A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 10

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 970

USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I > Part 10

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JOHN C. RADCLIFFE.

John C. Radcliffe is a retired farmer re- siding in Ellsworth, and his rest is well mer- ited, for his has been an active and useful career, in which he has labored effectively and earnestly for the welfare and improve- ment of his adopted county. He has done much to promote its horticultural interests, and along the lines of intellectual, moral and material improvement his work has been of marked benefit to those among whom he lives. He still owns a farm of six hundred and forty acres, on sections 14 and 15, Em- pire township. Ellsworth county.

Mr. Radcliffe is a native of LeRoy. Cuyahoga county, Ohio, born on the 6th of August, 1830, his parents being William and Anna (Halsell) Radcliffe, both of whom were natives of the Isle of Man, where the marriage was celebrated. In the year 1833 they came to America, locating in Ohio. The father was an iron molder and in 1837 removed to Ontario, Canada, where he spent the remainder of his active busi- ness life, his last days, however, being spent in the home of his son, John C., in Illinois,

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where he died in 1879, at the age of eighty- seven years. His wife passed away in Can- ada, in 1851. They were the parents of ten children, namely: William, who resides in California; Mrs. Margaret Johnson, who died in Cuyahoga county, Ohio : John C., of this review: George, who died in Canada; James, a resident of Windsor, Canada : Jane, the wife of Thomas Wallace, also of Can- ada ; Mary, the wife of Thomas Carson, of Indiana : Kate, the deceased wife of Bernard Clattenhof ; Jefferson, who is living in Cuya- hoga county, Ohio ; and Sarah, who married William Collett, of Wisconsin.

It was during the early boyhood of John C. Radcliffe that his parents removed to Canada, and he was there reared upon a farm until nineteen years of age. He as- sisted in the work of the fields and meadow and also pursued his studies in the common schools. In 1850 he removed to Putnam county, Illinois, where he arrived with only five cents in his pocket. Soon afterward he secured a position as a farm hand, and thus entered upon an independent business ca- reer. In May of that year he was united in marriage to Margaret Kester, a daughter of Rev. Jesse Kester, a Baptist minister. After his marriage he operated his father- in-law's farm on the shares until the spring of 1865, and in the meantime he purchased a small farm of his own. On selling that property he was again employed by others for a time and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of desirable land, for which he paid six dollars per acre. He had two thousand dolars from the sale of his Put- nam county farm. His new tract was raw land, entirely unimproved, and upon this he built a house and then began the develop- ment of his land. He was somewhat im- peded in his labors, for he lost one of his horses. He also had to borrow five hundred dollars to complete the payment on his farm, but with characteristic energy and deter- mination he prosecuted his labors and in course of time developed a good property. He set out a good orchard, placed his fields under cultivation, and in 1878 he sold his property for thirty-five dollars per acre. In

May, 1878, he started westward, intending to locate in Missouri, but concluded to come to Kansas, and, reaching Ellsworth county, purchased two hundred and forty acres of land, which he now owns, paying one thou- sand dollars for the amount. A few acres had been broken and a small stone house was the only improvement up to that time. Returning to Missouri, he then brought his family to Kansas, having left them in the former state while he secured his location here. Upon the farm he remained until Oc- tober, 1899, when he took up his abode in Ellsworth. Upon his farm he erected a two- story frame residence, barn and outbuild- ings, built fences and added all modern ac- cessories and equipments for facilitating farm work and making his labors success- ful. He also planted the first orchard in the county, containing seven hundred and thirty apple trees, together with an abund- ance of small fruit. He has also an orchard of six hundred peach trees. As the years passed he made judicious investments in property, adding other land until he now owns six hundred and forty acres. He en- gaged in stock and grain raising and now keeps one hundred head of cows and a large number of calves, making two hundred in all. He has given considerable attention to the breeding of draft horses of the Per- cheron breed and also raised mules. He now has about fifty head upon his place, includ- ing some of the best in the locality. How- ever, Mr. Radcliffe is best known in connec- tion with fruit culture and has demonstrated the practicability of raising fruit successfully on a large scale in central Kansas. Al- though now residing in Ellsworth, he still retains an active interest in his farm, upon which his son Jesse resides.

To Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe were born four children, of whom two are living, Mary and Jesse, who reside upon the home farm. The latter married Ellen Adams, a native of Pennsylvania, and they have four chil- dren,-George, Hubert J., Norman K. and Marie. Felicia and Philander, children of our subject, died in early life. The mother of this family died December 15,

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1897, and on the IIth of October, 1899, Mr. Radcliffe was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Harriet Burton, the widow of Royal Burton and a daughter of Rev. Elam Chapin, a minister of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, who was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was edti- cated, ordained and spent his life in Hart- ford, Connecticut. He married Harriet Olm- sted, of that city, born in the old home of Samuel Olmsted, her great-great-grandfa- ther, who was a captain of a militia com- pany in the early days. Mrs. Radcliffe was reared and educated in the city of Hartford, and there gave her hand in marriage to Royal Burton, who was born and reared in that locality. In 1885 they removed to Ells- worth, on account of Mr. Burton's health, and here he died on the 18th of December, 1897. He was one of the first party of a hundred members that crossed the plains to California for the discovery of gold on the Pacific coast. For some time he remained in San Francisco and erected the first large hotel in that place, at a cost of eighty thou- sand dollars, but three days afterward it was destroyed by fire. He remained in Califor- nia for nine years and made three fortunes, but three times lost all he had by fire. He then returned to Boston and engaged in the general commission business, becoming a prominent and enterprising business man of that place. Mrs. Radcliffe is a lady of superior culture, refinement and intelligence and is an active leader in social and church circles. By her first marriage she had one daughter, Alice, who died at the age of eleven months.

In educational matters Mr. Radcliffe has always taken a deep and active interest and was a prime mover in the organization of the Radcliffe school district, donating the ground on which the schoolhouse was erected. The organization of the district was perfected at his residence. and he did all in his power to promote educational in- terests in his locality, serving on the school board for many years. He has also filled the office of justice of the peace and in his political affiliations he is a Democrat. Pub-

lic spirited and progressive, he has withheld his support from no movement or measure which he believes will prove of general good. He was at the head of the movement to erect bridges across the river at Wichita Crossing, raising considerable money by private subscriptions before any county ap- propriation was made. He was the first to introduce barb-wire fences into this section of the country, securing the same at a cost of fourteen cents per pound. He is one of the solid, successful and progressive citizens of Ellsworth county and is yet deeply con- cerned in the welfare and progress of his community. His worth is widely acknowl- edged and the people recognize that they owe much to him for his efforts in behalf of this section of the state.

CURRENCE GREGG.

Currence Gregg came to Rice county nineteen years ago, and through the inter- vening period has been a well-known repre-, sentative of the farming interests of Wash- ington township, his home being now on sec- tion twenty-seven. He was born in Rush county, Indiana, March 6, 1848. His pa- ternal grandfather, William Gregg, was a Kentucky farmer and removed to the Hoosier state in pioneer days, there carry- ing on the work of the farm until his life's labors were ended in death, in 1854. He was of German parentage. He reared five children, three sons and two daughters, and among the number was William Gregg, Jr., the father of our subject, who was born in the state of Kentucky, in 1810. Hav- ing arrived at years of maturity he wedded Mary Hillegoss, also a native of Kentucky and a schoolmate of her husband's during her girlhood days. They were married in the Blue Grass state, but soon afterward went to Indiana, where they became the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters. They lost one daughter at the age of eight years, but seven of the number are now living. The eldest, America, is the

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wife of James Coer, of Rushville, Indiana, where she was born seventy years ago. All of the nine children were married and had families with the exception of one son and one daughter, and the grandchildren num- bered from three to eight in each family. The father of our subject was a life-long farmer and stock-dealer and dealt consider- ably with the Indians. About 1857 they re- moved to Clark county, Iowa, where the fa- ther died in 1876. The mother survived him about three years, passing away at the age of sixty-eight. Their remains were laid to rest in Clark county, where they had been highly esteemed as worthy citizens.

Currence Gregg received but meager ed- ucational privileges in the district schools, pursuing his studies in a log school house with puncheon floor, seats and desks. His services were largely needed upon the home farm and thus he had little opportunity to master the branches of English learning. He has been twice married, his first union being with Josephine Piper, whom he wedded in 1868. She lived for ten years after their marriage and then died, leaving four children. In 1882 Mr. Gregg was again married, Miss Mattie Thomas, of Rice county, Kansas, becoming his wife. Her parents were Solomon and Ruth ( Morman) Thomas, natives of Indiana, and their daughter, Mrs. Gregg, was born in Clark county, Iowa. In 1874 they removed to Rush county, Kansas, and in 1889 came to Rice county, where the mother died in 1894, at the age of sixty-three years, leaving seven of her nine children. The father is now a farmer in Oklahoma and has been again married.

Mr. Gregg came to Kansas nineteen years ago, and in the spring of 1893 he removed to Oklahoma and made the run to the Chero- kee strip. He improved one hundred and sixty acres of land, upon which he engaged in farming for seven years. He not only built a home but added a fine orchard, con- taining all kinds of fruit, of which he made annual displays each year at the county fairs, carrying off many premiums. In one year he gained twenty-one prizes and each year

took the lead among the exhibitors. He was the leading man in this enterprise in his sec- tion of the country and was one of the most prominent shippers of fruit to other states. In his home he has several excellent pictures of his exhibits and of his Oklahoma prop- erty. He there engaged in raising wheat. corn and broom corn. He also exported watermelons weighing one hundred pounds and raised sweet potatoes weighing eight pounds each. While residing in Oklahoma he made considerable money and at length sold his property there for three thousand dollars. He then came to Rice county and pi11 chased a half section of land for which he gave fifty-five hundred dollars cash. All of this he had made himself, for when he came to Kansas he had nothing and was glad to get fifty cents per day for his services. His leading crop is wheat and he now has two hundred acres planted to that cereal. He threshed five thousand bushels in one year. He also has from forty to one hundred acres planted with corn and from thirty to fifty acres in broom corn, which pays from sev- enty-five to one hundred and sixty dollars per ton.

Mr. Gregg had eleven children. Those of the first marriage are: Homer William, of Oklahoma, who has a wife and two chil- dren : Lola, now the wife of Charles Geist, of Reno county, Kansas: Adolphus, at home ; and Josephine, now the wife of James Ashley, of Clark county, Iowa, by whom she has two children. Those of the second mar- riage are: Olive M .. a youth of sixteen ; a son who died in infancy: Sulva, a lad of twelve summers; Gola, who died in Okla- homa, at the age of eight years ; Ethel, who is now seven years of age; Murray, two years old ; and Alto, who is a year old. Mr. Gregg votes with the Republican party and is one of its stanch advocates, believing firmly in its principles. He has, however, never sought or desired office, his attention being given to his farming interests, which claim his entire time. He is an example of the boys who educate themselves and secured their own start in life,-de- termined, self-reliant boys, willing to work

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for advantages which other boys secure through inheritance, destined by sheer force of character to succeed in the face of all op- position and to push to the front in one im- portant branch or another. As a man his business ability has been constantly manifest, showing large possibilities, and the farm of which he is now the owner is a monument to his exceptional power.

JOHN B. BROWN.

John B. Brown was a well-known and highly respected citizen of Hutchinson, where he was extensively and successfully engaged in the real estate busness for a num- ber of years. He was born in Seneca conn- ty, Ohio, September 24, 1840, and repre- sented an old Virginian family. His grand- father. Issacher Brown, resided in Loudoun county, Virginia, where, according to tradi- tion, he located a land grant which had been given him in recognition of his loyal service in the Revolutionary war. He became a well-known planter of that locality and ex- tensively engaged in raising tobacco, which he sold in the markets of Alexandria. He lived and died in Loudoun county and like the family was connected with the Society of Friends or Quakers.

Giles Brown, the father of our subject. was born near Alexandria, Virginia, and in Loudoun county was married to Harriet Briscoe, also a native of that state, although her people were originally from North Caro- lina. Giles Brown and his family removed to Beaver, Pennsylvania, and about 1827 went to Canton, Ohio, and thence to Salem, that state. Later he removed to Attica, Seneca county, Ohio, where he purchased a tract of heavily timbered land. There he cleared a space on which he built a log cabin and in course of time he erected a good brick resi- dence, which is still standing and which is known as the Giles Brown homestead. He died in 1842, leaving to his widow the care of their eight children, the eldest being only about fourteen years of age. She remained

upon the old homestead, superintended the cultivation of the farm and reared her fant- ily. When her children had reached mature years and left home she bought a farm near Attica, where she resided, superintending her farming interests until her death, which occurred in 1880.

John B. Brown pursued his education in the public schools of Attica and early be- came familiar with the work of the home farm. At the time of the civil war he re- sponded to his country's call for aid, enlist- ing in the Fourteenth Ohio Infantry, with which he served throughout the war. mak- ing a creditable record as a gallant and pa- triotic soldier. He participated in the bat- tles of Wild Cat, Mill Spring. Corinth, Hoover's Gap, Tullahoma, Chickamanga, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge. Resaca. Allatoona, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek. Chattahoochie River, Atlanta, Jones- boro, Milledgeville, Savannah and Raleigh. His regiment was always connected with the western army and served under Generals Thomas, Buell, Rosecrans, Grant and Sher- ma11.

After his return from the war Mr. Brown located in Napoleon, Ohio, where he engaged in the grocery business for three years, when he went to South Carolina with Governor Scott. He remained there for one year, doing constable duty during the recon- struction period, and then returned to Na- poleon. On the 15th of February, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Alma Roff. who was born in Stark county, Ohio, Feb- ruary 2, 1845, a daughter of Henry and Catherine (Frean) Roff, both of whom were from Pennsylvania and were descended from Holland ancestry that settled in the Keystone state prior to the Revolutionary war.

In the spring of 1872 Mr. Brown em- igrated westward to Kansas and in Novem- ber of that year went into the land office with Mr. Bigger. He was practically, throughout his entire residence here, engaged in dealing in real estate. In partnership with L. A. Bigger he located two hundred and fifty thousand acres of land under the homestead

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act. He represented the Santa Fe Railroad Company and in 1880 sold over one hun- dred thousand acres of railroad land in Reno and adjoining counties during the "boom." Mr. Brown was a very active, energetic and enterprising man and contributed much to the upbuilding of Hutchinson. He erected the Masonic block and other structures in the city and he ever enjoyed the confidence of investors, being considered the standard authority on all real estate matters in Hutch- inson. His judgment was always sought on matters of public moment and his counsel was ever wise, practical and judicious. He was an active promoter of many new enter- prises which contributed in large measure to the general good. When Hutchinson was incorporated in 1872 he was elected one of its councilmen, in 1874 he was elected mayor and also held the office of police judge. In politics he was ever a stalwart Republican. Socially he was connected with the Grand Army of the Republic, attained the Knight Templar degree in the Masonic fraternity and belonged to the Men's Commercial Club.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brown were born two children: Catherine, who is employed in the pension office in Topeka; and John B., who is attending school in Topeka. Mrs. Brown is still a resident of Hutchinson and makes her home with her sister, Mrs. Obee. Mr. Brown contributed so largely to the de- velopment and upbuilding of the city, was so prominent in public affairs and was so active in all measures for the public good that his name is inseparably associated with its history and this volume would be incom- plete without the record of his life.

A. J. MONROE.

A. J. Monroe represents a family that came to Rice county among its first settlers, arriving here in August, 1871. Here our subject has since resided and made his home, and his life record illustrates the opportunities which the Sunflower state af-

fords to its settlers. A native of Ohio, his birth occurred in Ross county, on the Ist of August, 1830. His parents were Samuel and Mary ( Wishon) Monroe, both of whom were natives of Virginia, and their marriage occurred in Pike county, Ohio. They after- ward removed to Ross county, that state, where they remained for a number of years. They then went to Newton county, Indiana, and there the father passed away. The mother afterward moved to Iroquois county, Illinois, where she also died. They had six children, as follows: Jolin H., Andrew J., Mary Jane, George C., Hannah E. and George WV.

In the county of his nativity A. J. Mon- roe remained until thirteen years of age. when the family removed to Warren county, Indiana. The labors of the farm occupied much of his attention throughout the period of his youth and he gained good practical experience in the best methods of developing and cultivating land. He was married in Newton county, Indiana, on the 27th of January, 1856, to Miss Julia A. Roberson, and through the intervening years she has been to him a good wife and helpmate. She possessed much executive ability and cour- age and was thus well fitted for the experi- ences that come to pioneer settlers. Her birth occurred in Carroll county, Indiana, and she is a daugliter of William and Anna (Tinkle) Roberson. The father was born in the south, the mother in Ohio, and they became the parents of seven children, name- ly : Mrs. Monroe, Nancy, Martha, George R., now deceased, Josephine, Warren and Morgan. The father died in Cowley county, Kansas, at the age of eighty. Throughout his life he was a farmer and a hard-working. upright, honorable man. He held member- ship in the Baptist church. His wife passed away in Cowley county, at the age of sixty- four years, loved by all for her many good qualities.

Mr. and Mrs. Monroe made the overland trip to Kansas in 1858, traveling in a wagon drawn by ox teams and camped along the way where night overtook them. They started on July 21, 1858, and arrived at their

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destination on the 18th of September follow- ing. They remained in eastern Kansas until the 15th of May, 1862, when they started for Indiana, reaching their old home on the 27th of July. The return trip was made with both oxen and horses. They crossed a corner of Nebraska, a large portion of Iowa, the southeastern corner of Missouri, the state of Illinois and thus reached the Hoosier state. Through the following year Mr. Monroe was engaged in farming, but in 1863 lie put aside agricultural pursuits that he might give his country the benefit of his services as a soldier in the civil war. He enlisted in the Eleventh Indiana Cavalry, with which he served for eighteen months. He sustained a flesh wound, but was never seriously injured. His regiment was with tlie Army of the Cumberland, under Gen- eral Thomas, and he participated in the bat- tles of Nasliville, Clarksville and many others of lesser importance. When the war was over he was honorably discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, and thence returned to Indiana, where he remained until 1871.

In that year Mr. Monroe again started for sunny Kansas and cast in his lot among the early settlers of Rice county. Here he built a sod house and afterward a small frame house, but to-day lie owns a large modern residence, built in a good style of architecture and containing a number of pleasant and well ventilated rooms. It stands upon an attractive building site and is surrounded by a fine grove and orchard containing fifteen acres, and has also erected excellent barns. The farm is complete in all its equipments. Windmills pump the water supply, good pastures afford excellent grazing for the stock and the fields bring to him a good return. The Monroe farm comprises nine hundred and sixty acres of wel improved land. It is one of the most valuable farming properties in Rice county and is a monument to the thrift and enter- prise of the owner, whose persistent pur- pose and diligence have enabled him to gain a prominent position among the substantial farmers of his community.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Monroe have been

born three children: Mary Ann. who was born in Kansas, in 1860, is now the wife of Moses Baker, of Wilson township, Rice county. George A., whose birth occurred in Wabash county, Indiana, on the 16th of April, 1864, was married at the age of twenty-seven years to Agnes McCabe, a cul- tured and intelligent young lady, a daughter of Wesley McCabe, of Wilson township. She died in 1892, leaving a daughter, Clara Belle. George A. Monroe was seven years of age when he came to the county, where he was reared and educated. Here he follows farming. Charles E., the youngest of the family, was born September 16, 1878, on the old homestead where he yet resides. The Monroes were originally Republicans, but the sons are now connected with the People's party. Since coming to Kansas our subject has achieved excellent success and is now numbered among the substantial citizens of Rice county.

GEORGE A. VANDEVEER.

Probably no citizen of central Kansas is better known throughout the county in finan- cial and legal circles than George A. Van- deveer, the senior member of the law firm of Vandeveer & Martin, of Hutchinson. Admitted to the bar he entered upon the practice and from the beginning has been unusually prosperous in every respect. The success which he has attained is due to his own efforts and merits. The possession of advantages is 110 guarantee whatever of pro- fessional success. This comes not of itself. nor can it be secured without integrity, abil- ity and industry. Those qualities he pos- sesses to an eminent degree and he has been faithful to every interest committed to his charge. Throughout his whole life whatso- ever his hand has found to do, whether in his profession or in official duties or as the representative of most important interests, he has done with all his might and with a deep sense of conscientious obligation. Thus he has won distinction and prosperity and

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 10

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 970

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 970