USA > Kansas > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Kansas > Part 42
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
married a Miss Tarbitt. She died before they were married very long and Mr. Hancock wedded Emily Shepherd, a daughter of Jacob Shep- herd, of Ohio, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and a descend- ant of English aristocracy. William Hancock and his wife immigrated to Illinois after their marriage, and in 1866 came to Kansas, and on May 19, settled in Oxford township, about a mile and a half west of Stanley, on a farm which is now owned by Fred Richardson. It was unbroken prairie land and here William Hancock located and followed farming until his death. William and Emily (Shepherd) Hancock were the parents of the following children : Isabella, Florella, Thomas, Emily, Sarah Helen Noble, Kansas City, Mo .; Malinda Caroline, William Edwin, James H., and Elizabeth, all of whom are deceased except Sarah Helen and James H., the subject of this sketch. James Harvey Hancock remained at home until he was about nineteen years of age when he began business for himself. His first venture was to go in debt for a half interest in a threshing machine and team, and began business on July 4, 1869. In 1870 he rented land and at the same time continued the threshing business in connection with farming, and soon bought eighty acres. This was the beginning of his career as a land owner. He has added to his first purchase from time to time until he now owns two good farms which comprise about 236 acres. His places are well im- proved, good buildings, fine shade and among the finest places in the county. Mr. Hancock has become a well-to-do and influential man and his success is due to his own unaided efforts. He never had a dollar given to him by his father, nor anybody else, and never owed a dollar that he hasn't paid. Mr. Hancock was united in marriage in 1876 to Miss Serilda Franklin, a daughter of James and Elizabeth Franklin, natives of Kentucky who came to Missouri at an early day and removed from there to Johnson county. Mrs. Hancock was born in 1849. To Mr. and Mrs. Hancock were born the following children: Benjamin Harvey, a Colorado ranchman, married Nina Weldon and they have two children: Weldon and Sherilda; and Albert Cecil at home. The wife and mother of these children departed this life in 1900. She was a high type of American womanhood and lived a consistent Christian life. Mr. Hancock deeply felt the loss of his helpmate. Mr. Hancock has an extensive acquaintance throughout Johnson and Miami counties and is held in the highest esteem by his friends and neighbors. Only recently his neighbors gave him a birthday party at which about 150 were present, and the real good fellowship and friendly feeling that prevailed towards Mr. Hancock on that occasion is ample evi- dence of the esteem in which his friends and neighbors hold him. Those who know him best love him most.
T. W. Dare, a Kansas pioneer, and a successful farmer and stockman who has been a resident of Johnson county for over forty-five years, is now living retired at his home in Gardner township. Mr. Dare was born at Lymeregis, Dorsetshire, England, and is a son of Robert and
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Mary (Prigon) Dare, natives of England. The father was a butcher and also an inn keeper ; he was proprietor of a roadside inn in Dorset- shire county known as Penn Inn. The most vivid recollection that T. W. Dare has of his boyhood days is during the Crimean war when the British soldiers on their way to the front used to stop at his father's road side inn for refreshments. The glittering uniforms and fine regalia of the soldiers made a lasting impression on the boy's mind. His father died in 1860, and the mother survived him several years, and passed away in 1894. T. W. was the youngest of three children ; he received a very good common school education, and when a youth served an appren- ticeship at harness making. In 1870, when he was twenty-five years old, after having worked in London for five years, he came to America and located in Chicago. He spent the summer of that year there and in the fall came to Gardner, Kan., in answer to an advertisement in a Chicago newspaper for harnessmakers. When he reached Kansas his entire capital consisted of ten dollars, and Gardner was only a little settlement of a few houses and they really didn't need any harness maker at all, and he was compelled to go to work at such skilled labor as digging wells and tamping ties on the section, and such other odd jobs as he could get. After remaining there about six months, with the assistance of J. W. Sponable, he opened a little harness shop with a small stock, perhaps worth about $100. There was not much to do in the harness line, and business was poor; he discovered after coming to Kansas that most everybody used oxen instead of horses, and oxen didn't require any harness, therefore no harness maker was necessary. After a little time he bought three lots in Gardner, and he began to prosper a little. In 1872 he went to Texas and returned two years later, little better off than when he went, but two years older. In 1878 he bought a farm of forty acres and lived on it a few months when he sold it at a profit of $50.00; then he bought eighty acres for $1.500, and built a house on this place and in 1882 sold that at a profit of $2,400. He then bought 160 acres from J. W. Sponable and paid $200 down. He remained on this place until 1889 and when Harrison was elected President, he was appointed postmaster at Gard- ner, and at the end of the administration engaged in the harness business at Gardner until 1904, when he was again appointed postmaster and served until March, 1915. He now owns 280 acres of fine Johnson county land. Mr. Dare was married January 30, 1872, to Miss Emma Sherer, daughter of William and Mary (Glover) Sherer, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Glover's Station, Va. Mrs. Dare was born in Pennsylvania, September 19, 1851. Her father died when she was six years old and after his death the mother removed to Knightstown, Ind., to live with her parents and there met and married V. R. Ellis in August, 1857, and about that time V. R. Ellis and his wife came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county, and homesteaded
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
a quarter section, one mile north of Gardner. This farm is still in the hands of the family and is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Dare. Mrs. Ellis died in February, 1915, on the place which they settled on when they came to Kansas. V. R. Ellis died October 12, 1913. He was prominent in the affairs of Johnson county throughout his life, and a man who made many friends. He served one term in the Kansas State legislature and also served as county commissioner of Johnson county. He was a stanch Republican and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Dare, whose name introduces this sketch, is also active in local politics and has been a life-long Republican, and has attended many State, Congressional and county conventions as a dele- gate and was always active in political campaigns. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and is a stockholder and director in the Farmers State Bank of Gardner, and is one of the sub- stantial men of Johnson county.
William M. Tibbetts, a leading farmer and business man of Spring Hill, is one of Johnson county's representative citizens. Mr. Tibbetts was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, in 1852, and was the only child of O. H. and Elizabeth (Ketcham) Tibbetts, natives of Dearborn county, Indiana. In 1854 the Tibbetts family, consisting of the parents and W. M., the subject of this sketch, removed from Indiana to Madison county, Illinois, locating thirty miles northeast of St. Louis. Here the father followed farming until 1868, when the family came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county. The father filed on a half a section of land on the Black Bob land, a part of the Shawnee Indian reservation. Dur- ing the succeeding few years the Tibbetts family acquired by purchase and entry nearly 1,000 acres of Johnson county land, and W. M. Tib- betts still owns the first piece of land which his father bought in John- son county. O. H. Tibbetts was a capable business man and one of the prosperous men of Johnson county during his time. He died in 1908, aged seventy-seven years. His wife passed away April 20, 1915. W. M. Tibbetts, from the time he was sixteen years old, was associated with his father in all his undertakings and is one of the successful farm- ers and stock raisers, especially the latter, in Johnson county. He is an extensive breeder of Hampshire hogs and feeds and raises a great many mules and often has on hand a carload of mules at a time. He owns about 240 acres of land where he has one of the finest modern residences in the county. In addition to his farming and stock business he is engaged in a special line of contract work in hauling and deliver- ing pipe for oil and gas companies to the points where it is to be used' for pipe line construction. This work is technically known as "string- ing pipe." This business is conducted by the firm of Tibbetts, Tibbetts & Tibbetts, and W. M. Tibbetts is the senior member, the other two members being O. A. Tibbetts, his son, and A. E. Tibbetts, a nephew. They do a large amount of work in this line, amounting to about $50,- 000 per year. Mr. Tibbetts was united in marriage in 1871 to Miss
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
Rachael Cantrall, a daughter of Jesse and Eliza Jane Cantrall, natives of Sangamon county, Illinois. The Cantrall family settled in Johnson county, Kansas, in 1868. To Mr. and Mrs. Tibbetts have been born three children : Jessie M., married Dr. E. P. Mills, Ogden, Utah ; Oliver A., associated with his father in business and resides at home. and Charles M., deceased. Mr. Tibbetts is a stanch Republican and is one of the wheel horses of his party in Johnson county and always takes an active interest in local and State politics. He is public spirited and progressive and a leader in any movement for public improvement.
W. W. Wickens, manager of the Mijo Telephone Company, of Spring Hill, is a representative Johnson county business man. Mr. Wickens was born in DeKalb county, Illinois, in 1854, and is a son of James and Elizabeth (Corke) Wickens, both natives of England. The father was born in Sussex county in 1829, and the mother in Kent county in 1833 The father came to America when a young man and settled in Ohio where he remained a few years, and the mother immigrated to America with her parents who settled in Illinois when she was a child. James Wickens and Elizabeth Corke were married in Illinois about 1850, and followed farming in that State throughout their lives. W. W. Wickens was reared to manhood in Illinois and learned the machinist's trade. He received a good common school education which has been supplemented by a broad and varied experience in the school of life. He was married in 1884 to Miss Angie Adair, a daughter . of George and Martha (Simpkins) Adair, natives of Canada. After his marriage he worked at his trade for a time in Illinois, and in 1887 went to Chardon, Neb., where he was in the employ of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company as a machinist about ten years. He then worked at his trade and also followed farming for a time and in 1903 came to Johnson county, Kansas, and bought a farm of eighty acres which he still owns. He was engaged in farming until 1913 when he became manager of the Mijo Telephone Company, and has successfully conducted the intricate details of that institution since. Mr. Wickens is capable and conscientious in the administra- tion of his business affairs and has been very successful in the con- duct of this important public service company. Practically the entire management of the affairs of the company is in his hands, and he has given uniform satisfaction both to the stockholders and the patrons of the company. Politically Mr. Wickens is a Republican and Mrs. Wickens is a member of the Adventist church.
J. N. Dowell, a leading produce dealer of Olathe, is a native of Ohio. He was born in Delaware county in 1855 and is a son of Lorenzo and Nancy (Smith) Dowell, also natives of Ohio. They were the parents of the following children, Perry married Ann Tritter and resides in Marion, Ohio; George married Elnora Tippey, and resides in Johns- town, Ohio; Elmer married Margaret Butts and resides in Johnstown, Ohio; Charles, Johnstown, Ohio; Sarah, married Noah Green, Johns-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
town, Ohio, and J. N., the subject of this sketch. J. N. Dowell was educated in the common schools of Ohio and when eighteen years old engaged in farming for himself and followed that vocation in his native State for ten years and in 1883 came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county. He followed farming here for a time, living on rented land, and in 1886 engaged in the coal and feed business in Olathe in partner- ship with John Elder. About a year later he engaged in buying and selling produce in a small way which has gradually developed until he now has, perhaps, the largest business of the kind in Johnson county. Mr. Dowell was married at Newark, Ohio, August 29, 1877, to Miss Elizabeth Crawford. She is a native of Ohio and a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Hisey) Crawford, both natives of Ohio, and whose parents were pioneers of Licking county, Ohio. Mrs. Dowell is one of a family of seven. The other members of the family are as follows, in the order of birth, Mrs. Dowell being the oldest; Leanna, married A. J. Nybarger, Newark, Ohio; Harriet, unmarried, resides near Newark, Ohio; Oscar married Gertrude Loafman, lives in Hebron, Ohio; Florence, unmarried, resides at Newark, Ohio; Margaret, un- married and lives in Chicago, Ill., and Luenda, died at the age of six years. To J. N. and Sarah Elizabeth (Crawford) Dowell have been born three children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are as follows : Lawrence, born June 1, 1879, married Lena Pugh, of Olathe, and they have three children, Elizabeth, died at the age of ten years, Harriet Alicetene and Mary Martha; and Oscar, born April 14, 1881, married Pearl Wingfield, of Olathe, and to this union have been born three children, one of whom died in infancy, and the others are Harold and Doris. J. N. Dowell is a descendant of Revolutionary ancestors on his maternal side. His great-grandfather, Capt. John B. Smith, was a captain in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war. Mr. Dowell is one of Johnson county's representative men and the family is well known in Johnson county where they are highly respected.
W. F. Sharpe, a successful farmer and stock raiser of Johnson county, is a Kentuckian, born in Estill county in April, 1849. His father, T. B. Sharpe, was a native of the Blue Grass State. In 1854, T. B. Sharpe left his native State with his family to seek a new home in the West; they located in Jackson county, Missouri, where fortune seemed to frown upon the little family of pioneers for the first few years. After they became comfortably settled in the wilds of Jackson county, their home was destroyed by fire and their cattle all died from Texas fever, and for a time the future seemed to hold out but little hope for the Sharpe family. In 1863 they went to Nebraska, where they remained until 1866, when they returned to Missouri. By this time the boys of the family had reached the age when they were of considerable help and from that time on the Sharpe family prospered, and were soon in con- fortable circumstances, and at the time of the father's death, in 1903, he was a well-to-do man. W. F. Sharpe, whose name introduces this
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
sketch, is the youngest of a family of nine, seven girls and two boys. He spent most of his early life in Jackson county, Missouri, where he attended the public schools and after reaching his majority spent three or four years in various sections of the country, and in 1874 was united in marriage to Miss Cassie Lee, a daughter of Hiram Lee, a native of Kentucky, and an early settler in Jackson county, Missouri. Shortly after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Sharpe came to Johnson county, lo- cating in Aubry township, where they purchased a quarter section of land which is still their home and is one of the finest farms in John- son county. Mr. Sharp began life in Johnson county with limited capi- tal, but by industry and good judgment has accumulated a large amount of property and is one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of Johnson county. He has added to his original holdings and now owns 320 acres of Johnson county land, besides 150 acres in Texas. To Mr. and Mrs. Sharpe have been born the following children : Fillman, farmer, Aubry township; William, farmer, Texas; Mayme and Robert, who re- sides at home. Mr. Sharpe, like his father, is a stanch Democrat, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
T. W. Noland, civil engineer, Olathe, has been a resident of the Sun- flower State for half a century. Mr. Noland was born in Platte county, Missouri, January 31, 1843, and is a son of Joshua and Sarah (Mc- Kinney) Noland, both natives of Madison county, Kentucky. When the father settled in Platte county, Missouri, in 1837, he took up Gov- ernment land and followed farming there until the time of his death which occurred April 11, 1854, when he was fifty-nine years of age. His wife died December 25, 1864, aged sixty-four years. T. W. Noland is the only surviving member of a family of seven children, as follows : W. H., died in 1854; J. M., died in February, 1865, from the effect of impaired health while in the army. He served in the Civil war as. captain of Company C, Thirty-ninth regiment, Missouri cavalry ; G. W., spent his life in Missouri and was second lieutenant in Company C, Thirty-ninth regiment, Missouri cavalry, died in 1903; J. R., spent his life in Platte county, Missouri, and died in 1906; O. C., also spent his life in Platte county, Missouri, and died in 1901 ; N. F., died in Nebraska City in 1867, and T. W., the subject of this sketch. T. W. Noland spent his boyhood days in Platte county and received a good education in the public schools and Platte City Academy. He remained at home until July 14, 1862, when he enlisted at Platte City in Company C, Thirty-ninth regiment, Missouri cavalry, he being the third one of the Noland brothers to belong to that company, one of his brothers being the captain and another second lieutenant, as above stated. He was at the battle of Westport, Newtonia, and a number of skirmishes. He was with his regiment in the campaigns along the border of Kansas and Missouri and Arkansas. After Mr. Noland was discharged from the service, he returned to Platte county and the same year, 1865, came to Kansas, locating in Wyandotte county and was engaged in farming
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
there until 1887 when he came to Johnson county and followed farm- ing for a time. While in Wyandotte county he was engaged in sur- veying a great deal and also served as deputy county surveyor of that county and after coming to Johnson county, he also followed surveying and engineering and has practically made it his life vocation. He has had charge of the construction of every rock road built in Johnson county and has acted as consulting engineer in a great deal of county and city work as well as other construction work. Mr. Noland was elected county surveyor of Johnson county in 1910 and reelected to that office in 1912. During that period he was also county engineer. He served four years as deputy sheriff of Wyandotte county under Sheriff Armstrong, and since retiring from the office of county surveyor has been engaged in general engineering and surveying. Mr. Noland was married May 19, 1864, to Miss Mary Malott of Platte county, Missouri, and seven children were born to this union, only one of whom is living, W. H., who is now general superintendent for F. C. Turner in one of the largest planing mills and woodworking factories in the South, located at Mobile, Ala. Mr. Noland's first wife died in 1889 and in December, 1895, he married Mrs. Emma Williams, a native of Sangamon county, Illinois. Mr. Noland has been a life-long Demo- crat and active in local and State politics since coming to Kansas. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Franklin Post, No. 68, and has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1868. He is a Knights Templar Mason and has been a member of the Masonic lodge for over forty years. He is a member of the Christian church.
F. C. Haney, the present mayor of Edgerton, Kan., is a native of Kansas. He was born in Baldwin, October 20, 1871, and is a son of M. M. and Martha E. (Haskins) Haney, the former a native of Illinois and the latter of Missouri. M. M. Haney is a Civil war veteran and now resides at Edgerton. He was born May 28, 1835, at Alton, Ill., and in early life learned the wagon maker's trade. He then went to Wisconsin where he spent about eight years, and in 1859 came to Kansas and opened a shop and engaged in wagon making at Prairie City, where he remained several years. He then went to Ottawa, Kan., and a year later returned to Johnson county, locating at Edgerton, where he has since resided. He enlisted in 1861 and did military service at Lawrence and other places on the border. M. M. Haney is a Repub- lican and throughout his life has taken a commendable interest in local political affairs and has served two terms as councilman of Edgerton. He cast his first vote for John C. Fremont in Wisconsin in 1856, the year of the birth of the Republican party. His wife, Martha E. Haskins, was born in Taney county, Missouri, and is a daughter of John Haskins and Elizabeth Jennings. M. M. and Martha A. (Haskins) Haney were the parents of five children: George, deceased; William, deceased; Hattie Jane married Albert Brown, and Fred and Frank, twins. Fred
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
is the subject of this sketch and Frank resides in Gage, Okla. F. C. Haney received a good high school education, and entered the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad Company and has been in the employ of that corporation for twenty-five years. He married Miss Josephine McCarthy and they have five children: Corrine, Genevieve, Edward, Gregory and Vincent. Mr. Haney is one of the progressive citizens of Edgerton, and has served as a member of the council a number of years. He was elected mayor in 1914 and is now serving in that capacity.
John S. Steed, a former sheriff of Johnson county, is now a prominent farmer in McCamish township. The Steed family is of old English stock and formerly the name was spelled Stead. That form of spelling is quite common in England at the present time. Mr. Stead, the editor of the London "Times". the prominent journalist, who was lost on the "Titanic", was a member of the same family and a relative of the sub- ject of this ketch. John S. Steed was born in Ashboro, Randolph county, North Carolina. December 10, 1867, and is a son of John S. and Rachel (Swaim) Steed, both natives of that State. The Steed and Swaim families were founded in America during Colonial times, and are Southern stock of English descent. Charles Steed, grandfather of John S., of this sketch, was prominent in North Carolina politics for a number of years, and served as State senator there. The Swaim family was also prominent in that section of the country and Rachel Swaim was a second cousin of President James K. Polk. John S. Steed was one of a family of eleven children, five girls and six boys. He remained in his native State until September, 1883, and when less than sixteen years of age came to Kansas. He continued to attend the public schools after coming to this State, and later entered Baker University at Baldwin where he took a four-years' course. He then taught school in Johnson county for several years and in 1896 became manager of the Johnson County Cooperative Association Store at Prairie Center. He held that position for ten years and in 1906 was elected sheriff of Johnson county and at the expiration of his first term he was reelected, serving until January, 1911. He was a capable officer and won the reputation of doing his duty without fear or favor. A peculiar thing in connection with the Steed family history is that they are a family of sheriffs, and for the last 300 years they have been represented in that office from time to time, both in England and in this country.
Mr. Steed was united in marriage November 22, 1902, to Miss Adelia Williams, of Johnson county. She is a daughter of Thomas W. and Lucretia (Jarman) Williams, natives of Tennessee. Her mother is deceased and the father now resides at Gardner. To Mr. and Mrs. Steed have been born three children as follows: Kenneth Stanley, aged eleven ; Thomas Kyle, aged eight, and John Doyle, aged four. Mr. Steed is a Republican and has always taken a prominent part in
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