USA > Kansas > Barton County > Biographical History of Barton County, Kansas > Part 13
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OF BARTON COUNTY, KANSAS
Bank block at the corner of Forest avenue and Main street.
Mr. Dawson at this writing is a candidate for the office of congressman from the Sev- enth congressional district on the Republican ticket. He is of the type of men who makes
friends wherever he may go and if he is chosen to represent this district at the national capital the people can rest as- sured that their interests will be looked after as they should be.
THE BRINKMAN FAMILY
I N THE MEMORY of the old timers of Bar- ton County and Great Bend there are few men who are occupying as prominent a place as John V. Brinkman, the head of the Brinkman family which came to Barton from Ohio in 1874 at a time when this section of Kansas needed just such men as John Brink- man and his sons have proven to be. John V. Brinkman was born in January, 1841, near Bolivar, Ohio, on a farm. He was married November 19, 1863, to Miss Susan Liebold of that state and they were the parents of nine children as follows: Nora, Katie J., George, Charles V., Lillian, Ola, Mabel, Eloise and Louis. Mrs. Brinkman was born in Ohio in
when aid was hard to obtain. From the very beginning his business was a success and when he died after having lived a noble life the people of Barton County mourned as they have seldom mourned the loss of a man. The bank which he established has grown until now it has a capital of $50,000, with deposits approximating half a million dollars. The of- ficers of the bank are now: J. George Brink- man, president; Charles V. Brinkman, vice president, Frank Brinkman, cashier, and W. O. Vollmer, assistant cashier, and the same policies followed by the elder Brinkman are being carried out by the sons to the end that it will always stand as a material evidence of
J. V. Brinkman
1842 and died April 23, 1908, she having sur- vived her husband by three years, he having passed away June 27, 1905. In 1874, the year following Mr. Brinkman's arrival in this coun- ty, he organized the J. V. Brinkman & Co., bankers, private banking establishment with a capital of $10,000. It was while he was act- ively engaged in this business that he en- deared himself to the people of this section of the state. He was a man who took a deep in- terest in the welfare of his neighbors and the upbuilding of the community in which he lived. Many are the incidents known to his friends of which he would never speak re- garding his charitable acts, and the aid he rendered those who were in need at a time
Mrs. J. V. Brinkman
the business sagacity of its founder.
In 1877 Mr. Brinkman, together with E. C. Sooy, built a flour mill in the county on the banks of Walnut Creek east of Great Bend. It was the intention to utilize the water power furnished by Walnut creek, but it was learned within a year that just at the times when the power was needed there was not sufficient water in the creek to furnish the necessary power, and in 1878 the mill was moved to its present site, just south of the Santa Fe tracks on Main street in Great Bend. The mill as
. originally built was known as Three-Run French Burr with a capacity of 100 barrels per day. When the mill was erected on its present site, Dave Roberts was taken in as a
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
partner and was head miller until 1886, when the company was incorporated under the name of the Walnut Creek Milling Company, with the following officers: J. V. Brinkman, president; E. C. Sooy, vice president; Dave Roberts, general manager. It was in 1886 that Nicholas Smith became identified with the company and after the death of J. V. Brink- man in 1905, Charles V. Brinkman became president and Nicholas Smith was made sec- retary and manager. Dave Roberts severcd his connection with the mill in 1887 and now lives at Grand Junction, Colorado, where he is engaged in the milling business. The mill
Charles V. Brinkman
property consists of a square block of ground and the milling building is 80x180 feet in di - mensions and is equipped with the latest and most improved milling machinery. Its main product, "Imperial" flour, is shipped to all parts of the country and is one of the chief reasons why Great Bend is called the Milling City, and this flour's quality maintains the city's reputation as a producer of all that is best in the line of flour quality. Charles V. Brinkman, the head of this milling business founded by his father, was born in Bolivar, Ohio, July 6, 1869, and came to Barton Coun- ty with his parents in 1874. He attended the public schools of this section and also took a course at Washburn college of Topeka. Before
going into the milling business he was con- nected with the J. V. Brinkman bank for four years. J. George Brinkman, who is president of the J. V. Brinkman Co., bankers, was born at Sandyville, Ohio, June 21, 1867. He was married November 8, 1894, to Miss Pauline Wilner of Kansas City, Kansas, and they are the parents of two children, Marion and John V. Nora is now Mrs. Fred Zutavern of Great Bend; Katie is now Mrs. Nicholas Smith, also of Great Bend; Ola is now Mrs. G. L. Chap- man and resides in Great Bend; Eloise is now Mrs. N. A. White of Fremont, Michigan, while Lillian and Louis are residents of Great Bend,
Louis Brinkman
the latter being connected with the Walnut Creek Milling Company. Many who read this brief synopsis of the Brinkman family will recall the many kind deeds of John V. Brink- man and remember him as one of the men who made possible the development of Barton County's resources, and as a man who at all times found time to listen to the words of woe from less fortunate people who came to the new country without means to see them through the periods of hard times. He was a man whose friends were numbered by his acquaintances and he died happy in the thought that his life had not been a failure and knowing that he was leaving behind him a heritage of which any family might be proud.
HEIZER
W HEN work was begun on the railroad track now known as the Scott City branch of the A. T. & S. F. railroad, a
demand was made for some smaller towns along the right-of-way northwest of the coun-
e
ty seat in this county. This was in the $0s and Heizer is one of the towns established as a result of this demand. It was named aft- er D. N. Heizer, a former resident of the coun- ty, and at one time owner of the land that is
OF BARTON COUNTY, KANSAS
79
now taken up by the townsite of Heizer. The first store in the town was established by D. E. Freyberger, who later sold out to Reinicke Sons. A creamery was established in the
pose for some time was torn down and the material taken to Great Bend where it was reused. Heizer now has three elevators, two general merchandise stores, one hardware
Heizer Creamery
town of Heizer by Schwier and associates shortly after the town was laid out. This was operated for a few years, but in 1909 the building which had not been used for any pur-
store, hotel, blacksmith shop, lumber yard and other business establishment. It has a popul- lation cf about 100 and is a busy little town at most times.
ALBERT
I T WAS back in the early 80s when C. B. Worden and other residents of his town- ship realized the necessity for a town where they located Albert, which is on the Scott City branch of the Santa Fe railway, seventeen miles northwest of Great Bend. Al . bert, like other towns in that section of the county, never had a boom, but within a short time after it was laid out it served the pur-
pose for which it was intended and offered the people of that section of the county a trading point and it was not long until nearly all lines of retail business were represented. The first store was started by Charles Haves who later sold out. Albert now las i bank. four elevators, hotel, livery and feed stable, two general merchandise stores and a popula- tion of about 170. It was near the townsite
OLMITZ
O LMITZ was laid out and began its growth in 1885 and is the trading point for an Austrian settlement that surrounds it. When Peter Brack and his brothers and mother came to this section of the state they were accompanied by a number of natives of Austria and for several years after their arrival it was only by the greatest economy and by dint of hard work that they succeeded in bringing the soil in that sectioni to a state of productiveness that would yield them a profit for their efforts. Olmitz is lo-
cated on the Missouri Pacific railroad, 10 miles west of Hoisington. It has at the pres- ent time three general stores, three elevators, a bank, hotel, hardware stores, and establish- ments that represent other lines of business. The first store was started by Peter Brack, who later sold out and within a few years started the bank that bears his name. C. M. Kreiser established a store in 1885 and later sold out to Sig Jacoby, who is still in busi -- ness. Olmitz has some nice residences and enjoys the trade from a large territory.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
of Albert that C. B. Worden and Mr. Roudc- bush planted the first crop of corn which, after making a good start, was caten by the buffaloes that were so plentiful in this sec-
tion of the county at that time. Albert s a supply point for a rich territory which takes in some of the richest agricultural land in Barton County.
THE DODGE FAMILY
I N THE history of Barton County there is no family that has taken a more active part in its making than that of Edward Judson Dodge. He was born at Breedshill, near Hannibal, in Oswego County, New York, November 25, 1822. He came with his par- ents to Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1836. Herc he went to school and lived his boyhood years It was in Kenosha that he met Miss Elizabeth Possen whom he married December 31, 1846. They were the parents of eight children as follows: Charles E., Wallace H., Don D., Giles B., Lizzie, Jennie, Mary and Maggie. In 1871 the call of the west became too strong for Mr. Dodge to withstand and he came to Bar- ton County, Kansas, in that year and at once took an active part in the development of the county's resources. He located on a home-
sides in this county. The Dodge family always took an active part in the public affairs of the county and Charles E. was register of deeds for seven terms, administering the af- fairs of this office for fourteen years. At the end of his seventh term he gave up politics and since that time has been engaged in the abstract business. He has also served on the school board a number of years and upon his arrival in this country he first followed the occupation of school teacher. Wallace Dodge is one of the best known real estate men in this section of the state and has offices in Great Bend. Don also lives in Great Ber.d and is a retired farmer; Giles is a painter and paperhanger and is actively engaged i:l this line of work in Barton County; Jennie is now Mrs. Ingersoll of Claflin; Mary is now
DUGOUT HOME
E. J. Dodge and Family
on
Walnut Creek
Dugout Home of E. J. Dodge
stead about four miles north of Great Bend where he built an abode that consisted of a dugout on the bank of Walnut creek. Here the family resided for a number of years and were among the best known and most highly respected of the early settlers of this part of the state. Mr. Dodge came here alone but was joined by his family after he had secured a location and made arrangements for the making of a home. He farmed for a number of years and, finally retired and moved to Great Bend where he took up his residence. Mr. Dodge was a blacksmith by trade and fol- lowed this line of business until a short time before his death which occurred October 16, 1910, after he had reached the age of 87 years, 10 months and 27 days. Mr. Dodge's first wife died November 1, 1889. In June he was mar- ried to Mrs. Elizabeth Wells, who still re-
Mrs. W. P. Feder, her husband being the ed- itor of the Barton County Democrat; Lizzie is now Mrs. George Spencer of Great Bend and Maggie is now Mrs. Jones of Hollywood, Caliť. The head of the Dodge family came to this county when the buffaloes were still roaming the prairies in this part of the coun- try and he enjoyed the distinction of having built the first bridge to span Walnut creek north of the town of Great Bend. We print herewith a picture of the Dodge home on Wal- nut creek and from this picture one can get an idea of how the people lived in those days and see the conditions with which the early settlers had to contend. Mr. Dodge's death came as a great shock to the community where he had scores of friends which were made and kept by his kindness and many man- ly qualities.
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OF BARTON COUNTY, KANSAS
ALBERT NICHOLAS MERTEN
A LBERT NICHOLAS MERTEN was born in Keokuk County, Iowa, May 4, 1864, and came to Barton County with his parents when he was twelve years of age. He is a son of Robert Merten, one of the early settlers in this part of the State of Kansas. The family came to this county in 1876 and since that time have had much to do with the development of the county's resources and
trees and other foliage which makes it one of the most attractive farm homes in that part of the county. The residence contains ten rooms in addition to the bath, closets and pantries. The barn is well built and contains room for a number of head of live stock. Mr. Merten maintains a good grade of live stock and is an enterprising and progressive farmer. He is one of the many Barton County farmers
Home of Albert N. Merten
the upbuilding of the towns and cities con- tained within its borders. Mr. Merten was married to Miss Ida A. Coss, October 30, 1895 and they are the parents of four children: Bessie, 16 years; Elsie, 14 years; Maisie, 12 years; Grace, 3 years. Mr. Merten farms three quarter sections in Clarence township and in addition owns another half section in the same township and a quarter in Rush county all of which is being worked by renters. The home place is nicely located, the residence and other buildings being surrounded by shade
who took up the work where their parents left off in the developing of the soil and maintain- ing this county's prestige as one of the most important agricultural sections of the coun- try. Mr. Merten in addition to his private in- terests has found time to take an active part in the public affairs of his community and has served in the capacity of school board direc- tor and has held township offices. He has been actively engaged in farming in this coun- ty twenty-seven years and is one of the best known men in this part of the state.
JACOB B. and PETER C. BRACK
A NOTHER prosperous farmer who was born in this county and has seen it grow from a most undesirable place in which to live to one of the best counties in the State of Kansas, is Jacob B. Brack. He was born March 6, 1883 and attended the schools of the county until he began farming for himself. He is the son of Henry U. Brack one of the really old timers of the county. His father was born in Russia and came to Barton Coun- ty in 1876. He located a homestead which he worked and developed a number of years and
is now living in Rush County where he is also engaged in farming. His sons, Jacob and Peter, are among the best known residents of the northwest part of Barton County and are up-to-date and progressive farmers. Jacob was married to Miss Sophia Schlegel of Otis and they are the parents of two children, Ar- thur, aged 7 years and Harrison, aged one year. He farms over 400 acres of land ill Grant township. His home is located ten miles north of Albert. The home contains four rooms and is located in pretty surroundings.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
Mr. Brack has been a member of the school board and has also held township offices.
PETER C. BRACK-Another member of the Brack family who is well known in this sec- tion of the state is Peter C. Brack. He was married to Lizzie Schlegel of Otis and they are the parents of four children: Floyd, 12 years of age, Hannah, 11 years of age; Edwin, 9 years of age, and Edison, a year and a half old. He occupies a nice home of four rooms north of Albert and is a brother of Jacob Brack and a son of Henry U. Brack, one of the. first settlers of that section of the county. He
was born April 15, 1879 in this county and is one of the best known young farmers in Barton County. He farms about 400 acres of land, 330 acres of it being his own and the re- mainder being rented. Both the Brack boys understand farming thoroughly as they were both raised in the business and since they were old enough to take an active part in the affairs of their community they have had a great deal to do with the development of the resources of the county and are enterprising and progressive citizens.
ALFRED L. POWELL
A LFRED L. POWELL was born January 22, 1859, in Peoria County, Illinois, and came to Kansas in 1880. He first locat- ed in Jefferson County where he lived for a number of years. Most of the time he was in the threshing business and made his first trip to Barton County in 1900. He did not locate in this county until 1903 and since that time be has done a large part of the threshing work in this part of the state. He was married in 1880 to Miss Lou M. Cahill in Stark County, Illinois and they are the parents of three children: Gertrude, 30 years of age, is now Mrs. E. H. Rulison of Eskridge, Kansas; Frank B., 26 years of age is a resident of the city of Great
Bend and is a carpenter by trade; Pearl, 21 years of age, is living at home. Mr. Powell and family occupy a residence at 700 Stone. Mr. Powell's threshing cutfits consist of the very best of machinery and his services are in great demand during the harvest season in this and adjoining counties. It was during Mr. Powell's first trip to this county that he de- cided to make this his future home and he at once made arrangements for the transfer of his machinery, etc., from Jefferson County. Since that time he has been closely identified with the farming interests of Barton County and he has always been an enterprising cit- izen.
AMOS JOHNSON
O NE of the really old timers of Barton County and one who had a great deal to do with the upbuilding of Great Bend and the development of the county is the subject of this sketch, Amos Johnson. He was born in Champagne County, Ohio, November 12, 1838. He resided in his native state until 1859 when he went to Texas. He stayed there a year. Then he went to Illinois. He came to Barton County in the month of November, 1875. He purchased a quarter of railroad land and took up a homestead in Lakin township. He was actively engaged in the farming business until 1898 when he retired and came to the county seat to live. He has, however, given his personal attention to superintending the work on all his farm land which is now op- erated by renters. He was married in Clin- ton, Illinois, in 1860, to Miss Emma Nagley and they are the parents of ten children, nine of whom are living: Charles, 51 years, is farming In Oklahoma; Clearchus, 49 years, is at home; Clarence, 46, resides in Hutchinson; Clay, 44 years, is farming in Gray County; Clyde, 42 years, is farming near Conway Springs; Clara, 40 years, is at home, Clinton, 38, is in the banking business at Ellinwood; Eason, 31 years, is farming on his father's land; Pearl, 29, is living at home, and (Emma who died . when she was ten years of age.) Mr. Johnson was a member of the Forty-first Illinois regi . ment and belonged to Company F. He served
three years and twenty days, from August 7, 1861 to August 27, 1864. He took part in the battles of Fort Donaldson, Shiloh and was at Jackson and the Siege of Vicksburg. He is a member of the Pap Thomas Post G. A. R., and was commander of the Post in 1911. Mr. Johnson now owns three quarters in Lakin township and a quarter in Great Bend town- ship all of which is under cultivation. He also owns ninc lots in Great Bend and five dwelling houses in addition to his residence which is located at 1814 Broadway. The residence is thoroughly modern and contains ten rooms in addition to bath, closets, pantries, etc. Mr. Johnson spent five years in the mining busi- ness in Chaffee County, Colorado and still re- tains some interests in that state. With all his private business he has found time to take an active part in the affairs of the community in which he lives and has held township of- fices and served on the school board. He is one of those men who made Barton County from an almost barren wilderness and by de- velopment work has made of it one of the best in the State of Kansas. It is to such men as Mr. Johnson who came here in the early days and withstood all the adverse conditions with which the old timers had to contend that this county owes its high place among the best agricultural sections of the entire country.
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OF BARTON COUNTY, KANSAS
GUSTAVUS A. WOODBURN
G USTAVUS A. WOODBURN was born Feb- ruary 23, 1847, in La Porte, County, Indiana. He arrived in Barton County April 20, 1886. Soon after his arrival he took up the occupation cf farming and is one of those men who came here at a time when the county was in need of enterprising men, and men who could take the good years with the bad and continue to develop the soil to its present high state of productiveness. He was married August 13, 1867 to Miss Emma J. Har- riott of La Porte County, Indiana. They are the parents of four children, three of whom are living. (George, 25 years of age died in 1893;) Jessie, 40 years of age, is now Mrs. Fred Wells of Comanche County; Ida, 39 years of age is now Mrs. G. W. Durand of Eureka township, this county, and Joseph C., 37 years of age, superintends the work on the home place. The home place consists of the north- west quarter of section 29, and the north half of the southwest quarter of 29 in South Home-
stead township. The elder Mr. Woodburn re- tired in 1909 and now resides in Hoisington. He spends part of the time on the home place which contains a good set of improvements. The residence contains five rooms, closets, etc., while the barn is 32 by 36. The buildings are surrounded by shade and fruit trees and it is a most desirable country home. Joseph C. was married in March, 1897 to Miss Gertrude King and they are the parents of seven children: Gustavus, 14; Mildred, 13; Bailey, 11, Ruth, 10; Daisy, 9; Cecil, 6 and Delbert 3 years of age. All the children are at home and are being educated in the schools of the county. Mr. Woodburn is an engineer on the Missouri Pacific Railroad but spends all the spare time on the home place. The Woodburn family is well known in all parts of the county and Joseph C. and his father have had a great deal to do with the development of the county's resources and have helped to make it one of the best in the State of Kansas.
JOSEPH SCHNEIDER
O NE of the best known men in Barton County, and one of the men who have had so much to do with the develop- ment of the northwestern part of the county is Joseph Schneider, who landed in this coun- ty with his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. John Schneider, in a blizzard, April 20, 1875. He was born in Austria March 19,, 1865, but left his native country when he was ten years . of age. The family consisted of the parents and five children besides Joseph. On their arrival in Barton County his father took up a homestead two and one-half miles north and east of Albert. Joseph Schneider has always been a progressive and enterprising citizen and now owns 2,280 acres of land in the county. He farms three quarters of land himself and the remainder is rented. He is president of the Farmers State Bank of Albert and is well known in the financial life of the county. He was married in 1889 to Miss Theresa Kober of this county and they are the parents of seven children as follows: Joseph, 22 years of age; Bernard, 20 years of age; Mary, 18 years of age; Leonard, 16 years of age; Francis, 14
years of age; Irwin, 12 years of age and Lottie, 6 years of age. All the children are at home and are being educated in the schools of the county. Mr. Schneider's home place is one of the best developed and most modernly im- proved to be found in that part of the county. The residence is well built and substantial, and contains nine rooms in addition to the bath, closets, pantries, etc. The barn is 46 by 56 feet in dimensions and it like all the many buildings on the place is built especially for the purposes for which they are used. Mr. Schneider has always maintained on his farm a good grade of live stock, both horses and cattle. With all his private interests he has found time to take an active part in the affairs of his township and has been on the school board, has been township clerk and trustee and is known as a good citizen. Mr. Schneider has taken a large part in the work of develop- ing his part of Barton County and he came here at a time when it required men of exper- ience and enterprise to develop this county into one of the best in the State of Kansas.
SAMUEL GIBSON YEO
S AMUEL GIBSON YEO was born July 19, 1848, in Guernsey County, Ohio. He was born and raised on a farm and has followed this occupation all of his life. He re- mained in his home state twenty-five years af- ter which he went to Iowa where he resided for one year. Then he went to Wisconsin and spent eight years and from that state came to Kansas in 1888. He first located a claim in Sheridan County and stayed there for six years and then came to Barton County where
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