USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I > Part 31
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On the 8th of October, 1890, John W. Nelson was married in Reno county, to Miss Pearl M. Stevenson, a daughter of James and Elizabeth ( McKinney) Stevenson. She was born near Lawrence, Kansas, her father having been one of the honored pioneer resi- dents of that community. In public affairs
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he was quite prominent. In 1873 he came to Reno county and was therefore also iden- tified with its early development. Unto MIr. and Mrs. Nelson have been born two chil- dren, Nellie A. and James B. Their home is an elegant residence at No. 407 East First street. It was purchased in 1899 by MIr. Nelson and is pleasantly situated on one of the most desirable residence streets of the city. Such in brief is the life history of one of the most active and influential busi- ness men of Hutchinson, and his record' should serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to others, proving what it is possible to accomplish through indefati- gable labor when guided by sound judg- ment. That "honesty is the best policy" is demonstrated in his career, for his integrity stands as an unquestioned fact in his life work.
WILLIAM DAVID SHULER.
This well known citizen and fruit grow- er of Reno county, William David Shuler, is a native of the Old Dominion, his birth having occurred in Page county, on the Shenandoah river, on the 23d of June, 1833. His father. George Shuler, was born on the same farm December 25, 1794, and his death there occurred on the 28th of April. 1873. The grandfather, John Shuler, was born in Germany, but in early life, in company with his brother Michael, he came to the new world, locating in Pennsylvania. He was married to a Miss Keyser, who was one of five daughters, and after Mr. Shuler's death she married a Mr. Stepp, by whom she had three children. Her death occurred in Illi- nois, at the age of ninety-five years. The mother of our subject, who was formerly Tabitha Dovel, was also a native of the Old Dominion, her birth occurring in 1795. Their marriage was celebrated in 1813, and was blessed with eight children, five sons and three daughters, namely: John, who on the 19th of August, 1901, will celebrate his eighty-sixth birthday ; Diana Dovel, who is now a widow and is eighty-one years of age: Noah W., a resident of Rockingham
county, Virginia: Elizabeth Ann, who be- came the wife of a Mr. Aylshire and died at the age of twenty-four years : George W., who resides in Page county, Virginia ; An- drew Jackson, of the same county ; William D., the subject of this review: and Sarah Jane, who has been twice married, her first husband having been her brother-in-law. C. W. Aylshire, who was killed in the winter of 1862, during his service in the Civil war. Her second husband was James E. Morris, and her death occurred in Reno county, Kan- sas, in 1895, she being the mother of six children by both marriages. The mother of our subject was called to her final rest in Virginia, June 8. 1857, and the father after- ward married the widow Kite.
William David Shuler was reared on the home farm in Virginia, and when a boy was there engaged in gardening. His education was received in the subscription schools, his tuiton therein amountng from one dollar and a half to two dollars a month, and he attended school from five to six months dur- ing the year. He remained under the par- ental roof until his marriage, which occurred on the 9th of August, 1865, the lady of his choice being Miss Sarah A. Koontz. On the Ist of September, 1875, they left the Old Dominion and journeyed to Kansas. In the year previous, however, Mr. Shuler had heard favorable reports concerning the pos- sibilities of the Sunflower state, and he came here on a prospecting tour in 1874. He found but one Virginian in this locality, and he remained in Hutchinson for one month, when he purchased the north eighty acres of his present farm, paying four hundred dollars for the tract. Two years afterward he bought the remaining eighty acres, for which he paid three hundred and fifty dol- lars. His last purchase was entered as a tree claim, and he has planted ten acres to cottonwood and box elders. Since locating in the county Mr. Shuler has purchased five farms, aggregating seven hundred and twen- ty acres, and has given to each of his sons one hundred and sixty acres. He has one of the finest orchards to be found in this lo- cality, fifteen acres of which is planted to apples and small fruits, including two acres
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of grapes and two of peaches. His oldest orchard is about twenty-one years old, and he also has some apple trees that are twenty- three years old and are still in a good bear- ing condition.
In 1896 Mr. Shuler was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 19th of October of that year, aged nearly fifty-eight years. She left five sons, namely : Philip P., who resides in Harvey county, Kansas, and has three sons and a daughter ; Jacob O., who is engaged in farming on the one hundred and sixty acres which was given him by his father, and he has three sons and a daughter; William Lee, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits one mile west of Hutchinson, and has two sons and one daughter ; Martin B., who follows farm- ing near the old homestead, and has one son : and Walter A., who was married Jan- uary 25, 1901, and is engaged in merchan- dising at Blackwell, Oklahoma. On the 26th of May, 1898, Mr. Shuler was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Laura A. Sours, nee Price, who was born, reared and married in Page county, Vir- ginia. She had been a widow about six years prior to her marriage to our subject. and was the mother of five children, as fol- lows: Susan C., the wife of Jacob Foster, of Virginia ; Anna Bell, wife of Henry Koll- hoff, of Grant township, Reno county ; Gro- ver Cleveland, a resident of Virginia ; Lena Blanche, a twin of Grover Cleveland; and George W., who is now ten years of age. Mrs. Shuler's mother is still living at her old home in Virginia, having reached the ripe old age of eighty-one years. Her husband, Abigail Price, died about 1886, leaving her with the care of six daughters and two sons, all of whom are married excepting one.
Mr. Shuler was reared in the faith of the Democracy, and has voted for ten presi- dents, but James Buchanan was the only one of these who was elected. In later life he has voted with the Greenback and Populist parties. During the Civil war he entered the Confederate service, serving nine months as lieutenant of a militia company, under Governor Wise. He then hired a substitute. for which he paid one thousand dollars, and
he was one of twelve who voted against secession in his precinct. After the war he was elected to the office of justice of the peace. In Virginia, at the age of seventeen years, Mr. Shuler became a member of the United Brethren church, and after coming to this state he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church by letter, his first wife having also been a member of that denomination. In 1876 he assisted in estab- lishing the first Sunday-school here, which was held in the old schoolhouse, and before leaving the Old Dominion he was superin- tendent of a Sunday-school there, where he built a church of logs. The cause of Chris- tianity has ever found in Mr. Shuler a warm friend and supporter, and he gives of his time and means to all charitable and benevo- lent purposes.
CAPTAIN WILLIAM R. BENNETT.
A valiant soldier of the Civil war and now a successful business man and prom- inent citizen of Hutchinson, Kansas, Cap- tain William H. Bennett is regarded as one of the representative residents of Reno coun- ty, Kansas. His grandfather, Amos Ben- nett, was born in England, but brought his wife to this country and located in Connecti- cut, where he engaged in farming, took part in the war of 1812. and reared a family of eleven children. The parents of Captain Bennett of this sketch were Eli and Eliza- beth (Crance) Bennett. The former born in 1801, but later moved to New York state, where he engaged in teaching school and later took the contract for building a part of the Delaware division of the Erie Railroad. In later life hc engaged in mercantile pur- suits in Wurtsboro, Sullivan county, New York, and became one of the leading citizens. He also bore the title of captain in the state militia, and served in almost all of the local offices, declining to accept any office which prevented his remaining at home. In poli- tics he was a Whig until the formation of the Republican party, when he identified him- self for life with it and ardently supported
MMR Brunett
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its men and measures. He reared his fam- ily in the faith of the Presbyterian church. The mother of our subject, nee Elizabeth Crance, was born in New York, in 1810, and by her marriage with Captain Bennett four sons and two daughters were born, our sub- ject being the only member of his family in Kansas. The father died at the age of seven- ty-six years, but the mother still survives and resides with her eldest son in the old homestead.
the army. The leading engagements in which Captain Bennett took part were Get- tysburg. Lookout Mountain. Missionary Ridge, Resaca. and all the other battles on down to Atlanta. During the fierce fight at Peach Tree Creek he displayed a courage and bravery which well deserves recording. .At this place Cap tiin Bennett held an import- ant position and though they were flanked on both sides he h. i not the least idea of retreating. Both the mra'er and adjutant
BENNETT &SON
William R. Bennett of this sketch was reared on the farm and attended the district schools, his father having purchased an es- tate near the village where he engaged in his mercantile business. At the age of twenty-one years William started out to make a career for himself, and for a couple of years was engaged in the milling busi- ness, and later went to New York city and carried on a grocery business. In April, 1862, he entered the Union army and was engaged in building bridges with the Army of the Potomac, but in August of that year he returned home and raised a company which later became Company E. One Hun- dred and Forty-third New York, of which he was made first lieutenant. Until 1863 his regiment was with the Army of the Potomac and was then sent with General Sherman and opened up the roads for the passage of
came to him and urged him to withdraw his men. and while they were exp. stulating with him one was shot down to his right and the cther to his left! He held the position until reinforcements came and drove the enemy back.
At Atlanta Captain Bennett served gallantly, and in March, 1863, was pro- moted to be captain and was honored by be- ing placed in charge of the color company of his regiment. From Atlanta the regi- ment made the march to the sea and did good work in the fight at Savannah, where it remained until in the spring of 1865. when it started through the Carolinas. met Gen- eral Johnston at Averyskoro and took part in the heavy fight at Bentonville, this be- ing the last engagement before the surrender of General Lee. Captain Bennett was per- mitted to take part in the grand triumphal
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review in Washington and was honorably discharged in New York city on July 20, 1865.
From the effects of privation and ex- posure Captain Bennett left the army in im- paired health, and it was not unt 1 the follow- ing year that he felt able to embark in busi- ness. Then locating at Towanda, Pennsyl- vania, he opened up a bottling establishment, which business he sold four years later and removed to Meadville, in the same state, and there continued in the same line. In 1887 he sold this plant also and came to Kansas and, locating in this city, at 406 North Main street, opened up a similar business. In the following winter he built where he is now located, his establishment being a brick structure, twenty-five by seventy-five feet in dimensions, with a basement. He is a care- ful and skilled chemist and all of his prepar- ations are made under his own supervision. The business has grown enormously and he now ships his products all over western Kan- sas, east as far as Florence, and south into the Territory and as far as Texas, manufact- uring on an average two hundred cases a day, and his product is of uniform excel- lence. During the summer seasons when there is a greater demand he manufactures on an extensive scale.
Captain Bennett has long been an active and valued member of the Republican party, has served in the city council and frequently as a member of conventions, always being a delegate. Being a great sufferer from rheumatism, as a result of army exposure, he is not able to accert many prominent official positions, but is a member of Byron Lodge, No. 197. Knights of Pythias, and one of the charter members of LaRne divi- sion, No. 4. Uniform Rank, and was its first captain. He has served as delegate a 111111- ber of times to higher orders, and for four years was colonel of the Fourth regiment of the order. He was also commander of the Meadville Post for three years and is a mem- ber of the Joe Hooker Post, G. A. R., No. 19, of which he has served as adjutant, and is a member also of Reno Lodge No. 99. I. O. O. F.
In 1875, in New York, Captain Bennett was married to Mary E. Brown, a daughter of James Brown, who was then a farmer of that state, but now resides with our sub- ject, at the age of eighty-three years. The five children born to this union are as fol- lows: Adelaide, who is the widow of Craw- ford R. Thoburn, a son of Bishop Thoburn, and a resident of Oregon : Charles G. : Eliz- abeth; Helen and Josephine. Much of the management of the business has lately de- volved upon Charles G., as our subject is much incapacitated at times with rheuma- tism, and he has proven himself a very able assistant. Captain Bennett has lately re- built and remodeled his residence on Avenue A, and he also dealt considerably in city lots soon after locating here. He was one of the company that built the Pennsylvania Salt Company's works.
JOHN A. LANG. :
To a student of biography there is noth- ing more interesting than to examine the life history of a self-made man and to detect the elements of character which have en- abled him to pass on the highway of life many of the companions of his youth who at the outset of their careers were more ad- vantageously equipped or endowed. The subject of this review has through his own exertions attained an honorable position and marked prestige among the representative men of the west, and with signal consistency it may be said that he is the architect of his own fortunes and one whose success amply justifies the application of the somewhat hackneyed but most expressive title. "a self- made man."
John A. Lang is one of the prominent and enterprising business men of Ellsworth county, and is now vice president of the Bank of Wilson. He also has extensive grain, farming and stock-raising interests and is one of the prosperous men of the Sunflower state where he has made his home since 1879. He was born near Appleton,
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Missouri, in November, 1840, and is of Ger- man lineage, his father having been a native of Wurtemberg, whence he came to America in early manhood. He was a graduate in medicine in Germany and afterward prac- ticed in Missouri, where he acquired an ex- cellent reputation as a skillful physician. He married Mrs. Dorothy (Schrumpf) Bruihl, a widow, and unto them were born three children : John A., William E., deceased, and Emily, wife of William H. Bedwell, of Missouri.
The father died when the eldest son was only seven years of age and as soon as he attained sufficient strength and growth John A. Lang was forced to assume the work of the home farm. He was thus engaged until the inauguration of the Civil war, when he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company E, Eighth Missouri Infantry. For three years he was with General Sherman and partici- pated in the battles of Donelson, Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing and in the siege of Vicks- burg, in which he was wounded. He was then taken to the Fifth street hospital in St. Louis and afterward sent to Jefferson Bar- racks, where he remained for four months. On the expiration of that period he rejoined his regiment and participated in the. opera- tions around Chattanooga, though his lack of strength was such as to make it very hard for him to keep up with his comrades on the long marches. He remained with the army until the close of his term of enlistment, and then, owing to his physical condition, did not re-enlist and so returned to Missouri. He had manifested his loyalty and fidelity to duty on many a southern battlefield, and, like the other boys in blue, deserves the meed of gratitude from the country.
When he had again reached Missouri Mr. Lang followed farming for a short time, but soon became interested in merchandis- ing and afterward operated a sawmill. In 1879 he was advised by the doctors to leave Missouri, for military service had under- mined his health, and he therefore took up his abode in Kansas. Securing a tract of land in Russell county he began farming and stock-raising. He had little capital when
he arrived there but carefully husbanded his resources and made judicious investments in other land and was the owner of a large tract in Russell, Lincoln and Ellsworth coun- ties. He then began selling portions of his land, but now has about four thousand acres. His main ranch is a body of twenty-four hundred acres in Lincoln county and on this he is extensively engaged in the raising of wheat and stock, making a specialty of short horn cattle. He personally operates this ranch, and in 1881 came to Wilson and pur- chased his present home. He has made ad- ditions and improvements and the house is now one of the attractive residences of the city. In the business affairs of Wilson he has taken a prominent part. his labors con- tributing in large measure toward the pro- motion and successful conduct of many en- terprises. He was one of the incorporators of the State Bank of Wilson, and about a year afterward was elected vice-president. which position he has since filled and has contributed in no small measure to the suc- cess and growth of the institution. He has also been one of the board of directors from the organization. He has erected two mills in the city and is one of the directors of the present milling company. He is also inter- ested in the grain business, handling the farm products raised in this portion of Kan- s'as, and for seventeen years he was inter- ested in merchandising in partnership with E. D. Schermerhorn, and they did a profit- able and extensive business.
Mr. Lang has been twice married. He first wedded Miss Caroline Nussbaum, in 1867, and their only child died in infancy. After the death of Mrs. Lang he was again married, his second union being with Lizzie Luker. In his political views Mr. Lang is a Republican and in Ellsworth county takes an active interest in the growth and success of the party. He was the first mayor of Wil- son and has occupied that position for sev- eral terms, exercising his official preroga- tives in support of all measures for the gen- eral good. Socially he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with Wilson Post, No. 115, G. A. R., in which he has been commander and has also
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been quartermaster for fifteen years. He at- tends the services of the Presbyterian and Methodist churches and contributed largely to the support of both. Mr. Lang is a most genial man, easily approachable by all who may have occasion to seek an audience with lıim. He recognizes the value of persever- ance in the business affairs of life and be- lieves also that
"He who wishes strong enough, He who works hard enough. He who waits long enough, Will get what he wishes, Works and waits for."
His character and position most hap- pily illustrate the fact that if a young man but possess high attributes of mind and heart he can readily attain to a point of unmistakable precedence and gain for himself a place among the leading busi- ness men of his community, and it proves that the road to success is open to all young men who have the courage to tread its path- way. His life record should serve as an in- spiration to the young of this and future generations and teach by incontrovertible facts that success is ambition's answer.
EPHRAIM A. SMITH.
More than twenty-nine years have passed since this gentleman arrived in Hutchinson and he is therefore numbered among her honored pioneers as well as lead- ing citizens. He has been actively and prom- inently identified with the upbuilding and progress of central Kansas and his name is inseparably associated with many events and enterprises which have contributed to the development of this part of the state. Long since has he passed the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten, being now eighty- six years of age, but he is still engaged in business and his activity in the affairs of life should put to shame many a man of less resolute spirit, who in the prime of life, hav- ing grown weary of the cares and struggles of business life, would relegate to others the burdens that he should bear. Throughout
a long, useful and honorable career, Mr. Smith has enjoyed the high regard of his fellow men, and this work would be incom- plete without the record of his career.
Captain Smith-for by that title he is uniformly known-was born in Whiting- ham, Windham county, Vermont, April 25, 1815, and represents a family that was founded in America in early colonial days. His great-grandfather, Ephraim Smith, came from England, and on the maternal side the ancestry of the Captain were Scotch. Ephraim Smith, the grandfather, was a sol- dier in the Revolutionary war and when the country became again involved in war with England, in 1812, the father of our subject, offered his services to the government and went forth in defense of the republic. He was born in Danvers, Massachusetts, and in the war of 1812 served as sergeant of ma- rines. Throughout his business career hie en- gaged in merchandising. He was married in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1812, to Martha Ireland, and subsequently removed to Ver- mont, where he remained until 1835, when he took up his abode in what is now Living- ston county, New York. Later he removed to Indiana and entered land from the govern- ment in Whitley county, where he remained until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-five years of age. He was a strong anti-slavery man, took an active interest in political affairs, and while residing in Ver- mont was elected to the state legislature. In religious faith he was a Presbyterian and for many years served as elder in his church.
Captain Smith is the second child in a family of three sons and three daughters and was the eldest that reached maturity. He acquired the greater part of his educa- tion in Massachusetts and was graduated in an academy there in 1834. After leaving school he engaged in merchandising with his father until his health failed, when he turned his attention to outdoor pursuits, be- lieving that he would be benefited thereby. After the removal of the family to Indiana he lived upon the farm and aided in clear- ing sixty acres of land. That was long before the Pittsburg Railroad was built and
& a Smith
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the family home was in a pioneer settlement. At the time of the Civil war he enlisted, but his services were not accepted on ac- count of his health. He remained as one of the most active supporters of the Union cause throughout the struggle and at home rendered very efficient aid to the govern- ment, in fact was so active and energetic in behalf of the Union that a price was set upon his head by the Knights of the Golden Circle.
Owing to an injury Captain Smith was finally obliged to abandon farm work and began merchandising in Pennville, Indiana, where he remained until April, 1872, when he sold his store and came to Kansas. Not until the following June was the Santa Fe Railroad built through Hutchinson and the entire country was in its primitive condition, giving little evidence of the wonderful trans- formation soon to be wrought. Soon after his arrival he began work with the county surveyor and was later elected to that office. Sherman and Main streets were at that time laid out, but he did the work on most of the other thoroughfares of Hutchinson and in the performance of his duties visited every section of the county, thus becoming thoroughly posted concerning land values. His knowledge and advice in such particu- lars were greatly sought and he aided many in securing desirable homes. For nine years he filled the office of county surveyor, and going to Kingman county he located the town of Kingman. Buffaloes were so numer- ous at that time they were frequently obliged to suspend work to get out of the way of the animals. For many years Mr. Smith engaged in the real estate and insurance business, and handled much valuable prop- erty and conducted many important real- estate transactions. He is still engaged in the fire insurance business to some extent, although he has largely laid aside business cares. Indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature and his life has been a busy and useful one in which he has acquired a competence.
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