USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I > Part 55
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In politics Mr. Bettenbrook always votes with the Republican party in national affairs, but locally he exercises his judgment and supports men and measures rather than holding to close partisan lines. For many years he has been a leading member of the Lutheran church. His residence in Kansas has led Mr. Bettenbrook to the belief that this state, like any other, must be studied as to location and climate and that, like any other, must not be expected to yield every advantage in the wide range of states, and that the time is coming when it will take its place far toward the front among the sisterhood of states. His own success is easily explained, as it is due to his energy, perseverance and honest economy, the lack of these elements explaining the disappoint- ment of many settlers.
GEORGE M. FRISBIE.
George M. Frisbie, one of the leading agriculturists and stock men of Kingman county, was born in Bradford county, Penn- sylvania, on. the Ioth of August, 1861, a son of George C. and Huldah (Kuykendall) Frisbie. Chauncey Frisbie, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Burlington, Hartford county, Connecticut, on the 16th of November, 1787, the eldest in the family of five children of Levi and Phebe ( Gaylord) Frisbie, natives also of that state and of Eng- lish descent. Levi Frisbie was a loyal sol- dier during the Revolutionary war, and in 1800 he located in Bradford county, Penn- sylvania, which was then a wild forest. His wife was a survivor of the Wyoming mas- sacre, in which her father was killed. For
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many generations the family have been stanch Presbyterians. Chauncey Frisbie was one of the leading citizens of his local- ity in that early day, both socially and po- litically, and for many years he served as a justice of the peace, while his brother, Zeb- ulon Frisbie, held the office of associate judge.
George C. Frisbie, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Orwell, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1831, and has there spent his entire life. For many years he followed the tilling of the soil as a means of livelihood, but is now living in quiet re- tirement, enjoying the rest which he so truly earned and richly deserves. He has ever taken an active interest in the public life of. his locality and is a stanch supporter of the Democracy. while religiously he is a life- long member of the Presbyterian church. As a companion on the journey of life he chose Huldah Kuykendall. a native of Orange county, New York, but in an early day her parents removed from that state to Pennsylvania, where she gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Frisbie. She is also still living, and has now reached the sixty-eighth milestone on the journey of life. Unto this worthy couple were born eight children, namely: Fred V., who for fifteen years was the pastor of the Presbyterian church at Bellport, New York, and is now stationed at Webster, that state; Hector H., treasurer under Commissioner Mitchell in the excise office for the port of New York; George M., the subject of this review; Frank C., whose home is at Brighton Beach, New York, where he is well known in connection with the turf : Virginia, the wife of Horace Jordan who is employed in the congressional library, while Mrs. Jordan is the stenographer and secretary for the Hon. S. B. Elkins, a sena- tor and an ex-secretary of war ; William K., who resides on the old homestead in Brad-, ford county, Pennsylvania, which was im- proved by his grandfather, and he takes a very prominent part in local affairs; Ben- jamin L .. who is engaged in the milling busi- ness in the town of Orwell, Pennsylvania ; and Hanson, who died in infancy.
George M1. Frisbie, the immediate sub-
ject of this review, was reared in his native town of Orwell, and . his youth and early manhood was spent on the farm and in the schoolroom. At the age of eighteen years he graduated in the graded school of Orwell. and for three years thereafter followed the teacher's profession in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. His intention was to enter Lafayette College and there prepare him- self for professional life, but on account of impaired eyesight he was obliged to abandon his cherished plans, and for several months he was confined to a dark room. After spending one winter in the southern states in order to regain his health he returned to the home of his youth, and for a short time thereafter was engaged in driving a stage from Campton, Pennsylvania, to Nichols, New York, a distance of twenty-seven miles. He next accepted a position with the Hum- phrey Homeopathic Medicine Company, in- troducing their remedies in various cities in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and while thus engaged he began the study of veterinary surgery, intending to make it his life occupation, but failing eyesight again compelled him to change his plans and in the spring of 1882 he went to Chicago, Illi- nois, there remaining for three months. In December, 1882, he took up his abode in Topeka, Kansas, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until the following August, and on the expiration of that period he secured a quarter section of land on sec- tion 9, Peters township, Kingman county, which he pre-empted and improved, and there made his home until 1890, extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising. In that year he became owner of two hundred acres of land in Union townsip. Kingman county, to which he afterward added another quarter section, but in 1893 he left that land to join the "boomers" in opening the strip, where he secured a claim, but not being fa- vorably impressed with the country he re- turned to Union township. In the spring of 1899 he located on the farm which is still his home and which had been purchased the pre- vious year.
Since coming to this county Mr. Frisbie has made stock-raising his chief occupation.
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buying and shipping not only to the local markets but also to cutside points. He was formerly extensively engaged in shipping cattle and hogs to Kansas City, while his horses were sent to the eastern markets, to New York city and Pennsylvania. He often relates an amusing incident which occurred while in Washington, D. C .. While visit- ing the treasury building, being attired in a white sombrero and other stockman's garb, he was mistaken by his guide for Buffalo Bill, who was then in the city with his wild west show, and Mr. Frisbie enjoyed his bor- rowed glory for a time to the fullest extent. As a judge of stock he has few equals and no superiors in this portion of the state, and has taken a deep interest in improving the grade of stock raised in Kingman county. He now has in his pastures about one hun- dred head of cattle and twenty-five horses, also from fifteen to twenty milch cows. Two hundred and ten acres of his land is under an excellent state of cultivation, containing a beautiful grove and orchard of fifteen acres, and the remainder of his section is devoted to pasturage. In April, 1900, Mr. Frisbie sustained a most terrible injury. While roping a wild mule one of his feet was caught in a loop of the lariat and he was dragged through a dense grove of large trees and around the pasture until the ani- mal was exhausted. Mr. Frisbie had one limb broken in two places between the knee and ankle, the bone protruding through the flesh and the other knee was dislocated. His life was saved only by his great presence of mind in sliding himself as best he could while he was being dragged and by his de- termined will during the months of his con- finement. He sustained an injury which few could have survived, but his great for- titude and determination, which have been his most marked characteristics throughout life, doubtless insured his recovery, and to- day, though a cripple for life, he attends to his farming interests with the same good judgment as before.
The marriage of Mr. Frisbie and Miss Ella A. Dark was celebrated in Harper, Kan- sas, on the 9th of December, 1885. She was born at London, Ontario, and is a daughter
of James W. and Sarah ( Scott) Dark, of | English ancestry. The father came to Kingman county, Kansas, in 1883, and at the "opening" went to Oklahoma, where he now resides at Hawley. Mrs. Frisbie was the eldest of her parents' eight children, six of whom are now living. The union of our subject and wife has been blessed with seven children,-Chauncey W., Nellie V., J. Han- son, Coral B., Glen W., Frank and Ralph. The third child, J. Hanson, died when a year and a half old. Mr. Frisbie has ever taken an active and commendable interest in the public affairs of his locality and is a support- er of the People's party. For four consecu- tive terms he served as a trustee and assessor of his township, was clerk of the township board for several years, and throughout most of his residence in Kingman county has served as a member of the school board. In his social relations he is a member of the Mcdern Woodmen of America. He has long been accounted one of the most prominent and progressive citizens of the community, and has earned for himself an enviable rep- utation as a careful man of business, always known for his prompt and honorable methods of dealing, which have won him the deserved and unbounded confidence of his fellow men.
CLARK L. DANNER.
If those who claim that fortune has fa- vored certain individuals above others will but investigate the cause of success and failure, it will be found that the former is largely due to the improvement of oppor- tunities, the latter to the neglect of them. Fortunate environments encompass nearly every man at some stage in his career, but the strong man and the successful man is he who realizes that the proper moment has come, and that the present and not the ful- ture holds his opportunity. The man who makes use of his now and not the to be is one who passes on the highway of life others who started out ahead of him, and reaches the goal of prosperity far in ad- vance of them. It is this quality in Mr.
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Danner that has made him a leader in the business world and that in connection with commercial interests has won him a name that is widely known.
Clark Leal Danner, now treasurer of Ellsworth county, is a member and man- ager of the extensive business in Wilson conducted under the firm name of G. L. Leavitt & Company. He is a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Farmer City, that state, June, 8, 1870. His father, I. M. Danner, followed farming in early life and later gave his attention to mer- chandising, which he carried on in Wilson from 1879 until 1888. He served as a member of the city council, but was never an active politician, preferring to devote his attention to his business affairs. While in Illinois he married Miss Mary F. Stans- bury, of Farmer City, and they became the parents of six children, two sons and four daughters, of whom our subject is the eld- est. He and his sister Bertha, now the wife of A. T. Carhart, who is with the firm of G. L. Levitt & Company, are the only ones living in Ellsworth county. The father re- tired from active business life in 1888 and located in Oskaloosa, Kansas. He super- intends some farming interests, but has prac- tically put aside business cares in order to enjoy a well deserved rest. His wife is a member of the Methodist church. At the time of the Civil war he manifested his loyalty to the government by enlisting, in 1861, as a member of the Eighth lowa Cavalry, with which he served until hos- tilities had ended. He participated in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge. Chickamauga and several minor en- gagements, was several times struck with bullets but was never so severely injured as to make it necessary for him to go to the hospital.
Clark L. Danner was only two years of age when the family came to Kansas and on the old home farm he was reared, pursu- ing his education under Dallas Grover and Professor Crover, the present superintend- ent of the city schools. In early life he started out to acquire a good business edu- cation, being employed in his father's store
when only eight years of age. In 1885 he became connected with the dry-goods trade as an employe of the firm of Levitt Broth- ers, and for the past sixteen years lias de- voted hs time and attention to this depart- ment of commercial activity. From 1894 until 1898 he did the work of three men. He acted as bookkeeper for the firm of Levitt Brothers, and at half past nine each morning he went to Ellsworth to serve as deputy county treasurer, returning in time for supper and then spending the evening as bookkeeper for the Wilson Milling Com- pany. This covered a period of four years of hard work, but opened the way for him to a succesful business career. At the end of that time he was elected county treas- urer and located in Ellsworth, where he re- mained for about six months, but his lean- ing for mercantile life was too strong to permit him to remain out of that line for a long period. On the Ist of October, 1899, he became one of the members of the firm of G. L. Levitt & Company, who purchased the business of Levitt Brothers. They carry a large line of general merchandise, including clothing, dry goods, boots and shoes, groceries, hardware, furniture, paints and oils. Their stock is very com- plete and is the largest west of Salina, being valued at about thirty-five thousand dollars. The business is carried on in a store thirty- seven and a half by one hundred and twenty feet in dimensions, and both stories and the basement of the building are occupied. There are nine people employed in clerking, and the business, which is constantly grow- ing in volume and importance, brings to the owners a good financial return.
This was the pioneer general store in the town. Mr. Danner has the manage- ment of the business, while his brother-in- law. W. H. Carhart, acts as deputy county treasurer and has charge of the treasurer's office in Ellsworth. In addition to his store Mr. Danner is interested in farming and is also one of the stockholders in the mill of Wilson. He owns two hundred and forty acres of land in Russell county, and this he rents. This land is underlaid with coal fields and hie receives a royalty from
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the mines as well as the rental from the farmı.
On the 2d of June, 1895, occurred the marriage of Mr. Danner and Ziba Carhart, a daughter of W. H. Carhart, of Wilson, Kansas. They now have one son, Van Earl. In his political views Mr. Danner is an ardent Republican and is deeply inter- ested in the success and growth of his party, but his time is too fully occupied to permit of his giving much active attention to po- litical work. Fraternally he is identified with Samaria Lodge, No. 298, A. F. & A. M .; Ellsworth Chapter, No. 54, R. A. M .; Ellsworth Council, No. 9, R. & S. M .; St. Aldemar Commandery, No. 33, K. T .; and Wichita Consistory, No. 2, S. P. R. S., of the southern jurisdiction. He is also iden- tified with Spartacus Lodge, No. 248, K. P .; with the Knights and Ladies of Se- curity ; with the Sons of Veterans and the Select Knights of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. The business policy which he has always followed has been most commendable; he is methodical, care- ful and thorough, requiring that the strict- est honesty must prevail in his establish- ment, and this course has won him the re- spect of the business associates and all with whom he has dealings.
JOHN B. HOLMES.
In a compilation of a biographical his- tory of Rice county mention should cer- tainly be accorded John B. Holmes, for he belonged to the substantial class of citizens who confer honor and dignity upon the community which they represent by reason of their high worth of character. He was prominent and popular, and as one of the early settlers of the county he bore an im- portant part in the work of progress and improvement.
Mr. Holmes was born in Lawrence county, Ohio, March 28, 1836, a son of Isaac and Anna Eliza (Bennett) Holmes. The father was born in Pennsylvania and was of English lineage. The mother was
born December 10, 1816, and died May 9. 1836, when her son John was only six weeks old. The father afterward married again and died in Rice county, Kansas, in October, 1871. He was a tanner and farm- er by occupation and in politics was a Re- publican, while in religious belief he was connected with the Christian church.
John B. Holmes was reared in Law- rence county, Ohio, spending his youth upon a farm, where he early became fa- miliar with the labors of field and meadow. In the common schools he acquired a good education, which was supplemented by further study in Middleton, Pennsylvania. When he entered upon his business career he secured the position of bookkeeper for the Union Iron Company, with which he renrained for fifteen years, a most capable and trustworthy employe of the firm. Dur- ing the war he assisted in organizing a com- pany for the service, which became Com- pany D, of the Thirty-sixth Ohio Infantry. He was urged to accept the captaincy, but declined; however, he went to the front and participated in a number of engagements, where his personal bravery on the field won him promotion, first to the rank of second lieutenant. He took part in the battle of Chickamauga and in many other important engagements. He was always found at his post of duty, faithfully defending the old flag and the cause it represented. For a time he lay near death's door in the hos- pital and at length was discharged on ac- count of physical disability in 1864, having been in the hospital at Covington, Ken- tucky, for some time previous.
When he had sufficiently recovered his health to resume business life Mr. Holmes secured his old position with the Union Iron Company, but on account of his health he came to Kansas, securing a citizen's claim or homestead in Atlanta township, Rice county, in April, 1871. He was one of the first settlers to locate within its borders and from that time until his death he was an active factor in the work of general im- provement and progress. He succeeded in transforming his wild lands into fertile fields and was one of the first to engage in
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trade at Atlanta, establishing there a gen- eral mercantile store. Later, when the town was removed to Lyons he went to that place and was identified with its com- mercial interests. but all the time made his home upon his farm.
Mr. Holmes was united in marriage on the IIth of May, 1865, to Miss Irene Trago, a lady of intelligence and a repre- sentative of a good family .- She was born in Zanesville, Ohio, but was reared and ed- ucated in Jackson, that state. Her par- ents were William and Mary ( Harvey) Trago, the former a native of Fredericks- burg, Pennsylvania, while the latter was born in Wales. The mother died in 1850, at the age of forty-eight years, and the fa- ther passed away in 1872, at Gallia Station, Ohio, at the age of seventy-three. They held membership with the Baptist church and were people of the highest respectabil- ity. Three of their children are yet living, namely : Mrs. Mary Walden, of Colum- bus, Ohio, whose husband was a captain in the Thirty-sixth Ohio Infantry, and after- ward engaged in the practice of law, but is now deceased : Mrs. Irene Holmes; and Mrs. Emma Morrow, of Hancock county, Virginia. Those who have passed away are: Elizabeth, who died at the age of seventeen years; John H., who was born April 24, 1826, and died August 7, 1833; W. D., who was born March 12, 1829, and died in Jackson, Ohio, in 1891, leaving a widow and four children; Ben, who was born July 15, 1831, and died August 13, 1897; David, who was born September 12, 1833, and died July 31, 1834; and Mary A., who was born July 9, 1836, and died on the 13th of August following. Of this family W. D. was a soldier in an Ohio bat- tery during the Civil war and Ben was a second lieutenant of the Seventh Ohio Cav- alry. He participated in twenty-four en- gagements.
U'nto Mr. and Mrs. Holmes were born five children: Chester W., who married Lydia Stahl, is now an engineer in Mace, Idaho. Alva Curtis. who married Miss Sarah Gladys Day and resides in Atlanta township: John Clyde and Carl . B., young
men of twenty-three and twenty-one years, respectively, are at home with their mother and operate the farm; and one child, Ar- ligton, who was the third in order of birth, died at the age of six weeks.
John B. Holmes held membership in the Christian church of Lyons and was one of its most active workers. He was an earnest soldier of the cause as well as a loyal de -. fender of his country upon the battlefields of the south. He lett the record of a pure and upright life. He was widely known as a devoted husband and father, a faithful friend and neighbor and a good citizen, and to his family he left the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. He died Septem- ber 8, 1892, at the age of fifty-six, and the entire community mourn his loss. Mrs. Holmes still resides upon the farm of one hundred and sixty acres, where with her husband she took up her abode thirty years ago. She has borne her part in the estab- lishment of a home and has been a faith- ful and loving wife and mother, rearing a family of children who do credit to her teachings and her good name. Her many good qualities of heart and mind have won her the love and friendship of a wide circle of acquaintances and among the worthy pioneer people of the community she well deserves mention.
J. C. DAVIS.
J. C. Davis is engaged in the real-estate and abstract business in Lyons. For twen- ty-six years he has been a resident of Kan- sas and is deeply interested in everything pertaining to the progress and welfare of his adopted state. He was born in Peoria, Illinois, on the 2d of December, 1859, and the progressive and enterprising spirit which has wrought the wonderful develop- ment in the Mississippi valley has been ex- emplified in his career. His father, R. C. Davis, became a resident of Peoria in 1856, emigrating westward from Wheeling, West Virginia, his birthplace. He represented one of the honored families of that locality
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and was a farmer and stock-raiser. After remaining in Illinois for a time he returned to West Virginia for his wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Keyser and was born in that state, of German lineage. For a time the parents resided upon their farm and Mr. Davis won a handsome com- petence through his capable management and business ability. At length he put aside active duties of business life and is now liv- ing retired at his home in Elmwood, Illi- nois. He had eight children, five sons and three daughters, but Mr. Davis of this re- view is the only one now in Kansas. One son was killed by accident in an elevator ; Elmer E. died in Lake City, Illinois; and the other members of the family are now living.
J. C. Davis was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agri- culturist. He worked in the fields from the time of early spring planting to the garner- ing of the harvests. His education was acquired in the public schools of his native state, and in 1876 he came to the west, mak- ing his way to Rice county, where his fa- ther owned a farm. For four years he de- voted his attention to the management and cultivation of this property and then re- turned to Illinois, where for a year he en- gaged in merchandising in Yates City. Ou the expiration of that period he again came to Kansas, where he was connected with a store for a time, after which he spent one year as a traveling salesman, representing a Chicago firm. His next venture was in the abstract and land business, which has since claimed his attention. He has an ex- cellent set of abstract books and has a good clientage in the real-estate department of his business.
In 1893, in Stafford county, Kansas, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Davis and Miss Edna Scott, a daughter of the well known Judge H. W. Scott, who has a wide acquaintance in the Sunflower state and in Oklahoma. Mrs. Davis is a lady of natural culture and refinement and prior to her marriage was a successful and popular teacher in Larned, Kansas, for some time.
Their union has been blessed with three children,-Margaret, Charlotte and Philip. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are people of the high- est respectability, and owing to their ster- ling worth the hospitality of the best homes of Lyons is extended to them. Mr. Davis is a member of the Presbyterian church and his wife holds membership in the Christian church. Socially he is identified with the Knights of Pythias fraternity, and in his political belief is a Republican, giving his support to the men and measures of the party. Public-spirited and progressive, he co-operates with measures for the general good and possesses those qualities which render him a valued and esteemed resident of his adopted city.
JOHN L. McDAVITT
One of the most prosperous and exten- sive farmers and stock-raisers of Kingman county is John L. McDavitt, who resides on section 28, Kingman township. He was born in Edgar county, Illinois, June 24, 1852. The family is of Scotch-Irish lineage and Notley McDavitt, the grandfather of our subject, was probably a native of Vir- ginia, where he was reared. Throughout his entire life he carried on farming. In the Old Dominion he was married and there re- sided until 1838, when he removed with his family to Edgar county, Illinois, locating on a farm about ten miles from Paris, mak- ing it his home until his death, which oc- curred some time after the Mexican war. His wife survived him for a number of years and our subject still retains a vivid recollection of her. In their family were six children: James R .; Van Meter, who was accidentally killed in Illinois while riding a horse; Joseph, a farmer of Bates county, Missouri ; Ann, who was the wife of James Zimmerman and died in Coles coun- ty, Illinois, in March, 1901; Jehu, who was a twin brother of Ann and followed farming in Coles county until his death, which oc- curred March 15, 1899; and John, who died in Edgar county, Illinois, December
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