A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 83

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

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With a most creditable military record Mr. Dorr returned to his father's home, where he made a pleasant visit, but the same year went to Iowa, where he was employed as a farm hand. Later he purchased some raw land and improved a farm. This he afterward sold in order to turn his attention to merchandising, and subsequently lie dis-

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posed of his store and went to Nebraska, where he engaged in the same line of busi- ness until 1868, at which time he returned to Iowa. In Mills county, in the latter state, he married Miss Nancy E. Lookabill, a lady of intelligence and culture, who was born in Putnam county, Indiana, March 28, 1845, being a daughter of Jacob and Mary A. ( Wilson) Lookabill, natives of North Car- olina and Kentucky, respectively. They were married in Indiana and in 1847 he and his wife went to Iowa, locating in Wapello county. There the father secured a land warrant which he located, and improved a farm, which he later sold, going thence to Mills county, Iowa, where he developed an- other farm, upon which he spent his remain- ing days. He died in 1865, having survived his wife some time. They had three chil- dren : Nancy E., now Mrs. Dorr; Sarilda, the deceased wife of J. Moore, a soldier of the Civil war; and Cynthia, the wife of J. Smith. The father had been previously married and the children of that union were : Christopher, who was a Union soldier ; Da- vid; Samuel; Jane, the wife of William An- derson; and Elizabeth, the wife of J. Ad- kins. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Dorr has been blessed with three sons: William, a railroad agent, who was born June 8, 1869; Walter J., born August 4, 1870, and now operating the home farm ; and Edmond T., who was born March 26, 1872, and is also following farming.

After his marriage Mr. Dorr remained in Mills county, Iowa, until 1879, when he removed to Kansas, settling in Rice county. Here he purchased two hundred and forty acres of raw prairie land from the railroad company. It is located in Mitchell town- ship and is yet his place of abode. He brought with him to the county two two- horse teams and his household goods, and thus he had everything with which to begin life in the Sunflower state. He first erected a small house and engaged in breaking prairie, after which he took up his farm work in earnest, and his place has been self-sus- taining ever since. When he came here all farming was carried on on a small scale and much was said about failures, but undaunted

by this he worked on with unfaltering pur- pose and strong energy, and, although some years crops have proved a failure, he has al- ways had enough to support the family, and many years his labors have been crowned with success and brought to him a rich finan- cial reward. He carried on general farming and stock-raising, and altogether his career has been a successful one. He to-day owns a half section of valuable land, all under fence and highly cultivated. He has remod- eled and enlarged the house and now has a commedicus and attractive residence, in the rear of which stand good barns and out- buildings, and an orchard and grove add to the value and attractive appearance of the farm, which is pleasantly and conveniently situated two miles north of Mitchell. Pros- perity has crowned his endeavors and he is now one of the prominent citizens of his community. He is both widely and favor- ably known and commands the confidence and respect of all. Politically he is inde- pendent, supporting the men whom he thinks best fitted for office, regardless of party affil- iations. He has filled many township offices, including that of township trustee, and no obligation or trust reposed in him has ever been betrayed. Both he and his wife are consistent and devoted members of the Meth- odist church in Mitchell, doing what they can to support and advance the cause of Christianity. In social circles they have made many friends and well deserve men- tion in this volume.

JAMES M. RAMSEY.

James M. Ramsey, a retired farmer re- siding in Sterling, was born in Preble coun- ty, Ohio, July 9, 1831. His father, David Ramsey, is now nearly ninety years of age and makes his home in Fairhaven, Ohio. He married Miss Mary Marshall, who died about 1841, leaving five children, but only two of the number are yet living, namely : James M. and the youngest child, Joseph Ramsey, who is now living in Morning Sun, Ohio.

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The subject of this review was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He also received a com- mon-school education. In 1864 he respond- ed to his country's call for troops, enlisting in the One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Ohio Infantry, with which he remained for five months. In the meantime he had married the lady of his choice, Miss Martha J. Gil- more, who was born in Preble county, Ohio, in 1835, a daughter of Samuel B. and Mar- garet (McMecham) Gilmore, both of whom are now deceased. The father died in 1836, leaving to the care of his widow their four children, of whom only two are now living, the brother of Mrs. Ramsey being James I. Gilmore, who is living near Campbellsville, Kentucky. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey was celebrated in their native coun- ty, November 17, 1852, and has been blessed with eight children, six of whom are now living: David A., who follows carpenter- ing in Sterling, has a wife and three living children and has lost one child; Charles G., a carpenter of Santa Ana, California, lfas six living children ; James E., a merchant of Lincoln county, Tennessee, also has six chil- dren; Joseph H. is married and resides in Gridley. Coffey county, Kansas; O. H., who is engaged in the operation of his father's farm in Anderson county, Kansas, is mar- ried and has two sons; and Mary A., who completes the family, is at home.

James M. Ramsey of this review fol- lowed agricultural pursuits in Ohio until 1872, when he went to Lincoln county, Ten- nessee, and there became the owner of a farm of two hundred and sixty-nine acres, upon which he resided for twelve years. On the expiration of that period he sold the prop- erty and came to Kansas, settling in Ander- son county, where he purchased eighty acres. upon which his son now resides. In Jan- uary, 1895, he removed to Sterling and pur- chased a village lot, to which his son re- moved his residence from Ness county, a distance of one hundred miles. This son lives upon the adjoining lot. Mr. Ramsey and his son are Republicans in their polit- ical affiliations, and he is identified with the

Grand Army of the Republic. He has served as road supervisor in three different states, but has never aspired to public office, pre- ferring to devote his attention to his busi- ness affairs, in which he has met with cred- itable success. He and his family hold mem- bership in the United Presbyterian church.

CHARLES T. KENDALL, M. D.

Professional advancement has been vouchsafed to Dr. Kendall, who is engaged in practice in Hollyrood. Close application, earnest and discriminating study and broad human sympathy have been the concomi- tants which have secured to him success, and he now occupies a high position in the ranks of his professional brethren. The Doctor is a native of Bedford, Ohio, and a son of William and Eliza R. (Fritts) Ken- dall, the former a native of the Buckeye. state and the latter of Virginia. The fa- ther served for four years in the Civil war as a member of the Thirty-third Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, and since 1878 he has been engaged in the stock business in Kansas and Colorado, his present home being at Garden City, Kansas. In the family are five children : James, who is now associ- ated with his father in business; W. E., a practicing dentist of Wilson, Kansas; Sal- lie; Charles T. ; and Mary R.

Dr. Kendall, of this review, was a child of only two years when brought by his par- ents to the Sunflower state, and during his youth he assisted his father in the cattle business. He acquired his education in the public schools, completing his literary ed- ucation in the high school of Clay Center, and in 1895 he entered the medical depart- ment of the University of Denver, where he spent two years. On the expiration of that period he matriculated in the medical col- lege of St. Louis, where he won his degree in 1899. Immediately afterward he opened an office in Hollyrood and has since given his entire attention to the general practice of medicine and surgery. He has met with more than an ordinary degree of success,

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Those. Kendall MS.

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having established a high reputation for skill and ability, winning prestige that many an older physician might well envy. His practice in town and country is large and of a lucrative character, and lie is widely recognized as one of the capable and suc- cessful physicians of the county. He is a member of Hollyrood Lodge, No. 343, F. & A. M., and he exercises his right of fran- chise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party.

SOLOMON STONE.

Not only has the subject of this all too short sketch seen Kansas grow from a wild country, with only a few white inhabitants, to a rich agricultural country, containing thousands of good homes and acres of grow- ing towns, inhabited by an industrious, pros- perous, enlightened and progressive people, but he has participated in and assisted the slow, persistent work of development which was necessary to produce a change which is so complete that it has come to be popularly referred to as magical.

Twenty-nine years have passed since Solomon Stone arrived in Rice county, and throughout the entire period he has been classed among the valued and influential cit- izens. He was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, July 24, 1845, and represents one of the old and honored families of the Keystone state. He is descended from good old Revolutionary stock, for his paternal grandfather, a native of Pennsylvania, served for seven years with the Colonial army in its attempt to win American inde- pendence-an attempt which was ultimately crowned with a brilliant victory and resulted in the establishment of the grandest repub- lic on the face of the globe. He was a coop- er by trade, an honest farmer and a loyal citizen, and his descendants certainly have every reason to be proud of this ancestor. His children were: John, Michael, James, Adam, Peter, Mrs. Margaret Fultz and Eliz- abeth, the wife of Rev. Steele.

John Stone, the father of our subject,

was also born in the Keystone state and spent his boyhood days in his parents' home, becoming familiar with the work of cooper- ing under his father's directions. He pos- sessed considerable mechanical ability and was energetic and industrious in carrying on his agricultural pursuits. He married Miss Catherine Beegle, who was born and reared in Pennsylvania. Her parents were consist- ent members of the Lutheran church, and in their family were seven children, namely : Catherine; Benjamin, who died in Ohio; Charles, Solomon and Frederick, who passed away in Pennsylvania; Mrs. Rebecca Sha- fer ; and Mrs. Phebe Rosenfield. Through- out his entire life John Stone, Jr., resided upon the old family homestead. He was a sturdy, industrious man and gave his undi- vided attention to his business affairs, and his record was as an open book, containing no blotted or turned down pages. He, too, held membership in the Lutheran church and his wife was a consistent Christian of the same religious faith. They had seven children : John, who died in 1862; Mahala, now Mrs. Anders; Daniel, who died in Bar- ber county, Kansas, in September, 1901 ; Reuben, who died in Otcober, 1901, in Ohio; Mrs. Rebecca Beegle, of Pennsylvania; Washington, deceased; and Solomon.

The last named remained in the east dur- ing his early boyhood and youth, continu- ing with his parents until seventeen years of age, when he determined to seek a fortune in the west and made his way to Illinois. There he engaged in the operation of rented land for a time and afterward went to Min- nesota, where he was employed in a brick yard. In 1866 he entered the service of the bridge company engaged on the construc- tion of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad in Iowa. For nine months he was with the company and then returned to Illi- nois, where again he engaged in farming, that industry occupying his attention until 1873, when he arrived in Kansas and lo- cated a homestead in Rice county. He built thereon a small house and began the work of improving his claim. The same year he returned to Illinois and in 1874 he secured as a companion and helpmate for the jour-

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ney of life Miss Diana L. Kaiser, a lady of intelligence and culture, who was born in Ohio, February 10, 1850, her parents being John S. and Diana ( Miller) Kaiser. Her father was a native of Switzerland and was a son of Rev. John and Ann ( Simmons) Kaiser, both of whom were also natives of the land of the Alps. The grandfather de- voted his early life to teaching the higher branches of learning. After coming to the new world and attaining to man's estate John Kaiser, the father of Mrs. Stone, was married to Miss Diana Miller, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and was a daughter of Scott Miller. He, too, was born in the Keystone state and was of Ger- man descent. His wife bore the family name of Williams prior to her marriage. In 1864 Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser removed to Illinois and he purchased a tract of land, devoting his energies to agricultural pursuits from that time until his death, which occurred May 14, 1890, when he was sixty-six years of age, his birth having occurred in 1824. His wife survived him until May 26, 1897, when she, too, was called away. She held mem- bership in the Methodist Episcopal church. They had six children : John A., of Illinois ; Marion, who is living at Homestead, Illi- nois ; Diana L., now Mrs. Stone; Lucy, the wife of S. Baxter; Anna, the wife of D. Payne; and Clarissa, who married S. Bax- ter, she being his first wife, and after her death he married her sister Lucy. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stone have been born two children, Ivan L. and Silver S.

Soon after his marriage Mr. Stone brought his bride to his Kansas home and has remained continuously since upon his farm. He entered the first claim in the neighborhood and made the first improve- ment upon land in this section of the county. The prairie was a billowy sea of grass, and some game was yet to be secured, while wild beasts roamed at will over the country. The nearest postoffice was at Atlanta and the pioneer settlers made their purchases at Sterling. Not long after Mr. Stone began farming the grasshoppers destroyed every- thing green: his young trees and hedges were stripped of their foliage and crops were

completely ruined. To meet expenses until another year had passed and crops were again ready to be harvested required econ- omical management and strong determina- tion, but this was done by Mr. and Mrs. Stone, who with resolute purpose had come to the county to make their home. They bore heroically the hardships and difficulties of pioneer life, and as the years passed the labors of Mr. Stone have resulted in the de- velopment of his rich and productive farm. He has always been able to raise corn with the exception of one year, and his wheat crops have been uniformly good. He has also raised hogs to some extent. Splendid improvements have been placed upon his property, including the erection of a com- modious two-story frame residence, which was the first house of any pretension in the neighborhood. He also built a large barn and other outbuildings and has added many conveniences, including the latest improved machinery, and an orchard and a grove are among the attractive features of his place. One of the most desirable farming proper- ties in Rice county to-day is that now owned by Mr. Stone. He has added to his land until he now owns four hundred acres of good land, all under a high state of cultiva- tion. In the management of his affairs he has manifested excellent business ability and executive force and is recognized as a cap- able financier. In his political affiliations he was formerly a Republican, but is now an advocate of the Reform party. He has served as justice of the peace, but has never aspired to political notoriety.

THOMAS J. WILLETT.

Thomas J. Willett, a resident farmer of Valley township, Rice county, making his home on section 3. was born in Mead coun- ty, Kentucky, on the banks of the Ohio river, forty miles below Louisville, at the Willett Landing, which place was named in honor of his grandfather. His natal day was May 25. 1837. His grandfather, Richard Wil- lett, was a native of Maryland and wedded

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a Miss Esery. They became the parents of seven sons and one daughter who reached mature years, the number including James E. Willett, the father of our subject, who was born in the interior of the country in 1804, when that state was in its primitive condition, the work of civilization and prog- ress having but just been begun. He mar- ried Lydia A. Stout, who was born in Ken- tucky, in 1811, and their marriage was blessed with twelve children, of whom eight sons and two daughters grew to manhood and womanhood. Four of the sons are yet living, namely : Thomas Jefferson ; Edward A., who resides near Lawrence, Kansas; R. S., who makes his home in South Dakota; and George W., of Poweshiek county, Iowa. There is also a sister, Mrs. Lydia A. Mc- Whorter, who resides in Miller county, South Dakota, and is the youngest of the family. The father died in 1854, and his remains were interred at Jacksonville, Illi- nois. His wife, long surviving him, passed away December 11, 1897, at the age of eighty-six years, and was laid to rest in a cemetery at Montezuma, Poweshiek county, Iowa.

Thomas Jefferson Willett acquired a fair education in Aledo, Illinois, where he at- tended a boarding school, devoting the great- er part of his attention to the mastery of his studies until his majority. He afterward en- gaged in teaching for two terms and he re- mained with his mother until his marriage, which occurred in July, 1867, Miss Sarah A. Dunning becoming his wife. She was born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, in March, 1837, a daughter of Hugh and Phebe ( McElhany ) Dunning. Six children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Willett, namely : Wirtie, who for a number of years was a very successful school teacher; Do- cia, the wife of J. H. Herner, of Oklahoma ; Delpha, a teacher living at home: Rowe, a farmer of Center township, Rice county, who was married March 18, 1901 ; Katy, who is teaching in the home district; and Hugh, of Harper county, Kansas, who is married and has one daughter.

Mr. and Mrs. Willett were married in Illinois, but soon afterward removed to

Iowa, where he and his brother, George W., purchased two hundred and eighty acres of rich land. After farming there for nine years he sold his property and the business relations between the brothers were severed. They settled upon separate farms and our subject continued to engage in the cultivation of the fields until 1878. when he disposed of his property and in the spring of 1879 came to Rice county, arriv- ing on the 16th of March. Here he oper- ated a farm belonging to his wife's brother and later purchased the quarter section of land on section 3. Valley township, which he yet owns and on which he has since made his home with the exception of three years spent on the Strip in Oklahoma, where he secured a quarter section of land. He is a progress- ive and wide-awake agriculturist and his fields are under a high state of cultivation. In politics he is a Republican and has served as school director, but while he keeps well informed on the issues of the day he has never been an office seeker.

JOHN BLACKHALL.

John Blackhall, who follows farming in Sterling township, Rice county, was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the 13th of Oc- tober, 1836, and in his life exemplifies some of the strongest and best characteristics of the Scottish nation, being persistent, trust- worthy and reliant. He remained in he land of his birth until nineteen years of age, when, in 1855. he took passage on a sailing vessel which weighed anchor in Liverpool, and after eight weeks and three days reached the harbor of New York. His father died when his son was only four years of age, and at an early period in his career Mr. Blackhall began earning his own livelihood. He was the first of his family to seek a home in the new world. Three years afterward his elder brother came to Amerca, locating in California. where he prospered in his under- takings. He then sent money for the mother and the other children to come. Mrs. Black- hall reared all of her ten children by two

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marriages and is now the widow Meever. By her second union she had five children. She makes her home in the state of Washing- ton with her youngest daughter and has reached the very advanced age of ninety- four years. She was left without means on the death of her first husband, but she man- aged to keep her family together and provide them with fair educational privileges and thus fit them for life's practical duties. Eight of her children are still living.

John Blackhall was only thirteen years of age when he began work in a fabric fac- tory, but within two years he ran away and secured a situation at herding cattle. In the summer he was thus employed and in the winter he acted as a shepherd, receiving five dollars for six months' services, together with his board. When he left Scotland he was receiving about seven pounds or forty- two dollars for six months labor, and he was an able man in all kinds of farm work. Thinking that it would be long before he could make a start in life in his native coun- try in that way he resolved to seek a home in the new world. For six years he resided in Canada and there won a first premium as a ploughman. In Hamilton, Canada, he was united in marriage, in 1860, to Miss Margaret Thompson, a native of Scotland, born near Balmoral Castle, in 1830.

While residing in Canada and after his marriage Mr. Blackhall engaged in the cul- tivation of rented land. He then removed to Marquette county, Michigan, where he and his wife conducted a boarding house for a time and he also worked out by the day. In 1876 he arrived in Sterling township, Rice county, Kansas. Soon afterward he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land adjoining his present farm, for which he paid one thousand dollars, giving two hundred dollars for his stock. His present farm comprises three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, and his two sons own a half section each in Kansas and Oklahoma. Mr. and Mrs. Blackhall have lost one son, Andrew, who died at the age of eighteen months. Their living children are: Henry is an enterprising, reliable farmer of thirty- seven years and now owns three hundred and

twenty acres of rich land near the old home- stead. His place is improved with good buildings and he has four thousand bushels of wheat in his granaries. His principal crops are wheat, corn and oats, and he works six horses in the care of his farm. The sec- ond member of the family is Mary, a young lady at home. The younger son, William J., has one hundred and sixty acres of land adjoining the old home place and a quarter section in the Strip in Oklahoma. He wed- ded Elizabeth Ransom, who resided in this neighborhood, and they now have a daugh- ter and two sons, who are the pride of the parents and grandparents.

Mr. Blackhall of this review has been a Republican since attaining the right of fran- chise in America. He was reared a Presby- terian, but has been a liberal contributor to the support of the Methodist Episcopal church and toward the building of its new house of worship. He came to America a young man without capital and had no in- fluential friends to aid him, but he relied upon earnest labor to give him a start and through persistent effort he has gained a very handsome competence, being now num- bered among the substantial citizens of his adopted county.

CAPTAIN J. F. LEWIS.

There is particular satisfaction in revert- ing to the life history of the honored and es- teemed subject of this sketch, since his mind bears the impress of the historical annals of the state of Kansas from the early pioneer days and from the fact that he has been a loyal son of the Republic and has attained a good position of distinctive prominence in the thriving little city of Great Bend, where he located in 1873 and where he has retained his residence until the present time. He is now engaged in the loan, land and insurance business, and to a greater degree than almost any other resident of the community he has aided in the progress of this section of the state. It was on the 7th of November, 1873, that he came to Barton county and entered

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 83

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