USA > Kansas > Reno County > History of Reno County, Kansas; its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 25
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In the fall of 1887 George Astle married, secondly. Mrs. Huldah ( Michaels) Tucker, who was born in Virginia and came to Kansas with her three children in 1887. her marriage to Mr. Astle taking place shortly there- after. She died in the spring of 1913. By her first marriage Mrs. Astle was the mother of three children, John R. Tucker, who lives in Oklahoma; Franklin DeWitt Tucker, who lives on his step-father's place, which he is now farming, and Gertrude, who married Josiah Foreaker and died in 1907, leaving three children, whom Mr. Astle is rearing. Mr. Astle is a member of the United Brethren church and of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Haven, in the affairs of which he takes much interest.
ISAAC SMITH.
Isaac Smith, the well-known grocer of Hutchinson, Kansas, located at 7 South Main street, is a Hoosier by birth, having first seen the light of day on December 6, 1861, in Washington county, Indiana. He is a son of Stephen H. and Mary A. ( Hoar) Smith, both parents being also natives of Washington county, Indiana. Stephen H. Smith was born on April 1, 1836, and died on September 15. 1884, his entire life being spent in that same county, where during all his active years he followed the vocation of farming. Mary A. Hoar was born on September 15, 1839. and passed from this life on July 26, 1882. Isaac Smith is one of a family of six children, the others being Mary F., wife of Thaddeus K. Benson, a farmer of Reno county: John E., a former grocer of Hutchinson, who died on January 22,
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1909; Jesse E., a banker at Grainfield, this state; Martha J., a physician located at Indianapolis, Indiana, and Emmett, also engaged in the grocery business in Hutchinson.
Isaac Smith received his elementary education in the district schools near his home in Washington county, Indiana, supplemented by special and more advanced study at the Northern Indiana Normal at Valparaiso, that state. Later in life, Isaac Smith took a complete commercial course at the Campbell University, Holton, this state. For eleven years after completing his normal studies he engaged in school teaching, being located at various times in Washington county, Indiana ; Sangamon county, Illinois, and Gove county, Kansas, serving two terms of two years each as superintendent of the Gove county schools. Mr. Smith homesteaded a claim of one hundred and sixty acres in Gove county, same being the southeast quarter of section 30, township 1I, range 28, and after proving same, he disposed of it. On May 20, 1899, he engaged in the retail grocery business on South Main street, Hutchinson, to which business he has since given his best efforts and attention. In addition to his business, Mr. Smith owns his residence, located at 312 Ninth avenue, West, where he has resided for the past eighteen years. Mr. Smith has a well established business which he weli merits by virtue of his honest desire to correctly meet the demands of his customers, and being possessed of a cordial temperament, he easily wins and holds friends.
On May 19, 1886, Isaac Smith was married in Sangamon county, Illi- nois, to Jennie Bridges, a daughter of Chester L. and Margaret E. (Abrams) Bridges, born in that county on August 28, 1862. Chester L. Bridges was born in Arkansas on April 2, 1834, and died at his home in Hutchinson on April 10, 1912, while his widow, who is still living in Hutchinson, was born in Illinois, on April 16, 1841. There were two children in the Bridges family, the one other than Mrs. Smith being Josephine, who married John A. Garber, a contractor and builder located at Hutchinson, Kansas. Chester L. Bridges was for many years a farmer and also a harness maker, follow- ing the latter occupation during the latter years of his life. Both he and his wife were for many years active workers in the Baptist church and in that faith Mrs. Smith was carefully reared. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born five children, namely: Carroll M., who was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, on March 6, 1887, and assists his father in the grocery ; Margaret A., born in Gove county, this state, on April 16, 1889, married William Lester, musician and composer of Chicago, Illinois; Chester L., the
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third child, was born in Gove county, this state, March 6, 1891, and is located in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is engaged in the practice of the law; Eldon B. was born in Gove county, March 20, 1896, and is at present attend- ing the state university at Lawrence; Melvin C., the youngest of the family, born in Reno county, May 26, 1900, is still in high school in Hutchinson. Isaac Smith and his family are numbered among the best people of the city wherein they have made their home for many years and are justly entitled to the high esteem in which they are universally held.
MARTIN BURRIS.
Martin Burris, truck farmer and gardener. living at 126 Fourteenth avenue, West, Hutchinson, Reno county, Kansas, was born in Morgan county, Indiana, a son of Caleb and Frances (Brown) Burris, April 6, 1856. Caleb Burris was a son of James Burris, of English parentage, and was born on September 29, 1818, in Ohio, "a day's drive" (as it was then termed) from the town of Cincinnati, now the thriving city. His death occurred in 1875. Frances Brown was born on August 28, 1817. in the hill country of North Carolina, and her death occurred in 1879. Caleb and Frances Burris were married on August 15, 1841, and to them were born six children. Those other than Martin, the immediate subject of this sketch, are William R., Rebecca L., who married Charles T. Mendenhall; Fernando, a truck farmer living near Savannah, Missouri; Mary and Allen J., all of whom have passed into the life beyond with the exception of Fernando and Martin.
Martin Burris when a young boy attended the common schools near his home in Morgan county, Indiana, and after the family moved to Iowa, he continued his studies in the public schools of Dallas county. He early engaged in farming and went to Sumner county, Kansas, in 1876 and rented a farm on which he lived for some time, during which time he was also engaged in freighting goods from Wichita, this state, to the supply camps and forts across the line in the Indian Territory. His load when going in that direction consisted of supplies and provisions for soldiers and Indians and on the return trip principally of hides. In 1877 Martin Burris moved to Rush county this state, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres. Securing a patent to his "claim" he sold and moved to the territory of Washington in 1888. purchasing one acre in the town of Sidney (which is now known as Port Orchard) and forty acres in Kitsap county, adjoin-
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ing the town of Sidney. In the early nineties, he returned to Kansas, locat- ing in Hutchinson, where he bought city property and has since made his home, giving his time and attention to truck gardening and light farming.
Martin Burris was married at West Point, Rush county, this state. October 30, 1883, to Emaline Caroline Carr, daughter of Cyrus and Mary Jane (Haworth) Carr, both in Harden county, Iowa, April 3, 1865. Cyrus Carr was a farmer, who owned land in Harden county, Iowa, and also in Rush county, this state, where he homesteaded a claim of one hundred and sixty acres and where his death occurred on February 11, 1895. He was born on August 20, 1828, near Clarksburg, in Highland county, Ohio, a son of Benjamin Carr, born on December 28, 1792 (died in 1885), and Permela (Evins) Carr (born in 1801, died in 1871). Permela (Evins) Carr was a daughter of Evin Evins and Permela Bales. Benjamin Carr was a son of Benjamin Carr, and Patience, his wife. Mary Jane Haworth, wife of Cyrus Carr and mother of Mrs. Martin Burris, was born on March 25, 1834, in Vermilion county, Illinois, and died on February 1, 1901. She was a daughter of Rees Haworth (born in 1804 and died in November, 1895). and Permela, his wife, who died in 1885. Cyrus Carr and Mary Jane Haworth were married on October 30, 1850, and to them was born a family of seven children, namely: Emaline (Mrs. Burris), John R., Melvina. who married Charles Osborn; Elven, Martha, a minister of the Quaker church living in Mead county, this state: Rees B., a farmer of the same county, and Harvey, a farmer in Pawnee county, this state. The Carr family have been members of the Quaker church for many generations, active in the work of their various local organizations.
To Martin Burris and wife have been born ten children, as follow : John W., George R., Harvey M., Mabel E., Alice A., Grace M., Allen J., Willie F., Mary F. and Lavina. John W. was born on August 28, 1884, in Rush county, this state and is now proprietor of a bakery in Lexington, Nebraska. George R., was born on January 2, 1886, in Rush county, and is now a linotype operator with the Mid-West Printing Company and secre- tary of Typographical Union No. 243. He has had conferred on him by his local organization the honor of being delegate to the international body and has discharged the responsibilities thus devolving upon him in a manner highly pleasing to all. George R. Burris is a student of archaeology and has spent three of his summer vacations in research work in the interesting field which New Mexico offers to such students. He is known in local labor circles as a leader among his fellow-workmen, and a broad-minded
(17a)
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man of ability and excellent judgment. Harvey M., born on October 10, 1887, in Rush county, is a printer. Mabel E. and Alice A. are twins, born on April 20, 1892, the former being a teacher in the schools of Reno county, and the latter the wife of Fred Leeburg. These twins were born in Sum- ner county, this state. Grace M. was born on August 29, 1894, in Hutchin- son, and is also a teacher in the public schools. Allen J. was also born in Hutchinson, June 9. 1897, and is engaged in clerking. Willie F. was born in Hutchinson, September 26, 1899, and is attending school, as are also Mary F., born on August 9, 1902, and Lavina, born on February 24, 1905. One other child was born in this family, Oliver, who died at birth. The Burris family are numbered among the excellent people of their home city and are descended from forefathers who have been pioneers in their various times, moving with the advance of civilization from Ohio over into what is now termed the Middle West. Martin Burris hailed with delight the coming of the railroads to this section of the country, and during constructive days was known as an expert grade finisher. He worked with the Southern Pacific and also with the Northern Pacific in that capacity.
HUTTON & OSWALD.
Hutton & Oswald, proprietors of the American Steam Laundry at Hutchinson, this county, one of the largest and best-equipped laundries in the state of Kansas, long have been recognized as among the most enter- prising and progressive forces in the commercial and industrial life of that city. After ten other firms had unsuccessfully attempted to establish steam laundries in Hutchinson, Mr. Hutton and Mr. Oswald took hold of the situa- tion. adopted business-like methods, inaugurated a strictly up-to-date system in the operation of their plant and succeeded from the very start. Starting in a comparatively small way, they quickly were compelled to enlarge their plant, owing to the demands of their growing business, and so continued extending their facilities until they came to be recognized as among the lead- ers in that form of enterprise in Kansas.
The American Steam Laundry, which now occupies more than ten times the floor space it occupied when its present proprietors took hold on April 20, 1891, not only does a general laundering business, but is engaged as well in dry-cleaning and employs from seventy-five to one hundred and twenty- five persons and maintains agencies in more than one hundred and fifty
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towns throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. Since 1895 its proprietors, Hut- ton & Oswald, have been members of the National Launderers Association and since July, 1913, members of the National Association of Dry Cleaners, while they have for years taken a prominent part in the affairs of the Kansas State Launderers Association, of which Mr. Oswald is the present president. Messrs. Hutton & Oswald also are extensive landowners in Reno county, the owners of a half section of land in Grant township and a half section in Medora township, which they devote to alfalfa and fruit growing and cattle raising, and are regarded as among the substantial citizens of this county.
Emmett Hutton, senior member of this successful firm, is a native of Tennessee, born in Bedford county, that state, December 10, 1866, son of George D. and Mary A. (Houston) Hutton, the latter of whom, before her marriage to Mr. Hutton, was the widow of Russell Whiteside, a Tennes- sce lawyer, and mother of Houston Whiteside, who became one of Hutchin- son's most distinguished lawyers. Upon coming to Kansas in 1887 and locating in Hutchinson, Mr. Hutton for a year was employed in the office of the St. John & Marsh Lumber Company. He then, shortly after the inaugu- ration of the mail delivery system in Hutchinson, was appointed a letter carrier and was thus engaged for three years, at the end of which time he bought an interest in the laundry business of H. L. Willis & Brother, which business, on April 20, 1891, he took over, in partnership with Charley W. Oswald, established the American Steam Laundry and has ever since been successfully engaged in that business. Mr. Hutton is a Democrat and gives a good citizen's attention to local politics, but has never been an aspirant for public office. He is a member of the Hutchinson Commercial Club, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, in the affairs of all of which organizations he takes a warm interest.
On October 25, 1899, Emmett Hutton was united in marriage to Lottie F. Bay, daughter of C. M. and Maggie J. (Sloan) Bay, well-known resi- dents of Roscoe township, this county, and to this union two children have been born, Hildred and Emmett, Jr. The Huttons have a handsome home at 320 East Sherman street, where they have resided for years, and where they are very pleasantly situated.
Charley W. Oswald, junior member of the firm of Hutton & Oswald, is a native of Ohio, born in Wayne county, that state, November 3, 1867. son of Anthony and Maria (Ewing) Oswald, the former of whom was born in that same county, son of William Oswald, a native of Pennsylvania and
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a pioneer of that section of Ohio, who for more than fifty years was engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes. In 1877 Anthony Oswald and his family came to Kansas and settled in Reno county. Mr. Oswald bought eighty acres of railroad land in Center township and later bought four hun- dred and eighty acres in Salt Creek township, where he farmed for four years, at the end of which time, in 1881. he retired from the farm and moved to Hutchinson, where he presently became engaged in the real-estate business. His wife died in March, 1885. and in 1890 he left Hutchinson and for ten years was engaged in the mining business at Joplin and Galena. In 1900 he went to Beaumont. Texas, where he ever since has been success- fully engaged in the real-estate business.
Charley W. Oswald was ten years old when he came to Kansas with his parents in . 1877. He continued his schooling in the schools of Salt Creek township and of Hutchinson and was graduated from the Hutchinson high school in 1885. after which for two years he was engaged in teaching school. Upon the inauguration of the mail delivery system in Hutchinson he was the first letter carrier appointed in that city and entered upon the duties of that position on October 1, 1887, serving the public in that capacity until September 1, 1890. On April 20, 1891, he became associated with Emmett Hutton in the ownership of the American Steam Laundry at Hutchinson and has ever since been thus engaged. Mr. Oswald is a Demo- crat and from the days of his youth has been an active figure in the political life of this section of the state. For four years he served as a member of the Hutchinson city council and when that city adopted the commission form of government he was elected one of the members of the first commission of three. in April, 1909, and served until May, 1911, as commissioner of public utilities and streets. In 1904 Mr. Oswald was elected a delegate from this district to the Democratic national convention and in other ways has rendered able service in behalf of his party and the public. Mr. Oswald is a thirty-second degree Mason and a Knight Templar, a member of the blue lodge, the chapter, the council and the commandery at Hutchinson and the consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, at Wichita. He also is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and takes a warm interest in these several fraternal affiliations. He takes an active interest in the general business life of the city and is at present vice-president of the Hutchinson Commercial Club.
On May 24. 1806. in Troy township, this county. Charley W. Oswald was united in marriage to Myrtle Lewis, daughter of S. C. Lewis and wife. and to this union two children have been born, Anthony L., born on Decem-
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ber 9. 1898, and C. Wallace, April 11, 1900, both of whom are now students in the high school. The Oswalds have a handsome home at 301 Ninth avenue, west, where they have resided for years and where they are very pleasantly situated.
SYLVESTER FARTHING.
Sylvester Farthing, one of the best-known and most substantial of the pioneer farmers of Yoder township, this county, is a native of Tennessee, having been born in Robinson county, that state, April 22, 1849, son of Peter and Elizabeth ( Holland) Farthing, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Tennessee, who later became well-known pioneers of this county, where their last days were spent.
Peter Farthing was but a small boy when his parents emigrated from Virginia to Tennessee, settling in Robinson county, and there he grew to manhood. He married Elizabeth Holland, daughter of Richard Holland, a wealthy plantation owner of that county, a large slaveholder and the owner of more than one thousand acres of land; a deacon in the Missionary Baptist church for many years. Peter Farthing became the owner of a farm in Robinson county, but in the late fifties sold out there and moved to Union county, where he became the owner of four hundred and fifty acres, which he devoted to the raising of corn and tobacco. He owned a few slaves, but when the division of sentiment on the slavery question arose in Ken- tucky he became an ardent Union sympathizer and his former slaves remained with him for some time after their freedom had been declared. In 1876, attracted by the glowing reports at that time being heard regarding conditions in this section of Kansas, Peter Farthing sold his holdings in Kentucky and came to Kansas with his wife and their two youngest children. Norman and Ella. They located in Reno county and Peter Farthing bought a quarter of a section of land in Lincoln township, where he established his home and where he and his wife spent the rest of their lives, becoming prominent in the pioneer life of that part of the county. Peter Farthing was a good farmer and he eventually became the owner of two hundred and forty acres surrounding his home. He died there on September 23. 1890. at the age of seventy years, and his widow survived him less than two years, her death occurring on January 13, 1892, she then being sixty-nine years of age. They were the parents of seven children, namely: Marcellus, who still makes his home in Union county, Kentucky: Sylvester, the subject of
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this biographical sketch; Samantha, who married Pascal Graves and lives on a farm in Sedgwick county, this state: Diana, who married John Cole- man and lives in Union county, Kentucky; Harriet, who married Henry Turner and lives near Coffeyville, this state; Norman, who also lives near Coffeyville, and Ella, who married Benjamin Holman and lives in Oklahoma.
Sylvester Farthing was a small boy when his parents moved from Tennessee to Kentucky and he grew up on the home farm in Union county, in the latter state. Upon the dissolution of the slavery system the work of the farm fell upon him and his brothers and he began to plow as soon as he was big enough to hold the plow handles. He assisted his father on the farm and remained at home until his marriage in 1868, after which he bought a farm of one hundred acres in the neighborhood of his old home and began farming on his own account and was thus engaged there until the spring of 1877. when he sold his place and followed his parents to Kansas, they having settled in Reno county the year previous. Upon his arrival here he bought the southeast quarter of section 29 in Lincoln, now a part of Yoder township, and there he established his home in a shack, the lumber for building which he hauled from Wichita, sixty miles away. When he settled there there was not a tree in sight from his humble home on the plain, but it was not long until he had set out a large number of trees and had a thrifty grove growing on his place. He prospered in his farming operations and for many years has been regarded as one of the substantial residents of the Yoder neighborhood. still making his home on the place he has occupied for nearly forty years. He and his wife are earnest members of the Harmony Baptist church, as are all the members of their family, and have for many years been looked upon as among the leaders in good works thereabout.
It was on January 21, 1868, in Union county, Kentucky, that Sylvester Farthing was united in marriage to Cassandra Hobbs, who was born in Jefferson county, Kentucky, April 3, 1852, daughter of Henson and Sarah ( Smith ) Hobbs. the former of whom died on August 8, 1854, after which his widow married George Whitecotton and moved to Union county, where her death occurred on April 3, 1874. To Mr. and Mrs. Farthing eight children have been born, as follow: Sarah Elizabeth, born on January 26, 1800, who married James Green and lives in Yoder, this county; Leonia May, May 25. 1872. who died on September 9. 1893: Peter Rice, April 30, 1874. a well-known farmer of Salt Creek township, this county, a biograph- ical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume; Addie Pearl, April 8, 1876. who married Mbert Stewart and died on November 25, 1912;
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Mary Ella, July 17, 1878, who is at home with her parents; Edna Vesta, December 17, 1882, widow of Judson Stewart; Carrie Low, May 9, 1885, who married Eugene Moore and lives on a farm in Lincoln township, and Ulah Lillian, February 1, 1889, who married Floyd H. Moore and died on January 2, 1915.
JOHN J. BOEHM.
John J. Boehm, the son of William and Caroline ( Werle) Boehm, was born in Sterling, Illinois, December 27, 1857. The parents having come from Germany in 1850. The father was a building contractor and a cooper.
To William and Caroline Boehm were born the following children : Elizabeth, the widow of Charles Walz, who was a contractor at Sterling, Illinois ; Katherine, the wife of George Collins, an assistant in the postoffice at Aurora. Illinois ; Sarah, the wife of Loren Schneider, a farmer at Wad- dams Grove, Illinois; William, an electrician at Sterling; Albert, a carpenter at Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Adolph, a conductor on a railroad out of Omaha. lives at St. James, Minnesota, and John J., the subject of this sketch.
John J. Boehm was educated in the graded schools of Sterling, Illinois. After completing his education he followed the trade of a cooper, which trade he had learned in the shop of his father when a lad. In 1884 he went to Spencer, Clay county, Iowa, and engaged in the manufacturing of butter" tubs for creameries. In 1896 he went to Minneapolis, where he remained until the next year, when he came to Hutchinson, where he purchased the interests of William A. Myers in the laundry business. Since that time he has been interested in the modern "Model" steam laundry, located at 27-29 Second avenue, West, and of which he is now the sole owner.
Mr. Boehm is a member of the Hutchinson Commercial Club and takes an active interest in all things that tend to assist in the growth and improve- ment of the city. He is independent in politics, but always looks to the selection of the best men to office. He was for four years the sergeant at arms of the Laundrymen's National Association of America, and was the president of the Kansas Laundrymen's Association for one year.
On March 19, 1885, John J. Boehm was married at Ames, Iowa. to Elizabeth J. Erb, the daughter of Jacob and Caroline (Reid) Erb. Mrs. Boehm is a native of Ames, while her father was born in Maryland and her
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