USA > Kansas > Cherokee County > History of Cherokee County, Kansas and representative citizens > Part 38
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72
Mr. Canfield had come to stay, however, and although without means he started to build himself a home. He purchased a log cabin
323
. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
built by the Osage Indians, and moved it onto his claim, and that was his home until he built a better one. A team, a few household goods. $5 in money and a good wife at this time con- stituted his possessions. With the aid of his team, he got a start by hauling goods from Kansas City to Fort Scott during the summer, receiving $10 for each load. He also brought cattle from Missouri, being paid for his time at the rate of $1 per day. In the meanwhile, at odd times he broke several acres of liis land, an area not much larger than a good-sized garden spot, but enough to raise a few necessa- ries, and these, together with wild game, and the few groceries he secured by hauling, carried the family through the first winter. Fortune began to shine on him, however, and it was not many years until he was looked upon as one of the solid men of the county. In time he added another 80 acres to his farm, and he now has 240 acres in sections 7 and 8 under cultivation and well fenced. There is a fine orchard of IO acres, and there are many fine shade trees on the farm, all of his planting. An addition was made to the old Indian cabin, which was finally replaced by a large farm house. Mr. Canfield is well equipped for general farming, having one of the largest barns in the county, and every necessary piece of machinery.
George W. Canfield is a son of Lewis D. and Harriet (Huling) Canfield. The father was a native of Otsego County, New York, and was born in 1812. He was a farmer and miller, and spent his life in his native State, engaged in these occupations. He was successful in busi- ness, and was prominent and influential in the affairs of his day. He was a Whig in politics, and an Abolitionist, on the slavery question. His religious views were those of the Free Will Baptist Church. He spent a long and useful life, dying at the age of 72 years. The Can- fields are of English descent. George W. Can- field's grandfather, Abraham Canfield, removed
from New England, and settled on a farm of 640 acres in Willet, where he reared a fam- ily of three sons and as many daughters. He was a Universalist in religion, and a Whig in politics.
Lewis D. Canfield's wife was born in New York in 1816, and was a daughter of Rev. Daniel Huling, who was for 35 years a minister of the Free Will Baptist Church in Western New York. The latter part of his ministry was in Chautauqua County. His wife, Eliza- beth, survived him a long time, dying at the remarkable age of 102 years.
To Lewis D. Canfield and wife four chil- dren were born, namely: Mrs. Lydia Peet, who died when 36 years of age; Julia, who died at the age of 20 years ; George W .; and Harris A., who become a physician, and is residing in Bradford, Pennsylvania. There was one child by a second marriage of the father, namely : William, a lecturer by occupation, who lives in Oil City, Pennsylvania.
The wife of George WV. Canfield's youth. whom he married in Illinois, was Theressa Huling. She died in Cherokee County, at the age of 30 years, leaving two children,-Lewis D. and Harris. Lewis D., born August 31, 1866, is a farmer of Lola township and has two children,-Theressa and Margaret. Harris resides with his father. Their mother was a daughter of Rev. Louis and Olive Huling, the former an early pioneer. It is said that Rev. Mr. Huling preached one of the first sermons in the county, at River Bottom, in the spring of 1866. Mr. Canfield's present wife was Amanda A. Bowman. She is a native of Indiana, born in 1857, and is a daughter of Henry and Eliza- beth Bowman. All of her nine children are living at home. They are as follows : Madella. Mamie, George, Jay, Clair, Edward, Edna, Alba and Marvin.
As before stated. Mr. Canfield has always been prominent in the affairs of Cherokee
324
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
County. He was active in the organization of the county and township, and served in differ- ent minor offices. He was for 17 years a jus- tice of the peace in Lola township. Formerly a Republican, he cast his last vote in that party for James G. Blaine. In the breaking up of party lines which followed this contest, Mr. Canfield espoused the Populist cause, and has since been prominently identified with its his- tory. He was a delegate to the recent national convention at Cincinnati, and to the Topeka convention. He is a member of, and helped to organize, the A. H. T. A. In educational mat- ters he has ever been helpful, aiding in the building of the first school house in the county.
The foregoing sketch will serve to acquaint the reader with the salient facts in the career of one of Cherokee County's best citizens, a gentleman whose life has been wholly honor- able, and whom all hold in the highest esteem.
OHN EISENHART, deceased, an old settler of Mineral township and well known contractor of Scammon, was born in 1835 in Pennsylvania, where he lived until he grew to manhood. Before taking up the trade of a stone-mason, he learned that of a tanner, which he followed for three years.
He was married in 1859 to Catherine Rus- seller, a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Kah- ler) Russeller, of Pennsylvania, and thereafter went to Ohio, where he was engaged in mining in the coal fields for seven years. About this time he decided to go West and try his fortunes in the new country, and with his family he moved to Texas, and there followed his trade of stone-mason. Three years later, 1880, found him settled in a place called Stillson, near Scam- mon, Cherokee County, Kansas, this being some time before Scammon was laid out.
During the period of his residence in Kan- sas, Mr. Eisenhart worked at his trade, and in his later years finished many "ts,
employing at one time as many d 11.
also invested in town property ans invest- ments each time turned out successfully.
Mr. Eisenhart came to Scanlon without a dollar, but his perseverance and honesty brought him not only esteem, but prosperity, and an income which yielded many comforts, not the least of which was a nice home. He died August 16, 1904, and was buried under the auspices of the I. O. O. F. lodge of Scammon. A wife and four children are left to mourn his loss. Mary, the eldest of the children, was born in Pennsylvania, and mar- ried Amos Vieweg; she has six children,- Kate, Bessie, Anna, Mary, Novella and John A. John, the second child, born in Pennsyl- vania, married Nettie Young, and has two chil- dren,-, Vera and John. Ellsworth, born in Ohio, married Nellie Horn, and has one child,- Beatrice. Charles, born in Ohio, is unmarried. Two children died in infancy, viz: William Henry and Ulysses Grant.
Mr. Eisenhart's parents were natives of Pennsylvania. The father, Jonas Eisenhart, a farmer, died there at the age of 72 years, and the mother, Polly (Geist) Eisenhart, died at the age of 58 years. They were the parents of an unusually large family, which consisted of nine boys and nine girls. Fourteen of them lived to a marriageable age. Six only are now living, namely: William, Daniel, Gabriel, Lewis, Emanuel and Mary.
Mr. Eisenhart was independent, in politics, his vote being given to the best man. The esteem in which he was held by his friends and neighbors is shown by the fact that, for years, he was trustee of Mineral township and was serving his second term as city treasurer of Scammon, at the time of his death.
Although a volunteer, in 1861, in the Penn-
S.
-
-
E. M. TRACEWELL
327
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
sylvania State Militia, he saw no active service. He was, however, a stanch Union man, and during the war served the cause in many ways.
Scammon and Cherokee County owe much to the solid, industrious class represented by Mr. Eisenhart. No drought has been so severe as to dry up their enthusiasm for their, section, and their faith in it, nor has any season been so wet as to dampen their ardor.
The subject of this sketch has gone to his reward, following many of his early associates in this region, but others are coming forward to take up their unfinished tasks, and emulate the worthy example shining forth from Mr. Eisen- hart's civic career, and from the lives of his de- parted colaborers in promoting the prosperity of their community
€ M. TRACEWELL, senior, member of the well known law firm of Trace- well & Moore, at Columbus, whose portrait is presented on the opposite page, has been a resident of Cherokee County since the spring of 1882. He was born at Park- ersburg, Virginia, now West Virginia, in 1847, and is a son of W. N. and L. V. (Brown) Tracewell.
WV. N. Tracewell was also born at Parkers- burg, where for some years he was an attorney. In 1853 he removed to Indiana, and was en- gaged there in the practice of his profession until shortly before his death, which took place while on a visit in Washington, D. C., April 19, 1898. E. M. Tracewell's only brother, Robert J. Tracewell, has been Comptroller of the United States Treasury, at Washington, D. C., since 1897.
E. M. Tracewell was reared in Indiana, and studied law at the State University at Bloom- ington during 1866-67-68. He was admitted to the bar at Corydon, Indiana, in March, 1869. After 12 years of active practice at Leaven-
worth, Indiana, Mr. Tracewell came to Colum- bus, Cherokee County, in 1882, where he has continued in his profession ever since. He was first associated with the late Colonel Hallowell, United States District Attorney, later, with T. P. Anderson, now of Kansas City, and since February, 1901, he has been a partner of .W. J. Moore. Mr. Tracewell has quietly and indus- triously pursued his profession, taking part in much of the county's important litigation, and meeting with the success which results from honest effort and a profound knowledge of the law. He commands the respect of the officers of the court, and entertains cordial relations with other members of the Cherokee County Bar.
Mr. Tracewell was first married, in Indiana, to Laura E. Lane, who died there in 1878, leaving three children, namely: W. N., who is employed in the Post Office Department at Washington, D. C .; John E., who has been in a clerical position at Denver for the past four years; and Nellie, who is at home. In 1887 Mr. Tracewell was married, in Kansas, to Alice M. Greene, of Newport, Ohio, and they have a family of four daughters and two sons, namely: Grace G., Vallie G., Katherine, Thane, Edward M. and Lucy. The children have been reared in the faith of the Baptist Church, of which Mrs. Tracewell is a consis- tent member.
Mr. Tracewell is fraternally associated with the Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America, Knights and Ladies of Security, and Sons and Daughters of Justice.
m ILTON R. STEWARD, president of the Columbus Vitrified Brick & Tile Company, vice-president of the Columbus State Bank, and identified with many of the successful business
18
328
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
enterprises of Cherokee County, was born in Salem County, New Jersey, in 1853.
Mr. Steward comes of an agricultural line of ancestors, of Irish and Welsh extraction, and on the maternal side they were Quakers. In 1855 his parents moved to Macoupin County, Ilinois, settled on a farm and passed the re- mainder of their lives there, the mother dying in 1894, and the father passing away about two years later. The three survivors of their family of children are: Milton R .; B. F., of Columbus; and W. H., an attorney living at Carlinville, Illinois.
The subject of this sketch remained at home until 1868, when he went to Neosho, Missouri. where he was engaged in clerking until 1873. when he returned to Macoupin County. Illinois, and engaged in business for himself. Later, lie and his brother established a store at Red Oak, Iowa, which they removed to Columbus, Kan- sas. in 1883. Here for 20 years Mr. Steward was interested in a large dry goods, boot, shoe and clothing concern, which was conducted under the firm style of Steward Brothers.
The Columbus Vitrified Brick & Tile Com- pany was incorporated in February, 1903, with the following officers : Milton R. Steward, president ; William Hoffmire, vice-president ; Philip C. Metzler, manager; E. D. Whiteside, secretary ; and L. J. Slease, treasurer, the board of directors being the above named capitalists. with the addition of Judge A. H. Skidmore. The business of the company is the manufacture of paving and building brick. It is the only brick plant in the county, and is located just north of the city limits of Columbus, where the company owns 22 acres. Its shale beds run from 10 to 18 feet deep, there being practically an unlimited supply. The company is working with a capital of $30,000, employs from 18 to 20 men and produces from 12,000 to 20,000 bricks a day. It has a ready market for all the bricks it can produce. This has proven one of
the most successful business enterprises in which Columbus capital has been invested. In addition to his interests in the brick company, Mr. Steward is vice-president, and one of the directors, of the Columbus State Bank, and is interested in coal lands at Mineral.
Mr. Steward was married in Illinois to Lou- ise H. Hillier, a daughter of Edwin Hillier, a large stock dealer in that State. They have one daughter, Mabelle, who resides at home. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Politically. Mr. Steward is a Republican. and fraternally he is a Mason and is connected with the Blue Lodge and Royal Arch Chapter at Columbus. By a long and honorable busi- ness career, and by his many genial social quali- ties, Mr. Steward has well earned the esteem of his fellow citizens.
F. RIKER, a well known and repre- sentative farmer of Cherokee Coun- ty, who owns a farm of 280 acres in section 1. Crawford township, was born in Menard County, Illinois, 18 miles northwest of Springfield. in 1860; he is a son of Frederick Risckley and Susan (Yardley) Riker.
Frederick Risckley Riker followed the trade of harness-maker all his active life, and died at White Hall, Greene County, Illinois, in 1874. aged about 50 years. His widow, who still survives, at the age of 79 years, lives in Menard County, Illinois. She has a daughter. Mrs. Kate Swan, residing at Fort Madison. Iowa.
The subject of this sketch was reared in Illinois, and attended the common schools. Since he reached the age of 16 years, he has been entirely dependent upon his own resources. He has always provided well for his necessities, has made friends in all directions and now, in
329
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
the prime of life, enjoys the satisfaction of being considered one of Cherokee County's substantial men. For about seven years prior to coming to Kansas, Mr. Riker lived in Mis- souri, his residence in this county dating from 1883. He settled first in Pleasant View town- ship, but one year later sold his farm there, and bought the excellent one he now occupies. His farm is devoted to general farming and to stock-raising. He has made practically all of the improvements upon it, which include a com- fortable home, commodious farm buildings and all necessary structures, fences and other con- veniences.
In 1886, Mr. Riker was married, in Chero- kee County, to Hattie Ridenour, a daughter of Layman Ridenour, who came to Cherokee County in 1867. Mrs. Riker died in 1894, leav- ing three children,-Carl, Pearl and Ray, the two last named being now deceased.
In March, 1897, Mr. Riker married Etta Lansdon, who was born in Linn County, Kan- sas, in 1865, and is a daughter of Henry and Atalanta (Ewing) Lansdon. Mrs. Lansdon resides now at Columbus, aged 62 years. Mr. Lansdon was born in 1830, near Lexington, Kentucky, and about six years later accompa- nied the parental family to Schuyler County, Illinois, whence he came to Kansas in 1861. He engaged in farming in Linn County, and thence in 1873, came to Mineral township, Cherokee County. There he continued to farm until 1901 when he moved to Columbus, where he died October 5, 1903. His widow was born in Illinois, and was the mother of five children, namely : Mary F., who died, aged four months; W. C., superintendent of the city schools of Fort Scott, Kansas; Etta (Mrs. Riker) ; Laura J., wife of Lee N. Wallace, who resides at Anadarko, Oklahoma; and Charles H., who died, aged eight years. Mr. Lansdon crossed the plains to California in 1850, being one of eight brothers who, at various times,
made the same trip. He served in the State militia of Kansas during the early days of the Civil War. In politics, he was a Republican.
Mrs. Riker was educated in Cherokee Coun- ty and taught school about six years in Oregon, at Le Grande and Union, in the northeastern part of the State. Before going to Oregon, she taught seven years in Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Riker have three children,-Henry Perry, born December 12, 1897; Earl George, born February 17, 1899; and John Sampson, born September 8, 1903. Politically, Mr. Riker is identified with the Republican party. Frater- anlly, he is associated with the lodge of Odd Fellows at Crestline. He is a man of sterling character, who enjoys the esteem of all with whom he has business or social relations.
J ACOB HARRY BOSS, M. D., coro- ner of Cherokee County, and a very highly esteemed physician and sur- geon at Weir City, was born in 1871 in Indiana, and is a son of John and Mary (Conrad) Boss.
John Boss was born in Switzerland in 1837, and was 12 years old when he came to America with his parents, who settled in Indiana, and there Mr. Boss followed an agricultural life until a few years ago, when he retired from active pursuits. He married Mary Conrad, who was born in Indiana, and they had seven children, namely: Rosa, Laura Alice, Mary Helen, Lizzie, Jacob Harry, William Franklin and Carrie.
Dr. Boss grew up on his father's farm, and attended the local schools until he began to study the science of medicine. He prepared for the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Chicago, an institution which deserves its great reputation, and was there graduated in 1901. He went through his hospital training,
330
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
and then began practice at North Liberty, In- diana. There he remained until February, 1902, when he removed to Weir City, Kansas. Finding a suitable field, he has built up a lucra- tive practice, and is rapidly nearing the front rank among the skilled practitioners of this county. He is now serving as coroner of the county.
In 1901, Dr. Boss was united in marriage with Edith Clark, an accomplished lady, who was born at Carlinville, Illinois. They have a very pleasant home at Weir City, and the Doc- tor has well appointed and conveniently loca- ted offices. Both personally and professionally, he is held in high esteem. In politics, he is identified with the Republican party, but takes no very active interest, devoting his attention closely to his profession. He was, however, nominated on the Republican ticket for coroner in 1902, and was elected by a handsome ma- jority.
E RNST C. HOHNSBEEN. Of the many sons of the "Fatherland" who came to the United States during the "fifties" in search of freedom and fortune, the career of none has been more hon- orable than that of the gentleman whose bio- graphical record is here presented. It was in 1857 that Mr. Hohnsbeen disembarked from a sailing vessel, the "Sir Robert Peel," in New York City, having come from Hamburg, Ger- many, where he had taken ship about six weeks previously. He was a young man of 22 years, having been born April 30, 1835, in Holstein, Germany.
Mr. Hohnsbeen did not remain in the East, but came on to the then frontier State of Iowa, where he secured work on a farm near Daven- port, at a monthly wage of $12. He remained thereabouts for a period of three years, and then took a trip across the plains to Pike's
Peak, in which vicinity he worked in the mines for about 15 months. He made this journey with the intention of going on to California, but after his experience in the mines concluded to return to farm work in Iowa, where he spent the period of the Civil War. In the spring of 1866 he came to Cherokee County, Kansas, where he took a "treaty right" for 160 acres of land. This he improved for 10 years, when he sold it and purchased his present place of 120 acres in section 21, township 33, range 22, in Lola township. Mr. Hohnsbeen went through all the hardships of pioneer life at that early time. He lost, by fire, the first house he built, and suffered other drawbacks, but by pa- tient and industrious efforts made such pro- gress that he was possessed of considerable property at the end of the first 10 years. On his new place he built a commodious farm house, and since that time has added many valu- able improvements. Some of the prices of provisions in the early days in Cherokee Coun- ty would seem exceedingly high at this time, Mr. Hohnsbeen having on one occasion paid $1.50 a bushel for corn, which he had to husk himself, and which he afterward had to shell by hand.
The character of Mr. Hohnsbeen during the entire period of his residence in Cherokee County is that of an honest, upright, industri- ous farmer. He has never aspired to leader- ship in any line, but has gone about his affairs in a quiet, persistent way, which has won the respect and esteem of all who know him. He early joined the Land League of the settlers. He is included in the membership of the First Day Adventist Church. Formerly a Republi- can, he has voted with the Populist party since its organization. In the office of school trustee he served about four years, and was for three years treasurer of the township.
Frederick Hohnsbeen, the father of Ernst C., spent his life in the "Fatherland," where he
331
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
died in 1848, at the age of 48 years. By occu- pation he was a grain boss and overseer. In his earlier manhood, he had served about four years in the army. He married Fredericka Erig, who was born in 1804, and died in 1852. Of their nine children, four of the sons are citi- zens of the United States.
It was in 1867 that Mr. Hohnsbeen took unto himself a wife in the person of Elizabeth Kessler, a native of Prussia, who died in Cher- okee County, Kansas, in 1885, at the age of 42 years. She left one son, Fred D., a train dispatcher who, with his two boys, Ernst and John, reside in Houston, Texas. Mr. Hohns- been married again, his second wife being Mrs. Zella Thompson, a widow lady with seven chil- dren. She died two years later. The third mariage of Mr. Holinsbeen occurred July 12, 1894, on which date he was united to Mrs. Jane A. Carter, the lady who now presides over his home. She was born in England in 1843, and came to the United States when five years of age, with her parents. Her father, William Moore, came to Cherokee County, Kansas, in 1867, living, the first summer, with the subject of this sketch in the original log house. By her first husband, Mrs. Holinsbeen had two boys, who lost their lives as the result of overexertion in fighting a prairie fire. She now owns 156 acres of fine farm land near Hallowell, left by Mr. Carter.
Mr. and Mrs. Hohnsbeen, being old settlers, are very generally known throughout Cherokee County, and are most highly regarded by all.
AMUEL C. HOWARD, an extensive farmer of Sheridan township, is a native of Douglas County. Illinois, and a son of Rev. Wesley and Martha Ann (Lowe) Howard, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Indiana.
Rev. Wesley Howard went to Douglas
County, Illinois, when a young man, was mar- ried there, and continued to live in that county until 1866. In that year the Howard family, in company with several other families, trav- eled by wagon to Cherokee County, Kansas, and located in Sheridan township, in sections 35 and 36, township 31, range 21. The cara- van of 16 wagons was only five weeks making the journey, all arriving at their destination without serious accident. Rev. Mr. Howard first purchased 160 acres of wild land, the only building on it being the usual log house of the pioneer. Later, he added to this farm 80 acres of land in Labette County, and at the time of his death, in September, 1879, owned 240 acres of good farm land. His wife died June 22. 1904. For many years he was a Methodist minister, first preaching in Illinois, and later becoming well known as a minister of that de- nomination in Cherokee County. Always in- terested in the best welfare of the community, his influence was toward the right. In politics he was a Republican, always voting the straight ticket. His family consisted of nine children. as follows: William A., pastor of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church at Weir City, formerly pastor of the charge at Mound City, Kansas : Samuel C., subject of this review: Clarence WV., a farmer of Sheridan township; Mary Eve- line, wife of C. R. Mumaw, residing in Soutlı McAlester, Indian Territory ; Henry Allen, de- ceased at the age of 23 years; Laura J., de- ceased, who was the wife of James Howard ; Hattie E., wife of Christopher Johnson, of Carterville, Missouri; Francis Wilson, living at Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Robert B., a painter and paperhanger of Krebs, Indian Ter- ritory.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.