A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 63

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 63

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sent his district in the state senate, while in the years 1800-1900 he was representative. Decatur S. Rees, who came to Kansas with his brother Franklin, now resides on a farm near Delphos. David Austin, the seventh son and the first to die, was killed at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, in the war of the Rebellion. He served as aide-de-camp to General Thomas, and was lieutenant un- der General Osterhous, of the Fifty-fourth Ohio Infantry. Thomas Clayton, the next of the family, was drowned in the Solomon river. He tied his horse and tried to swim the swollen stream, but was carried down by the strong current to his death. He was a volunteer in the naval force, acting as second lieutenant on his boat, which was one of the celebrated "Mosquito fleet," under Commo- dore Porter. Corwin Rees, the youngest son. is now a lieutenant in the navy, and is stationed at Newport, Rhode Island. He has had twenty-two years' actual sea service- a more extended period than that of any other naval officer, not excepting Admi- ral Dewey. He was with Admiral Dew- ey as executive officer on his flagship at the battle of Manila. In 1899 he secured a leave of absence and visited his brothers in Minneapolis. He was received with ova- tions wherever he went and well deserved the honors accorded him. He enlisted when only fifteen years of age, and being a bright. active lad, was given a position as clerk in the quartermaster's department. He served for two years and was with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea. In 1866 he re- ceived an appointment whereby he took a course in the naval school at Annapolis, and was graduated in 1870. He then began life as a midshipman and has filled all the inter- mediate positions up to his present rank. He was second in command on the Michigan at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chi- cage.

Franklin Carroll Rees, like all of his brothers, has had an interesting career. He came to the wilds of Kansas in 1857, and says that "shaking with ague. fighting mos- quitoes and driving oxen" are among the most vivid meniories of his pioneer days in the Sunflower state. He arrived during the

Lerder troubles and often met John Brown and Jim Lane, who were then in Kansas, He was a mere youth when he came and lived with his elder brother in Franklin coun- ty which was then on the extreme olge . i the American settlement. He did varios thing- to earn a livelihood, among others freighting for Majors Russell and Waddell. He began working for his board in order to get across the plains, hoping to rid him- self of his enemy, the ague.

In June, 1860, Mr. Rees started out with J. K. Hines, a Kentuckian. There were twenty-six wagons with six yoke of esen to each, and each ox was branded on the horns with R. M. & W., and an ox-yoke on the side. Altogether there were three hundred and twelve oxen. The men of the party loaded their goods at Tecumseh, then the capital of the state. and started for an unknown destination, but at length arrived at Fort Wise, since known as Fort Lyons. They made the second trip and remained that winter. The Kio- wa Indians were at war with the white people, and about this time a queer in- cident occurred. In a skirmish between Kiowas and a coach load of passengers an outrider was scalped and left on the ground for dead. After lying there all night and until the sun was high in the heavens the next day he was picked up by some friendly Cheyenne Indians and taken into their camp. His scalp was entirely gone, and in proces- sion of the Kiowa Indians as a coveted tro- phy. He presented a grewsome sight. but the Indians covered the wound as best they could, dressing it with some vaseline sth- stance and it eventually healed. Some months afterward the man returned to St. Louis, Missouri, where he lived for a dozen years or more. For three years Mr. Rees was active in Indian fighting, and can relate many amusing as well as thrilling inci- dents of his life on the plains. He was once about to become the target for sixteen Kio- was and at the time he had nothing but a muzzle-loading gun, but a ravine aff riol him timely shelter and he managed to reach camp unharmed.

In 1863, in company with his brother

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Dick, Mr. Rees came to the Solomon Val- ley. They brought with them what cattle they had and came here with a view of lo- cating. They engaged in trapping that win- ter, and in the spring sold to Lobenstein, the well known furrier of Leavenworth, three hundred and forty-six beaver, seven otter and five hundred wolf skins, which netted them about two thousand dollars-perhaps the largest amount ever taken in at one time by any white man. The two brothers, in connection with Israel Markley, bought one hundred head of calves. They were not pre- pared for raising "buttermilk calves," and all but eight of them died. They then invested in cattle, both native and imported. In 1867 they brought a herd from Texas, but lost many of them in a prairie fire. However, they returned the following year for more cattle and made money on them. Their cattle-raising interest proved profitable and year by year their business in this direction augmented their income.

In 1871 F. C. Rees was married to Miss Catherine Schaltenbrand, a daughter of

1 John and Mary A. ( Weber-Geschwind) Schaltenbrand. Her mother was born in 1810 and bore the maiden name of Mary A. Weber. She first married a Mr. Geschwind, in Switzerland, their native country, their birth having occurred in Canton Berne. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Rees was one of Napoleon's body guards, and later served as an officer on his staff. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Geschwind four children have been born. Mathias, the eldest, came to America and entered the regular marine service of the United States. He was in the Indian war un- cler General Harney and later located in Sa. lida. Colorado. Victor Ischnoind, the sec- ond of the family, died in Switzerland when thirteen years of age. Joseph and Constan- tine came to America about 1854, and the former died in Kansas in 1875, while the latter located in Cincinnati, Ohio. After the death of her first husband Mrs. Gesch- wind became the wife of John Schaltenbrand in 1842. He was also a native of Canton Berne, Switzerland, born in 1809. By trade he was a contractor and builder, and with his family he came to America in 1854, lo-

cating in Ohio, near Cleveland. In 1858 he took up his residence in St: Joseph, Missou- ri, where he died in 1861. Unto this union seven children were born: Edward, a con- tractor and builder, now located at Boulder, Colorado; Theodore, who died at St. Jo- seph, Missouri, at the age of seventeen years ; Albert, who died while engaged in mining at Tucson, Arizona ; Mary, who became the wife of Michael Giersch, and died in 1886; Mrs. Sophia Lundgrue, a resident of Min- neapolis, Kansas ; and Catherine, the wife of Mr. Rees. Mrs. Schaltenbrand came to Ot- tawa county with her family in 1863, took up land from the government and became in- terested in the cattle business. Her death occurred in 1878. Mrs. Rees came with her to the Sunflower state and settled on a claim. She was among the number driven from home on account of threatened Indian in- vasions. Twice they were forced to leave their claims and seek protection elsewhere. Some amusing incidents occurred to vary the monotony of pioneer life on the farm. For example: A young gallant came rid- ing up one night and very excitedly ex- claimed to her brother: "Al. better come out here. The Indians are fighting up dar." in a dialect foreign to him in his calmer mo- ments. However, they sought refuge in the village and a number were killed and woun- ded, while several houses were burned and other property destroyed.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Rees have been born three children. Nora May, born in 1872, is a graduate of the high school of Minneapo- lis, and for three years was a student in the University of Kansas, at Lawrence. She was pursuing the literary course and would have graduated, but her eyesight becoming somewhat impaired she was obliged to re- turn home without completing the course. Arthur G., born in December, 1873, after graduating from the high school of Min- neapolis attended Coons & Smith Business College, at Lawrence, Kansas. A month before the date of graduation he was taken ill and was obliged to return home. He is now interested in farming and stock-raising with his father. Olivia, born in 1876, was educated in the high school of Minneapolis,

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and in the University of Kansas, at Law- rence. She is a graduate of both, and in the latter institution completed the four-years' course in three years. In May, 1900, she was married to Richard Jackman, the pres- ent court stenographer in this district. Ile has been admitted to the bar, and he also deals in cattle and is a prosperous and pro- gressive young man.

Mr. Rees, whose name begins this re- view, after years of activity in business, is now the owner of eight hundred acres of land, of which two hundred acres is under cultivation. He raises corn, wheat and al- falfa, and he also deals largely in cattle, his sales of stock materially increasing his in- come. However, the active management of his business interest he is now largely leav- ing to his son and is enjoying a well merited rest. However, indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature and it would be utterly impossible for him to do noth- ing. He is now president of the Citizens' National Bank, which he aided in organ- izing in 1880 as a private banking institu- tion. His deceased brother, V. D. Rees, was the first president, and on his death F. C. Rees succeeded to the presidency of the institution. which is capitalized for fifty thousand dollars, and which is ably managed by this enterprising, far-sighted and reliable business man. In politics Mr. Rees is not radical, but is a stanch Republican. He be- longs tu that class of representative Amer- ican citizens who, while promoting their in- dividual interests, also contribute largely to the public good, and their labors are, there- fore, of great benefit to the community which they represent.

J. B. McCARDLE.

J. B. McCardle is a young man of enter- prise and resolution who is winning success as proprietor of a livery business in Del- phes and as a dealer in horses and mules. He was born in Ohio county. Indiana, in the year 1871. a son of Stephen and Louisa (Blackburn) McCardle. The father was a

native of Virginia, but the Metardle iam- ily is of Irish origin. The mother of eur subject was a native of Kentucky, and her ancestors were from Scotland. In their fam- ily were nine childen, six of whom are yet living.

The subject of this review was educated in the common schools of Indiana and Kan- sas, having come to this state with his fa- ther's family in 1883. He lived with his pa- rents upon a farm near Delphos, and there the father died in 1890. The following year Mr. McCardle, of this review, located in Delphos and formed a partnership in the livery business with Thomas S. Ralph. Af- ter a few months the latter sold his inter- est to L. Parker, and soon afterward he also bought Mr. McCardle's interest. The fol- lowing year our subject purchased a barn on the east side of the square and stocked it, but at the end of six months it was destroyed by fire with a loss of ten head of horses. There was no insurance on the stock and he only saved two buggies. He had expended eight hundred dollars for the barn. seven hundred and fifty dollars for the horses and six hundred dollars for buggies and har- ness, and received only two hundred and ninety-four dollars insurance on the build- ing. This was a very severe loss to a young man just starting out upon his business car- eer, but he was courageous and determined, and at once set to work to retrieve his lost possessions. At that time he was also pro- prietor of the Pacific House, which he con- ducted with the assistance of his mother. who died there in 1897. After the fire he carried on the livery business in a small way until September, 1808, when he purchased the barn and stock of L. Parker, and has since conducted a profitable and growing business here. His stock is valued at about twenty-five hundred dollars.

In connection with Robert W. Smith. Mr. McCardle is engaged very largely in the buying and shipping of mules and horses. During the year 1901 many of the smaller horses and mules have gone to the British government for army purposes, while the larger ones have been sold in eastern and southern markets. In the year 1899 they

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shipped one car load per week for five weeks. They have been engaged in this enterprise for two years and a half, following it very successfully. They ship to Kan sas City and St. Louis markets, and realize a good profit on their invest- ment. Mr. McCardle began business on a small scale, first buying one horse and adding others, as the opportunity offered, until he is now well prepared to meet the demands of the trade and the local pat- ronage. He is a wide awake, enterprising young business man, and his indefatigable energy and determination have won for him a comfortable competence. In his political affiliations he is a Republican.

BENJAMIN F. TROY.

The well known citizen of Rice county, Kansas, whose name is above is a member of an honored pioneer family of Kansas, who came to the territory in 1855, and has a record as a gallant soldier in the Civil war and is himself accorded the credit due from appreciative citizens of Rice county to one who as a pioneer within its borders as- sisted to lay the foundation for its progress and prosperity.

Benjamin F. Troy was born in Ma- haska county, Iowa, October 28, 1841, a son of John W. and Dorinda (Glen) Troy. John W. Troy was a native of Ohio and was of German descent. His wife was born in Illinois, a daughter of the Rev. John P. Glen, who was born in North Caro- lina and became a pioneer in Iowa. Mr. Glen, who served faithfully for many years in the ministry of the Christian church, be- came well and favorably known in his adopted state, where he was successful as a farmer and held several responsible offices, including that of justice of the peace. He and his wife both died in Iowa and they were buried side by side in the cemetery at Marion. They had children named James, Elizabeth, Lucy B., William, Dorinda (mother of Benjamin F. Troy ). and Jane. John W. Troy had brothers

named as follows: George W., who died in Rice county, Kansas : Daniel ; Abraham; and Charles, the last mentioned of whom lives in Iowa. He was reared to young manhood in Ohio and went to Iowa when that territory was practically in a state of nature and took up government land there and improved it into a farm, on which he lived until 1855, when he married and went to Kansas and located on land near Osa- watomie, Miami county, on which he made some improvements.

After he had got his family settled in Kansas his anti-slavery sentiment led him to ally himself with John Brown, whom he followed in his historic raid in Kansas, a connection which was severed only when Brown went south, and which made him familiar with the peculiar warfare of the time and locality. His wife died in 1859 and was buried at Osawatomie, Brown's Kansas home. He took his children to Iowa and found homes for them with rela- tives, then went to California and Nevada, where he remained until after the close of the Civil war, when he returned to Iowa, where he remained for some time. Going back to Kansas, he located in Labette coun- ty, whence he removed to McPherson coun- ty, where he took up and improved a farm, on which he lived a few years, until physical infirmities compelled him to seek another climate. He sold his farm and went to New Mexico. On his return to Kansas he founnd a home with his son at Little River, where he is buried.

Originally he was a man of hardy con- stitution. Of much enterprise and public spirit he was above all patriotic and loyal to his convictions, and made it a rule of his life to do what he thought was right re- gardless of consequences. He and his wife, who were members of the Christian church, had children named Benjamin F., Mar- garet, Dorinda J., who became Mrs. Glen, and Mary E., who married F. M. Grisson. Margaret died unmarried, and Mr. and Mrs. Glen are both dead.

Benjamin F. Troy, the immediate sub- ject of this sketch, accompanied his par- ents to Kansas in 1855, and was a witness

Benjamin F Tray Anna

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of mary phases of life in the border-ruffian times, recollections of which are strongly impressed upon his memory. Although he was only a box at the time he remembers John Brown well as a frequent visitor at the house of his father, who was one of Brown's trusted advisers, and has a good knowledge of the import of the events in which Brown and his companions figured. In 1859, when his mother died, he was eighteen years old and he was given a home in I wa. in the family of his uncle. George W. Truy, who in his old age went to Little River. Kansas, where he dial. In ¡Not Benjamin F. Troy enlisted in Com- pany G. Tenth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, which was commanded by Col- onel Purcell and was included in the Army of the Mississippi, and with that organiza- tion he saw much of the forbidding for- tunes of war, participating in many skir- mishes and in several hotly contested bat- t'es. His first experience of battle was at Bloomfield, Missouri. After that he fought at Bird's Point, Island No. 10 and the siege of New Madrid, and at Tiptonville helped to take four thousand Confederates as prisoners, who had evacuated Island No. IO. After service at Fort Pillow his regi- ment was ordered to Shiloh Landing and he participated in the siege and capture of Corinth. taking part in the battle of Iuka and in the two-days fight at Corinth. After that he was in the Yazoo expedition and in the march back to Helena. Arkansas. whence his regiment went down the Missis- sippi river. It was in the fights at Thomp- sonville, Raymond and Jackson, Missis- sippi, then counter-marched and fought at Champion Hills, where his legs were both wounded by minie balls so severely that it became necessary to amputate them below the knee. All the federal wounded cap- tured after the fight were taken to a tem- porary hospital at Bowles' plantation. It was there that Mr. Troy's leg's were ampu- tated by federal soldiers who were also prisoners of war. All the prisoners cap- tured by General Joe Johnston were paroled after about two weeks and the wounded were sent to department hospitals and Mr. 72

Troy was two months in the hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, before he was able to be removed. After receiving his hon- cralle discharge and pay he returned to lowa and found a home temporarily with his grandfather Glen.

Mr. Troy's situation was not altogether enviable, but in loyal Iowa he found friends who loved him for the sacrifice he had made for his country. He attended school in order to perfect his education and mean- time gave serious consideration to the question how he could best make a living. His first and strongest inclination was to- ward the cattle business. He could ride a horse fearlessly and for a time he herded cattle. Later he drove a team. hauling poles and still later he drove a four-herse team attached to a reaper. Gradually it became evident to him that there were many things that he could do well. He was in receipt of a pension of eight dollars per month from the government and being Di a cheerful and hopeful disposition the out- look was not discouraging. It was not un- til long after that he began to receive the full pension to which he was entitled. the sum of seventy-two dollars a month.

He married in October, 1865, and set- tled on a small rental farm and Beer w. able to buy a farm of his own, on which he lived until 1874. when he removed to Kan- sas, and located a homestead and timber claim aggregating three hundred and twen- ty acres in Rice county. He immediately got some land broken, did some loving wi began farming with the aid of a hired hand. Anything that could be done on horseback in a wagon or on a portable ma- chine he could do very well himself and he prosecuted his farming vigorously rais- ling general crops. handling and feeling stock and hogs and marketing his products in a thoroughly business-like way. He erected a small stone house and as soon as he was settled in his new home his wife be- gan to assist him to the extent of her abil- ity and from that day to this has been to him an eager and effective helpmeet. They have proven themselves good financiers of progressive business ideas and their efforts

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have been crowned with such abundant suc- cess that Mr. Troy now owns seven hundred and twenty acres of fine land, all improved and under cultivation. His timber claim was developed into a distinct success and else- where on his land he has fine orchards and groves. His house has been enlarged and modernized and he is the owner of two good tenant houses.

Politically Mr. Troy is a Republican and he has been elected by his fellow citizens to the offices of township assessor and township trustee, and has filled them both to his credit and with ability, and is re- garded as a public-spirited and progressive citizen, and is high in the esteem and con- fidence of all who know him. About 1895 he retired from active farm work and re- moved to Little River, where he has an at- tractive and homelike village residence and where he and his wife are enjoying in a most rational manner the fruits of their years so well spent and useful. Mr. Troy married Miss Anna Ramsey, who was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1838, a daughter of William and Sopliia ( Ramsey) Ramsey. Mrs. Troy's father was a son of Alexander Ramsey, her mother was a daughter of Robert Ram- sev. representatives of two distinct families of that name, neither of which was without honor in the Keystone state. Alexander Ramsey, who was of English descent. mar- ried an Irish woman of the family of Stanes. William Ramsey was reared in Pennsylvania, where he began active life as a blacksmith and where he married. Eventually he moved to Illinois and settled in Hancock county where he became a farmer and where he died October 12, 1862, at the age of sixty-two years. Politically he was a Whig and later was a Republican, and he was a lifelong member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. He was held high in the confidence of his fellow citizens and served them as township assessor and as township trustee, and for some years held the face of county auditor.

He had brothers and sisters named Alexander, Robert, Margaret and Pru- dence. His wife survived him some years

and died at Pleasantville, Iowa. She, too, was a consistent Christian. The following are the names of their children: . Lewis, who is dead; Alexander. who lives with his sister. Mrs. Troy: Jane, who married J. Anderson; Hezekiah; Rachel, who married J. Shore: Anna, Mrs. Troy ; and Silas, who is a farmer in Rice county. . Mr. and Mrs. Troy have had children named as follows in the order of their birth: Charles, who was born March 1, 1867, and died Decem- ler Io, 1885: Rosetta S., who was born March 7, 1870, and married F. D. Smith : George A ... who was born August 5. 1873; Tabitha MI., who was born December 5. 1875, and died December 16, 1888: Myrtą D., who was born January 6, 1878, and is the wife of W. B. Brewer. Mr. and Mrs. Troy assist in church work to the extent of their ability, and their home is the center of a hearty hospitality. They have nobly fought the battle of life and their success has been fairly won.

JOSEPH C. GAFFORD.

In financial circles the name of Joseph C. Gafford is well known as a synonym for sound business judgment and for courteous treatment. He is a western man, and the enterprise so characteristic of this section of the country has been manifest in his car- eer, winning him a prominent position. He was born in Iowa in 1854. his parents being J. A. and Mary A. ( Carpenter ) Gafford. His father was a native of Maryland, and a cab- inet-maker by trade. In an early day he emigrated westward to Iowa, where he con- tinued his residence until. 1858, when he became a resident of Jefferson county, Kan- sas. there taking up land from the govern- ment and continuing its cultivation un- til 1860, when he was driven out by the drouth. He then again went t the Hawkeye state. and there, in 1861. le enlisted among the Union soldiers as a member of the Thirty-third Iowa In- fantry, remaining at the front for two years. He then became ill and was hen-

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Kansas he took up his abele on his chant. It a'sequinly he located in Sabatha, Venta county, remaining there for a short period. His next place of residence was at White Cloud. Doniphan county, and from there be removed to Richardson county. Ne- braska. but afterward returned once more to Kansas, settling in Concordia, where he ferie ! a partnership with his son. Joseph C. in the furniture business, under the firm name of Giafford & Son. There he remained unt 1885. His wife died in Concordia in that your, and in 1886 the father went to Pasadena. California, where he is now liv- ing. He disposed of all his business in Kan- .... Io: had retained possession of some of

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A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. II, Part 63

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