USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I > Part 5
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Mr. Bruce afterward began work upon a farm near Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and a year later he was married and began farming on his own account. It was on the 18th of Oc- tober, 1866, at Chagrin Falls, that he mar- ried Miss Mary Meeker, a daughter of Dan- iel Abner and Sidney (Clark) Meeker. Her father was born in New Jersey, whence lie removed to Ohio, where the birth of Mrs. Bruce occurred. Our subject and his wife began their domestic life in Ohio, where he engaged in the dairy business and the manu- facture of cheeses, carrying on that pur- suit for three years. During the first year of his army service he had visited Kansas and the Indian Territory, and believing that he would have a better chance to getting a home of his own in the west, he came to the Sunflower state in 1869 and took up a soldier's homestead on the quarter section of land where he now resides. There were a few settlers living on the creek in Saline county, but there was not a house, nor had a furrow been turned, between his home and Fort Harker. It looked dismal enough, as
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the prairie had been burned over and there was not a tree or shrub in sight. There were also many snakes on the prairie and Mr. Bruce frequently killed rattlers around his home. He erected a small frame house and started in to cultivate the ground, raising potatoes and garden vegetables to sell in Ellsworth and Salina, the two nearest mark- ets to his home. Later he began raising grain and afterward made a start in the cattle business by raising a few head of stock. He has living water upon his place, which makes the farm a good one for stock raising purposes. At the present time his attention is devoted to the raising of cattle and hogs. He owns a thoroughbred Dur- ham bull which he is cross-breeding with his stock. He has had sixty acres of land and has given his daughter eighty acres, but cultivates the balance of his farm. He has planted all of the trees on his place and is now cutting cordwood, many of the trees being from eighteen to twenty inches in di- ameter. He has also planted fruit trees, which are in good bearing condition. His farm is now valuable and especially attrac- tive in appearance, and all of the improve- ments upon it stand as monuments to his enterprise.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce has been blessed with four children, but Willie and Anna died at the ages of fourteen and thirteen, respectively. Venelia S. is the wife of Eli Bradford, who is engaged in farming in this locality, and Frederick died at the age of one year. Mr. Bruce has served as township treasurer, and for about fifteen or sixteen years has been a member of the school board. He assisted in the organization of the school district, built the first school house and was also a member of the United Brethren church, the services being held in the school house until 1883, when he was largely instrumental in secur- ing the erection of the present stone church. In former years he conducted services here and in other places, but owing to the effects of the wounds he sustained in the war, he has given up active ministerial work, al- though he still holds a license to preach, but seldom officiates in that capacity unless called upon to preside at some funeral. He
has always been one of the trustees, and has labored effectively to promote the best in- terests of moral advancement. Socially he is identified with John A. Logan Post, No. 127, G. A. R., of Salina.
ROBERT E. TANTON.
Robert E. Tanton, who since 1879 has made his home in Ellsworth county, is now carrying on farming on section 21, Sher- man township. He is one of the worthy citizens that England has furnished to cen- tral Kansas, his birth having occurred on the "Merrie Isle" March 12, 1836, his par- ents being James and Rebecca ( Brinsmade) Tanton. He was reared and educated in his native land and when seventeen years of age came to the United States, crossing the Atlantic on the Rosalind Castle, which was five weeks in completing the voyage from Plymouth to Quebec. After reaching the new world he learned the wagonmaker's trade and remained in Canada for a year and a half. On the expiration of that period he removed to Boone county, Illinois, where he remained for two or three years and sub- sequently he went to Minnesota, where he engaged in teaching school through the win- ter, near Red Wing. He next took up his abode at Beloit, Wisconsin, where he re- mained for two years, and then went to Mis- souri, spending a similar period in Macon City, after which he purchased a farm and followed agricultural pursuits for about nine years. He then sold that property and went to Silver City, Colorado, but was not pleased with that section of the country and returned to his family in Missouri.
The year 1879 witnessed the arrival of Mr. Tanton in Ellsworth county, and here he purchased eighty acres of railroad land, upon which he has since made his home. There was not a tree or bush upon the place, all being in the native sod. He had driven from Missouri in a prairie schooner drawn by a team of horses, and with these he be- garı breaking ground. Immediately after his arrival he erected a small frame house, which forms a part of his present residence.
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He began farming in a small way and grad- ually was enabled to add to his possessions, purchasing an adjoining quarter section of land. He also engaged in the raising of cat- tle, and he usually sells his calves when two years old. However, the greater part of his attention is devoted to the production of wheat, which crop always gives a good yield in Kansas and the products of his farm find a ready sale on the market. He has sold eighty acres of his land, but still owns the original tract and another eighty acres.
On the 12th of April, 1865, in Beloit, Wisconsin, Mr. Tanton was united in mar- riage to Miss Emma Maxworthy, a daugh- ter of George Maxworthy, who was born in England and came to America prior to the war of 1812, in which he participated. He afterward returned to his native land and was there united in marriage to Sabina S. Huxtable. He located at Stafford, Gene- see county, New York, where Mrs. Stanton was born and reared. Later the family re- moved to Wisconsin, but both the parents died in Illinois. Mr. Maxworthy had a great desire to see the world and traveled exten- snvely in Europe, Asia and Africa, thereby gaining that knowledge and culture which only travel can bring. Mrs. Tanton was one of five children, two sons and three daugh- ters. Her two brothers, Albert and George, were both Union soldiers in the civil war. The latter enlisted as a member of Com- pany D, Second Delaware Regiment, and served with with the Army of the Potomac. He was captured at the battle of the Wil- derness and after eleven months spent in Andersonville prison died while thus in- carcerated. He was corporal of his com- pany. Albert was attending college in Be- loit at the time of the inauguration of the war, enlisting at that place. Mrs. Tanton has one sister living, Mrs. Mary Hinman, a resident of Boone county, Illinois. In her girlhood days Mrs. Tanton received excel- lent educational privileges. For one year she was a student in Ingham University, in Leroy, New York, and subsequently con- tinued her studies in the Haughton Sem- inary at Clinton, Oneida county, New York. She is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps and she and her two older sons are
members of the Baptist church. The mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Tanton has been blessed with three children, namely : George, who is now farming in Oklahoma: Max, a resident of Harper county, Kansas; and Burt, at home. The two elder sons were both successful teachers in Ellsworth county for three years each.
In his political views Mr. Tanton is in- dependent, preferring to support the men whom he thinks best qualified for office rath- er than follow the dictates of party. He has served as road overseer and as school di- rector and is known as a citizen of worth, true to the best interests of his county, state and nation. The many qualities which are characteristic of Mr. and Mrs. Tanton have gained for them the warm regard of a large circle of friends.
CAPTAIN H. F. HOESMAN.
Captain H. F. Hoesman is one of the honored pioneer citizens of Ellsworth coun- tv and veteran of the Civil war, whose loy- alty to the Union was manifest upon south- ern battlefields. He was born January 15, 1841, in Auglaize county, Ohio, his parents being John A. and Engle ( Klute) Hoesman, both of whom were natives of Hanover, Germany. In the state of his nativity our subject was reared to manhood, residing there upon a farm until nine years of age, when the family removed to New Bremen, where he attained his majority, being edu- cated in the German free schools. In his youth he learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked until July 8. 1861, when, in response to his country's call for troops, he enlisted as a member of Company D. Thirty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private. He was soon promoted to the rank of sergeant, and on the 14th of April, 1864, was commissioned captain and served until after the close of the war, receiving an honorable discharge on the 24th of April, 1866. He was first on duty in Missouri, going down the Mississippi and taking part in the battle of Island No. 10 and in the Fort Pillow campaign. He was afterward
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in the engagement at Corinth and the siege of that city, his regiment being the first to raise its flag in the town after its evacuation by the Confederate troops. His regiment was with the Army of the Tennessee and af- terward in the Atlanta campaign.
deposit underlying this county, and also as- sisted in locating the Midland addition to Ellsworth. He has been interested in resi- dence and business property in the city and has co-operated in everything which he be- lieved would prove of general good along substantial lines of advancement.
When the country no longer needed his services the Captain returned to Ohio, and On the 21st of February, 1884, Captain Hoesman was united in marriage to Miss Esther B. Lyons, a daughter of Mrs. Sarah Lyons, of Ottumwa, Iowa. Her death oc- curred December 29, 1898, and she left one child to mourn her loss, Sarah E., who yet resides with her father. Socially the Cap- tain is connected with Ellsworth Lodge, No. 146, F. & A. M., and was its first worship- ful master. He assisted in organizing Ells- worth Chapter. No. 54. R. A. M., of which he is past high priest, and also took part in the organization of St. Aldemar Command- ery, No. 33, K. T., of which he was the first commander, and in forming Ellsworth Council, No. 9, R. & S. M., of which he is a past thrice illustrious master. He is like- wise a member of Isis Temple of the Mys- tic Shrine at Salina. Wherever he is known he is held in high regard by reason of his sterling worth, his fidelity to principle and his loyalty in every relation of life. in May, 1867, came to Ellsworth county, Kansas, where he embarked in the grocery business, which he conducted for two years. He was then engaged in the real estate busi- ness for a time, after which he entered the hardware store of J. L. Bell as bookkeeper. That connection was maintained until 1881, when he established a hardware and imple- ment business of his own, which he con- ducted until January, 1899. He then sold out and has since been engaged in the real estate and insurance business, representing the Concordia, German, of Freeport, thie Northwestern National and the Farmers and Merchants insurance companies. He writes many policies, and also does a large real estate business. In 1899 lie was elected justice of the peace, in which office he has served in a capable and satisfactory manner, and for the past two years he has been no- tary public. He has taken an active part in public affairs. He was elected the first mayor in 1870, was sheriff for two years, county clerk one year and township clerk one year. In 1872 he was elected to represent DANIEL GILES. his district in the state legislature, where he served during the Pomeroy-York trouble. Daniel Giles occupies the important posi- tion of foreman with the Kansas Grain Company. His rise in the business world is due to his determined purpose. unflagging energy and enterprise. He started out for himself at an early age without capital, and brooking no obstacle that could be overcome by resolution, he has worked his way stead- ily upward until he is now a leading repre- sentative of the grain trade in central Kan- sas, his home being in Hutchinson. He was born in Carroll county, Indiana, December 6. 1860. His father, William Giles, was born in Kent, England, in 1812, and after his marriage came to America about 1830, bringing with him his wife and five chil- dren. He landed at Quebec, Canada, but For two years he was deputy treasurer and was chairman of the board of county com- missioners for three terms, or nine years, from 1878. In all his public offices he has manifested a loval and patriotic spirit, dis- charging his duties with promptness and fidelity. In politics he is a prominent Re- publican, has been very active in his party and has served on various committees, being a delegate to many of its conventions, also a chairman of the county conventions. His labors have been of material benefit in pro- moting the welfare and progress of Ells- worth county along other lines, for he was one of the organizers and the secretary of the- Ellsworth Mining Company, which was the first to make the discovery of the salt soon afterward removed to Rochester, New
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York, where he remained for more than a year and then went to White county, Indi- ana, where he followed farming for about twelve years. His next place of residence was in Carroll county, that state, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until 1861. He then returned to White county and bought a farm of one hundred acres partially improved, continuing its further develop- ment until his death, January 15, 1883. He was a Democrat in his political affiliations. He was twice married and by the first union had three children, who are yet living : John H., a retired farmer, now engaged in build- ing and improving city property in Brooks- ton, White county, Indiana; Mary Ann, the wife of John Foster, a farmer of Oklahoma ; and Janet, the wife of Gustavus Fewell, an agriculturist of White county, Indiana. For his second wife William Giles married Han- nah Butcher, who was born in Greenbrier county, Virginia, about 1821. They were married in Carroll county, Indiana, in 1858 and she is now living on the old homestead in White county at the age of seventy years. They were the parents of seven children, of whom five are living, namely: Daniel, the subject of this review; Nelson, a farmer of White county, Indiana; Edwin, a farmer of White county, Indiana, located at Brooks- ton; Helen, who died in infancy; Zuillah, the wife of Benjamin Rush, a resident farm- er of White county, Indiana; Lillie Belle, who married James Shigley, also a farmer of White county, Indiana; and Alice, who died in infancy.
In the common schools of White county, Indiana, Daniel Giles was educated, and up- on his father's farm he assisted in the culti- vation of the fields until fifteen years of age, when he began work as a farm hand in the neighborhood, his time being thus occu- pied until he was twenty-two years of age. On the Ist of March, 1883, in Carroll coun- ty. Indiana. he wedded Ida May Reed, who was born in White county and was a daugh- ter of Francis Marion and Hellen M. (Compton) Reed, both of whom were na- tives of the Hoosier state. Mrs. Giles is of Scotch and Irish descent. Her father en- listed in the Union army during the Civil
war and died in the service. His wife passed away in White county, Indiana.
Mr. Giles, abandoning farming, learned the carpenter's trade with Cockran Brothers, of Brookston, remaining in their employ for two years. In the spring of 1886 he lo- cated in Conway Springs, Sumner county, Kansas, where he followed carpentering for a year, working for a part of the time on his own account. He then removed to Fin- ney county, where he secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, and during his three years' residence in that county he also pre-empted another quarter section of land and took a timber claim of one hun- dred and sixty acres, making in all four hundred and eighty acres of land which he owned there. He lived on the pre-emption claim for a year and then removed to the homestead, where he continued for two years. On the former he built a frame house and on the latter a sod house and broke about sixty acres of land. In 1889, how- ever, he sold his property there and came to Hutchinson, where he followed carpen- tering until January, 1890, when he began working by the day for the Kansas Grain Company, being thus employed until June, when he was given the position of second foreman. He served in that capacity until June, 1893, when the company was dis- solved. It had been organized in Missouri and was dissolved on account of a techni- cality of the law which required the prefix "the" to the name of all such corporations of the state, and a word lacking in the title of the Kansas Grain Company. A new com- pany was then organized with the article prefixed. During the time which elapsed between the dissolution and the organiza- tion, perhaps six or seven months, Mr. Giles again followed carpentering, but in October, 1893, became foreman for the new company and has since served in that capacity. His duties are by no means light for he has en- tire supervision of all the complicated de- tails of the work within the house, inspect- ing all of the grain, securing employes and in short acting as the real head of the practi- cal working of the plant. He has gained this position by his thorough and conscien-
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tious service. Since becoming foreman he has not lost a single day's pay and he richly merits and enjoys the entire confidence of the company. The plant is strictly modern, and one feature that is seldom seen west of Kansas City is the dust collecting system, by means of which the dust is drawn from every part of the building to the furnace room, where it is consumed, thus greatly adding to the comfort and health of the em- ployes. When the present company began business they had only an old building with a limited capacity, but in 1895 a large new elevator was erected with all modern equip- ments. In addition to the purchase and shipping of grain, the company manuafac- tures two grades of chopped feed, the plant being equipped with one set of rolls and one steel mill. A regular transfer system is conducted in the grain business, and all cleaning, mixing and grading is here done. The motive power of the plant is furnished by a two-hundred- and-fifty horse power St. Louis Corliss engine. The engine room, sixty by seventy- five feet, was built only two years ago and is of brick. The cleaning capacity of the plant is from twenty to twenty-five thousand bushels of grain every ten hours. The offi- cers of the The Kansas Grain Company are T. J. Templer. president ; L. B. Young, sec- retary: W. K. McMillan, treasurer ; and Daniel Giles, foreman.
Mr. and Mrs. Giles have a pretty modern residence on Twelfth Avenue West, of which they recently took possession. They have three children : Ethel Rosamond ; Wilbert Claud; and Mary Helen, aged re- spectively, sixteen, thirteen and eight years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Giles are members of the Christian church, with which they have been identified for twelve years, and for about eight years he has served as deacon. , Socially he is connected with the Modern Woodmen and Knights and Ladies of Se- curity. In politics he is a supporter of Dem- ocratic principles and votes with the party at state and national elections, but at local elec- tions, where no issue is involved, he is in- dependent, supporting the men whom he thinks best qualified for office. He is an
earnest advocate of the temperance cause and does everything in his power to ad- vance those interests which tend to uplift humanity, giving his support to temperance, educational and church work. High and honorable principles have actuated his en- tire career and have gained him a reputa- tion in business which is above reproach.
JOSEPH E. HUMPHREY.
A genealogical work in three volumes published by Dr. Frederick Humphrey, of New York, shows that the Humphreys of America trace their ancestry to England. Two brothers of the name came from the mother country and one located in Virginia and the other in Pennsylvania, and from them all or nearly all of the Humphreys in America are believed to be descended. A prominent representative of the family is ex-Governor Humphrey, of Kansas. Another representative of the family well- known in Reno county and throughout the surrounding country is Joseph E. Humph- rey, postmaster at Nickerson.
Joseph E. Humphrey was born Septem- ber 6, 1861, in Athens county, Ohio, a son of E. C. Humphrey, who was born in Wash- ington county, Ohio, in 1817, and is now living in Athens county, that state, aged eighty-four years and is in possession of all his faculties. E. C. Humphrey is a son of W. E. Humphrey, a native of Pennsylvania and a pioneer in Ohio, who, while clearing up some land was accidentally killed by a tree which he was chopping down. E. C. Humphrey was a member of Company E, Seventy-four Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he enlisted from Athens county, Ohio, in 1862, and in which he served until he was discharged in 1863 on account of a wound which he had received while attending to his duties as a soldier. He re-enlisted in the same regiment and was detailed to take charge of a pack train which went over the Cumberland mountains. He was inactive service until the close of the war and long suffered from disabilities which came upon him while in service.
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Though often urged by friends to apply for à pension, he steadfastly refused to do so, but late in life he permitted his son to make application in his behalf. His eldest son, John E. Humphrey, enlisted at the age of sixteen and he was killed in action at the age of seventeen years and fills an unknown grave on a southern battlefield. He was an unusually large youth, being nearly six feet in heighth and otherwise well developed and, young as he was and brief as was his service, he made a record as a brave and de- voted soldier, of which any man might well be proud.
E. C. Humphrey, father of the subject of this sketch, married Sarah Rigg, who was born at Brownsville, Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1823, daughter of William Rigg. Mrs. Humphrey, who was twenty- one years old at the time of her marriage, was born at Brownsville, of a Quaker fam- ily. Her father, who was also born at Brownsville, in 1792, was a boat builder on the Ohio and Allegheny rivers and was a man of more than ordinary mentality and of fine and imposing physique, who was six feet and one inch in height and weighed two hundred and forty pounds. He reared three daughters and two sons, one of whom, Par- ker Rigg, is a contractor and builder at Ath- ens, Ohio, and another, Mary, married A. Cooley.
E. C. and Sarah (Rigg) Humphrey had four sons. The eldest was John E. Hum- phrey, who was killed in the Civil war, as has been stated. The next in order of birth was Charles E. Humphrey, who became a coach finisher and died of congestive chills at Alaska, Ohio, at the age of twenty-two years. He was not married. William E. Humphrey, the third son, is a farmer and lives at Albany, Ohio. He is married and has three children. The subject of this sketch is the fourth son of his parents in the order of birth. Their mother died in March, 1889, aged sixty-six years. Their father was in early life a pattern-maker and was later a builder.
Joseph E. Humphrey gained a high school education and then entered the office of the Athens, Ohio, Journal, to learn the printer's trade. He was a compositor in
that establishment for eight years, and for two years filled the position of foreman. In 1886 he went to Nickerson, Reno county, Kansas, and as a member of the firm of Hendry & Humphrey, bought the Nickerson Argosy at sheriff's sale. After publishing it about twelve years he was appointed post- master at Nickerson and sold his share in the publishing enterprise to Mr. Hendry, whose wife was Mr. Humphrey's mother's sister and who had been a mother to him as she had to many others, who know her as one of the noblest women with whom they have ever met.
Mr. Humphrey is a member of Nickerson Lodge, No. 43, A. F. & A. M., of Nicker- son ; of Nickerson Lodge, No. 90, Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows ; and is a Knight of Pythias. He is at this time filling the office of worshipful master of his Masonic Lodge. He is an active and influential Re- publican and his appointment as postmaster, in 1899, came to him without a contest. He has been secretary of the Republican state convention several times and held that office in the convention of 1900, for the nomina- tion of state officers.
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