USA > Kansas > Atchison County > History of Atchison County, Kansas > Part 40
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engaged in the business for himself. He also began to write insurance, and was reasonably successful in both the real estate and insurance business. He erected a brick building for his office quarters, and, when automobile owners multiplied in Effingham and vicinity he foresaw the need of a repair shop and established one in the rear of his real estate office. He soon afterward rented an abandoned garage and hired a mechanic to do the repair work. It was not long until larger quarters became necessary, and he built as told in a preceding chapter. In July of 1915, Mr. Arthur disposed of his insurance business, and has since devoted his energies entirely to the automobile business.
He was married in 1892 to Lillie M. Ramsey, daughter of Newton Ram- sey, a pioneer settler of Adams county, Iowa, and a Union veteran of the Civil war. Four children have blessed this union: Pearl, aged twenty-one years; Jennie, aged eighteen years, and a teacher of music, and an accom- plished musician; Le Roy, nine years of age; Charles, three years old. Three children are deceased : Chester A. died at the age of eight years; Milton died at the age of eighteen months; Blanche died at the age of nine months.
Mr. Arthur is a Republican in politics, and has identified himself more or less with the civic life of his adopted community, and is considered as one of Effingham's best boosters and live wires. He is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, contributes to the support of the same, and is affil- iated with the Odd Fellows lodge and the Knights and Ladies of Security.
DON CARLOS NEWCOMB.
It is a pleasure for the biographer to write a story of the life of a man who has arrived at the evening of life and be able to record something really worth while for the benefit of posterity. The life annals of a man who has succeeded in making a name for himself, achieving a well deserved com- petence, and been of some use to his community, and has arrived at the time of life when he can look back over the vista of the busy years that have passed, is interesting to a high degree. In D. C. Newcomb, pioneer merchant and patriarch, of Atchison, we find embodied that spirit of the West which en- abled men to build up this great country and to achieve things of importance in the business and civic world. Mr. Newcomb loves his home city, its people and prestige and is proud of its standing among the cities of the West. He has had no small part in the up-building of Atchison, and it would have been
'Newcomb
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better in the days gone by if the city had more men like him to assist its growth. Ever ready to contribute to any enterprise which might help the growth of the city, his liberality and boosting proclivities became proverbial, and it has oft been a saying of his that Atchison could just as well have been a city of fifty or sixty thousand inhabitants as to be its present size. Such men as he are of decided benefit to any community.
D. C. Newcomb, a pioneer merchant of Atchison, perhaps has had as much to do with the commercial development of Atchison county for the past half century as any other man within its borders. When Mr. Newcomb came to Atchison county in 1858 it was a difficult matter to tell whether Atchison, or its rival town, Sumner, was to be the chief town of the county. Sumner was a thriving frontier town, but Mr. Newcomb picked Atchison as the win- ner and time has demonstrated that his judgment was sound. D. C. New- comb was born in Washington county, Vermont, on Friday, July 13, 1836, and is a son of Hosea and Harriet (Bixby) Newcomb, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter a native of Roxbury, Mass., born in 1805. Hosea Newcomb was born in 1803 and came from a prominent New England family of English descent. The Newcomb family was founded in New Eng- land in 1635 by Francis Newcomb and his wife, who came from England and located in New England at that time. It is recorded that they made the voy- age on a sailing vessel named "Planter." Hosea Newcomb, the father of D. C., was prominent in the affairs of his native town, Waitsfield, Vt., where he remained until 1859, when he came to Kansas, settling at the new town of Sumner, now extinct, in Atchison county. He took an active part in the early- day development of that promising frontier town and served as postmaster there. However, he returned to Vermont in 1873, where he died in 1889, at the age of eighty-six, and his wife passed away March 17, 1903, age ninety- seven years, eight months and one day.
D. C. Newcomb was one of a family of five children and is now the only one living, except a sister. Mrs. Lydia M. Shephard, of Minneapolis. A brother. Dan J. Newcomb, was a very early settler in Atchison county, com- ing here some time before D. C. arrived. He was prominent in the organiza- tion of Atchison county and was the first register of deeds of the county. D. C. serving as his deputy. D. C. Newcomb was reared in the town of Waitsfield, Vt., where he attended the public schools and later was a student at Newbury Seminary. In early life he clerked in a store at Johnson, Vt., and also clerked for a time in Montpelier, Vt. In 1858 he came to Atchison county and first landed at Sumner, but immediately went to Atchison, and, although the latter town was also in its early stages of development, the loca-
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tion impressed Mr. Newcomb so favorably that he determined to locate there. Soon after coming here he was appointed deputy register of deeds and served in that capacity for three years. He then engaged in clerking in a store, and in 1864 entered into partnership with Samuel Gard, who had been a fellow clerk of his, and they organized the firm of Gard & Newcomb and engaged in the mercantile business. Their capital was limited, perhaps less than $2,500, but they were two industrious young men and had a reputation for honesty and square dealing, which was an important asset. Mr. Newcomb went to New York and bought a stock of goods valued at about $15,000, mostly on
Residence of D. C. Newcomb, Atchison, Kan.
credit, and at the end of the first year they had paid for every dollar's worth of goods which they had bought in the meantime and had a stock of about $15,000 worth on hand. The partnership arrangement continued about four years, when Mr. Newcomb purchased his partner's interest, who desired to dispose of his business on account of failing health. Mr. Newcomb continued in business alone and conducted the great Newcomb department store, the business of which developed far beyond his most fanciful dreams. Mr. New- comb continued in the mercantile business until 1905. and for years was the
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leading merchant of Atchison. He sold his business to Ed Lake, who has conducted it since 1905.
Mr. Newcomb has not only been a merchant prince in northeastern Kan- sas, but has been identified with the growth and development of Atchison from many standpoints. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank and was closely identified with that financial institution for fifteen years. He served successively as director, vice-president and president, but when he went out of business he disposed of his banking interests.
Mr. Newcomb was united in marriage in 1866 with Miss Anna E., daughter of Capt. George W. Bowman, an early-day steamboat captain, but later engaged in the mercantile business at Atchison. He was a native of Brownsville, Pa. To Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb have been born two children : Hattie May, now the wife of Maj. Harry A. Smith, U. S. A., a graduate of West Point Military Academy. During the Spanish-American war he held the rank of major in the Twenty-first regiment, Kansas infantry, and is now major in the Twenty-eighth regiment, United States infantry, doing duty on the Mexican border. To Major Smith and wife have been born two children : Newcomb, a cadet in the United States Military Academy, West Point, N. Y., and William A., a graduate of Shattick's school, Fairibault, Minn., now a student in the University of Minnesota. George Edgar, the youngest child born to Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb, born March 19, 1869, died March 25. 1909, aged forty years. He was married in October, 1895, to Miss Dorothy Jones, a native of Wisconsin, and three children were born to this union: Clara Forest, D. C., and Charles Jones. Mr. Newcomb has been a life-long Repub- lican and has always supported the policies and principles of that party. He has had many flattering inducements to enter politics, but has refused to ac- cept, preferring to follow his commercial career in which he has been so suc- cessful. Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for years have been active in the work of their congregation and both have lived exemplary Christian lives. Mr. Newcomb has held every of- fice within the gift of the church, all of which have come to him without solicitation. In fact, every preferment has come to him unsolicited. In 1896 and 1900 he was elected a lay delegate to the general conference of the Meth- odist Episcopal church held at Omaha in 1896 and Chicago in 1901.
WILSON R. SMITH.
Wilson R. Smith, of the firm of Snyder, Smith & Company, Effingham, Kan., is an admirable type of a successful business man who has been a res- ident of Effingham for the past six years, and has so identified himself with
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the life of the community that it seems to the average citizen that Mr. Smith has been a resident of the city and county all of his natural life. The firm, of which he is an active member, handles hardware, implements, grain, coal and feed, and is composed of G. M. Snyder, W. R. Smith and U. B. Sharp- less, present county treasurer. This firm was organized in February of 1915 and took over the business of Sharpless & Snyder. The concern also operates a grain elevator of 10,000 bushel capacity, and has two large ware- houses and coal-yards, in addition to the business room on Main street.
Mr. Smith is a Virginian by birth, and was born at Salt Sulphur Springs, Monroe county, W. Va., on April 28, 1856. He is a son of Granville and Caroline (Clark) Smith, both of whom were born and reared in Virginia, and were descended from colonial ancestors. A direct ancestor of Wilson R. was the first settled in Monroe county, and headed a long line of tillers of the soil, the parents of Wilson R. living on their farm in Virginia until their deaths.
Wilson R. left his ancestral home in Virginia in April of 1884 and journeyed to the town of Craig, Holt county, Missouri, purchasing a farm in the neighborhood of Mounty City, which he cultivated with considerable success for ten years, and then engaged in the grain and stock business for a period of nine years. He resided in Holt county until 1909 and then came to Effingham, Kan. His first venture here was in the grain and elevator business, which he conducted for a period of four years, and then sold out to the Farmers' Elevator Company. In February of 1915, he purchased an interest in the business in which he is now engaged. Continuous success has followed Mr. Smith's efforts, and practically every business venture in which he has embarked has proved to be uniformly successful. His methods of transacting business are above reproach and are such as to commend him to the public in general.
He was married in 1885 to Mrs. Celia C. Zachary, a widow, who was the mother of one child, Edith Belle, by a former marriage. Two children have blessed this marriage: Alberta, wife of Ross Meador, living on a farm, five miles southwest of Effingham; Jennie, wife of C. A. Hawk, residing three miles north of Effingham on a farm.
Mr. Smith is a stanch Republican in his political affiliations, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen and the Brotherhood of American Yeo- man. He is one of Effingham's substantial and enterprising citizens, who is ever ready to assist his adopted community to better the conditions of things in general and readily lends a hand when needed to assist the growth and well being of the city.
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GEORGE E. HENDEE.
Mr. Hendee is an automobile salesman, machinist and garage proprietor, is one of Atchison's hustling business men who has made good in the auto- mobile business. Seven years in the motor industry in Atchison has seen him advance in his chosen work until he now owns the largest and best equipped garage in the city, and has a plant including equipment and cars in stock valued at over $15,000. Mr. Hendee is salesman for the Regal, Chalmers and the White automobiles.
He was born on a farm in Lancaster county, Nebraska, July 31, 1872, being a son of George and Loretta (Kistler) Hendee, who were the parents of five children : William, deceased ; Mrs. Margaret Bennethy, of Logansport, Ind .; George E .; Delbert, of Logansport. Ind., and Leona, at home with her parents. George Hendee, Sr., was born in Canada, in 1846, removing from his native country to Indiana with his parents when a boy. He was reared to young manhood in Indiana and served as a soldier in Company G, Twenty- first regiment, Indiana infantry, until the close of the war, in 1865. After the Civil war he migrated to Lancaster county, Nebraska, and homesteaded on 160 acres of Government land. He built up a splendid farm from the raw and unbroken prairie and prospered as he deserved, living on his acreage until 1891, at which time he started a general store at Panama, Neb. He retired from active pursuits in 1898 and moved to Royal Center, Ind., where he is now living. The Hendee family is of French origin, and the founders of the family first settled in the Dominion of Canada. The mother of George E. was born in Pennsylvania in 1842, a daughter of Pennsyl- vania Dutch parents.
He of whom this review is written was reared on the Nebraska farm and received his elementary schooling at Panama and York, that State. Early in life he displayed an aptitude for machinery and determined to fit himself to become an expert machinist. Accordingly, in 1895, he enrolled as student in the State University at Lawrence, and pursued the machinist's course. hav- ing previously studied electrical engineering at York, Neb. When thirteen years of age, George started out to make his own way, educate himself and at the same time earn his living. While a student in the York Technical School, he worked nights in the electric light plant. For a period of three years he was a fireman on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad and the Santa Fe System, being promoted to the post of railway engineer while in the employ of the latter system. He was then employed by the General Electric Company, of Chicago, in the installation of and erecting mining machinery,
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his duties requiring him to travel in the South for over a year. He was em- ployed by the Chalmers company for one year erecting heavy engines, and was employed as engineer of the Pearsons' Flouring Mills at Lawrence, Kan., for seven years. For a time he served as master mechanic at the Leavenworth coal shaft on the Government grounds at Leavenworth, Kan. In the year 1901 he built and operated a machine shop at Cripple Creek, Colo., but his plant was destroyed by fire in 1902. He then moved to Grand Junction, Colo., where he worked in the oil fields and was round house foreman for the rail- roads in that city until he resigned his position and located in Denver, Colo., where he worked as a machinist in the Missouri Pacific shops until he took employment as engineer on the Colorado & Southern railway. After this he was employed as a machinist in the shops of the Santa Fe railroad, but resigned this place to become foreman in the plant of the Locomotive Finished Material Foundry in Atchison. Following this he was chief engi- neer for the Blair Milling Company, resigning to take employment as an ex- pert machinist with the Atchison Motor Company until 1908. In that year he engaged in business, and has made a name for himself in the motor and business world of Atchison. Mr. Hendee is looked upon as one of the rising and successful young business men of Atchison, and justly deserves all of the success which has come to him.
His marriage with Laura Hall, of Lawrence, Kan., occurred in 1902 and gave him a faithful helpmate who has assisted him in every way to achieve his present success. Two children were born of this marriage, Velva and Ken- neth, both deceased. Mrs. Hendee was born in August, 1879. in Wisconsin, a daughter of John and Nettie (Crow) Hall, natives of Wisconsin. She is a well educated lady and is a graduate of the college at Burlington, Kan. Mr. Hendee is an independent in political affairs, and is fraternally allied with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Modern Woodmen of America.
WILLIAM D. KISTLER.
William D. Kistler, prosperous farmer of Shannon township, is descend- ant of good old Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and has lived in Atchison county for thirty-six years. He came to this county from his ancestral home in Pennsylvania, in moderate circumstances, if not actually a poor man, and dur- ing that time has accumulated a fine farm of 200 acres which ranks among the best and most productive farms of the county. The little shack
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in which he and his family lived when they first came to Kansas has been superseded by a handsome and comfortable residence and great sluvle trees have grown up around it. The modest "eighty" in which Mr. Kistler invested all of his small capital on his arrival here has grown steadily with substantial additions from time to time as he was enabled to purchase adjoining tracts. A large red barn alike shows evidence of thrift and good management on the part of the proprietor.
W. D. Kistler was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, December 5. 1853, a son of Nathan J. and Catharine ( Dietrich ) Kistler, both of whom were born in the adjoining county near Lehigh county. Nathan J. Kistler was born April 6, 1811, and died September 1I, 1878. He was a son of Jacob S., who was a son of Samuel Kistler, whose father, John George Kistler, emi- grated with his wife, Dorothia, from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania early in the eighteenth century, arriving in Philadelphia October 5. 1737. Nathan J. Kistler was a captain of State militia and died at the old home in Lehigh county. Two brothers of W. D. and a sister out of a family of nine children settled in the West. After his public school training Mr. Kistler attended the Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Normal School and prepared himself for the teaching profession. He taught school in his native State for four years, after which he clerked in a general store for four years, previous to migrating to Kansas. He left the old home in Pennsylvania in 1879 and came to Atchison county, Kansas, investing in an eighty-acre tract in Shannon township which he gradually improved. The small house which he first erected was gradually enlarged as the needs of his family demanded more room and his means permitted. In 1883 he erected the present handsome home, which is one of the most attractive places in the township. Mr. Kistler raises cattle, horses and hogs and feeds his grain products to the live stock on his farm, thus managing to keep up the fertility of his acres and being able to market his farm products in the most profitable manner.
He was married in 1876 to Ellen Brobst, who was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, in 1853, a daughter of Daniel and Lydia (Kunken) Brobst, of Lehigh county, and whose ancestry came from Germany. They are the par- ents of five children : Mrs. Alice Bunnell, of Lancaster township, this county : Anna, wife of Samuel Du Bois, also of Shannon township; Calvin, a farmer. residing at the Du Bois home, and assisting in the management of the farm; Bertha, wife of James Dooley, residing in Shannon township; William, at home, married Catharine Wolters.
Mr. Kistler is a Republican in politics, but he has never been an office
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seeker, or sought preferment at the hands of his fellow citizens. He is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He and the members of his family stand well among their neighbors and are highly esteemed by all who know them.
ANDREW KEITHLINE.
The late Andrew Keithline enjoyed the distinction of being one of the oldest, if not the oldest living pioneer resident of Atchison. Fifty-six years of his four score and seven years of life were spent in Atchison and vicinity. In the fulness of his years, and satisfied in the reflections concerning a long and useful life well spent he lived a quiet, retired life in his comfortable home at II21 Santa Fe street until the Death Angel called him. He loved to meet his many friends and speak reminiscently of the days when Atchison was in the embryo stage, and of the stirring scenes during the days when Kansas was in the throes of becoming an integral part of the great American Union. He was one of the city's grand old men who was universally loved and respected by all who knew him. He came of that sturdy Pennsylvania German stock, noted the country over for their sterling qualities of endurance and the ability to do their share in the transformation of a wilderness to a land of homes and plenty.
Andrew Keithline was born on a farm in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, a son of John and Mary ( Neyhart) Keithline. The first Keithline to come to America was Colonel Keithline, who figures prominently in Revolutionary an- nals and who accompanied Baron De Kalb to this country in 1775. Andrew Keithline's grandfather. Joseph Keithline, was born in Northhampton county, Pennsylvania, served in the War of 1812, and died in 1850. He was a tailor by trade and contracted to make buckskin breeches for the Government. to be worn by the soldiers during the war. Joseph's children wore buckskin breeches made by their father. John Keithline, the father of Andrew, operated a wagon shop which also served as the family residence for some years, in fact, Andrew was born in his father's wagon shop. He prospered, in the course of time, and came west in 1863 and invested in eighty acres of land, south of Atchison and later owned 320 acres west of Atchison on the Parallel road. This tract was partly fenced at the time of purchase and cost John Keithline $25 per acre. He made his home thereon and was joined by his family in 1864. The mother of Andrew died in 1865 and John returned to the old home in Pennsylvania where he died in 1868. Nine children were born to
A Keittiline
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John Keithline and wife: Samuel, Catharine, Andrew, Julia, Sarah, Priscilla, John, Peter and Mary E. Of these, Samuel, Sarah and Andrew came to Atchison county.
Andrew left the parental home in December of 1857, and went to Michi- gan, remaining until 1859, when he came to Atchison, where he resided until the fall of 1864. His first employment was with the firm of Walters & Ros- well, who conducted a general store and wanted a clerk familiar with the Ger- man tongue. For the two years previous to his locating in Atchison he con- ducted a cooperative store in Michigan. His first trip to the Far West was taken in 1860, when he went to Denver and disposed of a stock of goods for his firm. He made another trip across the plains later than this. In 1864 he was called out with the Kansas State militia to repel the Price invasion. On October 31, 1864, he moved to his farm west of Atchison, and remained there tilling his acreage until September 1, 1898, and made his permanent home in Atchison until his death. His fine farm consisted originally of 220 acres and when he removed to Atchison he still owned 190 acres of the origi- nal farm. Mr. Keithline bought a handsome brick residence on Santa Fe street and by wise investments and carefully husbanding his resources accu- mulated a comfortable competence for the support of his decliinng years. He was considered a well-to-do citizen. He was married on November 5, 1854, to Rose Varner, born in 1832 in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of George Varner, whose father was a soldier in the Revolution. Two children were born to this well respected couple, namely : Gilbert, born in 1855, died in Jackson county in the spring of 1915. He was the father of seven children, Herschell. Sydney, Rose, Emma, Mary, Andrew and Laura. Mrs. Cora Warters, a daughter of Mr. Keithline, lives in Atchison. She is the mother of four children : Bessie, Andrew, Cora Willis and Lorene.
Mr. Keithline was one of the original Free State men of Kansas, and was inducd to come here by the fact that men in favor of making Kansas a free State were needed in the Territory. He consistently espoused the principles of the Republican party, taking an active part in politics during his younger days and served for two years as justice of the peace. One of the bright spots in his memory of bygone days was his warm friendship for Senator John J. Ingalls, which friendship was reciprocated by the illustrious senator. He al- ways adhered to the Lutheran religious denomination, which was the faith of his fathers. The evening of life must come to us all and happy is the man who can calmly wait for the last call to summon him to his just reward in the world to come, at peace with all mankind and cared for by capable hands ;
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