USA > Kansas > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Kansas > Part 77
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Bartholomew Co., Indiana, was where Mr. Ergenbright was born, and Jannary 1, 1851, his natal day and year. May 25, 1873, he married Jennie Doss who died at Gilroy, California, July 5, 1876. May 28, 1885, he married Mrs. Ella B. Lovejoy, a daughter of Richard Brooks, of Cof- feyville, Kansas, who came west from Athens, Ohio. April 23, 1897, Mr. Ergenbright met with his second great misfortune-the loss of his wife. April 29, 1899, he married Miss Geneva Pratt, a danghter of Myron 1. Pratt, of Montgomery Co .. Kansas. By his first marriage, Mr. Ergenbright has a daughter, Madonna, wife of O. B. Reddick, of Cen- terville, Kansas. By his second wife, two children were born, viz: Mabel S. and Floyd O.
Mr. Ergenbright has always been an active partisan in Republican ranks. He has achieved distinction in Kansas polities, beginning with his election as County Attorney of Montgomery county in 1889. for a term of two years. In 1900, he was an Elector-at-large for Kansas and was chairman of the college which cast the vote of the state at To- peka for Mr. MeKinley for President of the United States. He has been prominent in campaign work in his county, district and state and in 1902, was one of the leading candidates of the Third Congressional District for the House of Representatives of the United States and was de- feated for the nomination by only one vote. Disappointed but not cha- grinned. he returned home and gave his successful competitor a sup- port that aided materially in producing his large and complimetary ma- jority in Montgomery county.
LYMAN LEONARD HUMPHREY. The young and vigorous busi- ness life of Independence is worthily represented in the person of Lyman L. Humphrey, of whom it is the purpose of this article to make some deserving mention. He is one of Montgomery county's native sons. hav-
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ing been born July 3, 1876, so near the centennial anniversary of our nation's birth as to be a fitting event in the domestic life of the Hun- phrey family. He passed through the city schools and graduated from the high school in his native town at the age of eighteen years. Ambi- tions for higher education, he attended the Kansas State University two vears, during which time he contributed much toward his maintenance in the institution as a correspondent for the Kansas City Star, writing its "University Notes." Other publications have known him in a like capacity and, as editor of the "K. U. Weekly," he maintained a lively interest in the college journal by the charm and originality of his editorials and by the pith and spice of his paragraphs.
On elosing his university work, Mr. Humphrey entered the Citizens National Bank, of Independence, where he was book-keeper for three years. He then became a member of the firm of Humphrey and Son, financial correspondents of the Union Central Life Insurance Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, managing its investments in southeastern Kansas. In 1901, he was elected Treasurer of the board of education of Inde- pendence, and was the custodian of and handled the funds of the dis- triet, including the proceeds of the school bond sales amounting to forty thousand dollars.
December 2. 1902, Mr. Humphrey married Elsie C. Anderson, daugh- ter of the pioneer merchant and well known citizen, John M. Anderson, of Independence. Mrs. Humphrey was born in Montgomery county, Kansas, November 3, 1879, was educated at Hardin College, Mexico, Mo., and is a charming and accomplished lady.
In fraternal matters our subject is little more than a novice. He became a mason in 1900 and bas taken the blue lodge and chapter ·degrees. He is a member of the Phi Delta Theta college fraternity, and imbibed his Republican party proclivities from his father, Lyman U. Humphrey, Ex-Gov. of Kansas.
CHARLES H. KENNEDY, one of Parker Township's representa- tive men. was born in Whiteside county, Ils., on the 21st day of July, 1856. His father's name was James I. Kennedy, a native of Pennsyl- vania, and his mother's Elmira Roberts, a native of Indiana. In Septem- ber, 1855, the parents moved to Ilinois and setthal in Whiteside county, where the mother died in 1860, at the age of thirty three years. After this event the father moved back to Indiana and passed his remaining years there, dying in 1897.
To them were born six children. Emily J., deed .; Lewis T., masa R., deceased ; John D., Charles H. and Sarah 1., deceased.
The subject of this sketch was reared on the farm in Illinois. After the death of his mother he went to live with an uncle, S. R. Libby, where he attended the common schools and received his edo-
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cation. He remained with his uncle till he was eighteen years old, and then set out to make his way in the world alone. For ten years he worked as a farm hand, receiving much experience and some wages. On the 30th of November, 1882, he was married to Emma Kingsbury, a native of Whiteside county, Ills. She was a danghter of Sylvius H. Kingsbury, a native of New York, and of Olive E. Pond, a native of Ohio.
After Mr. Kennedy was married he rented land and farmed for some time. In 1889, he came to Kansas and settled in Fawn Creek township, Montgomery Co. Here, for two years, he was a tenant on rented land, then bought 160 acres five miles northwest of Coffey- ville, where he moved in 1891.
This land he has improved and made a permanent home. Among the improvements is a fine residence and substantial outbuildings. The farm is one of the good ones in the township and is stocked with horses, cattle and hogs. He is making a specialty of registered Poland-China hogs, keeping the best breeds in the country. Mr. Kennedy, has by the closest economy and strict attention to business, slowly climbed from the position of a hand on the farm to that of an independent farmer and stock raiser.
Mr. Kennedy has been honored two years with the office of Trustee, and three years he has served as Clerk of the township. In politics he is a Republican, and is a member of the Coffeyville Camp, Modern Wood- men of America.
Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have five children-Pearl, Roy, Forrest, Olive- and Nona, all living at home.
WILLIAM C. HAVERSTICK. An early comer to Montgomery county was William C. Haverstick. well and favorably known over southern Kansas for some years, by his connection with the develop- ment of the gas and oil fields. Born in Waverly, Bremer county, Ia., June 7, 1858, he accompanied his parents to Paola, Kansas, in 1862, and was a boy of eleven years when, in 1869, the family came down into Montgomery county. They filed on a quarter of land in sections 24 and 25, township 31, range 15. These were the days of begin- nings in Montgomery county, with neighbors few and far between and Indians in numbers all about. Mr. Haverstick well remembers a number of their big chiefs, the family having been on the best terms with them. They were frequent guests at his father's table, and just before they left for the south, the Haversticks gave a dinner to Nopa- walla and his council, others present being: White Hair, Strike Axe, and the government interpreter, Alexy. Our subject was present at the famous gathering of the clans to celebrate their farewell, and heard
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the eloquent address made by Nopawalla on that occasion, full of pathos and deepest feeling.
The log cabin on the claim was, in time, replaced by a small frame residence and that, in 1880, by the present commodius home.
William Haverstick was given such education as was current in those early days, not a great deal in books, but such as Dame Nature has in store for those of observant minds. He remained at home until he entered the employ of the railroad, finally reaching the engineer's place at the throttle. In 1893, he quit the road and has since been largely interested in gas and oil. He holds a membership in the Masonic fra- ternity at Armourdale, Kans.
Mr. Haverstick comes of a somewhat noted Swiss family, grand- father Casper Haverstick, who was born in Usfelden, Argyle county, Switzerland, having been with the great Napoleon as a staff oflicor in his two greatest undertakings the successful crossing of the Alps and his equally disastrous Russian campaign. In this campaign the cold was so intense as to cripple Casper Haverstick in a most enrions manner, causing him to be, through life, the wonder of the medical pro- fession. He was very young, and the doctors say, in an undeveloped state, so far as his arms wore concerned. The cold stopped the growth of the arms from the elbow up; the lower arm developing to full length, thus cansing him to present a strange spectacle. Casper was a man of good education, being able to converse Huently in French, German, Swiss and Polish. In middle life he came with his family to America, and settled in Leetonia. Columbiana county, Ohio. He passed his remain- ing years in efforts to ameliorate the condition of his fellow country- men in this great republic. He married Nancy Zimmerman, also a native of Switzerland, and a daughter of Jacob and Mary Zimmerman, who bore him nine children: John. George, Jacob, Samuel, Daniel, Nancy. Elizabeth, Mary and Emma.
Samme] Haverstick was born in Washingtonville, Colombiana county, Ohio, June 26, 1835. He married Sarah Powell, born in Canton, Ill., December 4, 1837, and to her were born three children-William C., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Addio Dugan and Adelbert E.
DR. E. J. BERTENSILAW. There is probably no profession that demands a higher morale from its votaries than does that of medicine. The successful physician of to day must be a man of exceptionally high character-a man who inspires confidence not only by his deeds in med- ical jurisprudence, but by his standing in the community for honesty and integrity. To his chosen profession Dr. Bertenshaw, of Elk City, brings both these requisites in a high degree, and though still young in the field of medicine, has demonstrated thoroughly that success in large measure is within his grasp.
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The parents of Dr. Bertenshaw, Edwin and A. Melissa Bertenshaw, have long been prominent agriculturists of the county, they removing here in 1871, from their native State of Indiana. They settled on a claim in Louisburg Twp., but have since removed to Independence Twp. Their- family consisted of: Dr. E. L., John F., an attorney at Independence; Herbert, a dentist at Independence, and Hosey G., a commercial trav- eler.
Dr. Bertenshaw was born in Franklin county, Ind., March 13, 1869. He is a product, in edneation, of the common schools of his home town- ship and of the high school of Elk City, where he graduated in 1889. He then entered upon the study of his profession under the preceptor- ship of Drs. J. T. Davis and T. F. Bertenshaw, (the latter an uncle) of Louisburg Twp., Montgomery county, Kansas, practitioners of note there. Continuing with them two years he, in 1890. repaired to Miami Medical College in Cincinnati, and in the spring of 1893, was given the diploma of that institution. The 1st of June found him located in Independence, where, for the remainder of that year, he continued the practice in con- junction with Dr. W. A. MeCulley. In January of 1894, he opened an office in Elk City. As intimated, Dr. Bertenshaw soon took rank among the best in the county and has each year added new laurels in the dif- fieult cases which he has successfully handled. He takes measures to keep in close touch with his profession, being a constant student of" the best medical literature, and a member of the different medical socie- ties within his jurisdiction. He served a period of three years on the pension examining board and is examiner for several old line and fra- ternal insurance companies.
Dr. Bertenshaw was married November 29, 1896, to Miss Laura J. Cowell, daughter of a pioneer family of the county, and prominent in its history, a brief sketch of which is here appended.
DR. HENRY COWELL, grandfather of Mrs. Bertenshaw, was a native of New York state, where he married Eliza MeMaster, and, later, removed to Grant county. Wisconsin. Here he was for years the pion- eer physician, continuing until about the time the Civil War opened, when he went to California, where he died in the seventies. The wife died later in Wisconsin. They were the parents of : F. A., now deceased ; Ency, deceased; H. W., of Stockton, Cal .; Joshua, of Stockton, Cal .: Adaline, and Williston, deceased; F. M., of Stockton, Cal .; and Phoebe,. Mrs. Richard Brown, of the same point.
F. A. Cowell, father of Mrs. Bertenshaw, was the eldest of the fam- ily. He grew to manhood in Wisconsin and was first married to Jane Carson. whose children were: John T., and Oscar C., deceased ; Charles L., of Missonla, Mont .; Seldon D., Stevensville, Mont .; Nannie, Mrs. J. W. Greenongh, Missoula, Mont .; and Joseph W., deceased. The mother
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JOHN CASTILLO.
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of these children died in 1864 and on March 7. 1867. Mr. Cowell mar- ried Margaret D. Carson, a sister of his first wife, and daughter of Wil- liam and Anna Carson. This family were early pioneers of Mahoning county, Ohio, from whence they removed to California in 1850. There the father soon died, the mother living until 1866. The children were: John A., now of Minnesota: Joseph P., and Sarah J., deceased; Nancy, Mrs. William Ingersoll, and Chas. O., both deceased; Laura C., Mrs. Timothy Wannamaker, deceased: and Margaret D., now a resident of Elk City. The latter is the mother of four children : Harry W., of Bart- lesville, I. T .; Laura J .. Mrs. Dr. Bertenshaw ; Grace L., single; Wal- lace W., a carpenter of Elk City. Mrs. Cowell lived in Wisconsin untit 1864 and came to Kansas, living here until 1888. In the year 1894, they came to Kansas and stopped at Elk City, settling in Montgomery Co. Here the family continued to reside, though making several trips to California of extended length. Mr. Cowell died June 21, 1896. at the age of sixty-seven years. He was a man of great energy and many fine traits of character. He was a life long member of the Baptist church and was a prominent factor in the different communities where his lines were cast.
JOHN CASTILLO. Of the many defenders of the nation's honor during the dark days of 1861 to 1865, who settled in Montgomery county after the war, none is more deserving of representation in this volume than John Castillo, Justice of the Peace of Louisburg town- ship and Ex-County Commissioner of the county. He has, since 1874, resided on a farm of one hundred sixty aeres in this township.
In Wayne county, Kentucky, Mr. Castillo's birth occurred Feb- ruary 17, 1842. His father was Joseph Castillo, his mother Annie Dod- son. The Castillo's are of pure Irish extraction, his grandfather, Mat- thew Castillo, having been a native of Dublin, emigrating to the United States shortly after the Revolutionary War and remaining in Virginia until 1809, when he came out to Wayne county, Kentucky. The lat- ter's wife was Mary Ray. They reared a family of which our subject's father was the oldest, and was born in 1805.
Joseph Castillo married his wife in 1833. Their children were: Brazile, Matthew L., Michael, Mary, John and Joseph. Of this fam- ily two of the boys, our subject and Michael, were soldiers in the Civil War; members of Co. "H," 12th Kentucky Vol. Inft. They enlisted Or- tober 3, 1861. and at the expiration of service John Castillo reenlisted, in Jannary of 1864; he enlisted as corporal and was discharged as sor- geant. Upon his re-enlistment he became Regimental Commissary sergeant. He served until mustered out at Greensboro in July of 1865. The regiment of which he was a part was in the following engage- ments: Mill Springs, Siege of Corinth. Perryville. Siege of Knoxville. Franklin and Nashville, and in the fight at Wilmington. North Carolina.
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After the war our subject continued to reside in the "Blue Grass State" until 1874, when he located, as stated, in Montgomery county. Here he owns a farm of one hundred sixty acres, the splendid character of the improvements thereon and the neat appearance which it pre- sents being evidences of the agricultural ability of our subject.
The marriage of Mr. Castillo was an event of the year 1866. Mrs. Castillo was Lean M. Simpson, and resided in Wayne county, Ken- tueky. She was the mother of Elisha J., now a teacher in the Mont- gomery County High School, whose four children are: William Wort- man, Ilarriet Lean, Sadie Elizabeth and John Gilbert; John, Jr., a law student of the State University at Lawrence; Mary A., wife of John M. Cotton, Clerk in the Elk City Bank, whose children are Clyde and Cor- nelia; Sally K., a teacher in an Indian school in Utah; Nannie B., married Frank Drybread, a farmer of Louisburg township; her chil- dren are-Elizabeth and Matilda. Our subject's first wife was a lady of many excellent qualities, a devoted mother to her children and was sincerely mourned at her death, which occurred on Angust 19, 1884. His second wife was Permelia Elizabeth, daughter of John and Naney (Bobbitt) Randall. The marriage was solemnized on the 25th of De- cember, 1885, in Neodesha, Kas. Mrs. Castillo is a native of Pulaski county, Kenteky, where she was born, 21st July. 1854. Iler parents, later, moved to Pettes county, Mo., where they died; her father suf- fering death at the hands of the Bushwackers in 1864. To Mr. Castillo's second marriage has been born one child, Irving, born Jime 12, 1888.
During the residence of Mr. Castillo in Montgomery county, he has ever evinced a deep interest in the moral and social and political life of the county. In 1884, he was nominated on the Republican ticket as a candidate for Commissioner of the First District, and, being elected. filled that office three years with great efficiency. He has been, for one year, Justice of the Peace of Louisburg township. After the rise of the reform party, Mr. Castillo supported that party 'till 1896, when he became a free silver Republican and in 1900, advocated the reforms proposed by the Populist party. As to future politics he stands by Bryan, but in case of the nomination of a Gold Demoerat Mr. Castillo will cast his influence for Roosevelt. He and his family are consistent members and liberal supporters of the Christian church and the re- spect in which they are held throughout the entire county is most uni- form.
GEORGE L. REMINGTON. During the comparatively brief pe- riod of twelve years that he was permitted to mingle with and he one of the citizens of Montgomery county, the late subject of this rec- ord, George L. Remington, lived a life conspicuous for its relation to men and affairs, for its usefulness to civil and social institutions and
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conspicuous for its purity and dignity as exemplified in his daily walk. Few men exhibit such strong and genuine elements of character and win the unbounded confidence of a community in so few years, as did he. and his death. April 11th, 1895, was mourned as a public loss.
Born in Lancaster, near Buffalo, New York, May 24, 1832, he was a son of Rev. James Remington, a noted Presbyterian minister of western New York, and for eighteen years pastor of the congregation of Lancaster. Though he had given up regular work very late in life Rev. Remington died in 1889 at over ninety years of age, still in the harness, as it were, and doing the work of the Master. He married Caroline Evans, who died in the seventies, being the mother of three sons and two daughters, namely: Rey. Charles, of Buffalo, New York, the only survivor of the family; George L., of this memoir; JJames, who died about 1880 and passed his life chiefly in the milling business; Mary, who died unmarried about 1875, and Jennie, who was for many years a deputy in the office of the Clerk of Erie county, New York, and died in 1891.
The education of George L. Remington was acquired in what we now term the common schools and in Gambier College, Ohio. On leaving college he entered the Union army as a private, joining com- pany "(." 21st New York Vol. Inf. He rose by successive promotions, viz: to First Sergeant. and. August 7, 1861, was commissioned 1st Lieut., and Capt .. Dec. 12. 1861. He succeeded Capt. Washburn who was killed at Second Bull Run in August, 1862. His regiment formed a part of the Army of the Potomac and he participated in all the en- gagements of that famous and splendid army and was discharged in 1864, resigning and leaving the service on account of failing health. September 14, 1865, he married Alice Pomeroy, a daughter of Robert Pomeroy, a banker and one of the old settlers of Buffalo, New York. Mr. Pomeroy married Elizabeth Rogers, daughter of a Baptist clergy- man, and died in 1856 at sixty years old. He resided in Buffalo when the British burned that city during the war of 1812 and he and his mother were the last to leave the destroyed city. Mrs. Remington is the fourth of nine children in her parents' family, five of whom are vet living.
Mr. Remington was in the service of the government in the com- missary department of the army at Nashville, Tennessee, for near one year, immediately succeeding the end of the war, and on returning north engaged in the wholesale tobacco business in Buffalo. Subso- quently he was elected Register of Deeds for Erie county. New York. and some time after the close of his official career he moved his family out to Saginaw, Michigan, where he embarked in the lumber and salt business and conducted the same successfully till some time in the year 1882, when he disposed of his Michigan interests and became : resident of Independence, Kansas. As a citizen of Saginaw he in-
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gratiated himself into the love and esteem of his compeers and was favored with publie trusts. He was a member of the Board of Educa- tion, where he rendered valuable service, and was an active and faith- ful worker in his religious denomination.
For about two years after coming to Montgomery county, Capt. Remington was engaged in the cattle business. In 1885, he was in- vited to become cashier of the First National Bank of Independence. He tilled the position 'till his death and in it demonstrated a pecu- liar fitness and adaptation to the place. He was always courteous, sincere and reliable, prompt in fulfilling his obligations and faithful in serving the constituents of the bank.
As a citizen of Independence, Capt. Remington took a prominent part in all its affairs. His ability and integrity were at once recognized and he accepted the public trusts that were imposed on him with an eye single to the publie good. He demonstrated his unflagging interest in public education by long and faithful service on the school board. He was President of that body for some years and many were the ideas he advanced for the improvement of the facilities and methods of education. He was a leading member of the Presbyterian church and, in the absence of the pastor, was frequently designated to read a ser- mon and to comment on the character, good works and teachings of Christ and the satisfaction coming to all who owned the faith and conscientiously served God. For many years he was Superintendent of the Sabbath School and the heneticent works of a good man were felt in this field, also. In his capacity as a teacher and leader his work was most effective. He was a ready and pleasing talker, was a storehouse of information on popular subjects and, in 1894, was chosen by the Presbytery of Neosho to be a delegate to the General Assembly at Sar- atoga, New York. He was a member of MePherson Post G. A. R .. was a Modern Woodman and a Knight Templar Mason, by whose di- rection and under whose auspiees his funeral was held. In polities he was a Republican.
Capt. and Mrs. Remington's family comprised three children, name- ly: Jennie P., wife of Will P. Lyon, of Independence; Allen ., who married Lizzie B. Marshall and is a merchant of Bristow, Ind. Ty., and George F., who died Sept. 18, 1899, at twenty-three years of age.
WILLIAM L. PRATHER, of Bolton, Independence township, came to Montgomery county in 1884, and settled on section 21, township 33. range 15, and thus identified himself with the Kansas farmer. It was on the 9th of Nov. that his citizenship began here and for nearly twen- ty years he has contributed his efforts toward the internal develop- ment of the county. As do most settlers in a new country, he came with small means, which he husbanded . closely and used wisely and
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economically during the acquirement of his body of land. He spent a year at Havana in Caney township while preparing himself for a permanent location, and where he finally settled is in the very heart of the mineral belt of Montgomery county.
Mr. Prather was born in Bartholomew county, Indiana, February 10, 1854. The Prathers are of English origin and the American branch springs from three brothers who came here as missionaries several generations back. Walter Prather, father of our subject, was born in Clark county, Indiana, in 1809, and died in Bartholomew county at past eighty-four years of age. Farming was his calling and he passed his life in circumstances fitting an industrious and honorable citizen. He filled the office of County Commissioner and was elected thereto as a Republican. He married Mary Weathers, of Jackson county, In- diana. She died at the age of fifty-four, in 1877. Her children were: Orlie, wife of Henry Marshall, of Madison Co., Montana; America, who became Mrs. Henry Warner, of the same place; William L., Jessie F., wife of Elmer Oyler, of Sedgwick Co., Kansas; John, of Oklahoma, and Morton, of Sullivan Co., Indiana.
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