A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 25

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

USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II > Part 25

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several times and eventually bought two hun- dred and forty acres in Kingman county.

After taking up his residence in Kingman county, Kansas, Mr. Hamilton was until two years ago engaged in farming and stock-rais- ing with his son William F. Hamilton, Jr., and since then he has lived in partial retire- ment from active business, leasing much of his land and entrusting his interests to his sons.

In politics Mr. Hamilton was formerly a Whig and during more recent years has been a Republican. His political activity in Iowa, where he has held many important township and county offices has been referred to. Since locating in Kingman county, he has been off- ered and has refused nomination to office in the state legislature, but he has accepted the offices of justice of the peace, township trustee and member of the school board. He is a member of Lodge No. 319, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is a past master, and which he has represented in the grand lodge. He has long been a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, which he has served as trustee, class-leader and Sunday-school superintendent and teacher. Besides his extensive farming in- terests he is the owner of much town prop- erty in Norwich, including a large livery barn and six houses and lots.

William S. and Priscilla ( Miner) Ham- ilton have had children as follows: George A., who is engaged extensively in stock farming near Chadron. Dawes county, Ne- braska: Matthew L., who is a noted stock- farmer of Sumner county, Kansas; Henry, who died in infancy ; Ellen, who died in her .girlhood; William F., who is a well known farmer and stockman in Sumner county, was as has been stated, formerly his father's partner in business ; Grace, who is the wife of Edward Hodges, of Medford, Oklahoma; and Emma, who married William Stone and also lives in Oklahoma, at the opening of which territory for settlement her husband was a lucky contestant for valuable land.

Brief mention has been made of Mr. Hamilton's patriotic work in raising troops for service in the Civil war while he was a

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resident of Iowa. It should be stated that in 1862 he enlisted in Company C. of the Eleventh Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infan- try, and joined that organization at Camp Mcclellan, where he was disabled by a bro- ken ankle and was sent home with a com- mission as a recruiting officer. Later in the war the town of South English, Keokuk county, Iowa, had become a rendezvous for a strong organization of the Knights of the Golden Circle, the leading spirit in which was a fire-eating southerner, a Baptist minister named Talley. A draft was pending and this faction assembled in force to make a demonstration against it. Talley, who was much excited, was enraged by the sight of a young soldier in uniform, who. home 'on a furlough, was in a crowd of Unionists pre- sent on that occasion, and exclaiming. "There is one of those Lincoln hirelings," drew his revolver and standing up in a

wagon fired it at the soldier. Im- mediately Talley's followers fired into the crowd, piercing many garments with bullets but injuring no one. Talley had jumped from the wagon, and as he was about to climb into it again a return volley was fired and he fell dead. Enraged at this outcome of the affair, Talley's followers threatened to burn the town. Mr. Hamil- ton, who was the only army officer in the town, rallied about one thousand loyal citi- zens, and, seizing shooting irons of all kinds wherever they could be found, armed them and proceeded to fortify the town, which was in a state of siege about three weeks, during which time Mr. Hamilton furnished much of the food for his little army. A charge of murder was made against five citizens for the killing of Talley and the sheriff attempt- ed to arrest them, but desisted from his pur- pose under stress of Mr. Hamilton's stern advice. He remained in command until re- lieved by Major Chapman, of General Cur- tis' staff.

William Hamilton, the founder of the family in America and great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came over in the Mayflower as a member of the Plymouth colony. Eden Hamilton, William S. Ham- ilton's grandfather, was born in Connecti-

cut and in the Revolutionary war served un- der General Washington with the rank of major and was present at the trial of Major Andre. Mathew L., father of William S. Hamilton, began life in Medina county, Ohio, as a poor man, having literally no cap- ital but an axe and his willingness to work. and he became a prosperous farmer and a man of influence in his community. He was a Whig until the organization of the Re- publican party, and after that until the end of his days a Republican. He died in Me- dina county, Ohio, aged about eighty years.

CHARLES E. DOTY.

As properly understood and appreciated, there is no vocation in connection with the manifold industries and occupations of life that is more ennobling and independent than that of the farmer. and it is well that the old Aryan love of land remains firm in the hearts of so considerable a portion of the human race. This basic art of agriculture has an able representative in Mr. Doty, one of the popular and successful farmers and stock-growers of Rural township, Kingman county, where he has a fine estate of four hundred and eighty acres, located on sec- tions 16 and 22.

From the old Buckeye state have come many of the representative citizens of Kan- sas, and the subject of this review claims the same as the place of his nativity, having been born in Geauga county, Ohio, on the 19th of February, 1854. the son of Ezra and Edna (Fuller) Doty, who were like- wise born in the same county, being repre- sentatives of pioneer families of Ohio. Ezra Doty, who was a farmer by vocation, died when the subject of this review was an in- fant, and his widow passed away in 1887. at the age of fifty-nine years. Of their eight children six are living at the present time .- Wallace, who came to Kansas in 1873. died in Barton county, in February. 1901; Jane is the wife of Charles Gillett. of Keokuk, Iowa : Ezra is a resident also of that city : Martin is a farmer of Winnebago coun-

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ty, Illinois : Edwin follows farming in Keo- kuk county. Iowa: Amanda. who married Dr. Wylie Brown, of Cleo, Woods county, Oklahoma, is deceased; Frank is a resident of Cleo : and Charles E .. the youngest of the family, is the subject of this sketch.

After the death of the father the eldest son became practically the head of the fam- ily, whose removal to Keokuk county, Iowa. occurred about the year 1856, when our subject was about two years of age. He was reared on the Iowa farm, and his edu- cational opportunities were such as were af- forded by the public schools of the place and period. When he was eighteen years of age his mother consummated a second mar- riage. becoming the wife of Able Woods, and about this time also Mr. Doty began his independent career, securing employment on a farm, finally going to Illinois, where his brother had engaged in farming operations, and there he continued to reside until the year prior to his marriage, which occurred on the 16th of July. 1874. when he was united to Miss Phoebe J. Brown, daughter of Dr. Wylie and Phoebe ( Dillon ) Brown. She was born in Ohio and was reared and educated in Keokuk, Iowa, in which state our subject had resided for the year preced- ing his marriage, which was solemnized in Powesheik county. After thus assuming the responsibilities of the benedict. Mr. Doty rented a farm of forty acres, in Keokuk county, where he remained until February, 1875, when he came to Hutchinson, Kan- sas, and in the same spring made a home- stead entry on section 2. Bell township, Reno county, eventually proving up on his claim, improving the same and there contin- uing to make his home until the winter of 1879, when he sold the property. The fol- lowing spring he came to Kingman county and took up a claim in Dresden township. disposing of the same the following spring and thereafter leasing a farm in the same township for the next year. In the spring of 1882 Mr. Doty purchased a portion of his present fine farm. and to the original tract has since added until he has a total of four hundred and eighty acres. as has been previously noted, while he has made the

best of improvements on the place and has achieved a success worthy the name. He began his operations here in a modest way, but energy and good judgment have en- abled him to make a consecutive advance- ment and he is now numbered among the substantial and prosperous farmers and stock-growers of this section of the state. He has a herd of high-grade cattle, having graded the same to a high standard by the utilization of full-blood Hereford and Red Polled types. He has a commodious and comfortable residence, quite different from the primitive board and pole cabin of one room which constituted his original domicile when becoming a pioneer of the state, while other buildings on the place are substantial and well adapted to the uses for which they were erected.

In politics Mr. Doty maintains an inde- pendent attitude, giving his support to such men and measures as his judgment dic- tates, rather than being guided along strict partisan lines. He has shown a deep concern in public affairs of a local nature, and the confidence and esteem in which he is held in the community was signally manifested in 1894. when he was elected treasurer of the township, serving in this capacity for two years and giving a most able and satisfactory ad- ministration. He and his wife are consist- ent members of the Baptist church at Maud, in whose work they take a prominent part. Fraternally Mr. Doty is one of the leading members of Cunningham Lodge, No. 431, I. O. O. F., at Cunningham, being a charter member and having been elected a trustee of the same at the time of its organization, while he also has had the distinction of serv- ing as noble grand of this lodge. Both he and his wife are also charter members of the Rebekah lodge of the order, and are deeply interested in its welfare. He is also a char- ter member of Lodge No. 134. Knights of Pythias, at Cunningham, of which he is past chancellor commander : and he is also identified with the Modern Woodmen of America.

In conclusion we will state that Mr. and Mrs. Doty have an interesting family of six

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children, their names, in order of birth, be- ine as follows: Franklin, who is a farmer of Rural township: Jessie, the wife of Dr. Silas Nossaman, of Rural township; and Wylie. Anna, Leona and Harry, all of whom remain at the pleasant family home. Mr. Doty came to Kansas a poor man, and by his indefatigable energy and good management has pushed forward to the goal of unequivo- cal success, being known as one of the rep- resentative citizens and substantial farmers of the county of Kingman, where he has made his home for a full score of years.

STEPHEN B. CHAPMAN.

The influential citizen of Concord town- ship, Ottawa county. Kansas, whose name is the title of this brief sketch and whose postoffice is at Lindsay, was a pioneer of Kansas, having lived in this state since 1860 and in Ottawa county since 1863. He was born in Coventry, Summit county, Ohio. in 1829. a son of Nathaniel and Lucinda (Brewster ) ( Edgington) Chapman. Na- thaniel Chapman was a son of Augustus Chapman and was born in New England, of a good old colonial family. Lucinda Brew- ster was a great-granddaughter of Elder Brewster, who came over in the Mayflower and was prominent among the colonists at Plymouth. Her father was Stephen Brew- ster. a prominent and influential citizen of his county. By her first marriage. with a Mr. Edgington, she had two daughters. Mary, who became Mrs. McClure, and lives at Dallas, Texas, and Harriet E., who be- came Mrs. Elliott, and lives at Santa Clara. California. By her marriage to Nathaniel Chapman she had six sons: Stephen B .. who is the immediate subiect of this sketch : Richard,, who died in Wisconsin: Henry. who lives in Ottawa county. Kansas : James. of Wisconsin: Leonard Girley, who served for three years in the Federal army in the Civil war and is now a citizen of Steven's Point. Wisconsin : and Milo, who was also a soldier in the Civil war under the stars and stripes and lives in Ottawa county, Kan-

The father of these children died at Reedsburg, Sauk county, Wisconsin, in 1866 at the age of sixty-three years, while their mother died in Medina county, Ohio, in 1889. Nathaniel Chapman was a success- ful farmer. In politics he was a Whig and later a Republican. He and his good wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he held the office of steward and class leader.

Stephen B. Chapman was reared in Ohio, where he gained a practical knowledge of farming and such a rudimentary education as was obtainable in the common schools then in vogue near his home. In 1844 he accompanied his father to the wilds of Wis- consin, settling at Lowell, Dodge county, about forty miles south of Milwaukee. The country around was not yet rid of wild ani- mals, and Indians were numerous. His fa- ther erected one of the first sawmills in Dodge county, Wisconsin, and entered upon a business career which gave him considera- ble prominence. The subject of this sketch was married in Adams county, Wisconsin. to Miss Lovinia M. Gates, a native of the state of New York and a daughter of Schuy- ler S. Gates, who was a nephew of General Gates, famous in the history of the Revolu- tionary war. Mrs. Chapman's mother, who was born in Vermont, bore the maiden name of Mary A. Pratt, and was a daughter of Major John Pratt. who lived in eastern Ver- mont. He commanded a battalion of Ver- mont men that hastened to the defense of Plattsburg against. the British in 1814. Major Pratt died in 1820. For many years Mrs. Chapman lived at Albion. Erie county, Pennsylvania, whence in 1849 she removed with her parents to Adams county, Wiscon- sin. There her father became prominent in many ways. He built the first bridge across the Wisconsin river at the Dells. under char- ter from the government, who authorized him to collect toll for thirty years from those who made use of it. He became an exten- sive dealer in bonds and mortgages and was a man of influence in many directions. Her mother died in Adams county. Wisconsin. on the 12th of October, 1849, leaving chil- dren as follows: Oscar J. Gates, who went

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to California in 1851. and became a promi- nent dentist in Eureka, Humboldt county, that state. He was sent as a delegate from the Odd Fellows fraternity to Paris, and while there he died suddenly of heart disease on the 15th of April. 1895. The second son. Leroy J. Gates, was a fine artist, and his death occurred of consumption at the St. Helena Sanitarium in California, on the 8th of September. 1895. Arabella Gibson died of heart disease on the return journey from Europe, in July, 1891, and was buried at sea. "Lavinia M. Chapman resides on the old home farm which has been in the pos- session of the family since 1864. Irene R. Ehrman died of consumption at Los Berros. California, on the 7th of September. 1900. at the age of sixty-five years. Gertrude E. Winteringer makes her home at Tulsa. Oklahoma. For his second wife Schuyler S. Gates chose Elizabeth Phinigan. their wedding being celebrated in 1850. They had one son, Schuyler S. Gates, Jr., who was born in 1851. His third marriage was cele- brated in 1869, when Mary Cusic became his wife, and they had one daughter. Adela Gates, who resides in Milwaukee. Wiscon- sin. Schuyler S. Gates was murdered near Kilburn City, Sauk county, Wisconsin, on the 13th of September, 1869.

Stephen B. Chapman removed from Wisconsin to Missouri in 1859. and from Missouri to Douglas county, Kansas, in 1860. He made his home there for three years, during which time he saw military service in the state militia in operations against Quantrel and his band. and experi- enced many perils and hardships. In 1863 he located in Ottawa county, Kansas, a rich and beautiful country which has been not inaptly called the "Garden of Eden of Kan- sas." where his most conspicuous neighbors were Indians and buffaloes, and for a time he lived in a dugout, in which he afforded entertainment. as he states, to both saints and sinners as they sought admittance at his door. When a missionary by the name of Holley was sent to this county in 1864. S. B. Chapman opened to him his door, and the first sermon delivered in Ottawa county was preached in his dugout, and a Sabbath

school also was organized and held at the same place for over one year before means could be obtained to build a schoolhouse, which was erected on the northeast corner of his place. It was built of hewn logs with a dirt roof and this was the first schoolhouse in the county. He and his wife now own three hundred and twenty acres of as good land as there is in Kansas. They have a fine residence, large barn, adequate outbuild- ings of all kinds, orchards, groves, mead- ow's and pasture land and fields devoted to divers crops, and are surrounded by many evidences not only of prosperity but of a refined and cultivated taste, which has made them known widely and favorably.

Mr. Chapman has had born to him chil- dren as follows: Mary, who became Mrs. Scholtz and lives at Lamar, Ottawa county, Kansas; Irene, who became Mrs. Wallace and lives at Okarche. Oklahoma ; Oscar, who is engaged in mining in California : Rozetta, who became Mrs. Jewett and lives in Minne- apolis, Kansas: Nellie, who became Mrs. Winans, of Girard, Kansas, and who has achieved a reputation as an evangelist of the Free Methodist church : and Lillie, who became Mrs. Spink and is a well known law- ver of Chicago, often appearing before the supreme court of Illinois. Mrs. Spink was formerly a popular teacher in Ottawa coun- ty. Her son, Brewster Gates Spink. is also well known in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Chapman have made it one of their sacred duties of life to afford all of their children good educations, and to give them such moral and patriotic instruction as fits them admirably for the duties of citizenship. Their home is one of the most attractive and hos- pitable in Ottawa county, and they are so popular personally that the number of their friends may be said to be identical with the number of those who have come to know them well.

JAMES W. SPRINGER.

For a quarter of a century James W. Springer has made his home in Barber county, and his residence in Kansas covers

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forty-five years. The state is dear to him, . national government and he joined the Sev- being so long the place of his abode, and throughout all these years he has been loyal and faithful to its best interests, promoting its welfare by every means within his power. He is now accounted one of the progressive and enterprising farmers of Nippawalla township, Barber county, where he is suc- cessfully carrying on agricultural pursuits. He was born in Clinton county, Missouri. March 17, 1842, and comes of a long lived ancestry. His paternal grandfather. George Springer, died when near one hundred years of age and his wife had reached the ad- vanced age of ninety-two years at the time of her death. The maternal grandfather. James Poteet, was a soldier of the war of 1812. serving under General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans, and his death oc- curred at the age of ninety-eight.

Harvey Springer. the father of our sub- ject, was a gallant soldier in the Indian wars in Florida. He was a wagon-maker by trade, following that pursuit for many years in order to provide for his family. He mar- ried Miss Mary E. Poteet, a native of Ten- nessee, and they became the parents of eight children : Lucy Jane : W. B .. a resident of this township: James W .: George H .. who was a soldier of the Seventh Kansas Regi- ment and died at home of wounds sustained in service : Nancy, Alice. Mary and Elvira. The father died in Garrett, Kansas, the age of seventy-seven years and his wife passed away at the age of eighty-two. They were both consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and the father was a strong Union man during the Civil war.

enth Kansas Cavalry under the command of the gallant Colonel Jenison, enlisting on the 11th of November. 1861. He served until September 29, 1865, rendering valua- ble aid to his country. During the first three months he was in Kansas and later he was in Missouri and Arkansas until May, 1862, when with his command he was sent across the river and took part in the campaigns in Kentucky and Tennessee. He partici- pated in the battles of Corinth, Memphis, proceeded against the troops under Generals Price and Marmaduke in Missouri and Ar- kansas, aiding in quelling the guerilla bands and in suppressing the bushwhackers, who were doing so much to stir up restlessness and disorder, and were plundering and rob- bing wherever they went. Mr. Springer took part in the battle of Mine Creek, where General Marmaduke was captured. and wherever duty called him he was found, whether upon the picket or the firing line. When the Civil war was ended he went with his regiment overland to Omaha, Nebraska, and thence to Fort Kearney to guard the government trains against the hostile In- dians. Later the command returned to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and Mr. Springer was honorably discharged with the rank of corporal.

When his military service was ended he took up his abode in Labette county, Kan- sas, in 1866, becoming one of its pioneer settlers and there securing a government claim. He aided in the work of early devel- opment there and later removed to Chau- tauqua county, this state, then a part of Howard county. The year 1877 witnessed his arrival in Barber county, where he has since made his home. He has to-day eight hundred acres of valuable land, of which two hundred acres is under cultivation, the well tilled fields yielding to him golden har- vests. He is also extensively engaged in the raising of cattle and his shipments of stock are each year quite extensive. He is a very enterprising and progressive farmer, who has upon his place all modern improve-

James W. Springer spent the first fif- teen years of his life in the state of his nativity and then became a resident of An- derson county, Kansas, where he continued his education. which he had begun in the former state. On the home farm he was trained to habits of industry, economy and honesty and the lessons of life which he thus learned have been of great value to him in his business career. At the time of the Civil war his patriotic spirit was aroused by the attempt of the south to overthrow the i ments and his is,indeed, a model farm of the Union and set at naught the power of the

twentieth century.

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On the 31st of October, 1866, in Ander- son county, Kansas, Mr. Springer was united in marriage to Miss Harriet A. Tefft. a native of Michigan and a daughter of John and Lerinda Tefft, now deceased. She had four brothers who were members of Co. G. of the Seventh Kansas Cavalry in the war of the Rebellion-William, John Q., James M. , calities.

and Pha -- and certainly of this record for loyalty the family may well be proud. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Springer were born two children: Grace Vaughn and Alice Rinke. The mother died in Chautauqua county, in 1876, and in 1877 Mr. Springer was again married, his second union being with Ma- tilda L. Hayden, a native of Indiana and a daughter of Ezra and Catherine Hayden. Ten children have been born of the second marriage: Mrs. Hattie Hamblin, of Okla- homa : James B., Cora, Maud, Bessie, Edi- son, Herbert, Lulu, Carrie and Lucy, all yet at home in Barber county, Kansas.

The Republican party receives the en- dorsement of Mr. Springer through his franchise and he strongly advocates its prin- ciples but he has never had time nor desire to seek public office. He belongs to Medi- cine Lodge Post. No. 174. G. A. R., and enjoys the confidence and good will of his comrades of the war as well as the high re- gard of all with whom other relations of life have brought him in contact. He is the architect of his own fortunes. All that he has is the merited reward of his labors and his life history proves that success is not a matter of genius, but the outcome of per- sistent, honest effort.

HON. ROBERT DOUGHERTY.

Hon. Robert Dougherty, member of the Kansas legislature, and one of the men who has become conspicuous on account of nat- ural ability, was born in Monroe county, New York, on August 27. 1843. His par- ents were John and Nancy Mckinney, both of whom were born in Ireland, coming to America in 1842 and locating in New York. where the former became a prominent and

successful farmer. His death occurred about 1879, at the age of sixty-five, his wife surviving him some ten years. Both of them were consistent and valued members of the Methodist church. They reared ? family of six children, and all of them are still living and honored in their several lo-

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 25

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