A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 46

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

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miles northwest of Richmond, Missouri, and received his education in the public schools of that city. He was a lad of four- teen years when the battle of Lexington was fought, which was only fourteen miles distant from his home, and he retains a vivid recollection of that conflict. On the 17th of June, 1875, in Ray county, Mis- souri, he was united in marriage to Miss Melissa J. Fulkerson, who was born in Iowa, a daughter of John and Anna Fulk- erson. In 1876, as before stated, he came to the Sunflower state, locating upon the farm which he yet owns, and after spending the first three years in freighting he embarked in the stock business with his father, begin- ning operations with one hundred cows. Since the spring of 1884 he has engaged in that business alone. In 1895. on the Democratic and Populist ticket. he was elected to the office of sheriff, in which he served for two terms, and during that time he resided in Pratt. In 1900 he returned to his farm, which now consists of three hundred and twenty acres of rich and fertile land, ninety acres of which is under culti- vation and the remainder is devoted to graz- ing land, on which he has about thirty head of Hereford cattle. For a number of years past he has been engaged in the raising of an excellent grade of roadsters, of the Ham- bletonian, Morgan and Strathmore breeds, and his beautiful stallion. Brown Diamond, is the grandson of old Strathmore V., of Kentucky. He has sold many valuable ani- mals and still retains a number on his farm. His elegant residence was erected ten years ago and is located on the east side of Elm creek, overlooking the stream. A grove of stately poplars surrounds the house, adjoin- ing which is a splendid orchard of several acres. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Keyes are: Mary T., the wife of Oliver F. Stoops, a farmer of Century township, Pratt county ; Joseph L., who is engaged in farming in the "strip" of Oklahoma : Clara D., the wife of Harley Harrel. who is en- gaged in the machine and implement busi- ness at Pratt : and Myrtle, Ethel L., Rosa

John F. Keyes, of this review, was | R., Dessie I., John T., William R. and reared on his parents' old homestead twc i Ruby,-all at home.

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ISAAC V. WRIGHT.

There is no family in Barber county, Kansas, more highly esteemed than that of which the subject of this sketch is a wor- thy member, their location here having been in the pioneer epoch of development and their contribution to the normal advance- ment of this section having been one of dis- tinctive importance and value. On the oth- er pages of this work will be found specific mention of Moses Wright. the venerable father of the subject of the present review, and thus it will not be necessary to here re- capitulate as to geneaology and other per- tinent points.

Isaac V. Wright, who is one of the pro- gressive, successful and highly honored far- mers and stock-growers of section 14. Moore township. is a native of Macoupin county, Illinois, where he was born on the 29th of June. 1856, and there he was reared to the age of thirteen, having received such edu- cational advantages as were afforded by the public schools in the locality. He then ac- companied his parents on their removal to Montgomery county, that state, where. on the 14th of January, 1879. at the age of twenty-two years, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Wiley, daughter of John P. and Sophia ( Shew ) Wiley, and he contin- tied to devote his attention to agriculture in that county until the death of his wife. in April. 1883. In the fall of that year he came to Kansas, and in the spring of 1884 took up a pre-emption claim of wild prairie land. the same constituting an integral part of his present fine homestead. The transfor- mation which has been wrought within the intervening years has been one of marked under. The first primitive dwelling has given place to a fine modern residence : other excellent buildings have been erected : one hundred and twenty acres of the place have been placed under a high state of cultivation : fences have been placed about the various divisions of the farm : and the fruitful fields and the herds and flocks give evidence of prosperity and good management. He has added eighty acres to his original claim, and

also leases one hundred and twenty acres for farming and grazing purposes, having of la- ter years given more attention to the rais- ing of high-grade stock, while in the begin- ning the enterprise was almost purely agri cultural.

In politics Mr. Wright is a particularly zealous and active supporter of the Prohi- bition party and its cause, and his influence in the connection has been of marked po- tency. He has never aspiredto political pref- ermenit, the only offices of which he has been incumbent being those of road over- seer and a member of the board of school (lirectors. Like his venerable father. he is a devoted member of the Free Methodist church, and is known as one of the most active church and Sunday-school workers in this section, being a licensed exhorter of his church and doing much to promote the uplifting of his fellow men.

On the IIth of November, 1891. in Har- per county. Kansas. Mr. Wright consum- mated his second marriage, being then unit- ed to Miss Ella Watkins, who was born in Logansport. Indiana. the daughter of An- drew and Maria Watkins, native respect- ively of Indiana and Ohio, and of Irish and German lineage. They came to Kansas in the spring of 1870. locating in Summer of un- ty, in the southern part of which Mr. Wat- kin- took up a pre-emption claim. upon which he resided several years. passing through the disastrous grasshopper per. il of the summer of 1874, and other vicissi- tudes and trials typical of the pioneer op Sh. In the winter of that year, while out with a party of buffalo hunters, he was ver- taken by a terrific blizzard, in Oklidem. and his feet were so severely frozen as to necessitate the amputation of one-half of his left foot and some of the toes of the right. In 1885 he left Kansas and 1 cate in the Chickasaw nation of the Indian terri- tory. where he was engaged in farming for four years, later residing for a time in Homestead. Oklahoma. He and his wife now reside in Shawnee. that territory, where he is engaged in the dairy business. He is a veteran of the Civil war, and has been a

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pioneer of both Kansas and Oklahoma. His six children are as follows: Lizzie, the wife of James Blakely, a farmer of Oklahoma; Rosa, the widow of George Boniphant, and a resident of Shawnee, Oklahoma; Ella, the wife of our subject; Nettie, the wife of Charles Taylor, of Purcell, Chickasaw Na- tion : Dora, who became the wife of Philip Berger, and died January 21, 1902, at Shaw- nee, Oklahoma ; and Maude, the wife of Lee Ponsler, also of Shawnee, Indian territory. Mr. and Mrs. Wright have six children, namely : Rollie E., Florence May, Alice Ar- line, Ralph E., Naomi Ruth, and Prudence Vivian. Rollie E. is Mr. Wright's only child by his first marriage.

JOHN J. JENNESS.

John Jenness, one of the early pioneers of this locality, and a prominent and suc- cessful agriculturist, was born at Hermon, Penobscot county, Maine, on the 2d of January, 1839. a son of David L. and Mar- tha (York) Jenness, natives respectively of New Hampshire and Maine, and both were descendants of honored early settlers of New England. The paternal grandfather of our subject, in company with two of his brothers, came from France to the United States, locating in New Hampshire, where he became prominently identified with the interests of New England. Some members of the family became noted ship builders. The father of our subject, David Jenness, was born and reared in New Hampshire, and after reaching years of maturity he re- moved to Maine, where he followed his trade of carpentering. He was there mar- ried, and later in life located on a farm, where he resided during the remainder of his life time, passing away in 1847. His wife survived him for many years, having been called to the home beyond in 1860. She was a daughter of a sea captain, and his death occurred at sea. He was the fa- ther of the following children: Jerusha, William, Solomon, John, and Martha E.

David Jenness was a stanch Democrat in his political views, having been an influen- tial and active worker in the ranks of his party, but. although he filled the office of justice of the peace, he was never an as- pirant for political honors, preferring to give his time and attention to his business inter- ests. He was a man of sturdy habits, was strong in his opinions concerning right and wrong, and was honored and respected by all with whom he had business or social intercourse. He had one brother. Francis Jenness. Unto David and Martha E. ( York) Jenness were born the following children: Esther, who became the wife of G. W. Webber, of Maine: John J., the sub- ject of this review ; Walter B., a resident of Colorado; Abby, who was twice married, first becoming the wife of a Mr. Stuyve- sant, and afterward married a Mr. Rolf; and Mark C., who died in New York. The parents were members of the Universalist church.

John J. Jenness remained in his native state until sixteen years of age, when he re- moved with his uncle, Solomon York, to Illinois. The latter was a sea captain, own- ing many boats on the Hennepin canal. and our subject remained in his employ for a number of years, running to Chicago. In 1859. becoming imbued with the Pike's Peak gold fever, he made the journey to Colorado, and after returning to Illinois he again went to that state, where he was en- gaged in mining for a time. He next went to New Mexico, and in 1861 came to Kan- sas, locating first at Indianola, where he was engaged in driving stage to St. Mary's Mis- sion for two years, after which he followed the same occupation for another firm, going from Abilene to Junction City. In 1864 he enlisted for one hundred days' service in the Civil war, being stationed at Fort Leav- enworth, Kansas, until the following fall, where he received an honorable discharge. His next place of residence was Junction City, where he sold goods at auction during that winter, and for a short time thereafter was engaged in the saloon business at Wy- andotte. Removing thence to Lawrence,

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Kansas, he there manufactured the brick of which the Eldridge Hotel was built, to re- place the one destroyed by Quantrell and his band. His next employment was as stage driver from Lawrence to Topeka, later was engaged as station agent at Pritchard, west di Salina, for the Overland Stage Company. and in 1866 was employed by the same com- pany to erect their stables.

After his marriage, which occurred in August, 1866, Mr. Jenness came to Ottawa county, where for a time he was employed in hay-making for T. C. Hersey, a well known early settler of the Sunflower state. In 1867 he purchased a squatter's claim to the land which he yet owns, the northeast quarter of section 24. Buckeye township, on which a log cabin had been created and many oth- er improvements made. The log cabin was shortly afterward replaced by a more com- fortable dwelling, which, with all its con- tents, was burned a few years later. the loss being covered with only a small amount of insurance. Mr. Jenness now has a pleasant and commodious two-story residence, situa- ted on a natural building site and overlook- ing the valley of Cole creek. He also has good barns, a beautiful grove and orchard. while his fields are under a fine state of cul- tivation and annually yield to the owner a handsome financial return. In addition to the raising of the cereals best adapted to this soil and climate he is also extensively engaged in the handling of stock, having at one time been the largest stock raiser in Ottawa county. He raises cattle, hogs an l horses, shipping the latter to Tennessee. Hle is an enterprising and public spirited man. endowed with that noted New England push and enterprise, and he has always been ready and willing to lend his aid and co- operation to any movement or measure in- tended for the public good. He is widely and favorably known throughout the com- munity, and has ever commanded the re- spect and confidence of all who have had the pleasure of his acquaintance.

In political matters Mr. Jenness has also become quite prominent. He was originally identified with the Democracy. but in 1860

he allied his interests with those of the Re- publican party, becoming influential in its ranks in Ottawa county. He attended many of its conventions, and on its ticket was elected to many positions of honor and trust. He subsequently, however, returned to the Democratic party. for whose interests he Is now a prominent and active worker, doing all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of that party. He has filled the offices of township trustee and as- sessor, was for eight years a justice of the peace, while for many years he has served as the efficient clerk of his school district, being the incumbent in the office at the pres- ent time. In all these various positions he has served with efficiency, ever discharging the duties entrusted to his care with the ut- most fidelity and honor.

As a companion and helpmate on the journey of life Mr. Jenness chose Miss Mary J. Carr, a lady of superior intelligence and culture and a member of one of the honored pioneer families of Ottawa county. She was born on the 5th of March. 1845. a daughter of E. V. and Anna Belle ( Stevens ) Carr, natives respectively of New York and Ireland. The parents were married in Michi- gan, and after a number of removals lo- cated in Ottawa county in 1861. before the organization of the county and while the Indians and buffaloes were still numerous here. Only four families were then liv- ing in the valley. Mr. Carr selected his land. and after the establishment of the land office he pre-empted the same, making many improvements thereon and placing his fields under a fine state of cultivation. He was very fond of buffalo hunts, and often en- gaged in that sport. He was a plain, hon- est farmer, and was well and favorably known throughout his locality. In his po- litical views he was a stanch Democrat, and on its ticket was elected to the position of county commissioner, also holding many other minor positions. He was called to his final rest on the 13th of February, 1875, when he had reached the fifty-seventh mile- stone on the journey of life. His widow is still living, making her home on the old

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homestead farm, and she has now reached the ripe old age of eighty-one years. They were the parents of the following children : Jane, who married M. Huffman: Martha. who became Mrs. Lamb: Francis, a resi- dent of Oklahoma: Mary J., the wife of our subject: Julia, who became Mrs. Lamb : Hannah, who died before marriage : Henry. a resident of Colorado: Mrs. Clara Clewell : and Flora, the wife of W. Hoffman. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jenness have been born nine children, namely: Carry. born September 27. 1867. became the wife of W. Spencer : Walter, born December 30, 1868, died in Colorado in 1890; John, born August 31. 1870, is employed as a railroad agent at Abilene, Kansas : Clarence and Willis, twins. were born June 24. 1872, the former dying the same year, while the latter survived un- til 1875: Esther, born February 26, 1874. died in 1875: Grace, born April 8, 1876. married T. F. Sullivan Niles. in November. 1901; Nelly was born March 12, 1878, and on the 25th of December, 1901, was married to Claude A. Roberts, of Randolph, Kan- sas ; and Ray, who resides with his parents. was born February 5. 1881, and was mar- ried February 12. 1002. to Miss Maggie Parks. Mr. Jenness is a member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has filled all the chairs and has also been a delegate to the grand lodge.

GEORGE GOSCH.

In the complex makeup of our national social fabric there is no element which has contributed in larger proportion to the sta- bility and normal progress of the country than that of the sturdy German-American. and of this constituency the republic may well feel proud, ever holding the sons of the German fatherland as loyal to our institu- tions and as thoroughly engrafted onto our body politic and social as is the native Amer- ican himself. Among the representative citizens of Allen township. Kingman coun- ty, is Mr. Gosch, who is of German birth

and who is numbered among the progres- sive and successful farmers and stock- growers of the county. Here he has at- tained independence and prosperity through his own efforts and has made for himself a high place in the esteem and confidence of the community, thus being clearly entitled to representation in this work.

Mr. Gosch is a native of Holstein, Ger- many, having been born in the vicinity of the city of Hamburg. on the 26th of October, 1834, being the son of John Hans Gosch. who was a farmer by vocation and a man of sterling character. He was born in the same province, as was also his estimable wife. whose maiden name was Dora Dunker, both being devoted members of the Lutheran church, in whose faith they passed into eternal life, each having lived to attain the age of eighty-three years. They became the parents of eight children, of whom only four survive: Heinke Holtz, the eldest, died in Germany: Margaretta and Martha still re- side in the fatherland: George is the sub- ject of this sketch : and Frederick resides in Allen township. Kingman county, Kansas. Of those who are deceased, two brothers were valiant soldiers in the Union army during the war of the Rebellion. Henry. who was a member of an Illinois regiment. died in California, in the year 1863: and John, likewise in service as a volunteer from Illinois during the Civil war, died in Wich- ita. Kansas. in 1900, leaving a widow and one daughter : he was the owner of a good farm in Kingman county at the time of his death.

George Gosch. the immediate subject of this sketch, secured his educational training in the excellent schools of his native prov- ince, and from his boyhood contributed his share to the work of the homestead farm. gaining there his appreciation of the value of industry and constant application, and forming those habits which have since proved important factors in his achievement of a worthy success. Upon attaining the age of twenty-one years he came to Amer- ica. a stranger in a strange land, with whose language he was not familiar, but relying

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE GOSCH.

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upon honesty of purpose and capacity for work to make his way. He came west to Alten, Illinois, where he was employed fer a time in the manufacture of washing ma- chines: then went into Hancock county. same state, where he worked at his trade of carpentering for nineteen years. Having children, he desired to move to where land was cheap, and he accordingly came to King- man county, Kansas, and took up a tract of government and in Allen township, a por- tion of his present fine landed estate, which comprises six hundred and forty acres of the best soil in this section of the state : and here he has. from that early pioneer period. devoted his attention to general agriculture and to the raising of high-grade cattle and horses. As the years have passed he has not only added to his original claim but has also made the best of improvements upon his place, including a commodious house. excellent barns and other outbuildings for the accommodation of stock, implements. produce, etc .. more than three thousand dol- lars having been expended on the buildings. Careful attention is given to all details and departments of the farm work, and the gen- eral appearance of the place clearly indicates this, and gives evidence of the energy and progressive methods which have brought about the transformation. Mr. Gosch and his sons together own an aggregate of two thousand and forty acres of land in the coun- ty of Kingman, and as a family they are the heaviest tax-payers in Allen township.

In political affairs Mr. Gosch gives his support to the Republican party, and though he takes a proper interest in local public affairs he has never sought or desired offi- cial preferment. He has: however. repre- sented his party as a delegate to county con- ventions. In religion he is a zealous mem- ler of the Methodist Episcopal church. as is also his wife. and he is ever ready to lend influence in support of good government. temperance, religion and education. In his church he is class-leader and an exhorter. and his earnest and able efforts in connection with the church work have been appreciated and attended with results which requite his

devotion to the cause of the Master and to the uplifting of his fellow men, and with his brother, John C., was the first member of this Methodist Episcopal church, two years ago.

At Warsaw. Illinois, on the roth of De- cember. 1856, Mr. Gosch was united in mar- riage to Miss Elzaba Louisa Groff, who was born in the province of Schleswick. Ger- many, where she was reared and educated and where her parents passed their entire lives. She came to the United States at the age of twenty-two years and resided in Illi- nois until the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Gosch are the parents of eight chil- dren. namely : Sophia Dorotha: Mary Louisa: Anna: Martha Amelia: Fred F .. who is married and has a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres, in Allen town- ship: John H. and Edward W .. each of whom is the owner of a good farm property in this county : and George Benjamin, who likewise devotes his attention to agricultural pursuits. The family are held in the high- est esteem in the county, and the sons are known as able and progressive farmers and business men: and all the boys have been educated at college. and their business suc- cess eminently demonstrates this fact.

JACOB F. BLACKWELDER.

Jacob F. Blackwelder, a retired farmer and stock man. residing in Isabel Valley township. Barber county, Kansas, was born in Montgomery county, Illinois, December 23. 1842. On the paternal side he is de- scended from good old German ancestry. his great-grandfather having emigrated to America from that country with one broth- er prior to the Revolutionary war. and as far as is known they are the only one of the name who ever emigrated to this country. The brothers served through the memorable struggle for independence, and after the war the great-grandfather of our subject located in Pennsylvania and engaged in agricultu- ral pursuits, as have every generation ni

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Blackwelders since that time. His son and the grandfather of our subject was a native of that commonwealth, but he afterward emigrated to North Carolina, where he be- came a prosperous farmer and there spent the remainder of his life, passing away in death when his grandson, Jacob F., was a small lad.

Alfred Blackwelder, the father of him whose name introduces this review, was born in Cabarrus county. North Carolina, near Concord, and in the state of his na- tivity he was reared and followed agricul- tural pursuits until twenty-one years of age. Then, in company with his cousin, Peter Blackwelder. he emigrated to Illinois, mak- ing the long trip on horseback, and in what is now Montgomery county, the father pur- chased forty acres of government land. Two years later he was united in marriage to Jo- anna Scherrer, also a native of North Caro- lina, and a daughter of Frederick and Pollie ( Clapp) Scherrer, both born in Guilford county, North Carolina, but later became pioneers of Montgomery county, Illinois. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Blackwelder began their domestic life on his farm of forty acres, but later he traded that place for three forty-acre tracts in the same locality, near Litchfield. This in time he also sold. purchasing a fine farm of four hundred acres near that city, upon which he was re- siding when death called him to his home beyond, in 1899, at the age of eighty-seven years. His wife had passed to her final rest about twenty years previously, but her husband remained true to her memory, and for several years afterward his youngest son made his home with him, after which a faithful old German lady was his house- keeper for fourteen years. Like many of his ancestors he was a faithful and devout member of the Evangelical church, which he served in an official capacity for many years. He was a life-long Democrat and was a great admirer of Andrew Jackson. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Blackwelder were born thirteen children, eight of whom grew to mature years : Daniel M., a retired farmer. of Litchfield, Illinois: William R., who

served in the Civil war as a member of Com- pany A. Ninety-first Illinois Volunteer In- fantry, and was slightly wounded and taken prisoner at Brownsville, Kentucky, being mustered out with the rank of captain, and he now resides at Litchfield, Illinois : Jacob F., of this review : Minerva C., the wife of Robert Morrison, a farmer of Pratt county, Kansas: David, a retired farmer of Litch- field. Illinois, where he is serving as a men- ber of the county board: John W., who re- sides on a farm twenty miles from that city; Harriet L., the wife of Gideon Davis, a far- mer of Pratt county, Kansas: and Samuel R., also a farmer of that county. Those who have passed away are: George, who died in infancy ; a son deceased in infancy ; Louisa, who died at the age of eighteen months ; Mary, who reached the age of nine years; and Margaret, also deceased in in- fancy.

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 46

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