A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 88

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 88

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Samuel Overton, the grandfather of our subject, was born in West Virginia and went as a pioneer to Indiana, his family consist- ing of three sons and three daughters. One

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of the sons was Abner Overton, who be- came our subject's father, and he was born at Pekin, Indiana, about 1815, and died there in 1862. He married Nancy Crotts, who was a daughter of Valentine Crotts, a native of Tennessee and one of the early. pioneers from that state in Indiana. Our subject's parents were farmers and reared a family of six children, these being as fol- lows: William, who is a resident of Pekin, Indiana; Mrs. Caroline Bierley, who lives in Indiana ; Benjamin Franklin, of this sketch; Mrs. Mary Bell, who resides in Providence, Indiana; Mrs. Sarah Hedrick, who lives in Fredonia, Kansas; and Mrs. Lizzie Monical, who died in the state of Washington. In 1859 the mother of this family died, and the father was married a second time, one child being born to this union, Charles Overton.

When only twelve years of age Benjamin left home, this being in 1862, and hired out to a neighboring farmer for fifteen dollars a month, and for eleven years he remained in the old neighborhood, among friends who had known him from childhood, working on farms by the month. His industry and cor- rect habits of life won him many friends and when he left that locality in 1874 to come to Kansas there were many who wished him well. He located in this state in February, 1874, and first took up a quarter section of homestead land one-half a mile east of Lang- don, and he later took up a pre-emption claim of one hundred and sixty acres. For seven- teen years he continued to follow farming, with varying success, leaving that line about 1891 to embark in the general mercantile business in Olcott. In 1900 the business'was removed to Langdon, the company, which had been formed in 1896, remaining the same, the firm style continuing as Overton & Company. Since then Mr. Overton has been one of the leading business citizens of this community, has built up a large and lu- crative trade and is one of the substantial men of this locality. In addition to his mer- cantile business he also owns and conducts the Langdon House, at Langdon. It is a two-story frame building and is the only hotel in the town.

The marriage of Mr. Overton occurred

in March, 1873, to Margarette Charles, of Martinsburg, Indiana, and four children have been born to this union, namely : Charles Edward, who resides in Sego, Kan- sas, unmarried ; Ila, who is Mrs. Wilkinson, of Olcott, and has two children; Susie, a young lady at home ; and John William, who is eleven years old and is one of the bright pupils of the public school in Langdon. In his political sympathies our subject is a stanch Republican, and he has efficiently served as school director and has taken a deep interest in educational matters. The religious home of the family is in the Meth- odist church, to which Mrs. Overton is a most liberal supporter. He has witnessed some wonderful changes since first coming to Kansas, and is one of those still remain- ing who hunted buffaloes in this section. He recalls one drove of several hundred in this immediate locality, where their feeding grounds are now covered by elegant resi- dences, churches, school houses and commer- cial edifices.

BENJAMIN WRIGHT.

The fertility and desirability of the farm- ing lands of Reno county, Kansas, has long been demonstrated, and one of the success- ful, retired agriculturists of this region is Benjamin Wright, who resides in great com- fort upon his fine eighty-acre farm in Miami township, on section 1, near the prospering town of Turon.

The birth of Benjamin Wright occurred in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, on April 5. 1836, and is a son of Benjamin and Phœbe (Logan) Wright, the former of whom was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1787, and died in Loyalsock, Lycoming

county, Pennsylvania, in 1871, The mother of our subject was Phoebe Logan, who was

born in the same locality, but she died, with an infant daughter, when our subject was but two years of age, having borne ten chiil- dren. Benjamin and his brother Amos are all of the first family still remaining. The father, still vigorous, soon married Eunice Farnsworth, who was a native of Pennsyl-

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vania, and she bore him three sons and three daughters, the entire family of sixteen chil- dren growing to maturity, with the exception of one. A brother, Amos, has reached the age of seventy-seven years and lives retired with his sons, after a life of agriculture.

Until he was fourteen years of age Ben- jamin Wright remained under the home roof although he spent several years in occasional work for farmers in the neighborhood, the family at home being so numerous that his help was not always needed on the homestead farm. Among the first to display a loyal spirit and love of country at the outbreak of the Civil war was this farmer boy, and on August 4, 1861, he became a member of Company K, Forty-second Illinois In- fantry, remaining in the service for three years and two months. It is not within the possibilities for Mr. Wright to ever for- get those years. The terrible day at Chick- amauga was made memorable to him by a serious wound he there received, a musket ball piercing his side, the ball not being re- moved until three months later. For six months this brave soldier suffered in the hos- pital and narrowly escaped death from gan- grene, many of the methods now employed with success by the surgeons not having been discovered or successfully put in practice in time to aid the wounded heroes of those days. At present he receives, most justly, thirty dollars a month, but until 1883 it was only eight dollars, later was raised to twelve, and now is as above mentioned.

In 1884 Mr. Wright settled on eighty acres of school land on section 16, in Miami township, but lived in Turon for twelve years. He came to his present farm of eighty acres, for which he paid fifteen hun- dred dollars, in the spring of 1901. This land he does not attempt to farm but rents it, and as needed exercise takes care of his horse, his two cows, his pigs and his chick- ens, enjoying thus the benefits of a country life without its hard work.

In 1881, in this state, Mr. Wright was married to Miss Emma Terry, who was born in Livingston county, Illinois, on No- vember 13, 1867, a daughter of Frank Ter- ry, a native of Alabama; although now a

resident of Norton county, Kansas, coming thither from Illinois in the spring of 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Terry have had a family of eleven children, nine of whom still survive. Although Mrs. Wright was a bride of only fourteen years, she has developed into a most capable housewife, and renders her husband a cheerful and loving companion- ship. She is a lady of most estimable qual- ities, was educated in this state, and is a most worthy and consistent member of the Christian church. Mr. Wright is an honored member of the Grand Army of the Re- public.

MILLARD F. BAIN.

More than twenty-four years have passed since Millard F. Bain came to Kansas, and throughout this long period he has been most actively connected with the business interests of Reno county, and his labors have con- tributed largely to its upbuilding and im- provement. He was born in the city of Phil- adelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 19th of July, 1856. His father, John W. Bain, was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, September 19, 1810, and his death occurred in the city of Philadelphia on the 7th of September, 1866. He was general superintendent of the coal department of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, having charge of twenty-one wharves and about three thousand men. He was popular with his men and was a well known and highly respected official. He wedded Caroline Yeager, also a native of Reading, Pennsylvania, born on the 7th of September, 1817, and her death occurred October 22, 1875. They were the parents of five children, four sons and one daughter, but the latter died in infancy. The eldest son, Charles Bain, is employed in the navy yard in Philadelphia, and has two sons and two daughters. John Bain, Jr., the second son, spent three years in the service of his country during the Civil war, participated in many important battles and held the rank of sergeant. He had many narrow escapes from death, and at one time his cap was shot off his head. He is also a resident of

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Philadelphia, and has two sons and one daughter. J. Milton Bain gave his life as a sacrifice to his country during the rebellion, and a monument erected to his memory in the I. O. O. F. cemetery at Philadelphia bears the following inscription: "Died, March 24. 1862, J. Milton Bain, aged twen- ty-three years." At his death he left a young widow. The father of this family was also a valiant soldier in the Civil war, in which he held an officer's commission.

Millard F. Bain, whose name introduces this review, was a student in the high school of his native city, and also attended a select school there. His father was in comfort- able circumstances and was able to provide his children with excellent educational priv- ileges. The mother remained true to her husband's memory during the remainder of her life. At the age of sixteen years our subject entered the largest print and dye works in Philadelphia, and when failing health caused him to leave that establish- ment some years later he held the second highest position there. In 1877 he came to the SunHower state in search of health, and he immediately located on one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm, which was then wild and nnimproved land, paying two hundred and ten dollars for the tract. On the place was a sod shanty, but in the fol- lowing year Mr. Bain erected a small frame house twelve by fourteen feet, in which he made his home for a number of years. As the years have passed he has added to his original purchase until he now owns two hundred and forty acres, all of which is under a fine state of cultivation, and there he is extensively engaged in general farm- ing and stock-raising. He usually keeps about forty head of short-horn cattle of a high grade, and is now breeding some fine animals crossed with the Hereford breed. He also has from ten to fifteen horses upon his place. His farm is one of the handsome country seats of the locality. and the place is adorned with a beautiful grove of cotton- wood, box elder, catalpa and mulberry trees, which were all planted by his own hands.

On the 25th of November. 1879, on Thanksgiving day, Mr. Bain was united in

marriage with Mis Ida Posey, who was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, on the 3Ist of October, 1862, a daughter of Owen and Margaret ( Louders ) Posey, natives also of the Keystone state. In January, 1877, they came to Kansas, where they remained for a few years and then returned to Pennsylva- nia. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Bain has been blessed with nine children, namely : Carrie, the wife of Fred Baker, who resides on the Bain homestead, and they have a lit- tle daugliter ; Anna, a young lady at home ; John, who died when an infant; Mabel, a young lady of fifteen years ; Edna and Etliel, aged respectively thirteen and eleven years ; Lydia, who died at the age of two years; Willie, who is now six years of age; and Mildred, a bright little girl of three years. Mr. and Mrs. Bain and their three eldest children are members of the United Breth- ren church. In his social relations he is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has been a life long Repub- lican, the party having been organized in the same year in which he was born, and he has been the choice of his party for a number of public positions, having served for four terms as trustee of his township, while he now holds the office of commissioner of the third district. He is a man of broad general information, well informed on the issues of the day and a reliable, public-spirited and loyal citizen who withholds his support from no movement calculated to advance the moral, material, educational or social wel- fare of liis city, state or nation.

SAMUEL J. MORRIS.

Since 1874 Samuel J. Morris, of this biography, has been a resident of Reno county, Kansas, well and widely known, and distinguished as one of the gallant sol- diers of the Civil war, both he and his hon- ored father having displayed a loyalty many citizens lacked in those exacting times, and the latter died a victim to its hardships.

The birth of Mr. Morris occurred on March 11, 1845. in Monroe county, Ohio,

Alanis

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and he is a son of Jacob and Mary A. ( Mitchell) Morris. The family is an old one in America and has been a distinguished one in the Carolinas, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. His grandfather, Isaac Morris, was a pioneer in Ohio, and there reared his family. His father, Jacob Morris, was born in that state, followed farming, and was there married to Mary A. Mitchell, from which union were born two sons-Samuel J. and William H.

Samuel J. Morris was educated in the public schools of his native state, and was but a lad at the outbreak of the Civil war, and was one of the first to show his loyalty when the call came for troops. In April, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Ninth In- diana Infantry, his father joining Company G, Seventy-fourth Indiana Infantry, in 1862, entering the Army of the Cumberland. Mr. Morris took part in the first battle of the war, when the raw troops received their baptism of fire, on June 3. 1861, at Phil- ippi, West Virginia, and thence the regiment went through the engagements at Laurel Hill, when the first Union soldier was killed in the line of battle of the Civil war, Car- ricks Ford, Rich Mountain, Cheat Moun- tain. Greenbriar and Buffalo Gap, also known as Alleghany Heights, all of these engage- ments taking place in West Virginia. The regiment was continually engaged in skir- mishing on up to Shiloh, and in advance of the army was sent to follow General Bragg, with skirmishes every day, to Stone River. Here Mr. Morris was wounded and was first sent to hospital No. 23. in Nash- ville, and thence to hospital No. 8, in Lou- isville, and from there to a convalescent camp, but later was sent to a hospital at New Albany, Indiana. His wound was a serious one, a bullet wound in the leg. which splintered his shin bone, requiring a removal of a part of the latter. With the application of more modern methods, since discovered, it is very probable that Mr. Morris might have been completely cured. but such was not the case, as the wounds have never healed and he still has every rea- son to remember his service in his country's defense. As an example of true loyalty, as

soon as he could be again accepted this brave soldier re-entered the service, becom- ing a member of Company M. Twelfth In- diana Cavalry, and served until November, 1865, in Louisiana, Alabama and Missis- sippi, when he was finally honorably dis- charged at Indianapolis. Through that winter he attended a commercial college, re- turning to his home in the spring and enter- ing into business. From the age of one year Indiana had been his home, his par- ents removing to that state at that date, and all of his earlier associations are con- nected with it. Until 1869 Mr. Morris en- gaged in conducting a 'sawmill and a stave factory, but at that time his wound became so aggravated that he felt unable to longer continue at hard work.

For three years he was out of business, something of an invalid, but in 1874 he came to Kansas and took up a soldier's claim on section 22, in Ninnescah township, residing in Sedgwick county with his fam- ily, where he had relatives, until the follow- ing spring, working on his claim, and building a sod house. One buffalo crossed his place, after coming here, and in pursu- ing it he had his horse killed under him by the buffaloes.

Mr. Morris broke his land, using three ponies, and although his progress was slow he managed to get some parts in shape for cultivation in the course of time. His long sickness had exhausted his means and there were hard and trying days on that Kansas farm. An unusual degree of pluck, perse- verence and industry was needed, and evi- dently Mr. Morris possessed them all for, beginning in a very small way, he avas suc- ceeding well and had some fine cows and considerable stock when he was elected to the position of county clerk and then re- moved to Hutchinson. He has always been an active member of the Republican party, has filled many of the local offices and after his election to the office of county clerk, in 1887, he was re-elected to a second term by the largest majority ever given a candidate in this county. After a service of four years in that position he has made his home in Hutchinson, and has efficiently filled

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many other offices. During the early days when ready cash was so badly needed by so many of the pioneers, Mr. Morris has driven as far as Indian Territory to gather buffalo bones to sell. Since locating in this city he has done considerable business in the way of building and contracting, and is more active physically than any one would imagine possible from the nature of his affliction. He is now serving his third term as justice of the peace and he has the record of never having had a case reversed, with the exception of one which was out of his jurisdiction. Fraternally he has been interested in several organizations, notably the Odd Fellows, with which he has been connected ever since its organization here ; is past commander of Joe Hooker Post, No. 17, and of Reno Camp, No. 69, Sons of Veterans, is adjutant and one of the trus- tees ; is a member of the order, also, of Mys- tic Ties and Modern Tontines.

The first marriage of Mr. Morris oc- curred in 1867, to Miss Martha Lincoln, a distant relative of the family of President Lincoln, and two children were born to this union, a daughter, who died young, and George Warren, who is a farmer in Okla- homa. The second marriage was in 1880, to Miss Sophia J. Tibbits, and these chil- dren have been born of this union: Oliver P., Arthur B., William B., Clara M., Clar- ence, Carroll and Cora.

No one understands better the early life of the Kansas pioneer than Mr. Morris, for while soil and climate do their share, the settlement of any country means hardship and privation. He deserves the esteem of his fellow citizens for his loyalty to the Union, for which he will suffer physically the remainder of his life.

WILLIAM W. ROBBINS.

The enterprising citizen of Norwich, Kingman county, Kansas, whose name is above, is the president of the Norwich Bank and is prominent as a ranchman. From his central farm in section 36, Canton town-

ship, Kingman county, he has charge of twenty thousand acres of land in Kingman and Kiowa counties. The extent and suc- cess of Mr. Robbins' business makes some account of his career a necessary feature in a work of this character.

William W. Robbins was born in Weth- ersfield, Connecticut, July 24, 1857, a son of Richard and Harriet (Wills) Robbins. His father also was a native of Wethersfield and grew to manhood and married there. While he was yet a young man he went to Augusta, Georgia, where he carried on a wholesale grocery business until just before the outbreak of the Civil war. Returning to Wethersfield, he spent the remainder of his life there, dying in 1895. He was a man of influence and represented his district in the Connecticut legislature, and in politics he was a Whig and later a Republican. He was a lifelong member of the Congregational church and for years was a deacon in the First Congregational church of Wethers- field. His widow, who is living at his old home, aged about seventy-five years, is a de- scendant of Governor Wells, a governor of the colony of Connecticut.

Richard Robbins, father of Richard Rob- bins and grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was also born in the Charter Oak state, a descendant of men who had been active in New England for many genera- tions. Mr. Robbins' mother owns land that has been in possession of members of her family since the period of early settlement in Connecticut. In both lines of descent Mr. Robbins traces his ancestry to England. He was the second in order of birth of five chil- dren, some reference to whom is pertinent in this connection. His brother, Edwin D. Robbins, is a lawyer at Hartford, Connecti- cut. Dr. Jane E. Robbins is practicing med- icine and surgery in New York city. Caro- line Robbins is a professor of physics and chemistry in a well known educational insti- tution. Harriet Robbins lives with her mother at Wethersfield, Connecticut.

Mr. Robbins received a good public- school education in Wethersfield, and though often absent retained a home under the par- ental roof until he was twenty-four years

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old. After spending some time as a student in the Hartford, Connecticut, high school, he became, at sixteen years of age, a clerk in a store of that city. At the age of eighteen he accepted a position in the Hartford Na- tional Bank, and later he was employed a year as bookkeeper in the bank of L. and C. H. Bell, of Hartford.

In 1884 Mr. Robbins located at Harper, Kansas, where for a year and a half he did a business in real estate and loans. In 1885, in association with E. N. Hogg, G. D. Thompson, Lewis Walters and Frank R. Zacharias, he organized the Norwich Town Company, of which he was the vice presi- dent and which platted the town of Norwich in June of that year, the plat including one hundred and sixty acres in the southeast quarter of section 3 and the northeast quar- ter of section 10, Bennett township. He remained in Harper until the fall of 1885, when he removed to Norwich, and on the site of the present bank building erected a structure now in use by the local postoffice, and established a banking business which was conducted under the style of W. W. Robbins & Company until August, 1888, when the concern was reorganized as a state bank, with Mr. Robbins as president and P. N. Wright as cashier.

In 1889 Mr. Robbins became interested in ranch and stock operations and he owns about three thousand acres of land in King- man county and three thousand in Kiowa county, and has the management of many thousands of acres under contract, besides an interest in an extensive ranch and eight thousand head of cattle in Texas. In Kan- sas alone he usually owns about one thou- sand head of cattle and feeds nearly half that number. He has founded a herd of thor- oughbred short-horn cattle and now has thirty head, of different ages, as good as can be procured. In 1901 he erected his elegant and costly residence in Norwich, which is equipped with all modern conveniences and is the best in the county. The Norwich bank was the second bank established in Kingman county and is the only one in the county out- side of the city of Kingman. In politics Mr. Robbins is independent.

He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Modern Woodmen of America, and of Norwich Lodge, No. 219, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and of Harper Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. He was married at Harper, Kansas, November II, 1890, to Miss Grace H. Doorley, who was born in New York, a daughter of W. F. and Florence (Lewis) Doorley, and she has borne him four children named Rich- ard W., Florence A., Edward C. and Mar- tin H.

FRED YUST.

Central Kansas has many citizens of Prussian nativity who are numbered among its enterprising and progressive men, but there is not one of them who is justly held in higher esteem than is the subject of this sketch, a leading farmer and stock-dealer, whose home is within the borders of section 22, Hayes township, Reno county, and whose postoffice address is Peacecreek.

Fred Yust was born in Prussia, Ger- many, September 30, 1844, a son of Freder- ick Yust, who was born there in 1817 and died in Hayes township May 28. 1900. Gott- fried, the father of Frederick Yust, died in Germany at the age of forty-nine years. It is a somewhat remarkable fact that Amelia Roemer was born on the same day on which Frederick Yust, whom she married, was born, and that the youngest son of her son, Fred Yust, was born on the corresponding day of the same month. Frederick and Amelia (Roemer) Yust were married Janu- ary 2, 1841, and Fred Yust was their first child. Their son, Charles B. Yust, was born in 1847, and died in Hayes township, in 1885, leaving a widow and children. Their daughter Amelia married Julius Bandhauer, and died in Hayes township in August, 1888, leaving nine children. Their daugh- ter Minnie married Peter Birk, of Canton, Missouri, and has seven daughters and two sons. The next in order of birth was a son who died in infancy, and the next was John Yust, of Hayes township. Their daughter Louisa married a Mr. Clothier, of Hayes

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township, and her mother, now eighty-three years old, lives with them.

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I, Part 88

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