A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 132

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084

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LEVI FLORA.

As an early settler and prominent citi- zen of Rice county, and as a representative farmer and stock-grower of this section. Mr.

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Flora is properly accorded recognition in this work, which has to do with those who have been the founders and builders of this favored section of the Sunflower state. Hle was born in Monroe county, Indiana, on the . 17th of June. 1853, being a son of George and Mary ( Butcher ) Flora, the former of whom was born in Kentucky and the latter in Tennessee, while their marriage was sol- emnized in the state of Indiana. The pa- ternal grandfather of our subject was Mat- thew Flora, who was numbered among the successful farmers of Kentucky, whither he emigrated from Germany, his native land, and became one of the early settlers of Ken- tucky. as did later his son Matthew, of Indiana. to which state he re- moved from Kentucky. in 1824. There he entered land and improved a farm in the midst of the virgin forest, and upon this farm he continued to re- side until his death. in 1862, at the vener- able age of eighty years. Matthew Flora was a plain, honest farmer, having no as- piration for public notoriety or official po- sition. He and his estimable wife were both clevoted members of the Baptist church and were known for their sterling worth of char- acter. Of their four children we record that George was the father of the subject of this sketch : William died in Indiana : Minda be- came the wife of Will am Smith ; and Nancy, who never married. is also deceased.

George Flora. the father of our subject, was born in Kentucky and thence removed with his parents to Indiana. in 1824. being a lad of twelve years at the time. In the (fl Hoosier state he grew to manhood, aid- ing his father in clearing and improving the pioneer homestead and placing it under cul- tivation, and he remained at the parental home until he had attained the age of twen- tv-two years. when he married and fort- with inaugurated his independent career. giving his attention to farming and to work at the carpenter's trade. He was of a some- what roving disposition, and made many changes of location. in Indiana. Iowa and Missouri. He was very energetic. however, and wherever he chanced to establish a home he was soon able to make a good living for

his family, but soon he would become dis- satisfied and forthwith would pull up stakes and move og to some other point. Finally the family took up their abode in Nodaway county, Missouri, and there our subject be- gan to take charge of the family affairs. They effected the purchase of a small farm. but a series of foods destroyed the crops and so disheartened the young man that he de- cided to cast in his fortunes with the state of Kansas, whither he came in 1878, settling in Rice county, in company with his par- ents and the other children. and here the father died in 1887, being survived by his devoted wife, who passed away in 1895, at a venerable age. He held membership in the Baptist church, while his wife held the faith of the United Brethren. Of their fifteen children all but one lived to attain years of maturity and nine survive at the present time. Of the children we enter the follow- ing brief data: Catherine married Will- am Marr: Lydia became the wife of E. Thacker: Daniel served through the war of the Rebellion, made the famous march from Atlanta to the sea with Sherman, and his leath occurred in the state of Iowa: Mary became the wife of George Fivecoats; Ella married Mercer Murber: Sarah became the wife of a Mr. Linebaugh: John died in 1877, leaving a wife and one child; Levi is the immediate subject of this sketch : Martha and Etta were twins the former becraving the wife of S. Day and the last- ter marrying J. Mainard: Parlina is the wife of W. Drake: Asbury and Martha are twins, the former being a farmer of Rice county, and the latter being the wife of Rufus Ellsworth: Matilda A. is the wife of Joel Hayes: and Susan, who was the fourth in order of birth. Hel at the age of sixten years, the first death in the family. Levi Flora, to whom this skates is de lieate !. accompanied his parents on their removal from one state to another and in their fre- quent changes of location, and as he was thus for so brief an interval in any one place his early educational training was very much it: rru ted and neglected, but he made the best possible use of the opportunities af- fordel him. acquiring a good practical edu-

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cation and soon demonstrating the fact that he was capable of taking care of himself, and it is a matter of exceeding gratification to him that he was also enabled to provide a good home for his parents in their declining years. When he inaugurated his independ- ent business career he rented a small farm in Rice county, Kansas, and after buying a team and wagon and paying all incidental bills he found himself ten cents in debt and had nothing with which to buy supplies for his family or food for his horses, but by careful management, industry and economy they managed to get through the winter, and in the following year he and one of his brothers bought of a squatter his claim to a tract of school land, erecting a cheap house and making other improvements on the place, and in 1885 they purchased the land from the state. The tract had an area of one hundred and sixty acres, and they con- tinued the improvement and cultivation of the farm with such success that they were soon able to purchase an additional tract. making the aggregate area of their place two hundred and eighty acres. Later our sub- ject erected a commodious two-story frame house, with all modern conveniences, and also equipped the farm with a fine barn, large granaries. tool-house and other requisite outbuildings. He has now a fine orchard of more than one thousand fruit trees and also a beautiful grove of shade trees upon the place. The fields are under a high state of cultivation and he has'ample pasture lands for his live stock, and his farm is now recognized as one of the finest and best improved in the western part of Rice county. The property is clear of all encum- brance, and all this has been accomplished within twenty-five years though his ap- plication of energy, thrift and enterprise and through honest and honorable effort. Mr. Flora carries on general agriculture and stock-growing, receiving a good revenue each year from his fields, orchard and stock, and he is considered one of the solid men of the county.

In the year 1881 Mr. Flora was united in marriage to Miss Elma Dexter, a lady of culture and refinement. She was born in

Warren county, Pennsylvania, on the 7th of May, 1857, being a daughter of Oscar and Celesta ( Peck) Dexter. Her paternal grandfather, John Dexter, was a farmer by vocation, and he removed from Vermont to Pennsylvania, where he passed the remain- der of his life. His children were seven in number, namely : George Henry; Newton; Oscar, the father of Mrs. Flora; Merrill, who is a clergyman of the Baptist church ; Andrew; Mary, who is now the wife of N. Bates ; and James. The maternal grand- father of Mrs. Flora was Joseph Peck, of New York state, whence he removed to Pennsylvania and there spent the residue of his days, having been a shoemaker by trade, but having devoted many years of his life to agricultural pursuits. His children were as follows: Louisa, who married Dr. G. M. Alsdurff ; Jane, who became the wife of Fred Wise; Emily, who became the wife of H. Scovten; Lovilla, who married Osten Aikens; Celesta, the mother of Mrs. Flora; and Morgan and Edward. Mrs. Flora's fa- ther. Oscar Dexter, was a native of Ver- mont, and his marriage to Miss Peck was solemnized in Pennsylvania. He enlisted as a Union soldier and was in active and arduous service during two years of the war of the Rebellion, receiving his honorable discharge at the expiration of this period. by reason of disability resulting from wounds received in battle. He then returned to Pennsylvania, but in 1865 he disposed of luis farm in that state and removed to Mich- igan, where he bought a farm and remained upon the same for one year, after which he went again to Pennsylvania. Later he re- turned to Michigan and thence removed to Missouri, where he bought a farm, disposing of this property in 1868 and coming to Kan- sas in that year. He here located on a farm in Crawford county, where he maintained his home for four years, and thereafter he spent eight months in Arkansas, when he re- turned to Kansas and located in Wichita, while in 1874 he came to Rice county and located a homestead in Pioneer township, making the best of improvements a's time passed and there developing a valuable farm, which he still owns, though at the present

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time he and his wife are with one of their sons who is improving a farm in Oklahoma. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Dexter was blessed with five children, namely : Elma, the wife of our subject: Edwin, of Oklahoma: Ethel, who died at the age of eleven years; Elroy, of Oklahoma: and Edith, the wife of J. Kimlle, who has charge of the homestead farm of his wife's father.

Mr. and Mrs. Flora are the parents of four children: Elton, born February 27. 1887: Ora. born December 14. 1891 : Ver- non, born November 30, 1895: and Ervin. born February 9. 1900. Mr. Flora is a man of fine physique, being above the average weight, and he is a man of strong character and distinct individuality, taking an active interest in everything that pertains to the welfare of the community. Politically he was originally a Republican, later joined the Reform party and in 1900 he gave his sup- port to the late William Mckinley for the presidency. He reserves the right to vote for the man of his choice, regardless of party affiliations. He is a man of high integrity and honor, commanding the respect of his fellow citizens. His wife is a woman of gracious and kindly nature and she shared with him cheerfully all the hardships and trials of their early married life, while she now presides over their delightful home with such gracious hospitality that the same is a favorite resort of their host of friends, who esteem them for their sterling worth and many excellencies of heart and mind.

GEORGE W. HODGSON.

No history of Rice county would be complete without the record of George W. Hodgson, who was the first settler to locate within its borders and who from that early epoch has been actively and honorably con- nected with the work of improvement and development. He arrived in this county in October of the year 1870, and through more than three decades he has here consecutively been engaged in agricultural pursuits, while 99

he still retains the ownership of the first quarter section of government land to which claim was entered in Rice county, while he was the one to make the original entry, as has been previously noted by inference. This quarter section had been previously taken up by Andrew Johnson, who died be- fore proving on the claim. so that the land then reverted to the government. Mr. Hodgson then entered his claim and forth- with began the work of improvement, while he eventually proved title and secured in due course of time his deed to the property. Great changes have occurred in this sec- tion of the Sunflower state since that early day when he thus took up his home in a section which was on the frontier and prac- tically isolated from civilization. As the years have fallen into the abyss of time other settlers have come to Rice county and the wild land has been reclaimed and trans- formed into fine farms. equalling in at- tractiveness and fertility those to be found within any other section of our vast na- tional domain, while the stretching prairies are dotted with comfortable farm homes. school-houses and churches : towns and vil- lages have sprung into existence, bringing with them all the industries and business en- terprise known to the older east, and to- day Rice county is an important section of a great and prosperous commonwealth.

In the picturesque and historical Shes- andoah valley, Virginia, George W. Hong- son was born, the date of his nativity hav- ing been March 15, 1848,-a year rendered memorable as the one in which gold was discovered in California. His father, Sam- tel Hodgson, was born in Frederick coun- ty, Virginia, being a son of Abner Hodgson, who likewise was a native of the Old Do- minion and a representative of one of the families early established in that section. where was cradled much of our national his- tory. When the war of the Revolution was inaugurated Abner Hodgson secured a sub- stitute to aid in the gaining of independ- ence. and he was signally devoted to the cause of the colonies in their efforts to es- cape from the unjust domination of the mother country. He was a planter and

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slave-owner and carried on his operations upon an extensive scale, having one of those fine country estates which were the pride of the Old Dominion in the early days and up to the time of the Civil war. In that state the family was founded in the early colonial epoch. the original ancestors having come thither from England, where the lineage is traced through many generations of sturdy and worthy stock.

Samuel Hodgson, the father of our sub- ject, was reared on the old plantation in Virginia, and when he had attained to man's estate he was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Bean, a daughter of a well known Virginia planter and a representative of one of the old and distinguished families of that state. Samuel and Rebecca ( Bean ) Hodg- son became the parents of nine children, concerning whom we incorporate the follow- ing brief record: Abner, James, John and Nathaniel are all now deceased; Clay is a prominent citizen of Union township, Rice county, Kansas ; Eliza is the wife of a Mr. Howard, of Oregon; George W. is the im- mediate subject of this sketch: Mary main- tains her home in Winchester, Virginia, and that city is likewise the home of the other surviving sister, Mrs. Florence Willis. The honored father of this family, after successfully conducting his plantation for many years, was finally called to his eternal rest, at the venerable age of eighty-three years. He was a man of spotless integrity and ever retained the confidence and high re- gard of all who knew him. He was loyal to the Union during the war of the Rebel- lion and gave an earnest support to Lincoln in his administration of national affairs dur- ing the dark and gloomy period of the his- tory of our republic, when brother was often arrayed against brother and when it became veritably true that a "man's own foes were they of his own household." He was fear- less in his advocacy of his honest convic- tions, and over the record of his life there falls no shadow of wrong. His widow, a woman of noble and gentle character, is still living. having attained the age of eighty- i of white-faced Hereford cattle and a large nine years, and being honored by all who know her and have come under the influence

of her gracious personality. so that in her grateful evening of life she has the affection and esteem of "hosts of friends."

On the old Virginia plantation where he first opened his eyes to the light of day George W. Hodgson was reared. He se- cured his early educational training in the schools of the locality, but eventually his youthful ambition led him to seek his fortune far from the state where his ancestors had lived and labored to goodly ends. In 1870, when twenty-two years of age, he came to Kansas and forthwith identified his interests with those of Rice county, where he has remained continuously since. In the fall of I8;I he entered claim to the homestead farm where he now resides, but previously to this he had filed a pre-emption claim to the southwest quarter of section 34, Union township. He first took up his abode in a sod house of the primitive type so common to the early pioneer days, and later he con- structed a dug-out, and in this he kept bach- elor's hall while he proceeded with the im- provement and cultivation of his farm. Finally he removed from his pre-emption claim to his present farm, in Rockville township, and here constructed another sod house, in which he lived for a number of years. Finally, however, this pioneer abode was replaced by a good residence. As time passed and his financial resources have been increased he has added continuously to his local real-estate holdings until his landed possessions now reach the notable aggregate area of eight hundred acres. This fine farm is enclosed with Page woven-wire fence, and splendid equipments are to be found on this model farmstead, including a grove of forty acres and a fine orchard, which yields excellent returns for the care bestowed. The buildings are commodious and substantial and the extensive barns afford shelter for grain and stock, while excellent pastures furnish an adequate feed supply for the live stock during the summer months. Mr. Hodgson has upon his place at the time of this writing one hundred and seventy head

herd of Chester White hogs. His annual sales of stock aggregate about three hun-

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dred head and bring to him a handsome financial return. His farm is divided into four hundred acres of bottom land and an equal amount of upland, all lying within the borders of Rockville township, except about eighty acres in Union township.

Mr. Hodgson has been three times mar- ried. In July. 1872 he wedded Melvina Brady, who was born in Kentucky, and they became the parents of one son, Samuel, who is now a student in the Kansas State Agri- cultural College, at Manhattan, Riley coun- ty, and who married Miss Lena Allen, of Rice county. For his second wife our sub- ject chose Miss Mary Morrison, of Wayne county, Iowa, who died in 1885, leaving a daughter, Georgiana Rebecca, who is now a student in the high school at Little River. On the 22d of March. 1886, Mr. Hodgson married his present wife, whose maiden name was Amelia Barkley. Mr. Hodgson and his estimable wife have become the par- ents of two children, -- Charles M. and John Frank. Mrs. Hodgson is a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church and is a lady of marked refinement and pleasing presence.

Mr. Hodgson is recognized as one of the leading representatives of the Populist party in this portion of Rice county. His fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability. have frequently called him to public office, and it may be noted that he has served as township trustee and assessor. filling the latter position for a period of eight years in a most creditable and honorable manner. . Along many lines he has aided materially in the progress and development of the county and his name is synonymous with honorable conduct and manly principles. while he is one of the popular pioneer citi- zens of this section of the state.

JOHN P. FAIR.

John P. Fair, president of the Mankato State Bank, of Mankato, Kansas, is entitled to distinction as one of the most progressive and enterprising men of this section of the state and occupies a foremost position among

its prominent financiers. Upon the com- mercial activity of a community depends its prosperity and the men who are recognized as leading citizens are those who are at the head of extensive business enterprises. Mr. Fair is a man of broad capabilities who car- ries forward to successful completion what- over he undertakes.

A native of Pennsylvania, he was born at Blairsville, June 15, 1843, and is of Gier- man descent. his grandparents on both sides having come from the fatherland and locat- ed in eastern Pennsylvania, but at an early day removed to the western part of the same state. His paternal grandparents, John and Elizabeth ( Wolf) Fair, made their home in Indiana county, where our sub- ject's father, Jacob Fair, was born and reared. On reachinng manhood he was married. in 1832, to Miss Eliza Leiben- good, a native of Westmoreland county. Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Henry and Katharine (George) Leibengood. The young couple began their married life on the top of Chestnut Ridge, in Indiana coun- ty. where Mr. Fair owned a farm. The country was too rough and the soil too pant to yield good crops, but as there was an abundance of timber on Chestnut Ridge in those days the father's chief occupation was getting out lumber for various purposes. L'pon that farm his six children were born and reared, there being three older than our subject and two daughters younger, all of whom are still living with the exception of the younger daughter. but the parents are both deceased.

Our subject's boyhood days up to the age of fourteen years were mostly spent in helping his father in various ways, such as setting up tan bark. piling up staves and shingles, and with the aid of an old horse doing what the boys termed "snaking out" railroad ties, etc. As his brothers grew older they became dissatisfied with the hard monotonous life on top of Chestnut Ridge and wandered away from home. attracted by the tide of emigration to the west, two of them locating not far from Des Moines, Iowa. The glowing descriptions of the great west which they sent home soon im-

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bued the father with the spirit of the times, and being induced to sell the rough farm, in 1857, with his family, removed to Stephen- son county, Illinois, where he located on a beautiful farm near Lena. Our subject was then fourteen years of age, but up to that time had scarcely any education advantages. a school on the "Ridge" being somewhat of an uncertainty. If the neighbors wanted a school they had to hunt up a teacher and then start him around through the neigh- borhood with a subscription paper. If he succeeded in raising sufficient funds to sat- isfy himself he would teach, but if he could not secure enough there was no school. which was frequently the case. After com- ing to Illinois, however, Mr. Fair had the advantages of school during a part of the year, attending each winter term. By dili- gently applying himself to his studies he qualified himself for a teacher, and at the age of eighteen was granted a certificate by the county superintendent.

Mr. Fair had been engaged in teaching school near his home only a short time when there came a very urgent call to arms, the country having become involved in Civil war, and he at once enlisted in the Sixty- seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry. A short time afterward two of his brothers also enlisted, and as his oldest brother had already gone to Chicago to live the par- ents were left alone on the farm. They plead- ed with him to return home when his short term of enlistment should expire, and this he did, remaining with them until the close of the war, when his older brothers were discharged and returned to the parental roof.

In 1866 Mr. Fair went to Bates county, Missouri, with the intention of making that his home, but becoming dissatisfied at the end of a year he returned to Illinois, where he was variously employed for two or three years. He was married on Thursday, No- vember 3, 1870, to Miss Mattie E. Mon- tague, who was born August 3, 1848, and was the youngest daughter of Luman and Elvira (Clark) Montague. She was edu- cated at Mount Carroll Seminary at Mount Carroll, Illinois. The Montague family is

a widely extended one in America, with a genealogical tree running back to the time of the Norman conquest of England. About one thousand years ago the Mon- tague family flourished in northern France, as is evidenced by the castles, mountains, fortresses and towns bearing that name. History records the name of one of the family, Drogo De Montagu (Lat. de Mon- teacuto and Montacute) born about 1040, who became the trusted companion, fol- lower and intimate friend of Robert, early of Morton, the favorite brother of William, Duke of Normandy, and in whose retinue he acompanied the expedition of sixty thou- sand men and three hundred ships to Eng- land in 1066, thus making the advent of the first Montague upon the shores of Eng- land. William, having conquered the coun- try, rewarded his followers with large grants of land and Drogo received large possessions. The history and genealogy of the Montague family in America, descend- ants of Richard Montague of Hadley ( now Hatfield), Massachusetts, and Peter Mon- tague, of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, was compiled in 1886. Mrs. Fair's father, Luman Montague, of the seventh genera- tion from Richard, was one of the six pio- neers of northern Illinois who settled in Stephenson county. He was a man of ster- ling worth and noble character, widely known and prominent in the early history of northern Illinois,-a man of indomitable energy, courage and strong in his convic- tions, but with a kindly heart and generous qualities that made him greatly loved and respected wherever known, and his death closed a well spent and useful life. His funeral was largely attended, and as "Uncle Luman" had been a great lover of flowers it was but fitting that he should be laid to rest among them. The floral tribute con- sisted of two hundred bouquets of flowers dropped into the open grave by his friends as they passed by, a beautiful token of love and esteem. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Fair were born three children, but two died in infancy. N. M. Fair, their only living child, born in 1874, was graduated in the University of Chicago in 1899, and is now cashier of the

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 132

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 1084

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York Chicago: The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084