  present  farm, 
and  made  fr.is  place  his  home  for  nine  years. 
He  bought  his  farm  in  section  35,  in  1895,  but 
did  not  settle  on  it  until  two  years  later.  He 
built  a  one  and  a  half  stor\%  six-room  house, 
of  frame,  and  has  made  \-arious  impro\ements. 
He  carries  on  general  farming  and  has  had  a 
successful  career. 


728 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


]\Ir.  Clark  was  wedded  to  Sarah  J.  Trip- 
lett,  who  was  born  i:i  Illinois,  in  1864.  Their 
children  are:  Mildred-;  Ethel:  and  Vesta. 
:Mr.  Clark  has  served  as  clerk  of  the  school 
hoard  in  his  township,  and  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, in  politics.  He  belongs  to  the  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association.  Religiously,  he  and 
the  members  of  his  family  attend  the  Christian 
church. 

jNIr.  Clark  is  a  progressive  citizen,  and  is 
highly  respected  by  his  acquaintances. 


DGAR  ROSBORO,  deceased,  was  for 
many  years  a  prominent  farmer,  re- 
^iding  in  Elm  Grove  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  in  section  20, 
34.  range  19.     He  was  born  in  New 


townsh 

York.  May  6,  183S,  and  his  death  occurred 
December  6,  1900.  He  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  state  where  he  lived  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer,  and  in  addition  conducted  a 
hotel  the  greater  part  of  the  time.  He  located 
in  Labette  omnty,  Kansas,  in  1870,  and  set- 
tled <in  the  farm  on  which  his  wife  still  resides. 
There  he  carried  on  farming  until  his  death, 
and  was  cmisidered  one  of  t'r.e  best  farmers  in 
the  county.  He  was  a  man  who  won  the  con- 
fidence of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him, 
and  his  friends  were  legion.  Mr.  Rosboro's 
death  was  greatly  mourned  in  the  community, 
as  he  was  a  liberal  supporter  of  all  worthy  en- 
terprises, and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  all. 
Mr.  Koshoro  was  united  in  marriage  wdth 
]ida  Goodwin.  She  was  born  in  New  York 
in  1857,  and  lived  there  until  1879.  In  that 
year  her  father,  Daniel  Goodwin,  moved  to 
Labette  county.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  and 
was  a  sawyer  and  farmer  by  occupation.     He 


married  Elizabeth  ^^■ilson.  a  native  of  Canada, 
and  they  reared  two  children,  namely:  Eda. 
wife  of  ti".e  suljject  of  this  sketch :  and  Ella,  who 
married  a  Air.  Alurphy,  and  lives  in  Edna,  Kan- 
sas. Air.  and  Airs.  Rosboro  were  blessed  with 
five  children,  two  of  whom,  Mabel  and  Shir- 
ley, are  living.  Mabel  is  the  wife  of  Pearl 
Johnson,  who  has  conducted  the  farm  since 
Mr.  Rosboro's  death;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson 
live  on  the  homestead  with  Airs.  Rosbon;. 
Shirley  is  attending  the  public  schools  at  Edna. 
Air.  Rosboro  was  a  Populist,  in  politics.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Alethodist  church,  and 
died  a  Christian. 

Mrs.  Rosboro  is  a  member  of  the  Aletho- 
dist church,  in  which  she  takes  an  active  in- 
terest. She  is  a  woman  of  manj-  estimable 
qualities,  and  is  a  kind  and  generous  neighbor.  ■ 


HHOLTEX,  a  prominent  resident  of 
Edna,   Kansas,   is  proprietor  of  the 
City  Alill,  which  he  built  in   1889, 
and  has  since  operated.     He  is  a  good 
manager    and    has  a  thriving  business.     He 
was  born  in  Ripley  count)-,  Indiana,  in  1855, 
and  is  a  son  of  W.  H.  Holten. 

\\'.  H.  Holten  was  born  in  Ripley  county. 
Indiana,  and  applied  himself  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  married  Aliss  B.  Waggoner, 
and  they  reared  four  children,  as  follows: 
^^^  a.,  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  residing  in  Rip- 
ley county,  Indiana:  V.,  the  subject  of  this 
biography :  H.  L. ;  and  Sarah  J.  For  his  sec- 
ond wife  he  married  Eliza  J.  Hayden,  by  whom 
he  had  five  children:  J.  F.,  of  Edna,  Kansas; 
Alargaret:  Anna  Alartha;  Robertha;  and  Em- 
ma, deceased. 

y.  Holten  lived  in  his  native  county  until 
1878,  learning  the  carpenter's  trade  there,  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


in  that  year  came  to  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
and  located  three  miles  west  of  Edna,  in  How- 
ard township.  He  located  in  Edna  in  1889  and 
built  his  present  mill,  known  as  the  City  Mill, 
which  he  has  since  operated  with  much  suc- 
cess. He  is  a  man  of  high  principles,  honesty 
and  integrity  and  enjoys  the  friendship  of  his 
fellow  citizens  to  a  marked  degree.  He  also 
operated  a  threshing  machine  for  more  than 
twenty  years. 

Mr.  Holten  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Catharine  Burns,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
and  they  have  two  children:  Lee  H. ;  and 
Emma.  In  politics,  iie  is  a  strong  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party  and  is  now  serving  as 
mayor  of  Edna.  He  belongs  to  Edna  Lodge, 
No.  1636,  ^I.  W".  of  A. 


RAXCIS  O.  POTTER,  a  native  of 
Lawrence  county,  Indiana,  was  born 
in  1856.  He  came  to  Labette  county 
in  1883,  and  has  lived  here  ever  since. 
He  is  at  present  residing  in  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  7,  township  34,  range  19,  in  Elm 
Gro\'e  township,  where  he  carries  on  general 
farming. 

B.  H.  Putter,  his  father,  was  born  in  Law- 
rence county,  Indiana,  in  1832,  and  came  to 
Labette  county  in  1890.  He  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Elm  Gro\-e  township  and  lives  just 
south  of  his  son's  place.  He  married  Nancy 
Owens,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  in  1831. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  children, — 
Francis  O.  and  Lawrence.  Francis  O.  Pot- 
ter's mother  died  in  June,  1901. 

Francis  O.  Potter  lived  in  Indiana  until  he 
removed  to  Kansas.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  in  his  native  county,  and  at  an  early 
age  began  to  learn  the  occupation  which  has 


been  his  life  pursuit, — that  of  farming.  He 
'has  had  a  thorough  training  in  ag-ricultural 
matters,  and  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising 
farmers  in  Labette  county.  In  1883  he  lo- 
cated in  Elm  Grove  township,  where  he  bought 
a  farm  in  section  19,  township  34,  range  19, 
one  mile  north  of  Edna.  He  lived  there  fur 
eight  years  and  then  bought  his  present  farm. 
Mr.  Potter  now  owns  320  acres  of  land,  which 
is  in- a  fine  state  of  cultivation.  He  carries 
on  general  farming,  and  also  raises  some  stock 
and  fruit.  He  has  one  of  the  most  attractive 
farms  in  the  county,  and  is  well  known  as  a 
man  of  honest  and  upright  business  principles. 
]\Ir.  Potter  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elmira  C.  Sears,  who  was  born  in  Lawrence 
county,  Indiana,  in  1858.  They  have  reared 
five  children:  Earl;  Mabel;  Charles;  Bennie; 
and  Clyde.  In  politics,  Mir.  Potter  is  a  firm 
Republican,  and  has  served  on  the  school  board 
of  his  township  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 


A.  A'AXCE,  a  well  known  farmer, 
living  in  section  19,  township  34, 
range  19,  in  Elm  Grove  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  has  been 
a  resident  of  the  c(junty  since  1870.  He  was 
born  in  Adams  count}-,  Ohio,  in  1849.  'ii""-!  i* 
a  son  of  McGovney  and  Elizabeth  (Sanders) 
Vance. 

His  father  was  also  a  native  of  Ohio, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  all  his  life.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Sanders,  and  they  reared 
six  children:  Amanda;  Anna,  deceased; 
Belle;  Emma:  C.  A:  and  Artemisia. 

C.  A.  Vance,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  attended  the  schools  of  his  native  coun- 
tv,  and.  in  the  fall  of  1870,  located  in  Labette 


730 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


county,  Kansas.  He  took  up  a  claim  consist- 
ing- of  ti'.e  nurth  half  uf  tiie  southeast  (|uarter 
uf  section  ly,  tuunsiiip  34.  range  19.  which 
he  entereil  at  Inilependence,  Kansas,  in  1871. 
He  made  impro\-ements  on  this  place,  and  it 
is  now  a  well  impro\ed  farm.  ^Ir.  \'ance  also 
owns  2^  acres  of  land  in  the  southwest  cjuarter 
of  section  19,  and  there  he  has  lived  since  first 
coming  to  Kansas.  He  carries  on  general 
farming,  and  also  runs  a  dairy.  He  has  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  agricultural  matters, 
and  is  a  thrifty,  conscientious  workman. 

Mv.  Vance  was  wedded  to  Belle  Marks, 
who  was  born  in  Vermilion  county,  Illinois, 
in  1861.  She  is  a  daughter  of  J.  O.  Marks, 
who  for  many  years  followed'  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter and  cabinetmaker,  but  is  now  a  mer- 
chant in  Edna,  Kansas.  ]\Ir.  Marks  married 
]\Iary  Ames,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  Their 
children  were;  Lincoln:  Belle;  Lydia ;  and 
Jessie  and  Frank,  deceased.  Mr.  and  ^Irs. 
\'ance's  uni(_)n  'Iras  resulted  in  the  liirth  of  four 
children,  as  follows:  Bert  Allen,  who  is  now- 
attending  the'  County  High  School  at  Alta- 
niont,  and  is  a  member  of  the  class  of  1903: 
Ida  Belle,  who  completed  a  course  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Ed'na,  in  the  class  of  1901 ; 
Esther:  and   !\Iaurice. 

'Sir.  \'ance  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  local  poli- 
tics. He  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  and  Daugh- 
ters of  Justice,  Edna  Lodge,  Xo.  75.  He  and 
his  family  belong  to  the  Methodist  church. 


He  was 


\.\1L;LL  TILTOX.  His  name  i; 
among  tlmse  of  the  i)r.  niinent  farm 
cr>  wh.i  arc  residents  of  I-:im  Gmvf 
lowi-ishi]),  I.abette  county.  Kansas 
in  Clark  county,  Ohio,  in    1834 


and  is  a  son  of  Da\-id  and  }^Iary  ( Gar\-er) 
Tilton. 

David  Tilton  was  a  native  of  Xew  Jersey, 
and  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He  married  Mary 
Carver,  and  they  reared:  Xancy  J.:  Jacob; 
Elizabeth  ;  Samuel ;  Alary  J. ;  David  and  Hes- 
ter, deceased;  and  Sarah  A.  Mrs.  Tilton  was 
a  native  of  Virginia.  By  a  previous  marriage 
with  Thomas  Forest,  she  had  one  son,  Will- 
iam Forest,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  on  a."!- 
other  page  of  this  volume. 

Samuel  Tilton  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
his  native  C(junty.  At  the  age  of  thirteen 
yea-.-s.  he  remo\-ed  with  his  parents  to  Black- 
ford c-unty,  liidiana,  where  he  remained  until 
he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  then  lived 
in  Cass  county,  Indiana,  until  1870,  when  he 
removed  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  lo- 
cated in  section  I,  in  the  northeast  quarter  of 
tnwnshi])  34,  range  19,  Elm  Grove  township, 
where  he  has  a  well  improved  farni.  Mr. 
Tilt<:)n  bought  the  cabin  which  was  ou  the 
claim,  and  in  this  he  lived  six  years.  It  w-as 
but  12  by  14  feet,  in  dimensions.  He  en- 
tered his  claim  in  1877,  in  Independence,  Kan- 
sas. This  he  at  once  began  to  imprcve.  and 
up  to  1 90 1  he  owned  one  of  the  best  farms 
in  Elm  Gro\-e  township,  where  he  carried  on 
general  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  then 
retired  and  is  living  in  Edna,  Kansas,  where  he 
moved  in  June,  1901,  after  selling  his  farm. 
He  is  an  honest  an-d  loyal  citi;:en,  and  is  highly 
respected  in  the  community  in  which  he  re- 
sides. 

iMr.  Tilton  was  uiiited  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  Smith.  She  was  Iiorn  in  Cass  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  in  1835,  and  is  a  daugh.ter  of 
George  M.  Smith.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Fuller.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tilton  have 
four    children,   namely:      George,   who    is    a 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


farmer   in   Elm   Grove    township :    Clara   A. ; 
Theodore  C. ;  and  Marion  J. 

Politically,  Mr.  Tilton  belongs  to  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  was  on  the  school  board 
for  a  number  of  years.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers cf  the  Methodist  church. 


EORGE    E.    STOXE.      This    gentle- 
man is  among  the  foremost  farmers 


PI 

B^H  of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  re 
sides  in  Elm  Grove  township.  He 
was  born  in  Spencer  county,  Kentucky,  in  1835, 
and  is  a  son  of  Robert  Stone. 

Robert  Stone  was  also  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  followed  farming  all  his  life. 
He  married  Susan  Maguire,  who  was  a  native 
of  that  state,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  five 
children,  namely :  George  E. ;  Martha,  de- 
.  ceased ;  Thomas,  who  is  also  a  farmer  in  La- 
bette county;  Elizabeth  E.  and  Robert  L.,  de- 
ceased. 

George  E.  Stone"s  early  life  was  spent  in 
his  native  county,  where  he  attended  school 
and  learned  to  till  the  soil.  In  1862  'he  en- 
listed in  the  Union  army,  and  was  attached  to 
the  9th  Reg.,  Ky.  Vol.  Cav.  At  the  time  of  his 
enlistment  he  was  a  member  of  the  militia, 
which  was. organized  to  drive  General  Bragg 
out  of  Kentucky.  Mr.  Stone  removed  to 
Howard  township,  Labette  county,  in  1874, 
and  took  up  a  claim,  which  he  entered  at  Inde- 
pendence, Kansas.  He  bought  a  cabin  from 
Mr.  Park,  which  he  mo\-ed  to  his  claim.  He 
resided  on  this  farm  until  1899,  meanwdiile  im- 
proving the  property  and  following  diversified 
farming.  In  1900  Mr.  Stone  bought  the 
north  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
19,  township  34,  range  19,  in  Elm  Grove  town- 
ship, and  has  made  this  place  his  home  since 


that  time.  '  He  is  well  up  in  agricultural  mat- 
ters, and  takes  great  pride  in  making  his  home 
an  attractive  one. 

Mr.  Stone  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mildred  Crutcher,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
in  1836.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, in  politics,  and  has  always  taken  much 
interest  in  local  political  afifairs.  The  people 
have  shown  their  confidence  in  him  by  electing 
him  to  the  office  of  trustee  of  Howard  town- 
ship for  two  terms,  and  also  to  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  school  board  for  about  tw^enty  years. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Stone  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order.  He  attends  the  Methodist  church. 
He  is  an  honest  and  upright  citizen,  and  has 
many  friends  in  the  county. 


IRAM  H.  HOGGE,  a  native  of  Harri- 
son county,  Ohio,  was  born  in  1S54. 
He  came  to  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
in  1874,  and  since  that  time  has  been 
one  of  the  county's  most  prominent  farmers. 
He  is  living  in  Elm  Grove  township,  in  the 
south  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
3,  township  34,  range  19. 

Robert  Hogge,  'his  father ,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  married  Catherine 
DeWitt,  who  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey. 
They  reared  four  children:  Phcebe  A.;  Hiram 
H. ;  John;  and  Hattie. 

Hiram  H.  Hogge  was  reared  in  his  native 
county,  where  he  remained  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  War.  He  enlisted  in  Company 
E,  60th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  in  February, 
1864,  and  served  until  February,  1865.  He 
then  returned  to  Ohio,  and  shortly  afterward 
remo\'ed  to  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
harness  business.     He    remained    in    Illinois 


732 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


four  years,  and  then  returned  to  Ohio,  and 
li\'ed  in  Knox  county  for  one  year.  He  then 
removed  to  Bates  count}-,  ]\Iissouri,  where  he 
farmed  for  six  years.  Suljsequently,  he  lo- 
cated in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  south  of  Al- 
tamont,  where  he  lived  until  1892.  He  then 
bought  his  present  farm  in  Elm  Grove  town- 
ship, which  is  the  south  half  of  the  northwest 
(|uarter  of  section  3,  township  34,  range  19. 
He  has  made  all  the  improvements  on  the  farm, 
and  it  now  presents  a  very  good  appearance. 
Mr.  Hogge  maintains  all  the  modern  methods 
of  tilling  the  soil,  and  is  an  energetic  and  thrifty 
farmer. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  married  Adie 
Davis,  who  was  born  in  Switzerland  county, 
Lidiana,  in  1851.  They  have  reared  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Nellie;  Hattie;  Lula';  Hur- 
ley: Hubert:  ]\Iollie;  and  Marshall.  Mr. 
Hogge  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party. 


ILLIAM  FOUST,  a  well  known 
resident  of  Elm  Grove  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  was  born 
in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  October 
18,  1824.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Foust,  who 
was  a  farmer  in  Pennsylvania. 

\\'illiam  Foust  lived  in  his  native  state  un- 
til iXi>\.  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  73d 
Keg..  Ind.  \'m1.  Inf.  He  served  three  years, 
took  ])art  in  the  battle  of  St^ie  River,  and  was 
captured  May  3.  1863,  near  Rome,  Georgia. 
He  was  held  as  a  prisoner  for  fifteen  davs.  anfl 
was  exclianged  at  East  Point,  Georgia.  After 
tlie  war  Afr.  Foust  located  in  Cass  county,  Li- 
diana. wliere  he  remained  until  he  removed  to 
Kansas.  In  1883  he  located  on  his  present 
farm. — the  cast  half  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section    i,  t'  wnship  34,  range  19,  in  Elm 


Grove  township,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
He  rents  part  of  his  farm.  IMr.  Foust  raises 
some  fruit,  and  is  engaged  in  general  farming. 

]\Ir.  Foust  was  united  in  marriage,  August 
7,  1845,  i"  Clark  county,  Ohio,  with  Elizabeth 
Carmin,  who  died  in  1883.  They  reared  the 
following  children,  namely :  Louis  C. ;  B.  J. ; 
B.  D. ;  Samuel  A. ;  Sarah  R. ;  William  A. ; 
Charles  D. ;  Mattie  L. ;  and  John  O.  Li  1889 
Air.  Foust  was  married  to  Mrs:  S.  E.  Brown, 
of  Sparta,  Illinois. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican 
in  politics.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic.  Religiously,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Free  Methodist  church.  Mr. 
Foust  is  well  known  in  Labette  county,  where 
he  is  respected  as  an  upright  citizen. 


DOHN  W.  HOWELL  is  a  verv  pros- 
perous merchant  of  Montana,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  where  he  conducts  a 
flourishing  grocery  business.  He  has 
been  a  resident  of  this  county  since  1880,  and 
is  well  known  throughout  this  section.  Mr. 
Howell  was  born  in  Alascn  county,  Illinois,  in 
1850.  and  is  a  son  of  B.  F.  Howell. 

B.  F.  Howell  was  Ixirn  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1828,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Fie  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Amanda  Henninger, 
who  was  Ix)rn  in  Pennsylvania  in  1832,  and 
they  reared  the  following  children:  John  \V.. 
the  subject  of  this  sketch:  Alary:  Susan; 
Lovie;  and  Clark. 

Ji:)hn  \\'.  Howell  resided  in  his  native  coun- 
ty and  was  engaged  in  farming  until  1880, 
when  he  came  to  Montana  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  He  located  one  and  a  half 
miles  north  of  Montana,  in  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  5.  Montana  township,  and  the 


MR.  AND    MRS.  JOSEPH   PRICE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


735 


southwest  quarter  of  section  ^2,  Xeosho  town- 
ship. He  resided  there  until  1890,  when  he 
located  in  the  town  of  ^lontana,  ami  started 
there  the  first  cheese  factor}'  in  Lahette  coun- 
ty. He  also  had  fact(_iries  in  Oswego  and 
Chetopa,  which  he  operated  for  a  period  of 
five  years.  He  opened  a  grocery  store  in 
IMontana  in  1886,  and  has  since  engaged  in 
that  line  of  business. 

Mr.  Howell  was  united  in  marriage  with 
IMary  E.  Goddard,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  in 
1855.  In  politics  he  is  independent.  He  is 
a  member  of  Montana  Lodge,  No.  4,  Home 
Builders'  Union;  and  of  the  Masonic  order. 
Religiously,  he  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Christian  church. 


HOSEPH  PRICE.  Among  the  best 
known  and  most  highly  respected 
farmers  of  ]Mound  Valley  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  begins  this  sketch.  He  lives 
in  section  20,  township  ^^,  range  18,  where  he 
carries  on  diversified  farming.  Mr.  Price  was 
born  in  Wales,  in  1832,  and  when  he  was  but 
three  weeks  old  his  parents  died  of  cholera. 

Mr.  Price  has  no  kin-folk  in  America  as 
far  as  he  knows.  When  his  parents  died,  he 
was  claimed  by  an  uncle,  whose  name  was 
John  Pierce.  Later,  this  uncle  was  accidentally 
burned  to  death.  ~Mr.  Price  followed  coal 
mining  in  Wales,  and  in  1861  came  to  Amer- 
ica, where  he  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  There 
lie  also  mined,  and  afterward  followed  the 
same  occupation  in  Ohio,  Illinois,  and  Missouri. 
In  1872,  he  removed  to  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, having  visited  in  the  Sunflower-  State 
during  the  previous  year.  He  took  up  in 
Mound  Valley  township  the  southwest  quarter 


of  section  20,  township  33,  range  18,  and  sub- 
sequently bought  a  half  section  in  Canada  town- 
ship. This  claim  in  Mound  Valley, — his  pres- 
ent home, — was  the  only  one  not  claimed  by 
the  railroad  company.  He  bought  the  farm 
from  John  Williams,  and  paid  $750  for  it. 
Later,  he  acquired  title  to  the  place.  J\Ir,  Will- 
iams had  built  a  log  house  on  the  farm,  and  had 
broken  about  twenty-five  acres  of  the  land.' 
Air.  Price  has  made  many  improvements  and  it 
is  a  very  valuable  piece  of  land.  Pumpkin 
Creek  enters  near  the  center,  on  the  north 
edge,  and  runs  out  near  the  southwest  corner, 
thus  affording  a  good  supply  of  water.  Mr. 
Price  raises  wheat,  corn  and  oats,  and  cattle 
and  hogs,  having  earned  enough  to  buy  other 
farms.  He  now  owns  415  acres  of  land,  and 
is  a  very  prosperous  man.  He  is  a  good  man- 
ager, and  much  of  his  success  has  been  due 
to  that  fact.  He  has  been  a  diligent  and  con- 
scientious worker,  and  has  just  cause  to  be 
proud  of  his  home,  which  is  one  of  the  best  in 
the  county.  He  set  out  a  goodly  amount  of 
hedge  and  a  large  number  of  trees,  which  bear 
fruit  each  year. 

Air.  Price  was  married,  in  Wales,  to  Char- 
lotte Andrews,  who  was  born  in  1825.  They 
have  been  blessed  with  one  daughter:  Elizabeth 
Polly  (Summers).  She  lives  in  the  southwest 
part  of  Alouiid  \alley  tnwnship,  and  has  five 
children,  namely;  William,  aged  twenty-one 
years;  Olive,  aged  nineteen  years;  Eugene, 
aged  sixteen  years ;  Ray,  aged  twelve  years ; 
and  Lorene,  aged  eight  years. 

Politically  Mr.  Price  was  formerly  a  Re- 
publican, and  voted  that  ticket  until  Grant's 
second  term.  Since  that  time,  he  has  been  a 
follower  of  the  Greenback  party  and  the  Union 
Labor  party;  and  at  present  he  is  a  Populist. 
Although  he  does  not  aspire  to  office,  he  takes 
an  active  interest  in  local  politics.     He  was  a 


736 


HISTORY   OF  LABETTE   COUNTY. 


member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  fraternity,  in  Wales. 
He  is  liberal  in  religious  views.  There  is  no 
farmer  in  Mound  Valley  township  and 
throughout  Labette  county,  who  is  held  in 
higher  esteem  than  Mr.  Price.  He  is  a  man 
who  keeps  posted  on  all  topics  of  the  day,  and 
and  is  very  fond  of  spending  his  leisure  hours 
in  reading  standard  literature.  He,  is  a  good 
neighbor,  and  his  friends  are  many.  The 
following  poem  is  appropriate  in  that  it  voices 
Mr.  Price's  sentiments  in  regard  to  the  beloved 
Sunflower  State: 


'  Old  Empire  is  our  father  land, 

The  home  of  long  ago. 
Where  in  happy  days  of  childhood 

We  wandered  to  and  fro. 
To  pluck  the  meadow  lily 

And  the  buttercup  of  gold. 
And  thought  the  beauty  of  our  home 

Could  never  half  be  told. 

Long  since  we  left  that  fairy  spot 

To  seek  another  clime, 
We  found  other  lands  more  lovely 

With  scenery  more  sublime. 
But  the  land  that  we  have  chosen 

And  the  one  that  we  love  best 
Is  the  sunny  land  of  Kansas, 

The  glory  of  the  West. 

We  have  heard  of  'bleeding  Kansas,' 

Of  pestilence  and  dearth, 
And  had  learned  to  look  upon  her 

As  the  Sodom  of  the  earth. 
Where  the  red  man  and  the  buffalo 

At  liberty  did  roam, 
And  poverty  and  want 

Invaded  every  home. 

But  the  red  man  and  his  war  trail 

Have  both  passed  away, 
And  the  ashes  from  their  camp-fires 

Have  smouldered  to  decay. 
Whilst  the  poor  affrighted  buffalo 

Finds  not  a  place  to  rest 
In  all  the  land  of  Kansas, 

The  glory  of  the  West. 


Ambition  is  the  keystone 

To  influence  and  fame; 
It  has  raised  up  struggling  Kansas 

And  won  for  her  a  name. 
Her  broad  extensive  prairies 

Are  beautiful  to  view 
When  clothed  in  Nature's  verdure 

And  flowers  of  every  hue. 
While  endless  fields  of  cereals. 

The  largest  and  the  best, 
Grow  from  the  soil  of  Kansas, 

The  glory  of  the  VV' est." 

Portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  accompany 
the  foregoing  sketch,  being  shown  on  a  page  in 
proximity  to  this. 


A}^IES    \\TLSOX,    a    prominent   mer- 
chant and  grain  dealer  of  Elm  City, 
Labette  county,   Kansas,   has  been  a 
resident  of  Elm  Grove  township  since 
1879.     He  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1833,  and  is  a 
son  of  Hiram  and  Martha  (Wallace)  Wilson. 
Hiram   Wilson   was   born   in   Virginia   in 
1809,  and  was  a  carpenter  and  miller  by  trade. 
He  married  Martha  Wallace,  who  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  in  1811,  and  they  reared  seven 
cliildren  :     Margaret :  James  ;  Samuel ;  Daniel ; 
Henry;  Martha;  and  George. 

James  Wilson  learned  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter while  3'oung.  He  followed  this  until  he 
enlisted,  in  1863,  in  Company  K,  78th  Reg., 
Ohio  Vol.  Inf., — serving  under  General  Sher- 
man. He  was  honorably  discharged,  at  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  saw 
much  hard  service,  and  took  part  in  the  bat- 
tles at  Sa\annah,  Georgia,  and  Columbus  and 
Orangeburg,  South  Carolina.  He  returned  to 
Ohio  at  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1879  he  de- 
cided to  retnove  to  the  West,  and  accordingly 
set  out  to  make  the  trip  by  wagon.     He  con- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


737 


sumed  fifty-three  days  in  making  the  journey. 
After  reaching  Labette  county  he  settled  in 
Elm  Grove  township,  where  he  farmed  for  four 
years.  He  returned  to  Ohio  in  1883,  on  ac- 
count of  his  father's  failing  health,  and  was 
engaged  as  a  merchant  until  1887.  In  1887  he 
returned  to  Kansas,  and  opened  his  present 
store  in  Elm  City,  where  he  has  since  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  that  business.  He  is  also 
a  dealer  in  grain.  ]\Ir.  Wilson  is  a  man  of 
good  business  principles,  and  is  quite  promi- 
nent in  Elm  City.  He  is  always  interested!  in 
municipal  affairs,  and  is  one  of  the  first  to 
assist  in  any  public  enterprise. 

Mr.  Wilson  married  Matilda  J.  Thorne, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1837,  and  their  union 
has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  five  children,  name- 
ly :  Margaret ;  H.  A. ;  Martha  A. ;  Mary  A. ; 
and  D.  J.  H.  A.  is  in  partnership  with  his 
father,  and  is  also  postmaster  of  Elm  City.  He 
married  Estella  Hays,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren,— Howard  and  Irene.  Martha  A.  and 
Mary  A.  are  twins. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Post  No.  279,  of 
Edna.  He  belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief  As- 
sociation. Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church. 


EC.  LIVESAY.  Prominent  among 
the  many  thrifty  and  successful  farm- 
ers of  Montana  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  In  1873  he  sought  a  home  in  the  West 
and  carved  out  of  wild  and  rough  material 
his  present  farm,  one  of  the  finest  and  best 
improved  pieces  of  real  estate  in  Montana 
township.  Mr.  Livesay  was  born-  in  Maury 
county,  Tennessee,  in  1825,  and  resided  there 


until  1832,  when  his  parents  moved  to  Wash- 
ington county,  Illinois.  He  is  a  son  of  Carter 
and  Elizabeth   (Wright)   Livesay. 

Carter  Livesay  was  born  in  Virginia  and 
followed  farming.  He  was  married  three 
times  and  reared  a  large  family  of  children. 
The  following  named  were  the  fruit  of  his 
first  union,  that  in  which  Elizabeth  Wright,  a 
native  of  Tennessee,  was  his  wife:  Charlotte, 
Polly,  Thomas,  Jesse,  William,  Caroline, 
George,  Jane,  A.  C,  Robert,  Martha  and  John. 
By  his  second  wife,  Rachel  Phillips,  he  had 
one  child,  Rachel.  His  third  wife,  ]\Iabel  Per- 
kins, made  him  the  father  of  three  children : 
James,  Nelson  and  Louis. 

A.  C.  Livesay  spent  his  boyhood  in  Wash- 
ington county,  Illinois,  doing  farm  work,  and 
when  older  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  found  of  great  service  to  him  in  building  up 
his  western  home.  He  married  Belinda  Finch, 
a  native  of  Jefi'erson  county,  Illinois,  and  moved 
to  his  present  home  in  Montana  township  in 
1873.  Charles  Williams,  from  whom  he  pur- 
chased his  farm,  had  made  some  improvements 
on  the  land  during  his  ownership,  having  built 
a  cabin,  sunk  a  well,  planted  Osage  hedge  on 
three  sides  of  the  farm,  and  broken  37  acres  of 
ground.  Since  Mr.  Livesay  has  had  possession 
of  the  land,  varied  and  modern  improvements 
have  sprung  up  on  every  side,  making  it  one 
of  the  best  farms  in  Montana  township.  In 
1878  he  built  his  present  comfortable  residence, 
a  two-story,  six-room  structure.  In  politics 
Mr.  Livesay  is  a  Republican;  he  speaks  with 
pride  of  the  exciting  scenes  in  connection  with 
the  elections  of  i860- 1864,  and  boasts  of  hav- 
ing cast  his  vote  each  time  for  Abraham 
Lincoln. 

Mr.  Livesay  and  wife  have  reared  seven 
children.  They  are:  William:  Francis; 
Laura:  Hicks;  Edith;  A.  C,  Jr.;  and  Charles. 


738 


HISTORY   OF  LABETTE   COUNTY. 


A.  C.  Livesay,  Jr.,  li\-es  at  lionie  and  over- 
sees the  farm  work, — he  is  a  Repubhcan  in 
poHtics,  and  serx'ed  in  1898  as  clerk  of  his 
township. 

Mr.  Livesay  has  profited  by  the  years  he 
has  devoted  to  the  pursuits  of  agricuUure,  and 
has  developed  into  a  man  of  broad  ideas,  who 
is  thoroughly  informed  on  all  points  relating; 
in  the  remotest  fashion  to  his  business.  He  is 
a  man  of  good  purpose  and  his  pri\-ate  and 
public  life  elicits  the  profouml  respect  of  those 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  His  advanced 
years  do  not  prevent  him  from  mingling  witli 
younger  men  in  the  active  field  of  business,  nor 
from  taking  an  intelligent  interest  in  matters 
of  moment  to  the  township,  county  and  state 
at  large.  He  is  a  citizen  of  wlmm  any  county 
might  well  be  proud,  and  Labette  county  is 
fortunate  in  being  mainly  settled  by  repre- 
sentative men  frcm  the  different  states  of  the 
Union,  wlni  have  sought  homes  within  its 
l)orders. 


AIELISSA  WOOD.  It  is  al- 
ays  a  matter  of  the  keenest  in- 
•rest  to  review  the  lives  of  pioneer 
;ttlers  and  note  the  changes  time 
has  made  in  their  surroundings.  The  subject 
<  f  this  brief  sketch  is  the  daughter  of  John  S. 
and  Mary  (Forbes)  Slater.  Her  father,  who 
was  an  luiglishman,  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  when  a  youth,  eighteen  years  old.  He 
married  Mary  Forbes,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
who  came  to  America  when  a  girl.  Thev  set- 
tled down  to  wedded  life  in  Mercer  county, 
Pemisylvania,  where  he  followed  the  cnml)ined 
])ursuits  of  carpenter,  wagon-maker  and  farm- 
er. •  They  reared  a  family  of  four  children, 
viz.:  Sarah,  deceased:  Melissa:  Lydia;  and 
Ele.'uior. 


Melissa  Slater  was  bcrn  in  Mercer  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  in  1835,  and  resided  there 
until  she  was  about  twenty  years  of  age.  She 
then  mo\-ed  to  Jackson  county,  Iowa,  where  she 
resided  until  she  moved  to  Kansas,  with  her 
husband,  in  1875.  They  located  on  her  pres- 
ent farm, — the  west  half  of  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  30,  ]\Iontana  township,  on 
which  she  has  resided  since  that  time.  She 
carries  on  general  farming  and  fruit  raising. 

Xathaniel  A.  Wood,  her  husband,  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  was  born  in  1818.  He 
ivas  reared  to  farm  life,  and  followed  that  hon- 
orable calling  all  his  life.  Death  called  him 
from  labor  to  rest,  in  1889,  at  the  ripe  age  of 
seventy-one  years. 

Mr.  and  Airs.  Wood  reared  three  children, 
who  are  well  advanced  in  the  walks  of  life. 
Maxwell  is  employed  by  the  Missouri.  Kansas 
&  Texas  Railway  Company,  and  resides  in 
Denison,  Texas :  Alice  lives  at  home  with  her 
mother,  and  is  her  comfort  and  solace  in  her 
Jeclining  years.  Frank  A.  is  employed  by  the 
Colorado  Springs  &  Cripple  Creek  District 
Railway  Company,  and  resides  at  Colorado 
S]M"ings.  Colorado.  ]Mrs.  ^\'ood  is  a  devout 
Christian  Woman,  and  a  consistent  member  of 
die  Alethodist  Episcopal  church. 


^^OSEPH  W.  BROWX.  a  prominent 
w^  I  and  inlluential  farmer  of  ^Montana 
^^M  townsliip.  Labette  county.  Kansas,  has 
been  located  on  his  present  farm,  in 
the  northeast  c^uarter  of  section  19,  since  1867. 
He  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1838,  and  is  a  son 
of  J.  and  Mary  A.  (Myers)  Brown. 

J.  Brown  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  was  a 
butcher  and  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  fol- 
lowed these  occupations  at  different  times.  He 
married    ]\Iarv   A.    [Mvers,   who   was   born   in 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


741 


Ohio,  and  they  reared  the  following  children : 
Benjamin  ;  Joseph  \A'. :  LaFaj-ette ;  Ellen ;  Em- 
ma ;  and  Joshua. 

Joseph  ^\^  Brown  was  reared  in  Iowa,  and 
resided  there  until  1867,  where  his  parents  had 
located  in  Lee  county.  After  residing-  there 
for  two  years  he  moved  to  Decatur  county, 
Iowa,  and  farmed  there  until  he  came  to  Kan- 
sas; he  also  followed  the  trade  of  a  carpenter 
for  eight  years.  He  came  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  the  spring  of  1867,  in  wagons, 
leaving  Iowa  on  ]\lay  7th,  and  arrixing  in  La- 
bette county  on  June  15th.  He  located  en  his 
present  farm,  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 19,  Montana  township,  and  entered  his 
claim  at  Humboldt,  Kansas.  He  built  a  cabin, 
16  feet  square,  and  broke  some  land  the  first 
spring.  He  has  since  resided  on  this  prop- 
ertv,  engaged  in  general  farming.  He  has  a 
well  improved  farm  and  excellent  farm  l>uild- 
ings,  which  are  so  necessary  to  a  successful  pur- 
suance of  this  calling. 

Mr:  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  Burket,  who  was  born  in  Indiana, 
and  died  in  1864.  They  were  parents  of  the 
following  children  :  Psyche  and  Mary  E.,  both 
deceased;  and  Rerschel,  who  lives  in  Missouri. 
He  formed  a  second  union  in  1866,  wedding 
Martha  Williams,  who  was  born  in  Ohio ;  they 
are  the  parents  of  seven  children,  as  follows : 
Minnie:  Theodosia:  Maud;  Lloyd;  Dallis; 
Murle:  and  Elsie.  In  politics  Mr.  Brown  is 
independent,  and  has  served  on  the  school 
board  of  the  township. 


13 


C.  HILLIGOSS,  a  promment  citizen 
of  the  town  of  Montana.  Labette 
ciiunty,  Kansas,  is  a  veteran  of^the 
Civil  War,  and  bears  an  honorable 
1  for  ser\ice  in  that  struggle.     He  was 


born  in  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  in  1847,  and  is 
a  son  of  R.  A.  Hilligoss. 

R.  A.  Hilligt.ss  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and 
Ijecame  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Elizaljeth  Justice,  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  and  they  reared  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  A.  C,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch ;  Frank  L. :  and  Lila. 

A.  C.  Hilligoss  attended  school  until  1862, 
when  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  7th  Reg.,  Ind. 
\'ol.  Inf.  He  ser\-ed  with  his  regiment  for 
five  months,  and  then  reenlisted  in  the  124th 
Reg.,  Ind.  A'ol.  Inf.,  in  which  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  under  Colonel  Burgess. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Stone  River, 
Franklin,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  and  the  sieges  of 
Atlanta  and  Fort  Fisher.  .After  the  war  he 
returned  tu  Indiana  and  attended  school  for 
one  }^ear.  He  came  to  Kansas  on  September 
23,  1869.  and  located  in  Crawford  county, 
where  he  resided  until  1874.  In  that  year  he 
removed  to  Howard  county.  Kansas,  and  was 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1891. 
He  served  as  under-sherifl^  there  for  two  years, 
and  was  county  clerk  from  1883  until  1887.  He 
came  to  Labette  county,  located  in  ?kIontana, 
I^Iontana  township,  in  1891,  and  has  since  made 
his  home  here.  He  built  his  present  fine  resi- 
dence in  1898, — one  of  the  most  attractive 
homes  of  the  town.  He  al-^o  owns  two  sub- 
stantial business  blocks  in  ]\lontana.  He  is  a 
man  of  good  business  ability  and  many  fine 
qualities,  and  has  many  warm  friends. 

Mr.  Hilligoss  was  united  in  matrimony 
with  Nellie  J.  Wolvert.  n,  who  was  born  in 
Montana  township.  By  a  previous  marriage 
with  Belle  Mizeley,  of  Iowa,  he  had  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Dolly;  Charles,  a  farmer  and 
stock  raiser,  of  Montana  township:  William, 
a  farmer  in  Kansas;  and  Lila,  who  lives  at 
home.     Politically,  he  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


tlie  principles  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
is  a  member  of  Stone  River  Post,  No.  74,  G. 
A.  R.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America;  and  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  In  religious 
views,  the  family  favor  the  M.  E.  church. 


REDERICK  T.  DIENST  has  been  one 
of  the  leading  farmers  of  Labette 
county  since  1868,  and  resides  in  sec- 
tion 3,  Labette  township.  He  was 
born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1853,  and 
is  a  son  uf  John  H.  and  Henrietta  (Gates) 
Dienst. 

John  H.  Dienst  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
was  a  tailor  by  trade.  He  married  Henrietta 
Gates,  who  was  also  born  in  Germany,  and 
they  reared  eight  children  :  John  L.  and  Caro- 
line E.,  both  deceased;  Benjamin  F.,  who  lives 
in  Parsons,  Kansas ;  Frederick  T. ;  George  E. ; 
Daniel  W. ;  Lola  E. ;  and  James  M. 

When  Frederick  T.  Dienst  was  fifteen  years 
old  he  moved  with  his  father  to  Osage  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  where  they  lived'  for  six 
years.  They  lived  three  miles  from  the  no- 
torious Benders,  of  that  township.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1873,  Mr.  Dienst  left  Kansas,  and  went 
to  Indiana,  where  he  lived  for  ten  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  was  engaged  in  farming. 
In  1883  he  returned  to  Labette  county,  and 
located  in  Labette  township,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  is  a  thrifty  farmer,  and  has  been 
very  successful. 

Mr.  Dienst  married  Sarah  E.  Keck,  who 
was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Indiana,  in 
1857.  She  is  a  daughter  of  F.  Keck,  who  was 
a  German  farmer.  He  married  Miss  McNeal, 
who  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  and 
they  reared  two  children,  namely:     Ellen  and 


Sarah  E.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dienst  have  had  seven 
children,  namely:  Daisy  E. ;  Hattie;  Lola  E. ; 
Frank  T. ;  Earnest  R.';  Robert  O. ;  and 
Mabel  R. 

Mr.  Dienst  is  a  public-spirited  man,  and  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  all  township  affairs. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  postmaster  of  Iden- 
bro  some  time,  and  has  served  five  years  on 
the  school  board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pop- 
ulist party,  has  been  trustee  of  Labette  town- 
ship for  one  term,  and  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace  for  two  years.  ;\Ir.  Dienst  is  a  Mason, 
and  also  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  L'.  W.  and 
Court  of  Honor.  He  is  widely  known  in  the 
county,  and  is  an  honest,  upright  man. 


\RTIN  HAGGARD.  Montana 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
is  composed  mainly  of  representa- 
tive men  from  all  sections  of  the 
LInion,  who  have  sought  homes  in  the  Sun- 
flower State.  In  every  community  there  are 
men  who  have  made  farming  a  lifelong  study, 
have  finished  their  part  in  the  arduous  duties 
of  daily  life,  and  have  fought  the  battle, — 
winning  only  after  severe  and  exhausting  ef- 
fort. Such  men  and  such  characters  as  above 
described  make  up  the  farming  element  of  La- 
bette county. 

Martin  Haggard  is  one  of  the  many  promi- 
nent and  progressive  farmers  of  Montana  town- 
ship. He  was  born  near  Springfield,  Illinois, 
in  1836.  The  early  part  of  his  life  was  spent 
on  a  farm,  and  later  in  life  he  followed  the 
carpenter's  trade,  thus  doubly  fitting  himself 
for  the  battle  of  life.  He  came  to  Montana 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1866, 
and  purchased  his  present  home, — the  north 
half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section   30. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Using  his  own  knowledge  of  the  carpenter's 
trade,  he  built  his  house  and  improved  his 
farm  by  his  own  labor.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Anti-Horsethief  Association,  Labette 
Lodge,  No.  2Ti. 

Mr.  Haggard's  parents,  Aaron  and  Sallie 
(Steal)  Haggard,  were  both  born  in  Clark 
county,  Kentucky.  After  their  marriage  they 
removed  to  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  located 
near  Springfield,  and  engaged  in  farming. 
They  reared  lo  children,  of  wdiom  all  but  three 
are  deceased.  Martin  (second)  is  the  only  one 
living  in  Kansas.  Zerilda  Ruldey  (Hazlett) 
lives  on  the  old  farm  near  Springfield,  and 
Sallie  (Robinson)  resides  at  Colorado 
Springs,  Colorado. 

Martin  Haggard  married  Catherine  Tiger, 
who  is  now  deceased;  the  issue  of  this  union 
was  one  child,  Ada  May,  deceased.  He  mar- 
ried, for  his  second  wife,  Sallie  Smalley,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio. 


EL'RELIUS  BROOKS.  Among  the 
many  influential  farmers  living  in 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  appears  at  the  open- 
ing of  these  lines.  He  is  living  in  Walton 
township,  in  tlie  northeast  quarter  of  section 
29.  Mr.  Brooks  was  born  in  Wayne  county, 
Indiana,  in  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and 
Mary   (Vorhis)   Brooks. 

Jacob  Brooks  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
1795,  but  spent  most  of  his  life  engaged  in 
farming  in  Indiana.  He  married  Mary  (Vor- 
his) Felter,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1802, 
and  they  had  eight  children,  as  follows :  Mary ; 
Jackson;  Martha;  Thomas;  Irene;  Adeline; 
Josephine;  and  Aurelius. 

Aurelius  Brooks  lived  on  his  father's  farm 


until  he  located  in  Kansas,  in  1885.  He  had 
been  a  farmer  in  Indiana,  and  has  always  fol- 
lowed that  occupation.  Mr.  Brooks  bought  his 
present  farm,  on  coming  to  Kansas,  and  has 
lived  there  ever  since.  He  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising,  and  has  been  very 
successful.  He  is  a  careful,  conscientious 
workman,  and  his  farm  presents  a  thrifty  ap- 
pearance. 

Mr.  Brooks  married  iNlary  E.  Miller,  who 
was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  in  1851, 
and  they  have  been  blessed  with  six  children, 
namely :  Harry,  v.-ho  li\'es  in  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, and  is  employed  by  the  Missouri,  Kansas 
&  Te.xas  Railway  Company ;  Mary,  \\ho  is  a 
pupil  at  tlie  State  Normal  School  at  Emporia, 
Kansas,  and  graduates  with  the  class  of  1902; 
Clarence;  Charles;  Bertha,  deceased;  and 
Irene,  who  is  attending  school.  Mr.  Brooks 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  the  political  affairs  of  the  township. 
He  has  ser\-ed  one  term  as  township  trustee, 
and  has  served  on  the  school  board  for  a  period 
of  eleven  years.  He  is  now  treasurer  of  the 
school  board.  Mr.  Brooks  is  a  member  of  the 
Anti-Horsethief  Association.  He  belongs  to 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Lodge  No.  i,  of  Parsons. 
With  his  family,  he  attends  the  Methodist 
church. 


,  „HARLES  \Y.  GUNTHER.  This 
^^  gentleman  has  been  engaged  in  the 
horseshoeing  and  blacksmithing  busi- 
ness for  a  number  of  years,  and  has 
been  located  at  Parsons,  Kansas.  He  was  born 
in  Morris  county.  New  Jersey,  in  1865,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Smith) 
Gunther. 

John    H.    Gunther,  his   father,   was   a   na- 
tive of  Germany,  and  was  a  woodworker  by 


744 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


trade.  He  married  Elizabeth  Smith,  who  was 
Ijoni  in  Xew  Jersey,  and  they  reared :  George ; 
Smith  J. :  Charles  \V. ;  Harry :  Lizzie :  Mzr- 
garet ;  Fred  :  and  Edward. 

Charles  ^^^  Gunther  lived  in  Xew  Jersey 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen  years. 
There  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  and 
horseshoer.  He  left  Xew  Jersey  in  1885,  going 
west,  and  locating  in  Parsons,  Kansas.  He 
worked  a  year  and  a  half  for  Mr.  Tyler,  who 
owned  a  blacksmith  shop  at  that  time.  In 
1887  Mr.  Gunther  bought  out  Mr.  Tyler's 
business,  and  his  shop  is  now  1  n  Washing- 
ton avenue.  He  is  a  very  good  workman,  hav- 
ing a  thorough  knowledge  of  his  business,  and 
employs  competent  men  to  assist  him.  ]\Ir. 
Gunther  bought  his  home,  which  is  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  23.  Walton  towuT 
ship,  southwest  of  Parsons.  He  built  a  com- 
fortable, seven-room  house  in  1895.  ■'^''• 
Gunther  was  united  in  marriage  with  Alice 
])u\al,  who  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  1870,  and 
they  ha\e  been  blessed  with  three  children, 
namely:    Claude  S. :  Bessie  M. :  and  Leslie  A. 

Mr.  Gunther  is  a  stanch  memlier  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  local  politics.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  oi  the  Baptist  church.  They  ha\-e  a 
wide  circle  nf  friends,  and  are  highly  re- 
spected by  all. 


US.  HETTIE  REED,  a  resident  of 
I  'arsons,  Kansas,  and  an  extensi\Te 
land  owner  in  Labette  county,  was 
burn  I  in  a  farm  in  Illinois  in  1863, 
and  i^,  a  daughter  <  f  Albert  G.  and  Lucy  M. 
(Rice)  Burnett. 

Albert  G.  Burnett  was  born  in  Xew  York 
in    iS_'3.      lie    t,, 11.. wed    the    nccupatinn    of    a 
:hant  and  millwright.     He  moved 


to  Kansas,  and  located  six  miles  south  of  Par- 
sons, where  he  bought  a  mill,  which  he  operated 
until  1887.  ;Mr.  Burnett  died  in  1898-.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  very  promi- 
nent man.  He  married  Lucy  M.  Rice,  who 
was  born  in  X'^ew  York  in  1821,  and  died  in 
1895.  They  reared  the  following  children, 
namely:  Alvah ;  Hettie,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  ]\Iary:  and  James. 

Hettie  Burnett  was  very  young  when  her 
parents  moved  to  Knox  county,  Illinois,  where 
she  lived  until  her  removal  to  Kansas.  She 
was  educated  in  Kansas,  and  grew  to  woman- 
hood there.  She  was  united  in  marriage  with 
James  Harvey  Reed,  January  19,  1882.  James 
Harvev  Reed  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  reared 
on  a  farm.  In  1865  he  located  in  Labette 
ci.unty,  Kansas,  where  he  died  in  1895.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  prominent  farmers  of  the 
county,  and  his  death  was  sincerely  mourned 
by  all.  He  was  a  man  of  pleasing  personality, 
was  charitable  and  kind  to  all,  and  a  loyal  and 
upright  citizen.  Mr.  and'  Mrs.  Reed  were 
blessed  with  three  children,  namely :  Albert 
D.,  James  W.  and  Harvev  R.,  who  live  in  Den- 
ver, Colorado. 

Mrs.  Reed  has  760  acres  of  farming  land 
in  Labette  county.  She  also  owns  120  acres  of 
mineral  land  in  Colorado,  which  produces  gold, 
silver,  copper  and  lead.  Mrs.  Reed  rents  her 
farms,  and  makes  her  home  in  Parsons,  where 
she  is  universallv  esteemed. 


farmer 


HHEODORE  J.   HOEPPXER,   one  of 
the  leading  farmers  in  Xeosho  town- 
ship,  Labette  county,   Kansas,  living 
on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  18, 
is  a  man  who  is  respected  by  all  wlin  kn  .w 
him.      He    takes    an   active    interest    in    those 


WILLIAM   HENRY  STARKS. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


747 


movements  which  are  for  the  good  of  the 
community  in  which  lie  hves,  and  is  a  kind  and 
charitable  neighbor.  Mr.  Hoeppner  was  born 
in  Saxony,  Germany,  in  1847.  ''"fl  is  a  son  of 
August  and  Augusta   (W'ykoff)    Hoeppner. 

August  Hoeppner  was  a  weaver,  and  was 
born  in  Germany.  In  1853  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica, where  he  hved  the  remainder  uf  his  hfe. 
He  married  Augusta  Wykoff,  who  was  also 
a  native  of  Germany,  and  they  were  blessed 
with  the  following  children :  Augusta ;  Theo- 
dore I. :  Betty,  deceased  ;  Fred ;  William  : 
Frank ;  ]Mary :  and  three  who  died  in  infancy. 

Theodore  T-  Hoeppner  was  but  six  years 
old  when  his  parents  moved  to  this  country. 
Thev  landed  at  New  Orleans,  where  they  lived 
for  some  time,  and  tlifin  moved  to  Jefferson 
ccunty,  Indiana.  In  1864  Mr.  Hoeppner  en- 
listed in  Company  F,  31st  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  served  in  the  Army  of  the  West.  He 
fought  in  the  battles  of  Nashville  and  Frank- 
lin, and  was  engaged  in  several  skirmishes.  In 
1865  'Ml-.  Hoeppner  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge, and  returned  to  Indiana.  After  stay- 
ing at  his  home  for  a  short  time,  he  went  to 
Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  for 
three  years.  In  1878  Mr.  Hoeppner  removed 
to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  located  in 
Montana  township.  In  1880  he  moved  to  his 
present  farm  in  Neosho  township,  which  is  in 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  18.  He  is  en- 
gaged in  general  farming,  and,  as -his  early 
youth  was  spent  in  assisting  on  a  farm,  he 
has  had  much  experience  in  that  line,  and  is 
considered  a  very  good  farmer. 

Mr.  Hoeppner  married  Malinda  Dyer,  a 
daughter  of  Madison  Dyer.  Madison  Dyer 
was  born  in  Virginia,  and  settled  in  Kansas 
in  1872.  His  farm  was  located  in  sections  18 
and  19,  and  he  lived  on  it  until  his  death.  He 
married  Evaline  Welch,  who  was  a  native  of 


Ohio.  Their  children  were :  Louis,  a  farmer 
living  in  Neosho  township:  and  Malinda,  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Hoeppner.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  and  his  wife  had  three  children,  all  of 
whom  are  deceased.  They  were  Augusta  E., 
Emma  L.  and  Theodore  M.  Mr.  Hoeppner  is 
a  memlier  of  the  Republican  party.  He  and 
his  wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  church. 


ILLIAM  HEXRY  STARKS, 
a  well  known  farmer  of  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  whose  portrait 
is  herewith  shown,  lives  on  sec- 
tion 28,  Oswego  township.  He  was  born  at 
Carterville,  Vermont,  in  1831.  His  father  was 
Stephen  A.  Starks,  a  relative  of  General 
Starks,  of  Revolutionary  fame. 

Stephen  A.  Starks  was  born  in  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  in  1788,  and  died  in  Sangamon 
county.  Illinois,  in  1836.  In  1829,  he  moved  to 
Cartervilk,  Vermont,  and  in  1833  to  Rutland, 
Ohio,  where  he  lived  for  two  years,  and  then 
moved  to  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
carried  on  farming  and  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  was  educated  and  taught  school 
in  :\Iassachusetts  where  he  met  Abigail  Rich, 
who  afterward  becaiue  his  wife.  She  was 
born  in  Massachusetts,  in  1788,  and  died  in 
Sangamon  county.  Illinois,  in  1864.  This 
couple  reared  10  children,  all  of  whom  are  now 
dead,  excepting  the  subject  hereof:  William 
Henry.  The  others  were:  Edwin:  Fannie: 
Evaline :  Emeline :  Julius  A. :  John :  Julia  .\nn : 
Sally;  and  Homer. 

When  William  Henry  Starks  was  but 
two  years  old,  his  father  moved  to  Rutland, 
Ohio^  where  they  lived  until  1836,  when  they 
moved  to  Sangamon  county.  Illinois.  There 
Mr.    Starks   received   his   primary    education, 


748 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  in  1843  went  to  Jive  with  his  brother  in 
Kane  county,  Illinois.  He  remained  with  his 
brother  for  three  years,  and  then  was  engaged 
in  farming  for  himself  until  he  reached  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years.  In  the  spring  of  1852, 
he  joined  a  company  going  to  California. 
After  crossing  the  plains,  they  stopped  at 
Downieville,  Sierra  county,  California,  and 
went  to  Eldorado  county,  California,  in  1853. 
In  1864,  Mr.  Starks  was  a  resident  of  Douglas 
county,  Nevada,  where  he  kept  the  hotel  at 
Clark's  station,  for  two  years.  In  February, 
1866,  Mr.  Starks  left  San  Francisco  by  steamer 
for  New  York.  He  landed  there  in  March, 
1866,  and  went  direct  to  Greene  county,  In- 
diana, where  he  bought  a  farm  and  lived  until 
1876,  when  he  moved  to  Labette  county,'  Kan- 
sas,—locating  in  Elm  Grove  township.  In 
1887,  he  moved  to  the  Indian  Territory,  where 
he  engaged  in  fancy  stock  raising  and  remained 
there  twelve  years.  In  1899,  he  settled  in  Os- 
wego township,  in  section  28,  and  since  that 
time  has  resided  there.  He  is  largely  interested 
in  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  is  a  very 
successful  farmer. 

Mr.  Starks  has  been  married  four  times. 
By  his  second  wife  he  was  the  father  of  three 
children,  namely :  Thomas ;  Rosa ;  and'  John. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  religiously  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  is  an  honest,  upright  citizen, 
and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  the 
community. 


section 
the  pre 


E0K(;E  W.  FRAME,  a  highly  suc- 
cessful farmer,  lives  in  Neosho  town- 
ship, Lal)ette  county,  Kansas,  in  the 
east  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of 
-.  He  is  prominently  identified  with 
•ess  and  development  of  the  county. 


and  has  assisted  in  many  public  enterprises. 
Mr.  Frame  was  born  in  Elkhart  county,  Indi- 
ana, in  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Richards)  Frame. 

John  Frame  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1818,  and  was  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He  lo- 
cated in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1866, 
where  he  bought  the  west  half  of  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  20,  Neosho  township, 
and  lived  there  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1880.  He  married  Sarah  Richards, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1820,  and 
died  in  1890.  They  reared  the  following  chil- 
dren:  Samuel,  deceased;  George  W.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  David,  deceased;  Frank 
and  Mary  (Gaddis). 

George  W.  Frame  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  his  native  state,  and  came  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  1867.  He  bought  his  present  home 
in  Neosho  township,  and  there  he  carries  on 
general  farming;  being  a  conscientious,  thrifty 
man,  he  has  been  \ery  successful.  He  has  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  agricultural  matters, 
and  his  advice  is  often  sought  in  such  a  con- 
nection. 

Mr.  Frame  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Ida  Stemple,  who  was  born  in  Iowa,  in  1858, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  M.  and  Rebecca 
(Cochran)  Stemple.  Jacob  M.  Stemple  was 
born  in  Virginia,  and  is  a  prominent  farmer  of 
Labette  county.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  In- 
diana. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  had  the  follow- 
ing children,  namely:  Millard;  Oliver;  John; 
Carl ;  Eva  ;  Earl ;  Jacob ;  and  Charles  and 
Harry,  deceased.  Mr.  Frame  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as 
treasurer  of  Neosho  township.  He  belongs  to 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.  lodge.  No.  i,  of  Parsons. 
He  is  an  honored  and  respected  citizen,  and 
has  many  friends  in  the  county,  who  admire 
his  honest,  upright  ways. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


749 


IIRAM  COOK,  an  old  settler  of  Labette 
county,  and  for  many  years  a  promi- 
nent farmer  of  this  section,  has  at- 
tained the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two 
years.  He  is  still  hale  and  hearty,  actix-e  and 
energetic,  and  manages  the  farm  on  which  he 
has  lived  for  the  past  twenty-three  years.  He 
resides  in  Neosho  township,  in  section  28.  Mr. 
Cook  was  born  in  Canada  in  1820,  within  six 
miles  of  the  United  States  boundary  line.  He 
is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Anna   (Wilson)   Cook. 

Jacob  Cook  and  his  wife  were  born  in  the 
United  States  and  reared  a  family  of  10  chil- 
dren, namely  :  Sallie  ;  Crowell ;  Mary ;  Hiram  ; 
Willis;  Julia;  Millie;  Wilson;  Margaret;  and 
Lyman.  Jacob  Cook  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, and  lived  to  an  advanced  age. 

Hiram  Cook  located  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  1869.  Prior  to  moving  here,  he 
had  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  and 
has  continued  farming  all  his  life.  He  tought 
his  present  home  on  first  coming  to  Neosho 
township,  and  has  been  identified  with  tlie  lead- 
ing movements  of  Labette  county.  He  is  a  man 
of  honest,  upright  principles,  is  worthy  of  the 
highest  respect,  and  his  friends  are  many. 

Mr.  Cook  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Martha  (Knox)  McMillan,  who  was  bom  in 
A\'est  Virginia,  in  1828.  She  is  a  descendant 
of  a  good  old  Southern  family,  her  father 
having  been  James  Knox,  a  native  of  Virginia. 
James  Knox  married  Margaret  Robinson,  and 
seven  children  blessed  their  union,  namely : 
Isaac ;  John ;  William ;  Joseph ;  Esther ;  Martha ; 
and  Bathsheba.  Mr.  Knox  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  Mr.  Cook  had  been  previously 
married  to  Harriet  Simons,  of  the  state  of  New 
York,  who  died.  Four  of  the  children  born 
of  this  union  reached  maturity,  as  follows : 
Ellis;  Herman,  deceased;  Milton  W. ;  and  Asa. 


Mr.  Cook  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 
party.  Religiously,  he  is  a  faithful  member  of 
the  Christian  church. 


M 


ILLIAM  McDOWN,  postmaster  at 
;\Iatthew5on,  Labette  county.  Kan- 
sas, and  a  merchant  in  that  village, 
is  one  of  the  prominent  men  in 
the  county.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  La- 
bette county  since  1866,  and  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  its  growth.  Mr.  McDown  was  born 
in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  in  1832.  and  is  a  son 
of  Andrew  and  Nancy  (Stewick)  McDown. 
Andrew  McDown  was  born  in  Scotland,  and 
his  wife  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 

William  McDown,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  lived  in  Ohio  until  1852,  when  he  nKived 
to  Mason  county,  Illinois.  He  resided  there 
fifteen  years,  and  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  during  that  time.  In  1866  he  moved 
tO'  Labette  county,  where  he  bought  a  farm  in 
Neosho  township.  He  carried  on  farming  on 
that  land  for  twelve  years,  when  he  sold  it  and 
moved  to  the  village  of  Matthewson,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  There  he  is  engaged  in  a 
large  and  lucrative  business.  He  has  won 
many  customers  by  his  honest,  upright  man- 
ner of  dealing  with  all,  and  his  genial,  pleas- 
ant personality  has  gained  for  him  quite  as 
many   friends. 

Air,  McDown  married  Mary  Schreck,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio  in  1834.  They  have  been 
blessed  with  seven  children,  as  follows :  J. 
W. ;  Josephine ;  Nancy  Jane ;  Ira,  deceased  ; 
Oscar  O. :  Lily ;  and  J.  P.  ]\Ir.  McDown  is 
postmaster  of  Matthewson,  and  also  agent  for 
the  Kansas  City,  Fort  Scott  e^  Memphis  Rail- 
road  Company.      In   politics   he  is   an   ardent 


750 


HISTORY  OF -LABETTE  COUNTY 


Democrat,  and  has  served  as  clerk  wf  Xeosho 
township  one  term.  He  was  also  treasurer  '-t 
the  township  for  ten  years,  and  justice  of  the 
peace:  he  filled  these  offices  with  honor  and 
credit.  He  also  served  on  the  school  board 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  formerly  a 
member  of  the  ]\Iethodist  church. 


[•:XRY  E.  WILLIAMS,  a  well  known 
and  highly  resi>ected  agriculturist  cf 
Xeosho  township.  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  living  in  the  north  half  of  the 
northeast  cjuarter  of  section  27,  was  born  in 
Greene  county,  Ohio,  in  1847.  He  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Mary  E.  (Starbuck)  \\'illiams. 
Thomas  \\'illiams  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
and  he  and'  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children,  namely:  Mary:  Jane; 
Henry  E. ;  JMaggie ;  Elizalieth  :  Anna ;  Charles : 
and  John. 

Henry  E.  Williams  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  his  native  state,  and  in  1856  went  to  the 
western  part  of  Illinois,  where  he  lived  until 
1867.  He  then  went  to  Missouri,  where  he 
lived  one  year,  and,  in  1868,  to  Lyon  county, 
Kansas.  Air.  Williams  enlisted  in  Company 
M,  19th  Reg.,  Kans.  Vol.  Cav.,  in  1868.  He 
served  under  Col.  Samuel  J.  Crawford,  who 
resigned  his  office  of  governor  cf  Kansas  in  or- 
der to  accept  the  colonelcy.  Mr.  Williams  saw 
ser\-ice  in  the  western  part  of  Kansas,  and  at 
one  time  was  obliged  to  live  for  fourteen  days 
on  unsalted  buffalo  meat.  In  1869  he  returned 
to  Lyon  county,  where  he  remained  one  year, 
and  then  moved  to  Coft'ey  county,  Kansas.  In 
1872  he  located  in  Labette  county,  and  settled 
on  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
Although  busily  engaged  in  farming,  he  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  aft'airs  of  the  township 
in  which  he  resides. 


Mr.  Williams  was  united  in  marriage  with 
]\Iel\ina  Sturm,  who  was  born  in  Hardy  coun- 
ty. West  \''irginia,  in  1854.  Her  father,'  Will^ 
iam  M.  Sturm,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1822, 
and  was  a  farmer  and  school  teacher;  his  wife 
was  also  a  native  of- Virginia,  and  was  born  in 
1833.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sturm  reared  five  chil- 
dren :  Mary ;  Nathaniel ;  Melvina ;  Susan ;  and 
Henry.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  and  his 
wife  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  namely : 
Thomas,  a  grain  merchant  in  Winfield,  Kan- 
sas :  Rcsetta :  \\'alter,  deceased :  and  Minnie 
May,  deceased.  ]\Ir.  \\'illiams  built  his  new 
frame  house  in  1897.  He  is  very  popular  in 
the  community,  and  is  highly  resjiected  by  all. 

Mr.  Williams  votes  an  independent  ticket, 
and  has  served  as  clerk  of  the  township  for 
four  years:  he  was  treasurer  for  two  terms, 
and  was  on  the  school  board  for  fourteen  years. 
He  belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief  Associa- 
tion, and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Lodge,  No.  70,  of 
AlcCune.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
^Methodist  church. 


ILLIAM  J.  MARSHALL.  Among 
the  leading  agriculturists  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  is  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  appears  at  the 
head  of  these  lines.  He  lives  in  Neosho  town- 
ship, in  the  east  half  of  section  26,  and  the 
southeast  cjuarter  of  section  35.  Mr.  Marshall 
was  born  in  Greene  county,  Missouri,  in  1835, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabetli  (  Potter) 
Marshall. 

John  Marshall  and  his  wife  were  native:? 
of  Tennessee.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  namely  :  Elias :  Sarah  Ann ;  Will- 
iam J. :  James  N. :  Ruth  K. :  Martha  E. :  and 
John. ■ 

William     ].     Marshall     was     reared     and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


751 


schooled  in  his  native  state,  and  lived  there 
until  1 86 1,  when  he  moved  to  Kansas.  He 
has  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  all  his 
lite.  He  bought  his  present  farm  in  Neosho 
township  in  1866.  He  also  owns  two  other 
farms  in  Kansas.  'Slv.  ^Marshall  has  a  very 
thorough  knowledge  of  farming  matters,  and 
has  been  unusually  successful  since  locating  in 
Kansas.  He  has  always  been  a  hard  worker, 
and  the  neat  and  attractive  appearance  of  his 
farms  show  careful  management  and  great 
thrift. 

Mr.  ^Marshall  was  married  to  Elizabeth 
Stewart,  who  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Mis- 
souri, in  1843.  She  is  a  daughter  of  J.  Stew- 
art, who  was  born  in  Tennessee, — he  married 
a  Aliss  Long,  who  was  also  a  native  of  that 
state.  Mr.  ^Marshall  and  his  wife  have  been 
the  parents  of  several  children,  namely :  Alice ; 
Joshua  C,  a  farmer;  Leonard  T. ;  Rosetta  C, 
the  wife  of  Howard  Welch;  Melvin  .\.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Joplin,  Missouri;  and  John  E.  and 
Daisy  M.,  who  are  at  home. 

Mr.  :Marshall  is  a  RepubHcan  in  politics, 
and  has  served  as  township  treasurer.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  twenty 
years,  and  helped  to  build  the  first  school  house 
in  Neosho  township.  He  belongs  to  the  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association.  Religiously,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  church. 


A^IES  U.  COOPER,  one  of  the  prom- 
inent and  highly  respected  agricult- 
urists residing  in  Neosho  township, 
Labette  countv. 


Kansas,  is  a  man  of 
firm  principles  and  strong  character.  He  has 
l3een  identified  with  the  leading  events  of  La- 
bette county  since  his  residence  here,  and  is 
alwavs  ready  to  support  any  measures  which 


tend  to  promote  the  good  of  the  community. 
Mr.  Cooper  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Mis- 
souri, in  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  James  F.  and 
Martha  J.   (Dunn)   Cooper. 

James  F.  Cooper  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
1828,  and  his  wife  was' born  in  Tennessee  in 
1826.  They  reared  the  following  children, 
namely :  George ;  William  B. ;  Robert ;  James ; 
I\Iary;  Jennie;  Kellie;  and  Ella.  Mr.  Cooper 
moved  to  Neosho  township  in  1866, — locating 
in  section  34.  He  died  in  1875,  and  his  wife 
lived  until  1900.  August  11,  1862,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  D,  8th  Reg.,  Mo.  Cav.,  and 
was  discharged  July  20,  1865,  at  Little  Rock, 
Arkansas. 

James  'SI.  Cooper  was  reared  and  >chn(i]ed 
in  his  native  state,  and  moved  with  lu^  iiareiits 
to  Labette  county  in  1866.  He  settled  uu  his 
present  farm,  in  sections  28  and  ^i.  m  1895. 
His  land  is  east  of  the  Neosho  River,  in  Neosho 
township.  He  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
agricultural  matters,  and  has  been  highly  suc- 
cessful. His  success  has  been  due  entirely  to 
his  own  efforts,  as  he  has  worked  many  years 
with  untiring  energy.  He  is  a  man  of  sound 
judgment,  and  has  shown  good  management 
in  the  care  of  his  farm. 

^Ir.  Cooper  married  Vinia  }^I.  Nedarmire, 
who  was  born  in  Illinois,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  G.  and  Mary  (Fesler)  Nedarmire.  G. 
Nedarmire  was  born  in  Germany,  and  his  wife 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Their  children 
were:  Vinia  Anna;  Gertrude;  Dora,  de- 
ceased; Ida;  Grace;  Viola;  OUie;  Louisa; 
XA'illiam;  and  Elsie.  Mr.  Cooper  and  his  wife 
have  been  blessed  with  six  children,  namely: 
Eft'a;  Hattie,  deceased;  Roy;  Ralph;  .\lta; 
and  Lloyd. 

Mr.  Cooper  is  a  Populist  in  politics.  He 
has  served  as  road  commissioner  for  seven 
vears,  and  as  constable  for  four  years.     Mr. 


752 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Cooper  belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief  Asso- 
ciation, and  to  the  M.  W.  of  A.,  ?i'IcCune 
Lodge,  No.  2870.  Mrs.  Cooper  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  church. 


SAAC  W.   GALYEX,   a  descendant  of 
one  of  the  pioneer  famihes  of  Labette 
county.   Kansas,   is  one  of  the  rising 
yuung   farmers   of   this   count}'.      For 
many  years  his  father  was  a  leading  citizen  in 
Labette  county,  and  the  subject  hereof  is  rapid- 
ly following  in  his  father's  footsteps.    Mr.  Gal- 
yen  is  a  man  of  much  intelligence,  is  thoroughly 
progressive,  and  keeps  abreast  of  the  times  in 
all  matters  pertaining  to  farming,  as  well  as 
to  civic  policies  and  measures.     He  was  born 
in  Benton  county,  Arkansas,  in   1861,  and  is 
a  son  of  J.  \y.  Galyen. 

J.  W.  Galyen  was  born  in  Vermilion  coun- 
ty. Illinois,  in  1837,  and  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation. He  moved  to  Neosho  township,  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  in  1865,  and  settled  in 
the  south  half  of  section  8.  He  lived  there 
until  within  one  month  of  his  death.  Lucretia 
Lovelace,  his  wife,  was  born  in  ^Missouri,  and 
they  reared  one  son.  Isaac  W.,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Galyen 
enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army  in  Company 
C,  nth  Reg.,  Mo.  Vol,  Inf.,  and  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  1863,  after  serving  about 
eighteen  months.  He  died  February  15,  1899. 
Isaac  W  Galyen  moved  with  his  parents 
when  he  was  two  years  old  from  Arkansas  to 
Greene  county,  Illinois,  and  two  years  later 
came  to  Kansas.  He  lived  on  the  old  Galyen 
farm,  in  Labette  county,  with  his  father,  until 
1897.  He  spent  two  years  at  Pea  Ridge  Atad- 
emy.  Mr.  Galyen  bought  his  present  home  in 
1897,  and  since  that  time  has  built  a  fine,  new, 


nine-room  house.  His  farm  is  in  section  21, 
Neosho  township.  He  is  engaged  in  general 
farming,  and  has  lieen  highly  successful.  Mr. 
Galyen  has  won  many  friends  in  the  county  by 
his  fair  dealings  with  all  men  with  whom  he 
is  associated,  and  he  is  highly  respected  by  all 
in  the  community. 

Mr.  Galyen  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  A.  Lortz.  This  estimable  lady's  mother 
is  a  resident  of  Parsons,  Kansas.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  and  his  wife  have  been  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  as  follows :  Alvis,  de- 
ceased; George;  Aden;  Maud;  and  James. 

In  politics  Mr.  Galyen  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, and  has  served  as  trustee  of  Neosho  town- 
ship one  term,  and  as  clerk  of  the  township  for 
two  terms,  filling  both  offices  in  an  able  man- 
ner. He  is  now  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
His  father  was  also  a  member  of  that  board  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  was  trustee  of  Neosho 
township  for  three  terms.  Mr.  Galyen  is  a 
member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Association. 


H 


AMES  O.  WRIGHT,  a  highly  success- 
ful farmer  living  in  the  north  half  of 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  16, 
North  township,  Labette  count_v,  Kan- 
sas, is  a  native  of  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  was 
born  in  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Eliza- 
beth (Garrett)  Wright.  James  Wright  was 
Ix  rn  in  Indiana,  and  his  wife  was  born  in 
Iowa.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children,  namely;  Anna;  Robert;  James,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch;  and  George. 

James  O.  Wright,  whose  name  appears  at 
the  opening  of  these  lines,  was  reared  and 
schooled  in  his  native  state.  In  1866  he  went 
with  his  father,  and  the  rest  of  the  family,  to 
Missouri,  from  which  place  they  later  moved 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


to  Linn  county.  Kansas.  After  living  there 
two  years  Mr.  Wright  moved  to  Neosho  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  and  in  the  fall  of  1881  he  went  to 
the  Indian  Territory,  where  he  taught  the 
Levering  Baptist  Mission  school  for  ten  years, 
in  a  town  called  Wetumka.  In  1891  he  re- 
turned to  Kansas,  and  located  in  Labette  coun- 
ty. He  bought  the  north  half  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  16.  where  he  has  success- 
fully farmed  ever  since.  He  built  his  present 
home;  which  is  a  modern,  substantial  house, 
and  his  farm  is  kept  in  excellent  condition. 

Mr.  Wright  married  Betty  Keefer.  of  Mis- 
souri, in  1888.  They  have  three  children, — 
Carl,  aged  ten  ^-ears;  Florence,  aged  eight 
years ;  and  Alice,  six  years  of  age.  Mr.  Wright 
is  a  man  of  strong  character,  and  of  honest 
and  upright  principles.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Populist  party.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in 
the  affairs  of  his  township,  and  served  as  clerk 
of  North  township  for  three  years.  He  has  also 
served  as  township  trustee  for  four  years. 


0 


OHX  P.  HOFFINIAN,  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  and  farmer  living  in 
section  3,  North  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
manv.  He  was  born  in  1851.  and  is  a  son  of 
Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Rosch)  Hoffman.  They 
reared  two  sons, — John  P. ;  and  Crist,  who  now 
resides  in  Parsons,  Kansas. 

John  P.  Hoffman,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  and  schooled  in  his  native  country, 
Germany,  where  he  followed  farming  until 
he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  In 
1872  he  left  Germany  for  this  country;  he 
landed  in  New  York,  and  thence  went  to  Fre- 
mont, Sandusky  county,  Ohio.  He  spent  six 
vears  in  that  countv,  where  he  carried  on  farm- 


ing. In  March,  1872,  Mr.  Hoffman  moved  to 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  located  in  North 
township,  in  the  east  half  of  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  3 ;  he  has  since  bought  the 
south  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
2.  He  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  farming, 
and  being  a  conscientious,  untiring  worker,  he 
has  made  a  heme  for  himself  and  family, 
which,  in  its  attractiveness,  speaks  well  for  its 
owner's  thrift  and  energy. 

Mr.  Hoffman  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Levina  Schmidt. .  who  was  a  native  of  Fre- 
mont, Sandusky  county,  Ohio.  They  ha\'e 
been  the  parents  of  seven  children,  namely: 
Anna  M.,  who  was  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1897,  in  the  Labette  County  High  School,  at 
Altamont,  and  is  now  a  teacher;  Albert  A., 
who  has  the  best  record  ever  made  in  the  La- 
bette County  High  School,  and  is  also  teach- 
ing; Ida  R. ;  Eloise;  Otto  S. ;  Bernedette;  and 
Ralph. 

Mr.  Hoffman  is  independent  in  politics.  He 
belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief  Association. 
He  is  now  clerk  of  North  township,  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  school  beard.  Mr.  Hoff- 
man is  surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of  friends, 
who  place  great  confidence  in  him.  In  relig- 
ious belief  the  familv  are  Catholics. 


[i 


DWARD  D.  CLARK,  a  prominent 
young  business  man  of  Laneville, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  a  native 
of  the  county,  and'  his  career  has 
been  watched  with  much  interest  by  his  nu- 
merous friends.  He  is  a  man  of  intelligence 
and  good  business  ability,  and,  being  an  en- 
ergetic worker,  he  has  bright  prospects  ahead. 
Mr.  Clark  was  born  in  the  village  of  Montana, 
April  29,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of  T.  J.  and  Mary 
(Davidson)    Clark. 


754 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


T.  J.  Clark  was  a  native  ;)t  Virginia,  and 
was  born  in  1832.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade 
and  an  h.  nest,  npriglit  citizen.  He  married 
Alary  Davidson,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  they  reared  the  following  children : 
Nicholas  W. ;  Edward,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  George;  Howard  W. ;  Nita;  Catherine 
J.;  Ada;  Clyde;  Lncy;  Bessie;  and  Pearl. 
Howard  W.  assists  his  brother  in  the  grocery 
and  grain  business. 

Edward  D.  Clark  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Labette  county,  after  which  he  went 
to  Baxter  Springs  College,  at  Baxter  Springs. 
Kansas.  He  also  attended  the  State  Normal 
School  at  Fort  Scott,  Kansas.  He  then  went 
to  Labette  City,  where  he  kept  books  for  a 
period,  but,  being  dissatisfied  with  this  work, 
concluded  to  locate  in  Laneville,  where  he  has 
resided  ever  since.  Air.  Clark  and  his  brother 
Howard  are  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  grain 
luisiness,  and  they  have  a  large  patronage. 
They  are  gradually  increasing  their  stock,  and 
the  prospects  are  that  they  will  be  unusually 
successful  in  the  future. 

Mr.  Clark  is  a  stanch  member  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  taking  an  active  interest  in  the 
politics  of  the  county.  He  is  serving  his  sec- 
ond term  as  clerk  of  Neosho  township,  and 
filling  the  position  in  a  creditable  manner.  He 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  educational  matters,  and 
is  at  present  a  member  of  the  school  board.  Air. 
Clark  is  agent  for  the  Adams  Express  Cnm- 
panv  at  Laneville,  and  also  for  the  Kansas 
City,  Fort  Sci  tt  &  Alemiihis  Railroad  Com- 
pany. He  is  filling  the  position  of  postmaster 
in  an  able  manner.  Air.  Clark  belongs  to  the 
Alodern  \\'oodmen  of  America,  and  religiously 
he  is  liberal.  Air.  Clark  married  Lulu  Pyland, 
a  native  of  Alissouri,  who  was  born  in  1877. 
'idiev  have  been  blessed  with  one  child, — ■ 
Rol)ert. 


u 


ULIUS  L.  AIORRISON,  well  known  as 
1  >ne  of  the  best  farmers  living  in  North 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in 
section  5,  is  a  gentleman  of  high 
honor,  firm  principles  and  good  business  ability. 
He  is  actively  interested  in  the  progress  of  the 
county,  and  is  always  ready  to  assist  in  any- 
thing which  tends  to  promote  the  good  of  the 
community.  Mr.  Morrison  was  born  in  Prince- 
ton, Illinois,  in  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph 
and  Ann  (Thompson)  Morrison. 

Joseph  Alorrison,  the  father  of  Julius  L., 
was  born  in  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  in  1806. 
He  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  and  followed  that 
occupation  for  many  years.  In  1849,  during 
the  California  fever  craze,  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, following  the  old  Santa  Fe  trail,  en 
route.  He  returned'  to  Ohio  in  1851,  moved 
thence  to  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  and  located 
on  a  farm  si.x  miles  from  the  town  of  Prince- 
ton. There  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  for  twenty-two  years.  He  then  sold  his 
place,  in  1877,  and  moved  into  the  town  of 
Princeton,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1893. 
He  married  Ann  Thompson,  a  native  of  Bel- 
mont county,  Ohio,  who  was  bcrn  in  181 2, 
and  died  in  1880.  They  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children  :  Alary ;  Hugh  ;  Griz- 
zella;  Francis ;  Sophia ;  Chalmers ;  Julius  L.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch;  Silas;  and  Alaggie. 
Julius  L.  Alorrison  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Illinois,  and  learned  farming  under  his  fa- 
ther. In  1879  he  moved  from  Bureau  county, 
Illinois,  to  Kansas,  and  settled  in  the  south  half 
of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  5,  in  North 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
has  since  lived.  He  also  Ijought  the  north  half 
of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  5.  He  is  a 
careful  and  painstaking  worker,  and  being  a 
good  manager  he  has  been  very  successful 
since  coming  to  Kansas. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


757 


Mr.  Mon-is(.in  was  wedded  in  Anna  'Slc- 
Kinstry,  in  1876.  She  was  born  m  Mifflin 
ci.unty.  Pennsyh-ania.  in  1849,  'I'^'-l  is  a  daugh- 
ter iif  W.  P.  E.  and  Sarah  Jane  (McBride) 
McKinstry.  Mr.  Morrison  and  his  wife  ha\-e 
reared  the  foHowing  chiltlren,  namely  :  Ralph 
E.,  a  student  at  Park  College,  and  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1903;  Edna  B.,  a  graduate  of 
the  Parsons  High  School,  now  engaged  in 
teaching;  Arthur  L.,  deceased;  and  Roy  R. 
Mr.  Morrison  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horse- 
thief  Association.  Religiously,  he  belongs  to 
the  Presbyterian  church. 


El 


OXATHAX  ANDREWS,  a  veteran  ot 
the  Civil  War,  and  a  well  known  agri- 
culturist of  North  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  a  man  ni  honest 
and  upright  methods.  He  has  been  engaged  in 
several  different  enterprises  since  entering  upon 
a  business  career,  and,  having  a  sound  judg- 
ment and  good  business  principles,  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  a  manner  that  would  be  a  credit  to 
any  one.  Mr.  Andrews  was  b(_)rn  in  Howard 
county,  Missouri,  in  1841,  where  he  received 
his  early  mental  training. 

Mr.  Andrews  enlisted  in  Company  A,  9th 
Reg.,  Mo.  Vol.  Cav.,  January  20,  1862,  and 
was  assigned  to  the  -\rmy  of  the  West.  He 
was  in  the  battle  of  Kirksville,  and  in  several 
skirmishes,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in 
February.  1865.  He  then  returned  to  his  home 
in  Missouri,  where  he  finished  his  studies.  In 
1870  Mr.  Andrews  bought  a  general  store,  but 
ccnducted  it  only  a  short  time,  when  he  sold 
out  and  moved  west.  He  bciught  the  nr)rtheast 
quarter  of  section  9,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided, and  carried  on  general  farming.  Sixteen 
vears  of  this  time  Mr.  Andrews  has  spent  else- 


where,— eight  years  in  Colorado,  looking  after 
mining  interests,  four  years  in  Joplin.  ^lis- 
souri.  and  t'Mtir  years  in  Helena,  Kansas.  He 
still  has  niinnig  property  in  Colorado.  In  1891 
he  went  t(j  Joijlin,  [Missouri,  where  he  was 
partner  in  the  concern  known  as  the  City  Brick-t 
yard.  He  held  an  interest  in  this  until  the 
spring  of  1900,  when  he  sold  out  his  share. 
He  has  lately  built  a  new  home,  a  handsome- 
frame  house,  and  several  new  outbuildings. 
He  now  has  one  of  the  most  attractive  places 
in  the  county,  and  it  is  greatly  admired  by  all. 
Mr.  Andrews  married  Estella  Ri  bbins,  ot 
Joplin.  Missouri,  Decemlier  31,  1893.  She  is 
a  lady  of  many  excellent  (|ualities,  and  has  nu- 
merous friends  in  the  vicinity  of  her  residence. 
In  religion  ]Mr.  Andrews  is  a  Baptist. 


\MES  O.  STOTTS,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  has  been  a  resident  of  Mound 
\'alley  township  since  1870,  and  now 
resides  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  14. 
township  32,  range  18.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War,  and  stands  high  in  the  esteem  of 
his  fellow  citizens.  He  was  born  in  Morgan 
county,  Indiana.  ^Nlay  22,  1829,  and  is  a  son 
of  Robert  C.  and  Helen  (Laughlin)  Stotts. 

Robert  C.  Stotts  and  his  wife  were  born 
in  \'irginia,  of  Scotch  descent.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Virginia,  and  went  at  an  early  period, 
to  Indiana,  where  the  husband  was  engaged  in 


s  death,  at  the  age  ot   sixty 

also  died  in  Indiana.     They 

f     se\en     children,      as      fol- 

Margaret.   Sarah,    John    L. 

all   lit   whom    are    deceased; 

James  O. ;  and  Eliza  (Smith),  who  resides  in 

her  native  county  in  Indiana. 

James  O.  Stotts  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 


farming  untd  ' 
years.     His  wi: 
were    parents 
lows:      A'irgini 
and   Robert    C. 


758 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


was  engaged  in  farming  until  the  Civil  War, 
when  he  moved  to  Lewis  county,  ^^lissouri, 
where  he  bought  land  and  lived  until  1870. 
He  enlisted  from  Missouri  in  Company  F,  21st 
Reg.,  Mo.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  in  the  i6th 
Army  Corps.  He  was  with  General  Sherman 
in  one  of  his  campaigns,  but  served  mainly 
under  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith.  He  participated  in 
seven  of  the  must  important  engagements  of 
the  war.  his  first  one  being  under  General 
Prentiss,  at  Shiloh.  Hi's  fighting  was  done 
mostly  in  Tennessee.  He  was  mustered  out 
at  Eastport,  Mississippi,  in  February,  1865, 
and  went  with  the  regiment  to  Cairo,  Illinois, 
and  thence  to  his  home  in  Missouri.  He  fol- 
lowed fanning  in  Missouri  ifntil  1870,  when  he 
moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
located  on  his  present  farm, — the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  14,  township  32,  range  18. 
Two  men,  Rohrer  and  Honrath,  had  filed  on 
the  east  half  of  section  14,  and  Mr.  Stotts 
purchased  their  interests.  He  improved  and 
cultivated  the  entire  half  section  for  several 
years,  and  then  gave  the  northeast  quarter  to 
his  son,  who  has  since  disposed  of  it.  Aside 
from  the  breaking  of  a  few  acres,  he  has  made 
all  the  improvements  upon  the  place.  There 
was  no  natural  timber,  even  along  the  stream, 
and  all  the  trees  upon  the  property  at  the  pres- 
ent time  were  set  out  by  him.  He  set  out  a  fine 
orchard  of  si.x  acres,  which  is  bearing  well. 
The  original  box  house  was  replaced  by  a  com- 
fortable eight-room  residence  in  the  fall  of 
1898,  ample  barns  and  outbuildings  having 
been  built  a  short  time  previously.  Mr.  Stotts 
has  been  very  successfully  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock  raising.  In  the  early  days 
he  sometimes  did  his  marketing  at  Ladore, 
but  for  many  years  past  he  has  traded  at  Par- 
sons. 

]\Ir.  Stotts  was  united  in  marriage,  in  In- 


diana, to  jNIargaret  A.  Bailey,  wdio  was  born 
in  that  state,  in  1831,  and  died  in  Labette  coun- 
ty August  26,  1898.  Nine  children  were  born 
to  bless  this  union,  as  follows:  William,  a 
carpenter  of  Mound  Valley;  Robert,  who  died 
in  Indiana;  Ellen,  wife  of  E.  T.  Jamison,  who 
resides  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Mound  Val- 
ley township,  and  has  four  children, — Ida  May, 
Alfred,  William,  and  Jennie;  Jennie  (Beebe), 
of  Harlan,  Iowa :  John,  who  died  in  Missouri ; 
Alice  (Smith),  of  ^^lound  Valley  township, 
who  has  six  children;  Eliza  (Beggs),  of 
Mound  Valley;  James  Andrews,  who  died  in 
Labette  county;  and  Edwin  M.,  who  ntarried 
Rose  Wallis,  a  daughter  of  N.  W.  \\'allis,  an 
early  settler  of  Labette  count}-,  and  they  have 
four  children,  Lelia  May;  Omah  Mildred, 
James  Wallis,  and  Helen  Gladys.  \\'illiam, 
Robert  and  Ellen  were  born  in  Indiana.  In 
politics,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  is  a  member  of  Mound  Valley  Post, 
G.  A.  R.  In  rligious  views,  he  is  a  Meth- 
odist, and  all  of  his  family  attend  Hopewell 
church,  in  Labette  township.  Portraits  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stotts  accompany  this  sketch. 


ARLF.S  M,  JOHXSOX,  a  highly 
res])ected  citizen  of  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas, came  to  the  city  in  1883,  with 
but  little  means  and  with  only  his 
musical  talents  to  depend  on.  He  began  giv- 
ing instruction  on  the  piano,  and  established  a 
store  for  the  sale  of  musical  instruments,  and 
now  has  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of  that 
character  in  the  state  of  Kansas. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  born  in  Posey  county,  In- 
diana, in  August,  1 86 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev. 
J.  Wesley  and  Mary  (O'Xeil)  Johnson.  His 
father  was  born  in  Ohio  and  is  now  about  six- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


ty-five  years  of  age.  He  was  a  minister  of  the 
j\I.  E.  church,  and  mo\'ed  to  the  St.  Louis 
conference  when  Charles  M.  was  a  small  boy. 
He  is  a  strong  Republican  in  politics,  and  was 
chaplain  of  the  state  senate  and  of  the  peni- 
tentiary in  Missouri  for  many  years.  He  is 
now  engaged  in  business  with  his  sons,  who  are 
proprietors  of  the  "DeLacey  Remedies,"  in  St. 
Louis.  Five  children  were  born  to  Rev.  Mr. 
Johnson  and  his  wife,  namely :  Charles  M. ; 
Crary;  Fletcher;  Ella;  and  Maude.  Crary,  of 
St.  Louis,  is  in  partnership  with  his  brother 
Fletcher  in  the  drug  business.  They  began  at 
Joplin,  Missouri,  then  purchased  a  large  drug 
store  in  Kansas  Cit}',  which  they  sold  in  1896, 
and  went  to  St.  Louis.  They  have  two  retail 
stores,  and  are  wholesale  handlers  of  the  "De- 
Lacey Remedies,"  of  which  they  are  the  own- 
ers. They  have  a  force  of  salesmen  on  the 
road.  Ella  is  at  home  in  St.  Louis ;  and  Maude 
■married  a  Mr.  Keiffer,  of  St.  Louis,  who  is  in- 
terested in  the  manufacture  of  soda  fountains. 
The  mother  of  Charles  M.  was  born  in  South 
Carolina,  and  is  now  about  sixty  years  of  age. 
Charles  M.  Johnson  went  with  his  parents 
to  Missouri  when  four  or  five  years  old,  and 
attended  the  public  schools  at  the  different 
places  where  his  father  lived.  He  obtained  an 
excellent  musical  education,  which  was  com- 
pleted in  St.  Louis,  where  he  graduated  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years.  He  at  once  began 
teaching  at  Independence,  Kansas,  where  he 
formed  a  class,  and  shortly  afterward  moved 
to  Butler,  Missouri.  There  he  remained  until 
1883,  when  he  came  to  Parsons  in  the  nKuith  of 
January.  He  began  giving  lessons  on  the  piano 
and  continued  thus  for  some  years.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1894,  he  established  his  store  at  its  pres- 
ent location.  No.  1802  Forrest  avenue.  The 
city  was  then  small  and  business  com])etition 
was  keen,  but  his  success  was  assured  from  the 


start,  and  the  store  took  up  so  much  of  his 
time  that  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  teaching. 
He  carries  a  complete  stock  of  instruments  of 
every  kind,  and  many  makes  of  pianos,  pre- 
ferring the  Everett,  which  is  his  leader.  His 
building  is  125  by  25  feet  in  dimensions,  but 
is  not  large  enough  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  his  trade. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Anna  T.  Wyatt,  who  was  born  in  Jacksonville, 
Illinois,  in  1862,  and  is  a  daughter  of  F.  M. 
Wyatt ;  her  mother  is  dead.  Her  father  was  in 
the  grocery  business  many  years,  and  is  now 
living  in  retirement  at  Butler,  ^Missouri.  She 
is  one  of  three  children,  the  others  being; 
Alice  (Lindsay),  whose  husband  is  a  ranch 
owner  and  stockman  near  Fort  Scott.  Kansas; 
and  J.  O.,  of  St.  Louis,  who  has  charge  of  the 
hardware  of  Crawford's  large  department 
store.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  had  one  son 
who  died.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason  and 
Knight  Templar,  being  knighted  at  Parsons; 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Shrine  at  Leavenworth. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Elks,  and  the  A. 
O.  U.  W.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  Mrs. 
Johnson  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church, 
which  he  also  attends.  He  has  a  fine  residence 
at  the  corner  of  Eighteenth  street  and  Corning 
avenue. 


la 


W.  RABER,  a  harness-maker  of 
Parsons,  Kansas,  stands  well  to  the 
front  among-  citizens  and  business  men 
of  prominence  of  that  city,  which  has 
been  his  home  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  centurv. 
Mr.  Raber  was  born  in  1845,  '"  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  of  which  county  his  parents  were  also 
natives.  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Catherine  Kreighbaum,  died   in    1895,   having 


76o 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


reached  the  age  l  f  sixty-five  years.  His  fa- 
ther. Leonard  Raher,  has  passed  his  seventy- 
sixth  milestune.  and  is  still  living  at  the  old 
homestead  in  Stark  county.  Ohio;  he  visited  H. 
W.  in  Kansas  several  years  ago.  Eight  chil- 
ilren  were  born  to  him  and  his  wife,  of  whom 
H.  W.  is  the  eldest,  and  the  only  one  of  the 
faniih-  who  lives  in  the  West,  except  one 
lirother.  Oliver  P.,  who  is  a  prominent  druggist 
in  Indiana:  the  rest  if  the  children  remained 
in  their  native  county.  Their  ancestors  orig- 
inally li\ed  in  Pennsylvania. 

^Ir.  Raber  attended  the  common  schools, 
and  early  commenced  light  farm  work.  When 
of  suitable  age,  he  became  apprenticed,  learned 
the  painter's  trade,  and  followed  that  occupa- 
tion for  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  His  last 
work  in  that  line  was  done  at  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas. .\pril  4,  1 88 1,  he  left  his  native  state,  and 
settled  in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
farmed  for  four  years,  and  during  the  two 
years  following  was  engaged  in  the  loan  busi- 
ness. In  the  summer  of  1889  he  purcha.'^ed  the 
interest  of  J.  C.  McGinnis,  now  deceased,  a 
pioneer  business  man  of  Parsons,  Kansas,  who 
at  that  time  was  the  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  McCiinnis  &  Calvert,  harness-makers,  then 
doing  business  at  No.  1827  Johnson  avenue. 
This  business  was  continued  at  the  old  stand, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Calvert  &  Raber,  until 
1895.  The  senior  member  of  the  firm  then  sold 
his  interest  and  removed  to  Topeka,  and  Mr. 
Raber  continued  the  business  alone.  He  carries 
the  finest  and  most  complete  stock  of  harness 
and  leather  gnoth  in  the  city:  in  addition  to 
which  he  has  a  full  line  of  surreys,  carriages, 
buggies,  saddles,  etc.  His  stock  is  estimated 
to  be  wrrth  $4,000,  and  occupies  a  building 
20  by  100  feet  in  dimensions.  The  business 
established  at  this  stand  was  among  the  first 
of  its  kind  in   Parsons.     INIr.   Raber  employs 


two  expert  harness-makers,  and  fills  all  orders 
for  any  style  of  harness,  saddles,  and  ordinary 
leather  goods.  His  energy,  probity  and 
shrewdness  have  not  only  won  for  him  the  re- 
spect and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens,  but 
have  caused  his  business  to  prosper,  and  en- 
abled him  to  purchase  a  fine  residence  at  No. 
1 500  Forest  a\'enue. 

Before  leaving  his  native  state  Air.  Raber 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Sarah  A.  Shana- 
felt,  a  daughter  of  Air.  and  Airs.  Andrew 
Shanafelt,  prominent  Ohioans.  Air.  and  Airs. 
Raber  have  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Gertrude  R. 
Wiley,  of  Joplin,  Alissouri.  Politically,  Mr. 
Raber  is  a  Democrat,  and  as  an  active,  enter- 
prising citizen  takes  a  deep  interest  in  every- 
thing tending  toward  the  public  welfare.  Both 
he  and  Airs.  Raber  are  prominent  in  fraternal 
circles.  The  former  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  Alodern  ^^'codmen  of 
America,  while  the  latter  affiliates  with  the 
Fraternal  Aid,  and  is  president  of  the  Parlor 
Reading  Circle,  of  Parsons.  Both  are  members 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  and  in  them 
Rev.  O.  E.  Hart  finds  willing  assistants  in  any 
worthv  cause. 


D 


RVIN  SAIITH,  one  of  the  best  known 
pharmacists  and  druggists  of  Parsons. 
Kansas,  was  born  in  Champaign  coun- 
ty. Ohio,  in  1846.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  a  mere  infant,  and  when  he  was 
six  years  old  his  mother  also  died.  Being  the 
youngest  of  10  children.  Irvin  made  his  home 
principally  with  his  brother,  A.  J.  Smith,  who 
removed  to  Wabash.  Indiana,  when  Irvin  was 
twelve  years  old.  In  June,  1865,  Irvin  was 
apprenticed  to  Harvey  Alurray,  proprietor  of 
a  drug  store  and  pharmacy  at  that  place. 


JONATHAN    PEARSON. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


763 


Completing  his  apprenticeship  in  1868,  Mr. 
Smith  came  west  to  Neosho  county.  Kansas, 
and  the  foll(_i\ving  year  pnrchased  the  drng 
lousiness  of  Dr.  Kennedy,  at  Erie,  which  he 
carried  on  successfully  for  two  years.  In  1871 
he'  removed  his  stock  to  Parsons,  which  was 
then  in  its  infancy,  and  located  in  a  building 
near  the  corner  of  Johnson  and  Central  ave- 
nues, just  opposite  his  present  location.  A 
liotel  then  occupied  the  corner. 

Two  years  later  (  1873)  Mr.  Smith  retired 
from  the  drug  business,  temp;  rarily.  and  spent 
several  vears  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Neosho 
coitnty.  where  he  owns  a  fine  farm,  and  has  one 
equally  fine  in  Labette  county.  In  1876  he  re- 
turned to  Parsons,  and  worked  as  clerk  in  a 
drug  store  until  1882,  when  he  again  went  into 
business  for  himself  and  has  so  continued  up  to 
the  present  time.  He  opened  a  drug  store  at 
the  same  old  stand  in  Parsons,  and  remcved 
in  1896  to  the  Kennedy  Block.  About  a  year 
later  he  moved  to  the  Pierson  Building,  where 
he  carried  on  business  for  tlirci-  \  e:ir^.  For  the 
past  year  he  has  occupied  lii>  piesent  liuUding, 
at  No.  1S02  Johnson  a\-enue.  He  ejnploys  two 
competent  clerks  as  assistants,  and  presides 
himself  o\-er  the  pharmacist's  desk,  giving  per- 
sonal attention  to  the  filling  of  prescriptions, 
etc.  His  store  room  is  20  by  60  feet  in  di- 
mensions, and  is  well  stocked  with  pure. drugs, 
apothecaries'  supplies  and  the  thousand  and  one 
things   found  in  any  up-to-date  drug  store. 

Mr.  Smith  has  been  twice  married.  His 
first  marriage  occurred  in  Erie,  where  he  was 
united  with  C.  B.  Kennedy,  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Kennedy.  She  died  many  years  ago,  leaving 
two  children  as  a  legacy  to  her  husband.  They 
are :  Dr.  Albert,  of  Parsons,  and  Nellie,  a 
yi  ung  lady  still  at  home.  Mr.  Smith  con- 
tracted a  second  marriage,  being  united  with 
Mrs.   .\delia   Smith,   nee   Ex'ans,   a    native  of 


Oliio.  They  have  one  daughter,  Maude,  and 
reside  in  a  handsome  residence  in  the  First 
Ward. 

In  politics  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican,  but 
has  ne\-er  been  prevailed  upon  to  accept  office. 
Contrary  to  the  general  rule,  he  is  no  memljer 
of  any  fraternal  organization,  nor  has  he  allied 
himself  with  any  church  denomination:  he  en- 
tertains lilieral  x'iews  on  religious  suljjects. 
Ci  mbining  thrift  and  energy,  he  has  amassed 
for  himself  a  handsome  competency,  and  is 
recognized  as  a  man  of  good  business  methods. 
He  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  his  present  occu- 
pation, and  faithfully  executes  the  wishes  (.)f  a 
large  number  of  patrons.  Two  of  his  brothers 
also  came  west,  luit  died  in  Kansas  a  short 
time  afterward. 


ONATHAN  PEARSON.  Tiiis  gen- 
tleman, whose  portrait  is  herewith 
])resenlcd,  was  for  a  numl)er  of  years 
a  prominent  farmer  of  Elm  Grove 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,-  Ijut  since 
1900  he  has  made  his  home  in  Edna.  He  was 
born  in  Canton,  Stark  county,  Ohio,  in  1833, 
and  is  a  son  of  J.  and  Sarah   (  Kountz )   Pear- 


J.  Pearson 
was  a  tanner 
Kountz,  whti 
\-ania.     The\   r 


ivas  born  in  Pennsyh'ania.  and 
_)y  trade.  He  married  Sarah 
^;is  also  a  nati\'e  oi  Pennsyl- 
■ared  two  chiKlren  :     Jonathan; 


and  Mary  J.,  who  married  [Mr.  Shepherd,  and 
now  lives  in  Howard  township,  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas. 

When  Mr.  Pearson  was  but  si.x  years  old. 
his  parents  moved  to  Jackson  ctxmty.  Indiana, 
and  there  he  received  his  early  mental  train- 
ing. He  enlisted  in  1864.  in  Company  K,  31st 
Reg.,  Ind.  \"ol.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  close 


764 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


of  the  war.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
FrankHn,  Tennessee,  and  Huntsville  and  Ashe- 
ville.  North  CaroHna.  He  followed  the  trade 
of  a  bricklayer  for  thirteen  years,  and  in  1870 
removed  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  From  a  Mr.  Scott,  he 
bought  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  24, 
township  34,  range  18,  in  Howard  township, 
for  S200.  He  entered  this  claim  at  Inde- 
pendence, Kansas,  and  began  making  extensive 
improvments.  He  successfully  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  there  until  1900,  when  he  rented 
the  farm  to  J.  W.  Pearson,  his  son,  and  de- 
cided to  locate  in  the  city  of  Edna.  He  built 
his  present  home  in  that  town,  in  1900,  and 
has  since  resided  there.  He  is  well  and  fa- 
vorably known,  and  is  looked  upon  by  all  as  a 
man  worthy  of  implicit  confidence. 

Air.  Pearson  married  Ruth  A.  Holten,  who 
was  born  in  North  Vernon,  Indiana,  in  1839. 
This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  J.  W. ;  Alice;  Sadie;  Ells- 
worth ;  Joseph ;  Mollie  and  William,  deceased ; 
and  Nellie.  Mr.  Pearson  is  independent,  in 
])olitics.  He  was  township  trustee  of  Howard 
township  for  two  }ears.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R.  The  family  belong  to  the  Meth- 
odist church.  Air.  Pearson  joined  the  church 
when  twenty- foivr  years  of  age,  and  has  been 
on  the  church  board  ever  since  he  settled  in 
Kansas.  He  has  held  the  office  of  trustee  for 
nearlv  thirtv  vears. 


0K.   GEORGE  W.  GABRIEL,  a  gen- 
tleman who  has  been  called  upon  to 
till   many  offices  of  public  trust,   is 
at  the  present  time  representing  his 
district  in  the  state  senate  of  Kansas.     He  is 
a  physician  by  profession,  and  has  been  en- 


gaged in  practice  in  the  city  of  Parsons  since 
1870. 

Dr.  Gabriel  was  born  in  Athens,  Ohio,  in 
No\ember,  1843,  ^"d  is  a  son  of  Aloses  and 
Alary  (Johnson (  Gabriel.  He  is  of  French 
descent,  his  great-grandfather  having  served 
in  the  French  army  during  the  revolution  in 
that  country, — he  came  to  this  country,  set- 
tled in  \'irginia,  and  later  moved  to  Ohio, 
where  he  died  when  George  ^^^  was  very 
young.  The  grandfather  of  Dr.  Gabriel  set- 
tled on  government  land  in  Ohio  in  1798, 
and  lived  there  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
Aloses  Gabriel,  the  father,  died  in  1879.  He 
married  Alary  Johnson,  who  was  born  in  Ire- 
land, and  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead 
in  Ohio,  having  passed  the  eighty-se\enth  an- 
niversary of  her  birth  in  October,  1900.  Her 
father  came  to  America  in  1820  because  of 
participation  in  the  Irish  rebellion,  having 
been  at  one  time  an  officer  in  the  British  army. 
Aloses  Gabriel  and  his  wife  had  six  children, 
as  follows:  Elias,  who  served  in  the  24th 
Reg.,  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  during  the  Civil  war, 
came  to  Neosho  county,  Kansas,  with  Dr. 
Gabriel,  and  is  now  a  farmer  near  Erie; 
George  W.;  Susan  (Wells),  whose  husband 
is  a  farmer  and  has  resided  near  Butler,  Mis- 
souri, for  the  past  twenty-five  years;  Chris- 
tina (.Dixon),  of  Athens,  Ohio;  Elmer,  who 
died  in  Ohio  in  1898;  and  Emmett,  who  died 
in  Ohio  in  1888,  having  been  a  student  in  the 
University  of  Ohio, 

Dr.  George  W.  Gabriel  was  reared  and 
educated  in  Ohio,  where  he  attended  the  State 
University  for  three  years.  He  then  enlist- 
ed in  Company  I,  52d  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf., 
and  later  in  the  75th  and  ii6thOhio  regiments. 
He  was  in  the  forage  department  mainly,  un- 
der General  Crook  and  General  Franklin,  and 
after  three  years  service  was  mustered  out  in 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


765 


the  winter  of  1863-1864.  He  came  to  Kan- 
sas ill  the  spring  of  1864,  and  at  Topeka  en- 
listed for  six  months  in  Company  D,  17th 
Reg.,  Kans.  Vol.  Inf.,  having  charge  of  teams 
and  foraging.  He  received  his  discharge  at 
Fort  Leavenworth,  November  17,  1864,  after 
tlie  last  raid  of  Price  and  then  went  to  To- 
peka, where  he  remained  until  September, 
1865.  He  then  returned  to  Ohio  and  attended 
the  Starling  Medical  College  two  years,  and 
ill  the  fall  of  1867  was  made  assistant  surgeon 
of  the  Ohio  penitentiary.  In  the  fall  of  1868, 
he  came  to  Ladore,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
;ind  moved,  in  1870,  to  Parsons,  then  com- 
posed mainly  of  tents.  Besides  himself  there 
were  InU  two  practicing  physicians  there  at 
that  time.  Dr.  Keely  and  Dr.  Hutchison.  His 
tirst  office  was  on  Forrest  avenue,  in  the  build- 
ing owned  by  Hayes  &  Pierson.  He  prac- 
ticed alone,  at  first,  and  then,  in  partnership 
with  Dr.  Kennedy,  in  1872  and  1873.  He 
afterward  formed  a  partnership  with  Dr.  Tin- 
der, which  continued  from  1884  to  1893.  He 
is  engaged  in  general  practice,  alone,  but  is 
located  in  the  same  suite  with  O.  E.  Peak, 
D.  D.  S.  He  enjoys  a  fair  share  of  the  pat- 
ronage of  the  community,  and  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  the  citizens. 

Dr.  Gabriel  was  first  married  to  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Hallowell,  ncc  Hager,  wlio  died  in 
i8gi,  having  given  birth  to  four  children,  as 
follows:  Harry,  a  train  di.spatcher  at  Fort 
Scott,  Kansas,  for  the  Kansas  City,  Fort  Scott 
&  Memphis  Railroad:  Hager,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years;  Mary,  a  graduate  of  the 
schools  of  Clinton,  Missouri,  who  is  now  in 
New  Jersey;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  Doctor  formed  a  second  marital  union, 
Mrs.  ]\Iary  E.  Brown,  ncc  Cassidy,  a  native 
(;f  Indiana,  becoming  his  wife.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  S<nitheastern  Kansas  Medical  As- 


sociation; is  a  Knight  Templar;  a  Shriner; 
and  also  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  B. 
P.  O.  E. ;  and  ^Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star 
lodge.  His  former  wife  was  associate  grand 
matron  at  the  time  of  her  death.  Politically, 
he  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  has  served 
as  mayor  of  Parsons  about  ten  years  in  all, 
his  first  term  having  commenced  in  1874,  and 
his  last  term  having  expired  in  1888.  He  has 
also  served  as  alderman.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Kansas  house  of  representatives  three 
terms,  beginning  in  1876:  his  last  term  expired 
in  the  fall  of  1900.  In  the  last  named  year  he 
was  elected  to  the  Kansas  Senate,  from  La- 
bette county,  and  is  ably  filling  the  office.  He 
owns  and  occupies  a  handsome  home  in  Par- 
sons. 


in 


ICHOLAS  ANDERSON,  an  expert 
plasterer  autl  stone  mason,  of  Par- 
sons, Kansas,  is  a  nati\'e  of  Sweden, 
where  his  birth  occurred  July  21, 
1842.  He  is  a  son  of  Andrus  Pierson  and 
Bangta  (Klemetson)  Anderson,  who  remained 
in  their  native  country,  and  reared  four  sons. 
Pier,  the  eldst  son,  emigrated  to  America  four 
vears  before  Nicholas  came,  settled  in  Gales- 
burg,  Illinois,  and  died  six  months  after  his  ar- 
rival in  this  country.  He  advised  his  brothers 
not  to  seek  a  home  in  America.  Jans,  the  sec- 
ond, was  a  farmer  l)y  occupation,  and  died  in 
Germany,  where  he  then  lived  in  1898.  Nels 
is  a  widower,  and  resides  on  the  old  home  farm 
in  Sweden,  which  he  bought  and  paid  for.  He 
and  Nicholas  are  the  only  surviving  members 
of  the  family,  the  parents  having  passed  away. 
Nicholas  Anderson  was  reared  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Sweden,  and  according  to 
custom  was  confirmed  in  the  state  church,  at 


766 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


the  age  ut  tifteen  years.  Wlien  he  attained  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years,  liis  fatlier  bribed  a 
physician  to  pronounce  him  physically  disabled 
from  entering  the  regular  army,  and  in  that 
way  se\eral  years  of  \aluable  time  were  sa\ed, 
as  he  was  not  oliliged  to  become  a  soldier. 
Two  years  later  he  left  his  native  place  to  shift 
for  himself,  and  sunie  time  afterward  drifted 
into  Germany,  where  he  spent  four  years  at 
farm  work.  In  1872  he  immigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, in  company  with  a  cousin,  who  is  deceased. 
Being  ac(juainted  with  a  butcher  who  was  lo- 
cated in  Parsons,  Kansas,  he  naturally  sought 
the  same  locatiun. — intending  ti)  take  up  a 
claim. 

Mr.  Anderson  worked  on  the  railroad  for 
abiiut  a  year  and  a  half,  and  with  that  excep- 
tion he  has  made  his  home  in  Parsons,  having 
visited  his  native  country  twice.  After  work- 
ing some  time  as  a  helper  to  brick  masons,  he 
decided  to  become  a  mason,  and  accordingly 
learned  the  trade.  He  then  began  business  for 
iiimself,  by  building  cisterns,  walls,  etc.,  and  of 
late  years  has  devoted  much  time  to  stone  cut- 
ting and  contracting.  He  has  been  a  busy, 
energetic  man,  and  having  a  good  trade  has 
prospered  accordingly.  He  is  now  quite  an 
extensive  pruperty  owner,  having  several  fine 
tracts  of  land  near  Parsons,  which  he  leases, 
and  alsd  a  iracl  ut  land  in  the  western  part  of 
the  town.— kn.iwn  as  Anderson's  Addition. 
Mr.  .\nderson  has  sold  .several  building  lots 
fmm  this  tract  at  e.xcellent  figures.  He  also 
owns  a  comfortable  lesidence  at  No.  903  Lin- 
coln avenue. 

In  uSSi  Mr.  .\nderson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Ingrede  Nelson,  a  native  of  Sweden. 
Avho  located  in  Parsons  in  1880.  The  mar- 
ria.ge  took  place  in  Carthage.  Missouri.  Si.x 
children  blessed  their  union.  The  first  three 
died  in  infancy.     Elmer,  who  is  nineteen  years 


old,  is  attending  the  business  college  at  Par- 
sons. Minnie  Elizabeth,  the  only  daughter, 
has  attained  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  and  is  a 
student :  Oscar,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  is 
now  twelve  years  old. 

In  his  religious  views.  ^Mr.  Anderson  favors 
the  United  Brethren  church,  of  which  he  was 
formerly  a  class-leader.  His  wife  shows  a 
decided  preference  for  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  xAnderson  is  a  Republican,  in 
politics,  but  his  business  demands  nearly  all 
his  attention,  and  he  has  never  sought  political 
preferment  save  once,  when  he  was  a  candi- 
date for  the  ofiice  of  city  councilman.  Like  all 
good  citizens,  he  has  the  welfare  of  the  city  at 
heart,  and  uses  his  infiuence  for  the  good  of  the 
community.  He  has  assisted  materially  in 
building  up  the  city,  having  erected  several  fine 
tenement  houses  in  the  west  side  of  town.  He 
lives  in  that  part  of  the  city,  on  Dirr  avenue, 
near  the  railroad  shops,  until  1895,  when  he 
remo\-ed  to  his  present  residence. 


^^OBERT  H.  -MUZZY.  Tliis  gentle- 
i  K  s^  '"^"  '*  '^"  extensive  hardware  dealer 
1^1  I'oth  in  Kansas  and  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory. He  is  a  resident  of  Edna. 
Kansas,  where  he  conducts  a  prosperous  busi- 
ness. Air.  Muzzy  was  born  in  Jefferson  coun- 
ty. New  York,  in  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  J.  B. 
and  Henrietta   (Coon)   Muzzy. 

J.  B.  Muzzy  was  born  in  Jefferson  county, 
New  York,  and  still  resides  in  Adams,  that 
county,  aged  sixty-eight  years.  He  married 
Henrietta  Coon,  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Jefferson  county,  and  is  deceased.  They  were 
the  parents  of  four  children,  as  follows: 
Robert  H. ;  Byron  J.,  a  farmer  in  New  York; 
John  B.,  of  \\'atertown.  New  York,  who  is  an 


MR.  AND   MRS.  J.  W.   MORAIN. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


769 


attorney  in  the  office  uf  the  county  clerk;  and 
Henrietta  (Dare),  of  JeiTerson  county,  New 
Yori<.       • 

R.  H.  Muzzy  was  reared  and  educated  in 
New  York,  where  he  took  an  academic  course 
at  Union  Academy.  Belleville,  New  York. 
When  he  was  twenty-four  years  I'ld,  he  re- 
moved to  Cherry\-ale,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  was  engaged  in  the  hardware 
business 'for  a  year  and  a  half.  In  1886,  he 
located  in  Edna,  where  he  erected  his  pres- 
ent store  building,  which  is  68  by  40  feet  in 
dimensions,  including  the  shop  in  the  rear. 
He  also  has  a  storeruom  in  the  re.nr  which  is 
24  by  50  feet  in  dimensii)ns.  3.1r.  ]\Iuzzy  car- 
ries a  large  stock  of  shelf  and  heavy  hard- 
ware, harness,  tinware,  and  sewing  machines, 
and  employs  two  or  more  men.  For, ten  years 
he  did  his  own  tin  work.  Mr.  Muzzy  also 
has  a  branch  store  at  Centralia,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, which  he  established  in  ]\Iarch,  1899, 
and  placed  in  charge  of  R.  F.  Allen.  He  han- 
dles a  full  line  of  hardware,  harness,  imple- 
ments, furniture  and  undertaking  supplies. 
He  is  also  ef|ual  partner  in  the  firm  of  \\'.  T. 
Berentz  &  Muzzy,  of  Bartlesville,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, carrying  a  similar  stock,  including  fur- 
niture and  undertaking  supplies.  Mr.  ]\Iuzzy 
has  been  very  prosperous,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  successful,  business  men  in  Labette 
county.  A  man  of  splendid  business  and  ex- 
ecutive ability,  it  is  not  surprising  that  he 
has  reached  the  goal  of  success,  and  as  this 
success  has  been  all  of  his  own  earning,  he 
deserves  much  credit.  iMr.  JMuzz)'  has  a  very 
comfortable  home  in  Edna. 

Mr.  Muzzy  was  married,  in  New  York,  to 
A.  Etta  Barney,  and  they  have  one  daughter, 
Esther.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
has  served  as  a  councilman,  and  as  treasurer 
of    Elm    Grove    township.     Fraternally,   Mr. 


Muzzy  is  a  member  of  the  3.1.  W.  of  A.  lodge, 
of  Edna.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  Mr.  Muzzy  is  a  very  popular 
man  in  Edna,  where  he  and  his  wife  assist  in 
all  social  entertainments^  and  are  well  known. 


\\'.  3IORAIN,  a  highly  respected 
farmer  living  in  section  29,  town- 
slii])  32,  range  18,  in  Mound  Valley 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
was  born  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  in  1836. 
He  is  a  son  of  Juseph  and  Mary  (Murphy) 
Mnrain. 

Joseph  Morain  went  with  his  parents  from 
r\laryland  to  Ohin.  where  he  lived  for  a  num- 
lier  of  vears.  When  J.  W.  was  but  one  year 
1)1(1,  3ir.  Morain  nidved  to  Douglas  county, 
Illinois,  where,  eight  years  later,  his  death 
occurred.  His  wife  then  returned  to  Ohio, 
and  suljsetjuently  went  back  to  Illinois,  where 
she  died,  in  March,  1892.  They  reared  five 
children:  J.  W. ;  and  James.  Minerva,  Sarah 
and  Thomas,  deceased. 

J.  W.  ^lorain  li\"ed  nine  years  in  Illinois, 
and  then  returned  with-  his  mother  to  Ohio. 
When  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
he  went  back  to  Illinois.  In  1868.  he  went  to 
^lissouri.  In  1871,  Mr.  Morain  drove  from 
Jasper  county,  Missouri,  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  and  in  July  of  that  year  set  the  stakes 
on  his  present  farm  in  ]\Iound  Valley  township. 
This  farm  had  been  abandoned  by  a  young- 
man,  who  had  placed  four  logs  there,  as  a 
foundation  for  a  house.  Not  a  particle  of  the 
land  was  broken,  and  there  was  no  timber  on 
it.  In  the  fall  of  1871,  Mr.  Morain  built  a 
claim  house,  10  by  12  feet,  in  size.  He  was 
alone  on  the  claim  at  this  time,  and  one  of  his 
horses  got  awav.     Mr.  Morain  went  back  to 


770 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Missouri,  en  foot,  and  tried  tn  find  the  ani- 
mal. He  was  unsuccessful,  and  returned  to 
Labette  county,  with  a  friend.  Later,  he  trad- 
ed the  remaining  horse  for  a  yoke  of  cattle. 
He  returned  to  Missouri  during  the  winter  of 
1871 -1 8/2,  and  the  following  spring  took  his 
family,  and  once  more  settled  on  this  farm. 
His  claim  house  still  stands,  but  in  1884  Mr. 
JMorain  completed  an  eight-room  house,  which 
is  24  feet  s(|uare.  He  has  500  apple  trees  and 
two  miles  of  hedge.  He  carries  on  dix'crsified 
farming,  and  is  very  successful.  I\Ir.  Morain 
favors  Hereford  cattle,  and  Poland-China 
hogs.  He  has  made  many  valuable  improve- 
ments on  his  farm,  and  it  presents  a  very  at- 
tractive appearance. 

^Ir.  Morain  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Hannah  Barnes,  in  De  Witt  c<nmt_\',  Illiudis, 
March  26,  1861.  She  was  burn  in  ]\Iari'on 
county,  Illinois,  where  her  father  was  engaged 
in  manufacturing  woolens.  Mrs.  Morain  has 
a  half  brother  living  in  Illinois,  and  a  half 
sister,  who  lives  in  Linn  county,  Kansas.  Nine 
children  ha\-e  resulted  from  her  union  with 
Mr.  Mnrain.  namely:  Charles,  who  was  born 
in  Illinois,  married  Emma  Allmon,  and  li\'es 
near  his  father's  home:  E\a,  who  died,  in  Illi- 
nois; Emma,  who  was  a  native  of  Illinois; 
Albert,  deceased ;  Stanley,  who  li\-es  in  Labette 
county,  and  married  Miss  Britegham ;  Ora, 
deceased ;  Charity,  deceased  ;  Leland,  who  lives 
in  Iowa:  Azalia,  who  is  married,  lives  at  home, 
and  lias  one  child,  Leila  K. ;  and  Floyd,  who  is 
also  at  home. 

Mr.  Morain  has  always  been  a  member  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  local  politics.  He,  served  as  clerk 
of  the  school  board,  in  District  Xo.  34,  in 
1874,  and  wa->  townslii])  treasurer  for  two 
years.  He  attends  the  Methodist  church  at 
Excelsior,    where   h.e   acts   as   church    trustee. 


Mr.  Morain  is  a  man  of  honest  principles,  and 
is  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him.  Por- 
traits of  Air.  and  Mrs.  Morain  accompany  this 
sketch,  being  sIkjwu  on  a  preceding  page. 


(;.  EWIXG.  familiarly  known  as 
(denn  Iiwing,  a  popular  passen- 
ger engineer  on  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  was 
l)orn  in  Kentuck},  March  19,  1853,  ^"d  is  a 
son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Glenn)  Ewing, 
who  lived  a  quiet  rural  life  at  their  Kentucky 
home,  being  separated  by  death  on'y  three 
years.  The  father  died  in  1893,  and  was  fol- 
lowed Ijy  the  mother  in   1896. 

AI.  G.  Ewing  was  reared  to  farm  life,  and 
followed  that  line  of  employment  until  he  en- 
gaged in  railro'ading.  He  went  from  his  old 
home  to  W'infield,  Henry  county.  Iowa,  in 
March,  1873,  ^"d  applied  himself  actively  to 
farm  work.  There  he  met  and  married  Alice 
Kepper,  a  native  of  Ohio.  Thev  have  one 
daughter,  Leiia,  at  home,  pursuing  a  counse 
iri  music. 

In  April,  1877,  Air.  Ewing  moved  from 
Henry  county,  Iowa,  to  Parsons,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  and  at  once  w-ewt  to  the  farm 
of  his  uncle.  He  applied  himself  assiduously 
to  farm  duties,  and  made  many  important 
impri)\-ements,  which  greatly  enhanced  the 
value  of  the  property.  In  1879,  he  left  the 
farm  and  entered  the  car  department  of  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway.  He  was 
transferred  to  the  locomotive  department  in 
1880,  and  afterward  became  a  fireman  on  the 
road,  first  for  Engineer  William  Dwyer  in  the 
freight  service  on  the  Cherokee  and  Neosho 
divisions. 

In   1882,  Air.  Ewing  was  promoted  to  be 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


a  freight  engineer,  and  further  advanced  to 
the  passenger  service  in  March,  1896,  when 
he  was  given  a  regular  passenger  run  from 
Parsons  to  Kansas  City.  Mr.  Ewing  has 
gone  through  the  different  stages  of  railroad 
life,  has  o\-ercome  all  obstacles  to  success,  and 
now  has  a  pleasant  run,  and  takes  pleasure 
in  the  distinction  of  being  a  very  fortunate 
and  successful  engineer. 

Mr.  Ewing  has  purchased  a  fine  'home  at 
No.  1706  Belmont  avenue.  In  his  political 
views,  he  favors  the  Republican  party,  al- 
thougJT  reared  as  a  Democrat.  Socially,  he 
affiliates  with  the  following  fraternal  orders: 
B.  of  L.  E.,  Division  No.  179:  A.  F.  &  A.  M.. 
of  Parsons;  Select  Knights;  Knights  and  La- 
dies of  Security;  and  B.  P.  O.  E.  Mrs. 
Ewing  is  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Aid  So- 
ciety, and  the  auxiliary  to  the  B.  of  L.  E. 
In  their  religious  views,  they  incline  toward 
I'resbvterian  doctrines. 


iOHN    S.    HILEMAN,    a     prominent 
real-estate  dealer    of    Edna,  Labette 
county,   Kansas,   was  born   in    1845, 
in  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and 
]\Iary   (Huff)    Hileman. 

Daniel  Hileman  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
of  Pennsylvania-Dutch  stock,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Mary  Huff  in  1837.  She  was  also  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  They  moved  to 
Ohio  in  1837,  and  in  i860  Mr.  Hileman  and 
his  brother  Michael  drove  in  covered  wagons 
to  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  where  Mrs.  Hile- 
man died  in  1881,  aged  sixty-eight  years. 
After  Ijer  death,  Mr.  Hileman  moved  to  La- 
bette county.  Kansas,  in  1882,  and  resided  on 
a  farm  near  Oswego,  where  he  died  in  1899, 
aged    eighty-five    years.      He    was    intensely 


loyal  and  enthusiastic  in  his  convictions,  and 
was  one  of  the  delegates  from  Ohio  to  the 
convention  at  Baltimore  which  nominated 
James  K.  Polk  for  the  presidency.  He  joined 
the  Republican  party  in  1856, — the  passage 
of  the  fugitive  slave  law  and  the  Dred  Scott 
decision  ha\ing  caused  him  to  leave  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  He  and  his  wife  reared  seven 
children,  as  follows :  James  E. ;  Susanna  E. ; 
Rebecca;  John  S. ;  M.  D.;  Mmerva;  and  D. 
O.  James  E.  was  a  member  of  Company  I, 
i6th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  who  fell  doubly 
wounded,  December  29,  1862,  in  front  of 
Vicksburg,  and  died  in  a  rebel  prison  at  Jack- 
son, Mississippi.  Susanna  E.  (Crocket)  is  a 
widow,  who  lives  at  Lenora,  Norton  county, 
Kansas.  Rebecca  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  in  Ohio.  M.  D.  is  a  farmer  near  Bax- 
ter Spr-ings,  Kansas.  Minerva  died  in  Mis- 
souri, at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  D.  O.  lives 
on  the  old  homesteail  near  Oswego.  Six  of 
the  children  came  to  Andrew  county,  Mis- 
souri. 

John  S.  Hileman  attended  the  schools  of 
his  native  state,  Ohio,  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  fifteen  years,  when  his  father  moved  to 
Missouri,  where  there  were  no  public  schools. 
When  he  was  se\-enteen  years  old,  he  enlisted, 
in  August,  1862,  in  Company  C,  35th  Reg., 
I\fo.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until  Richmond 
fell.  He  served  in  the  i6th  Army  Corps,  un- 
der General  Hurlbert,  and  he  was  not  wound- 
ed, although  his  health  became  impaired.  He 
was  mustered  out  in  May,  1865,  at  St.  Louis, 
where  he  donned  citizen's  clothes  and  returned 
home  to  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  where  he 
remained  for  some  time  on  the  old  homestead 
on  the  farm.  He  reviewed  his  studies  in  the 
puljlic  schools  and  attepded  Stewartville  .Acad- 
emy one  year,  after  which  he  taught  school 
some  years  in  ^Missouri.     After  his  marriage, 


n-i 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ill  1868.  he  farmed  unt;i  1883,  wl-.en  he  re- 
moved tu  Lal)ette  c  'unt}-,  Kansas,  and  bought 
a  farm  near  the  state  Hne.  He  also  bought 
200  head  of  cattle  and  then  followed  farming 
and  stock  raising  until  1896,  when  he  bought 
property  in  Edna,  moved  there  and  engaged 
alone  in  the  real-estate  business.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1900,  he  sold  his  farm.  His  son  was  en- 
gaged in  business  with  him  until  the  spring  of 
1900,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  S.  Hileman 
S:  Son,  and  then  accepted  a  position  as  ab- 
stractor and  bookkeeper  with  H.  B.  Hender- 
son, of  Columbus,  Kansas.  ]\Ir.  Hileman  is 
a  thorough  business  man,  has  honest,  upright 
i}rincip!js.  and  deals  fairly  with  all.  He  has 
one  (if  the  finest  homes  in  Edna,  situated  on 
the  corner  of  Delaware  and  Myrtle  streets. 
Mr.  Hileman  married  iMary  Briggs.  and 
they  have  three  children,  namely :  Gertrude 
(Todd),  of  Oswego,  and  Lora  (Lower),  of 
Abilene,  Kansas,  both  of  whom  were  married 
December  ly,  1899;  and  Allen  Dale,  who  at- 
tended the  normal  school  at  Emporia  for  one 
year,  the  Southwest  Kansas  College  at  \\'in- 
field  fur  two  years,  and  later  the  Commercial 
college  at  Ouincy,  Illinois, — he  is  a  fine  young 
business  man,  and  has  a  splendid  business 
training.  i\Ir.  Hileman  has  always  been  a 
Republican,  and  was  nominated  without  his 
asking  and  elected  to  the  Kansas  legislature, 
in  1888,  fnr  a  two  years  term.  He  has  been 
commander  .if  Knoxville  Post,  Xo.  458,  G. 
A.  R.,  fur  a  number  of  years,  and  takes  great 
pleasure  in  attending  state  and  national  en- 
campments and  G.  A.  R.  reunions;  he  looks 
upon  them  as  the  best  meetings  on  earth.  He 
is  als.i  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  M. 
\\'.  i>f  .\.  lodges.  He  belongs  to  the. Sons 
and  Daughters  of  Justice,  and  the  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Security,  and  is  one  of  the 
promoters  uf  the  new  order,  the  Ibjine  Build- 


ers" Union,  i 
builder.  He 
odist   church. 


which   he   is   supreme   master 
id  his  familv  attend  the  Aleth- 


I.  TAXXER,  whu  formerly  repre- 
sented Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  the 
legislature,  and  is  one  of  the  highly 
respected  farmers  living"  in  Osage 
township,  was  born  in  1855.  in  Green 
Missouri.  He  is  a  son  of  Elias  and 
who  are  deceased.  He  is  one 
iMarion;  Martha, 
\'es  in 


county 

Eliza  Tanner 

of  eight  children,  namely: 

who  married  Samuel  Sliger,  and  now 


Kansas  City,  iMissouri ;  William;  David;  J.  S. ; 
Samuel :  Stewart ;  and  Louisa. 

When  his  mother  died,  J.  I.  Tanner  was 
very  young.  In  1870  he  came  to  Labette 
county,  where  he  was  reared  at  the  home  of 
his  brother-in-law,  Samuel  Sliger,  who  had 
taken  a  claim  in  section  11,  township  32,  range 
17,  in  Osage  towliship.  Mr.'  Sliger  died  in 
1877.  There  J.  I.  Tanner  made  his  'home  un- 
til he  reached  his  majority.  His  first  work 
was  on  the  farm  in  Osage  township.  In  1882 
i\Ir.  Tanner  purchased  his  present  farm,  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  2,  township  2^2, 
range  17,  in  Osage  township,  which  has  since 
been  his  home.  The  claim  was  first  conveyed 
to  iMr.  Sinclair,  an  early  settler,  who  after- 
ward removed  to  Washington.  iMr.  Tanner 
carries  on  di\-ersified  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing, and  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  agri- 
cultural matters.  He  is  a  self  made  man,  of 
good  business  ability. 

Mr.  Tanner  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Nellie  Wheelock,  who  was  born  in  Illijiois.  in 
1862.  They  'have  five  children,  namely: 
Ethel:  }ilabel :  \\'illiam;  James:  and  Homer. 
Politically.  iNlr.  Tanner    is    a    Democrat,  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


ni 


■was  elected  representative  of  the  county  in 
1 89 1,  serving  two  years.  He  has  not  accepted 
any  nominations  since  that  time.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  organization  of  the  Sons 
and  Daughters  of  Justice  at  Cherryvale.  In 
religious  views,  he  is  liberal. 


.  „HARLES  J.  DARLING,  a  promi- 
W^^  nent  resident  of  Osage  township, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  came  to 
this  county  in  1871,  a  poor  man, 
and  by  years  of  careful  saving  and  industry 
has  laid  Ijy  a  handsome  competency,  and  is  now 
the  owner  (jf  between  600  and  700  acres  of 
excellent  farm  land.  He  was  born  August 
22,  1841,  in  Jackson  county,  Ohii.,  and  is  a 
son  of  James  H.   Darling. 

James  H.  Darling  was  born  in  Virginia, 
as  was  also  his  wife,  lioth  being  of  English 
descent.  They  were  the  parent;  of  three 
daughters  and  five  sons,  as  follows:  P.  B., 
who  came  to  Labgtte  county  in  1869,  and  re- 
sides south  of  the  home  of  Charles  J. ;  Tacy 
E.  (Dove),  who  died  in  Ilhnois;  Virginia  C. 
(Martin),  of  Jackson  county,  Ohio;  Charles 
J.;  Malinda  S.  (Eubanks),  of  Jackson  coun- 
ty, Ohio;  Joseph  R.,  who  resides  west  of 
Cherryvale,  in  ^Montgomery  county,  Kansas; 
W.  L.,  who  lives  in  Jackson  county,  Ohio; 
and  Henry  C,  who  also  lives  in  Ohio,  In 
1882,  James  H.  Darling  was  persuaded  by  his 
son,  Charles  J.,  to  come  and  reside  with  him 
in  Labette  county,  and  here  he  died  in  1895, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  his  wife  hav- 
ing died  here  in  1892.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Civil  war,  and  served  with  the  73d  Reg., 
Ohio  Vol.  Inf..  for  two  years,  when  he  was 
discharged  because  of  rheumatism. 

Charles  J.   Darling  attended  the  common 


schools  of  Ohio,  and  enlisted  from  there  in 
Company  F.  173d  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  in 
1864,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  at 
>.'ashville,  Tennessee,  in  1865.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  and  in  the  fall  of  1867  re- 
moved to  Illinois.  He  came  to  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  Alarch  31,  1871,  and  in  April  of 
that  }-ear  purchased  his  home  farm,  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  31,  township  31,  range 
18.  Mr.  Adims;  the  gentleman  of  whom  he 
purchased,  had  placed  some  logs  as  a  founda- 
tion, and  Mr.  Darling  erected  a'  log  house  in 
the  rear  of  the  site  of  his  present  house.  The 
first  frame  house  was  moved  upon  the  place 
in  1876,  and  the  crude  stable,  characteristic 
of  early  days,  was  replaced  by  good  substan- 
tial barns.  His  wife,  who  was  in  poor  health 
upon  their  arrival  in  this  county,  died,  and 
was  buried  on  April  22,  1871.  Mr.  Darling 
was  a  very  poor  man-  at  the  time,  owning 
only  two  teams,  and  was  obliged  to  borrow 
money  to  defray  the  funeral  expenses.  He 
now  owns  between  600  and  700  acres  of  land, 
including  the  south  half  of  section  36,  town- 
ship 31,  range  17;  the  southwest  quarter  of 
'section  31,  township  31,  range  18;  53  acres  in 
section  7,  township  3-2,  range  18.  for  which 
he  traded  a  span  of  mules;  and  120  acres  east 
of  his  home"  place  in  section  2^2.  He  broke 
hedge  rows  in  the  spring  of  1871,  and  did  all 
his  early  plowing.  He  is  now  raising  two  boys 
and  a  girl,  who  are  Jonathan  Rogers'  chil- 
dren. At  all  times  he  has  two  men  employed 
in  work  on  the  farm,  and  at  intervals  has  many 
more  than  this  number.  Of  late  years,  he  has 
used  mules  almost  exclusively  in  farm  work, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  raising  mules,  having 
imported  a  fine  Spanish  jack.  He  is  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  and 
favors  Red  Polled  Angus  cattle  and  Poland- 
China  hogs.     He  has  an  excellent  water  sup- 


774 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


ply,  as  Gig  Hill  Creek  runs  through  two  of  his 
farms. 

Charles  J.  Darling  was  first  united  in  mar- 
riage, in  Ohio,  with  Jane  Meeker,  who  was 
born  in  1837  and  died  in  1871,  leaving  three 
children:  James  T. ;  Ruth  Jane;  and  William 
C.  James  T.,  who  married  Anna  Bussert, 
lives  near  LaFountaine,  Kansas,  and  has  three 
children,  Charles  K.,  Cleo,  and  Clair.  Ruth 
Jane  (Wagner),  of  Montgomery  county,  Kan- 
sas, has  five  children:  Roy,  Daisy,  Charles. 
Lulu,  and  Maynard.  William  C.  married 
Nellie  Swart,  a  daughter  of  J.  B.  Swart,  a  well 
known  politician  of  this  county.  The  second 
matrimonial  alliance  of  ^Ir.  Darling  was  with 
Martha  A.  Cassill,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  in 
1849,  and  is  a  daug'lrter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
(St.  Clair)  Cassill.  She  is  one  of  10  children, 
as  follows:  Mary  J.  (Newton),  of  Rich  Hill, 
Missouri;  Martha  A.-;  Louis,  of  Missouri; 
Sarah  (Aldrich),  of  Platte  county,  Kansas; 
Nancy  (Gilbert),  of  Oklahoma;  Josie;  O.  E.,' 
who  lives  in  Illinois;  George,  an  artist  of  Bos- 
ton, Massachusetts;  and  two  who  diedi  in  in- 
fancy, yir.  and  Mrs.  Darling  have  two  chil- 
dren :  Alonzo  A.  and  Charles  J.  Jr.,  both  of 
whom  are  engaged  in  the  lumtier  business  at 
Grand  Falls,  Washington.  In  politics  Mr. 
Darling  is  really  a  Republican,  although  a 
bi-metallist.  He  served  as  township  treasurer 
for  several  terms.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber nt  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Cherryvale;  the 
Sons  and  Daughters  of  Justice;  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America;  and  was  formerly  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  of  the  Anti-Horse- 
thief  Association.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Tontines.  Religiously,  he  is  a 
Methodist  and  assisted  in  erecting  the  church, 
where  he  worships.  His  postoffice  is  Cherrj'- 
\ale.  but  he  is  on  nne  nf  the  three  free  rural- 
deli  verv  mail  mutes. 


.     „HARLES  F.  GEHRING,  the  compe- 

w^i  tent  and  well  informed  scale  inspec- 
tor of  the  entire  Missouri,  Kansas 
&  Te.xas  Radway,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Parsons,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  since 
October,  1891.  and  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  that  flourishing  city.  Mr.  Gehring,  as  his 
name  indicates,  is  of  German  descent.  He  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Rosanna  (Loechner)  Gehr- 
ihg,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Germany. 

John  Gehring  followed  the  occupation  of 
a  carpenter  for  many  3-ears,  and  was  a  fine  hie- 
chanic.  He  accompanied  relatives  to  America 
when  about  nine  years  old,  the  lady  that  be- 
came his  wife  having  crossed  the  ocean  when 
about  the  same  age.  Their  marriage  took 
place  in  the  state  of  O'bio.  The  beloved  mother 
has  been  deceased  for  many  years,  but  the 
father  still  survives  and  at  the  present  time  is 
a  resident  of  Elkhart  county,  Indiana.  Nine 
children  were  born  to  this  worthy  couple,  two 
of  whom,  both  daughters,  died  in  infancy. 
The  others  are,  William,  deceased,  who  dur- 
ing his  life  was  a  prosperous  farmer  in  Indi- 
ana ;  George  M.  a  mechanic,  now  residing  at 
Bartlesville,  Indian  Territory;  Charles  F.,  who 
is  a  twin  brother  of  Emma  (Pearman),  of 
Niles,  Michigan;  Paulina  (Lenocker),  of  Dex- 
ter, Iowa;  Ida  (Huffman),  who  resides  on  a 
farm  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana :  and  Frank,  a 
mechanic,  of  Millersburg,  Indiana. 

Charles  F.  Gehring  was  born  in  Holmes 
countv,  Ohio,  in  1852,  but  w-as  reared  princi- 
pally in  Indiana,  where  he  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  until  he  attained  the  age  of  fifteen 
years.  At  that  early  age  he  began  to  make 
his  own  way  in  the  world,  working  first  on  a 
farm  in  Indiana.  When  about  twenty  years 
old  he  began  carpenter  and  scale  work,  in  the 
employ  of  J.  B.  Voris,  an  agricultural  imple- 
ment dealer  at  Monroe,  Jasper  county,  Iowa. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


775 


In  1878  Mr.  Gehring  went  to  Sherman, 
Texas,  and  worked  in  the  construction  depart- 
ment of  a  railroad  there,  under  A.  B.  Good- 
rich, station  agent  at  that  place.  Later  he 
traveled  with  that  gentleman  for  about  two 
years,  building  and  setting  up  the  Fairbank 
Company's  scales.  He  suljsequently  served  ou 
the  police  force  at  Sherman,  Texas,  for  some 
time,  and  later  was  a  brakeman  for  eighteen 
months,  on  the  Texas  &  Pacific  Railway.  For 
several  years  thereafter  he  was  engaged  in  rail- 
roading, and  worked  in  the  capacity  of  fore- 
man of  a  bridge  gang  on  the  same  system. 
This  occupied  his  attention  until  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
wa)^  Company,  at  Parsons,  in  1891. 

In  1895  Mr.  Gehring  succeeded  his  father- 
in-law,  Cyrus  Mehring,  as  scale  inspector. 
He  has  charge  of  inspecting,  testing,  and  re- 
pairing all  scales  over  the  entire  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railwav  system,  which  neces- 
sitates much  travel.  His  position  is  one  of 
much  importance,  but,  as  he  has  learned  the 
business  from  the  very  beginning,  he  has  no 
difficulty  in  attending  to  Jiis  various  duties. 
The  task  has  become  a  "profession"  to  him, 
as  he  is  quite  an  expert  in  his  line,  and  gives 
all  work  his  personal  attention. 

In  1882  Mr.  Gehring  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Kate  Mehring,  an  accomplished 
daughter  of  Cyrus  and  Susan  (Hilderbrand) 
Mehring.  Mrs.  Gehring  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1862,  and  is  the  eldest  of  a  familr 
of  six  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
One  sister,  Lizzie,  is  also  deceased.  Two  sis- 
ters are  still  living;  they  are:  Annie  (  Scott), 
wife  of  a  railroad  employee  at  Parsons;  and 
Etta  (Parker),  of  the  same  city.  Mrs.  Gehr- 
ing remained  in  her  native  state  until  she  was 
about  nine  years  old,  when  her  parents  re- 
moved to  Marion  county,  Illinois,  where  she  at- 


tended school  until  she  was  seventeen  years 
old,  the  family  removing  at  that  time  to  Sher- 
man, Texas. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gehring  have  a  family  of 
eight  In-ight,  healthy  children,  all  of  whom  are 
still  aruund  the  home  fireside.  The  eldest  one 
works  in  the  mill.  With  the  exception  of  the 
youngest,  the  others  are  students.  Their 
names  are  Frank,  Claude,  Ira,  Carrie,  Fred, 
Edith  and  Ethel,  twins,  and  Ruth.  Mrs. 
Gehring  and  her  eldest  son  are  devout  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  church,  which  the  others 
also  attend.  They  reside  in  a  comfortable 
residence  at  No.  25 11  Belmont  avenue,  the  lot 
having  a  frontage  of  75  feet. 

In  his  political  preferences,  our  subject  uses 
all  his  influence  toward  furthering  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Democratic  party,  and  votes  a 
straight  ticket  each  and  every  time..  His  relig- 
ious views  are  liberal,  and  he  has  not  allied 
himself  with  any  denomination.  He  is  a  val- 
ued member  of  Lodge  No.  i,  A.  O.  U.  W., 
of  Parsons.  He  is  known  as  a  good  citizen, 
is  thoroughly  progressive  and  wide  awake, 
and  can  be  depended  upon  to  keep  abreast  of 
the  times.  In  his  successful  life  we  have  an 
example  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by 
steady  and  persistent  ei¥ort,  coupled  with  a 
determination  to  succeed. 


EXRY  SCH.AIITZ  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1830,  and  came  to  America 
in  1850,  locating  in  Dana  county, 
Wisconsin,  where  he  farmed.  There 
he  met  Margaret  Wahl,  a  native  of  Germany, 
whose  hand  he  sought  and  won  in  marriage. 
Aliss  \Vah\  left  her  German  home  and  came  to 
America  in  1852. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schmitz  sought  a  home  in 


776 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


the  West,  coming  to  Xeosho  county,  Kansas, 
and  locating  at  Osage  Mission  (now  St.  Paul), 
in  October,  1870,  where  they  resided  two 
years.  ^Ir.  Sclimitz  liought  property  in  town 
on  whicii  he  built  and  operated  a  brewery.  In 
1873  he  moved  to  Parsons,  being  largely  in- 
fluenced by  the  father-in-law  of  J.  C.  Appich, 
who  had  conducted  a  bakery  at  St.  Paul,  and 
also  by  the  fact  that  the  division  headquarters 
of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway 
were  located  at  Parsons. 

Desiring  a  change  of  business,  ]\Ir.  Schmitz 
disposed  of  his  brewery  property  at  St.  Paul. 
For  a  time  he  rented  a  house  in  the  southeast- 
ern part  of  Parsons,  and  was  employed  in 
various  ways.  He  finally  engaged  in  the  dairy 
business,  handling  from  40  to  50  cows.  He 
bought  10  acres  of  land  situated  between  John- 
son and  Corning  avenues,  which  he  still  owns, 
and  continued  in  the  dairy  business  several 
years,  supplying"  his  customers  from  the  dairy 
wagon,  and  enjoying  a  fine  patronage  in  the 
city.  Mr.  Schmitz  has  established  himself  in 
an  elegant  and  commodious  home  on  Forrest 
avenue  and  Fourteenth  street,  and  is  now  prac- 
tically retired. 

Ten  children  ha\-e  been  born  to  him  and 
his  wife,  as  fiilliiws:  Julin;  Gertrude;  An- 
thony P. ;  Girard  G. :  Charles  J. ;  Labourous 
and  Louise,  deceased;  Katie;  Henry;  and  Ag- 
nes. John  was  born  in  1858,  and  is  engaged 
in  the  jewelry  business  at  Parsons.  Gertrude 
(Mclnerny),  a  widow,  residing  in  Parsons, 
was  born  in  1S60.  Anthony  P.  was  born  in 
1862,  and  lives  in  Ciiicago,  and  is  manager  of 
a  hat  and  fur  store.  Girard  G,  was  born  in 
1864,  and  is  a  jeweler  in  Chicago.  Charles  J. 
was  burn  in  Sauk  county,  W'iscimsin,  in  1866, 
but  was  practically  reared  and  educated  in  Par- 
sons. His  first  wiirk  was  fnr  George  W^alters 
at  a  lunch  counter.     In    1886    he    became    a 


brakeman  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway,  under  Superintendent  T.  G.  Golden, 
and  worked  thus  until  1889,  on  the  Cherokee 
Division.  He  then  was  promoted  to  be  a 
freight  conductor.  He  runs  over  the  Chero- 
kee and  Xeosho  divisions  mainly  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  but  has  changed  runs  over  three 
divisions.  Pie  has  been  very  fortunate,  hav- 
ing been  connected  with  but  one  slight  acci- 
dent; he  is  generally  regarded  as  a  successful 
and  competent  young  railroad  man.  He  is 
making  his  home  with  his- parents.  Frater- 
nally, he  is  a  member  of  Division  Xo.  161,  O. 
R.  C,  of  Parsons,  also  of  Lodge  X'o.  525, 
B.  P.  O.  E.,  of  Parsons.  Labourous  and 
Louise  died  ymmg.  Katie,  who  was  born  in 
St.  Paul,  in  1872,  is  a  clerk,  and  for  the  past 
eight  years  has  had  a  position  in  Joice's  large 
department  store.  Henry,  who  was  born  in 
1876,  is  at  home,  and  is  now  running  a  switch 
engine  at  Muskogee.  Agnes  was  born  in  1879, 
and  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Schmitz  is  a  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  an  admirer  of  the  principles 
of  Jefferson  and  Jackson,  but  has  never  al- 
lowed his  party  enthusiasm  to  interfere  with 
his  daily  duties  in  the  least.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  church. 


ILLIAM  H.  :\IADDOCKS,  chief 
draughtsman  of  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Com- 
pany, resides  at  Parsons,  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  England  in 
December,  1862.  His  parents  were  both  na- 
tives of  England,  where  his  father  is  superin- 
tendent of  the- Brunswick  works  of  the  Patent 
Shaft  &  Axletree  Company,  Limited.  He 
is  a  man  of  fine  mechanical  abilitv,  which  was 


J.  A.  JONES. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


779 


transmitted  to  his  sons,  who  follow  similar 
professions.  Mrs.  Maddocks,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Sarah  Ann  Orme,  is  deceased.  Will- 
iam H.  Maddocks  has  three  brothers  now  liv- 
ing :     Thomas,  George  and  Arthur. 

Mr.  Maddocks  attended  the  common 
schools,  and  afterward  the  grammar  and  tech- 
nical schools  of  his  native  city,  and  was  later 
apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  machinist  and 
draughtsman.  He  finally  located  in  America, 
and  for  a  time  was  at  Toronto,  Canada.  Prom 
there  he  went  to  Bloomington  and  Chicago, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  employed  on  the  Chicago 
&  Alton  and  Chicago  &  North-Western  rail- 
roads as  a  machinist.  He  chose  a  floating  po- 
sition in  order  to  better  familiarize  himself  with 
his  chosen  profession.  In  the  course  of  his 
travels  he  first  visited  Kansas  about  1882. 
The  following  year  he  entered  Cornell  Uni- 
versity, in  New  York  State,  and  took  a  course 
in  mechanical  engineering,  thus  completing  his 
preparation  for  his  chosen  life  work.  Re- 
turning to  service  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Rail- 
road, he  ser\ed  some  time  as  a  diraughtsman, 
and  did  similar  work  on  the  Missouri  Pacific 
Railway,  at  Palestine,  Texas.  He  was  later 
transferred  to  St.  Louis  and  placed  in  charge 
of  the  draughting  department  'for  the  entire 
system,  under  O.  A.  Haynes,  superintendent 
of  locomotives  and  cars.  In  1889.  Mr.  Mad- 
docks was  called  to  Parsons,  where  he  received 
an  offer  from  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway  Company,  and  immediately  assumed 
the  duties  of  his  present  position.  He  pre- 
pares designs  for  the  locomotives,  machinery, 
boiler  plants,  etc.,  used  over  the  entire  sys- 
tem. He  has  a  fine  ofiice  at  the  Missouri,  Kan- 
sas &  Texas  Railway  shops  in  Parsons ;  his 
duties  call  him  away  on  the  road  frequently. 

Mr.  Maddocks  married  Ada  Bate,  a  daugh- 
ter of  J.   R.   and   Sarah    (Stearn)    Bate,   for- 


merly of  Michigan,  but  now  of  Parsons,  Kan- 
sas. He  has  invested  in  some  fine  residence 
property  in  Parsons,  and  recently  remodeled. 
his  home.  Mr.  Maddocks  is  a  man  of  sterling, 
worth  and  integrity.  He  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  party  in  his  section,  and 
his  convictions  in  matters  of  public  interest 
are  based  on  accurate  information  and  cor- 
rect conclusions.  He  affiliates  with  Masonic 
bodies,  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  a  member 
of  Abd'allah  Temple  of  Mystic  Shriners,  of 
Leavenworth,  Kansas.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Arcanum  and  also  of  the  American! 
Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers,  with  head- 
quarters in  New  York  City,  being  the  only 
member  from  Kansas.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  St.  Louis  and'  Chicago  Railroad  clubs.  In 
his  religious  views,  he  adheres  to  the  Episcopal 
faith  and  is  a  regular  attendant  at  church.  He 
stands  high  in  his  chosen  profession  and  has 
reached'  a  degree  of  efiiciency  attained  by  few. 
He  has  made  an  excellent  record,  rarely  bet- 
tered in  all  its  particulars.  He  takes  great 
personal  pride  in  keeping  abreast  of  the  times, 
and  uses  only  the  best  ami  most  m(jdern  plans 
and  materials,  many  of  which  are  the  result  of 
his  striking  originality,  skill  and  genius. 


A.  JONES,  widely  known  as  a  rej)- 
resentative  farmer  of  Walton  town- 
ship. Labette  county,  Kansas,  whose 
portrait  appears  on  the  opposite  page, 
is  living  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
22.  He  was  born  in  Summit  county,  Ohio, 
in  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Nathan  S.  and  Sarah 
Jones. 

Nathan  S.  Jones  and  his  wife  were  natives 
of  Ohio,  where  they  lived  during  their  mar- 
ried life.     Thev  reared  two  children:     Oscar 


78o 


HISTORY   OF  LABETTE   COUNTY. 


X.,  whu  went  to  Knox  county,  Illinois,  when 
he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  and  died  shortly 
afterward  ;  and  J.  A.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

J.  A.  Jones  was  not  yet  two  years  old  when 
his  parents  died,  and  he  went  to  live  with  an 
uncle,  whose  name  was  James  Hammond. 
James  Hammond  was  a  farmer  in  Knox  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  Mr.  Jones  lived  until  he 
located  in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  May, 
18O9.  He  built  the  first  house  on  the  prairie 
in  the  south  half  of  \\'alton  township,  and 
named  the  township,  in  1870,  after  his  old 
friend,  George  T.  Walton.  With  an  ox  team, 
he  hauled  lumber  from  Oswego,  to  build  his 
house.  He  first  located  on  the  northeast  quar- 
ter of  section  28,  where  he  lived  until  1871, 
when  he  snld  that  place,  and  bought  the  north- 
west quarter  of  the  same  section,  and  also  his 
present  farm, — the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
22.  In  1873,  he  built  the  house  which  now 
-Stands  on  the  land,  and  the  place  has  been  his 
abode  ever  since.  Mr.  Jones  carries  on  gen- 
ral  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  keeps  200 
head  of  cattle.  He  has  been  \-ery  successful, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Jones  married  Jennie  M.  Singleton, 
who  was  Ijorn  in  Kentucky.  She  is  a  cousin 
of  Jesse  Harper,  who  is  owner  of  the  famous 
race  horse.  Ten  Broek.  :\Ir.  Jones  and  his  wife 
have  had  the  following  children,  namely: 
Susan  A. ;  James  H.  ami  Addie,  deceased ;  Lena 
J.:  \\'illie  B. :  Oscar  X.,  deceased;  Elsie;  John 
I.:  and  James  A.  Lena  J.  and  Willie  B.  are 
teachers  in  the  government  Indian  school  in 
the  Chocktaw  Nation. 

Mr.  Jones  is  independent  in  pnlitics,  and 
■was  the  first  treasurer  of  the  township.  He 
helped  to  organize  its  first  school  district  and 
has  served  on  the  school  board  a  number  of 
years.  He  lias  also  been  a  justice  of  the 
peace.   Mr.  Jones  has  served  as  clerk  of  the  dis- 


trict court  one  term.  He  and  his  famil)'  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  church.  ]Mr.  Jones  is 
an  upright  man,  and  a  good  citizen. 


HAMES  A.  WILSON,  foreman  of  the 
machine  shops  of  the  Missouri,  Kan- 
sas &  Texas  Railway  Company,  was 
Ixirn  in  Scotland,  at  Bathgate,  Lin- 
lithgowshire, just  15  miles  from  the  city  of 
Edinburgh;  in  i860.  He  is  a  son  of  James 
and  Margaret  (Andrews)  Wilson,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Scotland. 

James  Wilson  was  born  in  Scotland,  in 
1825,  and  was  a  millwright  by  occupation.  He 
came  to  the  United  States,  in  1862,  with  his 
wife  and  child.  Two  days  before  landing  at 
Montreal,  Canada,  he  had  the  misforttme  to 
lose  his  wife.  After  reaching  his  destination, 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton 
Railroad  Company,  during  which  time  his  son 
was  left  with  his  brother-in-law,  John  An- 
drews, in  Indiana.  Our  subject  remained  with 
him  six  months,  and  then  went  to  live  with 
an  uncle,  Robert  L.  Wilson,  at  Piasa,  Illinois. 
Robert  L.  Wilson  sold  out  shortly  after  this, 
and  went  to  Kansas  to  live,  locating  in  Green- 
wich, Sedgwick  county.  James  A.  Wilson 
then  took  charge  of  his  son. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his 
schooling  in  Illinois,  and  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, where  his  father  moved  after  leaving  the 
employ  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Com- 
pany. During  his  vacation  in  1870,  he  entered 
the  machine  shops  of  that  company,  and  later 
in  the  year  went  to  Glasgow,  Scotland,  with 
his  father.  There  Mr.  Wilson  at  once  entered 
the  marine  department  of  Randolph  &  Elden, 
ship  builders,  and  served  as  an  apprentice,  for 
eight    months.       He    then    worked,    for    six 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


781 


months,  at  Dubb's  Locomotive  Works,  and 
later,  for  the  Newton  Steel  Company,  Limited, 
of  Glasgow,  Scotland.  He  remained  there  un- 
til he  became  of  age,  and  in  October,  1881, 
again  came  to  America,  and  landed  at  New 
York.  He  visited  with  a  friend  in  New 
York  for  three  weeks,  and  then  went  to  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania,  where  he  engaged  as  a 
machinist  in  the  \\'estinghuuse  High  Speed 
Engine  shops,  where  he  remained  for  six 
months.  Mr.  Wilson  then  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  was  engaged  with  the  Frazer  & 
Chalmers  Machine  Company,  wdiere  he  re- 
mained about  one  year.  He  worked  for  the 
Preston  Iron  Works,  of  Marinette,  Wisconsin, 
for  six  months,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Chicago,  where  he  was  employed-  by  the  J.  J. 
Ciawson  Printing  Machine  Company.  After 
his  marriage,  in  1884,  he  started  a  steam  and 
gas  fitting  shop,  and  was  building  up  a  splen- 
did trade,  when,  in  1886,  he  decided  to  go  to 
Washington.  He  did  not  carry  out  this  re- 
solve, however,  but  located  in  Parsons,  La- 
bette county.  Kansas,  July  7,  1886.  He  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway  Company,  as  a  machinist.  His 
fine  abilities  were  soon  recognized,  and  in 
1888  he  was  made  foreman  of  the  shops, — 
the  position  he  now  holds.  He  has  had  some 
valuable  experience,  and  is  considered  a  very 
fine  machinist.  The  shops,  in  which  he  is  em- 
ployed, give  work  to  65  men  in  the  machinery 
department  and  are  the  main  mac'h.ine  shops  of 
the  system. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lillie  ^IcDown,  in  September,  1889.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  William  jNIcDown,  wdio  was  an 
early  settler  of  Labette  county.  She  was  raised 
near  Matthewson.  ]\Ir.  Wilson  and  his  wife 
have  four  children,  namely:  Beatrice:  James 
\\'i]liam;   Josephine   Helen;  and    Ralph    An- 


drew. Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  served  as  councilman  of  the  Fourth  Ward 
during  1898  and  1899.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  K.  O.  T.  M.  and  M.  W.  of  A. ; 
he  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias.  Mrs.  Wilson  is  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Neighbors.  Mr.  Wilson  was  raised  a 
Presbyterian.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church.  They  are  well  known  in 
Parsons,  where  thev  have  a  host  of  friends. 


^^HARLES  L.  ANDERSON.  This 
H  f^3  gentleman  is  a  well  known  engineer, 
^^^^  employed  by  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railway  Company.  He  his 
had  a  long  and  varied  career  in  the  railroad 
business,  is  a  thoroughly  competent  man,  and 
enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his'  em- 
ployers, and  of  those  associated  with  him  in 
his  work.  Mr.  Anderson  was  born  in  the 
northern  part  of  Sweden,  in  a  town  called 
Norrkcping,  in  1850.  '  He  is  a  son  of  Gustav 
and  Catherine  Anderson,  both  of  whom  died  in 
Sweden. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  the  only  chiUl  of  his 
parents,  and  he  received  his  mental  training 
in  his  native  town,  where  he  lived  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Then  he 
left  Sweden,  alone,  and  came  to  this  country. 
Following-  the  example  of  many  foreigners,  he 
headed  for  Chicago,  but  shortly  after  his  ar- 
rival there  he  set  cut  for  the  state  of  Kansas. 
He  located  in  Junction  City,  and  engaged  as  a 
laborer,  in  grade  work  for  the  Missouri.  Kan- 
sas &  Texas  Railway  Company.  April  i,  1870, 
he  went  to  Oswego,  where  he  worked  under 
Foreman  Chess.  They  camped  near  the  site 
of  the  present  depot  at  Oswego.  Mr.  Ander- 
son continued  grade  work  until  1873,  when  he 


782 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


moved  to  Parsons,  and  lieljied  to  build  the 
roundhouse.  June  19,  1873,  he  was  employed 
as  wiper  in  the  roundhouse^  and  three  years 
later  he  became  fireman  on  a  switch  engine, 
for  Engineer  George  Carr.  Mr.  Carr  was  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  Parsons,  and  is  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Anderson  was  promoted  to  be  a 
road  engineer,  June  12,  1882,  and  his  career 
as  such  has  been  very  successful.  His  fir.st 
work  as  an  engineer  was  mainly  in  pulling 
freight  over  the  Cherokee  Division.  In  1897 
he  was  given  a  regular  passenger  run.  and  is 
now  engineer  on  trains  Nos.  3  and  4,  running 
opjxjsite  to  Samuel  Wick.  Alfred  Wick,  now 
deceased,  was  Mr.  .Anderson's  partner  in  the 
building  and  stock  business  in  Oswego,  and  was 
one  of  his  warmest  friends.  Mr.  Wick  was 
<'.ne  of  the  first  friends  made  after  Mr.  Ander- 
son came  to  America. 

Mr.  Anderson  formed  a  marital  union  with 
Matilda  Holstrom,  in  1874.  She  was  also  a 
native  of  Sweden,  and  died  three  years  after 
her  marriage.  Two  children  resulted  from 
this  union:  One,  a  son,  dying  in  infancy; 
and  Rena,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 
August  19,  1879,  Mr.  Anderson  was  married 
to  Mollie  Terrell,  'who  was  born  at  Prairieton, 
Indiana,  near  Terre  Haute,  in  1858.  They 
have  had  five  children,  namely :  Fred,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eight  days ;  Willie,  who  died, 
aged  seven  and  a  half  years;  .\rthur,  who  was 
born  in  May.  1883,  and  is  now  employed  in 
the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  shops; 
Edward,  who  is  at  school ;  and  Louisa,  who 
was  born  in  June,  1896. 

Mr.  Anderson  built  a  \'ery  comfortable 
home  on  the  corner  of  Stevens  and  Eighteenth 
streets,  wiiere  lie  has  lived  for  the  past  twenty- 
two  years.  He  formerly  lived  in  Crawford, 
Kansas,  where  in  1874  he  built  one  of  the  first 
houses  erected  in  that  town.     Mr.   .Vnderson 


is  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomo- 
tive Engineers,  Division  No.  179,  of  Parsons; 
and  is  also  a  Mason  and  Knight  Templar.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Lodge 

No.  I,  of  Parsons,  and  of  the  Select  Friends. 
Religiously,  he  favors  the  Methodist  church, 
of  wdiich  his  wife  is  a  member. 


J.  WILSON,  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  W.  J.  \\'ilson  &  Brother, 
dealers  in  coal  and  farming  im- 
plements, is  one  of  Mound  Val- 
ley's most  progressive  citizens.  He  was  born 
in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  in  1846,  and  is  a  son 
oi  William  and  Letitia  (  Glendenning)  Wilson. 
William  Wilson  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  ten  years. 
He  located  in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  1883, 
and  died  there  in  1899,  aged  ninety  years.  His 
wife,  whose  name  was  Letitia  Glendenning, 
died  ten  years  before  her  husband's  decease. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely : 
Mrs.  Allison  Savage,  of  Mound  Valley,  Kan- 
sas; Rebecca  (Moncrief),  of  Nevada,  Mis- 
souri ;  Isabel,  who  was  married  in  Indiana, 
and  died  in  Mound  Valley ;  William  J. ;  Jud- 
son,  who  is  in  business  with  his  brother  Will- 
iam ;  and  Joseph,  who  settled'  on  a  farm  in  La- 
bette county,  in  1883. 

William  J.  Wilson  obtained  his  early 
schooling  in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  and  at  the 
age  of  nine  years  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Jennings  county,  Indiana,  where  he  attended 
the  common  schools.  In  1866  he  went  to  Illi- 
nois, where  he  remained  three  years,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Indiana.  In  1870,  ;\Ir. 
Wilson  mo\-ed  to  Kansas,  and  took  up  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  22,  township  33, 
range  18,  in  Mound  Valley  township,  Labette 


THOMAS  J.   SHARP. 


MRS.   HARRIET  S.   SHARP. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


785 


county.  At  that  time  there  were  about  two 
dozen  settlers  in  Mound  Valley  township.  He 
traded  liis  farm  for  one  owned  by  H.  W.  Sav- 
age, his  brother-in-law,  who  now  cultivates  a 
farm  suuth  of  Mound  Valley.  In  1872,  Jud- 
son  Wilson  bought  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  22.  township  ^t^.  range  18,  and  the 
brothers  farmed  together.  They  also  lived 
some  years  with  Mr.  Savage,  conducting  the 
farm  in  partnership.  Then  Mr.  Wilson  traded 
80  acres  of  the  claim  he  orighially  filed  on, 
and  Mr.  Savage  built  on  the  corner  80  acres. 
jNIr.  \\'ilson,  later,  bought  80  acres  more,  and 
still  owns  the  farm.  In  18S4.  he  moved  to  Al- 
tamont,  where  he  ran  a  lumber  yard  for  a  short 
time,  and,  one  year  later,  sold  uut  the  lumber 
yard  to  S.  A.  Brown  &  Company.  ]\Ir.  Wil- 
son entered  the  coal  business,  in  Mound  \'al- 
ley.  with  his  brother  Judson,  in  1885,  and  they 
have  continued  in  that  line  ever  since.  In  1890, 
they  added  implements  and  grain  to  their  stock, 
and  three  years  later,  erected  a  building,  the 
under-roof  portion  of  which  is  80  by  48  feet, 
in  dimensions.  They  handle  Rock  Island  goods' 
largely,  and  also  the  Emerson  &  Company,  Mo- 
line  Plow  Company  and  Robinson  &  Company 
wares.  They  have  a  well  stocked  store,  and 
their  business  is  very  large  and  is  increasing 
each  year.  Mr.  \\'i]son  and  his  brother  are 
men  of  good  business  principles,  and  are  honest 
and  upright  in  all  their  dealings. 

Mr.  Wilson  married  Huldah  Moyer,  who 
was  reared  in  Pennsylvania.     She  has  a  sis- 
ter,— Mrs.  Sarah  Hildreth, — who  lives  at  Al- 
tamont.     Mr.  \\'ilson  and  his  wife  ha\-e  one 
daughter,   Delia  G..   who  was  born   in    1884. 
Mr.   Wilson  is  a   Prohibitionist,   although  he 
was     formerly    a     Republican.       He   and   his  [ 
brother  have  served   in   tlie  council,    and    as   | 
township  ofiicers.     They  are  loyal  citizens,  and  { 
actively   interested    in   all    puljlic    enterprises,   I 


which  are  for  the  good  of  the  community. 
Mr.  Wilson  is  a  member  of  the  I.'  O.  ().  F. 
Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the  Baptist  church, 
in  which  he  is  a  deacon. 


HOAIAS  J.  SHARP,  a  highly  respect- 
ed farmer  residing  in  section  13, 
township  34,  range  20,  in  Hackberry 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  county.  He 
was  born  in  Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  in  1849, 
and  is  a  smi  of  Madison  Sharp,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewliere  m  this  volume. 

Thomas  J.  Sharp  was  reared  in  Illinois, 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
when  he  moved  to  Hunt  county,  Texas.  In 
1868,  he  moved  to  Neosho  county,  Kansas,  and 
one  year  later  to  Labette  county,  where  he  took 
up  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  7,  township 
34,  range  20.  This  he  greatly  improved,  and 
still  owns  the  farm.  In  1892,  Mr.  Sharp  re- 
moved to  the  farm  of  his  mother-in-law  in 
Hackberry  township.  Her  property  consists 
of  a  half  section,  and  is  finely  improved.  This 
farm  had  been  purchased  by  her  husband  from 
Mr.  Peck.  Mr.  Sharp  prefers  and  raises 
Shorthorn  cattle  and  Poland-China  hogs.  He 
is  ver_\-  well  informed  on  all  agricultural  mat- 
ters, and  uses  many  modern  implements  in 
tilling  the  soil. 

Mr.  Sharp  was  married  in  Labette  county, 
to  Harriet  Snow,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Mary  J.  (Colby)  Snow.  Mr.  Snow  located 
in  Labette 'county  in  1868,  and  took  up  a  claim 
adjoining  Mr.  Sharp's.  He  died  there  in  1873. 
Mrs.  Snow  married  Mr.  Houts  in  1885.  and 
he  died  several  years  later.  Mrs.  Houts  now 
lives  in  Oswego.  Mr.  Sharp's  wife  was  born 
in   Macoupin   county.    Illinois,    in    1852.      Mr. 


786 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  Mrs.  Sliarp  have  been  blessed  with  seven 
children,  namely:  Henry,  who  is  a  butter- 
maker  in  a  creamery  at  Matfield,  Kansas,  and 
will)  married  a  daughter  of  D.  AI.  Miller,  and 
has  two  children, — ISIyrl  and  Gladys;  Isaac 
M.,  who  is  a  stenographer  for  a  hardware  and 
implement  company  at  Shreveport,  Louisiana, 
and  was  formerly  with  Funkhouser,  of  West 
Plains,  Missouri;  May,  who  is  cashier  in  C. 
M.  Condon's  store  at  Oswego;  Maude;  Lula; 
Ettie;  and  Bessie. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Sharp  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  served  in  township  offices  and  on  the 
school  board,  in  District  No.  7.  He  was  for- 
merly a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Asso- 
ciation. Religiously,  he  attends  the  Methodist 
church  at  Oswego.  Mr.  Sharp  is  always  an 
active  supporter  of  all  public  enterprises,  and 
is  a  useful  and  irreproachable  citizen.  Por- 
traits of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sharp,  engraved  from 
photographs  taken  in  July,  1901,  accompany 
this  sketch,  and  may  be  found  on  a  page  in 
proximity  to  this. 


ISE  BROTHERS.  The  citizens  of 
Mnund  \'alley,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  have  reason  to  be  proud 
(if  the  fact  that  in  their  thriving 
little  city  is  nne  nf  the  largest  merchandise 
stores  in  Labette  county,  'i'his  store  is  owned 
and  conducted  by  Luther  H.  and  J.  Albert 
Wise.  They  are  sons  of  W.  J.  and  Susan 
(Allen)   Wise. 

W.  J.  Wise  is  a  native  of  Greene  county, 
Illinois.  His  wife  was  also  a  native  of  that 
place:  her  death  occurred  in  ]\b)ntgomer}- 
county,  Kansas,  in  \HjfK  W.  J.  Wise  located 
on  a  farm  at  Cherry  vale,  Kan.sas,  in  1869," 
where  he  followed  farming  during  his  active 


life.  He  now  resides  at  Cofifeyville,  and  is 
sixty-eight  years  old.  Four  children  resulted 
from  his  union  with  Susan  Allen,  namely: 
Luther  H.;  J.  Albert;  J.  F.,  who  is  a  hard- 
ware merchant  of  Cherryvale;  and  G.  E.,  who 
is  employed  in  his  brothers"  store  at  ]\Iound 
\'alley. 

Luther  H.  Wise  was  born  in  1858,  and 
was  reared  and  schooled  in  the  state  of  Kan- 
sas. His  iirst  work  was  as  clerk  in  the  store 
of  Kincaid  &  Root,  general  merchants.  He 
was  employed  there  for  some  time,  and  became 
familiar  with  all  the  details  of  the  work.  In 
1883,  in  partnership  with  his  brother  J.  Al- 
bert, Mr.  Wise  enteredi  the  general  merchan- 
dise business  at  Mound  Valley,  and  they  now 
have  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  stores  in  the 
county.  In  1890,  the  present  two-story,  brick 
block  was  erected  by  them,  through  the  assist- 
ance of  F.  P.  Dicus  &  Company,  at  a  cost  of 
over  $9,000.  Since  that  time,  ^^'ise  Brothers 
have  purchased  the  Dicus  interests  and  own  the 
entire  building.  Their  store  occupies  the  whole 
lower  floor,  and  the  second  floor  is  used  for 
offices,  and  for  the  Masonic  hall.  One  side  of 
the  store  is  devoted  to  the  sale  of  dry  goods 
and  clothing,  and  the  other  side  to  groceries 
and  shoes.  The  stock  is  valued  at  $15,000. 
A  cash-carrier  system  is  used,  thus  requiring 
the  constant  attention  of  a  cashier.  Fixe  peo- 
ple are  employed  as  clerks,  and  a  very  large 
business  is  done.  ]\Ir.  Wise  antl  his  brother 
are  men  of  excellent  business  ability,  and  of  up- 
right principles,  and  the  knowledge  of  this 
fact  lias  brought  them  a  large  number  of 
patrons,  who  are  sure  of  receiving  pro:upt  and 
respectful  attention. 

Luther  H.  \\'ise  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Omah  .\ble,  who  was  liorn  in  Illinois. 
Her  mother  died  when  she  was  quite  .voung, 
and   iMrs.   Wise   was  reared  bv   her   grandfa- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


787 


ther  in  Kansas.  Air.  and  Airs.  Wise  are  the 
I'arents  of  three  children,  namely:  LInvd  V. ; 
Byron;  and  Luther  Henry,  Jr.  They  own  a 
fine  home  in  Mound  Valley. 

J.  Albert  Wise  married  Lena  Riff,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Riff,  Sr.,  who  was  an  early  set- 
tler of  Mound  Valley,  and  for  many  years  was 
engaged  in  business  there.  Mr.  Wise  and  his 
wife  have  two  children  living, — Lyman  A. 
and  Helen  E.  Another,  Irene,  died  recently. 
Mr.  Wise  was  lately  elected  mayor  of  Mound 
X'alley.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  M. 
\\'.  of  A. 

Luther  H.  Wise  is  also  a  Republican,  and 
has  served  on  the  school  board  and  in  the  city 
council.  He  is  a  member  of  the  M.  W.  of  A. 
lodge,  and  his  wiie  belongs  to  the  Fraternal 
Aid.  Air.  \Vise  is  secretary  of  the  Alound 
Valley  Natural  Gas  &  Mineral  Company.  His 
brother.  J.  Albert  AA'ise,  is  treasurer  of  the 
company.  Both  Luther  H.  and  J.  Allicrt  \\'ise 
are  members  of  the  Presbvterian  church. 


AAIES  BEGGS,  of  the  firm  of  Beggs 
i\:  Wilson,  was  for  a  long  lime  the 
IM'oprietor  of  the  only  furniture  and 
undertaking  establishment  in  Alound 
Valley,  Kansas.  He  was  born  in  County 
Tyrone,  Ireland,  in  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Martha  Beggs. 

William  and  Alartha  Beggs,  were  natives 
of  Ireland.  They  reared  four  children,  as  fol- 
lows: William,  Jr.,  deceased;  Mary  (Rich- 
ardson), who  lives  in  Ohio,  aged  eighty-four 
years ;  Rachael,  deceased ;  and  James,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch. 

James  Beggs  received  his  early  mental 
training  in  Ireland,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 


years  came  to  America,  in  cijmpany  with  his 
parents.  They  located  in  Alercer  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  the  father  carried  on  farming. 
James  attended  school  for  six  months  in  Penn- 
sylvania. He  learned  the  cabinetmaking  trade 
at  Mercer,  in  Alercer  county,  where  he  worked 
under  Henry  Heasley  three  years.  He  also 
learned  the  undertaking  business.  Soon  after 
he  left  Mr.  Heasley's  employ,  he  went  to  Plain- 
field,  Illinois,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade. 
In  Alarch,  1871.  Air.  Beggs  removed  to  La- 
l)ette  county,  Kansas,  where  he  bought  a  claim. 
He  now  owns  a  half  of  section  30,  township 
32,  range  19.  He  improved  this  and  carried 
on  farming  for  thirteen  years,  when  he  moved 
to  Alound  Valley,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  for  one  year.  Then,  in  part- 
nership with  Rev.  E.  A.  Graham,  he  conducted 
a  furniture  and  undertaking  establishment, 
uiifler  the  firm  name  of  Graham  &  Beggs.  In 
.Vpril,  1899.  he  bought  Rev.  Air.  Ch-aham's 
interest,  and  c<jnducted  the  business  alone 
until  the  spring  of  1901,  when  he  sold  a  half 
interest  to  W.  W.  \Vilson.  They  occupy  a 
building  50  by  60  feet  in  dimensions,  and  carry 
a  full  line  of  furniture  with  undertakmg  sup- 
plies in  the  rear.  There  is  no  competition  and 
the  concern  does  a  large  amount  of  business. 
Air.  Beggs  is  a  thorough  business  man,  and  has 
been  very  succesful. 

Air.  Beggs  was  m'arried',  in  Illinois,  to 
Harriet  Knapp,  who  was  born  in  Alontpelier, 
Vermont.  She  is  now  sixty-seven  years  old. 
They  have  had  four  children,  three  of  whom 
are  deceased.  The  other,  AA'ilson  T.,  is  a  part- 
ner in  the  Alound  \'alley  Alill  Company,  with 
Messrs.  Kirk  and  Allen,  and  acts  as  engineer; 
he  married  Aliss  Stotts,  and  they  have  tw-o 
children,  Archie  M.  and  Ruth.  Airs.  Ella 
Alahar,  a  daughter  of  Air.  Beggs,,  died  in  Colo- 
rado several   years  ago,   and   Air.   Beggs  has 


788 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


reared  her  tliree  cliildren,  one  of  whom  is  now 
teaching  in  tlie  Mound  Valley  schools.  Mrs. 
Carrie  X.  Perkins,  another  daughter,  died  a 
short  time  ago  at  Guthrie,  Oklahoma,  where 
she  was  chief  clerk  in  the  postoffice.  A  son  of 
.Mr.  Beggs  died  while  young. 

Mr.  Beggs  was  a  Republican  until  recently, 
and  he  now  votes  the  Prohil)ition  ticket.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and  has  been 
a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Mound  Valley. 
Air.  Beggs  formerly  belonged  to  the  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association,  and  Select  Friends. 
His  ancestors  were  Presbyterians,  but  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr. 
Beggs  has  erected  a  comfortable  home  in 
Mound  \'alley,  where  he  is  respected  by  all 
as  a  Inyal  and  upright  citizen. 


ILLIAM  G.  CRUZ  AN,  of  the  firm 
of  Graham  &  Cruzan,  dealers  in 
general  merchandise,  in  Mound 
\'allev.  has  been  a  resident  of  La- 
bette cduiity  since  1883.  He  is  a  native  of 
Hamilton  county,  Indiana,  and  was  born  in 
1859.  He  is  a  son  nf  Alfred  and  Elizabeth 
(Good)   Cruzan. 

Alfred  Cruzan  lived  in  Indiana  a  number 
of  years,  and  from  there  miixed  to  Cherokee, 
Kansas.  In  1869.  he  mo\-cd  to  the  old  town  of 
Parker.  Kansas,  where  lie  carried  on  farming. 
After  his  death,  the  mother  having  died  some 
years  before,  the  children  returned  to  Indiana, 
where  those  surviving  now  live,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  W.  (i.  Their  names  are:  Mary  A. 
(Sowers),  who  is  a  widow:  William  G. ;  Al- 
Serena    lieatrice.    deceased:   and 


fred   J.    a 

David  n. 

Williii 

J. Id  when 


obliged  to  earn  his  own  living,  arid  this  he  has 
continued  to  do  ever  since.  He  attended  the 
common  schools  in  Indiana,  and  in  1883 
worked  out  as  a  fann  hand  for  one  year.  Dur- 
ing the  grain  and  corn  season,  he  bought  grain 
for  F.  P.  Dicus  &  Company,  and  also  worked 
in  their  lumber  yard  at  different  times.  In 
1888,  he  began  clerking  for  \\'ise  Brothers, 
and  remained  with  them  until  1897.  In  March, 
1897,  Mr.  Cruzan,  in  partnership  with  Rev. 
E.  A.  Graham,  entered  the  dry  goods  business, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Graham  &  Cruzan. 
They  bought  out  the  business  of  E.  A.  Steele. 
The  building  which  they  occupy  is  24  by  80 
feet  in  dimensions,  and  was  originally  used 
for  the  hardware  store  of  Moore  &  Bushnell. 
The  firm  carries  a  large  stock  of  goods,  and 
the  store  is  well  patronized.  Mr.  Cruzan  is 
a  thorough  business  man,  is  enterprising  and 
progressive,  and  is  regarded  as  a  merchant  of 
firm   principles   and    integrity. 

Mr.  Cruzan  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Eva  Sheller,  who  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  but 
who  was  reared  in  Kansas.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  three  children,  whose  names  are :  Rutli 
E. :  Merle  \V. :  and  Esther  E.  In  politics.  Mr. 
Cruzan  is  a  Democrat.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  the  M.  W.  of  A.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cruzan  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
church.  Mr.  Cruzan  is  highly  respected  in 
Mound  \'a11ey.  where  he  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
and  advancement  of  the  communilv. 


Cruzan  w: 
ather  died. 


but  thirteen  years 
.\fter  that  he  was 


EUBEN   W.    S.MITH,   a   well   known 
farmer,  residing  in  section  15,  town- 
ship 32,  range  18,  in  Mound  \'alley 
township,  Labette  county.  Kansas,  is 
a  native  of  Fayette  county,  Illinois,  and  was 


MR.  AND   MRS.   D.   C.   CONSTANT. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


791 


born  in   i860.     He  is  a  son  of  John  R.  and 
Martha  (Scott)  Smith. 

John  R.  Smith  Hved  for  a  number  of  j-ears 
in  Shelby  county,  IlHnois,  whence  he  moved  to 
Labette  county,  in  1870.  He  took  up  a  claim 
\\hich  adjoins  the  northern  part  of  the  city  of 
Mound  \'alley.  Tins  he  improved,  and  culti- 
vated until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1876. 
His  wife  died  six  months  before  him.  They 
reared  six  children,  namely:  Reuben  W.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch;  G.  B.,  who  is  a  railroad 
man  at  Salida,  Colorado;  Margaret  ( ]\Ic- 
Carty),  of  Wellington,  Kansas,  whose  husband 
is  an  employee  of  the  Atchison,  Tt)peka  & 
Santa  Fe  Railway  Company;  John  D.,  who  is 
a  bridge  man  on  that  road,  at  Guthrie,  Okla- 
homa; Lizzie  (Clark),  wdio  lives  in  Iowa; 
and  Mary  (Reeves),  of  Cherry\ale.  Kansas. 
The  three  first  named  were  born  in  Illinois, 
and  the  others  in  Labette  count}-,   Kansas. 

Reuben  \\\  Smith  was  ten  years  old  when 
his  parents  moved  to  Labette  county,  Kansas. 
He  has  li\-ed  here  ever  since  that  time,  with 
the  exception  of  two  \'ears, — from  1880  to 
1882, — which  he  spent  as  a  miner  in  Colorado. 
In  1890,  he  bought  his  present  home  farm  of 
160  acres,  which  was  owned  by  John  Rogers, 
who  had  improved  it  considerably.  Mr. 
Smith  has  added  a  good  orchard,  and  has  made 
many  minor  impro\'ements.  He  carries  on 
general  farmings  and  stock  raising.  He  favors 
Durham  cattle,  and  recently  bought  some; 
thoroughbreds  at  a  sale  in  Kansas  City.  His 
intention  is  to  raise  high-grade  stock.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  man  of  good  business  principles, 
and  has  a  thoroug'h  knowledge  of  agricultural 
affairs.  He  is  a  good  neighbor,  and  always 
willing  to  lend  assistance  to  any  one  in  need. 
Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Alice  Stotts,  a  daughter  of  J.  O.  Stotts.  They 
have  six  children,  namely  :     Herbert  R. ;  Mag- 


gie :  James  O. ;  Georgia;  Mabel;  and  Roy  W. 
Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  People's  party. 
He  has  served  as  township  treasurer,  and  has 
also  been  on  the  school  board  of  Globe  Dis- 
trict, Xo.  65.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  M.  W.  of  A.  lodge,  of  Mound  Valley. 
Religiously,  he  is  liberal  in  his  views,  while 
his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church. 
Mr.  Smith  is  well  known  in  Labette  ciiuntv. 


K«^  C.  CONSTANT.  This  gentleman 
ill  ^^^^  ''-^^'^  identified  with  the  growth 
gfaS^  ''"'1  development  of  Labette  county 
fur  the  past  thirty-two  years.  He 
was  born  in  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  in 
1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Levinia 
(Crocker)  Constant.  Jacob  Constant  was 
born  near  Crab  Orchard,  Kentucky,  and  fol- 
lowed the  occu|)atinn  nf  a  farmer.  His  wife 
was  a  nati\e  of  Kentucky.  Their  children  are 
named  :  James ;  D.  C. ;  Simpson ;  Mary ;  Boyd ; 
and  Thomas,  deceased. 

D.  C.  Constant  lived  in  Illinois  until  he  at- 
tained tl.e  age  of  twenty-four  years.  After 
finishing  college,  he  taught  school  for  two  or 
three  years.  He  served  in  the  army  during  the 
Civil  War,  under  General  (irant,  and  Captain 
Ferry.  He  taught  school  at  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, until  1867,  when  he  located  in  Grayton 
county,  Texas,  wliere  he  taught  school  at  Pilot 
Grove  Academy  for  five  years.  In  1868-69, 
Mr.  Constant  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
constitutional  con\-ention,  from  Fannin  and 
Hunt  counties,  Texas.  In  1869,  he  droxe  with 
General  Talbot  from  Texas  to  Laliette  county, 
Kansas.  He  located  in  Hackberry  township, 
where  he  took  up  a  claim,  on  which  he  lived 
until  1873.  He  was  then  sent  l:>y  the  govern- 
ment to  tile  Indian  Territorv,  where  he  taught 


792 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


the  Indians  for  seven  years.  ^Ir.  Constant 
built  the  first  house  in  the  south  half  of  Hack- 
herry  township.  In  1881,  he  settled  on  his 
present  farm  in  Elm  Grove  township,  which 
is  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  12,  town- 
ship 34.  range  19.  ^Ir.  Constant  takes  much 
interest  in  the  progress  of  this  township,  and 
also  of  Labette  county,  and  is  always  ready  to 
assist  in  any  enterprise  which  is  for  thte  good 
of  the  community.  He  is  widely  known  in  the 
county,  and  is  a  man  nf  firm  principles,  and 
good  business  ability. 

Mr.  Constant  was  wedded  to  Antoinette 
Snow,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1S41.  She 
was  a  nurse  at  Leavenworth.  Kansas,  during 
the  Civil  War.  They  have  one' son.  D.  C.  Jr., 
who  is  in  tlTe  lumber  business  in  Oklahoma. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Constant  have  also  reared  Al- 
bert C.  Mclntyre,  who  lives  with  them  on  the 
farm. 

Mr.  Constant  is  a  Republican,  and  voted 
for  John  C.  Fremrmt.  He  was  the  first  justice 
of  the  peace  in  Hackberry  township.  He  is 
now  serving  in  that  olifice  in  Elm  Grove  town- 
ship. He  represented  his  district  in  the  state 
legislature  during  1872-73.  Religiously,  both 
^Ir.  Constant  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  they  are 
active  workers.  They  are  well  known  in  La- 
bette county,  and  are  highly  esteemed  by  all. 
Their  portraits  are  presented  on  a  foregoing 
page  in  connection  with  this  sketch. 

Mrs.  Constant's  sister,  Celia,  whose  home 
■was  in  Carlinville,  Illinois,  married  Daniel 
Mclntyre,  who  was  l)orn  in  Missouri  of  Scotch 
j)arentage.  Mr.  Mclntyre  mo\-ed  to  Kansas 
and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Labette  county  in  the 
fall  of  1869.  He  was  the  first  trustee  of  Elm 
Grove  townshi]),  where  he  lived.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  ^IcTntyre  had  si.x  children,  namely: 
William.  Lorena.  John.  Hugh.  Daniel  and  Al- 


bert.    Mrs.  Mclntyre  passed  away  in  March, 
1873,  and  her  husband  died  five  years  later,  in 


EREMIAH  B.  COOK,  who  has  been 
a  ]jrominent  resident  of  Labette  coun- 
ty, Kansas,  since  1871,  is  extensively 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  loan 
business,  and  is  operating  in  several  counties. 
He  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Che- 
topa,  is  a  man  of  high  character,  and  enjoys 
the  esteem  and  friendship  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  brought  into  contact.  He  was  born 
at  Pleasant  Grove,  Lancaster  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, June  22,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Allen  and 
Rachel  (Brown)  Cook. 

Allen  Cook  and  his  wife  came  of  English 
Quaker  families.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  died  in  Pennsylvania.  She  lies 
buried  in  Labette  county,  Kansas.  They 
reared  seven  children,  namely :  Edward,  who 
died  in  California;  Jeremiah  B.,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch;  Anna  Mary  (Slaughter),  living 
near  Altamont,  Kansas;  W'illiam,  of  Oswego; 
Charles  A.,  of  Parker,  Kansas;  Henry  C,  who 
died  and  was  buried  at  Oswego ;  and  Julia,  who 
who  died  in  Pennsylvania. 

Jeremiah  B.  Cook  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Pennsylvania,  and  then  left  home 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  He  traveled  tlirough 
the  South  and  \\'est.  and  visited  Xew  Orleans, 
Memphis,  and  many  other  Southern  cities. 
He  returned  home  when  eighteen  years  old, 
where  he  remained  one  year,  and  then  went  to 
California,  and  engaged  in  mining  and  herd- 
ing cattle.  He  was  a  miner  in  Santa  Clara 
countv  until  1856.  He  witnessed  the  stirring- 
times  that  called  into  action  the  great  vigi- 
lance committee  at  San  Francisco,  and  saw  the 
beam    on    which  the   leading  criminals   were 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


793 


hung.  He  returned  to  Pennsylvania  in  1856, 
.and  in  the  spring  of  1857  located  at  Kansas 
Cit}',  Missouri,  where  he  remained  until 
March,  i860,  and  invested  in  property  there. 
In  i860,  he  went  to  Illinois  to  Visit  some  rela- 
tives near  Delavan,  Tazewell  county,  who  had 
come  west  from  Pennsylvania.  He  located 
upon  some  unimproved  land  which  he  had  pur- 
chased near  Delavan,  and  lived  there  until  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  In  1861,  he  en- 
listed as  a  private  in  Company  H,  4th  Reg., 
111.  Vol.  Cav.  In  this  regiment  he  ser\-ed  as 
pri\-ate,  corporal,  sergearit  and  second  lieuten- 
ant, until  October  i,  1863,  when  he  was  made 
major  of  the  3d  Reg.,  U.  S.  Colored  Ca\-alry, 
and  afterward  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  same 
regiment,  which  he  commanded  for  over  a 
year.  When  the  war  closed,  he  commanded 
a  cavalry  brigade  of  2,300  men,  composed  of 
the  3d  U.  S.,  4th  Illinois  and  2d  Wisconsin 
regiments.  In  1866,  he  cultivated  800  acres 
of  cotton  in  Arkansas,  near  Memphis,  and  then 
went  to  his  old  home  near  Delavan,  Illinois, 
where  he  finished  improving  'his  farm.  He 
came  to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  in  April, 
1871,  and  improved  a  large  farm,  10  miles 
west  of  Chetopa.  He  took  as  a  claim  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  25.  township  34, 
range  19,  in  Elm  Grove  township,  and  some 
years  later  traded  it  for  the  Cook  Building, 
w^hich  had  been  built  by  Stephen  Marsh,  at 
the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Maple  streets,  Che- 
topa, and  which  Mr.  Cook  still  owns.  From 
1874  to  1885,  he  was  extensively  engaged  in 
the  land  and  loan  business,  and  sold  during 
that  period  more  than  100  farms  and  loaned 
over  one  million  dollars,  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  dollar  to  the  Eastern  capitalists  whom  he 
represented.  He  advertised  the  country  large- 
ly, in  the  East  and  North,  by  means  of  print- 
ed matter.     In  188^  and  1886,  he  was  a  mem- 


ber of  the  Kansas  legislature,  and  was  mayor 
of  Chetopa  for  seven  consecuti\-e  years.  Dur- 
ing 1885  and  1886,  he  was  one  of  the  pro- 
jectors of  the  Denver,  Memphis  &  Atlantic 
Railroad,  and  was  first  vice-president  at  the 
time  of  its  completion.  It  now  forms  a  part 
of  the  Missouri  Pacific  system.  Mr.  Cook  re- 
tired from  business  in  1885,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Neosho  Valley  Investment  Com- 
pany. In  1886,  he  erected  his  fine  home  of 
veneered  brick,  which  is  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive in  the  city.  In  1895,  he  reopened  a 
loan  and  real  estate  office  in  order  to  dispose 
of  some  of  his  holdings,  and  has  since  done  a 
general  loan,  real  estate,  insurance  and  rent- 
ing business,  in  his  fine  ofiices  in  the  Cook 
Building. 

Air.  Cogk  was  first  married  at  Decatur. 
Illinois,  to  Mrs.  Hannah  Prosser,  iicc  Pitts,  a 
native  of  Salem,  Indiana,  who  died  in  1892. 
He  formed  a  second  union  liy  marr)-ing  Rose 
Dorland,  of  Bartlett,  Kansas,  and  they  have 
two  children:  Harry  D.,  and  J.  B.,  Jr.  In 
politics,  he  has  always  been  a  Republican,  and 
is  a  very  strong  Prohibitionist,  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  Chetopa  Post,  G.  A.  R. ; 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Chetopa.  Relig- 
iously, he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church. 


-g  «  J.  COLEMAN,  familiarly  known  as 
^  H  Prof.  Coleman,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  since 
1870.  He  is  of  the  seventh  genera- 
tion from  Thomas  Coleman,  who  came  from 
England,  and  settled  at  Newburyport,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  I '137.  G.  J.  Coleman  was  bom  in 
Dutchess  count V.  New  York,  in  1826,  and  is 


794 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


a  son  uf  Benjamin  and  Sarali   (Dean)    Cole- 
man. 

Jetliro  Coleman,  grandfather  of  G.  J.,  was 
born  on  Nantucket  Island,  in  1755,  and  died 
September  17,  181 7.  He  was  a  sea  captain 
fur  many  years.  Benjamin  Coleman,  the  fa- 
ther of  G.  j.,  was  born  on  Nantucket  Island, 
December  8,  1788,  and  his  death  occurred  May 
20.  1845.  He  was  a  wealthy  stockman.  He 
married  Sarah  Dean,  who  was  a  native  of  New 
York.  She  died  when  G.  J.  was  quite  young. 
Seven  children  resulted  from  this  union, 
among  whom  were  the  following :  Henry,  who 
was  born  September  9,  1816,  and  died  in  De- 
cember. 1816:  Mary,  whu  died  in  1839;  Ed- 
win, who  (lied  in  1830;  Joseph  D.,  who  was 
born  July  14,  1820,  at  Stanfordville,  Dutchess 
county.  New  York,  and  is  a  farmer  in  that 
county:  G.  J.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch:  and 
Robert  R.,  who  was  born  IMay  31,  1828,  and 
died  January  3,  1882, — his  family  resides  in 
Mound  Valley.  William  C,  a  son  of  Robert 
R.,  is  manager  of  tlie  Carbon  Light  Company, 
with  headquarters  at  Wichita. 

G.  J.  Coleman,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  and  schooled  in  his  native  county. 
He  graduated  from  the  Quaker  boarding 
school  in  the  town  of  Nine  Partners,  and  be- 
gan lecturing  on  chemistry,  astronomy  and 
philosophy,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  Un- 
til his  removal  to  Kansas,  he  traveled  constant- 
ly, and  lectured  in  all  the  states  east  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  with  the  exception  of  Maine, 
Michigan  and  Louisiana.  His  name  was  in 
a  lecture  bureau's  book  in  New  York  City, 
and  he  was  sent  to  different  cities,  and  was 
paid  by  the  night. 

Mr.  Coleman,  in  companv  with  his  son, 
K.  B.  Coleman,  left  New  York  in  1870,  with 
the  determination  of  driving  west,  to  Kansas. 
He  lectured   en   route,   and   when   b.e   reached 


Kansas,  in  the  fall  of  1870,  he  had  $80  more 
in  money  than  he  had  when  he  left  New  York. 
Mr.  Coleman  met  his  brother  at  Kansas  City, 
and  came  to  Lal^ette  county.  They  bought 
land  from  two  men  who  had  located  claims 
in  the  north  half  of  section  26,  township  7,2, 
range  18.  Mv.  Coleman  secured  the  north- 
west quarter,  and  his  brother  took  the  north- 
east quarter.  They  built  frame  houses,  which 
were  located  on  opposite  sides  of  the  main 
road  to  Mound  Valley.  Mr.  Coleman  has  a 
finely  improved  farm.  About  fifteen  years  ago. 
he  set  out  15  acres  of  trees,  and  his  orchard 
bears  fine  fruit.  Mr.  Coleman  lectured  sev- 
eral years,  to  pay  for  the  farm,  and  his  wife 
taught  school  three  years  in  their  own  house. 
Subsequently,  when  the  schoolhouse  was  built 
north  of  this  farm,  she  taught  two  years 
longer.  Mr.  Coleman  is  a  very  intelligent  man, 
and  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  agricultural 
matters,  as  well  as  with  those  topics  whicli 
were  the  source  of  his  income  in  earlier  years. 
He  has  always  been  prominently  identified  with 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  Mound  \'alley 
township,  and  gives  his  support  to  all  public 
enterprises. 

Mr.  Coleman  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
New  York,  with  Harriet  .\.  Bushnell.  She 
was  born  November  14,  1830,  at  Hunter, 
Greene  county.  New  York.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Alvin  and  Fannie  (Shepherd)  Bushnell. 
Alvin  Bushnell  was  born  in  IMassacliusetts, 
and  his  death  took  place  in  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  in  1875.  His  wife  was  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  and  died  in  Chicago,  Illinois, 
while  on  a  visit  there.  Seven  children,  of  ten 
that  were  l)orn  to  them,  reached  maturity, 
namely:  Aaron,  who  died  in  1889:  Gideon  E., 
who  died  in  1900;  A.  Bigelow,  who  lives  in 
Mound  Valley;  George,  who  died  April  7, 
1900:  Harriet  A.,  the  wife  of  l\Ir.  Coleman; 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


795 


Fannie,  deceased ;  and  Sarah,  who  is  now  in 
Oklahoma.  Mrs.  Coleman  was  reared  and 
educated  in  New  York.  She  graduated  from 
the  State  Normal  School,  at  Albany,  in  1848, 
and  taught  school  for  a  number  of  years. 

JMr.  and  Mrs.  Coleman  have  been  blessed 
with  four  children,  namely:  Nettie,  who 
married  Clarence  Lown,  who  died  at  Pough- 
keepsie,  New  York;  Kay  B.  married  Emma 
jNIcGregory,  who  died  at  Mound  Valley,  Oc- 
tober 19,  1893,  having  had  three  daughters, — 
one  of  whom,  Ethel  S.,  lives  with  Prof.  Cole- 
man,— and  Bessie  and  May.  who  are  deceased ; 
Dean  S. :  and  Fannie,  the  wife  of  W.  B.  Covalt, 
(.)f  Wichita,  who  has  one  child,  George,  Jr., 
named  after  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Coleman  is  a  member  of  the  Populist 
party.  He  has  served  as  township  clerk,  and 
clerk  of  the  school  board,  and  has  filled  both 
offices  in  an  able  manner.  He  was  formerly  a 
member  of  the  Good  Templars  lodge.  He  has 
always  been  a  Quaker,  but  the  other  members 
in  his  family  are  Baptists.  Mr.  Coleman  is  a 
\-ery  popular  man,  and  has  always  been  a  loyal 
and  upright  citizen.  He  has  many  warm 
friends  in  Labette  countv. 


RS.  MARY  OAKLEAF,  widow  of 
the  late  Benjamin  Oakleaf,  is  liv- 
ing in  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 20,  township  33,  range  18,  in 
Mound  Valley  township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas. She  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  was  born 
in  1830.  In  Sweden  she  married  Benjamin 
Oakleaf,  who  w-as  also  a  native  of  that  country. 
Benjainin  Oakleaf's  Swedish  name  was 
Christiansen,  but  before  coming  to  America 
he  took  liis  wife's  maiden  name, — Oakleaf, — 
it  being  more  easily  spoken.     He  was  born  in 


1827,  and  his  death  occurred,  February  i, 
1893.  While  a  resident  of  his  native  country, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  Oakleaf, 
and  they  came  to  America  in  1857,  settling  in 
Moline,  Illinois.  There  Air.  Oakleaf  worked 
in  a  paper  factory. 

In  the  fall  of  1869,  Mr.  Oakleaf,  in  com- 
pany with  his  family,  remo\ed  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas.  They  took  up  the  present 
home  farm  which  is  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  20,  township  ;^Ti,  range  18,  in  Mound 
Valley  township.  The  first  towns  in  that 
vicinity  were  Neosho  and  Oswego.  Mr.  Oak- 
leaf at  once  began  to  make  improvements  on 
the  farm,  setting  out  a  number  of  trees  which 
were  obtained  in  Montgomery  county.  He 
bought  80  acres  of  land  south  of  his  place, 
thus  becoming  the  owner  of  240  acres  of  fine 
farming  land.  He  also  bought  each  of  his  sons 
a  quarter  section,  and  they  are  prosperous 
farmers  and  good  business  men.  Mr.  Oakleaf 
made  wlieat  his  staple  crop,  and  was  very  suc- 
cessful in  all  his  undertakings.  His  death, 
which  took  jilace  in  1893,  was  greatly  lamented 
as  he  was  one  of  the  most  loyal  citizens,  and 
progressive  workers  in  the  township.  He  was 
a  man  of  good  principles,  and  fine  business  abil- 
ity, and  was  very  ]K)pular  in  the  •community. 

Mr.  Oakleaf  and  his  wife  were  the  parents 
of  two  children,  born  in  Sweden.  One  died, 
en  route  to  this  country,  and  the  other  child 
died  but  two  weeks  after  landing.  Four  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Air.  and  Mrs.  Oakleaf, 
in  'America,  namely:  Charles  P.,  who  lives 
near  the  old  homestead,  and  is  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  the  county;  Joseph,  an  at- 
torney at  Moline,  Illinois;  Emanuel,  who  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  Israel  Johnson,  and  ow'ns  a 
fine  farm  near  his  former  home;  and  Stephen, 
who  is  managing  the  home  farm  for  his 
mother. 


796 


HISTORY   OF  LABETTE   COUNTY. 


Stephen  Oakleaf  married  lola  Wallace,  who 
was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Illinois,  in  1866, 
and  is  the  second  of  a  family  of  seven  children, 
namely:  Silas,  who  lives  in  Oklahoma;  lola; 
Arthur,  who  is  engaged  in  a  sawmill  in  the 
Indian  'I'erritory;  Gillam,  who  went  to  the 
Philippines  in  1899,  and  is  serving  in  the  army ; 
Minnie  (  Xelson),  who  lives  a  mile  and  a  half 
west  of  Mound  Valley;  Rose,  the  wife  of  Ed 
Stotts,  cif  Mound  \'alley  township;  and  Vic- 
toria, the  wife  of  William  Humphrey,  a  hard- 
ware dealer  in  Mound  X'alley.  The  Wallace 
family  settled  in  this  county  in  1881.  Stephen 
Oakleaf  and  his  wife  have  four  children, 
whose  names  are:  Wintress;  Lillian;  Gertrude; 
and   Marcus. 

Benjamin  Oakleaf  was  a  Democrat,  in  pol- 
itics, and  served  several  terms  as  justice  of  the 
peace.  The  family  attend  the  Methodist 
church,  the  services  of  which  are  held  in  the 
Richland  school-house.  ^Irs.  Oakleaf  'is 
a  woman  of  many  estimable  qualities,  and  is 
greatly  esteemed  by  all. 


\l)ISOX  SHARP,  a  pioneer  settler 
of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  liv- 
ing in  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  18,  township  34,  range  20, 

erry  township.  He  was  born  in 
county,    in    Eastern    Tennessee,    in 

is  a  son  of  Lsaac  and  Chloe  (Berry) 


Sharp  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  as 
.vife.  He  served  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  and  died  en  route  to  California,  in  1849. 
He  and  his  wife  had  the  following  children. 
namely:  John  J.;  Madison;  Betsy  Ann;  Jef- 
ferson; Joseph;  George;  Emery;  Easter  and 
Polly,  twins;  Amanda;  and  William. 


in     Hack 

Claibnrn 

1834,  an 

Sha.rp. 

Isaac 

was  his 

Madison  Sharp  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Illinois,  when  a  small  boy.  This  was  during 
the  Blackhawk  War,  in  which  his  father  took 
part.  There,  Madison  was  reared,  and  he  re- 
mained at  home  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years.  He  then  removed  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  Macoupin  county,  where 
he  farmed  until  1865.  In  that  year  he  went  to 
Texas.  In  August,  1867,  in  company  with  80 
others  he  removed  to  Kansas,  and  first  located 
at  Chetopa.  He  lived  for  two  years  in  Neosho 
county,  and  meanwhile  took  a  claim  in  Neosho 
Grove  township,  Labette  county, — in  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  13,  township  34,  range 
19.  He  made  several  improvements  on  this 
land.  In  1869,  he  moved  to  Labette  county, 
and  lived  on  his  claim  until  1898.  He  then 
built  his  present  home  in  Hackberry  township 
in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  18,  town- 
ship 34,  range  20.  His  daughter,  Martha  J., 
had  proved  this  quarter  section.  Mr.  Sharp  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  to  build  in  the  township, 
at  the  time  when  there  no  other  houses  in 
sight.  Mr.  Sharp  now  owns  and  manages 
over  a  section  of  land.  He  carries  on  diversi- 
fied farming,  and  raises  a  high  grade  of  cattle 
and  hogs.  He  is  a  thrifty  and  conscientious 
fanner,  and  always  finds  time  to  assist  in  any 
public  enterprise,  which  is  for  the  good  of  the 
community. 

Mr.  Sharp  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Thomas,  in  Illinois.  She  is  a  native  of 
'J"ennessee,  and  is  now  seventy-eight  years  old. 
To  this  union  have  been  'born  eight  children, 
namely:  Martha  Jane  (Peters),  who  lives  in 
Indiana;  Thomas  J.,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work;  Elsie;  Isaac,  who  is  .-\ 
railroad  man  in  Texas;  Walter,  who  lives  in 
Labette  county;  James,  who  lives  near  his 
father's  farm;  Mary  (Taylor),  of  Georgia; 
and  Amanda  (Perkins),  of  Labette  county. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


797 


In  politics,  Mr.  Sharp  is  a  Republican; 
although  he  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
the  political,  affairs  of  his  county,  he  has  de- 
clined to  accept  public  oi^ce.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Association.  In  re- 
ligious views,  he  is  liberal. 


HOHX  L.  HUMPHREY,  who  was  one 
of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  is  one  of  the  most 
highly  respected  citizens  of  Mound 
Valley  township.  He  is  an  influential  member 
of  the  community,  and  has  always  been  fore- 
most in  advancing  the  interests  of  the  coimty. 
He  was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Oliic,  in 
1845,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Jane  (Law) 
Humphrey. 

The  ancestry  of  the  Flumphirey  family  is 
traceable  back  to  Cromwell.  William  Hum- 
phrey was  born  in  Ireland,  came  to  America 
when  a  boy  and  located  in  Harrison  county, 
Ohio,  in  1820.  He  was  a  Free-Soiler  and  a 
strong  anti-slaver)'  man.  He  died  in  1884. 
His  wife  was  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage  and 
died  in  Ohio  in  1896.  They  reared  nine  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Elizabeth;  Thomas,  a  pros- 
perous farmer,  who  died  in  Saline  county, 
Missouri,  in  1886;  Margaret  (Patterson), 
deceased,  whose  husband  is  one  of  the  Rea 
Patterson  IMilling  Company  of  Coffeyville, 
Kansas;  ]\Iary,  wife  of  William  Patterson,  a 
feeder  and  stock  dealer,  now  residing  in  Fair- 
mont Park,  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Catherine, 
wife  of  Dr.  William  Foster,  a  very  successful 
physician,  of  Superior.  Nebraska;  John  L., 
who  was  named  after  his  grandfather,  a  de- 
scendant of  the  great  financier,  John  Law; 
Martha  (Spiker),  who  resides  near  •;he  old 
homestead  in  Ohio;  Ellen,  wife  of  A.  C.  Bir- 


ney,  who  lives  south  of  :\Iound  X'alley;  and 
Annie  (Havertield),  whose  husljand  owns  a 
planing  mill  and  lumber  yard  at  Jewett,  Ohio. 

John  L.  Humphrey  was  reared  in  Ohio  and 
attended  the  State  Normal  School.  He  had  de- 
cided when  a  boy  to  go  west,  to  Kansas,  and 
this  decision  was  carried  into  execution,  in 
1869.  He  arrived  in  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
early  in  1870,  looked  over  the  county,  and 
then  went  to  Missouri  and  taught  school  for 
a  time.  He  permanently  located  in  this  county 
in  October,  1870,  settling  in  Mound  Valley 
township,  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
26,  township  Ti2,  range  18,  which  he  preempted. 
He  came  alone,  but  in  the  fall  of  1871  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  and  was  married.  He 
resided  upon  his  preemption  until  1885, 
and  then  came  to  his  present  location,  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  35,  township  32,  range 
18,  in  Aluund  Valley  township.  He  built  his 
hue  home  of  12  rooms,  and  two  stories  high. 
It  is  complete  in  all  its  details,  finely  arranged, 
and  equipped  with  bath  room  and  many  modein 
conveniences.  He  purchased  this  quarter  sec- 
tion of  Charles  Herstrom,  a  blacksmith,  no>v 
deceased.  At  one  time  Mr.  Humphrey  owned 
five  quarter  sections  and  an  80-acre  tract,  and 
did  an  extensive  stock  raising  and  feeding 
business.  He  has  disposed  of  part  of  this  land, 
and  now  owns  three  quarter-sections,  and  car- 
ries on  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  His 
place  is  well  stocked  with  hogs,  cattle  and 
horses. 

In  1871,  Air.  Humphrey  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Virginia  S.  Spiker,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Eliza  (Fincal)  Spiker.  She 
was  the  youngest  of  si-x  children,  four  of  whom 
arrived  at  maturity,  namely:  Sarah  Ann 
(Barg-ar),  of  Ohio,  whose  husband  died  in 
1900;  Emma  (  Birney),  who  died  at  \\"ashing- 
ton,   Iowa ;   Marion,  who  lives  in  Ohio ;  and 


798 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Virginia  S.,  who  was  liorn  in  1S49.  Mrs. 
Humplirey's  grcat-great-grandfatlier  fougiit 
in  the  Revoluti(jnary  War  and  her  grandfather 
took  part  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Humphrey  became  the  parents  of  tlie  following 
children  :  William,  who  is  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness at  Mound  N'alley,  married  Victoria  Wal- 
lis,  and  has  two  children, — Harry  and  Shirley; 
Marion,  who  died  young;  Sunshine;  and 
Thomas  Paul  who  is  attending  school.  Politi- 
call\',  Mr.  Humphrey  is  a  supporter  of  the  Peo; 
Isle's  party,  but  prior  to  1890  he  was  a  Repub- 
lican. He  was  township  treasurer  one  term, 
and  in  1S92  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature, 
and  served  one  term.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  Mound  Val- 
ley. His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E. 
churcli. 


IS.  UARLIXG,  an  old  settler  of  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  erected  the  first 
house  on  the  prairie  in  southwestern 
part  of  Osage  township.  He  was 
born  .\ugust  29,  1835,  in  Jackson  county, 
Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  James  H.  and  Rachel 
(Howe)  Darling. 

Timothy  Darling,  the  grandfather  of  P.  B., 
was  born  October  22,  1 779,  and  died  December 
26,  1830,  aged  fifty-one  years,  two  months  and 
four  days.  His  wife,  Elizabeth  (Cook)  Dar- 
ling, was  born  September  6,  1782,  and  died 
November  11,  1839,  aged  fifty-seven  years, 
two  nionths  and  five  days. 

James  11.  Darling  was  born  December  30, 
1813,  and  (lied  at  tl.e  home  of  his  .son  Charles, 
November  26,  1895,  aged  eighty-one  years, 
ten  months  and  twenty-six  days.  He  enlisted 
in  C"ompany  G.  73rd  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf. 
His  wife.   Rachel    (Howe)    Darling,  was  l)orn 


February  16,  1812,  and  died  in  Labette  coun- 
ty, April  25,  1892,  aged  eighty  years,  two 
months  and  nine  days.  P.  B.  Darling  is  the 
oldest  child  living.  Charles  lives  north  of  his 
brother,  P.  B.  Rothburn  lives  near  Cherry- 
vale;  Clark,  Lind,  Neal  and  W'illiam  come 
next  in  order.  Melinda  lives  in  Jackson  coun- 
ty, Ohio.  John  and  Amanda,  who  were  twins, 
were  born  August  13,  1834,  and  died,  respect- 
ively, August  19  and  20th,  1834.  Macilla  L. 
was  born  September  5,  1843,  ^i'"'  <^lietl  INIarch 
13,  1845.  Tacey  B.  (Dove)  was  born  Aug- 
ust 15,  1837,  married  December  25,  1853,  and 
died  November  29,  1856. 

P.  B.  Darling,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
remained  at  home  until  his  marriage,  and  in 
January,  1869,  moved  to  Labette  county, 
Kansas.  With  his  wife,  Mr.  Darling  left 
Knox  county,  Illinois,  September  16,  1868,  and 
visited  somewhat  in  Iowa  and  Missouri,  en 
route.  They  were  ferried  across  the  Missis- 
sippi river  at  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  then  drove 
direct  to  Ottumwa,  going  through  the  Soap 
Creek  hills  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  From 
Missouri,  they  were  accompanied  by  Perry  O. 
C.  Nixon,  and  after  ferrying  over  the  Mis- 
souri river,  they  came  to  Osage,  where  they 
stopped  with  Mr.  Nixon's  brother  at  Osage 
Mission.  There  Mr.  Darling  left  his  wife  for 
a  while,  and  in  November,  1868,  todk  up  a 
claim  in  the  township  where  he  now  resides, — 
his  wife  joining  him  shortly  afterward.  He 
took  up  40  acres  in  section  6,  township  ;i2, 
range  18,  and  three  40-acre  tracts  in  a  direct 
line  west,  across  the  road,  in  section  i,  town- 
ship 32,  range  17.  He  was  involved  in  litiga- 
tion with  the  railroad  company  for  seven  years. 
Mr.  Darling  first  built  a  lx)x-house,  which  is 
now  used  for  a  kitchen.  It  was  made  of  wal- 
nut lumber,  at  $40  per  thousand,    and    was 


DR.   C.   S.    BENDURE. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


hauled  from  Osage  Alission.  "Sir.  Darling  had 
a  yoke  of  steers  and  one  horse,  and  both  he 
and  his  wife  worked  in  the  field.  They  broke 
about  15  acres,  and  planted  sod-corn,  turnips 
and  wheat.  In  the  spring  of  1871,  he  set  out 
the  first  orchard,  and  some  of  the  trees  are  still 
standing  there.  He  now  has  five  or  six  acres 
of  fruit,  and  over  two  miles  of  hedge,  eight 
acres  of  meadow,  and  the  front  of  the  place  is 
ornamented  with  cedar  tress.  Mr.  Darling 
has  refused  an  offer  of  $7,000  for  the  farm. 
It  presents  a  fine  appearance,  and  is  splendidly 
managed  and  kept  up.  Mr.  Darling  is  a  hard 
worker  and  takes  great  pride  in  his  home,  and 
his  present  success  l^as  only  been  reached  after 
years  of  untiring  labor  and  careful  attention. 
Mr.  Darling  worked  on  the  railroad  during  a 
season  of  1871. 

May  4,  1859,  Mr.  Darling  married  Nancy 
M.  Sinclair,  who  was  born  October  2/,  1840, 
in  Vinton  county,  Ohio.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
\\'illiam  and  Jane  (Dawson)  Sinclair.  Her 
father  died  when  she  was  quite  young,  and  her 
mother  departed  this  life,  in  Ohio,  in  1871. 
Two  of  Mrs.  Darling's  brothers  are  deceased; 
Mrs.  Catherine  Nixon  and  Mrs.  Martha  Snook, 
her  sisters,  are  living  on  the  old  farm  in  Ohio ; 
and  another  sister,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cassill,  is 
in   Davis   county,   Iowa. 

Mr.  and  IMrs.  Darling  have  been  blessed 
with  seven  children,  namely:  Frances  (Oli- 
ver), of  Cherryvale;  Tony  A.,  a  United 
Brethren  preacher,  now  located  at  Toronto, 
Kansas,  who  is  married  and  has  four  children ; 
Thomas,  who  lives  near  his  father;  Daniel  H., 
also  a  resident  of  Labette  county :  Tacy  P. 
(Emels),  of  Cherryvale;  Eunice  (Cooper),  of 
Cherryvale;  and  Phenis  T.,  deceased. 

Mr.  Darling  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  has  served  several  years  as  justice  of  the 
peace  and  as  notary  public.     He  was  formerly 


a  school  director.  ]Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Darling  be- 
long to  the  M.  E.  church.  ]Mr.  Darling  is 
highly  respected  in  the  county,  where  he  has 
many  warm  friends. 


aR.  C.  S.  BENDURE,  one  of  the  fore- 
most citizens  of  Hackberry  township,, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  whose  por- 
trait is  herewith  shown,  has  met  with 
great  success  in  practice  at  Bartlett,  where  he 
has  been  located  since  1889.  He  was  born  in 
Marshall  county,  Indiana,  in  i860,  and  is  a 
son  of  W.  H.  Bendure. 

^\^  H.  Bendure  was  born  in  Xenia,  Ohio, 
and  is  a  carpenter  by  trade,  although  he  has 
also  engaged  in  farming  and  has  conducted 
a  general  merchandise  store.  He  now  resides 
in  Oklahoma.  He  married  Rebecca  J.  Stal- 
lard,  who  was  born  in  Indiana,  and  tliey  have 
reared  the  following  children  ;  Ollie ;  C.  S. ; 
C.  B.;  Rosa;  N.  F. ;  A.  E. ;  and  W.  V. 

Dr.  C.  S.  Bendure  resided  in  his  native 
county  until  he  reached  the  age  of  ten  years, 
and  then  in  1870,  came  to  Kansas,  with  his 
parents,  and  located  in  Neosho  county.  There 
he  resided  until  1880,  when  he  moved  to  Elk 
county,  Kansas,  read  medicine  with  ^^^  H. 
Smethers,  M.  D.,  and  resided  there  for  two 
years.  In  1882,  he  entered  the  university  at 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  later  the  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  from  which  he 
graduated.  In  1883,  he  began  practice  at 
Sedan,  Kansas,  and  continued  there  for  one 
year.  He  next  located  at  Harts  Mills,  Kan- 
sas, w'here  he  was  married,  and,  in  1885,  went 
to  the  Indian  Territory,  where  he  practiced  for 
four  years.  This  change  of  location  was  the 
result  of  the  loss  by  the  Doctor  of  all  his  effects, 
including  his  residence,  through  a  cloud-burst. 


S02 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Deeming  tlie  prospects  brighter  in  Indian 
Territory,  lie  concluded  to  move  there,  and 
engage  in  farming,  in  connection  with  his  pro- 
fessional work. 

In  1889,  Dr.  ]3endure  came  to  Bartiett.  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  and  in  a  short  time  had  a 
well  established  and  constantly  growing  prac- 
tice. He  is  a  wide  awake  and  energetic  man, 
has  kept  informed  as  to  the  advance  made  in 
medical  science,  and  is  thoroughly  up-to-date 
in  his  treatment  of  all  cases.  He  is  a  man  of 
pleasing  personality,  a  clever  conversationalist, 
and  has  formed  many  lasting  friendships  in 
this  county. 

Dr.  Bendure  was  united  in  matrimony  with 
Margaret  E.  Ashmore,  who  was  born  in  Illi- 
nois, in  1865,  and  is  a  daughter  of  R.  X.  Ash- 
more,  of  Elk  county,  Kansas,  of  which  county 
the  latter  was  probate  judge  for  seven  years. 
Thi>  uninn  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Had  W. ;  Harvey  L.;  and 
^\■illiam  X.  In  politics,  Dr.  Bendure  is  a  Popu- 
list. Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  Bartiett  Lodge, 
No.  458,  1.  O.  6.  F. ;  Barlett  Lodge,  Xo.  5774, 
M.  W.  of  A.;  Bartiett  Lodge,  Xo.  441,  A.  O. 
U.  W. :  Bartiett  Lodge,  No.  65,  S.  &  D.  of  J. ; 
Lodge  Xo.  1 72 1,  Royal  Neighbors;  and  Bart- 
iett Lodge,  Xo.  99,  Anti-Horsethief  Associa- 
tion. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Southeastern 
Kansas  Medical  Association.  Religiously,  he 
is  a  faithful  member  of  ilic  MetlKiclist  Episco- 
pal churcli. 


D 


Ramsey. 
Aan 


RAMSEY',  a  well  known  farmer 
iding  in  Osage  township,  Labette 
nUy,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Law- 
ice  ciiunty.  Illinois,  in  1837.  and  is 

Aarnn    and     I-'lizabeth     (Barber) 

\amse\-  was  burn  in  Indiana,  and 


died  in  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  in  1842.  His 
father,  Allen  Ramsey,  served  under  General 
William  Henry  Harrison,  and  helped  to  hold 
the  fort  against  the  Indians  during  their  out- 
break. He  was  born  in  Scotland.  Elizabeth 
(Barber)  Ramsey,  the  mother  of  J.  B.,  was 
born  in  Tennessee  in  1796,  and  was  of  Welsh 
descent.  Unto  them  were  born  eight  children, 
all  but  two  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  sur- 
vivors are :  Mrs.  S.  J.  Miller,  who  lives  in 
Howard  county,  Indiana,  and  J.  B..  the  subject 
of  this  sketch. 

J.  B.  Ramsey  was  reared  in  Indiana,  where 
he  followed  the  trade  of  a  carpenter.  He 
bought  40  acres  of  land  in  Indiana,  but  sold  it 
upon  his  removal  to  Kansas.  He  located  his 
farm  in  Osage  township,  Junp  22,  1880,  but 
had  been  in  the  county  about  one  year  previous 
to  that  date.  He  had  about  $500  in  cash.  He 
bought  80  acres  of  land  from  Henry  Todd. 
In  1883  he  moved  his  family  to  Cherry  vale, 
where  they  lived  eig-hteen  months.  In  the 
meantime  he  rented  the  farm.  He  returned 
to  the  farm,  where  he  built  a  substantial  house 
of  nine  rooms,  with  a  surrounding  porch.  The 
farm  was  partly  hedged,  and  Mr.  Ramsey  set 
out  a  hedge  row,  which  divides  the  fields,  and 
also  set  out  an  orchard.  He  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock  raising,  and  is  consid- 
ered  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Ramsey  married  Sarah  Hall,  in  1863. 
and  she  died  in  Indiana,  in  1864,  leaving  one 
son:  Thomas  O.,  who  lives  four  miles  north- 
west of  his  father's  farm, — he  married  Ella 
Hughes,  and  they  have  two  children,  Carl  and 
Inez.  Mr.  Ramsey  married,  secondly,  Xancy 
A.  Beaver,  who  was  born  in  Rush  county,  In- 
diana, June  5,  1847.  They  became  the  parents 
of  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely : 
Mina:  G.  Rolla :  Walter:  J.  Fletcher:  Be.ssie: 
and  LeRoy  H.    Mina  (Burtle),  who  was  born 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


803 


in  Indiana,  now  lives  in  Wichita,  Kansas,  and 
is  the  mother  of  three  children.  G.  Rolla  was 
born  in  Indiana,  and  married  Leatha  Robb; 
he  is  a  tinner  in  Wichita.  Walter,  who  was 
born  in  Indiana,  married  Attie  Miller;  he  is  a 
carpenter,  and  lives  in  Wichita.  J.  Fletcher 
was  born  in  Labette  county,  and  is  engaged  in 
the  restaurant  business  in  Wichita.  Bessie  is 
deceased.     LeRoy  H.  is  at  home. 

]\Ir.  Ramsey  votes  the  straight  Republican 
ticket.  He  was  formerly  a  member  of  the 
Good  Templars.  Mr.  Ramsey  belongs  to  the 
M.  E.  church,  and  is  a  sincere  Christian. 


OHX  B.  OLIPHAXT,  one  of  the  most 
prosperous   farmers  of  Osage  town- 
ship, Labette  county,  Kansas,  has  been 
located  here  since  1867,  and  is  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers.     He  owns  240  acres  of 
fine  farm  land,  and  is  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising.     Mr.  Oliphant  was  born 
in  Johnson  county,   Missouri,   near  Warrens- 
burg,  in   1847,  and  is  a  son  of  Felix  E.  and 
Ann  R.   (Williams)  Oliphant. 

Felix  E.  Oliphant  was  born  in  Tennessee, 
and  was  of  Scotch  descent.  He  went  to  Mis- 
souri at  an  early  day,  and  at  one  time  owned 
300  acres  of  land  there,  the  consideration  for 
which  was  I2>4  and  25  cents  per  acre.  He 
did  not  like  the  surroundings  during  the  war, 
and  in  1865  sold  his  fine  farm  and  left  the 
country  of  southern  sympathizers  for  Kansas. 
He  moved  to  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  where 
he  bought  land,  but  later  sold  out,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1867  came  to  Labette  county.  He 
took  as  a  claim  in  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  7,  township  ^2,  range  18,  in  Osage 
township,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  in 
1888.      His  widow  is  still  living  on  this  prop- 


erty, and  is  now  past  seventy  years  of  age.  He 
was  an  old-line  Whig,  and  later  a  Republican 
upon  the  organization  of  that  party.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Oliphant  became  the  parents  of  10  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  are  now  living,  as  fol- 
lows: S.  D.,  who  resides  in  Labette  county; 
John  B. :  L.  D.,  of  Joplin,  Missouri,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  mining;  J.  F.,  who  purchased  a 
farm  in  the  same  section  as  John  B.  Oliphant, 
in  1896;  C.  M.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  elevator 
business  in  Barton  county,  Kansas. ;  Joseph 
B..  of  Galena,  Kansas,  who  is  engaged  in 
mining;  and  Mary  (Tussing)  and  Susan 
(Barnes),  widows,  residing  in  the  northern 
part  of  Osage  township. 

John  B.  Oliphant  was  reared  in  Missouri, 
and  began  to  shift  for  himself  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enteen years.  He  adopted  the  occupation  of 
a  farmer,  and  has  followed  it  with  success  11 
his  life.  He  came  to  Osage  township,  Labette 
county,  July  7,  1867,  and  filed  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  6,  township  32,  range 
18,  but  obtained  a  conveyance  of  the  north  80 
acres  only.  He  later  bought  the  80  acres 
directly  east  and  recently  purchased  the  north 
half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  i, 
township  32,  range  17, — making  a  farm  of 
240  acres.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county, 
but  little  of  it  being  waste  land.  He  first  built 
a  box-house,  of  native  lumber,  sawed  from  the 
timber  along  the  creek,  and  erected  the  pres- 
ent large,  seven-room,  frame  house  in  1892. 
He  also  has  large  and  substantial  barns  and 
outbuildings.  He  set  out  a  hedge  and  also 
many  fruit  trees.  In  1894  he  set  out  an  or- 
chard of  20  acres,  which  has  done  exception- 
ally well.  During  his  first  year  on  the  farm 
he  raised  sod-corn,  and  then  sowed  wheat  and 
planted  corn.  He  hauled  his  first  crop  of 
wheat  to  Labette  city,  where  it  was  sold  for 
$2.40  per  bushel.     He  engaged  in  stock  rais- 


804 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


iiig,  and  fur  some  years  raised  horses,  having 
at  one  time  as  many  as  25  tine  animals. 

Mr.  Oliphant  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Hattie  Boutillier.  who  is  of  French  descent, 
and  was  born  on  tlie  Isle  of  Jersey.  She 
moved  to  Iowa  with  her  ])arents  when  about 
two  years  old.  and  lived  there  for  twenty  years, 
and  then  came  to  Kansas,  in  1870.  They  are 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  W.  J., 
who  is  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Rail- 
way; F.  L.,  who  mined  for  some  years,  and 
is  now  at  home,  in  ])artnersh:p  with  his 
brother,  W.  J.,  in  a  threshing  outfit;  Charles; 
Sylvia,  a  widow;  Alma;  Maggie;  Ollie;  and 
Ruby,  politically.  Air.  Oliphant  was  a  Re- 
])ul)lican  for  many  years ;  he  cast  his  last  Re- 
])ublican  vote  for  James  G.  Blaine.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  independent,  and  has  voted 
the  Union  League  ticket.  He  has  setved  as 
township  trustee.  Formerly  he  belonged  to 
the  A.  ().  U.  W.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church,  and  Mr.  Oliphant  helped  to 
build  the  church  near  his  home. 


W".  GUTtlRIE  is  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  farmers  of  Canada  town- 
ship, Labette  county,,  Kansas,  and  is 
located  in  sections  25  and  36,  town- 
.sjiip  33,  range  17.  Me  was  born  in  Jefferson 
county,  Indiana,  in  1843,  <'"<'  '^  •'  ^'"i  '>t  -^• 
C.  and  Ann  (Wilson)  Guthrie. 

A.  C.  Guthrie  was  born  in  Indiana,  and  at 
an  early  day  applied  himself  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  which  he  followed  all  his  life.  His 
union  with  .\nn  Wilson  resulted  in  the  Ijirth 
of  six  children,  as  follows  :  Mary  .\nn  ;  Eliza- 
1)eth;  Sarah;  S.  W. ;  Kuhamah,  deceased;  and 
William. 

S.  W.  Guthrie  was  reared  in  Indiana  and 


remained  at  home  until  the  Civil  \\'ar  was  in 
progress,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  I32d  Reg., 
Ind.  \'ol.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  then  returned  to  Indiana  and 
resided  there  until  1870,  when  lie  came  to  Kan- 
sas. In  October,  1870,  he  came  to  Labette 
county,  but  did  not  locate  upon  his  present 
farm  until  1871.  He  then  built  a  cabin,  12  by 
14  feet,  in  s'ze,  and  made  many  important  im- 
provements on  the  farm.  His  nearest  trading 
points  were  Oswego  and  Mound  Valley.  He 
has  made  a  great  success  in  general  farming 
and  stock  raising,  and  now  owns  480  acres  in 
sections  25  and  36,  township  33,  range  17,  in 
Canada  township.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in 
both  national  and  local  affairs.  He  is  a  man 
of  excellent  business  qualifications,  is  honest 
and  upright  in  his  dealings,  and  has  many  true 
friends  in  his  communitv. 


IHILIP    \\'OOLL.\RD,    a    successful 
farmer  living  in  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  3.  township  34,  range  18. 
in  Canada  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Cambridgeshire,  Eng- 
land.    He  was  born  in  1843,  and  is  a  son  of. 
Henry  and  Keziah  (Hopkins)  Woollard. 

Henry  Woollard  was  born  in  England,  and 
was  a  butcher,  by  trade.  He  married  Keziah 
Hopkins,  who  was  also  born  in  England,  and 
they  reared  three  children  :  Philip ;  Henry ; 
and  Elizabeth ;  the  two  last  named  live  in  Eng- 
land. 

When  Philip  Woollard  was  twenty-one 
years  old,  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He 
landed  in  Canada,  and  from  there  went  direct 
to  Nebraska,  where  he  lived  for  six  months. 
He  then  went  to  New  York,  and  lived  in  vari- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


805 


ous  places  in  the  eastern  part  of  that  state 
for  a  period  of  tive  ^-ears.  In  1867  Mr.  Wool- 
lard  located  in  Jackson  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  leased  a  farm,  on  which  he  li\-ed  for  five 
years.  He  then  removed  to  Lahette  county 
in  1 88 1,  and  staid  in  Mound  A'alley  township 
for  three  months.  He  then  rented  a  farm  in 
Howard  township  for  two  years,  and  settled 
on  his  present  farm  in  1884.  Mr.  Woollanl 
has  a  thoroug-h  knowledge  of  farming  matters, 
and  his  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  township. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Margaret  J.  Bradley,  ucc  Steele, 
who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  in  1845.  They 
are  the  parents  of  four  children,  namely : 
Philip:  Henry:  Elti :  and  M.  J. 

Air.  Woollard  is  an  independent  in  poli- 
tics. Religiously,  he  is  a  mem])er  of  the  Meth- 
odist church. 


.^„      H.    STUART,    a    highly   respected 

^^      farmer  of  Canada  township,  Labette 

county,  Kansas,  has  a  well  improved 

farm    in    section    4,    township    34, 

range  18.     He  was  born  in  Barre,  New  York, 

February  28,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  Albert  and 

Helen  (Spencer)  Stuart. 

All)ert  Stuart  was  linrn  in  New  York,  in 
1805.  He  was  a  saih^r  on  the  Great  Lakes 
early  in  life,  and  later  followed  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer.  He  married  Helen  Spencer,  who 
was  born  in  New  York.  They  reared  one 
child,  C.  H.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

C.  H.  Stuart  removed  to  Ohio  when  a 
A'outh.  His  father  farmed  several  years  in 
that  state.  When  nineteen  years  old,  the  son 
went  to  lllinriis,  where  he  enlisted,  in  1861,  in 
Company  K,  42(1  Reg.,  III.  \'oI.  Inf.  He  saw 
hard  service  throughout    the    war,    and    took 


part  in  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  where  he  was 
under  fire  for  si.x  da)S.  He  was  in  all  the  en- 
gagements in  which  his  company  and  regiment 
participated.  He  receixxd  an  honorable  dis- 
charge from  the  army,  at  Atlanta,  Georgia. 
He  then  returned  t<'.  Illinois,  and  left  that  state, 
for  Kansas,  May  4,  1870.  Three  other  men 
accompanied  him  (among  them  being  Ed. 
Rosbor(i,  now  deceased,  of  Elm  Grove  town- 
ship ) .  and  the  trip  was  made  by  wagon.  Mr. 
Stuart  located  on  his  present  home  farm,  in 
1870,  and  after  building  a  cabin,  14  Ijy  18  feet 
in  size,  broke  eight  acres  of  ground,  and  be- 
gan his  career  as  a  farmer  in  Labette  county. 
He  has  l:)een  highly  successful,  and  has  a  large 
and  well  impro\'ed  farm.  Lately  he  has  erected 
a  spacious,  two-story,  frame  house,  which  adds 
greatly  to  the  general  appearance  of  his  prop- 
ertv.  ]\Ir.  Stuart  carries  on  general  farming. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage  with  J.  Maria  !\IcClellan,  who  was 
born  in  New  York.  The\-  have  reared  two 
children,  namely  :  .Mexander  T.,  who  enlisted 
in  the  late  war,  in  Company  I,  13th  Reg.. 
U.  S.  \^.l.  Inf.:  and  Olive  E.  F.  Mr.  Stuart 
is  a  member  of  the  Populist  party.  He  be- 
longs to  Valeda  Camp,  No.  150,  Anti-Horse- 
thief  Association  ;  to  the  Masonic  order.  Mound 
\'alley  Lodge.  No.  218:  and  to  the  G,  A.  R. 
Post,  of  Mound  \'alley.  Mr.  Stuart  is  well 
known  in  Labette  county,  where  he  has  many 
friends. 


ip^l  M.  PITT,  a  well-t(;-(Io  and  influen- 
^^^  i.a\  farmer  of  Canada  township,  La- 
^^M  bette  county,  Kansas,  has  been  located 
in  this  county  since  1869,  and  is  one 
of  its  most  progressive  citizens.  He  was  born 
in  Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  in  1844,  and  is 
a  son  oi  D.  AI.  and  Amanda  (  Rhoades)   Pitt. 


8o6 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


1).  M.  Pitt  was  born  in  Fleming  county, 
Kentucky,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
His  union  with  Amanda  Rhoades  resulted  in 
tlie  birth  of  three  children,  as  follows :  Eliza- 
beth  (Hill);  S.  M.;  and  Amanda. 

S.  M.  Pitt  went  to  Missouri  with  his  par- 
ents in  1 85 1,  and  located  in  Adair  county, 
where  he  lived  for  the  following  fourteen 
years.  In  1869  he  came  to  Kansas,  by  wagon, 
tile  trip  consuming  a  period  of  six  weeks.  He 
arrived  in  Labette  county  in  February,  1869, 
and  took  uj)  a  claim  since  owned  by  him  in  sec- 
tion 29.  township  ^^:i.  range  18.  in  Canada 
township.  He  built  a  cabin  12  by  14  feet,  in 
size,  and  improved  his  claim.  He  now  owns 
an  entire  section  of  land. — the  west  half  of  sec- 
tion 29.  and  the  east  half  of  section  30.  He 
carries  on  farming  in  a  modern  manner,  and 
has  one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  the  town- 
ship. 

S.  yi.  Pitt  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  X.  L.  Steele,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee, 
in  i860,  and  they  are  parents  of  six  children: 
Laura:  Thomas:  Estella;  Cora;  Pearl;  and 
James.  Mrs.  Pitt  met  with  a  sad  accident 
in  a  runaway,  which  resulted  in  her  death,  in 
1897.  Mr.  I'itt  is  a  Populist,  in  jjolitics,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Associa- 
tion. The  family  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of 
the  M.  E.  church. 


]( )\\"i':.\  C.  HE.XTII.  This  gentleman 
is  numbered  among  the  many  prom- 
inent agriculturists  of  Howard  town- 
ship. Labette  county,  Kansas.  He 
resides  in  the  northeast  (juarter  of  section  25, 
township  34,  range  18.  ^Mr.  Heath  was  born 
in  Jennings  county.  Indiana,  in  1864.  and  is 
a  son  of  B.  C.  and  Sarah  (Xeal)  Heath. 


Bowen  C.  Heath,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Indi- 
ana. He  married  Sarah  Xeal,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  and  ■  their  children  were : 
John;  Maggie;  Henry;  Edward;  IMattie; 
James;  and  Bowen  C,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch. 

Bowen  C.  Heath  was  reared  and  educated 
in  his  native  state,  where  he  lived  until  he  lo- 
cated in  Kansas.  He  came  to  Labette  county, 
in  1892,  and'  settled  on  his  present  farm.  He 
has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life,  and  consequently 
his  training  has  made  him  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  till- 
ing of  the  soil.  He  is  a  thrifty  and  energetic 
worker,  and  keeps  his  farm  in  fine  condition. 

Mr.  Heath  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Addie  Vawter,  who  was  born  in  Jennings 
county,  Indiana,  in  1865.  They  have  reared 
the  following  children,  namely:  William; 
Sarah :  Roy  ;  Ruth ;  and  Fern. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of 
the  Democratic  party.  He  belongs  to  the  M. 
W.  of  A.,  Edna  Camp,  X'^o.  1636;  and  to  Edna 
Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Xo.  438.  Religiously, 
yir.  Heath  and  his  family  are  attendants  of  the 
Methodist  church. 


0MASA  FOX  is  a  prominent  farmer  of 
Hackberry  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  who  has  l^een  located  in  the 
southwest    quarter    of    section    35, 
township   34,   range    20,    almost    continuously 
since  1869.     He  was  born  in  Wayne  county, 
Michigan,  in  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  Fox. 

A.  Fox  was  a  sailor  and  ran  on  the  first 
steamboat  on  Lake  Erie.  He  married  Sibyl 
Bell,  who  was  born  in  Vermont,  and  they 
reared  five  children.  Those  living  are:  Daniel, 
who  resides  in  Chetopa,  Kansas;  and  Amasa. 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


807 


Aniasa  Fox  lived  in  Wayne  county,  Micii- 
igan,  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
and  then  located  in  Kane  county,  Illinois. 
There  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  1869, 
when,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  he  journeyed 
to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  by  wagon, — the 
trip  consuming  four  weeks.  He  located  in  the 
southw^est  quarter  of  section  35,  township  34, 
range  20,  in  Hackberry  township,  which  has 
since  been  his  home  with  the  exception  of  about 
three  years  spent  in  Washington.  He  was  ac- 
tively engaged  in  farming  for  many  years,  but 
at  the  present  time  rents  his  land.  He  was  a 
very  successful  business  man  and  laid  by  a 
handsome  competency. 

]Mr.  Fox  was  united  in  matrimony  with 
]\Iartha  Rumsey,  who  was  born  in  Delaware 
county.  New  York,  in  1834,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  E.  S.  Rumsey,  wdio  was  born  in  New 
York  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Mr. 
Rumsey  married  Chloe  Du  Bois,  also  a  native 
of  New  York,  and  they  reared  20  children. 
Those  now  living  are:  Annis;  Margaret: 
Ebenezer:  James;  Alartha ;  Mr.  Fox's  wife, 
Emma:  and  Harrison,  yir.  and  Mrs.  Fox 
have  had  seven  children :  Luella,  deceased ; 
Francis  I.;  Charles  E. ;  Daniel  W.,  deceased; 
Katie;  Ernest;  and  Lue.  In  politics,  Mr.  Fox 
is  independent.  He  and  his  wife  are  Metho- 
dists. 


K*r]Hg|  J.  SMILEY,  deceased,  was  a  promi- 
g  ^ra  '""^"t  resident  of  Howard  township, 
g^^  Laliette  county,  Kansas,  and  lived  in 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  19, 
tnwnship  34,  range  18.  He  was  born  in  War- 
ren ciiunty,  Indiana,  in  1843,  'i"c'  li's  death  oc- 
curred in  Labette  county,  March  26,  1892. 

L.  J.   Smiley  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
his  native  countv.     He  remained  in  the  state  of 


Indiana  until  he  removed  to  Labette  county, 
which  was  in  March,  1883.  He  located  on 
the  farm  in  section  19,  township  34.  range  18, 
and  since  his  death  it  has  been  successfully 
managed  by  his  wife,  who  carries  on  general 
farming.  Mr.  Smiley  was  a  man  of  honest 
and  upright  principles,  and  his  loss  was  deeply 
felt  in  the  community.  He  married  Mary  E. 
Lemming,  who  was  born  in  Warren  county, 
Indiana,  in  1851.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Isabelle  (Waggaman)  Lemming.  John 
Lemming  was  born  in  Indiana,  in  1827,  and 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  all  his  life. 
He  married  Isabelle  Waggaman,  who  was 
]3orn  in  X'enniliiin  county,  Illinois,  in  1830. 
They  reared  two  children :  Charles  and 
Mary  E. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smiley  were  the  parents  of 
1 1  children.  Those  living  are :  Anna  Belle ; 
Clara;  Mary;  Myrtle;  Lulu;  Ida;  Grace;  and 
John,  wdio  assists  his  mother  in  farming. 
\h-s.  Smiley  is  a  woman  of  many  estimable 
c|ualities,  and  is  a  kind  and  charitable  neigh- 
l)or.  The  family  favor  the  LTnited  Brethren 
church   in  their  religious  convictions. 


OHX  \\'.  MASOX,  a  highly  respected 
farmer  living  in  the  southeast  cpiarter 
(if  section  25,  township  34,  range  18, 
in  Howard  township.  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  a  native  of  Dearborn  county,  Indi- 
ana. He  was  born  in  1835,  and  is  a  son  of 
Nicholas  and  Mary    (Overly)    Mason. 

Nicholas  Mason  was  liorn  in  Westmore- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  and  fnll.nved  the 
occupation  rif  a  farmer.  He  wedded  ]\Iary 
Overly,  wh<i  was  also  Iiorn  in  Pennsylvania. 
After  their  marriage  they  went  to  Indiana,  in 
the  fall  of  1819.     They  reared  the  following 


8o8 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


children,  namely:  Isaac  E.,  Xichulas;  ]Tj- 
seph;  Margaret:  Lydia :  and  John  W.,  the  sub- 
ject (if  this  sketch. 

juhn  W.  Masun  was  reared  and  sclKmled 
in  his  native  state,  and  while  there  learned  the 
trade  of  a  stone-mason,  which  he  followed 
most  of  the  time  during  his  residence  in  Indi- 
ana. He  removed  to  Labette  county,  Kansas, 
November  8,  1882,  and  located  in  Edna, 
where  he  li\cd  tWd  years.  He  then  settled  in 
Canada  township  and  lived  there  six  years. 
He  bought  his  ])resent  farm  in  1892,  and  has 
folknved  farming  <jn  that  place  ever  since.  He 
is  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  as  one  of 
the  i)est  farmers  in  the  township.  A  man  of 
upright  principles,  he  treats  all  his  fellnw  men 
honestly  and  considerately. — dealing  with  all 
in  a  straightforward  manner. 

Mr.  Mason  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Margaret  W'eslow,  who  was  born  in  Germany, 
in  1834.  They  have  been  blessed  with  seven 
cliildren,  namely :  Harman,  deceased  ;  Joseph, 
who  h\-es  at  home:  Charles  :  Eugene  E. ;  Mary: 
Anna :  and  Cora. 

Mr.  .Mason  has  always  voted  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket,  and  takes  an  acti\e  interest  in 
local  politics,  although  lie  has  ne\er  aspired  to 
office.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 
l)al  church. 


the  Ci 
arnier 


\(  ()i;  |',[<(  )\\'X,  a  vete 
War.  .-m,!  a  well  km 
Canada  tnwnshi]),  L.aliette  county, 
Kansas,  resides  in  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  10,  township  34,  range  18.  He 
was  born  in  Jack.son  county,  Indiana,  in  1832, 
and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Brown. 

Joseph  Brown  was  born  in  \'irginia.  and 
was  a  cabinetmaker  b\-  trade.  He  married 
Elizabeth  Phisler.  who  was  a  native  of  Indi- 


ana, and  they  reared  10  children,  Jacob  being 
the  only  one  now  li\-ing. 

Jacob  Brown  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
his  native  state.  Ele  enlisted  in  1862,  in  Com- 
pany K,  67th  Keg..  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
six  months.  He  was  discharged  at  the  end 
of  that  time  on  account  of  sickness.  He  has 
never  regained  his  health  since  then.  In  the 
winter  of  1882  Mr.  Brown  removed  to  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  and  located  on  his  present 
home  farm  in  Canada  township.  In  1892  he 
built  a  six-room,  two-storj-  frame  house,  which 
has  added  greatly  to  the  appearance  of  his 
home.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  is 
\evy  sticcessful.  He  is  an  honest  man,  with 
good  jorinciples,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by 
his  fellow  citizens. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Han- 
cock, who  was  born  in  Jackson  county,  Indi- 
ana, in  1844.  To  them  have  been  born  five 
children,  namely  :  Lorinda,  who  married  Otis 
Koons,  a  farmer  in  Labette  county:  Charles 
and  A.  J.,  who  are  farmers  in  Canada  town- 
ship: E.  B.,  who  lives  at  home:  and  H.  H.,  who 
is  farming  in  Canada  township.  Politicallv, 
Mr.  Brown  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist   Episcopal   church. 


SB.  LOWE,  a  well  known  resident  of_ 
Howard  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  living  in  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  25,  township  34, 
range  17.  He  has  li\-ed  on  that  farm  since 
1 88 1.  Mr.  Lowe  was  born  in  Grimes  county, 
Texas,  in  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Nellie  Gran- 
tham, who  was  born  in  Georgia.  She  is  now 
ninety-eight  years  old,  is  hale  and  hearty,  and 
is  living  with  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Lowe  lived  in  Texas  for  a  number  of 
}'ears,  and  while  there  followed  farming.     He 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


809 


decided  to  try  his  fortune  in  Kansas,  and  ac- 
cordingly, set  out  for  that  destination,  with 
but  $400  in  his  possession.  He  is  now  worth 
many  times  that  amount,  but  this  end  has  been 
reached  only  through  hard  work  and  much 
economy.  Mr.  Lowe  bought  80  acres  of  land 
in  Howard  township,  in  the  northeast  cjuarter 
of  section  25,  township  34.  range  17,  and  this 
he  keeps  finelj-  improved.  He  has  been  very 
successful  since  locating  in  Kansas,  and  each 
year  finds  an  increase  in  his  profits.  He  built 
his  present  house  in  1892,  and  has  set  out  a 
good  orchard.  He  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing. 

Mr.  Lowe  married  Maria  Anderson,  who 
died  in  1885.  They  reared:  William  J.; 
San.uel :  Granxille:  ]\Ionroe:  Mathew :  Mary 
E. ;  Eliza ;  and  six  others,  who  died  young. 
Mr.  L(iwe  married,  secondly,  JNIary  C.  Scott, 
who  was  born  in  Texas  in  1862.  She  came  to 
Kansas  in  1869. 

Mr.  Lowe  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He 
belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge,  No.  835,  of 
Coffey ville ;  and  is  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horse 
thief  Association.  \'aleda  Camp,>  No.  150. 
Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church. 


ETER  M.  XE\'IUS.  living  in  section 
20,  township  34.  range  18,  in  How- 
ard t(jwnship.  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, is  a  well  known  farmer  in  this 
section,  and  came  to  this  county  in  1875.  He 
was  born  in  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  in  1837, 
and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Griner) 
Nevius. 

Davitl  Xevius  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in 
1797,  and  was  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He  mar- 
ried Elizal:)eth  Griner.  who  was  born  in  Penn- 
svlvania  in  1801,  and  thev  reared  the  follow- 


ing children:  Garret,  deceased:  G.  G.,  who  is 
a  retired  farmer  in  Kansas ;  Catherine,  de- 
ceased; William  H.,  who  is  a  carpenter  in 
Iowa;  Peter  M. ;  Brown,  deceased;  and  Elias. 
deceased. 

Peter  M.  Xe\-ius  spent  his  early  life  in  Illi- 
nois, and  in  1865  remo\'ed  to  Kansas,  and  lo- 
cated in  Linn  county,  where  he  farmed  for  a 
period  of  ten  years.  In  1875  '^^  moved  to  La- 
bette county,  and  on  Alarch  i,  1876.  bought 
his'  present  home  farm.  He  has  made  exten- 
sive improvements  on  the  place,  and  has  lived 
there  ever  since.  Mr.  Nevius  has  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  farming,  and  is  a  man  of  sound 
judgment  and  much  executive  ability.  He  has 
taken  great  interest  in  his  work,  and  his  home 
presents  a  neat,   well-kept  appearance. 

\lv.  Xe\-ius  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Martha  Roliinson,  in  1858.  She  died  in 
1867.  They  reared  two  children:  J.  D.,  who 
is  a  clerk  in  one  of  the  government  depart- 
ments at  Washington,  District  of  Columbia; 
and  James,  who  resides  in  Edna,  Kansas,  and 
is  a  stone  mason  by  trade.  !\Ir.  Xevius  mar- 
ried, secondly.  Lydia  Brock,  who  was  born  in 
Iowa.  Eour  children  have  been  the  result  of 
this  union,  whose  names  are:  Mabel;  X^ellie; 
\\'in(.na;  and  Percy  D.  Mr.  Xevius  is  a  Re- 
publican in  jjolitics.  He  belongs  to  the  Seventh 
Dav  Ach'entists'  church. 


^gEORGE  F.  SCHMIDT,  who  has  been 
K^l  a  resident  of  Howard  township,  La- 
)^M\  bette  county,  Kansas,  since  1882,  is 
one  of  its  best  known  farmers.  He 
as  born  in  X'oble  county.  Indiana,  in  1864, 
id  is  a  son  of  F.  P.  and  Tenette   (Walker) 


Schmidt. 

F.  P.  Schmitlt  wai! 


a  natne  ot  Germanv, 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


and  ininiigrated  to  tlie  United  States  when 
fourteen  years  nld.  He  located  in  Indiana, 
where  he  became  a  farmer.  He  married  Jen- 
ette  Walker,  who  was  born  in  Indiana,  and 
they  reared  but  one  child,  who  is  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  Mr.  Schmidt  m;)ved  with  his 
son  to  Labette  county,  and  died  here  February 
10,  1890.  Mrs.  Schmidt  makes  her  home  on 
the  farm  with  her  son. 

George  F.  Schmidt  was  reared  and  schooled 
in  Illinois.  He  removed  from  his  native 
county  to  Ford  county,  Illinois,  and  later  to 
Clav  county;  he  lived  in  that  state  nine  years. 
October  K).  iSSj,  in  company  with  his  par- 
ents, he  located  in  the  west  half  of  the  north- 
west (juarter  of  secticm  25,  township  34,  range 
18,  in  Howard  township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas. He  carries  on  general  farming  and  has 
been  vei-y  successful.  His  farm  is  well  im- 
proved, and  shows  the  thrift  and  energy  of  its 
owner. 

Mr.  Schmidt  was  married  to  Ellen  Thomas, 
who  died  in  1894.  He  married,  secondly, 
Mrs.  Xevada  Ivory,  who  was  born  in  Iowa, 
in  1865.  They  have  one  child, — Errett.  Mr. 
Schmidt  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  affilia- 
tions. He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  and  belongs  to  the  Anti-Horsethief 
Association.  He  attends  the  Methodist  church. 
He  has  many  warm  friends  in  the  county,  and 
is  a  progressive  and  well  informed  citizen. 


H.  M.MIAX.  rroniinent  in  agri- 
cultural  circles  in  Labette  cmnty, 
Kansas,  is  the  geinlenian  wliose  name 
a]ipcars  at  the  opening  of  these  lines. 
He  resides  in  Canada  township,  in  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  11.  township  34,  range 
17.      Mr.  Mahan  was  born  in  .\llegany  county. 


Xew  York,  in  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  S.  W.  and 
Sarah  (Cranble)  Mahan.  His  parents  reared 
four  children:  W.  H. ;  V.  D. ;  Frank,  de- 
ceased; and  E.  H.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

E.  H.  Mahan  received  his  early  mental 
training  in  his  native  county.  When  he  was 
twenty  years  old  he  went  to  Michigan,  where 
he  ran  an  engine  for  five  years.  In  1875,  he 
went  to  Texas,  and  that  state  was  his  home 
until  his  final  removal  to  Kansas.  He  located 
in  Howard  township,  Labette  county,  in  1889, 
where  he  carried  on  general  farming  and 
threshing  for  two  years.  He  then  bought  his 
present  farm  in  Canada  township.  He  carries 
( )n  general  farming  and  threshing.  He  is  now 
having  erected  an  eight-room,  brick  house,  of 
two  stories.  His  farm  is  well  improved,  and 
presents  an  attractive  appearance,  to  which  the 
new  house  will  add  greatly. 

Mr.  Mahan  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  H.  A.  Ellwood,  whose  death  took  place 
in  1879.  He  next  married  Miss  H.  A.  De- 
Voss,  who  was  born  in  Marion  county.  Ohio, 
in  1856,  and  they  have  six  children,  namely: 
Ernest ;  Irene ;  Elmer ;  J. ;  P.  C. ;  and  Esther. 

In  politics  Mr.  Mahan  is  a  Republican,  and, 
while  he  does  not  aspire  to  office,  he  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  local  afifairs.  He  belongs  to 
the  Modern  \Voodmen  of  America,  Cofifey- 
ville  lodge.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  lodge,  of  Liberty.  Religiously,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Ma- 
han is  well  known  in  Labette  county,  and  is  a 
loyal  and  upright  citizen. 


K.  FITCH.  Among  the  many  suc- 
cessful farmers  living  in  Howard 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this 
He  is  li\-ing  in  section  29,  township 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


34,  range  18,  where  he  carries  on  general 
farming.  Mr.  Fitch  was  born  in  Fleming 
county,  Kentucky,  in  1848,  and  is  a  son  of 
Nathan  and  [Mary   (Fitzgerald)   Fitch. 

Xathan  Fitch  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and 
was  a  farmer  during  all  his  active  life.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Fitzgerald,  who  was  also  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  and  to  them  were  born :  Sam- 
uel H.,  who  is  a  farmer  in  Cass  county,  Mis- 
souri ;  John,  of  Clay  county,  Missouri ;  Eve- 
line, who  lives  in  Kentucky ;  Lavina,  wdio  lives 
in  [Missouri ;  S.  E. ;  and  David,  Robert  and 
Mary,  deceased. 

S.  E.  Fitch  was  reared  and  schouled  in 
his  native  state.  He  grew  to  manhood  there, 
and  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
When  he  was  thirty-five  years  old  he-  removed 
ti)  Kansas,  and  in  1885  settled  in  Labette 
county.  He  bought  iiis  present  farm  in  How- 
ard township  in  1889.  and  there  has  carried  on 
farming  ever  since.  Mr.  Fitch  is  well  known 
in  agricultural  circles  in  Howard  township, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  that  vicinity. 

yiv.  Fitch  married  Fannie  Wallingford, 
who  was  born  in  Fleming  county,  Kentucky, 
in  1850,  and  they  have  reared  four  children: 
Charles,  who  lives  in  Valeda,  Kansas;  Lulu 
F. ;  Mary  ;  and  Walter. 

In  politics,  Air.  Fitch  is  a  Populist.  He 
has  served  as  trustee  of  the  township  for  two 
terms,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Anti-Horsethief  Association.  The 
familv  belong  to  the  Methodist  church. 


sketch, 
tiun  2^ 


TIS  C.  KOOXS.  Among  the  well 
known  and  highly  respected  farmers 
of  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this 
He  is  living  in  the  east  half  of  sec- 
township  34,   range   18,   in  Howard 


township.  He  located  there  in  the  fall  of 
1900.  Mr.  Koons  was  born  Septemljer  30, 
1858,  in  Clark  county,  Indiana,  and  is  a  S(jn  of 
David  S.  and  Sarah  (Nugent)   Kunns. 

David  S.  Koons  was  born  in  Indiana,  in 
1832,  and  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer 
all  his  life.  He  died  March  20,  1900.  He 
married  Sarah  Nugent,  who  was  born  in  Clark 
county,  Indiana,  in  1830,  and  they  reared'  the 
following  children  :  Otis  C. ;  Eva ;  Maggie, 
deceased;  Isaac  AI. ;  and  Bertie  C. 

Otis  C.  Koons  recei\-ed  his  mental  training 
in  the  cummijn  schools  of  his  native  county. 
He  followed  farming  while  there  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  when  he 
removed  to  Labette  county,  Kansas.  In  the 
spring  of  1881  he  located  in  the  southeast  (]uar- 
ter  of  section  14,  township  34,  range  18.  in 
Canada  township,  where  he  lived  for  sixteen 
years.  He  moved  to  the  town  of  iidna  in 
1897,  and  three  years  later  located  on  his  pres- 
ent farm  in  Howard  township.  He  carries  on 
general  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  rents 
a  part  of  his  land. 

Mr.  Koons  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lorinda  Brown,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Brown, 
who  is  a  prominent  farmer  (jf  Labette  county. 
She  was  jjorn  in  Jackson  count}-.  Indiana, 
Februarv  10,  1861. 

Mr.  Koons  is  a  Republican,  in  jiolitics. 
Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Alethodist 
church.  He  is  a  public  spirited  man.  and  is 
highly  spoken  of  by  all  his  friends  and  fellow 


m 


ni  184 

yer)   Dresser 


S.  DRESSER,  who  has  been  located 
in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  since 
1873,  is  a  prominent  farmer  of  How- 
ard township.  He  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  is  a  son  of  Alanson  and  R.  (Saw- 


8l2 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


.Manson  Dresser  was  l)i)rn  in  Xew  York 
State  and  folltiwcd  the  trade  uf  a  niillwriglit. 
He  married  -Miss  R.  Sawyer,  also  a  native  of 
Xew  York,  and  they  reared  three  children,  as 
follows:     A.  S. :  Lucia;  and  Adelia. 

A.  S.  Dresser  li\ed  in  Illinois  until  he  was 
nine  years  old.  He  was  then  taken  by  his  par- 
ents back  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  si.xteen  years.  He  spent 
the  following  three  years  at  Flint,  Michigan, 
after  which  he  moved  to  Iowa.  Returning  to 
Michigan,  in  1S65.  lie  spent  three  years  there, 
and  then  went  to  the  nil  fields  of  Pennsylvania. 
He  came  to  Kansas  in  1870,  and  lived  one 
j-ear  at  Lawrence.  He  was  afterward  located, 
until  icS/i,  at  Parsons  and  Cot^eyville,  the  lat- 
ter town  having  at  that  time  but  two  or  three 
houses.  He  came  to  Labette  county  in  th:' 
spring  of  1873.  and  settled  on  his  present  farm 
in  Howard  township,  which  has  since  been  hl> 
hnnie.  Mis  farm  was  wholly  unimproved,  no 
ground  having  been  bniken,  and  he  moved  the 
first  house  on  the  premises,  from  Parker,  a 
distance  of  10  miles.  He  made  many  improve- 
ments on  the  farm,  and  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  with  marked  suc- 
cess. He  is  an  enterprising  and  progressive 
citizen,  and  has  hosts  of  friends  throughout 
this  part  uf  the  county. 

Mr.  Dres.ser  was  united  in  marriage  with 
:Miss  A.  Dye,  a  daughter  of  R.  and  P.  (Rice) 
Dye.  Her  father  followed  the  occupation  of 
a  farmer  all  his  life.  Mrs.  Dresser  was  born 
in  Genesee  county.  Michigan,  in  1849.  ^ril 
was  line  of  10  children,  as  follows:  George: 
William;  Charles:  -Minerva:  F.dward:  Oliver; 
-Almeda:  .\lfred:  Sarah:  and  Hattie.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dres.ser  have  10  children,  namelv: 
Guy:  R.  Dallas:  Lucia  K. :  Frank  T. :  Herbert 
W. :  Lillian  M.;  Hattie  A.;  Kdith  (',.:  Rennie 


B. :  and  Ba^'ard.  ^Ir.  Dresser  is  an  earnest 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party. 


\RRY  H.  ^HTCHELL,  justice  of  the 
].-eace  in  Howard  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  resides  in  section  8, 
township  35,  range  18.  He  was  borri 
in  Polk  county,  Iowa,  -August  8,  1869,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Ann  C.  (]\Iattern) 
Mitchell. 

Thomas  Mitchell  was  born  in  Claremont, 
Xew  Hampshire,  in  1816.  He  died  July  15, 
1894,  at  ]\Iitcliellville,  Iowa.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican, in  politics.  'Mr.  Mitchell  married 
Ann  C.  Mattern,  who  was  born  in  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania.  They  reared  four  children: 
Harry  H. :  John:  -\Iaud:  and  -\lice,  deceased. 

Harry  H.  Mitchell,  whose  name  opens  these 
lines,  Ii\-ed  in  his  native  count^'  until  he  re- 
moved to  Kansas.  He  had  farmed  with  his 
father  in  Iowa,  and  after  moving  to  Kansas, 
continued  in  the  same  occupation.  He  set- 
tled in  Howard  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  on  his  present  farm,  in  1896.  There 
he  carried  on  general  farming,  and  has  been 
one  of  the  most  influential  men  in  the  town- 
ship. He  is  a  man  of  good  business  ability, 
and  his  services  are  always  in  demand  when 
any  public  enterprise   is  in  progress. 

Mr.  Mitchell  was  united  in  marriage  with 
.-\gnes  Mulleni.x,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  in 
1878.  Mr.  Mitchell  is  a  Republican,  in  poli- 
tics, and  takes  an  acti\-e  interest  in  local  af- 
fairs. He  is  justice  of  the  peace  of  Howard 
township,  and  fills  the  office  with  much  credit 
to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  fellow  citi- 
zens. He  is  a  member  of  Crystal  Lodge.  -Xo. 
313.  A.   F.  &  .\.   -M.,  of  :\Iitchellville,  Iowa; 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


and  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  Valeda 
Lodge,  No.  751 1, — holding  the  office  (if  banker 
of  his  lodge.  He  is  president  of  the  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association,  Lodge  No.  150.  Mr. 
Mitchell  is  a  very  popular  man,  and  is  highly 
esteemed   in   Labette  countv. 


0ANIEL  LAUGHLIN,*one  of  the  lead- 
ing agriculturists  of  Mount  Pleasant 
township,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  is 
a    native   of    \\'estmoreland    county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  in  1838.     He  is  a 
son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Nisbett)  Laughlin. 

\\'illiam  Laughlin  was  born  in  Westmore- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1808,  and  died 
in  Clay  county,  Indiana,  in  1885.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah  Nisbett,  who  was  born  in  Alle- 
gheny county,  Pennsylvania,  and  died  in  Clay 
county,  Indiana,  in  1866.  They  reared  the 
following  children,  namely:  Margaret  (  Ter- 
ril),  of  Labette  county;  Daniel,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch ;  James,  deceased ;  and  Eli  E.,  of 
Labette  county. 

Daniel  Laughlin  lived  in  the  state  of  Penn- 
sylvania until  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  when 
he  moved  to  Clay  county,  Indiana,  with  his 
parents.  In  1861  he  went  to  South  Park, 
Colorado,  and  in  1862  enlisted  in  Company 
M,  1st  Reg.,  N.  :\I.  Vol.  Cav.  He  was  am- 
bushed and  wounded  by  the  Indians  at  Fort 
Wingate,  New  ]\Iexico,  and  was  mustered  out 
at  Fort  Sumner,  New  Mexico,  in  1863.  He 
then  returned  to  Kansas,  wdiere  he  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Johnson  county,  and  in  1869  located  in 
Labette  county,  where  he  now  resides.  He  is 
living  in  section  22,  Mount  Pleasant  township, 
where  he  carries  on  farming  and  stock  raising 
extensively.     He  thoroughlv  understands  the 


tilling  of  the  soil,  and  is  a  thrifty  and  consci- 
entious  worker. 

Mr.  Laughlin  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Hannah  Smith,  a  daughter  of  William  Smith. 
She  was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohin,  in 
1850.  William  Smith  was  born  in  181 8,  and 
his  death  occurred  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  in 
1900.  Mrs.  Smith,  who  was  a  Miss  \\'heller, 
was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1820,  and  her  death  oc- 
curred in  1852.  ^Ir.  Laughlin  and  his  wife 
have  been  blessed  with  five  children,  namely : 
Jessie,  deceased;  Clififord,  of  Labette  county; 
William,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri:  and  Effie 
and  Goldie,  of  Labette  county. 

Mr.  Laughlin  has  been  treasurer  of  ^Mount 
Pleasant  township  for  four  terms.  He  is  a 
public  spirited  citizen,  and  is  highly  respected 
throughout   the   communitv. 


a  ROE.  H.  W.  TODD,*  the  efficient  su- 
perintendent of  the  Oswego  schools, 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  intel- 
lectual men  in  the  county.  He  holds 
a  very  responsible  position,  which  he  fills  with 
credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
community  in  which  he  resides.  Prof.  Todd 
was  born  in  Cook  county,  Illinois,  in  1869,  and 
is  a  son  of  Edward  P.  Todd. 

Prof.  Todd's  grandfather  on  the  paternal 
side  was  Silas  Todd.  He  was  a  native  of 
Connecticut.  Edward  P.  Todd  was  born 
near  New  York  City.  He  was  reared  and 
schooled  in  Galena,  Illinois,  to  which  city  his 
parents  moved  when  he  was  a  child.  During 
his  active  career  he  followed  farming,  and 
lived  at  various  places,  principally  in  Illinois. 
In  1874  he  settled  permanently  in  JNIontgomery. 
county,  Kansas,  in  the  town  of  Independence, 
and  there  he  now  resides.     He  married  Jane 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Lemon,  wlio  was  a  native  of  Niagara,  Canada. 
They  reared  tlie  following  children:  Frank, 
a  farmer  in  r^lontgumery  dainty,  Kansas; 
Howard,  deceased:  H.  \\'.,  the  sul)ject  of  this 
sketch;  and  Elsie.  Mr.  Todd  is  a  Republican, 
in  {xjlitics,  and  has  served  in  various  local 
ofiices. 

H.  W.  Todd,  the  subject  of  this  biography, 
received  his  primary  education  in  Indepen- 
dence, Kansas,  and  during  the  years  1888, 
1889  and  1890,  attended  the  Kansas  State  Nor- 
mal School  at  Emporia.  He  graduated  from 
the  Valparaiso  Normal  College,  of  Valparaiso, 
Lidiana,  in  1892.  He  began  teaching  in 
Montgomery  county,  Kansas,  although  he  had 
taught  somewhat  before  his  gradtiation.  He 
taught  three  and  a  half  years  at  Coffeyville, 
and  was  principal  of  the  schools  in  Edna,  Kan- 
sas, for  tw.j  }ears.  In  1897  Prof.  Todd  be- 
came principal  of  the  Oswego  schools,  and  in 
1899  was  made  superintendent  i.f  the  city 
schools,  and  is  serving  in  that  capacity  at  the 
present  date. 

Prof.  Todd  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Gertrude  Hilman,  in  1890.  ?klrs.  Todd  was 
born  in  Edna,  Kansas.  They  have  one  child, 
— Hubert.  Prof.  Todd  is  a  member  of  the 
Kansas  State  Teachers'  Association.  Frater- 
nally, he  belongs  to  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World.     Politically,  he  is  a   Republican. 


aATH.WIEL  D.  TOW  ER.-  a  promi- 
nent farmer  and  stock  raiser  nf  ;\Ion- 
tana  township,  Labette  cnunty,  Kan- 
sas, takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  the 
leading  (juestions  of  the  day.  and  has  deeply  at 
heart  tiie  welfare  of  his  section  of  the  Sun- 
flower State.  Mr.  T)\vcr  was  born  in  Chenan- 
go cnunty,  new  York,  in  18,^;),  and  is  a  .son  of 


Loammi  and  Elizabeth  (Townsend)  Tower. 
Loammi  Tower,  who  was  by  occupation  a 
farmer,  was  born  in  \'ermont,  and  his  wife 
was  a  native  of  the  Empire  State.  Seven 
children  comprised  the  parental  family,  as  fol- 
lows: Polly  (Shoe),  of  Illinois;  Nathaniel 
D..  the  subject  of  these  Hues;  Sarah  (Fore), 
of  Van  Wert  county,  Ohio ;  Samuel ;  Mary  and 
Matilda,  who  are  deceased ;  and  Timothy,  who 
was  killed  in  an  engagement  of  the  Civil 
War.  Nathaniel  D.  Tower's  parents  removed 
to  Ohio  when  he  was  fi\-e  years  old,  and  there 
he  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  was 
prepared  for  the  sober  duties  of  life.  In  1857, 
the  family  removed  to  Illinois,  where,  in 
Sangamon  county,  they  continued  to  reside 
for  a  number  of  years,  during  which  period 
Nathaniel  followed  carpenter  work.  In  1865, 
he  left  Illinois,  traveled  overland  to  Kansas, 
in  company  with  Samuel  Dunham,  and  located 
in  Labette  county.  The  following  year 
(  1866),  he  took  up  a  claim  in  section  30,  Mon- 
tana township,  having  made  proper  entry  of 
it  at  Humboldt,  Kansas,  where  the  nearest  la'id 
ofSce  was  located. 

]\Ir.  Tower  has  continued  to  reside  upon 
this  farm  ever  since,  and  has  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock  raising.  Quite  recent- 
ly, in  1899,  his  present  large,  substantial  resi- 
dence, a  two-story  frame,  with  seven  rooms, 
was  erected,  and  the  whole  place  was  otherwise 
improved  and  modernized.  Mr.  Tower  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  R.  Whitehead, 
who  was  born  in  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  in 
1 84 1.  Ten  children  blessed  their  union.  Of 
this  interesting  family,  the  eldest  two,  Daniel 
and  George,  are  farmers  in  the  state  of  Mis- 
souri, Charles,  the  next  one,  is  deceased. 
Ruth  M.,  the  eldest  daughter,  is  now  ]Mrs. 
Cams,  of  Oswego,  Kansas.  Martin,  the  next 
in  order,  is  an  employee  of  the  Colorado  and 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


Mid'land  Railroad  and  resides  in  Colorado 
City,  Colorado.  Nora,  the  second  daughter, 
is  now  Mrs.  Whelen,  of  Denison,  Texas.  Her- 
bert, the  next  son,  assists  in  cultivating  the 
home  farm.  Bryan  is  a  fireman  on  the  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Texas  Railway,  and  resides 
at  Denison,  Texas.  Grover  is  an  assistant  on 
the  farm,  while  Allen  N.,  the  youngest  son, 
resides  in  the  Indian  Territory. 

Mr.  Tower  is  closely  allied  with  the  Popu- 
list party  in  Kansas,  and  has  served  his  party 
in  various  ways.  He  served  one  term  as 
treasurer  of  Montana  township,  and  was,  for 
sex'eral  years,  on  the  school  board,  of  which  he 
was  also  treasurer.  He  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Anti-Horsethief  x-\.ssociation,  Camp 
No.  26,  and  belongs  to  Labette  Lodge,  No. 
488,  I.  O.  O.  P.,  and  the  Sons  and  Daughters 
of  Justice,  also  of  Labette.  In  religious  mat- 
ters, he  was  reared  a  Baptist,  and  strongly  ad- 
heres to  the  faith  of  that  denomination.  He 
ranks  among  the  most  prominent  citizens  of 
Montana  township,  and  his  success  in  life  is 
most  gratifying  to  his  friends  and  his  family. 


T.  BAKER,*  a  sturdy  and  pros- 
perous farmer  of  Labette  town- 
s'hip,  Labette  county,  Kansas,  was 
born  in  Fountain  county,  Indiana, 
in  1 83 1,  and  is  a  son  of  O.  and  A.  (Timmana) 
Baker.  His  father  was  born  in  Virginia,  and 
his  mother  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Indi- 
ana. Thirteen  children  composed  the  parental 
family,  as  follows  : '  Allen  F. ;  A.  S. ;  M.  A. ; 
M.  f.:  Isaac:  E.  J.;  M.  J.;  M.  E. ;  J.  H. ;  G. 
W. :  Ta}lor :  Sarah ;  and  M.  G. 

Our  subject  farmed  in  his  native  state  un- 
til he  was  twenty-two  years  old,  ^yhen  he 
moved  to  Iowa,  and  resided  there  until  i860. 


He  then  came  to  Kansas,  where  he  spent  eleven 
months,  after  which  he  returned  to  Indiana, 
and  followed  farming  until  1883.  His  visit 
to  Kansas  was  not,  however,  devoid  of  good 
results.  There  was  a  c'barm  about  this  coun- 
try which  Mr.  Baker  could  not  resist;  he  ac-- 
cordingly  returned  in  1883,  and  located  on 
his  present  farm,  in  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  27,  Labette  township.  There  he  has 
followed  general  farming  and  is  largely  inter- 
ested in  fruit  growing, — having  a  fine,  young 
orchard  of  1,000  apple  trees. 

Mr.  Baker  married  Miss  B.  L.  Bonebrake, 
who  was  born  in  Indiana,  in  1837,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  D.  and  Catherine  (Cohen)  Bone- 
brake.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  her 
mother,  in  Virginia.  Eleven  children  made 
up  the  Bonebrake  family,  namely  :  Eli,  Simon, 
Wesley,  Harry,  John,  E.  A.,  C,  Stephen,  Den- 
nis. B.  L.,  and  E. 

Air.  Baker  and  his  wife  were  blessed  with 
12  children:  David,  Alfred,  C.  .V.,  Clara,  and 
E.,  all  of  whom  are  deceased;  J.  O.,  who  is 
a  farmer,  and  Catherine,  both  of  whom  reside 
in  Allen  county,  Kansas;  Harry,  who  lives  in 
the  Indian  Territory,  and  is  a  barber  by  trade ; 
J.,  who  married  A.  Bentz,  a  farmer, — they  re- 
side four  miles  east  of  Parsons,  Kansas;  and 
Wilford,  Joseph,  and  Eddie,  who  live  at  home. 
In  his  political  belief,  Mr.  Baker  is  a  Populist ; 
he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Anti-Horsethief 
Association.  He  and  his  family  belong  to  the 
L'nited  Brethren  church. 


ARVEY    W.    LOWE,*    a    prominent 
young    business    man    of    Altamont, 
Labette  county,  Kansas,  engaged  in 
the  hardware  business,  is  one  of  the 
ing  voung  men  of  that  city.     He  is  actively 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


interested  in  anyt'r.ini;-  that  is  I'nr  the  gnnd  of  the 
people  whi)  reside  in  that  comniounity.  He  is  a 
mon  of  lionor  and  integrity,  and  through  his 
lionesty  in  dealings  with  his  patrons  he  has  won 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  are  as- 
sociated with  him.  Mr.  Lowe  was  born  in 
McDonald  county,  Missouri,  in  1873,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  W.  and  Fanny  (  Ransom)  Lowe. 

John  W.  Lowe  was  horn  in  Virginia,  in 
1837.  i"  i''^74'  '■'t  nioved  with  his  family  to 
McDonald  county,  Missouri,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business  for  four  years. 
in  1S78,  he  removed  to  Neosho  county.  Kan- 
sas, where  he  settled  on  a  farm,  and  now-  re- 
sides there,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  married  Fanny  Ransom,  who  was  born  in 
1840,  in  White  county,  Arkansas.  They  reared 
the  following  children,  namely:  Levi,  Bethel 
and  Joel,  of  Xeosho  county,  Kansas;  Charles 
and  Lizzie,  deceased;  and  Harvey  W.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch. 

Harvey  W.  Lowe,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  five  years  old  when  his  parents  moved  to 
Xeosho  county,  and  there  he  received  his 
mental  training.  He  assisted  his  father  in 
farming  until  September,  1900,  when  he 
moved  to  Altamont,  Labette  county,  and  en- 
gagetl  in  the  hardware  business.  He  has  a 
large,  well  stocked  store,  and  is  thoroughly 
conversant  with  the  business.  Mr.  Lowe  w^as 
united  in  marriage  with  Maude  Clemens,  who 
was  l)OTn  in  Xeosho  county,  Kansas,  in  1881. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Xewton  Clemens,  wdio 
was  born  in  Illinois,  in  1851.  The  children 
comprising  Mr.  Clemens'  faiuily  are:  Dressie 
(Oleson),  Isaac  and  Xoble,  all  of  Xeosho 
county;  Maude,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Lowe;  and 
Clara:  Charles:  and  George,  of  X'eosho  coun- 
ty. Mr.  Clemens  is  also  a  resident  of  X'^eosho 
county. 

Mr.  Lowe  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of 


one  child, — ^lark.  Like  his  father,  wdio  was 
a  justice  of  the  peace  in  X'eosho  county  for 
ten  years,  Mr.  Lowe  is  a  stanch.  Republican. 
Being  a  young  man,  he  has  the  prospects  of  a 
very  good  future  before  him,  and  as  he  is  a 
man  of  strength  of  character  and  determina- 
tion, his  success  seems  assured. 


.-^^HARLES    ^lURRAY,*    one    of    the 
^^      uKjst  prosperous  farmers    of    Mon- 
tana township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, is  located  in  sections  ^2  and  ^^, 
and  owns   100  acres  of  land. 

Mr.  Murray  was  born  in  X^ew  Orleans, 
Louisiana,  in  1846,  but  was  reared  in  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  where  he  lived  unitl  the  Civil  War. 
He  enlisted  in  Company  K,  21st  Reg.,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.,  in  1863,  and  was  in  the  service  un- 
til January  19,  1866,  under  Col.  B.  F.  Hays. 
After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  located  in  Hen- 
dricks county,  Indiana,  and  resided  there  until 
he  came  to  Kansas  in  1869,  engaging  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  came  to  this  State  in  a 
wagon,  the  journey  consuming  thirty  diays. 
He  resided  in  Labette  county  a  period  of  four 
years,  and  then  returned  to  his  former  home 
in  Indiana,  whre  he  lived  on  his  old  farm  un- 
til 1885.  In  that  year,  he  again  came  to  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  and  located  upon  his 
present  farm  of  100  acres  in  sections  t,2  and 
2;^.  Montana  township.  He  built  his  present 
comfortable  home  in  1885.  His  place  is  neat 
and  attractive  in  appearance,  and  he  engages 
in  diversified  farming. 

Mr.  ^lurrav  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  E.  Duncan,  who  was  born  in  Morgan 
county,  Indiana,  in  1848,  and  they  have  reared 
three  children,  as  follows:  Lulu  (Peck),  of 
Clayton,  Indiana,  who  has  one  daughter,  Ma- 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


817 


tilda;  Clarence,  who  served  in  Company  A, 
2d  Reg.,  Mo.  Vol.  Inf.,  during  the  Spanish- 
American  War,  and  was  killed  on  April  7, 
1 90 1,  by  a  railroad  train;  Daisy  (Cornish), 
of  Neosho,  Missouri,  who  has  two  children, — 
Earl  and  Hester ;  and  Bessie,  who  still  remains 
at  home.  Mr.  Slurray  is  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics. He  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  Religiously,  he  and  'his  family  are 
members  of  the  Christian  church. 


AMUEL  DrXHA:\I,*  a  prominent 
and  representative  farmer  of  Alon- 
tana  township,  Labette  county,  Kan- 
sas, was  born  near  Harper's  Ferry, 
Berkeley  county,  \\'est  \'irginia,  April  8,  182 1. 
His  parents  were  Hiram  and  Mary  (Ganner) 
Dunham,  both  natives  of  New  Jersey.  They 
belonged  to  that  sturdy  class  of  citizens,  who 
'have  done  so  much  to  develop  the  farming  in- 
terests and  have  helped  to  place  the  United 
States  in  the  front  rank  of  agricultural  na- 
tions. 

Samuel  Dunham  left  home  when  he  was 
nine  years  old,  and  moved  with  his  parents 
to  Christian  county,  Illinois.  In  1865,  he  came 
to  Labette  county,  Kansas,  and  secured  a 
l-.cmestead  claim  in  ^^lontana  township,  enter- 
ing it  at  the  land  office  in  Humboldt;  on  this 
property  he  has  lived,  and  has  improved  and 
developed  it  to  its  present  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. Mr.  Dunham  has  a  keen  appreciation 
of  the  fact  that  our  farming  population  is  the 
very  bone  and  sinew  of  the  nation,  and  he  has 
shaped  his  daily  life  with  the  aim  always  in 
view  of  being  of  the  utmost  value  to  himself, 
'his  neighbors,  and  his  county. 

Mr.  Dunham  was  the  eldest  in  a  family  of 
three  children.      He  has  been  twice  married. 


His  first  wife  was  I\Iary  Jane  Harry,  who  is 
deceased.  A  few  years  after  the  death  of  his 
first  wife,  he  married  his  present  wife,  w'ho  was 
I\Iary  Slunan,  a  native  of  Marion  county,  In- 
diana. She  was  born  in  1845.  Ten  children 
were  the  result  of  this  union,  as  follows :  A. 
].,  who  is  at  home;  Mary;  Lano,  now  Mrs. 
Barkis,  living  in  Montana  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas;  E.  D.  and  Walter,  who  are 
at  home;  Lee,  w'ho  resides  in  Montana  town- 
ship; Robert  and  Harvey,  who  are  at  home; 
Albert  and  Ida,  deceased. 

Mr.  Dunham  is  a  Democrat,  but  liberal  in 
his  opinion  on  all  subjects  which  draw  out  party 
discussion.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of 
the  school  board  in  'his  township,  and  is  a 
member   of  the   Anti-Horsethief   Association. 


RS.  S.  E.  THURBER,=^=  a  highly 
respected  lady  of  Parsons,  Kansas, 
is  the  widow  of  the  late  Samuel 
L.  Thurber,  for  many  years  a 
prominent  railroad  engineer  on  the  "Katy" 
road,  and  whose  death  took  place,  as  the  re- 
sult of  an  accident,  in   1894. 

Samuel  L.  Thurber  was  born  in  Lower 
Ireland,  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada.  He 
was  a  son  of  Samuel  J.,  Sr.,  and  Margaret 
(Lee)  Thurber,  the  latter  being  a  relative  of 
Gen.  RoJjert  E.  Lee.  ;\Ir.  Thurber  had  several 
brothers  and  sisters,  all  Canadians  by  birth, 
some  of  whom  are  still  living,  and  reside  in 
Castle  Bar,  Lower  Ireland,  and  at  various 
places  in  the  Dominion  of  Canada. 

Mr.  Thurber  was  reared  and  schooled  in 
Canada,  where  he  remained  until  he  attained 
his  majority.  He  then  started  out  to  make 
his  own  way  in  life,  and  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits  in  both  Vermont  and  Massachu- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


setts,  until  some  time  in  the  "  "sixties."  He 
then  conceived  the  idea  of  going  west  and 
growing  up  with  the  country.  He  came  to 
Kansas,  and  assisted  in  the  construction  of  the 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway.  He  vis- 
ited the  present  site  of  Parsons  before  such  a 
city  was  even  thought  of. 

About  1869  or  1870,  he  returned  east  as 
far  as  Quincy,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1 87 1.  Returning  at  that  date  to  Sedalia, 
Missouri,  he  reentered  the  service  of  the  Mis- 
souri. Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  Company, 
where  the  remainder  of  his  life  was  spent.  In 
the  early  morning  of  January  20,  1893,  while 
serving  in  the  capacity  of  passenger  engineer, 
the  accident  occurred  which  ultimately  caused 
his  death,  which  took  place  October  i.  1894. 
He  was  traveling  engineer  for  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  a  number  of  years. 
He  was  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by  all 
who  know  him,  and  his  unfortunate  demise 
was  generally  mourned.  Fraternally,  he  was 
a  Mason  and  Knight  Templar :  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F. :  Knights  of  Pythias:  and  B. 
of  L.  E.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Republican. 
He  was  reared  in  the  Episcopal  faith,  but  later 
in  life  both  he  and  Mrs.  Thurber  united  with 
the  Presbyterian  church. 

Mrs.  S.  E.  Thurljer.  the  subject  of  this 
brief  biography,  was  born  near  Fairfield,  b.iwa. 
in  1856.  She  is  a  daughttr  nf  .Mexander  and 
Susan  Cox.  Her  mother  died  when  the  sub- 
ject hereof  was  quite  young,  and  she  was 
reared  by  her  father  and  step-mother,  until 
sha  reached  the  age  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  years. 
She  then  moved  to  Parstjus.  Kansas,  and  made 
1-.er  home  with  J.  J.  I'ier.son.  a  relative,  and  a 
wholesale  grocer  of  that  city.  Mr.  Piersou 
still  resides  on  Stevens  a\enue.  and  Mrs. 
Thurber  has  resided  on  that  street  since  1873. 

In   1879.  the  subject  of  this    sketch    was 


united  in  marriage  with  Samuel  J.  Thurber. 
Two  children  were  born  to  them,  Clyde  J.  and 
Mabel.  The  former,  who  is  nineteen  years 
old,  is  shipping  clerk  for  J.  J.  Pierson,  and  is 
boarding  at  home.  Mabel  is  sixteen  years  of 
age,  and  is  attending  the  high  school.  Mrs. 
Thurber  resides  in  a  comfortable  residence  at 
Xo.  1703  Stevens  avenue.  She  is  a  prominent 
club  woman  of  Parsons,  being  a  member  of  the 
Atheneum  Women's  Club.  For  the  past  six 
years,  she  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  Par- 
sons Reading  Circle.  She  is  a  general  favorite 
in  society,  and  is  esteemed  for  her  many  good 
qualities. 


RS.  ELIZABETH  STEWART,* 
widow  of  Henry  J.  Stewart,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  since  1866,  and  has  been 
located  on  her  farm  in  section  1 1 .  Alontana 
township,  during  th.is  time. 

Mrs.  Stewart  was  born  in  ^Missouri  along 
the  Mississippi  river,  March  2t,.  1831,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  B.  (Patterson)  Flynn. 
Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 
was  the  father  of  the  following  children: 
William:  Isaac:  John;  Simpson;  Elzabeth, 
the  subject  of  this  personal  history;  Martha 
and  Rachel,  twins:  E.  A.:  and  P. 

Elizabeth  Flynn  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Henry  J.  Stewart,  who  was  born  March 
19,  1829.  They  came  to  Kansas  in  1866  by 
wagon  from  Illinois,  the  trip  consuming  one 
month's  time.  They  located  on  the  present 
family  homestead  in  section  1 1,  Montana  town- 
ship. Labette  county,  and  on  this  Mr.  Stewart 
made  manv  impnnements.  converting"  it  into 
one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  section  in  which 
he  lived.  The  claim  was  entered  at  Humboldt. 
Kansas.      He   continued   to   reside   upon   this 


AND  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


;i9 


property  until  his  death  in  1880.  He  was  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  served  on  the  school 
board  of  his  township  a  number  of  years.  Mr.^ 
and  Mrs.  .Stewart  became  the  parents  of  the 
following  children :  Miles :  Charles :  Clark ; 
Allen :  Layman,  Nora ;  Ambrosia  and  B.  Miles 
and  Charles  are  farmers  in  Kansas ;  Clark  is 
a  resident  of  Missouri;  Allen  lives  in  Labette 
county,  Kansas ;  Layman,  who  conducts  the 
afifairs  of  the  farm  for  his  mother,  married 
Miss  L.  Cox.  who  was  born  near  \\'estfield, 
Illinois.  He  is  a  Republican,  in  politics,  and  is 
serving  his  third  term  as  treasurer  (jf  Mon- 
tana towns1:ip.  Xora  married  a  Mr.  Stewart, 
and  resides  at  McCune,  Kansas:  Ambrosia  is 
the  wife  of  a  Mr.  Dunn.  Religiously.  ]\Irs. 
Stewart  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  She  is  a  woman  possessed  of 
many  admirable  traits  of  character,  and  en- 
joys the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  with  win  mi 
she  is  acciuainted. 


i!lLLL-\M  McCRUM,-  a  successful 
'armer  residing  in  section  14, 
i;\\nslii])  31.  range  17,  in  Osage 
i.wnshii),  Labette  cnunty,  Kansas, 
was  born  in  De  Kalb  county,  Indiana,  in  1842. 
He  is  a  son  of  James  and  i\Iar}-  Ann  (  Cughan ) 
McCrum. 

James  iMcCrum  was  i)f  Irish  descent,  and 
came  to  Canada,  when  he  was  twenty  years 
old.  Subsequently,  he  moved  to  Indiana, 
where  he  died  some  years  later.  His  wife  was 
also  born  in  Ireland,  and  her  death  occurred 
in  Indiana.  They  had  seven  children,  two  of 
whom  are  deceased.  One  of  their  sons,  John, 
lives  in  Cherryvale;  another  son  lives  in  In- 
diana, and  Sarah,  a  daughter,  lives  in  Colo- 
rado. 


William  McCrum,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  was  reared  and  schooled  in  Indiana, 
where  he  remained  until  he  reached  the  age 
of  twenty  yearS.  He  enlisted  in  Company  D, 
74th  Reg.,  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  from 
July,  1862,  until  June,  1865.  He  received  an 
honorable  discharge,  as  a  noncommissioned 
officer,  in  Indiana.  After  he  left  the  army, 
he  engaged  in  farming  in  Indiana,  where  he 
married.  April  8,  1871,  Mr.  McCrum  re- 
moved to  Osage  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  and  settled  on  his  present  farm  in 
section  14.  This  claim  had  been  bought  and 
improved  by  another  man,  and  Mr.  McCrum 
purchased  improvements  in  February,  1871. 
The  house,  which  was  14  by  16  feet,  in  size, 
was  of  walnut  lumber;  it  still  stands  on  the 
farm,  and  is  used  as  an  outbuilding.  With  a 
few  additions  made  to  it,  the  family  occupied 
this  house  until  1895,  when  Mr.  McCrum  built 
a  comfortable  home,  28  feet  square,  with  a 
io-by-i8-foot  addition.  The  old  stable  has 
been  replaced  by  one  40  by  56  feet,  in  dimen- 
sions, and  16  feet  to  the  square,  which  was 
built  in  1885.  There  is  a  complete  system  of 
water  works,  supplying  the  house,  barn,  and  all 
parts  of  the  farm.  The  land  is  finely  improved, 
and  during  1900,  Mr.  McCrum  sold  $1,40x3 
worth  of  farm  products.  When  he  first 
reached  Cherryvale,  he  had  a  team  of  horses 
and  $95  in  money.  He  went  into  debt  to  pur- 
chase the  farm,  and  began  general  farming  and 
stock  raising.  He  also  has  something  of  an  or- 
chard. He  has  worked  with  untiring  energy, 
and  his  efforts  have  been  well  rewarded,  for  he 
is  now  one  of  the  many  prosperous  farmers  in 
La]:;ette  county.  He  also  owns  a  half  interest 
in  a  farm  several  miles  southwest  in  Osage 
township. 

Mr.  iMcCrum  formed  a  matrimonial  union 
with  Nancv  McClish,  and  fhev  ha\e  four  chil- 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


dren :  Rosa  E..  wlio  is  at  hunie;  Mary  L., 
who  lives  near  home;  Minnie  B.  (Batey), 
who  Hves  in  Osage  townsliip,  southwest  of  her 
father's  farm;  and  Wiiham  \V.,  w'hg  Hves  in 
Los  Angeles,  California.  Mr.  AlcCrum  was 
formerly  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  is  now 
an  independent  voter.  He  was  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  Houston  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  Xo.  i8o,  of 
Morehead,  and  lias  served  as  commander  of 
the  post.  He  now  belongs  to  Hackleman  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  Xo.  142.  He  is  liberal  in  his  relig- 
ious views,  and  lends  his  support  to  all 
churches. 


HOHX  R.  BYRL'M,'''  a  prominent  resi- 
dent ot  Howard  township,  Labette 
county,  Kansas,  located  on  his  home 
farm, — the  north  half  of  section  36, 
townsliip  34,  range  ij, — in  1880.  He  was 
born  near  Crab  Api)le  Orchard,  Kentucky,  in 
1844,  and  is  a  sun  of  Williani  and  Mary 
(Go wens)  Byrum. 

William  Byrum  was  burn  in  Kentucky,  and 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  all  his 
life.  He  married  Alary  Gowens,  also  a  native 
of  that  state,  and  they  reared  eight  children, 
four  of  wlinm  are  still  living,  as  follows: 
John  R. ;  Hendy:  Beckie ;  and  Harriet. 

J(jhn  R.  Byrum,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  but  a  child  when  his  parents  moved  to  In- 
diana, and  in  the  Housicr  State  he  lived  until 
the  war  broke  nut.  In  iSf)_>,  lie  enlisted  in 
Company  A,  5(jth  Reg.,  Ind.  \'o|.  Inf.,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  being  much 
of  the  time  in  Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman's  com- 
mand. He  returned  to  Indiana  after  securing 
his  discharge  and  later  went  to  Illinois,  where 
he  lived  five  years.  In  1878,  he  located  in  Kan- 
sas, and  two  years  later  made  his  settlement 
in  Howard  township,  Labette  countv.     He  has 


lived  there  since  that  time,  and  has  had  good 
success  in  his  farming  operations. 

Mr.  Byrum  married  X'ellie  Winters,  wl-.o 
died  in  1889.  They  were  the  parents  of  one 
child, — .\lvin,  whij  is  a  farmer  in  Labette  coun- 
ty. Air.  Byrum  married,  secondly.  Alary  Kink, 
and  they  lia\-e  one  child, — Otha. 

Air.  Byrum  is  a  Democrat,  in  politics,  and 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  affairs  of  that  party. 
He  served  as  trustee  of  Howard  township  one 
term,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board  for  nine  years.  He  belongs  to  the  Anti- 
Horsethief  Association;  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  and  the  AI.  W.  of  A.  Re- 
ligiously, he  and  his  family  are  meml;ers  of 
the  Christian  church.  Air.  Byrum  is  well 
known  in  Labette  county,  and  is  considered 
a  very  good  farmer.  He  is  highly  re.spected 
throughout  the  c.jmmunity  in  which  he  re- 
sides. 


^^.\COB  FISHER,*  a  well  known  resi- 
^  II  dent  of  Alontana  township,  Labette 
^^M  county,  Kansas,  is  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  on  his  farm  in  sec- 
tion 29,  where  he  has  been  located  since  1885. 
Air.  Fisher  was  born  on  the  River  Rhine  in 
Germany,  and  is  a  son  of  C.  Fisher. 

C.  Fisher  was  born  in  Germans,  and  came 
to  the  United  States  at  an  earlv  day.  Here  he 
engaged  in  farming.  He  married  Aliss  Rhine- 
frank,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  se^'en  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  John  and  Philip,  deceased ;  J.  E. ;  E. ; 
George ;  V. ;  and  Jacob. 

Jacob  Fisher  was  but  five  years  old  when 
he  was  brought  to  this  country  b}-  his  parents; 
they  landed  at  Xew  Orleans.  His  father  lo- 
cated with  his  family  in  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,  and  there  Jacob  resided  until  he  came 


A\D  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


to  Kansas  in  1885.  He  located  on  his  present 
farm,  in  section  29,  ^lontana  townsiiip,  La- 
bette county,  and  has  since  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming,  an  occupation  he  has  followed 
throug'hout  life. 

Mr.  Fisher  was  united  in  wedlock  with 
Lizzie  Ann  Ringer,  who  was  born  in  the  state 
of  Ohio,  and  they  have  nine  children,  namely : 
Charles  E.,  a  farmer  of  Neosho  count}',  Kan- 
sas; Samuel,  w'ho  resides  in  Illinois;  Jchn  P., 
who  is  living  at  home:  Mary  A.  (Shepard). 
who  resides  in  Illinois;  H.  C,  who  is  living 
in  Chicago,  Illinois:  (Rasbac'h),  of  Spring- 
field, Missouri:  L.  C.  ;  Annie:  and  Jacol), 
Jr.  Politically,  ]\lr.  Fisher  is  a  stmng 
supporter  uf  the  [jrinciples  of  the  Democratic 
party.  Reli::.;]^  usly.  he  belongs  to  the  Aleth- 
odist  Episcopal  church. 


DSRAEL  JOHNSON.-  In  the  front 
ranks  of  well  known  farmers  in  iNIound 
Valley  township,  Labette  county, 
Kansas,  is  the  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  sketch.  He  owns  400  acres  of  land 
in  this  township,  and  his  heme  farm  is  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  10,  township  33, 
range  18.  ;\Ir.  Johnson  was  born  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  Sweden,  in  April,  1839.  He  is  a 
son  of  Johanus  and  Alice  (Larson)  Johnson, 
who  were  also  natives  of  that  country. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  died  in  1888,  aged 
eighty-five  years.  His  wife  died  after  his  de- 
mise, at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  They 
had  five  sons  and  one  daughter.  The  names 
of  the  sons  are:  August,  who  remained  on 
the  home  farm  in  Sweden;  Israel,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  Andrew,  a  traveling  me- 
chanic   and    factory    employee    in    America; 


David,  who  lives  on  a  farm  in  Sweden;  and 
John,  deceased.     The  daughter  died  young. 

Israel  Johnson,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  and  schooled  in  S\Veden,  where  he 
worked  (  n  a  farm  for  se\'en  years.  In  Octo- 
lier,  18(14,  l:e  left  Sweden,  came  tii  America, 
and  settled  at  Moline,  Illinois.  On  April  24, 
1868, — in  company  with  Eric  and  Martin 
Olson  and  Andrew  Hansen, — he  moved  to 
Oswego,  Kansas.  He  took  up  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  10,  township  ^t,.  range  18. 
which  is  his  present  home.  He  also  owns  land 
in  section  1 1,  and  has,  in  all,  400  acres  of  valu- 
able land.  He  Ijrought  some  money  with  him 
to  Labette  county,  but  as  his  health  failed  him 
for  a  year,  he  had  little  to  start  farm'ng  with. 
In  company  with  his  three  partners  on  the  trip, 
and  Mr.  Loose  and  Mr.  Lawley,  he  located  on 
the  site  of  what  is  now  the  town  of  Mound 
Valley.  Mr.  Johnson  helped  to  dig  the  first 
well  in  that  town.  In  those  days  provisions 
were  ojitained  from  Fort  Scott.  Fi\-e  days 
were  required  to  make  the  trip.  Mr.  Johnson 
sold  his  first  products  at  Oswego.  He  has  a 
fine  supply  of  water  on  his  farm,  as  Pumpkin 
creek  runs  through  the  tract.  The  farm  is 
bordered  by  native  timber, — walnut,  hickory 
and  elm.  He  obtained  the  logs  for  his  first 
building  from  Timber  Hill.  The  flooring 
came  from  the  sawmill  located  between  Oswe- 
go and  Montana.  The  present,  large  eight- 
room  house  and  numerous  outbuildings  were 
erected  about  twenty-four  years  ago.  Mr. 
Johnson  sometimes  rents  a  part  of  his  land, 
and  at  other  times  farms  and  manages  all  of 
it.  He  is  thoroughly  posted  on  all  agricultural 
matters,  and  is  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  the 
state. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married,  in  Oswego,  to 
Mattie  Sandberg.  who  was  born  in  Sweden, 
in  1848.     The  ceremony  was  performed  by  a 


822 


HISTORY  OF  LABETTE  COUNTY 


Presbyterian  minister,  Rev.  Mr.  Monfort,  of 
Oswego,  who  was  a  friend  of  the  bridegroom, 
Five  children  were  the  result  of  this  union, 
namely:  Ellen,  the  wife  of  Emanuel  Oakleaf, 
of  Mound  X'alley  township ;  Charles,  who  mar- 
ried Dora  Wilford,  and  lives  on  a  farm  south 
of  that  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  and  Will- 
iam, Harry,  and  Minnie,  who  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Mound  Valley 
school  board.  District  No.  40,  for  some  time. 
He  is  a  Presbyterian,  but  attends  the  United 
Brethren  church  at  Mound  Valley.  There  is 
no  better  knuwn  or  more  highly  respected 
farmer  in  Labette  county  than  this  gentleman, 
and  his  friends  are  many.  He  is  always  a 
willing  helper  in  any  public  enterprise,  and  is 
one  of  the  must  progressive  men  in  Mound 
Valley  township. 


0'    j.  liARNES*  is  a  well-to-do  farmer 
lit   Labette  county,  Kansas,    and    is 
located  in  Hackberry  township.     He 
was  born  in  New  York  State  in  1831, 
and  is  a  son  of  Ira  Barnes. 

Ira  Barnes  was  born  in  New  York,  and 
followed  farming  throughout  his  entire  life. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Carnegie,  also  a  native 
of  New  York,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 


seven  children,  as  follows :  Maria ;  Bertha,  de- 
ceased; A.  J.,  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
record  ;  Coral ;  Alfred ;  E. ;  and  Mary,  de- 
ceased. 

A.  J.  Barnes  lived  in  his  native  state  until 
he  was  twelve  years  old,  when  he  went  west, 
to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  until 
1859.  He  then  went  to  Colorado  and  Cali- 
fornia, and  spent  the  most  of  the  following 
nine  years  there,  after  which  he  located  in  La- 
bette county,  Kansas,  in  November,  1868. 
He  first  settled  in  Chetopa,  and  then,  in  1869, 
took  as  a  claim  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 4,  township  35,  range  20,  in  Hackberry 
township.  He  greatly  improved  h.'s  claim, 
built  a  cabin  12  b)-  20  feet,  in  size,  and  resided 
here  until  1873.  He  then  went  to  the  western 
part  of  Kansas,  and  was  in  the  cattle  business 
for  a  period  of  nine  years.  Upon  the  expira- 
tion of  that  time,  he  returned  to  Labette  coun- 
ty, in  1882,  and  located  upon  his  present  home 
farm,  the  south  half  of  section  5,  township  35, 
range  20,  in  Hackberry  township.  He  built 
a  fine  two-story  frame  house  in  1885,  in  which 
he  has  since  lived.  He  now  owns  an  entire 
section  of  land  in  Hackberry  township,  rent- 
ing most  of  his  land.  He  has  been  a  hard 
working,  industrious  man,  and  well  merits  the 
success  which  'has  attended  his  efforts.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  sturdy  supporter  of  Republican 
princi])les. 


INDEZX 


Biograpbkal 


Adams,  Evi 

Adamson,  J.  S 

Alexander,  D.  A 

Allen,  Joseph 

Allen,  N.  E 

Allmon,  William 

Anderson,  C.  L 

Anderson,  G.  S 

Anderson,  I.  N 

Anderson,  Nicholas. .  .  . 

Andrews,  Jonathan 

Appich,  J.  C 

Arnold,  J.  C... 

Asbell,  B.  F 

Baker,  M.  T 

Baldwin,  Col.  E.  B 

Barbe,  Dr.  Porter  W... 

Barnes,  A.J 

Barrows,  W.N 

Bartlett,  R.  A 

Bashelier,  Henry 

Beggs,  James 

Belt,  Dr.  William  H.... 

Bendure,  Dr.  C.  S 

Bennett,  John 

Berentz,  lerry 

Bero,  Ed,"  Jr 

Bicknell,  Alfred 

Bicknell,  John 

Biggs,  Isaac  N 

Biggs.  S.  A 

Bigham,  Mary  D 

Bin,  J.M 

Bishoff,  Mrs.S.  H 

Boardman,  Dr.  E.  W... 

Bookter,  J.  O 

Boon,  G.  D.,  M.  D 

Bostelmann,  Frederick. 

Bouchard,  E.J 

Bouton,  B.  F 

Boyd,  Jeremiah  B 

Bradfield,  Aratus  R.... 

Bradley,  Joseph  G 

Brammer,  Aaron 

Braschler,  Jacob 


Brehm,  W.    H  .  .  .  . 
Breidenthal,  E.  H. 

Briggs,  B.  F 

I'ln.iiks,  Aurelius. . 
r.inwn,  Fred  H... 


PAGE 

..  385 
.  548 
..  691 
..  743 

. .  505 


.■n,   lacob. 


l;rnwn.  I.  R 

l;r.iwn,  J.  W 

IWviicr,  Samuel  G. . .  . 

I'.usbv,  William 

Hush,  George  P 

Butts,  Mrs.  Agnes  A 
Byrum,  John  R 


Cain,  Matthew 

Campbell,  Fred  B.  . 

Cares,  John  P 

Carr,  Joseph 

Case,  Hon.  Nelson  . . 
Chiles,  Thomas  H.. 
Christmore,  G.  W. . . 
Clark,  Edward  D... 

Clark,  H.  W 

Clark,  T.  R 

Cline,  William 

''  Cook,  Hiram 

Cook,  J.  B 

Cook,  Myron 

Cooper,  James  M. . . 
Cooper,   Wilford... 

Coleman,  G.  J 

Condon,  CM 

Connolly,   Stephen.. 

Constant,  D.  C 

Correll.Levi 

Cowden,  F.  C 

Craft,  John  A 

Craft,  Joseph 

Cruzan,  W.  G 

Daniels,  Archibald. . 

Darling,  C.J 

Darling,  P.  B 

Davis,  M.  V 

Davis,  Richard  A. .  . 
Daviss,  Hon.  M.  I... 
De  Cow,  Mrs.  Sarah. 


De  Garmo,  Rufus. . 
Dennison,  Beeri  L.. 
Dickerson,  John  E. 

Dienst,  B.  F 

Dienst,  F.  T 

Dixon,  James 

Dixon,  Mrs.  Lizzie. 
Dreitzler,  Jacob. .  . . 

Dresser,  A.  S 

Dudgeon,  W.  O.. . . 
Dunham,  Samuel.  . 


PAGE 

..  500 
..  411 
. .  553 

..  448 
..  742 


Eakins,  W.  H 

Edwards,  Edwin  H. 
Elliott,  Frank W..., 

Ellis,  Ard  H 

Ellis,  E.O 

Ellis,  E.  S 

Ellison,  Isaac  D  .... 

Emery,  James 

Every,  Walter  S.... 
Ewing,  M.  G 


Feess,  Mrs.  Pauline. 
Fessenden,  C.  B.,  Jr. 

Finch,  George  T 

Fisher,  Jacob 

Fisher,  Walter  S 

Fitch,  S.E 

Fleming,  Ira  M 

Flora,  John  A 

Foster,  F.  F 

Foster,  Irvin  W 

Foust,  William 

Fox,  Amasa 

Frame,  George  W  . . 
Francisco,  Harmon  . 
Freeman,  L.  C 


525  Gabriel,  Dr.  G.  W  . 
773  Gaffey,  Michael  C. 
798  ;  Galyen,  Isaac  W... 
613    Galyen,  James  W. . 

381    Gay,  Robert  B 

381  Gehring,  Charles  F  . 
535  I  Gers,  Philip 


764 
407 
752 
447 
464 
774 


824 


Gclzendaner,  \V.  S 

Gillies,  James  C 

Gillies,  William 

Good,  Finis 

Cragg,  Cyrenius  W 

Graham,  Rev.  E.  A 

Graham,  Joshua 

Gray,  M.  H 

Green,  Lowell  C 

C;ri.rson,  W.  F 

Giinter,  Mrs.  Elizabeth. 
Gunther,  Charles  W.... 

Guthrie,  S.  \V 

Guthrie.  S.  W 


Haggard,  Martin 

Hall,  George  W 

Hardman,  George  W 
Harmon,  Mrs.  M.  J. . 
Harris,  Mrs.  M.  R  . . . 

Harry,  A.  M 

Harshaw,  Alexander 

Hawk,  George  W 

Hazleit,  Dr.  VV.  A... 
Heacock,  Dr.  James. 

Heath,  U.  C 

Hedges,  Rev.  Salem  . 

Heinkey,  Jacob 

Henderson,  Dr.  J.  W. 

Henshaw,  N.  G 

Hildreth,  Milo  

Hileman,  John  S.  . . . 

Hill,  R.A 

Hilligoss,  A.  C 

Hindenach,  J.  P 

Hodge,  Colin 

Hoeppner,  T.  J 

Hoffman,  John  P 

Hogge,  Hiram   H 

Hogue,  James  H   .... 

Hoke,  \V.  S 

Holman,  Otis  B 

Holt,  \V.  M 

Holten,  John  F 

Holten,  V 

Hoover,  Martin  V 

Hoover,  W.G 

Hopkins,  E.  W 

Hotchkiss,  J.  B 

Howe,  Franklin  D... 
Howell,  John  W.. 
Howell,  Oscar  L   . 
Hewlett,  C.  H  . . . . 

Hoy,  David 

Hudson,  Lewis.. . . 
Huff,  Dr.  W.  A... 

Hughes,  John   

Humphrey,  John  L 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Keyser,  Chester  A 514 

Kile.  G.  H 624 

Kimball,  Hon.  C.  H 387 

Kincaid,  W.  G 656 

Kingsbury,  M.   M 437 

Kleiser,  Dr.  J.  M 465 

Knous,  Daniel  R 675 

Koch,  VV.  G 722 

Koons,  O.  C 811 

Kyser,  Prof.  W.  M 382 

Lambert,  Charles  A 442 

Landon,  George  W 537 

Latta,  W.  J.,  D.D.S 577 

Laughlin,  Daniel 813 

Leap,  G.  W 630 

Leavitt,  R.  D 589 

Larch,  W.  F 644 

Lewis,  Jacob  F 524 

Lewis,  W.  H .541 

Liggett,  E.  E.,  M.  D 428 

Liggett,  George  S. ,  .M.  D 4TO 

Lisle,  Dr.  Henry (182 

Livesay,  A.  C 737 

Livesay,  W.  F 632 

Lockwood,  Mrs.  S.  E 
Long,  J.  A.,  &  Brothe 

Lonnecker,  R.  F 

Loper,  Abraham  C. . . 

Lough,  William  J 

Lowe,  H.  W 

Lowe,  R.  B 

Lusk,  Harry  H 


Jamison,  John  A 680 

Jarboe,  James  A 526  I 

Johnson,  Charles  M 758  ! 

Johnson,  Israel 821 

Jones,  D.  A 633' 

Jones,  J.  A 77f» 


Lutz,  George .599 

Maddocks,  W.  H 776 

Mahan,  E.  H 810 

Maier,  C.  W 693 

Manners,  Frank  M 473 

M  1.1:1, .^^  David   D    476 

'l.iM-  V,  |,-sse  W 665 

\i--l'':i.  W.J 750 

Marliii,  Charles  B 401 

.Martin,  David  H .590 

Mason,  John  W 807 

Mason,  W.  E (543 

Massa,  F.  M 641 

McCarthy,  M.  T 525 

McCarty,  Isaac 727 

McCaulou,  Miles  H 473 

McCaw,  John  A 678 

McCreery,  E.  H 450 

McCrum,  William 819 

McCully,  Alexander 725 

McDown,  William 749 

McEwen,  G.  W 716 

.McGinley,  Miss  M.N 720 

McKeehen,  J.  H 605 

McKennan,  James  583 

Meador,,,  Andrew  W 665 

Miller,  David  M 576 

Miliiken,  E.  A 721 

Mitchell,  H.H 812 

Mollenhour,  George  W 424 

Mnrain.  J.  W .  .  . 7(59 

Morgan.  Edwin  B 416 


PAGE 

Morris^  Hon.  J.  B 439 

Morrison,  Julius  L 7.54 

Murray,  Charles 816 

Muzzy,  Robert  H 766 

Nelson,  August 563 

Nevius,  P.  .M ; 809 

Newlon,  Dr.  W.  S 383 

Nixon,  P.  O.  C 653 

Oakleaf,  Mrs.  Mary 795 

O'Herin,  William 662 

Olds,  Lester 700 

Oliphant,  J.  B 803 

Olmstead,  G.  A 708 

Olson,  Prof.  J.  C , 440 

Ondler,  William  C 428 

Park,  John  W 458 

Parker,  John  N 489 

Pearson,  Jonathan 763 

Pefley,  James  T 660 

Perkins,  Fred 416 

Peterson.  Louis 544 

Pierson,  John  J 427 

Pitt,  S.  M 805 

Potter,  Francis  O 729 

Pressey,  E.  M  640 

Preston,  C.  F 631 

Price,  H.  B 623 

Price,  Joseph 735 

Raber,  H.  W 759 

Ramsey,  J.  B  ' 802 

Ratliff,  George  K 460 

Read,  Elijah  T ■ 469 

Reed,  David  \' 499 

Reed,  Mrs.  Hettie 744 

Rice,  James  E   675 

Rich,  Henry  L 602 

Richart,  Cyrus  C 422 

Richcreek,  Jared  C 505 

Reece,  Allen  R 537 

Roberts,  Benjamin  D 637 

Roberts,  Mrs.  M.  A 042 

Rockafeller,  F.  M 638 

Rockhold,  Dr.  Charles 401 

Rorschach,  Emil,  Sr 627 

Rosboro,  Edgar 728 

Roter,  L.  R 547 

Roush,  M.  M 617 

Rude,  John  S 570 

Russell,  J.  F 669 

Rust,  Arthur  J 486 

Rust,  John,H 486 

Ryan,  C.  W 484 

Saltzman,  Geo.  W 710 

Savage,  H.  W 639 

Schmidt,  George  F 809 

Schmitz,  Henry '. 775 

Scott,  Howard 474 

Scott,  Joseph 536 

Scott,  William 573 

Sedgwick,  Thos.  N 458 

Sellmansberger,  George 564 


INDEX. 


Sharp,  Madison 

796 

Sharp,  T.J 

Shelburn,  M.  D 

7^5 

4f.3 

Shone,  James 

Shrader,  Frank 

72t5 

Shultz,  O.   B  

558 

Shumaker,  Robert  C 

511 

Simmons,   Harvey 

549 

Skehon,  Edward  L 

399 

Slaughter,  William 

611 

Smiley,  L.J   

807 

Smith,  Asa. 

....     485 

Smith,  Dr.  Albert 

482 

Smith,  Irvin 

760 

Smith,  Millard  F 

515 

Smith,  R.W 

788 

Sourbeer,  A.  McE 

607 

Spangle,  George  H 

709 

Staige,  W.  E 

684 

Stansbury,  Samuel  M 

......  554 

Stare,  Jacob  S 

713 

Starks,  William  H 

747 

Starnes,  Harry  W 

496 

Stemple,  Jacob  M 

Stevens,  Eugene  B 

472 

387 

Stewart,  Mrs.  E 

818 

Stewart,  0.  H 

479 

Stice,  Thomas  F 

492 

Stone,  Benjamin  S 

517 

Stone,  George  E 

731 

Stotts,  James  0 

757 

Str,«-lr."A.  M 

508 

805 

Stur^is,  W.  U 

643 

Sturm,  X.  D     

661 

Sullivan,  William 

512 

Sykes,  Albert 

568 

I  PAGE 

'  Talbot,  Robert  D 428 

Tallman,  Benjamin 480 

Tanner,  J.  1 772 

Tarkington,  George  S 523 

'Taylor,  Scott 485 

'  Taylor,  Solomon 699 

;  Ten  Brook,  Dr.  Andrew 528 

'Terrell,  James  W 409 

Terril,  Samuel  F 444 

Terwilleger,  J.  H 663 

Tibbets,  C.  F 614 

Tilton,  Samuel 730 

Tinder,  Dr.  J.  S 459 

Tinder,  Dr.  John  W 459 

Thrall,  \Vm.  T 601 

Thurber,  Mrs.  S.  E 817 

I  Todd,  Prof.  H.W 813 

Toms,  George  L 484 

Tower,  N.  D 814 

Townsend,  James  A 549 

Traxson,  W.  S 514 

Trimble,  John  P 474 

Troester,  Albert 479 

Troutman,  Henry  H'. 402 

Ullery,  Leonard 566 

Utterson,  J.  N 397 

Vance,  C.  A 729 

Wade,  H.  A 457 

Walcott,  Mrs.  Sarah  T 664 

Warner,  T.  H 418 

Waskey,  John  F 482 

Watson,  Charles 586 


PAGE 

Watson,  David  U 666 

Webb,  Hon.  H.  G 405 

Weir,  R.  A   431 

Welch,  C.  E 719 

Welch,  Don  Carlos 527 

Welch,  Luther  W 441 

Wells,  Elisha  H 454 

West,  Mrs.  Eliza  A 628 

Weston,  Capt.  W.  H 579 

Wheat,  James  H 566 

White,  Mrs.  Mary  M 631 

White,  Perry  S 466 

Widmer,  William 672 

Wilkin,  C.  A 412 

Williams,  Henry  E 750 

Williams,  Dr.  Lee 398 

Williams,   Lewis 704 

Willis,  Shelby 491 

Wills,  Joseph  P 703 

Wilson,  James 736 

Wilson,  James  A. 780 

Wilson,  J.  L 659 

Wilson,  J.  O 559 

Wilson,  W.  J 782 

Wingfield,  J.  G 640 

Winters,  William  A 578 

Wise  Brothers 786 

Wood,  Mrs.  Melissa 738 

Woodul,  Dr.  J.  H 591 

Woollard,  Philip 804 

Wright,  James  O 752 

Young,  Mrs.  Mary 704 

Young,  S.  W 543 

Zink,  Jabez 471 


Portraits 


PAGE  , 

Appich,  J.  C 520  I 

Baldwin,  Col.  Elias  B 392  I 

Baldwin,  Evelyn  B 393 

Barbe,  Dr.  P.  W 462 

Bartlett,  R.A 718 

Bendure,  Dr.  C.  S 800 

Bin,  J.  M 530 

Briggs,  B.  F 690  ! 

Brown,  Fred    H 504 

Busby,  William 376 

Case,  Hon.  Nelson 10 

Constant,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  C 790 

County  High  School  at  Altamont.  207 
County  Poor  Farm 307 

Dickerson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  [ohn  E..  .552 
Dudgeon,   Mr.   and    .Mr.s.'  W.   O. 

and  family 696 

Kills,  .Ard  H 414 

First  County  Jail 107 

First  Court  House 67 

Galyen,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  W..  446  | 

Gray,  M.  H..  Residence  of  680 

Green,  Lowell  C,  Residence  of.  .  420  I 


PAGE  I  PAGE 

594  i  Pierson,  John  J 426 

646  [  Price,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph 734 

468  I 

Reed,  David  V 498 

-,^    Roberts,  B.  D 636 

"■-     Rorschach,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emil,  Jr.  626 

Roter,  L.  R ,546 

Kingsbury,  M.  M 436    Roush,  M.  M 016 

Knous,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  R 674  ,  Russell,  J.  F 668 


Hoover,  W.  G.. . 
Hopkins,  E.  W 
Howe,  F.  D 


Jones,  J.  A. 


Leayitt,  R.  D. 
Lewis,  W.  H. 


M.K.&T.  Ry.  Depot  at  Parsons. 

McCully,  Alexander 

McKeehen,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  H. 

and  family 

McKennan,  James 

Morain,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  W 


Nelson,  August : . . . . 

Newlon,W.  S 

Ni.xon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  O.  C. 


.Scott,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  and 

family 

Second   and    Third   County   Jails 

and  Court  House 

Sharp,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  J.   .   ' 
Shumaker,   Mr.   and    Mrs.    R.   C. 

and  family 

Slaughter,  William 

Stare,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacob  S.  .  .  .     ' 

Starks,  W.  H 

Stewart,  O.  H ■ 

Stotts,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  O ' 


Parker,  John  N 

Pearson,  Jonathan. 


Wade,  H.  A 

Webb,  Hon.  H.  G 

Wills,  J.  P 

Wilson,  Mr.  and   Mrs. 
Son,  Leon  C 


456 
404 
702