USA > Kansas > Cherokee County > History of Cherokee County, Kansas and representative citizens > Part 66
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Upon attaining his majority, Mr. Hisle went to Ray County, and worked in the coal mines there for two years. Then he went to Platte County, Missouri, and worked on a farm until his removal to Cherokee County, Kan- sas, in 1876. Here he worked on a farm near Crestline, and followed mining at the same time. Three years later found him settled in Scammon, where he followed mining for two
years. After many years of hard labor, he slowly worked up to the position of mining boss for Keith & Henry, later the Keith & Perry Coal Company. This position he held for II years. In 1893 the Keith & Perry Coal Company became the Central Coal & Coke Company, the largest coal operators in this sec- tion. In 1891 the subject of this sketch went into the general merchandise business, handling everything,-chiefly groceries. This business he has continued with great success. Mr. Hisle has taken his son into partnership recently, and the firm is now known as J. R. Hisle & Son.
Mr. Hisle married Martha Ann Wooten, December 16, 1869. She was born in Illinois and was raised in Missouri. They had II children, six of whom are now living, as fol- lows: Ernest, who married Hannah Dunbar, and has two children,-James R. and an infant ; Oscar; Clara: Ada; George; and Harry. In politics Mr. Hisle is an independent voter.
Mr. Hisle's father was Richard Hisle. He was born in Kentucky, and died in Scammon, Kansas, at the age of 68 years. His wife was Amanda Jane Todd. She was also born in Kentucky, and is still living. Their nine chil- dren all grew to maturity. They are as fol- lows : Sarah, Frances, James R., Belle, George, Levi, Willie, Laura and Ida. The father was a shoemaker by trade, and followed that occupation all his life. He was in the Union Army during the Civil War, as a private in a Missouri regiment. His widow gets a pension at the present time.
The grandfather, Joseph Hisle, was a shoe- maker all his life, and died in Missouri at the age of 84 years. He married Julia Thurman, who had a brother who was an early settler in Cherokee County, Kansas.
As one of the early settlers of Cherokee County, Mr. Hisle is much revered. By a con- sistent and upright life he has secured the re- spect and esteem of all. He has ever proven
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LESLIE PATTERSON
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MRS. OLIVE C. PATTERSON
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himself ready to give his support to any meas- ure that is for the benefit of the community. In business he is courteous and obliging, and the strict honesty with which he conducts his dealings has brought him a large and well established trade. His family are held in the highest regard in Scammon, and throughout this vicinity.
L ESLIE PATTERSON, one of the pio- neer, settlers of West Mineral, Ross township, and an honored veteran of the Civil War, was born September 15. 1844, near Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Carns and Saralı (Cole) Patterson.
The father of Mr. Patterson was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1786, and came to America May 31, 1823, landing at Balti- more, Maryland. His occupation was farm- ing and teaming, and he resided in Porter township and at Alexandria, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. His death occurred July 27, 1857. He was twice married, the mother of Leslie Patterson, his second wife, dying May 24, 1858. The five children of the first marriage are not noted in this record. The eight born of the second marriage were as fol- lows: Johnson, a retired farmer residing at Seattle, Washington; Nancy T., wife of Capt. Daniel Killen, of Indiana County, Pennsyl- vania; Anna Eliza, wife of J. N. Kincade, both of whom are deceased; Catherine, wife of B. R. Lowrey, of Columbus; Lucinda, wife of Archibald Parker, of Pennsylvania; Maria, wife of William Van Horn, of Harding, South Dakota; James, who was born June 3, 1842, and died April 11, 1846; and Leslie.
Leslie Patterson attended the home schools and resided with his parents until both passed away. In 1860 Leslie accompanied his brother
Johnson to Linn County, Missouri, where they remained one year, and then located in Mercer County, Illinois. There, in the fall of 1862, the subject of this sketch enlisted for service in the Civil War, in Company E, 102d Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf. His command was sent to Louisville, Frankfort and Bowling Green, Ken- tucky, and joined General Sherman's forces at Chattanooga,-the remainder of his service, which continued until the close of the war, be- ing in this branch of the Union Army. He participated in five great battles, and 13 skir- mishes of a serious nature, but was never wounded, although, occasionally, he was dis- abled by sickness. He was finally mustered out at Washington, being discharged June 15, I865.
Mr. Patterson remained in Mercer County, Illinois, until the fall of 1866, when he came to Cherokee County, Kansas, accompanied by his brother Johnson. They provided for future comfort by bringing with thein their household goods, six horses and two cows. The subject of this sketch took up 160 acres of land, situ- ated in section 6, township 32, range 23, in Ross township,-he and his brother being the first settlers in the township. The village of West Mineral now occupies all but five and a half acres of his old homestead. At a later date Mr. Patterson spent some time at other points, living about two years at different points in the South,-at Jefferson, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; New Orleans and Memphis, and returning to Cherokee County in 1871. He erected a small house on his land, and his sister made it a home for him until his own marriage, on November 1, 1874, to Olive Carter.
Mrs. Patterson was born in Bureau County, Illinois, and is a daughter of Leonard and Mary (Lane) Carter. The father was born in Ver- mont, and the mother in Maine. They were married in 1853 in Bureau County, Illinois, to
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which locality they had been brought in child- hood. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Carter moved to Benton County, Iowa, and still later, in 1858, to Pottawatomie County, Kansas, where Mr. Carter died in 1860. Mrs. Carter resides at Gibson, Michigan. The two survivors of their four children are Mrs. Patterson and Freder- ick, a farmer living near Galt, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson have had five children, namely : J. Leslie, who was born May 4, 1876, and died, aged 15 years; Janet, born October, 29, 1877, who married William Parsons, of West Mineral, and has four sons,-Lee, Joseph and Leslie J. and Samuel R. (twins) ; George Lowrey, born September 2, 1879, who married Stella Schnoor, resides at West Min- eral, and has one son,-Horace Joseph; Lyle Edward, born October 17, 1884, who resides at home ; and William Lee, born December 24, 1890, who died March 30, 1891. Mrs. Patter- son, before her marriage, resided with her uncle, Jacob Gailor, one of the well known residents of this county, who died in 1885. He came to Cherokee County from Iowa, by way of Fort Scott, on the old Missouri trail, and settled two and a half miles southeast of Os- wego, where he owned a "treaty right" farm, and raised much stock. His death took place at Seattle, Washington.
Mr. Patterson has been one of the extensive farmers of this section, and has also been a stic- cessful raiser of horses, cattle and hogs. His land has proved fertile, and is also of mineral value, the Crescent Coal Company having put down a coal shaft here on May 13, 1903, with excellent results.
Mr. Patterson may almost be called the father of West Mineral. The original plat was made April 16, 1895, and now constitutes a thriving village, the population of which is constantly and rapidly increasing. Mr. Pat- terson owns a great deal of the valuable real estate in the village, and has laid out three addi-
tions, viz. : one on May 4, 1901 ; the second on June 10, 1903; and the third on May 4, 1904. It is interesting to trace the growth of an enter- prising place like West Mineral. Following the completion of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway through the place, March 17, 1897, N. M. Smith started a general store; James T. Small started a lumber yard; Mrs. Henderson, now Mrs. McLeod, opened a hotel, and F. M. Wade was made the first postmaster. In 1901, Mr. Patterson built the Patterson Opera House Block, which is now occupied by the general store of A. O. Mattox. In 1904, the Stato Bank of West Mineral was organized. In all these enterprises Mr. Patterson was more or less interested, his public spirit and personal and financial prominence continually making him an important factor.
Politically, Mr. Patterson is in sympathy with the Populist party. His hospitable home is presided over by a lady of much refinement and social attractiveness, and together they re- call very vividly to the visitor the trials and hardships, as well as the pleasures and advan- tages, of the early settlement of Cherokee County.
Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are shown on preceding pages, in connection with this sketch.
HARLES M. SWEENEY, of Weir City, was born in Illinois in 1864. He came to Kansas in 1866 with his parents. His father, George R. Sweeney, was an old pioneer coal man of Kan- sas, having engaged in the coal business near Fort Scott in 1872.
Charles M. Sweeney, who holds a responsi- ble position with the greatest coal corporation in Kansas, was raised in Fort Scott, Kansas, where he lived until 1880, at which time he
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accepted a position with the Keith & Perry Coal Company, the predecessor of the Central Coal & Coke Company. He was transferred to Weir City in 1892, and is at present district agent of the Central Coal & Coke Company.
Mr. Sweeney is a Republican in politics, and held the position of city clerk for three years by appointment of Dr. D. W. King, when the latter was mayor of Weir City.
HRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SPARLIN. Among the extensive farmers of Cherokee County, who have been residents of the State 25 years or more, Christopher Columbus Sparlin stands as an example of the more progressive class of the world's providers. Mr. Sparlin was born in Newton County, Missouri, De- cember 15, 1852, and came to Kansas in 1879, and for a few years lived north of Columbus and then located on his present farm of 160 acres in section 31, township 34, range 24, in Spring Valley township.
His father, Jonathan Sparlin, who was a native of Ohio, was reared as a farmer and received the usual common-school education to be obtained in the country schools of his day. After reaching manhood, he followed the oc- cupation of farming, for which the experience of his younger days so well fitted him. Some time before the opening of the Civil War, he moved to Newton County, Missouri, and later to Jackson County, of the same State, being en- gaged in farming in both places. In 1858 he removed to Wyandotte County, Kansas, and at the opening of the Civil War enlisted in Troop A, 15th Reg., Kansas Vol. Cav., and served for nearly three years. Nine years later, in 1867, he returned to Newton County, Missouri, where he remained until 1879, when he again moved to Kansas, locating this time in
Cherokee County, where he engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising. Here he remained until his death, which occurred in 1884.
Jonathan Sparlin, our subject's father, mar- ried Rachel Wells, and their family consisted of six children, as follows: Christopher Colum- bue, the subject of this sketch; Thomas D., who died in 1874, at the age of 21 ; Martha, who died in 1892; Mrs. Cedelia Parsons, of Baxter Springs ; Julia (Mrs. Benjamin Rhodes), who resides in Joplin, Missouri; and Joseph, who died when young. Mrs. Sparlin is still living, and resides in Baxter Springs.
Christopher C. Sparlin received his early education in the schools of Wyandotte County, Kansas. For some years after leaving school, the work of which was completed at the age of 15, he worked for his father on the farm. Later he located in Johnson County, Missouri, where he farmed for one year and in the fall of 1875 removed to his native county, remaining there for four years. Believing that greater success and better fortune awaited him farther West he removed to Kansas in 1879 and located in Cherokee County, where he has since resided, engaged in farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Sparlin was united in marriage, on September 25, 1874, to Margaret Beagle, of Wyandotte County, Kansas. To this union eight children were born, only two of whom are living, namely : Fredonia, the wife of Harry Hooper, a clerk, of Parsons, Kansas; and George, who resides in Oregon. The mother of these children died in 1886. On July 8, 1888. our subject married Belle Osborne, a native of Indiana, and the daughter of James W. Os- borne, of that State.
Mr. Sparlin's life in the community has been most exemplary, living the life as set forth by his faith-for as a well known worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church and for some time past one of its trusted officers, his influence is always for the best welfare of the community.
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Politically, Mr. Sparlin is a Democrat and so- cially he affiliates with the A. O. U. W. and the M. W. A.
ON. WILLIAM SMITH, postmaster at Galena, who is one of the prom- inent men of Cherokee County both in politics and in business, was born April 22, 1844, in Leicestershire, England.
The parents of Mr. Smith, who were farm- ing people, came to America in 1852 and set- tled in an agricultural region of the State of New York. Their six children all survive, our subject being the second youngest in order of birth. Both parents died at Wichita, Kansas, at advanced ages.
Mr. Smith was 10 years old when his pa- rents removed from Oneida County, New York, to Kansas. After a residence of two years at Lawrence, the family moved to Wa- baunsce County, and our subject was engaged in farming when he enlisted as a private, in the IIth Kansas Vol. Cav., for service in the Civil War, in which he remained two years. In 1869 he accompanied the family to Sedgwick County, where they were among the early set- tlers and were identified with the founding of the city of Wichita. Mr. Smith served as city marshal of Wichita in 1873 and later was elected sheriff of Sedgwick County. In those days of political unrest and social disturbance, there was urgent need of men of undaunted personal courage and unswerving loyalty, and such a man was found in William Smith and for a number of years he was a United States marshal, a position he filled with the greatest fidelity and efficiency. He was one of the founders of the city of Galena, in 1877, becom- ing interested in its mining industries at a very early date, operating individually. He was one of the first mayors of the city, and has been
identified with almost all of its important public affairs. On May 5, 1898, he was appointed postmaster at Galena, a position he still fills, one which has yearly grown in importance and responsibility.
Mr. Smith married Millie A. Taylor, born at Seneca, Missouri, who at her death left a family of nine children, viz: Frederick, chief clerk in the Galena post office, who married Daisy Dickson of Galena ; Albert, a mining en- gineer, who married Maggie Grider, of Colum- bus; Mamie, who is her father's accomplished housekeeper ; Pearl, who is a graduate of the High School, class of 1904; and Charles, Minerva, George, Edna and Beulah, all stu- dents in school.
Ever since attaining his majority, Mr. Smith has been an active worker in the Repub- lican party, and his fidelity has been such that he has been chosen very many times as delegate to county, congressional and State conventions, and keeps closely in touch with other party leaders over the country.
Mr. Smith is prominent also in a number of fraternal and social organizations, the chief ones being the Masons; the Knights and La- dies of Security ; the Ancient Order of United Workmen ; and Select Knights and Ladies. His long residence at Galena and his prominence in promoting the city's commercial activity, in aiding its material development and advancing its general welfare, have made him widely known and he is very justly considered one of Galena's most representative men. -
HRIS RICKNER, one of the earliest settlers of Cherokee County, has a fine farm in sections 33 and 34, township 34, range 25, in Garden township, but is not now actively engaged in business. He was born in Washington County,
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Missouri, in December, 1833, and is a son of Samuel and Permelia (Baker) Rickner, the father a native of Switzerland and the mother, of Kentucky.
Samuel Rickner carried on a tan-yard and was engaged in farming about four miles east of Carthage, Missouri, for many years. He came to Cherokee County, when Kansas was still a Territory, and lived here until his death i11 1861. His wife died in Jasper County, Mis- souri.
Chris Rickner was the oldest of 10 children born to his parents, of whom five are now liv- ing. He was reared on the farm and accom- panied his parents when they removed to Jas- per County, Missouri. In 1861 he settled upon his present farm in Garden township, Cherokee County, but soon after returned to Missouri where he remained five years. In 1866, he again came to this farm on which he has lived continuously since. At the time of his becon- ing a resident of the county the country was in a very wild and unsettled condition, and the streams and prairie were alive with wild geese, ducks, turkeys and prairie chickens. He has always been fond of hunting, and has fre- quently in late years had friends out from Bax- ter Springs and Joplin on hunting trips. There were many Indians here in the early day, with whom he was friendly, being a great friend of Davey Harlem, a 16th blood Cherokee, and Tommy Fields and John Blythe, who were half-blood Indians. It was necessary to go to Baxter Springs or Carthage to trade and, as there were no bridges or flat-boats, the cross- ing of the streams was attended with a great deal of danger. Our subject was always in favor of locating the Court House at Baxter Springs and was one of those who fought against its present location. His present farm was purchased from the government by our subject. The old log house on the claim is the oldest house in the township, having been built
by George Grimmett for the Cherokee Indians. An interesting feature of this old place is its old-fashioned fireplace, in which big logs can be placed and burned without cutting. Mr. Rickner has been very successful as a farmer, although in the early days he experienced con- siderable difficulty with the 'coons, which ate his corn crop. He continued actively in the management of his farm until 1901, when he retired and was succeeded by his son.
In 1856, Chris Rickner was united in mar- riage with Catherine Scott, of Illnois, who died February 19, 1902, and they became the parents of six children, four of whom are living, namely : Peter, a resident of the Indian Terri- tory, who married Nancy Ball and has six children ; Thomas E., who was married in Col- orado and has seven children; Nancy (Mrs. John Manly), who has three children ; and An- drew S., farming the home place, who married Annie Brookshire, and by whom he has two children. One child died at the age of 12 years, and the other in early infancy. Our subject is a member of the Anti-Horse Thief Association, and belongs to the Old Settlers' Association. He is widely known throughout this section of the country, and the number of his friends is limited only by his acquaintances.
5 ON. SAMUEL W. SMITH, formerly a member of the Kansas Legislature, from Cherokee County, and now a prominent business man of Hollo- well, was born in Kentucky, August 10, 1848, and is a son of Rev. William B. and Mary (Wilson) Smith.
Rev. William B. Smith was a well known Baptist clergyman, and for 13 years was pastor of the Pilgrim Church, of Louisville, Kentucky, which had a congregation of 600 members. Dr. Smith built this church up from a mission, and
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his memory is kept green in its annals. The death of Dr. Smith and that of his wife were occasioned by accidents. The former was thrown from a horse, and died at the age of 70 years. The latter was the victim of a railroad accident, in Indiana, at the age of 65 years. They had five children,-three sons and two daughters.
Samttel W. Smith remained in Kentucky until he reached the age of 24 years, teaching school for some time after he had completed his education. He then engaged in clerking in a general store, at La Grange, Kentucky. Four years later, he removed to Columbus, Kansas, and has been a resident of Cherokee County ever since. After coming here, Mr. Smith bought a farm of 160 acres which he operated for eight years, and then removed to Hallowell. Here he entered into a partnership. in the general mercantile business, with Jesse Forkner, which continued three years. The business was then discontinued on account of a disastrous fire which destroyed store and con- tents. Mr. Smith later went into the drug business, and subsequently engaged in a job- bing business in feed and flour. For the past nine years he has been a large grain buyer.
Mr. Smith is well known throughout Cher- okee County, having been in public life for many years. He has served two terms as township trustee, and three years on the Board of County Commissioners, during two of these years being chairman. He was elected to the State Legislature at the same time that P. B. Plumb was elected to the United States Senate. During his term in the Legislature, he served on the committee on county seats and county lines, and was able to control legislation to the extent of preventing Labette County from se- curing a portion of Cherokee.
In 1870, on Christmas Day, Mr. Smith was married to Elizabeth Smith, who was born in Kentucky, and died at the age of 50 years, in
1902. The only child of this marriage is Mrs. Agnes Brock, of Columbus. Mr. Smith's sec- ond marriage was to Mrs. Eva Wood, who was born in Cherokee County. She has one daugh- ter,-Lucy.
Mr. Smith, who is a Democrat, served as postmaster at Hallowell during President Cleveland's last administration. He is a man of sociable instincts, and is connected by mem- bership with the Odd Fellows and the Home Builders. His portrait accompanies this sketch.
ICHAEL McMAHON, one of the substantial citizens and extensive farmers of Mineral township, who owns 400 acres of fine well im- proved land, in section 30, township 31, range 24, was born in Ireland, May 22, 1845. He is a son of John and Bridget (Ryan) Mc- Mahon.
John McMahon was a native of Ireland. who immigrated to America in 1849, the year of the failure of the potato crop, and of the great famine. He found work on the construc- tion of the New York & Erie Railroad, and was promoted to be a foreman and section boss. His death took place in New York, at the age of 52 years. He had come to America alone, having barely enough funds to pay his own passage. He soon sent for his wife and their child, Patrick, the latter being now deceased. The subject of this sketch was one of three children, and the only one to live in Cherokee County. His mother died in New York, at the age of 34 years.
Michael McMahon was 19 years of age when he came to America, and until 1870 was engaged in working at various stone quarries in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Missouri. In the above named year, he came to Mineral township, Cherokee County, Kansas, and set-
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tled on the land lie now owns, which was known as "Joy" land. On account of the trouble about land titles, which discouraged im- migration into this locality for years, he was not able to secure his title until the question was finally settled. Then he acquired a clear title to 160 acres. Subsequently, he bought ad- ditional land, and now las 400 acres. Mr. Mc- Mahon was one of the very first settlers in Mineral township, and his little cabin was re- mote from neighbors and highways for a long time. He had scarcely any capital, but had strength and energy. He secured work on the railroads and in the vicinity of the mines, in- vested sensibly and now occupies a position as one of the substantial men of the township.
In 1876, Mr. McMahon was married to Maggie Connelly, who was born in Ohio, and died in 1890, aged 34 years. Three of their four children survive her, namely: Mary ; Honora B., who married William Murphy, and has one son,-William Michael; and Jolın P.
Very recently Mr. McMahon has entered into negotiations with The Central Coal & Coke Company, for the sale of his first pur- chase of 160 acres of land, there being a fine prospect of developing a coal mine on the prop- erty. Drilling was commenced on this farm on July 25, 1904, and there is every promise of a large deposit. A large sum has been paid Mr. McMahon for an option on the land, and it will doubtless soon pass into the hands of this large corporation.
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