A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 31

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

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As soon as Dr. Barr had recuperated his health he began teaching in the country schools a profession which he i Wheel ing

In the meantime he took up the medicine under the direction .1 Dr. Hannon, of Carthage, Illinois, and met the expense of his course himself. Subse- quently he was graduated in the ( Hogyof i'vesicher and Sergeen, at Ne Ik, irma. and in 1870 began practice at Ferris. 1.i- nois. From that place he cate . I'M- Wal. hoping that his wife's ben's might be benefited in the milder climate here and since 1880 he has engaged in practice in Martin county. In 1883 he purchased the drug store owned by Dr. Dodson and con- ducted the same until 1886, when he sold it to Dr. Dunn. He also purchased the John Rader home, which he has enlarged and improved and he now has a very fine residence and office. the latter being well equipped with every convenience and ac- cessary necessary for carrying on a suc- cessful medical practice.

The Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Enela Genevra Lynd. of Galesburg, Illinois. a daughter of Lindsey Lynd. She

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was born in Rochester, New York, and by her marriage she became the mother of two children, but William H., the elder, is now deceased. The surviving son is Frederick William, who is now located at Grand En- campment, Wyoming, where he is interested in mining. The Doctor holds membership relations with the Masonic fraternity, the Grand Army of the Republic and the Com- mercial. Club of Ellinwood, and is a lead- ing, progressive and popular citizen of this place. He has served as a member of the city council, and for two years was mayor. discharging his duties with promptness and fidelity. He is always as true to the duties of citizenship as when he wore the blue uni- form of the nation and aided in the de- fense of the Union in her hour of peril.

W. R. WHITE.

W. R. White. the efficient postmaster of the thriving city of Geneseo, and one of its leading and representative citizens. was born in Park county. Indiana, on the 17th of March, 1866. His father. John Neal White. was born in North Carolina. Feb- ruary II. 1834, and was a son of Thomas White, who was born November 3, 1796. His father, Joseph White, was born May 15. 1766, and died in 1825. Thomas White. the grandfather of our subject. wedded Elizabeth Boyd, who was born December 29. 1808, and they had eleven children: Montroville, Mary Ann, Lewis C., Alice Susan, John Neal. Joshua E., Rachel E .. Daniel W., William Thomas C., Benjamin F., and Flortilla M. John Neal White. the father of our subject, married Martha Ellen Smith, a native of Virginia, and a daughter of Thomas Smith. This union was blessed with six children: Ava F., of Ridgedale. Tennessee ; W. R., our subject : Thomas E., an architect of Jacksonville, Florida; Wil- lard S., of Tennessee, and an employe of the Southern Express Company; John L., who is connected with the same company : and May, who died at the age of twelve years. The father of this family was called

to the home beyond on the 25th of Decem- ber. 1897.

W. R. White, the immediate subject of this review, was brought by his father to Kansas during his infancy, a location being made at Baldwin City. Our subject after- ward spent three years in Olivet, Osage county, Kansas, and later was a resident of Osage City, this state, for eleven years. He received a good education, and for. two years was a student at the Urbana, Ohio, University. Subsequently he followed the teacher's profession in Ellsworth county, Kansas, for three years. He proved a ca- pable instructor. being able to impart clear- ly and concisely to others the knowledge he had acquired. He also filled the important office of principal of the schools of Geneseo. After abandoning the teacher's profession Mr. White entered the journalistic field, as editor and proprietor of the Geneseo Her- ald, a clean, newsy sheet and a strong advo- cate of Republican principles. In July, 1897, under President Mckinley, he was ap- pointed to the responsible position of post- master of Geneseo, and is now the incum- bent in the office. He is discharging his duties with promptness and fidelity, and has won the respect and admiration of the pat- rons of the office. Mr. White was the choice of the people for city clerk, in which he served for three years and has many times been a delegate to county and con- gressional conventions. He has ever been an active and loyal worker in the ranks of his party, believing firmly in the principles set forth by its platform, and doing every- thing in his power for its upbuilding and advancement.

In 1892 at Little River, Kansas, Mr. White was united in wedlock to Eliza II Finnemore, a woman of intelligence and cul- ture. She was born in London, England, and is a daughter of William Finnemore, who spent his entire life in London. He was born there in 1819. and was there called to his final rest. He was the father of ten chil- dren. and his son. Charles W. Finnemore, was for several years a resident of Rice county, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. White are the parents of three children-Gilbert G.,

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Ava F., and Willard L. In his social re- lations he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a mem- ber of the Swedenborgian church, and his wife holds membership in the Episcopal church. His life has been characterized by energy, perseverance and hard work, and to these principles his success is due. His high honors have come to him solely because of his ability, and as a citizen he commands the respect of all who know him.

ANDREW J. HICKS.

Andrew J. Hicks has had an eventful life, which if told in detail would contain many chapters of thrilling interest equal to the tales of fiction. He is now quietly fol- lowing farming in Jewell county, Kansas. near lonia, where he has large landed in- terests and maintains a home after the man- ner f the English gentleman, for although a ) val American citizen Mr. Hicks is of English birth. He is a native of Baldock. Herci al aire. England, his natal day be- ing August 20, 1838. He comes of a fam- ily whose ancestry can be traced back for nine hundred years and numbers many men whose names figure prominently on the pages . i English history. His great-grand- father the Rev. Dr. George Hicks was a biskop f the church of England while Lord Leighton, the celebrated English artist, was a cousin of our subject. as was also Pasha Hicks, who went to Soudan with the British army .. and served under the khedive of Egypt. being killed there, together with al- my st his entire army.

Dr. Thomas Hicks. the father of our subject, was born in Herefordshire. Eng- land, and not only owned an estate there, buit als, one in county Cork, Ireland, and in b th paces he served as a justice of the peace. He was a noted physician in his day and as a large landed proprietor-a typi- ca! English gentleman, who held important positions under the British government. He was an attache of the British embassy

at Rome, under the earl of Ripon, for seven years beginning in 1838, and his connec- tion with public affairs and his important property interests made him one of the lead- ing men of his locality. He married Helen Nash, who was born in London and be- longed to a family of celebrated and wealthy merchants. His death occurred at his es- tate in County Cork. in 1885. while his wife died at their estate in Torquay, Devon- shire, in 1897. One of their sons is the Rev. Thomas Hicks, vicar of St. Mathias church at Torquay, a wealthy man and a large benefactor of his parish. Another son, Dr. George Hicks, is a celebrated phy- sician in London. A daughter, Miss C. E. Hicks, is living in Rome, while another daughter, Mrs. L. K. Herschel, resides at Bordighera, Italy.

Andrew J. Hicks acquired a classical ed- tication under private instruction until six- teen years of age, when he entered the British army with the commission of ensign in the Forty-seventh Infantry. He served for four years in England and then went with his regiment to New Zealand, serving in the colonial army for four and a half years, being attached to the Fourth Waikato Regiment. On the expiration of that peried he went to Australia, where for -CV- eral terms he engaged in teaching schni. Before leaving Australia he served for two and a half years on Her Majesty's ship Curacoa, a man of war.

Returning to England. Mr. Hicks re- mained there for about three years and then came to the United States in Isto. beat- ing first in Jacksonville, Illinois, but after a few months went to Kansas City, where he remained for a year. On the expiration of that period he came to Jewell county and secured a pre-emption claim of one hundred and sixty acres in Athens township, which has since been his permanent home, the place being pleasantly and conveniently situated three miles southeast of Ionia. He has one of the finest country seats in this portionof the state, his large and commodi we resi- dence being beautifully furnished and dis- playing the taste and love of comfort of the English gentleman. All of the farm build-

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ings are substantial structures and every- thing about the place is indicative of the enterprise and careful supervision of the owner. He began life here in a sod house, afterward lived in a shack. then a small frame dwelling and in course of time this was replaced by his present attractive resi- dence.

In Jewell county, Kansas, in 1883, Mr. Hicks was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ellen Cheney, a native of Zanesville, Ohio, a daughter of Joshua and Julia Anne (Johns) Cheney, who became honored pio- neer settlers of the Sunflower state. In his political views Mr. Hicks is a Repub- lican, warmly endorsing the principles of the party which he has supported since be- coming an American citizen. In religious faith he is an Episcopalian. He is a man of considerable means, deriving a pleasing in- come from his English estate. He is ex- ceedingly generous and his home is cele- brated for its splendid hospitality. Benevo- lent and philanthropic, he and his wife have done much good among their neighbors and those in need of assistance, and no man in Jewell county is more universally liked than Andrew J. Hicks.

HENRY F. BULOW, M. D.

Henry F. Bulow is the pioneer physi- cian of Stafford, Kansas, and in the days when Barton county was on the borders of civilization he ministered to the needs of the frontiersmen who sought medical as- sistance. oftentimes sacrificing his own comfort and convenience that he might go to the relief of those upon whom disease had laid a heavy hand. His ability made his visits attended by results most satisfactory and commendable, and from the early days of the history of this community he has oc- cupied a front rank among leading physi- cians.

: Dr. Bulow was born in Berlin. Ger- many. March 9, 1822. a son of Otto Bulow. who for sixty-two years held the rank of general in the German army. In the place

of his nativity the Doctor was reared and educated ,and in accordance with the laws of his country be performed military serv- ice. He was a student and is a graduate of one of the medical colleges of Berlin, and in 1856 he came to America, where he accepted a position as physician and sur- geen to the Gallatin State Hospital. He was detailed by the government to go on an expedition to Hong Kong, China. Subse- quently he returned to Fort Churchill, Cali- fornia, and later was located at Gold Hill, Silver City, Yuba and Bonita, in the gov- ernment service. From the last named place he was ordered to Washington city in 1861, on the breaking out of the Rebellion, and served throughout the war. He was wounded four times while acting as physi- cian and surgeon to cavalry troops. After the Rebellion he located in Concordia, Mis- souri, where he was engaged in the practice of medicine for about a decade.

In 1875 Dr. Bulow came west and bought a quarter section of land in what is new Stafford county, Kansas. The vil- lage of Stafford has since been built upon a part of it, and the Doctor was one of the committee to locate the town site. Here he first constructed a sod house, twelve by fourteen feet, and then erected an addition twelve by twenty feet, and made the house two stories in height. It was the first and only two-story sod house in the county. Lumber was very scarce in those days, and therefore he used the material mentioned in the construction of the dwelling. The house, however, had a shingle rori and worden window frames, doors and floor and was a very comfortable dwelling. Later he erected a large and commodious resi- dence and barn and made other substantial improvements upon his place. Through- out the years he continued in active prac- tice through riding over the country on horseback. He had become an expert horse- back rider while in the service of the gov- ernment. and when he found it necessary would swim his horse across the creeks in order to reach the homes of the early set- tlers, for bridges had not been constructed | at that time. He traveled far and wide in

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three days and continued his practice in Stafford and throughout the surrounding ing country until 1892, when he removed to Himwood, where he has since built up an excellent patronage in the line of his pro- ieste. He still own- his farm, which is ne contient and cultivated by his son.

The Der was united in marriage to M. J. anna Steckhahn, a native ci Ger- mommy. ieri in 1834. They became the parents of three children,-Henry, Charlie and hum, but the last two are deceased. The surviving son is an enterprising farmer and married Emma Pleasant. They have three children .- Henry, Anna Alma and Charlie. The family is one of prominence in the community and the Doctor's circle of friends is almost co-extensive with his circle .i acquaintances. He is serving as county physician, has been president of the County Medical Society of Stafford coun- tv. an ! is a member of the Grand Army P. s. vi which he has twice been com- matyler, while at the present time he is serving as post surgeon. He is also a mem- ber of the Krieger-Bund, a soldier's asse - cati :: i Ellinwood.

F. N. MASEMORE.

Business success and enterprise at Ster- ling. Kansas, have an alde representative in the subject . f this review. F. N. Masemore, th is engaged in general merchandising at Ft. Smith and Knoxville, Arkansas. and in the real estate business at Sterling, Kansas. He came o. Rice county in 1878. when a young man. and has since been an important factor in the upbuilding and im- provement of his locality. He is a native of Noble county, Indiana, born near Al- Bin. March 8, 1865. His father, Jacob Masemare, was also a native of Indiana, and in .August, 1878, he took up his abode in Rice county, Kansas. becoming a leading merchant and business man at Raymond. His death occurred there at the age of fifty- four years, and his wife is also deceased. They were the parents of the following

Calleen : I. (. a prominent reside! Kremlin, Oklahoma: O. B., of Wankomis, Oklahoma : Mr. E. J. Mudge, a resident of Lajunta, Colorado: F. N. the -nijert ... this review: S. V., who make- hi- to me in Raymond: Anna Warner, . i Read: Smag. Arsom: William, a resident of Kremlin, Oklahoma: Mrs. Becker. of Rice county, Kansas: Harry, als of Kremlin ; and. Mr. C. W. Becker, who died in Rice & roll. Jak b Masempre was a head minister in the Methodist Frece pal church, and the Recent. plished much for the welfare of bi- telles men. His wife was also-a member of thet denomination and was an able assistant : him in his work.

F. N. Masemore, whose name intro itices this review. attended the sen kad Nih county, Indiana. Hle was a youth of four- teen years when he came with his parents to Rice ounty. Kansas, and he has ever since been an important factor in the progress and advancement which have wrersht wonderful transformation here. Fra nam. ber of years he has been engaged in generai merchandising at Raymond, curving complete line of dry goods, bet and chees and everything to be found in a first-class emlichment of that character. it is wow extensively engaged in the reverse it- ness, and in both branches he is acting with a high and well merited degree of s- cess.

In 1887 Mr. Masemore was united in marriage & Miss Sadie Bailey, a daughter of W. J. Bailey, of Galena. Illinois. She was called to her final rest in the card December, 1897, leaving three children,- I. tta. Willis and Verna. On the 19th of April, 1899, Mr. Masemore was again mar- ried. his second union being with Miss Josie B. Specht, who was reared and edu- cated in Rice county. Kansas, a daughter of R Gert Specht, one of the prominent and early settlers of this locality. Mp. Mase- more affiliates with the Democratic party and socially is connected with the Masonic fraternity. He was made a Knight Temp- har in 1899. is a member of Sterling Com- mandery, No. 47, and was made a thirty- second-degree Mason in 1897. The history

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of Mr. Masemore cannot fail to be of wide- spread interest, for he ranks high in com- mercial circles in the Sunflower state, which has given to the Union some of its most eminent professional and business men.

JACOB BLANK.

The prominent farmer in section 20, Eagle township, Kingman county, Kansas, whose name is above, has exemplified in his career the virtues of integrity and industry and others which are usually attributed to men of his nationality, and owning one hun- dred and sixty acres of fine land in Sage township, besides his home farm, is the proprietor of three hundred and twenty acres, well improved, productive and val- uable.

Jacob Blank was born in Switzerland, July 25, 1852, a son of Nicholas Blank, and at the age of two years was left an orphan. He was cared for by friends of his family until he was sixteen years old. From then until he was eighteen years old he worked in a flouring-mill in his native land and then came to America. In his fam- ily were eight children and three of his brothers came to the United States -- first Nicholas, then Saul and Christian-and located in Pennsylvania. In 1870 Jacob came and joined his three brothers in Berks county, where they were engaged in farm- ing. He was engaged there at farm work two years and then went to Hamilton coun- ty. Ohio, where for a like period he was employed in a factory. He then returned to Pennsylvania and for four years worked in a rolling mill at Coatesville, Chester county. In September, 1878. he made his advent to Sedgwick county, Kansas, where he found employment at farm work.

In 1879 Mr. Blank went to Kingman county, Kansas, and took possession of a land claim in the northeast quarter of sec- tion 20, Eagle township, upon which he built a homesteader's ten-by-twelve house. Continuing in his paid employment in Sedg- wick county, he hired twenty acres of his claim plowed and planted it to sod corn.

By the spring of 1880 having saved money with which to buy a team, he moved on his claim and within three years had put about sixty acres under cultivation.

October 16, 1883. Mr. Blank married Lucy Slattman, a daughter of John and Mary Slattman. Mrs. Blank was born in Hanover, Germany, and was brought to the United States at the age of seven years by her parents, who located in northeast Missouri, whence they removed in 1879 to Allen township, Kingman county, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Blank have the following chil- dren: Mary, the eldest. married L. Coch- ran and lives in Oklahoma. The others, who are members of their parents' house- hold, are named Emma, Anna, Lizzie, Net- tie. Clara and George.

Mr. Blank has given his attention to general farming and stock-raising, and he usually keeps about sixty-five head of cat- tle of a good grade. He built his two- story residence in 1898 and his thirty-two- by-thirty-four-foot barn in 1900. Politi- cally he was formerly a Republican, but during recent years he has acted with the People's party. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America of Norwich Lodge, No. 316, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of Norwich Lodge, No. 319, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He was one of the organizers of school district No. 38, and for ten years has been a meni- ber of the township school board. A mod- est. unobtrusive man, Mr. Blank, possibly more by force of example than by precept, exerts a recognized influence for good upon his community. In a business way he has won the commendation of his fellow citi- zens and won a success which should be an encouragement to young men of spirit and enterprise who would succeed in life.

LINDLEY M. PRESNALL.

Lindley M. Presnall, whose well devel- oped farm on section 26. Cedar township, indicates the enterprise and progressive spirit of the owner, has been a resident of Bar- ber county since November 14. 1883. He

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is a native of the middle west, his birth having recurred in Henry county, Indiana, on the 5th of July, 1840. His father, Dan- iel Presnall, was a native of Guilford ce un- ty, North Carolina, and a son of John and Hannah (Littler) Presnall, who were also natives of that state. The family, how- ever, originally resided in Massachusetts, and representatives of the name removed from the north, taking up their abode in the old North state. It was in the year 1826 that John Presnall and his wife re- moved to Indiana, taking up their al de in Henry county, where they spent their re- maining days. Their son, Daniel Presnall. the father of our subject, was reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life in the Hosier state and was married in Henry county to Huldah Ratliff, who was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, her father. Joseph Ratliff, being one of the first men- bers of the Society of Friends that removed to Indiana. He took up his abode there in 1816 and was very prominent in the re- ligious denomination with which he was connected. He married Rebecca Lamb, who was also from the south. The marriage of Daniel and Huldah Presnall was blessed with nine children, eight of whom reached years of maturity, namely : Mrs. Rebecca Jane Ware, of Barber county; Hannah L. Arnold, of Woods county, Oklahoma; Jo- seph J. G., who is now deceased : Lindley M. of this review: Jesse R. and Reuben, who have also passed away; Cynthia S. Hiatt: Elizabeth D. White; and Sarah. The mother of this family died in 1865, at the age of fifty-three years, loved and re- spected by all for her good qualities of heart and mind and for her sunny dispo- sitien. Her father survived her for some- time, passing away at the age of ninety- one years. By occupation he was a farmer and stock dealer and his life was one of in- dustrious activity. His political support was given the Freesoil party and he voted for William Henry Harrison in 1836 and again in 1840. He was an elder in the Friends' church, took an active part in its work and was deeply interested in its prog-

ress. Opposed to the system of slavery, he became identified with the abolition move- ment and his home was a station on the un- derground railroad, whereby the fugitive slaves were assisted on their way t tie north and freedom.

On the old family homestead in Henry county, Indiana, Lindley M. Presnall spent the days of his boyhood and youth, and les- sons of industry, economy and honesty were early instilled into his mind. He acquired a good English education in the common schools, and in 1859. when nineteen years of age, he started westward, locating in Oska- loosa, Mahaska county, Iowa. There he en- gaged in teaching school and was also con- nected with the insurance business for sev- eral years, both in Mahaska and Jasper counties in the Hawkeye state.

On the 19th of August, 1863, Mr. Pres- nall was united in marriage to Rebecca E. Kinley, the wedding taking place in a Quaker church. She was born in Wayne county, Indiana, near Richmond, and was a daughter of Joel and Rachel ( Hunt) Kinley, both natives of North Carolina. By this marriage was born a son, Joel L. Presnall, now living in Byron, Woods coun- ty, Oklahoma, where he follows farming and stock-raising. The wife and mother died at the early age of twenty-three years. in the faith of the Friends' church, with which she was identified. On the 15th of November. 1868, Mr. Presnall was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Semira A. (White) Cox, the widow of Mahlon Cox. By her first marriage she had two children. Lindley H., who is now liv- ing in Boise City, Idaho, and Mrs. Ebb ra E. Smith, of San Francisco, California. She is the widow of Charles H. Smith and has a son. C. H. D. Smith, who is now in Honolulu. in the Hawaiian Islands. Mrs. Presnall is a daughter of Thomas and Eliza- 1:eth White, of Iowa, who removed from North Carolina to Indiana and subsequently took up their abode in the Hawkeve state. Both died in Jasper county, I wa. the mother at the age of seventy-six years. In their family were twelve children. Unto

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 31

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