USA > Kansas > Labette County > History of Labette County, Kansas, and representative citizens > Part 70
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During this time, to lessen the clerical work, Mr. Cowden studied out and invented a combination cabinet for the registration and recording of trainmen, which the "Katy" is now using. It is a register and train-board combined, for use on railroads, street car lines, police headquarters, and also for libraries, etc. This device assisted subject so materially in his work, that he was advised by prominent officials of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Rail- way Company, to patent his invention, which he did in 1890. The register, a sample of which is in use at the fine depot of the "Katy," at Parsons, is very neat in appearance, and is of wood trimmed with aluminum. The names of the trainmen are all placed on cards in the handsome case, and are not moved while a man is in the employ of the road. By a system of neat checks, it is shown whether a man is out or in, or if off duty, who is in his place. the time of going out, etc., thus obviat-
ing the necessity of troubling the dispatchers with numerous questions. The board hangs in front of the dispatcher's office. Mr. Cow- den received an order, and has shipped some of the registers for use on the Gulf Railway. It is a convenience indispensable to office use, and is almost certain to be immediately adopted on all railroads. Mr. Cowden will doubtless manufacture at Parsons, as the demand in- creases.
Mr. Cowden is a son of Isaac P. and Amanda (Lazarus) Cowden. His father was a merchant, but had resided about eight years at Parsons previous to his death, which oc- curred in 1891. His mother still lives in Par- sons. F. C. Cowden was the eldest of nine children: William, who is away at present, is single, and makes his home with his mother ; J. D., who is an engineer on the "Katy" road, has been a resident of Parsons for the past eighteen years, and he and his family make their home with his mother on North Johnson avenue; Martin, who holds the position of night operator for the Western Union Tele- graph Company, is single, and also makes his home with his mother; Caleb, deceased, was an operator on the "Katy" road. One of the daughters is Mrs. Dr. Albert Smith, of Par- sons; the others are deceased.
Mr. Cowden has been twice married, his first wife having been Arvilla Diver, a native of Ohio. She died in 1883, leaving five chil- dren, viz .: Minnie, Albert D., Dora, Edwin W., and Bennie. Minnie married Mr. Mc- Down, of Salt Lake City, Utah, who is em- ployed as a machinist on the Rio Grande West- ern Railway,-they have one child, Irene, five years old. Albert D. is an operator and stenog- rapher at Salt Lake City. Dora is a stenog- rapher of the same place. Edwin W. is oper- jator and agent on the Missouri, Kansas &
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Texas Railway, and is located at Urbana, Kansas. Bennie is a youth of seventeen years, who is assisting his brother at Urbana, and acting as extra agent and operator. Mr. Cow- den contracted a second marriage alliance. This union was with Nellie French, a daughter of Z. D. French, of Lawrenceville, Illinois, -her mother being deceased. One child, Eva, was born of this marriage, who died at the tender age of one year and five months.
In political affairs, Mr. Cowden has always been a Republican, but not a politician. So- cially, he is a member of the Modern Wood- men of America, the A. O. U. W., and for- merly belonged to the I. O. O. F., and Select Friends. Mrs. Cowden is a member of the Select Friends, also. Mr. Cowden and his es- timable wife are members of the Presbyterian church, which religious belief subject espoused. when but fourteen years of age.
ARTIN V. DAVIS, senior mem- ber of the firm of Davis & Son, who conduct a general merchan- dise and feed store at Parsons, Kansas, located in Labette county in the fall of 1868, following some friends who had set- tled here some time previously. Mr. Davis was born in Clark county, Illinois, in 1837, and was reared in Paris, Edgar county, Illinois. He is a son of Thomas and Narcissa (Craig) Davis.
Thomas Davis was a pioneer farmer of Illinois, and died about 1885. He was a life- long Democrat, and descended from one of the first families of Kentucky. Mrs. Thomas Davis, who is still living in Illinois, and has attained the great age of eighty-five years, is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, her grandmother
having been born on the ocean, en route from Scotland to America. Thirteen children were born to this worthy couple, the eldest of whom is Martin V., the subject hereof. The second and third died in infancy. The others are: Nancy; Ardilla; Mary; Clarinda; twins, who died at birth; Melissa; Thomas B .; Amanda; and Isaac. Nancy ( Moffett) died, leaving five children. Ardilla (Adams) is a resident of Charleston, Illinois. Mary first married a Mr. Ellege, who is deceased; she is now the wife of Mr. Wells, who lives at Paris, Illinois, but formerly lived in Labette county, Kansas. Clarinda married a Mr. Han- cock. Melissa ( Winkleblack) resides in Illi- nois. Thomas B. is a Baptist minister in mis- sionary service. Amanda is the wife of Rev. Henry Toles, a Christian preacher, residing three miles south of Oklahoma City. Isaac is a prosperous farmer, living near Westfield, Illi- nois.
Mr. Davis had in his youth limited edu- cational advantages. Previous to coming west, he followed agricultural pursuits in Illinois. Upon arriving in Labette county, Kansas, he took up a claim in North township, to which he added from time to time, and now owns a 500-acre farm. He followed farming until 1890, when he was elected county treasurer of Labette county, and served two years, during which he lived in Oswego, the county-seat. The following year (1893), he returned to Parsons and opened a grocery and feed store in a building which he erected for the pur- pose; this building was afterwards sold, and is now occupied by Mr. Holcomb.
Mr. Davis then removed his stock to his present large and commodious store at No. 1805 Johnson avenue. This store is 25 by 150 feet, in dimensions. Mr. Davis admitted his son, Thomas Jefferson, into partnership, and
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the firm carries a stock of flour, feed, dry goods and groceries, a fine line of dry goods having been added, in 1900. Two other sons assist in the store, and two additional clerks are em- ployed,-making a total of five persons re- quired to handle the business.
In the early days, owing to the absence of railroads, Mr. Davis was obliged to send into Missouri for provisions. The settlers were then mostly along the water courses, and trav- eled by boat, all the best claims having been taken as early as 1870.
Mr. Davis has been thrice married. His first union was in Illinois, in 1858, with Theresa Downs, who died in 1863, leaving two sons, Thomas Jefferson and Robert James. The elder son is the junior member of the firm of Davis & Son; he married a Miss Eldridge, and they have one child, Hope. Robert James has been twice married. His first wife was a Miss Peak, before her marriage; at her death she was survived by one child, May. His sec- ond wife, Mary Reid before marriage, is also deceased, having left three daughters and one son. Robert James Davis resides at Neal. Greenwood county, Kansas, where he is suc- cessfully engaged in the hardware and gro- cery business. Mr. Davis gave each of his boys a farm. Farming, however, was not to their taste. Promptly disposing of their farms, they entered mercantile life.
In 1864 Mr. Davis contracted a second matrimonial alliance, being united at that time, with a Miss Wells, who died four years later, leaving an additional son to the care of her husband. This son is Isaac Nelson. He is now married and has one child, Ray, who is connected with the hardware firm of Steel & Company, of Parsons.
Again Mr. Davis forsook the state of sin- gle blessedness, and contracted a third mar-
riage; this time Clarinda Eldridge, a daughter of Otis Eldridge, of Illinois, became his wife. Five children were the result of this union. May, the eldest of these, married Dr. Peak, a prominent dentist of Parsons; Otis, the next in order of birth, was a member of the class of 1901, at the college at Emporia, Kansas; Orin T. and Martin Ernest,-both high school students ; and Hollie M., aged four years.
Mr. Davis has lived to see his efforts crowned with success. In addition to his fine farm, already mentioned, and his splendid store building, he also owns a handsome residence at No. 1331 Washington avenue. Previous to his election as county treasurer, he was a Dem- ocrat, but now votes the Fusion ticket. Fra- ternally, he is a member of the Sons and Daughters of Justice, and of the Select Friends, of which Mrs. Davis is also a mem- ber. In his religious convictions, Mr. Davis is a believer in the old and time-honored teach- ings of the Church of Christ. He has made a study of the most successful business meth- ods, and is a useful, upright and law abiding citizen, on the sunny, western slope of life.
F. TIBBETS, who was one of the earliest settlers of Labette coun- ty, Kansas, came here in 1869, and has been located upon his present home farm,-the southeast quarter of section 23, township 33, range 18,-in Mound Valley township, since 1870. He was born in Jef- ferson county, Indiana, December 25, 1848, and is a son of J. H. and Sarah (Nelson) Tibbets.
J. H. Tibbets and his wife now reside in Canada township, Labette county, Kansas, aged eighty-two and eighty-one years, re-
WILLIAM ROUSH.
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spectively. The former was reared in Ohio, and the latter in Vermont. Two of C. F. Tibbets' brothers also came west, namely: J. N., a farmer in Oklahoma; and J. F., who re- sides near the subject hereof.
C. F. Tibbets was reared in Indiana and Ohio, and took advantage of the opportunities for an education afforded by the common schools of those states. Some of his friends having moved west, to Labette county, Kan- sas, he also took the same course in Septem- ber, 1869, accompanied by his uncle, Joseph Nelson, and Dick Stott, who was formerly treasurer of Cherokee county, and a Mr. Cook, who soon after returned to Indiana. In the spring of 1870 he located as a claim his pres- ent home farm, in Mound Valley township. He went to Colorado in 1877, and spent five years in mining, after which he returned to his farm, on which he has since been located. His father also came to this county, and now resides on the southwest quarter of section 23, Canada township. C. F. Tibbets has made all the improvements' upon his place, and has a first class farm in every particular. The old part of his house was built of soft pine, which had been hauled from Oswego by ox teams. His present house was built in 1882, and is of comfortable size and substantially built. A fine barn, 38 by 50 feet in size, was built sev- eral years later. He has set out considerable hedge and has some natural timber. He spent his first winter and spring in and about Os- wego and Chetopa. He is engaged in diversi- fied farming, raises corn, wheat and oats, and has a fine clover meadow. He has also had success with timothy, having seeded 14 acres, from which he cut a large amount of hay. He has an excellent supply of water from a pond 40 rods long, which is supplied by springs. It has never gone dry, although he has watere!
as many as 200 head of cattle. He has been very successful in his work, and enjoys the friendship and esteem of all who know him.
Mr. Tibbets was united in marriage, in this county, with Augusta Swanson, who was born in Moline, Illinois, in 1855, and came west with her parents. Her father is deceased, and her mother resides in Colorado. Mr. and Mrs. Tibbets have five children: Earl T., who is at home; Lillian, who attends school at Alta- mont, and will graduate in 1901, after which she will probably teach school; Nellie, who at- tends the County High School at Altamont; and Jewell and Roy, who are at home. Mr. Tibbets lives in School Dictrict No. 41, and is treasurer of the school board. He is a Re- publican in politics, and, religiously, is a Bap- tist. He and his wife are members of the Sons and Daughters of Justice.
ILTON M. ROUSH is a member of the firm of W. Roush Sons, which does an extensive hardware and tinning business in the city of Parsons, Kansas, and its vicinity. He is one of its most enterprising citizens, and takes a deep interest in the welfare and growth of the city, where he has been located since 1880. Milton M. Roush was born November 25, 1862, and is a son of William Roush, and a grandson of Morehart and Elizabeth Roush.
His grandparents had 13 children, as fol- lows: George, a resident of Michigan, who was born February 5, 1825; John, who was born June 29, 1827, and keeps a tinshop at Lima, Ohio; Joseph, who was born March 6, 1829, and is a farmer and a hub and spoke manufacturer, of Macon, Georgia; William, the father of Milton H .; Catherine (Cope-
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land), who was born July 27, 1834, and lives at Lima, Ohio; Henry, who was born July 16, 1836, and is a farmer and pension attorney at Siam, Iowa; Franklin, born October 1, 1838, and Philip, born December 26, 1840, who live near Lima, Ohio; Jacob, who was born March 18, 1845, and is a stationary engineer, of Day- ton, Ohio; Theodore, who was born January 18, 1847, and is in Lima, Ohio; Jane ( Boose), born December 4, 1848, and Emma (Rob- erts), born May 7, 1850, who live near Lima, Ohio; and Ephraim, who was born March 6. 1852, and runs a dairy farm near Lima, Ohio.
William Roush was born February 26, 1831, in Pennsylvania, and went to Wiscon- sin when a young man, and was at one time a rafter on the Wisconsin river. He located in Kansas in 1868, and engaged in the hardware business at Osage Mission, where he remained until 1878, when he moved to Burlington, Kansas, and in 1880 established the business now conducted by his sons in Parsons, Kan- sas, and served as alderman from the Third Ward. He was a stanch Republican, in poli- tics. He died in June, 1899, at the age of sixty-six years. He was united in marriage, in Wisconsin, with Sarah A. Osman, who was born in that state, March 6, 1833, and still lives in Parsons, Kansas. They became par- ents of 10 children, as follows: William H., Jr .; Joseph Franklin; Andrew Jackson; Mary Elizabeth; Luella Jane; Milton M .; Ulysses Grant; Edmond Davis; Emma Elnora; and Ida May. William H., Jr., was born January 8, 1857, and is now in the restaurant business at Shawnee, Oklahoma. Joseph Franklin, born September 7, 1853, was killed on the rail- road at St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1893. An- drew Jackson, born August 25, 1855, runs a tinshop at Tipton, Georgia. Mary Elizabeth (Ream), born September 10, 1858, resides in
Labette county, Kansas. Luella Jane (Pat- terson), born March 4, 1861, also lives in Par- sons. Ulysses Grant, a barber of Parsons, was born October 15, 1865. Edmond Davis, born April 6, 1867, married Nellie Chapin, of Erie, Neosho county, and has two sons. Carl M. and Emil J. Emma Elnora (Rorschach), born November 30, 1869, lives at Shawnee, Okla- homa. Ida May (McBirney), born October 20, 1877, is a resident of Carthage, Missouri. William Roush was a Mason and a Knight Templar. He enlisted during the Civil War in the 44th Reg., Wis. Vol. Inf., and served three years. He was a member of the local post of the G. A. R., and held many of the offices.
Milton M. Roush was virtually reared in Kansas, and was located on a farm near Bur- lington. He accompanied his father to Par- sons in 1880, and the tinning business was established one year later, in the building now occupied by Bartlett & Company. They re- moved to the building opposite their present one on Johnson avenue, in 1883 or 1884, and continued there until 1896, when they again changed their location to No. 1827 Johnson avenue. A building 100 by 25 feet in dimen- sions accommodates their stock, 100 square feet being now devoted to hardware,-a line of which they began to carry in 1883. In ad- dition to the members of the firm, M. M. and E. D. Roush, five men are employed, and more than that number are sometimes required. They do all kinds of tin roofing and have a very extensive and profitable business.
In 1885 Milton M. Roush was united in marriage with Addie B. Gardner, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1866, and is a daughter of Carlyle D. Gardner. When three years old she was taken to Kansas, and was living in Neosho county at the time of her
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marriage. This union resulted in two chil- dren: Guy, aged fourteen years; and Nina Florence, aged eleven years. Fraternally, Mr. Roush is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen; Modern Woodmen of America; and Knights of the Maccabees. His brother, Edmond Davis Roush, is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Knights of the Maccabees. In politics, Milton M. Roush is a Republican, and was alderman from the Third Ward,-his term ex- pired in April, 1899. In religious attach- ments, he and the other members of the fam- ily are members of the Christian church. Mr. Roush has a beautiful new home at No. 1618 Crawford avenue.
A portrait of William Roush is presented on another page in connection with this sketch.
n ELSON E. ALLEN, a partner in the Parsons Lumber Company, is one of the most enterprising and prosperous business men of Parsons, Kansas. Mr. Allen is a direct descendant of the famous Ethan Allen, of Revolutionary fame. His parents, William D. and Eleanor (Thompson) Allen, were born in the Empire State,-his fa- ther, in 1826, and his mother, in 1834. They are still living, and reside on a farm near Os- wego, Kansas. Eight children were born to this worthy couple, as follows: E. C., who is a traveling salesman, of Denver, Colorado; F. D., who carries on a general merchandise busi- ness' at Baldwin, Kansas; F. A., a traveling man, of Denver; C. W., who, at the age of twenty-seven years, was killed in the mines, at Webb City, Missouri; Celia (Cloud), resid- ing near Oswego, Kansas; Nelson E., the sub-
ject of this biography ; L. J., a home missionary of the Presbyterian church, now located at Colby, Kansas; and Ella, wife of Charles Per- kins, residing near Oswego, Kansas.
Nelson E. Allen was born in February, 1862, in Livingston county, New York, which was also the birthplace of his father. When he was but two years old, his parents went west, to Lyon county, Kansas, and settled at Waushara, where they remained ten years. When he was twelve years old, the family re- moved to Chetopa, Labette county, Kansas, and young Nelson received his mental training in the public schools of that place. His first work was performed in the grocery store of Allen Brothers, of Chetopa, who then did business at the present stand of White & Bates, and were pioneer business men of that town.
Mr. Allen continued to follow the grocery business until 1882, and then accepted a po- sition as clerk at McCreery's lumber yard at Parsons, which he held two years. During the "boom" of Western Kansas, he spent four years in Scott and Hamilton counties, the first year, with F. P. Dicus & Company, lumber- men, and about an equal length of time as a partner in the general merchandise and banking house of Millikin & Brandt, where he acted as cashier. Messrs. Millikin and Brandt were both attorneys and pioneer settlers of Labette county ; both died several years later .. of con- sumption. Mr. Allen also served two years as cashier of the Kendall State Bank.
Returning to Labette county, in 1893, Mr. Allen had charge of the lumber business of Clark & Bates, at Chetopa, for three years, and then became manager for the same com- pany, at Parsons. He retained the latter po- sition until the spring of 1900, when the pres- ent company, which includes C. K. Leinbach as a partner, was formed. The Parsons Lum-
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ber Company is undoubtedly one of the most flourishing lumber companies in Parsons. It carries a full line of building materials, brick, lime, cement, house furnishing materials, and also yellow and white pine, cypress, redwood and cedar shingles. It purchases material from, perhaps, 20 different firms,-the greater part of its sash and doors coming from Kan- sas City and St. Louis. Its extensive lumber yards cover a ground space of 162 by 150 feet, and have ample shed-room for contractor's supplies, etc., which they also handle.
The office of the company is a fine building and is the same formerly used by William Mexwell, now deceased, who was a pioneer lumberman of Parsons, and whose son, the present William Mexwell, is the efficient and accommodating bookkeeper for the company. From two to three workmen are kept con- stantly employed about the yards, as the com- pany enjoys, undoubtedly, a larger patronage than any other lumber firm in the city. Be- sides being a member of this firm, Mr. Allen is also the junior member of the firm of Gilker- son & Allen, lumber dealers of Welch, Indian Territory.
Mr. Allen owns a fine modern residence . at No. 1300 Corning avenue. In 1896 he was united in marriage with Nellie Lough, daugh- ter of J. A. Lough. Mrs. Allen comes of a Canadian family, who were among the early settlers of Labette county. Her father is de- ceased, while the remainder of the family re- side in Labette county, some in Altamont, and some in Chetopa. One daughter, Ruth, blesses the home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen. Mr. Allen fa- vors the Presbyterian faith, while his wife was reared within the folds of the M. E. church. In political action, Mr. Allen is' a supporter of Republican principles. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the
Modern Woodmen of America. Starting out as a poor boy, his life has been a steady ad- vance up to the present time. The manly qual- ities of self reliance and perseverance have en- abled him to accomplish what he has, and he now occupies a recognized position as one of the leading citizens of Parsons.
AUNDERS A. BIGGS, a prominent real estate dealer of Parsons, Kan- sas, in whose development he has aided materially in many ways, has excellent family connections. On his father's side he is a scion of a well known New York family, of English extraction. On his mother's side, he is of German and Scotch descent, his mother being a lineal descendant of Gen. Arm- strong, of Revolutionary War fame. Saun- ders A. Biggs was born in New York City, December 14, 1841, and is a son of Isaac A. and Harriet A. (Nellis) Biggs, both of whom are buried in Greenwood Cemetery, New York, with two sons by their side. The father was born on Long Island, while the mother was a native of Montgomery county, New York. Of their five children composing the family, the third and fourth sons, Eugene C. R. and Aberdeen C., are deceased. Saunders A. is the eldest of the children. Isaac L., the sec- ond son, was formerly private secretary to C. K. Garrison, but is now in the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, and lives in New York City. Ida A., the youngest of the children (and the only daughter), is un- married, and has her home in New York City.
Saunders A. Biggs was educated in his native city, principally, in an Episcopal private school. He remained at home and assisted his father in the real estate business' until April, 1861, when he enlisted as a private in Com-
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pany B, 7Ist Reg., New York State Militia. He served three months under Captain (after- ward Colonel) B. L. Trafford, in response to President Lincoln's call for volunteers, and was honorably discharged from service in July, 1861.
In April, 1863, Mr. Biggs was commis- sioned as an enrollment officer of New York State, with headquarters in New York City, which position he filled in a successful and capable manner. He subsequently reengaged with his father in the real estate business, un- der the firm name of Isaac A. Biggs & Son. To this work he devoted his time and talents, until June, 1876, when he came west, and lo- cated in Parsons, Kansas, July 19, 1876.
The same year, a real estate company was formed by Mr. Biggs, consisting of Angell Matthewson, Merrit Noyes and himself. This company continued to carry on a real estate, loan and abstract business, with office on Cen- tral avenue, between Forest and Belmont ave- nues. Mr. Biggs withdrew from the com- pany in 1878, and engaged in general mer- chandising in company with A. J. Cary, under the firm name of Cary & Biggs. They con- tinued in this line until 1881, at different loca- tions, removing to larger quarters, as their business increased. Then, on account of too close confinement for the subject of this sketch, the firm was dissolved, by mutual consent, and Mr. Biggs became connected with the City Bank of Angell Matthewson & Company, as examiner of real estate loans. He filled that position until 1893, and resigned at that time to accept a similar position with the Inter- State Mortgage & Trust Company. This he held until 1901. He then engaged in the real estate, loan, insurance and coal business, at Nos. 301 and 303 South Central avenue, his present location.
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