Denton Family

The Denton family in America started with Samuel Denton. Samuel Denton was born in Switzerland in 1805. He came to America as a missionary of the Episcopal Church. he was assigned to a field in the far Northwest among the Indians in Minnesota. He located there when there was hardly a settler in what is now the state of Minnesota and did a splendid work among the wild tribes. He was there when the Indians rose and massa­cred a large number of the white inhabitants, but on account of his character and his long standing friendship he was given protection by the Indians themselves.
Samuel Denton died at St. Louis, Missouri in 1865. Samuel Denton married Persia Skinner, who was born in Canada in 1811 and died at Batavia, Kansas, in 1889. Their children were: Albert, who was a chemist and died at Medicine Lodge, Kansas; Francis (Frank) S. Denton, father of the Arkansas City banker; Lucius E., who became a successful businessman and died at Fort Smith, Arkansas; and Gavin D., who at one time served as county superintendent of Public instruction in Saline County and died at Salina, Kansas.
Frank S. Denton was the pioneer of the family in Cowley County, Kansas. He was born far out on the northwestern frontier at Red Wing, Minnesota, in 1840. He spent his early life among the Indians along the Minnesota border but when a young man came to Illinois, and crossing the river to St. Louis enlisted there in 1861 in Company E of the Tenth Missouri Infantry. He was in active service with that command until the close of the war and participated in every battle in which it was engaged. The regiment saw much active service and was in the battle of Shiloh, Missionary Ridge, and many others that marked the middle western campaign. Following the war he returned to Galesburg, Illinois, and in 1869 came to Kansas and homesteaded 160 acres of land three miles southeast of Arkansas City.
In 1870 he went back to Galesburg, Illinois, where he married Miss Esther Hamilton on August 1. She was born at Ithaca, New York, February 3, 1839, the daughter of W. J. and Abigail E. Hamilton. The family moved to Richmond, Illinois, where she lived until she was united in marriage to Frank S. Denton.
Frank S. Denton returned to his Kansas Homestead immediately following the wedding and his bride came a little later, arriving in Arkansas City at 5:00 a.m., November 9, 1870. She left the railroad at the end of track at Emporia and made the rest of the trip by stage coach.
Mr. and Mrs. Denton made their home during the winter of 1870-71 at the corner of B street and Central avenue. In the spring of 1871 they moved to the farm southeast of the city, across the Arkansas River. On this farm their only child, Albert H. Denton, was born in 1872.
Soon after making this city her home, Mrs. Denton was followed by her father, mother and sister. The sister married  E. S. Weatherholt shortly after moving here. The Traveler reported, in 1875, the following: “Father Hamilton, residing south of the Arkansas, raised this year with the assistance of one man, 6000 bushels of corn. Mr. Hamilton is 72 years of age and says he stopped work at 70. If some of the young men who complain about hard times could be traded off for the youth of seventy years ago, what a blessing it would be for Kansas.” In 1876 her mother, Mrs. W. J. Hamilton, died here, and was the first person buried in Springside cemetery, some 8 miles south­east of the city.

The Denton family were living on the farm where Frank S. Denton met with an accident on July 17, 1878. He had an accident with a runaway team which resulted in his breaking his shoulder. On Sunday September 8, 1878, about 1:00 o’clock, Frank Denton was riding a mule. The mule was frightened by a stray dog and bucked Mr. Denton off. He was found lying unconscious by Mrs. Brash. He was taken to Thomas Parvin’s house, where he died, Monday morning September 9 about 6:00 o’clock, in the presence of his wife and three physicians, namely Drs. Hughes, Shepard, and Carlisle. He did not speak a word. He was a rather successful man in his business affairs, and at his death was owner of 280 acres. He was a republican and a very ardent churchman, serving as elder and a devout worshiper in the Presby­terian Church. The widow and son continued living on and operat­ing the farm.
Frank Denton’s death was followed in 1885 by that of L. S. Hamilton, a brother of Mrs Denton, who came here for a visit, took ill and failed to recover. His wife Mrs. Augusta F. Hamil­ton, died in 1911.
W. J. Hamilton, father of Mrs. Denton, died in 1887, and Mrs Weatherholt, her sister, died in 1888. W. J. Stewart, a grandson of the deceased, died in 1904, and his daughter the following year. Another brother of Mrs. Denton, Uncle Pratt Hamilton, who had made his home for twenty years with his sister, was buried in 1920, having died on his 87th birthday.
All of Mrs. Frank Denton’s generation have died and lie buried in the little plot of ground dedicated by Mr. Hamilton for “God’s Acre.” The Traveler of Sept 25, 1878, refers to the “Hamilton burying ground.” They were all born in New York State. The family consisted of the father, mother, and four chil­dren, together with the children’s families.
Albert Hamilton Denton was the only child of his parents, Frank S. Denton and Esther Hamilton Denton. He was born June 18, 1872, in the log cabin built by his father. Albert Denton wrote, “I had a good chance at country school, then was graduat­ed from the Arkansas City high school in 1891. I enjoyed farm­ing, yet grew tired of the monoto­ny. Well do I remember starting to plow a one-hundred acre field, when the thought came to me that surely somewhere there was a place for one of even my meager ability that would furnish a more interest­ing program than looking at the tails of three good husky mules.”[1]
After two years as a farmer he entered the Farmers National Bank at Arkansas City in 1893 as a collection clerk at a monthly salary of $35.00. He made a study of banking, and rose steadily in favor and responsibili­ties to became cashier in 1896 (accord­ing to an advertisement in the Traveler).
He was married at Arkansas City, September 26, 1898, to Miss Alice E. Young, a native of Utah. Her father was the late Dr. R. M. Young of Illinois, whose wife’s maiden name was Miss Crane.
Albert and Alice Denton had one son, Frank Richard Denton, born July 16, 1899.[2]

The interest, in the Farmers National Bank held by Charles A. Johnson was purchased by William E. Otis of Winfield in 1902. Albert Denton became a stockhold­er and retained the position of Cashier. He remained with the Farmers National Bank until 1907 when he sold out his interests.
Albert Denton took an extensive trip to California and upon his return went to work for The Home Nation­al Bank in July of 1908. Eight months later, on February 28, 1909, he bought the control­ling interest in the Home National Bank from Henry Whitson and was its presi­dent until 1926[3]. In  1926 he sold his shares to the late Ralph Brown (father of Robert Brown and grandfather of Roger Brown) but remained as chairman of the board for many years.
The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1918, and adopted selective conscription May 18, 1918, and the first American troops landed in France on June 26, 1918. Albert Denton, being 46 years old, was too old to join the armed forces. He therefore volunteered for service in the Red Cross. He was accepted and earned the rank of Captain.
Captain Denton sailed for France on September 16, arriving in Glasgow, Scotland on the 30th where he took a train for London. He remained there for a couple of days and reported for work in Paris on October 3rd.
“Captain Denton was assigned to base hospital no 28 at Limoges, in the Bordeaux district, where a man with his broad understanding of human nature would be more appreciated by the boys who had fallen in battle. Soldiers have written home that the kindness of Captain Denton had done them a lot of good and made their suffering easier to bear. One Arkansas City boy who met Mr. Denton in France said he filled his pockets with spending money and cheered him up more than anything else that could have been done for him.
There was a big celebration at the Hospital when the armi­stice was signed on November 11, 1918. In that district the Arkansas City banker performed the work that was assigned to him by the American Red Cross society. His days were spent in cheering up the wounded and supervising the distributing of supplies among them, and anyone familiar with the philanthropic work done by the big hearted banker of this city can understand the affection the soldiers had for him in that hospital district. It’s a foregone conclusion that none of the soldiers in that district wanted for anything if it was possible to get it for them, for Mr. Denton wouldn’t hesitate to go into his own pocket to make them happy.
Captain Denton spent two months in Paris while he was in France. He saw Forrest Kuhns, LaFayette Newcomb, and Berkley Coryell, former Arkansas City boys. He visited the grave of Captain Bossi, who fell in battle for the American cause. He says Bossi is buried in a French cemetery between two evergreens at Crezaney. He also visited with Floyd Wright in Chicago on his way home.
“Hohenzollernism is dead in Germany, according to the view­point of Captain Denton, who says all the German prisoners he talked to were glad that Wilhelm had fled from Germany. He says the Russian situation is like Mexico, and that it is a mistake for the allies to leave Russia to her own fate.

“Some of the Yank aviators used as a slogan on their air­planes, said Mr. Denton,  the words: “Dutch Cleanser,” which is familiar to all housewives. He says the Yanks lived up to this slogan.
“Captain Denton was released from the Red Cross service about a month after the Armistice was signed. He sailed from Bordeaux on January 8 and arrived in New York on January 25th, having sailed from Bordeaux on the 8th. He said the sea was very rough going over and coming back and that he fed the fishes liberally.
Mrs. Denton went to New York to meet her husband and they plan to visit their son Frank, who is attending Cornell University. Frank was commissioned a lieuten­ant in the artillery, but he didn’t get the chance to go across.
Frank R. Denton, only son of Albert Denton, graduated from the Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana. He attended Kansas University, then transferred to Cornell University where he graduated. He began his banking career working th the Home National Bank for a few months. In July of 1921, he was engaged in the oil business in Laramie, Wyoming. He went to France as a representative from Wyoming in the delegation of American Legion members who will visit France. At the age of 24, he passed a bank examiner test. By the age of 30, he was Assis­tant Chief National Bank Examiner, the youngest man to hold that position.
Frank Denton found favor in the eye of A. W. Mellon, who was then Secretary of the Treasury. Mellon referred Denton to R. B. and R. K. Mellon, who headed a corporation that managed many banks in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Denton was immediately hired to help form Mennbank Corporation, a bank holding company, which was organized in December of 1929. He later became vice-president and active manager of the company, which had more than 20 member banks.
He served in the Second World War achieving the rank of Brigadier General.
When Mellon National Bank and Trust Company was formed in 1946, he was elected Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Offi­cer.
By 1920 Mrs. Esther H. Denton had moved to town and was living at 321 South A street. July 2, 1920, she fell at her home and fractured her hip. Her brother, Pratt Hamilton, was in the house at the time and he called a physician and her family. She survived the injury and lived till October 14, 1922.
The story of the Denton family, how they first strug­gled and eventually prospered in Arkansas City, was documented by the Kansas State Board of Agriculture in a report that
documented the history of long tenure farms in Kansas[4].
For the report, Albert Denton recorded his father’s experience as a settler in south-central Kansas.

                          ITEMS TO BE ADDED TO DENTON FAMILY FILE.

Arkansas City Traveler, December 12, 1877.
                                                East Bolton, December 7, 1877.

Thanksgiving Day, 1877, will long be remembered as a day passed with Mr. and Mrs. Denton at the residence of Mr. W. J. Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton is one of the best and most successful farmers in this county. His pork sales for 1876 amounted to over $1,500, and this year he expects $2,000 from pork alone, besides the product of 150 acres of wheat. Past seventy-five years of age, he possesses more energy and life than most men at forty, making everybody about him at home and happy. At supper Mrs. Denton could have said, “Let me help you to everything you like.” Cold meats, the old-time turkey, delicious fruits, fresh oysters (raw, stewed, or fried), coffee, etc., formed a repast fit for a king, and was partaken of with a relish seldom equaled. At 6 p.m. the company repaired to the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Weatherholt, where, after partaking of a lunch, followed by grapes as fresh as when first plucked from the vine, fruits, coffee, and tea, the tables were used for euchre parties—the only interruption in the games being a long drawn sigh and audible whisper by one of the party: “Oh, for Standley, the explorer.” But we all hope that when his explorations are made public, the sighing will cease. About midnight the party dispersed, with blessings on the day and evening entertainments. The drawback of the day’s pleasure was the runaway of Mr. Skinner’s team in the dark, throwing Mrs. Skinner out, and the wheels passing over her body, though not seriously injuring her. A. B. C.
Arkansas City Traveler, December 12, 1877.
Mr. Lode Hamilton visited his father in Bolton Township last week. He still has faith in the Parsons railway, and it is expected the county will be asked to aid the enterprise before many months.
Arkansas City Traveler, January 9, 1878.
                                 Communication from East Bolton, January 4, 1878.
A social dance at Peter Myers’ house was the event of the new year. All of East Bolton was there. Grouse Creek was not represented—Grouse Creek was there in full force. It was a dance for the hardy sons and daughters of toil, whose cheerful hearts are not to know the fear of soul contracting want. No dainty fingered foppery there from fashion’s beaten walk; no rouge painted faces, contracted waists, or opera airs, to mar the pleasures of the evening; but Nature’s make-up, from the slender waist and curly hair to the full faced and round features of two hundred pounds. At 9 o’clock the dance began. Many were elaborately dressed, though I mention but one. Miss Mary Myers wore a white Swiss, high corsage, and full sleeves, princess train artistically looped and held up by clusters of flowers. At ten o’clock came supper, and the table groaned beneath all that any appetite could crave. Sixty took supper, among whom were Mr. and Mrs. Denton, Mr. and Mrs. Weatherholt, Mr. and Mrs. Skinner, Wm. Stewart and wife, O. C. Skinner and wife, Miss Landis, the Misses Chambers and Keys, and a host of young ladies your correspondent did not know. The dance continued until the wee small hours of morn, and in taking leave not one could say, “I am weary of this weary world.”

The Denton family were living on the farm where Frank S. Denton met with an accident on July 17, 1878, with a runaway team, which resulted in his breaking his shoulder. On Sunday, September 8, 1878, about 1:00 o’clock, Frank Denton was riding a mule, which became frightened by a stray dog and bucked Mr. Denton off. He was found lying unconscious by Mrs. Brash. He was taken to Thomas Parvin’s house, where he died Monday morning, September 9, 1878, about 6:00 o’clock, in the presence of his wife and three physicians: Doctors Hughes, Shepard, and Carlisle. He did not speak a word. He was a rather successful man in his business affairs, and at his death was owner of 280 acres. He was a Republican and a very ardent churchman, serving as elder and a devout worshiper in the Presby­terian Church. The widow and son continued living on and operat­ing the farm.
Arkansas City Traveler, February 9, 1881.
Public Sale. W. J. Hamilton, East Bolton, will offer for sale, at public auction, at his residence in East Bolton on Friday, March 11, 1881: Three teams of horses and mules, two colts, harness, wagons, plows, three cultivators, harrows, seeds, double-shovel plow, and a one-half interest in a Brown corn planter. Corn and oats. Terms of sale: eight months credit with approved notes at ten percent, for all sums over five dollars; less than five dollars, cash. Property not to be removed till settled for. The right to sell at private sale previous to said March 11th is reserved. Also, two farms to let.
Arkansas City Traveler, June 1, 1881.
Mr. W. J. Hamilton, of East Bolton, has returned from several weeks’ visit to his son, L. [Lode] Hamilton, in Colorado.
Arkansas City Traveler, February 15, 1882.
We learn that Mrs. Frank Denton, a former resident of Bolton, who moved to Winfield last spring, has removed back to her old home in Bolton—preferring the salubrious air of her rural home to the refined atmosphere of our county “hub.”
Frank Denton’s death was followed in 1885 by that of L. S. Hamilton, a brother of Mrs. Denton, who came here for a visit, took ill, and failed to recover. His wife, Mrs. Augusta F. Hamil­ton, died in 1911.
W. J. Hamilton, father of Mrs. Denton, died in 1887, and Mrs. Weatherholt, her sister, died in 1888. W. J. Stewart, a nephew of the deceased, died in 1904, and his daughter the following year. Another brother of Mrs. Denton, Uncle Pratt Hamilton, who had made his home for twenty years with his sister, was buried in 1920, having died on his 87th birthday.
All of Mrs. Frank Denton’s generation have died and lie buried in the little plot of ground dedicated by Mr. Hamilton for “God’s Acre”. They were all born in New York State. The family consisted of the father, mother, and four chil­dren, together with the children’s families.
                                           ALBERT HAMILTON DENTON.
                                                             SKETCHES.
Much has been recorded relative to Albert Hamilton Denton’s activities. Some sketches of his life are herewith given concerning his youth and involvement with World War I.
Arkansas City Traveler, Tuesday, December 17, 1918.
                                         WHO WOULD EVER THOUGHT IT
                  Al Denton and John Mowatt Were Regular Devils in Their Youth.
John Mowatt, a former merchant of Arkansas City, and for some years a prominent figure in the politics of Kansas, was doing a little reminiscing this morning and the reporter overheard him telling a pretty good story.

John was telling a bunch of young fellows that he used to be something of a “devil” himself when he was buying hair tonic and getting massages. He recalled a little bit of romance of the early days when the buzz wagons hadn’t been created to separate the unsuspecting individual from his cash. This happened a number of years ago, but it is still fresh in John’s memory.
The occasion was a football game between Winfield and Wichita. It happened that John and Albert Denton, a Red Cross worker in France, were sweet on a couple of good looking Winfield girls and they had arranged to attend the football game at Winfield. John telephoned to a livery stable there and engaged a big white Arabian team and the finest carriage in the town, instructing the barn to have the harness oiled up, the buggy cleaned, and the team spic and span for the affair. He sent a decorator to Winfield to fix up the team and carriage in the Wichita colors. Arriving in Winfield they got into the carriage and drove to the home of the young ladies for dinner. Considerable indignation was expressed by them when they saw the Wichita colors all over the team and carriage, but they were pacified before the trip to the game. When they got to the football grounds, John inquired if there was a back gate where they could make their exit if the Wichita team lost. He waited until the crowd was all there and drove proudly into the park. The Winfield rooters hissed them, but the Wichita players and fans gathered around the carriage and gave their yells. Wichita won the game and John and Albert were the heroes of the occasion. They were escorted uptown by the victorious team and given a big feast.
The moral is that the boys of then were very much like the boys of today.
Arkansas City Traveler, January 17, 1919.
Captain Albert H. Denton will arrive in New York City from France, next Sunday, the Home National bank of this city was advised by a telegram from the American Red Cross society, this morning. Captain Denton will visit his son, Frank, at Cornell University before he returns to Arkansas City.
Arkansas City Traveler, January 20, 1919.
The Home National Bank is in receipt of a telegram from Mrs. A. H. Denton, dated New York, January 19, which reads as follows: “W. H. Smith, Home National Bank: The Rochambeau is coaling at Halifax. Due here latter part of week. Tell Mother Denton.”
The Rochambeau is the ship upon which A. H. Denton is sailing from France homeward. It was expected to land yesterday, but was delayed as stated in Mrs. Denton’s message. She is in New York to meet Mr. Denton.
Arkansas City Traveler, Monday, February 3, 1919.
                       DENTON IS HOME SHY SALIENT OF PRE-WAR DAYS
                                 Arkansas City Banker Left 59 Pounds Abroad.
                                                  SERVED IN RED CROSS
                                   He Was Assigned to a Hospital at Bordeaux.
                                                  CARED FOR WOUNDED
       Before Coming Home He Visited the Grave of Captain Bossi, Killed In Action.
All Arkansas City will welcome home Albert H. Denton, president of the Home National Bank, who left a two million dollar business to do his bit “over there,” where he served as a Red Cross captain since last October 3rd, until he was released about a month after the armistice was signed. He is still wearing his uniform.

In the Denton family there were Mr. Denton and Frank servicing their country, besides the work done by Mrs. Denton in the different organizations here. Frank was commissioned a lieutenant in the artillery, but he didn’t get the chance to go across.
The salient of Mr. Denton was reduced about 59 pounds, and he is feeling greatly improved as a result of his experience abroad. He says he saw a large number of men on the other side who left their interests on this side to render what service they could to their country in the field of battle.
Captain Denton was assigned to hospital work at Limoges where a man with his broad understanding of human nature would be more appreciated by the boys who had fallen in battle. Soldiers have written home that the kindness of Captain Denton had done them a lot of good and made their suffering easier to bear. One Arkansas City boy who met Mr. Denton in France said he filled his pockets with spending money and cheered him up more than anything else that could have been done for him.
At base hospital No. 28 in the Bordeaux district where Captain Denton did his work, there was a big celebration when the armistice was signed. In that district the Arkansas City banker performed the work that was assigned to him by the American Red Cross society. His days were spent in cheering up the wounded and supervising the distributing of supplies among them, and anyone familiar with the philanthropic work done by the big hearted banker of this city can understand the affection the soldiers had for him in that hospital district. It’s a foregone conclusion that none of the soldiers in that district wanted for anything if it was possible to get it for them, for Mr. Denton wouldn’t hesitate to go into his own pocket to make them happy.
Captain Denton spent two months in Paris while he was in France. He saw Forrest Kuhns, LaFayette Newcomb, and Berkley Coryell, former Arkansas City boys. He visited with Floyd Wright in Chicago on his way home.
Hohenzollernism is dead in Germany, according to the viewpoint of Captain Denton, who says all the German prisoners he talked to were glad that Wilhelm had fled from Germany. He says the Russian situation is like Mexico, and that it is a mistake for the allies to leave Russia to her own fate.
Captain Denton visited the grave of Captain Bossi, who fell in battle for the American cause. He says Bossi is buried in a French cemetery between two evergreens at Crezaney.
            [Bossi’s remains were brought over and placed in Riverview Cemetery.]
Some of the Yank aviators used as a slogan on their airplanes, said Mr. Denton, the words: “Dutch Cleanser,” which is familiar to all housewives. He says the Yanks lived up to this slogan.
Captain Denton sailed for France last September 16th, arriving in Glasgow, Scotland, on the 30th, where he took a train for London. He remained there for a couple of days and reported for work in Paris October 3rd. He arrived in New York on his return January 25th, having sailed from Bordeaux on the 8th. He said the sea wa very rough going over and coming back and that he fed fishes liberally. He says he is mighty glad to get back to Arkansas City, and the people here will reciprocate the feeling for he is considered one of the biggest assets in the city and his departure was looked upon with misgiving by many of the people here who feared that he might not return in safety to resume his place among them.

     [1] Find out his death date.
       Look up will at Courthouse.
       Look up obituary.   

     [2] Get obit and life story.

     [3] What happened after he left the bank?

     [4] Look up Ag. report.