USA > Kansas > Nemaha County > History of Nemaha County, Kansas > Part 80
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Bayard Taylor was born on August 19, 1857, on the farm in Hen- dricks county, Indiana. His formal schooling was slight, because school . in the rural districts of Hendricks county were not flourishing. Bayard Taylor lived with his parents until he was twenty-six years old, when he was married and bought 160 acres near Goff, and started farming for himself. With the exception of about eighteen months during which he rented his farm and lived in Goff, Bayard Taylor has lived on his farm continuously. By his wise management he has increased his holdings considerably, to include 320 acres in Logan county and 160 acres, ad- joining his present farm of equal size. Altogether he holds 640 acres in Logan and Nemaha counties.
He was married July 26, 1883, to Harriett Westover, and to this happy union one daughter has been born, Mrs. Mary Alice Powell, wife of a farmer, Leonard Powell, living near Goff. She was graduated from the Goff High School in the class of 1908. Mrs. Taylor is a daughter of Ralph and Mary (Stump) Westover. A complete account of Mr. West- over's life appears elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Harriett (Westover) Taylor, wife of Bayard Taylor, was born October 1I, 1863, in Behring county, Michigan, and was reared on her father's farm.
Mr. Taylor is a Democrat, and for eighteen years, has been treas- urer of the school board, a record which, to the fullest degree, attests his ability and integrity in administering the funds of the educational work of his district. Mr. Taylor's reputation is above reproach, and he is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens.
Nick Henry, trustee of Harrison township and a well known far- mer, was born in Germany, March 4, 1858. His parents were George and Iva (Dougle) Henry, whose life histories are narrated in the sketch of Thomas Henry which appears elsewhere in this volume. Nick Henry received a common school education and at the early age of four- teen he bravely set out to earn his way in the world, first finding work on a neighboring farm for three years. He learned the milling business and was thus employed until 1877, when he left his native land and sailed for America, the land of opportunity.
Locating near Seneca, Kans., Mr. Henry worked on a farm for two years and later he worked on a farm west of Wetmore. He rented 160 acres which he farmed for two years profitably. For another year he rented eighty acres on Wolfley Creek and at the end of that time had laid away enough money to buy 160 acres northeast of Bancroft.
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After farming this for one summer, he received a good offer for it and sold out, going from there to Kingman county, Kansas, where he home- steaded 160 acres, remaining there six years altogether. He made money out of this venture, although he was handicapped by an unfortunate accident which occurred as he was moving to his Kingman county place. He attempted to drive his twenty-seven head of cattle overland to his new place, but the heat was so great that most of the cattle died on the road, leaving him only eight with which to stock his farm. The following year he returned to his former farm to get thirteen head of horses which he had left there the year before, but after driving them over to his new place, all of them took the glanders and died. He was not discouraged by these calamities and instead of giving up in despair, he borrowed money on his farm and bought a span of mules and he and his loyal wife were able to make both ends meet by hard work. During the winter when there was nothing he could do, his wife worked out to earn enough. In 1890, Mr. Henry came back to Nemaha county and located east of Goff, where he bought eighty acres which he farmed until 1910, when he gave up active farming on a large scale. Since that time he has lived in Goffs, where he owns a twenty-acre tract.
He was married November 15, 1880, to Louise Pfrank. Seven children have been born to them as follows: Mrs. Mary Evans, of Florida, a widow with one child; Edward, farmer in Oklahoma, one child; William, farmer east of Goff; Harry, farmer in Granada town- ship; Mrs. Kate Berridge, wife of a Topeka real estate dealer, and mother of one child; Herman, living at home; Jessie, student at Wash- burn College, Topeka.
Mrs. Henry was born in Michigan and is a daughter of German immigrants. The mother died when Mrs. Henry was a small child. Nich- olas Pfrank, her father, came to America in 1848 and located in New York. From there he went to Michigan and bought a farm which he operated for several years. He later sold out and migrated to Kansas, where he bought 160 acres of fine land near Netawaka, which he farmed for six years. Bad seasons and unavoidable backsets ruined his crops several years in succession and he was forced to give up his place. He imme- diately set out to start life over again and rented eighty acres which he farmed for five years. In this venture he was successful and made enough money to buy 160 acres near Goff, which he farmed until his death. His death occurred in 1896. Mr. Pfrank was a member of the Catholic church. He was the father of two children, as follows: Louisa, wife of Nick Henry, and another child who died in infancy. Mrs. Henry was born September 13, 1862. She is a member of the Roman Catholic Church and of the Altar Society. She also belongs to the Royal Neighobrs and the Rebekah fraternal organizations. Mr. Henry belongs to the Masonic order and to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Henry was elected trustee of Harrison township on the Republican ticket in 1912 and was re-elected to the office in 1914.
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John A. Ketter, who is known by all farmers in his neighborhood, is the son of Philip, Sr., and Elizabeth ( Wink) Ketter, of whom a com- plete record is set down in the sketch of J. B. Ketter, which appears in another part of this volume.
The subject of this review was born at St. Benedict's, July 2, 1882, and has lived on the farm all of his life. After receiving a common schooling, he lived with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age, when he rented eighty acres in Illinois township which he farmed one season. After this he rented sixty acres in the same township near the town of Kelly, and farmed it one year. In the fall, he rented 160 acres of his father's place, and is still farming this land. In addition to his crops, Mr. Ketter raises fine Hampshire hogs and has a few thor- oughbred Shorthorn cattle.
He was married October 17, 1906, to Clara A. Eisenbarth, daugh- ter of Michael and Ernestine (Furst) Eisenbarth, and three children were born to this marriage: Frances Ernestine, age eight; Celestine J., age four ; Mildred C. E., aged one. A complete review of Mrs. Ketter's parents will be found in the article which treats of the life of Michael Eisenbarth, which appears elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Ketter was born in Corning, Kans., March 5, 1883, and was reared on the farm. After receiving a common school education, she remained with her par- ents until her marriage, October 17, 1906. She is a member of the Cath- olic church and of the Altar Society.
Mr. Ketter is also a Roman Catholic and belongs to the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association, and to the Farmers' Union. In politics, he votes the Democratic ticket.
Israel Livingood, of Harrison township,, was born in Iowa, Septem- ber 18, 1857, and is a son of Josiah and Susanna (Eby) Livingood, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania in 1832, and was reared in Germantown, Ohio, where his parents removed when he was but a child. Josiah 'Livingood learned the trade of harness maker and saddler and followed this trade from the time he was twenty years old until his removal to Iowa in 1855. He farmed in Iowa until 1878 and then mi- grated to Lincoln county, Kansas. Here he bought a farm, but three years later he sold it and came to Nemaha county and bought 120 acres (the old Irving place near Seneca). He located in Seneca and worked at the carpenter's trade a part of his time. In 1885 he sold his town and country property and moved to Smith county, Kansas, where he pur- chased a quarter section of land and lived there until his death. He was a member of the United Brethren Church. Josiah Livingood was mar- ried in Ohio to Susanna Eby, who was born in Pennsylvania and reared in Ohio. While employed at the Hotel Florentine at Germantown she met and was wooed by Josiah Livingood. They were the parents of six children, as follows: Mrs. Mary Richards, Seneca, Kans .; Israel, subject of this review ; Noah, a farmer in Norton county, Kansas ; Perry, a farmer in Smith county ; Mrs. Ella Will, deceased.
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When Israel Livingood was twenty-one years old he bought eighty acres in Lincoln county, Kans., and farmed it for three years, and then came to Nemaha county, Kansas, where he rented his father's farm near Seneca for ten years. He then bought his present home farm in Har- rison township. Mr. Livingood was married in 1881 to Mollie Boyer, born in West Virginia in 1858, and a daughter of William and Lucinda Boyer, natives of West Virginia. Her parents were early setlers in Lincoln county, Kansas, where she taught school for two years. She was also engaged in dressmaking at Salina, Kans., for a short time pre- vious to her marriage. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Israel Livingood, namely: Mrs. Jessie Rose, Denver, Colo., whose hus- band is route agent for the Adams Express Company ; Harry and Aldo, twins; Mont, at home. Harry and Aldo Livingood were born on Octo- ber 6, 1889, on the farm near Seneca, Kans. From the age of six to thirteen years the twins studied in the district school and then entered the Corning High School, from which they graduated in 1907. They en- tered Baker University at Baldwin, Kans., in 1909 and graduated there- from in 1913. Harry became principal of the Waterville, Kans., High School, and Aldo studied for one year at Kansas University. Harry is now superintendent' of the Rossville, Kans., schools, and Aldo is superintendent of the Barnes, Kans., schools.
Mr. Livingood and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and the Republican party usually has his allegiance.
Charles Krogmann .- Two things stand out in the life career of Charles Krogmann, of Marion township, and entitle him to specific and honorable mention in the annals of his county, of which he is one of the real pioneers. Mr. Krogmann has reared a large family of twelve children and risen from moderate circumstances to become one of the largest land owners of the county. When he first came to Kansas thirty-eight years ago he had little of this world's goods, but he had learned how to work with both hands and brain. During his residence in Nemaha county he has made good and become one of the leading citizens of this prosperous county.
Charles Krogmann was born in Oldenburg, Germany, April 4, 1849, and is a son of Charles H. and Katharine (Rethmann) Krogmann, who reared a family of nine children, eight of whom are living. Charles H. Krogmann, the father, was born in 1818, in Oldenburg, Germany, and became a sailor as well as having been a farmer. He died in his native land in 1885. Katharine, his wife, and mother of the subject of this review, was born in 1825, and died in 1915.
He of whom this review is written left his native land in 1868 and came to America in search of fortune. He first located in Dubuque. Iowa, and worked as a farm hand in Dubuque county for a number of years. After his marriage in 1876, he rented land in Delaware county, Iowa, until 1878 and then came to Nemaha county, Kansas. He in- vested his saving in eighty acres of land in Center township, which he
1
CHARLES KROGMANN.
MRS. CHARLES KROGMANN.
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
sold a few years later and bought his present home farm of 160 acres in section 36, Marion township. Fortune has smiled upon Mr. Krog- mann's efforts and the years of hard labor and good financial manage- ment have seen his acreage increase to the large total of 763 acres, all of which is located in Nemaha county. He is a breeder of Poland China hogs and feeds a large amount of live stock on his farm annually.
Mr. Krogmann was married May 30, 1876, to Josephine Kramer, and the following children have blessed this happy union, namely : Mrs. Elizabeth Von Der Kampe, living in Mitchell township; Mrs. Christena Pavelick, also living on a farm in Mitchell township; Lena, in Mt. St. Scholastica Convent, Atchison, Kans., known as Sister Anatolia; Fred- erick, deceased; John, a farmer in Marion township; Mrs. Anna, wife of A. F. Reinecke, Center township; Mrs. Mary Nolte, of Center town- ship; Antone, Louis and Joseph, at home ; Charles, deceased ; Frank, at home, and Frances, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Krogmann have thirty grandchildren. The mother of this large and interesting family was horn March 1, 1856, in Ohio, and is a daughter of Frederick and Eliza- beth (Vaske) Kramer, natives of Germany and America, respectively. They migrated from their native home and died in Iowa, where they owned a fine farm.
Mr. Krogmann is a Democrat and is the present trustee of Marion township, having been elected in 1915. He and the members of his family are affiliated with the Sts. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church at Seneca. Mr. Krogmann is a sturdy American citizen of German birth, who is proud of the record he has made in the land of his adoption, and the people of his home county are likewise proud of him and his. He has made a record in Kansas that has been surpassed by but few men in the same length of time.
John W. Baker .- To the mind of the reviewer and historian there is no life as interesting and so full of a wealth of material as that of the Union veteran, especially if he be an individual who has worked his way upward from an humble beginning to become fairly well-to-do in this world's goods. John W. Baker, veteran and retired farmer of Harrison township has done this. In addition he has reared and be- queathed a family to this country of which any man way well be proud. For long and arduous years, John W. Baker marched under the starry flag and fought on Southern battlefields in order that the Union might be saved from dissolution and an inestimable benefit be forever incur- red in behalf of struggling mankind in all the world. After the great was was over he again took up another fight ; this time the gaining of a livelihood as a tiller of the soil; he fought this fight to a finish and won, although at times, when he and his good wife were striving to wrest a modest fortune from the Kansas soil the struggle seemed hope- less. The good old American blood in his veins stood him in fine stead, however, and he won in good time to enjoy these later years in comfort and peace, surrounded by the evidences of plenty, which his thrift has made possible in past years.
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
John Baker, his father, was born in Virginia in 1812; was reared on a Virginia farm and when he became of age he started in the butch- ering business which he followed until he bought a farm near Colum- bus, Ohio, where he resided and reared his family until his death in 1895. Virginia (Long) Baker, his wife, was born in 1813 and their mar- riage took place in 1832. Seven children were born to them, as follows: Marguerite J., Henry, Mrs. Mary A. (Perry) Tucker and James, de- ceased; John W., subject of this review; Louis Cass, killed at Chicka- mauga, and Martha, deceased. The mother of these children departed this life in 1870 at her home in Ohio. Both John Baker and wife were devout Methodists.
John W. Baker, with whom this review is directly concerned, was born. on a farm in Franklin county, near Columbus, Ohio, November 17, 1843, and was reared on the farm, had little schooling and remained at home until his enlistment in the Union army in 1862. He enrolled for service in the One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio infantry, Com- pany C, and served for two years and eleven months. He fought in the great battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, and many minor engagements in which his regiment participated, without receiving a single wound. He served faithfully and bravely until his honorable discharge from the service in July, 1865. In 1866 he rented his father's farm in Ohio and farmed it for fifteen years. He then invested his savings in twenty-seven acres adjoining his father's land, which he cultivated for some years and sold out in order to come to the great West and make a new start. He mi- grated to Kansas in 1886 and rented land near Wetmore, Kans., which he farmed for two years. Another season he rented an adjoining farm and then moved to a quarter section near Goff, for which he paid cash rent for one year and at the end of his rental period purchased the farm. This tract has been his home ever since and he has made many improvements on the place, chief among them being a large and com- modious ten-room farm residence and a large frame barn. He has pros- pered in the years since making his purchase and is well content with what Kansas has given him and his.
While home on a furlough from his army service in the latter part of 1862, Mr. Baker espoused in marriage the sweetheart of his youthful days, and she has been his faithful helpmeet these many years, until her demise in 1911. Mr. Baker wore his soldier's uniform at the wed- ding and for nearly fifty years this marriage existed with much happi- ness and contentment to both husband and wife. Mrs. Mary Baker was born in Franklin county, Ohio, March 11, 1839, and when still a young girl started working as a domestic to gain an independent live- lihood for herself. She worked as domestic until twenty years old and then married Joseph Long, who died two years after the marriage. She then went to her father's home and the second marriage resulted. Nine children were born to John W. and Mary Baker, as follows: Oscar, at
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
home and assisting in managing the farm; Mrs. Abbie McDonald, liv- ing on a farm in Jackson county, Kansas, mother of seven children ; Arnold, at home; Oland, a farmer of Wetmore township, has three chil- dren ; Mrs. Linda Burgett, Goff, Kans., mother of four children; Mrs. Laura Burgett, living on a farm near Bancroft, Kans., has six sons; two children died in infancy. Mrs. Mary Baker was a daughter of William (born in 1815, died in 1880) and Elmira Harter (born in 1820 in New Hampshire). William Harter was a shoemaker and farmer and was a member of the Dunkard sect which located in the vicinity of Columbus, Ohio. They were the parents of six children, as follows: Hiram, de- ceased; Mrs. Mary (Harter) (Long) Baker, deceased; George; Mrs. Charity Baker, deceased; David, farmer in Rice county, Kansas ; Mrs. Elizabeth Fields, died in Texas, leaving three daughters.
It is a notable fact in the personal history of Mr. Baker that he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, while wearing a soldier's uni- form. However, he has since embraced the doctrines of the Democratic party and votes the Democratic ticket at election time. He is a mem- ber of the United Brethren church and has always striven to live a good, cleanly and industrious life which makes him highly esteemed among his many acquaintances and well wishers who are legion.
Ira Bailey, of Harrison township, is a son of Jehu Bailey, a native Pennsylvanian. Born in 1824, Jehu was apprenticed to the cooper trade while still young. Then he followed the plastering occupation for a time before he turned to farming, which he made the chief business of his life. He moved westward when the great tracts of fine farming land were opened up in Ohio and other States. He farmed in Ohio for a number of years, and then migrated to Illinois, where he purchased 300 acres of good land. As he grew older, he sold part of this land and gave the re- mainder to his children, reserving for himself only his town property. He worked at the plastering trade a short time, and then retired to spend his days in quiet. He passed away after a long and useful life, August II, 1914. For many years he was an elder in the Church of God.
Jehu Bailey was married to Frances Swiler in 1844. She was born in Pennsylvania, in 1827. To this union were born seven children, as follows: First born child died in infancy; Ira, of whom this review treats; Mrs. Agnes Postlewait, wife of a retired Illinois farmer ; Jacob, a retired farmer in Illinois; Lincoln, farming in Illinois; Harry, working the old home place in Illinois; Charlie, deceased.
As soon as Ira Bailey was of age, he cast his eyes toward Kansas, and shortly set out for the land of the west. Having only limited capital, he rented fifty acres of fine land near Centralia, Kans., and farmed this successfully for two years. Finding a better opportunity in Marshall county, he went there and homesteaded eighty acres, building up a farm which he kept and operated successfully for seven years. Selling this, he bought 160 acres in Nemaha county near Baileyville, which he oper- ated for four years. Then he had a chance to buy 105 acres of fine land
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
near Goff and, for nine years, farmed this place which was a short dis- tance northeast of town, meanwhile renting his place near Baileyville. After four months in California, he returned to Kansas, and bought a house and four lots in Wetmore, Kans., where he lived five years. He then went back to his farm near Goff for four years more. Seeing an opportunity to acquire a good quarter section west of Goff, he purchased it and made it his permanent home. He has equipped his place for the care of fine stock and poultry and is breeding some unusually good grades of Aberdeen cattle, Poland China hogs, and is raising annually a large number of Plymouth Rock chickens of a pure strain.
He was married, in 1870, to Martha A. Brownlee, and five children have been born to this union: Mrs. Irene Penhorwood, mother of four children, wife of a farmer living near Soldier, Kans .; John, farmer near Goff, father of two children; third child died in infancy; Mrs. Ethel Armstrong, wife of farmer and stockman near Centralia, and mother of one child ; Edward, living on the home place, father of one child.
Mrs. Bailey is a daughter of Morgan and Judith (Butterfield) Brownlee. Her father was born in Richland county, Ohio, March 6, 1825. At the age of eighteen, he started out to farm for himself, and at various times, worked land in Ohio and in Illinois. After locating in the latter State, he rented land until 1856, when he bought 160 acres in Illinois, which he operated for a number of years with profit. He eventually sold out and went to Minnesota, but after a short time in that country, he found it less to his liking than Illinois, and returned to the latter State, buying eighty acres near his former farm. Six years later, he traded this for forty acres of the 160, which he formerly owned, and for three years, he farmed this place. He then migrated to Kansas and located near Vermillion, where he took a homestead of eighty acres, on which he lived eight years, during which time he converted the tract into a pro- ductive and highly improved farm. Selling out, Mr. Brownlee bought 160 acres on Wolfley Creek, where he remained ten years. He sold out again and bought forty acres just across the road from his former place, which he farmed six years, and then gave to his youngest son and moved to Holton, where he lived in retirement until his death, September 2. 1906. He was a most devout member of the Church of God, and acted as elder for many years, and was also superintendent of the Sunday school. He was married in 1847 to Judith Butterfield, who was born in Herkimer county, New York, September 10, 1828. To Mr. and Mrs. Brownlee were born these children. Martha, wife of Ira Bailey ; Franklin, hunter in Idaho; Mrs. Flora Walker, Lawrence, Kans., wife of a traveling sales- man ; William, grocer in Topeka ; Mrs. Fannie Killinger, wife of a farmer near Holton; one child, who died in infancy.
Martha Bailey, wife of Ira Bailey, was born in Illinois, November 26, 1851, and was raised on her father's farm. She attended the district school, and at the age of sixteen years, started to work for two dollars per week. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey spent a month last summer visiting the Panama-Pacific Exposition and other places along the Pacific coast.
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
Mr. Bailey is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and takes an interest in the affairs of his denomination. He usually votes the Republican ticket.
Otho L. Johnstone, farmer and stockman of Harrison township, is a son of James and Mary Johnstone, whose lives are recorded in an- other part of this biographical volume. He was born on the farm on which he is now living on July 27, 1892, and save for one year when he was farming his grandfather's place, he has never been off his birth- place. Mr. Johnstone is one of the youngest, but most successful of Harrison township's farmers and he is following the most progressive methods in his work .. He raises high grade Duroc Jersey hogs num- bering about fifty annually and keeps twenty head of cattle on hand. Besides these he has on hand seven head of fine horses and four colts, all of which are strong, healthy animals.
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