USA > Kansas > Leavenworth County > History of Leavenworth County Kansas > Part 31
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There were about sixty or seventy men from Alexandria Township who served in different Kansas regiments during the Civil War, and James W. Powell, the subject of this sketch, is the only one known to be living. John Brown and Sarah Ann Jeffries are the only people now living there who lived there when Kansas was admitted to the Union in 1861. The first frame house in Alexandria Township, which was built by Robert Courtney, is still standing and is occupied by Jane Courtney.
James W. Powell was married May 2, 1869, to Cynthia A. Wickersham, at Springdale. She was a daughter of John Wickersham. She died Octo- ber 26, 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Powell have five daughters: Azalea, the wife of William Wright, of Leavenworth; Flora, widow of Frank Barbour, of Kansas City, Missouri; Elizabeth, wife of Hubert Vantloster, of Kansas City, Missouri; Clara, the wife of Frank Wright, of Leavenworth; and Grace, the widow of Harry Caldwell, Atchison, Kansas.
Mr. Powell has eleven grandchildren, as follows: Rubie Wright, the wife of Sam Harbester, a clerk in the postoffice at Leavenworth; Glenn Barbour, of Kansas City, Missouri, who is chief clerk for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company; Osmund Vantloster; Helen Vantloster; Mau- rinne Caldwell; Evalyn Caldwell ; William Caldwell; Harriett Caldwell ; Jack Caldwell; and Constance.
James W. Powell has lived a very serviceable life, both to his family and to his country. During the Civil War he was a member of Company
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F, Twelfth Kansas Infantry, under General Blunt, and served in the army of the frontier. His regiment was commanded by Gen. James Lane and Colonel Adams. He was in the battles of Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas; Prairie Deham and numerous other skirmishes.
Mr. Powell moved to Leavenworth in 1881 and built the house where he now lives. He is well known and has a host of friends. He has been working for the Leavenworth and Topeka Railway Company for the past ten years. Mr. Powell was appointed postmaster at the Soldiers Home by President Mckinley and served in that capacity for four years and two months.
R. E. Doran, a successful grocer who for the past seven years has conducted an up-to-date grocery at the corner of Second and Pottawato- mie streets, Leavenworth, is a native of Leavenworth. He is the son of P. A. and Bridget (Fox) Doran, who were both born in Ireland and came to this country when children. P. A. Doran was employed at the Planters Hotel in pioneer days, and his wife, Bridget (Fox) Doran, was employed as a governess to to General Schofield's family. General Scho- field was located at Fort Leavenworth at this time.
P. A. Doran and Bridget Fox were married in 1858 and they were the parents of five children, as follows: Mrs. Mary Talbott, Leavenworth; Mrs. A. C. Schwartz, Kansas City, Missouri; John and Thomas, both de- ceased; and Robert, the subject of this sketch. P. A. Doran died in 1900 and his wife in 1899.
Robert Doran received his early education in the parochial and public schools of Leavenworth and was employed in the restaurant and laundry business before he opened his grocery store at the present address in 1914. He handles a complete line of groceries, fresh vegetables and meats. He owns the store building and with his two children, Dorothy and Bobbie, resides in the adjoining building south.
Mr. Doran is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Dr. T. G. V. Boling, deceased, was a pioneer settler and physician of Leavenworth County and during the course of his career was prominently identified with the early development and progress of this county. He attended the Wesleyan College, at Delaware, Ohio, and graduated from the Cleveland, Ohio, Medical College. He located at Leavenworth, Kansas,
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in 1865 as a practicing physician. One year later he moved his residence to the farm on which his widow now resides. It was prairie at that time and he lived under the pioneer conditions of the day. At the time of his death, July 26, 1893, he owned 650 acres of land. This land is still owned by the heirs.
Dr. T. G. V. Boling was elected State Senator for two terms from his district and while in the Legislature, was appointed on the Railroad Committee. The Leavenworth, Topeka & Southwestern railway runs through one corner of the farm and the station of Boling was named in honor of Doctor Boling. He was a prominent stock feeder and shipper of hogs and cattle and one of the very wealthy men of the county.
Doctor Boling was born in Holmes County, Ohio, and was buried in High Prairie cemetery.
T. G. V. Boling was married twice. The first time to Fannie Long of Millersburg, Ohio. One son, Dr. Robert L. Boling, was born to them. He married Elizabeth Mason. They live at Reno, Nevada. The second time he married Mrs. Mary J. (Keller) McCune. She was the daughter of Henry B. and Mary C. (Cook) Keller, of Leavenworth, Kansas.
Henry B. Keller came to Kansas from Platte County, Missouri, about 1857. He settled on a farm where he lived many years, later retiring to Leavenworth, where he died in 1897. Four of his sons were in the Civil War, as follows: Squire B., Benjamin F., David J., and George. The other children of the family were John H., Alonzo P., Andrew J., and Mrs. Bol- ing. Their mother, Mrs. Mary C. (Cook) Keller was born November 9, 1820 and died December 4, 1870.
Mrs. Mary J. (Keller) McCune was the widow of James B. McCune, who was born in Ohio. They were married in 1867 and one child was born to this union. James H. McCune, who now lives with his mother, unmarried. James McCune, Sr., was educated in Ohio and also attended Martin's Ferry Seminary of Virginia. He died at the age of thirty-four.
Dr. T. G. V. Boling and Mary Keller (McCune) had two children born to them, Mary Stella, the widow of William A. Barnhardt, who passed away in 1907. They had one son, Robert Gordon, now sixteen years old, a student at the Jarbalo High School; and William H. Boling, also un- married and at home with mother.
The farm of Doctor Boling, now owned by his children and widow is located in High Prairie Township. It has belonged to the family for over fifty years and the name of Doctor Boling is kept fresh through the asso- ciations of this old-time landmark.
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C. E. Pettit, conducts a grocery at 1110 Spruce street, Leavenworth, the successor of the William Gough grocery. C. E. Pettit purchased this business in March, 1919, coming from St. Joseph, Missouri.
C. E. Pettit was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, the son of John and Annie (Crook) Pettit. John Pettit was a farmer of Buchanan County Missouri, and died when C. E. Pettit was four years of age. Mrs. Annie (Crook) Pettit was born in Rushville, Missouri. By a former marriage to Mr. Creveling she had two children, Jesse, of St. Joseph, Missouri, and Mrs. Bertha Strickler, Colorado Springs, Colorado. John and Annie Pettit were the parents of the following children: C. E., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Flora Conberry, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Mrs. Mattie Alex- ander, Savannah, Missouri. By a later marriage to Mr. Pullen, Mrs. Annie Pettit was the mother of twins, Claude of Leavenworth, Kan- sas; and Mrs. Maude Vey, of St. Joseph, Missouri. Mrs. Annie Pettit Pullen still resides in Leavenworth.
C. E. Pettit was married April 2, 1919, to Pearl Edgell of Leavenworth. She is the daughter of Hezekiah and Julia (Knapp) Edgell. Hezekiah Edgell was an early settler of Leavenworth County, coming here from Handcock County, Indiana when a child with his widowed mother. They settled near Kickapoo, Kansas on a farm, where he worked with his mother on the farm. Before the Civil War, Hezekiah Edgell had crossed the western plains many times, following the old Santa Fe trail and driv- ing ox teams. During the Civil War he volunteered and joined Company I, 15th Kansas Cavalry. He served his country for two years and nine- teen days. He was in many important battles. At the close of the war, Hezekiah Edgell returned to his mother's farm and remained with her until he was married to Julia Knapp, in 1872. He was thirty-two years of age at this time.
After his marriage, Hezekiah Edgell farmed in Waubaunsee County, Kansas, for five years. He then came to Leavenworth where he was en- gaged in the dairy business for many years. Later he and his wife moved to Boling, Kansas and engaged in farming, but again returned to Leavenworth where they continued in the dairy business until Heze- kiah Edgell was seventy years old. He died in 1918, seventy-eight years old. His wife, Julia (Knapp) Edgell resides at 1425 Spruce street. They had three children, as follows: Frank, at home at Leavenworth, Kansas; Thomas, also at home, and Mrs. Pearl Pettit.
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Mr. Pettit since purchasing the William Gough grocery has been successfully conducting an up-to-date business, handling fresh groceries and fruits.
Charles Gist, the capable and successful owner of the telephone ex- change at Boling, Kansas, was born in High Prairie Township. He is the son of John and Kate (Wilhite) Gist.
John Gist was born in Maryland, the son of George Gist, a surveyor. George Gist moved from Maryland to Ohio and from there went to Weston, Missouri. In 1850 he came to Leavenworth, Kansas. It was while on his surveying work that he met his death.
In 1850, John Gist homesteaded land on the present site of Twenty- Second street in Leavenworth. In 1856, he sold this claim and purchased 320 acres of land in High Prairie Township where he lived many years, taking an active interest in all of the local affairs of his county and town- ship. He was for years county commissioner from his district. His farm has improved in value and productivity as the years have gone by. In 1899 he died and his wife died in 1907. They were the parents of the following children: Arthur, Leavenworth; Mrs. Emma Thompson, died near Waco, Texas; Charles, the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Minnie Lewis, deceased ; William, in Hollywood, California; Walter, in Delaware Town- ship, Leavenworth County, and Maud, of Hollywood, California.
Charles Gist attended the district school of High Prairie Township and the Spaulding Commercial College of Kansas City, Missouri. He fol- lowed farming for a number of years, then operated a blacksmith shop at Boling, later a general merchandise store at Boling for seven years. Mr. Gist owns a drug store at Plattsburg, Missouri, which is managed by his son-in-law, Rex Thorning.
In 1904, Charles Gist took over the management of the Boling Tele- phone Company. The exchange has 205 phones in High Prairie, Alex- andria, Delaware and Tonganoxie townships. It is also connected up with the Leavenworth, Tonganoxie, Lansing, Basehor and Easton exchanges. Mr. Gist makes his home in Boling, Kansas, where he has ten acres of land, three acres of which are in orchard and the balance in grass and under cultivation. Charles Gist has always taken an active interest in the local affairs and has filled the office of treasurer of Prairie Township for a number of years. He is a substantial Leavenworth County citi-
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zen. He is a member of Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Boling, Kansas.
In 1878, Charles Gist married Lucy Snell, a native of High Prairie Township. She died in 1895, leaving a family of five children, as follows: Frank, died at seven years; Dr. William Gist, of Kansas City, Missouri; Mary, wife of Rex Thorning, Plattsburg, Missouri; Grover, died when seventeen years of age; and Nora, at home. Mr. Gist was married the second time in 1899 to Emma Fisher, a daughter of George and Anna B. (Klaus) Fisher, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The former died January, 1914, the latter lives in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Dr. William Gist, the son of Charles and Lucy (Snell) Gist is now in charge of the General Hospital at Kansas City, Missouri. William Gist enlisted in the Hospital Corps, Regular Army, when only seventeen years of age and served in the Philippine Islands for three years.
When Doctor Gist returned from the Philippines he attended the Kansas City Medical College, and graduated from this institution, and began practice in Kansas City, Missouri. When hostilities broke out on the Mexican border, he again enlisted, with the rank of Captain. He returned shortly after and took up his practice. Dr. Gist was in the National Guard and in 1917, he again enlisted in the army and was sent to Camp Funston, later to Camp Sill, Oklahoma, where he was to ar- range for the camping of the recruits. He was sent to France with the first detachment of troops. While here he was promoted to the rank of Major. He was in charge of the 110th Sanitary Train, a division of the hospital corps, attached to the 35th Division.
After being in France for nearly fifteen months, Doctor Gist returned home. In 1920 he was appointed Superintendent of the General Hospi- tal at Kansas City, Missouri.
Dr. William Gist married Gertrude Aaron, of High Prairie Township and they have one son, Wilmont.
B. W. Stoneburner, the proprietor of Walnut Grove Dairy farm, one of the leading farms of this kind in High Prairie Township was born in Bates County, Missouri, January 1, 1884, the son of John and Hattie (Freeman) Stoneburner, both natives of Bates County, Missouri. John Stoneburner died in Boise City, Ohio, several years ago and his wife lives at Glencoe, Oklahoma.
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B. W. Stoneburner received his education in Missouri, and came to Leavenworth County in 1911, settling in Delaware Township. He rented land for awhile and then bought the Evans farm in this township, which he still owns. He bought his home farm March, 1920, from T. I. Maines. This farm consists of 190 acres and is located southwest of Leavenworth. A building on the farm now used as a barn was formerly the county home. Mr. Stoneburner is in the dairy business and has eighteen grade Holstein cows. He ships milk to Kansas City, Missouri. He also raises mules, grade Poland-China hogs and White Leghorn chickens. Mr. Stoneburner has six acres in alfalfa. The farm is well watered, having five springs on the place and two good wells. The other improvements are residence, good barn and silo. The residence is situated on the "poor farm" road, which runs through the farm.
Mr. Stoneburner was married August 11, 1915, to Carrie Evans, a daughter of Aaron and Serranda (Hartman) Evans. The former died November 23, 1885, and the latter died January 16, 1920. Both are buried at Mt. Muncie. Aaron Evans was a member of the Kansas State Militia at the time of Price's Raid. Mrs. Stoneburner was their only child and was born on the home place in Delaware Township.
Mr. and Mrs. Stoneburner are energetic and industrious and stand high in their vicinity.
A. C. Lark, a leading business man of Leavenworth, who manages the DeCoursey Creamery of Leavenworth at 321 Shawnee street is a native of Kansas City, Kansas. He attended the ward and high schools of that city and spent eighteen months in Spaulding's Commercial Col- lege, beginning at the latter school the day they opened up their new build- ing at Tenth and Oak streets. Mr. Lark was graduated from this school June, 1909, and, prior to coming to Leavenworth in September, 1919, he was with the DeCoursey Creamery at their Kansas City plant for two and one-half years, thus having a thorough knowledge of the business before accepting the position as manager of their branch here. Mr. Lark possesses marked executive ability and is thoroughly reliable.
Ed DeCoursey was the founder of the DeCoursey Creameries, and is one of the pioneers in this business in Leavenworth, Kansas. He re- sides in Kansas City, Kansas, and his sons, James, Frank and William, are conducting the business, one of the most extensive of its kind in the state.
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The firm lives up to its motto-"Twin products of quality." The cream- ery at Kansas City, Kansas, manufactures White Rose butter and Per- fection ice cream, in which products they specialize. The company has large plants at Kansas City, Kansas ; Wichita, Kansas, and many branches throughout the state. McLouth, Leavenworth, and Yates Center are the most important ones.
Mr. Lark is a native of Wyandotte County, Kansas, the son of Mark and Veronica (Weaver) Lark, who reside in Kansas City, Kansas. Mark Lark works for the Armour car lines, having charge of the construction of the cars.
August 23, 1913, Mr. Lark was married to Mary Sneller, of Kansas City, Kansas, in which city she was born and reared. They have three children: Margaret, Paul and Richard.
William L. LaCaille, a well known farmer of Kickapoo Township, is a native of this township, and was born July 12, 1865, the son of Julian and Lenora (Groff) LaCaille, and was the fourth of seven children born to them, as follows: Joseph, deceased; Josephine, deceased, who married Lemuel Wright; Eugene, deceased; Maggie, the wife of O. W. Hiatt, de- ceased; Nora, the wife of George Fellmann, of Leavenworth; Rosa, the wife of John Bedwell, of Lansing, Kansas.
Julian LaCaille was a native of Canada, born October 12, 1819. He was a hardware clerk in early manhood, and later traveled extensively from St. Louis to California, where he was engaged in gold mining, and about the year 1856, he came to Kansas and engaged in farming in the northern part of Leavenworth County, in Kickapoo Township. Later he engaged in the mercantile business in the Salt Creek Valley, and conducted a tavern and grocery store until his death in 1895. He was a member of the school board, and belonged to the Catholic Church, and assisted in organizing Sacred Heart Church of Kickapoo Township. His wife was born in Baden, Germany in 1829 and died in 1905. Both she and her husband are buried in Kickapoo Cemetery.
William LaCaille has always lived on a farm. He bought his first farm in 1893, which was known as the old Col. Bill Cody farm in Kickapoo Township. He improved this place and still owns it, which is two miles west of his present residence. The place where he now makes his home was owned by David Powers, and there is a large, modern brick residence
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on this farm, which was constructed in 1872. Mr. LaCaille is an enterpris- ing and progressive citizen of his community. He was educated in the district schools, is a member of the Catholic Church, and of the Modern Woodmen of America Lodge. In politics, he is a Democrat.
May 20, 1891, Mr. LaCaille was married to Katherine Schweizer, who was born in the town of Kickapoo, December 14, 1872, the daughter of George and Katherine (Schott) Schweizer, who were natives of Germany and Kansas respectively. George Schweizer is deceased and a sketch of him appears in this volume.
Mr. and Mrs. LaCaille are the parents of five children, the oldest hav- ing died in infancy. The other children are: William G., of Pasadena, California; Doerle, the wife of J. F. Doran, of Topeka, Kansas; Rosa and Katherine, at home. They also have the following grandchildren: Robert and Pauline LaCaille, and Thomas Lewis, Doran.
William G. LaCaille was a soldier during the World War, and served twelve months. He went overseas with the Three Hundred and Twelfth Field Artillery, and was a private.
William LaCaille was the very efficient superintendent of the County Poor Farm from 1905 until 1911, and served on the school board for eighteen years.
John N. Kopp, is a pioneer citizen of Leavenworth, and proprietor of one of this city's important industrial institutions, operating an ice, fuel and feed business at Eighth and Miami streets. He was born May 16, 1873, the son of John and Margaret (Maurer) Kopp, the latter now lives at Eleventh and Pottawatomie streets. John Kopp was one of the pioneer business men of Leavenworth. He started the ice business in 1859 and followed this industry until his death in 1896. He obtained his ice from the Missouri River, having ice houses at Third and Chestnut streets and Eleventh and Miami streets. He is buried at Mt. Muncie.
Mr. and Mrs. John Kopp were the parents of the following children: Mrs. Louise Conrad, Mrs. Louis Falk, John N., the subject of this sketch; and Margaret, the wife of Charles Baer, deceased, of Denver, Colorado.
John N. Kopp has spent all of his life in Leavenworth. He succeeded his father in business in 1898. He also sells a two in one ice saw which he patented November 22, 1910. This saw is very useful in the ice busi- ness, as it saves labor, time and money. Mr. Kopp has orders for it from (24)
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all parts of the United States. Mr. Kopp has also found time to take an active interest in the affairs of the town and in April, 1906, was elected a member of the council and served two years. He was re-elected and served one year, when the Commission form of government was adopted. Peter Everhardy, now Finance Commissioner, was mayor at the time Mr. Kopp served as Councilman. Mr. Kopp is a good business man, and has many friends in this vicinity. Mr. Kopp is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Redmen and Turners.
October 16, 1900, Mr. Kopp was married to Rose Clark, of Paola, Kansas. They have three children: John T., Loretta and Clark Leo. The family reside at 505 North Eleventh street, and are among the town's best citizens.
George H. Kuhnhoff, a progressive young farmer of High Prairie Township, is a native of Kansas, and was born in Atchison County, March 4, 1898, the son of W. A. and Ottelia (Hinz) Kuhnhoff, who now reside in Leavenworth, Kansas.
George Kuhnhoff was educated in the Leavenworth schools, attending the high school for three years. For the past twelve years, he has been on the home farm of 160 acres, formerly the Murray farm, which is lo- cated one and one-half miles north of Boling, Kansas. Mr. Kuhnhoff does general farming at present, but intends to devote most of his time to dairying, as that is the line in which he is most interested. Mr. Kuhn- hoff has eight head of cows registered, and a registered Holstein bull, also twenty-five grade cattle. The milk from the dairy is delivered to Boling, Kansas. Mr. Kuhnhoff made a seven-day test of his cow Arcturus Ormsby Winnie, No. 434159, three and one-half years old, with a record of seventeen and sixty-two hundredths pounds of butter, and he has other cows almost up to this record; one sixteen and one-half pounds and another with thirteen and one-half pounds. He uses a Pinetree milker of two double unit capacity for four cows at one time. In 1914, Mr. Kuhnhoff erected a re-inforced concrete silo which is considered by him as the best investment on the farm. He is very energetic and has a good, up-to-date improved place.
On June 2, 1920, Mr. Kuhnhoff was married to Marie Seifert, a daughter of William and Flora (Ittner) Seifert of High Prairie Towil- ship.
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Mr. Kuhnhoff is a member of the Farm Bureau of Leavenworth County and of the Farm Bureau of the State of Kansas.
Samuel Z. Babcock, a well known and prosperous farmer of High Prairie Township has accumulated a large number of acres of land, due to industrious labor and good management. He was born in Platte County, Missouri, May 15, 1847, the son of Charles and Paulina (Moore) Babcock; his father and mother were married in Platte County Missouri, and lived six miles from Platte City, until their death, he at the age of sixty-seven, and she at the age of seventy-eight ..
Samuel Babcock was educated in the private schools in Platte County, and, at the age of twenty-two began farming there. In 1882 he moved six miles southeast of Tonganoxie, Kansas, buying 184 acres of land, later ad- ding sixteen acres, where he lived until 1917 when he moved to his present farm of forty acres. He also owns farms of 103 acres, eighty acres and 160 acres. Two hundred acres of his land is in the Big Stranger bottom, and is among the best land in the county. He cleared many acres of the land himself. Mr. Babcock says he was once a good wood chopper, but doesn't claim to be now. Mr. Babcock drove ox teams for several years when a young man. He has a keen memory and can tell many interesting incidents of early days, and well remembers the Indians in Platte County, Missouri.
Mr. Babcock is litterally a self made man. He says that when he had paid the minister for marrying him, he had only one dollar left. He began driving oxen, for which re received $2.50 per day, which was unusual wages for that time, as fifty and seventy-five cents per day, without board, was considered average wages. Mr. Babcock bought his first land in 1882 for $23.50 per acre; the next at $20; then $30, and $67.50.
In 1875, Mr. Babcock was married to Mary Naylor, a native of Platte County, Missouri, and a daughter of Tilman and Rebecca Jane Naylor. Tilman Naylor was a native of Kentucky, and was among the earliest settlers of Platte County. He and his wife had seventy-five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren at the time of their death.
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