USA > Kansas > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Kansas > Part 51
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J. R. Secrest
Mes. S. R. Secrest
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Austin C. Marcelia a. J. R. Secrest and Family
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as marshal of the Grange fair. Mr. Secrest is one of the substantial and progressive men of Johnson county and is always willing to co- operate with any movement for the betterment of his town, county or State.
Andrew Johnson Calvert, a prominent farmer of Anbry township, and former county commissioner of Johnson county, is a native of Missouri. He was born in Platte county, November 13, 1850, and is a son of Lewis and Martha (Herndon) Calvert. Lewis Calvert was born in Scott county, Kentucky, April 24, 1824, and died in 1882. He was the son of John Calvert, Virginian and a direct descendant of Lord Cecil Calvert, who received a land grant in Maryland from the crown of England dur- ing colonial days. Martha Herndon was also a native of Kentucky, born December II, 1812, and was a daughter of Dr. Richard Wyatt Herndon an eminent Kentucky physician. To Lewis and Martha ( Herndon) Cal- vert were born the following children: Helen M., deceased ; Celsus, de- ceased; Sarah C., deceased; Marion, St. Joseph, Mo .; Elizabeth, de- ceased ; Holt, deceased ; Jane D., deceased ; John Lewis, St. Joseph, Mo .: Emma S., deceased; Andrew J., the subject of this sketch ; Alice D., de- ceased, and Wiliam B. resides at Weston, Mo. An uncle of Lewis Cal- vert, Capt. Andrew Johnson, was a soldier in the War of 1812 and an- other uncle, Col. Richard M. Johnson, was at the battle of Tippecanoe, under General Harrison. In 1837 Lewis Calvert and his wife came from Kentucky to Missouri and located in Platte county, where he became an extensive farmer and owned 320 acres of land. He was prominent in pub- lic affairs in the early days and in 1847 was a member of the Missouri State legislature. He became a wealthy man and owned a number of slaves, but the Civil war broke him up and made a bankrupt of him, and he never succeeded in recovering from the financial losses which he met at that time. Andrew Johnson Calvert was educated in the district schools and Pleasant Ridge College, an institution which was located one mile from his home. When a young man he and two of his brothers bought his father's farm which they operated jointly for a few years. In 1873, Andrew J. went to Colorado and worked in the gold and silver mines until the fall of 1876, when he returned to Platte county, Missouri, where he was married and remained until 1881, when he came to Kansas. locating in Johnson county, and bought 160 acres of land in Oxford town- ship. He has bought additional land and in 1886 bought the place where he now resides. He now owns 320 acres, where he carries on general farming and is quite an extensive breeder of Hereford cattle and Poland China hogs and has been very successful in his undertakings. Mr. Cal- vert was married February 28, 1878, to Miss Katherine H. Elley. She was born in Platte county, Missouri, December 10, 1852, and died Jan- itary II, 1912. She was a daughter of R. P. S. and C. B. Elley, both na- tives of Scott county, Kentucky, where they were married September 13, 1838, and shortly afterwards removed to Platte county, Missouri,
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where they both died, the former September 4, 1885, aged seventy-three years and the latter died June 6, 1882, aged fifty-one years. To R. P. S. and Cassandra B. (Quinn) Elley were born the following children : George E., Elisa J., Thomas B., Anna B., R. P. S., Jr., Catherine H., Cas- sandra B. and Matty C., all of whom are deceased except Cas- sandra B., who now resides at Belton, Mo. To Andrew J. Calvert and wife were born the following children: Mary Kent, born April 14, 1880, died June 3, 1895 ; Robert Lewis, born October 15, 1882, resides at home ; Matty E., born April 18, 1886, married Sidney Kennedy, resides near Stanley and they have one child, Sidney Leon ; Judith B., born December 24, 1890, and resides at home, and Catherine, born September 21, 1895. and died December 31, 1898. Mr. Calvert is a Democrat and for a num- ber of years has taken an active interest in local politics. He has served two terms as trustee of Oxford township, holding that office during the years of 1886 and 1887. He has also been trustee of Aubry township two terms, serving during the years of 1895-96. He was also elected county commissioner of Johnson county in 1910 and served one term in that office, and his administration of public affairs has always been con- ducted in the same business-like way which characterizes his private business. He is one of the progressive and influential citizens of Johnson county.
George W. Cook, one of Johnson county's most prosperous farmers, residing in Spring Hill township, is a native of this county. He was born October 29, 1859, and is a son of David O. and Laurana C. (Barber) Cook, both natives of New York. David O. Cook, the father, was brought to Michigan by his parents when a child. He was reared and educated in that State and in 1849, when gold was discovered in Cali- fornia, was one of the many hundreds to seek his fortune on the golden slope of the Pacific. He drove across the plains and over the mountains and for two years successfully followed prospecting and gold mining. In 1851 he returned to his Michigan home where he remained until 1857 when he came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county. He preempted a quarter section of land in Spring Hill township and his son, George W. Cook, whose name introduces this sketch, now resides on that piace. David O. Cook built a small shack on his homestead and ten years later built a commodious frame dwelling, which was the first frame house built in Spring Hill township. Like most other successful men of that section, he was extensively engaged in stock raising and became one of the well-to-do and influential men of the county. He deserves credit for having been one of the first settlers of Johnson county who made good. He died in 1869 and his wife departed this life in 1905. George W. Cook was reared in Johnson county and educated in the public schools and has made farming the occupation of his life and owns one of the best farms in Johnson county. He was married in 1906 to Miss Mary Johnson, a native of Rome county, Tennessee, born July 5, 1864. She is
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a descendant of an old southern family that originally came from North Carolina. The Cook residence is modern in every particular and one of the best to be found in Johnson county. Mr. Cook is a stockholder in the Grange store at Spring Hill and a member of the Fraternal Aid So- ciety. He is a Republican and one of the substantial citizens of the community.
Manuel George Miller, deceased, was for a number of years a dominant factor in the business world of Olathe and Johnson county. When Mr. Miller came to Jolinson county his capital stock was industry and hon- esty, and from a poor boy he became one of the wealthy men of Johnson county. He was born on a farm in St. Joseph county, Michigan, Decem- ber 3, 1843, and was the third of nine children. When he was seven years old the family removed to Iowa, but after a residence of ten years in that State returned to Branch county, Michigan. It was here that Mr. Miller spent the early days of his life. He enlisted in the Union army in 1864 and served until the close of the war. Being of an ambitious turn of mind, he did not return to his native State when he was mustered out of service at the close of the war, but came west and secured a posi- tion as construction foreman on the Union Pacific railroad. Leaving this work after a short time Mr. Miller walked across twenty miles from Lawrence to the farm of Myron C. Holcomb. where the city of Gardner now stands. In 1867 he engaged in the grocery business in Olathe, on the south side of East Part Street, east of Cherry. From the little gro- cery store lie soon branched out into the banking business and for a time had as a partner, C. M. Ott. Upon dissolving partnership with Mr. Ott Mr. Miller retained the bank and the store and soon afterwards purchased the George Walker building which he remodeled and enlarged until the Miller block, now known as the Peck block, was accounted one of the handsomest and most commodious store and office buildings in Johnson county. Always a lover of farm land and live stock, it was but natural that Mr. Miller should give a part of his active life to that field. As a result he accumulated a great deal of land which he stocked with high grade horses and cattle. He was one of the builders of the big mill and elevator now known as Hadley's mill in Olathe. In 1905, in partner- ship with F. R. Ogg, he purchased the Olathe Citizens Telephone Com- pany, and shortly afterwards bought Mr. Ogg's interest and immediately started out to remodel and rebuild the system. The Miller estate has been kept intact since Mr. Miller's death and his heirs have conducted the business along much the same lines as Mr. Miller had done during his lifetime. Mr. J. C. Nichols, a son-in-law, Kansas City, Mo., is ex- ecutor of the estate, and the management is entrusted to F. M. Lorimer, who had been in Mr. Miller's employ for ten years prior to his death. The Miller estate with its various features is perhaps the most extensive in Johnson county. It consists of over 1,300 acres of farm lands, well stocked with high grade cattle, mules and horses. The Olathe telephone
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HISTORY OF. JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS
system is owned and operated by the estate and the Miller heirs are aiso interested in the State Bank of Olathe, the Olathe Electric Light and Power Company and various other interests. M. G. Miller was united in marriage in Michigan to Miss Mary Eleanor Phenice, November 20, 1867, and four children were born to this union, two of whom are living: Mrs. John Kane, of Bartlesville, Okla., and Mrs. J. C. Nichols, of Kansas City, Mo. M. G. Miller was always ready and willing to join in any move- ment that would benefit his home town, and took great pride in his work as a councilman in working for paved streets and the many other modern improvements of which loyal Olatheans are so proud. He was a stanch Republican and could always be found in the front ranks work- ing for the success of his party. He had an eager yearning for the friendship and esteem of his fellow men and his family ties. The love and solicitude with which he attended to the ones dear to him are treas- ured recollections of those whom he left. Mr. Miller died suddenly while on a visit at Ester Park, Colo., August 25, 1909, and one still hears fre- quent remarks by his many friends of the great loss which fell upon Olathe and Johnson county and to his many friends and business as- sociates in the death of M. G. Miller. There are today many prosperous men in the community whose start in life is due to Mr. Miller's assist- ance and encouragement in a financial way. He was a good judge of hu- man nature and when he had faith in a man's honesty and integrity, that was all the security that he required. The relation between Mr. Miller and his employees was always of the most friendly. A community of interest seemed to prevail between employer and employee.
Edwin Walmer, a successful Johnson county farmer, residing at Merriam, is one of the substantial citizens of Johnson county. Mr. Walmer is a native of the Keystone State, born in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, April 9, 1844. He is a son of David and Catherine (Wagner) Walmer, both natives of Pennsylvania. They were the parents of five children, all of whom were born in Pennsylvania, as follows: Joseph resides in Texas; Edwin, the subject of this sketch; Levi resides in Mission township; Amanda resides in Pennsylvania and Henry also resides in that State. Edwin Walmer received his education in the public schools in his native State and in early life engaged in farming and followed that occupation until 1879, when he came to Kansas and located in Shawnee township, Johnson county, about a mile east of Merriam. He purchased eighty acres of land there for which he paid $32.50 per acre, and later he purchased an additional eighty for which he paid $71.50 per acre and his entire place is now assessed at $200 per acre. His land is well located, a rock road passing one of his places. Mr. Walmer has been extensively engaged in dairying, grain and stock raising, and is one of the successful agriculturists of Johnson county. He was united in marriage in 1874 to Miss Elizabeth Horstick at Harrisburg, Pa., and four children have been born to this union, all
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of whom are living as follows: Minnie married Howard Mullen and resides in Mission township; Sadie is unmarried and resides with her parents ; Edwin resides at home and Harry also resides with his parents. Mr. Walmer has made a great many improvements on his place and has done a great deal of tiling and is a great advocate of that plan of im- provement. He says he has not had a single crop failure since he has tiled his land. When Fred Weeks first came to Johnson county he rode out to Mission township from Kansas City, Mo., on a spring wagon with Mr. Walmer. He was going to work for John Schrader. Mr. Walmer and Mr. Weeks, a sketch of whom appears in this volume, have been very close friends through all these years in Johnson county. Their ac- quaintance began with the trip to Mission township in the old spring wagon.
William Bradley, who resides near Wilder, has been a resident of Monticello township since 1858. He was born in Bellaghy, County Derry, Ireland, in 1833, and is a son of William and Alice (McLean) Bradley, both natives of County Derry. William Bradley is the only survivor of a family of eight, as follows: Catherine, Henry, Mary. Barney, Alice, Thomas, William and Annie. Mr. Bradley received his education in his native land and remained in that country until he was twenty-two years of age. In 1855 he immigrated to America, locating in Cayuga, New York, where he remained about a year. He then went to Illinois and after spending two years in that State came to Johnson county, Kansas, and located in Monticello township. He came here in 1858 and a short time afterwards bought forty acres of land of Billy Fly, a Shawnee Indian, for which he paid $3.00 per acre, and later he traded a horse to the same Indian for another forty acres. the horse being worth about $60.00. Mr. Bradley bought additional land from time to time, in the early days, and now owns 220 acres. In 1859 he built his first home in Johnson county which was a little log cabin, 10X12 feet. About four years later he built another residence which was considered quite a pretentious affair in the early days. It was a log building, 18x27 feet, one and a half stories high, and is still standing. The logs used in its construction are cottonwood and elm. The chimney of the first house which Mr. Bradley built is of stone and is still standing, and the second log house, above referred to, is still standing and in a very fair state of preservation. In visiting the second floor of the old house the writer found some very interesting relics of pioneer days, one of which was an old trunk covered with cow-hide which was tanned in a way that the hair was left undisturbed. This trunk presents a very unusual appearance, and, judging from its general make-up, it is perhaps nearly a hundred years old. There are many other interesting old relics about the place, many of which have not been disturbed for nearly half a century. Few of the old settlers remain in Monticello township who
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were here when Mr. Bradley came. Among those he recalls as living here when he came were Sam Garrett, a white man, and Isaac Parish, John Owens, Abraham Piper, and a man named Buchanan. Mike Mc- Garvin, who lived on the townsite of Bonner Springs, Peter Keroher and Mr. Bradley shipped the first wheat from Tiblo, now Bonner Springs. They shipped it to Wyandotte and received $2.25 per bushel ; the threshing cost them ten cents per bushel. Mr. Bradley has been twice married. His first wife was Johanna Lottan, to whom he was married at Quincy, Ill., in 1859. She died about a year later and in 1861, he married Rachel Smith, of Monticello township, and she died in 1895. They were the parents of the following children: John Henry married Mabel Barrett and resides in Missouri; Alice died in 1912, age thirty years; Mary died in 1905; Barney married Daisy Wheeler, resides at Houston, Tex .; William died in childhood; Rosa Ann died in childhood; Maggie died at the age of thirty; Thomas, and Anna, now the wife of John Calvert, of Liberty, Mo. Mr. Bradley is one of the old historic landmarks of Johnson county and he has witnessed a wonderful development that has been brought about within the last half century.
F. P. Hollenback, of Olathe, Kan., is a native of Kendall county, Illinois, but was a child when his parents came to Kansas, and he is practically a Johnson county product. Mr. Hollenback was born July 29, 1855, and is a son of Benjamin Hollenback, a personal sketch of whom appears in this volume. F. P. Hollenback is one of a family of eight children, three of whom are living as follows: F. P., the subject of this sketch; Nannie E. married F. R. Douglas and resides at Florence, Kan., and Stella N. married Theodore Knauder and resides at Shawnee, Kan. F. P. Hollenback received his education in the public schools of Johnson county and also attended school at the old Methodist Mission at Shawnee, one of his teachers being Samuel Carnatzer, a Shawnee squaw man. He also attended the Shawnee Catholic school for one term which was taught by Father John Pickler. Mr. Hollen- back, although comparatively a young man, is familiar with much of the early-day history of Johnson county. He remembers Chief Blue- jacket. Frederick Choteau, Park Randall and Grahman Rogers, of the Shawnees. Mr. Hollenback spent a great deal of his time, when a boy, clerking in his father's store and about the time he reached his majority he engaged in farming in Shawnee township where he re- mained for five years. He then followed farming near Zarah in Monti- cello township for two years. He then engaged in the mercantile business and wood contracting at Zarah until 1902 when he sold his store to Harry King and removed to Olathe. He then served as deputy United States marshal under United States Marshal Crum for two years, during which time he was located at Fort Scott, Kan. He then returned to Olathe where he has since resided. Mr. Hollenback was
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married in 1877 to Miss Lydia A. Archer, of Shawnee, Kan., and six children have been born to this union, four of whom are living as follows: Gertrude S. married William E. Hedburg, who is now de- ceased and she resides in Olathe; Sadie, general delivery clerk in the Olathe postoffice; Laura married Ole Hibner and resides in Toledo, Ohio, and Frank P., Jr., a pharmacist in the employ of Collard & Norris, Olathe, Kan. Mr. Hollenback is a member of the Modern Woodman of America, Knights of Pythias, the Kansas Fraternal Citi- zens, Ben Hur, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
J. W. Rea, a Civil war veteran and Johnson county pioneer, has been a resident of this county for half a century. He is a native of Ohio, born in Union county, December 8, 1834, and is a son of Allen and Maria (Bishop) Rea, both natives of Virginia, the former born in 1798 and the latter in 1800. Allen and Maria (Bishop) Rea were the parents of thirteen children, only two of whom are now living as follows : Samantha Davis resides in Texas, and J. W., the subject of this sketch. Mr. Rea was reared on a farm in Ohio and received his education in the common schools. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-sixth regiment, Ohio infantry, and was mustered out of service at Columbus, Ohio, at the expiration of his term of service. In the fall of 1865 he came to Kansas and located two miles south of Gardner. He first bought 160 acres of land and engaged in farming and stock raising, and has been very successful in his undertakings in that direction. Mr. Rea bought additional land from time to time, as he could afford to and as the opportunity offered. and now owns 320 acres of some of the best land to be found within the borders of Johnson county. He was united in marriage March 4. 1865, to Miss Nannie Clark, of Union county, Ohio. Mr. Rea has seen Johnson county develop from a wild, unbroken prairie and sparsely settled community to one of the populous counties of a great State. There were not many settlers in Gardner township when he located there. Among some of the old timers whom Mr. Rea recollects might be mentioned John A. Pierce, Hobart Hunting, Doctor Sheen, John Hermann and J. W. Sponable. Mr. Rea now resides in Olathe and is living retired, enjoying the well earned fruits of former toil.
L. H. Coker, postmaster at Holliday, is a native of Kansas, and was born in Monticello township on what is now the Thomas Anderson place, near Wilder, July 5, 1865. He is a son of Solomon and Ellen (Ingerham) Coker, the former a native of Missouri and the latter of Illinois. L. H. Coker is one of a family of three children as follows: Thomas, born in Missouri, married Myrtle Cotterson and now lives at Miami, Okla .; L. H., the subject of this sketch, and Joseph, born in Monticello township, married Cora Vorris and lives near Osawat- omie, Kan. The wife and mother of these children died in 1865 and the father married Mary Pemberton, a widow, and seven children were
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born to this union as follows: Lucy married George Benson, Olathe; Erwin married Mary Kueker, Wellsville; Allan B. married Pearl Onder- kirk, Lawrence, Kan .; Frank resides at Gardner; Edward and Henry, twins, the former residing at Wellsville, Kan., and the latter at Osa- watomie, and Wesley, Wellsville, Kan. Mr. Coker's second wife and mother of these children died in 1899, and he married for his third wife Mrs. Martha Charlton, and two children were born to this union; Ruth married Frank Dawson and they reside in North Dakota, and Arthur, unmarried, resides at Wellsville, Kan. Solomon Coker is one of the real pioneers of Johnson county. In the early days he was engaged in freighting across the plains from Westport to various points farther west. At one time he conducted a store at Old Chillicothe in Shawnee township, which was a sort of a trading post for the Shawnee Indians. L. H. Coker, whose name introduces this sketch, is purely a Johnson county product. He was reared in Monticello township and received his education in its public schools and every vote that he ever cast was in the same precinct in Monticello township. He began life as a farmer when a boy, and followed that vocation until 1910 when he engaged in the mercantile business at Monticello, remaining there one year. He then sold out and went to Los Angeles, Calif. Returning to Johnson county in six months he purchased his father's store in Monticello and moved the stock to Holliday, where he was engaged in business until July, 1915, when he sold his business to B. G. Davis, of West Plains, Mo. Mr. Coker was appointed postmaster of Holliday, May 10, 1915. He was married September 9, 1891, to Miss Emma Kueker, of Monticello township, and three children were born to this union as follows : Elsie died in infancy; Nelly, born in 1900, and Lester H., Jr., born in 1903. Mr. Coker is a Democrat and has been prominent in the local councils of his party.
Patrick Sheridan and his faithful wife, Margaret, were among that band of brave pioneers whose courage, foresight and love of home have made Johnson county what it is today. They were both natives of County Tipperary, Ireland, and in the days when their youth and en- thusiasm knew not the limitations nor infirmities of age, left their respective homes and immigrated to America, settling in Massachu- setts, where they afterwards met and were married. Patrick Sheridan was a veteran of the Civil war. He enlisted in Boston and was later transferred to a New York regiment, serving four years in all. He participated in many of the hard fought and important battles of that great conflict, including the battles of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, An- tietam and many others. Towards the close of the war he received a shrapnel wound in the left hand and lost the use of that member throughout the balance of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Sheridan were married in Massachusetts in 1869 and shortly afterwards came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county, near Switzer, where they purchased ten
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acres of land for which they paid $25 per acre. Here they proceeded to make a home for themselves in the new country. Their first resi- dence was a log cabin which they built in 1869, the year they settled here. The old building, a relic of pioneer days, is still standing and now doing service as a chicken house. They added to their original purchase and the family now own 127 acres of fine land in Johnson county. Their present comfortable and commodious residence was built in 1889. Patrick Sheridan was a frugal and industrious man and a good citizen and during his lifetime accumulated a competence and through all his years of honest toil was assisted by his noble wife who was his constant counselor and helpmate, and now in her declining years she is enjoying a comfortable home and plenty. Mr. Sheridan was accidentally killed on the Frisco railroad in 1909, and his remains are peacefully resting in the Shawnee cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Sheri- dan were born the following children: Margaret resides in Kansas City, Mo .; Catherine Agnes, on the home place with her mother ; William died at the age of ten ; Benjamin died in 1910, at the age of thirty-three; Philip died at the age of twenty-seven ; Hattie, now Mrs. Graves, Kansas City, Mo., and Thomas resides at home. The Sheridan family is well known and highly respected in the community.
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