USA > Kansas > Cloud County > Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas: biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc > Part 76
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JAMES I. WRIGHT.
J. I. Wright, one of the substantial settlers of Arion township, came to Kansas in 1870. and to Cloud county in 1871. He is one of the thrifty, pro- gressive men of his community. He was born in Ohio, but reared princi- pally on a farm in Ogle county, Illinois. His parents were Iliram J. and Laura Jane (Frost) Wright. His father was a New Yorker and when a boy moved with his parents to Ohio. At the age of twenty-three he settled in Illinois and in 1872, emigrated to Kansas taking up a homestead in Cloud county, Arion township. In 1899, he retired from the farm and moved to Concordia where he now lives at the age of eighty-two years. The Wrights are of English origin. Mr. Wright's mother died when he was about ten years of age, leaving three children, one son and two daughters. The ekdl- est daughter, Minerva, died in 1892, leaving a husband and three children.
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
The other sister, Mary Maria, is the widow of Edmond Loricky. Mr. Wright's father has been three times married. There were two children by the second marriage and two by the last.
Ilis mother having died when he was very young, Mr. Wright was de- nied many advantages, his education limited and what he has was acquired in a practical way. When Mr. Wright was young, his home was broken up by his mother's death, which actuated his desires for army life and he wel- comed the excitement and passion incident to war. At the youthful age of seventeen he enlisted in the service of his country. Some of the soldiers came home on a furlough and this inspired him with a desire to join the army.
lle started in with General Sherman at Chattanooga and never saw a week's rest until the cessation of hostilities. His captain was Peter Walker. They were under the command of Colonel VanTassel. They participated in the battles of Buzzard's Roost, Peach Tree Creek, and Kenasaw Mountain. During this latter engagement a bullet passed in close proximity to Mr. Wright's chin, just grazing it-a narrow escape. There was no breastwork and every available tree had a man back of it. The one Mr. Wright had sought refuge behind was a very diminutive one, a sapling in reality. It was cut in two and he was left entirely without a hiding place, exposed to the enemy's fire. the bullets falling like hail around him. A comrade fell wounded and Mr. Wright succeeded this poor victim in his place behind a tree. They were fighting on the way from Chattanooga to Atlanta and did not know the condition of the enemy's breast works until within their midst : they had built them that night. Many of their regiment were killed and wounded in this attack. His company received a lot of new recruits just as the war closed. At the close of the war Mr. Wright returned to his home in Illinois and in 1866, was married to Nancy Sylvina Rice.
Iler father was David Rice of Green county, Kentucky. In his early life he moved to Ohio where he was married to Mary Tilton and where Mrs. Wright was born near Simons Run. Coshocton county. She with her par- ents moved to Ilinois where she met and married Mr. Wright. Her father was a minister of the old Bible Christian persuasion. He died in 1888, at the age of seventy-five years.
To Mr. and Mrs. Wright six children have been born. Lottie Ann Thenia, wife of J. E. Graham, a farmer of Lyon township. Their family of children are Edith Mabel, Emma Lucinda, Jeniss Calvin and James Alvin. twins. and George William. Leander Albert. a farmer of Arion township. His family consists of a wife and three children. Walter Andrew. Jesse Irwin and Clowie Leota. His wife was Elizabeth E. Hogue, a daughter of A. J. Hogue who died in Iowa. She came to Kansas with her mother who (lied in 1898. Mary Elizabeth, wife of Frank Garst, a farmer of Arion township. They are the parents of four children: James Wilbur, Samuel Perley. Charles Alfred. and Mark Elsworth. Ernestine AAdeline, wife of Walter Isaac Brooks. a farmer of Lyon township and a son of John Brooks (see sketch). William Alexander is a stone mason by occupation. Harriet
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Luella, the youngest daughter was recently married to Joseph C. Driscoll, a young farmer of Arion township.
Mr. Wright came to Kansas with a team, two cows, a wife and two children and nine dollars in money. He is entirely self made, never having received a dollar from home. But upon the other hand, when he returned from the army he found his father's family in need of help and his bounty was given over to them. He bought his team on credit of an uncle who gave him assistance by not collecting the note when due. It was not paid nati! about six years ago.
Mr. Wright learned the trades of plasterer and stone mason in his earlier life and there is not a house or chimney in the vicinity of his home but what he has assisted in building. He worked at Lindsay and Minneapo- lis, Kansas, in the early seventies, often walking to and fro. By degrees Mr. Wright has prospered. From a shanty they erected a one and one-half story residence and in 1886, built a one and one-half story addition, making a six room residence, substantially built of stone. In 1900, built a stone barn 32 by 36 feet. Until five years ago Mr. Wright kept a large herd of sheep ; had at one time upwards of five hundred. Besides their wool he fattened and sokl. making it a profitable industry. He raises cattle and hogs quite extensively. His chief products of the farm are wheat. corn, Kaffir corn and cane.
Mr. Wright is a Populist in politics, but not an active politician. Ile is the justice of the peace of Arion township. They are members of the Church of God. Mr. Wright is one of the solid. self made men who has gained everything by his own exertions, his industry and his integrity. So- cially he and his family are among the leading people of their community.
JOHN BROOKS.
John Brooks is a progressive farmer and stockman of Lyon township. He is a native of Iowa, born in Keokuk county, in 1848. He is the youngest child of Johnsey and Margaret ( Glover ) Brooks' family of ten children. H's father's place of nativity was Maryland. born near Baltimore, in 1792. He was of Dutch and Irish extraction. He emigrated from Maryland to Ohio, subsequently to Guernsey county and from there to lowa. Mr. Brooks' mother was born in Ohio. She died in 1882, at the age of seventy five years. She was of French extraction.
Of this family of ten children, just half of that number are living. viz : Louisa Jane, widow of Samuel Snyder. of Smith county, Kansas, Mar- tha, wife of Benjamin Denny, an Englishman; they live on a farm in Koo- kuk county, Iowa. A sister, Nancy Adair, living in Missouri. Sammel. of Osborne county, enlisted in the Mexican war, was detained by illness in New Orleans and did not see active service. J. J., of Marion county, Kan- sas. is a furniture dealer in the town of Burns.
Mr. Brooks has never engaged in any occupation but farming and started out to earn a livelihood without capital, but possessed with the ambi-
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tion and courage that serves a young man just starting in life better than finances. Hle rented iand which he farmed and later bought a small tract of ground which he sold and in 1875. came to Cloud county, and took up a homestead which he sold about twelve years ago and in 1880, purchased the farm he now lives on adtoming his original place. He improved this farm and in 1901, erected a splendid modern residence of seven rooms. He pur- chased his original homestead in 1890. and now owns four hundred acres of good land. Upon his advent in Cloud county, he had but little else other than a large family. His assets were forty dollars and his liabilities sixty dollars. In 1888, he engaged in the sheep business and has made it a successful in- dustry, even when the price of wood was low. He started with seven hundred sheep and his flock has varied from two to seven hundred, feeding and selling. Mr. Brooks is an extensive wheat grower. In 1901. he had two hundred acres that averaged sixteen bushels to the acre.
Mr. Brooks was married in 1867. to Julia Roll, a daughter of Warren L. and Melissa (.Asken ) Roll. Her father was an old settler of Cloud county. homesteading and living here until 1800, then moved to Doniphan county, where he lied in 1897. They were formerly from Indiana, but emigrated to lowa, and from there to Kansas. Her father was a native of Kentucky. Her mother died in 1898. They were the parents of twelve children, all of whom are living but three. Five of their children were born in Orange county, Indiana, Mrs. Brooks included in that number. A brother, Warren Roll, is a farmer of Arion township: Maggie, wife of Elmer Tilton of Glasco; She has two brothers in Doniphan county, a sister and brother in Oklahoma and two sisters in lowa.
To Mr. and Mrs. Brooks twelve children have been born, ten of whom are living, viz: Nancy Jane, wife of Frank Graham, a farmer of Lyon township. Their four children are, Nellie Naomi. Edna May. John Calvin and AAbbie. Isaac W .. the eldest son is a farmer of Lyon township. His family consists of a wife and four children : Ray. Lela, Freddie and Eddic. Mary Effie, the second daughter. is the wife of Rozzel Bailey, a farmer of Arion town- shin. They are the parents of six children; Charles, Leota, Ettie, Rov. Eva and Myrle. AAbbie, the third daughter, is the wife of Max Cross, a farmer of Rooks county. They have two children; Otto Glen and Gladys Glee. Alice, wife of Pat Driscoll, a farmer of Marshal! county, Kansas. Their family consists of three children : Rita. Julius and Mabel. Willard Eaton, unmar- ried and assists with the farming and stock. Hannah, wife of Alvin Gates, a farmer of Lyon township. They are the parents of one little son, Vernie Ray. John L., is a student on his second year in the Concordia high school. The two younger sons, Ferdinand Taylor, and William H., are both at home.
Although Mr. Brooks has had many discouragements to contend with he is now on solid footing. His farm is one of the most highly improved in Lyon township. He has a fine basement barn 36 by 40 feet in dimensions with sixten foot wall. A hail storm passed over his land in 1889. The corn
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
was in roasting car ; every vestige of his crop was destroyed. The storm in- cluded a strip ninety miles long and from six to eight miles wide, starting in the locality of Superior, Nebraska. This loss was seriously felt by Mr. Brooks, who at that time was not in a financial position to lose his crop with- out being badly crippled. Politically. Mr. Brooks is a Populist. Ile is a good citizen, an honest industrious and practical farmer and stockman.
WILLIAM P. WINTER.
William P. Winter is a son of Charles H. Winter and like his father he is a successful and enterprising farmer and one of the leading young men socially in Arion township. He is public spirited, taking an active in- terest in political issues, municipal and educational affairs. He is an ardent Populist politically, served one term as justice of the peace in his township; was re-elected but refused to accept. In his community the Alliance flour- ished and Mr. Winter was president of this organization so long as it existed. They had a subordinate Alliance in that district of one hundred members.
Mr. Winter was born on a farm in Vernon county, Missouri. in :86o. where his parents lived for a brief time, then moved to Stark county, Ill- inois. In 1866, he came to Washington county, Kansas with his parents as related in his father's career. He received the greater part of his educa- tion in the schools of Concordia. In 1881. he was married to Eppie, a daugh- ter of Samuel Morehouse. Her father was born in New York but emigrated with his parents to Missouri when he was a small boy and grew to manhood in Clark county. where Mrs. Winter was born, October 8. 1863.
Mr. Morehouse served a little more than one year during the latter part of the Civil war, and gave his life for his country's cause. He lost his health during this period from exposure and privations and from these causes died one year later, leaving a wife and two daughters. The other daughter is Sarah, the widow of J. A. Ryan, who is a farmer of Republic county.
Mrs. Winter's mother was married again in 1872, to Malon Hayworth. They are residents of Washington county, Kansas. To this union two chil- dren have been born : Emma, wife of Frank Risinger, and a son, John, both of Washington county, Kansas. Mrs. Winter's mother was born in 1838.
Mr. and Mrs. Winter are the parents of three fine sons who bid fair to make their mark in the world. Charles, a bright young man of seventeen is a student on his second year in the Concordia high school. prior to a course in the State University. William F., has made a record well worthy of commendation in their home school. District No. 83. He has neither been absent nor tardy for five school years. Vernon, aged nine years started to school in the fourth reader grade and has mastered the first principles of arithmetic and has neither been absent nor tardy.
Children with disinterested parents would scarcely make these records and it undoubtedly would be a source of gratification to teachers if there
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
were more of their patrons who exercised such pains-taking interest in their sons and daughters of the public schools. Mrs. Winter is a valued corres- pondent of the Kansan, one of Cloud county's leading papers. She has chronicled the news of the Graves neighborhood for several years.
CHARLES H. WINTER.
(. 11. Winter. an old soldier, one of the representative men and exten- sive farmers of Arion township, was born in l'ennsylvania in the year 1830. When one year of age his parents removed to the state of New York and seven years subsequently to Stark county, Ilinois, where they settled on a farm near Toulon.
Tiis father was William Winter, a Pennsylvania farmer and a soldier of the war of 1812. He died in Henry county, Illinois, June 4. 1864. His grand- father John Winter was from Scotland, and settled in Pennsylvania in the pioneer days of that state. His mother before her marriage was Mary Jackson of French ancestry. She was born in the state of New York and died in 1877.
When twenty-one years of age. C. W. Winter married and immediately emigrated to California, where he engaged in mining pursuits with consid- erable success for five years, but not unlike many of the western miners, he speculated and lost He returned to Illinois in 1858, where he farmed until 1802, and then responded to the call for volunteers by enlisting in Company 1. 124th regiment Illinois Volunteers, under Captain Tenney, with Colonel Howe commanding, remaining until the close of the war.
He was a prisoner six months in Cahoka, Mabama. He was fortunate enough to be under Captain Freeman instead of Captain Gatewood, who was collecting prisoners and when he had gathered a dozen, would hang or kill them. This was his established rule. He requested two of Captain Freeman's men to make out his number in this instance, but was refused and Mr. Winter escaped the fate which otherwise might have awaited him. He was in the siege of Vicksburg and Atlanta. They were taken to Black River from Vicksburg for exchange. When they arrived at their destination, they were cold, hungry and wet. The night was dark, the rebels refused to ex- change on the grounds that they could not see. They disbanded and set the woods on fire to keep warm. They suffered many hardships. Finally they received the government supplies and some of the men ate so ravenously that they died as a result. They were mustered out at Springfield, Illinois, and from this point Mr. Winter returned to his family.
In the spring of 1866, he emigrated to Washington county, Kansas, then on the frontier, and took up the homestead where they lived sixteen years. In 1872, they again moved on to the frontier in Rooks county and filed on a timber claim. Mr. Winter assisted in platting the town of Stockton. Three years later he went to Colorado for a brief time and returned to Con- cordia where they kept a feed stable that their son might have the advan-
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
tages of good schools. Three years later they returned to Washington county.
In 1881, they sold their farm and bought the Simon L. Cook home- stead in Arion township, which they have added to from time to time until he now owns a whole section of land on the divide between Wolf and Coal creeks, all under fence. It is mostly wheat land and this year he has sowed four hundred acres. In the summer of 1901 he had two hundred acres that yielded from twenty-five to thirty-five bushels per acre. Mr. Winter has raised cattle and hogs, and corn until the last few years, but is now practi- cally retired.
He was married in 1862, to Sarah E. A. Dray, of West Virginia, where her maternal grandfather was a slave holder. She is a daughter of Peter Dray, a blacksmith by occupation. When she was a small child, her parents moved to Ohio and settled near Port Homer in Jefferson county. ller father died August 17, 1855, in Stark county, Illinois, where he had moved a few years previously. Mrs. Winter's paternal grandfather was of Irish birth. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. Her great-grandfather was in the church uprisings of the old country. emigrated to America and settled in Ohio in an early day.
ITer mother was Martha Foster, whose ancestors were from the Isle of Jersey. She died in 1894, at the home of her son-in-law, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Winter's maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Wolver- ton. Of a family of twelve children. Mrs. Winter and one sister survive; Mrs. Lasley, who lives on a farm in Arion township.
To Mr. and Mrs. Winter have been born two children, but one of whom is living. The daughter was Mary, deceased wife of John McNulty, who died June 16, 1889, leaving three daughters. Anna, Alice, and Julia. Anna is the wife of Harry Evans, of Stockton, Kansas. Alice lives with Anna and attends school. Julia lives with her grandparents. Their son is William P. (see sketchi).
Mr. Winter is non-partisan and votes for the best man. The Winter family have a large and comfortable house of ten rooms. Mr. Winter has been financially successful in Kansas and his farm is a fortune within itself. He is an enterprising man and a good citizen.
W. G. KOCHIER.
A well-to-do farmer and stockman and owner of one of the most de sirable country homes in Arion township is W. G. Kocher, the subject of this sketch. He is one of those thrifty and enterprising Pennsylvaniaus that are seldom otherwise than prosperous. He was born in Mercer county. Pennsylvania, in 1849. He is a son of George and Elizabeth ( First ) Kocher, both of German origin and natives of Pennsylvania. George Kocher was twice married. W. G. is the youngest son of the second marriage and one
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
of eight children, six of whom are living. Mrs. Kile, living in Center town- ship is a sister.
When Mr. Kocher was nine years of age his father died, and at the age of eighteen years he entered upon farm life. A few years later he secured employment on public works that were in course of erection in his county and later engaged in the lumber business with Gaston Brothers. He had accumu- lated a little bank account out of his earnings and in December. 1887. came to Kansas, and the following January bought his present farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres.
He tore down the old stone residence built by the old homesteader, Mrs. Doer, and erected a handsome residence in 1898. In 1803. he added one hun- dred and sixty acres, the original Eagle homestead lying one mile south, and in ISO8 bought one hundred and sixty acres adjoining on the west, most of which is pasture land. Mr. Kocher is an extensive wheat grower. In 1900 he had a fifty-three acre field that yielded a total of fifteen hundred bushels. In 1898 he had a yield of thirty-eight bushels to the acre. During the corn years Mr. Kocher has fed and shipped hogs by the car load. He keeps a herd of grided Shorthorn cattle. Ilis farm is under a fine state of improve- ment considerable fruit and an inexhaustible well which furnishes water as pure and cold as any in his native state.
He was married m 185 % to Katie I. Riddle, a daughter of Doctor John W. and Rachael Harriet (Close) Riddle. Doctor Riddle is a distin- guished physician. He began the practice of medicine in Utica, Pennsyl- vania. In 1862. he entered the Sixty-first Pennsylvania Volunteer Infan- try as surgeon of the regiment, remaining until the close of the war. Was with the army of the Potomac. He was born in 1820 in Venango county. 011 ? farm where he lived until twelve years of age when his father sold out and engaged in merchandising
When seventeen years of age Doctor Riddle entered the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, where he graduated in 1844. Ile is retired from the practice of medicine and now lives with a son in Arm- strong county, Pennsylvania, thirty miles north of Pittsburg. Doctor Rid- dle is a grandson of Edward Riddle who settled in West Virginia after serving in the Revolutionary war, and where Doctor Riddle's father was born and partially reared, and later moved to Pennsylvania. Doctor Riddle's maternal ancestors were of Scotch origin and early settlers in the state of Pennsylvania. The Doctor is the only surviving member of a family of four.
To Doctor and Mrs. Riddle five children were born, viz: Alexander P., ex-lieutenant governor of Kansas, and one of the best known men in the state, is a resident of Minneapolis. Kansas, and editor of the Minneapolis Messenger. Charles MI., one of the police force of the city of Youngstown, Ohio. Catherine I .. wife of W. G. Kocher. the subject of this sketch. George K., of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, who is a lumberman oper- ating a saw mill. Marguritta, wife of L. C. Hassenfritz, an engineer in the
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
Thirty-third street steel mills, of Carnegie, Phipps & Co .. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
To Mr. and Mrs. Kocher nine children have been born, eiglit of whom are living, viz: Charles E., a resident of Minneapolis, Kansas. and editor of the Minneapolis Journal. He left the farm in 1896 and went to work in the Minneapolis Messenger office where he remained six years. He was married to Grace Cline in 1899. Lorena, wife of Will Y. Thornburg, a graduate of the State University of Nebraska. Claudia, wife of William Nelson, a farmer of Arion township. They are the parents of two chil- dren, Opal and Gaylord. Those unmarried and at home are, Athelstan, Hattie, Ada, Melvin and Helen
Politically Mr. Kocher is a Populist. The Kochers are attendants of the Wesleyan Methodist church, New Hope congregation, of which Mrs. Kocher is a member.
BUFFALO CREEK VALLEY.
The praises of the Buffalo creek valley have not been sung like those of the Solomon and Republican valleys. While not so pretentious in point of area it vies with them in beauty and fertility of soil. From some of the promontories that overlook this prosperous and fruitful valley a magnificent bird's-eye view is gamed .- fields of waving grain, commodious residences and herds of fine cattle grazing in the pastures indicate its great agricultural wealth and form a rural scene of rare and exceeding beauty.
Grant township is the banner wheat growing local- ity of the county and Buf- falo township is not far in the rear. During the har- vesting season in the month of June when the cereals are in a state of perfection this is one of the most beautiful valleys in the entire country. The great fields of yellow grain extend far beyond the range of vision, and the serv- ices of every available man THRESHING IN THE WHEAT FIELD. and boy in the vicinity are in demand, many being sent in from outside points. Corn, Kaffir corn and oats are also raised extensively although wheat is the principle crop. Alfalfa, the great forage plant is being more generally grown-its sphere of usefulness becoming more and more apparent-while the profits vie with those of other products, with less labor attendant. . Almost every farmer is out of debt and has financial interests in stocks or money on deposit in the banks. The homes throughout the valley present the same idea of thrift as characterizes those of the Repub- lican and Solomon. There are few residences or barns in the community but what are freshly painted and present a prosperous, home-like exterior. Property is constantly increasing in value, and practically none for sale on the market. There has been a revolution of things since Thomas Hall. of
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
Grant township, "swapped" a quarter section of land for an old cultivator and a bushel of potatoes. This estate which was purchased for so small a consideration less than twenty-five years ago, could not be secured for several thousand dollars cash in hand at the present time. A good story originating from Grant town- ship is told on one of the old settlers of that vicinity. In the early settlement of the county-if there was 10 other means of water supply -a well must be dug before the homesteader could prove up on his land. To dig a well, or bore for water, pene- trating the bowels of the earth to a depth of some for- ty or fifty feet, and sometimes HARVEST SCENE. more, was considerable of an undertaking and one fellow, presumably a "Yankee," not having the where- with to comply with this requirement devised an equivalent; he dug a hole in the ground, inserted a barrel in the excavation and filled it with water-although not a fountain or an issue of water from the earth, it was a compound of oxygen and hydrogen that met the essential conditions. During the drouth and grasshopper year many left their claims and many more would have gone, but were devoid of the wherewith to take them. But they were not listless. nor did they mope or sit dismally twirling their thumbs "waiting for luck." but continued to improve their homesteads. Though times were hard they did not wear gloomy countenances, but took a philosophical view of things, as if the old adage. "It is not the cloud but the sunshine that gives beauty to the flower," was ever uppermost in their hearts. Humanity is never free from trouble, and it is well they are not; trouble gives tone to life-fortitude and courage and enables us to enjoy with more fullness the blessings of life.
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