A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 2

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

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Jonas M. Reel was the last born of the twelve children of his parents, of whom himself and one sister are the only surviv- ors. Julia, Abraham, Polly, Andrew and Mary were born and died in Knox county, Indiana. Sarah married G. L. Thorne, of Mount Hope, Sedgwick county. Kansas. Emanuel saw three years' service in the Civil war in Company E, Twenty-first In-

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fantry, Indiana Volunteers, and was with General Rosecrans at the battle of Mur- freesboro. After the close of the war he went home, where he took up the study of medicine and became a very able physician. He died in Bicknell, Knox county, Indiana. When last heard from Henry, the eighth child in order of birth, lived in southwest Missouri. Two others, twins, were next in order of birth and died in infancy. The subject of this sketch, who was the last born of these children, attended school in a log school house in his home district in Indiana about thirteen months all told. and when he began to make good progress in his studies he was compelled to stay at home and help about the work of the farm. He was only about fifteen years old when his mother died. and then the family estate was sold and the older children received their share of the proceeds of the sale, and some of the young- er ones were put out to work, the family being scattered. Jonas worked for farmers : by the month until he was twenty years old. and when he went back to claim his share of the family property he found that his money was invested in timber land and the taxes and legal fees had consumed nearly all of it. He settled with his guardian, and with a mere pittance, started for Kansas, going by train as far as Ottawa in this state and from there by stage to Scranton. Osage county, where he worked for Arthur Bose- well until July, 1871. when he accompanied G. L. Thorne, his brother-in-law. to what is now Haven township, Reno county.

Messrs. Reel and Thorne arrived within the present borders of Haven township. the joint possessors of twenty-five cents in money and provisions enough last them for one week if used economically, and found employment with Stricklin and Watkins. Texas cattle men .- Mr. Reel as a herder. Mr. Thorne as a cook. The herd of the firm mentioned consisted of about three thousand cattle and required the services of twelve cowboys. When Messrs. Reel and Thorne were employed by the firm the herd was grazing in the vicinity of the present farm of W. H. Hillyard. When winter ap- proached it had fed over the prairie about

to the site of the McArthur school house and it was then divided, and Mr. Reel went with one division of it, which was under the supervision of Mr. Evans, to Rice county, Kansas, where it was wintered in Mule creek. Just before Mr. Reel and his brother- in-law had joined the herders. Mr. Watkins had gone to Newton and drawn three thou- sand dollars in cash to pay off the hands, and while he had been temporarily absent from the camp soon after his return, the cook, who was later succeeded by Mr. Thorne, had stolen the money and made off with it. When Mr. Watkins came back he turned out his whole force except four men, who were left in charge of the camp, to hunt the cook down and he was found in Abilene and the money was recovered.

Mr. Reel remained at the winter quarters on Mule creek, in Rice county, and then re- turned to what is now Haven township. Reno county, and he remembers that it was in that December that Hutchinson was laid out. He went into winter quarters in a dug-out a mile north of Mount Hope, and while there filed a homestead claim on land which is now his home farm. During the winter he and his brother-in-law hunted and trapped buffalo for their hides and meat. In the spring of 1872 he hired about ten acres of his land broken, and after erecting a twelve-by-fourteen-foot box-house, he went in the summer of that year to Wichita, where he found employment in the dairy business, in the service of a Mr. Donahue. In the fall he brought a mower owned by Mr. Don- ahue all the way from Wichita to Haven township, and with it cut prairie hay for Mr. Cupps. C. W. Peckham and several others. thus winning the distinction of having | brought to that vicinity the first mowing ma- chine ever seen there.

Mr. Reel worked at Wichita for Mr. Donahue until January, 1873. and from that time until November following he was em- ployed by an English farmer and stockman named Whitworth, and after that until March. 1874. he freighted for Jim R. ya! be- tween Wichita and El Reno. Washita agen- cv. Fort Sill and other points south. While in the latter employment he often camped on

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Turkey creek. between Kingfisher and Hen- nessy. Oklahoma, where there were large numbers of turkey, and the freighters often killed many. In the spring of 1874 he paid one il lar and ten cents a bushel for seed corn and returned to his claim and planted twenty acres, and about the first of August following, when the young blades of the corn were just up in sight, grasshoppers destroy- ed his entire crop! He states that at a dis- tance the grasshoppers had the appearance of a big dark cloud and that they came on rapidly with a dull roar, such as might have ben produced by a vast swarm of bees. He had another experience with the insects when they descended upon a farm near Wich- ita where he was employed. In the fall he resumed freighting for Mr. Royal, at fifty cents a day and board. The following spring he got two yoke of Texas steers and broke about sixty acres of land on his claim and planted about ten or twelve acres with corn. He says that one yoke of the cattle mention- ed were such roadsters that he could drive them to Huchinson and back as quick as an ordinary team of horses could make the trip. He worked at harvesting during the sum- mer. and after harvesting was over went to Wichita and again engaged in freighting. until spring, when he returned to Haven township and for a time did his own house- keeping. in his little house on his claim. He leased the place to Alfred Moore, who moved into the house andl during that summer he worked here and there as opportunity offered and in the fall exchanged his oxen for a horse team and began working for Thomas Randall, in whose employment he continued until some time in 1877. when he proved up his claim and sold his team, and in October returned to Indiana to visit old friends, re- maining there until January 1, 1878.

On his return to Kansas Mr. Reel rented his farm to William McCormick for the use of the latter's brother-in-law, Mr. Connett. and for a year thereafter again worked for Mr. Randall. In the spring of 1879 he re- turned to his farm, where he remained dur- ing the season, raising a good crop and liv- ing along in his small box-house. In the summer of 1880. in partnership with his

brother-in-law. he bought a mower and a hay rake for one hundred and thirty-five dol- lars, and besides cutting hay for themselves they cut enough for neighbors to pay for the two machines.

He was married November 11. 1880, in Knox county. Indiana, to Sophia Jane Mc- Cox, who was born there April 30, 1849, a daughter of james and Sophia ( Myers) Mc- Coy. Mr. McCoy was born in Virginia, of Irish parents, and his father served under General William Henry Harrison at the battle of Tippecanoe. Mrs. McCoy, who was of German extraction, was born in Vir- ginia, whence she removed to Indiana.

After his marriage Mr. Reel brought his bride to Haven township and domiciled her [in his little box-house, which he improved by putting in a plank floor and otherwise: and as he had previously built a sod kitchen at the north end of it it was a home as com- fortable and up-to-date as any in the vicinity. They arrived in Burrton, Harvey county, Kansas. November 25, and went from there direct to the homestead, where Mr. Reel harvested his potatoes and corn. In 1879 he and Amos Rogers had bought a stirring plow at Hutchinson for eighteen dollars, and Mr. Reel had mortgaged his oxen and Rog- ers his cow to secure ample money and give a note for six months at twelve and one-half per cent. interest. In the meantime he had cleared himself of this obligation and se- cured some other conveniences, and in the spring of 1881 he bought a horse, a hog and an old "muly" cow. In 1882 he built a six- room house, at an expense of six hundred and sixty dollars, hauling the lumber from which it was built from Burrton, already mentioned. In the winter of 1882 he and his wife returned to Indiana for a visit. | After that until 1887 they lived on their farm, prospering and making many im- provements. That year Mr. Reel sold his farm machinery and all of his cattle and hogs except his old "muly" cow, one horse and one hog, and after that for six years he rented his farm.

April 9. 1887. a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Reel, whom they named Nora Savanna. and after that event, owing to

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Mrs. Reel's delicate health, he rented his farm and for six years lived the life of com- parative leisure, traveling to various parts of the country for Mrs. Reel's benefit and pleasure. When he resumed farming his stock had increased until he had all he re- quired. After three years he rented the farm land to F. A. Bennett, reserving the pasture land for his stock, and with his wife took a trip south, returning by way of Indi- ana and arriving in Kansas after three months' absence. In the spring of 1897 he spent about eight hundred dollars in im- provements on his place, including a kitchen. a bedroom, a porch, a cistern and some out- buildings. From 1879 to 1884 he set about two acres of land to orchard trees, including a great variety of apple, peach, cherry, plum and apricot trees, all of which are bearing plenteously and in his yard are seven ever- greens which he brought from Indiana in 1872. His farm is well fenced and is in every way thoroughly modern and up-to- date in all its appointments. In .1900 Mr. Reel purchased of his brother-in-law, Mr. Thorne. a splendidly improved farm of two hundred and ninety-five acres in the south- east and northwest quarters of section 8; Greeley township, Sedgwick county, and he also owns stock in Mount Hope Creamery, and is more or less intimately identified with other important interests.

When Mrs. Reel died. March 4, 1901, he lost a loving, faithful wife, his daughter a fond, devoted mother, the community a true Christian woman. After suffering as an invalid for many years Mrs. Reel now rests in Mount Hope cemetery. Since that sad event Mr. Reel and his daughter have kept up their home as well as has been possible, the latter being a student at the public school in district No. 21. Mr. Reel in- tends to afford her every educational advan- tage, and he is solicitious for her welfare and happiness in every wav.

Politically Mr. Reel was formerly a Re- : publican, voting for Grant and Garfield for the presidency of the United States, but now, in Republican, Democratic and Pop- ulist newspapers, he reads all sides of all public questions and supports men and

measures rather than any political party. While he is in hearty sympathy with the principles of the Populist party, both in 1896 and 1900 he voted for William Jen- nings Bryan, the Democratic-Populist nom- inee for the presidency. During recent years he has made a profound study of na- tional questions and has given special atten- tion to finance. He has been a delegate to Populist conventions at Hutchinson. He is not a member of any religious sect but, believing that a Christian man is a man who does the work of humanity, he is always ready to help a neighbor in distress or to assist the needy in any part of the world. Formerly he was a member of the order of Royal and Select Knights : he has been vice- president of his lodge of the order of Fra- ternal Aid, and has passed all chairs of his lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows.

MELVIN E. RICHARDSON.

Melvin E. Richardson is president of the National Automatic Telephone Com- pany, of Chicago, Illinois, and makes his home in Sterling, Kansas. He has at differ- ent times been actively connected with farm- ing and stock raising interests and is famil- iar with the history of pioneer life upon the plains of the west and southwest. He was born in Hopedale, Harrison county, Ohio, January 14, 1852. His father, John Rich- ardson, was a native of Pittsburg, Pennsyl- vania, born in 1812, and his death occurred in Pettis county, Missouri, on a farm be- longing to his son, in December, 1893. The paternal grandfather, Nathan Richardson, was a native of Ireland, and on coming to America probably took up his abode in Pitts- burg. Pennsylvania. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Louisa DeLany and was a native of Hopedale, Ohio. In that place she gave her hand in marriage to John Richardson and for sev- eral years they remained residents of Hope- dale, afterward removing to Pettis county, Missouri, where they took up their abode on a farm in 1857. This was the first farm

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which Mr. Richardson had ever owned, for previous to this time he had carried on mer- chandising. The parents had a family of nine children, of whom three sons and four daughters reached mature years, while three sons and two daughters are married, and six are still living: Andrew M. is a stock raiser of New Mexico; Camilla is the wife of B. E. Priest, of Pettis county, Missouri ; Melvin E. is the next of the family ; Ella is the wife of Newton Wood, of Pettis coun- ty ; Granville A. makes his home in Rose- well, New Mexico, where he is engaged in the practice of law ; and Louisa is a resident of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The mother of this family died at the age of thirty-seven years, and she and her husband were laid to rest in Missouri, the former in Pettis county and the latter in a cemetery in Salina.

Melvin E. Richardson pursued his edu- cation in the common schools until fourteen years of age and was reared to farm life. He was only sixteen years of age when he took charge of a farm in Missouri, and until twenty-eight years of age he carried on agri- cultural pursuits there, owning and operat- ing one hundred and sixty acres of land. In 1880 he rented his farm in Missouri and went to New Mexico, joining his brother, Andrew, who had gone to that locality two years previous and was engaged in the sheep raising business. Our subject be- came clerk in a store at South Fork, in the Indian reservation, and soon bought a large hay ranch, on which is now located the Richardson postoffice, which was named in his honor. For four years he engaged in keeping bachelor's hall and was then mar- ried, in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 3Ist of January, 1884. to Miss Alice DeLany, who was born in Hopedale, Ohio, a daughter of John C. and Nancy ( Hartzell) DeLany. Her mother died in Lincoln, Nebraska, De- cember 21, 1900, at the age of sixty-eight years, and is survived by four of her seven children, namely: Mrs. Alice D. Richard- son; Ella D., the wife of Captain D. H. Clark, of the Fifteenth United States In- fantry, of the regular army ; Mrs. Laura D. Garst, the widow of Charles E. Garst, who was a lieutenant in the regular army, but re-

signed to become a missionary to Japan, and died in Tokio; and Dorothy, wife of William E. Macklin, a missionary of Nan- kin, China. The father of this family is still living in Chicago. For some years he was extensvely engaged in the live stock business in New Mexico, and was post trader for a number of years at Fort Stanton, New Mexico. Mrs. Richardson was educated at the Howland school, a Quaker institution in Cayuga county. New York. The mar- riage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with four children, namely: John Taylor, who was born in New Mexico, and died when only two weeks old; Melvin E., whose birth occurred in Lexington, Ken- tucky, December 11, 1889; Dillard Errett, who was born on the ranch in New Mexico, now the town of Richardson, on the Ist of April, 1891 : and an infant daughter.

Mr. Richardson took his bride to his home in New Mexico and there they resided for a number of years. He went through all the hardships of frontier life in the south- west, enduring many privations and at times being in eminent peril. He has ridden his wild bronchos on some wonderful trips of several hundred miles, sleeping out upon the prairie, far from the abode of any man, his pony being the only living thing near him. He and his brother brought sixteen thousand head of cattle from New Mexico to Kansas, and of this immense herd Mr. Richardson has a splendid picture. He left his ranch in New Mexico on Christmas day of 1893 and came to Sterling, soon after- ward taking up his abode in his present home, which is a fine residence built of arti- ficial stone. He has a forty-acre fruit farm one mile south of the town. This is one of the most most valuable orchards in the lo- cality, and includes many splendid specimens of apple, peach, plum and apricot trees. He purchased the orchard in 1895 and has found that it is a profitable investment. In his political views Mr. Richardson is a Re- publican, but the honors or emoluments of office have never had any attraction for him. His wife belongs to the Christian church. He is a man of commanding appearance, six feet in height and well proportioned, and

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he has often acted as marshal of the day on public occasions in Sterling. He is now the president of the National Automatic Telephone Company at Chicago, also of the Sterling Telephone Company of Sterling. He is a man who forms his plans readily and is determined in their execution. His busi- nes> sagacity is rarely at fault and he carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes, so that in his business career he has steadily advanced to prosperity.

CHARLES W. JOHNSON.

Charles W. Johnson, who for o num- ber of years has been a most important fac- tor in the agricultural and financial interests of this section of the state, was born in Lo- gan county, Ohio, thirty-two years ago. He is a son of Jacob and Martha ( Bishop) Johnson. The father is a son of John John- son, who was a native of Virginia and de- parted this life in Ohio. The mother was born in Virginia and was a daughter of Jacob and Martha Bishop, also of the Old Dominion. Unto Jacob and Martha John- son were born eight children, as follows: Thomas; Emma, deceased; Laura: Mollie ; William, deceased : Charles W., our subject ; Alonzo; and Nelson. The father was a farmer by occupation, was a Republican in his political views, and during the Civil war he was a brave and gallant soldier, afterward holding membership with the Grand Army of the Republic. He came to the Sunflower state in 1800, and he now makes his home in Sedgwick county.

Charles W. Johnson, whose name intro- duces this review, grew to years of maturity on the old home farm in Logan county, Ohio, where he was early taught the voca- tion of agriculture in all its departments. In 1890 he made his way to the west, and for two years thereafter made his home in Rice county, Kansas, while for a similiar pe- SAMUEL SWEIGARD. rind he was a resident of Reno county. He then took up his abode in Kingman county. Samuel Sweigard, who carries on agri- where he now owns a large landed estate cultural pursuits on section 24. township and is recognized as one of the leading and , 15. range 9, Ellsworth county, where he has

representative farmers and business men of this section of the state. His home farm consists of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which is improved with a commodious and comfortable residence. large barns, a beautiful orchard and excellent pasture land. He also owns another tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which is equally valuable and well improved. He is one of the large land owners of Kingman county, and his wise judgment. unfaltering energy and close attention to business have secured him a handsome competence.

In Logan county, Ohio, at the age of twenty-one years. Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Abbe Yoder, who was born, reared and educated in that commonwealth, a daughter of Sam and Catherine ( Koff- man ) Yoder, both natives of Pennsylvania. The mother died in Ohio in 1880. Mrs. Johnson is one of six children, namely : Jonah, Mary A., Lydia, Abbe, Kate and Euseba. Five sons and one daughter have blessed the union of cur subject and wife- William Chauncey. Clarence Ed. Homer Earl, Samuel, Richard and Catherine. Mrs. Johnson is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church. Our subject casts his ballot in favor of the men and measures of the Republican party, and for many years he has served as a member of the school board. His social relations connect him with the Court of Honor. He takes a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his town and county and contributes liber- ally to the support of all measures for the public good. By unfaltering perseverance he has steadily worked his way upward to a position of wealth and affluence. overcom- ing many difficulties and obstacles in his path, and advancing step by step along the tried paths of honorable effort until he has reached the goal of prosperity.

Affien Johnson

в. Н. Johnют

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two hundred and eighty acres of land, is a native of the Keystone state, his birth hay- ing occurred in Dauphin county, on the 15th of January, 1845. On both the paternal and maternal sides he is a representative of old families of Pennsylvania that for several generations had lived in that locality. His maternal grandfather was Jacob Miller. His parents were Jonas and Elizabeth ( Miller ) Sweigard, both of whom were born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and in whose family were three sons, namely : James, a resident of Enders, Dauphin coun- ty : Daniel, a coal dealer of Middletown, Pennsylvania; and Samuel, of this review.

The last named remained at home until sixteen years of age, during which time he pursued his education in a log school house in the primtive manner of the times. He then left home and secured a situation at farm labor, for which he was paid four dol- lars and a half per month. During the sec- ond season he received six dollars and a half per month, and thus he made his start in life. When eighteen years of age he went to Harrisburg and accepted a position in the depot restaurant. At the age of nine- teen he obtained employment as fireman on the Northern Central Railroad. running from Sunbury to Baltimore, retaining that position for almost three years, when he was promoted, being made engineer on a freight train running from Marysville to Sunbury. Two years later he was given a passenger run between Sunbury and Harrisburg, a dis- tance of sixty-five miles and return each day. His railroad service covered a period of eight consecutive years, during which time he gave the utmost satisfaction to the com- pany by his faithful service and close appli- cation to his duty. On leaving the railroad he began work at the stone mason's trade, which he followed for three years in his na- tive county. He then engaged in operating an engine in the Lykins Valley coal mine, being thus employed until 1878, which year witnessed his arrival in Ellsworth county. Kansas.

Here Mr. Sweigard homesteaded a tract of land in the southeast portion of the coun- ty, near the present site of Langley, and with

characteristic energy began its cultivation , and development. When he had secured the title he sold the farm for fourteen hundred and sixty dollars and removed to his pres- ent home, purchasing one hundred and six- ty acres where his residence is now standing !For this he gave twenty-three hundred and fifty dollars. He has since added one hun- dred and twenty acres and has successfully followed general farming and the dairy bus- iness. He has one of the best improved country seats in the locality, pleasantly lo- cated within two miles of Ellsworth, so that all of the advantages of city life are easily obtainable. His residence, a fine two-story house, was erected in 1900 and is an at- tractive home, forming a pleasant feature in the landscape.

Mr. Sweigard has been twice married. In Pennsylvania, in the year 1869, he wedded Miss Hannah Radiel, a native of Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and unto them were born two children, William and John, both at home. The mother passed away in January, 1883, and in September of the same year Mr. Sweigard was joined in wed- lock to Elizabeth Meryweather, a daughter of John and Isabella ( McGregor) Steven- son. She was born in Scotland, but when a young woman came to Kansas, in 1862. She had been married in her native land to Frank Meryweather, with whom she came to Ellsworth county, her husband here home- steading a claim. He died in July. 1875. before the homestead had been proved up. Mrs. Sweigard completed the necessary im- provements in order to secure a title to the land and added another eighty-acre tract. She was one of a family of eleven children, all of whom remained in Scotland with the exception of herself and her brother. George Stevenson, who formerly resided in Ells- worth but is now located in Kansas City, Missouri. He came to Kansas in 1883. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sweigard hold member- ship in the Methodist Episcopal church of Ellsworth and are earnest Christian people, who in their daily conduct exemplify their religious belief. They have taken an active part in church work and Mr. Sweigard has performed many official duties in a capable

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 2

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