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Biographical Record
COWLEY COUNTY, KANSAS.
"Biography is the only true history." Emerson.
Biographic Sketches of Leading Citizens of Cowley County, Kansas.
BIOGRAPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY.
GEORGE RICHMOND, Pres.; S. HARMER NEFF, Sec'y; C. R. ARNOLD, Treas.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
1901.
[Bill: Kay had me concentrate on early settlers (1869-1871) that had not already been covered in HERITAGE. I later found some so interesting that I tacked them on at end. Arkansas City Public Library had two copies of book...in the first one that I worked on, found there were missing pages...looked like someone cut them out. Luck was in our favor though as the second book had missing pages. MAW]
[1871] PAGE 193.
GEORGE L. ABBOTT was a prominent fruit grower residing in Walnut township, where he cultivated 40 acres, comprising the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 19, township 32, range 5 east. Twenty acres of this farm constituted one of the finest orchards in Cowley County, while the remainder was devoted to berries.
Mr. Abbott was born October 12, 1841, on government land in Cook County, Illinois, now included in the present site of Chicago, which was then government land.
Mr. Abbott was the son of Samuel S. and Jane (Boyd) Abbott.
His father, Samuel S. Abbott, was a native of Massachusetts. The family genealogy runs well back in English history. Samuel moved to Chicago in 1834, and being a carpenter by trade, assisted in building the first store on Lake Street. He then took up a claim on the site of the original city, and another, nine miles from the courthouse. He furnished telegraph poles for the first line built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and assisted in driving the Blackhawk Indians from the vicinity of Chicago to Wisconsin. He took much interest in the growth and welfare of that city, and held various political positions. He was a Whig during his early life and afterward a Republican. He served as constable, and as justice of the peace, and was fifteen years assessor of his township in Cook County, where he died in 1874. His wife was born in Syracuse, New York; her father was a Scotchman, who came to this country in 1812—he was pressed into the British army—but after three desertions, he finally got safely into the American army.
Four children survived of the eight born [1901]:
George L.; N. H., who located in Cowley County during the early 1870s, living near Winfield; Ella J., who resided with her brother, N. H.; and John S., who lived on North Church Street in Winfield, and was a section foreman on the Southern Kansas Railway of Texas.
George L. Abbott remained at home until 1861, and when a call for soldiers was issued by Pres. Lincoln to put down the Rebellion, Mr. Abbott enlisted in a cavalry company, which joined the 1st Missouri Battalion, and which was consolidated and known as the 10th Reg., Mo. Vol. Cav., in 1862. He served three years and participated in the battle of Pea Ridge, as a part of Gen. Curtis' body guard. Returning to Chicago at the end of his term, he remained on a farm in the vicinity six months, and after that reenlisted in the 8th Reg., U. S. Vet. Vol.—called the 1st Hancock's Corps. To be eligible to this regiment a man required at least two years of experience as a soldier. Nine regiments of this class were formed to answer the call "On to Richmond." Mr. Abbott was mustered out of service April 1866. The following year was spent on the farm near Chicago.
In 1871 Mr. Abbott, in a party of four, including his brother, N. H., chartered a car at Chicago and went to Humboldt, Kansas, whence they drove to Dexter, Cowley County.
George L. Abbott chose the northwest quarter of section 24, township 32, range 7 east, which was about five miles south of Cambridge. He lived there six months, when he took a deed of the place, and returned to Chicago, to wait until the county became settled. In Chicago he conducted a bakery, confectionery, and ice cream store, which, a few years later, he sold and worked at the carpenter's trade until 1885. In that year he journeyed to Winfield, and rented a farm in Walnut Township for two years, having sold his preemption on account of its being too far from any city. He then moved to Winfield, where he operated a feed store during 1888 and 1889. Disposing of that business, he purchased the south half of the southwest quarter of section 19, township 32, range 5 east. He erected a small home and large barn, and devoted his time to the raising of fruit, making berries his specialty. His orchard of 20 acres included a large variety of trees, which yielded abundantly, and no better fruit farm could be found in the vicinity of Winfield.
George L. Abbott was married in the fall of 1867 to Mary C. Hubbard, a native of Massachusetts, who came west when a child of eleven years. They had eight children, five still living in 1901: Cora E., who married Scott Wolf (they moved to Oklahoma); Nellie, who married Henry Schmidt of Winfield; Dillie May, who married Charles Simms (they moved to the Cherokee strip); Mary; and George. Mrs. Abbott died in 1892.
Mr. Abbott formed a second union, wedding Mrs. S. H. Waymouth; they had a son, William Waymouth.
Politically, Mr. Abbott was a Republican; while living in Cook County, Illinois, he served as clerk of Jefferson Township, and six years as justice of the peace. He served on the school board of Walnut township for about ten years. He was a member of Siverd Post, No. 85, G. A. R. Mr. Abbott favored the Congregational Church while his wife was a member of the Baptist Church.
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[1870] PAGE 291.
G. W. ARNOLD, a well known farmer of Cowley County, Kansas, resided on the southeast quarter of section 28, Fairview Township. He was the son of G. G. and Rebecca (Weakly) Arnold.
G. G. Arnold, his father, was born in Maryland, where he lived for a number of years. He afterward moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, and remained there until 1843, when he moved to Shelby County, Illinois. There he engaged in farming until October 29, 1870, when he moved with the family to Walnut Township, Cowley County, Kansas. He bought 80 acres of land which he cultivated for several years, and then moved to Oklahoma. He died August 1898; his wife died February 1900. His union with Rebecca Weakly resulted in the birth of six children still living in 1901: Susan, who married Marshall Howard, of Wichita, Kansas; Maria, who married A. D. Pontius of Rich Hill, Missouri; Fred, a farmer, of Walnut Township; G. W., the subject of this sketch; Otho, a farmer living near Guthrie, Oklahoma; and Mary, who married N. E. Newell, of Wichita, Kansas.
G. W. Arnold obtained his education in the common schools of Illinois. He moved to Kansas with his parents in 1870 and remained home until December 20, 1876, when he took up his claim [southeast quarter of section 28], Fairview Township, Cowley County. After breaking 10 acres of ground, and digging a well, he built a house and several outbuildings. Each year he made improvements. He was successful in raising wheat, corn, oats, and also cattle and hogs.
In December 1876 Mr. Arnold married a Miss Zimmerman, who died in 1878. They had two sons: Frank, a resident of Blackwell, Oklahoma; and Walter.
Mr. Arnold then married March 1886 Capitolia Lynn, a native of Illinois, who became a Cowley County resident in 1885. They had two children: Beryl and Jessie.
Mr. Arnold served on the school board several terms; he was a Republican. He and his wife attended the Christian Church at Winfield. They belonged to the Fraternal Aid, of Winfield.
[NOTE: THERE WAS A PORTRAIT OF "MR. AND MRS. G. W. ARNOLD AND DAUGHTER BERYL."]
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[1870-1871] PAGE 94
ISAAC BEACH was one of Cowley County's pioneer settlers, having located on the northeast quarter of section 23, township 33, range 3 east, during the winter of 1870-1871. He was born in Ontario, Canada, February 8, 1822. His father was Abram Beach.
The Beach family in this country originated in three brothers, who came to America in 1640. Abram Beach, the father of our subject, was born in New Jersey, and died in Canada, where he had followed farming and blacksmithing. He married Annie Clothier, born in Vermont; her parents were of English descent, and came to this country with the Plymouth colony.
Isaac Beach moved his family from Canada to Ogle County, Illinois, in March 1975, locating near the city of Rockford, where he lived about four years. He owned a quarter section of land, which he sold. He moved to Cowley County, where he took up his farm, and was joined by his wife and five children April 9, 1871. His family drove through from Illinois to Emporia, Kansas, where he met them. They brought two teams of horses and two cows, and these were kept for many years in a barn, built of crotched poles, the top being thatched with brush. The first house in which the Beach family lived was 15 by 24 feet in dimensions, and was made of native lumber, walnut, sycamore, and hackberry—obtained from the island just below Arkansas City—and the shingles were bought by Mr. Beach at Emporia. The original house was enlarged. It finally consisted of six rooms when the last addition was made in 1888.
The first summer was a hard one, as well as a very busy one, for breaking the sod and planting sod-corn constituted by no means an easy task. In 1872 Mr. Beach set out numerous shade trees and 100 apple trees. His orchard by 1901 covered about seven acres. In 1880 the farm operation was turned over to Mr. Beach's son-in-law, John H. Berrie, who devoted his time to raising grain and livestock.
Mr. Beach married Amanda Shaver, whose parents were born in Canada. She died July 1880. In 1901 the following children were alive: Catherine (born September 1851); William I., who lived in section 24, Beaver Township; S. A., who married, and lived on the north half of Mr. Beach's preemption; and Lucy A., who married Mr. Nichols, and moved to Oklahoma.
Politically, Mr. Beach was a Populist—formerly a Republican. He belonged to the Methodist church, and the society of that denomination in his community was organized in his house before the church was built in 1883. Dr. Phillips was then the pastor, and Rev. Mr. Ward occupied the pulpit in 1901.
Beach's son-in-law, John H. Berrie, came to Cowley County in 1878, and first lived in Liberty Township, where he improved a claim. Since 1880 he farmed the south 80 acres of Mr. Beach's preemption. He married Catherine Beach. Mr. Berrie was born May 15, 1852, in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, a son of George and Elizabeth (Hay) Berrie, both natives of Scotland. He had three sisters and a brother: Isabel, married to David Shafer, of Crawford County, Pennsylvania; Elizabeth, wife of W. P. Hart, of that county; Samuel J., who lived on the old homestead in Pennsylvania; and Jane, Mrs. Dr. Roberts. Mr. and Mrs. Berrie had five children: George I.; Lyman H.; Lizzie B.; Donald B.; and James H.
Arkansas City Traveler, August 28, 1878.
“Mr. Isaac Beach has the neatest and most convenient peach drier apparatus in this vicinity, a production of his own inventive genius. He has perhaps the largest peach orchard in the county.”
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[SPRING 1871] PAGE 401
BENJAMIN BENNETT, a successful farmer of Bolton Township, Cowley County, Kansas, located in the southwest quarter of section 12, township 35, range 4 east, where he lived since the spring of 1871.
Mr. Bennett was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1843. His parents were Eleven and Martha (Hughes) Bennett. His father, born in Pennsylvania, died when Benjamin was four years old. His mother, who was of Irish descent, died when he was seven years of age. He was one of two children, his sister, Fannie, being the wife of Joseph Stephenson, of Ohio.
Benjamin Bennett was thus thrown upon the world without parental care, at an early age, and, as he did not have a guardian, the property left him by his father and mother was eventually lost. His education advantages were limited, as there were only subscription schools, and he could not afford to attend them. He remained in Ohio until the spring of 1860, when, with a family named Harper, he located at Salina, Saline County, Kansas. In 1863 he went to Leavenworth County, Kansas, where he worked out at farming, making his home there until 1866. In 1864 he enlisted in Company B, 19th Reg., Kans. Vol. Cav., and was in Price's raid, serving also in Missouri one year. The officers under whom he served were Gen. Grant, of Leavenworth, Kansas; Maj. Smith, Capt. McCune, Lt. Hamby, and Sgt. Leehardt. Although eligible, he never became a member of the G. A. R.
He returned to Ohio in 1866, and married Margaret Pontius, who soon after-ward, died of quick consumption. He remained in Ohio for three years. He then returned to Leavenworth County, Kansas, in 1869. There he married Mary E. Hanson, a native of Indiana. She died July 8, 1896. Only one daughter, Mabel, survived.
In the spring of 1871 Mr. Bennett settled in Cowley County, Kansas, and took up his claim in Bolton Township. Mr. Bennett first built a log cabin, 12 by 14 feet, on the north side of the claim, in which he resided for several years, and then replaced it with a frame house, measuring 12 by 14 feet. This was later enlarged, and removed to the south side of the farm, where it was made into an L-shaped house, 16 by 32 feet. The dwelling was destroyed by a tornado June 19, 1891; other buildings, as well as trees, were badly damaged. Mr. Bennett then constructed a house, 30 by 32 feet, comfortable in size and conveniently arranged.
When he settled on his claim in 1871, Mr. Bennett brought with him a span of mules, and by changing work with his neighbors, got his prairie land broken and planted to grain. He later continued to raise grain, but leased a part of his farm. He had two acres of orchard producing apples, peaches, and all kinds of fruits. At first there was only a spring upon the property; later, there was a creek running from the southwest corner to the middle of the west side of the farm. There was some natural timber, consisting of box-elder, walnut, and pecan, in addition to which Mr. Bennett set out a grove of cottonwoods, from which he had enough lumber sawed to complete one building. He had five acres of jack oaks on the northeast corner.
Bennett's daughter, Mabel, born October 13, 1874, in Cowley County, entered the Arkansas City High School, but due to ill health did not graduate.
Mr. Bennett was a charter member of Bolton Grange and a Republican. He was road overseer for ten years. He was a member of the Christian church.
[PHOTO: MR. AND MRS. BENJAMIN BENNETT AND DAUGHTER MABEL.]
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[FEBRUARY 1871] PAGE 184
JOHN BOWER, farmer, His home was located on the northeast quarter of section 10, township 33, range 3 east. Mr. Bower was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in 1846, a son of Isaac and Lydia (Wise) Bower. His grandparents all came from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
John Bower's father, Isaac, was born in Union County, Pennsylvania, in 1812. He was a blacksmith by trade, which he followed during his younger days; in his declining years, he was engaged in farming. He died at the advanced age of eighty-three years. His wife was born in Union County, Pennsylvania, and was of German parentage; she outlived her husband by two years. Isaac Bower had seven children. All of them, except John, remained in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
John Bower obtained good schooling and did not leave home until he attained his majority. He then went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he attended a commercial college, and upon leaving it began teaching. Drifting west, he located in Allen County, Kansas, where he spent a year. In February 1871 he preempted a claim one mile west of the Baden Mills, in Winfield Township, now Vernon Township, which farm is now known as the Keyhole quarter, and is owned by the First National Bank of Winfield. After improving his farm and deeding his claim, John Bower went back to his home in Pennsylvania.
About the year 1872, he located in St. Clair County, Illinois, where he taught school five years; in 1877 he returned to Cowley County. He traded his first claim for the northeast quarter of section 10, in Beaver Township, which was preempted by Philo Kent, who had made numerous improvements upon it. Mr. Bennett practiced diversified farming and made more improvements on the farm. He had an orchard and timber lot of seven acres, and in the yard surrounding his house were many shade trees. He completed a modern home in 1898 that was a story and a half high; his substantial barn was erected by Mr. Kent. Partial to Poland-China hogs, Mr. Bower raised them in large numbers.
John Bower was married, in 1882, to Susan B. Hatcher, a native of Canada (daughter of Henry Hatcher, who located in Kansas about 1860). Mrs. Bower's parents were born in England. They had two children: Noble, who was attending school in 1901 at Winfield, and Ruth, who remained at home.
A Republican, John Bower at one time held the office of justice of the peace. He was a member of the Patrons of Husbandry.
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[SEPTEMBER 1870] PAGE 257
JOHN D. BOZWORTH resided for thirty years on the northeast quarter of section 31, in Ninnescah Township [1901].
Mr. Bozworth was born in Cortland County, New York, May 15, 1820. His parents were Benjamin and Electa (Clark) Bozworth.
Both of John's parents were natives of Cortland County, New York, and both were deceased; Benjamin died at the age of sixty years, having been engaged at farming and milling. They had three children: Ansel; John D.; and Clark, who was a farmer and miller, residing at Redhouse, New York.
John D. Bozworth attended school but three months, for when he was a small boy he was compelled to work hard. He lived with his parents until he became of age. He spent two years at Rushford, New York, engaged in farming; then he went to Orson for five years, working in a sawmill owned by his father. The mill burned down, and John commenced cutting out timber with which to build another. After six months of illness, he went to Farmersville, New York, where he worked at the cooper's trade, which he had previously learned. After spending two years there, he went to work in a steam sawmill located on the Allegheny River. He was there two years, when, in 1858, he moved west to Keokuk, Iowa.
On May 12, 1861, Mr. Bozworth enlisted in Company A, 2nd Reg., Ia. Vol. Inf., under Capt. Houston and Col. Curtis. He participated in the battles of Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, Pulaski, Chattanooga, and many others. In his first battle, he was hit in the right arm by grapeshot, but his heavy overcoat saved him from injury. He had many narrow escapes, and his clothing was grazed many times by bullets. He was honorably discharged June 27, 1864, and returned to Keokuk. There he followed coopering and farming until he departed for Cowley County, Kansas, which he reached September 1870 with about $15, which he had saved out of his earnings while at Keokuk.
Mr. Bozworth settled on the northeast quarter of section 31, and first built a house, 12 by 16 feet. The logs were obtained from the Arkansas River. He broke a few acres the first year, 18 of which he put into corn, which yielded an average of 40 bushels to the acre. He made numerous improvements through the years. His farm ranked as one of the best in the county.
In 1897 John D. Bozworth bought 80 acres in section 31, Ninnescah township, and devoted his attention to the raising of grain and livestock.
Mr. Bozworth married Phidelia Record, of New York State. She died in 1872, leaving two children, George and Lacy, both deceased by 1901. He then married Mrs. Sarah Row, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who had several children by her marriage with Jonathan Row.
Mr. Bozworth was a Populist, belonged to the G. A. R. of Udall, and attended church at Oxford, Kansas. Mrs. Bozworth joined the church while in Iowa.
[PHOTO: MR. AND MRS. JOHN D. BOZWORTH.]
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[JANUARY 31, 1870] PAGE 186
S. E. BURGER, resident of Cowley County since 1870, has been closely identified with the early history and development of this section.
Mr. Burger was born in Southeast Missouri, December 2, 1843. He was the son of Jacob and Rebecca (Barnes) Burger. Jacob was a blacksmith by occupation, and became a sergeant in Company K, 32nd Reg., Iowa Vol. Inf.; and was appointed second lieutenant in the 63rd Reg., U. S. Colored Infantry. He received an honorable discharge as such at the conclusion of the Civil War. He spent his declining years among his children, and died in Kansas March 1896. He was, successfully, a Whig, Abolitionist, and Republican. Jacob Burger's wife was a daughter of George Barnes. She was born in Smith County, Tennessee. Her mother, a Robinson, of Scotch-Irish parentage, died October 26, 1895.
Jacob and Rebecca (Barnes) Burger had eight children: George, a blacksmith, of Billings, Oklahoma; Mary, who died in Iowa March 1866; S. E., Emeline (Burger) Coffelt, who resided in Fall Township, Sumner County, Kansas; John C., who resided at Lansing, Kansas; Louisa A., who lived with and kept house for her brother, S. E.; Josephus, who resided in section 11, Walnut Township; and Pearl (Burger) Evans, who resided near Hennessey, Oklahoma.
On the breaking out of the Civil War, Jacob Burger and family, excepting S. E., moved to Iowa, locating in Story County.
S. E. Burger enlisted in the 8th Reg., Mo. Vol. Cav., serving west of the Mississippi River, and was discharged August 19, 1865. He went to Iowa, remaining until 1869, when he moved to Kansas, spent one year in Emporia, raising one crop. He then went to Cowley County, arriving at Winfield January 26, 1870, and located upon the land on which he resided thereafter [southeast quarter of section 17, township 32 south, range 4 east] on January 31, 1870. The land at the time was not surveyed. He located his claim by settling east of the claim of Judge T. B. Ross and north of the land claimed by the widow Trusty. This land was surveyed January 31, 1871, during a blinding storm of sleet and snow. Mr. Coffelt, a brother-in-law, took the northeast quarter of section 17, but soon after abandoned the same. During his absence, William Mentch located upon a part of the land claimed, afterwards a part of section 16, and he had a contest before the Settlers' Protective Association, which decided in favor of Mr. Burger.
The lumber for Mr. Burger's first house was hauled from Augusta. The house, 10 by 12 feet, was built on a spot near the center of the farm, but later he moved it to the east side, where stood the substantial house erected in 1880. The last structure was a story and a half high, containing six rooms. The porch was floored with flag stones six feet square and seven inches thick. On the southwest corner of the quarter were found some native plum trees, probably the site of an old Indian camp. An Indian arrowhead of stone was plowed up and considered an interesting relic of the Indians who formerly roamed there. The plum trees bore large yellow plums of good quality, one of which Mr. Burger transplanted to his orchard. In the spring of 1871, he purchased 18 apple trees and 2 pear trees, for which he paid 50 cents and $1.25 respectively. The trees were then three years old, and five of them were still alive in 1901. He set out 10 acres in fruit, including a vineyard planted in 1882.
In the early 1880s he and his brother, Josephus, bought the quarter section in section 11, township 33 south, range 4 east, where the latter resided. Mr. Burger also owned 30 acres of Wheatland Addition to Winfield. He extensively engaged in wheat raising for many years, but later corn became the more staple product. He was also engaged in stock raising, favoring Poland-China hogs and Red Durham cattle.
At first a Republican, he later acted with the People’s Party.
His first official service was as clerk of the election at the first election held in the county at its organization. He was a justice of the peace; kept the county poor by contract for a period, serving four years as commissioner of the poor; and was United States census enumerator for Walnut Township in 1800.
Through Mr. Burger's influence and work in getting up a petition, the first bridge was built across Timber Creek near Island Park in 1874. It was a poor bridge at the best and was washed away, and its successor fell down. By this time Winfield had attained sufficient size to become a city of the second class, and was separated from the balance of Winfield Township, the remaining district then being called Walnut Township.
After the separation there accumulated in the county treasury $1,500 from a tax levy made prior to the separation. This money could not be used by anyone without an act of the legislature. Mr. Burger circulated a petition asking the legislature to appropriate the money for construction of another bridge and personally took the petition to Topeka. He succeeded in getting the money for the bridge, which was built at a cost of $1,800, the remaining $300 being raised in Walnut Township. The bridge was within the corporate limits of Winfield. Mr. Burger circulated a petition in 1901 to obtain free rural mail delivery past his house. In 1871 Mr. Burger procured from H. B. Wamsley, county superintendent of public instruction, an order organizing school district No. 37, known as Bethel district, a building being erected in 1872, for which $800 bonds were voted in the fall of 1871. He later transferred to district No. 127, Olive district, where his two sons were attending school in 1901.
Mr. S. E. Burger was united in marriage July 3, 1883, with Mrs. Sarah E. Litzler, nee Gottman, widow of John Litzler. She was born in Gibson County, Indiana, where her father resided for fifty years. She died January 8, 1888, leaving two sons, Jay P. and George W. Mr. Burger and his sister, Louisa A. Burger, attended the Christian church. His parents were Methodists.
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[1870] PAGE 264
JOHN T. CARTER, one of the pioneer settlers of Cowley County, resided in Vernon Township. When he located on his present tract, it was raw prairie, utterly lacking in improvements. He transformed the land into fertile and highly cultivated fields.
Mr. Carter was born September 25, 1851, in Clermont County, Ohio, near the village of Bethel. His father was Salathiel Carter; his grandfather was John T. Carter.
His grandfather, John T. Carter, was born in New Jersey September 30, 1787, and was married to Ann Ware, born in that state in 1793. They moved to Clermont County, Ohio, where they were pioneer settlers, and both resided in that community until the end of their lives. John T. Carter died in 1852. His children were John, Pinkham, Joseph W., Salathiel, Daniel, Mary, and Sarah A.
Mr. Carter's father, Salathiel, was born July 20, 1827, in Clermont County, Ohio. During his early life he learned the trade of a shoemaker, which he afterwards followed to a large extent, but farming occupied the greater part of his time during his latter years. He was joined in marriage with Caroline Empson, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1832, and they resided in Clermont County for many years. In 1852 they moved to Pike County, Illinois, and in 1855 moved to Mason County, Illinois, where Mr. Carter died in 1866. Mrs. Carter died in Winfield, Kansas, in 1884. Both favored the Methodist church, while in politics Mr. Carter was a Democrat. The following sons were the issue of their union: John T.; Joseph, who was born in 1853, and died in 1877; and Jeremiah, who was born in 1856, and died in 1864.
John T. Carter possessed a good common school education, which he obtained in the schools of Mason County, Illinois. He remained on his father's farm until 1870. In the fall of that year, he filed a claim to 160 acres of land in Vernon Township, Cowley County, Kansas. At that early date few people lived in the county, for the district had been open for settlement but a short time, but later settlers began to multiply and men like Mr. Carter, who possessed willing hands and an unusual amount of energy, made rapid strides in improving the land. At first Mr. Carter lived in a dug-out on the banks of the Walnut River, but after harvesting several good crops, he was enabled to build a small dwelling house. He also put up outbuildings, and from time to time purchased more land. He owned 200 acres of highly cultivated land, all in sections 11 and 14. Mr. Carter eventually had an elegant farm—one of the best in the township—and was recognized as one of the leading and progressive farmers of Cowley County.
Mr. Carter married in 1875 Hattie Kimble, who died in 1889, leaving two children. C. Pearle Carter married Lee Marsh and moved to Oklahoma. They had two children: Viava and Hattie. The other Carter child was Berdelia.
Mr. Carter's second union was with Valanda Hawkins, the nuptials occurring in 1891.
A Democrat, Mr. Carter was active but never aspired to office. He loved sports and made several hunting trips through the Rocky Mountains—mounting several trophies in his residence.
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[1870] PAGE 309.
[Book featured Mrs. Elizabeth L. Clover, manager of the largest farms in county, widow of Benjamin H. Clover.] HER PHOTO WAS SHOWN IN BOOK.
MRS. ELIZABETH L. CLOVER, whose portrait is shown herewith, has been a resident of Cowley County, Kansas, since 1871, and is a capable business woman; since 1892 she has had the management of one of the largest farms in the county, being ably assisted by her children. She is the widow of Benjamin H. Clover, who served in Congress, representing the Third Congressional District of Kansas. He located in Kansas in 1870, and became one of the foremost men of the county.
BENJAMIN H. CLOVER was born in Franklin County, Ohio, December 20, 1837, and died December 30, 1899. He was a son of Henry Clover, who was born in Virginia, and followed the occupation of a farmer. Henry Clover died in Ohio in 1863, at the age of sixty-three years. He was one of the best men in Franklin County, strong religiously, and with great political influence. He married Mary McHenry, who was born in Highland County, Ohio, of English-German parents. They had three children: Rose (Johnson), who died in Doniphan County, Kansas, in 1881; Benjamin H., deceased; and J. M., who died in Morris County, Kansas.
Benjamin H. Clover attended the common schools in Ohio, and was a pupil in the academy at Jefferson, after which he taught school, remaining at home until he passed his twenty-first birthday. He was then married, and after a time moved to Illinois. There he stayed until 1870, when his wife and family returned to her old home, and he drove, with three of his teams, to Cowley County, Kansas, accompanied by a party of young men. He took with him the sum of $3,000. Provisions at that early day were exceedingly high, bacon being sold at 27 cents per pound, and potatoes at $2.50 per bushel. It was necessary to haul them from Fall River. Mr. Clover located a claim in section 26, township 31, range 7 east, in Grouse Valley, which was later declared school land and appraised at $3.00 per acre. He then took a claim in section 17, and later bought the rights of Messrs. Dudley, Lee, Martin, and Thornbrew, whose claims adjoined him. Mrs. Clover, with her six children, followed her husband to Cowley County, arriving March 20, 1871.
Their first house was a frame house, built with lumber hauled from Emporia, a distance of 100 miles; it possessed but two rooms for a long time, and was then enlarged.
Mr. Clover set about cultivating the land and was successful with his crops, especially in 1874, when his corn was fully matured before the advent of the grasshoppers, and he sold it at $2.00 per bushel.
Game was to be found in abundance. Mrs. Clover, having brought a side-saddle with her, rode frequently. The nearest railroad point, at first, was Chanute, and in 1880 the nearest was Independence. Mr. Clover was very active in securing bonds for the Southern Kansas Railway. At the old town of Lazette, he built a sawmill and grist mill, but this, like many other buildings there, was at a later period removed to Cambridge.
In 1892 Mrs. Clover and her family were left in charge of the farm, which was then incumbered with an $18,000 mortgage, and with more than $1,800, besides, an accrued interest on notes and renewals. By good management and hard work, the incumbrance was lifted, and the family freed from debt. They had one of the largest and most fertile farms of the county, consisting of 1,600 acres, lying in Grouse Valley. They had large orchards and made corn their principal crop. They raised hogs and cattle—feeding on a large scale. The children resided on different parts of the farm, and Mrs. Clover in 1901 moved to Cambridge, where she bought property.
Benjamin H. Clover was the first justice of the peace in Windsor Township, and many trials and claim contests were held at his residence, which, for years, was the largest in the valley. In politics, he was a Populist. At a meeting held in his house, the name "People's Party," was suggested by Mrs. Clover. Mr. Clover had served as county commissioner in Illinois, and was a candidate for the state legislature in Kansas, declining to run for governor. He was elected to Congress, in 1892, from the third Congressional District, embracing the counties of Chautauqua, Elk, Montgomery, Howard, Cowley, Crawford, and Labette. He served with credit to himself and his constituency.
Mrs. Clover’s maiden name was Elizabeth Lilly Cullumber. She was born in Madison County, Ohio, March 28, 1840, a daughter of T. H. and Emily Susan (Lilly) Cullumber. Her father was born in 1800, and on the same farm where her existence began. He died in 1863, having served some time in the army. He was a prominent farmer and stock raiser, and in politics, a strong Republican. His wife was born in Virginia, about 1800, and was of English-Scotch descent. Mrs. Elizabeth Lilly (Cullumber) Clover was the eldest of seven children: Elizabeth L. (Clover); Mary (Goodson) of London, Ohio; Rebecca A. (McDonald) of Winfield, Kansas; Maggie (Morris), who died in 1896, in Madison County, Ohio; William Cullumber, who re-sided near Cambridge, Cowley County; Sarah (Stone) of Winfield; and Thomas, who died at the age of twelve.
Mrs. Clover received a good academic education in Ohio, and lived at home until her marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin H. Clover had seven children.
1. Julia Ella (Clover), who married her third cousin, and resided in Stillwater, Oklahoma, had three children: Irma, who taught school; Oliver Perry Clover, 20 years old and in college in 1901; and Nina, then five years old.
2. Thomas H. Clover, residing on a part of the home farm, married Martha Reed. They had four children: Thomas H., Jr.; Lilly A., Ella, and Bryan.
3. William T. S. Clover, 35 years old in 1901, lived with his mother.
4. John P. Clover married Maude Sifford, of Oklahoma, and had one son, Fred, born in 1899.
5. Charles Clover, who lived on the old home place in Grouse Valley. He married Mary Foust of Atlanta, Kansas. They had one daughter, Ruth.
6. Susie Clover (Dawsitt), who lived in Cambridge. She had one son, Frank Clover, age eight in 1901.
7. Frank L. Clover was married to Mary Dowson. They had three daughters: Lillian, Susie, and an infant.
In religious views the family were Methodists, excepting Mrs. Clover, who was of the Christian Science belief.
She was offered as much as $60 per acre for some of her land, but always refused to sell.
KAY: AFTER TYPING THIS UP, BECAME AWARE THAT DIFFERENT FAMILY MEMBERS WERE PLAYED UP IN HERITAGE...STILL! YOU MAY WANT TO USE THIS!
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[1869-1870] PAGE 265
J. R. COTTINGHAM, familiarly known as "Jack," was one of the pioneer settlers and representative farmers of Cowley County.
He came from Nicholas County, Kansas, where he was born in 1851, and was the son of Littleton and Elizabeth (Williams) Cottingham. Littleton Cottingham was born in Maryland, and his wife was born in Virginia. The former died in Kansas, in March 1879, and the latter, in Missouri, in 1861. They had four children: William, a farmer in Kentucky; Isaac, deceased; Bettie (Barnett), of Kentucky; and J. R.
J. R. Cottingham journeyed to Kansas with his father; they were one of the first settlers along Timber Creek. They left Kentucky in 1869, making the voyage on a steamboat via the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers, and landed at Kansas City, although they made some stops in Missouri to visit relatives. They were destined for Emporia, Kansas, where they intended to locate on what was known as the 20-mile strip. As they found it already settled, they joined some people journeying toward the Osage country, and stopped at Winfield, which was the principal trading post of the section. They made a trip along Grouse and Walnut Creeks and, afterward, along Timber Creek, and on account of the good supply of water, and the natural forests—consisting of walnut, oak, and hackberry—decided to take up claims there. Mr. Cottingham accordingly took up the northwest quarter of section 14, and his father, Littleton, took up the northeast quarter of section 14, township 31, range 5 east. Each built a house on his claim. In the winter of 1869-1870 the preliminary line from Butler County was surveyed, but on the second survey the line was found to be 60 rods too far east. Absundah, a sub-chief of the Osages, made frequent demands upon the settlers for the payment of $5 that would exempt them from Indian depredations. One day, when Mr. Cottingham was asked to pay this sum, he succeeded in getting off by paying half the amount; on the receipt for this money, the chief made his mark.
West of the Arkansas River there was plenty of game—deer, antelope, wild turkey, and buffalo—and many a time Mr. Cottingham enjoyed a good day's sport.
In the spring of 1870 he broke some land, which he planted in corn and potatoes, and obtained a fine crop. He and his father "batched" for nine years.
Several years after his marriage. he built a frame house, which in 1891 consisted of seven rooms, the front part of the house having been completed in 1878. He had a fine orchard, including 100 bearing apple trees. For winter purposes he had Missouri Pippins and Winesaps; and for summer use, Early Harvest, Maiden Blush, and Rambo apples. He eventually owned 320 acres, 40 of which formed a part of his father's homestead. He carried on general farming success-fully and dealt extensively in livestock, favoring Poland-China hogs, Shorthorn cattle, and standard bred horses.
J. R. Cottingham was married in Cowley County to Mollie Hart, a daughter of Michael Hart, of Kentucky. She was born in Bath County, Kentucky, in 1854. She had a brother, who became a horse dealer at Cedar Vale, Cowley County.
Mr. Cottingham was a staunch Republican and served as township treasurer many years, and was for eleven years a member of the school board of district No. 19, which was organized in 1873. He was a member of the Christian church.
NOTICE, KAY, NO MENTION OF CHILDREN!
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[1869] PAGE 216
HON. J. W. COTTINGHAM, who in 1901 was serving his second term in the office of probate judge of Cowley County, Kansas, was a gentleman of considerable prominence in the county, where he resided since 1869.
Judge J. W. Cottingham was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in 1842, and was a son of James and Nancy (Frakes) Cottingham, and grandson of William Cottingham. William Cottingham was born in Maryland, and was an early settler of Nicholas County, Kentucky, where he lived the remainder of his life.
James Cottingham, father of J. W., was born in Nicholas County, Kentucky, where he was reared and attended the public schools. He spent most of his active career as a miller and farmer in Bourbon County, Kentucky, but lived in Woodford County during the latter days of his life. He died at the age of fifty years. His union with Nancy Frakes Cottingham (78 years old in 1901 and residing in Winfield, Kansas) resulted in the following offspring: J. W.; Thomas W.; Sarah E. (Hernden), deceased; James I.; and Lulu (Dennis), deceased. Mr. Cottingham was an Old Line Whig, and afterward, a Republican.
J. W. Cottingham was fifteen years of age when he moved to Woodford County, Kentucky, where he resided until 1869. In that year he journeyed west to Cowley County, Kansas, and located on a farm which formed part of the Osage Trust land. Upon the organization of the county in 1871, that section in which he was located became known as Richland Township. A portion of it became a part of Fairview Township, where he still owned his old home. He secured a deed to the property in 1872. He was always active in county politics, and became a staunch Populist.
He served on the school board of his township almost all the time since its organization. He was elected judge of the probate court of Cowley County in the fall of 1896, and in the spring of 1897 became a resident of Winfield. He was reelected in the fall of 1898, and was serving his second term in 1901.
Judge Cottingham married Elizabeth Hanna. They had three children: James R., member of the firm of Asp & Cottingham, of Guthrie, Oklahoma; Icy (Shaver), of Newkirk, Oklahoma; and Frank, a high school student in 1901.
Judge Cottingham was a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and of the Improved Order of Red Men. He and Mrs. Cottingham belonged to the Christian Church of Winfield.
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[1870] PAGE 105.
JESSE CRAVENS, farmer, located in the fall of 1870. He was born in Wayne County, Ohio, January 31, 1846. His father was William Cravens, also born in Ohio.
Jesse Cravens enlisted February 27, 1864, in Company M, 9th Reg., Ohio Vol. Cav., under Capt. Henry V. Epley. He took part in all the engagements and marches of that regiment, including Sherman's march from Atlanta to the Sea. He received his discharge at Lexington, North Carolina, July 20, 1865.
Jesse's father, William Cravens, learned the trade of plasterer, although he devoted many years to agricultural pursuits. In the spring of 1806 he moved to De Kalb County, Missouri, where he purchased 160 acres of land and engaged in farming until 1883. Then he sold out and moved to Cowley County, Kansas. He purchased 80 acres in section 17, Ninnescah Township, which he cultivated until three years prior to his death in October 1890—at which time he was seventy-eight years old. He died in Cameron, Missouri, while visiting his daughter. His wife was Clarinda Lozier, also a native of Ohio, who died in 1885, aged seventy-six years. They were the parents of a large family of children: Elizabeth; David; Jesse; Martha; Mary; Jennie; Sarah; Alice; Robert; John; William; and Serena.
Jesse Cravens, William's son, obtained a common school education, and during his early youth learned his father's trade—that of a plasterer—and followed it for four years at Cameron, Missouri. He arrived in Cowley County in the fall of 1870, and took up his present farm in March 1871. It consisted of the southwest quarter of section 17, in Ninnescah Township. In the following year, he sold half of it and bought 80 acres south adjoining, in 1876. In 1890 he bought another tract of 80 acres, comprising the south half of the southwest quarter of section 16, known as the William Meese place. Of this last purchase, 60 acres had been broken, and a small house had been built. Mr. Cravens' home was erected in 1896, and his barn in 1880, and the other buildings were put up as needed. His principal crops were wheat and corn, although he also raised many hogs and cattle.
Jesse Cravens was married at Osborn, De Kalb County, Missouri, to Laura Bowers of that county, a daughter of William Bowers.
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Cravens had seven children: Sarah Jane, wife of William Jones, an engineer residing at San Francisco, California; Mary Ellen, who lived at San Francisco, California; William Emery; Hila, who married Frank Chenoworth of Sumner County, Kansas; Lewis; Everett; and Harry.
Jesse Cravens was raised a Democrat, but of late years worked with the Populist party; he served as township trustee and as school director. He belonged to the A. O. U. W., Lodge No. 144, of Udall, and Udall Lodge, No. 508, I. O. O. F.
Mr. Cravens was a self-made man. When he located in Cowley County, he had only a horse and $3 in money. His success in life was largely due to his good management in farming, and to his industry.
[HAD PHOTO: JESSE CRAVENS.]
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[1871...???] PAGE 141.
J. W. CURFMAN, farmer, resided in Fairview Township, Cowley County, Kansas, a self-made man, having supported himself since early manhood. He had a farm of 160 acres, consisting of the southwest quarter of section 26, in Fairview Town-ship, where he lived the rest of his life after his arrival in 1871.
Mr. Curfman was born December 13, 1838, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. His parents were Isaac and Mary (Horton) Curfman.
Isaac Curfman was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, where he lived for several years, and whence he moved to Bedford County. His wife was also a native of Huntingdon County. She bore him children, namely: McKendry, who died at the age of two years; Josiah H.; J. W.; Oliver, a miner in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania; Catherine; Margaret; Mahala, deceased; Susie; and Clarissa, the wife of Samuel David, a farmer living in Rock Township, Cowley County.
J. W. Curfman lived at home until 1870, when, in company with his brother, Josiah H. Curfman, he located in Chase County, Kansas. They had raised but one crop when they decided to settle in Cowley County, which they did one year later. J. W. Curfman located on his present farm, where he raised mostly wheat, corn, and oats. His brother bought 160 acres of land, the northeast quarter of section 34, in Fairview Township.
J. W. Curfman's first dwelling on his farm was one built by him. It was a house, 12 by 16 feet in size, and into it he moved his family and began his farming in the West. He made many improvements on the farm.
J. W. Curfman was united in marriage with Elizabeth Park January 20, 1862. She was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Her father, Joseph Park, was a farmer.
Mr. and Mrs. Curfman had the following children.
1. M. E. Curfman, a farmer and stock raiser, Day County, Oklahoma.
2. Mary Bell, deceased, who was the wife of Michael Mitchell.
3. Joseph Oscar Curfman, who married Stella Knox, and in 1901 assisted his father in the management of the homestead.
4. Myrtle Curfman, who married William H. White, a farmer of Fairview Township.
5. Lulu Curfman,, residing at home.
Mr. Curfman was a member of the school board for several years. He and his wife attended the Methodist church.
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[MARCH 1871] PAGE 155.
JOSIAH H. CURFMAN (BROTHER OF J. W. CURFMAN)...
THERE WAS A PHOTO: MR. AND MRS. JOSIAH H. CURFMAN.
JOSIAH H. CURFMAN, a highly respected and well known farmer of Fairview Town-ship, Cowley County, Kansas, and a man of splendid business ability, high principle, and strict integrity, is one of the most progressive citizens of the county. He resided on 160 acres of land, consisting of the northeast quarter of section 34. At one time he also owned 160 acres in section 35. He was born February 11, 1837, near Cassville, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, a son of Isaac and Mary (Horton) Curfman.
His great-grandfather was born in Germany, and came to this country prior to the Revolutionary War, settling in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. There John Curfman, his grandfather, was born. He moved to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, when that county was first being settled and located on a tract of wild land which was converted into fertile farming fields. He was a very prosperous man, and accumulated considerable property. He married a Miss Bornet, by whom he had two children, Isaac and Christian. After the death of his first wife, he was married to Elizabeth Taylor, by whom he had two children, Adam and Susan. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Isaac Curfman, father of Josiah and J. W. Curfman, was a native of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, and a farmer by occupation. He married Mary Horton, whose parents were natives of Wales. When they came to this country, they first landed in New York City. They later moved to Virginia, and, still later, to Pennsylvania, where they became permanent residents. Mr. and Mrs. Curfman were the parents of the following children: Josiah H.; J. W.; Catherine, the wife of E. H. Heeter, living in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania; Margaret, wife of Miles Queery, a farmer of the same county; Clarissa, who married Samuel David, a farmer of Rock Township, Cowley County, Kansas; Oliver, of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania; Susie (Pheasant), of the same county; and Mahala, deceased.
Josiah H. Curfman was mentally trained in the common schools of his native town, and also attended Cassville Seminary. He taught school for five years, after which he went, with his brother, J. W., to Chase County, Kansas, where he lived for one year. In March 1871 he took up 160 acres of government land and bought lumber which he hauled from Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, and with which he built a rude house, 12 by 16 feet, in size. He also broke five acres of land which he began to cultivate, and in October, of the same year, settled his family on the farm. There were but few settlers in the county at that time, and the surrounding country was poorly improved. Mr. Curfman was a hard worker, and it was not long until his farm presented a neat and attractive appearance. He made many improvements through the years. He bought 160 acres of section 35, Fairview County, in 1874—known as the Neely place—but later disposed of it. He raised wheat, corn, and oats. He also raised cattle and hogs. He also raised a few horses for his own use.
Mr. Curfman was united in marriage October 7, 1859, to Elizabeth Taylor, of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Abraham and Hannah Taylor. They had the following living children in 1901.
1. H. U. Curfman, who married Alberta White, and was a miller in the Baden Mills at Winfield, Kansas.
2. Mary Curfman, wife of J. A. Savage, a farmer and stock raiser, of Blackwell, Oklahoma.
3. Isaac Curfman, a farmer, Blackwell, Oklahoma, who married Luelta Ridgeway.
4. Albert T. Curfman, who married Lucy Stevenson, and managed his father's farm in 1901.
5. Frank Curfman, a farmer of Woodward County, Oklahoma, who married Ada Watson.
Mr. Josiah H. Curfman served as a member of the school board for twenty-five years; and held the office of township treasurer for four years. Politically, he was a member of the People’s party. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
KAY...WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN STORIES BY THE TWO BROTHERS...NO. 2 SEEMED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT BACKGROUND!
[FOUND ALL THIS A WEE BIT CONFUSING! COULD BE I AM DEAD WRONG AS TO WHAT YEAR DALE TOOK UP OCCUPANCY IN COWLEY COUNTY.
YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS ONE.]
[1870] [PAGE 415]
MARTIN DALE, a prosperous and progressive farmer of Cedar Township, Cowley County, Kansas, a resident of the state since 1858, experienced all the hardships of early pioneer life. Mr. Dale was born in Fayette County, Indiana, in 1842, a son of G. W. and Martha W. (Ginn) Dale.
His father, G. W. Dale, was born in Franklin County, Indiana, in 1819, and died at Cedar Vale, Chautauqua County, Kansas, in 1891. He was a strong Democrat. He served one term as probate judge and one term as postmaster at Cedar Vale, Kansas. He was county commissioner of Miami County one term, under the territorial government. His wife was born in Fayette County, Indiana, February 4, 1824, and was still living in Cedar Vale in 1901.
Two of G. W. Dale's great-grandfathers, one on each side of the house, served in the Revolutionary War, one being a colonel of Maryland troops, and the other serving with the Virginia forces.
G. W. Dale and his wife were parents of eight children, one of whom died. Those living in 1901:
1. Martin Dale, subject of biography.
2. J. G. Dale, a farmer near Cedar Vale.
3. C. A. Dale, a farmer in Rock Creek Township, Chautauqua County.
4. G. R. Dale, president of the Cedar Vale Mercantile Co.
5. India Dale, who married George Webb, of Cowley Co.
6. Josie Dale, who married ______ Lemert, who lived on a farm in Chautauqua County.
7. W. W. Dale, who was postmaster during the last term of President Cleveland, and died November 13, 1896.
8. Mrs. H. M. Donaldson, assistant cashier of the Cedar Vale National Bank. [First name not given of this daughter.]
Martin Dale was reared and educated in Indiana, and attended the common schools in that state. His first work was at farming—grubbing and cutting bushes in Indiana. During his life he helped to clear and improve four different farms. In 1856 he moved to the southwest part of Iowa, where he remained for two years, after which (in 1858) he located in Miami County, Kansas. During the Civil War, Martin Dale was a member of the Kansas militia, holding the rank of 1st Lieutenant in Company E, 5th Kansas Regiment. He fought bushwhackers throughout the war, and for half a day was in Missouri on a scouting expedition, in front of Gen. Price's army. His father-in-law, George W. Wise, served in the same regiment, and the latter's two sons, John Henry and William Wise, were in Company E and Company H, respectively, of the 9th Reg., Kans. Vol. Inf.
In 1869 Martin Dale moved to Neosho County, Kansas, and two years later to Chautauqua County. His father and two of his brothers preceded him a short time, and took up claims east of Cedar Vale, Mr. Dale taking one adjoining the town. His father, with others, located the town site. Frederick Kantz was president of the town company, which was organized in 1870. From 1871 to 1880 Mr. Dale lived at Cedar Vale, and from 1881 to 1883 at Grenola, where he was associated with Hewins and Titus, then the cattle kings of the section. In 1882 he bought in Cedar Township of H. C. Fisher, who held a deed of the land, the southeast quarter of section 32, township 34, range 8 east, which became his home farm in 1883. In addition to the excellent orchard he set out, and other substantial improvements, he erected in 1888 a two-story house of seven rooms, 24 by 26 feet. He settled upon this section a poor man, but incessant industry brought success, both in stock raising and farming. He owned 560 acres of land, and cultivated about 200 acres of it. He raised stock extensively, and preferred Shorthorn cattle. He had an excellent water supply from two springs, a creek and a well.
Mr. Dale married in Miami County, Kansas, Flora Wise, who was born in Vermillion County, Indiana, December 7, 1844, a daughter of George W. and Mary A. (Dowdell) Wise. Her father moved to Miami County in the fall of 1859, and died February 2, 1901, aged 78. Her mother died February 23, 1899, aged 73.
Mrs. Dale was one of 13 children born to Mr. and Mrs. George W. Wise: Flora; William H., who resided near Paola, Kansas; Franklin, who lived in Kansas; Ellen (Sheridan) of Paola, Kansas; Josephine (Russell) who died in January, 1901; Isaac, of Miami County, Kansas; Rosella, deceased; Lilla (June), who lived near Louisburg, Kansas; Minnie, who died at age 16; Mary E. (Wilson), who lived near Louisburg, Kansas; and Lulu, who was single, living in Miami County, Kansas, in 1901.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Dale had five children.
1. George W. Dale, who married Bertha Oliver; he resided in Cedar Vale.
2. Montrose Dale, unmarried, in the harness business in Cedar Vale.
3. Albert Dale, who was living at home in 1901.
4. Luther Dale, living in the Indian Territory for one year.
5. Arthur Dale, a twin of Luther, who was living at home.
Martin Dale was a Democrat. He was township treasurer and also served as clerk of the school district for many years. Mr. Dale well recalled the time when, in 1866, he saw grasshoppers piled upon the ground a foot deep. [1866...???] Fraternally, he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1866, having joined at Paola, and belonged to the Cedar Vale lodge. Both he and his wife were members of the Church of Christ, and attended worship at Cedar Vale.
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[1870] PAGE 121
JAMES T. DALE, of the firm of Dale & Beebe (proprietors of the Udall Mills & Elevator), was a young man in moderate circumstances, when he located in Cowley County on October 17, 1870, and became one of the most prominent and influential businessmen within its limits, having laid a good foundation for a fortune.
James T. Dale was born April 25, 1849, in McDonough County, Illinois, a son of John H. Dale.
His father, John H. Dale, was born in England, and during his early manhood learned the trade of a blacksmith, which he continued to follow after coming to this country. He married Emma Payne, of Indiana, who died in Cowley County in 1884. He went to California in 1853, and died there in 1899. They were parents of the following living children: Esther A., Adeline, William, Francis B., and James T.
James T. Dale remained under the parental roof until after he attained his majority; he then located in Cowley County, Kansas. He took up the northwest quarter of section 7, township 31, range 3 east, Ninnescah Township, upon which he made extensive improvements. During the winter of 1870 and 1871 he underwent many hardships. Just before Christmas, he started out along the river bottom, with an old shotgun, to procure meat for a Christmas dinner. He fired at and wounded a deer which jumped out, and after several attempts succeeded in getting the game, but not until the buck attempted to drive him back. It is safe to say that the desired dinner was obtained, and after a royal feast, the remainder of the venison was divided among his neighbors. During the winter of 1871, he went on a buffalo hunt, with the Osage Indians, along the Chikaskia River. During the trip the party encountered a severe blizzard in which they nearly perished, and for eight days they lived on nothing but buffalo meat, without a particle of salt. Mr. Dale endured many privations in those primitive days, and later said he was amply rewarded. He located in Cowley County with his brother-in-law, Geo. M. Pittman, and built on his claim a cabin out of logs obtained from the Arkansas River. At this time the county had not been surveyed. The cabin was 12 by 14 feet in size, and after its completion, Mr. Dale went with his brother-in-law, Geo. M. Pittman, to Burlington, Kansas, 110 miles distant, to get his family and needed provisions. They lived mostly on buffalo, deer, and bacon. During the winter following and early the next spring, a second trip to Burlington was made. While there Mr. Dale bought a yoke of oxen, for $160, which were driven back, with the horses as a lead team. On returning, he proceeded to break 40 acres, of which he put 25 acres into corn, which yielded him 400 bushels per acre.
He then rented the farm until 1875, and engaged as a salesman with P. G. Halburg, of Emporia, Kansas, in the nursery business. He lived upon his farm about fifteen years, after which he bought the southwest quarter of section 4, Ninnescah township. In the spring of 1898, he sold his old farm to William Atkins.
Locating in Udall, in 1891, he occupied the fine new residence which he had just completed. His first experience in the general merchandise business was with Mr. Napier, in 1883, the firm name being Napier & Dale. He then sold his interest, returned to farming, and also began to speculate in grain. For the next two years he was a member of the firm of Dale & Werden, and during that time built half of his store, and embarked in the hardware and implement business. The same year in which the store was erected, the firm had 43,000 bushels of corn in its cribs, purchased for an Iowa firm. Mr. Dale then disposed of his share in the store to Mr. Werden, and carried on the grain business alone. During this time he made good improvements in Udall, where he lived for four years; he then moved back to the farm. He was one of the organizers of the town company, of which he became president. Buying 40 acres, the company platted the town of Udall. There was a railroad running through the townsite, without a depot or stockyards, and the railroad company was given the right-of-way for a siding and the grading of its tracks, which cost $1,400. Mr. Dale then organized the Udall Milling Company, of which he became president, with P. W. Smith as secretary and treasurer. The mill was built in 1885, and had a daily capacity of 75 barrels. This company existed two years, when Dale, Williams, and Nessly became proprietors. One year later, Mr. Williams sold his interest to J. W. Beebe. Mr. Beebe continued in the firm for two years, when he sold out to Gray Brothers, and the new firm lasted three years. Gray Brothers having disposed of their interests, the mill was operated by Dale & Nessly as proprietors. From 1891 to 1897 Mr. Dale was president of the Dale & Nessly Milling Company, which was incor-porated, and operated a store and mill at Udall, and the mill and elevator at Mulvane. In 1898 Mr. Dale and Mr. Beebe bought the Udall Mills and store, and the mill was operated under the firm name of Dale & Beebe. The store was formerly operated under the name of J. W. Beebe & Company, but the store interests were divided and the concern operated separately under the names of J. T. Dale and J. W. Beebe. The mill was rebuilt in 1899, and enlarged to a capacity of 125 barrels per day. Mr. Dale also dealt extensively in cattle and hogs.
James T. Dale was married at Auburn, Kansas, December 31, 1874, to Allie K. Spangler, a native of Indiana, who accompanied her parents to Kansas in 1856. Their children were as follows.
1. Lillie E., wife of O. J. Mark, a merchant of Belle Plaine, Kansas.
2. George W. Dale, manager of his father's store.
3. Glenn Eugene Dale.
4. James Earl Dale.
5. Pearl E. Dale.
6. Frank L. Dale.
7. Neil Edwin Dale.
Mr. Dale was a prominent member of Lodge No. 58, A. F. & A. M., of Win-field, Kansas; and charter member and past master of Lodge No. 144, A. O. U. W., of Udall. He was a deacon and Sunday school superintendent of the Congregational Church at Udall. He was active in town affairs, serving as mayor several times, and also as police judge and justice of the peace. He served on the school board for many years.
Mr. Dale traveled quite extensively, and visited most of the large cities in the United States, from California to New York, and from the gulf to the Great Lakes. He also viewed the green hills of the Emerald Isle and the scenery of France and England. His voyage across the Atlantic was made in 1899. He was a Republican, having always voted that ticket, and was in favor of Prohibition to the fullest extent.
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[1871] PAGE 331.
STARTS WITH PICTURE OF "MR. AND MRS.. THOMAS C. DANIELS"...AND I MUST SAY, I LIKE THIS PICTURE. NICE LOOKING COUPLE.
THOMAS C. DANIELS, one of the most extensive and prosperous farmers of Cowley County, Kansas, resided on section 2, Maple Township.
Nathan Daniels, his grandfather, accompanied him to Cowley County in 1871 together with J. C. Daniels, his father, and they engaged in farming in Maple Township.
Nathan Daniels was married to Nancy Daugherty, who died at Lima, Ohio, in 1860, her husband surviving her until 1878, when he died on his farm in Maple Township.
J. C. Daniels was born and reared in Allen County, Ohio. He was a farmer and stock raiser throughout the greater part of his life, and died in Kansas January 1872. The wife of J. C. Daniels was Harriet Morse, a native of New York State, who in 1901, aged 72, was living on their homestead in Maple Township. She was a daughter of Isaac Morse, also a native of New York, who located in Missouri in 1869 and lived there until about 1875. His wife was Lois Smedley, who died in Maple Township, Cowley County.
J. C. and Harriet Morse Daniels had nine children.
1. Irene, wife of Henry Smith, who resided on the old homestead.
2. Thomas C. Daniels, subject of bio.
3. Leone, who died at the age of four years.
4. Jessie, who lived in Henry County, Missouri, and was the wife of James Walker, of Oklahoma.
5. Clara, who lived in Colorado, and was the wife of Hugo Schubert.
6. Ernest, a resident of St. Louis, Missouri.
7. Hattie, who taught school at Winfield.
8. Frances, who married Frank Dougherty, lived in Los Angeles, California.
9. James McPherson, who became a druggist, and lived in Kansas City.
Thomas C. Daniels received a common school education, as did his brothers and sisters, and lived at home until November 8, 1878. He accompanied his parents to Cowley County in August 1871. Thomas C. Daniels remained with his mother until near the close of 1878, when he located on the southeast quarter of section 3, Maple Township, a tract which had been owned by his grandfather, of whom he first purchased 80 acres, and later on bought the remaining 80 acres. He cultivated this place until 1891, when he moved to the northwest quarter of section 2, Maple Township. His farm home was erected in 1899 at a cost of $1,600. The entire farm had many fine improvements, especially in the line of buildings. He also owned the south half of section 2; 80 acres in section 11; the east half of the northeast quarter of section 11, known as the Athey place; and 95 acres in the northwest quarter of section 3, known as the Adams place; all of which were in Maple Township. He owned 80 acres in Butler County, comprising the north half of the southeast quarter of section 34, Richland Township. In addition to the property above described, Mr. Daniels purchased in 1901, in Rock and Richland Townships, Cowley County, the following described property, consisting of about 720 acres: lots 1 and 2 and the east half of the northwest quarter of section 7, township 30, range 5 east, containing 156.01 acres; the southeast quarter, and lots 8 and 9 and the east half of the southwest quarter of section 6, township 30, range 5 east; and all of the southeast quarter and the north half of the northeast quarter of section 12, township 30, range 4 east, of the 6th Principal Meridian. He not only raised a large amount of small grain, but dealt extensively in livestock, preferring Hereford cattle and Poland-China hogs. He always kept about 50 horses, 190 head of cattle, and 200 hogs, and was a large shipper.
Mr. Daniels married in 1878 Sarah E. Atkinson, a daughter of William and Mary (Woods) Atkinson, natives of England. Her father located in Cowley County, Kansas, and took up a claim in Maple Township in 1872. In 1901 he was following his trade as a tailor, and resided in Winfield. Her mother died in March 1899.
Thomas C. and Sarah E. Atkinson Daniels had the following children.
1. Ida, who died April 14, 1890, aged ten years and four months.
2. Jessie, born in February 1881.
3 and 4. Thomas and Maggie, twins, born April 14, 1883.
5. Forrest, born May 16, 1888.
6. Dovie, who was born November 6, 1892, and died January 9, 1898.
7. Hazel, born April 11, 1895.
Mr. Daniels was a Republican, and held nearly all the offices of Maple Township. He belonged to the lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America, at Douglas, Kansas, and to the lodge of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, at Udall, Kansas. He favored the Methodist church.
[MARCH 1871] PAGE 83.
[PICTURE OF "MR. AND MRS.. A. P. DOUTHITT AND SON" WAS IN BOOK.]
A. P. DOUTHITT, residing on the northwest quarter of section 17, township 33, range 3 east, was one of the most prosperous and progressive farmers of Cowley County, Kansas, where he lived since March, 1871. He was born in 1848, in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio—the oldest town in that state.
James Douthitt, father of A. P., was a first-class mechanic, and throughout the greater part of his active years worked in sawmills, as head sawyer.
During the Civil War he and his son, A. P., enlisted in Company F, 92nd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and Mr. Douthitt served as orderly sergeant until the close of the war. Both were with Gen. Sherman in the Atlanta campaign.
[SOME CONFUSION HERE...READ ON]
A. P. Douthitt was a lad of fourteen years when he ran away from home to enlist in the army. He became a private in Company F, 92nd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and was captured at the battle of Chickamauga, and held captive for seventeen months and ten days. During this period he was in the noted Confederate prisons at Atlanta, Richmond, Danville, Anderson-ville, and Florence. He was honorably discharged in Ohio, and after the close of the war, accompanied his parents to Tennessee. In Tennessee James Douthitt established a gristmill and sawmill enterprise, known as the Eureka Mills, located opposite Fort Donelson. The family remained there until 1869, when they moved to Metropolis, Illinois, where James Douthitt operated a mill until his death in 1881, at the age of fifty-six years. His first wife’s maiden name was Jimmison, and her people located in Ottawa, Kansas, when A. P. was quite young, having formerly lived in Ohio. James Douthitt married Miss Jimmison in Washington County, Ohio. They had two children: A. P., and Margaret, who died in infancy. On his mother's death, in 1850, her brother was appointed guardian for A. P., and our subject should have had an interest in the family estate, near Ottawa, Kansas, but got nothing.
THIS PORTION COULD BE LEFT OUT:
James Douthitt's second wife was Mrs. Julia Snodgrass, a widow, and they reared two children, John W. and Joseph A. John W. accompanied A. P. Douthitt to Kansas, and carried the mail from Garnett to Burlington under a contract held by a Mr. Stevens. He afterward went to Harrisburg, Illinois, where he was married. In 1898 he purchased a gristmill at Hutchinson, Kansas, which he operated for six months. In 1901 he was living in Afton, in the Cherokee strip, where he was a partner in a general merchandise store. One of his brothers-in-law, Mr. Beck, was a banker at Vinita, and another was principal of the Vinita high school. Joseph A. was a farmer near Harrisburg, Illinois.
AS YOU CAN SEE, ABOVE PERTAINS TO CHILDREN OF SECOND WIFE.
A. P. Douthitt remained in Tennessee until 1869, when he went to Metropolis, Illinois. He lived there until his removal to Kansas. A. P. took up a claim near the mouth of Slate Creek. This claim was jumped, one night, and he lost it. He then bought of Orval McKee, through his brother, Polk McKee, who later became a physician of Caldwell, Ohio, the northwest quarter of section 17, Beaver Township. This was a fractional quarter, the deed conveying but 130 acres. When Mr. Douthitt became its possessor, but four acres had been broken. He then had only a cow and a mule team, but with a determined spirit he set about improving his place. He first lived in a small box house 10 by 12 feet in size. This was afterward replaced by one measuring 14 by 16 feet. In 1890 he built a fine eight-room house, 22 by 16 feet, with an addition measuring 14 by 16 feet. He also built a good barn, granary, and cowsheds. He had three pumps and a windmill, which was put up in 1892, and he was able to obtain plenty of water at a depth of 10 feet. The second year he was on the place, he set out 20 apple trees, and an orchard covering nearly eight acres. He owned the first cider-mill in the locality, which he bought of S. H. Myton, and it was used by his neighbors. The farm was devoted to raising grain and livestock, and Mr. Douthitt was quite partial to Poland-China hogs and Hereford cattle, although he formerly raised Holstein cattle.
Mr. Douthitt married Hattie Crabtree, a daughter of Shepard Crabtree, an early settler of Cowley County, who moved to Wilber, Oklahoma. Two children were born: Royal H., 19 years old in 1901; and Mary Reba, 12 years old, and attending school.
Mr. A. P. Douthitt was a Republican, and served as constable and township trustee. He belonged to the I. O. O. F., which he joined at Metropolis, Illinois, and to Siverd Post No. 85, G. A. R., of Winfield.
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[FALL 1870] PAGE 342.
J. A. ELLIOTT, familiarly known as "Al" Elliott, was a well-known farmer of Dexter Township, arriving in Cowley County, Kansas, in the fall of 1870. He spent some time in hunting buffaloes in Sumner County, the hunt extending some 50 or 100 miles to the southwest. There were 24 men in the hunting party, among them Joe Pratt, Joe Pritchard from Fredonia, and Levi Bullington, William Clay, and William Weaver, from Grouse Creek. In a hunt of three weeks, they secured over 100 fine buffaloes, and vast quantities of other game. After the hunting expedition, Mr. Elliott effected a location on his Cowley County property: the southeast quarter of section 26, township 33, range 6 east.
Mr. Elliott came originally from Indiana, and spent several years at Mount Pleasant, Kansas, with a freight wagon, having all his earthly property packed in a small valise. He entered the state as a poor young man, with a stout heart and sturdy physique as his only treasure. After settling in Cowley County, Mr. Elliott saw very few Indians. He put up a claim shanty in the center of his farm. This was of native timber, which was sawed at Fin Graham's sawmill, then located near Dexter. Mr. Graham's shanty was the hotel of the county at that time. It had two rooms, accommodating 30 boarders, and did a rushing business.
A single incident of his early career in Cowley County shows the stuff of which these settlers were made. Mr. Elliott saw a number of men passing in wagons and on horses, and in conversation found they were going to move a "claim-jumper's" shanty from Mr. Haskett's claim. Mr. Elliott promptly expressed his desire to join them, as all settlers stood by each other in those times. He was selected to get up on the shanty, and roll the logs down, while the others loaded them. Mr. Jenkins, the "claim-jumper," appeared with a Henry rifle, and in response to his threats, Mr. Elliott said to his companions: "Keep your eyes on that man with the gun, while I roll down the logs." They hauled the logs off, and Mr. Jenkins afterward secured another claim, quite as good, which he still owned in 1901, although living in Wyoming.
A Mr. Million, who arrived in Cowley County with Mr. Elliott, assisted him in building his house, after the summer's work was ended, and subsequently took up the land owned as a farm by Mr. Goodnight, about three miles southwest of Dexter. While they were working on the house, they saw a Mr. Robinson coming, who disputed Mr. Elliott's claim, and ordered him to cease work. Mr. Elliott, who was a large man of imposing appearance, told Mr. Million to continue work, and he would attend to Mr. Robinson. That gentleman, deeming discretion the better part of valor, promptly withdrew, and Mr. Elliott had no more troubles.
Mr. Elliott lived in this claim house several years, and it later formed the frame of the dining room of his comfortable farm home.
Mr. Elliott took the first juryman to Winfield, making his own road across the country. On his return he met James McDermott, who was then keeping a store on Plum Creek, and in the course of their conversation predicted that the country between Dexter and Winfield would soon be settled, in which prophecy Mr. McDermott did not concur.
Mr. Elliott broke five yoke of wild oxen and did a large amount of ground breaking for the early settlers; for a time he worked in partnership with Adam Glass. In 1873 he moved his claim house to a site on a hill overlooking his rich valley farm, and later exchanged a strip on the east side of his farm for 45 acres in section 35, just south of his claim. He also bought a quarter section of pasture land on the north. This gave him 305 acres on his farm. Sod corn was his first crop, and it was quite satisfactory. In 1874, the grasshopper year, he had 750 bushels of wheat, and moved his parents from Osage County, Kansas, to his farm, while he took the position of "head farmer" at the Kaw Indian Agency. This he held a year or more, Mahlon Stubbs, the agent, being a close friend and a distant relative.
In 1875 Mr. Elliott returned to his Cowley County claim, and for the next ten years his parents continued to make their home with him. In 1875 he made his house 24 feet square, and used it, with those dimensions, for ten years.
Mr. Elliott raised wheat, corn, alfalfa, cane, and other staples, holding to a rotation of crops, and gave much attention to modern and progressive agriculture.
In 1898 he completed his last handsome and commodious residence, the new part being two stories high. The dining room, measuring 11 by 14 feet, was the old claim house fitted over. The old hay shed was replaced, in 1898, by a frame barn, 28 by 38 feet in size, and was 12 feet square. Mr. Elliott at that time had about 75 head of Shorthorn cattle, and about 30 head of Poland-China hogs.
Crab Creek, which starts in the Flint Hills, ran through Mr. Elliott's farm, furnishing an abundant supply of pure water. It also afforded fine fishing. There were several ponds on the farm, and a well about 40 feet deep. Natural timber was plentiful, and Mr. Elliott had a six-acre orchard, in fine condition. The farm was fenced, and cross-fenced, and about 140 acres were in cultivation. The rest was pasture and meadow.
Mr. Elliott was born in Grant County, Indiana, September 19, 1851, and was a son of Willis and Rhoda (Brown) Elliott. His father had settled on the Indian Reserve in that state, and later laid out the site of the town of Xenia, now known as Converse. He was born in North Carolina, and was of Irish ancestry. Willis' brother, Judge Elliott, who died in 1898, had served twenty-four years on the bench. Willis Elliott helped to run the underground railroad in the days before the Civil War, and took an important part in the building of the railroad from Indianapolis to Logansport. He was a butcher by trade, had a market at Marion, Indiana, and was a justice of the peace for many years. In 1868 he moved his family into Osage County, Kansas, while he worked at Topeka for Robert Pugh until 1874. Mrs. Willis Elliott was born in Preble County, Ohio, in March 1828, and in 1901 was making her home with Mr. Wells, a merchant of Dexter. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott were married in Ohio, but soon moved upon the Indian Reserve in Indiana, into which region a brother of Mr. Elliott had walked 100 miles, with his wife, to find a home in which they might begin life with some hope of success.
To Mr. and Mrs. Willis Elliott were born four girls and three boys: Willie, who died young; A. O., who lived near New Salem, Cowley County; J. A.; Ret, the wife of Mr. Wells, a grocer, of Dexter; Emma (Fay), living near Otto, Cowley County; and Maggie, who died in Kansas at the age of 18. Willis Elliott died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Stephens. [Not made clear who Mrs. Stephens was...????]
J. A. Elliott attended the public schools in Indiana, and learned the tanner's trade, making his home with his parents until he was about thirty years of age. It was not until he had located in Cowley County that he met his matrimonial fate in the person of Lucy Nicholson, a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Barry) Nicholson. Mrs. Elliott was born in Indiana in July 1853, and shared the migrations of her people into Illinois, where she had her mental training in the public schools. Her brother, Samuel Nicholson, was postmaster at Dexter.
To Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Elliott were born three children: Frances R., Robbie M., and Gladys Rhoda. Frances R. was a young lady of much more than usual gifts, and in 1901, at the age of twenty years, attended Southwest Kansas College at Winfield. Robbie N., aged thirteen years, was attending school near home, as was her sister, Gladys Rhoda, then nine years old. The home school was located in district No. 54, which Mr. Elliott was instrumental in organizing in 1873, when the first schoolhouse was built, and a Mr. Ketcham was employed as teacher. William Culp had charge of the school in 1901.
Mr. Elliott was a Republican, and served many years on the school board and as a trustee of the township of Dexter. Both Mr. and Mrs. Elliott were members of the Presbyterian church.
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[1870] PAGE 365.
JAMES FAIR was a self-made man and a practical farmer residing in Bolton Township, in the southwest quarter of section 8, township 34, range 3 east. He was born in Huntington County, Indiana, and was a son of Alexander M. and Elizabeth (Black) Fair.
Alexander M. Fair, his father, was born near Baltimore, Maryland, and was of English descent. During his early life he moved to Huntington County, Indiana, and when James was a babe of several months, transferred his residence to Dayton, Ohio. While he was living there, the Civil War broke out and he enlisted in an Ohio regiment, in which he served three months. He then reenlisted and served throughout the war. He received many wounds, particularly at the battle of Gettysburg, and two weeks after returning home, died from his injuries. His wife, who was of Scotch-Irish descent, died before the Civil War, when James was a mere boy. Five children were in the Fair family: George M., of Dayton, Ohio, who was a lad of 14 when he went off to the war, and afterward became blind from the effects of a wound; Elizabeth, who also lived in Dayton, and took care of her brother, George M.; James; Adeline (Hurlbert), who lived in Chicago, where her husband was engineer in the ice plant of The Consumers Company, Chicago; and Charles B., superintendent of The Consumers Company's ice plant, who was married, having one child.
James Fair was obliged to hustle for himself when thirteen years of age, and began to learn the machinist's trade, first working for Pritz & Kuhns, and later, for Stillwell, Bearse & Company. With the latter company he remained many years, and upon leaving them in 1870, journeyed to Kansas. At Dayton, Ohio, a family named Pruden lived near his home, the paternal head of which still lived there, in 1901, aged 86. With the sons, James Fair was intimate. These boys and James traveled together to Kansas, going by rail to Florence, where James took the stage to Arkansas City. The Pruden boys bought two mules at Kansas City and drove through, and with them James Fair exchanged work in order to have the Pruden boys do his plowing.
In the spring of 1870, Mr. Fair preempted his claim, and upon it he at once built a 10 by 12 foot shanty, in which he "batched" many years. The first year he broke land with an axe, and planted some sod corn, and the next year he broke with a plow a considerable area, which he planted in wheat, and from it reaped a large crop. In 1872 he sold his claim to H. B. Pruden, and returning to Dayton, worked for Stillwell, Bearse & Company until 1874. In that year he returned to Kansas, and began working for Mr. Pruden. At a later period he bought his old farm back. Mr. Pruden had built a small house, which later formed a part of Mr. Fair's handsome eight-room house. He set out various kinds of trees, and an orchard which covered 13 acres. One year his wife crated over 300 bushels of peaches and 30 bushels of apricots. It required but nine peaches, cut in halves and closely packed, to fill a quart jar. These peaches were not only large, but were equally delicious. In the fall of 1897, Mr. Fair's barn, 35 by 40 feet, was completed; and in the fall of 1900 his new granary, 26 by 32 feet, was finished. He raised all kinds of crops, and much attention was devoted to the breeding of Poland-China hogs and Norman horses. The building site on his farm was high, and afforded a beautiful view to the south of Bolton Township.
Mr. Fair married Eleanor S. Robinson, a daughter of J. W. and Lucretia (Hunt) Robinson. She was born in Tennessee, and traveled extensively after attaining the age of seventeen. Her parents located in Cowley County in 1881. Her mother died when she was three years of age. There were five children in the Robinson family: William, a hotel keeper and farmer at Blackwell, Oklahoma; Margaret E. (Long), deceased, who resided at Hopkinsville, Kentucky; David, who died in infancy; Eleanor S., Mr. Fair's wife; and L. S., who lived in the Indian Territory.
Mr. and Mrs. Fair had two sons: Henry P. and Charles N.
Mr. Fair, a Republican, served as justice of the peace. Religiously, Mrs. Fair was a Presbyterian.
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[1871/1873] PAGE 188. [FRUITS/FRIER.]
D. M. FRUITS resided on the north half of the northwest quarter of section 15, Ninnescah Township. He was born in Montgomery County, Indiana, on October 17, 1836, a son of Sebastian and Matilda (Ray) Fruits.
Sebastian Fruits, his father, was born in Ohio, as was also his wife, and there he resided until he moved to Indiana. In 1845 he located in Page County, Iowa, where he took up 160 acres of land, which he cultivated up to the time of his death. They were the parents of the following children: D. M., Samuel, Sebastian, George William, Jane, Matilda A., Mary, Sarah, Martha C., and Julia. All of the children received a good schooling, and D. M. Fruits lived at home until he was 22 years of age. He then engaged in farming on his own account, and remained in Page County, Iowa, until he settled in the Sunflower State.
On July 14, 1863, D. M. Fruits enlisted as a private in Company A, 8th Reg., Ia. Vol. Cav., under Capt. G. W. Burns, and Col. J. B. Door, whose regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. Mr. Fruits served under General Sherman, and during two years and three days spent in the army took part in many battles. He was honorably discharged July 17, 1865, at Clinton, Iowa.
Mr. D. M. Fruits bought his farm May 10, 1873, from William Frier, who took up the tract in the spring of 1871. A rude house then stood on the place, and but slight improvements were made on the property. Its owner raised grain and cattle to a considerable extent, and his farm contained nothing but first class buildings.
Mr. Fruits was married May 8, 1849, in Page County, Iowa, to Mary Ann Frier, who was born in Montgomery County, Indiana, in 1837, a daughter of William and Mary (Ray) Frier. Her parents, also natives of Montgomery County, Indiana, moved in 1855 to Page County, Iowa, where they lived until the spring of 1871, when they preempted Mr. Fruits' farm. Both were deceased by 1901. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Frier, of whom three were still living in 1901: Benjamin, a farmer in Ninnescah Township; Isaac, a farmer in the southwestern part of Cowley County; and Mary Ann, our subject's wife.
Mr. and Mrs. Fruits had seven children.
1. Josephine, who lived in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
2 and 3. David and William H., who were drowned August 5, 1885.
4. Maggie A., wife of Jake Tims, of Oklahoma.
5. George, who was living at home in 1901.
6. Abbie, who was the wife of Baxter Martin.
7. John Sebastian.
8. Delilah A., who died in infancy.
[NOTE: I COUNTED EIGHT CHILDREN; NOT SEVEN.]
Mr. Fruits, a Republican, was not an office seeker.
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[SPRING 1871] PAGE 281.
GEORGE W. GARDENHIRE, one of the pioneers of Cowley County, Kansas, lived with his family ever since the spring of 1871, locating in the valley of Grouse Creek, in Windsor Township, in section 32, Township 31, range 7 east. Mr. Gardenhire was born in Marion County, Tennessee, 18 miles south of Chattanooga, October 4, 1841, a son of Jacob and Martha (Welsh) Gardenhire. He was of Scotch descent on his father's side. His great-grandfather came from near Glasgow, Scotland.
Thompson Gardenhire, grandfather of George W., with three brothers—William, Adam, and Jacob—came to America and located in Virginia. His son, Jacob, was born and reared in Tennessee, and became a river pilot. He moved to Lawrence County, Arkansas, in 1853, and died there in 1859, aged 54. He married Martha Welsh, who was born in Arkansas. Her father was a Welshman and her mother a lady of German nativity, who journeyed to Arkansas with a French colony, and settled nine miles above the city of Memphis. Mrs. Jacob Gardenhire died circa 1862, having given birth to seven children: America; George W.; Pearlee (Hawkins); Benjamin; William Garret; Susan; and Thompson.
George W. Gardenhire was reared in Tennessee until he reached the age of twelve, when he went with his parents to Lawrence County, Arkansas. He was brought up on the frontier, and became inured to the hardships incident to that region. During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate army for four years, in Company E, Arkansas Mounted Riflemen. He was in the Department of Tennessee, under Generals Bragg, Hood, and Joseph Johnston. Joseph Wheeler Park, of the Old Soldiers and Settlers Association of Eastern Cowley County, comprising about 15 acres, was located upon his land.
George W. Gardenhire moved to Franklin County, Kansas, near Ottawa, in 1869, and first passed through Cowley County in that year, going to the mouth of the Chikaskia River, Indian Territory, where he camped in wagons with seven others. After a month's trip, during which he met Col. E. C. Manning and Judge T. B. Ross, at Winfield, he returned to Ottawa about December 10, 1869. He remained in Franklin County until the spring of 1870, and in May and June of that year took his family, and 300 head of cattle, to Cowley County, and located upon his farm in the valley of Grouse Creek. They made the trip with ox teams, and drove the cattle. The party consisted of Mr. and Mrs. George Gardenhire, their three children, and his uncle, Van Gardenhire. Dr. Stanley had taken the claim which later became Cambridge, and Mr. Gardenhire purchased of Mr. T. J. Raybell the northeast quarter of section 32, township 31, range 7 east. He later acquired 80 acres west of his homestead, making his place one of the finest bottom farms in the valley. There was a log claim house on the place when the party arrived, and into this Mr. Gardenhire moved his family and they lived there for two years. He had all his money invested in cattle, and for a time had bright prospects, but during the first year 265 of the 300 cattle died of Texas fever. After two years, he secured a team of mules, which he sold at Wichita for $200, using this money to pay Mr. Drew to prove up on the 80 acres referred to above. Subsequently, with the assistance of neighbors, he moved the old claim house from the center of the farm to a different site with 15 yoke of oxen. His large nine-room house was erected in 1885.
Mr. Gardenhire also owned a quarter section of pasture land in sections 30 and 31, which had been deeded to Peter Dorwin.
The first market was Ottawa; at a later period, Wichita and Emporia became the markets.
At the outset, Mr. Gardenhire raised wheat, corn, and some hogs. Later he raised wheat for winter pasturage. For many years he produced corn and hogs extensively and fed large numbers of native cattle, brought from a ranch in the territory. He preferred Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs, and, aside from the first disastrous year, was successful in stock raising. He bred a large number of horses, including Clydes, Normans, and Hambletonians, and owned some very superior animals. He had one fine Hambletonian, which had gone a mile in better than three minutes, and was tracked but once.
On April 22, 1889, Mr. Gardenhire went to Oklahoma and made the run at the opening, getting a claim in Payne County, which was deeded to him, and on which his son later resided. When in Oklahoma he was made a national organizer of the People's party, having been state organizer in Kansas, and was well qualified for that duty. He was elected to the senate in Oklahoma and served as president of the council 120 days. A feature of his service in that body was a speech made by him when accepting the presidency.
He leased his Cowley County property during his absence, although he had been offered $40 per acre therefor; he returned to it in 1898. He cleared about 30 acres of timber along Grouse Creek—one walnut tree measuring 65 feet to the first limbs. He assisted other neighbors, with teams, in moving Mr. Gan's saw-mill from Cherry Vale; it was the first sawmill in that section. Grouse Creek traversed the eastern portion of his farm, and he had an excellent water supply, furnished by three springs in the pasture. He also had an unusually fine orchard of three acres, consisting of a large variety of fruit.
Mr. Gardenhire was united in marriage with Rebecca Jones, a sister of Charley W. Jones, in Lawrence County, Arkansas, in 1866. She was of German-Irish parentage, and was reared in Grantville, North Carolina. She died June 23, 1889, aged 55, having raised seven children.
1. Laura A.
2. Jacob, Jr.
3. Clyde.
4. Charles A.
5. Albert Sidney.
6. Rosa Estelia.
7. James T.
Laura A. (McCaleb) lived for a time in the Cherokee Nation, but died at the home of her father—leaving two children.
Jacob Jr. died in Oklahoma.
Clyde, who lived at Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma, was married twice. His first wife was Miss Pickett, who died leaving one son, Horace; he subsequently married Miss Lewis, by whom he had a daughter, Julia Rebecca.
Charles A. was a railroad man, and lived near the house of his father in Cowley County; he married Miss Bacon and they had two children: Malcolm H. and Osa Ionia.
Albert Sidney, who was living at home in 1901, had been married for six years.
Rosa Estella, wife of J. T. McCaleb, had three children—Versa, Adria, and Alwilda—and kept house for her father.
James T., who married Nina A. Woods, resided in Windsor Township, and had two children: Gladys Fern and Gertrude R.
Mr. Gardenhire was a Democrat until he helped in the organization of the Populist party in Cowley County. While in the senate in Oklahoma, he procured for Payne County the agricultural college and experimental stations.
He was a member of the lodge of the A. F. & A. M., at Burden, having been demitted from the lodge at Stillwater, Oklahoma. He belonged to the Shrine, at Oklahoma City, and also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Burden. Religiously, he preferred the Baptist church, but his family belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. Gardenhire never sued a man, nor was he ever sued.
Mrs. Gardenhire’s brother, Charlie W. Jones (1849-1918) was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, where his early boyhood was spent. He came to Kansas prior to the Civil War and was in Lawrence at the time of the Quantrell raid in August 1863. He left the scene of attack on a mule—riding bareback out of the terrorized town. Later he enlisted in Company K, 15th Kansas Cavalry, serving as bugle boy inasmuch as he was too young to be acceptable in the ranks. After his discharge from service he went to Arkansas, remaining there until 1872 when he came to Cowley County. He was active in locating the village of Burdenville on the farm of his brother-in-law, George Gardenhire, where he conducted a general store.
In 1880 when Cambridge was established, he moved his stock of merchandise to that place; but in a short time, went to Burden. He was later identified with the town and continued in the mercantile business. The firm “Jones and Snow” built a fine stone building on the prominent corner of the business section and they were the leading merchants of the town and active in the civic affairs of the community. Mr. Jones was a member of the G. A. R. and also held membership in several other organizations.
During the organization of Cowley County, Mr. Jones helped in the government survey; he later assisted in the survey of Oklahoma. He was twice married. His first wife was Emma Craft, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Craft. They were the parents of Ed. Jones & Maud Jones Musson. After the death of Mrs. Jones, he married her cousin, Belle Winters (1864-1936). She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaiah Winters and was born in Kasson, Minnesota. The family came from Missouri to Windsor Township in 1879. Mrs. Jones entered the mercantile field in early life, and had an exceptionally successful career extending over more than four decades. Charlie W. and Belle Jones were the parents of four children: Ruth Jones Fitch, Sam, Paul, and Harold Jones.
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[1870] PAGE 227.
R. A. GILMER, a prominent real estate dealer of Arkansas City, was one of the very first settlers of Cowley County, where he located in 1870. He was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1845, and was a son of Joseph and Mary A. (Rose) Gilmer.
Mr. Gilmer—the name being originally spelled Gilmore—traced his ancestry back to John and Janet Gilmore, who came from the North of Ireland to America. John was the father of seven sons and two daughters—Robert, James, Hugh, John, Joseph, Peggy, and Charity by his second wife, Janet.
Robert Gilmore, next in the line of descent, was united in marriage with Nancy Smith, who was born in Eastern Pennsylvania, as was her mother, Molly Templeton. Her father, John Smith, came from Ireland before the Revolutionary War and cast his lot with the colonists in that great struggle. At its close, he married Molly Templeton, and they moved west across the mountains to what is now Indiana County, Pennsylvania, then included in Westmoreland County. He was hurt while felling a tree, and died fourteen days later. His widow, with her three little girls, remained on the farm, but had great fear of the Indians. At the time of St. Clair's defeat, she was taken to the fort by a nephew, Samuel Calhoun, who came for her in the middle of the night, and there she lived for three years, or until the close of Wayne's campaign. She was married, a second time, to a widower named French, and lived on her farm until death. Her eldest daughter, Betsey, married Alexander Black; the youngest married Alexander White. The second daughter, Nancy Smith, became the wife of Robert Gilmore, on May 1, 1804. Robert and Nancy (Smith) Gilmore moved to Mercer County, Pennsylvania, where the former died of a cancer in the face, on June 14, 1828. They were the parents of 10 children: Polly; Jane; Keziah; Sally; Robert; John; Eliza; Joseph; Mary; and Elizabeth. Mrs. Gilmore moved to Lee County, Iowa, in September, 1846, and there resided with her married daughters until her death in 1851.
Joseph Gilmer was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, and became a well known oil operator and well constructor. He was a Democrat, and quite a politician, serving for a time as deputy sheriff of Mercer County. In the early "'fifties," he, with his wife and family, moved to Niles, Ohio, where the wife died in 1857. After her death he went to Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where he was afterward married to Adelia Stackpole, and there resided until his death, in 1878, near Meadville.
Joseph Gilmer took part in the Civil War, having organized Company A, 18th Reg., Pa. Vol. Cav., in 1862. He was made senior major of the regiment, and served with it in Virginia, where he was for some time in command at Fairfax Court House. By his first wife, Mary A. Rose, whose family came from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, he had five children: R. A. Gilmer being the only one living in 1901. Two daughters died when quite young; a son, Chapman, died at Niles, Ohio; and another son died in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, at the age of five years.
R. A. Gilmer attended the common schools of Pennsylvania and was also a pupil of Greenville Academy. At the age of sixteen years, he acted as engineer for his father, in boring wells on Oil Creek, and doing other work in connection with the oil business.
R. A. Gilmer enlisted in 1862 in Company G, 127th Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf., and was discharged nine months afterward, on account of disability, caused by typhoid fever contracted while serving under Burnside. In July 1863 he enlisted in Company G, 56th Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf., and was mustered out six weeks afterward, and spent the winter of 1863 and 1864 at school, in Titusville, Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1864, he reenlisted in Company B, 12th Reg., Pa. Vol. Cav., and served until the close of the War—being mustered out in July 1865 at Philadelphia. During his last service he was in prison for two and a half months, at Richmond, Virginia. Returning home in 1865 he was engaged in the coal business with his father, at Pioneer, Pennsylvania, until 1867, when he came west, to Lee County, Iowa. He spent two years in teaching school in Iowa and Missouri.
On April 14, 1869, Mr. R. A. Gilmer married Nora E. Robb, a native of Lee County, Iowa, her family having resided near that of Mr. Gilmer in Pennsylvania. Soon after, in the same year, Mr. Gilmer moved to Butler County, Kansas, where he remained for one year. In 1870, he located in Cowley County, where he was among the very earliest settlers. His wife was the first white woman on the Arkansas River, between Arkansas City and Derby, Sedgwick County, the place being then called El Paso. Mr. Gilmer settled on a claim, the southeast quarter of section 9, township 34, range 3 east, in Creswell Township; but after residing there for a time, he moved to Sumner County.
After a period of ten years, he returned to Cowley County, and first bought land in Bolton Township. A little later he purchased a farm northwest of Arkansas City, in section 23, where he resided until 1886. He then moved to Arkansas City, where he made his home, having entered the real estate business in the spring of 1887. He first opened an office on North Summit Street, but later relocated on the corner of Fifth Avenue and First Street. The real estate firm of R. A. Gilmer & Company was organized in 1887. [Mr. Gilmer noted that there had been a great change from speculative to home investments, and stated that this promised well for the future of the county in point of wealth and standard of citizenship.]
Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Gilmer had four children: Joseph C.; Francis E.; Frank A.; and Clara M.
Joseph C. Gilmer was born in Butler County, Kansas, January 8, 1870, and went into the hardware business at Blackwell, Oklahoma. He was married April 17, 1895, to Lottie Jerome, a native of Michigan, who accompanied her parents to Kansas in 1880. They had three children: Carlyle J., Nora, and Florence A. Gilmer.
Francis E. and Frank A. Gilmer were twins. Frank A. Gilmer died October 23, 1888, in Arkansas City, aged 15.
Clara M. Gilmer was a graduate of Arkansas City High School and Southwest Kansas College of Winfield.
Mr. Gilmer was a Republican. He was the first justice of the peace of Creswell Township, Cowley County.
Mr. Gilmer and a partner, John Askin, located in what is now the Second Ward of Arkansas City, and built the first log house, known as the Bousall House.
Mr. Gilmer was a member of Post No. 158, G. A. R., and acted four years as its quartermaster. He was a member of Lodge No. 89, A. O. U. W., of Arkansas City.
His family held membership with the Methodist Episcopal Church.
[Kay: Interesting news about Bousall House: first log house in Arkansas City.]
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[JANUARY 7, 1870] PAGE 437.
EDWARD F. GREEN. Among the pioneer settlers of Cowley County, Kansas, Ed. Green was conspicuously associated with its development. He located in the county January 7, 1870, and in Creswell Township took up his home, consisting of the southeast quarter of section 8, township 34, range 4 east. He was born in La Salle County, Illinois, in July 1843, a son of Henry and Alma (Works) Green.
Henry Green, who was of English and Irish descent, was born in the state of New Hampshire; upon leaving his native place, he settled at Ottawa, Illinois, as a pioneer of that district. Mrs. Green was born near Keene, New Hampshire; and as a result of her marriage with Mr. Green, five children were born: Charles Henry, who died in 1885, and was engaged in farming near Ottawa, Illinois; Mary P. (Blount), who was a widow residing at Byron, Illinois, her husband having been a surgeon in the army; and Martha E., who kept house for Edward F. and William, who were together engaged in farming in Creswell Township. Henry Green took up a tract of land in Illinois, which is now included in that part of the city of Ottawa lying east of the Fox River. Through life he was much given to original research and investigation, and perfected one of the first mowers in use, and was one of the earliest inventors to experiment on the idea of a self-raking harvester. His mower, which was patented and known as Green's Grass Mower, was sold extensively in Illinois and Missouri, and was contemporary with, if not prior to, the "Hussey" and the "McCormick." A special feature of this mowing machine was a serrated edge to the sections reaching back of the sickle-bar, which kept the grass from clogging when the mower was in operation. The Manny Machine Company purchased of him, for a consideration of $17,000, the right to use this idea in their celebrated machine. A successful machine for cutting corn in the row (two rows at a time) was invented and used by him in the "fifties." He also built bridges, after models of his own, which were considered among the best in their day. P. H. Watson was his patent attorney. Mr. Green died in 1860, aged sixty, having lived to see many of his inventions in practical use. Mr. Green possessed musical taste and acquirements, and was a member of the militia, both in New England and in Illinois. Politically, he was a staunch Republican, of the Free Soil type.
Edward F. Green was reared and educated at Ottawa, Illinois; upon leaving the high school he went to Oberlin College, where he spent two years. He then studied law under Judge E. S. Leland, of the firm of Leland & Blanchard, and in 1864 was admitted to the bar, when a young man of twenty-one years. In the spring of 1864, he went across the plains to Virginia City, Montana, with a party of four prospectors, who drove a team of four mules through to that point. He engaged in prospecting and mining during the two and a half years he spent there, receiving at times as much as $8 a day for his labor. He was at Helena, Montana, before a house had been built at that place. Returning to Illinois, he remained but a short time in that state, going from there to Nebraska, and also driving through Eastern Kansas to Texas. He was in Texas during the Greeley campaign, and while there, taught an independent colored school. At that time he had a sister acting as a missionary in the Lone Star State.
Since January 7, 1870, Mr. Green had resided almost continuously in Cowley County, Kansas, his home being on the southeast quarter of section 8, township 34, range 4 east, Creswell Township. His brother, William, owned the northeast quarter of that section, and the two brothers owned the remainder of the section together. The southwest quarter of section 8 was originally taken up by John Ryan, and the northwest quarter by J. W. Woodyard.
Edward F. and William Green drove through from Illinois in a light rig; after looking over a map of Kansas, they started for Wichita, at that time a place of about 20 houses. Then they journeyed down the Walnut River, looking over the land, and on account of the excellent springs on section 8, they took up their farm. The average volume of water issuing from the big spring was equivalent to the amount that would flow at low pressure through a two-inch pipe; and there was a smaller one on the farm with about a quarter of the force of the former. Both springs were used for supplying water for the stock, and water from the larger one ran through pipes to water troughs, ponds, milk boxes, etc. The spring flowed from a limestone strata. A claim house was first erected, and later the present dwelling was built, in which the two brothers kept bachelor's hall until their mother (who died in 1890) and sister, Martha E., began to keep house for them. They carried on general farming and raised horses, Durham cattle, Poland-China hogs, and some sheep and goats. They expended much labor and money in improvements, and made a first class stock farm of their place.
The subject of this sketch lent his influence to such enterprises as he thought would promote the welfare of the community, and assure its prosperity; on account of his many honorable traits of character and his commendable public spirit, he commanded the respect of all who knew him.
Politically, Mr. Green was formerly a Republican, but when Horace Greeley ran for president, he supported the great editor. About 1889 or 1890, Edward F. Green, with B. H. Clover and H. Vincent, drew up and published a call for a county convention at Winfield, which resulted in the formation of the People's Party. Since that time he supported that political organization.
Mr. Green held a few township offices, and was a candidate for senator or representative five times, having been elected. He served as representative of his district in 1893-1894, and was serving in that capacity again in 1901. He belonged to the Anti-Horse Thief Association and Patrons of Husbandry, and was affiliated with the Alliance, Knights of Labor, and other societies devoted to the promotion of the public good.
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[MARCH 12, 1871] PAGE 279.
[TWO PICTURES: MR. AND MRS. DAVID R. GROSE.
ELIZA F., BENJAMIN, REED, AND LIZZIE GROSE]
DAVID R. GROSE journeyed to Cowley in 1871, and effected a location on Silver Creek, in Liberty Township, on March 12 of that year.
Mr. Grose was born in the western part of Virginia (now West Virginia), and had never left his native state until his departure for Kansas. He and his companion went down the Ohio River on a steamboat to Cincinnati, from which point they went by rail to Chanute, Kansas. Mr. Grose was accompanied from West Virginia to Kansas by Newton Smith, and at Chanute they fell in with D. B. McCollum, a sketch of whom may be found on another page. The party entered Cowley County together, and Mr. Smith and Mr. Grose at once took up claims on the prairie. Mr. Grose’s claim was located in section 9, township 33, range 5 east, and was still in his possession in 1901.
Mr. Grose returned to West Virginia in May, 1872, and spent about a year among his early haunts. In February 1873 he returned to Cowley County, and in the following May, together with Mr. Smith, he made a trip in a wagon, going through Kansas into Nebraska, crossing the Missouri River into Iowa, traversing the western portion of Iowa to the northwestern corner of the state, where they crossed the Big Sioux River into Dakota; the journey took about four months, as they returned to Cowley County September 1, 1873.
After his marriage, which took place in Cowley County in 1874, Mr. Grose located on his home farm, located in section 23, township 33, range 5 east. This place was preempted by Ellen Mark, and became one of the choice farms of the county under Mr. Grose. He built a fine residence on his first preemption, where the family lived for several years. In 1884 he returned to his present home, and became one of the leading farmers of the county. He owned five quarter sections in sections 23 and 24, a quarter in section 14, two quarters in section 9, and 80 acres in section 26. Altogether, he owned 1,334 acres of good Kansas land.
The claim house on the home farm was built across the creek from the fine eight-room house, which Mr. Grose built in 1885 as his family residence. From time to time improvements were made. The farm with its numerous outbuildings presented the appearance of a small village. Silver Creek, crossing two quarter sections, furnished an abundance of water the year through for the stock on the place. Its banks were lined with timber, from which much valuable lumber was produced in the old days at Rogers' mill.
In 1901 Mr. Grose was cultivating about 250 acres of his farm, and the remainder of his large property was devoted to stock raising. He kept from 100 to 200 head of cattle, Shorthorns predominating. He dealt quite as largely in other stock, and in swine preferred Berkshire, mixed with Poland-China, being an enthusiast as to his choice in blood. Corn and wheat were the staple products of the farm, and cane, millet, and Kaffir corn were raised to a considerable extent. The farm was thoroughly fenced and had deep wells (20 to 30 feet), affording a fine quality of drinking water. Mr. Grose raised from 50 to 60 bushels of corn to the acre, and a very fine quality of wheat. He had an orchard, and planned to increase it.
The family and personal history of Mr. Grose is as follows.
David R. Gross was born in Nicholas County, in what is now West Virginia, then included as a part of Virginia, March 6, 1848. His parents were S. B. and Eliza V. (Perkins) Grose.
His father, S. B. Grose, was born on Thanksgiving day in 1824 in Nicholas County, West Virginia. His wife was born in Missouri, but early in life moved into West Virginia, where her marriage took place. To them were born 11 children, as follows: David R.; Octavia, deceased; John, deceased; Rowland, who became a resident of Texas; James, a clergyman, of the Methodist Episcopal church in West Virginia; Mary Ann (Phillips) of West Virginia; Orval B., a miner in the Cripple Creek district; Ben, of Kay County, Oklahoma; Maria (Summers) (Brown), who resided in West Virginia; one, who died at the age of four years; and one, who died at the age of eighteen months.
David Gross spent his boyhood and youth in a state which, up to his 17th year, presented no educational advantages in the form of free schools. He had the privilege, to a limited extent, of the subscription school system. He was married to Anna A. Mark, who was born in 1848, in Washington County, Indiana, near Salem, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Crowe) Mark, both natives of Virginia, and of Scotch-Irish descent. Members of the Mark family were engaged in the Irish Rebellion, and the grandfather of Mrs. Grose came to this country, and located in the western part of Virginia, now included in the state of West Virginia. Samuel Mark located in Cowley County, where he died in 1886, aged 76 years. His widow passed away the following year, aged 67. They had seven children: John M., a sketch and portrait of whom appear in this volume, the oldest member of the family; Ellen, who was the first wife of Mr. Grose; Anna A., his present wife; Mary L. (Page), who died in January 1900; David, who lived on one of Mr. Grose's farms; Robert, who died in 1883, aged 22; and Hugh E. Grose, of Oklahoma.
[NOTE: ELLEN, 1ST WIFE, ANNA A., 2ND WIFE. SORTA GATHER THAT THE SECOND WIFE IS COVERED IN FOLLOWING SKETCH.]
Mrs. Grose went with her people from Indiana to Warren County, Illinois, where she taught school, after having attended Abdingdon Seminary. She journeyed to Kansas in 1870 and taught the first school kept in Cowley County, at Winfield. At a later period she taught several terms in district No. 40. She was an amiable and intelligent lady, and had many friends in the community.
Mr. Grose was a Republican, not active, and never sought an office. Both he and his wife were members of United Brethren church, and attended the Center Point church.
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[AUGUST 1871] PAGE 163.
AMOS HAHN was the owner of 480 acres of highly cultivated land in Ninnescah Township, Cowley County, Kansas, and his home was situated on the northeast quarter of section 21. He was an enterprising farmer and a self-made man, earning his livelihood ever since he was ten years of age. He was born in Warren County, New Jersey, July 12, 1837, and was a son of Henry and Sarah (West) Hahn, who were natives of Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
After farming all his life, Henry Hahn died in 1880. His first wife, Amos Hahn’s mother, died in 1842. She bore her husband six children: Stacy, who lived at Flemington, New Jersey; Julia, who lived in Hunterdon County, New Jersey; Amos; Elizabeth and Mary, deceased; and Harriet. By his second marriage Henry Hahn had, also, six children.
Amos Hahn, with his sisters and brothers, attended the public schools, although their opportunities were limited; at the early age of ten years, Amos began to work out. Thus he continued for two years, and the next three years he lived on his father's farm. He then went out working for different employers until the age of twenty-two years, when, in 1870, he went to Jersey County, Illinois, where he farmed until 1871, when he settled in Cowley County, Kansas. On August 17 of that year, he took up the northeast quarter of section 21, Ninnescah Township, and improved it until 1872, when he returned to Jersey County, Illinois. There he engaged in farming for five years, after which he again came to Kansas, where he thereafter resided. In 1886, he bought the southwest quarter of section 15, known as the Downing place, and in October 1900 he added 80 acres of section 22, known as the Bennett place. He also owned the southeast quarter of section 16. He made extensive improvements on his farm; besides raising cattle and hogs to a considerable extent, he was a large grain producer.
Mr. Hahn was married August 8, 1878, to Barbara Schoene, of Lee County, Iowa, a daughter of Martin and Catherine Schoene, natives of Germany, who came to this country in 1837, and located in Pennsylvania, where the father followed farming. He died in 1880, and his widow in 1886. They had 11 children, of whom the following were still living in 1901: Kate; Philip; Elizabeth; Sophia; Martin; Charles; and Barbara.
Four children blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hahn.
They were Charles Henry, George M., Spencer C., and Stacy E.
Mrs. Hahn was a member of the Methodist church. In politics Mr. Hahn was independent.
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[AUGUST 19, 1871.] PAGE 447.
[PORTRAIT SHOWN OF "ROBERT B. HANNA."]
ROBERT B. HANNA came to Cowley County, Kansas, August 19, 1871, and was one of the reliable citizens and substantial farmers of Sheridan Township, living on section 28, township 32, range 6 east. Mr. Hanna was born in Hancock County, Indiana, in June 1849, a son of Thomas J. and Mary (Bolton) Hanna. He was distantly related to Marcus A. Hanna, senator from Ohio.
Thomas J. Hanna, his father, was a farmer and stock raiser all his life, and died in the summer of 1900, aged 74. He was a Republican; and although often tendered office, he never served other than as justice of the peace. Mrs. Mary Hanna was born and reared in Hamilton County, Indiana, and died in 1859. They were the parents of five children: Robert B.; J. A., a school teacher in the vicinity of Oklahoma City; Franklin L., who lived on the old home farm in Indiana; Marietta (Newhouse), of Frankfort, Indiana; and another, who died in infancy.
[COULD MARIETTA HANNA NEWHOUSE BE RELATED TO THE MOHAWK INDIAN, NEWHOUSE...BELIEVE THAT WAS HIS NAME?]
Robert B. Hanna remained in Indiana until he was 23 years of age. His first work was in a sawmill and stair factory. In the spring of 1871 he came west and stopped for a time in Jackson County, Missouri. He went to Humboldt, Kansas, to visit some friends, and there met a man en route to Cowley County, Kansas, whom he accompanied. He was a single man then, and took as a claim his future farm near Eatonville, in Sheridan township—the west half of the northwest quarter of section 27, and the east half of the northeast quarter of section 28, township 32, range 6 east. He first broke some prairie land, which he planted, and then built a box house, 12 by 14 feet. He kept house by himself for some time, then returned to Indiana to be married, and took his wife back to Kansas with him. He immediately set about improving his farm—building fences and setting out hedges—and in the spring of 1876 set out an orchard of three acres, consisting of a variety of apples, peaches, and other fruit. Mr. Hanna worked out by the month for two seasons, previous to coming to Kansas, and laid by about $260, which he used in acquiring title to his land. His principal crop was corn. He experienced but one failure in the many years he resided on his farm. He raised hogs extensively, and also some cattle.
Mr. Hanna married Samantha Hiday, who was also reared in Hancock County, Indiana. They had four children.
1. Cora (Grove), of Cowley County, who had two children, Roland and Robert.
2. Glendora Hanna.
3. T. J. Hanna.
4. Magdalene Hanna.
Mr. Hanna was a Prohibitionist in principle, but supported the Republican party to some extent. He was a member of the school board of district No. 47, which he helped to organize in the early days. He was a member of the Farmer's Alliance for a short time. Religiously, he was a member of the United Brethren denomination, and attended the church at Eatonville, which was dedicated on December 23, 1900.
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[1870] PAGE 319.
HENRY HARBAUGH was poor commissioner of Cowley County, Kansas, and was one of the most prominent and enterprising citizens of Winfield. He was born near Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, in 1837, a son of William Harbaugh.
His father, William Harbaugh, was born and reared in Pennsylvania and went to Ohio at an early day. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and during his younger years he followed contracting to a large extent. He resided in Ohio until 1854, having located in Franklin County when a young man, and in connection with contracting also manufactured linseed oil. In 1854 he moved to Shelby County, Illinois, where he followed farming and contracting, and died there at the age of fifty-two years. He was joined in marriage with Leah Dietz, a native of Pennsylvania, who died at the age of sixty-seven years. Their children were Henry; an infant girl; Julia A. (Kitch); Susan (Waugh); an infant boy; and Mary E. (Forbes). He was a rigid Democrat in politics, and was not an office seeker.
Henry Harbaugh received an elementary education in the schools of Franklin County, Ohio, and during his early career learned his father's trade of carpenter and joiner. He accompanied his parents to Shelby County, Illinois, in 1854, and in March of that year journeyed to Kansas, and finally returned to work on his father's farm until the breaking out of the Civil War. He then enlisted in Company B, 14th Reg., Ill. Vol. Inf., as a private, and served under Gen. John M. Palmer. His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee, and at the close of the war he was mustered out as first lieutenant.
He then engaged in contracting and farming until the fall of 1868, when he journeyed west to Johnson County, Kansas. In 1870 he located on a farm in Pleasant Valley Township, Cowley County, before it was surveyed. He pursued he vocation of a farmer until 1886 when he moved to the city of Winfield, where he embarked in the hardware business. This he followed until 1889, and then engaged in clerical and other work. On January 1, 1895, he was appointed poor commissioner of Cowley County, and was reappointed to that office four times. Mr. Harbaugh reduced the yearly expenses of his department from $17,000 to $2,500 by systematizing the work, and reducing the problem to a thorough business form.
Mr. Henry Harbaugh married Lydia M. Boys, in Shelby County, Illinois, March 9, 1865. Four children were living in 1901.
1. Minnie M. (Kerr).
2. Alice V. (Baugh).
3. L. Estella Harbaugh.
4. Charles A. Harbaugh.
All were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, excepting Mr. Harbaugh and Charles A. Politically, Mr. Harbaugh was a Republican. He was an active member of Siverd Post, No. 85, G. A. R. In 1880, 1881, and 1882, he served as county commissioner of Cowley County.
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[1871] PAGE 481.
PLAYED UP IN BIO...MRS.. HARRIET HOSMER, WIDOW OF THE LATE GEORGE HOSMER.
GEORGE W. HOSMER lived on the northwest quarter of section 32, township 33, range 8 east, Otter Township, Cowley County, Kansas. He was born in the town of Jerusalem, Yates County, New York, in April 1822. He was a son of J. P. and Lucy (Earle) Hosmer. J. P. Hosmer was a farmer by occupation, and moved from New York to Huron County, Ohio, where G. W. Hosmer was reared and educated.
George W. Hosmer remained at home until 1850 when he moved to Iroquois County, Illinois. He enlisted in Company D, 113th Reg., Ill. Vol. Inf., in August 1862, and served three years, first as a private, and later as sergeant. He took part in several famous battles, but received no wounds. His health was greatly impaired, however, and in 1865 he was mustered out.
Mr. Hosmer died December 1894, aged 73. He was one of 10 children: John T., who resided in Michigan; George W.; Mercy Ann, deceased; Daniel, who lived in Ohio; Lucy (Boyd), a resident of Michigan; Abigail (Hess), who also lived in Michigan; Nancy (Maine) (Rice), who resided near Chicago, Illinois; Ellen (Barrett), of New London, Ohio; and Sidney, who lived near the same place.
Mr. Hosmer was a Republican and held various township offices. He was one of the first members of the township board of Cowley County, and also served as treasurer. He was an honest, upright man; and his death was much lamented throughout the county.
George W. Hosmer married Harriet Stocking in 1850. She was born in 1827, in Madison County, New York, a daughter of Roderick and Electra (Post) Stocking. Her father died in Ohio, in 1836, aged 45; her mother died in Illinois, aged 71. Roderick and Electra Stocking had nine children: Julia, deceased; Lydia (Cottran), a widow who lived in Lincoln, Nebraska; John and Arvine, deceased; Erastus, who lived in Michigan; Harriet; Marshy, deceased; Melvina (Smith), who lived in Nebraska; and Jerod, a resident of Chautauqua County, Kansas.
Harriet Stocking lived in Michigan for some time, and then located with her husband, George W. Hosmer, and family in Cowley County. Mr. Hosmer had been in Kansas in 1871, and, after deciding to locate permanently, drove through from Michigan with his wife and four children. He had his household goods shipped to Thayer, which was then the nearest railroad station, and afterward hauled them by wagon to Otter Township. He bought the northwest quarter of section 32, township 33, range 8 east, and after building the humblest kind of a log cabin, began farming in the West. After breaking a portion of the land, Mr. Hosmer planted some corn and garden-truck and, a year later, some wheat, the crop being marketed at Independence. At that time there was not a hog in the state and provisions were very high. [???]
Slocum & Davis kept a general store in Cedar Vale, and a Mr. Orr kept the first hotel in the place. There were very few women in the state. Mr. Hosmer gradually improved the land, and in 1874 built a frame house. Since his death, Mrs. Hosmer rented the farm to her son-in-law, J. H. Pulliam, and made her home there with him.
George and Harriet Hosmer had the following children: Viola, Electa, John P., and George.
1. Viola, the wife of J. H. Pulliam, was born in April 1852. Mr. Pulliam located in Chautauqua County, Kansas, in 1872, where he made his home until he married Miss Hosmer. In 1878, he moved to Cowley County, and lived near Winfield, where he owned some land. In 1900 Mr. Pulliam rented the Hosmer farm, and his family remained there. J. H. and Viola Pulliam had six children: W. C., who lived in Chautauqua County, Kansas; Hattie E., who lived at home; Susie E. (Clingpeel), who lived in Idaho; Joseph F., who attended school at home; and Lucy A. and Francis G., who were living at home in 1901.
2. Electa Hosmer (Hains) was born in Michigan, and lived in Chautauqua County, Kansas.
3. John P. Hosmer, born in Illinois, became editor of the Cedar Vale Democrat.
4. George Hosmer, a resident of Trinidad, Colorado, went west in 1896, and became editor of the Monitor at Trinidad.
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[1869] PAGE 350.
EDWARD A. HOUSER was a self-made man, and a highly respected citizen of Cowley County, Kansas, where he lived since January 20, 1869. He was the owner of 449 acres, all in Rock Township, and his home was situated in section 18. He was born in Washington County, Virginia, February 22, 1841, a son of John J. Houser.
His father, John J. Houser, was born in Washington County, Virginia, and in his youth learned the trade of a blacksmith. He followed his trade many years, but at the time of his death, in 1888, he was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Sullivan County, Tennessee. He was united in marriage with Latina Moree, a native of Washington County, Virginia, who died in Sullivan County, Tennessee, in 1851. They had the following children: Elizabeth, who died young; Edward A.; Josiah, a prominent farmer of Maple Township; Arrena, the wife of John Tittsworth, of Rock Township; Louise, the wife of Frank Greer, of Rock Township; Lusannah, who lived in Rock Township, was the widow of J. F. Smith; three, who died in infancy; and Elizabeth, Jeremiah, and George W., deceased. Each of the children who grew up received a good training in the common schools.
When a young man, in 1861, Edward A. Houser enlisted in the Confederate army, joining Company G, 63rd Reg., Tenn. Inf., and he saw two years of hard fighting. He was mustered out in 1864, in Mississippi.
After the war Edward A. Houser joined his brother, Josiah, in Illinois and carried on farming a number of years. Thence he went to Kansas, where he spent five years in the same pursuits. On January 19, 1869, he entered the borders of Cowley County, Kansas, and took up in Rock Township the south half of the northwest quarter of section 18, township 30, range 4 east, and the north half of the southwest quarter of the same section. He built a small house, and the first year broke 55 acres, which he put into corn. Subsequently, he set out 200 apple trees and half as many peach trees. He also went to the timber and cut out posts, which he used in fencing his farm. In 1878 he bought 80 acres of the John Cox farm, in section 7, which contained some improvements. At a later period he bought 65 acres, of Joseph Bailey; 65 acres, from William Bailey; 16 acres, of John Bailey; 23 acres, of J. H. Martindale; and 40 acres, of J. W. Haines—all in section 18, in Rock Township. He rented a small portion of his farm and be-came an extensive grain producer, and raised a considerable number of hogs and cattle.
Mr. Houser was married in December, 1874, to Verona E. Dailey, of Sullivan County, Tennessee. They had five children: Alice; Dailey; Ethel; Archimedes; and Forrest.
Mrs. Houser was a daughter of William Dailey, of Sullivan County, Tennessee, a self-made man who educated himself and became qualified for the business of a land surveyor, and afterward devoted his attention to the work of an educator, which task he fulfilled with honor to himself and his family, acting as professor in the academy nearly ten years. Close study and hard work ruined his health, and he died, leaving a widow and four children. The latter were reared to manhood and womanhood and were respected by all who knew them.
In politics Mr. Houser always voted for the candidate whom he considered the best man, while in religious views he favored the Christian church.
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[MAY 1870.] PAGE 152.
JOSIAH HOUSER was the owner of 400 acres of good farming land, all of which was in Maple and Rock Townships, Cowley County, Kansas. In 1901 he resided in his home, which comprised the northwest quarter of section 13, taken up in May 1870. Mr. Houser was born January 22, 1843, in Washington County, Virginia, and was a son of John J. and Letitia (Moree) Houser.
Josiah's father, John J. Houser, was a native of Tennessee and a blacksmith by trade. He died in 1888, and his wife passed away in 1849. They were the parents of the following children: Elizabeth, deceased; E. A., a prosperous farmer of Rock Township; Josiah; Arrena, wife of John Tittsworth, a farmer of Rock Township; Louisa, wife of Frank Greer, who lived in Rock Township; Lusanna, widow of William Smith, a resident of Rock Township; and Jerry.
Josiah Houser obtained a common school education, and when twenty-four years of age, located in Logan County, Illinois, where he successfully carried on farming for eighteen months. On May 1, 1870, he settled on the north half of the southwest quarter, and the south half of the northwest quarter of section 13, as before mentioned. The land was unbroken prairie, and Mr. Houser at once set about the task of cultivating the soil and making improvements upon the farm. He put in sod corn the first year, and the following year he built a log house, in which he lived many years. His last home was built in the late 1800s and contained all the latest conveniences. In 1882, he bought the north half of the northwest quarter of section 13, Maple Township, which contained a few improvements. He also bought the southwest quarter of section 17, Rock Township, known as the Bailey farm. Mr. Houser was an extensive grain producer, but at the same time devoted much attention to the raising of cattle and hogs.
Mr. Houser was married in Cowley County, in 1880, to Mary Meador, of Lafayette County, Missouri, who was born in September 1856, and was a daughter of J. W. and Rebecca (Booker) Meador, of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Meador was born in Kentucky, on the present site of Louisville, December 10, 1834. During his early life, he moved to Missouri, where he lived until 1863. He then moved to Cowley County, Kansas, where he located in section 22, Rock Township. About eight years later, he moved to Butler County, Kansas, where he spent six years in tilling the soil. At the end of that period he moved to Oklahoma, where he took up 80 acres; after living thereon for nine years, he moved to Oklahoma City. Mrs. Meador died there September 11, 1898, and Mr. Meador then lived with Mr. Houser.
Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Houser had the following children: Vienna Letitia, deceased; Wendell Phillips; John J.; Anderson Furlong; Josiah Finley; Vernon, who died in 1883, aged two years and nine months; Moree Odell, who was killed on the farm when six years old; Ernest, who died in infancy; and Webster Everett.
Josiah Houser was independent in politics, always supporting the candidate whom he considered the best man. He was one of the organizers of Maple Township, and helped to choose a name for it.
Mr. Houser was a soldier in the Confederate army, being a member of Company I, 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry, commanded by George R. McClellan. The regiment was in Gen. "Joe" Wheeler's Division.
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[1870] PAGE 49.
JONATHAN J. HUBBARD, a veteran of the Civil War, was one of the prosperous farmers of Cowley County, Kansas, residing on section 18, in Vernon Township. He was a native of Harrison County, Indiana, and a son of James Hubbard. His grandfather was born on the other side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Virginia, and both his grandfathers were in the battle of Tippecanoe, in which his paternal grandfather was shot in the left arm, necessitating amputation.
James Hubbard, father of Jonathan J. Hubbard, was born in Virginia, but was taken to Harrison County, Indiana, in 1800, the year of his birth. From his father he learned farming, which was his occupation throughout his entire active career. About the commencement of the War of the Rebellion, he broke his thigh, and though he was unable to serve in behalf of the Union, his sons, nevertheless, voiced his patriotism, as several of them enlisted in the Union Army. Mr. Hubbard was united in marriage with Rebecca Battman, who was also born in Harrison County, Indiana, and whose parents were natives of England and Scotland. They had ten sons and two daughters: Jeremia; John; Mary E. (Burnett); Francis Marion; Jonathan J.; Christopher Columbus; Andrew Jackson; Benjamin Franklin; James K. Polk; Elvira (Newkirk); Josiah; and George Washington. Mr. Hubbard passed to the other world in 1890, after living four score and ten years. His widow died at the age of sixty-eight years.
Jonathan J. Hubbard was reared in Crawford County, Indiana, although in after years he returned to Harrison County, and there lived until 1870, when, on October 22, he became a resident of Cowley County, Kansas. He settled on his present claim in section 18, Vernon Township.
When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Jonathan J. Hubbard laid aside all plans for the future to take part in the contest for the preservation of the Union. He became a private in Company C, 17th Reg. Ind. Vol. Inf. He enlisted December 6, 1861, and served three years and nine months. He was in the battle of Chickamauga, and in the engagement at Selma, Alabama, where 18 of the 36 men in his company were killed. He saw two weeks of constant fighting around Kennesaw Mountain, in Georgia, at which time his company was under John T. Wilder. In many of the skirmishes he was so near the Confederates that he could see their eyes. He took part in the Atlanta campaign, during which he was at the front on skirmish duty. While under fire Mr. Hubbard was always cool and deliberate, and although he displayed much valor, he was not a man to expose himself needlessly to danger. Many a time he lay behind rocks which the enemy's bullets scaled, and he concealed himself behind stumps, while the leaden missiles pealed the bark from the other side. On one occasion a bullet passed through his blouse, and he felt the wind from hundreds of bullets, but fortunately he never received a single scratch from any of them.
Mr. Hubbard chose for his life companion Mary H. Pennington, a native of Harrison County, Indiana, and their home was blessed by the birth of seven children: Dennis; Elvira, deceased; Rebecca (Porter); Floyd W.; Rosalind; Nicholas Smith; and Howard.
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[MARCH 1870] PAGE 395.
TWO PHOTOGRAPHS. NO. 1 SHOWS "JOHN W. IRONS, JOSEPH D., MRS.. JOHN W. IRONS, DAVID E., RUBY, JOHN W., JR.
SECOND PHOTOGRAPH: "RESIDENCE OF JOHN W. IRONS." (SEVEN PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF STONE RESIDENCE.)
JOHN W. IRONS, one of the oldest and best known citizens of Cowley County, Kansas, residing in Silver Dale Township, was born in Allegany County, Maryland, March 22, 1846, a son of Joseph and Susan (Harvey) Irons, who afterward moved to West Virginia. His father later lived with him in Kansas, at the age of 84 years. Mr. Irons had a sister who lived in Oklahoma, her name being Lizzie (Irons) Yager.
The Irons family moved back in 1861 from West Virginia to Maryland, where John W. Irons was living when the war broke out. He enlisted in Company B, 4th Reg., W. Va. Vol. Cav., and later in the 17th Reg., W. Va. Vol. Inf., and served three years as a private. After the war he returned to Maryland, where his father owned a farm, and remained there until his removal to the West, in 1869. He first took a claim in Chautauqua County, Kansas, and there cut a set of house logs. This claim he soon sold, and started for Cowley County, where he arrived in March, 1870, taking a claim in Silver Dale Township, where Silver Dale post office was later located. He stopped, at the outset, with Len Fetterman, having just $15 in his pocket, which he spent in breaking three acres of prairie. On these three acres he raised 120 bushels of corn, which he sold for $1.50 per bushel. He also planted a bushel of potatoes, with an axe and a hoe, but these were stolen by the Indians. On his arrival in the county, he worked for Mr. Fetterman (whose farm he afterward bought, in 1874), being employed in splitting rails. He earned about 50 cents per day, the wages paid being $1.00 per 100 rails. Provisions were very high: bacon was 33-1/3 cents per pound, coffee, 50 cents per pound, and flour, $7.50 per hundred pounds. He carried his provisions on foot from Arkansas City, and in the fall of 1870 furnished himself with venison and turkey meat. While on a trip from Cedar Vale, Kansas, to his own place, he passed a night at the home of Mr. Ray, who gave him a few pumpkin seeds, which he planted. He later divided quartered pumpkins among his neigh-bors, a quarter of a pumpkin then being more of a gift than a wagon load was later. He also bought a claim for $75, and the same week sold it for $75 and a mare. The mare he traded for a black colt, which in turn was traded to C. M. Scott for 10 lots in Arkansas City, the last two of which were sold for $1,000 in 1875.
His preemption, the northeast quarter of section 5, township 35, range 5 east, he sold in 1872, for $1,600 cash. He had broken 50 acres, set out a few peach trees, and built a cabin. He then engaged in buying and selling stock and real estate, and in a few months was making $70 per month in interest. In 1875, he went west and engaged in the cattle business on the plains, until 1879. He began work at $40 per month and in two weeks was made manager and transferred to Texas, in the employ of W. H. Kingsbury and Mr. Homesly, his salary being $1,200 per year. During that time he refused offers of $1,500 per annum, to enter the employ of others. In 1879 he went to the mines of California, where he made $40,000 the first year, but lost it all, and more, during the next six months. He met with many thrilling experiences in the West—once becoming lost in Red Mountain Pass in a heavy snow storm, and being three days and nights without food or blankets.
In 1882 Mr. Irons returned to Cowley County, Kansas, and was married to Emma Jane Harkleroad, whose father conducted a store at Silver Dale. They settled on the Fetterman farm, where they remained until the completion, in 1895, of their beautiful home. It was one of the handsomest in the county—being 75 feet long and 40 feet wide, with solid stone walls, 28 inches thick—and was designed by Mr. Irons. It was a model of convenience, and handsomely furnished throughout, the woodwork being of hard pine. There were two large cellars under the house, cellars being used exclusively for canned and fresh fruits. There were two large and handsome front parlors, each having a bay window, and off from the dining room was a large porch. The view from the front of the house, which faced the West, was picturesque and beautiful. Mr. Irons had 960 acres of land and had it planted to corn and small grain. He was an extensive cattle feeder, very often having several hundred head.
Politically, he was a Republican. His father, who was of Dutch descent, was an old line Whig before the Republican party came into existence. John W. Irons was elected county commissioner in 1898, and served in that capacity until January, 1901. He was the oldest resident on Grouse Creek.
Mr. John W. and Emma Jane Irons had five children: Joseph D.; David E.; John W., Jr.; Ruby; and one who was deceased.
Fraternally, he was a member of the G. A. R. post at Arkansas City. Religiously, he and his family were Methodists.
In addition to the view of Mr. Irons' house, the publishers of this work also present a picture of himself, wife and children, executed from a photograph taken several years ago,—both pictures being shown on foregoing pages.
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[APRIL 20, 1870.] PAGE 377.
PICTURE OF "WILLIAM M. JENKINS."
WILLIAM M. JENKINS, on April 20, 1870, entered the borders of Cowley County, Kansas, where he remained as a resident. He was known by his many acquaintances in the county as "Capt. Jenkins." He lived on the northeast quarter of section 26, township 30, range 6 east, and rented his farm in later years to his son. Capt. Jenkins was born in Wells County, North Carolina, February 10, 1835, a son of Solomon and Delaney (Ellis) Jenkins.
His father, Solomon Jenkins, was of French descent, while his mother was of Scotch-Irish extraction. His parents were married in North Carolina. When William M. Jenkins was 10, his parents moved to Kentucky, where both subsequently died. He had 10 brothers and sisters; and in 1901 was the only one of the Solomon Jenkins family still alive.
William M. Jenkins left home at 15, although he continued to live in Kentucky. On August 13, 1862, he enlisted in Company K, 10th Reg., Ky. Vol. Cav., and for thirteen months served in the Army of the Cumberland, in the 15th Army Corps, under Gen. A. J. Smith. He was then discharged on account of being sun-struck. He had been left on the battlefield as dead, and although he suffered intensely, was compelled to suffer even more after he returned home, as he lived in a Southern community. He was given a commission by the provost-marshal, and was detailed to catch spies.
Leaving Kentucky, he started on the cars for Topeka. On arriving there, he walked to Cowley County, accompanied on the entire journey by a Mr. Huff, who afterward helped him to build his house. Mr. Jenkins located at once in Omnia Township, and obtained possession of his place from a Mr. James, to whom he traded his horse for the land. He was joined by his wife and children ten days later, and they lived in a small log house built by Mr. Jenkins on the west side of Timber Creek. This house was built of native lumber, and was a very humble dwelling. Mr. Jenkins had 40 acres of natural timber and plenty of running water. He subsequently bought 120 acres more, of which 40 were afterward sold. He also owned 320 acres in Silver Creek Township. On the east side of the creek was his pasture; on the west side he raised cereals. He lived in the log shanty about eight years, and then built a frame house measuring 14 by 16 feet, on the east side of the creek, the material for it being obtained at Wichita. In the spring of 1883, he built has last house, getting the lumber from Burden.
[CONFUSING...HE WALKED...THEN SOMEHOW HE GOT A HORSE THAT HE TRADED FOR THE LAND????]
As Mr. Jenkins had no team, he exchanged work, and to one man he paid $40 to have 10 acres broken, and worked off the debt at 20 cents per day. In 1871 he raised 800 bushels of corn; he also raised considerable wheat in later years. He raised all kinds of hogs, favoring the Berkshire strain. He had an orchard of two acres.
Mr. Jenkins rented his farm, with the exception of 60 acres, to his son, Daniel.
William M. Jenkins married Martha F. Clifton, who was born in Kentucky, and died in Cowley County, June 7, 1900, aged 67. Eight children were born to them.
1. Delaney (Gilliard), of Oklahoma—who had six children.
2. Daniel L., who married Mattie Kelso. They had two children: George W. and Ruby May Jenkins.
3. James W., of Silver Creek Township, who married Cassie Beasley. They had four children.
4. Ida (Brookyns), deceased, who left a daughter, Frances May Brookyns, who lived with Mr. Jenkins.
5. Robert, of Silver Creek Township, who married Emma Elkins. They had three children.
6. Mark, who died, aged 24 years.
7 and 8. Josephine and David, who died in infancy.
Mr. Jenkins was a Republican. He was a member of the G. A. R., belonging to Atlanta Post, No. 224. He was also a member of the A. O. U. W. He was a communicant of the Methodist Church of Mount Vernon.
Arkansas City Traveler, October 24, 1878.
“The wife of William Jenkins, who lives a few miles below Oxford, in Cowley County, died very suddenly and mysteriously on Tuesday afternoon of last week. Mrs. Jenkins had for a few days previous been complaining of light chills, for which she had been taking some medicine, but on Tuesday was apparently as well as usual—was doing her housework, had got dinner for the men, and had herself eaten a hearty meal. About 4 o’clock in the afternoon, one of the children went out to where Mr. Jenkins was at work and told him, ‘Something is the matter with ma,’ whereupon Mr. Jenkins went immediately to the house and found his wife dead, though still sitting in her chair. Mrs. Jenkins was a lady highly respected by all who knew her. She leaves a husband and three small children. Oxford Independent.”
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[NOVEMBER 1871] PAGE 434.
NOAH W. KIMMEL arrived in Cowley County, Kansas, in November 1871, and in February of the following year bought his home, in Creswell Township, comprising the southeast quarter of section 27, township 34, range 4 east. He also purchased 80 acres adjoining on the south, and soon became an extensive and successful producer of grain.
Noah W. Kimmel was born in Carroll County, Ohio, March 1, 1838, a son of Daniel and Lavina (Sweringer) Kimmel.
His father, Daniel Kimmel, was born in Pennsylvania, and died in Ohio, in 1887, aged 72. When nine years of age, Daniel Kimmel left Pennsylvania, and moved to Harmony district, Rose Township, Carroll County, Ohio, which is but a short distance from President McKinley's home. At a later period, he moved to Knox County, where he spent his last days. He was a Jackson Democrat, and a man of considerable prominence in his vicinity. His wife was born in Ohio, and died in Knox County, Ohio. They were the parents of nine children: Katherine (Caster), who became a resident of Arkansas City in 1880; John, who died in Nebraska; Matilda (Hayden), who lived in Boulder, Colorado; Elizabeth Jane (Sibert), who resided in Illinois; Noah W.; Thomas J., who died in 1898; Richard, who lived in Mansfield, Ohio; William, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio; and Axey (McIntyre), who lived at Fredericktown, near Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Noah W. Kimmel remained under the parental roof until he was nineteen years of age, when he went to Hamilton County, Iowa, where he was engaged in teaching and farming.
In 1862 Noah W. Kimmel enlisted in Sawyer's brigade, and spent eleven months fighting the Sioux Indians, who were making a raid in Minnesota. He was mustered out in August, 1863, and in December of the same year reenlisted in the 2nd Reg., Iowa Vol. Cav., and served until the close of the Civil War. He participated in all the engagements in which his company took part, and was injured at Spring Hill. He had a fine war record.
He returned to Iowa and purchased land, remaining there until he journeyed to Cowley County, Kansas, and bought his farm from William McGee. Seven acres had been broken, and a claim house was standing on the farm. Mr. Kimmel "batched" until 1874. He then erected a frame house, which was his home until 1892, when it was destroyed by fire. He then rebuilt and occupied a comfortable home.
His old Kansas stable of poles and straw was later supplanted by a large and substantial barn. He had plenty of water, a windmill, and a stone tank, which he used as a milk cooler. He had pipes extending throughout his barn, through which water was forced by the windmill—this being but one of many like improvements. He set out a small orchard the first year, and to it kept adding trees until it covered 25 acres. With good crops, he was enabled to purchase 80 acres from C. A. Henshaw. He raised grain of all kinds and livestock, favoring Poland-China hogs and Durham cattle.
From 1891 to the spring of 1900, Mr. Kimmel resided in Arkansas City, where he owned a handsome house.
Mr. Kimmel was married in Iowa to Etta Hall, of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, who died in 1897. Her parents settled in Iowa when she was a girl of ten years. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kimmel: Harry, who died in 1876; Eddie, who died in 1880; and Frances, who in 1901 was attending school at Wichita. Mr. Kimmel was a Republican, and served two years as treasurer of Creswell Township. He was formerly a member of the G. A. R. Religiously, he was a Presbyterian.
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[NOVEMBER 26, 1871.] PAGE 441.
PICTURE OF "WILL J. KIMMEL" IN BOOK.
WILL J. KIMMEL, of the firm of Kimmel & Moore, the popular and reliable grocers of Arkansas City, was born in Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa, in 1869, and was a son of T. J. and Hannah (Tucker) Kimmel.
T. J. Kimmel, his father, was born in Carroll County, Ohio, and died suddenly in October, 1898, in Arkansas City, aged 57. When a young man, T. J. Kimmel moved to Hamilton County, Iowa, taking up a farm near Webster City. There he was subsequently married to Hannah Tucker, by whom he had two sons and a daughter: Ernest, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, where he was engaged in the street railway business; Effie, who became the wife of James Coffee, of Arkansas City, and had two boys—Ray and Roy Coffee; and Will J.
On November 26, 1871, shortly after the birth of Will J., Mr. T. J. Kimmel located in Cowley County, Kansas, and took up a claim three miles east of Arkansas City, in Creswell Township. There he resided until 1880, when with William Benedict he opened a grocery in Arkansas City, the firm name being Benedict & Kimmel. During the three years they continued in business together, they rented a building on the lot occupied later by the Hustler Store, on Summit Street. W. E. Moore later succeeded Mr. Benedict as Mr. Kimmel's partner, after which the firm name became Kimmel & Moore, and they bought, of George Cunningham, the building in which Mr. Moore conducted his store. This firm remained in existence from 1884 until the real estate boom in 1886, when W. E. Moore sold his interest to G. B. Moore, and he and Mr. Kimmel continued in business together until the latter sold his interest to an attorney named Wilson. Mr. Kimmel retired temporarily from business and, having previously sold his farm, returned to his old home in Ohio, where he spent a part of the year 1889. He then returned to Arkansas City, and reembarked in the grocery business with a Mr. Davenport, under the firm name of Kimmel & Davenport. Until 1892, they conducted their store at No. 316 South Summit Street. In that year Mr. Davenport assumed entire control of the business, which he continued until 1894, when he secured the trade privilege at the Kaw Agency, whither he removed his entire grocery stock. Mr. Kimmel, with his son, reestablished himself in the store room formerly occupied by him in Arkansas City, and they conducted a grocery under the firm name of T. J. Kimmel & Son. In March 1898 T. J. Kimmel sold out to Joseph Bell, and retired from business. The firm of Kimmel & Bell continued until March 1900 when A. H. Moore, a son of G. B. Moore, bought out Mr. Bell's interest. The firm of Kimmel & Moore employed two clerks and conducted a first class store in every respect. The building in which the store was located was owned by the Kimmel estate, and was a two-story, stone structure with a large basement, its dimensions being 85 by 25 feet. It was purchased in 1887 by T. J. Kimmel, who also built a beautiful residence in the Second Ward, which in 1901 was occupied by his widow.
Will J. Kimmel, son of T. J. Kimmel, received his early schooling in Arkansas City, where he graduated from the high school. He also took a course in the business college at Ottawa, Kansas. In religious views, he was a Unitarian, although he was reared in the orthodox faith. He was a leading promoter of athletic sports. He was manager of the famous "Tigers" football team, and was also manager of one of the best known baseball teams in the West—"The Arkansas City Grays."
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[1871] PAGE 353.
PICTURE OF "PHILO KENT."
PHILO KENT, whose portrait, executed from a recent photograph, is shown herewith, was an early settler and a prosperous farmer of Cowley County, Kansas, residing in Beaver Township, on the northwest quarter of section 3, township 33, range 3 east. Besides his homestead, he owned other property in Beaver Township. He was born April 25, 1837, in Union County, Ohio, and was a son of Daniel Kent. His father died in 1865, and his mother, whose maiden name was Allen, passed away February 6, 1877. Philo Kent was one of a family of 12 children, with 5 half brothers. The following three were living in 1901 besides Philo Kent: Elizabeth (Myers) of Sedgwick County, Kansas; William, of Florence, Kansas; and Daniel, of the Cherokee strip.
Philo Kent was a young man of eighteen years, when he left home, and spent several years in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. He was in the last named state when the Civil War broke out, and in 1862 enlisted in Company D, 9th Reg., Minn. Vol. Inf. During the first year he was in the campaign against the Indians, but after that his regiment was sent to Missouri, where for three years and seven days it formed a part of the 16th Army Corps—being in the 2nd Brigade, under Gen. A. J. Smith. He was mustered out in Minnesota, after which he returned to his native state, and while there was married.
The first three years of his married life were spent there in farming, in partnership with his brother, but in 1870 he located on a farm in Miami County, Kansas. Remaining there but a short time, he took up a claim in 1871, in Beaver Township, Cowley County, comprising the northwest quarter of section 10, township 33, range 3 east. He made numerous improvements upon this tract, but sold his preemption in 1878 on account of the disadvantages encountered by his children in securing an education. He then purchased land in the northwest quarter of section 3, which he made his home. At the time of its purchase, it contained many improvements made by Mr. Keyser, its original owner. Mr. Kent later purchased the southwest quarter of section 34, Vernon Township, which was preempted by Mr. Metcalf, and in 1892 added to his possessions the northwest quarter of section 4, Beaver Township, where his daughter and son-in-law resided in 1901. On Mr. Kent's farm were fine outbuildings, a good house and barn, and a 10-acre orchard, which yielded an abundance of fruit. Choice cattle and hogs were raised in large numbers, Mr. Kent preferring Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China and Berkshire hogs.
Mr. Kent was a Democrat, in politics, and for twelve years served on the school board. He was a member of the Christian Church. He was formerly a member of the G. A. R.
Mr. Kent married Maggie Clark, a native of England, who came to the United States when a girl of seven years, and to the happy union five children were born.
1. Henry, who was married, and lived six miles north of Winfield.
2. Effie (McClung), who lived three miles south of her father's farm, in Beaver Township.
3. Allie (Luster), who lived in Beaver Township.
4 and 5. Howard and William Kent, who were living at home in 1901, assisting their father in cultivating the farm.
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[DECEMBER 1869.] PAGE 21.
PICTURE OF "HENRY C. LOOMIS."
COL. HENRY C. LOOMIS was a citizen who devoted the major portion of his time and talents to the welfare of others; and the material development of the community in which most of his unselfish life was spent merits the perpetuation of his superb record in the archives of the state and county which comprised the field of his activities.
Henry C. Loomis was born in a log house at Loomis Corners, in the town of Otto, Cattaraugus County, New York, March 16, 1834. He was a son of Bliss and Betsey Loomis. His paternal grandfather was an officer in the Revolutionary War. Henry C. Loomis was reared upon the farm and obtained a common school education. From boyhood he was interested in military affairs, and prior to the Civil War was a member of the New York state militia for seven years. At the breaking out of the war, he was first sergeant of Company C, 64th Reg., New York state militia, which regiment entered the United States service intact as a military organization, retaining its old number. Henry C. Loomis was elected first lieutenant of Company C. At the battle of Fair Oaks, the captain of Company C was absent on account of sickness, and Lieut. Loomis commanded the company in that fierce conflict. While engaged in a charge upon the Confederate lines, Lieut. Loomis was severely wounded in the arm and leg. His regiment lost, in killed and wounded, 115 men. Gen. O. O. Howard lost an arm in this engagement, having been in command of the brigade which included the 64th New York Regiment. Lieut. Loomis' wounds gave him a leave of absence for a time, and while nursing them at home he assisted in raising the 154th Reg., New York Vol. Inf., and returned to the seat of war as its lieutenant-colonel.
Age did not cool his military ardor. Largely to his efforts are due the organization and maintenance, at Winfield, of Company C, 2nd Reg. Kansas National Guards, for years prior to the Spanish war. Company F of the 21st Kansas Volunteers during that war was mainly composed of the Winfield company. Col. Loomis was an active member of Siverd Post, No. 85, G. A. R., Department of Kansas, at Winfield, of which he was a commander; he was also a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Kansas Commandery.
In the year 1869, Col. Loomis moved to Kansas, and engaged in railroad bridge building. He heard of the prospective opening of the Osage Indian Reservation to settlement, and was attracted to the valley of the Walnut River. On the last day of December, 1869, he located a squatter's claim adjoining what had been selected as a townsite, afterward known as Winfield, and when the land was opened for settlement and purchase, he obtained title to his property direct from the United States government. A part of the city of Winfield occupies 100 acres of his 160 acre tract.
As a Mason, Col. Loomis' career was exceptional. He became a Master Mason in Cattaraugus Lodge, No. 239, A. F. & A. M., at Little Valley, New York, while on a leave of absence from the army, in 1862. In the year 1872 he was a charter member of Winfield Lodge, No. 58, A. F. & A. M., and while Worshipful Master of that lodge raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason 54 candidates in one year. He was High Priest of Winfield Chapter, No. 31, R. A. M., and Eminent Commander of Winfield Commandery, No. 15, K. T., for six years; and was also a prominent member of the Royal Order of Scotland; and a life member of Isis Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He was a member of O. E. S. Queen City Chapter, No. 138, of which he became Worthy Patron. He was made a Royal and Select Master, in 1895, in Wichita Council, No. 12; and was made Knight Templar in Winfield Commandery, No. 15, of Winfield. He was made Knight Kadash in 1890 in the Wichita Consistory; and was made a Thirty-second Degree Mason, the same year, by Wichita Consistory, No. 2, at Wichita, Kansas. He was coroneted Honorable Inspector General, in October, 1893, by Philip Crosby Tucker, at St. Louis, Missouri. He was appointed Grand Junior Deacon of the Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Kansas in 1895; advanced to be Grand Junior Warden in 1896; Grand Senior Warden in 1897; Deputy Grand Master in 1898; and Grand Master in 1899. During his stewardship as Grand Master, there was a net gain of 756 in the membership of the Grand Lodge. The Colonel was instrumental in procuring for Winfield Commandery, No. 15, K. T., the finest Knight Templar banner in the United States, which attracted great attention at the National Conclave of Knights Templar in Boston, Massachusetts, in August 1895. He was Grand Standard Bearer of the Grand Commandery, Knights Templar, of the state of Kansas, and also Grand Scribe in the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons. Col. Loomis was a zealous member of Tohee Tribe, No. 8, Improved Order of Red Men, of Winfield, Kansas; and also a member of Lodge No. 427, B. P. O. E., of Wichita. The establishing of the elegant Masonic Home at Wichita, Kansas, was primarily due to the efforts of Hon. David B. Fuller, of Eureka, Kansas, president of the Home; James H. McCall, publisher of the Kansas Free Mason, at Wichita; and Col. H. C. Loomis, of Winfield, all of them being Past Grand Masters and Thirty-third Degree Masons. One of the finest rooms in the Masonic Home was the parlor, which was richly furnished and ornamented by the Winfield brothers and the Eastern Star Chapter, $500 having been donated by Brother Loomis. Its equipment cost over $1,000, and it was known as the Winfield Room.
In civil life, Col. Loomis contributed, to the extent of his means, toward the advancement of Winfield, in a most liberal manner. He was the first county clerk of Cowley County. He helped to survey the townsite of Winfield, and was one of the commissioners under the law to apportion the town lots to their owners, schools, churches, etc. He was vice-president of the Winfield Chautauqua Assembly and was industrious in promoting its useful work. As mayor, from 1896 to 1899, his administration of public affairs in Winfield was efficient and popular.
—Written by E. C. M.
[GATHER E. C. MANNING WROTE THIS ARTICLE.]
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[DECEMBER 1870.] PAGE 18.
D. B. McCOLLUM was one of the most extensive land owners of Cowley County, Kansas. He resided in Pleasant Valley Township, on section 14, township 33, range 4 east. He was born February 9, 1834, in Ohio County, Indiana (which was absorbed by Dearborn County). He was a son of John and Rebecca (Dixon) McCollum.
His father, John McCollum, was of Scotch descent and was born in West Virginia, where he farmed for many years. At a later period he moved to Indiana, where his death occurred in 1846. He located in Ohio County in 1818. His wife was of English and Welsh extraction, and died several years previous to the demise of her husband. Five children were born to them, of whom three attained their majority, namely: Thomas D., who died in Cowley County in 1879, and whose widow and sons then lived with D. B., who never married; John W., who died in Indiana in 1855; and D. B. McCollum.
D. B. McCollum remained on his father's farm until he became of age, and afterward carried on farming on his own account, and operated a grist-mill, which he owned. During, and a short time after, the Civil War, he was engaged in the lumber business. In 1869 he sold out all his interests in Indiana, and moved west to Wilson County, Kansas. There he took up a claim, but shortly afterwards sold it, and in December 1870 drove through to Cowley County, where he bought section 23, in Liberty Township. He improved that piece of property and made it his home until 1876, when he moved to Pleasant Valley Township, and bought the northeast quarter of section 14, township 33, range 4 east. His substantial, nine-room, square house was built in 1887, and stood on the northeast quarter, while the barn was on the northwest quarter of the section. Mr. McCollum was successful from the very start and invested his earnings in additional property. He owned 1,400 acres in Pleasant Valley Township and 400 acres in Liberty Township. About 900 acres of this extensive area was in pasture. Mr. McCollum raised many cattle and hogs. The balance under cultivation was mostly wheat and corn; there was good drainage due to the Walnut River. Considerable natural timber stood on the property. In later years three men were employed constantly, and many more hired during the busy season.
Mr. McCollum formerly belonged to the Masonic order. Religiously, he was a Christian of the Campbellite persuasion.
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[1870.] PAGE 53.
PHOTO: "CAPT. JAMES McDERMOTT."
CAPT. JAMES McDERMOTT was born in New York City, June 6, 1841, a son of Hugh McDermott.
Hugh McDermott was born in Ireland, and at an early age engaged in contracting. After removing to this country, he continued in the same line. His work led him to various parts of the country, a considerable time being spent in towns along the Mississippi River and through portions of the South.
James McDermott, the subject of this personal history, was a newsboy in New Orleans, during 1852 and 1853, and in the fall of the latter year, located in Lewis County, Kentucky. There he remained until the war broke out, when he enlisted in Company I, 4th Reg., Ky. Vol. Inf., as a private. He served throughout the entire war, and was a first lieutenant at the time of his discharge. During the last year of his service he was acting captain, and the title of captain clung to him. He served in the army of the Cumberland, in Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee, being under Gen. Thomas all of this time. He saw much hard fighting—participating in 21 different engagements—and was wounded at Chickamauga. At the close of the war he returned home and was engaged in farming in Lewis County for one year, and in 1866 was elected assessor of the county for a term of four years. While acting in that capacity he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1868. He studied law there until 1870, when he moved to Cowley County, Kansas, locating on the site of Dexter, of which town he was the founder. He took up a claim of 160 acres, 60 acres of which were later included in the town limits. There he engaged in merchandising for a period of one year. In the fall of 1876, he was elected county attorney of Cowley County, and immediately moved to Winfield, where he resided. He was elected to represent his district in the state legislature in 1873. He was associated in the practice of law with A. P. Johnson since 1880, and the firm was well established in a large and lucrative practice. Capt. McDermott's superior natural ability, his profound knowledge of legal principles, and his wide experience placed him in the front rank among the barristers of the county. He never missed a term of court since the county was first organized.
Politically, Capt. McDermott was a Republican. He was a member of the Baptist church. He was an active member of Siverd Post, No. 85, G. A. R., Department of Kansas, at Winfield, and served as its commander. He was also a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He belonged to the Masonic order, in which he was a Knight Templar.
NO MENTION OF FAMILY, CHILDREN!
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[1870.] PAGE 371.
TWO PHOTOS. 1. "JOHN M. MARK."
2. "RESIDENCE OF JOHN M. MARK."
JOHN M. MARK, the oldest settler living in Liberty Township, Cowley County, Kansas, left Illinois December 12, 1869, to make his home in Bourbon County, Kansas. He remained in that county for a few days, and then started, January 7, 1870, for Lyon County, Kansas, where he visited two cousins, and was joined at El Dorado by his father and his father's brother, James Mark, all of whom then set out for Dickinson County. In the party were also Fin Graham, Joe Van Horn, and Henry Smith. They traveled in two wagons, one of which belonged to John M. Mark. As Mr. Graham was destined for Cowley County, they journeyed the same way, and camped on Timber Creek, north of the present location of Burden, January 20, 1870. The next day, they drove south to Silver Creek, and camped on section 36, township 32, range 6 east. Breaking camp early the next morning, they drove south, and Mr. Graham took up land, which was later included in the farm of Gilbert T. Thompson, in section 27, township 33, range 5 east. Mr. Mark's uncle, James, took the southwest quarter of section 23, township 33, range 5 east, later owned by D. B. McCollum, and Samuel Mark, father of John Mark, took the northwest quarter of the same section. All but a fractional 26-acre piece of this land later belonged to D. R. Grose. Henry Smith took the northeast quarter of section 14, of the same township, and John M. Mark selected for his home the southeast quarter of section 4, township 33, range 5 east.
Eight hundred Osage Indians, who were in the neighborhood, watched him as he staked out his claim; and their chief, Nepperalla, ate many meals at his house in after days. Mr. Mark broke two acres, planted sod corn, and by June 1 had erected a shanty sufficing for temporary shelter. As the Indians would not permit the cutting of much timber until the signing of the formal treaty, the building of a log house was a difficult undertaking. It was finally accom-plished, and made a much needed home for its honest and hard-working occupants. The Indian chief, mentioned above, before his final removal from the country, presented Mr. Mark with a buffalo lariat, 60 feet long, as a mark of his appreciation. He always rode a white pony and wore a white scarf. After the settlers came into undisturbed possession of the country, they cut down much of the larger timber for lumber, but Mr. Mark still had about 50 acres of bluff, and 60 acres of timber. The remainder constituted a very fertile farm. His family had their home in his hewed-log house until 1875, when it was sold to Mr. Bishop, and the logs were still on the farm, owned by Mr. Winters.
The first frame house was erected in 1878, when Mr. Mark was married. Before his marriage, he had lived with his father. This house was carried away by a tornado in 1892, and it was at once replaced by a new and more commodious dwelling.
As a farmer Mr. Mark devoted his attention to corn until 1876, when he directed his efforts more toward raising wheat. In 1899 he finally returned to corn planting. Besides his own land he cultivated a half section of leased land, on which he raised oats, millet, and cane, and also handled hogs and cattle.
Previous to 1874 Liberty Township formed a part of Dexter and Tisdale Townships. Mr. Mark circulated the petitions, and was instrumental in effecting a division of the territory and organization of Liberty Township, with J. A. Hill as its first trustee; James F. Conrad, treasurer; and D. Terry, clerk.
John M. Mark was born in Washington County, Indiana, July 17, 1842, a son of Samuel and Sarah E. (Crow) Mark. His father was born in Powell's Valley, Lee County, Virginia, January 12, 1810, and died in Cowley County, Kansas, January 24, 1885. In 1820 Mark accompanied his father to Indiana, and then to Illinois in 1854, whence they started for Kansas, in 1869. Sarah E. Crow Mark, his mother, was born in Washington County, Indiana, in 1819, a daughter of Lewis and Elizabeth Crow, both natives of Virginia. She died March 13, 1886, in Cowley County. Samuel Crow served in the war of 1812. Samuel Mark and his wife were the parents of 10 children.
1. John M. Mark.
2. Eliza E., the first wife of David R. Grose.
3. Anna A., the second wife of David R. Grose.
4. Samuel L. Mark, who died in the army.
5. Mary L. (Mrs. Page), who died shortly before 1901.
6. David E. Mark, who resided four miles west of John M. Mark.
7. Robert Mark, who was accidentally killed.
8. Hugh Mark.
9 and 10. Died in infancy.
John M. Mark was reared in Warren County, Indiana, where he attended the public schools. August 16, 1861, when weighing but 100 pounds, he enlisted in Company I ("the blind half hundred"), 50th Reg., Ill. Vol. Inf. The regiment was put under the command of Gen. Prentice, and its first battle was at the taking of Fort Donelson. From that important event the regiment fought its way to Shiloh, where it was attached to Baldwin's brigade, McClernand's division. Later it became a part of the 16th Army Corps, under the command of Gen. Davis, and still later it was part of the Second Division of the left wing of the 16th Army Corps, under Gen. Dodge. After Vicksburg it was a part of the 15th Army Corps, Fourth Division, under Gen. Corse. This army corps was under the command of Gen. Logan, remembered as the greatest volunteer officer of the Civil War. Mr. Mark was mustered out under Gen. Corse. He took part in the battles of Fort Donelson, Fort McHenry, Pittsburg Landing, and in the siege of Corinth, and was engaged in the last fight at Corinth against Gen. Price. The bloodiest battle in which he participated was at Allatoona Pass, where the 7th and 50th Illinois Regiments, with the 39th Iowa Regiment (1,800 men in all) lost one-third of their number.
At the close of the war, Mr. Mark went back to his Illinois home, where he lived until his removal to Kansas. He ran a threshing machine, worked hard, and was known throughout the township as an honorable and industrious man. On December 8, 1878, Mr. Mark married Decta Seacat, born in Harrison County, Indiana, one of ten children resulting from the union of Peter and Catherine Seacat, the others being:
Charles, Hardin, and Penelope (Devore), who died in Cowley County.
Thornton Seacat, deceased.
Porter Seacat, who lived in Clark County, Kansas.
Fountain Seacat, who resided in Canadian County, Oklahoma.
Blanche (Mosler), who lived in Cowley County.
Florence (Vandevar), whose home was near Medford, in the Cherokee strip.
Mr. Seacat settled in Cowley County in 1872, and bought land in Pleasant Valley Township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Seacat were dead before 1901.
To Mr. and Mrs. John M. Mark were born the following children, all but two of whom were living in 1901.
Cora (Beach), who married, lived in Cowley County, and had one child—Edward R. Beach.
Edward R. Mark.
Florence Mark, who was living at home.
Prentice Mark, who was at school.
Logan Mark, deceased.
Blanche and John Mark, who attended school.
Otis Mark, deceased.
Mary Mark, who was living at home.
Mr. Mark always worked with the Republican party, and was a justice of the peace, and in former days was successively treasurer of Tisdale and Liberty Townships. He took part in the working of Siverd Post, No. 85, Grand Army of the Republic, and felt a pride in his military record. It is a story of honorable and faithful service, and bespeaks the hero and the patriot.
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[1869] PAGE 102.
M. N. MARTINDALE, an old and highly respected pioneer of Cowley County, located within its borders in July 1869. He possessed many sterling qualities, was honest and upright, and always strived for the welfare of his adopted community. He was born in Wayne County, Indiana, August 4, 1820. His father was Jesse Martindale. Moses Martindale, grandfather of M. N., was born in South Carolina, where the family resided many years. In 1849, M. N. Martindale made his great-grandfather, William Martindale, a pair of slippers.
Jesse Martindale was also born in South Carolina, but the greater part of his years was spent in Indiana, where he followed farming and stock raising. He married Barbara Chenoweth, a native of Virginia. Several of their children died in infancy. Those living in 1901 were: Benjamin G., William C., George B., and Hannah, all living in Indiana; Lucy; and M. N., the only one who lived in Kansas.
M. N. Martindale remained at home until he was 27 years of age, and his life was devoted to farming. He located in Cowley County in July 1869, and took up 80 acres of the northwest quarter of section 19, Rock Township, and 80 acres of the southwest quarter of section 18, in the same township. There were but few white settlers in the county and Mr. Martindale's nearest neighbor resided about four miles distant. Indians were then very numerous, although not troublesome. Mr. Martindale spoke of many interesting tales of early life in Kansas, and of the hardships endured by the pioneers. On the farm taken up by him a cabin was needed, and this was ready for occupancy about Christmas, 1869. His brothers-in-law, S. N. and J. D. Cady, accompanied Mr. Martindale to Cowley County, and with them brought about 300 Texas cattle. In 1870 Mr. Martindale broke 15 acres, which he put into corn. He made improvements upon the place, until it stood second to none in the county. He was an extensive raiser of grain and livestock, but in later years rented all but 80 acres of his farm to his son-in-law, and spent his time looking after his small tract of land.
Mr. Martindale was married in October 1847 to Polly Cady, of Cincinnati, Ohio, who was born August 17, 1821, and died April 16, 1899. They had six children: Catherine, deceased; C. H. and J. W., who were stock raisers, residing in the northwestern part of Texas; Clara B., who was the wife of G. W. Kimsey, of Maple Township; J. C., who went to the Klondike in 1898; and Lydia M., who was the wife of Albert Brookshire, a young farmer of Maple Township.
Mr. Martindale served with distinction in the Confederate army, as captain of a company of infantry, under Gen. McCullough. He was a member of the Christian Church of Rock, of which his wife was also a member.
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[NOVEMBER 1870] PAGE 425.
PHOTOS: 1) JOHN D. MAURER.
2) ORIGINAL CLAIMS HOUSE OF JOHN D. MAURER.
3) PRESENT RESIDENCE OF JOHN D. MAURER.
JOHN D. MAURER, who journeyed to Kansas in 1865, after leaving the army, was a prominent citizen of Cowley County. He owned 520 acres of land in Dexter Township, a portion of which was fertile bottom-land lying in the valley of Grouse Creek. He was often called upon to serve in an official capacity, and, as often, discharged his duties in a satisfactory and creditable manner.
Mr. Maurer was born in Miami County, Ohio, in the town of Covington, July 1, 1843, a son of Jones and Frances (Cable) Maurer.
Jonas Maurer was of German descent, and was born in Pennsylvania in 1817. He was brought to Ohio by his parents in 1821, and lived there until 1864, when he moved to the vicinity of Emporia, Kansas, where his wife and daughter died the same year. He then lived mainly with his son, John D., and at intervals, with his other children during his declining years. He died in 1882, at the home of a daughter, at Madison, Greenwood County, Kansas. He was a Democrat until 1856, when he voted for John C. Fremont, and afterward was a staunch supporter of the Republican party.
James Maurer married Frances Cable, who was born in Miami County, Ohio, November 22, 1822, and died in June 1864. Her father was an Englishman, and one of four brothers who came to America—two locating in the South and the others remaining in the North. The well known writer, of Louisiana, George W. Cable, was a descendant of one of the brothers who went south.
John D. Maurer was the oldest of five children, the others being: Sally A. (Martindale), of Emporia; Rowland C., who was a farmer, living with his family near his brother, John D. Maurer; Anna Belle, who died, near Emporia, at the age of twelve years; and Eunice, who married Henry R. Branson, and died March 1, 1886.
John D. Maurer was reared in Ohio, where he attended school until he reached the age of nineteen years. He spent two years of the time in a select school, receiving especial preparation for teaching. He taught one term in Ohio, and also one term after moving to Kansas.
At the age of nineteen years, he enlisted, on August 7, 1862, in Company B, 94th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and was discharged June 14, 1865. He served in the 14th Army Corps under Gen. Thomas, and was slightly wounded at Perryville, being incapacitated for service for six weeks. He also accompanied Sherman's army, as a private, on its "March to the Sea."
He journeyed to Kansas just after the close of the war, and worked as a cowboy for three years about Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas, and also engaged in farming.
A colony of his friends, 17 in number, first visited Cowley County in the spring of 1870. He also made a trip over the country, and finally located in Cowley County in November, 1870, bringing his family a short time afterward. He preempted his present home, the northwest quarter of section 20, township 32, range 7 east, as soon as the survey was made, and built a cabin 12 by 14 feet, of native lumber. He hauled his logs to the mill of Bert French, at Dexter, giving half of the lumber as payment for the sawing. The lumber was of hackberry, walnut, and oak. In the spring of 1871, he split 3,000 rails, and in the winter of 1871-1872 he and his brother cut 300 tons of hay and took 350 head of cattle to feed. He set out two acres of orchard, and found that the Pippin and Ben Davis apples were the best for this county.
He eventually owned 520 acres of land, having bought part of it of the preemptors, G. C. Graham, Albert Graham, and Will Coates, all of whom moved away. A part of this tract, 180 acres, was in the fertile Grouse Valley, and was bottom-land, which he cultivated, the remainder being in pasture. He fed cattle and hogs largely and was engaged in general farming, always raising some wheat so as to rotate his crops, but making corn the principal crop. He favored Poland-China hogs and Shorthorn cattle. His crops failed twice, owing to the ravages of the elephant bug. He ended up with a finely improved farm, which he would not part with for $15,000. His original claim house was enlarged and in it he lived with his family for 25 years. His last modern residence of eight large rooms was 28 by 30 feet, two stories high, built in 1899. A new barn, built in 1900, was 30 by 32 feet; arranged for 12 horses, and had a granary and crib with a capacity of 600 bushels of corn, and a mow which held 20 tons of hay.
Mr. Maurer was married in 1868 to Alta M. Garlinghouse, who was born in Delaware County, Ohio, November 28, 1848. Her father was a native of Kentucky, and married Margaret Reed, by whom he had 13 children: Lewis, a soldier of the Civil War, in 1901 was in the Soldiers' Home at Leavenworth; Mrs. Curtendahl, who lived in Emporia; Mrs. Sailor, who lived in Topeka; William and Stephen—who went to Oregon before the war. Mr. and Mrs. Garlinghouse lived with Mr. Maurer, at Winfield, while he was in office there; the father of Mrs. Maurer died in June 1898, aged 89, and her mother passed away in January 1899, aged 86.
[NOTE: 13 CHILDREN...BUT ONLY A FEW ARE ACCOUNTED FOR.]
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Maurer had four children.
1. Ralph J. Maurer. Born near Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas, he was conducting a store at Cambridge, and was married to Lena Hibbets, of Cowley County.
2. Willis R. Maurer. Lived on a farm one mile from his father. He married Stella Hankins, and had one child in 1901.
3. Maude Maurer. Taking musical instruction under Miss Gertrude Hale, at Winfield.
4. Rowland Blaine Maurer, 16 years old in 1901, attending school in district No. 7, which his father helped to organize.
Mr. Maurer served for 15 years on the school board. He served as justice of the peace, and was elected county commissioner in 1871, at the first regular election in the county. He was away from home at the time and did not know of his election for several days. He served two terms in the state legislature, having been elected in 1884, and reelected in 1886. He was always a Republican. He was elected registrar of deeds in Cowley County in 1895—serving four years—during which time he leased his farm and resided with his family in Winfield. He was made a Mason, at Dexter, and belonged to the blue lodge. He was made a Knight Templar, at Winfield, and was also a member of the Fraternal Aid in that city. He was a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security, at Dexter. He belonged to Siverd Post, No. 85, G. A. R., of Winfield, of which he was quarter-master two terms. He first joined at Dexter and was commander three times; but that post was disbanded. He also belonged to the A. O. U. W., of Dexter. Both he and wife were members of the Order of the Eastern Star. Mrs. Maurer was a member of the Ladies of the G. A. R. at Winfield, and belonged to the Women's Relief Corps, at Dexter, until it was disbanded. They were Methodists and attended church at Dexter.
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[JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 1871; APRIL 9, 1871.] PAGE 489.
ALFRED A. MILLS, living in retirement in 1901 at Cedar Vale, Chautauqua County, Kansas, was for many years one of the leading agriculturists of Otter Township, Cowley County, where he owned considerable land.
Alfred A. Mills was born in Scott County, Illinois, in September 1840, a son of A. A. and Beedy (Lowe) Mills.
His father, A. A. Mills, was of Irish descent and was born in Vermont in 1801. At the age of 14 he went with his father to Indiana, where the latter settled along the Wabash River, and followed the trade of a millwright. In 1821 he moved to Scott County, Illinois, where he died. A. A. Mills early engaged in farming and continued at that occupation through life. He married Beedy Lowe, who was of Dutch descent, and was born at Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1804. They lived together for 57 years, the husband dying in 1890, and the wife, four years later. They had eight children: Harriet, deceased; Laura (Straight), who re-sided in Northern Missouri; James, deceased; Mary (Graves), a widow, who resided in Cedar Vale, Kansas; Alfred A.; Sarah Edith (Haskell), of Illinois; Rhoda (Funk) of Illinois; and Daniel W., who resided on the old home farm in Illinois, which had never passed out of the hands of the Mills family.
Alfred A. Mills was reared in Illinois, where he attended the common schools, which were partly subscription and partly free in their nature. He remained at home until 1862, when he enlisted as a private in Company I, 129th Reg., Ill. Vol. Inf. He was afterward corporal and color bearer in the 20th Army Corps under Maj. Gen. Hooker, and Brig. Gen. Benjamin Harrison. He served until the close of the war and took part in the Atlanta campaign. He participated in many engagements, among them being Resaca, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, and Averysboro, North Carolina. He saw hard service and experienced many narrow escapes from injury or death, but was never seriously hurt. He was mustered out at Washington and received his discharge at Chicago, Illinois.
Immediately thereafter, he rented land which he cultivated, and also engaged in freighting in that state. In 1868, he drove through to Linn County, Kansas, where he remained until 1871. In January and February of 1871, he spent considerable time in looking over the land of Cowley County, and on April 9, of that year, arrived at Humboldt with his family. For nine months he lived at the head of the creek in Otter Township, and then moved to a tract in sections 8 and 9, township 33, range 8 east, trading with Mr. Hamilton, as the claims in the valley of Otter Creek were then nearly all taken. Five acres of the land had been broken, but otherwise the property was wholly unimproved, and the many fine improvements made were the work of Mr. Mills. On two of the original five-acre tracts broken, he set out an orchard in the spring of 1873, buying the trees from Mr. Hatch, agent of Mound City nursery.
He began as a poor man, having only three yoke of oxen, and $27 in money, but he used what he had, to the best advantage, and was soon enabled to reap the results of his industry. He prospered, grew to be a man of influence in the community, and owned 435 acres in sections 8 and 9. Corn was his first crop, and in 1873 he planted five acres of wheat. He had excellent success with his wheat in 1875, the land yielding an average of 40 bushels to the acre, which was marketed at Independence, for 60 cents per bushel.
He lived in the little claim house until about 1882, when he built a house of comfortable size, constructed of lumber shipped from Chicago to Grenola. He preferred this location for a farm, because of the natural timber growing along the creek. Most of the old trees were cut down, and sawed in the mill of Mr. Shawver, the lumber being used in 1879 in the building of a barn.
He purchased 115 acres of pasture land of Mr. Thompson, who in 1901 then lived near Dexter; also an 80-acre tract of D. W. Jones; and another, of equal size, of Henry Weaver. He owned land in sections 8, 9, 16, and 17, in township 33, range 8 east, and 160 acres in section 4. His efforts were always directed toward general farming and stock raising, preferring Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs. He had an excellent water supply on the farm, furnished by Otter Creek and three wells, 18 feet deep. He made his home on the farm until March 12, 1893, when he retired and moved to Cedar Vale, where he had a fine home in which he resided.
Mr. Mills was married in October 1865 to Carrie Dugger, who was born near Rosita, Tennessee, January 25, 1843, a daughter of Thomas and Nancy (Hassler) Dugger, both natives of Tennessee. Her parents moved to Scott County, Illinois, when she was eight years old, and to Kansas, in 1871. Her father and mother died in 1875, just eight weeks apart—the former aged 62 and the latter aged 58. Mr. and Mrs. Dugger were the parents of 10 children, of whom 7 grew to maturity. They were: Marion A., who died shortly before 1901, and was in the same regiment with Mr. Mills during the Civil War; Melissa P. (Crawford), of Clay County, Kansas; Albert, who served in the 7th Reg., Ill. Vol. Cav., was captured at Holly Springs, spent nine months in the rebel prison at Milton, Georgia, and was living in Nebraska in 1901; Carrie, wife of Mr. Mills; Thomas, who was killed in the Army, while serving, also in the 129th Reg., Ill. Vol. Inf.; Michael, of Clay County, Kansas; and Lewis A., a minister of the Methodist church, who lived in Kansas.
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred A. Mills had three children.
1. Orville Mills, born in 1866, spent five years in Oklahoma, and then rented his father's farm. He also owned a quarter section of land. He married Emma Hawkins, and had four children: Carl, Ralph, Vernal, and Otis.
2. Vesta Mills, born in 1869, a clerk in a store at Cedar Vale in 1901.
3. Myrta Mills, born in 1872, died at the age of six years and six months.
Mr. Mills was a Republican; his father was a Whig.
He was appointed justice of the peace, and was elected to that office when the first township election was held, succeeding 'Squire R. R. Turner. He joined Dexter Post, G. A. R., and later belonged to Clover Dale Post, No. 345. He and his worthy wife were members of the Society of Select Friends. In religious views, he was liberal, and his wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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[WINTER 1870] PAGE 77.
TWO PHOTOS: 1) SOLOMON NAWMAN.
2) RESIDENCE OF SOLOMON NAWMAN...5 PEOPLE.
SOLOMON NAWMAN is the only resident of his locality that still lived on the claim which he originally took up. He located in the Sunflower State in the fall of 1869, but he did not settle within the borders of Cowley County until the winter of 1870. Then he filed a claim to his farm, comprising the southwest quarter of section 3, township 33, range 4 east.
Solomon Nawman was born December 5, 1826, in Clark County, Ohio, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Camp) Nawman.
Jacob Nawman, father of Solomon, was a native of Virginia, where his ancestors had lived many years. When he was a lad of 17, he located in Clark County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming, and where he died in 1880. His wife, Elizabeth Camp, whose people were early setters of Maryland, was born at Hagerstown. Her parents afterward moved to Ohio, where she met Mr. Nawman, whom she subsequently married.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Nawman had eight children.
1. John, deceased. He lived near Oklahoma City.
2. Solomon Nawman.
3. Mary Ann, deceased.
4. Catherine, who resided in Ohio.
5. Thomas, who died in Indiana.
6. Benjamin, who died at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, from sickness contracted while in the army.
7. Elizabeth, who lived in Ohio.
8. Maude, who lived in Omaha, Nebraska.
Solomon Nawman spent his early youth attending the public schools of his native district, and then learned the trade of a carpenter, which he followed, together with contracting, for the twenty years next preceding his removal to the West. He worked at Springfield, Ohio, and in its vicinity. He was always his own mechanic, and built all the buildings on his farm, including his nine-room house, which was 56 feet long. This house, a two-story dwelling, was one of the largest in Cowley County. He drove through from Ohio to Lyon County, Kansas, reached the latter place in the fall of 1869, and taking up a claim, pursued the occupation of a farmer. He built a house, in which he lived until the winter of 1870, and then brought his family to Cowley County, where he ever since resided. His family then consisted of a wife and three children; upon their arrival, December 26, 1870, he purchased his present claim, which had been taken up by Bill Woorse. Mr. Nawman had looked over the land in Cowley County a month prior to his occupation of the claim. A small log cabin stood on the place, and in it the family lived until Mr. Nawman completed a box house, 14 by 16 feet in size. This house was still standing in 1901 and was still in use. The family lived in that house thirteen years, when, in 1883, they moved into a new and commodious house.
With three horses, which he brought along from Lyon County, Mr. Nawman began to break the sod, and the first year succeeded in breaking 12 acres, which he planted with corn. His first crop was very good, and the next year he put in more corn, and after five or six years he had his farm pretty thoroughly under cultivation. Wheat raising mainly occupied his attention in later years, and his first wheat and stock market was at Wichita, about 50 miles north. Mr. Nawman made many a rough and hazardous trip to that city. His farm contained a four-acre orchard, the first 25 trees of which were set out in 1872, and on his place were many fine shade trees. In section 10 adjoining his farm, he owned 11 acres of timber land.
Solomon Nawman married Lucy Miller in Ohio. She was born and reared one mile from where Jacob Nawman lived.
Solomon and Lucy Nawman had four children.
1. Rachael (McPherson), who lived in Oklahoma, and had four children: Leland, Gladys, Paul, and Teddy McPherson.
2. Henry Nawman, who lived at home.
3. George Nawman, who resided in Montana.
4. Josephine Nawman, who was born in Kansas, and died when a little girl.
Mr. Nawman was a Republican, and his first vote was cast for Gen. Taylor for president. Mrs. Nawman favored the Lutheran church. After her death, which occurred June 4, 1893, Miss Sheesley kept house for Mr. Nawman.
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[1871] PAGE 209.
JOHN L. PARSONS, one of the most prosperous and influential farmers in Cowley County, Kansas, resided in section 23, Vernon Township, engaged in tilling the soil all his life. He was born in Fleming County, Kentucky, September 25, 1846, and was a son of James Parsons.
James Parsons was also born in Kentucky, in Fleming County, and there he still lived in 1901, pursuing the vocation of an agriculturist, to which he was reared. He married Martha Hicks, who was born in 1823, and passed from this life in 1891. Their children were: Isaiah, deceased; John L.; George, who resided in Nicholas County, Kentucky; James, who lived on the old homestead, in Kentucky; Edward, deceased; Nancy E. (Belknap), who lived in Omnia Township, Cowley County; Lucy (Duffy), who lived in Fleming County, Kentucky; Molly M. (Barton), deceased; and Mattie (Gillespie), who also lived in Fleming County, Kentucky.
John L. Parsons obtained his early schooling in his native town, and when a lad of sixteen years joined the Union army, as a private in the 7th Reg., Ky. Vol. Cav., which formed part of the Army of the Cumberland. His regiment accompanied General Sherman on the memorable march from Atlanta to the Sea. He was honorably discharged in July, 1865, at which time he ranked as a corporal.
In 1871 Mr. Parsons came west to Omnia Township, Cowley County, preempted a quarter section, and remained on it two years. He then returned to his native state, and after his marriage in 1876, returned to his farm in Cowley County. He resided upon the place many years, during which time he made extensive improvements upon it. In 1893 he sold it and purchased the old Clung farm, which consisted of 500 acres, lying in sections 23 and 24. This farm became one of the best and most productive in the whole county. He raised a large amount of grain, and also occupied much of his time in breeding livestock. In 1900 he had 200 acres in wheat, which averaged 20 bushels to the acre.
Mr. Parsons married Elizabeth Cowan, a native of Fleming County, Kentucky. They had one child: John Larkie Parsons.
The family favored the Christian church, while in politics Mr. Parsons was a Republican. During the early days of his residence in Vernon Township, he served as justice of the peace, and remained a leader of the party in his section of the county.
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[FEBRUARY 1871] PAGE 208.
DANIEL W. PIERCE was president of the board of county commissioners of Cowley County. He was a resident of the county since February, 1871, living in section 14, Ninnescah Township.
Daniel W. Pierce was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, January 21, 1847, a son of Willard A. Pierce.
Willard A. Pierce was a lifelong farmer, who in 1854 left Vermont and moved to Dodge County, Wisconsin, where he took up a farm near the village of Waterloo. There he lived until his death, in 1868. He married Mary J. Northrop, who died in 1898, while residing with a son in the northern part of Kansas. They were the parents of seven children.
1. Alvira, who was the wife of T. W. Carter, of Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
2. Charles, who was a merchant at Boise City, Idaho.
3. Daniel W.
4. Ida, who was the wife of A. Thompson, employed by the Fisher-Bowman Mining Company, of Boise City, Idaho.
5. Clara, who was the wife of A. A. Fisher, manager of the same company—Fisher-Bowman Mining Company, Boise City, Idaho.
6. Albert, who was a farmer in the northern part of Kansas.
7. Abbie, who was the wife of A. Dewey, a retired farmer of Dane County, Wisconsin.
Mr. Pierce attended school at Waterloo, Wisconsin, and remained under the parental roof until he attained the age of twenty-four years.
With William Sheldon, he drove through to Iowa, thence to Nebraska, and finally to Kansas. In February, 1871, he took up his present home, although he did not move upon it until 1873. In 1880 he bought 160 acres in the section west of his home, and 80 acres in section 23, which were taken up by a Mr. Wells. The last named place contained an orchard and a small house, and 50 acres of it had been broken, while the other farm contained no improvements whatever. Mr. Pierce set about improving his farm and it became second to none. The buildings were good and substantial, and the place had an appearance denoting a thrifty and enterprising owner. His present home was completed in 1899, at a cost of $1700. He was a large producer of grain and feed, and raised large numbers of hogs and cattle.
Mr. Pierce formed a matrimonial alliance with Minerva Thompson, of Dane County, Wisconsin, a daughter of Harrison and Adeline Thompson. This union resulted in the birth of the following children: Cora, who was the wife of T. Stone, and died aged twenty-one years; Olive; Oscar; Herbert; and Mary.
Mr. Pierce was a soldier in the Civil War, enlisting at the age of seventeen in Company H, 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery; he served one year, or until the end of the war.
Politically, Mr. Pierce was a Republican; he was elected to various township offices. He served as township trustee; on the school board; and since 1896 held the position as president of the board of county commissioners.
He was an active member of Lodge No. 408, I. O. O. F., of Udall, Kansas. Religiously, he favored the United Brethren Church.
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[1870] PAGE 140.
A. V. POLK, a retired dentist and farmer of Cowley County, was one of the energetic and industrious men who settled in this county at an early date. He located in section 32, Rock Township, where he took up his claim August 12, 1870.
A. V. Polk was born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, January 6, 1832, a son of Frederick and Mary E. (Vallerschamp) Polk.
Frederick Polk, father of A. V. Polk, was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and was a lifelong farmer. He lived 20 years in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and then moved to Columbia County, in the same state, and, later, to Snyder County. He died in 1873. His wife was Mary E. Vallerschamp, of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, who died in 1872. They were the parents of the following children: Simon V., a machinist, married Eliza Owen; Martha Jane, wife of Isaac Hummel, of Kratzerville, PA; Watson, who died, aged 11; Sarah Ann, who died, aged 32; Frederick, who died, aged 21; Wesley, who died, aged 11; Nelson, who died in May, 1890; A. V.; Andrew Jackson, who was educated for a dentist at Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and who, although he practiced dentistry many years, was engaged in the manufacture of gas fittings, at Millersburg, Pennsylvania; and Mary Elizabeth, deceased.
A. V. Polk attended the public schools in the vicinity of his birthplace for two winters, and also the select schools, and then studied dentistry with his brother, Andrew J., and Dr. J. Vallerschamp, at Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. He and his brother practiced together eight years, and one year was spent in Snyder County, Pennsylvania.
A. V. Polk lived in the East until after his marriage and then journeyed to Kansas, first locating near Topeka, where he spent a summer. On February 12, 1870, he took 160 acres in section 30, Rock Township, Cowley County, but exactly six months later, he took up his present homestead: now comprising the southeast quarter of section 32, township 30, range 4 east. For three years the family lived in a house 19 by 22 feet, in dimensions. For five years Mr. Polk conducted a general store in this house, and at the same time devoted his leisure to setting out trees, and otherwise improving the place. He sold 80 acres of the original property to J. C. Page, and then bought seven acres of James Wall. He eventually owned 87 acres, and raised grain and livestock. His farm contained many good improvements.
Mr. Polk was the oldest dentist in the county, having practiced throughout its extent; but in 1900 he retired from that profession.
Mr. Polk was married September 16, 1868, to Elizabeth Welfelt, of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Adam and Ann (Van Way) Welfelt. They had a son, Adam, who died in 1874, and they then had an adopted daughter, Myra.
Mr. Polk was a Republican, and served on the school board. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and was a deacon since 1874.
A. V. Polk enlisted in Company A, 1st Reg., Pa. Vol. Cav., at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and acted as regimental quartermaster-sergeant. On board the government boat, "Alby," he went to Florida with supplies. After being mustered out, he returned to New York City on the boat "Mary," on April 14, 1865.
When Mr. and Mrs. Polk settled in Cowley County, there were but three log houses between Douglas and Winfield, and Mr. Polk remembered that 150 horses were stolen in one winter between El Dorado and Arkansas City.
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[1870] PAGE 203.
PHOTO: MR. AND MRS.. CHARLES A. RAMBO.
CHARLES A. RAMBO preempted his present farm in the fall of 1870. It then comprised the northwest quarter of section 26, township 33, range 3 east; of this quarter he later owned but 80 acres. He also owned 40 acres in the southwest quarter of section 23, and made fruit growing his chief pursuit for many years.
Charles A. Rambo was born January 18, 1845, in the village of Bonaparte, Van Buren County, Iowa, on the Des Moines River, and was a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Tingler) Rambo.
The father of Charles A. Rambo was Jacob Rambo, born in 1816, probably in Muskingum County, Ohio, and was of German descent. He moved to Van Buren County, Iowa, in 1840; and in 1852, removed to Lee County, where he carried on farming until his death, in 1888. He married Elizabeth Tingler, who was born near Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1814, and who was killed by the cars in 1898 in Idaho. They had 10 children: George, who died in Idaho, in 1898; Isaac, who was a miner and rancher in Idaho; Henry C., who lived in Barton County, Missouri; Hassell, who died in Corinth, Mississippi, when he was a soldier in Company I, 15th Reg., Ia. Vol. Inf.; Mary E. (Marsh), who died in Washington; Curtis, who lived at Republic, Kansas; Charles A., who lived in Beaver Township, Cowley County; James, a miner in Idaho; Martha E. (Rynearson), who resided in Boise City, Idaho, where her husband was a miner and blacksmith; and Clara E. (Cassel), who lived in Keokuk, Iowa.
Charles A. Rambo remained at home until he attained the age of eighteen years, when he drove five yoke of oxen through to Portland, Oregon, together with a caravan of about 40 wagons, the trip consuming six months. He remained there three years on this trip, and in Washington taught school one term. On his return home, he drove a mule team through part of Montana, and to Salt Lake City, and he did not find a railroad until he reached Fort Kearney, Nebraska, which was then the terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad. Reaching home, he taught school and assisted in operating the farm.
After his marriage, in 1869, Charles A. Rambo started for Kansas, and on the last day of September, 1870, arrived in Cowley County. He drove through in company with his wife, bringing with them what furniture they had, and he at once preempted his present farm. He lived in his covered wagon until his house was built, and after he had laid four logs for a foundation for his cabin, as the law required, he had but 75 cents in his pockets. He then hauled the remainder of his logs from the Arkansas River, and soon had his 12 by 14 foot cabin completed. They lived in that until their present six-room house was built in 1884. The claim house was built a few rods north of their present residence, near a large spring, which always supplied the farm with plenty of pure water. A regular Kansas stable served as a barn for some years, and was finally replaced by a frame one, which was destroyed by fire during threshing time in 1888. All the buildings on the place were substantial.
Some natural timber stood on this farm, and in 1872 Mr. Rambo set out many cottonwood trees and some fruit trees. To the latter he kept adding from time to time, until his orchard covered 20 acres. He also had a small vineyard. In his later years Mr. Rambo devoted his attention more to gardening and the growing of small fruit, which he marketed at Arkansas City. He also raised some hogs, favoring the Poland-China breed.
He sold the west half of his claim, and subsequently bought 440 acres on the north, making his farm consist of 120 acres.
Mr. Charles A. Rambo married January 31, 1869, Emma E. Robb, at Charleston, Lee County, Iowa. She was born August 30, 1850, in Iowa, a daughter of H. D. and Emma (Rose) Robb. Her mother died in 1852, and her father placed his five children in good, respectable homes, and went to California as a gold miner. The children were as follows: Lewis C.; Mary E.; John A.; Nora E.; and Emma E.
Lewis C. Robb was a retired farmer, living at Vincennes, Iowa, in 1901, and he was, at one time, a telegraph operator on the Des Moines Valley Railroad; he married and had six children.
Mary E. (Peek) resided in Arkansas City; she located in the state, in 1878, and became the mother of nine children.
John A. Robb had a family and lived in California.
Nora E. (Gilmer), whose husband, R. A. Gilmer, located in Kansas in 1869, was a resident of Arkansas City in 1901.
Emma E., Mr. Rambo's wife, lived at the home of P. M. Lowden until after her marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Rambo had six children: James M.; Ira O.; Laura Belle; Lewis Hassell; Emma G., and Florence V.
1. James M. Rambo, born February 25, 1871, married Minnie Steward, by whom he had one child, Helen Gertrude; he lived in Arkansas City.
2. Ira O. Rambo, born December 12, 1874, was a clerk of Beaver Township, and captain of the lodge of the M. W. of A. at Hackney.
3. Laura Belle Rambo, born October 19, 1884, was attending school in 1901, and preparing herself to be a teacher.
4. Lewis Hassell Rambo, twin brother of Laura Belle, died when three years of age.
5. Emma G. Rambo was born January 6, 1890.
6. Florence V. Rambo was born June 29, 1894.
Politically, Mr. Rambo was a Populist, and served three terms as township trustee, and two terms as clerk. Religiously, he was a member of the United Brethren denomination, and attended the church near Hackney, Kansas.
During the early years of Mr. Rambo's residence in Cowley County, he went on many hunting trips and the custom then was to go in pairs or small parties, partly for mutual protection from the Indians, in the case of hostile feeling arising. Buffaloes were then quite plentiful, and the meat was used almost exclusively, as livestock was so scarce that little was killed. Wichita was the only market place for wheat and hogs, until 1878. After that year, the marketing was done at Winfield, which was nearer, and the railroad into that city made it quite convenient for the surrounding farmers. Indians were wont to camp near Mr. Rambo's house, and when he was away Mrs. Rambo spent many a restless night. The red men, however, never molested the place, and to Mr. Rambo's knowledge, nothing was ever stolen from his premises by them, although they used to beg for food quite frequently.
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[FEBRUARY 1871] PAGE 244.
J. R. RICHARDS located in section 30, Rock Township, Cowley County, Kansas, in February 1871. He was born in Mount Pleasant, Jefferson County, Ohio, December 30, 1835, a son of J. W. Richards.
The father of J. R. Richards, J. W. Richards, was born in Philadelphia, and his wife, formerly Mary C. Carmichael, was born in Baltimore, Maryland. J. W. Richards grew up in his native state and then moved to Jefferson County, Ohio, where he carried on farming, and followed his trade as a cooper. He went to California in 1849, returned in 1858, and died at J. R. Richards' home in January 1879. His wife died at Wyandotte, Kansas, in 1872, aged 64 years. They were the parents of 16 children, of whom 3 were still living in 1901: Eliza, who was the wife of Joseph Pierce, of Kansas City, Missouri; Otis C., a machinist; and J. R.
J. R. Richards received a public school education, and lived at home until 1854. He then went to Shasta County, California, and shortly afterward to Tuolumne County, California, where he was engaged in mining. He left California in 1858, and journeyed to the Eastern States. In 1862 he was engaged in the cattle business, and in 1863, he went to Wheeling, West Virginia. He then located at Cedron, Ohio, where he conducted a general store from 1865 to 1867. The following year he spent in farming in Fayette County, Indiana. In Jackson County, Indiana, he was engaged in store keeping for one year, and in farming, two years, and then set out for Cowley County, Kansas.
He located on his present 40 acres, in section 30, Rock Township, which consisted of raw prairie land, in February 1871. He lived for a time in a little log cabin which stood on the place, but later built a house 14 by 20 feet in size, which was in turn replaced by a modern dwelling having dimensions of 16 by 30 feet, with a 20 by 20 foot addition.
The first year, he broke 14 acres, which he put into corn and potatoes; he lived there for two years, after which he rented the farm. From 1876 to 1878, he mined and operated a ranch near Deadwood, South Dakota. During 1897, 1898, and 1899, he was engaged in farming in Oklahoma, where he went on account of his wife's health. He later resided on his original homestead, which was in a fine state of cultivation. He raised grain and livestock.
On September 23, 1866, Mr. Richards married Euphrasia Hoover. She was born in Ohio, and was a daughter of John G. and Eliza Hoover, the former a lifelong farmer. She died September 1, 1899. They had the following children.
1. Otis Richards, a farmer and stock raiser in Oklahoma.
2. Mary Louise Richards, who died, aged fifteen years.
3. Thomas Richards, deceased.
4. John G. Richards, a farmer and stock raiser in Day County, Oklahoma.
5. Addie I. Richards, who lived at home.
6. Libbie Richards, who became a teacher in Day County, Oklahoma.
7. Fred S. Richards. [Nothing said as to what he did.]
In politics Mr. Richards was independent. He belonged to the I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 508, of Udall, Kansas.
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[1871] PAGE 413.
CHARLES W. RIDGWAY, who owned 1,320 acres of land in Cowley County, Kansas, was a resident of the county ever since he was nine years of age, when he accompanied his father from Ohio. Mr. Ridgway was born in Monroe County, Ohio, August 25, 1862, and was a son of Charles W. Ridgway, Sr., who was also a native of Monroe County.
Our subject's grandfather came to this country from the British Isles. Charles W. Ridgway, Sr., kept a store for 19 years along the Ohio River, and in 1871 moved west to Cowley County, Kansas. He took, as a claim, the present home of Charles W. Ridgway, his son, the property being described as lots 2 and 3, and the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 31, township 33, range 7 east, in Dexter Township. He later bought an additional 480 acres, of a Mr. Vaughan. He conducted a general store, in Dexter, from 1883 until 1888, and was then engaged in the stock business until November, 1896. Thence he went to Missouri, where he was residing in 1901, in Greenfield, Dade County. He was united in marriage with Caroline Meredith, who was born in Ohio, and both were still living in 1901 at the age of about seventy years. Four boys and five girls blessed their union, as follows: Millie, wife of O. C. Brubaker; Permelia (Hightower), who died in Texas; Zetta (Callison), of Liberty Township; Norton, deceased; Charles W.; David, deceased; Frank, who died shortly before 1901; Caroline (Brown), of Grant Township; and Addie, who was born in Kansas, and in 1901 was teaching school in Enid, Oklahoma.
Charles W. Ridgway, after arriving in Cowley County, attended school in district No. 54, of which his father was director many years, the other officers being R. Hite, Mr. Hamil, and Mr. Brubaker. W. E. Meredith taught school at one time, and R. B. Overman was one of the first teachers. Mr. Ridgway applied himself to agricultural pursuits, and owned considerable land in addition to the original claim of his father, possessing 1,320 acres in all. His tract was a mile and a half square, with the exception of 120 acres in the northeast corner. He cultivated about 360 acres, and the remainder he fenced and pastured.
He completed shortly before 1901 a commodious 10-room house; and a barn, 40 by 68 feet, was built in 1900. The buildings were large and well arranged, and were surrounded by a stone fence. He dealt extensively in stock, buying native calves and mules, and selling the former as yearlings. He favored southern cattle, of which he had about two hundred head, and sold them to local dealers. He also raised Poland-China hogs. Corn was his staple crop, and there was but one failure of crops on this farm, which was in 1874—the grasshopper year. He raised alfalfa and cane to feed to his mules. There was an orchard of three acres, which was set out when he was a boy. At that period, he was accustomed to hauling wheat for his father to Independence, El Dorado, and Wichita. He had three fine wells on the farm, and an excellent supply of water was furnished by Crab Creek, which seldom ran low, and never dry.
Mr. Ridgway married Allie Dunlap, who was born in Lewis County, Missouri, in February, 1872, a daughter of G. W. and Caroline (Primrose) Dunlap. She was one of seven children: Willie, deceased; Arthur, who kept a hotel in Dexter, Kansas; Allie; Minnie (Patton), of the Cherokee strip; Ira, also in the Cherokee strip; "Pinky" (Hanes), who lived in the Indian Territory; and Ernest, who lived with his parents, 23 miles south of Mr. Ridgway's place.
Mr. and Mrs. Ridgway had two children: Ernest Wesley, aged eight years; and Ruby Caroline, born in May 1898.
Politically Mr. Ridgway was a Democrat. He was contemplating in 1901 joining the Cowley County Cattlemen's Association. He was a Methodist; his wife was a Baptist. Both attended the Baptist church in their vicinity until its organization was dissolved.
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[1870] PAGE 61.
D. RODOCKER was the oldest established photographer in Cowley County, Kansas, and his headquarters was at Winfield, where he was known as a good, honest businessman and a loyal and enterprising citizen.
Mr. Rodocker was born in Ashland County, Ohio, in 1840. He remained on his father's farm until he attained the age of seventeen years, but the three seasons following were spent in working about a sawmill near Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1863 he went to San Francisco, California. In 1865 he returned to his native state and in August of that year went to Champaign, Illinois, where he began to learn photography. He continued there with good success until 1870, when he moved to Winfield, Kansas, and became one of the earliest settlers in Cowley County, Kansas. The country, being new and thinly settled, Mr. Rodocker did not pursue his regular vocation, but like many other professional men, he accepted whatever work presented itself.
During the winter of 1870-71 he was employed at Barlow's sawmill, and in the spring he took up a quarter section of land, which he was obliged to abandon at a later period.
In 1874 he resumed the photography business. In 1887 he sold out his business in Winfield and entered the photographic department of the United States government for which he took pictures until 1894. He then returned to Winfield, where he opened a gallery at No. 814 Main Street. He also opened galleries at Dexter and Cedar Vale, Kansas. Mr. Rodocker was a photographer of rare ability, having had the advantage of many years of valuable experience, besides being well adapted to his profession. He did nothing but first class work, and guaranteed satisfaction.
[FEBRUARY 1870] PAGE 487.
DANIEL H. RUSH was a resident of Cowley County since the fall of 1870. He located in Cedar Vale, in section 16, Township 35, range 8 east.
Mr. Rush was born in Monroe County, Kentucky, October 8, 1849, a son of Hiram and Esther (Combs) Rush. The family was of French-German ancestry.
Daniel M. Rush's father, Hiram Rush, was born in Kentucky, and lived there all of his life, dying in 1864, aged 50 years. His wife was of Dutch descent, and died before she reached the age of thirty years. She was the mother of three children: Ezekiel, who died in Chautauqua County, Kansas, April 9, 1896; Mary (Carter), of Kentucky; and Daniel H.
[THINK YOU CAN SKIP THIS PART OF FAMILY...]
Hiram Rush contracted a second marriage by wedding Ruth Pittcock, who still lived in Kentucky at the age of 72. This union resulted in five children: James, of Kentucky; Isaac, of Tennessee; Rebecca (Moore), deceased; and Rachel (Smyers), of Tennessee; and Martha, twins, the latter now deceased.
Daniel H. Rush was reared in Kentucky and lived at home with his step-mother until he reached his majority, when he began to work for himself. He was married on the verge of his removal to Kansas, where he arrived with just five cents in his pocket, which piece of money he wore as a watch-charm. Accompanied by his father-in-law, Stephen Cable, he drove through from Monroe County, Kentucky, with a team of oxen. Stephen Cable, who had a brother, Hiram, in Anderson County, Kansas, located in Chautauqua County. Upon arriving in the state, they camped in Lookout Valley, Cowley County, and this place of encampment, in section 20, township 34, range 8 east, continued to be Mr. Rush's home for a period of ten years. He first built a cabin of logs hauled from the gulch, a few miles south of the farm in which he later resided.
He secured a plow, broke up some land, and planted it to corn, having a yield of 40 bushels to the acre. He sold his claim, in 1880, to Thomas Richardson, of Arkansas City. He marketed his produce at Cedar Vale, then consisting of two houses and some tents. Luke Phelps then kept a two-room hotel for the accommodation of sawmill hands. The first store was built by O. C. and S. T. Hill. This sawmill, operated by C. R. Pollard, was built by Mr. Russell, and brought from Greenwood County to the valley of Otter Creek, not far from Cedar Vale. Mr. Rush, who was an engineer in Kentucky, secured a position as engineer of the 18 horse-power engine at the sawmill. He worked at this for two or three years, and helped to saw lumber for many of the first houses in the locality—the principal woods being sycamore, cottonwood, oak, hackberry, and some walnut. In the early days there was plenty of game in this region, and he killed several deer.
In 1880, Mr. Rush purchased, of Mr. Rankins and 'Squire Lynch, his last farm in Cedar Township, in section 16, township 35, range 8 east—a part of the Cherokee Reservation. He added to this and eventually owned 346-2/3 acres, altogether, in section 16. There were about eight acres broken, and a log cabin had been built on the Rankins tract. Mr. Rush built a frame house, measuring 14 by 22 feet, in which he lived until his present stone house of one story and with 18-inch walls, was completed, in 1892. He cultivated about half of the farm, and raised stock, preferring Shorthorn cattle and Berkshire hogs. He also fed largely for others. There was an excellent water supply on the farm, furnished by the south fork of Rock Creek, or Wild Cat Branch, which had its source in the Flint Hills. He also had a good well, 15 feet deep.
Mr. Rush married Sarah Elizabeth Cable, who was born June 19, 1853, and was of Dutch-Irish descent. She was a daughter of Stephen and Rachel (Speer) Cable. Her mother died in 1861, and her father was living at Hewins, Kansas, aged 78, on April 2, 1901.
Stephen and Rachel Cable had four children: Sarah Elizabeth (Rush); Bennett, of Chautauqua County, Kansas; Nancy (Bennett) of Galesburg, Illinois; and Peyton P. Cable of the same place. Nancy Combs became Mr. Cable's second wife. She died in Chautauqua County June 1892, leaving three children: Mary (Moore), who lived on her father's farm; Willis, a resident of Chautauqua County; and Sherman, of Golden, Missouri.
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel H. Rush became the parents of 11 children, 2 of whom died in infancy.
1. Isaac S. Rush, who married Ora Higgins, and was a farmer of Cowley County.
2. William Jefferson Rush, who was born in 1873, and married Mary E. Gregory.
3. Mary E. (McBride), a teacher in the Creek country, as was her husband.
4. Nancy Ellen (Meade), of Cowley County.
5. Daniel H. Rush, Jr., of Chautauqua County.
6. Celestia Rachel (Beuoy), of Chautauqua County.
7, 8, and 9. Rebecca, Charles H., and Joshua Homer, who were attending school in 1901.
Mr. Rush and his family were Republicans. He served on the township board, and was township treasurer and road overseer. He assisted in the organization of school district No. 142, in 1885, and was a member of its board in 1901. Religiously, he was a Baptist, and attended Lookout Valley church.
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[1871] PAGE 157.
W. E. SEAMAN, a prominent businessman, of Udall, Kansas, conducted a successful hardware and implement enterprise, in which he embarked in 1888, and was regarded as a shrewd, wide-awake businessman. When he first located in Cowley County, he engaged in farming and owned considerable farming land, which he later rented.
He was born in Albany, New York, March 16, 1834, a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Smith) Seaman, who were born in England.
His father, Charles Seaman, was a teacher and artist, who went to New York City, in 1830, and subsequently moved to Albany. His next move was to Chambersburg, Penn-sylvania, and in 1846, he located in Maysville, Kentucky. There he lived until his death in 1864. His widow died there in 1868. They were parents of the following children: Martha, wife of S. J. Straley, of Youngstown, Ohio; Jane, widow of William Morris (a butcher by trade), and lived at Maysville, Kentucky; W. E.; and Alonzo, in the bakery business, at Guthrie, Oklahoma. Alonzo Seaman belonged to a Kentucky regiment in the Union army.
W. E. Seaman obtained but a limited schooling, and when twenty years old went to Rock Island County, Illinois, where he carried on farming until August 1862, at which time he enlisted in Company F, 89th Reg., Ill. Vol. Inf., under Capt. Williams, who later became Lieutenant Colonel Williams. His regiment was with the Army of the Cumberland; besides participating in 20 important battles, he was engaged in many skirmishes. He had many narrow escapes, but never sustained any serious injuries. He was honorably discharged in June 1865.
At the home of his parents, in Maysville, Kentucky, he was married in 1866, and with his bride went to Missouri, taking up a farm near Salem, where he remained until he settled in Cowley County, Kansas, five years later. He first took up 160 acres in Maple Township, comprising the northwest quarter of section 20, township 30, range 3 east, onto which he moved the first year. He built a 10 by 12 foot cabin, of sycamore lumber, with walnut slab doors, and broke 40 acres, which he planted in corn. He set out hedges and made other improvements, and was compelled to undergo many hardships on account of the lack of farming facilities.
In the spring of 1873, he experienced a terrible blizzard and had a very hard task to get along. Money then commanded 36 percent interest, but in spite of the many trying circumstances he made numerous improvements upon his farm. In 1872 he built a house 14 by 24 feet in dimensions, and a story and a half. At first he raised wheat, but later shifted to the raising of cattle and hogs.
In 1886 Mr. Seaman bought out the hardware and implement firm of Worden & Jewett, in Udall, and in 1888 traded it to D. D. Kellogg for his present stand. He did a fine business; his large patronage was due to his honest and straight-forward business methods. He also carried stocks of harness and coal.
In 1886 he rented his farm. He bought additional lands, 80 acres in section 18, Maple Township, known as the Scott place, and 80 acres in section 32, Maple Township, known as the Huff place. In Udall he owned his store, home, and seven lots.
Mr. W. E. Seaman was married at Maysville, Kentucky, to Sarah Wormald, a daughter of George and Margaret Wormald. Her father was a contractor. They had five children.
1. George L., a farmer of Maple Township, who married Ada Shull, and had three children: Sadie, George, and Willie.
2. Wallace M., who graduated from the Kansas State Normal School. He was serving his third term as superintendent of the public schools of Kinsley, Kansas, in 1901. He married Lulu Nelson, by whom he had two children, Albert and Catherine.
3. Clarence W., a merchant at Oxford, Kansas.
4. Oscar Guy, a farmer of Maple Township, who married Isa Shull, by whom he had one child, Delna M.
5. Arthur E., who married Alma Anders, and conducted a store at Udall.
In politics W. E. Seaman was a Republican. He belonged to Siverd Post, No. 85, G. A. R., of Winfield. He was a member of the United Brethren Church.
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[MAY 1870] PAGE 78.
WILSON SHAW was one of the earliest settlers who took up claims in Beaver Township, where he thereafter resided. His home was situated on section 25, township 33, range 3 east, and in addition to this he owned an adjoining 80 acres in Pleasant Valley Township.
Wilson Shaw was a native of Columbiana County, Ohio, where he was born May 8, 1840. Of his parents, he had very little recollection. His father died when he was very young, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary Ann Shaw, died a few years later than her husband.
Wilson Shaw was the only child born to his parents, and remained in Ohio until he was fifteen years old. At that age, he moved to Indiana, where he began shifting for himself, mainly as a farm hand.
During the war Mr. Shaw enlisted as a private in Company B, 68th Reg., Ind. Vol. Inf., and remained in the service one year. Returning to Ripley County, Indiana, after the expiration of his term, he sojourned at the home of his uncle; but at his uncle's advice, Wilson Shaw and his cousin started west to Kansas. They arrived in Cowley County in May 1870, and Mr. Shaw filed a claim to the northeast quarter of section 25, in Beaver Township, and his cousin, D. Shaw, took up an adjoining claim. They first built a log house on the claim owned by D. Shaw, and kept bachelor's quarters in it three or four years. The logs for this house were obtained from the Arkansas River. During this period, Wilson Shaw set out shade trees and an orchard on his place, and also broke a number of acres of the virgin soil; the lane leading to the house was made several years later. In 1874, on May 17, Mr. Shaw married Nancy V. Woodruff, who journeyed to Wichita, Kansas, with his cousin, and was met in that city by the bridegroom. Teamsters then charged $10 to make the trip to Arkansas City, and therefore Mr. Shaw took his big wagon to meet his intended at Wichita, so that he could take home her baggage and some furniture she purchased at Wichita. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw were married in the Holland schoolhouse in Pleasant Valley Township, and they commenced housekeeping at once in a little log house erected by the husband. Among the articles of furniture brought from Wichita were half a dozen chairs, a notable incident in those days, as most families had but two; with the new furniture, the house proved entirely too small. Accordingly, Mr. Shaw hurriedly built a frame house on his claim, into which they moved August 26, 1874. From time to time a room was added, until its present size was attained in 1899. A granary was the next improvement made in the line of buildings, after the construction of the frame house, and this was put up three years later. The regular "Kansas" stable was made to answer for all purposes until about 1880, when a substantial structure, 34 by 40 feet, in size, took its place.
Mr. Shaw's farm was surrounded by a beautiful and well kept hedge fence. He raised the first timothy hay in the county, and also raised clover, but the latter suffered greatly from grasshoppers. Mrs. Shaw had $41.50, which she invested in two cows and two calves. From this start, in twelve years' time, they sold $1,000 worth of stock, and had seven head still remaining. They were very successful in raising livestock, and Mr. Shaw formerly raised Poland-China hogs, from which his annual sales reached an amount between $800 and $1,000. Thirty acres of this farm were devoted to pasturage, and the remainder, including the 80 acres in Pleasant Valley Township, which he purchased at a later date, was cultivated every year. Mr. Shaw's stock was well watered, as he had three first-class wells, over one of which was a large windmill.
Mrs. Shaw was born November 17, 1840, a daughter of George and Roxanna (Wells) Woodruff, and her native place was Switzerland County, Indiana. She was one of a family of seven children: Nancy V., who married Wilson Shaw; Thaddeus, a carpenter living in Stark County, Illinois; Franklin P., a farmer living in Gallatin County, Kentucky; Sarah F. (Denning), who lived in Cowley County, Kansas; E. J., a blacksmith at Hackney, Cowley County; Belle C. (Holmes), married to a farmer in Pleasant Valley Township; Virginia (Whitford), who lived fifteen miles east of Mr. Shaw, in Cowley County. Mrs. Shaw's people were from the Isle of Jersey, and her grandmother was born in Wales. On the mother's side of the family, her ancestors were of French and Dutch origin. Though Mr. and Mrs. Shaw had no children of their own, their home was shared with two adopted children. One was Bessie Musselman, aged eighteen years; and the other was Hazel Beck, aged four years, who was the child of a niece.
Politically, Mr. Shaw was a Republican, and served on the school board. He was a member of the G. A. R., Siverd Post, No. 85, of Winfield, to which he belonged since 1898. Both he and wife were members of the Grange. The Shaws were Methodists. The brother of Mrs. Shaw's grandmother was a bishop of the Methodist church, in Vermont, where the family resided many years ago.
The first Thanksgiving dinner of the neighborhood was given by Mr. and Mrs. Shaw, and Mr. Shaw had to make a special trip on horseback to Winfield for a platter of sufficient size to hold the large turkey, when taken from the oven. In attendance at the well remembered feast were Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Walton, Mr. and Mrs. Mumaw; Mr. and Mrs. Beach; Mrs. Timmerman; Mr. Hostetler; and Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, all of the oldest settlers in the neighborhood.
Wichita was the only wheat market for the county at that date, and from their home Mrs. Shaw often saw wagon trains many miles long, as far as her sight could reach, either way. The trip occupied four days, coming and going. Many times she remained alone while her husband went to market, and in those days Indians were no uncommon sight, and were not always friendly. Mr. Shaw was in company with three other men when they met a band of 500 Indians, who were on the way to sign the treaty involving the sale of this land, and it is for Mr. Shaw to tell whether he was, or was not, nervous.
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[1870] PAGE 467.
JAMES P. SHORT was one of the pioneers of Cowley County, Kansas, where he arrived in the early summer of 1870, when the land was unsurveyed and still belonged to the Osage Indians, but was being negotiated for by the government. A few squatters lived in log houses along the streams, but there was not a house between the Walnut and Arkansas Rivers. The most thickly settled and prosperous part of the county was then a vast sea of prairie grass.
Mr. Short was born in Livingston County, New York, in 1845. Philip Short, his grandfather, was a pioneer in that part of the Genesee Valley, having moved there from Massachusetts, soon after the Revolutionary War. His descendants, now in the fifth generation, still occupied the old homestead which he and his sons literally hewed out of the virgin forest. He was noted among the hardy pioneers for his enormous size and strength, being nearly seven feet high and weighing over 300 pounds.
Among his sons was Col. Josiah Short, the father of James P. He was an extensive land owner, and later in life engaged in milling, getting out timber and lumber, and being interested in other business enterprises. He was also a colonel of militia, in the old general muster and training days, in the "forties." He died before the War of the Rebellion. About this time, the mother of James P., who was born Mehitabel Livermore, also a native of Massachusetts, for the purpose of educating her children, moved to Lima, Livingston County, New York, the seat of Genesee College, and Genesee Wesleyan Seminary.
In Livingston County James P. Short grew to manhood, attended the seminary, and was preparing to enter college, when, at 18, he enlisted in the 8th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, which was raised in Western New York, the home of the colonel, Peter A. Porter, being at Niagara Falls. The regiment was first stationed at Forts McHenry and Federal Hill, Baltimore, Maryland. In the spring of 1864, when Gen. Grant took command of the Army of the Potomac, for the final struggle, the colonel asked for field service and the regiment was assigned to Hancock's (2nd) Corps, and went through the campaign from the Wilderness to Petersburg, and later on to Appomattox. In this campaign of almost continuous fighting the regiment lost heavily. At Cold Harbor, about 12 miles out of Richmond, 650 men of the regiment were killed or wounded in less than twenty minutes. In one of the numerous battles around Richmond, Mr. Short was severely wounded, and spent most of the time thereafter at Lincoln Hospital, in Washington, until mustered out at the close of the war, in 1865.
Returning home, he again entered school, but found himself far behind the class on account of his two years' absence, and soon decided to take Greeley's advice and go West. He started for California, going by steamer from New York, then across the Isthmus of Panama, and up the Pacific Coast to San Francisco, a three weeks' journey. In 1869, the Union Pacific Railroad was completed to the coast, and Mr. Short, disposing of his restaurant business, returned East on the eleventh through train to Omaha; it was a nine days' trip in those days.
In the spring of 1870, with his mother and sisters, Mr. Short arrived in Kansas, locating then at Topeka. The Santa Fe Railway had started from there and was building westward toward Emporia. Southern Kansas was attracting immigration, and he joined the Cook brothers, of Topeka, who had, early in the spring, located claims on the Walnut River, and had returned for supplies to Topeka. The trip was made by wagon. There were no bridges over any of the streams in this drive of 200 miles, and in many places the rough road was but a wagon track in the prairie grass. Mr. Short spent most of the summer in a log cabin on the river bank, about nine miles south of Winfield, on what is now part of the noted "Magnolia Farm," in Pleasant Valley Township.
Winfield had been made the county seat, and a stage route had been put in operation along the Walnut River, from Emporia. Winfield greatly needed a hotel for the accommodation of people who desired to locate, and Col. Manning, president of the Winfield Town Company, induced Mr. Short to erect a hotel building by offering him two lots on the northeast corner of Main Street and Ninth Avenue. The free offer was accepted, and the building was erected. During the construction, Mr. Short lived in a tent, thus partly renewing the old army life, without the attendant bullets and graybacks. The Walnut Valley House was opened on the first of October, and was the first building erected on the east side of Main Street, and the first two-story frame structure on the townsite. At that time there were only six other buildings, two of which were made of logs. The frame was sawed out of trees from the river, and the pine lumber, doors, windows, etc., were hauled from Emporia, 150 miles away. The old building was still standing in 1901, on Ninth Avenue, and its original site was then occupied by the Cowley County National Bank building. Mr. Short owned an interest in it. In 1871 he started a lumber yard, getting stock from Emporia, which by now had become the end of the Santa Fe Railway, as it built west.
In 1872 Mr. Short was married to Lissa M. Phillips, a native of New York State, who had journeyed west, to visit her brother, Edgar D. Phillips, one of the first settlers, and the first trustee of Rock Township. To this union were born Philip P., Edna H., and Ethel F. In the next few years, Mr. Short was engaged in various enterprises. As acting treasurer, he collected the first tax levied in the county. He was deputy county clerk; served several terms as city clerk and assessor; was a member of the board of education; president of the Winfield Building and Loan Association; and secretary of the county fair several years. He built several business and dwelling houses, and was always prominent in every public enterprise tending toward the development of the new country. He spent some time and money furthering the various projects which assisted in making Winfield one of the best towns in Southern Kansas.
In 1883 Mr. Short moved to his farm, situated on the west half of the northeast quarter of section 34, township 32, range 4 east, located just outside the city limits of Winfield. He erected large and commodious buildings, and planted about 10 acres in fruit and ornamental trees and shrubbery. The Black Crook Creek, which ran across the corner of his place, was well timbered, and in location, quality of land, and excellence of improvements, his farm was con-sidered one of the model farms of Cowley County.
A Republican, Mr. Short cast his first vote for U. S. Grant. He was a member of Siverd Post, No. 85, G. A. R., and, universally, commanded the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.
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[1869.] PAGE 378.
PATRICK H. SOMERS resided on the northwest quarter of section 4, township 35, range 3 east, in Bolton Township. When he settled in Cowley County, there were very few white settlers in it.
Patrick H. Somers was born in County Wexford, Ireland, in 1840, a son of John and Julia Somers.
John and Julia Somers, his parents, were born in Ireland. They came to the United States in 1847, locating in Harford County, Maryland. There John Somers worked for a Mr. Lewis, who was an extensive land owner. Mr. Somers went from there to Lancaster County, Penn-sylvania, and in 1856 moved to Chateaugay County, Canada. They remained in Canada until 1872, when their son, Patrick H., induced them to join him in Cowley County, and make their home with him. They died at his residence: Mr. John Somers on November 17, 1886, aged 88; Mrs. Julia Somers, in 1890, aged 78. They had one son and one daughter, the latter being Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of P. J. Gregory, a resident of Bolton Township, Cowley County, and who had two children, Icel M., wife of Ross Scott, of Kay County, Oklahoma; and William, of Tonkawa, Oklahoma. Mr. Gregory married a second time.
Patrick H. Somers left his home in Canada when a lad of but sixteen years, only to return in 1857; but in April, 1858, he went to Pennsylvania, where he worked out until the breaking out of the Civil War. He then enlisted in Company K, 5th Reg., Pennsylvania Reserves, which went into camp April 20, 1861. On May 15, next following, the company was sworn in and was at once dispatched to the relief of Gen. Lew Wallace, in Western Virginia. In the battle of Antietam, February 14, 1862, Mr. Somers received a bullet wound, which made it impossible for him to further serve his country. For two years after his return home, he could not endure to walk any distance. He afterwards went to the mining districts of Michigan, and upon reading in the New York papers of the opening of the territories bordering the "Rockies,"—particularly Idaho,—he decided to try his fortunes in the West. He accordingly made a trip to the "Rockies," and spent considerable time in Idaho, but in 1869 left there and journeyed to Cowley County, Kansas. He drove a mule-team as far as Council Grove, Kansas, and there he began to travel on foot, carrying 56 pounds of baggage done up in a gunny-sack, and walked via Cottonwood Falls, El Dorado, Augusta, and Douglass, Kansas. At the mouth of Rock Creek, he camped with a man named Jones, and they afterward continued on to Winfield, where they camped with the Trusty boys. Cliff Wood owned the only log house there. Bill Johnson there met Mr. Somers, having been driven back by the Indians from his claim at the mouth of Walnut River. No settlers were then allowed by the Indians beyond Dutch Creek. Mr. Somers and Mr. Johnson set out for the latter's claim, and Wood went to Douglass for provisions. They were later joined by Ed. Chapin, George Harmon, James Hughes, and Sam Williamson, and with the exception of Williamson, all took up claims near Arkansas City.
Mr. Somers' claim was the southwest quarter of section 19, township 34, range 4 east, near the mouth of the Walnut River in Creswell Township, and this he improved until 1875, when he traded it to Major Sleeth for 240 acres northwest of Arkansas City. On this farm he remained until 1879, when he sold it and bought a farm in Bolton Township: the northwest quarter of section 4, township 35, range 3 east. The purchase was made of T. H. McLaughlin, and Thomas A. Wilkinson was the preemptor. The latter gentleman was county superinten-dent of schools for four years. Mr. Somers made numerous improvements on the farm, and in 1897 bought the southeast quarter of the same section, the deed to which a Mr. Townsley held.
Mr. Prosser moved into the claim house in 1879, and remained there until he went to Oklahoma, where he spent four and a half years, during which time he made $5,000. He returned to Cowley County in April, 1898, and began making improvements on his farm. His barn, measuring 60 by 34 feet, was built in 1888. He had an orchard of seven acres, and besides raising grain, produced some livestock, favoring Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs.
Mr. Somers was married, in 1872, to Margaret Dwyer, by Rev. Mr. Swarts. She died in 1879, leaving two children, John, deceased, and William.
Mr. Somers' second wife was Nellie Daly, a daughter of Patrick Daly. Mrs. Somers was born in Liverpool, England, and came to this country in 1885, with an uncle, Ed. Campbell, who lived in Winfield. They had seven children: Robert E., Mary A., Hattie R., Charles A., Lizzie, Roscoe, and Mabel Frances.
Mr. Somers was a Republican. He served as township clerk; while in Oklahoma, he served as treasurer of his township. In 1899, he served as a committee-man of Bolton Township, and in 1874 he belonged to the state militia. Mr. Somers was a member of Hayes Post, No. 24, G. A. R., of Kay County, Oklahoma.
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[1871] PAGE 456.
CAPT. LEWIS STEVENS, who bore an honorable record for service in the Union Army during the Civil War, was for many years one of the leading agriculturists of Richland Township, Cowley County, where he was once the owner of 600 acres of land.
Mr. Stevens was born in Warren County, Indiana, in May 1828, a son of David and Susan (Lucus) Stevens.
His father, David Stevens, was born in Pennsylvania, of Welsh parentage, and died in Ohio, aged 77. His wife was a native of Ohio, where they were married. They were parents of the following children, three of whom were still living in 1901: Lewis; Elizabeth (Arms), aged 87, who resided in Indiana; William, who resided in Mercer County, Illinois; John, who died at the age of 63 in Fountain County, Indiana, and who was the father of R. W. Stevens; Maria; Amelia; and Ann, who lived and died in Fountain County, Indiana; Mary Ann, who died in Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana; Andrew J., who died in Iroquois County, Illinois.
Lewis Stevens was reared and educated in Indiana. He worked upon his father's farm until he reached his majority, after which he attended college at Crawfordsville, Indiana, for one year. In 1862 he enlisted in Company D, 86th Reg., Ind. Vol. Inf. He organized the company and gallantly served as its captain during the war, with the exception of five months, when he was incapacitated by a wound received at Stone River. He was under Col. Dick and served in the 21st Army Corps, and later, in the 4th Army Corps, participating in many of the famous battles. He was mustered out at Nashville, Tennessee, June 6, 1865, and returned to Indiana, where he remained until his removal to Kansas.
He spent the winter of 1870-1871 at Eureka, Kansas, and then located in Cowley County, where he bought, from Henry Sphar, a claim in section 12, township 31, range 5 east. He chose Kansas as a home on account of his ailment, bronchitis, and his condition immediately improved. He resided on and improved his claim in Richland Township for nine years—raising stock and grain—and then sold out to his nephew, Reason W. Stephens, who still owned it in 1901. Lewis Stevens also purchased a farm southwest of his claim, which he leased. He then moved to Winfield, and engaged in speculating to some extent.
In 1880 he left Winfield, and traded his property for three 80-acre tracts in sections 18 and 19—his present location in 1901. It formed a part of the Barker property, and Mr. Barker had at one time laid out a townsite, to the north of which was situated the village of Floral. Since 1880, Capt. Stevens resided in a comfortable, seven-room house, which was built on his farm just outside Floral; on this he also put up good outbuildings. He produced mainly corn and wheat. He also raised a great deal of stock, preferring Hereford and Shorthorn cattle. He acquired about 600 acres of good bottom land, lying along Timber Creek, which was mainly in one body. He set out fruit trees, and had an orchard of three acres. With the exception of 200 acres which he retained, the rest of his land was divided among his children.
Capt. Stevens was instrumental in securing church services and in building the Baptist church. A stone church, of the Baptist denomination, was erected in 1885 with valuable assistance from him.
In 1880 the village of Floral was platted by Capt. Stevens, in connection with Mr. Cole and Mr. Caspers, representing a stock company, of which Capt. Stevens was president. Floral had two stores, a post office, a depot, and graded schools in 1901.
Capt. Stevens married Martha Brady, who died in 1857, leaving one son, George, who married and lived near his father. The Captain then married Sarah A. Sigler, a native of Indiana, in 1860. Their marriage resulted in the following children: Marvin, deceased; Edwin, who died in infancy; another who died in infancy, unnamed; Owen, deceased; Rollins, who married and had two children, and lived near his parents; Thaddeus, who, with his wife and one child, also lived near his parents; and Sylvia (Clabough), who had one child.
Capt. Stevens cast his first vote for Franklin Pierce, for president, but became a Republican after the Civil War. He was a member of Floral Post, No. 213, G. A. R., and served several times as commander, attending many reunions of veterans.
Religiously, he became a deacon for years in the Baptist Church at Floral.
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[1870] PAGE 421.
R. J. STEVENSON, who arrived in Cowley County, Kansas, in 1870, was one of the oldest and best known farmers in Bolton Township, and lived in section 4, township 35, range 4 east.
Mr. Stevenson was born in Randolph County, Illinois, June 13, 1844, a son of Robert and Margaret (Armour) Stevenson.
Robert Stevenson, his father, was from Glasgow, Scotland, and was a wagon-maker by trade, but spent many years in merchandising, in which he was engaged at the time of his death, January 4, 1884, at Sparta, Illinois. He died, aged 80. His wife, Margaret Armour, was also a native of Scotland, and died in 1874, aged 70. They were married in Scotland, and lived together for 52 years. They became the parents of 12 children, three of whom died in Scotland, and three in this country. The six still living in 1901 were: John, age 72, who spent many years at Salina, Kansas, and was living in Illinois; Margaret, wife of R. T. Beattie, of Oregon City, Oregon; Mrs. Jamieson; Jane (Adams), of Illinois; Elizabeth; and R. J.
R. J. Stevenson was reared in Randolph County, Illinois, and obtained his education in the public schools. He learned the trade of a blacksmith under his cousin and followed it until 1870. In 1866, he made a visit of a few months in Johnson County, Kansas, and in 1868 moved from Illinois to Ottawa, Kansas. After remaining there for two months, he moved to Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kansas, where he followed his trade until 1870. He then set out for Cowley County with a horse and covered wagon, and about $90 in money. While driving through the Flint Hills, east of the Arkansas bottom, he received discouraging reports from the many who were returning, but he persevered, and arrived at Arkansas City on August 1, 1870. He traded his horse and wagon for a claim near Geuda Springs, which, after survey, was found to be school land, and which he sold soon afterward. He was acquainted with Mr. Denton, whose son, A. H. Denton, became president of the Farmers State Bank of Arkansas City, and they camped together on what is now the Wallace farm. During the winter of 1870, he located his claim in the northwest quarter of section 4, township 35, range 4 east. The section was parceled off in lots of 40 acres, and Mr. Stevenson got lots 3 and 4, and later got an additional 20 acres in lots 5 and 6. In 1872 he filed on the 76 acres made fractional by the river, in the northwest corner of the section. Indians frequently called upon him, and he considered them good friends and neighbors.
During the first year, he broke 25 acres with oxen, and also built a log house, 15 by 18 feet, in which he lived until 1885, when he built a frame house. He at first used the customary stable of the times, constructed of poles, but in 1894 he built a new barn, of comfortable size—measuring 24 by 34 feet—and also put up other outbuildings. He had very rich corn land, which grain he planted almost entirely, and the average yield since the early "seventies" was about 40 bushels to the acre. He also raised hogs, and handled from 50 to 150 head per year. He produced some wheat, and had a fine supply of timber along the river. He had a good, but small, orchard, having got his first trees from Ohio.
In 1879 Mr. Stevenson married Ida Mary Ireton, a daughter of P. A. and Caroline Ireton. She was born in Clermont County, Ohio, in 1860. Her father was from New Jersey, and located at Geuda Springs, Cowley County, in 1875. One year later, he moved to Bolton Township, and then went to Oklahoma, where he died in May 1896. His wife resided in Chandler, Oklahoma. They had eight children, as follows: Ida Mary; William C.; Frank B., deceased; Katie E. (Yager), of Lincoln County, Oklahoma; Lizzie (Myers); Myrtle (Carter); and Maude (Reed), of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma; and a twin of Lizzie, deceased in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson had three children: Maggie (Gray), who lived with her father and had one child, Walter H. Gray; Robbie A., who lived at home; and Georgia L., who was in school in 1901.
Mr. Stevenson was a Populist; formerly a Republican. He served eight years as treasurer, and was director in 1901 of school district No. 141. He was a member of the Grange and Alliance; he was also a member of the Anti-Horse Thief Association. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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[1870] PAGE 172.
GEORGE AND JOSEPH STEWART.
GEORGE STEWART, a prominent and influential farmer residing in section 11, Vernon Township, Cowley County, Kansas, was a worthy descendant of one of the pioneer families of the Sunflower State, and contributed his share of work toward making Kansas one of the banner agricultural states of the Union. He was born in Des Moines County, Iowa, in May 1845, a son of Joseph Stewart.
JOSEPH STEWART was born in Pennsylvania July 6, 1817, and died in Winfield, Kansas, August 12, 1895. His father was also born in this country and his ancestors were Scottish. In 1844, Joseph Stewart located in Des Moines County, Iowa, which had but recently been opened to civilization. In 1849 he moved with his family to Springfield, Missouri, and thence went to Pineville, McDonald County, Missouri. There he built the courthouse, and afterward served two years as county clerk. At the expiration of his term, he built a hotel, which he conducted for many months. When the new territory of Kansas was opened, in 1854, he again made his way westward and located on the Big Blue River, a few miles from what is now the city of Manhattan. He remained there until the spring of 1863, when he went further west, to Blackhawk, Colorado, although he retained the homestead in Kansas. While in Colorado, he lost three children: Martha Ellen; Amanda; and an infant. For one a grave was hewn out of solid rock in a spur of the lofty "Rockies," and the other two were buried nearby. The spot was visited by Mrs. George Stewart, in the summer of 1900, and she found lofty pines swaying over the graves, like sentinels guarding the burial place of those who had been at rest for nearly two score years. Two of Joseph Stewart's children were buried at Manhattan, and those who attained years of maturity were as follows: George; Jennie, who died in 1881; John; Belle (Wooley); Clay; and Carrie. All who were still living in 1901 were married, and resided in Cowley County.
In 1870 Mr. Joseph Stewart located in Cowley County, near the line of the Vernon and Ninnescah Townships. At one time he was the owner of a very large tract of land. Mrs. Joseph Stewart was still living in 1901, enjoying excellent health for one of her years. She was born in Perry County, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1824, and her maiden name was Margaret Nelson. Her parents were also natives of the Keystone State (Pennsylvania), but her paternal grandfather was born in Ireland.
George Stewart, son of Joseph Stewart, accompanied his parents to Manhattan, Kansas; but on May 24, 1870, he settled in Vernon Township, Cowley County. In the following August, he returned to Manhattan, where on the 25th day of the month he was united in marriage with Nancy A. Purvis. With his bride he returned to Cowley County, in November, and with the exception of the six months in 1875, which they spent in Colorado, they resided in Cowley County ever since. The Stewart family, like their neighbors, lived in accordance with the primitive customs of the early days, and endured their share of privations and hardships.
George Stewart first located on section 2, Vernon Township, and a man named Ben Stansbury disputed his right to the claim. One day while Mr. Stewart had gone to the Arkansas River for logs with which to lay a foundation for his house, Stansbury, with 25 men, entered the place and carried the former's wagon-bed and camping outfit to the top of a high hill to the west side of his claim, and beyond its limits. Mr. Stewart left the outfit where it had been placed by Stansbury and his men until it was burned by prairie fires, but he went to Stansbury about sunset, and told him that if he ever entered the claim after that sundown, he would have to be carried off by his friends. Mr. Stansbury took the hint and never returned, and in the course of time remuneration was made for the property carried away.
Mr. and Mrs. George Stewart had six children: Joseph P., deceased; a baby, who died in infancy; Charles L., who lived in Oklahoma; Walter F., deceased; Nettie M., who graduated from the Winfield Business College in 1900, and was devoting her time to the study of music; and Vernon E., who lived on his father's farm.
The darkest clouds that ever hovered over this household resulted from the untimely death of their promising son, Walter F. Stewart, who was called away at the age of thirteen years, on the threshold of his boyhood.
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[1870] PAGE 138.
GEORGE STOUT, a prosperous farmer of Silver Creek Township, Cowley County, first located in Kansas in 1866, and became a permanent resident of the county in 1870. His farm was situated on the southeast quarter of section 4, township 31, range 6 east, and its owner was extensively engaged in general farming, making a specialty of corn raising.
Mr. Stout was born in Lewis County, West Virginia, in 1840, a son of Benjamin and Cynthia (Middleton) Stout. His grandparents were natives of New Jersey.
George Stout's father, Benjamin Stout, was born in 1802. He was a farmer and stock raiser. He died in Virginia during the Civil War. His wife was born in West Virginia, and died in 1850. They were the parents of six sons and one daughter: Milton, deceased; George; Hezekiah, who lived in West Virginia; John, who was formerly in partnership with George, and still owned his farm in Silver Creek Township in 1901; Daniel, who resided on the old homestead in West Virginia; Benjamin, who lived in Canadian County, Oklahoma; and Sarah, who died at the age of twelve.
George Stout was reared and schooled in West Virginia, and remained at home until the outbreak of the Civil War. He then enlisted in Company K, 17th Reg., Va. Vol. Cav., and served four years as a private in the Confederate army under Gen. Rosser. He returned home in June 1865 and remained there until April 1866, when he journeyed westward to Kansas. He then spent three or four years in roaming through the western country, including Colorado and New Mexico.
JOHN STOUT, George's brother, settled in Cowley County, Kansas, in December 1869, and located two claims in the south half of section 4, township 31, range 6 east, wither George followed him in 1870. John Stout retained the southwest quarter, and George located upon the southeast quarter, neither being married in 1870. Between their claims and Winfield there were as yet no settlements, and no survey had been made. Their plan was to engage in cattle raising, there being an abundant range on either side of them in the valley of Timber Creek, on which their tracts lay. Between their farms and the junction of Timber and Dutch Creeks, there were but two settlers, Mr. Carver and Mr. Hunt; above them, were only two more—Mr. Clark and Mr. Barres. For about three years the two brothers raised cattle. At the end of that time, so much land had been taken by settlers, that they abandoned ranching and turned to farming. They raised wheat for some years and had good crops, which they sold for $1.34 per bushel in the markets at Wichita and Emporia—Douglass being then only a small trading post.
George Stout built a cabin on the banks of Timber Creek, and had but one horse, a saddle pony. He encountered no trouble with the Indians, but some white men, who stole horses and laid the blame on the Indians, were found out and punished as they deserved to be. About the year 1880 George Stout began making corn his principal product. He never experienced a total failure of crops, the minimum yield being 10 bushels to the acre, and the yield, sometimes, 60 and 75 bushels per acre. Mr. Stout always raised a high grade of cattle, and Poland-China hogs, with which he was exceedingly successful. In 1886 he obtained lumber from Atlanta, and erected a comfortable frame house on the 40 acres which he owned in section 3; barns and corn cribs were also built at a later date. His farm was well fenced and Timber Creek furnished a fine supply of water for his stock.
George Stout married in Cowley County, Kansas, Mary Korber, who died January 22, 1888. She was born in Wisconsin, and reared in Leavenworth, Kansas. Her parents located on Timber Creek sometime previous to her husband's arrival in that vicinity.
[NOTE: KORBER FAMILY ARRIVED BEFORE GEORGE STOUT.]
Mary Korber Stout left one son, George, Jr., who was attending school in district 76 in 1901. Mr. Stout was a Democrat. He was a member of Lodge No. 233, A. F. & A. M.; and was formerly a member of the Grange and Alliance.
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[JUNE 19, 1870] PAGE 502.
CARROLL L. SWARTS, an influential citizen of Arkansas City, gained considerable prominence throughout Cowley County as an attorney-at-law, and was a worthy represen-tative of one of the pioneer families of the county.
Carroll L. Swarts was born in 1852, in Fulton County, Illinois, a son of Rev. Benjamin C. Swarts.
Rev. Benjamin C. Swarts was born in Jefferson County, Illinois, near Walnut Hill, August 18, 1827, but his educational training was obtained in the schools of Knox County, Illinois, which he attended many years in his youth, his parents having moved to that county in 1829. After leaving the public schools, he attended Cherry Grove Seminary, pursuing advanced studies. On December 6, 1846, he commenced preaching, his first charge being in Mercer County, Illinois; in the following year, he joined the Rock River Conference. After many years spent in the ministry in Illinois, he decided to locate in the West. Leaving Abingdon, he went by rail to Burlington, Iowa, and thence drove through to El Dorado, Kansas, which point he reached December 1, 1869. He remained at that place until January 19, 1870, when he moved to Winfield, and on the following day camped on what is now the park, at Arkansas City. On January 21, he staked out a quarter section claim, half a mile northeast of the city, in what later became Creswell Township, and there had his residence for many years. For the first three months he lived in a tent; this was succeeded by a log house, 18 by 19 feet in ground dimensions, and a story and a half high, which he built of cottonwood logs, obtained from the banks of the Walnut River. White settlers were very scarce at that early day, and on each side of him camped the Indians—250 being on the east, and 300 on the south of Mr. Swarts. On February 16, 1870, he plowed the first furrow in Creswell Township, sub-soiled a fourth of an acre of land, and planted a garden, consisting of beans, peas, potatoes, and other vegetables. He struck the first water in his community and helped to build the first house in Arkansas City, Prof. H. B. Norton being the owner. He was the first to conceive the idea of connecting the Walnut and Arkansas Rivers by a canal, to secure water-power for manu-facturing purposes, a project which was fulfilled many years after he became a resident of the community. During all this period, he continued to devote much of his time toward preaching, and shortly after arriving in Kansas became a member of the Kansas conference, and also of the Southwest Kansas conference, that was organized later. He was the first pastor of any denomination in Arkansas City, where he located eighteen months before any other regular pastor entered the field. Although he subsequently occupied the pulpits of various churches at different points, he nevertheless held Arkansas City as his home. In 1889, he was transferred to the Oklahoma conference, and until 1892 served as superintendent of church missions of the Indian Territory. He then served as pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Kay County, Oklahoma, which was established in 1893.
Rev. Benjamin C. Swarts was married September 19, 1848, to Mrs. M. J. (Patrick) Allison, and they reared the following children: Mary E. (Mitchell), deceased; Carroll L.; Charles M., of Arkansas City; Eva; Helen, deceased; Benjamin F., of Red Rock, Oklahoma; Stella and Samuel P., deceased; and Adaline, of Arkansas City.
Carroll L. Swarts obtained his early schooling in Illinois, and later accompanied his parents to Cowley County. He resided upon a farm in Creswell Township until 1887, and during the winter months was engaged in teaching school. Having decided upon his present profession, he entered the office of C. R. Mitchell to pursue his studies along that line, and in 1881 gained his admittance to the bar. He began at once to practice in Arkansas City, where he soon came into prominence as one of the leading lawyers of Cowley County. He continued to reside in Arkansas City with the exception of the period from 1887 to 1891, when he occupied for two terms the position of county attorney, which made it necessary for him to live in Winfield. In 1897 he was a candidate on the Republican ticket for district judge, but was defeated by Judge McBride, in a strong Fusion district, by but a small majority. He always adhered to the principles of the Republican party and was one of its most active leaders in Cowley County.
Carroll L. Swarts married Susie L. Hunt, and they had two children in 1901: Lena N. and Mildred A.
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[FALL 1870] PAGE 495.
JOHN R. TAYLOR was a prosperous and well-to-do farmer of Cowley County, Kansas, residing since the fall of 1870 on the southwest quarter of section 26, township 32, range 3 east.
Mr. Taylor was born in 1836, in Ohio County, Kentucky, a son of S. S. and Sarah (Whittaker) Taylor, who were born in Kentucky, and lived there throughout their lives. They were the parents of six children: Milton, Melvin, Warder, John R., Francis, and Tabitha.
John R. Taylor spent his early years working on his father's farm, and at the outbreak of the Civil War, enlisted in Company C, 11th Reg., Ky. Vol. Inf., and served throughout that fierce conflict, first under Gen. Buell, and later under Gen. Sherman. He was mustered out at Bowling Green, Kentucky, and shortly after his return home was married. He then bought land in Kentucky and began tilling the soil, which he successfully continued four years.
In the fall of 1870, with his family, consisting of his wife and two children, he drove through to Cowley County, Kansas. His cousin, J. S. Taylor, deceased by 1901, lived in the southern part of Cowley County, and was largely instrumental in getting John R. Taylor to locate in Cowley County.
After John R. Taylor looked over the country, he decided to locate near the city of Winfield, for which he foresaw a great future. He accordingly took up his claim, and during the first year raised sod corn, although he broke many acres of the farm. His first shanty was 12 by 14 feet, built of native lumber sawed at Arkansas City. In it he lived until 1878, when he built a new and modern home. In 1875, he set out a cottonwood grove, some elm trees, and an orchard, the last named covering five acres. As each succeeding crop seemed to be a great increase, he began to put up good, substantial outbuildings, and in 1881 he built his handsome barn, which was 50 feet square. His entire farm was fenced in, and was in an excellent state of cultivation. Besides raising considerable grain, he devoted much time to the raising of cattle and hogs, favoring Red Polled Angus cattle and Poland-China hogs.
Mr. Taylor married Lila H. Martin, of Kentucky, shortly after his return from the war; she died in 1898. They had five sons and four daughters: Gertrude, deceased; Sallie (Ferguson), who lived in Oklahoma, and had six children; William S., who lived four miles from his father's place and had four children; Mollie, who was the wife of Charles Staggers, of Vernon Township, and had one child; Francis, deceased; Arthur, who lived in Colorado; Bessie and John, who lived at home; and Herbert, deceased.
In politics, Mr. Taylor favored the People's party. He served on the town and school board. He was a Baptist.
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[AUGUST 13, 1868] PAGE 231.
NEWTON J. THOMPSON drove into Cowley County, Kansas, on August 13, 1868, over the old cattle trail from Ellsworth, with three teams of mules and horses. A fit representative of the pioneer settlers of the county, he enjoyed a large acquaintance and was highly esteemed for his many excellent traits of character. He was a prosperous farmer and stock raiser of Silver Creek Township, where he owned the west half of section 7, township 31, range 6 east, his home being situated on the northwest quarter of the section.
Newton J. Thompson was born in Henry County, Kentucky, May 14, 1834, a son of Amasa and Ruhema (Boone) Thompson.
His father, Amasa Thompson, was a farmer and stock raiser of Kentucky, where he spent his entire life. Both he and his wife were buried in the cemetery on their homestead. In 1851, Amasa Thompson moved to Missouri, but remained there only a short time. Ten children were born, of whom only five were still living in 1901: Mary M. (Artemesa) of Gate Center, Kansas; E. Jane (Browning), of Butler County, Missouri; Newton J.; Kate (Schmidt), of Henry County, Kentucky; and Ophelia Ann (Bobbett), of St. Louis, Missouri. Amasa Thompson's wife, who was a first cousin of Daniel Boone, was first married to a Mr. Sisk.
Newton J. Thompson was reared in Kentucky and educated at the Masonic college, at La Grange, in that state. He accompanied his parents to Missouri in 1851, but soon afterward returned to Kentucky. During the Civil War he was in the service of the government, in Kansas. In 1859 he left Saline County, Missouri, for Kansas, where he lived afterward. For eight years he was a government freighter on the plains. He had charge of a train consisting of 25 loads and a mess-wagon, and traveled to various parts of Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.
Mr. Douglass, after whom the town of Douglass was named, persuaded Mr. Thompson to go into the cattle business, and he accordingly located at the mouth of Rock and Muddy Creeks, where he had a corral, of about 100 acres in extent, in a bend of the Walnut River. The cattle ranged east from this corral, and it was while out hunting them, that he came to the decision to locate where he thereafter lived. In the latter part of 1869 he preempted the northwest quarter of section 7, township 31, range 6 east, and afterward bought the southwest quarter of the same section. He first lived in a tent, and the Indians subsisted on his cattle for more than a year. About two years later, he built a stone house, the walls of which were 18 inches thick, and this later formed a part of his last residence, a six-room dwelling. At the outset he used a stone shed for a barn, 40 by 46 feet. He was successful in the cattle business for many years, but in later years leased the greater part of his farm, and dealt extensively in standard bred horses. He had the fastest four-year old mare in the county, and it was his intention in 1901 to attend the stock sales in Chicago. He raised considerable wheat in former years, of which he produced many a crop; corn raising also occupied much of his attention.
Mr. Thompson was first married, in Brownsville, Missouri, to Miss Berry, deceased, as were also their children. He married again July 23, 1868, at Leavenworth, Kansas, Anna Yakel, born in Germany in 1838, who settled in Wisconsin on her arrival to this country. She enjoyed the distinction of being the first white woman in Cowley County. [???] She received the premium at the first fair held at Highland Park, Winfield, Kansas.
Mr. Thompson, formerly a Democrat, became a Populist.
[NOTE: NO MENTION OF THEM HAVING CHILDREN!]
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[1870.] PAGE 465.
PHOTOS: 1) R. R. TURNER.
2) RESIDENCE OF R. R. TURNER.
R. R. TURNER, commonly known as 'Squire Turner, was one of the oldest and best known citizens of Cowley County, Kansas, and resided east of the Flint Hills, in Otter Township.
Mr. Turner was born in Gibson County, Indiana, in 1824, a son of Elijah and Margaret (Morrison) Turner.
His father, Elijah Turner, was born in Georgia, and was twelve years old when he moved with his father to Western Kentucky, where he was reared. He went, as a pioneer, to Indiana when it was still a territory, and there lived the remainder of his life. He was a well educated man, and a prominent member of the community. His wife was a native of North Carolina, and was reared in Tennessee. She died at the age of ninety-two years, at the home of her oldest daughter, at Olympia, Washington.
R. R. Turner was one of nine children, and in 1901 had a sister living at Coffey County, Kansas, and a brother, at Ashland, Boone County, Missouri.
R. R. Turner attended both the subscription and public schools, which were then held in little log cabins, where the pupils set on benches and wrote with goose-quill pens. He acquired a superior education for those days, and in his early years was employed as a clerk. His first employment was upon the farm, and he remained at home until he was seventeen years of age, when he began working on flatboats and steamboats, on the river. He returned to farming, and later, at various times, owned several different farms in Iowa and Arkansas.
He lived in Arkansas when the Civil War broke out, and was reported by a Confederate captain to the governor of that state, and a reward of $500 was offered for his arrest. He raised a company of Union men, but, although the majority of them were accepted, he was rejected on account of his health, which was undermined by living in the brush.
He gathered his family together, and got out of the state, with the help of the Free Masons—going to Eureka, Greenwood County, Kansas. He remained there for a time, and engaged in the law and collection business.
In the spring of 1870, he traveled to what was supposed to be part of Howard County, but was afterward included within the borders of Cowley County, where he located a claim on the northeast quarter of section 18, township 34, range 8 east, to which he moved his family, from Eureka, in August 1870. He built a claim cabin—a very good one for those days—being provided with a fireplace, and there the family lived for six years. He then moved to his last homesite and built a larger frame-house, which was burned. It was constructed of logs and natural timber, and was 30 by 16 feet. He was naturally hospitable, and entertained many travelers and early settlers at his home. The Flint Hills were then considered the natural boundary line between Cowley and Howard counties, and Mr. Turner was appointed the first justice of the peace of the community by the governor of Kansas. After the survey had placed the boundary line near the center of range 8 east, his acts as a justice had to be legalized, as performed in Cowley County. He wrote to Col. Manning, who was then in the legislature, and to others, relative to the matter, and the proper measures were accordingly passed to make his official acts valid. He was originally in Dexter Township, but his section of the county was later included in Cedar Township. What then became of Cedar Township has since been divided up into three or four townships, and the land on which he lived became a part of Otter Township, and in 1901 he was acting as justice of the peace.
In the course of time Mr. Turner bought more land, until he had 500 acres of range, and fed over 100 head of cattle. In the spring of 1871 he set out a nursery, and sold grafts to those wishing to start orchards. His grafts were obtained from Lawrence, and many orchards were grown from his stock. His own tract also contained a fine orchard of five acres. He later disposed of his land to his son-in-law, Jerome J. Wilson, but still resided on his old farm.
Mr. Turner married Winnie Embry in Edwards County, Illinois, who died in the winter of 1892-1893, aged 70, leaving five children: Maggie (Serviss), who lived near Dexter; Wiley W., Elijah, and Ross R., of Oklahoma; Jane (Bowen), of Cowley County; and Judith, wife of Jerome J. Wilson, president of the Cedar Vale National Bank, and one of the largest cattle dealers and land owners of Cowley County.
In April 1896 Mr. Turner married his second wife, Mrs. A. M. Gillespie (nee Ingraham), who was born in Wabash County, Illinois, in 1832, and was reared in Edwards County, in that state. She was a daughter of Daniel and Rebecca (Taylor) Ingraham. She was married in Lawrence County, Illinois, to Mr. Gillespie, a minister of the Christian church. She was a teacher in the public schools of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas, where she taught in Cowley County. Her nephew, W. P. Ingraham, boarded with Mr. Turner, and was attending school in 1901.
Mr. R. R. Turner was raised a Whig and an Abolitionist, and helped to organize the Republican party in Wayne County, Illinois.
He was in Arkansas at the time of the Civil War, and there formed a company of his own and fought the Confederates for one year.
[DOES THIS COMPUTE WITH EARLIER STATEMENTS???]
He was sheriff of Greenwood County, Kansas, and also justice of the peace at Eureka. He became a Mason at Jefferson, Illinois, and was a member of the lodge at Cedar Vale.
He was a member of the Christian Church.
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[FALL 1871] PAGE 471.
PHOTO: JAMES G. UTT.
JAMES G. UTT arrived in Cowley County, Kansas, in the fall of 1871; he was a prominent farmer of Cedar Township, and lived in Lookout Valley, where he owned 320 acres of fine farming land. Mr. Utt was born January 22, 1838, in Jersey County, then a part of Greene County, Illinois, a son of Jacob and Mary (Swan) Utt.
His father, Jacob Utt, was of German descent, and was born in Pennsylvania in 1809—the year of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. He went from Ohio west, to Illinois, when that state was a territory, and died at Parsons, Kansas, on Christmas morning, 1890, aged 87. The ancestors of the family came from Germany, and became established in Pennsylvania. The great-grandfather of James G. Utt, and two of his brothers, served in the Revolutionary War, and his grandfather and one brother served in the War of 1812. He had three uncles in the Mexican War. Four of his brothers went to California in 1849, and when the Civil War broke out, they enlisted in defense of the Union.
Jacob Utt was united in marriage to Mary Swan, who was born in Tennessee about 1810, and was probably a relative of ex-Governor Swan, of that state. She died in Parsons, Kansas, in 1878. Ten children were born to bless their union, namely: James G.; a son, who died in infancy; Kate Ann (Dodson), of Denver, Colorado; Reuben, who was in the army during the Civil War, and resided at Pittsfield, Illinois; Mattie (Emerson), of Illinois; Mary, of Parsons, Kansas; George, who was killed at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain; Sophia (Shambaugh), wife of a Methodist minister in Nebraska; Sarah (Drew), a widow whose husband died on Christmas Day, 1900, in Parsons, Kansas; and Winfield Scott, who died at Parsons, Kansas.
James G. Utt attended the common schools of Illinois, and began to work at the age of fourteen years. During the war he remained at home and cared for the family, as all could not go to the front. He afterward spent seven or eight years in the lead mines of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin.
In 1871, with his wife and six children, he drove through to Cowley County, Kansas, accompanied by another family, which located in Chautauqua County. He camped on his home farm about October 6, 1871, and encountered the heaviest rain-storm he ever witnessed. The land in Cedar Township on which he located, in section 16, township 34, range 8 east, was school land, and was appraised at $3 per acre. Owing to a very high hill nearby, known as Lookout Mountain, the valley, for three miles to the southwest and east, was known as Lookout Valley, and in this he located.
Mr. O. C. Sartin, who married Anna Cloyd, was the first settler in this valley, and resided but a half mile distant; in the early days he was a trapper and hunter. He later became a minister.
[Part of this information on Sartin taken from HERITAGE.]
Mr. Utt took the south half of the south half of section 16, and later purchased the north half of the south half of the same section, from Amos Gent and Mr. Baton, making him the owner of the entire south half of the section. He came to Cowley County a poor man, and his first years here were marked by unceasing toil. He built the front part of his present house of native lumber, which was sawed in a mill owned by Mr. Pollard, who in 1901 was living in Cedar Vale. The house was 16 by 24 feet, which was considered large in those days. Into this, the family moved before the roof was put on. The shingles were made of native lumber, and were sawed by Mr. Phelps, in Otter Township. They were made by hand, and Mr. Utt assisted in the work. The house in time was greatly enlarged and well arranged.
Mr. Utt set out an orchard in 1872—the first orchard in the valley—buying the trees for 50 cents apiece, at Oswego. Although there was no timber on the place when he took it, a considerable amount was grown and the cottonwood trees supplied fuel from 1891 to 1901. Mr. Utt built a large amount of stone fence in 1873, 1874, and 1875, of stones picked up on the farm. He also set out about three-fourths of a mile of hedge, and the remainder of the farm was well fenced with wire. He began raising wheat in the fall of 1872, sowing at that time 15 acres. He broke the land with oxen, for which he traded his horses, using the oxen until 1874. He broke 40 acres, of his own, the first year, and also considerable land for his neighbors. The early settlers were very sociable and often made trips to town together, returning with freight for country stores, etc. All the settlers were then engaged in freighting, more or less, as it was about the only way in which to make any money.
Mr. Utt later engaged in mixed farming, raising corn, wheat, oats, alfalfa, and Kaffir corn, in rotation. He raised cattle and hogs each year.
Mr. Utt married, before the war, Mary Randle, who was born in Jersey County, Illinois, in June 1838. She was a daughter of James G. and Jane (White) Randle. Her father was from North Carolina, and died in 1879, aged 70. Her mother died in 1876, aged 71. Mr. and Mrs. Randle had the following children: Joseph, who lived half a mile east of James G. Utt's place, just across the county line; Mary; Susie, deceased; and Henry N., who resided at Hillsboro, Illinois, and was county treasurer of Montgomery County.
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Utt became parents of 11 children: Delia Jane, deceased; William H., who lived north of Cedar Vale; George, who lived at home in 1901; James, of Harvey County, Kansas; Clara, who died at the age of four years; Bert, who lived in Harvey County, Kansas; Walter J., who lived near his parents and was married, and had one son, Adrian; Charles R., who lived at home; Jennie, who also was living at home; India (Childers), who lived in Chautauqua County, Kansas, and had two children, Guy and Mildred Childers; and John L., who was living at home.
Mr. Utt became an Odd Fellow in 1863, at Elsah, Illinois, and in 1901 was a member of Lodge No. 151, at Cedar Vale. Mrs. Utt was a member of the Rebekahs. Of their sons, Walter was a member of the I. O. O. F.; Charles, of the Woodmen of the World; William H., of the Woodmen of the World; and Bert, of the Fraternal Aid Society.
Politically, Mr. James G. Utt was always a Republican, and had served as clerk of school district No. 83 for about 18 years. He took the United States census for the southeastern part of Cowley County in 1880, 1890, and in 1900.
Religiously, Mrs. Utt favored the Baptist church.
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[JULY 9, 1871.] PAGE 497.
ANTHONY J. WALCK resided on his present property in Maple Township, Cowley County, Kansas, comprising the east half of the northwest quarter and the west half of the northeast quarter of section 22, township 30, range 3 east, since July 9, 1871; he was one of the highly respected farmers of the community.
His father, Andrew Walck, and his mother were born in Bavaria, Germany, and in 1831 they came to the United States. Andrew Walck first located in Stark County, Ohio, where he rented land and carried on farming. He afterward moved to Allen County, Ohio, in 1838, where he died. His widow died in 1864. They were the parents of the following children: John, a retired farmer, resided at Winfield, Kansas, in 1901; Anna M., who died in 1872, wife of Michael Busch, a farmer of Maple Township; Anthony J.; Adam, who was a retired farmer and merchant living in Oklahoma; and Andrew, who died in 1874.
Anthony J. Walck attended school until he was 14 years of age, when he went to work on a canal boat; he next learned the trade of a carpenter. In 1856 he located in Fayette County, Iowa, where he worked at his trade until 1866.
The next four years were spent in Dent County, Missouri, where he made shingles. He then took up a farm in Cowley County, Kansas, and later purchased 10 acres in Rock Township, section 18, township 30, range 4 east, and rented the farm to his son, Andrew J. Mr. Anthony J. Walck was a hard and conscientious worker and consumed years in getting his place into fine condition.
Mr. Anthony J. Walck married October 13, 1851, Mary A. Bever, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, who passed away November 3, 1873. They had the following children: John A., who married Sarah J. McMillen, and became a farmer of Maple Township; Samuel, who moved to Oklahoma, where he was a farmer; Anna M., who was the wife of Robert Winkley, of Marion County, Kansas; Andrew J., who married Malvina Rader, and resided on his father's farm; Malvina H., who lived in Denver, Colorado; and Lavina H., the wife of Henry L. Moore, of Sedalia, Missouri. The two last named were twins.
Mr. Walck was a staunch Democrat. He held the office of school director and township clerk.
ADDITION TO ABOVE FILE:
Arkansas City Traveler, February 28, 1877.
“Item from Maple Township Correspondent. Gustavus Locker recently sold his farm to John Walck, Auglaize County, Ohio, for $2,075. Mr. Walck bought this farm for a homestead, and it is the fifth quarter section he has bought in this township.”
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[DECEMBER 1869.] PAGE 142.
J. B. WALL WAS LISTED IN HERITAGE ... BUT THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK STORY OVER.
J. B. WALL resided on his present farm, which was the northwest quarter of section 32, Rock Township, since December 1869.
He was born in Garrard County, Kentucky, April 5, 1836, a son of William Wall.
William Wall was born in the city of Cork, Ireland, and his wife, Tima Burnsides, was born in Garrard County, Kentucky. He was a bookkeeper, and later followed farming. Both died in Kentucky. They were the parents of the following children: Edwin, Edmond, Margaret Ann, Mary Ann, Sallie, Nancy, Robert, William, and J. B. Of these, four were still living in 1901,
The children all received a common school education. J. B. lived at home until after he had attained the age of twenty-four years. August 24, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, 1st Reg., Ky. Vol. Cav., and during his three years and four months of service was in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. After the close of the war, he returned home, where he remained until he journeyed to Cowley County, Kansas. He took up the northwest quarter of section 32, Rock Township, in December 1869, and was joined by his family the same year. He built a log cabin and in 1870 put out five acres of corn. He added improvements and ended up with one of the best farms in the vicinity. His home was built in 1884, at a cost of $700, and his barn and outbuildings were all in first class condition. He raised corn, oats, wheat, cattle, hogs, and horses.
Mr. J. B. Wall was married October 7, 1866, to Tima Teter of Garrard County, Kentucky, a daughter of Stephen Teter. Her father was a soldier in the Mexican War, and while returning to his home in Kentucky, died in Texas of smallpox. Her mother subsequently married Alfred Burton. From the first marriage three children were born: Alfred; Buena, deceased; and Mr. Wall's wife.
[MAY WANT TO SKIP.]
Of the second union, seven children were born: Robert, Rhoads, Alice, Florence, Dovie, Hauntley, and Perry.
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Wall had the following children.
1. Robert Wall, farmer, married Alice Bonnerfield, by whom he had a son, Hilburt.
2. George Wall, who lived in Leadville, Colorado.
3. Ira Wall, who was single in 1901, and lived at home.
4. William Wall, also single, and lived at home.
5. Leota Wall.
Mr. J. B. Wall was independent, in politics, and served on the school board in his district. He favored the Christian church; Mrs. Wall and daughter belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church.
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[1971/1972 ???] PAGE 144.
GEORGE WALKER, deceased, was a prosperous farmer of Rock Township, Cowley County, Kansas, and performed his share of the work in making this county one of the leading agricultural counties in the Sunflower State. At his death he owned about 500 acres, all in Rock Township, and his home was situated in section 19. George Walker was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, November 4, 1824, a son of Harvey Walker.
His father, Harvey Walker, was a native of Pennsylvania, and moved in 1853 with his family to Knox County, Illinois. He was a mechanic all his life. He married Mary Ann Carr, who was born in London, England, and whose parents came to the United States when she was a girl of twelve years. Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Walker died in 1863. They were the parents of the following children: James, Eliza, Harvey, Samuel, George, Caroline, Sarah, William, and John.
The early life of George Walker was spent in his native county and after his marriage he remained in Greenville, Pennsylvania, two years. He was a blacksmith by trade and followed farming during the major part of the time. He moved to Knoxville, Illinois, from Pennsylvania, and later on moved to Page County, Iowa. In the fall of 1870, he became a resident of Kansas, and first located near Topeka. In the following spring, he located in Butler County, and from there he entered Cowley County. He settled in the Walnut Valley, in section 6, Rock Township. He filed on 80 acres located by an old German settler, named Hamilton, who was the first to take up land in that district. This man was very homesick and longed to return to his native country. Accordingly Mr. Walker had no difficulty in securing the tract. On the farm a 14-foot square cabin had been put up, and Mr. Walker lived in it while residing on the place, having built a small addition to it. In April, 1876, he bought 160 acres, which in 1901 comprised the old homestead, and to this he added adjoining lands until he was the owner of over 500 acres. He first lived in a small house, 16 by 18 feet, and a story and a half high, and 12 acres had been broken on the homestead property. By hard and constant toil, he succeeded in getting his place into a high state of cultivation and became a large producer of grain, also of livestock.
Mr. Walker married July 3, 1851, Sarah Meacham, of Erie County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Ball) Meacham. Her father was born in New Hampshire, and her mother in Pennsylvania. They lived in Erie and Mercer counties many years and in 1851 moved to Knox County, Illinois, where Samuel Meacham spent ten years. His wife died there in 1856, and he then located in Lyons County, Kansas. He moved to Cowley County in 1877, and died in the county February 1881. He was a lifelong farmer. Fifteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Meacham: William, who lived in Illinois; Mary; Moses, who was a Baptist preacher in Nebraska; Edward, who died in the Mexican War; Harriet, deceased; Sarah (Walker); James, who lived in Topeka, Kansas; Cornelius, who lived in Idaho; Samuel, a minister, who lived in Missouri; Phylinda, who was a resident of Michigan; Gerry, deceased; Perry, deceased; Hannah, who died in December 1899; Elizabeth, who died aged ten years; and Joel, who died in infancy.
George and Sarah Walker had the following children: Isaphien, the eldest child, who died in infancy; Cecelia, who died in infancy; Samuel H., who died aged 17; Sylvia Elizabeth, wife of David McKibben of Oklahoma; George W., an implement dealer in Coyle, Oklahoma, who married Lillie Daniels; Ida M., wife of James Atkinson of Coyle Oklahoma, also an implement dealer; Minnie M., wife of J. C. Martindale; Mary L., wife of M. W. Bentley, who farmed the old homestead.
Mr. Walker was a soldier in the Union Army, being a corporal in Company H, 102nd Reg., Ill. Vol. Inf., in which he served three years. When he was mustered out of service, his health was very much impaired, and he never afterward regained a sound condition. He was a member of the G. A. R. at Udall. He formerly belonged to the Methodist church but later became a Spiritualist. Mr. Walker was a man greatly esteemed for his many good qualities, and his death, which occurred December 9, 1897, was deeply deplored by his numerous acquaintances, who knew him as having led an honorable and virtuous life.
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[DECEMBER 1870.] PAGE 25.
WIDOW PLAYED UP AS SUBJECT...
Mrs. Julia L. Walton, who, with her two accomplished daughters, resided in one of Winfield's beautiful houses, was the widow of LUCIUS WALTON, who was one of the earliest settlers of Cowley County, Kansas.
LUCIUS WALTON was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, November 4, 1829, a son of Comfort Walton. His grandfather, Abial Walton, came from England to New York City before the Revolutionary War. During that struggle he lived in Canada; but when it was over he returned to the United States and finally located at Rising Sun, Indiana, where he died at a very advanced age, being nearly one hundred years old.
Comfort Walton, father of Lucius Walton, was one of the earliest settlers of Jefferson County, Indiana, where he preempted land. His wife's maiden name was Sprague and she came from the Rhode Island family bearing that name. Comfort Walton died when Lucius, the youngest child and only son, was two years of age. The latter, at the age of 14, was placed with C. K. Laird, a merchant, who was an uncle of the lady he afterward married, and there he became proficient as a salesman, making many friends by his courteous manner and upright conduct. With this gentleman he made his home until 1851, when he was married to Julia Laird.
In 1852 Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Walton went to Jackson County, Indiana, where their eldest child, John, was born. They soon moved to Shelby County, Indiana, where they resided for 18 years. Mr. Walton was engaged in merchandising until the outbreak of the Civil War, when unsettled finances of the country prompted him to make a change, and he invested in farm property. He sold his farm of 120 acres in 1870, preparatory to going to Kansas, receiving therefore $50 per acre. Owing to the discovery of gas in the locality at a later period, the price of this land rose in value to $100 per acre.
Mr. Walton located at Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas, with his wife and four children, and found many others waiting for the survey and opening for settlement of the Osage Indian Reservation lands, which included what is now Cowley County. In December 1870 with his son, John, he came to Cowley County to locate claims, camping near the Ross farm, to the north of Winfield. They then set out on foot to find a claim, but it was very difficult to find desirable spots, as the land was unsurveyed. As a result, he bought the claim of Mr. Eskridge, brother of a former governor of Kansas. It was the northeast quarter of section 36, township 33, range 3 east. There was already upon it a log house, and there John remained, while his father returned for the family and an outfit. On March 12, 1871, Lucius Walton left Olathe with his family and arrived at their future home eleven days afterward. They resided in the log house until 1874, when a comfortable frame house was built on the northeast quarter of the same section, where the family lived until 1889, and of which John Walton became the present occupant.
Lucius Walton engaged extensively in grain and stock raising, and met with great success, but he was not merely a farmer. He had large transactions in property, and acquired a handsome competency by good investments and judicious management. His later life became clouded by sickness, which resulted in his death in 1890, one year after his removal to the city of Winfield. He was a man universally admired and respected.
Mrs. Julia Laird Walton was born February 14, 1830, in Delaware County, New York, a daughter of H. N. and Hannah (Stonemetz) Laird. Her great-grandfather Laird emigrated from Belfast, Ireland, with his small family. Soon after his arrival in New York, he enlisted in the American army under Washington, and was killed in the battle of Monmouth. The grandmother of Mrs. Walton on her father's side was of the Hammond and Delano families, of Massachusetts, and later, of Vermont. H. N. Laird, her father, moved to Jefferson County, Indiana, when she was but two years of age. Her mother, Hannah Stonemetz, was of German descent, her parents having emigrated from the country bordering the Rhine, and having settled at Cherry Valley, New York, at a very early day.
Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Walton became parents of the following children.
1. John Walton, born in Jackson County, Indiana, and came to Cowley County with his father, preempting a claim here. He also worked with the surveyors when the county was surveyed. John owned 640 acres of land in 1901 and resided on the old home farm. He was married at Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas, to Georgia A. Nesbit, and they had three children: Glenn, Errol, and Helen.
2, 3, 4, and 5. Clarence, Elvin, Florence, and Marie were deceased in 1901.
6. Lillie, born in Shelby County, Indiana, May 6, 1869, lived at home with her mother, and was the owner of 160 acres of farm land in her own right.
7. Clara, born in Beaver Township, Cowley County, Kansas, October 26, 1873, was also the owner of a tract of 160 acres of land.
Mrs. Walton well remembered her first view of Winfield, and how little it was entitled to be called a town, as many of the inhabitants were living in tents and wagons. The early days in Kansas were attended with rough experiences and much trepidation on account of the Indians. Upon one occasion, a neighbor of the Waltons, Mr. Holland, became frightened at the noise made by a party of Indians who were passing his house in the night, and took his wife and 12 children to shelter in some bushes not far away. The night being cool, the anxious mother feared for the comfort of her youngest child, a babe in arms, and requested her husband to return to the house for a quilt. Upon seeing him run back with the quilt over his shoulders, Mrs. Holland became frightened and screamed herself almost into hysteria. That night they drove to Winfield for safety. This incident, laughable later, was serious enough at that day.
Mr. and Mrs. Walton moved to Winfield in 1889, and both took great interest in the improvements there going on. In 1891 Mrs. Walton purchased a house at No. 1221 Seventh Avenue, where she resided with her two surviving daughters.
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[DECEMBER 24, 1868.] PAGE 247.
PHOTO: MR. AND MRS. JOHN WATSON.
JOHN WATSON attained considerable success as an agriculturist, and pursued that occupation in Cowley County, Kansas, since December 24, 1868. He was one of the oldest residents of Fairview Township. He took up 160 acres in section 30, to which he added 80 acres, making a total of 240 acres. Mr. Watson endured the many hardships that befell the pioneer settler.
John Watson was born in Brighton, Kentucky, November 10, 1835, a son of 'Squire and Mary Jane (Bly) Watson.
His father, 'Squire Watson, was also born in Kentucky, but moved to Fountain County, Indiana, six months after the birth of his son, John, and resided there until his death, in 1844, aged 44. His wife, a native of Maryland, died in 1880. They were the parents of nine children: William, deceased, who went to California in 1862, and was engaged in the freight business many years; Mary Jane, who was the wife of William Thurman, and died in Oregon, in 1898; Lucy Ann, deceased; John; Frank, who died in Indiana, in 1884; Isaac, who died in Indiana; Squire, who died in Georgia during the Civil War; James, who was a railroad man, and resided at Covington, Indiana; and Mina, who died at an early age.
John Watson spent very little time in attending school, for, when ten years of age, he began to shift for himself, and for the first six years worked at farming. He then spent twelve years with the Western Stage Company and drove between Covington and Eugene, Indiana, and at a later period on to Terre Haute, Indiana. In the spring of 1856, he drove to different points, from Sugar Grove, Illinois. Four years were spent by him driving stage between St. Joseph and Savannah, Missouri. In 1859, with a party of five, he started to drive through with five yoke of oxen, to Pike's Peak, but before he had gone far, he sold his interests, and entered the government employ, driving a team from Fort Riley to Junction City, Kansas.
In 1860 he organized Company A, 2nd Reg., Kans. Vol. Cav., of which he became captain. The company was mustered into service at Leavenworth, Kansas, and sent to Springfield, Missouri. At Wilson Creek, it was nearly annihilated—but 13 out of 80 escaping death or injury. John Watson was shot in the left side of the head, his right thigh was fractured, and for six months he was laid up in the hospital. When he returned to duty, he was assigned to the task of escorting foraging trains, and with this he saw three years of service.
After the war he went to Chillicothe, Missouri, where he operated a livery for eighteen months. Then he went to Bloomington, Illinois, where he worked a year for a hedge fence company. Next he spent a season in Butler County, Kansas, near Fort Scott, and moved on his present farm the same year in which he took it up, and in 1869 built a log house and broke 30 acres, besides a garden spot. In 1870 his corn crop yielded 80 bushels to the acre, which he sold for $1.25 per bushel and for his pumpkins, he received $2.00 per load. Neighbors were then very scarce, and Mr. Watson and his family were many times reported as killed by the Indians, but the red men always proved to be very friendly to them. Mr. Watson was an enterprising and progressive farmer.
Mr. John Watson was married, at Brownsville, Missouri, September 25, 1869, to Mrs. Mary Ellen (Poland) Zimmerman, of Maryland, a daughter of Thomas and Ellen (Duncan) Poland. Her father was also born in Maryland, but moved thence to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and thence to Brownsville, Missouri. He was a carpenter in trade. Mrs. Watson first married Wendell Zimmerman, a native of Germany, who died in 1864. They were parents of the following children: Charles Foster Zimmerman, who resided at Dodge City, Kansas; Luvenia, deceased, wife of G. W. Arnold, of Fairview Township, Cowley County; Margaret, widow of Erick Southerland, and who resided at Silverton, Colorado; and Cora, wife of George Shaddle, of Seguro, Colorado.
Mr. and Mrs. John Watson had the following children.
1. Robert Watson, who died, aged eighteen years.
2. John Watson, who died, aged nine months.
3. An unnamed infant, who died.
4. Harry A. Watson, who married Mattie Hill, and helped Mr. Watson in cultivating the farm.
Politically, John Watson was a Democrat; he never sought any office.
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[AUGUST 1870.] PAGE 320.
FRANK WEAKLY, residing in section 5, Walnut Township, Cowley County, Kansas, was a member of one of the oldest and most respected families of the county. He, his father, and three brothers, settled in Cowley County August 1870, and took up claims in sections 5, 6, 7, and 8, in Walnut Township. Frank Weakly's claim was the northeast quarter of section 7, township 32, range 4 east. Frank Weakly was born in Shelby County, Illinois, in 1846, a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Small) Weakly.
His father, Robert Weakly, was of Scotch-Irish descent, and was a native of either Maryland or Virginia. He died January 3, 1900. His wife was a native of Pennsylvania, and her death occurred February 28, 1895. They were the parents of six children.
1. Rebecca Weakly died in Kansas.
2. John Weakly lived just north of Frank's home. He was married twice. First wife, Mary Vinton, died, leaving one child, William. Second wife, Mrs. Maggie Hamilton, who bore John two children: she had one child by a former marriage.
3. Nancy Jane Weakly died in Illinois, when a young child.
4. Henry Weakly lived near Akron, Cowley County, and had a wife and three children: Charles, Ethel, and Inez.
5. Frank Weakly.
6. Israel Weakly was in partnership with his brother, Frank.
Mr. Robert Weakly first attended the Presbyterian Church, but later, with his wife, became a member of the German Reformed Church. He was a Republican, and was elected to various offices in his community.
During the early 1870s while the family was journeying through to Kansas, the men worked for a time on a railroad. After locating on different claims, they erected a cabin, in which they lived until 1878. In 1879 they erected a large residence, 32 by 36 feet in dimensions. Two years later the barn, 70 by 50 feet, was built as well as numerous other buildings.
In working together, the Weakly family made wonderful progress, and their farm was considered one of the best in Cowley County.
Frank and Israel Weakly lived constantly on the place, having bought out their brothers and father, and carried on farming on a large scale. Most of their land was put into grain every year, although a small amount was used for pasture, as they kept the requisite amount of livestock on hand to run the farm.
Miss Bertha Shinn was the housekeeper for this family since 1893. They had an adopted child, Callie. The Weakly family were Republicans. Frank Weakly served in various township offices.
NOTE: IF I READ ALL THIS CORRECTLY, IT APPEARS THAT FRANK AND BROTHER ISRAEL WEAKLY NEVER MARRIED...NOT SURE WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADOPTION OF CALLIE...???
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[SEPTEMBER 1870.] PAGE 435.
GEORGE WHITNEY owned the northwest quarter of section 32, township 34, range 4 east, in Creswell Township. He entered the borders of Cowley County, Kansas, September 1870. Farming was the occupation of his life.
George Whitney was born in Chautauqua County, New York, March 16, 1843, a son of Streeter and Harriet (Ransom) Whitney.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Streeter Whitney were natives of New York State. The former, whose occupation was farming, died in 1887; the latter died five years later. They were the parents of the following children.
1. Orwell Whitney: Born in 1840, died in the Union army in 1862; he was first a member of the 112th Reg., N. Y. Vol. Inf., and at the time of his death was in the 7th Massachusetts Battery.
2. Rachael Whitney; deceased.
3. Lurency (Cornish) resided in Sherman, New York.
4. Nelson Whitney lived in the same state, New York.
5. George Whitney.
George Whitney was next to the eldest child born to Streeter and Harriet Whitney, and attended the common schools of his district during his early youth. In 1861 he enlisted in the 9th Reg., N. Y. Vol. Cav., and after serving eight months was discharged on account of disability, being afflicted with weak lungs. Returning home, he was confined to his bed for nearly two years.
In the spring of 1865, he went to Buchanan County, Iowa, where he spent two years in farming. After his marriage he returned home, and there remained for a period of three years.
In 1869 he entered the borders of Kansas, and located at Emporia. This change was made on account of his weak lungs. From Emporia he moved to Cowley County, and took up, in Creswell Township, his farm—comprising the northwest quarter of section 32, township 34, range 4 east—which he still owned in 1901, with the exception of 17 acres. This farm bordered the Walnut River, and in 1901 still contained 20 acres of natural timber. Mr. Whitney erected his present buildings himself, the lumber for which was obtained at Wichita. After many years of hard labor, he made his farm one of the best in Creswell Township, raising considerable wheat, and some hogs and cattle. In hogs, he favored a strain made up of three-fourths Poland-China, and one-fourth Berkshire. During the real estate boom in Cowley County, he sold his farm at $150 per acre, and in 1890 took it back. He later rented most of it, retaining only the pasture land. In 1890 he purchased a lot and built a fine home in Arkansas City, where he re-sided thereafter.
Mr. Whitney married Delia Connel, of Illinois. They had two children: Lida and Edna, both living at home in 1901.
Mr. Whitney was a Republican, and served as road overseer.
Added data for Whitney file:
Arkansas City Traveler, March 1, 1876.
M. R. Leonard and George Whitney returned from Arkansas last Monday. They will remain with us awhile.
Arkansas City Traveler, July 11, 1877.
Mares for Mules. I have a good team of good brood and work mares I will trade for a team of good mules. George Whitney.
Arkansas City Traveler, August 6, 1879.
George Whitney is coming back from Colorado.
Arkansas City Traveler, September 10, 1879.
Mr. George Whitney, who has been in Colorado for some time, returned last Saturday evening, satisfied that in the long run Kansas is a better state.
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[1871.] PAGE 133.
DAVID J. WILLIAMS was an enterprising and prosperous farmer residing in section 12, Tisdale Township, Cowley County, Kansas. He was born in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania, in the village of Minersville, Schuylkill County, in September, 1844, a son of John and Martha (Jenkins) Williams.
His father, John Williams, was born in Wales about the year 1800. He was a mechanic by trade, although after coming to this country, he worked in the coal mines in Pennsylvania, where he was killed in 1850. He was married, in Wales, to Mrs. Jenkins, who died in Ohio, in 1882. In the two families were reared ten children: Anna Jenkins (Jones), who died in California; Eliza Jenkins (Edwards), who died in Ohio; William and Daniel, deceased; Ambrose, who lived in Pennsylvania; John, deceased; Jacob, who lived in Michigan, and was a well known employee of the Port Huron & Northwestern Railroad Company; David J.; Mary Jane (Davis), who lived in Pennsylvania, and whose husband was a machinist; and Benjamin, deceased.
The Williams family moved to Trumbull County, Ohio, when David J. was a lad of nine years, and there he received his schooling. When the war of secession broke out, he enlisted as a gunner in the 20th Ohio Battery, and served as gunner of the second piece until the close of the conflict. He was in the service three years, lacking fifteen days. He was in the Army of the Cumberland, and participated in the Atlanta campaign. He took part in many engage-ments, and his last two battles were at Franklin and Nashville, under General Thomas. In the former he was wounded by a spent shell.
In 1871 journeyed to Cowley County, Kansas, in company with J. D. Hollinger, Robert Hilton, John Campbell, and John H. Wilson. All came from Ohio, with the exception of the last named.
David J. Williams took up the southwest quarter of section 12, township 32, range 5 east. From native lumber he built a house 12 by 14 feet in dimensions, and besides breaking 25 acres the first year, also set out a number of trees. The first year he planted 25 acres in sod-corn, which yielded 25 bushels to the acre. During this time he served on the first grand jury of Cowley County, under Judge Ross. Mr. Williams then returned to Wayne County, Ohio, and shortly afterward moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he worked on the P. & L. E. Railroad, and in connection with the city water works.
In 1884, with his family, he moved back on his farm, which had been cultivated by different occupants during his absence, but he had always kept up the taxes.
The old house stood on the northeast corner. Mr. Williams built a five-room house on the southeast corner. His new barn, 28 by 48 feet, was completed in 1899 at a cost of about $600, which did not include its owner's time. Besides having ample room for many horses and cows, it contained grain bins, and the mow had a capacity of 34 tons of hay. Corn, cattle, and hogs were the chief products of the farm, and of the latter, he raised yearly about 35 of the Poland-China and Berkshire breeds. He also raised horses of superior stock, and had a number of fine draft horses. Fifty acres of his farm were in pasture, with a fair size orchard, and the remainder was under cultivation. The farm contained many substantial buildings, and was all enclosed and cross-fenced.
Mr. Williams married Sarah Harbaugh, in 1867, at Akron, Ohio; she died in 1897, leaving a son, Harry.
He married shortly before 1901 Mrs. Sarah McEwen, who had a son, Guy.
Mr. Williams was a Populist. He served as constable and road overseer several terms.
He joined the G. A. R. at Mineral Ridge, Ohio, and later the Siverd Post, of Winfield. He was a member of Tisdale Lodge, No. 514, I. O. O. F., of Tisdale, Kansas, and was Noble Grand of that lodge. He was a Baptist.
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[JULY 1870.] PAGE 206.
GEORGE H. WILLIAMS was a prominent merchant of Rock, Kansas, and served as postmaster of the village for over twenty-five years. He was a resident of the Sunflower State since 1855, although he did not locate in Cowley County until July 1870.
George H. Williams was born August 22, 1846, on Grand Island, Lake Superior, a son of John W. and Amanda J. Williams.
His father, John W. Williams, was a native of the state of New York, and his wife was born in Fulton County, Illinois. They were married in Michigan, where they resided until October, 1850, when they moved to Fulton County, Illinois. In 1855, they located in Kansas, where Mr. Williams engaged in farming. He was a blacksmith by trade and followed that occupation many years. He died June 1, 1885, and his widow died at Rock, in March 1898. They reared the following children: George H.; Stephen D., who died in Douglass, Kansas, in 1894; Justus F., who was a stock raiser, and resided in Wyoming; John F., who was a farmer and stock breeder, and resided in Osage County, Kansas; Christopher V., who was a harness maker, and lived in Osage County, Kansas; Ella J., deceased, who was the wife of Peter Taylor; Ida E., who was the wife of T. Stephens, of Lawrence, Kansas; Abraham L., who was a stone mason; Limon P., who resided near Rock, Kansas, and was a gardener; Arthur W., who was a farmer in Kansas; and Lloyd E., who was a farmer of Lyon County, Kansas.
Mr. George H. Williams attended the state university at Lawrence, Kansas, and made his home with his parents until he attained the age of twenty-two years. He then taught school two terms in Douglass County, Kansas, and then taught private school in Cowley County.
On July 11, 1870, he took up the northeast quarter of section 28, Rock Township. As it was all raw prairie, much labor was required to get it under a good state of cultivation. Mr. Williams built a house, 12 by 14 feet, and in April 1871 was joined by his family. That year he broke five acres, which he put into corn, and the next year he planted five more acres, and from 10 acres raised an average of 50 bushels of corn per acre.
Mr. Williams lived on the place until 1874, when, in partnership with John Worthington, he engaged in the general merchandising business. In 1878 he bought out Mr. Worthington by conveying his farm for the latter's share in the business.
Since 1882, this farm was in the possession of Albert Abbott.
Mr. Williams continued in business alone and gained a large patronage. In 1875 he was appointed postmaster, and had continuous charge of the Rock post office. He served as justice of the peace from 1873 to 1875, was township trustee in 1873, and also acted as notary public. He was a Republican, and in 1901 held the office of township treasurer.
Mr. Williams was married December 17, 1808, to Sarah J. Coon, of Henry County, Indiana, a daughter of Eli and Margaret (Morrison) Coon, and they had the following children.
1. Laura May, wife of W. H. Widener, a farmer of Rock Township.
2. George C., a farmer in Rock Township, who married Nora Hollingsworth.
3. Lola Inez, wife of H. C. Widener, of Arkansas City.
4. Bird, wife of Charles Hornaday, of Rock Township.
5. Eunice, who died in 1881.
Mr. Williams was a member of F. & A. M.—Lodge No. 151, A. F. & A. M., of Douglass; Chapter No. 57, R. A. M., of Douglass; and Commandery, No. 15, K. T., of Winfield. He was a director of the Winfield National Bank, in which he had 10 shares; and vice-president of the Exchange State Bank of Douglass, in which he held two shares.
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[1870.] PAGE 454.
WILLIS WILSON, a pioneer citizen of Cowley County, Kansas, was one of the foremost businessmen of Atlanta since the town was first started. He was engaged in carrying on a general merchandise store for some years, and then became the senior member of the firm of H. R. Wilson & Company, conducting the only hardware store in Atlanta.
Mr. Wilson was born in Madison County, Indiana, in 1835, and when eight years old, moved with his father to Daviess County, in the same state. He was a son of Lemuel Wilson, who was born in North Carolina, and moved, in 1869, to Coffey County, Kansas, where he resided one year, and then moved to Cowley County. He followed his son Willis, to Cowley County, and took up a farm near the latter's on Dutch Creek. He died in 1883, at the ripe old age of eighty-eight years. His wife, whose maiden name was Cory, died in Cowley County, in 1887, aged 84. Their union resulted in the birth of four children.
1. Willis Wilson.
2. Abner Wilson, who died in 1878.
3. Lemuel Wilson, who lived six miles southeast of Winfield.
4. Nancy J. (Miller), who lived in Indiana.
Willis Wilson was reared in Indiana, and, although later a man of intelligence and wide knowledge of worldly affairs, had the advantage of but three months' schooling. He remained at home until he reached the age of eighteen years, when he was united in marriage. He chose farming as a means of acquiring a competency, and followed that occupation for a period of fifty years.
On July 2, 1861, soon after the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in Company D, 24th Reg., Ind. Vol. Inf., 13th Army Corps, 3rd Division, under Gen. Lew Wallace, and Division Commander E. P. Hovey, who was later colonel of the 24th Regiment. Mr. Wilson served as a private, and later as first sergeant, in 11 important engagements. He continued in the service for three years, and received his discharge August 18, 1864.
He then returned to his Indiana home, and there followed farming until 1870, when he sold his farm and went by rail to Ottawa, Kansas, and thence by wagon to Cowley County, where he arrived before the survey. He located on Dutch Creek, in Richland Township, on the northwest quarter of section 24, township 30, range 5 east. Two of his brothers and his father were in Woodson County, Kansas, at that time. He hauled lumber for the building of his first house from Neosho Falls—a distance of 100 miles—and put up a shanty, 12 by 24 feet, which was considered large in those days. This was replaced, in 1880, by a new, seven-room house. He bought teams soon after locating on the farm, and immediately set about breaking the ground and planting crops; he raised wheat, largely, during the first years. The markets at that time were Emporia and Burlington, and at a later period, Wichita. He subsequently made corn his principal crop, and raised millet, extensively, for feeding purposes. He engaged in stock raising on a large scale, preferring Poland-China hogs, of which he sold $1,400 worth in one year. He became the owner of a half section of land, and kept from 40 to 60 head of Shorthorn cattle. He sold the farm to his son, Benjamin L., in 1886, about the time the railroad was being built through Omnia Township, and retired from farming life.
He located at Atlanta, and was among the first to build there, the store building of Mr. Day being completed a short time prior to his. He established a hardware business, and followed it for one year. Then he sold out both stock and building, and purchased Mr. Day’s building. In this he conducted a general store with great success until 1893, building, in the meantime, an addition to the store, which made it 80 feet in depth. He disposed of this store to Burns & Grissom, and retired from business for a year.
In 1895, with his son, H. R. Wilson, he opened the hardware store which since that time was conducted under the firm name of H. R. Wilson & Company. They had a successful and growing business in 1901, and three men were kept busily employed. They carried a complete line of general hardware, implements, and vehicles, and had a well-equipped repair shop in the rear of the store.
Mr. Wilson owned, and resided in, a fine six-room, one-story house in the south part of Atlanta, and owned some land in the vicinity.
Mr. Wilson was first united in marriage with Louisa Shuram, who died in Indiana, leaving four children: Melinda (Martin), who lived one and a half miles west of Atlanta, Cowley County; Mary (Miller), who lived in Arkansas; Benjamin L., who resided on the old home farm, in Richland Township; and G. A., who resided three miles from the town of Atlanta.
Mr. Wilson formed a second union, in Indiana—marrying Mary June Milton, who was born in that state, and died in Cowley County in 1876, aged 31. Four children also resulted from his second union: H. R., who married Miss Rash, and was a member of the hardware firm bearing his name; James M., who married Miss Baston, and conducted a livery in Atlanta; Louise (Klingsmith), who resided in Missouri; and Mrs. R. M. Torbett, whose husband was identified with the hardware business in Atlanta, and who had a son, Everett.
Willis Wilson was a Republican; he held various township offices. He was a member of Atlanta Post, No. 324, G. A. R. He was a Methodist, and attended the M. E. church which was dedicated on November 11, 1900. He formerly attended the services of the M. E. church, South, whose place of worship was built soon after the town of Atlanta was established.
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[MARCH 16, 1871.] PAGE 484.
SMITH WINCHEL was a prosperous and well-to-do farmer residing in Silver Dale Township, Cowley County, Kansas, who took up his farm March 16, 1871.
Smith Winchel was born in Perry County, Indiana, February 20, 1842, a son of Richard and Rosella (Finch) Winchel. His father was a native of New York State, and most of his days were spent in Indiana, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits.
When but a young man, Smith Winchel enlisted, in 1861, in Company D, 1st Reg., Ind. Vol. Cav., under Conrad Baker, ex-governor of that state, and rendered gallant service until he was mustered out in September, 1864.
Young Smith Winchel remained at home, helping his father cultivate the homestead, until 1868. Then he started west and did farm work in the state of Missouri, until he settled in Cowley County. He built a small log cabin on his farm, and in it resided until 1900, when his present handsome home was completed. He made many improvements upon the place, having put up a good barn and other outbuildings. His land was very fertile, and especially adapted to the raising of corn, of which he cultivated about 50 acres every year. He made a specialty of hogs, favoring Poland-Chinas; he carried on, however, general farming, raising a little of all kinds of grain.
Mr. Winchel was married twice, the first union being with Mary Hawkins, a native of Missouri, whom he married January 24, 1869. Four children were born to them: John, Elmer, Wallace, and Frank, who helped to care for the homestead. Their mother passed away January 1, 1878.
Mr. Winchel's second wife was Mrs. Hathaway, who was married to Mr. Winchel October 1, 1880. Mrs. Winchel had four children by her first husband: Jessie (Harvey); Rosa (Warren); Maude (Perrick); and Albert Hathaway, who lived at home. Her last union resulted in the birth of two more children: Clara Winchel and Alice Winchel—both living at home in 1901.
Mr. Winchel, as was his father, was a Republican, while in religious views, he was inclined to be liberal.
Arkansas City Traveler, January 8, 1879.
“Dr. Shepard informs us that Mrs. Smith Winchel, residing on Grouse Creek, was nearly burned to death one day last week. Her recovery is very doubtful.”
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[1869/1870] PAGE 55.
WARREN WOOD was one of Cowley County's most enterprising and prominent farmers. He owned 560 acres in Beaver Township of valuable farm land, although he tilled only 200 acres—the remainder being leased out. Mr. Wood in 1901 was not living on the farm, having been for the past year, or more, a resident of Winfield, where he removed in order that his children might be able to obtain better schooling.
Warren Wood was born in the year 1837, in Albany County, New York, and was a son of William Wood.
His father, William Wood, was born in New York State, where the family had resided many years, and whence they moved, in 1837, to Illinois, where they lived in different counties, although mainly near East St. Louis. There William Wood died in 1870. The wife of William Wood was Margaret Baird, who was also a native of the Empire State, and who died near East St. Louis, in 1844. They reared the following children: Herman, deceased; David, who lived in the state of Washington; Warren; Walter and Morgan, who also resided in the state of Washington; Catherine (Gammon), who, with her husband, resided at Spokane Falls, Washington; Emma, twice married, first to a Mr. King and later to a Mr. Trout (both deceased), and lived in Beaver Township, Cowley County; and Henrietta, deceased.
Warren Wood attended school during his younger days, and at fifteen years of age launched out for himself. He accompanied some neighbors to the Indian Nation, where he gathered cattle to take across the plains, and in so doing he gradually worked his way west, to Marysville, California. After reaching that point, he worked in the mines until 1867. His subsequent occupation was as sawyer in a mill, for which he received $5 a day. Continuing there but a short time, in 1867, he went to Washington, and joined his brother, who had located in that state in 1865. There he assisted his brother in farming and running a brick-kiln. In 1869, he located in Johnson County, Kansas, where he first worked with a threshing outfit.
In May 1870 he moved to Cowley County, but shortly afterward returned to Johnson County, and in the fall of the same year located in Beaver Township, Cowley County, Kansas. He first preempted the northwest quarter of section 15, township 33, range 3 east, and farmed that quarter until about the year 1878, when he sold it for a good sum of money. He then secured the northeast quarter of the same section, upon which he made extensive improvements, and where he lived for a score of years. His house was destroyed by fire and he at once erected a six-room, story-and-a-half house. He built numerous outbuildings and a large, substantial barn, and being successful in his operations, added to his possessions from time to time, until he became the owner of 560 acres, all in Beaver Township. Stock raising and general farming were his chief pursuits for thirty years. Later he made Winfield his home, and there owned a two-and-a-half acre block in the eastern portion of the city, where he had a handsome home and a good barn.
Mr. Wood married Jane Hatcher, a native of Canada, whose parents were pioneer settlers of Kansas. They had four children.
1. Edmund Wood, who was a teacher at Newkirk, Oklahoma.
2. Lillie (Graham), who lived in Walnut Township.
3. Morgan Wood.
4. Roy Wood.
Mr. Wood served three years in the United States army, in campaigns against the Indians, and was a member of Company A, 1st. Reg., Oregon Cavalry. He was mustered out at Vancouver.
He was a Republican, and, religiously, he favored the Christian church. He was a member of Arkansas Post, G. A. R.
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NOT PART OF THE 1869/1870/1871 GROUP....
TYPED THIS UP BECAUSE OF THE NAME "WORTHLEY."
[1887] PAGE 219.
PHOTO: WILLIAM H. POTTLE.
HIS WIDOW, MRS. VIRGINIA S. POTTLE, WAS BIO SKETCH SUBJECT.
MRS. VIRGINIA S. POTTLE, widow of the late William H. Pottle, who was for many years the leading dry goods merchant of Arkansas City, Kansas, was born in 1846 in Yates County, New York. She was a daughter of George and Margaret A. (Woodruff) Kinney. George Kinney was proprietor of a hotel at Penn Yan, New York, and died when Virginia was but two and a half years old. Her mother lived until 1861, when the daughter, Virginia, went to Manchester, Michigan, to visit a cousin. She was but fourteen years old at the time, and continued to live in Manchester until her marriage with Mr. Pottle. Being musically inclined, she was given every advantage in that line—devoting several years to the study. She also taught music in Manchester for ten years, which included some time after her marriage. It was in Manchester she met the enterprising young dry goods merchant, William H. Pottle, and they were united in marriage in 1871.
Mr. Pottle was born in Franklin County, Maine, in October 1840, and died in Arkansas City, Kansas, November 7, 1899. He was a son of Abel and Mahala (Ellsworth) Pottle, and was of English extraction.
Abel Pottle, who was a farmer residing near Augusta, Maine, took an active interest in politics, and served as a member of the state legislature, for several terms. His death occurred at his home in Maine. His union with Mahala Ellsworth resulted in the birth of twelve children, eight of whom reached maturity, as follows: Jerry; Mary (Worthley); Abel, Jr.; William H.; Almira; James; Charles; and George. Jerry, who was a successful farmer, died in 1893. Mary (Worthley) resided at Arlington Heights, a suburb of Boston. Abel, Jr., was a Methodist minister, living in Maine. Almira died soon after her marriage, leaving two children, who were living in Maine in 1901. James had lived for the past ten years in California, where he was a successful farmer, and had a large vineyard. Charles was a farmer, living in South Dakota. George resided at Lewiston, Maine; he was mayor of that city for several years, held the office of state assessor, and was prominent in state politics. He had two children, one of whom died in infancy, and the other, Philip, resided in Bowdoin Center, Maine.
William H. Pottle was educated at Kent’s Hill, Farmington, Maine, where he also took a business course. He enlisted in Company C, 8th Reg., Maine Vol. Inf., and served for two years and a half under General Logan and General Grant. He was often detached to secure supplies; while he took part in several battles, he never sustained any wounds. Upon his return from the army, he went to Manchester, Michigan, where he engaged in the dry goods business. He also took an active interest in politics, and acted as chairman of committees, but never accepted office, as he wished to give his attention to business.
In 1887 Mr. Pottle moved to Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kansas, where he was engaged in business with A. A. Newman for two years. He then conducted business under the firm name of W. H. Pottle & Company, being connected with a company from Wichita, for two or three years, after which he purchased their interest. His store was at No. 224 Summit Street, and was considered one of the best in the city. He carried on a successful business until his death, which occurred in 1899. He made many friends, and was always ready to give a helping hand to young men, who were just starting out in life. Highly respected by all, his death was greatly deplored by all in the community.
Since her husband’s death, Mrs. Pottle has carried on the business formerly conducted by her husband, and the name of the concern is the Pottle Dry Goods Company. Mrs. Pottle is ably assisted by her son-in-law, J. S. Mowatt, and her daughter, Margaret Pottle, who aided her father for six years prior to his death. Gussie Pottle, a graduate of Arkansas City schools, was employed as bookkeeper. Seven people were at work in the store, and the patronage was large. Mrs. Pottle bought the best goods in the market, and her patterns were always of the latest styles. She had three daughters: Margaret; Mrs. Grace M. Mowatt; and Gussie.
The family were members of the Congregational Church, and took an active interest in the church work. Mrs. Pottle was a prominent member of a literary and a musical club, of Arkansas City. She resigned shortly before 1901 as her time was fully occupied with other duties.
Mr. Pottle was a member of the G. A. R. and a Knight Templar.
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THE FOLLOWING PERSON WAS COVERED IN HERITAGE...
[OCTOBER 29, 1870] PAGE 291.
G. W. ARNOLD, a well known farmer of Cowley County, Kansas, resided on the southeast quarter of section 28, Fairview Township. He was a son of G. G. And Rebecca (Weakly) Arnold.
G. G. Arnold was born in Maryland, where he lived for a number of years. He afterward moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, and remained there until 1843, when he moved to Shelby County, Illinois. There he was engaged in farming until 1870; on October 29, of that year, he moved with his family to Walnut Township, Cowley County, Kansas. He bought 80 acres of land which he cultivated for several years, and then moved to Oklahoma. His death occurred in August, 1898, and his wife lived until February, 1900. His union with Rebecca Weakly resulted in the birth of the following children: Israel, deceased; Susan, wife of Marshall Howard, of Wichita, Kansas; Eliza, deceased; Samuel, deceased; Maria, wife of A. D. Pontius, of Rich Hill, Missouri; Fred, a farmer, of Walnut Township; G. W.; Otho, a farmer living near Guthrie, Oklahoma; and Mary, wife of N. E. Newell, of Wichita, Kansas.
G. W. Arnold obtained his education in the common schools of his native place. He moved to Kansas, with his parents, in 1870, and remained at home until December 20, 1876, when he took up a claim in the southeast quarter of section 28, in Fairview Township, Cowley County. After breaking 10 acres of the ground, and digging a well, he built a house and several outbuildings. Each year he made improvements and his farm was one of the best in the county. He was successful in raising wheat, corn, oats, and also cattle and hogs.
In December 1876 Mr. Arnold married Miss Zimmerman, who died in 1878. There children were Frank, a resident of Blackwell, Oklahoma; and Walter.
Mr. Arnold married in March 1886 Capitolia Lynn, a native of Illinois, who became a resident of Cowley County in 1885. They had two children: Beryl and Jessie.
Mr. Arnold was a member of the school board several terms, and was a Republican. He and his wife were members of the Christian Church at Winfield. They both belonged to the Fraternal Aid, of Winfield.
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STORY APPEARED IN HERITAGE.
[APRIL 7, 1870.] PAGE 436.
WILLIAM AUMANN was an old and much respected farmer, an excellent type of the sturdy German trace, who was a resident of Cowley County, Kansas, since April 7, 1870. Upon his arrival in the county, he preempted, in Creswell township, the southeast quarter of section 5, township 34, range 3 east. He was an industrious and enterprising man, and cultivated 400 acres, all of which he highly improved. He was born in Prussia, Germany, June 22, 1848, a son of William Aumann, Sr., whose occupation was that of a laborer.
William Aumann, Sr., always lived in Germany, and died there a few years before 1901. He had five children: Henry, deceased; Fred and Gottlieb, farmers in Illinois; William; and Ernest H., a sketch of whom may also be found in this book.
William Aumann was reared and schooled in Germany. In 1867 he came to this country and located in Madison County, Illinois, where he spent three years working as a farm hand. With two other men he journeyed to Kansas and took up his homestead. He built a small log house, in which he lived from April until May, and then went back to Illinois, only to return to Kansas two and a half months later. His old house was still standing in 1901, and was used as a barn; but his Kansas barn, constructed of poles and straw, was long ago replaced by a large and substantial one. His nine-room house was completed in 1888. He set out his cottonwood grove from slips obtained from the river, and one very large tree grew from a log sleeper of a dug-out, used as a cellar. In the early days many hardships were endured by the determined and sturdy inhabitants of the new country, and Mr. Aumann was many times frightened by the Indians, although never molested. Mr. Aumann went on frequent buffalo hunts, that animal then being very plentiful. Independence was his purchasing place, whereas in 1901 he bought most of his goods at Geuda Springs. He owned 400 acres in 1901. He favored Poland-China hogs and Shorthorn cattle.
Mr. Aumann was married to Ernestena Harmanang, a native of Germany, who came to this country at the age of twenty years, with an uncle. Her parents were neighbors of Mr. Aumann’s parents in Germany. She resided with an aunt, in Illinois, until her marriage. They had four children; three of whom were living in 1901: Esther Anna, 16; Dency Ella, 10; and Eva May, 8.
Mr. Aumann was a Democrat; a Lutheran; and an Odd Fellow.
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BELIEVE BOTH AUMANN BROTHERS WERE COVERED IN HERITAGE...
BUT I COULD BE WRONG!
HERE IS BROTHER NO. 2.
[1873/1875] PAGE 149.
ERNEST H. AUMANN became a constant resident in 1875, although he first visited the county in 1873, and purchased 80 acres in section 5, Creswell Township. He ended up owning 620 acres, of which all but 80 acres was in Beaver Township. His home was situated on the southeast quarter of section 32, township 34, range 3 east. He was born in Prussia, December 9, 1850, a son of William Aumann.
William Aumann was a farmer and nurseryman, and was also born in Germany. He had five sons, four of whom came to the United States. They were Henry, who died in Germany; Frederick, who came to this country in 1864, and lived in Christian County, Illinois; Gotlieb, who also lived in Illinois; William, a farmer of considerable prominence, residing in Creswell Township, and a neighbor of his brother, Ernest H. Aumann.
Ernest H. Aumann came to this country in the spring of 1868, and at first located in Madison County, Illinois, near East St. Louis, where he worked out until his removal to Kansas. He was an economical fellow, and succeeded in accumulating $1,000, and when he arrived in Cowley County in 1873, he bought 80 acres in Creswell Township—consisting of the north half of the northeast quarter of section 5, township 34, range 3 east. He then returned to Illinois, where he worked until 1875, when he moved onto his purchase of 1873. He hauled lumber from Wichita, built a home, and lived in it until the spring of 1899, when his present magnificent residence was completed. This house contained 12 rooms, and was completed at a cost of $6,000. The interior was finished in oak and hard pine, and the house contained all the latest improvements and conveniences. It was heated by a furnace; on the second floor was a bathroom; and throughout the residence was a water system, equal to any similar convenience in the city. This system was kept in operation by a 103-barrel reservoir of water, at a sufficient elevation to supply the pressure throughout the house. Mr. Aumann’s house was undoubtedly one of the finest in the county, and it was furnished throughout in an elegant and tasteful manner.
In 1878 Mr. Aumann made his second purchase, which consisted of the quarter section on which he lived in 1901, and at various times he added to his possessions, until he acquired 620 acres. His farm was all in first class condition, and he was one of the most extensive wheat growers in this section of the state. He kept some livestock, and had a fine, substantial barn, 44 by 56 feet, which had a basement eight feet high. An abundant supply of water was obtainable on his place at a depth of only 20 feet. Mr. Aumann actively managed his farm, and under his methods of operation, received enormous returns.
Mr. Aumann was married in his first log house to Cora Haven, a native of Michigan, and a daughter of Albert and Martha Haven, who established their residence in Cowley County in 1878, but afterwards located in Oklahoma. Her mother died when Cora was a young girl, leaving three children, two of whom were deceased by 1901. By Mr. Haven’s second marriage, he had four children.
Mr. and Mrs. Aumann had two children living in 1901: Clay, who was attending college at Manhattan, Kansas; and Agnes, aged six years.
Mr. Aumann was a Democrat. He belonged to the I. O. O. F. and the Grange of Arkansas City. He and his family were Lutherans.
THEY HAD A PORTRAIT OF MR. AUMANN AND A VIEW OF HIS RESIDENCE.
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STORY APPEARED IN HERITAGE.
[FEBRUARY 1871.] PAGE 67.
WILLIAM HENRY BERNARD was the owner of fine farm in section 5, Vernon Township, Cowley County, Kansas, which he took up in February 1871. He was born in Kirksville, Missouri, and could trace his ancestral history back to St. Bernard; although his people were of French descent, his parents and grandparents were born in this county.
His father, Andrew J. Bernard, was born in Green County, Kentucky, and went thence to Missouri, and afterward to Texas, where he spent a number of years in stock raising. He lived in the latter state until 1884, when he came to Cowley County, Kansas, where he resided until his death in 1892. The maiden name of Mr. Bernard’s mother was Meeks, and she was born in Ohio. She first married Silas Beeman, who was a gunsmith, and who died about the year 1846. By this union she had the following children: Martin; O. H.; Noah; Newton; and Abe.
In 1848 Mrs. Beeman was joined in marriage with Andrew J. Bernard, of Kirksville, Missouri, and to them two children were born: William Henry and Minerva. Mrs. Bernard died in 1886, aged 84.
William H. Bernard came to Cowley County, Kansas, in November 1870, and in the following February saw the government survey of this county made. He at once preempted his farm. During his first few winters in the county, he lived largely on buffalo meat, which was obtained about 30 miles away. Buffaloes were very abundant during those days, and one was killed within eight miles of Mr. Bernard’s home. During the winter of 1873, while hunting on the plains, a heavy snow fell, which was followed by a blizzard, and the lives of the party he was with were seriously threatened. They put all their blankets and comforts on the horses to keep them from freezing, but the whole party managed to come out alive. In the fall of 1898, Mr. Bernard went to the vicinity of Yellowstone Park to hunt elk and bear and brought home a number of handsome elk horns and a large bear skin. On this bear he got a bead as it was running through the forest, and it took but one ounce ball to bring it down, as he shot it just below the base of the brain. Mr. Bernard had numerous pelts of mountain sheep as trophies of his hunting expeditions.
He married January 29, 1874, Sarah J. Pennington, a daughter of Samuel Pennington, and a native of Iowa. They had five children: Leland A., Mary E. (Grant), Ethel, Bertha, and Ruth.
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IN HERITAGE...
[JUNE 1870.] PAGE 362.
DELMONT J. COBURN entered the borders of Cowley County, Kansas, in June 1870, and like the other early settlers, he had to undergo many hardships. Game in those days was very plentiful, and he and his contemporaries subsisted largely on buffalo meat. One day about 40 wild turkeys passed near his cabin-door. The Indians were then inclined to be somewhat troublesome, and besides killing some of the white settlers, tried to drive the rest away. On one occasion about 500 Osage Indians camped on the farm adjoining that of Mr. Coburn, and until he discovered their intentions, he was somewhat uneasy. He visited their camp, and was told by the chief that if the Indians signed the treaty with the United States Government, he could stay; otherwise, he would have to leave. The settlers then made their own laws, and saw that they were strictly enforced. Four thieves who had stolen some horses in Missouri were traced by a United States marshal and his companion to Grouse Creek, which was near Mr. Coburn’s home, and the pursuers came upon the thieves while they were sitting around a camp fire. The marshal remarked to them that he was looking for some stolen horses, whereupon they opened fire with their weapons, and the marshal was killed. His companion, who was badly frightened, notified Mr. Coburn and his brother, who formed a posse and went in search of the thieves. Eighteen men on horses followed them to the Arkansas River. The depredators swam through the icy water, and, as the pursuers’ horses were quite exhausted, the chase was abandoned, but not before one of the bandits was shot and hanged to a tree. Many narratives of similar thrilling incidents and adventures were told by Mr. Coburn.
Mr. D. J. Coburn was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in August 1840, a son of Amon and Nancy (Davis) Coburn. Amon Coburn was a blacksmith by trade; shortly after the birth of his son, Delmont J., he moved with his family to Wisconsin, where he remained until the boy was six years of age. There the father was drowned, and Mrs. Coburn moved the family back to Lowell, and thence to New Hampshire, where she was afterward married to a Mr. Smith, and lived in Cheshire County. Mr. Coburn’s mother died in Boston, Massachusetts, in August 1896. In the Coburn family were four sons and two daughters: Edson, a bachelor who lived with his brother, W. S.; John W., who lived near Salt Lake City, Utah, and had a family, becoming a guide for tourists; W. S., who accompanied Delmont J. To Cowley County, where he resided until 1879—he became a successful fruit grower in Hotchkiss, Delat County, Colorado, where he had a fine orchard 65 acres in extent; Delmont J.; Sarah (Tuttle), who lived in Boston, Massachusetts; and Josie (Ryan), deceased. Two children were born of the second marriage: Calvin, who lived in Wichita, Kansas; and Melissa, who resided in Boston.
Delmont J. Coburn remained in New Hampshire until he attained the age of twenty years, after which he went to Michigan. When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in Company H, 28th Reg., Mich. Vol. Inf., in which he served throughout the war. During the last year and nine months he was in the 23rd Army Corps under Gen. Schofield, and was honorably discharged at Detroit, June 5, 1866. Shortly after he was mustered out of service, he purchased a farm in Northern Indiana, and after receiving his honorable discharge, moved upon his farm, which he tilled until 1870. Then, with his brother, W. S., he journeyed to Cowley County, Kansas, and in June 1870 took up in Silver Dale Township the south half of the northwest quarter and the north half of the southwest quarter of section 8, township 35, range 5 east. His brother took up the southeast quarter of section 7.
Delmont J. Coburn and his brother drove from Independence, Kansas, to Cowley County by way of Fort Scott. The two brothers built a double log house, one part being 12 by 14 feet, and the other 12 by 16 feet, and in these they lived some time. On the claim was a considerable amount of natural timber, from which Mr. Coburn cleared 20 acres of jack-oak, and some oaks were still left along the creek. Mr. Coburn built his first frame house in 1871, into which he moved his family after the arrival of his wife from Indiana. Their present home was completed in 1891 and was large and comfortable. A three-acre orchard was started in 1880, and produced abundantly.
Delmont J. Coburn was married to Huldah A. White, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of Dr. J. H. And Abbie (Closser) White, who had the following seven children: D. A., who lived in La Porte, Indiana; Viola J. (Van Horn), who lived in Chicago, Illinois; J. M., who lived at Waterford, Indiana; A. P., who lived in Chicago; Huldah A. (Coburn); O. C. (Bevington), of Waterford, Indiana; and G. C.
Dr. J. H. White moved to Frankford, Illinois, when Hulda A. was five years of age, and subsequently returned to La Porte.
Delmont J. And Huldah A. Coburn had two children: Bessie M., who graduated from the Arkansas City Academy in the class of 1897; and Edson P., who was a promising young man, attending Winfield College, where his course was to be completed in June 1901.
Mr. Coburn was a Republican. He served three years as township treasurer, and was elected a member of the school board. He belonged to the G. A. R., and in religious views he was a Methodist.
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ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS COVERED IN HERITAGE...
[FALL 1870.] PAGE 62
JETHRO COCHRAN resided on the northeast quarter of section 17, township 33, range 4 east, where he was a resident of Cowley County since the fall of 1870. He was born in Scott County, Indiana, May 30, 1848, a son of J. D. and Matilda (Christy) Cochran.
J. D. Cochran was born and reared in Indiana, but came to this county with his son, Jethro, and at the time of his death, in the fall of 1876, was acting as city marshal of Winfield. Mrs. Cochran was born in Ohio and reared in Indiana, where her parents, who were pioneer settlers of that state, had moved when she quite a young girl. They were married in Indiana and had a family of 10 children: Jethro, named in honor of his great-grandfather; W. J., a grocer and dry-goods merchant of Winfield; Eliza Ann, who died in infancy; Roselia, who was the wife of John Roberts and lived in Kansas; Thomas E., who had charge of the city hospital of Winfield; Mary C. (Doane), who died in Winfield in 1891; Oscar, who was a grocer at Marshall, Missouri; Clara, who died in infancy; Jay, who died at Topeka, Kansas; and Frank, who lived with his mother in Winfield.
When a lad of eight years, Jethro Cochran went to Mahaska County, Iowa, in the spring of 1856, and there he lived until he was 22 years of age. In the fall of 1870, with the rest of the family, he came to Cowley County, and preempted the northeast quarter of section 22, township 32, range 5 east. A part of the farm was in the limits of the city of Winfield, and on that part E. M. Reynolds had a fine home. Mr. Cochran improved this claim with good buildings and set out a three-acre orchard and a two-acre grove. He lived there until January 1883, when he moved to Winfield, and there resided until the fall of 1884. He then purchased of Hopkins Shivers his farm in Pleasant Valley township, which was originally preempted by Fritz Budd. The farm contained many inferior buildings, which Mr. Cochran replaced with new ones, and erected a fine L-shaped house in 1886. The house was set far back from the road; his front yard was studded with evergreen, pine, and ornamental trees, and a shaded driveway led to the house. Mr. Cochran had an orchard covering 10 acres, for which the nursery stock was mainly obtained from the York nurseries, near Fort Scott, Kansas, although a small portion came from the Winfield nurseries. Wheat was his principal crop, although his farming was somewhat diversified. He raised considerable stock, his preference being Poland China hogs, Shorthorn cattle, and medium draft and driving horses.
Mr. Cochran was married in Cowley County to Frances A. Prate, a daughter of G. W. Prate. She was born in Van Buren County, Michigan. Her parents moved to Cowley County in 1871, but resided later in Pottawatomie County. They had four children: H. Maude (Curry), who lived in Oklahoma; Mabel (Whitson), who also lived in Oklahoma near her older sister; J. G., aged 18 years, who lived at home; and Mark J.
The family were Democrats until Mr. Cochran affiliated with the People’s Party. He served as a school director a number of years. The family were Baptists, and attended the church at Hackney. Mr. Cochran belonged to the Knights and Ladies of Security.
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KAY...SKIPPED BY ME...APPEARED IN HERITAGE:
1. GROOM, JOHN W.
2. HOYT, T. G.
3. JOHNSON, LEVI F.
4. MAURER, JOHN D.
5. MUMAW, DANIEL J.
6. RADCLIFF, JAMES W.
7. REYNOLDS, W. L.
8. ROSS, JOHN.
9. SCHNEE, GILBERT T. AND ANNA B.
10. YARBROUGH, A. J. [CHANGED MY MIND ON THIS ONE! SEE BELOW.]
CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT YARBROUGH...INTERESTING!
[FEBRUARY 1871.] PAGE 230.
A. J. YARBROUGH, an extensive landowner in Cowley County, and a much respected farmer and citizen, was a resident of the county since February, 1871, and lived on 40 acres near the village of Floral, in Richland Township. He was born in 1845 in Dade County, Missouri, a son of W. H. And Mary (Davis) Yarbrough.
W. H. Yarbrough and his wife were born near Sparta, Tennessee, and the husband was of English descent. His trade was that of a saddler, and he followed it at Mount Vernon, Missouri, for many years, after which he went to Johnson County, Missouri, and engaged in farming. Later he sold out and moved to Linn County, Kansas, where he spent two years, and then moved to Cowley County, taking up land near Floral, where he passed away, on his farm, in 1882.
A. J. Yarbrough had four brothers and three sisters; C. D., who went to California in 1849 and died there; N. L., who once lived in Cowley County; F. G., who resided on Grouse Creek, Cowley County; George, who died in infancy; Melissa (Freeman), who lived in Labette County, Kansas; Martha (Cornet), who died in Missouri; and Jennie (Claybough), deceased, who lived near New Salem, Cowley County.
Mr. Yarbrough obtained but a common school education, and at an early age enlisted from Johnson County as a private in Company M, 12th Reg., Mo. Vol. Cav., under Col. Wells, and served three years in the Department of the South. He was mustered out at Fort Leavenworth. He was sent west on the famous Powder River expedition, and with the 16th Army Corps was detailed to build pontoon bridges for Wilson’s cavalry. He was once stunned by a bombshell, but was never wounded. Returning to Warrensburg, Missouri, after the war, he applied himself to farming, but at a later period entered Kansas, and worked to Salina with a railroad-construction gang, for which he had contracted to furnish buffalo meat. Subsequently, he did considerable freighting in different parts of Kansas, and spent one year in farming in Bourbon County. In February 1871 he journeyed to Cowley County, and after looking over the county located a claim: the east half of the west half of section 7, township 31, range 5 east. He later owned the full half section. On this farm he built a stone claim-house, which still stood in 1901, and to which he kept adding, until he soon had a fine, large house. He lived there until 1896, when he moved to his present small farm, which he purchased from a Mr. Anderson, and which was preempted by a Mr. Turner. He enlarged the small house until he had a six-room dwelling, with a good barn.
For many years he was engaged in the sheep business but later carried on general farming. He was an extensive stock raiser, having 160 acres in pasture. He raised from 50 to 100 Shorthand cattle every year, and favored Poland-China and Chester White hogs, of which he raised many. He had a fine orchard, which yielded abundantly, and which was well drained by a tributary of Dutch Creek. On his farm was plenty of timber, consisting of oak, walnut, and box-elder. He also owned 80 acres in Fairview Township—making his landed possessions 440 acres, in all.
A. J. Yarbrough married in Cowley County Emma Marquis, a daughter of W. S. Marquis, who was one of his first neighbors, and who came from Jackson County, Missouri. They had ten children: Wade M., who resided west of Mr. Yarbrough’s place, and who married Pearl Hart, by whom he had one child in 1901; Ella (Hart), who resided north of her father, and had three children; Dora, the wife of O. R. Elliott, who lived on her father’s farm, and had two children; Opha; Stella; Ira; Mamie; Russell; Lloyd; and Glenn.
Mr. Yarbrough was a Republican; a Baptist; and belonged to the Grand Army of the Republic.
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SKIPPED THE FOLLOWING...COVERED BY COURIER:
1. JOHN D. MAURER [COVERED IN HERITAGE AND BIOS ALSO.]
2. SMITH, ADDISON F.; JAMES H.
