A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 61

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 970

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odist, though after the war he joined the United Brethren church.

Daniel and Mary ( Newman ) Colling- wood had ten children. The following in- formation concerning them will be of inter- est in this connection. The first born was named William, who died at the age of two years. Abner was named in honor of his paternal grandfather. Thomas, who was born in Crawford county, Indiana, Novem- ber 9, 1849, is a farmer and stockman who owns four hundred and eighty acres of Kan- sas land, and whose residence is in the southwest quarter of section 32, township 26, range 6, Reno county. The next in or- der of birth was J. G., who is a member of the firm of J. A. Collingwood & Brothers. John A. Collingwood, who is the senior member of the firm mentioned and president of the State Bank of Pretty Prairie, Kan- sas, was born in Crawford county, Indiana, December 23, 1854. James A. was born in Crawford county, Indiana, July 14, 1858. Jane lives with her mother and her brother, Daniel F. Clara is the wife of M. E. Up- degraff, who is a stockman at Medicine Lodge, Kansas. Ella ( Mrs. Samuel G. Demoret ) is cashier of the State Bank of Pretty Prairie, Kansas. That institution was organized in September, 1897, with John A. Collingwood as president, Daniel F. Col- lingwood as vice-president, and Mrs. Demo- ret in her present responsible postion. The original capital of the bank ( five thousand dollars) was in 1900 increased to ten thou- sand dollars, and the concern is one of the best conducted and most profitable bank in this part of the state, proportionately to the amount of its capital, its deposits aggregat- ing about eighty thousand dollars, its lonas from sixty to eighty thousand dollars, and its surplus having outgrown its original cap- ital. Mrs. Demoret was born in Crawford county. Indiana, and was only six years old when she went to Kansas. She was reared on the family homestead, upon which the town of Pretty Prairie has grown up, and was educated in the district school near her home. She took a commercial course in Hutchinson Business College, and then taught seven terms in the home school. July

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29, 1897, she married Samuel G. Demoret, who is postmaster at Pretty Prairie. She began her business career in the store of her brothers and as a bank cashier she has made an enviable reputation for ability and cour- tesy, and her brothers give her not a little credit for the success of the institution. Her husband, Samuel G. Demoret, who is a director in the bank, was born in Montgom- ery county, Indiana, April 16, 1867, a son of Samuel and Amanda (Owens ) Demoret. natives, respectively, of Ohio and Indiana. He was reared to farm work and was edu- cated in the common schools, and in 1882 was brought to Kansas by his father, who bought land in Valley township, Reno coun- ty. After taking a preparatory course in the high school at Hutchinson, Kansas, he entered the business college in that city. He began his practical business career as a salesman in the store of J. A. Collingwood & Brothers and continued in that capacity until the bank was organized. In the fall of 1897 he was appointed postmaster of Pretty Prairie, which office he has held sat- isfactorily to the people of the town and the vicinity to the present time. Politically he is a Republican and takes an active interest in the work of his party, in which he has par- ticipated as a delegate to county conventions and otherwise. He is a charter member of Pretty Prairie Lodge, No. 407, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is a past noble grand, and which he has represented as a delegate to the grand lodge; and he is identified also with the local auxiliary lodge of the Order of Rebekah, of which Mrs. Demoret is also a member, and he is a char- ter member of the Pretty Prairie organiza- tion of the Modern Woodmen of America. Mrs. Demoret and her husband are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Their homelike and attractive residence was erected in 1897.

The first of the family of Collingwood to settle in Kansas was Thomas, who made the journey here by team in 1870, and re- mained in eastern Kansas until the fall of 1873. a member of the family of his uncle, Joseph Newman, when he joined his family, who had about a year before located in Reno

county. The family made the journey to the state by team, bringing two teams of horses and two wagons, and reached Hutchinson November 18, 1872. For two weeks after their arrival, while they were selecting a lo- cation, they were guests in the household of Nathaniel Cory, in Lincoln township, five miles south of Hutchinson, an old Indiana acquaintance who had settled in Reno coun- ty the previous spring. They located three quarter sections, Mrs. Collingwood home- steading the northwest quarter of section 18, township 26, range 6, and James and Abner, the only ones of the children who were old enough to file a land claim, the west half of section 14, township 26, range 7. On the mother's claim was erected a small box house, which was lined with a wagon cover to keep out the cold and storm, and in which the family lived during their first winter in Kansas. The other sons squat- ted on claims, which they filed on as soon as they became of age. Thus humbly was be- gun what is now one of the most extensive interests in Reno county. The family began farming as a whole, improving and culti- vating the land, erecting buildings and rais- ing stock, and the four brothers, who have never divided their interests, now keep about seven hundred head of cattle, usually buy- ing and selling from about three hundred to four hundred head each year, and have about one hundred and twenty-five head of horses.

Mrs. Mary ( Newman) Collingwood was born in Cincinnati. Ohio, in 1826, a daugh- ter of Abner and Elizabeth ( Arbigast) New man, and now lives at Pretty Prairie with her son, Daniel F., and her daughter, Jane, they having moved from the old homestead, which they still own, in 1897, in order that the son might be near the center of the fam- ily's growing business interests. She is a remarkably well preserved woman for her age, reasonably strong physically and won- derfully bright mentally, and she relates most interestingly not only many incidents of pio- neer life in Reno county in the early '70s, but many reminiscences of her girlhood days in Cincinnati, where she remembers hav- ing heard William Henry Harrison speak in the memorable log cabin in the "hard cider"

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campaign of 1840. The postoffice at Pretty Prairie was originally established in her residence in 1874 and was continued there until 1877, a station on the mail and stage route from Hutchinson to Medicine Lodge. Not only in rearing her family but in attend- ing to her business interests she has demon- strated that she posses ses remarkable execu- tive ability. In keeping her children with her until they were grown to manhood and womanhood she followed the definite plan which she made to inculcate upon them both by precept and example such principles as have made them successful in life, and every one of her children appreciate what she has done for them and each cherishes for her a sentiment of reverence which is indeed beat- tiful. Daniel Collingwood died in Crawford county. Indana, April 25. 1866.

MRS. CORNELIA ( BUCKLES) McVAY.

Mrs. Cornelia ( Buckles) McVay, who Mis resided in Sterling for many years, is one of the most highly esteemed ladies of the community. Her husband. William Cecil McVay, was a very prominent and influential citizen here, and his death, which occurred in Kirksville, Missouri, November 17, 1897. when he was forty-three years of age. was deeply regretted. He was a na- tive of Sidney, Ohio, and was the youngest of eight children born unto Henry and Mary ( Cecil) McVay. His mother died when he was only seventeen months old, and when a lad of ten summers he was left an orphan by the death of his father. All of the children, however, reached adult age. William C. McVay was reared by his maternal grand- parents amid the scenes of rural life, and through the summer months assisted in the work of the farm, while in the winter he at- tended the district schools. When a young man he removed to Illinois and in 1877 came to Kansas from Windsor, that state. He secured a claim ten miles south of Sterling. but for only a short time carried on farming. He then turned his attention to merchandis- ing. securing a clerkship. He had previ- 24

ously had experience in that fine wi work in Illinois. After several years spent as a salesman in different stores in Kansas he began business on his own account as a gen- eral merchant, forming a partnership with Aaron Keller. They opened their store in 1882 and later the firm name was changed to Keller, McVay & Cline, by the admission of a third partner. It afterward became McVay & Cline, and subsequently Mr. Mc- Vay carried on business alone. In 1890, however, the firm of MeVay & Guild was formed, and under this title business was carried on until the death of the senior part- ner. As a business man he was energetic. discriminating, diligent and reliable. His transactions were conducted along the line of strict commercial ethics and his honesty was proverbial. He was always genial and possessed an unfailing courtesy that made him popular and wom him the warm friend- ship of many of his customers, who contin- ued their patronage through the fifteen years in which he was engage 1 in business in Ster- ling.

Not long after coming to this place Mr. McVay formed the acquaintance of Miss Cornelia Buckles, of Muncie, Indiana, a sis- ter of Mrs. Captain Lindsley and the young- est daughter of Judge Buckles. They were married at the home of the bride in Muncie, on the IIth of November. 1885, and began their domestic life in Sterling, where Mr. McVay was then located. After her hus- band's death Mrs. McVay entered the store, where she remained for some months in or- der to care for her interests until the stock was sold and the business closed out. Four children were born unto this worthy couple, -Cecil B., Wayne L., Joe B. and Virginia I. Joe died at the age of three years. The others are fourteen. eleven and eight years of age, respectively. In 1888 Mr. McVay and his family took up their abode in a com- fortable home on East Main street, where his widow and her children are yet living. Mr. McVay always occupied a prominent place among the merchants and business men of the town and in social circles as well, and! was a gentleman well posted on the affairs of the day. He took an active and

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abiding interest in civil and political affairs, and at his death he was president of the Sterling Republican Club. He also served as a member of the city council and was active in the fire department from its organization, serving as its chief for many years. Of various fraternal and benevolent societies he was a faithful member, belonging to both the lodge and encampment of the Odd Fellow's organization and the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and all of these lodges participated in the funeral service when he was called from this earth. For two years he suffered from trouble with his liver and at last went to the Kirksville Sanitarium, but medical aid could do noth- ing for him, and with his faithful wife at his bedside he passed away. In the memorial published in the Bulletin and Gazette of No- vember 19. 1897, appeared the following : "Those who knew W. C. McVay most in- timately knew that in him they had what is sometimes hard to get and still more diffi- cult to hold-a true friend. He never hesi- tated to vindicate a friend unjustly attacked and always gave good sensible advice when any one in trouble came to him." To his family Mr. McVay certainly left the price- less record of an untarnished name. Mrs. McVay is yet living in Sterling, caring for her children. and in the community she is widely and favorably known.

M. J. ALBRIGHT.

Classed among the substantial and re- spected citizens of Kingman county is found the subject of this review, M. J. Albright. who dates his birth in Tennessee, in 1853. and is the son of William Albright, whose father, John Albright, also claimed Tennes- see as the state of his nativity.

The son, William, grew to years of ma- turity in that commonwealth and was there married to Nancy Burney. a member of an old and esteemed family of Tennessee. She was a daughter of David Burney, also of that state. Unto William and Nancy Al-

bright were born eleven children, six sons and five daughters, only five of the number -four sons and one daughter-are now living.

M. J. Albright, whose name introduces this review, grew to young manhood in his liome near the Cumberland river, in middle Tennessee. From there he went to Illinois. where his father owned lands and farmed for some years in that prairie state. In 1880 he was married to Miss S. L. Hardy, a pop- ular teacher of Christian county, Illinois. Miss Hardy was from the south, having spent most of her life and received her edu- cation in Memphis, Tennessee. Her father. A. A. Hardy, was a native of Georgia, and her mother was Caroline Dennis of Ala- bama, both descendants of pioneer families. Five children have been born unto M. J. and S. L. Albright: Clarence B .: Burney L. : May E .; Augustus ( who died in infancy) : and Anna H. Besides these they have two adopted children.

Robert Murray, whose parents were both worthy people and of good families, came to their home from his native city, St. Louis, when a mere babe. Robert M. Al- bright has grown to manhood in this home and no son is dearer to his home folks. He has taught school, built bridges and is now a farmer and stockholder, with bright pros- pects.

February 2, 1902, Mrs. Knight, the wife of the blacksmith of the village of Basil, Kansas, died, leaving four children, the youngest a babe five months old, who was taken by Mrs. Albright to her home and tenderly cared for. Mr. Knight has since given his babe, Gertrude R., to Mr. and Mrs. Albright to be to them as their own daughter. She is a bright, beautiful child, and each member of the family fairly idolizes her. Following is an account of the most recent episode of note in the Al- bright family, copied from a local paper of Kingman, Kansas :

"On Wednesday, May 28. 1802, aout thirty guests assembled at the pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Anderson on North Main street to witness the marriage

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of their daughter Dora to Clarence B. Al- bright, son of Mr. and Mrs. MI. J. Albright. At 12:30 Mrs. Kinsey sang 'Annie Laurie,' and this was followed by the Bridal March from Lohengrin,' played by Mrs. Belle Barber. While the strains of this beau- tiful march were sounding forth, the bridal party entered, taking their places in front of the beautifully decorated bay window when Rev. Pruen stepped forward and in a few words made them man and wife. After congratulations an elegant dinner was served.

"Both young people are well known in Kingman, the bride being one of Kingman county's best teachers, and is a young lady of excellent qualities, and has won hosts of friends during her three years' residence in Kingman. The groom has grown to man- hood in this county and is a prosperous young farmer and bridge-builder of sterling qualities, respected by all. Few young peo- ple launch out upon the matrimonial sea with more good wishes or brighter pros- pects of a useful and happy life."

In 1880 M. J. Albright came to King- man county, Kansas, where he pre-empted land and is still engaged in farming and stock raising. In addition to carrying on the work of his farm he is also well known as a bridge-builder and many of the large and well built bridges of Kingman and ad- joining counties are the result of his handi- work. He has met with a well merited de- gree of success in this line of endeavor, and as a stockman, an agriculturist and builder he has won and retains the public confidence by reason of his strict integrity and excel- lent workmanship. He considers his past political career of no interest to the public. He is opposed to the party that fosters im- perialism, trusts and combines.

WILLIAM C. POLLOCK.

Among the more recent accessions to the town of Nickerson is William C. Pol- lock, a gentleman of large business experi-

ence, who, as an auctioneer, is meeting with a marked and well merited degree of suc- cess in the line of his chosen vocation. He was born in Dewitt county, Illinois, on the 30th of October, 1840. His paternal grand- father, Robert Pollock, was a native of Scot- land, of Scotch-Irish descent, and when twenty-five years of age, he came with his wife from Ireland to the United States, lo- cating on a farm in Ohio, where he was among the early pioneer settlers. His wife was a native of Ireland. The father of our subject, William B. Pollock, was born in the Buckeye state, his birth occurring in Cham- paign county, in 1809. He died of hydro- phobia on the 25th of December, 1845, his death resulting from the bite of a dog which he received thirteen years before. TIte mother of our subject, who was formerly Catherine Cantrell, was born in Kentucky, March 3, 1806, and when twelve years of age accompanied her mother on the removal to Ohio. Her father had been shot by a drunken companion. The former was six feet and six and a half inches in height and weighed two hundred and thirty pounds, be- ing a fine specimen of physical manhood. At his death he left to his widow the care of their six children. five sons and one daugh- ter, namely: Laton O., who died in Texas, during his service in the Civil war, leaving a wife and two children; Ann, who died in infancy : Thomas, who came to Kansas sev- enteen years ago and is now a resident of Rice county : George P., a resident of Van Buren county, Iowa ; Polly Ann, widow of Robert Ferriss and a resident of Sangamon county, Illinois : William C., the subject of this review. After the father's death the mother was left with only a small amount of property in Kentucky, which was mostly lost during the rebellion, but she heroically surmounted the difficulties which beset her path, and with indomitable courage and en- ergy succeeded in providing for her family. Her death occurred in December, 1867.

William C. Pollock, whose name intro- duces this review, was taken to Iowa when three years of age. where he was early in- ured to the labors of field and meadow, and his school privileges were extremely limited.

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When the trouble arose between the northi and the south, he nols responded to the call for volunteers, and in 1861 became a mem- ber of the Missouri Home Guard. On the IIth of October, 1802, he was transferred to the Twenty-first Missouri Volunteer In- fantry, in which he served until the IIth of February, 1865, when he was honorably dis- charged at Eastport, Mississippi. He was wounded at the battle of Pleasant Hill, on the 9th of April. 1864, by a piece of shell. After the close of hostilities he returned to his home in Iowa, where he remained until September 1I, 1867, when he returned to Dewitt county, Illinois, his native place, where he worked by the month on a farm for one year. While there, in 1868, he was united in marriage with Jane Allington, a native of Dewitt county, and a daughter of Thomas Jenkins. Previous to this time she had been married to David Allington, and they had two children. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Pollock was blessed with one son, Robert A., a resident of Austin, Texas. The wife and mother died when the son was only two weeks old, and Mr. Pollock was afterward married to Mrs. Margaret Bag- bey, who was the mother of three children by her former marriage. Unto this union has been born three children, namely : Charles E., who is married and resides at El Paso, Texas; Hattie E., wife of Edgar Haycock, and with her little son she resides at Deer Lodge, Montana ; and Frank G., who is a soldier in Manila, being a member of Company F, of the Fourteenth Regiment, and he has just returned from China.

In September, 1898, Mr. Pollock came to the beautiful little city of Nickerson, where he is now recognized as one of the leading and responsible citizens. As an auc- tioneer he has met with a high degree of sticcess, and both as a business man and cit- izen he is a valuable accession to the thiriv- ing little city of Nickerson. Since 1861 he has been a stanch supporter of Republican principles, and in the year 1864 his regiment cast seven hundred and seventy-five votes for Lincoln and two for McClellan. Mr. Pollock has been the choice of his party for marshal, street commissioner and constable

in Nickerson. serving in the last named po- sition for two years. Before coming to this city he was also engaged as an auctioneer in Lyons county for twenty-one years. In his social relations he is a member of the G. A. R. Post, and while residing in Lyons county he served as post commander. Mr. Pollock is a man of fine physique, being five feet and eleven inches in height and weigh- ing one hundred and sixty-five pounds. In manner pleasant and agreeable, in business reliable and in office trustworthy, he has won many friends in this locality.

JAMES F. FUNK.

The flourishing town of Nickerson, in Reno county, Kansas, has become prominent for the large shipments of cattle which are made at that point. One of its leading ship- pers is James F. Funk, whose stock farm, one mile east of the city, is one of the best appointed in the county. Mr. Funk is a na- tive of Pennsylvania and was born in West- moreland county, May 6, 1853, a son of John Funk, also a native of Westmoreland county, who was born in 1815 and died in Cass county, Missouri, in 1888. Daniel Funk, father of John Funk and grandfather of James F. Funk, was born in Germany in 1784. He was a farmer and a distiller and was a man of influence in his day and gen- eration. He had nine children, five of whom were sons.

John Funk married Anna Monroe, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, daugh- ter of James Monroe, who came to Pennsyl- vania from Scotland. Their marriage was celebrated in Westmoreland county in 1853. After his marriage Mr. Funk settled on a farm of four hundred acres in Westmore- land county, for which he paid forty dollars an acre and which he sold afterward at one hundred dollars an acre. Later coal was dis- covered on the land and the property was sold at seven hundred dollars an acre. Mrs. Funk, who died in 1863, ten years after their marriage, was Mr. Funk's second wife. By his first marriage he had five children,

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and by this marriage four, as follows : Nan- nie E. married D. M. Clendennin and lives in Cass county, Missouri; James F. is the immediate subject of this sketch: Florence is the wife of Alexander Lightcap of Cass county, Missouri ; and Maggie married Will- iam Seymour, and lives in Allen county, Kansas. Mr. Funk married again after the death of his second wife and in 1870 emi- grated from Pennsylvania to Missouri. He was during all his life well-to-do financially and for a considerable period he was wealthy, but in his declining years he sus- tained heavy reverses.

James F. Funk received a good primary education and took a commercial course at Kansas City, Missouri. For a year after leaving the commercial college he was em- ployed as a bookkeeper at Lincoln, Nebras- ka, and since then he has been engaged in farming and stock-raising, a business to which he was reared under his father's per- sonal instruction and in which he was his father's assistant until he attained the age of twenty-one years, and for some time before his father's death he was the latter's partner. Mr. Funk was married August 30, 1887, to Miss Belle Vaughn, of Independence, Mis- souri, a daughter of Dr. J. M. and Anna K. (Abbott) Vaughn, the latter of Yorkshire, England. Dr. Vaughn, who was born in Kentucky, is now in the real-estate and money-loaning business at Guthrie, Okla- homa territory. Mrs. Funk, who was a young lady of many accomplishments, was their eldest daughter. She has borne her husband four children: Goldisola, a bright miss of thirteen years. is a student of much diligence and promise. Kemper McMullen Funk is a boy of nine years. Paul Funk is seven years old and Hugh Shepherd is five years old.

Mr. Funk is a Knight Templar Mason and an ardent Republican, and is one of the prominent and public-spirited citizens of Reno county. He lived at the home of his father in Missouri until 1888 and removed to Hutchinson. Kansas, during that year. For several months in 1889 he was at Col- orado Springs. Texas. For three years pre- vious to his marriage he was in the stock

business at Fort Worth, Texas, as a mem- ber of the firm of Shannon & Funk, which handled many thousand head of cattle each year. He returned to Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1897 and soon after located on his stock ranch a mile east of Nickerson. He removed to his present home in the city in 1900. He owns two farms in the vicinity of Nicker- son, which aggregate three hundred and twenty acres and he leases pasture land of other land owners. He feeds three hundred head of cattle each year and handles alto- gether about two thousand head of cattle, twenty thousand hogs and from fifty to sixty mules annually.

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 61

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 970

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 970