USA > Kansas > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Kansas > Part 46
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
Dudley Day, a successful farmer of Aubry township, residing four miles east of Ocheltree, is a native of the Buckeye State. He was born in Scioto county, Ohio, in 1853. His parents were Willis and Naomi (Blantenship) Day, the father a native of Ohio and the mother of Vir- ginia. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom Dudley was
420
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
the ninth in order of birth. When' Dudley was a child the family re- moved to Missouri, but remained in that State only a short time. In 1860 they came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county, near Shawnee Mission, where they remained two years. They then removed to Miami county, where the father died shortly afterwards. In 1863 the mother came to Johnson county with her family and located in Spring Hill town- ship where she spent the remainder of her life. Dudley Day was mar- ried in 1882, to Miss Louisa Reeder, a daughter of Guerney Reeder, and after his marriage Mr. Day located on his farm in Aubry township which he had purchased about 1875. He engaged in farming and stock- raising and has been very successful. He has improved his place and built a modern residence and other farm buildings, until he has one of the finest farms to be found anywhere in Johnson county. When he bought his place, there was a historic old stone house located on it, but he tore this down several years ago to make place for a new modern resi- dence. To Mr. and Mrs. Day have been born seven children as follows: Ollie, married Elrod Brown; Nona, married Bert Lisk; Goldie, married Albert Widmer; Maud, marrried Omar Hester ; Ole, Orville and Arthur. The last three mentioned reside at home with their parents. Mr. Day is a stanch Republican and takes a deep interest in political affairs and current events.
Martin Heider, a prominent contractor and builder of Overland Park, is a native of Ohio. He was born in Greene county, January 23, 1854, and is a son of Adam and Mary (Wingerter) Heider, natives of Bava- ria, Germany. The parents were married in their native land and in 1853 immigrated to America, locating in Greene county, Ohio, where all of their children were born, as follows: Martin, Sarah, Frank, George, Louis, Marion and Anna, all of whom are living, and John A., William and Frederick are deceased. Martin Heider received his educational training in the public schools of Ohio and in 1876 came to Westport, Mo. He attended night school after coming to Westport and also learned the carpenter's trade and he began his career as a carpenter and builder in the vicinity of Westport and Kansas City, Mo., in 1885; he also did some building in Johnson county, Kansas, at an early date. In 1905 he came to Lenexa where he was very active as a contractor and builder, building over two-thirds of the residences of that town. He also built all of the business places there except the Bradshaw building. He built the Catholic church at that place, which is a very fine struc- ture. Mr. Heider has been engaged in building in and around Overland Park since the town was started in 1907, and has built many of the residences and business places there, including the public school build- ing, bank, and the aviation park pavilion and at present is constructing a hangar for the Aviation Manufacturing Company. Mr. Heider was united in marriage in 1882, to Miss Katy Brown, of Westport, Mo., and two children have been born to this union as follows: William, born
421
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
April 13, 1884, at Westport, and is a bookkeeper for the Irving Pitts Manufacturing Company, of Kansas City, Mo., marrried Helen Sopher, and resides at Rosedale, Kan., and Sylvia, born in 1891, at Westport, married a Mr. Harrell, November 26, 1914, and they reside in Kansas City, Mo. Mr. Heider is recognized as one of the reliable builders of Johnson county and his services are in constant demand by people who know of his honesty and efficiency.
C. J. Braun, the able manager of the Overland Park Lumber Com- pany, is a live factor in the hustling town of Overland Park. Mr. Braun is a native son of Johnson county. He was born at Edgerton, Septent- ber 30, 1887, and is a son of Frank and Mary (Dwyer) Braun. Frank Braun was a native of Germany and came to this country, first locating in Illinois, and in 1870 came to Johnson county and settled near Edger- ton and engaged in farming. To Frank and Mary (Dwyer) Braun were born five children, as follows : Mary, born in 1884, married Roy McKoin, farmer, Edgerton ; C. J., the subject of this sketch ; William F., born in 1889, unmarried, is cashier of the Edgerton State Bank ; George Ernest, born in 1891, resides on the farm near Edgerton, and Ada, born in 1897, also resides with her parents on the home farm near Edgerton. C. J. Braun attended the district school and later the Edgerton High School. He then entered St. Benedict's College, Atchison, Kan., and was gradu- ated from the commercial department of that institution. In 1911 he became manager of the Overland Park Lumber Company. This is one of the largest institutions of the kind in Johnson county and does an ex- tensive business in building material of all kinds. They carry a large stock of paints, lime, cement, garvanized iron, building hardware, as well as limber of all kinds. They have a large and commodious storage building, 100XI30 feet. The Overland Park Lumber Company was established at Overland Park in 1909 and T. A. Brown, of Lenexa, was the first mana- ger. He was succeeded by Mr. Braun in 1911. Mr. Braun has proven himself to be a very capable business man and has built up a large trade and made many friends for the institution which he represents.
Jerry Buckley, a Kansas pioneer and early settler in Johnson county, has had an active career, and now resides at Overland Park, Kan. He is a native of Ireland, born in 1851, and in 1870, immigrated to America, landing in New York. After remaining there about six months he went west, locating in Chicago where he clerked in a dry goods store about six months. He then came to Kansas City and after remaining there about a month went to Spring Hill, Kan., and there entered the employ of the Kansas City and Fort Fort Scott railroad (now the Frisco), in charge of an extra construction gang. This was the beginning of his railroading career and he followed it for sixteen years. J. M. Buckley, an uncle, was general manager and superintendent of construction of that railroad at the time. After leaving the Frisco railroad, Jerry Buck- ley entered the employ of the Santa Fe, and had charge of the material
422
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
for construction for that branch of the Santa Fe which was being con- structed from Independence, Kan., to Harper, Kan. In 1881 he worked on the construction of the Frisco road from Springfield, Mo., to Bir- mingham, Ala., and in 1882, returned to Johnson county and located on his farm in Shawnee, now Mission, township where he had purchased forty acres, two years previously at $37.50 per acre. This land is now conservatively estimated to be worth $500 per acre, and Mr. Buckley says that the credit for the advance in values of the land in that vicin- ity is due to the enterprise and progressiveness of W. B. Strang and C. O. Proctor. Mr. Buckley assisted in the first survey for an electric line from Kansas City to Olathe, the engineering corps consisting of Fred Pickering, Lewis Breyfogle, Joe Goode, Jerry Buckley and Charles Consor. The survey followed the valley striking points about three and one-half miles east of Lenexa and one mile south of Milburn, one mile south of Ridge and a half mile south of Shawnee Place. The Strang line follows this original survey between Overland Park and Milburn and crosses it at Forty-third Street. Mr. Buckley and Mr. Proctor used their influence and were instrumental in locating the depot on its pres- ent site at Overland Park. Mr. Buckley hauled the stone for the build- ing free of charge. Mr. Buckley was married at Shawnee in 1875, to Miss Laura Mary Burke, daughter of M. J. Burke, at one time county surveyor of Johnson county. Mrs. Buckley died in 1882 leaving the following children : Anna Stacia, born in 1875, married John T. Haire, now resides at Quincy, Ill .; Mary Laura, born in 1877, married Joseph Broockert, now living on the home place, and Joseph, born in 1879, married Lucy O'Keefe, of Stilwell, Kan., and they reside at Paola. When Mr. Breyfogle was a member of the board of county commis- sioners, Mr. Buckley was frequently called upon by that body to inspect county bridges, and also did considerable bridge repairing for the pres- ent board of commissioners, and has done a great deal of work for the county along those lines. Mr. Buckley has been a life-long Democrat and has never wavered from the fundamental principles of his party, but when his party has temporarily strayed from the realm of pure De- mocracy he has refused to follow. He is one of two Democrats in his precinct who refused to support Bryan in 1896.
Smith Post, deceased, was a Johnson county pioneer and a repre- sentative citizen who, by his industry and well directed efforts, accu- mulated a competence, and became one of the substantial men of the county. Mr. Post was a native of Illinois, born in Macoupin county, August 3, 1843, and a son of pioneer Illinois parents. He grew to man- hood in his native State and remained on the home farm until he was about eighteen years old, when he came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county, and entered Government land two miles north of the present family home in Spring Hill township. In 1881 he married Miss Etta Temple, native of Champaign county, Illinois, born August 27, 1865.
423
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
She is a daughter of Frank and Clara (Paul) Temple, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. They were early settlers in Illinois, and in 1875, removed to Kansas, locating in Johnson county. After a residence of two years there they removed to Harvey county, Kansas, where they remained three years. They then returned to John- son county where they resided for a number of years and later went to Kansas City where they spent the declinng years of their lives with their son. After their marriage Smith Post and his wife went to live on the farm in Spring Hill township, on the claim which Mr. Post had pre- viously preempted ; later they bought the farm which is now the family home. They started their career in Johnson county with limited means but by industry and economy they soon reached a period of prosperity and the Post family now own 240 acres of well improved land with a fine residence, and are one of the prosperous families of the community. To Mr. and Mrs. Post were born four children, as follows, Frank A., born July 30, 1882; Herman, born December 28, 1884; Clara, born May 23, 1887, and Walter, born March 8, 1890. Walter is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Herman and Frank belong to the Modern Woodmen of America and the boys are all stanch Demo- crats. The mother is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Spring Hill and Clara is a member of the Christian church of Olathe, 1906, at his home in Spring Hill township and is buried at Olathe, Kan. Mr. Post died May 9, 1906, at his home in Spring Hill township and is buried at Olathe, Kan.
F. E. Mossman, a prominent farmer of Aubry township, has been a resident of Johnson county since he was ten years old. Mr. Mossman is a native of Wisconsin, born in 1858, and is a son of H. N. and Direxa (Ellis) Mossman, both natives of Vermont. They were married in their native State and a short time afterwards went to Wisconsin. The fam- ily remained there until 1868 when they came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county and the father bought eighty acres of land in Aubry township, which F. E., the subject of this sketch still owns. The father was successfully engaged in farming in Aubry township until the time of his death. His wife also died in Aubry township. F. E. Mossman, the subject of this sketch, remained at home and attended school and helped about the farm work until he was twenty-one years old. He then began to farm the home places on shares, and after having accumulated about $1,000 worth of property, after the death of his parents, he rented the home place where he remained about ten years, when he bought it. It was not long until he bought another eighty and continued to add to his original holdings until he now owns 320 acres in Johnson county and 600 acres in Nebraska. He is a stock holder in the Farmers Bank of Spring Hill, Kan., and the Bucyrus State Bank. Mr. Mossman was married in 1883 to Miss Sadie Couden, a daughter of W. A. Couden, a native of Muskingum county, Ohio, and an early settler in Johnson
424
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
county. To Mr. and Mrs. Mossman have been born two children as follows : Beulah, who married Oren Whittaker, a stenographer for the Ford Motor Company, of Kansas City, Mo., and Harry, who is with C. H., an uncle, engaged in the grain, hay and general merchan- dise business at Ocheltree, Kan. Harry married Miss Stella Wedd, of Spring Hill, September 1, 1915, and they reside at Ocheltree, Kan. Mr. Mossman is a very extensive feeder of hogs and frequently feeds as many as 150 head. He is a member of the Masonic lodge of Spring Hill and Mrs. Mossman belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Mossman is public spirited and enterprising and takes a keen interest in the progress and welfare of his county and State.
C. H. Shellhammer, a prosperous farmer of Aubry township, is a native of the Hoosier State. He was born in Marion county, Indiana, in 1863, and is a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Staten) Shellhammer, the former a Pennsylvanian and the latter a native of Indiana. Peter Shell- hammer was, reared to manhood in his native State, where he learned the millwright's trade. When a young man he went to Indianapolis, Ind., walking the entire distance.) He worked at his trade in that sec- tion of Indiana where he met and married Elizabeth Staten. They be- came the parents of seven children, of whom C. H. is the fourth. In 1868 the Shellhammer family left Indiana and drove through to Johnson county, Kansas, with two teams and wagons. Their horses and wagons constituted about all their wordly possessions when they reached John- son county. They settled north of Olathe on what is now the Johnson county poor farm and here the father built the first house that was a erected on that farm. He rented lad for several years and later bought a half section on the "Black Bob Reservation," for which he paid $750,
eventually. Peter Shellhammer was a successful farmer and stock- raiser and was well off at the time of his death. He died in 1893 and his wife now resides in Oklahoma with her youngest son. C. H. Shell- hammer grew to manhood in Johnson county and attended the public schools. In 1889 he was marrried to Miss Georgia Ruttinger, a daugh- ter of Frank Ruttinger, a personal sketch of whom appears in this volume. After their marriage the young couple loaded their earthly posssessions into a prairie schooner and started west. They located in what is now Gray county and took up Government land, remaining there five years, and after proving up on their claim, returned to John- son county, where they rented land for a number of years and later sold their Gray county land. Mr. Shellhammer then bought the quarter section in Aubry township where he now resides. It is well improved and productive farm, with a good residence and other substantial farm buildings. To Mr. and Mrs. Shellhammer were born four children as fol- lows: Edith, married Ira Baker; Wendell, Marlin and Melvin. Mrs. Shellhammer departed this life in 1912, and her untimely death was mourned not only by her immediate relatives but by a host of friends.
-
425,
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
Mr. Shellhammer is a Democrat and a member of the Grange, and is one of the substantial men of Johnson county. Mr. Shellhammer mar- ried Mrs. Sadie Williams, a native of Illinois, September 8, 1915, at Paola, Kan. Mrs. Shellhammer has a daughter, Mildred, two years old.
O. H. Young, a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Aubry town- ship, is perhaps the most extensive breeder of pure bred Herefords in Johnson county. Mr. Young is a native of Ohio, born in Belmont county in 1876. He is a son of Joshua and Elizabeth (Hartley) Young, both natives of Ohio, the father of German and the mother of English de- scent. Joshua Young's father was a native of Maryland, and a pioneer of Ohio, where he spent his life. Joshua Young was born in Ohio in 1833. and when twenty-five years old engaged in the mercantile business at Soulsville, Ohio, and was a very successful merchant until he was con- pelled to abandon that calling on account of failing health. In 1880 he sold out his stock of goods, and with his family came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county. He bought 160 acres of land in Aubry township which he still owns. He is now eighty-two years old and for the last ten years has been retired from active business, and his son now operates his farm. He is at present living with his daughter, Mary E., in Ashland, Oregon. To Joshua Young and wife were born the fol- lowing children: O. H., whose name introduces this sketch; J. D., a farmer in Spring Hill township, and Mary E., a music teacher in Ash- land, Ore. The wife and mother of these children died in February, 1905. O. H. Young was about five years of age when the family came to Johnson county. Here he grew to manhood and attended the pub- lic schools. Since he was seventeen years old he has been interested in the cattle business and finally became interested in pure-bred Here- ford stock. In 1910 he bought his first pure-bred Hereford cow and now owns one of the finest herds of forty head in the county. His bull, "Sereses Dale," is one of the most valuable animals in the State of Kan- sas. While Mr. Young has given a great deal of attention to the pure- blood Hereford stock in recent years, he has by no means neglected the general cattle business of the common kind of stock, as well as hogs. He feeds and sells a great many hogs and cattle each year for the mar- ket, as well as carrying on an extensive general farming business. Mr. Young was married in 1907, to Miss Ida G. Hougland, a daughter of Lewis Hougland. They have four children: Hazel G .; O. H., Jr .; Ruth Geraldine and Margaret Helm ' Mr. Young is a Republican in politics. Lewis Hougland, father of Mrs. Young, is a prominent farmer of Oxford township, living three miles east of Lenexa, Kan.
Leonidas L. Cave, a former sheriff of Johnson county, now engaged in the hardware business at Overland Park. is a native of Missouri. Mr. Cave was born in Clay county, April 21, 1861, and is a son of Mallory and Charlotte A. (Tillery) Cave, both natives of Kentucky. The father was born in Boone county in 1819, and the mother in Woodford county
426
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
in 1825. They were married in 1848. Mallory's Cave was only six years old when his parents removed to Clay county, Missouri, locating near Liberty. In 1858 the Cave family came to Kansas but remained only a short time when they returned to Clay county, remaining there until the close of the war, returning to Kansas in 1869. Mallory and Char- lotte A. (Tillery) Cave were the parents of eight children, all of whom were born in Clay county, Missouri, except Susan, who was born at Old Aubry, Johnson county ; Susan, born in 1858, died in infancy ; David T., born January 8, 1859, unmarried, resides at Stilwell, Kan .; William Shel- ton, born May 7, 1851, married Lizzie Young, at Stilwell, Kan., in 1879, and resides on a farm near Stilwell; T. A., born December 12, 1853, mar- ried Rhoda Best, in 1884, and resides at Stilwell, Kan .; Uriel, born March 10, 1856, married Eliza Young in 1884 and resides at Old Aubry ; Leonidas L., the subject of this sketch; Mallory, Jr., born March 27, 1864, unmarried, resides at Monegaw Springs, Mo .; and Mary T., born February 20, 1867, married C. W. Troutman in 1887 and they reside at Duncan, Okla. Leonidas L. Cave received a common school education in Clay county, Missouri, and in the public schools of Johnson county, Kansas. When a young man he engaged in farming in Johnson county and followed that vocation until 1903, with the exception of two years spent at railroading. In 1903 he was appointed deputy sheriff of Johnson county, by sheriff P. K. Hendrix, and served in that capacity for four years. He then entered the employ of the Strang Line as conductor where he remained four years and in 1910 was elected sheriff of Johnson county, and in 1912 was reelected without opposition. Mr. Cave made a faithful and efficient officer both in the capacity of sheriff and deputy sheriff, and never under any circumstances was known to evade or delay the performance of his duty. During the closing days of his term as sheriff he had an experience that nearly cost him his life. On the night of December 3, 1914, when sheriff Cave started on his regular trip to lock the prisoners in their cells, they attempted a general jail delivery. When he ordered the prisoners from the corridor to their cells, as usual, preparatory to locking them in for the night, the ten prisoners who were then in jail, made a sudden dash for him, one of whom grabbed his revolver. Mr. Cave hung to his gun, however, and shot one prisoner through the knee and another, a Mexican, he shot through the body, killing him instantly. Three of the prisoners escaped, two of whom have since been captured. Mr. Cave was married at Paola, Kan., May 2, 1889, to Miss Lucy B. Young, a daughter of Andy Young, a pioneer of Aubry township, Johnson county. He was postmaster as Squiresville before the civil war and later served as postmaster at Aubry and Stilwell. To Mr. and Mrs. Cave have been born two children: Lena, born in 1891, and Gail, born in 1893. At the close of Mr. Cave's second term as sheriff of Johnson county, he bought a hardware stock and engaged in business at Over-
427
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
land Park. He is meeting with unusual success and rapidly building up a large and profitable trade. Mr. Cave is a genial gentleman and has made many friends in his career as a public officer.
John R. Lemen, manager of the Spring Hill Cooperative Association store, known as the Grange store, is a native of Kansas. He was born in Linn county, March 22, 1874, and is a son of I. N. and Americus (Woodford) Lemen, the former a native of Illinois and the latter of Ohio. I. N. Lemen came to Kansas in 1866, and settled on Govern- ment land in Linn county and still owns that place. He endured all the privations and hardships and his early years in Kansas were dis- couraging, but by persistence and stick-to-it-iveness, he finally suc- ceeded and became one of the well to do citizens of the county, and a few years ago removed with his wife to Fontana, Miami county, and is now living retired. Americus Woodford, his wife, was born in Ohio in 1851, a daughter of Marcus E. and Almira Woodford, who came west shortly after the Civil war, locating at Westport, Mo., which is now a part of Kansas City. After remaining there about a year they removed to Linn county and took up Government land in the neighborhood where the Lemen family lived. Col. Marcus Woodford was a forty-niner and made the perilous trip across the plains to Cali- fornia in the days of the gold excitement. He served in the Civil war as colonel of an Ohio regiment and won distinction as a soldier. Mrs. Lemen was the elder of two children and was a girl of fourteen when she came to Kansas with her parents. John R. Lemen, whose name introduces this sketch, grew to manhood on the Linn county homestead and received a high school education. At the age of twenty he em- barked in his mercantile carcer as a clerk in the Grange store at Cadmus, Linn county. Ed. Blair was manager of the store at the time and Mr. Lemen was in his employ as clerk for seven years. In 1901 he engaged in the mercantile business at LaCygne, Kan., and was thus engaged for two years. He then accepted the managership of a Grange store at New Lancaster where he remained for eight years, and in IQII went to Colorado Springs, Colo., and was successfully engaged in the mercantile business for three years, and in April, 1914, came to Spring Hill to assume the management of the Grange store which he has since successfully conducted. Mr. Lemen was married December 19, 1896, to Miss Clelia, a daughter of E. P. and Annie (Elsworth) Sheppard, both natives of Illinois and pioneers of Linn county, Kansas. To Mr. and Mrs. Lemen have been born two children, Laurence, born September 30, 1898, and Edna, born May 26, 1900. Mr. Lemen is a member of the Grange and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His varied experience in the mercantile business for over twenty years well fits him for the responsible position which he holds. He enjoys the confidence and esteem of a wide circle of friends and acquaintances and his business methods are expressed in the motto: "Honesty and square dealing."
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.