USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I > Part 81
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was the place of entertainment for all early preachers of the Methodist denomination who visited the region. He served as a lieutenant in the war of 1812 and in days of peace devoted his energies to the work of the home farm. His daughter, Mrs. Van Sickle, was a native of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, born in 1808.
Garrett Van Sickle spent the days of his boyhood and youth on the old family home- stead in Ohio and experienced all the hard- ships and trials incident to pioneer life and to the development of a new farm. . He was at one time engaged in the dairy busi- ness, supplied butter to the Columbus mar- ket and the proceeds of this labor enabled him to purchase a good farm. Leaving the old homestead at the age of thirty years he erected a large tavern in the village of Berk- shire, on the old state road or stage route from Delaware to Zanesville, Ohio. This was a large hostelry for that day, contain- ing one hundred rooms. It was well patron- ized by the travelers who made their way through Ohio and its proprietor became widely known throughout the state. After many years devoted to its conduct Mr. Van Sickle died July 28, 1865, while his wife, long surviving him, passed away February 2.1, 1887.
It was in the old hotel that William J. Van Sickle was born and there he remained until sixteen years of age, assisting in its conduct. He also attended the town school and later entered the schools of Delaware, his father leaving the hotel and removing to the latter place in order to educate his children. After a residence of four years there the father purchased a large tract of land of five hundred acres within two miles of Berkshire and there he was engaged in farming and stock-raising, his son William assisting him until he was twenty-two years of age, when he left home and was married, the wedding being celebrated on the 24th of November, 1861. The lady of his choice was Miss Lauretta Harris, a daughter of George Harris. She was born in Virginia and during her girlhood was taken to Ohio, where her parents soon afterward died, and she was reared by the parents of our sub-
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ject. Her death occurred in 1864. The second marriage of Mr. Van Sickle occurred in April, 1866, to Miss Annetta Davis, born in Glens Falls, New York, a daughter af Asher A. and Jane M. ( Cushing ) Davis.
After his marriage William Van Sickle began operating two hundred acres of land given him by his father and engaged in the raising of sheep, an occupation which he followed until his removal to the west. He had, however, sold his first farm and pur- chased another tract of land of two hundred acres near the county seat of Delaware coun- ty. He had engaged in the breeding of pure bred Spanish merino sheep, paying high prices for excellent animals and thus keep- ing his flock up to a high standard. In 1870 he sold eight hundred head of thorough- bred sheep. In 1862 he left the farm and established a general mercantile store in Berkshire, just across the street from his birthplace, but in 1870 he disposed of all his business interests in Ohio and went to Atchinson county, Missouri, in search of a location. He spent four months in travel- ing over the states of Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas and finally decided to make his home in the southern part of the Sunflower state. On the 6th of February, 1871, he took up his abode in what has since been organized as Reno county, locating a home- stead on section 26, township 24, range 4. There he erected a small box house. twelve by sixteen feet, after living for four months. in a covered wagon. He hauled the lumber from Florence, sixty-five miles distant. In this primitive home he resided for seven and a half years. In the meantime he purchased a claim adjoining, so that he had a half sec- tion of land, on which he engaged in the cat- tle business, purchasing a foundation herd of forty head of cows. In 1872 he planted a small corn crop, which did well, selling for two dollars and a half per bushel. This made him very hopeful and later he sold all of his cattle, purchased a large tract of land and put in a very extensive corn crop, but in that year, 1874, Kansas suffered from a grasshopper scourge, the insects coming in great swarms and destroying every par- ticle of vegetation, so that he lost all that
he had invested in the crop. In 1872 he had also brought to Reno county the first drove of Poland China swine, purchasing fine registered stock from eastern breeders. In 1874 he had one hundred and thirty head, but as he raised no corn he lost all but sev- enteen head, the others being literally starved to death. Mrs. Van Sickle has been of the greatest assistance to her husband, aiding him in many ways. In those early days of pioneer experiences and struggles she has spent many hours, days and weeks herding the swine. In 1872, when the town of Hutchinson was platted, Mr. Van Sickle took a contract for freighting goods and lumber from Newton, a distance of forty- three miles. He had two teams and em- ployed an Irish lad to drive one team, but Mr. Van Sickle was bitten by a dog the morning he was ready to start, so Mrs. Van Sickle came to the rescue and drove a team for six weeks, thus earning money enough to build a good barn in addition to the house. Thus the years passed, the husband and wife co-operating in the work, each doing a share toward gaining a start and securing a home, and although many disasters over- took them, with courageous hearts and will- ing hands they pressed forward and to-day they are comfortably situated in a good home in Hutchinson, surrounded with many things which go to make life worth the liv- ing. After his losses of 1874 our subject engaged in general farming. In 1876 he had succeeded in gaining a good start and purchased a flock of sheep, but that enter- prise proved unprofitable. Again adversity overtook him in the flood of June, 1877, which destroyed all his crops. In 1878 he rented the farm and removed to Hutchin- son, where he engaged in the dairy business. There came then a change in his fortunes. For twenty-one years he carried on that en- terprise with steadily increasing success and acquired a handsome competence. In 1880 he sold his farm and purchased twenty acres of land in the city on Fourth avenue and kept from twenty-five to thirty head of cows, supplying the main city trade. In 1898 he sold out and retired from that business, but is now the gen-
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eral agent for the De Laval cream separator, a
most valuable · invention of great use in the creamery business. His agency covers the three counties of Reno, McPherson and Harvey. On retiring from the dairy business he erected his present comfortable home at No. 822 A avenue, east, where he has a nice little tract of land, arranged for irrigation. For six years he has engaged in the breeding of Shetland ponies.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Sickle have never had any children of their own but adopted a little girl, on whom they lavished all the love, care and attention which would have been given to their own children had they had any. This was Elsie Annetta, who was only two years old when she was taken to live with Mr. and Mrs. Van Sickle, remain- ing with them until her death, which oc- curred November 11, 1889, when fourteen years of age. Mr. Van Sickle has been hon- ored with public office. He was elected one of the first county commissioners and served for two consecutive terms. He was active in the organization of the first school district in the county, the district and school still bearing the name of the Van Sickle school and district, its location being in Val- ley township. His mother was the first woman to enter Hutchinson on a railroad train, riding from Newton on a Santa Fe construction train in June, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Van Sickle are indeed honored pio- neer people of Reno county. They have witnessed almost its entire development and improvement and have been important fac- tors in its upbuilding and progress, their names being indelibly engraved on its his- tory.
JOHN J. MARKHAM.
John J. Markham, an enterprising and prosperous farmer of Reno county, living on section 20, Center township, was born in Jackson county, Ohio, November 9, 1835, a son of Richard and Eleanor (Evans) Markham. The father was born in Vir- ginia and in early manhood removed to
Jackson county, Ohio, where he met and married Miss Evans, who was a native of Wales and in childhood was taken by her parents to the Buckeye state. In the midst of the forest he cleared a tract of land and developed a good farm. Subsequently he removed to Pike county, Ohio, where his death occurred in 1886. In his political faith he was a Democrat and in religious belief a Methodist, long holding member- ship with one of the churches of that de- nomination. The cause of education found in him a warm friend and he took an active part in public affairs as a promoter of all practical and progressive movements for the benefit of the community. In his family were ten children and with one exception all are yet living. Three of the sons, John J., David and Lewis, came to the west. David located in Butler county, Kansas, and Lewis and his sister, Mrs. Mary Jenkins, went to Andrew county, Missouri, where they are still living.
In the usual manner of farmer lads of the period, John J. Markham spent the days of his boyhood and youth, working in the fields through the summer months and at- tending school in the winter seasons. When he had attained his majority he began farming on his own account, operating land which belonged to his uncle, David Evans, until 1861. On the 15th of October, of that year, he put aside all personal considera- tions and offered his services to the goveril- ment as a defender of the Union, becoming first sergeant of Company E, Fifty-sixth Ohio Infantry, in which he afterward won promotion to the rank of second and then first lieutenant by reason of his meritorious conduct on the field of battle. He saw serv- ice at Fort Donelson, Shiloh and the siege of Corinth, and on the 24th of June, 1862, went to Helena, Arkansas, where he en- gaged in skirmishing and in doing patrol duty on the Mississippi river. He was on the Arkansas expedition until February, 1863, when with his command he crossed the Mississippi river and went to guard Yazoo pass, where they were stationed for two months, after which Mr. Markham and his comrades joined the army at Young's
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Point, Louisiana. He took part in the bat- tle of Port Gibson and fought the first real engagement of the Vicksburg campaign, and was wounded in the arm at that place. During that campaign he participated in the battles of Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hills and the siege of Vicksburg and was again at Jackson. When the campaign was ended he went down the Mississippi and was engaged in skirmishing and scouting at various places in the south until January, 1864, when he was granted a furlough and returned home, there remaining until the following April, when he rejoined his com- mand in western Louisiana. He took part in the Red River expedition under General Banks, after which the regiment was con- solidated into five companies, more than half its number having been lost through death, sickness or wounds. This left a sur- plus of officers and by general order Lieuten- ant Markham was discharged. He then went to Nashville, where he was appointed to a clerical position in the quartermaster's de- partment, thus serving for nine months, after which he was mustered out and re- turned home.
Thinking that he would enjoy better business opportunities in the west Mr. Markham came to Kansas in November, 1865, locating in Doniphan county, where his uncle, Vinton Evans, was living. The following year he purchased a farm in that county and carried on farming and stock- raising for two years. On the 27th of June, 1867, he further completed his arrange- ments for a home of his own by his mar- riage to Miss M. C. Hulan, a native of Maine, who went with her parents to Mis- souri in 1854, when only six years old. After his marriage Mr. Markham purchased a farm and two sons came to bless their home, James O. and Louis A., both yet with their parents.
Mr. Markham continued in the opera- tion of his land in Doniphan county until 1874 when he sold his property there and came to Reno county, securing a homestead claim-his present farm. He planted some sod corn, but that was the year of the grass- hopper plague and the insects entirely de-
stroyed the crop. He then returned to Don- iphan county, where he remained until the following spring, when he again hazarded his fortune in Reno county and this time met with better success. He has since engaged in the operation of his land in Center town- ship and in the raising of stock. He has a half section of land, much of which is under a high state of cultivation, the well tilled fields returning to him a good income and making him one of the prosperous farmers of the locality.
In his political views Mr. Markham has been a stalwart Republican since casting his first presidential vote, and he has filled the offices of justice of the peace and township trustee, long continuing in both positions, In the former his decisions have ever been strictly fair and impartial, neither fear nor favor biasing him in any degree. He has been a delegate to the county, congressional and state conventions and has done all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. For thirty years he has been a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, being at the present time connected with Cable Lodge, No. 299, F. & A. M., of Arlington, Kansas. He maintains pleasant relationship with his old army comrades through his association with the Grand Army of the Republic. He formerly be- longed to Joe Hooker Post and is a charter member of the S. Hatch Post, No. 178, G. A. R., of Partridge, and its only command- er, being continually elected to that posi- tion. He is a member of the Methodist church and his life is actuated by noble Christian principles.
ELMER EVERETT.
Elmer Everett is a leading farmer and stock-raiser of Center township, Reno coun- ty, and the history of his life may be summed up in the expression "through struggles to success." He has encountered many difficulties and obstacles, but gradual- ly he has overcome these and steadily worked his way upward until he now occu-
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pies a prominent position among the pros- perous agriculturists of the locality.
A native of Ohio, he was born in Trum- bull county, August 7, 1842, a son of Ben- jamin and Catherine (Lowrey) Everett, the former a native of New York and the latter of Trumbull county. In early man- hood the father went to the Buckeye state, where he married and resided until 1853, devoting his life to farming. He was quite prominent in local affairs and he was a sec- ond cousin of Edward Everett, the eminent statesman. His death occurred in Illinois in 1889 and his wife passed away about a year later. They were the parents of six children who lived to maturity, while five now survive: Ezra, a farmer and stock- raiser of Greeley county, Kansas ; Elmer, of this review; Lucy, the wife of Adam Mor- ton, a stockman of Cherry county, Ne- braska; Amos, who is extensively engaged in the breeding of fine horses in Greeley county, Kansas; Benjamin B., of Partridge, Reno county.
In 1853, when a lad of eleven summers, Elmer Everett accompanied his parents on their removal to Knox county, Illinois, where the father purchased land. Here he grew to man's estate, working in the fields through the summer months and when crops were harvested in the fall entering the public schools. Five days before he had attained the age of twenty years he enlisted for sery- ice in the Union Army, being enrolled, in August, 1862, as a member of Company K, Eighty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel Harding, while later Colonel Arthur Smith, of Galesburg, Illinois, com- manded the regiment. He participated in the second battle of Fort Donelson, when General Forrest attempted to capture the fort. His regiment hield the battery against a force of ten thousand men from one o'clock in the afternoon until ten o'clock at night. The Eighty-third was then left to occupy the fort, where they spent a year and a half, also doing skirmishing and gar- rison duty in that vicinity. They drove Forrest from Tennessee when General Hood attempted to capture Nashville and the regiment did effective service in keeping
him from crossing the Cumberland. Mr. Everett remained with the Army of the Cumberland under Generals Rosecrans, Thomas and Sherman and after General Lee's surrender was stationed at Nashville for two months, doing guard and provost duty. He was mustered out at that place and discharged at Camp Douglas, Chicago, July 5, 1865. Mr. Everett enlisted as a pri- vate and was mustered out as corporal. He spent eighteen months in 1863-4 on de- tached duty in the topographical engineers' corps, making a military map of Stewart and Montgomery counties, Tennessee. He was ever a faithful soldier, fearless in the discharge of his duty and his military record is a creditable one.
Returning to Knox county, Illinois, Mr. Everett remained upon his father's farnı for a year. He was married April 19, 1869, to Miss Nellie Axtell, of Warren county, Illinois, and unto them have been born three children; Arthur C., Leo G., and Elvessie. After his marriage Mr. Everett located in Knox county for five years, engaged in gen- eral farming and stock-raising. He invested all that he had in live stock, but the high prices which prevailed just after the war and the subsequent shrinkage in values caused him to lose all that he had. He then resolved to try his fortune in the west, where land could be obtained almost for the asking. He arrived in Reno county, in September, 1874 and located a homestead and timber claim, forming the nucleus of his present fine farm. Of this twelve acres had been broken and that fall he planted wheat. He then returned to Illinois, spend- ing the winter with his family, who had re- mained there while he made preparation for a home and who accompanied him on his re- turn in the spring of 1875. A small box house had been built on the place by the man who had first owned the land and this was their residence for eighteen months, when it was replaced by a more commodious and comfortable dwelling. Mr. Everett could find no suitable team for breaking sod, and on the Ist of April, 1875, he start- ed out on foot with money in his pocket to purchase oxen. He made his way
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across the prairie to Wichita, but could get nothing there and then proceeded in the same way to Wellington with no better suc- cess. Therefore he went to the Indian Ter- ritory, to Oxford on the Arkansas river, where he succeeded in buying a yoke of oxen and an old log wagon for one hundred and ten dollars, while a second team was purchased for one hundred dollars. When leaving home Mr. Everett had ex- pected to secure a team in Wichita and to return in three days, but was gone eleven days, during which time he traveled about one hundred and fifty miles on foot. His wife was almost in despair, having given up all hope of seeing him alive again, for she knew that he had money with him and that the country was infested with desperadoes and lawless people, and when she heard the creak of the old wagon as he drove home, it was indeed to her a welcome sound.
With his four oxen Mr. Everett turned the sod at a rapid rate and broke thirty acres in time for planting to sod corn, while eighty acres more had been placed under the plow by the time fall came on. Of this he "back set" seventy-five acres and planted wheat. This yielded him about twenty-five bushels per acre, which sold for from eighty to a dollar and ten cents per bushel. He continued breaking and improving his land with marked energy and perseverance and within three years he had two hundred acres under cultivation. He experienced, how- ever, three partial failures of crops, owing to hail and drouth and this led him in a measure to abandon grain raising and give his attention to the raising of stock, which is now the principal department of his busi- ness. For the last twenty years he has kept on hand from one hundred to two hundred head of cattle, raising high grade short- horns. In 1882 he purchased some cows of high grade and by the use of the best thor- oughbred males he has produced a herd that is thoroughbred in all but name. He was one of the first in Reno county to introduce improved stock and his work has been of the greatest possible benefit, for by raising
the standard of the stock kept by farmers he has been the means of securing better prices and thus contributing to the general prosperity. He has also brought to the county thoroughbred Poland China and Berkshire swine and thorough-bred horses, both draft and roadsters. Mr. Everett has added to his original tract of land a half sec- tion of railroad land and now has altogether in one body six hundred and forty acres on sections fourteen and twenty-three, Center township, Reno county. He also owns a section in Troy township which is cultivated in parts and also used for grazing purposes.
Mr. Everett has ever manifested an ac- tive and commendable interest in public and political affairs but is not in the commonly accepted sense of the term a politician. He returned from the war on a furlough in order to cast his first presidential vote, which sup- ported Lincoln and since that time he has been an ardent Republican, unfaltering in his advocacy of the principles of the party. At the urgent solicitation of his friends he has served in a number of offices. In 1875, immediately after coming to the county, he was elected justice of the peace, in which capacity he remained for five years, while in 1876 he was elected county commissioner and filled that position for two consecutive terms of three years each. He was sent as a delegate to various county, judicial, con- gressional and state conventions until he refused absolutely to serve longer. He has served as the leading officer in both the local organizations of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen to which he belongs and is a val- ued representative of Joe Hooker Post, No. 17, G. A. R., of Hutchinson. In religious work he has also taken an active and helpful part, has long been a member of the official board of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Partridge and has been superintendent and teacher of the Sunday-school. He is one of the solid and substantial citizens of Reno county-a self-made man, who owes his success entirely to earnest labor, honor- able purpose and perseverance. The years have proven his sterling worth as a man and
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a citizen and no one is more deserving of representation in this volume than the hon- ored pioneer, the loyal soldier and prominent farmer-Elmer Everett.
GEORGE TOWNSEND.
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George Townsend, a well known repre- sentative of the farming interests of Reno county, owns and onerates a half section of land in Lincoln township. More than half the width of the continent separates him from his birthplace, for he was born in Lincoln county, on the Kennebec river, in Maine, January 8, 1830, his parents being Benjamin and Lvdia (Ridley) Townsend, who were also natives of the Pine Tree state and represent old and honored fam- ilies of New England. The grandparents of our subject on both sides spent their en- tire lives in Maine and all were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. John Ridley, the maternal grand- father was a farmer bv occupation. Ben- jamin Townsend was born in Lincoln coun- ty and he,too, engaged in agricultural pur- suits. Like many residents of that state he also devoted a part of his time to a sea- faring life. In winter seasons he made a number of voyages to the West Indies and was also connected with the coast trade.
In his early youth George Townsend spent the winter months in school, having to walk a distance of three miles each morn- ing and evening in order to secure his ed- ucation. When a youth of fourteen he went as "boy" on a coasting voyage of a few months and then shipped as "royal boy" on the B. B. Medcalf, a sailing vessel bound for San Francisco, carrying mining sup- plies, for gold had been discovered there and men from all sections of the country were flocking to the mines. Sailing by way of Cape Horn, after a voyage of one hundred and fifty-seven days they reached the harbor of San Francisco. Remaining only long enough to unload and secure a new crew, the old crew having deserted for the mines, the vessel started on the return
trip, stopping at Callao, in Chili, and from there going to the Chinci Islands, where they loaded a cargo of guano, returning to Callao to "clear" for Cork Island. They proceeded to New Orleans, where they un- loaded and there Mr. Townsend left the old vessel and reshipped on a vessel carrying cot- ton and bound for the port of Boston, which Mr. Townsend reached after an absence of a year and a half. When he first sailed he received only four dollars per month, but when he returned he was receiving fourteen dollars a month, the same as the men before the mast, for he was performing duties similar to theirs.
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