A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 62

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

USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I > Part 62

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IRA BAKER.

Ira Baker, who is engaged in the tilling of the soil on section 29, Washington town- ship, Rice county, is a native of Indiana, his birth having occurred in Shelby county, on the 4th of August, 1834. His father, Elijah Baker, was born in a hunter's shanty twelve miles northwest of Lexington, Kentucky, July 3, 1793. The grandparents, John and Alsha ( Wainright) Baker, were both na- tives of North Carolina and went to Ken- tucky at the time that Daniel Boone was carrying on his explorations of the dark and bloody ground. Their son, Elijah, was born by the side of a log on the claim which the father was holding. The family exper- ienced all the hardships and trials of life in the western region, far separated from all the comforts of civilization. They also went to Indiana before it was a state. The grand- father died in 1840, but Mr. Baker of this review still remembers him, although he was only six years of age at the time. The grandmother passed away four years later and both had attained an advanced age. the former having passed the seventy-fifth mile- stone on life's journey. After arriving at years of maturity Elijah Baker married Sa- rah Vance, who was born in 1797, in the block house which stood on the present site of Cincinnati. Their marriage occurred about 1821, and they became the parents of

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four son- and two daughters, and with the exception of one sen all reached mature years, namely: Elias, who died in 1857. leaving a son and daughter ; Alsha, who died in Coffey county, Kansas, in 1883 : Malinda, the wife of Riley Howard, of Nickerson, Kansas, by whom she has six children : John, who lives in the district of Oklahoma known as the Strip, and has six sons and three daughters : and Ira, of this review. The father was a farmer in good circumstances. He, however, obtained a start by clearing land and then selling it. He worked so hard that he became prematurely aged, but lie lived to the age of seventy-four, passing away in 1867. while his wife died in Coffey county, Kansas, in 1884, when about cighty- seven years of age.

Ira and his brother John Baker were the first of the family to come to Kansas, the year of their arrival being 1881. The latter purchased one hundred and sixty acres, while our subject became the owner of eighty acres. He resided thereon until 1885, when he came to his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 29, Washington township. He was twice married, his first union being with Susan Kessler, of Indiana, in which state the wedding was celebrated in 1853. She died about six years later, leaving three children: Jane, who passed away at the age of eight years; Malinda, the wife of Michael Martin, of Clinton county. Missouri; and Theresa, who died at the age of one year. In Indiana, in 1859, Mr. Ba- ker was again married, his second union be- ing with Elizabeth Burkett, by whom he had six children : John C., who resides in the Strip, in Wood county, Oklahoma, and has two sons; Willie L., a resident of Reno county, Kansas, and the father of one daugh- ter and one son ; Rosella, who is the wife of Homer Hinman, of Reno county, by whom she has two sons and a daughter: Irena. a teacher and freeholder in Oklahoma; Julia, the wife of Harry Angus, of Ed- wards county, Kansas, by whom she has one son; and Dolly C., who married Henry Shultz, of Reno county.

Mr. Baker carries on general farming. but has devoted much of his time to con-

tracting and building. He was a builder in Indiana and Missouri and has followed the same pursuit to a considerable extent in Kansas. It has been this labor that has brought to him most of his success. All that he has has practically been made since he came to the Sunflower state, and to-day he owns a valuable property, which is a monu- ment to his thrift and ability. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic Lodge and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics he is a Republican and has served on the school board and the township board, but has never sought or desired public office. His wife belongs to the Methodist church. They are well known people of the commun- ity, and their friends in this portion of the county are many.

KINSEY SHAW.

A prominent and extensive farmer and cattle-raiser of Grant township, Rice county, is Kinsey Shaw, who settled on section 13, twenty-four years ago, becoming one of the pioneers of that section of the country. He is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Coshocton county, on the 6th of June, 1832. His father, James Shaw, was born in Maryland, in 1782, and was a farmer by occupation, owning three hundred acres of land, which was covered with a heavy growth of timber when he bought it, and which he cleared and placed under cultiva- tion. He married Miss Sarah Treadway, of Maryland, in which state they were mar- ried. They became the parents of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, all living but two sons, Dan and John, who served through the Mexican war, married, and both died in Coshocton county, Ohio, in the year 1899, aged, respectively, seventy- four and seventy-five years. One sister lives in Oklahoma and another in Kansas. The father of this family died in Ohio, in 1862, and the mother some six years later.

Kinsey Shaw, whose name introduces this record, was reared upon his father's farm, early becoming familiar with all the

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duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. Thus he gained that practical knowledge which fitted him for carrying on farming on his own account when he grew to man's estate, but it left him little time for study and his love for his dogs and gun robbed him of many golden hours that should have been devoted to his books, so that his education was very limited. He remained at home until twenty-seven years of age and then went to Hancock county, Illinois, and worked out by the month for George W. Berry, who was a trader. This occupation just suited Mr. Shaw, as he had a propensity for it from his youth when he used to buy shoats to speculate on. He worked for Mr. Berry for three years and then married his employer's daughter and settled on his maternal grandfather Howe's farm in Illinois. In 1865 he left his home in Illinois and went to Clark county, Mis- sotiri, where he bought timber land, for which he traded an improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres and gave one thou- sand dollars in money. He engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising in Missouri for ten years and made money, especially on his stock. He had two carloads of cattle and one of hogs which he shipped to Chicago and sold at a good profit. In March, 1877. he bought one hundred and sixty acres of railroad land in Kansas of the Santa Fe Railroad Company, at six dollars and sixty cents per acre, and as his financial resources increased he bought other tracts until he and his sons now own eight hundred and eighty acres of land in a body, or one and a half sections. He is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. making a specialty of short-horn and polled Angus cattle. He has fed from one hundred to five hundred head at one time. His large red barns and fine residence are surrounded by shade and fruit trees which he has planted, and everything about the place is neat and thrifty in appear- ance, indicating the careful supervision of the owner, though he is now somewhat broken in health and leaves the active labors of the farm to his sons.

On the Ist of January, 1861, was cele- brated the marriage of Mr. Shaw to Miss

Sarah E. Berry, who was born in Kentucky in 1842, and unto them have been born eleven children, namely : William, an ec- centric bachelor; George, who married and has one son and three daughters ; Viollette, wife of Joseph Staley, by whom she has three sons : Warren, who is married and has one son and one daughter : Edward, still sin- gle; Jesse, who is married and is living on his own farm: Daniel. Still single and living in Oregon: Fannie, who married Frank Bruce, and has two children : Bertha, who is still single and lives in Hutchinson ; Thomas, at home ; Gertrude, now sixteen years of age. Edward, the fifth child in order of birth, is a bachelor with peculiar tastes and traits. He has marked and phenomenal ability in computing figures which he does mentally and with great rapidity. When given a date of birth he can in an incredibly short time give the age of the person in years, days, hours, minutes and seconds, and this is but one of his rare gifts or talents. He reads many things in sounds that others do not understand. Is a great student of nature, in which he takes great delight, seldom rides but is a great pedestrian.

Fraternally Mr. Shaw is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and po- litically he exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democratic party. He has always been a very energetic, progressive and enterprising man and has been very successful in all his undertakings in life so that he now has a comfortable competence.

WV. L. MAY, M. D.

Among the medical practitioners of Rice county is numbered Dr. May, a capable physician and surgeon, located in Lyons, where he has made his home since 1893. He claims Pennsylvania as the state of his nativity, his birth having occurred near Philadelphia in Schuylkill county, on the 19th of March, 1859. He is of English lineage and is a son of Thomas George and Lucy (Struman) May, both of whom are natives of England, the former born in

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Cornwall And the latter in County Kent. The father acquired his education in the schools of his native country and remained in Cornwall until sixteen years of age. After crossing the Atlantic to America he located in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, but spent his last days in the anthracite eoal regions at Shamokin, Pennsylvania, where he died at the age of fifty-six years. His widow still survives him and has now at- tained the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten. In their family were thirteen children, eight sons and five daughters, of whom five grew to mature years, namely : Joseph, who makes his home in Pennsyl- vania; Jamies, who died April 30, 1901 ; WV. L., of this review: Mrs. Luey Ward, who made her home in Chicago, Illinois, and died April 15. 1901; and Mrs. Julia Francis, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The parents were both Christian people. identi- fied with the Methodist Episcopal church.

In 1895 Dr. May, of this review, mar- ried Mrs. C. Cromer, of Defiance, Ohio, who prior to her marriage bore the maiden name of Cornelia Renolett. They now have one child, Nora. The Doctor is a Republi- can in his political views and is connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity and with the Rice County Medical Society. In an analyzation of the character and life work of Dr. May we note many of the char- aeteristics which have marked the nation for many centuries, the perseverance, reliabil- ity, energy and unconquerable determina- tion to pursue a course which has been marked out. It is these sterling qualities which have gained Dr. May success in life and made him one of the substantial and val- ued citizens of Lyons. He has been in the regular practice of his profession for six- teen years.

JOHN W. ROFF.

John W. Roff is numbered among the veterans of the Civil war and is a leading representative of the agricultural interests of Kingman county. He was born in Zanes- ville, Muskingum county, Ohio, on the 22d

of April, 1839. His Esther, Henry S. Roff. was born in Washington county, Penn- sylvania, of German ancestry, but was taken to Ohio in his early infaney, there remaining on the farm until his four- teenth year. He was afterward employed in a store and spent his life in mer- cantile pursuits. In Muskingum county, Ohio, he was united in marriage to Eliza- beth McBride. a daughter of John and Mary ( Walker ) MeBride, and in 1876 they took up their abode in Pawnee county, Kan- sas, where Henry S. passed away in death at the age of seventy-two years. In his politi- cal relations he was a Republican, and he was an ardent and zealous member of the Baptist church, in which he long held the office of clerk and trustee. His social rela- tiens connected him with the Masonic fra- ternity. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Roff were born three children, John W., of this review, being the eldest in order of birth. Henry H. served as a member of the United States navy during the Civil war and was killed at the taking of Fort Jackson. He served on the United States steamer Brooklyn, and participated in the capture of New Orleans. The third son, Albert, is a resident of To- peka, Kansas.

John. W. Roff received his elementary education in the public schools of his native locality, and a portion of his youth was spent in his father's store. In 1862 he enlisted for service in the war of the Rebellion, en- tering Company E, Ninety-seventh Ohio In- fantry, in which he served until the close of hostilities, and during his military career he participated in twenty-three regular engage- ments, including those of Nashville, Chick- amauga, Perryville, Missionary Ridge, and he was with General Sherman in the Atlanta campaign. In July, 1865, with the rank of sergeant, he was honorably discharged from the service and returned to his home at Zanesville, where he was shortly afterward married. In 1876 he left the Buckeye state for Kansas, locating in Pawnee county, where he at once secured a claim and en- gaged in farming and stock-raising. The year 1892 witnessed his arrival in Kingman county, where he soon became the possessor

MR. AND MRS. JOHN W. ROFF.

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of a half section hi land,-the east half of section 23. Hoosier township,-and this is now one of the best improved and most valuable farms of the county, containing a good residence and barns and a beautiful grove and orchard of twelve acres.

Mr. Roff was married in Coshocton, Ohio, October 5. 1865, to Elizabeth Flagg. who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, February 5, 1843. a daughter of Thomas W. Flagg, who was a native of Vermont and a son of the eminent Doctor and Eliza- beth Flagg, of New York city. Thomas W. Flagg married Catherine Conley, and they became the parents of ten children, five of whom are now living, namely: John, who served as a member of the Ninety-seventh Ohio Infantry during the Civil war, his services being principally in Kentucky : Elizabeth, now Mrs. Roff ; Virginia Neff, of Coshocton county, Ohio: Cornelia Beal, of Lafayette, Ohio: and Webster, who also makes his home in Coshocton county. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Roff has been blessed with six children: Charles H., who is em- ployed as a printer and teacher in Eureka, Kansas ; Lewis E., a merchant of Emporia, Kansas; John M., a prominent farmer of Hoosier township: Anna V. Holland, of Zanesville, Ohio; and Frank E. and Tillie S., at home. Mrs. Roff is a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In political matters our subject gives an un- faltering support to the principles of the Re- publican party, and socially he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he holds pleasant relations with his old army comrades of the blue. Strictly upright and above reproach in all his dealings with others, he merits the high esteem in which he is held by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance.

WILLIAM S. GILE.

The subject of this notice is postmaster of Venango. Ellsworth county, Kansas, and is the owner of a fine ranch comprising a half section of land in section 26, township 16, range 6, and is known as one of the

most enterprising and progressive citizens of his part of the state.

Colonel William S. Gile was born Jan- uary 5. 1812, at Oxford, Chenango county, New York, a son of Deacon William and Annie ( Stephens ) Gile, natives respectively of Rhode Island and of Holland. William Gile located in Chenango county, New York, about the beginning of the last century when that part of the country was a wilderness and remained there until 1823, when he be- came a pioneer in Gallia county, Ohio. After living there seven years he went back to his old home at Oxford, Chenango county, New York, and remained there until 1860, when he emigrated to Hannibal, Missouri, where he died in 1874, some years after the death of his wife. They were both active mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, in which he held the office of deacon for many years.

William Gile, father of Deacon William Gile and grandfather of Colonel William S. Gile, was born and lived and died in Rhode Island. Abraham Stephens, Colonel Gile's grandfather in the maternal line, came to America from Holland with Cornelius Van- derbilt, who was his cousin, and they brought as ballast in the hold of their vessel, bricks for their houses, which were built at Yonk- ers, New York, and Mr. Stephens built a sloop which ran on the Hudson between New York and Albany, as a packet. When Robert Fulton made his first trip on a steam- boat up that noble river. Mr. Stephens com- ing down met his vessel, the construction of which marked an era in the history of navi- gation. Later, when steamboats superseded, sailing vessels. Mr. Stephens, his occupation gone, retired from the water and located in Chenango county, New York, where he bought land, for each of his fourteen chil- dren, the youngest of whom was Annie, mother of Colonel Gile.

Until he was fifteen years old Colonel Gile remained under the parental roof. After his graduation in the Oxford high school. with a class the most of the members of . which continued their education at either Yale or Harvard, it had been arranged by his father that he should enter the law office ( f Lieutenant-Governor Tracy, of the state

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i New York, but the boy hund determined to " he desired very much to offer his services learn a trade, and, against his father's wishi. to his country. A few weeks later, how- ever, he brought about a cancellation of the contract and returned to Lock Haven, Penn- sylvania. During his previous residence he had become rather prominent in militia af- fairs and had made a favorable reputation as a military man, having organized and drilled a company, which, in competition with others, was pronounced most perfect in drill and tactics, and he had been advanc- ed to the office of major and later to that of lieutenant-colonel of the militia. Upon his return from the west he was offered the captaincy of Company D. First Regiment, Pennsylvania Cavalry Reserves, of which he took command June 1. 1861. After see- ing service at Drainsville and at Fredericks- burg, Virginia, at the last named point as- sisting to save a railroad bridge, he re- turned to Manassas, where his regiment was under General McDowell's command, on he became an apprentice to the baker's trade, at Oxford, where he labored until he was nineteen years old, when, his employer sell- ing out. he went to Utica, New York, where he worked in another bakery two years. Within that period he met Adaline P. But- ler, daughter of Henry Butler, of that city, and they were married September 25. 1837. In 1838 he went to Columbia, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and three weeks after his arrival was put in charge of a packet hoat, of Leach's line, on the Pennsylvania canal, and he commanded the same until the close of the season, when the canal was prac- tically superseded by the Pennsylvania Rail- road, the original portion of which was then just completed. In 1839 he went to Steu- ben county, New York, where he engaged in merchandising and where, in 1840, he was elected sheriff, in which responsible office he served ably for three years, and then removed to Lock Haven, Clinton coun- ty. Pennsylvania, where he was a merchant with a partner, to whom he soon sold his in- terest, and later he became local agent for the International Express Company, whose agency at Lock Haven was established at his solicitation and upon his advice. The first week's business of the company at that point amounted to only three dollars and Mr. Gile delivered all his packages on a wheelbarrow. but in a short time, by his unaided efforts, he increased the local business of the company to one hundred and fifty dollars a month.

In the spring of 1860 Colonel Gile ac- cepted the superintendency of the western business of Irwin Jackman & Company, who had entered into a contract to transport gov- ernment supplies from Atchison, Kansas, to various military posts west of the Mis- souri river, and he proceeded to Kansas to undertake his new duty. In the winter of 1861, when the civil war began, he was at Des Moines, Iowa, in charge of about five thousand head of cattle which his concern had wintered there, and was laboring under a two years' contract, from which he could not at that time obtain release, though

that officer's march to Richmond. When within forty miles of the Confederate cap- ital the regiment was ordered on a forced march to Washington, D. C., Stonewall Jackson's army having been reported as ap- proaching that point via the Shenandoah valley. It reached Port Royal, Caroline county. Virginia, and from there went to Woodstock, near which place it encountered a formidable force of Confederate cav- alry and artillery. Avoiding a conflict, the Union force retreated across the val- ley and remained there that night, next morning making a charge into Wood- stock to find that Jackson had evac- uated the town, but they captured seven hun- dred Confederate stragglers. They pursued Jackson up the valley to Cross Keys, where he made another stand and where the battle of Cross Keys was fought, continuing until dark, when Jackson again retreated. In

that engagement Colonel Gile was, by an un- expected movement of his horse, thrown against the pommel of his saddle and receiv- ed a rupture so serious in character as to incapacitate him for further military service.

Resigning his command, Colonel Gile proceeded to Quincy, Illinois, where he re- mained long enough to form some plans for

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his future guidance. Locating at Chilli- cothe. Missouri, he was for the next ten years engaged in shipping stock to Quincy and Chicago, Illinois. In July, 1872, he went to Ellsworth county, Kansas, and located the half section which he now owns, in section 26. township 16, range 6, which he secured as homestead and timber claims. He soon developed a good farin and engaged exten- sively in farming, raising an average of one hundred acres of wheat and seventy-five acres of corn each year. He never before had had anything to do with practical farm- ing. but he accepted "Poor Richard's" dec- laration that "He who by the plow would thrive, himself must either hold or drive." He gave personal attention to all the details of his work, beginning by breaking the land on his place between the site of his present residence and the public road.

Politically Colonel Gile was reared in the Jacksonion faith. He issued the first call for Democratic organization in Ells- worth county and has served as chairman of every Democratic county convention since, and has been a delegate to every state, con- gressional and senatorial convention. He was appointed by Governor Glick to the of- fice of fish commissioner of Kansas, in which he served several years, establishing eleven different varieties in the streams of the state and gaining by his efficient and painstaking methods the reputation of being the best fislı commissioner that the state had had; and later he was given the Democratic nom- ination for congress, to represent the sixth congressional district, embracing twenty-six counties, and although defeated he reduced the Republican majority of twelve thousand to eight thousand votes. Always deeply in- terested in public education, he has during most of the time since he lived in Kansas served as a member of his township school board. Mrs. Gile was commissioned post- mistress at Ellsworth in 1884, and since her death, which occurred February 4. 1900, he has, under authority, administered the affairs of the office. Her last resting place is in the grounds surrounding his house and within sight from his window. The spot is decor- ated with flowers of her planting, and there,

too, he has chosen the spot where his re- mains shall repose when he, too, passes away.

At the age of about ninety year- Colonel Gile is a wonderfully well preserved man. both mentally and physically. His active mind is stured with a wide range of general knowledge. His conversation is entertain- ing, even brilliant, and his manner and ad- dress are such as are acquired only by long contact with the world in connection with public affairs. During his congressional canvass he won an enviable reputation as a public speaker and his masterly handling of national questions was widely commented upon. He was made a Knight of Pythias at Atchison some years ago, but has never belonged to any other secret society. His hospitality is well known and he takes a special delight in welcoming under his roof and at his table bright and intelligent men and women with whom he may profitably ex- change ideas and reminiscences. His mar- riage was blest with only one child-Dr. Courtland H. B. Gile, a practicing physician at Falum, Saline county, Kansas.

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 62

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