USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I > Part 113
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KABLER DONALDSON.
HARDWARE HARNESS SADDLES AM BUGGIES.
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state. Her father, William Shands, was also a native of the Old Dominion, as were her grandparents, but she was of German, Scotch and French descent. The father of our subject was a farmer by occupation. In politics he was a Democrat, and in re- ligious faith he was a Methodist. His deatlı occurred in Texas county, Missouri, when he was sixty-one years of age, and his wife passed away at the age of forty-one. They were the parents of eight children, of whom seven are now living, namely : William, of Missouri: Bascom, who is living in the same state; L. Wesley, of this re- view : Mrs. Lelia Taylor and Mrs. Nancy Turner, who are also residents of Mis- souri; Mrs. Hattie Geirtz, who is living in Kingman, and Thomas T., of Kingman county. One son, Joseph, died at the age of three years.
L. Wesley Kabler was reared in Virginia until twelve years of age and then accom- panied his parents on their removal to Chariton county, Missouri. He early be- came familiar with all the duties and la- bors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and early learned lessons of industry and integrity which have been potent elements in shaping his career. His education. was acquired in the schools of Virginia and Mis- souri, and his knowledge has been largely supplemented through business experience, reading and observation. He came to Kan- sas in October. 1883, possessed of no capi- tal, but with strong determination to win success. His resolution and enterprise stood him instead of fortune and he has gradu- ally worked his way upward. He first lo- cated twelve miles southwest of Kingman, where he took a claim, pre-empting the land. On the Dickinson ranch, he held the responsible position of manager for four- teen years, serving in a most acceptable man- ner. In 1900 he purchased the Hill Daie ranch, which is one of the best located farms in the township. It is supplied with all modern improvements, including the fine residence which stands on a natural building site. There are good barns and outbuildings, rich meadow lands and pas- tures and well tilled fields, giving promise
of rich wheat and other harvests. An or- chard and grove are also among the features of this place, rendering it one of the most valuable and attractive farms in the neigh- borhood. In January, 1902, however, he sold his farm and is now engaged in the hardware and implement business as a mem- ber of the firm of Kabler & Donaldson.
In 1887 Mr. Kabler was married to Mary M. Salmons, who has been an able as- sistant to her husband in his work. She was born in Ohio, but was reared and ed- ucated in Illinois. Her father, Levi Sal- mons, also a native of the Buckeye state, was a farmer and stockman and at the time of the Civil war served with the Union army. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Rosa Brown, is now deceased. In their family were ten children. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kabler have been born five children, as follows: Levi L .; Lydia. O .: Vina. R .; Jessie D. and Gladys.
Politically Mr. Kabler is a stanch Dem- ocrat, active and earnest in the work of his party, and on its ticket he was elected to the office of county treasurer in 1895, serv- ing for the two succeeding years in a man- ner which rendered him a most popular and acceptable public officer. He has attended the conventions of his party as a delegate and his opinions carry weight in its coun- cils. Socially he is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is a member of the Presbyterian church. His life has been well spent and has been an industrious, useful and honorable career. With those elements as a foundation he has builded thereon the superstructure of success, and is now one of the leading and substantial agriculturists of his community.
HENRY TITUS.
The list of the leading citizens of Rice county contains the name of Henry Titus, whose record as a soldier and as a business man has won for him the confidence and good will of all with whom he has been
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brought in coma. He was born at Cole- bro k. New Hampshire, on the 25th of June. 1842. His paternal grandfather. David Titus, was of English descent, and his wife, who was of Scotch descent, was a member of the Cleveland family and was a distant relative of ex-President Cleveland. The father of our subject, Ele- asor Titus, was a native of New Hampshire, and his entire life was there spent, his death occurring at Colebrook in 1870. He was a carpenter and millwright by trade. following those occupations through his active business career. He married Miss Susan Selling- ham, a native of Pennsylvania, and they had seven children, namely : Elvira, who be- came the wife of George W. Spencer; An- son. a resident of California : Samantha, who became Mrs. Noyes: Alfred, a resident of New Hampshire : Henry, our subject ; and Ann, the wife of J. J. Johnson. The second child. Anson, entered the army as a private during the Civil war, but was afterward promoted to the position of sergeant. He was subsequently wounded, on account of which he received an honorable discharge. but after sufficiently recovering his health he veteranized and as a lieutenant served until the close of hostilities.
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Henry Titus, whose name introduces this review, received his education in the public schools of his native state, and his early life was spent on a farm. When quite young he became an employe in the iron mines, in which he remained until 1861, leaving there to battle for his loved country. He became a member of Company G. Second New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel Gilman Martin, which became a member of the Army of the Potomac. with General Hooker in command. Mr. Titus saw much hard service during his army ex- perience, having first done guard duty in the city of Washington, D. C., and his first bat- tle was that of Williamsburg. Virginia, where he was severely wounded by a minie ball in the left hand. The ball shattered the left arm. and about the same time he was wounded in the left side. His command re- treated to Yorktown, and Mr. Titus was put in a hospital there, being later sent to a New
York hospital. He subsequently received a thirty days' furlough and returned to his home. on the expiration of which period he rejoined his command. but was never again able to bear arms, being detailed for light service, assisting about the camp and help- ing the officers and sutlers. He made him- self generally useful to his command until it was ordered to Richmond, in the fall of 1863, when all not able to bear arms were ordered discharged and he was among the number, receiving an honorable discharge at Alexandria, Virginia, Mr. Titus then joined a wounded brother at Washington, remaining with him and caring for him until February. 1864. when they went to Wis- consin, but for many months both were un- able to perform hard labor, and our subject has never regained his former health, his labors being often executed in pain.
In the fall of 1865 Mr. Titus removed to | Minnesota, where he secured a soldier's homestead and improved a good farm, re- maining there until 1878. In that year he took up his abode in the Sunflower state. first locating in Sumner county, but soon afterward came to Rice county, where he secured a timber claim: He immediately began the work of clearing and improving his land, and his first place of abode was a stone cellar, in which the family lived until 1889. when their present commodious and attractive farm residence was erected. He has also built substantial barns and other out- buildings, has planted a fine orchard, and he also owns plenty of good timber land nine miles northeast of Little River and four miles south of Langley. His entire atten- tion is devoted to general farming and stock- raising, and his farm is now under a fine state of cultivation, everything about the place indicating the supervision of a neat and progressive owner. Since returning from the war. however, the most of his life has been passed as an invalid; and in com- pensation for his services he now receives a small pension from the government.
Mr. Titus was married. in 1867. in Min- nesota, to Miss Alma A. Arnold, who was born in Michigan, October 22, 1847, a daughter of Jonathan and Louisa ( Hutett)
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Arnold, natives, respectively, of Vermont and New York. The father was a carpenter by trade, and in addition to contracting and building he always owned and operated a farm. After their marriage, which oc- curred in New York, they removed to Michi- gan and later to Wisconsin, where the father died on the 28th of November, 1863. While a resident of Michigan he served as a justice of the peace, and was a very popular man in the localities in which he lived. He was twice married, and by his first union he had one daughter, Mary, now the wife of D. Swift. The mother of Mrs. Titus was a daughter of James Huett, a native of. the state of New York. He served as a sol- dier in the war of 1812, and as a life occu- pation he followed farming. His death oc- curred at his old homestead in New York. The Huett children were Russell, Eliza, Amanda, Lavica, Samuel, Nancy, Spencer, George and Evaline. Mrs. Arnold, the mo- ther of Mrs. Titus, survived her husband for twenty years, and' after his death she re- moved with her family to Minnesota, where she secured government land and improved a farm. In 1876 she came to Kansas with a son, and her death occurred in this county on the 4th of. August, 1882. Both. she and her husband were sincere and earnest members of the Free Will Baptist church. They became the parents of four children, namely : Newman, a resident of Allen coun- ty, Kansas; Alina; the wife of our subject; John, of Minnesota; and Makin, who fol- low's farming in Rice county. The origi- nal Arnold ancestor in the United States came from New Brunswick to Vermont. He was a valiant soldier in the war of the Rev- olution, and his death occurred in Vermont after rearing a large family. He was a farmer by occupation. The children born to the union of our subject and wife are as follows: Adell, now Mrs. W. Ford; El- vira, the wife of E. Young: Dora, the wife of S. Smith: Anson G., who is engaged in farming : and Chester and Susie L., at home. Mr. Titus holds membership with the G. A. R. Post at Little River. He is a man of 'strong mentality. of broad humanitarian principles and kindly motives. No trust
reposed in him has ever been betrayed, and whether on the field of battle, protecting the stars and stripes, or in private life, he is true to his country and its best interests.
ELI.C. WILSON.
Eli C. Wilson, a highly respected and successful farmer of Evan township, King- man county was born March 26, 1844, in Richland county, Ohio. He is of Scotch and Irish ancestry, the family being noted for their courage, patriotism and honesty. His father, William Wilson, was a native of Pennsylvania, but wa's reared and edu- cated in Richland county, Ohio. For his wife he chose Sarah Gotshall, a lady of a Pennsylvania Dutch family, her birth oc- curring in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. They were the parents of two children, Eli C., and George E., who now resides in Van Wert county, Ohio. William Wilson was a carpenter by occupation, and a stanch ad- herent of the Democratic party. He passed away at the age of forty-one years. His widow married a second time, her second husband being Robert Shaffer, by whom she had one son, William Shaffer, now living in Reno county, Kansas. Robert Shaffer was .called to his final rest at the age of seventy. Both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church, and were honored and respected by all who knew them.
The subject of this sketch, Eli C. Wil- : son, spent his boyhood on his father's farm, where he was taught the duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. The schools of Richiland county. furnished him his education until fifteen years of age, when he decided to embark on life's journey for himself. He was married in 1872 to Miss Martha Hague, a native of Napoleon, Ohio. She lived but thirteen months, and he then chose for his second wife Mrs. Ida ( Wells ) Bouton, a lady of intelligence and refine- ment, who has been to him a good and faithful companion. She was born at De- fiance, Ohio, a daughter of Samuel and Jane . Wells, also natives of the Buckeye ·state.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
In early manhood Mr. Wilson took up arms in defense of his country, enlist- ing as a member of the Sixty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In October, 1861, he enlisted in Colonel .Forsyth's regiment, serving under Captain Finbrock. For twenty months he served, winning a good military record. He was a member of Gen- eral Sherman's Twentieth Brigade, and par- ticipated in the battles of Shiloh and Stone river. In the latter engagement he received a wound in his left hand. He was also shot in the right arm; the ball came near sever- ing the main artery. Three months of his service was spent in the hospitals of Nash- ville, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky, and Quincy, Illinois, recovering from the wounds which he had so valiantly received when fighting in defense of the stars and stripes. Mr. Wilson made his home in Ohio until 1884, when he removed to Sedgwick county, Kansas. Here he remained until 1896, when he removed to Evan township, Kingman county, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of rich farming property, which through his improvement and cultivation is now one of the most val- uable tracts of land in that locality. Five acres of this land is covered with a dense growth of large trees, and the substantial buildings, including the modern residence, the well tilled fields and the high grade of stock, are the visible evidence of the care- ful supervision of the owner.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson has been blessed with four children, namely : Gilah Grace, who is the wife of Walter Long, the county clerk of Kingman coun- ty ; Stanley B., a student of Kingman coun- ty high school ; Zenia, who died at the age of two years; and Virgie, the pet of the house- hold. The father has always taken an act- ive interest in matters pertaining to the ad- vancement of his community along educa- tional, temperance, religious and moral lines, and is a liberal supporter of political and social societies. He is a loyal Repub- lican, and holds membership in the Grand Army of the Republic: also of the Inde- pendent Order o Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 252, at Cheney. Although reared in the
faith of the Presbyterian church, he is now a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as are also his wife and daughters, and they have ever lived in consistency with its teachings. The family is noted for its hospitality and have many friends in King- man county.
ELI J. RIGGS.
Eli J. Riggs is one of the intelligent and enterprising farmers of Evan township, and is numbered among the native sons of Kan- sas, his birth having occurred in Prairie City, Douglas county, in 1868. His fa- ther, Nathan S. Riggs, was one of the first settlers in Reno county, locating there in 1871, his home being sixty miles from the nearest railroad point. He came to Kan- sas in the '50s. He was born in Albany, New York, in 1828, and was of French de- scent. In the Empire state he spent his childhood and youth and was married there to Minerva Stevens, also a native of that state. After their marriage they started westward and cast in their lot with the early settlers of Kansas before the admission of that state into the union. He was a mem- ber of the state troops that went to Law- rence, Kansas, in order to afford protection against the forces under Quantrell. He took part in many of the events which form the early history of the Sunflower state, and continued his residence in Douglas county until 1871, when he went to Reno county, taking up his abode upon the farm where he yet resides. By his first marriage he had two sons and three daughters, name- ly : Nathan A., deceased; Frances M., who is living in Milton, Oregon; Mary E., of Evan township, Kingman county : Emma J., of Missouri; and Eli J., of this review. After the death of the mother, the father was again married and by the second union had one son, Charles. Nathan Riggs has ever been a valued citizen of the communi- ties with which he has been connected, and is honored and respected by all with whom he has come in contact. He has ever been found on the side of reform in politics, and
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has successfully supported the Greenback, Alliance and Populist parties. In his re- ligious faith he is identified with the Chris- tain Science church. The mother of our sub- ject was a lady of many excellencies of char- acter and her kindness made her loved by her many friends.
Eli J. Riggs, a native of Douglas coun- ty, Kansas, was a small boy when his par- ents removed to Reno county, where he was reared upon a farm amid the experiences cf frontier life. He attended the public schools, but business, reading and observa- tion have added largely to his knowledge. He worked on his father's farm and in early manhood learned the trades of plastering and masonry work, and in following those pursuits was employed at different points in central Kansas. He was a good mechanic and was always able to secure a situation. In 1891 he purchased eighty acres of well improved land on which he has a good resi- dence, barn and all the modern accessories, and in addition to his valuable farm in Evan township, he owns eighty acres of land in Reno county, which is also under cultivation. He is successfully engaged in general farming, stock raising, and his un- flagging industry and capable management are the factors which class him among the substantial agriculturists of the community.
In 1890 Mr. Riggs was joined in wed- lock to Mary E. Warren, an estimable lady who was born in Illinois, a daughter of Jo- sepli Warren, a native of Tennessee, and a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. Two sons and a daughter grace the marriage of our subject and his wife, namely : Earl, born June 21, 1891 ; Glenn, June 15, 1895; and May, August 12, 1899; while Nathan Oran,
who was born February 13. 1893, passed away April. 25, 1894. Besides, there was an infant son who survived his birth only four days. The parents hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and socially he is con- nected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 254, Cheney, Sedg- wick county, Kansas. In political faith he is a Populist. He takes a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his
community and in his life exemplifies the progressive spirit which has led to the won- derful development of the west.
EUGENE CONNOR.
The agricultural and stock-growing in- dustries of Kingman county have a worthy representative in the subject of this review. who is known as one of the extensive and successful operators in these lines and is one of the representative citizens of the county. his landed estate comprising eight hundred acres, situated in Rural and Kingman town- ships, while his post-office address is Cun- ningham. He is a self-made man, in the true sense of the term, and on this account his career offers both lesson and incentive. dominated, as it has ever been, by absolute integrity of purpose, energy and good busi- ness judgment. Such men are peculiarly worthy of a place on the pages of a work of this nature, and we here present a brief re- view of the life history of Eugene Connor.
Though he has passed practically his entire life in the United States, Mr. Connor claims the fair Emerald Isle as the land of his nativity, having been born in County Cork, Ireland, on the 12th of October, 1846, the son of John and Mary ( Ronan) Connor, both of whom were born in the same county, of sterling old Irish lineage. In his native land the father of our subject devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits until 1852, when he emigrated to America with his fam- ily, locating in Binghamton, New York. where he passed the residue of his life, his death occurring in 1896. His wife passed away when the subject of this sketch was a mere child. and after her death the family was kept together by the elder sisters, who spared no pains to supply to the younger children the devoted care which their mother would have accorded. In the family were four sons and five daughters, of whom we make brief mention as follows: Hannalı is the wife of John Connor, of Binghamton. New York : Mary is the wife of John Grace. of the same city: Michael. a resident of
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Binghamton, served in the Army of the Po- tomac during the war of the Rebellion ; Cath- erine is the wife of Nicholas Querk, of Bing- hamton ; in that city also resides Nellie, who is unmarried ; and also Lizzie, who is the wife of Otis Brink; Timothy is a railroad engi- neer, residing in Great Bend, Pennsylvania ; Eugene, the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth, and the fifth was John, who died in childhood.
Eugene Connor passed his boyhood days in the city of Binghamton, where he at- tended the public schools until he had at- tained the age of fifteen years, when he as- sumed individual responsibilities of a some- what unusual order, enlisting in the United State's military construction corps which was assigned to the work of constructing tele- graph lines in Tennessee, Georgia and Ala- bama, during the progress of the Civil war. He was with General Thomas' command at Nashville and thereafter continued in the service until the close of the war, receiving his honorable discharge, at Louisville, Ken- tucky, in February, 1865. After the war Mr. Connor made his way to Bloomington, In- diana, where his uncle, John Roan, was located and engaged in blacksmithing work in the employ of a railroad company. Our subject secured employment as a section hand on the railroad, being thus engaged about three months, after which he became a brake- man on a construction train, on the Monon route, continuing to follow this vocation about four years. His fidelity and ability gained him recognition and preferment, since he was then assigned to a position as conductor on a local freight, between La- fayette and Michigan City. At the expira- tion of two years Mr. Connor was made foreman of a construction corps of the West- ern Union Telegraph Company, having charge of the constructing of lines from La- fayette. Indiana, in various directions. Later he installed the equipment and opened the first telephone exchange in the city of La- fayette, and thereafter was foreman and in- spector for the operating company for sev- eral years.
In 1884. in company with his wife and three children, Mr. Connor came to King-
man county, Kansas, and located a claim of land on section 2, Kingman township. His first residence was a sod house, twelve by fourteen feet in dimensions, and equipped with a board roof. After one year had ex- pired he removed to his present home, which is one of the attractive and comfortable farm dwellings that indicate the prosper- ity of. this section of the county. To his- original quarter section Mr. Connor has since added' until he now has a full section of the choicest land in the county, about four hundred acres of the tract being under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Connor has devoted no secondary attention to the rais- ing of live stock, and this department of his enterprise has given most satisfactory re- turns. He keeps an average of about sev- enty-five head of cattle and about one hun- dred hogs, and spares no pains in bringing his stock up to high grade, thus commanding the best prices in the markets. In 1895 he remodeled his residence, which is now com- modious and convenient, being one of the pleasant homes of the county, while in 1891 he erected his fine barn, one of the best in the county. In every particular the farm- stead shows the care and attention bestowed by its progressive and up-to-date owner, thrift being in evidence on every hand.
In his political allegiance Mr. Connor is found arrayed with the Democratic party, and he has served three consecutive terms as treasurer of Rural township, while for twelve years he has been incumbent of the position of director of the school board of his district, taking a lively interest in all that concerns the progress and general welfare of the community, while to him is accorded unqualified confidence and esteem in the county and state of his adoption.
At Lafayette, Indiana, on the 12th of October, 1887, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Connor to Miss Emma F. Wilson, who was born in White county, Indiana, the daughter of James B. and Rebecca (Shortridge) Wilson, natives respectively of Ohio and Kentucky, and numbered among the pioneers of White county, Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Connor twelve children were born, of whom all are living save one, their
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names, in order of birth, being as follows: James, who is an engineer on the Monon Railroad, resides in Lafayette, Indiana ; Clara is the wife of John Freeman, of Crip- ple Creek, Colorado; John died in Lafayette, Indiana, at the age of two years; and the others are Mary, Florence, Paul, Catherine, Emmett, Grace, Bessie, Ray and Marie.
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