USA > Kansas > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Kansas > Part 45
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Mr. Callahan was one of the pioneers of his section of the county, and when he settled there he had plenty of wild neighbors. in the shape of antelope, deer, wolves and Osage Indians. He built a small cabin, and began the battle of life anew, on the verdant prairie.
As a helpmeet in this battle, Mr. Callahan had his life companion, whose name, prior to their marriage. in July, 1850, was Catherine Baker. Mrs. Callahan was a native of New York City, and was christened by Bishop Matthews Vasser, the founder of the famous girl's school, Vas- sar College. Her parents were Thomas and Mary Baker, both of whom were natives of County Meath, Ireland.
Mr. and Mrs. Callahan were blessed with eleven children. Those living are: Mary Jones, Montgomery county, her children being : Mary, Ida, Arthur, Rose, Harry, Florence, Lon, Leslie and Barton; Thomas, resides in Walnut, Kansas, his children being: Herbert, Edward, Freder- ick. Lawrence, Vance, Manrice. Aubrey and Rosalie: Mrs. Kate Cook. resides in this county with her children : Frank, Lovel. Roy and Nellie; Mrs. Nellie Stephens, deceased, also resided in the county; her children are : Mary, William, Catherine, Thomas, Margaret and Nellie; William is a farmer of the county and has one child, Mary; Harry, the youngest child. resides in Oklahoma and has one child, named in honor of his grandfath- er, the subject of this sketch.
MARVIN L. TRUBY-In this brief biography the attention of the reader is called to the life work and antecedents of a pioneer settler of Montgomery county-John Truby-of whom the subject of this article is a direct descendant and worthy successor. He came to the county just when its business and social life was forming and emphasised the sincerity of his purpose by establishing himself in a business which became the chief commercial enterprise of its character in Independence and
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which, under the control and management of his son, Marvin L. Truby, of this review, has become the leading jewelry house of the county.
John Truby was born near Elkhart. Indiana, in 1830. His parents were of Pennsylvania German stock and his father, Philip Truby, settled in the new country about Elkhart at a very early period in the history of the "Hoosier State." The latter was a blacksmith and had five sons, all of whom became jewelers. John learned his trade in South Bend, In- diana, and was engaged in business at Lincoln, Illinois, until 1871, when he decided to seek favor and fortune in Kansas. He opened out, as a watch-maker and jeweler, in one of the two buildings of the block bound- ed by Eighth street and Pennsylvania avenue, and by Main and Myrtle streets. His store room was a small frame, set on piles over the ravine, which crossed the townsite then, and occupied the lot on which the Com- mercial National Bank now stands. It was approached by two or three steps leading up from the street and he carried on his business there for some years. He remained and continued in the block till 1880, when he moved to the block north and was succeeded, in 1889, by his son and was, even then, until his death, an active factor in the conduet of the firm's business.
In his business life and in his private life, John Truby was a sin- cere, clean and honorable man. He was absorbed in his own affairs, yet he was loth to shirk a publie duty when it was required of him. Next to his own progress, he was interested in the welfare of his town and he gave much of his time, both as a citizen and as an official, to the promo- tion of measures to that end. He was several terms a member of the city council, and, perhaps, twenty years, he aided in the management of the business affairs of the city of Independence. While serving as chairman of the improvement committee of the council, he started the movement in favor of heavy stone sidewalks, and it spread and largely enveloped the city. The innumerable ways in which he demonstrated his public spirit and unselfish devotion to municipal affairs, marked him strongly as one of the controlling forces in its progressive and onward march. He was interested in Masonry and was an enthusiastic Knight Templar. He supported Democrat principles and policies and exercised no individual preference for any religious denomination.
In 1859, he married Sarah E. Duff. a daughter of J. E. Duff, of Lo- gan county, Illinois. Mrs. Truby was born in 1843, and makes her home in Independence. In 1896, after a wedded life of thirty-seven years, Mr. Truby died, leaving the following children : Ettie, who married G. A. Har- per and died without issue ; Lizzie T., wife of W. W. Martin, treasurer of the Leavenworth Soldiers' Home; Marvin L., our subject; Lieffy, whose first husband was the late S. C. Elliott, a young attorney of mueh promi- nence and promise, of Independence, but who is now the wife of James
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C. Stone, well known as a banker in Leavenworth, Kansas; Irene and Daisy Truby, of Leavenworth, Kansas.
Marvin 1 .. Truby was but five years old when he accompanied his par- ents to Independence, Kansas. Ile was born in Logan county, Illinois, August 4, 1866. He was educated in the public schools of this city and acquired the trade of watch-maker and a knowledge of the jewelry busi- ness by constant association with his father. The date of the beginning of his career in business is almost as indeterminable as the end of it, but for twenty-five years, at least, he has been known to the trade of his town. In 1889, he succeeded his father in the proprietorship of the Truby jewelry business and has maintained it one of the substantial mercantile establishments of the city.
June 26, 1887, the wedding of M. L. Truby and Minnie M. Bishop occurred. Mrs. Truby is a daughter of William T. Bishop, a prominent pioncer merchant of Independence. Kansas, whose store. was situated on the site of the office of the Independence Gas Company. Mr. Bishop set- tled in Independence in 1870, came here from Liberty. Missouri, and lived in the first plastered house in town. He died, while in business, in 1880, leaving his widow-nee Maggie Bright-with six chilren. Mr. and Mrs. Truby's two children are Marvin F. and Prudence.
Mr. Truby has achieved high honors in Masonie circles. He joined the order in 1891, is S. W. of Fortitude Lodge, of Independence, Scribe of Keystone Chapter and P. C. of the Commandery of Knights Templar. He is a member of Abdallah Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. and holds membership relations with the Wichita Consistory, thirty-second degree. At a meet- ing of the Supreme Council of the thirty-third degree Masons, at Wash- ington, D. C., in 1901, he was elected Knight Commander of the Court of Honor. He is also an Elk.
JOHN B. ADAMS-Among the first settlers of Montgomery county is Johr B. Adams, of Independence, one of the promoters of and a mem- ber ot the firm of the Security Abstract Company, a corporation doing business in this city. Mr. Adams accompanied his father to the county in 1869, and, as a lad of fourteen years, aided him in the rednetion and im- provement of a new farm in Fawn Creek township, where their settlement was made. Little had been done, however, when the family took up its residence in Independence-in 1871-and from thenceforth our subject has passed his life in this city.
He was born in Clayton county, Iowa, September 23, 1855, and his parents were John Q. and Phoebe ( Ballow) Adams. The father was born on the townsite of Indianapolis. Indiana, in 1822, a child of pio- meer parents. Samuel Adams, our subject's grandfather, brought his family out from Massachusetts into the wilds of Indiana, early in the
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nineteenth century, and passed away a citizen of that state. He married Mrs. Adams and reared a family of four children. His oldest son, John Q. Adams, left Indiana in 1847 and settled in Clayton county, Iowa, and, in 1857, settled in Green county, Illinois. While there, the rebellion broke ont and he enlisted in Company "E," Sixty-first Infantry, as first sergeant, and served three years and four months. He participated in the battle of Shiloh, took part in Grant's Mississippi campaign and in the Red river expedition. He was married in the State of Towa, in 1848, to a daughter of George Ballow, a Virginia gentleman, who came west and resided in the States of Iowa, Illinois and finally settled in Linn county, Missouri, where he died, in 1894, at the age of ninety-three years.
On settling in Independence, Kansas, John Q. Adams engaged in ear- penter work, and was a builder of some of the pioneer structures of the town, among them, the Caldwell House. He continued this till 1875, when he died, from the effects of an accident. His widow survived him till 1902, when she passed away, aged seventy-five years. Their children were eight in number, namely: Charles H., of Independence; John B., of this review ; Susan, wife of George McNaughton, of Kansas City, Mis- souri : Stella, who died in 1900, was the wife of Charles Joyce, of Inde- pendence ; and Frank S .. of Kansas City, Missouri. George A. and Eliza died in infancy.
John B. Adams was educated in the public schools of Illinois. He began life, as a printer, in the office of the Independence Tribune, and was there from 1871 to 1874. He became a clerk, then, in the Independ- ence postoffice and filled the position seven years. His next regular em- ployment was as deputy, under Clerk of the Court H. M. Levan. On retiring from the court house, he formed a partnership with Thomas S. Salathiel, and became a member of the Security AAbstract Company, upon its inception.
October, 1883. Mr. Adams was united in marriage with Mary W. Grew. a daughter of the late pioneer and farmer, John W. Grew, who settled the farm at the month of Drum creek, and resided there at the time of the making of the famous treaty with the Osages. Mr. Grew rame to Montgomery county in 1869, and resided here till his death, in 1902. He was of Massachusetts origin and in his early manhood was mate of a whaler out of Woods Hole, near Fair Haven. In 1849, he went to the California gold fields, and returned to New England by the Isthmian ronte, in 1852. He first came to Kansas in company with ex- Gov. Robinson and settled in Douglas county. There, Mrs. J. B. Adams was born, January 15, 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Adams were the parents of three children and, September 11, 1901, the wife and mother passed away. The children are: M. Lucile, Grace and Gladys.
Mr. Adams has been identified, in a modest way, with the politics of Montgomery county. He was reared a Repulican and voted that ticket
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until the election of Harrison. Having had, all along, free trade senti- ments, when the silver agitation first claimed attention, he broke with the Repulicans and became a supporter of JJ. B. Weaver for President. He has affiliated with the allied parties since and is now a Bryan Democrat. He was chairman of the committee of the allied forces of Montgomery county in 1896. when the county went from 450 Republican to 450 Democratic. Fraternally. he is a Mason, a Macabee and a Workman.
THOMAS MeHARGUE-During the memorable and fatal "panic of 1873." a few settlers were found wending their way toward the setting san. They were from the congested east and were in search of homes for their families, where land was cheap, and where their compeers were a social unit. With the contingent who settled in Montgomery county, this year, came Thomas MeHargne, whose name introduces this record. He started on his westward journey, from Moultrie county. Illinois, whither he went from Parke county, Indiana, the next year after the Civil war. He was born in Laurel county, Kentucky, February 8, 1837. His father was James Mellargue and was born in the same Kentucky county, in 1805, and resided there till 1851, when he removed to Parke county, In- diana, where he died, in 1891. The latter passed his life as a farmer, had no military career, was a Whig in politics and was a member of the United Brethren church.
A brief reference to the MeHargne geneology discloses the fact that the forefathers of our subject belonged to an old American family. The great-grandfather of Thomas Mellargue was the Irish emigrant who founded this worthy American family. Hle settled in South Carolina and, afterward. his family scattered westward and took up their homes in the State of Kentucky. The name of this pioneer was James MeHargue and his sons were: James, William, Samuel, John and Alexander. The last named was killed, in 1810, while raising a log house, in Laurel county, Kentucky. He reared children as follows: William, who died in Ken- tucky . Lissie, deceased ; Riddle, Martha, who became the wife of John Barten, died in Indiana ; and Abner, who died in Green county, Indiana.
James Mellague, father of our subject, married Phobe Dugger, a Tennessee lady, born 1808, and died about 1843. A large family resulted from this union, as follows: Elizabeth, married Benjamin Richards and died. in 1900, in Parke county, Indiana; Alexander, of Parke county, Indiana ; William, who died in the same county, in 1866; Sarah, of Parke county, is the wife of Daniel Martin; Andrew, of the home county in Indiana ; Thomas, of this notice; Martha, who died in 1884, unmarried ; Stephen, of Parke county, Indiana.
The environment of Thomas MeHargue, in early life, was that of the country youth and his opportunities for education were limited to a few
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months, yearly, in the district school. November 8, 1860, he was married, taking for his wife. Elizabeth Lankford, a daughter of George K. Lank- ford and Anna Swaim, husband and wife. The Lankfords were settlers in Parke county. Indiana, from the State of Maryland, and their family consisted of the following children : Margaret, deceased, in Parke county, was the wife of Wilburn Pruitt: Deborah, wife of Martin B. Winkler, of Caney. Kansas; Mrs. MeHargne, born March 1, 1843; John, who died in Illinois, in 1873: Indiana. wife of Elijah Taylor, of Illinois; Raehel, who died in Illinois, single; Virginia, of Caney, Kansas, is now Mrs. Taylor Shultz ; Rosella, who married Beardon and resides in Oak- ney, Indian Territory. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. MeHargue, namely : Manson, who married Lillie Danglas and resides in the Indian Territory: Edward. married Myrtle Newell and is a Mont- gomery county farmer: Emma, of Caney, Kansas, is the wife of J. D. Booth : Ella, of Muncie, Indiana, is now Mrs. John Enlow; and Virginia, who married Frank Reese, of Montgomery county, Kansas.
Thomas MeHargne performed a patriot's duty, during the Civil war, by enlisting in the volunteer service. His command was Company "C," Sixth Indiana Cavalry, Col. Biddle commanding. Soon after his regi- ment went into the field. it was given battle at Richmond. Kentucky, where four hundred of it were taken prisoners, Mr. MeHargue being among the number. The captives were paroled and went back to Terre Haute, Indiana, where the whole regiment united for a season of drill. Being ready for the field, the regiment was ordered into Kentucky again, and placed on guard of an important trestle, on the Lonisville & Nash- ville Railway. The command was separated and a part of it detailed on duty at another point. when General John Morgan captured the tres- tle guard. The detachment with which our subject was serving, was not the unfortunate one this time. and it was ordered to Indianapolis to guard prisoners. Later on, the regiment was reunited and sent, a third time, into the field, this time doing guard and seout duty in Tennessee, around Monticello. In the spring of 1863, the regiment received new mounts and was ordered to Dalton, Georgia, where it joined Sherman's army, and remained about Atlanta till the surrender of that city. It returned north with Gen. Thomas' command and helped destroy Hood's army at Nashville and followed the remnant of his retreating army to Pulaski, Tennessee, where the field service of the Sixth Indiana Cavalry ceased and where, on June 17, 1865, it was mustered out.
On his release from the army, Mr. MeHargue exchanged the uniform of a soldier for the regalia of a farmer, and made his first move westward. Hle settled in Moultrie county, Illinois, from whenee, as has been related, he pioneered to Montgomery county, Kansas. The journey hither was made by wagon and consumed twenty-one days. In his wagon, were his family and his material possessions, and he housed the whole in a shanty,
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KANSAS.
14x18 feet, which, with slight additions, served to accommodate the household till 1885, when the present family residence was built. Mr. MeHargue settled in section 11, township 33, range 15, where he owns one hundred and sixty acres. He has occupied himself chiefly with grain and stock farming and has maintained himself a modest unassuming, yet successful, tiller of the soil. His interest in the public welfare has been a patriotie one and wherever he could render service in a good cause it has been done. llis political work is done in the ranks of the Repub- lican party and, while he has helped to make public officers of many men, he has not sought to make one out of himself. Beyond bis work as a member of his distriet school board, he has not rendered any official service. He and his wife hold membership in the Christian church, which is, except the Grand Army, the only organization to which he belongs.
JOSEPHI D. GRAY-Joseph D. Gray, a farmer and stock raiser, re- siding in Louisburg township, is one of the younger citizens of the county who is making a success at tilling the soil. He accompanied bis parents to the county in 1886, being at that time a youth of sixteen years. His parents were worthy residents and farmers of the county for a number of years, and were Joseph and Martha ( Oliver) Gray, of southeastern Indiana, where Joseph D. Gray was born, in 1870. Joseph Gray's father was John Gray and his wife's father was Samuel Oliver. John Gray was one of the pioneer settlers of southeastern Indiana, and he settled there from the State of Kentucky. Late in life. he came out to Kansas, where he died. in Woodson county, aged eighty-one years.
Joseph Gray and wife settled in Elk county, Kansas, in the year 1876. and, in 1886, located on a claim, in Louisburg township, of Montgomery conmy, they having purchased the farm two years previous. The par- ents reared a family of three children : Olive. wife of Frederick A. Hopen- er, resides in Labette county, Kansas, on a farm and has five children : Coybell, Nellie, Clarence, Mattie and Joseph D .; Hayden married Annie Canning, of Nebraska, and is a farmer residing in Oklahoma, and has one child, Sylvia; the youngest child was Joseph D., the subject of this re. view.
Mr. Gray was reared on a farm, where he received a good common school education and learned to know the value of labor. He remained under the paternal roof, until his marriage, December 19, 1901, to Ro- setta, daughter of Henry and Mary (Castillo) Daum. Mrs. Gray is a native of Missouri, where her grandparents were among the earliest set- tlers of their county. Her grandfather died. in 1902, in that state, at the age of seventy-five years. Her father died, December 30, 1891, while her mother is still living, a resident of Oak Valley, Kansas, at which place the parents located, in 1880, and where the father died.
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Mr. Gray is one of the sterling young men of Louisburg township, and is making a success in life. He and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is a supporter of the princi- ples of the Democratic party.
THOMAS M. HAZEN-In the person of Thomas M. Hazen, of this article, we are presented with a native son of West Cherry township, Montgomery county, where his birth occurred, hume 6, 1871. The farm, which he owns, was the old family homestead, and is situated in section 9, township 31. range 16, and contains one hundred and eighty acres. On this farm, Reuben L. Hazen, his father, settled, in 1873, and improved, cultivated and occupied it till his death, in the year 1900.
Reuben L. Hazen was born near Athens, Vermont, lived there many years, and, finally, came west to Ilinois where, in 1861, he volunteered for service, in the Sixty-first Ilinois Infantry, Company "F." Col. Dan Grass. He experienced much ardnous service and, among other engagements, was in the battle of Shiloh. He came to Montgomery county and entered, in 1870. one hundred and sixty acres, in section 34, township 31. range 16, and in the little cabin on this farm his son, our subject, was born. This he owned until 1873. when he purchased the tract first described herein, where the remaining years of his life were spent. He married Mary A. Robinson, a native Ilinois lady, who bore him two children, and died in 1898. A daughter and a son were the result of their marriage, namely : Mary, wife of William T. Brown, of Sycamore, with children: Jesse, Ruby, James, Lee and Thomas; and Thomas M., of this review.
Thomas M. lazen attended the country schools and has passed his life in agricultural and pastoral pursuits. For his wife, he married Ettie Reed, an Indiana Jady, and a daughter of John and Mary Reed, natives of Kentucky and Indiana. respectively. Mildred and Ethel are the two children of Mr. and Mrs. Hazen.
In politics, our subject is a Republican, but the charm of politics has no attractions for him. He is devoted to the calling of his youth and is essentially, a tiller of the soil and a promoter of the arts of peace.
( HARLES YOE-In this brief article, it is our purpose to present the salient points in the life of one of Independence's earnest citizens; to mention a few of the events which have been influenced by his efforts, as a citizen of Montgomery county.
The distinction of being one of the early residents of the county seat belongs to Mr. Yoe, and he established himself here, soon after he at- tained his majority. He has been a part of the mechanism of the "Trib- une" office, since it was founded, and named the "South Kansas Tribune,"
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February, 1871, and one of the partners in interest since 1874. Associated with his brother, he has successfully promoted the interests of the leading Republican newspaper of the county and thus,indirectly, has contribut- ed. in no uncertain way, to the material advancement in all lines of local industry. Town building, at the county seat, has been fostered and the unbroken and fertile prairies have been filled with virtuons and indus. trions people, many of whose settlements were prompted by the cohnnns of the zealous and loyal Tribune.
Mr. Yoe's departure for the west, took place at Rushville, Illinois. where he was born, September 22. 1849. The common schools provided hismentaltraining and his life was passed, in youth, chiefly, as a laboring boy. At eighteen years of age, he joined his brother, at Shelbina, Mis- souri. and entered the latter's newspaper office, where he really began his business career. Since that day, Yoe brothers have been inseparable. When the senior member of the firm decided to establish himself in the newspaper business, in Kansas, in the winter of 1870, our subject was re- garded one of the indispensable adjuncts of the office, and helped launch the original Trilmne. The success of the paper has ever aronsed his deepest sympathy and warmest enthusiasm and that success is due. in no small measure, to the wise management and good business judgment of Charles Yoe.
In August, 1880, Mr. Yoe married Agnes Overfield, a daughter of Thomas Overtield, one of the pioneers of Lawrence, Kansas, as well as a pioneer to Montgomery county.
While Republicanism has been chief in the heart of Mr. Yoe, he has eliminated politics from his life, as a business, and has demeaned him- self as a party worker, and not as an aspirant for public office. He was honored by Governor Stanley, with the appointment of Secretary of the State Board of Charities, to fill an unexpired term. and this was the only office he ever filled. As a man, his citizenship is unalloyed and his intl ence carries weight in his party and in his county. He is a member of the Methodist congregation in his city and his consistency is exemplified in his works.
CHARLES A. CONNELLY-Connected with the Tribune Printing Company, of Independence, and one of the proprietors of that important industrial enterprise, is Charles A. Connelly, expert and artistic printer and foreman of the mechanical department of this historic and pioneer institution. Since his advent to the county he has been a part of the working force of the Tribune company and, since 1896. one of its owners and, as above stated, chief of one of its important departments.
Mr. Connelly has spent his years in Kansas, in Montgomery county. He accompanied his parents hither from Parke county, Indiana, where
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