A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 109

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 109

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Mr. Howell has been twice married. He first married Miss Martha Jane Snavely, a native of Pennsylvania, who died at the age of forty-seven years. There were four children born of that marriage, but Her- schel, Elliott and Ellsworth are now de- ceased. Charles, the third son, is a farmer of Barton county, who married Miss Mary Langford and has four children. For his second wife Mr. Howell chose Miss Kate. daughter of Amos De Koe, of Ohio. They had three children : Nellie, who possesses

considerable music talent ; Evaline MI .; and Leona V., who are now deceased.

Mr. Howell has long been an honored and enterprising pioneer citizen, and when the rebellion in the south made necessary the military services of the patriotic sons of the nation, he responded to the call for troops in 1862 enlisting as a private in Company F, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry, in which he served until honorably discharged in Sep- tember, 1865. He was wounded in the neck at the battle of Mark's Mill. Arkansas. He now belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being identified with both blue lodge and encampment and is likewise a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and he is a member of Pap Thumas Post of Great Bend.

Through an active and useful business career he has not only won a competence but has also gained the high regard of those with whom he has been associated.

HENRY STROHMEYER.

Of the honored retired farmers of Reno county, Kansas, none is held in higher es- teem by his fellow citizens than Henry Strofimeyer, whose residence is at No. 1000 Sixth avenue, East Hutchinson, a brief bi- ographical account of whom it is the pur- pose of the editors to include in this work.

Henry Strohmever was born at Pome- roy, Meigs county, Ohio. January 4. 1843. a son of Frederick C. Strohmeyer, who was a native of Bickaburg province in Prussia. One of Mr. Strohmeyer's great-uncles served under Napoleon as a : Idier in his historic Russian campaign. Frederick C. Strohmeyer, who was a weaver and a farmer and a member of the Lutheran church, came to America in 1840, on a sailing vessel which landed at Baltimore. From Baltimore hie went to Ohio and after working on the Ohio canal, near Athens, for a short time. he located at Pomeroy. Ohio, where from 1840 to 1858 he was overseer of coal mining operations and speculated to some extent in real estate. In 1858 he bought a farm of

MR. AND MRS. HENRY STROHMEYER.

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one hundred and sixty-eight acres nine miles from Pomeroy, on which he lived until 1872, during which time he put many im- provements on the place. In 1873 he sold out his interests in Ohio and removed to Barton county, Kansas, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land which, however, he soon sold to buy three hundred and eighty acres in Pioneer township. Rice county, Kansas, where he farmed for some time or until he became a member of his son's household. He died in 1884, deeply regretted by all .who had known him, for he was a friendly man of broad sympathies, a man of much intelligence with a rich fund of general information, who read much and thought deeply on many subjects. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, devout in his worship, upright in his daily life and helpful alike to the church and to his brethren in the human family, ir- respective of religious affiliation. Politi- cally he was a Whig and later a Republican and his interest in all important public ques- tions was intelligent and comprehensive. Mr. Strohmeyer's mother died February 5, 1899, at the residence of her son, Got- leib Strohmeyer, in Rice county.

The subject of this sketch was the fourth born of his parents' seven children, five of whom are living at this time. Their son, Frederick G. Strohmever, is an employe of a coal and salt company at Syracuse, Meigs county, Ohio. Their daughter, Mary, who is the widow of Frederick Elberfeld, lives at Pomeroy, Ohio. Their son, Gotleib, is a farmer in Rice county, Kansas. Their son, Henry Strohmever, who is the immediate subject of this sketch, was the next in order of birth. Their son, William, died in in- fancy. Their daughter, Sophia, married John Circle, a farmer of Racine, Ohio. Their daughter, Catherine, died in infancy. Henry Strohmeyer had no educational ad- vantages beyond those afforded by common schools near his boyhood home. He worked on his father's farm until June, 1861, when, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted for three years' service in the Civil war, in Company M. First Regiment Virginia Cavalry, at Pomeroy, Ohio. After spending some time

in the barracks at Wheeling, Virginia. now West Virginia, he was sent to Clarksburg. where the regiment was drilled and equipped. From Clarksburg the regiment was sent to New Creek, Virginia, where its experience of war began. During the fall of 1861 it was employed in scouting and in picket duty, and it was then sent to Paw- paw Tunnel, where it remained until March, 1862. Thus far it had not participated in any important engagement, but its service had been constant, arduous and dangerous. In March, 1862, the regiment attacked the rear guard of Stonewall Jackson's com- mand, and in a charge which occurred at that time young Strohmeyer's horse fell and the youth received a severe injury to his left hip joint, from which he has never fully recovered, and for the disability so caused and for a considerable impairment of his vision caused by exposure in service he re- ceives an inadequate pension of fourteen dollars a month. After its attack on Stone- wall Jackson's rear, the regiment was next engaged at Winchester, where the Union army, under General Shields, defeated Stonewall Jackson and compelled him to retreat. The regiment participated in the pursuit of Jackson under command of Gen- eral Kimbel, as General Shields was badly wounded at Winchester, and was unfit for active service. It was in the engagements at Newmarket, Cross Keys, Port Republic. Manassas, and other points and assisted in the defense of Washington. . After the bat- tle of Antietam it took part in the pursuit of Lee to the Rapidan river and saw hard fighting at Culpeper Court House. At the second Bull Run engagement the regi- ment was attached to General Buford's command and was sent to the defense of Washington, till after the battle of Antie- tam. At Warrenton, while the horses were unsaddled, they were surprised by Mosby's guerrillas. A few threw themselves on bare- backed horses and escaped and others gath- ered in a convenient building and made a hard fight, but the force was badly cut up. After the fights at Culpeper Court House, Brandy Station and Kelly's Ford, the regi- ment participated in the pursuit of Lee

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toward Frederickstown, Maryland, and at Hanover Court House it was in a severe engagement with General Stewart's cavalry. After that the regiment fought at Gettys- burg, Pennsylvania, in the brigade of Gen- eral Farnsworth, who with many others was killed in a desperate charge. In that decisive battle Lieutenant Palmer of Com- pany C, was badly wounded and young Strohmeyer assisted him from the field. The young man's next fighting experience was in the capture of a train at South Mountain Gap, where he and his companions dashed in between Early and Longstreet, who were clefeated and pursued to Hagerstown, Maryland. There was another fight on the old pike road and another on Gaines' cross roads and still another at Warrenton, fol- lowed by more fighting near Gaines' Mills. Meanwhile Mr. Strohmeyer's term of en- listment had expired and he re-enlisted in his old company and regiment. In the spring of 1864 he was in the Dublin depot raid in southwest Virginia, under command of General Averill. In the severe fight at Wytheville a detachment which included young Strohmeyer was cut off from the main command and compelled to cross the mountains by a rugged and dangerous road, over which the men were obliged to lead their horses much of the way. Arriving at Lewisburg, Virginia, the detachment camped there for a time. Young Stroh- meyer's regiment was in the Lynchburg raid and met Hunter's command at Staunton and after a fight at Lynchburg fell back, cover- ing its retreat to Salem. After that it fought at Carter's Farm and at Bunker's Hill, then at Winchester and at Fisher's Hill, under General Sheridan. Mr. Stroh- meyer's command was not actively engaged at Cedar Creek but he was an eye witness of Sheridan's famous ride. Later he was sent to Sandyhook, near Harper's Ferry, where he was engaged in drilling troops until the close of the war. On one occa- sion our young soldier captured a Confed- erate flag, and on account of that gallant service he was mentioned for promotion, which he refused to accept. He participated in the grand review at Washington and was

honorably discharged from the service at Wheeling, West Virginia.

November 20, 1865, Henry Strohmeyer married Margaret Schlagel, a native of Ohio and was a daughter of Peter Schlagel. . who was descended from German ancestry. For some time he farmed near Pomeroy, Ohio, and then went to Pittsburg. Pennsyl- vania, where he was a boss driver for a mining company. Later he took charge of a mine at Tarentum, Pennsylvania, and thence he went to the oil region of West Virginia, where for a time he was engaged in boring wells. From West Virginia he returned to Pomeroy, Ohio, where he worked in the rolling mills and later set- tled on his father-in-law's and then on his father's farm. July 20, 1872, he started for Kansas and soon after his arrival there he took up a homestead claim in Barton county, where he was one of the early set- tlers and where he remained until 1875, when he sold his interests there and went to Rice county, Kansas, where he pre-empted one hundred and twenty acres of land and afterward bought one hundred and eighty acres. There were many buffaloes roam- ing the plains when Mr. Strohmeyer went to Kansas, but they disappeared rap- idly. Mr. Strohmeyer shot the last one ever seen north of Ellinwood. In 1874 grass- hoppers took all his corn and later he had many other troubles peculiar to the locality. In 1890 he sold his land in Rice county and went to Reno county, Kansas, where he bought the northwest one-quarter of section 30, township 22, range 4, upon which he made many improvements.

Mr. Strohmever continued farming and stock raising until 1899, when he sold his farm and removed to Hutchinson, where he owns six houses and about twenty valua- ble lots. He has a large and well appointed residence situated on a homestead comprised of eight lots. While a resident of Rice county he served his fellow citizens as town- ship treasurer and as justice of the peace. He is a strong Republican, though not a practical politician, and he and his wife are members of the United Brethren church. Nine children have been born to Mr. and

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Mrs. Strohmeyer, named as follows, in the order of their birth: William, a farmer in Oklahoma; Anna MI., the wife of Alonzo Moore, who is employed in the salt works at Hutchinson; Dorothy E., the wife of William Randall, a carpenter and painter at Hutchinson : Cathrina A., the wife of Asa Swen, a farmer of Reno county ; Sarah E., the wife of William Macklin, of Kent, Kan- sas; Charles F., a farmer in Oklahoma; Susan L., a member of her parents' house- hold : and William, Carter H. and Matilda, who are deceased. Mr. Strohmeyer is re- garded as one of Reno county's substantial citizens, enterprising beyond many others, his public spirit is well developed and he is an active and helpful friend of all measures tending to the general good of the people of his city and county.

FRANCIS L. YOUNGS.

Among those in Rice county, Kansas. who have been instrumental in advancing agricultural interests, one of the most prom- inent is Francis L. Youngs, of Little River township. Mr. Youngs was born in Broome county, New York, October 2, 1853. a son of John and Dotia ( Silliman) Youngs, who were born and married in the state of New York. John Young's was born February IS, 1809, was a prominent farmer and died on his homestead in the state of New York on March 17, 1878, and his wife survived him until January 16, 1879. He was a plain, unassuming man without political aspiration, a patriotic citizen and a faithful husband and parent. Dotia Silliman, the mother of the subject of this sketch, was a daughter of Jonathan Silliman, a farmer, who served his country in the war of 1812, moved to Wisconsin in 1860, was a farmer in Rock county and died there past ninety years of age. He had children named Dotia, Pollie, Hiram, Benjamin, Marcia and Caroline. John Youngs had brothers named William, Ira, George, Frederick and Griggs Youngs, the last mentioned of whom was a soldier in the Federal army in the

Civil war, and sisters Jane and Margaret. The mother of the subject of this sketch was an earnest and active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, a model wife and mother, who bore her husband children as follows : Jennie, not married ; Ettie M., born January 27, 1852, and married George Jewell; Sarah, who died young; Charles. who lives at Binghamton, New York : Francis L., who is the subject of this sketch; Hibbard, who lives in the west, in Arkansas; Edward D., who is in Alaska; Benjamin, who is a Methodist minister and lives in Michigan : Flora ; and Ella.

The subject of this sketch was at the age of nine years taken to Wisconsin by his uncle, B. J. Silliman, to live with his grand- parents there until he was fourteen years old, when he took up the battle of life for himself, working through the spring, sum- mer and fall as a farm hand for such pay as he could get and working for his board and attending school during winter months, and so diligent was he as a student that he ob- tained a fair practical education. In 1869 he went to Illinois, where he secured em- ployment as a farm hand and where he made his headquarters while traveling extensively in Illinois, Dakota and other western states. Eventually he rented a farm in Illinois and farmed there successively until the fall of 18;8, when in company with others he went to Kansas and settled in Rice county, where he yet lives. In partnership with another he made the purchase of a claim from Charles Brown, on which there were some poor improvements and on which they filed homestead papers. They began active op- erations by building a small house. The following year Mr. Young's partner became dissatisfied and decided to return east, and in order to buy his share in the claim Mr. Young's was obliged to borrow money, at four per cent. per month. It was a dubious proposition, but his motto was "make or break," and he believed that he could solve the problem by hard labor and in time proved himself master of the situation.

In 1880 Mr. Youngs married, and from that time on his good wife stood with hin shoulder to shoulder, helping him most vali-

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antly to wage the battle of life. They fought a good fight and victory perched on their banner. They improved a good farm, erected a substantial dwelling, barns and other necessary outbuildings and at last knew themselves to be free from debt and

prosperous. Mr. Young's honest, manly course during that period of trials and struggles commended him strongly to the good opinion of his fellow citizens. He has added to his original holdings until he 1( w owns two hundred and forty acres of land as good as lies within the borders of Rice county, divided by beautiful hedge fences into fields devoted to various branches of agriculture and beautified with groves and shade trees. The location of this model farm is a very convenient one, in the Little River valley, six miles southeast of Little River. Mr. Youngs has given his attention to general farming and stock-raising, and he has been very successful in raising and feed- ing Poland China hogs. He is in the best sense of the term a self-made man, of whom it may be truly said that "he is the archi- tect of his own fortune." Inheriting from his forefathers a goodly stock of Yankee en- ergy and perseverance, he has made it avail- able to him in his struggles for success, and it has enabled him to advance to a position in which he is regarded as one of the lead- ing men in the county, and by his triumph over many obstacles to demonstrate in a measure the possibilities which Kansas holds out to men of enterprise who are willing to venture and to labor. He is a public- spirited citizen, who is helpful to all prom- ising general interests. He is a member of the Masonic order who has taken the Mark Master's degree, the Past Master's degree and the Most Excellent Master's degree of capitular Masonry and been exalted to the august degree of Royal Arch Mason.

In 1880 Mr. Youngs married Mary J. Galpin, who was born in Knox county. Illi- nois. July 10, 1860, a daughter of John and Augusta (Curtis) Galpin, who were born in Indiana and Ohio, respectively, and were early settlers in Knox county, Illinois, where John Galpin is a man of prominence. Mrs. Galpin was a daughter of Paul D. Cur-

tis, who went from Ohio to Galena, Illinois, where he engaged in lead-mining and was at one time the associate of the late General and President U. S. Grant. Later in life Mr. Curtis was a prosperous farmer in Illi- nois, whence he removed to Rice county, Kansas, where he died. He had children named as follows: Diantha, Jerome, Jo- seph, Louisa, Helena and Augusta. John and Augusta (Curtis) Galpin had children named as follows: Thomas, who lives in Galesburg, Illinois ; Sadie, who married E. Case; Mary J., who is Mrs. Francis L. Youngs ; Wesley, Henry and Fred, who live in Illinois; and Rose, who married Clarence Sherman. Mr. and Mrs. Galpin were con- sistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Francis L. and Mary J. (Galpin) Youngs have nine children, who were born at the dates which follow their respective names : LeRoy, November 19, 1880; Sadie, January 3, 1882; Carrie, April 2, 1884; Hugh, April 24, 1886; John, October 23. 1887; Rufus, May 18, 1889; Mary, July 18, 1891; Frank, June 7, 1893: and Willie, September 20, 1895.

J. W. PATTERSON.

Among the leading citizens of Newton. Kansas, is J. W. Patterson, who is now en- gaged in the real-estate, insurance and loan business, and who possesses in high degree the esteem and confidence of the whole com- munity.

The birth of Mr. Patterson was in Guernsey county, Ohio, on May 13, 1843, and he was a son of Dr. Andrew and Eliza- beth (England) Patterson, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. Dr. Patter- son, after graduating at Jefferson Medical College, in Philadelphia, located at Wash- ington, Ohio, as early as 1836, and for fifty-eight years devoted his whole energy to the practice of medicine. Both as a citi- zen and as a practitioner he was well known, his knowledge and skill giving him a repu- tation even as far as Zanesville and Colum-

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bus, to which cities he was frequently called. There are residents of Newton who bear grateful tribute to his memory as the physi- cian in their families during the greater part of his active life. At the outbreak of the Civil war he was not physically able to enter the ranks, but he was in full accord with the policy of Mr. Lincoln and used his influence for the prosecution of the war. The death of Dr. Patterson was in October, 1897, at the age of eighty-six years, his wife sur- viving but one year, her age being seventy- eight years. Both had been leading mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, in which Dr. Patterson was an elder.

J. W. Patterson, of this sketch, was the second member of the family of four chil- dren born to his parents, the others being : David E., who resides in Washington, Ohio, where he keeps a general store and has been prominent for a number of years; Mary J., who is Mrs. O. B. Clark, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where her husband has been a most efficient officer of the express service for twenty years ; and Dr. Andrew, who be- came well known in the practice of den- tistry, but who died at the age of thirty-six years.

Our subject received both a common- school and academic education and then en- tered the mercantile business, in 1865, mov- ing to Marion county, Illinois, and removing to Kansas in 1868. Locating in Fort Scott, he accepted the position of day clerk in a hotel and remained one year there, and then went to Humboldt, Kansas, where he be- came a clerk in a land office and had an ex- cellent opportunity to become acquainted with the law pertaining to the same. On May I, 1870, he was appointed postmaster by President Grant and served until 1880, dur- ing a part of which time he also served as agent for the Adams Express Company. At the expiration of his official term, he remov- ed to Newton as the agent of this company and continued in their employ until they sold their interests to the Wells-Fargo Com- pany in 1882.

At this time Mr. Patterson entered the Harvey County Bank as the real-estate and loan agent, serving until two years later,

when this institution was merged into the Newton National Bank, since which time he has engaged in the real-estate, loan and insurance business on his own account.

The marriage of Mr. Paterson was in 1878, in Humboldt Kansas, to Miss Eva F. Bellus, who was born in Adrian, Michigan, and who filled the position of money-order clerk in the post office in that city for eight years. She graduated at the Adrian higli school and has been of much assistance to Mr. Patterson on account of her fine pen- manship and accuracy at figures. Two chil- dren have been born of this marriage, viz. : Clara M., of the home circle; and James B., who is now in the United States railway mail service, running from Newton to Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are con- nected with the Presbyterian church and socially they belong to the Knights and La- dies of Honor. Mr. Patterson is a well known Mason, belonging to the blue lodge, chapter and commandery, for ten years being secretary of the first named, for ten years holding the position in the chapter, and several years the standard-bearer in the commandery. For a period of ten years our subject was one of the leading members of the school board, resigning that position to become a director and the vice president of the public library, which office he has filled for the past twelve years. Mr. Patterson is an ardent Republican and has served on the central and other committees at various times. Both he and Mrs. Patterson enjoy the respect and esteem of the citizens of Newton.

G. F. AHLBERG.

The subject of this review is actively connected with a profession which has im- portant bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of any section or community, and one which has long been considered as con- serving the public welfare by furthering the ends of justice and maintaining public right. Mr. Ahlberg is now one of the well known young attorneys at Lyons, where he has

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already won a prominent position since his admission to the bar in 1894. He is one of the native sons of Rice county, his birth having occurred near Lyons, on the 9th of March, 1874. Like many of the intelligent and progressive citizens of the west, he rep- resents Swedish ancestry. His father, Da- vid Ahlberg, was born in Sweden and be- longed to a family celebrated for intelli- gence, industry and reliability in all the walks of life. In his native country the fa- ther was reared, acquiring a good education in the Swedish tongue. On crossing the At- lantic to the new world he spent a few months in the east and then proceeded west- ward to Geneseo, Henry county, Illinois. In that locality he took up his abode on a farm, and as a companion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Marie Enstrom, the wedding being celebrated in Illinois. The lady was born, reared and educated in Sweden. They began their domestic life in Henry county, where they remained until 1871, when they came to Rice county, Kan- sas, the father securing a homestead near Lyons. He transformed the land into a valuable tract and is to-day regarded as one of the leading and representative agri- culturists of his community. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ahlberg were born four children, namely : MIrs. Reed, now a widow; Mrs. Hoffman, who is residing in Los Angeles, California ; Mrs. Shay, also in Los Angeles ; and G. F., of this review.

In taking up the personal history of G. F. Ahlberg we present to our readers the life record of one who has a wide acquaint- ance in Rice county. He spent his youth upon the old homestead farm, and as age and strength permitted assisted in the work of field and meadow, thus developing a strong constitution. He attended the public school of the neighborhood during his youth and afterward matriculated in the Nebraska State University, where he was graduated with the class of 1894, having pursued the law course, which fitted him for admission to the bar. His knowledge of the science of jurisprudence is comprehensive, for he is a close and discriminating student and is con- tinually broadening his mind by reading and

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 109

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