USA > Kansas > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Kansas > Part 48
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
436
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
Delaware. The father died March 4, 1880, and the mother, June 5, 1881. Both died in Nebraska where they were engaged in farming. Mr. Black is a member of the Grange and the Grand Army of the Re- public. He was secretary of the State Grange for twenty-six consecu- tive years and was master of the State Grange for six years, following his term of secretary. He is a liberal supporter of churches as well as other local movements for the public good, but is a member of no de- nomination.
Benjamin Reeder, now deceased, was an early settler of Johnson county, and one of the men whose courage, foresight and industry made Johnson county what it is today. He was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, February 12, 1830, and reared to manhood and educated in his native State, remaining there until 1859 when he went to Pike's Peak, Colo. He remained there but a short time, however, when he went to Kansas City and from there to Decatur county, Iowa. Here he met and married Miss Diana Susanna Marshall, May 22, 1861. Shortly after their marriage they went to Montana, locating at Bannock City. They drove the entire distance from Decatur county, and their original intention was to go to California. The country through which they passed was wild and unsettled, inhabited mostly by Indians and many of them were hos- tile, and on their trip they encountered a band of hostile Indians and nar- rowly avoided serious trouble. After remaining in Bannock City two years they went to Cash Valley, Utah, and remained there about one year and returned to Bannock City remaining one year, during which time Mr. Reeder was engaged in prospecting and gold mining. At one time he was offered $25,000 for a claim which he owned. In 1867, they returned to the East. They went from Bannock City to Fort Benton by stage coach, and from there to Kansas City on a Missouri river boat and then returned to Ohio. In June, 1868, they came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county, eleven miles southeast of Olathe. Mr. Reeder bought land from time to time, increasing his holdings until at the time of his death he owned 1,440 acres of some of the best land in Johnson county, which is still owned by the family. He followed farming on a large scale and was one of the progressive and prosperous men of John- son county. In 1890 he removed to Olathe where he died June 12, 1914. Mr. Reeder was a man who did not aspire to political honors, but rather devoted himself to his private affairs. He took a commendable interest in public affairs and was public spirited and enterprising. Mrs. Reeder now resides on East Park street, Olathe, in one of the handsomest residences to be found in the county. She is a native of Lagrange county, Indiana, a daughter of John and Martha (Davis) Marshall, the former a native of Lincolnshire, England, and the latter of Ohio. They were the parents of four children, as follows: Mary married Samuel Farquhar, Linn, Decatur county, Iowa; Cyrus B. spent his life in Iowa and California, now deceased; Edmund Freeman, and Diana Susanna,
-
-
MR. AND MRS. BENJAMIN REEDER
437
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
now Mrs. Reeder, of this review. The Marshall family removed from LaGrange county, Indiana, to Decatur county. Iowa, in 1852, and settled at Garden Grove, reaching there April I. They drove through from Indiana, over muddy and rough roads, making the trip in twenty-four days. The father took up a claim on Government land at Garden Grove and erected a grist and sawmill there. This was the first mill in Decatur county. He operated his mill and farmed there until 1859 when he started for California, his intention being to go to the coast when he left Indiana. After reaching the coast he built a sawmill in Grass Valley, Calif., which he operated until the time of his death. He died from the result of injuries received by an accident in his sawmill. His first wife, the mother of Mrs. Reeder, died in Indiana before the family went west, and the father married for his second wife, Sylvia Fitch, a native of Ohio, and three children were born to that union: Lucy married Samuel Helm, Reedley, Calif., and he is now deceased ; George died in childhood, and Arthur resides near Fresno, Calif. To Mr. and Mrs. Reeder were born five children, as follows: Luella, born No- vember 10, 1862, died in Bannock City, Mont., aged nineteen months ; Florence died while her parents were en route from Fort Benton to Kansas City and her remains were buried on the banks of the Mis- souri river ; May married W. S. Meek, resides near Ocheltree, and they have three children; Vance, Florence and Murile; Eva married F. M. Powell and resides on the home farm and they have one child, Gene- vieve, and Maud married E. A. Ames, Olathe. Mr. Reeder left one daughter by a former marriage, Mary Jane, now the widow of Isaac Hughes, who now resides at Morse, Kan., and she has six children, as follows: Benjamin T .; Frank; Martha; Lester; Blanche and Conrad. The Reeder family is well known and prominent in Johnson county.
J. T. Swank, of Olathe, who is now serving his fifth term as justice of the peace of Olathe township, is a native of the Buckeye State. He was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, January 13, 1844, and is a son of Lemuel and Martha (Honnold) Swank. His father was born on the ocean while his parents were en route to America from Germany. Lem- uel Swank was left an orphan when an infant and was reared in Penn- sylvania by a woman named Hurdle. He removed to Ohio when a young man, locating in Coshocton county and later in Muskingum county, where he spent most of his life engaged in farming. He died in 1872, aged seventy-six. His wife, Martha Honnold, was a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, and was brought to Ohio by her parents when an infant. She was the daughter of Jacob Honnold and a Miss Jackson, both Virginians, the latter being an aunt of Gen. Stonewall Jackson, the famous Confederate general of the Civil war. To Lemuel and Martha (Honnold) Swank were born four children, two of whom are now living: Nancy C. married George H. Sutton, deceased. and she resides in Decatur, Iowa, and J. T., whose name intro-
438
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
duces this review. J. T. Swank was reared and educated in Mus- kingum county, and on May 2, 1863, he enlisted at Adamsville, Ohio, in Company E, One Hundred and Sixtieth regiment, Ohio infantry. He was with his regiment at Harper's Ferry, Martinsburg and a number of engagements in the Shenandoah valley. He was with Sheridan at Winchester and at Cedar Creek and saw "Little Phil" in action during the famous "twenty-mile ride." His regiment reached Antietam just as the battle was over and he participated in the siege of Petersburg. He was wounded once by a minie-ball which he still carries in his body and which has caused him a great deal of trouble, but never went to a hos- pital, even though severely wounded. He was taken prisoner three times but succeeded in escaping on each occasion. He was mustered out at Zanesville, Ohio, by general order of the war department at the close of the war. He had learned the machinist's trade in Cincinnati before enlist- ing in the army, and at the close of the war returned to Cincinnati and worked. at his trade until 1868 when he came to Kansas, locating at Olathe. He drove from Ohio to Kansas with a team and covered wagon. Mr. Swank is an expert machinist and considered one of the best in that line usually to be found. After coming to Kansas he worked at his trade in various places but continued to make his home in Olathe. For a time he was general mechanic for the General Electric Light and Power Company at Kansas City, and among other positions which he held might be mentioned the following : He was master mechanic for the Red Rock quarries, Red Rock, Colo .; superintendent of the electric plant at Manitau, at the foot of Pike's Peak, and installed the machinery for the Olathe waterworks. For the last ten or twelve years he has not been ac- tively engaged at his trade with the exception of some unusual expert work which he has been called upon to perform. He owns a fine home of about fifteen acres adjoining the town of Olathe on the south side and his principal occupation now is looking after his place and performing the duties of the office of justice of the peace. Mr. Swank was united in marriage August 11, 1867, at Zanesville, Ohio, to Miss Laura A. Pil- cher, a native of Belmont county, Ohio. To this union have been born three children : C. A., a merchant, Olathe, Kan .; Mabel M. married H. H. Case, a sketch of whom appears in this volume, and Bessie M. mar- ried W. T. Silvers, who is now deceased. She resides with her parents. Mr. Swank is a member of the Masonic lodge, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has been a life-long Democrat, and active in his party organization.
James H. Berkshire, a Civil war veteran, and Kansas pioneer, is now living retired at Spring Hill. He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, May 28, 1838, and is a son of Anson and Elizabeth A. (Howell) Berk- shire, both natives of Virginia, who came to Ohio during the pioneer days of that State, with their respective parents. The father was a cabinet maker and in 1847 removed with his wife and family of eight children to
439
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
Moundsville, Va. (now West Virginia). He was a fearless and enthu- siastic anti-slavery man and as early as 1847 published an anti-slavery paper called "The Crisis." His plan was to publish this paper at Mounds- ville, in the old slave State of Virginia, and when it became known in that locality that his purpose was to publish a paper which advocated opposition to the established institution of slavery, local sentiment rose to a high pitch in opposition to Mr. Berkshire, and he was openly threatened with personal violence and even death if he carried out his plan. However, he was undaunted by the radical attitude and threats of the so-called leading citizens of the locality, and crossed the river into Ohio where he proceeded to publish "The Crisis" until 1851. It had quite an extensive circulation and its influence was strong against slav- ery. In 1851 the Berkshire family went to Louisville, Ky .. where the father worked at his trade. They remained there four years and removed to Canton, Ill., and about a year later went to Havana, Ill., and then came to Kansas, arriving at Wyandotte, April 6, 1857, and on the eight- eenth day of May of that year. they located on Government land, three miles north of Spring Hill, Kan. The family was poor and the future looked anything but encouraging under the conditions. Their entire capital consisted of six chickens, enough of plain provisions to last about a month and fifty cents in money. They lived in a small tent from May until autumn, constructing a small house on the plains in the meantime. The eldest son. John, went to Nebraska with a party of surveyors and another brother worked at the carpenter's trade in Olathe, and James H., the subject of this sketch, worked in a saw mill at Paola, as engineer, "having learned the machinist's trade and steam engineering while living in Louisville, and, while the earnings were small the boys were able to buy lumber to build their house that fall. After coming to Kansas the father followed farming during the balance of his active career. He died in February, 1892, and his wife passed away December 21, 1898. The father was a pronounced Abolitionist and fearlessly expressed his views on that subject after coming to Kansas, and living in the heart of the great border conflict. James H. Berkshire followed the occupa- tion of steam engineering in various places in Miami and Johnson coun- ties until the Civil war broke out when he enlisted at Lawrence in Com- pany C. Second regiment, Kansas infantry, and was mustered into serv- ice at Kansas City. His regiment was immediately sent to Springfield, Mo., and from there to Whitewater on a raid, after which they returned to Springfield. His command engaged Generals Price and Mccullough in one of the fiercest battles of the Civil war which ended undecided. In November, 1861, he was discharged, his regiment having been mustered out and reorganized into a regiment of cavalry. In August, 1862, Mr. Berkshire reenlisted in Company I, Twelfth regiment, Kansas infantry. and while his regiment was in winter quarters at Leavenworth in the fall of 1863, he was commissioned second lieutenant and at the battle of Sa-
440
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
line river, George Ellis, the first lieutenant, was killed and Mr. Berkshire was promoted to succeed him. Colonel Hayes was wounded losing a leg in this battle and at the time he was struck Lieutenant Berkshire was standing near him engaged in conversation with him. Lieutenant Berkshire was mustered out of service at Little Rock, Ark., June 30, 1865, and returned to his Johnson county home. When the clouds of war had passed away, he resumed the peaceful occupation of steam engineering and worked at it in various parts of the country, including Indian Territory in 1871 and 1872. In 1880 he went to his farm in John- son county which he had purchased from the Shawnee Indians in 1868, and a part of which he still owns. Mr. Berkshire was united in marriage October 21, 1903, to Miss Elmira, a daughter of Andrew and Mary (Hendrickson) Peterson, natives of Norway, who came to Johnson county, Kansas, from Wisconsin in 1873, and are both now deceased. Mrs. Berkshire was born in Johnson county, February 14, 1877. To Mr. and Mrs. Berkshire have been born two children, Lucretia Maud, born March 2, 1905, and James Anson, born October 21, 1908. Mr. Berk- shire contracted chronic rheumatism while in the army and gradually grew worse until he became seriously crippled with that malady, and in 1885, his life was almost despaired of. For the last thirty years he has been almost helpless, but with all his affliction, he is one of the best posted men in Johnson county, and he has gained a knowledge of men and affairs by long experience and extensive reading, possessed by few. He was one of the organizers of the Spring Hill Cooperative Associa- tion in 1877, and has taken a prominent interest in Grange affairs. In 1885 he was elected president of the Spring Hill Cooperative Association and has held that position to the present time. He is also a stockholder in the Patrons Bank of Olathe, Kan., and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
H. A. Mathews, deceased, was a Kansas pioneer and for nearly half a century was a dominant factor in the development of eastern Kansas. He was born in Chemung county, near Elmira, New York, April 5, 1833. and is a son of Joel and Polly Mathews, both natives of New York. Joel Mathews was a son of Amsa Mathews, an Englishman who came to America in 1782, and settled near Seneca Lake, N. Y., and here he reared a family of nine children. Joel Mathews was a farmer by occu- pation and spent his life about four miles from Elmira, N. Y. To Joel and Polly Mathews were born four children, as follows: H. A., the sub- ject of this sketch ; Marabah married George Rogers; Arzila married Wil- liam Clark, and Milford. After the death of the wife and mother of these children, Mr. Mathews married Jeannette Clark, a native of New York, and two children were born to this union, Jay and Judd. H. A. Mathews grew to manhood on the farm in New York and after attending the public schools entered college. When a young man he left his eastern home and traveled in the West for a few years. After visiting several
441
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
western States and Territories, he came to Kansas in 1855, locating at Leavenworth. He remained there but a short time, however, when he- went to Miami county and took up a quarter section of Government land which his widow still owns, besides other farm property. He left home with $14 which was his entire capital, but he was always a money maker and soon increased his surplus until he had a good working capi- tal. He followed farming and stock raising and was very successful in his undertakings and at the time of his death, March 11, 1901, he was one of the well-to-do men of the county. He was publie spirited and took a keen interest in the welfare of his community and his State. After having been engaged in farming and stock raising for nineteen years, he came to Spring Hill where he was extensively engaged in the imple- ment business for a number of years, and at the same time retained his interest in farming and stock raising. He was an enthusiastic member of the Grange lodge and one of the organizers of the Grange store, at Spring Hill, in which he was a stockholder. He was also a stockholder and director in the Spring Hill Banking Company and secretary at the time of his death, and was the moving spirit in the organization of that insti- tution. He was an active and enterprising man and a man of keen intui- tion and sound judgment and considerably above the average man in natural ability. Mr. Mathews was united in marriage December 25, 1864, to Miss Jennie Munkres. The marriage ceremony took place in a pioneer school house which was also used for religious meetings. Mrs. Mathews is a native of Missouri, born January 3, 1848. She is a daugh- ter of Marcellus and Elizabeth Munkres, the former a native of Vir- ginia and the latter of Tennessee. They came to Missouri about 1830, where the father died in 1849. The mother came to Miami county, Kan- sas, with her children in 1861, and she is now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Mathews were born two children, as follows: E. J., born December 18, 1866, now engaged in the real estate business in Kansas City, Mo., and T. B., born December 8, 1877, also engaged in the real estate business in Kansas City. Mrs. Mathews resides at Spring Hill where she has many friends and is highly respected.
I. N. Bell, a Civil war veteran and an early-day contractor and builder in Johnson county, is now living retired at Spring Hill. Mr. Bell was born in Morgan county, Ohio, May 19, 18.42, and is a son of Robert and Mary Ann (Bell) Bell. Robert Bell was born in Ohio county, Virginia, in 1804. He was a son of William Bell, a native of County Down, Ire- land, who immigrated to America shortly after his marriage and settled in Virginia where he remained for a short time, when he went to Bel- mont county, Ohio, and took up Government land. He remained there but a short time, however, when he returned to Virginia and located on a farm in Ohio county, twelve miles east of Wheeling, at a place known as Rooney's Point. Here William Bell and his wife, Mary, reared their family and spent their lives. At that time, as is well known, slavery was.
442
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
a popular institution in Virginia, but William Bell was a man of decided convictions and even at that early day was a strong anti-slavery man and never owned slaves. William Bell and his wife were the parents of seven children of whom Robert, I. N.'s father, was the second in order of birth. He was born August 4, 1804, and grew to manhood on his father's estate in Virginia and when he was about twenty-one years old married Miss Mary Ann Bell. She was born in Belmont county, Ohio, December 25, 1810, a daughter of William Bell, a native of County Down, Ireland. William Bell started to America with his father, but the latter died while on the voyage and was buried at sea. William Bell, then a young man, landed at New York, and after remaining there a short time went west and located in Belmont county, Ohio, where he took up Goverment land and spent his life. This William Bell, the ma- ternal grandfather of I. N. Bell, was not related to William Bell, his paternal grandfather, although they came from the same county in Ire- land. After Robert Bell was married, he and his wife went to Morgan county, and took up a quarter section of heavily timbered Government land in a wild and unbroken wilderness, and their nearest neighbor was three miles away. Here they spent their lives and reared a family of ten children, of whom I. N. Bell, whose name introduces this sketch, was the seventh in order of birth. He grew to manhood in the pioneer sur- roundings of their Morgan county home and attended country schools such as the new country afforded. He remained on the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age, and June 10, 1863, enlisted as a private in Company I, First regiment, Ohio heavy artillery, and served under General Schofield in the Southwest, and his active service was mostly in Kentucky and Tennessee. He was stationed at Lexington, Ky., for a long time. His command fought General Morgan, during the expedi- tion of that famous Confederate raider. At the close of the war, Mr. Bell was mustered out of service at Lexington, Ky., in May, 1865. He re- turned to his home in Ohio and worked at the carpenter's trade in Mor- gan county until 1879, when he came to Kansas and located at Spring Hill, Johnson county, and during his active career, followed contracting and building in Spring Hill and vicinity. Mr. Bell was married October 5, 1869, to Miss Mary Rhinehart, a daughter of Joseph and Rachel (Long) Rhinehart, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German and Irish de- scent. Mr. and Mrs. Bell have one child, Lula B., born in Morgan county, Ohio, June 22, 1870, now the wife of Thomas Green, Shreveport, La. Mr. Bell is a stanch Republican and has served as trustee of Spring Hill township for four consecutive terms. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and he and his wife are members of the Presby- terian church of Spring Hill.
W. W. Graham, owner and proprietor of the Glendale Stock Farm, in Oxford township, is a veteran of the Civil war and a Kansas pioneer, who has contributed his part to making Johnson county one of the best coun- ties of the State. Mr. Graham is a native of Highland county, Ohio,
443
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
and was born in 1840. His parents were John and Katherine (Fenner) Graham, both natives of Pennsylvania, the father of Irish and the mother of German descent. John Graham is a son of John Graham, who came from Pennsylvania to Highland county, Ohio, in 1815, and settled near Hillsboro, the county seat, where he spent the balance of his life. John Graham, the father of W. W. Graham, also spent his life in Highland county. He was a Democrat in early life but was a strong anti-slavery man and at the organization of the Republican party he became a Repub- lican. W. W. Graham was reared to manhood on the home farm in Highland county, Ohio, and during his boyhood was greatly interested in the question of slavery which was the great national controversy at that time. He had developed a strong anti-slavery sentiment, and in 1862, enlisted in Company A, Eighty-ninth regiment, Ohio infantry. During the three years and four months that followed he saw much service and endured the many hardships incident to the life of a soldier in camp, on the march and on the field of battle. He was at the battle of Chickamauga where one-half of his regiment was captured. He partici- pated in the battles of Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Jonesboro, and while on special guard duty was captured and for four months was confined in Confederate prisons but was finally exchanged at Black River, near Vicksburg, Miss., and was mustered out of service in August, 1865. He suffered much while in the service from a wound in the foot which be- came infected and gangrene set in, which almost totally disabled him for a year after the war. He learned the shoemaker's trade and in 1867, went to Peoria county, Illinois, where he worked by the month for a time and returned to Ohio in the spring of 1868, and married Miss Emma Steward, a daughter of Robert and Diantha (McGee) Steward, both natives of Ohio. Shortly after their marriage, Mr. Graham and his wife started west with Neosho county, Kansas, as their intended destination. but when they reached Kansas City they learned of Indian depredations in that section of the State, and came to Johnson county instead. Here Mr. Graham bought a farm from Charles Tucker, a full-blood Shawnee Indian. There were many Indians here then and Mr. Graham became well acquainted and was very friendly with Bluejacket, the Shawnee chief. The farm which Mr. Graham purchased was unimproved and in a raw, unbroken state. He improved the place and brought it under a high state of cultivation and today the "Glendale Stock Farm" is one of the best equipped ranches in Johnson county. Mr. Graham has car- ried on general farming and stock raising and made money. He is one of the prosperous and progressive farmers of the county. To Mr. and Mrs. Graham have been born five children, as follows: John S. resides on the home farm ; Mary Ella, Clara Isabelle, Eva and Ollie. Mr. Graham is a stockholder in the Patrons Bank at Olathe. He is a member of the Church of God and is a Democrat. In the Populist days Mr. Graham took an active interest in that party and is still a believer in the principles set forth by that party.
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.