USA > Kansas > Brown County > Annals of Brown County, Kansas : from the earliest records to January 1, 1900 > Part 60
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meant the removal of nine families In 1866 he came to Shawnee Coun- from Hiawatha. Mr. Davis then ty Kansas and for four years farmed built a fine commodious up-to-date near Topeka. In 1871 he moved to residence with all the modern con- Hiawatha and for four years clerked veniences. It is located on Topeka for the well known firm of Graves & Avenue just a block from the state Barnett. He next purchased a drug house grounds.
business at Sabetha but after a year
On going to Topeka Mr. Davis and a half he sold this out and re- at once took a prominent part in the turned to Hiawatha as the head efforts to build up the city. He was book-keeper in the Morrill & Janes Que cf the five men who organized Bank. In 1879 he was elected Coun- the Topeka Commercial Club. He ty Clerk and re-elected in 1891. was elected a member of its board of
In 1892 the Kansas Mutual was directors and helped set in operation organized the two moving spirits the machinery which has done so
being Mr. J. P. Davis who became much for the betterment of Topeka. president of the company and Mr. Since the organization of the Kan_ Moon who was elected its secretary. SAN Mutual there has been years of This position he has held ever since drouths and panice but the company devoting his whole time and energy
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
to the work of making the Company Yates Hill of Logansport, Ind., and one of the strong institutions of the Charles Janes, now a student at
country. There have been many Notre Dame College in Indiana. efforts to start Kansas insurance companies during the past quarter William M. Welcome. of a century but the Kansas Mutual is the only one which has weathered William M. Welcome, vice president the storm and made a success of its of the Kansas Mutual at Topeka, is undertaken. It has upwards of claimed by Brown County as one of
eleven million dollars worth of insur- her leading citizens. He was born ance in force now and its policy hold- in Freeman, Franklin County Maine ers are located in practically every Nov. 19th, 1838. When he was state of the union. It requires a twelve years old his parents removed large force of clerks to look after this to Wisconsin, settling first in Wash- business but it is so systematized ara County and later in Green Lake that Mr. Moon has the details of the County. Here he was employed in business firmly in his grasp and can farming and lumbering until the furnish any information wanted at breaking out of the rebellion. In the shortest notice.
While a resident of Hiawatha Mr. er in Company H of the 16th Wiscon- Moon served five years on the city council and eleven years as city
1863 he enlisted with his twin broth-
sin and served until the close of the war. The brother was killed at the treasurer. He was treasurer of the battle of Atlanta July 21st, 1864.
Brown County Exposition for eleven
He returned to Wisconsin at the years and treasurer of the Congrega- close of the war and resided there tional Church for five years.
Mr. Mood is a "jiner". He is a tha and went into the grain and member of Lincoln Post G. A. R. In lumber business first, with S. P. Gas- Topeka. Orient Lodge No. 40 I. O. kill, and later with J. M. Chase. In O. F. and the various Masonic 1878 he was elected Clerk of the bodies of Topeka including the lodge, Court for Brown County. The next chapter, council and commandry. year he was elected county treasurer He is also a Scottish Rite Mason and resigned his office as Clerk of having taken the various degrees up the Court. In 1881 he was reelected to and including the 32nd degree. treasurer retiring from the office in He is now a Knight Commander of 1884. He then went with the Kan- the Court of Honor which is the pre- sas Mutual and has been its vice liminary step to the 33rd degree to president ever since. which he has been elected.
until 1870 when he came to Hiawa-
In 1892 he moved to Topeka when the head- Mr. Moon was married April 2, quarters of the company 1867 to Miss Malvina K. Price, of changed there from Hiawatha. Dur- were New London, Ohio. They have four ing his twenty-two years residence children, Helen, a graduate of Chica- in Hiawatha Mr. Welcome was go University, Francis, a graduate closely identified with the business of the State University of Kansas, and social interests of the town. He now wife of Chas. Haines of Sa- served continuously on the Board of betha, Mary, a graduate of Wash- Education or on the council, includ- burne, now wife of Rev. Edwards ing one term as mayor of the city.
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
He was one of the members of the tinguished services in that battle. first board of Academy trustees and This action of the legislature was worked diligently to put that not known to him, or to his descen. worthy institution onto a prosper- ous basis.
In 1873 Mr. Welcome was married to Miss Fannie Sellegg. daughter of A. J. Sellegg one of Brown county's pioneer citizens. They have three daughters, Florence, Winifred and Margaret. They bad oneson, Frank, but he died some years ago. Both Mr. and Mrs. Welcome are active and influential members of the Meth- odist church. Mr. Welcome is also a member of the Masonic fraternity having joined the order in Wisconsin. For five years he was secretary of the !Hiawatha lodge.
Jared I. Jones.
Jared I. Jones, of Bellvue District is a Pennsylvanlan by birth. He was born in Louisburg April 30, 1841 and is the son of John Jones and Elizabeth Cook. The Jones family were Welsh, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, emigrating from that country to Virginia where John Jones was born. On his mother's side Mr. Jones is descended from Wm. Cook who was a Colonel In the British Army during the Rev- olution and commanded a regiment under Ged. Wm. Irvine at the battle of the Brandywine in 1778. His son Capt. John Cook, the grandfather of Mr. Jones, must have emigrated to America very soon after the Revolu- tion for in 1792 we find him com- manding the Fourth Legion under General Wayne in the Campaign against the Indians. He was with Perry in the battle of Lake Erie and was one of the three men for whom the legislature of Pennsylvania or- dered silver medals struck for dis-
dants until recently, and the medal has lain unclaimed in the state house at Harrisburg. Mr. Jones as the oldest male heir, has just filed a claim for it and submitted the nec- essary proofs of heirship.
Mr. Jones received a good educa- tion. He finished the course in the Presbyterian Academy at Loulshurg, attended Bucknell University for a year and a half and then completed a course in the Iron City Business College at Pittsburg. The winter of 1861-2 he taught the Grammar school at East Louisburg. In the spring of 1862 he moved to Center County, Pa., where his father had purchased a large tract of timber land.
On August 25, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company A, of the 14th Pennsylvania and served until the close of the war. This regiment was commanded by Col. Beaver and saw all kinds of hard fighting. It was at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Bris- tow Station, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna Topo- tomy, Coal Harbor, Petersburg, Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, Reams Station and numerous other lesser engagements. The regiment lost twenty-two officers who were either killed outright or died from their wounds and the mortality among the men was so great that it was necessary to fill up the ranks with recruits five times. Mr. Jones went through all these services with his regiment and was wounded three times. From private he was pro- moted to fifth corporal then to fifth sergeant and then to be Second Lieutenant of his Company. A cou- ple of months before the close of the war he was transferred to Company
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
MR. AND MRS. JARED I. JONES.
C, and made Captain of the company large lumber dealer of Clinton, Coun- and commanded it until it was mus- ty, Pa. tered out of the service.
In the spring of 1888 Mr. Jones
After the war Mr. Jones kept came to Kansas settiing one mile books for the lumbering firm of Wal- north of Highland. He staid here den & Jones until 1876. His father
until the spring of 1890 when he going blind Mr. Jones then returned moved onto the farm where he now home and took care of him until his lives in this county. He is a Presby- death. From 1885 to 1888 he was terlan, a member of the Hlawatha book-keeper for Jesse Schrack a Post 130 G. A. R., Hiawatha Lodge
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
503
T-R ENG.CO. AT
SAMUEL EARL FRIEND.
No. 35 A. F. and A. M. and Mt. Hor- Wm. I. is married to Gertrude Hart- eb Chapter No. 46 R. A. M. at Hia- zell of Danville, Pa., and lives in Pa- watha. He is a Republican in poli- donia Township, Brown County. tics but not a partisan.
Mr. Jones was married Nov. 18, 1866 to Miss Elizabeth A. Peck, a native of Dauphin County, Pa. They have two sons, John born Nov.
They have one child.
Samuel Earl Friend.
Samuel Earl Friend, the present 25, 1867 and Wm. I. born Dec. 2, 1869. superintendent of Brown County John is married to Fannie Adams of was born in Somerset, Pa., July 29, Hiawatha and lives in Day County, 1865 and is the son of George and Oklahoma. They have one child. Priscilla Friend. When he was six
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
months old his people removed to honor of his friend and employer. Carroll county, Ill. Here he was ed- In 1870 Prof. Herbert left Pennsyl- ucated in the common schools and vania and settled at Hiawatha, the Northwestern University.
In Kansas. His family consisted of 1887 he came to Neb. where he home- his wife, Harriet Jaue Herbert, seven steaded. He also taught school just daughters and one son, now the across the line in Norton County, editor of the Brown County World Kansas while proving up on his and postmaster of Hiawatha, then claim. In 1889 he came to Brown four years old. Mrs. Herbert was County and taught in the schools in her young womanhood a teacher here until his election to his present and her seven daughters became position. During the summer vaca- teachers. She was the daughter of tion he attended Campbell University David Roberts of Massachusetts, a at Holton and completed the teachers graduate of Williams college and course and received his diploma. later a Virginia physician who was a In 1900 he was nominated in the Re- delegate to the Chicago convention publican primaries for County Super- which nominated Abraham Lincoln intendent and elected at the ensuing for president. After coming to Hla- election. He is candidate for reelec- watha Prof. Herbert and his daugh- tion this year and the Republican ters taught in the Hiawatha and nomination is conceded to him. Mr. Brown County schools for many Friend was married Jan. 1896 to years. Mr. Herbert was for a time Louisa Krebs daughter of Mr. and principal of the Hiawatha schools. Mrs. John Krebs of Hiawatha. They Mr. Herbert is a man of remarkable have three sons, Harold, aged 5, and health and strength and in youth Herbert aged 2, and George. Mr. and in middle age very fond of Friend belongs to the Odd Fellows, walking. It was his habit to walk the Knights of Pythias, and to the from his home in Hiawatha to his Woodmen and he and his wife are school when he taught in the coun- members of the Reformed Church.
Lynn S. Herbert.
try and one winter he walked twelve miles from home to and from his school at least thrice a week with- out being tardy, or feeling the worse
Lynn S. Herbert was born in Fay- for his walk, which was at times ette County, Penn., in 1823. As a lad made in snow and rough weather. he worked on hisfather's farm, but as After retiring from school teaching he grew to manhood and acquired Mr. Herbert held various small learning he became a teacher, be- offices such as school examiner, jus- ing a graduate of the normal school tice of the peace, census taker and at California, Pa., and a post gradu- police judge. He served as justice ate of the normal school at Califor- for Hiawatha city and township nia, Pa., and a post graduate of more than twenty years. Though Pennsylvania college. He taught in eighty years old now he is yet an the schools of Fayette City, Union- active man who takes great delight town and Pittsburg. He was at in working about his home being an one time in charge of a mercantile expert gardner. His mind is clear enterprise owned by a member of and at times he serves as clerk in the the distinguished Ewing family and World office or postoffice and his he named his only son Ewing in writing and accounting is quite as
ยท
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
.
LYNN S. HERBERT.
good as that of his grandsons or grass state until his second year, other employes who are younger when his parents moved to Buchan- and proficient in their line. Squire an Co., Missouri. Here he grew to Herbert is known as a great bible manhood and when the war broke student and is now reading bis out he enlisted in Captain Hunter's bible through for the sixtieth time. Company of State Militia, served He is a Mason and an Odd Fellow nine months and was discharg- as his father was before him.
John G. Howard.
ed. He then re-enlisted in Capt. Karnes' Company and served two months longer when he was again discharged. In 1862 he came to Kan-
John G. Howard of Hiawatha, is sas settling near Highland in Don- a splendid example of what thrift, in- 1phan County where he resided ten dustry and good business judgement years. He then located in Irving can accomplish in Brown County. township in this county and im_ He was born in Carter County, Ky., proved the Springdale Stock farm. in 1842 but only lived in the blue In 1888 he purchased the place where
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
RESIDENCE OF JOHN G. HOWARD, Hiawatha Township.
he now resides north of Hiawatha heads of hogs all the time and raises and improved it. He has added to upwards of a hundred calves and It until now the home farm comprise several hundred hogs each year. He 560 acres of which 200 acres are in feeds up all the corn and roughness grass. Mr. Howard's residence is a he raises on his farms and is a heavy fine two story building 32x58 feet in buyer of stock and feed from his size. There are three tenant houses neighbors. Every year he puts on and four orchards containing about the market from twelve to twenty a thousand trees on the farm. It is carstof cattle and as many cars of also improved with twounderground hogs. That he is generally success- barns 36x38 feet In size each of which ful in his business is evidenced by the holds 14 horses, 20 tons of hay, and fact that the $600.00 worth of capital 3600 bushels of grain. In addition to he brought with him to Kansas forty this Mr. Howard owns a farm of 210 years ago has grown into an estate acres in Padonia township and one which is easily worth $100,000. In of 213 acres lying in Irving and Pa- addition to this Mr. Howard carries donia townships. These two farms $10,000 worth of old line life Insurance are also well Improved. On his three and a polley in the Modern Wood- farms Mr. Howard raises from six- men holding his membership in the teen to twenty thousands bushels of Woodmen with Oak Leaf Camp at corn and from six to eight thousand Hiawatha.
bushels of wheat each year.
He In politics Mr. Howard is a Repub- keeps from two to three hundred lican. He is usually a delegate to heads of cattle and several hundred the conventions of his party and
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
507
I-PENSTIC KE
MR. AND MRS. JOHN WITSCHY.
has served as township treasurer of Hiawatha, Kans., township but has never sought political preferment.
John Witschy.
Jno. Witschy, the proprietor of the Spring Valley Fruit and Stock Farm,
Mr. Howard was married at High- 1 mile east and 2 miles north of land in 1865 to Miss Nancy Jenkins a Fairview, is a splendid example of native of Indiana. She died in 1867 what thrift and industry can accom- leaving one child which died in in- plish in Brown County. He was
fancy. Mr. Howard was married born in Bern, Switzerland, January again in 1869 in Buchanan County, 15th, 1841, and learned the Dairy- Mo , to Miss Anna Eliza Copeland a man's trade. In 1869 he came to native of Missouri and a daughter of America, locating at St. Joe, where M. Copeland now a resident of Hia- he worked as a gardner until 1872 watha. Five sons and one daughter when he moved to Brown County, have been born to them. James M. where he rented land. In 1880 he who lives in Padonia township; bought; his present farm where he Win. E. a resident of Hiawatha has made a specialty of the fruit and township; Elmira J. wife of Emery dairy business, in which he has been D. Vermillion, of Shawnee County; eminently successful. He handles the John Wesley a resident of Coffee Holstein cattle and has one of the County; Daniel Otis, deceased and finest pedigreed herds to be found in Roy E. of Hiawatha. Mrs. Howard the west. He milks twenty cows, is a member of the Methodist Church taking the milk to the skimming sta- tion at Fairview. He prefers the
at Hiawatha.
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
Holstein breed, because long experi- Mr. Witschy was married in 1877 ence has taught him that they more to Miss Susan Mehrwein of Penn. than make up in quantity what their They have seven children living. milk may lack in butter fat. He has Frederick William born June 16th, a fine bank barn on his farm, 44x55 1879, Mina Paulina born Jan. 10th, in size. It will hold ten horses, 25 1882, Edward Calvin born Nov. 9th, cows, 100 tons of hay and 2000 bu. of 1884, Lydia Christinia born Dec. 14th, grain, besides furnishing room for 1886, Ida Matilda born June 1st, farming implements and a work 1889, Bertha Elizabeth born July 7th, room. In the orchard Mr. Witschy 1882; Roy born Sept. 27th, 1900. Both has 1500 apple trees, 600 plums, 600 Mr. and Mrs. Witschy are members pears, and 400 peaches, and all of of the Reformed church at Fairview. choice varieties. He raises alfalfa ex- In politics Mr. Witschy is a Populist tensively as he regards this as one of and an active party worker. the best milk producers grown.
SAMUEL BIERER.
CHARLES D. LAMME.
1
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
HIAWATHA -- A YOUNG MAN'S TOWN
From The Kansas Democrat of June 19. 1902
Hiawatha is preeminently a young man's town Young men are in- control of her business industries They manage her stores, do her bank- ing business, have charge of her schools, fill her pulpits and edit her news- papers. Go into any place of business in Hiawatha and you will find this statement verified. The men who direct the business are young men. Without exception they are a clean capable lot of fellows, cultured, pro- gressive and public spirited. The high character of the men now doing business in this town is indeed one of the desirable features which go to make Hiawatha a good town to live in.
Charles D. Lamme
Itles and when in 1886 Mr. Janes health failed he shifted his burden to Mr. Lamme's young shoulders and he has carried it most successfully ever since. Under this management the bank has grown to be the biggest financial institution in northern Kansas. Its deposits have exceeded & haif million dollars, a record only
Foremost among the young busi- ness men of Hiawatha stands C. D. Lamme, the vice president of the Morrill & Janes Bank. He was born February 4, 1860 in Clark County Ohio and le the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Lamme of Hiawatha. The family came to Kansas in 1870 settling on a farm six miles south of excelled by one state bank doing Hiawatha. Mr. Lamme's school ad- business in Kansas. It has met vantages were limited and when he every demand of the community and was fifteen he went into a mercantile by furnishing adequate banking fa- establishment at Springfield, Ohio. cilities and plenty of ready capital has proved a very important factor Here he staid until 1878 when he re- turned to Brown County and soon in the development and continued after entered the employ of the Hon. prosperity of Brown County.
Henry Isely, the county clerk of Closely allied to a bank are a host Brown County. He staid in Mr. of public enterprises which require Isely's office for about a year and time and attention. Mr. Lamme has then In January 1880 he entered the always been a pusher along these Morrill & Janes Bank beginning at lines and bas been prominently iden- the lowest round of the ladder as tified with every business enterprise janitor and general utility man. of a public nature for the past twen- From this position he rose steadily ty years. He has been a trustee and until he became vice president of the the treasurer of the Academy for bank.
years. He has served as treasurer
Gov. Morrill was in Congress and of the Board of Education. He the active management of the bank helped organize the Electric Light devolved upon Mr. Charles Janey. Co., and is its treasurer. He was He recognized Mr. Lamme's capabil- one of the organizers of the Commer-
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY
RESIDENCE OF CHARLES D. LAMME.
cial Club and has been a director and terian church holding their member- 1ts treasurer ever since its organiza_ ship with the First Presbyterian tlon. He is the executor of the Chas. Church of Hlawatha. H. Janes estate, a trustee of the Presbyterian Church, treasurer of the Hiawatha Commandry of Knights Samuel Bierer. Templar and a director in numerous
Samuel Bierer, the head of the mer- other organizations of a semi public cantile firm of Bierer, Shadel & Co., was raised in Brown County and
Mr. Lamme has always been too for twenty-five years he has been busy to be a "jiner" and the only lodge connected with the business interests organization he is connected with is of the town of Hiawatha. He is a the Masonic fraternity. He is a son of Col. and Mrs. E. Bierer of Hla- member of Hiawatha lodge, Mt. watha and was born in Uniontown, Horeb Chapter R. A. M. and Hiawa- Pa. in August 1857. The family tha Commandry No. 13 Knights came to Brown County in 1865 and Templar.
settled on a farm a mile and a half
Mr. Lamme was married in No- east of Hiawatha. Here Mr. Bierer vember 1881 to Miss Emma Anderson grew to manhood, working on the farm summers and attending school of Hiawatha. They have three chil- dren-Ethel, who will graduate from winters. He rounded out his educa- the Academy next year, Charles Jr. tion with a course at the Lawrence and Elizabeth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Business College and in the fall of Lamme are members of the Presby- 1877 entered the employ of S. Hessel-
nature.
511
.
ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL BIERER
berger & Co., Hiawatha merchants. cided that it was necessary to elect Hestayed with them for three years representatives of the business inter- and then went with the firm of ests on the Council to straighten out Graves and Lawrence, where he re- the water works tangle, he was mained until January 1882 when he elected as a member of the city coun- became a partner in the firm of Law- cil, serving one term. He was again rence, Bierer & Baker. The other elected on the council in 1900 and partners being Albert Lawrence and again served one term, being chair- Henry C. Baker. This partnership man of the ways and means com- lasted for two years when Mr. Baker mittee during that time and also retired and 'the firm became Law- president of the council. He has also rence & Bierer. Mr. Lawrence retir- served two terms on the board of ed in 1888 and the firm became Bierer, education, being elected in 1897 and Lawrence & Co., and later Bierer, re-elected in 1899. Shadel & Co. Mr. Bierer has been In 1892 he was elected a member of the board of trustees of the Academy the head of the firm fourteen years and during this time the business to succeed the late C. I). Lawrence and has served continuously in that
has grown to be the largest com- mercial business in northeastern capacity ever since. He is a Mason, Kansas, employing twenty-five or belonging to the Lodge, Chapter and more clerks at all times of the year. Commandery in Hiawatha.
A firm to be successful must be re-
Mr. Bierer was married October 20, liable and the fact that this charac- 1881 to Miss Alfaretta M. Harpster, teristic has been so thoroughly im- of Hiawatha. They have a family pressed upon this business under Mr. of six children, four daughters and Bierer's management accounts for two sons, Mary, Ida, Marguerite, its steady growth during the last Samuel, Jr., Blon and Alfaretta. fourteen years
Their fine modern residence at the
Mr. Blerer has always been prom- corner of Seventh and Schilling Ave- inentiy identified with the public in- nue is one of the best of the many terests of Hiawatha. In 1888 when fine homes of which Hiawatha the business interests of the town de- boasts and Mr. and Mrs. Bierer are
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ANNALS OF BROWN COUNTY.
T-RENO.CO.K.C.
RESIDENCE OF GEO. H. ADAMS.
recognized as model entertainers by it and as this grew, more room was their many friends. Both Mr. and demanded and in 1895 Mr. Adame Mrs. Bierer are active and influential erected his present fine furniture workers in the First Congregational room. This building is 50x140 feet Church of this city and for a number with three floors, all devoted to the of years Mr. Bierer has been one of furniture business. It is finished with the deacons of the church. steel cellings and equipped with a hydraulic passenger elevator. The Geo. H. Adams. splendid opportunity for a display of goods which such a building affords is abundantly utilized and the large stock of furniture, carpets, etc .. carried here draws trade to the city for a radius of forty miles. Two years ago Mr. Adams sold the hard- ware branch of the business to Mr. Frank' Daeschner since which time he has given his whole attention to the furniture trade. He has had an able assistant in Mr. John Sherrett, who has been with the business for the past twenty three years.
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